Rowan: Hi, I'm back! It's been what? A week?
Sakura: Nine days.
Rowan: Oh wow, I made you guys wait a long time, didn't I? Sorry! But I've got chapter three out finally, so I'll not say too much more!
Disclaimer: Don't own, so back off!
Warning: Shounen-ai, maybe some OOC.
Thank yous at the bottom!
Misprint
Chapter 3
---
Jou walked into the school, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible and still search for Seto at the same time. He pulled the invisible act off quite well, but his detective work, well, needed working on. The blonde couldn't find Seto anywhere. (Don't worry, Seto's in school.) After ten minutes of scanning the corridors of the school, the bell rang, and Jou gave up. 'Maybe I'll catch him after school,' he thought hopefully.
When Jou trudged into the classroom, he immediately saw the object of his affections sitting at his desk, reading a novel. Jou grinned and started to walk towards him when he felt someone pull on his jacket sleeve. Jou turned around and came face to face with Honda. "I need to talk with you buddy. You got a minute?"
Jou hesitated, looking back to Seto, then faced Honda's anxious expression. "All right then, what is it?" he asked.
"Um, it's about your article in the paper. Jou, are you writing about who I think you're writing about?"
"Well, who do you think it is?" Jou retorted.
"Well, Kaiba's the only person who calls you mutt, even though Otogi did make you wear that dog suit…Is it Kaiba?" Honda whispered.
Jou nodded his head. "Yeah."
"Why didn't you tell me!"
"Tell you what, Honda?"
"Tell me that you like guys! That you like Kaiba of all guys! I'm your best friend, you should've told me!" Honda hissed.
Jou sighed. "Honda, I'm gay and in love with Seto Kaiba. There, I told you. Happy?"
"Thanks for trusting me pal! Don't worry, I won't tell anyone!" Honda then frolicked over to his seat. (Yes, I know, I made him slightly dimwitted, but hey! Why not? Besides, he redeems himself at the end of the fic!)
Jou walked over and sat in his seat next to Yuugi. "Hey Yuugi. How're things?"
"Fine Jou! And what about you? Did you get to speak to him yet?" Yuugi asked, gesturing subtly towards the brunette a few seats in front.
"Not yet. Maybe during lunch."
"Well, good luck when you do talk to him."
Jou smiled. "Thanks Yuugi."
~*~
Jou quickly spotted Seto in the cafeteria, sitting by himself in the corner. Jou made his way through the lunch room, a tray of the very food his real article had been about, and sat down across from the CEO. "Mind if I sit here?" he inquired politely.
Seto glanced up at the blonde. "Not at all. I was just leaving." Seto stood up and started to walk away.
Jou got up and followed him, his lunch forgotten. "Kaiba, look, I was wondering if we could talk?"
Seto turned around and glared heatedly at his former (or so he thought) crush. "I never want to speak with you again, scum. Not after you made a mockery of me in the school newspaper. You are beneath me. Mutt? No, you're much lower than that. You're the dirt under my shoe and I'd like to be rid of it. Forever." Seto then turned and stormed down the corridor, leaving a heart broken puppy behind.
'He hates me. He really, truly hates me. And I was foolish enough to think, believe, hope, that there was at least the smallest chance that he could love me. Oh Jounouchi, you idiot! To have fallen for icy blue eyes and a stone-cold heart, thinking that you could melt them!' Jou felt a drop of water on his cheek, and realized when he moved his hand to brush it away, that he was crying. He sat down in the middle of the hallway and let the tears fall. His water filled eyes stared blankly at the floor, when he noticed a newspaper clipping lying dejectedly on the floor. When he picked it up, he found it to be his letter to Seto. When Jou scanned the article, what Seto had said to him came flooding back.
"I never want to speak with you again, scum. Not after you made a mockery of me in the school newspaper. You are beneath me. Mutt? No, you're much lower than that. You're the dirt under my shoe and I'd like to be rid of it. Forever."
The tears started flooding down Jou's face, and his brain had just enough sense to tell him to go someplace private to cry.
~*~
When Yuugi entered the bathroom, his ears detected the sound of somebody sobbing pitifully in one of the stalls. "Hello? Anyone there?"
A muffled voice replied, "G' 'way Yuug'. Dun wanna see an 'one."
"Jou?" Yuugi said, surprised.
"Jus' g' 'way!"
Yuugi tiptoed over to the stall Jou was hiding in and pushed open the door slowly. "Jou, why're you crying? What happened?"
"It's" hiccup "Seto. He" hiccup "hates mee!" Jou wailed.
Yuugi put a comforting arm around Jou's shoulders and said soothingly, "He does not hate you. You remember what Mokuba told us yesterday? That he really likes you?"
Jou nodded his tear stained face. "Yeah…"
"And how he just doesn't understand about the article and the mix up? You just need to explain to him about the misprint."
"But he s-said he never wants to speak to me!" Jou said sadly, bringing on a new burst of tears.
"He did, did he? Well then, we'll just have to force him to speak with you."
~*~
Honda and Otogi looked skeptically down on the spiky haired youth. "You really think it'll work?" Honda asked.
Yuugi nodded firmly. "I'm positive. Now, Otogi, you just have to work your magic on the principal and Honda, you have to take care of the rest. Trust me, by the end of the day Jou and Kaiba will be a couple."
~*~
"Um, Kaiba, the principal asked me to tell you that he wants to see you in his office right now," Yuugi informed the brunette.
"Really? Why?" Seto asked.
Yuugi shrugged. "I'm just the messenger."
~*~
"Hey, buddy! The headmaster wants you in his office right now. You better go, he looks angry," Honda advised Jou.
Jou paled. "Do you know why he wants to see me?"
"Hey, pal, I'm just the messenger."
~*~
Jou entered the office quickly and closed the door behind him. He looked over towards the head's desk, but the only other person in the room was Seto Kaiba, who was glaring at Jou. "What is this? Another one of your practical jokes? Because frankly, I found the other one to be funnier."
"If you're talking about the article, that wasn't a joke."
"No? Just something you did out of spite then? Well, I don't have time to be in here with you just for your entertainment, I've got a class to get to." Seto strode swiftly over to the door and turned the knob, but the door didn't open. Seto yanked hard on the handle, but the door stayed irresolutly shut. He turned and scowled at the blonde. "Ha ha, very funny. I suppose this is your doing as well?"
Jou shook his head no, eyes wide with shock. "No, honestly, I didn't!"
~*~
"Must have been Yuugi then!"
Yuugi stared incredulously at Honda. "You didn't!"
Honda grinned, happy with himself.
"I can't believe you turned the PA system on! Now the whole school's gonna hear it! If it weren't bad enough that Jou's letter got published, now his conversation with Kaiba's being broadcasted!"
Honda shrugged. "Oh well! I just wanted to hear what they would say! And since I couldn't stay in the room, turning the PA system seemed the next best thing. Also, if you'll notice, sensei has completely forgotten about the test we're supposed to be taking!"
Yuugi just rolled his eyes and continued listening to the real live radio soap that was going on at that very moment.
~*~
"Honestly Kaiba, I don't know who locked us in here. But since we seem to be stuck in here for who knows how long, can you at least let me explain about my letter?"
Seto sighed as he sank into one of the chairs facing the headmaster's desk. "Begin."
Jou sat down in the other seat and began. "You see, Kaiba, I had been thinking about telling you my feelings for a while, and when Valentine's Day approached, I realized that it would be the perfect time to tell. But I just couldn't summon enough courage to tell you face to face, I know you wouldn't want me to call you, and I don't know your e-mail, so I decided to write you a letter and slip it into your locker. But on the twelfth, I started having doubts. I didn't know whether the letter was good enough, if I should tell you my feelings at all. So I told Yuugi, and he came to help and counsel me. He's also my living agenda book, and he reminded me that I had to write my newspaper article for the next day. I stayed up until one a.m. writing the article, and accidentally saved my letter and newspaper under the wrong names. I didn't have time to print the article, so I gave the disk to Otogi to print. But because I switched the letter and the article, he ended up printing the wrong one. That letter was meant for your eyes only."
Seto blinked as the meaning of it all sunk in. "You mean, everything you wrote was true? It wasn't just some practical joke?"
"That's right. I meant every word of that letter. I really care about you."
"I care about you too, puppy." Seto said.
Jou smiled. "I love it when you call me that."
"I know." Seto stood up and walked over to Jou, standing him up. "Does puppy know any tricks, or will his master have to teach him some?"
Jou grinned mischievously. "Oh, I have a few tricks up my sleeve." He stood up so his face was almost level with Seto's and his lips captured the brunette's in a passionate kiss. It soon became a battle for control, though Seto seemed to be winning, when the door behind them burst open and Yuugi cried, "Um guys, just thought you'd like to know that the sound system is on and that the whole school just heard your conversation!"
Seto and Jou broke apart and made a dash for the switchboard. "Who the hell turned it on?" Jou snarled.
Honda came skidding to a halt right behind Yuugi and waved nervously when he noticed the angry glares coming from the two lovebirds. "Eh heh, hi guys!"
"Honda you jerk! I'm gonna kill you for that!" Jou shouted and started chasing after Honda.
Seto stood next to Yuugi and watched the pursuit of his puppy after his friend. "Should we stop them?"
"Nah, they'll stop eventually. So, you and Jou mend fences?"
Seto smiled. "More than just that. I mean, you saw us, I presume?"
"Uh, yeah. Well, I'm glad that you guys finally got together. If it weren't for that article though, I'm sure you'd have been together sooner."
Seto shrugged. "It's no big deal. After all, everyone makes misprints."
~*~*~*~ Owari ~*~*~*~
Rowan: Corny last line, I know, but I was trying for something like 'everyone makes mistakes' kinda thing that would be a finishing line that tied in with the story theme and all. Anyway, it's finished!
Sakura: It's finally over!
Rowan: It's only three chapters yami. Anyway, onto the thank yous!
Digimagic: It's on your fav's! Wow, thanks! Hey, if you like Seto*Jou, you should read Misura's stories! They're really good! Also, I have another S*J story called "Life's Little Treasures" which you might like, especially if you liked this one.
Shad0wedEmerald: Yes indeed, reviews do make the world go 'SPINY SPINY'. I'm glad you think this fic's 'gweat'!
Kay and Fantasychick: No more after this. Well, hope you liked!
The Devil: Delighted that you like!
KC: Pleased that you like!
Ranma Higurashi: Mokuba-kun isn't in this chapter. :{ But I'm delighted that you liked him last chapter!
fuu: I hope you like what you've read!
Misura: I really like that sentence too. I always thought of Seto as being very possessive. It is a shame that Jou wasn't at school, but it makes the story all that much more interesting. And you're right about me being able to make things work out well. I would never want to make Jou or Seto unhappy! Their too cute, especially together! Well, I look forward to hearing from you about this chapter!
Rowan: Well, that ends that! "Misprint" is officially over! *gets all teary eyed* Oh, I'm so sad! *thinks* But if people want me to, I might consider doing a sequel!
Sakura: What? What about the plan?
Rowan: Oh, right. *sighs* If you're wondering about 'the plan', I've decided to only work on three specific stories until they're finished. Read about in my bio.
Sakura: It's almost like a diet! *gets glared at by Rowan* Er, not that you need one!
Rowan: If people want me to write a sequel, I'll write in "Misprints" place! Simple enough!
Sakura: That's 'if'. If people want you to write more, if people even review!
Rowan: I'll get reviews! …Right?
