Disclaimer: I don't own Yuugiou, so there! Takahashi-sensei does!

A/N: Blargh. Originally, I had intended this chapter to be released on Seto's b-day but I couldn't make it because stuff happens. Well, at least I'm only three days late. Happy belated b-day, Seto-chan! And happy early Halloween to everyone! Wow, I updated right in between the two important dates…

This chapter is dedicated to Dah-ling and Babe.

(…I finally finished drawing the pic for Beautiful's prologue and there's a link in my profile, but it's sort of hidden--have fun searching! However, this is the only time you will see any art posted here, because until I make a website, artworks will only be posted at my fandom LJ and the yahoo group littleDragon.)

A KaiJou story by Miso Soup Productions (formerly known as "Misori Chan")
Beautiful
Chapter Three - Breakthrough
On the radio: torn apart (from the Bleach soundtrack)

-:i:-

Glancing down at his watch, Jounouchi noticed he was once again early for school. Much to his disappointment, however, it wasn't because he was doing it in order to become a better student; rather, it was due to his recently realized feelings toward Kaiba, although he wasn't ready to fully admit it to himself just yet. All he understood, and was willing to accept at the moment, was that there was more to what he felt for Kaiba than he had believed.

During his time spent around Kaiba, Jounouchi had learned a few things about the brunet. One such thing he had learned was that Kaiba was the type of person who actually enjoyed getting up early and arriving at places early. It was probably part of being a businessman; at least, that's what he assumed it was. So, without realizing it, Jounouchi had begun a routine of waking up early just so he could reach school before Kaiba did.

Maybe it was his competitive edge taking over. Maybe he just wanted to see Kaiba. Whatever it was, it made him feel horribly, terribly excited.

Like.

Sighing quietly to himself, Jounouchi peeked inside the classroom. There was no sign of Kaiba.

Of course there wasn't. After all, it was thirty minutes before Kaiba usually appeared at school. Jounouchi went to his desk and languidly plopped down onto his seat. With his cheeks resting on top of his palms, he stared in boredom out the classroom windows. Lacking in something to do, he began to think of Kaiba. Clouds were nice and all, but he just didn't feel like it today.

Jounouchi didn't want to think of Kaiba; his mind simply chose to go into that direction, and there wasn't much he could do about it. There was the possibility of picturing Kaiba losing a duel to him; that was always something fun to think about.

Still, no matter how hard he tried to create a mental scene of Kaiba losing a duel to him, he couldn't. What plagued his thoughts in its place was Kaiba's strange behavior just a week ago, which kept playing over and over like an old, battered VHS in his head. What's more, Jounouchi kept on hearing the same two questions echoing inside his head: Had Kaiba always been that handsome? And why hadn't he ever noticed it before?

Another sigh escaped him--this time a long and weary one. Jounouchi scrunched his eyes shut. Since that time, they had started ignoring each other, acting as if what happened that day never did. The only problem with that was that it was one-sided avoidance. Jounouchi himself wasn't participating in any of that, and he had even tried on several occasions to talk to Kaiba. He didn't know much what to say, but something pulled at him--begged him to talk to Kaiba, even if he didn't have anything to say.

"Kaiba…"

Thoughts of Kaiba were always so painful.

"Kaiba…"

And yet, he couldn't help them; even enjoyed them at that.

Sometimes, he could swear he was a masochist. Worn out, Jounouchi laid his head down to rest, deciding that maybe it was better to catch some more sleep before the crowd came. 'Stupid Kaiba… Always on my mind…' were his last thoughts before sleep claimed him.

-:i:-

'It would be great if Kaiba didn't exist.' Jounouchi thought as he watched the brunet out of the corner of his eyes, but that was proving to be a pretty hard task, considering how Kaiba sat at the back of the room.

If Kaiba didn't exist, he wouldn't have to experience such a horrible desire to constantly seek him out among even a sea of people, and this had been a regular occurrence long before Jounouchi had discovered his feelings meant something else entirely.

On the bright side, Kaiba was usually reading a book, so even if he were to blatantly stare at the brunet, he probably wouldn't even sense it. Despite his inner musings, though, Jounouchi was glad Kaiba existed. He didn't want to admit it, but Kaiba had been an important part in shaping him to be who he was now. Needless to say, Kaiba would probably never know about that, especially not from Jounouchi's mouth.

"Jounouchi-kun!"

Fighting down the urge to jump at the unexpected interruption on his thoughts, Jounouchi casually shifted his gaze away from Kaiba and craned his neck up to see who was calling for him, only to be greeted with a slightly pouting Yuugi. "Yeah?"

Unfortunately, this proved only to irk Yuugi more, who pulled his lips down into a frown. "Jounouchi-kun, I've been calling your name for the past five minutes and you grace me with a simple 'yeah'?!"

Running a hand sheepishly through his hair, Jounouchi indicated for Yuugi to sit down, in which Yuugi complied by taking a seat across from him. "Sorry…"

"What's wrong, Jounouchi-kun? You've been a lot more spacey lately." Yuugi asked, honestly concerned about the well being of his friend.

"Eh? Really?"

"Really!"

Chuckling affectionately, the blonde reached over to ruffle Yuugi's hair, who in turned slapped his hand away and shot him an upset glare. Yuugi was always so caring that he couldn't help but find him so adorably cute.

Jounouchi raised his hands up in defense and smiled winningly. "Nothing. It's nothing." For a long moment, Yuugi scrutinized his friend, but he wasn't rewarded with anything other than that familiar smile so he settled down in defeat. If Jounouchi didn't want to tell him, then there was nothing he could do to get him to reveal what it was he was hiding from him. For now, he'd have to cope with waiting, but that didn't mean he would stop worrying.

As usual, Jounouchi made a move to change the topic so that Yuugi would be distracted from his constant worrying. "So, I heard that you're going on a date with Anzu today." Instantly, the awkward moment lifted and Jounouchi's affairs were temporarily forgotten.

Yuugi sent the blonde a warning glare. "It's not a date."

"I know, I know! I was just joking, okay?" There was no response. Jounouchi bit his lip in worry, contemplating what the correct thing for him to say was. "I'm sorry, Yuugi. I was just trying to cheer you up," he finally said.

"I know."

"Then what is it?" Sighing, Yuugi laid his head down on the table and mindlessly stared off into space.

"It's just… We're going to be talking about… About him today."

"Oh."

Silence fell upon the two friends. Him meant the Other Yuugi, or Atemu to be exact. Jounouchi didn't know what to say. He knew that Yuugi still had strong feelings for the Other Yuugi, and there was also that part of him that didn't understand what it meant to lose someone who had been virtually a part of you. At times like these, he regretted his choice in changing the topic.

"Jounouchi-kun?"

"What is it?" The blonde replied instantaneously, relieved that he didn't have to be the one to break the silence.

"Do you think it's good idea to have this talk with her?"

Smiling gently, Jounouchi replied in his most sincere and serious voice. "Of course it is. You two need this talk." As these words were said, Yuugi fiddled with the sleeves of his uniform blazer, drinking in the words like water. Before, a small part of him did think it was a good idea, but a greater part of him completely smothered it with anxiety, so it felt good to have someone reassure him.

"Thanks, Jounouchi-kun."

Jounouchi grinned. "No problem, Yuugi. It'll be okay, so don't you worry!"

"Right." Yuugi smiled wearily, amazed by how simple it was for things turn positive with Jounouchi around. "So, what are you doing today?"

"Oh, just another meeting with Mizuki-sensei."

"What? Again?"

As of late, Jounouchi had been having frequent meetings with Mizuki-sensei, and it was starting to bear down on Yuugi. He wondered if his friend was in trouble again, or if there was something terribly wrong and Jounouchi was keeping it a secret from him. That would definitely explain the recent odd behavior, but Yuugi had never bothered to ask about it since Jounouchi was the type of person who would tell you such things if he wanted you to know.

The fact that Jounouchi still hadn't revealed anything to him hurt him, but he respected his friend, so he left things the way they were. Still, to have so many meetings with a teacher couldn't be a good sign, and it was really starting to bug him.

With each passing second, Jounouchi could sense the increasing feeling of distress emitting from Yuugi, hence he chose to stop his friend at that moment before anything could happen. "Don't worry, Yuugi. It's nothing bad, I swear!"

"Jounouchi-kun…"

"I'm not in trouble or anything…"

Yuugi groaned exasperatedly and decided to let it go. "Alright, but only because I have to go now, else I'll be late."

"Okay!" Yuugi half glared at Jounouchi, who had sounded more than just a little happy with the prospect of him leaving.

"See you tomorrow, Jounouchi-kun."

"See you!"

With Yuugi finally gone, Jounouchi slouched tiredly back against his seat and closed his eyes in relief. It wasn't that he didn't want to tell Yuugi, nor was it that he wanted to keep what he was doing a secret. He just felt like it was something he needed to do on his own for once, without having to rely on his friends. That was his decision and he was going to stick to it. Yuugi would have to wait a little longer before he could have the truth.

Jounouchi turned his head a little into the direction of Kaiba's seat. Kaiba was gone, of course. The CEO had no reason to stay after school, and he probably had better things to do with his time anyway, like running Kaiba Corp, for example, or watching over Mokuba. Irritated by how much Kaiba was unrelentingly occupying his thoughts, Jounouchi tried to cease anything Kaiba related from entering his mind, but something caught his attention--a book lying atop Kaiba's table.

Could it be? Jounouchi rubbed his eyes a couple of times to make sure that it wasn't a hallucination. There was no way he'd be that lucky, right? Dazedly, he stood up and walked over to Kaiba's seat. Once there, he placed a careful palm on top of the book. It was real. Jounouchi's heart beat quickened.

He knew he was just being hopeful, but this was still a chance for him to have an excuse to finally talk to Kaiba.

"Bonkotsu."

Swiftly spinning around, Jounouchi inconspicuously hid his newfound treasure behind his back. "Kaiba!" he exclaimed, a nervous smile planted on his face. All the while he was overwhelmed by how Kaiba had managed to sneak up on him like that without his knowing.

Kaiba looked at Jounouchi with little interest, but he did appear somewhat troubled, judging by the way his eyebrows were furrowed and his reluctance to say anything more, especially since he kept glancing around the classroom as if in search of something. Jounouchi knew exactly what it was Kaiba was looking for, but he found himself speechless and unwilling to do anything at the sight of the brunet.

Returning his attention to Jounouchi, Kaiba grudgingly spoke to him. "Have you seen a book?"

"A book?" Jounouchi echoed. "What kind of book?"

Frustrated, Kaiba took hold of Jounouchi's shoulders and pulled him closer so that their faces were mere inches away from touching. The CEO leered down at Jounouchi, his eyes seeking out some sort of answer to his question, but all he received for his effort was a blank look. In the meantime, Jounouchi was frantically trying to command his heart to stop beating so fast out of fear that it might abruptly stop.

"Kaiba…"

Jounouchi swallowed a lump and took a calming breath. Kaiba was too close, and it was not helping his heart rate much.

This got Kaiba's attention, and he really looked at Jounouchi. Cheeks lightly pink and eyes determinedly dodging Kaiba's cold gaze--Jounouchi made a picture that under normal circumstances would have caused Kaiba to immediately push the blonde away, but some uncontrollable part of him made him pull him closer instead. Jounouchi blushed deeper when Kaiba's face moved closer to his, but he remained motionless, although the sensation of Kaiba's warm breath on his cheek was starting to make him dizzy. His mind screamed at him to push Kaiba away, but the brunet's grip on him tightened on reflex at the slight shift of his muscles.

"Kaiba…"

"Shut up, bonkotsu."

"Who are you calling bonkotsu, you bastard!?"

Kaiba didn't know why it was, but the way Jounouchi said his name bothered him.

Trying as best as he could not to wince in pain as Kaiba's grip became tighter still--if that was even possible--Jounouchi finally met Kaiba's gaze with pleading eyes but was stunned by the sight that befell him. He found himself regretting his action. The look in Kaiba's eyes was unyielding yet gentle; it made him feel trapped. The scary part of it was that he wasn't sure whether or not he disliked it. Now at a complete loss for words, all he could do was stare helplessly back into Kaiba's eyes.

Without warning, Kaiba leaned down so that his cheek brushed against Jounouchi's, and now he could feel Kaiba's warm breath on his ear, which resulted in shivers running down his spine. "Kaiba…?"

"…"

At the lack of any response, Jounouchi panicked and started struggling against Kaiba's hold. What was Kaiba doing?

"K-kaiba!" Kaiba glared; Jounouchi was saying his name in that same way again. "S-stop… Stop it…"

"…"

Acting as if it were the most normal thing in the world to do, Kaiba released him, turned around and wordlessly left the room. With his hands clutched tightly around Kaiba's book and his heart beating wildly against his chest, Jounouchi couldn't help but feel a strange sense of déjà vu.

"Jounouchi-kun?"

"Aah!" Jounouchi jumped at the sound of his name being called. After that bizarre incident with Kaiba, it was a shock to hear someone's voice other than his own. There at the entrance of the classroom stood Mizuki-sensei, her face an expression of curiosity and worry. "Sensei…"

Warily, she entered the classroom, afraid that she might have just disturbed something precious. "Is something the matter, Jounouchi-kun?" she asked.

"Eh? Oh, it's nothing… Nothing…" She knew he wasn't telling the truth, but it wasn't her place to ask any further.

"Alright then, let's start. I have many things to tell you today…"

Jounouchi nodded keenly, grateful that his sensei chose to leave his business alone this time, and walked closer to where she stood, Kaiba's book still in his hands.

-:i:-

Kaiba rubbed his temples, sighed and placed some company documents he'd been looking over down onto the table. Over the past few weeks, he'd been trying desperately to find the solution to his problem, which was to finalize the blue prints for his new dueling technology. However, with each time that he approached a solution, his mind would design a whole different idea that appeared to be even better, so he would start changing it, only to change his mind again and again. He was now at the point where he just wanted to get away from his work for a few days so that he could rethink every possibility.

The bigger problem was that it wasn't even his creativity this time that was causing his indecisiveness(1). No, it was a whole different matter, one that Kaiba wasn't sure he opposed or not. Whereas it was certainly proving to help him with his new dueling technology, it was also not, which was a tragedy all in itself, and Kaiba was getting tired of his work being interfered. That virus a few weeks back was enough to put him on edge, but now as a result of his own personal matters, he was getting behind his self imposed deadline. There was no way he'd be done with the prototypes by the end of the month now.

"Damn bonkotsu."

"Excuse me?"

Kaiba mentally cursed; he had forgotten he was in a board meeting. "It's nothing." Glaring at the one that had dared to disrupt his thoughts, Kaiba linked his hands together on the table. "What do you have?"

That man flinched under the gaze, but didn't falter in his report. "Ah, right. We've found the culprit for the virus."

"And?"

"Well…"

While his board discussed how they'd handle the new information, Kaiba returned to figuring out his own and more important matters, assuming that the board could handle a simple problem like that without his input. First, he decided, he would have to rid his thoughts of Jounouchi. That way he'd be free to make decisions again and have the blue prints for his new dueling technology completed at long last. The only problem was it was easier said than done. As Jounouchi continued to occupy his mind, Kaiba considered what might have happened if he hadn't walked away from Jounouchi.

Then again, he needed some time away from the blonde to think over what he'd discover about himself and his feelings.

-:i:-

"I'm sorry, Jounouchi-kun."

"No, it's okay. You've helped me enough, sensei."

"I'm really sorry."

"It's okay! I'll manage somehow, so don't you worry!"

"Jounouchi-kun…"

"Really, I'll be fine."

"What am I going to do?" Jounouchi asked himself aloud whilst making his way to Honda's house. According to Mizuki-sensei, he only had about a month's time left before the university exams, and that meant the time he had left for studying was very little, not to mention be was horrible at science. Everything else Jounouchi was pretty good at--he was particularly good at English--but science was an entirely different story. Furthermore, there was no way Mizuki-sensei could help him study, since she, too, was short on time due the imminent day of graduation.

Groaning in frustrated unease, Jounouchi continued down to path toward Honda's house. On normal days he wouldn't think of going to a friend's house this late, but after what Mizuki-sensei had discussed with him and what had happened with Kaiba, he really needed someone to talk to, even though Honda probably wouldn't understand the Kaiba part or the university part.

Besides, he didn't want his friends to know about his plans, so going to Honda's house for comfort was more like a last resort kind of thing, but he did care very much for his friend. Honda just wasn't the type of person that he would spill his heart to, and Jounouchi didn't want to bother Yuugi because he knew he had other things on his mind already--what with his talk with Anzu today and the departure of the Other Yuugi.

That was it.

"Anzu!" Jounouchi shouted excitedly. "Why didn't I think of her before? She's probably done with talking with Yuugi by now." With that in mind, Jounouchi switched destinations and crossed the street toward the direction of Anzu's house. 'Maybe I can have dinner there too,' he thought with a smile. Sure, he liked his own cooking, except he liked Anzu's mother's cooking more seeing as it had a different feel to it than his own. His cooking was indeed delicious, but it never had that same feeling of 'home' to it.

Shaking his head, Jounouchi cleared his mind of such thoughts. There was no time that now, and he didn't want to make it sound like Anzu's mother was a replacement one for him. That wasn't the case at all. It was just he missed having a family dinner sometimes--one that included more than just him and his father…

Several moments later, Jounouchi was at the front step of Anzu's house, but uncertainty was eating at him on the inside. "Well, let's get this over with," he said, ringing the doorbell before he could back out. Seconds later, the door opened, and a surprised looking Anzu hesitantly greeted him.

"…Jounouchi… What are you doing here?"

"Uh, hi. Can I come in?" Anzu nodded, moving to the side for him to enter the house.

"What's wrong, Jounouchi?"

Scratching his head, Jounouchi frowned at her and sat himself down on one of the living room couches. "Why do you think there's something wrong?" Anzu sat down with him and gave him a pointed look.

"Jounouchi, you rarely visit me. There must be something wrong." Jounouchi pouted a little, but didn't refute her, since she was right on target, though it wasn't necessarily 'something wrong'. What he needed was to sort out some things, and Anzu was the perfect person to help him out with it. Despite it being strange for him to rely on Anzu, she had always been like an older sister to him, even if she was younger than him. There was just something soothing about her presence that he could always rely on, especially for things like… Kaiba.

'Stupid Kaiba,' Jounouchi thought, taking a deep breath to calm himself. With eyes closed in apprehension, he tried to think of how he'd approach the issue.

"Anzu, How… How do you know that you like someone?"

Anzu did a double take and presented Jounouchi an incredulous look. Quickly regaining her posture, she settled back onto the couch and lazily stared up at the ceiling, the expression on her face an unreadable one. "Why do you want to know?"

"You liked the Other Yuugi--no, Atemu. Didn't you?"

Refusing to face Jounouchi, she shifted to the side, away from his inquiring gaze. "Was I that obvious?"

"You're not going to deny it?" he asked in surprise.

"No, there's no reason for me to," she admitted, face tightening and body tensing. The topic of Atemu was too much for her, and she had had enough of talk about him for one day. Nevertheless, something was bothering Jounouchi so she kept her discomfort to herself.

"And?"

Shifting again, Anzu moved until she was facing Jounouchi. "And what?" He flicked her forehead, receiving an angry glare in return.

"How did you know?"

"I just did."

"Oh."

Abruptly, Anzu grabbed Jounouchi's shoulders to bring him closer, her eyes shining with realization. "It can't be…" she muttered. "Jounouchi, do you like someone?" Jounouchi promptly shoved Anzu away and stood up in something akin to embarrassment and anger.

"I do not," he gritted out.

"You do!" Anzu shot up along with him, peering at him enthusiastically. For the longest time, she had believed that Jounouchi would never like anyone, seeing as how he was more interested in porn and teasing girls than any actual fondness or attraction for anyone. "Who? Tell me who!" she demanded eagerly. "Is it Mai-san!?" This time, Jounouchi was the one to have an incredulous look on his face.

"What? Mai? Why would I like Mai? She's my friend."

"Jounouchi…" Gasping, Anzu raised a hand to her lips in shock.

"What?"

Anzu had always known Jounouchi was a little bit on the ignorant side when it came to things like romance, but she would have never thought he was this ignorant. To think, she had always thought that his indifference toward Mai's feelings was that he wasn't ready for relationships. This was something completely different. "Don't you know, Jounouchi?" she asked, awed. "Mai-san likes you."

"What!? Since when!? How… ?"

Anzu slumped back onto the couch. "You didn't know…" she whispered softly, forgetting briefly that Jounouchi was still there.

"Huh?"

"You didn't know…"

"Anzu? What's wrong?" From where she sat, bewildered, Anzu tiredly looked up at Jounouchi, his face filled with confusion. Everything made sense now--Jounouchi's lack of a girlfriend and his obliviousness to anyone's feelings (Mai hadn't been the first one to like him). Suddenly, she found herself feeling sorry for Mai, whose feelings were apparently unrequited and would probably remain that way. Anzu sighed, but didn't dwell too long on it, since it wasn't really her problem.

"And? Who is it then?"

"Huh?"

"Who do you like?" repeated Anzu.

Jounouchi made a frustrated noise. "I told you already. There's no one!"

"Right." Anzu threw Jounouchi a disappointed look and his shoulders sagged a little at the sight of it. He was a bit surprised, though, when the disapproving look changed into one of bitterness and longing. So used to a spirited Anzu, never once in his life did Jounouchi think he'd see her wear such a face. It terrified him, especially since her emotions were as clear as water--to the point that he could actually feel them. "Jounouchi, did you know?" she mused. "… I've always been aware that Atemu never liked me in that way."

"Eh?"

"I knew. I knew. And yet I couldn't help it. I couldn't stop my feelings."

"Anzu--"

"You must think I'm a fool."

"No, I--"

"But you know what? I enjoyed every moment of it. Every moment." Jounouchi looked at her, stunned. He could hear the unspoken words through her voice: Every aching, bittersweet moment. "That's why, Jounouchi. That's why it's alright to like someone."

"Anzu…" It was then that Jounouchi finally saw the hurt written on her face, the unbidden feelings for someone she knew would and never did like her in same way she did. The intensity of that look made his heart clench, and he instinctively pulled Anzu into a comforting hug. "It's okay." Now it was Anzu's turn to shove Jounouchi away.

"Baka(3), I know that," she stated in a broken voice.

"I know," Jounouchi said with a fond smile. "But sometimes, it's good to have someone remind you of such things."

"I won't listen to the words of someone who refuses to admit he likes someone."

"Fine. Fine. I get it. I like someone. Are you happy now?"

Anzu smiled gently at him, her pain momentarily pushed aside for the sake of her friend. "So, what are you going to do about it?" she asked. Sitting back down, Jounouchi held his head in his hands, voice shaky with exhaustion from all the emotional strain of the day.

"I… I don't know…"

-:i:-

The streets were practically empty without a single person in sight. Kaiba thought it was only natural--the rain outside was exceptionally harsh today. Had he been outside himself he would have definitely sought out shelter right away. Luckily for him, he had his limousine so there was no need for that. Giving the rain one last look, he thought, 'Only an idiot would be out during weather this bad.'

Kaiba removed his eyes from the tinted windows to the folder on his lap. Inside the folder were all the ideas that he had gone through so far over the past week, all of which were unsatisfactory as a result of his constant remaking of the prototypes. This was the first time he had ever had such a problem with developing dueling technology, and it was grating on his last nerves. He felt caged. As a man who lived for the future, Kaiba Seto did not enjoy the feeling of being held down.

What he detested most was he only had himself to blame.

Despite knowing that he could put all the blame on a specific person--one Jounouchi Katsuya--he didn't, not because he was kind but because of his pride. How or why didn't matter. What mattered was he had somehow grown to like Jounouchi and that was causing him difficulties with his work, but since it was self inflicted, he had no one to blame but himself. It wasn't as if Jounouchi had put a spell on him.

Kaiba slammed his fist down on his briefcase, which had been lying on the seat next to him, startling his chauffeur. Fortunately, they had just reached Kaiba's mansion. Not bothering to wait for his driver to open the door, Kaiba opened it himself and swiftly strode down the pathway to the mansion front door. Not long after, he was there, but before he could open the front door, it swung open to reveal a tensed Mokuba.

"Nii-sama!" he exclaimed, receiving a raised eyebrow from his elder brother.

"What is it, Mokuba?" Kaiba asked, a bit worried by the anxious look on the younger one's face.

"Jounouchi… He…"

-:i:-

"If you really like that person, you mustn't deny yourself of it."

Jounouchi looked up at the darkened sky, Anzu words still fresh in his mind. To like someone was something foreign to him. Without his own knowing, he had grown up surprisingly innocent when romance was involved. Ever since the first year of high school, pornography had been his share of "romance", and until now, he had been satisfied with just that. Liking someone wasn't something he had ever considered; having to hold down multiple jobs while taking care of his father barely left him with any spare time, much less time for any infatuation.

Then there was his downfall. As a result of his circumstances, he became careful when it came to relationships, friends or otherwise, having had experienced the negative effects of one as a child. But just like any other person, Jounouchi liked having people around, so he sought out relationships anyway, although he steered clear of anything that might result in "romance".

He allowed people into his heart but never fully. A part of him wanted to be adored, but another part of him was afraid of it. Now he was faced with these strange, newfound feelings toward Kaiba, something he had never experienced with anyone before. It scared him.

Closing his eyes, Jounouchi allowed himself to feel the rain against his skin. 'For now,' he thought, 'I won't think about it.'

-:i:-

"Nii-sama, you have to go see him!"

After what his brother had just told him, Kaiba wasn't sure he wanted to go after Jounouchi. Over the last few minutes, Mokuba had related to him what had gotten him so fretful. From that, he learned of Jounouchi's earlier call to the household, asking for a Kaiba Seto to answer the phone. Upon finding that it was Mokuba, the blonde had asked him to tell his brother as soon as he was back to meet him at Domino Park, where he'd be waiting for him so that he could properly thank him for 'that time'.

The notion alone was ridiculous, but the reason behind it made the entire thing absurd. However, Kaiba was intrigued. Jounouchi wanted to thank him for something, an occurrence that didn't even seem possible until that very moment. But to go out in the rain for something like that appeared pointless, and there was the chance of Jounouchi playing a prank on him.

On the other hand, if Jounouchi's motives were honest, would he really wait for Kaiba in the rain?

'He would,' Kaiba answered himself, somewhat surprised by how automatic his reply was.

"I'll go." Mokuba beamed at his brother, very content with the choice he made.

About thirty minutes later, Kaiba was walking down Domino Park's paths in search of Jounouchi, an umbrella in one hand and the other hand fisted in annoyance. To say the least, he was pissed, having had to search for the one who had called him out for the past ten minutes in the pouring rain, and he was seriously beginning to believe this was all just a prank.

Just as he was about to go home, though, he spotted a lone figure standing not too far away from where he was. "That idiot. That fucking idiot." Without another moment's haste, Kaiba marched over to where Jounouchi stood, ready to insult him for being such a moron and for calling him out during such awful weather. When Kaiba reached where Jounouchi stood, he saw that the blonde didn't have an umbrella with him. All he had was a flimsy jacket that looked too big on him, making him appear skinnier than usual.

And he had his eyes closed, his palms held up to catch the rain. Kaiba wanted to punch him.

"You fucking idiot," Kaiba snarled, snapping Jounouchi out of his trance and getting his attention. Jounouchi jumped and little and placed a hand where his heart was, an indignant glare on his face.

"Kaiba, don't sneak up on people like that! You really scared me!" If he wasn't in such a bad mood, Kaiba would have felt some guilt; Jounouchi looked so pitiful with his hair and clothes drenched from being in the rain too long, not to mention he was shivering from the cold.

"You deserved it," the CEO simply stated. Jounouchi looked at him, battling between whether to scream at Kaiba or not, and in the end chose not to, turning to his side so he wouldn't have to look at the other young man anymore. He returned to what he was doing before Kaiba rudely interrupted him. The rain felt nice after all, and it helped a great deal in clearing his mind and allowing him to think without interference. This was something new and he definitely needed a source of comfort to go through with it.

How weird--he was just trying to thank Kaiba, but it was turning out to be something bigger than he had first thought. A simple thanks didn't normally affect him this much, but then again, this was Kaiba, and that alone was enough to make all the difference.

Kaiba watched Jounouchi expectantly, but the blonde ignored him and carried on with what he was doing. Yet, even with this deliberate action of disregard, he found himself unwilling to capture Jounouchi's attention again, not when the blonde looked so peaceful and undisturbed standing there in the rain--so alone and lost in some place he couldn't reach.

"Kaiba," Jounouchi said, breaking the trance they didn't even realize they were in. "Thank you for all you've done." Even with his eyes now directed at Kaiba, he said it in such an offhanded voice that the brunet couldn't help but feel like Jounouchi was talking to someone else, almost as if there was a shadow behind him--a shadow of himself. "I know you probably did it because I was in your way," Jounouchi continued. "But thanks anyway." The rain thundered in Kaiba's ears, combined with the noise right atop his head every time the raindrops hit his umbrella.

Jounouchi looked away, his face once again turning up toward the sky to feel the rain; he wanted to stay there a little bit longer. Continuing to watch Jounouchi, Kaiba didn't know what to think as the rain continued to fall down on them. To Kaiba, the rain acted like a barrier between him and Jounouchi--how he wanted to just smother his desire to reach out for Jounouchi, who was so close within his grasp, yet so far away.

"… Fucking idiot," Kaiba muttered under his breath as he made his resolution.

The rain kept falling.

Kaiba's arm shot out and grabbed Jounouchi's wrist, pulling him out of the rain and under his umbrella with him. "Bonkotsu! Are you trying to get yourself sick!?"

"K-Kaiba…?" Even with the rain water still clinging to his eyelashes, Jounouchi looked thoroughly surprised. "What are you still doing here…?" His voice sounded so uncertain; again, Kaiba was tempted to punch him. Tightening his grip on Jounouchi's wrist, Kaiba brought him closer so that he could properly glare at him.

"Are you stupid?" the brunet hissed, eyes narrowing with each syllable.

Blinking in puzzlement, Jounouchi tried to ascertain what Kaiba meant by that. "Kaiba--" Jounouchi's voice caught in his throat--the look Kaiba was giving him so familiarly intense, but so foreign in the meanings behind it. It excited him.

Feeling heat rush to his cheeks, Jounouchi lowered his eyes to the ground, where he could see the rain as it splashed on the asphalt. All of a sudden, though, Jounouchi's head shot back up and his hand reached up to softly touch Kaiba's cheek. His fingers were barely touching the skin there, but Kaiba shivered from their contact anyway. "I wonder…" Jounouchi whispered, his eyes unreadable to Kaiba. "I wonder…"

Unconsciously, the hand that was holding Jounouchi's wrist slid up to hold his hand. Jounouchi's hand was so cold, freezing almost, and Kaiba wanted to know just how long he'd been out there waiting in the rain. While Kaiba was sure of his feelings, he wasn't sure of Jounouchi's, but with the palm resting on his cheek, a form of twisted hope engulfed him, threatening to push all his reasoning aside.

"Why do you care?" Jounouchi asked, breaking through his thoughts, but before Kaiba could even think of an answer, Jounouchi stopped him. "No, never mind. You probably don't."

Looking at Kaiba now, Jounouchi was reminded of all the things that had been on his mind the entire day, and his hand left Kaiba's cheek to rest at his side. Kaiba was really handsome, and it wasn't just physically. "No…"

"What?" Blinking distractedly, Jounouchi slowly became aware that he had said the last part out loud. "No what, Jounouchi?"

Jounouchi gasped, his face an expression one of happy surprise as blood rushed to his face again, which thankfully went unnoticed because of the rain.

"You want to be near that person, don't you?"

"K-Kaiba!" he shouted.

"What?"

"You know that book you were looking for? I… I found it! So… If you… If you…"

"Keep it." Kaiba said.

"O-oh." Crushed, Jounouchi didn't know what else to do. He had only wanted a chance to talk to Kaiba again. After this, there were no more chances than that one, and now even that was out of the question. He was also getting tired of being there under the umbrella with Kaiba, Kaiba's touch on his hand and their close proximity. Everything. Jounouchi was starting to miss the pleasant and calming sensation of the rain.

Kaiba felt so warm, but he'd much rather be out in the rain at that moment.

Jounouchi pulled his hand away from Kaiba's, which was astonishingly easy to do, and left the comforts of the umbrella, refusing to meet Kaiba's questioning gaze. "I-I have to go now… My dad's probably g-getting worried, you know…?" Not waiting for a reply, Jounouchi took off. "See you later, Kaiba!"

"I'd give anything just to see him again, even if it's only as a friend."

'I like him. I really like him.' Jounouchi thought the rain tasted salty on his lips.

I want to see you again.

Kaiba looked down at his hand, which only a moment ago, had been holding Jounouchi's. Clenching his fists, Kaiba stared after the departing blonde's back, the sensation of a cold hand and cold fingers still very hauntingly lingering on his skin. Although the rainy barrier had returned, he could see that it wasn't as strong anymore. The rain was starting to lessen; it was now sprinkling.

Smirking, Kaiba raised his free hand up to trace where Jounouchi had touched him earlier.

-:i:-

To Be Continued…

(1) Kaiba's blood type is A (if I remember correctly), which according to the Japanese blood typing theories, indicates that he's creative.
(2) The university entrance exams' tested subjects are: Japanese, mathematics, science, social studies, and English.
(3) Baka: Idiot (do I honestly have to translate this one? It's like translating 'sensei'.)

Random Japanese Language Info: The word "sayo(o)nara" (which means good-bye) is generally used when you honestly believe--or are pretty sure--that you will probably never see the person you say it to again.

Next time…
Chapter Four: Illusions of Happiness

A/N: Wahaha! I am so evil. Eh, sorry, but it's just how I planned the chapter to be. /shrugs/ If you must know, I've already got up to chapter six planned out. That's just how I work when it comes to writing. I plan out my chapters long before I write them. (Heck, I've already planned out the ending.)

This was a LONG chapter. O.O Phew, so I made up for my lateness for Seto-chan's b-day with the length! Oh my god, that sounds so wrong. /shot/ I feel so drained after this chapter. It took a lot out of me because of all the tension I had to write. X.X More on Kaiba's character with the next chapter! (BTW, my favorite line from this chapter was: "Kaiba wanted to punch him." Eeee, and I call myself a Jounouchi fan. /shot/)

Eh, if you get bored while waiting for this fic to be updated, you could always check out my KaiJou one shots. /shrugs/ Until next time! I've got midterms to study for! As usual, reviews are much appreciated.