Slummin' It

Jou had never expected to see Kaiba in a place like this, his chestnut hair hidden beneath a dark-green cap; his azure eyes shrouded by thick-coke bottle glasses. Kaiba didn't look anything like he usually did. If Jounouchi hadn't known him for years he would have just thought he was one more pathetic face in the crowd. Jou pulled his own red hat down further on his head as he made his way over to the frigid CEO.

"Fancy meeting you in a place like this." He sneered softly as he hopped onto the available bar stool. "Ginjo not enough for you anymore?" Jounouchi slurred his words lightly.

"Fuck off." Kaiba snapped darkly, his pale hand gripped more tightly the short glass he held.

"Fuck you." Jounouchi bit back, his mood blackened even more. His day had been abysmal enough without running into Kaiba's ego.

"I wouldn't waste my time on rabble like you." Jounouchi's jaw clenched tightly at the low blow.

"You know what, asshole, I ain't got time to waste listening to jerks like you pretend to be more high and mighty than the rest of us. So why don't ya shaddup and drink some more o' that" he gestured wildly and nearly fell from his stool- "and try to drown away whatever rich-kid troubles ya got." He met Kaiba's glare evenly, his lower left eyelid twitched in irritation.

"Why don't you amble on elsewhere and draw attention to yourself by yourself." Kaiba hissed angrily, with narrowed eyes, as a few less-than-savory patrons of the bar glanced in their direction.

"I can be wherever I want whenever I want." Jounouchi shot back and slammed his fist on top of the bar. Damn he hated Kaiba.

"Fuck this." Kaiba snapped, stood, and slammed down some cash for his drink. "Can't you choose some other place to run your life into the ground? Must you always choose to ruin my peace?" His voice grew more and more strained with every syllable until one of his elegant hands gripped Jounouchi by the front of his t-shirt.

"Take it outside." The gruff bartender barked as he scooped up the cash Kaiba had thrown down. "I don't need the likes of you messin' the place up." He snapped and stared coolly at the pair as we wiped down the bar-top with an old rag.

Jounouchi's amber eyes burned as he attempted to stare Kaiba down. "You heard him." He hissed as he clenched his own hand on top of Kaiba's and attempted to pry the CEO's fingers from his shirt.

"Tch." Kaiba scoffed as he pushed Jounouchi away from him and turned on his heel. "Get lost." He ordered as he strode briskly from the bar.

"Like hell." Jounouchi yelled after him as he hurried to catch up. "I'm going to punch you in that ugly mug o' yours!" He angrily huffed as he caught the heavy door Kaiba let fall into his face. "Dick." He growled out as he threw the door open and stumbled out onto the cold, dark street. "You think you can do whatever you want, don't you!" Jounouchi called to Kaiba's rapidly disappearing back. He slowly stumbled after him as he felt rage bubble in his stomach. "You think that because you're so perfect the world can just fall to its knees and kiss your ass!" He was yelling at the top of his lungs, years worth of frustration pouring from his lips faster than he could stop them. "Well I got news for ya! It don't work that way! You can pretend all you like but no one in this world really gives a damn about you!" Jounouchi was mildly surprised when Kaiba stopped, his back straight and his fists clenched to his sides. Jounouchi couldn't see his face but he hoped it was livid. "They all want your money or your fame or your power! All that ass kissin' don't mean a thing. All you are is a sad, lonely, ass of a man!" Jounouchi didn't know where the words were coming from but he knew they were the nastiest things he could come up with at that moment. Jounouchi panted with anger as he glared at Kaiba's back. He watched in slow motion as the brunet slowly turned, a look akin to murder marred his ordinarily cold features.

"You know what your problem is?" Kaiba scathed as he took slow, deliberate steps back towards Jounouchi. "You're a whiny, pathetic, washed-up, never-has-been who lives on in the shadows of others who are far greater than yourself. You talk as though you have the entirety of the world's wisdom at your fingertips- with the worst grammar imaginable." Kaiba drew just short of an inch away from Jounouchi, his ice-accentuated irises glowed with the frigidity of his fury; the deep depths amplified by the overly large glasses that rested on his thin nose. He jabbed a thin finger into the blonde's chest as he continued. "You shout and yell until someone finally gives you a spec of underserved attention because you want" he jabbed Jou's chest again "-so very desperately to exist. You crave for someone to notice your worthless," jab "-pitiable" jab "-existence." his final jab left his finger resting against Jounouchi's chest. "Just so you can hope against all logic of a possibility to be something more than piece of trash you really are." The tenor of his voice could have easily frozen the blood of lesser men.

Jounouchi didn't even have time to think before his fist connected with Kaiba's jaw, the flesh of his un-calloused knuckles bruised and tore with the force of his blow and Kaiba's glasses clattered to the ground. The taller man stumbled backwards; a shocked expression fluttered across his face before being replaced by a resigned expression of complete, and utter furry. Jounouchi's world exploded into twinkling stars as he felt Kaiba's fist strike his left cheekbone. His neck snapped to the side, he'd surely have a very stiff neck in the morning. Without a further thought he threw caution to the wind and dove head first into an all out brawl with Kaiba Seto.

Neither Jou nor Kaiba cared what happened to them as they both attempted to pound the living day-lights out of one another. Neither seemed to care where their fists landed so long as they were striking every available inch of the other's body. Jounouchi struck Kaiba in his left side while Kaiba drove his forehead into Jou's already purpling cheekbone, he just missed the blonde's nose by centimeters. Kaiba slammed the back of his elbow into Jounouchi's ear as Jou struck Kaiba in the chest. On and on the two fought until their noses bled and their fists were useless.

Jou panted, his hands rested on his knees as he doubled over and gasped for air. He glared up at Kaiba through his sweaty hair and watched Kaiba cradle his left fist in his other hand. "Bastard." Jou growled as he spat a mixture of bile and blood onto the concrete. His breath heaved in his lungs, the sense of complete loneliness had begun to well back up in his chest.

His heated tawny gaze locked with the frozen sapphire stare of his enemy "Why can't you just be human?" He asked, his voice broken, his heart yearned to believe Kaiba hadn't meant what he'd said, yearned to not believe it himself. He straightened himself up, a guarded expression pulled over his torn, bruised, and bloodied features. "Why can't you just be a person?" He asked and referred once again to Kaiba's inability to be nice to anyone, ever. Jou knew Kaiba was nice to his brother, but that hardly counted. He straightened his jacket and turned on his heel. He slowly walked away with high hopes that Kaiba wouldn't take one last, dirty shot.

He hadn't expected Kaiba to reply and he almost missed the hushed, sad words as the fluttered through the air. "Some people don't have that luxury." He didn't stop or turn around. He didn't show any sign that he'd heard anything at all. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

AN

I'm not sure if I'm going to make this a series or keep it as a one-shot. I'm still winging it here. You'll have to let me know if you want me to continue with this little plot bunny or not. (I haven't even made an outline, yikes.)

Any other stories will probably not be updated again until December. Mi dispiace miei amici, ma sono in Italia (;