Venturing

"Jou, can I come in?" The blonde turned toward the door before opening the door for Mokuba to enter. The raven-haired teen quickly deposited himself on his bed while Jou returned to the full-length mirror on his closet door. He moved his brush through his hair to keep the long golden locks from falling into his amber eyes. Jou noticed Mokuba watching him intently.

"What's up, kiddo?" he asked the younger boy, his eyes meeting Mokuba's violet gaze. The younger boy smirked before pointing at Jou's half-packed luggage.

"You know, Oneesan will be mad if you aren't finished packing in the next five minutes," he supplied. Mokuba stood up and picked up a wrinkled button-up shirt hanging limply from the black duffel bag. "Why are you bringing this? Haven't you been to the hot springs before?"

Jou frowned at the question. He visited a hot spring before, but that was in the company of his friends. Now he was jetting off to some remote area as part of the Kaibas annual vacation. The opportunity was a great one—one so seldom, Jou was elated when Mokuba told him two days ago—but with the vacation within starting measures, Jou couldn't help but feel apprehension at going somewhere outside of Domino. The anxiety he felt seemed to reflect in his sloppy, half-hearted packing.

He didn't have the faintest idea of what to bring for a week-long vacation, let alone, one to a hot springs. The button-up shirt was just for good measure, but the good measures he intended were quickly dismissed as Jou grabbed the violet shirt and tossed it back into his darkened closet.

Mokuba chuckled at his friend's actions. "You know, you don't have to pack that much. It's only a week, and it's a hot spring resort. That means less clothing, or no clothing at all, depending on how shy you are." The suggestive quirk in his eyebrow made Jou sweat ever so slightly.

He seemed to forget the faintest idea of dressing—or moreso, the lack of dressing. And not only the non-dressing factor, but Jou knew that the Kaibas would be adhering to the rules.

That means, Jou found his mind wondering to a certain blue-eyed brunette wearing only a towel around his lithe waist, Kaiba will be naked!

Jou threw the brush into his duffel bag to alleviate the rising anxiety in his body. He didn't sign onto this job to see his employer naked within the first few weeks of working. The blonde was beginning to see why employees for the Kaibas left the first few months of their employment. Kaiba was an unusual employer.

Quickly opening his bureau and pulling out a few T-shirts, Jou decided his packing was finished, and zipped up the duffel bag. Mokuba walked ahead of him into the corridor as Jou pocketed his cell phone and closed his bedroom door behind him. He was immediately met with Kaiba, his arms crossed as he glared at him in irritation.

Jou ignored the glare. "I'm ready, I'm ready," he stated exasperated, before following Mokuba down the stairs. He could feel Kaiba's gaze still on him as he walked passed the elder Kaiba.

Since the night Kaiba tucked him into bed so gently and discovered him to be awake, the blue-eyed CEO held some type of grudge against the blonde. Jou found it amusing at first, how the brunette was easily fooled, but as several days waned by, Jou began to feel the iciness Kaiba emitted was becoming intolerable.

Did the man always hold a grudge so seriously for so long?

Jou didn't have time to think about it too deeply. They reached the foyer, dawned their coats, and quickly exited the mansion for the awaiting limousine. The driver piled their belongings into the trunk, while Mokuba, Kaiba, and Jou slid into the leather interiors of the luxury vehicle. Jou sat on the side and the Kaibas sat side by side in the middle. Jou figured he would keep his distance for as long as Kaiba held up the grudge.

"Sit down, mutt." Jou glanced at the icy brunette from his attention on the jet's window showing the clouds and interesting scenery miles below the coasting jet. The blonde was met with an irritated frown before the CEO broke his gaze to look at his PDA again. "Why don't you find a bone to chew on until we land?"

Jou stared at the brunette, deciding it was better to follow instructions than to disobey an order from his employer. He pulled himself from the window and chose a chair that sat directly across from Kaiba. In seating himself, Jou found Kaiba's blue orbs regarding him strangely.

"What?"

Kaiba quirked an eyebrow upwards, his way of showing that he was somewhat confused. "Why are you sitting there?"

Jou leaned back into his seat as he held Kaiba's stare. "Because I wanted to talk to you," he answered simply, smirking beneath the other's confused state.

The frown on Kaiba's lips seemed to deepen. He returned to punching keys on his PDA. "I do not feel inclined to speak to you," came Kaiba's reply. The sound of the PDA takes Kaiba's slightly harsh poke to its screen gave Jou the impression that the elder Kaiba was not being completely honest.

Eying the brunette, Jou smiled. He knew that Kaiba would try to avoid his feelings and anything out of his usual routine whenever possible. He was just that big of a prick. Everything had to be underneath his control, his hands, under him, at all times, and Jou felt that it was largely unfair for a person with the icy exterior and hardened soul to even hold that type of power.

Still, the way Kaiba carried him up the stairs less than a week before and softly tucked him into bed like a toddler made Jou wonder if his employer was really that mean. After all, his mother wasn't as kind to him as Kaiba had been that night. Maybe the CEO actually had a heart beneath his cold, handsome looks.

Jou wanted to blanch at the thought of Kaiba being handsome again. He needed to get used to the idea that Kaiba was handsome, but above all, Kaiba was still his boss. He was exceedingly more handsome than Honda, and thankfully, lacked Honda's great personality and warmth. Jou tried to imagine Kaiba with Honda's personality—and immediately decided not to go down that route. If Kaiba held such a warmth, Jou knew he would fall for Kaiba.

Fall for Kaiba? Jou thought inwardly. He watched Kaiba's lips part as his azure eyes scanned the PDA's monitor. Jou found himself blushing as he tried to intercept the vision of him and Kaiba pressing their lips together. Trying to dismiss his blush, Jou quickly opened the refrigerator near his feet and pulled out a bottle of water. He downed it in a few gulps, and sighing, caught the attention of Kaiba staring at him intently.

He managed to give the CEO a wry smile. "I was, uh, thirsty…" Jou tried his best to compose himself. "Look, about the other night—"

"I don't want to talk about it," Kaiba returned harshly before placing his laptop on the table between the two.

Once the laptop was opened, Kaiba's eyes were focused on the monitor. Sighing, Jou decided to take a risk. He moved forward and pressed his fingers against the laptop, slowly pushing the monitor down until the laptop was halfway open. Widened blue orbs returned his face as Jou realized he received Kaiba's attention, though, not too happy reaction.

"Jou—"

"Seto," the blonde began, locking eyes with the CEO, "please don't ignore me." The bewildered look on Kaiba's face remained plastered on his guise a few seconds longer before he relaxed and gave Jou more attention.

"I see that the puppy knows how to say 'Please' when begging for treats." Kaiba's words made Jou bristle with anger. Before he could protest, Kaiba was already speaking again, this time, the challenge in his eyes set menacingly on Jou's blond form. "I could provide you a time to talk, but you have to fit into my schedule first. Right now, I must finish this report before the jet lands at our destination." The brunette quickly removed Jou's fingers from the top of his laptop as he proceeded to return to his prior task.

Jou almost gawked at how simple Kaiba could dismiss the serious demeanor that the blonde only rarely showed to others.

Come to think of it, why did he say Kaiba's first name? And why was there a 'Please' involved in his words at all?

Perplexed by his own actions, Jou watched the CEO absentmindedly type awake at his laptop, his dark eyebrows furrowing into thought. Jou wanted to ask him why he was there—why he needed a household cook for a vacation—and most of all, what were his thoughts on Honda. Seeing that Kaiba was fixated on his work and treated him like a third-rate employee, Jou thought that his attempts at conversation had failed.

Sighing, Jou rose from his seat to find Mokuba. At least the younger Kaiba could give him dialogue that didn't involve a workplace tone.

Chapter 13: Seto, Mokuba, and Jou arrive at their destination, but many factors spoils Seto's plans for a peaceful vacation, including a playboy after Jou.

A/N: I don't like introducing new characters, but I just wanted to add in something to push things along pretty quickly.