An update to this story, and So Far Away, within a day of each other! If you guys haven't checked out my other story, I would advise it, it is filled with angsty goodness.

So, Jou is pretty good dealing with Kaiba's violets mood swings eh? He should get some pills for that :S I don't have much to say, but expect more emotion in the next chapter. Good or bad, it is going to come.

Enjoy!

Chapter 3

Kaiba didn't see much of Jou that week. He spent less time in the office, often accomplishing more work than he thought he would. But he began to grow lonely again, and often wondered how he had survived without friends in the first place. Ok, that was a lie, but some part of him knew he missed Jou. So, needless to say, when the blonde walked in on a Friday afternoon, he was pleasantly surprised.

And Jou was as surprised as Kaiba was, for the CEO was sitting at his desk reading a newspaper, not hunched over his laptop as usual.

"Hard day of doing nothing?"

Kaiba looked up from where he sat, "I fished, if you would like to know, and now I am taking a well deserved break. Where have you been?"

"Man, I was busy. I had a bunch of school work to catch up on, I hung out with the gang on Wednesday, and I went out with Deidra on Thursday."

Kaiba grunted at this, "How did that go?"

Oblivious to the fact that this subject was a tad touchy for Seto, Jou began a run-through on what they did, what they ate, what they talked about etc. Seto was only half paying attention, still wondering why this bothered him so.

"So, anyways, we are going out tomorrow night to some bar downtown. It's supposed to be really classy."

"Which one is it?"

"The Red Dragon."

"Drinks there are expensive. You better have money, especially if you are paying for two."

Money, Jou never had any of that. He was used to Kaiba paying for anything, only because moneybags could spare it. He was still looking for a job.

"That reminds me, I still need to look for a job."

"By tomorrow? Good luck with that one."

"Hey Seto, would you lend me…"

"No, I won't. I am not a charity, I don't give money out."

Jou was desperate, "c'mon, I'll pay you back!"

Seto wasn't going to contribute to Jou's affair with Deidra. He didn't want a part of it, so he would stand his ground on this one. "I said no, don't ask me again."

Jou moped quietly, but said nothing. He would find a way to pay.

"Do you have anything to do?"

"Not really, just a bit."

"Want to go for coffee?"

"Can I meet you there? So I have time check my stocks?"

Jou nodded, "Yea, I'll go there now and reserve a seat."

Seto watched the blonde head out the door, and began to work.

Jou walked to the Shoppe, a five minute stroll in which nothing out of the ordinary happened. He sat down at the usual table, and got the usual drink. Things were alright now. He had an amazing time with Dei, walking through the park, eating at a vendor. They had more in common than he had first thought. Her parents had split up when she was younger, and she had an older brother that lived on the other side of the city. Though there was a two year difference between the two, it was hardly noticeable.

"Hey Jou!"

Jou looked up to see Yuugi jogging over to his table, a cup of some hot liquid in his hand. He was followed by Anzu and Honda, with Bakura trailing behind.

"If I knew you were going to be here alone, I would have come earlier! How's it been?"

"Um…alright I suppose." This was NOT good. Any minute Kaiba would walk through that door, to find him with four other people. To his horror, the gang sat down at his table and began to talk. He joined in the conversation, looking at the door every now and again. Sure enough, ten minutes later, the brunette walked in.

Jou kept looking at him, trying to get his attention, but Seto was absorbed with something on his cell phone. He was walking straight towards their table, with not a clue.

"Kaiba! Fancy seeing you here."

Seto stopped in his tracks at the sound of Yuugi's voice. He looked up, and saw all of them, including Jou, sitting at the table.

"We would invite you to sit with us, but we might like, ruin your reputation or something." It was Honda who said this. Bakura laughed, and Anzu hid a giggle. Was Jou supposed to laugh at him as well? Make some rude comment about him? Shit, this had never occurred before this moment, and Jou was lost for what to do. He gave a meek look at Seto.

"Honda, that's not nice, you can sit with us if you want Kaiba," Said Yuugi.

"I'd rather drop dead thanks."

"It wouldn't bother us, really, go ahead. It would save you the humiliation from loosing your own tournament again."

"Shut up Honda, you stupid boy. I don't need snide comments, especially from someone who can hardly handle his low grade courses. Get a job you useless bum."

Honda got up from where he was sitting, "Big talk coming from someone who was given everything from his father. Tell me, what he as stuck up as you are?"

This was really making Jou uncomfortable, he had to do something. "Honda, I don't think-"

"That's right, tell him Jou. He is always putting you down. Figures you'd come in here ALONE Kaiba."

"I don't need the Mutt to tell me anything, and I don't need you calling me pathetic names to boost your own self-esteem."

"Hey Seto…" Jou started, but he was cut off.

"Save it Dog Boy. Chat it up with your fucking friends, I can see why you go on about them so much; clearly they are worth your time."

Jou stood up at this point, "Hey, don't have a go at my friends, and I didn't even say anything, so don't have a go at me too."

"Whatever, you aren't even worth my time." Seto roughly shoved his cell phone in his pocket and turned around.

"Don't even give me that!" Jou chased after him, but the collar of his shirt was grabbed by the CEO.

"I don't need a puppy to follow me around, now get out of my face." He threw the blonde rather roughly against a wall and left.

Jou walked back to his table, dumbstruck. Was it an act? Or was Seto being serious?

"I told you that guy was bad news," said Anzu.

"Tell me about it, I am surprised his ego can fit through the door, it is so big," chipped in Honda.

This was already getting to Jou; he didn't need his friends bashing, well, his other friend, as he would put it.

"I am telling you, the next time…" at this, Honda made a fist, and gave some swipes in the air.

"You know, he didn't even say anything to you." Jou had turned around and was now talking rather loudly to Honda, "You just started shit and what do you think would happen? He would turn around and leave?"

Honda gapped at him, "Since when have you stood up for Rich Boy? FYI, you have always hated the kid. Did you have a divine apparition that said 'Be nice to jerks from now on?'?"

Yuugi spoke up this time, "Jou does have a point Honda. Kaiba wasn't even doing anything."

"You too now? Has everyone gone nuts?"

"I have never hated Kaiba, you know that Honda. I haven't always approved of everything he has done, but he has never given me a reason to dislike him," said Yuugi.

"Whatever, you guys are fucked up."

That was the end of the conversation, but not the end of the tension. They finished their drinks and headed out.

Jou didn't know if he should find Kaiba, and ask what the hell was going on, or just head home. In the end, he figured since it was only seven, he would head over to Kaiba's house. He just had to remember where he lived…

"Seto, what's-"

"I don't want to talk about it." Seto came home in a bad mood, and he didn't feel like spilling his problems to his brother.

"Ok?" Mokuba, clearly confused, didn't push the matter further. He just gave his brother some space.

Seto had been mildly looking forward to some catch up time with Jou. Now he was livid with the fact that he had been attacked out of no where, by that buffoon Honda. And Jou had done nothing about it, he just sat there, too meek to speak up for anything. But Seto wasn't really too mad at Jou, he didn't really blame him. He was just angry the whole scenario happened in the first place.

Seto walked up to his room, and had barely begun to change when…

"Master Kaiba, there is someone to see you."

Seto looked up to see a servant at his door.

"I don't really want to talk to anyone right now. Can you send them home?"

"Very well sir."

Kaiba flopped down on his king size bed. He just wanted to sleep. Another knock at the door, and the same servant appeared.

"I thought I told you I wasn't going to see him? Get rid of him!"

"He is quite persistent…"

"I don't care! I don't WANT to TALK to ANYONE!" at this point, he leapt up from the bed, and shut the door in the poor servants face. He did not, however, feel guilty at all, for he was in a bad mood to begin with, and he thought he had made it clear he didn't want to chat with anyone. He fell into his bed again.

He heard the door open a third time, and turned around roughly, hurting his neck, but ready to fire that servant. But to his surprise, it was Jou standing at the door. He looked at him for a moment, and buried his head in a pillow. "Go away."

"I just wanted to talk…"

Seto could feel a twitch in his eye now. This was the fourth time he had said to someone he didn't want to talk. "I do…not want….to talk….right now…" He said thought gritted teeth.

"Whatever," and to his surprise, Jou came and sat on the bed. A few moments went by where he didn't say anything.

Seto sighed and looked up from his pillow, "What did you want to talk about?"

"Just apologize for my stupid friends. And stupid they are."

"Why don't you get your stupid friends to apologize then?"

"Like they would."

"They should."

Jou sighed, "I am sure you would apologize if it was you Seto…"

"I wouldn't have said that in the first place! The only person I ever laughed at was you if you don't remember. I just told your friends to shut their faces when they interfered!"

"Well, if it makes any difference, I am still sorry it happened. Don't think I didn't want to do anything about it."

Seto took a long look at Jou, "Then why didn't you?"

"I…it was just…if they thought…"

"Oh, I see. If they thought we were friends, or something along those lines, they would never talk to you again. Is that how it is? Well, they seem like a great bunch of people to hang out with."

"Ugh, it isn't like that," Jou growled, "you just wouldn't get it."

"Why, because I have never had friends?"

"Stop putting words in my mouth!"

"Whatever, aren't I used to people not liking me in general?"

Jou smiled and gave a laugh, assuming this was funny, "Hey, I like you remember?"

"How comforting."

The sat for a moment, saying nothing.

"Your bed is pretty comfy eh?"

"Now that you mention that, get the hell off my bed."

"No, I like it, I think I'll stay."

Kaiba gave Jou a shove, but the blonde simply flopped over. "I give up."

The two boys lay there for awhile. Seto didn't know if Jou was sleeping or just in thought. The blonde spoke, so it was the later of the two.
"You know, I can almost get why you think friends are so stupid. Today, I got a dose of that. Don't get me wrong, if things were still the same between us, I would have joined in with Honda, but I am glad they are not the same, because now I can see how much of a jerk I was to you as well. Anyways, I am done now, just wanted to get that out."

Seto looked up to see the blonde a deep shade of red.

"Nothing has changed for me; I still think you are an idiot."

"Can't you ever say anything nice about me?"

Seto thought for a moment, "Yea, but I won't."

Jou threw a pillow at him, missing his head by a long shot.

"C'mon, I'll take you home. Let me grab my stuff and meet me out front."

Jou grinned, "Sweet thanks Rich Boy."

"No problem Mutt." He watched the blonde bound out of the room.

They met at the driveway, and got into Seto's car. Kaiba now knew where Jou lived, enough so he wasn't lost. When they came to his apartment building, they had a brief five minute chat, and Jou headed out of the car.

"Jou! Hang on!"

Kaiba had rolled down his window, and Jou turned around to see him waving something in the air. He approached the car with a puzzled look. Seto handed an envelope to Jou.

"Here, take this. Take Deidra out and have a good time ok?"

He opened the envelope to see the writing of the handsome CEO on a check.

Before Jou could protest, Kaiba was gone in a trail of smoke, leaving the blonde coughing in the middle of the street.

Kaiba got home and went to his room for the second time tonight. He knew that giving Jou that money was pretty much damning him to hear about their relationship the following day. He also felt enormously stupid. Why was he such a nice guy? Who knows…but it really should stop before his pockets were empty. The blonde just had a way of making him feel guilty for doing nothing.

If anything, Kaiba was the dog in their relationship