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Kaiba could hear Jounouchi sucking on one of the caramels he’d gifted him for the December holidays as he shuffled around the little apartment he shared with his father.
More candy? More expensive candy?
No. That’d be thoughtless, repetitive, and unnoteworthy. None of which were words he wanted associated with himself. He’d probably also do well to avoid anything too expensive. Jounouchi seemed to grow uncomfortable when presented with such gestures. Materialism was clearly not the blonde’s love language.
Something practical then? A new rice cooker or a house plant? No, neither sparked much joy in him to impart. Besides Jounouchi took pride in his humble but hard-earned home. Kaiba did not want to cause any misunderstanding. There were enough opportunities as it was for either to take offense.
Sure, they had softened in the past few years. Growing to accommodate the push and pull needed for them to interact beyond their first impressions. Impressions that would have remained once formed, had life not had other plans. But they were still both stubborn and learning one another’s ways.
So, best to steer clear of extravagances and necessities, unless, well, necessary. Deciding on a suitable birthday gift for Jounouchi’s twenty-fourth birthday was not something Kaiba could simply come upon by logic. It involved the heart, a place he once thought he’d cut off all communication with; deemed unnecessary. But life again, had other plans. When Yugi and his friends’ paths crossed with his, he never would have expected the truths they’d reveal to him. And though he’d rarely admit it out loud, his life was better for it.
For one, it now included a stronghearted and beautiful blonde, who was also running late getting ready.
It frustrated him that he could not solve this puzzle with sheer will. The answer instead lay in stirring his emotions, by his own force. Bringing to the surface feelings and thoughts he’d not allowed himself to pay much mind to until now.
“Alright, bag’s all packed. Let me just use the bathroom really quick,” Jounouchi announced, dumping his backpack on to the table in front of Kaiba and interrupting his musing.
Kaiba resisted the urge to check his watch again. Perhaps he could get the man a new alarm clock, he thought amusedly. Patience- he extended more of that when it came to the less orderly blonde. A compromise that struck him now in its tenderness.
They’d worked hard to go from seeing one another as mere nuisances to appreciating one another’s strengths. What was a little patience? He only hoped it didn’t take as much patience as developing their relationship had required to come up with a proper gift for Jounouchi’s birthday.
“Hey, do you want some water before we leave?” Jounouchi asked, emerging from the bathroom. “That hike earlier really left me thirsty.”
Kaiba reminded himself of his previous sentiment of extending a little patience and accepted the glass offered. There was no real need to rush. Dinner could wait. As he drank, his eyes took in the many photos and clippings hung on the fridge with magnets from their travels to San Francisco, Egypt and China. Those magnets were so old they could be traced back to when they still viewed one another with barely restrained disdain, fate having made Jounouchi and company his travel companions. It seemed a lifetime ago now.
Scanning the rest of the fridge door, he paused to read a colorful flier advertising an upcoming indoor music festival that was the talk of the town. The last of the three dates fell on Jounouchi’s birthday. Now, there was a great idea for a date. But it still left the question of what to give him as Jounouchi would undoubtedly insist on paying his own way as much as he could.
“That new group I told you about is going to be playing,” Jounouchi said, gesturing towards the fridge, having spotted him reading the flier. Indeed, the group’s photo served as the backdrop of the advertisement.
“It’s been a while since I heard anything new live,” Kaiba replied. “Let’s make a date out of it, for your birthday.”
“That would have been great except the gang and I already bought tickets. Bakura’s favorite group is one of the opening acts so he was up buying them the second they released. Actually, I was going to ask if you wanted to join us?”
There went his plans for a date. Oh well, at least Jounouchi was happy. “I’ll join you and the others,” he responded. “But could you try and leave the rest of the night free?”
“I was hoping for just that,” Jounouchi replied, smiling and taking a step closer to the brunette. They each leaned forward and shared a long, wet kiss. The promise of more was mirrored in their eyes as they parted.
“Oh, I almost forgot my CD player,” Jounouchi said, rushing back to his bedside table.
Kaiba trailed after him and waited in the doorway, taking in the little room that served as Jounouchi’s resting place for so many years now.
It was untidy, as was the rest of the apartment. Reflective of Jounouchi’s spontaneous energy but also of how little time he liked to spend here. Regardless, Jounouchi seemed able to navigate the chaos of his living space just as well as that of his home life. Knowing where to step and what to avoid. Their quick stop here today was rare, neither relishing a run in with his father.
Despite the chaos, there were elements of the room kept neat. Posters hung with care depicting films and duel monsters that Jounouchi favored covered the walls. A bookshelf held figurines and photos of his friends and sister. These items Kaiba could tell were cared for as they were free of dust and other clutter.
“Great, the cord’s all tangled, hold on a sec,” Jounouchi mumbled.
Kaiba hummed in acknowledgment and took a step closer to the shelf to examine a photo of Jounouchi and his friends in their high school uniforms. This photo was probably taken not long before they’d first met. Back when he was still unable to comprehend the power of such bonds, never having experienced strong loyalty outside of his relationship with Mokuba.
Most people who’d had any chance at his love or loyalty had disappeared from his life. Perhaps that’s why he was putting so much thought into this gift. More than he’d ever thought he could, he wanted Jounouchi to stay.
“There we go, you ready?” Jounouchi asked.
Kaiba nodded, still lost in thought. It’d be easy enough to acquire another unique piece to add to Jounouchi’s collection of fan items every occasion that called for a gift. Chalk his efforts up to ‘it’s the thought that counts.’ But that’d work against the first lesson of personal wealth: quality over quantity or the joy would soon be lost in acquiring anything.
“What’re you thinking about?” Jounouchi inquired as they descended the steps of Jounouchi’s apartment building and made their way to Kaiba’s car and the chauffeur scrambling to greet them.
“Dinner,” Kaiba said with a teasing smile. “I had the cook prepare one of my favorite curry’s. It always hits the spot, as you say, after a long day.”
“Sorry to keep us waiting,” Jounouchi said.
“It’s alright, it gave me time to think,” Kaiba replied.
“Yeah?”
“About how ridiculous you used to look in your school uniform,” Kaiba quipped, chuckling.
Jounouchi’s expression went from knee-jerk embarrassment to reluctant acceptance. “Alright, it was bad, but it’s not like you pulled it off any better.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was exemplary,” Kaiba lightheartedly protested.
“Exemplary of how to dress like an a-hole,” Jounouchi said with a chuckle of his own. Now seated in the back of the car, the blonde scooted closer to the other man. “Actually, I prefer you dressed down, if you have to wear clothes at all.”
As he shifted closer to the blonde, they shared an intimate smile.
“I’d say the same for you,” Kaiba purred. “Tangled in my sheets is definitely one of your better looks.”
The two leaned in for a heated kiss. Desire driving them further into one another’s arms until the need for air grew too great. While catching his breath, Kaiba heard Jounouchi whisper something as he gazed out the window.
He recognized it at once. Lyrics. To one of the songs of the band headlining the festival. It was a song about unexpectedly finding love.
As they both settled back in their seats, he could hear Jounouchi humming its melody.
It was nice to think that their exchanges brought to Jounouchi’s mind such a song. It admittedly made his heart flutter in a way he’d thought himself too jaded to experience.
Jounouchi’s hand found his in the dark and he allowed their fingers to intertwine, resting in between them as they rode in silence for a time.
Releasing Kaiba’s hand, Jounouchi began to rummage around in his bag pulling out the CD player he’d brought along. He offered one bud to Kaiba and they both leaned in to listen to the music.
By the time they got to the song Jounouchi had been humming, they’d pulled up to the manor. But Jounouchi insisted they stay seated until they got to the best part. As the music swelled, and the lead vocalist belted out heartfelt lyrics of joy and romance, Jounouchi began to sing along albeit poorly. Kaiba couldn’t help but smile.
When the lyrics switched to reflecting on one’s significant other, Jounouchi turned to playfully sing the lyrics to Kaiba, pointing at the brunette for emphasis as the song faded out.
The moment made Kaiba want to pull Jounouchi closer. He settled for “you’re a dork,” and kissed the man on the cheek, causing Jounouchi’s grin to widen.
Once inside and settled down to dinner, the warm food and drink prepared for them was a balm to his aching muscles after their long hike earlier. Judging by the appreciative noises Jounouchi was making, he felt similarly.
As they enjoyed their dessert - a light chocolate mousse - their conversation turned to what to do with the rest of their evening.
“How about a swim?” Jounouchi suggested.
Which admittedly sounded like a good idea. It was a beautiful night and would give them the chance to digest their food.
As they made their way out to the manor’s pool, Kaiba chuckled at the sight of Jounouchi in a pair of borrowed swim trunks that were far too tight for him.
“Perhaps we should get you a pair to keep here,” Kaiba suggested.
“Yes, please,” Jounouchi replied, adjusting them once again.
Despite his less-than-ideal attire, Jounouchi did not hesitate when they reached the pool and bound forward, leaping right in. He resurfaced, shaking out his shaggy hair and wiping the water from his eyes.
Kaiba joined him in the pool and watched as the blonde began to swim around. Jounouchi was a sight to behold when unrestrained like this. It took Kaiba back to the moment he’d realized he’d let go of his derisiveness towards him (well, mostly) and developed something beyond begrudging respect. Jounouchi knew him in ways few ever got the chance and he didn’t mind knowing Jounouchi either. In fact, he wanted to know more.
How time had changed him.
The moon’s reflection shifted with the water as he made his way towards the blonde resting on the other side of the pool. Jounouchi held onto the wall for support, catching his breath. Kaiba came up behind him and wrapped his arms around his chest, pulling him close. Jounouchi relaxed into the touch and was just turning to face him when a loud splash on the other end of the pool drew them apart.
A tall figure with long, unkempt hair emerged from the water and began to wade its way over to them. Kaiba Mokuba. At nineteen, he’d grown into his unruly locks in height and fullness and no longer resembled the child Jounouchi had first met.
“Surprise!” Mokuba called out. From the mischievous look on his face, he knew exactly what he was interrupting. “I’m back in town for the weekend!”
“Little brother,” Kaiba exhaled with a mixture of relief at the source of the intrusion and joy at his arrival.
“Hey, Mokuba, good to see you!” Jounouchi exclaimed. Mokuba flashed him a wide smile.
Kaiba swam forward to close the distance between them. He opened his arms, inviting Mokuba in for a hug, smiling all the while.
“Glad you were able to get away from school,” Kaiba said as they pulled apart.
“Yeah, it’s been a busy couple of weeks. But it felt like it’d been too long since I’d seen you,” Mokuba replied.
The two swam back over to Jounouchi. Mokuba, despite Kaiba’s best efforts, had snooped out a couple of years ago that something amorous was going on between Jounouchi and his brother. It’s not that Kaiba was inclined to hide their involvement, he simply wanted to reveal it at his own pace. When Kaiba did eventually share with Mokuba, he admitted to finding the involvement confusing at first, but it seemed to be having a good effect on his brother so he had no real objections.
“How long are you in town for?” Jounouchi asked, giving the teen a welcoming clap on the shoulder.
“Just the weekend, but I’ll be back again in a couple of weeks to attend the music festival with a school friend,” Mokuba replied.
“Awesome! The whole gang, including your brother, is going. We should meet up there!” Jounouchi exclaimed.
“That’d be great,” Mokuba responded. “Now, let’s break out some music and drinks!”
With a hearty laugh, Jounouchi made his way out of the pool to grab beers and snacks from the kitchen. Kaiba logged into the outdoor sound system. The three men enjoyed the rest of the night listening to some of Jounouchi and Mokuba’s favorite music.
Kaiba chimed in with a couple song suggestions, but mostly he enjoyed watching his little brother get excited over something and bond with Jounouchi over their favorite artists.
Later, as Kaiba and Jounouchi lay in bed scrolling through the photos they’d taken that night, even he, who’d only passively listened to their current favorite artist, knew he wouldn’t be able to separate the experience of tonight from the lively voice of the lead vocalist belting out Jounouchi’s favorite lyrics over and over again.
His mind returned to what to gift Jounouchi for his birthday. He sighed in frustration. He was about to cave and turn to the internet for help when he heard Jounouchi, half asleep and curled up next to him, humming the same song he’d been singing in the car when they arrived home.
He glanced back down to a photo of the two of them, and it clicked.
Festival weekend arrived with much fanfare and Kaiba had to admit, the organizers had done a good job at executing an indoor event. There was room for food, games, face painting and even an arcade.
When the time came for Jounouchi’s favorite group to perform, Kaiba could have sworn he lost some hearing ability at how loud the crowd cheered.
Now, on day three, the group was currently debating between watching a live demonstration of glass blowing or woodcarving. They decided to split up and meet up at the food stands. Jounouchi must have found his way to the face painting station along the way because when they met up again, he was sporting a black heart on one cheek.
The musical acts they’d all been hoping to see had already performed so they decided to wrap up the festival with a comedy and magic show. They eventually emerged from the venue tired but happy at the memories they’d made.
Once they’d reached the manor and said their farewells to their friends, Jounouchi returned a call from his sister who was studying abroad in California.
Kaiba took the time to prepare himself. He hadn’t expected to be so nervous.
“Man, that was a heck of a weekend,” Jounouchi said as he entered the living room and pushed aside a couple of gift bags from his friends in order to take a seat next to Kaiba. “What’ve you got there?”
“One last present,” Kaiba said with a smile, handing the wrapped box over to Jounouchi.
“It’s heavy,” Jounouchi commented as he unwrapped it. He lifted the lid to reveal a dark wooden box. The lid featured two intricately carved dragons.
“Is this like those Russian dolls?” Jounouchi asked.
“No,” Kaiba replied, amusedly.
Jounouchi flipped open the ornate box. On the inside of the lid, he was greeted by a framed photo of the two of them, a rare one, in which Kaiba was smiling.
“Press that button there,” Kaiba instructed.
Jounouchi did as asked and they were treated to the chorus of the very song Jounouchi had been singing at the top of his lungs just days earlier.
“There’s also room for you to keep any trinkets,” Kaiba added.
Jounouchi chuckled. “I always wanted a photo with the famous Kaiba Seto.”
Not the response he was expecting, but okay.
“I just wish someone had told me earlier how thoughtful he could be,” Jounouchi continued.
Kaiba smiled at that.
“It’s beautiful, Kaiba. I thought all my talk of music was getting on your nerves. But you were really paying attention,” Jounouchi observed.
“I thought it was about time you had a physical photo to add to your collection,” Kaiba explained. “And, on the nights, you’re alone, you can listen to the song you’ve turned into one of my favorites.”
Jounouchi’s smile softened at that. “Thank you, Seto.” He pressed the button again and allowed the lyrics to carry him forward as he pressed a kiss to his boyfriend’s cheek, just as he’d wanted to all night at the festival.