Chapter 16 :

Katsuya's brown eyes met azure eyes that held the same shock as his own.

"I gotta go." He whispered, shaking his head but eyes still wide and locked upon the face of the CEO in front of him. He backed away, bumping into the strangers behind him. He turned, breaking the contact between him and the businessman as he pushed his way through the crowd. Comments and flashes of light were sent his direction by the reporters in his midst, but he ignored it all, numb to everything surrounding him. He just needed to go. That's all he knew.

As he finally reached the edge of the multitude, he broke into a sprint, running away from the situation. He was so overwhelmed by what had occurred that he was barely able to pay attention to anything, The most he could do was watch where he was putting his own feet, but even then he tripped and fell to the ground multiple times. He had merely picked himself back up and continued his clumsy escape. The snow continued to fall from the dark sky. Cars passed, probably heading home after celebrating the holiday.

It wasn't until he ran headfirst into a light pole that he took the time to stop, rub his head and take in his surroundings. Despite not paying any attention to the direction he was headed, he had still stumbled his way back toward his apartment subconsciously. He was only about two blocks away from it. From the square to his current location was about a twenty minute walk. It was hard to believe he had been out of it for so long. He rubbed his arms after shivering, finally feeling the cold. He trudged his way to his home, crossing the street where necessary and picking up his pace to get out of the wintry air into his warm sanctuary.

Now his mind was finally processing what had happened. Him and Kaiba had… kissed. Lip to lip contact. Okay, yeah, it wasn't really anything. He understood that it had been an accident. He had been bumped and they had crashed into each other, mainly with their mouths. They had remained that way, pressed together out of shock, for several seconds before the businessman had the sense to pull away. He just wasn't sure how he was going to interact with the CEO from now on. He probably wouldn't be able to look at the brunet without feeling flustered, let alone be able to handle being in the same room.

It also didn't help that they had been photographed. The image of the two of them kissing would end up on the front page of every magazine and on the news for sure. A perfect topic of gossip to end the holiday and year. Maybe they didn't get any good quality pictures, Katsuya mused to himself hopefully but didn't actually believe it.

But then again, maybe he was overthinking it. Kaiba was more than likely going to handle those reporters and any other chance of publication. He knew that the businessman would never allow a media agency to ruin his image or popularity. So, he could only hope that the CEO would prevent it going public. He could only imagine how embarrassed he would be when trying to explain what happened to his friends, family, coworkers and... basically anyone that knew him. Not to mention, that he would like to avoid getting killed by any of the tycoon's obsessive fans.

But back to the kiss. Jounouchi blushed as he thought about it again this time. It was the first that he had shared with another guy. It hadn't been his first kiss, but still… All the kisses he had gotten before had been surprise attacks. He got kissed in elementary by a girl from a dare. It was on the playground and they had never spoken since. Another girl had fallen for him in middle school, unbeknownst to him, and had made a move on him at the beginning of high school, when she caught him in the hallway avoiding class with a bathroom pass. He had scared her off when he asked who she was after the contact, not remembering her. The most recent one had been with Mai Valentine. The curvy blond had been the closest he had ever gotten to having a real relationship, being after the duel monster tournament was over and done with. They had decided together that they probably wouldn't work out. They had taken into consideration the distance since Mai had gone traveling around the world for work as a model after her increasing popularity after dueling, their age difference and that they weren't sure they would have lasted personality-wise in the long run. They still shared a strong friendship and would talk over the phone when they both had the time. Those calls had been less often since his employment to the Kaiba household though.

At this time, he finally reached his apartment door, unlocking and walking in. He quickly shut the door behind him to prevent the heat from whisking out of the potentially available exit point. He breathed contentedly, inviting in the cozy air throughout his respiratory system and flowing through the rest of his body - happy to ease the goosebumps from his arms. He threw off his coat and gloves onto the top of the arm chair to his right (an open format that set the living room across from the kitchen). He slid off his shoes and socks, putting the footwear against the wall at the side of the door and the socks in their own pile.

He glanced down at his clothes and went beet-red. These were Kaiba's. He pulled the shirt off, hands and arms through sleeves before over the top of his head. The fabric got caught on his nose as he tried to tug it off. A scent filled his nose, one of pine. It was one that he knew and recognized. It was the same smell that had been covering his coat and gloves a few weeks earlier. the scent of the previous owner, Seto Kaiba. He threw the shirt to the ground, on top of his socks. He set to work unbuttoning the pants next. As he pushed it down, he noticed mud on the knee area. Guess he better wash the borrowed articles of clothing or else the CEO might have another reason to freak out on him. He tugged off the pants completely and added them to the pile at his feet. He grabbed the pile of clothing from the ground and walked down the hallway in only his briefs. He slid open the closet to the left and dropped the garments into the washer within, starting the load after adding what was in the hamper of his bedroom and his briefs that he removed shortly after.

He entered the bathroom, starting the shower. He shut the door in order to contain all the expended heat. He glanced down at his wrist, the watch that Mokuba had given him earlier resting there. He unclasped it and set it on the bathroom counter. He wasn't sure he could wear that for a while. Kaiba and him basically had a matching set, not exactly but close enough. It might hurt Mokuba to see him not wearing it but… he just couldn't right now.

He waited for the water to heat to his preferred temperature before jumping in. As he scrubbed his head through his blond locks with shampoo, his thoughts turned back to the businessman. He wondered to himself how many people that the handsome brunet might have kissed already. Although he didn't doubt that the CEO could have anyone he could ever want, Katsuya just couldn't imagine it. The idea of Kaiba with someone was weird to picture. The businessman had never shown interest in anyone, at least that he knew of. If anyone knew, it probably would be Mokuba, but the raven haired youth had never mentioned anything of the sort. Knowing the arrogant tycoon, he believed that Kaiba probably had plenty of experience and wouldn't even consider what happened between them of significance. That bothered him a lot. But why would he care if the businessman ignored their momentary physical connection? He pondered this as he finished up in the shower, rinsing his hair and combing through it with his fingers.

He shut off the flow of the shower then stepped out, pulling a towel from the rack upon the wall. He dried himself off and wiped his mirror. His reflection looked back. His blond hair was flat against his head. His cheeks were still slightly pink. He lifted a hand and touched his lips, lightly trailing over them. He blushed, remembering the pressure from the encounter earlier.

He was going to have a long night. He didn't think he would be getting much sleep with these thoughts currently swirling around in his head. What a way to end Christmas.

Seto Kaiba frowned at his screen.

There was nothing wrong with anything there, but other things were disrupting his focus. He glanced down to the black fountain pen he was twirling around in his left hand, lost in thought. The writing utensil had been Katsuya's Christmas present to him a week ago. It had come in a case with an inscription on its lid, saying "If you don't take time for your wellness, you will be forced to make time for your illness." It also came with a 'From your greatest rival' underneath. He had rolled his eyes at both engravings. He realized the blond's ploy to have him consider the quote, and his health, every time he used the writing utensil. The pen itself even had 'moneybags' etched into its side. The font for all three was monotype corsiva.

He thought back to that day. The evening Christmas plans in the square had gone well, all according to plan until the pestering blond tried to order him around. And then they had been barraged by the media's hound dogs. The pack of reporters had caused two errors in judgement. First, ruin his holiday plans with Mokuba and, second, attempted to publish an inaccurate story without his permission. The media had planned to catch the CEO off-guard in an ambush at the site of contact all in order to capture an image of the infamous tycoon. They had gotten more than they had hoped for, or thought that they would get : they photographed the businessman with his next conquest. No media coverage had spread resulting from that night though, and Seto had made sure of that. He had killed the rumor immediately. He had called his security after the blond had disappeared into the crowd. Each memory card had been destroyed before he allowed anyone to leave the area. Later, he had hacked into each news agency server and set a virus that would destroy each hardware that attempted to publish an article that mentioned him with a blond. He had made a code in the past for any such occasion. He only had to change a few elements of it to fit this particular case.

Mokuba had been safe, waiting by the fountain and merely watched with worry. The high schooler had not seen what had occurred between his elder brother and his blond friend. The crowd had blocked the youth's view of his companions, which also made it practically impossible for him to see Katsuya's escape. When the teen had asked where Jou had gone, the CEO had told him that the blond went running home. That had left Mokuba quite disappointed.

Seto could care less about the escapee; he was just glad that his younger sibling was safely accounted for. That was the thing though… he could - and should! - care less about the blond. The incident that had happened between them had stunned him in the moment but, after Katsuya's departure, he pushed what happened away to handle the current situation. His concern for Mokuba was of much more importance than some public display of affection. But now all he could think of was the look on the face of his self-proclaimed rival. He had expected the shock, but not the confusion that set a need for distance between them. The blond's desire to run was reasonable. However, what wasn't okay with the businessman was how the straight-forward fool wasn't being so straight-forward anymore. Jounouchi had been avoiding him since their accidental kiss. The blond was continuing to cook and deliver coffee as usual, but was making excuses to leave if the CEO even stepped foot in the same room. Only Mokuba was able to spend time with Katsuya, and all of the younger Kaiba's efforts to get all three of them together were eluded by the blond. The teen had been upset when his proposal for spending New Years as a group was refused, the reason this time being that Jounouchi had other plans, which the brunet thought was highly unlikely. As such, the holiday had been uneventful and the blond was still a fool.

Seto wanted this evasion to end. It was getting on his nerves. Normally, he would've preferred this outcome - but for some reason it wasn't sitting right with him. It also didn't help that Mokuba wanted to spend time with them both - Katsuya and himself. But the blond wasn't allowing that. Therefore, the times that the CEO could spend with the youngster were spent listening to the complaints of the teen about how Jounouchi wouldn't join them, and that Katsuya hadn't been wearing the watch that he had been given for Christmas. Everything was about his self-proclaimed rival now, and he could barely stand it. He kept getting reminders both at home and now at work too of the stubborn imbecile! The pen, the coffee, and the memories were unwelcome, merely for the reminders they provided. Katsuya had brought back his clothes, cleaned, and returned through Mokuba. He couldn't stand looking at the outfit. He had it burned. And he was glad it was gone.

But what could he do to stop Katsuya from avoiding him? Any schemes that he came up with seemed like they would only drive the blond further away from him. That was the opposite of what he wanted at the moment. If this wasn't resolved soon, he wasn't sure he wouldn't result in kidnapping the nitwit or something else more dramatically unethical.

Seto sighed. Only one thing seemed to be going well nowadays and that was work. He had finally submitted a proposal that was agreed upon by Mizuchi Inz. Business was about to pick up in regard to this big investment, which meant more hours and a much busier schedule. Mokuba would not be happy to hear about it.

He glanced at the clock. It was time to head home, but he was reluctant. His usual desire to return to the mansion lately was almost non-existent. Mokuba obviously had someone more preferable to spend time with and it wasn't him. The teen was still on winter break for another two weeks, giving the youth more time with Katsuya while he was away at the company. How that might help anything, he had know idea. He was already being replaced.

Katsuya laughed as Mokuba did a cannonball into the pool, drenching him with the splash that erupted from the youth's collision with the water. He used his arms to block a good part of it.

Who'd've thought that they would be swimming in winter? The Kaibas had a swimming pool located toward the eastern side of the mansion. The water was warmed to a perfect seventy-five degrees Farheinheit, apparently heated from the usual seventy degrees to accommodate for the season. The depth of the pool went from three to seven feet gradually from one end to the other with a diving board on the deepest end.

Mokuba had been asking Katsuya to join him for a few days now, but managed to finally convince the blond yesterday. The day before notice allowed him to wear his own swimsuit - which was preferred since he had no desire to borrow one from the esteemed elder brother. He had only accepted to do so after delivering a portion of their lunch to Emiko for the CEO and because the businessman would still be gone at work by the time he returned. Mokuba had chosen to remain home each time the blond would leave to do the delivery. After Jounouchi asked, the youth would always respond by saying that he would only be a burden and didn't want to interrupt Seto while working.

As the raven-haired teen resurfaced, the blond splashed him, returning the favor.

"Hey!" Mokuba exclaimed in surprise and laughed. The high schooler dived underwater and went straight toward his attacker, clinging to the blond's back, arms around the neck, as the other had tried to turn and get away. Katsuya wasn't the best at swimming, knowing most how to dog paddle - which surely would have gotten a snarky comment by Kaiba if the brunet was present. As such, the blond preferred to stay where he could touch the bottom of the pool. Mokuba had gotten lessons and was a natural, so he didn't really care where they were as long as they were having fun. The two of them wrestled. Katsuya tried to get the youth off his back, literally, while Mokuba fought to stay on.

After attempting pulling and drowning them both with seemingly no success, the blond finally gave a chuckled sigh. "Alright, Moki, you win. Can ya let go know?" He was practically breathless.

The high schooler heard the defeat in Katsuya's voice and seemed to accept his victory. Mokuba laughed again and released his hold on the blond, dropping fully into the water. "I'm surprised you gave up. I thought you didn't know when you quit, Jou!"

"Well, to be honest with ya, you're persistent! You've creamed me enough times than I can count." Jounouchi admitted. "And it's not so hard with you," he added suggestively, grinning at the youth.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mokuba asked, his mouth gaping.

"Exactly what I said." The blond teased. He splashed the high schooler again, restarting the war between them.

They paused in their fun when they heard the clearing of a throat. They both glanced over to the entrance of the room, water dripping from their faces, to find Kaiba watching them passively. The brunet was wearing a suit and with a briefcase in hand, appearing to have just gotten home. How the tycoon had found them here was the question. Katsuya glanced at Mokuba, unease lighting his eyes. The raven haired teen didn't meet his gaze.

"Seto!" the youth called. "Welcome home!" The younger brother swam to the edge of the pool, resting his arms there with his head over them. "Come and join us?"

The CEO briefly peered at the blond, who was almost completely submerged. The top half of Jounouchi's head was visible, bubbles surfacing from where his nose was tucked under the water. The businessman returned a nod to Mokuba before turning back and exiting the room.

The high schooler swam back to the blond, obviously ignoring the discomfort of the other. Katsuya stood and headed to the edge of the pool, leaving the teen looking after him with bewilderment.

"Where are you going, Jou?" Mokuba asked, following slowly after the blond through the water.

"Leaving," he responded, pulling himself up and out of the water.

"But why?" the youth whined.

"To allow ya to spend time with Kaiba." Katsuya stated, trying to sound convincing. He grabbed a towel from a towel storage station nearby and started drying himself off, standing next to a lounge chair.

"Jou."

He looked back, finding Mokuba at the edge of a pool and giving him a hard stare. "What?" he asked defensively.

"I wanna spend time with both of you."

"You are! You spent time with me and, now, I'm givin' you time with Kaiba."

"That's not what I meant and you know it." Mokuba accused.

Katsuya gave the teen a blank stare.

"I wanna spend time with both of you - at the same time!" The teen declared angrily.

The blond frowned. He knew he was being unfair. He had been avoiding Kaiba for a week now. Mokuba was also losing time with the both of them, and he knew it. He still didn't know how to react to the CEO, unsure if he would be able to act the same as he used to with the brunet.

"Mokuba, I really don't think I can do it," he whispered quietly, almost to himself while looking down at the ground. He studied the floor which was linoleum and cream in color.

It seemed that the youth had heard him properly though. The raven-haired teen pulled himself out of the water and approached Katsuya, yellow swim trunks dipping onto the heated floor. Mokuba leaned down and looked up into those anxious brown eyes.

"You're Jou," the high schooler reminded, reassuringly. "You can do anything."

The blond smiled hesitantly. "Well, yeah, that's my name but I don't know about being able to do anything."

"Well, you know what they say. If you can't succeed, try, try again." The teen tapped the side of his head.

Katsuya nodded sheepishly, but still unsure.

"Plus, if you ever need help, you've always got me and Seto." Mokuba added and went in for a hug, a big and tight one.

The blond chuckled and leaned down to hug the dark-haired angel back, grateful for the youth's presence and kind words. He appreciated the support and not getting the questioning he had expected.

"Thanks, Moki," he whispered. They separated and the teen beamed back at him.

"Alright, what now?" Mokuba asked.

"Hmmm, diving contest?" Katsuya considered and proposed.

They took turns jumping off the diving board, doing different tricks and rating each other's splash for each. Seto joined them a bit after they started, wearing white swim trunks with an ocean wave along it's right side. The blond tensed, watching the CEO out of his peripheral vision. It wasn't long before the tension left him, realizing that the businessman wasn't planning on ambushing him - at least not right away. It also helped that Mokuba was proving to be the best distraction. He laughed and scored a poorly attempted trick jump as a three.

Seto Kaiba watched curiously as his younger brother and the blond launched themselves into the water and purposefully gave each other low scores.

He thought about joining them, at least getting closer to be more involved, but it was obvious that he wasn't very welcome. Katsuya appeared anxious since his arrival, even upon his return. He had merely stood and observed their competition from afar. Over time, the blond seemed to have relaxed, easily distracted by the fun that Mokuba and him were having. The brunet took the opportunity to approach carefully, taking his time and pausing often. It was like trying to get acquainted with a cat. You have to coax it, get it used to your presence before it might consider giving you a chance. It was annoying, but, if it stopped the shorter duelist from avoiding him, he would set himself to the task.

Jounouchi had noticed his movement, catching him multiple times in his approach. The blond was more alert than the businessman had expected him to be. He had managed to get fairly close without an escape thus far. Although there seemed to be several close calls, Katsuya had continued to take turns with the younger Kaiba sibling. Seto decided to halt in closing the distance between them at around five feet, not wanting to push his luck too far with the blond. Things never quite went the way he wanted when it included the feisty individual. Currently, it was more likely that the now flighty individual would attempt to flee from the physical proximity of the CEO instead of causing a confrontation.

He took the opportunity to observe the appearance of Katsuya, who was now taking a break with Mokuba. The two younger comrades chatted jovially while sitting on the edge of the pool together. The blond's hair was flat against his head, dripping into his face, and was wearing black checkered swim trunks. Jounouchi was currently shaking with laughter from something the teen said. Seto took in the skin of the shorter man. There were faintly visible scars. They were scattered all over the blond's body. A few were located on his chest, some on the back, but most were on his arms and legs. Other than that, the skin was practically flawless over the toned muscles beneath. The brunet was surprised that he hadn't noticed the markings before.

Mokuba got up and walked to the back corner of the room closest to them all. The area had a small resting area set up, with a few waterproof sofas and an ottoman. The teen opened the ottoman and pulled out two super soaker water guns. The dark-haired youth turned with a big smile and returned to where Katsuya was waiting with surprise then excitement. The red and white gun was handed off to the blond while the high schooler kept the blue and black one for himself. They filled the guns with water and began their battle.

Seto followed their skirmish with his azure eyes before he stepped closer to the water's edge, staring down into its depths. He pondered the scars on Katsuya's skin. They bothered him, more than the blond's avoidance of him. He considered that as well.

As the CEO was lost in his thoughts, Mokuba and Katsuya resumed their water fight. The teen had the blond on the run. Jounouchi was laughing, backing away from the youth that was spraying him in short bursts with his gun. The blond's own gun was already empty and leaving him unable to retaliate. The two of them were so enveloped that they didn't realize that Mokuba was leading the other backwards toward the edge of the pool. Katsuya reached the rim of the pool with the back of his heel and started falling backwards, arms suddenly flailing to try and allow him to regain his balance.

Out of the corner of Seto's eye, he saw this erratic movement in his right peripheral vision. Instinctively, he reached out and caught the arm of the blond, keeping him up above the water at an angle. Azure eyes met brown. The businessman blinked. Then let go.

*Splash*

"Seto!"

End of Chapter 16