Thrown to the Wolves

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Warnings: Yaoi, romance, AU, angst, some humour, OOC.

Author: Koneko Shido

A/N: Very loosely inspired by the movie 'Pretty in Pink'. I've only seen ten minutes of the actual movie before I decided this idea needed to be typed out before I forgot
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The title is taken from the name of a Four Star Mary album. They rock. And I'm calling Jou/Joey Katsuya, because it just sounded better. It is his name, after all, right? ^_^ Go read Insight-to-Insanity's fic called Snowed In, because she calls him Katsuya there, and after reading it I just thought 'hey, that does sound better!' That fic is great, by the way. I wish I could write romance-type stuff as well as she does! This is my best attempt, but I'm not used to romance. Usually in my fics they're either already getting it on like little yaoi energizer bunnies or they're about to, and the whole plot (if you can call it that) of the story is leading up to it. I thought I'd try and write something semi-serious about love, for once. I suck at it, though! I can't help using Bakura as the comic relief, like I always do... He's just too much fun!

Thrown to the Wolves - Part 1

"-And then he asked me out." Katsuya finished, looking to his friends for their reaction.
"That's wonderful!" Ryou smiled, optimistic as ever.
"Congratulations, Jou!" Yugi added happily. Katsuya rolled his eyes. Sometimes those two could be *too* supportive.
"You're totally missing the point, guys." He said, waiting for one of them to catch on to what was bothering him about the whole situation.
"He's rich, you're a street punk, all his rich friends will hate you and think you're scum." Bakura stated, blunt as always.
"Correct, for ten points." Katsuya sighed. Bakura, what a charming guy. Well, sometimes it was nice to know someone had a nice, tight grasp on reality.
"So?" Honda asked, raising an eyebrow. "likelike the guy, don't you?"
"Well, yeah, but I'm pretty sure he's just using me to satisfy his curiosity." The blonde smirked bitterly. "Or maybe it's a bet, and his rich friends put him up to it. Either way, I guess I lose. It won't last."
"But he's rich, so get what you can out of him," Bakura suggested. "Maybe he'll buy you a car. Then I can steal it from you, and we'll all be happy. Well, except you, of course."
"Oh, thanks Bakura. You're really helping make me feel better." Katsuya glart tht the white-haired teen, who was sat on Yugi's bed with Ryou on his lap.
"Glad I could help." Bakura grinned wickedly.
"Well, I don't think it should matter that he's rich and you're not. Did you ever think that maybe he asked you out because he likes you?" Yugi asked, sitting on a big, blue beanbag with Yami.
"Yeah, right." Katsuya snorted.
"Well are you gonna go on this date with him or not?" Honda asked.
"Dunno." Katsuya shrugged. "I guess I'll go just to see what it's like. It's one of those rich-guy parties an, so, so they'll probably have loads of fancy food lying around."
"Ah, his stomach rules his brain." Ryou smiled. "Just make sure to be polite and not eat the way you usually do, and you'll fit in perfectly. After all, if you dress properly for once, nobody will know you don't live in a huge mansion and have a million servants."
"Dress properly?? I do drpropproperly!" Katsuya looked down at his t-shirt and jeans, frowning at Ryou's soft laugh.
"For a street kid, yes, but not for a party." The English boy laughed.
"Yeah, well I *am* a street kid, and I ain't pretending to be anyone else for those rich jerks. If they can't like me as me, then I really don't give a damn what they think." Katsuya scowled. Ryou just sighed.
"Well to begin with, why don't you do the same? You already hate them, and you haven't even met them! At least give them the benefit of the doubt, they might be very nice people. You won't know until you meet them. When is this party, by the way?"
"Tonight. Um... Could you kinda... help me out with the clothes, then? I dunno what I should wear. I guess I don't wanna be *too* scruffy." Katsuya grinned as Ryou rolled his eyes.
"Fine, but you have to promise to tell me exactly what happened at this party tomorrow, right? And I want all the details."

* * *

Seto stood on the balcony outside his room and ran a hand through his dark brown hair, sighing. There was one person he just couldn't get out of his mind, that scruffy street kid Jounouchi Katsuya. They went to school together, and Seto could still remember the first day Katsuya had ever spoken to him. It was not a memory he liked. The blonde boy had asked him if he wanted to play duel monsters, the card game that was all the rage amongst Katsuya and his friends. Seto had instantly sneered and told him that there was no point, because he had no chance of ever winning. He'd just thought of Katsuya as another punk from the streets, but that hadn't just been the end of it. Katsuya had actually tried to hit him, knowing full well who he was. His friends had held him back, but the look in his eyes as he glared hotly up at Seto had sent a shiver through the brunette. His eyes had been so... wild.
After that Katsuya had kept away from him, and the few times they did see each other the blonde would just growl at him and walk off. But Seto couldn't leave him alone. In class he watched the boy he called a dog working, admiring the way he brushed his hair from his golden eyes, or the way he seemed so happy when he grinned at his friends. He even watched Katsuya at lunch, eating ten times what was healthy but seeming to burn it all off straight away since he spent so much of his time running around and getting into trouble. Seto would sit in the empty classroom at lunch and look out of the window, watching Katsuya playing on the slide like a six-year-old and laughing, not caring what anyone else thought of him as long as he had fun. Sometimes it would rain, and everyone sensible would stay inside, but Katsuya would be out there, getting drenched as his friends stood in the doorway and tried to convince him to come inside. That was Seto's favourite memory of the boy, when he'd finally come in out of the rain and given a big grin, then shaken the water from his hair like a dog, all over his friends. They'd yelled at him in mock anger, but he'd just giggled and done it again.
Finally school had broken up for the summer holidays, and Seto had felt empty without seeing Katsuya every day. It seemed like every minute something would remind him of the puppy, and it was almost unbearable being without him. That was when Seto Kaiba finally realized that he was in love with the one person he could probably never have. Everyone else threw themselves at his feet, but not Katsuya. He just growled and walked away whenever Seto came near, and it was his own fault.
He'd taken a walk in the park one day in the summer to clear his head, which was filled with thoughts of silky blonde hair and fiery golden eyes. It was a hot day, and the park was filled with childrenninnning about, laughing and playing in the sunshine. Seto had been about to leave when something had landed near him on the path and exploded wetly, showering him with drops of water. He'd whirled around angrily only to come face to face with Katsuya, holding a water bomb in his hand and grin, hi, his cheeks flushed as though he'd been running about. As soon as he saw Seto, though, he'd stopped dead and turned away, waving over his shoulder to Yugi, who'd thrown the water bomb that had burst by Seto. Yugi had nodded and gone back to the game he'd been playing with his friends, getting drenched by Bakura, who was then targeted by Yami for soaking his little lover. Katsuya had grinned at them then turned back to Seto, throwing the water bomb he held away to the side, where it burst on the grass away from them.
"Kaiba." He'd greeted, not looking happy to see the CEO. Seto had glared down at him, trying to disguise the lust he felt at seeing Katsuya wearing only a pair of denim shorts and a long, sleeveless white t-shirt, which were soaked and clinging to his skin.
"Sorry about that." Katsuya had said, clearly not enjoying apologizing to the boy he considered his enemy. Seto hadn't understood what he meant until he saw Katsuya gesture to the wet patch on his coat, which he wore even in the middle of summer.
"Forget it." He'd replied, then looked up over Katsuya's shoulder at where the others were playing around the fountain in the middle of the park. "What are you doing?"
Katsuya had seemed puzzled that Seto would care, and that he wasn't calling him names or being his usual cold self, so he'd turned to look too and laughed to see Yugi creep up behind Bakura and throw a water balloon at his back, which made him fall over in shock.
"Jus' playing, why, you wanna join in?" He'd asked. Seto had watched Katsuya's fri pla playing a little longer, almost laughing himself at the sight of Bakura scrambling up off the ground and chasing Yugi around the fountain, being laughed at by Ryou, who was sitting on the grass drinking a can of soda.
"No." Seto said, but he wanted Katsuya to stay with him more than anything. "Would you like a drink?" He looked over at the little café with chairs and tables outside where people were buying ice creams nearby. Katsuya had looked at him like he was an alien for a moment, but then shrugged and grinned one of his infectious smiles.
"Sure," He'd said happily.
Seto sighed again and looked out from his balcony, his eyes dark. That was the day he'd asked Katsuya out, it had only been a little less than a week ago. Katsuya had just stared at him and then shrugged like it didn't matter and said oecauecause it didn't matter... Not to him, anyway. But it mattered to Seto.
Of all things, he'd asked Katsuya to come to the party his friends and work colleagues were holding to congratulate him on the sales of his latest holographic technology. Katsuya had sounded nervous, and he'd only said he'd 'maybe' turn up. It was obvious he didn't like the idea of meeting Seto's friends, assuming they wouldn't accept him because he wasn't bought up in a mansion like they all were. He was probably right, Seto thought, but it didn't matter to him what everyone else thought. He loved Katsuya, and nothing anyone said was going to change that. Now all he had to do was get Katsuya to love him back.

TBC

So how will Katsuya cope at Seto's party? Will he survive it? Will he fall in love with Seto? Will I ever stop giggling at the thought of Bakura chasing Yugi round and round a fountain with a water bomb?
Anyway, review and make me a happy bunny!