Snowflakes drifted softly to the ground, people chattering about the upcoming holiday with glee. Children were laughing and singing carols even though it was still late November, hearts light and carefree… With a shiver, Joey cursed the suddenly freezing weather, pulling his jacket closer around him. If the temperature kept declining, he wasn't going to survive the winter.
Blue eyes gazed out the window at the trembling figure, heart twisting and turning painfully. The teen raised his hand, cuing the driver to halt. "Big brother! Where are you going?" Mokuba's voice followed him into the windy, frigid air as he opened the door and grabbed his coat.
Still shuffling along, Joey kicked a rock from his path, hazel eyes cast downwards until there was a slight weight on his shoulders and warmth all around him. He turned to see who'd dropped the jacket on him, only to find Seto walking back to his car without a word. Confused but grateful, Joey pulled the thick, toasty cloth tighter around him, shocked at how dizzy and…safe…its owner's lingering scent made him feel.
When Seto got home the next day, he was more than a little curious as to why Joey was sitting on his porch, shivering and clinging to the carefully folded jacket in his lap. With a sigh, the CEO sat beside him and pulled the coat from his grasp, unfolding it to drape over him until the blonde flinched away, fear flashing in honey-coloured eyes. He stood quickly, murmuring, "Thanks, moneybags. I have my own jacket, though, and that's all I need."
He started down the stairs, stilling as he heard Seto reply, "No pup should freeze to dearth, even if they are just a mutt."
After thirty minutes of running, he made it home, peering in the door and sighing in relief to find the apartment empty. He went to his room and lay down, heart aching as 'just a mutt' echoed in his mind for the fifty-millionth time. Another reminder that his father was right, another reminder that he wasn't good enough for Kaiba-for anyone, really, but…
…Kaiba was different. Or Joey tried to convince himself he was, but when the voice he loved so much rang so cruelly in his head ('just a mutt…just a mutt…just a mutt…'), it was hard to pretend the other could ever even consider him as a one-night stand.
Hell, with his father's lousy gambling, it wouldn't be the first time…
He rolled so his face was buried in his pillow, curing up and wishing he still had Seto's jacket so he'd have a little warmth. He heard the front door slam closed and his heart sank to his stomach, inwardly cringing at the beating he was about to get-he hadn't put the coat on once that long, cold day, but his father would assume he had. Why the hell did he even try?
"Where the hell are you, you worthless mutt?" He curled up tighter, wishing he could hide in time, but he'd tried before, and the punishment wasn't worth his dignity-he hadn't been able to walk for three days, and it had been a full week before he'd healed enough for school.
The drunkard stumbled in, eyes narrowing as they fell on Joey and he slurred, "Why didn't you answer me, boy? Answer me when I ask you a question!" The blonde sat up on the bed and nodded, shaking as he replied, "I'm sorry, Dad." The man grunted, staggering closer, so close Joey could smell the cheep booze on his breath as he asked, "Did you return that rich boy's jacket?" "Yes sir." "Did you wear it again?" "No s-" He was slapped so hard he fell to his side as his father bellowed, "Damnit, tell me the truth!" Joey bit back a whimper, bit meekly assured, "I didn't wear it. I almost caught frostbite, but I-" "No!" His father raised his fists, raining blows on Joey unrelentingly. "Tell me the Goddamn truth, Joseph! Tell me now!" Tears were pouring from hazel eyes before Joey cried, "I wore it! I wore Kaiba's jacket!"
"I raised you better than this, whelp! How dare you lie to me?" He gripped Joey's collar in both hands, a sickening smile coming to his face. "I just need to remind you of your manners, don't I?" The blonde shook his head furiously, pleading, "NO! I'll behave-I'll be a good kid! Please, not that!" But that crazed smile didn't leave his lips, and he told Joey to strip down as he went to get the knives.
Seto tapped his mechanical pencil against his coffee cup, pushing away from his desk in frustration. He'd been sitting there for two and a half hours doing absolutely nothing but thinking. What had been wrong with Wheeler, and why had he looked so fearful? How long had he been sitting there? These questions and a million more floated around in his mind as he glared at the jacket he hadn't touched since he unceremoniously dumped it in a chair he'd brought in for Mokuba to work in if he ever got lonely in his own office.
With a sigh, he scribbled down another answerless question on the yellow flip pad in front of him, picking his mug up and drinking the lukewarm crème-coloured liquid down before trying to return to his work for the twentieth time that hour with no avail.
"Worthless! You mean nothing! I made you, and I can take your life just as fast!" He slashed down., another line of fire across Joey's chest as he pleaded for him to stop. "I'm sorry! Dad, I'm so sorry! Please stop-I'll be good, I'll try harder!" "Shut up!" He let the knife fall to the bed and slapped Joey again-not a hand was raised in protest. Joey had learned a long time ago that doing so just made it worse. An hour passed-more, less, who knew?-before his father got off him, hands covered in blood. The last thing Joey heard before he passed out was the monster's crazy laugh… Then the dreamless blackness engulfed him entirely.
"Seto-ani?" The brunette raised his head, eyes bloodshot. "Yes, Moki-otouto?" The eleven year old shuffled from foot to foot and did something he knew usually drove Seto up the wall: "It's almost one, and we have school in the morning. You need to go to bed." Bleary blue eyes locked onto grey, and after a long moment, the eldest nodded and stood, reaching out for Mokuba. The other took his hand and lead him to his room, wondering why his brother pushed himself to the point of becoming a complete zombie before he would allow himself the luxury of sleep.
Three days later, Joey showed up to school again, though with an odd limp-like gait instead of his usual 'Brooklyn-Rage' swagger. Biting his lip a bit, Yugi tugged on his sleeve gently. "Are you alright?" he asked, amethyst eyes filled with worry. Jou nodded, grinning at the smaller of the two. "Yeah, Yug, just a stomach flu. I'm fine now, just…a little puny." He nodded but lingering suspicion stayed in his eyes.
And, leaning against a wall on the compete opposite side of the courtyard, Seto let out a soft sigh-his mutt was safe.
~`.`~`.`~`.`~
Yes, yes, I know. What's with the Joey abuse fic? Though it's actually the first thing I wrote for this fandom! Looking back…I had them down pretty well, huh? I've gotten more accurate with certaincharacters though, huh? *laughs* Well, I'm proud! I can honestly say I have no idea what the next time I update will be… I'm sorry to slack on the YGO front, but I need a muse lately! *pokes xxPIAPxx and NAAL* help meee!
Love always,
~Mel