A/N: Hello! Guess what! I found my outline! So I can go by it and it's smooooooth sailing!
Amyrose300: (laughs) I don't mind you calling me! Actually, people who inspire me to write more through a personal voice makes me feel like a celebrity! Heh heh...
Crazychic2188: Yes! Blame Kaiba! J/K!
Kerajeir: Ah, I think she'll show up either this week's episode or next weeks, then you'll know about her! I thought to myself, Seto had worked so hard for Jou, why not Jou return the favor, ne?
Assassin of the Shadows: I enjoyed writing the last chapter as well. Wanted to make it fuzzy warm for the winter season, ya know? Wow, you're not the only one who's going crazy over Kisara! Look at the chapter 8 reviews! Everyone's flaming her! Yay! My story goes global! Isn't great that you can share interests with co-workers? About your question about whether or not Seto and Jou will still be together...I can't answer that. Frankly, I know just as much as you do! I don't even know if they'll be alright!
LP-Lova210: Master in Suspense? Cool! I'm right next to Mary Higgins Clark who is the Queen of Suspense! Enjoy the cliffhanger? Cause' they'll be many more in the near future!
Izzima: Read your second chappie! Lovin' it! You see, the story did end, well, at least the first part of it. If you had read my A/N's, I had said I would make this story a continuous for as long as I can...(or interested, anyway.) Anyways, your story's AWESOME!
Koolmint26: Relax, relax! Don't cry! It's all part of the drama!
Bunsdarien: Yes, poor him...hey, is your screen name somehow related to the Sailor Moon Universe? Buns...? Darien...?
FireieGurl: I wanted a little angst in this story, but I'm glad you're lovin' it!
Bluerosety: I enjoyed handing Seto the gift personally. The poor guy had no idea what kind of gift to give his puppy, so he asked the creator of this universe for help! I was glad to give him something so cute yet kinky at the same time! And it's Seto's job to make things right! So ya, he will!
Dragonlady222: Yeah, if I was in his position, I wouldn't take it either. I agree, Kisara is very pretty. I'm just annoyed at the connection she and Seto intimately have. Not to mention the Seto/Kisara fansites out there. I just avoid them. Don't want to hurt my fragile yaoi crazed mind!
DrOwNiNg In EbOnY: (laughs at the small skit) Go you!
Can I get a 'woot, woot!'
Chapter 9: Laying Down the Line: The Arrangement of Love!
Jou didn't know how far he had run. It wasn't in his mind to go back to the limo and arrive at the Kaiba Mansion. He just wanted to run.
He stopped in front of the gates of the mansion, and almost immediately, the intercom sprung to life.
"State your name and business."
"Katsuya Jounouchi. I'm currently living here." Jou murmured, not paying attention to the woman confirming his identity and the gates automatically opening. He walked into the home after five minutes of walking and proceeded to his and Seto's room.
/It's not our room anymore.../ Jou thought miserably. /It's his and that girl's now./
Arriving in the room, he began to open the walk in closet and pulled out a duffel bag and a suitcase.
Shuffling in complete mourn, he opened up drawers and such to pack up his clothes and belongings. /At least Seto doesn't have to worry about telling her that he had a lover. As long as I leave quietly, there will be no problem for him./
Deep in the recesses of his mind, the demon in him told him to exploit Seto and take him down with him. But Jou had shook it off. He would never do such a thing to him...
...He loved him.
Seto was indeed taken by surprise by Kisara's passionate kiss. And before he had the chance to pull back, she had withdrawn with her declaration of her devotion to him.
For the first time in his life...
...He was stumped.
And then froze. He had hoped Jou had not seen this display of affection...he turned and saw only Mokuba. Did Jou head off somewhere else?
Did he see?
Seto blankly watched as Kisara was beckoning Mokuba over. She had apparently missed him also.
"Mokuba!" Kisara smiled softly, drawing the younger brother into her embrace. "I've missed you! How are you?"
Seto had noticed the lack of movement from the younger Kaiba and wondered briefly if Mokuba had missed her at all.
"I'm fine." he gruffly replied, seemingly relieved when the embrace ended.
"Where's Jou?" Seto had asked Mokuba.
"Who's Jou?" Kisara asked her beloved, worry etched into her features.
"He ran off." Mokuba replied vaguely as if he was only a dream. Then thought of something and taunted with a fake cheery voice, "When I told him what's wrong, he said that since you were in love with someone else, he decided to leave the park and head home." Then he added in a curious tone. "He said something like going to take extra strength asprin to make everything go away..."
He was rewarded by the vacant spot where Seto had once stood in and chuckled. He hoped that everything will go back to normal even with her around.
"Mokuba..." the blue haired girl kneeled to Mokuba's height. "What's going on? Who's this Jou?"
Mokuba gave her his most phoniest smile, "I think we should head back to the mansion. That should clear up a few things."
Seto slammed the door inside the limo and shouted at the driver to head back to Kaiba Mansion top speed. Reaching the house in record time, (he kept shouting at the driver to hurry up by threatening unemployment. They went over 80 mph.), he ran as fast as he could into the mansion.
He flat out refused to let Jou kill himself over a stupid kiss! A kiss he didn't even expect!
"If you kill yourself, mutt..." Seto growled as he ran up the stone steps. "I'll follow you to purgatory to kick your ass!"
"JOU!" Seto had screamed into the huge mansion as soon as the large oak doors were thrown open. The yell echoed throughout the empty mansion. "JOU! JOOOOUUU! MUUUUUTTTTTT!"
Fearing the worst, (and the fact that Jou had not answered back), he ran up the stairs and headed for the first room in his mind: the bedroom.
"Jou!" Seto exclaimed throwing the door open. He then saw the object of his yelling, who threw the clothes in his arms in fright and tripped over the overflowing duffel bag, falling flat on his face.
"What the hell were you doing, screaming like someone died!" Jou yelled angrily back standing up abruptly, a white sock on his head.
He jumped when Seto quickly grabbed him and checked around him. "What are you doing!" he freaked.
"Don't you play dumb with me, mutt! How much did you swallow!" Seto frantically searched for the medicine bottle, failed then began to shake the poor teen.
"Swallowed? I didn't swallow anything!" Jou defended, but his words were unheard as Seto began checking his pulse and feeling his forehead.
"Like hell you are! Just because someone kissed me, doesn't mean you have to go and overdose yourself!" Seto proclaimed reaching for his cell phone to call 911.
Jou pulled the cell phone away. "I didn't take any pills! And it's not 'just because'! A woman had just kissed you!"
Seto seemed to have believed him and argued for his defense. "Kissed! I wasn't even expecting it in the first place! And what about you and Schroeder? You had probably kissed like crazy!"
"You're acting like a 12 year old, Kaiba!" (Seto winced when he called him by his last name.) "For god sakes! I never kissed him! My first kiss was with you, ya idiot! Remember? You acting like the unknown Zorro!"
"Alright, I know, I know okay! And what the hell are you doing?" Seto looked at the messy room full of the pup's clothes and other accessories.
Jou looked away. "I'm leaving."
"For a stupid kiss!"
"A stu–A stupid kiss! My god! You're getting married to her, for Christ's sake!"
"I didn't say I was getting married to her!"
"No, she did! And apparently, you're not telling me why the hell she believes that she's your fiancé!"
"I was by my stepfather, okay? He started the engagement when I was younger to her since her family was a great old family who took care of international arrangements. Merging with them would have made Gozaburo's military corporation hit sky high. But after his death, I took over the company and went global without Kisara's family's connection. I had this unhealthy obsession over you at the time and dismissed the notion of the engagement. But the family had still wanted Kisara to live with us for a while, just to see if I had changed my mind." Seto sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He wasn't ready to tell him the entire truth. "At one point, I came home and found from Mokuba that Kisara simply wasn't interested in the engagement and left. So I devoted myself to my three main goals: Mokuba, the Corporation, and you."
Jou looked away. "She still loves you, Seto. That's why I have to leave. I–I'm a guy and..."
Seto caressed his pup's face. "I. Like. Guys. What part of 'I told the entire world I'm gay', don't you understand?"
Jou moved away and began to pack. Seto stepped behind him and wrapped his arms around him. "Let me go." Jou said slowly.
Seto buried his face deep within the junction of his pup's shoulder and neck, inhaling the sweet musk of his blond lover. His shoulders were shaking.
The blond blinked in surprise. "Are...you...laughing...!"
His only response was the stifled laughter from the usually stoic CEO.
"Seto! This isn't funny!"
Seto lifted his head. "Pup, this is our first fight."
"What are you talking about?" Jou whispered. "We've fought for our entire lives."
"Not while we were together." Seto smiled, nuzzling his pup earning a repressed shudder.
Jou pouted angrily. "You're changing the subject."
"Am I?"
"Yes you are."
"Your master commands you to stay, pup." Seto announced with sheer dominance. "So drop everything."
Jou loved the closeness of his master against him, and all thoughts morphed into vague expressions. "Fine."
Seto smirked at the silent victory and pushed them both forward, sending them toppling on the bed.
"The mess—"
"Leave it."
They were only lost in each other. Their kisses portraying the bluntness of the truth of their secret of hearts. Only seeing each other.
Then the door was knocked. Sending them back into reality.
"This is my boyfriend, Katsuya Jounouchi. Jou, this is Kisara."
"Nice to meet you."
"...same here..."
Jou and Kisara shook hands. She then turned to Seto. "Your...boyfriend?"
Seto nodded. "That's right."
Kisara shook her head. "There's nothing wrong with it, of course. It's just...this leaves us a little awkward with the plan."
"Kisara, I had never agreed to marry." Seto replied. "I may have to follow the guidelines your family and mine had concocted, but I'm with Jou now."
"I know that. But..." she turned. "Just give me a chance, I beg of you. Just to prove my worth!" She looked at Jou. "You love him just as much as I do. Please understand."
Jou closed his eyes and a pregnant silence followed. After a while, he opened them. "I...really...don't want to."
Kisara looked down. "I have no choice then." She pulled out a piece of parchment from her pocket and handed to Seto.
Seto looked at her quizzically and read the paper. Expressionlessly, he returned it to her. "For how long will you be staying?"
Mokuba gaped and Jou blinked. "Huh?"
The brunet sighed. "It appears that she is required to stay here in the household to 'persuade' me if things don't go the way they've planned."
Jou felt his blood boil. What?
Kisara smiled sadly. "But please, don't make me out the bad person, the contract becomes void if Seto still refuses the offer. Think of it as Seto's chance to get to know us better."
Seto nodded and summoned a servant to bring her things from the limo to the guestroom.
While both of the Kaibas were gone to settle a few things, both Jou and Kisara were left alone.
"I love him." Kisara said bluntly.
"As do I." Jou replied just as bluntly.
She walked to his side and stopped. "Then, I suppose we are now rivals." And she walked upstairs to the guest room.
Jou turned to look at the staircase and murmured just as dangerously with a small animalistic growl. "You won't win, Kisara. He is my master."
A/N: A bit long, don't cha think?
Okay, that little purple button down there is the portal to a review, which is another portal to the author, who is the catalyst for the next chapter...
...who's up for a little domino effect?