The End Of The World As We Know It

by Usearki

The Mayan Calendar is coming to a close and Jonouchi has just been told about it and the theory about the end of the world. There is just one thing he needs to do before it's too late... if he has the courage.

A/N - I wrote this at the end of last year just after the end of the Mayan calendar, but I put it to one side and forgot about it. When I remembered it later, I thought I hadn't finished it, but I found it in a folder a couple of weeks back and discovered that the first draft was actually done and it just required some editing. So I thought I should tidy it up and post it. Only a few months late. :P

x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x

"So, how do you all feel about the theory that the world will end sometime today?"

Jonouchi's head snapped up to look at his oldest friend, Honda. "What the hell are you talking about?" he asked incredulously.

"The world ending, you know, the end of the Mayan calendar and all that?" Honda's eyebrows raised as he took in Jonouchi's clueless expression. "Have you been living under a rock or something?" he wondered. "It's been all over the internet for weeks and they've even talked about it on the news a few times."

"Hey, you know I don't get on the internet much," Jonouchi snapped back, "and I don't watch the news much either because it's boring and depressing. But..." he looked at his friends with a worried expression, "how is the world supposed to end anyway?"

"No one actually knows," Ryou spoke up. "There are many theories, but people say that the Mayans ended their calendar on the 21st December 2012 for a reason."

"I think it's a load of rubbish," Otogi said flippantly. "How many times has the world supposed to have ended and how many times has it actually happened?" He shook his head. "The Mayans probably couldn't see any reason to carry on after five thousand and some odd years. It's just like changing your wall calendar at the end of the year, that's all."

"What do you think, Yugi?" Jou asked, trying to keep the note of uncertainty out of his voice.

"I'm... not quite sure what to think," Yugi said uncertainly. "On one hand, like Otogi said, it could be like the end of our calendars every year, but on the other hand..." He gave Jonouchi a worried look, "After our experiences with Ancient Egypt and all the prophecies and magic that came along with it," he shook his head, "I wouldn't dismiss it out of hand."

Jonouchi appeared to think about this for a minute, a very troubled look upon his face. "Well, I guess whatever happens will happen," he said after a moment, then he stood, causing some surprise at the suddenness. "I... I need to go to the library," he said by way of explanation. "I'll see you all later." He didn't give anyone a chance to reply as he left as quickly as he could.

"Do you think he took me seriously?" Yugi asked with a worried look. "I was only kidding with him."

"Don't worry about it," Honda said. "He'll probably just go look it up and decide it's a load of bunkum, just like we said."

"He'll probably end up making an idiot of himself somehow, whether he believes in it or not," Otogi added disparagingly. "Who wants to bet that he'll do something stupid like challenging Kaiba to a duel. Again."

"He probably would do something like that," Honda mused, "and he'll get his ass handed to him again. That'll upset him, especially when the world doesn't end to hide his embarrassment if he says something really stupid."

"But we'll be here to pick up the pieces, right?" Ryou said, unusually forcefully. "After all, we could have tried to reassure him that nothing was going to happen, or," he gave Honda a particularly hard look, "we could just have not mentioned it at all." Honda had the grace to look a bit sheepish, but did not reply.

"Oh, I'm such a bad friend!" Yugi exclaimed as Otogi and the shame-faced Honda looked at each other. Ryou was right. It should never have been brought up at all as they had all known how Jonouchi would take it.

x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x

Jonouchi, as he had told his friends, did actually make his way to the library in order to use the computers there. Fortunately there was one free so he connected to the internet and looked up any information he could find on this Mayan prophecy. What he came up with was a lot of contradictory information in the same vein as what Yugi had told him. There were people pooh-poohing the whole idea, whilst there were others loudly proclaiming that the world would indeed come to an end. There were yet others claiming that because the Mayans did not count leap years that the appointed time should already have long passed, but Jonouchi knew that prophecy cared little for such things. Of course, there were plenty of different theories on what time the world would end and how it would end, but there was nothing solid, which, to be honest, he had expected.

He logged off the computer and left the library. There were a few things he needed to do, just in case. He was a gambler, but in this case he thought it would be prudent to hedge his bets.

x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x

Seto Kaiba put the phone down and smirked. He had just been called by Yugi who had wanted to warn him that Jonouchi might do something stupid because he thought the world might end due to that Mayan calendar rubbish.

Kaiba snorted at that thought. Would the world really end just because someone couldn't be bothered to make more of a calendar than five thousand years into the future? But... he could potentially have some fun with this, courtesy of his new toy in the basement lab. He turned to his computer, a sadistic smile upon his face. If Jonouchi did turn up here later on and things went they way they should, he wouldn't know what had hit him!

x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x

Jonouchi wrapped his arms around himself, warding himself against the chill December air as he stood outside the imposing building that was Kaiba corporation. He had already called his sister, to hear her voice one more time just in case the worst came to worst, but although she had tried to reassure him that the world was not going to end in the next few hours, he still felt that he could not take the chance that she might be wrong. And that was what had brought him to Kaiba Corporation.

His friends all had someone to be with if the world was going to end and even though he did not he didn't feel that he could intrude as they spent time with their families and significant others. Besides, there was something that he still had to do - if he actually had the guts to do it. He was still hedging his bets, telling himself that he wouldn't do anything unless it was clear that the world actually was going to end. If he went through with admitting to Kaiba how he really felt and then the world did not end he would never live it down, so he had to tread carefully.

He continued to pace backwards and forwards, occasionally looking towards the sky or the top of the Kaiba Corporation building, but then he jumped as he felt a large, meaty hand land on his shoulder. He looked up and back to see one of Kaiba Corporation's suited security next to him.

"Mr. Kaiba wishes to see you," the man said reasonably, his grip not wavering.

"Well, I don't want to see him!" Jonouchi made to pull away, but he found that the man's grip was implacable. "Oh, come on!" he said in exasperation, "There's no need to bother Kaiba. I'm sure he's busy and all that..."

"I'm sorry," the man said, "but what Mr. Kaiba wants, Mr. Kaiba gets. It would be more than my job's worth to do otherwise."

Jonouchi subsided then. He wouldn't want to cost someone their job at this time of year, no matter if the end of the world was around the corner or not. "Fine," he said. "Take me to your leader."

The man gave Jonouchi a funny look, but escorted him into the large building and to Kaiba's private lift in silence. One tense, almost interminable ride up to the top of the tower later found Jonouchi being escorted into the CEO's plushly appointed office.

"Mr. Jonouchi to see you, as you requested, sir," the man intoned seriously, causing Jonouchi to jump.

"Thank you, Sebastian," Kaiba intoned without looking up from his computer screen. "That will be all."

"Very good, sir." The man, Sebastian, bowed and made his exit, closing the door behind him with a resoundingly final sounding thunk and click.

Jonouchi stood there uncomfortably for several long minutes whilst Kaiba studiously ignored him. Jonouchi began to twitch, but Kaiba continued to work at his computer, putting the finishing touches to a program that would not wait, not if he wanted the chance to scare the mutt witless.

"Kaiba..." Jonouchi began after a few minutes, but Kaiba simply held up a finger, silencing him. Jonouchi would have left there and then, but, other than suspecting that the door had been locked, he was here for a reason – that reason being to see Kaiba. OK, he hadn't really thought much further than that and he hadn't actually considered that he would be permitted to see Kaiba in the first place, so he would just have to wing it from here. As he waited he continued to look nervously out of the window, wondering that if there was actually going to be an apocalypse, and if there was, would he be able to see it coming?

Kaiba noted Jonouchi's darting looks out of the window and smirked. So Jonouchi really did seem to think that the world might end, and in such a way that was perfect for his plan, but he still needed a few more moments before he had his plan all set up.

Even as he put the final touches to his program, he couldn't help but wonder just why Jonouchi would choose to come and see him if he really believed that the world was ending. Surely he would have preferred to spend that time with his friends or his sister. Why would he come here to see someone he hated if that was going to be the last person he ever saw? Did he want to get one last punch in, to try to duel and beat him one last time? Not that he would win. Or did Jonouchi think that he had some kind of bunker or some other way to escape any coming apocalypse? Also, Jonouchi had not come in blustering and shouting as he had expected, instead he seemed to be quite nervous and subdued. It was quite the conundrum. Never mind though, with any luck he would find out why soon enough and even if he didn't, he should still get to scare the mutt silly, so it was a win-win in his book.

Finally Kaiba finished what he was doing - or at least he had got the program set up as best as he could in the time he'd had and he figured that Jonouchi had suffered enough. He looked up, noting Jonouchi's increasingly nervous and agitated state. This would prove to be amusing.

"So, mutt," he began, causing Jonouchi to immediately bristle, "why have you been lowering the tone by hanging around outside my building?"

"It's a free country," Jonouchi riposted, slouching and shoving his hands into his pockets. "I can hang around outside if I want to."

"Rubbish," Kaiba replied disparagingly, deciding to cut to the chase. "I already heard that you bought into the ludicrous theory that the world is going to end today." He narrowed his eyes, "So, do you think I have some kind of bunker you can hide out in? Or have you come to try and take me down one last time?" He smirked, "You will fail, of course."

"But how do you know that the world isn't going to end?" Jonouchi asked without answering Kaiba's questions. "I mean, that Mayan calendar was due to finish today and I know you don't like talking about the ancient past, but we all know that they had insights and knowledge that we don't..."

"I'm sorry, mutt," Kaiba shook his head s he cut Jonouchi off, "I don't buy into all that mystical crap and YOU know it."

"But..." Jonouchi frantically thought for an answering argument. "What if you are wrong?" he asked. "Would you rather be here or would you rather be with your brother?"

"And if YOU are so convinced that the world will end, why aren't you with your friends?" Kaiba shot back at him.

"All my friends have someone to be with and I already told my sister I love her, so I have no regrets on that score." Jonouchi shook his head. "Doesn't change the fact that you are here and not with your brother."

Kaiba knew that Jonouchi wasn't telling the whole truth and was evading the real reason for coming here, but in doing so he had offered Kaiba a fantastic opportunity to set his plan in motion. He tamped down the impulse to snap back and demand the real reasons for Jonouchi's presence, closing the lid of his computer and standing up. "Fine, I suppose you may have a point there and I was just about finished for the day anyway."

"What? Really?" Jonouchi looked surprised, as if he really had been expecting more of an argument.

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "I don't hide up here all the time, you know," he said moving for the door, "and the main Christmas rush is done with at this level of the company so I don't have so much to do. So move it, I want to leave. Now."

"Fine, keep your shirt on," Jou bristled as Kaiba shoved him out of the office and locked the door behind him. He followed Kaiba into the lift and stood with his back against the wall, arms crossed and scowling. This wasn't going the way he had hoped at all, but then all things considered, it could have gone a lot worse. Ah well, maybe the world really wasn't going to end and maybe he shouldn't do anything to potentially embarrass himself. After all, if he confessed anything and the world didn't end - and if Kaiba didn't just kill him outright - then his life would be made a living hell. Maybe he would be better off keeping his own counsel, even potentially into the afterlife.

Kaiba stood in front of Jonouchi, hiding his curiosity over why the mutt had dared to come and seek him, of all people, out and wondering why he wasn't sniping at him now, demanding a duel or berating him for being a cold hearted bastard. From what he could see in the mirrored walls of the lift, Jonouchi was deeply in thought. Something was clearly bothering him, but he was obviously not going to come clean any time soon. Kaiba gave a smirk. Well, if it had anything to do with this supposed end of the world, he would hopefully find out thanks to his new project in the basement.

Jonouchi jumped as the lift stopped. It was odd how it seemed to take hardly any time at all to descend from the top floor after it had seemed to take so long to get there. There was a ding and the doors opened. He followed Kaiba out of the lift and into the Kaiba Corporation lobby, but he paused as something felt just a bit off to him.

"Come on," Kaiba shot back as he noted that Jonouchi had stopped, "I don't have all day." And it was true. They were now down in the brand new holo suite in the basement of Kaiba Corporation. The custom program that he had created that afternoon had begun to run as the lift doors had opened and there was a strict order that things had to go in. If Jonouchi delayed now, the chance would pass and he would never find out why Jonouchi had come to see him and he wouldn't be able to scare him half to death in the process.

"Oh, right, sure thing Kaiba," Jou said as he once again followed Kaiba through the lobby of Kaiba Corporation. He darted looks around as they went as something still seemed quite off to him, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it could be.

Kaiba, meanwhile, was casting a critical eye over his handiwork, noting all the little places that he could have improved details here and there if he'd just had a touch more time, but as they drew towards the 'entrance' to the Kaiba Corporation building's lobby, the real show was about to begin.

Kaiba made a dramatic pause as they reached the area just before the glass doors leading outside, looking up into the air and giving a little gasp as he deliberately dropped his briefcase. That was enough to draw Jonouchi's attention to several fireballs heading right for the ground in their general area. Kaiba watched entranced as the faux fireballs flew through the sky, again noting little glitches here and there and where things could have been done better, but considering that he'd only had a scant couple of hours to program this scene, he was quite pleased with the result.

Kaiba heard a little gasp behind him and he smirked inwardly as Jonouchi had obviously taken the bait, then he frowned as he noted a few extra glitches, but then his mind went blank as Jonouchi did something he would never have expected him to do. He grabbed Kaiba's head and mashed their lips together, kissing him as if his life depended on it.

'Oh... ohhhh...' were the only thoughts that Kaiba could muster. This was something he hadn't actually considered before, but if he were honest it wasn't so bad. In fact, it was rather good...

After that moment of shock and processing what was happening, he grabbed Jonouchi and kissed back with gusto, the simulation around them completely forgotten.

x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x

Jonouchi followed Kaiba towards the front of the building. Normally he would be chattering and trying to get a rise out of Kaiba, but with this odd 'off' feeling, he couldn't bring himself to do it. He was cursing himself for being all kinds of coward, with not being able to bring himself to tell Kaiba why he had really come here.

Then Kaiba stopped and dropped his briefcase. Jou almost ran into his back then made to lay into Kaiba for stopping like that, but then he looked up, seeing instantly what had caused Kaiba to stop dead.

A fireball... lots of fireballs - and they were heading right for them! The world really was going to end right now! He let out a strangled gasp, then got hold of himself as he finally decided to show Kaiba why he had come here. He stepped in front of the distracted Kaiba, grabbing hold of his head, then, screwing his eyes tightly shut, he crashed their lips together before Kaiba could react. If they were going to die, he was determined that he would not go with this last regret hanging over him!

But after a few moments, (where he was shocked as Kaiba actually started kissing back), he realised that... nothing was happening. The sounds of the fireballs had stopped and there had been no crashes, no heat, no screams and no pain! He stopped kissing Kaiba, stepped back and opened one eye, chancing a look up at Kaiba who was staring at him, stunned. Then he noted that... the place had changed. There was no Kaiba Corporation lobby, no fireball, just walls with the Kaiba Corporation symbol on them and a few weird protuberances on the ceiling. He shoved away from Kaiba and landed heavily on his behind.

"What the fuck?" he exclaimed. He began to shake slightly in reaction. He had been about to die, he was sure of it... but Kaiba had obviously tricked him with some of his bloody holograms... Then it came to him that he had kissed Kaiba and he might be about to die anyway...

"I think that should be my line," Kaiba growled, glaring at Jonouchi. "What the fuck was that supposed to be?"

"That" Jonouchi spat as he got to his feet, "was something you would never had known about had you not... not... tricked me!" He exclaimed in outrage. He eyed Kaiba with a belligerent air, even now refusing to be cowed. "So, why the fuck did ya do it?"

Kaiba stared coolly back, arms crossed. "I did it because a little bird told me that you were getting all freaked out about the so-called 'end of the world' and that you were likely to come and see me. I had simply intended to scare you, especially when you gave me all that bullshit over why you had come. After that I hoped that this scenario would help me to discover the real reason why you had come to see me."

"Well you should be careful, wantin' to know everythin' like that," Jonouchi said, calming a touch now it was clear that Kaiba wasn't going to kill him. Well, at least not yet. "So now you know, what are ya gonna do about it?" He eyed Kaiba warily, perhaps a touch hopefully. "Don't think I'll stand for ya holdin' it over me."

"Well, you did violate my person..." Kaiba appeared to muse.

"And you tricked me," Jonouchi spat, "made me think we were all gonna die and you're lucky I didn't actually die of a heart attack or something, so I think we're even."

"Hmm, you are probably right," Kaiba conceded, a thoughtful look upon his face, then he advanced towards Jonouchi, who stepped backwards.

"What are ya doin', Kaiba," Jou asked worriedly, before making ready to defend himself. If Kaiba was going to do him harm, he wouldn't go down without a fight, but he was determined that he would not make the first move. He continued to step backwards, making sure to avoid ending up with his back against the wall. He was too seasoned a fighter to make that kind of silly mistake.

"Stop and find out," Kaiba said, a smirk upon his face.

"Nuh-uh," Jonouchi said, backing away. "I ain't ready to die yet."

"But you were a minute ago," Kaiba pointed out, still advancing on the retreating Jonouchi, then he sighed and rolled his eyes. "Computer, Row 1547 - Wall," he commanded, smirking as a wall materialised right behind Jonouchi.

Jonouchi felt the wall appear behind him and swore. "What the fuck is this place?" he said as Kaiba finally caught him. He cringed as Kaiba's large form loomed over him and he made ready to shrink down or to swerve to the side, but Kaiba caught hold of him. He tensed for a blow, but then his mind went blank as he felt Kaiba's lips covering his own.

Kaiba kissed Jonouchi until he felt the other relax and kiss back then, satisfied that Jonouchi had calmed down, he broke away and stepped back.

"This, to answer your question," he said, dramatically throwing out one hand, "is my new baby, the holo-suite."

"H... holo-suite?" Jonouchi said, still clearly stunned and leaning against the 'wall'.

"Yes," Kaiba confirmed. "I liked the idea of the holo suite shown on those Star Trek television programs, so I found a way to make it happen using Kaiba Corporation technology."

"Really?" Jonouchi still sounded unsure, worried that Kaiba was going to turn on him at any moment, but he moved away from the wall he had been leaning against and turned to look at it warily. "So... what else can it do?"

Kaiba smirked. "Computer, Run program - bedroom," he said. A moment later, the wall vanished and a lavish bedroom materialised around them, the main feature being the large, comfortable looking bed in the centre.

Jonouchi crossed to the bed and began prodding carefully at it. "It's... solid?" he asked with wonder. "It feels like a real bed! How is that possible?"

Kaiba crossed to where Jonouchi stood. "It's a combination of a special light matrix and some elements of the virtual world. It took me a long time to get it just right..." He once again made to advance on Jonouchi who, this time, did manage to slip out of the way and use the bed as a barrier between them.

"What the fuck do you think you are doing now?" Jonouchi said with a frown.

"What do you think I'm doing?" Kaiba growled still advancing on Jonouchi. When Jonouchi did not stop moving around the bed away from him, he stood still, looking at Jonouchi with a mixture of annoyance and confusion on his features.

Jonouchi crossed his arms and had a stubborn set to his chin as he realised just what Kaiba had got on his mind. "Nuh-uh, I'm not that easy."

Kaiba glared at him. "After a kiss like that, I thought you'd be all for it," he snapped.

"The fuck?" Jonouchi was incredulous. "You made me think I was gonna die!" He exclaimed loudly. "Of course I was gonna kiss like it was the last time!" He paused a moment, "Besides, whose to say that you ain't doing this to fool me again?"

"I... I suppose I can't blame you for that," Kaiba said, realising that Jonouchi had little reason to trust him, not with the way he had treated him up to now and with the way he had just tricked him. He sighed. Was it really worth this trouble? "Would you give me a chance to prove that I'm not trying to trick you?"

"I... guess," Jou said uncertainly. "What do you have in mind?"

"Let me take you to dinner and we can discuss it."

x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x

In the Kame Game shop that Christmas eve, just after closing time, a small group were gathered, waiting for Jonouchi to show up.

"Have any of you heard from Jonouchi over this weekend?" Honda asked. Anzu, Ryou and Otogi shook their heads.

"When I didn't see him Saturday, I called him and he told me that he wasn't in trouble, but something had come up and he would see me on Christmas Eve," Yugi said. "He wouldn't tell me what he was doing though." As he was speaking, Honda's eyes widened. "What is it?" Yugi asked.

"Are we sure that the world didn't end last Friday?" Honda asked, his face pale.

"Why is that, Honda?" Ryou asked. Honda didn't say anything, just pointed towards the shop window, through which Kaiba and Jonouchi could be seen next to Kaiba's limo - and not fighting. The group turned to watch the pair walk towards the shop, stunned into silence.

"See you later, Jonouchi," Kaiba said as they reached the shop door. He looked across the shop and gave the rest of the group a cursory nod, then stalked back off to his car.

"Hey guys," Jou said somewhat sheepishly as he entered the shop.

"Uh... what the hell was that about?" Honda asked.

"Ah... lets just say that I'm really glad that it wasn't the end of the world last Friday," Jou said with a blush. "Now come on, let's get this party started!"

The group of friends looked at each other in shock as Jonouchi headed into the back of the shop. Jonouchi and Kaiba not fighting? Jonouchi blushing? Kaiba not calling Jou by some derogatory nickname? It really was the end of the world as they knew it!

But that was a good thing, right?