I don't own Yugioh so don't sue me. If I owned Yugioh, mmmhhh...I would be doing the nasty with my ecru haired, sapphire eyed, conceited, ill tempered, control freak...he has gotta be a real freak in the bedroom. Oh, shite, I am rambling again about Seto aren't I? Lol...okay onto the fic.

Across the big pond, in America, sat two people in a candlelit restaurant, one was a sun kissed blond with honey colored eyes, the other a beauty with ecru colored hair and sapphire eyes. Between them on a table was a sable colored box. Its' interior was crushed red velvet. In the center of the red velvet was an engagement ring. It waited for its owner to slip it on the third finger where it would rest for all its life. All was needed was the amber eyed teen to open the box and claim the ring.

Seto picked up his glass of water and sipped. "Well, aren't you going to open it, Katsuya?"

Jou's heart skipped a beat. It was rare that Seto called him by his given name. Therefore he knew the box was vastly important. Jou eyed the box; with an index finger he prodded it. The mere touch felt like an electric volt had gone through his body. Like the touch he received from Seto's sweet mouth. Jou inhaled deeply and could almost smell something warm and metallic.

The blond wasn't as dense as people assumed him to be. He knew it was an engagement ring. That was the main reason he hesitated to open the box. Opening it meant he had to give Seto an answer. And the answer was Jou wasn't completely sure he wanted to marry Seto. He knew he loved the CEO that wasn't the problem. The problem was he also knew he didn't completely trust the CEO. After all why the quick trip to America? And all that bullshit about family time. The problem was Jou was tired of defending his friends to Seto (or as Kaiba referred to them, the nerd herd.) He was also tired of defending Kaiba to his friends. The problem was he was already attached to Mokuba and if things went sour with Seto did it a mean he would lose the younger Kaiba brother too? The problem was Seto was so mean to people on a regular basis. Jou knew if Seto tried a bit harder people would like him a lot better. Jou sighed. Too many questions and not enough answers. It would be nice to talk to Yugi. Still if he needed real answers he would have to talk to the person in front of him.

He looked up as Seto asked, "Are you going to stare at the box all night? No amount of gawking at it will change its' contents."

"No," Jou said quietly, "but it might change our relationship permanently."

"How so, am I to assume you already know what is in the box?"

"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out, Seto. By the way, Mokuba didn't tell me it was an engagement ring either."

Seto kept the surprised look off of his face at the mention of his brothers' name. Inwardly he wondered how Mokuba knew of his plans.

Jou glanced down at the box and then he looked at Seto. He chewed his lower lip. "I won't open the box. We have too much to discuss. I will say this. I love you a lot."

"You don't have to give me an answer this very night."

"That is good because you weren't getting one."

Seto waved the waiter over. He ordered a salad.

"Why don't you ever eat a real meal? Do you know people think you are too thin? They think you are a vampire or something."

"Frankly I don't care what people think of me aside from you and Mokuba. Furthermore, vampire, please, they should view me as a God."

"Right mister conceited, how about instead of a God a King?" Jou asked sarcastically.

A tiny grin played around Seto's lips. He had heard that the longer a master and his pet remained together both of them would begin to resemble each other. He didn't know if it where true for animals but he did know Jou had picked up quite a few of his traits. The trademark smirk, the sarcasm, and his snarling were just a few among many.

"I wouldn't be surprised. You know if I believed in that magic bullshit you and the nerd herd believed in, I would almost think I may have had a previous life. If I had one I know I was someone powerful. Someone who ruled high. I commanded a lot of respect. I probably wielded a powerful object..." Seto paused, "Yes, maybe a magic scepter or something."

Jou choked on the water he had been drinking and laughed.

"What is so funny?"

"Well, the way you talk you sound as though you believe this fantasy of yours. I mean a powerful magic scepter."

"Yes, you are right. I must have spent a bit too much time with the puppy's loser friends." Seto sat back and interlaced his long fingers.

"Must you always refer to them by such nasty names?" Jou asked, his patience wearing thin.

"I only call them as I see them. Honda thinks he is mister tough guy. He is really a softie and he has it bad for your sister. Otogi is a silly dice faggot."

"Well, aren't you the pot calling the kettle black?" Jou asked with an eyebrow arched. "The last time I checked I thought we were both gay."

Seto leaned forward and smirked. He licked his bottom lip for he knew it drove Jou crazy. And of course it was working, Jou had become momentarily distracted. He no longer eyed Seto he was too busy concentrating on his lips. Watching Seto's tongue darting over his bottom lip was a huge turn on for Jou. He refocused his attention on Seto as he spoke. "The difference between us and that faggot Otogi is we aren't flaming gays. No one mistakes either of us for girls. All that damn mascara he wears. His too tight clothes and his all girl fan club. Oh and the icing on the cake he also pretends to have it bad for your sister."

"You sure spend quite a lot of time focusing on Otogi. Someone would think you liked the guy."

"Spare me, the Great and Powerful Seto Kaiba settling for a loser like that one. Please give me credit. I can do much better than that."

Jou sighed heavily as he let that comment go. "Don't you like any of my friends?"

"I can stomach Anzu, although, she sometimes act like a mother hen. She really needs a life of her own. Maybe a boyfriend to occupy her time. I thought she had a thing for the pipsqueak for a while there. Then I realized that the pipsqueak as a thing for you."

"Yugi isn't gay."

Seto rolled his eyes. "Sure he isn't Jou."

"He isn't and he returns the feelings that Anzu has for him. Neither of them has ever acted on their feelings, although, I don't see why not. They would make a perfect couple."

"Yes, then the pipsqueak would have someone else to stalk. As it is he can't exist without you."

"You sound jealous," Jou commented.

"Yes, I the Great and Powerful Seto Kaiba am jealous of a little tri- colored freak."

Jou growled deep in his throat. "You must be jealous. After all you expend a great deal of energy on your 'I must defeat Yugi at duel monsters campaign'.

"That has nothing to do with you."

"I am aware of that. It still is an obsession with you."

Kaiba leaned forward and said, "Let us cut to the chase. How do you feel about Yugi?"

"He is my best friend. Nothing more or less. You are the one who thinks there is something else going on between us."

"Can you blame me? Every time I turn around he is calling the mansion with some new dilemma. I swear that little shrimp is the biggest drama queen on the planet."

Jou smirked and Kaiba wasn't a bit shocked to see it was his own trademark smirk on Jou's face. "Sounds as though you are the biggest drama queen on the planet. Furthermore, the Great and Powerful, Seto, seems a bit insecure."

"Why would I be insecure? I already own you. If memory serves you come home to my bed."

"You really need to lay off of that 'you own me shit' Seto. You don't own me. I am a person unto myself. Moreover, if you keep up that attitude you might no longer have me either."

"Is that a threat, puppy?"

Jou shrugged, "Take it as you like."

Seto smiled a little smile. Secretly he enjoyed when Jou stood up to him. It reminded him of the days when they were still enemies. Those days had been hard on Seto, fighting with Jou nearly the entire school day, than going home with a lust filled body. All he could think of were ways to seduce Jou. Even now, the fire was still ignited by their fighting. He smiled. Make up sex was the best kind. Seto waved the waiter over. He pointed to Jou. "Whatever he wants wrap it up in a doggy bag. Then have the check sent over."

"A little early to be leaving isn't it? I thought we were going to spend some alone time together?"

"We are, puppy. I have already arranged for a babysitter for Mokuba. You see I think three steps ahead of the game. That is the reason I always win at chess."

"And yet you can't beat Yugi at duel monsters."

Seto frowned. "For the rest of the evening don't bring up his name."

"Did I hit a sore spot? Listen, Seto, if we are to be together for eternity as that ring would suggest, you need to find a way to get along with Yugi and my friends.

"Your friends are revolting. Perhaps you might want to look into a better class of friends. I mean after all suppose we were to leave Japan altogether."

"Why the hell would we do that? And when did you start thinking that way?"

"I don't know. I might want Mokuba to be raised in a different environment. Your friends have some very weird baggage with them. I find no matter how hard I try, Mokuba seems to keep getting caught up in some mess with Yugi and his crew. Mokuba is impressionable. He really believes Pegasus trapped his soul in a card. He also believes Noah trapped him in a virtual reality world. I can't have his mind warped with this silly magical nonsense. Some day after college I attend to have him help me run Kaiba Corp. and I need him with a level head on his shoulders. "

Jou clenched his fists under the table to avoid striking Kaiba. He spoke through his clenched teeth. "All of it happened. You should try believing instead of just doubting everything. Not only did Mokuba lose his soul and was trapped in a virtual reality world, so were we. You, Seto, lost your soul not once but twice."

"You see I can't have Mokuba around such situations."

"I am part of this so called environment, Seto"

"I wasn't talking about you, however, you are nearly grown up now, Jou, and it is time for you to stop believing in these silly fairy tales."

"Oh, so they are silly fairy tales. What are you trying to say, Seto?"

"I think perhaps you need to socialize with people your own age. After all Yugi is younger than you."

"Hmm...My own age. The last time I checked Mokuba was younger than me and you are older than me."

"Don't be silly, puppy, I didn't mean Mokuba and me. I meant..."

Jou cut him off with a wave of his hand. "I know what you meant. You can just forget it. I am not cutting my best friend off because you can't deal with him. Long before you came into the picture Yugi was there. He can accept you I don't see why you can't accept him. You know you are always picking on his height. He may be smaller than you but he is a bigger man than you."

Seto scowled. "I see."

"No, you don't see. You don't see anything. You know what? I wouldn't marry you if you were the last man on earth. I put up with the cold condensing behavior because I love you. Still, I don't need to deal with your attitude." Jou stood up. "I am going back home to Domino City. I need some time to think about some things."

"You mean you need to be with Yugi," Seto corrected.

"You can believe what you want, Seto, I don't care."

Seto stood up and snatched the box off of the table. "Go back home to Domino City, back to Yugi, because I don't care either. Oh that is right, you can't get back to Japan. You don't have any money to return home." Seto shook his head slowly. "To bad your little tri-colored freak can't get you back home."

"Fuck you, Seto," Jou snarled.

"Fuck you too," Seto snarled back.

Jou stood up and left the restaurant in a huff. Seto watched him as he stood on the corner and hailed a cab. Getting in the cab, Seto noticed Jou didn't even bother to turn around and look at him.

"Where do you want to go?" the driver asked.

Jou gave the driver the directions and settled back into the seat. He wasn't about to cry over the CEO. So he just stared out the window and marveled at the stars. The driver made it to the hotel in record time. Jou paid him and got out. Much too angry to wait for an elevator he stomped up the stairs. Once inside of his hotel room he threw his things together and called another cab. While he waited for the cab he tip toed into Mokuba's room. Tousling the sleeping Kaiba brother hair he spoke to the raven haired teen quietly.

"Sorry things didn't work out between your brother and me. I still care about you and if you ever need me, I will be there." He smiled down sadly at Mokuba. Moments later the phone rang and he was told his cab had arrived. He told this cab driver to take him to the airport. There Jou took out his wallet and paid for a one way ticket back to Domino City. Contrary to what Kaiba thought Jou was very good at hoarding money. As Jou waited for his plane to arrive he felt the need to call Yugi and tell him he was on his way. So he went off to find a phone.

(Break)

Back at the restaurant Seto had ordered an alcoholic drink. He was seething because the waiter had asked for his identification card. Granted his I.D. said twenty years old on it, however, he was a billionaire. He was the Great and Powerful Seto Kaiba; he felt he shouldn't have been carded to begin with. As he sipped his drink he wondered what had gone wrong. He was supposed to be marrying Jou not breaking up with him. 'Where they broken up' he wondered. He sighed softly. He didn't know. He did know Jou needed time to cool off. He did know Jou was right; he should lighten up on his friends. He did know that the pipsqueak wasn't gay or interested in Jou beyond friendship. He did know he was glad Jou got on so well with Mokuba. Seto did know he loved Jou. He sighed again. He did know he was glad that Jou didn't have any money to get back to Japan. Whatever Yugi was mixed up in now Seto was glad that Mokuba, Jou, and he were far away. Seto tossed back the rest of his drink. He paid his bill and ordered a cab back to the hotel. He told the driver to stop by a flower shop. He would pick up some flowers and try to make peace with the blond. He smiled and said to himself, 'Yeah, make up sex was the best sex ever.'

Well, that was a really long chapter. My fingers are tired from typing. I hope you didn't mind my rambling. Well, looks like Jou is headed off to Domino City. Uh oh, our favorite puppy is in danger. Can Seto save him? Until next time. Take care good people.