Flesh Warrant
Warnings: ANGSTY YAOI LEMON, shoo kiddies.
Pairings: Seto/Jou
Notes: The title does not mean this is another PWP arc, but I do warn you, each part is extremely long.
Thanks: To NEB, the dork who once again, slave-drove me into writing this Arc. He pities the pairings that I don't pay much attention to when it comes to lemons so this one is ALL about the S/J.
~*~
The rain had stopped by the time I woke up, groggily rolling out of the small twin sized bed I shared with Shizuka. Our father chose to sleep on the couch most of the time, but if he felt so inclined some days he'd throw us out of this one bedroom. That happened very rarely anymore because his drinking had gotten worse, and he usually drank until he passed out, which was the floor more often than the couch even.
I yawned and stretched, tucking the thin sheet around my sister's frail body before slipping on my shoes and a different shirt. I didn't bother changing the jeans I had slept in, they were still warm from my body heat, so I wasn't complaining. It was cold this morning, I noticed, looking out the small window that was just over our bed. I shivered, leaning over to pick up the electric heater that Shizuka and me hardly ever used and walked out into the cramped hallway.
I relaxed when I heard the loud snores of my father and walked into the small, gray den, setting the device on the coffee table before going to the coat closet. There was only one coat in there, and an old broom, but thankfully, two extra blankets on the top shelf. I grabbed both, covered my father with one, and my sister with the other, throwing the thicker jacket on and hooking up the small heater so that it washed warm air across my fathers face. After that was done, I left silently.
The sidewalks changed from shattered to brand new pretty quickly, our neighborhood bordering Kaiba's. They were two very different places for people to live, each a drastic change from the other with no middle separating the two. The rich could always jeer at us, and we the poor could always sulk at them.
I envied them, all of them, with their large three story homes, their luxurious Jaguars and Porsches, the family life all of them seemed to share. I envied the fathers running around the front yard with their sons, playing football or washing their expensive vehicles. Today though, it was gloomy, the land barely soaking up all the rain we had last night, so everyone was inside. Lethargy swept up from the new neighborhood as I walked through it like a wind, enticing anyone to stop and relax. The people weren't thinking along the same lines of course with Mother Nature, but it was all the same.
I shoved my hands in my jean pockets as an exceptionally lofty home came into view around the corner, the paneling a bright white with the trim and the shutters a dark navy blue. The door was pitch black and just over it was a plaque that read 'Kaiba Corp. Owners'. I shook my head, I'd been here before, but it still stunned me that two people would be happy living in a maze like that. I don't know about them, but I'd sure as hell be one lonely young man. But knowing me, I'd probably get lost anyway, which would keep me occupied.
I rang the doorbell gingerly, nervous about being in the same house as Kaiba, but I was always nervous inwardly around the man. It was just this air of pride that constantly surrounded him that kind of drew me to him like a moth to a light, and I was persistently afraid of doing something stupid to make him think less of me. I know, sounds melodramatic, but that was the mood for today.
A tall, graying man answered the door, nose high in the air and kind amber eyes the same color as mine. He smiled faintly and bowed slightly to me, before ushering me inside and politely taking my jacket, telling me to slip off my shoes by the door and brought me a pair of black house slippers. They were a tad big, and the man, Oliver he said his name was, told me they were a pair of 'Master Kaiba's'. I couldn't help but grin at the address the guy had given the billionaire, and followed him down a network of hallways to what looked and sounded to be a game room. Mokuba was in there, currently busy with a virtual reality game that was displayed on a large TV screen in front of him. He couldn't see us enter, but I think he heard us, because he turned towards the door and lifted the front part of the helmet to see straight.
"Jou! You made it!" He cried, taking off the gear to run up to me. He didn't hesitate this time to hug me tightly around my waist, and I laughed lightly, hugging him back although he was unknowingly putting pressure on the bruise from my father's foot last night.
"I told yah I'd come by."
"Thanks, you're the only person that really actually talks to me that doesn't just want to use my stuff." He mumbled, muffled by my shirt.
I ruffled his hair as he stepped away and grinned up at me, and I felt a swell of possessiveness towards the little boy, not quite young but still younger than Shizuka by at least a year. I think that's why I felt like I should protect him, even if he already had a big brother, it was almost automatic.
"Come on, let's race!"
I let Mokuba drag me over to another far corner of the room, the too big slippers I was wearing slapping against the carpet and almost slipping off a couple of times. Mokuba wore similar slippers, except they were dull silver from being worn so much and they actually fit him.
He set us up in front of another semi-large screen, which was hooked up to run all the game consoles the boy had. I swear I had never even heard of some of them, most being slightly older models but the older a console the more games it had, and besides, Kaiba could always just mess with the graphics disc and make the effects seem newer and high-tech. He did most anything his brother asked, and I only wished I had his money just to do the same for my family, get my father some help and a doctor.
After rewiring the mass of plugs and games, Mokuba eventually handed me an oddly shaped controller and flicked on this X-Box thing, loading the game 'Taxi Driver 3' and set it up for us to both race each other in the streets of a city called Miami. I'd been to Miami before, but it hadn't been pleasant or sunny the entire time, we had been in court during most the stay, fighting for custody.
Mokuba won four out of five games easily, and I just got lucky the last time. I guessed his fingers were getting sore, I had never seen someone hit the buttons and twist the control stick on a controller like Mokuba did, it was almost as if pressure mattered. I wondered distantly if he had ever broken a controller that way. We played for a few more hours, laughing and teasing the other about how they controlled their car. More often than not I started to goof off and drove drunkenly around the track, purposely running into other cars and narrating what the guy would be saying if he were, in fact, intoxicated. Mokuba loved it, and was beat red with tears in his eyes from laughing so hard. Neither of us noticed that Kaiba had come down stairs, standing against the wall just a few feet behind us and was watching intently.
"Lunch is ready." He said, and I swear to God both of us leapt three feet in the air as if we had been caught with our hands in the cookie jar after bedtime. Mokuba grinned enthusiastically at his brother, who quirked a smirk back and stood straight to leave us.
"Come on Jou, Molly's cooking is the best! You'll love it!"
"Alright, just let me fix these God-forsaken slippers."
Mokuba laughed again and ran ahead of Kaiba and me, who was purposely walking slowly for some reason. I jogged slightly, but only to catch up with Kaiba and not Mokuba. I looked at him, the slipper shoes still flopping despite my feeble attempts at tightening the ends, and stuck my hands back into my pockets. He made like he was ignoring me, arms still crossed but eyes not quite as icy as normal. I guess he just felt more comfortable at home.
"Why didn't you come up to my door yesterday? You could have knocked."
He didn't answer, and I fidgeted as he led us down the hall towards the main stairway, the one that was mildly narrow at the top and widened out at the bottom elegantly, graced with the light of an incredible chandelier.
"I didn't feel the need to." Was his quiet response, and he hesitated at the top of the stairs, just looking down them thoughtfully. "Why don't you leave?" He asked, his rustic voice almost a whisper, and I snapped my eyes towards him.
"I can't!"
"Why?" He asked again, calmly, and I quieted my nerves to try and think of an explanation.
I could leave, but that would mean living on the streets, stealing, and having to put Shizuka through all that was not an appealing thought. I had no where to go, no money to use, no other relatives to call on and no friends I wanted to burden. Yu-Gi would probably be over-sympathetic, Yami would just agree with his smaller lover, then there was Ryou, who would probably be the same as Yug but Bakura might get a little bothered and possessive. Marik and his dark half were out of the question, so was Anzu and Mai, which left Honda, the only person who could put up with me for a few days at a time. I was missing someone though, I realized, there was Kaiba and Mokuba on that list, they had plenty of rooms, enough of money to support this entire city on a moderate level, and with the size of this place and Kaiba's schedule we wouldn't be around him enough to bother him, not to mention we'd be keeping Mokuba company.
I shook my head quickly, actually coming to realize what I was contemplating, and glanced to Kaiba who was studying me curiously, awaiting my answer.
"I jus' can't Kaiba. As I told yah before, it's none of your business, so don worry 'bout it." I all but growled, and moved down the stairs, glaring at them as if it was their fault my family was disappearing, their fault I had actually fallen for Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Stoic, their fault I had no money and it was their fault I was so traumatized.
"Mutt." He called, and I grumbled, not really enjoying that name too much all of a sudden, with all the times he's used it to get my attention.
I would show him though, and didn't stop this time, no matter how much I wanted to, and kept walking. I got to the bottom of the stairs too quickly for some reason and walked off towards Mokuba's happy voice, not sure if I had heard right when I say I think I heard Kaiba murmur, 'I just want to help'.
~*~
The rest of the day had gone smoother, the sun coming out to heat the township up and to dry the rest of the mud and rain. This, of course, brought out the kids and their proud parents, brought out the footballs, baseballs and baseball mitts. I hung my head as the lot of the people started to filter away around me as I walked, the sun slowly setting, fading into orange and red before disappearing behind the tall pine trees in the park. After more games, dinner, and a round of street hockey once it was dry outside, Mokuba had tired himself out completely and been sent to bed by the ever watchful Kaiba. Kaiba himself had actually seen me to the door, eyes burning holes into my skin the entire time I was switching shoes and retrieving my jacket. It was semi-weird, the attention making me anxious and fretful for some reason.
The worse part was that he had asked if I would stop by tomorrow as well, for his brother's sake. If I didn't know any better, I would say the guy was up to something, but you never really did know when it came to Seto, and as much of a crush as I had on him I wouldn't question him either. It wouldn't benefit anyone to piss him off.
I sighed, unlocking the front door and walking into the silence of the house, drowned out by the noise of my father's snoring. I thanked God he was unconscious, and hurried as quietly as I could into the only bedroom located in the back at the end of the hallway. I opened and closed the creaky old door slowly, and then turned to face my sister, who sat up in bed, wide-awake.
"What are you doing awake still?" I whispered, and she smiled sleepily.
"Waiting for you silly. Come on and get some rest, I just wanted to make sure you came home ok."
I smiled warmly and set my jacket on the floor, taking off my t-shirt and pulling on a softer one to sleep in. It was longer so I could slip off my pants and look for a clean pair of boxers, seeing as how I didn't have any on currently due to the lack thereof, and shot Serenity a mock glare when she murmured a quiet cat call.
"Your just jealous you can't have what you see."
"Oh yes Jou, that's my biggest problem is wanting my brother's body and not being able to touch." I chuckled under my breath, slipping on the only under shorts I could find and joined her on the only bed, the sheet around her shoulders.
"So how'd the interview go?"
"Pretty good, I'm confident that I'll get the internship, I'm just worried about what dad will say when I'm gone as often as you are to work."
"Don't worry about him, all right? I'll take the brunt of his anger like I always do."
She looked at me guiltily but I hushed her when I hugged her tightly, sitting on the thin cot noiselessly. I lay down first, helping her spread the sheet to cover us equally, and she lay her head on my shoulder with her arm around my chest. I sighed through my nose, listening to her breath before she passed out exhausted from dealing with my father all day.
I couldn't close my eyes though; my mind was too busy with other things to get to the sleep part of tonight, and so I just relaxed and let the thoughts swirl. As if you didn't know already, they were mostly about Kaiba, the others about my sister's well being.
I groaned inwardly when those icy blue eyes popped into view, closing my own forcefully and stiffening under my sister's comfortable weight. Seto Kaiba's face was not something I wanted to fall asleep to; because when I did I always dreamt about him afterwards and then woke up with Shizuka asking me what I did to give myself morning wood. I shuddered then, never liking the face she gave me when she commented about how I was 'poking' her.
I rubbed my forehead with my free palm, before successfully diverting my mind to better, non-perverted things like school and work. I think I had to work for Ben tomorrow over at the Auto Shop (Discount Tire Co.), but I'd have to call and make sure before I went over to visit Mokuba like I had been asked. Which brought my train of thought back to Kaiba. I smacked myself mentally, and finally gave up. And as I fell asleep I grinned, wondering what my sister would do if she woke back up to me sleep- masturbating, remembering the bucket of ice I had gotten last time for it.
~*~
I groaned, half awake with my face buried into the only pillow on the bed and my hands clenching the sheets tightly. I was sweating as I moved, rubbing my lower body against the mattress almost desperately as the name 'Seto' kept threatening to roll off my tongue. I restrained though, finally opening my eyes to the bright morning sun and snapped up, currently forgetting my aroused state when I noticed my sister gone. I had actually been anticipating another drenching in cold water, and now sitting here a little disappointed and stuck with a rock hard erection just made me grumpy.
I knew Shizuka was back at her future office already, because my alarm clock said ten am and I knew I had over slept. I yawned into my hand stretching before flopping onto my back again and looking up at the ceiling. My fingers moved to the 'problem' standing proudly from my boxers and wrapped around the throbbing shaft, wringing a quiet moan from my throat. I licked my lips and pictured the cause of my early morning hard on, watching my mental image of Kaiba crouch over me in all his glorious nudity like a panther, eyeing me like a predator would his next meal. I began moving my hips to meet my hand when my imaginary lover lay his body against mine in the show that was going on behind my eyelids, and started panting lightly when I pretended his hand had moved down to replace mine as I stroked myself.
My eyes rolled into the back of my head as I came, biting my lip hard to keep from screaming out my passion as it made a mess of what was once my only pair of clean boxers. It was a few minutes before I managed to climb back down to reality, and got out of bed, pulling off the soiled shorts and tossing them into the wicker basket in the corner, hopefully not on any of Shizuka's clothes again.
I stopped when I saw a piece of paper laying at my feet, knowing it was from my sister because she knew I'd see it there when I got up. I picked up the note, and smirked as I read through it.
'Dear Bed Hog,
I left for the office at around 8 to make sure I got the job and sign paperwork; so don't worry if you wake up to me not being there. Father should be out with his drinking buddies for a while, so do what you gotta do and I'll meet you back at the house tonight.
Oh, and next time you feel like having another wet dream I don't mind the little moans and groans here and there but TRY not to scream "SETO!" in my ear please. I already have one annoying alarm clock.
Love, Shizuka'
I blushed furiously, before laughing it off nervously and crumpling the note. Although this meant my little sister knew who I had the 'hots' for, it also meant I was home alone as of now, and I couldn't help but enjoy the weight that left my chest at that feeling of slight freedom.
I pulled on a pair of faded blue jeans, scratching my stomach as it rumbled demandingly. I was starving, although last nights dinner at the Kaiba's had been more than satisfactory we didn't have bountiful food like that, no matter how much I wished we did. I gasped suddenly, in the midst of pulling on a cleaner black long sleeve shirt and remembered Kaiba asking for me to come back over, for 'Mokuba's sake' as he'd put it. I slapped my forehead, again, before quickly putting on my shoes and socks and grabbing my jacket off the floor from last night. I wondered if Kaiba had wanted me there at a specific time, but forgot that as I rushed out of the empty house, locking it behind me and slipping a key beneath the doormat for Shizuka later.
I practically ran the entire way; panting moderately by the time I made it up the sidewalk to the mansion. I met the gardener as he was walking out of the small shed connected to the side of the garage, and he grinned at me, stopping to set his tools against the side of the wall.
"Ello! Can I help you?" He asked, voice thick with an Australian accent.
"Yeah, I was here yesterday and Kai-.Mr. Kaiba asked if I'd come back today to keep his brother company."
"Ah, give me a sec an' I'll page the butler."
"Thanks."
I watched him walk back inside, and stuffed my hands inside my pockets as I waited, finally catching my breath and my heartbeat. I was nervous again, after last night's fiasco, which only made it worse, and I was afraid I was going to start blushing and stuttering like an idiot. I was hoping that wouldn't happen, and grinned politely at Oliver as he walked out to stand on the front step.
"Mr. Katsuya, Master Mokuba expects you in the Gaming Room."
"Thank you."
I followed him silently, changing into the same house slippers that hadn't fit me yesterday before he walked me to where the youngest Kaiba was waiting for me. When we reached our destination, Oliver stopped, looking around the dark room. Mokuba had left, turning off the lights and the butler looked at me once more.
"Forgive me, Master Mokuba seems to have left. I will take you to the library until I can locate the young master."
I nod and obediently walk in his footsteps to the room just down the hall, and he opens the door to let me inside the library. He leaves after, closing the door once more and I look in awe at the extensive collection of books in the room. The ceiling was high, but the bookcases circled the room on every wall, reaching the broad ceiling from the floor lacking any empty spaces. I glance around slowly, running my fingers across a couple books, reading their titles and actually surprised at finding Stephen King's entire collection of novels, short story collections, and all the books he rewrote. I even found one of the screenplays he wrote, the first edition copy of 'Maximum Overdrive', the version he only released to a hundred select buyers for a price that had been way over my head.
I whistled under my breath in amazement, but then yelped and nearly fell over in shock when I turned to see a person resting in a plush armchair. It wasn't just anyone though, it was Seto Kaiba, and he wasn't just resting, he was full out sleeping. I let out the breath I had sucked in and just looked at the for-once-in-his-life peacefully seeming young man, his head lolled to one side gently and an open book in his lap. He looked exhausted, small bags under his eyes, and I felt pity for him in that moment.
Curious though, I stepped forward a little closer and glanced at the title of the novel in his hands, a small smile splaying across my face as I made out the faded gold printed words of 'Hamlet'. So, Mr. High and Mighty did have a soft side. I chuckled inwardly, and stepped back quietly when the door was opened again and Oliver came in.
"Mr. Katsuya, if you'll follow me please."
I nod, and leave the limber CEO napping without making a sound.
Once in the hallway, the butler led me once again down the stairs and then outside through the back door in the kitchen. We were met with a large, expensive looking pool spanning a good two hundred into the backyard, the little black dot that constituted as Mokuba's head bobbing up and down in the very center.
"Hey Jou! Sorry I didn't wait until you got here, but it was such a nice day and I couldn't resist!"
I smiled, "Ah don't worry about it, I ain't got swim trunks anyway."
The boy frowned, before swimming closer and touching the edge nearest me. He turned to Oliver and thought for a moment.
"Where's my brother?" He asked the old man.
"In the library, sleeping Master Mokuba."
"Oh, well then leave him alone. He should have an extra swimsuit Jou could wear. Take him to go get for me?"
"Are you sure you shouldn't ask Master Seto first, young sir?"
"Nah, big brother wouldn't mind."
I fidgeted nervously, not too up for 'borrowing' Seto's clothes without him knowing, but the puppy dog look on the kid's face melted my resolve, and again I found myself back inside the maze of hallways, headed for the eldest Kaiba's bedroom.
I prayed the whole way there that Kaiba either stayed asleep and never notice a thing, or that he woke up now before I got to his room. As much as I was ready to jump the guy for the dream he invaded last night I didn't necessarily want him walking into his bedroom to find me naked and halfway into pulling HIS swimsuit up my legs. I shuddered at the thought, and cursed myself mentally, knowing the whole pool scene would be tonight's fantasy. Damnit.
But, to my luck, we got there to find it empty. Oliver dug through a drawer for a whole second before brandishing a navy blue pair of trunks and handing them to me delicately.
"When you are finished I assume you can find your way back out. I will be around the house incase either you or the young master needs me."
And with that he was gone. I paused though, in the thick silence to take in the sheer size of Seto's bedroom. I bet that I could fit my entire house in this place, and that's not saying a lot, but it still amazed me that someone could be content in such a large room, all by themselves. I shook my head with a huff and undressed quickly, setting my old clothes in a pile on his new carpet and held up the swimming shorts. I knew they would be too big, I could already tell just by looking at them, but sighed and bent down to slip a foot inside anyway.
And would you believe it, of all the times I had asked God not to wake Seto the CEO chose that moment to waltz into his room, greeted by the sight of my very naked ass sticking straight up in the air. I froze and looked over my shoulder, face beat red to find him standing there, mouth slightly hanging open and eyes wide, his eyebrows disappearing beneath his hairline. I managed a wavering grin and slowly stood back up to drag the shorts the rest of the way up, and stayed facing away from him as I collected my clothes. Neither of us spoke for a good ten minutes, and I clenched my teeth together hard, waiting for him to say something, anything, to lighten the situation and recreate the mood as if this had never happened. But he didn't.
"Well, that was certainly a somewhat different, image to fully wake up to." He murmured, and I finally turned to face him, knowing all the blood in my body had rushed to my face, and swallowed the lump in my throat.
"Uh," I stuttered for a moment. "Mokuba, sent me in here with, uh, Oliver and um, told me to, uh, put on one of your, bathing suits. He kind of, um, wanted me to swim with him and I, uh didn't have my own suit."
Once I had finally managed to get those two difficult sentences out nothing else seemed to move, Seto's eye twitched sure but other than that I was left to look my usual idiotic self once more, standing where as I should be bowing. I felt so insignificant under Seto's slowly hardening gaze as he set his mind straight, facial expression returning to his normal blank stare before he moved and made room for me to exit. I took the hint and all but bolted from the room, down the stairs and outside before Seto could say anything else that would embarrass me further.
I kicked myself the rest of that day, both thankful and disappointed I didn't see the eldest Kaiba again before I left for home. And if this wouldn't put a permanent dent in my book of 'Best All-Time Screw Ups' then I couldn't imagine what would.
~*~
TBC.
~*~
So, how do you like the change thus far? Yeah, and if you couldn't tell, I changed the plot a little. LOL. See if you can't figure out what this story is all about now. I'll give you a hint, it's not JUST about Seto and Jou getting together either.
Warnings: ANGSTY YAOI LEMON, shoo kiddies.
Pairings: Seto/Jou
Notes: The title does not mean this is another PWP arc, but I do warn you, each part is extremely long.
Thanks: To NEB, the dork who once again, slave-drove me into writing this Arc. He pities the pairings that I don't pay much attention to when it comes to lemons so this one is ALL about the S/J.
~*~
The rain had stopped by the time I woke up, groggily rolling out of the small twin sized bed I shared with Shizuka. Our father chose to sleep on the couch most of the time, but if he felt so inclined some days he'd throw us out of this one bedroom. That happened very rarely anymore because his drinking had gotten worse, and he usually drank until he passed out, which was the floor more often than the couch even.
I yawned and stretched, tucking the thin sheet around my sister's frail body before slipping on my shoes and a different shirt. I didn't bother changing the jeans I had slept in, they were still warm from my body heat, so I wasn't complaining. It was cold this morning, I noticed, looking out the small window that was just over our bed. I shivered, leaning over to pick up the electric heater that Shizuka and me hardly ever used and walked out into the cramped hallway.
I relaxed when I heard the loud snores of my father and walked into the small, gray den, setting the device on the coffee table before going to the coat closet. There was only one coat in there, and an old broom, but thankfully, two extra blankets on the top shelf. I grabbed both, covered my father with one, and my sister with the other, throwing the thicker jacket on and hooking up the small heater so that it washed warm air across my fathers face. After that was done, I left silently.
The sidewalks changed from shattered to brand new pretty quickly, our neighborhood bordering Kaiba's. They were two very different places for people to live, each a drastic change from the other with no middle separating the two. The rich could always jeer at us, and we the poor could always sulk at them.
I envied them, all of them, with their large three story homes, their luxurious Jaguars and Porsches, the family life all of them seemed to share. I envied the fathers running around the front yard with their sons, playing football or washing their expensive vehicles. Today though, it was gloomy, the land barely soaking up all the rain we had last night, so everyone was inside. Lethargy swept up from the new neighborhood as I walked through it like a wind, enticing anyone to stop and relax. The people weren't thinking along the same lines of course with Mother Nature, but it was all the same.
I shoved my hands in my jean pockets as an exceptionally lofty home came into view around the corner, the paneling a bright white with the trim and the shutters a dark navy blue. The door was pitch black and just over it was a plaque that read 'Kaiba Corp. Owners'. I shook my head, I'd been here before, but it still stunned me that two people would be happy living in a maze like that. I don't know about them, but I'd sure as hell be one lonely young man. But knowing me, I'd probably get lost anyway, which would keep me occupied.
I rang the doorbell gingerly, nervous about being in the same house as Kaiba, but I was always nervous inwardly around the man. It was just this air of pride that constantly surrounded him that kind of drew me to him like a moth to a light, and I was persistently afraid of doing something stupid to make him think less of me. I know, sounds melodramatic, but that was the mood for today.
A tall, graying man answered the door, nose high in the air and kind amber eyes the same color as mine. He smiled faintly and bowed slightly to me, before ushering me inside and politely taking my jacket, telling me to slip off my shoes by the door and brought me a pair of black house slippers. They were a tad big, and the man, Oliver he said his name was, told me they were a pair of 'Master Kaiba's'. I couldn't help but grin at the address the guy had given the billionaire, and followed him down a network of hallways to what looked and sounded to be a game room. Mokuba was in there, currently busy with a virtual reality game that was displayed on a large TV screen in front of him. He couldn't see us enter, but I think he heard us, because he turned towards the door and lifted the front part of the helmet to see straight.
"Jou! You made it!" He cried, taking off the gear to run up to me. He didn't hesitate this time to hug me tightly around my waist, and I laughed lightly, hugging him back although he was unknowingly putting pressure on the bruise from my father's foot last night.
"I told yah I'd come by."
"Thanks, you're the only person that really actually talks to me that doesn't just want to use my stuff." He mumbled, muffled by my shirt.
I ruffled his hair as he stepped away and grinned up at me, and I felt a swell of possessiveness towards the little boy, not quite young but still younger than Shizuka by at least a year. I think that's why I felt like I should protect him, even if he already had a big brother, it was almost automatic.
"Come on, let's race!"
I let Mokuba drag me over to another far corner of the room, the too big slippers I was wearing slapping against the carpet and almost slipping off a couple of times. Mokuba wore similar slippers, except they were dull silver from being worn so much and they actually fit him.
He set us up in front of another semi-large screen, which was hooked up to run all the game consoles the boy had. I swear I had never even heard of some of them, most being slightly older models but the older a console the more games it had, and besides, Kaiba could always just mess with the graphics disc and make the effects seem newer and high-tech. He did most anything his brother asked, and I only wished I had his money just to do the same for my family, get my father some help and a doctor.
After rewiring the mass of plugs and games, Mokuba eventually handed me an oddly shaped controller and flicked on this X-Box thing, loading the game 'Taxi Driver 3' and set it up for us to both race each other in the streets of a city called Miami. I'd been to Miami before, but it hadn't been pleasant or sunny the entire time, we had been in court during most the stay, fighting for custody.
Mokuba won four out of five games easily, and I just got lucky the last time. I guessed his fingers were getting sore, I had never seen someone hit the buttons and twist the control stick on a controller like Mokuba did, it was almost as if pressure mattered. I wondered distantly if he had ever broken a controller that way. We played for a few more hours, laughing and teasing the other about how they controlled their car. More often than not I started to goof off and drove drunkenly around the track, purposely running into other cars and narrating what the guy would be saying if he were, in fact, intoxicated. Mokuba loved it, and was beat red with tears in his eyes from laughing so hard. Neither of us noticed that Kaiba had come down stairs, standing against the wall just a few feet behind us and was watching intently.
"Lunch is ready." He said, and I swear to God both of us leapt three feet in the air as if we had been caught with our hands in the cookie jar after bedtime. Mokuba grinned enthusiastically at his brother, who quirked a smirk back and stood straight to leave us.
"Come on Jou, Molly's cooking is the best! You'll love it!"
"Alright, just let me fix these God-forsaken slippers."
Mokuba laughed again and ran ahead of Kaiba and me, who was purposely walking slowly for some reason. I jogged slightly, but only to catch up with Kaiba and not Mokuba. I looked at him, the slipper shoes still flopping despite my feeble attempts at tightening the ends, and stuck my hands back into my pockets. He made like he was ignoring me, arms still crossed but eyes not quite as icy as normal. I guess he just felt more comfortable at home.
"Why didn't you come up to my door yesterday? You could have knocked."
He didn't answer, and I fidgeted as he led us down the hall towards the main stairway, the one that was mildly narrow at the top and widened out at the bottom elegantly, graced with the light of an incredible chandelier.
"I didn't feel the need to." Was his quiet response, and he hesitated at the top of the stairs, just looking down them thoughtfully. "Why don't you leave?" He asked, his rustic voice almost a whisper, and I snapped my eyes towards him.
"I can't!"
"Why?" He asked again, calmly, and I quieted my nerves to try and think of an explanation.
I could leave, but that would mean living on the streets, stealing, and having to put Shizuka through all that was not an appealing thought. I had no where to go, no money to use, no other relatives to call on and no friends I wanted to burden. Yu-Gi would probably be over-sympathetic, Yami would just agree with his smaller lover, then there was Ryou, who would probably be the same as Yug but Bakura might get a little bothered and possessive. Marik and his dark half were out of the question, so was Anzu and Mai, which left Honda, the only person who could put up with me for a few days at a time. I was missing someone though, I realized, there was Kaiba and Mokuba on that list, they had plenty of rooms, enough of money to support this entire city on a moderate level, and with the size of this place and Kaiba's schedule we wouldn't be around him enough to bother him, not to mention we'd be keeping Mokuba company.
I shook my head quickly, actually coming to realize what I was contemplating, and glanced to Kaiba who was studying me curiously, awaiting my answer.
"I jus' can't Kaiba. As I told yah before, it's none of your business, so don worry 'bout it." I all but growled, and moved down the stairs, glaring at them as if it was their fault my family was disappearing, their fault I had actually fallen for Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Stoic, their fault I had no money and it was their fault I was so traumatized.
"Mutt." He called, and I grumbled, not really enjoying that name too much all of a sudden, with all the times he's used it to get my attention.
I would show him though, and didn't stop this time, no matter how much I wanted to, and kept walking. I got to the bottom of the stairs too quickly for some reason and walked off towards Mokuba's happy voice, not sure if I had heard right when I say I think I heard Kaiba murmur, 'I just want to help'.
~*~
The rest of the day had gone smoother, the sun coming out to heat the township up and to dry the rest of the mud and rain. This, of course, brought out the kids and their proud parents, brought out the footballs, baseballs and baseball mitts. I hung my head as the lot of the people started to filter away around me as I walked, the sun slowly setting, fading into orange and red before disappearing behind the tall pine trees in the park. After more games, dinner, and a round of street hockey once it was dry outside, Mokuba had tired himself out completely and been sent to bed by the ever watchful Kaiba. Kaiba himself had actually seen me to the door, eyes burning holes into my skin the entire time I was switching shoes and retrieving my jacket. It was semi-weird, the attention making me anxious and fretful for some reason.
The worse part was that he had asked if I would stop by tomorrow as well, for his brother's sake. If I didn't know any better, I would say the guy was up to something, but you never really did know when it came to Seto, and as much of a crush as I had on him I wouldn't question him either. It wouldn't benefit anyone to piss him off.
I sighed, unlocking the front door and walking into the silence of the house, drowned out by the noise of my father's snoring. I thanked God he was unconscious, and hurried as quietly as I could into the only bedroom located in the back at the end of the hallway. I opened and closed the creaky old door slowly, and then turned to face my sister, who sat up in bed, wide-awake.
"What are you doing awake still?" I whispered, and she smiled sleepily.
"Waiting for you silly. Come on and get some rest, I just wanted to make sure you came home ok."
I smiled warmly and set my jacket on the floor, taking off my t-shirt and pulling on a softer one to sleep in. It was longer so I could slip off my pants and look for a clean pair of boxers, seeing as how I didn't have any on currently due to the lack thereof, and shot Serenity a mock glare when she murmured a quiet cat call.
"Your just jealous you can't have what you see."
"Oh yes Jou, that's my biggest problem is wanting my brother's body and not being able to touch." I chuckled under my breath, slipping on the only under shorts I could find and joined her on the only bed, the sheet around her shoulders.
"So how'd the interview go?"
"Pretty good, I'm confident that I'll get the internship, I'm just worried about what dad will say when I'm gone as often as you are to work."
"Don't worry about him, all right? I'll take the brunt of his anger like I always do."
She looked at me guiltily but I hushed her when I hugged her tightly, sitting on the thin cot noiselessly. I lay down first, helping her spread the sheet to cover us equally, and she lay her head on my shoulder with her arm around my chest. I sighed through my nose, listening to her breath before she passed out exhausted from dealing with my father all day.
I couldn't close my eyes though; my mind was too busy with other things to get to the sleep part of tonight, and so I just relaxed and let the thoughts swirl. As if you didn't know already, they were mostly about Kaiba, the others about my sister's well being.
I groaned inwardly when those icy blue eyes popped into view, closing my own forcefully and stiffening under my sister's comfortable weight. Seto Kaiba's face was not something I wanted to fall asleep to; because when I did I always dreamt about him afterwards and then woke up with Shizuka asking me what I did to give myself morning wood. I shuddered then, never liking the face she gave me when she commented about how I was 'poking' her.
I rubbed my forehead with my free palm, before successfully diverting my mind to better, non-perverted things like school and work. I think I had to work for Ben tomorrow over at the Auto Shop (Discount Tire Co.), but I'd have to call and make sure before I went over to visit Mokuba like I had been asked. Which brought my train of thought back to Kaiba. I smacked myself mentally, and finally gave up. And as I fell asleep I grinned, wondering what my sister would do if she woke back up to me sleep- masturbating, remembering the bucket of ice I had gotten last time for it.
~*~
I groaned, half awake with my face buried into the only pillow on the bed and my hands clenching the sheets tightly. I was sweating as I moved, rubbing my lower body against the mattress almost desperately as the name 'Seto' kept threatening to roll off my tongue. I restrained though, finally opening my eyes to the bright morning sun and snapped up, currently forgetting my aroused state when I noticed my sister gone. I had actually been anticipating another drenching in cold water, and now sitting here a little disappointed and stuck with a rock hard erection just made me grumpy.
I knew Shizuka was back at her future office already, because my alarm clock said ten am and I knew I had over slept. I yawned into my hand stretching before flopping onto my back again and looking up at the ceiling. My fingers moved to the 'problem' standing proudly from my boxers and wrapped around the throbbing shaft, wringing a quiet moan from my throat. I licked my lips and pictured the cause of my early morning hard on, watching my mental image of Kaiba crouch over me in all his glorious nudity like a panther, eyeing me like a predator would his next meal. I began moving my hips to meet my hand when my imaginary lover lay his body against mine in the show that was going on behind my eyelids, and started panting lightly when I pretended his hand had moved down to replace mine as I stroked myself.
My eyes rolled into the back of my head as I came, biting my lip hard to keep from screaming out my passion as it made a mess of what was once my only pair of clean boxers. It was a few minutes before I managed to climb back down to reality, and got out of bed, pulling off the soiled shorts and tossing them into the wicker basket in the corner, hopefully not on any of Shizuka's clothes again.
I stopped when I saw a piece of paper laying at my feet, knowing it was from my sister because she knew I'd see it there when I got up. I picked up the note, and smirked as I read through it.
'Dear Bed Hog,
I left for the office at around 8 to make sure I got the job and sign paperwork; so don't worry if you wake up to me not being there. Father should be out with his drinking buddies for a while, so do what you gotta do and I'll meet you back at the house tonight.
Oh, and next time you feel like having another wet dream I don't mind the little moans and groans here and there but TRY not to scream "SETO!" in my ear please. I already have one annoying alarm clock.
Love, Shizuka'
I blushed furiously, before laughing it off nervously and crumpling the note. Although this meant my little sister knew who I had the 'hots' for, it also meant I was home alone as of now, and I couldn't help but enjoy the weight that left my chest at that feeling of slight freedom.
I pulled on a pair of faded blue jeans, scratching my stomach as it rumbled demandingly. I was starving, although last nights dinner at the Kaiba's had been more than satisfactory we didn't have bountiful food like that, no matter how much I wished we did. I gasped suddenly, in the midst of pulling on a cleaner black long sleeve shirt and remembered Kaiba asking for me to come back over, for 'Mokuba's sake' as he'd put it. I slapped my forehead, again, before quickly putting on my shoes and socks and grabbing my jacket off the floor from last night. I wondered if Kaiba had wanted me there at a specific time, but forgot that as I rushed out of the empty house, locking it behind me and slipping a key beneath the doormat for Shizuka later.
I practically ran the entire way; panting moderately by the time I made it up the sidewalk to the mansion. I met the gardener as he was walking out of the small shed connected to the side of the garage, and he grinned at me, stopping to set his tools against the side of the wall.
"Ello! Can I help you?" He asked, voice thick with an Australian accent.
"Yeah, I was here yesterday and Kai-.Mr. Kaiba asked if I'd come back today to keep his brother company."
"Ah, give me a sec an' I'll page the butler."
"Thanks."
I watched him walk back inside, and stuffed my hands inside my pockets as I waited, finally catching my breath and my heartbeat. I was nervous again, after last night's fiasco, which only made it worse, and I was afraid I was going to start blushing and stuttering like an idiot. I was hoping that wouldn't happen, and grinned politely at Oliver as he walked out to stand on the front step.
"Mr. Katsuya, Master Mokuba expects you in the Gaming Room."
"Thank you."
I followed him silently, changing into the same house slippers that hadn't fit me yesterday before he walked me to where the youngest Kaiba was waiting for me. When we reached our destination, Oliver stopped, looking around the dark room. Mokuba had left, turning off the lights and the butler looked at me once more.
"Forgive me, Master Mokuba seems to have left. I will take you to the library until I can locate the young master."
I nod and obediently walk in his footsteps to the room just down the hall, and he opens the door to let me inside the library. He leaves after, closing the door once more and I look in awe at the extensive collection of books in the room. The ceiling was high, but the bookcases circled the room on every wall, reaching the broad ceiling from the floor lacking any empty spaces. I glance around slowly, running my fingers across a couple books, reading their titles and actually surprised at finding Stephen King's entire collection of novels, short story collections, and all the books he rewrote. I even found one of the screenplays he wrote, the first edition copy of 'Maximum Overdrive', the version he only released to a hundred select buyers for a price that had been way over my head.
I whistled under my breath in amazement, but then yelped and nearly fell over in shock when I turned to see a person resting in a plush armchair. It wasn't just anyone though, it was Seto Kaiba, and he wasn't just resting, he was full out sleeping. I let out the breath I had sucked in and just looked at the for-once-in-his-life peacefully seeming young man, his head lolled to one side gently and an open book in his lap. He looked exhausted, small bags under his eyes, and I felt pity for him in that moment.
Curious though, I stepped forward a little closer and glanced at the title of the novel in his hands, a small smile splaying across my face as I made out the faded gold printed words of 'Hamlet'. So, Mr. High and Mighty did have a soft side. I chuckled inwardly, and stepped back quietly when the door was opened again and Oliver came in.
"Mr. Katsuya, if you'll follow me please."
I nod, and leave the limber CEO napping without making a sound.
Once in the hallway, the butler led me once again down the stairs and then outside through the back door in the kitchen. We were met with a large, expensive looking pool spanning a good two hundred into the backyard, the little black dot that constituted as Mokuba's head bobbing up and down in the very center.
"Hey Jou! Sorry I didn't wait until you got here, but it was such a nice day and I couldn't resist!"
I smiled, "Ah don't worry about it, I ain't got swim trunks anyway."
The boy frowned, before swimming closer and touching the edge nearest me. He turned to Oliver and thought for a moment.
"Where's my brother?" He asked the old man.
"In the library, sleeping Master Mokuba."
"Oh, well then leave him alone. He should have an extra swimsuit Jou could wear. Take him to go get for me?"
"Are you sure you shouldn't ask Master Seto first, young sir?"
"Nah, big brother wouldn't mind."
I fidgeted nervously, not too up for 'borrowing' Seto's clothes without him knowing, but the puppy dog look on the kid's face melted my resolve, and again I found myself back inside the maze of hallways, headed for the eldest Kaiba's bedroom.
I prayed the whole way there that Kaiba either stayed asleep and never notice a thing, or that he woke up now before I got to his room. As much as I was ready to jump the guy for the dream he invaded last night I didn't necessarily want him walking into his bedroom to find me naked and halfway into pulling HIS swimsuit up my legs. I shuddered at the thought, and cursed myself mentally, knowing the whole pool scene would be tonight's fantasy. Damnit.
But, to my luck, we got there to find it empty. Oliver dug through a drawer for a whole second before brandishing a navy blue pair of trunks and handing them to me delicately.
"When you are finished I assume you can find your way back out. I will be around the house incase either you or the young master needs me."
And with that he was gone. I paused though, in the thick silence to take in the sheer size of Seto's bedroom. I bet that I could fit my entire house in this place, and that's not saying a lot, but it still amazed me that someone could be content in such a large room, all by themselves. I shook my head with a huff and undressed quickly, setting my old clothes in a pile on his new carpet and held up the swimming shorts. I knew they would be too big, I could already tell just by looking at them, but sighed and bent down to slip a foot inside anyway.
And would you believe it, of all the times I had asked God not to wake Seto the CEO chose that moment to waltz into his room, greeted by the sight of my very naked ass sticking straight up in the air. I froze and looked over my shoulder, face beat red to find him standing there, mouth slightly hanging open and eyes wide, his eyebrows disappearing beneath his hairline. I managed a wavering grin and slowly stood back up to drag the shorts the rest of the way up, and stayed facing away from him as I collected my clothes. Neither of us spoke for a good ten minutes, and I clenched my teeth together hard, waiting for him to say something, anything, to lighten the situation and recreate the mood as if this had never happened. But he didn't.
"Well, that was certainly a somewhat different, image to fully wake up to." He murmured, and I finally turned to face him, knowing all the blood in my body had rushed to my face, and swallowed the lump in my throat.
"Uh," I stuttered for a moment. "Mokuba, sent me in here with, uh, Oliver and um, told me to, uh, put on one of your, bathing suits. He kind of, um, wanted me to swim with him and I, uh didn't have my own suit."
Once I had finally managed to get those two difficult sentences out nothing else seemed to move, Seto's eye twitched sure but other than that I was left to look my usual idiotic self once more, standing where as I should be bowing. I felt so insignificant under Seto's slowly hardening gaze as he set his mind straight, facial expression returning to his normal blank stare before he moved and made room for me to exit. I took the hint and all but bolted from the room, down the stairs and outside before Seto could say anything else that would embarrass me further.
I kicked myself the rest of that day, both thankful and disappointed I didn't see the eldest Kaiba again before I left for home. And if this wouldn't put a permanent dent in my book of 'Best All-Time Screw Ups' then I couldn't imagine what would.
~*~
TBC.
~*~
So, how do you like the change thus far? Yeah, and if you couldn't tell, I changed the plot a little. LOL. See if you can't figure out what this story is all about now. I'll give you a hint, it's not JUST about Seto and Jou getting together either.