Bringing Up Jou
Chapter 4
Rating: PG for now, higher later
Author: Moonchild DJ
E-Mail: moonchilddj@yahoo.com
URL: www.angelfire.com/anime4/animehime
Disclaimer: Yugioh doesn't belong to me, the whole wonderful thing belongs to the various companies who own the anime/manga/etc. I just own this storyline and fic, so please don't take. Besides, if I DID own it, Yami and Yugi, and Seto and Jou would SO be couples instead of fangirl dreams...^_~
Author's Notes: Kon'wa, minna-chan! Moonchild DJ, back by popular demand with a brand-new chappie to "Bringing Up Jou"!! Gomen nasai for the wait, but I'm sure you'll enjoy it! Let me know what you think, and review review review! I love you guys for all your comments! You make me very happy! ^______^ **This chapter's dedicated to Ozark Moonhead, you've been such a dedicated reader/reviewer! Thanks for all the comments!**
**********
Pegasus snorted as he watched the scene, both of the one with Mai and of Seto and Jou. "How touching. Apparantly Kaiba-boy has a crush that even he didn't know of! How amusing." he chuckled, sifting back the silver hair that hung over the golden Egyptian eye. "Maybe I'll have another pawn with which to lure him with." He smirked, liking the idea immensely. "Can never have too many pawns..."
"Uh..sir.." Croquet muttered as he brought in a tray of food for his boss. "You already have Kaiba's little brother..why would you want another person? Isn't the boy enough incentive?"
Pegasus shook his head, clucking his tongue disapprovingly at his loyal servant. "See, this is why I'm the brains of this particular event instead of you. You must think in the long run. What can drive Kaiba over the edge, what can make him duel with everything within him, what can break him? Sure, we have the kid, that would bring about plenty of emotion, but imagine if we have Jounouchi, too. Then the games would be pushed to higher stakes, and Kaiba would be even more desperate to win. That and it would be SO much fun to watch.."
Croquet shook his head. "As you say, sir..oh--look!" He pointed to the screen, prompting Pegasus to turn back.
"Well..about time we get to see the curse in effect.."
******
Seto stirred from his doze, opening his eyes at a tiny whine to his right. He sat up, frowning at a slight glow. "..Ne...?" He glanced over and gasped. "Jou...!"
The little blond shifted where he lay, glowing softly, then GREW again, his little six-year-old frame doubling, blurring like an after-image as he shifted from six to eight, he averaged. He gasped. He was aging again, poor kid. Two days to change this time.
Jou whimpered again, shivering. Seto blinked, then scooted closer, covering him with his duster.
"At least your clothes are growing with you..I think it's a bit impossible to find a kids' store here.." he chuckled dryly, raising a hand to gently push back the blond bangs from the boy's face. He blinked again, gasping softly when Jou shivered again and scooted closer, nuzzling against him.
Seto blushed, remembering Mai's words.
'..I think you care about him more than you let on..even if you haven't admitted it to yourself. I think you love Jounouchi.'
"...She's wrong. She has to be." he muttered, tamping down his blush. He glanced down at Jou, willing his heart to harden.
The unruly blond hair was back in his face again, the features turned up to him, visible in the firelight. The stubborn chin, the mischievious nose and smattering of freckles he'd found out Jou had as a child, the rosebud mouth and closed eyes with long dark eyelashes...
How could such a puppy be so beautiful, even as a kid?
"I did not think that, I DID NOT just think that.." Seto groaned, smacking his forehead with the heel of his hand. "He's a mutt, he's my enemy.."
But even the normal words sounded weak to him. He shook his head, shoving a hand through his hair. "I'm losing my mind.."
******
Jou awakened in the morning, sitting up with a yawn and stretch.
"S'to..?" he blinked, then glanced around, smiling as he saw Seto still sleeping. He grinned mischieviously and pounced on him, tickling him.
"Nani...?!" Seto jerked awake with a snort, laughing as the blond troublemaker found his ticklish spots, squirming. "You l-little..!!"
Jou laughed, delighting in catching Seto unawares, his boyish giggles joining the deep laughter. "Gotcha, S'to!"
"Little s-sneak..!"
"Say uncle, S'to!"
"Neverrrrr!!"
"Say unc--ACK!!" Jou squealed as Seto turned the tables, soon reducing the towheaded blond into a wriggling mass of giggles.
"Give up, Jou?" Seto grinned.
"N-never!"
"Honto?" Jou shrieked in laughter as Seto tackled him.
"Okay, okay! I give!"
Seto grinned, tugging him into a headlock, like he used to do with Mokuba. "Little sneak, waking me up like that. I had no defense!"
Jou beamed innocently, the equivalent of the words, "that's the whole point!"
Seto shook his head, chuckling as he released Jou, stumbling back a little with an "oomph!" as Jou glomped him around the waist.
"You're funny, S'to...!"
"Glad you think so, kiddo." Inside, Seto glowed. Jou thought he was funny, the little kids' sign that someone was cool. He really was making a change with him. He smiled and ruffled his hair. He still wasn't sure if he felt anything like what Mai had said (or so he told himself), but it was nice to have this chance to start over again with Jou. He really wasn't as bad as he had thought.
"S'to?" The deep brown eyes blinked up at him curiously.
"Hm?" Seto blinked as a little hand waved in front of his face.
"Where'd you go?"
Seto flushed. "Nowhere, Jou. Just thinking."
"'Bout what?"
"Er...a lot of things." he grinned as Jou rolled his eyes.
"'Dults do that a lot, don't they?"
"...Hai. Especially when they worry about those they care for." '...Did I just say that out loud?!'
Jou blinked. "Me?"
'Ack..I DID just say that out loud..' he nodded, flushing.
Jou blinked again, then crooked his finger, motioning him to bend down.
"Hm?" Seto kneeled down to Jou's level, cocking his head curiously. Jou beamed, hugging him tightly around the neck and planting an innocent, affectionate kiss on his cheek.
"Arigato, S'to!"
Seto couldn't stop his reaction. He turned beet-red, eyes widening. While he knew that Jou was only a child--he certainly wasn't going to turn into a pervert!--the part that had been questioning Mai's words and his true emotions for his "enemy" warmed considerably and leaned to a definite maybe in feeling more for Jou than he let himself guess at Jou's action.
The blond head cocked curiously, and he felt one of Jou's finers gently poke at a flame-red cheek. "What's wrong, S'to? Did I do somethin' wrong?"
Seto blinked. Wrong? What could possibly be wrong about moving that much closer to figuring out what he felt for Jou? He shook his head, reaching up and hugging him back. "No. No, Jou, you didn't do anything wrong. I was just..surprised. That's all."
He felt the boy's fingers curl tighter around his neck and smiled. Never thought he'd live to see the day when they would be within ten feet of each other, much less hugging. Even if he WAS a kid..
"You sure? I don't wanna make you mad at me. You're my best friend, S'to..."
That did it. Seto positively melted at that remark. Him, the cool big brother to Mokuba and CEO to KaibaCorp..melting at a child's declaration of friendship. He knew it, he HAD gone soft..and insane. How such a kid could affect him so..
"I'm not mad, Jou. I promise. And you're..my best friend, too."
Though he was starting to suspect he felt more than friendship for the older version of the child. It did make some warped kind of sense. Why he picked on Jou, why he anticipated their fights, why he reveled in Jou's reactions...Mai was right..
Jou leaned back, his dark eyes round with surprise under the shaggy mop of hair. "I'm your best friend, too??"
"Of course! Why else would I take care of you?"
"'Cause you have to?"
"In the beginning..maybe. But now I want to."
"Honto?!"
Seto nodded, squeaking with surprise as Jou glomped him again.
"Arigato arigato arigato arigato arigato arigato arigato arigato arigato arigato arigato arigato--"
"Breathe, Jou, breathe."
Jou gasped for breath obediantly, then started again. "Arigato arigato arigato arigato arigato arigato--"
Seto laughed. "Okay, alright! You're going to turn blue! You're welcome!"
Jou beamed, giggling as Seto tousled his hair. "Can we eat now? I'm hungry!"
Seto smiled indulgently at him. "You're always hungry. Bottomless pit..."
"Am not!"
"Are too."
"Am not!"
Seto tackled him, making Jou laugh so hard, his peals of laughter rang through the forest.
******
Yugi frowned as they came to the steps of Pegasus' castle, glancing around at the trio. "We're finally here. Last leg of this trek, and FINALLY closer to helping Jou-kun!"
"This won't be easy, Yugi.." Honda muttered, glancing up the steps to the formidable castle. "We have to get past the guards, the doors, and Pegasus himself to find that cursebox. And we don't even know what it looks like.."
"Yami will help us..we can't let the odds beat us. Jou-kun's counting on us!"
"Yeah, for his normal age and for his chance to live against Kaiba." Anzu shivered. "I still can't believe we left poor chibi-Jou in his clutches.."
"Which is all the more reason to get in there!" Ryou nodded. "Yugi? Perhaps you should let Yami take over? We may need his skills."
Yugi nodded in agreement, closing his eyes and letting his other half take over, the red-violet eyes of Yami opening and glaring at the castle. "Then let's go." he growled, starting up the steps with the trio right behind him.
******
~End Chapter 4~
Chapter 4
Rating: PG for now, higher later
Author: Moonchild DJ
E-Mail: moonchilddj@yahoo.com
URL: www.angelfire.com/anime4/animehime
Disclaimer: Yugioh doesn't belong to me, the whole wonderful thing belongs to the various companies who own the anime/manga/etc. I just own this storyline and fic, so please don't take. Besides, if I DID own it, Yami and Yugi, and Seto and Jou would SO be couples instead of fangirl dreams...^_~
Author's Notes: Kon'wa, minna-chan! Moonchild DJ, back by popular demand with a brand-new chappie to "Bringing Up Jou"!! Gomen nasai for the wait, but I'm sure you'll enjoy it! Let me know what you think, and review review review! I love you guys for all your comments! You make me very happy! ^______^ **This chapter's dedicated to Ozark Moonhead, you've been such a dedicated reader/reviewer! Thanks for all the comments!**
**********
Pegasus snorted as he watched the scene, both of the one with Mai and of Seto and Jou. "How touching. Apparantly Kaiba-boy has a crush that even he didn't know of! How amusing." he chuckled, sifting back the silver hair that hung over the golden Egyptian eye. "Maybe I'll have another pawn with which to lure him with." He smirked, liking the idea immensely. "Can never have too many pawns..."
"Uh..sir.." Croquet muttered as he brought in a tray of food for his boss. "You already have Kaiba's little brother..why would you want another person? Isn't the boy enough incentive?"
Pegasus shook his head, clucking his tongue disapprovingly at his loyal servant. "See, this is why I'm the brains of this particular event instead of you. You must think in the long run. What can drive Kaiba over the edge, what can make him duel with everything within him, what can break him? Sure, we have the kid, that would bring about plenty of emotion, but imagine if we have Jounouchi, too. Then the games would be pushed to higher stakes, and Kaiba would be even more desperate to win. That and it would be SO much fun to watch.."
Croquet shook his head. "As you say, sir..oh--look!" He pointed to the screen, prompting Pegasus to turn back.
"Well..about time we get to see the curse in effect.."
******
Seto stirred from his doze, opening his eyes at a tiny whine to his right. He sat up, frowning at a slight glow. "..Ne...?" He glanced over and gasped. "Jou...!"
The little blond shifted where he lay, glowing softly, then GREW again, his little six-year-old frame doubling, blurring like an after-image as he shifted from six to eight, he averaged. He gasped. He was aging again, poor kid. Two days to change this time.
Jou whimpered again, shivering. Seto blinked, then scooted closer, covering him with his duster.
"At least your clothes are growing with you..I think it's a bit impossible to find a kids' store here.." he chuckled dryly, raising a hand to gently push back the blond bangs from the boy's face. He blinked again, gasping softly when Jou shivered again and scooted closer, nuzzling against him.
Seto blushed, remembering Mai's words.
'..I think you care about him more than you let on..even if you haven't admitted it to yourself. I think you love Jounouchi.'
"...She's wrong. She has to be." he muttered, tamping down his blush. He glanced down at Jou, willing his heart to harden.
The unruly blond hair was back in his face again, the features turned up to him, visible in the firelight. The stubborn chin, the mischievious nose and smattering of freckles he'd found out Jou had as a child, the rosebud mouth and closed eyes with long dark eyelashes...
How could such a puppy be so beautiful, even as a kid?
"I did not think that, I DID NOT just think that.." Seto groaned, smacking his forehead with the heel of his hand. "He's a mutt, he's my enemy.."
But even the normal words sounded weak to him. He shook his head, shoving a hand through his hair. "I'm losing my mind.."
******
Jou awakened in the morning, sitting up with a yawn and stretch.
"S'to..?" he blinked, then glanced around, smiling as he saw Seto still sleeping. He grinned mischieviously and pounced on him, tickling him.
"Nani...?!" Seto jerked awake with a snort, laughing as the blond troublemaker found his ticklish spots, squirming. "You l-little..!!"
Jou laughed, delighting in catching Seto unawares, his boyish giggles joining the deep laughter. "Gotcha, S'to!"
"Little s-sneak..!"
"Say uncle, S'to!"
"Neverrrrr!!"
"Say unc--ACK!!" Jou squealed as Seto turned the tables, soon reducing the towheaded blond into a wriggling mass of giggles.
"Give up, Jou?" Seto grinned.
"N-never!"
"Honto?" Jou shrieked in laughter as Seto tackled him.
"Okay, okay! I give!"
Seto grinned, tugging him into a headlock, like he used to do with Mokuba. "Little sneak, waking me up like that. I had no defense!"
Jou beamed innocently, the equivalent of the words, "that's the whole point!"
Seto shook his head, chuckling as he released Jou, stumbling back a little with an "oomph!" as Jou glomped him around the waist.
"You're funny, S'to...!"
"Glad you think so, kiddo." Inside, Seto glowed. Jou thought he was funny, the little kids' sign that someone was cool. He really was making a change with him. He smiled and ruffled his hair. He still wasn't sure if he felt anything like what Mai had said (or so he told himself), but it was nice to have this chance to start over again with Jou. He really wasn't as bad as he had thought.
"S'to?" The deep brown eyes blinked up at him curiously.
"Hm?" Seto blinked as a little hand waved in front of his face.
"Where'd you go?"
Seto flushed. "Nowhere, Jou. Just thinking."
"'Bout what?"
"Er...a lot of things." he grinned as Jou rolled his eyes.
"'Dults do that a lot, don't they?"
"...Hai. Especially when they worry about those they care for." '...Did I just say that out loud?!'
Jou blinked. "Me?"
'Ack..I DID just say that out loud..' he nodded, flushing.
Jou blinked again, then crooked his finger, motioning him to bend down.
"Hm?" Seto kneeled down to Jou's level, cocking his head curiously. Jou beamed, hugging him tightly around the neck and planting an innocent, affectionate kiss on his cheek.
"Arigato, S'to!"
Seto couldn't stop his reaction. He turned beet-red, eyes widening. While he knew that Jou was only a child--he certainly wasn't going to turn into a pervert!--the part that had been questioning Mai's words and his true emotions for his "enemy" warmed considerably and leaned to a definite maybe in feeling more for Jou than he let himself guess at Jou's action.
The blond head cocked curiously, and he felt one of Jou's finers gently poke at a flame-red cheek. "What's wrong, S'to? Did I do somethin' wrong?"
Seto blinked. Wrong? What could possibly be wrong about moving that much closer to figuring out what he felt for Jou? He shook his head, reaching up and hugging him back. "No. No, Jou, you didn't do anything wrong. I was just..surprised. That's all."
He felt the boy's fingers curl tighter around his neck and smiled. Never thought he'd live to see the day when they would be within ten feet of each other, much less hugging. Even if he WAS a kid..
"You sure? I don't wanna make you mad at me. You're my best friend, S'to..."
That did it. Seto positively melted at that remark. Him, the cool big brother to Mokuba and CEO to KaibaCorp..melting at a child's declaration of friendship. He knew it, he HAD gone soft..and insane. How such a kid could affect him so..
"I'm not mad, Jou. I promise. And you're..my best friend, too."
Though he was starting to suspect he felt more than friendship for the older version of the child. It did make some warped kind of sense. Why he picked on Jou, why he anticipated their fights, why he reveled in Jou's reactions...Mai was right..
Jou leaned back, his dark eyes round with surprise under the shaggy mop of hair. "I'm your best friend, too??"
"Of course! Why else would I take care of you?"
"'Cause you have to?"
"In the beginning..maybe. But now I want to."
"Honto?!"
Seto nodded, squeaking with surprise as Jou glomped him again.
"Arigato arigato arigato arigato arigato arigato arigato arigato arigato arigato arigato arigato--"
"Breathe, Jou, breathe."
Jou gasped for breath obediantly, then started again. "Arigato arigato arigato arigato arigato arigato--"
Seto laughed. "Okay, alright! You're going to turn blue! You're welcome!"
Jou beamed, giggling as Seto tousled his hair. "Can we eat now? I'm hungry!"
Seto smiled indulgently at him. "You're always hungry. Bottomless pit..."
"Am not!"
"Are too."
"Am not!"
Seto tackled him, making Jou laugh so hard, his peals of laughter rang through the forest.
******
Yugi frowned as they came to the steps of Pegasus' castle, glancing around at the trio. "We're finally here. Last leg of this trek, and FINALLY closer to helping Jou-kun!"
"This won't be easy, Yugi.." Honda muttered, glancing up the steps to the formidable castle. "We have to get past the guards, the doors, and Pegasus himself to find that cursebox. And we don't even know what it looks like.."
"Yami will help us..we can't let the odds beat us. Jou-kun's counting on us!"
"Yeah, for his normal age and for his chance to live against Kaiba." Anzu shivered. "I still can't believe we left poor chibi-Jou in his clutches.."
"Which is all the more reason to get in there!" Ryou nodded. "Yugi? Perhaps you should let Yami take over? We may need his skills."
Yugi nodded in agreement, closing his eyes and letting his other half take over, the red-violet eyes of Yami opening and glaring at the castle. "Then let's go." he growled, starting up the steps with the trio right behind him.
******
~End Chapter 4~