Pairing: Seto/Jou
Beta: Daisey - Too good to be true.
Chapter fiveSeto hadn’t ever seen his mansion so full before. And, strangely enough, it didn’t bother him. When he had become so much less…uptight , was a mystery to him.
“Earth to Kaiba.”
The brunette turned around and smiled lightly. “I knew it was you, Pharaoh. Only you could be so…”
“Handsome?” The teen winked.
“Annoying,” Kaiba replied without missing a beat.
“Already bickering with each other?” Jou laughed, arriving at the door with Shizuka, Yugi, Honda, Otogi and Anzu. The only one missing from the tightly-knit group of friends was Ryou. The snowy-haired male wasn’t able to come because he was traveling through England with his father.
“He started it,” answered both teens at the same time.
“Let it be, Jou. Those two are worse than children sometimes,” said Yugi, placing his hand on Yami’s arm.
As they stood there and talked, the pharaoh saw Mokuba on the improvised stage, finishing some last arrangements. A slow smile curved up his lips. “Aibou, come with me. The rest of you, too. Jou, keep Kaiba company. We have to help Mokuba with something.”
“Let me help, too.”
“No.” Yami looked pointedly at the blond, his voice brooking no argument. “Just stay here with Kaiba; we’ve got it under control,” he averred, his tone one of finality.
“Fine, mother,” answered the blond petulantly, knowing it was useless to say anything more given the former pharaoh’s attitude. He stood beside Kaiba as the gang made its way to the stage, the silence heavy between them.
Seto coughed, determined to break the tension, but uncertain as to what to say. “So…Do you want a drink or something before the play starts?”
“Sure.”
They left the hall and went to the kitchen. Mokuba winked to Yami and the gang, all of them smiling. Soon, the final part of the plan would be put into action.
----------
Where the hell were they? Jou tapped his foot, a little impatient. He and Seto had hung out in the brunet’s huge kitchen, drinking soda and- as had become their habit as of late- talking. But, despite the numerous topics they’d discussed, the blond never mentioned the topic that was foremost on his mind… the one he and Honda had talked about the other night. He didn’t understand it. He was so bold when it came to almost everything else but, in this matter…he couldn’t find the guts to say a word. And that really bothered him.
He and Seto were in the seats that had been reserved for them, but the gang still hadn’t come back. Seto was at his side, looking at the stage, appearing to be deep in thought. Jou took the opportunity to watch him without being noticed.
How could anyone be so fucking gorgeous? Somehow, he resisted the urge to reach out and touch those auburn locks… to caress the pale skin upon which they fell. But, what he loved the most about the other was his eyes. He’d never seen such a deep azure, the brunet having eyes that could both freeze you to the spot as well as make you all warm inside.
And those eyes definitely made him all warm inside, in a way that he never would have thought possible. As the day of his and Shizuka’s departure grew closer, it became harder and harder to think about leaving the brunette behind. At their graduation ceremony four days ago, he’d felt as if his heart would burst from his chest when, as his name was called to receive his diploma, he’d mounted the stage and had seen Seto clapping for him from the corner of his eye. True, the entire auditorium had been clapping, but Jou had seen only the brunet. His eyes had been shining, his entire face lit up with pride due to Jou’s achievement. All he had wanted to do was to run to that stage and jump right into Seto’s arms, kiss him with all his might and then leave with the young CEO for a night full of celebration.
"Jou?”
“What?” Jou looked up, startled from his thoughts upon hearing the soft tenor.
“The play is about to start.”
“Oh…right.” Where the hell were his friends?
Mokuba, dressed as an extremely cute elf, walked to the center of the stage and smiled. “Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the land of the Dragons. Tonight, two of the most famous clans have come just to celebrate the Christmas with you. They are the red eyes clan and the blue eyes clan. But before they begin their celebration, you must be told of the problem that is currently worrying both families...”
Seto and Jou were wide-eyed. What the fuck?!
----------
The play was beautiful in its simplicity. Two dragons, a red eyes and a blue eyes, were in love. The clans were friendly with each other, but they had established rules so that harmony could continue. And, one of those rules was that they only united with dragons of their own clan.
The play showed how the dragons met for the first time and how they fell in love. It then went on to tell how they kept their love a secret from their families and from each other until, one day, they couldn’t hide it anymore. The two teens playing the dragons signified the moment with a brief kiss. But to Seto and Jou, it was as if they were kissing for the first time.
The play went on, showing their struggle to be together. However, one year, at Christmas, the red eyes decided that he would move to a distant land, to help his clan. The two lovers didn’t want to be apart, but the circumstances were overwhelming. After that, the play went into the last act, ending with the departure of the red eyes and his promise to come back to his beloved blue eyes. Mokuba entered the stage one final time, his soulful, gray eyes locked on the completely silent audience.
“They were apart. But their hearts…were united more than ever. And every year, on Christmas, they still look at the same star, thinking about each other. Will they be together again? Only time can tell.”
That last sentence echoed painfully in both Seto’s and Jou’s hearts. The curtains fell and the audience stood up, clapping loudly. The play had deeply touched all of them. Seto and Jou joined the others in the cheering, but the gestures were automatic. They were still speechless, their eyes widening suddenly when the events of the past few days finally fell into place.
The way they’d hung out together. The gifts from their friends. The walk through the mall with their siblings. The gang leaving them to watch the play together. The play itself.
Jou felt his eyes blur with tears. Without saying a word he left the place, despite the weight of the blue eyes staring at him.
----------
“You are so fucking cowardly!”
“Shizuka, watch your language!”
“I will fucking curse if I want!” she exclaimed, her hands on her hips, as she glared at her brother. “After all the trouble the gang went through to get the two of you together, you just ran?!”
“You knew?”
"That’s beside the point! What the hell is your problem, nii-san? Would it hurt so much to tell Seto you love him?”
“I don’t want to ruin our friendship, okay?” exclaimed the blond, refusing to look at his sister.
“Did it ever occur to you that he might love you back? Or do you think Mokuba wrote that play for nothing?”
The blond went speechless at that. How could he have been so blind? He got up from the sofa and went to his bedroom, coming back seconds later with a package in his hands. “I’ll go see him.”
Shizuka smiled. “Finally. And nii-san? Promise me that you won’t come back tonight.”
“What?”
She pushed him through the door, practically throwing him out of the apartment. “Take the whole night to solve this between you two, okay? And, even if you do come back sooner, I will not open the door.”
“But, it’s Christmas Eve…”
“I will at be at Yugi’s. Go there. But, only after you’ve solved all this.” She smiled and locked him out.
“Wait, Shizuka!” He banged the door and cursed under his breath. Little sisters.
----------
Seto walked as fast as he could, after being thrown out of his own house, having been given the ultimatum from his brother that he would not be permitted to enter the mansion until he’d talked to the blond. Who in the hell did Mokuba think he he was?
Annoyed, the brunette sighed and pulled his coat tighter to him. The weather was getting worse and worse and, at that time, everything was closed because of Christmas Eve. The young CEO increased his pace and, through the thickening snow, he saw an abandoned house. Deciding that it would be better than freezing to death, he jumped the chain link fence and cautiously pushed through the broken door. Once inside the house he looked around, surprised to find it was miraculously clean and decently preserved. Slowly, he made his way to what had been the living room, only to gasp in shock at what he found.
“Jou?”
The blond widened his eyes and turned around. “Seto? What are you doing here at this hour?”
“I could ask the same about you.”
"I was expelled from my own apartment by my sister,” he exclaimed in exasperation.
Seto arched a brow. “You too?”
“What do you mean, ‘You too’?”
“Mokuba,” was all that the brunette said.
“Oh.” Jou could feel himself blushing and silently cursed all the gods above. Suddenly they heard the wind whistle loudly through the broken door. Both teens went to the window, sighing when they saw what appeared to be the biggest winter storm of all times. “Looks like we are trapped here.”
“Yes…on Christmas Eve” replied the brunette as an afterthought.
“Man! Shizuka came to Japan just to spend Christmas with me, and now I’m gonna be stuck here for God knows how long.”
“Yes, I’m glad to be here too,” the brunette retorted somewhat bitterly.
Jou blushed again. “Don’t get me wrong, Seto. It’s just that…Christmas in an abandoned house? It just… isn’t so nice.”
The young CEO turned and gave him a small smile. “Well…let’s make a fire before we freeze to death.”
----------
Half an hour later, they were sitting close to the fireplace, their backs resting against an old sofa that was there. Seto had draped his coat around them both, feeling that that Jou’s jacket wasn’t enough to warm him. As if an unspoken agreement had been made between them, he put his arm around the blond and Jou rested his head on Kaiba’s shoulder.
The young CEO had never felt so utterly happy on his life. True, they were sitting in silence, but it was good one. He felt a pang on his chest when he thought about how he would miss even more unique moments like that with the blond. He couldn’t take anymore.
“Katsuya?”
“Uhn…?” Jou felt almost sleepy. He didn’t care anymore if they spent the whole night there, so long as they were together.
“There’s something I want to give you.”
The blond lifted his head and suddenly remembered. “There’s something I want to give you, too. I was on my way to your mansion when the weather got worse.”
Seto raised one eyebrow. “What is it?”
Jou reached inside his jacket pocket and took out a medium- sized package. He blushed. “This.”
The brunette took the gift and, curious, tore at the paper wrapping, his eyes widening when he saw what it was.
"Jou…”
“I saw it in that strange store on the mall. And…it reminded me of you.”
Seto took the golden rose, so delicate and beautiful, in his hands, a finger lightly tracing the red bow that adorned the fragile stem.
“It’s…so beautiful.”
“Someone said to me once that…” He trailed off and then blushing, he sighed. “A rose is the flower of passion.”
The brunette looked at him, wide-eyed. Then he smiled, the gesture so sparkling and full of life that Jou swore he’d never seen anything more beautiful before. If he wasn’t already in love with the taller male, that smile would have put him there.
“I have something for you, too,” Seto reminded him, taking a little box from his coat and giving it to the blond.
Jou opened the gift and gasped. He took out the silver collar and looked at Seto.
“This must have cost a fortune.”
The brunette knew it was time. “It’s nothing…for the person I love.”
Jou stared at him incredulously. Silently he put the collar around his neck. “It’s beautiful,” he murmured, looking at him from under his golden bangs as he softly added, “Now everybody can tell…that I’m yours.”
Seto’s arm tightened around the blond’s shoulders, and he finally admitted to what he’d been dreading over the the past two weeks. “You are going too far away from me.”
“We can call each other. And you can visit me, you know?”
“You don’t know that.” Seto sighed, letting a single tear slide down his cheek as he looked away from the other. “Yes, we can talk to each other next week, or next month… but it won’t ever be like this...where we can see each other…hold each other…” He paused for breath and then added, each word painful, “But, perhaps it won’t be so bad…you’re not going away forever…are you?” His voice was almost pleading as he spoke those last words.
Jou sobbed lightly and grabbed the brunette’s chin, making the taller male look at him.
“No, Seto. I’m not. And, in the meantime, we don’t need vow or rings…to know that we love each other.” He put the pale hand on his chest, above his heart. “This...will be forever yours.”
Their first kiss tasted like desire…and tears. Nothing had ever tasted so good.
TBC
