Okay, so this came to me while listening to a Louis Armstrong tribute, recorded by K.D. Lang and Tony Bennett (talk about a weird mix – sounds great though). The song just fit, at that moment, and puppyshipping happened.

About the Seto-Bloody-Kaiba thing…I'm using the Japanese names, 'cause I like them better, to be honest. "Duke Devlin" is such crap (okay, not the Devlin part, but I can't call him "Duke" without cringing), especially when the Japanese character has such a gorgeous name, "Otogi Ryuugi." Gosh, that's pretty. Anyway, for most of the story I've written family names before given names, Japanese style. However, Kaiba-bloody-Seto just doesn't roll off the tongue as well as Seto-bloody-Kaiba. Besides, lots of people in the fandom like to make Jou part American, right? It works in my head. Just go with it, okay?

"Bastard!"

"Enough, idiot dog. Out!"

"Shaddup, Kaiba!"

"You're dazzling me with your eloquence, mutt."

"Fine! Bastard! You couldn't pay me to stay here any longer."

"Don't worry…I wouldn't."

"Argh!"

Kaiba's secretary, so used to her boss' sometimes volatile temperament, didn't even flinch as the large double doors to Kaiba-sama's office slammed open. Jounouchi Katsuya stormed out, stomping toward the elevators.

"Good day, Jounouchi-san."

The elevator doors closed, and the secretary allowed her smile to drop momentarily into a worried frown. Even when he'd had an argument with Kaiba-sama, the normally cheerful blond had always stopped and corrected her with a grin.

"Jou-kun, Hitomi-san, Jou-kun. Jounouchi-san is my father!"

'This one must've been bad,' she though, letting her eyes drift to the now closed (and probably locked) doors of the inner office.

Don't lose your head and lose your love,

You can't lose a broken heart.

Jou walked slowly along the street. Kaiba was an ass. He'd always been an ass, and probably always would be. Didn't stop Jou from falling for him, though. Not that he had expected the man to change. They'd spent the majority of their teenage years tossing insults like some kids tossed spit wads. It had become an art, really. Insulting someone for that long could get repetitive. Jou had worked hard to come up with creative, colorful remarks to hit Kaiba with. He could even tell when Kaiba was mildly impressed (only mildly, because he was Seto-Bloody-Kaiba and couldn't be bothered to be anything more than "mildly impressed" with anything, never mind how long Jou had worked to come up with it) by the upward quirk of one eyebrow and the vaguely amused glint in his eyes. Kaiba really didn't have all that many expressions. Angry, bored, vengeful, malicious, maniacal – they were all fairly similar, and all tinted with the same "You-Are-Inferior" attitude that Kaiba Seto wore like a crown. Jou'd been rather proud of himself, actually, when "mildly amused" was added to Kaiba's list of physically-possible expressions because of something he'd said. Made a fellow rather proud, ya know? In a kind of "I-amuse-Kaiba-so-that's-cool-but-should-I-really-give-a-crap?" kind of way. Aw, forget it. It wasn't any use thinking about. The point? Kaiba was a Bastard, with a capital B. Jerk. Hadn't changed in the three months that they'd been "together," as Yuugi put it. Yeah, together, right. Like that changed anything. It just meant that their fights ended better these days. Instead of a sore face, he'd get a sore…well, you know. Still, they hadn't had a fight like this in quite a while. Kaiba'd been getting better about the names, he really had. "Mutt" had been slowly morphing into "Puppy" and other variations that could almost be construed as pet names. He hadn't mentioned his father's alcoholism, or his almost-impoverished lifestyle (he'd found a job that was good enough to let him move out, but the apartment he'd found was a tiny efficiency just-this-side of the bad side of town) in ages, and although he never would acknowledge Jou as any kind of intellectual, he at least hadn't made a big deal of it for a few weeks. Just thinking about him made Jou scowl again.

"Bastard!" he howled.

If you ever break-up then try to make up,

It's tough to make a brand-new start.

Some days, you just couldn't get ahead. Kaiba Seto knew just as well as anyone – although he'd be damned before he'd admit it – that some days were doomed to suck. Just plain suck.

Kaiba's eyebrows rose as he replayed that thought.

'Suck? That's the best I can do?' he thought. 'The mutt must be rubbing off on me. My vocabulary seems to be suffering.'

'…You're dazzling me with your eloquence, mutt…'

With that thought, Kaiba's frown grew. His pup had been fighting mad when he'd stormed out earlier. Which was an odd phenomenon in itself...no, not that Jou'd been mad, but that he had actually started a fight. It had been quite a while since he'd lost control of his temper like that. In high school, Seto'd been able to guess to the second how long it would take, from the first insult to the first fist sent flying toward his face. Not that he ever got hurt, really, except that one time in second year when Jou had gone off earlier than usual. At that point, it had been several weeks since they had last gotten into a fight, and Seto was upset with himself for not factoring that into his calculations. It irked him even now, in fact. He could pinpoint the beginning of Jou's newly unpredictable nature with that particular scuffle. He'd never managed to be completely sure of Jou's actions since. But it had been so long since the blond had actively tried to start a fight. He'd been downright diplomatic since they'd…reached an agreement. Mutou kept trying to call what they had a "relationship." Kaiba Seto didn't do "relationships," especially not with an idiot dog that let his feelings get hurt, even though he knew that wasn't what was meant to happen…Ugh, again. Lately, he'd been having slips, where he'd almost sound like he cared about the mutt. Really, he merely tolerated him a bit more than he did the rest of the idiots that he was occasionally forced to socialize with. He didn't need to be getting…sentimental about it.

Kaiba spun away from his computer, and was momentarily distracted by the new trails of water that were streaking with increasing intensity down the large window. Looking back over towards the door of his office, he spotted a lump of familiar brown and rolled his eyes. With a few practiced clicks, he saved the document he was working on, transferring his other work automatically to his laptop as he shut down the office computer. Briefcase in one hand, scooping up the abandoned brown jacket in the other, he brushed past his secretary, who murmured a soft, "Good evening, Kaiba-sama," as he passed, concealing her grin until the elevator doors slid shut.

Take a walk, think it over while strolling 'neath the moon.

Don't say things in December you'll regret in June.

'Crap.'

Jou scowled upward as the sky – which up to that moment had merely been threatening – opened up, dumping gallons of water down on top of his head. And he'd left his coat in Kai…er, that Bastard's office again. He held the abandoned newspaper over his head as he looked around. He'd managed to find himself in the park…somehow. He wasn't quite sure how it had happened.

He'd always been able to zone out when things were going badly. When he was younger, his feet would automatically lead him over to where Hirutani's gang hung out. After he'd met Yuugi, his autopilot directed him to the game shop, every time. Now, though, with Yuugi off at school, Yami staying watchfully by his side, the park seemed to have become his new sanctuary, the place he could go to think without having to worry about Honda getting angry and heading out to beat up Kai…the Bastard (not that he didn't deserve it tonight), or Otogi ribbing him with his ever-present dog jokes (which hadn't, contrary to Kaiba's, waned or softened over the years – not that he minded. Otogi calling him "puppy" would likely scar him for life, and just might make Honda jealous). Ryou was always willing to be a listening ear and a supportive shoulder, but his yami kept him pretty busy, and Bakura, like Otogi, wasn't above getting on his case about being Kaib…the Bastard's dog. All in all, it was best to just be alone sometimes. Anzu, while always good for ranting to, had managed to secure a scholarship for dancing at a university in the U.S. She'd been ecstatic, even though leaving her friends had nigh on torn her heart out, it seemed. Still, she sent letters and emails regularly, and seemed to be hitting it off with one of the piano players that attended the same fine-arts school that she did.

A thick pine tree with a hollow at its base proved to be sufficient cover. Not wanting to go home quite yet (he'd managed to secure an apartment of his own, but his sister was visiting for a couple of weeks, and he'd told her that he'd be staying at Kaiba's that evening, so she'd be worried and know that they'd fought if he came home now), he crawled under the tree, curling up between the roots and leaning back. From the shelter of the branches, he watched the rain pouring down, and drifted to sleep with the scent of pine branches and wet earth in the air.

Weigh your remarks before you speak, or maybe you'll be sorry soon,

Don't be erratic, be diplomatic, to keep your hearts in tune.

Kaiba sent a glare toward the heavens as he headed down the sidewalk. His long overcoat kept him mostly dry, but his hair was getting wet and beginning to drip down the back of his neck, and he hated that. His eyes zipped quickly back and forth, looking for any sign of golden hair. Idiot dog had to run out without his coat, and now he was forced to look for him. If he caught a cold because of this, Mokuba would be all upset, and start nagging his older brother. Not his fault if the pup liked to run around in the rain.

Hn. He'd probably get blamed for the fight, too. Mokuba, once he'd gotten used to the idea of the arrangement between the two older boys, had sided almost entirely with Jou on almost every conflict they had, everything from company personnel issues to what they had on their pizza. Seto's lips curved just slightly upward at that. Even if the mutt was occasionally more trouble than he was worth, the effect he'd had on Mokie was wonderful. Mokuba had always been a little worried about his big brother. As he'd gotten older, he'd grown into a wonderful young man. He was popular everywhere he went, and he could have the entire Kaiba Corp. board of directors eating out of his hand within a few minutes. As he'd gotten older and started to accumulate his own circle of close friends, he began to worry even more about his big brother, who was as unsocial in his twenties as he had been in high school. For a while before Jou had come into the picture, he'd been on a campaign to reintroduce his brother into friendly society, starting with the Yuugi-tachi. Actually, it was that introduction that had brought the mutt back into his life. He had attended ("Had been tricked into," he'd often griped) one of the frequent get-togethers that Yuugi and Co. threw at the Kame Game Shop. A bench back in a slightly-darker corner had afforded him a view of the proceedings that was close enough to the rest of the group that Mokuba couldn't accuse him about being unsociable. As he sat observing, rhythmic breathing coming from somewhere nearby broke into his thoughts. Looking around him, he found a previously unnoticed shock of blond hair sticking up from next to the end of his chosen seat. Further investigation revealed the mutt, snoring softly despite the exuberant noise coming from the rest of the party. He'd been pulling double shifts at work in order to save up enough to get out from under his father's roof and into his own place, according to what Mokuba said. Not that Kaiba blamed him. He was well aware that Jou's father was a drunkard and probably didn't even bother to buy real groceries with his paycheck before spending it all on alcohol. He didn't think that the mutt's fierce appetite was completely his own. If he wasn't eating at home, no wonder he was such a pig at school.

Jou had stirred, then, as if being the object of such intense scrutiny was interrupting his sleep. Sleepy golden eyes met harsh blue ones, and he yawned.

"Kaiba?" he'd asked, rubbing at his eyes with both hands and looking ridiculously cute for a twenty-something-year-old man.

"Mutt."

Jou's bleary retort about not being a dog made him grin inwardly. He had missed this. Arguing with the mutt was rather cathartic, actually. None of the people he worked with on a daily basis would do anything when he taunted and ridiculed and generally pushed them as far as he could. The mutt, though, gave almost as good as he got (which was quite a compliment, really, coming from Kaiba). At that point he had realized that he could kill two birds with one stone. If he could keep the mutt around a little more often, he could have someone to really argue with (really, it was wonderfully relaxing, he could feel the tension leaving his shoulders even as they bickered), and allay some of Mokuba's concerns about his nonexistent social life.

After that, he began to actively seek out the pup, and their fights slowly changed as they spent more time together so that by the time they reached their…agreement, fighting had almost become some twisted kind of foreplay. For the past three months, he could count on one hand the number of times that the pup had really been angry with him during a fight, angry enough that he expected to come home to an empty bed and cold sheets. He couldn't help but wonder what had set him off…

Seto had an almost incontrollable urge to smack himself. They'd been together that morning when Jou had gotten the call. His father was down at the police station, recovering from a drunken binge. He had been arrested in a bar fight, and bail was going to be set that afternoon, once the older man was sober. Would he come down to the station?

After a brief round of question and answer with the officer, Jou hung up, got out of bed with a groan, and quickly disappeared to get ready. He hadn't even bothered to say goodbye, something he usually did on a regular basis, if only to annoy Seto by pretending to be affectionate. It must have not gone well at the hearing, or else his father had done something to upset him again. Kaiba could never understand why Jou didn't just disown his slob of a father and cut him out of his life.

Either way, if it wasn't something that Seto had actually done that had gotten Jou into a tiff then the mutt would probably be feeling guilty right now and ready to come home. He wouldn't have gone back to his apartment. Shizuka was staying with him, and she would worry if he came home when he'd been planning to stay at the mansion. Remembering this, he detoured into the city park. The rain had slowed to a light mist. Not five minutes later, he heard one of the trees snoring loudly and smirked. Ducking down, he found his mutt, curled up in the dry dirt with a tree root for a pillow.

Cruel harsh words, often spoken, will upset the apple cart, so

Don't lose you head and lose your love; you can't lose a broken heart.

Jou felt his world moving and slowly woke up. He opened one eye only to look up at a scowling face he knew too well. With a groan, he sat up and looked around.

"How did we get home, Kaib'? Wasn't I sleepin' under a tree a minute ago?"

Kaiba rolled his eyes.

"You sleep-walked, mutt. How do you think?"

Jou gave a yelp as he was dropped unceremoniously onto the bed.

"Hey!"

Kaiba merely walked toward the closet, loosening his necktie as he went.

"Next time you feel like taking off in a huff, hold your temper long enough to remember your coat, stupid dog."

The glance that Jou shot him was a bit disbelieving.

"You came after me 'cause I forgot my coat? What are you, Yuugi?"

Repressing a shudder at that comparison, Seto unfastened his final shirt button.

"Hn, as if I would've cared, if I hadn't known that Mokuba would blame me for your stupidity."

"What would the world think," Jou sneered, "If they knew that the great Kaiba Seto cowered in the face of his little brother's displeasure?"

"Big words, mutt, but aren't we being a bit hypocritical?"

Jou scowled and turned away.

"Hey, I'm not afraid of Shizuka, I just like to keep her happy!"

Seto's smirk finished the argument. He'd won that round.

Point: Kaiba.

"Besides, you do everything she asks, too. You're just as bad as I am."

"Ridiculous."

"Oh, really? How about the mountain of stuff you guys brought home from the last Tokyo trip?"

Seto grimaced as he recalled the last business trip that Shizuka, Jou and Mokuba had accompanied him on. All that the girl had to do was smile and gaze wistfully at any object, with the occasional exclamation of "Oh, how pretty! Look, Kaiba-san!" and it was hers. The credit card statement he had received that morning just tipped the scale further.

Point: Jounouchi.

Just seeing Jou's smirk was enough to morph Seto's face into a fierce glare. He closed the distance between them with three long strides and leaned over the blond.

"Not amusing, pup."

Jou's grin only widened, and he leaned back, taunting and tempting the taller man all at once.

"What're you gonna do about it?"

Moments later, Kaiba had silenced Jou in the most effective way possible.

Ten Points: Kaiba.

Many (many, many) points later, Jou conceded the game to Kaiba and was happily snoring the night away with his head nestled against his bed partner's shoulder. Seto rolled his eyes before following his pup's example and letting himself drift off to sleep.

Don't lose your head and lose your love,

You can't lose a broken heart.

Thanks for reading. This took longer than it should have, but the ending was evading me as determinedly as it could.

Comments, criticisms, and just general shout-outs are always more than welcome. Again, thank you so much for reading!

-Song