#kaijou week 2019

[mistressarafax]

KaiJou Week - Day 4: Sundae

I went off and did my own thing on this one...

---

As Joey walked into the dining area, he was surprised to find Seto there, sitting at the head of the table and typing away on his laptop. Not that Seto couldn't be sitting in his own dining area. Joey was simply surprised because Seto had been pouring all his time and energy into a big project at work for the last month or so, and Joey hadn't seen him at home during daylight hours for just as long.

"What are ya doin' home so early?" he asked.

"Nothing."

It was obviously not the truth, and Joey pursed his lips in mild irritation. "You're here for a reason."

"Do I need a reason to be in my own house?" Seto asked, finally looking up from his computer and fixing Joey with an unimpressed stare.

"Well...no. But you've been busy and don't usually get here 'til way later. It's just surprisin' is all. Ya get your project done or somethin'?"

Seto closed his computer and sighed. "More or less. There's a little finalizing that has to be done, but I thought perhaps we could get dinner tonight."

"Ya couldn't have just said that when I first asked what ya were doin' here?"

A smirk graced Seto's lips, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Where would the fun be if I made it that easy?"

Joey rolled his eyes. Apparently, Seto was in a mood. Not that he especially minded. A playful, good-natured Seto often carried over into the bedroom, and he wouldn't complain at the prospect of getting laid even if Seto was being difficult on purpose. Especially after a month where Seto's work had been keeping their sex life almost nonexistent.

"Ya got somewhere in mind?" Joey asked.

Seto nodded. "I set out an outfit for you."

Joey furrowed his eyebrows. This whole thing sounded extremely planned out if Seto had picked out an outfit for him. Which only made him wonder if he was forgetting something. An important date or an anniversary of some sort. He was wracking his brain, trying to go through all the possibilities.

Seto's deep, amused chuckle brought him out of his thoughts. "Go get dressed. You haven't forgotten anything."

Joey shook his head in disbelief, heading to their shared bedroom in order to change. When he got there, he pulled his t-shirt over his head, sliding down his pants before locating what Seto had pulled out for him. Surprisingly, it wasn't anything too crazy. A pair of khaki shorts and a pastel green polo. It was a rather casual selection for Seto, and it only made Joey more curious about where they were going.

He got dressed quickly and rejoined Seto in the dining room. The brunet had packed away his computer, leaning against the dining room table while he looked through his phone. Joey realized he was wearing a casual outfit too. Seto casual, at least. Blue slacks, white button-down, and a complementary tie. Less dressed up than what Seto normally wore into work on a daily basis.

Joey didn't comment on it and followed Seto to the car. Even fifteen minutes into their journey, Joey still didn't know exactly where they were headed, though he had a few guesses based on the general area. Could have been Thai or Korean. Also, one of Seto's favorite French restaurants was around, though they were far too underdressed for it to be where they were headed.

It wasn't until Seto pulled into the parking lot that Joey figured it out. A steak and seafood restaurant. They hadn't been there more than three times in the past, but Joey recalled that it wasn't bad. Not that he ever really complained about food. Seto was the one who was picky, and he hadn't had any complaints either.

A waiter seated them on the balcony, giving them a fantastic view of Domino City as they looked through the menu. Seto ordered them a bottle of chardonnay to share, and Joey sipped at his while he made his dinner choices. Fried calamari as an appetizer. Steak and shrimp for dinner. 

Orders placed, Joey reached across the table and took Seto's hand. "There really no special reason we're here?"

Seto shook his head. "Not particularly. I wanted to spend time with you since I've been busy lately."

Joey smiled softly, pleased. Seto openly expressing his feelings always hits this pleasant note in his heart. "It is nice to see ya outside of bed for once," he teased. "I almost forgot what you liked like."

Seto rolled his eyes. "As if you could forget."

A grin formed on his face. "You're right. I like your face too much to forget it."

"Only my face?" Seto asked with an eyebrow quirked.

Joey could read that expression and all the insinuation behind it. He was definitely getting laid tonight. A flush crept up his neck. "Among other things," he admitted, quietly enough that only Kaiba would hear.

Kaiba smirked. "Good."

"You're in a good mood today," Joey noted. "It's kinda weird, ya know? You're usually grumpy at the end of a project."

Kaiba shook his head, taking a sip of wine as the calamari arrived.

Joey took a bite, marveling at how delicious the food was. "God, this is good."

"Mmm," Kaiba agreed.

"So you're sure nothin' good happened?"

"Trust me, Joseph. I'm just pleased to spend time with you."

"Distance makin' your heart grow fonder?" Joey asked.

"Something like that," Kaiba said neutrally.

Joey just shook his head and turned his attention back to eating the pre-dinner appetizer. Their dishes arrived not long after that, and Joey wondered why they hadn't come to this restaurant more frequently. It was easily one of the best places he'd been with Seto.

"I was going to get you dessert, as well," Seto said as he paid the bill. "There's an ice cream shop right across the street."

Part of Joey couldn't escape the looming feeling of worry that came with Seto being so considerate. Extreme thoughtfulness usually was a precursor to some kind of announcement that Seto was going be doing something Joey wouldn't like in the near future. Whether it was a banquet or dinner party or work trip, Seto often tried to soften the blow with a nice dinner. This didn't feel the same as those. Seto was in an upbeat, almost playful mood, and it didn't fit with his usual approach to delivering bad news.

They stood up, walking across the street hand in hand. Walking into the ice cream parlor, Joey marveled at all the flavor choices. Seto ordered immediately, opting for a vanilla cone. Joey decided quickly after that that he wanted a strawberry shortcake sundae.

He eagerly awaited his frozen confection, nearly bouncing beside Seto. "Calm down," Seto reprimanded gently.

"I'm just excited. I love strawberries, and strawberry shortcake sundaes are delicious."

"Do you love them than me?"

"Maybe," Joey teased. "Not sure which I couldn't live without. You or strawberries? It's a tough call."

"We can see how much you enjoy taking a strawberry up the ass then and find out."

Joey looked up at him. His delivery had been perfectly serious. Like he sincerely meant it and would give it a try when they got home. Joey shuddered at the thought. "Oh, fuck no. No way in hell are ya stickin' a strawberry up my ass."

Seto smirked, amused, and Joey wondered if he'd been replaced by an alien. He was being weird. Like the kind of weird Kaiba normally wasn't. "Seriously, what's up with you today? Are ya on drugs?"

"No. To be perfectly honest, Mokuba lectured me earlier about how much you missed me and how I shouldn't let work dictate my life so much. I'm just..trying to take his advice to heart."

"I did miss ya," Joey said. "I like spendin' time with ya. When ya ain't threatenin' to shove fruit in my orifices, at least."

"Noted," Seto said.

Joey finished up his sundae, sighing out in satisfaction. Seto finished his cone neatly seconds later, and Joey leaned close to him, taking his hand. "Though there's something else ya got that I wouldn't mind havin' in an orifice or two."

Kaiba gave him a sideways glance, an eyebrow raised suggestively. "Then I suppose we better get home then," he mused.

"Oh yeah," Joey agreed.

Hand in hand, they hurried back to Kaiba's car. A long, sweaty night awaited them, and Joey was eager to get started. It had been too long since the last time, and he was not passing up the offer Kaiba had been dangling in front of him all night. No way in hell.

[violetshipping]

Violetshipping Week 2019!

When: Sunday 20th - Saturday 26th January! To coincide with Jounuary and Jou's birthday.

Some people love having prompts, so here's what we came up with!

Day 1: Oblivious / Crushing

Day 2: Dragons / Siblings

Day 3: Childhood Friends / Older AU

Day 4: Coming out to Friends / Confessing to Each Other

Day 5: Apart / Reunited

Day 6: Birthday! 🍰

Day 7: Free Day

You are encouraged to write from Jou's perspective because it's his month, but we're all just eager to see what you come up with!

#puppyshipping / #violetshipping to get reblogged during the week! And have fun 😘

Thanks @koblamo for the graphic!

[mistressarafax]

KaiJou Week - Day 3: Fantasy AU

“Jounouchi, you’re doing it wrong.”

Jounouchi scowled at Kaiba, feeling defeated. They’d been practicing the entire day, Kaiba insistent that he needed to control his flames better if he stood any chance of receiving the council's blessing to become a full-fledged mage. “You can’t serve His Majesty if there’s a chance your power will get out of control,” he’d reprimanded severely.

“I’m tryin’,” he griped back. “It ain’t easy tryin’ to just light the one candle.”

Kaiba crossed his arms over his chest, irritation on his face. “I will not stand for my pupil to be lacking. You will do this until you get it right.”

Jounouchi snapped his fingers, lighting a flame on the top of Kaiba’s head, his hair catching fire. Without even flinching, Kaiba extinguished it, drawing water from the air around him to douse the flame. “Use that precision on the candles, idiot.”

“Yeah, yeah. Easier to focus on you since you're pissin’ me off.”

Kaiba's eldest Blue-Eyed dragon snorted from behind them, seeming amused. Her white scales glistened, reflecting the blue of the sky as she sunbathed. “It’s not funny, Kisara,” Kaiba said without looking at her, but she didn’t seem to care, flapping her wings, before shaking herself out and settling down in the clearing once more. “I need you to concentrate, Jounouchi. There are other lessons to teach you that require precise control. You can’t just incinerate everything in your path.”

“Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that,” Jounouchi said cockily.

“Except when you need to target one enemy amongst your allies with precision.”

Jounouchi rolled his eyes. “I don’t know why I got partnered with you as an instructor. Our abilities aren’t even remotely the same.”

“I am not privy to all of the choices His Majesty makes."

"You're his cousin, and you're one of his advisors. Ya shoulda had a say since ya hate me just as much."

Kaiba huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Enough. Ignite the candle so we can end this ordeal as quickly as possible."

Grumbling, Jounouchi returned his focus to the candles in the distance, stretching his hands out and letting the fire wick in his belly. He closed his eyes, imagining the heat trickling from him to the middle candle, a tendril of fire he could only see behind his closed eyelids.

"Good," Kaiba said, breaking his concentration.

Jounouchi peaked open an eye, seeing the middle candle burning from across the clearing. "Yes!" he cried out in victory.

"It takes focus, Jounouchi, which you are able to do when you put your mind to it. You need to spend more time meditating."

Jounouchi frowned. "God, I hate meditatin'."

"If you want to maximize your abilities, you must. It's not as though I want you to fail."

"Coulda fooled me," Jounouchi said bitterly. "With how ya treated me during our formal trainin'."

"You're still a nobody," Kaiba said with a shrug. "But you're a nobody who also happens to be one of the strongest fire mages I've ever seen. His Majesty befriended you and wants me to help hone your skills."

Jounouchi scoffed. "I'm already skilled."

 "You can't rely on raw power alone. Which you do. Our enemies want you to burn yourself out. You would quickly cease to be any kind of threat and turn yourself into an easy target."

Jounouchi glared at Kaiba, but he didn't argue. It was exactly what his instructors had harped on. His energy, his magic wasn't infinite. The key wasn't to overpower his opponents but to out smart them. Play to his own strengths and capitalize on their weaknesses. He knew that. It was just hard to put it into practice. He knew that was the reason he was working with Kaiba, a strategic genius. Kaiba was powerful, as well, strong enough that he'd advanced from water mage to ice mage, which was impressive for someone only a year into adulthood.

They stood in silence for several seconds before Jounouchi sighed. "I guess you're right. What's the next exercise, masteri?"

Kaiba raised an eyebrow, devilish smirk on his face. “You’re either going to do this right, or you’re going home naked.”

Without further explanation, Kaiba had frozen Jounouchi in a block of ice. 

Ass, Jounouchi thought to himself. This is impossible.

"It's a challenge. It won't be easy, but it's certainly possible. You'll just have to keep your flames under control as you melt your way out.”

Jounouchi could barely hear him through the ice. He let the fire burn inside of him, feeling himself get more and more room in his icy cell as it melted. Feeling impatient and unable to breath, he fanned his flames hotter, redder, melting the ice rapidly. His clothing was soaking wet, and he felt disgusting. He hated being wet. It reminded him of a time before he’d discovered his magic, trying to stay out of the rain when his father wouldn’t allow him to come inside at night. Cold and soaking wet.

Angry at the unbidden memory, he clenched his fists, increasing the power he was pouring out.

“Careful, Jounouchi,” Kaiba warned.

It was too late though, fire erupted from Jounouchi, engulfing him in flames. His clothing incinerated instantly, and he stood in the clearing, burning the swath of grass around him. He was too angry to rein himself in, burning with rage, and even Kaiba’s half-hearted attempt to extinguish him with water didn’t work. He was burning so hot that the water evaporated in a puff of steam. A nearly impenetrable wall of fire.

“Control your emotions,” Kaiba barked at him.

Jounouchi launched a fireball at him, irritated. How dare the prick try to boss him around. “I don’t gotta do what you say,” he taunted in return. “I’m in charge of me.”

Kaiba sighed, holding out his hands, chanting to himself. Jounouchi realized that Kisara had moved, lurching closer to Kaiba and assuming a protective stance. What he wouldn’t give for a dragon of his own...

He didn’t have time to think about it. Water dumped on top of him, frigid and cold and dousing the flames. Steam poured from his skin, creating a fog where ice met fire. Realizing he was naked like Kaiba had threatened, Jounouchi covered himself, embarrassed.

"You're a fool, Jounouchi. Letting your emotions run unchecked like that."

"Better than bein' an ice cold prick like you," Jounouchi spat in return.

Kaiba sighed heavily, crossing his arms and allowing himself to get lost in thought for a moment. "What happened for you to lose control like that?"

A flush stained his cheeks, and he fidgeted in discomfort. "Nothin'."

Kaiba stepped closer, and Jounouchi felt ashamed for losing control. For standing in front of Kaiba naked. "It was clearly something, so stop lying. What happened?"

Hanging his head in defeat, he admitted, "When I was a boy, my pa regularly kicked me outta the house. So I got to wander around the streets in the cold and rain with nowhere to go. I got angry cuz bein' frozen in ice reminded me of all that shit."

With a single nod, Kaiba agreed, turning around and marching toward his dragon. He spoke to her softly, and she settled back into the clearing. He was gone for a few minutes before returning. He carried dry clothing in his hands. "My father often beat me. I was never going to be first in line to the throne, as His Majesty is older than me, but my father treated me as though I was. My lessons were rigorous, and the punishment for not doing then flawlessly was severe." He said nothing else, thrusting the clothes into Jounouchi's hands.

"I… wonder if that's why he put us together. Yuugi'd know about our similar pasts."

Kaiba grimaced. "You should call him by his title."

"What? 'King Yuugi'?"

"No. His Majesty."

Jounouchi shrugged. "We were friends before he got the title. I ain't changin' it up just 'cause he's king now." Jounouchi set to pulling on Kaiba's trousers. They were too long for him, but they'd do until he could retrieve his own replacements.

"You will be in his service soon. A loyal and faithful servant. You should use the correct title out of respect."

"Ehhh, if Yuugi don't mind, I ain't changin' it up." Jounouchi frowned as he pulled on Kaiba's shirt, which was also too long for him.

"The court will mind," Kaiba reminded. "I do, as well."

Fully dressed in Kaiba's dry clothes, he stuck his tongue out defiantly. "That's your problem then."

Kaiba's expression twisted sourly, and Jounouchi knew he was about to say something cruel. He'd call Jounouchi useless, idiotic, low-class, or a waste of oxygen, just like he'd said many times before. Kaiba's mouth opened, but he seemed to think better of it, snapping it closed immediately. He let out a hard breath, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. "I suppose I'll need to teach you some decorum. Being a full-fledged mage comes with certain expectations, and so far, you've been lacking. Did you not pay attention to any of our etiquette training?"

"Nah. It was boring," Jounouchi returned with a shrug.

"Then I have a lot more to teach you," Kaiba said with a sigh.

Jounouchi rolled his eyes. "Oh good. Just what I wanted," he said sarcastically.

"I'm not pleased about it either. I'm stuck with you until you've reached your fullest potential. Now… get back to training," Kaiba instructed. "Light only the outside candles this time. When you can do that, we'll try something more advanced. And don't you dare burn my clothing."

Jounouchi grinned deviously, but he turned back to what he had been tasked. The sooner he got this over with, the sooner he would be done with his private lessons with Kaiba.

--

FYI, expect more of this universe from me in the future!

[mistressarafax]

KaiJou Week - Day 6: Birthday

Joey grinned as he gazed down at the date circled on his planner. Kaiba's birthday was today, and he'd made arrangements to leave work early and go celebrate. Not that Kaiba had wanted to celebrate. When Joey had brought up the idea, he'd immediately denied it. Kaiba didn't do parties or celebrations unless they were company obligations.

"Let's at least get dinner," Joey had bargained. "We'll just pretend it's the same as any other night."

"I don't want a party, Joseph."

"It won't be a party. Just you and me havin' dinner."

To which Kaiba had relented and agreed. Joey figured he'd simply decided to go with the path of least resistance. He didn’t really care. As long as they got to spend time together, Joey would be happy.

When it hit lunch time, he packed up and hurried home, leaving detailed notes for the substitute teacher about what to do with his class for the rest of the day. He was much earlier than he needed to be, but he wanted to be dressed and ready and looking his best for Kaiba as soon as he got home so they could head out immediately. He showered and shaved, picking out Kaiba's favorite cologne and spritzing some on his neck. He styled his hair and painstakingly selected his outfit. He settled on a silvery-gray suit with a white button-down and aubergine tie.

He checked his reflection in the mirror, nodding in satisfaction. He looked good. Now, all he had to do was wait for Kaiba to get home, and they’d be off.

The only trouble was that Kaiba was later than the time they’d agreed on. 4 p.m. became 5 p.m., and as 6 approached, Joey wondered if Kaiba had forgotten. No. Kaiba definitely didn’t forget these things. His memory was flawless. More than likely, something had come up at work that prevented him from leaving. Joey sighed and pulled on his coat, slipping his phone out of his pocket as he lingered in the foyer while calling Kaiba.

The phone rang until it went to voicemail. A second call had the same result. Damn. Joey tried to not feel defeated, but the bitter, burning sensation churned at the back of his throat, trying to coax him to tears. He wouldn’t cry. He’d been looking forward to this, and he was disappointed, but he wouldn’t cry. Instead, he grabbed his keys and resolutely marched to his car. If Kaiba was caught up at work, Joey would go free him from it.

-

No one at the front desk bothered to stop him as he stomped through the lobby of the KaibaCorp building. They all recognized him. Some of them even said hi, but he was too focused on reaching Kaiba that he hardly noticed, and their friendly expressions withered when they noticed the hard set of his jaw. He was in the elevator, heading to the executive level, arms crossed and scowl on his face. He was more angry than upset now. He’d taken half the day off for this, and Kaiba was ruining it, dammit.

He found Roland standing outside Kaiba’s office, looking frazzled. “Ah… Master Joey.”

“Where’s Kaiba?” he asked, being far more rude to the suit than he ever was.

Roland look taken aback but quickly recovered. “He’s in a meeting with the CIO. Our main database has been hacked, it seems, and while there is a plan in place for such things, they’re reviewing what’s been compromised.”

Joey’s bluster caught in his throat. “Oh…” he trailed off. “That… that isn’t good.”

Roland shook his head. “I’m sure he’s sorry. He was looking forward to your date tonight.”

“He tell you that?”

Roland shook his head. “No, but I can tell. He was in a good mood and mentioned wanting to leave early today.”

“‘Cept that didn’t end up happenin’.”

“Unfortunately,” Roland agreed, shaking his head.

“I guess… I’ll just go home then,” Joey said sadly. “Stickin’ around here won’t do me any good.”

“I’ll tell him you stopped in when he’s finished.”

“Thanks,” Joey said, turning away to head back downstairs. Once he got in the elevator, he pressed the button for the ground floor, handing his head in defeat and scratching at the back of his neck. Why did shit like this always have to happen? Joey knew KaibaCorp was the first priority. He’d always known that, but it just really hurt when Kaiba’s obligation to his company ruined their plans and their time together. 

He was nearly to his car when his phone rang. A blurry picture of Seto, the best he’d been able to manage without getting caught, filled the screen. For a second, he considered declining the call and letting Kaiba worry about him for a change. He didn’t though. He didn’t want to hurt Kaiba, least of all on his birthday. Especially on a day where Kaiba had probably been through enough already.

“Hey,” Joey greeted, resigned.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” Kaiba apologized immediately. “This afternoon turned into a fucking nightmare.”

“It’s okay. Roland kinda told me what was goin’ on.”

Kaiba hummed in acknowledgement. “Incompetence through and through,” Kaiba grumbled.

“You gonna be free any time soon?” Joey asked, playing with his key fob as he stood beside his car.

“If you give me fifteen minutes, I’ll be down. These fucking idiots can wait until tomorrow. They’ve already pushed back my schedule so they can wait for me for one fucking day.”

Joey flinched at his tone. Kaiba was angry, though it wasn’t unjustifiable. “Sorry it's been a shit day, Seto,” Joey breathed into the phone. But a small happiness flickered inside of him. Kaiba might be angry, but he was angry because he’d been kept apart from Joey.

Kaiba didn’t acknowledge his apology, instead stating, “I need to talk to Mokuba, and then I’ll be down. Bring your car around. I’ll meet you up front.”

It took twenty minutes for Kaiba to finally walk out of the entrance of KaibaCorp, and he flung open the back door, unceremoniously dropped his briefcase and coat in the back seat, and then clambered into the front seat, slamming the front door closed.

“Go,” he said, eyes fixed on the road ahead of them.

Wordlessly, Joey did as instructed, stealing cautious glances at Kaiba in the light cast by the street lamps. “I know ya probably can’t tell me anythin’ about what’s goin’ on, and that’s fine. But let me know if ya need anythin’, alright?”

Kaiba closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I need to forget about it, at the moment.”

“Then that’s what we’ll do,” Joey assured. “We’re late, but I’m pretty sure we can still get a table at Laurent’s. Since it’s you, ya know?”

“You didn’t make a reservation?”

“I did,” Joey said. “We’re just way later than I made it for.”

Kaiba looked at the time on the car dash display and scowled. “They wasted my whole fucking evening,” he seethed.

“Not the whole evenin’,” Joey said. “Ya still get to have dinner with me. And I bought tiramisu to have at home when we get back, too.” Reaching out and taking Kaiba’s hand, he gave it a reassuring squeeze. “You get to see me, right? That’s what ya wanted most, isn’t it?”

Kaiba sighed, threading his fingers through Joey’s. “I didn’t want anything else.”

“Next year your birthday is a Sunday, so we’ll spend the whole day together just the two of us. Screw any work emergencies,” Joey said.

“Your next birthday is a Saturday,” Kaiba returned.

“It is, isn’t it?” Joey mused. “Maybe we can do something then, too? Nothing too big ‘cuz I’ve got school. But maybe like a trip around Christmas break or somethin’?”

“This mess should be calmed down by then,” Kaiba agreed. “I’ll make arrangements.”

“Cool,” Joey said with a grin.

Kaiba gave him a lopsided, tired smile. The day had certainly worn out the brunet, and Joey couldn’t say he found it surprising. But being able to make a worn out, tired, and grumpy Seto Kaiba smile, taking away some of his neverending stress, that was the best gift Joey could give him. And he’d give it over and over again so long as Kaiba kept smiling for him, holding his hand, and snuggling close in bed while confiding in him. The long nights and deep conversations and all the good stuff in their relationship that made it worth dealing with the bad. That’s what Joey wanted to give Kaiba. As much as good and happiness as he could.

As dinner came and went, Kaiba’s tension visibly lifted, and Joey delighted in knowing that he was the reason for it. Kaiba held his hand, stroking his thumb along the backside. When they got home, the tiramisu was forgotten in favor of heading to bed, a nice romp in the sheets topping off the night instead. And Joey hoped Kaiba had enjoyed it as much as he had. From the way Kaiba settled into a deep, peaceful slumber, Joey figured he had.

[mistressarafax]

My last KaiJou Week contribution! It's was a free day today so have...this.

[violetshipping]

Violetshipping Week 2019!

It's that time of year friends! From January 19th - 25th, we are going to flood your feed with more delicious Violetshipping / Puppyshipping artworks, fanfics, role plays and more!

There is no prompt list, but feel free to use the ones for Jounuary if you are participating in that!

Thanks to our wonderful artists and writers last year too! It was so much fun and I hope you'll all participate this year.