Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Poles Apart ❯ Poles Apart ( Chapter 1 )

Author's notes and warning: Yikes...well this is my first Yu-Gi-Oh fic. *looks around nervously and waves* Hello...

Poles Apart was written with gratitude for my superb beta reader, Hitari-chan, without whom, my stories would probably make less sense. Thank you, sweetie for all your hard work and I hope you have a stupendous birthday! This story is for you...because you wanted it. ^_^ Happy Birthday! Gosh, I hope I did them justice...

A Seto Kaiba x Katsuya Jounouchi romance...er...well, sorta. ^^;; If you know these two, romance doesn't even come close...

There are some very naughty languages as well as situations, so the rating is set at "R", and that's probably pushing it.

I'm writing this using their Japanese names, which Hitari prefers...I hope it turns out well. And as I don't like to write with minors...the boys will be 18. So this would be a couple of years after the YGO world, as you know it. ^_^

Disclaimer: don't own them, never have, never will...and not sure if I want to...too many monsters...

Poles Apart

By Moonraven for Hitari-chan

"I don't think so."

"Please."

"NO!"

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not crazy!" Jou turned to go back into the arcade but Mokuba grabbed his arm urgently.

"Please, Jounouchi-kun, I know you can do it. You're the only one that can get him to see reason!"

"I'm the only one that can get him thoroughly pissed! Are you insane?" Jou tugged on his arm but the younger boy held on tight.

"Please!" Mokuba sounded like he was about to cry and Jou groaned inwardly. Not that...anything but that...

The blond sighed as he turned back to face the smaller boy. "Why me? Why not Yugi? He'd listen to Yugi." Kaiba hated his guts. He would never listen to him.

"But Yugi likes everybody! He would never see her for what she really is - a conniving monster out to get my brother!"

"I still can't believe Kaiba is thinking of getting married. This whole thing is just plain bizarre." Jou ran a hand through his thick blond hair and he stared hard at young Mokuba. "Who the hell would want to marry him?"

Mokuba stiffened and huffed in irritation. "My brother is one of the best looking guys in world. He's talented, rich and brilliant. Who the hell wouldn't want to marry him?"

Jou laughed and ruffled Mokuba's hair. He'd completely forgotten how the younger Kaiba practically worshipped his older brother. "I'm sorry, Mokuba, but you gotta remember, your brother and I...well, we don't EVER get along."

"That's where you're wrong! He talks to you more than he talks to anybody."

"Er...kid...he insults me more than he talks to anybody. And I've never heard him insult anybody else at all."

"YES! Don't you ever wonder why?"

"Yeah...he can't stand me!" Was the kid daft?

Mokuba sighed. "Then he would ignore you. He wouldn't expend so much energy getting a rise out of you."

"GAH! What the hell are you saying?"

"Nothing, forget it." Mokuba shook his head then tugged on Jou's arm again. "Jounouchi-kun. Please. Help me reveal what she truly is."

Jou sighed heavily. "Alright, let me tell the guys I'm leaving. But kid...you owe me BIG time. I'm talking colossal, here."

"Thank you, Jounouchi-kun!"

"Yeah, yeah...I am SO going to regret this!" Jou mumbled as he went back into the arcade to tell Yugi what they were up to.

* * * * * * * *

"Okay, start from the beginning and go slow. When you get excited, all your words get stuck together." Jou told Mokuba as he pushed the sundae in front of the kid.

"Arigatou!" Mokuba dove into the sundae and Jou smiled as he watched the younger boy relish the treat. Normally, he would be right there with Mokuba but his stomach hadn't been feeling too good ever since he'd found out about Kaiba's impending marriage. He thought about why that was... It must be the shock, he told himself. Kaiba was, after all, one of them...well...okay, no he wasn't. But he was their age...and he was getting married. That was just plain...weird... Mr. Emotionless Icicle From the Land Before Time...and HE was getting married...cree~py...

"Jounouchi-kun! You've spaced out again!" Mokuba waved his spoon in front of Jou's face, startling the blond back to the present.

"Huh? I'm sorry, what were you saying?"

"Ni-sama wants Milay International and the only way to get it is by marrying Sissy Milay. That was made clear when the board of directors met with him last week."

"Whoa...why does Kaiba NEED Milay International? Doesn't he have enough on his plate already?"

Mokuba sighed. "Between Kaiba Corp. and Milay International, ni-sama would practically own the world. He would control more than 60% of ALL electronics and the game market, not to mention that Milay owns the largest pharmaceutical company this side of the globe. He's been wanting this ever since...we left the orphanage." Mokuba seem to have a hard time swallowing that last bit of ice cream and he pushed the bowl away almost distastefully. "He doesn't need it. He wants it."

"Why can't he just do what he normally does...you know...that corporate takeover crap he's always spouting."

"This IS that crap. They're willing to turn everything over to ni-sama if he will or he'll marry Sissy-san."

Jou made a face. "Gah! She must be uglier than sin! I actually feel sorry for your brother; miracles DO happen!"

Mokuba frowned and shook his head. "She's beautiful."

"Okay, so NOW explain the conniving monster thing to me again." Rich AND beautiful...some people have all the luck. Jou reached over and took over the ice cream. His stomach was still queasy but there was no need to waste good ice cream.

"I met her last week with her father but I didn't like the way she...feels." Mokuba shuddered quite convincingly and Jou swore the hair on the back of his neck stood up.

"Two days ago I followed her to the mansion where she's staying while she's in town and I'm pretty sure I heard someone screaming. It's the old Shimizu place...you know, the one where the girl gutted herself a couple of years ago?"

"Get out!" Jou shrank back in his seat and stared in horror at Mokuba. "No one goes anywhere near that place!"

"Exactly! But she's staying there...without her father." Mokuba leaned over the table and looked straight into Jou's wide frightened eyes. "Now why would she want to stay there all alone?"

"Because she's a conniving monster?" Jou whispered shakily. What the hell was he getting himself into?

"My thoughts exactly. She could be sacrificing someone in there right now to revive some old evil in the mansion." Mokuba shuddered again and rubbed at his arms.

Man, this sucked big time. "Okay, here's the plan." Jou leaned conspiratorially across the table, bringing his face within inches of the younger Kaiba's. He looked straight into Mokuba's serious blue eyes and said, "We go get Yami and have HIM deal with her."

Mokuba sweatdropped and nearly fell off the chair. "NO! We go deal with her ourselves! I told you, Yugi-kun would never think ill of her and it'll take too long to convince him. Please Jounouchi-kun. Just talk to my brother."

Jou clutched at his hair and groaned out loud. Getting himself gutted and sacrificed was NOT his idea of a good time! And what made Mokuba think that Kaiba would listen to HIM? Kaiba was supposed to be his master...er... according to the brunette, of course. Jou was just a dog as far as the arrogant teen was concerned. Why would Kaiba ever listen to him?

"So...what do we do now?" Jou sat back and chewed on his lower lip. "I still say there's safety in numbers. We can go get the guys and storm the mansion." He nodded happily at the superb idea. There was NO way he was going in there alone.

"Jounouchi-kun!" Mokuba banged his forehead repeatedly on the tabletop before looking up in exasperation at the blond. "We're supposed to be SNEAKING in there. How are we going to do that with 10 people?"

Jou didn't have an answer but he was thinking hard.

"Besides, we have to go to dinner tonight."

Eh? "Dinner? What dinner?" Why was he finding things out one bit at a time?

"Ni-sama invited Sissy over for dinner tonight. I want you to see her."

Jou stared at the boy in front of him blankly. Nobody had said anything about dinner. He'd get indigestion eating in the same room as Kaiba!

"Why?" Jou squeaked out. Food was good. Free food was even better but NOT when it came with Seto Kaiba.

"I need someone with me. I...it was going to be just the three of us but ni-sama knows how I don't really like her so he said I could bring a friend. He's trying to make me feel better, I know but he won't give up on the idea of owning Milay International...we have to let him know it's a mistake."

"Yeah...good luck kid." Jou really meant it too. "Once that brother of yours get something in his head there ain't no easy way getting it out."

"But you're just as stubborn. I know you'll find a way." Mokuba looked up hopefully from beneath his black bangs at Jou. The blond rolled his eyes dramatically as he accepted defeat.

"Fine, dinner it is. Sheesh! Next thing I know you'll be inviting me to spend the night!" Jou grumbled and was rewarded with a bright, overly innocent smile from Mokuba. "Er...I don't think I like that look, Mokuba."

"Jeez, you're such a worry wart!" Mokuba laughed then slipped out of the booth and dragged Jounouchi out of the diner. "Now we have to get you a tuxedo."

"A WHAT?!"

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"It itches!" Jounouchi tugged at the collar of his brand new tux and squirmed as he walked after Mokuba. The younger boy was decked out in similar formal attire and Jou wondered if dinner at the Kaibas' was always this uptight. No wonder Kaiba always looked like he had a perpetual heartburn.

"Stop messing with it!" Mokuba stopped in front of a large ornate door and waited for him patiently. When Jou caught up with him, Mokuba reached up and smacked his hand away from his collar. "You are making the bowtie crooked." He reprimanded gently as he straightened said bowtie.

"There." He said with satisfaction as he surveyed his handy work: Jounouchi in a classic black and white tuxedo. "Wow, you look great! If I were gay and older, I'd go for you myself."

"What?!" Jou took a step back and stared at Mokuba in shock. "You did NOT just say that."

Mokuba giggled at the look on Jou's face. "I was just kidding! You are too funny Jounouchi-kun!"

Jounouchi stepped up to the smaller boy and smacked him upside the head. "You know, you're going to give me a heart attack! Don't even joke about something like that."

Mokuba tilted his head to one side. "Are you homophobic?"

"Huh?" What was it with this kid? Living with Kaiba must really be getting to him.

"Homophobic...do you hate gays?"

"I know what homophobic means! Despite common belief, I am NOT that stupid."

"So, are you?" Mokuba looked up at him curiously.

"No." Could you hate gays when you may be gay? Jounouchi was sure SOMEONE could but he wasn't THAT messed up. He knew he appreciated women - man, that Mai was something else - but he had looked more than twice at some men too. Seto Kaiba was definitely one of those men.

"Good, because even though I'm not...ni-sama is."

"WHAT?!" Jou wasn't sure if his young heart could take anymore of the things Mokuba was dishing out to him and he was sure the kid wasn't even close to being done for the night. But before he could drag the little vermin to a corner and shake some sense into him, the dining room door burst open abruptly.

Seto Kaiba stood on the other side of the door, scowling at them. His tall lean frame carried his immaculately cut tuxedo perfectly and Jou found that despite the fact the he was supposed to hate the guy, his heart skipped a few beats at the gorgeous sight. For just a brief moment, as those impossibly ice-cold eyes swept over him, Jou thought he saw a flash of searing blue heat, so hot it made him take a step back. Then it was gone and Jou blinked confusedly into the cold blue eyes once again.

"Do you plan to bicker all night behind the door?" He asked before turning his gaze to Mokuba. "This...dog is your guest?"

"Anou...ni-sama. He's my friend and doesn't he look nice?" Mokuba smiled up adoringly at his older brother.

Jou cleared his throat uncomfortably as those arctic orbs turned back to him. Kaiba gritted his teeth as though fighting some internal battle, then he snorted derisively at the blond. "A dog is still a dog, no matter what costume you put him in. I suppose you can come in."

Jou clenched his hands into tight fists and nearly let one fly to wipe that sneer off Kaiba's face. Mokuba moved between them quickly and nudged his brother into the dining room.

"Ni-sama! No fighting with Jounouchi-kun tonight, please. What will Sissy-san say?" He turned and gave Jou a glare and motioned for the blond to follow them into the room.

Jounouchi frowned and mumbled to himself as he walked after them. Yep, this was going to be one LOOONNNGG night.

* * * * *

Sissy Milay was beautiful. Her long red hair flowed sensually down her smooth flawless back. Her skintight deep blue gown was strapless and almost everything else-less, leaving very little to the imagination. Damn, she looked hot. He could totally see why almost anyone would want to marry her...but not Seto Kaiba. Kaiba didn't have red blood running through his veins like every other human being; he had anti-freeze of some kind.

Sissy Milay was also a bitch and a half. The woman pawed and cooed at Kaiba all night and it was all Jou could do to keep himself from throwing up on her. Jou couldn't eat half the stuff that was placed in front of him and HE had a black hole for a stomach. But then again...his black hole had never seen foods like these... He was not having a good night and he was going to beat the crap out of Mokuba for this.

One thing he did agree with the smaller boy...the woman didn't feel right. She was TOO perfect; even when she was insulting him she made it sound nice. What a piece of work.

"So tell me, Jounouchi-san, what companies do you own?" Sissy batted her lush lashes at him and smiled beguilingly from across the dining room table.

Jou looked up from his yet to be identified dessert and blinked blankly at her. He thought he'd heard a choking noise from somewhere at the head of the table, but he wasn't sure and he wasn't about to look at Kaiba to find out.

"Own? Er...I don't own any companies." Jou went back to his meal and pushed a few things around. What the hell was that purple thing?

"Oh."

Jou twitched at the condescending tone but kept his eyes glued to his plate. Oh look, another colorful something...

"Well, I guess...that's alright." She said with some disdain and Jou couldn't help but look sharply up at her. She was smiling at him, one hand poised delicately at her throat. Gee...thanks, lady. He really wanted to throw something at her then.

"Of course it's alright." Jounouchi turned at the unexpected comment from the mostly silent Seto Kaiba. The man's attention was focused on the contents of his glass and he didn't bother to look at them. "Not everyone can run a business, which is a good thing. That leaves more for me to take over." Jou felt an unexpected rush of pleasure at the thought of Kaiba coming to his rescue, no matter how insultingly he had chosen to do it. He looked away quickly, not wanting Kaiba to see the blush that crept up his face. This was SO not happening!

"So what DO you do?" She asked with great interest.

"I study and work part time at the middle school in town." Jou gritted his teeth and came up with a tolerant smile.

"You work. How...quaint."

Okay, the bitch was going down!

"Apparently, Katsu-chan is very good with children." Jou stared in shock at Kaiba. Did the man call him Katsu-chan? What happened to loser dog or stupid mutt?

Kaiba looked over the rim of his champagne glass then and when his icy blue eyes met Jou's startled amber ones, they glinted with amusement and something else Jou couldn't quite identify. Something that was completely foreign in Kaiba, yet so...

"Seto darling..." Sissy's immensely irritating and slightly nasal voice whined as she rested her hand atop Kaiba's on the table. "It's getting late. Shall we discuss a few...private plans in the library?" She turned to Mokuba and Jounouchi. "I'm sure the children must be tired."

Nani? Children? I'll show her children...

Jounouchi was about to share his dessert with Sissy...the hard way, when Mokuba suddenly got up and practically ran to his side of the table. "That's a wonderful idea, Sissy-san. Please excuse us." Mokuba tugged at Jou's arm and the blond grudgingly got up. He gave Sissy a fierce scowl before turning to follow the younger boy out of the room.

"Mokuba." Kaiba's deep voice stopped them, as they were about to step out the door.

"Yes, ni-sama?" They turned to look at the man questioningly.

"You can have Nobu take your...little friend home." Even as he spoke to Mokuba, Kaiba's eyes stayed locked on Jou's, making the blonde's heart race. What was going on? Was it his imagination or was Kaiba acting strangely? Was he feeling this way because of what Mokuba said? That Kaiba was gay...? Jou shook his head vigorously. No way. Even if Kaiba was gay, there was no way the brunette would be interested in him. He was just a loser dog, after all. Kaiba NEVER treated him with anything more than contempt.

But the way Kaiba had looked at him tonight...for some reason it had made him feel warm, even hot at times. It had made his heat skip beats and then race impossibly fast. It made absolutely no sense; it was so goddamn confusing and it was all Jou could do to keep waves of pleasure from drowning him. What the hell was wrong with him? This was Kaiba, dueler from some alternate frozen hell...this was not happening. Maybe Mokuba was right, that bitch has done something to him!

"Thanks ni-sama, but Jounouchi-kun is staying the night with me." Mokuba said with a bright smile.

Jou gave the smaller boy a sharp glance and nearly choked. "Er...that didn't sound quite right, kiddo."

"No it didn't." Came an icy reply from Seto Kaiba.

Mokuba laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. "We're going to duel a little and then go to bed. Please, ni-sama. Marisa made the bed in the guest room already."

Jou glanced at Kaiba and saw the man's eyes narrow as he looked from him to Mokuba.

"Hey, wait a minute Kaiba." Jounouchi frowned at the head of Kaiba Corp. "You don't seriously think...I mean...that we...HE'S FREAKING THIRTEEN!" Jou was red from head to toe at the thought that Kaiba was thinking that...well...that was just plain sick!

Kaiba didn't bother to answer him but turned to the still smiling Mokuba. If Jou had thought that something was seriously wrong with Mokuba before, he was positive now. It had to be living in the same house as Kaiba. It had messed the kid up for life.

"Don't stay up too late." He told his younger brother and with a nod, dismissed them like he did the servants.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" Jou rounded on Mokuba the minute they were back inside the smaller boy's room. "If I didn't know better I'd say you were throwing me at him!"

"Maa, maa, Jounouchi-kun. Ni-sama is a very good catcher. Don't worry." Mokuba smiled again and dashed into the bathroom.

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

"What the hell are you doing in my room?" Jounouchi hissed as he stared into the angry blue eyes of Mokuba. "Your brother is SO going to skin me alive if he thinks we are...are...eek, you know!"

Mokuba tried to pry Jou's hands from their death grip on the blanket, to no avail. "Jounouchi-kun! You were supposed to go and talk to ni-sama! NOT sleep!"

"Your ni-sama was doing...things with that woman so I came to bed." Jou unsuccessfully tried once more to get Mokuba to let go of his blanket. "Let go, you sneaky brat!" Mokuba tugged a little harder and Jou gave a startled squawk when he nearly lost his grip. "Gah! I'm not wearing anything, so stop pulling!"

"NO! She could be sucking the life out of him right now! You must go save him!"

"You know...whoa, that's it! No TV for you for a week...no, make that a month. What the hell have you been watching? If anyone's doing the sucking, it's your brother!"

Yikes! That hadn't come out right at all! Jou could feel himself flushing hotly at the image that statement had brought on. Whoa...down boy! NOT a good time with a minor in the same bed tugging furiously at his blanket!

"Okay, okay! I'll go, just stop yanking already!" Mokuba stopped immediately and sat deceptively docilely at the foot of the bed. Jounouchi narrowed his eyes at the younger boy and almost growled. The kid was so tenacious; that it was scary. "Why can't you do it yourself, anyway? You know Kaiba would cut off his own head for you. Why can't you just go and tell him you don't want him to marry the woman?"

"Then he would be doing it for ME." Mokuba said with surprising fierceness. "All of my life, ni-sama has always done things for ME. It has been his reason for everything and it's killing him." Mokuba's eyes got suspiciously bright and he used the back of his hand to wipe at them clumsily. "Most of the time I can't find my older brother anymore...the old Seto, he's almost gone...I don't want him to go away. I don't want him to disappear inside the cold and untouchable Kaiba, so he needs to do this for himself. He needs to find reasons to live for Seto and not for Mokuba...can't you understand that?"

With a choking sob, Mokuba hopped off the bed and ran out the door before Jounouchi could say anything.

Oh crap! Jou groaned and rubbed at the ache between his eyebrows. Gods, he actually understood that, which meant he must be more screwed up than he thought. With a sigh, he grabbed the robe that Marisa, the maid, had laid out for him and went to talk to Mokuba.

The door to the young teen's room was locked, so Jou knocked softly lest he attract anyone's attention. This would not look good.

"Mokuba!"

The sobbing continued...

"Stop crying, I'm going to talk to your brother right now, okay?"

Sniffles and sounds of nose blowing...

A few seconds later, the door opened just a tad and a red-eyed Mokuba poked his head out. "Really?"

Jounouchi couldn't help but smile at the younger boy. Damn, the kid was good!

"Really, but if they're screwing each other silly, I am SO out of here!" He tried to look serious but he knew he failed miserably.

"But..."

"No, buts."

"What the HELL are you doing here?"

Jou whimpered out loud at the harsh voice behind him. Mokuba's eyes widened and he eeped in fright before slamming the door shut on Jounouchi's face.

"Why, you little..." Jou pounded on the door angrily with his fists. How dare that little pipsqueak leave him to deal with Kaiba alone? "Get your ass out here, Mokuba! I am SO going to kick it to kingdom come."

"Ahem."

Oh yeah...Kaiba. Jounouchi swallowed and gave the closed door a final glare before turning to face his doom. Crap.

And more crap. Kaiba was wearing a dark blue robe and his strong bare legs ended in matching house slippers. Jounouchi's imagination supplied him with a very naked man underneath the robe, not unlike himself. He gulped and moved back a step only to find his back against Mokuba's door. Damn!

"It's NOT what you think." Jou said quickly.

"Really." Kaiba crossed his arms and looked expectantly at Jou. "Do tell."

"I...was looking for you." Well, that was partly the truth. He WOULD have been after he had finished talking with Mokuba.

"In Mokuba's room." Kaiba said dryly.

"Yeah, so what?" Jou shrugged defiantly. "Figured he would know where you were."

Kaiba's eyebrows rose elegantly in challenge and when Jou scowled silent back at him, Kaiba smirked derisively. "I supposed it is only to be expected that a loser dog look for his master."

Ah...there was nothing wrong with Kaiba after all. He was just being nice for that bitch's benefit.

"Shit, you're so fucking full of it, Kaiba! I'm supposed to ta---" Jou stopped and bit his lips. Was he supposed to bring Mokuba into this?

* He needs to do this for himself.

* He needs to live for Seto and not for Mokuba.

"Er...where's Sissy?" Oh, that was smooth.

"None of your business. Never get your paws into the affairs of your betters, mutt."

"I'll keep that in mind when I find my betters, jerk!" Jou squared his shoulders and looked straight into Kaiba's unwavering blue eyes.

Kaiba's lips twitched and he took a step closer, bringing him only a foot or so from Jounouchi. "Apparently you're too stupid to recognize one even when he's standing in front of you."

"Fuck! No kiddin'?" Jounouchi looked around mockingly. "Nothing here but a second rate duelist who couldn't handle losing THREE - count them - three duels!" He stuck three fingers in front of Kaiba's face and waved them insultingly. "Who's the fucking loser now?"

Kaiba snarled and knocked Jou's hand away. The taller man grabbed him by the lapel of his robe and nearly lifted him off the ground.

"See? A fucking sore loser!" Jou's couldn't have stopped his mouth even if his life depended on it.

"Shut up, dog!" Kaiba shook him against the door.

"Fuck you! How's Loserville? I hear it's a bitch this time of year." Jou managed to sound flippant despite the rattling he was getting.

"You would know, wouldn't you, loser dog? You live there. How's your alcoholic father? Left him for better things? Is that why you're here? Came to give yourself to your master?"

"Leave my father out of this, asshole! At least I have a father."

Jounouchi found himself suddenly on his butt and he blinked stupidly up at Kaiba. His heart nearly stopped at the strange mixture of rage and pain that flashed across the rigid gazillionaire's face. He wanted to gloat some more but found that he couldn't. His mouth was dry and his heart was doing that stop and go thing again. Part of him wanted to apologize for the pain he'd seen but the other part of him wanted to rub more salt in the wound.

Neither part won so Jounouchi kept his mouth shut and stared silently up at Kaiba.

The man schooled his face back to its usual icy granite and without another word, left Jounouchi on his butt in front of Mokuba's door.

Jou sighed dishearteningly. THAT went well. But at least he TALKED to Kaiba.

The door that he'd been leaning on opened abruptly and Jounouchi found himself flat on his back staring up into the furious blue eyes of Mokuba.

Oh, shit.

"What the HELL was that?" Mokuba hissed angrily, pointing in the direction his brother had gone. "You're supposed to talk him into giving up Milay, not giving up life! What the hell were you thinking?!"

"HEY!" Jou got up and towered ominously over the undaunted shorter boy. "Didn't you hear what he said to ME?"

"Yes!" Mokuba countered. "He's said the same things to you a million times over, so how can he still get a rise out of you?"

Jou opened his mouth but nothing came out. True. Nothing Kaiba had said to him tonight was new...well except for the part about Jou giving himself to his master... The blond shook his head vigorously and thunked himself a couple of times on the head. What the hell was he thinking?

"How could you say that to him?" Jou looked back down at the younger boy and his heart nearly broke at the sight. Tears streamed down Mokuba's face and his lips quivered violently. "I thought you cared. I really did. I can't believe I was so wrong."

Jou hated himself at that moment like he had never hated anyone in his entire life. How could he have stooped so low...?

"Look, Mokuba...I'm sorry...I..." What could he do? What could he say? "I'll go talk to him right now. Look, I'll even let him beat the crap out of me, okay? Gods, kid, I'm so sorry." He didn't know what else to say so he left. It wasn't really Mokuba that he had to apologize to; it was Kaiba. Even though he knew the moody man would never accept his apologies, he still had to try.

He finally found Kaiba in the study. The man was behind his computer, clicking furiously away on the keyboard. He had not changed and the ridiculous image of Kaiba in his bathrobe behind his large and very business-like desk brought a smile to Jounouchi's lips despite the seriousness of the situation.

It also brought home to him how young Kaiba really was. They were only eighteen but Kaiba was already going on fifty. He had probably almost forgotten any carefree childhood he might have ever had and because of this he was trying damn hard to give his little brother something that the boy really didn't want. How could Jou do anything to make a difference? How could HE make Kaiba see? What the hell was Mokuba thinking when he'd put Jounouchi up to this?

"Get out!" Kaiba said harshly, not bothering to look up.

Jounouchi took a deep breath and stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. Well, this was it...

"I'm really sorry, man. I shouldn't have said that." He said in his best subdued tone, though it wasn't easy. His history with Kaiba went back many years and they were all pretty hostile. This was not what they were used to and Kaiba felt it as well. Jou saw the brunette's jaw clenching and unclenching even from where he stood. This wasn't going to be pleasant.

"Why? You did what was expected. There're no rules to the game; anything and everything to win, isn't that right?" Kaiba's tone was heavy with bitterness and contempt. Jou wasn't sure this time if the contempt was directed at him or at Kaiba himself.

"No. You know I don't play like that. I was wrong and I'm sorry." Jou took a few more steps into the room and stopped in front of Kaiba's desk.

"I don't give a damn about your apologies." Kaiba got up abruptly and moved to the windows. He turned his back on Jou and stared out into the night.

Jounouchi sighed. Nothing he said at this point was going to get through, so he might as well fall back on familiar grounds.

"That's too bad, cuz I do." Jounouchi moved closer to the other man and came to lean against the desk next to where Kaiba had been sitting. Part of him really wanted to go back to bed. He had apologized; he was done. But the other part...wanted to stay... Why? He hated Kaiba...didn't he?

That moment, as he stared at the defensive set in Kaiba's broad back, Jou knew that he didn't hate Seto Kaiba at all. What he hated was how Kaiba treated him...not the man himself. He could not hate the little boy who had to become a man when he wasn't ready. He certainly didn't hate the boy who vowed to provide for and protect his little brother. Neither did he hate the boy whose warped sense of security and happiness was the very thing that was destroying everything he had worked for: his brother. Then how could he hate the man the boy had grown to be...? The boy who was never really a boy...

No...what Jou was feeling for the man standing in front of him was very much the opposite of hate, though the fine line was debatable. He definitely admired Kaiba. NOT the "asshole Kaiba" but the "older brother Kaiba"...Seto. The lengths he would go to assure that Mokuba had everything he needed were truly amazing...psychotic at times, but amazing.

Jou didn't believe that someone capable of loving that deeply could be a cold and uncaring bastard. He knew that Yugi had never believed it, even though at times, the poor boy had been sorely tested.

But was admiration the only thing that kept him from leaving? Was it admiration that made his heart thump so radically? Could it be the thing that made him hard at the mere thought of Kaiba's nearness?

If it was...then he was pretty fucked up.

"Again, you assume I care, mutt, I don't." Kaiba's cold voice broke through Jounouchi's disturbing thoughts abruptly.

Jou looked up to see that Kaiba had turned and was watching him silently. The light from outside was behind him, keeping Kaiba's features hidden in darkness. Jou could dimly see an odd gleam in Kaiba's eyes but he couldn't tell what it was.

Jounouchi shrugged and hopped up on the desk, his slightly parted legs swinging carelessly. Might as well get this over with...

"Do you really want to marry Sissy Milay?"

Kaiba was taken aback at the unexpected question and he stood there, completely stunned. Good. Jounouchi let him have another one, "I thought you were into guys." Might as well keep the man off balance.

Kaiba was frozen to the spot, speechless. Okay.... this was good; at least Kaiba hadn't decked him...yet.

"I don't know about you, but she creeps the hell outa me!"

"Then it's a good thing you're not marrying her." Kaiba finally found his voice and it was as hard as ice. He came away from the window and stopped right in front of Jou. The lamp on the desk now lightly illuminated his face and Jou could see the confusion in Kaiba's eyes. "What is it you want?" Kaiba leaned in closer and his deep blue eyes searched Jounouchi's face intently. He should have known that Kaiba wouldn't address the 'gay' issue. Never let the enemies know your weakness... Asking about it would have implied that he cared.

Jou swallowed nervously. Kaiba was definitely too close. He could detect the faint smell of soap as the man leaned in and he was impossibly aware of the warmth radiating from the taller man. This was not good.

Jou shrugged again, his voice having failed him. Squeaking was not an option.

Misinterpreting completely, which was to be expected, Kaiba narrowed his eyes and his mouth set into an angry thin line. "If you're planning to use that information against me, insignificant little fly, go ahead. I have never cared what people think."

"GRRR!" Jounouchi growled and smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand. "Not everyone is out to get you, Kaiba! I thought you might have learned something with all that has happened in the past! You may act like an asshole sometimes but I know you're not that bad. Marriage is a big step, man, I just don't want you to mess up any more lives than you already have." This last comment he couldn't help and he grinned mischievously to lighten the mood.

Kaiba's eyes remained narrowed as he took another step closer to Jounouchi. This brought him to stand just inside of Jounouchi's parted knees. The glint in Kaiba's eyes was no longer angry; it was something else entirely. It was the very same searing heat that had nearly singed all the hair off his body earlier...

Jounouchi gulped.

"Can it be that you want something else?" Kaiba asked, his voice like velvet encasing steel. He moved closer still and Jou could feel Kaiba's hips brushing the fold of his robe aside, rubbing against his bare inner thighs.

Jounouchi gasped and spread his legs wider, trying to get away from the feel of that incredible body but it only served to allow Kaiba even closer. Soon, the man was pressed up against the desk, his groin touching Jounouchi's ever so slightly.

The blond tried to move up the desk but Kaiba put an arm around his waist, effectively stopping all movement including Jounouchi's breathing. This was NOT happening.

"Wh...what are you doing?" Jounouchi barely managed to breathe out. Kaiba's dark blue eyes bore heatedly into his, making every cell in his body flare in answer. Gods, if Kaiba pressed in anymore, he would find out just how pathetic Jounouchi really was.

He was as hard as a rock.

"Know your enemy." Kaiba said softly into Jounouchi's ear. His hand at the small of Jou's back held the blond firmly in place.

"Huh?"

Kaiba chuckled deep in his throat and pulled Jou hard against him. Jounouchi gasped in shock and shuddered uncontrollably as his arousal ground into Kaiba.

"I know you like men. You and that Honda freak have been screwing each other since high school." Kaiba nibbled Jou's ears and the blond moaned involuntarily. "Question is...do you want that with me? Is that why you're so interested in my upcoming nuptials?"

"No...no we didn't...and no, I don't!" Jou shook his head and pushed weakly against Kaiba's chest. His trembling fingers slipped and he ended up caressing the bare expanse of Kaiba's lean hard chest, instead. Gods, but Kaiba was making him feel so good.

Another laugh. "Really." Kaiba pulled away and looked down at Jou derisively.

Jounouchi thanked every known deity for giving him this break. He couldn't think when Kaiba was doing all those delicious things to him.

"Really. And well...we weren't 'screwing' exactly." Jou mumbled and did his best to fix his disarrayed robe. "We were just experimenting." Jounouchi looked at anything except Kaiba's ridiculing eyes. What an asshole, he thought sullenly. "We're normal teenagers. We have hormones." He added with a defiant lift of his chin.

Kaiba reached between the folds of Jounouchi's robe and gripped his erection. "That, you do." Kaiba's voice was thick even with his surprise at finding hot bare flesh instead of clothing showing clearly on his face.

Jounouchi moaned and thrust into the hand instinctively and that movement was the undoing of Seto Kaiba. The cold, heartless CEO of Kaiba Corp. gave a low groan and wove his hand into the blond hair, pulling Jou's head back roughly.

Jou didn't care, he couldn't think let alone protest. When Kaiba's lips came down on his, he eagerly opened his mouth and met Kaiba's tongue hungrily. Kaiba tasted like dessert and liquor, a heady combination that had Jou moaning and rocking hard into the hand. Jounouchi's own hands tore at Kaiba's robe and when he met no resistance, he pulled urgently at the folds.

Kaiba released Jounouchi long enough for the blond to push the robe off his shoulders revealing tanned bare skin. Jou ran his hands down the front of Kaiba's chest, marveling at the smooth warm texture. Kaiba pulled Jou roughly against him once more and it was the brunette's turn to tear at Jou's robe.

Jounouchi shivered as the cold air hit his body even as the heat that was searing though him a different kind of chills down his spine. Kaiba pushed him back amongst the scattered paper on the desk and his hot mouth latched on to Jou's nipple while his hand continued to work the blonde's dripping arousal.

"Ah...gods, yes...harder!" Jounouchi arched into the hand and thrashed under Kaiba's attention. He was so close...

Jounouchi growled in frustration when Kaiba's hand stilled and his head lifted to stare down into Jou's eyes. Kaiba's dark blue eyes were fierce with desire but the control the man exercised was truly impressive.

"Do you really want this?" Kaiba asked softly, his voice strained with his effort to maintain control.

Jou reached down and gripped the hand that held his aching shaft and pumped it up and down his length. He threw his head back and gasped as searing pleasure shot through his body.

"You have to ask?" He moaned, thrusting into their hands.

"Yes." Kaiba said quietly. "Did Mokuba put you up to this?"

Jounouchi's fuddled mind took a few seconds to process what Kaiba had said. He blinked up into the serious blue eyes and shook his head. "Wha...what are you talking about?"

Kaiba narrowed his eyes and straightened up, pulling his robe up over his shoulders but he did not move away. "You're pathetic." He said scornfully. "Did you really think I wouldn't know what my brother is up to?"

Jounouchi pushed himself up slowly as he realized with a strange sense of loss that Kaiba had misunderstood his intentions yet again. What the hell was wrong with the man? Jou sighed and shook his head in disbelief.

"You're something else, you know that? You are really, really fucked up." Jou scowled at Kaiba. "Yes, Mokuba is worried about you! He'll always be worried about you because you're socially dysfunctional!" Jou ran a shaking hand through his thick hair and attempted to pull his robe together.

Kaiba reached out and gripped his wrists tightly. He bent down close and fixed Jounouchi with an intense glare.

"Tell me!"

Jou snapped his hands to the sides, breaking free of the grip and glared back.

"Yes and no! He wanted me to talk to you about the Milay chick. Somethin's not right about her, man, but you're too bloody greedy to see that. But this..." Jou motioned between them, suddenly nervous. "This...he didn't say anything about this and even if he did, do you think I'd let you fuck me because HE said so? I don't think so!"

Kaiba stared at him as if he'd turned into his Red Eye. Jou stared back and had to try very hard to NOT remember the feel of Kaiba's hands and lips...oh, and the tongue... Damn! He wasn't supposed to go there!

"Why WOULD you let me...fuck...you?" Kaiba peered suspiciously at him from underneath dark bangs. Gods, but he wanted Kaiba to do just that...right now...

Jounouchi swallowed. Yeah...why?

"I thought we agreed that I had a hormone issue."

Kaiba gave him an irritated look. "You're so horny that you'd let a guy you hate screw you?"

"I don't hate you." Jounouchi said simply.

Kaiba raised his eyebrows skeptically.

"I hate many things you do and many things you say but...I don't hate YOU. At the risk of sounding like Luke Skywalker, I'd have to say that I believe that there's...still good in you." He gave Kaiba a cheeky grin and waited for the man's defense mechanism to double up. But it never came. Kaiba just stood there staring at him.

"Everybody wants something." Kaiba said stubbornly after a short silence.

Jounouchi felt truly sorry for him. Most of his life, Kaiba had never known true friendship, so when he was freely given it, he couldn't trust that it hadn't come equipped with a million strings. Jounouchi's childhood hadn't been a walk in the park but he'd been lucky that he'd had Honda with him...then later Yugi. His friends had more than made up for the lack of warmth in his own home. But Kaiba...the man only had warmth in Mokuba. No wonder all of his energy was poured into everything for his little brother.

"Yes." Jounouchi slowly reached out and took a hold of Kaiba's robe. "But not all of them are bad." He tugged gently and Kaiba obediently followed the pull. The brunette looked puzzled and not quite convinced. Jou didn't blame him. How could years of caution and defense be brought down in one night?

But Mokuba was right; he was just as stubborn as Kaiba. He would make the man see that there's more to life than corporate takeovers.

"So, what do YOU want?" Kaiba asked as their faces nearly touched. His warm breath brushed against Jou's mouth, and the blond ran his tongue around his lips in anticipation.

"Are you kiddin'?" Jounouchi closed the distance and drove his tongue into Kaiba's delicious mouth. He sucked urgently on it while his hands busily worked on the tie around Kaiba's waist. "I want you." He said against the brunette's lips.

Kaiba pushed him away again but this time the brunette rested his forehead against Jou's. He was breathing had and took several moments before he asked, "Why? What do you get out of this?"

Jounouchi growled again and shook Kaiba hard. "What the hell is the matter with you? You're eighteen! You should be thinking with your dick, not your head! I want to get OFF, you idiot, so fuck me already!"

Kaiba searched his face intently for a moment then he took Jounouchi's mouth again hungrily. Papers were knocked off the table onto the floor as the young CEO pushed Jounouchi roughly back on the desk and practically climbed between his legs. Gods but the hot length pressing into his groin was so delicious Jou whimpered and rocked mindlessly into it.

Kaiba reached between them and rubbed at the tip of Jounouchi's wet shaft making Jou cry out and writhe beneath him.

When Jounouchi thought he couldn't take anymore, the unthinkable happened. The computer on the table next to them beeped and some sort of an alarm went off. Warnings of some security breach or other blared and Kaiba stopped immediately. Without moving from between Jou's legs, Kaiba leaned over and looked at the monitor. He frowned and typed something on the keyboard then frowned some more. Finally, to Jounouchi's dismay, Kaiba pulled away and picked up the phone.

"Nobu, get the car ready."

"What...? You're leaving?" Jounouchi stared in disbelief at the suddenly remote Kaiba. This night really sucked shit. What the hell happened? How...did the man's libido have a fucking switch?

Kaiba stiffened momentarily at Jou's tone but didn't reply. He moved away and walked to a panel at one side of the room and slid it open. Jou shook his head numbly. The man had a closet full of clothes in his study...man did Kaiba ever need to get a life.

"Wh...where are you going?"

Kaiba pulled off his robe and hung it up on a hanger in the closet. Jou moaned at the lithe line of Kaiba's strong bare back. The man wore nothing but white cotton briefs under the robe and the blond had to grip the table hard to stop himself from running over and jumping the cold bastard.

"Something important came up. I'll be back shortly." Kaiba didn't bother to turn as he dressed and spoke at the same time. "I'll go to your room when I return."

Jou's jaw dropped at Kaiba's audacity. So he was supposed to just warm the bed and wait for the master's return. Like hell he was!

"You can go to hell when you return!" Jou hopped off the desk angrily. "What's going on, Kaiba? It's friggin' midnight. What is so important it can't wait 'til morning?" He couldn't help the all too familiar ache in his chest at the thought that HE obviously wasn't important enough for Kaiba to stay around for.

Kaiba finished dressing and pulled on his long black coat. Jou hated that; it made the man even more gorgeous and his heart was flopping around again.

Kaiba turned and glared icily at him as he closed the closet and moved away. He stopped in front of Jounouchi and said curtly, "I don't have time to satisfy your childish curiosity right now, mutt, so back to bed." Then he tipped Jou's head back and kissed him fiercely before he let the blond go and headed for the door.

Jou stared after the broad back in shock. The man was as confusing as hell. How could he be a cold, insensitive jerk in one breath and then manage to kiss him with such searing heat in the next? If Kaiba's sex drive had a switch, it definitely was short-circuited. And what the hell was wrong with HIM? Why the hell did his knees turn to putty at the very thought of Kaiba's kisses?

GAH! He knew coming here had been a mistake and he was going to let Mokuba know it too!

Jou left the study and went to give the younger Kaiba a piece of his mind...only Mokuba wasn't in his room and after looking all around the house, Jounouchi found a note in the guest room where he was to sleep.

Sissy Milay had left the house and Mokuba had followed her.

Jounouchi read the note again...and again. There was no mistake. Mokuba had gone to the Shimizu mansion by himself. Kaiba had left to go god knows where and there was no one that could go after Mokuba but him. Jou gulped and whimpered piteously. This was SO not good!

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

It was dark. It was cold. It was windy...and it was freaking spooky! Jounouchi pulled the borrowed coat tighter around his neck and wished that the owner of the coat were actually with him. Kaiba's long thick coat may be warm and smell amazing, like the man, but the mean-assed son of a bitch it was not. Jou whined and looked at the looming dark mansion with dread; he SOOOOO did not want to go in there.

From what he'd heard, the Shimizu mansion had been built from materials taken from the original Osaka castle of Japan and by the look of it, Jou was sure the design was very similar as well. He gulped as he inched closer...there weren't any lights coming from any of the windows on the five-story building. There didn't seem to be anyone home, yet he knew that Mokuba had come here. He could also see the red convertible that belonged to Sissy wedged between a demonic looking tree and a shrub.

So why hadn't any of them been considerate enough to turn on some freaking lights?

Huddling behind the flipped up collar of Kaiba's coat -- and loving every whiff of it - Jou inched closer to the gloomy structure. Before he had gone very far, he stumbled on and nearly fell into a pond of sorts. He blinked distastefully the dark mucky water rippling in the strong wind. Dead leaves were strewn all around the pond and on the surface of the grimy water. Jou took a sniff and wrinkled his nose and prayed fervently that whatever died in there would stay in there!

With a shudder, Jou shuffled back on the path towards the house...if one could call it that. A sudden splash from the pond behind him made him yelp and set him off on a mad dash towards the mansion. At this point, he decided that the demon in the house was surely better than the one in the stinky pond. At least there were places he could hide there...not to mention Mokuba was probably there...or was Mokuba in the pond...?

He froze in his tracks, chills shooting up and down his spine making the hair at the back of his neck rise uncontrollably. His heart thumped violently in his chest and he actually pressed his hands over it to keep it from bursting out. His skin crawled and he shivered again violently. I wanna go home!!!!! He wailed silently.

Idiot! Stupid dog! He could hear Kaiba's jeers at his fear. The man was as thick as a brick when it came to the supernatural forces. What he wouldn't give to have Kaiba next to him right now, ridiculing him...he'd like to see any demon stand up to Kaiba's insults and unique social skills.

With a very large and loud gulp, Jou decided to take a peek at the pond again...just to make sure Mokuba hadn't fallen in and wasn't laying unconscious somewhere around there. Slowly he turned and...

...his heart stopped. Well at least he didn't have to worry about it jumping out of his chest...

Next to the pond stood a tall shadow with it's long cape flapping ominously in the wind. Its red eyes glowed with pure evil as it grinned a wicked fanged grin. The rest of the monster was obscured in darkness...hell, ALL of the friggin' monster was completely enshrouded in darkness so Jou wasn't sure how he could see any details...and when the monster reached it's clawed hands toward him, Katsuya Jounouchi screamed and fell in a dead faint.

~*~*~*~

From somewhere in the bowels of the mansion, Mokuba heard a blood-curdling wail and shuddered. He hoped that SOMEONE would come to get him soon; he was beginning to regret coming here all by himself. He sighed and crept along the wall of the main corridor again. He had to find Sissy and put a stop to whatever malevolent plan she had for his brother. Whatever it was she had awoken sounded like pure evil and he wasn't going to let it have Seto.

~*~*~*~

Jounouchi was cold and his head hurt. He groaned and rolled to the side as he rubbed at the bump in the back of his head. What the fuck...? He opened his eyes slowly and blinked hazily up at the dark face looming over him.

GAH!!!

The evil monster by the pond! Jou opened his mouth to scream again but this time a hand clamped over it roughly and he was pulled by the back of the neck towards the fiend. He blinked in surprise when he was nose to nose with it, then his eyes widened in recognition and relief.

"Shut the hell up, you moron!" That furious hissing was unmistakable...

Kaiba!

He was so relieved that he threw his arms around Kaiba's neck and tried to hug him. "Mmmfpmff...!!!" He had forgotten that Kaiba's hand was still clamped over his mouth and the tighter he wound his arms around Kaiba, the more his head was forced back by said hand.

"Idiot!" Kaiba scolded and pried his hand free only to be attacked more energetically by the overly enthusiastic blond.

"Sticks and stones, my friend, sticks and stones." Jounouchi mumbled between the kisses he was raining on Kaiba's face. Before tonight, Jou would NEVER have dreamt of doing such things but now...

The brunette growled halfheartedly before pushing Jou off him. "Freaking idiot." Kaiba mumbled and got to his feet, pulling the smaller teen up with him. "What the hell are you doing here?" He asked with a frown. "Are you following me?"

"No, I was following Mokuba."

A steely grip on his shoulders had Jounouchi hissing in pain and he knocked Kaiba's hands away with an indignant protest.

"What did you say?" Kaiba took a hold of his lapel and nearly lifted the blond off his feet.

"I followed Mokuba. He came here." Jou squeaked and tugged at the coat.

Kaiba ignored Jounouchi's effort to free himself and turned to growl at the mansion. "Mokuba."

He abruptly let go of Jou and stalked purposefully towards the house. After realizing he was going to be left alone, Jou eeped and sprinted after the tall brunette. There was no way he was moving from Kaiba's side. Did the man feel no fear?

As he caught up with Kaiba, he glanced sideways at the taller man and swallowed. No, there was no fear there but there was plenty of fury... Jounouchi suddenly felt very sorry for the evil that chose to cross Seto Kaiba's path. It clearly wasn't going to come out on top of THIS argument.

"If you didn't know Mokuba was here, why...what are you doing here?" Jou asked when they finally stopped. Kaiba didn't answer but glared icily in front of him and Jou followed his gaze to the enormous entrance door. It was a thick wooden double-door at least ten feet across and about the same measurement in height. The strange carvings on it were hideous at best and depicted a battle scene of some kind...many figures lay dead, pierced with various objects, decapitated or about to die. Many more charged on foot and on horseback at a castle that looked eerily like the one they were standing in front off now...

"Um...Kaiba...?" Jounouchi scooted closer to the taller man and glomped onto his arm. He swore he could hear the cries of the men that were on the carving...

Kaiba frowned at the scene on the door and grunted as he tried to free his arm. "Get off me!"

"Ah-ah! No way, Jose!" Jou clung tighter and if he could, would have climbed into the front of Kaiba's shirt. "I figure if I get you pissed enough, no evil in this world will stand a chance. So get REAL pissed, okay?"

"That shouldn't be hard with you here." Kaiba said and yanked hard on his arm. "GET OFF, freak!"

Jou lost his balance as the arm was jerked free and he crashed into the door. It opened with a loud shriek of protest and Jou yelped in fright. He floundered pathetically as he tried to maintain his balance and run away at the same time.

A strong hand grabbed his forearm and hauled him upright. Jou crashed into a hard chest and clung on tightly.

"Why are you so spineless?" Kaiba sneered into his ear. "It's a goddamn squeaky hinge! Old houses have squeaky hinges! Now get your fucking act together." Kaiba finished with a hard shove and Jou found himself staggering into the main hall. Even in the darkness, Jou knew by the feel of the floor that it was solid wood, no carpeting here. Without light he couldn't see much and he blinked repeatedly to get his eyes to adjust to the gloom. He wrinkled his nose and nearly gagged. It smelled worst than the pond...at least THAT was out in fresh air. This place reeked of something VERY LARGE rotting.

Loud thumping on the wooden floor signaled Kaiba's entrance as the man marched moodily in and looked around as if he was challenging whatever it was to come out and duel with him. Hah! Freaking monsters don't duel, you asshole! Let see how you do against some sinister evil thingie from another dimension!

On second thought, didn't he want Kaiba to do well? Who would stand between him and a certain horrific death if Kaiba weren't?

Okay, he was messed up big time. This whole fucking place, not to mention an evening with the champion of all fuck-ups - Kaiba, was seriously screwing him up. He wanted to go home, damn it! Who the hell had told him to come here? No one! And since Kaiba was here to rescue his little brother, surely he could go home? He wasn't needed here...right? Right? Hey...where's Kaiba? He looked around but the hall was empty.

Yikes! While he had been arguing with himself, Kaiba had left him! That insensitive son of a bitch had actually left him! Dull thuds could be heard from his right and Jou guessed that Kaiba had gone that way...well he REALLY hoped it was Kaiba because if it wasn't, there was going to be a whole lot of screaming coming up.

He tiptoed as quickly as he could after Kaiba and soon caught sight of the man sliding open a couple of paper panels like those normally found in old style Japanese houses. From down the corridor, Jou suddenly realized that both walls of the corridors were lined similarly. He slid one open on the opposite side and was met with a gale of freezing wind that had him gasping in shock. The smell of the icky pond assaulted his senses and he grimaced at the dark water, just a few feet a way. He hastily closed the panels and made a note to self to NOT open anything else.

He turned to see Kaiba staring at him.

"What?" He asked defensive. "How was I supposed to know it led outside?"

Kaiba's glare did not change "What are you doing here?"

Jou moved to stand next to the taller man and shrugged. "I was worried about Mokuba. He thought Sissy was trying to suck the life out of you and I guess he came here to try to stop her."

Kaiba gave him a look that clearly said 'You freaking moronic idiot, what have you been smoking?'

"Really!" Jounouchi insisted earnestly.

Kaiba sighed and gripped the hair at the back of Jou's head. He yanked the blonde's head back and stared into Jou's eyes. "I meant why are you here...NOW? I can get Mokuba out on my own. I don't need you."

Despite the physical pain of having his hair yanked so close to the bump in the back of his head, the emotional pain at hearing Kaiba say that he was useless was even worse. So what else was new? Kaiba was being Kaiba. Did he expect the man to turn mushy-mushy just because they had almost fucked? Guess not...but it would have been nice...

"Yeah, well...maybe I LIKE being here!" Jou said through gritted teeth and struggled against the hold but the grip in his hair only tightened. He winced and gasped in pain.

Kaiba stared at him strangely for what seemed like hours...but was probably more like seconds...then loosened his hold on Jou's hair but didn't release it.

Jounouchi was shocked to say the least when the pressure at the back of his head increased as Kaiba pulled him forward and his mouth was engulfed in a rough kiss. Was there anything about Kaiba that wasn't forceful?

Before he could properly respond, Kaiba pulled away and gazed down at him again. In the darkness, Jou couldn't see the expression on Kaiba face but he was willing to bet big bucks that if Mokuba weren't in potential danger, the brunette would probably take him right there in the hallway.

"Come on." Kaiba said as he took a hold of Jou's wrist and pulled the shorter man along.

Jounouchi couldn't help the idiotic grin that spread across his face as he allowed Kaiba to tow him down the hallway. It wasn't exactly a declaration of love or anything, but coming from Seto Kaiba, it was definitely something.

Kaiba strode confidently through the darkened corridor looking left and right as he went. Jou was not as haughty; experiences with many horror movies had taught him that one would do well to show respect when dealing with spirits. Kaiba apparently, had never been exposed to the concept of respect of any kind, let alone for the dead.

"Er...should we just barge in here like this? I mean we could be tripping all kinds of alarm and...stuff." Jou said, looking behind him nervously.

"I won't sneak around like a common thief. They have things that belong to me and I'm taking them back." Kaiba's grip on his wrist tightened and Jounouchi wiggled it slightly to relieve the pressure.

"What do you mean? Why ARE you here? You mean Sissy? You came...to take Sissy back?" Jou didn't like the way his heart sank at the thought that Kaiba would come here just to drag Sissy back to his house...Kaiba didn't know about Mokuba until he'd met Jou so what else could it be?

Kaiba stopped and jerked Jou to face him. "You think I came here for a stupid woman?"

"Um...yeah. But isn't that stupid woman supposed to get you Milay International?"

"My, but Mokuba's been busy, hasn't he?" Kaiba leaned down close and his nose nearly touched Jou's. "No, that woman is supposed to get me the mole that's been stealing my designs and copying my programs."

"A mole." Jounouchi looked blankly at the brunette. "Is that...like a spy?"

Kaiba chuckled and nodded. "Stupid dog."

Jou growled at the insult but didn't address it. "You mean, you were lettin' her get all over you so you could find the spy? How did you even know there was one? How is SHE involved?"

Kaiba snorted then started down the corridor again. "Milay's been after my designs for months. When I found out about the mole, I increased security and nothing else was taken. That's when they came up with the idea of having me marry their daughter. Imbeciles! " Kaiba stopped abruptly as he came to a turn that led to a set of staircases. To Jounouchi's horror, the stairs led both ways: up and down. Both ways were dark but dank cold air was coming from the cellar. Jou DID NOT want to go to the cellar!

The blond glomped onto Kaiba's arm and if he could have, he would've crawled down the front of the man's shirt. "We're NOT splitting up." He said stubbornly.

Kaiba smirked down at him. "I didn't know we were together." He tugged at his arm halfheartedly then sighed. "Fine, little dog, hang on with your tail between your legs. I really didn't expect much from you anyway."

That hurt. Jounouchi didn't know why but it did. Not the dog of course, that was pretty normal stuff, but the fact that Kaiba didn't think he could count on Jounouchi to stand beside him. That didn't feel good at all.

Their decision was made for them when they heard footsteps coming from the floor above them. Kaiba pulled Jounouchi to the side and they stood with their backs pressed against the wall. The stairways were now just around the corner and they couldn't see who was coming down the steps. Jou fought down the urge to peek around the corner; as curious as he was, he was also scared. Who knew what was creeping slowly towards them? It could be one of the unfortunate samurais who had died defending the castle, or even older, from when the castle was originally a temple. Any number of dead monks could be roaming the hallway, seeking vengeance against those who had burnt down the temple. Jou shuddered at the vivid images in his mind and was startled nearly out of his skin when Kaiba brushed his thumb across Jou's wrist in a near caress. He glanced sideways at the tall brunette in surprise; he had completely forgotten that Kaiba still held his wrist.

Kaiba gave his wrist a reassuring squeeze and Jou found himself smiling from ear to ear despite the footsteps that were getting closer. He turned back to the hallway leading to the stairs and saw a beam of light on the floor. Flashlight. Ghosts didn't use flashlights!

In his elation, Jou pulled free from Kaiba and jumped in front of the figure coming down the corridor.

"HA! Gotcha!" He yelled and waved his arms about wildly.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" The figure screamed and bonked him in the head with the flashlight. Repeatedly.

Two things saved Jounouchi; his thick skull and Kaiba, who had step up behind him and took a hold of the arm holding the makeshift bat.

"Mokuba, stop it!"

Mokuba? Jou lowered his raised arms and blinked at the panting young man in front of him. Mokuba!

"AAAHHHHH!!!!" It was Jounouchi this time that yelled and attacked the youth. He grabbed Mokuba by the front of his coat and shook the bejeebers out of him. "What the hell were you doing, scaring the shit out of me like that?"

"Se-e-e-t-t-o-o-o..." Mokuba called out to his brother who surprisingly stood there with his arms crossed and leaning one shoulder lazily against the wall. He didn't seem to be in any hurry to separate his would be lover from his brother at all.

Eventually Jounouchi let Mokuba off the hook and he pulled the younger boy against him in a fierce hug. "Do shit like that again and I'm throwing you in that pond outside."

"Sorry." Mokuba had the grace to look properly mortified; he ducked his head and shuffled his feet in place. "I thought I could catch her doing evil things."

"Did you?" Kaiba asked calmly.

Mokuba shook his head. "I couldn't even find her. I don't know where she is. Her car is here but..." He looked around the deserted corridor and shrugged. "I don't even know how she could stay here. This place is not habitable at all."

Kaiba stared at his little brother for a long moment before pushing off the wall and coming to stand right in front of the boy. He ruffled Mokuba's hair affectionately and Jou couldn't help the lump that formed in his throat. That was probably the single sweetest scene he'd EVER witnessed.

"What am I going to do with you?" Kaiba asked tiredly as he gazed down at Mokuba.

Jounouchi changed his mind. THIS was the sweetest scene ever! The softening of Kaiba's expression and the gentleness in his voice was so different from what any of them had seen from the man. THIS was Seto before he became Kaiba.

Jounouchi suddenly felt like he was intruding on something very rare and precious but he couldn't tear his eyes from Kaiba. He wanted to be a part of this if only for a moment...maybe he could burn the image in his mind and he'd have this memory forever...

"HELLO~O!"

Jou jerked back to the present to find the two Kaiba brothers staring at him strangely. Then Mokuba laughed and shook his head.

"You're so funny, Jounouchi-kun. Spaced out again?"

Jou colored and frowned fiercely in his embarrassment. Being caught staring was one thing but being caught drooling was something else. "I was thinking!"

"Right."

"I was!"

"What were you thinking of? You sure looked dreamy." Mokuba batted his eyes as he teased Jou.

"I did NOT look dreamy, you little twerp!"

"Did too."

"Did NOT!"

"Did too!"

"ENOUGH!" Kaiba barked and moved between them. He rubbed the bridge of his nose irritably and growled. "I don't have time for your senseless bickering! YOU." He pointed to Jou. "Take Mokuba home and make sure he stays there. And YOU." This time he put a hand on top of Mokuba's head. "You better be in bed when I get back home. Is that clear?"

"But Seto, what are YOU going to do?" Mokuba looked up worriedly at his brother.

"Like I told this mongrel here, I'm going to take back what belongs to me." Kaiba said softly, his eyes glinting dangerously.

"We can help you." Mokuba said eagerly. "You shouldn't stay here alone. It's not safe...I heard someone screaming."

"That was this idiot here." Kaiba cocked his head in Jou's direction. "I never knew a grown man could scream that high."

"Hey! It was your fault for looking like a demon and sneaking up on me!"

Mokuba started giggling but Kaiba cut him off. "Whom did YOU come with?" Kaiba's voice held a hint of amusement, though he tried to look stern as he peered at this brother.

Mokuba smiled sheepishly and sneaked a sideways glance at Jounouchi. "No one...but that's different. I knew you guys would come looking for me, that's why I left the note. I just didn't think it would take you THIS long." He blinked innocently from the brunette to the blond. "What were you guys doing anyway?"

Damn that kid! Jou reddened as he looked quickly at Kaiba to see the brunette's reaction. Kaiba was looking right at him.

Jounouchi's face flamed even more when the corner of Kaiba's lips lifted and the brunette asked, "Well? Do YOU want to tell him?"

"Nothin' to tell." Jou grumbled, looking away hastily. From the corner of his eye, he caught a dim light coming around a corner at the far end of the corridor. Someone else was coming towards them

"SHH! Look!" He whispered and pointed to the flickering light that was getting brighter. Shadows danced along the wall with every advancing movement, but no footsteps could be heard.

As the light turned the corner, they saw a figure holding an old fashioned lantern, the kind that was encased in the round paper thingie and hung on a stick. The man was wearing something straight out of the woodwork at the entrance door...he looked very much like an old samurai, complete with the two swords in his belt. Jou shuddered violently and realized he wasn't the only one doing so when Mokuba raced behind Kaiba and clung on to his brother tightly. Hell, he wasn't about to be left standing unguarded. He dove behind the taller man as well and grabbed on to his other arm.

At this point, even Kaiba wasn't unaffected. The man didn't shake him off like he normally did, but just stood there staring at the advancing figure. Jounouchi wasn't sure how Kaiba could seem so cool at a time like this but he sure as hell thanked all the gods for it.

"Ni-samaaa..." Mokuba's voice was a mere whisper. The silence that echoed all round them amplified it one hundredfold. Jou clutched Kaiba harder...he was in total agreement with the unspoken fear in Mokuba's voice.

Kaiba did not budge. If anything, his scowl deepened at the approaching stranger. "Where is Sissy Milay?"

Jou cringed and Mokuba whimpered. Kaiba did have that annoying habit of getting rudely to the point, didn't he? Apparently no one had ever bothered to tell Kaiba that one did not make demands of ghosts. One usually ran the other way.

The figure stopped and the lantern was lowered so that they could see the stranger's face. It was that of a young man, slightly older than them, obviously oriental and with his head shaved in the funny traditional topknot hairdo Jou had seen in old samurai movies. The blond gulped audibly and earned an irritated elbow-in-the-ribs from Kaiba.

"Where is Sissy Milay?" Kaiba asked again, none too pleasantly.

The man said nothing but studied them for a few nerve-wrecking seconds before stepping to the side a bit and motioning for them to follow. Kaiba didn't look happy and even though that was the normal look for the brunette, Jou figured that this was an even unhappier look. Kaiba grunted in agreement but found himself unable to move; Mokuba and Jounouchi stubbornly held both arms back.

"Are you freaking nuts?" Jou whispered fiercely. "He's a..." The blond turned to give the silent man a fearful look before turning back to the soon-to-be-devoured-by-evil Kaiba. "He's a ghost!"

On the other side of Kaiba, Mokuba tugged on his brother's arm and nodded vigorously in agreement. "Don't, Seto!"

Kaiba snorted in exasperation and shook the two young men on his arms hard. "Let go! This is stupid! He knows where she is and I'm not spending all night searching around this godforsaken place!"

"That's right! God forsook it and so should we. Let's get out of here!" Jounouchi urged, bouncing agitatedly on the balls of his feet.

"Then go! Didn't I tell you to take Mokuba home? GO!" Kaiba pushed hard in his anger and Jou found himself smashing into the wall while Mokuba landed on his butt. "Go home." He told them both and walked toward the stranger who was by now staring at them as if THEY were the ghosts.

"Seto!" Mokuba called but Kaiba didn't look back. He waved over his shoulders as he followed the strange samurai looking man. Jounouchi went to help the younger boy up and watched Kaiba worriedly as Mokuba dusted the seat of his pants. "C'mon, Jounouchi-kun, let's follow him."

Mokuba tugged on Jou's wrist and literally dragged the older boy along.

"Wait! Are you nuts? He said to go home. Let's get the hell out of here." Jou protested all the way down the hall.

"No! He may need our help."

They rounded the corner that the samurai had come from and they saw Kaiba and the man going up another staircase. Jou looked puzzlingly at the way they had come. There was a staircase back there too.

"Look, I don't know anything scarier than your brother so I'm pretty sure he'll be okay. I'm freezing. Let's go."

Mokuba kept following the duo but managed to turn around and smirk at him. "How come? You got Seto's coat on; I don't think you should be cold at all. Or do you prefer the owner?"

Jou colored at the question but tugged the collar around him tighter as he walked next to the younger boy. "Shut up, you little brat. You planned it all along, didn't you? Why, I oughta..."

"What?" Mokuba asked. "You don't like my brother? He doesn't like you?" He paused during the climb up the steps and turned to look at Jou. "You know that both of you are too stubborn to admit you like each other. I did you a favor. Admit it!"

"Like...me? Your brother likes me?" His heart did the pitter-patter thing and he couldn't hold back the silly grin again.

Mokuba groaned. "Jounouchi-kun! Can we talk about this later? We'll lose them!" Mokuba didn't wait for his reply but started to rush after his brother again.

It must have been at least four flights of stairs and by the time they were at the top, Jou was panting like he had run a marathon. To their right, they could just make out the dim light of the lantern and Mokuba started toward it. Damn, but they were flying!

They turned another corner and found the samurai standing by himself in the middle of the corridor. He was facing one of the opened rooms and the faint light from inside the room, combined with his lantern, made him look even more surreal than he already had.

The two boys came to a halt a few feet away but he did not turn to look at them.

"Where's my brother?" Mokuba asked.

The samurai turned then and Jou thought he saw the man smile. The man pointed inside then turned his attention back to the room again.

Mokuba and Jou looked at each other then looked at the room then shrugged and walked in.

The room, like every other in this place was bare except for several boxes and Sissy Milay huddling and whimpering in one corner next to another man whom Jou recognized as one of Kaiba's programmers. Kaiba was rummaging through the contents of two briefcases as well as typing things into a laptop that was sitting on a crate.

"They meet here to do evil things."

Jou and Mokuba jumped three feet into the air and into each other's arms when the samurai guy suddenly spoke behind them.

They turned to him and found that he had followed them into the room and was frowning on the couple.

"Wh---who are you?" Jou managed between chattering teeth.

The man turned his gaze to Jou and gave him a sad smile. "I'm the...caretaker of this house. My name is Hideyori."

Jou remembered his manners enough to not tell the man that his caretaking needed work; the place was a total wreck. Jou sighed in relief. Hideyori seemed human enough now that he'd talked. But what was with the costume?

Mokuba gave the man his thanks and rushed to his brother. Jou sighed again, this time with a certain amount of contentment. They were going home soon.

"Er...what happened to them?" Jou asked the man next to him.

Hideyori chuckled deep in his throat and the sound made Jou's hair stood on ends. "They think this house is haunted. Silly people."

Jou rubbed his arms vigorously, trying to bring warmth to them. "Yeah...silly people." He mumbled. No need to tell the caretaker that he'd thought the same.

Kaiba and Mokuba snapped the briefcases shut and Kaiba smashed the laptop down next to the shivering pair.

Sissy looked up and grabbed Kaiba's leg. "He made me, I swear!"

"Bitch! It was YOUR idea!" The man next to her screamed but took one look at Hideyori and he went back to cowering again.

"Disgusting worms." Kaiba sneered contemptuously at the pair and shook her off his leg in disgust.

"Dude...you can't just leave her..."

"Fool! Do you think I'm going down for this? Never!"

Jou turned toward the shrill voice and saw Sissy Milay pointing a gun at Kaiba's retreating back. His heart nearly jumped out of his chest at the sight and without thinking, he threw himself at her. Vaguely he heard shouts from Mokuba and Hideyori, then a loud bang. Hot searing pain shot through his arm but Jou ignored it and grabbed the gun from Sissy. The girl kicked and screamed obscenities at him and didn't stop screeching until Kaiba knocked her senseless.

Jounouchi collapsed next to Sissy's still body and winced at the pain. Damn, but that hurt. Mokuba was crying openly now and knelt next to Jou as he tried to get the coat off the blond. Jou stared numbly at Kaiba who stood behind his brother with Hideyori. The brunette looked angry yet lost at the same time. It was as if he wasn't sure which one he should feel.

Jou gritted his teeth as Mokuba pulled off the coat. A white handkerchief appeared between Mokuba and Jou and they looked up to see...KAIBA?

Kaiba frowned at their surprised look then dropped the handkerchief. "I don't want him bleeding all over MY coat!" He said gruffly.

Mokuba picked up the piece of cloth with a small smile then wound it tightly around Jounouchi's arm. "We still have to take him to the hospital and get the police to take care of those two."

Kaiba pulled out his cell phone and made some calls. Jou really wasn't paying attention, he was getting lightheaded and the wound on his arm throbbed painfully.

When Mokuba was done, he helped Jou to his feet and the blond leaned on him heavily. Funny how you got shot in the arm but your legs were the things that didn't want to work. Jounouchi was surprised out of his mind...again... when Kaiba gently moved Mokuba to the side and picked Jounouchi up. He put Jou over his shoulders in a fireman's hold and started towards the door again.

Mokuba turned to the ever-calm Hideyori and smiled his thanks. "Er...I think the police will be here soon. Do you think you can keep them here until then? We have to go to the hospital."

Hideyori bowed and said, "Of course."

Mokuba turned to look at the unconscious woman and the trembling man one last time then with a last wave to Hideyori, ran out the room after his brother.

"This is hardly comfortable, I think I'd feel better if I walk." Jou grumbled and he was jostled along.

"You're too damn slow, you think I have all night to waste on a useless dog?"

"You just wanted an excuse to get your hands on my ass!"

"I don't need an excuse. Your ass is mine."

"In your dreams, asshole." Jou crossed his arms over Kaiba's and leaned on it. "You left me for more important things, remember?"

Kaiba was silent for a few seconds and Jou thought that the he had gone too far and that Kaiba was angry, but when Kaiba spoke, he was more thoughtful than annoyed. "Everything has its time. It doesn't mean that one thing is more important than the other."

Jou waited for more but apparently that was it.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Kaiba growled as they walked out the front door but he did not reply.

"Hey! What are you trying to say, Kaiba?" C'mon...you can do it...

Nothing. Kaiba took the keys out of his coat pocket and opened the car door then practically tossed Jou in.

"Hey! I'm injured here!"

"Your mouth is running on normal, so you couldn't be all that injured." He pushed Mokuba in the backseat and got into the driver seat.

"Then can we not go to the doctor?" Jou hated hospitals...

"No, you may need shots to prevent infection."

"Awww...you care." Jounouchi leaned back in his seat and smiled at Kaiba. Today wasn't all that bad after all, shots or no shots.

"I..." Kaiba frowned and thought for a moment before saying, "I don't like to owe anyone anything. That is all."

Jounouchi sighed and turned to look at Mokuba in the back seat. The boy had the biggest grin Jou had ever seen. Apparently, Mokuba didn't believe him either. Jou grinned back at the younger boy then turned back in his seat.

"Right." Was all he said as they drove on.

It may take him a while but he'd get Kaiba to open up. He could not expect a miracle in one night but from what he had seen, there was definitely more than hope for Seto Kaiba. There was going to be a bright and beautiful future...Jou was going to make sure of it.

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

Next morning...

Jou groaned as the ache in his arm throbbed almost unbearably. He moaned in protest when the bed shifted next to him and opened his eyes blearily to voice his complaint.

He blinked several times to make sure he was not hallucinating and then he brought his good hand up to rub vigorously at his eyes.

No, he was not seeing things, Seto Kaiba was lying next to him, under the covers...the same covers too, he noted, and his upper body was bare. Jou eeped and scooted back in bed and would have ended up on the floor if Kaiba hadn't had his arm around his waist.

What the...?

"Gods, it took you long enough." Kaiba murmured and pulled Jou closer to him.

When he met with bare skin, Jou gasped in shock. They were both naked.

Jou tried to remember what had happened the night before, after the doctor had given him series of shots; his mind was foggy to say the least... Surely they didn't...not if he couldn't remember! He wanted to remember, damn it!

Kaiba pushed up on one elbow and leaned over the blond possessively. "What?" Kaiba asked seeing his facial expressions. "Waking up next to me isn't all that bad, is it?"

"No! Not at all...it's just..." Jou frowned. How the hell was he supposed to ask Kaiba? It would be SO like the man to get upset if Jou couldn't remember their lovemaking.

"It's just what?" Kaiba nuzzled his neck and Jou almost forgot his questions.

"Er...it's just...well...how was last night for you?" Yeah, that was good. He just wanted to know if Kaiba had liked it. Yeah! He patted himself on the back.

Kaiba moved back slightly to look down on him, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. Oh-oh...

"How was it for you?" Kaiba countered as he peered closely into Jou's eyes.

Shit!

"You don't remember, DO you?" Kaiba's eyes narrowed some more. Oh, boy...

"Er...don't forget that I'm hurt!" Jou swore his voice squeaked.

"Stupid, useless dog." Kaiba murmured as he brushed Jou's hair from his forehead. "You don't remember because nothing happened. You passed out when we got home."

"Oh." That was a relief... then something occurred to him. "What about Milay International? I mean, now you won't get to own it."

Kaiba stared down at him then shrugged. "I can get it another way. I don't need that worthless woman."

"I see. Um...you know, when you said that...one thing is not more important than the other...well..." Jou cleared his throat nervously. "Wh---what are we, I mean, are we...that is..." Holy shit! How difficult was it to ask if Kaiba feel anything for him at all besides irritation?

Kaiba didn't answer but leaned down and kissed him hard. It wasn't romantic and it wasn't erotic...more like 'shut the fuck up' kinda kiss but Jou can go with that...for now.

He kissed back and soon it changed to a more heated exchange. When they broke the kiss, he looked up at Kaiba again and his heart beat a little faster. What was it about the man? He was rude, mean, clueless, brilliant, psychotic, egotistic, kind, loving, gentle, gorgeous... Jou shook himself briskly, he could go on and on about Kaiba and he wouldn't be any closer to his answer. Kaiba was Kaiba. But Kaiba was letting him in...maybe they have a chance after all.

A loud knocking came and before they could say anything, Mokuba opened the door and ran in. He jumped on the bed and waved a newspaper at them.

"Good morning! How are you Jounouchi-kun?" He asked as he settled on the other side of the bed next to his brother. "You will NOT believe what I found out this morning!"

He dropped the newspaper on Kaiba's lap and pointed to the front page. Jou didn't have time to be embarrassed or to wonder about what Mokuba thought of him being in the same bed as his brother. The front page of the paper had a picture of the Shimizu mansion and one of the police taking Sissy and her accomplice into custody.

"We knew they were going to do that." Jou said, a little confused.

"Agh! Read this paragraph." He pointed to the second to the last paragraph.

"It's too early Mokuba! Why don't you just tell us." Jou collapsed back on his pillow and burrowed a little closer to Kaiba.

"Okay fine! You remember Hideyori? Well, according to the police, there was no Hideyori."

"What do you mean? We all saw him." Jou's hair along his arms started to rise again.

"Yes, and so did Sissy and Guido. But the police said that there was no caretaker, no Hideyori. The place had never had a caretaker. The owner confirmed that as well..." Mokuba's voice trailed off and he too snuggled closer to his brother. "But there was a Hideyori Toyotomi who lived and died at the Osaka Castle in the seventeenth century and we know that the Shimizu mansion was built from the remains of the castle..."

"AGH!!!! I told you! I told you!" Jou ducked under the covers. "I knew he was a ghost!" His voice was muffled by the blanket but it was loud enough for them to hear.

Kaiba rolled his eyes and pulled the blanket off him in irritation. "That is history. Don't you think a lot of people know about him? Anyone could impersonate him just to get kicks out of idiots like you two!"

"But Ni-sama..." Mokuba protested but Kaiba shoved the papers at him and pushed him off the bed.

"Go play. Jounouchi and I are not done in here."

"JOUNOUCHI?!" Both Jou and Mokuba said at the same time. Did Kaiba just use his name?

"OUT!" Kaiba said sternly to his brother and Mokuba complied grinning from ear to ear.

Mokuba closed the door behind him and leaned happily against it, sighing happily. After a few minutes, he heard moaning sounds and clasped a hand to his mouth as he turned beet red and ran off to his games.

It seems like Kaiba had found a reason to live for himself after all.

Owari.

********

Gah! That was way longer than I had planned but man, it did not want to stop. About the relationships between Kaiba and Jounouchi, I didn't feel that it was time for them to make love declarations...but it is hinted that they will slowly move towards that. When I have more time, I may follow this up later with 'Life with Kaiba' type of fic...it should be fun. ^_^

Please let me know how my first YGO fanfic attempt went.