Sorry for the chapter gap, guys; I was totally uninspired and even more busy! Thanks to my faithful reviewers once again, you've made me feel amazing about myself and my work! winks at babygurl You know what I'm talking about, babygurl! This chapter is dedicated to Tessabug, who left a great review chock-full of ideas! Diamond and I thank you for your ideas and encouragement! Now, onto the mentions!

Lone Phoenix: Glad you love the fluffy parts, they're surprisingly fun to write! I'm pumping the chappies out as fast as I can, but keep reviewing; nice feedback like yours cuts down on the writing time! low-key growl in the background Oh, and Diamond says thanks for the steak!

Ly the werewolf: Sorry about your teeth, Ly! Jeez, if I'd known it was that fluffy, I might have cut it down.... Nah, we all love fluff! I don't think I'll ever be into hockey, but thanks for not making me feel stupid about it! thumbs up Hope you keep reading/reviewing, catch ya later!

Ranma Higurashi: And you will continue to get mentions as long as you keep reviewing! I'm happy you think it's still kawaii, so do I! Hope to see ya later on at chapter 14!

Assassin of the Shadows: Yeah, it is nice to see how much Seto changed from his former evil self... (ducks torches thrown by 'cold Seto' fan girls) I think the coolest part about his relationship with Serenity is their almost instant rapport... guess a common bond with Joey made that come easier! Whatever, enough rambling; see ya, Assassin!

PanDora: (slinks down in her seat) Uhh... I skipped a day? Seriously, I think I screwed up on that part; sorry! Thanks for pointing it out, though! Glad you're still with us, hope you stick with it!

Taito-kisses: Yay, Taito's back!!!! glomps Taito and Dogma What's up? Yeah, Serenity's the coolest, isn't she? God knows YGO needs a heroine other than Tea shudder. She's definitely one of my fave anime chicks, period. Well, enjoy the chappie!

babygurl: Heya babygurl! Whoa, one hour a day; what a hardship! You want to know my secret on getting chappies out fast, though? (looks left and right) Write in class! I swear, most of this fic was written on the bus or in class while the teachers droned on about things. I only come online, mostly, to type it up and fix stuff. Of course, that means I write two drafts, but who really minds? For sure you're not annoying, though; I'm happy you requested fluff, gives me an excuse for it! Glad you got the point about Serenity, that's the reaction I was aiming for! Oh, and by the way, I'm a "she", LOL. Later, girl! flashes victory sign

Princess Strawberry: Sugar high talented authoress on the loose! (runs in with net) Where'd she go? Oh well... glad you're still reading and think it's good, Princess; as I've said, that's really high praise! Yami Strawberry sounds a lot like Bakura, don't she (no offense, Yami Strawberry, Bakura's cool!) Any ways, your reviews always brighten me up, so I hope you keep posting them!

Kayume: Well, if you don't think that stunk, then keep on reading; I don't know what I was thinking of in Chapter 1.... it's not all that great. The rest is much better, if you have the patience for it! Oh yeah, and S/J FOREVER!

Tessabug: In case you didn't see it, this chappie's for you, Tessa! I'm a total Jewel maniac, and the Foolish Games idea sounds great, only for... drum roll) Bakura and Ryou! I think it might work with Seto and Joey, but it ends off sadly... (sniffs) R/B sadness I can handle, cause that's what would bring them together for real, but the puppy belongs with his master! (laughs nervously at people staring) Thank you for all your encouragement, and don't worry, this fic will keep going as long as there's interest in it, even if I have to divide it into a series! Lots of love, Tessa, catch ya later!

daisy: Aww, and I loved your long reviews! Thanks for giving Diamond the tiger plushie, he loves it! (Diamond in background, poking plushie confusedly) He's so kawaii! (snatches up plushie and hugs it, Diamond growls and pounces) Hey, bad tiger! (returns plushie) Dang, he's possessive! (dusts herself off) Oh well, hope your comp gets fixed soon, see ya guys! Enjoy this chappie!

Starfly: Yeah, parents can be a pain sometimes, especially about things like that. I'm glad you have no complaints, although I'm scared of falling below your standards.... anyway, if all goes well, next chapter will be dedicated to you, so tell me what you want and I'll try to accommodate! Ja ne!

phwee? yami hobo: Wow, what a totally cool name! Don't call yourself unimportant! One person can change the world if they have a little faith in themselves, and your review definitely brought a ray of sunshine into what could have turned out to be a really cloudy day. I'm glad you think I'm worth 94 reviews, even though I don't believe in myself sometimes, it's great to know there are others who do! Oh, and I hope my review for your first Christmas story didn't offend you in any way, shape or form. It's really, truly good!

Phew, it's fun doing that, but tiring too... (Diamond swats at the delete button) Hey, I don't think I can retype all that! Anyway, warnings... well, fluff, I guess, nothing really new.

Disclaimer: Refer to chapter 12, I'm very sick of writing it!

Chapter 13: Watching Over You

Before going to sleep himself, Seto slunk out of bed and went to see Mokuba, Joey's snores covering up what little noise he made leaving the room. The brunet feared that since he had discovered his love for Joey, a rift had been growing steadily between him and the brother who, up until recently, had been his only form of human companionship. He had decided that, if such a rift existed, he would do his best to make sure it didn't grow wide enough to tear them apart, without neglecting his new puppy, of course. Pressing one hand to his forehead, Seto wondered vaguely how his life had become so complicated.

A quick glance at his brother's prone body told Seto all he needed to know about the other boy's current state of consciousness. Sitting beside Mokuba, he ruffled the unruly mane of black hair, just as he had when they were kids. "Hey, little brother," he whispered, and the boy in question gave a grunt of mock frustration, not bothering to turn around to face Seto.

"Never could pull one over on you, huh, big brother?" he grumbled good-naturedly. At this, the taller boy chuckled.

"Nope," he agreed with a smile that quickly turned into a neutral expression. "We haven't been talking very much lately, have we? Not like before, at any rate...." Joey's name, unspoken, hung between them, the blond's mere presence having the power to cement or irrevocably shatter Seto and Mokuba's relationship.

Now, Mokuba did roll over to pin his brother's gaze down. "I wondered when you'd bring that up," he replied, and his tone was the most guarded Seto had ever heard it.

Like the tip of a dagger, guilt twisted Seto Kaiba's stomach. "Then I wasn't imagining it," he sighed, "Mokuba, please forgive me. I never meant to ignore you for any reason."

Confusedly, the black-haired boy stared out at Seto beneath bangs as black as pitch. "No, Seto, you've misunderstood. You haven't been neglecting me by spending time with Joey; I know what he means to you. As long as you're happy, and as long as I have your word that you'll always be there when I need it, and you'll always be my best friend, I don't want anything else." A chuckle escaped the younger Kaiba's lips. "Besides, as corny as it sounds, I'm not losing a brother. I'm gaining another one, and a majorly cool sister on top of it!" (A/N: Had to get Serenity in there somehow!) Leaning back on his elbows, Mokuba brushed the hair from his eyes. "You won't be at this stage of the relationship forever, after all," he finished with a reassuring smile.

Hearing this encouraging speech brought a single tear to Seto's eye, and he wiped it away nonchalantly before pulling his little brother into a hug. "Thanks, kid," he said, and gave the short boy a final squeeze before letting him go. "Hey, since you seem to consider Joey and Serenity family already, how about we all do something together this weekend? The carnival's in town..."

At the word 'carnival', Mokuba leapt into a sitting position, sending the blankets flying. "The carnival?! You mean it? For sure, Seto! Gosh, we haven't done anything since... well, ever, I guess. It always seemed you were too busy to take me anywhere before."

Leaning down, Seto kissed the other boy on the forehead in a gesture of affection. "Let's just say that I figured out what was really important to me." His voice sounded a million miles away as he spoke those words, but Mokuba was too excited to notice. "Get some rest, okay, kid? We'll talk about this tomorrow."

The younger Kaiba nestled down under the covers once more, a smile on his bright, unspoiled face. "Night, Seto," he murmured as he curled up against the pillows.

"Good night, Mokuba," replied the older boy as he closed his brother's bedroom door softly, so as not to disturb him, and padding back down the hall to his own room. His boyfriend was still snoring, but his breathing didn't sound half as congested as it had that morning. Let's hope that means he's going to be okay for school, thought the brunet as he slipped back into bed without ever waking his love, who slept the sleep of the physically and emotionally exhausted.

* * *

Surprisingly enough, Joey was the first of the two to awaken the next morning, feeling completely refreshed and almost completely refreshed. As he turned over, reflecting on how well he had slept, his eyes met with a sight that turned his brain into mush and stopped his thoughts in their tracks.

The blond fancied himself the only one, including Mokuba, that had ever seen Seto Kaiba relaxed to this extent. His love's face, radiant in the morning light, was free of both line and blemish, and the auburn hair flew around his face like a halo in the gentle breeze from the window, although still not even the slightest bit unkempt. The sheets had fallen down to his waist during the night, revealing the half-unbuttoned midnight blue pajama top, through the folds of which Joey saw just the slightest bit of chiseled muscle.

All this, Joey took in, and an instinct more than likely fueled by a sudden surge of desire for the man lying beside him willed him to kiss his love awake and take things from there, but in the end he decided to let Seto sleep a little longer. He obviously needed it. Sighing, Joey shuffled into the bathroom and set the shower on cold. (A/N: My, but Joey has restraint. Is that what they teach you in obedience school? ~_^)

Seto was woken up gradually by the sound of his boyfriend showering a few minutes later. Still half in a daze, he began his morning ritual, first shaving with precise, efficient strokes, then brushing his teeth and running a comb through his hair before splashing water on his face to jar him into awareness. All the while, he tried not to think of the incredibly beautiful boy standing completely naked not ten feet away. His traitorous mind didn't like that idea, though, conjuring images of lather sliding down Joey's body, his love's angelic face tilted up to the jet of water, the last of the shampoo sliding from the exquisite blond strands of hair. Seto must have been standing there waging his private war for longer than he thought, as when he came to, the shower had been turned off and Joey was pressed up against him, sharing his warmth and resting his chin on one broad shoulder.

"Morning, love," he said, and Seto saw him smile in the mirror. Returning the grin, he took both of Joey's wrists in his, surprised at how cold his boyfriend felt.

"Morning, love," he repeated. "No hot water this morning or something? Why do you feel like you've just been on a trip to Antarctica?"

Despite the chill he was no doubt feeling, Joey blushed. He wouldn't dare tell Seto the real reason he had opted for a cold shower instead of a hot one. So, instead of replying, he attacked his love's throat with feather-light kisses, pulling him closer to his bare chest. The brunet groaned involuntarily and spun the other boy around, leaning him against the sink and claiming his lips with a violence born of true passion.

"Well, you seem to be feeling better, puppy," Seto panted as they separated, and wrapped a conveniently placed towel around Joey's upper body, pulling him up into a loving embrace. "Now, let's just make sure you don't catch another cold, shall we?"

Mischievously, Joey slid his lips across any skin he could reach, taking advantage of their position to focus on his love's half-exposed upper body, his tongue darting out every so often to lap at the creamy flesh of Seto's skin, eliciting moans from the taller boy. Finally, he trailed his tongue back up his boyfriend's neck and kissed him softly before pulling away, clutching the second towel close around him. The billionaire was still in a haze of pleasure, and Seto struggling to remain upright was definitely the most amusing thing that the blond had ever seen.

"Better get going, we'll be late for school." With a wink, he undertook the task of trying to tame his unruly flaxen mane.

The joy of knowing that he wouldn't be spending another day in school without his beloved puppy blunted the frustration that Seto felt at their moment being over all too soon. He did as Joey bid, but even as he dug out their navy blue school uniform and tossed the blond's on his side of the bed, he could still feel the ghost of Joey's lips on his chest, his throat, his mouth. Damn, but he knows how to drive a guy wild. Lost in his thoughts, he stripped off his pajamas and tugged on a pair of boxers. That was about as far as he got before his love walked in and let out a low whistle.

"Damn, you're fine," he joked, and Seto nearly jumped out of his skin. "Oh, come on," Joey continued in a serious tone. "You must be the hottest guy in the universe. Don't tell me you're shy about showing it off?"

To cover the momentary blush that spread across his face, the brunet pulled his white T-shirt over his head, making a point of turning away as he donned the button-down top. "I'm glad you think so," he said in a low voice, and the blond caught the last vestiges of a blush on his love's cheeks, although he said nothing. "Let's hurry up. We still have to eat." Without waiting for an acknowledgment, he went off towards the kitchen, his stride as confident as ever.

Grinning imperceptibly, Joey threw on his clothes carelessly and left in his boyfriend's wake, stopping only to retrieve his books from beneath the bed. So, the original Adonis doesn't realize the extent of his beauty. Guess I'll have to watch for an opportunity to change that. With that thought on his mind, the blond left the master bedroom, closing the door behind him.

* * *

Back to the short chappies, it looks like... sighs sadly Time is very fleeting, I'm realizing. Well, I hope you like it, and I'll be back with 14 as soon as I can, promise! Ja ne! Oh, and R/R!