Chapter 16:
In the end, Mokuba had awoken shortly after their return and announced he wanted another morning at the beach, meaning the amusement park answer that Jounouchi had so craved was put on hold. Kaiba half-expected the blonde to blurt out their morning together in protest, but Jou had kept silent. Instead, he had smiled, given a thumbs up, and said he would be ready shortly.
Not that Mokuba didn't have his suspicions that something occurred while he was asleep. He noted that the two were dressed when he woke up and that Jou was already sweating a little bit from the morning heat, meaning the two had gone out somewhere. Kaiba merely responded that they both woke up early and sat out on the patio, looking over the weather report for the rest of the week, but the brunette could tell Mokuba wasn't necessarily buying it. Oddly enough, Mokuba seemed amused by the circumstances, giving Kaiba an odd smirk that he couldn't quite pinpoint. The younger Kaiba otherwise let the matter drop.
And so, the trio found themselves on the beach once more. Kaiba was already in the water, the force of the waves pushing against him and Jounouchi. A few seagulls flew overhead, and the sun shone brilliantly in the sky. Mokuba had rented a boogie board from the hotel and was trying [unsuccessfully] to ride a wave, while Jounouchi watched and shouted at him whenever a wave came in. After several attempts, Mokuba called over to Jounouchi, who showed Mokuba a few tricks and ended up riding two waves by himself.
Kaiba watched the duo as he took a break, sitting along the water's edge and letting the waves roll up to his feet. He had changed into a pair of white swim trunks and blue rash guard, and water fell in droplets from his hair and clothing onto the sand beneath him. Kaiba had gone underwater more times than perhaps he should have, but the physical forces of the waves and the surrounding cold had done wonders for his mental clarity. The nightmare was distant, tucked back in the recesses of his mind where it belonged. He felt normal again, the fear from that time far removed from the present. But that gave him the clarity to pause and think. As he sat, he merely stared at his brother and Jounouchi, reflecting on his surreal morning.
Jounouchi… Kaiba inhaled a large whiff of ocean air before exhaling slowly. What to do with you, I wonder… He hadn't meant for Jou to learn anything during their outing. In hindsight, he should have avoided going out with the blonde entirely, even just to get coffee. I didn't explain my nightmares. I didn't give away any secrets. But now he's seen me at my worst… No doubt he's put it together that I didn't sleep well. He's not that stupid. So… He now knows that there are times I'm not fully in control, that I'm not as strong and aware as I need to be. He sighed, feeling the cold water against his feet. I'm certain I'm thinking too much into it, but the blonde has proven to be a bit more aware than I gave him credit for. He hasn't brought it up yet in front of Mokuba, though who knows what those two will talk about in private. And yet, he promised he wouldn't tell Mokuba I needed to get away...and, perhaps, being an older brother himself, he'll understand the importance of such a promise. But then, that begs the question of when I began trusting the blonde with such information.
Indeed, Kaiba could sense something in him changing in regards to Jounouchi. I'm no longer thinking of him as 'the mutt.' At the very least, I can respect him for wanting to better his and his sister's lives. And the fact that he didn't push me this morning to open up speaks to his character. Anyone else would have asked again and again what was wrong. But he took my no for an answer, almost as if he respected my privacy. Kaiba blinked, realizing his gaze had been solely focused on the blonde, who was riding another wave on the boogie board while Mokuba watched intently on the sideline. What has gotten into me?
Standing, Kaiba waded back out into the water, watching as Jou gave the boogie board back to Mokuba. The duo seemed to sense Kaiba's presence, for both looked over and smiled at seeing the brunette approach. "Hey Seto!" Mokuba exclaimed. "Want to try out the board?"
"No, I'm fine for now," Kaiba answered.
"Okay, I'm going to try Jou's trick. Jou, if this doesn't work, you owe me a sundae!" Kaiba watched as Mokuba took the boogie board and rushed out into the waves. Soon he pressed his body against the board, using his arms to swim further out.
Kaiba frowned. His brother had left him alone with Jounouchi. Again.
Seeing a wave approach, Kaiba turned and let the wave hit his back before retracing his steps and moving further out. Jou followed behind, and soon the two were up to their waists, both slowly moving their arms to keep their balance in the strong waters. Hearing a cry of victory, Kaiba looked out and smiled slightly as Mokuba shot forward with the wave on his board, a look of shock and excitement across his face. Mokuba slammed back onto the water, then gave a thumbs up in their direction. "Jou, you're awesome!" he shouted. Without missing a beat, he stood up, grabbed the board, and rushed back out.
Jou smirked cheekily over at Kaiba. "Did ya hear that, Kaiba? Your brother thinks I'm awesome."
"That's because he's forgotten about your mini-golf score," Kaiba shot back, though a smile cracked through as he spoke, making his insult less threatening. Another change in his reactions to Jou. Kaiba's insults weren't as harsh. And, if he was being honest, he didn't want them to be, either. When did that change occur, I wonder...
"Well some of us don't cheat, Kaiba."
"I don't cheat. How would I?"
"I dunno. You got some trick up ya sleeve, though. No way you're that good, I'm convinced."
Kaiba scoffed. "You're right. You caught me. I rigged the entire course in my favor, and I even installed a device in my putter to give me the perfect shot every time. Any 2s I made were to throw you off my trail." Glancing over at the blonde, who was dressed in a pair of yellow swimming trunks, he asked, "You happy now?"
Jou pointed his nose in the air defiantly and answered, "Very much so."
Another cry of victory rang out, and Kaiba watched as his brother once again rode a wave. Pointing, he turned back at Jou and asked, "Speaking of cheating, when did you ever ride one of those boards? That doesn't seem like information you casually know off-hand."
"I used ta take Shizuka to the beach when we were kids. We were too little to go out very far, so we would take a boogie board and share it. I rode the waves a bit, while she would use it as a sort of skateboard and slide along the wet sand. Only did it a few times, but it's kinda like riding a bike; once ya do it, you don't really forget it. And no, I didn't cheat. You can't cheat at boogie boards, Kaiba."
"But you can in mini-golf?"
"You can, apparently." Kaiba waved his arm under the water's surface, sending a full splash in Jou's direction, before plunging underwater to ride out an incoming wave. Coming up above water, he wiped his eyes only to feel a splash against his side. He looked to see Jou smirking impishly, his arm set just underneath the water. "Don't tempt me, man."
Kaiba waved his hand in the air, clearly not threatened by Jou's remark. A "whoo-hoooooo" carried through the air as Mokuba hurled forward with the force of a large wave, crashing past Jou and Kaiba and riding the wave all the way to the sandy beach. Standing awkwardly, Mokuba grabbed the board and waved at the two. Seto turned and made his way back, Jou following close behind.
"It's around lunchtime," Mokuba observed. "What did you guys wanna do this afternoon?"
"Any chance we can get to the amusement park for some rides?" The question caught Kaiba off-guard, and before he could catch himself, he shot a look of surprise at the blonde. Rather than standing cheekily, however, Jounouchi was instead relaxed, hands in the pockets of his swim trunks, looking as nonchalant about the notion as he could. "Since you ain't a big fan of roller coasters, we can just take the afternoon. Ride a few rides here, and Kaiba can do his thing wherever he wants."
Mokuba smiled and nodded. "That's actually not a bad idea, Jou. Then maybe we can buy dinner on the way home. Seto, what do you think?"
Kaiba didn't know what to think as Jounouchi glanced over, his amber colored eyes warm as he smiled at the CEO, wet blonde hair stuck to the sides of his face. Clearing his throat, he simply muttered, "That works for me," before heading towards their beach set up. Folding the towels, he listened as Mokuba and Jou both approached their equipment and began to help him pack.
Cautiously, Kaiba stole a peek over at Jou, who was telling Mokuba about another trick he used to do with the boogie board. He hated what his brain was logically telling him, but he couldn't deny the simple fact.
Today, between the morning and the suggestion, he was in debt to Jounouchi for his kindness.
Click click click click click click click click…
Jounouchi's stomach turned as the cart slowly made its way up the metal hill, the gears grinding underneath. Kaiba sat in the seat in front of him, arms resting casually on the cushioned holster that held him in. When Jou agreed to tackle some rides with Kaiba after getting dizzy on the spinning cups, he didn't realize the CEO would go for the most extreme rides in the damn park. Sure, Mokuba had warned him, but here he was, all 'cuz it meant spending a few minutes with Kaiba in the line waiting for the ride.
As the view around him expanded out to the boardwalk, the beach, and the ocean, the ride climbing ever higher and higher, Jounouchi realized he was an idiot. Seto Kaiba piloted a freakin' Blue Eyes jet plane. Of course he would do the stupidly insane rides.
The things I do for eye candy, Jou thought as the cart finally made its way to the top. He had a brief second to contemplate all his life decisions that led to this moment, then felt his stomach churn as the cart launched forward at a downward 80 degree angle.
Screaming as much from excitement as adrenaline, Jounouchi shot his arms in the air, feeling the wind pummel his face. Up and down the cart shot along the track, turning left and going up another semi-steep hill before plunging once more. The sound of gears turning mixed with the wind. Jou felt his stomach churn again. The adrenaline began to dwindle as the cart slowed, and Jou let out a final cry of victory. Turning right, the ride came to a sudden halt in the station, and he sighed heavily as it then rolled to another stop. The holster automatically rose, and Jou stumbled out of the cart onto the station platform. Kaiba stood in front, his gaze hidden behind his sunglasses.
Jou glanced up to see Kaiba smiling down at him. Not smirking cheekily, either. Smiling. "You going to be all right?"
"Oh yeah…" Jou huffed out. "Never better." Following Kaiba down the ramp and out onto the cement walkway, Jou frowned when Mokuba was nowhere to be seen. "How 'bout you?"
Kaiba slowly nodded, though he was evidently also looking for his younger brother. People were exiting the ride's platform, and the sounds of screams from the next batch of victims rang out behind them. Jounouchi looked around to see that he and Kaiba had missed a side station, where television monitors detailed pictures taken of the riders as they came down the massive, first hill. The thought of Kaiba in one of the roller coaster photos made him chuckle. He briefly thought of buying a picture, then saw the large crowd standing at the registers and thought better of it. Not like I got the money for souvenirs, anyways.
"Do you know where Mokuba is?" Kaiba asked. Jou returned his attention to the brunette, who had his phone out and was rapidly texting.
"No, I dunno. Maybe he went to the bathroom or somethin'?" Seeing a nearby vending machine, he added, "I'm gettin' a soda. Ya want one?"
"No, thank you," came Kaiba's reply. Jounouchi blinked in shock at the tacked on "thank you" and watched as the CEO walked across the cement walkway and took his seat at a wooden bench. His phone lit up, and his shoulders sagged slightly, which told Jou Mokuba had responded. Feeling a bit better himself, he walked over to the vending machine and bought a small bottle of soda. The hiss as he opened it was satisfying, and the fizz immediately began to help settle his stomach as he sipped it. He then casually strolled over and took his seat next to Kaiba.
"So...you having fun?" Kaiba didn't respond, and Jou glanced over to see him leaning back against the bench, his gaze focused on his phone. But a small smile was across his lips, causing Jou to smile himself. He 100% is havin' fun.
A few minutes passed, during which Jounouchi casually drank his soda while Kaiba kept on lookout. Jou thought briefly about bringing up the morning's events, then decided to let it die. We're here to have fun, and it ain't my business what was goin' on this morning. Just happy it got him to answer my damn question. He finished his soda and leaned back just as the sound of running caught his attention. Jounouchi glanced up to sese Mokuba running towards them, smiling widely at the two. Seto shot up out of his seat as the boy approached. "Sorry I didn't text you, Nii-sama," Mokuba muttered. He was carrying two, white plastic bags from shopping they had done on their way up the boardwalk as well as a map of the park. "Figured I'd go to the restroom while you were on the rides."
"Just let me know next time," Kaiba responded, his tone soft to indicate he wasn't mad.
"Of course. And man, I'm not gonna lie, Jou, I thought you'd bail last minute." The younger Kaiba giggled as another round of screams rose from the roller coaster behind them. "There's no way I'd ride that thing, even for Seto."
"Yeah, well, can't say I didn't have fun." Letting out a soft "whoo," he added, "Though I don't think my heart appreciated it…"
Folding up the map of the park and shoving it in one of his bags, Mokuba stated, "Well, I'm pretty much done with the rides here. Seto, anything more you wanna do while we're here?"
Jounouchi glanced over and mentally cheered when Kaiba shook his head no, answering, "I've ridden all the rides I'm interested in."
"And you, Jou?"
Jou gave a thumbs up and said, "Nah, man, I'm good."
"Then why don't we stop for dinner? There's a seafood restaurant on the way back to the hotel. Supposedly the second floor balcony is a pretty awesome view, and the food has some pretty good ratings."
Food was the last thing on Jou's mind, but he nodded nevertheless. Kaiba nodded as well, and soon the trio were walking down the pathway leading towards the exit archway of the amusement park. Kids rushed past in groups as parents tried to catch up, and the sounds of the rides, games, and entertainers filled Jou's ears. He thought Kaiba would be condescending or derogatory towards it all, only to remind himself that the CEO had built his own version of this very park.
Jounouchi glanced over at Kaiba, who was standing on the opposite side of Mokuba. It was clear Kaiba had had fun. The small smile, the one that barely qualified as a smile for anyone except the CEO, had barely left his lips. Whatever thoughts or emotions had plagued him this morning, they seemed long gone. Jounouchi himself smiled widely as they crossed under the archway and came out onto the boardwalk. His suggestion made Kaiba happy, possibly even made the man's day. It was the least he could do to show his appreciation for the hot, rich, mini-golf cheatin' jerk.
It was only a few minutes' walk before they approached a brick building with a silk overhang that led to the front entrance of the restaurant. The inside was somewhat fancier than the usual dining, with glass tables, steel chairs with cushions attached, and the sound of silverware and chopsticks hitting plates. Mokuba motioned towards a waitress that there were three, and, pointing upwards, he smiled and shrugged as if questioning. The waitress smiled, approached, grabbed some menus, and led them up a short, spiral stairwell to the second floor, where they came out onto a wide balcony. A table was right along the half wall of brick that protected customers from falling while granting a full view of the ocean, and the waitress let them take their seats before reading off their list of specials.
"I'll cover this meal," Kaiba said as soon as the waitress gave them space. "Mokuba, you've covered enough up to this point."
"Thanks, Seto!" Mokuba beamed as he opened the menu, his eyes wide as he took in the options.
"Thanks, Kaiba," Jou muttered. Looking over, he saw Kaiba perusing his own menu. The ocean breeze played with his bangs, and his mild tan was kept in check by his consistent sunscreen usage. While he wasn't smiling, he looked content, and he took off his sunglasses, revealing alert yet deep blue eyes. And with the ocean behind him…
Jounouchi wished he could take a picture, but he settled with a mental image instead before breaking his gaze away from Kaiba.