Gosh, shock, surprise. You normally don't see me writing anything Yu-Gi-Oh, but secretly, it's an addiction. .
I live for it, it's amazing, and I'm just your obsessed fan.
This is just a one-shot, but it may have other sequels that are one-shots. Why? Because I love one-shots. I also love songfics. So what can be better than a songfic one-shot?
I haven't figured that out yet. Still, please read this anyway.
WARNING: This one-shot contains suggestive themes of gay coupling and romance that some readers may or may not be uncomfortable with. If you don't like it, please don't flame me for my beliefs and don't read this. If you like the pairing SetoxJoey and YamixYugi, then you're good to go. If you don't, click the "back" button and go somewhere else.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, I worship it. I also don't own the song "Perfect". Simple Plan does.
On with the show.
Perfect
He knew everything there was to know about his son and his whereabouts. He hired his friends to keep a watch on him, to track his every move, and he paid them with shots of beer at their favorite bars. He was a terrible father, a nosy dad, but he didn't know it and he didn't care. His son was not going to become just like that damned wife he divorced so long ago.
Joey Wheeler was a tough street kid who tried to avoid coming home whenever possible. He would leave for school early, just to avoid his father, and walk around the alleys and abandon streets until it was time to actually go to school. He had his friends, Yugi, Tea, and Tristin, and he had his thoughts. These simple yet precious things were enough to keep him going through the day.
Some people told him that he had a heart of gold. Joey would laugh and smile, but on the inside he knew that his heart was just gilded with gold. There was a tough, golden, street, loyal coating of gold on the outside of his heart. This was a thick layer, the layer that he showed to people. No one got past this thick layer.
So, today, Joey Wheeler walked home from school with his best of the best friend, Yugi. He was considerably taller than the little squirt, but Yugi was so much more mature, despite the emotional trials that Joey himself faced daily. They talked, Yugi recounted things that happened in school, and Joey made jokes about them. This was the way things worked. Joey already had it all planned out. He was going to stay with Yugi, grab some food there, and then sneak back into his bedroom at home. If luck was with him, his father would be too drunk to care about him, and leave him alone for the rest of the night.
Yugi began telling him about chemistry class today when Tristin spilled an acidic chemical all over the brand new cell phone of the cheerleader sitting next to him. Joey listened, but didn't listen. He could hear Yugi, he could process what he was saying, but he just wasn't really focused.
Up ahead, pacing purposefully down the sidewalk in front of them, was the infamous cold-hearted CEO, Seto Kaiba. He was striding, his black boots clicking slightly on the sidewalk. He was still wearing the dark blue button-up long sleeve shirt and pants that he wore to school everyday, carrying the same silver briefcase and checking the same black cell phone for the time and messages. The picture of "a working evil" as some called him. Joey laughed and played along with the jokes that everyone made about him, but in the secret layers of his heart, he was denying every mean thing about him that he ever said or heard.
Seto didn't even look up as he strode towards them, beeping buttons on his cell phone. Yugi who was reaching the certainly hilarious climax of his story, looking up and Joey with big violet eyes, did not notice the CEO. Joey noticed him. He didn't stare at him, and pretended to ignore him.
Yugi looked up when there was less than three feet between the pair of friends and the friendless millionaire. He smiled at Seto, as he smiled at everyone, and nodded his head in a greeting. Seto did not smile back, did not nod. He did not even look up from his phone.
He bumped into Joey as he walked by, tripping the latter into the wall of the brick building on the street. Joey stumbled slightly, and forced a glare at Seto, who simply glared back. "Watch it, mutt." He growled.
"You should watch where you're going, Kaiba." Yugi warned. "You could get hurt." Seto sneered at him, tucking his phone into one of the pockets of his skirt. His dark brown hair and cobalt eyes made him seem rather intimidating, but Joey couldn't help but spare a stare at him. He was handsome.
"Me, take advice from you?" He smirked as he turned to walk away, the slight wind tousling his hair. "That's so funny, I forgot to laugh."
Joey, now standing erect again, his fists clenched, decided that if he didn't say something, it would be weird for him. "You're so clueless, you probably don't know how."
Seto, already walking back down the street, turned to stare at him. There was something in that stare. Something that no one but Joey would see, because Joey looked past the cold exterior, past the gilded layer of cold steel that covered the heart of Seto Kaiba, and saw the messages within. An apology passed from Seto's eyes to his. An apology for snapping, for hurting him. Joey passed a forgiveness back, knowing under his gilded layer that Seto didn't mean it.
"Don't think to hard about it, Wheeler. You might hurt yourself." He said, in a low voice. It was the low pitch of his voice that disguised the kindness that he so subtly hid in his words.
The cold teen turned away, resuming his stride down the street. Yugi said nothing, or if he did, Joey didn't hear it. He was watching the CEO walk away. Seto walked, once again beeping on his phone, until he reached the mailbox on the corner of the street. He paused, leaning against the mailbox, his eyes focused on his phone as though reading some important message. Then, suddenly, he sneezed. He turned to the side slightly, to stifle the sneeze in his elbow, and for a split second his eyes locked Joey's.
Joey turned away, hiding a smile. That was the secret signal. He smiled as he remembered…
It had been a surprisingly sunny late winder day. The last of the snow was melting, turning into a muddy slush along the streets. Joey had been walking along the street, scuffing his feet, rather bored with himself. His father had just kicked him out, saying that if he didn't want to come home on time, then he wasn't going to sleep at home, so Joey also hurt a bit. But just a bit. He was used to this. Get yelled at, get kicked out, go to the Game Shop, and sleep there. It was a routine, and Yugi was nice enough to help him.
So Joey had been scuffing down, sloshing through the slush on the sidewalk, wondering if the arcade was open on Sunday. He realized as he walked that it was a special day. Couples walked the streets, smiling, beaming, happy and together. Hearts decorated windows. Lace and cupids made up the displays at stores. It was Valentine's Day, and he didn't even realize it.
It hurt him a bit that he had been so absent-minded. He could have at least sent a Valentine to his sister. She would have loved it…upon sudden urge, he ran across the street and bought a medium size box of chocolates with the last crumpled five dollars in his pocket. The store was having a sale, and he personally was proud of his find. He had never considered himself a shopper, but a medium size heart-shaped box of chocolates for only five bucks was a pretty good find.
He ran back over across the street, after making sure that no cars were going to run him flat. He plopped himself down, not caring that the bottom of his black jeans instantly got soaked with the wet of the curb. Fishing a pen out of another pocket, he quickly scribbled his sister's address on the blank white spot on the box for writing addresses. Filling in his own on the bottom in his rather messy scrawl, he smiled. He wasn't such a bad brother after all. Maybe his father thought he was worthless, but he always knew that Serenity would love him. How else could he show her that he was so thankful for her mere existence than be at least remembering her on Valentine's Day. She was his sister, after all.
He stood up, ignoring the slush that somehow found its way into his rather beat-up sneakers. There was a blue mailbox at the corner of the street. He could mail it there, and she would get it in a few days. Coming up beside it, he shrugged, his tawny eyes glassed over. "Better late than never, right sis?" He spoke to himself.
He was about to mail it when he realized that he didn't have a stamp. Even something as important as a box of chocolates needed a stamp if it was going to make it through the mailing system. He searched his pockets, and found a stick of gum, the address of the new arcade scribbled on a piece of paper, a nickel, and a lint ball, but no stamp. Joey cursed in a manner of colorful words that made a red-hair couple walking past cast a few reproachful glances at him.
He considered asking them if they happened to have a stamp, but he imagined that they wouldn't give him one even if he did ask and they did have one.
He turned back to the mailbox. Joey stared at it, the chocolates tucked under his arm, hoping for some outlandish reason that the mailbox would work some sort of weird postal magic and just give him a damn stamp. Unfortunately, the small, logical part of his mind said that he was too old for his kind of wishing.
"It helps if you put it in the box, mutt. The package won't get anywhere if it's not in the mailbox." A sneering voice sounded, cutting through the warm, crisp air like a knife. Joey spun around to see none other than Seto Kaiba, decked out in a long black coat, red scarf, and familiar black boots and pants standing before him. Standing beside him was the little Kaiba, named Mokuba. His long black hair was snug safe under a dark blue cap, and he wore a coat that resembled his older brothers.
"I know that!" Joey snapped. Mokuba didn't say anything, but just looked around at the street. Seto arched an eyebrow at him, his mouth twitching.
"Then mail it. Don't stand there all day." He commanded, nodding his head to the mailbox. Joey's temper rose. Who was this man, to stand here in his fancy expensive winter coat, and tell him to mail his package? Was the world according to Seto Kaiba out or order when a street kid stood before a mailbox, to deprived by his custodial parent to even have a damn stamp to mail it with?
"I'll mail it when I'm good and ready!" he exclaimed, trying to keep his voice at a reasonable level. Set almost seemed amused, in some distant corner of his mind, but he was still cold on the outside, ruining the sunny and lovey-dovey atmosphere. "Why should I listen to you?"
"Mail it now." Seto stepped away from his little brother, coming closer to Joey. "Do it because I said so." The glint in his eyes was unreadable. It could have been teasing, if Seto Kaiba had a soul or a sense of humor. Whatever humor he possessed was twisted in a cruel way or so Joey's mind had worked out. He could almost feel the layer of steel forming around Seto as he stepped closer to him.
"I…can't mail it." Joey had later been shocked with himself. Why admit defeat? Because he knew he couldn't win against someone with as many resources as Seto Kaiba had, that's why.
Seto tried to hide a smirk again. Joey Wheeler, the street puppy who was practically poor, didn't even have ten cents to buy a stamp at the drug store he had probably bought the chocolate box at. These moments, when he wore that defiant look on his face, were the moments that Seto lived for. Yet, the small frown his mouth formed, the alas-poor-me look in his eyes, and the way his hair seemed to droop and be sad with him…he liked those moments too.
Behold the preferred faces of a secret dog lover.
"Then I guess your sister won't be getting her chocolates." He taunted, standing up a bit straighter, as though to deem himself important. The steel layer shone, as though says that steel was stronger than gold.
Alas, however, Joey couldn't help but noticing something. The steel layer of the heart of Seto Kaiba didn't seem so menacing before. He was almost teasing, yet Joey still refused to believe that Seto Kaiba was human enough to tease anyone.
"I'll get her these here chocolates, even if I have to walk to her house myself! I'll show her that I care, cause she cares about me." Joey finally countered, but only half-heartedly. Seto noticed this.
"Keep walking, Mokuba." He turned and commanded. Mokuba smiled brightly at him, and went on walking down the street, stopping to say hello to people walking down the street. Joey didn't know why he stood there before Seto, and why he didn't start walking in the direction of his sister's house. Maybe it was because Seto wasn't moving anywhere, because he stood before Joey, with his hands in his pockets. He was so…commanding, intimidating, godly, that the world didn't dare move again until he deemed it so.
When Mokuba had disappeared around the corner, the CEO turned to look up and down the rest of the street. Joey did too, just to try and figure out what he was looking at. The street was perfectly bare. The owner of the drug store across the street was the only living soul on the street. Once satisfied, he turned back to Joey, looking down on him. Joey stood up straighter, trying to fill the foot long gap between the top of his head and the top of tall Seto's head, but to no avail.
"I am going to tell you something very, very, very…" he stressed each and every word, "Very, very important."
He took two big steps, and in a flash, Joey found himself with his lowed back pressed against the mailbox. Seto's arms trapped him, one arm on each side of him, forming a cage. His body bore down on that of the trapped Joey, until their chests were toughing. Cobalt eyes dove into wonderful tawny ones. Joey gulped, and his heartbeat picked up. The pounding in his ribcage filled his ears for a moment, mixing with the sounds of Seto breathing falling into pace with his, and the slight sound of the breeze blowing a newspaper across the street.
"Don't ever again make the assumption…" he began, leaning closer still to Joey's face. The latter never realize before how entrancing Seto's eyes were. The aforementioned teen continued to speak. It was like they were in a bubble. A bubble where time stopped just for them.
Or…just for him. Just for Seto.
Seto leaned down, whispering in Joey's ear. "Don't ever make the assumption that your sister is the only one that cares for you."
Like that, on his commanded, the bubble popped. Time began moving again. Seto pulled away from Joey, who was stunned against the mailbox, and began walking away, his hands casually in his pockets, as though he had never stopped to talk to him.
Joey took a few minutes to recover. Seto…cared for him? It was a truly odd thought, Seto Kaiba caring for anyone but his little brother and, of course, himself. Yet, as Joey stood there, he became aware of how warm his whole body felt, after contact with his. How he seemed to fit perfectly into Seto Kaiba's arms. How his body tingled at the low whispering in his ear…
He jumped, brushing himself off as if he were thinking something disgusting. Inside, he knew, however, that, alas, he kinda liked Seto. He liked him…
He remembered the chocolate box in his arms. Looking down, his heart jumped, the inner, secret layers under the gilded lining singing with happiness and appreciation. There was a stamp on his box.
From that day forth, Joey would always wonder how Seto had managed to get the stamp on his box without him noticing. While he admitted that his mind had been thinking off…other things, he still wondered.
That had been three months ago. A few weeks after the occurrence, he had been walking down the same street. Seto had been walking down the same street, coming at him from the opposite direction. They paused three feet from each other, staring at each other as though to make sure that the other one was still alive.
He remembered that day too.
Seto had stared at him. Joey had stared back. There was a silence. Joey was wearing a light blue T-shirt, jeans, and the same beat-up sneakers from Valentine's Day. Seto wore his usual style: Black, black, silver, and blacker, the colors dominating his pants, button-up work shirts, belt, and boots. The same briefcase hung at his side.
Finally, Joey stepped a bit closer, as though decided that this person wasn't some strange creature. Seto stepped closer too, his eyes softening. "Hello, puppy."
Joey looked at him. He had been a bit confused over the last few weeks, unable to concentrate on anything much but the teen before him. Ever time he passed him in the halls; he swore that Seto spared a glance at him. As thought to ask, "What will you? What are your thoughts? Do you like me as I like you?"
"Hello…" Joey paused, unable to decide whether or not to call him Seto or Kaiba. It had been Kaiba for so long that Seto was like a foreign sauce on his tongue.
Seto came closer, and actually walked right past him, strolling down the street. Joey stared for a moment, before hurrying to walk after him. They rounded the corner, simply walking, not saying a word. Finally, Seto broke the silence.
"I'm assuming that your sister got her chocolates?" he asked, casually. Joey looked at him, a faint pink tinge creeping up his neck as he remembered that day.
"Yeah, she did." There was a pause in which Joey struggled for words. "Thanks…for the stamp."
Seto glanced at him, smiling ruefully. "How could I leave you standing there in front of that mailbox? My puppy can't look like a complete idiot." He chuckled. Joey's blush got harder to manage.
Seto really did…like him. It was obvious by the conversation they were having now. Joey was having a hard time with his own feelings. Valentine's Day had opened a whole new world of opportunity to him. The life with a lover who loved him, or would possibly come to love him one day. There were times when he admitted to having a strange attraction to the cold teen, but he didn't know how far it would go. One night, however, he sat down at his desk and wrote upon a piece of paper all the reasons why he liked Seto Kaiba.
1. He's handsome.
2. He likes me.
3. There's something alluring about him.
4. He already has a pet name for me, and although it's a bit embarrassing, it's a turn-on.
5. He cares about me.
Number Five would forever be the reason. Seto Kaiba cared about him. No one else cared about him, minus his sister and his friends. Yugi cared about him. Tristan was his old buddy, but he had been growing more distant lately. Duke was never a friend-friend, just a person who had somehow managed to steal his sister away for days at a time on little dates and scenic car trips. Tea was an old friend, but she too was growing farther away from his as the end of high school came closer. His father wouldn't care if he died today or in 50 years.
But Seto Kaiba cared. That was enough for the new Joey.
"I-I…I'm glad you…" He stuttered for a moment, the correct way to use certain words becoming a mystery to him. Seto stopped walking, turning to face him.
"Spit it out, puppy." He commanded softly. Joey looked around, making sure that the street was bare. It was always was when Seto wanted it to be.
"I'm glad you care." Joey blurted, struggling for composure as he finished his sentence. "About me. I'm glad you care about me."
Seto was silent, but Joey could almost feel his heartbeat pounding underneath that black shirt. Joey didn't realize how close Seto was getting to him until the breath of the aforementioned teen teased his face. "How glad are you?"
Joey looked up into eyes of cobalt blue. They were asking that question again. Did he like Seto like Seto liked him? What would he do?
"I care about you." Was all he said. It was all that needed to be said.
Many things had passed since then. A first date, at a fancy restaurant on the outskirts of town, in a private dining room, where no one could recognize them. Many more secret outings that followed that; drives to the beach seemed to be a favorite for Seto. A first kiss, on a beach, bathed in the light of sunset, had happened only a week ago. It was a real relationship…Seto really liked him. Maybe even loved him. He was so much more than a friend.
Now as his eyes were locked with Seto Kaiba, at the mailbox where it all had began, he gave the slightest nod. It was a signal. Seto's eyes saying I care about you, then Joey's nod I care about you too, at the special mailbox.
He finally drifted back into reality, and glared at Seto's back. Yugi began walking, and Joey followed him, almost half-heartedly. He'd rather go and run, catch up with Seto, and drive away in a car that he could make magically appear out of thin air to a place where they were alone.
"So, Yugi, can I eat over with you and Gramps tonight?" Joey asked, trying to seem normal. Yugi smiled at him sadly, and shook his head.
"Sorry, Joey, but I have special plans for this evening." He smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, pal."
Joey shrugged, as though he didn't care, but he did. He needed to prolong his homecoming for as long as possible. His father would be…considerably angry with him. He hadn't been home in two days. The day before yesterday he had stayed with Tristan, and yesterday Serenity had been home alone, and Joey had slept there. Now, he had no where to go but home, seeing as Tristan was busy tonight, Serenity had disappeared again, and Yugi had something else he was doing and couldn't foster him.
"It's okay, man, really." He assured Yugi, all the while trying to assure himself of the same thing. He walked with his little friend until the end of the block, where Yugi crossed the street to the Game Shop on the other side, and Joey turned and kept walking.
When he reached the large blue-painted apartment building that he called home, he walked into the lobby that desperately needed a good mopping. The tiles that he supposed were once white were now a shade of dull brown, streaked with dirt and grime. The receptionist behind the desk was smoking, and sorting through a pile of what looked like the ugly yellow envelopes that people sent their rent down in. She waved to him as he walked past. Joey considered checking the small square mailbox for any mail, but he just knew that there wouldn't be anything.
"Here goes nothing." He said to himself as he stepped into the elevator, almost gagging at the awful stench of alcohol and smoke. Pressing the round, white button that would take him to the fourth floor of the five-story building, he prayed to whoever might be listening that his father was asleep or drunk.
The elevator dinged, and the door opened to a small hallway with peeling paint. Doors with various numbers that had probably once been golden lined the halls. He walked to the end. Apartment 5D.
Joey rested his forehead against the door, taking a deep breath. He told himself, over and over again, in his head, Seto cares, Seto cares, and Seto cares…
The door opened slowly, and he peeked in. It all seemed normal and quiet. There were still beer bottles lying around, ashtrays, and dirty clothes. Dirty everything. Just as he left it.
He stepped in farther. This was like a secret level in some of the video games hidden in his room. To sneak through the fortress, get past the evil king without getting noticed, and make it to the safety of his room.
He dropped his schoolbooks on the table, wondering if his father was even home. He looked down the hall. The bedroom door was open, and there was no sign of life.
Joey was almost to safety when a sharp shove sent him stumbling to the floor.
"Where the hell have you been these last few days!" yelled his father at the top of his lungs. Joey scrambled to stand up, turned to look at his father. Black leather vest, jeans with holes in them, studded black hiking boots…he was the menacing version of a tough biker.
"Pop…I…I was study-!" Joey began, searching the corners of his mind for an excuse. His father cut him off, lashing his fist out at him, striking him on the collarbone, blinding him with pain, and causing him to stumble into the wall.
"Don't give me any of your lame excuses! You were supposed to come straight home, and what do you do? You go and stay with those damn friends of yours!" His father grabbed the cuff of his shirt, pinning him against the wall. Joey was struggling to breathe after his last blow.
"I…I was…please…" He begged, knowing that begging would not work, but he couldn't find anything else to do with the breath that he managed to keep to speak with. His collarbone hurt so badly. It stung like a thousand needles, heating to a white-hot heat, sticking into his skin.
"You worthless," A smack across the face. "Little pathetic piece," A knee to the ribs. "Of useless life," Joey was in such scattered pain that he couldn't hear all of what his father called him. He only remembered the bursts of pain that blossomed like flowers of death wherever his father's fist came. He may not have heard all of it, but he heard the important parts.
He was worthless.
He was useless.
He was dumb and pathetic.
He was so far from perfect, he could run all his life and never get there.
Joey sunk into a lull. He slumped there against the wall, not dead but not alive. His spirit cracked a bit more with each insult and hit, until it finally broke. Maybe he was worthless. Maybe he would never be anything else but a pathetic little boy. Look at him! Bruised and battered at the end of his father's fists.
"Don't ever make the mistake that your sister is the only one who cares about you."
Seto's voice sounded so real. He could have been whispering in Joey's ear. Joey could feel him, his body warm against his, his toes buried in the sand, the waves lapping, the gulls chirping, and then, as though he had found heaven, Seto's lips pressed tenderly against his as they shared their first kiss, Joey loving the strong arms that once against trapped his against the body of his lover. He needed Seto, longing to run away, and forever forget his father.
"Don't think too hard about it, Wheeler. You might just hurt yourself." The words that Seto had said to him today.
"Don't…think too hard…" He whispered to himself, as his father released him and allowed him to fall to his knees against the wall. "Just…do it." He thought briefly about his father. There was some child instinct that connected him to his father, telling him that his father probably loved him deep down, and was only beating him for his own good, which the real Joey knew was absurd.
Nothing's gonna change the
Things that you said
Nothing's gonna make this
Right again
Please don't turn you back on my
I can't believe it's hard
Just to talk to you
But you don't understand
He crawled to his feet, standing for a moment to get his vision straight again. Once everything had settled down to its original form and shape, he started for the door, trying his best to ignore the pain in his lip, where a cut was bleeding blood into his mouth, and his collarbone, where a large bruise was blooming, causing him to see spots with each step.
Cause we lost it all
Nothing lasts forever
I'm sorry, I can't be
Perfect
Now it's just too late
And we can't go back
I'm sorry, I can't be
Perfect
He heard the sound of the bathroom door shutting. His father had gone to his throne to stew about him, most likely. Convince himself that he was right and Joey was wrong. He would come out, call his friends, and rant to them about Joey, and they would agree with him. He needed his friends to convince him that he was right. He needed to drink to be sure he was right. He needed to abuse to be sure he was right.
Joey felt tears well in his eyes. A child's pity for a father who's soul was already lost to the devil, and the knowledge that he may never have those memories just for father and son, hurt almost as much as a tangible cut on the his body.
No one stopped him as he ran down the hall. The cold steel elevator doors closed in front of him. He leaned back against steel walls. His head was pounding, but throughout the haze, he knew where he needed to go. The mailbox. He just knew that Seto would be there.
He looked down to see warm blood seeping through the navy blue jacket that he wore, staining it red. He pushed up his sleeve to see a small but deep cut, surrounded by skin turned deep purple with bruise. He felt…numb. Everything hurt. When the elevator doors dinged and released him into the lobby, he ran outside, ignoring the slurred calls of the smoking receptionist. Now, his own drops of blood would join the dirt and grime on the floor.
Pitch black storm clouds loomed in the sky, blocking out the sun and threatening to burst open, spilling cold rain down over the city. Joey ran until he reached the end of the block, where his bruises demanded that he stop running and rest until the world was back in focus again.
He tried to start running again, but all the stress, trauma, and shock of the afternoon caught up with him. His father would kill him one day, if he went back there. He wasn't old enough by law to live on his own. He'd have to have a licensed caregiver who was eighteen years or older. He was only 17. He would be forced to go back, because no one would believe him if he said that his father abused him. No one had time to spend with Joey Wheeler anymore.
No one…but Seto…
He could only walk without spinning into a world of confused pain. Even then he didn't really walk, he stumbled. Joey stumbled along the sidewalk, keeping his eyes down on the next step, on his old sneakers. Ever nerve in his body focused on the next step.
The clouds burst, and a downpour of cold rain washed over him, causing his clothes to stick to his body and his hair to cling to his skin. The rain washed off the blood from his arm, causing further numbing his body to the point where he could not longer feel his finger, which were turning red and cracking under the cold wind that blew in off the sea.
He didn't think about how much long it was until he reached the mailbox. He only thought about taking another step.
Just another step, and he'll be there, and I'll be okay…the repeating of this sentence within his head was the only thing that kept him going, besides the will to not be returned to his father.
Something medium-sized and blue appeared at the edge of his vision. The mailbox was just a few more steps, wet with rain. He ran the last few steps, ignoring the protests of his muscles and aching bones. Joey leaned forward, balancing himself, using the mailbox as a support so to keep him from falling or fainting. All around the edges of his vision, black darkness loomed. With every move he made, the darkness spread a bit farther, as though taunting him, saying that it would take him over eventually. He couldn't hold out forever.
The rain drenched him, and thunder rumbled in the distance. It would rain all night long. Joey would stand here, all night long, and wait. Seto would come.
The screech of car tires ripping through the night, faint in his mind like a distant dream.
He hung his head. He was so sleepy…so sick of the pain…so emotionally exhausted.
He heard a door open, and the sound of boot splashing through puddles. Were those his father's boots…?
"Joey!" gasped a familiar, low, rich voice, at a loss of breath. Joey's knees buckled, and he would have fallen if a strong arm hadn't looped around his waist, holding him up. Joey turned his head, and looked at his savoir.
It was Seto Kaiba, his eyes filled with a worry and concern that not many got to see. He had long since discarded his school clothes for a white work shirt, gray pants, his boots, and a long, black raincoat. He held a black umbrella over the both of them with one hand, and he held Joey up with the opposite arm.
Joey drew in a sharp breath, and felt tears blur his vision. They ran, white hot, down his cheek, mixing in with the rain. He was so many things at once, it was hard to pick out a certain feeling or emotion. He was miserable, shunned by his only father. He was exhausted and sick, and his whole body hurt. He was so…strangely relieved and happy. Seto was here.
Joey turned to face Seto fully, and the arm holding him up drew Joey against him. Joey's finger formed fists, clutching his lover's raincoat. He buried his face on his lover's shoulder, crying. Seto stood perfectly still, holding Joey's shaking body gently against him. He buried his face in wet, golden locks.
"Don't cry." A shaky voice whispered in his ear. Joey tried to obey, tried to stop, but there were still tears that had to flow.
Seto guided him into the limo, sliding in next to him, still not taking his arm from Joey's waist. Abandoning the umbrella on the floor, he ordered the driver to return him. Joey watched, red-eyed and bleary, and the limo lurched into motion, a black window raising between the driver's seat and the back of the limo.
Joey leaned against Seto. "You came."
Arms wrapped around him, holding him tightly against the body of the CEO. Seto kissed his forehead, his eyelids, his nose, and his cheeks. "Of course. Someone hurt my puppy." He whispered in Joey's ear.
Soft fingers reached up to lightly touch the bruise on his collarbone. Joey wrapped weary arms around Seto's neck, relief filling every bone in his body as Seto kissed him, and the limo drove him to safety.
Yugi sat at his desk, up in his room above the Game Shop. The rain drummed against the roof and against the window to his left. It was coming down hard, but that didn't stop him from seeing Joey and Seto down on the street that stretched out below his window.
He smiled to himself, brushing a stray lock of his strangely colored hair out of violet eyes. He had never said anything to Joey about it. It wouldn't have been polite. He had kept out of Joey's love life since they became best friends, and he didn't intend to become nosy just because Joey was gay.
He turned back to the math book lying open on his desk. A pencil was poised over his notebook, ready to solve the complicated problems and get it over with for tomorrow. Although he normally didn't mind working on homework, tonight, he was anxious. He did have a rather special evening planned, but the most special thing of all hadn't shown up yet.
He got through two problems before the sound of feet walking up stairs reached his ears. His heart jumped to his throat. It was him; it had to be. Grandpa was out tonight with an only friend. He took over his shoulder at the door, waiting for it to open. When it did, an older teen that looked exactly like him except taller and more mysterious walked in, dressed in a black tank, blue pants, and a belt. His feet were covered in blue boots that reminded Yugi of the ones that Seto Kaiba wore.
"Hello, Yami." He greeted, smiling softly. Yami's mouth turned up into a grin, and he walked over to Yugi's bed, which offered a nice view of the window and the street below. He sat down, leaning back, and peering through the rain.
"Joey and Kaiba?" he asked, and Yugi nodded. Yami knew, but he also didn't say anything.
Yugi put his pencil down, standing up. He crawled onto the bed, snuggling closer to Yami, who put his arm around his small body, pulling him close. "Joey is hurt, both physically and emotionally. Shouldn't you be down there to comfort him?" Yami asked.
"Sometimes, when you are hurt like that, there is a special someone that can make the pain go away. Sometimes, you just need that special someone more than you need anyone else. That someone who alone can make you feel loved and wanted. I could go down there, but I would only make things worse. Right now, Joey needs to be with Seto. After all…they are just…perfect together."
Yugi snuggled closer still to Yami. Yami was his special someone. The taller one looked down at little Yugi, dressed in his light blue pajamas. He was so innocent. Yami kicked his shoes off, pulling his arm off of Yugi only to get ride of his belt and socks. The aforementioned duelist waiting until he was done, before snuggling back into the prior position against Yami.
Strong arms around him, Yugi smiled. A year ago, Yami had found him crying in his room. Yugi's parents had sent him a letter, the first letter in almost ten years. They told him that they had a new baby, and that they were moving to America. They wished him luck, and said their farewells. That was it. They didn't even say that they loved him. Yugi had been broken, like Joey, and Yami had healed his wounds, repaired his soul, and kissed his lips…
As Yami kissed him here and now, and they both slid down unto the comfy bed to watch the rain fall, whispering sweet nothings to each other, Yugi thought about how similar Joey's situation was to his. Yami had healed him, and given him love.
Now, it was Seto's turn.
The rain fell down on the Kaiba Mansion just as hard as it fell down onto the Game Shop. Seto stood before a window, watching the rain for a moment before closing the heavy blue curtains. The lamp on his bedside table was on, giving the room and comforting glow.
Joey lay in his bed, his arm bandaged, ointment on his bruises. Seto, dressed in blue silk sleeping pants, had lent Joey a pair of red ones for the night, or as long as he stayed here. Seto knew that his puppy couldn't go back to whoever abused him. Seto would not allow it.
Joey released his tension, relaxing, laying under the silk and velvet covers on Seto's bed. His head was heavy, and he wanted to sleep. Now, he could…
Seto climbed into bed next to him, turning out the slight. In the darkness, he slid over next to Joey. He wrapped strong arms around him, and Joey did the same. Bodies against one another, Joey buried his head in he nape of Seto's neck.
"I love you." He murmured as he drifted off to sleep. "You're…the only one who cares." The faint sound of rain made Joey slip faster into sleep. Seto hugged him tighter, tilting Joey's chin up and capturing his lips in a deep kiss. Joey, despite his exhaustion, kissed back with just as much passion.
"I love my puppy." Whispered Seto when he drew back for air, before kissing him again. Seto's kisses made Joey's body tingle, shake with pleasure, and grow warmer under the covers. Seto knew that Joey was tired, so he took this no farther that a few deep, loving, kisses.
"Truly, do you?" Joey asked, wanted to make sure that he wasn't hearing things. He was barely awake enough to hear Seto's reply.
"Of course." Seto's body relaxed against his, both falling into the peaceful deep lull of sleep together. "After all…"
Seto smiled. Truly smiled.
"You're perfect."
END OF ONE-SHOT.
I hope everyone liked it. It took me a while. I'm not sure if it's as good as some of my previous work, but thank you for reading it anyway!
Now…review to it!
Becca