Opening Author's Notes:

Bold= Flashback scene (I hate writing the words "Flashback")

'Italics'= 'Thoughts'

~**~= Scene change

There might be more later, but I'll add them as they come along.

~**~

Jounouchi knew from the first time he met him…

"You play too, Kaiba?! That's perfect! We were going to play at school tomorrow! You can join our group!"

…that Kaiba was a bastard.

"Huh? Join your group?! Give me a break! You think you're in my league? I'm good enough to compete at the National Competition! You could never win against my deck. It'd be pointless to play against you."

So he didn't expect much in the way of friendship. For the most part, Jou avoided Kaiba at all costs. However, there were times when a conflict was unavoidable. "Death-T" was one such time.

"We've done human experiments in that simulator. If we don't stop it soon, your grandfather will be destroyed." Kaiba grinned maliciously. He finally had Yugi cornered. If the small boy wanted to save his grandfather from a simulated death and possible insanity, then he'd have to accept the challenge of "Death-T" in the Theme Park of Death.

"I'll stop that simulator if you swear to face 'Death-T.'"

Yugi gathered his resolve. He'd do anything for his grandfather. "I understand! I'll face 'Death-T!'"

Jounouchi, of course, could not allow his friend to face death, yet it seemed that Yugi did not have much of a choice. 'Well,' Jou thought, 'if he has to go…'

"Kaiba! Count me in too! I'm not letting Yugi go alone!"

Chuckling mentally, Kaiba agreed. 'Moron. You'll regret that foolish friendship when you experience "Death-T…"'

Jou didn't like the smug look on Kaiba's face. "Listen Kaiba!" he growled out. "I could punch your lily-white face with my fist right here and now! But that wouldn't mean anything!" Jou's voice turned forceful. "Yugi'll beat you at your card game!! And I'll stake my life to help him get there!"

So it came as no surprise when Jou said that he hated Kaiba. Everyone seemed to understand…

…and everyone bought into his lie.

Jou had long since figured out that the Kaiba family was adept at hiding their true intentions. He had made this discovery when Mokuba saved Honda.

"Is that Kaiba's…" Honda questioned tentatively. He'd been dodging falling blocks for the last hour, so naturally he was a little behind on current events.

"Yeah, his little brother," Jou spat. Anyone with Kaiba as a last name obviously couldn't be trusted. "He's just as big a creep as the other one!"

Yet life is never as obvious as it may seem.

"This 'creep' saved my life," Honda stated simply.

"Huh?! Jou was shocked that a Kaiba saved his friend, not to mention mad that his previous assumption about the corruption of the Kaiba family had been proven incorrect.

Honda spoke again. "I was locked in that room for a while, with the blocks dropping, until this kid turned 'em off and got me out. So he's Kaiba's brother…" he trailed off.

Mokuba snorted. "Don't take it personally! I was just doing Yugi a favor…"

Jou recognized that attitude. His words, his stance, his tone of voice…Jou could read Mokuba so easily. Jou knew immediately that Mokuba was trying to put up a front, trying to look stoic in the face of sadness. Eventually Mokuba broke down when he told the story of his adoption and why Seto had so much hatred in his heart. An evil, abusive foster father and a multi-billion dollar company even had an effect on the once innocent Mokuba.

From that moment, Jou knew that a Kaiba's outward demeanor could not be trusted. He knew that Kaiba's would never show a genuine emotion other than hate and malice. What if there were deeper feelings hidden beneath Kaiba's cold exterior? What if taunting was the only way he knew how to express himself?

That's why Jou decided to take a chance.

~**~

After Jou made his realization about the Kaiba family, he made sure that he did not tempt Kaiba into a fight. Jou was certain that the CEO would lash out and start an argument at the slightest provocation; he just didn't feel like taking the brunt of Kaiba's anger. So he was never the one to have the first word.

Doesn't mean that he didn't have the second.

Kaiba enjoyed trapping Jou in such situations. The calculating brunette knew that Jou's quick temper was his greatest weakness, and Kaiba exploited it quite often. For some reason that even the brilliant president of Kaiba Corporation could not understand, he enjoyed the fire that burned in Jou's eyes whenever they fought. The complete sense of total unrestraint…like Jou was giving Kaiba everything he had…all of him, mind, body and soul. Some small part of Kaiba's mind wondered if Jou would look the same way if they had sex together, but he never paid much attention to that line of thinking. He just let himself be comforted by Jou's "gift" of unnoticed submission.

Jou, for his part, did manage to retaliate against some of Kaiba's more witty comments. This action continually impressed Kaiba, though he sincerely wished that nothing would impress him at all.

So the two fought. Kaiba always began the argument, yet he silently admired Jou's strength of character and will; Jou always retorted, becoming angry but constantly reminding himself that Kaiba was just an abused kid that didn't know any other way of expressing himself.

And that's how the whole mess called "love" got started.

~**~

A/N: Thanks for reading! I really appreciate all of you.

First off, I can't forget to thank my lovely beta readers. Take a look at their live journals sometime:

SnarkyMonkey (aka Sora-sama on ff.net): Sorry about the third-person POV. It will get better, I promise!

Deepsense_remix (aka Thepoptartspirits): Yeah, the Shonen Jump manga can be a bit annoying, but it's my only reference. Maybe if I find another source...

Chibichula (aka chibichula): Got your edits and made some changes. I hope I cleared up the confusion in the POV-switching paragraph. The run-on sentences are gone too.

Second, please review! You can review here or at

www.fanfiction.net/~reppu

It drives me to write more chapters. And when you leave your wonderful review, please be straightforward! Constructive criticism is an author's best friend. Thanks a bunch!