You Are the Master Chapter 1: You Are the Master, a yu-gi-oh fanfic

Disclaimer: All Yu-Gi-Oh! characters and references belong to their respective owners. The song You Are the Master belongs to bif-naked and the company that recorded it and was used in this story with the best of intentions. Story elements © Hideki LaShae. No money was gained in the writing of this story.

This story is in response to a fanfic challenge by Tokemi.

You Are the Master

Hideki LaShae

My name is Joseph Wheeler, but my friends all call me Joey. However, my friends aren't around at the moment, and I have plans to be alone this Friday night. Did I say alone? I meant to say, I'm going to see the main woman in my life. I told the gang I had a date, and they wanted to know all about her. What could I tell them? She's just like my little sister, Serenity.

So here I am, getting ready for my date. I must say… I look hot. Tight black leather pants, a golden-yellow tank top, an old pair of worn leather boots, a thick black leather collar with spikes, and one last thing to complete the look. My leather jacket. I haven't worn this jacket in awhile. The gang just wouldn't quite understand. Heck, I don't even know if I really understand it myself. I grab my portable CD player and fix it to the back of my pants so the jacket will hide it, and I run the headphones up my back before putting them on. I hit the play button quickly and start to head out, through the window of course so my old man won't see me dressed up like this again. He never approved of this appearance. He knew what I did when I looked like this last, and he did not want me to ever do that again. Now I have no choice.

I begin to sing as I hurry away from my house and head deeper into the city. "I am tied up in the burning sun. Baby you are my only shade. You're the bowl of water beyond my reach. I can only move the distance of this chain. I chew on anything you will give me. Eat anything- even my own words. Scramble- for any morsel you will throw. You scatter hope like scrapes of food. I guess you are the master. I am the dog. I am the dog waiting for you to love me."

I chuckle to myself as I get near my destination. If only Kaiba knew of my fascination with this song. It would give him a hundred and one more reasons to treat me like a mutt! Good thing he wasn't around when I had chicken pox. He probably would have called me a Dalmatian! Come to think of it, I sort of wish he was here when I had chicken pox. I could have made him sick as a dog! What is it with him and all the dog comments? Dumb rich prick!

I enter the dark alley. I used to spend a lot of time here, but ever since I met Yugi, things had started to change. Now I'm back here again… for her. And there she is, hidden in the shadows, in all her adolescent beauty.

"It's been a long time, you stupid mutt!" exclaims a twenty-year old man stepping out of the darkness behind the girl, "But I knew you'd come back to us for her sake." He sets his hand on the back of her head and pulls her into a kiss.

"Get your face off her!" I scream lunging towards him, "She's mine!"

"Joey!" she cries as she pushes herself away from the man. She runs to press herself against my chest and throws her arms around my neck.

I wrap my arms around her and cuddle up to her. My hand snakes its way through her long brown tresses, and I look down into the familiar eyes. "So, Serenity, what are you doing here?"

"He kidnapped me!" exclaims Serenity, "He said he wanted you to do something for him! What is he talking about?"

"Nothing. Let's just go home," I say soothingly.

"I don't think so, Dog," says the man.

"Why not?" I glare at him and snarl. Just like a dog. I am SO glad that Kaiba isn't here. I tense as I hear a gun cocking behind me.

"I have you surrounded," says the man.

"Let my sister go. Then you can do whatever you want with me." I pull Serenity closer to me.

"I need your skills. I need the skills of Jou the Dog. You were… great back in the day. You could have made it all the way. Do you still have all those skills?" asks the man.

I growl… just like a dog. "I may have lost my edge, but I haven't forgotten my skills. You need the best, then you'll get the best."

"Fine… Let's go inside where we can get a bit more comfortable," says the man.

I nod. I hold Serenity close as we walk further into the alley and enter through a tattered wooden door. I sit down at the table and pull my little sister into my lap. I whisper to her, "Everything will be okay, Serenity. I promise."

"Joey, I'm scared," whispers Serenity.

"I know," I whisper back and rub her arms gently to soothe her.

"Jou the Dog. Why'd you ever leave anyway?" asks the man turning on the light so that I can finally see his face, not like I really needed to see that ugly mug to know that his name is Domino, actually it's Stanley Adams but he's known as Domino because he wants to rule the criminal underworld of Domino City.

"I left, Domino, because I found something better."

Domino glares at me. "What could be better than this life?"

"My friends and Duel Monsters… not to mention my sister," I say growling at him again. I guess Kaiba's thoughts of me being like a dog are very well founded. Why am I thinking of Kaiba at a time like this?

"Hmph…" Domino glares at me. "Now… Jou the Dog… I need your skills at B and E to bust into a very special location and retrieve something for me. I know you like to work alone, but my right hand man, Jackson, will be going with you to make sure you do as told."

"What about Serenity? I'm not leaving her here with you! I'm taking her home before I do anything for you!" I exclaim rather loudly.

Domino growls. "Keep it down!"

"What about Serenity?"

"You can take her home, but Jackson will be escorting you as well," says Domino.

I growl. "Does Jackson know what we're looking for and where we're going?"

"Yes. He does," says Domino.

"Then we'll be leaving now," I say, "Come on, Serenity. I'll take you home now."

"Jackson can explain everything to you on the way," says Domino smirking.

Serenity stands shakily, and I'm quick to follow to support her if the need arises.

Three of us leave the room, and I notice Jackson pocket his gun.

"Don't say a thing, Jackson. We can talk after I get Serenity home," I say, and we start to walk to my house. I pull the headphones off my ears to rest around my neck and pull Serenity close to me as I turn the volume of my CD player to max and restart the CD.

Serenity wraps her arms around my waist. She whispers, "Will you be okay with him, Joey?"

"I'll be fine. I've done this sort of thing before. I used to be a part of Domino's gang. I never wanted you to know. I'll explain it all to you later. I swear. But as soon as I get you to my place, you need to call Yugi and have him come over. He can protect you while I'm gone," I whisper.

"And I want you to lock all the doors and windows," I whisper.

"I know, big bro. How serious are these people?" whispers Serenity.

"Very serious. If I refused to do what they wanted, they'd kill you and try to force me to do it anyway. Then when I still refused, I'd be killed," I whisper.

Serenity allows a single tear to fall from her eyes, but I quickly wipe it away.

"No harm will come to either of us," I whisper, "I'm strong enough to take care of myself. I'll be okay, and Yugi can protect you. I know he'll gather the rest of the gang to help him protect you."

"Is that the only part of the damned song you know?" exclaims Jackson brushing his light brown hair away from his angry eyes.

"You will not speak like that to my sister! I can kill you, Jackson, and you know it!" I growl.

Jackson silently fumes as he walks alongside us.

I smile to Serenity. "Don't worry about Jackson, Serenity. He's just a giant puppy dog. He couldn't hurt you if he wanted to. Go ahead and sing if it makes you feel better."

"You know it always makes me feel better, Joey. I love to sing!" exclaims Serenity.

"The chorus is coming up. Take it away, Serenity!" I exclaim.

"I guess you are the master. I am the dog. I am the dog waiting for you to love me. I guess you are the master. I am the dog. I am the dog waiting for you to love me," sings Serenity along with the music, "I guess you are the master. I am the dog. I am the dog waiting for you to love me. I guess you are the master. I am the dog. I am the dog waiting for you to love me."

I escort Serenity to my bedroom window, and I help her climb through. I smile warmly at her. "Be a good girl now, Serenity."

Serenity nods and closes the window, locking it once she's done.

I turn with Jackson and head to a large tree in my back yard.

"What are you doing now, Jou the Dog?" asks Jackson.

"I need my tools if I'm going to be picking locks or whatnot," I say climbing onto the large branch. I reach my hand into a hollow and pull out a worn wooden box. I open the box to bring out a shiny leather-bound kit. I pocket my tools, place the box back into the hollow, and jump down from the tree. I start to lead Jackson away. "Now, start talking, Jackson. Where are we going and what are we looking for?"

"We are looking for a new prototype weapon. It's supposed to be a gaming device, but with a few wire crosses, I'm sure I can incorporate it into the perfect weapon," says Jackson.

"A gaming device that you plan on turning into a weapon?" I ask. I can't let you have that, Domino! I won't! I'll do something, but you won't get that gaming device. A gaming device… like Kaiba makes?

"Yes. A gaming device. It's for that stupid game you like," says Jackson smirking, "Duel Monsters. Hmph! What a waste of time!"

"Duel Monsters isn't a waste of time!" I exclaim.

"Whatever you say, Dog!" exclaims Jackson, "I guess you know where we're going then!"

"If it's new technology pertaining to Duel Monsters, then it has to be a part of Kaiba Corp!" I say, "Are we headed to their office or their private labs?"

"The prototype is actually being stored in the office building right now," says Jackson, "Which is why it will be really easy for you to go in there so we can take it!"

"Then let's go to Kaiba Corp headquarters," I say turning down an alleyway that I know to be a shortcut to the building. How do I know that it's a shortcut? My secret!

Jackson takes a step ahead of me as he sees the tall building loom into view. "Well… this is your show now, Jou the Dog."

I nod and pull my tool kit from my pocket. I take a deep breath. I haven't done this in a long time, but I still know what to do. I lead Jackson around to the back of the building, and I smirk to myself when I see the electronic keypad on a rear entrance. "Too simple."

I delicately dust the keypad. Three numbers attract the dust – three, four, and six. Would he be stupid enough to have the keyword be 'mine'? Let's see… the most common passwords are GOD, SEX, and… what was that last one? Hell, let's try it once. I type in the six followed by four, six again, and three.

"How do you know it's four characters?" hisses Jackson.

The green light illuminates, and I smirk as I turn the handle. "I know Kaiba!"

"You know the jerk who runs the corporation?" hisses Jackson in amazement, "How could that be?"

"We go to school together. Believe it or not, we're in the same class," I whisper as I enter with Jackson hot on my heels. I thought about breaking into Kaiba Corp a few times in the past, because I wanted to… well, that would have never happened, but I have thought about breaking in here before. I just never thought that I would ever be breaking in at gunpoint, as this case nearly seems to be. I hope Yugi and the others are sitting with Serenity right now!

"Wow… I never knew he went to school," whispers Jackson.

"He does," I whisper back, "Now shut up or else the guards might here you."

Jackson opens his mouth to say something, but he shuts it tight when he sees the look in my eyes.

I start to walk silently. Normally on a tile floor like this, you could hear me a mile away, but tonight, I'm quiet… walking on soft pads like a dog without claws. There's that dog thing again. Kaiba must really be getting to me! I'm breaking into his place after all. I stop and pull my headphones onto my ears. I turn the volume down and press play again. I really do love this single!

Jackson taps me on the shoulder and glares at my headphones when I turn around.

"Can you hear it?" I whisper.

Jackson shakes his head.

"Then there's no problem," I whisper and continue on. I hold up my hand to stop Jackson from progressing any further, and I slip up behind a guard who sits at the front desk, hitting him on the back of the head once I'm within reach. I shove him out of the way and sit down quickly. I start to type on the computer console and find what I'm looking for within a few moments. I may act like an idiot, but I know my way around a computer. Hacking is a hobby of mine that I try not to let anyone know about. I shut down the security system and stand up, making my way back over to Jackson. "Come on… the computer says the prototype is up in Kaiba's office."

"That's what our sources say too," whispers Jackson.

I lead Jackson to a small, private elevator that most people wouldn't even know about it, but I just got a very good look at the schematics to the building so I know everything! I enter with Jackson behind me. I pull some picks from my leather case and slide them into the lock. I listen to the sounds of the tumblers moving beneath the expertise of my adept fingers, and I smirk as the elevator starts to move upwards at a rapid speed. This must be an express elevator. One round trip ticket to Seto Kaiba's office please! Too bad I won't get to see Kaiba there! But with Jackson here, I don't want Kaiba to be anywhere around.

The elevator stops, and I remove my picks from the lock. I step out into the hallway. I glance at the image in my mind, and I locate the path on the building's schematic to get to Kaiba's office. I pull my headphones off as Jackson and I approach the office and enter into a small reception area. I see the crack of light beneath the door of Kaiba's office. He can't be in! It's almost two in the morning! Please, Kaiba, don't be in there! Jackson will kill you if you try to prevent him from getting that device! I glance at Jackson as I slip my hand behind me to crank up the volume on my CD player. Blasting the song at full power might help distract Jackson if necessary. Please don't be in there, Seto! "We're almost in."

"Let's do this," says Jackson smugly.

I reach out and grab the door handle. Please be locked. Then I know he's not in there! I turn the handle. Crap! I let the door swing open and I stroll into the office. I see him behind his desk, illuminated by the lights above him.

Seto Kaiba, the millionaire CEO of Kaiba Corp, stands up and glares at me with shocked blue eyes.

I've never seen him shocked before. He looks kind of cute. And look at those threads!

Seto wears a black tank top and slacks. His trench coat hangs on a coat rack behind him, and his brown hair, which is normally very neat and tidy, has been mussed. He runs his hand through it unconsciously and grips it tightly before he pulls his hand away. Whatever he's working on must have gotten him really riled up for him to be trying to rip his hair out.

I stare at Seto in shock and look down at his desk, hoping that he might get the hint and hide. He doesn't.

"What are you doing here, mutt?" asks Seto as Jackson steps in behind me. His eyes widen as he turns to the other teen behind me.

I glance back at Jackson and notice the gun in his hand again. I can't let him hurt Seto! Plus… I could be close to him! I rush over to the desk and jump onto it, hurling myself into Seto's unsuspecting chest. "Admit it, Master! You missed your poor puppy!"

Seto falls to the floor with me on top of him. He looks at me with eyes filled with incomprehension. He doesn't understand why I called him 'master' or myself 'your poor puppy'.

I lick Seto's face, very much like a dog, and I whisper, "I'm sorry about this. Please stay down. He might try to kill you if you resist."

"Bad dog!" exclaims Seto pushing me off him, "Sit!"

I sit down with my knees upraised and my arms in between them. I bet I look like a dog right now!

Seto stands up and glares at me. "What are you doing here, mutt?"

I bite my lower lip. Then I force myself to stand. "I know I usually don't bring guests to our rendezvous, Seto, but that's no reason to act like you've never seen me here before! I was coming here for our weekly session. You are my master, and I am your loyal bitch. However… Jackson here decided that he wanted your new toy… the prototype gaming device that you have here in your office. It's in the safe, I'm assuming, so if you'll just sit back and relax, I'll give him what he wants so you can get what you want."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, mutt!" exclaims Seto.

Jackson laughs. "Jou the Dog! Jou the Dog is Kaiba's bitch! This is hilarious! Domino and the others will never believe this! Not only is Jou the Dog gay, but also he's the bitch of the richest person in Japan! This is too good!"

I flash Seto an apologetic look before I turn and walk towards a portrait of him and his little brother, Mokuba, on the wall. I pretend not to notice the very attractive blush creeping to Seto's cheeks. I pull on the edge of the painting, and it swings away from the wall. "Ooo… look at this, a combination safe. What's the combo, master?"

"Go to hell!" exclaims Seto.

Jackson cocks the gun.

"Don't, Jackson! That's my seme you're about to shoot! He's my master and if anyone will be hurting him, it'll be me who's biting him!" I shout at Jackson. "I don't need the combination! I'm a thief… remember! I can crack a safe like this in a snap!"

"Then hurry up and do it! Jou the Dog!" Jackson chuckles again. "A bitch!"

I can't believe I'm doing this. I listen to the lock as I turn it. I hear the faint click as the tumblers fall into place. I grin as I open the safe. I pull out the item within. It's a duel disk… an improved duel disk from the looks of it. It looks expensive. I want one! I hold it up and look at Jackson. "Is this what Domino wants?"

"Yes, and no," says Jackson, "You see, Jou, we knew that Kaiba boy would be here. We need him out of the picture for our plan to succeed. So… seme or not, your master is going to die!"

"No!" My eyes widen as Jackson aims the gun at Seto's heart. I move with speed that Jackson never knew I had. I race the bullet and manage to shove Seto out of the way just as the bullet hits my left shoulder. I whisper to Seto as we both fall to the floor together. "Seto… please… get out of here. Save yourself. He's going to kill me now, but I don't want him to kill you too. Get out and call the police. My sister is at my house. Protect her for me. Jackson's friends will be going after her."

"Protect her yourself," hisses Seto quietly, "I'm not letting you die."

I stand up and wince at the pain in my shoulder. "This has gone too far, Jackson! Stealing his damned toy is one thing, but killing him is another! You know the rules!"

"Oh, I know! Jou the Dog never kills anyone! Jou the Dog never lets anyone die, ever! Well, then. I have to kill you first!" exclaims Jackson.

I lunge at Jackson. My eyes widen in pain as another bullet rips through me only this one just punctured my stomach. If I live through this, I'll be eating soup for a week. That is assuming I live. I don't think I will, but as long as Seto lives, I don't care… and Serenity too. Seto better protect her like I asked. I grab Jackson's hands. I punch him. I have to get the gun from him quick before I become too weak from blood loss.

Another shot rings out and I fall down to the floor gasping for air. Oddly enough, I don't feel any new pain. I look around slightly disoriented.

"No one tries to rob and kill me," says Seto turning the gun in his hands onto me.

I look at Jackson and see the blood seeping from his temple. I turn my eyes back to Seto. My hands move to my stomach wound as I roll onto my back. I accidentally hit the play button on my CD player, and the music starts. "They had kidnapped Serenity to force me to help them. I'm sorry, Seto… Please call my house. Tell Yugi that the gang may be heading their way to enact their revenge. Then you can call the cops so they can take me to jail… I'll just lie here and lick my wounds like the dog I am."

Seto lowers his gun and sets it on his desk. He lifts the phone receiver and quickly dials a number.

My head rolls to the side. I listen to the music. "You are the master. I am the dog… waiting for you to love me…"

Seto finally lowers the receiver and moves to my side. He places a cloth on my stomach wound and holds it tightly as he applies a firm pressure.

"I'm sorry, Seto." I look into his blue eyes, and for once, they don't look cold.

"Hush, mutt," says Seto, "The ambulance will be here soon. Save your strength."

"Yeah… I know. I'll need it when the cops arrest me," I say. "Ow. You know… you could at least say thank you for me being shot to save you."

"And you could tell me why you told that… that… that… you were my bitch, my uke," says Seto. He moves one hand onto my shoulder and presses against it to try to stop the flow of my blood. He leans over me and looks into my eyes.

"It's because… because… because I love you," I say, "but I must say… out of all the times when I dreamed of having you hovering over me like this, never once was I shot."

"You love me? What could there possibly be to love?" asks Seto. His eyes widen, and I can't help but smile.

"Everything. Your strength… determination… the heart you show only to Mokuba… your intelligence. I'm as smart as you are, you know," I say grinning up at him, "By the way… having 'mine' be the password for the keypad at the back entrance… bad idea. And having a personal journal on a computer tied into the Kaiba Corp network, not smart. You were right though. Having that rain yesterday letting up right before the sun went down did make for a very beautiful sunset. That rainbow was a very pretty addition."

"You've been reading my computer journal?" That look on his face is priceless.

"I'm a very good hacker. Maybe you should hire me once I get out of jail," I say.

"I'm not filing charges against you, Joey."

"Why not?" It's my turn to widen my eyes.

"Serenity told me that they were blackmailing you with her life. You may have been helping them, but it wasn't your choice," says Seto smiling.

"You have a nice smile, very beautiful. You should smile more often."

"What song are we listening to?"

"You are the Master," I say, "It's my favorite song. Funny huh? You keep calling me a mutt, and my favorite song is about a dog proclaiming its love for it's master. It's been my favorite song for a long time… long before you started calling me a mutt."

"I'd like to listen to it later, after you're out of the hospital," says Seto.

"Sure thing," I say.

"I never knew you were gay," whispers Seto.

"I'm not. Bisexual. It's all good." I close my eyes, and when I open them again, I'm in a hospital room all bandaged up. I must have passed out in Seto's office. I look around my small room and see my friends sitting at the foot of my bed reading a magazine. I look at my sister, nestled up against Tristan. "Tristan, get the hell away from my sister!"

Everyone jumps and turns their attention to me. "Joey!"

Yugi and Serenity both move to wrap me in large hugs.

"Ow, ow, ow! I'm injured here!" I exclaim.

Yugi and Serenity both blush.

"How are you feeling?" asks Serenity.

"I'm feeling pretty good. Not as bad as I can be considering the fact that I've been shot," I say, "So… did uh… Kaiba tell you all what happened?"

"He didn't say much," says Téa, "He's been in here daily to see you though. He said something about making you pay the cleaning bill for his carpet."

"Daily?" I ask, "How long have I been out?"

"Three days," says Yugi blinking at me with his large purple eyes, "We were really worried about you. You had lost a good deal of blood, and the operation to repair your stomach… You really scared us."

"I'm sorry, Yugi," I say, "I didn't mean to scare any of you, but Jackson had really gone with me to kill Seto… uh, yeah…"

Tristan raises an eyebrow when he hears the word Seto, and Serenity smiles.

Yugi pats me gently on the hand. He's the only one I trusted enough with my secret.

"So, why don't you tell us what happened, Joey?" asks Téa smiling, "Serenity already told us everything she knew, but she couldn't tell us anything that happened once Jackson and you had left her at your place."

I take a deep breath, and I start my story. I conveniently leave out the part where I confessed my feelings to Seto, and I left out the song too. They don't need to know that my favorite song is about a dog and its master. They don't need to know that. Once I'm done, they leave me alone to rest, and I fall asleep.

I'm released from the hospital the next morning. It still hurts, but I'll be okay. I did get a pretty strong pain killer. Hurray for pain killers!

The entire gang was there waiting when I checked out. They couldn't believe the outfit I was wearing. Seeing me in leather isn't something they see everyday after all.

"Mr. Wheeler. There is one last thing before you leave," says the head nurse holding up a folded sheet of paper.

I walk over to her. "Yes?"

"A message for you," says the nurse passing me the paper.

"Thank you." I bow to her and tuck the note into my pocket. It must be from Seto. Telling me to go visit him no doubt. I hope it's from him. I'll read it later. I hurry over to the guys, and we leave the hospital.

"Are you sure you're feeling okay, Joey?" asks Tristan, "You've been awfully quiet."

"We could go to the arcade. That always makes you happy, Joey!" exclaims Yugi.

I stop and pull the note from my pocket. I open it and look over the words.

~Mutt…
Come to my house tonight.
Six pm sharp.
Come hungry.
Master~

"Hey, guys… what time do you have?" I ask tucking the note back into my pocket.

"Um… I have eleven-thirty," says Téa looking at the clock on her cell phone.

"Let's just hang out at the game shop okay?" I ask, "I have a meeting to go to later. Something important that I forgot about… Nothing you guys need to worry about though. So let's just hang out for a while. I'm a bit too tired to go play at the arcade."

"Must be from the blood loss," says Tristan.

I set my hand on Yugi's shoulder and look into his purple eyes. I smile at him and glance down at the pocket where I placed the note from Seto.

Yugi nods in understanding. He pulls me down to whisper into my ear. "Kaiba wants to speak to you, doesn't he?"

"Yeah… I sort of confessed to him that I love him. He didn't say anything back though," I whisper into Yugi's ear.

"Maybe he will when you meet him today," whispers Yugi.

I chuckle softly. "Ow… don't make me laugh, Yug!"

"What's so funny?" asks Serenity.

"A little inside joke. I don't think you guys would get it," says Yugi smiling, "Let's go! Grandpa just got in a new shipment of Duel Monsters cards! He said I could open up one box of them for individual sale in his binders! You guys can help me and we can see what kinds of cool new cards are available!"

"Sounds like a plan!" exclaims Tristan.

We all hurry to the Kame game shop, grab the box of card packets that we get to open, and run upstairs to Yugi's bedroom to listen to music and look over all the cards.

"So… what time is your appointment, Joey?" asks Yugi winking at me.

"Six o'clock," I say, "So help me keep track of time. I can't be late!"

"Okay!"

We look over all the cards, and I keep glancing at the clock every twenty minutes… just like clockwork! I'm so predictable. Hey, it's five thirty, already! "Hey, uh… guys! I gotta go! I have to get to my meeting!"

"Would you like a ride, Joey?" asks Tristan, "My bike is outside!"

"No… that's okay! This is… uh, personal, yeah!" I exclaim scrambling to my feet, "I'll see you guys tomorrow at school!"

"Tomorrow's Sunday!" exclaims Téa.

"Monday then!" I exclaim running from Yugi's bedroom and pulling my shoes on as I hurry out. I walk as fast as I can to the Kaiba Mansion. It's a good hike, and if I weren't still a little injured, I would have run the entire way. I step up to the gate and push the button on the side to announce my presence.

The gate swings open silently.

I glance at the camera trained on me from the side of the gate before I hurry in and make the long walk up the driveway. I'm panting slightly by the time I reach the front door. Maybe I should have accepted Tristan's ride. I press the button for the doorbell.

The door abruptly swings open, and an upset looking Seto Kaiba faces me.

"I'm sorry I was late," I say still panting for breath.

Seto looks at his watch. "I'm willing to forgive one minute. It is a rather long walk up the driveway after all, and arriving at my door at 6:01 is fairly impressive."

"So… I guess you invited me over so you can listen to the whole song, huh?" I ask.

"Yes," says Seto, "Come in. You realize that you could have changed. Your jacket has a very unappealing hole now." He steps aside so I'll have room to pass him.

"I was hanging out with the guys," I say as I enter the mansion, "but if you don't like it, I can take the jacket off." I pull my leather jacket off quickly without waiting for Seto's response.

Seto closes the door wordlessly, but I can't help the feeling that he's staring at my back.

I turn to look at Seto. Okay, he's definitely staring. You can blink you know. "Um… Seto…?"

"Who gave you permission to call me Seto?"

"Oh… sorry," I say blushing, "Kaiba. Is something wrong?"

Seto blushes a little. "You look… nice."

I smile and blush. I pull the CD player from the back of my leather pants.

"That gold shirt brings out the color of your eyes. I never noticed before. They look like fresh honey," says Seto.

I blush even redder. "Thank you."

"Apparently though you didn't waste the time trying to get the blood off it. Remove it. I will not be subjugated to looking at your blood during dinner," says Seto.

I nod. I understand that. I start to pull my tank top off, and I gasp in pain. Either the pain killers wore off or moving like this is not a good thing when I still have a wounded shoulder.

"Mutt can't even do that right!" exclaims Seto, "Come, mutt! Let your master undress you!"

I step closer to Seto and he carefully pulls the tank top over my head. He starts carrying it away, and I follow him. I blink in shock as he guides me into a laundry room.

Seto treats the bloodstain with something in a spray bottle. Then he tosses it into the washing machine. He adds a few powders and closes the lid. He sets the washer for a small load and starts it. "Come with me, mutt. We will listen to that song after dinner."

"Dinner?"

"You are hungry, aren't you?" Seto raises an eyebrow.

"I haven't eaten since early," I say, "So… yeah… I am kind of starving."

Seto leads the way into the dining room, a small dining room with a table only big enough for four.

"Where's Mokuba?" I ask when I notice that only two places have been set.

"He is having dinner at one of his friend's houses," says Seto, "Sit, mutt."

"Don't call me a mutt. Pick another dog name if you must, but not mutt," I mumble as I sit down.

"Fine." Seto looks at me as he serves up some soup into two bowls and sets them down on the table in front of the two place settings. "You can act like such a silly dog sometimes, puppy."

"Puppy? At least it's better than mutt! Mutts are completely worthless animals most of the time," I say, "Some exceptions…"

"Like you," says Seto sitting down, "Thank you for pushing me out of the way and taking that bullet."

"It wasn't anything. I just couldn't let you die," I say lifting my spoon.

Seto starts to eat, and I quickly follow suit. The only difference is that Seto eats his soup rather quickly, taking large spoonfuls at a time like I normally would, and I sip my soup slowly as my stomach complains over the addition of something into it.

Seto pushes his bowl away. "Why did you say that?"

"Say what exactly? I've said a lot of things."

"That you love me."

I focus on my soup for a moment as I take a few more bites. I turn my eyes to the cool blue eyes of the brunette before me. "I meant every last word, Seto Kaiba. I said that because it is true, very true. I am in love with you. I don't know how I fell in love with you, or why exactly my heart chose you of all people. I know what I love about you. Many people have those traits though, although not many of them are as skilled with Duel Monsters as you. I love you, Seto… uh, sorry, Kaiba. I love you, Kaiba."

"You may call me Seto, puppy," says Seto smiling.

I smile back at Seto. "Thank you, Seto."

Seto looks away. "Finish your soup. We still have a few more courses to eat before we can get to dessert."

"Mmm… I like dessert. What is it?"

"It's a surprise," says Seto blushing.

I try to eat the soup as quickly as I can, but it still takes me twice as long as it would normally take. My stomach is having a difficult time.

"Are you all right?" asks Seto bringing out a small appetizer of stuffed mushrooms.

"Yeah… I was shot in the stomach though if you remember," I say, "And I'm just going to have to take it easy on my food intake. I can still eat the same amount, but it takes a lot longer this way. You don't have to wait for me."

"We have all night," says Seto.

I sigh as I take some of the mushrooms and put them on my appetizer plate.

Seto raises an eyebrow.

"You don't believe that someone like me could actually love you, do you?"

"Someone like you?"

"Someone… beneath you. Someone worthless, a stupid mutt," I say quietly. I place a mushroom into my mouth.

"I… don't know what to believe. You can tell me how you feel all night long, but I don't know if I can believe it," says Seto, "You've confused me. I don't like to be confused."

"I'm sorry." I place another mushroom into my mouth. "This food is really good."

"Thank you. It didn't take me long to find out what foods you liked best, and I must say that I am a good cook when I want to be," says Seto before placing a mushroom in his own mouth.

"You cooked this?"

"Don't go taking back your opinion just because you know I was the chef," says Seto glaring at me.

"I wasn't going to! You do very good work, Seto! If you didn't have your own business already, you could be a famous chef! And I'm not just saying that, so don't even accuse me of it!" I shiver slightly. It's kind of cold in here without a shirt on, and the bandages around my shoulder and over my stomach do not give me any warmth. The collar around my neck doesn't do any good either, except maybe for making Seto want to put a leash on me.

Seto stands and walks out of the room.

I sigh as I continue to eat the mushrooms. I must have made him mad. I don't notice when Seto comes back in with a fluffy sweater and pulls it over my head. I gasp.

"Scared, puppy?" asks Seto looking into my eyes.

"You startled me. I… wasn't paying attention. I didn't see you come back in," I say honestly.

Seto takes my left arm and gently pushes it through the sleeve. Then he does the same with my right arm. He smoothes the bottom of the sweater at my waist and places a chaste kiss on my lips before quickly moving back to his seat.

I don't believe it. He just kissed me. Seto just kissed me. I turn bright red.

Seto smiles. He obviously got the reaction he wanted.

"Do you hate me, Seto?" Why did I ask that? He can't possibly hate me if he's kissing me, unless he's joking.

"No, Joey. I don't hate you." Seto smirks. "I'm your master after all."

I look down at my plate and lift a mushroom to my mouth. "Yes, you are."

Seto's eyes widen as I stick the mushroom into my mouth. "You admit that I am your master? Fine! Speak!"

"Arf! Arf!" I look away from him. Why did I bark? I'm such a dolt!

"I've never had a puppy before," says Seto.

"Could you tell me about that device Jackson and I were trying to steal? It looked like it might have been an improved Duel Disk, but I actually thought that the old ones were sufficient," I say, "Heck, they were great! A wonderful invention in my eyes, and not just because you made it, although that did help."

Seto smiles.

I could die happily looking at that smile.

Seto tells me all about the improved Duel Disks while we eat. After the appetizers comes Salisbury steak with mashed potatoes followed by a light salad.

After all that, I feel like I couldn't eat another bite, but we haven't had dessert yet. "Would you like to go listen to the song now?"

Seto nods. "And then we can start thinking about dessert."

We walk into a fair-sized living room and Seto takes the CD player from me. He inserts the CD in his stereo and turns it on.

I stand nervously behind him and watch as he sets my CD player on the coffee table.

"Do you know all the words?"

"By heart!" I reply.

"Sing it then, along with the music… if you can," says Seto.

"I have a nice singing voice, I thank you very much!" I smile proudly.

Seto smirks and sits down. "We'll see about that. You can sit if you want."

I sit down as the music starts to sound out of the stereo's speakers, which I notice are mounted all around the room. I clear my throat and take a deep breath before I start to sing, "I am tied up in the burning sun. Baby, you are my only shade. You're the bowl of water beyond my reach. I can only move the distance of this chain. I chew anything you will give me. Eat anything- even my own words. Scramble- for any morsel you throw. You scatter hope like scraps of food."

Seto takes my hand gently. He's being gentle.

"I guess you are the master. I am the dog. I am the dog waiting for you to love me. I guess you are the master. I am the dog. I am the dog waiting for you to love me," I sing staring into Seto's blue eyes, "I am jumping on you for affection. I would love to lick your face. You scold me- you push me off. I'm your loyal bitch- a man's best friend. I lie here and lick my wounds. From my little bed of wishes. I run to you in my dreams. I pine for you in my life." I slide closer to Seto as we sit on the couch.

Seto pulls me up against him. "You do sing well."

"I guess you are the master. I am the dog. I am the dog waiting for you to love me," I sing, "I guess you are the master. I am the dog. I am the dog waiting for you to love me." I quickly press my lips to Seto's, and although I would like a long kiss, I must pull back to continue singing.

Seto smiles, and I almost forget to sing.

"I have no sense of time at all. Twenty minutes or twenty years, it's all the same. I am your muse you are my muse. Broken hearts. Baby please... show me some mercy. Don't put me down. I guess you are the master. I am the dog," I sing. "I am the dog waiting for you to love me. I guess you are the master. I am the dog. I am the dog waiting for you to love me. I guess you are the master. I am the dog. I am the dog waiting for you to love me. I guess you are the master. I am the dog. I am the dog waiting for you to love me."

Seto pulls me into a long kiss as the last notes sound. His tongue brushes against my lips, and I open my mouth immediately, but he pulls away before I even have the chance to feel that tongue in my mouth.

I blush bright crimson. I'm only slightly ashamed of my desire.

"I am the master. You are the dog," says Seto, "and I don't know why. I have no clue at all, puppy… Joey, but I love you."

I blink repeatedly. Did he? "Did you just say…?"

"I love you, Joey, my puppy!" exclaims Seto, "I love you too!"

"I love you, Seto!"

Seto pulls me into a kiss, a long kiss, and this time when I open my mouth for his questioning tongue, he delves into my mouth.

I moan as the tongue fights with my own and explores the cavern of my mouth. I could stay like this forever and never move, but my desire is strong. It's getting stronger by the minute. I need… I need… I must have…

Seto pulls away from me and he gasps.

I inhale sharply.

"I hate doing that! I forgot to breathe!" exclaims Seto with a teasing smile.

"Me too!" I exclaim breathing deeply, "Air is a good thing, don't you think?"

"It's highly overrated," says Seto pulling me into another full-mouth kiss.

This time, I fight back a little more and force my tongue into his mouth to do a little exploring and conquering of my own. I am Alice and this is my Wonderland!

"You taste delicious," says Seto pulling away and breathing deeply.

"Thank you. It's all because of dinner," I say blushing as I wrap my arms around his neck and pull myself closer to him.

"Will you be my puppy?" asks Seto.

"As long as you want me to be." I smile.

Seto pulls me down to lie on the couch with him, and he kisses me again. "I love you, Joey."

I cuddle up to Seto.

"Are you ready for dessert?"

"I don't think I could eat anymore right now," I whisper.

"Good, because I want to stay here and kiss you some more," whispers Seto seductively, "Although we have that kind too."

"Seto… I want that, but I have a question… Sometimes, if we do become lovers, will you let me be seme?" I bury my face in his neck. I'm quite sure the answer is no.

"Hmm… Maybe one out of four times, I would let you be seme, but I get you first." Seto moans as I start to kiss his neck. "I've wanted to do this for a very long time, Joey, but I didn't think that you could ever feel the same way about me."

"That's exactly how I felt… waiting for you to love me."

Seto pulls away from my kisses and starts to kiss my neck. He likes to be in control… always.

"Master!" I exclaim as his tongue finds a sensitive spot on my neck.

Seto smiles into my neck. "I like it when you call me Master."

"What about Seto?"

"That sounds good too."

"I love you," we both say, and we blush.

"Jinx… you owe me a soda!" I exclaim.