Story: Puppies and Dragons Don't Mix

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.

Warning: Yaoi (boyxboy). May contain lime and/or lemon.

Pairings: Jou/Kaiba Possibly: Yami/Yugi Ryou/Bakura Otogi/Honda

Summary: Jou finds out that Kaiba is slowly destroying himself and desperately needs help. But why should he care? He's his worst enemy...right?

Symbols: "Talking" 'Thinking' -Scene Change- Chapter Start & End

Chapter 1: The life of a teenager

Jou woke up in a tangle of bed sheets and pillows when he heard the slamming of a door and the roar of a voice announcing that his oh-so-wonderful father had arrived home from the bar. Sleep still clogging his senses, he groggily ran his hand through his blonde tresses and focused on the cheap, battered alarm clock that stood on his nightstand. He was met with an unpleasant surprise.

-Moment's later-

Fifteen minutes late and half ready, Jou blearily stumbled out of his dingy apartment and began the five-block run to his school. He straightened his school uniform and wished he had at least had the time to eat as he sprinted down the street, his feet heavily slapping the sidewalk. 'Why does my day always start like this?' He mused, turning rather sharply at a streetlight. Just one day he would like to walk to school with a full stomach and content smile rather than whirling like some demented tornado down the road.

Living in a shifty place with an abusive father was hard enough for Jou all on it's own. But the added pressure of school had really taken its toll on him and he was unsure he'd be able to live much longer under these circumstances. It was as if the whole world was against him, beating him down and laughing at his misery. Life was getting harder and harder to pull himself through everyday.

Sure he had wonderful friends that would do anything for him. But the thought of unloading all this desolation on innocent Yugi and Ryou seemed too cruel. Honda knew partly of his circumstances but he was tied down by his own gloomy life as well, Yami would probably do something drastic like send his father to the shadow realm, Bakura would laugh in his face, saying he deserved this wonderful torture, Otogi probably couldn't get the concept of poverty and despair though his mind, Malik and Marik wouldn't do shit like normal, and Anzu was too wrapped up in herself and Yami to help anybody. It looked like he was on his own, though he was quite used to it by now. His mother and sister had left him at an early age and his father was a complete asshole. Family wasn't a luxury to him and he had learned to live without it.

Jou rounded another corner and breathed a sigh of relief as he came up to the school's entrance. The bell hadn't rung yet and he could see several students meandering among the school's premises. He was going to make it after all. Maybe he even could enjoy some time with his friends before homeroom began. But before he could take two steps, he heard a familiar voice behind him. "Well if it isn't the school mascot." The voice sneered behind him, making the hairs on Jou's neck bristle. "This isn't the pound, Mutt. Crawl back to where you belong."

"Kaiba!" Jou growled, turning to meet the cerulean-eyed teen. "I'm not a fucking mutt! Go to hell."

"Tsk, tsk." He answered back a smirk upon his face. "A dog should not speak to his master in that tone or be so late for that matter. Bad dog!"

Jou felt anger rise up in his chest as he gritted his teeth, willing himself not to lose his temper completely. "Shut up, Kaiba. Not everyone has the privilege to get his ass toted around town in a limo. Some of us actually have to walk to school."

For some reason, this seemed to put a rather nastier frown than usual on his face. "Well, Mutt. At least some of those kids at least have the decency to run a comb through their hair every once in awhile."

'Ooo, this is getting bad,' Jou thought as he drew in a breath and held it there, struggling to keep himself from smashing in the face of the brunette before him. 'But I'm not going to give you the satisfaction of making me lose my self-control.' "Well I only know one kid around here who spends hours in front of the mirror preening himself like a fucking girl." Hmm, nicely placed insult but maybe a bit too long. "Or do you have your own hired hairdresser, Moneybags?" That would get to him.

"Huh," Kaiba said regaining his trademark smirk. "What a loser. You aren't even worth my-"

Kaiba cut off his sentence abruptly and clutched his stomach, face contorted in pain. Jou, who had been readying himself for his next comeback stared in confusion at the CEO, wondering what the hell was going on. "Kaiba what-?"

But it seemed Kaiba wasn't listening. He hit the ground on one knee with sharp crack and fell on all fours, panting. Jou, on instinct, reached out to help him, but his hand was slapped away. Azure eyes clouded with anguish met his and Kaiba snarled, "Leave me, Mutt. I don't need your petty help."

Now Jou thoroughly hated the teen before him, but he wasn't heartless enough to leave him writhing in agony on the ground. He had to at least get him to the nurse or someone that could find out what the hell was wrong. So with the thought firmly set in his head that he was just doing this because he had too, Jou grabbed Kaiba and hoisted him up onto his shoulders. Though it seemed that Kaiba wanted to save his ego and struggled with Jou, his eyes sharpening into ice. "I told you, Inu, I don't need help. Now unhand me you-"

"Listen, you stuffed peacock." Jou growled, cutting Kaiba off. "I don't want to do this anymore than you do, but I'm not a complete bastard like you, so leaving people who obviously need help on the ground is not my specialty."

Kaiba looked to kill, his teeth bared like some wild animal. Sapphire fire burning in his eyes, he sneered, "And your saying that mine is?"

Jou feigning surprise at the remark replied, "What? I thought that was a complement to you." Jou found himself inches away from Kaiba's face. But he mustn't lose courage here. "You like being recognized as a cruel, evil, sadist don't you? Maybe I was wrong."

"You- You-" Kaiba sputtered, and Jou swore he had fangs. Maybe he shouldn't have insulted him, since wounded, cornered or provoked animals usually did the most damage. But before Kaiba could do anything particularly terrible to him, another wave of pain hit him and he collapsed heavily into Jou's arms. He stumbled under the sudden weight and struggled to keep standing, hoping that his muscles wouldn't snap.

"C'mon Kaiba," He said through clenched teeth, the strain on his lanky frame becoming unbearable. "You got to rebound to your old self and support some of your own weight. Otherwise we aren't getting anywhere." But Kaiba seemed to have either fainted or didn't have enough strength to reply. His breathing had become rather labored and a small part of Jou began to worry about him. 'What the hell did you do to yourself?' Jou thought, trying desperately to snap him out of it. 'And how the hell am I going to get you anywhere. I...oh shit.'

Oh shit was right. The bell had just rung, it's shrilly tone echoing throughout the entire school and grating on Jou's nerves. Whoever had made up "saved by the bell" had never been in this position. Franticly, Jou whipped his head around, looking for some authority to help him, but luck wasn't on his side today and he sighed in defeat. He had hoped it wouldn't have come to this.

Kneeling on the ground, Jou hooked his arms under Kaiba's knees and picked him up bridal style. Managing to get to his feet, Jou began to slowly make his way to the office, his legs protesting against the weight he had put upon them. When he looked into Kaiba's usually arrogant face, Jou was surprised to find that his eyes were open. They were widened in disbelief and surprise and he noticed that they had this glazed look to them. Not glittering with anger like Jou had normally seen them. He grabbed Jou's shirt in what looked like fear and opened his mouth, but nothing came out. It seemed as if Kaiba was speechless so Jou decided to fill the silence with his own voice.

"Kaiba, we're almost to the nurse so just, don't die okay?" It sounded stupid in his head, it sounded stupid to him just before it came out, yet he had said it. Groaning, Jou fought the urge to drop Kaiba and save what was left of his pride. But instead he just shut his mouth, and painfully made his way to the school's cream-colored office, wishing that he had just stayed in bed this morning.

-More painful steps-

After a few more feet, Jou had to give body a rest and leaned against a wall, breathing heavily. He looked back down at his unwanted cargo and found that he was sleeping. Jou nearly smiled at how peaceful he looked like that. If only he could stay that way, then maybe things would be different. Jou sighed once again. He remembered when Kaiba had first made his entrance into his life. He remembered wanting to be his friend and play duel monsters with him. But of course, the CEO just threw his cards and laughed in his face. He had continued to insult him on a daily basis, causing Jou to develop a strong hatred towards him. 'But also,' Jou thought reluctantly as he shifted, causing Kaiba to stir. 'There is not just hatred I feel for him. There is something...else'

Jou angrily pushed that thought out of his head, wondering if he was thinking about the same asshole that was in his arms. He pushed off the wall, walking once again to his destination. That was all he needed to do. Drop Kaiba off and receive an excuse to go to class. He didn't have time to daydream about things that never would come true.

End of Chapter 1

Author's notes: Read and review please. I would greatly appreciate it even if they are flames. I want to know how you are responding to my story so they will be welcomed as well.