AN: whom else out here wanting jounouchi to be happy and safe? anyway thanks to everyone who commented & followed, also just to update, i still have no idea wat i'm doing ((((: but i upped the rating ((; for jou's smutty mind o: it's probably ooc so join me on this wild ride, there is room on this train, get on. no wtf stamp ur ticket first u animal

Ryou's hands were trembling slightly as he unlocked the door and stood aside to let Jounouchi in. Why am I so nervous? Jounouchi is my friend. He's been to my house many times.

But never alone … whispered a small voice. Ryou's heart was beating like a hummingbird's wings as he followed Jou into his house and shut the rain out. And never this late at night…

But why should that matter? Ryou shook his head while Jounouchi was taking off his shoes. Anyway, he thought as he removed his own footwear, he had other things to think about. Like putting on a nice meal. I bet he hasn't eaten properly tonight. And getting him some dry clothes, too, I think I've got a few things that might fit him.

It felt really nice, knowing he could do something for a friend in need. He placed his shoes neatly next to Jounouchi's muddy sneakers. I'm not alone tonight, Ryou thought happily.

"Sooo…" Jounouchi started, swinging his arms a little. Ryou smiled. He was used to silence, but it clearly made Jounouchi feel awkward.

"I'll get you some dry clothes," Ryou said. "They won't be especially glamourous, but they'll fit. You can take a bath while I cook us something to eat."

"Aw, hell," Jou said, "You don't have to go to so much trouble for me. I'm fine, honest."

Ryou gave him a withering look. "I disagree. If you won't accept my hospitality for your own sake, then at least think of me. You can't sit on my couch in damp clothes, and you can't put on clean clothes if you're all sweaty and dirty. Don't," he added, when Jou opened his mouth indignantly. "I can smell you from here. I believe I've already made myself clear about the food," he added, holding up the grocery bag.

Jou shuffled uncomfortably. He didn't feel right in Ryou's apartment. He felt like a contaminant - like he was bringing all the filth and sickness of his own home, his own neighbourhood, his own screwed up life, into Ryou's airy, well-kept living room. He felt defensive, and stupid, but mostly just plain ashamed of himself.

"I'm sorry," he finally ground out. "I'm no good at letting people help me, even when I know I really need it. Especially when I really need it. I hate it. You're just - gonna have to be patient with me."

"It's okay," Ryou said. "I'll just put this in the kitchen and go run you a bath."

"Yeah … sure," Jou murmured, following Ryou. "Is there … is there anything I should be doing?"

"You could try saying 'thank you,'" Ryou said teasingly, putting the bag down on the kitchen island and making for the hallway. Jou said nothing, so Ryou just assumed he was rolling his eyes or making a face. But when he turned to ask Jou how he liked his bath, it was to see his friend in a deep, formal bow.

"Thank you very much for your hospitality."

Ryou had never seen Jounouchi behave so politely and so formally before, not even at temples. It must mean that much to him, he realised. How often does this happen? And how rarely does he let his friends help when it does? Moved, Ryou put a hand on Jou's shoulder. Jou looked up, a little surprised.

"Anytime," Ryou said softly. "And I mean that, Jounouchi. You are welcome to stay here any time at all. Now, how do you like your bath?"

Jou liked his bath scalding hot, which as it turns out was just how Ryou liked it too. Ryou always got desperately excited about having things in common with people. It was part of his oddball charm, but it also made Jou's heart ache. He still doesn't expect to have friends, even after all this time... After Ryou had got it started, he led Jou down the short hall into his bedroom to find some clothes.

Jou's hands were sweating for reasons he couldn't really identify. He just put it down to leftover jitters from the night's fight. But he'd never seen the room where Ryou slept and he shoved all those weird feelings away in favour of good old fashioned nosiness. While Ryou was fiddling around in the closet, Jou took a good look.

Ryou's bedroom was sparse and surprisingly small. Of course … this is a kid's room. He turned the master bedroom into the games room … Jou grinned. Ryou had a western bed - unmade, blue sheets, and a light summer blanket in a soft grey colour. His eyes were drawn to the middle of the bed, where the sheets were rumpled … the spot where Ryou slept …

Thunder rumbled gently and Jou started, moving his eyes away from the spot and chastising himself for acting so weird. Curiosity was one thing, but geez. His eyes came to rest on the bedside table.

Empty mug. Box of tissues. Book. Lamp. Bottle of lotion. All perfectly normal things to have bedside. Yet, Jou's heart started pounding as a story of Ryou's last night began constructing itself in his mind, entirely without his permission.

He could see Ryou sitting up in bed, sipping tea and reading by lamplight. Could see him stifling a yawn, finishing the last of his drink, marking his page, and flicking out the light. Could see him tossing and turning, rumpling the sheets, restless with the sudden sticky heatwave. Jou could see the moonlight glistening on his long white hair … could see Ryou tugging off his shirt and reaching out in the dark for the lotion …

"Ah!"

Jou really did startle at the sound of Ryou's gentle but ecstatic voice.

"Here we go," Ryou pulled a pair of sweatpants and a tshirt from the bottom of a drawer and turned to face Jounouchi. He held the shirt up to Jou's chest, appraising the fit. "This should do nicely. But like I said, it's not exactly couture," he looked up at Jou and frowned suddenly. "Are you feeling feverish? You're awfully flushed…" he reached up before Jou could stop him and began feeling his forehead. Ryou's hands felt cool against his skin and Jou had to back away, faking a laugh.

"C'mon man, I'm fine," he said, hoping he sounded normal and not like he'd just gotten to half-mast imagining his friend jerking it. "A bath an' a meal is all the TLC I can take for one evenin'."

Ryou slapped his own forehead and darted toward the bathroom like a rabbit. "The bath!"

Jou followed a lot more slowly, giving himself a little more time to get his shit together. Now is not the time, he scolded himself. Unfortunately, he spotted wadded tissues in the wastepaper basket on the way out, a nice ending to the story he'd made up, and had to grit his teeth on the walk down the hall. What is the big deal? He thought as he dragged his feet to the bathroom. Yugi and Honda talk about it all the time. If it was them I'd'a laughed and made a joke. I mean, it is pretty funny how obvious he is. Even Yugi keeps the lotion in a drawer. Wonder what he thinks about.

Jou had to stop for a moment. What did Ryou think about when he touched himself?

He steeled himself against those thoughts. It wasn't right to be thinking about Ryou that way right now. Ryou was really doing him a huge solid, and it didn't feel right to be thinking dirty thoughts about him. Reign it in, you perv.

Think of the movies! Sure, they've been spoiled all to hell for years, but at this point the fact that I ain't seen 'em is kinda like a weird miracle. This week on Ripley's Believe It or Not, modern teenager still hasn't seen Lord of the Rings.

Thinking about the geeking out he was gonna do later seemed to do the trick. He entered the bathroom feeling much more like his usual self, and he was able to genuinely smile at Ryou without thinking anything other than what a great friend he'd been to Jou tonight.

"Saved it!" Ryou said, indicating the almost-full tub. "There's bath salts if you want them. Don't let the water out when you're done, it's so humid I think I need a wash too."

"Sure, man," Jou said brightly. Ryou left and Jou locked the door and stripped, throwing his musty clothes in a corner.

Hell… he thought, looking at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. His left side was one ugly mass of bruising in all kinds of fun colours - blue, green, purple, yellow - Jou turned away, slightly sickened, and turned on the shower to wash down. The water felt good on his tender skin, but he knew he should have iced the bruising. Like I had the chance, he thought bitterly, the fight running through his head …

"Where the fuck have you been?"

"I told you, I had to take another job because you won't pay the fuckin rent!"

"Don't talk to me like that!"

"I'll talk to you however the fuck I want, you useless prick! You're lucky I convinced the landlady not to kick us out! So why don't you sit the fuck down and take another sip, it's all you're fucking good for!"

His father had not decided to sit back down. Jou let his breath out slowly. Going home was gonna be bad … going home after a blow-up was always hard, but Jou had really crossed a line this time. Usually it was just general insults and cusses, but his words had hit a mark on his father and it was satisfying, but troublesome in the long run. He's gonna be so much worse now…

Jou pushed it from his mind. He was an 'in the moment' kinda guy, and at the moment he was in a very clean, respectably upper-middle class bathroom with absolutely incredible water pressure. He washed his hair - Ryou used lavender shampoo - and rinsed out.

He turned off the shower and stepped into the tub, sighing. It had been ages since he'd had a real bath. The apartment he shared with his dad only had a shower. The bath salts were lavender-scented too, and Jou thought what the hell and dumped a generous scoop into the tub, swirling the water around a little. He decided he liked the fragrance. It was pleasant and relaxing, and he let himself enjoy it in sheer defiance of the macho dickhead he used to be.

He didn't want to spend too long in the tub, especially when Ryou wanted to bathe too, but he allowed himself some time to soak, let his tightly coiled muscles unwind a little. He let his mind go blank and his eyes drift closed …

Some kind of resolve he hadn't realised he'd been holding on to must've melted in that bath, because tears pricked at his eyes, and he didn't bother trying to hold them back.

He was tired.

He was tired, he was hungry, and he was angry. He was scrawny, and poor, and bruised, and seventeen. He'd been working his ass off throughout the last year and somehow, somehow things had gotten even worse - the apartment was shabbier, the pile of debt was bigger, his grades were dropping, and his performance in the local tournaments was suffering. He had two jobs and he couldn't even buy his own fucking cup of coffee... The thought shattered something in him, and his shoulders shook with suppressed sobs. He didn't make noise but his hitching breaths echoed off the tiles. It sounded pathetic to his own ears, and that made him feel even worse. But he took the moment of privacy to indulge in a little self-pity. Fuck knows I've earned it...

Jounouchi lay in Ryou's tub and cried because he knew he'd have to go home soon, and he didn't want to. He didn't want to go back to that stained apartment with its immovable stank of tobacco and cheap liquor and mildew. Not when Ryou's bathroom had bright halogen heaters in the ceiling and smelled like lavender. He sat up and curled his bruised arms around his knees, hugging himself. A deep, shameful part of him wanted to beg Ryou to let him stay forever. Wanted to run into Ryou's arms and tell him everything, like he used to with his father, back before everything had gone to shit. His independence and pride were two of the most important things to him, the things he protected most fiercely after his friends, but at that moment, Jounouchi was acutely aware that he was just a kid, and all he wanted was for someone to take care of him.

I must be tired … he thought. I'm not usually such a baby. Come on, kid, on your feet…

He splashed his face and stood, limbs heavy after the hot water, to step gingerly out of the tub and onto the fluffy white mat. Looking in the mirror again, he gave himself a gentle peptalk. You got this man. It's gonna be okay. Your tournament scores'll pick up if you listen to Yugi and Grandpa. Dad'll straighten out, he always does. It's just til graduation.

Graduation. If he even graduated…

Doesn't matter. You've got the nest-egg.

That was the thought that made him relax. The thought of the tidy little pile of money he was stashing at Honda's house, where neither his own impulsiveness nor his father's habits could get at it. There was a way out - there was always a way out. He stared hard at his reflection and reminded himself that he had a future to look forward to.

And I'm not alone. Honda's watching my money. Yugi's training me.

Ryou said I could stay any time.

Tears threatened again, but this time Jounouchi shook his head like a dog. Gotta keep it together.

There was a truly intoxicating smell of cooking pervading the apartment, and Jou was anxious to investigate it. He glanced around the room and groaned.

Ryou had forgotten to give him a towel.

AN: listen,,, u might *think* this is cheap and anticlimactic as a "cliffhanger" but if u do then u don't understand ,, it is really really awkward to get out of the tub or shower and realise u don't have a towel . don't be like jou kids. always remember your towel o: especially if you're staying with your hella cute crush (O/O) that u didn't kno u had a crush on til literally just now o(0)o thx for reading disclaimer who knows what's going on? not me. not this bitch ¯\_(ツ)_/¯