Revised: Ambivalence

by AllisonWalker

As Jonouchi comes to terms with his sexuality and begins to explore it, he learns quickly that not all attraction can be thwarted, no matter how hard he tries. Puppyshipping KaibaxJou post canon Co-written Uncut version soon to be available on profile page

25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

When Jonouchi woke up, his head was pounding and he felt groggy. Grumbling, he immediately wanted to go back to sleep, but now Jonouchi already felt too uncomfortable. He realized as he moved that his clothes were missing, aside from his boxers, and he could feel himself pressed against Kaiba's body. He couldn't remember if he'd fallen asleep that way, or he'd moved into that position.

It was as he registered the feeling of Kaiba's bare torso under his fingers that Jonouchi's eyes snapped open and he caught his breath. Immediately, worrying thoughts came flooding into his brain, Jonouchi unable to recall if something had happened the night before.

Sitting up, he looked himself over. He didn't feel any dried semen on his skin, nor did he smell the stale scent of post-sex in the room. Sighing, he wasn't sure if he should be relieved or disappointed; he was glad he didn't have a blackout and forgotten about having sex, but it sucked that nothing happened outside of arguing the night before..

Oh, well. It was probably for the best. They'd both been drinking, and Jonouchi hadn't been in his right mind.

Kaiba was still sleeping. Peering over him, Jonouchi wondered if he should wake him. Probably not. He had a hangover to nurse anyway, so why add Kaiba's surliness to his headache first thing in the morning by waking him up?

Giving in to his headache, Jonouchi laid back down. He noticed Kaiba stirring but it appeared like he was too lazy to get up yet. Then again, he'd had a late night.

"Good morning," Jonouchi greeted, keeping his voice low both for his own benefit and for Kaiba's, since loud noises first thing would probably annoy him. "Feeling alive yet?"

Grinning at Kaiba's grumbling response, Jonouchi pulled back some of the hair that was hiding Kaiba's neck from him. His skin was so pale in contrast to his hair. Jonouchi huffed against his neck, and then pressed his lips gently against there, hoping that he'd get some kind of positive reaction. Feeling persistent, he kept kissing and nibbling on Kaiba's neck until he finally felt him begin to get up.

"What are you doing?" sighed Kaiba's baritone voice, "You should be hung over. Go back to sleep..."

"I am hungover," Jonouchi mumbled in response, "And I want to lie back down, but... you're just so attractive..."

Smiling to himself, Jonouchi knew he was only pretending to be conflicted. Kaiba might be hot, but his headache was beginning to throb against his temples.

"Besides, I didn't get to do anything last night," Jonouchi complained, "So, you get early morning affections."

"How gay do you think that is?" asked Kaiba as he lifted his head just enough to be heard before settling on his side. "Besides, I thought you wanted some distance."

"Hmm," Jonouchi grumbled. He had told himself, and Kaiba, that they needed to quiet their physical relationship. As if that would be possible. Like either of them had really tried to quit. "That's right... I thought about that last night..."

He rolled onto his back, frowning, rather upset at the prospect. Wasn't there a way he could get Kaiba to love him while also being physical at the same time? Jonouchi had an inkling that his dream was a very bad idea to pursue...

"Well, nevermind," Jonouchi sat up, his head pounding when he did so. He figured it would probably be a good idea to get rid of his hangover as soon as possible before thinking anymore about them. Carefully he stood up, kneading his fingers against his pulsing temples. "I'm getting some water. Want something?"

"There's bottles in the fridge, just grab me one, too."

"Water, sure." Jonouchi answered back. "I'll be right back."

He shuffled out of the room, and immediately after entering the living room, he felt the urge to escape back into the bedroom. Mokuba was already up. Jonouchi had completely forgotten about him; he was standing in the kitchen appearing extremely amused.

"Good morning to you, too," Jonouchi muttered, "You can just stop making that face at me now."

"I'm not making any face," Mokuba answered with a laugh.

Jonouchi regretted not putting on a t-shirt first before leaving Kaiba's bedroom...

He quickly opened the fridge door and found a couple large bottles of water inside. Grabbing one for himself and another for Kaiba, he closed it quickly and tried skirting off out of the room with one bottle tucked under his arm while he unscrewed the cap off the other and took a drink.

It was worth the struggle to get a crisp drink.

"What were you doing in Nii-sama's bedroom?" asked Mokuba in an accusing tone, his face still grinning as he ate a piece of fruit while watching Jonouchi try to sneak off. "You look like you just woke up, which I guess is why you're not really wearing any clothes."

"I was sleeping, as you so thoughtfully observed," Jonouchi grumbled. Why did Mokuba get joy out of his discomfort? He never did this shit to Kaiba. "Not that you should be that curious."

Making his way back to Kaiba's room, Jonouchi felt Mokuba's eyes trailing after him. He didn't want to take too long arguing with him first thing in the morning. It would just give Jonouchi a whole new headache, and Kaiba was waiting.

Getting back into the bedroom, Jonouchi frowned as he made out Kaiba laying under the blankets like he was passed out again. Jonouchi couldn't see his face but he appeared knocked out on the bed, laying flat on his stomach. Kaiba's feet were sticking out of the blankets, and they were shifted all over the bed so that his back was half-exposed as well as a bit of his underwear. They were navy blue, and the band was marked by the familiar Calvin Klein logo in black print.

"I've got your drink," Jonouchi announced, setting the unopened bottle on the nightstand.

He watched as Kaiba began to turn over and reach for it, drinking a good quarter of the water bottle before stopping. He then began to twist the cap back on and sat down on his side before grumbling. Although Kaiba didn't appear that hung over from drinking last night, he still looked kinda foggy. Like he was still half asleep. Jonouchi fought back the urge to laugh.

"Thanks," Kaiba grumbled. His sharp, blue eyes focused on Jonouchi's face longer than Jonouchi would have liked. Face tingling from embarrassment, Jonouchi quickly looked away and shoved his water bottle into his mouth.

"What is it?" Kaiba asked in a bemused tone, "You looked alarmed."

"Nothing, I'm not alarmed," Jonouchi replied before chugging down half his bottle of water. He wasn't in as bad a state as he had been the night before, but he still felt lingering distress in him. That feeling wasn't going to disappear anytime soon. Taking a seat at the edge of the bed, he rubbed his eyes to chase away the soreness behind them.

"I'm still pretty hung over," Jonouchi muttered, hoping that would be enough to keep Kaiba from pressing. He gulped down more of the water before finally finishing the bottle and tossing it at the trash can.

He missed.

"You should pace yourself better," Kaiba advised with a snort.

Jonouchi curled his lip before shooting him a look. As if Kaiba would care. He silently got up and shut himself in the bathroom without another word.

It was time he do the same.

Sighing, Jonouchi got up himself, deciding to use Mokuba's shower. Obviously the kid was already cleaned up for the morning and didn't need it now. When Jonouchi left the bedroom, he found Mokuba in the living room, watching television as he lounged on the couch. A grin planted on his face, he looked amused when he saw Jonouchi, though this time his smirk faltered slightly at Jonouchi's slightly distressed expression.

Jonouchi didn't want to offer an explanation. He'd shooed Mokuba out of the room last night for a reason.

"Do you mind if I use your shower?" he asked. It seemed like a better idea to share with Kaiba, but that would be risky. It wouldn't feel good on his feelings to get rejected by him at that moment. Best to avoid that particular outcome.

"Go ahead," Mokuba answered, still snickering under his breath.

Huffing in response, Jonouchi turned to disappear. Let Mokuba have his little joke, then. At least someone was getting a laugh out of all this crap. Remembering that he'd managed to get Kitamura off his back, Jonouchi tried to make himself perk up, but it didn't make him feel that relieved. He had a lingering fear that Kitamura would keep coming back, and as he washed himself under the warm water, he resolved that he'd pawn the cell phone. As soon as possible. Maybe he could catch a ride from Kaiba to the south side of downtown.

Actually, probably not. He shouldn't be seen down there with a rich guy in a nice car. He'd have to leave and take the subway. Maybe he could come back and hang out later on, if he was lucky. Getting rid of the tracking device was the most important thing now. At least he'd finally paid the bill for his actual phone and wouldn't be without communication.

He'd owe Kaiba forever for giving him a job.

When Jonouchi got out of the shower, he walked back towards Kaiba's room in his boxers to grab his clothes. He had no idea where Kaiba had put them. Probably neatly away in the closet or something. Jonouchi's casual clothes had disappeared, and he hoped Mokuba hadn't hidden them away. Whatever the case, Jonouchi needed something to wear, and at least one of the Kaiba brothers must know where his clothing was.

It was like having housekeeping. Or a mother. But he couldn't quite see Kaiba in a motherly role. It wasn't a very flattering mental image. Or very realistic.

Jonouchi knocked on the door to Kaiba's room, frowning when he got no answer. The same occurred after a second knock, so Jonouchi walked in, assuming Kaiba must still be in the shower. Or changing in his closet.

"Are you around?" He called, poking his head into the room.

"Most people wait for a reply before just walking in."

Standing in just a towel, Kaiba was standing in the closet, sorting through racks of outfits. His hair was neat, and it looked like he'd blown in dry before leaving the bathroom, and now he was standing there appearing conflicted over what to wear. Which was silly, because Jonouchi thought he usually always wore the same clothes everyday. Maybe that was just the eccentric part of his personality showing.

"But since you're already here, I folded your clothes," spoke Kaiba, "They're on the bed."

Jonouchi couldn't recall changing at all. Kaiba must have done it for him while he was asleep...

"And after I get dressed," alerted Kaiba, glancing over at Jonouchi, "I'm going down stairs for breakfast."

"Breakfast?" Jonouchi's attention was immediately piqued, and he paused in changing his clothes to look at Kaiba. "Will you feed me, too?"

He knew Kaiba probably would, but it was rude to just assume. Hopefully it wouldn't be a dick move to skip off right after eating. Jonouchi figured he'd give a heads-up before that, and see if he'd be able to come back later. He felt like his time with Kaiba had been stolen from him a little, both by the company the night before and the party that had been after that. Oh, and there was also his utterly stupid decision to try to fuck him in the kitchen. He'd have to apologize for that.

"I wanted to talk to you anyway, and I'm hungry," Jonouchi reasoned.

And I'm sorry for trying to hump you in public last night, he added mentally, but he figured that apology could wait for now. At least until Kaiba wasn't in productivity mode anymore.

Kaiba shook his head as if he was amused. "I wasn't planning on starving you, Jonouchi."

Grabbing the same black clothes as usual, he threw them on the bed. Jonouchi looked away right before Kaiba dropped his towel. It wasn't like Kaiba afforded him much privacy, but Jonouchi didn't want to be accused of staring again. He had a feeling Kaiba got a kick out of embarrassing him.

When Jonouchi looked back at Kaiba, he was looking himself in the mirror, appearing to ensure that everything was in 'd left the metal bands and straps of his outfit behind, changing into boots before looking up at Jonouchi expectantly.

"Let's go."

There was a strange silence between them when Jonouchi left the apartment and found himself in the building's elevator. Kaiba's face looked so serious. He wasn't quite sure how to feel about that.

"You want to talk?" Kaiba asked, looking down at Jonouchi before trying to hide a smirk, "You don't need to apologize over being stupid drunk last night. I forgive you."

"Yeah," Jonouchi cleared his throat, relieved but still embarrassed. At least Kaiba wasn't angry. "I also wanted to apologize for embarrassing you and being a bit of a slut... I know I was drunk and all, but you seemed irritated."

Jonouchi leaned against the back wall of the elevator, vacantly watching the digital numbers. He felt awkward, more than he probably should since Kaiba was evidently indifferent. Maybe he cared too much.

"It was just annoying," remarked Kaiba casually, "That's all."

"I can imagine," Jonouchi muttered, "I'm glad you're not pissed at me."

Kaiba hadn't acted upset at all that morning, of course, but Jonouchi figured he should clear it up. He'd been drunk, but it had also been pretty damn awkward, and there had been an audience. Mokuba in particular, who seemed extremely amused with the whole situation. He always got a kick out of watching Jonouchi make a fool out of himself. Jonouchi looked forward to picking on him when it was his turn.

"Does that mean you told Mai last night then?" asked Kaiba pressingly.

"About some stuff, yeah," Jonouchi admitted, "I was too drunk to try keeping it under wraps. I ended up just blurting my feelings... She tried to give me some good advice."

He didn't really want to rehash his spiel about being desperately in love. Or how Kaiba would probably never love him back... It would just sound like whining, and Jonouchi didn't want to make Kaiba more uncomfortable with his intense feelings than he might already be. Or more opposed to them being together than he already was.

Kaiba's sharp blue eyes lingered on Jonouchi's face longer than he expected. Fidgeting under the intense gaze, Jonouchi knew Kaiba was trying to read his facial expression.

"What kind of advice?"

"Oh, you know," Jonouchi muttered as he felt his face getting warm and looked at the wall, hoping Kaiba wouldn't be able to see anything but his blond mess of hair. "Chick advice. It's not important. Just silly things like not to put out too soon, and other dumb female advice..."

That would probably sound like a bad joke to Kaiba, but it was better than telling him about the other portion of the discussion. Jonouchi didn't plan on letting him know about that. Ever. Hopefully Mokuba hadn't managed to eavesdrop on it. It didn't seem like he should have been able to, since he was outside the room, but Jonouchi didn't want to underestimate his abilities.

"You've been doing a good job of that,' snorted Kaiba with a bemused grin.

The door opened, and all Jonouchi could do was frown from embarrassment as Kaiba led the way out. He turned toward the restaurant and snagged a table quickly by the window. It was at the corner where it appeared quiet. There were still a few scattered guests from the convention, and Kaiba appeared quite happy keeping a distance from them. He seemed to be enjoying the peace and quiet while sipping the coffee that was given to him by their server.

"What are you hungry for?" Kaiba interrupted, looking up at Jonouchi from above his menu, "I know you didn't eat much the night before... Not with all that drinking."

"I could eat anything now," Jonouchi grumbled dramatically, "I don't care what it is. As long as it gets here soon, I'm not picky."

He didn't even bother opening the menu, figuring Kaiba would know what to order specifically, anyway. Looking at the food would just make him hungrier.

"I wanted to let you know, though, that I have to run an errand after breakfast. Can I see you later on?"

Jonouchi tried not to sound too hopeful. He probably did anyway. He watched Kaiba, then felt nervous and looked at the table instead, feeling like a dumb schoolkid blushing in front of his crush. So ridiculous. But what could he do to help it? He wasn't that good at fighting his impulses.

Kaiba shrugged. "Yeah, I won't be going anywhere today."

Face lighting up, Jonouchi felt like he was trying hard to contain how pleased he was over the answer, and he heard Kaiba snort before he waved the waiter and put in their orders. Traditional breakfast was good, with the different light dishes and miso soup with rice and fruit, things that Jonouchi didn't get to enjoy on a regular occasion. It was special, despite it being what Kaiba considered normal.

"What did you want to do when you're done?" Kaiba asked nonchalantly, "The hotel doesn't have much, but the city's right here and I wouldn't mind going out as long as you don't drag all over."

"We could have dinner, or something." Jonouchi offered. "Maybe see what's around for fun."

He couldn't think of anything, save what he'd done for entertainment in high school. That had been mostly Duel Monsters and saving the world, of course. There had also been long hours spent at the arcade, especially during the summer, and sometimes if he had the money, he'd go with Yugi and Honda to the console arcade for modern games.

That would all probably bore Kaiba, though. Maybe it would be best to let him suggest the activity. Jonouchi didn't know much about Kaiba's private interests, aside from working and duel monsters. He clearly liked physics and shit, but a museum of science would probably do nothing to hold his interest. His own creations were on display there as modern miracles.

Jonouchi sighed. It would be hard to flirt if he couldn't even take the object of his affections out for a decent outing. At least he knew what kind of food to order, for the most part...

"Uh, what kinds of things do you like doing?"

"Jonouchi, I really don't have hobbies, not since giving up duel monsters for good..." Kaiba replied in a tight voice. "I don't really like going out unless I need to, and I thought you had some sort of plan or idea besides 'just hanging out'. Domino's a large city anyways, I'm sure you'll think of something by tonight.

"What about the public market? You like food, and there'll be plenty there."

"If you're up for it, then definitely," Jonouchi grinned. Relief swept over him like a calming breeze. It seemed like such a menial activity, at least he'd assumed Kaiba would think so. He felt less out of place knowing he wouldn't consider it a waste of time. "It shouldn't be too crowded in the evening. Most people should be doing their weekend partying, or cooking dinner at home already."

Jonouchi paused when the server brought their food, and he waited until she was out of earshot before again speaking. It was terrible how much he simply didn't care about his discretion when he'd been drunk. He hadn't been concerned about who heard or saw him messing around with Kaiba at all like he should have been. On a normal night, Jonouchi didn't want anyone so much as hearing a conversation between the two of them.

Though Mokuba tended to drop in on them whenever it pleased him, evidently. It was a good thing he was too preoccupied with girls to make a frequent habit of it, or else Jonouchi might have become concerned.

"So... should I meet you back here, then?" Jonouchi asked before digging into his bowl, trying to take appropriately-sized bites. He wasn't really starving anymore since having a fair paying job. Jonouchi knew that he didn't need to stuff his face, but it was a hard habit to break. And he didn't want to look so lower-class in front of people, especially while around Kaiba. There wasn't much he could do about his dialect and his stride, but he could try eat more slowly and not look like he'd never seen food before.

"I'll pick you up and spare you the hassle of catching a bus" offered Kaiba. "Do you still have a phone you can use to call me?"

"Actually," Jonouchi's voice dropped in volume, "I was going to get rid of it. I'll be switching back to my old phone. It's not like I'll ever be able to afford the bill for that smartphone, anyway. I don't need something so flashy."

He'd wanted to keep it a secret that he was ditching Kitamura's phone, but whatever. There was no point lying about it.

"I don't know if you want to drive south of downtown, though," Jonouchi continued as he shifted in his seat, "Rich-looking guy in an expensive car? People will notice..."

More than that, they'd notice Jonouchi, who would be getting into a luxury vehicle. It would definitely raise questions.

"Then take a taxi and let me cover," Kaiba suggested, "Mokuba would be annoyed if I didn't."

"I didn't think Mokuba would care," Jonouchi snorted before smiling. He paused before taking a sip of water. "I don't want to owe you money."

"Then you'll just have to make it up by showing me a really good time, then," Kaiba replied back.

Jonouchi laughed out loud, his mind first flying straight to the gutter, but he quieted down soon enough to respond appropriately.

"I can do that," he nodded, "I'll give you my old phone number so I can let you know when I'm on my way."

After doing so, he returned to his food for a few minutes, giving in to his intense appetite. Talking was distracting him too much. His mind kept wandering back to the idea of 'showing Kaiba a good time', but he tried to brush those thoughts away. Jonouchi didn't want to keep jumping his bones all the time. He should at least spend some quality time with him first, right? Maybe it would be better for them both if Jonouchi tried tapering off.

God, he sounded like an addict.

"Don't worry about dinner," Jonouchi told him, "I can cover my own tab for once."

He thought about stopping by his apartment before the pawn shop to grab the laptop. It wasn't as if he ever really used it. He hated being at home, and most the time he didn't need it because Jonouchi was either working or sleeping. That, and Kitamura had bought it for him. He really couldn't use it without the uncomfortable reminder of who gave it to him and why.

"I hope you would," Kaiba interrupted as Jonouchi was quickly pulled from his thoughts, "Since you suggested dinner in the first place". He snickered while picking up a piece of fish and dunking it into sauce before placing it into his mouth to chew, "Not that I have a problem paying, but usually it's common courtesy to treat when you are the person asking."

He turned his head again, sipping his coffee before taking out his phone and looking over it. He was attached to that thing. Jonouchi had noticed.

"What's got your attention all of a sudden?" inquired Jonouchi, fighting back the tad of jealousy he could feel over the silly electronic in Kaiba's hand. "Mind sharing with the class?"

"Apparently the convention did really well last night. Mokuba is trending on social media..."

"If the convention hadn't, it would mean something's in the water," Jonouchi muttered, his mouth still full. He continued speaking after swallowing. "You seem pretty happy about it. Good to see that it's not impossible to make you pleased."

Jonouchi was actually satisfied to see Kaiba grinning for once. Actually grinning with pride instead of mania or cruelty. Truthfully, Jonouchi hadn't seen Kaiba really act foul in several years, but it would be a long time before he'd completely forget what he'd looked like.

"I'd suggest celebrating, but I can't afford much shit. I'll cover your dinner tab if it counts," Jonouchi laughed. It would cost him, but his new job with KaibaLand left him with money in his pocket after expenses. It was a completely new experience for him, and he'd always been the type to spend on people if he had a little cash to spare. Which was good, since he normally owed his friends for kindnesses done to him.

"You're going to buy me dinner?" Kaibe cocked a slim eyebrow before giving an amused look, "If you insist, go right ahead. I won't stop you."

Jonouchi could feel himself becoming flustered, stuffing his face a bit too quickly with food to mask his giddiness. He hoped Kaiba didn't notice too much...

"Don't expect me to put out for you afterward though," Kaiba continued to tease, giving Jonouchi a flirty look before finishing the rest of his coffee and waving the waiter over again for the bill.

"Of course not," Jonouchi sniffed in mock offense, "I am a gentleman, sir."

That was probably the biggest lie Jonouchi had ever told in his life, but so long as they were joking, it was more comfortable to play along with Kaiba than let himself get flustered by Kaiba's flirty statements. He'd be red all the way from his ear lobes to his navel at this rate. It was kinda sad, too. He wasn't a socially inept person. Blushing didn't happen to him over any little thing. Normally he was confident and humorous enough not to start turning colors.

Jonouchi returned to his food, trying to cover his nervousness enough to eat slowly. As slowly as was humanly possible for him. He still looked like an animal compared to Kaiba, but Kaiba ate like a damn bird. He wasn't doing too badly then, right? As if he'd ever be able to tell. People in his neighborhood didn't care about things like that, and neither had any of his friends. But they'd been teenagers, and busy ones at that. Anzu was the only one who seemed to pick up some refined notions, and that was because she was more middle class than the rest of them.

"Yeah, I'll pay," Jonouchi paused his eating to speak, "Wish it wasn't money that came from you in the first place, but it's the thought that counts, right?"

"Sure," Kaiba answered in a bemused tone.

Still appearing amused, Kaiba finished up his plate before paying the breakfast with his own credit card, stretching his legs before getting up. Jonouchi watched silently as Kaiba dropped taxi fare in front of him and then walked back towards the elevator as Jonouchi sighed audibly.

"Just call me when you're free, and I'll meet you down at the market," Kaiba offered. "Try not to do anything unadvisable until then."

"I am capable of being an adult, if I try hard enough," Jonouchi smirked, though he was slightly uncomfortable. He knew Kaiba was joking, but he knew it was completely warranted nagging.

"I've made it this long alive, after all."

He stood, gratefully pocketing the taxi fare before splitting ways with Kaiba at the elevator, and he waved goodbye as he left the lobby. He'd have to catch the nearest available taxi and try to get to his apartment, hopefully without attracting too much attention.

Signing, Jonouchi realized quickly that he really needed to get out of that apartment. It was complete bullshit, having to run around town like a frightened animal. His new job was keeping his pockets full, and he didn't have to be afraid of missing rent payments, but it wasn't enough to save up for a new place. Jonouchi considered going back to the mechanic shop, but he was fairly sure it was a waste of time. Certainly, it wasn't a chore for today. He'd have to go after work during the week...

The taxi stopped outside his apartment, and Jonouchi convinced the driver to wait while he ran inside. Hopefully he actually would and wouldn't drive off because he got skittish. Jonouchi felt like it was a horrible waste, selling the computer and everything, but he knew it wasn't going to be used. May as well get what he could off of it and let someone else have it. Someone who didn't associate it with Kitamura.

He dashed down the apartment staircase with his bag and ducked into the taxi. He didn't think he'd been seen, but he still looked around as they drove toward the pawn shop to make sure no one behind them was watching him leave. Jonouchi was going to avoid coming back that night, and probably wouldn't since Kaiba never sent him home in the dark...

He definitely didn't want to be targeted because he had some nice shit around.

Jonouchi was immensely displeased with the highest offer the pawn shop owner gave him. The computer was worth three times the price he got for it, which was utterly ridiculous, but what could he expect? It was a pawn shop. He didn't get much better for the iPhone, but he didn't care. The thing was a tracking device. He didn't want it on him any longer than was necessary. Getting paid to lose it, well... that was a bonus.

Satisfied that he had at least enough profit to cover dinner that evening (plus much more thanks to the computer), he took the taxi back towards uptown. It was afternoon, but not quite dinner time yet. Hopefully, Kaiba would be free already. He couldn't possibly find the company of his work computer better than a date with Jonouchi...

Frowning at the thought, Jonouchi immediately snatched his old brick of a phone out of his pocket before calling Kaiba. Damn, he already began missing the smartphone because of its convenience. There was a comfort in knowing that he was no longer being monitored, however. But the old flip phone was not comparable.

"Hey, I'm on my way back to you," Jonouchi informed Kaiba as he settled more comfortably in the taxi. "Will you be ready to leave soon, or do you need time to get ready?"

He snickered as Kaiba answered. Kaiba's time-consuming and appearance-conscious bathroom habits were funny, especially for someone who woke up looking perfect already. It was fun to tease him a little, because it was hard trying to find a kink in Kaiba's well-managed armor. That was at least one thing Kaiba was sensitive about.

"Very funny," Jonouchi heard Kaiba answer in a tad curt tone, although he also had a hint of amusement behind it. " I'll be ready when you arrive. Meet me in the suite."

Kaiba hung up abruptly, and Jonouchi would have been offended, but he knew that was how Kaiba was. There was no point carrying on a long phone conversation for courtesy. Jonouchi felt a burning impatience during the ride to the hotel, but he forced himself to settle down. He didn't want to seem over-excited or nervous, or start babbling incessantly once he arrived.

He made a beeline for the elevator and rode it up with single-minded determination. Mokuba, to Jonouchi's abrupt surprise, was the one who let him in when he got there.

"Where's your brother?" asked Jonouchi, looking around rudely trying to see over the kid's head. Mokuba snorted.

"He's in his room. Can't be seen in public without making sure he looks perfect, after all," he snickered, making his way to his own room. Grinning wildly, Jonouchi thought about turning this into a great opportunity to tease, but for all he knew, Kaiba was in his room working.

Then he realized in a panic that he hadn't checked on his own appearance before coming back. It hadn't been the first thing on Jonouchi's mind while he skittered around downtown trying not to be spotted with tens of thousands of yen in electronics. He found a mirror in the living room, strategically placed to make the place look even larger, and he tried to make his hair look like less of a wreck before straightening his clothes. At least the snug clothing wasn't difficult to fix into proper position.

Snapping to attention when he heard Kaiba's bedroom door open, Jonouchi tried and failed to look like he hadn't been preening, of all things.

"Hey, you're ready," he grinned, "And I only had to wait five minutes after getting here."

He felt his heart jump a little, while looking over Kaiba's appearance. Wearing the same thing he had been that morning, he still looked good. Kaiba looked perfect it seemed, no matter what he was wearing. It was like hanging out with someone straight off a runaway or some kind of fashion magazine set, and even as it made Jonouchi almost fluttery, it also filled him with an almost painful feeling of inadequacy.

"You look good," he noted, meeting Kaiba's eyes before he ended up staring too much. Not that Kaiba didn't know how Jonouchi felt already, the asshole. Still, compliments didn't hurt. Everyone liked a sincere compliment.

"I aim to please."

Kaiba went to grab his keys off the counter, along with his phone, before cutting across the foyer and reaching the door to the hallway so they could get outside. Mokuba was watching them intently from his place on the couch, where he was busy eating junk food, and Kaiba gave him a stern look of sorts before leaving. Jonouchi got the sense that if they came back home and found crap all over the living room, Mokuba would die. Convention success or not. Mokuba appeared on notice.

"We're still going to the market, right?" asked Kaiba, as they reached downstairs and went through the main front desk area. People were all around, drinking tea at the tables and chatting. The hotel was always busy, but when fall came and everything was changing colors, it got particularly busy before the bad weather would set in and the foreigners would stop visiting until the coming spring.

"It's not that far, we can walk over there."

"Sounds good," Jonouchi kept up with the pace Kaiba set. Didn't he ever try strolling? He walked like he was on a mission all the time. "Are you hungry or something?"

"No. I just don't like being in crowds."

There were a lot of people to cut through, and Jonouchi was taking his sweet time staring at everything in between. Not that they were in a hurry, but Kaiba marched on like he was. Jonouchi noticed how he didn't look around much. His eyes always seemed focused straight ahead, no matter what they were doing.

"Really? I find them kind of energizing," said Jonouchi, speeding up again so he could keep pace with Kaiba. "Everyone rushing around me doesn't get to me much. I like the noise, and there's a kind of safe feeling when there are lots of people out."

It was probably derived from his personal experiences. Silence meant trouble, and empty streets only meant more of the same. Being the only person walking on the sidewalk downtown was a good way to get mugged. Jonouchi had the good fortune of being able to defend himself. Most people in his neighborhood didn't.

"I prefer just driving places," Kaiba replied neutrally, "But the streets are too crowded for that at night."

Not to get somewhere so close, like the market. It would be a bigger hassle trying to find parking, or just stopping to be dropped off if Kaiba had someone take them there. Cutting through the streets when the lights changed and going with the crowd, they eventually made their way to the markets, which had died down considerably since the morning sales.

"I guess I would too, if I had a car," Jonouchi mused. "Still, walking keeps me fit. I can't complain about being able to stay sexy."

Especially since everything he ate was crap, and would make anyone prone to weight gain despite how little he got to eat. He'd have to watch himself now that he could afford real groceries. If he ate more crap than walking could burn, he'd get fat. That would make seducing Kaiba pretty hard. Jonouchi already felt like the less attractive one between them.

They made it to the market with a remarkable quickness, due to the pace Kaiba set. It was much less crowded there, since the sun was on the verge of setting and most people were out having fun rather than strolling around getting their groceries or sampling street food.

"Oh boy," Jonouchi groaned, "Let's pick something to eat... you can choose, I'm treating. Just do it quickly, for my sake."

"Gyoza with yakisoba," Kaiba answered quickly.

It would be inexpensive and keep them from being hungry later. Most of the stalls left were for food, people cooking near the water as others drank near the beach and bar hopped through the pierside. The area was known for tourists and young people, a lot of happy drunks but very little crime, and usually there were even small festival like activities around too, like there happened to be that night. The setup was in the parking lot near the beach, away from where the actual market building stood, and it had been converted into a festival.

They stood before a stall as a cook prepared their meals.

"You okay?" asked Jonouchi, watching Kaiba with concern. He seemed to be in his own world, staring vacantly at the crowd of passers-by. He looked almost bothered, but Jonouchi couldn't think why he would be. "Is the crowd getting to you?"

"What? I'm fine."

"Good," Jonouchi looked at his food, feeling as if he'd stumbled upon something he wasn't supposed to. But Kaiba still looked moody, so after a few seconds of picking at his food, he turned to him again. "What's on your mind? You don't have to tell me if it's private, or whatever. You just look preoccupied."

"I was thinking about something that doesn't matter." Kaiba answered as he moved his food around, "Ignore me, it's nothing.

"You like fairs, right?" He looked over at Jonouchi, who was more preoccupied about eating his food, "If we go in a haunted house, I won't leave you behind this time. At least, not on purpose."

Jonouchi narrowed his eyes suspiciously, both at Kaiba's rapid change of topic and the mention of the haunted house.

"Are you sure about that?" he asked. "Because if you take me into one of those things and ditch me, I can't be held responsible for the things I won't do to you."

He slurped his yakisoba, waiting for Kaiba's response while he stuffed his face. He hadn't eaten fresh noodles for a while. It seemed like the time between his chances to eat things that were fresh and actually tasty. It didn't seem like Kaiba wouldn't leave him afraid in the dark for his own amusement, but maybe he really meant it.

Hopefully he wouldn't mind having Jonouchi cling to him when he got too freaked out.

"Things you won't do to me? Hmm. I don't see cause for being alarmed."

He snorted, getting up and throwing away the dirty plate and pair of chopsticks he had before dusting off his pants and looking around. Jonouchi rushed to finish as he watched Kaiba look around them. They looked shit out of luck until Halloween came around. Jonouchi didn't see anything.

Kaiba had read his mind. "I don't even see a fun house."

"Well that kinda sucks," Jonouchi muttered, scanning the area. It was true, there wasn't any fun house in sight. His mood brightened when he saw a divination booth, and it looked like they were doing palm readings.

"Let's go over there," he pointed, tugging a little at Kaiba's sleeve to get his attention, "I'm sure it'll be fun. Palmists tell your future."

"Just like cards have hearts?" replied Kaiba back sarcastically, but before he could be answer, Jonouchi was already dragging him over there determinedly. Kaiba was probably wearing a two thousand yen sweater, but Jonouchi didn't care enough to let up.

They stopped just short of the entrance, somewhat hesitantly, before going inside the tent and sitting down where they were instructed. The whole setup looked ridiculous, but then the palmist herself looked nearly ancient, and neither of them said anything as the woman started speaking, her eyes looking blind from their glassy appearance.

"Who would like to go first?" she asked.

"Me!" Jonouchi gave her his hand eagerly, knowing that Kaiba wasn't going to volunteer. The woman felt his hand, and he got the impression that he was being searched. It was better than getting felt up, he supposed. It seemed she was blind, so it made sense that she'd have to feel her way around his hands.

After a few seconds, Jonouchi was starting to feel a little awkward, but the reader spoke.

"What would you like to know about your future?" she asked, and Jonouchi stumbled for a minute to answer.

"You can tell me about anything, like... my love life for example, right?" Jonouchi asked hesitantly, refusing to look at Kaiba who was snorting beside him, but thankfully he didn't comment.

"Of course," the old woman replied, tracing the dark line just beneath his first knuckles. Jonouchi waited for a few seconds as her brow furrowed. "Your heart line indicates that you're very passionate. Especially physically."

Jonouchi cleared his throat, shifting in his seat. How would she know that just from a line on his hand that he was like that? He knew it was supposed to be a fairly accurate art, but still. Embarrassing.

"Your heart line tells me that you value both the physical and emotional aspects of love, and find joy in romance."

"Well yeah," Jonouchi grinned, "But I knew that already."

"Did you? Your head line indicates detachment for your emotions."

"What?" He stared at her vacantly. He wasn't sure about the whole "joy in romance" thing. It sounded like something out of a novel, and certainly not very masculine. It was more something that would be accurate to Kaiba. "That's not true. I get angry all the time."

"Anger can be like a shield," she replied cryptically. Jonouchi felt distinctly uncomfortable, but he wasn't finished yet.

"What about my love life, though? That's what I want to know about."

"Hmm," she shifted her index finger on his palm, "Your marriage line is close to your heart line. You'll find your partner young..."

Well, that was good to know. Jonouchi didn't want to fool with dating for decades.

"You'll have a long relationship, perhaps lifelong. But it will be a bumpy road."

"How bumpy is bumpy?" Jonouchi asked, looking at his hand even though he couldn't understand a thing about the lines she was pointing at. He didn't want to get stuck in a relationship with Kaiba if it was going to have dramatic separations everywhere.

"You're a stubborn individual, so any relationship you have will face adversity. Especially if you choose someone whose personality contrasts your own."

"Lovely," Jonouchi answered sarcastically, although he felt that he could handle that. He'd get bored if he and Kaiba didn't bicker. As long as he wasn't insulting him all the time...

"Was that all you wanted to know?"

"Will I have any kids?"

"Yes," the woman answered quickly, running her thumb over a few short lines under his small finger, "At least one. Your child lines intersect your fate line, so the number will vary between one and three depending upon your choices."

"Why would I want three kids?" Jonouchi scoffed. One of the little bastards would be enough, in his opinion, but maybe two if the first one got lonely.

"Jonouchi, you are far too easily sold on this superstitious nonsense," snipped Kaiba, folding his arms and huffing a little, "I don't see how you can be so serious about it. Reading your hand isn't going to show how many kids you'll be having, stupid."

"Yeah, well, maybe when you spend thousands of years creating a fortune-telling method, I'll take your opinion into account," Jonouchi muttered, making a face, "If it's so stupid, then why don't you try? I bet she'll tell you your life story."

"Doubtful."

He gave up his hand always, shoving Jonouchi a little harder than necessary with his closest shoulder before grumbling. Kaiba did not look approving at all, but Jonouchi did feel some stupid enjoyment out of it. This was the last thing in the world that interested Kaiba. He didn't see the world as being mystical anymore then he neede to, but Jonouchi always believed that maybe things like palm readings were about fun more so than actual truth.

"You're very confident," she noted, touching the tips of his fingers, "I think perhaps to the point of being proud, but that's hardly uncommon at your age."

Jonouchi snickered. Kaiba was never going to outgrow being proud.

"You're successful in business," the palmist continued, "And will be for the rest of your life. You come from a broken family, and will be married young."

"What? You probably got all of that from a newspaper article; tell me something I don't already know, old woman."

"Yes, I read the paper regularly," she replied, and it took Jonouchi a minute to realize she was being sarcastic. Her tone was level, as if she was legitimately replying. "Your love line shows that you have very romantic notions, and put your partner before yourself in a relationship.

"And you want to have many children, but the number you have is dependent on your marriage line, or your relationship."

"What do you mean by that?" He asked, giving a questioning look, "I don't see how these hypothetical children have anything to do with the lines on my hand, let alone can be deciphered. Futures can't just be predicted in accuracy..."

He didn't seem to like any of it. Pulling his hand away, Kaiba shifted uncomfortably before appearing to think about leaving, but Jonouchi gave him a look that he hoped was clear enough to tell him to keep his ass down. If it wasn't for the sake of having another person in the tent with them, Kaiba would have probably snapped but thankfully he was acting well behaved considering the glare Jonouchi shot at him.

"This is nonsense."

"Many people said the same thing about television," the palmist replied, "Palmistry isn't something that a group of people made up for entertainment. It's an art that was developed after centuries of practice and observation."

"She's telling you to stop being a dick," Jonouchi murmured, leaning closer to Kaiba so only he would hear, "At least try to have a sense of humor about it."

"There's nothing funny about being told I'm going to marry young..."

"Why wouldn't you want to be married young?" Jonouchi frowned, slightly disappointed. "There's no point playing the field if you find the right person."

Then again, when he thought 'young', he thought...well, thirty, or something. Not now. He was way too young to be married. It just sounded so... final.

He and Kaiba couldn't get married anyway, so that probably wouldn't be a problem.

"Your lines dictate a happy relationship," the palmist added, "Both physically and emotionally. You're very lucky."

"Yeah, I'm sure of it."

Kaiba finally got up, dusting his pants again before briskly exiting the tent. Jonouchi glared at him before getting up and bowing at the palmist, tripping over himself as he got out of the tent. He saw Kaiba sitting at a bench alone. He didn't like being probed, Jonouchi knew that, but he'd also acted a tad ridiculous. Jonouchi was almost embarrassed for him. Why did he have to have such a damn tantrum over getting a nice future? It wasn't like the lady was talking about them in particular.

Although the woman talked to him like she could see through it all.

It was strange. But kinda interesting.

"You don't have to look so unhappy," Jonouchi grinned, "I thought my reading was great. She didn't say I was gonna die or anything."

He inhaled a deep breath, taking in the smells of different foods that were being served nearby.

"I guess it's not really your thing. Thanks for humoring me, anyway. I had fun."

He was slightly annoyed that Kaiba was so pissy about the whole thing, but he didn't want to fight. Jonouchi knew from the start that Kaiba wasn't a huge believer in things like divination. It was incredible that he hadn't been more of an asshole about it.

Jonouchi scanned the area for other points of interest, but he only saw game booths. The thought occurred to him that he could try winning a prize, but he wasn't sure it would be a good idea to drag Kaiba around the place. He certainly didn't seem that interested.

Still, he might be amused to watch Jonouchi fail, and if he did win anything, he could offer it to him as a present. Even if Kaiba ended up not wanting a plushie or whatever, the intention would still be there.

"Let's go check out one of the game booths," suggested Jonouchi, eyeing one that had Duel Monsters-related prizes available. The odds of winning were low, of course, since all those games were rigged, but Jonouchi knew a lot of the tricks. Maybe that, and his luck, would help him out. "I don't know if you want to play, but I'll give it a shot."

"I'm not particularly interested in playing fixed games..."

But Jonouchi was too excited about the prospect of winning, dragging Kaiba over there by the hand and not really giving him a choice but to go along. At least he wasn't going to make Kaiba play. Jonouchi took the money out of his pocket and only paid enough for himself, but it still got enough of a reaction to make Kaiba wrinkle his nose. Jonouchi thought Kaiba acted a little funny about being sent over, like some resistant girlfriend there only to get the prize, and he even looked away with his arms crossed when Jonouchi started playing.

"I guess Mokuba would enjoy the prize if you actually managed to win," he muttered, only looking at Jonouchi from a glance before sighing, "He might appreciate a silly toy."

"I don't even know if I'll get anything," Jonouchi snorted, "Don't worry about it, Kaiba. I'm not gonna be offended if you don't want a plush toy. I'm just going to give it to you, anyway."

He gave Kaiba a goofy grin as he paid for the game to start, and he got an eye roll in response. Jonouchi laughed, knowing that was a good reaction comparatively, and started the game.

It was a fairly straightforward type. He had three lightweight balls to throw, and had to knock a stack of cups off of three pedestals at the other end of the booth. Jonouchi could tell the game was against his favor right from the start. The balls weren't hollow, but they were so light that throwing them hard would only result in them being swept away by their own crosswind. But if he couldn't throw them hard enough, he couldn't knock the cups over.

The cups were lighter than the balls, though, and rounded, meaning they would roll. If he could throw them the right way and knock the stack off balance with enough momentum, he could win.

But it would definitely be difficult, and he only had so much pocket money to use on it. His first attempt ended poorly, with no stacks standing, but only one had been actually knocked to the ground, and the last one he'd tried simply knocked one cup on top of another. Jonouchi grumbled, disgruntled and slightly embarrassed, but he paid for a second try.

That time he did better, having a sense for the way he should toss. He learned which cups to hit and how in order to knock them off their pedestals, and managed to get two stacks on the floor. The man running the booth seemed reluctant to let him have a third attempt, but Jonouchi just gave him a rather confident grin and played again. He wasn't going to do a fourth try. He didn't want to waste the money, and he knew that if he didn't get it this time, he wasn't going to.

Fortunately, he managed it. He got all the cups on the ground, and he jumped and shouted with this victory as the booth owner begrudgingly asked him to pick a prize. Jonouchi looked over the options, hoping that there would be a Blue-Eyes somewhere up there. He caught sight of what looked like one, and against the booth owner's wishes stood on tip-toe to move other toys out of the way to make sure.

It was definitely a Blue-Eyes. The plushie wasn't ugly, even if it was a little too cute to be a rendition of one of the most fearsome beasts in the game. As he pulled the cat-sized toy off the rack, he thought that the firm stitching and stuffing was nice to the touch. Still, plush toys weren't really something Kaiba had any interest in, and he knew it. It wasn't going to stop him from giving it to him, though.

"Here," Jonouchi offered it to him, his eyes shining in a teasing sort of manner, "In case you get lonely without me."

Kaiba stared at it first, before taking it. He appeared silly, staring at some stupid toy in his arms, especially since he was the only owner of the actual cards. People would probably laugh at him if they recognized him with the thing, but Jonouchi wanted to give it to him. Kaiba grumbled, but he seemed content to carry it, saying thanks before walking off in the direction of the car.

Jonouchi felt light on his feet as he followed, knowing that Kaiba wasn't going to be any happier with the present than that. If he'd been pissed about it, he wouldn't have taken it. It struck him as being slightly ridiculous that he was so pleased with such a somewhat irritated reaction, but considering the alternative, he was doing pretty damn well.

"So," he asked as they got into the car. Kaiba tossed the plushie into the backseat, where it sat looking completely indifferent to the abuse. Jonouchi still felt a little bad for it. "Where are we headed?"

"Back home."

It was late. Kaiba appeared done chauffeuring. He was quick about speeding towards the suburbs, making great time and somehow avoiding a ticket before reaching the gates of Kaiba Mansion. Jonouchi had hoped to go to the hotel, but this was fine, too. They drove through security and reached the main driveway in no time.

Kaiba parked the car in front before getting out, only grabbing the toy as a second thought. Then unlocking the door and getting inside, he led the way inside, Jonouchi following after. Kaiba's steps were silent and Jonouchi was afraid of being almost too loud, coming from behind before reaching the bedroom and watching Kaiba place the stuffed toy on his dresser. It had floppy wings that bounced when he dropped it there and walking into the bathroom, Kaiba shut the door behind him, not saying a word to Jonouchi.

Jonouchi sat on Kaiba's bed for a moment, wondering if he was being too presumptuous. Jonouchi would be willing to sleep in the guest bedroom if Kaiba wanted him to, but he'd prefer to stay in the same room. The mansion was too dang creepy.

He started getting undressed, stripping off his pants, socks, and t-shirt and dumped them on the floor. Then he realized it would probably tick Kaiba off, so he folded them, storing them in a corner of Kaiba's closet for the next day.

Then Jonouchi waited. It wasn't as if there was anything to do in Kaiba's room right before bedtime. He could try playing video games, but he didn't much want to, and it would be pointless if Kaiba was only getting washed up. Even though that tended to take him a while...

He laid down, stretching his legs and cracking his toes. It felt good to relax. He really hoped Kaiba wouldn't take too long in the bathroom. His bedroom was creepy as shit, even with the lights on, and he hated the feeling that he needed to have his eyes open while he was in there alone. He stared at the closed bathroom door and hoped Kaiba would come back soon, and hopefully be in a passable mood when he did.

Thankfully it didn't take too long, since Kaiba just washed his face and brushed his teeth before lying down. Closing the bathroom door and sitting by the edge of the bed, Kaiba took off his pants and belt, dropping them on the floor before also removing his top and getting his socks off. He stretched, bringing his arms over his head and cracking the joints before closing his eyes and sighing. The room was dark after turning off the light, and he didn't notice Jonouchi's eyes on him, who just stared at him in silence.

Turning around, Kaiba silently got under the sheets and closed his eyes. Jonouchi stared at Kaiba's back in the moonlight, feeling oddly watched in the dark and alone due to Kaiba immediacy, clearly wanting to sleep. Figured he'd just turn around and pass out right after flexing right in front of him. It wasn't his fault he was ridiculously sexy, but honestly. He should wield his power more responsibly.

"Kaiba," Jonouchi whispered, scooting a little closer. The room was too big. Jonouchi felt his agoraphobia kicking in, along with the creepy feeling of the room in general. Even his mild arousal and pleasure with the outcome of the evening couldn't dispel that. "Are you sleeping already?"

Grumbling, Kaiba bunched up his shoulders in reply, "Yes."

"But it's so early," Jonouchi frowned, "You can't seriously be that tired..."

It wasn't as if they'd done much, and the night was still young. It was even the weekend. He didn't have to go to work the next day or anything.

"Besides, I'm wide awake, and it's your fault, so I'm making you responsible for entertaining me. At least for a little while. Come on, it won't hurt you to talk."

"I'm tired.

"Besides, do you have any idea what you want to talk about or are you just trying to waste time until you feel tired?" complained Kaiba with a loud sigh. "There's a game room down the hallway if you need to entertain yourself with something, along with the library..."

"A game room? That doesn't sound as entertaining as bugging you," Jonouchi snorted, "If you don't feel like talking, then I'll figure out something else to do with you. Either way, I don't want you falling asleep just yet. Maybe we can discuss how incredibly creepy your bedroom is..."

He knew he was probably the only one who felt that way about it. Kaiba probably thought he was being ridiculous, but on the off chance that he had the same feeling, maybe Jonouchi wouldn't have to think his imagination was getting to him too much.

"I mean, usually it's fine when we're here together, but I feel watched in here."

"You're being silly," disagreed Kaiba. "It's just a bedroom.

"And it gets drafty sometimes, but there's nothing wrong with it."

"If you say so," Jonouchi grumbled, "But I'm telling you, something's wrong with this place. The weird noises are bad enough, but this room makes my hair stand on end."

Evidently, Kaiba wasn't of the same mind. He seemed like he was refuting his discomfort entirely, which made him feel ignored, but Kaiba wasn't going to listen. Probably thought Jonouchi was just being superstitious. Before, he thought that the room was fine until he'd tried sleeping in there. Usually fooling around took his mind off of it, but that wasn't on the agenda tonight.

"I know you sleep in here all the time, but still. It can't just be me."

Or maybe it could. Jonouchi knew he wasn't the most rational person in the world.

"It's not like anyone died in here, Jonouchi," laughed Kaiba. "And if it bothers you so much, you know where the guest rooms are. I'm not forcing you to sleep with me..."

Jonouchi huffed, feeling like Kaiba was withholding information, but it wasn't as if he could do anything about it. He just hoped he was telling the truth when he said no one had died in there. Why would he even sleep in a room where someone had died? Maybe Kaiba wasn't superstitious, but that would be like sleeping in a graveyard. Just too unnatural...

"Are you trying to get rid of me? Fat chance!" declared Jonouchi in an animated tone. "I'd rather sleep with you in your creepy room than sleep by myself in your creepy ass mansion."

"You're like Mokuba when he was afraid of the dark," snickered Kaiba, "Didn't anyone teach you that monsters don't exist?"

"I think you and I both know that they do," Jonouchi muttered.

He certainly didn't take silence and darkness as a good sign. If he wasn't too poor for it, he'd sleep with the light on at night. Just in case someone broke in, or by some cruel twist of fate was already waiting for him when he got into his apartment.

Kaiba scoffed at him but didn't say anything else. Turning onto his stomach, he shut his eyes and tried falling asleep again. Jonouchi knew it was a hint for him to now try resting his eyes or at least think to himself. Something besides yammering on about nothing.

"Go to bed," Kaiba mumbled in a slow, sleepy tone.

"I am in bed," Jonouchi argued petulantly, but he decided to stop pestering him. Evidently, Kaiba wasn't going to be persuaded to stay awake, and it didn't take very long for his breathing to get heavy when Jonouchi quieted down. Jonouchi didn't feel sleepy at all himself and didn't have anything better to do than watch Kaiba. He thought amusedly that he probably could have convinced him to stay up for a while longer if he'd tried offering sex. He really was extremely lazy when he wasn't doing company work.

Jonouchi couldn't exactly blame him. His job was probably very mentally draining, to the degree that it was physically tiring, so it made sense for him to conserve energy when he wasn't doing it. Since he apparently enjoyed working. Jonouchi sighed. There wasn't much chance that he was going to fall in love with a normal person, was there?

Kaiba was snoring very lightly, almost inaudibly. Jonouchi wondered how he could be so tired. He hadn't even had work that day. He'd probably worked a little at the hotel, but it wasn't as if he'd had to stand around or even deal with anyone in person. They'd only been out for a couple of hours, most of which had been mostly spent sitting. Jonouchi had even fed him. Shouldn't that at least have given him some energy?

It was funny to him, honestly. Kaiba just didn't have the capacity to put one hundred percent into everything, it seemed. Jonouchi didn't have that problem. He was hardly ever tired, and even when he was physically exhausted, he could still go for sex, and certainly didn't feel the need to pass out before it was even ten.

Jonouchi sighed again, closing his eyes and sidling closer to Kaiba. Feeling another person against him made the room less uncomfortable and guarded him against the odd drafts that blew against him. He felt that his breathing was matching Kaiba's over time, and unfortunately, he started to feel sleepy when his breathing slowed.

He felt as if time was passing slowly, and it seemed like hours later that he opened his eyes. The room was still dark except for the moonlight, and Kaiba had rolled onto his back. Jonouchi was surprised to see him awake, staring at the ceiling and looking a little frustrated.

"What's up with you?" asked Jonouchi, yawning. If Kaiba was awake, he planned to take full advantage.

"I don't sleep well."

"I already knew that," Jonouchi frowned, "But I thought company helped. Or does it only work if you get off first?"

He snickered, though he did actually feel bad that Kaiba was unwell. He'd seemed like he was sleeping just fine before. How often did he wake up in the middle of the night?

"If you can't sleep anyway, then can we talk?"

"About what?"

Kaiba was lying on his back, looking at Jonouchi through lazy, half-lidded eyes. It looked hazy in the room, but not nearly as unsettling as before, like in a dream. There was something comforting about being in the bed, a strange quality to everything as Jonouchi looked back, but he didn't think too much of it. He was glad that Kaiba was responding to his offer.

"Well..." Jonouchi began, hesitating slightly, "How about tonight? I tried to show you a good time and you were hard to please, as usual."

"It was all right. Didn't like that palmist woman, but the stuffed dragon was nice..."

His voice was fading off like he was about to pass out despite his eyes being open.

"I'm glad you liked it. You seemed kind of pissed when I gave it to you," Jonouchi teased, shifting closer to him and resting one hand on his chest. Kaiba's skin was warm under his fingers, his muscles constricting momentarily in response to being touched unexpectedly, but he didn't seem upset about it. "You aren't going to fall asleep on me again, are you?"

"Not if you're planning on giving me a reason to stay up..."

Jonouchi raised an eyebrow. Was Kaiba being suggestive, or was it his imagination? He hadn't seemed interested before going to sleep, but maybe now he was more awake. Despite the knowledge that he was supposed to be not fooling around with Kaiba, Jonouchi gave in to his desire to do so, feeling somehow that there was an absence of consequences for his actions.

"I can give you plenty of reasons to stay up," Jonouchi laughed as he began to sit up, gazing down at Kaiba with an expression he knew well by now. Jonouchi wasn't really subtle about what he wanted, and he didn't plan to be anytime soon. He trailed his fingers lightly over Kaiba's chest without really thinking about it, intrigued by the feeling of his upper torso expanding as he sighed.

Jonouchi felt like something was off; it was dark except for the moonlight, but his vision seemed to be fine as if there was a dim light illuminating the whole room. However, he didn't think too much on it. Jonouchi wasn't opposed to being able to see Kaiba while he touched him. When he leaned down to kiss him, he felt his hands on him, one sliding into his hair and the other on his back.

The kiss itself was different from other occasions, in that Jonouchi didn't feel like he was in a hurry. He enjoyed the contact more than focusing solely on the resulting sensation, and Kaiba allowed him to lead, participating without guiding his actions. Jonouchi broke away after a few minutes and felt strangely embarrassed when he did, but Kaiba's bedroom eyes stopped him from being discouraged.

Jonouchi moved and straddled his hips rather than lying beside him, enjoying having more contact and a more comfortable angle. When he kissed him again, it was more heated, and he could feel Kaiba taking a tighter grip on him as if he was being possessive. The idea didn't put him off in the least, but it made his chest feel slightly constricted.

He pulled back, sitting up and gazing down at Kaiba, who looked like he was waiting on him to continue. Jonouchi felt uncertain for the first time that they'd been doing this together, and while he didn't think he could keep it up, he didn't want to stop, either.

"What's wrong?"

"Um," Jonouchi muttered, averting his eyes. He felt too exposed. It made him want to hide under the blankets, but his body felt almost paralyzed. "We shouldn't be doing this."

He could feel Kaiba's fingers on his forearm, his thumbs gently tracing the muscles. Jonouchi sighed, feeling comforted and more put off at the same time. What was he supposed to do about it? It wasn't as if he didn't want to have sex with him, but the more affectionate Kaiba seemed, the harder it was to deal with the fact that he wasn't in love with him.

"Don't get me wrong. I do really want you, but- I don't think it's a good idea. It's too hard to take my mind off of the fact that you don't want this the same way I do, and I'd rather spare myself the frustration," Jonouchi frowned, knowing that Kaiba would probably not respond well to the honesty.

"Would you like me to lie to you?" Kaiba offered gently.

Jonouchi almost replied with an instant yes, but he stopped himself. He looked down at Kaiba silently, his jaw slightly clenched. The more desperate part of him thought that would depend on how well Kaiba managed to lie, but his rational mind shook the idea away.

"Why would you even ask that?" Jonouchi replied, his voice strained with frustration. "I'm saying I'm not going to have sex with you right now. It's too much for me, Kaiba," he stated with a frown while crossing his arms. He stared at Kaiba's chest, almost wanting to smack his hands away when Jonouchi felt them on his arms, but he didn't reject him altogether. Kaiba was trying to make him feel better, or at least comfort him in some way. It wasn't working, obviously, but Jonouchi couldn't bring himself to turn away his intentions.

"Dammit," Jonouchi grumbled, bending down and hiding his face in Kaiba's neck. He felt like he couldn't make himself move, despite the burning desire to leave. The best he could do was try to avoid looking at him. He felt Kaiba's hands on his back, one of them rubbing slowly up and down, tracing the slow curve of his spine. Jonouchi almost felt as if he didn't want the affectionate gestures. It only made things more difficult.

"Why do you treat me like this when you say you don't care about us?" He asked, his words accusing but his tone pleading. "You barely like me, if you do at all. How can you be so tender in bed with me and then tell me afterward I'm not what you want?"

Jonouchi trembled before he could catch himself, and Kaiba stopped moving abruptly, his body on edge as if he was anticipating something. Probably tears. But Jonouchi didn't plan on breaking down in front of him again. He hated the fact that he'd done it once, and he didn't plan on making himself look like more of a bitch than he already had.

"Kaiba," he murmured, sitting up enough that he could look him in the eyes. Jonouchi's expression was downtrodden, his posture defeated. He saw a questioning look in Kaiba's face, probably wondering at the intensity of his distress.

"I want you to love me back," Jonouchi explained with a deep sigh. "That can't be too much to ask for?"

"Jonouchi," Kaiba replied coolly, "It's not that simple."

"No, but it wouldn't kill you to allow yourself to," Jonouchi scowled, no longer able to meet Kaiba's eyes, "To stop pushing me away."

Jonouchi rubbed his neck briefly, feeling oddly tired and disoriented before getting a grip on himself and engaging Kaiba in another kiss. He seemed surprised, but he reciprocated, meeting Jonouchi's pace. The contact was hard and slightly more frantic than before due to Jonouchi's desperation, but he didn't get the feeling that Kaiba was opposed.

When he broke away, he placed his lips on Kaiba's neck and could hear him still panting breathlessly. Jonouchi felt out of breath himself, but he didn't want to pause to wait for it to even out. Instead, he played with Kaiba's neck, sucking and nibbling on all the places he'd learned from experience were sensitive. He felt Kaiba's chest rising under him as he sucked in a breath, his hands gripping Jonouchi more firmly. He felt tugging in his hair, and Kaiba shuddered a little when he licked just under his jawline.

Jonouchi continued to move downward, following Kaiba's collarbone to his chest. He examined the firm muscle of his pectorals with his fingers, brushing them over the surface lightly and teasing his nipples with his thumbs. He detected a change in Kaiba's breathing; it was more shallow and slightly erratic, and he held his breath for a moment when Jonouchi swiveled his tongue over it.

He exhaled through his nose as he slid down toward Kaiba's navel, his hands trailing over his sides. He could feel some definition of muscle and a few of Kaiba's ribs when he inhaled and was slightly fascinated, but he didn't allow himself to be distracted. He could smell arousal from Kaiba's boxer-briefs as he neared them, and he didn't hesitate to slide the underwear off his hips. He heard a quiet sigh when he did, probably one of relief as the constricting fabric was removed.

Jonouchi wrapped his hand around Kaiba's shaft. He wondered fleetingly if Kaiba ever masturbated because he was so sensitive whenever they were together. Then again, the same could be said for himself, he supposed. And he most certainly did touch himself, with increasing frequency of late.

He glanced up at Kaiba's face briefly, noting his dilated pupils and half-lidded eyes before he lowered his head and wrapped his lips around him. He felt his face flushing, but he made eye contact for a few seconds as he slowly sucked the head, watching Kaiba's expression change as he did so. Jonouchi's eyes shut when he felt Kaiba's fingers wind their way into his mess of hair, kneading gently against his scalp.

He went about it more slowly than he had the first time he gave Kaiba oral, but he didn't hear any complaining. Kaiba's breath still hitched occasionally, and he released audible sighs that were half moans, his fingers sporadically tightening their grip. Jonouchi moved a little, trying to shift his pelvis into a more comfortable position. He hoped it was due to the sounds Kaiba made since the alternative would be too embarrassing, but he was getting progressively more aroused. He had to move so his erection wouldn't be poking uncomfortably against the bed.

When he stopped for air, he looked at Kaiba while he wiped his lips with his hand, feeling almost amused by the lazy way he blinked at him. Whether it was intended or not, his expression was surprisingly sultry. Jonouchi was always embarrassed about being stared at, but he liked the attention during sex and took it as a good sign. Kaiba's eyes closed and he gasped when Jonouchi unexpectedly licked the bottom of his shaft. He didn't open them again until Jonouchi sat up.

Jonouchi pulled at the boxer-briefs again, and Kaiba took the hint, lifting his knees to help remove them. When they were gone, Jonouchi took off his own boxers, happy to get rid of them. Tossing them on the floor, he approached Kaiba on all fours, straddling his hips again and looking down at him. He started to roll his hips, gasping at the sensation before crying out in mild surprise when Kaiba started stroking him. It was unexpected, but not unwelcome. He tried to push into the touch, and Kaiba, fortunately, took the hint, tightening his grip and moving his hand more quickly.

When he started to get a little disoriented, Jonouchi stopped moving entirely. His cheeks felt hot, and he'd worked up a bit of a sweat, but he wasn't planning to quit. When Kaiba looked up at him questioningly, Jonouchi cleared his throat.

"Do you- do you have any lube?" He asked, hoping there was some nearby. He'd stopped carrying it in his pants, and he knew Kaiba had used some on him that night he was drunk. Kaiba stiffen, and he looked hesitant, but after a few seconds thought he replied.

"Under the bathroom sink."

Jonouchi stood and went to the bathroom, his legs strangely heavy. He fished through the cabinet until he found the lube bottle, and then stumbled back to the bedroom. When he had his knees on either side of Kaiba's hips again, he popped the cap and squeezed some of the fluid onto his fingers. It didn't look like Kaiba was going to move, and Jonouchi was in a hurry anyway. He reached down, frowning a little at the angle he had to twist his hand at to get his finger in, but his disgruntled expression quickly changed as he slid his index in and out.

He closed his eyes, letting his head tip back a little as he added a second finger. His body was slightly rigid and constricted tightly against his two fingers, but he didn't stop until his sphincters gave way and he could get them into the last knuckle with no difficulty.

Jonouchi sighed when he pulled his fingers out and looked down at Kaiba to make sure he hadn't lost interest. He'd continued to slowly stroke him while he prepared himself, which had been welcome contact, but Jonouchi hadn't been looking at him to know what he thought of the scene. Evidently he approved, because when Jonouchi met his eyes again, his gaze was sharply focused on him despite his hazy gaze.

When Jonouchi started rubbing lube on Kaiba's erection (well pleased by the lack of protesting), his hands moved to his hips, running gently up his sides and down again. Jonouchi was pleased, but he didn't want to stop for it while he was so close to what he wanted. Kaiba held him as he slowly lowered himself, his eyes squeezing shut as he did so. The head slipped in fairly easily, but Jonouchi had to pause when he got to the thicker part of the shaft. He felt one of Kaiba's hands gently stroking him as he panted, waiting until he could control his breathing before pushing further.

Gasping, his back arched involuntarily as he sat further down, Jonouchi's vision blurring from the pressure and his skin tingling at the feeling of an unrelentingly hard surface against him. When he was sitting completely, he paused, catching his breath and adjusting to the feeling. Shuddering from the combination of slight discomfort and mind-numbing pleasure, Jonouchi didn't really return to awareness until he noticed Kaiba's hands trailing over his chest, touching him gently as he leaned forward.

Jonouchi bit his lip when he moved, fully noticing the change in the angle, and he shuddered when he felt Kaiba's hands sliding up his thighs. His slim fingers tickled his heated skin, and Jonouchi bit harder when he felt his ass being squeezed, his hips guided to roll. Sighing at the feeling, Jonouchi huffed hot air against Kaiba's neck and bit himself gently to keep his head.

When his body stopped constricting so much, Jonouchi sat up enough that he could control his own movement. His legs felt surprisingly weak as he slowly lifted himself, and he knew it was because of the penetration, but there was nothing to be done about it. He'd go for as long as he could and deal with being worn out the next day.

"Jonouchi," mumbled Kaiba, still watching him as he laid on the mattress, one of his hands on Jonouchi's hips as he helped guide him into a comfortable pace, "You look really good from up top."

Jonouchi looked down at him, his cheeks flushing so quickly that he felt the heat spreading down his neck, and he saw a small smirk on Kaiba's face. Figured that he would get a little kick out of embarrassing him. Not that Jonouchi was against sexy compliments.

"I'm glad you're enjoying the view," he muttered in response, picking up the pace when it was comfortable. He closed his eyes, lost briefly in the sensation. The position he was in almost felt like it made him more exposed, or that it gave Kaiba a more unimpeded angle to penetrate. Either way, the stimulation was so intense that it bordered on pain, and actually forced Jonouchi to slow his pace when his thighs shook too much to keep up a quicker one.

He could hear Kaiba gasping under him, his breathing haggard and his hands holding his hips firmly. Jonouchi's motions grew slowly more erratic as he lost awareness of anything but the sensation, his mind blanking from the pressure and his body moving instinctively to get more stimulation. It wasn't until his legs were so tired that he was forced to sit and catch his breath that he stopped. He felt the tight coiling in his groin ease slightly, and his head cleared enough that he could think straight, but the frenzy was still upon him. Unfortunately, when he tried to move again, his legs simply wouldn't allow it.

"Lean forward and hold onto the headboard of the bed," suggested Kaiba in a firm tone.

Jonouchi nodded his head and did as commanded, grateful for the confident guidance of Kaiba's voice. When he had a firm grip on the wooden headboard, he opened his eyes enough to look at Kaiba, his chest heaving as he panted. He could feel sweat rolling down his back in some places, his hair clinging to his forehead. He felt embarrassed by how flustered he was, but there was nothing to be done about it, and at least Kaiba didn't look like he was about to laugh.

"Now what?" He asked breathlessly, trying to grind his hips and losing energy for it almost immediately. "I'm too tired to go anymore..."

"Just relax you goose," replied Kaiba back, using one hand to fix Jonouchi's mussed hair as it stuck all over from the exertion, "I can take it from here."

Jonouchi's breath caught as Kaiba started moving his hips for him, and he sighed in relief seconds later. He certainly wasn't going to be able to handle it himself at this point, but he hadn't wanted to stop by any means. Relaxing as suggested and allowing Kaiba lead, Jonouchi arched and twisted his back as his arousal continued to climb, and eventually, he moaned openly when Kaiba held him up and started to thrust into him.

He'd picked up the pace significantly, his movements hard enough that Jonouchi's voice broke when he pushed in; Jonouchi clutched the headboard desperately, his nails digging into the wood as he lost the ability to moan to himself. His breath came in rapid, erratic patterns, and he only had enough coherency left to occasionally beg Kaiba not to stop. Not that it seemed like he would, but desperation for an orgasm was driving him more than logic at this point.

Feeling his climax coming, Jonouchi sucked in a breath, his hips rocking of their own volition as his back shuddered involuntarily. He called Kaiba's name breathlessly and repeatedly as he reached his peak and released an embarrassingly loud sigh when he finished; his body constricted momentarily, and then he went slack, releasing quiet moans as Kaiba clutched his hips and made his last thrusts.

He could feel liquid spilling into him, and Kaiba's cock twitching and jerking inside the confines of his body. He inhaled deeply before loosening his grip on the headboard and relaxing instead of keeping himself up. Kaiba's hands left his hips, and Jonouchi relaxed into the feeling of his fingers running over his sweaty body as he caught his breath. They were still joined, and he was acutely aware of the feeling, but he didn't feel any motivation to get up yet. Kaiba was still rocking into him gently, finishing off while stroking his ribs, and it wasn't until he relaxed completely that it all came to a halt.

Jonouchi panted for a few seconds while his body cooled down, only opening his eyes after his breathing was even. He lifted himself up and laid down on Kaiba's chest, not sure exactly what he should say. It wasn't as if he didn't know why he'd had sex with him, but Jonouchi still didn't know what Kaiba's feelings were on the subject. He wanted to ask, but he couldn't bring himself to do it, so he just laid back down instead, burying his face in the crook of Kaiba's neck.

"You alright?"

Kaiba's voice broke the silence, his hands sliding down Jonouchi's sides as he huffed and sighed deeply.

"I don't know," Jonouchi replied quietly, "I guess that kind of depends on you."

He sat up, looking at Kaiba with pleading eyes. Kaiba seemed confused and mildly concerned, and Jonouchi brushed some of his damp hair out of his face.

"Can't we have a relationship?" Jonouchi blurted, unable to stop himself. "I know you don't feel as intensely about me the way I do you, but that's okay. You told me that you liked me, right? And I'm in love with you. So, maybe this could work between us. We already spend so much time together..."

God, he sounded stupid. So desperate. But he readily admitted to being both, and it honestly didn't matter to him as long as Kaiba said yes.

"I mean, I know I'm a piece of work," Jonouchi continued before Kaiba could speak, "And I know you prefer women more to men, but I promise I'll make up for it. I can't give you any kids, but I love you so much. I can be enough."

He trailed off, feeling too choked up to safely continue, and he closed his eyes, sighing. Acting like a creepily obsessed wannabe boyfriend most likely wasn't the best way to win Kaiba's affections, but Jonouchi was barely in control of himself as it was, much less moments after sex. Actual sex, not just foreplay and jerking off.

"Okay," Jonouchi heard Kaiba's voice, his tone soothing as his hands reached his face. Jonouchi tried to stop himself from trembling, but a momentary shudder did ripple through him before he could contain it. "Okay, we can try this together. Just promise me you'll calm down."

Jonouchi let himself fall back on top of him, burying his face in his neck and embracing him as best he could from his position. Kaiba held his back with one hand and stroked his hair with the other, his touch gentle. Jonouchi sighed again, hoping he could just stay like that, hopefully for the remainder of the night. He heard Kaiba chuckle beneath him.

"-Just don't start crying on me again."

As Jonouchi started to respond, he opened his eyes and immediately felt disoriented. Kaiba was beside him, fast asleep, and he became increasingly aware of a sticky feeling in his underwear. After lying there stunned for a few seconds, Jonouchi quickly stood and dashed to the bathroom, stripping the boxers off immediately and leaving them absently on the counter. He scrubbed at his own semen with a clean rag he found in the linen closet, trying to focus more on the action of cleaning himself than the lingering images and feelings from his dream.

It was a futile effort; he was overtaken very quickly with a heavy wave of depression by the time he left the bathroom, and as he rifled through Kaiba's closet to steal a pair of his underwear, his fingers started to tremble uncontrollably. Jonouchi got dressed as quickly as he could, wanting to be out of the creepy bedroom and away from Kaiba as soon as possible.

Jonouchi left deciding that it would be best to hold up in the guest room for the night. He couldn't handle being around Kaiba right after all of that. If he was lucky, Kaiba would be amiable in the morning. If not, Jonouchi didn't even know what he'd do. Probably try to slip away from the house. Not that it would be a feasible task, what with all the security around.

He passed Kaiba's study as he walked dazedly down the hall and paused. Kaiba had probably re-stocked his alcohol, and Jonouchi sure as fuck could use some. It was reminiscent of the other night he'd spent there when he'd had a similarly distressing dream. This time, though, he wanted to get as far away from Kaiba as possible. Jonouchi entered the study, flipping on the light so he could navigate, and he stole a liter bottle of sake from the cooler before leaving.

When he got to the guest bedroom, he locked the door behind him and removed his socks, returning to old habits, and left them on the floor before he sat down. He then proceeded to try drinking away the pain as he sat against the pillows, eventually downing half the entire bottle. Unfortunately, drinking depressed only served to make him more depressed. At least this time he was so distraught that it didn't occur to him to stumble to Kaiba's room and beg for anything. It was doubtful that he could work the door lock, anyway.

Jonouchi forgot about the half empty bottle and his clothes and ended up passing out on top of the sheets, feeling worse than he had in the first place. The sharp pain in his chest was making his stomach nauseous in combination with the alcohol. Miraculously, Jonouchi remembered to lie on his side before he completely lost consciousness.