Title: The Ties That Bind Us
Author: Demitria Miriam
Rating: M
Pairing: Seto x Jou
Disclaimer: I do not own YGO and make no money off this piece of fiction.
Notes: First YGO fic. It was fun to come up with, hopefully it’s enjoyable, too. I think SetoxJou is my current OTP. I’m a total traitor to SessxInu (cry!). Also majority of names will be from original Japanese manga/anime, but a few will be from the English version (such as Roland, instead of Isono) and “mutt” instead of “make inu”. Sorry if this bothers anyone!
Summary: Kaiba Seto’s life is in danger and a worried Mokuba goes behind his brother’s back and enlists the help of one Jonouchi Katsuya. But what will happen when a gun is fired at Seto and the outcome is both familial and fatal?! Seto xJou.
Chapter 1: The Exhibit The city of Domino was all abuzz with the news of a geological find of the century coming to their modest city’s museum. The exhibit was to be displayed exclusively at the Domino Museum, graciously hosted by its two benefactors, Ishtar Ishizu and Kaiba Seto. The opening night was by invite only, the invitees a very selective group of press, greatly esteemed archeologists, world renowned history buffs and even a few highly invested and passionate duelists that were personally chosen by the mysterious Egyptian curator and Kaiba Corp.’s fierce CEO.
The exhibit itself contained the only intact and known Egyptian stone tablets that were once thought to be carved and protected by the Pharaohs and high councils of Ancient Egypt. The three carvings were to be unveiled this evening at the opening ceremony and were even a mystery to one rather anxious Kaiba Seto. The moment he’d received a call from Ishizu about the new findings and wanting to reveal them to the world in Domino City, Seto had immediately jumped at the chance, no questions asked, to provide and take care of anything from reserving a room for the exhibit, to security, to the party.
While he didn’t believe in any of the hocus pocus that Ishizu and Yuugi-tachi had spouted left and right about some past life and saving the world all those years ago, he did have a deep appreciation for history and duel monsters, especially when both were present as they were now. He found it fascinating, being able to possibly see the same tablets that Pegasus had once long ago stumbled upon, before creating the game of Duel Monsters.
And here he was, waiting impatiently in the conference room, listening to Maximillion Pegasus drivel on about how he thought the tablets he found were lost to discovery when the cavern he’d found them in had caved in unexpectedly as he left.
Seto looked around as he sipped the rather expensive red wine he’d been bothered to provide for the party goers. He caught sight of Ishizu talking comfortably with Dungeon Dice Monsters creator, Otogi Ryuji and what looked to be a slightly taller, though no less dorky looking, Mutou Yuugi.
Huh, it’d been eight years since he’d run into any of the dweeb squad, and he wasn’t necessarily surprised the boy had accepted the invitation to this momentous occasion. After all, he had sent a couple invitations out to the duelists he saw most worthy of the title
Duelist, and also happened to be interested in not only the game of duel monsters but the history of it as well. Yuugi was probably unaware, but Seto had acknowledged, long ago, the other’s talent, if not dumb luck, in dueling. Ra be damned if he ever mentioned it aloud though-
CRASH! The sound of a server careening into a guest interrupted Seto’s train of thought suddenly as he looked over toward the entrance.
Unacceptable. Nothing was to hinder tonight’s opening, and yet here the idiot worker had already lost his hold on the platter he carried, the glasses and precious red wine they held now all over the floor and the guest that’d just walked in.
In a flurry of quick excuses and sharp pardon me’s, Kaiba Seto strode over to the mess at hand, his face pulled into an aggravated sneer, the words “You’re fired!” trembling on his lips.
“No, no, it’s fine, don’t worry about it. I’m totally fine-“ the guest could be heard saying from his crouched position, helping pick up the glasses and wipe at the wine that covered him and the marble floor. “There, see? No harm done.”
“What the hell is going on,” Kaiba said from behind the waiter, who suddenly went rigid.
“K-K-Kai-“ the man began apologizing profusely. “G-gomen!”
“Sorry isn’t going to pay for the glasses broken and the yen wasted on each droplet of that foreign wine on the floor, is it?” Seto said tersely, snapping his fingers at another waiter to come help clean the mess up. “Clean this up and get him out of my sight.”
“Hey now, they were just a couple a glasses of wine, which you seem to have stored up to the ceiling in this joint, I’m sure five aren’t that big a deal to you to overlook, Kaiba,” the guest stood up more solidly and grinned.
Seto turned to fix the other man with a glare at having dared address him so informally before his words died right there on his lips.
Jonouchi Katsuya, Seto's mind provided. Before he had a chance to assess the differences of this Jonouchi from the one he'd last seen eight years ago, the dog opened his mouth.
“Heya, Kaib’. Long time no see, huh?” Jonouchi said, nodding goodbye to the waiter that took this chance to escape the wrath of his employer, before turning back to Kaiba and grinning. “So. Nice shindig ya got happening here.”
Seto shook his head briefly, coming to his senses before standing up straighter and leveling the other with a firm look of annoyance and boredom. “I didn’t expect to see you here,
mutt.”
Jonouchi’s mouth tightened briefly. “Ah, always with the jokes, Kaiba. And of course I’d come! I got an invite didn’t I? Quite possibly signed personally by one Kaiba Seto, CEO of Kaiba Corp.”
“I was hoping the big words in that letter would confuse you so much that you just gave up trying to discern it,” Seto said, a small grin pulling at the sides of his lips as he watched Jonouchi’s facial expressions stiffen and then relax.
“Haha,” the blond coughed out. “Well, admittedly, I didn’t actually
get the invite in time ta let ya know I’d be coming.”
Seto’s brows furrowed, “Then how-“
“Mokuba called me,” Jou grinned, enjoying the dumbstruck look Kaiba sported briefly before his eyes narrowed.
“That little brat,” he grumbled to himself.
“Well I was out of the country-“
“Katsuya!!” came a delighted cheer from behind Seto. A spiky fringe of hair zipped past him and situated itself into Jonouchi’s chest. “When did you get back? How long are you here for? Do you have a place to stay? It’s so good to see you! You look great!”
“Whoa, whoa, slow down, Yuug,” Jou laughed, peeling the slightly shorter male off of him, ruffling his hair. “Wow, look at chya! You’ve grown into that hair of yours!”
Yuugi laughed, “Yeah, you too! I like your tan! And-... Wait, why are you all sticky?”
“Uh, yeah, well, I had a little accident and ran into a waiter carrying wine. I should probably go change into that suit I was gonna wear tonight. Was hoping I could get away in jeans and a tee but guess not, heh,” Jou said, not missing the roll of Kaiba’s eyes.
“You?
Wearing, never mind
owning, a suit, mutt? This I’ve got to see,” Seto said, almost laughing at the image that sprang to mind. A dog in a penguin suit… Priceless.
“Come on, Kaiba, it’s been- what- eight years since we’ve all seen each other? Are you still going to go on with calling Jou a mutt?” Yuugi said seriously. Well, as seriously as he could with those big amethyst eyes of his, which he hadn’t grown into at all.
Before Kaiba could laugh out loud himself, Jonouchi beat him to it.
“Ahahaha!” Jou crowed, holding his stomach as he gasped out. “Ah, Yuug, I’ve miss you and that stupid panda look you get when you’re trying ta get people ta take you seriously. It kills me every time!” Jou nearly doubled over as his friend looked over at him confused.
“Jou, that’s not very nice,” Yuugi frowned slightly, not being able to be fully offended when he saw his best friend smile like he was.
“I’ll have to agree with the mutt, Yuugi. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get ready for the unveiling. Make sure Jonouchi changes before it happens,” Seto said as he turned around and walked toward Ishizu. “Stupid panda look...” he chuckled out loud to himself.
Yuugi sighed as he watched Kaiba leave.
“Come on, Yuug, I’ll go get changed and answer all the questions ya asked about earlier,” Jou said, tugging his friend out of the conference room, surprised when he ran into someone else. “Oh, ‘scuse me,” he said hastily before continuing on his way.
He only paused a moment after as he heard the definitive sound of sneakers walking on marble floor. Glancing briefly back at the male he’d just bumped into walking down the hall to the conference room, he blinked, his brow slightly furrowed as he thought it odd that a waiter, in his nice serving suit, would be adorning red sneakers.
Chapter end. A/N: What’d you think of it? I’m curious to know if this sucks or if you’d continue to read it. Almost done with chapter 2 and have a bit of chapter 3 already in the works!
