Chapter 22:

The waves washed up to Jou's feet, then receded back into the ocean. It certainly wasn't a water slide, Jou reflected, but he was nevertheless happy with Mokuba's last-minute change. Mokuba had declared that, after thinking it over, he wanted to stay on the beach. Pointing out the fact that Domino City had a water park but no shore, he remarked that he wanted to do something on his last day here that he couldn't do back home. Kaiba and Jounouchi had both willingly agreed to the plan, and so, after eating their breakfast at the cafe, they had packed up for a full day in the ocean.

Kaiba was spending most of the morning under the large umbrella, reading and sipping a bottle of water. Mokuba and Jou went out to the waves, and while Jou was doing his best to dismiss his thoughts from earlier, he struggled to hide his growing concern. All throughout breakfast, all he could think of was the sudden realization that this was all ending. The time with Kaiba, the opportunities to learn about him, the chances to get closer to him, were all about to slip away.

Tomorrow, Jou would be going back home to Pops in a taxi, back to reality and work and his friends. And Kaiba might be gone from my life…maybe for good.

Jou couldn't accept that, but he didn't know what to do. He knew what he wanted, and he knew what he absolutely didn't want to have happen. But the act of asking the Seto Kaiba out was more than just a Duel Monsters gamble. It would dictate how they would interact once they returned home...perhaps for the rest of their lives.

It was daunting and so sudden. And for once, Jou's courage was failing him.

It spurred him to ask Mokuba to go for a walk with him, and now, hands by his sides, he looked down and asked, "Yo, Mokuba. Can we talk?"

Mokuba smiled up at Jou as the two walked along the water line, the waves coming and going while the wet sand crunched under their feet. "Sure Jou. What's up?"

"I need to ask ya some questions. About your brother."

Frowning, Mokuba's eyebrows furrowed together. "Why? Did something happen last night?"

"Well, uh… Yeah, you could say that." Before Mokuba could continue, Jou smirked and quickly added, "But nothin' bad, I promise."

"Oh. Phew." Releasing a sigh of relief, Mokuba muttered, "You had me worried."

"Actually, it's kinda the opposite problem." Waiting as two kids rushed out in front of them into the water, he looked back down at Mokuba and asked, "So you and I've talked about how I like your brother..."

Mokuba giggled and nodded. "Yeah, and you keep threatening me since I knew he'd be on the beach with us."

"Ha, well…" Jou sighed as he thought, This shouldn't be this embarrassin'. After all, he knows his brother's gay. And he knows I'm gay, too. "Here, lemme ask this. What would'ya think of the two of us together? Your brother and me?"

Mokuba's eyes widened in shock at the question, and Jou watched as he slowly answered, "I think it'd be pretty awesome if you two went out."

It was Jou's turn for his eyes to widen in surprise. "Yo, you bein' honest? Seriously, ya think we'd be good together?"

"Yeah, Jou. I'm not lying. I think it would honestly be really cool."

"You ain't just sayin' that 'cuz it's what I wanna hear?"

"Absolutely not, Jou. You two have shared a lot of history, and I know my brother would look out for you, and you'd respect him for who he is. I think you two would be good for each other." Jou watched a mischievous smile cross his lips. "Why are you asking me? Are you thinking of asking Seto out?"

"Uh, well, maybe? I dunno, I…" Growling in frustration, Jou remarked, "Alright, so, your brother's probably gonna hate me for tellin' ya this, but I need a second opinion, and yours is the only one I got. After you went ta bed, he invited me to play pool upstairs with him. Rented a room for us, and we spent a few hours upstairs playin'."

"Wait, what?!" Jumping in front of Jou and stopping him, he exclaimed, "You two went on a date last night?!"

"No, we didn't go on a date!" Jou corrected. "We just played pool and had some beers. Same shit I used ta do with Honda." Mokuba's expression told Jou the kid wasn't buying it, and he blushed as he continued, "Once we started playin', we obviously started talking about stuff. At first, it was just basic shit, but then what happened with me and Mai came up. I told him truthfully what happened, 'cuz I knew if I lied to him, there'd just be no shot in dating him. But then he, uh, told me...that he was also…"

Jou didn't finish the sentence for fear of others hearing despite the fact that the two were practically isolated on their walk. Mokuba's jaw dropped, his eyes widened, and he whispered, "He told you he was gay, too?"

Jou nodded.

"No way!" A large grin crossed Mokuba's lips, and he nearly jumped for joy as he shouted, "That's awesome! I can't believe he told you!"

"Yeah, but… Well, here's the thing. So yeah, we swapped stories and all that. But I really...really liked hanging out with him last night. And I've really liked hanging out this week with him. And it hit me this mornin' that this shit's all about to end. And I, um..."

"You what?"

Jou sighed heavily and muttered, "I'm worried…that I won't get another chance to do this again. Hang out with him, I mean." Mokuba looked around the two before he pointed down at the sand. He then plopped down to sit, his feet facing the direction of the incoming waves. Jounouchi quickly took his seat next to the boy, wrapping his arms around his shins as he felt the water come up to his toes. "I don't know what to do, kid. I like your brother. A lot. Like, a lot more than just that stupid crush I had on him when you called me on it out years ago. But I dunno what to do."

"So you both came out, but you didn't ask Seto out?"

"No way, dude. I couldn't even hold it together when I told him I was gay. Cried on his damn shirt like an idiot."

"You don't have to worry about that. Seto wouldn't be mad about you crying. It's super brave of you admitting who you are to him, after all. Did you tell him first, or did he tell you first?"

"I told 'im first. It's what made him tell me."

"Jou, you should know, Seto never tells people that. He's only ever told me. It means he really, really trusts you."

Jou frowned. "Wouldn't he have had to tell his previous boyfriends, too?"

Mokuba shot Jounouchi a look of astonishment. "Wait, he told you about them too?!"

"Just this mornin'. We were chatting a little about last night out on the patio before you showed up. I asked if ya knew he was gay, and he said yeah, and that he had two boyfriends before. I admitted I've only had the occasional hook-up, nothin' real serious. But he told me he's gone steady."

"Holy shit…" Mokuba breathed the words out as his gaze returned to the ocean waves. "Jou… Seto really trusts you if he told you about them. Do you know how secret that information is?"

"Oh, I get it. I mean, if I was a dirty bastard, I could go to the press and ruin his life. But I ain't gonna do that, I promise. 'Sides, it's weird thinking Kaiba has more dating experience than me."

Mokuba laughed at the statement. "Oh, I've seen how much Seto goes out of his way for his boyfriends. If you ever do go on a date, be ready for him to impress you."

"Dude already does that," Jou admitted, blushing slightly. He smiled, though, feeling it odd how easy it was speaking his thoughts to Mokuba after his initial trepidation. Maybe it'll be this easy when I eventually come out to Yuugi and the others… Hopefully, at least.

"So beyond coming out, what did you guys talk about?"

"Just usual shit. Discussed Duel Monsters, hanafuda, and some other games after I got done crying like a baby. Then, like I said, we chatted about previous boyfriends before you woke up this morning. Nothin' beyond that." Wondering if it would be rude to pry, Jou mentally shrugged as he looked over at Mokuba. "Can I ask what happened ta his two boyfriends? He said it was before he was a CEO, but wasn't your adoptive dad like a total prick? How did Kaiba pull that off?"

Seeing a dark expression paint Mokuba's features made Jounouchi frown. He quickly held up his hands in an innocent gesture, but Mokuba shook his head and continued looking out at the ocean. "Seto's already told you a lot. I don't mind telling you. But…" Mokuba glanced over both his shoulders, then nodded. "Please. I know you won't tell anyone, but I need to ask you not to tell anyways. It's really, really private information."

"No, I got'cha," Jou answered. "I mean, if you don't wanna tell me, that's cool, too."

"No, if Seto already told you about them… I don't think he'd mind too much." Slowly inhaling, Mokuba began, "Seto met his first boyfriend at a big gala event that I wasn't invited to. His second boyfriend, I think they met at some conference committee. Gozaburo, he… Well, to be blunt, he really fucked up Seto's life." Jou blinked in surprise as Mokuba's tone turned harsh. "The first time, Seto didn't really hide his emotions. It's kind of hard to see him like this now, but Seto was head over heels for the guy. That's when he told me he was gay. He really wanted the relationship to work, and he spent a lot of time with the guy. I remember Seto was really, really happy. But Gozaburo piled onto Seto's schedule once he learned Seto was getting close to someone, and he added more and more on Seto's work load to keep him from his boyfriend. I don't think Gozaburo knew they were dating, per se, but Seto suffered a lot to try and keep the relationship going. Eventually, I remember, he just broke down. Seto didn't eat for two whole days due to the amount of work that piled up, and he was almost hospitalized. I think Seto ended up breaking up with him in order to protect him as much as anything. It...really hurt Seto for a long time. It's when he started seriously shutting people out of his life."

"Holy shit…" For a moment, the two simply sat, with Jou trying to process such a revelation. No wonder Kaiba's so closed off ta everyone. To be sabotaged like that in your first relationship? I mean, shit, I'm surprised he even dated again after that. How fucked up would I be if Pops ever tried that shit? Jou looked back at Mokuba to see the younger Kaiba still looking out at the ocean. "What was the guy's name?"

"Kenichiro. Kenichiro Takazachi."

Jou blinked in surprise, recalling the name from the previous evening. "Ah." Not sure if he would like the answer, he slowly asked, "And...the other one?"

"Same thing, though it happened a lot quicker," answered Mokuba. "I keep forgetting his name, I think it started with an 'A' maybe. Or a 'U.' But it was the same thing. Seto began dating him, Gozaburo found out Seto was getting close to someone, and Gozaburo made Seto's life miserable. Gozaburo embarrassed him publicly in front of his boyfriend at an event, and his boyfriend made fun of him for it, having no absolute clue what Seto put up with for him. Seto broke it off, for obvious reasons. That lasted maybe two months."

"Wow. Gozaburo really did fuck him up, didn't he?"

Mokuba swallowed loudly enough for Jou to hear. "I… I don't know how bad it was, and I don't think Seto will ever tell me. But I remember Seto really, really struggling. It's why I don't judge him for being standoffish with all you guys. I know he comes across as so cold and cruel, but he's really not. He just pushed people away to protect them, and over time, he just cut off everyone completely."

"Which makes this week even weirder," Jou remarked. "I mean, he's tolerated me this whole time."

"He's more than tolerated you, Jou," Mokuba pointed out, a smile finally returning to the boy's lips. "If Seto asked you to play pool with him, he genuinely wanted to spend time with you."

"Ya think so?" Jou asked, feeling a cursed blush rising to his cheeks.

"I know so."

Jou inhaled and slowly exhaled before looking directly at Mokuba. "So… Ya think I should ask him out? That we'd be good together?"

"I think, if Seto is choosing to spend his time with you, then it means he really enjoys being around you. Seto isn't someone who wastes time in anything. If he didn't like being around you, he just wouldn't do it."

"Yeah, but playin' pool is a lot different than…" Jounouchi blushed profusely, causing Mokuba to chuckle.

"I mean, yeah, true," Mokuba replied. "I don't know, though, I think you should go for it if you don't want this to end. You don't want to be mad at yourself and constantly think of the 'what ifs,' right?"

"You don't think he'll be mad or think I'm gross or…"

"Jou, why would he think you're gross? He's gay, too, remember?"

"Yeah, but…"

Jou watched as Mokuba stood and quickly followed suit before looking down at the younger Kaiba. "If I didn't think you had a chance with Nii-sama, I'd tell you," Mokuba answered. "I wouldn't set you up for failure. And I think that if Seto is choosing to spend his free time with you and telling you really important, secret information, it's a good sign that he would be open to something."

"And you'd be okay with it?"

Mokuba nodded. "Of course. So long as Seto's happy, I'm happy."

Jou slowly smiled, sensing the boy's honesty. "You're too nice, ya know that, kid?"

Giggling, Mokuba replied, "Remember that when we play hanafuda later tonight."

"Okay, now that was your brother talking." Mokuba burst out laughing at the comment, and the two soon began heading back in the direction of their beach spot. "But, uh, here's another question. Kaiba's a big CEO with a lot of responsibilities, including you. And it ain't like nobody knows about him; dude's a worldwide celebrity. If I asked him to keep the relationship quiet...do you think he'd do it?"

"I mean, nobody knows he's gay, so I can't see why he wouldn't try. But did you tell Seto that nobody else knows?"

"Yeah. I just said you knew, and that was it. Mentioned Pops, but I didn't go too in detail 'bout him."

"Then Seto would try, at the very least. I'm not sure how successful he can be, given our status, but I know Seto would work hard to keep it a secret if it was important to you."

He would try. A'ight. I guess that's the most I can honestly ask for… Jou didn't want to think about what would happen if the gang found out he was gay from the tabloids spilling the beans, but it was a very real possibility if Kaiba and him were to actually start dating. But then, am I gonna avoid askin' him out just to keep it all a secret? Do what Mokuba said and just wonder 'what if this,' 'what if that'?

Jou internally flinched at the thought. Heck no. I can't hold Kaiba responsible for keepin' all my secrets in check when the tabloids follow him all the time. That just ain't fair. So… I guess I gotta make a decision.

"Hey Jou?"

Jou looked back down at Mokuba. "You're not mad that I invited you out here with us, right?"

Blinking in shock, the blonde answered, "Heck no, man. Why would I be mad?"

"I just…" Mokuba frowned as he looked back out at the water. "I knew you had a crush on Seto, and I invited you out here knowing that, and I thought that, well, it would be okay. But I see now how much you honestly like Seto, and I didn't mean for you to feel upset or worry over everything. I just wanted us all to have fun this week..."

Jou smiled and shook his head. "Kid, you brought me out here to the beach, ya got me to spend time with your brother, and heck, if I do get the courage to ask your Big Bro out, I owe ya a heck of a lot more than this vacation. You got nothin' to apologize for."

Mokuba smiled, and his eyes widened once more. "Awesome. So… you're going to do it? Ask him out?"

The hopeful tone caused Jou to nod before he could catch himself, but even as he did so, he felt it was right in his heart. Yeah, I can't give this opportunity up. I don't think Kaiba will hate me if I ask. At worst, he'll say no and move on. But I don't want him datin' anyone else. I don't wanna see him on those tabloids holdin' some other guy's hand. So I gotta do it… I gotta ask him if he would wanna go on a date… If we can keep this going after this vacation is over. It's either yes or no, and if I don't ask, I'll just kick myself over and over again for it.

"Yo, Mokuba, help me out." When Mokuba looked back up quizzically at him, Jou smirked and asked, "What kinda date do you think Kaiba would like? 'Cuz if I'm gonna ask, I need some ideas here."