[fic] Yet More YGO: Guard Dog Con't

[ickaimp]

*streaches* Possibly one scene more after this, and I think we're done with Guard Dog for a while. Wanna see if we can coax some DC/MK plunnies this way. ^^;; As I told Kasuchi, think the plunnies are waiting until we get some translations for the Detective Koushin arc. Gotta know canon before we pervert it. ^^;;

Prolly won't be on tomorrow, have a SCA event going on. M'still not completely over my cold, so we'll see how it goes. #^^#
[Edit: Came home after I realised that: It was cold, was having to avoid people due to my coughing and I was starting to fall asleep. blargh. Nap time.]




A Kuriboh greeted him at the front door. Yuugi smiled as the creature bounced up and down gleefully, flying in circles around him.

The sky of flying monsters had been a hit during the Summer Festival, so Mokuba had the idea of adapting that to Kaiba Land, filling the tall rooms of the amusement park inside the skyscraper with Duel Monsters. It wasn't Solid System, merely Solid Vision --as if holograms that were solid to the eye could be called 'merely'--, but it was still an impressive sight. One of the features Mokuba had been working on was that any registered Duellist who entered in to the building had their favourite card appear next to them.

The appearance of a Blue Eyes White Dragon meant that one of the Kaiba were in the area. Kaiba's Dragon was generally perched above the elevator doors, watching over everything. Often times, Jounouchi's Red Eyes Black Dragon would be perched next to Kaiba's Blue Eyes, the two dragons snarling at each other occasionally, or alternating naps, their large scaly heads resting against the other's body, necks intertwined as one kept a look out.

Yuugi doubted Kaiba knew about the dragons doing that and he wasn't going to be the one to ruin it either. He sensed Mokuba's hand in that.

Noa and Mokuba's Blue Eyes White Dragons usually showed up together, because it was rare that Noa left Mokuba's side. Occasionally Noa's Blue Eyes would be with Jounouchi's Red Eyes, but not often. Although how Yuugi wasn't sure himself how he could tell the three Blue Eyes apart, he just could.

Speaking of Blue Eyes, a roar drew his attention towards the tall ceiling where Mokuba and Noa's dragons were flying in chaotic circles, Jounouchi's Red Eyes appeared to be trying to herd them, Kaiba's Blue Eyes snapping at the Red Eye dragon's heels.

"Yuugi!" Jounouchi's voice echoed above the usual chatter of the Amusement Park. He glanced up to see Jounouchi and Mokuba running towards him, broad grins on their faces. Noa floated above them, drawing some surprised comments from the bystanders as the only humanoid figure amid the holograms.

He smiled and waved, then paused in confusion as they scrambled behind him. The source of their grins made an abrupt sense as the elder Kaiba charged towards him, looking as irritated as Kaiba got.

"Yuugi! Stop him!" Jounouchi shouted as the two trouble makers scrambled away from the doors, tossing Kaiba's metal briefcase between the two of them.

Yuugi made a valiant effort to do as his friend asked, leaping towards Kaiba. Unfortunately, it was just Kaiba was turning, so he ended up sort of draped like a cape around Kaiba's neck.

Kaiba froze. Yuugi froze. Jounouchi cheered. Noa looked shell-shocked. Mokuba tossed Jounouchi Kaiba's breif case. Kaiba slowly turned his head to look at Yuugi, death in his cold blue eyes. Yuugi laughed sheepishly and wondered what his Other Self would do in this situation.

"Get them!" He cheered, rising loosening his hold around Kaiba's neck to point towards Jounouchi, who was tossing something back towards Mokuba.

"Yuugi! You Traitor!" Jounouchi shouted as Kaiba took off running, forcing Yuugi wrap his legs around Kaiba's waist to hold on. Well, he supposed that worked better than grabbing Kaiba's butt and then running like hell, which was the first thing he could think of his Other Self doing, just to see if he could get Kaiba to jump.

"Scapegoat!" Mokuba called, sliding a card into a device on his wrist that Yuugi vaguely recognised as the projection device Mokuba had worn at the Festival. Four pastel sheep appeared, snoring happily and floating in midair. The dark haired boy then slid a second card in. "Multiply!"

The air was filled with floating snoring sheep. Several kids cheered, starting to bat the passive wooly figures around. They weren't solid, passing through the children's hands, but they still changed course when hit. But they didn't need to be solid to the touch to hide where Jounouchi and Mokuba were hiding. Kaiba slowed down as he waded through the sheep.

Yuugi caught a flash of silver and followed it. "To the right!" He called.

Like a raptor tracking his prey, Kaiba turned and charged in the direction Yuugi indicated. Mokuba was carrying the briefcase, dodging sleeping goats and children like he had been doing it all of his life. Or at least the past several years.

"Noa!" Mokuba shouted as Kaiba got close enough to take a swipe at his younger brother. The briefcase was tossed up in the air, Noa the friendly ghost swooping down to catch it. Jounouchi grabbed Mokuba around the waist, tossing him over his shoulder and running towards the doors just as Kaiba's hand closed on where Mokuba had been.

"Got his phone!" Mokuba cheered, gleefully opening it up and pressing buttons. Kaiba charged towards them as Noa dropped the briefcase in Jounouchi's hand, then took centre point, clearing the way of bouncing sheep. Mokuba cheerfully began ordering pizzas to be delivered to the Kaiba house as Jounouchi ran out the door.

"MOKUBA!" Kaiba roared, not pausing in his stride as he followed them out the front door and down the stairs. "YOU ARE -GROUNDED-."

Jounouchi and Mokuba disappeared into the depths of the waiting limousine at the bottom of the stairs. Yuugi half anticipated it to speed away, but it appeared to be stuck by traffic until just after Kaiba dove inside.

"GO!" Mokuba cheered, banging on the glass dividing the passengers from the driver. The force of their acceleration tossed them around and slammed the door shut behind them.

"Oh, yeah." Jounouchi grinned as he picked himself off the floor. "I -love- this driver."

"You can release me now." Kaiba informed Yuugi. It was a lot less hostile than Yuugi would have imagined for having been used as a horse. Yuugi blushed and released his grip on the much larger Kaiba. Kaiba's piercing blue eyes glared at Jounouchi and Mokuba. "I assume you felt that I was over working again, which is why you packed up my desk while the other distracted me and stole my briefcase."

"Yup." Mokuba agreed easily.

"And it was fun." Jounouchi grinned, holding his hand up. Mokuba slapped his palm.

"And will add to the growing list of indications of my insanity'." Kaiba added with a sigh, resting his head on the back of the seat.

"Eccentric." Jounouchi corrected. "Rich people aren't insane, they're -eccentric-."

Mokuba didn't seem disturbed as he relaxed into his own seat. "You say it like it's a bad thing." He smirked.

Yuugi blinked, looking back and forth between the two brothers. Jounouchi nudged Yuugi with an subtle gesture of his arm. "Relax." Jounouchi gave him a lazy smile. "It's all part of their 'secret plans'."

The blond obviously had no idea what these 'secret plans' were, but didn't seem worried about it. Yuugi nodded and relaxed slightly as Kaiba closed his eyes. Kaiba did look tired, Yuugi didn't blame Jounouchi and Mokuba for worrying about the business man.

"And we get pizza for dinner!" Jounouchi added gleefully, causing Mokuba to laugh.

"I'm not really grounded, am I 'Niisama?" Mokuba smiled innocently at his brother.

A pause followed. It was only because Yuugi was sitting right next to Kaiba and was looking for it that he noticed the slight curve up at the corners of Kaiba's lips.

Mokuba began to look worried.

"'...Niisama?"


+++
+++


"Noa?" Mokuba called into the black void that was the Virtual World. Or at least, -this- Virtual World. He got no response back. "Noa? Are you there?"

He wasn't entirely sure this would work, but he had to give it a chance. Even if it was dark and scary here.

Mokuba -hated- the dark.

The darkness flickered, and suddenly there was light. Or more specifically, the darkness flickered and suddenly there was Noa.

"Mokuba?" Noa reached out, tentatively touching him.

"Hey, Noa." Mokuba smiled back. "Long time no see."

Noa's reaction was to throw his arms around Mokuba and hold on. "... Noa?" Mokuba blinked, tentatively putting his arms around his green-haired sibling. Noa was solid under his hands, not passing through his body like he normally did. Contact.

"I'm sorry." Noa whispered. "But... can we stay like this? Just for a little while?"

"Yeah." He hugged Noa tightly. This was the first time they'd actually been able to touch. Noa's programming was too complex for the Solid Systems to handle at this point, except for brief amounts of time.

He'd forgotten... in the Virtual World, Noa was -real-. He'd been focusing for so long on getting Noa out into the 'Real World' that he'd forgotten that. There was no scent or taste here, but it was still better than just seeing and hearing someone.

And it was kind of nice to be the one holding someone else for a change. Usually he was the one being reassured, not the one doing the reassuring. It was... kind of nice. To be the dependable one.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, idly rubbing Noa's back. "I didn't think 'Niisama would actually ground us for that stunt."

"S'okay." Noa rubbed his cheek against Mokuba's shoulder, like a cat. "I'm just glad you came. How did you get here anyway?"

"Kaiba Land Virtual Pods." Mokuba smirked. "I'm not allowed access to the Kaiba computers for two weeks, but the body guards don't know that I hack into any of the computer systems, even the ones for amusement."

If you wanted to build amazing machines, you talked to Kaiba Seto. But if you wanted programming built or hacked, you talked to Kaiba Mokuba.

"Body guards?" Noa pulled his head away so they could see each other's faces, his eyes wide with alarm. "What happened to Jounouchi?"

"Jounouchi's stuck watching 'Niisama until I'm no longer grounded." Mokuba gave Noa a weak smile. "He's -not- happy."

Noa gave him a weak smile back in return. "No, I imagine not."

Mokuba leaned forward so that their foreheads were resting against each other. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Noa's eyes crinkled, but it was obvious he was lying.

"Liar."

Noa closed his eyes, reaching up and brushing some of the hair that fell in Mokuba's face with gentle fingers. "Time passes differently here. I don't know how long it's been since I've seen you." Noa turned bright red when he realised what he said. "Um, I mean..."

"Two days." Mokuba made a mental note to talk to Yuugi about the possibility of calling Noa, to give him some contact to the outside world, even if it was limited. Technically, Mokuba wasn't supposed to be here, but he couldn't leave Noa by himself either. "And I missed you too."

Noa grinned at him, and it was worth the chewing out he knew he was going to get if 'Niisama ever discovered this unauthorised visit.

"So." Noa rested his head on Mokuba's shoulder again, fingers running through Mokuba's long hair. "How long can you stay?"

"Not long." But he'd have to do this again soon, now that he knew that they could touch here. And isolation wasn't good for anyone. "But I'll stay as long as I can."

Anything for his brother. Either of them.

They stayed curled up together in the darkness until Mokuba had to leave.


+++
+++


Yuugi resisted the urge to sigh. And to beat his head his head against the shelves.

He missed Jounouchi. Usually he saw him every day, the blond helping him the Kame Game Shop's back rooms, over Yuugi's protests, before they had a game or two. But Jounouchi had been 'grounded' for the past week. And he still had another week to go.

And while Honda was a dear friend, it just wasn't the same. Especially since all it appeared the brown haired boy wanted to do was sit and rant about Jounouchi. Or more appropriately, what an ass Jounouchi was while waving around the latest tabloid around.

Yuugi had a copy of the same tabloid upstairs, the pictures and articles carefully cut out and put in a scrap book. The headline was speculating to know if he, Jounouchi and Kaiba were in a scandalous kinky threesome. The article was pure nonsense, but he liked the pictures. They were from the Summer Festival, one of Jounouchi draped over Yuugi while Kaiba had been speaking during the opening ceremonies, the other right after he'd run into Kaiba and had been blushing from embarrassment.

The opposite page was of he and Jounouchi playing Duel Monsters on Kaiba's chest. That was his favourite photograph.

"-AND!" Honda smacked the tabloid with the back of a hand for emphasis. "He's sleeping with KAIBA!"

"Of course he is." Yuugi agreed placidly, putting the boxes they had just gotten behind some of the older stock. "So am I."

Honda let out an undignified squeak as the rant abruptly cut off.

"So is Mokuba-kun and Noa-kun." Yuugi continued, twisting slightly to get the last of the boxes to the very back. "Well, as much as Noa-kun sleeps, anyway."

Honda let out another high pitched squeak. Yuugi turned around, noticing that Honda really did resemble nothing more than a monkey. A rather startled monkey at that. Yuugi smiled slightly, silently grateful for his 'innocent' appearance that caused people to underestimate him. "Movie Nights. We put futons out on the floor in front of the television and sleep across them."

"... Oh." Honda stared at him wide eyed for a moment longer before shaking his head. "So Jounouchi and Kaiba aren't fuc- uh... screw... um..."

Yuugi chuckled, picking up some boxes of booster packs. "Bonking like bunnies? Dancing the horizontal mambo? Making the beast with two backs? Doing the nasty?" He asked, well aware that if 'Jiichan or 'Kaasan walked in right now he'd get his mouth washed out with soap, no matter how old he was. After they finished having a heart attack, that was.

"... Yeah." Honda's face and ears were pink in embarrassment. Except for Jounouchi, who had taken fiendish glee in sharing his porn with Yuugi in High School, most people, even his close friends, thought he was as naive as he appeared to be. But he also wasn't looking for a partner, so most people assumed he was generally sexless as it was.

"I haven't asked." Yuugi admitted, turning towards the shelves and putting the boxes he carried away. "It's none of my business if they are or aren't."

"Oh." Honda deflated. He glanced down at the tabloid that he'd been waving about and set it aside. "Then why'd he get all pissed off when I asked him about it? He pinned me against the wall when I said that."

"Jounouchi-kun and Kaiba-kun are friends." Yuugi said blandly, going back for a second load. The booster packs were selling well. "He's done the same when people insulted you, hasn't he?"

"Yeah, but..." Honda rubbed an ear. "He was -really- mad about it."

"Don't forget, guarding Kaiba-kun and Mokuba-kun is his job now." Putting the stock away took a lot less time with two people. Yuugi went back for a third load. "Speaking of which, how goes the application for the police department?"

"Eh, it goes." Honda leaned back on the chair. "I still have to pass basic requirements before I can go into sharp-shooting though."

"Good luck with that." Yuugi smiled.

"Thanks." Honda flashed him a quick smile. "So how does Jounouchi being friends with Kaiba make it okay for him to keep stuff stuff from us?"

"It doesn't." Yuugi admitted, grabbing the box cutter and cutting through the tape off the bottom of the box and tearing it down. "But it does mean he can't talk about a lot of things."

"You mean like the fact that he's got dog ears and a tail?" Honda grimaced.

Yuugi glanced around. No one appeared to be earshot, but still... "Say it a little louder, will you?" He muttered.

Honda had the grace to flush. "Sorry." He muttered.

Yuugi sighed, opening the next box and putting the box cutter away. "Honda-kun... do you remember how we met?"

"Sure. You started hanging out with Jounouchi and we became friends." Honda shrugged.

"Not how we became friends." Yuugi corrected, pulling out boxes of Duel Monsters figurines to be put together. "How we met."

"Oh." Honda frowned, thinking about it. "... Jounouchi. Jounouchi started picking on you... uh. Sorry, Yuugi."

"No." He assured Honda, putting the boxes on the shelves with the rest of the figurines. He set some aside for Jiichan to shelve up front. "That's how we met. Do you know why Jounouchi-kun started picking on me?"

"Yeah." Honda grinned, his eyes crinkling with fond amusement. "Cause you were different, you always had your head down or in your puzzles. He was trying to make you look up."

"Exactly."

"Huh?"

"Didn't you just say it?" Yuugi smiled, picking up some more figurine boxes. "Because I was different."

"Aw, man..." Honda grimaced. "Sorry, Yuugi. I didn't mean it like that."

"I know." Yuugi assured him. "But you're not wrong."

"Yeah, but...."

"How long did you know me before I told you about my Other Self?" Yuugi asked, putting the boxes on the shelf.

"Um... A couple of months, I think. During Duellist Kingdom." Honda rubbed his ear again. "You'd been afraid to tell us about him cause you thought it might scare us away."

"Because it was different." Yuugi said mildly. "Most people don't have another person inside their head."

"Or funky possessed jewellery." Honda grinned.

Yuugi grinned back, picking up the last of the figurine boxes. "How long did it take for you to tell us that you and Otagi-kun were dating?"

"When I moved in with him." Honda's grin turned fond, almost sappy. The expression of a man smitten.

"Which was about a year since you'd started dating." Yuugi pointed out. "Why'd it take you so long to tell us, tell your friends?"

"Cause I didn't want it to change things between us." Honda's grin faded, his expression turning serious. "I was afraid things might get weird, people thinking I was checking them out in the showers or something, once they knew I was dating a guy."

"-Which didn't happen." Yuugi smiled as he put the boxes away. Poor Honda had been jumpy for weeks after he told everyone. They'd all found it highly amusing. Otagi's preening and posturing hadn't helped it any.

"Thankfully." Honda flashed a smile back before looking thoughtful. "So you're saying that Jounouchi didn't tell us cause he didn't want us treating him any differently?"

"I'm saying it's a possibility." Yuugi said seriously. "But I'll also mention that I haven't heard Kaiba-kun make a dog reference since the incident."

Honda's eyes widened in surprise. It faded into a rueful expression. "They really are becoming friends, aren't they?"

Yuugi grabbed the box cutter and tore down that box. "I think it's good for them."

"Huh." Honda ran a hand across his head. "I'll reserve judgement on that till I see it."

Yuugi just smiled back, opening the next box of shipment.

"So, um." Honda gave him a weak grin. "Need a hand putting stuff away?"

Yuugi grinned back. "Thanks."

++++

To Be Continued

Comments

[alchemy101.livejournal.com]

^_^ I Really like this. Was wondering when you'd get around to the thing with Honda.

[ickaimp.livejournal.com]

Wasn't forgotten! XD
Only not quite sure how they're gonna get back together to talk things out... ^^;;