Story: Puppies and Dragons Don't Mix

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.

Warning: Yaoi (boyxboy). May contain lime and/or lemon.

Pairings: Jou/Kaiba Possibly: Yami/Yugi Ryou/Bakura Otogi/Honda

Summary: Jou finds out that Kaiba is slowly destroying himself and desperately needs help. But why should he care? He's his worst enemy...right?

Symbols: "Talking" 'Thinking' -Scene Change- Chapter Start & End

Chapter 3: Dreadful lectures and painful notes

To say that Kaiba wasn't very pleased was an understatement. He was furious. Cell phone plastered to his ear, Kaiba was pacing the nurse's office and snapping at his secretary on the other side, having her reschedule approximately ten appointments that were thrown off course.

"Listen you incompetent imbecile!" Kaiba spat into the poor woman's ear, tearing her self-esteem to shreds. "I want you to contact and tell them that I am going to be an hour late. No, keep the six o' clock but reschedule the seven thirty to nine. Yes, I am aware that it is eight forty seven and I plan on being there on time! My excuse? Tell them that I got side tracked. Are we settled? Okay now I need you to push back the entire set I had after three pm an hour. The dinner party is a ten? Keep that and I'll cut off thirty minutes from the previous. They are not that important anyways. Have you gotten through? Tell them that I'm leaving the school now and that if they complain...yes and also tell them not to spring these things up on me at the last second. I have a tight agenda and an obligation to attend school."

With that he snapped his cell phone shut and reached for his coat that was resting on a chair. When he bent over however, a sudden rush of dizziness hit him and he halted. He felt his knees become weak and was on the verge of collapsing again. 'No.' He thought feebly. 'This is what threw me off last time and I cannot let it happen again.' Vision blurry and unfocused, Kaiba angrily fought the spell off and seized the coat, though he nearly toppled into the chair.

'These episodes are becoming more and more bothersome.' He thought as he slid the jacket on. 'Not to mention more frequent.' He reached for his silver briefcase that was found lying on the ground outside by the nurse. Nausea engulfed his senses and he nearly missed the handle. 'I may be coming down with something.'

After swiping the briefcase off the floor and straightening his coat, Kaiba headed for the door, only to have it open up before he could reach it and three people plow into him.

The force knocked the wind out of him and he stumbled back, desperately trying to grab onto something, anything that would keep him from falling. His hand caught onto someone.

Hair. Blonde. Tangled. He pulled it down with him, barely registering that he had grabbed the mutt and tried to let go. It was too late. Stars exploded in front of his eyes, as his head made contact with the ground, a thud resounding throughout the room. He cried out sharply in pain, but fortunately didn't lose consciousness. Yet. Gravity did its work and sent a rather stunned puppy hurtling after him.

Having slammed into his chest, Kaiba's face was buried Jou's hair, eyes watering slightly from the massive headache that was now forming at the back of his skull. It was beating and shredding his brain. He was slightly soothed though by the smell of the blonde's hair. Like fresh picked strawberries from the field. He could just lose himself in the aroma. And take a much-needed rest. Oh it would be so nice to just hold someone and sleep. It would be heaven...

"Mister Kaiba, Jonouchi, are you alright?" He heard the principal call, drawing him back. But of course he couldn't do that something as foolish as that. Life called to him and he had many responsibilities to attend to. There was no time to nap.

Kaiba irritably shoved the teen off him, and watched as Jou snapped out of some trance he was in, looking horrified at his actions. He struggled to his feet, a light blush dusting his cheeks and stood there, gaping down at the brunette with that same appalled look.

"Close your mouth, Mutt." Kaiba said, standing up and brushing himself off. "I don't think the nurse will appreciate dog drool all over her office very much."

"Kaiba! I'm not a dog!" There it was again. He irritated the hell out the growling adolescent before him just to see him get enraged like this. His eyes intensifying from honey to a burnt umber. So much passion lay behind those eyes, swirling in it depths and memorizing the person who was fixated with them. And it was all for him. He infuriated the blonde like no one else and he deserved this kind of reaction. Oh, how he loved it. How he loved to hate the blonde. So much that it had caused him to get diverted this morning from his earlier task. But it was worth it.

"Huh, well that's news to me." Kaiba smirked, picking up his briefcase and heading towards the door. He brushed by the principal who had opened his mouth to speak but shut up at the glare that Kaiba threw him. "Don't come running to me though when the pound finally catches up to you, Mutt."

As he swept out of his office and towards his limo, he could hear Jou's shouts, taunting him to come back and face him like a man. A small and very simple smile played across his lips as he slid into the car and barked orders to his driver. Somehow, that little diversion made the day a bit easier for him.

-Back at school-

'Damn that punk makes me so fucking angry sometimes.' Jou thought as he shuffled to class, his hand unconsciously crumpling his pass to class into a ball. 'I mean, he has no right to treat people like that. Like he's so much more superior.'

He kicked a stone, watching as it bounced across the pavement and his frown deepened. 'What was wrong with him anyways? He looked like he was going to collapse again.' Jou shifted his backpack whose strap was digging into his shoulder. 'I wonder if Mokuba knows that his brother is ill. I mean, he did look pretty awful.'

Startled by own thoughts, Jou glowered. 'What the hell? Since when do I give a shit about that snob?' Jou shook his head, trying to clear his head. 'I must be delusional. I mean, who cares if that guy is destroying himself? I certainly don't.'

Deciding to drop the subject completely, Jou turned his attentions to where he was heading and found that he had been standing at his classroom door for who knows how long. 'Damn Kaiba, he's now even invading my thoughts.'

He pushed rather roughly through the door, creating quite a disruption and causing the teacher to frown at him from over her book. "Mister Jonouchi, why, might I ask, are you late?" She asked sharply, still glaring at him from behind her spectacles. Jou held up the wrinkled ball that was his pass in defense and handed it over to her. Smoothing it out, she held it up to the light checking its authenticity and huffed as if disappointed that she couldn't find a reason to get rid of him. "Very well then, take a seat." She said, waving him away from her desk.

Jou, a bit miffed by his teacher's reaction, took his usual place behind Yugi. Immediately after he sat down and started pulling out his books, he felt something hit the side of his head. Throwing Honda, who was a few rows over a dirty look, Jou unfolded the note.

Jou,

Where the hell have you been?

-Honda

Jou struggled with the barley legible handwriting, but he was used to it by now. He pulled out his pen and scrawled:

Long story. I will explain at lunch.

-Jou

Glancing at the teacher, who still had her nose in her book, Jou threw the note back, watching with satisfaction as hit Honda in the face. He turned back to his books, only to have his vision obscured by a flying piece of paper.

Yugi was near tears; you shouldn't make us worry like that.

-Honda

Scowl darkening, Jou scribbled:

Look man, it wasn't my fault. Stupid Kaiba went and had to ruin my day.

-Jou

Throwing it a bit off in his frustration, it hit the girl behind Honda. She looked at the note, a revolted expression upon her face, and shoved it into the back of Honda's skull. Face contorted in pain, he glared at Jou and took the note.

It came soaring back at him and hit him in the eye. 'Well, what goes around, comes around.' Jou thought as he rubbed his stinging eye and opened the note.

Did you provoke him?

-Honda

Jou chose his words carefully before writing them down.

No! He insulted me first. Then-

He broke off. Should he tell his friends what happened? I mean it seemed cruel to tell everyone that the big, bad, CEO had fainted in his arms. Plus he really didn't want to explain to Honda why he carried him all the way to the nurse.

-it started into another typical fight except this time I didn't start it.

-Jou

Honda rolled his eyes at him after he read the note as if to say 'Yeah, sure' and turned his attention to the teacher who had gotten up to address the class.

"Okay class, you may put away all your materials now. The bell is about to ring." She said, seeming somewhat relieved that she could be free of them all for the rest of the day. "I expect those reading journals to be finished by Monday and no later."

The whole class groaned in unison but she simply ignored them. "Why were you so late, Jou, you had me worried?" Yugi said, as they shoved papers and such into their backpacks.

Jou opened his mouth to reply but Honda, who had made his way over to them, interrupted. "Just another routine fight with Kaiba. Nothing to worry about, Yugi."

"Honda!" Jou said angrily, turning to face his "friend". "Never mention fighting around Yugi" was the number one rule Jou had on his list (tied with "Never talk about friendship in front of Anzu"). It was amazing how much force Yugi could muster up when lecturing about fighting.

"JONOUCHI-" Yugi began, his eyes growing big. But luckily the bell cut him off and Jou pushed his way through the throng of students, leaving Yugi to stew in disappointment with his behavior in silence.

Miraculously stumbling into the halls with only a few minor bruises, Jou began to make his way to second period. He had biology next with Honda and fortunately Yugi had geometry. Maybe he could escape his wrath until lunch.

"Oy! Jou! Honda!" A voice called from the halls. Jou turned seeing the familiar black ponytail of Otogi in the sea of people. "Over here!"

Shoving as politely as they could, Jou, Honda, and Yugi made their way over to Otogi. He was standing, no…more like smashed next to a group of lockers, waving furiously. "Hiya guys," He said breathlessly, rubbing his arm. It most likely had been crashed into the lockers one too many times. "Geez, they really need to expand these halls."

"Tell me about it." Honda said thickly over his bloody nose. He had bumped into the school bully on his way over here. Otogi stared at him, his emerald eyes widening considerably, before turning towards Jou.

"Where were you this morning?" Otogi said, hand reaching up to play with a strand of his ebony hair. "We looked all over for you."

"I, uh, had a run in with Kaiba." Jou said sheepishly. Lying to his friends wasn't very fun.

Honda audibly snickered before clapping his hand on Jou's shoulder. "Fight. Never fails. He's too hotheaded. Gets into one every day"

"Honda!" Jou said again, throwing his hand off his shoulder. "I'm not hotheaded! In fact you-"

His ranting was interrupted by a tug on his sleeve and he looked down at Yugi. "Jou about that. I really-"

Otogi who sensed what was coming, took Jou by the elbow and led him away. "Come on Honda, we'll be late for second period! See ya Yugi!"

Jou was positive he heard Yugi growl as they were escorted to second period and was not looking forward to the unavoidable discussion that they were going to have.

"Thanks Otogi," Jou said gratefully as they crammed themselves inside biology class. "Once he gets going it seems like he never stops."

"No prob." He said, seating himself at a smooth, black table along with Jou and Honda. "But you're going to have to deal with it sooner or later."

"Yeah, I know." The blonde said gloomily, looking up at the teacher who had entered the classroom. "For once I am not looking forward to lunch."

End of Chapter 3

Author's notes: Yay! I made it longer! Now if only I could write better. Oh well, that is for you to decide. Although I must say, those reviews last time were anything but bad. (blushes furiously) You people treat me too nice. ;) Sorry I ended it all weird but I really wanted to get this chapter out to you A.S.A.P. I hope enjoy it, though the first part was not up to my expectations. (sigh) Anyways, Read and Review because what you say makes my day! (Lol. How corny.) :P