Adult-FanFiction.org : Yu-Gi-OH

Love, Lies and Lipstick	By : lostintheheartland Category: Yu-Gi-Oh > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 5891 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh or it's characters. I do not make any profit from this story. I do own my own characters and the work therein.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
- 3
Title: LOVE, LIPSTICK, and LIES

Author: Maggiemay with tons of help

Muse: Mofaf1

Betas: Mofaf1, Wicabeth, Lorrainellt, Puppys_Seahorse

Pairing: Oh Kami don’t ask. Way too convoluted. Seto/Jou primarily.

Rating: Definitely Mature. NC-17

Spoilers: End Of Series

Disclaimer: I don’t own YGO or make any money from this fic.

Warnings: CROSS DRESSING, HET (sort of), OC’s, INCEST (NOT OUR BISHIES), MINOR CHARACTER DEATH (Not OUR BISHIES).

Extra special notice: This story is complete and posted in it's entirety on the yahoo group Little Dragon. I am re-posting this story here at the request of a friend.

Summary: Seto needs a new Administrative Liason. As a publicity stunt Kaiba Corp holds a kind of The Apprentice meets Joe Millionaire contest. Jou wants that job. With the help of a fairy god ‘Auntie’ with a tarnished halo, he enters the contest. This is that tale.

After Jou finished the test he sat quietly, occasionally stroking the lucky pin. He almost jumped when Aishira opened the door. “I am sorry to have kept you waiting so long. There was a situation that needed my attention. If you are finished with the test I will show you to the private lobby.”

Joie blinked and ruthlessly crushed his impulse to shout with laughter. He’d made it to the private lobby. They hadn’t even graded the test. Of course it was probably the pencil that had done it but he was surprised they didn’t even pretend.

About ninety people sat in a large buffet room. Food was setup on tables, soft drinks available on anther. Two televisions, several books, magazines and even some gaming disks were placed around the room for entertainment.

His first impulse was to head for the food but he checked it immediately. He had been too nervous to eat breakfast and was hungry. Women didn’t do rush to food. They circulated, said their hellos, and then delicately placed a few nibbles on a plate. Didn’t matter how hungry they were they didn’t eat more than a few nibbles. Women who did were looked down on.

Casually he circled the room, nodding and saying hi to a few of the chatting women. It surprised him to see ten or twelve men standing amid the women. Then he realized that to avoid the appearance of bias some men had to be chosen. One woman in particular caught his eye. She was taller than most and moved confidently around the buffet, not taking nibbles, but filling her plate. He could see by the glances she was getting from both the men and women that she was being assessed and found lacking.

She obviously didn’t care because she turned back to fill her plate more. Jou was jealous and a little awed at the amount of food she was packing away. She must have felt her gaze because she zeroed-in on Jou and with a smirk that sat oddly on the delicately made up face she crossed to where Jou sat quietly.

The woman smiled and sat next to him on the couch. Jou was immediately aware of a feeling of invasion. The other woman was too close. And the way she was looking at him was enough to make him stiffen and shift away.

“Yo. I’m Marcelle.” She greeted casually, her dark eyes fixed and intent, taking in every detail of Joie’s appearance.

“I...my name is Kawai Joie.” Jou murmured politely as he attempted to shift further away. He was feeling distinctly uncomfortable and almost intimidated by the way the taller woman loomed over him.

“Pretty name. It fits you.” The other woman scooted forward, following Jou’s subtle movements away.

“Thank you. I...” He jerked back when Marcelle reached out to touch his hair. “What are you doing? Please do not touch me.”

“Sorry, I’m just fascinated by your hair. Are you a natural blond?”

“Yes.” Jou stood and stepped away. “Please excuse me I am hungry.” A surprisingly strong hand gripped his wrist, stopping his retreat.

Wide, dark eyes pleaded with him “Don’t go. I’m sorry. I...I just realized I’d taken too much and made a pig out of myself. I’m not used to eating small amounts. I’m tall and my body takes a lot of fuel.” A small smile curved the artfully painted lips. “I was hoping you’d help me dig myself out of the hole I buried myself in by eating some of this.”

Seeing the indecision on Jou’s face she pleaded softly “Please?”

“All right.” He reluctantly sank back down. “But no touching.”

Marcelle held out her plate. “Deal.”

With matching smiles they dug in to the plate. It was overfull for one person, but the critics who’d watched Marcelle earlier lifted their censure. Sharing was allowed with friends and family and the little blond looked like she needed feeding up.

While they ate Jou chatted about some of the magazine articles he’d read and the shows he’d watched. He was surprised that his new friend wasn’t familiar with any of them. After they finished Marcelle stood abruptly and said, “I have to go to the bathroom. I’ll be back in a few minutes. Don’t go nowhere.”

That made Jou even more curious because Gian told him that women usually went to the bathroom together. And the ‘don’t go nowhere’ wasn’t something he’d expect a woman to say to another woman. It was more like what a guy would say to a woman he was interested in.

He ignored the odd demand and went to throw the plate away and wandered around the room, gravitating towards the duel disks. It had been almost three weeks since he’d dueled. A commotion across the room caught his attention. Marcelle was struggling with two burly security guards and winning. Two more guards rushed to help as the rest of the group scattered. Screams, shouts, and curses filled the air.

Over the top of the rising tumult a familiar voice called out sharply “Enough! What is the meaning of this?” Mokuba was glaring at the four guards trying to pin the tall woman.

“Kaiba-sama, this person...is not a woman. He is a man dressed as a woman. One of the other candidates reported seeing him adjusting his...adjusting in the bathroom stall.”

“I see.” Mokuba’s mind was whirling. If he disqualified this man then he will have set a precedent that could damage the tentative plan he was forming. The teen, almost as tall as his older brother, stepped forward raking the tall form with assessing eyes. “Is it true?”

Defiantly Marcelle threw back his head. “Yes. But I am not deceiving anyone. I have cross-dressed full time for almost six months and legally changed my name.”

“I see.” He turned to the guards “Who was it who saw him adjusting?”

A well dressed, composed man Mokuba recognized as one of the highest scoring in the group stepped forward. “I did. I was in the bathroom and happened to see him.”

“I see, so he left the stall door open?”

“No. It was through the crack. I saw...”

Mokuba nodded agreeably. “Our bathrooms are transgender so there was no breach of rules for him to use that restroom. However as you did not know he was a male, you followed a female into the stall and spied on her. That is reprehensible. You invaded his privacy to stare at him through a crack less than half a centimeter like the pervert you undoubtedly are. You may leave.”

Shock made the man’s mouth drop. “Leave? You mean go back to my chair?”

“No you are dismissed. Privacy and respect for privacy are key to our company. Perverted sexual voyeurism is completely unacceptable.” Mokuba motioned the guards to take the stunned man away and smiled to the group at large. “Kaiba Corporation realizes that creativity and talent often lead to alternative lifestyles. Marcelle please accept our apologies for the breach. The preliminary interviews are finished and I am here to discuss the next stage of interviews.”

There was a moment of shock, and then hushed whispers filled the room. One bold woman stepped forward and demanded, “Do you mean that a cross-dressing fag is in the running for this job but you dismissed a perfectly normal man?”

Mokuba met her gaze with cold disdain. “Leaving aside his voyeurism, sexual orientation doesn’t decide how well someone performs a job. In fact studies show that homosexual males are more successful in their chosen professions than any other minority demographic. He was dismissed because he encroached on Marcelle’s privacy. There are many technology and business projects at Kaiba Corp that are kept private. He proved he couldn’t be trusted to respect privacy. If he was willing to spy on a woman now, what would he do if he were hired? Sexual harassment is not tolerated here.”

Mentally he patted himself on the back. He not only had gotten rid of one of the top contenders but he’d built in some protection for Joie. Not bad for a spur-of-the-moment solution. His brother would be proud. Now to get rid of more competition. “If any of you feel you cannot accept our policy to support creative lifestyles you are free to leave now.”

There was a moment of charged silence then one of the few men in the room stepped forward and challenged, “Who are you to say anything? You aren’t Kaiba Seto or one of the vice-presidents we interviewed with earlier.”

There were scattered gasps around the room because a few people recognized him, but there were more nods. Mokuba sighed and mentally rolled his eyes. The lengths his big brother went to in order to keep him safe and anonymous were largely successful and it was a great boon to the teen normally, but this time it was a pain in the ass.

He pulled himself straighter and lifted his head proudly. “My name is Kaiba Mokuba and I am the Executive Vice President of Kaiba Corporation.”

The man paled and stepped back. After a moment he whirled and ran from the room. The ebony-haired youth glanced around “Anyone else leaving?” There was a pause, and then several women and two men turned and left.

“All right then. Everyone take your seats please, I’m going to explain the next phases of this interview process.”

Marcelle smoothed his jacket and glanced around. Smiling, he found Joie easily and made a beeline towards her as she sat down. As the cross-dressing man sank down he murmured, “He’s right about my being a cross-dresser.” He flicked a glance at the blond full of heated meaning “But I’m not a fag.”

In the silence of the room the words sounded like a shout. Mokuba couldn’t resist a glance and Joie. Her eyes were wide and distressed and pink shone through the delicate makeup. She was the picture of feminine confusion. Just the thought of Jou in such a position and unable to explode, as Mokuba was sure he wanted to, made the Executive Vice-President bite hard on his cheek to stop from laughing. When he’d regained control he cleared his throat.

“Ladies and gentlemen, as you all know Kaiba Corporation is a premier entertainment company that prides itself on supplying the highest quality gaming and amusement complex entertainment. You have all met the minimum requirements to become an integral part of the decision making team of this dynamic company. The candidate selected will have demonstrated skills well beyond what is normally required for a simple liaison’s position. The next phase of our interview process will test many of your capabilities. You will be asked to stay at our Kaibaland Tokyo Grand Empire Suites. It is a six hundred-bed hotel that caters to the rich and famous who come to our complex. The hotel is at one hundred percent occupancy every day of the year. We employ a staff of one hundred liaisons to handle the needs of our guests. Each liaison is assigned six rooms. You all will be taking their positions for a week. You will be responsible for up to sixteen people. You will see to all of their needs, from Allergies to Zoo trips and everything in between. At the end of each customer’s stay they will be asked to assess you on five categories. The highest scores will move to the next interview phase.” He took a breath and continued. “You will be provided rooms in the Dragon Courtyard. It is a newly renovated hotel about a mile from the Empire. You will be paid the same amount as the liaison whom you are replacing. Please report to the Dragon Courtyard no later than tomorrow at eight in the morning. If you are a minute late you will not be allowed to continue.”

There was a stir of unrest and a small, elegant woman stood up slowly. It was obvious she was hesitant to speak. “Excuse me Kaiba-san, but I have a school-aged son. The weekend starts tomorrow. He can stay with his grandparents on the weekdays, but this weekend they are flying to Kyoto. I can’t leave my son alone. I feel this short of notice is discriminatory against single parents.”

In truth the thought had never occurred to Mokuba one way or another. Rapidly he made some mental adjustments. He nodded “I understand your point. One moment please.” He turned clicked open his cell phone and dialed. In less than a minute he was sliding the phone back into his pocket. “Originally we had planned to have you all share rooms. We see now that this arrangement is simply not possible. So, you will each be assigned a room with two beds. There is a small kitchenette and private bathroom in each room. You may bring up to two people with you. If you have a child I suggest the child and a sitter.” He looked around the room and saw several relieved faces. Strangely Joie’s was one of them.

He shelved the anomaly for later. “However, you are responsible for them. Also the amenities of Kaibaland are not free to them. They must buy their own food and purchase tickets to the attractions.” He nodded and asked “Any questions?”

There were a few about scope of duties and sources for unusual requests. He answered them easily; waiting for the question he knew would come. Sure enough an athletic looking, very professionally dressed woman stepped forward. “When will we be interviewed by your older brother?”

“Not all of you will be. Obviously there are almost a hundred candidates. He doesn’t have time to interview you all. I and my team will select the top scoring candidates after each stage of the interview process to advance towards the final selection process. My brother will take over and make his choice when there are ten candidates left. After the second interview process we expect perhaps fifty candidates. Next there will be the third interview leaving twenty, then a fourth, which will leave ten. Only ten of you will actually meet with my brother. He has his own criteria and the final decision will be completely up to him.”

“Only ten?” Echoed around the room in low whispers. Jou blinked when Marcelle chuckled. “It’s like a contest then. Only the best will advance. Survivor or The Apprentice.”

“Not really.” Mokuba corrected. “You will not be voting each other off. My team will be making the decisions.” He cast another glance around at the assemblage. “As there are no more questions I will see you all tomorrow.” Without another word Mokuba strode from the room.

Marcelle stood up and stretched. “That’s great. So a one in ten chance of getting to meet Kaiba for an interview. I’m game.” He glanced at the blond sitting silently. “This next phase is going to be hard work and a challenge. I hope you make it.”

Joie looked up and smiled serenely. “I will. I am determined to do my best.”

“Well, if either of us makes it and the other doesn’t then no hard feelings?”

“Of course not.”

“Good because I really want to get to know you outside of all this.” The taller man chuckled “Just because I dress like a woman doesn’t mean I’m not all man. I am not homosexual at all.”

Joie stood and moved to turn away. “I’m sorry, dating you is impossible for me because while you are not homosexual, I am.” With a small nod the blond swayed gracefully away leaving a dumbstruck cross-dresser staring after her.

He arrived back at his Aunt’s house to find she had already packed their mountain of bags and had a meal waiting. “How did you know?”

“The list of the top one hundred was posted in the newspaper along with the details of what the next stage will be. Sit down and eat then we will leave. It is a long drive and you want to get there tonight so you can be rested for tomorrow.” Gian smiled gently “I haven’t been outside our neighborhood in a long time. I look forward to the trip.” He hesitated and bit his lip uncertainly “Unless I am not the guest you wanted to bring?”

Joie gave the other man an incredulous look. “Have you lost your mind? I need you there. I couldn’t do this without you. You’re coming if I have to stuff you in my suitcase.”

Gian laughed. “I hoped you’d feel that way. That’s why I packed for both of us.” He hesitated briefly then explained, “There are a simple t-shirt and jeans as well as sneakers at the bottom of your bag. If you have need for a quick escape, for whatever reason, it is best you carry one outfit that can help you. Hate, discovery, even just a breather can be reason enough but use it only if you must. Now tell me about your day.”

With great relish, amid peals of laughter, he relayed the entire interview process, including his exit line to Marcelle. Jou couldn’t help but laugh. “He looked like a landed trout.”

Gian laughed so hard he had to blot his eyes. “Great response Joie, perfect.” He sobered as a thought occurred to him. “I hope he’s not the type of man to try to ‘convert’ you.”

Jou felt his laugh die in his throat. He hadn’t considered that. “Damn. He might be. He dresses like a woman but his attitude is he-man.” He frowned and unconsciously rubbed the peacock brooch. It seemed he’d picked up a new habit.

Gian followed the movement with eyes that lost their laughing glow. Jou changed his small stroke into a fumble to remove the pin. “It worked today. Thanks for the loan.”

Gentle hands stopped him from taking it off. “Keep it. Its luck for me is long gone but it seems to be shining on you. Take it as a gift.” When Jou would have protested Gian simply stood and walked to the window.

“I want to tell you about that pin so you understand why I am happy to give it to you.” The older man took a deep breath. “Once I was an actor. Quite famous, but not as an actor, as an actress. I could play the role of a woman so well that everyone in the country was fooled. I designed that brooch as my signature piece and had the design copyright to me. I had everything, I was becoming a celebrity, I had a lover whom I adored, and my future was bright. My lover knew I was male. He was the only one who knew. Whom I had been born as was forgotten.”

Gian drew a pained breath. “He must have gotten bored with me, or perhaps caved in to family pressure. I do not know. He left our bed and went to work one morning and that afternoon the papers spilled the truth, painting it as ugly as it could be. I never saw him again. He made a statement that he did not know I was male and that we had never done more than kiss. A few weeks later he married. I left the country immediately afterwards. I could not find work here and my movies had been banned. I had money saved and was able to survive. I returned home five years ago and assumed my birth name. I have lived here quietly since. Or it was quiet until about a year ago when a blond brought me home from a pity party. Since then he and his friends have brightened me, making me happier than I have been since that morning. So keep it Joie...Jounouchi. It is worthless to me. A reminder of a time long gone. It makes me happy to see you wear it and know it shines with love again.”

Jounouchi felt as if he’d been stabbed in the heart. His gentle, quiet, beautiful friend had been through so much and still had the courage to endure. He crossed the room and pulled his friend into a tight embrace. “I’ll always cherish it. Thank you.” He held on for long, long moments, offering warmth, comfort, caring, to the wounded soul he knew existed inside the exquisite shell.

They probably would have stood there all night if the telephone hadn’t buzzed. Dabbing at his eyes Gian moved to answer. After a few moments the older woman handed the phone to Joie. “For you.”

“This is Kawai Joie.”

“Joie, this is Marcelle. We met today at the interview. I wondered if you needed a lift up to the hotel.”

“Thank you for the offer but my aunt and I will be leaving in just a few minutes. Excuse me but may I ask how you got my phone number?”

The cross-dresser laughed and said mysteriously “I have my sources. See you tomorrow Joie.” And disconnected.

The troubled blond looked at his mentor. “He’s going to be a problem.”

“Nothing we can’t handle. It’s the price of being gorgeous. We’ll cope. Let’s clean the dishes and hit the road.” Briskly Gian began to clean and tidy. Jou, after another concerned look, hurried to help.

They arrived at the hotel in good time. Gian, seeing the line ahead of them, remarked, “Kaiba must run a tight ship. A hundred check-ins plus guests is a lot, yet there is barely anyone waiting.”

“Kaiba’s a perfectionist.” Jou agreed. He didn’t know that his voice was full of admiration and longing. Gian heard both and gave him a warning glance. It would be very bad if someone were to catch wind of Joie’s feelings for Kaiba. The top priority had been to keep business as business.

A smooth plummy voice interrupted. “You sound as if you know him. Kaiba-boy that is.”

Jou stiffened and fought to get his expression under control before he turned to face an old enemy. He schooled his face into a neutral expression. “I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting him but I have studied his business tactics. Also when I was younger I dueled and had the honor of seeing him play.”

“Oh now how interesting. And tell me did you ever duel him?” Pegasus focused on the blond woman intently, obviously trying to place her in the hundreds of duelists he’d met over the years.

“No.” A dark pink rode up her cheeks. “I was not up to his level.”

“I see. Well few people are. There is myself of course, and dear little Yugi.” He gave a smug chuckle. “We’ve both beat him. Of course the one who wants to beat him most but never has is Jounouchi Katsuya. That is a duel I want to see. There is always such fire and passion in Jounouchi. And Kaiba is all ice.” He smiled whimsically “Do you know what happens when fire and ice meet?”

Jou, still blushing, shook his head. “Why it gets steamy dear girl, very steamy.”

Gian had heard enough. This man was old enough to know not to speak like that to a total stranger. “Excuse me but who are you?”

The single-eyed gaze switched to Gian in a heartbeat. It almost seemed as if he had been waiting for the opportunity. “Why I’m Pegasus dear lady. And you...?”

“Kajuki Gian.”

“Pleasure to meet you. Now I must run, I need a word with Kaiba...Mokuba.” The silver-haired man sauntered away, bypassing the desk and entering a back office.

The black-haired teen smiled. “Well?”

“Oh yes that was definitely Jounouchi. He almost choked when he had to say Kaiba wasn’t in his league. Besides dear boy, nothing could disguise the passion in those eyes.”

“Do you think he can pull it off?”

“He has the incomparable Gina Peacock at his side. Of course he can...or rather they can. Besides he has several guardian angels backing him up. How can he fail?” The silver-haired man chuckled “Just think Mokuba, your brother is going to be the happiest man on earth. I am allowing him to take over my company and he gets his own personal mutt. All we have to do is make sure the image isn’t lost in the process.”

“Yeah, that’s right.” He sent the older man a censuring look. “Why are you helping us? I know I called you but you...”

“You know very well why. You needed my help and I promised you I’d always come if you ever needed me. I and Croquet owe you both more than we will ever be able to repay.”

“I.I. is a pretty big down payment.”

Pegasus laughed and shook his head. “No dear boy, it was a matter of time before your brother staged a take over. This way I retain my dignity. A bloodless coup and a changing of the guard. The King is dead, long live the King. Besides I am tired of living the ‘illusion.’ Croquet and I will retire to an island somewhere where we will live and love openly.” He smiled in anticipation. “Now how can I help you?”

“Well, Jou...Joie will have six rooms...Matashi is staying in one, Aishira’s mother in one, The kids from the orphanage have a six bed suite which will count as two rooms, a business man and his three children in another. That leaves one room open. I was thinking that if you...”

“Say no more. I have a standing reservation and pay for my occupancy year round so of course I would be happy to have such a charming Guest Liaison.”

“Great! Thanks Pegasus.”

“No thanks needed. Excuse me though. I must ask Croquet to bring a bag. I’m afraid I expected this to be a flying visit.”

“See you later then.” Mokuba went back to compiling the room numbers for each of the candidates as they checked in. He completed Jou – Joie’s by hand and moved on to the next candidate, assigning them with a random number generator.

At seven thirty the next morning Kawai Joie delicately placed her morning teacup back on the table, dabbed her lips carefully and stood. Aware of watching eyes and listening ears, she murmured softly. “I’m off Aunt Gian. Wish me luck.”

“Luck, Darling.” The older woman smiled and kissed her niece’s powdered cheek. “I’m going to spend the day touring.” She laughed charmingly and several heads turned to her almost on instinct. “Who knows, maybe I’ll try a game.”

“Have fun!” Joie smiled at her beautiful friend and waved as she walked gracefully to the door.
- 1
- 2
- 3
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Love, Lies and Lipstick