Chapter 2

Jou didn't attempt to edit the video for another day or so. He didn't actually think he could watch himself like that.

When he saw the tape, though, he was surprised. The image did look like the boy he remembered being in high school. And it was unexpectedly hot to watch himself. Moreover, as he edited, he knew that every moment would thrill Hat Man. The final scene was stunning. He had cum in his hair, on his shirt, everywhere!

He put the tape in a box under the register and waited for Hat Man to return.

It was almost four weeks and Jou was beginning to believe that he had lost another of life's rare opportunities when Hat Man arrived and went up to the video rental room as if he hadn't been gone even a day.

"He's back, finally, eh?" Ken remarked. "You want me to take the register now, boss?"

"No." Jou found his hand shaking. "I got it."

"Uh-huh." The clerk went back to unloading stock.

When Hat Man did finally make it to the register, Jou got the tapes he wanted and then added the one below the register.

"This one's new - no fee. I been holding it for you special." He didn't wait for the customer's response, just rang up the rental as usual, then turned around and began restocking returns.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jou watched Hat Man glanced at the title - Katsuya At School - and then picked it up without any visible response. Jou watched him head off to the video booths.

"I got it, boss." Ken said, suddenly next to Jou. "You seriously need to take the edge off."

Jou was about to snap at the man until he realized that his employee was right. "Yeah. Sorry."

The clerk shrugged. "Hey, sometimes it's just like that."

Jou went into the office and locked the door. Hat Man was in room nine and watching a tape that was a lot louder than Jou's. They went through Hat Man's normal routine for the first three tapes.

Then Hat Man picked up the fourth. He glanced at his watch, hesitated another moment then inserted the tape.

Jou watched as Hat Man sat up straight, but his cock sprang back to life. After a few minutes, Hat Man groaned.

"Katsuya."

For a moment, Jou thought he would pass out.

That voice.

That voice called his name. That voice, The Voice. Kaiba Seto's voice.

Jou watched as Kaiba rewound the tape and watched it again.

And when he left the store for the night, Kaiba took Jou's tape with him.

But for the next week, nothing changed. Hat Man came in at the usual time, rented three to five tapes, and went down to the booths. Even when Jou tried to speak to him, Kaiba ignored him.

Jou did the only thing he could think of - he made another tape.

This time he did it in his apartment. He used the blow up doll again and did a lot of moaning and groaning for the camera. He used the doll's dildo attachment and let "Seto" fuck him. When Jou came, he aimed at the camera lens, telling "Seto" how hot he looked with his face covered in cum.

He felched the doll again, and this time double loaded it before doing the facial. He was able to paint most of his body. This tape he edited immediately and had waiting the next day for Kaiba.

This time, he didn't say anything. He simply placed "Katsuya At Home" on the top of the stack and rang up the rental.

This time, Jou's tape was the first one Kaiba watched. It was the only one he watched. He watched it four times and came hard several times. Room nine looked like somebody spilled a couple gallons of milk.

But again, 'Hat Man' left the store without a word.

The next day, Jou came in early. First, he called the Live Performers for the day and gave them the night off. Then, he set up a camera in the live room.

He put on the wig and the tee shirt, his socks and tennis shoes. Then he sat down, legs spread wide, and started recording. Fairly quickly, he brought himself to a simple, no frills orgasm.

"Ok, so I thought I knew who you were, but maybe I'm wrong. Anyway, these tapes are kind fun, but my hand's gettin' tired and that doll's cold. If you want to take this to the next level, go through the 'Staff' door next to the stairs. Otherwise, this is the last one of these I'm doing."

When 'Hat Man' arrived, Jou gave Ken the new tape. "Give this to Hat Man when he checks out. I gotta take care of something personal, so lock up for me. I'll close out the register in the morning."

"Sure, boss."

Jou hurried down to the live room - conveniently closed for repairs - and donned his 'costume'. He sat in the chair in the center of the room and closed his eyes. Slowly, as much to kill the nerve-wracking minutes as to relax himself, he began stroking his cock. Hoping he'd need it ready soon.

Finally, he heard the door open. He opened his eyes, to find 'Hat Man' watching him.

"Who are you?" Seto's voice asked.

"Kaiba!" He snapped, standing up. "Are you dense? I'm Jounouchi!"

"You certainly appear to be him. But you are not."

"The fuck?"

"Perhaps you are related to my former classmate, but I happen to know that you are not he. Jounouchi Katsuya moved to America with his wife. They reside in New York and have one son."

Jou frowned. "I moved back when the bitch divorced me. She never even let me see my son."

"You provide your own proof that your story is false. Jounouchi lost his Japanese citizenship. And he is currently known by his paternal name - Wheeler, as I recall."

"You need to update your sources, dude!" Jou chuckled. "I wasn't there long enough to lose anything - and since I was under 20 when I came back, no harm, no foul." He took off the wig. "Hair's shorter and I put on a few, but it's me." Jou gestured to Kaiba's coat and hat. "You gonna keep that shit on all night, or what?"

"I prefer some discretion."

"Kaiba, I know it's you." Jou said gently. "You don't have to hide from me."

"I still have my doubts about you." Kaiba remarked. "Presumably you want something." He sighed. "What?"

"What do I want?" Jou asked in disbelief.

"Yes. Clearly your position here has allowed you some insight into my baser nature. Obviously you realized that it is something I prefer to keep separate from the rest of my life. My fiancée is unaware of how I spend my evenings and I wish to continue that arrangement. Therefore, I acquires. How much?"

Jou's brain was reeling from one word. "Fiancée? You're gettin' married?"

"Technically, she is already my wife, but we will have a public - official - service in May."

"Oh." Jou turned away. He found the chair again and sat heavily. "Oh. Wow."

"Is there something wrong with that?"

"I just thought ... I mean, you seemed..."

"You thought I was homosexual."

"Yeah."

"I am."

"What?"

"I am." Kaiba shrugged. "I vastly prefer male partners."

"Then ... Oh. You're marrying a guy." I waited too long, Jou lamented silently.

"Of course not. My wife is an arranged marriage to the eldest daughter of another Imperial vassal. I am quite sure she has any number of lovers at her disposal, but frankly, I haven't the least attraction to her. I shall be glad when she is pregnant with our second child; she is carrying our first now."

"Wait." Jou was not at all sure he was absorbing all of the conversation. "You're bi?"

A single chime sounded and Kaiba frowned. "I've wasted my entire evening. I trust tonight's fees will be refunded? Tomorrow night let me know what it will cost me to keep this out of the media." He left the room.

Jou was still trying to absorb the conversation when 'Hat Man' returned the next night. When he put his selections on the counter, there was an envelope between them.

'We need to talk, mutt.' It read. 'Where?'

I guess he verified my story, Jou thought wryly.

"Room nine's being cleaned." Jou announced as he rang up the sale. "Try twelve." Twelve was big enough for two chairs. "And I gave you a credit for the broken tape yesterday."

When Jou handed back the card and the receipt, Kaiba waited. Jou realized almost immediately what for. "Sorry, that guy didn't do another one." Even behind the dark glasses, Jou could feel that icy blue stare. Kaiba took the tapes and went down.

Ken appeared and took over the register.

Jou gave Ken the keys again. "If I'm not back, lock up again."

"Sure, boss." The man agreed, unparsed.

First, Jou went to the office and verified. Room nine was empty; Hat Man had already started his normal routine in twelve. Jou turned off the recording in that room.

Then he went down himself.

The door was unlocked. Jou locked it with the key; only Ken would be able to open the door before they finished.

Kaiba was watching "Creampie Party Boy" - the scene where the entire frat house deposits inside the lead actor. The dark glasses were on top of the tape player; Kaiba's eyes were almost closed as he continued to stroke himself, apparently oblivious to Jou's arrival.

Jou found himself in utter turmoil. Every fantasy he'd ever had was sitting beside him, inviting him to indulge. Jou's mouth was actually watering at the sight; his cock was begging for attention.

But if Kaiba was getting married - and soon to be a father! - then this could never be a real relationship. At best, Jou would be a secret lover, kept hidden away. He didn't want that. Whatever they had, if they had anything, it had to be open. Being private was one thing, but Jou didn't want to live his life in secret again.

But at the moment, Kaiba was coming and all thoughts of right, or honest, or real fled from Jou's mind. Kaiba moaned and gasped and shot an amazing amount of semen across the floor. Jou realized that the man's pants where hanging neatly on the chair behind him and smiled slightly; he'd wondered how Kaiba managed not to drench them.

Slowly, Kaiba's eyes opened. He reached out and stopped the tape. "How much?"

Jou opened his mouth, but nothing came out. How much, he asked? Jou tried again. "How... ? Do you really think this is about blackmail? You think I'd do that?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't you?"

"Dude, we been friends since high school!"

"I don't have friends." Kaiba asserted.

Jou wanted to tear his hair out. "Are you mental? And take that stupid hat off!" He snatched the hat off and tossed it toward the door. Kaiba was hot even with long, fake, black hair, but Jou tossed the wig aside too. Kaiba looked up as him just as devastatingly handsome as he was all those years ago. "Why would I have made those tapes, if this was about blackmail?"

"Ah. I see." Kaiba looked thoughtful. "Yes. They were stunningly effective. How much do you need? Are you planning a full production company or to make a few customized products?"

"What?"

"I would be interested in a joint venture."

"A ... a joint venture?" Jou stared at him. "Does your brain ever even register anything without dollar signs?"

The executive sighed. "This would be simpler if you simply told me what you wanted."

"What I want?! How is this hard?" Jou grabbed Kaiba's face and kissed him. Kissed him the way he longed to, the way he'd dreamed of, the way he knew he'd never be able to again.

After a moment, Kaiba responded. Jou felt the arms that had always held him at bay, circle around his waist and pull him close. The tongue that had always lashed him caressed his own as if it too was hungry for something more. The cock his was now sitting on was thick and hard and throbbing against the crotch seam of his pants.

Eventually Jou had to breathe and ruefully released Kaiba's lips.

"Of course, what you appear to be suggesting is quite out of the question." Kaiba didn't even seem breathless. "I cannot have a male lover."

"What?" Jou had been just a bit dazed - happily - but Kaiba's words snapped him out of it. "Wait, what?!"

"My ... preferences are far too unique. An ordinary male lover could be hidden; many men in my circumstances do, in fact, have a paramour discretely kept at a club or overseas love nest. I did investigate such a possibility at one point. However, the full-extent of my desires are such that no organization could guarantee me complete anonymity. This little establishment of yours has afforded me the only true sexual release I have known." He nodded slightly. "I have recommended it - discretely - to a number of others."

Jou shook his head. "Bullshit! Dude, you're just not that weird. I could show you weird shit! What you have is a fetish that grosses some people out. So what?"