Pairing: Seto/Jou
Beta: Daisey
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me, damn it!
Notes: Wrote for the DCC Challenge at 'A dragon's lair' group.
One moment more - Chapter one
"Who was it, Yugi?"
The shorter teen smiled, turning to look at Yami, Honda and Anzu as he hung up the phone. Jou, unfortunately, couldn't be there that night.
"It was Mokuba."
"And…?" insisted Anzu.
"He needs our help."
"For what at this hour?" inquired Yami.
"He didn't tell me all of the details, but he said that it involves Seto-kun and…Jou."
The other three smiled. They'd long had their suspicions as to how Jou felt about his supposed enemy; if Mokuba was calling for their help, it meant that he'd picked up on similar feelings from his brother. And, they couldn't think of a better Christmas project than to try and make both teens' lives, and holidays, a bit brighter.
"A play? What's the meaning of this, Mokuba?" exclaimed Seto, folding his arms in front of his chest.
"Well, you see, everyone in school has wanted to see our house for a long time now, so I thought that it would be a great idea to have our Christmas play here. There's a lot of space, as you know."
"But why here?"
"Because! Please, nii-sama, let me do this here?" The teen looked at him with his big eyes.
Seto sighed. He could never said no to that expression. He pretended to think for a moment and then, frowning, he finally answered.
"Fine."
"You're the best!" exclaimed Mokuba hugging him. "And you're invited to watch, okay?" Without waiting for an answer, he ran up the stairs to phone to his friends.
The brunette sighed again, foreseeing a headache. He could tell that, one way or another, this would be a Christmas to remember.
He would never know how right he was.
"Good morning Jou!"
The blond smiled at the shorter teen as he took his seat, a dreamy look settling on his face as he turned to the front of the classroom. Yugi laughed.
"Did you have some good dreams last night?"
He sighed, affirming the wild-haired male's question with a nod of his head. Dreaming about Seto was always good, even if he knew that that particular dream would never come true. But, a different dream had come true for him, and that was the reason for his elated expression that morning.
"Find a bone last night, Pup?"
Jou sighed more deeply this time at the words from the brunette sitting casually at the desk behind and to the left of him. Despite his slightly disgruntled reaction, he really didn't mind the taunt. He was just thankful that he and Seto were in much better terms lately, and he'd come to realize that using those comments was just the brunette's own, unique way of approaching him. It didn't mean anything hurtful anymore.
"Not quite, Moneybags. I received a letter," the blond finally answered, turning to face the CEO.
"What kind of letter, Jou?" asked Honda, approaching the group with Anzu.
"From Yale University."
"The Ivy League College in the States?" asked Seto suddenly, his eyes widening slightly in disbelief.
"Yes." Jou smiled brilliantly. "I got in."
Yugi gave a squeak of delight and hugged him. "Jou, you really made it, I'm so glad for you!"
"Jou, I'm so proud! It's so hard to get in to a school as prestigious as Yale!" exclaimed Anzu.
The blond continued to receive compliments from his friends, the four teens so preoccupied with their conversation that not one of them noticed the shocked expression that had settled on Kaiba's face. Jou…was leaving? For good? He got up from his chair and, finally, the others looked at him.
"What's wrong Seto-kun?"
"Nothing." He looked at the blond and smiled, the act not quite reaching his eyes. "Congratulations, Pup. You've truly achieved something big."
"Thanks Kaiba." Jou replied, giving him a grateful smile.
The CEO then excused himself and left the classroom, looking for someplace where he could seclude himself before his thinly checked emotions made a fool out of him and he ended up showing the entire school something that no one had ever seen before. Seto Kaiba would never cry in front of anyone.
"Where do you want me to put this again?"
"Right over there. I'll help you with it once I get this done."
Yami headed to the spot that Mokuba had indicated, the former pharaoh carrying the large, green basked full of gold and red bows that the young teen had given him just after they'd arrived. That had been over an half an hour ago, and the raven-haired boy still hadn't told him what to do with the basket, despite the way he'd been directing the rest of the group around the mansion's large saloon.
"For how much longer do I have to hold this?"
"Until right now," answered Mokuba with a playful grin, walking to where he was and then climbing up a mini-stair case. "There you go. Start passing me the bows, the gold ones first."
"Tell me again why we are doing this?"
"It's part of my plan. But I need you guys to make sure that Jou comes here the night before Christmas Eve."
Yugi, having overheard their conversation from where he'd been working, thought for a couple of seconds.
"That will be easy. And, Jou will still be here."
"What do you mean 'Jou will still be here'?"
"Oh, you don't know yet!" exclaimed Honda. "Jou got a scholarship to Yale University."
"The Ivy League College in the States?"
"Yes."
The raven-haired teen stopped on his movements and faced the others.
"Do you mean…that he's gonna live there?"
"Of course Mokuba! He fought so hard for this opportunity, and he will be close to his mom and sister, too."
'No! That's not supposed to happen!' Mokuba had always thought that Jou would try some Japanese College after graduation. He needed to think, and fast!
"Well…at least he will see the play."
"What play?" asked Anzu.
"Well, nii-sama let me present my school's play here, and after that I'm gonna give a little party. You all are invited!"
"A Christmas play! How beautiful!" sighed Anzu. "What's the story?"
"It will be a surprise," answered Mokuba, giving a secret smile.
"Surprises are often good," said Yami,- looking at the kid.
The younger Kaiba smiled even wider. It looked like the other had figured out.
"Nii-san!" Shizuka hugged Jou tightly. The blonde laughed.
"You grew up!"
Shizuka couldn't help but laugh in turn.
"We saw each other three months ago!"
"I know, but still…." Jou answered, grinning. They picked the luggage and left the airport, the two siblings chatting steadily, the blonde telling his sister about his scholarship and all the plans he'd already made to go to United States while the cab drove them home.
The girl was really happy for her brother. The last time she'd been in Domino, the blond had been passing through rough times, their dad having been arrested for beating up a woman in a bar. During the trial, all the abuse that Jou himself had suffered had come to the public's attention, making his life miserable.
The one thing that had brightened her visit had been the unexpected help they'd gotten from none other than Seto Kaiba. The brunette had later told her, privately, that Jou reminded him of himself during his time with his foster father, Gozaburo. The girl had smiled when she'd seen all the love and tenderness in his eyes when he'd talked about what he would do to help Jou. It was then that she'd realized how much the brunette loved her brother, and she'd already learned that Jou loved him back.
She frowned at the thought, barely realizing the cab had pulled into the driveway. Now that Jou was going to live in America, she could only imagine how Seto would react. She needed to talk to Mokuba. Some things needed to be said between her brother and the brunette before the blond returned to the States with her.
"What is that smell?"
"Ah, the chicken!" exclaimed Yugi, his eyes wide. He got up from the sofa and ran to the kitchen.
"Still trying to cook?" laughed Jou, getting up, intending to help his short friend. Yami stopped him.
"Let me. I told him he's not good at the kitchen, but he wanted to make this 'special dinner' himself." The former pharaoh shook his head.
"And, of course, you didn't refuse his request."
"Have you ever tried to deny something to those puppy eyes?" exclaimed Yami, laughing as he entered the kitchen to help his aibou.
"So, Jou, are you and Shizuka gonna do something on the day before Christmas Eve?" asked Honda.
"I guess nothing, right, Omouto?"
"Why Honda-kun?"
"Mokuba invited us to see his school Christmas play. They're having it at Kaiba's mansion."
"Wow, Kaiba let him do the play there?" The blond laughed.
"It surprised me as well," Honda replied. "But, he said it was really important to him that we come and watch."
"We'll be there, then."
Shizuka couldn't help but smile excitedly. It seemed as if Mokuba already had plans for their brothers. She really needed to call the raven-haired boy and join the fun.
TBC