Disclaimer: Don't own. Don't sue.
Satanic Mechanic: This is easily the longest one shot I have ever written. It's also different from what I usually write, so feedback would be much appreciated! Just so I know this doesn't totally suck.
Jounouchi hated snowdays. This was an uncommon feeling associated with such days for most teenagers and kids alike, he knew this. Because it meant no school, sleeping in, going out with your friends, having the occasional snowball fight.
Unfortunately, for Jou, it meant going out early and shoveling snow. His father wouldn't let him stay home, insisting that he go out and make some money to pay for their electrical bill which was always quite high during the winter months.
The blond sighed as he grabbed a hold of his well-used red shovel, pulling on his worn in winter jacket that had more than a few holes in it and sighed. He really hated snowdays.
The wind blew against him and stained his cheeks red, and he pulled the worn jacket on tighter. He had already been refused at several houses and finally decided to settle for one dollar to shovel some old lady's driveway. One whole dollar.
Jou groaned as he finished with his seventh house and checked his wallet. Almost twenty bucks, and he had been going at it for almost two hours.
"Damn this is tiring..." The blonde sighed and took a seat on a nearby bench, rubbing his now numb glove-less hands together, trying to get some sort of feeling back in them. He watched as a few happy kids his age bounded by him, all decked out in thick coats they could hardly walk in, scarves wrapped up around their faces. He found himself giving them a dirty look and instantly felt ashamed for doing so.
He wasn't really surprised when he saw that familiar, yet unwelcome face in the crowd. It never seemed to fail, he always showed up at the worse possible times.
"Mutt." Jou didn't lift his head as the other stood over him, casting a shadow over his weary form. He didn't feel like dealing with the brunette right now, and decided that maybe if he ignored him all together, he would go away. No such luck, the boot-clad feet that Jou was staring down at didn't budge. "What are you doing?"
Jou sighed, looking up to see those harsh blue eyes studying him with scrutiny. "I think that should be obvious." He muttered, gesturing over to the shovel he had propped up against the bench. He decided not to comment on the ever present 'mutt' addressing, he was too damn tired and cold to fight now.
"Hn." Kaiba averted his gaze upwards, squinting his eyes against the glare of the sun, which was too far away to offer any kind of heat, but it was still bright. "If you're that desperate for money, why didn't you just ask?"
"Just ask?" Jou looked up at Kaiba, who was not meeting his gaze, seemingly studying something off in the distance. The blonde shook his head, even if the wealthy man had been so...unlike him, and offered to lend him some cash, he could never except it. Kaiba would hold it over him forever, and Jou didn't think that he could live with being in dept to him of all people.
"I mean, you can come shovel my driveway if you like." He looked back down at Jou and checked his watch, lifting up his long cuffed sleeve to do so. He was covered in all black, except for the delicate white scarf hanging off his neck, looking like a slight wind could loosen it and let it slip off the brunette's frame. Jou had the sudden urge to reach out and yank it off, mussing up at least some part of that perfectly neat and clean appearance.
"Well I don't have all day." Kaiba said, although he didn't sound impatient, just a bit uninterested. When Jou did nothing but lower is head to study the fresh fallen snow, he sighed and turned to leave. "Very well then."
"Wait." Jou sat up and Kaiba stopped in his tracks, turning his head slightly to regard the blonde. "Um...how much would you pay me?"
Kaiba seemed to consider this for a moment before speaking, watching Jou's apprehensive expression. "How does one hundred sound?"
"One hundred...dollars?"
"No, one hundred donuts." The brunette sighed and rolled his eyes, "Use your brain for once mutt, however hard that may be." He smirked.
Jou blinked at that, he knew that it was chump change to Kaiba...but to him...that was more than a day worth of work. The only thing that bothered him was why he had decided to be so generous all of a sudden. Was he really trying to help out? Or was it just to have the satisfaction of seeing the blonde sink so low as to do his bidding. Like an obedient puppy. Jou was almost sure it was the latter, but he really had no choice. That money would be enough to pay off the electric bill and then some.
"Let's go." Kaiba ordered, not even waiting for the other's response. Jou stood up and groaned as he stretched, a few bones in his back cracking unpleasantly. He took a hold of his trusty shovel and followed Kaiba down the white-blanketed street.
"Holy shit." Jou stared up at the current object of his demise. Seto Kaiba's massive driveway, which was actually more like a mini road that began at the front gates and ran all the way up to the entrance to the house. Granted, Jou had seen the man's house before, everyone knew where it was, but he had never considered the size until now.
"I am taken back with your eloquence, as always." Kaiba said, in his usual sarcastic tone as he watched Jou stare at the vast snow covered driveway. "I'll let you get to work then."
"Gee, thanks." Jou sighed, watching as Kaiba climbed up the steps into the shelter of his mansion, leaving Jou with nothing but an almost broken shovel, and about a quarter mile of snow. "Well, better get started..."
The snow was fairly soft and thus easier to lift and clear out, and within about a half an hour, Jou had gotten about halfway towards his goal. The blonde huffed and shook his head out as some of the snow he had just thrown over his shoulder blew back in his face. He was surprised when he heard someone giggle a few feet away from him and turned to see where the voice was coming from.
"Mokuba?"
"You know, I usually try and stop my brother from calling you a dog, but it's hard to when I catch you doing things like that." Mokuba shook his head, the pom-poms hanging down from his knit hat swaying slightly.
"Hmm, you're a funny kid." Jou smiled, reaching up to pat down some of his now disheveled, and slightly wet hair.
"You're a really hard worker Jou...do you want any help?" Mokuba asked.
"Shouldn't you be off playing in the snow with your friends?"
Mokuba shrugged at that. "I don't have many friends my own age. Brother says it's because I'm for more intelligent an mature for them." The boy finished with a hint of proudness, having received such a compliment from the person he loved and idolized. This comment only made Jou frown. If he wasn't careful, Mokuba could end up being an antisocial stuck-up similar to his older brother.
"But...you're my friend!" Mokuba smiled up at the blonde, reveling a small shovel of his own that he had carried out with him. "I'll help you out!" Jou smiled slightly at that, Mokuba was a nice kid, perhaps he would be alright. He then found himself wondering absently if Kaiba was once this way, and if so, what could have went wrong.
"I dunno...I couldn't let you do that, this is my job." Jou replied.
"Don't be stupid! This is way to much of a job for only one person!" Mokuba sunk the edge of his shovel into the foot deep snow, lifted it up and threw it to the side with a bit of a struggle. "See? I can do it!" The boy replied as he tried to catch his breath from the exertion.
Jou smiled and reached out to fix the hat that had slipped down over the boy's eyes. "Alright, we better get moving then!" The blond boy obliged him, and Mokuba smiled and shook his head rapidly.
It was about another half-hour or so, and the job was almost completed. Jou had been surprised at what a help Mokuba had been, and was truly grateful, he'd have to make it up to him somehow one of these days.
Mokuba sighed and flopped down on a nearby pile of snow they had made, brushing a few stray strands of hair out of his face as the both gazed on at the cleared out driveway. "All done...finally."
Jou nodded his head in approval and sat down next to the younger boy. "Well...better go get you're brother so I can get my money and head out."
Mokuba frowned at that, "Awww, come on Jou! Just stay a little while longer! We can have some fun now that the work is done." He finished, turning his best puppy dog eyes up at the blonde boy.
Jou sighed and nodded his head. He owed the kid after all, and besides, he doubted that Kaiba would be willing to come out and play in the snow with him. So he would.
Seto Kaiba looked up from his newspaper to raise his eyebrow at his little brother. Said little brother was running past him with a bag full of fresh vegetables and fruit.
"Mokuba, might I ask what you are doing?" The young boy froze in his tracks as his words, looking like a kid with his hand caught in the cookie jar.
"Uh...well you see, the snowman needed a nose so..."
"Snowman?"
"Well, yeah and I got the apples because I figured Jou must be hungry after all that work."
Seto sighed and set down the paper he was reading, getting up and walking over to his little brother. "I think I need to go outside and have a little talk with the mutt." Mokuba frowned at this, but followed his brother obediently out the door anyway.
"Aw, look it's the other Mr. Frosty." Jou commented as Kaiba approached him, Mokuba following close behind, a disapproving look on his face.
"I am not paying you to play in the snow."
"Now now, don't get your panties in a knot, it's all done, see?" Jou gestured over to the now clean driveway.
"Yeah, me and Jou been having a great time!" Mokuba beamed, and Jou nodded, turning to pat down the nearly finished snowman. Mokuba bounded up to the spot and pulled out a carrot, standing on his tiptoes and sticking the base into the snowman's face.
"See, just a little fun never hurt anyone. You should try it sometime." Jou commented turning to grin over at Kaiba, who glared accordingly.
"I don't have time for fun." Was the simple reply, before he turned to regard his little brother, "Get inside and put on some dry clothes will you? You're going to catch your death out here."
Mokuba pouted but complied, turning to gaze upon the finished snowman with satisfaction before heading up the steps to the large estate.
"You can come inside as well, I'll retrieve you're payment." Jou nodded his head and the two walked up the steps in silence.
Jou sat alone in the large living room, absently observing his surroundings as he waited. Mokuba had left to go get changed and Kaiba had disappeared somewhere. The was a large fireplace going and Jou sat close by, trying to absorb the heat and listening to the dull roar of the blazing fire. It was quite peaceful here, so quiet and dark, almost cut off from the entire world.
"Here Jou." Mokuba came into the room, dressed some baggy sweats, and offered and armful of clothing to the wet blonde.
"Are these...Seto's?" Jou gazed down at the warm dry clothing, he wanted to put them on, but they we're Kaiba's, and something about that just made It seem wrong to him.
"Yeah, I stopped by his room and picked some up for you, now go put them on! You're gunna get sick!" Mokuba replied, confirming Jou's worst fears. The blonde sighed and shook his head.
"I don't know if that's such a good idea. It's bad enough he had to let me into his house." Jou remembered his first steps inside, he didn't even have time to blink before Kaiba threatened him with his life not to touch anything, or even look at anything the wrong way. "I think he'd probably have an aneurysm if he found me wearing his clothes."
Mokuba giggled at that but shook his head. "Jou don't worry about it, he has enough clothes I'm sure he won't miss these."
"Alright, if you say so." Jou agreed, still feeling a little apprehensive about the whole thing anyway. He didn't really have time to argue much longer before he was shooed into a nearby bathroom by Mokuba anyway, a pile of clean clothes shoved into his arms.
A few minutes later Jou stepped out of the bathroom, a warm tingly sensation coming over him. That was the best, that feeling. Coming in from the cold and changing into something warm, it always felt so nice. The blonde was snapped out of his musings as he entered the living room once more.
"What are you wearing?" Kaiba's eyes traveled up the blonde's from, clad in a pair of long blue slacks and a casual black turtleneck. It was quite familiar.
"Sorry brother, but Jou was cold." Mokuba spoke up, but the two older boys just stood there, eyes locked together with a hint of tension in the air. "Seto? Did you get Jou's money?" Mokuba tried again, breaking the silence as Seto tore his gaze away to regard him.
"Yes." He walked over to the blonde boy, offering him a wad of cash. Jou reached out to accept it, cool fingertips brushing so briefly over the tip of his hand before pulling away. "You can stay here until you're clothes dry. Try not to get in to much trouble." He stated, the last sentence regarding both Jou and Mokuba.
Jou let out a shuddering breath he had been holding in as he watched the brunette leave, feeling relived, and looked over to his companion. "So...what now?"
"Wanna check out the game room?" Mokuba asked, obviously please with his new current playmate.
"Sound's cool."
Jou let the boy lead to a set of stairs that he assumed let to this 'game room'. On the way there the money that he had stashed in his pocket slipped out and fell to the floor. Groaning, Jou stopped and bent over to retrieve it. That's when the wave of pain hit him.
"Jou?" Mokuba heard a loud yelp and turned to see the blonde on the floor behind him. "Jou?! Oh my god, what's wrong?!" He rushed over to Jou's collapsed form, shaking his shoulder gently.
"Ah, don't do that!" Jou hissed out as Mokuba shook him, it seemed that every muscle in his body was screaming in pain. The blonde groaned and then rolled over so he was flat on his back, not finding the energy to get up, his back was too stiff.
"Mokuba?" Kaiba came rushing into the hallway, having heard the yell from earlier.
"It's Jou, I think he's hurt!" Mokuba exclaimed, looking worried.
"Did he fall?" Kaiba asked, looking over to where Jou was lying, whining in pain.
"No, I don't know what happened, I just heard a scream and he was on the floor."
Seto approached the fallen form, studying him carefully. "Can you stand?"
Jou groaned and opened his eyes, trying to turn his neck to face the voice, but it too much. "No..."
The taller man sighed and got over his knees, bending over the boy. "I think this is probably the result of your shoveling today."
"But he was feeling just fine before, right Jou?" Mokuba asked.
"Well...I was feeling sore, I expected that, but nothing compared to this. I just bent down and..."
"Threw out your back." Kaiba explained sighing and reaching down towards the other boy.
"What are you doing?" Jou flustered as he felt a pair of strong arms wrap around him, lifting him up.
"Do you want to spend the rest of the day on the floor?"
Jou looked down at the ground, refusing to glance up at the man carrying him This was too humiliating. "...No."
"Good. Now shut up."
Jounouchi did so.
Jou groaned and rolled over, just beginning to wake up from his heavy slumber, everything seemed so blurry still. He remembered Kaiba brining him to one of the guest bedrooms and throwing him on the bed not all that tenderly. He also remembered being given some kind of horse pill before Kaiba left, leaving him alone in the dark room before he passed out.
The pain in his back had decreased significantly, now leaving him with only a dull ache. He couldn't bring himself to get up though, he was still very drowsy, probably a little side effect to whatever miracle drug Kaiba had seen fit to give him.
"Jou?" The blonde turned to see Mokuba, who was peeking in his head, the crack in the door letting in a stream of light that made Jou wince. "Are you feeling better?"
"Yeah, thanks."
"I have to go to sleep now, or Seto might have my head." Mokuba replied.
"Sleep?" Jou turned his head to glance at the digital clock on the nightstand, reading 10:30. He had been out for nearly 7 hours. "Geez...I can't believe I slept that long. I bet your bro is really happy about me spending the whole day here."
"Yeah, he's having the whole house de-contaminated right now." Mokuba grinned.
"And de-bugged, you never know what kind of vermin the mutt could have tracked in here." A taller form stepped into the door way. "Go to bed Mokuba, it's late." He ordered, and the younger boy complied.
"Man what the hell did you give me?" Jou groaned and rubbed his head, even though it really had no effect on the dizziness that he was experiencing.
"Just a painkiller." Kaiba replied, walking over to the blondes' bedside. "How do you feel?"
"Pfft, like you really care." Jou glanced over at Kaiba's form, looming over him. He was shadowed in the darkness, only being lit dully by the moonlight streaming in through the sheer curtains.
"You're in a bad mood. Did I interrupt your beauty sleep?'
"You'd be in a bad mood too if you felt like you had just gotten run over by a truck."
"Roll over."
Jou growled at that. "Do you always have to resort to your beloved dog jokes? Really, come up with some new material."
The brunette rolled his eyes, reaching down and flipping Jou onto his stomach like he was a rag doll. The blonde yelped in surprise and thrashed frantically against the grip holding him down.
"Would you calm down? You're going to hurt yourself more." Kaiba spoke through gritted teeth, watching as Jou ceased his movements.
"Yeah, and I'm gunna sue your rich ass if this doesn't get any better." Jou mumbled, not receiving an answer from the man above him. Instead he felt those hands move down, lifting up his shirt and exposing his skin to the cool night air. "What...what the hell are you doing?" Jou barely stuttered our as he felt soft finger tips on his back.
"You really are tense." Kaiba remarked as he felt the clustered muscles in Jou back, wincing slightly at the tightness, almost feeling sorry for the boy. "It must hurt like hell."
"No shit." Was Jou's simple reply. He felt the strong hands increase their pressure, shuddering at the pain but at the same time enjoying the release of tension. "Kaiba..."
"Just relax." Was the command. The brunette continued to massage stubborn muscles, working in a slow steady motion that almost put Jou right to sleep.
"Mmm..." Jou winced as a moan slipped from him, instantly regretting it. The only response he got was a low chuckle, one like he had never heard before, one that made his heart pick up a few beats. After a few more minutes of the careful attention, Jou was reduced to a quivering mess, and he absently wondered when Kaiba had managed to pick up such a talent.
"Better?" Kaiba asked as he helped Jou roll back over to face him, what he found was a lost look on the other boys face. Something had changed, and they both knew it, and Jou hated the fact the Kaiba was still smirking down at him.
It was as if they he had been suddenly warped into an alternate universe. If Kaiba so wanted to, he could take Jou right now, and the blonde would be in no condition to resist. This bothered him. What was perhaps the most disturbing, was the fact that he wasn't sure if he would try to stop it.
What kind of mind games Kaiba was tying to play, Jou could never be sure. So instead of racking his mind for possible solutions, he opted for the easiest and most quick way of finding out.
"Kaiba, do you like me?" The brunette was stunned at this statement, not that it hadn't already been hanging in the air. Not that it hadn't been there before that even. He was just surprised he had actually asked.
Jou studied the man's features, watching as his eyes went blank, but he didn't miss the falter in that cold gaze, and he took advantage of that.
Kaiba's eyes widened as he felt the soft lips being pressed against his own. Reaching his hands to push the blond away, Jou moaned into his mouth and he froze, instead wrapping his arms around the slim waist, pulling him close.
Jou gasped as he felt Kaiba respond, effectively taking his breath away. This was heaven. He wasn't sure if this was the meds talking or his raging teenage hormones. Perhaps a deadly combination of both. Suddenly the fact that his was his most hated rival seemed irrelevant, all that mattered was that wonderful mouth, and the warmth the other's body provided.
That fact was soon brought back to center stage as he was pushed roughly away, landing with a gasp onto the mattress. Looking up he saw Kaiba close his eyes tight as he caught his breath. Jou sat up slightly, reaching out to brush a stay strand of hair away from the man's face.
"Don't." Kaiba spoke quickly, grabbing the blonde's wrist, gripping it tightly.
"Kaiba, you're hurting me..." Jou gasped and Kaiba released his hold, getting up from the bed hastily and running a slow hand though his hair.
"Go to sleep." Was the order, before the brunette turned to leave, shutting the door and leaving the sore blonde once again in darkness. As if it was actually that simple a command, after what had just conspired.
Sleep did not come easy for Jounouchi, especially considering he had already gotten several hours of sleep during the day. When he had finally managed to drift off, the morning came much too quickly for his liking.
"Jou! Wake up or we're going to be late for school, brother would not be happy!" Jou groaned and rolled out of bed, blinking up to see Mokuba standing over him. There was still a dull ache in his back, but it was tolerable, not bad enough to miss another enthralling day of school.
"Morning." Jou muttered and Mokuba smiled.
"Here, change into this and meet us downstairs in ten minutes, okay?" Mokuba left, leaving behind what Jou presumed was a set Kaiba's school uniform.
Jou changed quickly, trying to ignore the faint smell that was lingering on the clothes. The same smell that invaded his senses last night. It was Kaiba. He couldn't think of any other way to describe it.
He found a mirror in the connecting bathroom and ran his fingers through the mop of hair, smoothing it down somewhat. He then grabbed a tube of toothpaste and proceeded to use the finger-brush technique, as there we're no usable brushes in sight, before heading out the door.
Once he reached the bottom of the stairs he found the Kaiba brothers standing by the front door. Mokuba yawned openly, not making a move to cover his mouth.
"Let's go." The other Kaiba merely narrowed his eyes at the blonde before heading out the door quickly.
Once inside the car, Kaiba turned the key in the ignition before screeching out of the driveway with a bit of misplaced anger. Jou looked but to see the snowman from yesterday. Still intact, only melting slightly, and could help but smile, although he wasn't sure why.
After Mokuba had been dropped off, the remaining two sat in awkward silence.
"Um, Kaiba?" Jou waited for some sort of recognition, but received none. "When do you want me to give you back you're clothes?"
"Keep them."
"Oh...ok." Jou lowered his head, the tension in the air was killing him. Never had he ever been so eager to arrive at school. "Kaiba?"
"It meant nothing." The man spoke harshly, not taking his eyes off the road, both of them knowing what that sentence had been regarding, without having to say it. Jou nodded his head, already expecting that answer.
Kaiba wouldn't even look at him, and for that, he was slightly grateful. He wasn't sure if he could ever look into those eyes again, the only window into the complexity that was known as Seto Kaiba. He was pretty sure the topic of last night was never so be spoken of. He supposed he could live with that. Lock it up deep down inside where no one could touch it. Things would go back to how they always were, just like it always would be. It was easily to deal with. It was familiar, that way.
In another time, another place, maybe things could be different, he comforted himself with that thought. But until then Jou would just have to accept the fact that certain things would never be kind to him. School teachers, Seto Kaiba, and snowdays.