An almost blinding light shown through the crack of the doors as Joey entered from the dark hallway and into the open and bright office that belonged to the one person he hated most. The one person who hated him most... The very man he hoped, perhaps, he could finally make peace with.

Sorry is not enough: Part 2

The doors slowly closed behind him. Joey stood there, just in front of them as his eyes wandered over the office area. Business like, as expected. Kind of fancy, nothing too flashy though.

"...Well?"

Kaiba's voice startled Joey while the blonde was lost in his thoughts making him quickly look at him in surprise. His expression though soon formed into a more determined if not slightly nervous look.

Finally. Joey stepped closer to Kaiba's desk, stopping just before it.

"Alright Kaiba..." Joey started. "...You don't like me, I get that... But..." He paused as he averted his eyes, trying to think of the best way to put this without it sounding too formal or weird.

"...But?" Kaiba echoed Joey's last word, a brow rose in curiosity.

It would have been a waste to back down now. Joey didn't come all this way here just to chicken out. Besides, he had the guys attention and he didn't seem to be in a bad mood at all... Maybe it could work out in his favour after all.

Joey's eyes focused back on Kaiba, sighing through his nose, he opened his mouth to continue his speech.

"...I want to end this pointless war we have going on."

The room fell silent. The only sound Joey could hear was the clock ticking. He couldn't even hear the traffic outside of Kaiba's office despite it being one third window.

Kaiba stared motionless at Joey, eyes narrowed in his usual cold gaze, those blue eyes of his making Wheeler feel as though he was drowning in a sea as his patience was tested in this moment.

Finally, Kaiba lifted his hands to move in front of his mouth as he leaned forward, slipping his fingers in between each other, eyes closed. The only thing that came from the stoic man was a small sigh before his eyes re-opened to look at Joey once more.

"...and do what exactly?" Kaiba started flatly. "Become friends?"

Joey's eye twitched at the thought of being friends with this guy. If there was anything he detested most it was having to put up with this asshole. No, that wasn't happening.

"Of course not." Joey's reply wasn't subtle. He made it obvious with his own tone that he disliked the idea. "How about you keep your comments about me to yourself from now on? ...and I'll do the same."

Not a second later, without any hesitation, Kaiba was chuckling. A hand half covering a side of his face.

"Listen to yourself, Wheeler. You sound like an elementary student trying to resolve a conflict between you and some school bully."

"YOU GOT ANY BETTER IDEAS, RICH BOY!?" An immediate snap at his foe. Joey's patience had worn out at this point.

With that reaction, Kaiba wasn't surprised, though his smile quickly turned to a frown. Eyes narrowing into a glare. "...Tsk."

Seto averted his eyes from the other. The frown stretching a corner of his lips forming a scowl.

"...I do." He spoke in a low voice.

Joey's brow rose, a glare of his own on his face as he waited for the other to mention his idea. "...Yeah?"

Looking back at the blond male standing before his desk, Kaiba rose his hand before waving it dismissively. "...Come back when you have a more realistic solution."

"What!?" Joey growled at the comment. "You asshole! I'm here trying to-!"

"Don't make me call security..." Kaiba interrupted, eyes narrowed dangerously.

Joey's teeth bared, grinding against each other. Another growl was heard from the blonde male before he quickly turned, stomping out of the room.

An attempt, wasted.

oOo

"Thanks for letting me come over, Yuuge." Joey mumbled, sitting on the floor with his legs crossed.

That event had drained him of his usually cheerful demeanor. It was dark outside, easily shown through the sky light windows on Yugi's ceiling. Stars out, Moon... nowhere in site. Obviously hidden by the clouds.

Yugi sat on his bedside, his eyes giving a look of concern for his friend.

"Joey... You still haven't told me what happened." Yugi reminded, though he didn't want to push the subject, he was curious. "What's wrong?"

Joey's gaze was removed from the carpet floor to Yugi's face. A saddened, but somewhat still slightly angered look about him.

"I tried to make peace with Kaiba. Let's just say it didn't go well and leave it that... Alright?"

Joey said this in the most sincere way possible despite the overwhelming anger within him.

Thankfully, Yugi seemed to understand as he slowly nodded his head.

Yugi was always there for Joey. Even in the most ridiculous moments, he knew how to cheer him up.

How could he have made it this far with out him? Really...

The thought alone put a kinder look on Joey's expression. Gentle eyes and smile.

"Huh?" Yugi's eyes fluttered at the sudden change in mood. He wasn't complaining, after all... Seeing Joey happy again put his mind at ease and a smile on his own face. "Joey?"

Joey blinked once as he was snapped out of his thoughts. "Huh? Ah, yeah? What's up?"

"Do you remember when we first started our adventure in Duelist Kingdom?"

"Oh yeah." Joey's smile returned with a giggle. "I never once thought I'd be apart of some amazing adventure like that." He shook his head before focusing back on Yugi. "But... I'd do it all again if I had to."

Yugi's smile grew, as a small blush covered his cheeks. Just knowing that Joey would be by his side despite the havoc they faced. At least they'd do it again together. "Yeah." Yugi nodded. "You, me and everyone else... I couldn't ask for better friends."

Placing his hand behind his head, Joey rubbed the back of it as he wore a goofy grin to the compliment. "Aww, shucks!"

A growl then came from Joey's stomach making the two boys stare at it a moment before glancing back to each other and giggling.

"I guess I'm kinda hungry." Joey laughed. "You don't mind if I help myself do ya?"

"Oh!" Yugi waved his hands in front if himself as if to protest. "No, not at all. Ah, actually let me get it for you." He offered with a smile as he stood from the bed. "Anything you want in particular?"

"Huh? You really don't mind?"

"Of course not. You're a guest here after all."

Though Joey, at this point would usually offer to get it himself, he knew Yugi was just trying to be polite and decided to just let him do as he wished.

"Alright. Thanks a lot, Yuuge!" He answered happily.

"No problem, Joey!" With that, Yugi exited his room, making his way downstairs.

As Joey waited for Yugi to return, he simply got to his feet, and got into a position to ready himself for some exercises. However, attention was immediately caught by a strange looking book placed on Yugi's desk. He had never seen it there before.

He walked towards the desk on which it lay, giving it a curious stare. It was an ancient Egyptian book from the looks of it.

Definitely something Yugi's grandpa must have picked up on another one of his expeditions.

Joey picked it up. Looking it over front and back.

"Huh? This thing is old but it looks... Well kept." He said to himself before opening the front cover to reveal the first page.

Just as he had expected, a bunch of symbols he didn't understand. Or rather, not in it's actual language anyway.

He turned the page. There was a picture of something that looked like a burst of light. Underneath the image was some more Egyptian text.

"Huh... Maybe there's more pictures in this thing."

Though Joey was respectful of Yugi and his belongings, his curiosity sometimes got the better of him. Of course if there was an ancient book with actual pictures in it that he could possibly put together... Maybe he'd find something of interest to keep his mind from wandering into boredom.

After all, he'd already seen pretty much everything in Yugi's room already several times over. This was the only new find here to keep him entertained.

As Joey flipped the page, or rather, attempted to... The page all too easily tore off clean from the center of the book. This causing Joey to flinch and squeal through his bit lip in an attempt not to be heard.

"Aw man! Aww man! Aw crap!" He whispered in a panicked tone as his head turned quick from right to left before he focused back on the torn out page. "Yugi's not gonna thank me for this!"

A rumble came from outside, sounded like thunder, though Joey was in too much of a panic to even bother caring about a little storm right now. If he didn't fix this problem there was going to be a storm of anger headed his way from his best friend for sure.

He couldn't just put it back and lie to Yugi about it if he ever found it in that state. That's a bad friend award right there.

Joey moved to put the book down, but for some reason his hands were frozen. He couldn't let it go. No, it wouldn't LET him.

"H-Huh!? What?" Joey's eyes grew, another rumble from outside.

This time Joey took notice of it. Did he just activate a curse of some sort.

"Aww please, if there's any kind of merciful God or Goddess or whatever, don't let me die!"

Another rumble, this time much closer. He heard something swirling though... Over head. Joey looked up to see through the ceiling windows, a sea of clouds mixed with some strange luminous effect spinning around above him, though outside the house.

Joey's heart raced, his breathing became heavy. Was this how he would die?

He swallowed before speaking in a quiet, frightened voice. "...Yugi."

Suddenly just as he had spoke a dark shadow surrounded him, quickly engulfing him before just as quickly disappearing into the now cleared sky. The book dropped to the floor where Joey once stood.

A click was heard from Yugi's door, the young man entered his room, holding a plate of leftover pizza.

"Joey, I got you some pizza." He said with a smile, though that soon faded as he took one look around his room... Joey was nowhere to be seen. "...Joey?"