So I've been gone for a while. Okay, forever is more like it, but I'm back now! And I'm doing the best I can. I'm continuing a story I haven't worked on in a while, because I still like the premise of the story and I believe you fine readers will like it too. Once again, this story IS A YAOI and will at some point feature INAPPROPRIATE CONTENT and if you DON'T LIKE IT, DON'T READ IT. This will eventually have a LEMON and OTHER SEXUAL CONTENT. Also, for the record, I do not own YuGiOh! Although I would greatly enjoy it if I did.

Chapter 2: The Kiss

Strutting around the school as though he owned it a bit more than usual, Kaiba formulated his next move. Of course the CEO had perfected his poker face to look systematically annoyed even when he was, in fact, in a rather fantastic mood. The cogs working in that fabulous brain were fast at work on his devious plot, and on the inside he was grinning.

Half way through first period English, Joseph Wheeler finally appeared. His spirits looked more dampened than usual, positively crestfallen in fact. Seto understood that to mean that officer Martin had relayed his little message to the troubled teen. This coincided with Seto's plan perfectly and he could no longer contain his excitement. A small twitch lifted his lip in a small smirk of delight as his worst enemy and best kept secret walked by. Joey's eyes lifted to meet his, but they seemed to have lost that fierce spark they usually held just for him. Seto silently understood why as the blonde slumped in his seat two rows behind him.

The class passed without incident and in his seat the CEO outlined a plan in his notebook. A small smile playing on his lips he left class without speaking or antagonizing the blonde. Most of the day proceeded without incident, and for the first time in years Seto Kaiba ate lunch at school. Sitting quietly at his seat by himself he concentrated on eavesdropping on the obviously private conversation taking place behind him.

"Joey that's awful! How come you never told us about your father?" squealed Anzu. Seto could almost see her clapping her perfectly manicured hands over her mouth at those words.

"I'm so sorry Joey." Yugi said consolingly as Tristan, Bakura, Malik and the rest of the gang sat aghast around them.

"Yami and I would let you stay with us if we could, but the fact is that there isn't enough money or space for you to stay with us. At least not for a long time…" Yugi trailed off guiltily as Yami placed a comforting hand on Joey's shoulder.

"What about your mother?" Ryou piped up rubbing his hands together worriedly. "Surely she'd take you in if-"

"Not a chance," Tristan chimed in, "you don't know that woman. She hates him. No offense, buddy…" Joey knowingly shook his head to show he didn't take offense. Inside, he knew he wouldn't be able to stay with any of his friends even before he asked. Malik and Marik barely made enough to get by, and ever since Bakura had moved back in with Ryou it would have been suicide to stay with them. Tristan got evicted from his parents' place and currently lived in assisted housing. Yami and Yugi lived with Yugi's grandfather above their gameshop, but it was small because they lived above the shop and they didn't make much money. Anzu was a girl, and her parents were strict so he wouldn't have a chance asking them for refuge. Joey had no sense of where to go or what to do. He was overcome with a sense of hopelessness so profound he couldn't even form words to express his despair. He would have to leave Domino and all his friends, his home he had known and loved. He felt his stomach drop, that eerie sensation that his intestines had completely disappeared into nothingness emerged every time his thoughts drifted to life in foster care. His friends were gazing at him with a horrible mixture of pity and concern and he couldn't possibly take it anymore. Rising from his desk he managed to stammer out "restroom" before striding briskly out of the classroom and down the hall to the bathroom.

Seizing the opportunity, Seto Kaiba rose to follow his puppy. This wasn't necessarily part of the plan, but Seto was enjoying this plot too much to miss any more than he had to. Everything was going according to plan. Rounding the corner Seto entered the men's restroom where he spied the blonde in front of the sinks, evidently splashing water on his face. He was panting slightly and Seto could see small water droplets dripping slowly from the tips of his sun kissed bangs, his chest heaving. It made Seto's heart stop, he quickly turned away to face the opposing wall in front of the urinal and was presented with a troubling physical condition. His pants were stretched uncomfortably and his mind immediately wandered back to the dream from this morning. He heard Joey moan and could almost see him underneath him calling his name. He was so close, he could almost imagine what his smooth ivory skin felt like, tracing his fingers along that sleek waistline… Slowly unzipping his pants Seto's hand wrapped around his stiff member.

"Come to piss me off again, moneybags?" A sharp voice said from behind him. Snapping back to his senses he zipped up his pants, with difficulty, and glanced over his shoulder.

"Quite the contrary, you were so insignificant I honestly didn't even notice you mutt." It came out before he could even control it, almost like a reflex.

"Just get it over with, will you? I'm not in the mood today." His blonde puppy barked scathingly.

"You mean to say that there are days when you…ARE in the mood?" Seto said slyly, quickly looking Joey over with a slight smirk.

The blonde's eyes widened in surprise, then almost immediately narrowed in suspicion. "Don't fuck with me Kaiba!" His puppy yelled savagely, and stormed out of the restroom.

Leaning back against the wall Seto's thoughts drifted to the look on Joey's face when he had asked him about being in the mood… Shock, and perhaps embarrassment? Seto chuckled lightly as he thought of his plan. Seto sidled into the neighboring stall and proceeded to take care of the throbbing in his pants. Although manipulative, Seto planned for Joey to benefit from his plan, and he did legitimately did care for the blonde. He just wanted his own benefit, and he planned to take care of his sleeping problem once and for all. Grinning satisfactorily he exited the restroom and made his way down the hall.

As far as Joey was concerned school had been a disaster, and his life was practically over. Even if he did stay at Yugi's for a few days he would only be prolonging the inevitable. Sighing as he walked down the hall he halfheartedly opened his locker-possibly for the last time. He couldn't even be angry with his father; he had no emotions at all for the man who had given him life. As he opened his locker as small piece of notebook paper fell out, meticulously folded with his name written on it in fluid cursive. Curiously he looked around, leaned over and picked it up. None of his friends wrote notes to each other, except perhaps Anzu but her handwriting was large and loopy- nothing like this mystery note. He unfolded it hurriedly and read its contents:

I know of your problems and I have a solution. Meet me at DaVinci's at 5:30 tonight. Give the maître d your name; they'll know who you are.

No name or anything. Completely taken aback he stared at the note, dumbfounded for several seconds before stuffing it hurriedly in his pocket and shuffling out of the school doors.

Who would send this note? Did they really know about his father or was it something else? And what in Ra's name did "I have a solution" mean? Why would someone he didn't even know want to help him? The only ones who knew of his situation were his friends and why would they send a note instead of just talking to him? Full of questions, he strode down the street aimlessly no longer having a home to go to.

Pacing in his room that night, Seto was for one of the only times in his life, nervous. This is where his plan could potentially fall apart after all. What if Joey didn't show up? What if he appeared, but upon realizing who it was that had left the note, stalked off without even letting him get a word in? Choosing a public place for their meeting was risky business, but Kaiba had thought it better to do this in a nice place to reduce the chance of a scene breaking out. Now, it was time to shine, and he couldn't seem to sit still.

"There is no way this will work Seto." Mokuba chimed in from the corner where he sat with his laptop. "Perhaps this is a bad idea big brother. I mean, maybe it's just better to let sleeping dogs lie. Don't try to resolve things, it could go horribly. You almost can't even control that temper of yours."

"Temper?" Seto turned around indignantly, "I don't have a temper, I just get frustrated is all."

"Well, regardless, you should calm down."

"I can't…decide what to wear." Kaiba said defenselessly, giving Mokuba a lost look and throwing up his hands. The only one who ever witnessed Seto at his worst, Mokuba got up and strode over to the walk in closet. He emerged with a sleek baby blue button down with a pair of tight black slacks, that were becoming a bit too small for him.

"Mokuba, those pants… I've actually been meaning to get rid of them they're too tight." Seto protested.

"Precisely. Trust me on this, wear this pair." Mokuba said with a devious smile that closely resembled his older brothers'. Seto shrugged in response and took the outfit into the master bath. Reappearing with the outfit snuggly curving itself around his slim body was greeted with acclaim by his younger brother, and after insisting he forgo the tie Seto had his driver take him to DaVinci's a good half an hour early.
-

There was the slight problem that Joey did not have any inkling where DaVinci's was. After telling Tristan and Anzu about the mysterious messenger they were more than happy to help, especially Anzu who seemed to be ecstatic about the entire affair. She let him use her laptop to find out where it was, and then they accompanied him to the restaurant. Joey was not expecting what he found, and was immediately worried.

"This place looks expensive you guys…" Joey said, concernedly looking over the restaurant with its glass doors and clearly visible chandeliers.

"Well obviously they know your situation, and they know you have no cash, right?" Tristan threw in as he gazed at the restaurant with an expression bordering on awe.

"Just go Joey!" Anzu cried pushing him excitedly up the walk. Upon reaching the double doors in his faded jeans, worn out shirt, and debilitating green jacket he was conscious of exactly how ridiculous he must look as he struggled to say his own name to the host.

"Ah! Right this way, Mr. Wheeler." The man said with a smile as he led him through the restaurant. He moved past well-dressed couples who did double takes as he walked through the dining hall. To Joey's relief he led him to a private room, opened the door and bowed him inside. Joey smiled wanly at the waiter not having any money to tip the nice gentleman. Turning to sit down he almost passed out to see who he was seated opposite.

"What the he-"

"Before you say anything!" Kaiba cried, hurriedly standing up and motioning for him to stop. Joey froze, staring at the CEO's appearance. He let his eyes wander over a very tight pair of sleek black slacks and a thin blue button down that rested quite becomingly across the brunette's chest.

"Before you leave, please sit down and talk with me." Seto continued.

"And why should I talk to you?" Joey responded, coming back to his senses.

"Well, look at it this way, you get a free decent meal out of it." Seto said resting his palms on the table and leaning forward slightly so the buttons on his shirt stretched taut across his chest. Looking into those piercing blue eyes and assessing his situation, Joey moved towards the chair. Seto's expression relaxed almost to a smile and he slowly sat back down. The waiter came forward with a bottle of wine and poured some into the brunette's glass, he moved to give some to Joey too but he quickly declined.

"So why did you leave that note? What do you want?"

"Don't you want to look at the menu first? You can choose anything you like." Seto retorted picking up his menu and sifting through it.

"I really want to know why you asked me here." Joey responded questioningly. This was perhaps the most befuddling thing that had ever happened to him. Seto was being polite to him, and this setup strangely resembled a date. Not that Seto could know he was gay, his friends were the only ones that knew and they never spoke about it. A date would have been pleasant, but with Kaiba? This was too much, and Joey couldn't help but feel as though this was a horrible practical joke.

"This isn't funny you jackass!" Joey practically yelled across the table. "What's your game exactly? To make me look like an idiot?" At this Seto looked up placating.

"That was not at all my intention. I merely wanted us to have dinner." Seto responded calmly across the table.

"Oh bullshit!" At this, Seto slammed his menu on the table.

"If you must know, I have been made aware of your current situation and I want to issue a proposition for you." The CEO said through gritted teeth. Joey looked on in amazement.

"Proposition? What do I have to do? Demean myself in front of you daily?"

"Nothing like that, but right now I would really like it if you chose to look at your menu and order something." Seto responded in the sweetest voice possible. Joey in response picked up his menu and resigned himself to looking through it. Several awkward minutes passed in silence until their waiter returned through the door.

"May I go ahead and take your order sirs?" The waiter looked expectantly at Joey.

"Um.. I guess I'll have the Florentine pasta with grilled chicken." Joey said uncertainly.

"Excellent choice! And Mr. Kaiba? Prime rib I suppose?"

"You know how I like it, Youkuza." Kaiba said pleasantly. The waiter took both of their menus and strode off through the door again. After the menus had gone, and Joey had run out of remarks to throw in Kaiba's face he became very aware of their surroundings. There was a lit candle between them, there was low lighting, and the table cloth was a deep rich violet. There was a bucket of ice on a tray beside the table with a bottle of red wine inside, and Joey just became aware of a piano playing somewhere in the distance.

"Um.. so, why did you bring me here?" Joey asked uncertainly.

"Like I said, I have a proposition. It doesn't involve anything demeaning, or at least I don't consider it to.. But I've been made aware of the situation with your father and-"

"Who told you?" Joey suddenly burst out.

"The cop," Seto replied testily, "now, I understand that it would be quite impossible for you to find lodging before the end of the week and as you may know, I have all the resources to accommodate you for as long as you like.." Seto said slowly, holding Joey's gaze with those smoldering blue eyes. Joey almost melted sitting across from what was surely a god who had replaced his worst enemy while he wasn't looking.

"But you want something in return? What do I have that you don't?" Joey asked, snorting with disbelief. Seto straightened up, raised his eyebrows, and pierced Joey with a striking stare.

"You."

Joey's heart dropped into the pit of his stomach. Staring back at the most lustrous man he had ever seen, and being told that all he wanted was him. But this was completely ridiculous. This was The Seto Kaiba, of Kaiba Corporation. A man who had constantly put him down, beat him up, insulted him…

"I know we've had our disagreements in the past-"

"Disagreements? Is that what you call it? You have emotionally tortured me for the past-!" Joey, completely flabbergasted wildly gestured with his hands what his words couldn't seem to display for him.

"Have you ever had a childhood crush Joey?" Seto said fiercely, narrowing his eyes in the familiar death glare that belonged more to the Kaiba he knew. Joey opened his mouth to speak and it hit him hard; their interaction this morning. He heard Kaiba's voice asking "You mean to say that there are days when you…ARE in the mood?" He saw in his mind's eye Kaiba glance up and down with eyes Joey had once interpreted to mean hatred, but in fact…

"YOU HAVE A CRUSH ON ME?" Joey shouted in disbelief, rising quickly from his chair right as the waiter burst through the door again. All three of them awkwardly standing and staring, when the waiter uncertainly presented them with their food and tactfully retreated with a disposition that was obviously glad to be away. Joey slowly sat back down still stunned with disbelief. Kaiba returned to his seat and began hurriedly cutting his steak, deliberately not looking at the blonde.

"…Is that it?" Joey said finally, still not having touched his food.

"I've been having certain psychological problems, and I believe that more time with you could help reconcile these issues." Seto said in a precise manner, still not looking up from his food. Joey grinned for the first time all day.

"It's alright to be embarrassed-"

"I am NOT embarrassed," Seto insisted, immediately looking up from his food. "The fact of the matter is, I don't know. I have been having extremely odd dreams, and you're the subject of many of them. It would appear that I like you, yes. All I know, is that I want what I want, and I've wanted you for a long time." Seto's sultry tone carried those words across the table with a sly smile and Joey almost died from pure lust. Although he could be an asshole, Seto Kaiba was the sexiest man alive.

"You always get what you want. I could refuse and you wouldn't get whatever you want for a change. How would that feel, moneybags?" Joey said with a smirk.

"But it would also be what you want." Kaiba retorted without even the slightest delay, he had obviously thought out this entire conversation. Joey's heart shot up in his throat. Was he that transparent? Could Kaiba tell he wanted him that badly?

"You want to stay in Domino, right?" Kaiba supplied. Joey nodded, and the situation was clear. Kaiba's was clearly the only option.

"So, you just want to spend time with me? You don't want me to… do anything? Right? Because my moral integrity would not allow that." Joey put in. Seto smiled brazenly, hearing his puppy mutter 'moral integrity' seemed completely out of character.

"You don't have to do anything you aren't comfortable with, puppy." Seto replied leaning forward on his elbows, once again displaying that taut chest. Joey immediately felt like he was perfectly comfortable with anything the CEO wanted to do with him.

"What did you just call me?" Joey pressed, leaning forward mimicking Seto and relaying back to him the same lusty look he was giving Joey. Dropping his voice low he delivered a chilling response:

"I called you, my puppy. That's what you are." To Joey, this was all just a horrible game of gay chicken. Seto couldn't be gay, he was one of the most prominent figures in Japan, and it was just a matter of time before he broke Seto down. Deciding it would be better to claim his victory now, rather than later Joey took the rashest action possible. Leaning forward he grabbed the back of the brunette's head and pushed them together in a bruising kiss.

Joey was wrong, horribly wrong. Inducing a kiss he felt for sure Kaiba would break away from he was shocked to feel Seto pressing back, moaning in shameless pleasure. Kaiba brought his hand up to meet Joey's cheek and tenderly caressed his skin along his neck. Joey quivered and his knees got weak. He sighed into the kiss and Seto pressed on ruthlessly violating his lips in the most arousing kiss of his life. His lips tasted like wine, and the intensity was intoxicating enough. He found his hand unconsciously grasping and running through the brunette's hair; he was so soft and rough at the same time. But there was just this damnable table in the way of him and this sex icon. Seto finally broke away, breathing heavily and Joey realized he was too. He had never experienced this kind of kiss before, that was what chemistry was. As Seto grinned back at him from across the table, Joey knew he was thinking the same thing.

"You- you're really gay. You're serious." Joey gasped as his breath returned.

"And you're sexy." Kaiba responded in voice laced with the tone of a man who was aroused beyond measure. Joey blushed and looked away.

"I thought you were joking…"

…

After a few seconds, the CEO burst into laughter. "You thought I was joking?" He said with a grin. It occurred to Joey that this was the first instance when he had seen genuine amusement on Kaiba's face. He smiled again, and allowed himself a small chuckle.

"Yeah, I suppose I thought you were playing me, and I…" The rest was drowned out by their shared laughter.

"You know, your food is going to get cold." The brunette stated smiling slightly at his dinner partner. With a self-satisfied grin he bent over his plate and began to eat.

The food was absolutely delicious.
-

I haven't written in a while so tell me what you think! I know it moves a bit fast, but the story has sort of just taken on a life of its own if you know what I mean. Hope you like it! Expect more chapters in the future…