Milk and White Chocolate
Notes: You'll see a lot of hinting at issues and potential things that will in no way be solved in this story. (Issues with Jou's mom, maybe getting his father a date…) That's all background 'everyday' noise which is just part of my writing style. I try to make it 'realistic' by not just having a person's mind on the one little issue.
I mean, I adore my boyfriend but think about him 24-7 I do not.
Chapter Four
Things You Can Tell
Jou spent Saturday and most of Sunday wallowing in a funk of self-pity with Honda. The brunette's parents were away on business, not a rare occurrence, and they'd pretty much had the entire house to themselves. They didn't do much of course beyond talk about the irony of their crushes getting together and what a terrible couple they made, while consuming an arming amount of sugar laden foods.
It was Sunday evening, the sixteenth, when he decided that maybe he needed to emerge from the bottomless pit of his own crushed feelings. (Actually it wasn't quite that bad, but it was pretty damn close. In Jou's opinion at least.) He trudged to his place to get a uniform for the next day. He did have a spare one at Honda's but he'd worn it on Saturday and neither one was in the mood to fiddle around with the washing machine.
He unlocked the door and kind of stumbled inside, sliding off his shoes as he went. His father was stretched out on the couch, bottle of apple juice on the floor next to the phone and the remote. Jou paused for a moment, just watching the older man sleep. A few years ago be would have walked into the same scene, but instead of a uniform his father would be in a t-shirt and sweats he'd been wearing for days, beer would replace the juice and instead of their annoyingly clean apartment the place would be in shambles.
He sighed and raked his fingers through his hair. His dad had gone through a rough spot after the divorce and everything but now things were at a point where Jou could honestly say he preferred this to when his parents had been together. It seemed a strange thing to say but he didn't think his mother and father had ever actually felt anything for each other beyond obligation and that had made for a less than stellar home environment.
His father was, at least, happy this way. His mother…well. She was never happy when his father was happy. It just wasn't in her nature.
"Hey dad." The man was still for a moment then one of his eyes cracked open. "I came ta get some clothes for school tomorrow. Ya taking da day off?"
"I wish." His father chuckled, voice thick with sleep. "More like a shift. I've been working non-stop since you said you were staying with Honda. I think this is the first time I've slept."
Jou sighed, trying to quash the guilt at interrupting the man's rest. He could have just left a note. "Yer running yourself ragged old man. Ease up."
"Watch that old man crap brat." His father's eyes slide shut and his tone lacked bite. "I'd love to take it easy but your mom has been hinting that she needs more money for your sister and you know I can't say now to my girl." This much was true. Shizuka had a special place in both of their lives. His father would probably take on hell itself for her. It was shame she'd probably never know that, thanks to their mother. "Besides I hear university is expensive these days."
Jou winced. "Dad-"
"I expect you to go places Jou. Don't want you to end up a burned out janitor running himself ragged when he should be taking it easy, like me." All of this was said with a lop-sided grin that Jou had learned to imitate a long time ago.
"Ya are not." Jou shuffled over to his father and leaned over the back of the couch. "Dad I…you know…" He sighed and straightened up. "Thanks old man."
"'M not old." His father muttered while rolling onto his side. Jou smiled and walked back to his bedroom to father up his things.
He'd never been too good at that whole…expressing himself thing. There was really a lot he'd like to say to his father about…a lot of things but he never really seemed able to do it. The words always escaped him when he needed them the most. Still he found his father always seemed to know what he was trying to say without him actually saying it.
"Things not go well with Kaiba?"
Case in point.
"Not really. He's already got a boyfriend. Ya remember my friend Otogi?"
"Yeah, what about…oh. Ouch." His father made a sympathetic noise and Jou wondered if this was hard for him. The whole being supportive thing had to be tough. He was the man's only son after all. Talking to him about his gay crush…
Jou was pretty sure he was a really lucky guy. Even if his white shirts had a bluish tint from his father trying to wash his uniforms. His dad still needed a little work on the more domestic parts of the bachelor lifestyle.
Either that or a girlfriend. Actually, now that he thought about it, Jou knew his chemistry teacher, Miss Kasumi, had gotten divorced a few months ago. She was pretty, smart, and had never made Jou fill like a moron, which was always a plus in his book.
"Sorry kid."
"It's fine."
His father snorted. "Sure it is. I could tell you put a lot of work into that gift. Kaiba's an idiot for not noticing what a great guy you are Jou, believe me." Jou smiled as he zipped up his duffle bag. Yeah, he was lucky. "Hey, isn't Honda single?"
Jou's eyes went wide and he quite literally choked as a breath got caught in his throat. He started coughing in an attempt to breathe and eventually drew his father's attention. The man clapped him on the back and then offered him the bottle of apple juice. He took a long swallow, glaring at his father who was just watching him with a bemused expression.
"Are you okay?"
"No! Did ya just say…did ya…Honda?"
His father shrugged and took back the bottle. "Why not? He's a very nice young man; loyal, kind, honorable." Oh god, his father had gone into true parenting mode. "And I know you at least like him as a friend and that you get along well."
"Well…yeah. But…how did ya know Honda would be interested in me?"
His father blinked at him. "You mean how do I know he likes guys? Have you seen the way he looks at that Otogi kid?" (Jou sighed. Even his father had known before him!) "And since he's with Kaiba-"
"I got it." He nodded his understanding. "No. Honda's like a brother. Dat's just…eww."
His father nodded. "Good. If he was more than that…well…there would be…you know. Rules. About being together alone so much."
Jou quirked an eyebrow. "Ya aren't going to give me a sex talk are ya?"
His father actually blushed then coughed. "No, of course not. I trust you can get your information just like I did: Scrambled Porn." Jou snorted and shook his head. His father had an interesting way of breaking tension. "I'm just saying that when you get a boyfriend don't expect me to just…let you do whatever you want with some guy. Okay?"
"Yea."
"Great. You want a ride? It's about time for me to go back to work."
"Sure."
"Great. I just have to hop in the shower." His dad turned to leave his room then stopped and looked at him over his shoulder. "I forgot. A box came for you today and I put it on the kitchen table."
Jou nodded and slung his bag over his shoulder. Like hi father had said there was a box on the table, wrapped in simple brown shipping paper with his name and address on the label. No return address though. Weird.
He tore it open and threw the paper away, before pulling the top off. He blinked, tilting his head off to the side. On top was a simple white envelope, which he picked up and set aside. Underneath were two boxes of Reese's Pieces, his favorite candy. He lifted them up and couldn't help but gasp.
Duel Monster's Chess. It was a new product by Otogi's company and though had Jou had wanted it a lot it was so expensive he'd pretty much given up on ever having it. The 'pieces' were actually voice-activated holograms of cards the player choose to represent the traditional pieces.
"Oh man." Jou said softly before reaching for the envelope. Who the hell would have sent him something like this? No way was this just some casual St. Valentines' day gift. He pulled out the small note inside of the envelope and scanned the carefully typed words.
With words I have no way
So this gift will have to say
What I intended to
One day say to you.
Until White Day
Blue
Jou blinked then turned the letter over as if expecting to see something there. Of course there was nothing. He turned it back over then refolded it and stuck it in his back pocket. He put the candy back then closed the box and picked it up. He'd run it by Honda and see what he thought.
0-0-0-0-0
"I think that's weird as hell." Honda said finally before inclining his head towards an envelope on the desk. Jou arched an eyebrow and picked it up. He opened it and withdrew four tickets. Then blinked. Looked at them again. Blinked again.
"Holy shit."
Honda nodded almost sagely. "Yes."
"These are tickets to da Lost Prophets."
"Yep."
"For dat concert next month."
"Uh hu."
"Da sold out one dat we couldn't get tickets to in spite of saving up for two months and waiting in da freezing rain all damn night."
"Exactly."
"Someone sent you four tickets."
"I had noticed."
"Oh my god."
Honda nodded. He agreed completely. And he couldn't' mock his friend for his reaction; his had been just as bad. It had involved a long period of silence followed by blinking followed by running around the house and whooping like he'd lost his damn mind.
Not that he could be blamed. It was a perfectly natural reaction to finding the concert tickets you were willing to sell a kidney for on your doorstep. (Not that Honda had actually sold his kidney, but only because Yugi had convinced him not to.)
He picked up the note that had come with them. "I don't know who they're from though. Someone knocked at the door and I thought it was you but…well. It wasn't."
Sorry I missed the actual day, but I hope this makes up for it. Maybe we can go together.
S.A.
He showed it to Jou who nodded. "Well it's obvious who S.A. is."
"It is?"
"Sure. It's yer Secret Admirer."
Honda resisted the urge to smack the blond. "No shit Sherlock." Jou just shrugged.
"What can I say Watson, watching you get annoyed is fun."
The brunette made a gesture with one of his fingers that could only be considered rude. It was a little known fact that Jou had a serious love of British writing. It made no sense to Honda, since Jou hated reading anything that wasn't game or comic related, yet he absorbed these thick novels, in English, like they contained the secrets to life.
It was just…it made no sense. Maybe the British put some kind of weird mind controlling…vibes in their novels. He'd have to ask Malik or Marik, they knew all about that kind of stuff. Only it'd be kind of rude to ask the guys who had tried to kill you and take over the world with their mind-controlling rod to scan a book for evil tendencies.
…They weren't really supposed to talk about Battle City anymore. It was a forbidden subject, like Yami's more homicidal moments. Oddly enough Honda wasn't sure which yami was scarier when you factored in Yami's 'Mind Crush' abilities. Sure Marik was a big crazy psychopath and Bakura was a clear sociopath, but Yami was perfectly sane until you threatened Yugi. In which case he became a psychopathic sociopath and the fact he could just…change like that was scary.
Anyway.
"So. Blue." Honda arched an eyebrow almost casually. "Do you think maybe it has something to do with a certain dragon?"
Jou snorted dully. "I wish. It seems too obvious for Kaiba. 'Sides, ya just want him to like me so ya have a chance wit Otogi."
"So? You say that like it's a bad thing."
"I'm glad ya have my best interests at heart man."
Honda gasped in mock offense. "Of course I have your best interests at heart Jou! How dare you suggest otherwise? Don't you know me at all? It just so happens that your best interests coincide with my best interests, which is even more reason to pursue said interests."
"Right."
"Right." Honda smirked then reached for one of Jou's boxes of candy. He opened it and poured some of the autumn-colored candies into his hand. "Does your dad know about you being…you know?"
"Gay? Queer? A man's man?" Jou suggested with a grin that bordered on the inappropriate. Honda rolled his eyes. "Yeah he does."
"What about your mom?"
Honda knew he should have asked before he even actually considered asking, but couldn't seem to help himself. He knew Jou did think well of his mother for various reasons, not the least of which were moving Shizuka so far away and milking his dad for money all of the time.
"My mom's opinion doesn't matter. But if it did she'd probably be upset about it. She isn't a big fan of things that are different." Jou said quietly, smile having dropped away. He picked up the other box, ripped away the top, and tilted some into his mouth. The only sound was him crunching away before sighing. "Why'd ya wanna know?"
"Does your dad…you know…mind?"
"He acts like he doesn't but I'm sure it has to bother him a little bit. How could it not, you know?" Jou shrugged. "Seriously man, what's up?"
"Nothing." That sounded lame to his own ears and, judging by the look on Jou's face, it sounded lame to him as well.
"Nothing. Bullshit."
"It's just…" Honda looked at the box in his hands suddenly very nervous. This wasn't even something he really wanted to talk about.
"Your parents?"
"Yeah."
Jou knew him very well and knew that his relationship with his parents was…distant at the best of times. They worked. A lot. And not even like Ryou's father worked a lot, because at least Mr. Bakura wrote and called and came home for holidays and stuff like that. His parents very rarely showed up for much of anything, holidays and birthdays included. Things like letters and phone calls were unheard of, because they had work they had to do and couldn't be bothered with him.
He didn't mind that much. He had his sister and Jou and all of his friends. Plus he kind of liked being by himself sometimes. Most people wouldn't know it by what they saw most days, but he was kind of a loner by nature. The others had all managed to get under his skin but, with the exception of Jou and Otogi, he couldn't really be with them for too long without getting frustrated.
Plus his parents covered all of the house expenses and gave him and allowance' for food and such, along with a little for fun. He didn't have to worry about curfew or parties. All in all life was pretty good.
"I don't know what to tell them about this. I mean…I didn't even want to know really." He blushed a little bit and looked away. He had been a little bit (Or you know, maybe a lot) in denial about the whole 'gay' thing for a while. But Otogi had kind of changed that. Up until then it was just noticing some men were attractive and the occasional wet dream but now there was this guy who he actually wanted to be with and maybe could have a chance with.
If he could just admit to himself he was gay first. And he had. It had been stressful.
"Don't tell 'em." Jou said finally.
"You don't think they…'deserve' to know?"
"Nope." The blond's tone was surprising light and easy, as if this was no real big deal. Jou had a way of shrinking stressful things down. "It's your life and they aren't exactly the worlds most concerned parents, you know? And even if they were you don't have to tell anyone until your good and ready; it's no ones life but your own and you're the only person who really had to deal with all of this." A long pause. "That's what Oprah said this morning anyway."
Honda sighed and smacked Jou on the back of the head. "Moron."
Jou smirked lavishly. "You love it."
Honda laughed. "Whatever man."
Supposedly the Lost Prophets are big in Japan, as in bigger there than they are in America. (But not as big as in Europe) Plus I love LP, cause they rock, and I could see Otogi, Honda, and Jou liking them. Seto on the other hand…well. He's a complex dude. But anyway, that's why I choose that.
The stuff about Yami being a psychopath is true! He's fucking nuts in the first season. I just got to see it and I was like 'No fucking way!'. It was awesome. Anyway.
On to the reviews.
Sami: Yeah, the 'Open Your Mind' Is lame. I keep thinking 'What's so bad about mind crush?'. I mean, kids have seen/heard worse… oh well. Seto and Otogi is a little disturbing, I confess. It's not a pairing I care for, personally, being a hard core Puppy and Chase shipper, though I do think Seto and Otogi would make great friends.
Mistress: Yes, Anzu is a fan girl. She's a fan girl in all of my stories. It's easy for me to see her in that role. She's a little quirky and loves her friends so much in cannon it's easy to picture her as that girl. And she can be annoying, I'll confess, but like you said, she isn't totally bad.
Yugi is my one and only: As you wish. I am to please.
Yaoi Ish Pretty: You love me! Confess! lol
Starr: Nooo. Release the light!
Mechante: Aww, I'm glad someone appreciates my slightly twisted sense of humor. I confess, I'm a odd guy and I hang out with odd people and some of the more random thoughts/conversations are things that I've ripped off from my friends. Like the evil hamster thing.
Okay folks! Happy V-day, don't forget to review, and pity Honda and Jou. Poor boys.
