Searching for the Future
Chapter Two
"Get up, little doggy."
Jou groaned, and turned over, burying his blonde head in his pillow. He didn't want to wake up. He wanted to sleep all day. It was the only thing that distracted him from the pains in his stomach. Someone poked him, and he groaned again, swatting the hand away.
"Come on, pup, get up."
"Ermph..." Jou replied.
SMACK!
Seto had pulled Jou's pillow away from him, and swatted him a good one in the face with it. Jou yelled, and sat up, glaring at the brunette, "Asshole!"
"You wouldn't get up, I had to do something," Seto replied, more calmly then Jou would have liked. Jou glared and sat up, looking at his stomach which was already beginning to swell after the month or so he'd been staying at the mansion.
"I'm getting fat."
The brunette rolled his eyes, "You are not getting fat.""Yes I am! Look at my stomach!" Jou harrumphed
Seto rolled his eyes again, and somehow got Jou out of bed.
The first few hours of the day were spent getting showered and dressed. Of course the lovers showered together, relishing in each other, in every touch, and fiery kiss. After a small love-making session, Seto rested on his knees, his head resting against the swelling stomach of his lover, kissing it.
Jou smiled, soft, tanned fingers sifting through dark, chocolate locks.
Seto looked up at him, smiling back, "That's our baby growing in there."
They finished their shower, and Jou treaded into the bedroom, changing into some fresh clothes, and scowling. As Seto stepped out, he placed his hands on his hips, "Now what's wrong?"
"In a few months, none of my clothes will fit!"
Seto sighed, and turned, stepping into his closet to dress. Jou scoffed, "Hey! Aren't you going to tell me some sappy thing like 'You'll always be beautiful to me'!"
A dark brown head poked out of the closet, one slim, dark brow arched. The owner of the brow stepped out fully, straightening his coat, and crossing his arms over his chest, "Katsuya, this is me we're talking too. Plus, I've seen plenty of movies to know that never works. If I say something like that, I'll end up on the couch, if I say the opposite, I'll end up on the couch, and if I don't say anything at all I'll end up on the couch, so why are we even having this conversation if I'm going to end up on the couch?"
"You will not..." Jou mumbled, sticking his bottom lip out.
"Oh? And why not?"
" 'Cause I don't wanna be alone..." Jou replied, looking away.
Seto sighed, again, and sat next to the blonde on the bed, taking his hand, "Katsuya...not to sound...uncaring...because I love you, of course...but you'll only be here for a few months...you have to get use to being alone, because I'm not going back to America with you..."
Jou didn't look at him, twiddling his thumbs. He looked up, though, when he felt two arms encircle him. Seto smiled, something he only did for his lover, and Mokuba. And soon his child. He suddenly seemed very distant. A child? Was he ready for that? He'd never had the proper role model when it came to fatherhood. What if he turned out to treat his child like Gozaburo had treated him? He couldn't bare the thought of his blood child hating him.
He was released from his sullen thoughts when he felt soft, slightly calloused fingers pressed against his cheek. His cobalt eyes locked with caramel brown ones.
"Seto...what's wrong?" the words flowed with concern, from his lover's soft lips.
"What...what if I'm not a good father?" Seto asked, "I mean, I've never had quite the right role model for that kind of thing, and I don't want out child to end up hating me because I act like Goz--"
"--Don't! Don't you dare say you act like Gozaburo. Don't you dare. I already know you're a better person then that man because you fell in love with me, and because you never once thought of denying this child after you found out it'd been conceived. Neither of us have had perfect parental role models, but I know we can raise this child the right way, if we try. Sure we'll make some mistakes, but what parent doesn't? Don't down yourself, Seto. In you're own sort of way, you're a great person, and I love you. And I know we can do this, together."
Seto laughed, "There's the mutt I fell in love with."
Jou leaned against him, "Remember the night we started our relationship?"
"How could I forget it? You were stumbling about the blimp in the dark. Silly pup...you could have hurt yourself...not to mention you made a lot of noise."
"Yes, well, you can't really blame me...I couldn't see...plus, we made a lot of noise aftet that, anyway," The blonde grinned.
"Inu no hentai."
"I'm sorry...I really am."
"Why didn't you bring this up earlier? Before..."
"I said I was sorry! Please...let me talk to him...if he really feels for you the way he says he does...then I won't...bother anymore."
Red locks fell in front of hazel eyes, "All right..."
The doorbell rang. The shrill sound bothered Jou to no end, and he sighed. "Someone get the door please!!" He shouted, adding to himself, "While I try and find something to eat that doesn't make me sick."
"All right! All right!" Mokuba shouted, thumping down the stairs. This received a muffled scold from behind Seto's office door at the top of the stairs, and as Mokuba answered the door, the phone rang.
Jou picked up, "Moshi moshi, Kaiba residence, Jou speaking. Oh...hey, imouto. Huh? WHAT?? Well, why did you agree to let him...?!"
He rushed out the kitchen, only to find Noa standing in the doorway, inches away from Mokuba. Turquoise eyes slid closed, and lips...sweet soft lips were so close to touching, tasting what they had so longed to taste, when....
"NOA!! Hi!!" Jou said, "Didn't expect to see you here, come on in!"
Noa jumped, and cursed to himself, before smiling and nodding, stepping in. Mokuba looked a downtrodden at the sudden turn of events, but forced a small smile, and closed the door.
Seto came down the stairs, having heard his very pregnant boyfriend, screaming, and probably over-exerting himself. He noticed Noa, and rose an eyebrow.
"Hello, Noa...Katsuya, why are you yelling?" the brunette asked him. Jou scratched behind his head, sweatdropping, "No reason!"
"Jou, nii-san...do you think Noa and I could...I don't know...have some privacy...he was trying to tell me something," Mokuba said. Jou shook his head from behind the two younger boys. Seto furrowed his brow, before Jou dragged him into the next room.
"Don't do it," Jou hissed, "Shizuka called and said Noa had deep feelings for Mokuba. We can't give them privacy!"
"Um...Katsuya...love of my life...barrer of my child...we are giving them privacy...we just went into the next room," Seto pointed out, smirking.
"Sorry, Mokuba," Noa replied, "I just...I had to tell you. I know you're still young...you could never feel that strongly about anyone. And I know I came on a bit strong, trying to kiss you and everything...sorry..."
Mokuba laughed. Noa looked at him, and scowled, "Oh thanks...I just spilled my guts to you, and you're laughing...I feel so loved."
"That's just it...you are loved...I know I'm just a kid...fifteen is still a little young...but that doesn't mean we can't still fall in love," Mokuba said, "I mean...I had feelings for Shizuka...which I now realize weren't any stronger then a friend to a friend, or a brother to a sister, which isn't to far from the truth now, considering the relationship between our brothers...that's beside the point...after I met you. I don't know...I needed to help you...I thought it was just because you were like another brother to me..."
He looked away, "But I realize...I was wrong...these are feelings. Real ones. Strong ones. I hate to hurt Shizuka, because she's so nice, and because that will hurt Jou, and Jou's practically family, plus stress isn't good for him right now, what with the baby and all, but....but I don't want to walk away from this, because I know I'll be hitting myself for a good long time if I don't at least try to make this work with us."
Noa leaned back on the couch, "I don't want to hurt any of them either...not again...but I wouldn't even be here if Shizuka hadn't given me permission..."
Mokuba looked at him.
"She's very understanding," Noa continued, "I told her everything...everything I felt for you...she was skeptical at first, but I pleaded...just let me tell him...I need to tell him...I told her if you didn't feel the same, I'd leave well enough alone, and I'd at least have some closure, and wouldn't feel so boxed in by these feelings. And she said if you did feel the same...she'd let you go, because she feels the same way about you that I do, and she just..."
Noa looked at Mokuba, "...wants you to be happy."
Outside the parlour, Jou sighed, "Poor imouto...gods, this is horrible..."
"No...no, it isn't..." Seto said, still looking at his brother and Noa, "They love each other, Katsuya...and there are plenty of men left out there for Shizuka..."
"When did insensitive Seto return??" Jou asked, scowling at the brunette.
"Jou, I understand that Shizuka is your sister, but look at Noa and my brother," He pointed to the scene. Mokuba was smiling at Noa, and the blue haired boy was smirking back.
Jou smiled, "They remind me of us...hey...I wonder how Isis is taking it?"
"She's probably happy for them...she can see the future remember?"
"But...Yuugi has her necklace...she can't see the future...does she even know yet?"
The lovers looked at each other, before laughing, kind of heartlessly, thought sympathetically at Isis' missfortune.
If there was one thing Seto hated more then everyone in the world, not counting his brother, lover and child, it was department stores. He didn't see how Jou had gotten him to come down here and Christmas shop with him.
Even Mokuba and Noa were there. It had been a week since their big revelation of feelings toward each other. Isis knew now, and both her and Shizuka were happy for the two.
"Okay, I still need something for...Mariku...what kind of present do you buy a psychopath? Maybe I should called Malik and ask him what he'd like...hmm..."
"I don't think I want either of them near you or my unborn child, so how about we buy him...nothing," Seto replied.
Jou rolled his eyes, "You're so mean."
He turned and pulled Seto's phone from his pocket, and dialed Malik's number. As the phone was answered, Jou could hear something being blown up in the background, and Malik yelling at Mariku not to send any more of Isis' things to the shadow realm while she was staying with them.
Um...hi...Malik...it's Jou," Jou grinned as Malik replied in a hello, asking what he could do for him.
"Well, we're out Christmas shopping, and I don't know what Mariku would want so...oh...ohh...wow, errrr," Jou's face was as crimson as Yami's eyes, as Malik told him what Mariku expected for Christmas. Seto grabbed the phone.
"No way in hell are we buying anything that would Katsuya blush for your crazy other half. Goodbye, Malik."
Seto's eyes widened, as Malik told him just exactly Mariku wanted. Then, he began to laugh. The whole store was looking at them by that time, and Jou slunk into a different aisle, Noa in tow. Mokuba jumped up and grabbed the phone from his brother, "Thanks for the update, Malik. Bye!"
He hung up the phone and dragged his still chuckling brother off.
They returned home a few hours later, all their Christmas shopping done, even for themselves, in which they'd separated for an hour or so, and had them wrapped in the store so they couldn't see.
Jou, exhausted, and feeling weighed done by his ever growing stomach, plopped down on the couch, immediately, dropping his bags on the floor, and placing the back of his forearm over his eyes. Seto leaned over him, pressing a kiss to the top of his head.
"Are you going to be all right?" He asked his fatigued lover. The tan skinned arm moved away, and dark, caramel eyes looked, half lidded, up at the brunette. A small smile curled on soft lips, and the blonde head nodded.
The brunette smiled back, and ruffled the blonde locks, before heading upstairs, shouting back that he was taking a shower.
Jou yawned and turned over on the couch, not so difficulty, falling asleep.
Noa followed Mokuba up to his room, and sat on the bed. He looked a little downcast.
"What's the matter, Noa-chan?" Mokuba asked, as he stashed the presents under his bed.
"Just thinking about your brother and Jou. They're really happy, aren't they?" Noa asked.
Mokuba nodded, sitting next to him on the bed, leaning his head against his shoulder, yawning. Soon enough, Noa noticed the smaller's breathing had evened out, and he stood up, his hands on his shoulders, laying him down softly on the bed.
Seto toweled his brown hair out, draping the towel over his shoulder, as he buttoned up his lose, silk, dark purple shirt only halfway up. He buttoned his brown slacks, and walked out of the bedroom.
His bare feet shuffled against the carpeted stairs as he made his way down. He entered the living room, quietly, stopping when he noticed his very cute, and very pregnant pup asleep on the couch. He trotted over, silently, and knelt, pushing a few blonde locks out of the peaceful, sleeping face.
Tired, mahogany eyes opened, and a sleepy smile curved supple lips.
"Hey, koinu. Have a nice nap."
A golden head bobbed in a nod, the owner of the head sitting up and stretching his stiff limbs. The couch was comfortable, no doubt, but it was still a couch, and he'd curled himself up to keep warm.
He hid a yawn behind his hand, feeling his lover place his arms behind his back and under his legs and lift him up, pressing him close.
"Come on, Katsuya. Let's go to bed," the brunette murmured, carrying him upstairs. He carried him, quietly, into the bedroom, closing the door.
"It's not that hard to hang a reef, Yami! Just put the reef on the nail! No, Yami, not like that!" Yuugi sighed, pulling the reef down from its upside down, forced position on the nail which had been hammered onto the front door of the shop. He and Yami were decorating—or trying to decorate, no thanks to Yami's horrible decorating skills—for Christmas. They only had about two weeks until that time, which also meant that Jou was almost two months pregnant now. Yuugi, absently, wondered how his school would react to his unusual condition. He was brought out of his thoughts by the loud yelping of his lover, and sighed, as he noticed Yami had hit his thumb again with the hammer.
As he tended to the wound, he heard someone calling to him from down the street. He looked up and noticed Jou coming down the street with Ryou. They were both bundled in a sweater and coat, though it was only about thirty degrees(1). Yuugi sighed. It never got colder then twenty in Japan, at least not in many years. His Jii-san had told him it hadn't snowed in Japan since he was a child.
"Oi, Yuugi!" Jou found his way over to his friend, and smiled at him, and Yami. Yami smiled back, a little halfheartedly, still thinking about his thumb.
"Hey, Jou. Yami-chan, can you finish up out here? Of course you on, I'll make us some tea, you guys." Yuugi invited his friends inside, and Yami watched them, listfully, before sighing and climbing up one of the ladders, to hang the lights.
Yuugi finished fixing the tea, placing two steaming cups in front of his friends.
"So, how are you two? Especially you, Jou, already two months pregnant," Yuugi said, smiling brightly at them.
"I'm fine," Ryou said, sipping his tea, pushing his white hair out of his face, so as not to get it in his tea.
"Yeah, me too. I mean, the morning sickness is a little...ugh...but Seto's wonderful toward me. He's kind of sad I have to leave, and he's a little nervous that I have to fly pregnant, but he wants to me to leave as soon as I can after New Years. I'm not allowed to fly during my third Trimester."
"If you want, and if it would make Kaiba-kun feel better, I could book a flight with you, and just transfer planes in New York...what do you think?" Ryou asked, offering a soft smile.
"I bet Seto would feel much better knowing someone was watching over me. That'd be great, thanks Ryou," Jou replied.
"Wow, I'm going to miss you guys so much when you leave. I wanted to go to college, but the game shop has been doing so well, that I make pretty good money working here, and I'm close to the ones I lo—"
"—AHH!"
CRASH!
"Itai...I'M OKAY!"
The noise was coming from outside, and the three inside the shop shot up and ran outside, to find Yami laying face up in the bushes just left of the door, half a string of Christmas lights strung over his face and above his torso, and the ladder tipped over.
"Yami-chan! What happened?!" Yuugi gasped, rushing up next to him.
"I...I couldn't reach," Yami flushed, twiddling his thumbs, looking up at the edge of the roof that hung slightly over the frame of the shop.
Jou was snickering, thinking Seto could probably reach wherever Yami had been trying to reach, knowing he was at least a good two feet taller than Yami.
Ryou stood with his hand over his mouth, stifling a laugh, hearing his own yami cackling like a hyena in his head, and had a mental image of his lover doubled over in his soul room.
"He couldn't reach?" Seto repeated, as Jou finished the story of what had happened earlier that day. Jou snickered, as he nodded.
Seto smirked, pulling off his glasses and massaging his nose. Jou frowned.
"Have you been working all day, baby?" Jou asked, softly, coming up behind him, and beginning to massage his shoulders, firmly.
"Mmm...meeting tomorrow...need to finish these charts..." was the brunette's only reply, moaning as he felt Jou's firm fingers kneed into his tense, stiff muscles.
"Finish them in the morning...right now, I'm going to get you into a hot, relaxing bath, and then you're going to bed. And you can only stay in that meeting for a little while tomorrow because you promised to help Mokuba, Noa and me decorate for Christmas."
"I know...I know..." Seto replied, nonchalantly. Jou got him up from his office chair, and led him the bedroom, closing the door.
Mokuba, who'd left his room for something or other, could hear them together, and smiled. He listened for a little while longer, forgetting what he was looking for after a while, and headed back to his room. He was smiling, softly, when he entered his room, and Noa, who was already under the covers, his chest bare, wondered why.
"What is it?" He asked.
"Hmm? Oh...nothing..." he smiled at his boyfriend, and pulled his own shirt off, climbing under the blankets with him, and snuggling up.
So far...everything was pretty perfect in the Kaiba household as Christmas neared.
Chapter two is done. Wooo!
(1) – I don't know how to convert Fahrenheit into Celsius! So the thirty degrees is Fahrenheit! Deal with it! P. And please review! Make me a happy authoress!