Trip to Fall
by Lethe Seraph
Chapter Seven: I don't care how things were before
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Sorry! I know, it's short. It sucks. It's painfully out-of-character and it involves yet more food and painful introspection. But maybe it'll get better? ^_^;
Don't listen to me. Please read and review.
Many thanks to those of you who have reviewed! You all make my day. ^_^ Glomps and cookies.
As to the lack of Ishness: I'll try harder on the next chapter…
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No way. No way.
No way!
Jonouchi's feet pounded against the pavement as he ran, hardly looking where he was going. He got glares from all directions as the residents of Domino dodged out of his way; he didn't notice.
He didn't care.
There was no way, no way in hell, that Kaiba would ever think that way about Jonouchi. It was just a dream; nothing more. Nothing like that would ever happen in real life, because that wasn't the way things worked! They hated each other. That was all. That was all-
"Don't you hate me?"
-there was nothing, Jonouchi didn't like the smug idiot at all-
Is he coming on to me?
-so why was he obsessing about it?
Jonouchi finally had to stop running. His chest ached now.
Great. Just great.
The sun was so bright. It should have been raining, thundering even, but there were birds singing and the sun was shining and he could smell…
…food.
Food!
Thoughts of Kaiba would have to wait until later, he decided happily as he made his way to the nearest vendor.
-
The memory of soft, insistent flesh faded from his senses as he returned to consciousness. Kaiba blinked his eyes open gradually and glanced around. He was still so tired, and he had dreamed…
He had never had that sort of dream before.
Not…
It had been so sharp, so real, that he couldn't help but shiver at the thought.
Now, on to more important matters. Apparently, he had fallen asleep after class had ended. The teacher hadn't woken him up? What an idiotic… He cursed silently.
The room was dark, blinds covering its windows. He carefully made his way around the desks and flipped the light switch.
The first thing that he noticed, after his eyes adjusted, was a stray sheet of paper on the floor.
He picked it up.
-
Jonouchi resumed the train of thought a few minutes later, though unwillingly. He just couldn't get it out of his mind.
He had been having dreams about Kaiba…
…and Kaiba had been having dreams about him.
But they hated each other, for crying out loud! Not to mention Jou was perfectly straight.
Or, at least, he thought he was.
What was there that Jonouchi would like, anyway? Kaiba was an egotistical-
beautiful-
introverted-
intelligent-
jerk.
Kaiba was a jerk.
Not that Jou had been the nicest person when he was around Kaiba, he had to admit. Maybe he could have been just a little bit friendlier.
But Kaiba had started it.
Hadn't he?
When had they first met, anyway? He couldn't remember any more. Probably for the better.
Kaiba had been dreaming about him…
-
It was the paper their class had been working on. But that was of little interest to Kaiba.
What was of interest to him was the name on it.
So his first name is Katsuya.
-
He should probably head back. The sun was setting, and some real creeps populated Domino at night. He should know.
Jonouchi took one last look around the park. It really was pretty, especially during sunset; all of the colors and the long shadows made the playground seem almost surreal.
Had Kaiba ever played on the swings? Had he laughed and tried to do tricks on the monkey bars?
Probably not.
Had he ever been a kid?
Jonouchi couldn't really imagine it.
If they had been on friendlier speaking terms, Jou might have asked him.
As it was, he wasn't looking forward to tomorrow.
Jonouchi turned and began walking home.
-
Jonouchi hadn't finished the paper. Wasn't it due tomorrow?
It was, his memory supplied.
Kaiba knew that Jou's grades were abysmal; one more failing grade would probably destroy him. If Kaiba were a good person, he would find a way to get it to Jou.
As it was, Kaiba had Jou's address memorized.
It wasn't that late, either, if the school clocks were right.
Before he knew what he was doing, he had swept out of the classroom and towards Jonouchi's apartment.
-
He ran it through his head one more time.
"Why…
"Why did you kiss me…?
"…Jou?"
Jonouchi hadn't been imagining it. He could still remember clearly Kaiba's exact expression, the way his eyes had darted beneath his lids. A hand twitching slightly, like Kaiba was young, and caught in an innocent dream.
Far from it.
How detailed his dream hand been, Jonouchi could only guess. But if it had been anything like the ones that Jou himself had experienced, then …
He shuddered.
The question was, did those dreams guide Kaiba during the day? Did he honestly hate Jonouchi, or…?
But do I hate Kaiba?
He thought.
…Hell, yeah.
That was when he heard a knock at the door.