Chapter 11:

By day three, Kaiba felt it odd how comfortable he was with Jounouchi standing next to him in front of the coffee maker, waiting for the coffee to brew, while he stood in front of the stove. He was tired of bacon and eggs and had decided to make some pancakes using a provided skillet, and so far, they were coming out well. Jou stood next to him and watched, but Kaiba, usually one for personal space, simply let it slide. He chalked it up to the fact that Jou was the one responsible for making him a cup of coffee, so pushing him away would just delay his caffeine intake.

And now the blonde has confirmed how he's here in the first place, solving one of life's greatest mysteries. The previous evening had ended well enough, with everyone enjoying their meals, but Kaiba had found the time to speak privately with Mokuba about the arrangement after they returned to the hotel. Mokuba had been beyond ashamed to have blurted out such a secret, but Kaiba assured him there was nothing wrong. So long as Jounouchi and Mokuba are fine with it, then there's nothing to complain about, Kaiba had rationalized. Mokuba is getting older, anyways. He's going to make choices, some of which I don't like, because it's what he wants to do. If he felt strongly enough to pay for Jounouchi to come along, then that's his business. Though why hey chose the mutt, I'll never understand. It felt odd, treating his little brother like an adult, but that's where he was heading, and Kaiba knew he would need to one day get used to it.

The forgotten, small coat on the back of the recliner didn't help Kaiba's feelings on the matter, either.

"So, uh, Kaiba." Jounouchi's voice cut through the sound of sizzling pancakes and brewing coffee.

When the blonde didn't continue, Kaiba glanced over and asked, "Yes?"

"Are we planning on doing anymore arcades today?"

Kaiba's eyebrows knit together; the blonde's tone had indicated a more serious question was on the horizon. "Possibly," he answered, flipping the pancake. He then quickly added, "Though I'm not having you sabotage me in public again. You can spend time playing games with Mokuba doing that."

Jounouchi's giggle filled the room. "Ah, come on, you know you like a challenge."

"A challenge and a pest are two completely different things."

"But a pest can be challenging."

"Admitting you're bothering me? Are you becoming self-aware, Jounouchi?"

"Hey man, I still gotta make your cup of coffee. I'd be wary of that attitude if I was you." Pulling two cups out of the cupboard as if to make his point, Jounouchi continued, "But no, I was just curious about somethin' you said the other day. About the pachinko machines." Kaiba placed the pancake on a platter and went to grab the batter when he realized, out of the corner of his eye, that Jounouchi was staring directly at him. He blinked and glanced up, confused by the blonde's serious expression. "Why were you so opposed to playin' pachinko?"

"Would you have played it had I not said anything?" inquired Kaiba as he poured out another pancake-sized goblet.

"No, I mean, not really. I'm not...big on the gambling games. And people playin' pachinko for hours always freaked me out. But I was just wonderin' why you made a big deal outta it."

The sounds of the pancake batter sizzling and the coffee brewing filled the kitchen for a few seconds as Kaiba reflected on how to word the answer. It wasn't necessarily a personal answer, but the answer could lead to personal questions. Flipping the pancake, Kaiba finally settled on, "I've watched businessmen waste their lives on those games. I simply find them to be an abhorrent waste of time."

"You ever see someone waste a lot of money on 'em?" Kaiba nodded and was curious by the grunt of agreement that came from the blonde. "Me too. I hate those types of games."

"I find that odd, Jounouchi, given your Duel Monsters deck."

"Huh? What does that mean?"

Kaiba could hear the defensive tone coming through and realized he somehow must have struck a nerve. Pulling the pancake off the platter, he looked up at Jounouchi, who was now staring at him with wide eyes. "You play cards and use strategies that rely on luck," Kaiba explained. "It's the same concepts one uses in gambling or pachinko. Do you honestly believe crossing your fingers and hoping Time Wizard works properly is any different than crossing one's fingers and hoping a Jack or Queen of Hearts appears? Yes, the majority of your cards use a viable, if weak, strategy, but you can't convince me that some of your victories haven't been purely on luck."

"I…"

Kaiba shrugged and poured the remaining batter on the skillet. "Not that I am comparing you to a pachinko player who throws away his life's earnings. Any and all duel victories rely on a certain amount of luck. Even I have won a few rounds based on fortunate card draws or rolls. But for you, of all Duelists, to say you don't like gambling or luck-based mechanics when your deck has been built on such a mechanic is somewhat absurd."

The coffee machine beeped twice, indicating that the coffee was done, but Jounouchi didn't so much as budge from his spot to fill the cups. Sensing the lack of movement, Kaiba glanced up and blinked in surprise. Jounouchi was staring at him with an odd expression, his hands casually hanging down at his sides. His eyes were wide and ablaze with a mixture of emotions, but the only one Kaiba could clearly identify was anger. Knitting his eyebrows together once more, Kaiba went to speak when the sound of a door opening caught their attention. Both turned to see Mokuba casually making his way towards the kitchen, his arms raised in a big stretch as he released a loud yawn.

"Gooood morning," he greeted, his enthusiasm stifled by his morning slumber. Taking a seat at the island, he looked up and frowned at the two's expression. "What? Was I supposed to make breakfast?" Kaiba watched as Jounouchi stormed past the island and out to the patio, all but slamming the door shut behind him. Kaiba watched in a mixture of disappointment and shock. Shaking his head at the childish behavior, Kaiba finished the last pancake and placed it on the platter. Mokuba, watching the whole spectacle, slowly turned to look at his older brother and asked, "Did...you two get into a fight?"

"I have no idea what that moron's thinking," Kaiba replied, grabbing his coffee cup only to realize it was empty. He quickly began pouring.

"What happened?"

"He inquired as to why I didn't want him to play pachinko, and when he said he hated gambling style games, I stated how I found that odd given his Duel Monsters deck build."

Seeing Mokuba's eyes widen made Kaiba stop before taking a seat. "Oh…"

"So you know what just happened?"

"Yeah… I mean, I can kinda guess." Mokuba glanced back to look out the patio doors, and Kaiba's gaze trailed to match. Jounouchi was leaning against the railing, his hands clenched together in a tight fist as he scanned the horizon. Kaiba returned his attention to his cup of coffee and poured two creamers in. As he did so, he noticed Mokuba piling pancakes onto two separate plates. "Here, I'll take a plate out to him and try to talk to him."

"Please do that. I don't need him having a temper tantrum while we're here."

"Seto…" Kaiba turned and watched as his brother's mouth twisted, as if not knowing what he was allowed to say. Finally, Mokuba explained, "It's part of the reason why I'm paying for him to be here."

Kaiba slowly sipped at his coffee, watching as Mokuba carefully balanced the two plates on one arm and opened the door with the other. Jounouchi turned at the sound and took a seat when he noticed Mokuba. Kaiba shrugged and stared down at his own plate of pancakes, letting Mokuba's statement float in his mind.

His first thought was that perhaps he should apologize. His second was that he was certainly getting too soft for his own good.

Fortunately, just as he considered walking out to check on the two, his phone rang. He quickly picked it up, noting Isono's number, and immediately answered. "Kaiba."

"Mr. Kaiba, I am calling to inform you that things at the company are running smoothly," Isono stated. Kaiba always appreciated Isono's respect for the CEO's no-bullshit approach to affairs, and Isono, like his boss, rarely wasted time with pleasantries on matters of business. "Your secretary managed to persuade a client to schedule a meeting at a later time despite their best attempts, and otherwise things have been relatively quiet."

"Thank you, Isono, for the update," Kaiba stated with a light yet grateful sigh. "It is much appreciated."

"I presumed you would be interested to know."

"You presumed correctly. Thank you. Please call me in two days with a similar report."

"As you wish."

The line went dead, and Kaiba set his phone to the side, secretly grateful Mokuba had been out of earshot for the phone call. He felt a slight burden lift from his chest from the update, however, and knowing that things were good on the homefront made him somewhat more excited for the day's events.

So long as the blonde can get his attitude in check, he reflected as he took his first bite of pancake.

It shouldn't have bothered Kaiba one bit. He wasn't in the business of babysitting, and it was never part of his personality to worry about others' happiness except his own and Mokuba's. It was their vacation; their only job was to enjoy their time spent together.

Nevertheless, despite his best efforts, Kaiba couldn't help but feel something over the blonde's attitude change. An hour after breakfast, the blonde was no longer mad but sullen. He had shuffled out of his room, dressed in a red t-shirt and green khaki shorts, with his gaze to the floor and his phone in his hand. Mokuba refused to speak about what they discussed on the patio, citing it was a personal matter, and Kaiba had to respect that argument even though the conversation occurring in his own hotel room. Kaiba himself had dressed in a pair of jeans and a dark blue t-shirt, and he noted it was the first time Jounouchi didn't mention something about his appearance since their arrival.

Stepping into the elevator, Kaiba glanced over to see Jounouchi's gaze looking everywhere but at him. Mokuba was doing his best to lighten the mood by highlighting the games the second arcade of their journey contained, but Jounouchi wasn't necessarily taking the bait. He would nod or mutter something like, "Sounds cool," but it was obvious to anyone he wasn't listening.

They exited the hotel and proceeded to walk down the boardwalk towards the arcades, shops, and other amusements. Overhead the sun beat down heavily on them, and Kaiba quickly whipped out his sunglasses. Mokuba had a hat on and his hair in a ponytail, but Jounouchi seemed unfazed by the sun's rays. A few people walked by them, while a group of runners passed by. The sounds of the ocean's waves coming and going filled the background, and Kaiba watched a few seagulls fly overhead.

Mokuba should have been excitedly hurrying down the boardwalk. Instead, he was doing everything he could to coax a smile off Jounouchi's face.

The thought made Kaiba take action.

"Jounouchi," he called out suddenly, finally causing the blonde to turn in surprise. "There's a coffee shop up here that apparently has good iced coffees." He turned, making sure the blonde was looking directly at him. "You asked what I wanted to do yesterday? Well, before we head to the arcade, I want to try some. And you're coming with me."

"Oooh, iced coffee…" Mokuba smiled at the thought, but Kaiba quickly shook his head no.

"You already had your cup of coffee today, Mokuba," Kaiba noted. "You can check out the nearby shops. There's a video game store next door that has some rare retro games. See if there's something we may not have in our collection yet."

Though he seemed upset by the lack of future coffee, Mokuba seemed to sense his brother had a plan, for he smiled and nodded. Seeing the place just up ahead, Kaiba leaned over and literally pulled on Jou's arm, dragging the blonde with him into the shop. It was a small hole-in-the-wall spot, with two cashiers taking orders in the back. The smell of coffee and tea hit Kaiba full force, as the walls were lined with shelves showcasing their famous coffee beans. He led the blonde to one of the lines, and after waiting a few minutes, placed in his order for the smallest cup of iced coffee they had, doubling it to signal to Jounouchi he wasn't the only one drinking another cup of coffee.

Jounouchi, the whole time, had his head down and his hands in his pockets.

Taking the blonde to a lone table with a few disorganized chairs, he sat down and watched as Jounouchi sat directly across from him. He waited a few seconds, seeing if the blonde would do anything different, before finally asking the question on his mind. "Jounouchi?"

Jou slowly looked up, brown eyes appearing sad despite their surroundings.

"What the hell's your problem?"

Leaning back and inhaling a large breath of air, Jou crossed his arms over his chest. "It's nothing, man."

"Bullshit, it's nothing. Don't lie to me when it's so blatantly obvious."

"Look, I ain't mad at you," Jou replied. "I just...what you said this morning really bothered me."

"Clearly. You know I didn't mean it in an offensive manner, correct? I've said worse things to you before."

For the first time that morning, the slightest hint of a chuckle escaped Jou's lips. "Yeah, you're right. But they never...hit so close to home." Kaiba waited as the waitress brought their two drinks. He sipped at the iced coffee, shocked at the flavors it contained and happy his gamble paid off in more ways than one. He watched as the blonde reached forward and took a sip of his own drink, his eyes widening in surprise. "Damn, this is good."

"You're welcome. Now, we're going to an arcade to have some fun. I don't know why I'm the one that has to make this speech, but apparently I do. Mokuba's particularly excited for this arcade because it's two floors and has some racing karts on the second floor. The plan is to do that, then lunch, then mini-golfing." Pointing at Jounouchi, Kaiba said, "I don't know what's going on at home, and it's none of my business, so I'm not going to pry. But it's obvious that whatever I said made you think of whatever's going on in your personal life." Jou opened his mouth to speak, but Kaiba quickly cut him off. "So let me be clear about this. My statement this morning was an observation, not an insult. I know you aren't a gambling addict or someone who relies solely on luck to get by. If you were, I certainly would've never agreed to letting Mokuba be friends with you, let alone having you come along on this trip. You've mentioned going to tech school, and you've mentioned saving up money a few times already, so you have some sort of plan in mind for your future. A person who sits at a pachinko machine all day long doesn't have that." Kaiba took another sip of his coffee, knowing what he was saying was closer to an apology than he liked but not knowing how else to phrase his thoughts. Setting the cup down, he concluded, "So, what's it going to take for you to stop moping and continue enjoying this vacation? Because I don't need to be walking on eggshells or having Mokuba do his best to get a reaction from you when we're going to an arcade."

Jounouchi had been sipping at his coffee during the second half of Kaiba's tirade, but while his gaze looked past the CEO, his eyes were wide, and it was clear he was finally listening. Setting his coffee down, Jou methodically leaned forward and looked directly at Kaiba, a light smile threatening to form on his face. "I, uh…" Sighing, Jou muttered, "Thanks."

Kaiba's eyebrows rose. "For what?"

"That, uh...really helped. You sayin' I have some sort of plan. I'm trying to have one, really. It's just...hard with what's going on at home."

"Which, let me guess, has something to do with gambling."

"Yeah… Well, a lot to do with gambling."

Kaiba slowly nodded. Finishing his iced coffee, he stood from his seat and tossed his cup in a nearby trash can. Jounouch stood and followed behind, his cup still half full. The two exited the store and approached the railing across from them that separated the boardwalk from the beach. For a minute, the two just stood in relative silence, Jounouchi sipping at his drink. Kaiba glanced over when he heard the blonde mutter, "Sorry for this morning. I know I acted...well, it was kinda uncalled for."

"You have nothing to apologize for," Kaiba responded, understanding the sudden spikes of anger that came from mentioning one's family far more than the blonde realized.

"I know you weren't comparin' me to Pops, but that's where my mind went, and I got mad. But...it really does feel good, hearing you say that I have a plan."

"That's what you have indicated thus far."

Jounouchi nodded. "Yeah, man, I'm trying. I don't want to be like him… I don't want to be anything like him."

Kaiba inhaled and turned to look directly at him. "Well, from the little I know of the situation, it doesn't sound like you are."

A wide smile crossed Jou's lips, and Kaiba quickly turned away, feeling foolish for saying such a polite thing to the blonde. As long as it makes him happy so he can stop moping and enjoy this time with Mokuba… At least, that was his rationalization. But as he peeked over, he couldn't help but let a small smile of his own cross his lips as he felt the blonde's anxiety lift away. "Now come on, let's find Mokuba," he quickly stated, pushing himself off the railing. "Before he buys the whole store without my approval."

Jounouchi laughed and nodded, throwing his coffee out before following the brunette.