Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Hope ❯ Laugh Out Loud ( Chapter 3 )

Well here is the next chapter! Oh and as usual, I don't own Yu-gi-oh. Enjoy!

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Hope

By: voidsenshi

Ch. 4

~* Laugh Out Loud *~

Jou's thoughts raced as he walked toward the cafeteria. He didn't think the teachers in his school were that perceptive. If someone had overheard that conversation, he would be in big trouble. They could figure out what was going on and use it to blackmail him or worse, turn in his dad. Jou didn't know what he would do if that happened…..he didn't even want to think about it.

As he got closer to the cafeteria, and the happy yelling from the students inside got louder, Jou slowed his pace. He had to think up yet another excuse for why he didn't have his lunch or else Yugi was sure to offer his own money to buy him some. The last thing he wanted to do was bother his friends with his problems, this was something that he unfortunately had to deal with alone.

When Katsuya reached the courtyard of the school, he was delighted to see that his friends hadn't met for lunch yet under the large tree. That meant that he wouldn't have to lie to them. Jou walked over the big cheery tree and sat down, his stomach protesting his decision not to eat for the fast few days.

Not long after, Yugi and the others approached him. They all had their lunches and just the sight of the food made his mouth water. `It's a good thing that they haven't asked if I've eaten yet. Hmmm…but why were they late. *mental shrug* Oh well, it isn't important.' Jou thought to himself. However, unknown to him, his friends had decided not to say anything to him. Once again, they were leaving it up to their friend to come clean and tell them the truth.

Lunch went on and the gang just talked about random things. Everything was fine until Jou's stomach growled. He got a panicked look on his face and hoped his friends hadn't heard. If they had, they weren't showing any sign of it. However, his friends weren't the only ones close enough to hear the protest.

"What's the matter mutt? Didn't you eat lunch like you promised?" a cold voice floated to Katsuya's ear.

"And if I didn't?" Jou answered the question with one of his own. He was sure that Kaiba's inquiry was a disguised way to get him to admit that he hadn't eaten. By answering with a question, he was sure that Kaiba would walk away rather than admit that he was worried about "the mutt". The words that Jou would have expected to come from the young CEO's mouth was not what he heard.

"Then I'll tell everyone about a little conversation that I read on the way to lunch. Something about you looking more battered than usu-" Kaiba was cut short as Katsuya jumped to his feet and placed a hand over his mouth.

"I lost my lunch money…..O…K?" Jou uttered through clenched teeth. Kaiba only smirked at his puppy. Of course he was aware that everyone present had heard the conversation as well, this was just to get Jou to say that he hadn't eaten.

"If you lost your money, I can lend you some Jounouchi-kun." Yugi piped up, drawing Jou's attention away from Seto. His face saddened as he looked to his friend. This was the last thing that he wanted.

"Naa Yug, its ok…..I can go without lunch for today."

"And breakfast and then lunch tomorrow…and repeat it for the rest of the week." Honda mumbled under his breath. His quiet words received a glare form Jou and he immediately shut his mouth.

"Like I was saying, I'll just go-" Katsuya stopped short as a brown paper bag was placed in front of his face. He blinked a few times before taking the bag and turning around to face the person who had given him their lunch. Who he saw was the last person he had expected. "Kaiba?"

Seto looked away from Jou, his arms crossed over his chest and a small blush on his cheeks. "You promised the teacher that you would eat lunch today, so eat. Mokuba gave me too much today anyway." Jou mumbled a thank you, a light blush gracing his face much like Seto's, they just stood there for a while, staring at one another, Yugi and the other's looking between them.

The small bit of magic was broken as a friz-bee came and whacked Seto in the head. There was a silence as everyone just looked to Kaiba for his reaction. Without any warning, Jou started to laugh. He hadn't laughed so hard in ages. The rest of the gang joined in and even Kaiba himself settled for a small smirk. Not because he thought the situation was funny, in fact he was about to go and pummel whoever hit him, no it was the fact that Jou was laughing. It wasn't the forced laughter that he had been hearing for that past few months, but one that truly came from the bottom of his belly.

With the pleasant image of a smiling Jou, Seto walked away from the laughing group, the smirk never leaving his face. `That is the way he should be' Kaiba thought. His brow furrowed however as he thought more on it, `I will do whatever I can to keep him like that…smiling, laughing, and AWAY from his father. Yes, that is my goal and I will reach it if it's the last thing I DO!' With that last satisfying thought, Seto went to "return" the friz-bee to its owner…..and the skip the detention he was sure to be given.

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