Kaiba had already been long gone by the time Jonouchi had realized that he had left. He'd sort of spaced out somewhere around the time Kaiba had started inching away from their table, and without anyone around to keep his mind engaged, he'd started to drift.
The loud clinking of glass bottles into a bus bin brought Jonouchi back to his senses, and after rubbing his eyes and a few sharp slaps to his cheeks, he rose from the table and hobbled towards the entrance. Luckily, a cab was already waiting for him—Jonouchi recalled Kaiba saying something about calling one for him—and he was grateful that he didn't have to pester the restaurant staff with his presence any longer.
Practically falling into the backseat of the cab, Jonouchi gathered enough of his mental faculties to ramble out his address. He was so drunk that he didn't even feel embarrassed about it, and he made a mental note to tip the driver extra for having to dump him off at the less-than-desirable section of town past midnight. Hopefully when the time came, he'd remember.
The sway of the cab made him doze a little, his mind cycling back through the night's events. The food had been great, and the booze had been top-shelf. And although Jonouchi had been apprehensive going into the dinner, Yoshitaka and his associates had turned out to be interesting fellows. For his first official outing as a professional Duelist, it hadn't been so bad.
Even Kaiba had been on his best behavior—although he'd been largely introverted during dinner, on the whole, he had been less surly than usual and more tolerant of Jonouchi's company.
And even a bit amusing, especially when drunk.
Chuckling a bit to himself as he slumped against the cab door, Jonouchi was amazed that Kaiba had actually stayed behind to drink with him. He'd fully been expecting the other to blow him off as per norm, but Jonouchi was glad that events had turned out otherwise. He'd gotten to witness a side to Kaiba that was new, and for some peculiar reason, that had delighted Jonouchi.
Sharing drinks like that almost made it feel like they were brother-in-arms or something. Comrades. Surely a genuine friendship was on the horizon. Hell, Kaiba had even invited him over before he'd backtracked…
And wasn't that odd.
His mind started to focus in on the memory, gears slowly turning as he processed the last moments of their conversation.
"…Am I not worth your while?"
"Are you not busy tonight, then? You could come over…"
Kaiba had gone from complaining about Jonouchi and wanting to go home to asking Jonouchi to go home with him. And then Kaiba had rescinded the offer, as though he had had second thoughts about something.
"And do what?"
A little ball of anxiety began to twist in Jonouchi's gut.
"At least he made you pretty…"
"You aren't unattractive…"
"This is your fault."
"Are you a good investment for me?"
"I don't like you."
"-Never mind. It was a stupid suggestion."
Kaiba's constant staring. The way his simple statements could sometimes take on an alternate meaning. Jonouchi had always dismissed them, but… The pieces were beginning to fall into place as his mind pinpointed more anomalies.
"It's more a personal taste of mine, you could say…"
"…hopefully with clothes on the whole time, for your sake."
His eyes flew open. Shit. Had he just been propositioned?
And if that was true...then that must mean- Was Kaiba…
…Into guys?
It wasn't until two days had passed did Kaiba even consider contacting Jonouchi again. He could get over his own embarrassment; his pass had probably gone entirely unnoticed, as Jonouchi had been so drunk himself. Since then, it had also occurred to Kaiba that they didn't exactly bat for the same teams, so it wouldn't have been the sort of thing Jonouchi would have probably even understood. He doubted Jonouchi had taken Kaiba's behavior that night as really bad drunk flirting.
Shaking his head, Kaiba tried focusing on the information on his computer screen.
Mokuba was still away, and not having contacted him in several weeks wore on Kaiba's nerves. He was well-aware of how clever and smart his brother was, and at sixteen years old, he could nearly take care of himself. But still. The idea of him being completely alone without Kaiba around to help him, if the need presented itself, still bothered him.
Maybe Mokuba was right, though. When Kaiba thought about it, he had been alone by himself at that age and had survived without anyone's help. In fact, he'd nearly won the Battle City tournament and had saved Mokuba from countless lunatics at an age when most high schoolers' main worries centered around passing their entrance exams. Mokuba could probably take care of himself... He wasn't eleven anymore.
Still.
Sighing, Kaiba shoved himself away from the computer and closed his eyes as he crossed his arms against his chest. It would hurt—and be quite evident—for Mokuba to miss tomorrow's event. It was Kaiba Corporation's fifth anniversary since the company had been converted into a gaming giant, and the Board had insisted that Kaiba throw a party for their upper-level managers and investors at Kaiba Mansion. Naturally, Kaiba had initially protested—it wasn't like he opened up his house to just anyone, and it wasn't like he was the celebratory type, anyway. But it was an important milestone to recognize, and so he'd agreed only on the condition that the event be a fundraiser for the Domino At-Risk Youth Foundation. If he had to suffer through a night of schmoozing with people he didn't particularly care for, at least someone could benefit from it.
And maybe the price tag would be a deterrent.
Not likely. It was a selfish wish, but usually the more exclusive an event was made to be, the more people wanted in. It was human nature, and it would only make the fundraiser more successful, but it would also guarantee Kaiba a rather painful night of socialization in his own abode.
He would have to invite Jonouchi, though. Kaiba didn't particularly care to see him so soon after his faux pas, but it would look bad for KaibaCorp's first sponsored Duelist to be absent from such a visible event.
And Kaiba was honestly a little nervous about Jonouchi's presence around so many powerful and prominent businessmen. Sure, he'd done well with Yoshitaka's group, but they were nowhere near the level of those who would be attending tomorrow night, and they were a much more forgiving group, as well. If that fool said or did one wrong thing, no matter how small, it could cost millions and sour future deals.
Kaiba wasn't so sure he could trust Jonouchi that much. Jonouchi had to attend—that much was beyond argument. So Kaiba would just have to keep him on a very short leash in case he had to intervene or extinguish any fires. It meant spending the whole night in Jonouchi's company, and Kaiba wasn't so sure how he felt about that, but he knew how to be a professional and all the inconveniences entailed.
It had been his idea to sponsor Jonouchi, after all, and Kaiba knew he should have anticipated events like this. The plan has seemed sound at the time—get close enough to Jonouchi so that he could figure out just how the other had beaten him—but Kaiba had been sleep-deprived when he'd concocted the whole thing, so had it really been that smart? Now Jonouchi played an integral role in his company's future, and Kaiba was beginning to wonder whether a little revenge was worth all the trouble.
But then again, there was some sense of a power trip that came from telling the idiot what to do on a daily basis. Sure, having to watch over him during a party all night long would be a hassle and wear on Kaiba's nerves, but there was a kind of special satisfaction whenever Jonouchi bunched up his face before doing something he didn't want to do. And since his livelihood was now on the line, he didn't bite back as much, either.
Jonouchi was still a hot-head, though. Enough to keep Kaiba from getting bored of him, but it didn't lie easily with him, replaying the night at the bar and what could have transpired if Jonouchi hadn't gotten confused.
Kaiba had had a few one night stands in his short sex life after high school, but he didn't want to add the moron to his belt notches anytime soon.
Ever.
He would just have to remind himself of that once the alcohol hit him the next night. Everything seemed like a great idea after a few shots and a bottle of sake.
When Kaiba finally left his office, he wasn't surprised to find the entire household staff scurrying around, carrying and rearranging the furniture. He didn't bother himself to learn the finer points of entertaining; he had hired a real butler, after all. His staff could deal with handling the arrangements, and leaning against the bars of the giant staircase, he watched one of the maids position a huge bouquet of flowers.
The caterer would arrive for prep soon, too, and then there would be the small chamber ensemble coming in to test the acoustics in the ballroom. Kaiba hadn't been in there since he was a child, and dreading it immensely, he turned away to shut himself back in his room.
Gozaburo had enjoyed hosting. He liked showing off his money and pretending he had a sense of taste in all things European. It was like he was trying to push away his Japanese heritage, and for what reason, Kaiba didn't exactly know. Maybe because the country had never fully supported his business, and dealing with weapons carried a very negative stigma within the nation which had taken several years for Kaiba to turn around.
Hopefully the party would be successful. Isono was to give one more look over the final dinner menu before approving it, and the downstairs arrangements were almost finished. The pianist wouldn't arrive until the following night, but the cello and bass would be positioned the day before to ensure everything went smoothly.
There was already a finely-tuned Steinway grand piano in the ballroom. It was black and polished and while Kaiba could play a little, he largely ignored it.
Too many bad memories.
Time to face the inevitable, though. Kaiba stared at the number in his cell phone before finally punching dial and making a face. Jonouchi answered on the fourth ring.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Kaiba began flatly.
"Yes you are, don't even lie," responded Jonouchi dryly, "What is it?"
Kaiba rolled his eyes. "It's considered proper form to answer a call from one's employer by the second ring. Anyways," Kaiba paused. Time to reverse tactics. If they both kept up the attitude, Jonouchi would refuse out of sheer spite. "Are you busy tomorrow night?"
The line went silent for a few breaths.
"Well, if you aren't already, you will be. I need you at the Kaiba Mansion for a benefit party by eight o'clock. And I expect you to be fifteen minutes early, so don't be late. I have things to go over with you before guests arrive... Actually," interrupted Kaiba, as he thought over it before shaking his head and touching his forehead in mild irritation, "just get here by six and I'll brief you. Got it?"
"...Sure," Jonouchi finally said. He sounded a little grumpy, but Kaiba dismissed it. Jonouchi had all night and tomorrow morning to get over whatever was up his ass. "Dress code?"
"Since I'm sure you haven't had the suit from the other night dry cleaned, I'll have one ready for you here. So-"
"Don't be late. Yeah, I know."
"You might want to brush up on your formal event etiquette, too. Just a suggestion."
There was a noise like snorting on the other end of the line. "Any other suggestions?"
"Yes, in fact," Kaiba continued, his patience waning as he could tell that Jonouchi was just taking his call as a joke from the tone in his voice, "Get a haircut. Bye."
He hung up rudely before Jonouchi could make some clever little jibe.
Six o'clock the following night came faster than Kaiba anticipated. The morning had passed in a blur as the mansion was invaded by various workers. Kaiba largely avoided the bustle, having Isono orchestrate most of the details, but he'd occasionally had to step in and make final decisions.
By the time Jonouchi arrived on his motorcycle, Kaiba had changed into an all-black suit and skinny tie, hanging around the foyer impatiently as servants continued to rush by. The quiet sounds of the chamber ensemble warming up in the ballroom could be heard, as well as the sounds of Isono's deep voice barking orders to slacking staff members.
Hopefully nothing had burned down in the kitchen. Spoiled food was the last thing Kaiba needed at such a major business event.
"Yo," Jonouchi greeted easily as he kicked off his shoes by the front door. Apparently he was in a slightly better mood than the day before. "Hey, what are they doing with my bike?" he said distractedly as he watched a pair of groundskeepers cart the vehicle away.
"They're taking it around to the garage. You really think I'd allow that thing to be kept out in plain sight?
Jonouchi didn't reply, just watching the workers nervously before they disappeared around the corner. Kaiba snapped his fingers, bringing Jonouchi's attention back to the present. "Never mind that. We've got to make you presentable, and there's not a lot of time before people start showing up, so follow me."
Jonouchi frowned but did as directed. He lagged behind Kaiba, shuffling his feet in an obnoxious manner before slowly ascending the stairway up to the study where Kaiba routinely hid himself away. Once they were inside, Kaiba grabbed a bundle of clothes off his desk and shoved them onto Jonouchi's chest.
"Go get changed."
"I'm not going to do it in here with you watching me," answered Jonouchi with a snicker, "Even if you call me a girl for caring."
Kaiba felt his head pound sharply in his skull, and forcefully grabbing Jonouchi by the shoulders, he turned him around and pushed him towards the door.
"Go find another room, then. And be quick about it."
Jonouchi reemerged five minutes later, tugging at the stiff fabric of his sleeves. His collar was upturned, tie still in hand, and Kaiba almost smirked at the sight. "Forget how to tie a tie in two days?" he teased.
Pausing halfway to Kaiba's desk, Jonouchi shoved his hand forward in silent demand. A light flush rose on his cheeks at Kaiba's words. "This one's different. Slippery. I can't make it lay right."
This time, the smirk did reach Kaiba's lips, and he slowly strode over to Jonouchi. He took the tie from the other's hand, stepping closer to reach behind Jonouchi's neck and straighten out the upturned collar. Slipping the garment in place, Kaiba tied it with perfunctory ease, smoothing it into place before rearranging Jonouchi's collar. Jonouchi had kept his gaze up at the ceiling the entire time.
Stepping back a little, Kaiba crossed his arms and gave Jonouchi the once-over. The charcoal suit was slightly darker than Jonouchi's other one, giving him a more formal look without being overly stuffy. The light blue shirt and black tie combination looked surprisingly better on him than Kaiba had expected. Nodding, Kaiba brought a hand up and held his chin. "Turn around."
"What? Why?" Jonouchi snapped as he complied anyway.
The fit was good. Kaiba hadn't been able to get an American suit on such short notice, so he'd had to call his personal tailor to alter a Japanese one to the measurements of Jonouchi's light gray suit. "Okay. Now for your hair." Thankfully Jonouchi had followed his suggestion to get a haircut, but while the blond mop was shorter and less scraggly, it was still wild-looking.
Jonouchi gave him a quizzical look. "What about it?"
"The cut is fine, but it looks like a blind man tried to style it. Did you even look in the mirror before leaving home?" Kaiba remarked patiently.
"'Course I did," Jonouchi muttered, "but styling's for chicks."
Kaiba huffed, turning back to his desk and retrieving a small toiletry bag. "Come here."
Jonouchi slowly scooted over, staring at the bag apprehensively. Kaiba first took out a comb and brusquely ran it through Jonouchi's hair, eliciting a small string of curses from the latter. Ignoring them, Kaiba then unscrewed a small pot, scooped a reasonable amount of pomade out with his middle finger, then rubbed the product between his hands before attacking Jonouchi's hair. Jonouchi tensed up at the sudden close proximity, squeamishly breathing shallowly and hands fidgeting. Kaiba found the whole act absurd—what harm was a little product? Jonouchi was acting as if the goop was affecting his manliness or something equally asinine.
"Stop freaking out, I'm almost done," snorted Kaiba as he looked down briefly from his work, "I wouldn't have done this if you'd gotten your hair done correctly, like I had asked."
He received a low grumble in response. Jonouchi still stood rigidly, trying to occupy as little space as possible.
"Okay, that's as good as it's probably going to get," Kaiba said as he stepped back to give Jonouchi another once-over. "You look halfway decent now. Someone might even mistake you for some punk celebrity-type now that your hair isn't sticking up all over the place like a golden porcupine." Wiping his hands on a tissue, Kaiba took a seat behind his desk and motioned for Jonouchi to do the same.
"So, boss, what did you want to brief me on?" Jonouchi asked as he settled into one of the chairs across the way. The sight was becoming quite regular for Kaiba.
"There are a lot of important people coming to this function tonight," started Kaiba in a more stern voice, "and I need you to be on your best behavior. This isn't just for your sake, but mine as well. And although I'm sure you don't exactly like me, I hope you respect our business contract enough not to do something stupid or premature to tarnish Kaiba Corporation's name. Understand me?"
Jonouchi quirked an eyebrow, apparently taken aback by Kaiba's shift in tone. "I'm sure we've already been through this before, but it's not like I'm out to get you, Kaiba. You act like I can't control myself, but I'm not some dumb teenager anymore. Have a little faith."
"I'll have faith when you prove it to me first," Kaiba replied. "Now, some rules for the evening. You will address everyone in attendance with '-sama,' and that includes me. Don't make that face. You will remember to bow. You will use keigo. I don't care how stupid you think you may sound. Remember that you are not here to have fun; you are a representative of Kaiba Corporation, and these people—no matter how boring or insufferable they may seem—have a significant stake in the company. Do I make myself clear?"
He received a nod in reply, and to Kaiba's surprise, the look upon Jonouchi's face wasn't one of defiance, but...determination. A challenge accepted.
"I hate these parties just as much as you will," remarked Kaiba before he snorted and crossed his arms to relax in his seat more, "but they are essential for business, and just like you, I can't skip out on them just because they are unpleasant. Just be thankful it'll be over by midnight."
"I think I can manage four hours of pomp and circumstance," Jonouchi said lightly.
"Oh, and one more rule," Kaiba began. "You are to stay within my sight the entire night. I don't want you wandering off on your own. There will be a lot of people here, and I'll need to feed you information before you engage with any of them."
"So you want me glued to your hip," Jonouchi answered as his face fell, "like some child who can't walk a street alone? Geez, Kaiba, I'm not going to spill some embarrassing thing or offend someone just for saying hello..."
"It's not necessarily about you," Kaiba said with a wave of his hand, "You will soon discover that some of the people in attendance tonight are more...difficult...to deal with. You won't know any of them, and so you'll need some pointers as occasion arises. I'm not just going to throw you to the wolves."
Jonouchi appeared to have bit back a comment, his own arms crossing against his chest as he looked away. "Why would you want those kind of people in your business, then? They don't sound like good people to me."
"Because, Jonouchi," Kaiba started as he leaned back in his seat, "they are ridiculously wealthy. And in this world, money equals power and influence. They're not all bad, but unfortunately, just because someone has money doesn't always mean they have the brains suited for business. You'll learn the difference soon." Kaiba stared at Jonouchi again, all suited up and styled, and thought to hell with it—might as well let him know.
"There are also a few key investors who have the bad habit of trying to pick up young, attractive people at big parties like these ones," added Kaiba, "and since you don't know who these people are, you should spare yourself the embarrassment trying to navigate the social crowd alone. Understand me?"
Face paling, Jonouchi nodded once, jaw gone slack. "But wait...won't it be mostly men at this gathering? So you mean…"
"You sound so surprised."
"Of course I'm surprised!" Jonouchi nearly shouted before quieting down, "It's not like it's typical…" He gave Kaiba a strange look, and Kaiba found himself perturbed that he couldn't decipher it.
Closing his eyes and sighing, Kaiba laced his fingers and settled them upon his lap. "Well, get used to it—it's a lot more common than you'd think. But if it unsettles you so, you'll see why it's important for you to stay near me and not just venture out on your own. Because if you do, I'll be less sympathetic about saving your hide."
"So these men," Jonouchi continued, his shoulders dropping and spine arched like a cat's as he looked up at Kaiba's face, "they actually try picking up young dudes at these parties?"
"And the occasional woman who attends. They don't discriminate if they happen to find the person desirable, not even if the person came with someone else or if they're in a committed relationship. Age doesn't matter, and once the alcohol starts pouring, things can get messy, so don't drink too much tonight, either." Kaiba almost found Jonouchi's nervousness endearing. "I had to find out the hard way, so unless you want to be peeling some drunk old geezer off at the end of the night, you'll do as I say."
"Alright, fine." Jonouchi averted his gaze as his face scrunched up in distaste, "I don't think I'd mind some cougar trying to chase me down so much, though."
Kaiba snorted as he uncrossed his legs and sat forward. "Then I'll be sure to introduce you to Kitaki-san, and we'll see if you maintain the same impression later. She prefers them young." The Kitaki matriarch also happened to be a homely woman in her sixties with a large personality to match, but Kaiba decided to withhold that particular piece of information.
"Oh come on, I'm not a kid."
"You're old enough to be hers, if not her daughter's."
Jonouchi made a face.
Sighing, Kaiba rolled his eyes and crossed his legs again. "Just trust me, if you like older women, stick to your pal Kujaku Mai and don't even encourage the ladies here, because once you give them an ounce of attention, they'll be on you like leeches. I'm sure the majority of them haven't been laid in at least a decade..."
"Spare me the details," Jonouchi sighed. "Anything else, since apparently I'm some piece of fresh meat?"
"Just mind the rules, and you'll be fine." Rising from his seat, Kaiba smoothed out his suit and buttoned his jacket. "Our guests should be arriving shortly. Come with me."
True to form, once the alcohol started to flow, the social waters became more perilous to tread. Kaiba had endured an hour and a half of mindless mingling before his guests' inhibitions started to decline, volume increasing and personal space decreasing. Jonouchi had fared fairly well, all things considered, and had adhered to Kaiba's rules impeccably. And while he wasn't as fluid in social graces as Kaiba (who had eleven years of experience in these kinds of events), he had a rough kind of charm that people tended to excuse.
However, Kaiba was nowhere near letting Jonouchi off the leash.
Another hour passed much more slowly, and Kaiba just wanted to hole himself in a corner and drink the night away until everyone left, but that had the potential for all kinds of problems, so he suffered with a well-plastered smile instead. Jonouchi, for his part, seemed to be enjoying the night on the whole. Kaiba had been expecting him to need a warming-up period, but the other had dived right in. He was lively yet polite, just flirtatious enough to generate interest, but sometimes Kaiba wondered how much common sense Jonouchi really had up in his brain. Jonouchi was supposed to possess some kind of street smarts—he'd survived being in a gang, after all—but rather obvious things flew completely over his head.
Like Matsudaira rather obviously hitting on him.
The pass had been as subtle as a sledgehammer, but it had eluded Jonouchi altogether. He'd been somewhat confused when the old man had erupted into laughter—thankfully, Matsudaira's amusement only grew the more drunk he became—and perhaps that obliviousness was his saving grace. It wouldn't do to have Jonouchi clam up over something so small and potentially spoil the mood. Kaiba had kept his mouth shut and deftly wove Jonouchi away to the other side of the room.
At eleven o'clock, the party showed no signs of dying down. Kaiba felt drained, could feel the ache seeping into his bones, and simply wanted out. Two others had tried hitting on Jonouchi, and it seemed like the latter's radar was finally moving away from defunct. Kaiba could feel Jonouchi getting antsy—he'd started to fidget with his tie—and for the second time that night, decided to hell with it.
Scanning the room, Kaiba's eyes locked onto Isono's, and he gave the man one tacit nod. His bodyguard nodded in return, and Kaiba marched towards the back hallway, stopping to grab a bottle and two glasses off a drink cart.
Jonouchi followed behind him, a bit nonplussed but unquestioning. It wasn't until Kaiba had opened a set of heavy wooden doors and locked it behind them did Jonouchi open his mouth. "Uh...where are we?"
"This is my study," Kaiba replied, setting the bottle and glasses onto a side table. He unscrewed the cap and poured a small amount into each glass, holding one out to Jonouchi.
"I thought your study was the one upstairs," Jonouchi said as he accepted the offered glass. He sniffed it once and wrinkled his nose. "And what's this?"
Retrieving his own glass, Kaiba made his way to one of the leather couches at the center of his room and sat down heavily. "That's my office. I use it for work. This one's more for leisure." He gestured around to the walls lined with books. "And this is Scotch, but if you'd rather be patriotic, I'm sure I can scare up some sake around here."
"Nah, this is fine. I can handle any kind of booze."
Jonouchi swallowed it all at once like a champ. Eyes opening, Kaiba smirked and snorted before sipping his own. Well, if Jonouchi planned on getting smashed that evening, Kaiba wasn't going to stop him. The alcohol was already bought and paid for, and since they were no longer being hunted down by throes of people, Kaiba didn't have to be afraid of Jonouchi being the society party equivalent of jailbait.
Besides, he was feeling too relaxed and comfortable to care. His leather couch was soft, and he easily slipped into it, lying against one of the arms as he propped up his feet and closed his eyes. It was nice being mostly alone after several hours of playing host.
Never again.
He heard Jonouchi settle onto the couch across from him and the dull thud of a bottle set upon the table between them. There was a moment of silence, and then shifting, before Jonouchi spoke again. "So, um. What now?"
"I'm done entertaining," mumbled Kaiba as he waved his hand, "You can figure out the answer to that question yourself."
Jonouchi hummed in response, pouring himself another drink. This time he drank it slowly, and his eyes wandered around the room, taking in the scenery. "Not even going to close out your own party? That doesn't seem all that hospitable."
"They'll all be too drunk to realize I've disappeared. I'm just hoping in the morning, they'll remember they had a good time and I was the one who was responsible for making that happen. Isono will take care of things while I'm gone. He's good at it..."
Kaiba didn't know why Jonouchi would even care. He seemed just as ready to leave the drunk masses once the opportunity to escape presented itself.
"Besides, my head hurts. People talk too much..."
"I don't think the alcohol's going to help that," Jonouchi laughed as he took another sip. He set the glass upon the table and wiggled out of his jacket. "Ugh, much better."
"Are you done with the small talk now?" Kaiba pried an eye open before snorting, setting his glass down and crossing his legs at the ankles, "I could sleep right here without a problem."
"I guess there's nothing stopping you from doing that," Jonouchi replied, "Although, if I'm gonna be stuck in here with you until who knows when, isn't there something we could do?"
"There are books all over this room," sighed Kaiba, "If you're bored silly, it won't kill you to try reading for once in your life. God knows you need some culture."
Making a face, Jonouchi stated, "I think I've had enough culture for one night." He shifted forward, sifting through the large books stacked on the table before carefully picking up a marble playing piece. "What about this? You're pretty good at this, right—chess, or whatever?"
"That game's too smart for you."
Jonouchi rolled his eyes as he turned the horse head around in his hands. "Don't be a dick. It's one of the most basic strategy games, right? So wouldn't knowing something about it help me with dueling?"
"It could help," offered Kaiba. He got up and stretched his limbs, sighing before sitting fully upright and looking over the chessboard. "I'm too drunk to have the patience to teach you right now," muttered Kaiba, "Do you already know how to play?"
"Yugi taught me a little, but it's been a long time since I've played." Jonouchi set the piece down back in its place. "I'm sure after a while, it'll all come back to me."
"Time to test that theory, then."
Kaiba placed his fingers on a pawn before moving it one space. He looked up at Jonouchi with a smirk as he waited for him to play. "Just so you know, I once beat a world champion of chess at ten years of age. Don't feel too bad if you don't win tonight."
"Don't worry, I'll just pass it off as going easy on the drunk guy in the room." Jonouchi hovered a finger over his front row of figures before finally scooting a pawn two spaces forward.
They went at the game for a good two or three minutes, Jonouchi seeming rather confident in his abilities, before Kaiba slyly got his queen across the board and knocked out Jonouchi's king. It seemed to come out of nowhere, and too drunk to be a good sport, Kaiba literally knocked Jonouchi's king to the floor.
"Another game?" he laughed before lying back on the couch again, "I could literally play this all night, half-asleep, you know."
"Fine," Jonouchi growled, setting the pieces back into place.
"The king goes on the other side," Kaiba observed lazily, to which Jonouchi replied with a snappy "Shut it," which only made Kaiba more amused.
"I was just thinking...where are you going to crash tonight, since you obviously can't drive that death bike of yours home in your condition?" Kaiba didn't like the idea of having Jonouchi of all people over at his house, but since he was invested in him staying alive, it would be best and more logical than sending him away to some hotel. Jonouchi would probably get offended by that, anyways. Especially since Kaiba Mansion had several empty bedrooms. "I'm sure some millionaire here wouldn't mind having you over for the night, either. I could ask for takers."
"Thanks, but I'm not some call girl," Jonouchi said with just a bit of venom. He leaned forward, finishing his reassembly of the game, and refilled his and Kaiba's glasses. "Actually, I hadn't given it much thought… Can't I just stay here? It's not like you have much regular occupancy."
"Sure. I guess the floor is always available."
Kaiba tapped it with his foot for emphasis before taking another drink to his lips and smirking.
"Cute. Your turn." Jonouchi nudged the board forward.
Kaiba complied and was mildly impressed when Jonouchi managed to last five minutes this time around. But Jonouchi still hadn't seen Kaiba's bishop stealthily making its way across the board, and soon enough, Kaiba had him in checkmate. "Like I said, don't feel too badly about yourself."
Jonouchi sighed and leaned back in his seat, the large cushions cocooning him. "Fine, I give up. I obviously need more practice before going up against you." He eyed Kaiba then, and it was that same strange assessment that Kaiba couldn't figure out.
"I did kind of tell you that beforehand, you dolt-"
"Are you into guys?" The words seemed to tumble out of Jonouchi's mouth before he realized he'd said anything.
Kaiba paused, his face draining a little before he cocked an eyebrow and began to laugh, "What a random thing to bring up after a game of chess..."
The deflection didn't seem to work, and Jonouchi, to his credit, didn't seem all that embarrassed over his abrupt, invasive question. At least on the surface. "Are you?"
"Are you asking if I'm a homosexual?" asked Kaiba as he fought back another snicker, "Then yes, if you must know. And before you get all frantic over that fact, no, your stupid ass isn't on the menu, so don't worry your pretty head over it."
The last thing he wanted was for Jonouchi to start acting strange over something so silly. It wasn't like Kaiba announced his sexual preferences, but he had enough sexual experiences under his belt to know what he liked and didn't like. And unlike some men in his motherland, he wasn't going to torture himself with a girlfriend for acceptance.
Jonouchi blinked, mouth slightly agape. "I can't believe you'd just outright admit that." He shook his head a little, nervous laughter bubbling up in his chest. "I mean, I thought- What's so good about guys, anyway? Man, is everyone in this business a homo?" Apparently tact was another thing that was escaping Jonouchi.
"No. Just some people, and maybe you're just socially retarded, but there are plenty of non-heterosexual people outside the business world, but you don't pay attention to anything beyond your own life experiences. I have no reason to care what you think about me, while I'm sure most people would rather keep their preferences private, since it isn't exactly tolerated in this country..."
Kaiba wasn't even going to begin talking about why he liked men over women. It wasn't any of Jonouchi's business or concern, and he didn't feel like dealing with what would no doubt be more confusion and disbelief.
"Are you done?"
Jonouchi was sitting upright now, and he was beginning to fidget yet again. "Don't you just find it—I dunno—weird?"
"No."
"Ah, c'mon, man—how am I supposed to understand anything if you just clam up on me?" He was flicking around the tail of his tie like a pendulum.
"It's not something for you to understand," replied Kaiba, "and I'm not in the mood to be laughed at, anyways."
The flickering stopped. "I wouldn't laugh." And then it started up again. Kaiba wanted to strangle him with it.
"Yes, you would." Closing his eyes, Kaiba crossed his legs and sighed again, "I've dealt with enough close-minded straight men to know. Or worse, the man who's in denial and needs to shout his super masculinity from the rooftops because he's afraid that he'll catch the gay. Going on and on about how straight he is, since he's not as confident in his own sexuality as he thinks... I'm too drunk to talk about this right now."
"Psh, I'm confident enough," Jonouchi asserted, knocking back the remaining Scotch in his glass. "Try me."
"Okay, fine."
Snorting, Kaiba moved closer until he could rest his palms on the coffee table in front of them, grinning ear to ear.
"I dare you to kiss me. Since you don't like men, it shouldn't bother you in the least, right?"
It was Jonouchi's turn to pale, and Kaiba almost smirked in self-satisfaction, but then Jonouchi was leaning forward hesitantly, a red flush trailing up his neck. Jonouchi hovered close to Kaiba's face, the space between their noses palpable, and Kaiba almost laughed over how much Jonouchi stalled, like he was thinking of bailing out... And then he felt a ghost of lips upon his own, too quick to really be considered a kiss, and then Jonouchi had leaned back just as quickly.
"I barely felt anything," Kaiba laughed as Jonouchi's face grew even more red and his eyebrows furrowed in frustration, "You wouldn't kiss a girl like that, would you?"
"It totally counted," Jonouchi retorted, blowing bangs out of his face. "Anyways, it's too hard to do anything with this table here. So if you're expecting a re-do, you'd better get over here."
Rolling his eyes, Kaiba moved to where Jonouchi was sitting. He sat on the edge, unsure if he should take Jonouchi seriously or not. He seemed rather determined, but then again, he was a bit of an idiot. It wouldn't surprise Kaiba if he finally balked.
Turning towards Kaiba, Jonouchi folded a leg up on the couch and licked his lips. Kaiba snorted but went along with Jonouchi's request to close his eyes, and then there was yet again the tentative weight of lips upon lips. It was soft, but nowhere near the kind of kiss that got hearts racing.
"Still unimpressed. Don't tell me you suck at this, as well," Kaiba said dryly.
"What the fuck!" Jonouchi breathed through his nose loudly, running a hand through his hair. "Whatever, close your eyes again, you ass."
This time Kaiba took the initiative, reaching a hand out behind Jonouchi's head and pulling him close. Jonouchi froze a little, but Kaiba still kissed him thoroughly, smiling deviously as they broke apart. "Take that as a pointer." He could see the fire of competition burning in Jonouchi's eyes, and Kaiba wondered briefly about what he had started, but he brushed the thought away. Really, he was far too drunk to care.
Jonouchi inched closer, their knees now touching. He—rather boldly, Kaiba noted—cupped Kaiba's face with both hands and drew them together, the kiss less experimental and more searching. It was strange how they had been drinking the same thing, yet the Scotch tasted different on Jonouchi's tongue—strange, really, how they were in his study together and seemingly making out like a pair of teenagers.
And for the third time that night, Kaiba found himself saying to hell with it.
He lost himself in the sensations of unfamiliar lips and short, quickening breaths. Jonouchi was practically sitting in his lap by that point, hands never leaving the vicinity of Kaiba's face or neck, while Kaiba's had taken on a life of their own, lightly exploring.
But when Kaiba's fingers had fluttered over Jonouchi's chest and registered the rapid pulse through the fabric of his shirt, Kaiba's mind suddenly reignited, slamming him back into the present.
This was supposed to have been just a game. He hadn't even expected Jonouchi to have the balls to call his bluff.
What the hell were they doing?
And a more pressing, sinking question—why was he enjoying it so much?
Before he could answer that question, there was sudden, loud knocking on the door. Jonouchi nearly fell off the couch, but Kaiba was steady enough to get some composure before approaching the door. He quickly tried readjusting his jacket and fixing his hair, but he knew it wouldn't be much use. Anyone with half a brain would be able to tell what he'd been doing if they saw a glimpse of Jonouchi in the background.
Opening the door, though, Kaiba was relieved to just find Isono there.
"The majority of your guests have departed, sir," Isono informed him quickly, "and I have been escorting the rest back to their vehicles." Or more like, from Kaiba's past memories, herding the drunken hordes back to their unfortunate drivers. Hopefully they'd be tipped well for their patience. "Would you like security to make a total sweep of the mansion for anyone who has drifted from the party, Seto-sama?"
Kaiba nodded his head, eyeing outside the door and watching a handful of his security "leading" one drunk fellow out of the foyer before he spoke up, "Yes. And make sure you do at least three sweeps of the entire grounds before giving the all-clear. I don't want any surprises tomorrow."
Kaiba had had enough assassination attempts for one lifetime.
Isono didn't object. He bowed before closing the door, and turning back to the middle of the room, Kaiba realized very quickly where he'd be spending the night. The entire mansion wouldn't be safe from his paranoia until Isono was done, and that would take several hours. Kaiba wouldn't feel comfortable being vulnerable in his bedroom until then.
"Hear that, Jonouchi?" Kaiba announced as he collapsed back on the couch, carefully avoiding eye contact, "Sounds like we'll be having a sleepover."
Jonouchi still appeared rather dazed, and it took him a few seconds and shaking his head before he said, "Huh? Oh. Right." He was absently tugging at his tie, but the more he struggled, the tighter it became. His neck was still distinctly flushed.
"Also," Kaiba instructed before turning away to go into a closet near his bookcase, "do not sleep in my suit."
That seemed to snap him out of it. "Um, then what am I supposed to sleep in? Unless this is just some ploy to see me half-naked again…"
"Don't flatter yourself, Jonouchi, you're not that good-looking," Kaiba snorted, grabbing a handful of blankets and throwing them towards the blond's direction before speaking up again, "Besides, you should be wearing some sort of undershirt, and I'm not telling you to take off your underwear. Unless you want to."
He smirked at that, giving a wink, but it was all for the purpose of making Jonouchi even more uncomfortable...
"I'm going to get undressed, whether you want to look or not."
"Feh. As if," Jonouchi retorted, finally gaining some leverage on the tie. To Kaiba's great amusement, Jonouchi had made a big show about turning away from him, hastily stripping out of his shirt and pants before gathering a bunch of the blankets and burrowing himself in them on the couch. He was acting like a big baby, and Kaiba briefly contemplated how Jonouchi could flip from one extreme of physicality to the other in a matter of minutes.
"What," teased Kaiba, as he pulled off his jacket and started unbuttoning his dress shirt, "no goodnight kiss?"
Jonouchi popped his head out from under his mound of blankets to stare aghast at Kaiba. And then he scowled, turning away. "I ain't falling for that again. I think you got more than enough, already."
"You didn't fall for anything, sour face," answered Kaiba flatly, "You said you didn't feel threatened by kissing me and did it all by yourself—twice—and you took your damn time before Isono started banging on the door."
Not that Kaiba had minded much at the time. He wished he had. When Jonouchi actually took the reins and was serious about it, he was a pretty damn good kisser. His lips were soft but his movements were a bit rough, and Kaiba liked how he tasted. Maybe it was the fact that he hadn't gotten laid in so many months that the sudden physical contact had him bothered.
Kaiba sighed. "Don't let it get to your head; you'll get over it..."
The response was muffled from under thick layers of cloth: "Oh, I'm over it."
"If that was the case, you wouldn't be hiding under that blanket, shy boy..."
But Kaiba knew he wasn't going to get anywhere with Jonouchi until his embarrassment wore off. He was stubborn and childish, and Kaiba didn't have the patience or willpower (especially while intoxicated) to deal with it. All he could do was snort before finishing undressing himself and lying on his couch to get some sleep.