AN: Um, thanks for waiting! This came out eventually! I feel like I'm losing sight of who Kaiba is, and making him too OOC. (I'm always thinking this... you can always ignore me on this). But to makes things simple, enjoy! That's all I can ask for.
11/05/09 IMPORTANT: I did revise chapter 1, because it just didn't feel right. I re-worked it, so feel free to read it again!
Tuesdays
Baby Steps (The Act of Forgiving and Letting Go)
"So um, do you want to watch a movie or something?" Jounouchi asked, handing Kaiba a cup of coffee. The warm steam floated in the air, the scent of pure black coffee taking over his sense of smell. As inviting as it had been, Kaiba on the other hand wouldn't have been surprised if it was only coffee microwaved.
He took a sip, "Not really."
"Then… did you want to try dueling?" Kaiba only gave him a look.
"Er…" Jounouchi paused and looked towards Kaiba, a sort of confused and almost worried expression beginning to show on his face. He didn't know what else they could do. Being chased back to Jounouchi's place from the rain was not in any of their plans.
More specifically, Jounouchi's plans.
But it angered Kaiba, even if he didn't want to be, that he didn't even think of a backup plan in case of Jounouchi's many failures. How he coped with the simpleton this far was beyond even his comprehension.
Because Kaiba hated it when things never went by the book, and Jounouchi was the furthest from being labeled as one.
"We could play monopoly?"
Kaiba put on a bored look, "I think if I run a multi-billion dollar company, I can run a monopoly."
"Right, I forgot," He sighed, "Monopoly is boring with just two people…" Jounouchi sat down next to Kaiba, slightly easing his way into a spot already worn and now molded into the shape that Jounouchi preferred.
It quieted, only inside the room, that when they stopped talking, the echos of the rain pattering against the glass sliding door were the only noises, besides those transparent ones that always seem to be there.
The upstairs complex, footsteps from the little children running about, the next door neighbors, their voices that penetrate these paper thin walls, and Jounouchi, who sits unexpectedly quiet amidst the ruckus that he considers normal on a daily basis.
Though Kaiba only listens to Jounouchi's quiet breathing, in a certain rhythm that puts his mind at ease.
He once thought of buying Jounouchi his own place. Somewhere bigger and quieter, and maybe a place that accepted having limo's and fancy cars parked outside on the driveway. It was a thought that never went into play, because he knew Jounouchi would never have accepted it, rather, wouldn't have wanted it at all.
And he could hear Jounouchi's response inside his head, "Well then you shouldn't be driving any of those fancy cars around, rich boy."
His words ring true, but Kaiba can't help it. It baffles Jounouchi that it only takes one of Kaiba's cars to pay his rent for what could be the rest of his life. He's careful not to let the surprise show too much. And Kaiba pretends not to notice.
But Kaiba can see those things, the surprise and sometimes fear in Jounouchi's attempt at not caring, even if he does a damn good job of it. From Kaiba's view, he can label Jounouchi as a simple commoner, though he finds calling Jounouchi a commoner hard to swallow.
He could of in his younger years, he just doesn't know if he wants to now.
"You don't mind if I nap for a little bit, do you?" Jounouchi placed his mug onto the coffee table in front of him then slowly repositioned himself on the couch.
"I sometimes wish you had better manners."
"What do you mean?"
"You just don't seem to treat your guests very well." Kaiba placed his own mug onto the table, settled next to Jounouchi's.
"I don't really see you as my guest." Jounouchi scooted to one end of the couch, grabed a pillow and adjusted it accordingly to his own preference. Kaiba, at the other end of the couch merely raised an eyebrow in amusement.
"So now you lack the perceivance to see me as a human?" He could see Jounouchi shift somewhat uncomfortably, then pause.
"…Well from what I know, you didn't exactly see me as a human until some time ago." Kaiba could hear a rekindled spite play in Jounouchi's words, even though he knew arguments like these had long ago died along with their old selves.
Jounouchi started again, shoving his head deeper into the plush cotton pillow, "…but I forgive you for that." Kaiba stilled. It was in Jounouchi that Kaiba could find his own surprises and fears surfacing through his well known façade of cold expressions.
The room flooded with a silence, and the sound of Jounouchi's gentle breathing stood out noticeably against Kaiba's ears. But this time, his mind ran around in circles, a constant motion of fear and anxiety seemingly crawling up his neck. He didn't expect Jounouchi to be so forgiving.
In fact, even as time has passed by, those well known feelings still linger in their minds. Sometimes they thought, in those long passing hours of their life, how faint and in-significant it became. They just didn't know how badly it'd resurface after re-igniting the old flame, the flickering of the fire, every time a wound is stepped on.
Jounouchi found it easiest to just let things go at times. Calming the once ambitious teen into a more sophisticated man, he learned that there were always two sides to things, maybe even three. And with age, he noticed the easiest path was always easier (regardless of his own personal gain).
He also learned that being with Kaiba was not as hard as it seemed.
Kaiba looked over at Jounouchi, finding a peaceful expression slip across his face, "Jounouchi?"
There was no response on the other end, perhaps a sure notification of his departure into a land of dreams. But in case of inaccuracies, he tried once more, "Jounouchi?"
Finding no answer, Kaiba sighed. He began to reach over the other man, hand finding its way into Jounouchi's blonde locks. He paused before lifting himself up from the couch, one hand gripping the top edge of the sofa. There, he leaned towards Jounouchi, free hand still letting Jounouchi's hair slip through his fingers. His eyes lingered upon his face for the slightest, then descended closer to it, hair grazing the bridge of Jounouchi's nose.
To breathe in, to breathe out, Kaiba held many inconsistencies, the slight shudder of his breath, almost loud enough to wake the sleeping beauty. Although, making sure Jounouchi wasn't awake, he whispered into his ear, of almost no audible capacity, "Thank you."
And as if it hadn't happened, Kaiba stood up from the couch, picking up his now cold coffee to replace it with some seemingly old coffee. He'd remember to microwave it if he found it to be sitting in the pot cold and a day old. But he'll drink it nonetheless.
Jounouchi would rather sleep, or pretend to be for his convenience.
Thanks always for reading! I'm just waiting for winter break to come... already...