It's always been you.
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Yu-Gi-Oh › Yaoi - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
4
Views:
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Category:
Yu-Gi-Oh › Yaoi - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
4
Views:
4,659
Reviews:
7
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
1
Disclaimer:
I DON'T OWN YUGIOH AND I DON'T MAKE ANY MONEY FROM WRITING THIS.
Chapter three.
Yippee, I finally updated. :D Enjoy~
Chapter three.
It was Sunday morning and Joey had promised himself that he would look for a job and today was gonna be that day. But unfortunately his bed felt somewhat cozier than ever and he just didn’t feel like getting up.
As he was drifting off to pancake land, a loud and earthshaking sound could be heard from outside. Joey groaned, fully awake now. He didn’t like being wakened abruptly like this.
He lazily got up to check what the cause of the sound was.. mm so sleepy, he rubbed his eyes and looked out his room window. Some guy he hadn’t seen before was riding a bike and shouting through a megaphone, throwing flyers everywhere.
“Waiters needed at Marilyn’s Diner, between the ages of 16 and 18, no skills required. It’s an easy task and the salary’s good too. If you’re interested, pick up a flyer.”
It’s still 6 in the morning… Joey noticed the guy had reddish-brownish hair and green eyes. He looked taller than Joey and he seemed to work out a lot judging from his muscles and his build. He’s probably an athlete. Why haven’t I seen him around here before? Oh right, probably because I don’t play any sports and he looks like he.. well.. plays all of them. I better get ready and take a look at one of those flyers. Lord knows, I need the money and he said that no skills were required. It must be my lucky day.
Toothbrush in his hands, he opened his front door and picked up one of the flyers. It was really decorative and had a huge picture of the Diner in the middle. I’ve seen this before… it’s next to… Kaiba Corp… there’s no way I’m.. Come on Joey you have to! You need the money, don’t be a weirdo. Wrestling back and forth with his thoughts, he finally settled on getting the job.
He put the flyer on the couch and went to the bathroom to finish brushing his teeth and fixing his hair. Looking at himself in the mirror..
…He saw Seto staring back, a look in his eyes not known to man. Joey felt exposed ...it’s as if Seto was staring directly into his soul. He wanted to hide, a blush creeping into his cheeks.
Seto… how… reaching out to touch the mirror.. his toothbrush fell, he hurriedly picked it up but when he looked back into the mirror, Seto’s image was gone.. only to be replaced with his own. Now I’m seeing things? What’s next?
He gave his hair a few finishing touches and quickly slipped into a clean pair of jeans and t-shirt. It was the only thing he wore and it suited him quite well. He couldn’t imagine wearing anything other than this.
Taking one last look of the flyer, stuffing it into his pants pocket—he began to take a shortcut through a park that lead to the Diner. He meekly wondered if he was going to see Seto since Kaiba Corp was minutes away from the Diner.
“Hello there, how may I help you?” Greeted the same young man from the bike this morning. He looked more attractive up close than from a far. Joey couldn’t stop staring into those green eyes.. they were almost hypnotic in a way.
“Urm.. “ He closed the Diner door behind him.
Joey kept staring at the guy like he’d grown a third nose.
“Ahem… may I help you?”
“OH! Um, sorry! I.. I saw your flyer and I was wondering.. are you guys hiring right now?”
The guy laughed a bit “Of course we’re still hiring, you know, you’re the first person to come asking about the job, they manager will be happy to see you.” Before he knew what was going on, Joey was being dragged into a huge room which looked like an office.
“Ms. O’ketes, there’s someone here to meet you. I think he’ll need a job application.” Said the red headed guy.
“Oh that’s wonderful kiddo, let me have a look at him. What’s your name son?” Ms. O’ketes had on a gray, knee length skirt and red blouse. Her auburn hair was tied back into a ponytail and she had on a pair of red-framed glasses and some red pumps. He eyes were staring Joey up and down and that made him uncomfortable for some reason because this woman looked old enough to be his aunt.
“Um.. J-Joey miss...”
“What a lovely name, all you have to do hon is fill out this form and you can start working any time you want. We’re opened 24 hours on weekdays.”
“O-okay. Um.. I get home from school like 4 pm, can I start then?
“Sure, and you can work as many hours as you want, you’ll get paid according to how many hours you’ve worked that day. Sound alright?”
“Yeah, sounds great, can I even get paid for working 2 hours?”
“Yes, you can, as long as you do a good job.”
“T-that’s awesome. Thanks.”
“No problem, have a great day then. I have to get back to my work but, you can order anything you want, it’s on the house.”
“O-okay…” Joey said, a bit hesitantly.
“Enjoy yourself, hons.” Ms O’ketes smiled at Joey and Chris both, shutting her office.
“She seems awfully nice, a little too nice…?”
“Nah, she’s usually like that. Trust me, you’ll get used to in no time.
“So you work here too?”
“Yeah, I just started yesterday and she needed someone to hand out flyers, that’s why I was using that megaphone and riding that bike early in the morning. It’s my brother’s bike, I hope he doesn’t realize it’s missing or he’ll have my head. Jason doesn’t like people taking his things without him knowing about it. But can you blame me? The kid was sleeping.”
Joey chuckled. “I guess not.. so what’s your name?”
“Oh, I’m Chris, and you? I think I’ve seen you around Domino High School. You go to school with Kaiba?”
“H-how do you know Kaiba?” Joey asked, his heart wasn’t in the conversation anymore but he still wanted to know why Chris knew Kaiba. Did they… is Chris… Kaiba would never.. then again.. they’re both good looking…
He shuttered.. not wanting to entertain that thought any longer.
“Mokuba and Jason are friends and Kaiba called the house yesterday, something about Mokuba wanting Jason to come over and play video games. Hey, why don’t we sit at that table over there? I’ll grab us a few drinks?”
“I don’t think—“
“Oh come on, please? Am I that ugly, surely spending a few minutes with me won’t be that bad.” Chris teased.
“You’re not—“
“Dude relax, I was kidding. Go grab a seat, I’ll meet you there. Any particular drink you want?”
“Uh, sprite would be fine.”
“Alright, sprite it is.”
“Thanks.” Joey called out as Chris went to get the drinks.
“No prob, Chris replied over his shoulder, giving Joey a small wink.”
HUH? What was that all about? Joey thought frantically. It must be my eyes, something’s definitely wrong with them.
He glanced away to another part of the Diner, wishing he had his ipod with him so he could tune out the world and everything else. Thoughts of a certain someone was trying to push their way into his head but he wouldn’t let them. He knew the brunette wasn’t thinking about him…
Still.. he couldn’t help but think back to the incident in the tent. Seto was really on top of him, covering his body with his own... their lips were inches apart, it was no dream.. Seto’s breath was as sweet as honey, just one peck from his lips would’ve felt like a little peace of heaven. But it was all over in a flash. Seto had remarked how childish Joey was being and then pushed him from the table—and hard at that. His back was still bruised and swollen. He had stayed in that tent for about an hour and cried his eyes out, then Mokuba had came to ask if he wanted to play video games. He reluctantly agreed, not letting the kid know how hurt he was. Sigh.. stupid ass Kaiba doesn’t care about no one but himself. He needs to get a taste of his own medicine one of these days..
“Penny for your thoughts?”
“Huh?” He looked up and saw Chris standing there with a can of sprite and a can of coke in his hands.
“Whatever you were thinking about must be pretty important. Boyfriend troubles?” Chris sat down and handed Joey the can of sprite.
“EHH???! I…”
“I’m just teasing.” Chris reached out to take a hold of Joey’s hand, gently squeezing it.
Joey blushed scarlet and pouted. “Well s-stop.. it’s not funny.”
“Hahaha, yeah it was. The look on your face—“
“You’re mean, you know that?” He pulled his hand away from Chris’s grip and shyly ran it across his hair.
“Okay.. I promise I’ll stop with the teasing. Do you still think I’m mean?”
“Yes, the meanest.” Joey snickered.
“Haha, funny.”
“Hmph...”
“So, are you originally from Domino?”
“No, I actually was born in the United States but I basically grew up Domino. Moved here when I was five and all my friends are over here. What about you?
“I moved here from Minnesota a few weeks ago with my mom and brother.”
“What about your dad..? Is he here too?”
“Um..” Joey noticed Chris was avoiding any subject concerning his dad and he was a bit curious.
“If you don’t wanna talk about it, it’s fine. I understand.”
“Sorry, I’ll probably tell you about it some other time.”
“Sure thing. Hey listen, I think I should head home now. It’s getting late. See yah tomorrow?”
“Is it okay if I call you sometime?”
“I guess you can, do you have anything to write with?” Why does he want to call? We’ve just met and it’s not like…
“Earth to Joey! Here.. I tore a piece paper from a spare flyer and I always carry a pen. Old habit I guess.”
Joey blinked several times before coming to his senses. “Hehe.. um thanks.” Taking the paper, he quickly scribbled down his cell number and his name next to it.
“When would be a good time to call?”
“Anytime, my phone’s always on but sometimes it acts retarded and I gotta use the house phone.”
“Sucks..”
“Yup, well I’ll see yah later then?”
“Alright, I have to study for a lot of midterms but if I have the chance, I’ll try calling you tonight.”
“Okay, I’ll look forward to it.” Joey gave Chris a little wave before heading for the door.
Chris watched him leave.. he seems sad somehow.. like he’s just smiling for everyone else instead of smiling for himself...
Kaiba slammed his fists down on his desk at Kaiba Corp and stormed out of his office. One of his supervisors had canceled their two o’clock meeting because his flight was delayed. He’d left for Michigan weeks ago and was supposed to be here for the meeting—but Seto had to wait 10 minutes before their said time. After he waited, he got a note from his Secretary saying that Mr. Aren was not going to be here.
He badly needed some Coffee and was going to get it from Debbie’s Diner across the street. They always have the best Coffee and god forbid, Seto couldn’t function without Coffee. It’s the only thing that keeps him going.
As he was crossing the street, he saw Joey leaving the Diner. Puppy, what were you doing there? His heart thumped a bit and he inhaled, holding his breath. He exhaled, relieved that Joey hadn’t seen him.
He hid behind a bushy berry tree till Joey was a good distance from the Diner, when he saw the coast was clear, Seto got out from the bush and proceeded to enter the Diner.
“One black coffee please, with lots of sugar?” He told the girl at the counter. She was staring at him with her mouth open.
“S-sure.. Mr.. K-Kaiba..”
Close your mouth while you’re at it. Why is it wherever I go, girls are gawking at me like I’m on freaking display or something! I’m only human for crying out loud!
The girl quickly made his Coffee and gave it to him. “Uh.. it’s on the house.. you don’t have to pay..”
“Nonsense.” Seto pulled out a five dollar bill and left it on the counter, not caring if she took it or not. He had more where that came from.
He took a seat next to a window; soon interrupted from his trance by a voice. “You’re Seto Kaiba, aren’t you?”
Looking up, Seto saw a guy standing there with red hair. “Yes, what of it?”
“Hi, I’m Jason’s brother.. Chris. We spoke on the Phone. I don’t know if you remember or anything…”
“Oh, no.. I remember. Take a seat.”
Chris sat down in the chair across from Seto. “What brings you here?”
“I came to get some Coffee.” Seto stared out the window.. not really interested in talking to Chris.
“Cool, how is it?”
“Lovely….”
“Is something on your mind? You seem distracted."
“I’m perfectly fine, a bit stressed I guess."
“Alrighty.. say you know a guy named Joey? He came by earlier before you left. He’s gonna start working here tomorrow as a waiter.”
“J-Joey’s working here…?” Asked the brunette, stunned.. why is my puppy working?? He’s never worked before…
“Yeah, he’s a nice guy. I like him.”
“Oh..” Seto was disappointed. Chris was going to get the joy of seeing Joey everyday which made him angry. Joey was his damnit!
“You alright?”
“Yep, I think I’ll go now. I’m feeling better.” Looking at the coffee.. “this is some good stuff.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.” And with that, Seto walked out the Diner, heading back to Kaiba Corp to finish whatever work he didn’t get to finish.
Thoughts of Joey ran freely through his mind as soon as he entered his office… Puppy.. I wish you were here… I can’t seem to get you out of my head. Why are you always taunting me so? Seto collapsed into his chair, short of breath and slightly aroused. Joey… he moaned softly, before falling asleep with the blonde on his mind.
“Bakura, you IDIOT! Give me the damn remote, nobody wants to watch Dawn of the Dead!” Shouted Ryou.
“But, pet.. it’s my favorite movie. Don’t you just love the zombies eating people? It’s so romantic. Don’t spoil my fun.” Said Bakura, pulling Ryou into his lap and placing a few kisses on his neck.
“Fine, if you won’t listen to me, I guess you don’t love me anymore..” Ryou sighed, got up and walked out to the patio to look at the half moon. The sun had just set and a nice cool breeze blew.. making the trees sway—giving off a cool effect.
“Boo..” Ryou jumped.. and turned around quickly to see Bakura standing behind him with a wicked grin on his face. He leaned in to kiss and bite at Ryou’s neck again; he has a weird neck fetish. “Mm.. did I scare you?”
“No.” Ryou answered, dispassionate.
“Aw, you know I was kidding in there, right? I love you Ryou..” He groaned.. sucking hungrily on Ryou’s neck.
Ryou whimpered from the affection he was getting. “D-Do you promise?” Ryou asked, looking into his lover’s eyes.
“Of course, pet.” Bakura smiled and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. They both stayed out on the patio, looking at the moon for hours.
“Seto, you’re back!” Mokuba ran down the stairs of the Kaiba Mansion to greet his brother. “I’ve been waiting for you, can we go eat dinner now, I’m starving.”
“Mokuba, I told you already. If you’re hungry, it’s okay to eat without me.”
“I know big brother, but it just doesn’t feel right to me, besides I like eating with you. I wish Joey could eat with us too… won’t that be nice?”
“Don’t bring the puppy dog up, please.”
“Seto!”
“Mokuba, leave it alone. I’m tired. It’s been a long day.”
Mokuba pouted. Why do you have to be such a jerk.. ? "Okay fine. Sorry I brought it up Seto, I didn’t mean to make you upset.”
Mokuba didn’t bother to say anything else after that.
They ate in silence; the maids had cooked orange chicken with white rice. Along with candied potatoes and sushi rolls.
“Jason’s not coming is he?” Seto looked at his brother, apologetically.. “Sorry Mokie, I don’t think he is. You should forget him, you know?”
“I can’t, it’s impossible.”
“What do you mean, you can’t? Is there something you’re not telling me here?”
“No, forget I said anything. I’m going to brush my teeth.”
“Mokuba…”
“Also, I called and asked Joey to come over before you came home, he’ll probably be here any minute.” Mokuba got up from the table, and ran down the hall to the bathroom.
Seto couldn’t believe what he was hearing from his brother. Chewing his food carefully.. he didn’t dwell on the idea of Joey coming over too much but it was still there, lingering in his head.
The doorbell rung and Mokuba rushed to open it.
“Joey! I’m glad you’re here; you can go to the games room and put on any game you want. I’ll be there in a sec. I just need to brush my teeth and put on my pajamas."
“Okay Mokuba. Take your time.” Seto glanced over at him and glanced away when Joey looked at him. “Hey puppy, what brings you here at this hour? Can’t resist your master anymore?”
“For your information, Kaiba, I didn’t come here for you. Mokuba asked me if I wanted to play some games with him. You should mind your own business.”
“I see, how come you haven’t once taken your eyes off me since you walked in here then? What do you call that, huh?”
“Shut up, you pig.”
“Oooh, pig.. really creative.” Seto rolled his eyes.
“Whatever.” Joey took a sushi roll off the table and proceeded to walk up the stairs to Mokuba’s room.
“I suggest you put that down. Incase you didn’t know, puppies eat leftovers in this house. Seto pointed to a plate of crumbs and scraps on a plate that was sitting next to the dish washer. Joey was obviously hurt by that but refused to show it. Instead he smiled sheepishly at Seto.
“Psh, I didn’t need it anyway. Goodnight…. pig.”
“Night.” Seto replied unenthusiastically.
When Joey reached the games room, his stomach gave a little growling sound. Ugh, I wish I had eaten something before I got here.
He sat down on the floor and went through the pile of video games. He decided upon putting on Monsters Revenge 3. He knew Mokuba loved Monster games. Especially one that has a lot of blood and gore in it. After he finished setting it up, he waited for Mokuba.
That kid takes an awful lot of time.. I thought he said he was only gonna take a second. How long does it take to brush your teeth and get into your pajamas?
“Hey Joey, sorry I took so long. I couldn’t decide which pajamas to wear.” Of course.. someone who can’t make up their mind about which pajamas to wear. “Cool, I see you put on Monsters Revenge 3.”
“Yeah, is this okay or do you want to put on something else?”
“No, this is fine.”
After 3 hours of consistently playing video games. Mokuba fell asleep on Joey’s shoulder and Joey fell asleep against the soft and cushiony bean bag chair. It was now midnight and Seto could no longer hear any noise coming from the games room. He figured Mokuba had fallen asleep and was gonna go put him to bed. Hesitantly.. opening the door bit by bit. He saw Joey sleeping with Mokuba snuggled up in his arms.
To say Seto had a murderous expression on his face would be an understatement. He stared at Joey and his brother for a second before poking Joey gently in the ribs to see if he’d wake.
“You make me sick sometimes…” It was only a whisper.. but it was enough for the blonde’s eyes to open.
He looked around… “W-what.. Kai..”
Joey got up suddenly like he’d seen a ghost. “Shit.. I fell asleep.” He muttered but felt something in his arms and remembered that it was Mokuba..
“Hey.. Mokuba.. you have to wake up now, bud. You have to go sleep in your bed.”
“Nnn..” It was of no use. Mokuba snuggled up even closer to Joey.
Kaiba saw this and sighed.. “Just pick him up, I’ll show you to his room.”
Joey nodded, not making eye contact with Seto. He was avoiding Seto’s eyes and it made Seto curious. But talking over the head of a sleeping kid would not be wise so he waited till Mokuba was in his own bed. Once they reached Mokuba’s room, Joey gently set him down on the bed. But Mokuba’s arms were still glued around his neck.
“Mokuba.. let go.. I’ll be back tomorrow to play, I promise. Go to sleep now.”
The words probably registered in his head because Mokuba slowly let go of Joey’s neck. Joey pulled the covers over him and kissed his forehead, smiling.
Seto and Joey closed the room door gently, so as not to make a sound. Joey didn’t bother to look at Seto. He just began to head for the stairs. He figured he’d go home, eat something, take a shower and head to bed. Afterall he has school and work tomorrow. My first day at work.. wonder what it’ll be like.. working with someone like Chris might be fun though.
“Thinking about your boyfriend?” Joey frowned.. what’s he talking about?
Joey turned his face away, blushing slightly.. “I d-don’t.. I don’t have a b-boyfriend.”
“Oh really? That Chris guy at Marilyn’s Diner seems to really like you. I’m surprised you haven’t caught on. You two would make a cute couple.”
Face turning more red, Joey smiled.. a pained smile… wishing more than anything that Seto hadn’t said what he said. It was Seto who he really wanted; he could care less about what this Chris guy thought about him.
“Just stop it okay… how do you even know I’m like that?”
“You’re not?” Seto asked, dumbfounded.
Just then a growl could be heard coming from Joey’s stomach. Ugh.. stupid stomach, why now?
Avoiding the question... “hehe.. I better head home, I’m starving”
Seto folded his arms. “Oh, don’t.. there’s lots of food here. You can stuff your stomach and then leave.”
“T-that’s okay, Kaiba. I… I don’t need your food. I’ll get my own.”
“You know I was just kidding back then right? Just come in and eat. I’ll have the maids heat the food up so it’s nice and hot.” Seto had no idea why he was being nice. All he cared about at that moment was the safe knowledge that Joey had eaten and his stomach was full.
“It’s fine.. I have food at home.. don’t pretend like you care when I know you don’t.”
“Joey…”
“It’s alright Kaiba, don’t sweat it. Goodnight.” Joey closed the door behind him.
Seto was left there feeling really stupid. Why do I feel like this is all my fault?
His hands involuntarily moved on their own, resting on the doorknob, slowing turning it.. the door slid open a crack and he walked barefoot out into the night to grab Joey’s shirt collar and pulled him a few steps back. “I said, don’t go. There’s lots of food here.” Seto stared hard into Joey’s eyes making sure Joey knew that he meant what he was saying.
Joey’s eyes widened, horror written all over his face… what’s gotten into him? He’s never been this nice to me before. It’s almost starting to scare me..
“Fine, I’ll stay, you happy?” His voice sounded weak and strained.
Joey walked past Seto to the dining room. He wanted this to be over as quickly as possible, being in Seto’s presence alone was heartbreaking and breathtaking at the same time for him.
He took a seat at the dining table and the maids soon brought a few dishes of exotic foods to him. He didn’t care what it was as long as it was food; he began digging in right away.
Seto took a seat next to him…
“What, not gonna insult me? Come on Kaiba, I’m beginning to miss them our little fights, even you probably miss them.”
Seto stared at the refrigerator for a few seconds, suddenly finding it very intriguing. He silently cursed himself because for once in his life.. he couldn’t think of an insult for Joey. Not one.. nada.. zero.. zilch, he felt so vulnerable but tried so hard as to not let it show on his face. The last thing he wanted was to let his guard down in front of Joey.
“Don’t flatter yourself; you’re still not my favorite person.”
“Didn’t think I was.”
.
.
.
Complete silence………
“Ahem.. did you die?” Joey asked, finishing the last of his cheesy lasagna.
“No, unfortunately for you I haven’t. I’m just thinking.”
“About your girlfriend? Is she pretty? She must be, aw, I bet she’s thinking about you too Kaiba. Don’t get all sad.”
“What the hell, I don’t have a girlfriend, mutt! Stop acting like you know everything about me!” Seto defended.
“Alright, jeez… what’s gotten you in such a foul mood…?” Joey muttered softly to himself. It was barely audible but Seto heard it nonetheless.
“YOU.”
“Ouch, really? I was beginning to think you have a soft side Kaiba, now I know I was wrong.
“Congratulations, why don’t you yell it to the world?” Seto’s patience was running out.
“Maybe I will…”
“Do whatever the hell you like. I’m going to sleep, goodnight.” He got up and stalked up the stairs to his bedroom, leaving Joey still sitting at the dining table.
“Mr. Wheeler, are you finished eating?” Asked, Lena, one of the maids. She was wearing a typical black and white maid outfit. Her brown hair was in a bun and she had some curls hanging on both sides of her face.
“Uh, yeahh… I am.. thanks. The food was delicious.”
She smiled shyly at him. “You’re welcome.”
“Is.. he.. always like this…?” Joey said, not aware of what he was asking her.
“Are you talking about Mr. Kaiba, sir?”
“Yes, and you can call me Joey. Sir sounds so formal.”
She giggled… “Um, I don’t much about Kaiba.. but he has went through a lot in his childhood, Joey."
“Oh…” He was silent for a moment, so Lena continued.
“Yes, his stepfather was so hard on him; he barely had anytime to have fun at all. But you can change that for him, Joey. I’ve seen the way he looks at you, he doesn’t look at anyone like that.. well.. except for Mokuba. He really cares about you, you know?”
“K-Kaiba? Care about moi? I don’t know, Lena. He’s so mysterious.. I never know what goes on in that head of his.”
“Trust me Joey; one morning when I was doing laundry I heard a noise. It was coming from the hallway that leads to his room. I went to check it out quickly but when I opened his door, he was sound asleep, whispering your name to himself and breathing in short gasps.”
Joey was red as a cherry now. Lena had obviously said too much. He began hyperventilating.. Seto saying his name in his sleep? That’s a first. He needed to get out of there before he had a panic attack. “L-Lena.. I.. think.. I think I should go.. I’m…”
“Joey, are you okay? You’re shaking? God, I’ve said too much, haven’t I? Look just forget I said anything at all, okay?”
“No, Lena, it’s not your fault. It’s… my brain.. it doesn’t know how to process this information right now, is all.. heh…”
“Oh, hon…” She began pulling him into a comforting hug. She strangely reminded him of his sister. “It’s okay.. just breathe.. everything’s gonna be fine.”
Joey calmed down and forced a smile. “Thanks Lena, you’re too kind.”
“I try.” She responded. “So how are you feeling? Better?”
“Somewhat, I’m gonna go and get some sleep. Got a long day tomorrow. It was nice talking to you.”
“Goodnight Joey.”
“Night.” Lena walked him to the door and closed it when she saw he was already outside. Seto is one lucky guy, hehe… she cleaned the dining table and washed the dishes, then shut the lights out and headed up to her room.
Author's note: I don't have a beta so sorry if there are mistakes. Dx
Chapter three.
It was Sunday morning and Joey had promised himself that he would look for a job and today was gonna be that day. But unfortunately his bed felt somewhat cozier than ever and he just didn’t feel like getting up.
As he was drifting off to pancake land, a loud and earthshaking sound could be heard from outside. Joey groaned, fully awake now. He didn’t like being wakened abruptly like this.
He lazily got up to check what the cause of the sound was.. mm so sleepy, he rubbed his eyes and looked out his room window. Some guy he hadn’t seen before was riding a bike and shouting through a megaphone, throwing flyers everywhere.
“Waiters needed at Marilyn’s Diner, between the ages of 16 and 18, no skills required. It’s an easy task and the salary’s good too. If you’re interested, pick up a flyer.”
It’s still 6 in the morning… Joey noticed the guy had reddish-brownish hair and green eyes. He looked taller than Joey and he seemed to work out a lot judging from his muscles and his build. He’s probably an athlete. Why haven’t I seen him around here before? Oh right, probably because I don’t play any sports and he looks like he.. well.. plays all of them. I better get ready and take a look at one of those flyers. Lord knows, I need the money and he said that no skills were required. It must be my lucky day.
Toothbrush in his hands, he opened his front door and picked up one of the flyers. It was really decorative and had a huge picture of the Diner in the middle. I’ve seen this before… it’s next to… Kaiba Corp… there’s no way I’m.. Come on Joey you have to! You need the money, don’t be a weirdo. Wrestling back and forth with his thoughts, he finally settled on getting the job.
He put the flyer on the couch and went to the bathroom to finish brushing his teeth and fixing his hair. Looking at himself in the mirror..
…He saw Seto staring back, a look in his eyes not known to man. Joey felt exposed ...it’s as if Seto was staring directly into his soul. He wanted to hide, a blush creeping into his cheeks.
Seto… how… reaching out to touch the mirror.. his toothbrush fell, he hurriedly picked it up but when he looked back into the mirror, Seto’s image was gone.. only to be replaced with his own. Now I’m seeing things? What’s next?
He gave his hair a few finishing touches and quickly slipped into a clean pair of jeans and t-shirt. It was the only thing he wore and it suited him quite well. He couldn’t imagine wearing anything other than this.
Taking one last look of the flyer, stuffing it into his pants pocket—he began to take a shortcut through a park that lead to the Diner. He meekly wondered if he was going to see Seto since Kaiba Corp was minutes away from the Diner.
“Hello there, how may I help you?” Greeted the same young man from the bike this morning. He looked more attractive up close than from a far. Joey couldn’t stop staring into those green eyes.. they were almost hypnotic in a way.
“Urm.. “ He closed the Diner door behind him.
Joey kept staring at the guy like he’d grown a third nose.
“Ahem… may I help you?”
“OH! Um, sorry! I.. I saw your flyer and I was wondering.. are you guys hiring right now?”
The guy laughed a bit “Of course we’re still hiring, you know, you’re the first person to come asking about the job, they manager will be happy to see you.” Before he knew what was going on, Joey was being dragged into a huge room which looked like an office.
“Ms. O’ketes, there’s someone here to meet you. I think he’ll need a job application.” Said the red headed guy.
“Oh that’s wonderful kiddo, let me have a look at him. What’s your name son?” Ms. O’ketes had on a gray, knee length skirt and red blouse. Her auburn hair was tied back into a ponytail and she had on a pair of red-framed glasses and some red pumps. He eyes were staring Joey up and down and that made him uncomfortable for some reason because this woman looked old enough to be his aunt.
“Um.. J-Joey miss...”
“What a lovely name, all you have to do hon is fill out this form and you can start working any time you want. We’re opened 24 hours on weekdays.”
“O-okay. Um.. I get home from school like 4 pm, can I start then?
“Sure, and you can work as many hours as you want, you’ll get paid according to how many hours you’ve worked that day. Sound alright?”
“Yeah, sounds great, can I even get paid for working 2 hours?”
“Yes, you can, as long as you do a good job.”
“T-that’s awesome. Thanks.”
“No problem, have a great day then. I have to get back to my work but, you can order anything you want, it’s on the house.”
“O-okay…” Joey said, a bit hesitantly.
“Enjoy yourself, hons.” Ms O’ketes smiled at Joey and Chris both, shutting her office.
“She seems awfully nice, a little too nice…?”
“Nah, she’s usually like that. Trust me, you’ll get used to in no time.
“So you work here too?”
“Yeah, I just started yesterday and she needed someone to hand out flyers, that’s why I was using that megaphone and riding that bike early in the morning. It’s my brother’s bike, I hope he doesn’t realize it’s missing or he’ll have my head. Jason doesn’t like people taking his things without him knowing about it. But can you blame me? The kid was sleeping.”
Joey chuckled. “I guess not.. so what’s your name?”
“Oh, I’m Chris, and you? I think I’ve seen you around Domino High School. You go to school with Kaiba?”
“H-how do you know Kaiba?” Joey asked, his heart wasn’t in the conversation anymore but he still wanted to know why Chris knew Kaiba. Did they… is Chris… Kaiba would never.. then again.. they’re both good looking…
He shuttered.. not wanting to entertain that thought any longer.
“Mokuba and Jason are friends and Kaiba called the house yesterday, something about Mokuba wanting Jason to come over and play video games. Hey, why don’t we sit at that table over there? I’ll grab us a few drinks?”
“I don’t think—“
“Oh come on, please? Am I that ugly, surely spending a few minutes with me won’t be that bad.” Chris teased.
“You’re not—“
“Dude relax, I was kidding. Go grab a seat, I’ll meet you there. Any particular drink you want?”
“Uh, sprite would be fine.”
“Alright, sprite it is.”
“Thanks.” Joey called out as Chris went to get the drinks.
“No prob, Chris replied over his shoulder, giving Joey a small wink.”
HUH? What was that all about? Joey thought frantically. It must be my eyes, something’s definitely wrong with them.
He glanced away to another part of the Diner, wishing he had his ipod with him so he could tune out the world and everything else. Thoughts of a certain someone was trying to push their way into his head but he wouldn’t let them. He knew the brunette wasn’t thinking about him…
Still.. he couldn’t help but think back to the incident in the tent. Seto was really on top of him, covering his body with his own... their lips were inches apart, it was no dream.. Seto’s breath was as sweet as honey, just one peck from his lips would’ve felt like a little peace of heaven. But it was all over in a flash. Seto had remarked how childish Joey was being and then pushed him from the table—and hard at that. His back was still bruised and swollen. He had stayed in that tent for about an hour and cried his eyes out, then Mokuba had came to ask if he wanted to play video games. He reluctantly agreed, not letting the kid know how hurt he was. Sigh.. stupid ass Kaiba doesn’t care about no one but himself. He needs to get a taste of his own medicine one of these days..
“Penny for your thoughts?”
“Huh?” He looked up and saw Chris standing there with a can of sprite and a can of coke in his hands.
“Whatever you were thinking about must be pretty important. Boyfriend troubles?” Chris sat down and handed Joey the can of sprite.
“EHH???! I…”
“I’m just teasing.” Chris reached out to take a hold of Joey’s hand, gently squeezing it.
Joey blushed scarlet and pouted. “Well s-stop.. it’s not funny.”
“Hahaha, yeah it was. The look on your face—“
“You’re mean, you know that?” He pulled his hand away from Chris’s grip and shyly ran it across his hair.
“Okay.. I promise I’ll stop with the teasing. Do you still think I’m mean?”
“Yes, the meanest.” Joey snickered.
“Haha, funny.”
“Hmph...”
“So, are you originally from Domino?”
“No, I actually was born in the United States but I basically grew up Domino. Moved here when I was five and all my friends are over here. What about you?
“I moved here from Minnesota a few weeks ago with my mom and brother.”
“What about your dad..? Is he here too?”
“Um..” Joey noticed Chris was avoiding any subject concerning his dad and he was a bit curious.
“If you don’t wanna talk about it, it’s fine. I understand.”
“Sorry, I’ll probably tell you about it some other time.”
“Sure thing. Hey listen, I think I should head home now. It’s getting late. See yah tomorrow?”
“Is it okay if I call you sometime?”
“I guess you can, do you have anything to write with?” Why does he want to call? We’ve just met and it’s not like…
“Earth to Joey! Here.. I tore a piece paper from a spare flyer and I always carry a pen. Old habit I guess.”
Joey blinked several times before coming to his senses. “Hehe.. um thanks.” Taking the paper, he quickly scribbled down his cell number and his name next to it.
“When would be a good time to call?”
“Anytime, my phone’s always on but sometimes it acts retarded and I gotta use the house phone.”
“Sucks..”
“Yup, well I’ll see yah later then?”
“Alright, I have to study for a lot of midterms but if I have the chance, I’ll try calling you tonight.”
“Okay, I’ll look forward to it.” Joey gave Chris a little wave before heading for the door.
Chris watched him leave.. he seems sad somehow.. like he’s just smiling for everyone else instead of smiling for himself...
Kaiba slammed his fists down on his desk at Kaiba Corp and stormed out of his office. One of his supervisors had canceled their two o’clock meeting because his flight was delayed. He’d left for Michigan weeks ago and was supposed to be here for the meeting—but Seto had to wait 10 minutes before their said time. After he waited, he got a note from his Secretary saying that Mr. Aren was not going to be here.
He badly needed some Coffee and was going to get it from Debbie’s Diner across the street. They always have the best Coffee and god forbid, Seto couldn’t function without Coffee. It’s the only thing that keeps him going.
As he was crossing the street, he saw Joey leaving the Diner. Puppy, what were you doing there? His heart thumped a bit and he inhaled, holding his breath. He exhaled, relieved that Joey hadn’t seen him.
He hid behind a bushy berry tree till Joey was a good distance from the Diner, when he saw the coast was clear, Seto got out from the bush and proceeded to enter the Diner.
“One black coffee please, with lots of sugar?” He told the girl at the counter. She was staring at him with her mouth open.
“S-sure.. Mr.. K-Kaiba..”
Close your mouth while you’re at it. Why is it wherever I go, girls are gawking at me like I’m on freaking display or something! I’m only human for crying out loud!
The girl quickly made his Coffee and gave it to him. “Uh.. it’s on the house.. you don’t have to pay..”
“Nonsense.” Seto pulled out a five dollar bill and left it on the counter, not caring if she took it or not. He had more where that came from.
He took a seat next to a window; soon interrupted from his trance by a voice. “You’re Seto Kaiba, aren’t you?”
Looking up, Seto saw a guy standing there with red hair. “Yes, what of it?”
“Hi, I’m Jason’s brother.. Chris. We spoke on the Phone. I don’t know if you remember or anything…”
“Oh, no.. I remember. Take a seat.”
Chris sat down in the chair across from Seto. “What brings you here?”
“I came to get some Coffee.” Seto stared out the window.. not really interested in talking to Chris.
“Cool, how is it?”
“Lovely….”
“Is something on your mind? You seem distracted."
“I’m perfectly fine, a bit stressed I guess."
“Alrighty.. say you know a guy named Joey? He came by earlier before you left. He’s gonna start working here tomorrow as a waiter.”
“J-Joey’s working here…?” Asked the brunette, stunned.. why is my puppy working?? He’s never worked before…
“Yeah, he’s a nice guy. I like him.”
“Oh..” Seto was disappointed. Chris was going to get the joy of seeing Joey everyday which made him angry. Joey was his damnit!
“You alright?”
“Yep, I think I’ll go now. I’m feeling better.” Looking at the coffee.. “this is some good stuff.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.” And with that, Seto walked out the Diner, heading back to Kaiba Corp to finish whatever work he didn’t get to finish.
Thoughts of Joey ran freely through his mind as soon as he entered his office… Puppy.. I wish you were here… I can’t seem to get you out of my head. Why are you always taunting me so? Seto collapsed into his chair, short of breath and slightly aroused. Joey… he moaned softly, before falling asleep with the blonde on his mind.
“Bakura, you IDIOT! Give me the damn remote, nobody wants to watch Dawn of the Dead!” Shouted Ryou.
“But, pet.. it’s my favorite movie. Don’t you just love the zombies eating people? It’s so romantic. Don’t spoil my fun.” Said Bakura, pulling Ryou into his lap and placing a few kisses on his neck.
“Fine, if you won’t listen to me, I guess you don’t love me anymore..” Ryou sighed, got up and walked out to the patio to look at the half moon. The sun had just set and a nice cool breeze blew.. making the trees sway—giving off a cool effect.
“Boo..” Ryou jumped.. and turned around quickly to see Bakura standing behind him with a wicked grin on his face. He leaned in to kiss and bite at Ryou’s neck again; he has a weird neck fetish. “Mm.. did I scare you?”
“No.” Ryou answered, dispassionate.
“Aw, you know I was kidding in there, right? I love you Ryou..” He groaned.. sucking hungrily on Ryou’s neck.
Ryou whimpered from the affection he was getting. “D-Do you promise?” Ryou asked, looking into his lover’s eyes.
“Of course, pet.” Bakura smiled and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. They both stayed out on the patio, looking at the moon for hours.
“Seto, you’re back!” Mokuba ran down the stairs of the Kaiba Mansion to greet his brother. “I’ve been waiting for you, can we go eat dinner now, I’m starving.”
“Mokuba, I told you already. If you’re hungry, it’s okay to eat without me.”
“I know big brother, but it just doesn’t feel right to me, besides I like eating with you. I wish Joey could eat with us too… won’t that be nice?”
“Don’t bring the puppy dog up, please.”
“Seto!”
“Mokuba, leave it alone. I’m tired. It’s been a long day.”
Mokuba pouted. Why do you have to be such a jerk.. ? "Okay fine. Sorry I brought it up Seto, I didn’t mean to make you upset.”
Mokuba didn’t bother to say anything else after that.
They ate in silence; the maids had cooked orange chicken with white rice. Along with candied potatoes and sushi rolls.
“Jason’s not coming is he?” Seto looked at his brother, apologetically.. “Sorry Mokie, I don’t think he is. You should forget him, you know?”
“I can’t, it’s impossible.”
“What do you mean, you can’t? Is there something you’re not telling me here?”
“No, forget I said anything. I’m going to brush my teeth.”
“Mokuba…”
“Also, I called and asked Joey to come over before you came home, he’ll probably be here any minute.” Mokuba got up from the table, and ran down the hall to the bathroom.
Seto couldn’t believe what he was hearing from his brother. Chewing his food carefully.. he didn’t dwell on the idea of Joey coming over too much but it was still there, lingering in his head.
The doorbell rung and Mokuba rushed to open it.
“Joey! I’m glad you’re here; you can go to the games room and put on any game you want. I’ll be there in a sec. I just need to brush my teeth and put on my pajamas."
“Okay Mokuba. Take your time.” Seto glanced over at him and glanced away when Joey looked at him. “Hey puppy, what brings you here at this hour? Can’t resist your master anymore?”
“For your information, Kaiba, I didn’t come here for you. Mokuba asked me if I wanted to play some games with him. You should mind your own business.”
“I see, how come you haven’t once taken your eyes off me since you walked in here then? What do you call that, huh?”
“Shut up, you pig.”
“Oooh, pig.. really creative.” Seto rolled his eyes.
“Whatever.” Joey took a sushi roll off the table and proceeded to walk up the stairs to Mokuba’s room.
“I suggest you put that down. Incase you didn’t know, puppies eat leftovers in this house. Seto pointed to a plate of crumbs and scraps on a plate that was sitting next to the dish washer. Joey was obviously hurt by that but refused to show it. Instead he smiled sheepishly at Seto.
“Psh, I didn’t need it anyway. Goodnight…. pig.”
“Night.” Seto replied unenthusiastically.
When Joey reached the games room, his stomach gave a little growling sound. Ugh, I wish I had eaten something before I got here.
He sat down on the floor and went through the pile of video games. He decided upon putting on Monsters Revenge 3. He knew Mokuba loved Monster games. Especially one that has a lot of blood and gore in it. After he finished setting it up, he waited for Mokuba.
That kid takes an awful lot of time.. I thought he said he was only gonna take a second. How long does it take to brush your teeth and get into your pajamas?
“Hey Joey, sorry I took so long. I couldn’t decide which pajamas to wear.” Of course.. someone who can’t make up their mind about which pajamas to wear. “Cool, I see you put on Monsters Revenge 3.”
“Yeah, is this okay or do you want to put on something else?”
“No, this is fine.”
After 3 hours of consistently playing video games. Mokuba fell asleep on Joey’s shoulder and Joey fell asleep against the soft and cushiony bean bag chair. It was now midnight and Seto could no longer hear any noise coming from the games room. He figured Mokuba had fallen asleep and was gonna go put him to bed. Hesitantly.. opening the door bit by bit. He saw Joey sleeping with Mokuba snuggled up in his arms.
To say Seto had a murderous expression on his face would be an understatement. He stared at Joey and his brother for a second before poking Joey gently in the ribs to see if he’d wake.
“You make me sick sometimes…” It was only a whisper.. but it was enough for the blonde’s eyes to open.
He looked around… “W-what.. Kai..”
Joey got up suddenly like he’d seen a ghost. “Shit.. I fell asleep.” He muttered but felt something in his arms and remembered that it was Mokuba..
“Hey.. Mokuba.. you have to wake up now, bud. You have to go sleep in your bed.”
“Nnn..” It was of no use. Mokuba snuggled up even closer to Joey.
Kaiba saw this and sighed.. “Just pick him up, I’ll show you to his room.”
Joey nodded, not making eye contact with Seto. He was avoiding Seto’s eyes and it made Seto curious. But talking over the head of a sleeping kid would not be wise so he waited till Mokuba was in his own bed. Once they reached Mokuba’s room, Joey gently set him down on the bed. But Mokuba’s arms were still glued around his neck.
“Mokuba.. let go.. I’ll be back tomorrow to play, I promise. Go to sleep now.”
The words probably registered in his head because Mokuba slowly let go of Joey’s neck. Joey pulled the covers over him and kissed his forehead, smiling.
Seto and Joey closed the room door gently, so as not to make a sound. Joey didn’t bother to look at Seto. He just began to head for the stairs. He figured he’d go home, eat something, take a shower and head to bed. Afterall he has school and work tomorrow. My first day at work.. wonder what it’ll be like.. working with someone like Chris might be fun though.
“Thinking about your boyfriend?” Joey frowned.. what’s he talking about?
Joey turned his face away, blushing slightly.. “I d-don’t.. I don’t have a b-boyfriend.”
“Oh really? That Chris guy at Marilyn’s Diner seems to really like you. I’m surprised you haven’t caught on. You two would make a cute couple.”
Face turning more red, Joey smiled.. a pained smile… wishing more than anything that Seto hadn’t said what he said. It was Seto who he really wanted; he could care less about what this Chris guy thought about him.
“Just stop it okay… how do you even know I’m like that?”
“You’re not?” Seto asked, dumbfounded.
Just then a growl could be heard coming from Joey’s stomach. Ugh.. stupid stomach, why now?
Avoiding the question... “hehe.. I better head home, I’m starving”
Seto folded his arms. “Oh, don’t.. there’s lots of food here. You can stuff your stomach and then leave.”
“T-that’s okay, Kaiba. I… I don’t need your food. I’ll get my own.”
“You know I was just kidding back then right? Just come in and eat. I’ll have the maids heat the food up so it’s nice and hot.” Seto had no idea why he was being nice. All he cared about at that moment was the safe knowledge that Joey had eaten and his stomach was full.
“It’s fine.. I have food at home.. don’t pretend like you care when I know you don’t.”
“Joey…”
“It’s alright Kaiba, don’t sweat it. Goodnight.” Joey closed the door behind him.
Seto was left there feeling really stupid. Why do I feel like this is all my fault?
His hands involuntarily moved on their own, resting on the doorknob, slowing turning it.. the door slid open a crack and he walked barefoot out into the night to grab Joey’s shirt collar and pulled him a few steps back. “I said, don’t go. There’s lots of food here.” Seto stared hard into Joey’s eyes making sure Joey knew that he meant what he was saying.
Joey’s eyes widened, horror written all over his face… what’s gotten into him? He’s never been this nice to me before. It’s almost starting to scare me..
“Fine, I’ll stay, you happy?” His voice sounded weak and strained.
Joey walked past Seto to the dining room. He wanted this to be over as quickly as possible, being in Seto’s presence alone was heartbreaking and breathtaking at the same time for him.
He took a seat at the dining table and the maids soon brought a few dishes of exotic foods to him. He didn’t care what it was as long as it was food; he began digging in right away.
Seto took a seat next to him…
“What, not gonna insult me? Come on Kaiba, I’m beginning to miss them our little fights, even you probably miss them.”
Seto stared at the refrigerator for a few seconds, suddenly finding it very intriguing. He silently cursed himself because for once in his life.. he couldn’t think of an insult for Joey. Not one.. nada.. zero.. zilch, he felt so vulnerable but tried so hard as to not let it show on his face. The last thing he wanted was to let his guard down in front of Joey.
“Don’t flatter yourself; you’re still not my favorite person.”
“Didn’t think I was.”
.
.
.
Complete silence………
“Ahem.. did you die?” Joey asked, finishing the last of his cheesy lasagna.
“No, unfortunately for you I haven’t. I’m just thinking.”
“About your girlfriend? Is she pretty? She must be, aw, I bet she’s thinking about you too Kaiba. Don’t get all sad.”
“What the hell, I don’t have a girlfriend, mutt! Stop acting like you know everything about me!” Seto defended.
“Alright, jeez… what’s gotten you in such a foul mood…?” Joey muttered softly to himself. It was barely audible but Seto heard it nonetheless.
“YOU.”
“Ouch, really? I was beginning to think you have a soft side Kaiba, now I know I was wrong.
“Congratulations, why don’t you yell it to the world?” Seto’s patience was running out.
“Maybe I will…”
“Do whatever the hell you like. I’m going to sleep, goodnight.” He got up and stalked up the stairs to his bedroom, leaving Joey still sitting at the dining table.
“Mr. Wheeler, are you finished eating?” Asked, Lena, one of the maids. She was wearing a typical black and white maid outfit. Her brown hair was in a bun and she had some curls hanging on both sides of her face.
“Uh, yeahh… I am.. thanks. The food was delicious.”
She smiled shyly at him. “You’re welcome.”
“Is.. he.. always like this…?” Joey said, not aware of what he was asking her.
“Are you talking about Mr. Kaiba, sir?”
“Yes, and you can call me Joey. Sir sounds so formal.”
She giggled… “Um, I don’t much about Kaiba.. but he has went through a lot in his childhood, Joey."
“Oh…” He was silent for a moment, so Lena continued.
“Yes, his stepfather was so hard on him; he barely had anytime to have fun at all. But you can change that for him, Joey. I’ve seen the way he looks at you, he doesn’t look at anyone like that.. well.. except for Mokuba. He really cares about you, you know?”
“K-Kaiba? Care about moi? I don’t know, Lena. He’s so mysterious.. I never know what goes on in that head of his.”
“Trust me Joey; one morning when I was doing laundry I heard a noise. It was coming from the hallway that leads to his room. I went to check it out quickly but when I opened his door, he was sound asleep, whispering your name to himself and breathing in short gasps.”
Joey was red as a cherry now. Lena had obviously said too much. He began hyperventilating.. Seto saying his name in his sleep? That’s a first. He needed to get out of there before he had a panic attack. “L-Lena.. I.. think.. I think I should go.. I’m…”
“Joey, are you okay? You’re shaking? God, I’ve said too much, haven’t I? Look just forget I said anything at all, okay?”
“No, Lena, it’s not your fault. It’s… my brain.. it doesn’t know how to process this information right now, is all.. heh…”
“Oh, hon…” She began pulling him into a comforting hug. She strangely reminded him of his sister. “It’s okay.. just breathe.. everything’s gonna be fine.”
Joey calmed down and forced a smile. “Thanks Lena, you’re too kind.”
“I try.” She responded. “So how are you feeling? Better?”
“Somewhat, I’m gonna go and get some sleep. Got a long day tomorrow. It was nice talking to you.”
“Goodnight Joey.”
“Night.” Lena walked him to the door and closed it when she saw he was already outside. Seto is one lucky guy, hehe… she cleaned the dining table and washed the dishes, then shut the lights out and headed up to her room.
Author's note: I don't have a beta so sorry if there are mistakes. Dx