Black out
Chapter 8
Joey walked silently next to Tristan, who eyed him curiously every two seconds with an expression like he expected Joey to turn into an alien at any moment. Never before in his life had Joey felt so uncomfortable in the company of his friend and hoped that it wouldn't stay that way. He didn't want to lose Tristan, especially not over Seto Kaiba. Once they reached the huge gates to the mansion Joey asked quietly, "Could ya wait here while I go in to pick up the books?"
"Why?" Tristan asked, surprised.
"Can we talk about this later? Maybe over a beer?" Joey asked. "Just please give me a moment."
"Fine," Tristan said and watched while Joey walked towards the main entrance, leaning against the metal of the high fence.
Joey rang the bell and was surprised to see that Kaiba opened the door seconds later. "I guess you aren't staying," Kaiba asked sounding upset and looked over to where Tristan leaned against his fence.
"Sorry, I'm kinda busy," Joey answered, trying to sound nonchalant. "I'm going to a pub with Tristan for an after work beer. I just came by to ask if I can take the books I wanted to borrow. I might get around to reading a little after that."
"They're right here," Seto answered. "Come in."
Joey eyed him for a moment but then walked past him, feeling Seto's hand go towards his own back and nearly putting his arm around his shoulders and touching the little tattoo to guide him inside. The books where neatly packed inside a shopping bag on a small table close to the door and Seto didn't bother to close the door while guiding Joey just to the side of it and out of Tristan's sight.
"I missed you," he whispered into Joey's ear once Joey reached the books and reached out to grab the bag. He felt Seto's arm move further around him and further down to hold him from behind around his waist and Seto's warm moist lips soon touched his heated skin just below his ear.
"Don't," Joey mumbled. "Tristan is waiting."
"Let him wait a moment," Seto whispered seductively. "After all he has no idea where the books are."
"He won't wait long though," Joey mumbled and was certain that he already assumed Seto to be the cause for Joey's strange mood all day and would probably follow shortly if Joey didn't reappear in the door, and since said door was still open he could just walk right in on them.
"He won't need to wait long," Seto whispered, kissing along the soft skin of Joey's neck towards the collar of his shirt and moved it a little to the side to reveal one of the many bite marks Joey had from the love making on his desk at the office the day before. "Just one kiss."
Joey couldn't help but turn around in Seto's arm and kiss those soft and moist lips and he moaned quietly when he felt Seto's teeth nibble gently on his bottom lip. Soon he could feel Seto's talented tongue exploring the inside of his mouth again and moved his own arms around Seto to hold onto him tightly, enjoying the sensation and completely forgetting about Tristan-who already started to get worried and walked up to the main entrance of the mansion.
Joey felt Seto's hand move along the dragon tattoo just beneath his own ass and gave another moan that was slightly muffled by Seto's lips on his own. Slowly Seto's lips moved closer to Joey's ear and once they where close Joey heard him whisper seductively, "I'll miss you, so come back soon." And then Joey feld Seto grab his wrist and was spun halfway around so he stood with his side towards Seto and his arm, the one Seto held onto, was stretched towards the bag with the books. Behind the bag with the books and hidden from the entrance by a big vase with flowers was a monitor on which Joey could see the gate, which was abandoned and he just about still saw Tristan walk the last of the steps up to the main entrance.
"And make sure to keep the books in perfect condition," Seto said in his usual icy voice the same second Tristan entered the mansion and must have been able to see them.
Joey stared at the screen while Tristan shouted, "Hey you jerk, let go of my pal this instant!"
"Your part time job Tris, did you have to go there yesterday?" Joey asked still staring at the screen and remembering how Seto had nearly rushed him towards his date. He had thought at first it had been due to a reservation and later due to the fact that their food might be getting cold or even more likely that he was getting impatient. But right now, looking at the screen and knowing that without Seto's actions Tristan would have seen them kissing, he thought that there might have been another reason for Seto to end the call with Mai than his lack of patience. He must know that Tristan and the rest of the gang apart from Mai had no idea about his growing emotions for the cold CEO.
"Yeah," Tristan answered, surprised. "Why are you asking?"
Joey smiled and said, "I'll explain later." He turned to smile towards Seto, "And ya don't need to worry about your books. I'll just leave them and come back later to read them here. That nice black bed is way more comfy than mine anyways," Joey walked over to a still surprised Tristan before he turned around to look at an equally surprised looking Seto and added, "And Mai might be right, ya really do need a place in a mental institution." And then Joey grabbed Tristan by his wrist and pulled him along towards the pub, he clearly wouldn't get around some honest answers now and Tristan looked too shocked to move on his own account.
They were nearly at the pup before Tristan found his voice saying, "I guess that jerk isn't the only one who needs a mental check up."
"Probably," Joey mused. "Considering that I must have completely lost it."
"At least you notice that much," Tristan pointed out, sounding worried. "So what's going on that I missed. I mean you go to him to borrow books and then leave them, and on top of it he's mean to you and then you just smile and ask me about if I went to my part time job last night? I really don't get it."
"I bet you don't," Joey mumbled. "To be honest, I'm not sure if I do get everything but I bet he knew. I mean that ya had to work last night and I assume ya did 'til about 7 right?"
"Yeah," Tristan answered. "Like every second Sunday, but what does it have to do with Kaiba? And why on earth should he know or even care about it?"
"Trust me, he knew," Joey mumbled with a stifled laugh. "But I think ya need a beer before I explain and shock ya with it, if one beer is even enough."
"I'm starting to doubt it," Tristan answered but just watched Joey's face. There was a small smile on his face, not the super happy 'I got a great new car' smile but the 'I had a really good day' sort of smile that clearly said that he hoped every day would be that way. He just looked absolutely content and Tristan knew that whatever had changed between Joey and Seto, there was no way to change it back and that's what really worried him.
Once they where in the pub and both had a beer they sat down in a more quiet corner than usual and Tristan said. "Now spill it, what's going on between you and Kaiba."
Joey looked at his beer for a moment considering briefly how he should start to explain and then said quietly, "Do ya remember what I told ya about the black out I had, the night before Mai left after her last visit?"
"Yeah," Tristan answered "The one where you got the tattoo. Don't tell me you really ended up in bed with Kaiba that night."
"Firstly, it's tattoos, like I said, I got another one. I got his stupid white dragon right under my butt," Joey said to enlighten him on why that one was so much more embarrassing to him. "And secondly, yes I'm afraid I did end up with him, but I didn't lie the time we talked about it at the beach. I hadn't known then."
"I see," Tristan said and looked very pale and disgusted but didn't say anything negative about it. Considering the happy and content smile on Joey's face he worried that it would just make Joey angry if he did. "I still think the dragon is better than the KC. At least you can get a tattoo artist to make that white black, and since red is a darker color than blue you can probably fix the eyes too."
Joey stared at him for a moment in surprise, he had been expecting some grossed out comments or even insults for the CEO but nothing of the sorts. He grinned even more after pondering Tristan's comment and then said, "The body and head are different anyway, but I might still do that just to annoy Kaiba. Thanks for the tip."
"That isn't all, is it?" Tristan asked after a moment. "I mean if it was just one little one-night-stand while you two where drunk, you wouldn't be hovering around his place and borrowing books."
"He wasn't," Joey said dryly.
"He wasn't what?" Tristan asked.
"He wasn't drunk," Joey explained. "He was absolutely sober when he talked me into getting the tattoos, got one of a dog on his ass, screwed me around while I was totally wasted, and talked me into marrying him right away for a breakfast and a bed since I was too far gone to open my own door."
Tristan stared at Joey for what felt like an eternity until he screeched "He did what?"
"He married me," Joey repeated, feeling the heat rise to his cheeks and worrying about Tristan's reaction to that casually thrown, but vital, piece of information and passed his new passport to Tristan. "That's how I found out. I got his surname in my new passport."
Tristan stared and tried fruitlessly to make sense of those words while Joey sipped on his beer every now and then, fighting the urge to push Tristan to finally say something. Anything would be fine right now but the shocked look on his face and silence that stretched on even longer than it had before was driving him crazy. After what felt like at least 30 minutes Joey got out his phone and sent Mai a text massage saying, 'I'm just talking to Tristan and telling him about me dating Kaiba.'
It didn't take long until he had his reply from the blond.
'And you got time to text me? How long did he stay silent?'
Joey looked at his already half empty beer 'For about half a beer.'
'So much for not getting drunk again,' came Mai's reply and Joey felt slightly better while Tristan simply stared at him over his own, nearly untouched, beer.
'It's my first, and I don't intend to go for seconds, but I'm starting to worry that I need to call for an ambulance or something. I think Tristan needs some drugs to get out of the shock.'
'While you wait for him to come around, please explain to me why you stayed the night at Kaiba's? I thought you were taking it slow and yet you already got your own room at his mansion?' Mai asked shortly after Joey had sent the last message.
'I got what? I honestly thought it was a guest room, but it does explain why the room reminded me of my dragon. It's really cool, ya gotta see it,' Joey answered.
"You're a Kaiba," came a mumbled voice from Tristan and Joey looked up at his shocked face.
'I think Tris is starting to get around, I call ya later,' Joey quickly messaged Mai.
In the meantime Tristan turned around looking towards one of the girls behind the bar and said louder, "I need a whisky, and make it a double one," then he turned back to Joey looked at him for half a second and turned around again. "Make that two."
"I'm fine with just a beer." Joey pointed out having just been reminded by Mai that he didn't want to get drunk again, especially not with Kaiba probably still following his every move.
"That's good," Tristan answered. "I wasn't planning on sharing those."
"Sorry for the shock," Joey told him quietly before having another sip of his beer, needing to calm his thoughts. "But I doubt that there would have been an easier way to break the news to you. It's shocking no matter how I wrap it up."
"You're a Kaiba," Tristan mumbled for the second time that evening.
"I'm afraid I am," Joey said. "But I'd prefer it if ya ain't calling me that since I never really agreed to be one. At least not while I was sober."
"Are you going to get it annulled?" Tristan asked, sounding hopeful.
"Not right away," Joey answered with a frown. "It might be a huge mistake and I'll probably regret it, but I got curious how it would be to actually date the jerk and…well he can be nice too and just has a really twisted way to show his affection. Well to make it short, I already had one date with him, and that's why the books where still at his place after talking about them last night. If I'd brought them home after leaving Kaiba's place, I'd have been late for work."
"You mean you stayed the night?" Tristan asked clearly grossed out about it and was happy when the whisky arrived and he drank both of them right after each other.
"I sort of fell asleep, but I didn't sleep in the same bed if that calms you a little," Joey pointed out.
"At least that's something," Tristan mumbled "I mean if you really like him I'll try to get used to that, but does it have to be KAIBA?"
"I don't know yet," Joey answered. "I mean he absolutely used the fact that I was wasted just so he could marry me, which he mainly did to blackmail me into dating him, wanting a chance and knowing that his chances for that where slim to none without something to give him the advantage."
"And you still consider dating him?" Tristan asked, clearly angered "If I were you I'd beat him up big time, and to be honest I really thought you would too."
"A few weeks ago I would have gone for that," Joey answered with a grin. "Or rather I'd have swiped some of the explosives from work and blown up his mansion."
"That sounds great," Tristan answered. "Need some help getting everyone out of that place?"
"Like I said," Joey said, feeling the heat in his cheeks increase. "That would have been a few weeks ago-not anymore."
"What changed?" Tristan asked curiously.
"I noticed some things," Joey answered. "Or rather he told me a few things and then I noticed some more."
"And what would those things be?" Tristan asked. "Because I fail to see anything good about that jerk apart from his money."
"And his body," Joey pointed out.
"Well I fail to see that too," Tristan mumbled, clearly grossed out.
"Sorry," Joey said, grinning. "But what I mean is he explained to me that he likes dogs and from what he said he had intended the mutt comments to be a slightly hidden compliment, probably too shy to make it more clear, and even that third rate duelist comment was supposed to be a compliment since a lot of people are still much worse than me in dueling. And I noticed that we like the same sort of books, well he likes even more than I do but he likes the ones I do too. And on top of that he knows how far he can go."
"He more or less raped you since you were drunk, Joey," Tristan pointed out. "I'd say that is definitely crossing a line."
"He made sure you didn't walk in on us making out just now and yesterday he made sure you wouldn't see us leave for the date too," Joey explained. "That's the line he couldn't cross."
"I don't get it," Tristan admitted. "You just told me so why was keeping it secret more important than not raping you?"
"It does sound strange when you put it that way," Joey said. "But he had me watched, supposedly to make sure no one would use me when I'm drunk, but because of that he must have know that I had something with guys before. He knew that I didn't mind it too much when I was drunk and hardly knew them, I mean I was single and I bet you had your fair share of girls…"
"I get it, just stop with the details," Tristan begged.
"Sorry," Joey grinned again. "Anyway, he knew that I wouldn't be too grossed out at the thought of having sex with someone while being drunk because it wouldn't really feel that much like rape, and it really didn't. I mean I didn't even remember and it wasn't like I didn't want to do it while I was drunk."
"How do you know that?" Tristan asked. "You were drunk. You don't remember right?"
"I could feel it," Joey answered. "Trust me you feel it if a guy forced ya or not. But about keeping it a secret, I don't want it to be a secret, but I want to be the one to tell you guys. Or would you have preferred to walk in on me and Seto making out?"
Tristan shuddered at the thought, "That would be a definite no."
"I thought so," Joey answered with a grin. "And I didn't want that either. I don't want ya to feel like I didn't want ya to know and that ya had to catch me to find out, and I guess he figured it out."
"Oh I get it," Tristan said suddenly. "That's why you asked about my job. He must have made sure to be gone with you by the time I got back right? Probably being a little pushy?"
"Right," Joey answered. "He even cut off Mai on the phone."
"Wait," Tristan said, sounding outraged. "Mai knew before me?"
"Well she sort of gave me the advice to date him for a while before I choose to either stay with him or get out of it," Joey answered. "And honestly would you have wanted to have a talk about guys with me? It would probably have the same result as a talk about girls with me. That's why you've started to always hang around Duke isn't it?"
"Well…yeah," Tristan admitted. "But it's still weird that you talked to Mai before you talked to me. You're my best friend."
"And you're mine," Joey answered. "Which is why you know before Yugi or any of the others do, apart from Mai. So don't tell them 'til I get a good chance for a talk with them too."
"Fine," Tristan answered. "But does it really have to be Kaiba?"
Authors note: Thanks to LovelyRose5001, Sezthekitty, Leviathan of the Sea and dancing elf for the reviews.
Next chapter you'll get a bit more of Puppy time since it's about the same night but after Joey ended up with Seto again, after all he wanted to go and read there in the big bed he has at Seto's place, the only question left is: "Will Joey have time to read and will he get into his own bed rather then Seto's?