Bringing Up Jou
Chapter 3
Rating: PG(may go up later)
Author: Moonchild DJ
E-Mail: moonchilddj@yahoo.com
URL: www.angelfire.com/anime4/animehime
Disclaimer: Yugioh and anything relating to it doesn't belong to me, it belongs to the lovely various companies that made it. I just own this storyline and plot, so please don't take. ^^
Author's Notes: Kon'wa, minna-chan! Moonchild DJ is baaaack! ^___^ I'm back with a new chapter to "Bringing Up Jou"!! *bounces* I'm glad you guys like it so much, considering I wrack my brain to come up with a new chapter! I hope you all like, and I'll get the next chapter out sooner than I did this one. Gomen for the wait! **This chapter is dedicated to Fire Tears, who bugs me to no end for something new to this ficcie..just kidding, girl! ^_~ Enjoy, and get a new chapter to "Demon Love" out!**
/..../=Yugi speaking to Yami
//...//=Yami speaking to Yugi
*********
Yugi sighed as he saw Pegasus' castle through the trees. Never had the place looked so close, yet so far away. He knew he and the others would eventually make it to the castle after winning so many duels, but now it was so important..and he couldn't get there fast enough.
It had been a rough night for them all, worrying about Jounouchi in Kaiba's hands, but they had no choice. They certainly couldn't drag a baby through their trek, but worry and lack of sleep made them cranky and short-tempered this day. Even gentle Ryou and always-chipper Anzu were snapping at each other.
/This mission can't end soon enough for me, Yami./ He sent to his other half with a sigh in his mental voice.
//I know, Aibou. This is a difficult turn of events, but we have to do this for Jounouchi. Just a little farther and we'll be there...//
/True..if my sanity lasts that long../
A soft chuckle came from Yami. //Well, I could always send them to the Shadow Realm to cool off...//
/I may just take you up on that!/
******
Seto shook his head, regretting the decision to let Jou have that candy bar he had found stashed in a goody bag near where Yugi and the others had slept. The little blond was nearly ricocheting off the campsite, getting into trouble every time his back was turned.
"How do parents do it without going insane or strangling their kids?" he muttered, watching Jou bounce all over the place. Jou and candy do not mix..thank the gods Mokuba was never like this, or he would've lost his mind.
Jou stopped in front of him, practically bouncing in place.
"Come an' play, S'to! Come an' play with me!"
Seto sweatdropped. Play? Him? With the little mu--with Jou? There was no way on earth he was going to do that.
"I don't play, Jou."
"Why?"
"Because I'm an adult..well..nearly an adult. Adults don't play."
The eyebrows frowned under the shaggy mop of blond hair as Jou looked at him. "Why?"
"Because we're grown-ups. We don't play like kids."
"Why?"
Seto's eyebrow twitched in a nervous tic. He'd read somewhere that kids like to ask a lot of questions..he didn't remember doing it himself, but if Jou asked 'why' one more time, he wouldn't be responsible for his actions...
"Because!"
"....Why?"
"You little..!" Seto swiped at him, but missed, surprised at how quick the chibi was. Jou laughed, dancing back as Seto swiped for him again.
"Catch me if ya can, S'to!" he shrieked in childish boisterness, ducking out of Seto's reach and dashing into the trees, with a growling Seto right behind him.
Eventually, Seto's anger evaporated, and he even laughed as he played an impulsive game of tag with him, running around trees and through bushes, delighting in Jou's squeals of glee. He'd practically been a kid himself when he and Mokuba's parents died, forcing him to grow up too soon and look after his little brother. So he'd never got to play games, and Mokuba was entirely too grown-up to play games like a normal kid. So it was a sort of catch-up to play now..and he'd never had so much fun in his life.
After finally caching the squirming, laughing blond, he tucked him under his arm like a football, chuckling softly, and headed back to the campsite.
"That was fun, S'to!" Jou grinned as Seto put him down, hugging him around the waist. Seto smiled, tousling his hair.
"Are you satisfied, now?"
"Hai!" Jou beamed at him. "Can we do it again?"
Seto groaned, sitting down with a laugh. "Again?"
Jou nodded, his big brown eyes going puppy-like. "On'gai?"
"Erk..." Those eyes again. How was he supposed to resist them? He was quickly coming to learn those eyes could wrap him around Jou's little finger.
"On'gai, S'to?"
He sighed with a deafeated air, laughing mentally at himself. "Alright, okay..what do you want to play?"
Jou's grin spread from ear to ear. "Hide an' Seek!"
******
The sun was setting--and Seto still hadn't found Jou. He had to admit, Jou was very good at this game, probably because he'd played it with his own little sister. He'd heard that he and Jou's lives were pretty much the same, each having a younger sibling to protect from a tough life, only he and Mokuba had lost their parents, while Jou and his sister's parents had split up and divored. But he'd protected his sister, just like he protected Mokuba. And now he had to protect him..if he could find him.
"Jou? Jounouchi? C'mon, it's getting late.." he called out. "Enough playing today..come on, Jou.." He was getting worried. He knew he shouldn't have agreed to hide and seek, it was too dangerous out here. "Jou?"
"Looking for this?" A syrupy feminine voice asked behind him, and he turned to be met with a riot of blonde and purple that turned out to be another duelist, Mai Kiejaku, holding a sleeping Jou in her arms gently.
Seto blinked, then breathed a sigh of relief. "Where was he?"
Mai grinned, pushing back her blonde hair from her violet eyes. "Found him sleeping against a tree nearby my campsite. Then I heard you calling." She glanced down at him. "Is this really Jounouchi?"
Seto nodded. "Long story. Pegasus' doing, and Yugi and the others went to go fix everything."
Mai nodded, moving forward to gently place Jou in his arms. "So what's he like as a kid?"
He smirked. "A pain, as usual." He glanced down, blushing slightly as Jou snuggled against him with a content little sigh.
Mai winked, laughing. "Sure. Looks like this little thing is just what you two need to settle your differences."
Seto glanced down at him. "He's just a kid. He doesn't remember our battles. But who's to say that he won't remember when he gets back to normal?"
"Who's to say that he won't forgive you? Jounouchi's got a kind heart, and I think things could change after how well you take care of him."
"What if he forgets..?"
"Do you want him to?"
"......"
"I take that as a no..well, if he does, you'll just have to start over again from scratch. Make him your friend, not your enemy the next time." Mai's eyes narrowed in sudden suspicion, a smirk appearing on her face as she tapped her fingertip against her cheek. "In fact..I think I've been looking at you two's relationship all wrong."
Seto blinked, frowning. "What do you mean?"
"You wouldn't be upset about losing Jounouchi's friendship and trust if you truly hated him like you claim to in your well-known fights. In fact..I think you care more about him than you let on."
"I..I don't know what you're talking about..."
"I think you do, even if you haven't admitted it to yourself. I think you love Jounouchi."
Seto about dropped the little boy in surprise at Mai's words. He blinked at her, speechless for a few minutes.
"I think you've lost your mind. The mutt is still m..my enemy. I was just roped into taking care of him while Yugi and the others went to put things back to rights."
Mai smirked. "Right. You just keep telling yourself that, and maybe sooner or later, you'll believe it."
Seto glared at her, ignoring her words, and turned and left with the chibi- fied subject of their talk, his thoughts spinning in his head. She couldn't possibly be right..could she? He glanced down at the sleeping boy in his arms. He went through all the arguments they'd had before this had happened, all the words said.
He shook his head. "She has to be wrong. It can't possibly be that way."
Still, as he put Jou to bed, watching him sleep, he couldn't help but be troubled by Mai's words.
********
~End Chapter 3~
********
*ducks various objects thrown at her* Ack! Okay, okay, so it's a cliffie! Don't kill me! *^-^* Let me know what you think, peoples! Review, review, review! *points down to the review button and runs for it before more things can be thrown* Chapter 4 coming sooooooon!
Chapter 3
Rating: PG(may go up later)
Author: Moonchild DJ
E-Mail: moonchilddj@yahoo.com
URL: www.angelfire.com/anime4/animehime
Disclaimer: Yugioh and anything relating to it doesn't belong to me, it belongs to the lovely various companies that made it. I just own this storyline and plot, so please don't take. ^^
Author's Notes: Kon'wa, minna-chan! Moonchild DJ is baaaack! ^___^ I'm back with a new chapter to "Bringing Up Jou"!! *bounces* I'm glad you guys like it so much, considering I wrack my brain to come up with a new chapter! I hope you all like, and I'll get the next chapter out sooner than I did this one. Gomen for the wait! **This chapter is dedicated to Fire Tears, who bugs me to no end for something new to this ficcie..just kidding, girl! ^_~ Enjoy, and get a new chapter to "Demon Love" out!**
/..../=Yugi speaking to Yami
//...//=Yami speaking to Yugi
*********
Yugi sighed as he saw Pegasus' castle through the trees. Never had the place looked so close, yet so far away. He knew he and the others would eventually make it to the castle after winning so many duels, but now it was so important..and he couldn't get there fast enough.
It had been a rough night for them all, worrying about Jounouchi in Kaiba's hands, but they had no choice. They certainly couldn't drag a baby through their trek, but worry and lack of sleep made them cranky and short-tempered this day. Even gentle Ryou and always-chipper Anzu were snapping at each other.
/This mission can't end soon enough for me, Yami./ He sent to his other half with a sigh in his mental voice.
//I know, Aibou. This is a difficult turn of events, but we have to do this for Jounouchi. Just a little farther and we'll be there...//
/True..if my sanity lasts that long../
A soft chuckle came from Yami. //Well, I could always send them to the Shadow Realm to cool off...//
/I may just take you up on that!/
******
Seto shook his head, regretting the decision to let Jou have that candy bar he had found stashed in a goody bag near where Yugi and the others had slept. The little blond was nearly ricocheting off the campsite, getting into trouble every time his back was turned.
"How do parents do it without going insane or strangling their kids?" he muttered, watching Jou bounce all over the place. Jou and candy do not mix..thank the gods Mokuba was never like this, or he would've lost his mind.
Jou stopped in front of him, practically bouncing in place.
"Come an' play, S'to! Come an' play with me!"
Seto sweatdropped. Play? Him? With the little mu--with Jou? There was no way on earth he was going to do that.
"I don't play, Jou."
"Why?"
"Because I'm an adult..well..nearly an adult. Adults don't play."
The eyebrows frowned under the shaggy mop of blond hair as Jou looked at him. "Why?"
"Because we're grown-ups. We don't play like kids."
"Why?"
Seto's eyebrow twitched in a nervous tic. He'd read somewhere that kids like to ask a lot of questions..he didn't remember doing it himself, but if Jou asked 'why' one more time, he wouldn't be responsible for his actions...
"Because!"
"....Why?"
"You little..!" Seto swiped at him, but missed, surprised at how quick the chibi was. Jou laughed, dancing back as Seto swiped for him again.
"Catch me if ya can, S'to!" he shrieked in childish boisterness, ducking out of Seto's reach and dashing into the trees, with a growling Seto right behind him.
Eventually, Seto's anger evaporated, and he even laughed as he played an impulsive game of tag with him, running around trees and through bushes, delighting in Jou's squeals of glee. He'd practically been a kid himself when he and Mokuba's parents died, forcing him to grow up too soon and look after his little brother. So he'd never got to play games, and Mokuba was entirely too grown-up to play games like a normal kid. So it was a sort of catch-up to play now..and he'd never had so much fun in his life.
After finally caching the squirming, laughing blond, he tucked him under his arm like a football, chuckling softly, and headed back to the campsite.
"That was fun, S'to!" Jou grinned as Seto put him down, hugging him around the waist. Seto smiled, tousling his hair.
"Are you satisfied, now?"
"Hai!" Jou beamed at him. "Can we do it again?"
Seto groaned, sitting down with a laugh. "Again?"
Jou nodded, his big brown eyes going puppy-like. "On'gai?"
"Erk..." Those eyes again. How was he supposed to resist them? He was quickly coming to learn those eyes could wrap him around Jou's little finger.
"On'gai, S'to?"
He sighed with a deafeated air, laughing mentally at himself. "Alright, okay..what do you want to play?"
Jou's grin spread from ear to ear. "Hide an' Seek!"
******
The sun was setting--and Seto still hadn't found Jou. He had to admit, Jou was very good at this game, probably because he'd played it with his own little sister. He'd heard that he and Jou's lives were pretty much the same, each having a younger sibling to protect from a tough life, only he and Mokuba had lost their parents, while Jou and his sister's parents had split up and divored. But he'd protected his sister, just like he protected Mokuba. And now he had to protect him..if he could find him.
"Jou? Jounouchi? C'mon, it's getting late.." he called out. "Enough playing today..come on, Jou.." He was getting worried. He knew he shouldn't have agreed to hide and seek, it was too dangerous out here. "Jou?"
"Looking for this?" A syrupy feminine voice asked behind him, and he turned to be met with a riot of blonde and purple that turned out to be another duelist, Mai Kiejaku, holding a sleeping Jou in her arms gently.
Seto blinked, then breathed a sigh of relief. "Where was he?"
Mai grinned, pushing back her blonde hair from her violet eyes. "Found him sleeping against a tree nearby my campsite. Then I heard you calling." She glanced down at him. "Is this really Jounouchi?"
Seto nodded. "Long story. Pegasus' doing, and Yugi and the others went to go fix everything."
Mai nodded, moving forward to gently place Jou in his arms. "So what's he like as a kid?"
He smirked. "A pain, as usual." He glanced down, blushing slightly as Jou snuggled against him with a content little sigh.
Mai winked, laughing. "Sure. Looks like this little thing is just what you two need to settle your differences."
Seto glanced down at him. "He's just a kid. He doesn't remember our battles. But who's to say that he won't remember when he gets back to normal?"
"Who's to say that he won't forgive you? Jounouchi's got a kind heart, and I think things could change after how well you take care of him."
"What if he forgets..?"
"Do you want him to?"
"......"
"I take that as a no..well, if he does, you'll just have to start over again from scratch. Make him your friend, not your enemy the next time." Mai's eyes narrowed in sudden suspicion, a smirk appearing on her face as she tapped her fingertip against her cheek. "In fact..I think I've been looking at you two's relationship all wrong."
Seto blinked, frowning. "What do you mean?"
"You wouldn't be upset about losing Jounouchi's friendship and trust if you truly hated him like you claim to in your well-known fights. In fact..I think you care more about him than you let on."
"I..I don't know what you're talking about..."
"I think you do, even if you haven't admitted it to yourself. I think you love Jounouchi."
Seto about dropped the little boy in surprise at Mai's words. He blinked at her, speechless for a few minutes.
"I think you've lost your mind. The mutt is still m..my enemy. I was just roped into taking care of him while Yugi and the others went to put things back to rights."
Mai smirked. "Right. You just keep telling yourself that, and maybe sooner or later, you'll believe it."
Seto glared at her, ignoring her words, and turned and left with the chibi- fied subject of their talk, his thoughts spinning in his head. She couldn't possibly be right..could she? He glanced down at the sleeping boy in his arms. He went through all the arguments they'd had before this had happened, all the words said.
He shook his head. "She has to be wrong. It can't possibly be that way."
Still, as he put Jou to bed, watching him sleep, he couldn't help but be troubled by Mai's words.
********
~End Chapter 3~
********
*ducks various objects thrown at her* Ack! Okay, okay, so it's a cliffie! Don't kill me! *^-^* Let me know what you think, peoples! Review, review, review! *points down to the review button and runs for it before more things can be thrown* Chapter 4 coming sooooooon!