KD: Hey peoples! Sorry for the wait. You know how life is. But I hope this chapter makes it worth it. If not then leave a complaint. ;P
Chapter Nine: Item Number A1843302
Songs for this chapter:
I Want it that Way- Backstreet Boys
"Seto, what's going on between you and Joey?" Mokuba asked while the two sat at the breakfast table.
"There's nothing between us save for the overwhelming difference in our intelligence and skill level," Seto told his brother, drinking from his coffee mug.
"Come on, Seto. I know you better than that," Mokuba insisted. "You've been acting really weird lately, and I wanna know why. I'm worried about you, big brother."
Seto's face softened a little. "Mokuba, there isn't any reason for you to worry. I'm perfectly fine."
Mokuba pouted, clearly discontented with his brother's answer, but he didn't press the issue any further. Seto was definitely acting strangely, even if he wouldn't admit it. Joey had to be the cause, because it started shortly after Seto had hired him. Mokuba couldn't think of any other reason. What he didn't understand was how Joey was becoming a problem for Seto. Though he did mess up a really expensive outfit, so Mokuba had heard from the gossiping Kit. Maybe if he went straight to the heart of the issue he could figure out more. After all, no offense to Joey, it was a lot easier to get things out of him than big brother Seto.
Mokuba waited until Joey was well enough to go back to work. No sense harassing him at home or at school. Joey had just taken off his Flame Swordsman helmet when Mokuba stepped in the break room.
"Hey Joey! How's working going today?" He said, startling Joey and almost causing him to drop his water.
"Hey, Mokuba, I didn't know you were going to be here today," Joey said after taking a few sips of water. "I didn't think Kaiba wanted ya to work on school nights."
Mokuba smiled. "I came on my own today. I wanted to see you, Joey. How's the foot?"
"It's doing better," Joey told him, shifting his weight to keep most of it off said injured foot. "Still hurts a little when I walk, but it's nothing I can't handle."
"That's good." Mokuba laced hit fingers together in the same style of his big brother, deciding to get straight to the point. "So, what's going on between you and Seto?" Joey was taken aback by the bluntness of the question. "Ever since you started to work for Seto, he seems different..." Mokuba's thoughts started to drift off.
Joey himself didn't know what was going on with Seto. One day he would be a royal pain and the next day he would be helping him, showing a softer side. "Truth be told, Mokuba I really don't have any idea what's going on between me and Kaiba." Joey placed his hand at the back of his hand and started to laugh nervously. Joey didn't want to go into detail about what has happened between him and Seto, after all, Mokuba was still a little kid. "Sorry I can't be more help than that."
Mokuba sighed. It was obvious that Joey was hiding something as usual but laughing it off as if it was nothing. That made him all the more curious. "It's ok, Joey. I'll figure something out. I'll let you get back to work, then." Mokuba left the room, waving goodbye to Joey. "Well, that was no use either. There has to be some way to figure out what's going on between the two of them, but how? Idea!" Mokuba thought, turning around dashing back to Joey, "Hey, Joey, you like video games, right?"
Joey was both surprised and a little wary of the younger Kaiba brother's sudden return. He felt though, as long as he wasn't asking Joey about Seto, then things would be A-OK.
Joey enthusiastically nodded his head while Mokuba slid back into the room. "Well, if you ever want to come over to the mansion to beta some new video games, just tell me. In fact, if you wanted to come over after work today, I could set one up when I get back home."
"Sure, Mokuba, I'd love ta." Joey's goofy grin grew wider at the thought of playing video games, totally forgetting that he would be in Kaiba's house.
"See you after work, then." Mokuba waved goodbye once again before heading back home to get ready for when Joey.
When Mokuba got home, he saw Seto in the living room on his laptop as usual, but was not typing away. Mokuba looked over Seto's shoulder and it looked like he was scrolling through costume designer websites, specifically ones of modified Red Eyes suits. "What's up, Seto?" Mokuba asked curiously.
Seto grabbed the ostentatious envelope and handed it to Mokuba, "It's from Pegasus." Mokuba opened the envelope and saw it was an invitation to a Halloween party and his eyes light up in excitement. Mokuba loved being able to go to parties, unlike Seto.
"We're going, Seto, aren't we?" Mokuba asked, lightly bouncing up and down in excitement.
"Of course we are." Seto had a bit of resentment in his voice.
"Can we invite someone to come with us Seto?" Mokuba asked, a wide grin upon his face. Seto could tell Mokuba was planning something in his head, but for the life of him didn't know what it was. Something told him he would not be thrilled when he found out.
It was another long day at the office, with too much work to be done, but not enough hours in the day to finish it all. It also didn't help that Seto kept getting distracted. "I think we should invite Joey to the Halloween Party. It will be fun having him there." Mokuba's words from several nights ago were still ringing strong in his head.
"Why am I still even thinking about that?" Seto paused in his work knowing from experience that he would get nothing done. "Mokuba and Wheeler have become close friends the past months. He has also been coming over to our place more. It seems like he is over almost every day off playing video games with Mokuba." Seto opened a program on his laptop that streamed live footage from the cameras at Kaiba Land. After going through a few different video inputs, he finally found the one aimed at Joey.
Joey was wearing a new costume, just arrived that very morning. It was a humanoid Red Eyes Black Dragon costume. If it had been a Blue Eyes, Seto would have been appalled by it, but Joey loved Red Eyes, and Seto knew he would enjoy it. The kids were enjoying it to, laughing and smiling when they saw the towering dragon willingly give them hugs. "That's one of the things that drew me to that numbskull…" Seto started to think, but instantly waved the thought out of his mind. He minimized the video screen, and attempted to go back to his programming. He wanted to have the basic coding for his new game done by the end of the month, and at the rate he was going today, he felt like he would be pulling all-nighters the next two weeks to make it possible.
However, his mind was still drifting away. Part of him wanted to put the camera footage back up and watch the puppy a bit longer. He finally caved into the urge and reopened the footage. "Now that I think about it, the first time I even bothered to learn his name was when I heard about what he did for his sister. After winning the money in Pegasus tournament, I heard he spent it all on his sister's eye operation. Most people would have spent it on more trivial material objects, but not him. Wheeler knew the importance of a bond between siblings." Seto sipped his coffee, staring intently at the footage of Joey and Kit. "However, that was not enough to convince me that he was worthy of my respect. It was his constant desire to duel me, always fighting back; his tenacity, which drew me the most to him. He was just as arrogant and hot headed as I, even if he did believe in that heart-of-the-card nonsense." Seto folded his hands, he jaw resting gently on his thumbs. Joey was leaving the screen, and it looked like he was going on his break with Kit. "I have always felt an attraction to the mutt; it's an attraction I do not fully understand myself. But I always knew that attraction was there." Seto closed out the video stream, knowing that it would be at least a good twenty minutes before he would see the blond again.
"This attraction, is it just purely physical? Or am I genuinely interested in him? If I don't find out, it's going to keep bothering me." Before, he had been able to siphon off his interest towards the blonde teen by converting it into harsh cynicism. The other day however, when the mutt had kept pushing and pushing, Seto had snapped. The last time Seto had given way to his emotions was when he was a child. Seto was frustrated both at Joey and at himself from losing control like that, but at least he'd had enough sense and tact not to fully take Joey then and there. Still, it had been worth it, seeing Wheeler cave like that, watching him squirm, hearing him moan, and feeling his body shudder against Seto's.
"My approach for conveying my interest was probably not the most obvious to him," Seto lightly chucked, thinking back on how he toyed with the young teen so easily that day, "But, I still do not fully understand how to express it in a way he would get it. After all, I never exactly grew up in the most loving of environments." Seto sighed and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes, "Wheeler, may not be the brightest, but he should at least have picked enough on my subtle acts to show I care. But I'm sure as hell not going to just come out and say it. He should know by now. Why else would I bother hiring him, or helping him in any way for that matter? But he still just doesn't get it." He sighed heavily. "I really need to stop thinking about this and get back to my work." Seto opened his eyes and looked back at his laptop, noticing an email from his usual costume designer; they sent Seto some pictures or recently made Halloween costumes. "Well, I do need a costume for the party." Seto opened the email and saw several interesting outfits, but one stuck out to him the most, a black dog costume.
Seto had always wanted a pet, ever since he was a child. His step-father, Gozoburo Kaiba never allowed it. Yet another joy he had been forced to grow up without. Wheeler did act like a dog in several aspects, no matter how much he denied it. Seto couldn't count the number of times he wanted to snap a collar around Joey's neck and lay claim over him. In his eyes, Joey was a stray, waiting to be picked up by somebody. If Seto didn't do something soon, his chance might very well slip away.
"He would hate me. The mutt would never forgive me for it."
Joey was a dominating character, very much like Seto, and would not take well to any kind of ownership. That was just a minor detail to the president of Kaiba Corp., though. When Seto Kaiba wants something, he gets it, no matter the means. Even as he was thinking this, he was picturing Joey in the outfit. After a few minutes of deliberation, he picked up his phone and dialed a number. He waited until someone answered. "I'm looking at one of your products, item number A1843302. Do the ears and tail come in blonde by any chance?"
The mutt would hate him, might never forgive him. It would still be funny as hell though.
KD: Cliffhanger! And this time it will be three weeks until we post the next chapter. Bwahaha! Just kidding. We're not that mean. :D We'll get it up as soon as we can. I.e. when we get it back from the beta. Stay tuned until then. ^_^