Kaiba wasn't completely sure why he returned to the bar. Odds were, he'd only end up tipsy by himself at the counter or a table, and horribly bored on top of that. He would have done just as well staying home, where he could have his favorite drinks for free and without worrying about things like how he'd get back to his hotel room.
He attributed his decision to some kind of logic failure that must have happened within him without his knowledge. Something out of the ordinary had happened when he went there the night before, so maybe there was a foolish hope inside him that the same would occur if he went back. He tried not to let himself think Jonouchi was especially responsible for his interest. Running into him had been a change of pace, and he stood as something familiar, which Kaiba needed. Not especially good or bad, but familiar.
But even if he did run into Jonouchi again, there was only so much they could discuss without him figuring out who Kaiba was. Assuming he was still too drunk to recognize him, and assuming he hadn't put it together that morning. And if Kaiba remained cryptic, then Jonouchi would grow bored and that would be the end of it.
So it wasn't sensible to depend on Jonouchi for amusement. Telling himself that didn't change the fact that he was doing it, though. He had a better chance of at least some brief entertainment from speaking semi-anonymously to Jonouchi than wandering the city looking for a slice of the nightlife. He'd played games for worse reasons. And he did like games. There hadn't been many in his life, though, since the move to America. He was retired from Duel Monsters, even as a hobby, and had dedicated himself to building the company some years ago.
The company couldn't fill all his time, though. And more than he needed entertainment specifically, he needed stimulation. He needed to absorb something that wasn't the same as his daily routine. There was a chance of finding that at the bar. Maybe even if Jonouchi wasn't there, something would serve the purpose. He doubted that nearly before he could finish thinking it, though.
He wished he wasn't so relieved when he entered the bar and saw Jonouchi sitting much as he had been the night before-leaning on the counter, drunk, his yellow hair almost painfully reflecting the amber ceiling lights so he stood as a kind of beacon among the dark-haired crowd. The only thing that was different this time was that Jonouchi didn't see him, and didn't call after him; that, and instead of nursing one cup, he had a sort of fortress of empty bottles around him.
Kaiba approached, silently, being deliberately inconspicuous while pretending to be casual. He didn't want to be seen before he sat down. It was a small and fleeting game, but he was still pleased with himself when he sat with deliberate heaviness on the seat next to Jonouchi's and startled him from whatever thoughts were preoccupying his intoxicated brain.
"Oh, it's mister not-Korean back for more tonight," greeted Jonouchi with a sloppy smile, "looking for more free drinks, salaryman?"
"I think I'll cover my own tab," Kaiba snorted, glad that Jonouchi had chosen to greet him in Japanese. His English was painful, at least when he was drunk, and there was no real point in talking to him anyway if not to hear his own language. "But it's generous of you to offer, considering you've already bought...a few."
He scanned the empty bottles that had been placed equal distance from each other in a quickly-forming semicircle in front of Jonouchi's arms. There were six. He'd already topped off a six-pack and was downing a seventh. Kaiba wondered, fleetingly, if Jonouchi was coming here and getting smashed for fun or not. He brushed the thought away; it didn't really matter.
"I see you haven't forgotten me this time," he noted, amusement in his tone, but not his expression. "But I suppose no one's memory can be that short."
"You have an unforgettable face," smiled Jonouchi a tad flirtatiously before he sipped from his bottle. "No contacts, right? I might have been drunk silly, but I wasn't black out..."
"No contacts," Kaiba confirmed in a mutter, wondering just how serious Jonouchi was about his advances. He'd lost interest the night before, but now he was either joking around or making a second attempt. Kaiba found it odd, when he thought about it. Jonouchi was only a year younger than him-so definitely a grown man. Why was he pursuing that kind of curiosity? They weren't teenagers anymore.
"My face was evidently forgettable enough yesterday," he pressed, taking control of the conversation again before his contemplation aroused any suspicion. "I'm insulted. After all, I remembered you. Even though I'm the one who won the duel."
"I have a common name," answered Jonouchi with a laugh. "Besides, sometimes the end result isn't as memorable as the path getting there. You might have won, but I was probably more interesting."
He lightly elbowed Kaiba before breaking into a small laugh, finishing up his seventh bottle before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
"I take exception to that," Kaiba frowned in distaste, less at the comment than at Jonouchi nudging him and the fact that he couldn't be bothered to use a bar napkin. "If you remembered me, you'd know that's not the case. But if you're anything like you were then, you'd probably still insist."
"Insist on what?" asked Jonouchi innocently. He blinked, as if confused.
"Insist that you were more interesting," Kaiba clarified, scrutinizing Jonouchi's face. The sudden shift made him wonder just how serious the question was. Jonouchi was less predictable now than he'd been as a teenager, mainly because before he could be depended on to rise to any bait, always as extremely as possible. His increased self-confidence and newfound ability to think before he spoke meant more wordplay would be involved. Not that Kaiba was complaining. Jonouchi wasn't more interesting than he was, but he'd certainly become more interesting than he was in high school.
"Maybe you've forgotten me, but surely you remember what you were like," he smirked slightly. If Jonouchi picked up on the subtle insult, he might get snappy. Kaiba hoped he wouldn't, though. It wouldn't be much fun, and he didn't feel like being shouted at in a public bar.
"I try not to think about it," answered Jonouchi a bit sullenly as he waved the bartender over. The man seemed to know exactly what Jonouchi wanted before a word could be said, a rum and coke being served up before Jonouchi offered it towards Kaiba, about to hand it over before he quickly pulled back and spilled the entire drink across his lap.
"Just like I try not to think about your ugly ass self, Kaiba Seto," Jonouchi announced loudly in clear English. "Yeah, I'm not as stupid as you thought I was. I know exactly who you are."
Before Kaiba could even think of a response, Jonouchi dropped money on the bar counter and left. Kaiba watched his back as he left, but didn't make a fool of himself by calling after him. Instead, he searched hastily for some napkins and used them to soak up the mess on his pants. He was shocked that Jonouchi had managed to surprise him two days in a row-more so this time, since it was accompanied by soiling a two hundred dollar pair of jeans.
He felt like he should be angry, but he just...wasn't. He was interested, and more than that, he felt a spark of had never been inspired by Jonouchi before, but he wasn't going to complain about the source. He missed the feeling. It was the slightest bit thrilling.
Kaiba stood from the bar, his pants now more damp than truly wet. The bartender and patrons weren't even looking his way, which was good, but he couldn't help wondering why their attention hadn't been grabbed by Jonouchi's raucous behavior. He was also curious to know why the bartender was able to tell what Jonouchi was thinking without any communication. Jonouchi must be a real regular if that was the case.
And if Jonouchi was a regular, that meant he'd be back the next night. Kaiba planned to be as well. Whatever little game they'd started playing, for once Jonouchi was halfway competent enough to make it worth his time. It was better than sitting bored at home, anyway. Even if it hadn't been, he wasn't sure he'd be able to resist the chance to compete in something that wasn't business. Jonouchi presented a small challenge now.
Kaiba wondered what would happen if he showed up the next day. Would Jonouchi just ignore him? Walk out? Waste more rum? Or-most shocking of all-hold a conversation with him? Now that would be truly intriguing.
IN THE PRESENT
When Kaiba arrived at the small, unrefined, but seemingly authentic taco shop Jonouchi had chosen, he was expecting Jonouchi to be sitting somewhere facing the door, waving and smiling like he always did. When he thought about it, it didn't exactly make sense to think that-it was just the mental image that was associated with Jonouchi for him.
Rather than being jovial as usual, Jonouchi was off at a corner table, slightly slouched and staring down at the metal surface. He didn't notice Kaiba had entered until his eyes wandered around the room by chance and came to rest on him. Surprisingly, he averted his gaze immediately and grabbed for a tortilla chip in the complimentary bowl on the table.
Kaiba frowned just slightly, wondering at Jonouchi's sullen behavior. It wasn't illogical by any means, but it held implications that threw his thoughts into question. He'd been strongly under the impression that Jonouchi was indifferent about the situation, at least far more indifferent than he was. At most, he might be uncomfortable with the distance Kaiba had put between them since the last time they spoke. But here he was, looking rather depressed. Kaiba reminded himself that he didn't know yet whether Jonouchi was depressed about the situation, or about seeing him, so he restrained any emotional response to the topic.
He sat in a chair across from Jonouchi at the table without speaking, knowing he'd already been noticed. They sat in silence for a few tense seconds, though for Kaiba it was because he didn't want to speak first and say the wrong thing, while Jonouchi seemed to be trying to say something but couldn't manage it-or didn't know how to say it. Eventually, the tension wracked Kaiba's nerves enough to spur him to attempt conversation.
"How have you been?" He asked quietly, knowing it was a ridiculous thing to start the conversation with under the circumstances. But he couldn't really think of anything more appropriate, either. If he started on the problem immediately, he'd seem aggressive. The small talk might annoy Jonouchi, but hopefully it would get his mouth running. That was usually an easy enough thing to do.
"Not that great, actually," answered Jonouchi with a heavy sigh. "I really like tacos, so you'd think I'd be in a better mood..."
Kaiba had to actively stop his brow from furrowing as he tried to figure out whether Jonouchi was trying to use humor to lighten the situation, or if he was being intentionally dismissive. He couldn't figure out which, and now knew he couldn't trust his usual first instinct to assume the worst, so he responded neutrally.
"I never found food to be the best method of improving my mood," he noted, "Even my favorites. All you'll get is uncomfortably bloated."
He picked up a tortilla chip experimentally and examined it, debating whether or not to try it. Why had he even agreed to come here? He had nothing against tacos as a food, but he preferred meals that required more care and finesse. Whatever was served in this place would likely be greasy, salty, and heavily flavored. As it was supposed to be, but it wasn't to Kaiba's tastes. He put the chip back in the bowl. The gritty, oily feeling of it stayed on his fingers.
"I take responsibility for my part in your poor mood, though."
Jonouchi snatched the chip that Kaiba had placed back, not even hesitating to eat it after dipping it halfway in salsa. He seemed intense about it, his eyes never leaving the basket as he shrugged.
"I don't really want to talk about that now," Jonouchi muttered, "it wasn't our greatest moment, for either of us. I just wanted you to come out here with me and try enjoying the food. It's not really all that bad, if you give it a chance. The tacos are pretty good, and if you want to be a little adventurous, you should try the tongue."
He didn't look up as he spoke, not once. It felt a little alienating, but Jonouchi smiled a little bit as he picked up his menu and glanced over the options.
"Try the tongue…" Kaiba repeated in a low mutter, looking down at his menu as well-if only for something to look at aside from Jonouchi's face. Watching him while he was glancing away made him feel very ignored.
The menu itself was nicely laminated and very clean, which was a good sign. He still couldn't say any of the food looked especially appealing to him, and he didn't want to order a plate just to leave it picked at or wholly untouched. He doubted that would improve Jonouchi's mood.
"Just get some carne asada tacos, you freak," Jonouchi tried joking. He looked up with a slight smirk, but then he turned his attention back to looking over the page again. Kaiba didn't reply, because he didn't want to lie by saying he would, and he wanted even less to be honest and seem picky. Which he was, very much so. But it wasn't the time to indulge that too much.
"Even if it doesn't give me much of an appetite," he began, glancing benignly at the menu, "It does smell nice in here."
Jonouchi finally looked up. "You don't eat enough. I know you skip out on meals, and one day you're going to wither and die because of it. Just fucking eat something. People can't live on liquid diets alone... Just get the beef."
Kaiba was getting the distinct impression that Jonouchi's equilibrium may be riding on him ordering and eating a meal more than he'd thought. He put that realization on the back burner, though, when he ran across the selection of spirits on the back of the menu. Now that he wanted, and badly. He would even be worldly and order the tequila-which was, hopefully, something well above Jose Cuervo or Patron in quality. Even if it wasn't...alcohol was alcohol, from a practical standpoint.
"I didn't invite you over just to bore you out with my ugly eating habits," mumbled Jonouchi. He finally seemed somewhat satisfied though, at least for the moment. Setting the order menu down, Jonouchi turned his attention to snacking on his chips again, watching Kaiba seemingly while avoiding direct eye contact at the same time. "Next time I'll choose more wisely. I know you prefer your comfort foods."
"You don't have to make every choice based on me," Kaiba snorted, "I doubt that would be much fun for you after a while. I can compromise. And if not, it doesn't bother me to not have food when you are."
Jonouchi seemed dependent on group eating, in a way. Kaiba thought it might be that it comforted him to think the people around him were enjoying themselves. Or, maybe he felt awkward if he was scarfing a meal while Kaiba delicately sipped his way through hard drinks.
"Fine, whatever then..." Jonouchi ate another chip before finally changing the subject. "So... how have you been? With your company, I mean. It must be pretty crazy, trying to plan a dueling tournament here."
"I can't say it isn't," Kaiba replied in a low voice, bothered by how much they were beating around the bush. But if that was making Jonouchi comfortable, then he was happy to keep it up. "But no more than usual. Certainly not as much as Battle City. It took many months of pain to get that organized. This is far more manageable in scope. I get at least a little sleep every night, so I'm being spoiled a bit, really."
"Spoiled," laughed Jonouchi as he raised an eyebrow. "How about working with the Americans? You seemed so put out at first, having to deal with them, and to be honest, I'm jealous of you, Kaiba." He stuck another chip in his mouth before reaching a little forward against the table, "You speak perfect English and don't sound like some ignorant off-the-boat like me."
"Psh," Kaiba scoffed, rolling his eyes. "You speak more intelligent English than most natural borns, so don't be too displeased with yourself. Anyway-even if your English was perfect, it wouldn't make a difference. The first several steps in dealing with Americans is getting past what they're expecting from a Japanese businessman. We're speaking the same language, but they don't really seem to understand what I'm saying most of the time.
"And that's why I don't like dealing with Americans. But I suppose you could say it's getting easier as I improve my…"soft skills", is what they call it here."
"It's good for you," Jonouchi laughed. "Maybe in Japan, while dealing with the descendants of rice farmers, you could bully them into your way of thinking, but you have to use some diplomacy here. I know you need that skill..." His hazel eyes traveled around the room briefly before he grabbed his glass of water, sipping on the straw before turning his gaze back at Kaiba before giving him a slight wink. "It will only improve you, Kaiba.
"Besides, you're less likely to make mistakes if other people are allowed some input."
"I'm insulted," Kaiba stared at Jonouchi in mock offense. Normally, he would be legitimately offended, but he realized that he'd grown accustomed to Jonouchi's sense of humor over the past months. That, and the fact that he tended not to think about how his words might offend before he said them. "You're implying that I make mistakes to begin with. Impossible."
"Everyone makes mistakes," Jonouchi stressed with a small laugh, "especially you. You just don't like admitting to them."
"I won't waste either of our time denying that," Kaiba shrugged slightly, then took a chance on relaxing his posture to lean forward on the table slightly-just enough that his elbows could rest at the edge. "And I admit that I haven't put much effort into rectifying mistakes in the past. I can't attribute that to ignorance-I know when I've done something especially wrong. I'm just proud."
"No one is putting you on trial, Kaiba..."
Jonouchi seemed as if he was thinking of saying more, but then a waitress finally appeared, taking their orders. Unsurprisingly, Jonouchi ordered a mountain of food. He seemed excited, grinning over the giant burrito he pointed at in the menu, not shying from all the toppings and sides. Kaiba, in stark contrast, just ordered a drink. He was about to get away with it, too, when Jonouchi butted in with another order of beef tacos before the waitress finally left.
"What you don't eat, I will."
"I can tolerate that," Kaiba conceded, though reluctantly. "Don't take it as a personal offense if I leave you quite a bit."
"I will be quite upset if you don't try enjoying dinner with me," added Jonouchi as if he hadn't heard Kaiba speak at all, "after I went though the hassle of making reservations, you know, after finding this place... It was so much work, and I had high hopes."
"Oh, I see," Kaiba raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected Jonouchi to go through that much trouble. Did it really take reservations to get a table in a taco place? Maybe. He wouldn't know. Even if he didn't, maybe Jonouchi just wanted to be completely sure they could eat there. He was impressed by the effort, if that was the case, but he wasn't certain he should be flattered.
"I'll eat until I'm full, how's that?" He offered. "At least you'll know I'm not letting myself waste away, as you seem to think I am."
"I'm sorry for not wanting you to die yet," snorted Jonouchi. He was the only one eating the chips, and it didn't look like he was planning to stop anytime soon. The basket was still half full. The waitress placed a new cup of salsa in front of them before refilling his water.
"I think I'm gonna compete in this duel monsters competition you have going on though," added Jonouchi out of the blue, "I haven't really been playing enough. I gotta get my name out there again."
"Oh?" Kaiba's interest was piqued, and for the first time in what felt like forever, his concentration was free of his strain over his relationship with Jonouchi and wholly focused on something else. "I hope you really plan to. It would be good to have a contestant with previous championship experience there. And it's been a long time since I saw you play."
Jonouchi clutched his heart in mock surprise. "Really Kaiba, this is the first time I've ever heard you say that you liked my dueling!" He bumped Kaiba's calf under the table with his toe, laughing a little before sipping his water again. "And here I thought you only let me play for shits and giggles, but you actually like my crazy dueling style."
"Heh," Kaiba smirked and glanced down at the table as if he'd be able to see through to where Jonouchi had unexpectedly nudged him. "I don't know about that. I prefer things to be wholly dependent on strategy. But I've gained an appreciation for your unorthodox style."
He punctuated that with a toe jab replicating the one Jonouchi had given him, glad now that the table was rather small. When he'd initially sat at it, he'd worried that the proximity would make things uncomfortable. Now he wasn't completely sure why he'd been so worried at all. Jonouchi certainly seemed prepared to leave their argument behind. But before he could relax, he had a rising suspicion that Jonouchi might just be avoiding the topic for the sake of glancing over the deeper, underlying issue.
"Good." Jonouchi was beaming at that answer. "I always appreciated your dueling, even when you were a jerk. Having a completely strategic deck just wasn't possible when I was dirt poor, though. I had to work with what I could get."
"It proves that your success was based more on skill than luck, though. There are plenty of players who buy individual cards to build a deck to what should be a perfect formula, but they fail miserably because they don't have the skill to hold their own," Kaiba huffed. He was less than pleased with that kind of behavior. Snobby as he'd been about Jonouchi in the past, now he could give him credit for being sincere, at the very least. And despite his often idiotic behavior, he was extremely clever.
Kaiba was unable to stop himself from smiling slightly and chuckling when he remembered the night he'd returned to the bar after meeting Jonouchi again the day prior, and ended up with a rum and coke soiling his pants. It had been a smaller-scale, but prime example of his habit of underestimating just how smart Jonouchi actually was. He realized he'd gotten lost in his thoughts when he looked back at Jonouchi, who was watching him. Kaiba stared back, unsure of how to explain himself. It may not be a good idea to mention that particular incident.
"What are you thinking about, Kaiba?"
"You," Kaiba replied bluntly, though he was still remaining cryptic. He wondered, fleetingly, if that would make Jonouchi uncomfortable, but he'd already said it.
"Yeah, okay," laughed Jonouchi nervously, "what about me exactly?"
The food arrived. A giant platter of hot, steaming beans, rice, and a giant flour burrito was placed in front of Jonouchi while a small glass of tequila and a medium sized plate with three tacos and some rice was set for Kaiba. Jonouchi immediately started on it, not delaying for Kaiba's answer. Kaiba observed his plate, actively keeping the disapproval off his face. There was nothing wrong with the tacos-at the very least, he could say they were relatively neat. But they looked like a hodgepodge of ingredients to him. His stomach would probably agree.
But, they smelled like food, and not grease with salt and cumin dumped in it, so Kaiba picked one up from the plate. He could feel Jonouchi's eyes on him, as if he was in suspense. Kaiba observed the taco as he tried to figure out how he was supposed to eat it without making a mess.
"Eat it, Kaiba."
Kaiba made a face at Jonouchi, though he was mainly being facetious. He planned to hold true to what he'd said. He took a bite out of the taco he was holding and was immediately struck by how strong the flavors were, but he could tell already that they were at least well balanced. He was annoyed when the corn tortilla started to break in places where he wanted it to stay whole, but he'd already managed to neatly take off part of it, so it didn't matter much. He quietly chewed what he'd bitten, formulating an opinion as he did. He deliberately looked at his plate, knowing that Jonouchi was less-than-patiently waiting for a verdict. He knew he shouldn't be, but he was having a little fun making him squirm.
"It's not that bad," Jonouchi finally said, too impatient to wait for Kaiba to speak first, "It's just beef, cilantro, cheese, onion, and the tortilla. Nothing about it is that crazy or wild."
Jonouchi's burrito, on the other hand...
"You enjoy being difficult."
"Me? Of course not," Kaiba replied with false innocence. "But you're right. There's nothing wrong with it. You chose something decent, even if it is foreign."
He paused and watched Jonouchi dig in to his own food, evidently no longer troubled over Kaiba's opinion now that he'd said it was acceptable. It was a bit funny that Jonouchi wanted so badly for him to be pleased. It wasn't his responsibility if the food wasn't to Kaiba's tastes. He had a fleeting and unwanted thought that it might be a sign that Jonouchi thought more of him than he'd been letting on, but he didn't allow that to color his perception. He knew better than to give in to desperate hopes.
Remembering the past days he'd spent in distress over the whole mess, Kaiba sobered and grew contemplative. He was glad that Jonouchi had wanted to see him, but that provided no resolution to anything. Ultimately, he wasn't in any better a state than he'd been before they sat down to dinner together, but he was getting distracted by Jonouchi's presence. It was a welcome change from his absence. Kaiba had been less than happy when he was unable to find Jonouchi. He could only assume that Jonouchi had been trying his damndest to avoid him.
He looked at Jonouchi, who hadn't paused even to catch his breath, and was still mowing through his food. He seemed to sense Kaiba's gaze and glanced at him curiously, teeth half-sunk into another chunk of burrito. Kaiba cleared his throat and looked at his plate. He wasn't sure if he should bring up what was on his mind, but at the same time, he knew that if he didn't, he'd only get more moody as the night wore on. That wouldn't make things any better between them.
"Jonouchi," he addressed hesitantly, "A few days ago, I went to the bar to find you."
He paused and watched Jonouchi for a reaction, but he seemed mainly surprised-and confused. Most likely, he didn't understand the significance of Kaiba mentioning it yet. Kaiba hummed.
"You weren't there," he stated. Jonouchi should know that, of course, but hopefully from that he'd be able to infer that not being able to find him had been upsetting.
"I had other plans," Jonouchi began with a stammer, "I got asked out on date by this guy who's bike I fixed. I didn't plan on really going, but he was adamant and we were fighting, so I didn't think you'd be there waiting for me, anyways.
"If it makes you feel any better, it didn't go too hot."
"I don't imagine so, if you didn't want to go in the first place," Kaiba replied, trying to keep his tone neutral. He knew he was far from pleased to hear that, but he was trying to keep it at bay. He didn't have a right to be upset about it. He knew he and Jonouchi didn't have anything exclusive going on in that arena.
But the thought still made him angry.
"I'm not happy that you had a bad experience," he added, "You can do what you like. I suppose I should have assumed first that you were with someone, but at the time I thought it more likely that you were taking measures to avoid me."
That was a slight lie. If anything, he'd thought the possibilities were equally likely, but the former was one he tried to chase from his mind at every opportunity.
"We may not see eye to eye on certain things, but I still consider us friends," Jonouchi remarked, "and I know you do, too. I wasn't trying to blow you off. If you would have asked for my company, I would have came to hang out with you. I didn't think you wanted me around."
Jonouchi's eating slow downed significantly. He was either losing steam from feeling full (which was a miracle), or he was thinking too hard to shovel as quickly as before. His eyes were downcast, and he appeared thoughtful, playing with his food a little before finally taking a fork full of food into his mouth.
"I can't think of a time since we met again that I didn't want you around," Kaiba stated before he could stop himself. That might not have been what Jonouchi wanted to hear. But it was true. "I like being with you."
"Then why are you so damn difficult?" asked Jonouchi pleadingly, "It doesn't need to be."
"I-" Kaiba began before stopping short, jaw slack as he tried to interpret the intention of that question. "I don't want it to be difficult. But that's the way it is."
Jonouchi frowned. He didn't seem won over with the answer, but he stopped asking anymore questions, turning his eyes down back towards his half-finished plate.
"I see."