[WiP] YGO: Guard Dog Con't

[ickaimp]

Okay, there really is a fic behind the LJ-cut this time...

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"Okay, so we gotta do is figure out how to camouflage your ears and tail." Mokuba said thoughtfully, placing a top hat on Jounouchi's head. "-Since you decided not to try for the surgery."

"Yeah." The hat hung crookedly over one eye, so the blond pushed back on his head with a bit of a glazed look. Hurricane Mokuba was striking again. "They can't move the ear canal back down to a normal human's anyway. Better have them working and all instead of strange lumpy bits of flesh that'll make me look even more like a freak."

"Like you were ever normal." Mokuba teased with a grin that Jounouchi returned.

The blond gave Mokuba an affectionate swat, messing up the spiky hair. "Look who's talkin'."

"Heh." The smaller boy smoothed down his hair, still grinning. "Okay, so I'm thinking hats... They'll cover your head and ears."

"Just not one of those things that Rex wears." He shot back. "I'm not havin' anyone compare me ta him, not no way, not no how."

"No problem." Mokuba switched the top hat for a baseball cap and stepped back for a moment. "Uh, no. Definitely not."

"What?"

"Too much hair. Makes you look..." The younger boy waved a hand. "Preppy."

The hat was off Jounouchi's head and tossed across the room before either of them blinked.

"Maybe a cowboy hat." Mokuba mused as if the interlude had never happened. "Could always get a chauffeur's cap."

"Yeah, right. Just gimme one of those, a bunch of leather and a riding crop." Jounouchi snickered. "Not."

The dark-haired boy paused, a contemplative look on his face. Jounouchi blanched. "No. No, no and no. Do NOT be going there, Mokuba." He scolded. "You're -supposed- to be an innocent kid."

Mokuba shrugged, changing the subject. "Okay, so the ears are taken care of. Now about that tail..."

"I know, I know." Jounouchi gave him a rueful grin. "No more short jackets anymore."

"Too bad you're not a girl. We could stick you in a skirt!"

"No."

"Damn."

"I take back every single thing I've ever said about your brother's wardrobe being strange."

"...Spoilsport."

"I'm not borrowin' his clothes either."

"Don't think that'd work well for you..." Mokuba walked around Jounouchi, walking over the bed Jounouchi was sitting on in the process. "You wear a lot of denim, but that doesn't work with the top hat. Maybe a pirate theme?"

"Just so long as it ain't a fancy tux coat or somethin'."

Mokuba's eyes lit up. "Hey, now that's an idea... you need something fancier anyway. We never did get around to shopping."

"No."

"Then we're back to leather."

"Ugh..."

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"Yo, Mokuba!" Jounouchi grinned as he discovered his wayward charge's whereabouts. "Whatcha up to?"

"Hey, Jounouchi." The dark tousled head didn't look away from the computer monitor, nor did the sound of the keyboard stop its momentum. "Programming."

"Yeah?" He leaned over Mokuba's shoulder to see the screen. Not that much of the jumble of lines and numbers made sense to him. "Programming what?"

"Anyone ever tell you that you're a nosey bastard?" The younger boy commented offhandedly.

"Frequently." Jounouchi swatted the backside of Mokuba's head. He was being obstinate. "Now give."

Mokuba shot him a glare before returning his attention to the screen. "I'm re-creating Noah."

"That's cool." He responded automatically. Then it hit him. Noah. Freakish virtual green-haired kid who tried to kill them all and take their bodies. Definite grudge against Kaiba Seto. "Wait! Whoa, back up. NOAH?!"

"Yup."

"As in 'tried to kill everyone in a virtual world' Noah'?!"

"Yeah."

He just stared for a moment. "Does your brother know?"

Mokuba rolled his eyes. "Duh. Got his permission to do so a long time ago."

"Oh." He couldn't quite think of anything to say to that. "Um. Good."

Silence descended, except for the tak of keys being pressed as Mokuba coded.

"Mokuba?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask why?"

"Cause he's my brother." Mokuba's answer was level. "He didn't deserve what Gozaburo did to him, isolating him like that. And us Kaiba have to stick together."

"He did try to kill us." Jounouchi had to point out.

"And saved us in return." The younger Kaiba retorted. The stubborn look faded, replaced by one of mischievous glee. "Just think, though. He'd make a great Game Master for an interactive virtual game."

Mokuba had a point... "Be able to interact with people that way too." That seemed to be the root of it, the isolation driving the young virtual kid insane.

"Exactly." The brat sounded way too pleased about the prospect. Jounouchi eyed him warily. He kind of understood where Mokuba was coming from, even as it worried him. Noah had shared Mokuba's body for a while too, if anyone knew what was going on in the green haired kid's brain, it'd be Mokuba.

And the duels had been pretty good too, even if he'd been distracted by worrying about Shizuka at the time.

Speaking of Shizuka, he should e-mail her, let her know he was fine. Same thing with Mai... If he went too long without contacting his 'older sister', she had a nasty habit of showing up to make sure everything was alright. After that bit with the Oricalcous cards and the dragons, they were all a bit jumpy when someone disappeared off the radar.

At least she'd taken to his working for Kaiba fairly well, although her comments had been on the... creative side to say the least.

"Aaaah!!!" Mokuba's yelp of terror snapped him out of his thoughts. "Tail, Jounouchi!!! TAIL!!!"

"Wha?" He glanced back, realising that his tail had been waving back and forth, smacking into things and toppling cd cases over. "Eep! Sorry!" He grabbed the wayward tail, wrapping it around one leg, wishing for not the first time that it was a little bit more flexible.

Mokuba was shooting him a dirty look. "You're a hazard to my lab."

"Sorry."

The smaller boy just pointed out the door. "Until you learn to control that tail."

Right. Damn thing had a mind of it's own. Not like he could control it. But Mokuba was insanely protective of his lab, so he could understand the restriction. "Later."

"Later." Mokuba's voice was still irritated, but tempered with amusement. They'd probably get a laugh over this later.

In the meantime, he had to go find something else to entertain himself...

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Kaiba found the blond sitting in the living room, concentrating on the chessboard there. It was an incongruous scene, the bodyguard in a tee-shirt, the habitual scruffy denim jacket and jeans, with a top hat that had made its appearance several days ago perched on his head. The tail was still visible, sticking out of the back of the chair. Every so often, Jounouchi would move a piece, -correctly, Kaiba noted, then stare at the board some more.

He cleared his throat, bringing Jounouchi's attention towards him. "I didn't know you could play."

To his mild amazement, the tail wagged slightly, as if in greeting. "Just a bit." The blond smiled weakly. Kaiba wasn't entirely surprised; this was the first time they'd talked since the pillow fight last week, aside from sparring. "Yuugi's Jiichan taught me a while back, so we could play something other than Duel Monsters when no one was around. If you're lookin' for Mokuba, he's down in his lab programming stuff. I'm under strict orders to stay out of there until I learn how to control the tail."

"Ah." That would explain the exile. "Care for a game?" He offered. It had been a while since he'd played. And even then it had just been Mokuba.

Jounouchi shook his head, blond hair flaying. "It'd be no contest. You're a World-class player. I'm just a beginner." A crooked grin softened the refusal. "But if you want to play something more my speed, like poker, I wouldn't say no."

"I'd wipe out your pay check." The comment was more automatic defense than any real insult. It gave him time to think as he took the seat across the board. Poker, game of luck. Matched the other dueller's playing style.

It also triggered a recollection of something... he'd heard of it, just in passing. But it would be interesting to try. "Very well, you're on." His hands moved, automatically straightening the chessboard out, then putting away the black pieces. He had some time to kill and it would be an interesting experiment. "There should be a deck of playing cards and a rack of poker chips in the cupboard over on that wall there if you'd be so kind as to fetch them."

The blond gave him a confused look, but quickly rose and got the requested gaming pieces before resuming his seat. "So what are we doing?"

Kaiba smiled. "Playing to our strengths."

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Mokuba walked in on them a little bit later, Jounouchi with a handful of cards and a pile of chips next to him, Kaiba contemplating his next move on the chessboard. He watched them silently for a moment, puzzling over their actions before speaking up. "What are you doing?"

Jounouchi grinned at him, tail happily thumping against the chair. "He's playing chess. I'm playing poker."

"Oh." The dark haired boy blinked. "Who's winning?"

Kaiba pointed. "Him currently. He just took out my queen with a straight flush."

Jounouchi snorted. "I'd be a lot farther ahead if your bishop hadn't taken out my two pair a couple of turns back."

"Nature of the game." Kaiba dismissed it, finally moving a bishop.

Mokuba nodded and decided that was the time to back away slowly. He was beginning to think that bringing the two of them together into the same vicinity had wrought something evil.

On the other hand, it was nice to see his brother relax for a change...

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Comments

[mistressoffoxes.livejournal.com]

Nothing more to say, other than;

SQUEE! *has fallen in love with Guard Dog, and YGO-fandom all over again*

[phantom-kaito.livejournal.com]

Okay, am seriously wondering about the game KAiba and Joey are playing. And between this and the christmas drabble I'll never think of Mokie-chan as innocent again