Started: 7/10/04 Finished: 7/16/04 Revision dates: 8/11/04

Was listening to "Black Wing" some more. It's got a nice rhythm, but that's just my opinion. Maybe I'll listen to "The Month When it Appears in the Water" from the same PC game. Also been listening to the opening theme of "Wings Innocent": "In the Wings". It sounds so happy, and I like how Ren and Rin look like! Opposing angels! Oh, all the characters are soooo hot/kawaii! Oh, did anyone ever know that Jou's mother's Japanese name is "Kawaii"? I sure didn't! At least, I'm pretty sure that's what she's called.

The stupid computer just HAD to crash while I was first writing this and I couldn't get internet access on our new one until the last minute for my auction. Then, I got the YGO PC game! Yayyy! And now, I got a brand new compy! Sayonara, Mr. Compy, and HE---LLOO Mr. Compy Jr.!

What? The link doesn't work? (tests it) It works just fine... Oh, is it because of the lack of the double "/" when I uploaded the chapter... as well as the strange curl mark "" ?... Come to think of it, a lot of the double exclamation points/question marks are gone when I upload it... Grrr... Okay, well, I'll try to contact those of you that want to see the site and give you the correct URL, because though the site is kind of small, it's nice to look at and see the artwork.

Oh, okay about the Japanese. I understand that on the last chapter, I went a little overboard. There are only 3 new Japanese phrases in this chapter, and at most, they are 3 words long.


Love Through a Portrait

By Kurohi Tatsaki

Chapter 2 - Is There Something On My Face?


Kaiba paused a moment. "First of all, what is it that has you so exhilarated?" Not that the look doesn't suit you... You look so... appealing when you're happy.

Jou didn't stop smiling. "Nah. Just your choice of location struck me as ironic. I expected you to drag me into an alleyway and then do whatever you had planned. Not pull me into the school's favorite kissing grounds."

The billionaire seemed distant a moment as he looked away, which was alarming, because he didn't have a snappy reply.

The blonde's brown eyes narrowed in concern. ". . .Kaiba? Daijo--bu desu ka?"

Kaiba blinked up at him. ". . .Excuse me. I have a proposition for you."

Jou pursed his lips, making him look almost like a pouting dog. "Oh? What's that?" What does he want me to do! Polish his shoes and lick up the grim on the soles!

"Would you like to baby-sit Mokuba while I work during the late afternoons and weekends?"

Baby-sit Mokuba? Arching an eyebrow, he asked, "Eh. . . before I agree, what's the catch?"

So, he's considering it. . . "No catch. I'm just wondering since I don't always have enough time to spend with my brother."

He seems... sincere enough. . . "As long as there aren't any surprise catches, then, it's a deal. I'll play with Mokuba. Hell, he's a great kid," said Jou, winking. Plus, it'll distract me from the loneliness of not being able to see Shizuka whenever I want to. Why did mom have to drag her all the way to America!

Kaiba stood up. "Can you start today?" I suppose I could pay you, too. If you can manage to do a better job than my other employees, you'd better be careful of his pranks. . . AND the fact that he likes to sneak off.

Jou glanced at his watch for a second; then nodded. "Aa. As long as I get back home before eight tonight."

". . ." The 16-year-old stood up, briefcase in hand. "All right then. Let's go. . ." . . .pup, he finished mentally. "We'll take my limo' to my estate." He flipped out a cell phone and punched in a speed dial.

Hai, Kaiba-sama?

"Bring the limo' to the front of the school immediately."

Hai. Is there anything else, Kaiba-sama?

"That will be all."

The line went dead.

Hanging up as well, he slipped the phone back into his pocket and looked up at Jou. "Our ride will be here momentarily. I expect you have everything?"

Jou nodded before looking away, back to the tree that the other boy had been sitting under. I wonder. . . if he feels the same about me? Heh. I know that hoping for it is way beyond crazy, but, one can dream, can't they? His eyes narrowed just a little with melancholy. . . .First loves are a pain in the ass, aren't they? They never seem to return your feelings, and they're always so confusing. . . Especially with Kaiba. . . He shoved his hands into his pockets, as they were getting a little cold. I doubt I'll EVER be able to understand him, no matter how much I want to.

The limousine pulled up at the curb. "Jou?" Kaiba turned to look at the blonde. The shorter boy had his back to him, and seemed to be looking at the cherry blossom tree.

. . .I'm probably stupid to even have this crush on him. I mean, after all, he probably has one of his fan-girls as a secret girlfriend. Let alone the fact that he could never love a "dog" like me. He frowned slightly.

Cautiously, Seto stepped up to beside the street-smart boy. He didn't dare touch him, as his brown eyes seemed out of focus. ". . .Jou?"

. . .It's just wishful thinking, but I wish that he'd feel the same about me. . . Seto. . . His eyes closed against the sweet sorrow.

Throwing caution to the wind at Katsuya's visible distress, he touched the other boy's arm. "Jounouchi-kun!"

Snapping out of his gaze with a violent start, his fist swung of its own accord, and by sheer instant recognition, his fist stopped millimeters from the billionaire's face. His brown eyes widened and he stumbled back, looking embarrassed. "Na-Nani. . .?"

Arching an eyebrow for a moment, "Our ride's here," he replied as he went over to the limousine, opening the door before sliding in to the left window seat. Jou scrambled in and closed the door behind him, fastening his seat belt out of habit. "Driver. Home."

"Yes, Sir."

Kaiba pulled out his laptop from his briefcase and started on his amazingly easy homework, thanks to or no thanks to Kaiba Gozaburo. The creep. . . He glanced at Jou before he became too immersed in it and said, "I'd get some of your work done, if I were you. You'll have a bit of a long day, keeping my brother busy." He paused. "Oh, by the way. I'm paying you."

Jou frowned. "You don't have to. Just playing around with Mokuba's nice enough. . . though, it would be nice to be able to spend a buck or two on myself for a change. . ." He blinked. Uh oh. Now, Kaiba's gonna wanna know what I mean by that!

Sure enough, Kaiba's face gave a brief flicker of disbelief. "What do you mean?"

Uncomfortable, the blonde beauty looked at his worn sneakers. He needed a new pair since two months ago when a hole began to wear into the right sole. Plus, his feet were starting to get cramped. . . a little. Acting casual, he replied, "Oh, nothing more than paying off my dad's debts all the damn time. With debts THAT long in numbers, I wonder how I even manage to keep food in the house." Speaking of food, his stomach growled loudly. He chuckled. I'm lucky even if I manage a few loafs of bread and some packages of instant ramen. Mmmm. . . ramen. Rummaging through his book bag, he pulled out his English homework. It was an essay question about your favorite people/person. . . .Easy enough. This'll be done before I know it!

Pulling out his pencil, he began to write. Halfway through, the dark car came to a halt, and he looked up, his stomach growling plaintively. "We there yet?" But I'm not done yet. . . he mentally complained.

Kaiba closed up his things. "Of course we're there yet. My driver knows every route home, and he knows which ones take the shortest and longest amount of time, and which ones are the most efficient to suit the weather, and so on. Of course, I can't expect a dog like you to always remember details like that."

"Cut it out with the mutt comments!" Jou grumbled, grabbing his stuff and hopping out where Kaiba had left the door open. "They're annoying, more than anything!" But, if he WEREN'T always making those comments, he wouldn't be the Kaiba I know and . .. CRAP! I KNOW how that phrase goes! Jeez. . . Why do some of the more popular sayings always have the word "love" at the end! Stupid "L" word!

He looked up just before he walked into the mansion's gate wall, getting his face smashed and falling on his ass, dropping his homework in a scattered mess. "Aw, SHIT!" As he scrambled to get his belongings, he didn't notice when Kaiba picked up his essay and started looking at it with bored blue eyes. It went on first about the importance of friendship to the human being, and then he went on about how Yuugi was a prime example, and how his life changed when he met the kid. It then mentioned Honda Hiroto and how good pals they were and still are. The fourth paragraph started up with. . . Kaiba Seto(!) but he hadn't even gotten past the first sentence.

"What IS this crap for English homework, mutt? To think that I am your friend?" he asked snidely, tossing the paper back at the blonde, the white sheet plastering itself to the boy's face in the breeze.--

"ACK!"

"Now get your things and get your lazy ass off the ground. I'm running behind schedule because of your lethargy." Without further words, Kaiba began to go inside his house without his brother's new "baby-sitter".

Jou frowned at the stinging words and yanked the paper off his face. Bakayaro--. On normal circumstances, he wouldn't have been fazed at all. But now that he acknowledged his feelings for the CEO, the cold words hurt all the more, the more his love grew. Jou frowned. "Dammit all. . ." He stood up, quickly collected himself, and made his way into the mansion only to be crushed by a hug half his size, knocking him back down onto the cement, and he gave a dog-like yelp. He was fortunate that he only landed on his bum. "M-Mokuba! Don't DO that!" he retorted to the dark-haired boy on his lap. He held his chest, feeling his heart pound. "You scared the CRAP outta me! Jeez!"

"I missed you! Is that bad!" the boy retorted looking up with his big blue eyes.

"No, no!" he replied, waving his hands in a defensive gesture. "Nothin' wrong with that! Just try to lay off tackling me into the cement. Rough-housing's fine with me, but just in a clear room with carpet or in the grass outside, ne?" He winked.

Mokuba grinned widely. "'kay!"

"Now get off me so I can get up here. I need ta eat first before we play, 'r else I won't be much of a challenge, and we don't want that, do we?" He ruffled the boy's long hair and got to his feet as soon as the younger boy got off him. He stopped himself in the doorway to take off his shoes so that he wouldn't follow his home-habit: Keep the shoes on and only take them off in his room.

Walking around in his only pair of hole-less white socks, he looked around the mansion as if for the first time even though he'd already been there before when Mokuba poisoned him.

"You've been here before, Jou-kun. Why are you looking around like that again?" asked said child criminal, but he was reformed for a long time, and even now, so he wasn't TOO big a threat.

"My memory's been just a little sketchy of this place ever since I first came here with Yuugi," he replied, his stomach giving a loud protest due to its emptiness and memory of the - though poisoned - food that he had devoured back then. It hated having to resort to eating itself. Jou didn't like it, either. It hurt like hell! "Unless I take to memorizing where I'm at and where I'm going, chances are that I'm gonna get lost. . . repeatedly."

"That's what a map's for, silly! I'll get you one right now! You just get something in your stomach! It's driving me nuts with all it's growling!"

Just then, Jou's stomach growled again, insistent as ever.

"Aaaugggh! Shut it off! Shut it off!" screamed Mokuba, giggling right afterwards as he ran down one of the "endless" hallways.

Katsuya snickered and looked around for a place to put his stuff. Seeing this, Seto jerked his head down the opposite hallway. "At the very last, center-most door, there's an entertainment center. You can put your things there, since I doubt that you'll have any use for the study. As long as you don't eat me out of house and home, I suppose you can find something to munch on in the kitchen. If my servants question your presence, you have my permission - unless it's an hour 'til dinnertime, in which case, you don't - to tell them to mind their own business while you mind yours."

The blonde nodded. "M'kay."

Mokuba came back with the map, and then scowled at his big brother for a moment before smiling at the blonde. "C'mon, Jou-kun! Let's go eat!"

Dragging the blonde into the kitchen, said blonde smiled as he saw a box on the counter. "DOUGHNUTS!" Dashing up to them, he grabbed hold of a chocolate one and started munching on it happily, some of the chocolate going onto the corner of his lips.

"Heh heh. You like, ne?"

"Mmmm. . ." He nodded enthusiastically. He swallowed the big bite and replied, "Yeah. Chocolate doughnuts are the best! I mean, come on! Who DOESN'T like chocolate! Have t'be CRAZY t'hate it!" He quickly finished it and looked at the empty box. No surprise that he'd gotten the last one. ". . .Okay, now that my stomach's fine for now, how 'bout some games and maybe we finish homework?"

"YOU! Do HOMEWORK! Aw, this is rich!" Mokuba burst into a fit of giggles.

Jou frowned, some chocolate still on the side of his mouth and chin, and replied, "I get passing grades, thank you very much. I got second in the English test last week and my math ain't so crappy, either. I'm in Algebra 2, y'know!"

Mokuba giggled a bit more. "Okay, okay! I-It's just... y-you have some chocolate on your face!"

Jou's tongue poked out and ran across his lips before finding the mess and licking it up quickly. "Yum." He smiled.

"You should consider becoming a comedian!"

"I'm THAT funny! Jeez, why didn't ya tell me earlier that I'm a classic!" he retorted, grinning widely.

"Don't get mad at ME!" the younger boy mock-replied. "I just haven't seen your humorous side too often, y'know!"

Jou seemed thoughtful a moment. ". . .How about we do homework first so that we definitely get it done, and then we can play the rest of the time?"

"As much as I hate it, it sounds like a plan," Mokuba replied glumly. "I'll go get my homework. You can wait in the game room."

With that, Jou gripped his book bag's strap and marched out of the kitchen and into the entertainment room. Plunking down on a couch, he pulled out a pencil and his Advanced English homework. He hesitated a moment before writing further about Kaiba, as the grand finale of his paper.

Within moments, he was done, and he shoved the paper into a folder in his pack. He was glad that they had homeroom right after lunch. It meant that he had even more time to get stuff done, and in this case, he already finished his Algebra 2 work, and he only had to finish a reading assignment in American History - and he was already 3/4 done with it.

He opened to the page and started reading, trying to pay attention to important dates among other things. Iya na kanji. . . I wonder where Mokuba is. . .? One would think that he'd know the way around his own house. . .

"Okies, Jou-kun! I have my homework out."

Jou looked up and grinned. Mokuba stood with a big math book in his arms. "'bout time y'got back here. . . Math?"

"Long division." Dark blue eyes looked up helplessly. "Can you help?"

The blonde nodded and ushered the boy to sit next to him so they would work without discomfort. "Yeah. It's just as easy as multiplication, actually. You basically. . ."


While Mokuba was occupied with his homework, the blonde pulled out many sheets of computer paper - some used before, others new - an eraser, and a pencil. He stared at several failed sketch attempts - based wholly on memory - and sighed quietly. Dammit. . . something's ALWAYS off each time I draw him! I can't place it... and there's that deadline soon, too. . .

The younger Kaiba heard, though. "Do-- shita no, Jou-kun?"

The blonde looked up into dark blue eyes. ". . .Nothing overly big. . . It's just that there's an assignment that I have to do, but, I haven't the idea how to flawlessly capture what I want to do."

"A piece of artwork?" the 12-year-old asked.

The 17-year-old jolted slightly before calming. "Aa. . ." He smiled slightly. "Problem is, I only know how to sketch it out by memory, and when I look back at the real things, details are off - where, I can't place - and I want to make them accurate to the best of my abilities."

The boy smiled knowingly. "Is it my brother you wanna paint?"

"GAAH!" Jou jumped with a start before chuckling, and then sighing. "Yeah. . . It's your brother. . . but that's not all. I wanna paint the Blue-Eyes White Dragon in there, too. Problem is, I can't get the body to shift as I want it. . ."

"I could ask my brother to model for you. . ."

His face burned pink. "Eh! No, no. I want to pose to be natural, is all," he replied, a little flustered. "Like when someone takes a picture but the subject isn't aware of it. That kinda thing."

Mokuba glanced down at his now-finished homework before shoving it into the book and closing it with a small thud. "I guess. I think we can bother him right now. It's almost dinner, and I know that even when he works himself to death, he still winds up eating with some of my prodding." He suddenly grinned. "Plus, with BOTH of us badgering him, he CAN'T say no!"

Jou nodded. "Yeah, just hold on a second. . ." Pencil at the ready, he began another light-lined sketch of Kaiba sitting casually beneath the Blue-Eyes as it rained, leaning against one of the legs. The Blue-Eyes was using its wings as shelter for its master, but something was STILL off. . . ". . .but what is it. . .?" he murmured, then shoved the sketch under the younger Kaiba's short nose. "Something's off, but I can't place it."

Giving it a good look, Mokuba replied, "It needs balance. It needs darkness' dragon with its light wielder to be with Kaiba and the Blue-Eyes."

Jou's eyes lit up. ". . .It makes sense! San kyu, Mokuba-chan!" He grinned. "Now I can get started soon. Just. . . one favor?"

"Nan desu ka?"

"I need to paint Kaiba and his Blue-Eyes separately so I can get everything right. I'll add that you both helped me in my artist statement!"

Mokuba nodded before gesturing at the sketch papers. "Okay, but before doing that, you need to come up with a composition that works. I'd say that you with your Red-Eyes is a perfect match. You both are always bickering, and while my older brother may act like a pain in the ass all the time, your similar attitude reverses it, making his aura dark, and yours light even though you have opposing dragons. Either that, or use the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. Take your pick."

Dragons are complicated creatures, especially when drawing them. . . "For starters, one Blue-Eyes. It's all my abilities can manage right now. At least, that's what my brain's telling me." Whipping out another blank sheet, he got started. He re-sketched the previous drawing to a smaller scale and then added himself sitting casually on his Red-Eyes Black Dragon's back, enjoying the rain. Eh. . . it's. . . okay. . . I guess. . .

"That looks good," praised Mokuba. "Now, let's go see my oniisama and see what he has to say about it, ne?"

"Aa." Taking the sketches in his hand, his pencil in the other hand, and the white eraser in his pocket, they exited the gaming room and entered one of those "never-ending" hallways. They made a left turn, went down a shorter hall, and then Mokuba knocked on the door.

"Nan da!" Kaiba snapped from within the room. Jou flushed pink with sudden regret at disturbing the older Kaiba, but quickly dispelled it when Mokuba flung open the door.

Seto's original scowl softened to a neutral expression. "Oh, Mokuba. I didn't know it was you and. . . Makeinu?" He raised an eyebrow.

Jou bristled and held back a growl. I am NOT a defeated dog!

"Now, now, Jou-kun. . ." Mokuba retorted to the blonde. He stared at his brother. "Jounouchi-kun just wanted to know if he could paint you with your Blue-Eyes White Dragon. It's for school, and I don't know why he'd wanna paint you, what, with all the fights you two get into all the time." Though, a saying is "the more you fight someone, the more you love that person". Something along those lines.

The brunette arched an eyebrow before glancing back to his terminal. He glanced at the time, and, with a soft sigh, put the thing into sleep mode. He closed the laptop and fixed his attention to the "mutt". "I'm probably going to regret this, but what did you have in mind?" I didn't know that he is an artist of some sort. . .

Almost shakily, Jou handed over the "complete" sketch. "The part with the Red-Eyes was Mokuba's idea. . ." he added as Seto looked at the paper with an almost interested expression. "but I'm still not certain about the composition."

"It's good." He hesitated, narrowed his gaze slightly, and then relaxed as he handed the paper back. "Must I model for you during school, or can't we do this in private?"

"Private would be best. That way we both don't have all the attention of our peers. I don't work too well under that kinda stress," the blonde replied, trying not to toe the ground or hold his hands behind his back.

"Then it's settled." He paused. "We can start tonight only if Mokuba. . ." He stared pointedly at his brother. ". . .has actually gotten around to finishing his homework under that sea of games."

"Been taken care of, big brother!" he chirped. "Jou hassled me to, so I got it done!"

Kaiba nodded once. "Then, Jounouchi, do you have what you need?"

The blonde mentally thumbed through what he had. He frowned. "I just need pencil and paper for the sketches right now, which is what I have with me right now, of course. May I work on the final canvas it here, too, since I'll also be watching Mokuba?"

Seto frowned slightly. "I'll think about it. For now, just be glad I'm letting you get started."

Jou nodded. "I am. Thank you."

"For what?"

Jou grinned. "For allowing me to portray you properly. I'll just need some preliminary sketches of you and the Blue-Eyes so I get it right while I'm painting. There's been a strange error lately with all my drawings. . . but I haven't been able to place it. I'm assuming that looking at the real images will help."

Seto glanced back to his sleeping computer before standing up and stretching. The action caused Jou to look at the billionaire with a bit more of a critical, observing eye. He watched how each limb moved to complete such a simple action, and then icy blue eyes met his gaze. "What are you staring at?" he asked, mid-way through stretching his upper body.

Blinking out of his stupor, he replied, "Observing you. The more I am capable of seeing the subject in action, the better I can draw it. It's a skill I realized while looking at trees and such. Even now, I draw things better when I see them first-hand, rather from memory."

"But trees don't move."

"Have you seen them in the wind? Have you ever seen how each leaf shifts and twists as they are hung, suspended, by a simple stem? And have you seen how each leaf is different in various ways, such as size or color?" the blonde retorted, turning around and walking away.

. . .He's definitely not as dense as I claimed he is. With that, Kaiba followed the Mutt and closed the door behind him. He had chefs to bark at. No. . . he corrected himself. Jou does the barking. I do the yelling.



Iya na kanji. I hate this. (If this is wrong, I heard Dee Laytner say it, and that's how it sounded like from the subtitles! So there!) But I'm also aware that "I hate this" might also be "Iya na kore." or something like that.

Nan desu ka? What is it?

Nan da! What is it! (note that this is more of a demand than an innocent question in case that the exclamation point or question mark does not show up.)