Chapter One:
Jou rested his chin on his hands, watching their history teacher with confusion. How could anyone ever only speak in a monotone? There's no way it could be natural. But they expected him to pay attention to this? On a Friday afternoon? Groaning he buried his face in his hands. Forget it, he'd just get the notes from Seto later. He'd get a lecture but really, it wasn't his fault Mrs. Denki was the world's dullest woman. And Seto's hand tracing small circles on his inner thigh wasn't helping his concentration any. So, if you thought about it, it was all Seto's fault.
Mrs. Denki shuffled her notes, grunting slightly. Jou shifted in his seat raising his head again to stare bleary eyed around the classroom. Damn it, he couldn't even share his boredom. Not one of his friends were in his classes this year; the only time he saw them during school was lunch. Except Seto. Some reason the school had placed him and Seto in all the same classes. Which was odd considering their explosive past and still supposedly unfriendly acquaintance. But Seto wouldn't mock a teacher with him. It wasn't part of his 'image' apparently. Even though there were all those times a teacher had 'mysteriously' opted for early retirement after a confrontation with the young billionaire. Mr. Malone had only been twenty-nine.
Seto caressed his thigh slightly. Taking notes with his left hand. Damn guy being ambidextrous and all. It was a good and bad thing, this whole being in the same classes as each other. Good that they could now spend much more time together and blame it on school. A good excuse for the past year. Bad that Seto took full advantage of being almost continuously close to his 'puppy', purposely making it harder for Jou to conceal their relationship. The amount of times they'd almost been caught… not to mention the amount of times Seto made him need to leave during class. He swore the businessman got a perverse sort of pleasure from making him look like an idiot. Especially in history where under the inspiration of 'integration' student's desks were pushed together three months ago to promote harmony and friendship. Allowing Seto free range to torment him. Mrs. Denki probably thought he was insane.
And he still had no one to complain to. Seto only smirked at him. Sometimes it was downright frustrating that his boyfriend was a cold-hearted bastard. Kami he wished he could talk to Yugi. But that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.
No one knew about him and Seto, not even his friends in case they accidentally blabbed. Resting his head in his hands, Jou sighed, his eyes darkening as the teacher finally started the next subject. Sometimes he wished he and Seto could be out like Yugi and Yami, but with Kaiba Corp…. He actually thought that Kaiba Corp. would survive a gay CEO; after all, it had survived Gozaboro, a fifteen-year-old owner and a twelve-year-old vice-president. Please, Armageddon could rain down above them and KC would still come through unscathed. Well maybe not unscathed, getting shareholders would probably be a problem, but now he was babbling inside his own head. He really needed to drop this whole introspection thing.
Seto's hand squeezed his knee. Jou saw the questions in his eyes. He shook his head at the concern mouthing later. It was so weird, Seto caring about him – seeing emotion in those ice blue eyes. Not that Seto wasn't the same jackass he used to be, but now he was Jou's jackass and he saw the Seto that until now only Mokuba knew.
Turning back to their teacher he reached under their desks to grasp his boyfriend's hand. Linking their fingers he smirked. Really, the good did outweigh the bad. Particularly in history. And besides, it wasn't as if he was the only one forced to leave class every now and then. Kaiba had abruptly left twice last week due to Jou's hidden ministrations. Jou grinned, yep; history was definitely becoming his favourite class.
Grabbing his bag as soon as the bell rang Jou tossed a random insult over his shoulder for Seto, before riding the crowd searching for his short duelist friend. Not that he'd ever call Yugi short to his face. Vertically challenged maybe, but never short. Ah ha!
"Yug', hey Yugi!" he shouted waving him over.
"Hey Jou," said Yugi coming to a stop by their shoelockers. "How was history?"
"Dead," Jou grabbed his street shoes, "Maths?"
"Really interesting actually," replied Yugi his voice echoing as he searched the dark recesses of his locker. "There's this one equation that Yami said was really important back in Egypt but we're using it wrong."
Blue flashed from the corner of his eye as Jou removed his shoes, half-listening to his friend. He wondered if Seto would show tonight?
" – are you listening to me?"
Or maybe not even half-listening. Yugi looked at him concerned.
"Eh wha'?" Jou blinked, a sheepish look coming over his face, a shoe dangling from his hand. He grinned, "Sorry Yug'. Just spaced a little."
Yugi smiled turning to see what had caught Jou's attention. Normally his friend only spaced that completely on Dueling, or Kaiba. And speaking of the reincarnated high priest, standing between them and the exit was one Kaiba Seto talking on his cell phone. A small frown crossed his face as he and Jou started walking towards him. Jou's face loss the happiness it had held just a moment ago and instead tightened slightly as they neared.
"Oh Jou, not today," Yugi started, tugging on his friends sleeve, "we've all been trying so hard lately to get along. He's even coming with us tonight. Besides I think he's worried about something, he's been distracted lately. Just let it be."
Jou's eyes were still focused on the tall brunet. "I only follow the cues, Yugi," he said quietly.
Yugi glanced sharply at his friend. If you hadn't been looking for it you wouldn't have noticed the slight slanting of his normally youthful eyes as Yami also regarded their friend. Jounouchi had been… different lately. He was calmer almost. After he died during Battle City he all but stopped playing Duel Monsters for a while, it was only recently that he'd started playing friendly matches again. And often Yugi would catch him with a far away expression on his face. Yet Jou avoided his questions. Yami was worried, and so was he. Jou had always been there for them and now it seemed their friend needed help and they couldn't do anything until Jou asked them to.
Kaiba finished his phone call and looked up, a strange light in his eyes when he noticed Yugi and Jounouchi heading towards him. Yugi sighed but followed Jou. He didn't like the fights between the two stubborn teens. Too much had happened to them all - they only really had each other. Still, even if the hostility between Kaiba and most of the group had been replaced with a fragile friendship he and Jou wouldn't stop. Though even here things with Jou had changed. His and Seto's insults didn't hold their old sting. Sometimes it even sounded playful. Sometimes it was so painful the air screamed.
Everything was changing.
Fighting his musings Yugi greeted Seto with a bright smile.
"Hey-ya Kaiba."
"Motou, Mutt," acknowledged the young CEO, focusing on Jou.
"Kaiba."
Yugi looked at his friend in surprise. Jou had calmed down lately but Kaiba calling him dog names still usually ended up with him exploding and subsequently getting detention. Yugi looked back at Kaiba noticing the slightly disappointed expression in the blue eyes as well as a slight question. Yugi thought he saw Jou give a small shake of his head before the familiar smirk reappeared. Interesting.
"So the dog's finally been muzzled. Well done Yugi."
With that parting comment Kaiba headed towards the exit.
"Don't forget we're meeting at nine tonight Kaiba," reminded Yugi as he walked away. Kaiba's only response was a flick of a hand. Yugi sighed; he would have to talk to Yami before they left tonight. Maybe he would understand what was going on between Jou and his cousin. He did have five thousand years experience on him
Like always, whenever the gang was going to meet, Seto and Jou arrived a half-hour earlier. If you squinted you could even call those moments dates.
Seto was waiting against the wall of "Sevens", half in the shadows of the alley. He smirked as Jou approached him. The boy was dressed in tight black jeans and a green shirt that clung to his frame. His blond hair almost seemed to glow as he passed through the streetlights, coming to stop in front of the older teen. With a soft sigh Seto covered Jou's mouth with his own as he drew the smaller boy into his arms, a perfect splash of colour against his own black outfit. For a while they just stayed that way, pressed together, enjoying the feel of each other. Finally Seto pushed him away but kept him within arms length.
"You've been quiet today. Yugi's worried – he seems to think I know something about it." Jou smiled slightly at his boyfriend's tone. The moment of tender Seto was over and it was time for jackass Seto to reappear. Seto didn't know that he found both sides of his boyfriend amusing.
"Careful Seto someone might think you care," he teased.
"Watch it pup. I'm fond enough of you to ask but don't push it."
Jou laughed slightly, "I'm okay. I am. I just," Jou shook his head. "Same old thing - I see Yug' and Yami and I just, I want that."
"Katsuya," Seto sighed.
"I know, I know, I do. I get all the reasons even if I don't understand them. But it's been a year!" Jou said exasperated. Then he quickly shook his hands in front of him. "No, forget I said anything. I'll get over it. Its just today I can't seem to escape it. I'll be okay by tomorrow."
Seto snorted at his boyfriend's antics. He was such an idiot at times.
"Come home with me tonight."
Jou cocked his head to the side. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?"
"I won't ask twice."
Jou grinned. "What about Mokuba."
Seto shifted slightly against the bricks at his back.
"What is it?" Jou frowned.
Seto shifted again. "Mokuba knows."
His boyfriend just stared at him. He kept his blue eyes steady in the dim light.
"He's okay with it?" Jou whispered slowly.
"I believe his exact words were 'About time'."
Jou laughed before glomping his surprised boyfriend. "You have no idea how happy that makes me. That someone else knows. I can't believe you told him."
Seto shifted them further into the darkness, tightening his arms around his pup.
"It's not so much I told him but that he found those stupid photos you took of us."
"Hey!" Jou hit him lightly on the shoulder. "Those photos were not stupid. But I'll forgive you, just this once. Just because you didn't deny and – God this makes me happy."
Seto smirked hands on Jou's hips drawing him flush against his body, causing both boys to groan softly. "Why don't you show me how happy you are?"
Jou was more than willing to oblige as Seto's mouth found his again, tingles racing up and down his spine.
Hurried footsteps forced the two boys apart as Yugi and the others arrived at the club. Yugi stared at them taking in Jou's flushed face and slightly heavy breathing.
"Oh please don't tell me you were fighting again!" he cried dismay in his voice. Yami's arm tightened around his waist.
Jou shrugged a shoulder, "Please Yug' as if I didn't have anything better to do than argue with Kaiba."
"Then what were you doing?" Yugi's head tilted to one side.
"Who cares," said Honda angry, "let's just get inside."
Even Bakura looked at Honda strangely then. Although he found the spike-headed boy strange all the time, however he had promised Ryou not to kill him. Maybe he could just maim him a little and his Hikari wouldn't notice? Bakura's eyes narrowed in contemplation.
"What's eaten' you man?" asked Jou.
Honda just pointed wordlessly at a couple at the back of the line. Jou turned and saw two boys pressed against each other in a replay of what he and Seto were just engaged in.
"I don't get it?" Jou turned back in confusion.
"That's so disgusting."
Malik blinked, Marik's arms tightened around him. They had never expected Yugi and the others to forgive them for what they had done but they had, they had even accepted their relationship before they knew the other Yamis and Hikaris had the same relationship. But now it looked like one of their new friends wasn't as accepting as they thought.
Bakura growled when he saw Ryou's face tighten in fear, oh the pointy-headed teenager was definitely being maimed now. With something very long and very sharp that cut tiny strips.
Yugi looked at Honda in shock. "You said you didn't have a problem when Yami and I came out." There was a note of hurt in the young duelist's voice.
Honda shifted uncomfortably. "Well that's different man, you and Yami are soul mates. Same with the other Yamis and Hikaris," he added turning to the others. "I don't quite understand it but you guys didn't really get a choice in your destiny and gender or anything. They have that choice and -" Honda gulped eyeing Bakura and Marik slightly. "And – I think it's wrong."
Jou stared at his oldest friend with surprise before his eyes became unreadable. Seto only caught the flash of hurt because he was looking for it. He'd known from the beginning that Jou's monkey friend was homophobic. He'd seen the signs when the gang had 'hung out'. Honda's discomfort when one of the others would touch him. You couldn't live with Gozaboro and not be able to recognise the signs of another homophobe. It was one of the reasons he resisted Jou telling anyone about their relationship. If they did Jou would lose someone who'd been a brother to him during a difficult period of his life. In Seto's mind he agreed with Jou that KC would survive him stepping out of the closet. His only other worry had been Mokuba and that was now resolved.
Jou shot a glance towards him and he smirked slightly. He couldn't comfort his boyfriend now. There'd be time for that later. He wouldn't admit it but he didn't like to see Jou in pain, even if he did have a fun time comforting him.
Everyone was silent as they walked into the club and Jou wasted no time before losing himself on the dance floor.
