Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ A Love / Hate Relationship With Spring ❯ Chapter 7 - Competition ( Chapter 7 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Title: A Love / Hate Relationship With Spring - Chapter 7/7

Author: WhosJeebus

Rating: NC-17 (Bacardi Limon alert! I had to drink a large quantity of the stuff in order to write this smut!)

Pairing(s): Seto/Joey

Beta: Jennie B. (Damned right she's on my Xmas card list!)

Spoilers: Nopey - Wait. There's a teeny mention of DDM. Shhh. I won't tell if you won't.

Disclaimer: Are you serious? Oh, OK. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, I just twist it around and use it for my own perverted satisfaction. Don't look at me like that. I'm not the only one. You're reading this, after all.

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?

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WHEN WE LAST LEFT OUR HEROES...

Seto appeared introspective for a moment as he sat back up. "I will say one thing about you, Wheeler. You have far more insight than I would have ever given you credit for."

"Thanks, Kaiba." Before he could stop and talk himself out of it, Joey leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to the other boy's lips. He recovered his wits and asked in all seriousness, "Now what?"

Seto smiled - the first genuine, warm smile the blond had ever seen from his rival. "I have an idea." Powerful heads of state and industry giants alike had trembled at these selfsame words when spoken by Seto Kaiba. Joey Wheeler just smiled back.

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Chapter 7:

Joey was feeling vaguely disappointed, and was somewhat annoyed with himself for it. He wasn't quite sure what sort of idea he had been hoping Kaiba would come up with, but "Was that a Playstation 2 I saw in your room?" had caused a definite sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach. Normally, he would have leapt at the chance to go up against the great Seto Kaiba one-on-one, especially considering that Joey Wheeler was never one to turn down a challenge - certainly not one of this magnitude. He was just bewildered that, at some point, the context had changed without his noticing. Odder still was that he continued to experience half-formed pangs of loss despite the fact that he was WINNING.

It didn't make any sense. Here he was, seated in the floor of his very own bedroom, and utterly humiliating his longtime adversary in a forum of Kaiba's own choosing, no less. It defied reason that he should find himself unable to derive any pleasure from it. When the hell had THAT happened? He felt empty inside; bereft of the sense of accomplishment that he knew should accompany the besting of his ultimate rival. Kaiba, on the other hand, was becoming more and more enraged as Joey continued to demonstrate his well-honed gaming prowess. He felt he should be rejoicing that the normally cool and composed CEO was starting to crumble, should be revelling in the undeniable fact that it was all his own doing. After all, wasn't that the stuff of which fantasies were made? He sighed. This was totally unacceptable. It was time to pull out all the stops, and no one on earth knew what buttons to push better than Joey Wheeler.

"That was a great practice round, Kaiba." He received a flat glare in return. "Oh. You mean that wasn't...?" Joey shrugged nonchalantly. "Wow. All I did was mash some buttons, go figure. You said you've played Burnout 3 before, right?"

Kaiba growled. Joey was suddenly concerned about the safety of the controller his opponent was holding. It seemed on the verge of being crushed by the brunet's barely suppressed rage. "Start the battle race stage again, Mutt." He clenched and unclenched his fists rhythmically. "I obviously chose the wrong vehicle last round. Besides, you of all people should realize your luck won't last forever." Kaiba seemed to regain a modicum of his trademark self-possession. "It's typical of you to start out strong and completely disintegrate before the end. I've certainly seen you do it enough times in a duel. It's only a matter of time before you embarrass yourself, Wheeler. I can be patient. Now shut that big, bragging mouth of yours and restart the race."

Joey waited to see red at these words, but it never happened. He clearly wasn't trying hard enough. He redoubled his efforts to get a rise out of the CEO. "Did I hear your voice crackin' a little bit there, Moneybags? It's OK to cry. Anyone with your score would."

"Forget it. Put Mortal Kombat Deception back in and we'll see who ends up crying."

Joey appeared nonplussed. "Alright, have it your way. It's only polite to allow the guest to choose his own manner of demise..."

Five minutes later, Joey found his attention drifting. He really only needed to keep one eye on the proceedings, never realizing that this too infuriated the other teen beyond the capacity for rational thought. "Flawless Victory," the console speakers proclaimed blandly. Kaiba stared open-mouthed in shock, apparently frozen in place. Joey feigned confusion. "You mean I was the guy on the RIGHT? Hey, I think I'm startin' to get the hang of this!" He gave a short tug on both cables. "Are you sure yours is connected?" Kaiba snarled wordlessly and flung his controller across the room in disgust.

"Hey! Watch it, asshole! Bein' a sore loser don't give you the right to break other people's stuff! I bought this system with my own money, and if you can't control your hissy fits..." Kaiba snorted, and this spurred Joey to further admonishment. "Just 'cause you're a spoiled bastard with money fallin' outta your ass doesn't mean you can walk around doin' anything you damn well please! I already feel bad for dippin' into my savings to buy the damned thing and if you bust it, I can't afford to replace it. If Yugi's grandpa hadn't given me such a good deal..." He realized he was rambling. "Ah, what the hell am I tellin' you this for? It's not like you have any concept of bein' the little guy..."

Kaiba stared intently at him. "If it's broken, then it wouldn't be a problem for me to replace it, now would it? That's how "spoiled bastards" like myself handle our daily dilemmas, Mutt. We have the privilege of breaking things and then throwing money at the problem." He gave a self-mocking grin. "I learned that from the best." He gazed at Joey with sudden interest. "Where do you work?"

Joey figured that whoever had shown Kaiba how to solve his problems with money was most likely also responsible for teaching him to change gears so quickly. It was probably some sort of tactic devised to keep your enemy off balance. Joey, on the other hand, didn't have a disingenuous bone in his body, although he could bluff with the best of them. "It's not so much a job as overpaid slave labor," he joked, but Kaiba didn't concede an inch with his laser sharp gaze. He swallowed nervously. He was treading on dangerous ground here. "I uh, work for this rich guy doin' odd jobs around his place, you know? Fixin' things, cuttin' the grass, takin' care of the place while he's gone. Pretty boring stuff, actually."

"Does this "rich guy" have a name?" Joey muttered a reply, and Seto leaned forward, cupping his ear. "What? Stop mumbling, I can't understand you."

"His name's J. Wallace Toomey, I said!"

Seto blinked. "I know him. He's on the board of directors at Kaiba Corp."

Joey shrugged. "Yeah, I figured you did."

"He's a dick," Kaiba stated bluntly, and Joey nearly choked. "What? If you work for him, then you know it's simply the unadorned truth. I can't believe you have the audacity to call ME spoiled when you apparently know the Lord God Overseer of wealthy pricks first hand." He curled his lip in disdain. "He's nothing but a worthless trust fund baby whose daddy owns a sizable chunk of Kaiba Corp stock. The old man put his pride and joy on the board in his place and now I'm the one who has to deal with the simpering prep school idiot. He's constantly trying to undermine me, but far too stupid to pull it off. He can't even manage to adequately kiss my ass when he gets caught." He levelled a steady look at the blond. "It doesn't exactly seem to be in your nature to put up with abuse from someone like that. God knows you don't take it from me. Surely there are other job openings available?"

Once again, Joey tried to deflect the serious tone of the conversation. "Heh. Don't call me Shirley." Kaiba frowned and started to speak, but Joey interrupted. "Oh yeah sure, there's tons of opportunities out there for someone like me." He willed away the bitterness he heard in his own voice. "As a matter of fact, both Duke AND Yug's grandpa offered me jobs at their game shops. Better pay for better hours, even." Kaiba raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Seriously! I mean come ON, what card shop wouldn't want THE Duelist Kingdom runner-up, not to mention a Battle City finalist, workin' for them?" He continued proudly, "They were practically fightin' over me I tell ya! I'm a walking advertisement for Duel Monsters; a bona fide success story even! Joey Wheeler, duelist extraordinaire, is a name that carries a lot of weight in this town..."

Kaiba continued to appear unconvinced. "So what's your excuse, Mutt? Sounds like a golden opportunity for a second-rate duelist such as yourself."

Joey shot him a warning look. "THAT is a long and sordid story. Not to mention it's none of your busines, so just drop it."

"Fine. But you're the one who brought it up in the first place." Seto crossed his arms and leaned back against the edge of the bed, studiously examining the carpet in front of him and ignoring the blond.

Joey had decided he rather liked Kaiba in his laid-back, playful mood, and was disheartened to see him fall back on his usual cold arrogance so quickly. It occurred to him that perhaps a compromise was in order. After all, it had been a significant leap of faith for Kaiba to confide in Joey about the death of his parents; could Joey really expect himself to be any less forthcoming? He couldn't help but wonder how long their little "truce" would last once his closely held secrets were revealed, but recent interactions had led him to believe that it might be possible for the two of them to become friends. He sighed deeply. He really hated being so indecisive; this new, unsure footing where Seto Kaiba was concerned was beginning to cause a major headache. He rubbed his temples and turned to face the other teen. "Alright. here's the down and dirty - but I swear to God if any of this gets out you're gonna end up wearin' my shoe on the inside of your ass. Got it?"

Kaiba nodded briefly and visibly relaxed his posture. "Go on."

Joey fidgeted with the hem of his t-shirt for a few moments before he spoke. "I guess you could say that Toomey's got me by the balls." He looked up, a crooked smile on his face. "And not in the good way, either. My dad worked for him at first, doin' pretty much the same things I do now. At least he did for while." Joey took a deep breath. "The straight-up is that my dad's a drunk, and there's not a single other soul in town that woulda hired him. Toomey's offer was kind of a last ditch effort to get the old man back on track. Of course, he fucked THAT up big time." Joey laughed bitterly, and Seto was slightly startled by the vehemence he heard creeping into the normally easygoing boy's words. Until today, he'd had no indication of what sort of lifestyle might actually lie behind Joey's carefree attitude. "Long story short, Dad eventually falls off the wagon, like always, and ends up stealin' from Toomey. I have absolutely no idea what he stole, but the prick claims to have Dad on tape and he threatened to press charges. Knowin' my father, I don't doubt that Toomey's tellin' the truth. So I just stepped in and offered to do the same job for less money if he'd forget about goin' to the cops. End of story." Joey ran his hands through his hair a few times in an effort to regain his composure. "I tell ya though, I'm savin' every single PENNY I earn from that son-of-a-bitch and I'm movin' outta this dump so fast it'll make Dad's head spin. He can deal with the fallout himself; see if I care."

Seto wasn't fooled by Joey's gruff words; it didn't stand to reason that a son who had given up so much to protect his own father would make a run for it at the first opportunity that came along. Seto's overactive brain was already in high gear, examining the problem presented from various angles. From Joey's words, it would seem that the elder Wheeler was somewhat renowned in Domino for his deadbeat ways. Could Toomey have known this beforehand? And if so, to what purpose? For that matter, why even pay Joey for the work if he truly had irrefutable evidence of his father's guilt? All these thoughts he kept to himself however, merely nodding in agreement before speaking. "If I might offer up a hypothetical solution...?" Joey seemed instantly suspicious, but didn't interrupt. "It would be a simple matter for me have a "word" or two with Toomey on Monday. I would imagine that if I phrased my "suggestion" in the appropriate manner, he might find it advantageous to rid himself of this so-called video tape. I AM his employer after all, and I can be quite...persuasive when I want to be." He waved his hand dismissively. "To be honest, I wouldn't turn down any chance to wipe the smile off the face of that pompous ass. Toomey needs a decent reminder that I'm not just a high school student; he's become a bit of a thorn in my side with his asinine plotting. My knowledge of the situation should be adequately disconcerting, don't you think?" He held his breath, hoping that he'd given Joey enough leeway to accept the offer and salvage his pride at the same time. He reasoned that his offer of help wasn't so much out of the kindness of his own heart as it was that he hated seeing such a flagrant example of unfair business practices. He might detest losing, but Seto Kaiba always played fair. It was a testament to the fact that Gozaburo hadn't managed to drill out every ounce of humanity from him, and every shining example of that bastard's failure was a balm to Seto's soul. When he looked at the situation from that perspective, helping Wheeler with his little problem was no trouble at all. But why did he get the feeling he was searching a bit too hard for an excuse?

Joey had absorbed Kaiba's speech, and was busy trying to school his face into a calm mask. This might be the perfect solution to his troubles, but at what cost? Kaiba didn't just go around handing out favors, especially not to him. What could he possibly want in return? On the surface, his words made perfect sense. He wouldn't just be assisting Joey, Kaiba would be getting something out of it as well; was he just looking too hard for an ulterior motive? Experience had taught him that dealings with the brunet always had a catch, but how could he possibly afford to pass up this golden opportunity? The answer was plain and simple. He couldn't. "This all sounds well and good Moneybags, but as much as I'd love to get out of the little "arrangement" Toomey and me got goin' on, I don't think livin' with owin' you a favor would be any better."

Kaiba wasn't sure what prompted him to blurt, "You won't owe me a thing. I'll do it for a kiss," but once the words were out there, he found he didn't regret them as much as he probably should have.

Joey couldn't help waiting for the other shoe to drop. The thought of kissing Kaiba again made him squrim a bit, but he hadn't yet decided if this was good or bad. He'd reserve judgment until the kiss was over and done with. "You realize doin' this won't mean that I'm automatically goin' to accept Duke or Yugi's offer, right? I don't like havin' things handed to me on a silver platter." Seto correctly interpreted this statement to mean the blond was unwilling to tolerate any kind gesture he believed to be made out of pity. Nevertheless, it appeared that Joey might be trying to convince himself to accept Seto's assistance. He wisely kept his mouth shut as the other boy continued his line of reasoning aloud. "They've both already done so much for me. It just wouldn't feel right to expect them to pay me for doin' something I love. I'd have to find another job, but so what?"

Seto scoffed. "Devlin dressed you up in a dog suit and humiliated you on national television. How do you owe him anything? Admittedly, I could simply be bringing the matter up out of sheer envy for not thinking of it first..."

The blond made a face. "Ha freakin' ha. You're a riot." He tucked his legs underneath himself and gave Seto a frank stare. "Duke's been there for me in a lot of ways since then. I can talk to him about things that Yugi and Tristan just don't understand. We actually have a lot in common, once you get past the surface stuff."

The blue-eyed boy felt a sudden, inexplicable surge of jealousy at the closeness Joey and Duke seemed to share. Realistically, he knew that Joey would never in a million years stoop to confiding in Seto, not after the way he'd always treated the smaller boy. It was his own damned fault of course, but why should he even care if Joey trusted him or not? It's not like he was interested in anything other than his body. Which reminded him... "If you've finally decided to accept my assistance, then how about that kiss?" He leaned over and nudged the other teen with his shoulder.

Joey was careful not to appear too eager, despite how hard his heart was pounding. He was more comfortable with this familiar, manipulative side of Kaiba, but he couldn't help thinking he was missing an important piece of the puzzle. He had the nagging feeling that whatever it was, it should be right in front of his face. He blinked. Right in front of his face, where the brunet had suddenly appeared, zeroing in on Joey's mouth, a small, sexy smile playing about his own features. Joey closed his eyes, felt Seto's breath ghost over his face, parted his lips slightly...

The telephone rang. Joey gave a little start at the shrill, electronic warble before reaching a hand up to the bed where he'd dropped the cordless. He shot a sheepish smile at the thwarted and obviously miffed Kaiba as he pressed the "talk" button. "What?"

"It's always SUCH a thrill to be treated to your sunny disposition, Blondie."

"Hey Duke, we were just talkin' about you." Seto frowned. Devlin was beginning to annoy him. Joey merely shrugged apologetically. "What's up?"

"Talking about me, huh? So that's why my ears were burning. Oh no, wait; that was just Tristan slobbering on them." Duke paused, Joey's words at last sinking in. "WE? Are you telling me that rich bitch is still there?"

Joey grinned. "Yeah, he's still here alright. I've just been busy wipin' the floor with his ass at Mortal Kombat." Seto's frown reappeared, twice as severe.

"We were starting to wonder what happened to you guys. Tris was convinced that Kaiba had murdered you and was frantically building a Joey robot to replace you. What an imagination, huh?" Duke's voice dropped to barely a whisper. "This IS really you, isn't it Joey?

"Yeah, it's me. In the flesh." He concentrated on the conversation at hand, trying desperately to ignore the fact that Kaiba had begun nibbling on the side of his neck.

The boy on the other end of the phone spoke so quietly, Joey had to strain to make out the words. "Prove it. What was it that I ACTUALLY said about Tristan's dick?"

There was a significant pause.

"Duke? You don't have any idea what you said, do you?" More silence, followed by a lengthy sigh.

"No, I don't. I'm just afraid that it's something absolutely HORRIBLE. You know how I get when I'm hosed..."

"Aw, it's nothin' awful, man. All you said was that Tris had a crooked dick and he really knew how to use it." Seto lifted his head from biting on Joey's shoulder and raised his eyebrows questioningly. Joey turned pink. He cleared his throat self-consciously. "Which is far more than I ever wanted to know about your sex life - thanks for sharing." Joey thought for a minute. "I believe that was right after I found you holdin' on to that table leg, askin' me to help you down from the ceiling."

Duke actually sounded relieved. "Whew. I was worried that I'd said or done something REALLY outrageous."

"Well, later on you DID swear on a number of gods I've never even heard of, that you'd be perfectly happy lettin' Tristan top you for the rest of your natural lives..."

Duke laughed. "Wow. I must have been REALLY shit-faced!" Joey heard voices in the background. "Look, they're sending me out on a food run; do you want me to come pick you two up?"

Joey tugged on Seto's collar to get his attention. He pointed at the phone and mouthed the word "go?" at the preoccupied teen. Seto paused in his activities long enough to shake his head deliberately before returning to his investigation of Joey's throat. One long-fingered hand slipped under the edge of his t-shirt and Joey found his ability to focus sorely compromised. "Uh..."

"Oh wait, here's Yugi. He wants to talk to you. Later, Joe!"

"Uh..." Joey was still a few steps behind in the conversation, the warm hand roving over his abdomen apparently having adversely affected the speech center of his brain.

Yugi's cheerful voice cut through the haze somewhat. "Hey Joey! Are you coming over to watch movies with us? We're just about to start up "Aliens." Can you believe Tea and Ryou have never seen it?" All of this came out in a rush, and Joey struggled to keep up. It wasn't to his advantage that Seto was insistently pushing him down on his back as the flustered blond attempted to decipher his friend's last question.

"Um...yeah. Somehow, I'm not surprised. Be careful, man. You know Ryou gets nightmares." Joey gave the brunet's roaming hand a half-hearted smack as it drifted south to the button of his jeans.

"So are you coming?"

Joey's brain, aided by the two talented, exploring hands, readily supplied any number of suggestive answers to that question. Aloud, however, he replied, "I'm sorry, Yug. Count me out for tonight. I think I'll just stay in."

"Oh. OK." Joey smiled. His diminutive best friend had never learned to hide his disappointment well. But as always, Yugi rallied quickly. "You're still coming over to do homework tomorrow, right?"

"You bet. It's not like I could make heads or tails of geometry without you, buddy."

Seto abruptly sat up and motioned for the phone. Joey scrunched his forehead, perplexed and still extremely aroused. Seto rolled his eyes and mouthed, "Mokuba." Joey finally caught on. "Hey Yug, can you put Mokuba on the phone for a minute? Kaiba wants to talk at 'im."

"Kaiba's still THERE??" Yugi yelled as Joey drew the handset back to protect his ear drums. "Is everything alright, Joey?"

"Everything's fine, man. I've been schoolin' him at Burnout and Mortal Kombat, is all. Stubborn jerk won't leave till he beats me at least once." Joey was genuinely starting to adore that pissed off line that appeared so often in Seto's forehead. "Guess I'll start settin' an extra place at breakfast then, huh?" He flushed with embarrassment as the full implications of his statement sank in. Kaiba's frown immediately transformed into a self-satisfied smirk. Some things never changed.

Pulled from his study of Kaiba's face, Joey became aware that his best friend was still speaking. "Joey? Are you there? I said, put Kaiba on the phone."

"Oh, um. Sure thing, hold on." He sat back up and held the phone out to Seto. "He wants to talk to you."

Annoyed, the brunet snatched the handset and held it to his ear. "What?"

Joey paid rapt attention to the one-sided conversation, curious as to what Yugi was up to.

Kaiba rolled his eyes at what he was hearing from the other boy. "No, I'm not hurting him." A pause. "No, he hasn't been brainwashed either." Seto gazed heavenward and touched his fingertips to his forehead in a silent prayer for patience. "No! He's not being threatened or intimidated in any way, I assure you. Yugi, as much as I find your paranoia and rabid over-protectiveness clinically fascinating, I really just need to speak to my brother for a moment. Do you think that would be possible?" He waited, shooting occasional glances at Joey from the corner of his eye. Normally, he would be rather irked at someone listening in on a private conversation, but he was beginning to feel relaxed in the other boy's presence. He didn't have time to dwell on this revelation as Mokuba picked up on the other end of the line.

"Yes, Mokuba, everything's fine." Joey observed the small, warm smile that crept over the usually stern face. No one could melt that icy visage quite like Mokuba, and Joey wondered idly what sort of predicament he'd opened himself up to by pursuing his budding friendship with Kaiba. Maybe he should just cut his losses and allow them to return to the hate/hate relationship that had been their status quo before this bizarre day. Unexpectedly, that thought caused a flutter of panic in his chest, and he shoved it away forcefully. He snapped back to reality, once again picking up the thread of conversation.

"I'm glad to hear you're enjoying yourself. No, it's nothing like that. I just wanted to call and let you know that it's alright for you to stay out until one."

Joey raised his eyebrows. This was a new development.

"Of course. Just make sure you get your homework done sometime tomorrow. No, really. I'm fine, nothing at all's the matter. OK. Have fun. Bye, Mokuba." He turned off the handset and tossed it back on top of Joey's bed.

Joey was impressed. "That was damned nice of you, Kaiba. Lettin' him stay out like that."

Seto smirked as he reached out to prod Joey back into his former prone position on the floor. "I have my reasons." Seto leaned down, pressing his lips against Joey's, the kiss gentle, but not hesitant. "Now, where were we...?"

Joey let himself fall back, accepting Kaiba's body over his own and allowing himself to be covered completely by the brunet's larger frame. During their frequent, fiery altercations, Joey had always found Kaiba's size to be intimidating, and was a touch unsettled to realize he was exhibiting such a submissive disposition in matters of a more sexual nature. On the other hand, he'd always been a staunch supporter of the "If it feels good, go for it" line of thought, so who was he to argue with what his body was telling him? These scattered musings were driven away entirely by a warm tongue thrusting into his mouth, and the accompanying moans he belatedly realized were coming from him. Kissing Seto Kaiba was a wild, out of control experience that made him think beyond his ability to form thoughts into language, and he surrendered to it without any further hesitation. A warm tingle spread throughout his body, pausing only to ignite a few intimate places along the way, and nothing had ever felt so right before. He returned the passionate kiss eagerly, his tongue seeking entrance and wrapping itself around Seto's while his fingers furrowed a path through the auburn hair. Seto ended the kiss, pulling back and leaving Joey gasping for breath. He gazed up into blue eyes darkened with lust, with wanting him. Joey swallowed, his heart in his throat and mouth suddenly dry. "So, uh... I'm guessin' you've done this before?"

Seto smiled wryly. "If that's your not-so-subtle way of fishing around to try and discover my level of experience in this area, let me assure you, I know what I'm doing." Joey was slightly puzzled. Despite Kaiba's apparent expertise, the thought had never occurred to him that the brunet might have yet another advantage over him. It seemed he couldn't catch a break. Kaiba lightly traced one finger down the line of Joey's jaw. "It's all part of a well-rounded curriculum. I've had tutors in this subject, just like any number of others..."

He leaned down again, but Joey jerked his head away from the kiss. "You're shittin' me!"

Kaiba laughed, a low, amused sound. "I'm perfectly serious. I can't even begin to estimate how many business deals I've brokered that were contingent on my... performance in this particular area. Natural talent can only get you so far..."

Joey had a moment to briefly wonder exactly what he'd gotten himself into, before the lips descended on his again, and any argument he might have made for taking things slow evaporated under the onslaught.

Once again, Kaiba ceased his slow torture and lifted his head to gaze down at the smaller teen, a troubled expression on his face. "Joey," he licked his lips, liking the sound of the blond's given name from them. "I need to ask you something..."

Joey blushed furiously, pathetically grateful that his tousled hair covered most of his face. "Yes, I'm a virgin, OK?" he muttered, not daring to meet those fierce blue orbs.

"That wasn't what I was going to ask, but it's still helpful to know."

Joey reddened even further, and snapped, "What then?"

Seto brushed Joey's bangs away from his forehead and pressed a soft kiss on the revealed skin. "I was going to ask if you'd be willing to give yourself to me." He paused, letting his words hang in the air. "I'll make it good for you, I promise."

Momentarily speechless with shock, Joey had to put considerable effort into his next statement. "And here I thought you only wanted a kiss," he joked.

"I'm not sure I could stop at a kiss even if I wanted to." Kaiba smiled broadly and ground his hips into Joey's to demonstrate his eager state. The blond's eyes widened in astonishment as he felt just HOW eager. Seto smugly observed the startled reaction. "Shall we take this to the bed, then?" He stood up, offered his hand to the other boy, and moved to the opposite side of the room, pulling Joey along with him. He glanced in the floor by the night stand. "What happened to your blinds?"

Joey chuckled to himself. "Daylight Savings Time happened." At Seto's confused look, he waved a hand at the window and said, "Another long story."

Seto nodded absently and turned to face the brown-eyed boy, taking Joey's face gently in his hands. He kissed him softly, running his hands soothingly up and down the tense back. When Seto finally looked down at him again, he noticed the Joey eyeing the bed warily. "What's on your mind, Wheeler?"

Joey shuffled his feet. "I'm nervous as hell."

Seto sighed. "I know." It had probably been a mistake to stop and assure himself that the blond was ready to continue with this. It seemed that the spell had been broken for the time being. Now it was up to him to get it back. Quite honestly, he was having trouble thinking clearly himself as the prospect of what they were about to do loomed large in his mind. "Was there something you wanted to ask?"

More shuffling of feet, and now Joey had added shirt-tugging to his repetoire. "It's going to hurt, isn't it?"

Rubbing a hand across his eyes, Seto fought down the urge to sigh again. He didn't want to frighten Joey off, but he wasn't going to start lying to him either. "Yes, it will. No matter how careful or gentle I am, it will probably hurt. It does get better with time and practice, however." He was concerned with how Joey might interpret his directness, and hurried to add a reassuring bit of personal information, "In my opinion, I think the positive aspect far outweighs the bad. After the initial pain, it feels unbelievably good."

Joey met Kaiba's candid gaze with an assessing look of his own. He sounded hopeful when he asked, "You've done it, um... the uh, other way around?"

Kaiba nodded. "Yes, I've bottomed before. Does that surprise you?"

"A little, yeah."

"The best advice I can give is just try to relax and enjoy." Seto stroked the back of his hand over Joey's cheek. "I told you I'd make it good, and I'll keep that promise. I also promise to stop any time you say so. We won't do anything you're uncomfortable with."

Joey leaned into the touch and nodded his assent. "I know what I'm gettin' into here - I've heard plenty of details from Duke and Tris. Neither one of them can ever keep their mouths shut about their sex lives." He rolled his eyes. "Not to mention the fact that Bakura can be kinda...graphic when he talks about the kinky shit he and Ryou get up to. I'll never understand what would drive a person to wanna bang someone who could be their twin. I mean, what the hell is THAT all about?" Joey forcibly reined in his blabbering. "I'm just tryin' to say that relaxin' may be a little easier said than done, is all."

"I'll see what I can do to take your mind off of it..." Seto drew their bodies together, wrapping his arms around Joey tightly. He brought his hand to Joey's chin and tilted his face upwards for a deep, lingering kiss.

Joey quivered uncontrollably. They were still fully clothed and he was already more aroused than he'd ever been in his entire life. If this was how excited he was right now... His brain spiralled upward with the possibilities. He suddenly couldn't get his hands on naked skin fast enough. He reached up and began tugging at the brunet's shirt, fingers fumbling over the tiny buttons in his haste. Seto smiled into Joey's mouth and reached for the hem of the blond's shirt. After it was up and over the golden head, he threw it to the corner and returned to the heated kiss, moving his fingers over Joey's and assisting with the removal of his own clothing. He shrugged his shoulders, letting the shirt drop to the floor, and swiftly maneuvered one of the other boy's hands over the bulge in his pants. "Can you feel that, Joey? Do you see what you're doing to me?" Joey groaned and reached for the closure of the taller boy's expensive slacks, his own worn jeans rapidly becoming two sizes too small.

He'd barely begun to congratulate himself for getting the button unfastened when Seto pushed Joey's hands away and took a step back. He seated himself on the edge of the full-sized bed and gazed at the disheveled teen hungrily. "I want to see you naked."

Joey enthusiastically complied without giving the order a second thought. Hurriedly popping the top button, Joey hooked his thumbs under his waistband and yanked jeans and shorts both down in one vigorous shove. He stepped out of the discarded clothing and knelt on the floor to attack Seto's zipper once again. The brunet hauled him up short by wrapping strong fingers around Joey's upper arms. "Lie down on the bed. I want to look at you."

Just when Joey had believed himself beyond the capacity for embarrassment, Seto's words caused him to blush yet again. He crawled up the bed, acutely aware of the other's watchful eyes on his every move. He reclined with his head on his favourite pillow, straining to keep his hands down by his sides. Periodically, he would lose the battle with his willpower and tug nervously at the sheets beneath him. Kaiba stood and walked to the foot of the bed, pinning Joey in place with his steady blue gaze. He ran his eyes over the flawless body before him and resisted the urge to fall upon the smaller boy and ravish him to within an inch of his life. He was too close to his goal to risk frightening the blond away now. He frowned as he noticed a scattering of bruises and scrapes on the pale form. He couldn't immediately recall any recent skirmishes Joey might have had, and made a mental note to investigate later. He didn't bother to pause and marvel at the possessive undercurrents his thoughts were now taking.

As Joey fidgeted and fought to maintain eye contact, Seto removed his own pants and cast them aside. At first, Joey was mildly intrigued to discover the other teen wasn't wearing underwear, but then his eyes fell on the additional surprise revealed by the garment's removal, and everything else became a secondary concern. He swallowed hard. "That's not gonna fit."

Seto simply smiled as he climbed onto the bed and draped himself overtop of Joey. "It most certainly will. Besides, making it fit is half the fun." Seto took Joey's mouth with his own. Slow, wet, and infinitely sensual, he explored leisurely, allowing the desire in his belly to grow unchecked. Joey was willing beneath the gentle assault, riding out the waves of sensation until his breath hitched and his tongue stroked into Seto's mouth, teasing, drawing him in.

Outside the third floor window, daylight moved, the shadows subtly altering where they fell across the bedroom walls. Neither boy took any notice of the waning light, far too enraptured with each other to pay attention to their surroundings. Seto placed his hands everywhere he could reach on Joey's body. He traced slow, sure paths over chest and arms, pausing only briefly to kiss here and there, making Joey's heart beat faster and familiarizing himself with the feel of smooth skin beneath his palms. He broke away to rise up and straddle the smaller boy's thighs, chuckling at the muffled groan of protest. Seto licked his way down the sweat-soaked chest, taking hold of Joey's cock with one hand. He relished the loud cry of pleasure as he quickly stroked the length until Joey was arching his body off the bed. Seto sat back and stared, unable to take his eyes off of the vision below him. He was totally enamored by the way Joey's body moved, the smell of his skin...it was all becoming too much, too quickly. He slowed his frantic strokes and reached a hand over to the night stand drawer, fumbling blindly until he came up with a small bottle of hand lotion. He sighed with relief at his discovery, pleased at not having to cease his ministrations to go hunting for something more suitable. He took his hands away just long enough to open the lotion and slick down his own cock. Seto was harder than he'd ever been in his life, and just that much pressure was enough to cause his eyes to roll back in his head briefly. He squeezed out more lotion into his hand and spread it along his fingers. At the same time, he gently nudged Joey's legs up until his feet were flat on the bed. "Try not to tense up," he warned as he lay his head on Joey's stomach. Softly stroking the blond's erection, Seto let his other hand drift down and over the puckered opening, lightly pressing against it. He slid one slick finger inside, feeling Joey's muscles clamp down immediately as he'd anticipated. He pressed a soothing kiss to the heaving abdomen and gently moved his finger around, seeking that special spot he knew would make Joey forget all about his discomfort. "Shhhh...just relax," Seto whispered reassuringly. "Trust me."

A second finger joined the first and Joey opened his mouth to call the whole thing off when out of the blue, he felt a small lightning storm go off in his brain, and his hips jerked upward of their own accord. "What the...?" It happened again, this time accompanied by a plummeting sensation centered somewhere in his midsection. He felt as if he'd just dropped ten floors in a runaway elevator. "Oh my God, do that again."

Seto smiled to himself and inserted a third finger into Joey, brushing the small nub yet again as he moved his fingers about, stretching the passage. The noises Joey was making, combined with the blond's renewed erection, told Seto that he was as ready for the next step as he was ever going to get. Seto gave him one more rough, wet kiss that left Joey panting for more before it was done, and tenderly turned him over onto his stomach. The brunet gently guided Joey up onto his hands and knees, and reached between his trembling legs with his still slick hand. Joey shivered at the intimate touch, tense with anticipation, as his length strained forward for more solid contact. Seto fell upon him, long body pressed against the entire span of the smaller one beneath him, face at Joey's neck, his breath hot and harsh. Joey felt a blunt pressure prod at his entrance, and as his mind registered exactly what it was, his body inadvertently switched straight into panic mode. He jerked forward, avoiding the intrusion. "I can't do this."

Seto bit off his frustrated reply and instead grabbed a few pillows from the bed, slipping them carefully under Joey's raised hips. "Lie down." Joey let himself sink down into the soft support created by the pile, Seto still firmly at his back. "You need to try and relax a little more. Breathe deep and slow..." He rubbed soothing circles over Joey's lower back, licking between his shoulder blades and murmuring soft sounds into the sweat-slicked skin. He knelt behind Joey, aligning his cock and pressing forward once again.

"I can't," Joey ground out. "It hurts."

"You CAN. It hurts because you're still tensing up." Seto bit down firmly on his bottom lip, resisting the urge to thrust into that tight heat. "Try bearing down a little. Ah...yes, just like that."

Joey rested his forehead on his arms and followed Seto's instructions. The pain began to lessen slightly as he took deep breaths, willing himself to relax. He had a hard time believing that he'd been so incredibly excited just a few minutes ago, and now he was limp and soft. He mumbled forlornly into the pillows, "I'm really not sure I can go through with this." Joey lifted his head and gasped as Seto suddenly slipped inside, stretching him beyond what he'd thought his body capable of. Joey whimpered a little, his body gradually becoming used to the pulsing appendage embedded within him. All at once, he was aware of the warm scent of the boy behind him, and was immensely calmed by the realization he wasn't alone in this. His fierce competitive streak reared its head, and he was determined to show Kaiba that he could take anything that the CEO could dish out. After all, hadn't he promised that Joey would think it was all worth it in the end? He decided to trust in his former rival's claims and see this through to its completion. Joey managed to slow his racing thoughts and worked at matching his erratic breathing to that of the body surrounding him on the bed.

"Let your body adjust, just feel me inside...that's it." Seto gave an experimental thrust as he continued to kiss and nibble at the hot flesh of Joey's back and neck. He reached around to stroke the blond's wilted erection, and was rewarded with a sharply inhaled breath and a surge of renewed interest. As soon as his mind was distracted from the pain, Joey's muscles relaxed and Seto slid that last couple of inches inside. Both boys groaned. Seto rose back up, holding Joey by the hips and pulling back carefully. He ran his hands over the perfectly shaped ass in front of him, and thrust forward once again, gently. This movement elicited a slightly strangled groan of pain from the boy beneath. Seto frowned. Not exactly the noise he had been hoping for. He reached around to tug Joey's thighs back firmly around his own. As he pressed in once more, he lifted with both hands and shifted his angle slightly. This time, he was rewarded with a sound faintly reminiscent of a long howl. It seemed that now he'd have a whole other reason to compare Joey to a dog. This thought brought a faint smirk with it as he closed his eyes and tilted his head back in ecstasy. It was perfect - the tightness, the heat. It was just as he had imagined it. His cock surged with pleasure and he began to rock his hips in a slow, easy rhythm, enjoying the sounds of pleasure coming from the blond. He leaned forward, and licked the side of Joey's ear. His voice was husky, guttural. "Told you you'd like it."

Joey started to reply, but it morphed into a deep moan instead. When he'd recovered his wits on the next outstroke, he admonished, "Don't you ever get tired of bein' so full of yourself?"

"Not especially. Do YOU enjoy being full of me?" Joey couldn't see it, but Seto grinned madly at his own terrible joke. He felt delirious, almost as if the top of his head was about to float away on its own. He'd had a horrible moment or two where he was convinced he was still dreaming, but other than that, this was easily the best sex he'd ever had in his life. He set up a steady rhythm, striking Joey's prostate with unerring accuracy, and driving the other boy mad with unfulfilled desire.

Joey raised himself up with one hand, instinctively bringing the other to his aching member, desperate for some form of relief. The constant pounding of his prostate was the sweetest pleasure/pain he had ever experienced, and he was positive the resulting orgasm would kill him with its intensity.

Seto gruffly shoved Joey's hands away from his weeping erection. "Hands off, Mutt." Joey's cock twitched at the growled command, and he moaned even louder, burying his face in the pillows. He found himself totally getting off on Kaiba's domineering attitude, and the natural submission he displayed in response. Who knew he was so damn KINKY?

Joey hesitantly pushed his hips back against Seto's groin, and felt the brunet move with him. When he moved forward again, Seto withdrew his cock slightly and met Joey's thrust with one of his own. The impact as he rocked backwards once again left his senses reeling. "Oh GOD!"

"Enjoying yourself, are you?" Seto's voice practically dripped with arrogance. At the moment, it wasn't enough to cause Joey more than slight annoyance.

"I just can't believe how good this feels after hurtin' so much at the beginning..."

"If you think that's something, you should feel it from this end," was Seto's half coherent reply. "God, you're TIGHT."

Joey snorted. "I'm a VIRGIN, remember?"

"You sure as hell aren't one anymore," came the smug reply. Seto pushed his hips forward, continuing to stroke in and out of Joey, the tension mounting in steady increments. He parted Joey's cheeks with his hands to watch his length slide in and out of the tight hole. "Oh fuck," he groaned, realizing at that moment that it was practically all over. Seto's control was rapidly slipping; his body was locked in a desperate race with his mind. As much as he wanted this moment to last forever, he could feel an earth-shaking orgasm creeping up on him, his vision graying out a bit at the edges. He rammed his cock home with jarring force one final time, feeling Joey shudder underneath him. Seto's world went black as he came silently, harder than he ever thought possible. Collapsing over Joey, he purred against the other teen's sweaty neck, "Now it's YOUR turn." He took a moment to catch his breath before withdrawing from Joey's body and flipping him over onto his back.

Joey lay on top of the pillows, staring at the ceiling and wondering what could possibly come next. He remained unbearably aroused and had scarcely managed to resist begging for Kaiba to touch his cock again. If that were to be the case, he knew he was sadly out of luck. Right now his brain was too fried with pleasure to form a coherent sentence, much less beg for anything. Still gazing upward, he felt the remains of Kaiba's orgasm slowly leaking out of him, and he shuddered again. He'd just had sex. With Seto Kaiba. Could this day get any more bizarre? He turned his head toward the window. Correction - night. His train of thought, such as it was, was interrupted when Kaiba spread Joey's legs and buried his face in the blond's groin, slipping his hot mouth over the straining erection. Joey sat back up as if he were spring loaded. "Fuck...!"

Seto placed a hand against the other boy's chest and gave him a firm shove back down onto the bed. He sucked hard on the eager cock, feeling Joey's balls tense as he went deep, swirling his tongue around the underside. Seto reached underneath and slipped two digits back inside the blond. His fingers moved in and out with unrestricted ease, coated in the semen he had so recently left there. His own cock gave an interested lurch at this possessive thought, but his current concern was Joey's imminent release. There would be time for more fun and games later; he would make sure of it. There was no way in hell he was going to settle for a one-off when he knew first hand how amazing an experience sex with Joey Wheeler could be. If the mutt gave him any trouble about it, he'd just have to make him see reason. Maybe even with another blow job; he certainly seemed to be enjoying THIS one enough. Seto felt for Joey's prostate and agitated it mercilessly. It took one final flick of that gifted tongue, and Joey was arching off the bed, howling down the rafters as he came down Seto's throat. The brunet swallowed, giving one final lick up the still pulsing vein beneath and chuckling to himself at the other's boy's startled jerk. Spent and now exhausted, Kaiba dragged himself toward the pillows and spooned up behind Joey, not bothering to retrieve his clothes. He threw an arm over the blond's waist and mumbled, "Blankets. Now."

Still mildly stunned from his orgasm, and the fact that Kaiba had just given him head, Joey made no argument as he settled the covers over the both of them. For a moment, he thought about mentioning his loud nocturnal habits, but was afraid that being forewarned would give the other boy an excuse to leave. He wasn't exactly sure why, but he knew he didn't want that to happen just yet. Kaiba would find out on his own soon enough. For all Joey knew, the brunet snored like a buzz saw and chased butterflies in his sleep.

Seto cracked one eye and observed Joey studying him intently. He sighed tiredly. He was SO not up to dealing with this right now. He just wanted sleep. "The rusty gears turning in that big, idiotic head of yours are keeping me awake." He reached up to tug at Joey's shoulders, arranging him comfortably to his own liking. "Stop thinking and go to sleep, Mutt."

Joey snuggled back against his former rival, idly musing at how swiftly life was apparently returning to normal. He placed one hand over Seto's and immediately fell fast asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~~

the end (or not quite?)

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