Blurry

by Lethe Seraph

Chapter Four: Watched (and all you gave were lies)

Author's (rambling) Notes that Can be Skipped without Great Consequence

Listening to: an assortment of video game remixes and anime themes

Pros: The variety in the music keeps me from becoming bored or stuck in a rut.

Cons: The variety in the music is distracting at times. :laughs:

(This chapter is short, fragmented, and more of a lead-in to future events than anything. I'm so sorry. :cries:)

(Next chapter: Kaiba's point of view? Or back to Yugi? Time will tell.)

Wow, it's been a while!

Hehe, sorry. I'm sure you're all tired of excuses by now. But, hey, summer's here! School's out! Even if it's only for a few more weeks.

I'm sorry if my writing style has changed any in my absence. I can only hope that it's for the better. Of course, if the change was brought on by a lack of practice … oh, I'm so sorry. I love you. You make the fog lift on a gloomy day.

Na no da.

End (rambling) Notes (did you skip?)

"Hi, um, excuse me."

"Yes?" said the young woman behind the counter politely, looking up from her magazine.

"Uh, um, the doc said my glasses would be in today-"

"Oh, let me see what I can do for you." She smiled and began shuffling through a drawer. "What's your name?"

"Er," said Jou, looking around the room furtively before continuing. "Jonouchi Katsuya."

"Yup, we have you right here! Jonouchi Katsuya. Here are your new glasses, with complementary case and cleaning fluid. Take good care of them, now."

"Thanks. Will do."

"If you have any questions, feel free to call." She sat back down and waved him off.

My first pair of glasses. Jou opened the case once he was at home. They were slim, small, and rectangular. He had thought that they looked cool when he first saw them, but now he wasn't so sure.

He put them on, blinking a few times as the room became eerily focused. "Whoa," he murmured. Yuug was right. "Mirror, mirror… God, I look weird." It would probably just take some getting used to. Yeah.

Just some getting used to.

"HOLY CRAP! JOU, IS THAT YOU?!" Honda burst into laughter, pounding his desk. "That's so freakin' weird!"

"Honda, stop that," admonished Anzu, swatting ineffectually at his head. "I think that Jou looks handsome."

"And intelligent!" added Yugi.

For some reason, Honda began to laugh harder.

"Quit it, you guys," groaned Jou, sitting at his desk and promptly burying his face in his hands. He had been getting funny looks all morning. Jeez. You'd think that people had never seen a guy in glasses before.

…Speaking of funny looks-

"Dammit!"

"Huh?" said Yugi.

"Don't look now," Jou whispered. "I think Kaiba was staring at me again."

Almost as one, Honda's, Anzu's, and Yugi's heads turned in Kaiba's direction.

Jou smacked his forehead.

Kaiba, who had indeed been looking somewhere in their general vicinity at the time, gave Yugi a slight nod before looking away.

"That's pretty weird," said Honda.

"I told you he was!"

"Well, he has a good reason today," argued Anzu. "Everyone's looking at you."

"Why can't they just leave me alone?" Jou grumbled. "It's not that weird!"

"It is for you," said Honda. "You're the last guy they'd expect to see in glasses."

"Thanks," said Jou. "Thanks a lot."

"Any time, bud."

And then the bell rang, class began, and the students' attention subsided.

…He wished.

They were still staring.

Halfway through the day, and for some reason, the other students hadn't had their fill of Jou yet. Every time he turned his head, five others would rapidly turn away. What, was it that unnatural? Jou miserably set his lunch aside. He had, halfway through the break, relegated himself to the rooftop, and his friends had quickly joined him.

"Is it really that bad?" muttered Jou.

"No, not at all," said Yugi, reassuring as always. "They'll get over it. It's just strange, is all."

"But nobody paid this much attention to that girl who got a mohawk, or the dude who dyed his uniform, or-"

"I talked to some of my girlfriends between classes," interrupted Anzu. "They think you're hot."

"…Whoa." Hold the phone. "Say what?"

"They think he's hot?" said Honda, jaw dropping.

"Ew, close your mouth and chew!" cried Anzu. "Gross!"

"They think I'm hot?" echoed Jou.

"Yeah. Seems you've been elevated to 'second-to-Otogi'. And that's a pretty big step," added Anzu.

Jou pouted. "Hey, I'm better than that piece of-" Yugi coughed and glared at him pointedly. "-eye candy!"

"Good save, man," Honda whispered, grinning.

"I heard that, Honda," said Yugi dangerously.

…Well, as dangerously as Yugi could get, anyway. Which was about as dangerous as Honda before seven A.M. – that was to say, nonfunctional.

"Anyway, I don't get it. What's so different about me now that I have glasses? It's not like my personality has changed at all," Jou grumbled. "Or my brains."

"Too bad," said Anzu.

"Hey. Hush, you." Jou brandished a chicken nugget at her. "Or I'll brain ya."

"Ouuuuuuch!" cried Honda, clutching his head. "Not the puns! Not the puns!"

--

Blocking the doorway after school.

"Watching me again. What's up with you, Kaiba?" Jou began bluntly.

Kaiba sighed and raised his briefcase. "I have a meeting in ten minutes. Let me by."

"No," said Jou. "You were watching me. Again. And don't give me that 'who said I was watching you' crap!"

"If a teacher came, he or she might assume that you were trying to extricate money or favors from me," pointed Kaiba.

"I don't give a damn. I want an answer, Kaiba."

"I am a paranoid CEO," said Kaiba. "You can't expect my eyes to remain focused in one area."

"But they were!" argued Jou. "You were staring at me! Even my friends saw you!"

"I happened to be looking in your direction at the time. That does not mean that I was staring at you." Kaiba took a step forward. "You shouldn't be so full of yourself, mutt."

Jou's breath hitched. He struggled to remain his ground.

But, damn, he didn't want Kaiba doing that pinky thing to him again!

"Kaiba, I'm not going to hurt you, okay? I just want to know."

"I am going to hurt you if you don't get out of my way, and I don't want you to know. All right?" Kaiba grabbed Jou's hand and pulled it close to him, dragging the rest of Jou along.

Jou's synapses fired. "Ah, so there's something that you don't want me to know! You were looking!"

"There are a lot of things that I don't want you – that I don't want people like you to know," sneered Kaiba, putting the smallest amount of pressure on Jou's little finger.

Oh, crap.

Can't back down now.

"So," said Jou, "I guess since you were staring at me, you noticed that I wear glasses now."

"Dogs look odd in glasses," said Kaiba, before he noticed the trap. "I was not staring at you. Get the idea out of your head."

Jou smirked. "Aha," he said.

"You can't expect me to fall for something like that," said Kaiba with a small, irritated sigh.

"You almost did!" said Jou brightly.

"I don't have time to waste on you," was Kaiba's final remark before he gave Jou's pinky a last sharp squeeze – shit! – and brushed past.

"I'll get you, Kaiba! You'll see! I'll get you!" Jou yelled after him.

It sounded lame even to his ears.

It was just a ploy to get on Jou's nerves again. That was all it could be.

But Kaiba wouldn't do that. He just irritated Jou naturally. Right?

Not quite right, Jou decided, giving his glasses a last final sweep with the cleaning cloth. Kaiba tailored his comments when Jou was around. Mutt this, mutt that, look! The dog can sit and shake! He knew just how to get inside Jou's skin.

…Get inside Jou's skin.

If Kaiba really was staring at him – and Jou was sure he was – wasn't that some kind of sign of interest?

What kind of interest?

Jou shook his head. No way. No way in a million years. Kaiba was way above him, not that Jou would ever admit it. The guy was attractive and successful, if a bit lacking in the personality department. When Kaiba finally did go after someone, he would get himself the girl most likely to advance his position.

That didn't seem quite right.

Jou frowned. He couldn't really imagine Kaiba flirting with anyone at all. It would be like a business proposition. And it wouldn't be a hot chick, either. Kaiba would probably want someone who wouldn't annoy the hell out of him. Sit quietly in a corner or whatever while he typed up his fancy deals.

That didn't seem right, either.

Kaiba would want someone different. Someone who would keep life interesting, with a functional mind. Maybe?

Oh, hell, Jou couldn't imagine it at all. He flopped backwards onto his bed. Even when Kaiba wasn't near him, he still managed to get on Jou's nerves.

Stupid Kaiba.

Like he'd ever have a crush on a jerk like that.