Title: Plush 3/3
Author: Shippo-chan
Rating: R
Pairing(s): Jou/Seto Yami/Yugi
Beta: Jennie B. glomp
Spoilers: none
Disclaimer: I don't own anything
Final world count: 5,513
Summary: Seto and Jou have more in common than they ever realized.
"Hey guys!" Jou's voice rang out to his friends, who were currently sitting on a bench in the school yard, mumbling miserably to each other. "How's it goin'?"
"Miserable," Yugi stated.
"Terrible," agreed Yami.
"Horrible," Otogi mumled.
"All of the above," Honda finished.
"Why?" Jou asked, his chipper voice intentionally annoying.
"Well," Yugi started. "Yami and I decided we aren't going to do our 'in common' assignment on how we look alike, and now we're having trouble thinking of something else…"
"Well, that's too simple, Yug! Duel Monsters!" Jou dropped his bag on the bench and sat down between Otogi and Yugi. Turning to Otogi and Honda, he asked, "What about you guys?"
"Same thing…" Honda mumbled. "Except that we don't even have the similar faces to fall back on."
"You both like to eat a lot, right?" Jou asked, having eaten with the two before. Their unquenchable hunger outdid even his!
"Yeah! We do, don't we?" Otogi smiled at his boyfriend.
Yugi gave the blonde an encouraging pat on the back. "If we were having this much trouble, then I can't imagine how hard this it for you! You've got to work with Kaiba!"
Jou flashed his friend one of his signature smiles. "Actually, we have more in common than I thought. He's not so much of an asshole when he's not obsessing over trying to figure out a way to beat Yugi in Duel Monsters."
The comment took the Yugi Tachi by surprise. Four pairs of eyebrows shot up and Honda stammered, "D-dude! What exactly happened at his house yesterday? Did you hit your head? Hard?"
"Naw…I jus'…I dunno…got ta know him better, that's all!"
"Jou…" Yami searched the blonde's face, looking for any sign of why he was talking like this. He came up with nothing.
"Oh Kami…" A sudden thought struck Yugi. "You didn't…I mean, you couldn't have…" He looked to Yami for help, and when none was offered, Yugi continued, "Did you…I mean, I don't think you did, but I'm just asking…Did you sleep with him?"
Jou's eyes grew large and he blinked in shocked disbelief. "No! Of course not! Don' be stupid!"
"Okay, Okay! I was only asking!" Yugi replied as he scooted back against his Yami.
"Well, anyway, like I was saying, he ain't so bad."
"Come on man! Tell us what happened." Honda stared intently at his friend, waiting for the blonde to get on with his story. Obviously, Honda wasn't the only curious one – the blonde looked up to see four sets of eyes eagerly trained on him, his friends hanging on his every word.
"Well…It's kinda a secret…I mean, he has a secret and I promised I wouldn't tell…but I'll tell ya what I can. "So anyway, I go in, and I'm mad at him. I sit down in his office, and we start talkin'…" The blonde proceeded to tell them about his meeting with Seto from the day before, deliberately skipping the parts about Plushophiles and their secret, shared obsession. Continuing on with his tale, Jou said, "And then I say, 'They're da same, so ya might think of changin'it.' And he says, 'I'll do that,' and gives me that look. Then I say-."
"Wait," Duke interrupted, cutting the ranting teen off. "What do you mean 'that look?'
"Oh, you know! Da Kaiba look…" Jou twisted his face into an eerily Kaiba-like expression; his lips were pulled up on the left side and he had his right-eyebrow quirked, as though he was staring at something utterly detestable
"Ah…that look."
"Alright then," Jou continues. "So he gives me that look and then I say, 'I still ain't stupid, ya know,' and all he can say in return is 'Hnnn…' The prick! Then I say, 'Back the hell off! I wanna know why you're bein' an asshole!' An all he says is, 'I'm always an asshole, from your point of view.'" When he heard something hit the ground behind him, the blonde turned just in time to see Kaiba disappearing around the corner, his shoulders hunched in defeat. "Seto! SETO!" he called, but the teen's pained cry never reached the broken-hearted CEO.
Rushing forward, Jou noticed a small white object lying on the ground ahead of him. Scooping it up without breaking stride, he turned the corner and saw Kaiba slumped down on the ground, his head in buried in his hands. Jou's heart wrenched when he saw the normally commanding CEO sitting there in such an uncharacteristic, vulnerable manner.
"S-Seto? How much did you hear?" Jou asked as he cautiously moved forward and sat down next to the brunette.
"I heard enough, didn't I?" The CEO looked up at Jou with a mix of misery and anger on his face. "I'm a prick and an asshole that trusted you to keep a secret."
Jou leaned back against the wall and sighed. "Ya know what, Dragon? You're a genius and a CEO and all, but you're way too stupid sometimes."
"W-what? You Inu! You insult me and break my trust, then have the nerve to call me stupid?"
"Please, Dragon. Stop. I'm not finished yet. You were stupid to think I would ever break a promise. You were a fool to think I would ever make fun of you or insult you. I was explaining last night's events to prove to them that you aren't an asshole. And I skipped over the parts about Plushophiles and Plushophilia." He caught Seto's face in his hand and stared at the brunette meaningfully. "And, I was stupid to talk about you behind your back. And for that, I'm sorry."
Seto gently placed his hand over the blonde's and moved it from his cheek to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on Jou's knuckles. Then, letting the soft hand drop from his grasp, Seto picked up the small dragon the other teen had dropped and placed it in his palm." There you go, Puppy. You got your dragon back."
Jou gave the plushie a small squeeze, and then slid it into his bag. Then, taking hold of Seto's face again, he brushed his lips softly over the other's. He pulled back, but then the blonde felt a gentle, but firm hand cup his neck and pull him closer, deepening the kiss. When they heard the clang of first-bell, the couple reluctantly pulled apart.
"W-what just happened, Seto?" Jou earnestly searched the other teen's face.
"I honestly have no idea," Seto whispered. "But whatever it was, I enjoyed it very much." Flashing a smile; not a smirk, but a smile, Seto stood and pulled Jou up beside him, lacing their fingers together. "Come on, Puppy. We'll be late for our Human Relations class."
Jou rolled his eyes and gave Seto's hand a gentle squeeze. "I guess you're right, Dragon," he sighed, allowing the taller teen to pull him into the school building.
When the two stepped into the classroom, there was a chorus of gasps, a few knowing smiles, a giddy giggle from Anzu and a shocked 'What the fuck!' from Honda. Looking down, the couple noted that their fingers were still entwined. Quickly parting, they exchanged a grin and took their seats at opposite ends of the room.
The teacher acknowledged the strange arrival with a nod. "Jonouchi, Kaiba, I'd like to see the two of you after class, please."
"Yes Sensei," the two chorused.
Halfway through the class, the students once again paired off to work on their projects. Once Seto and Jou were seated, the teacher sidled up to them.
"I'd like to observe you two today. I'm very interested in how your project might be coming along."
The two shared another look. This one said, 'We'll work on the presentation today in class.'
"Yes Sensei," they said again, and started to work.
"Do ya think we should make a poster board?" Jou asked the other teen, who shook his head.
"No. I think we can get the message through with just words."
"Yeah, I agree." Jou bent over his desk and wrote a few more sentences. "How's this one?" he asked, sitting back and gesturing to his paper. "I think there's somethin' awkward 'bout it."
"Yes, it sounds odd in my head, too. Try this…" Seto erased a few words and substituted them with others. "Better?"
"Yeah, very much. Thanks Drag-erm," Jou glanced at the teacher, "Thanks Seto."
A few minutes later, Seto sat up and looked at Jou as he gestured toward his own paper. "I think I overused my adjectives in this sentence."
"Well…I dunno 'bout that, but I know that word shouldn't be there." Jou erased a word on Seto's paper. "And that one…look better?"
"Mmmm hmmm. No problem, Pu-um Jou."
The teacher watched this go back and forth between the two boy for a while. He wanted desperately to know what they were writing, but it was obvious from their secrecy that they didn't want him to find out. It was almost magical to see them working together like this. The two of them were finally getting along! No, more than that: they seemed to be enjoying working together! After a few more minutes, he finally said, "Well, as it would seem that you two are getting along fine, and doing well on your project."
"Took ya twenty minutes ta figure that out?" Jou muttered bitterly under his breath, only to receive a sharp elbow in the side from the brunette.
"Yes Sensei," Seto replied politely. "You could say that we…worked out some issues that were standing in our way."
"I can see that, Mr. Kaiba. Carry on. I will observe another table for the remainder of the class."
"Yes Sensei."
Once the teacher had left, the two let out a synchronized sigh. "Finally!" Jou whispered. "I thought he'd never leave."
"Me either." Seto replied. "We'd better get back to work, if we want to get this done in on time."
"Yeah, I guess so," with another sigh Jou and Seto bent back over their work.
It was strange how a piece of cloth, some cotton, and beady glass eyes could entirely change two people.
OWARI
Well, there's my story! All that's left is the epilogue! I hope you enjoyed Plush.
