4. The end?
My time with my puppy is nearly up and his birthday party will be later today. I organised it even though I bet everything I have that he lied right to my face when he said he hated my fraction lesson. Prove is that I was allowed to continue to teach it to him. I always bought plenty of cakes cut them to pieces and he could eat it all as long as he could piece together a whole cake with parts of all without trying to move them first, he had to ad up the quarters, and eights of the cakes.
At least he can write down his music now even though I'm the only one who can read it since he actually draws cakes. A whole G note being represented by a whole chocolate cake, needless to say that it's his favourite note now nor that he's always getting hungry after writing down one of his master pieces which I need to translate before anyone else can understand it. But at least he seems to be getting happier over time. His music is filled with happiness most of the time now too and I love to listen to it even more then I did at the start.
He's still visiting his father twice a week but today he's going to skip out on it since he's going to pick up his sister right after school, I arranged for her to spend the weekend at my mansion with Joey. This way I can keep Joey for a few more days. I don't know what will happen after that since so far he hasn't addressed the issue of him moving out and I refuse to do it since I hope that he'll just stay with me since he probably doesn't know where to go, unless Duke offers to let him stay. His other friends probably don't have enough space, he's usually just spending his nights on a couch whenever he sleeps over at one of their places during his weekends.
He doesn't know that I paid for a nice apartment for a few month in advance just in case he really wants to leave. I don't want him having to take a few part time jobs just to hold on to a cheep place and have an even harder time keeping up in school as a result. I won't tell him that he has that option though, not until he asks me about leaving, because I much rather have him close to me.
I look up from my laptop because something moves in front of me while I'm sitting under a tree outside of school during lunch break. The cafeteria is much to noisy for my taste. "Do you need something?" I ask looking at no one else then my little puppy who just set down in front of me.
"Nope, I'm just sick of my pals makin' fun of ya." He replies to my surprise. "What ya doin'?"
"Work." I simply answer, "How comes that you're not the loudest one when it comes to make fun of me?"
"Very funny." He says with a tiny blush, "Ya sort of helped me, how can I make fun of ya now. They just don't really get it since they think that ya got my dad looked up in a mental place for gambling. I never told them with what he gambled and I guess they think he owed ya money or somethin' and that ya just where over reactin' and makin' me pay for what he's owin' ya"
"I definitely wouldn't have gotten him looked up for that." I say with a smug grin.
"See, ya can be nice." He says cheerfully.
"I would have taken everything he owns and sold it, leaving him to rot in the street." I finish earning an angry glare from him.
"Ya just sayin' that." He grumbles but looks at me slightly suspicious. "What time does Serenities flight land?" He asks after awhile.
"At four." I answer, "Don't worry, you'll easily make it there in time after your last lesson."
"Aren't ya comin' with me?" He asks.
"I'm sorry but I have to go into the office for a little while, but I'll be back in plenty of time to make it to the party that you're still not supposed to know about." I tell him with no intention of really being there until long past midnight. All of his friends will be there, basically half the school is invited to celebrate his birthday. And since his birthday isn't until tomorrow, their staying way past midnight. I'm going to have to deal with that lot for more then long enough even if I'm a few hours late and it's everything organized to work out perfectly even without my supervision.
"Promise?" He asks me and I look up at him in surprise. "I know ya hate parties, but ya promise to be there aren't ya? Latest at twelve to sing happy birthday with the rest won't ya?"
"I never sing." I simply say.
"But ya sing for me won't ya?" He asks still looking at me with his trustworthy eyes and that damned cute happy smile on his face.
"I don't even sing for Mokuba." I tell him.
"Ya kidding." He says outraged. "Ya his brother ya gotta wake him up by singing happy birthday."
"I go in with a bunch of maids and stuff and they all sing while I move my lips a little but no, I don't really sing." I inform him.
"Ya suck as a big brother." He states dryly. "But ya gotta sing for me or I'll be mad."
"Who cares." I say and hope that he won't be too mad. "I won't sing and that's final."
"We'll see. But ya gonna be there. Promise. Even if ya just lip sing, ya gotta be there." He orders me and I give a sigh and nod. "That's my boy."
"Shut up." I tell him fighting a blush.
"Ya really gotta go to work?" He asks sounding a little upset and I'm once again happy that we're much closer then we once where.
"I'm afraid I do." I tell him calmly typing on my laptop again already. "But I promise to try and be there before midnight."
Suddenly my laptop is closed and Joey is leaning way closer his hand on my laptop after shutting it, I just about got my fingers out of it before getting them crushed by him. "Fuck ya stupid tryin'. Ya gotta make it understood." He glares at me and I give a sigh.
Seems like I'm not getting around being present a little sooner then I had originally planed. I hoped that most of his guest would be gone by the time I show up but since he might leave soon, it's not the best of times to piss him off too much.
"I promise to be there." I tell him.
"No matter what?" He asks me still glaring at me.
"Well I can't calculate traffic jams." I defend myself.
"Screw the traffic, run if ya must as long as ya make it, no matter what." He insists again.
I watch him for a moment before I give yet another sigh and grumble, "I promise to make it, no matter what, and now let go of my laptop and NEVER just close it like that again understood"
"Sure I keep my paws of it as long as ya good. And thanks for the promise." He says and smiles again this god damned cute happy go lucky smile that only he can pull off. It's so irritating, how much I do, just to get to see that stupid smile on his face. It only got worse since he moved in. It seems that we didn't only get closer, I also fell for him even more then I already had before, how annoying. "Oh before I forget." He says and looks even more happy then before, "Ya did get me a present didn't ya?"
"Sure." I say, "The party."
"No way." He insists, "That's payment for making me learn fractions and makin' my stomach ache from all that tasty cake."
"You never complained about a sore stomach before." I say surprised, I never thought he even knew how that felt.
"Well I need a reason to say I didn't like it to get my party right." He says with a wicked grin before he adds, "So what ya gonna get me."
"A kick in the butt." I tell him slightly angered since he just admitted that he played me to get the party, which to be honest, he would have gotten anyway. But that doesn't mean that he can just play me like that.
"Yeah right," he says rolling his eyes, "And now seriously."
"Two kicks in the butt." I say before asking, "Did your friends tell you what you get because I highly doubt that I'm supposed to tell you what you get."
"So ya got me somethin' after all." He cheers. "And no they didn't tell me. But Yugi is always hidin' such stuff in his closet and there is a really cool black duel disk, so I hope ya ain't gettin' me that too but then again, to have a spare one mightn't be too bad. Tristan is always hidin' things under his bad and he got me a couple of booster packs. Téa is usually hidin' it in the locked drawer in her desk which I picked and she got me a voucher for a hair cut for which she is gettin' a kick in the butt. Duke on the other side is usually hidin' things in his office so it was a little harder to figure out that he got me a set to play DDM at home, his secretary told me though after a little bit of smilin'. To find out Serenities gift was the hardest but I pissed of mum with my constant naggin' and so she told me that she is givin' me two CD's with classical Music which she hopefully won't give me in public. She remembered how often I begged her to beg mum to play so she thought I might like it."
"I got it you know what you get from everyone." I summon up before he keeps counting up his presents. "Do you know where Mokuba is hiding his present for you too?"
"Like Tris, under his bed." He tells me grinning, "I can't wait to get that gamin' console together with the new games. Well to be honest I snug it out last night and played it a little before packin' it back up and sneakin' it back."
"You're the worst." I tell him.
"I didn't find anythin' in your room though." He complains.
I just glare at him. How dare he complain that he didn't find anything while looking through my room without permission. "You've been in my room?"
"Of course I was in your room." He tells me without the slightest bit of guilt. "I was curious."
"I should just hang you for that." I mumble but he simply ignores it. It really sucks to be in love, even after this I can't force myself to punish him by taking the piano or something like that. The only thing I want to do is spank his hot ass but even that I can't do because he probably would like that a lot less then losing his play time on my piano.
"And?" He asks curious after a moment of silence, "What did ya get me and where are ya hidin' it?"
"I'm hiding it right in front of your huge nose." I tell him with a smug smile.
I can nearly see the smoke rise from his head again while he tries to think about that. "Ya mean I get you?" He asks and I nearly die. "What? That's the only thing right in front of me right now." He explains after seeing me blush brighter then I have in years right after he reached his ridiculous conclusion.
"Just give it up," I tell him. "You won't find out until it's too late."
"Oh come on tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me." He probably would have gone on with his 'tell me' rubbish if I hadn't placed my hand over his mouth.
"I won't tell you and either you shut up or I won't be there for your party got it." I tell him and he just grumbles to him self that I'm a jerk. At least he doesn't look angry, just upset and curious.
It's quiet for about five seconds until he nearly screams, "I'm dyin' here so please would ya just tell me!"
"No." I simply say and regret it since he starts with his endless 'tell me' again. I try to stop him by putting my hand on his mouth but he moves back and continues his endless litany until I manage to pin him down and cover his mouth. He's still struggling though.
"Let go of our friend." I hear Tristan behind me and three people pull me away from Joey just so he can continue.
Everyone stares at him while he grins at me and says, "Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me." Over and over and over.
"Would someone please kill him." I ask annoyed.
"Let me guess, you didn't let him find your birthday present for him." Tristan asky effectively shutting Joey up who looks surprised at his friend.
"Of course not." I answer him.
"Then he'll keep it up until you give him your present." Tristan warns me.
"He never annoyed me." Téa musses surprised. "And he can't know since it's looked in my drawer."
"He can pick locks and knows about the voucher for a hairstylist." I tell her.
She pales and says, "But my diary is in there too."
"Oh don't worry," Joey tells her, "I got board of that years ago."
"You what?" She screams at him with a dark blush.
"Oh tell me Kaiba, pretty please with sugar on top." He tries with his puppy dog eyes having found out that he could get rather a lot from me when he uses those. And again, being in love sucks.
"No way." I just say not daring to look into his eyes right now, I know that the second I do, I'll lose.
"Oh come on." Joey whines and I sigh. "Please Kaiba, I do whatever ya want."
"All I want is for you to shut the hell up." I tell him. Well, that isn't really all I want from him, but all I can get...at last maybe.
"I will," He promises me, "right after ya tell me what I get."
"I told you," I say, "A kick in your butt."
"Yeah sure very funny." He says ironically. "And now seriously, what did ya get me."
"Nothing." I try to say as convincing as I can.
"Like I believe that." He says. "We're pals ever since we started to draw cakes all the time."
"You what?" Tristan asks confused while I just blush again. Something is seriously wrong here, I haven't blushed in years and now he makes me blush all the time. It is sort of true what he said though. He draws cakes and I translate them into notes nearly every evening as well as during the weekends a few times since he stays with his friends less frequently the longer he lives at the mansion. We really did grow closer with time.
"I never drew a single cake and if you dare to say otherwise again I will explain to everyone what exactly you're just talking about." I warn Joey.
"I'm good." He promises, "But ya gotta tell me what I get."
"You get nothing." I say threateningly, "But you'll lose your tongue if you don't quit annoying me right now."
"Oh come on, tell me, tell me, tell me." And here we go again.
Instead of fighting with him again I grab my stuff and stand up. It's two seconds until the bell rings anyway so I might as well head to class hopefully his pals will distract him again once we're there. Unfortunately they didn't succeed and I have to listen to his 'tell me' until school is over, apart from when the teacher is kicking him out of class for constantly whispering 'tell me' to me. I was never as happy to see the last of him as I am once I can finally head for work.
Once there I call a maid to ask if everything I said would arrive did arrive and I'm happy to hear that she organized everything the way I told her too and that Joey's present has been placed in the room I told her. The party is set to start right when Joey get's home with Serenity, it was supposed to be a surprise but of course he found out about it a long time ago since he already had ordered me to organise one, even though I had tried to let him think it was just a tiny party with Yugi and the gang on the afternoon of his birthday. At least Joey has promised to pretend to be surprised since Mokuba still believes that he has no idea and it was Mokuba's idea to have a Surprise Party the day before until way past midnight instead.
Said party will help keeping Joey away from the music room though, and his present is inside, at least the important part of it, the other one is right here in my pocket. It isn't a duel disk, it's much better.
I try to focus on work until my mobile rings the first time, it's Mokuba complaining that I'm late for the party and that Joey is already there with Serenity. Oh well, it's still a few hours until midnight and I must say that for once I'm not particularly keen on spending more time as necessary with Joey, at least until I can give him his present. I rather continue with work for a little longer and can sleep half an hour or hour longer in the morning, after all, the party might be going on into the early morning hours and I need to be at work tomorrow too.
A little later I receive another SMS, "Don't ya dare and break the promise! I wanna get my present at 12 o'clock and not a sec later." I don't really need to look at the number to know who wrote this one. Joey is getting more and more impatient, and here I thought that I'm supposed to be impatient.
I return to the mansion about teen minutes before midnight and take my time sneaking into the big party room. I sneak up to Joey from behind and as soon as it's midnight I say, "Happy birthday Joey." And hold out a chain with three keys. One is red, one is black and the other one is stripped in red and black. There is also a tiny grand piano in black and red hanging with the keys and he looks at me confused.
"What are those for?" He asks.
"The stripped one is for this mansion," I tell him, "Since your free to stay out past nine when the doors are looked."
"Cool." Joey cheers and already grabs the keys. "And the other two?"
"The red one is for your room." I say hopping that he'll still use it as such. "And the black one is for the room next to it to the right."
"Not the left?" He asks disappointed since that's the one where my grand piano is standing in, or rather was standing in.
"No, the one to the left." I say with a smile, "Since your present didn't fit into the room to the left together with my old one and I thought since you might enjoy to play with me every now and again on two, I placed my white one and your black and red birthday present into the so far empty room on the other side of your room." He stars at me and then at the tiny piano that hangs next to the keys.
"You're kiddin' me." He nearly screams. "Please tell me that ain't a joke, because if it is, it ain't funny to tease me like that."
"I'm serious. Like I said, your present was right in front of you, well, since this morning where it was delivered." I tell him with a wicked grin.
"Ya really, really serious?" He asks again and then surprises me with a hug tackle. Both of his arms as well as his lags are wrapped around me and he says, "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love you sooooooo much! Thank you, thank you, thank you! You're the best."
I must say that I'm really happy to hear him say that, but at the same time I'm feeling slightly uncomfortable since everyone is staring at us and I try to lose myself from him gently and say, "No need to thank me, you know that my reasoning's for the present aren't completely unselfish."
"Yeah right, I know ya just tryin' to play cool again." He says rolling his eyes. "But ya know that I wanna have somethin' else." I just look at him questioningly praying that he doesn't mean what I fear and wants to move out. Unfortunately he doesn't want that, what he wants is worse, "I wanna have a birthday song."
"Okay." I say before I add lauder, "Everyone lets sing for the birthday boy."
Once someone else starts to sing I simply move my lips. Joey is moving his hand behind his ear and closer towards me trying to listen. Once he obviously doesn't hear me he puts a finger into his ear like he's trying to clean it and tries again. I feel myself blush slightly while I see Mokuba fighting a laughing fit while he tries to keep singing. While looking around I notice that he isn't the only one fighting the giggles. Why on earth does being in love mean I can't kill him. The song is nearly at the end when Joey's ear actually touches my face and I push him away a little. But I do sing the last line, even though it's more or less a whisper. "I heard him!" Joey cheered and I see Mokuba's jaw meet the floor. "He sang I heard him."
"Yeah, yeah and now shut up and get your other presents like a good boy." I say embarrassed and move away a little, certain that Joey will be sneaking out of the room in no time at all to have a look at his piano.
Mokuba is next to me soon and says, "You're in love with him."
I stare at him and pull him further aside from everyone else hoping that no one was close enough to hear him, "Are you crazy to just blur that out loud?"
"So you really are?" He asks not really surprised.
"Of course I am, why else do you think I'm helping him at all. But don't you dare tell anyone, he doesn't know and he can't find out understood?" I order him quietly while I look around to make sure that no one is within hearing range. It's pointless to pretend I'm not in love in front of my brother any longer. My best bet is to shut him up about that topic as long as I can.
"I thought it strange that you did, and I did think that you could be in love with him." Mokuba says, "I mean I always thought you hate him and you two hardly acknowledged each other at the start and only slowly grew closer. But still, it was so out of character for you to just let him stay and you're the one who tried to get closer so it's sort of obvious! So did you really love him all along?"
"I did," I say quietly, "But don't tell anyone, he mustn't know about that, he doesn't love me, he probably never will."
"Maybe he does." Mokuba says, "You two are getting along much better. Maybe he did fall for you by now"
"Don't tell him." I order sternly. "He doesn't love me and I don't want to lose what little bond we finally managed to establish, not while he can't afford a place for himself and might be forced to stay in the mansion understood."
"Yeah." Mokuba mumbles unhappily, "But you should tell him latest if he really does move out at some point, possibly before he wants to move out just to move in with a chick or another guy. You two would make a great couple."
"Just promise me to not get involved," I tell him and he watches me or a moment before he nods unhappily. "Thanks Mokuba, trust me, it's better this way."
"I doubt it." He says, "But you two are old enough to figure that out on your own."
I look around and say, "Excuse me a moment." I can't see Joey and decide to check the room with the two pianos. And sure enough my suspicions are right, he's already in here and looks at it happily. He can't even have gotten all of his other presents yet. "I hope you like it." I say and smile at him.
He turns around and looks at me, strangely there is no smile on his face anymore though. "It's really nice."
"Is something wrong?" I ask him, "You look sad."
"I'm fine." He says, "The present is really great I absolutely love it."
I watch him move his hands over the keys. I just had it tuned after it was restored and got a fresh coat of paint. It's a little bit older but after being restored it should be a really good one. "It sounds fine." He mumbles.
"What's wrong with you?" I ask and walk closer, "And don't say your fine because you aren't."
He's quiet for the moment and I wait until he answers, by now I know that he sometimes needs a little until he knows how to phrase something. "Did ya know that Téa's in love with ya."
"No I didn't." I answer honestly wondering where that is coming from and what it has to do with the strange look on his face. "Neither do I care to be honest."
"So ya don't like her?" He asks.
"I hardly know her." I tell him, "But what little I did notice of her I find rather annoying. Why are you talking about it? Did she ask you to?"
"No, and I guess she'd be pissed if ya tell her I did." He says, "I got it from her diary."
"I thought you grew tired of that years ago." I say with a grin remembering her reaction when he talked about it.
"I did." He says, "But I still got curious every now and then."
"Did she write something about you too, or what is wrong with you now?" I ask hoping to finally find out what's wrong with him.
"No," He answers, "I just, I was wonderin' about somethin' after the present ya gave me."
"What about it?" I ask.
"Ya gave me keys for this place." He says and looks sad, "I mean, I thought I only had to stay till I'm 18."
Now I fear that I might be the one to look sad but I try to fight it. "That's right." I say, "You're free to go whenever you please."
"Do I have to go?" He asks to my surprise. "I mean I don't know where to."
I watch him and give another sigh, seems like I have to tell him. "I can organize something for you whenever you want to. But your also free to stay." I know that it's probably pointless to ad the later part since I doubt he'll want to stay. But I don't tell him everything in the hope that he'll decide to stay for now.
"I can't afford some place ya might get me." He points out.
"But I can." I say fighting to keep my poker face in place.
"Why are ya doin' all of that?" He asks. "Ya said ya had to help me since ya might lose Mokuba if ya don't but now ya don't have to. So why are ya still so nice to me."
"I told you." I say fighting the blush, "I like you."
He looks at me for a moment and then asks, "How much?"
I stare and think about my answer while he just looks at me until he looks like he's close to crying and says, "I mean, ya once called me your puppy and all, after ya heard that song and found out about me bein' in a bit of trouble. But after ya got me out of that and here ya noticed me less then ya might notice a street dog that ya helped out of charity or stuff." I stare at him, how on earth can he think that I like him that little but before I can say anything he continues, "I mean I know ya like me a little more now and all but, how much? Do ya really want me around or are ya just doin' it to hear me play, ya always say how selfish ya are even though I don't really think ya are that bad and all and, I just don't get it. I don't know if ya even want me around for my music or if ya wish I was gone already."
I just stare at him and think about what I can say now. I can hardly say that I love him, he'll run for the hills if I do but what else can I say. After I just stare for a moment he walks by me towards the door behind me and mumbles, "Whatever, I guess the others miss me already."
"I love you." I say just before he can walk out of the door. I know it's a mistake and I know that he'll leave me now but I can't let him stay this confused and course him sadness due to that. I hear him stop but he isn't saying anything so I continue. "I loved you all along. I just always knew that you don't. I understand if you rather not stay within my range, now that you know, but you don't need to worry. I prepared a place for you in case you wanted to leave. I just didn't say anything because I hoped you'd stay that way. Everything is paid for and I made sure that there will be some staff that will cook and clean for you and keep the fridge filled on my costs as long as you accept that, or probably rather, might need to accept it since you're currently not earning any money of your own. You shouldn't have to worry about that though. I will stay away from you if you wish, I just want to know that you're well and looked after, because I really do love you and want nothing more then your happiness."
It's hard to say all that even though I don't have to look at him since he's still behind me right in front of the door. After a moment I hear his footsteps coming towards me until he must be right behind me. "Seto." I hear him whisper and turn around in surprise. It's the first time he uses my given name. Even after playing the piano together and that way slowly getting closer to each other he has never once used my given name. Well, it's not like we ever did anything else together then, draw cakes, as he called it. I watch his face, his eyes shine with happiness while he looks at me and stares into my eyes. "Did ya really mean that? I mean, not the leavin' part but, that ya…ya know." He asks still smiling.
"Yes." I whisper surprised at his reaction but still not daring to hope that he might return my feelings by now. "I love you."
I just finish saying that when I feel his hands on both sides of my cheeks and his lips on mine so fast that I have hardly anytime to notice, never mind react. The kiss is short but right after that he hugs me and says, "Then ya can forget about gettin' rid of me." I stare at him for another moment but just get another kiss from him, this time longer and I can't stop myself from pullin' him even closer into my arms until Mokuba just walks into the room.
"Hey, where the hell…" He starts to say and we both stop the kiss and turn to look at him, I also drop my arms but his hands are still around me, "Sorry for the interruption, but the guests start to wonder where you two are, well, whatever, I tell them that you still need a moment."
"No don't." Joey insists, "I wanna get my presents." And then he's out of the door and Mokuba just looks at me.
"Did I miss something?" He asks me.
"I think I did." I say.
Mokuba just looks confused towards me and asks, "You kissed, so I guess you're together, aren't you?"
"Beats me." I say, "I told him that I love him. He didn't exactly leave me a choice since he was confused too why I helped him and wanted to know how much I like him and well, I had to say it."
"And what did he say?" Mokuba asks.
"He called me by my given name and kissed me." I reply. "Oh and he said that he would like to stay for a little longer and kissed me again but that's basically it."
"He kissed you so I'd say the case is solved." Mokuba says with a smile, "Or did you ever take Joey for one to hold a speech? He's a guy of action so he kisses someone when he loves him."
I can't help but smile but then say, "Either way, we should return to his party or people might wonder where we are."
"Fine." Mokuba says and we both return to the party.
Authors note: Thanks to Violet-Eclipse, dancing elf, SailorDeathMoon, sherabo, punkfluff and Raven6921 for the reviews.
Well, how sad we're getting closer to the end of this short tale of love. But next chapter you find out a little about Joey's feelings and thoughts and if he really does love him or if it was something else that overcame him like the little bit of bear he had on his party already.