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Ambivalence	By : PupshitDesu Category: Yu-Gi-Oh > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 4882 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: We do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any associated properties therein. We do not profit from the creation of this work.

Chapter List
- 23
- 24
- 25
He left, walking very briskly back to the party and hoping Kaiba had returned finally. He didn't want to be bothered again. Kaiba couldn't possibly take that long fixing himself up, could he? Honestly, Jonouchi had thought an advantage of being homosexual was not dealing with the obsessive preening. And the PMSing. But Kaiba seemed to be doing both permanently, so he was pretty fucked as far as that was concerned.
Fortunately, Kaiba was finally back. He noticed immediately when Jonouchi entered, and Jonouchi approached him quickly. Hopefully Kaiba didn't think he'd skipped off with Kitamura again. Well, he had, in a way. But it had been for a different purpose than usual.
"Hey," he greeted, standing close enough that Kaiba would be able to hear him at low volume, "There was something I wanted to tell you before you ran off to powder your nose."
He wanted to mention the freckles for shits, but he refrained. It wasn't the time.
"I'm not dating a girl. Just in case you took Mai seriously when she brought it up..."
He shifted from foot to foot, slightly embarrassed. He hoped Kaiba wouldn't ask after it. He didn't want to have to discuss the talk he'd had about his "girl problems" with Mai.
"I didn't think that was the case."
"Oh," Jonouchi blinked, "Well, good."
Kaiba just continued to sit there picking at his leftover sushi before slowly finishing his plate, glancing at the crowd. People didn't try talking to him, surprisingly, but that was probably because Jonouchi was next to him and he looked engrossed in conversation. That was good, he could deal with that, and hopefully everyone would remain too polite to interrupt and demand his attention.
"Uh," Jonouchi watched Kaiba playing with his food, seeming highly disinterested. What could he do about it? It was a bad idea to try distracting him with pointless conversation, and Jonouchi wasn't any more interested than he was. Not to mention, he was feeling worn out and rather perplexed after dealing with Kitamura. Jonouchi grumbled slightly to himself as he rubbed his eyes and contemplated the fact that he'd probably saddled himself with a crazy ex-boyfriend. That was great...
"Can we go somewhere else?" He asked, nudging Kaiba slightly. "We're both bored, and I'm sure we could do something more exciting upstairs. Like celebratory drinking."
"What exactly would we be celebrating? And besides that, Jonouchi, you're not supposed to be drinking. I would be held responsible, remember?"
He wasn't aware of the situation of Kitamura, or that he was watching them from afar. When Kaiba got up and paid their bills at the sushi bar, he didn't notice the man's dark eyes following them, Jonouchi strolling behind as they crossed the foyer of the hotel together into the elevator for Kaiba's room.
Kaiba thought he was being stealthy, in how he disappeared and no one tried stopping him for pointless conversation like times before. It made him smirk, when he pushed the button to get to his room, and immensely proud that Mokuba was handling the party like a pro. Everyone was coming up to him to talk, not Kaiba for once, and that in itself was a major success.
Jonouchi was feeling absolutely peachy by the time they got upstairs, his lingering thoughts about Kitamura now faded. He was sure they'd resurface later, probably while he was alone, but for now he was concentrated on Kaiba and privacy and alcohol, wherever that would lead. Probably fun times, regardless of what they ended up doing. Kaiba had the potential to be more fun when he was drunk, and Jonouchi was...more of a wild child than usual, he supposed.
"So, you are going to let me drink, right?" He asked, grinning. "I mean, there's nothing you can do about it if you're intoxicated and a minor just happens to stumble upon your stash of expensive alcohol."
He chuckled, taking a seat on Kaiba's couch and stretching his legs, wiggling his toes in his socks. It felt nice to relax. He hadn't worked much today, particularly, but he was tired.
"I won't drink a whole bottle this time. Promise."
Kaiba snorted at him, going into the kitchen and pulling out two beers. He didn't always like drinking sake, and it was better to enjoy a variety of alcohol anyway. They wouldn't need chasers for it. Uncapping the lids, he handed one to Jonouchi before sitting down on an opposite couch.
"What did you think of the convention?" He asked, crossing his leg, "Was it up to standards?"
"Of course," Jonouchi nodded, "What do you think we're celebrating? I enjoyed being in the spotlight more than I thought I would, honestly. It was nice to get an ego boost, I guess. Even if my opponent was a little girl who didn't know the game."
He rolled his eyes, taking a long swig of his beer, only pausing when it was about half-gone. He was trying to pace himself. Usually, he'd take a beer like a shot, downing the whole thing in one go, but he was trying not to drink to excess. Well, too much to excess.
"The new Duel Disk is incredible, Kaiba. I'm sure you know, of course, but it still needs saying. It's better than anything I could have wanted from it."
"You nearly made that photographer piss his pants when you couldn't get your dragon under control," smirked Kaiba, sipping from his beer, but clearly enjoying it. Unlike the crap Jonouchi drank at home, it was rather expensive and had a nice clear taste to it. "Didn't it almost try biting the guy in the first row?"
"Yeah," Jonouchi snickered, grinning at the memory, "That was fun. I kind of wish I hadn't stopped it."
But the reporter had looked like he was going to shit himself, honestly, and he hadn't wanted to be responsible for that.
"Makes me wonder, though. What do your dragons do when you summon them?"
"They bicker with one another, like dogs. Usually snapping and bullying each other. But alone, they act like your dragon did. Lazy and grooming themselves, sometimes even sleeping if the monster they are up against isn't strong enough to warrant interest. Mokuba programmed them, and I think he enjoyed giving them more personality."
"Bicker, huh?" Jonouchi had finished his beer, and smirked slightly at the thought of the three powerful, majestic dragons squabbling with one another. "What, are they fighting over which one you love the most?"
He laughed at the idea. It wasn't too unbelievable, in his opinion. Kaiba seemed to consider the three dragons one entity, essentially, since they were three copies of the same card. But having three of them on the field, all acting like separate creatures, would probably change the context a little.
"No," Kaiba finally finished his beer, getting up to go grab another, "They act like animals, so they fight for dominance like any other predator. If you had two Red Eyes Black Dragons, they'd do the same thing. Or if you play a baby dragon type with an adult, the adult will try to defend it."
"Wow," Jonouchi blinked slowly, starting to feel a little groggy. The alcohol was hitting all at once. "That sounds cool..."
He reclined on the couch, feeling a buzz spread through his body. He wasn't at the point of being "happy" drunk yet, but they weren't talking about anything he found funny, particularly. It probably wouldn't be long until everything was funny to his brain, of course, but for now he just felt relaxed and lazy.
"Hey, Kaiba," Jonouchi addressed, his eyes narrow as he smiled somewhat dazedly. Kaiba didn't seem to be as buzzed as he was. Maybe he was better at hiding it, or had a higher tolerance. Jonouchi had chugged, though, and the effects of the beer had snuck up on him. He wanted to ask for a second, but he was enjoying the tingling under his skin too much to try holding and drinking from a bottle.
"You know...you know your freckles? On your nose?" Jonouchi asked, touching his own bridge with his index finger. "You shouldn't try hiding them..."
"What?"
Kaiba didn't know how Jonouchi could knew, and he felt pretty scandalized over it at first. It wasn't like he powdered his nose or some shit, but he certainly didn't let people close enough so that they could tell. They had always been there, and were more prominent as a child, but once he hit ten, the spots had mostly gone away since he didn't hang outside that often and age made them more faint.
Which was fine with Kaiba, who preferred looking like he had perfect fair skin instead of having people noticing his blemishes. It wasn't like he could hide his European influences. A lot of it was very noticeable, and he had more resemblance to his mother than his father, but still. No one needed to know about the freckles on the bridge of his nose.
"H- How do you even know about them? Are you staring at me while I sleep?"
"You'll never know," Jonouchi teased, sticking his tongue out. He'd managed to bewilder Kaiba for once, and he was going to enjoy it while it lasted. "I don't see why I should tell you. You're too self-conscious about it. I'm not complaining though, you're cute when you're flustered."
And now he was flirting badly. Maybe he should have another beer so he wouldn't be sober enough to know how badly he was doing it.
"I'm not flustered," argued Kaiba, frowning, "And you have been staring. That's the only way you'd know. It's not like you kiss with your eyes open."
Rolling his eyes, Kaiba drank down the rest of his second better, not stopping until the glass was empty. "Most people consider that sort of behavior rude, even if you're all touchy feely about me. Next you'll be telling me when I have blackheads on my face..."
"Don't be pissy about it," Jonouchi snorted, not overly concerned with Kaiba's upset. He'd get over it. "Would you rather I stared at you while you were awake, then? That wouldn't go over very well. Besides, I can't help noticing shit when I'm sleeping near you. I prefer to look at you while I tell you crap in your sleep."
He chuckled, looking at his empty beer bottle and wishing for more. He was starting to miss the taste, and the feeling of it running over his lips. Maybe he'd drink the next one more slowly.
"Kaiba," he whined pathetically, "I want more beer."
"You have a pair of legs," he answered back, changing the thigh he had crossed, "Get off your ass and get another yourself."
Jonouchi snorted and stood, pleased that he was able to walk fairly steadily. He shuffled to the fridge and grabbed two beer bottles by the neck. He returned to the couch with them, popping the cap off of one and sipping on it. He decided he'd drink more slowly. There was actual flavor to it, surprisingly, but he should have expected that Kaiba wasn't going to buy anything cheap, or some bitter stout.
"Really though," Jonouchi watched Kaiba as he pulled his legs up onto the couch, "Your freckles aren't that noticeable, and it's not like they're ugly or anything..."
"I don't see why you even need to bring them up," Kaiba was rolling his eyes, finishing up his second beer before putting the glass down and crossing his arms against his chest, "It's not like I sit here and pick apart your physical imperfections. If anything, it just makes me glad you've only seen me naked in the dark. For all I know, you'll start saying my penis isn't the right shape, or some stupid shit."
"Hey, there's nothing wrong with your penis," Jonouchi replied scoldingly, "Maybe I haven't seen it except in low light, but I have a pretty good mental image from putting it in my mouth."
He snickered and took another swig of his beer, drinking it down for the taste before stopping and setting it on the table. He didn't want to lose track of it.
"Freckles aren't an imperfection, anyway. I only brought it up to tease you a little, you goof."
He wondered vaguely what physical imperfections of his that Kaiba was referring to, and felt self-conscious, but he was fortunately too tipsy to blush over it. Kaiba was such a snob, it wouldn't be surprising if he had something to nitpick, but Jonouchi wasn't overly concerned. One of them was a man who wasn't ashamed of his blemishes. Namely scars, in Jonouchi's case.
"I'm not a goof, or a goose...stop calling me by odd names, Jonouchi."
Jonouchi was strange, but Kaiba was too relaxed to really get annoyed over him. He seemed very animated and happy, despite what had happened earlier that day, and it was better dealing with his teasing than having him acting like a jackass again. Sure, he'd probably end up drinking all the alcohol, but Kaiba could always get more.
"And I only care about my looks because everyone else does. It helps being attractive in business, people tend to trust you better and look up to you when you always appear clean and presentable instead of fat and unkempt. You know how Japanese people are, and Americans aren't much better about it despite the fact that many of them are overweight and ugly themselves..."
"That isn't judgmental at all," Jonouchi rolled his eyes, though he was slightly amused. Kaiba reminded him a little of girls in high school, calling every other person unattractive for one reason or another. He wondered what the basis for comparison was. Himself? If that was the case, no one stood any chance. "But whatever, you know your business, so I'll take your word for it."
He topped off his beer, then popped the cap off the second one he'd brought. He was starting to feel a little stupid. Not uncontrollably so, but usually by this point in the evening with Honda, they'd be acting ridiculous. Honda had more of a sense of humor than Kaiba, though. He needed to see him sometime...
"I'm not drinking too much of your beer, am I?"
"You're fine."
There was a lot more booze than just the pack of beer sitting in Kaiba's fridge that Jonouchi could get into. Sake, vodka, rum, wine...Kaiba had his own little stash, along with whatever could be brought up from room service if they so chose to have something more special than just hard liquor with chasers. Mokuba had pop and cranberry juice, and that was enough for mixing.
Along with a few cans of Red Bull.
"If I didn't want you drinking my beer, I'd say something about it."
Sitting back and closing his eyes, Kaiba thought about drinking another. But then again, they were empty calories. "Someone will restock it by tomorrow anyway."
"Huh," Jonouchi sipped on his third beer, "That must be amazing...wish I had someone putting booze in my fridge, haha."
He drank absently, starting to zone out from the alcohol. Kaiba seemed to be done drinking, and Jonouchi didn't want to be too much more drunk. God only knew what would happen if he was and Kaiba was sober enough to know how stupid he was acting. Three was enough for him, right? It wasn't like Kaiba was any fun to drink with anyway...
Of course, when Jonouchi did finish his beer, he started to miss the taste again. He made himself stand, even though his limbs felt heavy, and he stumbled to the fridge to see what else was inside. He grabbed the first bottles he could reach, unable to focus enough to read the labels. He could still see clearly, but his brain wasn't making any connections.
He sat back down and continued drinking, now gulping faster thoughtlessly. He drank beer like soda most of the time, just because his first experiences with alcohol had been getting as trashed as possible. It had been one of many forms of cock-sizing competitions between himself and other gang members. Them, and Honda, who was a much more impressive drinker when he was determined enough. That said, he had a much lower tolerance than Jonouchi did, too. And was hilarious when he was stupid drunk, in his opinion.
"Kaiba," Jonouchi called, realizing he was lying down and he'd lost his beer. He sat up and searched around for it, finding it on the glass table before him. Maybe he'd set it down. "You should drink more...it'll make you happy..."
"Drinking makes you fat," replied Kaiba back smartly, "And I'm not trying to get messed up tonight."
He could see that Jonouchi was beginning to be affected, his cheeks were all rosy and his eyes had become dilated. His words were slurred, which just made his trashy Japanese accent even harder to understand, but Kaiba knew his Osakan drawl was no better. At least he wasn't trashed too, or else they'd hardly understand each other.
"Besides, unlike you, I don't plan on pissing my pants."
"Ain't gonna piss myself," Jonouchi grumbled, "I'm not some pussy drinker. Long as I can make it to the bathroom."
He wasn't sure about that at the moment, actually. He'd finished what he was drinking and didn't feel much like moving was an option. With Honda, they usually engaged in indoor drunken shenanigans and had hyperactive energy from the alcohol high. Kaiba was a much less energetic person to engage with, and Jonouchi just felt lazy. And kind of horny, but that was to be expected.
"Besides, you won't think I'm very attractive if I go and piss on your couch."
"No, I won't."
At least he still had a little common sense intact. No one was hot when they were pissing all over from being unable to control their bladder. Kaiba snorted before taking their empty glasses and throwing them in the recycling under the sink. He didn't feel like drinking, his head was already a bit foggy from alcohol, but he did go into the fridge and took out a carton of strawberries for him.
Fruit was expensive, and Kaiba enjoyed it immensely. He just sat there eating them one at a time, biting into the fruit as the red juice went down his lips, and he had to lick it off to keep his suit from becoming stained.
"Would you like one too?" He asked. "I know you don't normally eat fruit."
"That's an understatement," Jonouchi replied vacantly, his eyes focused on Kaiba's lips. He wondered if he was trying to do something, or it had just happened. Probably the latter, since Kaiba never really had to try. "Yeah, I'd like one."
He unsteadily took the fruit that was offered, his fingers feeling oddly slow and heavy. Then he bit down on the strawberry, making sure he didn't spill any seeds or juice into the couch. It was obviously organic, and grown nearby. Kaiba didn't skimp on it, obviously.
Jonouchi hummed, smiling contentedly after eating the strawberry. It had been ages since he'd had fruit. He hadn't tasted any since he'd gone to America, and even then it had been scarcely.
"You're gonna spoil me at this rate," he teased, curling up on the couch and holding onto the pillow on which he'd rested his head. He watched Kaiba, whose appearance made him feel strangely embarrassed. Probably because looking at him was making him feel funny in the groin. It was definitely that. Hopefully he wouldn't get an obvious stiffy. That would be awkward. Kaiba probably wouldn't be surprised, since Jonouchi was giving him a drunken edition of his I-want-you stare, but it would be embarrassing.
"All I did was give you a piece of fruit, stupid," Kaiba started eating them himself, rolling his eyes and snorting. Alcohol and fruit seemed to go hand in hand, and he thought about making himself something later, like a fruity thing with vodka, as long as Jonouchi didn't make some stupid comment over it. It wasn't like Kaiba didn't enjoy taking shots too, but being able to drink and not have that burn going down his throat was preferable.
"So what happened with your run in with Kitamura? He didn't try anything funny this time with you, right? I can't believe Mai was with him, I thought even she had better taste than to hook up with him."
"Well, I doubt she would have stuck around for long," Jonouchi chuckled, "She acts like a ditz, because rich guys seem to like it. But she's pretty selective..."
She hadn't considered him dating material, after all, and he was hardly lacking in the decency department. Mai seemed to be on a mission to not only find a rich husband, but also fall in love with one.
"As for Kitamura...I explained to him that I was breaking up with him and he didn't handle it very well. I swear, he's the craziest person I've ever met."
"Crazy how?"
Kaiba cocked his eyebrow at hearing that, becoming slightly more interested. He knew from hearsay that Kitamura didn't take rejection well, but he also never really dated anyone before. Just slept around with anyone willing and made a general ass of himself at parties. People didn't really care for him, at least in Japan, but he seemed to have too much influence with certain individuals and that made it hard for Kaiba to make him disappear.
"Did he threaten you?"
That seemed unlikely. He was never one for long term relationships, and the only person he stayed with was Otogi, for business. Kaiba knew for sure that they were not sleeping together, thankfully.
"I don't know if you could call it threatening," Jonouchi grinned as he remembered the threat he himself had issued, "He claimed that I didn't get to choose to break up, or whatever...I dunno, it was fucked up. He was convinced that he was the victim."
Which was honestly bewildering. Jonouchi had hardly known what to do with the man. Hopefully he wouldn't have to deal with him anymore. He'd probably toss the phone just in case. Fucking tracking devices...
"He's so creepy. I'm pawning that phone tomorrow. Can't afford the bill anyway."
"You still have that thing? Jonouchi, how can you be so stupid..."
Jonouchi wasn't sure how to reply, and was saved from doing so when the door to the suite opened. His eyes widened when he saw Mai peeking into the room. His drunken mind scrambled for an explanation, but was sated when Mokuba walked into the room, and she followed.
"Hello!" She greeted. "I took your advice, Jonouchi, but you disappeared on me-"
She paused, looking from Jonouchi to Kaiba, and then at the empty bottles on the coffee table before appearing absolutely scandalized.
"You snuck off and started a party without me?" She gasped before looking at Jonouchi with a scolding expression. "Shame on you, Jonouchi Katsuya. You should have brought me along. It's a good thing I ran into Mokuba."
"I didn't mean anything by it, Mai," Jonouchi slurred apologetically, and she seemed sated. She smiled pleasantly, and he thought he could see wheels turning in her head.
"It's all right. I suppose I shouldn't be upset that the two of you are such good friends. Yugi would be proud of you, Kaiba."
Jonouchi started laughing at Mai's jape, and couldn't stop even when his stomach started hurting and he caught sight of Kaiba's scowl of immense disapproval. Mai was unaffected, of course, but Jonouchi was a little uncomfortable. She didn't seem to care one bit what Kaiba thought of her, but she was like that with everyone...
"How much have you had to drink, anyway?" She asked, sitting beside Jonouchi. "You're still underage, you naughty thing. I hope that girl of yours doesn't disapprove of that kind of thing."
"She doesn't care," Jonouchi grinned, finding it immensely funny that Mai was unaware that his "girl" was sitting across the way on the opposite couch and frowning rather irritably. "Now come on, did you come up here to chide me all night, or are you joining the party?"
"Of course I came to party," Mai giggled, before sobering as if she'd just realized something. She leaned close enough that Jonouchi could smell her perfume, and his eyes widened as he wondered confusedly what she was doing. Then he realized she was trying to whisper in his ear.
"You seem happier than before," she noted in a hushed voice, hiding her mouth behind one hand, "You did oral, right? It worked?"
Jonouchi could feel his entire face turning red. He was probably blushing all the way down to his navel.
"Yeah, definitely," he muttered, shooing away Mai, who was laughing at his embarrassment. Oh, if she only knew. She'd probably be scolding him for giving up too much and suggesting that he make Kaiba chase him. As if that would happen.
Kaiba just sat there staring at the two, trying to figure out what was going on. Mokuba had taken a seat next to him, throwing off his shoes and stealing his berries, and usually Kaiba would be annoyed, but right now Mai had thrown him so off balance that he didn't care too much about that. She was strange, how she could get Jonouchi so flustered, and he wanted to know what or who they were talking about.
"Sharing secrets over there?" He asked, smirking. "For all you two know, I have this entire room bugged. You should just share with the class and spare yourself the embarrassment of me finding out."
Jonouchi paled; it made Kaiba wonder what Mai was telling him. His face was no longer scarlet red, but blanched completely, and Mai was laughing in that shrill voice of hers.
"Oh Kaiba dear, you're no fun at all."
"Good."
He went over to the kitchen and made himself a drink. Vodka with cranberry juice. Hopefully that would make the woman's high-pitched laughter more tolerable to be around.
Jonouchi had no intention of "sharing with the class", if he could help it. He was drunk, but not drunk enough that he was going to upset the delicate balance in the room. Mokuba seemed amused with it all, but he wasn't tangled up in Jonouchi's drama, either. Jonouchi reached for the second bottle he'd brought from the fridge and downed it so quickly that Mai gaped at him.
"You need to slow down, honey," she informed him, "The night is still young. I can't have you vomiting everywhere before it's even midnight."
"I'm not gonna vomit," Jonouchi wrinkled his nose at her, "My stomach is made of steel."
"Even so. You shouldn't embarrass yourself by drinking like a high schooler," she sniffed. Jonouchi could tell she was being facetious, because he knew her well enough, but he had a feeling her humor was lost on others. "Grown-ups drink with sophistication."
"There's nothin' sophisticated about getting trashed," Jonouchi replied bluntly, lying down on the couch as much as was possible with Mai sitting on one cushion, "You can take your stuck-up notions somewhere else, lady."
Mai giggled at him, but he was too lazy to laugh. He simply lay, feeling quite comfortable and content with his face in the pillow. Despite Kaiba's obvious grumpiness about Mai's presence, he didn't seem to be kicking her out, and Jonouchi was grateful for it. It was nice having someone more fun around to help him get his high, and Mai had inadvertently saved him from the giant buzzkill that was discussing his relationship with Kitamura.
He had a feeling Kaiba would never understand that. Jonouchi could explain all he wanted, and he'd never understand. How could he? He'd never experienced anything like that, and probably never would.
Mokuba watched Jonouchi silently. He seemed pretty done for the night. Much like his own brother, but not so quiet about it. Kaiba was always hidden somewhere when he was trashed and didn't make a great show of his intoxication, but it looked like Jonouchi was too oblivious to care.
"Jonouchi, don't drink so much that you'll get sick in the morning..."
He knew about that one time. Kaiba had told him about it. Vaguely. Mokuba wasn't aware they had slept together, but he heard about him throwing up in the bathroom during the morning and having to sleep it off while Kaiba stayed with him. Hopefully that wouldn't be happening in the hotel room...
"I'm fine," Jonouchi replied, rolling his eyes, "It'll take a lot more than a few beers to get me sick."
"Hmm," he heard Mai beside him, "I hope you don't get intoxicated like this with your lady friend, Jonouchi. A girl doesn't want to see her love interest stumbling around drunk."
"Like I can afford alcohol," Jonouchi chuckled, amused by the fact that Mai still thought he had some girl around. He considered announcing that he was actually trying to seduce a man, but his rational mind decided against it.
"Honestly," Mai rolled her eyes, but she was smiling, "Kaiba had the right idea. He didn't drink except for a little wine on our date."
Jonouchi's good mood faltered a little at the mention of that, but he didn't let it get to him. Kaiba had explicitly stated that he wasn't interested in Mai, so that wasn't even a concern. But thinking about it still made him grumpy.
"It wasn't even a date, you ditz," Jonouchi snorted, and Mai smacked his shoulder as punishment, "You asked him to take you to dinner and it sounds like he wasn't all that enthusiastic."
"Oh, well, you know Kaiba," Mai cooed at him, batting her eyelashes. Jonouchi looked toward the kitchen to see how he reacted. He simply scowled and drank down what was left in his glass. "So tsundere. When he says things like that, it's only to save face."
Usually Jonouchi would enjoy watching Kaiba get so effectively picked on, but at the moment he wasn't particularly pleased. Mai was joking, of course. He knew how she was about dates. If it didn't work out, oh well. She'd find someone better. So he doubted she meant anything she was saying. Still, he felt uncomfortable and irrationally upset. Maybe he was just being defensive of his interests.
"It's always the same with those types," Mai sighed, shaking her head. Jonouchi realized from how non-glossy her lipstick was that she must have eaten or drank something. Probably both. Was she tipsy? It would explain a little, specifically why she was a less measured than usual. "They act all aloof and disinterested, so you have to trick them into chasing you."
Jonouchi almost laughed out loud at that. Kaiba, chasing? That would never happen. He was too lazy to lead during sex more often than not. What would it take to spur him to action in a relationship?
He felt like he needed more to drink. Whether she was joking or not, Jonouchi didn't really want to be sober while Mai gave facetious advice about seducing Kaiba. He should know better than she did, shouldn't he? He'd sucked his cock. He certainly had a better claim...
Jonouchi stumbled to the kitchen and almost fell into Kaiba before he managed to right himself.
"More alcohol," he begged, looking up at Kaiba with pleading eyes while Mai explained to Mokuba that his brother just needed someone to "ignite his fire". Mokuba was cracking up over there, and Jonouchi wished he could be equally amused.
"What kind of alcohol?"
Kaiba had many kinds. Opening his pantry door, he revealed a collection of expensive brands from all around the world, along with domestic bottles in case Jonouchi wanted something more familiar. Thankfully for him, it was all premium and probably wouldn't destroy him the next day like the cheaper crap would, but Kaiba pulled out a bottle of chilled vodka and poured some juice and red bull into it.
"Enjoy," he teased, handing Jonouchi the concoction, "And if you find yourself too wired after drinking this, we'll find a way later to wear you out."
Kaiba thought it was funny, the look on Jonouchi's face, and he sat up and drank on the kitchen counter to avoid the conversations going on in his living room. Mai was annoying, and if it wasn't for her marketable appearance and skills at communication, he'd have nothing to do with her. But unfortunately for him, she was friends with everyone else in the crowd.
Jonouchi quickly drank what Kaiba had given him, both to zone out on the conversation and finding the idea of being "worn out" very alluring. He was sitting up on the couch now, feeling less relaxed and more high. And more tingly. He squirmed in his seat, knowing that he was probably just wanting to re-affirm his "claim", but he tried to brush it from his mind. He knew already that Kaiba didn't give two shits about how much he felt about him, and certainly didn't think he was relationship material.
Mai was only joking, anyway. He shouldn't be so pissy about it.
Still, he only grew more irritated as she and Mokuba continued to laugh at her jokes and Jonouchi got more drunk. He was starting to lose his motor skills. That, and his rationality. He couldn't really keep his thoughts straight anymore, which he knew from experience was usually the point when he lost control over his mouth. He tried to stay quiet as he sat vacantly on the couch.
It grew more difficult over time, and eventually he interjected, abruptly pausing Mai's giggling with a rather snappy statement.
"Mai, he already turned you down," Jonouchi grimaced, "He's not going to change his mind, especially if your ideas are that terrible."
He noticed that the room was suddenly very quiet. Mai stared at him, seeming more bewildered than anything. Jonouchi felt immediately guilty.
"Jonouchi, I was only joking," she told him, seeming concerned, "Why are you so upset?"
Jonouchi cleared his throat and shifted, suddenly acutely aware of Kaiba's presence in the open kitchen. He curled up on the couch, resting his face on a pillow to hide it.
"No reason," he muttered, "Ignore me, I'm stupid and drunk."
"Oh, Jonouchi," Mai sounded genuinely sympathetic, and he did feel a little better when she hugged him, but he was still utterly humiliated, "You're not stupid. Maybe you should give it up for the night, though."
"Yeah."
He lay quietly as Mai continued chattering with Mokuba. The two of them seemed well entertained by one another, which was good for Jonouchi, because that removed attention from him. He pretended he was invisible and could just sink into the couch and disappear. He still felt twitchy and buzzed from the drink Kaiba had mixed him, but now he was too embarrassed to even think about flirting. He'd completely forgotten about Kaiba sitting right there in the kitchen when he'd said that, and now he probably thought he was an idiot. More than he did already.
Shit. He was never going to get Kaiba to go out with him.
Jonouchi considered himself too conscious and stood with his empty glass, making his way to the kitchen a bit slowly to avoid falling on his face. He leaned against the counter on which Kaiba was sitting, setting his glass on top.
"I'm wired," Jonouchi informed him, meeting his eyes as best he could, "Wear me out."
"You want me to do that in front of my brother and Mai?"
Kaiba started laughing, and wasn't that bothered that Mokuba and Mai both looked over confused at him as his deep voice broke through the room. He couldn't believe Jonouchi was even suggesting that. He reeked of alcohol, and he was beginning to look like a mess. Probably from lying on the couch while wearing a suit. Now he was working on taking that off, throwing the jacket over the couch, and wouldn't stop staring at him.
"Jonouchi, you need to learn something about having fun. First rule being, never leave any witnesses behind. I'm not going to do something like that with you as long as there are people inside this hotel room. And you're really drunk. That wouldn't be a very gentlemanly thing to do, taking advantage of little old you."
"Yeah, sure," Jonouchi snorted, leaning closer to Kaiba's personal space as he spoke quietly, "Let's do it. Right here. Maybe you'll get lucky and it'll chase off your company."
"I'm pretty sure your friend Mai here would enjoy watching the show."
If people didn't think anything was going on before, it was far more clear now. Jonouchi was visibly all over Kaiba, in his personal space, and Mai was even staring as Mokuba rolled his eyes. Kaiba wasn't embarrassed or put off enough to back away, but he wasn't about to make a scene either.
"Do you really want her and Mokuba finding out you're a homosexual this way?"
"It's not like Mokuba doesn't already know," Jonouchi muttered, slightly embarrassed but undaunted, "And Mai isn't a snob like you, she's not going to judge. She'll probably give me tips."
He smirked a little at that. He was honestly curious to know how her advice would change if she knew he was after a man, but he shook it from his mind.
"If you're that self-conscious about it, then take me to your room. I don't care, just do it quickly, please."
He wasn't really asking so much as demanding, but he was too drunk to care now. He had his hand on Kaiba's thigh and was leaning into him, aware of the silence in the room and not much concerned.
"Jonouchi, stop it. You're drunk."
"So are you. Come on, it'll be fun. I've never tried you drunk before," he grinned, unable to stop himself. Kaiba wasn't that drunk, and he could tell. He certainly wasn't as drunk as he was, not stumbling over himself or losing control of his mouth. And thoughts. And actions.
"My brother is in the room staring. Knock it off."
Jonouchi rolled his eyes up and looked at Kaiba's face. He didn't seem like he was just being coy, nor did he look like he was in good humor. He pulled away, feeling rejected and silly, and crossed his arms.
"Whatever," he muttered, leaning against the countertop. Kaiba jumped off, giving him a stern look of disapproval before going into his bedroom and shutting the door. Everyone probably thought they were fighting, but really, Kaiba just didn't feel like entertaining Jonouchi's sex drive while there were people in the room. That wasn't his thing. He liked discretion. Now that was lost because Jonouchi couldn't keep his hands to himself.
Jonouchi huffed indignantly, deciding to remain in the kitchen rather than return to the living room where Mokuba and Mai were sitting. He heard her calling his name, and Mokuba seemed extremely amused, laughing his little ass off. Jonouchi was embarrassed, but that wasn't the worst way he could be reacting.
He stiffened when he heard Mai's voice, closer this time, and he saw the bottom of her evening dress as he stared at his feet. He felt alarmed, realizing finally that he'd just completely revealed himself in front of her, and he turned his head away.
"Jonouchi-"
"Yes, I'm gay!" He snapped, feeling slightly guilty when Mai briefly recoiled. He turned his gaze on her, hesitantly, surprised to see that she didn't look particularly upset. "I'm sorry for not telling you before. I'm just...ugh. I'm sorry."
He caught a glimpse of Mokuba watching intently, his expression far too entertained. Jonouchi glared at him, and he grinned. That little twat.
"Jonouchi, it's fine," Mai gently held his wrists, smiling reassuringly, "I'm not upset. I wasn't planning to be surprised like that, but I'm not angry with you or anything. Honestly, what kind of friend would I be..."
Jonouchi sighed, hanging his head.
"Pfft. I'm not surprised," laughed Mokuba, getting up to get a soda, "I could tell a long time ago..."
"You can shut right up," Jonouchi glared, his nose wrinkling up in disdain, "I'll still beat on you, you little jerk."
"Will you enjoy doing it too? I'm almost legal," he joked, opening his can of pop and taking a long sip before spraying a little from laughing, "I know you like Nii-sama, but I think I'm pretty good looking too, right? I got the same eyes."
"You little-"
Jonouchi was abruptly stopped mid-charge by Mai, who prevented him from bounding drunkenly into the living room to give Mokuba the spanking of his life. Obviously he wasn't getting enough from relatives.
"Just ignore him," Mai cooed, and Jonouchi sighed, leaning against the kitchen counter defeatedly. He was hoping this whole evening would be a black spot in his memory by morning. "Jonouchi, I'm not upset, but I would like to know what's going on."
She looked toward Kaiba's closed bedroom door briefly, and Jonouchi shifted uncomfortably.
"It's complicated."
"Yes," Mai replied, probably recalling when Jonouchi had said the same thing the last time they'd talked, "It seems like it is. I'm assuming your "lady friend" just stalked into the other room, right?"
Jonouchi nodded, staring at his feet. Not that there was any reason to act scolded, since the only person who was really disapproving at the moment was Kaiba, and he was gone for the night.
"Oh my goodness," she covered her mouth with her hands, and Jonouchi looked up, dreading what was coming when he saw her expression of shock, "Did you- Oh my god, you must have. No wonder I couldn't get him to go on a second date with me."
"For fuck's sake," Jonouchi grumbled, his eyes wandering to Mokuba, who was still watching attentively but didn't seem to realize what they were talking about. Thank god. "I doubt it. It's not like it matters to him."
"What do you mean?"
Jonouchi snorted, then looked at Mokuba, whose eyes were glued to the scene. He reminded Jonouchi a little of his mother back when she watched soaps in the afternoons.
"If you want to escape with your sanity intact, then you'd better get out of here," he suggested a bit threateningly.
"Whatever." Mokuba got up, rolling his eyes and leaving the room to go back downstairs. "I don't want to know about your homo adventures anyways."
He slammed the door behind him, but was gone. For the moment.
"Mai," Jonouchi gazed up at her with sad eyes, "He doesn't have any feelings for me. I mean...he said he liked me once. When he was drunk. But he doesn't want to date me."
"That doesn't make any sense," Mai huffed, "He can't say he likes you but not want to date. Is he just too busy?"
"Well," Jonouchi grumbled, "He says he doesn't want a relationship because he's busy, but he doesn't want to date me specifically because he's a big snob."
He frowned, wrinkling his nose. Just his luck that he'd be head-over-heels in love with someone who would be impossible to woo for asinine reasons. Jonouchi's mind was still blown by it, really. Kaiba had never come off as being such a classist before.
"Oh, Jonouchi, if he doesn't want to date you, why did you do oral?" She asked, seeming distressed. "He won't buy the cow if he can get the milk for free, you know."
"But Mai," Jonouchi whined pitifully, "He's so good in bed. He's amazing. I mean, we haven't been all the way, but..."
He trailed off, feeling embarrassed. Not that Mai seemed put off at all. She was listening with piqued attention, hanging on his every word, but somehow it just made him feel more awkward.
"You shouldn't have sex with him if he isn't making any commitment, though," Mai picked up when she realized she wouldn't be getting any more details, "And Jonouchi...I know you like him a lot, but if he's going to be too stuck-up to date you just because you were born poor, then he doesn't deserve you."
Jonouchi hadn't really seen Mai being serious before, unless she was angry or in the middle of a game. She had her hands on his shoulders, and her gaze was so intense that he couldn't look away from her violet eyes. Even if she was slightly tipsy, she obviously had enough sense in her head to know it wasn't a joking matter.
"You have to really think about how much he's worth, even if he's good looking and wealthy," she stated, "Don't sacrifice yourself for someone who won't appreciate it."
"But..." Jonouchi muttered, "We are friends, and he helps me out, but he doesn't want to date me."
He sighed, rubbing his eyes. He felt horribly down, despite all the alcohol.
"I don't know," he shrugged, "Maybe I'm just not trying hard enough, or I'm trying the wrong things."
"Have you told him you want to date him?"
"Yeah, he knows," Jonouchi recalled the night he'd broken down in this very suite, "But I've never really...talked to him about it, I guess. I was preoccupied with other shit."
"Mmhmm," Mai raised her eyebrows at him, and he snorted.
"Yes, okay, I was distracted by the sex. So sue me. How am I supposed to help it?"
"You have to if you want to be happy," Mai replied matter-of-factly, "If he really thinks you don't deserve him, after knowing you for so long, then he doesn't deserve anything from you. Not even your love, but I know you can't do much about that."
She looked sympathetic. Jonouchi felt uncomfortable. He didn't want to be mothered over it, but he wasn't going to turn down advice and someone he could talk to.
"I haven't really tried being appealing to him, though, so I guess I can't blame him," Jonouchi grumbled, "Maybe if I made myself seem like a better idea, he would consider it."
"Of course he would," Mai seemed surprised at his uncertainty, "Why wouldn't he? You're charming when you actually try, Jonouchi, and you're a looker. If he's already your friend, then he must like your personality. Haven't you tried being romantic?"
"Well," Jonouchi shifted from foot to foot awkwardly, "Not really."
"Oh, you dunce!" Mai covered her eyes, and Jonouchi scowled. It wasn't as if he'd had all kinds of time for that. He'd been tangled up with Kitamura, and Kaiba had barely been willing to fool around, at first...
"Do you actually think I stand a chance?" He asked, gazing at Mai hopefully. She laughed that high laugh of hers, but the sound didn't get on his nerves like it evidently did Kaiba's.
"You already have a chance. You just have to seize it. Have some confidence! It makes you more attractive."
Jonouchi snorted, and Mai laughed at his embarrassment before wrapping one arm around him and helping him back to the living room. No point standing in the kitchen anymore, he supposed, since Mokuba was hiding at the party now.
"I have faith in you, Jonouchi. You just have to take the leap and really try to get his attention. Stop focusing on the sex and think more about the romance."
He didn't say anything in reply, but he nodded. He was worn out, and gratefully lay down on the couch. He'd probably be sleeping there tonight.
"Don't be so glum about it," Mai sniffed, "He took you to his hotel suite in private for drinks, didn't he? That's almost a date. He didn't even try to get any "payment" for it. He must like you a little, and he respects you even if he's a big snob."
She made a face at Kaiba's bedroom door. Jonouchi hoped she wouldn't try giving Kaiba an earful, but he doubted she would. She had more tact than that. Mai seemed much less complex on the surface than she really was, he supposed.
"I guess you're right," Jonouchi replied, his words slurring, "Now I just have to convince him."
"I'm sure there's only so much even Kaiba can resist," Mai winked at him, "If you lay on the charm, he'll be helpless."
"Obviously, you're joking," Jonouchi chuckled, knowing she probably was. He sighed and closed his eyes, feeling light in the head and heavy in his limbs. He didn't really want to sleep on the couch. He'd prefer to be in Kaiba's bed, even if he probably wasn't going to get anything now that he'd embarrassed him.
"It looks like you're having an early evening," Mai teased, and Jonouchi half-heartedly stuck his tongue out at her, "I still have the night ahead of me, however. I think I'm going to follow Mokuba downstairs."
"You do that," Jonouchi managed to speak, "Go frolic."
Mai giggled, and he heard her footsteps as she walked toward the door. She opened it, but it didn't close immediately.
"Jonouchi?"
He opened his eyes enough to look at her. His vision was blurry.
"No more oral, okay?"
Jonouchi didn't have time to reply before she slipped out, his face turning red and making him uncomfortably warm. He liked to think that he would set that rule for himself regardless, but he probably wouldn't have. If he was in the mood or Kaiba wanted it at all, he'd do it in a heartbeat.
He tried lying on the couch, lazy from the alcohol but not sleepy enough to drift off. He felt uncomfortable and lonely, however, and ended up forcing himself off the couch. He stumbled to Kaiba's bedroom, falling into the door and fumbling with the handle. If Kaiba didn't know it was him from the heavy thud against the wood, then he was more drunk than he'd seemed.
Jonouchi shuffled in, miraculously remembering to shut the door behind himself. Kaiba was working. Jonouchi had thought he was going to lie down and sleep, or something. Hopefully he hadn't heard what he and Mai were saying in the living room.
"Hi," he greeted meekly, worried that Kaiba was miffed, "Can I stay in here?"
"It's not like I could kick you out if I said no."
"Yeah," Jonouchi took that as the most consent he would get and carefully crawled over the bed, lying down with his head on a pillow. He looked up at Kaiba, who was focused on his computer screen.
"Kaiba?"
"What is it?"
He didn't look up from his computer screen, too busy writing down ideas for another upgrade on the duel disk. Staying ahead of his own inventions was important, and although the duel disk was virtually perfect, he could make it even better. Maybe to the point that a duelist didn't even need cards each time they played. The machine would have the deck memorized, for easy gaming. No more losing decks by careless duelists...
"I'm not even mad anymore, Jonouchi. You look tired, you should just go to bed."
"I'm still sorry," Jonouchi mumbled before yawning. Kaiba's bed was much more comfortable than the couch, and the background noise of the computer keys clacking was preferable to the silence of the living room. "I shouldn't have done that...I'll try not to embarrass you again..."
He sighed, closing his eyes and rolling onto his side. He was tired, he supposed. It had been a rather taxing evening, between Kitamura and the drinking, and then making an ass of himself. At least Mai had been more supportive than Mokuba. Recalling her words, Jonouchi moved a little closer to Kaiba on the bed, his fingers pressing into his thigh. Feeling the slacks under his skin made him realize he was about to pass out in his clothes, but he was too tired and lazy to do anything about it now. Maybe Kaiba would undress him later.
"Goodnight," Jonouchi murmured, surprised that he'd managed to speak in his half-conscious state. Hopefully he was still coherent.
"Yeah, goodnight to you too."
Kaiba glanced at Jonouchi, smirking, but kept typing. He could tell when his companion had passed out, his body slack and resting right against him, but it was cool enough in the room to not be a bother. Besides that, he wasn't nearly so intoxicated, and actually planned on staying awake for a while. Just until he had his plans etched out exactly how he wanted them.
Then he'd go to sleep too, restfully now that he had company.
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Ambivalence