Disclaimer: I don't own YuGiOh. I'm not making any money. Nuff said.
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HIKARI STRONG
Chapter Four
After scheduling the shopping spree for the following day, Mokuba called a car to pick him and Joey up. The driver looked at Joey oddly but said nothing. Mokuba began talking about all the new things he heard Seto was working on. Joey was immediately having second thoughts about this and it didn't help that she also had the whole 'darkness is coming' thing to contend with. She wondered what they would have to face this time. Joey and he friends had already been through so much. Why couldn't it just stop?
"Wanna play a game when we get inside?" Mokuba asked, grinning from ear to ear.
Joey raised a brow. "Shouldn't you be going to bed soon?"
"Nah. I got time. Plus Seto's still in his office and probably won't be out until morning or something."
Joey frowned. She didn't like the idea of Kaiba working that hard. It definitely wasn't healthy.
"Fine, one game," Joey said. She was actually very happy Mokuba was here. Joey had always missed her sister, Serenity, terribly because she never got to see her. It bothered her that Kaiba has his younger brother here all the time and didn't seem to make time for him.
Mokuba picked out a fighting game for the two of them They played for a bit before Joey had to pause it awkwardly, muttering how she needed to use the bathroom.
"Down the hall, second door to the left," Mokuba told her. Joey nodded, knowing that this was going to be far more awkward than it should be. Once she had take care of her business, she took the time to really look at herself in the mirror. Before she had been completely freaked out and hadn't thought about her new gender at all. She took a few steps back from the mirror, pulling her shirt closer to her body, running a hand down the curve of her waist and hips. She didn't have a body like Tea or Mai, but it was slender and shapely all the same. Joey turned and looked at her reflection over her shoulder.
Well, that explains why I don't have big boob, she thought, staring at her toned ass. She suddenly felt weird, thinking that if she were still a guy she would try hitting on herself.
The door knob to the bathroom rattled suddenly, causing Joey to jump. It was followed by a curt knock and voice that made the blonde cringe. "Mokuba," came Seto Kaiba's voice, "hurry up in there."
Joey's heart was pounding. What could she do? The door was the only way out in th bathroom. She shook violently, trying to think of some solution. She could try the air vent. No, her new asset could barely fit in her current pair of jeans, let alone the vent.
"Mokuba!"
Joey sighed. Well, she had lived an okay life. And at least if she were dead she didn't have to deal with being a girl.
Carefully, she unlocked the door and opened it. Amber eyes clashed with sapphire.
"Wheeler?!"
"Heh, hey, Moneybags," Joey said as calmly as possible. Inside she was screaming.
"What the hell are you doing in my house?" Kaiba demanded, his voice quieter than his first reaction. Joey was a little stunned by that but decided to brush it off as her imagination.
"Erm...well," Joey began, "Mokuba kind of invited me to stay." Kaiba's eyes narrowed. "But if ya wan' me ta go I'll go. I told him dis was a bad idea but he really wanted me to stay-,"
"Wheeler," Kaiba cut her off. Joey braced herself. He was going to beat her up and then kick her out. "You're not going anywhere."
"Look I understand, I'll just go find- wait, what?"
"I said you're not going anywhere," Kaiba repeated. Joey blinked. She wasn't dreaming was she? "You are going to depart the bathroom, however."
"Huh? Oh," Joey blushed with embarressment. "Sorry, Kaiba."
"Hn."
Joey brushed past the brunet, more heat finding its way to her face at the temporary closeness. Her heart pounded again. Usually her bouts of being - however unfortunately - attracted to the CEO were less extreme; just a mild blush here and a silent denial there. This time she felt like she was drowning and burning all at once.
She walked back into the living room, where Mokuba gave her a confused look. "What took you?" he asked. "I mean, I know you're a girl now but you don't have to take so long in the bathroom." Joey narrowed her eyes, trying to ignore the weird flurry in her stomach. She probably just had too much pizza. "Are you okay, Joey?" Mokuba asked as the girl sat back on the carpet. He reached over and felt her forehead. "Are you sick?"
"Huh? No, kiddo, just...today's been a long day."
"Then the two of you should probably go to bed," called Seto's voice as he entered the room.
Mokuba jumped. "Seto!" he said, holding up his hand defensively. "Look, I just wanted to give Joey a place to stay because her friends couldn't and it sounds like her dad's a real jerk and-," then he became defiant, stomping his foot. "You can't throw her out, alright! If you do, you know what I'll have to do!" Joey was getting more and more curious about what Mokuba had on Seto.
Seto raised a brow. "I wasn't going to throw hi - her out, Mokuba," he said calmly. Mokuba and Joey exchanged looks.
"You're...not?" Mokuba asked.
"No," Seto replied stiffly. "Now go upstairs and get ready for bed."
Mokuba glanced at Joey one more time before making his way upstairs. "G'night, Joey."
"Night, squirt," Joey called after him. Once he was out of sight, Joey looked back at the older Kaiba, who was standing with his arms folded. Joey didn't like the analytical gaze those blue eyes directed at her. She bit her lip and looked at the floor.
"Look, Kaiba," Joey said, fiddling with her hair. She realized it was a longer than when she was a boy and it made her groan. "Ya don' have ta do this. I can just go. I'll figure somethin' out."
Kaiba glared. "And I told you that you're not going anywhere," he replied. "You really think I'm going to let you go back to you're father after what happened the last time? Imagine what he'd do to you now, even if he did recognize you."
"I told ya, he ain't always like that!" Joey retorted. "And what do you care anyway?!"
"Tch. I'm only doing this to keep Mokuba off my back," Kaiba told her. "So I don't care how much you don't like it. You're not going anywhere."
Joey glared for a moment before something hit her, and when it did she nearly had a heart attack.
"Why are ya bein' so nice?" Joey asked.
Kaiba rolled his eyes. "I am not being nice," he explained. "I'm simply being tolerant so Mokuba and your friends don't inconvenience me any more than they already do."
A huge grin spread across Joey's face. "Always knew you were a big softy."
The glare was now murderous. " Don't make me change my mind, Pup."
Joey rose a brow. "Pup?"
Kaiba made a growling noise. "You're a girl now," was his excuse. As if it explained everything.
Joey stared. "So?" She knew being amused by Kaiba's frustration would probably get her killed, but at least she knew she had fun before she died.
"I can't seem to bring myself to call you 'Mutt' now," he revealed, his hands balled into fists. "Happy?"
Joey folded her arms and sauntered over to Kaiba, grinning victoriously. "That I got ya ta own up ta bein' nice? Extremely."
Kaiba took Joey by the shoulders and pushed her back. "Don't."
Joey was confused. "Don't what?"
"...Don't get that close." The hesitation saw only to amuse Joey further. She knew she shouldn't. Knew she would pay for this later, but the fun was just too tempting.
"Why not?" she asked innocently.
Joey squeaked as Kaiba grabbed her shoulders and pulled her close this time. She blushed furiously, their faces inches apart.
Oh, geez, Kaiba can probably see my blush! she thought with panic. What da hell is he doin' anyway, grabbin' me like this?!
Her heart stopped at Kaiba's next words.
"Because if you do," he said in a husky whisper. Joey cursed her new female hormones again. They had to be the cause of all this! "I'll end up doing something you will not like."
Joey gulped. He was looking at her with an expression she had never seen the brunet use before. It wasn't angry, but it certainly didn't look very pleasant either. Kaiba finally let her go before heading for the stairs. "Now come on, Pup. We have to find you a room."
Joey followed obediently, still recovering from the encounter they just had. She hated it how no matter what she did, the CEO always ended up on top.
And then that train of thought completely derailed, toppled and exploded. Joey tried to shake the explicit images that formed in her head away, but it was getting more and more difficult. She been trying to sort out her feelings for Kaiba for a while now, even as a boy. The interesting dreams didn't help. Joey ran her fingers through her hair nervously, but took solace in the one positive thing she'd found so far about being a girl: it was much easier to hide the fact that she was aroused.
"Here you go," Kaiba said, opening the door to their right. Joey jumped, being shaken from her musings. She looked at the room before her, gasping. It was rather large with a queens size bed positioned in the middle and she could see a bit of the attached bathroom through an open door. "I figured this would be best for your current situation. My room is down the hall. Don't you dare bother me unless it's an emergency. I can't be expected to take you out for a walk whenever you want."
Joey glared over her shoulder. Kaiba's way of being nice definitely left something to be desired. The brunet made to leave the room. Joey mentally kicked herself as she called out, "Kaiba."
Kaiba stopped, but didn't look at Joey at all. The blonde took a breath before speaking again. "Thank you, Kaiba. I'll make dis up ta ya."
Kaiba was silent for a moment before responding. "Once again, Pup, don't mention it." And then he walked out, leaving Joey to contemplate the days events...and exactly what attire she would be sleeping in.
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Yes, I know I went back and forth on calling him Seto and Kaiba, but when Mokuba's in the room its dumb. The next chapter he'll be permanently Seto, just because I start it out from his POV