Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ A Love / Hate Relationship With Spring ❯ Chapter 3 - Intermission ( Chapter 3 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: whosjeebus 
In which Joey gets a bite to eat, but not really; Duke presses ham, and WTF is up with Kaiba?
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama / Comedy | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 04.17.2005 | Pages: 3 | Words: 6.3K | Visits: 535 | Status: Work In Progress
In which Joey gets a bite to eat, but not really; Duke presses ham, and WTF is up with Kaiba?
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama / Comedy | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 04.17.2005 | Pages: 3 | Words: 6.3K | Visits: 535 | Status: Work In Progress
Title: A Love / Hate Relationship With Spring - Chapter 3/??
Author: WhosJeebus
Rating: Eventual NC-17 (still not yet, be patient with me!)
Pairing(s): Seto / Joey, hints of Tristan / Duke
Beta: Jennie B. (I'm going to buy her a teddy bear, I swear)
Spoilers: Maybe just a bit for the Battle City / Noa arc. Just a teensy mention, really.
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?
*** A/N: Just wanted to say a quick thank you to all my kind reviewers - you guys are great! I'm a bit strapped for time at the moment, but I will personally acknowledge each and every one of your comments individually on the next update! I hope you enjoy the chapter, and in the meantime, I'll be busily working on chapter 4! ***
~~~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~~
WHEN WE LAST LEFT OUR HEROES...
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.
~~~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 3:
Joey Wheeler gave an exaggerated sigh of relief as he stepped inside Maxine's Diner and was embraced by the cool, pollen-free atmosphere. The proprietress herself lounged behind the dubiously clean counter, glancing up when she heard the loud jingling of the bell above the door. "Little Joey Wheeler!" she exclaimed in her booming voice. She greeted the blond with her thousand megawatt smile, and motioned him up to the counter. "Look what the cat dragged in!" In Maxine McGovern's mind, he would always be "Little Joey Wheeler", the scruffy ten year old who had first ducked into her establishment wild-eyed and panting for breath. A stampeding herd of angry, older boys were in pursuit of the smaller blond, and they were hell bent on revenge. Looking for a quick place to lay low, he had spotted the "Grand Opening" sign above the door and made a break for it. To be honest, Joey had most certainly NOT been the wronged party in the dispute, and their relentless pursuit had been wholly justified. However, to the diner's new owner, it had been a simple case of five against one. And Maxine had made it a special point to always champion the underdog.
"Maxine my dear, you're looking particularly gorgeous today. Has Old Man McGovern kicked the bucket yet?" Joey plopped down on a wobbly bar stool and fluttered his eyelashes outrageously at the older woman.
Laughing, she turned her attention to the soft drink fountain, "The old coot is still hangin' in there, Sweetie. We can't elope quite yet. Just you be patient with me, and I'll come up with some kind of plan to get us that insurance money; wait and see." She winked at the grinning teenager and set an overflowing glass of Coke on the counter in front of him. "On the house, Studmuffin." Maxine pinched his cheek and slid an ancient menu over to him. "Take your time, Kiddo. I got nowhere else to be." She made her way back inside the diner's noisy kitchen, whistling as she passed.
Reaching into his back pocket for his wallet, Joey's stomach gave a muted roar, wakened from its dormant state by the delicious odors wafting from the kitchen. The pictures on the menu, though faded, made his mouth water and his stomach clamor for attention again. As hungry as he was, Joey had committed himself to a strict budget some time ago, and food expenditures outside of groceries were luxuries that he had to keep careful tabs on. He estimated ten dollars for lunch and a tip was a reasonable amount to spend, and he began mentally calculating how much of yesterday's paycheck could be secreted away to his savings account. Flipping open the battered leather, he peered down into the bill compartment. Joey's breath hitched, and his face instantly drained of all color. His wallet was empty. Snapping it shut, he swallowed around the knot forming in his throat and opened it to look again. Totally empty - even the condom he'd picked up during his sex ed class sophomore year was gone. Frantically his brain tried to think of where he might have misplaced the money but, in his heart, he already knew exactly what had happened. His father had taken it.
He rested his forehead on the cool counter below him, and thought back to the previous evening: Exhausted, Joey had staggered home late last night and barely managed the presence of mind to remove his clothes and shoes before collapsing on the bed. He bade a swift farewell to the not-so-wonderful world of consciousness and had known nothing more of the waking realm until that errant ray of sunshine intruded into his bedroom. He certainly hadn't been thinking clearly enough to take the cash out of his wallet and stash it under the loose floorboard in his closet. It was the same routine he followed every Friday night. Friday being the one night he knew for sure his father would be on the prowl for extra cash. By sad coincidence, payday was also Poker Night at Stan Wheeler's favorite dive. Joey had learned long ago that on that particular day, any meager earnings he kept on his person were fair game. His hard earned cash would either be stealthily snatched from under his nose, or beaten out of him and taken anyway. Deception in any situation involving his father and money had become almost second nature to him, and no matter how many ways the sixteen year-old looked at it, his one small lapse in vigilance had just cost him dearly. Two weeks' lost pay and a serious setback to his plans to move out on his own were a heavy price to pay for one mistake. Not to mention the fact that he'd just been robbed of today's lunch, as well.
With a rough shove, he returned the empty wallet to his back pocket and clenched his fists tightly. He blinked several times just to make sure that no, he was NOT going to cry right there in plain view of Maxine and everyone else in the diner. Rage and frustration were achingly familiar to the blond, but giving into pointless tears was not an option. Half of the time, every person in his life he gave a damn about treated him like a charity case and, whether they realized it or not, he resented them a little for it. Joey Wheeler had always gotten by on his own, fought his own battles, and did his best to roll with the punches. Crying would only lead to questions he didn't want to answer. He sometimes wondered if there was anyone out there who could possibly understand what he was going through. It seemed like he had been wearing a disguise for so long, it was getting hard to tell which was the mask and which was really him.
Resting shaky hands on the back of his head, he leaned back on his stool and called out to Maxine, "Hey Beautiful, on second thought I'm only HALF starved today. I think I'll just take my Coke and sit over by the window. Y'know, enjoy the sunshine and all that crap."
Maxine came back out and looked at the blond as though he'd just sprouted an extra head, but nodded. "Sure thing, Sweet Cheeks.You just let me know if you need any thing else, 'kay?" Joey grabbed his drink and wandered over to the front of the restaurant.
"Don't worry Maxine, I'll come in later this week and eat my own body weight, deal? You'll probably need time to stock up anyway." She snorted in amusement and returned to her duties in the kitchen while Joey slid his lanky frame into a sun-warmed corner booth. He sipped his drink and concentrated on banishing morose thoughts from his mind.
It wasn't long until the strong, steady sunlight caused his eyelids to droop. He quickly became bored with people watching and slumped down farther in the booth, his feet supported on the opposite bench. After a few more minutes had passed, he leaned his head against the heated glass of the diner window. Stifling a massive, face-stretching yawn with the palm of his hand, the blond settled into a light doze. He let his mind drift off into his favorite fantasy of the moment: the total and utter humiliation of one Seto Kaiba.
~~~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~~
In this particular version of the fantasy, the two of them were facing off in a heated match atop the duel tower on Kaiba Corp Island. The sun was a palpable presence as it beat down on their high vantage point, making them both squint as its intensity blurred the barely visible horizon. Joey had just ended his turn with Panther Warrior on the field in attack mode and was down to his last 200 life points. Kaiba was not much better off with 400 life points, the expanse of playing field in front of him deserted and awaiting his next move. The arrogant CEO had started off as his usual cocky, overconfident self, hurling insults left and right. Recently however, he had begun to sweat and was showing obvious signs of buckling under the pressure. Eyes wide and shifting wildly, he laid one card face down, and began the process of summoning a monster in defense position to protect his remaining life points. These actions were accompanied by none of his usual blustery fanfare, and Joey made note of how the brunet's elegant hands were visibly trembling.
"Ah, ah, ah," the shorter teen interrupted and waggled a mocking finger at his opponent. "I don't think so." A Trap Hole card materialized on the blond's side of the field and then disappeared, taking the other duelist's monster card with it. Joey smugly crossed his arms over his chest. "What else you got?"
Kaiba's face crumpled as the last barrier between him and a humiliating defeat was whisked off the playing field. He lowered his head and stared intently at the ground for several tension filled moments. A shaky whisper barely reached the opposite side of the arena, "I... end my turn."
"Alright Moneybags...Let's wrap this up, shall we? I got more important things to do with my time than waste it dueling someone so obviously beneath my level of expertise." Joey shot a gleeful smirk at his glum opponent and drew what he knew for sure to be his final card of the duel. "First, I'll get rid of that pesky magic card." He opened with Harpie's Feather Duster, destroying the face down card and leaving the CEO's side of the field totally vulnerable to attack. "Then I'll wipe up what's left of you with my Panther Warrior." He shifted his feet apart and raised his right arm high above his head. WIth a dramatic, sweeping gesture, he extended his arm in Kaiba's direction and crowed triumphantly, "Panther Warrior, attack his life points directly!"
Then the world went dark.
~~~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~~
"What the...?" He jerked his head away from the window to stare blankly at the black expanse now filling his vision. Puzzled, he blinked several times and fumbled to wipe away the impressive amount of drool that had accumulated on his chin. Craning his neck upwards, he was greeted by the smiling face of Duke Devlin. The tall, dark haired boy then proceeded to press his leather clad rear end against the window over Joey's face. Wiping the back of his hand on the leg of his jeans, he glared right back at the green-eyed teen and tried very hard not to crack up. Duke peered backwards at the blond from over his shoulder and was obviously having a hard time holding back his own laughter. Joey rolled his eyes and motioned for his friend to join him inside the restaurant. He removed his feet from their perch to make room, but wasn't really surprised when other teen flopped down beside him instead.
Leaning in and doing a fair job of squashing the blond against the window, Duke dug his elbow into Joey's ribs and asked in a low voice, "How'd you like that view, hot stuff?"
"You're vile, Devlin. Truly vile. I was havin' an awesome dream until your scrawny ass showed up. Heh. Literally."
"Oh yeah? Was it about me? Was I naked?"
Joey scowled. "No."
"Covered in whipped cream?"
"No!"
"Nothing but a thong, then?"
"Oh for the love of - NO! It was about Kaiba!" He sucked in a breath, horrified at his own words.
Duke's eyebrows shot straight up to his hairline at that. "Oh really..." he purred, tilting his head to the side and giving the other boy an assessing look. "Was HE covered in whipped cream?"
"I swear to God, I'm going to punch you right in the face if you don't DROP IT!"
"OK, OK. Don't get your panties in a bunch, pal. I don't need to know all about your sick fantasies involving Mr. Tall, Dark and Dysfunctional anyway. Best of luck, man. You've got some serious competition."
Joey was now thoroughly confused. "Eh?"
The black-haired teen nodded solemnly and took a long drink of his friend's forgotten Coke. "Oh yeah, that's a really big stick he's got shoved up his ass. I'm not sure how you'd measure up."
"You are such an ass."
"Mmm-hmm, you love me though." He lifted his head and shouted toward the diner's front counter, "Yo, Maxine! The service in this dive blows!"
The lady in question didn't even turn to look at Duke as she called, "Keep your pants on, Miss Priss, I already know what you're gonna order anyway. You want fries with that?"
"Of course, and a DIET Coke please; I've got a waistline to watch."
Maxine grunted, rolling her eyes. "You queers are all alike."
"Then it's lucky for you that I'm bi." He blew their hostess a kiss, and to Joey's amazement, she actually blushed. Duke had that effect on a lot of women, but MAXINE? Wonders would never cease. "You're an angel as always," Duke called, then turned back to his companion, "I'm going to marry that woman someday."
"Get in line. I saw her first."
The other boy feigned hurt, then took a long look at his benchmate. Something just wasn't right. He snapped his fingers as it dawned on him. Joey Wheeler was in an eating establishment but wasn't eating! The world MUST be coming to an end, as this was surely one of the seven signs of the apocalypse. Then again, maybe he was just broke. "You want something to eat, man? My treat."
The blond seemed startled by the suggestion but shrugged it off, "Nah. Thanks for offerin', but I'm actually not hungry at the moment." He waggled his eyebrows at the taller boy. "I may swipe a few of your fries when you're not looking, though. Gotta keep the skills sharp."
Duke seemed satisfied with that answer and the other boy released a breath he wasn't even aware he had been holding. Duke wasn't fooled, but wisely decided that a change of subject was in order. "So have you seen Tristan today or what? I called his house, but his parents said he went out earlier. He's cheating on me, isn't he? Come on, Joe, tell me the truth. I can handle it"
"You can be such a drama queen sometimes, you know that? You've got Tris wrapped around your little finger and everyone's figured it out except for him." Joey leaned back in the booth, sipping his Coke. "Besides, I know for a fact he's down the street at the park trying his damnedest to make Mokuba puke." The other teen quirked an eyebrow at this, but didn't ask for clarification. "Yug' and Tea are there, too, and I'm supposed to join back up with them there in a little while. IF I decide to venture back out into the swirling pollen maelstrom of doom..."
"Ooo... check it out! Wheeler's whipping out the fifty-dollar words! Someone get you a word-a-day calendar for Christmas, Dog-Boy?"
"You're real fuckin' funny. I take back what I said earlier. Tristan IS cheatin' on you. With Mokuba. He told me this mornin' that you were losing your looks and he'd had enough of your fat ass to last a lifetime. That's right. I said FAT. ASS. He's got him some fresh meat, and you're old news buddy. Sorry to have to break it to ya like that, but hey, life's tough that way."
Duke turned his nose up in the air, "Well, at least I still have my legion of fangirls to fall back on. My hags will never desert me."
Maxine arrived well timed with a cheeseburger, fries and Diet Coke in tow and for a while, the two boys sat in relative silence. They played a familiar game in which Joey occasionally pointed behind his friend and exclaimed, "Look! It's Orlando!" When the other teen inevitably turned to look, a few more French fries had disappeared off his plate by the time he swung his head back around. Time passed peaceably enough in this manner, until Duke decided it was time to open up another can of worms.
"So Joey, how's the "Big Plan" coming along? You and Tris still saving up for an apartment together?"
Joey chewed his French fry thoughtfully while he debated the best way to answer that question. He frequently found himself doubting Tristan's commitment to the plans they had laid out the past summer, but he wasn't exactly sure how to convey his doubts to Duke. After all, as Tristan's boyfriend it was inevitable that word of their conversation would find its way back to their mutual friend. In one form or another. He decided the direct approach was probably the best.
"To be honest man, I don't even know if Tris has saved any money at all. He's been totally dodging me on the subject. We're tight and all, but I don't wanna go ahead and put myself out there on a limb if he's not gonna be able to hold up his end, y'know?"
The other boy nodded his ebony head up and down vigorously. "He's been cruising the want-ads for a job, but his expectations are totally unrealistic. I mean, he's my boyfriend and I love him to death, but sometimes I just want to knock the shit out of him. For one thing, he's got two - TWO - clueless middle class parents who go out and buy him a motorcycle or whatever else he wants just as long as he asks politely. He's got no practical real-life experience, and he's never had even the slightest disadvantage. He's not like you and me, Joe. He's never had it rough or been forced to fend for himself. I'm not sure he could hold down a job even if he DID manage to find someone desperate enough to hire him."
The blond had paused with a fry midway to his mouth and goggled at the other teenager's outburst. "Been storin' that up for a while, have you?"
Duke managed to look ashamed, but only just barely. He leaned back and ran a hand through his hair self-consciously. "Yeah, I guess so. Ah, don't mind me - I'm just venting. You know Tristan means everything to me; I just get fed up with his "the world owes me something" attitude every now and then. He and I are from two totally different backgrounds, but we still manage to make it work somehow. I suppose there really is something to that old "opposites attract" happy crappy, huh?" His companion's only response was a sarcastic snort. "I've got an idea! Why don't I just hire him over at the game shop? It'd give him practical work experience and I can even help him manage his money. I'm not too likely to can my own boyfriend, so you wouldn't have to worry about his source of income drying up and leaving you in the lurch" He looked particularly pleased with himself for coming up with the idea. "This could work! I'm such a genius!"
"Yeah, but you wear too much eyeliner. Makes you look like a tramp." Maxine plunked the check down on the table between the two boys and stumped back behind the cash register.
Joey howled with laughter while his friend just crossed his arms over his chest and glared daggers across the diner at their hostess. The blond boy beat his fist on the table and laughed even harder when the "Green Gaze of Death" fell on him.
"Are you quite finished?"
"Ah man, that had me cryin', and not from allergies for once." He wiped his eyes and managed to redirect his attention back to the serious matter at hand. "I appreciate what you're tryin' to do and stuff, I really do. But I don't think that just handin' him a job is gonna be the best way to teach Tristan about bein' responsible. Besides, your shop would be outta business in no time 'cause you two perverts would be in the back room gettin' it on all the time."
Duke looked affronted. "Honestly, I'm saddened and appalled that you could think such things about my business ethics, Joseph. At the very WORST, I'd only make him blow me under my desk two or three times a day. Really, I'm shocked at the way your mind works." Bright green eyes, previously widened in feigned outrage, narrowed slightly. They turned to pin the brown ones beside him with a knowing gaze. "Seriously though Joey, you shouldn't need to depend on someone else to make this happen. This is YOUR dream, and I can pretty much say for a fact that Tristan's just along for the ride. He loves you like a brother and if he thinks there's anything he can do to help you out, you know for sure he'll jump in with both feet. I've seen the things you've accomplished in your life, man. I know there's nothing that can hold you back if you put your mind and heart into it. You're like a freaking force of nature. As cheesy as it sounds, it works for you. If it's something you want, you always seem to make it happen. Joey Wheeler just doesn't quit."
"Aw, c'mon... cut it out with the mushy motivational talk. You're makin' me all - "
"No!" Duke's fist impacted with the tabletop. "Dammit, this has been a long time coming and so help me, you're going to sit there and listen while I finish having my say! Got it?"
The other boy nodded dumbly. He fervently wished for Maxine to break up the serious nature of the conversation with yet another timely intervention.
"Now, where was I? Oh yeah, I remember. I was trying to hammer some sense through that thick skull of yours. Look, I'm going to cut the shit right now and tell you straight up - I know life is tough for you, especially at home and right now in particular - " Joey opened his mouth to protest, but his determined friend slapped an open palm over his mouth before he could get a word out.
"I said SHUT IT! You can deny it and lie right to my face all you want blondie, but I've BEEN THERE and I know the signs all too well. You're not clever, and you're not even very good at hiding it. Just accept the fact that we all know, and that some of us even know first hand, got it? We're moving past that now."
Again he nodded, still too bewildered to speak even if the hand were removed.
Duke narrowed his eyes. "Damn, I wish you'd stop making me lose my train of thought... OK. The gist of it is this: I know we got off on the wrong foot a while back - Hmmm." He looked thoughtful, "Or would that be paw?" Joey, mouth still muffled, growled low in his throat. "Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that back then, I thought you were just a joke; a goofy, loud sidekick if you will." He shrugged his shoulders in an unapologetic gesture and continued. "We've been through a lot together since then and I guess I've come to respect you a little bit, you know? I've seen your determination, and I've seen how you fight for what you think is right. You stand up for yourself and for your friends, and you don't let anything deter you, no matter how impossible winning might seem. NOTHING keeps you down, man. Absolutely NOTHING. All I'm saying is that I think this is a talent you should apply to the rest of your life. You have the ability to overcome anything that stands in your way. I've seen you do it too many times to doubt it anymore. If you want something bad enough, take it. Make it happen." Duke let out a deep sigh and took his hand away from the other's mouth. "I'm done, and I hope to God that sank in because I'm not going guru on your ass again, understand?"
There was even more flabbergasted nodding on Joey's part, and he had begun feeling a little choked up. He cleared his throat and turned to directly face the other boy. The serious expression on his face matched his words as he stated plainly, "All that junk you just said, it was...unexpected at the very least. I really oughta punch your lights out for thinkin' you can mess around in my personal life, and for preachin' at me like you know what's best." He gently put has hand on the green-eyed boy's arm, "All that aside, I appreciate everything you just said to me, and you can't know what it means to me that you're willing to risk gettin' the crap beat outta ya just to tell me how you feel. That alone shows you care, 'cause you know I could kick your narrow, girly ass two blocks over and back again if I wanted to." He heard his own voice waver slightly, so he paused to take another drink and gather his confused thoughts back together. "You of all people should know that beatin' the odds isn't just some natural talent I have. I'm just too stupid and stubborn to ever give up, even when everyone else tells me I should. It's all just a combination of dumb luck and my friends helpin' me out and believin' in me. You know that because you ARE one of my very best friends, Duke." Joey paused for a moment to let this sink in since it was the first time he had ever brought himself to say it out loud. He was afraid to go on because his voice had started to crack, just a little.
Duke apparently took pity on him and countered with, "Yeah, one of your very best friends who still wants to bang your sister!"
"Why you - " The shorter teen leapt up onto his knees and grabbed Duke in a vicious headlock. "You take that back you sicko! You don't talk about my sister like that!"
"Ooo yeah, can't you just see it? Me and Tristan and Serenity in a hot, steamy threesome, all naked and sweaty, rolling around on the-"
"AAAAA!! You are so far past dead right now!..." Joey increased the pressure around the dark head in his arms.
"Alright, alright, I give. Choking I can handle, but you're starting to pull my hair, and that's just not acceptable behaviour."
The blond turned his back on the boy next to him and muttered, "Pervert."
"Prick."
"Child molestor."
"Bully." At this, Joey around in his seat just the smallest fraction.
"We cool?"
Duke turned his usual devastating grin on the smaller boy, "Yeah Joe. We're cool." He grabbed the check off the table and slid out of the booth. The two boys made their way toward the front of the restaurant, unable to resist the urge to engage in horseplay even for such a short trek. Joey attempted to shove his friend into a nearby table and chairs, but they were gracefully sidestepped by the taller boy. The retaliation came when Duke stuck his foot in front of the blond unexpectedly, and Joey went flying headlong to land awkwardly on his face. The brown-eyed teenager skidded to a stop sprawled at the foot of the bar directly beneath the cash register. Chuckling to himself, the victor of round two stepped on the prone figure and proudly waved his check in front of Maxine's smirking face. She feigned surprise and teased, "You two ladies done making out in the corner already?" Joey made a muffled protest. Tapping keys on the register in front of her, she held her other hand out for the cash Duke had dug out of his pocket. "I'll have you know I'm running a family friendly business here, so if you two wanna feel each other up that bad, at least take it to the crapper, will you?" She handed his change back with a wink, and leaned forward over the counter to glance at the floor. "Oh honey, let him up now please; I think he's learned his lesson."
Duke yielded, but not before he had stomped his foot a few times to make sure there was a perfectly visible, dusty boot print on Joey's rear. He then hopped lightly to the floor and kicked his cursing friend in the ribs. The blond wheezed and gasped a bit before climbing slowly to his feet, but otherwise he seemed none the worse for wear. He may or may not have been overheard muttering the words, "Fat," and "Ass." It was hard to tell.
The black-haired boy grabbed two packs of Twinkies off the rack next to the bar and handed Maxine some extra cash along with a generous tip. "Ooo! Big spender! You come back and see us any time, Toots." She playfully flicked her ever-present dish towel at Duke's posterior. Making their way back to the entrance, they each took one of the cellophane wrapped packages and paused to open them.
"You're not going to do that "deep throating the Twinkie" thing again, are you Dice-Boy? 'Cause that was just gross, and once in a lifetime's enough."
"I wasn't planning on it, but since you put in a special request..."
"No, no, don't go there please. Here, watch and see if I can fit both of 'em in my mouth at the same time."
"This should be interesting..."
Joey stood with his back to the front window, and proceeded to shove one entire Twinkie into his mouth with little difficulty.
"Uh-uh. No fair!" The taller boy reprimanded, "No chewing OR swallowing! Now cram that other one in before I have to call do-over and go buy some more."
The blond rolled his eyes and attempted to insert the other cream filled pastry into his mouth, but with more care and precision this time around.
"That's it...nice and slow. Oh baby, this is getting me SO hot... Why Joseph, I never knew you were such a slut."
The aforementioned slut stamped one foot in irritation and concentrated on making the damned thing FIT in there.
When taunting and words alone failed to get the desired reaction, the green-eyed teen resorted to outright fighting dirty. With a deadpan expression affixed firmly to his face, he stared straight into the other boy's watering brown eyes. He then inserted one index finger up his own nostril.
Joey choked.
"Hey - HEY! Watch where you're spewing that; these pants are new!"
The blond doubled over, gasping and making a variety of other distressed sounds, "Ah God, I hate you so very, very much." At least, that's what it sounded like he said - it was difficult to decipher due to all the coughing and spluttering that came out along with the words. Maxine came over with a glass of water and gave the taller of the two a look that clearly said, "You should be ashamed of yourself."
Duke did his part by smacking his friend firmly on the back. When the remainder of the Twinkie had been either dislodged or swallowed, Joey just shook his head, still unable to speak.
"I'm sorry man. I couldn't help myself."
"It's OK." The brown-eyed teen straightened himself and downed the last of the water. He grinned back at his companion, "I probably would've done the same thing. That was pretty classic."
But, his friend was no longer paying him any attention. Instead, he was staring over Joey's shoulder at something out the front window. His green eyes were round, and his mouth was open in a surprised "o". In short, he looked completely dumbfounded by whatever he was seeing through the glass. Joey wasn't falling for it. Not for a second. How dumb did Dice-Boy think he was?
Duke breathed, "Holy. Shit."
"Oh right, like I'm just gonna turn around and look so you can give me a wedgie or something equally juvenile. Pull the other leg, why dontcha? I ain't fallin' for it, so just give it up!" None of this tirade drew any reaction from the other boy and, despite his words to the contrary, Joey found himself slowly turning...
He was greeted by the most astonishing sight he had ever witnessed in his sixteen years of life:
There, just on the other side of the glass, was THE Seto Kaiba. That in itself was unremarkable, as the wealthy CEO didn't actually take his limo EVERYWHERE as was often claimed. What was unusual about the situation arose more from the fact that THE Seto Kaiba was wandering around dazed and BAREFOOT of all things, on the sidewalk right in front of the diner. He appeared extremely disheveled and disoriented. Joey felt that even the word "extremely" might have been a tad understated in this case. The teenager's normally smooth and perfectly coiffed auburn hair was matted together in tufts that stuck out in a variety of directions. His always immaculate and expensive clothes were rumpled, and his ever-present white leather duster was nowhere to be seen. But that was only the tip of the iceberg. His movements were jerky, and his regular, overconfident swagger seemed to have melded into a bizarre amalgam of pained limping and shuffling. The brunet seemed uncharacteristically confused as he hobbled back and forth directly in front of the diner, almost as if he were unable to choose which direction he wanted to head in.
While his companion was still witnessing this spectacle with his earlier thunderstruck expression, Joey felt a feral grin begin to creep across his own stunned features. The ultimate revenge for every defeat, every dog insult, every slight he had ever suffered at Seto Kaiba's hands was firmly within his grasp. All he had to do was follow Duke's advice and just reach out and take it...
This was gonna be good.
tbc
Converting /tmp/php5vUGaD to /dev/stdout
Author: WhosJeebus
Rating: Eventual NC-17 (still not yet, be patient with me!)
Pairing(s): Seto / Joey, hints of Tristan / Duke
Beta: Jennie B. (I'm going to buy her a teddy bear, I swear)
Spoilers: Maybe just a bit for the Battle City / Noa arc. Just a teensy mention, really.
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?
*** A/N: Just wanted to say a quick thank you to all my kind reviewers - you guys are great! I'm a bit strapped for time at the moment, but I will personally acknowledge each and every one of your comments individually on the next update! I hope you enjoy the chapter, and in the meantime, I'll be busily working on chapter 4! ***
~~~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~~
WHEN WE LAST LEFT OUR HEROES...
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.
~~~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 3:
Joey Wheeler gave an exaggerated sigh of relief as he stepped inside Maxine's Diner and was embraced by the cool, pollen-free atmosphere. The proprietress herself lounged behind the dubiously clean counter, glancing up when she heard the loud jingling of the bell above the door. "Little Joey Wheeler!" she exclaimed in her booming voice. She greeted the blond with her thousand megawatt smile, and motioned him up to the counter. "Look what the cat dragged in!" In Maxine McGovern's mind, he would always be "Little Joey Wheeler", the scruffy ten year old who had first ducked into her establishment wild-eyed and panting for breath. A stampeding herd of angry, older boys were in pursuit of the smaller blond, and they were hell bent on revenge. Looking for a quick place to lay low, he had spotted the "Grand Opening" sign above the door and made a break for it. To be honest, Joey had most certainly NOT been the wronged party in the dispute, and their relentless pursuit had been wholly justified. However, to the diner's new owner, it had been a simple case of five against one. And Maxine had made it a special point to always champion the underdog.
"Maxine my dear, you're looking particularly gorgeous today. Has Old Man McGovern kicked the bucket yet?" Joey plopped down on a wobbly bar stool and fluttered his eyelashes outrageously at the older woman.
Laughing, she turned her attention to the soft drink fountain, "The old coot is still hangin' in there, Sweetie. We can't elope quite yet. Just you be patient with me, and I'll come up with some kind of plan to get us that insurance money; wait and see." She winked at the grinning teenager and set an overflowing glass of Coke on the counter in front of him. "On the house, Studmuffin." Maxine pinched his cheek and slid an ancient menu over to him. "Take your time, Kiddo. I got nowhere else to be." She made her way back inside the diner's noisy kitchen, whistling as she passed.
Reaching into his back pocket for his wallet, Joey's stomach gave a muted roar, wakened from its dormant state by the delicious odors wafting from the kitchen. The pictures on the menu, though faded, made his mouth water and his stomach clamor for attention again. As hungry as he was, Joey had committed himself to a strict budget some time ago, and food expenditures outside of groceries were luxuries that he had to keep careful tabs on. He estimated ten dollars for lunch and a tip was a reasonable amount to spend, and he began mentally calculating how much of yesterday's paycheck could be secreted away to his savings account. Flipping open the battered leather, he peered down into the bill compartment. Joey's breath hitched, and his face instantly drained of all color. His wallet was empty. Snapping it shut, he swallowed around the knot forming in his throat and opened it to look again. Totally empty - even the condom he'd picked up during his sex ed class sophomore year was gone. Frantically his brain tried to think of where he might have misplaced the money but, in his heart, he already knew exactly what had happened. His father had taken it.
He rested his forehead on the cool counter below him, and thought back to the previous evening: Exhausted, Joey had staggered home late last night and barely managed the presence of mind to remove his clothes and shoes before collapsing on the bed. He bade a swift farewell to the not-so-wonderful world of consciousness and had known nothing more of the waking realm until that errant ray of sunshine intruded into his bedroom. He certainly hadn't been thinking clearly enough to take the cash out of his wallet and stash it under the loose floorboard in his closet. It was the same routine he followed every Friday night. Friday being the one night he knew for sure his father would be on the prowl for extra cash. By sad coincidence, payday was also Poker Night at Stan Wheeler's favorite dive. Joey had learned long ago that on that particular day, any meager earnings he kept on his person were fair game. His hard earned cash would either be stealthily snatched from under his nose, or beaten out of him and taken anyway. Deception in any situation involving his father and money had become almost second nature to him, and no matter how many ways the sixteen year-old looked at it, his one small lapse in vigilance had just cost him dearly. Two weeks' lost pay and a serious setback to his plans to move out on his own were a heavy price to pay for one mistake. Not to mention the fact that he'd just been robbed of today's lunch, as well.
With a rough shove, he returned the empty wallet to his back pocket and clenched his fists tightly. He blinked several times just to make sure that no, he was NOT going to cry right there in plain view of Maxine and everyone else in the diner. Rage and frustration were achingly familiar to the blond, but giving into pointless tears was not an option. Half of the time, every person in his life he gave a damn about treated him like a charity case and, whether they realized it or not, he resented them a little for it. Joey Wheeler had always gotten by on his own, fought his own battles, and did his best to roll with the punches. Crying would only lead to questions he didn't want to answer. He sometimes wondered if there was anyone out there who could possibly understand what he was going through. It seemed like he had been wearing a disguise for so long, it was getting hard to tell which was the mask and which was really him.
Resting shaky hands on the back of his head, he leaned back on his stool and called out to Maxine, "Hey Beautiful, on second thought I'm only HALF starved today. I think I'll just take my Coke and sit over by the window. Y'know, enjoy the sunshine and all that crap."
Maxine came back out and looked at the blond as though he'd just sprouted an extra head, but nodded. "Sure thing, Sweet Cheeks.You just let me know if you need any thing else, 'kay?" Joey grabbed his drink and wandered over to the front of the restaurant.
"Don't worry Maxine, I'll come in later this week and eat my own body weight, deal? You'll probably need time to stock up anyway." She snorted in amusement and returned to her duties in the kitchen while Joey slid his lanky frame into a sun-warmed corner booth. He sipped his drink and concentrated on banishing morose thoughts from his mind.
It wasn't long until the strong, steady sunlight caused his eyelids to droop. He quickly became bored with people watching and slumped down farther in the booth, his feet supported on the opposite bench. After a few more minutes had passed, he leaned his head against the heated glass of the diner window. Stifling a massive, face-stretching yawn with the palm of his hand, the blond settled into a light doze. He let his mind drift off into his favorite fantasy of the moment: the total and utter humiliation of one Seto Kaiba.
~~~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~~
In this particular version of the fantasy, the two of them were facing off in a heated match atop the duel tower on Kaiba Corp Island. The sun was a palpable presence as it beat down on their high vantage point, making them both squint as its intensity blurred the barely visible horizon. Joey had just ended his turn with Panther Warrior on the field in attack mode and was down to his last 200 life points. Kaiba was not much better off with 400 life points, the expanse of playing field in front of him deserted and awaiting his next move. The arrogant CEO had started off as his usual cocky, overconfident self, hurling insults left and right. Recently however, he had begun to sweat and was showing obvious signs of buckling under the pressure. Eyes wide and shifting wildly, he laid one card face down, and began the process of summoning a monster in defense position to protect his remaining life points. These actions were accompanied by none of his usual blustery fanfare, and Joey made note of how the brunet's elegant hands were visibly trembling.
"Ah, ah, ah," the shorter teen interrupted and waggled a mocking finger at his opponent. "I don't think so." A Trap Hole card materialized on the blond's side of the field and then disappeared, taking the other duelist's monster card with it. Joey smugly crossed his arms over his chest. "What else you got?"
Kaiba's face crumpled as the last barrier between him and a humiliating defeat was whisked off the playing field. He lowered his head and stared intently at the ground for several tension filled moments. A shaky whisper barely reached the opposite side of the arena, "I... end my turn."
"Alright Moneybags...Let's wrap this up, shall we? I got more important things to do with my time than waste it dueling someone so obviously beneath my level of expertise." Joey shot a gleeful smirk at his glum opponent and drew what he knew for sure to be his final card of the duel. "First, I'll get rid of that pesky magic card." He opened with Harpie's Feather Duster, destroying the face down card and leaving the CEO's side of the field totally vulnerable to attack. "Then I'll wipe up what's left of you with my Panther Warrior." He shifted his feet apart and raised his right arm high above his head. WIth a dramatic, sweeping gesture, he extended his arm in Kaiba's direction and crowed triumphantly, "Panther Warrior, attack his life points directly!"
Then the world went dark.
~~~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~~
"What the...?" He jerked his head away from the window to stare blankly at the black expanse now filling his vision. Puzzled, he blinked several times and fumbled to wipe away the impressive amount of drool that had accumulated on his chin. Craning his neck upwards, he was greeted by the smiling face of Duke Devlin. The tall, dark haired boy then proceeded to press his leather clad rear end against the window over Joey's face. Wiping the back of his hand on the leg of his jeans, he glared right back at the green-eyed teen and tried very hard not to crack up. Duke peered backwards at the blond from over his shoulder and was obviously having a hard time holding back his own laughter. Joey rolled his eyes and motioned for his friend to join him inside the restaurant. He removed his feet from their perch to make room, but wasn't really surprised when other teen flopped down beside him instead.
Leaning in and doing a fair job of squashing the blond against the window, Duke dug his elbow into Joey's ribs and asked in a low voice, "How'd you like that view, hot stuff?"
"You're vile, Devlin. Truly vile. I was havin' an awesome dream until your scrawny ass showed up. Heh. Literally."
"Oh yeah? Was it about me? Was I naked?"
Joey scowled. "No."
"Covered in whipped cream?"
"No!"
"Nothing but a thong, then?"
"Oh for the love of - NO! It was about Kaiba!" He sucked in a breath, horrified at his own words.
Duke's eyebrows shot straight up to his hairline at that. "Oh really..." he purred, tilting his head to the side and giving the other boy an assessing look. "Was HE covered in whipped cream?"
"I swear to God, I'm going to punch you right in the face if you don't DROP IT!"
"OK, OK. Don't get your panties in a bunch, pal. I don't need to know all about your sick fantasies involving Mr. Tall, Dark and Dysfunctional anyway. Best of luck, man. You've got some serious competition."
Joey was now thoroughly confused. "Eh?"
The black-haired teen nodded solemnly and took a long drink of his friend's forgotten Coke. "Oh yeah, that's a really big stick he's got shoved up his ass. I'm not sure how you'd measure up."
"You are such an ass."
"Mmm-hmm, you love me though." He lifted his head and shouted toward the diner's front counter, "Yo, Maxine! The service in this dive blows!"
The lady in question didn't even turn to look at Duke as she called, "Keep your pants on, Miss Priss, I already know what you're gonna order anyway. You want fries with that?"
"Of course, and a DIET Coke please; I've got a waistline to watch."
Maxine grunted, rolling her eyes. "You queers are all alike."
"Then it's lucky for you that I'm bi." He blew their hostess a kiss, and to Joey's amazement, she actually blushed. Duke had that effect on a lot of women, but MAXINE? Wonders would never cease. "You're an angel as always," Duke called, then turned back to his companion, "I'm going to marry that woman someday."
"Get in line. I saw her first."
The other boy feigned hurt, then took a long look at his benchmate. Something just wasn't right. He snapped his fingers as it dawned on him. Joey Wheeler was in an eating establishment but wasn't eating! The world MUST be coming to an end, as this was surely one of the seven signs of the apocalypse. Then again, maybe he was just broke. "You want something to eat, man? My treat."
The blond seemed startled by the suggestion but shrugged it off, "Nah. Thanks for offerin', but I'm actually not hungry at the moment." He waggled his eyebrows at the taller boy. "I may swipe a few of your fries when you're not looking, though. Gotta keep the skills sharp."
Duke seemed satisfied with that answer and the other boy released a breath he wasn't even aware he had been holding. Duke wasn't fooled, but wisely decided that a change of subject was in order. "So have you seen Tristan today or what? I called his house, but his parents said he went out earlier. He's cheating on me, isn't he? Come on, Joe, tell me the truth. I can handle it"
"You can be such a drama queen sometimes, you know that? You've got Tris wrapped around your little finger and everyone's figured it out except for him." Joey leaned back in the booth, sipping his Coke. "Besides, I know for a fact he's down the street at the park trying his damnedest to make Mokuba puke." The other teen quirked an eyebrow at this, but didn't ask for clarification. "Yug' and Tea are there, too, and I'm supposed to join back up with them there in a little while. IF I decide to venture back out into the swirling pollen maelstrom of doom..."
"Ooo... check it out! Wheeler's whipping out the fifty-dollar words! Someone get you a word-a-day calendar for Christmas, Dog-Boy?"
"You're real fuckin' funny. I take back what I said earlier. Tristan IS cheatin' on you. With Mokuba. He told me this mornin' that you were losing your looks and he'd had enough of your fat ass to last a lifetime. That's right. I said FAT. ASS. He's got him some fresh meat, and you're old news buddy. Sorry to have to break it to ya like that, but hey, life's tough that way."
Duke turned his nose up in the air, "Well, at least I still have my legion of fangirls to fall back on. My hags will never desert me."
Maxine arrived well timed with a cheeseburger, fries and Diet Coke in tow and for a while, the two boys sat in relative silence. They played a familiar game in which Joey occasionally pointed behind his friend and exclaimed, "Look! It's Orlando!" When the other teen inevitably turned to look, a few more French fries had disappeared off his plate by the time he swung his head back around. Time passed peaceably enough in this manner, until Duke decided it was time to open up another can of worms.
"So Joey, how's the "Big Plan" coming along? You and Tris still saving up for an apartment together?"
Joey chewed his French fry thoughtfully while he debated the best way to answer that question. He frequently found himself doubting Tristan's commitment to the plans they had laid out the past summer, but he wasn't exactly sure how to convey his doubts to Duke. After all, as Tristan's boyfriend it was inevitable that word of their conversation would find its way back to their mutual friend. In one form or another. He decided the direct approach was probably the best.
"To be honest man, I don't even know if Tris has saved any money at all. He's been totally dodging me on the subject. We're tight and all, but I don't wanna go ahead and put myself out there on a limb if he's not gonna be able to hold up his end, y'know?"
The other boy nodded his ebony head up and down vigorously. "He's been cruising the want-ads for a job, but his expectations are totally unrealistic. I mean, he's my boyfriend and I love him to death, but sometimes I just want to knock the shit out of him. For one thing, he's got two - TWO - clueless middle class parents who go out and buy him a motorcycle or whatever else he wants just as long as he asks politely. He's got no practical real-life experience, and he's never had even the slightest disadvantage. He's not like you and me, Joe. He's never had it rough or been forced to fend for himself. I'm not sure he could hold down a job even if he DID manage to find someone desperate enough to hire him."
The blond had paused with a fry midway to his mouth and goggled at the other teenager's outburst. "Been storin' that up for a while, have you?"
Duke managed to look ashamed, but only just barely. He leaned back and ran a hand through his hair self-consciously. "Yeah, I guess so. Ah, don't mind me - I'm just venting. You know Tristan means everything to me; I just get fed up with his "the world owes me something" attitude every now and then. He and I are from two totally different backgrounds, but we still manage to make it work somehow. I suppose there really is something to that old "opposites attract" happy crappy, huh?" His companion's only response was a sarcastic snort. "I've got an idea! Why don't I just hire him over at the game shop? It'd give him practical work experience and I can even help him manage his money. I'm not too likely to can my own boyfriend, so you wouldn't have to worry about his source of income drying up and leaving you in the lurch" He looked particularly pleased with himself for coming up with the idea. "This could work! I'm such a genius!"
"Yeah, but you wear too much eyeliner. Makes you look like a tramp." Maxine plunked the check down on the table between the two boys and stumped back behind the cash register.
Joey howled with laughter while his friend just crossed his arms over his chest and glared daggers across the diner at their hostess. The blond boy beat his fist on the table and laughed even harder when the "Green Gaze of Death" fell on him.
"Are you quite finished?"
"Ah man, that had me cryin', and not from allergies for once." He wiped his eyes and managed to redirect his attention back to the serious matter at hand. "I appreciate what you're tryin' to do and stuff, I really do. But I don't think that just handin' him a job is gonna be the best way to teach Tristan about bein' responsible. Besides, your shop would be outta business in no time 'cause you two perverts would be in the back room gettin' it on all the time."
Duke looked affronted. "Honestly, I'm saddened and appalled that you could think such things about my business ethics, Joseph. At the very WORST, I'd only make him blow me under my desk two or three times a day. Really, I'm shocked at the way your mind works." Bright green eyes, previously widened in feigned outrage, narrowed slightly. They turned to pin the brown ones beside him with a knowing gaze. "Seriously though Joey, you shouldn't need to depend on someone else to make this happen. This is YOUR dream, and I can pretty much say for a fact that Tristan's just along for the ride. He loves you like a brother and if he thinks there's anything he can do to help you out, you know for sure he'll jump in with both feet. I've seen the things you've accomplished in your life, man. I know there's nothing that can hold you back if you put your mind and heart into it. You're like a freaking force of nature. As cheesy as it sounds, it works for you. If it's something you want, you always seem to make it happen. Joey Wheeler just doesn't quit."
"Aw, c'mon... cut it out with the mushy motivational talk. You're makin' me all - "
"No!" Duke's fist impacted with the tabletop. "Dammit, this has been a long time coming and so help me, you're going to sit there and listen while I finish having my say! Got it?"
The other boy nodded dumbly. He fervently wished for Maxine to break up the serious nature of the conversation with yet another timely intervention.
"Now, where was I? Oh yeah, I remember. I was trying to hammer some sense through that thick skull of yours. Look, I'm going to cut the shit right now and tell you straight up - I know life is tough for you, especially at home and right now in particular - " Joey opened his mouth to protest, but his determined friend slapped an open palm over his mouth before he could get a word out.
"I said SHUT IT! You can deny it and lie right to my face all you want blondie, but I've BEEN THERE and I know the signs all too well. You're not clever, and you're not even very good at hiding it. Just accept the fact that we all know, and that some of us even know first hand, got it? We're moving past that now."
Again he nodded, still too bewildered to speak even if the hand were removed.
Duke narrowed his eyes. "Damn, I wish you'd stop making me lose my train of thought... OK. The gist of it is this: I know we got off on the wrong foot a while back - Hmmm." He looked thoughtful, "Or would that be paw?" Joey, mouth still muffled, growled low in his throat. "Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that back then, I thought you were just a joke; a goofy, loud sidekick if you will." He shrugged his shoulders in an unapologetic gesture and continued. "We've been through a lot together since then and I guess I've come to respect you a little bit, you know? I've seen your determination, and I've seen how you fight for what you think is right. You stand up for yourself and for your friends, and you don't let anything deter you, no matter how impossible winning might seem. NOTHING keeps you down, man. Absolutely NOTHING. All I'm saying is that I think this is a talent you should apply to the rest of your life. You have the ability to overcome anything that stands in your way. I've seen you do it too many times to doubt it anymore. If you want something bad enough, take it. Make it happen." Duke let out a deep sigh and took his hand away from the other's mouth. "I'm done, and I hope to God that sank in because I'm not going guru on your ass again, understand?"
There was even more flabbergasted nodding on Joey's part, and he had begun feeling a little choked up. He cleared his throat and turned to directly face the other boy. The serious expression on his face matched his words as he stated plainly, "All that junk you just said, it was...unexpected at the very least. I really oughta punch your lights out for thinkin' you can mess around in my personal life, and for preachin' at me like you know what's best." He gently put has hand on the green-eyed boy's arm, "All that aside, I appreciate everything you just said to me, and you can't know what it means to me that you're willing to risk gettin' the crap beat outta ya just to tell me how you feel. That alone shows you care, 'cause you know I could kick your narrow, girly ass two blocks over and back again if I wanted to." He heard his own voice waver slightly, so he paused to take another drink and gather his confused thoughts back together. "You of all people should know that beatin' the odds isn't just some natural talent I have. I'm just too stupid and stubborn to ever give up, even when everyone else tells me I should. It's all just a combination of dumb luck and my friends helpin' me out and believin' in me. You know that because you ARE one of my very best friends, Duke." Joey paused for a moment to let this sink in since it was the first time he had ever brought himself to say it out loud. He was afraid to go on because his voice had started to crack, just a little.
Duke apparently took pity on him and countered with, "Yeah, one of your very best friends who still wants to bang your sister!"
"Why you - " The shorter teen leapt up onto his knees and grabbed Duke in a vicious headlock. "You take that back you sicko! You don't talk about my sister like that!"
"Ooo yeah, can't you just see it? Me and Tristan and Serenity in a hot, steamy threesome, all naked and sweaty, rolling around on the-"
"AAAAA!! You are so far past dead right now!..." Joey increased the pressure around the dark head in his arms.
"Alright, alright, I give. Choking I can handle, but you're starting to pull my hair, and that's just not acceptable behaviour."
The blond turned his back on the boy next to him and muttered, "Pervert."
"Prick."
"Child molestor."
"Bully." At this, Joey around in his seat just the smallest fraction.
"We cool?"
Duke turned his usual devastating grin on the smaller boy, "Yeah Joe. We're cool." He grabbed the check off the table and slid out of the booth. The two boys made their way toward the front of the restaurant, unable to resist the urge to engage in horseplay even for such a short trek. Joey attempted to shove his friend into a nearby table and chairs, but they were gracefully sidestepped by the taller boy. The retaliation came when Duke stuck his foot in front of the blond unexpectedly, and Joey went flying headlong to land awkwardly on his face. The brown-eyed teenager skidded to a stop sprawled at the foot of the bar directly beneath the cash register. Chuckling to himself, the victor of round two stepped on the prone figure and proudly waved his check in front of Maxine's smirking face. She feigned surprise and teased, "You two ladies done making out in the corner already?" Joey made a muffled protest. Tapping keys on the register in front of her, she held her other hand out for the cash Duke had dug out of his pocket. "I'll have you know I'm running a family friendly business here, so if you two wanna feel each other up that bad, at least take it to the crapper, will you?" She handed his change back with a wink, and leaned forward over the counter to glance at the floor. "Oh honey, let him up now please; I think he's learned his lesson."
Duke yielded, but not before he had stomped his foot a few times to make sure there was a perfectly visible, dusty boot print on Joey's rear. He then hopped lightly to the floor and kicked his cursing friend in the ribs. The blond wheezed and gasped a bit before climbing slowly to his feet, but otherwise he seemed none the worse for wear. He may or may not have been overheard muttering the words, "Fat," and "Ass." It was hard to tell.
The black-haired boy grabbed two packs of Twinkies off the rack next to the bar and handed Maxine some extra cash along with a generous tip. "Ooo! Big spender! You come back and see us any time, Toots." She playfully flicked her ever-present dish towel at Duke's posterior. Making their way back to the entrance, they each took one of the cellophane wrapped packages and paused to open them.
"You're not going to do that "deep throating the Twinkie" thing again, are you Dice-Boy? 'Cause that was just gross, and once in a lifetime's enough."
"I wasn't planning on it, but since you put in a special request..."
"No, no, don't go there please. Here, watch and see if I can fit both of 'em in my mouth at the same time."
"This should be interesting..."
Joey stood with his back to the front window, and proceeded to shove one entire Twinkie into his mouth with little difficulty.
"Uh-uh. No fair!" The taller boy reprimanded, "No chewing OR swallowing! Now cram that other one in before I have to call do-over and go buy some more."
The blond rolled his eyes and attempted to insert the other cream filled pastry into his mouth, but with more care and precision this time around.
"That's it...nice and slow. Oh baby, this is getting me SO hot... Why Joseph, I never knew you were such a slut."
The aforementioned slut stamped one foot in irritation and concentrated on making the damned thing FIT in there.
When taunting and words alone failed to get the desired reaction, the green-eyed teen resorted to outright fighting dirty. With a deadpan expression affixed firmly to his face, he stared straight into the other boy's watering brown eyes. He then inserted one index finger up his own nostril.
Joey choked.
"Hey - HEY! Watch where you're spewing that; these pants are new!"
The blond doubled over, gasping and making a variety of other distressed sounds, "Ah God, I hate you so very, very much." At least, that's what it sounded like he said - it was difficult to decipher due to all the coughing and spluttering that came out along with the words. Maxine came over with a glass of water and gave the taller of the two a look that clearly said, "You should be ashamed of yourself."
Duke did his part by smacking his friend firmly on the back. When the remainder of the Twinkie had been either dislodged or swallowed, Joey just shook his head, still unable to speak.
"I'm sorry man. I couldn't help myself."
"It's OK." The brown-eyed teen straightened himself and downed the last of the water. He grinned back at his companion, "I probably would've done the same thing. That was pretty classic."
But, his friend was no longer paying him any attention. Instead, he was staring over Joey's shoulder at something out the front window. His green eyes were round, and his mouth was open in a surprised "o". In short, he looked completely dumbfounded by whatever he was seeing through the glass. Joey wasn't falling for it. Not for a second. How dumb did Dice-Boy think he was?
Duke breathed, "Holy. Shit."
"Oh right, like I'm just gonna turn around and look so you can give me a wedgie or something equally juvenile. Pull the other leg, why dontcha? I ain't fallin' for it, so just give it up!" None of this tirade drew any reaction from the other boy and, despite his words to the contrary, Joey found himself slowly turning...
He was greeted by the most astonishing sight he had ever witnessed in his sixteen years of life:
There, just on the other side of the glass, was THE Seto Kaiba. That in itself was unremarkable, as the wealthy CEO didn't actually take his limo EVERYWHERE as was often claimed. What was unusual about the situation arose more from the fact that THE Seto Kaiba was wandering around dazed and BAREFOOT of all things, on the sidewalk right in front of the diner. He appeared extremely disheveled and disoriented. Joey felt that even the word "extremely" might have been a tad understated in this case. The teenager's normally smooth and perfectly coiffed auburn hair was matted together in tufts that stuck out in a variety of directions. His always immaculate and expensive clothes were rumpled, and his ever-present white leather duster was nowhere to be seen. But that was only the tip of the iceberg. His movements were jerky, and his regular, overconfident swagger seemed to have melded into a bizarre amalgam of pained limping and shuffling. The brunet seemed uncharacteristically confused as he hobbled back and forth directly in front of the diner, almost as if he were unable to choose which direction he wanted to head in.
While his companion was still witnessing this spectacle with his earlier thunderstruck expression, Joey felt a feral grin begin to creep across his own stunned features. The ultimate revenge for every defeat, every dog insult, every slight he had ever suffered at Seto Kaiba's hands was firmly within his grasp. All he had to do was follow Duke's advice and just reach out and take it...
This was gonna be good.
tbc
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