Chapter 17:

Stepping out of the shower, Jounouchi grabbed one of the soft, white towels on the metal rack and dried himself off, sighing in content as the steam from the shower slowly made its way up and into the vent. His hair smelled of vanilla shampoo, and he carefully placed his washcloth on the rack above the toilet. He was going to miss the luxuries of this hotel, simple luxuries that far outshined his stuff at home.

Let's be real, I'mma miss all of this when we get back. The consistent, hot showers, the new towels, the food, the sun, staring at Kaiba all damn day… He placed his face in his towel and groaned. Yep, returnin' to Domino is gonna suck.

Shrugging, he quickly dried himself off and entered the bedroom, where his clothes from earlier lay on his bed. They were going back out to the arcade, as Mokuba indicated there were still two arcades he wanted to tackle before the end of vacation, and the days were quickly ticking down. Just three more days of this. Then...back to normal.

What's normal gonna be like when we get back? Sliding on a different shirt but pulling on the same pair of khakis, Jou thought, I'll prob still hang out with Mokuba, like before, but I wonder if Kaiba and I will hang out at all. I mean, probably not, let's be real. Katsuya, you haven't made any real moves on the man, and if you did, you'd probably be sent home early on a bus. I mean, heck, ya don't even know if he's gay, and you're thinkin' about how you can get him to fall for ya. But then again, Kaiba ain't being rude to me or insulting me, so I guess that's an improvement.

Recalling the day's events, Jou smiled. No, there's definitely been an improvement. He sat on the edge of the soft bed and slid into his sneakers. He was smilin' at me after the roller coaster rides, and he doesn't seem ta be avoidin' me when Mokuba leaves us alone. Jou's eyes briefly turned to slits as he thought, I'mma kick that kid's butt after this. He had to know he'd be settin' me up to see his brother in a damn swimsuit.

Sighing, Jou stood and grabbed his wallet off the glass nightstand, then exited his room. Mokuba and he had both asked to shower before heading out, leaving Kaiba alone in the living room, presumably to read. Turning, Jou entered the living room only to blink in shock.

By the looks of it, Kaiba had been reading. But with the book open in his lap, his legs up on the sofa, and his cheek against the palm of his hand, Kaiba wasn't reading anything. Not with his eyes closed, his posture relaxed, his chest slightly rising and falling with each breath.

Kaiba was sleeping. Napping.

Oh shit, do I do it, do I do it… Reaching down for his phone, he thought to take a photo, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but then thought better of it. Nah, I ain't gonna be like one of those creeps. I should just leave him alone. Despite his thoughts, he cautiously approached Kaiba, slowly making his way around the coffee table. Kaiba's chest slowly rose and fell, and Jou could now see that he was leaning back into the sofa, the cushions helping to prop his head up. He stood there for a minute, looking over Kaiba's features, half just staring and half wondering if he should try to move the CEO to a more comfortable position. Finally, Jou gave up and took a seat in the recliner, still looking at the brunette. Yeah, man, you can say you were okay this morning, but you weren't. Ya don't nap. You haven't woken up once like that since we've been out here. And you made me promise not to tell Mokuba 'bout us going out. So what got into you?

Knowing he wasn't getting an answer, Jou leaned back in the chair and thought, I guess as long as he ended up havin' fun today, it's all good. But if he's sleeping, then-

"Okay, ready to go!"

The shout caused Jou to flinch, and he quickly shot up right as Mokuba turned the corner. Placing a finger to his lips, he looked at Mokuba, whose eyes were wide at Jou's lunge forward. Jou pointed to the sofa, and Mokuba peeked around the blonde only to recoil at the sight. "S… Nii-sama?"

Despite the shout, Kaiba hadn't moved a muscle.

"Seto…?" Jou watched as Mokuba slowly approached Kaiba in much the same way Jou had moved around the coffee table. He pressed a finger against his brother's forehead, then pulled it away. He then looked at Jounouchi. "He's not sick, but… I've never seen him fall asleep like this."

"Can't imagine he takes naps," Jou whispered. "Come on, let's go out to the patio. We can give him some time."

"Sure, just… Let me get something real quick." Jou watched as Mokuba backtracked to his room. Catching one final look at Kaiba and feeling satisfied when the brunette didn't budge, he went over and slid the patio door open, then took a seat in one of the white, plastic beach chairs. Mokuba quickly followed suit, carrying one of the plastic bags from earlier, and slid the door closed behind him. "I really hope Seto's not getting sick or anything," the younger Kaiba admitted as he took his seat opposite Jou at a small, glass table. "I mean it when I say I've never seen him nap."

"Gotta remember, kid, he ain't used to bein' at the beach all day every day," Jou remarked. It was after dinnertime, and the sun was beginning to set behind them. Lights to illuminate the streets and boardwalk were flickering on, but there was still enough sunlight to make the sky pink and blue. Lighting a candle on the table with some available matches, Jou continued, "He's used to sittin' behind that desk all day dealing with morons. He's probably just exhausted and needs a breather."

"Or he woke up super early with a certain someone…"

Jounouchi blushed and looked up from the candle. Mokuba was smirking devilishly as he stared directly at the blonde. Jounouchi shook his head. "Nothin' happened." Pointing, he added, "Trust me, ya'd know, 'cuz there's no way I'd keep quiet about you settin' me up for failure."

Mokuba's smirk never left as he innocently asked, "And what do you mean by that?"

"I mean, you knew your brother would be in a swimsuit most of the damn time, while also knowing I have the hots for 'im."

"I might have expected he'd be at the beach every day…" Flipping off the younger Kaiba, Jounouchi shook his head as Mokuba burst out laughing. "But really, nothing happened this morning? Are you sure? Because you and Seto were both awake when I woke up, and dressed at that."

"So? We've been awake before ya every day this week."

"Yeah, but…" Sighing in frustration, Mokuba shook his head and muttered, "Fine, you keep your secrets. But I got my own weapon…" Jounouchi's eyebrows furrowed together as Mokuba reached into the plastic bag and pulled out a white folder. Opening it, he slid a thin, small, rectangular item, roughly the size of Jou's hand, across the table, causing Jounouchi to gasp and burst out laughing.

"Mokuba, you freakin' didn't!"

Lying on the table was a picture from the roller coaster ride, of Kaiba in front and Jounouchi, arms flailing, behind him.

"Oh, you bet I did," Mokuba retorted. "You think I was passing up on this opportunity? No way."

Jounouchi reached out and grabbed the picture, still laughing while looking closely at it. Kaiba had a smile across his lips as he held onto the railing, the wind blowing his hair back. Jounouchi looked maniacal, eyes wide, mouth open, and arms up in the air. Remembering the adrenaline rush, Jou shook his head and slid the picture back. He was surprised, however, when Mokuba shook his head no. "That's yours to keep. I have a few more in my folder here."

"Wait, really?" Looking at the picture once more, Jou blushed as he said, "Th-thanks, man." He pulled out his wallet and placed the picture gently inside but not in a pocket, not wanting to bend the edges, then set the wallet down on the table. "But what are you gonna do with the others?"

"I need to find a big enough frame for the one, then it's going in Seto's office."

Jou laughed again as Mokuba put the folder back in his bag. "Dude, your brother's gonna kill you."

Mokuba giggled as he pulled a small box out of the bag. "Nah, he loves me too much for that."

Recalling the earlier conversation with the elder Kaiba, Jou could only nod in agreement. He watched as Mokuba opened the box to reveal a deck of intricately-designed cards and frowned. "What'cha got there?"

"A hanafuda deck. Want to play a round?"

"Hanafuda? Ain't never played that before."

"Really? Oh man, I need to teach you. It's super fun."

Jounouchi peeked over to see Kaiba still sleeping on the sofa. Guess we'll be here awhile anyways… Leaning forward, Jou nodded and asked, "A'ight, how d'ya play?"

Inhaling a sharp breath of air, Kaiba started up in his seat and quickly looked around. He was in the living room, the open book in front of him, but it was very dark. Blinking twice, he swiftly sat up and looked around. The room was empty, and it was nighttime outside. But he could hear voices. He turned to see the patio light was on. Through the door, he could make out Jounouchi and Mokuba sitting at the table, evidently playing some type of card game.

Holy shit, what time is it? he thought, remembering their plans for the arcade. Looking down at his watch, his eyes widened in shock as he saw the time. 20:30. I slept for over an hour… Why didn't they wake me up?!

He pushed himself up and grimaced as he felt his back crack. I can't deny that was refreshing, though. I don't recall the last time I was ever able to just lie down and fall asleep. He rubbed his eyes and closed his book, setting it on the coffee table. I suppose it shouldn't come as a surprise. I didn't sleep well, and I've been in the ocean almost every day this week. I purposely pushed myself this morning to clear my thoughts. I guess it's only natural I'd fall asleep. But still, why did they decide to wait for me?

Kaiba approached the patio door and slowly opened it. The cool, ocean air immediately hit him, and both Mokuba and Jou looked up from their game at him. "Hey," he weakly greeted, unsure what was going on.

"Hey, Nii-sama!" Mokuba greeted, his eyes wide and a smile on his face. "How'd you sleep?"

"Fine," he answered, slowly approaching their table. "Why did you let me-"

"Sleep in?" Giggling, Mokuba put his hand of cards down and said, "Cough it up, Jou."

"Nuh uh, that don't count. You finished the sentence for him."

Sensing his brother's confusion, Mokuba shrugged and said, "We bet you'd ask right away why we let you take a nap."

"And you aren't answering my question," Kaiba answered. "You should have woken me up."

"You looked like you needed the rest, and we have all day tomorrow to go to the arcade. Looks like the weather isn't gonna be good, so it'll be fine."

"Still, you should have-"

"And besides, I've been teaching Jounouchi hanafuda."

"Yeah… He says that…"

Mokuba chuckled, returning his gaze to Jounouchi. Kaiba glanced over to see Jou's confused expression as he methodically looked at his cards. "It's not my fault you don't know what flowers look like, Jou."

"Hey man, flowers weren't on any test for school."

"Like that would've made you learn them," Kaiba shot back. Jounouchi snorted.

"Yeah, can't argue that."

Sighing in frustration, Kaiba asked, "Well, is there anything we want to do tonight before everything begins closing?"

"I kinda want to go in the hot tub downstairs, if only to chill out before bed," Mokuba said. "Can we do that?"

"Sure. But don't you want to finish your game first?"

Jounouchi flopped his cards down. "Nah, I'm good."

Mokuba giggled. "Seto and I can show you how to play. Seto's a mean hanafuda player."

Seto reached out and grabbed the box, looking it over from various angles. "Is this what you bought in that game store?"

"Yeah, they had some really nice decks." Seto returned the box, and Mokuba quickly put the cards back inside the box, then placed the box in the bag next to his chair. Standing from his seat, he looked over at Jou and asked, "Wanna head to the pool?"

"Sure, let me get ready." Standing from his own seat, Jou stretched and yawned. Kaiba merely watched as the two reentered the hotel room, still feeling somewhat bad for causing the change in plans.

Mokuba seems fine with it, though, so I suppose I'll let it slide. He sighed, however, as he noted the candle was still lit. He leaned forward and blew it out, then noticed Jou's wallet still on the table. Perhaps I should be happy they didn't leave without me. They'd have burnt the place down. He grabbed the wallet only to blink in surprise when something started slipping out. Holding it tight, he opened the wallet only to blink in absolute shock.

It was a picture. A wallet-sized picture. Of him and Jounouchi on the roller coaster.

Why...does the blonde...have this? And how? He recalled the ride, the text to Mokuba, the waiting, and it clicked. Mokuba must have bought it…

Slowly, Kaiba set the picture back in the wallet, but not before taking a few seconds to look it over. His mind was racing as it used the energy from his nap to begin piecing together the puzzle that was this vacation. Mokuba invited Jounouchi. Jounouchi agreed to tag along. Mokuba paid for Jounouchi to be here. Mokuba said I agreed to this whole thing while busy, even though I still can't recall when I agreed to this. Jounouchi's been staring at me… a lot. And talking to me...and following me… And doing everything in his power to show that he wants me to enjoy myself. That he respects me as a person. Mokuba's been not-so-subtly asking what I think of the blonde. And now Jounouchi has a picture of me, in his wallet, that Mokuba bought.

Kaiba felt his heart skip a beat. He didn't know who was the biggest moron of the trio in that moment, but if he had to guess, it was himself.

Closing the wallet, he re-entered the living room just as Mokuba came out of the bedroom wearing a pair of light blue swim trunks. "Aren't you getting ready to go?" he asked, seeing his brother still standing in the patio doorway.

"Yeah, I'll get ready." He set the wallet down on the coffee table, then looked up at his brother. "Mokuba… Can we get breakfast tomorrow? Just the two of us?"

Mokuba frowned. "Sure, Seto. Is everything okay?"

He heard a door open and watched as Jou came out wearing his yellow pair of swim trunks and carrying a towel. "All right, we headin' downstairs?" he asked.

"Yes, just give me a moment to get ready." Kaiba brushed past the two and entered his bedroom, taking a minute to let his heartbeat settle.

The blonde has a crush on me. And Mokuba knows it. More than knows it. He wants something happening between the two of us. He purposely paid for Jounouchi specifically to be here so that...well, I guess for something to happen. He grabbed his swim trunks and rash guard from earlier and began changing.

I need to talk to Mokuba. Because the two of us, together? Ludicrous. The picture in Jou's wallet flashed in his mental vision, and Kaiba's hands stopped briefly as he remembered the blonde's giddy grin and wild expression. No, it's… It's nonsense. He shook his head and grabbed a towel. Enjoy tonight. Talk to Mokuba tomorrow. Get this whole thing straightened out.

He exited his room and came out to the living room. Mokuba was sitting on one of the bar stools, while Jou stood behind the island. Kaiba watched as Jou looked over at him and smiled, his gaze just barely looking him up and down.

He's checking me out. That's what he's been doing. When he says it's just my clothing, he means it's me in the clothing. It was weird, beyond weird, thinking that Jounouchi was eyeing Kaiba. But instead of guarding himself as he did whenever a fan girl in public would eye him, Kaiba just...stood there. He waited and waited for the anger to rise in him, hating when others looked at him in that "checking you out" way. But it didn't. Not this time. The seconds came and went. Kaiba felt no reaction, no defensive instincts.

Just like with his previous boyfriends.

The realization made Kaiba shiver.

"Ready to go, Nii-sama?"

"Yeah. I'm ready." He followed the two to the door, making sure he had the keycards needed before exiting the hotel room. They made their way to the elevator, and Kaiba glanced over at Jou, who was looking down at something on his phone as the elevator took them down.

He has a crush on me. Jounouchi Katsuya. Has a crush. On me.

Mokuba had a lot of questions to answer.