Fall of the Dice

Chapter Five: Up to bat - or - Jou’s first night.


In his room, Jou was piling the things he needed on the bed, when a wonderful smell filled the house. He was drawn out the door and down the hall by the delicious aroma. At the head of the stairs he caught up with Seto who was also being lured by the wondrous scents.
“Is that what I think it is?” Seto asked him. Jou eyed him oddly. “Dogs have a better sense of smell.” Seto explained.
Jou punched him mildly before rushing ahead of him for the kitchen.
At the door, the sight before them froze them both. The entire table an half of the counters were covered with the most perfect looking array of confections.
There were pies and cookies, donuts and coffee cakes, and Ryuuji was reaching into the oven to pull out a deep pan overflowing with dough as three pans simmered on the stove.
The dark haired teen was wearing that same lacy pink apron, but it had hardly blocked the flour and sugar that coated the cross dresser from head to toe. Honda stood off to one side munching on a slice of fresh homemade bread, as he smiled to the late arrivers.
“Ryuuji, you made all this?” Jou asked and he was answered with a nod.
“This is amazing,” Seto added. “Why so much?”
“Oh, because every time I bake, the neighbors find out and stop by. This way there is plenty for us after they leave.” He explained.
“And that makes sense?” Jou asked.
“The house is upwind of a lot of the others in the area. I can’t be rude.”
“Yes, you can.” Seto admonished. Ryuuji frowned at him and he added. “Well, I guess You can’t.”
As if on cue, the sound of knocking filled the halls, and Seto turned to go.
“Oh no. Hold on there sport. Ryuuji wants to be polite, we ain’t letting the Ice Prince answer the door.” Honda called and squeezed past the other brunet. “I’ll take care of this, remember, I can be polite, like Jou.” And he headed down the hall.

Several waves of guests arrived and by the time they had left, the kitchen was emptied by a third and there were more dishes in the sink then in the cupboards. Ryuuji had rushed upstairs and changed out of his flour encrusted hiking outfit and found another dress to wear for this impromptu party.
Jou was busy cleaning up the dishes with Kaiba scowling on as Honda said good-bye to the last guest with the hostess.
“Lunch was good,” he said, attempting to fill the silence of the kitchen.
“What do you have against peace, Mutt?” Seto answered.
“It isn’t peace if you are standing there looking like a smoldering volcano. It’s peace if we are both enjoying the silence. So, talk pleasantly, or grab a towel.” He said.
Seto scowled and reached for the drawer that the towels were happily sleeping in. He began drying the plates and stacking them on the cleared off counter. Jou snorted at him and continued to clean.
“Lunch was good.” Kaiba conceded. “Except for the company.” He added.
“Well, that big fat lady almost didn’t leave enough for the rest of us, or were you talking about me and Honda?” Jou said, raising his eyebrows as the CEO chuckled.
“No, for once it was not your company I disdained. That man with the fat lady was the worst. If he told me one more time how much money he makes, I was going to have to ruin him for life.”
“You mean you rich types don’t sit around comparing the size of your bank books?” Jou scoffed.
“No. Do you mongrels like to compare your dog tags?” he returned. “Or in the case of the idiot, does he enjoy measuring how high his hair can stand in comparison?”
“Yeah, we do!” stated Jou, laughing as he handed the surprised brunet another dish. “And actually, mine is higher.” And the taller man joined him in his laughter this time.
“This I need proof of,” he demanded. Jou leaned closer and the brunet pressed his thumb against Jou’s hairline and gauged his hairs height with his fingers.
“Now, you try and get Honda ta let ya, and you’ll see.” Jou suggested, as the CEO stared at his spread fingers. “But, really. You don’t like talking about money, do ya Seto?”
“No. It’s crass and it leads to extreme behavior. People don’t believe me anyway. A lot of my board members think we jury the results for their pleasure. And that is just stupid.”
“Yeah, I can see that. I don’t want ta know how much you are worth. It would just make me feel down. So what if ya are worth fifty times what I make, I get by and I’m comfortable. I just wish. . . .” Jou stopped his words as they caught in his throat.
“What?” the CEO asked, sounding honestly interested.
“It’s stupid.” He balked, but the brunet poked at him, and when he turned he saw a friendly face on the normally closed off features. “I just wish I could afford to treat Ryuuji the way he deserves. I won’t be able to do any of those things for him.” And he sighed.
“I shouldn’t say this, it will only encourage you. But you don’t need to. Ryuuji makes enough money for anything he wants. He told me on the walk that one of the reasons he kept this place that cost him a fortune to renovate was because of its simple beauty. Most of the other houses have been modernized and look just like houses in town. He said that this house has rustic charm,” and then Seto placed the stack of dishes in the cupboard and dropped the towel over Jou’s head. “Kinda like you, puppy.”
After that, Jou headed out the back door and was not seen for a half an hour. Seto and Honda had decided to let the mutt handle this his own way and decided to retreat to their rooms, claiming that they were so stuffed from the lunch that they wouldn’t need dinner tonight.
Ryuuji allowed this and went looking for the blond.
He finally heard a clipping noise from the distance and found the teen in the back of the house chopping wood with an old axe and piling it in a wheelbarrow nearby.
“Jou what are you doing?” Ryuuji said, as he stood on the porch step. Jou looked up and saw the teen, one hand on the porch and the other bunched in the fabric of the pale green dress he had chosen. It was soft looking and draped down his body in the most alluring way, and Jou had been hard pressed to keep from touching him.
“I wanted to do something tonight, and it requires a lot of wood. Do you mind?” he asked. “As long as I was chopping it I figured I’d fill your box outside too.”
“I don’t mind, but Mr. Orimato might. I pay him to keep the box full. He wasn’t feeling well last week and I did schedule this on short notice, so it didn’t get filled.” Ryuuji explained.
“So, if he’s sick he’ll be happy to have some free help. Okay?” and he lifted the axe and
Slammed it into the end of a large cut of wood. Ryuuji watched from his position, enjoying the way the blond’s muscles bunched and released as he raised the axe once more. He was shirtless and his t-shirt was draped over the handle of the barrow, obviously being used for a face towel, as the flannel over shirt was tied around his narrow hips. His body was glistening in the waning sun as his sweat rolled over tight pectorals and firm abs. It was enough to make the dark haired teens heart race and his breathing become audible.
“Sure okay. What do you want for dinner? Everyone else is going to bed early tonight. I guess it’s just you and me, so I’ll make you something special.”
“I like the way you do fish. That would be fine. I’m working up quite an appetite so, better make plenty.” He said then continued with his work. Ryuuji stayed for a few more minutes before retreating to his kitchen.
Jou finished filling the wood box and carried a supply into the living room about an hour later, he called out to the dice master as he dropped it into the container there. “Hey, Ryu. I’m gonna go wash the sweat off and get changed, I’ll be down in a bit.” And the vision of his dreams stood in the doorway smiling as he rose.
Ryuuji was leaning against the doorframe in that soft green dress, his hair down and flowing around his shoulders, as he handed Jou a large cup of iced tea.
“Here. You are going to dehydrate if you shower without putting something back inside first.” And the blond downed the cup in one long sustained gulp.
“Thanks.” And he grabbed his shirt and headed up the stairs.
Ryuuji watched him go, doing his utmost to keep his fingers of the still sweat slicked body in front of him before it disappeared up the stairway.
Damn. What was wrong with him? It was just Jou, and he was getting all tense just being around him.

Jou closed the door to his room and leaned back, attempting to still his breathing. If he hadn’t gotten out of there when he did, he might not have been able to hold himself back and then that would have ruined the evening. He nearly grabbed the guy and ravished him right there, all sweaty and smelly. He kicked himself and headed for the shower.

Clean and dressed, the blond rushed down the stairs once more.
The smell of his dinner greeting him as he hit the lower floor. He took a long deep breath and allowed it to fill his nose with the delicious aroma, before pushing through the door and taking in the sight.
Ryuuji had put his food directly on the table and there were at least three full salmon steaks for him alone. Nearby was a bowl of miso ramen and some rice. He could smell the last item as he saw the door open and Ryuuji walked in with a tray full of Takoyaki.
“Ah, that’s my girl, the way to a man’s heart ya know?” he kidded as he took his seat.
Ryuuji smiled at his comment and slid into the chair opposite.
“Mmm, you are the greatest cook on the earth, or at least in Japan.” He complimented and Ryuuji smiled.
“You are too easy to please, Jou-kun.” He said, taking the bowl of rice and filling a smaller bowl from it before handing it to his guest. Then he filled his own and broke off a piece of fish from his plate and lifted it to his mouth.
Jou watched in open-mouthed wonder as Ryuuji took the bite between his painted lips and chewed seductively.
“Gods,” he thought. “The guy is a walking wet dream and he doesn’t even know it.”
Jou quickly stuffed his face with food, trying to keep from drooling over his date as he did his best not to look like a bumpkin or a fool. Ryuuji smiled and asked if he wanted any soup. Jou nodded around his mouthful and watched the delicate way the other ladled up the ramen. It was almost as erotic as the way he ate. Gods, this was going to be hard, he was thinking as he swallowed the food in his mouth.
“So, tell me somthin, Ryu,” he began as Ryuuji looked up. “How long have ya been doing this, really?” he said, indicating the dress. Ryuuji looked down at it and then back up at the blond.
“For a while,” he admitted. “Longer than I have known you or the others. I had a dress when I was five, and I hid it in my room so my family wouldn’t find it. I have always had something to wear when I could. Why do you want to know?”
“Cause you are too perfect at the whole thing to have just started it. I was watching ya on the way to the store. You know some of that stuff takes a lot of time to perfect it, and most girls aren’t as good at it as you are. I gotta hand it to ya, you are better at being a girl than either Mai or Anzu.” And he began eating again.
“You aren’t kidding are you?” Ryuuji asked.
Jou shook his head and his hair fell into his face. Ryuuji reached out and moved the lock to view his eyes. “That is quite a compliment, Katsuya. I really appreciate it.” And he cupped the blond’s cheek with his palm. “You really don’t mind all this, do you?”
“Nope. I think it’s sexy. I mean you are the best of both worlds. I had the hots for ya before, but now you are the whole package. How could that be bad?”
“Well, that’s a good question.” And they continued to eat allowing the silence to embrace them. This was what Jou considered peaceful.

Later as Ryuuji put away the dishes, Jou bee lined for the living room. He had stashed his things earlier and now was the time to set it up. By the time his date was entering the room, he had a roaring fire, and the couch moved closer to absorb the heat. He had draped a quilt over the seat and there was a bowl of popcorn and some soft music playing in the background. The lights were off and everything was dappled by the firelight. Jou squatted near the fire, poking at it with a prod and the light bathed him in its yellow glow. Ryuuji gasped as he saw the blond turn his way and smile happily.
“Do you like it?” he asked.
“Yes.” Ryuuji managed to croak out, his voice lost to his mood.
“Come on and sit with me. I just wanna enjoy this and talk to ya. We never get much time for that, do we, Ryu?” and the blond rose and positioned himself on the quilt patting it close by for the other to join him. Ryuuji willed his limbs to move and filled the position.
“Wh-at. Em, what do you want to talk about?” he asked, his voice only breaking once as the blond’s hand dropped onto his exposed knee.
“Well, let’s see. The weather is stupid, and I do not want to talk about school. Kaiba explained about money as a topic, so how about shop? Yours or the one I have been working at.”
“You have a job?” Ryuuji asked and when Jou nodded, he continued. “Where are you working?”
“I been helping this old lady that runs a pet shop. I clean up after the critters and do the feeding, while she runs the counter. It’s dirty but them little guys seem to appreciate me. I also get to bring out da puppies when a kid wants to see one. Don’t tell Kaiba that one, okay?”
“No of course not. Jou, about that whole dog business. . .”
“Eh, water under the bridge. I figure I deserved it, ya know. Yapping at ya and all. I shouldn’t have made a bet I wasn’t ready to follow through with. Sides, it was kinda fun if it weren’t for everyone seeing me. Hey, maybe I got a kink too, huh?”
“Oh dear. I hope not. I don’t think I could stand having to walk you with heals on.” And the two laughed heartily at that. Ryuuji stopped first, watching Jou’s features and beginning to look at him seriously. Jou stopped and stared back.
“What is it, Ryu?” he asked.
“Katsuya, why? Why do you want me?” he asked, and when Jou looked away, he reached out and pulled the blond’s face to him holding his cheek again and gazing deep into those amber pools as if he could find the answer there.
“I never had anything in my whole life. I saw you, and how you were so sophisticated, not like moneybags you know. But classy with style and still willing to be friends with us. It made me think that if I was with you, like around you, I could learn to be like you. And the more I thought about it the more I wanted to be with you. And I can’t get you outta my head. I just want to know everything about you, and I want you to know about me.”
“Oh, dear.” Ryuuji said, releasing his face and laying his head against Jou’s shoulder as the blond wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close. “Tell me. Tell me everything.” He said putting that now unused hand down on the exact area that Jou’s heart was pounding on trying to escape its bonds.
“Well, it started with my mom and dad and sister. . . .”