Parings: Main: Seto x Katsuya, Others: Yami x Yugi, Honda x Otogi, Bakura x Ryou, maybe Anzu x Mai
Disclaimer/Warning: Contains boy x boy, so don't flame because of that. I don't own Yu-gi-Oh, I just borrow the bishonens from there.
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CHAPTER 1
The rising suns' gleam broke through the curtained window and shone on Jou's face, making it appear more golden than usual. He blinked his eyes open and glared at the sun for making him wake up after having such a nice dream about his boyfriend, Seto. He glanced at his digital clock on his nightstand and winced when he saw that it was already ten in the morning. Anzu's real birthday celebration would start soon.
Jou's cell phone began to ring as he groaned at the fact that he now had to get out of bed and find it. Swinging his legs over the side of his bed and began to search the floor for his pants from last night. Upon seeing his pants thrown haphazardly by the sidewall Jou proceeded his way over and located the cell from his side pocket, the phone still ringing.
"Moshi moshi, Jou speaking" he answered.
"Hey Jou!" chirped Yugi "are you still coming to Anzu's party today?"
"Yeh, sure I am Yug', why wouldn't I? Me and Anzu are still friends after all" He responded.
"Alright, call Kaiba too and see if he wants to come. Hopefully Anzu's over whatever happened between you three"
"Alright Yug', I'll call Kai-Seto right now and I'll head over as soon as I'm ready"
"Okay Jou, Ja ne."
"Ja" –click-
Jou gathered his clothing for the party, namely some black jeans and a forest green shirt, but before entering the shower he decided that he should call Seto to give him time to get ready as well, even though he'd probably been awake since five in the morning. Jou dialed the number and waited out the annoying ring by replacing it with Seto's deep and alluring voice. Suddenly someone picked up the phone…
"WHAT!" snarled Kaiba on the other line. Jou winced at his tone and was stunned to hear his koiboto so menacing since yesterday they had finally gotten together, but maybe their relationship was one of Kaiba's tricks?
No, Seto was so sincere, thought Jou shaking his head and depriving those thoughts in gaining momentum.
"Seto?" Jou said, his voice guarded.
As soon as Seto heard Jou's voice on the other line he instantly regretted making him feel cautious. Seto heaved a heavy sigh and in a more calm tone said "Jou? Sorry about that."
"That's okay Seto" Jou said back a bit less hesitant. "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing. I've just been waiting for these files for over 20 minutes and I'm just highly irritated." He responded with a sigh of relief that it was Jou who had called and not another idiot employee with an excuse.
"So, you're gonna be workin today?" asked Jou with a hint of sadness and sympathy towards his brunet dragon. Seto knew that he should finish this new program and make sure the program was right, all of his employees seemed incompetent when it came to program writing but he and his puppy had just gotten together yesterday, he didn't want to start out the new year disappointing the blonde teen.
"Yes, why? Did you want to go somewhere?" asked Seto sincerely.
"Huh?—Oh, well today is Anzu's real birthday party at the Game Shop, and I was just wonderin' if you wanted to join us."
"So you're going? Even considering what happened yesterday?"
"Of course I'm going. Anzu's still my friend and if I didn't confront this now then it'll always be tense around me and the gang. It's better to get this ova wit"
Seto was silent. He admired his puppys' bravery in being able to confront his friend after such a stressed ordeal and hang that friendship in the balance. He was weighing his options. Should he go to the party with Jou and be behind on his work or let the blonde face his friends alone and have to comfort him later?
"How about this?" Seto proposed "I'll try to finish this work first and then I'll meet you later"
Jou was stunned that Seto was actually going out of his way to join him. He didn't take him as the party type. Was Seto doing this for him? Yes—he was, but Jou didn't want to be selfish like that, costing Seto precious hours at Kaiba Corp.
"You know Seto, you don't have to come." Although I would love you there. "I mean, I don't want you to ignore your work and only come outta guilt or something stupid like tha" finished Jou off nervously. He always did tend to babble when nervous. Seto took a moment to take in what Jou had said but concluded that he'll be able to finish his work adequately if not to Kaiba Corp standards.
"Don't worry puppy, I'll come, but probably in two hours or so. You go ahead, I'll meet up with you later."
"You sure?" asked the blonde.
"You want me to change my mind?" retorted Seto, knowing that Jou wouldn't want him to change his mind.
"No! No.. that's okay Seto, I'll see ya der, bye" responded Jou.
"Bye."—love you. Seto mentally said as he turned back to his laptop and let out a loud groan. He really did want to be with his blonde puppy but these codes and reports weren't going to write themselves. Better get started and finish quickly.
--With Jou—
After taking a shower and dressed in his black jeans and green shirt Jou located the new diary he bought for Anzu's birthday. Girls like Anzu like diaries, right? As Jou was exiting his apartment he grabbed a jean jacket of its hook and wrapped it around himself. It was still early (for him at least) and the air was still a bit chilly, that and his outfit looked better with the jacket on and headed off to the Kame Game shop.
Jou was nervous. He didn't know how he should act around Anzu, but he did know that they had to get over things so they needed to talk, but that didn't make him feel any better about it. He wasn't particularly looking forward to confronting Anzu, especially on her birthday, but it had to be done.
Jous' thoughts soon wandered over to the instigator of all this drama, Seto. His ice blue eyes, soft chestnut hair, perfect body (from the parts that he had seen), deep, husky and sensual voice. Seto had it all. A loving brother, great looks, a genius, was rich and underneath all that ice is a loving attitude, although the cold condescending one was still okay. Jou wouldn't have him any other way. He then began wondering what the hell Seto saw in him. He didn't have class, was clumsy most of the time, was sloppy, no particularly a genius, and had a loving sister but she had nothing to do with their relationship, so what could he possibly offer Seto? At least Anzu was pretty. She was smart, if not ditzy at times, had lots of friends and was generally caring. So why had Seto chosen him over her, or anyone else for that matter?
By now there was no time to find an answer as had had arrived at the Game Shop. He lifted his arm and was about to knock when he was roughly shoved out of the way. He heard a grumble and the door open from his spot on the floor.
"Oh my, Jou, are you okay?" asked Ryou worriedly "Sorry about Bakura, he's kinda in a bad mood since I told him that he had to come with me to the party."
"It's okay Ryou" said Jou standing up with Ryou's help " So he still hates Yami, eh?"
"Yes" sighed Ryou "and apparently doesn't like Yugi or Anzu much either" he said in a low voice.
" Aw, that's okay man. I'm sure he could survive at least one evening with them"
"I hope you're right, well might as well step inside then" said Ryou turning back to the door and entering but bumped into someone. "Oh sorry Yugi" apologized Ryou.
"That's okay. I was just wondering when you two would get here. I saw Bakura walk in and wondered where you went. Plus I was waiting for Jou to arrive too. So, come on in guys!"
"Hey guys" greeted Jou as he stepped into the living room area in the Game shop.
"Hey Jou, Hey Ryou" the teens chorused as Ryou gave them a smile and a wave as greeting.
Jou seated himself next to Honda on the couch and on Hondas' left side was Otogi. Anzu and Mai were busy talking about something or other over by the stereo. Yami was helping Yugi with placing refreshments on the table next to the punch. Bakura was busy sulking in a corner of the room while Ryou wandered over to Yugi and Yami and asked them if he could help out.
"Kura, can you come over here please?" sweetly asked Ryou, who was the only one able to call Bakura 'Kura' and not meet a painful end with a knife. Bakura grumbled as he dragged himself across the living room and stood in front of his hikari with a sullen look. Ryou just gave him a sympathetic look.
"Can you arrange the refreshment table for us. I'm going outside to help Yugi and Yami fix the food. Bakura just gave Ryou an 'are you kidding' look. Ryou just beamed at him sweetly and so Bakura caved.
"Hai" he grumbled, completely annoyed. Ryou's face became all the more brighter, then Bakura suddenly got an idea as he snaked his arm around Ryou's waist. Ryou squeaked, not expecting that to happen. Bakura leaned down and brushed his tongue on the rim of Ryou's ear and whispered "You owe me big for this Ryou and I intend to collect once we get home" his voice seductive and dripping with sensuality. Ryou squeaked again and blushed a pretty pink.
"Whoa guys, whatcha doin over there?" called out Honda teasingly. All the boys had seen that scene. Jou and Otogi just sniggered at the sexually predator face on Bakura and their blushing British friend.
"Would you care to find out?" asked Bakura in the same seductive voice with an evil glint in his eyes. Honda's own eyes widened and then his cheeks blushed at Bakura's choice of words and tone. He quickly composed himself and shouted "NO!" across the room. Everyone burst out laughing at Honda's uneasiness except Bakura who merely grinned triumphantly.
"Whatever guys, shut up" said Honda sullenly.
"Awww..It's okay snookums, I'll make sure that big, bad Bakura doesn't get you" teased his boyfriend, Otogi, as everyone shared another laugh at Honda's expense as his face grew hot with embarrassment. Ryou left Bakura at the refreshment table while Jou, Otogi, and Honda renewed their conversation.
While everyone was occupied one way or another Bakura stealthily took out a bottle of randomly mixed liquor that he was planning on chugging once he got back home, but this was a much better idea. Doesn't everyone know that the punch at any party will get spiked?
Apparently not.
Bakura used a bit of Shadow Magic that had helped him from his days of being a thief in ancient Egypt and was able to get rid of both the taste and the immediate effects of the alcohol-filled punch, allowing everyone to continue on drinking without having the knowledge that they are being intoxicated. Eventually all that alcohol will get into their systems, thus forcing them to do the most inane things they would never have done otherwise.
Bakura snickered as he slinked away from the refreshment table and sat on another couch in Yugi's living room.
Anzu and Mai returned from the bathroom where they had gone right after the guys showed up, specifically Jou. Mai was trying to make sure that Anzu would not burst into tears, whether of sadness or anger, or do anything rash when Jou had arrived.
Anzu had composed herself some time ago, but Mai and her were simply trying on different types of eye shadow's and other shades of lipsticks; mainly just doing girly stuff that usually brought up Anzu's spirits. When she entered the living room for the second time she had a smile on her face and was genuinely happy.
"Hey Anzu, I was wondering where the birthday girl had gone off too" said Jou standing up from his seat on the couch to hand Anzu a pink gift bag. "Here" he said, thrusting the bag at her.
At first she seemed hesitant to take it and shifted her stance but after peering into his sincere eyes, she knew she couldn't hold a grudge against him. His boyish and innocent face would make anyone forgive him, and that's ignoring the power of his honey-eyes, especially if they were to widen in an angelic way.
"Thanks Jou," she responded, taking the gift from his hands and placing it over to the table where the rest of her presents were stacked.
Yugi, Yami, and Ryou had finally returned from their cooking excursion outside where they had grilled the food. Everyone found a spot either on the couch or floor and took their plates piled with chips and burgers along with their cups filled with (spiked) punch. All of them just sat around, ate, and talked, occasionally someone would get up to refill their cup with punch until it was nearly finished.
Ryou started becoming sleepy and everyone else was either in a fit of giggles or making some random, false accusations. Bakura was the only one who didn't drink the punch. He simply sipped away at some of his 'emergency' beer. Alcohol is nothing new to his system.
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Well, there's my first chapter for this new story. It is a continuation of my first finished story, Pre-Birthday Party at Gen.X, but it can stand on its own as well. Chapter 2 will be up by the end of the month. And thanx in advance to anyone who reads and reviews this new story.