A/N: It's done, it's finally done. Thank you all for staying with this so long, or taking the time to read through.
A few months had passed, there was no longer the warm summer breeze of August, but a cool chill flowing through the trees at the end of October. Things had been going quite normal throughout the Kaiba household. Most of the excitement had died down to a minimum, and the reporters hadn't been showing up lately, expect a few of the persistent ones. Otherwise, their life had been fairly peaceful. Mokuba had been going to school, Kaiba had been going to work (on time more often than not) and Joey had been lazing around the place, digging through Kaiba's drawers, cooking, cleaning, and going out with his friends. When Tristan found out about his friend's relationship, he admitted he nearly died. However, on one certain morning, one thing wasn't quite as typical as it had been.
Kaiba rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, and rolled onto his side, groaning. He reached across the bed for the warm body that was usually curled beside him in mornings. However, he found that the other bedside was bereft of the lazy blond, which left his mood on a sour start. He swung his pajama clad legs over the side of his bed, and led out a series of grumbles. He threw a glance to his clock, realizing that the set-time had been tampered with once again. He groaned at that as well. He closed his eyes for a moment, pinching the bridge of his nose. Kaiba stood,
brushed off this part of the morning, and strode to the door, hoping for something good to eat.
He walked down the familiar hallways into the kitchen, hoping to find Joey cooking, but instead found it empty. The brunette blinked, and took a moment to breathe. Waking up late, no Joey to be found, no breakfast, his day had just started, and it was already turning out horrible. He sighed in defeat, and walked into the living room hoping to find the blond in there, but instead found Mokuba sleeping on the couch. Once again, he let out a loud sigh, and ran a hand through his hair. He just wanted to wake up to his puppy curled at his side where he could kiss the boy in his sleep. They would rest a little longer in each others arms until Mokuba got hungry and he would walk in, demand food, and then they would share a morning together. Is that too much to ask for? Instead there was a cold morning and no Joey.
Mokuba stirred in his sleep, and lifted his large poof of black hair from the blankets, looking up with sleepy eyes. He yawned deeply before talking.
"It took you long enough to wake up, Seto." He rubbed his barely open eyes, still trying to wake up. "Joey and I have been waiting for awhile."
Kaiba raised that smug, stupid little eyebrow of his. "What do you mean? It's not even that late." In reality though, he was internally screaming for waking up this late. Poor boy.
"It's late when you've been up planning devious things." The raven-haired boy told him, before jumping up and grabbing a piece of paper off the coffee table. "And now that you're up, I have things to do, people to see, food to eat. So take this." Mokuba handed him the paper and ran into the hallway, presumably to his room. Kaiba looked down to find his puppy's messy handwriting:
"Seto, you're probably grumpy and hungry, and maybe even screaming a little, but everything will make sense later. Meet us at Turtle Game Shop!"
Kaiba stared at the note for a moment, wondering what this was all about. He decided to brush it off, just because it was Joey. Knowing Joey, the plan was probably just winging it. With that, Kaiba went back into his room and changed into his usual clothing, then called upon a limo to take him to the game shop.
He soon arrived, and was greeted by Joey and his friends, oh how he hated his friends… They were all waiting outside for the CEO to show up.
"Hey, what took you so long?" Joey asked as Kaiba walked towards the group. Kaiba grunted in response, and what would it be without his trademark eye roll? The others crowded behind Joey, looking suspicious and giddy, but Kaiba brushed it off as them just being their gross friendly selves. Joey took him by the hand, and pulled him into the small shop with a wide mischievous smile on his face. Kaiba gave a small, barely noticeable smile as he was dragged to the kitchen, and was promptly sat in front of a glorious bouquet of what looked like Joey-made breakfast.
"What's this?" Kaiba raised an eyebrow at Joey, who held his hands behind his back and bounced on the balls of his feet, smiling.
"Breakfast, since you were got you out so soon." Joey patted his flour covered apron, causing some of the white powder to fly into the air. Kaiba blinked.
"But you didn't have to do this." Kaiba retorted.
"Of course I did, ya jerk." Joey leaned down, and gave Kaiba a peck on the nose before walking out of the room. He stared at the still-warm breakfast, and shrugged, picking up his fork.
Kaiba wandered into the living room where Yugi's Grandpa and Joey were playing a game of duel monsters, and it looked like Joey was losing.
"Even an old man like myself can beat a young one like yourself!" Solomon laughed.
"This game ain't over yet, gramps." Joey smirked, and stroked his chin with his thumb as he did when he was deep in thought. Kaiba seated himself on the floor cross-legged to the side of their table, and eyed the field. Yep, Joey was in deep dirt, but by his lack of a pokerface, he had something up his sleeve, or hand moreover. Solomon had three monsters and Joey had one card face down and a rocket warrior, which did little for him. It seemed that he only needed one direct hit to win, however that seemed useless.
"It's no use, I'll never beat ya, gramps..." Joey hung his head. An idea formed in Kaiba's mind.
"Joey, if you win I'll give you a kiss." Kaiba smirked at Joey, who's eyes widened slightly.
"But I can sure as hell try to beat ya." Joey quickly remarked, getting back into the zone.
"I hope if I win I don't get the same fate." Solomon laughed, making Joey snort.
"Lemme be dead before that happens." Joey chuckled.
"If you win, would you like to have some fun?" Kaiba growled sensually in Joey's ear. Red flooded Joey's cheeks.
"O-oh, I think I'd like that." Joey laughed wearily.
"Thank you for admitting it, Puppy, I already know." Kaiba smirked dangerously with an of his head.
"I was helping you guys out here, then we were gonna head out." Joey answered coolly, his grin never wavering.
"Joey," Téa warned. "You're such an idiot, you'd better go now if you plan to do anything on time!"
"Fine, fine, we'll be going, jeesh, so eager for me to leave." Joey grumbled. Kaiba chuckled as the blond approached.
"So I suppose you're in trouble now?" Kaiba smirked. Joey took his hand with a huff, practically dragging him out the door.
Halfway there, Joey slowed down however was still dragging Kaiba at the wrist, who protested little.
"So, where are we going?" Kaiba mused.
"Out." Joey said from the front. Kaiba rolled his eyes, however knowing Joey couldn't see, he sighed loudly and over-dramatically. Joey looked back, smiling with a glint in his eye.
"Okay." Kaiba stayed silent the rest of the way, in which Joey was grateful. He didnt want to spoil the surprise. As they went along, he recognized the route, and chuckled lowly as he realized where the blond was dragging him off to.
Soon they reached the large and very packed amusement park- Kaibaland. Joey grinned.
"Surprise?" it was more of a question. "You probably figured it out a while ago, but hey, might as well try to act romantic."
Kaiba nodded with a chuckle, and pulled Joey into a kiss. Joey was not hesitant to return the favor, and he smiled into the kiss, today was gonna be a good day. They broke free, and Joey linked his arm with Kaiba's and they were off to the entrance. Kaiba just glared at the employees who opened the gates for him immediately, some even tipping their hats at his majesty. They handed them both VIP quick passes to get anywhere with no delay if they wanted. Kaiba smiled at Joey who seemed to be as giddy as any five year-old would be in his shoes.
"So, where would you like to go first, Joey?" Kaiba nuzzled into Joey's mop of blonde hair, smiling.
"I think the ferris wheel should be great for firsts." Joey smiled from ear to ear as Kaiba simply nodded, and let the shorter boy lead the way.
Of course the line was at least a three hour wait like any other normal Kaibaland ride, but thanks to their lucky VIP passes, they needed to wait only a minute or who for the other people to make their departure from the ride. Of course the ride had to represent the mighty Blue-Eyes White Dragon, much to Kaiba's pleasure, since he designed the whole park. They stepped on the ride, and took their seats, perhaps sitting a little too close. Kaiba's arm snaked around Joey's waist and he pulled him nearly onto his lap. Joey rested his head on the brunette's chest, and closed his eyes, and the ride began to move. Screw safety.
Kaiba stroked the blond's hair, smiling. He hadn't thought to be this relaxed today, however he'd by now learned to not question the erratic blond's impulsive actions. Currently, he listened to Joey babble on about the day they'd have, and occasionally he would add in sporadic gestures and hand movements.
Suddenly, very near the top, the ride slowed to a halt. Joey sat up quickly and looked around, making sure it wasn't just him who felt the Ferris wheel slow. Kaiba scowled slightly, but was glad for some more alone time with his puppy.
"We're sorry for the inconvenience." A light male's voice stated through the microphone installed into the seat floor. "We're having some technical difficulties and will start the ride up again shortly."
Joey blinked, technical difficulties? He thought. How long were they going to be stuck there? Kaiba frowned at this information, mentally noting to check up on how often this sort of thing happened. Joey decided to look over the side to see if he could find out what was going on.
"Um..." The blonde mumbled. "Does this happen often?" Kaiba shrugged, and his frown deepened. He really needed to get better employees.
"Not to my knowledge." He stated, aggravation creeping into his voice. Joey shrugged and brought his eyes back to the CEO.
"Sorta worrying... Well hey, more alone time." The blond said, laughing and wiggling his eyes provocatively.
Kaiba sighed anyway, but as Joey leaned back into him, he decided to just wait. For now, they were alone. Joey looked up at Kaiba, and smirked.
"Y'know, since we're alone..." He poked the brunette's arm.
"You just read my mind, Puppy." Kaiba replied, cupping Joey's face and pulling him into a forced yet gentle kiss. The younger kissed back in response, slipping his tongue into the other's mouth. Their tongues began to dance together as the kiss deepened. The two pulled away, gasping for air. They took in a moment's worth of breath before moving in for another kiss. Suddenly, the seat lurched forward, resuming the interrupted ride. Kaiba was unfazed as he sat like stone, while the other was thrown forward, nearly out of the ferris wheel save for the other boy reaching out and wrapping his arms around the blond's waist, pulling him back into the seat.
"Gah!" Joey cried. After the initial awakening of the ride, it slowed to normal speed, but the brunette didn't let go. Instead Kaiba pulled him closer and nuzzled his face into Joey's neck, breathing in his scent. Even then, a tint of pink found it's way to the blond's cheeks as the older boy pulled him fully onto his lap and enveloped him in his arms. Joey found himself leaning his head on the other boy's, and they sat like that quietly, before Joey broke the silence.
"Y'know Seto, I never woulda imagined this." he said, looking up at Kaiba through his messy hair, made worse by the chilly October winds. Kaiba looked at him, his cold exterior melting for just a moment, he smiled.
"There was a time when I'd rather have my hands at your throat, now I'd rather have my hands all over you." Kaiba blatantly stated. Joey's face flushed crimson, wide-eyed and spluttering. The older boy chuckled, and Joey gave him a teasingly annoyed face, before giving him a gentle peck.
The ride ended in a comfortable silence, and they went along their merry way. Joey spent the day enthusiastically dragging Kaiba around the park. Kaiba had been there countless times, but never really found the time to enjoy it as his visits were more often than not, business related. Joey on the other hand, had never been able to go, what with being too poor to even bother looking at the place.
Joey stopped at a food stand, and looked down to his stomach, which as if on cue, grumbled loudly. He ripped his hand from Kaiba's, and hopped in front of him.
"Seeeeto, let's eat, I'm staaaaaaarving." Joey whined. Kaiba rolled his eyes, and walked to the stand. He looked at the sign above, finding none of it appealing, at least not compared to Joey's food. However, the blond seemed to have no real food preferences and an endless pit for a stomach. Kaiba looked at the boy, who was rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet impatiently.
"You can have anything you want." Kaiba told him, suggestively. Though in Joey's mind, he was talking about the food, the normally cold-hearted boy meant it on a more... deeper level.
"I'll take a burger and fries." The shorter boy told Kaiba and the teenager waiting on their order. His face was lit excitedly at the thought of food. Kaiba wasn't as fond of the idea of eating some greasy burger, so he simply grabbed his wallet and paid for the pup's meal. They hadn't needed to wait long before a brown paper bag was handed over, in which Joey snatched greedily. Kaiba looked at it unfavorably as he noticed the grease seeping through the bottom. He would definitely prefer a Joey-made meal.
"C'mon, lets sit over here!" Joey waved his free arm excitedly, gesturing towards a table that was decorated with tiny Blue-Eyes White Dragons, which Joey took every opportunity to mention and make snide remarks at Kaiba's blatant affinity for the duel monster.
Joey sat across from Kaiba, in proper date-like fashion, to talk to him. Kaiba sat stiffly at first, but found himself comfortable the more the usual banter of him and Joey set in. While eating and talking, Joey would continue his hand gestures, even when holding fries, resulting in a lot of them being flung in a random direction on the ground.
Usually, Kaiba would be sitting next to him at their dining table, and hadn't realized how much food he could manage to get everywhere while talking.
"Do you need to be taught how to eat?" Kaiba asked him, motioning to the mess Joey was making. Joey gave him an inquisitive look.
"What are ya talking about, this is how I usually eat!" Joey threw his hands up, resulting in yet another lost fry. Half of his burger lay on the table, which he promptly plucked from it's resting place, and bit into. Kaiba sighed helplessly as he watched his pup devour the burger, juices and sauce running messily down his hands and chin.
"Joey, that's disgusting."
Joey rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out, revealing half eaten food, and chuckled. Kaiba breathed in slowly.
"You've seen me eat food before, ya big jerk"
Kaiba shook his head and sighed, before taking the burger out of Joey's hand and setting it on his plate. He wiped his fingers on a napkin, and reached over and gently wiping Joey's face. Joey stared wide-eyed, his cheeks pink and blushing.
"Um, Seto…?" Joey mumbled, trying to inch away. Kaiba set down the napkin, and picked a fry up, holding it the blond's face. Joey scratched his face, but made no move to eat the fry.
"Go on puppy." Kaiba said, an evil glint in his eye. The blond laughed.
"You'd think I'd be the one embarrassing you." Joey said, avoiding the fry. Kaiba smirked.
"Come on now Chihuahua, you wouldn't want to make a scene now." He waved the fry slightly in front of the other's nose. Joey looked around, and sure enough, people were staring. Most likely wondering why such a big CEO was trying to feed a dirty looking boy who was fervently refusing. He swallowed, face still red, and leaned forward to bite the fry, refusing to look at Kaiba.
He bit the fry, but Kaiba still held the rest out to him. Joey grumbled and went to bite it again, but ended up biting Kaiba's finger with it. The blond pulled back sharply, and the CEO only raised his eyebrow, rubbing his slightly red finger.
Joey's face only grew brighter, but he couldn't contain his laughter. Soon Kaiba had joined in with quiet chuckles too.
"Sorry Seto." Joey grinned. He picked up one of his fries, and waved it in front of the other boy's face in the fashion Kaiba had done. "Here, to make up for it."
The older boy raised his eyebrow at the food. Kaiba didn't really want to eat the fry, but he wanted to embarrass Joey further. He looked directly into the blond's eyes and smirked, leaning forward and bit the salty thing held out to him. Looking Joey directly in they eyes, he licked his lips and smiled devilishly. Joey gulped, but held the fry out still just like the other had done. Kaiba went for the other half of the fry, and bit the tip, plucking it free from the blond's fingers. He then gripped Joey's wrist, much to the other's surprise, and brought his hand closer to his face. Joey whipped his head from side to side, uncomfortable with the amount of people that had begun to gather and point. As if to say 'pay attention to me' he felt a warm wetness on his fingers. His neck snapped forward to find what the other was doing, and his eyes widened. Kaiba's tongue darted out to lick the salt and grease from Joey's fingers, holding his wrist tight.
"S-Seto?" Joey's voice trembled. Kaiba smirked and pulled away, still holding the blond's wrist.
"What is it, Pup? Lost your bite?" Kaiba crooned. Joey frowned.
"It's just… People are watching." the younger grumbled, furrowing his brow. Kaiba let go of his companion's wrist, if only for Joey's sake.
"That doesn't matter." Kaiba stated, questioning the blond's train of thought.
"Shouldn't it?" Joey asked, confused. "I mean, you're this big figure and I'm just... "
"A mutt?" Kaiba tried, giving Joey a smirk. Joey stuck his tongue out, grabbing a fry and continuing to eat.
"How does it not bother you?"
"Why would it? I have more power than anyone my age would ever dream of having, it doesn't matter because they're afraid of me. I have my own company, money, power, I'm a champion duelist, and there's one other thing that I have that no one else could ever have."
"Huh? What's that?" Joey raised a brow. Kaiba leaned forward, smirking.
"I have you." He nearly whispered, in a low growl. Joey's eyes widened as the brunette came in for a kiss.
The blond finished his meal and the duo continued on, making sure to get on all the rides they'd missed before lunch and going on Joey's favorite ones again. Just as the sun was beginning to dip low and the sky started turning red, Joey's phone rang. He fumbled for the device in his pocket.
"Hello?" He answered.
"Hey, we're all ready over here." Tea's voice sounded through the speaker. He grinned.
"Awesome, we'll be right back."
"Okay, see you there."
"Over and out, Commander" He hung up, and smiled at the taller boy.
"What was that about?" Kaiba asked, giving Joey a strange look.
"I ain't saying." Joey made a motion with his hands as if to 'zip' his lips. Kaiba brushed it off, and continued walking. The blond yawned, and made a big show of it, stretching his arms to the sky.
"I'm tired, I think it's high time we hit the road, eh Seto?" Joey dug his face into Kaiba's side, causing him to stop. He nodded.
"Hm, we've been here for a while, haven't we? I'm getting a little tired too, let's head back."
They left Kaibaland shortly after calling up the limo. The two stood hand in hand at the place where they'd set for the driver to meet them. Joey was anxious and excited at the same time, scanning the area around them, wearing an ear to ear smile. Kaiba just decided not to even question the pup anymore, him and his strange antics. Across the street he spotted a small pet store.
"Hey, check it out!" Joey said, grinning at Kaiba. The taller boy followed the other's eyes to the store. He looked back at the blond.
"If you want, we can look inside." Kaiba suggested. A bright glint found it's way into Joey's eyes. He pulled Kaiba by the arm the entire way to the store.
Inside they found the smaller animals and rodents, and petting rooms for dogs and cats in back. Joey and Kaiba spent some time looking at the smaller animals, Joey pressing his face against the glass. Before long, they found themselves heading towards the back, lead by the elderly woman who owned the place.
"You said you wanted to look at the dogs?" she asked, unlocking the door. Joey nodded enthusiastically. Kaiba leaned over.
"Accurate." he whispered into the shorter boy's ear. Joey stuck his tongue out at Kaiba.
The woman led them into the room with the dogs and Joey immediately threw himself onto the floor, covered in cushions and chew toys. There were only few dogs in there, a small and fluffy white one, a big slobbery one, and a mother with puppies. Joey was immediately drawn to the puppies, in which he crawled on all fours over to them. Kaiba rolled his eyes and smiled at the scene.
"You know, dogs are very social animals, have you ever had one?" The woman asked, watching Joey roll around with the pups.
"I think you'll find that I am very skilled at dealing with dogs." Kaiba snickered. Joey looked up and scowled.
"Hey!" Joey pouted. The woman smiled sweetly at the pair.
"Are you two good friends?" She asked, looking between them. Joey's smile dropped.
"Uhh-" He began.
"Something like that." Kaiba interjected. The woman seemed confused for a moment, but then had an almost 'aha!' moment
.
"Ohhhh, yes. I remember those days." She laughed, patting Kaiba's arm and giving him a knowing wink wonk. Joey's cheeks flushed, and he let out a small nervous chuckle.
"Ahem," Kaiba cleared his throat. "what do you think of the puppies, Joey?"
Joey rolled onto his back to look at Kaiba, and grinned as the little dogs climbed onto him, and used his fingers and hair as chew toys.
"I like them, y'know, when I was a kid, I always wanted a pet. My sis was allergic to just about all of them, and after my mom left we couldn't really afford anything other than the booze, y'know?" The blond said rolling back on his stomach to look at the pups.
Kaiba looked at Joey for a moment, giving a rare smile, before he sat down carefully, cross legged. A little yellow puppy trotted over to where Kaiba sat, and curled up next to him. Surprised, he brought a hand to pet it.
"Looks like he likes you, Seto!" Joey laughed, grinning at the puppy. It was hard not to smile at such a sight, the great and powerful Seto Kaiba sitting in a room full of puppies and dogs having fun.
"Is this the one you want?" The old woman bent down. Joey looked at Kaiba expectantly.
"Can we? Pleeeease?" He asked. Kaiba feigned annoyance, groaning a little.
"Fine," He nodded, standing, puppy in hand. The woman smiled, and leaned in to whisper to Joey.
"I wish my husband was like that in our youth." She sighed. Joey blushed and scratched the back of his his head.
"Truth be told, he's actually quite the drama queen." Joey whispered back. The woman chuckled softly.
"Wait here." She told the two, walking to a small room, assumedly her office. "I need to get the papers."
Joey looked to Kaiba and grinned, reaching over to pet the balled up animal in the brunette's arms.
"We should get a carrier. And bowls. Probably food too. And toys. And a bed. And-" Joey said, looking up at taller boy.
"Yes Joey, I get the point." Kaiba chuckled at the blond's enthusiasm for practically everything under the sun. They went to the aisles filled with everything dog related, picking up anything they might need to care for one. Joey looked at his watch.
"Oh shoot, we're supposed to be back by now!" Joey yelped, as he looked out the window, seeing the sun absent from the sky. He grabbed Kaiba's arm, and nearly ran to checkout.
"What's the sudden rush?" Kaiba asked, letting the puppy crawl up his chest to lick his face. Joey gave him a mixed look of excitement and horror.
"Can't say." He said quickly, before signing necessary papers and grabbing Kaiba's wallet from his back pocket, paying the woman, and giving a wide grin.
"Thank you so much!" The blond exclaimed. The woman gave another wink.
"It's no problem, hope to see you again soon!" She called after them as they ran out of the store, new puppy in the carrier, Joey dragging Kaiba haphazardly behind him.
They crossed the street to find the limo and sped home. They spent the ride home cuddling, talking, and playing with the new puppy, when a question popped up.
"What should we name him?" Joey asked Kaiba, petting the now sleeping puppy. Kaiba looked at him inquisitively.
"Did you have any ideas?" The brunette asked. Joey nodded gently.
"I was thinking... Taro" Joey mumbled, still petting the dog. Kaiba leaned forward, pressing his lips gently onto Joey's, and pulled away.
"Taro it is, then." Kaiba told him. The blond smiled sheepishly.
The rest of the ride to the Kaiba household went the same, talking about the new dog and how their day had gone. After about half an hour they reached their home, and Joey quickly jumped out of the limo.
"Hold up a second!" Joey told him, holding a finger up and pulling out his phone. Quickly calling someone, exchanging a few words, and hanging up. Kaiba's eyebrow lifted but he didn't bother to question the blond and his current antics.
Joey went and grabbed the dog carrier, which currently held Taro, and threw one of the large bags of dog food over his shoulder. He asked for the rest of it to be brought through the kitchen door. Kaiba got out of the limo finally, and walked alongside Joey, resting a hand on the small of the blond's back.
Joey stepped to the side for Kaiba to open the door. He turned the knob and swung the door open, questioning the unusual quietness of the house. Normally, the youngest Kaiba would have been playing his video games at some absurd volume, or doing something reckless. However, the mansion stood lifeless, no lights, no sounds. Joey couldn't suppress his smile any further as he pushed the other into the room.
"Why so eager to get inside?" He turned to face Joey, who still grinned
.
"Just go on in." Joey nudged him forward. Kaiba shrugged. He reached for the light switch, flicking it on. Suddenly, people sprung up from behind furniture, popping up like daisies. Confetti flew, screams were heard, it was all really a blur.
"Surprise!" Multiple people shouted. Kaiba was taken aback, he stared wide-eyed at the uninvited guests, then to Joey who held a used party popper, and was covered in glitter and confetti. Evidentially, he didn't actually know how to use the thing, and ended up blowing it up in his own face, so Kaiba wasn't the only wide-eyed one around here.
"W-what?" Kaiba stammered, taking a step back, seeming to reach for the door handle behind him.
"Happy birthday!" Joey slapped him hard on the arm, seeming to snap out of his glitter-filled daze.
"My what?" Kaiba looked around, confusion and shock written on his face.
"Ahem, October 25th?" Téa pointed to a calendar. Kaiba blinked. He'd forgotten entirely about his own birthday, usually it was just another day to him.
"We wanted to throw you a kinda surprise party, you know? So we had Joey take you out while we set up here!" Yugi stepped in, smiling. Kaiba looked down at him and almost smiled. Almost. He glanced around. The whole gang was there it seemed. Yugi, Duke, Téa, Tristan, and Ryou. Mokuba bounced into the room holding a big box with a bow on it.
"It's your birthday present, Seto!" He smiled, setting it down on the coffee table in the foyer. Mokuba ran up and grabbed Kaiba's hand to drag the dazed boy over, but not before noticing the things Joey had set on the floor.
"What's that? Dog food? Don't tell me Joey ran out again." Mokuba said with a snicker. Joey rolled his eyes, and knelt down by the carrier.
"Haha, very funny, but Mr. High and Mighty said we could get this." The blonde said, opening the cage, allowing the puppy to run into its new home. Mokuba's eyes lit up as he looked at his older brother.
"We got a dog that isn't Joey?" Mokuba said excitedly, throwing himself onto the floor to play with the pup. Taro ran over and buried himself in the mop of raven hair, and Kaiba found a small smile tugging at his lips. Joey looked at Kaiba and grinned.
"I think he likes Mokuba too." The blond said. The young boy looked up at him and smiled.
"What's his name?"
"Taro." Kaiba told him. Mokuba nodded, petting the puppy
.
"I like it."
Kaiba and Joey walked to the middle of the foyer, where Joey's friends were waiting. Mokuba stood and brought Taro over, showing him off to the nerd squad. Kaiba eyed the present on the table wearily.
"I made a cake for you." Joey said to him, smiling. Kaiba raised an eyebrow.
"Is that what you were doing in the kitchen yesterday?" He asked the blond, who nodded smiled.
"You gotta open your present first, Seto." He nudged his taller companion, and everyone in the room looked at him expectantly. The brunette sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, before carefully pulling the ribbon off the package, and taking the top of the box off. Inside was plain tissue paper, which Kaiba pulled away to reveal a painting. The brunette picked it up gingerly. It was a painting of the Blue-Eyes and Red-Eyes, elegantly paired, and staring dangerously into the other's eyes, a certain emotion trailing. Kaiba looked over to Joey, who grinned his usual grin.
"Did you...?" Kaiba said to him, trailing off. The blond nodded sheepishly.
Kaiba looked back at the painting. It wasn't perfect, but it was a lot better than he expected from Joey. The Red-Eyes and the Blue-Eyes twined together beautifully, a heart forming within their tails. Kaiba let a gentle smile pierce his usual angry façade.
"There's something else." Joey told him, nudging Kaiba with his shoulder. Kaiba went back to the box, pulling out what seemed to be another painting wrapped in tissue paper.
Kaiba's breath hitched, caught in the moment he unwrapped the painting. Joey had painted the park. The Sakura tree they'd sat under many times was in full bloom, and nearby sat a picnic blanket, a basket sitting open on it. He had painted their first outing together, their picnic, the time when Joey started calling Kaiba by his first name, the place of their first kiss.
Joey moved closer to Kaiba, giving a smile to him.
"I spent a long time thinking, y'know? What do you give to the guy who has everything?" The blond chuckled, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "It took awhile, and I had to take a few classes, but I don't think I did half bad." Joey balled his fists on his hips proudly.
Kaiba looked at him, savoring the moment, and back to the two paintings. The brush strokes formed an elegant set, he smiled. It was probably the sweetest gesture anyone had ever given him. He shifted his gaze towards the Sakura tree. Memories of their first kiss in the rain that night flooded his mind, the sudden impulse and rushed need to cling to his very own rival. The awkwardness as their lips connected in that single spark that sent them both spiralling into the abyss, the rain that peppered their cheeks in kisses as they had made their own. And the picnic. Ah, the picnic. The day that Joey had slipped up, and called Kaiba by his first name. That was probably the day that set them off, since then it had been predetermined that they find each other in comfort. Where they had sat in silence under the Sakura tree, where they had smiled and laughed perhaps truly for the very first time. And maybe for the very first time that Kaiba had felt truly happy.
Kaiba shifted his attention to the next painting. The Blue-Eyes and Red-Eyes stood proudly, the heart in their tails sharp and imposing, yet gentle still. The Blue-Eyes and Red-Eyes, polar opposites yet so similar. Kaiba chuckled to himself. It was appropriate still, Joey and Kaiba were opposites, yet it worked. Their differences complemented each other, Kaiba was cold and business-savvy, whilst Joey was friendly and outgoing, good with people. They fit like an odd puzzle, and it just worked somehow.
Mokuba broke the older boy's train of thought with an obnoxious yawn. Kaiba glared at him, and Joey chuckled.
"You have other presents to open, big brother." Mokuba chided, indicating to the giggling group nearby.
Kaiba opened the various gifts left. Yugi had given him a Blue-Eyes sweater, much to Kaiba's dismal. Joey choked on a laugh next to him.
"Yugi... You shouldn't have..." The CEO trailed off, looking at the grinning group, knowing that the rest of the gifts would be as bad as this. "Really."
Next, he opened the gift Yugi passed to him, stating it was from his grandpa. Kaiba eyed the gift wearily. He opened it up, and pulled out a note saying Have fun, you crazy kids! Kaiba looked at the contents of the box for a brief moment, before shoving the note back in and kicking the box under the table.
"What was it?" Joey asked, reaching under the table. Kaiba swatted his hand away.
"Nothing." The brunette said far too quickly.
He moved onto the next present just as fast, eager to change the subject. Ryou had given him a few limited edition Duel Monsters history book from Egypt, which Kaiba already had, but decided not to mention. Téa gave him a hand knit sweater which, surprisingly, was in his size. Go figure. Duke gave him a Dungeon Dice set, which he would promptly throw away once the guests left. Tristan thought it was a great idea to give him a used ladies deodorant stick. He then walked over to the CEO and gave him a slap on the back.
"Stay fresh, buddy." Tristan grinned, invoking a laugh from Joey.
"Thank you for letting me borrow your Ladies Speed Stick, but I have a feeling you're going to need it more than I."
After Kaiba opened the last of his gifts, Joey jumped up.
"Me and Mokuba need to go grab something." He said, running toward the kitchen with the black haired boy. The group sitting around the coffee table fell into quiet laughter and small talk, while Kaiba crossed his arms and leaned back, not planning on uttering a word.
"So," Tristan said, looking at Kaiba. "Dating my best friend, huh?"
Kaiba looked away, hoping the other would understand that he had no want to talk.
"I always knew you were gay." Tristan continued, either not noticing or not caring that the CEO didn't want to talk. Kaiba bit the inside of his cheek to keep from spitting insults at Joey's friends for one day.
"Though I never expected you to be gay for JOEY-"
Kaiba whipped his head toward Tristan. "Listen, you-" Kaiba started, but was interrupted by Joey and Mokuba coming back into the room, holding quite a large cake.
"Happy birthday to you~" Joey sang, glaring at the CEO. The group joined in on the singing, and Kaiba kept quiet, keeping his gaze steady on Joey.
By the time they finished their birthday song, Joey reached Kaiba, the cake in his outstretched arms, with several flaming candles sticking out. Joey grinned at him.
"Make a wish." He said, laughter bubbling in his voice. Kaiba rolled his eyes, and leaned forward, blowing gently on the candles.
"What'd you wish for?" Tea asked as Joey set the cake down to cut it.
"You can't ask him that!" Yugi exclaimed. "It won't come true if he tells."
The group laughed, and Joey handed Kaiba a plate of cake. Kaiba stared intently at the cake. Some variation of white cake with a blue icing, presumably to represent his affinity with the Blue-Eyes. Rolling his eyes, Kaiba plucked the fork off the plate daintily, spearing the tip of the slice and tearing a portion from the cake wedge. He closed his eyes, and with little expression, simply popped the bit in his mouth. Joey cut a slice for another one of his friends, and looked over at the brunette in surprise. The fork was hanging limp from Kaiba's trembling fingers, his jaw was slack, and his eyes were popped wide.
"A-are you okay, Seto?" Joey rushed to the other's side, who slammed his fork on the table, and gripped Joey's wrist deathly.
"Who... made this cake, again…?" Kaiba growled lowly, breathless.
"Uh, I did. Are you okay?" Joey leaned down, face level with the other's, brows furrowed.
"This is the best thing I've ever eaten." Kaiba turned his head slowly towards Joey, leaned forward, and slammed his lips against the other's roughly. Joey's eyes widened, before he melted into the touch. Joey pulled away, just enough that every word he spoke kissed Kaiba once more.
"Woah, I should make cake more often, but, ah, we've got an audience." Joey chuckled, pulling back to cut more cake. Tristan coughed and looked away, Yugi blushed, and the others reactions were similar, other than Mokuba, who yawned at this everyday occurrence. Kaiba finished his cake quickly, and leaned back on the couch, covering his face with his hand.
"Must've been the blueberry icing." Tea smirked at Joey, and used a finger to wipe a bit of blue icing remnants off the side of Joey's mouth, leftover from his public make-out session. Joey grinned sheepishly, scratching the back his head. Mokuba had left the room, Taro in tow.
Clearing his throat, Ryou stepped up to interrupt the pair. "I think it's high time we begin some festivities, don't you, Joey?" Smiling, Joey nodded and skipped to we're Kaiba was resting. He grabbed the brunette's hand, effectively breaking him out of his daze. Suddenly pulling him to his feet, Joey ran out of the room, Kaiba in tow, who was stumbling and tripping over his own legs.
"J-Joey!" Kaiba barked, surprised. Joey looked back, and stuck his tongue out. After twisting through hallways and nearly killing Kaiba, Joey burst through a door and stopped in his tracks, slamming the CEO into his back.
"Tada-! Gah! Seto!" Joey turned, and saw a sight he never would've expected. Kaiba was red-faced and breathing heavily. The moment, however was short lived, as Kaiba regained his composure quickly. It was then for the first time he took a look around the room. It was one of the many rooms in his mansion that was used for storage mostly, he barely recognized it. There were curtains over the large windows, and tables covered in goodies lining the left and right walls. At the very end of the room, a large speaker set stood proudly.
Joey turned the lights down, and smiled expectantly at the other. Before he could speak, Duke slammed the doors open, and pointed a remote to the speakers. Suddenly, music blared throughout the room.
Joey's group of friends milled about the room, dancing and being obnoxious. Joey tugged on the brunette's hand.
"Let's dance!" the blond grinned. Kaiba shook his head
"Not right now, I will later. Go play, Puppy" he replied. Joey rolled his eyes before leaning up and giving Kaiba a peck and leaving toward his friends.
Kaiba found a good seat in the corner of the room, and watched as Joey spoke loudly to his friends, but not over the speakers, using more body language than he used words, his hands always moving. The blond boy would sometimes swing his arms out in large theatrical arcs, before bursting out into laughter with the group following in suit.
Occasionally Joey's eyes wandered from his conversations to meet with Kaiba's. The other boy's eyes spoke volumes even without the eccentric hand movements. Sometimes those glances brought about a smile, lifting the corners of the younger boy's eyes and in turn putting a small smile on the usually stony face of Kaiba. Joey would then turn back to his dancing or conversations, leaving Kaiba to once again watch, which he was content to do for the entire night.
After many song changes and several glances, Joey called out to Kaiba.
"Hey Seto, come on, it's later, come dance with me!" he yelled over the music, cupping his hands around his mouth. Kaiba sighed, knowing fully well there was no getting out of this one. The young CEO stood up slowly, silently hoping the blond would notice his discomfort towards dancing.
Joey had noticed Kaiba's vexation towards dancing, but decided to ignore it. He felt it'd be good for the other boy, and if not, Joey would enjoy embarrassing him anyway, so someone would always be winning in the situation. Joey pulled Kaiba along to where the rest of his friends were, and stopped, turning to face the taller boy.
The song was quite a dancy pop song and Joey stepped just a hair out of time, swaying his arms and hips with the melody. Kaiba stood looking at him, about to walk away, when Joey grabbed his hands. Kaiba sighed, and allowed Joey to move his arms about stiffly, soliciting a frown from the blond.
Kaiba loosened up, moving his own arms with Joey, forgetting that he was surrounded by other people, as he could only see Joey, the blond was the only one who mattered. They were close, and the brunette could smell blueberry from the other's breath, likely from the cake. Joey's eyes were wide, and spoke in a language that couldn't be translated to word of the mouth, but by actions and the current flowing movements of the two.
The song changed to a slow one, probably Mokuba's doing, and Kaiba put his hand on Joey's hip, and stepped precisely around the floor, his long legs making it hard for the blond to keep up, but somehow managed to keep their feet in sync. He could feel the heat radiating off his puppies body, and saw that his forehead shone slightly with sweat.
They twisted and turned about the dancefloor, and came to a slow halt when the song ended.
"Wow," Joey said breathlessly. "Who knew you could dance so well?"
"I've got to make a good impression" Kaiba said simply, giving Joey a peck on the cheek and started to walk away. "No more dancing for me tonight, alright Chihuahua?"
After several more songs, the music stopped and Mokuba grinned wickedly.
"So we've got one last thing to do tonight." he said, mostly to Kaiba as he was the only one without an inkling of thought as to what it could be. "We're going to play manhunt!"
"You better watch out, I'm a master at manhunt" Joey said proudly. Tristan laughed.
"Come on, Joey! We all know you suck, you always get tagged first." He said to the blond. Joey grinned.
"But I've got an advantage, I know this house."
"I wouldn't call that much of an advantage, I'd say we're about even now. Bring it on Joey!" Tristan balled his fists and smirked at the other. The two were typically competitive when it came to this sort of thing.
"Alright!" Mokuba said, interrupting the quarreling friends. "Here's the rules, one of us is 'it', everyone else has to hide somewhere inside the mansion. Those hiding have 5 minutes to find a spot, 'it' has 30 minutes to find them, or he loses. Everyone understand?"
"Who's it?" Ryou asked. Mokuba grinned.
"Nose-goes!" he said quickly, putting his finger to his nose. Joey instinctively brought his fingers to his nose light-speed. As the two were already holding hands, he also slammed his other hand right into Kaiba's face, accidentally slapping him dead center. Kaiba's face was a mix of shock and surprise-anger. Joey's hand still within his and pasted to his face, his eyes traveled in a glare to the other who chuckled nervously under the stare.
"Eheh, at least you're not it?" Joey chortled. Kaiba gave an angry grumble as Duke walked unknowingly into the room, still pulling his fly up from a trip to the bathroom.
"Hey, what'd I miss?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Mokuba pointed at Duke.
"Scatter!" he yelled, and everyone ran in different directions, even Kaiba, who was pushed to do so by Joey. After a moment, Duke was left standing in the doorway, a confused look crossing his face.
"Wait, is it time for manhunt? Am I it? Guys?" he said to no one in particular, as no one would have listened anyway.
Joey and Kaiba had started off running together, but in the midst of darkness, someone, likely Joey, took a different turn and they got separated.
Mokuba knew all the secrets in the mansion, as he also lived there and spent more time than anyone looking for and creating hiding spots, but decided the most secretive of all would be his older brother's bedroom, no one would dare to go there.
Yugi used his adorable looks to his advantage and hid in the younger Kaiba's bedroom, blending in with his pile of stuffed animals.
Téa was trying to play it smart, but that was nearly impossible, as Tristan had attached himself to her leg like a leech.
"What happened to your boasting?" She groaned. Tristan wasn't as good as he'd made himself believe, and decided for Téa that she'd be helping him.
Ryou went all Yami Bakura who was sad there was no actual hunting of men involved, but had fun anyway.
After the half hour of a confused Duke stumbling about the darkness which was honestly a pathetic sight. He was close to finding Yugi, but he did blend in well with the stuffed animals.
"So, who's going to be it next? " Mokuba asked. "No one else as bad as Duke, please."
"In my defense, I didn't know we were playing manhunt." Duke said with a groan.
"Oh, I'll do the honor of bring 'it'." Bakura piped cheerily, which sounded strange anything cheery coming from his usually menacing voice. Mokuba shrugged.
"Anything's better than Duke. Alright team, you know the rules... GO!"
Tristan once again followed Téa around the halls. Yugi hid in one of the many cabinets in the kitchen, him being small enough to do so. Mokuba knew of a loose vent in one of the main hallways, and hid just inside. Duke still knew very little of what he was doing, and just found a closet to hide in.
Joey ran through the halls, trying to decide what spot would be perfect to hide in, when he passed a door he knew very well.
Joey stopped and looked at the door, it was Kaiba's room, a room he spent many nights in. Joey grinned, it would be perfect. No one would ever dare to into Kaiba's room. It was dark, and he thought the bed too obvious, so he laid himself flat in front of the bed, slightly under it.
"Hahaha, I am on a hunt for men~" Bakura hissed in a singsong voice. He slammed each door open down one of the halls. "Come out come out wherever you are."
Meanwhile, Tristan and Téa sat in a bathtub.
"Quit following me, you'll get us caught!" Téa punched the other in the arm, to which he let out a yelp.
"Shh, I hear him coming."
"You didn't need to punch me!" Tristan whined, earning a glare from Téa, who raised her finger to her lips, signaling for him to be quiet.
The door to the bathroom opened quickly, and Bakura's silhouette stood menacingly.
"Boo!" He chuckled deeply.
Down the stairs, Yugi could hear Tristan's shrieks. He slunk deeper into the cabinet, pressing against the back of the wood. He heard steps outside the kitchen, loudly coming down the stairs, and could only assume it was Bakura.
The door of the kitchen opened up, and the footsteps became loud and close, before stopping suddenly. Yugi breathed a sigh of relief and his muscles relaxed a little.
His cabinet slammed open with excessive force, and Bakura stood, leaning his face down to the cabinet and laughing maniacally.
Upstairs in the room of the beast, Joey snickered at the occasional screams signaling that one of his friends had been caught by Bakura. His noises subsided when he heard creaking footsteps outside the door. Joey tried to worm under the bed, however his pant leg got caught on a part of the bed frame.
"Shit." He mumbled, freezing as the door creaked open, followed by a low sigh.
"These pants are too tight." Kaiba said in a low grumble, speaking only to himself, all while grabbing at his skinny jeans. Joey snorted, but suddenly he felt a kick to his side and heard a crash.
"Gah!" Joey exclaimed, looking back to find that Kaiba had tripped over him, and saw a glimpse of surprise and confusion cross his face, slightly illuminated by the moonlight, as he fell onto his face.
"What the hell?! Who's in my room!" Kaiba exclaimed in an angry whisper which rose in volume as he spoke. Joey flailed his arms in front of the brunette's face to shush him, effectively slapping him multiple times.
"Shhh! Keep it down Seto, we're gonna get caught-!" Joey frantically whispered. A hand reached across in the darkness, covering his mouth as the two heard footsteps cross the hall. As the noise subsided, Kaiba let his hand go, and Joey gave a quiet gasp for air.
"What are you doing in here?" Kaiba whispered gruffly.
"Hiding from that maniac outside. I don't know who let him be 'it' but- wait, do you hear that? Quick, hide!" Joey pulled him under next to him, wiggling to the side to give the other more room. Joey rolled from his stomach to his side to meet the other face to face. More footsteps sounded through the halls.
"Shh." Joey pressed against Kaiba as if that would make them 'invisible.' Once they seemed once again safe, it became extremely apparent how close they were and how hot it was in that tiny space.
"Are you going to answer my question?" Kaiba whispered, his warm breath tickling Joey's neck, causing heat to rise to his cheeks.
"I figured no one would try to come in here. Besides, I spend so much time in here that it might as well be considered my room too." Joey whispered, trying to keep his mind off how easily he could lean forward and-
"Still, don't you think that freak would come in here anyway?" Kaiba said, breaking Joey's thoughts.
"Then what are you doing in here?" Joey asked. It was quiet for a moment, before he felt Kaiba shift his position, and the touch of the brunette's fingers graze his cheek. He let his fingers wander down the blond's neck, and come back up, his thumb caressing his lower lip.
"Ahh...? Seto?" Joey squeaked, glad for the darkness hiding the redness in his face.
"Hush, Chihuahua." Kaiba mumbled. "Thank you."
"For wha-mphf" Joey said, being cut off by the other's lips. He made a noise, still trying to talk, but made no move to pull away. Kaiba shifted his body and ended up pressed against the blond. He tilted his head, his nose brushing against Joey's cheek, and moved to wrap an arm around him, his fingers running along the shorter boys back.
Kaiba opened his mouth, allowing room for his tongue to glide along Joey's lower lip, asking for permission. The other boy opened his mouth, allowing for entrance, where they entered a dance with their mouths not unlike their earlier dance with their bodies. Kaiba could almost feel Joey's heartbeat, and he could definitely feel the heat of his cheeks, radiating onto his own.
After a minute, Kaiba pulled away, strings of mixed saliva coming along with him.
"Now you never answered my question, Seto." Joey whispered in a low voice, still catching his breath. "Why'd you thank me, I'm the one who should be thanking you, after all you've done for me. You let me into your house, your life, everything's just changed in my life for the better because of you, Seto. I should-"
"No, you don't get it, Puppy. You're right, everything has changed in the past few months. But I'd like to thank you, because you changed me." Kaiba pressed his forehead to the other's, their noses touching. "thank you." he barely breathed the words onto Joey's skin, and yet the boy erupted into goosebumps, and something strange panged at his chest.
"S-seto?" Joey smiled warmly, and wrapped his arms the best he could around the other in the confined space.
The vent shook under the Mokuba's weight.
"Uh oh." His hands went to each side of the vent for support. That however seemed fruitless, as the metal gave way underneath him. Little did he know that prowling just under that very vent was Bakura, out stalking for any men he could find. He's already found most of the crew, just a few more that knew the house inside out needed a bit more searching. He heard a loud creak from above him, and looked up.
"Huh?" In the darkness he could make out the vent above moving, and groaning under some sort of weight. His eyes widened, as he tried to dart out of the hallway before the metal came crashing on his head. But it did. And Mokuba came with it.
"AHHHH!" Mokuba toppled onto Bakura with the vent as a shield, bringing him down to the floor.
"Augh, bloody hell!" Bakura shoved the vent and boy off of him. Mokuba crawled out, a sheepish grin painted on his face.
"Oops."
A loud noise interrupted Joey and Kaiba's intimate moment, which brought them back to reality. The reality of lying huddled under a bed, playing manhunt with a maniac. Right. The noise, presumably a crash, was followed by Bakura's loud cursing. Joey jumped a bit, and tried to wiggle further under the bed, but alas, his pants were still very caught, and he was still very stuck.
"What was that?" Joey whispered, snuggling further into Kaiba's chest.
"Shoosh." Kaiba grunted. They heard the door fling open, followed by a low chuckle, causing Joey to freeze.
"Ahh, this must be the priest's bedroom." Bakura stepped in stealthily. "I wonder what in here I could defile or the blasted priest wouldn't miss- AAH" In the midst of his own plotting, hadn't noticed the pair on the floor and tripped over them, falling face first into the desk next to the bed.
"FUCK ME SIDEWAYS" Bakura exclaimed on the way down. There was a loud crash, followed by a few moments of silence before Joey broke out into uncontrollable laughter.
"This blasted game should really include a torch of some sort, I've fallen twice because of these pests!" Bakura hissed, standing and rubbing his head. Joey snickered, biting his lip to stifle his laughs, but to no avail.
"I don't even care that we lost, I'd do it all again just to see you fall on your face some more!" the blond said through heavy laughter.
"I'd do it all again for different reasons" Kaiba purred into Joey's ear. Bakura made a face.
"Gods, get a room you two." He muttered.
"You're in it, buddy." Joey chuckled. Bakura groaned, and the lights suddenly turned on.
"Whatever, loser, I win." he said, leaving the room. Joey gave Kaiba a quick peck on the lips.
"C'mon, Seto, help me get out of under here."
After a slight struggle with Joey's pants and the bed, they went back to the 'party room', and found the rest of the group waiting more or less patiently for them. Mokuba grabbed the microphone he had become well acquainted with during the night once more.
"So, it's getting late and I want to go to bed, so I'm gonna kick you all out now." Mokuba said, earning a few chuckles. "Anyway, Happy birthday Seto."
The guests said their last happy birthday and goodbyes to the three boys who lived in the mansion as they filtered out. The room was rendered a big mess, and the activities left them exhausted. They decided to leave all the cleaning to the maids, of course.
Mokuba gave the older Kaiba boy a hug, "goodnight, Seto, happy birthday"
He left the room, but not before turning around and winking at the two boys. Joey and Kaiba stood in silence for a moment, before Joey started walking out, beckoning for Kaiba to come with him.
Joey lied upright on the bed with the help of several pillows, some of which had been strewn across the floor, waiting for Kaiba to finish his nightly routine and fill the empty space next to him. He stared at the ceiling, pondering the things that had been on his mind for a long while. Kaiba walked into the bedroom from the connected bathroom, hair mussed and damp from the shower, a towel slung over his shoulders. Joey pat the bed next to him, and bat his lashes.
"Over here, sweet cheeks." His voice replicating that of an overly-affectionate aunt. Kaiba rolled his eyes, and allowed a small chuckle. He sat on the bed, wrapping an arm around the blond's shoulders, and gave the room a quick scan.
"Joey, why are all the pillows on the ground?" Kaiba looked at Joey with a raised brow. Completely ignoring the question, Joey glanced up at the brunette, a serious look on his face.
"Hey, Seto, I've been thinking-" Joey trailed.
"You're staying here for good, Puppy, you know that." Kaiba interjected.
"No, no. I mean about us. We've been together, but not 'together', y'know? What are we exactly?" Joey asked. Kaiba shrugged.
"I guess I've been thinking about that a bit too, but I suppose it didn't really matter. We can make it official, boyfriends and all."
"Do you want to? Like, really?"
"Of course, why wouldn't I? We've only been doing THIS" he gestured to their position. "for a few months now, it was all real, and it's kind of nice to have a name to what we've been doing."
Joey smiled warmly, and snuggled into Kaiba's pale chest.
"Hey, Seto?" Joey asked.
"Hm?"
"I love you." He whispered. Kaiba could feel the blush of Joey's cheeks on his bare chest, and rested his head atop the blond's.
"I love you too, Chihuahua." He kissed Joey's forehead, a genuine smile on his lips. They stayed like that for awhile, taking in the bliss of the moment, before Joey suddenly got curious.
"Wait a minute, Seto?" Joey asked.
"Hm?"
"What was in that box Yugi's gramps gave you?"
"Why don't you see for yourself?" Kaiba detached their position, much to Joey's disappointment, and stood. He fished for the box in a pile of other presents. While he was searching, Taro trotted into the room, and flopped down on a pile of laundry on the floor. Joey smiled at him.
Once Kaiba located the box, he threw it carelessly at Joey, who immediately ripped the top off and peered inside.
"Uhh, Seto? Is this what I think it is?" Joey's face showed clear surprise. Kaiba nodded, head in hands. "We're using this tonight, right?" Joey asked with a snicker and leaned in for a kiss.