A/N: I wanted to do this so I did
Usual apologies
Disclaimer: see first chapter
'This can't be the right place.'
Jou's eyebrows furrowed in thought as he stared down at the address he'd scribbled onto a piece of paper before looking up at the dark entrance to a stairwell that led down underground.
Looking around himself, Jounouchi knew that he was in a shady part of town, the side of town his father usually used to frequent before he got himself arrested and thrown into jail, the kind of place that Jou promised himself he'd never end up and yet here he is.
The blonde bit back a sigh as he thought of his father.
Things were going well for them for a while, in the aftermath of everything that happened with Yami and him finding out who he really is before getting his own body after he chose to stay in the mortal world, things got quiet. Although I suppose it's more like things got quiet after Atem managed to convince the gods to give him his own body so he could stay with Yugi.
It didn't take long for them to notice, especially since the pharaoh now had his own body and could see, smell and touch Yugi's physical form right there in front of him instead of being forced to just seeing his hikari's form in his soul room. Atem adores Yugi, you could see it in the way that he touched the smaller teen or even just looked at him, like he would gladly give him the moon and the stars if he just asked. Unfortunately Yugi was oblivious, he never took note of the pharaoh's increasing dislike of Anzu ever since the girl started paying attention to Yugi and seemed to be showing signs of returning the feelings that the tri-colored teen once expressed having for her all that time ago. He didn't even notice how Atem seemed to be making active attempts at keeping contact with him almost every moment of the day when they were near each other. But of course, Jounouchi noticed since he's their best friend and also because he had a front seat to Atem's silent pinning since he moved in with them a few months back.
Seriously though Atem's got it so bad, it's getting painful to watch and somehow Yugi's completely oblivious.
Figures.
Smartest guy that Jou knows with the most perceptive eyes you could ever come across and yet somehow he fails to notice that a four thousand year old pharaoh is in love with him.
Then of course there is his beloved baby sister Shizuka who suddenly announced that she was dating his best friend a few weeks after he moved into the game shop. It took a while for Jou to get over that one, but eventually he made peace with it, after all, no matter how much Jou wanted to deny it, Honda wouldn't dream of hurting Shizuka so he knows she's in safe hands.
Overall things were going good, until his dad got himself thrown in prison that is.
Drunk and disorderly conduct, it was a minor misdemeanor but Mr. Jounouchi had priors and since the judge decided that he's had enough of handing the man bail in the hopes of him turning his life around only for it all to come to naught he decided a stricter sentence was in order.
Twelve months in prison which included participation in a rehabilitation program for his alcohol addiction.
Admittedly when Jou heard the verdict he was relieved. His father has been struggling with his alcohol addiction for years since his mother moved out and took Shizuka with her. Things weren't too bad at first. At first his father would just spend every other night drinking until he passed out before getting up again in the morning to start it all over again. It was hard, but Jou managed to cope. He'd scrape together a little money so he could at least have something to eat every other day and his father's unemployment checks usually covered their rent. But then his father started getting violent and Jounouchi wasn't coping so well any more.
He never told his friends or anyone else about the beatings, he didn't want them fussing and worrying about him so he kept it to himself. He knows they mean well but Jounouchi hates it whenever someone treats him like a charity case, like he isn't capable of taking care of himself so he never said a word.
But then a few months ago his father got arrested and the blonde had no choice but to tell his friends, he didn't have a lot of options after all. After Mr. Jounouchi got arrested child protective services immediately took notice of the fact that he had an underage minor under his care and so it was decided that unless a capable guardian was willing to take him in, he'd have to go into a foster care center which was set up outside of Domino city.
Needless to say Jou almost panicked.
He didn't want to leave, Domino was his home, all his friends were there and school and Shizuka too. For a while Jounouchi almost thought that maybe his mother would take him in and he could stay with his sister after all their years apart. But Mrs. Kawaai refused making up some excuse about not being able to afford to take him in but Jou knew it was all bullshit and he suddenly remembered why he hated his mother so much.
With no other way to turn to, the blonde finally came clean to his friends and needless to say none of them were pleased when they found out that he'd been keeping such a huge secret from them. Yugi had felt especially hurt since they were best friends and he always thought that he and Jou told each other everything and at that moment the blonde felt like complete shit for letting his pride get in the way for so long.
Thankfully they made up with Jounouchi apologizing multiple times for lying while Yugi insisted that he isn't the one that should be sorry. In the end Grandpa Mutou went to the social workers and applied for temporary guardianship over Jou. At first they weren't sure seeing as how the man was quite elderly and had no blood relation with Jounouchi but thankfully in the first truly selfless act that he's done since his wife moved out all those years ago, Mr. Jounouchi gave his consent and signed guardian ship over to Yugi's grandfather. Jounouchi's father felt terrible about everything that he'd put his son through, everything that he let happen because he was too weak to pull himself together and take care of his son the way a father is meant to do so he decided that the least he could do is give his son this one gift, so he'd be able to continue with his life.
The blonde was more than just grateful especially since he knew that that was the first sign that his father was really going to try and get clean this time. So he took to visiting his father every two weeks after moving into the game shop and their relationship finally seemed to be getting back on track.
The Mutou's were taking good care of him, even if he hated doing chores and the soap opera he got to witness between Atem and Yugi kept things interesting even if he was starting to get seriously frustrated by Yugi's obliviousness. Shizuka was doing well in her relationship with Honda and his sister was overjoyed by the fact that they wouldn't have to be separated all over again. Even school was going O.K since he had Yugi, Grandpa and Atem all screaming in his ear telling him to study along with some friendly nudging from Anzu's side as well.
So yeah, everything was going good… until Otogi happened of course.
Jou gave a sigh at the thought as he raked a hand through his hair and stared at the entrance before him.
He's the reason that Jou's been feeling so off lately. The raven made him feel… uneasy although Jou is sure that he doesn't really mean to.
Honestly Jou doesn't know what's wrong with him.
When they started dating a few months ago Jou was kinda ecstatic.
Otogi's was the perfect catch after all, insanely good looking, smart and talented. Jou doesn't know anyone in their right mind that wouldn't be over the moon at the mere prospect of going out with the dungeon dice duelist. And, Jou was over the moon at first.
In the beginning Otogi was the perfect… boyfriend I guess is the most accurate way of describing him. He showered Jou with attention and made sure to take him out at least three times a week, spent all his extra time with the blonde and bought him all kinds of extravagant gifts. Of course Jou was never really comfortable with the last one, but he gave in because Otogi insisted, whenever Jou complained about the gifts and how he almost felt like the raven was trying to buy him Ryuji always said
"I just want you to have whatever you want, I like getting things for you."
And so he relented because, Otogi was just being nice and Anzu was always cooing about how lucky Jou was to have a boyfriend like him.
But then about a month into it, things between them started getting intense or rather Otogi started getting intense.
Jounouchi didn't really know how to explain it, he just knew that when Otogi touched him in certain ways, when the kisses lasted a little too long and when the raven looked at him in certain ways it made him feel uncomfortable, like he was doing something so wrong and he should be ashamed for letting Otogi touch him like that.
Of course Jounouchi knew what those looks meant, he could see the lust in Otogi's eyes after all, feel the desire in the ways that the raven kissed him and touched his skin and by all means he should love it when Otogi looks at him like that and touched him in those ways but he didn't.
Jou just felt uncomfortable and dirty and suddenly all he'd want to do is get as far away from Otogi as humanly possible.
What's worse was the face that always immediately came to mind whenever this happened. When Otogi kissed him, the first thing that Jou would think about when he closed his eyes were ice cold blue eyes and thick chestnut colored hair, pale skin and a superior smirk set on cupid's bow lips. Jou's eyes would snap open and he'd immediately pull away. He knew who it was that filled his mind; he'd know that arrogant smirk anywhere after all. What Jou couldn't understand was why he always thought of him and why Otogi suddenly just wasn't enough.
Jou's thoughts were interrupted when a voice suddenly spoke and he looked up to find a man stepping out of the glass door that looked like the entrance to a bar beside the stairwell entrance. The man had messy raven hair, a long lean build and stubble around his jaw.
"Hey, this is no place for a kid like you. What're you doing standing out here?"
Jou bristled at being called a kid but just took a deep breath before gesturing towards the piece of paper in his hand. "Look, I'm just lookin' for a place called Bar Kain. Can you tell me where it is?" At that the man's eyes suddenly filled with realization and he reached into his pockets to pull out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter as he nodded his head towards the entrance. "You're standing right in front of it."
"Really?"
"Yup." The man said after lighting a cancer stick and letting out a long stream of smoke as he shoved the pack in his pocket, "Go down the stairs, you'll find a door with lights mounted on either side of it. Knock three times and Kain'll answer."
Jou stepped closer, "Oh, so you know him?"
The man gave a snort as he leaned back against the wall, "Yeah I know him."
"And he really is a therapist?"
There was a moment where the man just stared at him not saying a word as he took another drag from his cigarette before blowing it back out with a low chuckle, "Oh yeah, best in the business."
"Best in the business huh?" Jou frowned as he looked down at his feet and the man asked, "Something wrong?"
"Do you know how much he charges?" Jou asked as his cheeks started to tinge pink. He hated talking to other people about money, it made him feel a little insecure or maybe a lot insecure. "I don't think I can really afford anything too-"
"You've really never been here before have you?" The man asked with a cocked brow before letting out another chuckle, "Don't worry about it kid. Just get down there, Kain'll take care of everything."
There was something in the man's tone that made Jou frown and he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy because of it and he took a step back. This entire situation is already shady enough as it is. "I-I dunno, you know what maybe I should just go-what the hell?!"
The man suddenly grabbed Jou's arm just as he made to turn and walk away and started dragging him towards the entrance instead. "Oh no you don't, Kain hates it when people cancel on him, he'll be whining in my ear for days if you don't show. So let's go."
"Hey! Let go of my arm you bastard!" Jou snapped as he tried to break free of the man's hold but it was set in a vice as he was dragged down the stairs and into the dark, until he finally saw two bright lights up ahead hanging beside a solid oak door and the man stopped.
The man knocked three times and the door opened almost immediately to reveal what was quite possibly the most beautiful man that Jou had ever seen in his entire life. Or was it a woman?
Seriously though not even Otogi could compare.
Jou felt himself flush at the thought when the raven haired man on the other side of the door blinked at him from behind the frame of his glasses before looking up at the man beside him, "Abel, what on earth-"
"I'm guessing this is your six o'clock." The man said as he took a drag from the cigarette he hadn't let go of, "He tried to make a run for it upstairs so I grabbed him and brought him here."
"Ah I see." The man said before giving Jou a kind smile as the blonde finally managed to wrench his arm free of Abel's grasp and rubbed the spot on his arm, "Mr. Jounouchi, I'm glad you could make it. I am Kain."
Jou's eyes went wide, "You're Kain, the therapist?"
"I am indeed. Welcome to bar Kain. Please come inside." The man said with a slight bow as he stepped to the side so Jou could walk inside before looking up at the man beside him, "Abel, thank you for showing Mr. Jounouchi the way. You can go now."
Abel scoffed as he turned around to leave, "Just so you know, this means we're even for that favor you did me a few months back."
"Oh it doesn't even come close to making it even and we both know it."
Abel flipped him off as he continued up the stairs.
Kain just smiled and Jounouchi watched the exchange as he wondered briefly what their relationship was when Kain spoke again, "Mr. Jounouchi, is there a problem?"
"Uh I… yeah kinda." Jou gave a sheepish grin as he rubbed the back of his neck, "I don't really have much, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to afford-"
Kain lifted his hand still with that ever pleasant smile, "No need to worry about that Mr. Jounouchi, here at bar Kain, the customer decides on the fee, not me."
"I don't understand."
"You decide on how much you pay me, Mr. Jounouchi. But that's only after our session has been completed, so please come inside and we can get started." The raven gracefully lifted his hand to gesture inside and Jou swallowed hard before taking a deep breath to walk inside.
"What's that smell?" the blonde after taking another deep breath, frowning a bit when he realized that he's caught that scent somewhere before, when the door suddenly closed sounding much louder than Jounouchi knew was normal causing him to jump in surprise as he looked back at the man behind him who only seemed to smile as he walked around him into the room.
"It's incense. I use it in all my sessions in order to help my clients relax and get more comfortable."
Jou nodded as he took a moment to look around, only just catching sight of the small cylinder like object releasing thin wisps of smoke in the furthest corner of the dimly lit room. There was a small bar like area to the left and the wall of drinks right behind it with a set of bright lights over the bar and just one chair in front of it. Kain walked around the bar and his head gave a tilt as he gestured towards the seat in front of him. "Mr. Jounouchi, please sit."
Jou hesitated for another moment before walking over to slide into the seat and Kain turned back towards the wall of bottles behind him, when he suddenly caught sight of something he didn't notice before. There was a white piece of material lying on the bar to his left a bit away. The blonde frowned since it looked oddly familiar only for his train of thought to break when Kain suddenly turned back and set a drink down in front of him along with a napkin. The glass was tall with a deep blue liquid and ice floating on the inside. Jou gave the other man a sheepish grin.
"Uh no thanks, I don't drink-"
"It's not alcoholic." Kain interrupted smoothly with his posture straight and both hands behind his back, Jou watched him for a moment before letting his gaze drift down to the glass.
It looked harmless enough, of course Jounouchi has learnt by now to never judge a book by its cover so he hesitated for another moment before taking another deep breath. The scent coming from the incense suddenly filled his chest with warmth and a sense of calm and safety fell over him.
One more deep breath and Jou grabbed the glass to take a sip only for his eyes to go wide when the most exquisite taste suddenly exploded on his tongue and he couldn't stop himself from chugging the whole thing down.
Kain chuckled with a shake of his head, "Slow down, Mr. Jounouchi, you don't have to rush. I would be happy to make you some more if you'd like."
Jou set his glass down and looked up at the older man with a bright grin, "You bet I'd like some more, this stuff tastes incredible!"
Kain seemed to pause for a moment at the smile he was given as he picked up the glass and turned back, "I'm glad you approve."
"Are you sure there's no booze in it?" Jou asked as he leaned with his elbows on the bar this time watching as the man seemed to grab a bottle of some kind of white liquid before grabbing another one with darker blue liquid. Kain turned back mere moments later and set a newly filled glass before him and Jou immediately took a sip.
"I give you my word Mr. Jounouchi." Kain said placing his right hand over his heart, "My aim is not to trick or deceive you. It is simply to help you discover your innermost desires."
Jou paused with a frown and a tilt of his head, "Innermost desires?"
"Yes." Kain answered giving the blonde an indulgent smile at the adorable look of confusion on his face, "Mr. Jounouchi, you do know what kind of a therapist I am don't you?"
"The good kind?" Jou tried and Kain chuckled softly, "Well I should hope so but that isn't what I meant."
"Then what did you mean?"
"I help people release the tension and frustration built up within themselves caused by the deep dark desires they keep suppressed within themselves. In other words Mr. Jounouchi," Kain paused giving him a wicked grin, "I'm a sex therapist."
Whiskey gold went wide and Jou sputtered indignantly as he immediately sat up, "Y-You're a what-"
"A sex therapist." Kain said looking right into Jounouchi's eyes and the blonde's jaw fell open in shock.
He should have known, he should have known better than to take Pegasus' advice of all the people on the face of this goddamn earth!
"Mr. Jounouchi calm down." Kain said sensing the blonde's rising panic but Jou wasn't having any of it.
"Look I think there's been some kind of misunderstanding here; s-so I should just go." The blonde said as he made to get up and make his escape from what he now realized was obviously a prostitute-and he really should have realized sooner because no one would set up shop in an area like that, looking this good without being a hooker-before he got himself in some serious trouble, "I'm sorry for wasting your time but I don't think I should be here."
"Oh?" Kain asked while his expression stayed in one of complete calm, "And where do you think you should be, at home in Otogi's arms,"
Jou froze at that, "How do you-"
"Or perhaps in the arms of someone else entirely."
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about the reason why you came here in the first place, Mr. Jounouchi. You came here because of him didn't you? You wanted to understand why it is that Otogi makes you feel so uncomfortable, why you can't seem to give yourself to him even though you know he would never harm you."
The blonde said nothing for a moment, just stared with wide eyes at the man, wondering how the hell he knew everything he knew.
"How do you know that?"
Kain didn't answer the question as he simply took the glass that was still half full and turned back to set it in the sink before turning back as he spoke, "Haven't you wondered what it is that drew you towards him in the first place. Why you allowed him to pursue you even though you saw him as nothing more than a friend mere months ago."
Jou kept quiet as the man moved across the bar towards the material he saw earlier.
"Of course he's handsome, intelligent, talented and successful. In all honesty there's no reason why you wouldn't want him as a partner is there, but somehow that still isn't enough for you is it Jounouchi?"
Jou swallowed hard barely able to keep the croak out of his voice as he spoke, "What are you talking about?"
Kain gave him a wicked grin, "By all rights, Ryuji Otogi is the perfect boyfriend, but perfect isn't enough is it? He's missing something. An air, a look, a slight twitch of his lips when he smirks and a very particular drawl to his speech. More of a bite to his bark. A very specific kind of arrogance," Kain said as he grabbed the material and held it up as if he was about to fold it and Jou's eyes went wide when he realized it was a jacket and exactly who's jacket it was.
No one else in Domino city had a jacket like that after all, Jou was sure of it, so it could really only belong to one person right?"
"Where did you get that?"
"This?" Kain asked with an arched brow before giving a shrug, "A client left it here during his last session, I suppose he forgot it."
Jou swallowed hard. Did that mean that Kaiba was here? Kaiba came to see Kain?
A sex therapist?!
Jou wasn't exactly sure how he felt about that, part of him was a little afraid, I mean if Kaiba found out about this, that he went to sex therapist or that Jou knew that Kaiba went to a sex therapist Jou would never hear the end of it, he'd make the rest of the blonde's life a living hell. Another part of him, this foreign previously unknown part of him felt upset, angry and maybe just a little bit jealous.
But why should he care if Kaiba's going around screwing some prostitute. Other than it being prime blackmail material that he could use to mess with rich boy's head for at least a couple of years, he shouldn't care what Kaiba does in his own time. Because Kaiba's an asshole, he's always been an asshole. Jou can't stand him!
So why does this bother him so much?
The blonde snapped out of his confusing thoughts when he realized that Kain was talking to him.
"…it on?"
"What?"
"I asked if you would like to try it on Mr. Jounouchi." Kain said walking around the bar towards him and Jou got off his chair to take a step back, "Why would I want to do that?"
Kain shrugged, "No reason, it's just that I'm not sure if the owner will ever be back for it, I don't want to just leave it here and it's a bit too big for me. I thought that maybe you'd like to try it on for size."
The raven haired man stopped right in front of him and Jou shook his head, "I-I don't think so-"
"Please, if only so I can satisfy my own curiosity."
Jou wanted to say no, he wanted to turn around and get the hell out of there, but then his eyes drifted down to the jacket. The Kaiba jacket and he couldn't help but bite his bottom lip since he was starting to feel a little curious too.
Against his better judgment Jou gave a nod, "O.K, yeah sure."
Kain smiled and Jou let out a sigh as he took off his own green jacket and set it aside. Kain held it out for him so he could slip one arm in and he turned so he could slip in the other, a strange overwhelming sense of something came over him in that moment and Jou couldn't help but run his hands over the material as he smoothed it out against his body. It was still one size too big since Kaiba was a bit taller than he was; his shoulders were broader as well. But somehow that only made that strange feeling he felt get even stronger.
"A perfect fit." Kain whispered and Jou couldn't help the flush that rushed up to his face as the man let his arms run down his sides, "Feels wonderful doesn't it, finding the perfect fit instead of just settling for the next best thing. The feel of the material is softer and smoother, the cut seems to hold you in all the right places seeming to almost worship every curve of your body the way it's meant to do. It gives you the feeling of perfection, like it was made for you."
Jou's skin flushed a little more and he gave a weak chuckle as he made to take the jacket off, "It's a little big actually." Only for Kain to stop him short "Is it?"
"Or is it everything you've ever dreamed of?"
Jou frowned at the sudden change in Kain's voice and turned around only to gape in shock at who he saw.
Thick chestnut locks, cold ice blue eyes, pale skin and that damnable superior smirk. The only thing that seemed out of place was his choice of clothing since he was wearing Kain's white shirt with the black vest and tie. All the same, the blonde stumbled back in shock rubbing his eyes and blinking them repeatedly, because there is no way in hell this is happening right?
"K-Kaiba?!"
"Are you done settling now, Katsuya? Or are you going to run after that second rate duelist like the miserable little puppy you are?"
"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE?!" Jounouchi screamed backing himself into a wall while Kaiba just seemed to smirk as he got closer until he was standing right in front of the blonde the brunette slammed a hand down on the wall beside Jou's head and grabbed his chin to force him to look up into his eyes, "What's going on here is that I'm sick and tired of watching you let other people touch what's mine. Maybe I should just show you your place once and for all."
Jou just continued to stare when his lips were suddenly devoured by another pair in a hungry passionate kiss and Jou couldn't help but let himself melt into it despite his shock when a hand suddenly started to slip in under his shirt and he remembered the current situation very clearly, Jou shoved the other away causing Kaiba to take a few steps back. The blonde's flush went two shades deeper at the blatant lust he saw in the other man's eyes as those ice blue eyes had melted into dark pools of desire and Jou lifted a hand to touch his wet bruised lips only to flush a little more.
"What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck!"
Kaiba gave a snort, "Language Jounouchi."
"What the-…how did-"
"None of this is real. It's all just an illusion. I already told you; at bar Kain I help people fulfill their deepest darkest innermost desires." Kaiba said as he stepped forward slowly loosening his tie to toss it aside while unbuttoning his waist coat and shirt, "And I am at the center of the desires that haunt your dreams and plague your heart."
Jou stuttered at the man's closing proximity, "I-I don't understand."
"Of course you don't." Kaiba said with that bored drawl of his and a roll of his eyes, honest to God it was like Kaiba was standing right there in front of him, but it wasn't Kaiba, couldn't be. He said it's an illusion, none of it is real, but God Jou's so confused.
The blonde swallowed hard when Kaiba or Kain was standing right in front of him all over again with that insufferable Kaiba smirk as he traced a finger down the side of his face and the blonde shivered at the touch. "Let me put this in terms that even a puppy like you will understand. You want me, badly."
"I-… no, no I don't." Jou said seeming to gain back some brain function as he glared at the brunette, "You're-Kaiba's an asshole, I wouldn't touch him if he were the last human being on earth."
"Sure about that Katsuya? Because I'm pretty sure you do want me." The taller man said coming close so he could whisper against Jou's ear and the blonde suddenly realized exactly where he caught that scent he smelt when he entered the room before. It's the same smell that he could smell on Kaiba's skin every time they got close enough to fight or argue. Coffee and expensive cologne, the blonde couldn't stop himself from moaning and instantly flushed when he did.
"Exactly." Kaiba chuckled as he leaned forward to catch the blonde's ear between his teeth and nip at it causing Jou to let out a soft whimper as he felt himself start to get weak, "I'm the reason you went out with Otogi in the first place. You think you can't have me that I'll never want you, so you settled for the next best thing. A cheap imitation of what you really want. But it won't ever be enough."
"K-Kaiba." Jou gasped when he felt the other's hands slip up underneath his shirt to wander over his chest stopping to tweak a nipple between his fingers and earning a moan while the brunette's other hand stayed on his hip. Kaiba's mouth went down from his ear to his jaw and then finally his neck, making sharp nips and soft kisses as he went along and Jou couldn't help but clasp at the brunette's shoulders to keep himself upright when his knees went weak.
"Give in Katsuya, you know you want me, you'll always be mine. Neither Otogi or anyone else for that matter will ever change that." Kaiba whispered hoarsely against his ear and Jou's grip tightened as his eyes began to sting when the truth finally sank in and he let out a sob against Kaiba's neck, "I know."
Suddenly the other stopped and pulled back to stare at the blonde, Jou looked away as he fought back hard against the stinging in his eyes only for a hand to gently grip his chin and lift it so he could look into sharp black eyes and pitch black raven hair.
"What-"
"I know it hurts, but if you continue to deny yourself the way you have been it'll only make things worse." Kain explained as he brushed the blonde's bangs away from his forehead, "You deserve to be happy Jounouchi and Otogi deserves the chance to find someone who will truly love him. Just settling will not bring either of you anything more than heartache."
The blonde's jaw clenched and he looked up at Kain with the sad brown eyes, "He hates me, he'll never want me."
"You can't know that for sure. Talk to him, find out if he really hates you as much as you think he does." Jou shook his head and Kain sighed as he grabbed the edges of the jacket that Jounouchi wore and pulled the sides in closer against his chest, "It's either that or spend the rest of your life not knowing and dreaming of what could have been."
Jou looked down at the jacket and replaced Kain's hands with his own to clutch the material tightly against his chest as the older man spoke, "Talk to him and if he rejects you, then you come back here. I'm afraid I can't offer you his heart, but I can give you a body and some comfort whenever you need it."
The blonde bit his bottom lip and closed his eyes tight.
He doesn't…
At least he thought he didn't feel anything, not anymore anyway.
In the beginning he felt something, lots of things actually, but he quickly learnt that what he felt didn't really matter. After his experiences with Mai and Valon Jou learnt that life sucks and when you find something good in it you hold on and you don't let go. So when Otogi asked him out, he agreed because he knew that there was absolutely no way he would ever have Kaiba.
He thought he could handle it, that eventually he'd feel for Ryuji what he felt for the teenage CEO.
But apparently he was wrong.
God, why does his life have to suck so bad?
"Katsuya." Hearing his name from that voice almost broke his heart in half since he knew it could never be, but Jou looked up all the same and found those blue eyes staring back at him, a hand traced along his cheek and Jou reached up to keep it there resting against his skin.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." The other said as he leaned in and sealed their lips in a bruising kiss, Jou wrapped his arms around the brunette's neck and let himself be maneuvered so he his back was pressed tightly against the wall while his legs wrapped around the brunette's waist.
"Kaiba." The blonde gasped as his mouth was released, latching onto his skin instead while the other man's hands got to work at undoing his jeans.
It wasn't much, it wasn't absolutely perfect, but at least it was something.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Wednesday morning just as lunch was about to end Jou stood at his locker, carefully reaching in to pull out a piece of white material as he stood with his back towards the rest of the hallway and the metal door obscured the view from any curious eyes that might wander his way.
Five days passed since he went to bar Kain and he still hasn't gotten up the courage to follow the older man's advice and tell Kaiba of his feelings, but I mean can you blame him? He and Kaiba don't get along, Kaiba hates him and by all rights Katsuya should hate him right back. It isn't right, he shouldn't want the teenage CEO the way he does but he did. Jou gave a rueful smile as he stared at the material in his hands. Honestly though he should have known. His life has always been hard, for some reason it seemed that fate hated him by causing his mom to leave and take his sister with her, having his father fall into a severe alcohol addiction and now making him fall for someone he'll never get to have.
Yeah, fates a bitch.
Jou thought sadly as he brought the material up to his face and took a deep breath, shutting his eyes as Kaiba's scent filled his nose and caused a light blush to flush his cheeks. It was kind of creepy, but Jou brought the jacket to school since he didn't want to have to explain to Yugi or Atem exactly why he had it should one of them find it so he kept it in his locker. Unfortunately that led to him constantly trying and failing to fight off the temptation of going to his locker between periods just so he could take a quick breath of Kaiba's scent.
Yeah, it's creepy, but Jou's been on edge lately so he thought he deserved a little comfort.
He broke up with Otogi after leaving Kain's since he knew the older man was right, it's not fair of him to keep Otogi around if he didn't really love him unfortunately Otogi didn't seem to understand and they ended up having a huge fight, they haven't spoken since.
Plus Kaiba hasn't been to school lately, well he was at school on Monday but Jou only saw him for a brief moment before the CEO got into his limo and left so in a way Jou had good reason for not confessing his feelings yet.
The blonde took another deep breath; he really doesn't want to have to face up to Kaiba. If he had it his way he'd just keep seeing Kain and just drool over the other from afar, but the older man made him promise he'd at least try before going back to him. Of course Jou was curious about how Kaiba's jacket got to Kain's in the first place. Was he really one of his clients? If so then why even bother trying to win Kaiba over? Obviously the CEO had someone else he wanted, someone prompting him to go see Kain in the first place.
Why try when he knew he didn't stand a chance?
Jou let out a soft sigh as he stared at the material in his hands when a voice suddenly spoke up behind him and the blonde yelped in surprise. Spinning around so fast he almost gave himself whiplash while keeping the jacket hidden behind his back.
The blonde's eyes went wide at who he saw.
"A lonely mutt and no geek squad, isn't this a rare sight to see."
Seto fucking Kaiba.
The brunette arched an eyebrow when Jou just stuttered and gaped at him before his eyes narrowed down with a slight frown pulling at the corner of his lip.
"What are you doing?"
Jou stuttered for a few more moments, wishing that he could somehow make the jacket in his hands disappear or better yet make himself disappear before he finally pulled together some courage and glared at the other teen, "None of your business, money bags."
"Really? Then what's that you're hiding behind your back?"
"Again, none of your business now get lost. Don't you have someone else to make miserable or sumthin?"
"Or something." Kaiba replied as he watched the blonde for a few more moments and Jou wished that he would just go away, when the CEO suddenly moved, going right around the blonde to slam the locker wide open and grab the jacket going too quickly for Jou to be able to keep up when he realized what was happening and it was yanked away.
"Stop!" The blonde watched in horror as Kaiba lifted the material up to see and blue eyes went wide before just as suddenly going cold as ice.
Jou's hands clenched tight and he lowered his head so he was staring at the ground as the shame and humiliation almost immediately started to take over.
"Where did you get this?"
"From a friend."
"What friend?"
"I-…" Jou stopped himself short to look back up at the brunette fighting back hard against the stinging in his eyes as he growled, "None of your business, so just give it back."
Kaiba's hands clenched around the material and moved too quickly for Jou to register all over again. The CEO grabbed his arm and dragged him down the hall to an empty classroom and in his mortification; Jou couldn't even find it in him to protest despite the shock he felt at the sudden action.
The blonde was hurled into the classroom where he stumbled a few feet until he stopped at the teacher's desk at the front of the class when he heard the door slam shut and the lock slide into place in the otherwise silent classroom.
It was silent for a dens moment with Jounouchi refusing to look up or turn around so he was facing the brunette when Kaiba suddenly spoke, "I'm going to ask you this one more time, where did you get this and don't bother lying to me because we both know this is mine."
Jou didn't answer, his hands clenched tightly into fists and he had to fight back hard against the stinging in his eyes as he shut them tight.
"Did you get this from Kain?"
A gasp forced itself from Jounouchi's mouth even though he knew that Kaiba probably already guessed that by now, I suppose the shock of hearing it come out of the brunettes mouth was just making things a little more real than they already were and Jou knew that he wouldn't be able to just brush it off and make some kind of excuse. Find a way to get away from the teenage CEO and live to pine another day.
"How did you find out about him? Why did you go see him?"
Kaiba stepped forward and stopped until he was just two feet behind the blonde, there was something odd in his voice, something close to anger but not quite close enough to make it seem like the CEO was actually angry. It almost sounded hurt in a way, like he'd somehow managed to disappoint the brunette but Jou still didn't turn around or even say a word.
In a few moments Kaiba will know, even if he doesn't say it himself as loath as he is to admit it, Seto Kaiba is a genius, he'll figure it out eventually and then he'll know how Jou feels. He'll know that that stupid street rat has turned into an even bigger freak and fell in love with the one person who hates him and would probably never even like him much less love him back.
Jou's hands clenched even tighter until he could feel the sting from his finger nails biting into his palms, somehow that hurt paled in comparison to the hurt that he knew would be coming next but he still had to go through with it. This isn't the way he would have wanted Kaiba to find out, actually Jou would've preferred it if the CEO never found out about it at all, but if nothing else then Jou at least wanted to have the chance to say it himself, to know that despite whatever comes next he at least tried. At least this way he'll know for sure and he won't go on for the rest of his life forever wondering about the what if's that could never possibly come true, no matter how badly he wanted them to.
So with one last shaky breath, Jou turned back and faced the CEO earning a blink of surprise as he looked up at the other with his skin flushed from heart ache and his eyes brimming with tears.
"Kain gave it to me."
"Why."
It wasn't question and if Jou had been in a better state of mind he might have told the brunette off for trying to command him the way he probably commanded all of his employees but then again, Jou wasn't in a better state of mind. The blonde stayed silent for a moment, looking away as a hard lump suddenly started forming in his throat and he started finding it hard to speak.
"Jounouchi."
Another shaky breath, Jou tried to get out the words but his mouth felt numb and his entire form was shaking terribly underneath the strain as his knuckles went white and blood started bleeding into his palm.
Three words, that's all it would take for Kaiba to know everything and for Jou's heart to break one final time. At least, the blonde thought briefly as he opened his mouth to speak, at least Kain told him that he could come back. At least Jou would find some kind of comfort after all of this was over, although it wasn't all he wanted and he knew that Kain would never really be enough, it was better than nothing.
Jou paused and hesitated he wanted to speak so badly but the words just wouldn't come out until Kaiba suddenly grabbed a hold of the blonde's shoulders to shake him back to reality while he somehow managed to keep the jacket in his grasp as he roared...
"ANSWER ME!"
"I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU!"
Kaiba froze and Jou's voice cracked as he looked away and spoke, "I'm in love with you, you asshole."
Kaiba let go of him and took a step back and Jou tried not to flinch at the rejection, instead wrapping his arms around his own waist as he turned away, "I went to see Kain last week and he showed me… he helped me realize what I really felt. He showed me why I couldn't stand being with Otogi and why I couldn't stop thinking about you… he helped me understand. But I know you don't feel the same way. So I asked him for the jacket and he let me have it," Jou gave a humorless snort at that part, "I figured if I couldn't have you then I at least wanted something that'd make me feel better about it, it isn't you, but its close enough."
Kaiba looked down at the jacket before bringing his gaze back up to the blonde, "Mutt-"
"Look I know it's stupid and pathetic and really really creepy and I know that you probably want nuthin' to do with me. I know you'll never want me but-but will you please give it back." Jounouchi pleaded as he looked up and a single tear ran down his flushed cheek and he swallowed hard as he spoke, "I swear I'll leave you alone and I'll stay out of your way, You'll never have to deal with me ever again, just let me have this one thing. Please."
For a moment Kaiba stared before reaching out to hand the jacket back to Jou and the blonde held his breath as he waited for the material to make contact with his fingertips when Kaiba suddenly snatched it back and hissed.
"No."
Jou's eyes snapped shut and his jaw clenched as hurt suddenly ached in his chest and anger rushed through his veins and before he could stop himself the blonde's head snapped up and he glared through blurry tear filled eyes ready to scream and cry in frustration, only for those same eyes to go wide when Kaiba suddenly grabbed him all over again, dropping the jacket on the floor to pull him close and join their lips together in a soft kiss.
Jounouchi froze as the brunette brought him even closer, wrapping his arms around Jou's waist as his lips gently moved against his own while the blonde did nothing more than grab onto Kaiba's uniform to steady himself and his hands clutched tight when the other suddenly pulled back a few inches and Jou started breathing hard, not believing for one moment that what happened actually happened.
"I think you've forgotten who I am mutt, so I'll remind you." Kaiba said quietly as he brought one hand up to cup the side of Jounouchi's face, gently brushing the pad of his thumb against his flushed cheek to wipe away the wet streaks running across it. Somehow the dog insult sounded different from Kaiba this time, caring and almost adoring as Jou watched those ice blue eyes melt right before him and he felt Kaiba's body heat right up against his own, radiating the scent that he's been inhaling from his jacket for the past week and Jou had to fight back hard against the urge to sigh into the taller teen's touch. "I am Seto Kaiba, child genius, CEO of one of the world's biggest corporations in the world, one of the most feared and respected men in Japan, multi billionaire and one of the best duelists in the world." Again if Jou were in the right state of mind he would have bristled at how easily the brunette could manage to kiss his own ass no matter the situation, but for the moment Jou was doing all he could to stay coherent despite the other's close proximity as Kaiba continued.
"I won't be replaced by a jacket or therapist or any second rate duelist just because you somehow managed to forget your place."
Jou swallowed hard before he spoke, "And where is my place… exactly?"
"By my side. As the man I love should be." Kaiba said quietly and brown eyes went wide as Jou gasped in shock, not believing for a moment that what was happening was actually happening.
It couldn't be happening.
Maybe he was dreaming again, or maybe he was back at bar Kain and any minute now those blue eyes would turn into eyes of coal and brown hair would turn into raven black and Kain would tell him that it was all just an illusion, none of it was real.
But this didn't feel like Kain.
Even when the therapist had taken Kaiba's form, spoken in that voice and radiated that scent, in the back of his mind Jou knew it wasn't real. In the back of his mind Jou could tell that it was all artificial, that Kaiba didn't look quite right and he didn't sound quite the same, it was just shy of being perfect although Jou couldn't explain how. He just knew it was.
"Katsuya." Kaiba said and Jou's heart skipped a beat as the man said his name, "Will you stay by my side?"
And before the blonde could stop himself he pulled Kaiba closer smashing their lips together in a bruising kiss that Kaiba returned before he pried his lips open to deepen it, teeth clashed along with lips and tongues and Katsuya's breath was swept away when Kaiba's grip tightened on his waist almost as if he were trying to absorb the other teen into his own body. Kaiba moved forward and Jou gasped as his lower back hit the edge of the teacher's desk before he let out a soft groan of pleasure as a hand ran up into his messy locks and Kaiba moaned in kind, only to have to break the kiss when his lungs started to burn under the lack of oxygen and they were breathing hard as they stared into each other's eyes.
"Seto, tell me this is real." The blonde said in between panting breaths as he kept his hands clutched tight in Kaiba's uniform almost as if afraid that everything would disappear and it will all have been nothing more than a dream if he let go while Kaiba kept his arms locked tight around Jou's waist in a similar fashion. "Tell me this isn't just a dream or one of Kain's illusions."
And for the first time since they met Kaiba smiled as he leaned forward to kiss the blondes cheeks and Jou sighed into the contact, "God I hope not, because if it is, I never want to leave."
Katsuya's cheeks flushed with heat as he returned the smile and Seto couldn't help but feel warmth spread all throughout his chest at the sight before the blonde spoke again, "I love you, Rich boy."
Kaiba gave a soft snort as he pressed one more kiss on the blonde's lips, "I love you too mutt."
And for the first time, in a long time, Katsuya knew that everything was perfect.
TWO DAYS LATER
The little bell above the door rang and Abel looked back over his shoulder to see who walked into his bar only to roll his eyes when he saw Kain walk in. Dressed in plain black jeans, a jacket with a black button up shirt and a cap on his head while his attention stayed firmly on the front page of the newspaper in his hands and the taller man couldn't help but give a snort as he continued wiping off the glasses behind the bar, just as Kain slid into one of the seats in front of him.
"You know, you'll end up walking into traffic if you don't pay closer attention to your surroundings."
Kain didn't look up from the paper; just let his eyes scan over the print as he gave a slight shrug while a small smile graced his features, "You say that like there's a possibility of me actually dying."
"You never know."
"I already got hit by a bus remember nineteen fifty two, we were in London… or was it Wales?"
"Either way you should be more careful." Abel said as he set down a glass before starting on the next one, "It wouldn't do to attract attention."
Kain rolled his eyes and waved him off and Abel arched a brow at him as he asked, "What's so interesting that you'd choose to ignore your brother's words of wisdom?"
At that Kain smiled as he set the paper down and turned it around so Abel could read it and the man's eyebrows raised as he stared at the picture on the front page. "Domino teen steals CEO's heart. Well what do you know."
"Not bad, huh? A little push in the right direction and they finally saw what was right in front of them" Kain said with a smile as he folded his arms across his chest and Abel nodded, "Not bad at all, I'm assuming that you were duly compensated for all your hard work."
Kain gave a snort, "Like you wouldn't believe; I could retire with the money that Kaiba gave me."
"Really, that much huh? He must've been really grateful."
"Yes well, I'm fairly certain that Kaiba only gave me that much to make sure I stay away from Jounouchi."
"Did he say that?"
"No but the words Katsuya is never to walk through that door again meant that it was strongly implied." Kain said in a voice that clearly belonged to the teenage CEO before letting out a sigh while Abel chuckled and the raven haired man started flipping through the pages of the paper before the other spoke, "So are you going to retire, hang up the old hat so to speak."
Kain paused for a moment staring up at the ceiling before shaking his head, "No I don't think so, after all, it might be a lot of money but my duties are far from completed."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Atem couldn't help but glare at the two standing on the other side of the game shop from his spot by the wall in front of a box filled with brand new duel monster cards with a clip board in his hands.
Jou stood behind the counter at the front of the shop, blushing right up to his ears as he leaned over with his elbows on the glass surface while Kaiba stood on the other side. The blonde's fingers threaded themselves through the CEO's thick brown hair as their lips moved together in a soft kiss, Kaiba paused to bite Jou's bottom lip mumbling something too quietly for Atem to hear but that had Jou's blush going one shade deeper before he pushed the other away. Kaiba chuckled while Jounouchi just glared, folding his arms across his chest.
"Sometimes I forget that you can be a total sleaze."
"You say that like you don't love every minute of it."
"That's cause I don't."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night pup." Kaiba said as he moved back to the counter to press a kiss on Jounouchi's lips and Jou's anger seemed to fade a little more as he leaned into the CEO's touch but he still resisted the urge to kiss back, "Why are you here again, I thought you had work?"
Kaiba shrugged, "I promised Mokuba I'd pick you up and we'd all go out to dinner. He said he has something important to ask me."
Jou's head gave a tilt as he spoke, "You know what he's going to ask you right?"
Kaiba held back a sigh, "Yes and like the last time my answer is still no."
"Oh come on, shouldn't the kid get to choose which school he goes to?"
"Domino isn't safe enough."
"I go to Domino High, you go to Domino high." Jou said with a roll of his eyes and Kaiba just shrugged as he lifted a hand to run through the blonde's hair and Jou finally relented at the feeling, "I tried to get you to transfer remember, you refused."
"I refused because there's nothing wrong with the school I go to now."
Kaiba paused for a moment, giving a soft smile as he saw the blonde's eyes slip shut at his ministrations, "You realize that the only reason he wants to go to Domino next year is because your sister will be going there too."
Jou huffed out a sigh, "Yeah well, Shizuka told me that she isn't so sure about Honda anymore."
Kaiba paused, "Really?"
"Yeah, look can we talk about this later. Honda's in the next room and just thinking about those two is already starting to give me a headache."
"Whatever you want pup." Jou smiled as he leaned in for another kiss that Kaiba returned only for the blonde to tense at the heavy gaze he could feel burning into the back of his head and he pulled back just in time to catch Atem glaring. The blonde cleared his throat as he turned away and headed towards the stairs, "I should go get changed, I just know your takin' me to that prissy stuck up place with the dress code again."
"I thought you liked that place."
"No you like that place, I just put up with it for some unbelievable reason."
"Because you love making your master happy."
Jou rolled his eyes, "Whatever helps you sleep at night, rich boy."
Kaiba chuckled as the blonde left the room and went up the stairs while Atem's gaze fell back on the clipboard only for his head to snap up when Kaiba suddenly spoke.
"If you want him gone then you should just say so."
"What?" the pharaoh asked in confusion and Kaiba looked like he was just barely resisting the urge to roll his eyes as he spoke, "Katsuya, I've been looking for an excuse to get him to move in with me for weeks anyway, kicking him out would do just fine."
Atem rolled his eyes, "I don't want to kick Jounouchi out Kaiba, he's more than welcome to stay for as long as he wants."
"Then I assume there's another reason as to why you keep glaring at him, not that I really care but you're making him uncomfortable." The brunette said and Atem's eyes widened a fraction before he let out a heavy sigh, setting the clipboard down to walk over towards the CEO.
"I am sorry, I've just been a little… frustrated as of late."
"Is this because of Mutou?"
A light blush suddenly spread over the pharaoh's cheeks and he opened his mouth to protest but stopped when his cousin or rather his cousin's reincarnation simply arched a brow at him, "I'm not… I care for Yugi very much it's just that I'm not sure what to do. It's been months since I received my own body and-"
"Alright I think there's been some kind of misunderstanding." Kaiba said dryly as he looked Atem straight in the eye, "I don't actually care about whatever issues you're having with Yugi, what I care about is that you're making my boyfriend uncomfortable." The pharaoh rolled his eyes at that folding his arms across his chest as Kaiba moved a bit in his chair to reach into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a small book of business cards, taking a moment to quickly flip through them until he finally slipped out a small black card with white and silver writing. "Do us both a favor."
Atem frowned when the other handed him a card and it had the words Bar Kain written across it with an email address, phone number and address.
"What's this?"
"The number for a sex therapist." Kaiba said plainly and Atem's eyes went wide as he opened his mouth to protest only for the CEO to stop him short, "He helped Katsuya and I sort out our…issues, just call the number and stop glaring at my pup."
Atem paused to stare down at the black card as Kaiba stood up and slid from his seat walking around the pharaoh towards the stairs that led to the bedrooms and the CEO waved him off, "If you want to thank me later, then kick Katsuya out and we'll call it even."
The pharaoh watched him go, before staring down at the card in thought when he suddenly heard Jounouchi gave a shriek of surprise upstairs and he guessed that Kaiba must have found his room. If this therapist is the reason for Jou and Kaiba's relationship then maybe-
Without a second thought Atem walked around the counter and grabbed the phone to punch in the numbers on the card and waited a moment before the line was answered and a voice spoke.
"Bar Kain, how may I help you?"
The End
A/N: alrighty
Next is puzzleshipping
As for this please review.