love dog

Title: love dog. (4/7)

Author: Rroselavy

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: S/j, J/oc, OC/j, S/oc, S/j/oc

Beta: Akuchan

Spoilers: None

Summary: To protect his family, Jounouchi Katsuya works as a prostitute in a teahouse. When Kaiba Seto happens upon the blond in his new vocation, he becomes determined once and for all to put the blond in his place. Neither man is prepared for the fallout from the power exchange of their sexual liaisons.

* * * *

I feel out of place and uncomfortable in my new suit, and the shoes hurt my feet. I'm sitting in the front row at my father's wake, flanked by Tomoki and Haha. He's instructed me to tell anyone who asks that He is my uncle, and that I will be staying with Him for a while. I don't want to see anyone I know, but that is impossible to avoid. Shizuka and my mother will not be here; and though I miss my sister desperately, I know it's for the best; the further away she is from me, and Domino City, the better off she is. I wonder idly if my mother forbade her to attend the funeral because she still despised my father, or because she knows what has become of me. Well, she never expected me to amount to much. I'm glad I've managed to confirm her worldview.

The funeral has cost Haha a small fortune, and though math certainly wasn't my strong suit in high school, lately I've become quite the numbers-cruncher and I'm able to compile my father's debt calculated with the simple interest accruing on the fly. Comparatively, this expenditure is a drop in the bucket. I'm numb; the only sensation I feel is Tomi's hand covering mine. The heat of that contact reminds me of how lucky I am to have him in my life. When I gaze at my father's wasted body, I know that I should feel grief, but I can only manage a vague sense of betrayal. I can't even muster relief, because at this point I don't care how much he suffered; he chose to squander the money I made for him to get well on more booze and gambling; threw it away, just like he did me. So when his cremated remains are buried, I will turn my back on him once and for all, even though I've shouldered his debt.

Yugi, Anzu and Honda arrive together. I know that I must face them, yet I'm unable to get up from my seat of honor. Instead I stare down into my lap, pretending that I hadn't noticed them.

"Jounouchi-kun?" Yugi's voice is tentative, and I look up to see him hovering over me with concern. I stand up, awkward in my shoes.

"Yu-" I manage, before he envelopes me in a bear hug, and cuts off my oxygen supply. I hug him back and it feels good.

"Jounouchi, I'm so sorry! Why didn't you tell us?" The words pour out muffled into my shoulder. "You know we're always here for you." He admonishes gently, before stepping back. Anzu is there to take his place.

She hugs me tightly. "We've missed you, Jounouchi." Her body shakes against mine and I realize that she is crying, but doing her best to disguise it. "Why didn't you call?" She asks, her voice thick with emotion. I'm having a hard time holding it together myself at this point. The love my friends have for me is so palpable, and I feel so undeserving of it. I bury my face in her silken hair and let the tears flow.

"I'm sorry, Anzu, it's just been so crazy these past few months."

I feel a hand at the small of my back. "Katsuya-kun, are you okay?" Tomi asks quietly, he's rubbing my back in soothing circles. I close my eyes and nod my head; Anzu pulls away, her eyes riveted to him.

"Hi-" Anzu extends her hand.

"Tomoki," Tomi says, quickly taking her hand. "I'm Katsuya's friend."

"His ... friend." She states skeptically, apprising him.

Before I can say anything to alleviate the awkwardness, Honda has enveloped me. "Dude, I really am sorry." He says quietly. Of all my friends, Honda knew the most about my father's situation. He'd always been steadfast in guarding my secrets from everyone else, and the betrayal I feel toward him is the most acute. "But where the hell have you been? And where's Shizuka?"

Shizuka is a safe subject. "Shi-chan is on holiday abroad with our mother, Hon. I couldn't get in touch with them." Tomi casually wraps his arm around my waist. While my friends know that I'm gay, I'm still uncomfortable at Tomi's display.

Honda eyes me warily. "So, how come you've made yourself so scarce, Jou?"

I begin to protest, but am interrupted. "Perhaps he's got better things to do than hang out with the geek patrol." A cold chill runs through me as I recognize that voice.

"Stuff it, Kaiba!" Honda hisses.

"Honda, shush, we're here for our friend, and Kaiba's here for the same thing, aren't you?" Anzu mollifies. I shift my position and glance at Him. It dawns on me that He was supposed to be away on business.

He gazes at Anzu impassively before nodding his head. And then those blue eyes are boring through me. "So who is your boyfriend, Jounouchi?" Although it's subtle, I recognize the change in the tone of His voice. He's pissed, and my mind starts to reel. I forget that I am at my father's wake, and instead, I concentrate on how bad it will be the next time He sees me. Tomi instinctively tightens his grip on me.

Haha steps in. "Kaiba-san," He says warmly, laying a hand on His arm. "I'm so glad that you could make it, may I speak to you privately?"

He stares down Haha for a few moments, before saying curtly, "But of course." I watch Them walk out of the room, and wonder what Haha could possibly say that is going to literally save my ass.

"That was weird." Honda comments. I need to change the subject, fast.

"My uncle must have called him." I say quickly, letting the lie settle over us. I see Yuugi and Anzu have bought it, but Honda is not satisfied.

I feel lightheaded, but I grit my teeth and continue. "I've been staying with Him, and I met Tomi there." I place my hand reassuringly over his and remove his arm from my waist.

"Katsuya, you don't look well, I think you should sit down," he says. I know he's right, but I can see the fire in Honda's eye. I have to convince him that everything is on the up and up; his suspicions could be dangerous. No, scratch that. They are dangerous. I glance at the doorway, I can see Kaiba's ramrod straight back; He's listening intently to something that Haha is telling him. I break out into a cold sweat.

"Jou," Honda says. "If you're in trouble, you have to tell me. I can't help you if I don't know what's going on."

"Oh, are you gonna give me dating tips?" I try to lighten the pall that's settled over the reunion, but it's useless I realize too late. My father is dead, my life is a mess, and my friends, who would do anything for me, cannot help me out of this. Suddenly my knees are weak, and I feel them slowly buckling. "Sit down," I gasp. I feel that I'm drowning; I try to take great gulps of breaths.

Tomi gently leads me to my seat, but before I can reach it, my vision goes white.

* * * * *

I come to inside a beautifully appointed limousine, certainly not the one that I arrived in. My legs have been elevated on the bench, and my head is in someone's lap; I look up into Kaiba Seto's blue eyes.

"What-"

"You fainted." He says flatly. "I carried you here for some privacy."

"Shit." My memory returns; I'm at my father's wake. It all comes back to me.

"Jou?" Yuugi pokes his head in the open door.

"He's awake," Kaiba says evenly. "Can you get Jounouchi some tea?" I see Yuugi's puzzled expression fade. Someone closes the door, and we are alone. I try to get up. "Tomi-"

Kaiba's lips curve into a cruel smile. "That's his name?" Shit. I am so screwed now. He must sense my near-panic. "Don't worry. Haha explained it all to me. We've come to an understanding."

I want to ask Him what that means, but I'm afraid to press.

"Do you think you can stand up?" I nod my head. "Let me get out first, then I'll help you." I sit up, but before I'm completely upright, His face descends on mine, and He ravishes my mouth. It is a toe-curling kiss, and before it registers that it is Him kissing me, I respond. Before I know it, my hands are caressing His silken hair, and His fingers are loosening the buttons on my shirt. He puts the brakes on suddenly. "This is neither the time nor place," He says sheepishly. "But don't worry, we'll pick this up the next time you see me." He adds, as he pats down my shirt and straightens my tie, before grooming Himself. He knocks on the near window, and momentarily the door is opened. He slides out gracefully, and I follow. My head is spinning; I feel vaguely like I've been cheating, but I'm confused as to who I've been cheating on. Before we head back to the room, He stops me. "Jounouchi, out here ..." He falters, and I tilt my head closer. "Away from the teahouse ... " It's kind of endearing to see Him at a loss for words. I nod my head.

"Listen, Kaiba," I say, my voice growing bolder with each syllable. "Thanks, man, it means a lot that you showed up." I say that with more sincerity than I meant. He escorts me back toward the room, His hand on the small of my back. Some of my father's friends have shown up, and from their furtive glances and lecherous grins, I am clued in to how many people are complicit in my secret. Now it's my turn to falter. Kaiba steadies me, and I lean against Him, letting some tears stain the shoulder of His suit. Something to remember me by, I think morosely. He holds me stiffly for a moment, and then guides me back to the front of the room, and the safety of my friends. Haha has seated Himself once again, and He watches me alertly.

I see that my friends have accepted Tomi; he is standing amidst them, talking quietly with Anzu. Honda is scanning the room for me, and he visibly relaxes when he sees me.

"We were getting worried, are you okay?" He asks, genuinely concerned. Yuugi appears with a thermal cup, steam escaping from the vent of its cover. He offers it to me, his brow knitted. Kaiba steps away and I miss His presence. He is talking to Tomoki, whose face is a mask of worry.

"I'm fine, guys," I lie. "I just didn't eat much this morning, I was too ... distracted."

Honda puts his arm over my shoulder and hugs me. "You'd tell me if something was wrong?"

"Yes, Hon, of course I would. Ya still my best bud." I smile weakly. "Nothing will ever change that." I say it like I truly mean it, and hate myself.

The rest of the ceremony is a blur. I know that I should concentrate on the moment; this is my father's farewell, but the truth is, I said good-bye to him long ago. The shell that rests in the casket means nothing to me, he wasn't the man who'd started out raising me, he was a mere parody. When the time comes for the cremation, I place the two things that he held most dear in his life inside the casket; a pack of cigarettes and a fifth of whiskey. As an afterthought, I remove the photo that had been placed in there. It is a framed picture of my family before the divorce. My mother must have sent word to whoever had arranged the funeral. Though, as the eldest son it was my task, she must have deemed me unfit. I stare at it until tears blur my eyes. I'd always remembered the time before my mother left with Shizuka as idyllic; sure my parents fought, but it didn't seem like they fought any more than our neighbors did. But I see now from their body language that they were miserable. While 'Zuki and I are standing next to each other practically entwined, they stand apart behind us, fake grins plastered on their faces. I sigh, clutching the picture, and turn away.

Tomoki hugs me tightly, and then Anzu is touching my face. "Everything is going to be okay, Jounouchi," she soothes. Her eyes are tear-filled too. I wish that I could believe her, but I know that isn't true. I see Kaiba leave, I wish that He'd said good-bye, but that would have raised suspicions, I suppose. Or perhaps He just doesn't care enough. "Call us sometime?" She asks, and I focus back on my friends.

"Yeah, dude. Don't be such a stranger," Honda chimes in.

"We miss you," Yuugi adds. "How long will you be staying with your uncle?" I'm overcome with emotion; the day has taken its toll. I lean on Tomoki for support, once again grateful that he is here with me.

"For a while," Haha chimes in. "He has to take care of some family business now. Katsuya-kun, it's time to go." He adds blandly.

"I'll be in touch," I manage, turning away quickly toward the waiting car.

"Promise?" I hear Anzu ask as the door closes behind us.

I lose it then. The grief, mixed with relief and my confused emotions is just too much. I lean against Tomi and sob like a baby. I'm still crying when we arrive at the teahouse, and as if I'm dreaming, I hear Haha instruct Tomi to bring me to an empty bedroom. The charity is not lost on me.

Once there, Tomi secures the door and turns to me. I'm standing in the middle of the small but richly appointed room, completely numb, completely spent. I don't know what to do. Carefully he begins to disrobe me, laying the articles of clothing carefully across the back of a chair. He leads me to the bed, and then undoes my trousers; I feel like a child, his ministrations are comforting. When my pants pool at my feet, he sits me down on the bed, then kneels down and unties my shoes, removes them, then my socks, and finally my pants and under shorts. I stare at him in wonder; I've yet to fuck him, but over the course of the past few weeks of training we've become intimate on other levels. I have penetrated him with objects and my fingers. I watch with growing interest as he gets undressed; he never takes his green eyes off of me.

Something is changing between us. I feel a connection growing as he straddles me. His skin against mine soothes like a balm; he whispers huskily, "Katsu-chan, I'm here for you." He wriggles against my crotch, and electricity tingles along my nerves. I'm becoming hard. "Fuck me, Master." He mewls softly. He wraps his arms around my shoulders and bucks against me. "I want to feel you inside me."

I groan wantonly. I need to fuck him. I've been holding back until now, but I feel my control slipping. "Get some lube," I rasp.

He leans over to the bedside table, and I take the opportunity to latch onto one of his soft pink nipples. A needy moan escapes him, "Feels ... so ... good," and I smile against his skin. His erection presses against my stomach, averring his words. I grab him by the hips to steady him, and continue my torment of the now pebble-hard nub. He presses the tube between my fingers. "Please?" He begs in a harsh whisper. I lay him down on the bed, and I'm half on top of him. I work some lubricant onto my fingers, and press at his entrance. I know he's not yet ready, but I need him now. The slickness helps my fingers past his tight ring of muscle, and he keens as he bucks against them. I've found his pleasure spot and he arches his torso in rhythm with my hand. I take the opportunity to work on his other nipple while lazily thrusting in and out of him. I feel him loosening up, and I pull out only to position myself between his legs. I pause for a moment, to give him the opportunity to stop me. He nods his head and whispers. "I want you to."

I bury myself in his tight heat and pound into him. In my mind, I'd always imagined that when I did take him, I would be in control, but for now I can only satisfy the voice in my head that cries out 'I need.'

As I pump into him, I wrap one hand around his cock and stroke it. The thumb of my other hand presses at his mouth and when he surrounds the digit and caresses it with his tongue, I feel my orgasm crest and break over me in waves. And suddenly, he is coming too. When he is done, I pull out of him and lie down next to him. I'm still feeling aroused, despite my recent orgasm. I gently kiss his lips, pressing my tongue against them, he allows me entrance, and soon we are both becoming hard again. Now that I've broken down the last wall between us, I begin to worry about what will happen to us. I can't imagine that my Master will allow this to continue.

* * * *

Two days pass before Haha calls me to His office. He has two small packages on the table in front of Him. "These arrived for you." He says, sweeping His hand over the table. I know that they cannot be from my father's estate; he'd given up all of our personal belongings long ago, and I wonder if they could be from Him.

I open the first; it is another book, this one titled You Can't Go Home Again. How fucking appropriate, I groan inwardly. The other package is an elegant black box; I am stunned at its contents. I pick up the cards gingerly, as if they are a priceless treasure. And they are to me. It is my deck-in it's entirety. Not a facsimile, but my actual cards. I recognize certain dog-ears and worn spots. At the bottom of the deck there are five new cards; Black Dragon Chick, Lord Of D, Red Eyes Darkness Dragon, United We Stand, and Reinforcements, all excellent additions to my deck, and all cards that I've coveted at one time or another. There is no note, but I really don't need one; I feel a tear trickle down my cheek at His gesture. I gape at Haha, and He smiles benignly. He nods His head indicating that I am free to speak.

"Tomi-" I manage to choke out.

"Ah, yes. You are free to continue his training. Kaiba-san and I have reached an understanding." The hair on the nape of my neck stands up as I recognize that that is the exact phrase that He used. But I'm unable to question Haha further. He dismisses me.

"You may go now, don't forget your book."

~TBC~