Jounochi sat on the park bench, his garbage bag next to him, picking at a burrito he had gotten had Del Taco. ~When you think about it,~ he thought, ~I really look like a homeless person. He shrugged and continued to chew thoughtfully. He didn't like this tournament as much as Duelist Kingdom. He couldn't figure out why. He had a chance to go home and sleep. There wasn't killer stakes here. He was on familiar territory. And he had a certain degree of superiority, having come second in Duelist Kingdom and just a general level of experience. So what was different? He looked around, realizing he was basically alone. That was it. Being alone. At least before he always had someone there to back him up. Now where were they? Supporting Yugi. Doing their own thing. He looked down, staring at the remainder of his burrito.

"Call the dog catchers. A stray mutt."

Jounochi glanced up at Kaiba, then back down to his hands. He didn't care.

Kaiba stepped in front of Jounochi, hands on his hips. "What, are you too good to he insulted now?"

Jounochi turned from Kaiba. "Is your life not fulfilled if you haven't harassed me or something? Get a life, Kaiba."

Kaiba narrowed his eyes at Jounochi. "Listen you little dog--"

"Shut up!" Jounochi yelled at Kaiba. He jumped up and slung his bag over his shoulder. He walked away from Kaiba.

Kaiba followed him, though. "What the hell is the matter with you?"

"Why should I tell you?"

Kaiba raised his eyebrows. "My, my, my, aren't we in a bad mood?"

"Do you like me or something?" Jounochi asked, turning around. "You always have to harass me. It's like you can't stand not being near me. If I was you after what I did, you wouldn't catch me near me."

Kaiba narrowed his eyes. "Fuck you, Jounochi."

"You did, Seto Kaiba. Don't forget that. Did you like it, Kaiba? Huh? You want more?"

Kaiba's eyes narrowed more. In a low voice, he threatened, "Don't you ever say that again, Katsuya Jounochi , or I'll make you regret it so much--"

"What, what will you do to me? Kill me? Like that really matters, *Kaiba*. Anything else and it doesn't fucking matter either." Jounochi pushed past Kaiba and started away.

Kaiba caught him. "Jounochi, stop. What's wrong?" He looked Jounochi in the eyes, honestly concerned.

"I... Nothing," Jounochi said, looking down again. "Let go of me, Kaiba."

Kaiba continued to hold him by the shoulders, staring at him. "Look at me, Jounochi. Look at me right now."

Jounochi closed his eyes and shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it. And if I did, I certainly wouldn't with you."

"Jounochi, tell me. We can go somewhere. To talk. Alone."

"Why the hell would we do that?" Jounochi finally looked up, locking eyes with Seto. Kaiba. Not Seto. He's Kaiba, Jounochi thought.

"Because *I* need to talk to you. Please," he added for good measure.

Jounochi looked down. "Yeah, okay."

Kaiba guided Jounochi along until they were in his limo. "Okay what?" Jounochi asked.

"Does anyone call you Katsuya?"

"What?" Jounochi's head shot up in disbelief. "How dare--"

"Calm down. It was just a question. It's a nice name, that's all. 'Katsu' means victorious. And 'ya' means arrow. Victory with an arrow. Kind of a funny name. Unless 'ya' is just an exclamation, like 'victorious! Yea!'"

"No better than 'Seahorse in turmoil.'" Jou shot back at him bitterly.

Kaiba laughed. "I suppose that is my name. I never did like 'Kaiba' that much. At least before I was Seto Shiai; 'Competition of turmoil.' Has something of a ring to it."

"'Jo' means best, 'un' means luck, 'o' means king, 'chi' means wisdom. What the hell is that suppous to mean?"

"The Best King of Wisdom with Luck, I suppose."

"So I'm the best king of wisdom with luck who was victorious with an arrow?"

"I'm a seahorse in competition and feeling quite a bit of turmoil."

"That about sums you up," Jounochi said bitterly.

"I suppose so," Kaiba said, shrugging.

"Did you ask me here to discuss names?"

"No, sorry, is that bothering you?"

"God, Kaiba, why can't you just--"

"What, what do you want me to do?"

"Just--"

"I gave you head, Jounochi, the least you can do is shut up. Honestly, you act like you're the only one being put out here."

"Put out? Excuse me, but who made who get in his limo?"

"Alright, fine," Kaiba said, putting his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "If I'm bothering you so bad, then leave. It doesn't matter."

"You said you had something to talk about."

"Ah, so you do care. Alright, here it is. After our little experience, I don't know quite how to feel."

"How to feel? How about like a dirty little slut who would rather give head then give away his fucking piece of cardboard. Jesus, I'm leaving--"

"Jou, stop, please," Kaiba said, his voice strained. He held Jou back. "Please," he asked sincerely when Jounochi turned back to look at him.

"My mom," he said, sitting back down.

"What?"

"My mom calls me Katsuya. So does my sister. No one else has really known me long enough to call me that."

"What about your dad?" Kaiba asked with genuine interest.

"Lets leave him out of this, okay? Mostly he calls me baka or dumbass or, my favorite, densenbyo."

"'Disease?' Why?"

"Because that's what I am to him. If I never had to go home again, it would be just fine for me. I'm nothing but an infection to him. God, worse. I'm like a fucking...dog..." Jounochi finally said, looking away from Kaiba. "A worthless, annoying dog."

Kaiba looked down. "I never meant to--"

"Don't, okay? Jesus, don't go feeling bad for me. That's the last thing I want. Someone's fucking pity. Especially yours, Kaiba. You have everything, you know? Everything I want and yet you're still so miserable. You know why?" Kaiba shook his head. "Because you want to be. Don't you ever get tired of being alone and so self-centered? Well, obviously, because here I am. Talking to you. Me, Katsuya Jounochi. The guy you can't seem to stand in front of people. But the few times we're alone, you're fucking just...weird."

"I don't hate you, Jounochi."

"I know you don't! Maybe that's why I always tried to be nice to you. You seemed so alone, Kaiba. And you can't tell me you like it that way. I wouldn't curse the life you've put on yourself to anyone!"

Kaiba looked down. "Does it really look that bad?"

"From the outside looking in? It looks like hell would be a nicer place, Kaiba."

Kaiba nodded. "Okay," he said softly.

"So let me in, please? I won't hurt you, Kaiba."

Kaiba looked down, surprised. "What?"

"I know you do this to avoid getting hurt, right?"

Kaiba closed his eyes and sat back in the seat.

"I'm sorry for forcing you to give me a blowjob."

Kaiba glanced up, but didn't move his head. "I don't ever want to do that again, Jounochi."

"Deal," Jounochi grinned, sliding in next to Kaiba. "So, Kaiba," he whispered in his ear. "What do you want to do, my new friend?"

"Go to hell, Jou."

"Ooo, burn. Come on, I'll give you head in return. Make it even."

"It wouldn't make it even, I'd owe you again. Besides, it sounds like more of a treat for you."

"Oh, yeah, I'm bi. Is that okay with you?"

"Yeah, fine, whatever."

"Are you?"

"Am I what?" Kaiba asked, still not moving.

"Gay, straight, bi? Come on, what turns you on?"

"I don't really care for either, Jou."

"So, you like sheep then?"

"Shut up," he said softly.

"Come on, then, explain."

"Gay, straight, bi...I guess I'm bi, but I've never been turned on by either sex."

"So what, you just don't get horny?"

"I've been..."

"Sexually excited?" Jounochi offered.

"Sure, sexually excited before, just...not for...a specific person or even aspects of them."

"So what? You go for their personalities or something?"

"No... Just...I think about... I don't really know what I think about, Jou. I just...think about how good it feels. How...I don't know..."

Jounochi seemed to think about this for several minutes, then straddled Kaiba's lap, placing short kissing up and down Kaiba's neck.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kaiba asked irritated, trying to stand up. He couldn't, though, with Jounochi holding onto the back of the seat tightly.

"Come on," he said breathlessly, grinding himself into Kaiba's lap.

"Stop it!" Kaiba said, sucking in a deep breath, feeling flustered and out- of-breath. "Just-- stop, please...please stop," he said, almost tearing up as Jounochi slowly turned him on. "Please stop," he begged.

"I'm going to make you beg for me to keep going," Jou said in between hard breaths. "Come on, Kaiba...this feels good...right?"

"Yes...I mean...yeah..." He closed his eyes and his head rolled back. "St- stop...stop, Jou."

"Noooo..." Jou whispered, kissing lower and lower on Kaiba's neck.

"People...we're in the middle of the street..."

"These windows are tinted, right?"

"Y-yeah..."

"Mmmmm..." Jounochi moaned, beginning to gently suck at Kaiba's neck. Kaiba gave out a strangled gasp and a shudder of pleasure ran through his body. His arms slipped around Jou, pulling him close. He began to moan softly.

"You know, Kaiba?" Jounochi began, slightly out-of-breath. "You purr when you're turned on."

"Huh?" Kaiba asked confused.

"Like a cat," Jou murmured. "You act like a cat a lot. You like to be alone, you're very slender, with your large, ever-watchful blue eyes. I doubt you sleep much with that damn company you run, so you probably take cat naps." Jou said all of this in between kisses on Kaiba's throat. "You just act very cat-like."

"Well, you act like a..." Kaiba slide down the seat, turning to lie length- wise, pulling Jounochi down with him. "Like a puppy. Like an excitable puppy. You want acceptance and love but only get pushed aside like a toy. You get excited easily and constantly poke your nose into other people's business. And you could probably sleep through Armageddon."

Jounochi crossed his arms and stared down at Kaiba. "Well, for a cat, you are a really act like a bitch."

Kaiba smiled. "Do I?" He tried to pull Jounochi close, but he refused.

"Relax," Jou said. "We'll have plenty of chanced to play around again."

"Why's that?"

"I'm staying at your house," he declared.

"Are you now? Alright." He took Jou's waist in his hands and began to play with the warm skin underneath Jou's shirt. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, go right ahead."

"Do you like me?" he asked softly, not looking at him, but Jounochi noticed that Kaiba's grasp tightened on him a bit.

"Sure, you're a nice guy underneath it all. Was I specifically turned on by you? Sure, I like ukes."

"HEY!" Kaiba shrieked, trying to sit up, but Jou took his wrists and held him down.

"See! You actually know what that means!" He stared into Kaiba's deep blue eyes. "Come on, Kaiba, you're not making any motion to take charge. You like being pushed around a bit, right? You're not used to it. It turns you on?"

Kaiba continued to be memorized by Jou's constant gaze. He swallowed uncomfortably. "I think we better stop," he said, looking away.

Jou shrugged. "Hey, it's your loss. Fine by me. I'll be back later. Why don't you drop my stuff off at home? I have some more dueling for today. Ta-ta." He climbed off of Kaiba and made his way out of the limo.