I know I said mostly Thiefshipping, but I've got a Puppyshipping one for y'all today. It's my second-fav pairing :3
Summary: Seto is very famous now, and is in the middle of an interview when a very awkward topic arises. SxJ Rated M for language.
Enjoy!
"Alright now, JTV watchers—our next guest is an eighteen-year-old genius and CEO who won the hearts of millions of fangirls when he publically released a video blog of his life during the infamous Battle City 2.0 tournament, and everyone got to know just how sexy this guy is! Any guesses? It's SETO KAIBA!"
There was rapturous applause as Seto pushed his way out of the double doors and onto the set, immediately being the focus of three TV cameras and every eye in the studio audience.
He would never be used to this—the way people treated him like an A-list celebrity, the lights, the screaming girls … if he had known that setting up a stupid video blog on the internet would have gotten him this much attention, he would have never done it.
He had always retained a kind of anonymity when running his corporation, so that he could still go to the local public school and Mokuba could have a normal life as well. He had risked everything and revealed himself at his Battle City tournament, but even then had been left somewhat alone afterwards. But ever since his second tournament … suddenly, teen magazine reps were begging for photo shoots; TV and radio hosts called for interviews; and the damn paparazzi had set up tents outside his mansion, cameras at the ready the moment the CEO stepped outside.
He'd had to drop out of school a month before graduation because of the strain it had put on the administration. They were offering him an honorary diploma, but Seto still felt upset at having to make this decision. Mokuba was still at his middle school, but it was becoming increasingly apparent that he would have to be pulled out soon.
Being a celebrity sucked.
Seto stepped out onto the set, feeling slightly more insecure than usual because the wardrobe people had denied him his usual trench coat. "Your coats are sexy, Seto-san, but we were thinking that we would like you in something trendier, something without spikes on the shoulders. Maybe Russ-K, or even some Mastermind or Dresscamp …"
So now he had loose pinstriped trousers on, rolled up slightly at the end so that his black converse sneakers with the blue strings and the big white stars could catch the eye. A long button-up shirt, soft white in color and buttoned to the collar, rested under a shorter, dark blue jean jacket. The jacket was left hanging open, and the long sleeves ended just short enough so that a sliver of the white shirt could be seen at his wrists. His hair had been tousled, (he had protested loudly at that, but had been ignored, stupid bastards) and he had been asked to remove his contacts and wear his prescription glasses, because they were trendier.
He looked good, he supposed, but he still felt a bit naked without his long coat. The audience practically howled when he showed up, and he thought he saw security wrestling with a young female teenager who had darted out of the audience to glomp him or something. God.
He walked over to the host's desk, bowing respectively before settling gracefully into the armchair on the side of the desk. It was about as comfortable as a rock.
The applause faded, everyone eager to hear the brunette speak. The reporter flashed a smile, and began. "Welcome, Kaiba-sama! It's such a privilege to have you on this show! How are you doing? How is your brother?"
Kaiba lifted a leg up on the other, adopting a casual position. "I am well enough, thank you. My brother is also well. He is managing, I think, with all this newfound attention on our family—it's been tough on him, though, more than he lets on."
The reporter looked at him with a fake sympathetic look. "Oh, I'm sure it must take some adjusting—but I'm sure the little guy is really excited about being famous! Really, what little boy doesn't want to be in the spotlight? Ha-ha," she said, quickly putting her smile back in place. Seto was annoyed at the ridiculous and asinine assumption, but maintained his public persona of pleasantry. "Now, I've heard that Milk ™ magazine wants your brother to model some of their child couture! Any plans to accept the offer?"
Seto adjusted his glasses. "I've left the decision for Mokuba to make. He's old enough to decide his own future—I may have raised him, but I'm not his father. I'll support whatever career choice he makes."
There was applause from the audience. The reporter smiled cutely. "That's so sweet, Kaiba-sama! Mokuba will make the right decision for sure!"
She waited for the applause to die down, and then turned over a note card. "So, Seto Kaiba-sama, let's talk about your fame. It was one year ago that you hosted the Battle City 2.0 tournament in Domino City, and publically reclaimed your throne as #1 duelist in the world! You had the entire country on the edge of their seats when you dueled Yugi Moto-san in the finals!"
Seto looked to the side, seemingly reliving the duel that had given him the closure he'd needed after the first Battle City tournament. Yugi had of course been invited to his second Duel Monsters competition—but without his partner, the powerful Pharaoh and the mysterious properties of the Millennium Puzzle on his side, he'd been no match for Seto Kaiba that time. Sure, Yugi was a great duelist in his own right, and had still been second place in his tournament—but the shadow magic that had guaranteed Yugi the right card at the right time was gone, and he'd been a victim of bad luck just like the rest of them. Served him right, the damn cheater.
"It was a great duel," Seto found himself saying, despite his previous thoughts. "But his winning streak had to be broken eventually. It's only right that it was me who did the breaking," he finished, with a pompous smirk that had a few hundred fangirls squealing in the audience. "My Blue-eyes Ultimate Dragon Warrior combo is unstoppable."
A group of girls wearing matching Blue-Eyes shirts stood up, screaming. Kaiba decided to humor them and flashed them a grin. One fainted.
Even the reporter was blushing and grinning stupidly at the display of pure sex appeal from the gorgeous brunette. "I-indeed," she stuttered, and then shook herself out of reverie. "And now let's talk about what shot you up to pure stardom, shall we—Battle City 2.0—The Seto Kaiba Chronicles. Your video blog that showed a behind-the-scenes view of the BCT! Since posting it on KaibaCorp's website months ago, it has appeared on JTV, MTV, BET, plus major news networks around the world! Care to discuss it?"
Seto was prepared for this. This wasn't the first interview about the blog, so he'd long ago prepared to answer any question about it. "It was Mokuba's idea … I'd gotten him a camera for Christmas—one of those Nixon COOLPIX© P6000's, and the kid couldn't put it down. When I started making plans and arrangements for a second Battle City, he was there, filming away. It was obnoxious at times—sometimes I didn't even know that he was doing it, the sneaky brat," he began, and had to pause as the audience over-enthusiastically laughed. "Anyway, he suggested that I should put up BCT outtakes on the websites, to give the fans a little something extra … and then one thing led to another and it morphed into an active video blog, with Mokuba at the helm."
The reporter beamed. "And we're all glad that he did! You've become a sensation, Kaiba-sama, and in such a short time!" She shuffled her note cards, and a slyer look graced her pretty face. "Now, with your permission, let's shed some light on the rumors that have been among the hottest topics in Japan—what is your relationship with professional duelist Jounouchi Katsuya?"
Seto put a hand over his eyes briefly, giving the camera a fake awkward smile despite the fact that he wanted to get up and leave. "I … don't know what you're talking about. We're both duelists, that's the end," he said evasively, hoping the pushy reporter would take the hint and move on. He specifically remembered telling the studio directors that he preferred not to discuss matters of private life.
Unfortunately, the reporter was one of those gossipy, pushy types. "Oh, come now, you have the whole of Tokyo following your romantic escapades with Katsuya-san, so surely you have something for your loyal fans …?"
Seto maintained a polite smile; though he was sure his eyes were frosted over with cool anger. "I would hardly call them 'romantic escapades.' We duel; we go out to dinner afterwards, maybe see a movie or two. Are there any friends who don't do those activities? These rumors stem from fame, that is all."
The reporter wouldn't have any of it. "Sure, you guys duel each other, since you're both professionals—but what 'friends' go to Shinbashi district for some 37,000-yen kobe at Aragawa?"
The reporter inwardly cackled with triumph when Seto shifted awkwardly in his seat. "I … happen to like the kobe at Aragawa. Jou comes with me … because … I pay for it," he stated, his gaze avoiding that of the reporter. She knew she had the famous CEO right where she wanted him.
"Oh, I see. And what about that viral photo from an amateur journalist showing you and Katsuya-san together at the movies?"
Seto could not keep up formalities. He scowled, and bristled up in his chair like a wet cat. "That photo was unauthorized and doesn't show anything other than two blurry shadows that may or may not be Jou and I. And even if it is a photo of the two of us, it doesn't show anything other than us watching a movie."
The reporter leaned back in her chair. "Well, photo and art experts all agree that the photo shows two figures … not watching a movie, to put it delicately." She smirked.
Seto didn't want to give up his privacy yet. Though he was cornered, he leaned back in the chair and decided to keep his claws out.
"One, I am not truly convinced that the picture is of the two of us. Two, if it is in fact Jou and me—even if it looks like we're … we're … whatever, the fact is we're not. Maybe I'm reaching over Jou for his soda or … he's leaning over to comment on the movie—god, I don't even know. Really, I don't care. Move on with the interview, please, or I will leave."
The interviewer caught the eye of the producers; their glares were enough to know what they wanted. 'You loose him, and you're fired.' As much as she wanted to continue pushing the attractive CEO for information, she wanted to keep her job even more—so she let it go.
"Very well, Kaiba-sama. Let's talk about your company's upcoming DUlerBot© Prototype."
The interview carried forth with no further attacks on the secret the Seto most wanted to hide. When his time on air was over, Seto stalked out of the studio angrily, his last words being that he would never step onto that soundstage again.
A week later, that particular JTV reporter announced her resignation.
Seto returned to the mansion later on in the afternoon to find Mokuba and a certain dirty, blonde little secret lying sprawled out on the couch playing a duel monsters video game.
"Hey Seto," Mokuba greeted, without looking away from the TV screen.
Jounouchi, on the other hand, looked up upon the brunette's entrance with a wide, happy smile on his handsome face. "Hey hot-stuff. How was that interview?"
Seto and Jounouchi had gotten together about a year ago, during BCT 2.0. Jounouchi hadn't been in the tournament—something about an American tour scheduling conflict—but he had stopped off in Domino to watch the finals and support Yugi. They'd met coincidentally in a backstreet alley; where Kaiba had been strutting around looking for people he cared enough about to duel. Insults had flown, punches had been thrown, and certain animal references made … and then Jou had pushed Kaiba into the wall and started making the shit out with his face. Kaiba had responded whole-heartedly.
Seto sighed. Thinking about that fight, and how aroused it had gotten the both of them to the point where it was painfully obvious where the real aggression was coming from, it was only natural that Jounouchi had suggested a relationship. Seto had accepted, on the grounds that they kept their romance from the public view for as long as humanly possible.
Now it seemed that their time was running out. It was all but accepted now that Kaiba Seto and Katsuya Jounouchi were an item.
"I don't want to talk about it," Seto mumbled, going over to sit at Jou's side. Mokuba took one look at his brother's face and excused himself, realizing Seto needed to be alone with his boyfriend right now.
"I'll just head upstairs for a bit." Might as well call his own girlfriend … the one Seto didn't know about. Hehe.
Once his little brother was gone, Seto chose a different seat—this one happened to be Jounouchi's lap. Jou smiled and accommodated him, reaching one arm around a slim waist and the other reaching up to bury itself in brown hair, still tousled.
"You look good, babe. Less intimidating, too, without your horned trench coat," he said. Seto nearly pouted.
"What's wrong with that coat? The wardrobe people made a comment about that too. It doesn't look … bad, does it?"
Insecurity from a guy like Seto Kaiba was fucking adorable. Jou let his happiness show from this softer side of his boyfriend by leaning up and kissing him sweetly.
"Seto, you could wear a paper bag and you would still look good. But really—how did it go?"
Seto looked cross. "We are never going to Aragawa again."
Jou looked horrified. "NO! Don't take away my kobe!! Anything but that heavenly, delicious kobe!" He settled a bit, taking Seto's words into consideration. "They asked you about the rumors, didn't they?"
Seto remained silent, but looked even angrier. Jounouchi suddenly gasped. "You didn't walk off the set, did you?!"
The brunette sneered. "What, you want to interview me too, now? Fuck that. I'm done talking. Shut the hell up and do something more useful with that mouth, Mutt."
A grin. "As you wish, babe."
A mouth on his throat. Rough hands under his bullshit couture. A tongue licking away his stress, little by little.
As Jounouchi laid him down gently beneath him, it suddenly occurred to Seto that it didn't matter if the JTV people knew about their relationship. Hell, he almost wanted them to know. He wanted to announce it to the whole fucking world—I love Jounouchi Katsuya.
A murmur. "I love you, fucking idiot." So much.
There were no more words after that.