Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ A Love / Hate Relationship With Spring ❯ Chapter 2 - Aftermath ( Chapter 2 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: whosjeebus 
In which Seto is introspective, Joey is hungry, and Yugi is appalled.
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama / Comedy | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 04.13.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.8K | Visits: 540 | Status: Work In Progress
In which Seto is introspective, Joey is hungry, and Yugi is appalled.
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama / Comedy | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 04.13.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.8K | Visits: 540 | Status: Work In Progress
Title: A Love/Hate Relationship With Spring - Chapter 2/??
Author: WhosJeebus
Rating: Eventual NC-17
Pairing(s): Seto/Joey
Beta: Jennie B. - the hardest-working woman in fanfiction today
Spoilers: Don't think so, no. At least, not in this chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, although for all the money I've spent on it, I could probably purchase a controlling percentage of the stock...So you corporate fatcats don't sue me and I'll keep buying your stuff, deal?
Summary: Joey Wheeler has no shortage of reasons to hate the season of flowers, butterflies, and rebirth. Can someone unexpected give him a reason to enjoy it as well?
~~~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~~
WHEN WE LAST LEFT OUR HEROES...
As Joey watched in a detached haze, Kaiba's face morphed into an expression of apoplectic rage as he turned his head to meet Joey's still-watering eyes. Kaiba's mouth opened and closed several times before finally forming the word "Mutt..." But that was all he got out. Moving like lightning, he reached down and grabbed the front of Joey's t-shirt with both hands. The hapless teen was hauled upright to face the enraged CEO eye-to-eye, his feet dangling several inches above the ground.
He was sure that this was exactly the kind of situation in which his life should be flashing before his eyes, but instead of taking this time to reflect on his past triumphs and regrets, Joey opened his mouth and said conversationally, "Hiya Moneybags. Lovely day, ain't it?" He was dimly aware of a chorus of startled gasps from his friends as Kaiba's dark blue gaze narrowed.
~~~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 2:
Dead silence hung impossibly heavy in the air. A small group of teenagers, friend and foe alike, stood clustered just outside the entrance to Domino City Park, awaiting Joey's fate. Birds could be heard chirping in the distance, and the sounds of happy children playing drifted in and out on the still air. Someone was busy mowing their lawn, obviously taking advantage of the favorable weather, and Joey was immeasurably reassured by these normal, everyday sounds surrounding him. He felt a bit optimistic about the outcome of this encounter until he swallowed hard and looked up. His stomach plummeted as he met the murderous glare directed at him from under Seto Kaiba's furrowed brow.
Receiving no response to his attempt at humor, he tried aiming a shaky smile at the taller teen, and still got no reaction. He kicked his feet and squirmed a bit in Kaiba's grasp. He actually felt the t-shirt he was wearing give a little in the seams under his arms. Still nothing. "If I sneeze again, I bet he'd drop me like a hot potato," he thought deliriously. For a few hysterical moments, more inane thoughts swirled in Joey's poor, confused brain. "Should I just start whistling or something? Why hasn't he killed me yet? Why do I care? He could've thumped me five or six times over by now...Is he plannin' on torturin' me first? Yeah, I bet he is. That's just so like him. Hey, are those two dogs over there doin' it?"
Over the next several moments, the standoff continued unabated until suddenly everyone started talking at once, as if some invisible switch had been thrown.
Yugi shifted his weight from one foot to the other and stammered, "Kaiba...he didn't mean it. He has terrible allergies! Really...!"
Mokuba regained control of his laughter and wheezed, "Seto, it was funny! Don't be mad!"
Tristan put in a distinctly unhelpful "C'mon Joey, you can take this punk!"
Tea chimed in with, "Kaiba! You should be ashamed of yourself! Can't you see Joey's not feeling well? It's not his fault, you big bully!"
Joey remained suspended in the air, rolling his eyes and half expecting Ryou to show up and jump into the fray as well. For a brief moment, he wondered exactly what his soft-spoken friend might say in his defense were he there, but then he noticed something, well...odd, happening to the angry CEO's face.
Kaiba blinked.
Kaiba blinked again.
He let his gaze wander slightly to the left, and his lower lip began the barest curve upward. His whole face seemed to... shift, just the tiniest bit, and in Joey's mind, it seemed almost as if a carefully constructed mask was starting to slide.
The startled brunet's eyes widened almost comically in alarm before he regained control over his features. Dropping his head low to hide his traitorous expression, Kaiba shoved Joey roughly in Tristan's face. As he released his hold on the blond's shirt, he grated out, "Here, do something with this." He turned sharply on his heel and stalked off into the park calling over his shoulder as he went, "I'll be sure to send you the bill for a new pair of boots, Mutt. I don't know of any other way to get rid of dog germs."
Sprawled in the dirt on top of Tristan, Joey shot back, "Yeah, well...you do that, then..." He trailed off lamely, a thoughtful look forming on his face as he watched Kaiba stride purposefully out of ear shot.
With mock concern Tristan asked, "You ok, man?" At Joey's affirmative nod, Tristan shoved him roughly out of his lap. "Then get the hell offa me before you have another one of your psycho sneezing fits! I don't wanna end up wearing your snot the rest of the day, either. Dude, I almost feel sorry for Kaiba."
"I'm a mouth sneezer," Joey returned haughtily. "It was mostly spit."
This sent Mokuba into another fit of giggles as he clambered back onto his feet and held out a hand to the older teen. "Is it ok if I hang with you guys for a while? I don't think Seto wants any company right now." He gave them the eerily similar trademark Kaiba smirk, and heaved Joey back up on his feet. "Besides, he's just gonna go sulk under a tree for a while before he comes back to tell me it's time to leave. I have to get in some quality merry-go-round time before that happens." He tilted his head consideringly at the taller teenagers before issuing the challenge, "First one of you guys to make me puke gets fifty dollars!" Mokuba flashed a cheeky grin and scampered off toward the brightly colored playground visible in the distance.
"Oh, that money is MINE..." And with that, Tristan was off.
Yugi snorted. "I guess no one's told Tristan about Mokuba's legendary "iron stomach." That kid will make him earn every penny."
"Definitely... Did you see what he ate at Yugi's Halloween party?" Tea shuddered. "He not only finished off every single piece of candy he collected trick-or-treating, but he also wolfed down ALL of that hideous Jell-O monstrosity someone brought."
Joey glared at her. "Hey!! Serenity made that, and I'll have you know she worked very hard on that so-called "Jell-O monstrosity." She was very proud of it, and I'd think you guys could show a little more respect, y'know?"
Yugi arched one eyebrow. "Oh really? So tell me Joey, did YOU eat any of it?"
The brown-eyed boy blushed furiously and busied himself with brushing dirt off of his jeans, ignoring Yugi's chuckle. "I take it that means you've never had any of Tea's cooking then, Yug?"
Yugi looked perplexed. "No. Why?"
Joey just smirked.
Tea cleared her throat loudly and not-so-smoothly changed the subject. "We should go help Tristan out. It'll take more than one man's efforts to make Mokuba barf. Are you coming Joey?"
"Nah. You guys go ahead, I'm gonna run back down to the diner and grab a quick bite to eat." He smacked his lips obnoxiously. "I'm hungry enough to eat the ass end outta a dead rhino."
In unison, Tea and Yugi turned first toward each other, and then toward the blond. "Ewwww!!"
"What?? Don't you two gimme that look. Someone, who shall remain forever unnamed, dragged me outta the house without breakfast this morning!" Joey scoffed. "You two go on ahead, and I'll meet up with you later. Oh, and if you see Kaiba again, apologize for me, will ya? I'd do it myself, but I think he'd break my face before I got two words out."
Joey turned and began walking back the way the three boys had come from earlier, hands shoved deep in his front pockets. He hunched his shoulders forward and soon lost himself in thought. If he were a gambling man, which he was, he would have wagered that Seto Kaiba, a.k.a. Moneybags, a.k.a. That Rich Prick, had been very close to breaking out into an actual SMILE. "I bet it woulda looked nice on him. He mighta looked human for once," Joey muttered to himself. He shook his head to clear away such bizarre thoughts and took a deep breath of the fresh springtime air.
Yugi and Tea stood outside the park entrance and watched their friend, who was apparently lost in deep thoughts, turn the corner. Moments later, a faint "WAH-CHOOO!!" drifted back to their location.
"What's with him?" Tea wondered aloud. "He's not usually the introspective type. And wanting to apologize to KAIBA of all people? What's up with that?"
Yugi grinned widely and shrugged his shoulders, "Who knows? Maybe we should start looking for his pod."
Confused, Tea squinted down at him.
"Oh come ON, Tea! Pod people? "Invasion of the Body Snatchers??" Ring a bell?" Tea squinted even harder. "For heaven's sake, even Yami's seen it!" Yugi shook his head sadly, "You deprived child you..." Grabbing Tea's hand, the pair headed deeper into the park, eagerly greeted by Tristan's pronouncement, "Welcome to Vomit Fest 2005!"
~~~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~~
Seto Kaiba stalked furiously down an overgrown walking path, headed blindly for a secluded grove of trees he knew by heart. When he reached the familiar clearing, he was at a loss as to what he should do next. Now that his forward motion had ceased, he found his body wasn't quite ready to remain still. He turned in a circle several times, pounding his right fist against his opposite open palm. He emphasized each solid "thwack" with the mantra, "How dare he? How DARE he?"
"How dare he WHAT?" his brain snarked back at him. "How dare he sneeze on your precious boots...or how dare he make you smile? Which one has you so upset, you ass?"
Kaiba started to growl an appropriate response before it dawned on him that he was arguing with HIMSELF. He moodily plopped down on the grass and leaned his back against the huge oak tree that jutted up from the middle of the small clearing. With no one around to observe, he set his temper and his public persona aside and began struggling with something that had eluded him from even a young age. He concentrated on trying to be just Seto. He closed his eyes and attempted to block out every cruel lesson Gozaburo Kaiba had ever drilled into him. He tried his best to remember what it was like to be only a child, to be loved and thought of as a normal, everyday boy; not different or special in any way.
Closing his eyes however, only brought him a flurry of unwanted images.
The mutt's tremulous grin as he looked Kaiba in the eye, no doubt expecting a well-deserved pounding, was forefront in his mind. As was the rear view image he had been treated to as he had rounded the corner on the way to the park. The sight of Joey Wheeler bending over right in front of him had caused the briefest falter in his purposeful steps, and he hoped that his ever-observant brother had not noticed the slip-up. He felt that he had covered fairly well with an appropriately timed dog joke, but that was all before the disastrous sneezing incident. Things went all to hell after that, and Kaiba realized that even though he had started out with the upper hand, things had rapidly slipped out of his control when he had failed to take the mutt down a notch.
He had to give Wheeler credit, though. The mutt might constantly leap into impossible situations without thinking, but he never backed down from anything. If Kaiba hadn't found it so adorable, he would have said it was annoying...
He shifted his mind away from unfocused retrospection and turned his gaze to stare down long legs at his ruined boots. Wrinkling his nose in disgust, he leaned forward and began to gingerly unbuckle his boots with occasional exclamations of "Gross!" and "Damned mutt!" Once they were completely off, he swiped them through the overgrown grass a few times before giving up completely and just tossing them across the clearing. He'd deal with the boots later. Right now was HIS time...
Stripping off his socks as well, Kaiba wiggled his toes in ecstasy, revelling in the feel of the lush green grass caressing his feet. He would never admit it to a single living soul, but Seto Kaiba LOVED Spring. Every day during the harsh Domino City winter, he eventually wound up gazing out through the plate glass windows that made up one whole corner of his hi-rise office. Firmly ensconced in his nest at the top of Kaiba Corp Tower he could practically FEEL the wall of windows at his back. He knew it would only be a matter of time before he would swivel his plush office chair around to take advantage of the remarkable view his wealth afforded him. Every winter day he hoped to see a bit of green down below, a ray of sunlight breaking through the clouds, or a flower petal drifting by on the wind; even a bird or two would be a welcome sight as long as they weren't pigeons. The cold, grey and white skyline was no different than the cold, grey and white office in which he spent far too much time. He longed for the start of Spring every year, just so he could enjoy a moment or two like this one, in relative peace. He coveted these rare and precious segments of time in which he went untroubled by corporate takeovers, Duel Monsters tournaments, or crazed Egyptian pharaohs yammering on and on about destiny.
As he drifted in and out of a light doze, he came to a realization: Like a lot of people, Seto Kaiba craved simple, uncomplicated things. Things like Joey Wheeler.
Strangely enough, this revelation didn't really shock him. He'd always known there was an unusual brand of chemistry at work between the two of them. He would never acknowledge it of course; but he already accepted the fact that the mutt got under his skin like no one else. Obviously, he reasoned, there had to have been an underlying reason for it. He settled on simple, unresolved sexual tension as the most likely explanation. After all, so many of their assumed "fights" were, in actuality, carefully planned out and executed by Kaiba himself.
He could live with being attracted to Joey because he knew nothing could ever come of it. There was nothing at all daunting about a simulation, which was how he frequently viewed his interactions with the mutt. He enjoyed setting up various scenarios between the two of them and observing how they played out. With a detached, clinical eye, he could pinpoint exactly how the other's reactions affected him, and store the knowledge away for further introspection.
He liked his dealings with Joey Wheeler to be predictable: worthy of further study but nonetheless always with Kaiba in complete control of himself and the situation at hand. Today, however... Today had been different.
And he didn't like it one bit.
~~~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~~
tbc
Converting /tmp/phpoGjCx1 to /dev/stdout
Author: WhosJeebus
Rating: Eventual NC-17
Pairing(s): Seto/Joey
Beta: Jennie B. - the hardest-working woman in fanfiction today
Spoilers: Don't think so, no. At least, not in this chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, although for all the money I've spent on it, I could probably purchase a controlling percentage of the stock...So you corporate fatcats don't sue me and I'll keep buying your stuff, deal?
Summary: Joey Wheeler has no shortage of reasons to hate the season of flowers, butterflies, and rebirth. Can someone unexpected give him a reason to enjoy it as well?
~~~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~~
WHEN WE LAST LEFT OUR HEROES...
As Joey watched in a detached haze, Kaiba's face morphed into an expression of apoplectic rage as he turned his head to meet Joey's still-watering eyes. Kaiba's mouth opened and closed several times before finally forming the word "Mutt..." But that was all he got out. Moving like lightning, he reached down and grabbed the front of Joey's t-shirt with both hands. The hapless teen was hauled upright to face the enraged CEO eye-to-eye, his feet dangling several inches above the ground.
He was sure that this was exactly the kind of situation in which his life should be flashing before his eyes, but instead of taking this time to reflect on his past triumphs and regrets, Joey opened his mouth and said conversationally, "Hiya Moneybags. Lovely day, ain't it?" He was dimly aware of a chorus of startled gasps from his friends as Kaiba's dark blue gaze narrowed.
~~~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 2:
Dead silence hung impossibly heavy in the air. A small group of teenagers, friend and foe alike, stood clustered just outside the entrance to Domino City Park, awaiting Joey's fate. Birds could be heard chirping in the distance, and the sounds of happy children playing drifted in and out on the still air. Someone was busy mowing their lawn, obviously taking advantage of the favorable weather, and Joey was immeasurably reassured by these normal, everyday sounds surrounding him. He felt a bit optimistic about the outcome of this encounter until he swallowed hard and looked up. His stomach plummeted as he met the murderous glare directed at him from under Seto Kaiba's furrowed brow.
Receiving no response to his attempt at humor, he tried aiming a shaky smile at the taller teen, and still got no reaction. He kicked his feet and squirmed a bit in Kaiba's grasp. He actually felt the t-shirt he was wearing give a little in the seams under his arms. Still nothing. "If I sneeze again, I bet he'd drop me like a hot potato," he thought deliriously. For a few hysterical moments, more inane thoughts swirled in Joey's poor, confused brain. "Should I just start whistling or something? Why hasn't he killed me yet? Why do I care? He could've thumped me five or six times over by now...Is he plannin' on torturin' me first? Yeah, I bet he is. That's just so like him. Hey, are those two dogs over there doin' it?"
Over the next several moments, the standoff continued unabated until suddenly everyone started talking at once, as if some invisible switch had been thrown.
Yugi shifted his weight from one foot to the other and stammered, "Kaiba...he didn't mean it. He has terrible allergies! Really...!"
Mokuba regained control of his laughter and wheezed, "Seto, it was funny! Don't be mad!"
Tristan put in a distinctly unhelpful "C'mon Joey, you can take this punk!"
Tea chimed in with, "Kaiba! You should be ashamed of yourself! Can't you see Joey's not feeling well? It's not his fault, you big bully!"
Joey remained suspended in the air, rolling his eyes and half expecting Ryou to show up and jump into the fray as well. For a brief moment, he wondered exactly what his soft-spoken friend might say in his defense were he there, but then he noticed something, well...odd, happening to the angry CEO's face.
Kaiba blinked.
Kaiba blinked again.
He let his gaze wander slightly to the left, and his lower lip began the barest curve upward. His whole face seemed to... shift, just the tiniest bit, and in Joey's mind, it seemed almost as if a carefully constructed mask was starting to slide.
The startled brunet's eyes widened almost comically in alarm before he regained control over his features. Dropping his head low to hide his traitorous expression, Kaiba shoved Joey roughly in Tristan's face. As he released his hold on the blond's shirt, he grated out, "Here, do something with this." He turned sharply on his heel and stalked off into the park calling over his shoulder as he went, "I'll be sure to send you the bill for a new pair of boots, Mutt. I don't know of any other way to get rid of dog germs."
Sprawled in the dirt on top of Tristan, Joey shot back, "Yeah, well...you do that, then..." He trailed off lamely, a thoughtful look forming on his face as he watched Kaiba stride purposefully out of ear shot.
With mock concern Tristan asked, "You ok, man?" At Joey's affirmative nod, Tristan shoved him roughly out of his lap. "Then get the hell offa me before you have another one of your psycho sneezing fits! I don't wanna end up wearing your snot the rest of the day, either. Dude, I almost feel sorry for Kaiba."
"I'm a mouth sneezer," Joey returned haughtily. "It was mostly spit."
This sent Mokuba into another fit of giggles as he clambered back onto his feet and held out a hand to the older teen. "Is it ok if I hang with you guys for a while? I don't think Seto wants any company right now." He gave them the eerily similar trademark Kaiba smirk, and heaved Joey back up on his feet. "Besides, he's just gonna go sulk under a tree for a while before he comes back to tell me it's time to leave. I have to get in some quality merry-go-round time before that happens." He tilted his head consideringly at the taller teenagers before issuing the challenge, "First one of you guys to make me puke gets fifty dollars!" Mokuba flashed a cheeky grin and scampered off toward the brightly colored playground visible in the distance.
"Oh, that money is MINE..." And with that, Tristan was off.
Yugi snorted. "I guess no one's told Tristan about Mokuba's legendary "iron stomach." That kid will make him earn every penny."
"Definitely... Did you see what he ate at Yugi's Halloween party?" Tea shuddered. "He not only finished off every single piece of candy he collected trick-or-treating, but he also wolfed down ALL of that hideous Jell-O monstrosity someone brought."
Joey glared at her. "Hey!! Serenity made that, and I'll have you know she worked very hard on that so-called "Jell-O monstrosity." She was very proud of it, and I'd think you guys could show a little more respect, y'know?"
Yugi arched one eyebrow. "Oh really? So tell me Joey, did YOU eat any of it?"
The brown-eyed boy blushed furiously and busied himself with brushing dirt off of his jeans, ignoring Yugi's chuckle. "I take it that means you've never had any of Tea's cooking then, Yug?"
Yugi looked perplexed. "No. Why?"
Joey just smirked.
Tea cleared her throat loudly and not-so-smoothly changed the subject. "We should go help Tristan out. It'll take more than one man's efforts to make Mokuba barf. Are you coming Joey?"
"Nah. You guys go ahead, I'm gonna run back down to the diner and grab a quick bite to eat." He smacked his lips obnoxiously. "I'm hungry enough to eat the ass end outta a dead rhino."
In unison, Tea and Yugi turned first toward each other, and then toward the blond. "Ewwww!!"
"What?? Don't you two gimme that look. Someone, who shall remain forever unnamed, dragged me outta the house without breakfast this morning!" Joey scoffed. "You two go on ahead, and I'll meet up with you later. Oh, and if you see Kaiba again, apologize for me, will ya? I'd do it myself, but I think he'd break my face before I got two words out."
Joey turned and began walking back the way the three boys had come from earlier, hands shoved deep in his front pockets. He hunched his shoulders forward and soon lost himself in thought. If he were a gambling man, which he was, he would have wagered that Seto Kaiba, a.k.a. Moneybags, a.k.a. That Rich Prick, had been very close to breaking out into an actual SMILE. "I bet it woulda looked nice on him. He mighta looked human for once," Joey muttered to himself. He shook his head to clear away such bizarre thoughts and took a deep breath of the fresh springtime air.
Yugi and Tea stood outside the park entrance and watched their friend, who was apparently lost in deep thoughts, turn the corner. Moments later, a faint "WAH-CHOOO!!" drifted back to their location.
"What's with him?" Tea wondered aloud. "He's not usually the introspective type. And wanting to apologize to KAIBA of all people? What's up with that?"
Yugi grinned widely and shrugged his shoulders, "Who knows? Maybe we should start looking for his pod."
Confused, Tea squinted down at him.
"Oh come ON, Tea! Pod people? "Invasion of the Body Snatchers??" Ring a bell?" Tea squinted even harder. "For heaven's sake, even Yami's seen it!" Yugi shook his head sadly, "You deprived child you..." Grabbing Tea's hand, the pair headed deeper into the park, eagerly greeted by Tristan's pronouncement, "Welcome to Vomit Fest 2005!"
~~~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~~
Seto Kaiba stalked furiously down an overgrown walking path, headed blindly for a secluded grove of trees he knew by heart. When he reached the familiar clearing, he was at a loss as to what he should do next. Now that his forward motion had ceased, he found his body wasn't quite ready to remain still. He turned in a circle several times, pounding his right fist against his opposite open palm. He emphasized each solid "thwack" with the mantra, "How dare he? How DARE he?"
"How dare he WHAT?" his brain snarked back at him. "How dare he sneeze on your precious boots...or how dare he make you smile? Which one has you so upset, you ass?"
Kaiba started to growl an appropriate response before it dawned on him that he was arguing with HIMSELF. He moodily plopped down on the grass and leaned his back against the huge oak tree that jutted up from the middle of the small clearing. With no one around to observe, he set his temper and his public persona aside and began struggling with something that had eluded him from even a young age. He concentrated on trying to be just Seto. He closed his eyes and attempted to block out every cruel lesson Gozaburo Kaiba had ever drilled into him. He tried his best to remember what it was like to be only a child, to be loved and thought of as a normal, everyday boy; not different or special in any way.
Closing his eyes however, only brought him a flurry of unwanted images.
The mutt's tremulous grin as he looked Kaiba in the eye, no doubt expecting a well-deserved pounding, was forefront in his mind. As was the rear view image he had been treated to as he had rounded the corner on the way to the park. The sight of Joey Wheeler bending over right in front of him had caused the briefest falter in his purposeful steps, and he hoped that his ever-observant brother had not noticed the slip-up. He felt that he had covered fairly well with an appropriately timed dog joke, but that was all before the disastrous sneezing incident. Things went all to hell after that, and Kaiba realized that even though he had started out with the upper hand, things had rapidly slipped out of his control when he had failed to take the mutt down a notch.
He had to give Wheeler credit, though. The mutt might constantly leap into impossible situations without thinking, but he never backed down from anything. If Kaiba hadn't found it so adorable, he would have said it was annoying...
He shifted his mind away from unfocused retrospection and turned his gaze to stare down long legs at his ruined boots. Wrinkling his nose in disgust, he leaned forward and began to gingerly unbuckle his boots with occasional exclamations of "Gross!" and "Damned mutt!" Once they were completely off, he swiped them through the overgrown grass a few times before giving up completely and just tossing them across the clearing. He'd deal with the boots later. Right now was HIS time...
Stripping off his socks as well, Kaiba wiggled his toes in ecstasy, revelling in the feel of the lush green grass caressing his feet. He would never admit it to a single living soul, but Seto Kaiba LOVED Spring. Every day during the harsh Domino City winter, he eventually wound up gazing out through the plate glass windows that made up one whole corner of his hi-rise office. Firmly ensconced in his nest at the top of Kaiba Corp Tower he could practically FEEL the wall of windows at his back. He knew it would only be a matter of time before he would swivel his plush office chair around to take advantage of the remarkable view his wealth afforded him. Every winter day he hoped to see a bit of green down below, a ray of sunlight breaking through the clouds, or a flower petal drifting by on the wind; even a bird or two would be a welcome sight as long as they weren't pigeons. The cold, grey and white skyline was no different than the cold, grey and white office in which he spent far too much time. He longed for the start of Spring every year, just so he could enjoy a moment or two like this one, in relative peace. He coveted these rare and precious segments of time in which he went untroubled by corporate takeovers, Duel Monsters tournaments, or crazed Egyptian pharaohs yammering on and on about destiny.
As he drifted in and out of a light doze, he came to a realization: Like a lot of people, Seto Kaiba craved simple, uncomplicated things. Things like Joey Wheeler.
Strangely enough, this revelation didn't really shock him. He'd always known there was an unusual brand of chemistry at work between the two of them. He would never acknowledge it of course; but he already accepted the fact that the mutt got under his skin like no one else. Obviously, he reasoned, there had to have been an underlying reason for it. He settled on simple, unresolved sexual tension as the most likely explanation. After all, so many of their assumed "fights" were, in actuality, carefully planned out and executed by Kaiba himself.
He could live with being attracted to Joey because he knew nothing could ever come of it. There was nothing at all daunting about a simulation, which was how he frequently viewed his interactions with the mutt. He enjoyed setting up various scenarios between the two of them and observing how they played out. With a detached, clinical eye, he could pinpoint exactly how the other's reactions affected him, and store the knowledge away for further introspection.
He liked his dealings with Joey Wheeler to be predictable: worthy of further study but nonetheless always with Kaiba in complete control of himself and the situation at hand. Today, however... Today had been different.
And he didn't like it one bit.
~~~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~~
tbc
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