Trip to Fall
by Lethe Seraph
Chapter Nine: Just believe … if only for a moment
--
As always, thank you! Sorry this one was a bit late coming out … there are so many ideas in my head now, it's scary. ::sweatdrops:: They come and they go…
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Gentle, soothing vibration underneath him, as the streets of Domino rushed by.
Soft…
He rested on warmth, and smelled that delicate scent that he had come to recognize as belonging to one person only…
He dreamed.
School again.
Moonlight…
That beautiful form, hidden away by shadows.
"Who are you?"
I know you.
"Aren't you going to say anything?"
Did he really need to?
His eyes said all that needed to be heard.
The boy shifted in his sleep, causing Seto to drift back into awareness. He must have been tired, to have let his guard down like that. After berating himself mentally, Kaiba turned his head to regard Jonouchi's resting form.
So Jonouchi had dreamed about him, had he?
For some reason, that thought made him smirk slightly.
"Don't…" mumbled Jou. Kaiba resisted the impulse to jerk away from the sleeping young man, barely managing to stay where he was. The other, however, lost his place on Seto's shoulder –
-and ended up resting on his lap.
Why hadn't he woken up, damn it?!
…On second thought, it was a good thing that he hadn't.
Kaiba would never have been able to live it down if Jou had seen him blushing.
"Kaiba, I don't know…"
"You like me. Admit it, mutt."
"Why would I? It's not like you would ever… you know… and besides-"
"If you're about to say that you're straight, don't bother. I know the truth. Jo-nou-chi."
"What are you… oh, God…"
"Wake up," whispered Seto, breath tickling Jou's ear.
"What?"
Louder this time. "Wake up."
"We're here. Don't make me hit you, mutt."
"Huh…?" Jou opened his eyes sleepily and realized where he was, and on whose lap he was resting. "Shit!" He nearly flew out of the car-
-but the door was still closed.
Kaiba couldn't help but laugh as Jonouchi's head collided with the car door. "Try opening it first," he suggested, snickering.
Jou stopped rubbing his head to stare at him.
"What?"
"You laughed again."
"Would you rather I not?" said Kaiba.
"Wha- no! It's just … weird. That's all."
"I see. So do you know how to open a car door, or shall I have to teach you?"
"If this is going to be one of your 'mutt' cracks…" warned Jonouchi.
Kaiba rolled his eyes ever-so-slightly – how bothersome, his expression seemed to say, are the idiots that populate this planet – and leaned over Jou. He took the handle, his upper body skimming carelessly against Jonouchi, and pulled.
Heat rushed to Jou's face. It was times like this that Jou wondered whether either one of them was actually straight.
"Well? Get out," said Kaiba. "This is my house."
Jou turned and stared out of the open door. His mouth hung open. "You call that a house?!"
Kaiba smirked at his expression. "Yes, I do. Problem?"
"That's a-" he cursed, and Kaiba grimaced – "mansion! It's a palace, not a house!"
"It's where I live, anyway," amended Kaiba. "Are you going to get out, or do I have to do that for you as well?"
"How would you do that?" blurted Jou. Before he had a chance to retract the question, however, Kaiba had shown him.
He shoved Jou out of the car.
A moment later, Kaiba had gotten out of his own side and helped Jou up, much to the red-faced boy's embarrassment. Did Kaiba have to take everything so … so…
Dammit! He couldn't even think of the right word. The guy was really messing his head up.
Kaiba sighed. "You're welcome, mutt."
"Hey! What's that supposed to … oh. Thanks, I think."
"You think?"
Jou took the bait with his standard glare and growl. "Hell, yeah. Do you?"
"If you need to ask, then it serves to prove that your thought processes aren't operating very well."
"Egotistical bastard," huffed Jou, though somewhat more good-naturedly than usual.
Kaiba merely nodded and led him down the stone path.
-
"This is where you'll be staying," said Kaiba. "Feel free to make yourself at home, but try not to break too much. If you need anything, use the phone."
Jou's eyes roved the room, drinking in what they saw. It looked like heaven to him, a boy who had grown up on a diet of messy apartment floors and stained couches. He realized that Kaiba had spoken, and required an answer. "Uh, what number?"
"It's all written on the card. Do not disturb me unless absolutely necessary."
"Right, sure."
"Feel free to stay as long as you want," finished Kaiba. "Any questions?"
"Uh, where can I get some nightclothes?"
Kaiba blinked at him. "I assumed that you usually slept in your day clothes," he said.
"Well, you assumed wrong," said Jou, affronted. "That wouldn't be very clean, would it? …Oh, and speaking of that, I'd like to find a shower, too."
"Huh," mumbled Kaiba. "So the dog is sanitary after all."
"Say what?" said Jou suspiciously.
"None of your concern. The nearest bathroom is this way." He left the room, motioning for Jou to follow.
A small, curious face peeked around the end of the hallway.
It grinned.
-
"Spare towels…" murmured Kaiba. "Where did they keep…? Ah." After rummaging through an immaculate cupboard, he managed to procure a set of fluffy white towels, one face-size and the other larger. "Here."
Jou took the towels with a grateful nod. "Uh, thanks." He walked into the bathroom and shut the door.
Kaiba let out a small sigh – finally, some peace – and left.
-
The bathroom was every bit as beautiful as his temporary room, thought Jonouchi in amazement. Beautiful gilded faucets, intricately designed; clean white tiles with small blue flowers patterning them; bubbly soap dispensers, a tub practically large enough for him to swim in … was it a Jacuzzi?
Yes, he decided as he sank into its depths, it most definitely was.
He could so get used to this.
…Except for the whole Kaiba-living-here thing.
Kaiba had actually been relatively nice to him, he realized. They hadn't gotten into a real fight yet or anything. Why had Kaiba so willingly offered Jou a place to stay for the night? Was it some sort of scheme…?
Nah.
How hard could it be to actually trust the guy? He should probably give him some slack.
Jou squeezed out another few long streams of sugary vanilla-scented bubble bath – maybe that was why Kaiba smelled the way he did? – and sighed contentedly, laying back.
Yeah, he could definitely get used to this.
-
Jonouchi shook out his hair – like a dog, his inner Kaiba taunted quietly – and grinned, wrapping the towel around himself. That had to have been the best bath he had ever had. "Whoo!" he said cheerfully.
He then opened the door and looked around.
…Where had his room been again?
It all looked the same!
"…Crap…"
All right, here's to adventure, he decided a moment later. He was pretty sure his room had been to the right – er, left. Whatever. Just that way. A few halls down, maybe. The intrepid explorer is on his way!
Clothed in nothing but a towel, thoughtlessly soaking the expensive carpet with every step, Jou trekked forward.
-
Don't think of Jonouchi, Kaiba reminded himself, fingers flying across the keyboard as he worked his way through the creation of a new program. Don't think of Jonouchi. Which line of code goes here? Think of that. Not him.
Kaiba frowned, typing yet more quickly. He would get the program finished and ready tonight. It was always best to stay ahead of the competition – although, to be sure, he was already ahead by several decades at the very least.
Good … keep going …
…Wait a second.
Kaiba stopped and stared at the 'code' he had just produced.
"Don't think of Jonouchi … don't think of Jonouchi … which line of code goes here?" he read aloud, incredulous. The boy was driving him insane! It must be catching, this disease of idiocy.
Damn it …
Kaiba hit the 'Backspace' key and watched the past half-hour's work disappear into oblivion.
-
Fifteen minutes later, Jonouchi was still hopelessly lost. He had been looking into every room he passed, but hadn't found his own – or even a person to guide him. The house was dark, and eerily quiet. He shivered.
He was cold, wet, and practically naked. "Come on…" he mumbled, looking into room after room.
Then he opened the next door.