Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Overwhelming ❯ Sleet ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: Yes. I own Yu Gi Oh. This makes lots of sense, as I am an extremely hentai American college student still living with her father, using her financial aide to buy anime, and skipping end-of-semester homework to write yaoi fan fiction. Yeah. That makes a lot of sense once you think about it. Oh. Wait. No, it doesn't. I do own the Dungeon Dice Monsters disc now, though!! *rejoice*

Notes: Glad you guys liked chapter one! You are both lovely Hikaris! *glomps Zolac no Miko and Koneko Shido* for everyone else… uh… yeah… you should all be reading my fan fiction so it will brain wash you and the world will eventually be converted into a land of lecherous, voyeuristic, crazy lunatics and their hikaris. Yes. Yes you should. *nods* and yeah yeah yeah. Sorry about all the Kaiba bastardizing that's only gonna get worse from here. Oh wait. Still not sorry. My bad. Read and review, oh beloved masses! Hell, I don't care if you wanna flame me. You don't know who I am, so all those reviews you're thinking of sending about how you're going to rip out my spleen and feed it to your salamanders will just be laughed at by me and my Hikaris. Then I will judge your soul against the feather of Ma'at and then feed it to Ahmit the Devourer.

Enjoy! *flashes V sign*

i*k*u

The storm continued all that week and into the weekend. Once or twice it had started snowing, but never enough to amount to anything, and it always melted into the same slushy mud that stuck to your shoes and inside the wheel wells of cars. Jou was especially not liking the bit about the shoes. His, in fact, were completely soaked through, and his feet were freezing, along with the rest of him, as he trudged along the Domino City sidewalk, coming back from the game shop. And as if just to spite him, it was starting to rain again. In fact, it was really starting to come down.

He cursed himself for forgetting to grab his umbrella last time he had been at Kaiba's. A gust of wind swept past him, whipping his hair into his eyes with a flurry of icy flakes and making his jacket seem next to non-existent.

He started to run. All the stores were closed for the evening, and the only light was offered by streetlights that gave everything an amber stain. It was still enough light to let him see that none of the dark storefronts would be offering any shelter from the wind and sleet. Home was about half a mile away now, and he was getting tired of running when he saw it: a sheltered awning provided by a large building. He ran for it, but upon arrival halted in his tracks.

It was Otogi Ryuuji's game store. Sure, the windows were dark and the doors looked locked, but Jou still wasn't relishing the idea of taking shelter in that bastard's storefront. His pride was still smarting from that incident with the dog suit, and although he knew that Yugi and the rest of his little gang trusted Ryuuji, Jou couldn't help harboring some… resentment. Nevertheless, it was either this or half a mile in the driving sleet and wind. Another gust helped Jou make up his mind, and he climbed the steps to huddle against the large doorframe, wrapping his arms around himself and shivering. With any luck the sleet would let up long enough for him to make it home sometime soon.

He had to stifle a shriek as the doors next to him swung open to reveal Otogi Ryuuji himself, complete as usual with his trademark smirk. He quickly turned the shriek into a glare as he braced himself for Otogi's inevitable condescension.

Otogi, however, just looked at him a moment before saying, "You look cold. You wanna come in?"

Jou gaped. "Uhh"-

"Come on," Otogi looked mildly impatient. "It's cold out here. Either get inside so I can close the door, or sit there outside and shiver. Up to you, really."

The hint of sarcasm jolted Jou back to himself and he rolled his eyes. Otogi was Otogi. But at least it would be warmer inside, and Jou knew he couldn't afford to get sick. It was the end of the semester, and between schoolwork and Kaiba's constant demands for… attention…

Jou pushed himself up and followed Otogi inside. The foyer of the large gaming store was dark, as Jou had seen from outside, but a door to one side opened into a brightly lit and, Jou noted, gloriously heated office. It even had a dice-patterned rolly desk chair, and Dungeon Dice Masters promotional posters were strewn across all four walls. Jou almost snickered.

Otogi went to a closet and rummaged around until he found a towel, which he then threw at Jou. Jou caught it and proceeded to wrap it around himself as he sank down against a wall, legs bent in front of him.

"Thanks."

"No problem." Otogi actually sounded sincere. Jou looked up at him, where he had taken a seat in the dice chair. Otogi caught the look on Jou's face before Jou was aware of it. "You still hate me, don't you." It wasn't a question.

Jou breathed a laugh. "I wont lie to you, Ryuuji, but the way I see it, a guy makes you dress up like a dog and get accosted by the most horrendous cheerleader squad in Domino City, you don't usually go putting him on your list of people to send birthday cards to."

Otogi lowered his eyes and gave his lap a lopsided version of his usual grin. "Yeah, I guess you got a point there, Jounouchi." He laughed. "And I also have to say, I agree with you on the bit about the `most horrendous cheerleader squad in Domino'. They were something else, weren't they?"

Jou almost smiled in spite of himself. He shook his head, "I know I got a grudge against you, Ryuuji, but at the same time, I feel kinda lame about it. I mean, I gave my word that if you won, you could do whatever you wanted with me, and I lost. So okay, yeah, you were a total dick about it after you won, but hey, I ain't sayin' I woulda been any nicer."

Otogi regarded him for a moment. "Was that some sort of peace offering?" he asked, amused.

Jou gave him a sarcastic look. "Yeah, I guess it was. What, you'd rather be enemies?"

Otogi looked slightly taken aback, but then he shook his head. "No, no. Of course not. I thought I made that clear after the duel with Yami; I know I was a total ass."

Jou nodded. "So we're agreed, then." Otogi looked affronted for a moment until Jou grinned wickedly up at him, snickering.

Otogi laughed, then. "Yeah, yeah I guess we are."

There was a pause for a moment while both boys smiled and contemplated their laps for a moment. Then Jou spoke up. "Hey, how did you know I was out there just now?"

Otogi smiled and pointed to a television monitor mounted on the wall above the door. It showed surveillance of the game store, and one of the cameras seemed to be focused right where he had been sitting. "I was actually getting ready to go home for the night when I saw you. I'm sure you can imagine my surprise to see you of all people sitting out there, but you looked so damn pathetic I didn't want to leave you out there to catch hypothermia; not when Yugi and his gang were just beginning to decide that I hadn't sold my soul."

Jou looked around the office. He was used to Kaiba having to work late, but for some reason it came off as strange to him that Otogi really was the game store's owner, and probably had his hands full as such. Even if he wasn't the inheritor of a multi-billion-dollar company.

Jou scowled at the thought of Kaiba and drew the towel closer around himself. "You were leavin' for the night? You sure you don't mind me waiting here? I'm sure the sleet will let up soon, and I'll just walk home before it starts up again. I only live about half a mile away."

Otogi raised an eyebrow and sighed dramatically. "And wouldn't that just defeat the whole purpose of my letting you in here in the first place? Besides, look at the monitor. I don't even want to drive anywhere in this." he motioned to one of the screens and Jou saw what he meant. The sleet was sheeting down now, still lit by the amber glow of street lamps whose light was heavily muted now behind the wall of icy rain.

Jou's eyes widened. "Wow."

Otogi nodded once. Then he quirked one of his old mischievous smiles, giving the desk chair a little twirl. "So how come you didn't call Kaiba to come and get you?" he froze at the look that crossed Jou's face at the mention of Kaiba's name.

"What are you talking about?" Jou said, doing his best to keep his voice level.

"Well, um… I mean, I thought you guys were, uh…" he trailed off.

"We aren't a couple, if that's what you're thinking. How'd you hear about that, anyway?" Jou looked at Otogi with his eyes narrowed, scowling.

"Eh, well…" Otogi looked slightly uncomfortable. He had meant that comment as a joke. "It's the business world, you know? Word about those kinda things sorta gets around. I admit, though, you aren't what I had in mind when I pictured Kaiba's choice in… interests."

Jou barked a laugh. "Hah! That boy's about as strait as a corner. I can't see him being with a girl if he was anything less than paid. Or to somehow create a publicity stunt of some sort."

"Oh, well I knew that," Otogi rolled his eyes. "That wasn't what I meant. I just pictured him with someone a little more… um… well, the words `asinine' and `sado-masochistic' are coming to mind, but maybe I shouldn't be making judgments just yet?" he quirked an eyebrow at Jou.

Jou rolled his eyes. "Oh please. Don't give me any mental images I don't need. To tell the truth, I don't know how the hell this whole thing started between us. I think he sees me as some sort of object he can use when he needs something to take his mind off the task at hand." He laughed bitterly. "Funny how I always go along with it, too." He stopped abruptly when he realized what he was saying. What the hell was he thinking? Spilling his guts about him and Seto to Otogi Ryuuji? It must be all the exposure to sleet and cold and stress taking its toll on him. He didn't even talk about Seto to his closest friends.

Otogi was contemplating his hands and idly toying with a pen. If Jou hadn't known better he would have taken that look on Otogi's face to be sadness. "You don't sound like he makes you very happy." Otogi's eyes never left the pen. Jou was amazed at how different his face looked when he was serious. He was so used to seeing Otogi in one of his usual badass moods, ranging from cocky, to condescending to mischievous, or any variations thereof.

"Happy?" Jou looked at the other boy incredulously, "Who said anything about him making me happy? Its sex. Plain and simple. And hell; half the times I wanna rip his fuckin' throat out, but hey-who am I to say no to the great Seto Kaiba?" Without meaning to, Jou's fingers were wreaking havoc along the hem of his towel, fraying the terry cloth and pulling at the stitches.

Otogi sighed. "Yeah, who are you to say no." There was an undercurrent of vehemence in Otogi's voice that made Jou look up at him quizzically. "You're only human, aren't you?" Otogi finished quietly.

Jou stared at him. "Ryuuji?"

Otogi looked up, meeting Jou's eyes and beaming his old charming smile. "Oh, never mind. And hey, what's with the formality? You can use my first name if you'd like to, Jou."

Jou almost blushed in spite of himself. It had been a long time since anyone spoke with him this casually. Even Yugi, Honda, and Ryou, who were supposed to be his best friends. They were always so caught up in their own little dramas, he never wanted to intrude. And then there was Anzu, who always somehow gave him the urge to reflexively hit something. He grudgingly had to admit to himself that it was almost sort of nice to have someone to talk to. Even if that someone was Otogi Ryuuji, his long-time nemesis.

Jou was even more surprised when Otogi got out of his chair and came to join Jou on the floor, sighing as he did so. "You deserve better. I know Kaiba, and I know that he's a corporate snake. I guess what I meant when I said I couldn't picture the two of you together was, well, you just seem so… *real*. You actually live your life. I never got the chance to tell you, but I really respected you for what you did that day you lost our duel.

"All your friends were telling you to go back on your word, but you didn't. For your part, you seem to do the least proselytizing about friendship and honor of any of them, but you're the only one to really uphold any of those ideals. And I really *am* sorry about the whole dog-suit thing. Really."

Jou was nearly gaping. This was so unlike the Otogi he usually saw. Then a thought occurred to him. "We aren't `together'. Like I said; it's sort of a mutually-using-each other thing."

Otogi glanced at Jou quickly, and then lowered his head again before murmuring, "You deserve better."

"What?!?" Jou's eyebrows show up into his shaggy blond bangs. "What on earth is that supposed to imply, Otogi?"

Jou could have sworn he saw Otogi blush. "It isn't implying anything. Just that I know Kaiba can be a total dipshit a lot of the time, and I don't think someone like you should have to deal with that, is all."

"`A lot of the time' doesn't quite cover it," Jou muttered. Then "And I don't know what you mean by `someone like me', but lets get one thing strait: you don't know me, you don't know what kind of person I am, and you shouldn't be making any sort of judgments about me for exactly those reasons." He had to stop himself from flinching as he finished, reminding himself that this wasn't Seto he was talking to, and he didn't think Otogi would hit him for saying that.

Otogi caught the flinch, but didn't say anything. Instead, he sighed. "You're right, Jou. I shouldn't be making those judgments; that was presumptuous of me. Sorry…" he trailed into silence.

Jou heard the genuine apology in Otogi's voice, which surprised him. Then he felt slightly bad for snapping. He knew Otogi meant well, he just wasn't used to this side of the other boy. Otogi actually sounded like he gave a damn. "Ah, forget it." Jou muttered. Then, "Hey, look, the sleets letting up. I can leave now, if you like. Only about half a mile home, like I said."

Otogi looked up at the monitor, and then pushed himself off the floor, stretching stiffly. "You're right, it really is letting up. Oh wow, look at the time! It's almost eleven!" He reached a hand down to help Jou up off the floor, which Jou accepted after a couple of second's hesitation.

Jou handed Otogi his towel back, and was about to head for the door when Otogi said, "Hey, you live over on Kumori Street, don't you? I have to go that way to get home, anyway. Why don't I give you a lift?"

Jou looked at the monitor again. It was still sleeting lightly; nothing like before, but still not a fun setting to walk home in, either. He kept his back to Otogi when he answered. "Yeah, sure. Thanks."

Behind him, Otogi broke into a smile. "Great! My car's this way." He led the way out of the office and down a flight of stairs to the parking garage, which was empty except for an emerald green vintage mustang. Jou's eyes widened. Otogi saw this and laughed. "Nice, isn't it? I got it when Dice Monsters really started to take off. It's a '69, but drives like new, which is a good thing, because the roads are gonna be none to fun tonight." He drew a ring of keys from his pocket and fiddled with the passenger side lock before pulling the door open and motioning Jou inside.

Otogi started the engine and exited the garage, pulling out into the deserted street. The rest of the ride was in silence, only interrupted by Otogi, requesting directions from Jou who gave them quietly.

When they finally pulled up in front of his house, Jou made a move to get out, but Otogi stopped him. "Jou, look; I'm sorry I came off as kind of presumptuous before. I really didn't mean to. I know Kaiba, probably better than I would like to, and I know what a hassle he can be. If you ever need to, you can talk to me, even though I know you think of yourself as way to stubborn to even contemplate doing so." He laughed softly and then, while Jou was still looking at him in mild surprise, he leaned over and kissed Jou gently on the cheek before waving him off with a "Good night." And pulling away from the curb, leaving Jou looking bewilderedly after him, a hand raised unconsciously to his cheek.

TBC

A/N: The plot thickeneth!! I'd just like to note that I find it incredibly entertaining that my spell check wants to change Anzu's name to "Nazi". Heheh. Wow. Now *theres* poetic justice for you. Beware the Friendship Nazi!! And yeah, this is a weird take on the whole Jou/Otogi thing, I know, but hell, I'm writing them as presumably multi-dimensional characters, and I think Otogi showed a good introspective and remorseful streak at the end of DDM, which is what I'm working off here. Oh, and how does everyone like Otogi's car? Eheh. I have a thing for vintage cars; I couldn't resist. I chose a mustang for `Togi because they are classically "British racing green", which matches his eyes. *nod*