The words from that afternoon played over and over in Jounochi's head like a broken record, and it was driving him crazy.
I think I like you, too
I think I like you, too
I think I like you, too
I think I like you, too...
Jounochi rolled over onto his back and brought his hands over his eyes with a groan. He wasn't entirely sure what had come over him at the time. It wasn't like him to behave in such a sappy way. He hadn't even given much thought to the relationship he and Kaiba had before that moment either. But Kaiba had smiled at him, the softest smile he has ever seen on that stuck up rich boy's face, and something in him shifted. And there was Kaiba sitting there on the bench next to him all flustered, and blushing, and his thigh was warm against Jounochi's own, and yeah, Jounochi felt a little crazy about him then. Kissing him just seemed… right.
The kiss.
Jounochi was so caught up thinking about his words that the kiss almost slipped his mind. He had taken Kaiba's hand in his own and planted one right on him. Kaiba had stiffened up, wide eyed at the gesture. But then his shoulders sank, and his pale blue eyes slid shut, and he sighed the smallest, slightest, sweetest sigh Jounochi thought he had heard in his whole entire life. Jounochi's heart may have done a little flip flop when Kaiba's hand went up to grab onto the sleeve on Jounochi's coat as if he might float away at that very second. And it wasn't the most adventurous kiss Jounochi has ever had, but it was still pretty damn sweet.
As soon as they (reluctantly) pulled apart, the weight of it all came down. Kaiba, still clutching to Jounochi's jacket, stared into Jounochi's eyes with panic written on his face.
"I don't know what comes next," he had stated. His eyebrows were furrowed, and his eyes were wide.
Suddenly Jounochi felt panic, too. He had never seen Kaiba look so unsure in all the time that he had known him. Jounochi frowned and squinted.
"Let's…" Jounochi gave Kaiba's hand a slight squeeze. "This is… really wild. You're gonna need some time. It's fine. Let me know when you want to talk about it."
Kaiba's mouth formed a tight line, and he nodded. He grip on Jounochi's coat sleeve didn't slacken.
"We can always go back to how it was, if you want," Jounochi offered with a weak smile. Kaiba didn't move.
With one last squeeze of Kaiba's hand, Jounochi stood and made his way over to the door.
"Um, see ya next week," Jounochi said.
Kaiba had lifted one hand in a feeble attempt at a farewell, his eyes focused elsewhere.
Jounochi had gone out into the rain, not caring that he was without an umbrella. And now here he was, Laid out on his bed in his boxers, thinking over the day's events in his head. He sighed deeply, pulling his pillow over his face.
He was going to need some advice.
Kaiba sat at his desk in his office, staring at his clock. Jounochi had kissed him. Just hours ago, in his sitting room, Jounochi slid onto the piano bench next to him and kissed him and he liked it. And it terrified him.
Before Jounochi, all Kaiba needed was his brother and his duel monster cards to feel like he was something. And somehow that mutt had wormed his way in there and fucked up the entire balance. Kaiba wasn't entirely sure of what he was going to do about it. He leaned back in his chair and sighed deeply, running a hand through his dark hair.
There was a knock at his office door, and he turned slightly to his right. "Come in," he stated blankly.
Mokuba's head poked itself around the corner with a weak smile. Kaiba smiled back.
"Hello," Mokuba started, leaning a little farther in. "Do you have a second?"
Kaiba nodded, and Mokuba came into the room and shut the door behind him, dragging a padded chair to Kaiba's side of the desk so that they were facing each other.
"Nii-sama," Mokuba placed his hands delicately in his lap. "I saw you, today."
Kaiba frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I saw Jounochi kiss you. Well, I saw you two kissing. That's why you're in here, right? You never come in here unless you're worried about something."
Kaiba didn't reply. He tapped his pen against the desk and exhaled forcefully from his nose.
"Nii-sama, do you like him?" Mokuba leaned forward in his chair and cocked his head to one side, trying to look at his brother's face.
Kaiba sighed and leaned forward, placing his head on Mokuba's lap.
"I don't know," he mumbled into Mokuba's lap. "I don't know. He's just been around lately. And he's shared things with me about his family, so I guess that's what it is. I'm not attracted to men."
Mokuba sighed. "Nii-sama, you kissed a man today and it didn't bother you."
Kaiba groaned. Mokuba was right. If nothing else he was certainly attracted to one man, and that man was the problem for him.
Mokuba's phone chirped and he shifted to pull it out of his pocket.
"Listen," Mokuba started, resting his elbows on Kaiba's shoulders so that he could type. "I'm not going to make your decisions for you, but I'll just tell you that you've been much happier lately hanging around with blondie than you've been in a while and you can't only love me forever."
"Yes, I can," Kaiba whined. Mokuba chuckled.
"I've got to run, nii-sama," Mokuba patted his brother affectionately on the back before standing. "But maybe you should give this thing a shot? I'll text you."
Mokuba waved quickly before shutting the door behind him. Kaiba leaned back in his chair and glanced at the ceiling. He did suppose that he was feeling happier since that mutt had been dropping in for those lessons, and he would be lying to himself if he said that he hadn't enjoyed that kiss. Maybe he was more invested in Jounochi than he had realized.
"Damn it."
"Jounochi, that's very sweet of you!"
At a loss of what else to do, Jounochi went to Yugi. The kid may be the size of a fifth grader and he may have about as much self esteem as road kill, but he always knew just what to do when the going got rough. Granted, he did see everything through rose colored glasses as most wide-eyed idealists did, but maybe that was what Jounochi needed right now.
Jounochi waved his hand absently and fluffed up Yugi's pillow before laying back down on it.
"Hold that thought, Yugi, I haven't finished. I do think I'm starting to get feelings for someone, and yeah that's peachy and stuff but the thing is that the person I'm getting feelings for is…" Jounochi stalled.
Yugi's eyebrows rose. "Do I know her?!"
Jounochi laughed. "Yeah, that thing about holding your thoughts I said earlier? I need you to do that for just a second longer. Bombshell number one is that it's a guy."
Yugi's mouth formed a wordless 'o'. Jounochi pulled a pillow over his face.
"The second bombshell is that it's goddam Seto fucking Kaiba"
Yugi squealed.
"Kaiba?! Jounochi, you have a crush on Kaiba?! When did that happen? How did you know? I didn't know you were- I mean, we just never talked about it!"
Jounochi sat up and put a hand on Yugi's shoulder to silence him.
"I'm not- I mean, I'm still way into girls it's just… that's not the thing here anyway because I haven't finished." Jounochi sighed and put his face in his hands. "I told the fucker and then I kissed him. I actually put my mouth on his mouth and I kissed him I fucking kissed Seto Kaiba on his mouth."
An inappropriately large grin grew on Yugi's face and he leaned in, patting Jounochi urgently on his legs.
"You just went to his house, confessed your feelings and kissed him?"
"No! Who the hell do you think I am? No, I was already there and we were just talking, and it just sort of happened." Jounochi felt his face growing hot. "And it seemed like a good idea at the time but now I'm not sure."
Yugi's eyebrows met in the center of his forehead. "You were at his house? Why were you-"
"I was helping him with piano. Look, can we focus here? I kissed my number one fuckin enemy is the key point here let's focus. Tell me what to do now."
Yugi got very quiet and his eyes shifted out of focus. Jounochi drummed his fingers against his thigh.
"Other me thinks that it's very sweet that you feel that way about Kaiba," Yugi stated. Jounochi's lips turned up at the corners in a weak attempt at a smile.
"He also thinks that if Kaiba didn't immediately react with contempt then that's a good sign, too. I agree with him. I think that if you're happy and he's happy then you should be together." Yugi beamed at Jounochi.
Jounochi laid back again.
"It's just my luck that I'd discover that I'm bi because of fuckin Seto Kaiba. I didn't know you could just wake up and feel feelings for a completely different gender like that," Jounochi said.
Yugi shrugged. "Well, I think it's great that you're so nonchalant about this. Most people have a huge crisis when they discover that they're not straight."
"Yeah I'm sure it'll really hit me later. But I think I've gotta go talk to him," Jounochi stood and walked across the room before stopping in Yugi's doorway. "Hey, thanks. For bein so cool about this. I was a little nervous to tell ya. Say something to Honda and Anzu for me?"
Yugi nodded.
"No problem! Anything for my best pal!"