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In The Name Of Love	By : Rroselavy Category: Yu-Gi-Oh > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 15410 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own YuGiOh!, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Title: In The Name Of Love
Author: Rroselavy
Rating: NC-17
Pairing(s): Jou/Ryou (briefly), Malik/Ryou, Kaiba/Jou, Mokuba/Shizuka, Yami/Yugi
Beta: Akuchan
Spoilers: None, AU
Disclaimer: I do not own or profit in any way from Yu-gi-oh!
Summary: For eight years he has scrupulously avoided the brunet, but now with the impending marriage of their siblings, Jounouchi Katsuya and Kaiba Seto are forced to come to terms with the feelings they've secreted away since adolescence.
CHAPTER 3
Jou woke to his apartment buzzer being rung incessantly. As he lay on the cushion and tried to acclimate to consciousness he could feel a nasty hangover threatening behind his eyes. Whoever had their finger on that buzzer was dead, he thought as he crawled off the futon and stumbled toward the intercom.
He pressed the voice button. "What!" he growled at the offending box, and then pressed another button to listen.
A voice crackled through the cheap speaker. "Jounouchi, it's Mokuba. Let me in!"
Fuck. He'd forgotten all about his plans to go running with his raven-haired friend in the morning. "S'open" he mumbled as he pressed the button that unlocked the security gate. He left the apartment door ajar, slipped into a pair of sweatpants and a tee shirt, then padded into the bathroom to down some Tylenol and to wash up. The room tilted a little as he moved; he realized that he was in no condition to run and that he would need to beg off.
Mokuba was leaning against the butcherblock counter when Jou finished his ablutions in the bathroom.
"I brought us some coffee." Two take-out cups had been set on the counter, and he offered one to Jou.
"Ya don't look like you're ready to go out running," Jou observed. Mokuba was wearing an old tee shirt, a pair of jeans and flipflops.
Mokuba leveled a gaze at him. "I didn't think you'd be up for it. I ran into Ryou and Malik this morning."
"Oh," Jou said simply, looking away. He winced at the motion; his head was beginning to throb.
"D'ya want to talk about it?" The younger man implored.
"Nah." Jou shook his head and groaned from the pain as he accepted the coffee. "There really isn't anything to say. Ryou still loves Malik. End of story." He felt tears well in his eyes, blinked them back furiously. "Have a seat," he motioned to a stool, then sat across the counter from it.
Mokuba sat down on the offered seat and stared at Jou sympathetically. "I'm sorry Jou, but if he can't see how much better you are than Malik, then you're better off without him."
Jou smiled weakly. Of course Mokuba would say something like that. Over the years he and the younger Kaiba brother had grown closer, not just because Mokuba was dating Shizuka, but also because as he'd matured, he had lost the brattiness that had defined him as a youth. In his place stood a self-assured, kind, and caring young man. Jou had to give the elder Kaiba credit for that; he'd done an amazing job raising his brother.
As they drank their coffees in companionable silence, Jou began to feel the effects of the Tylenol as his headache receded.
"So what are you going to do the rest of today?" Mokuba asked.
"I dunno, I was supposed to go on a picnic ..." Jou's voice trailed off. "I thought maybe I'd head over to the orphanage later and work there for a little while."
At the mention of the orphanage, he saw Mokuba shift uncomfortably in his seat. It was ironic that Jou now volunteered his time counseling adolescents and children at the very same orphanage that the Kaiba brothers had escaped. He knew Mokuba harbored painful memories from there, and later from living with his adoptive father Kaiba Gozaburo. Since they had become good friends, there had been many a night where Mokuba had related to Jou details of his and his brother's childhoods.
"How is it ... there?" Mokuba asked quietly.
"It's coming along," Jou shrugged. "The money you've donated has gone a long way toward improving things."
"Yes, I've read the reports, seen the charts."
"Maybe you could stop in sometime." Jou said evenly. He knew the best way to conquer the fears of the past was to face them head on. "Maybe it isn't as bad as you remember it. Come by when I'm there."
"I don't think I'm ready for that yet." Mokuba said, and Jou could see sadness reflected in his grey eyes.
"I understand. There's a lot in my past I'm not ready to face." He found himself thinking again about the elder Kaiba brother, and his unresolved feelings toward the brunet. He switched the subject. "So what are you upta today? Ya playing hooky from the business again?"
"No, I'm going in later-I'm having lunch with Shizuka. Do you want to join us?"
"What, and be a third wheel? I don't think so." Jou snorted.
"Whaddya mean? You're like a brother to me! And she'd be thrilled." Mokuba protested.
"You two can't keep your hands offa each other. And speakin' of bein' a brother, I think I'd be neglectful in my brotherly duties if I didn't remind you that my sister is a lady, and should be treated as such." Jou teased.
Mokuba smiled at the good-natured ribbing, "I would ~never~ be disrespectful to your precious sister," he replied, taking mock offense.
"'Sides, I know what today is," Jou continued. "You're just being kind invitin' me ta lunch."
"What do you mean, 'today'?" Mokuba asked in alarm.
"White Day?! Ya didn't forget, did you?" Jou cocked his head in disbelief. "It ~is~ March 14th, right?"
"Yes, of course! But we'll be celebrating that tonight." Mokuba said, much relief evident in his voice.
"So what'd ya get her? I got her some chocolate from Marcolini." Jou said proudly.
"Marcolini? I didn't know grad students had that kind of money." Mokuba teased.
"Ah, my friend, you forget that I'm in the business. Professional discount." Jou replied, referring to his job at Chez Pierre. He watched as a pensive expression settled over Mokuba's face.
"Jou, you know I love Shizuka very much. And I know it's clich�, but she's the best thing that has ever happened to me."
"Yeah I know that, and from what I hear, she loves you too." Jou said lightly.
"So ... there's another reason I wanted to hang out with you this morning," Mokuba continued hesitantly.
"Oh yeah? And what would that be?" Jou had a definite idea at what Mokuba was getting at, but was enjoying watching his friend squirm.
Mokuba sighed. "You aren't gonna make this easy for me, are you?"
"What?" Jou asked, feigning innocence.
Mokuba rolled his eyes, reminding Jou of the elder Kaiba. "Jou, I wanted to ask you if it was okay if I asked Shizuka to marry me."
"You. Wanna. Marry. My. Sister."
"Yes." Mokuba responded quietly.
Silence stretched out between them. Jou took another sip of coffee. From the corner of his eye he could see Mokuba staring at him intently, waiting for an answer, or any indication of what his response might be.
"Doncha think you guys are awfully young to get hitched?"
"That's exactly what Seto would say!" Mokuba howled indignantly.
"Oh, he doesn't know about this?" Jou asked, hiding his disbelief. He knew Mokuba shared everything with his brother.
"No! He's never gonna agree with me on this!" Mokuba was visibly upset. "And you think we're too young too!"
"Hold on a sec," Jou said calmly. "I said nothing of the sort. I asked you if ~you~ thought you were too young."
"Obviously, we don't think we're too young." The younger man said testily.
"Oh, so ya already discussed this with Shizuka. So why'd ya need my blessing?"
"Because-because I respect you! And it's the right thing to do."
He took pity on Mokuba finally, and cracked a smile. "Of course it's okay. If you two were anyone else, I'd say ya were too young. But you both know what you're doing. After all, look who raised ya," he said, mentally patting Kaiba and himself on the back.
Mokuba looked at him incredulously as what the blond was saying finally registered. "You're really okay with it?"
"Don't be ridiculous. Of course I am. I love ya like a brother, I couldn't be happier for the both of you." He noticed a smile forming on Mokuba's lips.
"So this is what I got her," the raven-haired man said conspiratorially. He reached into his jeans pocket and held out his hand to Jou.
"That sure beats chocolates," Jou whistled appreciatively at an engagement ring that refracted sparks of light onto the ceiling, walls and countertop. It was a single brilliant-cut diamond set in a simple gold band. He gently picked it up. The stone was quite large. "How big is it?" he asked.
"It's only a carat and a half, but the stone is the finest quality. You think it's all right?"
The blond gently dropped the ring into the younger man's hand. "It's perfect. She's going to love it."
The realization that his sister was grown up felt like a suckerpunch to the jaw. In his mind's eye Jou still saw her as the little girl he protected from the neighborhood bullies. He felt a twinge of resentment, knowing that he would now be sharing her life with another man. Not that that hadn't already been the reality of the situation, but somehow the ring made it official to the world.
It didn't surprise him that Mokuba was worried about how his brother would handle the news. Kaiba's life had always revolved around his younger brother, leaving no room for anyone else. From what Jou remembered of the brunet's over-protectiveness of his younger sibling, Kaiba would not handle the news very well at all.
"So when d'ya plan on telling your brother the news?"
Mokuba looked at him sadly. "Tomorrow. I want to have a pleasant day today with Shizuka. Do you think that maybe afterwards you could talk to Seto?"
Jou arched his brow and snorted. "You're brother ain't gonna want ta hear anything I have to say on the matter."
He saw the hurt look in Mokuba's eyes and softened. "Look, we could barely stand to be in the same room together when we were younger, and we haven't spoken in years. What could I possibly have to say that would make him come around?"
"You guys are going to be family, whether you like it or not." Mokuba said with some bitterness. "It would be nice if you just tried to get along."
"We get along fine!"
"That's because you avoid him! You know, I learned from my professor in Abnormal Psych that avoidance behavior is ~not~ healthy," Mokuba said meaningfully. Jou had taught him in the undergrad class.
"Yeah, well what did he know? He was just a grad student anyway!"
"Jounouchi, you can't avoid Seto for the rest of your life."
"It's been working fah me so far!"
Mokuba scowled at the older man. "You know, he's changed a lot. He's not so ... so angry anymore. Nor is he so insulting."
"Right. See? My strategy ~has~ been working."
Jou sighed in resignation. With Mokuba and Shizuka planning on getting married, it was inevitable that he and Kaiba would need to interact socially. He thought of the years that lay ahead--the family get-togethers, holidays, birthdays, and milestones, all opportunities for him to spend time with the brunet, to build a relationship not built on rivalry, but centered around their love for their siblings ... and maybe more. The thought of being near Kaiba filled him with dread, but he couldn't deny there was a certain thrill building inside him as well, as he contemplated those future events.
"Okay, look. After you talk to your brother, tell him if he wants, he can call me to discuss. We're gonna need to plan out some things together anyway. Give him my cell number."
"Thank you Jou! Thanks for everything!" Mokuba came around to his side of the counter and hugged the blond tightly.
"S'okay kiddo," Jou smiled within the warm embrace. He was truly happy for his young friend and his sister, but their joy only underscored his own feelings of loneliness. The raw emotions left over from his breakup last night threatened once again to surface.
He pulled away from Mokuba, and drained his cup of coffee. "Anyway, thanks for the joe, but I think you should be going. You need ta get cleaned up. And I know you don't want to keep my sister waiting. Since you're gonna monopolize her time today," he said with little rancor, "ya think you could give her my gift?"
"No way! You're going to have to do that yourself, Jounouchi." Mokuba scolded. "She would kill us both if she found out I saw her most favorite brother today and she didn't. I have reservations at the Palace Hotel restaurant tonight at eight. Just drop by. I promise we'll be good 'til after you leave," he added wickedly.
"Hey now! Don't think I'm so hungover that I can't beat the shit outta you for that comment!" Jou warned as he playfully punched the younger man's shoulder.
"Owww!" Mokuba exclaimed in mock pain. "Fine, but you'll be the one explaining my black eye to your lovely sister."
Jou shuddered at the thought of an angry Shizuka. "You're lucky she scares the hell out of me, buddy." He sighed. "All right, I'll see you tonight."
"Good, she'll be so happy you came by. And so will I."
After Mokuba left, Jou collapsed back on the futon. What he really needed right now was to be with friends. He couldn't stand the thought of being alone, but couldn't face the 'I told you so's he was sure to get from Honda and Anzu. He knew Yugi could provide the level of comfort he craved, so he dialed his friend's direct line at Kaiba Corp. to find out if he were free for lunch, and if he wouldn't mind listening to his friend pour out the miseries of his heartbreak.

* * *
fire_lilly: Aww it's not that bad, he has a lot going for himself too.
silverfox: Glad you are enjoying ... will keep updating ASAP
kitkattcassy: Thanks! Glad you are enjoying!
Queen of Anime: Thanks for giving it a chance ...
Anon: Thanks!
zombiedarkelf18: Yes, he really thought Ryou was the one. He'll soon find out he was mistaken ~_^
Sushi: Thanks for reading!
tash922: Yes, drinking is probably not the best way to cure his heartbreak ...
Sammei: Thank you. It's good that Ryou didn't know how good he had it ~_^
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In The Name Of Love