Bury It Deeper

 

    As soon as Jou was sure Seto was on his way, he pulled Yugi into the kitchen. "Yugi, don't freak."

"Jou it's not like you... Are you trying to get rid of Seto? Have you changed your mind?" The smaller man was troubled and it clearly showed.



"No, I just needed ta talk to ya alone. We got a problem." He bit his lip hard enough to draw bloo. "Nah, I mean our problem came back."



"Problem? Came back?" For a second Yugi looked blank, then his color drained as comprehension flooded his gentle face and his wide amethyst eyes focused on the freezer. "You mean..."



"Yeah." Jou shuddered and swallowed hard. "Ya think... Hiata? Or dat Yakuza boss?"



Yugi's shoulders drooped and a tear slipped from his eyes. "Who else Jou?" Drawing a deep breath, he let it out in a sob. "We can't mess with Yakuza. I have Grandpa and the shop and you have Shizuka. What are we gonna do?"



"I dunno, Yugi. I jus' don't know.  I knew we got off too easy last night.  Fuck!" Jou's own tone was defeated. "There ain't no..."



Suddenly, Yugi lit up like a firecracker. "Let's ask Seto. He'll help us! I know he will. He loves us."



Jou lowered his head. "I thought of that. I want ta tell him so bad. Not just 'cause I think he could help, but 'cause... 'cause I think he could help with the mental shit too. It's fuckin' me up real bad knowin' m'dad is in th' freezer Yug’."



"Then it's settled, we'll talk to Seto and get his input." Yugi's color was coming back and a glimmer of hope was in his eyes.



"Nah." Jou hated to douse that sweet light. "Think about it. What if somethin' goes wrong? He can't be involved. We gotta protect him. He's like... gotta be above suspicion or somethin'. Mokuba has ta figure into it and if we get caught... He can't... we can't..." With a low groan, he caught Yugi in a hug as more tears, this time from both of them, started to fall.



Seto, watching remotely via his PDA, was caught between amusement at their drama, anger at their stupidity, and a warm bubbling feeling deep inside at their protectiveness. Damned idiots wanted to protect him? They were annoyingly naive. They knew nothing of the world he lived in. Dog-eat-dog was the least of it and hiding bodies, while not a daily occurrence, had happened more than once. Industrial spies, hit-men, and even an occasional psycho had to be dealt with and sometimes that included having to dispose of what remained.



The brunet would never minimize taking a life, but when the bottom line came down to kill or be killed, he'd always chosen to live. Survival of the fittest. If he chose not to deal with the legal fallout of his survival tactics and he had the wherewithal and resources to avoid dealing with the police, then he saw nothing wrong in using them.



Now that he knew they wanted to tell him, most of his reserve fell away. He was deeply touched by their care for Mokuba as well as himself. They were proving themselves more and more worthy of being his lovers. Now all he had to do was show them that he didn't need their protection. He squared his shoulders slightly and ended the satellite feed. With a lighter step, he hurried to the doughnut house. Idly, he wondered if his lovers would enjoy brioche and cafe au lait while overlooking the Eiffel Tower. It was certainly worth a shot. He could imagine Jou's x-rated sleep-talking at the decadent food of France.



With an eye towards taste rather than aesthetics, he took his time choosing a dozen different glazed pon-de-ring. With a slightly more... playful... bent, he selected three extra long cream filled eclairs. When the clerk checked him out asked if he wanted coffee, he shook his head politely. He'd already decided to stop at Caffe Veloce. In his expert opinion, one of the best tasting chain coffee shoppes in all of Japan. Not only was the coffee good, but their modest decorations and calm atmosphere were in direct contrast to other, more marketed places such as Starbucks and BECK. Both overrated and overpriced in his opinion.



By the time the coffee was ready, he gauged that enough time had passed for Yugi and Jou to collect themselves. Not enough time to hide the evidence, but enough to have regained their composure. His expectations were shot to hell when, after only a cursory knock, he strode into the room to find Yugi practically hyperventilating while Jou stared at the television cursing vehemently.



A quick glance at the screen made his eyes narrow in vexation. Some insane jogger - he had to be insane to be up at the butt crack of dawn to jog - had seen the bodies in the river just a few kilometers from the bridge. The camera had caught the grey dawn before sunrise, it's watery mix of shadow and light giving the grisly image of the two corpses being pulled from the river an even more macabre look than usual The announcer, a woman who sounded too perky for the time of day and subject matter, informed the listening audience almost gleefully, "What you have just seen was the retrieval of the bodies found floating in the river almost two hours ago. We have just learned that one of the two men, Ishido Hiata, was the owner of a small bar named Boozee. The second man has been identified as Masana Taro, an employee at Boozee. Neither have families and the police are asking anyone with information to please contact their tip line displayed at the bottom of your screen."



With an inward sigh, Seto put the coffee and doughnuts down on the side table. "Okay so what's the problem?" Yugi didn't - couldn't - answer. He bolted into the bathroom. His retching sounds were clearly audible for a second before the bathroom door slammed shut.



Jou wheeled around to stare at him in disbelief. "I used ta work with them guys. Hiata was m'boss and Taro was his enforcer. They're th' guys we mixed it up with last night. Sure as shit th' cops are gonna knock on my door and with me lookin' beat ta hell it won't be a stretch for them ta think I killed 'em an' threw 'em off th' bridge."



Seto lifted a curious brow. "Did you?"



"Fuck no I didn't throw nobody offa no bridge. I didn't kill Hiata either. He was breathin' when I saw him last."



Seto was genuinely impressed by that artful evasion. Jou had the makings of a good business man. "Then you have nothing to worry about." He gave Jou a slightly exasperated look. "Did you see the way the bodies flopped around? They haven't been dead for more than a few hours, six at most. In case you've forgotten, we've been together for close to nine hours." Seto pointed out logically.



"But the water..." Jou's voice choked out.



"It is about twenty-two degrees celsius. It would not slow rigor down. In fact, it would speed it up." While Jou was chewing on that bit of information, Seto glanced out the window and caught sight of a police cruiser moving slowly up the street, obviously looking for a place to park. Fuck, just what they needed. He was going to have to deal with this for them or his lovers would be confessing to multiple murders. "Jounouchi..." He grabbed the blond by the shoulders and shook roughly. "The police will be here in about two minutes. You are to tell them exactly what you told me. Just that and nothing more. Do you understand?"



Horrified golden eyes widened to enormous proportions, shock and fear chasing through them, leaving a dark stain of guilt. Impatiently, he shook the blond again. They didn't have time for angst and drama. "Did you hear me? You tell them exactly what you told me. Do not deviate so much as a word." Seeing the shock start to fade, Seto nodded curtly. "You go calm Yugi and both of you get dressed. Wear something that covers your neck. The bruises are very bad. When you come out, remember: tell it exactly like you told me." Seeing the returning of intelligence to Jou's eyes he nodded and spun the blond around and shoved him towards the hall. "Go now. I'll stall them for a little while." The blond ran for his friend.



Seto didn't hesitate. He kicked off his shoes and loosened his top two buttons, then finger-combed his hair to a tousled disarray. When the expected knock came, less than two minutes later, he looked like a relaxed, slightly rumpled, young man who'd been sent to get doughnuts before he'd been ready to get out of bed. A peep through the Judas hole made him curse mentally even as his brain worked to find a way to handle having Officer Honda Hiroto along with an older cop at the door.



On one hand, Honda would never suspect Jou and Yugi of murder, but he would know them well enough to pick up on signs that something was wrong. It was a double-edged sword. He'd have to wait and assess the situation before acting. Keeping his relaxed expression, he opened the door. "Honda!" He greeted shortly. "Katsuya didn't say you'd be dropping by this morning." Giving the stocky brunet a quick glance, he turned to the older officer. "With a friend too." He made his tone one of forced politeness, like a friend who was put out by unexpected visitors.



Honda's eyes widened with shock, obviously too inexperienced on his job to hid his reaction to seeing someone he'd considered gone from his life answering his best friend's door.  Sure he'd promised Otogi, but he hadn't really expected Kaiba to be on the scene. He figured the idiot was pulling straw out of thin air in order to get closer to Jounouchi.  "Kaiba! What the hell are you doing here? Why the fuck are you answering Jounouchi's door?" He croaked out incredulously.



Seto gave him a cool, mocking look, but was saved from giving the sharp set-down the other man richly deserved by the other officer barking out, "Honda! Apologize and make your bows. Kaiba-souchou's presence is not the reason we are here and none of our concern." The honorific clearly showed that the older officer recognized Seto as the president of a major company and he obviously didn't want the repercussions of insulting the CEO falling back on them.



Honda recollected himself under the steely-eyed gaze of his trainer. Bowing just enough to be polite, he gritted, "Forgive me Kaiba-souchou." The last was said as though the cop was being strangled. "I was taken aback by your presence. I thought you were still in the states and, last I knew, you and Jounouchi were not on speaking terms much less familiar enough for him to allow you to answer his door."



Seto kept him hanging for about ten long seconds before giving him a small nod. "Your attitude is understandable. Things between Katsuya, Yugi  and I happened rather quickly and you have not kept up. I returned to Domino to handle the building of my new home here. You may recall my last home was the victim of arson.  The culprit is still at large." He smiled, all teeth and shark-like intentions. "As you are an old friend of my new... intimates... I could do no more than forgive your surprised reactions." He hesitated a moment, his smile widening as his teeth gleamed with menace. "I wouldn't want to find myself sleeping on the couch. I've found sleeping on Katsuya's water bed... addictive."



Honda leaned forward and snarled, "What the fuck are you saying?" He drew a sharp breath. "That you and Jounouchi..."



"That's enough!" The veteran cop roared. "Honda either get yourself under control or wait in the car. I won't have you insulting the people you are sworn to protect."



That made the stocky brunet back up two steps and drop his head. "I'm sorry Kaiba. Just a shock. So where is Jounouchi?"



"He's in the shower with Yugi right now." Seto was highly amused to see the dark color run up Honda's cheeks. Hiding his laughter behind a polite facade, he stepped back and gestured for them to come inside. "Please sit down. I'll tell them you are waiting."



"That would be great. Thank you so much." Honda didn't need the reminding glare to prompt his return of good manners, but it didn't hurt either.



"Not a problem. I was going to tell them their coffee and doughnuts were here." He gestured to the box and drink carrier. "Is there some problem? They are feeling a little rough. There was some brawl at Jounouchi's last day of work at some bar. They got roughed up by some lowlife and had to fight their way out. As soon as they called me, I came right away. I've been caring for them all night, almost ten hours now, except for the last half hour when I went to get breakfast. They are still shaken and bruised." He hesitated briefly. "Was there a report about what happened?" He tossed out a quick line knowing they'd be after it like... well like the stupid fish they were.



"We did receive a report. We're following up on it. Why don't you tell us what you know?" The older officer broke in smoothly.



"What I know?" Seto didn't have to pretend to look outraged. "Katsuya was working his last night at some downtown bar. Yugi decided to help him so Jounouchi could get out of there earlier. While they were taking out the trash some Burakumin started a brawl. They got back inside and were attacked. They escaped, but not without a few bumps and bruises." He frowned down at his watch. "That was just about ten hours ago. They called me from here and I came over as soon as I finished my work." He shrugged slightly. "We've been here since."



Honda was not used to a chatty Kaiba. It made him suspicious. "So you came right over when they called? How do you know they called from here?"



"It was closer to an hour, and I know that they called from here because my cell phone tracks all calls, not just who, but GPS of where the call came from." Obligingly, he handed the other brunet his phone, scrolling through the 'received' history to show him the correct call. "See? And except for me leaving to get doughnuts we've been here all night." Pocketing his phone, he turned away. "I'll go tell them you are here."



His steps faltered when Yugi's water-slicked head popped around the corner. "Seto, did I hear..." Then the amethyst eyes shifted and lit up. "Honda-kun!" Yugi called happily. "It's you!"



Disregarding his shower-damp, Yukata clad appearance and straight hair, the smaller man practically skipped into the room. He and Jounouchi had formed a plan of action and he was determined to follow through. He was tired of being a watering pot and was ready to act. Clasping his old friend's hand in his, he exclaimed, "I'm so glad you're here. We, Jou and I, were going to call you this morning after we talked to Seto."



"You were? Why?" With sharp eyes, Honda took in the bruising on Yugi's face. Whatever, whoever, had hit him had done considerable damage.



"First who is this?" Yugi turned wide curious eyes on his trainer.



"This is my partner and trainer. He's showing me the ropes.” He bowed slightly. "Detective Okashi, this is Moutou Yugi. The blond man coming up behind him is Jounouchi Katsuya. You obviously recognized Kaiba Seto." He jerked his head slightly to the CEO. "We all went to school together. Guys this is Okashi-san."



While they mumbled appropriate greetings, Seto 'herded' everyone to sit down. "So you were going to call me? Why?" Honda jumped right in. He didn't believe his friends had anything to do with the suspicious deaths he was investigating with his trainer, especially now that their alibi was established by Kaiba for the time of death, but he did want to put on a good front and impress the older man. It was very rare that a rookie was involved in a potential murder, but because of his ties to Jounouchi and the way that Jounouchi's name had come up, it was decided that he would assist.



"Yes." Yugi worried his lip for a moment, his expression going liquid with apology when he gazed up at Seto briefly. "We didn't tell you the whole truth last night." He confessed. "It wasn't just a barroom brawl. Jounouchi's boss... his name is Hiata. He... He... tried... He..." Yugi's voice wavered and broke off.



Jounouchi picked up immediately, snarling, "The nasty fucker tried ta sell us to some Yakuza lord. He was tryin' ta move up an' thought he could do it usin' us." Giving Seto a shamed look, the blond mumbled, "I'm sorry Seto. I didn't want ya ta know an' I didn't think it would matter since we ain't ever goin' back ta Boozee." He turned his turbulent eyes back to the cops. "We had ta fight our way out. It was touch an' go for a few minutes, but..." He shrugged and his eyes went flat. "We made it so that's all dat matters."



"Why didn't you call last night?" Okashi asked.



Jou met his gaze directly. "I ain't stupid. I did time with Rintama. I ain't gonna rat out Hiata or that Yakuza. I like breathin', so we were just gonna let it ride. We were safe 'cause... well 'cause Kaiba has more power than either of 'em two, and we knew he'd step in if needed."



"So what changed this morning?" Okashi asked, although he had a good idea.



"While we was waitin' for Seto ta get back with breakfast, we saw on the news that Hiata and Taro were pulled outta th' river. I knew it was probably the Yakuza that done 'em, but nobody would speak up about dat. And we'd been in a fight with him last night so it felt like we was bein' setup. We was gonna call Honda 'cause we thought he could help."



Okashi nodded. As much as it stuck in his craw, he understood what the young blond was saying. "If I asked you about the Yakuza, you wouldn't remember a thing, would you?"



"Nah, we both took pretty hard hits, it was dark and kinda confusing. We really can't tell ya about him." Jou shrugged apologetically. "Sorry. Are we gonna hafta go down to th' station for questionin'?"



Seeing the sudden tensing of Kaiba Seto's body, Okashi knew with absolute certainty that if he tried to push questioning further he'd be dealing with a battalion of high-priced lawyers and most of the political figures within the department. They had an alibi and were beat to shit. They were victims and, as much as he wanted the information on the Yakuza, he knew he wouldn't get it from them and further attempts would be met with resistance. "No, Kaiba-souchou has given you both an unassailable alibi and your story matches with what other witnesses have said." He stood and bowed. "Thank you for your assistance. I am truly sorry for your injuries and someday perhaps..." He let the sentence trail away. The idea of a Yakuza free Utopia was too absurd to actually say out loud. "We will leave now." Gesturing to Honda, he moved to leave.



Seto actually ushered them both out the door, signalling for Yugi and Jou to stay put. When the door closed behind them, he turned to look at his lovers with a cool gaze. "You lied to me?"



"No... Not really. We just didn't tell you everything." Yugi hurried to appease him. Jounouchi didn't bother with words, just stalked across to him, glaring in challenge.



"We were protectin' ya. We know ya well enough ta know you woulda gone ballistic. We handled it and didn't need th' added stress of you bein' mad."



Seto continued to glare for a few moments before giving in and giving a sigh, catching the blond close. "Okay, I understand. But... But give me your word you won't hide anything like this from this point on. I... I could have helped you and you wouldn't have been hurt." His cool fingertips skimmed across a bruise. "I'm not going to state the obvious...but I am not a masochist." A quick squeeze and he moved to pick up the coffee. "I'll heat these in the microwave."



Jou watched him walk away with a confused look on his face. "Eh, Yugi?"



Yugi was watching Jou with a gentle look. "What?"



"Whaddya think he meant by that? Not bein' a masochist."



"I think it meant that when we get hurt, he hurts. But he isn't the type to say that is he?"



"Nah I guess yer right... but if that's right... That's so cool. I think I just fell in love with him again."



"Again? You've never stopped falling. You're just falling faster because he's pushing you along." Yugi's teasing smile faded. "He's pushing both of us." He crossed to wrap his arms around Jou's waist. "Thank you for allowing me in your love. I..."



Awkwardly, Jou patted his back, refuting gruffly, "It ain't like that. It's not 'allowin'. We both want ta love ya." Jou knew no matter how many times he said it, Yugi would take a lot of convincing. If he could get his hands on that no good Atemu for five minutes, he'd send him back ta his tomb fer good and make him regret ever leavin’ it in the first place. He knew that there was something wrong with the way the 'great pharaoh' had treated his supposed 'soul mate.' Jounouchi would never dream of doing what Atemu had done if he had any choice. He would never leave Seto or Yugi by choice - never. And that was exactly what Atemu had done. He'd chosen to leave Yugi, going to the land of the dead and taking Yugi's heart with him.



Seto, balancing the steaming cups, grumbled, "Damn it. You had to explain, didn't you Yugi?"



Yugi sent him a mischievous smile as he turned out of Jou's arms and took one of the cups. "I was saying thanks for letting me into your love." The playful look deepened. "You want a thank you hug?"



"Hnnn..." His blue eyes narrowed slightly. "As a down payment? Sure. But trust me, you will never pay off the debt. We won't take less than your everything." His eyes narrowed and he leaned forward aggressively. "Got a problem with that?"



Yugi's eyes went wide and blank for a split second, then suddenly he blinked and leaned forward in a match for Seto's dominant pose. "Not if you are paying the same."



Seto handed Jou his cup, holding Yugi's gaze with his own. Absently, he murmured, "I added six sugars so stir it." He nodded shortly to Yugi. "I never give less than one hundred percent." A small curve tilted his lips. "And you know Katsuya never gives less than his all so you can expect two fold return."



They continued to glare, not noticing when Jou grinned at them. They both started when he chuckled. "Just kiss already so we can get to doughnuts."



Yugi set his cup on the side table and tiptoed up just as Seto swooped down gave him a warm, chaste kiss. At least he meant it to be chaste, but Yugi shot that all to hell by wrapping his arms around him and pulling himself up. Yugi wrapped his surprisingly strong legs around Seto's waist and threw himself into the kiss with all the gratitude, love and passion he felt. Seto was surprised for about half a second before returning the deep embrace.



Jou stared for about ten seconds, practically drooling, before a wicked idea spawned and he whipped out his cell phone and snapped a quick picture. Smirking, he pocketed the phone and darted across the room. No way was he missing out on that incredibly hot snog session. Wrapping one arm under Yugi's butt to support his weight - and cop a feel of that oh-so-adorable ass, he leaned in and nuzzled his lips into Seto's neck, kissing and nipping at the long elegant curve.



Seto allowed himself exactly ten seconds to enjoy the sensation of holding Jou and Yugi before sighing and stepping back, reluctantly sliding his light burden to stand in front of him. Seeing the disappointment reflected in both sets of eyes, he shook his head ruefully. "I didn't go out to get coffee and doughnuts just to get distracted again. Breakfast and then work." Seeing the glance shared between the two best friends and reading it accurately, he tweaked Jou's nose and ruffled Yugi's hair. "No distracting me with kisses. I have to work and you both have to finish getting Jou setup in this house. I searched the kitchen and couldn't find paper towels anywhere.”



Just as he planned, both of them gasped and jumped back at his reminder of what was hidden in the kitchen. "E... Eh... Eh... Everywhere?" Jou paled as his eyes widened with terror.



Deciding he'd done enough damage, he just shrugged. "All the cupboards anyway." He smirked. "Let's eat then I have to run. I probably won't see you until tomorrow about noon for lunch when we go to the final fitting with Izzey. I'm going to be busy today and tomorrow morning. " He sank down on the couch, gesturing for them to join him. "What are your plans for the next couple days?"



Jou shifted uneasily, scratching the back of his neck and Yugi dropped his eyes to the floor before stammering, "We're going to finish moving Jou in and just hang out. I have to go back to the game shop for a while. Nothing special."



"Sounds boring." He gave them a small smirk.



Jou snarled half-heartedly, "We can't all get off on crushing the world."



The smirk turned to a grin. "Just as long as you get off to me I'm..." The rest of his smug tease was cut off by a barrage of pillows. For the moment, they were content with that.

  &&& Shout Outs  

​Mulle: Kaiba frustrates everyone. Just his nature. We could call it Mulled Macabre! That works for me.  

​Dragonlady222: Well anyone who has to get rid of a body would definitely have trust issues. And Kaiba is... well Kaiba. He likes things his way.

Mofaf: For you anything. Lol even death and sex. *giggles* You want Cupidity out... I know you do. Seto forced to play cupid - including bow and g-string... ROFL.  

Tellnoone: I saved your response for last simply because it is the longest.  Invitation to Darkness is where Seto is a Serial Killer and thinks Jou is his soul mate. Crystal Darkness is more of that story.   KATS - Kaiba Animorphic Transgenesis Specimens.  Kitty Bois...   Winding Road is... Actually my favorite story that I've written recently.  Jou comes back to Japan after several years away in an attempt to rebuild his life after several devastating events.  He finds the Yami's and Hikari's together - Kaiba Married to Kisara - And All of creation in jeopardy - because of HIM. Tell me which you want to read and I will post.