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I Know You're Out There Somewhere	By : Firewing Category: Yu-Gi-Oh > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 3536 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- 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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Chapter 33: Leather, Dice, and Inked Dragons

Disclaimer: disclaimed.
��.
The entire group was packed and ready to leave for Domino by 10 A.M. Wednesday morning, and as he boarded his father's jet, Jou felt as though he�d spent a lifetime in New York City. He remembered working at the White Tiger, saving his paycheck to buy Serenity an airplane ticket back to Domino for a visit, and longing to take her to the beach. He had daydreamed about what he would do after high school, about going to college in New York, but most strongly and often about a time when no one would be able to separate him from his baby sister again. Those were now little more than memories of dreams from his childhood, though; he now knew that he had only been a boy until the night an explosion had rocked his world, destroying it as surely as it had destroyed the Sennen Elephants apartment building.
Somehow, things had not worked out the way he had thought they would, and until that very moment he couldn�t have defined the word 'nostalgia'. All that had been torn from him had been returned tenfold; all the gems and precious treasures he would ever need were the twin sapphires that were his lover�s eyes.
Of course, he still had his friends, and he and his little sister would never be separated again. He had even gained a little brother through his beloved dragon master. Yes, he had lost a father, but another had stepped forward, a man who just happened to be the ruler of a corporate empire. Jou had stumbled into a demented fairy tale, and he really hoped there would be a �and they lived happily ever after� tacked onto the end of it.
Despite all of this, though, he was still a little sad. None of it could make up for the loss of the life he�d once known: not now, not ever. Sighing deeply, he reminded himself that it was pointless to dwell on the past; even if he did nothing else for the rest of his life, he would still never be able to return to it.
Wearily and to no one in particular, Joey asked, �When will we get back to Domino?�

He couldn�t wait to get home and get Serenity settled in, in spite of the fact they would be leaving once again a few days later, not to mention that it might be a while before everything seemed normal again to him.
In response to Joey�s question, Tristan did a head slap and turned to Seto. �He�s all yours. Have fun explaining this one to him.� Relieved that he wouldn't have to undertake that gargantuan task himself this time around, he took Serenity by the hand and began to familiarize her with the jet. She looked at him quizzically as he did so, and he sighed. �It�s a long story, Sweetness.�
Instead of the dragon master, however, it was Croquet who dared to answer Joey�s question. �We will arrive in Domino at 2 P.M. Thursday afternoon, Master Joseph. Fourteen hours of actual flight time plus fourteen hours of time zone changes will make it as though twenty-eight hours have passed."
Jou�s mouth formed a large �O�, but it was clear that he was probably even more clueless than when he had asked the question. Croquet started to make another attempt at explaining it to him, but Joey just held up a hand to stop him. �I�ll just take your word for it, Uncle Chris, but thanks anyway.�
��.
Serenity had gotten all of her possessions moved in by the time Friday morning dawned, bright and beautiful in Domino, transforming the bachelor flat into a comfortable, cozy home. She would have been reasonably content with her situation had it not been for her brother�s incessant pacing, which was obviously doing nothing to calm him down and driving her insane in the process. To Serenity, the stress Seto Kaiba caused Joey was enough reason to dislike her brother�s billionaire boyfriend; as soon as Illusionary Airs had landed in Domino, Seto had arranged for a car to pick him up and whisk him away to Kaiba Corp, and no one had heard from him since.

Who knows what wild thoughts are rampaging through Joey�s head right now? Serenity thought to herself, feeling completely powerless to console her brother. It didn�t help matters that Seto�s secretary had firmly informed both Mokuba and Joey that her boss was not to be disturbed from his work unless anything earth-shattering happened, further defining earth-shattering as the mansion burning to the ground or someone becoming seriously ill.
�Joey, please.� Serenity begged, latching on to his left forearm and digging her heels into the linoleum in what she considered a pathetic attempt to stop her brother's mad stride. If he truly wanted to wear a hole through her floor, she doubted there was anything she could do to stop him.
�What?� he asked her, having been startled out of his thoughts. Mercifully, his pace slowed, then stopped completely, and Serenity let out a breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding.
�Please stop pacing,� she elaborated as she slipped her hand into his. �You promised you�d tell me about these paintings last night, remember?�
�Yeah. Father painted the one of him and I,� Jou began, eventually launching into the story of the dinner party that had transpired only a week ago.
�And the one with Red Eyes? You painted it, didn�t you? It reminds me of the one in your room at the apartment you shared with Dad.� She spoke softly, wondering just how painful it was for Joey to be reminded of the fire that had nearly taken his life as well as her father's.
Joey simply nodded his confirmation of the artist�s identity, though, so Serenity decided to press him further. �Who�s the girl in the painting? She looks a little like Mai, only softer.�
The blond locked his amber eyes with his sister's slightly darker ones. �Her name was Cecelia. She�s my mother.�
Serenity�s jaw dropped open in confusion, but Joey was already filling in the details for her. �She died not long after Pegasus painted our portrait. It broke his heart, Sis, and I think it almost broke his mind. He put me up for adoption because he couldn�t deal with his grief.�
�But�but, Joey��
�What, Sis?�
�That means you must have known for a while. that you must have found out who your birth parents were shortly after you found out you�d been adopted. Why didn�t you tell me?� Serenity felt torn between anger and despondence again. She was getting tired of finding out the little details of her brother�s seemingly secret life on her own. It had gotten to the point where she was beginning to question whether the unconditional trust she had always extended to the man before her had been completely misplaced.
Joey tensed and let go of her hand, drawing away from her as he prepared for another emotional confrontation.
�Joey, I�m sorry. I�m not accusing you of anything. I just want to understand.� Serenity explained quietly, and her brother felt his defensiveness melting away.
�I was shocked, Sis. I�d met him on Duelist Kingdom, and he didn�t impress me as being someone I wanted to know, much less be related to. I was so confused about it,� he said, just as softly.
�But you've changed your mind, right?� She smiled up at him hopefully, and Joey grinned sheepishly.
�Yeah. I�ve been doing a lot of that lately,� he admitted, scratching his head absently.
�Uh huh,� Serenity nodded knowingly. �Like how you hated Seto until you fell in love with him?�
Joey blushed and then, to Serenity�s dismay, started pacing again. The brunette massaged her temples gently, trying to ward off the beginnings of a frustration headache.
�Joey, why don�t you call Yugi and spend some time with him today? I still have some things to do, and I�m sure Mokuba will keep me company if I get bored,� she suggested gently.
�Are you trying to get rid of me?� Jou asked her, suddenly suspicious.
�Is it that obvious?� Serenity smiled, and her brother rolled his eyes half-heartedly.
�Ah, all right.� Joey conceded. Moving over to the phone, he lifted the receiver and dialed Yugi's number, leaning against the wall as he waited for his best friend to answer.
Across the room, Serenity flopped down on the couch exhausted. She loved Jou, but there were times when she just needed a break from his antics. Let Yugi deal with him for today.

��.
Solomon Motou handed Jou a broom as soon as the younger man dismounted his motorcycle. �Before you boys go off gallivanting, Yugi has to finish his chores. You may as well help him as sit around and wait.�
Joey grinned, �Sure thing, Gramps.�
As he swept the sidewalk, he found himself longing for the days before he had inherited a game tycoon father and hooked up with a billionaire boyfriend. Coming to the Motou�s game shop was like coming home, revisiting his childhood, and he leaned against the broom as he closed his eyes, losing himself in the beauty of that particular daydream.
�Hey, Joey, are you okay? If you�re going to fall asleep standing up, you should lean against something sturdier than Grandpa�s broom.� Yugi grinned, pulling the broom out of his friend�s hands.
�Nice to see you too, Yug.� Jou smiled wistfully.
�What�s wrong, Joey?�
�Oh, I was just daydreaming about the good old days; my misspent youth and all that.� Joey quipped, only half joking.
Yugi nodded his acknowledgement as he glanced over his shoulder nervously. If they lingered too long, his grandpa would have no problem finding them more chores to do.
Joey laughed and tossed Yugi the spare helmet as his friend climbed onto the back of his bike, wrapping his arms reflexively around the blonde's waist. �Don�t worry. I won�t let him get you.�
��..
Their journey began at the mall, where Yugi made a beeline for Gothic Goodness.
�Nope. No way are you getting me in there,� Jou told his buddy as he backed away from the store front, which featured black plaster columns and equally fake plaster vines.
�Joey, this is like, the most awesome store in Domino�� Yugi grabbed the blond by one arm, pulling with all the strength he could muster.
Jou, however, held his ground. �You ever been shopping here with Mokuba?� he demanded.
Yugi stopped in his tracks, his lavender eyes wide with feigned innocence as he cocked his head subtly to one side. �Why do you ask, Joey?�
Jou groaned.
�Come on, it won't be all bad!" Yugi baited. "You might even find something�uh, provocative to wear for Seto-kun.�
Joey's eyes went wide with horror. �Promise you won�t ever suggest anything like that again, and I�ll go quietly.�
Yugi nodded happily in agreement; he didn't particularly enjoy prying into his best friend's sex life anyway.
��..
An hour later, they finally left the racks of leather and spike-adorned accessories behind. While Joey was carrying two shopping bags, Yugi held only a single small one containing a new neck belt. At the moment, the latter of the two was valiantly attempting to hide his giggles from his tall blond friend, and failing miserably.
�Yug, I don�t want to hear it!� Jou protested.
�I�m not saying a word,� Yugi proclaimed, trying to look maligned even as he began to crack up once again.
An evil glint appeared in Joey's amber-gold eyes as he stashed their purchases in his bike�s saddlebags. �We should go see what Duke is up to these days,� he suggested, and Yugi became more than a little concerned.
�You�re not going to challenge him to a duel, are you?� The tricolor-haired teen asked.
�Nah, Yug. I got nothing to prove to him. It's just that my pop is ol' Dukie-boy�s business partner. All I want to do is rub it in.� Jou grinned broadly, rubbing his hands together in spiteful glee. "That oughta teach him that nobody puts Joey Wheeler in a dog suit and gets away with it!"
Yugi mumbled something that sounded a lot like, "Yeah, except maybe Seto." before clearing his throat loudly. "Just don't overdo it, okay, Joey?"
�Yug, when have I ever overdone something?" the taller man asked in all seriousness as he donned his helmet and handed Yugi the other one.
//Aibou, just be sure he knows we aren�t going to get his tail out of the dog suit again.// Yami stated from within the Puzzle, showing exactly how much faith he had in the prospect of Joey not overstepping his boundaries.
Yugi snickered at this, and Joey misinterpreted that as a sign that his best friend was also looking forward to their visit with the dice master as he started up his bike.
��.
They arrived at Duke's flashy game shop a few minutes later. Yugi trailed the far too cocky blond through the store, making mental notes about things he wanted to mention to his grandpa. It never hurt to keep an eye on the competition, especially when said competition had invented as complex a game as Dungeon Dice Monsters.
�Hey, Duke, how�s business?� Joey greeted the young inventor happily.
�Joey! Yugi! What brings you here?� Duke looked up from rearranging a display, toying with his dangling dice earring as his emerald eyes locked onto the blonde. �Hey, when is your sister coming back to Domino for a visit?�
Jou�s grin got wide enough to split his face in two. �She isn�t.� It was his turn to pause before adding, �She moved here.�
�Permanently?� Duke asked hopefully.
Yugi felt slightly confused listening to their conversation. He couldn�t imagine Joey wanting Serenity to date playboy Duke Devlin instead of Tristan, who would gladly jump through hoops of fire for either one of the Wheelers. Still, though, why else would Jou have volunteered any information concerning Serenity's unplanned relocation so readily?
�Well, we�ll probably be splitting our time between Domino and Duelist Kingdom,� Jou said smugly, watching little flashes of green envy ignite in Duke�s eyes.
�Duelist Kingdom?� Devlin choked out around a muted growl. �And why would you have any reason to go to Duelist Kingdom?�
Jou gave Yugi a thumbs up. His trap had been set perfectly; all that was left was to spring it.
Yugi attempted to give Duke a little warning by saying, �After the fire, Joey found out he was adopted.�
�Yeah.� Joey agreed. �And my biological father lives on Duelist Kingdom. Since Serenity�s mom died last Saturday, my father offered to adopt her.� He found the deeply puzzled frown on Devlin�s face rather amusing, taking a moment to savor it before he dropped his bombshell. �My father is your business partner, Dukie-boy,� he managed to get out before he fell victim to hysterical laughter.
Devlin didn�t find this at all funny, and Joey�s laughter only reinforced his impression that he was being played for a fool. He gave a derogatory snort before replying. �Oh, that was good, Joey. Obviously, Kaiba isn�t keeping you busy enough trimming hedges and babysitting Mokuba. If you ever want to put all that extra time of yours to better use, I could always use a dog-boy mascot for my store.� The dice master's voice was cool, his tone guarded, as emerald and amber clashed.
�Uh, Duke, he�s telling you the truth.� Yugi interjected, trying to avoid a fistfight.
While his best friend played peacemaker, Joey envisioned his avenging angel, dressed to the nines in a flared out white trench coat, storming through the store and flattening the Dungeon Dice inventor.
Duke laughed aloud at the sheer absurdity of the situation, realizing only too late that they were serious. �M-Maximillion P-Pegasus is�is your father?� he stammered, taking a step back and stumbling over a display, ending up on the floor minus his former haughtiness. �Can I still date your sister?� he asked. If Serenity really was Pegasus' adoptive daughter, she was even more desirable, for a relationship with her would put him in closer proximity with his idol than he had ever dreamed possible.
Joey frowned. �Duke, you ain�t gotta prayer with Serenity. If you come near her, I won�t have to deck you, �cause Tristan will do it for me. And trust me on this: you don�t want to go hand to hand with Tris. But, hey, it�s your funeral.� Jou shrugged, spinning on his heel and stalking out of the game shop.
�Uh� See you around, Duke.� Yugi gave the pony-tailed game inventor a parting wave before sprinting after the long-legged blond, leaving Duke to clean up the mess the dynamic duo had left in their wake.
He found Jou outside, leaning against the building with a self-satisfied smirk on his face.

�Revenge is sweet, Yug,� Joey grinned as he pushed away from the wall.
Yugi shook his head, but grinned back anyway. �So, how do you like having Pegasus for your dad?�
Jou shrugged again, all his residual nostalgic feelings vanquished for the moment. �Let�s just say that there are advantages to being well-connected.�
�In your case, it�s definitely not what you know, but who you know,� Yugi joked, degenerating into a fit of giggles. Joey chuckled as well; that is, until the comment actually sank in.
�Hey!� he cried out indignantly.
Yugi calmed down enough to ask, �What are we going to do next?� thereby effectively distracting his friend.
�Let�s check out the tattoo parlor across the street.� The devious glimmer had returned to Jou�s eyes.
�Uh, Grandpa would disown me if I got a tattoo,� Yugi objected.
�Yeah, but he approves of buckles and leather?� Jou asked with raised eyebrows. �I wasn�t suggesting you get one.�
�But you hate needles,� The King of Games reminded the Prince of Duelist Kingdom.
�Eh, they ain�t so bad.� Joey said, more to reassure himself and bolster his courage than to impress Yugi. Then, steeling himself, he stepped out into the street and set off for the tattoo parlor.
��.
A thin, scraggly woman appeared from the back room of Angel�s Tattoo Emporium as Joey and Yugi entered. Her hardened face and sunken cheeks caused her to look a haggard fifty, but in truth, she was barely thirty.
�Can I help you boys?� The hollow way she spoke made filled both teens with the desire to bolt from the dim interior of tattoo parlor and seek refuge in the sunshine.
Despite that wish, though, Jou was determined to go through with his plans. He pulled a folded sheet of paper out of his billfold and showed it to Angel, telling her what he wanted done and negotiating a fair price with her. Yugi was slightly taken aback, realizing that his impulsive buddy had planned this all out ahead of time.
�Wow!� Yugi exclaimed once he got a look at the sketch. Done in watercolor pencils, it was a drawing of a Duel Monsters card that didn�t exist�yet, Yugi thought as he realized Jou now had the means to create his own cards. Of course, this particular monster was a dragon, and a most unusual dragon at that. In fact, the Amber Eyes Gold Dragon bore a striking resemblance to its creator. It was incredibly detailed, and Yugi�s eyes were drawn to the markings that ran along the serpentine beast�s back, which were actually letters in disguise.
�Property of Seto Kaiba!� Yugi squealed, taking a few moments to translate the message.
Jou just grinned and placed a finger to his lips. Hush, Yugi.

��.
A couple of hours later, they left the tattoo parlor. Jou�s arm stung like crazy from the needles, but it was so worth the pain. The dragon had come out perfectly, and Joey hoped that it would reassure Seto of his commitment to his dragon master. He dropped Yugi off at the Turtle Game Shop before returning to the Kaiba Estate, disappointed to find that Seto wasn�t home yet. He consoled himself by crashing Serenity and Mokuba�s DDR party, putting both of the younger teens to shame with a few rather seductive dance moves in the process.
�Prizes go to the losers!� Jou announced when the game was over, pulling out the two Gothic Goodness shopping bags and handing one to each of them.
�Cool!� Mokuba held up a pair of black zip away shorts with blue and white flames shooting up the legs, along with a hooded blue midriff muscle shirt. �I thought you didn�t like that store, Joey.�
�I don�t�well, actually, I might be getting used to it.� The tall blond shrugged.
Serenity smiled as she pulled out hot pink satin side-tie shorts and a black camisole top with a hot pink metallic butterfly on it. �Thank you, Joey. What did you get yourself?�
Jou shook his head, smiling impishly. �Nothing.�
�Did you get something for Seto?� Mokuba asked.
�Yep,� Jou grinned from ear to ear. �But you have to promise not to tell him.�
�Not to tell him what?� Seto asked, leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest.
The boys moved so quickly that Serenity couldn�t tell which one made it to the elder Kaiba first. All she knew was that, by the time she was able to turn around, Mokuba had his arms wrapped around Seto's waist while Jou clung onto him from behind, both arms across his lover's chest.
�Big brother!� Mokuba smiled brightly, letting go of Seto to perform an abbreviated version of his happy dance.
�Seto, you�re home! Now, you�re going to stay home, right?� Jou asked, clutching the taller man even more tightly.
Seto smirked smugly. �You act like I�ve been gone for a month," he said to the boys before turning to his boyfriend's sister. "Hello, Serenity.�
�Hi," she replied, smiling politely. Though she still wasn�t sure what to think of her brother�s relationship with the cold, hard-as-nails young man, she could see how pleased he was to be welcomed home so enthusiastically. �I think I�ll go back to the apartment. I�m pretty tired."
�Okay, Sis. I�ll be there in a few.� A few what, Joey failed to specify, and that fact was not lost on Serenity, who nodded and kissed her brother affectionately on the cheek.
�Yeah, I think I�ll turn in too.� Mokuba said, eyeing the game room, which was so badly trashed that it looked like he�d had twenty of his closest friends over.
�Good try, Kuba. You�re not leaving all of this for Liz. Clean it up.� Seto walked out of the room, Mokuba�s protests chasing him down the hall. Ignoring the raven-haired boy, he went to the library, closing the doors behind himself and Jou.
�I feel like you�ve been gone for a month,� Joey told him, wrapping his arms around the tall brunet once more.
Seto was completely content in the gentle embrace. It made everything else worth it. �I haven�t been gone a month, dragon-pup: barely even a full day.�
�Speaking of dragon-pups�� Jou grinned, gingerly rolling up the sleeve of his T-shirt to reveal the tattoo of a young gold dragon, complete with tousled mane and huge amber-brown eyes. Gracefully muscular, the dragon�s body was covered in scales that were cleverly designed letters.
Seto smiled the biggest, most genuine smile Jou had ever seen on the dragon master�s face. Soft blue eyes met soulful brown, and Seto stroked his lover's hair absently. �I wish it had been my idea to mark you like this,� he whispered before pulling the blond into a deep hungry kiss.
�Even geniuses can�t think of everything,� Jou grinned once they came up for air. �You are home for the night, aren�t you?�
Seto chuckled, nodding slowly.
Jou glanced around at their surroundings before finally coming back around to meet the dragon master's hungry gaze. �Then would you mind telling me just what we're doing in here?�
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I Know You're Out There Somewhere