The Seven Year Itch

Title: The Seven Year Itch 2/3



Author: Velvetina



Rating: NC-17



Pairing(s): Seto/Jou, Jou/OC (Slight)



Beta: Daisey **Huggles**



Spoilers: None that I know about



Disclaimer: As much as I would love for it to, sadly, none of this belongs to me.



Summary: ‘If someone who is in a permanent relationship gets the ~seven year itch~, they become restless with their relationship after about seven years and often want to start a sexual relationship with another person’…Will Jou succumb to the itch?



*****



Jou’s head thumped harshly onto his desk when he remembered the forbidden kiss from the night before. By the time he’d reached the manor it had been almost two in the morning, and all he had wanted to do was to fall into bed. However, as he had come through the front door, he’d been stopped cold by icy tones coming from the stairway.



“And where did you go?” Even remembering it Jou felt nauseous; he definitely hadn’t expected to have to deal with Seto. Eventually, he’d fumbled an answer about how he’d decided that he didn’t want the night to go to waste and that he’d just gone for a couple of drinks. A mini argument had ensued as to how long it actually took to have ‘a couple of drinks’. But finally Seto had backed down, saying that they should sleep for now and talk later. Jou had gladly taken him up on that offer, dying to curl up in the warm sheets. But, once he’d finally gotten into bed, he’d found it very cold and lonely- despite the fact that Seto was only a few centimetres away.



Jou brought his hands up to cradle his head. Despite the events of the night before, he couldn’t help but be thankful for them in a twisted way. It had shown him that, despite his attraction to others, he could never really cheat on Seto. He loved his boyfriend too much. A soft grin curved up Jou’s mouth at the thought. True, it had taken them a while to finally get it together, but boy had it been a fun ride.



***

Jou felt the nerves fluttering around in his stomach. This was the thing that was finally going to prove his worth as a reporter- his big break. And, as a newbie on the scene at twenty one and fresh out of college, he definitely had something to prove. Amazingly, he’d graduated from school with fairly decent grades- he still owed Yugi for all of his help- and had gone on to be the top student in the journalist course at Tokyo University. Straight away he’d been offered a position by the leading newspaper, and here he was six months later with his first big opportunity. He had been sent to an awards ceremony that was being held at the Hilton Tokyo for Japan’s top businessmen. The event was strictly black tie and Jou tugged nervously at the one he’d borrowed, absently wondering how people wore them without choking to death.



With a soft sigh, he gazed into the men’s room mirror, staring himself in the eye. When he’d first stepped in to catch his breath, he’d been certain that he’d walked into the wrong room. What man needed a wool carpet, just as thick as his fist, to take a piss? The blonde shook his head; now was not the time to be thinking of such things. He needed to be out there getting those crucial interviews with some of the most influential men in the world.



He turned away from the mirror on his heel, and instantly crashed into someone. Jou flew back and winced as his head connected with the porcelain sink; dimly he heard the sound of another body crashing onto the floor, though the sound was muffled by that blasted carpet. He raised his head to apologise to the other and froze. Honey eyes clashed with blue.



“You!” Two voices cried out simultaneously; one a deep baritone the other a lighter, cultured tenor. Jou’s head whirled. How could he have forgotten that Seto ~sodding~ Kaiba would be there?



“What are ~you~ of all people doing here?” Kaiba spat out.



“I’m a journalist.” Jou felt numb as he said those words, mentally calculating how long it had been since he’d last seen the other man. It had to have been at least three years- after the graduation ceremony at Domino High, the brunette had walked away without a backward glance.



Kaiba snorted, “Oh yes? And what rag are you from?”



“I’m with the Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, actually,” Jou shot back as he got to his feet.



“Really?” Kaiba raised an eyebrow. “I’m suitably impressed by that news. Well done.”



Jou blinked at the lack of venom in the other’s voice. Considering his options carefully, he held out his hand to the brunette. After a brief hesitation, Kaiba laid his well manicured hand in Jou’s. The blonde gave a light tug and the other came elegantly to his feet. Jou was momentarily dazed as he gazed at the taller man. Damn, had time been good to the brunette. During the past three years Kaiba had grown out that stupid haircut of his; it was now caught back in a loose ponytail that hung midway down his back, with a few bangs dropping into his eyes. The obviously expensive tuxedo suited him too, the cut showing off the filled out shoulders before tapering into a narrow waist. Not to mention that Kaiba had finally given up trying to be like his bloody blue eyes and had chosen a classic black suit.



Jou felt an odd tremor run through him and, with a slight start, he realized that he hadn’t let go of Kaiba’s hand yet. Blushing lightly, he tried to draw back his hand. Unfortunately, he failed to notice that the brunette hadn’t let go yet, and Jou ended up tugging the other man into him.



Before his brain had even properly registered the fact that Seto Kaiba was pressed up against him, the other had moved away again. Jou felt a pang of disappointment combined with a bolt of heat in his groin as he stared at the lithe body before him. “S…Sorry,” he stuttered out.



“It’s fine. Partly my fault,” Kaiba said lowly.



Jou blinked. Had Kaiba just admitted to something being his fault? “You’ve changed.”



“That was blunt.” Kaiba eyed him warily. “What makes you think that, anyway?”



The blonde laughed. “Trust me, when I knew you before, there was no way in hell you would have admitted to doing something wrong. You look different too, and even more importantly, you haven’t called me a mutt yet.”



“Well, it’s been a long time since school; a few things had to change. But if you’d like, I could call you it for old time’s sake.” Kaiba had an odd glint in his eye.



Jou snickered. “No, it’s okay, but thanks anyway.”



Silence fell, and the two men stood nervously avoiding each other’s gaze. Finally Kaiba said. “Well, I’d best be going. I’m due for an award and wouldn’t want to miss it.”



As the brunette turned away, Jou panicked. “Uh Kaiba…I…well, I…” The blonde’s mind went blank and he finally blurted out. “Well, could I have an interview later?”



There was a brief pause before Kaiba replied. “It’s well known that I don’t give individual interviews to the press. I only do conferences.” Jou felt his heart sink, but Kaiba spoke up once more. “However, in your case, I’ll let you interview me as a favour to an old school friend.”



Jou’s jaw dropped; had Kaiba just called him an old school ~friend~? But even more importantly, he was going to be able to interview a man that no other member of the press could. “I could hug you, Kaiba.”



The brunette let out an actual chuckle. “Please, refrain. Though I do have one request. Could we make it tomorrow? I only flew here today, and am rather tired.”



“Of course! What ever you want.” Jou nodded frantically; he rather liked this ‘new’ Kaiba, personality wise as well as looks, though the looks were good. Very good.



“So if you’d just give me your number, I’ll contact you tomorrow morning.” Jou quickly scribbled down his number onto his pad and ripped the page off, giving it to the other man.



The CEO folded the number up neatly and slid it into his pocket. Gracefully, he inclined his head. “I’ll be seeing you tomorrow then, Jounouchi.” With that Kaiba exited the room, leaving Jou to stare numbly after him. The whole experience had been surreal.



The rest of the night had been a whirl. Jou vaguely remembered watching various awards being handed out, and he’d clapped extra hard when Kaiba had stood up and collected his: ‘Most Innovative Businessman’ and ‘Company that has made the most worldwide profit’. He found out that Kaiba had won both of these awards for five years in a row, which was more than anyone else ever had. He also managed to conduct several interviews with many of the other men who had won awards. Finally, at one in the morning, an announcement was made that the event was over and that everyone needed to leave.



The next morning, Jou woke up at half past eight, and the memories of the night before came rushing back. A mere ten minutes later he was groaning at himself; was he really going to trust Kaiba to keep his promise? Could the brunette have changed that much? Even as that thought finished, Jou’s cell phone went off.



With shaking hand he answered. “H…Hello?”



“Good morning, Jounouchi. I’m pleasantly surprised that you’re actually awake.” Kaiba’s cultured tones travelled through the phone.



“Yeah, early morning lectures kinda got me used to getting up.” Jou snickered. “That and the fact that my roommate used to dump cold water over me.”



“Yes, I can see how that might work. Well, about this interview: what time is acceptable for you?”



Jou quickly ran through his schedule for the day, and soon realised he absolutely nothing going on. “Urm…well… I’m clear most of the day,” he said, trying to sound nonchalant.



“I’m staying in room 318 at the Hilton, so if you come here for about tennish, we can conduct the interview and then maybe grab lunch together in the restaurant.” As Jou started to calculate whether he could afford lunch at the Hilton Kaiba added, “My treat, of course.”



Jou quickly agreed and hung up the phone. Then he had a minor panic attack when he realised that he had less than an hour to shower, dress and eat before getting to the hotel, which was a twenty minute walk away.



Somehow he had made it with a minute to spare. Surprisingly enough, the interview had gone off without a single hitch, though there had been a few moments where Jou had almost embarrassed himself because he’d been staring at Kaiba again. During the lunch Jou had been tense; it had been far easier for him to ignore the stirrings in his groin when he’d had to be professional. Just when he’d gotten to the stage where he had been wondering whether or not he’d have to excuse himself to the bathroom, Jou felt a slender hand come to rest on his thigh, and Kaiba had softly asked him if he’d like to come back to his room after they’d finished the meal.



Their first coupling had been hard and fast, Jou’s head frequently smacking into the head board as Kaiba had claimed him. Their second time had been slower, softer Kaiba holding him close as the brunette had thrust into him. Then, in the aftermath, they had just laid there in one another’s arms. Jou knew that he would always treasure the image of Seto Kaiba with his porcelain skin flushed, his long mahogany hair spread over a pillow and his blue eyes glazed.



During the week that Kaiba was in Tokyo, they met up everyday. The hours were erratic thanks to Kaiba’s meetings and Jou’s deadlines, but somehow they saw one another. Then Saturday came and Kaiba had to leave. The week after, Jou felt empty, and he didn’t know why that was. They’d only been together as fuck buddies whilst it was convenient for them, whilst the lust lasted… but then why did it feel as though they had been making love?



To ignore the odd feeling, Jou threw himself into his work. His editor had been thrilled that he’d managed to get an actual interview with the elusive Seto Kaiba and so he piled on the opportunities. During the next month Jou made a name for himself in the journalistic world, and he managed to get the best out of everyone he interviewed with his natural charm and good looks.



Then he suddenly got a call out of the blue from Kaiba. He was back in Tokyo, and he wanted to know it Jou wanted to meet up. Jou jumped at the chance, and they were quickly back into the old pattern. Finally, Jou felt as though he was complete again. And the feeling scared him.



They continued that way for almost a year, meeting whenever Kaiba was in Tokyo, or whenever Jou flew to Domino to visit his friends. Eventually Kaiba became Seto and Jou became Katsuya. Gradually they began to talk, firstly in bed as they held one another, and then as they went out more often. Seto told Jou things that the blonde never would have dreamed of and, in turn, he found himself opening up. Seto got richer and Jou began to win awards. At first it was small things for a particular article that he’d written, but a year after he’d entered the field, Jou found out that he was being nominated for ‘Best New Journalist of the Year’.



As he sat in that ballroom at the fancy dinner, Jou would have given anything to have Seto beside him. When his name was called out, he plastered a smile onto his face whilst he walked up to the podium, but inside he felt cold. He wanted to share this with Seto. As he began his acceptance speech, Jou’s eyes scanned the room; there, right at the back by the entrance, stood Seto. The blonde stopped in his speech as he lost his breath. The brunette stood there, his entire face glowing with pride, ~love~ shining clearly through the normally stoic features.



That night, they finally admitted that they loved each other. The next day, Jou turned down the job of editor at Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun. Instead, he made preparations to move back to Domino with Seto and start up a newspaper of his own.



Their relationship had caused a national scandal, but they didn’t care. They had finally managed to get over their difficult past and pride, and now, they only looked forward to the future.



***



Jou smiled; it had been the best decision of his life. Glancing at the clock, he realised that it was time to go home. The blonde couldn’t help but chuckle. He hadn’t done any work all day, but what was the point in being the boss if you couldn’t slack off occasionally? It was something that he was ~still~ trying to teach Seto.



Gathering his papers together, Jou left the building and headed home. During the drive, he came to the decision to apologise for the day before. He had been the one in the wrong, and he was determined to make it up to Seto.



As he walked through the front door of the mansion, Jou stopped in shock, Seto was standing in the entrance hall dressed in a casual pair of jeans and a t-shirt.



“Se…Seto?” Jou stuttered, dropping his things and rushing forward. “What’s wrong, Baby? Are you okay? Is Mokuba okay?”



Seto laughed and drew Jou to him. “I’m fine. I just felt bad about yesterday. You were right; I’ve been ignoring you far too much lately, and yesterday was the last straw. So I came home early, and tonight I’m taking you out to make up for it.”



As Jou stared into his lover’s eyes, he felt a rush of love and guilt. Seto was apologising when ~he~ really should be the one saying sorry. He yelped as, suddenly, a hand came down and squeezed his arse. “Come on. It’s six now. By the time we’ve eaten and showered etcetera, it’ll be about eight. Just about the right time for us to go.”



“Seto, Love, where are we going?” Jou asked as he was ushered into the kitchen. His answer was a mysterious grin.



“It’s a secret,” Seto whispered.



After dinner Jou was dragged upstairs and pushed into their bathroom with the command, “Shower!” barked at him. Jou pouted as he washed; he’d expected Seto to come in with him and share the water.



When he walked back into the bedroom, he found Seto standing in the middle of the room. Jou had to stare at the picture his lover made. Endlessly long legs had been poured into leather trousers that laced up the side, giving peek-a-boo glances at creamy skin. His torso was clad in a tight black tank top that ended just before his navel. A crucifix choker was fastened around Seto’s thin throat, and mahogany hair flowed free to halfway down his back. When Jou squinted slightly, he could also see that Seto had rimmed his azure eyes with black eyeliner, making the blue shine even brighter and their shape even more angular.



“Whoa, Babe, you look fantastic,” Jou breathed, and he was fascinated to see a slight blush spread over Seto’s cheeks. Though his lover was extremely self confident, he unbelievably had several hang ups about his body, and it usually took a lot of persuasion from Jou to get him to wear such an outfit.



“Thanks,” Seto mumbled, and then he thrust a bundle of clothing at Jou. “Come on; get dressed, and then we can get going.” Jou dragged on the proffered clothes, barely taking his eyes off Seto enough to note the shirt and jeans.



Once they were sitting in the back of the limo, Jou snagged the taller man around the waist and tugged him onto his lap. Looking into his blue eyes, he whispered, “I love you,” before kissing the brunette. Seto melted into the kiss and they stayed that way until the need to breathe broke them apart.



“I love you too,” Seto murmured. “So, do you want to know where we are going?”



“Of course!” Jou grinned in anticipation.



The brunette chuckled. “Well, I wanted to choose something I know you love to make up for how I’ve been treating you, and I know that there is this really fashionable club that’s just opened up in town. So, I thought we could have a night of dirty dancing.” Seto punctuated his words by dipping a slender hand down to stroke Jou’s groin.



“Baby, you’ve been treating me just fine,” Jou purred, and then the rest of Seto’s words caught up with him. New club in town? Surely he couldn’t mean ‘Gravitation’? The limo came to a stop and Jou clambered out, his blood running cold as the bright sign of ‘Gravitation’ came into view.



Seto’s hand came to rest on the small of his back, ushering him forwards. As they waited to be let in, thanks to Seto’s status, Jou’s mind was a whirl. Maybe Taisuke wouldn’t be working tonight, he thought wildly; after all, he couldn’t work every night…could he?



Once they’d moved through the crowd into the club, Jou took a quick glance at the bar. His stomach dropped as his gaze clashed with a pair of amused violet eyes and Taisuke gave him a small wave.

***



A/N: There is the second chapter all done and the third is on the way soon. I hope that you enjoyed!



Sammei: I’m glad that you liked this first chapter and hope that this one lives up to it. **Smile**