Chapter 5: Jounouchi's Interlude
Part 1
Jounouchi was in America again, attending a pro duelist tournament. Although the prize money was a hefty sum, Jounouchi winced as he thought about the cost of the plane tickets and cost of food. Pegasus was hosting it, and he had been happy to foot the bill for the hotel rooms luckily, but Jounouchi's savings were still dwindling. He should have eaten instant ramen again, or tried to find a grocery store to make his last dollar last a bit longer.
But he didn't do that. Instead, he was sitting in a bar, eating an overpriced burger and fries and drinking his overpriced, crappy beer. He really needed to win that prize money. He thought about phoning Yugi again, but once again his pride wouldn't let him. He knew Yugi would be upset at the state of Jounouchi's savings and credit card bills. He knew Yugi would give him the money in a heartbeat and call it a "loan" even though Jounouchi hadn't paid back the rest of them yet. He knew Yugi didn't need the money. He was happy living in his grandpa's game shop and staying in Domino City. But Jounouchi couldn't accept Yugi's prize money, just like he couldn't accept sitting around like Yugi was doing. He didn't have laurels to rest on. He wanted to make his own way and win his own laurels, so he could show Yugi how far he's come on his own.
He stuffed the rest of the fries in his mouth and polished off his beer. If he stayed any longer he was going to order more drinks, and then his savings would really be gone. He waved down the waiter and asked for the check.
When the little receipt arrived, Jounouchi almost threw up. Thirty dollars? For a plain little burger and some fries? It was happy hour too, that's why he even got a beer in the first place!
"This is way too much," Jounouchi said to the waiter. But he had an accent and it made him feel clumsy speaking. He could feel the glare of the waiter as he spoke, and his courage dwindled away.
"You can't pay?" The waiter asked. "You already ate all the food. You finished your beer."
I know! Jounouchi wanted to yell. He didn't want to beg; he already felt humiliated enough. Would he have to ask Yugi for money after all? Maybe he could do some cheap labor in the restaurant to pay for his meal. It wouldn't have been his first time.
Before Jounouchi could go back to begging, a hand shot out and slapped a black, metal credit card on Jounouchi's receipt.
"I'll pay for his meal," the man said in perfect English.
Jounouchi stared at the card and then turned to look at the owner. It was a very tall man dressed impeccably in a designer suit. He had brown hair and cold, blue eyes.
"Kaiba!" Jounouchi shouted, loud enough for other people to hear. Kaiba smacked him on the arm immediately.
"Idiot! You want to shout my name any louder?" Kaiba hissed. "I'll pay for his meal."
"Oh no, it's fine, I can pay for it! You don't need to!" Jounouchi said.
"With what money? Are you going to ask Yugi for money again?" Jounouchi winced. How did he know about that? He knew Yugi and Kaiba talked regularly. Did they talk about him?
"I don't know if I can owe you." Jounouchi mumbled. Kaiba was definitely the guy who would lord a debt over your head! He couldn't afford owing him a favor! What if Kaiba made him do something crazy, like force Yugi to do something against his will? He couldn't betray his best friend like that.
"I don't care if you owe me or not. We can just forget this happened." Kaiba said. Jounouchi finally took a good look at him. He was uncharacteristically down, like a puppet with no one controlling his strings. He seemed exhausted.
"Kaiba, you look really tired. Are you ok?" Jounouchi asked.
"I don't need you to be my mother, or act like Yugi for that matter. I can take care of myself. I didn't pay for your meal so you could babysit me." Kaiba growled defensively.
"Ok, ok! Thank you for the favor!" Jounouchi bowed his head quickly, which made it more awkward. They both stood there silently, waiting for the waiter to come back with Kaiba's credit card. Jounouchi wanted to leave but he felt bad. The man had just paid for his meal, shouldn't he at least wait until the receipt was signed? He didn't know what to do or say, however.
Jounouchi stood there quietly as Kaiba signed the receipt and added a hefty tip. He slipped the credit card back into his wallet as the waiter gushed his thanks.
"Did you eat dinner yet?" Jounouchi asked.
"No, but I'm not hungry," Kaiba replied.
"Kaiba, that's not good. You look like you're about to fall over. You need to eat!"
"Seeing your face makes me lose my appetite," Kaiba snipped.
"That won't work. If Yugi finds out I saw you during the tournament and didn't make sure you ate a meal, he would be disappointed in both of us. Come on, what do you want to eat?"
Kaiba sighed. "Get a menu for me then." He headed off to an empty table. Jounouchi grabbed one and sat down across from him. He handed the menu off silently and waited.
Kaiba skimmed the menu and looked back up at him. "You don't have to stay here."
"I know! I just feel bad leaving you here alone. And I really should do something to repay the favor somehow. I don't want to owe you." Jounouchi rambled. "I wish I had money, but with my sister's schooling fees and my dad's debts I just don't have that much money."
"Keep me company then." Kaiba finally muttered.
"What?" Jounouchi stammered.
"You heard me." Kaiba's face turned a little pink, although it was hard to see under the bar's mood lighting.
"You want me to stick around? I thought you hated me? Don't I annoy you?"
"If you know all that, why are you still hanging around?" Kaiba snapped, and then slumped back in his chair.
"You don't want to owe me, fine. But you don't have any money, and I don't need your money. So…for today, have dinner with me. I don't want to eat by myself." Kaiba confessed.
Jounouchi stared at him, his mind racing. This was the most vulnerable he had ever seen of Kaiba. A part of him (the more immature part) wanted to crow about it and rub it in his face, but the more mature side of him (or the voice in his head that sounded like Yugi) told him to act normal and leave Kaiba his dignity and pride.
"What do you want to eat Kaiba?" Jounouchi asked.
Kaiba tossed him the menu. "Order whatever you want. I don't care."
"Wh-whatever I want?"
"You're still hungry right? I've seen you eat more than that. I'll just try a little of whatever you order."
"How much do you want me to order? Is there a budget?"
Kaiba glared at him. "Do you think I need a budget? For food?"
Jounouchi wasn't going to look this gift horse in the mouth. He called the same waiter over and to the waiter's astonishment, ordered two appetizers, four dishes, two drinks, and even dessert. The entire time Kaiba sat there quietly, scrolling on his phone.
If Kaiba wanted to treat Jounouchi, who was he to question the man's sudden charity. Kaiba could afford it, and Jounouchi could use a really solid meal for once. He was tired of all the instant ramen.
What followed was the weirdest night of Jounouchi's life so far. Kaiba had patiently let Jounouchi explain all the dishes to him and obediently tried every bit he suggested. Kaiba even let Jounouchi feed him a few times. Afterwards, Kaiba suggested checking out more bars, which is how Jounouchi found himself at a Mexican restaurant, at a food truck, and finally at another bar. Kaiba kept ordering food, but he barely touched it. Jounouchi ended up eating it all.
Kaiba had the driver drop Jounouchi off at the hotel. "Thanks for the ride," Jounouchi said. It was 3 am. Kaiba only nodded to him, eyes still glued to his phone.
"Uh, Kaiba?" Jounouchi shouted just as the car was about to pull away from the curb. The window rolled down and Kaiba was looking at him.
"Are you going to be at the next tournament? In Australia? I think there's going to be one in Tokyo too." Jounouchi asked.
Kaiba looked down at his phone for a few seconds, and then back up. Jounouchi's phone suddenly pinged from a text message.
"I'll call you." That was all Kaiba said before the car drove away.
Jounouchi stared at his car and then at his phone. "Wait, when did you get my number?"
Jounouchi saw Kaiba a couple of times after that. Usually, it was at duelist tournaments outside of Domino, most of them not hosted by KaibaCorp. Kaiba would text Jounouchi when he was arriving, and then they would meet up for dinner, or lunch. Jounouchi was surprised Kaiba would make time for him every day even though he was this super important CEO. Maybe Kaiba treated these tournaments like semi-vacations.
The times Kaiba wasn't there, he would send Jounouchi money through the phone. At first Jounouchi tried to send it back, but Kaiba told him to use the money to try out the local restaurants. The next time Kaiba was in that city, he would ask Jounouchi for recommendations. It was a service, of sorts, although Jounouchi wasn't sure when Kaiba had decided Jounouchi always needed a meal ticket.
It should hurt his pride, but somehow it didn't. Kaiba was never patronizingly kind about it, never pretended to care about Jounouchi's wellbeing. He never made a fuss about his charity. He simply handed the money over and told Jounouchi to spend it. He didn't care if Jounouchi spent the money on restaurants or spent it on instant ramen and his sister's tuition. Jounouchi hated thinking this way, but sometimes it was easier than accepting money from Yugi. Yugi was…too nice.
It all came to a head though, when Jounouchi's father died. Alcohol overdose, and an accident on top of that. It was humiliating, his father's final wound to Jounouchi before he kicked the bucket. There were funeral bills, hospital bills (because he didn't die immediately), and more alcohol and gambling debts. Jounouchi cursed his old man. He would never be free from his shadow.
All his friends had attended the funeral, not because they cared about Jounouchi's deadbeat dad, but because they knew he needed the support. A few friends who knew about his father's financial situation slipped some envelopes into Jounouchi's hands when they left, but most of them didn't. His mother didn't. She only gave him a look before pulling Shizuka away. She let him hug his sister though. They both needed it.
When it was time to carry his father's body away to be cremated, Jounouchi told the others to stay a little farther back. He walked up alone, to say a few words. But he didn't know what to say. There was nothing nice he wanted to say. He wanted to scream, to rage, to curse, to drag the old man's corpse out and punch it a couple of times for good measure. Look at the mess you left me! He wanted to scream.
But seeing his mom again brought up other feelings too, complicated, messy ones. Jounouchi didn't have a word for this feeling, but it was the feeling that came from hating his dad, but also remembering his dad stuck by him as a parent when his mom walked out on them. In those moments he felt rejected but also felt a sense of solidarity with his father. The alcoholic husband and the juvenile delinquent son. It was weird, to hate the only parent who didn't abandon him.
When he heard footsteps approaching, he thought it would be Yugi or Honda. But the shadow loomed over his head. To his surprise it was Kaiba, dressed in an appropriate all black suit with matching black tie and shirt. It looked good on him.
"I hated my father too. My adoptive father. I suppose I hate my biological parents too."
"You've never talked about your adoptive father before," Jounouchi said. He only remembered Kaiba mentioning Gozaburo once or twice, and never anything about his biological parents.
"My biological parents abandoned Mokuba and I in an orphanage when I was six. There were too many kids there, and not enough caretakers. There were a lot of problem kids, and no one to take care of us."
"Mokuba was miserable there, so I had to get him out. One day, a rich man came to the orphanage looking to adopt a child. The workers there said he was good at chess, so I challenged him to a chess match. Naturally I beat him." Kaiba smiled.
"And you were a child? You're unbelievable, Kaiba."
"Yes. He was Gozaburo Kaiba, the head of KaibaCorp. I'm grateful to Gozaburo for getting me and my brother out of the orphanage, and I'm grateful to him for giving me the company and the skills to survive. But at the same time, he was abusive, and a tyrant. A lot of the things he did in the past…they were monstrous," Kaiba hissed.
"Jounouchi, we are not our fathers. You must believe you are strong enough. Strong enough to get out of his shadow, strong enough to throw off the burdens he left you with. You are strong enough to walk out of the darkness he left for you."
Jounouchi had felt numb all week but he started to feel the tears coming. "Kaiba, that's the nicest thing anyone's said to me. I guess I didn't expect you to be so sympathetic."
"I'm an orphan, and I also had terrible parents. I suppose we have that in common." Kaiba pondered aloud. "Jounouchi, don't let that miserable bastard bring you down with him. You're too strong to be defeated by someone like him." Yugi and the rest of his friends also walked up at that moment, and Jounouchi finally said goodbye to his father with all his friends by his side.
Without financial pressures weighing down his mind, Jounouchi didn't have to be choosy about which tournaments he could go to and which he could afford to go to. He went to them all, as many as he could apply to, and every single one that wanted him. He even got to be the celebrity slash special judge for a few. (He knew he was getting some of those gigs because he was Yugi's friend, but there was no shame in that.)
So Jounouchi packed his schedule with as many tournaments as he could go to and jetted back and forth. Kaiba handed him a KaibaCorp credit card, and personally paid for a lot of the flights he went on and hotels he stayed in. He never complained or refused Jounouchi, except for one time when Jounouchi tried to join a semi-amateur dueling tournament. Kaiba refused to let Jounouchi play with "children who barely know one side of their cards from another side. You're too good for that at least. What's the fun in beating babies?"
Jounouchi was about to head to Europe this time, to play in a string of tournaments in different countries. He was excited, and even got some cards and tips from Yugi during his preparation. Before he left, he texted Kaiba as usual, hoping the CEO would also attend. But this time, Kaiba didn't send his usual goodbye text or send any money. Instead, he told Jounouchi to go to KaibaCorp headquarters in Domino before going to the airport.
When Jounouchi arrived, he saw Mokuba Kaiba waiting for him instead of Seto Kaiba. Mokuba waved him over when he saw him.
"Mokuba! What are you doing here? Where's your brother?"
"Big brother had a last-minute meeting and asked me to deliver this to you." Mokuba had a file folder in his hands. Jounouchi looked over as Mokuba opened it, revealing multiple envelopes stuffed full of cash.
"This is for your father's debts and for your sister's tuition," Mokuba explained.
"Mokuba, I can't take this! Tell Kaiba this is too much! I already feel like I owe him for buying me food all the time."
Mokuba pushed the folder into his hands. "Don't be ridiculous. There's nothing wrong with accepting help or food from friends, especially since we can easily afford it."
"Where did you get all this money? This is a lot of cash!" Jounouchi gawked at the folder.
"We've been cleaning out the storage in our house. Turns out Gozaburo stashed a lot of cash around the house, and we've been slowly finding all his hiding places. My brother refuses to use any of this money, so he wants you to have it," Mokuba explained.
Jounouchi shook his head. "No, I can't take this. Tell your brother thank you, but no thanks. He should take the money back. And I'll pay him back for all the hotels and meals I've mooched off him. I don't want to be his charity case."
"Jounouchi-kun, why do you think my brother is doing this?" Mokuba asked.
"Because…he feels bad for me? Because he thinks I'm a loser?" Jounouchi replied.
"No! Jounouchi-kun, we used to be orphans too. We know what it's like to be stuck in a crappy situation because of parents, or bad fortune. That doesn't reflect on you as a person," Mokuba explained.
Mokuba sighed. "Did you know my brother donates money to all of the orphanages in Japan?"
Jounouchi's mouth fell open. "All of them? Is that possible?"
"Almost all of them. My big brother has a team of people who manage our quarterly and yearly donations as well as updating the list of orphanages every year. My big brother also donates to orphanages outside of Japan as well. But it's not just orphanages. My big brother offers a lot of scholarships for kids and young adults, from elementary school to college. My brother doesn't limit it to certain majors or interests either or require people to come work for us after they graduate. A lot of people do though because they're grateful at how helpful those scholarships were. "
"I…I didn't know your brother did all that."
"There's a lot you don't know about my big brother. If we had known about your family situation earlier, we would have helped out before that, but maybe you didn't want to talk about it or ask for help," Mokuba said. "My big brother might not always seem like it, but he's a nice person. He just seems harsh or strict, but he's really the strictest with himself. I know he appreciates all of you guys being his friends, even if he doesn't know how to say that."
"It's a good thing he has you to explain stuff huh?" Jounouchi smiled.
"I've been going to therapy for years and recently I got him to start going as well. He had to go through so much more to protect me. He shielded a lot from me. All I want to do now is help him more," Mokuba confessed.
"You understand him, right?" Mokuba asked. "My big brother said your dad was abusive to you too, and you have a younger sibling as well."
"That's right. I guess we do have that in common. I never thought about it," Jounouchi said awkwardly. "I honestly never thought about sharing that with people. I was always too embarrassed about it, I wanted to hide that fact from my friends."
Mokuba firmly pushed the money into Jounouchi's chest. "Take the money and give a portion of it to your sister. You should spend the rest of it on yourself. My big brother just wants to support your career as a pro duelist. We can talk later about repaying any favors. My big brother is thinking about letting you do some work for us as pro duelist, like commercials or attending more tournaments. So, focus on winning. The more you win, the more valuable you'll be to us, from a business standpoint."
"Ok. Tell your big brother I said thank you." Jounouchi said.
"You can text him yourself, I know you two talk. I'm glad you guys are becoming closer. I wish my brother talked to his friends more, but he's always so independent and has his guard up. It's hard for people to get close to him."
"You want me to be more friendly with him? No problem, I'm a great friend! I'm the best friend!" Jounouchi smiled. "I'll get him to open up to me!"
"That's great, thanks Jounouchi-kun. You better go now; you're going to miss your flight." Mokuba waved the KaibaCorp driver over. Jounouchi got into the car and waved goodbye to Mokuba.
His cell phone pinged. Have a good flight.
Before the car drove away from KaibaCorp, Jounouchi stuck his head out of the window and looked up. He imagined he could see Kaiba, standing at the window looking down at the street. Jounouchi waved his arm as high as he could.
His cell phone pinged again. You look like a stupid dog with your head sticking out of the car window.
Jounouchi texted back. Thanks, Kaiba.
You're welcome. Show me your fighting spirit.
Jounouchi waited impatiently in the elevator. It was lunch time, and he was waiting to eat lunch with Kaiba. Or rather, force Kaiba to eat lunch with him.
He was nervous. He had never done this before! Every time Kaiba had hung out with him it was outside of Domino City and always at night. Mokuba told him to be more proactive with Kaiba, but that didn't mean Kaiba was on board with the idea. He had spent all morning choosing a lunch place before finally settling on sandwiches as the safe choice.
He texted Yugi briefly. I'm nervous! What if he breathes fire and eats me?
Yugi texted back. You'll be fine! Don't get scared if he's grumpy, he needs to eat more.
The elevator doors opened and Jounouchi walked straight past the secretary, who stared at him in confusion. He tried to look confident and totally sure of where he was going. A few minutes later, he found himself in front of the janitor's closet and had to double back.
"Excuse me, where's Kaiba's desk?" He asked the secretary. She reminded him of Kaiba, he realized. Objectively good looking, but very cold and competent-looking.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Jounouchi Katsuya! I'm his friend!"
"What is the purpose of your visit with Kaiba-sama?"
Jounouchi held up the sandwiches. "Lunch!"
The secretary glared at him. "Kaiba-sama said he was not to be disturbed. He has three meetings back-to-back, and he needs time to prepare."
"Come on, you and I both know he needs to eat more. Are you going to make him eat, or am I?" Jounouchi asked. She faltered. After a few moments, she stood up from her desk and walked towards the right.
"I'll knock on the door and let you in." She said, rapping on the door smartly. Jounouchi took a deep breath. Without waiting for anyone to speak, Jounouchi opened the door himself and walked in with a grin.
Kaiba was buried behind his desk in a mountain of folders, documents, and laptops, but even with that barrier, if Kaiba's looks could kill, Jounouchi would be dead.
"You bastard, what are you doing here?" Kaiba asked.
Jounouchi held out a paper box. "I brought you lunch! Sandwiches!"
Kaiba's face was stone cold. "Why."
"Because you need to eat more and eat on time! As your friend, I thought I should help remind you!" Jounouchi kept smiling because if he stopped, he was going to make a run for it.
"Did I ever give you permission to come into my office? Did I ever give you permission to bother me during work hours?" Kaiba was furious. "Not even my brother is allowed to visit during work hours!" The more he ranted, the louder and faster he got.
"I was just trying to be nice! Buy you lunch after all the times you bought me lunch…and dinner…" Jounouchi deflated. He had just gotten a big paycheck, thanks to the gigs Kaiba got him, and he wanted to use the money to treat Kaiba back.
"Get out of my office."
"Okay, sorry, sorry, here I'll leave it on your desk. Remember to eat!" Jounouchi waved and ran out the door.
"Get out!" Kaiba yelled. Jounouchi fled the building as his heart pounded rapidly. He didn't relax until he got out of the elevator, ran out of the lobby, and was standing on the street. He walked until he found some outdoor seating and slumped in the chair. All the adrenaline was rushing out of his body and he was suddenly exhausted. It had been a while since he had seen scary Kaiba.
His cell phone chimed to let him know he had a text message. He cringed as he pulled it out, expecting to see more of Kaiba's anger.
Unless it's an emergency, don't visit my office again during work hours. Thank you for the sandwich.
No problem! Sorry to bother you while you were working, Mokuba and Yugi were just worried about you not eating. I just want you to know I'm here for you as a friend. Anytime you're free, I'm up for hanging out. Doesn't matter how late, even if it's past midnight.
Meet me back here at 8pm, I'll treat you to dinner to make up for my behavior just now.
Jounouchi smiled. Looks like even Kaiba could change.
By the time Kaiba was actually free to meet up with Jounouchi, it was 9 at night, and nearing 10. Jounouchi had answered the phone while still half-asleep. He had no clue how he managed to drag himself out of bed and into a coat before stumbling out the door, but he managed it. He didn't want to make a fool of himself in front of Kaiba, after all.
If he told his high school self he'd one day drag himself out of bed in the middle of the night to hang out with Seto Kaiba, his younger self would have laughed his ass off. Back then, his feelings about Kaiba were a lot more complicated, and a lot more negative. Jounouchi felt inferior to him and jealous in a lot of ways. He had money, he had success, he had a confidence that no one else had except for Atem. Plus, he was the king of the Dueling world before Yugi showed up. It was a world where Seto Kaiba and Yugi Muto indisputably ruled, and it was a world that Jounouchi had blundered into and wanted to succeed in, but never stopped feeling like he was stumbling around while playing with the big kids. As a result, Jounouchi was always hyper-sensitive, always ready to start a fight over any perceived slight or even a look from Kaiba. Kaiba never stopped putting him down back then too. He supposed they were both immature.
The night was cold, but the city of Domino was lit up with warm lights, waking Jounouchi up and reinvigorating him. He pulled out his phone to check for text messages but the light from an incoming car signaled to him it wasn't necessary. When the car pulled up, Kaiba was driving. Jounouchi jumped into the shotgun seat.
He stole a look at Kaiba. The man was wearing another finely tailored suit, again in his favorite colors. Jounouchi had never seen Kaiba wear anything that wasn't black, white, gray, or a shade of blue. His stance looked relaxed and confident as he rested his hand on the steering wheel, but Jounouchi could tell from his eyes he was drained.
"How was work?" Jounouchi asked.
Kaiba paused for a moment. "Terrible," he admitted.
"Oh…that's too bad. So, where are we going?" Jounouchi asked.
"…We're going to a bar."
They pulled up to a very swanky looking building. It didn't look like any of the bars Jounouchi had ever been to before. There were fancy lights everywhere, valet parking, and even luxurious red carpet outside in front of the entrance. Jounouchi felt very underdressed in his dad's old jeans and his faded jacket, but he got out anyway. Kaiba probably had enough money to show up to places in flip flops and shorts, but he was too proper for that.
Kaiba popped the hood of his car and pulled out his suitcase. Jounouchi got a glimpse into the interior of the hood compartment, painted red to look even more expensive.
"Why did you put your suitcase in there?" Jounouchi asked.
Kaiba looked at him like he was stupid. "Because that's where the trunk is."
"What? Fancy cars put stuff in the front? Let me see that again!"
Kaiba steered Jounouchi into the building. "You can stare at it later. We have an appointment."
"An appointment? Kaiba, you are really famous," Jounouchi said. Then he turned around and gawked. They weren't at a bar; they were at a clothing store. There were jewelry store lights shining on white, gleaming, well-dressed mannequins, all sporting the same suits Jounouchi always saw Kaiba in. Instead of clothing racks everywhere Jounouchi saw artful displays of different mannequins all wearing different looks. There were also various leather couches. Kaiba sat down on one of them and pulled out his suitcase.
Jounouchi stared dumbfounded at all the fancy clothes. "He needs to get a wardrobe. Formal, business casual, casual, sportswear, all of it. I want a complete set," Kaiba said.
At Kaiba's order, a bunch of good-looking and similarly well-dressed men approached Jounouchi and gently led him away. Jounouchi felt unnerved by their identical polite grins.
"Kaiba, what are they doing to me? Save me!" Jounouchi wailed.
Kaiba rolled his eyes. "You need better clothes. I'm tired of seeing those rags on you."
"What? What's wrong with my clothes?"
Kaiba looked up from his laptop. "Aren't those your dad's old clothes? Stop wearing that crap. You don't need to live with your father's shadow anymore."
Jounouchi was dumbfounded. "Oh…Thanks, Kaiba."
"Customer, what kind of clothes do you like?" An employee suddenly asked him.
"Uh, comfortable? I don't know."
"Get him the basics in earth tone colors. All seasons. He looks good in green." Kaiba cut in. "And get rid of his old clothes. Burn them." Jounouchi wailed as he was dragged away by aggressively polite men.
Two hours later, Jounouchi had a massive stack of clothes waiting for him at the registrar. There were dress pants, khakis, chinos, jeans, dress shirts, polos, long sleeves, short sleeves, sweaters, vests, coats. There were fancy leather shoes and ties, and two leather belts. There were workout clothes, golf clothes, and even a couple pairs of swimming trunks. It was a rainbow of fabrics; Jounouchi felt like he was cosplaying a garden, or a pile of dirt. His new green suit did look nice though. Underneath, the employees had given him a very soft brown turtleneck to match, which also blocked out the evening cold.
"Kaiba, I can't afford all this," He said when it was time to pay.
Kaiba handed his credit card over. "Don't waste your breath. You can't go into most of the places I want to go without a better wardrobe, and your old clothes are an eyesore."
Kaiba accepted his card back as well as the receipt. "Thank you for staying open late."
The owner bowed. "Thank you for your continued business with us."
Kaiba wrote something down on a piece of paper and handed it over. "Send the rest of the clothes to this address." Jounouchi watched Kaiba hand his address to the employees and then drop a metal key on top.
"Whuh - Kaiba, is that a key to my apartment? How do you have a key?"
"You are very kind and charitable, Kaiba-sama. Your lover is lucky to have you," A younger employee said with a grin. The glare Kaiba gave him could have frozen hell over. The young man immediately stopped smiling and bowed over and over again.
Kaiba dragged Jounouchi out before he could say anything. Jounouchi looked back as the door swung closed and saw the owner of the shop yelling at his employee. Jounouchi heard the car door click open before Kaiba shoved him into the car. Jounouchi sat down and winced as the car door slammed closed.
Kaiba got into the driver's side and started the car. He looked at Jounouchi who gave him an awkward smile.
"The kinds of things young people think of, huh?" Jounouchi laughed nervously.
Kaiba pulled something out of a compartment and reached for Jounouchi's lapel. He fiddled with it until he was satisfied and then pulled away. Jounouchi looked down to see a plain gold tie clip, one that matched the one on Kaiba's tie.
Kaiba began to drive away, but not before shoving a box into his hands. Jounouchi popped it open and pulled out a beautiful brown watch with a matching brown leather strap. On the face of the watch were the letters 'OMEGA.'
"I get to keep all these?" Jounouchi asked.
"Don't ask that again. I wouldn't be caught dead in those colors." Kaiba replied.
It was midnight but the city was still alive. Jounouchi felt his excitement thrum under his skin as they sped past familiar streets into the richer parts of Domino, places Jounouchi had only walked past. When they pulled up to a fancy hotel and another valet greeted them, Jounouchi felt like an alien on another planet. The valet opened Kaiba's door and Kaiba jumped out of the car while it was still running, keys hanging from ignition, and opened the door for Jounouchi. Jounouchi could feel Kaiba's hand on the small of his back as he was led into the hotel. Suddenly, he felt like a lover on a date. His face turned red.
They were ushered into the hotel. The hotel was huge, European architectural design, and the interior was white marble and gold accents. As they walked through the lobby, Jounouchi could see people's eyes were pulled to Kaiba's imposing presence. Jounouchi could feel people staring at him too, wondering who he was. An employee crossed their path while pushing a cart full of suitcases and Jounouchi dodged his eye contact.
Kaiba and Jounouchi turned a corner and found themselves in the bar. It encompassed two stories, and the entire bar was designed using wood with golden accents. Jounouchi could see bartenders working on both levels. All around were tables, lounge chairs, and sofas. Everyone was dressed in suits and cocktail dresses. Jounouchi stared at the crystal chandeliers overhead and the waiters carrying perfectly polished glasses on perfectly polished golden trays.
A waitress led them into the back on the second floor where a private, VIP only room was waiting for them. Kaiba and Jounouchi sat down on the leather seats, and then the waitress smiled as she closed the door. Two of the walls were made entirely out of glass, and Jounouchi could look out onto the rest of the customers from their spot.
"Can anyone see us?"
"No, the glass is designed so that we can see out, but people can't see in." Kaiba explained. The waitress returned with whiskey and two glasses. Kaiba took off his suit jacket and loosened his tie. He poured two glasses and immediately chugged one of them.
"Wait Kaiba, slow down!" Jounouchi grabbed the whiskey bottle from him and poured him half a cup this time. Kaiba grimaced but took it anyway. He took a slow sip, and then leaned back in his seat.
"Will Mokuba worry about you?" Jounouchi asked.
"He's already gone to bed. I told him I was with you," Kaiba answered.
"That's good." Jounouchi took a tiny sip of his whiskey. It was strong and he tried not to cough.
Kaiba took another sip. "What about you? Do you keep in contact with your sister?"
Jounouchi nodded. "Yeah, we normally text every day. We try to call everyday too but sometimes one of us is busy so we skip a day. We make sure to call or meet up every weekend."
"I always admired that about you, your dedication to your sister. It reminded me of my relationship with Mokuba," Kaiba said.
"Really? There was something you liked about me all the way back starting in high school? I thought you hated me in high school." Jounouchi remarked. Kaiba made another grimace.
"I didn't hate you. I didn't…understand you," Kaiba admitted.
"What was your impression of me back then?" Jounouchi asked. "We never talked about this before."
Kaiba stared at his whiskey glass as he talked. "Truthfully, I was annoyed at Yugi. I hated that he beat me, that I had to acknowledge his skills. So, anything associated with him was annoying to me, including his friends. I didn't understand why someone so skilled would pretend to be a normal person and have so many friends as hanger-ons. None of you seemed at his level."
"Ouch. Kaiba, has anyone told you you can be a little blunt sometimes?" Jounouchi asked. He tugged at his turtleneck collar.
Kaiba ignored him. "You were annoying to me because you were brash, rough around the edges, and you seemed like an idiot. When you started dueling, you just seemed like you wanted to ride his coattails."
Jounouchi sighed. "I won't pretend I didn't think of that at first too, but I also wanted to try for the prize money. Duelist Kingdom right? Having a chance at all that money would have saved my life and my sister's life. I couldn't let that opportunity pass me up."
Jounouchi smiled. "Back then, Atem really seemed invincible huh? We didn't even know Atem and Yugi were two different people, but it was obvious that Atem was a different level of duelist compared to the rest of us. Even you. I felt bad wanting to benefit from his help, but I couldn't help myself."
Kaiba poured himself another glass. "Don't feel guilty. Yugi also benefited by gaining the title King of Games."
"Hey, Yugi earned that title in the end." Jounouchi said. "He proved himself."
"So did you," Kaiba said as he made eye contact with him. "I was wrong about you. You're not a bad duelist."
Jounouchi felt his face heat up. "You're really nice to me today. What's going on?"
"I'm nice to you all the time."
"I guess you are…at least now. Why? I mean, I appreciate it! I really do!" Jounouchi laughed. "I just feel like I can't ever repay you…"
"Aren't we friends?" Kaiba asked sullenly.
"Yeah, but -"
"I don't need you to repay me."
Jounouchi scratched his head. "Okay, I don't mean exactly repaying but friendship is about equals right? I guess I just want to help you out more."
Kaiba sighed. "This is enough. Having your company… is enough. If I went straight home from work, I would just lie in bed obsessing over work." He drained his glass again.
"I know I'm a difficult person to be around," Kaiba confessed. "I know I'm not the most likable person. Compared to you, I'm a much worse friend. Financial support is the easiest thing for me to provide."
"Well, everyone has their strengths," Jounouchi said. "If it weren't for you, I would have spent my whole life trying to pay off my old man's debts."
"About that," Kaiba said as he put his glass down. "I have some lawyers looking at your father's debts and the rest of your family situation. They'll be in touch to help out some more. Mokuba also set up a savings fund for your sister. When Shizuka wants to go to college, she will have the money to pay for it."
"Kaiba, are you serious?"
"I know what it's like to deal with the terrible scars and burdens left behind by a useless father who should never have been allowed to have children," Kaiba said vehemently. "I will always do whatever I can to help children."
"See, Kaiba? You are nice. You're a good friend."
"Again, money is the easiest thing for me to provide as a friend."
"But it's something only you can do. You paid attention to my life and saw what I needed, and you helped out. That means a lot. Seto Kaiba! From now on, you have a friend for life! Even if you decide to act like an asshole again, I'll still be your friend! No matter what, I'll always be there for you!" Jounouchi announced. He clinked his glass against Kaiba's.
Kaiba smiled bitterly. "You shouldn't say things like that. You may come to regret it. I'm a hard person to love. I've done things you should hate me for. Things I did to Yugi before."
This made Jounouchi pause for a moment. "If Yugi is willing to forgive you, then I'll let it go. I used to be mean to him too."
Kaiba smiled bitterly. "I'm not a good person Jounouchi. Neither you nor Yugi should ever forget that."
"Kaiba…" And then Jounouchi looked at the whiskey bottle. "Kaiba, when did you drink half the bottle? You shouldn't drink anymore!"
Jounouchi grabbed the bottle and Kaiba's hand shot out too, covering Jounouchi's hand with his own. It felt like a death grip.
"Gozaburo haunts me," Kaiba whispered. "I've been having nightmares again, all memories from when I was a weak and helpless child. I'm too afraid to sleep."
"Uh, Kaiba, you're squeezing my hand -" Jounouchi's voice was shaking.
"There's something I would like your help with, but you can say no," Kaiba kept whispering. "If you do, we can forget this conversation ever existed, and I will not retract any help I have already offered you."
"Kaiba, what do you want help with?"
Kaiba leaned forward until his lips were brushing Jounouchi's ear. "I want you to fuck me until I go to sleep."
Jounouchi leaned back slowly. His mouth was slightly open. Kaiba's eyes were locked onto his, and without breaking eye contact, he pulled a small package out of his coat pocket. He handed it to Jounouchi. Jounouchi looked at the condom wrapper and tried not to panic.
"You don't have to say yes, Jounouchi." Kaiba's eyes were staring so hard it felt like he was peering into his soul. "You can still keep the clothes. You can still keep the credit card. I'll still pay for your sister's tuition. There won't be any consequences if you say no."
Jounouchi finally pulled his hand out of Kaiba's grip. He poured himself a full glass of whiskey and chugged it.
Jounouchi slammed the empty glass on the table between them. "Just - why me? I wasn't aware you thought of me as attractive. Unless anyone will do, but if that's the case why not hire a prostitute?"
"Of course not," Kaiba snapped. "I had to choose someone trustworthy, someone that can't be bought out. I wouldn't be able to open up to a stranger."
Jounouchi took a deep breath. "To be honest, I think you're really attractive Kaiba, but I'm still not sure why you chose me. You don't seem like someone who is attracted to someone's physical appearance? I always thought you would only be attracted to someone's intelligence or something like that."
"Very astute of you. You are correct."
"So then why didn't you ask Yugi?" Jounouchi blurted out.
Kaiba froze up.
"Ah, wait, that would be too close? Too similar to -" Jounouchi jumped as Kaiba slammed his glass on the table with one hand and buried his face in his other hand.
"I may have had a crush on him before, but that doesn't mean I ever wanted to have sex with him!" Kaiba nearly shouted. His face was red and Jounouchi's face was burning too.
"My feelings were only admiration," Kaiba gritted out.
"Kaiba, have you ever been in a relationship before?" Jounouchi asked.
"No," Kaiba muttered into his sleeve.
"Have you ever had sex before?"
Kaiba looked up. "No. Have you?" Suddenly the tables turned and Jounouchi felt himself under scrutiny.
"I had once…"
"Who was it?"
"Do you remember Kujaku Mai?" Jounouchi felt his face get hotter. "It was after Battle City. After Marik was defeated, her soul returned to her. We both just felt so much relief after that we had some tension to get rid of, so we ended up having sex. It was just one time though."
"We were still teenagers at that time, and Mai was already in her 20s. I think she felt the age gap was too large and regretted what we had done, so she never reached out to me again. Our relationship died just like that," Jounouchi explained.
They fell silent and the atmosphere became very awkward. Jounouchi could sense Kaiba was about ready to bolt for the door.
"I just want to make sure this is what you want. That the person you want is me, and - what kind of relationship do you want? I just want to be clear."
"Yes, I am choosing you," Kaiba forced out. "I am not settling for you or choosing someone out of convenience when I would prefer someone else. As for a relationship, I was only considering a physical one. No emotions involved."
"Oh, friends with benefits. Um, ok. That's fine. As long as you're sure what you want, I'm game."
Kaiba looked at him. "You're game?"
"Yeah, I'm game." Jounouchi tried to say confidently.
"Then prove it to me," Kaiba challenged.
The blood was rushing in Jounouchi's ears. He didn't know what to say or do next, so he grabbed the bottle and poured himself another cup. He downed it in one go.
"Ok - how do you want - Kaiba?!" Jounouchi almost jerked out of his seat and dropped his cup on the seat next to him. One moment Kaiba was sitting in his seat opposite him and one moment he had crossed his gangly legs over the coffee table and was kneeling in front of Jounouchi.
Jounouchi was too shocked to move. He just sat there frozen as Kaiba used his long fingers to unclasp Jounouchi's new leather belt and unzip his pants. Jounouchi lifted his butt off the sofa to allow Kaiba to pull down his pants and then his underwear, exposing his crotch to the air. Jounouchi felt so vulnerable.
Kaiba didn't make eye contact with him the whole time. He kept his eyes trained on Jounouchi's flaccid dick. Before Jounouchi could stop him or he could stop himself, Kaiba put his mouth on it.
Jounouchi's heart rate sped up. He was drunk, confused, conflicted, but there was a hot, wet heat insistently working his dick in a way that was unmistakably Kaiba, and despite everything he felt himself respond. As his dick got hard, Kaiba's teeth scraped it and Jounouchi grabbed Kaiba's hair to pull him back.
"Be careful. Don't let your teeth touch it." Kaiba nodded and went back to what he was doing. This time, he stuck his tongue out and put the entire thing into his mouth, until the head was brushing the back of his throat and he was gagging. Kaiba forced the urge down and started bobbing his head up and down. Jounouchi's grip tightened on his head.
"Kaiba…"
Kaiba moved away. "Don't call me that. That's the name Gozaburo gave me. Don't call me that when we're doing this."
"Seto," Jounouchi couldn't help groaning as Seto went back to deepthroating him greedily, going faster and faster. All the blood was in his crotch now, and he was breathing heavily. Jounouchi looked down and saw that Seto had his face buried in Jounouchi's pubic hairs. He also had one hand down in his own pants and was touching himself enthusiastically.
"Do you really want to do this here?"
"I booked a hotel room," Seto said with his dick still in his mouth. Jounouchi pushed his head off him and stood up. He hastily pulled his pants back up, stuffing his painfully hard dick back into his underwear. Seto stood up awkwardly. His face was red, and he was hunched over slightly, like he was in pain in his nether regions.
They threw their jackets on and walked out of the room hurriedly, like two people braving a winter storm. Jounouchi prayed that their coats covered them sufficiently. No one else needed to see the tents in their pants.
Kaiba walked to the front desk and pulled out his wallet. He threw down his ID card. "Kaiba Seto. I have a reservation." Jounouchi tried to look casual and unbothered, but both of their faces were flushed, and there was a hint of desperation in their eyes. Any hotel employee with experience would know what they came here to do; what they wanted that room for.
Thankfully the employee's face stayed carefully blank the entire time. It was a pretty, middle aged woman dressed smartly in a tailored suit dress. She pulled up Kaiba's reservation on the computer, pulled out the door card, and bowed as she handed it over with both hands. Kaiba took it and left without looking at her. Jounouchi ran after him, bowing apologetically to everyone. The employees bowed back politely.
It was agony to wait in the elevator. It was completely silent and the tension was so stifling Jounouchi found it hard to breathe. He looked once at Kaiba and saw that his arms were folded up, but behind his arms were his hands, balled into fists tightly. He looked like a cord ready to snap at any moment.
The elevator doors dinged open and Kaiba marched out without even looking to check if Jounouchi was following. They went down the hallway until Kaiba found the door. The door unlocked and Jounouchi felt himself get dragged in by his collar. The next second, Kaiba had him pinned against the door just as it closed.
Seto was hovering over him, arms on both sides of Jounouchi's head, panting harshly as he slammed his mouth into Jounouchi's. It was a rough, desperate kiss, and Jounouchi was literally pinned in place. Their skulls bumped together a few times but all Jounouchi could focus on was Kaiba clumsily ravishing his face and the searing heat between their bodies.
He needed to breathe. Jounouchi pushed Kaiba back until they got to the bed. His pants felt like bounds on his cock, so he yanked his belt apart and pulled his own pants down, his underwear down, until he was finally out of his clothes. Then he realized he was sweating, so he ripped off his expensive new jacket and shirt too. Jounouchi's cock was red and throbbing, veins popping out all over, and Seto was staring at him in a daze, still lying on the bed where he fell on top of it.
Jounouchi unbuckled Seto's pants and pulled them off him, then the rest of his clothes. Finally, they were both naked. They were really doing this. Under the current of desire coursing through Jounouchi's body was also panic, and thrill. This was messy, and this wasn't a good idea, but they had already passed the point of no return. Jounouchi knew he wasn't going to be able to walk away now.
Jounouchi turned on a nearby lamp and then climbed onto the bed too and lifted Seto's legs up. He found an anal plug between his legs, gleaming innocently even as it was buried to the hilt inside of the man. Jounouchi could see the stretch it caused. He touched it with his fingers and then he touched Seto's cock. The man shuddered.
"I don't have experience with another person, but I have experience with preparing myself," Seto explained. "You don't need to be gentle with me. Pull it out and I'll be ready."
A new wave of blood rushed down to Jounouchi's crotch. He gripped the anal plug and slowly pulled it out. Seto arched his back and groaned. Then he propped himself up on his elbows and searched inside his coat before pulling out a discrete black pouch.
"It's for makeup brushes, but I use it for something else," Seto explained. Jounouchi unzipped the pouch to find sex toys, lube, and condoms.
"You're really prepared," Jounouchi pulled out an interestingly shaped rod. Inside were all sorts of rods, all sorts of shapes and widths. He looked at them with morbid curiosity.
"Hurry up," Seto said.
Jounouchi ripped open a condom and slipped it on himself, and then grabbed the lube. He squeezed some out onto his hands and began exploring the inside of Seto with his fingers. Seto started moaning.
"Hurry up," Seto spat. "I don't have all night."
"Okay, okay," Jounouchi lined himself up at Seto's entrance. "Tell me if I hurt you and I will slow down or we can stop, ok?"
Seto groaned. "I'm not that fragile, damn it. If I wanted someone soft and gentle to fuck me, I would have asked Yugi."
Something about that pissed him off. Even though Jounouchi knew Seto always got under his skin, always knew how to push his buttons, he never failed to rise to the challenge. Jounouchi pushed himself all the way in, up to his balls and started thrusting.
"Is this what you wanted? Rough and hard? Is this what you wanted?" Jounouchi pinned Seto's arms above his head and put all his weight down onto his body. He got up just enough to grab Seto's legs and fold him in half before slamming into him again. Seto's grunts became animalistic. Seto's face and neck were red as he reached down to grab his own dick. He began jerking himself off violently. A few minutes later he came with a shudder, shooting his seed onto his own chest and face.
Jounouchi pulled out and Seto let him manhandle him onto his hands and knees. Jounouchi held onto Seto's bony hips as he began thrusting once more. There was no sound that could be heard inside the hotel room except for the sounds of the headboard banging violently against the walls, the sound of the mattress squeaking in rhythm to Jounouchi's enthusiastic pounding, the sounds of Jounouchi's harsh panting, the sounds of Seto groaning and crying as Jounouchi slammed his dick into him so deep it kind of hurt.
Seto's legs gave out and his arms and legs buckled. Jounouchi turned him on his side and lifted Seto's leg up before putting his dick back inside of him. Jounouchi could see the red handprints and bruises on Seto's butt from his own hand, as well as Seto's abused asshole, red and stretched wide open as Jounouchi's cock plunged in and out. He felt like he had lost his mind. This had to be a hallucination.
Jounouchi wanted to come. He lay down behind Seto and pulled him into his arms, holding him tightly in place as he started fucking him faster and harder. The sounds of their hips slapping together grew louder and louder, drowning out the sounds of the bed frame banging against the wall and Seto's needy moaning. Finally, he came, spilling inside of the condom and Seto's tight heat.
Jounouchi turned Seto's head until their lips met. They kissed hungrily as Jounouchi finished spilling inside of him. As Seto breathed into Jounouchi's mouth, he reached out for Jounouchi's hand and put it on his own cock, now hard once again.
Unbelievable, but Jounouchi felt like his common sense and rational thinking and long fled the scene. He pulled his sticky, sweaty body away from Kaiba and pulled his dick out. He took off the condom, tied it off, and tossed it to the side. When Seto saw Jounouchi pull out another condom, he spread his legs once more and waited.