The descending sun coyly hid in the horizon casting an array of pink, violet, and orange hues onto the dusk sky. It was the sun's clever deception with the intention of leaving inconspicuously before the color-mesmerized eyes.
Only Joey Wheeler saw past this feeble attempt to conceal the truth—the day was gone. He peered through the chain-linked fence, focusing on what he thought to be a small detail in the bigger picture of things. If he took a step back, all the holes created a portrait of sunset. Through this one hole, he could spot the sun. Although Joey was known for being perceptive at all, he was more so than he let on. Why he didn't choose to flaunt this somewhat proficient talent was a mystery to him. He usually did this with his lesser skills yet more interesting skills. Who would care if Joey could recognize a liar within moments?
Though school ended hours ago, Joey hadn't left Domino City High's rooftop since the bell rang.
Hey, Joey! Wanna hang out? Yugi had chimed.
Somberly, Joey declined the offer, insisting he needed some time to contemplate his thoughts and clear his mind.
Nodding with understanding, his good friends, Yugi Mutou and Tristan Taylor comprehended and respected his wish for solitude as they set off into town. Tèa Gardner was the only one unresponsive.
Tèa, his usually bubbly friend, seemed distant that as if she was lost in her own dark world. The gleam in her bright blue eyes in which she was accustomed to was masked by a cloud of melancholy. Bothered by this sudden dejection, Joey pondered to ask what was on her mind. However, something made him think better of it and advised him to shake it off—a decision he came to regret.
As he tightly gripped the metal links, staring hard with intense, chocolate eyes out onto the sunset, he reprimanded his insouciance and even went so far as to doubt his worth as a friend. He did not take this lightly. For Joey, having his friends' backs meant the world to him. If Joey Wheeler was one thing, he was definitely a loyal pal—a trait he took pride in. Tomorrow, for sure he decided he'd console her…
On top of this issue, he'd had some pressing matters already at hand. He hadn't seen his sister in a few months since Battle City, the duel monsters tournament, ended. Being so close to his sister, this pained him very much. This is also not to mention the fact that Serenity was two years his junior which instilled a passionate, protective drive, over his beloved sister, in him. After Serenity's short visit during the Battle City Tournament, she moved back to their hometown of Brooklyn, New York, with their mother, on the other coast line. Joey had little money for traveling. In fact, Joey and his father had barely enough to feed themselves every week. Trying to live on a paper boy's salary and the child support your father doesn't gamble or spend on alcohol was tough. There were some days where Joey had no idea if they'd make it or not, but with all his persistence, Joey pressed on. One day, he took the initiative to hide his mother's child support checks from his father and place them in a savings account. This tactic worked well for awhile until his father realized he had no money to spend at the liquor store or the local casino. When he discovered Joey's plan, he was enraged.
You little shit! Stealin' my money. You gonna pay me back? Huh? Huh?! His father slurred furiously.
Joey pretended to shuffle through the fridge in order to avoid his father's drunken fury. Despite his fiery fervor when scuffling with the punks at school, Joey had a genuine fear of his father's vigorous belligerence he exhibited while intoxicated. It was these moments where anything could set him off. In this game, one wrong move and you would trip and land in hell.
Hey! Answer me, you little thief!
He maintained his silence partially because he was in a fear-induced paralysis and partially because he was concentrating on his wish that his father would disappear.
Hey!
The boy firmly closed his eyes and pleaded in his mind for his father to evaporate.
His wish as defeated when a Samuel Adams bottle soared into the kitchen and crashed against his skull. He seared and scowled in excruciating pain, but didn't dare make a sound. He didn't want to infuriate the uncontrollable drunk any further.
I-I-I'll pay you back, he stammered.
You better! All three hundred dollars! Plus another one hundred dollar interest to teach you a lesson, ya little snot-nosed brat!
Yes, sir, Joey whimpered.
What was that?!
Yes, SIR!
Heh. Look at you, shakin' and whinin' like a scared little puppy dog. You ARE a dog—a worthless, pathetic dog! Might as well take you out back and put one through yer head, ya little pansy! He hooted and guffawed, banging his hand against the arm of his chair as Joey skulked into the bathroom.
He crammed into the tight, dirty space, wrenching the cold-water faucet knob to the left. With a solemn grimace, he inspected the damage in the mildew stained mirror. Shards of broken glace glittered in his shaggy blonde hair and he easily shook them off. He, then, picked whatever fragments he could out of the deep, bloody gash on the side of his head. After soaked up the blood with a few globs of toilet paper, he dabbed some alcohol from an unfinished vodka bottle, resting on the sink, on the wound and gauzed it up. He considered himself healed—physically anyways.
Without another word that night, Joey slithered into his room, locking and barricading the door behind him with a chair. He threw himself onto the bed, face buried into the comfort of a droopy pillow. I'm not a pansy, he thought to himself, I'm not a brat and I'm not a thief either. I just want to have a life.
His breathing quickened as sobs and sniffles came underway. His father's insults cut deeper than glass could ever reach. Although Joey never cried as it went against his masculine belief that real man never showed sorrow in tears, he soon could not contain himself. The best he could do was smother the pillow further into his face, muffling the weeping. Joey fell asleep on a tear-dampened pillow—cold and alone.
Gently, he traced the, now, two-week old scar with his index. The inferiority he felt that night returned to him, welling up inside. His eyes watered, but a fortunate breeze dried them and whipped his hair back. He lost track of where the scar exactly was. He was grateful for this. Crying only made him feel worse. Still, something didn't feel quite right here…
"Well, well, Wheeler, I didn't know they let mutts on the roof."
Displeased, Joey turned to find his worst enemy, standing haughtily and wearing his favorite conceited smile—Seto Kaiba.
Seto Kaiba attended Domino High, though, this was unnecessary considering the fact he owned a multi-million dollar gaming company, The Kaiba Corporation. However, Joey figured his continued attendance was a ploy to rile Joey's contempt. From the moment they've met, Joey despised the arrogant, stubborn, millionaire who was all about the love of power rather than the power of love. Joey was convinced he didn't have a good bone in him despite Yugi's futile attempts to persuade him otherwise. When it came to forgiveness, Joey was much less willing than his friend, Yugi—especially when someone referred to you as a dog every day of your life. This habit of Seto Kaiba's reminded him of his cold-hearted father. They had a lot in common except Seto Kaiba's excuse was an intoxication of ego not hard liquor.
"What d'ya want, Rich Boy? I don't need you buggin' me," Joey said dismissively.
"I wanted to see if I could help the lost, lonely puppy dog," Kaiba cooed, mockingly.
"Yeah? Well, I don't need no help. I ain't a 'lost, lonely puppy dog'," Joey rebutted.
Kaiba's low, ominous chuckle made Joey raise an eyebrow. He trembled uncontrollably. His intuition was kicking in, screaming for him to get out of there.
"What's so funny, Kai-ba?" Joey jeered, trying to conceal the secret fear rising within him.
Seto cocked his head back, his brown hair falling into his left eye. Burning with intensity, his right eye stared harshly into him. "Why, you, of course, shaking like that."
Joey swallowed hard, terrified by Seto's icy, blue gaze. His quivering prolonged.
"W-well, w-why's dat so funny? Huh?" Joey inquired warily.
Approaching closer, Seto answered in a shady tone, "It's not so much humorous as it is…cute."
Unprepared for such a lustrous comment, Joey gawked, waiting for Seto to recant his statement. When he didn't, the frightened boy replied, "Wha-? Whad'ya say?"
"I said it was cute—your unease. What's the matter, Joey? I don't bite," Seto's cooing changed into a sinister tenor, foreshadowing his intent, "…unless you want me to."
"K-Kaiba?" Joey posed anxiously.
"The thing is, Joey, I'm getting tired of waiting for you to interpret my playful banter. I should know better. You're straightforward," Seto explained.
"Kaiba…you are too. You neva beat aroun' da bush and dat's a lie! Playful banta? Please…those aren't playful at all!"
"Joey, Joey, Joey, I'm offended!" he opposed coyly. "I can't believe you'd think I was intending to hurt you. I was just teasing." A wicked smile spread across his face.
Joey assumed that Seto was condescending to him and immediately grew irritated. "Don't give me dat bull! Do ya think I'm dumb or somethin'?"
"Just a little bit, but I think I can forgive you, being so cute and all." He winked.
Joey growled and clenched his fists, holding them firmly to his sides. "Would you quit dat?"
"What? I was only flirting," he replied demurely, the mischievous grin appearing once more.
Out of consternation, hot blood surfaced to Joey's face. He attempted to hold his mouth closed as it gaped. He vainly hid his apprehension, "I-I don't go dat way, Kaiba."
Seto retorted, "You will when I'm through with you."
His eyes widened. Having heard enough of this insanity, Joey proceeded to leave. As he was walking past Seto, he warned, "Get away from me, ya creep."
Swiftly, Seto grabbed hold of Joey's wrist and swung him back into the chain-link fence. He pinned his classmate down, prohibiting him to escape.
Joey struggled. "Get off me!" he objected.
"You know, Tèa wasn't nearly as unwilling as you are. After losing that beloved scholarship to Julliard, she was crushed. I was the only one there for her and well—well, she couldn't help but to release some of that distress on me. I suppose the fact that comforted her so much was a factor. Girls just fall into an open man's arms when their upset."
Seto's shamelessness for what he considered a crime stirred up Joey's anger. "You bastard! Treatin' Tèa like your toy! I swear, Kaiba, when you let me go—!"
"Relax, she was aware of my intentions all along."
He snarled, "Kaiba, when I get you—!"
Aggressively, Seto pressed his lips to Joey's, silencing him from his tirade. His astounded prey remained still, determining how to react to this. He was surprised that he wasn't putting up a better fight, but he didn't really want to. Slowly but surely, Joey's contempt was melting into an unfamiliar feeling of safety. As his enemy's tongue breached the barrier of his lips and slid into his mouth, a warm, syrupy sentiment filled him inside. He soon began to follow in stroking Seto's tongue with his own. Settled into the caressing, Joey closed his eyes, participating fully yet still timidly. His fears evolved from fearing Seto to fearing him from stopping.
Gently pulling away, Seto interrupted for a moment to gaze into Joey's eyes. He read the underlying grief he had concealed for all these years, gleaming in his deep brown eyes. Joey witnessed the lust and longing in his foe's wintry orbs begin to thaw into compassion, something Seto had failed to feel since the death of his parents long ago. He become bitter and lost all love for humanity, believing he could only trust himself. Now, he felt someone other than him suffered from this profound, unjust type of anguish and needed nurturing.
"You really do look like a puppy," Seto remarked light-heartedly, referring to similar characteristics of a puppy's eyes to his.
Although a comment of this sort would usually upset him, Joey regarded it as affectionate and smiled softly.
Seto removed his puppy's school uniform jacket from his body and nestled him into his broad, chest. Without protest, he eagerly bundled himself inside Seto's embracing arms.
"Now, tell me what's wrong," Seto insisted amorously, rolling Joey's plain white Tee shirt up his abdomen.
"And den you," Joey countered, letting Seto know he knew of his secret agony as he lifted his arms over his head.
Seto wore a sincere smile.
Night had fallen upon Domino City. The playful sun finally won its childish hiding game and allowed the unambiguous ivory stars to twinkle brightly in the navy sky. The stars never wanted to hide. They always shined until the sun became fidgety; annoyed that the stars hadn't partaken in its trick to rouse them, and beamed so vibrantly to overshadow them—yet the stars always glistened just as brightly as the night before.
After a few hours of love making, Joey and Seto lay on the rooftop, snuggled under their jackets to protect their bare skin from the cool, evening air. They were devouring each other's lips, licking away whatever was left from their rendezvous fun. The two had grown curious and wild during their business, ending in some rather raunchy events. Joey had a tad more guilt for this than the shameless Seto Kaiba, who was more than content with satisfying his desire.
Gradually, Seto parted his lips from his lover's to once again stare into his puppy-dog eyes.
"It's late. I should go." The pitch was flat, but his expression was warm.
Silent, Joey watched as his partner redressed himself. He bit his bottom lip, playing out the rest of the night in his head. Seto would disappear. He would go home. His father would interrogate him because he was late. He would get beat. He would have bottles and insults thrown at him from across the living room. Finally, he would go to sleep with only a tear-soaked pillow to comfort him.
"K-kaiba?" he whimpered.
Startled, Seto peered over his shoulder. "Hm?"
With moistening eyes, Joey scrambled to rise up and rush to his former adversary. He wrapped his arms around Seto's waist, seizing him tightly as he buried his face into the chest he was invited to before.
"Take…take me home wit you!" he cried.
A stunned Seto Kaiba stayed motionless as he took time in comprehending this. Rarely did anyone run into his arms. Either he was dragging them in or they were running away. He was astounded that someone wanted him—wanted him. However, he was also apprehensive. Could he trust this boy's affection?
Before Seto could open his mouth to dispute though, he thoroughly observed Joey, sobbing all over his uniform. It was pathetic—pathetically adorable. Grudgingly, he grinned kindly at the needy puppy. He never liked Domino High's cobalt uniform anyway.
"Do me two favors first."
Sniveling, Joey looked up. "Y-y-yeah?"
"Call me, Seto."
He nodded. "Okay, Seto, and wha'd'else?"
He chuckle and lightly shook his head. "Put your clothes back on."
Embarrassed by his rash decision to embrace Seto still naked, Joey slinked back to his pile of clothes and fervently clothed himself.
As he pulled on his shirt, he recalled something troublesome. "About Tèa…"
"Potentially but unlikely, lost her scholarship to Julliard, but is still upset nonetheless—that time of the month I suppose. Never hopped in my bed. You'll have to excuse me and my tendency to exaggerate when I'm aroused."
Although slightly annoyed that he had been lied to, Joey was relieved to know his friend hadn't been ravished.
"Are you ready?" Seto mused.
Firmly, he gripped one of Seto's lean yet strong arms and with a delighted face responded cheerfully, "you bet."
It was questionable why Joey Wheeler was head over heels for someone he had passionately despised not too long ago, but the answer was simple: Seto Kaiba had shown him more love than he'd ever find in his father's filthy apartment. Tonight, Joey was going home for good.