When Kaiba awoke the next morning, he was glad for once that it was the weekend. While Saturday still meant work for him on a normal schedule, he'd requested Eguchi not to schedule him for anything for this particular one. Kaiba Corporation was throwing a launch party for the release of their newest video game, and Kaiba didn't want to deal with the hassle of going to work in the day only to have to face the draining prospect of professional socializing at night.
Jonouchi had left earlier in the morning, mumbling something about his apartment, but Kaiba had been too groggy to really comprehend anything at the time. He'd gotten a text message later about it, so at least it didn't seem like Jonouchi was avoiding him again.
Kaiba really hoped Jonouchi wouldn't become overly prickly about their relationship, given their latest massive failure. The previous night had left him frustrated and confused; Jonouchi always made a big deal out of nothing. It wasn't like he'd ever left Jonouchi unsatisfied while in bed, so what was the problem with how they had sex? It was like Jonouchi only wanted to prove some stupid point, not that he wanted the experience or the opportunity to try to pleasure Kaiba in a more proactive way. The whole matter made Kaiba feel uncomfortable, and another major mishap so close after how badly their previous week-long fight had ended only unsettled Kaiba further.
Despite everything, though, Jonouchi had remained at the mansion the entire past week, so that was something at the very least. It was due mostly to practicality, Kaiba reasoned, but Jonouchi could've always stayed at Yugi's or Honda's once again, or speeded up the move-in process to his new place. That he had chosen to stay with Kaiba helped to quell his lingering anxiety, but just barely. He wondered if he and Jonouchi would always be caught in a cycle of misunderstandings - they were like puzzle pieces turned the wrong way: misaligned, but with the potential to connect. They just needed to find the right direction, Kaiba was sure of it.
Deciding to skip breakfast, Kaiba took advantage of his quiet morning to get some work out of the way before the night's big event. Plodding through mindless paperwork wasn't exactly his idea of fun, but it was meditative - almost therapeutic - in its own way. Kaiba lost himself in it for a few hours before it became too monotonous and he finally started to feel the first pangs of hunger.
He was, quite honestly, a bit bored. Emerging from his office, he stole some fruit and a sandwich from the kitchen before retreating to his basement workspace. No one seemed to be home, and if they were, they hadn't made their presence known, so Kaiba decided to spend this rare commodity on tinkering with some personal projects he'd neglected for too long. Being a businessman and leading a company was something he'd been trained to do, but Kaiba was an inventor at heart - it's what came naturally to him, perhaps was even his true calling, and he didn't want to lose that connection.
Kaiba Corporation was the fulfillment of his dream. It paid the bills and afforded him and his brother the comfortable lifestyle they struggled to obtain. But deep down, Kaiba felt compelled to create. Perhaps it was their mother's influence.
Kaiba couldn't tell how long he'd spent in the windowless room, but when he heard the door at the top of the stairs creak open, he'd accumulated a small sea of drafting papers, multicolored wires threaded through multiple breadboards, and an array of tools in front of him.
"Nii-sama," called out Mokuba through the crack, "may I speak to you for a moment?"
Mokuba's hesitancy made Kaiba pause mid-scribble. Usually the kid just bounded in wherever. "Sure, do you want to come down here, or do I need to come up?"
Opening the door completely, Mokuba bounded into the room, finding an empty chair to drag in front of where his brother was sitting.
"The exams are next month," he explained, drumming his finger tips on his knees before pausing again, "and I know I'm going to do well, but I don't want to go to college here in Japan. I want to go overseas."
Dropping his pencil entirely, Kaiba turned towards his brother, crossing his legs and folding his hands in his lap. "What brings this on?"
"Nothing," Mokuba answered honestly, "I just thought I should tell you. I really want to go back to California. I'm almost an adult now, and I was hoping you'd be alright with that. There are good schools there, and I could help the company better by being where you can't watch."
Kaiba could feel the frown tugging at the edge of his mouth, but he fought to keep his expression neutral. It wasn't a bad idea. And it was a silly notion to think that they would always be together; of course, Mokuba had his own wishes and desires. His own ambitions. But Kaiba felt like a father in many ways, and the idea of his baby brother leaving home made him feel achingly lonely. "When would you leave? The American school system doesn't begin until August."
"When I'm done with school here, of course," laughed Mokuba. "I just wanted you to support me. I'm going to start applying to schools as soon as possible. It's too late to transfer now, since I'm already so far into the semester, but during the summer, I want to go back. You and Jonouchi could come with me to visit."
Sitting back, Kaiba studied his brother. Mokuba was getting taller and taller, his proportions starting to fill out. He had an easy, confident countenance. When had the time passed by? He sighed a little, a small smile spreading on his lips. "If that's what you want, then of course I'll support you. I know you're not really asking for my permission, but thank you for telling me, anyway."
He remembered how awful it felt when Mokuba had just up and left without warning. He had departed in anger, leaving Kaiba to worry by himself. But this time would be different. Kaiba would have the time to prepare himself, to anticipate the empty nest. To let go.
Besides, he wouldn't be completely alone afterwards this time, either.
"I didn't want my intentions to be a surprise," told Mokuba, "you deserve better than that from me. I am really appreciative of everything you've done for me, Nii-sama. I don't want you to think me leaving home is me trying to run away from you. Things might sometimes be difficult between us, but we will always be brothers, right?"
"Right," Kaiba agreed, "nothing will change that." He reached over and ruffled Mokuba's hair, earning a tiny squeal for his efforts. "So have you thought about which colleges you want to apply to?"
"Yes, but I am still making a list. I'll show you when I'm finished with my research. I've been too busy preparing for tonight's party to really think too hard about it yet," explained Mokuba, "but I know I want to study on the west coast. I like it there. Tomorrow I can put more thought into schools, okay Nii-sama?"
"Sure." Kaiba glanced down at his watch: somehow it was already almost four o'clock; the party would begin in only three hours' time. "We better start getting ready, though - it would be unprofessional for the hosts to arrive late to their own event."
Mokuba smirked before turning to run out of the room. Kaiba could only smile back a little; he felt a little sad realizing that the kid would be leaving by next year, but it was supposed to be like that. Children grew up and left their homes. Mokuba had a good chance at success by going off on his own and relying on himself, which was more than what most teenagers in their country got, thanks to the shitty economy. It was selfish to hold him back because Kaiba didn't want to let go.
It would be difficult not having him around, though. No one else understood Kaiba so well, it seemed, and Mokuba was the only person Kaiba seemed to have an unspoken connection with. He'd hoped he could one day say the same for Jonouchi, but things just kept getting in the way. There was a disconnect, and Kaiba wasn't sure sometimes if Jonouchi even wanted him like that to begin with.
He didn't like the feeling of uncertainty. It was a foreign sensation, and Kaiba tried to keep it as far away from his life as possible. Kaiba lived his life by equations and patterns, reactions born of cause and effect. Jonouchi seemed to defy everything.
It would be more bearable if he would give Kaiba just one inkling as to his true intentions, but everything about their relationship remained jumbled as long as Jonouchi kept wavering. Deciding. Whatever it was that was going on in his head. But Jonouchi was choosing to remain a prisoner of convention, and Kaiba didn't hold the keys to release him. Jonouchi did; he just couldn't see that yet.
Determined not to get all dispirited on Mokuba's big night, Kaiba pushed himself away from his workspace, neatly rearranging his stacks of diagrams, and carried himself back to his room to start getting ready. Midway through, he received another message from Jonouchi, saying he would meet up with the brothers at headquarters. Tossing his phone onto his bed, Kaiba wondered what Jonouchi had gotten into that would have kept him from returning home, but he decided not to think too hard over it. At least Jonouchi had thought to tell him at all, and that was a start.
He really had to stop thinking of the mansion as their "home."
At quarter-past six, Kaiba and Mokuba piled into his Ferrari and sped over to Kaiba Corporation. While Kaiba was proud of Mokuba's achievement - according to every projection, the game was sure to be a holiday bestseller - he wasn't thrilled about spending yet another Saturday night mingling with Domino's elite. It was a necessary evil to keep his investors and partners happy, and it was a good way to reward the project and marketing teams for their efforts. But all the same, Kaiba found the events tedious at best. At least this one, his presence wouldn't be required the entire night - after all, no one really wanted to party while their boss was lingering around, and Kaiba was more than willing to accommodate.
He would get to spend the evening with Jonouchi, though, which was something Kaiba was looking forward to. They hadn't really had the opportunity to spend time together since their fight (and the one before that), and while half of that was Kaiba's doing for giving Jonouchi his desired space, Kaiba admitted to himself that he missed the companionship. Hopefully Jonouchi wouldn't run off and do his social butterfly act all night, but even if he did, there wasn't much Kaiba could do about it. There wasn't much point in keeping him on the proverbial short leash any longer - Jonouchi knew how to conduct himself at these events, and Kaiba demanding that he stay close would only make Jonouchi resent him.
They already had enough of that to fix.
As soon as they arrived at headquarters, Mokuba burst out of the car and dove into the festivities. Several conference rooms had been combined into one large ballroom, the space transformed by darkness and neon lights, smoke, and projections. It was like walking into some futuristic arcade, and Kaiba at once knew how involved his brother had been with the planning. Guess he was actually doing something productive during all those days he skipped class, Kaiba surmised with a grin.
People weren't strolling in yet. The design team was making last minute touches and Isono ushered Kaiba away when he sneaked a look. Apparently he wasn't welcomed yet, and frowning, he left the room and went into the elevator to amuse himself some other way.
There was still a lot of time before the night would kick off. Somehow, Kaiba would have to try and put on a good show for his company before eventually sneaking off. People expected him to have a good time (at his own party, after all) and although he'd be disappearing early, the investors would probably want to talk to him, along with any press and media that was invited to attend.
At least most of his own employees would be too intimidated to approach him. Kaiba didn't have to deal with too many social climbers and yes men thanks to his rough persona, and stopping short of his own floor, Kaiba left the elevator before his body just went along down the hallway out of memory.
He didn't know why he was going to Jonouchi's office. It was unlikely that the man would even be there, but Jonouchi had said he'd meet them there and if he wasn't watching the decorating, then there wasn't too many other places he could be.
Opening the door quietly, Kaiba peered into Jonouchi's office. Unexpectedly, Jonouchi was standing to the back of the room, facing the wall as he spoke loudly into a cell phone in his ear. He was completely unaware of Kaiba's presence, and while Kaiba was completely aware of how rude he was being, he couldn't help but eavesdrop.
"Yes, I got your letters, Okaa-san- I already gave that much to you a month ago, there's no reason that you'd need more. Yes, I understand Shizuka's tuition is expensive, but I can't afford that much... Yeah, yeah, I get that. But I don't remember you helping me much when I needed money for school, and I had to even go so far as to steal clothes or else I was going to go without any... No, I'm not looking for your pity, Okaa-san, just some understanding."
Jonouchi was silent for a moment, nodding his head and tapping his foot before his voice broke out, "Don't lie to me about that shit, I know you remarried. I'm not as stupid as you think I am, and I don't owe you anything. If you want that money, go bother Tou-san with that shit...Yeah, I know you don't know where he is, but that's not my damn problem."
There was some silence again before Jonouchi spoke up once more, "I don't have time for this. I have a business dinner to prepare for and nothing I say is going to make you happy, so how about we continue this later? ...yeah well, that's not my problem. You should have tried harder a long time ago-"
Jonouchi was so distracted that he didn't even register that Kaiba had sidled up behind him, plucking the phone away.
"What seems to be the problem, Kawai-san," Kaiba practically spat.
The line went silent before a voice spoke up. "Who is this?"
Jonouchi was frozen in place, his eyes wide like saucers. Kaiba ignored him, continuing the stolen conversation. "That's not important. It would behoove you, however, to cease your harrassment of my employee, because what you're doing amounts to extortion and fraud. So unless you would like a nice little trip to the courtroom, I would suggest you see yourself out of your son's affairs."
"I'm not harassing him - he owes me-" Jonouchi's mother snapped, but Kaiba cut her off at the pass.
"Jonouchi doesn't bear any obligation to you, and you certainly didn't provide your own child with the same courtesy, so spare me your inane reasonings. Do not make me take you to court. Because I will put the entire might of Kaiba Corporation behind this, and you will lose."
At this point, Jonouchi was gaping like a goldfish.
"-Correct, that's who I am. Now that we've come to an understanding, I trust you'll do the sensible thing and refrain from harassing my employee further. You strike me as a shrewd woman, Kawai-san. This is your first and only warning." And with that, Kaiba ended the call, tossing the phone back to Jonouchi. It slipped through his fingers before he caught it.
"... I'll see you down at the party, Kaiba." Jonouchi brusquely pushed past him, leaving Kaiba standing alone in the office.
Great. Just great. Kaiba had only been trying to help, but now Jonouchi was pissed at him. That practically guaranteed that Kaiba would be spending the evening by himself, stuck socializing with people he'd rather avoid.
What he'd done had been impulsive, but it was about time that someone told the woman off. Jonouchi was always so complacent, performing the same song and dance that he gave both of his wretched parents. A little bit of bark, but ultimately he'd roll over and take their abuse. Why did he feel he needed people like that in his life, just because they shared blood? After Kaiba's own family had abandoned him and his brother and left the two destitute, Kaiba had never looked back. There were some betrayals that could never be forgiven.
Jonouchi, despite his many flaws, was too good of a person sometimes.
Kaiba didn't know what to think. He stood in the office with his arms folded just fuming for a while, mad at the entire situation before going back down to the first floor. It would do no good brooding away over it. Sure, he'd done Jonouchi a favor by standing up for him, but snatching the phone out of his hands and interrupting a sensitive conversation wasn't very tactful, even if Kaiba's intentions were good. The more he stewed over it, the more Kaiba realized that he was inevitably in the wrong and Jonouchi wouldn't appreciate being pushed aside from dealing with his own personal problems, even if Kaiba didn't agree with how he handled them.
Besides, if Kaiba were in Jonouchi's shoes, he knew he'd be angry at being treated that way, too. He hated being disregarded and Jonouchi was just as stubborn and independent as Kaiba was.
He shouldn't have done that.
Closing the office door behind him, Kaiba headed towards the elevator before riding down and busying himself with his tablet. Kaiba knew better than to go anywhere without his toys, and he busied himself with it until the open bar would be available to him. At least while he was still sober, he could doodle around with ideas and try to distract himself from feeling horrible by working on his design skills.
Kaiba was quite gifted at it. He sometimes wondered where he'd be if it wasn't for Gozaburo. He'd probably be in some engineering field, still making tons of money. Getting a degree in computer science software and business had been relatively easy; Kaiba already knew most of the material being taught and he'd been gifted with a photographic memory. He'd only need to read through the lessons once or hear a lecture a single time to be able to remember and understand the concept being explained. It was how he was able to endure Gozaburo's insane training, and Kaiba hadn't forgotten anything.
When he was younger, Kaiba liked aerodynamics. Maybe he still even did. After all, he'd created the Blue-Eyes White Dragon jet out of an old fighter that Kaiba Corporation was going to destroy after the take over. There was a lot of old military-grade equipment and machines that were fun to tinker with, if Kaiba could call it that. During the most stressful times of his life, dealing with the cold steel of planes and helicopters had been a relaxing vacation from the overbearing presence of potential corporate backstabbers.
Interpersonal relationships had always been a struggle. Kaiba didn't want to entertain the thought for a second that maybe his problems with Jonouchi had more to do with his doing than Jonouchi just being difficult...
He remained distracted by his tablet until Isono finally reappeared with Mokuba by his side, "Seto-sama, the ballroom is ready now. Guests are arriving, would you like us to escort you to them?"
"No, that won't be necessary."
There were only a handful of people Kaiba planned on personally greeting. Everyone else wasn't worth the effort.
"Should I keep an eye on Jonouchi-sama tonight?" asked Isono, "or shall he be chaperoning himself tonight?"
Kaiba could feel his eye twitch. Mokuba fought back a laugh, but it wasn't missed by any of them and Kaiba sighed before waving his hand. "No, that won't be necessary," he directed, "I'll keep an eye on him myself. Just make sure the guests behave themselves tonight, Isono. I don't want anyone getting sick or deciding to piss somewhere in this building, you understand?"
Isono bowed, "Certainly, sir."
It sounded ridiculous, but it had happened before. Kaiba could clearly remember his first party at the tender age of thirteen. One drunk man had taken a piss in a potted fern. Another puked in a waste bin inside one of the cubicles upstairs. And when Kaiba was only fourteen, he'd left the party early to get some air when he found a couple fucking in a office with the door still ajar. Since then, Kaiba never completely trusted his employees to behave.
The first hour was the worst. After making the necessary rounds, Kaiba found himself taking his usual position at the bar, hiding in the corner nursing a glass of chilled sake. No one spoke to him once he had a drink in his hand, and sipping as he watched the crowd, he spotted Jonouchi.
He was predictably social, mixing with everyone but mainly sticking by Kaiba's intern, Nakahara's side until Yamazaki appeared with Mai on his arm. Then Jonouchi seemed to have latched onto their party, sitting together at a table sharing a platter of food together as the party went on.
Kaiba felt the sting of jealousy come over him. He wished he could be like that. Just effortlessly converse with people. Be pleasant and make people comfortable. Jonouchi seemed good at it, when his attitude was in check, and Yamazaki was always easy-going. Mai Kujaku had a mouth, but people found it endearing and she was pretty enough to get away with her sassy personality. It was apart of her charm, apparently.
Isono stood across the room, arms folded behind his back and eyes covered with black sun glasses. All of the security team wore them, so no one knew who was being watched, but at that moment, Kaiba felt like he was the one being studied. He was sure his personal assistant didn't approve. The man wasn't ignorant. If anyone knew about nearly all the things Kaiba did when no one else was watching, it was Isono. He had complete control over the Kaiba Mansion's security and Kaiba Corporation's... in all likelihood, he knew everything.
It wouldn't have bothered Kaiba so much if he didn't feel so rejected. Who would have thought that someone so successful and powerful could fail so miserably at love?
After the second hour, Kaiba could feel the tone of the room changing. People were getting louder. There was more laughter and the ballroom felt smaller. Drinks were being sent all over, and Kaiba himself was starting to feel the change as his body tingled and his mind became foggy.
He wanted to see Jonouchi.
Getting up, he marched over to the man's table, grabbing a seat before making himself at home between Jonouchi and Mai, looking around before finding a waiter with a cocktail.
"Hello Kaiba, how kind of you to join us," laughed Mai as she stirred her drink with a straw, "grown tired of the open bar now?"
"It wasn't my intention to stay there all night," said Kaiba neutrally, "I just needed time for thinking."
"Thinking?" asked Mai as Jonouchi looked away uncomfortably, "What kind of thinking?"
"Deep thinking."
Mai laughed as Yamazaki smiled. They could both tell that Kaiba was drunk. Usually that would have bothered Kaiba, but he didn't care too much as Jonouchi continued to avoid eye contact with him.
"I want to begin a new personal project of mine," explained Kaiba as he continued sipping his drink before setting it down and gesturing with his hands, "I want to continue working on my fighter jet."
This time Jonouchi did turn around, his eyes appearing curious before he found something else to look at in the crowd. Kaiba frowned. He wasn't paying attention to him.
"I haven't done anything with it since going to the United States," explained Kaiba, "it's been sitting untouched in a hangar bay for far too long. There are so many improvements to expand upon once I can dedicate more time to it. I'd like to fly across the Pacific once more when I get the chance."
"I didn't know you were a pilot," said Yamazaki with a smile, "is it a hobby of yours, Kaiba-sama?"
"Maybe. I don't know."
Yamazaki appeared confused but he didn't try questioning Kaiba further.
"I don't think I've ever had a hobby. Hobbies are for people with time. I don't have time," Kaiba remarked, tilting his glass around to slosh the ice inside.
"You have time," snorted Jonouchi as he rolled his eyes and finally chimed into the conversation, "you just don't like giving it up for things you deem 'unimportant'. You should learn to have fun more. It wouldn't kill you."
"Perhaps," Kaiba mused, taking a sip of his drink and leaning back into his seat. "Should I make you my teacher, then?" He smirked behind his glass.
Jonouchi's eyes widened a bit before he just waved off Kaiba's words, "You'll have to pay me more to put me through the struggle of trying to teach you of all people that."
Yamazaki began laughing rather loudly before quieting himself with his drink. Mai just smiled, looking at Kaiba and Jonouchi knowingly before her lips turned into a smug sort of smirk. Jonouchi gave her a puzzled look but said nothing.
"You used to play chess," pointed out Jonouchi as he grabbed another glass of sake that passed around, "as a kid, too. So it must have been a hobby. I think you like saying shit like that to sound more serious than you actually are."
"Can you really count something you did as a child as a hobby?"
"If you love it enough, sure. You've played chess against me before."
Yamazaki's face looked shocked before he began laughing again. "Really, Kaiba-sama, you played against Jonouchi-san in a chess match, eh? How did it go? Who beat who?"
"Still undefeated," Kaiba answered, cocking an eyebrow, "And I only played because Jonouchi insisted." He sighed. "After beating a World Champion, it's hard to stay interested."
"Geez, Kaiba-sama, maybe if you had the time, you could make an art out of being a giant snob," remarked Jonouchi.
Yamazaki began laughing once more before Kaiba shot him a look. He quickly hushed himself, still smiling as he hid his face against his wine glass.
"Jonouchi-san, you must be one of the only few people in this entire room who has Kaiba-sama figured out. What's your secret?"
"Curiosity," cut in Mai with a smirk, "am I right?"
"Only partially," answered Jonouchi with a slight frown.
Kaiba couldn't say he agreed with Yamazaki. Sure, Jonouchi probably did know him the best out of everyone in the room, with the exception of Mokuba and Isono due to years of history together, but if Jonouchi had him figured out, they wouldn't have all their problems standing in their way. Or at least, they shouldn't.
"You two were classmates, right?" asked Yamazaki as he looked back towards Kaiba before putting a stupid smile on his face. Clearly, the man was drunk. But Yamazaki wasn't like some of the other guests; he always managed to stay well-behaved even while intoxicated.
"In high school," Kaiba replied, turning his attention towards Jonouchi. He eyed him for several seconds before turning his gaze away to stare again at his drink.
"Kaiba-sama was unfortunate enough to have me in homeroom," said Jonouchi as he sighed and stirred his glass, "not that he probably noticed me that much. Or anyone, really."
Kaiba snorted as he absently ran a finger down the side of his glass, catching the beading condensation. "You and your group were always so loud, it took effort to ignore you all."
"Because reading Nietzsche through class was much more important than making friends, right?" laughed Jonouchi out loud, "You really are quite ridiculous."
"I'm impressed you remember," Kaiba said with a short laugh, "Tell me, Jonouchi, how long were you watching me not have fun by myself?"
"Not as long as you probably would have liked," answered Jonouchi with a grin.
Mai started snorting while Yamazaki seemed to not have heard the answer. He looked around a few times before Nakahara appeared, and they began speaking about something but Kaiba ignored them. He wasn't interested in business talk while he finally had Jonouchi's attention, even if he wasn't sure if it was positive. After a week of staying away, any attention was good attention, it seemed.
"That's a bold assumption," Kaiba remarked as he took a long sip from his drink. Mai was staring at them intently, but Kaiba didn't care. She probably had them figured out already.
"Then am I wrong?" asked Jonouchi as he continued smirking as he twirled his drink in his glass.
"That depends. Would you rather be wrong or correct?" Kaiba said, a slow grin creeping across his face.
"Since I'm invested now in having you figured out, I guess I'd rather be right," said Jonouchi as he moved closer to where Kaiba was sitting. He eyed Mai a few times, as if annoyed by her watching them, but Kaiba was too buzzed to care. Let her listen. It wasn't like she'd say anything. She was friends with Jonouchi, so it was doubtful she'd do much beyond maybe tease him about it later.
"Hmm, then I guess you're right," Kaiba murmured. If they had been anywhere else, he would have leaned in and kissed Jonouchi right then. He kept their eyes locked instead, his grin never faltering. "What else have you figured out about me? Since you're the expert," Kaiba said, finally breaking eye contact to finish off his drink.
"You're pretty full of shit," laughed Jonouchi as leaned against the table with an elbow. No one was even self-aware at this point. It was a miracle that Jonouchi was even using honorifics still, most of the other party-goers had given up. "And your humor is strange, but you can be funny sometimes."
"I suppose I shouldn't consider a career switch, then," Kaiba laughed. "Is that all? I don't sound like a very interesting person."
"Maybe you're right," answered Jonouchi, "and maybe you're wrong."
"I'd like to think I'm wrong," Kaiba said, pushing his glass away, "otherwise, it would make me wonder why anyone stuck around me at all."
"I'm sure if you thought hard enough about it, you could answer that question yourself, Kaiba."
Closing his eyes briefly, Kaiba sighed, the ghost of a smile still on his lips. "I've done enough deep thinking for tonight. I don't want to think anymore."
"That's a damn miracle," laughed Jonouchi in surprise. He clapped his hands before waving another drink over, sliding his empty glass away. "I think that's part of your problem, Kaiba. You think too damn much. You need to learn how to relax. Embrace some hobbies. You said you liked planes, right?"
"Correct." He leaned against the table.
"Fly for fun."
Kaiba swiped another glass of sake from the waiter's tray, even though part of his mind said he shouldn't prolong his inebriation. Fuck it. Jonouchi was actually talking to him. "Fly for fun?" he repeated, rolling the sake across his tongue. It was cold and dry with an edge of sweetness. "I would need a lot of time for that."
"You could make time, you somehow manage to do so when you want it badly enough," said Jonouchi before he hummed a little, "we've both seen it. You should go play with that jet of yours, if that's what you want to do. You won't be useful to anyone, here or there, if you are always busying yourself with work crap."
"Kaiba Corporation hasn't sunk yet," Kaiba said, raising his glass in an arc around the room. "But suppose I do entertain this idea of yours. Would you care to join me on these excursions? You're my 'fun' teacher, after all."
"What am I going to get in return for dealing with you? Flying takes at least two hours, right?" asked Jonouchi as he laughed, "That's a long time of us being near each other without committing murder."
Mai had disappeared, along with everyone else. For how long, Kaiba didn't know. He'd just noticed how their presence had disappeared. He was alone with Jonouchi.
"I could make it worth your while," Kaiba replied, his voice low as he leaned closer. Their knees were almost touching underneath the table.
"Oh really," answered Jonouchi in a hushed voice. He smiled before closing his eyes and touching his chin in thought. "What kind of destination do you have in mind, then? Okinawa? Guam?"
"Anywhere, everywhere. Wherever you would want to go." It made no difference to Kaiba, as long as Jonouchi was there with him.
"How much time do you have?"
"How much time do I need for this new hobby, sensei?" Kaiba smirked at the honorific, enjoying seeing how Jonouchi's eyebrows receded out of sight into his hairline.
Jonouchi broke out into a loud fit of laughter. It was enough that Mai, who was standing nearby, raised an eyebrow as she broke into a smile and Yamazaki wandered back as he dropped his elbow against Jonouchi's chair.
"Is Kaiba-sama telling jokes now?" asked Yamazaki, "What am I missing out on?"
"Maybe I should reconsider that career change," Kaiba said elusively.
Just then, a familiar face passed by Kaiba's shoulder, and turning around slowly, Kaiba frowned. It wasn't someone he had hoped to see. Not that Kaiba was worried over being bothered, but when the man took a chair at their table, he could feel himself tense up as everyone else sort of shifted away.
"This seems to be where the popular kids hang out," said Sugiura, a Kaiba Corporation investor Kaiba had been hoping to avoid. He had a tendency for flirting with everyone while drunk. Especially men. For some reason, people prefered to act like it didn't happen even when the man was being blatant about his attempts to woo. It wasn't even a matter of attractiveness; Sugiura had an easy face and a fit body. But he tried too hard with the rest of his appearance and he had a big mouth. "Kaiba-san, who are your friends here?"
"Sugiura. What a delight," Kaiba deadpanned. He sighed underneath his breath; sometimes just humoring the man and acting boring was enough to shoo him away. "I'm sure you've met Kujaku Mai and Yamazaki before. And this is Jonouchi Katsuya, Kaiba Corporation's sponsored Duelist." If Sugiura had half a brain, he would already have known. He was, rather unfortunately, a lead investor, but Sugiura had a reputation for throwing his trust fund to wherever provided enough amusement.
"Jonouchi Katsuya, huh?" replied the man with a sly smile, "You must be very new then. I've never noticed you before. Tell me, Jonouchi-san, how did you get Kaiba here to join the party? Usually he's attached to the bar all night long, aren't you?" laughed Sugiura. Kaiba didn't think he was funny at all. He didn't smile.
"We've known each other for a long time," answered Jonouchi rather curtly.
Sugiura didn't seem put off. He played with the fancy watch on his wrist, moving it around as the diamonds shined in the light of the ballroom. His eyes traveled back and forth between the different people surrounding the table before they finally settled on Jonouchi. "And you haven't grown bored of him yet? Don't feel pressured into talking to him just because he's your boss," joked Sugiura, "Aren't you thirsty? Come to the bar with me, I'll order you a drink."
"Thank you for the consideration, Sugiura, but I believe we're all well-accommodated," Kaiba said flatly, tapping against Jonouchi's glass for emphasis.
Sugiura just snorted. "Really Kaiba-san, I know you aren't used to sharing attention, but you should give it a try for once. I'm genuinely interested in this Jonouchi Katsuya. Professional Duelist? Maybe he could help me with my dueling next time I think about playing at home, huh? I could use some private tutoring."
Jonouchi just squirmed. Staring at his drink, he didn't really answer back.
"I'm afraid Jonouchi isn't available to hire for lessons," Kaiba replied cooly, sitting up in his seat. "If you're interested in improving your game, I can always recommend a more suitable tutor."
"Isn't Jonouchi one of the best, though?" asked Sugiura, "why should I settle for anyone else? I give so much money to help his career anyways, I'm sure, so I should get something back for my generosity. What do you think, Jonouchi-san? I could help you with this new career of yours, I know very important people."
Jonouchi drank the rest of his drink before shaking his head. "I'm good."
"Hmmm. Kaiba-san, you really haven't changed at all," addressed Sugiura as he changed his attention over and peered at Kaiba pointedly. "Just as greedy as ever."
Kaiba narrowed his eyes. "Greedy? For refusing to lend out my only professional Duelist to satisfy a cash source's whim? I would advise you to recall the figures from Kaiba Corporation's philanthropy report from the last annual meeting, but I never seem to see you there."
The man looked so embarrassed. Kaiba just glared at Sugiura until he started to squirm, and after he rubbed at his nose and looked off towards the floor, he quickly did a one-eighty and stalked away. Although Kaiba knew he'd probably have to hear about it later, he didn't care.
"Interesting guy," said Jonouchi in a low voice.
"Don't let him bother you, Jonouchi-san, he's like that with everyone he meets," Yamazaki tried to reason with a nervous smile, "I'm sure he'll be gone for the rest of the night."
"He'd better be, unless he intends to take on Isono," Kaiba muttered gruffly, casting his gaze at his assistant's direction. He received an almost undetectable nod in return. Sugiura might be loaded, but he was also a complete, insufferable mess. There were only so many niceties Kaiba would afford him before Sugiura fell out of his good graces.
"Isn't that a bit harsh now, Kaiba-sama?" Yamazaki sighed as Mai rubbed his shoulders before handing him over another glass of wine. Clearly he wasn't going to ever leave that chair now. If he tried, he'd probably face plant on the floor.
"That won't be a problem," Jonouchi cut in. "I think I'm done for tonight. It's late and I'm tired. Thank you all for the delightful party." He bowed quickly before turning around and heading towards a door. Kaiba could feel his heart skip a beat before his body just followed after Jonouchi before his brain had a moment to soak in his words.
He'd barely uttered his goodbyes before he cut across the room after Jonouchi, finally catching up to him just outside in the hallway. Strangely, he didn't feel so tipsy anymore. "Let me call you a cab."
"Nah, I don't need a cab ride," chuckled Jonouchi before he put a hand through his hair. "Are you planning on staying?"
"I could find a reason to leave," Kaiba replied, staring directly into Jonouchi's eyes.
"Then would you mind taking me home?"
"Home…" The unspoken question hung in the air.
"Yeah. Will you come?"
The backs of their hands brushed as Kaiba led the way. "Yes. Let's go home."
Despite having drunk nearly the entire night, Kaiba had sobered up enough to drive them both back home. Mokuba had been nowhere to be seen - most likely in the thick of the party - and so Kaiba had left without him, trusting Isono to get him safely back home. Kaiba's mind felt oddly clear as he drove the familiar route back to the mansion, and he didn't feel nearly as unsettled at Jonouchi's silence during the ride back, the latter quickly dozing off in his seat.
Although Jonouchi didn't talk with nearly the amount of people he'd normally do at those types of gatherings, the evening must have worn him out. Or perhaps it was a release from the incident with his mother earlier, or maybe more - after all, Kaiba wasn't privy to what Jonouchi had done with his day until he'd encountered him upstairs in his office.
He knew he needed to apologize, but he didn't know how to go about it. Kaiba wasn't sorry for what he had done, although the way he'd done it wasn't the best approach in retrospect.
It wasn't even about control. Kaiba knew that Jonouchi was fully capable of making his own decisions, even if he didn't agree with half of them. But he'd stepped into an opportunity where his influence could have made a difference, and he'd taken it without much consideration as to how his actions would have made Jonouchi feel. Yet another set of ill-advised intentions.
In a blink of an eye, it seemed, they had arrived. One moment they were pulling out of the parking garage of headquarters, and the next, Kaiba was waiting as the gate to the driveway slowly creaked open. He'd only had to lightly touch Jonouchi's shoulder once to awaken him, and both made their way up silently to the master bedroom, the chill of a full-blown winter on their heels.
"What did you think of the party?" asked Jonouchi with a yawn as he went into the bathroom and scrounged around for an extra toothbrush. After finding one, he ripped the wrapper off before putting toothpaste on it and moistening it under the running faucet. "I didn't think it was so bad, outside of that one asshole who showed up at the end."
"Sugiura is a known menace," Kaiba replied as he shrugged his suit jacket off. "But it was fine. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, there were long lines to try out the game; Mokuba must be proud of himself."
"You seemed to be having a good time," laughed Jonouchi as he struggled with taking his formal clothes off, "which is pretty spectacular. What made you decide to be social for once?"
"I wanted to see how it felt to be you," Kaiba said honestly as he walked over to Jonouchi, moving the other's hands away to undo his tie. How had he even managed to knot it that tightly? The red fabric slipped easily from Jonouchi's neck.
"And? How was it?"
"I don't know," Kaiba mused as he absently undid the top three of Jonouchi's shirt buttons before he stopped himself. "It was nice in a way, but I don't think I would like maintaining that kind of wide attention for long." He stepped away to start undoing his own shirt.
Jonouchi quickly slipped out of his dress shirt, throwing it into the hamper before taking off his white undershirt and undoing his belt. "You know, it's not that awful," he continued, "I mean, I get that people exhaust you and all, but Yamazaki likes talking to you. He's interested in what you have to say. Nakahara admires you."
"They don't bother me…" Kaiba began, tugging his belt from his pants, "I even enjoy Yamazaki's company, although I don't see him often. I'm not built for much social interaction."
He was a showman, sure, but it was part of the job. Part of the title of being the former number-one Duelist in the world. He had to compel people's respect, enchant the masses for their buy-in. And he enjoyed it - was good at it. But when people started to peer in too closely, all he wanted was to be left alone.
"Wouldn't you like to have some other friends, though? It wouldn't be terrible to have other people to talk to."
"Jonouchi, I'm fine as I am."
In truth, he didn't know how to maintain a friendship. He and Jonouchi had been precarious at best before they started a relationship. Mokuba was family. At one point, he might have considered the other Yugi as a sort of friend - more than camaraderie or rivalry, but always falling short of trust - but that was a long time ago, and he was long gone.
"Okay, well... you should know, Kaiba, you have options. You don't always have to be alone if you don't want to. Not everyone's out to get you."
Sitting down at the edge of the bed, Jonouchi started rubbing his feet, smiling to himself as he went about it. Clearly, he still wasn't used to wearing formal shoes. The only shoes Kaiba normally saw him in were his ancient sneakers Jonouchi still refused to throw out.
"You might be surprised if you gave more people a chance," added Jonouchi in a small voice, "I mean, you used to hate me and look where we are now..."
Kaiba was folding his pants, mainly from habit, before he tossed them into the hamper. "Hate's pretty strong. I didn't like you, but I don't think it ever really registered as strongly as hate… But I see what you mean. I'm not sure I'm ready for that just yet."
Getting to where they were now had taken months of effort, not to mention years of knowing each other and getting tossed into situations where they had to tolerate one another. They had the dual help and hindrance of attraction along the way. Even now, they were still on moderately shaky ground, although things were starting to get better.
Moving to sit just behind and to the side of Jonouchi, Kaiba slid his hands up the other man's back, kneading at his shoulders. The muscles were taut under his fingertips, and Jonouchi slowly melted under his ministrations, gradually leaning back into the touch.
"What are you doing?" asked Jonouchi between small eruptions of laughter, "I didn't ask for a back massage."
"I just felt like it. I can stop," Kaiba said teasingly, pressing a light kiss at Jonouchi's neck.
"No, it's fine," mumbled Jonouchi as his face tinged a light shade of red across his cheeks, "I'm just surprised, is all. Are you trying to win my favor back after that mess you made with my mother?" Jonouchi snorted before shaking his head. "I'm glad you got her off my back, but I would have prefered handling her on my own."
His fingers traveled south, thumbs pressing into the curves of Jonouchi's shoulder blades. "Maybe I am. And I know, I shouldn't have done that. But I saw how upset you were getting, and I didn't like it."
"Then deal with it," replied Jonouchi, "She's not your responsibility, she's mine. Because when you do shit like that, all you do is upset me."
Jonouchi sighed and made a face.
"I wouldn't tell you how to handle Mokuba, so please give me the same respect. That's all I'm asking for."
Hands falling to Jonouchi's sides, Kaiba's forehead fell heavily against the nape of Jonouchi's neck. "I know," he murmured against Jonouchi's warm skin, "I only wanted to help."
"Snatching the phone out of my hands is not helping," laughed Jonouchi, "and if I wanted help, I'd ask you for it. Okay?"
"Noted."
"Good," replied Jonouchi with a small smile, "now we're finally getting somewhere."
"Oh? And where would you like us to go?" Kaiba asked, his hands resuming their exploration of Jonouchi's body. They snaked up his spine and down the backs of his biceps before trailing lightly against the outside of Jonouchi's thighs.
"I don't know. I'm tired, but not enough to sleep yet," commented Jonouchi as he turned his head slightly to watch what Kaiba was doing, closing his eyes once the initial confusion had passed. "Thanks for getting that Sugiura guy off my back, by the way. That's the kind of help I can appreciate."
His thumbs were grazing against the edge of Jonouchi's trousers, rubbing at the triangle of the small of his back. "Mm. I have some ideas to solve your first problem."
"Yeah, like what?" snorted Jonouchi as he turned around to watch Kaiba's gaze again, "Trying to tell me to get undressed already? I just finally got used to the fit of these pants you seem to like so much..."
"And they look good on you," Kaiba laughed, "but we're home now, so the uniform's not required anymore…" He took the opportunity to lean in and kiss Jonouchi gently, moving his lips slowly against the other's. It felt good to touch Jonouchi again this easily, and Kaiba felt a jolting in his chest when Jonouchi relaxed into the kiss.
When Jonouchi pulled away, he placed his hands around Kaiba's neck, moving closer until their knees were touching and Jonouchi was completely turned towards where Kaiba was sitting. "You know I like you, right?" he asked, "I don't want you to think I'm just using you or some shit. That last fight just really got to me.."
Kaiba wet his lips, surprised at the sudden trill of nervousness blooming in his stomach. "It's nice to hear it directly. I love you, but the way we fight constantly makes me wonder how you feel."
"Well, I was going through a lot of shit," admitted Jonouchi, "and I needed more time to think. I didn't feel immediately comfortable with this whole thing, you know? I'm not like you. I'm not as resilient to everything, and with all the crap going on with my family, it just got to be too much. I feel much better now."
"Why is it different now? Nevermind, you don't have to tell me." When Kaiba leaned in again, Jonouchi met him halfway.
What really did it matter what the reason was? They were finally on the same page, after months of struggling, and that was enough for Kaiba.
Jonouchi still had his arms around Kaiba's neck. He moved to the point of practically being in the man's lap, not at all shy about receiving the contact until Kaiba leaned forward. Pausing, Jonouchi pulled back suddenly, his eyes growing a tad wider before looking back slightly behind him. Taking a deep breath, he brought himself down against the mattress of the bed, leaning against his elbows as Kaiba came down with him before moving his legs apart to make space.
"Can you do me a favor?" he asked in a hushed voice, touching the hair on the back of Kaiba's nape with his fingertips before laying completely flat against the bed.
Kaiba shivered against the caress. He stared down at Jonouchi, palms flat against either side of the other's head. "Yes," he breathed.
"Please use a condom this time. I don't want a mess."
Kaiba broke into a fit of laughter, leaning heavily against Jonouchi's chest. "Is that all?"
"Yeah. That's all."
Propping himself up again, Kaiba stole a quick kiss before leaning across to fumble with the drawer of his nightstand. He felt around for the foil packet and the small bottle before tossing them both onto the bed.
His hands started roaming again, their kisses deepening before Kaiba's lips trailed their way down Jonouchi's neck, lightly nipping and teasing the supple skin. Jonouchi's arms found their way back around Kaiba's neck, and he let out tiny gasps as Kaiba rubbed at the fabric between his legs.
"Oh my god, just help me take it off, then," bursted Jonouchi as he tried not to laugh before Kaiba lifted himself up slightly. "I don't want to ruin these, anyways."
He fumbled with getting the zipper down. Kaiba tried not to snort. Jonouchi tried to pull them down past his hips, but the fabric was a tad tight, clinging onto them until Kaiba reached down to help. Once they came past there, it was easy enough to kick off, and with just black boxers in the way, Jonouchi slipped those off too before getting under the warm comforter of the bed.
Biting back a grin, Kaiba pulled his own boxer-briefs off before joining Jonouchi underneath the sheets, settling over him comfortably once again. He kissed Jonouchi lazily, threading one hand into Jonouchi's, pleasuring him with the other.
To Kaiba's mild surprise, Jonouchi reciprocated. He didn't seem nearly so reserved with his actions. It was new and exciting. Jonouchi rarely ever tried taking the lead on anything they did together, and once their kisses became more fervent, Kaiba felt thighs against his sides, a foot sliding against his calf.
His hands let go completely, settling back into Kaiba's hair before pulling him closer. Reaching up into Kaiba's ear, Jonouchi spoke very quietly before sighing, "I'm ready if you are. I want to do this."
Kaiba felt like his heart was about to burst. "Okay," he whispered, breaking apart to retrieve lubricant. Once they began, Kaiba leaned forward to kiss him in distraction, his other hand kneading at the muscles of Jonouchi's inner thigh. It didn't take long to get Jonouchi prepared. He was breathing deeply through his nose, watching Kaiba the entire while. And although Kaiba could feel desire welling in his gut, he felt oddly in control of himself, unlike all the other times. He felt completely aware of the present, of the rise and fall of Jonouchi's abdomen with each breath of air, the tiny tremors in Jonouchi's legs, his own steadily beating heart.
Carefully tearing at the edge of the packet, Kaiba prepared himself and tossed the wrapper aside. It felt strange, but he didn't have enough time to really think about it. Jonouchi's hands were tangled in his hair still, slightly pulling at him, and using one of his own to guide Jonouchi's hip closer until they were once again together.
Pausing to catch his breath, Kaiba blinked his eyes open, looking down as Jonouchi laid underneath him, breathing heavily. He felt warm and could feel his insides coiling as he waited to get a hold of himself, but he didn't feel that same fear of release. He was in control. It made him feel confident.
Jonouchi began to tug at him, and taking the cue to continue on, Kaiba began to pleasure him. His muscles felt tense, and Kaiba had one hand in Jonouchi's hair, holding tightly while the other was kneading into his sheets. Legs wrapped around him, Kaiba could feel himself becoming lost in the quick motions, Jonouchi moaning out encouragement.
It was different than the time before. Although Jonouchi's eyes weren't on him and Kaiba had his face in Jonouchi's neck, he felt like this time was far more intimate. He couldn't remember hearing his name being called before. His given name. It made his insides stirred. Jonouchi begged for more. Kaiba groaned as he pushed his endurance.
Until finally, together, they reached the climax.
Kaiba sank his teeth into Jonouchi's shoulder to quiet the sounds. Once he finished and he felt his shoulders tremble a little, Kaiba lifted himself up. Jonouchi still had his eyes closed, but he was at least breathing through his nose. The spot where Kaiba had bitten him was a little red, and kissing the area apologetically, he was shocked that his actions were met with laughter.
"It didn't hurt that much."
"Sorry, it just happened," Kaiba chuckled lightly. They were both sweaty and sticky, but Kaiba didn't feel like moving just yet.
Jonouchi only shifted slightly, relaxing his legs before playing with Kaiba's hair absentmindedly. "You were a beast."
Kaiba snorted in amusement, turning to rest his face against Jonouchi's collarbone.
"That was great," Jonouchi sighed, opening his eyes and peering at Kaiba's head as he finally caught his breath, "I should tell you that more often. I know you'd like to hear it."
"It doesn't hurt," Kaiba laughed, "I want you to enjoy what we do together, too."
"I know." Pausing again, Jonouchi stilled his hands, just holding them around Kaiba's neck lazily. "And I've been thinking... maybe we could make things work out between us. I want to move in with you. I wasn't ready for that before, but I think I'd like that now."
Eyes fluttering wide, Kaiba rose slightly, enough to meet Jonouchi's gaze. "But you just got that apartment-"
"I still have time to break the lease. I didn't even sign anything yet."
Settling back onto Jonouchi's chest, Kaiba wrapped his arms around Jonouchi tighter. "I want you to live here. To stay with me."
"Okay."
A peculiar warmth spread throughout Kaiba's body. He listened to Jonouchi's heartbeat, and for the first time in a very long time, didn't feel so alone. Sighing, he moved off of Jonouchi, kissing him once before heading to the bathroom to dispose of the condom and wash his hands. When he returned, Jonouchi was waiting for him, and they settled against each other, Kaiba resting his face close to Jonouchi's messy blond hair, before finally falling asleep.