Yu-Gi-Oh
Fan Fiction

Chapters

Title: Mental Whiplash Author: Serena J Rating: R for use of the f-word and some sexual content Genre(s): Romance, Angst Pairing(s): Primary Jou/Seto, Secondary Yami/Yugi, Honda/Otogi Spoilers: none Beta: Mishiko Disclaimer: Just the words, not the folks. Summary: When Jou went to work this morning he did not expect Kaiba to appear. From that moment on, Jou just seems to get thrown for one loop after another.

- - - - - - - - - - -

It was another average night at the JK Video store. A few of the regulars had come through. A couple of the subscribers had picked up their monthly boxes. The video booths had been in non-stop use, but that was typical. The Live Performance booths had been around 50% - again pretty typical.

Jou no longer noticed the titles that he rang up for sale or rent. "Ass Lickers from the Moon" and "Teen Pussy 4" were pretty tame compared to some of the titles they carried. The German bondage tapes. The pregnant midget water sports. If Jou was going to be offended by every outrageous, perverted, demented thing he saw, he should have quit the job on day one! Instead, he kept conversations to one or two words, didn't pay attention to names or faces - beyond checking for legal age - and let people enjoy what they enjoyed.

In truth, he didn't think he could argue much about other people's obsessions. Not considering that he'd been in love with the same guy since high school. He'd never done more that whacked off over it - Kaiba was ridiculously straight - but after all this time, Jou could not forget the boy.

Those eyes. A deep blue that was warm in hue and cold in gaze. Piercing and hypnotic at the same time. Behind lay an ocean in which Jou longed to drown. Hair brown and soft - Jou'd copped a feel once and could still remember the tingle through his hand he'd felt from such a small stolen moment. A voice that made Jou hard just hearing it. Usually that voice was calling him 'mutt' or some other insult. But once, it had called him by name. Jou had a 'messy' finish nearly every night with that memory.

Jou was torn from his reverie by several boxes landing on the counter in front of him. "Sorry." He muttered and began ringing up the sale.

There was a membership card and a key on the top of the stack. Jou glanced at the customer. It was one of the regulars. An odd man; he always wore a trench coat, dark glasses, a large hat and a wig, rain or shine, winter or summer. Hat Man the staff always called him - they had nicknames for most of the regulars. The shop had many well-known customers, but the policy of no names on accounts had allowed many of them to relax. Whoever this man was, he was taking extreme pains to hide his identity.

It was a premium membership. The key was for one of the video booths and the card gave the man access to the live performance booths as well. The videos were all rentals with titles like "Paint My Face Yellow and White", "Bareback Dick and the Creampie Facial Kid" and "Anal Creampie Addicts". All gay. Not Jou's personal faire, but he found himself again wondering who was under that costume. Some old guy, no doubt. A politician or someone like that.

Jou tried to total the sale, but the register beeped and flipped to a membership screen.

"Oh." He said, reading. "You're due this month." The man in the hat pulled out a wad of cash but Jou shook his head and pointed to a sign on the register. "Plastic only for annual fees."

The man in the hat hesitated. Then he opened the coat allowing Jou a peek at a very expensive suit. The man pulled out a wallet and presented Jou with a prepaid credit card.

Jou stared at the wallet for a moment. It was leather, beautiful and clearly expensive. But what really caught Jou's attention was the KaibaCorp logo embossed on one side. The man in the coat, wig and hat worked for KaibaCorp. Had to. Kaiba had shown Jou a wallet like it once before and remarked that it had been custom made for him by a KaibaCorp leather smith.

The man tapped the card on the counter and Jou shook himself into focus. The system ran the card - it was the same one used to open the account; the name embossed read 'Blue Eyes' - and Jou gave the man the card and the receipt. The man took his videos and headed downstairs toward the booths.

Jou reopened the account view screen.

The membership card had only the account number, but the computer had the accountholder's name and address.

'Kaiba Seto' it read. The accountholder's address was Seto's address. The accountholder's date of birth was Seto's birthday.

Jou sat at the cash register and stared at the door that lead to the lower level stairs and the private booths where customers could watch what they wanted to watch, and do what they wanted to do in secret.

It couldn't be him.

Someone must be playing a joke. Or someone was using Seto's name and address. Kaiba was straight. Totally, publicly, painfully straight. Kaiba had a mansion - he could watch anything he wanted to in comfort and style. Kaiba sure as hell didn't jack off - he had a line of women than would take care of that!

It simply could not be Kaiba Seto in a tiny booth, with his cock in his hand, watching pornos of guys who take it up the ass and then push it back out. Kaiba could not be in a dark little room watching some boy get covered in pee. Kaiba wasn't the type to lick the cum out of another boy's butt, and getting off on it. Or did he want to be the one covered and licked...?

"Hey!"

Jou looked up to find a customer at the register. "Sorry." He muttered and rang up the sale. His heart was pounding. He was having trouble breathing. His cock was painfully hard.

It simply could not be Him.

Besides, it hadn't been that long since they seen each other. There was no way Kaiba would let Jou catch him in such a compromising position. Kaiba would have recognized him and never come back to the store. He would have left without the purchases rather than allow Jou to see his name.

Plus Hat Man was a regular - and not just any regular, he was one of the few who came in daily. Jou opened up the account again and looked at the history. There were some times when Hat Man didn't come in for weeks at a time. But most of the time, he was every day. All rentals, always a booth, very rarely a toy purchase - always high-end, mostly special ordered. The membership was six years old; which proved it wasn't Kaiba - they were still in high school then!

It couldn't be him! But....

But what if it was?

What if, right this minute, Seto was in a booth jerking off? What if he was watching gay porn and shooting a load right under Jou's feet right now?

Jou shivered. Another customer came up to the register and Jou checked out the sale. As the customer left, Jou caught sight of the obvious, over the store entrance.

The security camera.

There was one in every booth so that if anyone did any damage, the store could press charges. Ordinarily, the monitors were turned off to protect the customers' anonymity, but Jou had the password. His could turn it on, see that it wasn't Kaiba, and turn it off again. Then, Jou could get the image of Kaiba Seto stroking off out of his mind.

"Hey Ken," He called over the store intercom. "Come take over the front." A few minutes later, the assistant manager appeared. "Take over for the rest of the night. I gotta check some thing in the office."

"Sure, Boss."

Jou closed the office door behind him and locked it. He would have to scroll through the rooms to see where Hat Man was, and the whole store didn't need to know who was in any of them.

The first room was empty. The next two had other customers Jou recognized. Rooms four through seven were around the live performance. Jou didn't see Hat Man among the four men watching tonight's show. Room eight was empty.

Room nine. Room nine had a man wearing a hat, frantically yanking on a cock that made Jou choke just looking at it. He couldn't see the video screen and the hat blocked the man's face, but it was definitely the hat he was looking for. Jou couldn't resist watching the hand for a few minutes. What would it be like to suck something that big? How much cum would it spit out?

It couldn't be Seto. He'd seen the boy in gym class twice a week for years. If Seto was packing a python like that, Jou would have noticed.

The sound was muted, Jou realized. If he turned it on, maybe Hat Man's voice would confirm that he was not Seto.

Jou's heart was pounding, but he clicked the speaker icon. The sound of men groaning assaulted him. The video volume must be up to full, he thought. The booths were soundproof for just that reason - so that one man's spanking didn't ruin another man's bound-n-gagged.

Then there was another voice, one deep low moan. One syllable - "ka" - escaped before Hat Man's cock lurched and released shot after shot of thick white liquid.

Whoever he was, it was no wonder he watched the messy ones, Jou thought. He could star in one if that was his typical load.

In the monitor, Hat Man leaned forward and changed the video. He took his now semi-hard cock in hand and, shortly, began stroking himself again. Jou was stunned; most teenage boys don't have a recovery time like that, but Hat Man was clearly on his way to a second full erection.

Jou found his own hand rubbing himself through his pants. He glanced at the door. It wouldn't be the first time one of the staff had slipped into the office to relieve a bit of tension. He considered the thought for another minute, then opened his pants and began stroking himself in earnest, imagining that it really was Seto and that they were in the little room together.

Hat Man had rented five videos. Five times, he stuck a tape in the machine, fisted a cock the size of a novelty dildo, and shot out enough cum for ten guys. Jou had always thought that room nine was worst because it was farthest from the stairs. But after watching Hat Man, it was clear that he was the reason.

Jou's cock was actually sore by the time Hat Man left.

* * *

Hat Man was back the next night. If he recognized Jou, he didn't show it. Five more videos - "He Shot Cum Up My Ass", "Creampie Compilation", "Forced, Felched and Fucked", "Yellow Cream Collector" and "Messy Ass 2". After Hat Man went into the booth, Jou checked his history. All were tapes he'd viewed before. In fact, most of his rentals were duplications. Jou searched the store's inventory and discovered that there wasn't a lot in stock for that particular fetish.

Even if Hat Man wasn't Kaiba, the store should be more accommodating for a customer that loyal.

"Hey Ken, Come take over the register."

"I thought you wanted this stock out tonight?"

"It can wait. I gotta check the catalogue for a customer."

Jou locked the office door again. Hat Man was in room nine again. Jou turned up the volume so he could listen and maybe hear the voice he was desperate for. He also logged in to his distributor's catalogue and found a large selection of videos for the 'Creampie/Felching Connoisseur'. He ordered all of them plus the signage to create a new section in the videos for rental room. Then he closed the catalogue and watch Hat Man shoot off a video-worthy load for each tape he'd rented. Jou matched him, shot for shot, the whole time imagining that Hat Man was Seto. That the "ka" he moaned before each orgasm was for "Katsuya".

* * *

When the new tapes arrived, Jou watched one. "Messy, Messy Men". A thin plot about an all-male cleaning service - it featured nothing but water-sports, creampie, cum swapping, felching, and facials. Most of the 'cleaning' was done with the their tongues. Jou had never watched videos like those before, typically finding them a little too graphic for his personal taste. But the lead actor in this one had brown hair and made it easy to image that it was Kaiba on the screen. Kaiba moaning, begging, kissing, fucking, licking, sucking, swallowing....

Jou found himself replaying the scene with the brunette lead and a blond actor. Twice.

* * *

"Have I changed that much since high school?" Jou asked Yugi and Yami over dinner.

It had been two weeks since he realized who Hat Man might be - it couldn't be Kaiba, it simply couldn't - and the customer still had not acknowledged him.

Yugi and Yami exchanged a look. "What brought this on?" Yami asked.

"Everybody changes." Yugi observed. "Changed how?"

Jou frowned. "I don't know! Am I different now? Do I look different, act different? Like, if I hadn't seen you since graduation, would you know me?"

Yugi laughed. "Maybe! Let's see, you've been married and divorced, you own your own store, you cut your hair, you gained ten pounds -"

"For the better." Yami put in.

"Ten pounds you needed." Yugi agreed. "And you stopped wearing those tacky baseball t-shirts. Yeah, it might take me a minute or two to recognize you. Why? Who'd you run into?"

"Nobody special." Jou shrugged.

* * *

Hat Man did notice the new video section and systematically rented every new tape. It became standard practice that Hat Man was Jou's last transaction of the night. Then Jou would slip into the office, lock the door, turn on the room nine monitor, and dream that Kaiba was dreaming of him.

It was becoming a true obsession.

Every day, Jou checked the catalogues for new videos. He found a new distributor that carried a wider range of "questionable" videos, magazines and toys so he opened an account and ordered some things. When new merchandise came in, Jou rummaged the boxes, looking for things that Hat Man would probably enjoy.

Jou even started going to room nine first thing in the morning to watch the tapes that Hat Man watched. Just to revel in the knowledge that only a few hours ago Kaiba-might-be had been sitting in the same seat, coming all over the floor and the walls. And in a few hours more, might-be-Kaiba would be there again.

* * *

"You need to do something about it." Yugi said. Jou had been late for their weekly dinner. Again.

"I don't know why you won't just tell us what you're obsessing over." Yami added. "We'll hardly judge you for it."

"Thanks, guys, I know." Jou sighed. "Let me ask you something." He glanced around. The tables around them were empty, but he still found himself reluctant to discuss something that even in his industry was considered a bit outré. "Either of you know what 'felching' or 'creampie' is?"

Yugi choked on his soda and spent a minute or so coughing. Yami sipped his tea calmly. "We're familiar with the terms." The one-time Pharaoh commented dryly.

"Yami -" Yugi started once he could speak again.

"I didn't say a thing, beloved one." Yami chuckled.

"Yeah, Yugi." Jou found himself amused despite his personal crisis. "I didn't ask if you'd done 'em!"

Yugi did an actual spit take. "Yami!"

"Well, your response is rather a giveaway." Yami grinned, but stroked Yugi's cheek gently. "And you were delicious."

Yugi turned bright red. "We're in public!" He looked around for listeners. "There might be children around here!"

Jou found himself chuckling at his friend's embarrassment. "Relax, Yug! Yams didn't tell me anything. I got this customer with a serious fetish for the stuff." He sighed heavily. "I can't get the guy out of my head."

"Really?" Yugi looked hopeful. Then the man's eyes narrowed. "Let me guess; you won't talk to him, either."

"I tried." Jou shrugged. "I can't even get him to look at me, much less talk! Besides, I'm not really into that stuff. Just him."

"So again, you are in love with a man who barely acknowledges your existence." Yami stated. "Surely you grow tired of repeating this pattern?"

Jou hesitated, then shook his head. "Yeah, you're right. I need to let it go."

Yami was nodding, but Yugi shook his head. "No, Jou, don't give up! If you like this guy, then get his attention. Make him see you." Yugi took Yami's hand and squeezed it affectionately. "You don't know what will happen until you do."

* * *

Hat Man didn't come in. It was the third night in a row that he'd skipped his daily stop.

Jou knew that the account history showed two, sometimes three weeks where Hat Man was just gone. But it was driving him crazy. He was short with the staff and restless. His body felt out of sorts and his mind was constantly distracted.

Make him see you, Yugi had said. But it wasn't like Jou could just make an appointment at KaibaCorp and ask Seto himself! If he was Hat Man, that would be the last time Jou saw the man. And if Kaiba was not the well-disguised, silent customer - which he couldn't be for so many reasons - Jou didn't even know how he would start that conversation.

'Hey Kaiba, by any chance are you a fag who gets off on eatin' jizz outta some guy's ass?'

They'd be his last words.

It took another day or so for a good idea to form and another few days of him rejecting it before Jou's own frustration convinced him to try something.

He had plenty of video equipment. He went to a wig store and found someone who would cut and style one for him. He even had most of his high school clothing in a bottom dresser drawer. All he needed was a location.

* * *

Honda opened the door and looked at him. "Wow. Flashback! Is this a time warp? Am I in 2004 again?"

"Dude, don't even start!" Jou could feel his cheeks burn as his old friend stepped aside to let him in.

"You even got the hair right." Honda continued to tease. "Jeans are a bit tight, but...."

"Hey! I don't see you wearin' any of your old clothes!" Jou snapped. He felt self-conscientious and silly, and Honda was not helping.

"That's because Togi burned all my high school crap!" The larger man laughed. "I got my uniform jacket, and the rest he torched!"

"Aw, you couldn't fit it even if you had it!" Jou scoffed.

"Eh, probably not. Togi feeds me too well." Honda shrugged good-naturedly. "So anyway, what's this all about?"

"I just need to borrow a classroom for like an hour."

"Is this some freak sex thing I don't want to know about?"

"Dude, do you really want me to answer that?" Jou felt like his face was on fire.

"Probably not." Honda shook his head. "Use one on the third floor in the back. I'll be in my office if you want to go grab a couple drinks afterward." He turned and headed down the hall. "And if anybody sees you, I don't know you!"

"Thanks, pal!" Jou waved at Honda's retreating back.

As Assistant Headmaster of their old high school, Honda had access to the best location Jou could think of for this.

Maybe Kaiba really didn't recognize him now, so maybe if he saw him the way he used to look, back in the day, maybe that would get his attention.

Jou set up the camera on the teacher's desk, and put down a drop cloth so that clean up wouldn't be an issue. Then he pulled out the worse part of the idea.

He paused, locked the classroom door and then proceeded to blow-up the inflatable doll he specially ordered with short, brown hair. He placed the doll in the front row seat diagonally across from him. He put Kaiba's class picture on the back - where the camera wouldn't see it and sat in his second row seat.

He had a remote with a digital viewer, which allowed him to set up the shot. The camera could see Jou, full body, turned slightly to see the back of a brunette boy. He took a deep breath, threw one more glance at the door, and then started recording.

It was easier than he thought it would be, once he started. His memories of the real Kaiba, the more recent images of Hat Man, and his own frustrations all conspired to make jerking off in his high school classroom damn fast. Plus, he was able to get up a second time faster than he expected. He had to snicker at that; he'd never gotten up twice while he was married.

He positioned the doll so that the camera was focused on his cock, going in and out of the doll's surprisingly well-crafted asshole. Then, he fucked the doll - calling it 'Seto' and, for a moment, convincing himself that it was real.

Then Jou got to the hard part. The doll was made for the task, but Jou still wasn't sure how he felt about the act.

Still, if Hat Man was Seto, he was going to have to do it eventually. He squeezed the specially designed ass cheeks gently until cum began dripping out. Then, he licked it.

On reflection, it wasn't bad. A little salty, maybe, but that was ok. And it was his so he did know the source was clean. He took a second and third lick. He could get used to it. Especially if it was going to be Seto's ass it was coming out of.

That thought spurred him on and before he'd considered what he was doing, he'd cleaned all of it.

Jou had to laugh at himself. You are a sick puppy, he thought. At least I don't have to do the facial now.

He did need a few cut-a-way shots of the two wigs, so he refocused the camera and got back into the proper position. Much to his surprise, he found that he was hard again. Imagining fucking his unrequited love was extremely effective.

He was able to get the cut-a-ways and another orgasm in the bargain. Jou wanted to stop and catch his breath, but he also knew that the tapes Hat Man really liked were the ones that were messiest.

Jou reset the camera angle, lay down and pulled the doll - ass first - over his face.

"Alright moneybags," he said quietly. "Let your puppy have it." He closed his eyes and squeezed hard.

His cum shot out in a wide spray drenching his face and neck. A second squeeze covered any spots the first missed. He put the doll down and got a several second shot of his covered face.

Then Jou used the drop cloth to clean his face. And the desks. And the uncovered places on the floor. He put on his pants, packed his equipment, and left without saying goodbye to Honda. He didn't think he could stand the embarrassment.

Jou didn't attempt to edit the video for another day or so. He didn't actually think he could watch himself like that.

When he saw the tape, though, he was surprised. The image did look like the boy he remembered being in high school. And it was unexpectedly hot to watch himself. Moreover, as he edited, he knew that every moment would thrill Hat Man. The final scene was stunning. He had cum in his hair, on his shirt, everywhere!

He put the tape in a box under the register and waited for Hat Man to return.

* * *

It was almost four weeks and Jou was beginning to believe that he had lost another of life's rare opportunities when Hat Man arrived and went up to the video rental room as if he hadn't been gone even a day.

"He's back, finally, eh?" Ken remarked. "You want me to take the register now, boss?"

"No." Jou found his hand shaking. "I got it."

"Uh-huh." The clerk went back to unloading stock.

When Hat Man did finally make it to the register, Jou got the tapes he wanted and then added the one below the register.

"This one's new - no fee. I been holding it for you special." He didn't wait for the customer's response, just rang up the rental as usual, then turned around and began restocking returns.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jou watched Hat Man glanced at the title - Katsuya At School - and then picked it up without any visible response. Jou watched him head off to the video booths.

"I got it, boss." Ken said, suddenly next to Jou. "You seriously need to take the edge off."

Jou was about to snap at the man until he realized that his employee was right. "Yeah. Sorry."

The clerk shrugged. "Hey, sometimes it's just like that."

Jou went into the office and locked the door. Hat Man was in room nine and watching a tape that was a lot louder than Jou's. They went through Hat Man's normal routine for the first three tapes.

Then Hat Man picked up the fourth. He glanced at his watch, hesitated another moment then inserted the tape.

Jou watched as Hat Man sat up straight, but his cock sprang back to life. After a few minutes, Hat Man groaned.

"Katsuya."

For a moment, Jou thought he would pass out.

That voice.

That voice called his name. That voice, The Voice. Kaiba Seto's voice.

Jou watched as Kaiba rewound the tape and watched it again.

And when he left the store for the night, Kaiba took Jou's tape with him.

* * *

But for the next week, nothing changed. Hat Man came in at the usual time, rented three to five tapes, and went down to the booths. Even when Jou tried to speak to him, Kaiba ignored him.

Jou did the only thing he could think of - he made another tape.

This time he did it in his apartment. He used the blow up doll again and did a lot of moaning and groaning for the camera. He used the doll's dildo attachment and let "Seto" fuck him. When Jou came, he aimed at the camera lens, telling "Seto" how hot he looked with his face covered in cum.

He felched the doll again, and this time double loaded it before doing the facial. He was able to paint most of his body. This tape he edited immediately and had waiting the next day for Kaiba.

This time, he didn't say anything. He simply placed "Katsuya At Home" on the top of the stack and rang up the rental.

This time, Jou's tape was the first one Kaiba watched. It was the only one he watched. He watched it four times and came hard several times. Room nine looked like somebody spilled a couple gallons of milk.

But again, 'Hat Man' left the store without a word.

* * *

The next day, Jou came in early. First, he called the Live Performers for the day and gave them the night off. Then, he set up a camera in the live room.

He put on the wig and the tee shirt, his socks and tennis shoes. Then he sat down, legs spread wide, and started recording. Fairly quickly, he brought himself to a simple, no frills orgasm.

"Ok, so I thought I knew who you were, but maybe I'm wrong. Anyway, these tapes are kind fun, but my hand's gettin' tired and that doll's cold. If you want to take this to the next level, go through the 'Staff' door next to the stairs. Otherwise, this is the last one of these I'm doing."

When 'Hat Man' arrived, Jou gave Ken the new tape. "Give this to Hat Man when he checks out. I gotta take care of something personal, so lock up for me. I'll close out the register in the morning."

"Sure, boss."

Jou hurried down to the live room - conveniently closed for repairs - and donned his 'costume'. He sat in the chair in the center of the room and closed his eyes. Slowly, as much to kill the nerve-wracking minutes as to relax himself, he began stroking his cock. Hoping he'd need it ready soon.

Finally, he heard the door open. He opened his eyes, to find 'Hat Man' watching him.

"Who are you?" Seto's voice asked.

"Kaiba!" He snapped, standing up. "Are you dense? I'm Jounouchi!"

"You certainly appear to be him. But you are not."

"The fuck?"

"Perhaps you are related to my former classmate, but I happen to know that you are not he. Jounouchi Katsuya moved to America with his wife. They reside in New York and have one son."

Jou frowned. "I moved back when the bitch divorced me. She never even let me see my son."

"You provide your own proof that your story is false. Jounouchi lost his Japanese citizenship. And he is currently known by his paternal name - Wheeler, as I recall."

"You need to update your sources, dude!" Jou chuckled. "I wasn't there long enough to lose anything - and since I was under 20 when I came back, no harm, no foul." He took off the wig. "Hair's shorter and I put on a few, but it's me." Jou gestured to Kaiba's coat and hat. "You gonna keep that shit on all night, or what?"

"I prefer some discretion."

"Kaiba, I know it's you." Jou said gently. "You don't have to hide from me."

"I still have my doubts about you." Kaiba remarked. "Presumably you want something." He sighed. "What?"

"What do I want?" Jou asked in disbelief.

"Yes. Clearly your position here has allowed you some insight into my baser nature. Obviously you realized that it is something I prefer to keep separate from the rest of my life. My fiancée is unaware of how I spend my evenings and I wish to continue that arrangement. Therefore, I acquires. How much?"

Jou's brain was reeling from one word. "Fiancée? You're gettin' married?"

"Technically, she is already my wife, but we will have a public - official - service in May."

"Oh." Jou turned away. He found the chair again and sat heavily. "Oh. Wow."

"Is there something wrong with that?"

"I just thought ... I mean, you seemed...."

"You thought I was homosexual."

"Yeah."

"I am."

"What?"

"I am." Kaiba shrugged. "I vastly prefer male partners."

"Then ... Oh. You're marrying a guy." I waited too long, Jou lamented silently.

"Of course not. My wife is an arranged marriage to the eldest daughter of another Imperial vassal. I am quite sure she has any number of lovers at her disposal, but frankly, I haven't the least attraction to her. I shall be glad when she is pregnant with our second child; she is carrying our first now."

"Wait." Jou was not at all sure he was absorbing all of the conversation. "You're bi?"

A single chime sounded and Kaiba frowned. "I've wasted my entire evening. I trust tonight's fees will be refunded? Tomorrow night let me know what it will cost me to keep this out of the media." He left the room.

* * *

Jou was still trying to absorb the conversation when 'Hat Man' returned the next night. When he put his selections on the counter, there was an envelope between them.

'We need to talk, mutt.' It read. 'Where?'

I guess he verified my story, Jou thought wryly.

"Room nine's being cleaned." Jou announced as he rang up the sale. "Try twelve." Twelve was big enough for two chairs. "And I gave you a credit for the broken tape yesterday."

When Jou handed back the card and the receipt, Kaiba waited. Jou realized almost immediately what for. "Sorry, that guy didn't do another one." Even behind the dark glasses, Jou could feel that icy blue stare. Kaiba took the tapes and went down.

Ken appeared and took over the register.

Jou gave Ken the keys again. "If I'm not back, lock up again."

"Sure, boss." The man agreed, unparsed.

First, Jou went to the office and verified. Room nine was empty; Hat Man had already started his normal routine in twelve. Jou turned off the recording in that room.

Then he went down himself.

The door was unlocked. Jou locked it with the key; only Ken would be able to open the door before they finished.

Kaiba was watching "Creampie Party Boy" - the scene where the entire frat house deposits inside the lead actor. The dark glasses were on top of the tape player; Kaiba's eyes were almost closed as he continued to stroke himself, apparently oblivious to Jou's arrival.

Jou found himself in utter turmoil. Every fantasy he'd ever had was sitting beside him, inviting him to indulge. Jou's mouth was actually watering at the sight; his cock was begging for attention.

But if Kaiba was getting married - and soon to be a father! - then this could never be a real relationship. At best, Jou would be a secret lover, kept hidden away. He didn't want that. Whatever they had, if they had anything, it had to be open. Being private was one thing, but Jou didn't want to live his life in secret again.

But at the moment, Kaiba was coming and all thoughts of right, or honest, or real fled from Jou's mind. Kaiba moaned and gasped and shot an amazing amount of semen across the floor. Jou realized that the man's pants where hanging neatly on the chair behind him and smiled slightly; he'd wondered how Kaiba managed not to drench them.

Slowly, Kaiba's eyes opened. He reached out and stopped the tape. "How much?"

Jou opened his mouth, but nothing came out. How much, he asked? Jou tried again. "How...? Do you really think this is about blackmail? You think I'd do that?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't you?"

"Dude, we been friends since high school!"

"I don't have friends." Kaiba asserted.

Jou wanted to tear his hair out. "Are you mental? And take that stupid hat off!" He snatched the hat off and tossed it toward the door. Kaiba was hot even with long, fake, black hair, but Jou tossed the wig aside too. Kaiba looked up as him just as devastatingly handsome as he was all those years ago. "Why would I have made those tapes, if this was about blackmail?"

"Ah. I see." Kaiba looked thoughtful. "Yes. They were stunningly effective. How much do you need? Are you planning a full production company or to make a few customized products?"

"What?"

"I would be interested in a joint venture."

"A...a joint venture?" Jou stared at him. "Does your brain ever even register anything without dollar signs?"

The executive sighed. "This would be simpler if you simply told me what you wanted."

"What I want?! How is this hard?" Jou grabbed Kaiba's face and kissed him. Kissed him the way he longed to, the way he'd dreamed of, the way he knew he'd never be able to again.

After a moment, Kaiba responded. Jou felt the arms that had always held him at bay, circle around his waist and pull him close. The tongue that had always lashed him caressed his own as if it too was hungry for something more. The cock his was now sitting on was thick and hard and throbbing against the crotch seam of his pants.

Eventually Jou had to breathe and ruefully released Kaiba's lips.

"Of course, what you appear to be suggesting is quite out of the question." Kaiba didn't even seem breathless. "I cannot have a male lover."

"What?" Jou had been just a bit dazed - happily - but Kaiba's words snapped him out of it. "Wait, what?!"

"My...preferences are far too unique. An ordinary male lover could be hidden; many men in my circumstances do, in fact, have a paramour discretely kept at a club or overseas love nest. I did investigate such a possibility at one point. However, the full-extent of my desires are such that no organization could guarantee me complete anonymity. This little establishment of yours has afforded me the only true sexual release I have known." He nodded slightly. "I have recommended it - discretely - to a number of others."

Jou shook his head. "Bullshit! Dude, you're just not that weird. I could show you weird shit! What you have is a fetish that grosses some people out. So what?"

Those cold eyes turned even colder. "Do you not understand who I am? KaibaCorp lives and dies on its products and my reputation. To be outted as gay would be damaging, but more than likely, I could overcome such. To have a fetish that - as you say - grosses out some, would destroy the carefully crafted image of KaibaCorp being 'child friendly'."

"Oh." Jou said, realizing the truth of Kaiba's words. "Yeah."

"And it is not just my own income for which I am concerned. KaibaCorp employs almost 100,000 people. I do not have the right to allow my personal pleasure to put so many financial lives at risk."

"Yeah." Jou nodded, sadly. He should have expected that there was no way he could ever be with Kaiba. Even for a night. "Yeah. I see."

"As much as seeing you pains me, however, I must thank you."

"Why's that?" Jou could not imagine why Kaiba found seeing him 'painful'.

"I could not have impregnated my fiancée without that tape you made."

"Come again?"

Kaiba actually smiled. "It provided enough motivation for me to complete my task the week you gave it to me. We have been trying unsuccessfully to conceive for several months. I confess the failing was mine; even with the assistance of alcohol, I could not 'finish' with her. Or, indeed, any woman."

Jou couldn't help snickering. "You should have gone to see her first. You never had any trouble 'finishing' in here!"

"I did. I also tried seeing her after. But there was only ever one thing I wanted to see."

"Yeah? What was that?"

Those blue eyes lost a bit of focus. "Katsuya, covered in my seed, calling my name."

Jou swallowed hard. He never ever expected to hear such an admission from the normally closed man. The words made his heart pound; made his whole body shake. It made Jou aware that Kaiba had not let him go.

"With that image, I could have impregnated a thousand women." Kaiba smirked. "I would not be at all surprised if my mistress was also with child."

Jou stared at Kaiba as the last sentence sunk in. "Your mistress? You're gettin' married and you got a mistress? Jesus, Kaiba! I mean, I knew you were an asshole, but that! And for a guy who claims to be gay, you're bangin' a lot of chicks!"

Kaiba merely laughed. "Just two. I assure you, I have no real interest in either of them. Yoko is the Emperor's second cousin. They are not making it public, but the Emperor would like to restore certain genetic lines to the imperial family. He wishes Yoko and I to have at least two daughters, who would then be of sufficient social rank to marry future princes."

"That explains the fiancée." Jou scowled.

"My wedding is scheduled for this coming May, however, I could discharge the duty faster if I were to impregnate another woman of suitable rank."

"Where you gonna find someone equal to the Emperor's cousin?"

"Another of his cousins, of course." Kaiba said with a shrug. "Rie's a bit younger and fears that she will be made to marry some dottoring old fool. She has no interest in children or the Empire, and would happily wed a man who would allow her to travel at will."

"Which would suit you just fine."

"Indeed."

"Man, you are a piece of work!"

"Thank you."

"That wasn't a compliment." Jou tried to push out of Kaiba's lap, but his would-be lover would not let him go. "Alright, what?"

"Am I so selfish to want to hold you this once?"

"You could have held me years ago if you'd just said something instead of callin' me 'mutt' all the time."

Kaiba shook his head. "It was impossible even then. I didn't understand the full extent of my desires, but I was already well aware that my tastes were not typical. The previous owner of this establishment once called my choices 'disturbing'."

Jou raised an eyebrow at that. "Ray thought you were disturbing? Ray had a pretty thick skin."

"You don't carry everything that catches my eye."

"So what else do you wanna see? If we don't have it, I can get it."

Kaiba smiled sadly. "I am afraid that I won't be able to test that challenge. This is the last night I will visiting your shop."

"But .... But why? I mean ...! Damn it! I just found you again!"

"I am known here now."

"Yeah, but I've always known you."

"I cannot be assured that your employees will be as trustworthy."

"Look, to all of them, you're 'Hat Man'. The only one who has access to the credit card data and your real name is me."

"Indeed." Kaiba looked thoughtful.

"But, Kaiba - this, this will kill me. Every time I see you, I just want you so much. But I can't do a married man. I been on the other side of that one. I can't do that."

"I'm only technically married."

"Until May."

"And the marriage I will be in will be a sham regardless of which woman I wed."

"So not the point." Jou tried to get up. "Are you going to let me go?"

"No."

"I can't just sit here all night." In fact, Jou wasn't sure how much longer he could 'just' sit there. Kaiba's cock was still hard and still pressing against him in a way that Jou was finding hard to ignore.

"Why not? For once, I don't have to go rushing off. My fiancée believes I am with my mistress; my mistress believes I am with my fiancée. I have an evening free to spend here. I would prefer to spend it with you, but if you are not willing, I have several more tapes to view."

Jou shook his head. "Not even right."

"I don't think you understand how important this is to me. Imagine you have one night to indulge any fantasy. I have one chance to spend the night with my mutt; I assure you, I do not wish to spend it talking."

"Your note said you needed to talk."

"That was before I realized that you wanted more than simply money. What you are implying is that you want more than I can give you. Therefore, allow me to give you one night. Whatever you desire, I will allow it. Tomorrow, we return to our lives as if it never happened."

Jou shook his head. "I can't do that. One night with you? I'd never get it out of my head. I'd spend the rest of my life wishing we'd done more. Hell, I spent my life up til now wishing I'd at least kissed you!"

"And when did you become so enamored with me?"

"The first day you walked into class. I been hard for you ever since. When did you start looking at me?"

Kaiba smirked. "The day we meet. You looked like you'd just rolled out of bed and I couldn't think of anything more delightful than pushing you into mine."

"So why give me so much grief all the time?"

"To push you away, of course. All of you. The moment you become of value to me personally is the moment you become a liability."

Jou laughed. "Yeah, if we'd done it in high school, I'da told everybody!"

"And I would have buried you in a shallow grave." Kaiba smirked. "It was you that drove me here, in truth."

"Me? What did I do?"

"You made it impossible for me to concentrate. My sexual frustration was palpable. Kogoro recognized it for what it was, and realizing both my lack of social peers and my preference for varied options, opened an account for me here. The previous owner was concerned about my age, but we managed to assure him that it would not be an issue."

"How'd you convince Ray of that?" Jou remembered watching Ray lecture one set of parents who tried to bring an infant in with them. He could not imagine the old codger allowing in a teen.

"We brought the local magistrate in with us and opened an account for him." Kaiba smiled slightly. "I used to spend hours in the booths watching everything from hetero-softcore to extreme gay bloodplay cock-n-ball torture. I began to understand how unusual my tastes were by how narrow the range of videos that appealed to me. You have expanded some sections considerably. Again, thank you."

"Some?" Jou rolled his eyes. "Send me a wish list of what's missing!"

"Katsuya in Chains." Kaiba purred. "Katsuya Gangbanged by 50 Monster Cocks. Katsuya and the Fucking Machine." Jou felt Kaiba getting even harder as he rattled off his desired titles.

"Katsuya Says Hell No!" He interjected.

"Katsuya on Top. Katsuya Made Me Do It. Katsuya My Master. Yes, I want to see all those too." Kaiba sighed. "Why are we not having sex now?"

"Dude! You're givin' me mental whiplash, here!" Jou squirmed to get out of Kaiba's grip - which only served to highlight the fact that Jou was just as hard as Kaiba. "You go hot and cold with no warning!"

"I can't seem to stop myself. The longer I hold you, the stronger my desire becomes and, frankly, the less I am concerned about the repercussions." Kaiba held Jou's eyes for a moment. "The less I am concerned about anything outside this room."

Kaiba's lips seemed closer suddenly. They seemed to touch Jou's without warning. Jou wanted to stop him; there was too much baggage here - too much wrong with them kissing.

Or rubbing. One of Kaiba's hands slid down Jou's back, slid inside the top of his jeans and began caressing his lower back. The hand pushed further down, cupping Jou's ass.

"Those videos. The way they're filmed." Kaiba was panting now. "I never see your ass. That was the last straw for me. In high school. In the locker room, after gym. I passed you in the shower and nearly embarrassed myself in public." He went back to trying to swallow Jou's entire mouth.

"Kai-Kaiba, stop." Jou was quickly succumbing to the seduction, but was still trying to resist. Not with a wife. Not with a wife and kid! "Not like this." But even his hands rebelled when he put them on Kaiba's chest to push and found them pulling instead.

"I knew that day, that if I didn't find some sexual release, I was going to take you. I was going to take you in the locker room and rape you where you stood."

"That's what your right hand's for, dude." Jou quipped, trying not to imagine the scene. He wished he'd thought to film in the gym instead of the classroom; many of his own fantasies had been set there.

"I didn't know how." Kaiba sighed.

"Didn't know how what?" Jou managed to pull his mouth away for long enough to get the whole question out.

"To masturbate." Kaiba shrugged. "I had no brother or father to ask or even emulate. I had no friends. I simply had raging hormones and a sexual tension that was burning me alive."

"I didn't think that was something you had to learn. Most guys just do what comes naturally."

"Very little came naturally to me."

From what Jou knew of Kaiba's upbringing, he could see that being true. "So what did you do?"

"I learned." Kaiba smiled slightly at the memory. "My first explorations here in the store were overwhelming. I didn't know where to start. I finally simply picked a tape with a man on the cover who was satisfying himself and copied what he did. Over time I became more discerning." Kaiba ran his fingers through Jou's hair. "Frequently I selected tapes of men with blond hair."

"Yeah? Top or bottom?"

"Both. Which would you prefer?"

Jou had to stifle a groan; he'd never been able to answer that himself. Both, he thought, but managed not to say.

"Which would you prefer now?" Kaiba cooed.

Jou felt his rectum clinch as he remembered the size of the cock he was sitting on. He swallowed hard when he realized he was having trouble answering. "We really - I need to go lock up."

"I think the most foolish decision of my life is the one that brought me here tonight." Kaiba said, thoughtfully. "You do understand that I am not leaving until I have heard you scream your throat raw."

"Is that a threat?" Jou narrowed his eyes.

"That, my dear mutt, is a promise." Kaiba let go of Jou with a surprisingly playful kiss. "Go. Lock up. Shut down your register. I will wait here."

"Here?" Jou stood up slowly. He couldn't help staring at the beast between Kaiba's legs. "You sure you don't want to come up and hang out." He tore his eyes away. "We could go get a couple drinks and discuss old times." And I could calm down, Jou thought.

"Perhaps. If I get bored." Kaiba leaned forward and restarted the tape. "Sure you don't want to watch?"

Jou was sure. Watching tonight would lead Jou into things he didn't want to do - morally. Physically, he was going to hate himself for the rest of his life for walking away.

When Jou got to the register, he found all three of his night staff standing around, looking anxious. Ken was still behind the counter, but the register was off. Jou glanced at his watch; it was half an hour past the store's closing time.

"What, you guys live here now?"

"Don't keep us in suspense!" Laiko burst. "What did he say?"

"What did who say?" Jou asked, confused. He had enough going on without his staff getting squirrelly.

"Hat Man!" Ichiro was sitting on the counter itself. "Is he going to produce the Katsuya Videos?"

"Is he WHAT?" Jou shook his head hoping he was just hearing things.

"Katsuya at Home, Katsuya at School. Is he going to produce them?"

"HOW THE FUCK - "

Laiko laughed. "Boss, you left the tapes under the counter. We didn't know what they were til we played them." She blushed slightly. "And uh, wow!"

"So who the fuck said anything about Kai- Hat Man wantin' to produce shit?! Who the fuck said anything about him having the money to produce shit?!"

"Seriously, Boss?" Ken shrugged. "He's an ultra platinum membership. The only other one of those is that Arab guy - and he told us himself he's a prince!"

"Besides, Boss, the question isn't how'd we find out you made a porno; the question's are you gonna make any more?"

"Good evening, sir." Laiko said suddenly, bowing formally.

Jou looked around to find Kaiba trying to slip out behind him.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" He exploded.

Kaiba was in his complete 'Hat Man' gear - trench, wig, hat, glasses.

'One minute, he was implying he wanted to rape me', Jou thought, 'the next, he's trying to sneak out.' Jou felt like he was having a bad acid trip. Nothing was making sense. Kaiba wanted him? His staff thought he was making porns professionally? He badly needed five minutes of calm and a stiff drink.

"Sir, I know it's probably not my place," Laiko continued as if nothing was unusual, "but we are Jounouchi-san's staff, and we just wanted you to know that if you will produce that tapes, we will help make more. We support Boss 100%."

Kaiba's head turned toward Jou and the blond could feel those cold eyes burning through him. "No, wait! I don't know what these idiots are talking about. I'm not trying to become some AV star!"

"I don't mind being the star." Ichiro tittered.

"Shut up!" Ken joined Laiko and bowed to Kaiba. "Sir, Boss is just embarrassed. He didn't know we'd seen the tapes - he left the first one with some other stock and we found it and put it out before we realized what it was."

"WHAT!"

Kaiba's lips pressed into a thin line, but he gestured the two to continue the story.

"Dayshift saw it first." Laiko admitted. "Tabanna didn't actually recognize you, Boss, so he entered it in the system as a new title and put it out. It got a good 50 rentals before Boss saw it in the restock bin and told us to leave it under the counter."

"Then when he gave it to you - and made the second one - we figured out you were a producer." Ken finished.

Jou pulled Kaiba aside. "Look, I know what you're thinking," he whispered, "but I am not trying to squeeze you for money!"

Kaiba pushed Jou away and stepped back over to the employees. "You believe Jounouchi would be successful?" He asked in a voice deeper than usual.

"I won't be successful because I'm not doing it!"

Kaiba turned suddenly and pulled Jou well away from the group. "I rather like the idea. I can never have you in the flesh, but this appeals to both my monetary and sexual desires." Even behind the dark glasses, Jou could see the man leering.

"Speaking of, I thought you weren't leaving until you hurt me or something! What the hell is this sneaking out bullshit?"

"A moment of clarity. You are quite correct. One night with you would never satisfy me. But this could perhaps give me a measure of pleasure without infringing on your moral issues regarding my alleged wife." He stepped away from a rather overwhelmed Jou. "If this is your production team, I am very impressed with their audacity." Kaiba said in a loud, fake voice. He turned to face them. "I do prefer those that take their destinies into their own hands." He looked at Ken, Laiko and Ichiro. "Will you three work directly with Jounouchi?"

Ken and Laiko looked at each other, excited, while Ichiro crowed like something good happened. "Yes, sir!" Ken replied for the group, "I used to help my brother-in-law film weddings and stuff, and Laiko makes AMVs."

"I placed third at my last convention." She offered. "Itchy's just horny all the time."

"But that means he'll always be ready to shoot," Ken put in quickly. "So that's good."

"Yes, it is." Kaiba nodded. "Very well. You have my commitment. ¥50,000 to start. We'll call it..." Kaiba paused. "...ah, yes. Hatman Productions. Yes?"

They all laughed. "Yes!" They all bowed. "Thank you, Hatman-sama."

"Excellent! I will send my agent and the funds tomorrow evening, after your closing time. I believe I know just the man I wish to assign to this project."

* * *

He arrived just as they were closing the store for the night, as Ken was ringing up the last customers.

"Sorry, we're closed." Jou said without paying much attention to who was at the door.

"We can make an exception." Ichiro breathed.

"Seriously!" Laiko agreed.

Jou looked up.

The boy in the entranceway moved to let the last customers out. "Hatman-sama sent me here." He said in a soft voice.

The voice was husky, but somehow almost timid. The boy had waist-length black hair and deep brown eyes. Something about the shape of his face was familiar, but Jou could not quite place it. Besides, dressed as he was - skin-tight jeans, a see-thru and torn tank top, and dog collar complete with leash - it was difficult to worry about details while looking at him.

"I'm beginning to love Hatman." Ichiro grinned. "Tell me you're an AV actor!"

"Hatman-sama said I'm whatever Jounouchi-sama says I am." The boy said looking away shyly.

Jou frowned. He figured Kaiba would show up; he seemed excited about making a video; why would he suddenly send this kid instead? And he did seem damn young. "What's your name, kid?" Jou asked, suddenly suspicious.

The boy reached into his back pocket and handed Jou a note. "Hatman-sama said to give you this."

'You're not a very bright mutt, are you?' the note read. It was wrapped around a check for the ¥50k.

Suddenly Jou realized who he was looking at. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me!" He muttered. He took a closer look at the boy.

The boy's lip lifted just slightly at the corner. His eyes, though brown, were cold. "Oh, fuck me!" Jou groaned.

"If you'd like." Kaiba said in his new fake voice. "Hatman-sama told me I should do anything you want. Use me Jounouchi-sama." The words sent blood surging down Jou's body.

"Oh that line is so going into the script!" Laiko cackled. "Say it again, only make it 'Katsuya'."

"Will I be working with him?" Kaiba grinned - an extremely unnerving expression from Jou's point of view. "I saw his tape; he's very sexy."

"That's him!" Ken said, pointing to Jou.

Kaiba threw his arms around Jou's neck. "Use me, Katsuya-sama. Fuck me like I'm a virgin!" The others chortled as Kaiba whispered in Jou's ear, "I really am a virgin, you realize. I have never had a male lover."

Kaiba let go of Jou and slipped past him before the man could respond to the admission.

"Ok, I'm Ichiro. She's Laiko and the workaholic is Ken."

"Honored to meet you all." Kaiba said as he bowed low. Jou rolled his eyes.

"So who are you?" Laiko asked.

"Call me," Kaiba looked over his shoulder at Jou, "BottomBoy."

* * *

In the Live Performance room, things did not get easier for Jou.

Kaiba seemed to be in his element.

"So let's just do a few warm up shots, ok?" Ken said. "Boss, you can get into character while I get Itchy and Scratchy on tape."

"You're just jealous because I'm sexy!" Ichiro tossed back lightly.

"Yeah, and after Hatman pays us to put your clothes back on," Laiko teased, "You will finally kill that ego!"

"Puh-lease!" Ichiro scoffed. "Hatman does not do tuna!"

"Laiko is very pretty." Kaiba cooed. "I'm sure Hatman-sama would like to watch her."

Jou scowled at Kaiba. "Would he? Really."

Kaiba managed to look almost bashful. "Hatman-sama has very unusual viewing tastes."

"Does he." This whole 'make a video' idea was even worse than Jou thought it would be.

"You already know about that?" Ken sounded relieved. "Good, I wasn't sure how to explain it to you. Tell you what, BB, why don't you go first."

"Me?" Kaiba demurred. "What should I do?"

"Just undress for us. Nothing fancy."

"Will Katsuya be watching?" he asked, staring at Jou.

Despite the contact lenses, those eyes were still piercing. "Yeah." Jou found himself answering. "I'll watch."

Kaiba stripped. Slowly. He managed to take twenty minutes to remove a shirt, pants and shoes and three out of four cocks were rock hard when he finished.

"How was that?" Kaiba asked when he was down to nothing but a collar and leash.

"Can I spray him now?" Ichiro moaned. "That was the hottest thing I've ever seen."

"Uh, yeah." Laiko agreed. "I mean, sploush."

"What did you think, Jounouchi-sama?" Kaiba asked in a voice laced with innocence.

Jou wiped the sweat from his brow. "Uh...wow."

"Did it make you want to take me?" Kaiba pressed.

"Hell it made me want to take you!" Laiko quipped.

"Uh..." Jou couldn't think. Kaiba was on his knees crawling toward him and Jou was running out of reasons not to fuck the man raw.

"Hey boss, why don't you just knock out a quick one just so we can get it on tape." Ken suggested. "I'll keep your head out of shot since you don't have the wig on yet."

"Here, I'll help." Kaiba offered.

"No - you don't - oh! I - ! Jeeezzz!" Kaiba wrapped his lips around Jou's cock. Jou wanted to push him away, but couldn't. He put his hands on Kaiba's head and held it gently. Firmly.

Kaiba had clearly never given anyone a blowjob before. He caught Jou with his teeth several times. And Ken kept reminding them to move BB's hair aside.

But Jou was in heaven. Kaiba was sucking his cock. It was the first time Seto had ever sucked anyone and it was Jou he was sucking. "So good!" He heard himself moan. Kaiba groaned in response.

"Hey BottomBoy." Ichiro yelled out. "You like sucking Boss' fat dick in front of us like this?"

Kaiba stopped sucking just long enough to take a breath. "Yes! I love it!"

"What if I fucked you while you sucked him? Would you love that?"

"NO!" Kaiba gasped. "Katsuya has to be first!" He looked up at Jou, eyes pleading. "Be my first, Katsuya." He whispered. "Please be first."

There was no way Jou could have said no to that. He put his hand on Kaiba's chin, pulled the man up halfway to meet him, and kissed him. Kissed him deeply, as if the deeper the kiss, the more sense the whole situation made.

Jou felt someone behind him and then felt the wig being pulled on his head. "Let me get this before you guy start, boss!" Laiko sounded a bit rushed.

It didn't matter. It didn't matter about the wig. Or about the wife. About the intervening years, the insults, the secret life. Nothing. The only thing that mattered to Jou was Seto. Here. Tonight. Seto began unbuttoning Jou's shirt and then sucking and licking Jou's nipples. He moaned. Seto's lips felt divine. Very quickly, Jou was naked and the two of them were rolling around together on the floor.

Jou got Seto pinned and began sucking his nipple, just to see how the normally subdued man reacted.

"Agh!" Seto cried out. "Oh Katsuya! That feels so good! No one's ever - ever!" Suddenly, beneath him, Seto was shaking. Then he came hard, spraying cum across both of their chests and stomachs.

"Good God!" Ichiro laughed. "You are so related to Hatman! Did you get that, Ken?"

"Yeah. I was on a wide shot. "It's pretty sick. Keep going, boss."

"Yes," Kaiba panted. "Keep going, Katsuya. Make me come again and again and again!"

Jou could not think of a better idea. Virgin! Seto was a virgin when it came to male lovers. He'd fucked at least two women, Jou knew. But he'd never been fucked himself. Jou groaned. To enter Seto....

He'd dreamed of it. He'd prayed for a chance in high school. After that, he merely dreamed of what sliding into Kaiba would feel like. Soon, he was going to find out.

Seto's mouth was around Jou's cock again, and Jou wasn't sure that he could hold out. In fact, he realized, he was already past the point of no return. "Kai-!" He managed to stop before he said the name aloud. "Oh - God! I'm coming! I can't - can't stop! Ready! Get ready! I - I - ah - ah -"

Then blistering joy of orgasm washed over him. He felt lips tighten around his pulsing member as a wave of pleasure rippled through his body.

"Fuck!" He swore as he began to come down from the momentary physical high. "Oh fuck, that was good!"

"Got it!" Ken yelled out. "Ok, BottomBoy, if you want Katsuya to fuck you, you better get him back up again."

"See what happens if you put your tongue up his ass." Ichiro suggested with a laugh.

The next thing Jou knew, Kaiba's face was over his, smiling. The man opened his mouth and cum spilled out over Jou's face.

For a moment, Jou was repulsed. Then, he had an epiphany. This sharing - this intimacy - this was his essence mixed with Seto's. Our fluid, Jou thought, semen, saliva, probably even blood, mixed together and shared between us the way nothing else can be.

Jou pulled Seto's open mouth down and kissed him. Seto moaned and responded passionately.

In that moment, they were wed. Jou felt it in the core of his being. More deeply than the false 'I do' of his ill-fated marriage. More committedly than anything he had ever done or said in his entire life.

"Take me, Katsuya." Seto gasped between kisses. "Make me yours. Do things to me that no one else ever has. Ever will! Please!"

Jou rolled the pleading man on his back - never quite releasing his lips - and spread his legs. He did release those lips long enough to get Seto to suck two of his fingers, then he used those fingers to stroke Seto's opening.

Seto's eyes went wide and Jou couldn't help but smile. That was probably the first time in all the years they'd known each other that Jou had seen an uncontrolled, honest expression cross Seto's face.

Jou probed the opening a bit. Seto cried out and the small aperture tightened.

"Dude, relax." Jou whispered. "The more you stress, the more this is going to hurt."

"Please, Katsuya, just take me!" Seto seemed genuinely scared. "I want this - I want this so much! But I can't let go. I can't be passive." His eyes were pleading. "Katsuya, I need you." The Kaiba sneer returned for just a moment. "Surely you know how to rut like a dog in heat."

Taking Kaiba hard - that had been a high school fantasy too.

Jou kissed Seto softly. "On film, like this?" He whispered. "You want our first time like this?"

Seto smiled. "Anyway you want, so long as it's now." He whispered in reply.

"Ok." Jou pushed his two fingers into Seto, not as hard or fast as he could have but definitely without warning and persistently.

Seto cried out again and dropped his head back.

"Move aside, Boss!" Ken snapped. "I can't see your hand!"

A moment later, Jou felt someone pulling his hips to the side. He shifted in the direction they wanted, but didn't change his grip on Seto.

Then there was another cock over Seto's face. Jou looked up to see Ichiro rubbing his cock against Seto's mouth and Seto's tongue lapping at it. "Hey!" Jou snapped. "What the fuck?"

"Boss?" Ichiro looked confused. "I thought you wanted us to drown this guy. Isn't that what -?"

"Change of plan!" Jou growled.

"Katsuya," Seto purred in his 'BottomBoy' voice. "I want to be drowned in cum."

"Mine, maybe." Jou grumbled, but had to admit that was what he told them to do when they discussed it that morning. He thought they were making a tape for Kaiba, not with Kaiba. "Ok. Facial only. No swallowing."

"But...!"

"I will stop this right now and you can tell Hatman why we didn't finish."

"Yes, boss." Ichiro sighed. "Can he suck it at least?"

"Please?" Seto whispered.

This wasn't supposed to be emotional or complicated. Another tape for Seto, some extra income for the store. "Yeah." Why the hell did Seto decide to be in this?

Seto began sucking Ichiro. "Ahhhh! Teeth! Teeth! Stop, please, thank you!" Ichiro shivered. "Not into pain!"

"Hey boss, here." Laiko squirted some lube on Jou's fingers. Seto squirmed and groaned. She left the bottle were Jou could reach it.

"Hey Laiko, stay in shot. You think you can wash him?"

She paused. "Probably." She snapped her fingers. "Wait! Yes. Right back."

"Cool. Ok, keep doing him manually, Boss. That looks great! How's it feel, Itchy?"

"Like a damn virgin! He keeps changing the rhythm on me."

"Boss, can we face fuck him?" Ken asked. He could have been asking Jou to hand him a glass of milk.

No! Jou wanted to scream 'no' and send them all home. He wanted to hold Seto and quietly, sweetly make love all night.

"Yes!" Kaiba himself gasped. "Shove this cock down my throat!" The next sound Jou heard was Kaiba choking as Ichiro tried to.

Laiko reappeared with a vibrator and a cleaning kit. "Ok where do you want me?"

"Can you use that thing and suck his cock?"

"Um, yeah if I'm in front like this. Does that block the shot?"

"Yeah, kind of. Ok, shift. BB, get on your - no, wait better! Boss you sit in the chair - 'Ko fix his wig, we gotta get some spirit glue for that. Ok, BB lower yourself on boss."

"Oh yes!" Laiko was still adjusting Jou's wig, but Kaiba straddled Jou's legs, took ahold of Jou's cock and impaled himself.

Then he howled. For a moment he clung to Jou, panting as if he'd just run a marathon. "OhGodOhGodOhGod!" He chanted into Jou's shoulder.

"Boss?" Ken asked tentatively.

Jou ignored him and slipped his arms around Kaiba, held him tightly. "Just breath for a minute." He whispered. "You'll adjust." He could feel the man quivering and wasn't sure if it was pain, pleasure or some combination. The cock pressed against his stomach was still hard. Jou hoped that meant that Kaiba was feeling pleasure because being inside Seto was the best thing he'd ever felt! "You feel incredible." He whispered.

"You realize of course, that I shall require you to do this everyday." Kaiba whispered in reply. "I never dreamed how glorious this would feel."

"You ok? Already?"

"Ok is a relative term. I feel as if someone has inserted the entire obelisk at Karnack up my posterior. I had no idea how large you were."

"Uh, is he ok, Boss?" Ichiro asked.

Kaiba half turned toward them. "Katsuya's so big! I can't believe the whole thing fit."

"It didn't." Laiko pointed out. "You got about another three inches if you want it all."

Kaiba moaned and fell forward on Jou's chest. "Split me, Katsuya. Once you take me, I suspect no one else will be able to."

"I'm not all that." Jou muttered, embarrassed. "That monster you got looks like it ought to have combat stats."

Kaiba pushed up a bit and forced himself down further with a bit of a shout. "OH FUCK! Oh God!" He moaned. Jou wasn't sure how much was real and how much was for the audience. "Oh you feel so good inside me! Fuck me, Katsuya!" He lifted again and dropped a bit more. "Fuck me!"

Jou tried to hold the now squirming man still. Seto's virgin opening was amazingly tight and hot around Jou's shaft. It would have felt good no matter what - especially since it had been a couple years since Jou had been with anyone other than his right hand. But having Seto in his lap screaming and writhing like some sex-starved slut was fantasy in overdrive!

It couldn't be real, and yet there he was. It didn't make sense that Kaiba - the megalomaniac Kaiba Seto - would be here, pretending to be an uber-bottom and begging to be fucked. But Jou was in ecstasy and running out of excuses not to give in.

Jou could still hear Ken, Ichiro and Laiko. They'd decided to shoot Laiko and Ichiro having a distance contest while Jou and Seto sorted themselves out. Laiko sounded like she was having an amazing time.

"Katsuya?" Kaiba whispered. "Fuck me until I sound like that."

"Will you quit saying shit like that!" Jou closed his eyes and shivered. "I'm dying here!"

The voice changed. "I haven't forgotten who I am, mutt. But I assure you," he tilted Jou's chin up and their eye's locked. "I have never been so serious in my life. For years, I thought it was all performance. Just part of what sells AVs. Now I understand."

"Understand what?"

"The desire; the need to be fucked so hard, so deeply that if you fucked me to death, I'd die happy." Jou opened his mouth, but Kaiba covered it before he could speak. "A month from now, a year, a lifetime, when you have long since forgotten me, and I have my corporation to comfort me, I want to wake in the middle of the night and remember the time that a mongrel fucked me raw. Give me that, precious puppy. Leave your imprint on me where no one but you or I will ever know about it."

Jou smirked. "I think you can manage to find another guy."

"I don't want to. There will only ever be one man that I will give myself to - body, heart and soul, Katsuya. I will never do this again."

"Seto -" Jou started but Kaiba kissed him deeply, cutting him off.

"Say it again!" Kaiba demanded when he finally allowed Jou to breathe.

"Say what? I got as far as 'Kaiba' before you sucked the air out of my lungs."

"No; you called me by my first name."

"Dude, you are demented!" Jou couldn't help laughing. "I've called you Seto -" Kaiba cut him off with another dizzying kiss, this one accompanied with a great deal of ass wiggling. "Oh jeez! Seto -" Jou hadn't meant to say it again.

Or maybe he had. Kaiba was beginning to move up and down slowly. It was as if a warm, vibrating sleeve was custom built just to put the exact right amount of pressure and friction around him. "Seto." He moaned, this time wrapping his arms around the man and helping him. Lifting higher, pushing lower.

After a few minutes, Kaiba was gasping rhythmically every time his ass hit Jou's thighs. And he started getting louder.

"Wow!" Laiko said from somewhere. "I didn't think he could do it."

"Yeah," Ichiro laughed. "That cherry is busted!"

Kaiba must have heard them as well. "Oh! God! He's! So! Big!" He gasped in staccato.

"Tell me when you're gonna come, Boss!" Ken yelled.

Kaiba picked up his pace. "OH! FUCK! YES! COME! KAT! SU! YA!"

Jou realized the other sound he was hearing was himself, groaning as Kaiba all but used him like a toy. He was going to come. Soon. Hard. Ken probably wanted to film him.

'Why like this', Jou wondered. 'Seto and I could have gone to my place or, hell, even some hotel. Someplace we could be alone. Someplace this could have been special. Not like a circus. Like animals on display!'

But even as he was thinking how much he wished their circumstances were different, part of Jou was reveling in the bliss that was Kaiba's body. The smell of him. The taste of his sweat - of which there was quite a bit. The feel of him flexing.

"Oh My God!" Seto howled. "I'm Coming! I - I -"

Ichiro pulled Seto backward to allow Ken to film the geyser of semen that was suddenly fired into Jou's face. Seto moaned heavily and kissed Jou, licking his face and sharing the fluid with him.

Which was enough to set Jou off. He grabbed Seto and held him tightly. It felt like his entire being melted into Seto.

"I think that's a wrap." Jou heard Laiko say with a slight giggle.

"He's a what?" Yami's expression was crossed between stunned and amused.

"It doesn't matter." Yugi said.

"An AV actor." Jou sighed. He'd known this conversation was coming.

'Hatman' had come into the store the following day and provisionally approved Laiko's edits. He took a copy of the raw footage with him. Two days later, 'BottomBoy' had shown up, claiming that Hatman wanted a second video because the first wasn't messy enough. Or rough enough. They tied BB over a chair and fucked him hard enough to leave bruises on his thighs and chest.

Two days after that, Hatman wanted a more extensive use of toys. Big toys.

It wasn't lost on anyone that all the real penis-in-anus sex was between Jou and BB only. Ichiro and occasionally Ken added an extra 'hand' when needed. Laiko spent most of her time editing the footage - always providing Hatman with a raw copy.

The sex was, of course, amazing. Jou even found himself enjoying some of Seto's weird fetishes. Watching Seto get off was too much fun, too erotic a turn on, and Jou was able to overcome his personal squicks in favor of seeing his usually unreadable lover so frequently in the throes of uncontrolled orgasmic bliss. As much as Jou was uneasy about Kaiba's impending marriage, he found himself unable to pull back. He was way too deep in love.

As a result, it hadn't taken long for Yugi and Yami to figure out that he was finally dating.

"An Adult Video 'actor'?" Yami added air quotes to the occupation.

"It doesn't matter!" Yugi insisted. "When do we meet him?"

"Oh, I don't think -"

"When do we meet him?" Yugi had that tone of his. That 'I'm never going to let this die' tone.

"I don't know." Jou sighed. "BB's schedule's kind of funny."

"Ok. We'll come to the shop one night while you're -"

"NO!" Jou physically jumped. "Dinner. Next week. I'll see if he can do dinner next week."

* * *

"Actually, it is an excellent idea." Kaiba said. It was one of their very rare moments alone. He was dressed as BB, but acting very Kaiba. "I was somewhat concerned about bringing the tapes to market. Your customer base is quite likely to recognize you - but that becomes a selling point here. I do fear, however, someone may recognize me."

"Trust me, nobody is gonna connect BB to you." Jou scoffed.

"It is possible." He shrugged. "The contacts and a few key prosthetics -"

"Prosthetics?" Jou hadn't noticed any changes of that size.

"KaibaChem has a cosmetics division." He explained. "The changes are subtle but key. Very effective for facial recognition software. Remember - you didn't recognize me at first." He waved the subject off. "Regardless, if I can pass undetected with the 'dynamic duo', I am confident that the measures should work in this limited distribution." He draped his arms around Jou's neck. "Now, no more discussion. I have thirty minutes and then I need to return to the office."

"Tonight? Dude, it's almost 3am!"

"I have a board presentation in the morning. I do have a company to run when I'm not keeping you satisfied."

"Hey, if I'm a problem, I can -"

"You can shut up and kiss me." Seto growled. "I have 29 minutes left."

* * *

"I am honored to meet you." Kaiba said as he bowed demurely. It was as deep as he could, while not letting go of Jou's arm.

"The honor is all ours, uh, BB." Yugi couldn't manage to call him BottomBoy - as Kaiba insisted his name was - but bowed just as deeply. His tug on his partner's shirt resulted in a smirk and a polite nod from Yami. "Thank you for joining us."

"Thank you for inviting me." 'BB' glanced around the restaurant. "I'm sorry I'm not better dressed. Jou said you all usually go somewhere casual."

Jou rolled his eyes. He had told Kaiba exactly where they were going, but BB had shown up wearing hip-hugger tiger-striped pants, a leopard-print silk shirt, and his trademarked collar and leash. The killers were the stiletto heels - tiger-striped and trimmed with fur.

"You look ...." Yami seemed to search for the right word.

".... Fine." Yugi supplied. "You look fine." The short man jumped. "Whoa! Shouldn't have put that in my back pocket! Come on; our table's ready."

"So, tell me, BottomBoy." Yami started as soon as the waiter left with their drink orders. "What do you do, when you're not, ahem, on the set?"

"Well, mostly, I wonder what Kat-chan is doing and why he's not doing it with me." BB was still clinging to Jou's arm.

"Kat-chan?" Yami didn't even hide his amusement.

"So you're a full time actor?" Yugi asked, after pinching his lover.

"I don't really like to talk about the business." BB frowned. Then he looked at Jou and smiled. "Of course, it is how I met you, so it's not all bad. Hatman-sama thinks the videos will be wildly popular! He wants to distribute them world wide."

"That is So Not gonna happen." Jou sipped his drink and desperately wished the night were over. Over-playing his part didn't even come close to describing what Kaiba was doing.

The whole meal was surreal. BB and Yugi stole bites from each other's plates. When BB wasn't feeding bites to Jou, of course. Or stealing a kiss. BB was affectionate, playful, bashful, and insufferably cloying.

Finally, Jou needed a break. "I gotta hit the can." He announced, getting up.

"I'll go with you." BB offered.

"I'm a big boy," Jou stopped him. "I can handle it."

BB openly leered at him. "Yes, you are a big boy. A very big boy. And you can definitely handle it."

"BB!" Yugi admonished, laughing. "Not over dinner!"

Yami rolled his eyes with an exaggerated sigh. "I think I could use a walk as well."

In the men's room, Yami cleared his throat. "Is he clean?"

"What? Yeah!" The health issues hadn't even occurred to Jou, but he didn't doubt it. Not with Kaiba. "Totally."

"Do you know his real name?"

"Uh, yeah." Jou hesitated, but Yami stopped him.

"Clearly he's not ready to share that. I'm just guessing that your staff don't know that BB is Hatman?"

Jou nearly fell over. "How the hell do you know?"

Yami smiled. "A few things he let slip. Things you told us that BB probably would know, but Hatman might. And he knows too much about what Hatman is planning."

"I tried to get him to shut up." Jou shook his head.

"There is one other thing I noticed." Yami said thoughtfully. "You need to be careful. I think this one is more in love with you than you are with him."

* * *

"We absolutely have to do this again!" Yugi enthused as they walked to their cars. "Jou, are you bringing BB to the class reunion next month?"

"Oh. Uh...." Jou had completely forgotten about the event. Hell no, he thought.

"Next month?" BB asked. "When? Tell me not the weekend of the 14th! I have to go out of town the 14th!"

"Oh no!" Yugi looked crestfallen. "It's the 15th!"

"Oh no!" BB sounded crestfallen.

"Well, call as soon as you get back, ok?" Yugi gave BB a hug. "We'll plan something."

"Yes, let's!" The two exchanged phone numbers.

BB glanced at Yami, and then grinned as if he'd just thought of something clever. For Jou, the look was positively unnerving. "Be right back." BB turned and practically skipped over to whisper something in the former Pharaoh's ear.

Yugi gave Jou an unexpected a hug. "He's wonderful, Katsuya! I'm so glad you finally found someone who loves you!"

"Yeah, Yugi. Me too."

Yugi pulled back and looked at Jou. "And I'm just presuming that you haven't given him your debit card number or keys to your apartment or anything like that yet, right?"

Jou laughed. Yugi was never as naive as people thought. "Yeah, I'm not setting up housekeeping yet."

"Good. I think you both need to go slow with this."

"I think I can handle this."

"Come along, koi." Yami called out. "BB has just given me a suggestion that I believe merits some investigation. We're going to need to stop at the grocery store."

"Now what?" But Yugi was grinning. "And I know you can handle it; I've heard you're a big boy."

"Yug!"

* * *

Kaiba gave the keynote address at the class reunion. Another surreal moment in Jou's life.

Twelve hours before, BB had been tied down to a table, and was being used as the tool and drop cloth under four other couples. When they were finished with him, BB had been literally soaked with nearly every bodily fluid possible from the couples and himself. Now, immaculately cleaned and pressed, he was standing with barely masked distain in front of his former classmates telling them to continue to pursue the dreams of their youth.

"Same old asshole, huh?" Honda remarked as they all applauded. "So glad you finally got over him."

"Yeah." Jou muttered.

"Come on guys," Yugi coaxed. "We really should speak to him. We're the only ones who knew him personally."

"That's a little like saying we should be firemen because we've already been burned." Otogi snarked. Honda and Yami laughed.

Jou sighed. "Come on guys. Let's just say hi and keep moving." In truth, Jou didn't want to even get that close. Seeing Seto and not being able to touch him was hell. Plus Jou hated keeping secrets.

Kaiba was standing alone, looking out at the soccer field, scowling.

"Kaiba-san?" Yugi greeted as they approached. "I don't know if you remember -"

"Of course I remember you, Mutuo. I seem to trip over you at events whether I will or no. I trust your Grandfather is well?"

"Oh yes! He's great, in fact -"

"Fine. I see the rest of your friendship brigade is in order. Wasn't there a girl with you at one point - or was she merely a beard to take the curse off?" Jou had forgotten how cold those blue eyes could be as they turned on him. "I see you've kept that flea-bitten stray dog of yours. So mutt, are you between prison stays, or did the warden let you out for a day on good behavior?"

Was this an act? Or was this the true Kaiba and BB a game? Around him, he could hear Honda and Yami both yelling at Old Moneybags, but he couldn't say anything. He just stared into those eyes and tried to see the truth in them.

There was a single chime and Kaiba put his glass down. "Finally." He sighed, rolling his eyes and ignoring the group. "You...gentlemen will excuse me; I have a far more pressing engagement." He swept out of the room.

"What a dick!" Otogi spat.

"Jou?" Yugi touched his arm. "Are you...?"

It shouldn't bother me, Jou thought. It's not as if I thought he was going to be nice to me here. I should call him. Call him and ask what the hell that was.

"Jou, no one likes to be treated like that," Yami observed. "But that just proves why it's so good that you were able to let him go. BB is so much better for you."

They coaxed Jou over to the bar. For the next hour, Jou tried to smile and act pleased to see any number of old friends.

Then his phone beeped with a text. 'Where are you!'

Not a question; a demand. He ignored it.

The same message came again ten minutes later. Then five minutes after that.

Then, the 80s classic "I'm Too Sexy" filled the air around Jou. He grabbed his phone and answered, stepping away from the group. "What?"

"Where are you?" Kaiba asked.

"Where do you think?"

"Never mind. Come home."

"After that crack? Why?" Then the word 'home' caught him. "And what do you mean, come home?"

"I mean come home; I'm waiting for you here."

"Here?"

"At your apartment."

"What the hell are you doing at my place? How the hell did you even get in?" Kaiba simply laughed and Jou shook his head. "And none of that answers, why I should even want to see you right now."

"I would think the mental image of me, naked, bent over your couch would be ample motivation." It was an enticing thought, but Jou managed not to comment. "Please tell me you are not upset by a bit of role playing."

"Role playing?"

"In school, by all accounts, I despised all of you - and I haven't seen any of you since graduation. I said exactly what was expected of me by everyone in that room."

"Not everyone."

"Everyone." Kaiba reiterated. "I make quite a comfortable living being able to meet or exceed the expectations of everyone around me. I assure you, if I had done anything differently, they would still be talking about it. Listen to the conversations around you. No one thought the scene was remarkable in the least."

"Yugi did." Jou snapped. But he was beginning to realize that Kaiba was right. Five minutes after he left, it was as if Kaiba had never attended.

"Mutou cares because he's worried about you. Make some excuse and come home! The whole time I was giving that damn speech, I kept wishing the mic was your cock. Yoko and Rie are designing their nurseries together this weekend - and I don't have to do a thing but write the check. We can spend from whenever you get home until 5am Monday in bed. Unless you have a better idea." Kaiba hung up.

Jou stared at the phone for a long minute before putting it away and turning back to his friends.

"Uh, look guys, I'm just gonna take off...."

* * *

Blue eyes were waiting for him when Jou got home to his small apartment. Blue eyes, short brown hair and bare skin. Seto met him at the door, naked.

"Hello stray dog." He quipped with a smirk.

Jou's breath caught. They'd never been together like this - both of them with no wigs and no make-up. For the first time, it seemed, he was seeing the real Kaiba Seto. Naked.

Seto pulled Jou's face to his own and kissed him softly. "I'm sorry if my comment hurt your feelings. Although the expression on Honda's face when I said it was priceless."

"Why are you such a dick?" Jou had to chuckle. Maybe BB and Kaiba really were the same man.

"I'd rather be such an asshole." He cooed, tugging on Jou's belt. "You be such a dick."

"Yeah?" Jou gave in, let his belt be tugged, and closed the door behind them. "When do I get to be the asshole?"

"Hhhmmm. I guess turnabout is fair play."

"Yeah. It is." Jou murmured between kisses and disappearing garments. "Fair."

It had been a long time since Jou had anything thicker than a pair of fingers inserted. It had been even longer since something had triggered Jou's prostate. They took their time and spent several hours servicing each other and sleeping.

* * *

Jou woke to Yugi banging on his door and calling his name. He staggered to the door, yawning and somewhat aware that he had no idea where Seto was. Just before he opened it, Jou saw a pair of shorts on the floor and put them on.

"Dude! I'm up!" Jou yawned again. "What's the panic?"

"I'm sorry." Yugi did look a bit contrite.

"When you didn't answer your phone, he -"

"We." Yugi firmly corrected Yami.

"When you didn't answer your phone, WE thought we'd check on you." Yami said.

"I was asleep." Jou shrugged. "I didn't hear it ring."

"We called you ten times." Yami pointed out.

"Good grief, guys! I'm ok!"

"You were really upset when you left yesterday." Yugi studied Jou's face. "And you don't look like you've gotten all that much sleep."

"Uh, yeah, well..." Jou tried to think of a good reason.

"That would probably be my fault." BB said with a light giggle. Long black hair fell over Jou's face as BB leaned to give both Yugi and Yami a friendly kiss. "I'm all nekked so I don't want to go out in the hall. You guys have to come in!" He pulled Jou back and pushed the door open further. "Look what I got!"

BB leaned against the couch, extending his ass. On his hipbone was a tattoo reading "Kat-chan's Boytoy".

"Isn't he gorgeous?" BB asked; his eyes were on Jou, not the body art.

"I don't suppose pants would be too much to ask for." Yami chuckled. "Unless this is an invitation."

"Oh!" Jou felt a bit sheepish. With Yugi and Yami? Sure, sounded fun. But with BB? A disaster waiting to happen. "Dude - go get dressed."

"But I thought you were going to finish when they left?" BB batted his not-so-innocent brown eyes at Jou.

"Ok!" Yugi laughed. "And on that note, I know when we're not needed! Come on, Yami. Since we're downtown anyway, I want to get a new crock pot."

"You don't need a new crock pot." Yami said with the tired tone of a well-worn spouse.

"I don't need a new crock pot; I want a new crock pot. You don't listen."

"Get married already!" Jou laughed as they left.

"Goodbye, Jou." Yami shook his head. "Answer your phone."

"Bye, Jou. Bye, BB." Yugi waved. "Call me when you get a minute."

"'K! Bye, Yu-chan. Bye, Yami-kun."

Jou closed the door. "Yu-chan and Yami-kun?"

"Less confusing than Mutou and Mutou, I should think." Kaiba leaned against the couch again. "You didn't comment. What do you think?"

"I think you finally have lost your marbles!" Jou lamented. "What's your wife gonna think when she sees that?"

"Why would Yoko see it?"

"She's your wife? You live with her?"

"If you had attended the wedding as invited, you would have discovered that Yoko has her own suite - and her own lover."

"So not the point."

"Frankly, if her Uncle hadn't arranged this marriage, I would have supported her if she'd chosen to marry him. And I shall happily divorce her as soon social grace allows."

"What does that mean?"

"Oh, Yoko and I believe we have a suitable plan. Rie is attempting to hide her pregnancy while Yoko is touting hers. Of course, the rumors about Rie are already circulating. Naturally, at some point, Rie will be forced to admit the truth and pressured to reveal the father. When it comes to light that I fathered children on them both - and at the same time, no less - I will become the biggest cad since Don Juan."

"I don't get it. How does any of this help?"

"Yoko gains legitimate grounds to divorce me. I gain grounds to sue Rie for custody of a child she does not want. And when Yoko marries her stockbroker, I will win custody of the child he does not want. My reputation as a husband will be shattered - but as a father, I will be applauded."

"And you think these two are gonna just hand you their babies, just like that?"

Seto made an off-hand gesture. "If they do not, I will take them. Either way, my daughters will be raised as Kaiba."

"Yeah? Well, let me know how that works out for you." Jou stalked into the bathroom. He relieved himself and then stared into the mirror.

Sherri had been pregnant when she left him. Jou hadn't known. The US courts had ordered a paternity test, but it didn't reach Jou until he'd already returned to Japan. Still, he submitted his blood sample. He had not expected the results to show that he was 99% likely the father. Or that the court would award her sole custody because of his age and location. They would only agree to him having even visitation if he stayed in the US.

The only thing Jou knew for sure was that the kid's name was Trevor and that he'd been born in mid-January with blond hair.

If Kaiba thought these women were going to just hand the kids to him without a fight, he was in for a rude awakening.

There was a tap on the door. "Katsuya? The tattoo is removable. I bought several of them - largely for filming to further separate my two personas. If you believe it is inappropriate, I'll throw them away."

Jou stepped out of the bathroom. "Do what you want with the tat." He picked up a pair of pants and began gathering his laundry. When he found clean-ish pants, he put them on.

"Why are you dressing?" Kaiba was still only wearing a wig and contacts.

"Gotta do laundry sometime."

"Let the service get it."

"What service? I don't have a service." Jou snapped.

"I'll pay for one." Kaiba said, placing himself between Jou and his laundry bag. "Every moment with you is precious. I don't want to spend our time doing chores or arguing or seeing other people - I have no interest in either Mutou for the record. I want to be with you. I don't know how I say it more clearly than that."

"Yeah, well we can be more places than just bed."

"I'm afraid I feel as if I need to make up for lost time. If you could fuck me non-stop for a lifetime, I don't know that I'd be sated."

"You'd have enough. Really. It's not that good."

"You are that good." Seto put both his hands on Jou's face and kissed him. "I can only hope that I feel as good to you as you feel to me. Fuck me, Jou. Now. Right here. You make me feel alive. You make me want to live." Seto kept kissing and leaned back, pulling Jou down on top of him.

"Seto! Come on! Seriously!" Jou tried to pull away but Seto wrapped his legs around Jou's and held him down.

"I want that fat dick of yours deep up my ass!" Seto purred. "Do you like it when I talk dirty?"

Jou found himself laughing. "Nobody'd believe me!"

"Fuck who believes it. Make me scream, Katsuya. Come up my ass so I can feel it drip down my legs all day."

"Let me get a load started then we can fuck while it's washing. Deal?" But Jou could already feel himself getting hard and suspected that he wasn't getting any laundry done this week.

"Put a load in me first."

"I won't be here next week." BB told them. "Or the week after."

"What's up?" Ken asked.

"Hatman-sama is taking me away. It's a thing for his office."

"Oh." Ken nodded as if he understood; in truth, Ken had also figured out that BB was Hatman. "Well, can't be helped. I'll do a couple with Itchy and Scratchy."

As BB was leaving for the night, he stopped and kissed Jou deeply. "May I come over to see you tomorrow night?"

"If I said no, would it stop you?"

"Probably not."

"Then I kinda gotta say yes, don't I?"

* * *

"Do you miss me?" Seto asked Jou while they were lying in afterglow, in Jou's bed. "When I go halfway around the globe to make more money than God, do you miss having me to relieve you?"

"I miss you when I don't see you. In doesn't matter why you're gone."

"Katsuya." Seto kissed him. "My life has been a series of obligations. Even now, very little I do is out of my own personal desire to do something. Do you know why I am here?"

"Not a fucking clue." Jou smirked. "I been trying to figure that out for months."

"Because I love you. I have never loved anyone. Anything. My brother, perhaps, if that's truly love and not familial obligation. But you I love. I treasure. I worship. The time I've spent with you has been the happiest time of my life."

"Seto -"

Kaiba kissed him. "I adore it when you call me that. I need you to listen for a moment longer. When I return from this director's meeting, I have an appointment with the Emperor. I suspect that word has gotten to him regarding Rie. I know what I will petition him to do, but his options range from taking no action to having me commit seppuku."

"What?"

"Be calm. It is unlikely that he will ask me to spill my own blood in the Imperial Palace. But there is some possibility that I could be imprisoned."

"WHAT!"

"In the event that happens, I would be unable to contact you. So I wanted to tell you now how much I cherish you; how much these past few months have meant to me. If I go to my death, at least I will go with you in my heart."

* * *

"It's been all anyone's talked about for three days!" Otogi snickered. "You'd think he was the anti-christ!"

"Well, I mean, come on!" Yugi was a bit more sympathic. "I would never have dreamed that Kaiba would cheat on his wife!"

It was all over the media - how Kaiba was the father of his wife's cousin's unborn child. No one in Kaiba Manor was available for comment, but the prevailing belief was that no sane woman would leave a man who was that good looking and had that much money. Still, Kaiba was being vilified nonetheless.

"What about you, Jou?" Honda asked. "The Post said he was rutting like a 'dog in heat'. You gotta be enjoying that one."

"I'm just tired of hearing about it." Jou deferred. "Can we talk about something else?"

"Of course!" Yugi replied airily. "How's BB?" There were several frustrated sighs around the table. "Sorry, Jou." Yugi apologized. "But it's obvious that he hasn't been around for a while and - although no one wants to say anything - we are all worried about you."

"Yug, if he wanted to discuss it, he'd have said something." Honda threw a french fry at the man. "You said you'd be cool."

"I lied." Yugi shrugged.

"It's cool." Jou smiled sadly. "BB had to go home, he didn't know when he'd be back, he can't call from where he is."

"Oh, I hate going out to the provinces!" Otogi exclaimed. "It's like going back to the stone age."

"I'm ok." Jou said. "I know he loves me, he knows I love him. Besides, Laiko's got enough footage to do a whole other tape without us." He chuckled.

"I'd been meaning to ask you how those were doing." Yami commented. "Do you have a fan club we can join yet?"

Jou felt a bit of heat in his cheeks. "They've been ok. We can't keep them in stock at the store; but we expected that. Ichiro's collecting phone numbers these days! But Hatman knew a distributor with access to one of the cable channels so we got some airplay and now they sell pretty well online too."

"See, 'Togi?" Honda crowed. "I told you we shoulda watched 'Katsuya at School'!"

Jou nearly choked; he didn't realize that his original tapes were part of the release. "No you shouldn't!" He felt his face heat up considerably. "Seriously, don't."

"It's kind of obsessive." Yugi observed. "It is pretty clearly you and Kaiba. But it's damn hot. What did BB think when he saw it?" This time it was Jou who did the spit-take. "What? I saw the video. I like sex. Why do you guys act like I'm some kind of innocent? I'm just as perverted as the rest of you!"

Yami laughed. "True, but I'll wager none of them shout 'oh my goodness' at the height of crisis."

"YAAMII!" But it was too late and the table was already engulfed with laugher.

* * *

Kaiba and a very pregnant Yoko appeared together at KaibaLand's annual Children's Day festival. A thousand photos of them showed a very affectionate couple enjoying themselves.

"We could do a couple of pregos." Ken said when he caught Jou staring at a shot of Kaiba kissing Yoko's stomach. "I have a friend who's knocked up and could use the money."

"Yeah." Jou sighed. "If she wants to."

The door opened and Jou's eyes snapped to it before returning to the newspaper. It wasn't BB. It wasn't Hatman. It hadn't been for months.

It was over. Jou knew that. He'd known that it couldn't last forever. But he was having a hard time letting go. It seemed like the more time passed, the more he missed Seto.

BB. Jou reminded himself. The more he missed BottomBoy and the unrelenting sex. They never had a relationship. They weren't a couple. They were sex friends. Sex fiends. Kaiba was insatiable. And like his screen name implied, he loved being Jou's bottom. Not that he wouldn't seme occasionally, but most of the time, he'd even beg for Jou to top.

Fuck me, Katsuya.
Take me hard.
Mark me like you own me.
Deeper, baby, you feel so good.

It was the sex he missed, Jou tried to convince himself, not love. The love was an illusion.

"Uh, Boss?" Ken pulled Jou out of his sulk. "Isn't that your phone?"

"Oh. Right." He answered it. "Jounouchi."

"Miss me?" The words were light but the tone was positively smug.

"Kai- uh...hey, uh, dude." Jou felt a sudden panic - was this BB or Seto? Could he talk? Was he coming in? "Ken, take over." Jou raced for the office. "Where are you? When can I see you?" Mentally Jou slapped himself. Cool, real cool.

"Berlin." Kaiba chuckled. "You can see me now if you can get to the hotel."

"Why are you calling me from Berlin?"

"Because it's the first time I've been able to call you from anywhere. Yoko isn't with me this trip."

"I see you two patched things up. You gonna try this marriage thing for real now?"

"Why on Earth would we do that?"

"You two been real cute in front of the cameras lately."

Kaiba's laughter was as smug as his voice. "You're jealous! How utterably delightful!"

"I am not jealous." Jou lied.

"You are!" Kaiba's voice slipped into BB's tones. "Now I feel special."

"Asshole."

"For you, always." He blew a kiss into the phone. "Did I tell you when the Emperor insisted that Yoko and I wed?" He didn't wait for a response. "When we were twelve. We had a Shinto service at the Palace when we were twelve. Marrying Yoko is like marrying my sister. For me, this is about breeding. And believe me, if I could breed with you, I would have already."

* * *

Hatman came back to the store. He followed his standard routine as if he hadn't missed a day.

Jou watched him silently take his videos and go down to the booths as if in a dream. Was it his imagination? Was it someone who just looked like 'Hatman'? Was it -?

"Uh, Boss?" Ichiro spoke first. "Shouldn't you go ask him about that new deal?"

The new deal with a distributor who had seen one of the store's tapes and wanted to carry them nationwide.

"Yeah." Jou nodded slowly. A business deal. He could go discuss an impersonal, ordinary business deal. Kaiba could turn off his feelings; Jou could manage to do the same.

But as soon as Jou opened the door to room nine, Kaiba crushed him against the wall with an impassioned kiss.

"What took you so long?" He panted. "I've been dying without you!"

Jou pushed him away. "We got a new distribution offer." Keep it just business.

"Lovely! More people will get to see you fuck me!" He moaned. "Why aren't you fucking me now?"

"Cut it out, Kaiba." It didn't seem possible, but the man had actually gotten sexier while he was gone.

"Cut it out! Have you gone mad?" Kaiba began removing Jou's belt and opening his pants. "I signed a million-dollar contract I know is worthless simply to end the negation a day early. I couldn't stand it any longer! I hate Germany!" He dropped to his knees and began kissing Jou's exposed cock. "Nothing but blond men reminding me of you." He sighed and sucked Jou into his mouth.

Jou's resolve melted. "You're drivin' me crazy, Seto!" He ran his fingers through the long black wig. "I don't know what to do any more."

Seto stopped sucking and said something in German.

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Fuck my ass until it bleeds. You said you didn't know what to do. I thought perhaps another language would make it clearer. Alternatively, I could draw you a map."

Jou didn't need a map or further instructions in any language.

* * *

Hatman began coming in every day again. BB came in to shoot every three days.

"Hey boss, level with me." Ken asked one morning. "You know who BB and Hatman really are, right?"

"I think I know." Jou said cautiously. "Why?"

"Well, see Hatman keeps saying that he wants footage with more mess, but BB doesn't want to shoot with anyone but you. So if you could get to him during the day, maybe one of you could pre-load the other?" Ken looked a bit sheepish, like he didn't know how Jou would take the suggestion. "He's due in tonight."

Jou considered the idea. On the nights he came in as both Hatman and BB, he usually didn't have time for much on the first visit. Like he was running between events. Or....

Or maybe he could call him. He did have a phone number - Seto had called him and Jou'd saved the number.

We're dating, damn it, Jou thought. I shouldn't be afraid to call my fucking boyfriend.

"Yeah. Let me see." Jou told Ken. He went into the office and closed the door. After staring at his cell for several minutes, he dialed the number.

It was answered in two rings. "Kaiba."

"Hey. It's me."

"Yes, I presumed that. My time is precious; did you need something specific?"

"I - uh - I kinda need to see you."

"I believe we have a meeting scheduled."

"Before then. Are you free for lunch today?"

"Just a moment." There was some movement. "No. If you only need an hour -"

"Probably less." Jou offered, finding himself getting excited. Defiantly less.

"How long?"

"Maybe thirty minutes?"

"Very well. If you can arrive at 2:15, I should be able to see you then. I'll inform my secretary to expect you. You had mentioned an additional contract recently. Bring it with you." Kaiba hung up.

Jou looked at his watch. He had time for lunch himself.

* * *

By 2:15, Jou had time to go home, shower, shave and dress like he might actually have business with Kaiba Seto.

He got through security, and took the elevator up to the penthouse. People looked at him curiously; Jou could almost hear them asking what a mutt like that was doing in a place like this.

Kaiba's secretary was an imposing man who looked at Jou like something you scrape off your shoe. "Uh, hi. I'm Jounouchi Katsuya; I have a 2:15 appointment with Kaiba."

"It's 2:20." The man admonished. "Kaiba-sama is in conference. I will see when he will be available. Take a seat over there." The man got up and knocked on an imposing wooden door.

Those five minutes had been lost in security and the long elevator ride. Jou hadn't realized that getting into the building would take so long otherwise he would have planned accordingly.

"You may go in now."

Jou jumped. The secretary frowned as Jou passed him. 'Probably upset he can't throw me out,' Jou thought.

Inside the office, Kaiba was sitting on the edge of his desk and a very elegant woman sat in the chair in front of him. A very pregnant elegant woman. Kaiba was massaging her bare foot.

"Jounouchi." Kaiba nodded. "Yoko, I would like you to meet an old classmate of mine. Jounouchi Katsuya. This is my wife, Kaiba Yoko."

"Please forgive my not standing." Yoko said with a slight giggle. "I'm afraid my feet are swollen again."

"No problem. My sister says hers stayed swollen the whole nine months."

She looked at Seto. "And you say?"

"You have uncommon feet. They look slender and delicate to me."

"Such a liar!" She laughed. "Does he lie to you as well, Katsuya?"

"Excuse me?" She maybe his wife, but that didn't give her the right to....

"I recognize you." She pulled her feet away from Kaiba and slipped them into her shoes. "In high school, he was always scowling about 'Katsuya'. Katsuya and his duelist rank." She picked up her purse. "So you see, Set-kun, I have always known who my rival for your affection was." She stood, smoothed her dress and kissed Kaiba's cheek. "Are you sure I cannot persuade you to join me?"

"I am afraid, most honored wife, that I must decline." To Jou's surprise, Kaiba kissed his wife affectionately. "But have the clinic email me the images as they perform the sonogram."

"Very well, most honored husband." She turned and bowed respectfully to Jou. "Most honored husband's lover." She left the office laughing.

"She seems...nice." Jou offered.

"She is." Kaiba agreed. "Most people don't even feel the knife when she stabs them in the back." Jou looked to see if Kaiba was kidding. "Honestly, she married me; how nice could she be?"

"Not very." Jou replied.

Kaiba smirked. "She is right about one thing. Had it not been for you, I might have been able to commit myself to her. Now, what was it you needed so urgently?"

Mental whiplash. 'I could have committed to her.' How Kaiba could say these things so casually was beyond Jou. Yoko was Kaiba's wife and she considered Jou a rival. That could not be good.

"Uh, yeah. I, well it seems kind of stupid now."

"That being because...?"

"I, uh, wanted you to fuck me." Jou felt stupid and out of place. "At the store, it sounded like a good idea."

Kaiba touched a button on his phone. "Hold all of my calls. I'm in conference." He hung up on his secretary's reply. "You called me just so I could make time to fuck you?"

"Ken had this idea -"

"Ken is a positive genius." Kaiba pinned Jou against his desk. "You should give him a bonus."

"Yeah, but it - I don't think we should have sex now!"

"Why on Earth not?" Kaiba began stroking Jou's body. "You look divine in a suit. I should dress you properly more often."

"Stop that! I just met your wife. That kind of killed my mood."

Kaiba chuckled. "Seeing you together has enflamed mine." He began rubbing his crotch against Jou's. "Hmmm. You don't feel as if your mood had been lost. It fact, you feel armed and dangerous. So to speak."

"Kaiba..." Jou gasped. "You're making me crazy!"

"I don't carry any condoms," Kaiba began removing his pants. "I'm either going to wreck this suit or ruin my carpet." He kissed Jou. "Oh dear god; the thought of either is driving me wild!"

"Bareback." Jou gasped between kisses. "In me." Kaiba's pants were on the floor and they were both working on Jou's.

"If you had told me that was what you wanted, I wouldn't have re-arranged my schedule. We could have handled it in the bathroom." He stroked Jou's cock. "I never last more than two seconds inside you."

Jou chuckled; Kaiba was a bit hair trigger. "Not in front of the camera, so it doesn't matter how long." Jou managed to turn around and leaned against the desk. "I'm all lubed so go for it!"

Kaiba moaned. "The things you say to me!" He teased Jou's opening for a moment before sliding in all the way in one smooth stroke. "Heaven! I've died and this is heaven!" It felt pretty damn good to Jou as well.

Kaiba was fast and Jou was in the right mood for a hard fuck. It occurred to him as Kaiba was filling him and whispering filthy things in his ear, that the elevator ride up to the office took longer than the act itself. Of course, the act was more fun.

"That was disgraceful." Kaiba sighed, kissing the back of Jou's neck, still imbedded inside him. "But I have no control whatsoever when I'm with you." He laughed. "Of course, among women, I'm a legend for my ability to last all night."

"I really don't need to hear about you and her, ok?"

"And I'd rather imagine how we're going to clean the mess I just made."

"We're not." Jou replied. "Give me my pants; I brought a plug with me."

"One of these?" Kaiba had to stretch awkwardly, but pulled a butt-plug out of his desk drawer. "It's clean." He said as he used it to replace himself. "I haven't used it in ages."

"You keep a plug in your desk?"

"A plug in my desk. A vib in my briefcase. I'm developing a portable fucking machine in my private lab; the ones I've seen are simple, but lack any refinement." Kaiba turned Jou around. "Now, what about me?"

"What about you?" Jou teased. "I thought your time was precious?"

"The Board of Directors was here. I had to say something to sound like I gave a damn about them. But don't you give a damn about me? Not going to clean me? Not going to fill me?"

"No time." Jou purred - although the way Kaiba was rubbing against him, Jou figured he could make time.

"It's just cruel to leave me like this." Kaiba pouted. "Especially when you're so hard." Kaiba's hand stroked and squeezed, and Jou found himself reaching around to play with his lover's opening.

"Won't you ruin your suit?"

"I'll use your plug." Kaiba kissed him and Jou pushed the man back, onto his own desk.

Jou lifted Kaiba's legs, spreading them wide. He took a quick swipe of the opening with his tongue - causing Kaiba to groan deeply - then entered slowly.

Then he pounded Kaiba like a jackhammer. Kaiba wrapped his arms around Jou's neck and mewed softly with every stroke, "yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!"

Kaiba buried his face in Jou's neck and Jou took the moment to nuzzle Kaiba's hair and cologne. BB never wore any. Kaiba always smelled like some exotic animal. Jou opened Kaiba's top few buttons and nibbled that beautiful neck. Kaiba's ass contracted and Jou found himself suddenly on the verge of coming. He bit down, to avoid shouting. Kaiba gasped and shuttered in his arms.

"Oh God!" Kaiba moaned. "I'm coming again! I can't - I can't stop! Kat-kat-katsuya! I - Iloveyou!" Jou felt the spatter against his stomach, but couldn't manage to care. "Iloveyou! Iloveyou! Oh fuck! Iloveyousomuch!" Kaiba turned Jou's face and they kissed as they both tried to catch their breaths.

"I'm a mess." Jou chuckled. He was going to need a trench coat of his own to get past that secretary. And Kaiba was going to have to cover the ring of teeth marks on his shoulder for a few days.

"I don't care." Kaiba kissed him again. "I love you, Katsuya."

"Yeah, I know."

Jou tried to pull away, but Kaiba held him firm. "I'm not speaking from afterglow. Katsuya, I love you."

Those blue eyes were steady; locked onto Jou's. He was serious. Jou's heart began pounding. His mouth went dry. How long had he wanted to hear those words?

"Seto - Seto, I love you too. I've always loved you. I will always love you."

"Live with me."

"What?"

"Live with me."

"In Kaiba Manor?"

"Of course!"

"With Yoko."

"Irrelevant."

"You want me to live with you and your wife and be what, your live in lover?"

"No, the press would have a field day with that. We'll think of a title. It's a small matter. Just say yes."

"No." Jou shook his head. "No way."

"Katsuya -"

"No! I am not moving in with a married man! I shouldn't even be involved with you, but even you gotta see that moving in is too far!"

"Think about it." Kaiba kissed him softly - seemed un-phased by the discussion. "For now just get me that plug. I have a group of engineers waiting for me in the lab."

"I don't get it." Jou entered room nine and closed the door. "You show up in the Hatman get up, review the tapes, then come back like four hours later in the BB get up. Why bother?"

"Hatman is a Kaiba Manor employee. He has an apartment near here. Shortly, I will leave here, go there and change my garb. BB will then join Rie at a nightclub or bar until it is time for 'him' to go to work. Rie does not know who BB is - only that he likes to party."

"I thought Rie was pregnant?"

"She is. But there is no reason she cannot remain active. Her doctor and I are pleased with her pregnancy thus far. My daughter is healthy and so I am content to allow Rie to enjoy herself." Kaiba looked at Jou. "Especially since it affords me entire nights with you." His alarm went off, a single tone. "Tell Laiko that I am pleased as always with these. I have some equipment that I will be sending over while I'm gone next week -"

"Gone?"

"Yes. A conference in New York. And then a meeting in Kansas City. A few other stops as well. Two weeks. Without you." Kaiba kissed Jou as he put on his hat. "Without these tapes, I wouldn't last a day."

* * *

It was a padded table with the words "Katlove 1000" printed across it.

Laiko screamed. She actually screamed when they used the table according to Hatman's instructions.

It was much more refined than most fucking machines. The arm holding the dildo was less than ten inches longer than the dildo itself, making it appear too small to be useful. It was height adjustable and had five exchangeable dildo attachments. But while the thrusting mechanisms on most machines were huge, industrial, and loud, this one was housed in a box that split the padded table it was installed upon in two. And it was as quiet as the average vib.

The padded table could be flat, angled or seated and had handles for cuffs or straps. Hatman's instructions were that the opening, set up and first usage of the machine had to be filmed in one continuous video and that the first person had to be strapped down. In addition, he wanted to see the machine run the first of three pre-programmed cycles. And he wanted to be called as soon as they were finished - on the video.

The result had been Laiko, screaming and drenching half the live programming room.

"Oh God!" Laiko panted into the phone. "Hatman-sama! It was incredible! I can't move yet - my legs are still shaking! Yeah, they watched." She laughed. "Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, he's right here." She handed Jou the phone. "He wants to talk to you."

"Tape yourself for me." Kaiba purred into the phone. "Use cycle number 100."

"Your notes said there are only three cycles."

"Program as many as you like. I designed 100 for you. Use the 'Big Boy'."

"Not on a bet!" Jou laughed.

"I did."

"You're crazy."

After the others left, Jou did set up the camera and put on the high school outfit. He put the unit in the seated position, then against his better judgment, attached the Big Boy dildo.

It was a very slow start which was good because it was an extraordinary tight fit. The dildo was bigger than anything Jou was used to. Plus, seated, it went in deeper than he expected. Still, by the time the unit was at its full speed, Jou was in bliss. Kaiba hadn't mentioned the vibrators built into the arm or the table padding. Nor had he warned Jou about the lube dispenser that effectively allowed the unit to 'come'.

After he recovered his wits and could think straight, Jou called Kaiba again.

"Kaiba."

"Where the hell did you get this thing?"

"I built it. I thought you might appreciate some of the features I added."

"I feel like my whole body's been fucked."

"I am familiar with the sensation."

"Oh, so you've already tried it?"

Kaiba hesitated. "I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to answer that question. I am considering mass production of the product and I will need a sales outlet for it. Perhaps we could discuss this when I return?"

The time difference, Jou suddenly remembered. "You're working! Shit, dude, I wasn't thinking."

"These Americans have wasted enough of my time; I am certain they do not mind me wasting theirs."

Jou chuckled. "Meeting going badly?"

"If I wanted to be fucked, I'd call someone capable of the job."

"That bad, eh?"

"At least. In the meantime, I am pleased that you are satisfied with the product."

"Yeah. Oh, and I figured out how to program a cycle. I can't wait to get BB on this thing.

* * *

Honda and Otogi were grinning like fools. Their fifth anniversary party had been as much fun to plan as it had been to attend. All their friends had come to wish them many more years of joy.

Even BB was there. His painted-on rubber jeans were lavender and his floral blouse was lime green. His shoes were red Candies.

"I'm so glad you could be here this time!" 'Togi said when the four of them had a moment to talk.

"Oh so am I!" BB leered. "I've been wanting to meet you ever since Kat-chan showed me your picture. When are you going to come over and tape something with me? You can even bring Honda - I'll share if you will!"

"Ok, you did not just hit on my husband at our anniversary celebration with me and Jou standing here!" Honda frowned.

"Would you rather I did it behind your back?" BB shrugged. "He's hot. I asked. Four-ways are fun."

"Sorry, guys!" Jou shook his head. "Just ignore him - BB thinks with his little head."

"No worries, Jou." Otogi kissed Honda's cheek. "I only think about one guy, anyway."

"Guess what I'm thinking about now?" BB wrapped himself around Jou's arm.

"If you're going to do that, get a room!" 'Togi laughed. "Oh my God! Yugi was right - you are like the polar opposite of Kaiba!"

"Kaiba?" BB asked. "That bitch who hurt my poor Kat-chan? He's my favorite person in the world."

"Why's that?" Honda asked, confusion evident.

"Because he left Kat-chan all alone. If he hadn't done that, I could have missed out!" BB kissed Jou's cheek. "And I'm so glad I didn't miss my Kat-chan. I love you."

* * *

Yoko and Rie went into labor on the same day. They were both taken to a hospital near the Imperial Palace. The following day, Kaiba appeared in front of the press with two babies in his arms - one wrapped in pink blankets, one wrapped in blue. He made a statement about being overjoyed with his new fatherhood and about both women resting comfortably.

Jou thought about Trevor. How he'd never held his son. How he'd never had a chance to be overjoyed about fatherhood. Kaiba was enjoying it twice over.

The big news, however, was when Yoko and Rie were released from the hospital. They held a joint press conference and announced that since Rie was so young and still finishing college, Yoko and Seto would take custody of her daughter and raise her with their son. Word came from the Palace that the Emperor was pleased that his nieces had reconciled the issue with so much grace.

* * *

Neither Hatman nor BB came into the store for weeks. Weeks became months. Hatman's account was renewed online.

Ken, Ichiro and Laiko made tapes for Hatman Productions full time, exclusively. The Live Performance room became their permanent studio and the booths around it were occupied by a new group of voyeurs. Jou hired a new night shift.

A manufacturer contacted Jou about the Katlove 1000 and offered to produce them. He had a contract already written that included a 4% payment to Hatman. When Jou pointed it out, the manufacturer just shrugged, "I was told to deposit that to a separate account." Jou signed the contract without further questions; Hatman most likely had asked everything already.

Honda and Otogi made Jou the Godfather of their adopted daughter Miho. She was a thirteen-year-old with bright eyes, a wide smile and a bad habit of running away from foster homes. Honda found her and convinced her to stay put for a while. Otogi had no choice but to agree to adopt her if he wanted his husband to stop badgering him about it.

Jou opened a second store. And then a third. Business was good for both JK Video and Hatman Productions.

Kaiba and Yoko announced the birth of their second son. Shortly after, Hatman's account was renewed again.

Yugi and Yami introduced Jou to a number of different men. Jou never had more than dinner with any of them.

"Jou, when are you going to let him go?" Serenity asked him at her birthday dinner the next year.

"When his account stops being renewed." Jou replied. "Then I'll know he's actually forgotten me."

* * *

The Katlove 3.0 went world wide only a few months after it hit the market. It was so big that Jou and Ken could not ignore the invitation to the Adult Trade Show in Las Vegas, America. Itchy and Scratchy - finally Mr. and Mrs. Masumoru Ichiro - watched the stores and the studio while they were gone.

Hatman Productions and JK Video had a joint booth displaying the Katlove 1000, the 2000 and the 3.0. They were selling the machines and the solo demo videos that Laiko and Ichiro had made. In the first day, they recouped the cost of the trip.

"Oh look, BB!" Jou heard over the crowd noise. "The Katlove people are here!"

He turned around. A woman with curly black hair and a pink shirt saying 'sweet bun baking' was pulling a man forward, toward the booth.

A man with long black hair and brown eyes wearing a hot pink tube top and electric blue spandex pants. The collar and leash were black leather, which matched his black leather Joan Crawford 'fuck me' heels.

The woman went directly to the machine and began reading off the new features. The man stopped in front of Jou.

After a silence that seemed stretch beyond forever, the man took a step forward. "Katsu-"

"Don't!" Jou snapped. For a minute, he thought his heart had simply stopped; then he realized that that was pounding, making his whole body shake.

"I've missed you."

"Seriously; don't even start."

"I have. I'll -"

"I don't want to hear it!" Jou stalked away, through the back of the booth and into the crowd before Kaiba followed him.

'Am I crazy', he wondered. 'Two years I've been dying to see him; as soon as he appears, I tell him to beat it! What's wrong with me?'

Still. Two years without so much as an email. And then to show up here - as BB no less! And with a woman? Who the hell was she? It wasn't Yoko. He couldn't still be seeing Rie, could he? Why in the hell would he just show up -?

"Mr. Jounouchi?"

Jou looked up, startled to hear his name. "Huh?"

"You are Katsuya Jounouchi, aren't you?"

"Uh, yeah."

The American woman smiled. She had a cameraman with her. "Hi. I'm Renee Baker. I'm with Adult Entertainment News. I'd like to do a feature on Hatman Productions."

"Oh!" Jou shook his head. "You need Ken Yakamoto; he's the brains. I just work there."

"Mr. Yakamoto told us that you were the boss, he just pointed the camera." She laughed. "One of you is fibbing. And the store is named JK Video."

Jou had to laugh too. "Yeah, I guess I am still kinda the boss - but Ken really is the creative one. I just write checks."

"Check writers are very entertaining." She had a very sweet smile. "Just a few minutes, please? I promise I don't bite."

He wasn't in the mood for an interview, but then at least he wasn't facing Kaiba. "Fine. What do you want to know?"

"Wait. Let's move to that patio. We'll be more comfortable."

They talked for almost an hour. Jou admitted that he made the first tape to get someone's attention, but shook his head when she asked if it worked.

"Nah. I got some cash, but I lost the guy."

"How much cash?"

"Some." Jou shrugged. "I'm out of debt and most of my employees are too. I don't need too much. There really is stuff money can't buy." He sighed.

"What about this, Mr. Jounouchi?" She handed him an envelope.

"What is it?" He opened the envelope, keenly aware that it was too late to be worried; he'd already fallen for whatever trap it was.

He'd presumed photos, but the envelope contained documents. "I don't read much English." He admitted. "I speak it ok, but I don't know what this is."

"Ok." Renee scooted closer and pointed to a paragraph. "This says that you've been summoned to court on this date. And right here it say that you owe child and spousal support."

"Whoa! Wait! Court?!"

Renee smiled and nodded. "For the woman you married, knocked up, and then abandoned."

"Sherri?" Jou couldn't believe what he was hearing. "She divorced me! I didn't even know I had a kid until she sent me a paternity notice - which I sent back, signed!"

"Yes, that's why they were able to sue for child support."

"So what the hell am I supposed to do with this!?"

"Just write checks."

* * *

"Look on the bright side," Yami observed. "You will at last get to meet the child."

"Yeah, that's been the only bright spot." Jou smiled. "Trevor. I guess the name's ok. Trevor Wheeler. I showed you his picture, right?"

"You showed everybody his picture," Little Miho snarked. "He's not even cute!" 13 going on 30.

"Upstairs or outside!" Otogi snapped. "I am so tired of you; when do you outgrow the adolescent phase?"

"When did you?" Yugi snickered. "She's just like you." Otogi threw the nearest pillow.

"So you leave tomorrow," Honda helped Jou close the last of his bags. "Any idea when you'll be back?"

"Can't stay forever." Jou laughed. "Visa's only good for a year. Hey, listen. I really appreciate you and 'Togi taking care of my stuff for me."

"No sweat! We can put it all in the back bedroom and you can stay there when you get back." Honda grinned. "Besides, you can do better than this dump. It's about time you got a nicer apartment."

* * *

It was 2am and the pounding on his door would not stop. Jou staggered to the door and opened it. "What the fuck is it?" Who it was could kiss his ass.

There was someone there, but they didn't speak. And it took Jou a moment to rub the sleep from his eyes and keep them open long enough for the face to register.

Kaiba.

Not Hatman. Not BB.

Brown hair, blown by the wind, matted by rain. Blue eyes stained red. He looked like a drown rat and he was still un-fucking-believably gorgeous. Jou was suddenly - keenly - aware that it was freezing outside and that he was standing, naked in the doorway.

Kaiba licked his lips, swallowed hard, and took a breath. "I'm sorry, but I knew if I tried to reach you at a more reasonable hour, you wouldn't see me. Rie was in an accident; she lost the baby. I was sitting in the hospital, holding her hand and desperately, desperately, wanting to hold you. It doesn't matter. Yoko and I are divorcing as soon as Rie is released. Publicly, it will be so that I can be with Rie, but that's not the reason. I have to protect Yoko's honor. Once she's remarried, I'm going to Come Out. I can't live like this any longer. And I can't live without you." He held out a cell phone. "This is my entire life. This has security access to Kaiba Manor, all the KaibaCorp offices, everything. The chip inside has complete access to all my finances. Use it as an ATM, a credit card, whatever you'd like; the limit is my available balance. It has every number where I may be reached pre-programmed. With this phone, you own me." He stopped, panting. "I could not think of a way to make my feelings more clear."

Jou stared at him. God hates me, he thought. If there's a God, he and Buddha, and whoever else is up there all hate me.

"I'm still married to Sherri; our divorce was never finalized. Tomorrow I'm flying to the US to see if I can get visitation rights to see my son. I don't know when I'll be back."

* * *

"It's a train wreck, Serenity!" Jou lamented over the phone.

"But doesn't that mean you have a better chance?" She tried to console her brother, but he growled.

"It's Sherri's damn mother! She's got him and she's claiming that introducing me as his father now, would just cause him 'undue stress'! They told him that shithead pimp of hers was his old man. Now Granny's trying to get custody because it would cause him too much harm if they let me see him."

"I still don't understand what that means! How will you cause him harm?"

"Fuck if I know!"

"Language." His sister reminded him.

"Oh yeah, 'cause Sherri and her mother sound like angels. He'd hear better language at the store."

"And speaking of, how did that go? When the judge found out about your job?"

Jou shrugged. "The judge was reasonable. He said just because my job was in the sex trade didn't mean I was going to endanger the kid. And he thought it was two-faced of the bitch to use the industry against me, when the fact that I made some money in it was why she was bringing the suit."

"Well at least he recognized that!"

"Plus, she's been arrested twice! They were minor charges, but still! Serenity, I don't know what to do here."

* * *

Jou paused to straighten his tie before knocking on the door. He had originally planned to wear a kimono, but his American attorney convinced him that a 10-year-old boy in New York would see a man in a dress. So, Jou bought a blue suit, a white shirt, a nice tie, and wore them. In his reflection in the window by the door, he looked very ... American.

Finally he realized that he couldn't continue stalling so he knocked.

They have to let me in, he reminded himself. It's a court ordered visitation. They have to let me see him.

The curtain on the window shifted and a teenage girl looked at him suspiciously. When she didn't speak, Jou cleared his throat and mustered some patience.

"Hi. I'm Jou. I'm here to see Trevor."

The girl stared at him doubtfully for a moment then stepped away from the window.

"Mama!" Jou could hear from inside. "Some white guy's at the door for Trey!"

White guy? Great.

Far longer than it should have taken, Sherri's mother appeared in the window. "Oh. You. Just a minute." Jou heard more yelling which ended with "...and act like you got some damn sense!" Then the door opened.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Williamson." Jou bowed deeply, showing a respect that he did not feel.

"Come on in." She said stepping aside. "He's upstairs."

"Oh - uh - should I ...?"

"Go on up. You wanted to see him. Go see him."

"Thank you." Jou tried not to run.

There were three doors and a bathroom upstairs. The first two doors were open and looked like girl's rooms. The last door was closed and Jou could hear music inside. Loud music. He skipped knocking and opened the door.

The boy was sitting on the floor, back to him. His hair was blond, like Jou's, but curly like Sherri's. He was drawing and judging by the number of sketchpads and notebooks around the room, he did a lot of it.

Jou took a step forward to see the drawing over his shoulder.

The boy turned around suddenly. "Why you all up in my business?" He snapped the book shut.

"Sorry." Jou took a step back, cursing himself for starting out on the wrong footing. "I meant no disrespect. Are you Trevor?"

"Nobody calls me that."

"Ok. What do they call you?"

"Trey."

"Hi Trey. I'm Jou."

"Granny says your name is Katsoup."

Jou had to smile. "Katsuya. Nobody calls me that."

They looked at each other for a while. Trey was mocha colored with beautiful almond brown eyes. To Jou, the boy's face looked like a perfect blend his own and Sherri's. Not cute my ass, Jou thought. Miho's gonna eat those words.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Are you my real father?"

Jou froze. "Uh..." He'd agreed not to tell the boy that. "Why do you ask?"

"You kinda look like me." Trey tilted his head thoughtfully. "I don't look anything like that jailbird Momma told me was my old man."

Jou glanced at the door. "I'm not supposed to say anything."

Trey nodded as if he understood. "So how come you show up now?"

"I was told to stay away, I stayed away. They told me to come back, I came back."

"Came back from where?"

"Japan."

Trey nodded. "Least you not in jail."

Jou nodded. He glanced around the room. Very little looked familiar. Things had changed since he was... "How old are you?"

"Ten. How old are you?"

"Twenty-nine."

"You from here or there?"

"There. I lived here for a little while, but I lived most of my life there."

"Where?"

"You've never heard of it. Town outside of Tokyo." He pointed to the sketchpad. "Can I see?" Trey considered it for a moment then offered the book.

The floor. Honda and Yugi always sat where the kids were sitting. Jou seated himself on the floor and took the book.

There were a variety of pictures. Heroes in capes, dinosaurs, dragons. There was a cityscape that looked like the view out of Trey's bedroom window. There was an extremely detailed red-eyes, black dragon. Jou stopped. "This is amazing. You duel?"

"Some. Not a lot of kids at my school play."

"Maybe we could duel sometime."

"You duel?" Trey looked surprised.

"Some of us old guys do cool stuff."

Trey scoffed. "Dueling's not cool." He rolled his eyes.

"Oh." My one chance down in flames. He went back to looking at the sketchpad.

The only thing all the drawings shared was an intense level of detail. Trey seemed to capture as much of each subject as he could.

The last picture - the one he was working on when Jou entered - was a portrait of his grandmother.

"These are amazing." The boy shrugged. "Do you want to be an artist when you grow up?"

"Only white people get to be artists and shit." He remarked. "Black people got to get real jobs."

Jou was so offended on so many levels, he couldn't speak for a moment. Sherri had had a lot of flaws but racist was never one of them. "Who taught you that?"

"I got eyes."

"Who? Your grandmother?"

"She always give me that you-can-be-what-you-want bullshit, but she want me to be a doctor or lawyer or some shit."

"Quit swearing."

"Fuck. You."

Jou slapped him; not hard, but enough to get the boy's attention. "I said stop."

Trey reached to slap him back, but Jou grabbed his arm. This was not going well.

"So what, you think you my father now?"

"I am your father."

"And that means, what?" Trey sneered. "You gonna take care of me? You gonna hang around - and shit - like you care?"

"Are you satisfied, Mr. Joe-new-chee?" Ms. Williamson said his name in careful syllables as if she had struggled to get the pronunciation right.

"Yeah." Jou sighed. Two hours with his son had been emotionally exhausting.

"So will you stop all this foolishness and just sign?"

"Sign over custody?" That was the last thing on Jou's mind. The last two hours had satisfied him that he needed to be in his son's life. "Hell no."

"Now look here, I don't know what your angle is, Mr. Joe-new-chee, but my grandson needs a home where someone can look out for him and love him. Nobody wants that child but me! Sherri don't want him anymore. You never did."

"I didn't know! How was I supposed to know?" Jou yelled. "Sherri took off! A week later, I got divorce papers. I signed them, mailed them back and went home! I didn't know she was pregnant until I got the paternity request - in Japan!"

"And you figured out of sight, out of mind?"

"I was nineteen!" Jou threw up his hands. "Do you know what it costs to fly here and back? I didn't have a job - I couldn't pay to eat, never mind to fly!"

"You seem to be eating well enough now." She pointed out drolly.

"That's why I'm here now."

"You are here now because Sherri told Renee that you were Trey's father when she saw you on the news. And I thank Renee because otherwise we would never have known where to look for you."

"Yeah? Well, I thank her too, because I finally met my son."

"And that's all you need to do, Mr. Joe-new-chee. That boy does not need any more complications in his life!" She crossed her arms and glared at him. "Did you look at that boy, Mr. Joe-new-chee? Do you think it's been easy for black child who looks like he does?"

"What's wrong with how he looks?!" Jou glared back. "And don't think I don't get it. The States aren't the only place where how you look matters. Or do you think it was easy being the only natural blond in my school for five years straight! Out in the some of the Prefectures, out by my grandparents, they still think this," he tugged a lock, "is a sign of demons. Trey's beautiful. Anybody with eyes can see that!"

Ms. Williamson softened a bit. "You don't need to tell me that; I'm glad you agree. But my point is, Trey's different and children can be cruel. He needs a stable home, not people who come running in and out of his life when they feel like it."

"Ma'am, if I had known Sherri was pregnant, I would have never left." Jou shook his head sadly. "And when I found out, I couldn't do anything."

"Well, you can now. You can give him a home and provide support."

"I don't want to be some name on a check to him!" Jou snapped. "I want to know him - I want him to know me!"

"And how you gonna do that from Japan?"

* * *

The courtroom was wooden. Wooden benches lined the gallery where they waited for their case to be called. Wooden tables filled the space between the parties and the judge. A wooden podium rose dramatically above them for the judge to sit on high and decide their fate.

Sherri was dressed conservatively for once, like she thought looking like a mother would make the court believe she cared to be one. She'd probably borrowed the suit from Renee, who sat beside her. Her cameraman was waiting in the hall, but Renee was Sherri's best friend.

Ms. Williamson was clearly the person to be contended with; Sherri was fighting for custody but only as a pretense for the money she seemed sure Jou had, and sure the court would award her.

Yugi sat beside Jou. He had come across for a convention, but had been able to arrange to spend a few days with Jou. He'd worn a dark suit, but it looked rather incongruous with his wild hair. Still, Jou was glad of any moral support. Jou had an attorney, but there was nothing like having a friend with you when your life was up in the air. It was only topped by having the man you loved at your side.

Since that wasn't about to happen, Jou was happy with Yugi.

"He's mine, alright." Jou told Yugi the first night they'd caught up. "He has a serious attitude problem."

Jou did get a moment before they entered the courtroom to introduce his son to his best friend.

"I know him." Trey tsked. "That's Yugi Mutou - he's a real Duelist." The boy looked at Yugi. "You really know my father or he just tryin' to impress somebody?"

Yugi laughed. "I really know him. We went to school together. Jou was the best man at my wedding."

"Huh." Trey thought for a moment. "Can I have your autograph?"

Now, Trey sat with his mother and grandmother, headphones on, drawing pad open on his knee. He had steadfastly ignored the proceedings as soon as he determined that nothing he said mattered.

What Trey'd said was that he wanted to go to Japan.

After Jou and Trey met, the Judge interviewed the boy, in chambers. Sherri, Jou and Ms. Williamson had waited in the courtroom pretending that the door to the back had the most fascinating carvings.

An hour later, the judge sent Trey off with a social service worker and called in the attorneys. Jou climbed the walls for another hour while Sherri had had a loud cell phone call out in the hallway.

When the Judge finally returned, he recessed for the day. That was when Jou's lawyer relayed that Trey told the Judge that he wanted to live in Japan. The Judge was ordering the boy to see a counselor - mostly to see if the kid was serious or just being a brat - and held the case over for another month to give all the parties involved time to consider this new option.

Live in Japan. Did Jou want full custody? He hadn't even considered it - never dreamed it was possible that he could go home and take his son with him. Yugi had called to say he'd be in town just when Jou most needed someone to talk the decision over with.

Jou really wanted to discuss it with Kaiba. He wanted to introduce Trey to Seto. He wanted Kaiba to discuss parenting with Ms. Williamson. He wanted BB to tell Sherri where to go and how to get there.

The longer Jou was in New York, the more feverently he wished he'd taken the damn phone. Every time he closed his eyes, Kaiba was there - wet, shivering, beautiful.

Jou had eventually broken down and logged into his account at the store. All of BB's tapes were available for streaming. It wasn't the same as having him in person, but even as BB, Kaiba was so sexy....

Why didn't I take the damn phone? Jou asked himself time and time again.

Now, with Yugi - not Kaiba - at his side, Jou waited to hear what the Judge decided.

The gavel banged.

"Next case." The bailiff called out. "Wheeler vs. Jonahchee."

"Wheeler?" Yugi hissed. "She kept your name?"

"She claimed it was easier."

Yugi muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like 'witch' as Jou stood up. "Good luck!" He said aloud.

It'll take more than luck, Jou thought as he moved toward the front of the room. Ms. Williamson had forcibly taken the headphones from Trey and Jou tried not to grin as the boy slumped in his chair.

"Ok." The Judge sighed. "I have heard all the arguments, and I have reviewed all the evidence, and I think I'm ready to decide. Only took us seven months. Let me just make sure I have all this straight." The Judge shuffled through the months of accrued paper. "Ms. Wheeler, you contend that Mr. Jonahchee left you and your unborn son, with no warning and with no means of support. You want both spousal and child support for the past ten years, in addition to on-going child and spousal support."

"And my divorce, your honor." Sherri added. Jou had already learned to keep his mouth shut when his 'wife' opened hers, but it had been a hard lesson to learn.

The Judge grunted and picked up another sheet of paper. "Mr. Jonahchee, you contend that you were served with divorce papers, and had no knowledge of any pregnancy."

"Yes, sir."

"Further, I see that the original family court ordered no visitation and $200 a month child support which you have never paid because you were unaware of it. Is that correct?"

Jou bit back his initial response. How could they award child support if we were never divorced? "Yes, sir."

"So now you want joint custody of your son?"

"Yes." Joint custody. It would mean coming to the US to see Trey, but Jou could call or e-mail anytime.

"You realize that whether you win that or not, you still owe Ms. Wheeler $24,000 in unpaid child support - plus penalties and interest?"

"Yeah, I get it." The money was all Sherri was after. She'd made that clear enough.

"Alright." The judge shuffled through the pages again. "And then there's you, Ms. Williamson. You want sole custody on the grounds that both of these parents have abandoned the child and you have waived all rights for financial support from both parents. I see you have also requested to formally adopt him?"

"No way!" Jou snapped without thinking.

The Judge gave Jou a stern look and went on. "Alright. Convince me. Why should I take this child away from both his parents?"

"Your honor, my grandson has had a difficult life." Ms. Williamson began. "He never had a father." Jou tried not to growl and let her go on. "For whatever reason. And his mother...." She shook her head. "I love my daughter, but she is not able to give herself to a child. I can do that. I want to do that. I know Trey is a handful. He has some discipline problems. But he's smart and he's talented and if he can learn some focus, he could make a success of his life. He needs stability, your Honor. One home, one family, one church that help him stay focused on school. And not get all swept away in these dreams of foreign lands and celebrities and whatever."

The Judge nodded his head. "I agree. Why can't his mother or father do that?"

"I can." Sherri interjected.

"You can." Her mother agreed. "You won't." She looked at the judge. "And his father lives in another country! How can the child have a stable life with his father half a planet away?"

The Judge nodded some more. "I considered that too. Mr. Jonahchee, you asked for joint custody. How were you expecting that to work?"

Jou cleared his throat. "Yeah. Well, I figured he could be here - with his mother and grandmother - when school was in. Then when school lets out, he could come stay with me."

"In Japan."

"No." Ms. Williamson shook her head.

"Why not?" Jou snapped. "Your honor, yeah, the kid definitely needs some boundaries. But he's creative - he needs to see new stuff, too! Keeping him locked up in one house, one town, one life is not going to focus him, it's going to smother him. He's my son. Half of him is American, but half of him's Japanese. I want him to learn about that half. Doesn't he have a right to know where he came from?"

"He knows where he came from!" Ms. Williamson shot back. "When he's older and has more experience, maybe..."

"How many kids never get older?" Jou yelled. "My mom's never met her grandson - how would you feel if it was you? Trey's got an aunt, an uncle and three cousins. And great grandparents - out in Dau Prefecture. They own a rice farm on the side of a mountain. I want Trey meet them. I'm not asking for full custody! I'll pay child support! I just want to see my son for long enough to get to know him."

* * *

Standing in front of airport security, he understood what a friend was.

"Yugi - I don't know what to say." Jou looked at the envelope, stunned. "I - I just..."

"Yami wired it. As soon as he heard how much the fine was." Yugi smiled. "I just wish I didn't have to get back."

The court records showed that notice had been mailed to Jou. And since so long had passed without support payments, Jou fell under something called the 'deadbeat dad' clause. It essentially allowed the State to re-calculate the child support order based on his highest income during the intervening period. Renee, helpfully, had supplied Sherri with the industry estimates of what JK Video grossed in a year. The courts had then subpoenaed his financial records and determined a number that looked more like what Kaiba should pay than anything Jou had ever earned.

And on top of that, there were court fees, his attorney's costs, the Tokyo-level price of living in New York for any amount of time, let alone several months. Jou's funds were tapped out. He'd even maxed out his credit. For the long term, he'd be ok. The store really was doing well. But for the short term, he was just glad he'd learned long ago how to live on raman and water.

Of course, if he had taken that stupid phone, money wouldn't have been a problem!

The loan - he refused to accept it as a gift regardless of how hardheaded his friends could be - from Yugi and Yami would get Jou through his last week in New York. Then he'd have to come up with a new apartment and get back to work. He was seriously considering making another solo tape for Hatman Productions. The initial payment would be very helpful. The effort would be worth it.

Every yen Sherri and the courts had asked for was worth it.

The Judge had agreed with him.

"Ms. Williamson, I applaud your dedication to your family and your grandson. I can see that you are a very caring woman. But not at the expense of a father who so clearly wants - and deserves - an opportunity to bond with his son.

"I am therefore naming Ms. Williamson as custodial parent of her grandson Trevor Wheeler and granting Mr. Jonahchee full and unrestricted visitation rights...."

There had been more after that - including an official divorce decree - but none of it mattered as much as the Judge's final words before the gavel struck.

"And one last thing, Ms. Williamson. Have you considered asking Mr. Jonahchee if you were welcome to go to Japan with Trey?"

After the gavel fell, Jou turned to the woman who'd been his adversary for almost a year. "It would be my honor if you came with him to visit." He bowed deeply.

* * *

Yugi and Honda were holding a 'Welcome Home' sign. Serenity, Ryou and their kids - Ryo and the twins - were holding a 'Happy Father's Day' sign - appropriate if inaccurate. Even Malik and Marik made it to town to greet Jou when he returned from New York.

They all went to Yugi and Yami's - the only house big enough to host them all. Jou's mother and her husband Bakura were waiting there along with Yugi's grandfather, and Mai and Isis. Anzu-sempi was on tour with her dance troupe, but had called and left Jou a long enthusiastic voice mail.

The only one missing was Kaiba.

"I'm sorry." Yugi said when they had a quiet moment in the hall. "I couldn't find BB."

Jou smiled sadly. "I didn't expect to see him. And besides, I wouldn't even be here if you hadn't helped out! They were talking jail time."

"Oh, My God!" Mom yelled out, laughing.

Jou and Yugi joined her in the living room. Mom, Serenity and Bakura were pouring over Trey's baby pictures, which Ms. Williamson had allowed Jou to copy before he left.

"I have that exact picture of you at that age!" She smiled fondly. "You even had a little red bear!"

"If it weren't for the curls, I would have thought these were Jou." Bakura agreed.

"Oh, no." Mom shook her head. "Kat had the most angelic curls until he was five or six. He was just precious." She sighed.

"Awwwwwww!" Honda teased.

"Mom," Jou found himself blushing slightly. "Cut it out."

She ignored him. "So when do I get to meet my new little angel?"

* * *

The staff threw a party when Jou returned to the store, but eventually, Jou had to return to the office and see what he'd missed.

Ichiro had taken over ordering and staff issues. Ken and Laiko were handling all of Hatman Productions. And with the exception of a few new faces and some new stock, nothing much had changed.

"I upload Hatman's raw footage now." Laiko commented. "He doesn't come in at all anymore."

"Although he renewed his account again." Ichiro observed.

Jou tried not react to that; it was hard not to.

But it was over. Katsuya and BB. That series was complete.

"You know your favorite couple split up while you were gone." Laiko teased.

"Who?" Jou chuckled. "You two are my favorite."

"No! Setoko! Big news - she's already living with some commoner." Laiko web surfed for articles while Jou tried to get his emotions in check.

He really did leave her. Was there a chance?

"Rumor has it that Princess Rie has already redecorated the master bedroom in Kaiba Manor." Laiko went on as she handed Jou her cell phone and the latest celebrity gossip rag. "But he took all of the kids to Disney yesterday, and Rie stayed in Tokyo, so no-one's really sure yet."

The picture showed Kaiba and four kids. The youngest was a toddler in his arms. Jou smiled. Back in the days, who would have predicted Kaiba the loving father? It was a good image for him - carrying one, holding the hand of another, the oldest two close by.

Maybe it was right that he should be with a woman, Jou thought. I can't give him a house full of kids, for damn sure.

The screen updated and a new story appeared.

"Seto Gave Me Another Baby!" The headline screamed. Rie was pregnant again - already - and insisting that she and Kaiba were already married. And this one was another girl.

Jou gave the phone back to Laiko. Kaiba was probably very happy now.

* * *

"What is the God Damned hold up!" Jou snarled at no one in particular.

"Jou!" Yami snapped. "The plane landed twenty minutes ago. They have to get through baggage claim and Customs. It will take a few minutes."

"My last international flight, the machine was down." Otogi said. "They had to go through all my stock by hand. It took hours."

"That never happens to me." Yugi grinned.

"That's because you suck." 'Togi replied.

"Quite well in fact." Yami agreed.

"YAAMII!" Yugi turned nearly purple. "Kids!?"

All of the kids - Miho, Ryo, the twins - wanted to meet Trey at the airport. Most of the adults opted to wait in Jou's new overpriced three-bedroom condo. It would have been more reasonable to get a one or two bedroom considering that at best Trey might visit once a year, but Jou wanted his son to know that he was always welcome. That when he came here, this was his room. Not a guest room. Home.

When they finally appeared on the escalator, they were easy to spot - a Black-American family in a sea of Japanese faces. Ms. Williamson, Trey and Chandra - Sherri's younger sister.

"TREY!" Miho shouted waving her arms. The group looked up and over, and then Trey waved his arm wildly in response.

Jou headed to meet them. When they alighted the escalator, however, he was suddenly tongue-tied.

"Ko-nee-chi-wa." Ms. Williamson said with her careful pronunciation.

Jou grinned. "Konnichiwa, Mother Williamson. Thank you for visiting." He kissed Chandra's cheek, but turned his full attention to Trey. "Hey."

"Hey." The boy responded. "Who was that, calling my name?"

"Miho. My buddy's daughter." It suddenly dawned on Jou that no one had followed him. "They're all waiting to meet you. All of you." He grabbed Mother Williamson's suitcase. "Come on!"

Everyone spoke enough English to get through the initial introductions. Then Yami had enough sense to suggest that they go to the condo for food and further conversation.

They gathered the bags and headed for the main exits and the parking lots.

Only to find security temporarily blocking the way.

"I hate celebrities!" Otogi rolled his eyes. "Which big shot is it now?"

Jou turned to explain what was going on to his guests. Chandra laughed.

"They do the same thing back home! Who is it?" She pulled out a camera.

"Oh My God!" Otogi gasped as Yugi cried out. "Kaiba!"

Hot and cold tremors ran through Jou's body as he slowly turned around.

Kaiba was moving toward them.

"Motou. Yet again, I run into you in the oddest places." Kaiba's eyes flicked over the group and if he noticed Jou, he gave no indication that it mattered to him. "Children!" He called over his shoulder. "Attend." Three well-behaved Kaiba-clones appeared beside him. "Children, I have told you how important it is to pay attention to those around you. These men are all prior classmates of mine. The Mutous you should know; they are both Grand Champions on the current circuit."

"Mutou Yugi won in London last month." The tallest - a girl said. "But Mutou Yami hasn't dueled since KaibaCon two years ago."

"I wasn't aware anyone kept track of that." Yami sounded mild.

"It's my responsibility to track income on the circuit, by duelist." The girl replied. She looked too young to track anything.

"She's quite good at it." Kaiba commented with only a flicker of interest. "Ichiro, allow me to present Otogi Ryuji - owner of Dungeon Dice Games."

A rather short boy stepped forward and bowed slightly. "May I have the honor of meeting with you at a later date?" He asked formally. "I have a proposition for you to consider."

"Uh..." 'Togi looked completely overwhelmed. "Uh, sure."

"Thank you. My father's secretary will call to make an appointment."

Then Kaiba's eyes landed squarely on Jou's and Jou thought his knees would give out. "I'm afraid my younger son is not involved with your industry, Jounouchi. Although, from what my network tells me, you've had some small success."

Jou swallowed hard and struggled to keep breathing. "Your network, huh? And here I thought you'd forgotten me."

Did those cold eyes melt just a little? "No. No, I have not forgotten you. I certainly have tried to."

"Hey, Jou!" Trey suddenly interrupted. "Is that the guy who owns KaibaGames?"

"Uh, yeah." Jou watched as Kaiba's eyes took in the mocha-skinned boy with blond curls.

"How you know him?" Trey asked. "I thought you sold pornos." He looked at Kaiba with the directness no Japanese child would dream of. "What, you make sex toys too?"

"TREY!" Ms. Williamson grabbed the boy by the back of his neck, while Jou watched Yugi, Yami and Otogi nearly choke.

"Yours?" Kaiba asked, switching to English.

"Yeah."

"I see. I thought most crossbreeds were sterile. Did you find it in a gutter somewhere or is there a breeding program for mutts?"

"Now you see here!" Ms. Williamson's voice went to full strength. "Nobody talks about MY family like that! I don't know who you think you are, but -"

"Mother Williamson, I can handle this." Jou cut over her.

"He better not think -"

"He doesn't." Jou turned back to Kaiba. "This is my son, Trey. He's smart, bold, talented and I only had to have one to get it right." Jou looked past Kaiba to frown at his children. "How many more times you gonna try?"

Kaiba's lips formed a tight thin line. "Make a note of that, children. Never play with a stray dog. It may bite." Kaiba abruptly turned. "I'm sure you have things to do - preferably far away from me. Come children." He paused. "Oh yes. Jounouchi. One of my wife's former associates used to work in your industry. A...let's say 'performer', named 'BB'. Are you familiar with him?"

"Yeah." The last thing Jou wanted to think about was BB. "What about him?"

"I was able to convince my wife that he was an unstable influence. He has returned from whence he came and I doubt he shall return. I thought perhaps the news would be useful to you."

Go to Chapter: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th

Everyone else had finally gone home. Trey had fallen asleep and Jou had had the great joy of carrying his son to bed for the first time ever. Chandra had gone to bed hours earlier.

Jou's mother and Mother Williamson sat on the couch and talked about children and grandchildren like old friends who hadn't spoken since childhood.

Bakura had banished himself to the balcony; not wanting to rush his wife, but still not comfortable with a son-in-law that was at one time his classmate.

Jou wasn't entirely settled with his mother's marriage to a man literally half her age, but she did seem happy with him and Bakura wasn't all bad - when you got to know him.

Sitting alone in his room, Jou's mind quickly turned to seeing Kaiba. His comments, again, had been cutting. Was that part of the "expected behavior"? Rather than dwell on such questions, Jou joined Bakura outside.

The night was warm and clear. Bakura looked forlorn.

"Something up?" Jou asked.

"Nothing real." Bakura sighed.

"Meaning?"

"You know how there's something that you can't change, but you wish you could?" Bakura shrugged. "There's no point in thinking about it. It's a non-issue. But every so often, something gets to me."

"Like?"

"Like watching you with Trey today." He chuckled. "Even listening to her talk about you as a baby." He sighed. "I wish I could change things, but I can't."

"Change what?"

Bakura smiled ruefully. "You're as close to a son as I'm ever going to get." Jou nearly gagged. Bakura and Mom having kids...ick! "Don't look like that." Bakura rolled his eyes. "Menopause got to your mother before I did. No little Bakuras running around, getting on your nerves."

"I didn't mean that, really."

"That's what you and Ryou both mean. I don't give a fuck. I love your mother. You and Ryou can both kiss my ass."

"Please don't." Mother said from the balcony doorway. "That would make this situation even weirder and more awkward than it already is."

Jou shrugged. "If you're happy, Mom, then I guess I can get used to this a-hole."

* * *

They went to Tokyo and Mt. Fuji and Hiroshima. They went to KaibaLand and Disney. Yugi took them to every major dueling arena in the country. Apparently, your father dueling was not cool, but your father's friend the pro duelist was very cool.

Honda took them on a tour of Jou's old high school. Since classes were in session, 'Ma' Williamson got a chance to see what the students were actually studying.

"We have year-round classes here, with a month off between semesters. It's the same amount of classroom time, but I think retention is better from year to year." Honda smiled. "Of course, I grew up here, so I am a bit biased."

"No, I think you're right." Ma nodded. "I wish I could put this one in a year-round school." She pointed at Chandi. "Think it would kill her to open a book over the summer."

"Send her here." Honda offered. "We have a lot of foreign students. We have a dormitory for English-speaking students and an immersion Japanese program to get them up to speed quickly. I'll show you after we're done here. We have the same program at the elementary school level too."

"Granny, can I go there?" Trey asked as if on cue.

Ma glared at Honda. "What did I tell you about asking me that?"

"Trey, stop bugging your grandmother." Jou said. "You're beginning to bug me."

They toured the grounds and the dorms, the cafeteria and the gym. They talked to a few students and a few teachers. A few of them were old enough to remember Jou.

"Always in trouble, hm?" Ma tsked as they left the school. "I guess you two do have a lot in common."

* * *

Jou made a pair of 'Katsuya' tapes for Ken. "We get a lot of requests for them, Boss. Gay guys buy them, but straight girls like them too. I figure one for each market. We'll see if the requests die down after that."

The most popular requests were for him to use a toy and for him in a locker room, so they filmed 'Katsuya at the Gym' and 'Katsuya Goes Shopping'. Shopping was really a marketing tool for all the vibs they carried in the store. The last scene on the tape was ten minutes of Jou on the Katlove 3.0.

The whole time they taped, Jou was miserable. Sex - even masturbation - without Seto just served to remind him how lonely he was. Having Trey in his life was great, but Trey didn't fill the empty space in Jou's heart - although he did ease the pain.

But Seto was more. He was an intellectual foil and a sexual addiction. He was every dream at night, every other thought during the day. He was The One.

Why didn't I take that God Damn phone? Jou tried not to ask himself that, but the question kept re-occurring to him.

Still, they sold out of the new titles the day they were released.

* * *

"I can't believe it." Yugi said yet again. "Gay?"

"I don't know why we didn't figure it out ourselves." 'Togi laughed. "My God, all the signs were there!"

"But Kaiba?"

"Maybe he didn't know." Honda commented, looking at Jou. "I didn't know until college. Maybe it took him awhile to sort it out."

"Trey! Go back in your room!" Ma Williamson snapped.

"It's boring in there." The boy complained as he dropped onto Jou's couch and opened a drawing pad.

"Boy, don't make me hurt you."

He tsked. "Granny, what? I know Jou gay. Momma been told me that." He didn't even look up from his picture. "All the uncles are."

Trey and Chandra had borrowed from the rest of the kids and called Jou's friends 'Uncle' - Oji Yami, Oji Honda - but they'd stayed away from discussions of sexuality at Ma's Williamson's request.

"I even saw your tape at Oji Yugi's house." Trey went on like he was describing a summer day. "How come you not with that Kaiba guy no more, Jou?"

"What tape?" Ma asked as Yugi yelled, "YAAMII?!"

"Not I." Yami replied, amused.

"What do you mean, you saw it?" Jou asked. "You saw the case?"

"What 'Kaiba' guy?" Otogi put in. "Jou was never with Kaiba."

Trey finally looked up and looked at Jou. "Miho played it for me...."

"I'll kill her." Honda growled.

"....It had you and that guy from the airport doing freaky stuff...."

"Oh My Lord!" Ma moaned.

"I just asked her what it was like having two queer guys as dads and she showed me." Trey shrugged. "It was kinda gross, so don't do that crap around me."

Mental whiplash, Jou thought. "Hadn't planned to, kid. And I don't know what you saw, but I never did anything with the guy at the airport."

"Well, he was wearing a wig and he was acting all faggy and stuff."

"BB?" Yugi said suddenly. "Oh my god, he's right! BB looks like he could be related to Kaiba! Why didn't I ever notice?"

"BB is NOT related to Kaiba!" Jou snapped. This was not a conversation he wanted to have with anyone, ever. This wasn't even a thought he wanted anyone to have. If it got out that Kaiba'd done a porno....

"Is this the video to which you refer?" Yami asked, as nearly every other adult in the room protested him showing the DVD case to the boy.

"Yeah." Trey nodded.

Yami studied the picture. "It could be a wig. BB's eyes are brown, not blue, and they're smaller than Kaiba's. Was this shot before or after BB got that tattoo?"

"I don't know!" Jou groaned. This was a train wreck. Ma would take Trey back to the US and he'd never get to see the boy again and if news got out that Kaiba had made a porno - especially while Kaiba was going through his second divorce - he'd find Jou and kill him!

"YOU ARE NOT SHOWING THAT FILTH AROUND MY BABIES!" Ma thundered as Yami opened the DVD player.

"Obasama is right." Yugi agreed. "I wouldn't call sex 'filth', but I do know most Americans are a bit sheltered. You three should probably go to the other room for a while."

"Trey already saw it!" Chandra complained. "Why can't I?!"

"Yeah!" Trey pushed to the front of the group. "I already seen it!"

"You said it was gross." Jou pointed out. Trey tsked and rolled his eyes.

Otogi already had the remote and was fast-forwarding past the disclaimers and titles. Ten minutes into the tape, BB was naked, 'Kat-chan's boytoy' clearly visible on his hip. 'Togi paused the tape. "I don't suppose someone has a picture of Moneybags' ass?"

"Yup!" Chandi crowed. "He at that water park last week, and Ma was saying how he might as well not have a swimsuit, small as his was."

Honda found stack of newspapers by the door and began combing through them. "Ah-ha! Damn! He is practically naked!" He brought the picture to the group. "No tat. Good call, Chandi." The way she grinned back, Jou was momentarily concerned that the teen might be developing a crush on the older man.

"Does BB have any scars or blemishes?" 'Togi asked, restarting the tape.

"Nope." Yugi answered before Jou could. They all turned to look at the shorter man. "What? I told you I like sex. I have a JK Video subscription; Jou's tapes are hot."

"We're going to have quite a talk when we get home, beloved one."

"Oooooo!" Chandi pointed to the screen. "That mess is fake!"

"What? Where?"

"Roll it back. There!" 'Togi paused the tape and Chandi tapped BB's hip. "See?"

BB was covered in sweat and semen - and probably more. Katsuya had rubbed much of it over BB and as his hand passed over BB's hip, the tattoo was missing parts of the kanji for 'chan'. Half of 'toy' was gone.

Fuck, Jou thought, that's been sent worldwide.

"Jou...?"

"It's not him." Jou lied.

"Dude every time you lie, your ears turn pink." Honda crossed his arms and stared at Jou. "You said you knew who BB was. Is he Kaiba?"

* * *

"You got the applications for the schools, right?" Jou asked again.

"I'm not necessarily going to fill them out, Jou." Ma frowned. "I said I'd think about it."

"I know, I know. Think. But you have them, right?"

"Lord, the boy has a one track mind!"

"Always has." Mom chuckled. She gave the older woman a hug. "Have a good flight back, Sig. Call me when you get home so I know you made it safely."

"I will." Ma returned the hug. "Say goodbye you two; we are not going to run all up and down this airport, all late."

"Bye." Trey said with a simple wave as Chandi hugged Yugi, Miho and everyone else.

"Hold up, son!" Jou laughed. "You're not getting off that light. Come here!" He hugged the boy tightly and was thrilled when his son returned the affection.

"Do I have to go back?" Trey whispered.

"Yeah." Jou sighed. "But be cool. It's a good school. She really might let you stay next year." Jou pulled away just enough to look the boy in the eye. "You know I love you, right?"

Trey blushed and tried to look away. "Yeah, I guess." Jou knew enough not to ask how Trey felt.

"Here, Trey." Yugi gave him a package. "I thought you should have this. Open it." Inside was a framed card - Red-Eyes, Black Dragon. Written across it was "Friends forever" with Yugi and Jou's signatures. The matte around it read 'BattleCity 2005'. "It used to be your dad's, but I won it off him while he was still on the circuit."

"Whoa!" Trey looked at Jou. "You were at BattleCity?"

"He finished third, as I recall." Yami smiled.

"I didn't know you were a REAL duelist!" Trey looked impressed for the first time. "That's pretty cool."

There was an announcement and they all looked up as the voice said "Neuu Rork". "That's probably you." Mom said. "Remember when you get to the gate to tell them to announce everything in English."

"Don't worry about that one." Ma chuckled. "Come on, you two. Let's get moving. You can e-mail anything else when you get home."

Jou watched and waved until they disappeared into the mass confusion that was security.

The last three months had been heaven. There had been a few awkward, uncomfortable, miserable moments scattered throughout, but overall spending the summer with his son had been the best summer of his life. And, even better, there was a real possibility that Ma would let Trey and Chandi do a year in the study abroad program.

"Ok." Yugi's voice brought Jou back to earth. "Trey's gone. When are you going to see Kaiba?"

"Jeez, Yug! Let the plane take off before you light into him!" Otogi defended. "He just said goodbye."

"And he needs to say hello." Honda countered. "Yug's right this time. When are you going to see him?"

Jou sighed. Ever since the guys figured it out, they'd been hounding him. Kaiba was out now, there was no need to make their prior relationship public. Jou could simply go and talk about the future. Their future. "I'll call tomorrow."

"See him." Yugi insisted. "Today."

"Today." Mom agreed.

"Does it occur to any of you that maybe the reason HE hasn't appeared already is because HE's no longer interested??" Bakura pointed out.

"Does it occur to you that you don't have to rain on every parade in the free world?" Ryou countered.

"Listen, Son..." Bakura put a particularly snide twist on the word.

"Stop!" Serenity stepped between the two. "Not the time or place! Nii-chan, you need to see him - even if you're afraid that Bakura's right. What if the reason he hasn't called you is because he's afraid you don't want to see him?"

* * *

The only estates larger then Kaiba Manor belonged to The Emperor and the Prime Minister. The gardens were dazzling. The buildings were either historic, elegant or awe-inspiring - dependent on whether they were older or newer in construction. The house itself was a blend of traditional style and modern needs. It was immense. The walk from the parking lot to the front door was not only lovely, but also educational, as every plant or tree had a plaque with its genus, and the name and age of the child that planted it.

One bush of fragrant purple roses stood out. Jou read the plaque. 'Rosa 'JACsedi' Love Potion Roses, Seto, 17'.

Jou was greeted at the front door by an elderly woman with the style and grace of a geisha in the history books. She led him through a house that looked more like a museum to a small library. There were no windows, just four walls of books, an oak-wood desk, two over-stuffed leather chairs and a matching over-stuffed leather couch.

A few minutes later, a very handsome, formal and elegant man brought in a tray of tea and refreshments. He then performed a proper tea ceremony for Jou.

"O-Kaiba-sama, is not home at present, Jounouchi-sama. He has asked if you would be willing to wait for his return."

"I can come back." Jou said, putting his tea down. "It's not important; I don't want to put you guys out."

"O-Kaiba-sama was most insistent that we persuade you to stay." The man inclined his head. "He asked me personally to use every means at my disposal to detain or more correctly -" he looked up at Jou coyly "- entertain you."

Jou's jaw dropped. "Is that a - are you -"

"I was unaware that O-Kaiba-sama was acquainted with the legendary Jounouchi Katsuya." The man licked his lips. "I would be honored to service such an esteemed guest for my esteemed master."

"Uh...yeah." Not for the first time did Jou curse himself for using his real name on the damn videos. "I've - uh - retired from that stuff. Kaiba and I are classmates. That's how he knows me."

"I see." The man nodded.

"So have you and Kaiba...."

"I have not had the pleasure of entertaining O-Kaiba-sama, no."

"Oh."

"If there is nothing you'd like at this time, then I shall leave you. If you require anything at all, please dial zero. Any one of us would be happy to attend any - ANY - need you have."

"Yeah. I'm good." Jou nodded. "Thanks."

* * *

Jou woke suddenly. The room was pitch black. When he moved the bed under him groaned.

Not bed. Couch. Leather couch in Kaiba's library. He found his phone and checked the time. 3am.

When he sat up, the motion sensitive lights flared to life. When he could see again, he dialed zero on the desk phone.

"How may I assist you, Jounouchi-sama?" A perky voice asked.

"Where the hell is Kaiba?"

"I'm very sorry sir. We expect his flight to touch down within the hour."

"Flight?"

"Yes, sir."

"Where the hell was he when I got here?"

"Paris, sir."

Paris? "Like as in France?"

"Yes, sir. At an arms conference. We're very sorry he has been so delayed, sir. The flight had to re-fuel in Turkey. And they had to land for security issues in China."

"Wait! Why the hell didn't someone just tell me he was out of town?"

"I'm afraid I don't know, sir. If you give me just a moment, I can see if there are any notes in the household system."

"Yeah. See if there's a note."

"Just a moment, sir." There was some typing. "It says that you are listed in our standing guest list. O-Kaiba-sama was notified and emergency travel arrangements made."

"Emergency?"

"Yes sir. The conference began yesterday morning. He had only just arrived there when we notified him of your arrival here." She clicked a few more buttons. "O-Kaiba-sama asked that you be made as comfortable as possible until he returned. I see you are still in the library. If you would like, one of the suites is available. I can have someone show you to it."

Jou yawned. "Yeah. Fuck. At this hour, I might as well stay."

Almost immediately, there was a knock on the door. The boy that opened it and bowed was gorgeous, and made Jou wonder about Kaiba's hiring practices.

"If you would follow me, sir. Thank you."

"That was fast." Jou said to the woman on the phone. "Thanks."

"Thank you, Jounouchi-sama."

This time when Jou woke, there was sunlight streaming through the window of a sumptuous bedroom and Kaiba sitting, asleep, in a chair by the bed.

Jou moved and Kaiba woke.

"Katsuya." He gasped. Then he yawned.

Jou laughed. "Every so often you do something that reminds me you're human."

"I'm sorry. I've spent 36 of the last 48 hours on planes changing time zones. Frankly, I'm not sure if I'm awake or not."

Jou pinched him.

"Ow! I fail to see the point of that."

"They say you don't feel pain in dreams, so if it hurt when I pinched you, then you must be awake."

"There must be a third option. If I were awake, Katsuya would not be in my bed and if I were dreaming, I'd be in it with him."

Jou took a breath. "Yeah? Well in my dreams, I'm in bed with Seto. Not B-"

He couldn't finish the thought. Seto rushed him, kissed him deeply. "I adore it when you say my name, Katsuya." He panted.

"Wait! Wait!" Jou tried to hold him back. "We got a lot to discuss."

"Yes." Seto kissed him again. "The answer is yes to what ever you want. What ever you need. What ever you desire." He kissed Jou again. "If it doesn't exist, I will create it. I only ask one thing."

"What?" Jou's breath was short, stolen by Seto's onslaught.

"Take me. Take me now. Hard and fast and forever."

* * *

Jou was nervous as they went down to dinner. Seto had cancelled his day, turned his phone off and spent every moment in bed with Jou. Acting like BB, looking like Kaiba.

More mental whiplash.

Now, dressed presentably and hand-in-hand, Seto escorted Jou to the family dining room.

Not through the formal halls that the staff had shown Jou. Through rooms that looked more like a home for a family.

The simple dining room was set for dinner, but empty. "They must still be in the nursery." Seto said lightly and tugged Jou's hand. "This way."

From down the hall they could hear children's laughter. What the hell would those prim, proper kids say to this?

When the door opened, however, it was nothing like what Jou expected. Toys were strun everywhere. Four children played on the floor, the two oldest with an infant.

"Dinner is to be promptly at six." Seto proclaimed, grinning.

"Daddy!" One of the boys shouted.

They all looked up and the girl gasped. "He brought the stray dog!" She scrambled to her feet and bowed gracefully. "Good evening, sir, welcome to our home." She said politely.

Jou looked at the girl as the other kids joined her, bowing to him. He looked at Seto. "Did she just call me a stray dog?"

"Yokomizu, what did I tell you about stray dogs?" Seto asked, grinning rather smugly.

The girl straightened up. "Stray dogs are stronger and smarter than pet dogs. They have to be in order to survive. They have to have a perfect blend of wits and intelligence to judge risk against reward and win. You know a stray dog is a successful dog. If he weren't, he'd be dead."

"So, 'stray dog' is some kind of compliment?"

"The highest."

"No." The taller boy cut in. "Mutt is better. Mutts are cross-bred, and successful mutts have all the best qualities of their parent breeds, but none of their limitations."

Jou looked at Seto again, who continued to grin. "Katsuya, allow me to present - in order - Yokomizu, Ichiro, Honihiro, Mokaro, and Riechiko. Children, this is -"

"Jounouchi Katsuya." Honihiro supplied. "Owner of JK Video, and of Hatman Productions. Star of two Hatman series. Net worth last estimated around 1.5 million yen."

"How the hell do you know that?" Jou was stunned; he didn't even know it! "Kaiba, how does your kid know that?"

"I haven't a clue." Seto looked honestly surprised himself. "Honi? Explain."

"It was on your list of companies to watch, so we watched it." The children giggled.

Seto sighed deeply. "The problem, Katsuya, with precocious children is that they read everything - and they understand what they read. There are no secrets in this house - not that I haven't tried! This one has her mother's inquisitive nature and that one has his mother's investigative abilities. All of them apparently inherited my eidetic memory."

"So your kids are smarter than you?"

"Effectively? Yes."

"Good! 'Bout time somebody is."

* * *

It was a slow night at JK Video. Jou was working the night shift so that Itchy and Scratchy could take a well-deserved vacation. Hatman Productions had finally moved out of the basement and into a large warehouse loft with several sets, and cameramen, and a stable of full-time AV performers.

The old Live Performance room was now leased out to people who wanted to make their own amateur tapes. Yugi and Yami had leased it for the night and had promised Jou a copy - since they had a copy of his.

"Hi there, sexy! Miss me?" BB came in and leaned against the front counter. His new collar and leash were embossed 'Kat-chan's pet'.

Jou looked up, more than a bit startled. "Seto? What are you doing here and why are you in that get-up?"

"I'm BB!" He laughed. "I was in the mood to get fucked in a public place - I thought this might persuade you."

Jou pinched his eyes. "Se- BB! We are not going to have public sex. I told you that. If you want to do something stupid, go see if the couple downstairs wants a three-some."

"Ok. Fine." BB leaned across the counter and stole a kiss. "I love you, Katsuya."

BB was already on his way down when Jou remember who the couple in question was. "Fuck! Toshi - take the front! If I'm not back at closing, you guys just clean and lock up. I'll handle the rest when we're done."

"Right, Boss!"

Mental Whiplash.

Living with Seto had turned out to be a never-ending battle between Kaiba the Imperial Businessman and BB the sex fiend. One day he was ruthlessly raking the board of directors over the coals for a 1 point drop in market share while flying to Rome to discuss arms trading. The next day, he was begging Jou to tie him up and let the local baseball team use him as a sex toy. Seto even had an entire fetish dungeon built under Kaiba Manor for them to play in.

It probably wouldn't have been so bad if the Kaiba kids hadn't taken Trey and Chandi to tour it when they were home on Spring Break. Then again, Seto did warn him about precocious kids. But Jou never expected to be raising seven of them! Ma Williamson had been livid when she thought Seto and Jou were being too permissive, but she hadn't faired much better when she had all seven kids for Fall Break.

When the press got wind of the two gay men raising seven children, it had been an international shit storm! KaibaGames stock plummeted as religious groups and so-called moral protectors declared Kaiba unfit to be involved with anything for kids.

Kaiba ignored the bad press and the stock price, and released a series of educational games that quickly soared to the top of the 'must have' list. Oddly, as KaibaGames was struggling, KaibaArms and JK Video both improved their financial pictures. And KaibaGames recovered quickly enough.

Still, despite the mental whiplash, the press, the kids who were smarter than himself, the crazy schedules, and the grief the guys gave him every time he hung out with his friends, Jou wouldn't have traded a thing in his life. Not one thing.

Jou was glad to hear laughter when he opened the Performance room door. Yugi and Yami were wearing robes; BB was setting up the KatLove 3.2 - it was still in the test phase.

"Finally!" BB cheered. "I was beginning to think you'd never join us. You work too much."

"Really?" Jou scoffed. "You can say that with a straight face?"

"You do put in a lot of hours for the owner." Yugi commented. "Although, I probably would too. Maybe when I retire, I'll come work here."

"Ah, no." Yami said, kissing Yugi's cheek. "When you retire from dueling - as if you ever will - I get you all to myself." Yugi giggled and snuggled closer to his lover. "So, BottomBoy, what did you do to it this time?"

"A few overall adjustments - reduced the motor noise, a few more attachments, fixed that damn glitch in the table angle. The biggest change is that I added an arm - so now there can be two users at once."

"Two?"

"Yes, we're testing it for the camera tonight." BB leered at Yugi and Yami. "Wanna stay and help us?"

* * *

They kissed. Jou had learned to stop seeing brown eyes or blue eyes; they were Seto's eyes, regardless of the color. His lips never changed. His desire never changed. Seto's need to be touched, held, loved never stopped.

"Take me Katsuya." He moaned. "Please."

How could Jou say no?

Why would he want to?

Jou turned the machine's speed up another level just to hear Seto cries get louder.

"Oh God! OH GOD! I'm - I can't -" Seto aimed for the bowl they were colleting his semen in. Another of his bizarre ideas. He was still hair-trigger and still multi-orgasmic. And still messy. "OH YES!" Seto howled in bliss. "Katsuya! Katsuya, fuck me! Fuck me hard! Fuck me now, please!"

Jou smiled. "You want to do this fully loaded?"

Seto moaned. "Hurry up - want to feel you."

They got Seto on his knees and Jou pushed a very long funnel into Seto rectum as his lover moaned. Then slowly, he poured better than a quart of Seto' cum in. Jou couldn't resist rimming Seto for a few moments before getting on his knees behind his lover and giving him the pounding he'd been begging for.

"You. Can't. Know. How good. You. Feel. Inside. Inside. Me." Seto gasped in rhythm. "Wait! Stop! Stop!"

Jou stopped moving in mid stroke. Seto had never said 'stop' or 'no' in the entire time they'd been together. "What's wrong?"

"Do you love me?"

Jou laughed. He had to. Mental whiplash. "Are you stupid? I've been in love with you almost my whole life!"

"Then marry me."

"What?"

"A Shinto service. As private as you like. Or as public - if you would like to televise it, I don't care."

"What brought this on?"

"The Mutuos."

"Yugi and Yami?"

"I want to introduce you next month to the Emperor as my most honored husband Kaiba Katsuya."

"Wait - what?"

"I asked them how they introduce each other at formal events. They are legally wed, therefore, they use the term 'husband' - although it would be far more fitting to call Yugi his 'wife'."

"Hold on - back up. Why would you introduce me to the Emperor?"

"He'll be at Yoko's wedding. I know I mentioned it. Yokomizu hasn't discussed anything else for at least a month."

"You wait til now to tell me I'm going to meet the Emperor?"

"No. I waited until now to ask for your hand in marriage. Meeting the Emperor we can do any time."

Jou shook his head. "Man! You are a piece of work! What am I supposed to do with you?"

"That should be obvious. Say yes and then drown me in seed."

Jou didn't have a better idea.

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