Authors Note: The last chapter I hope you enjoy it and thanks for all the nice reviews. *hug*
Chapter three
Serenity is happy. For a few days now Joey is actually talking a little more. He's still looking sad and he's a far cry from the always smiling and laughing boy she remembers and still rather quiet. Not that she still remembers any details, she's been to young but she does remember that she had a brother and that he was always there, full of laughter and smiles. She remembers thinking that he's her personal sun. It makes it all the harder to see him like this.
She also notices something else though. She had seen her new master watch Joey and had worried that he might try to force himself on her brother but by now she doesn't think so. He hasn't tried yet and rather tries to see Joey smile, just like she wants. Forcing himself on Joey would work against that goal. Recently, ever since Joey talks more, she notices something new though. Joey is sometimes looking at their master with a rather thoughtful look. He still seems a little suspicious but not nearly as badly as before.
Mokuba also notices that Seto is still watching Joey and that Joey seems to have noticed, since he is occasionally looking back. Whenever their eyes meet across the distance Joey isn't looking away. It's always Seto who after awhile looks away. And Joey would look after him while Seto leaves. Mokuba sometimes wonders if they'll ever get together? And sometimes he wonders if maybe that would help both of them to finally find their smiles. He knows that everyone is worried that Joey never looks happy, but he knows that Seto isn't that different. He hasn't seen his brother truly happy in ages.
Mokuba is sure that he's the only one worrying about Seto but that isn't the case. Joey also notices that Seto never smiles either. He notices that Seto is rather quiet himself too, unless he is ordering people or doing his work for the Pharaoh.
After another few days Joey starts to sometimes leave Mokuba and Serenity to be alone, or so he said. In truth he looks for Seto every time he says that. He walks around until he sees him and watches him until Seto notices him. Their eyes meet just like it happens when Seto watches Joey. But it's still Seto who looks away first and just pretends he hasn't noticed Joey watching him.
The young blond slave never says anything. He just watches the royal man whenever Mokuba and Serenity aren't around. He never says anything, since they are never alone. There is always a guard or another person in a high position, most of the time the Pharaoh himself, who is seeing the looks they give each other and by now is only wondering how much longer it will take until his cousin has a lover rather than a slave.
It takes another few weeks and the time he gave Joey and Serenity to consider about her being set free is almost up, when Joey sees Seto sitting in the garden in the middle of the night this time, instead of the other way around. Just like Seto had so many nights ago, Joey walks towards the garden and asks, "Can't sleep?"
Joey watches Seto shaking his head and feels strange remembering being in his place a few weeks ago. "Why?" He asks, still remembering what Seto had said to him back then. "And if you're going to shrug I'll kick your ass, master or not."
It's quiet for a moment before Seto tries to explain, "You know, there is always someone around me. The guard, some servants, the Pharaoh or other priests, it's always someone there. I hear them talking, or even speak with them. It's always someone there, and still, sometimes I just feel so, I don't know, alone."
"Like no one is there just for you? No one who truly understands." Joey says and when Seto looks at him surprised he adds, "I know the feeling."
Joey walks closer and sits down next to Seto who is sitting on a stone, big enough for one person to sit comfortably or both of them to sit there when pressed close to each other. It's quiet again for a while and Joey is looking towards the ground and wondering if he can help Seto feel better. After a little while he sees a movement from the corner of his eyes. He looks up towards Seto and sees his hand lifted. Like he was about to touch Joey's face. The hand freezes when their eyes meet and Joey just stares into Seto's blue eyes. Never have they been this close when their eyes met and for the first time Joey sees the longing in them.
To Joey it feels like hours and still the moment seems to pass much too soon. Seto lowers his hand, stands up and turns away in one fluid movement. Joey sees the muscles on Seto's back tense, "We should rest. It's getting late."
Seto walks away but after just a few feet Joey asks, "Why?"
Seto turns again and looks towards the blond who is still sitting in the same place, looking towards the ground again. "Why what?" Seto asks, wondering what the blond meant, he had explained why they should rest, even though he only gave the much less important reason to leave as soon as possible.
"I just thought about last time we were here." Joey says looking away a little, "Before that night, I had started to believe it. I started to believe that I'm worthless. That I'm not worth the money my masters had paid and even now I feel that they're right."
"You mustn't believe that, it's not true." Seto insists, unable to hear him say that.
"That's what you said." Joey replies, "But you're the only one who ever said so." Joey still doesn't dare to look towards Seto who in turn isn't sure what to say to make the blond man believe his words. "When you first said it I believed it, because you looked like you really did mean it."
"I did and I still do." Seto insists hearing the past tense and wondering why Joey might doubt it now. Is it just because he's so used to be told differently? "You're more valuable to me than anything else in the world."
"Why?" Joey asks the same question he had before. "You never told me why. You said you needed me to be around but you never told me what for. I noticed you watching me and wondered if you're just too kind to bother me for whatever you wanted but even when I made sure to be around and alone and watched you, you never asked anything. You never told me what to do. Why do you think that I'm valuable when I'm clearly so completely useless that there isn't a single task you have for me? I just..." Joey looks towards the ground and Seto can see Joey fighting the tears in his eyes, "I just feel so useless, I'm so used to fighting. Fighting to find Serenity, fighting to get free from a cruel master, fighting to save Mokuba even and still, after all that fighting I was just useless to everyone around and now you want me to believe that I'm worth something, even if there is absolutely nothing for me to do?"
"Joey." Seto nearly sighs and wonders what to say to the clearly distressed man. "You do so much for me just by being here. Much more than I'm able to explain. The fact that my brother finally has some company when I'm busy is only a tiny part of the reason." Seto walks back towards the young man and kneels down before him, looking into his eyes again, "And there is something you can do for me." Joey looks questioningly since so far Seto never said anything he should do, "I want to see you happy. I want to see you smile and enjoy life. That's what you can do."
"How is that supposed to help you?" Joey asks, "Why would you even care?"
Seto looks deeply into Joey's eyes for another moment before casting his own gaze down and after a sigh he whispers so quietly that Joey needs to strain his ears to hear him. "I need you around and want you happy for the same reason that I can't look into your beautiful eyes too long. The same reason why I couldn't stay too close to you and had to stand and wanted to leave a moment ago. Joey, I'm in love with you. I would do anything for you Joey, because I might own your body, but you own my heart and my soul."
Joey stares at the powerful and usually proud man kneeling in the sand at his feet and speaking those words. "If you love me." Joey whispers, not sure if he can believe the man, "Shouldn't you want to look into my eyes and sit close enough to touch me?"
"Believe me, I do." Seto replies looking into Joey's eyes for a moment with the same longing Joey had seen earlier but not for long. Seto quickly looks away again saying, "But I want so much more and I'm not sure if I can keep control over my body if I allow myself even the simple pleasure from gazing into your beautiful eyes for too long. Just a moment ago I was so very close to pulling your face up and tasting your lips without even asking for permission. I fear that I want you too much for my control to hold me back and I'm afraid I might hurt you some day if I let myself become weak for even a moment."
Joey looks down at him and blushes a little. "What if I don't want you to hold back?"
Seto looks up at the blond man in surprise and hope is shining in his eyes but he clearly still doesn't believe his own ears and so he asks, "You have no idea how much I need and how much I want you, Joey."
Joey's face is still slightly flushed but for the first time since Seto has met the blond man there is a glint in those shining amber eyes. A little spark that makes Seto wonder if he's just joking but he doesn't think so because of the smile. The first real smile Seto has ever seen is forming on the blond man's lips. The man is getting down from the stone and kneeling right in front of Seto while that happy yet cheeky grin is forming on those lips that seems determined to move closer to Seto's ears to whisper into them, "Did anyone ever tell you that the slave rooms are all freezing cold during the nights?"
Seto shivered and his muscles are still rigidly tense when he replies, "Please don't joke. And you better know that once you're in my bed I'm never going to let you leave it again."
"Too bad," Joey whispers sounding much too seductive for Seto's taste, "And here I had started to hope that I might be able to help you bath at some point. I would just love to clean you everywhere."
Seto's control broke faster than he thought possible after hearing those words being whispered into his ears. His arms move around Joey pressing that muscular but lean young body against his own, while Seto's face is buried in that neck and starts to nibble towards those lips that made all those delicious promises. Seto kisses him and feels unable to stop, not even to walk towards his rooms with the blond man but doesn't want to rip what little was covering that tempting body in his arms from his lean form. Joey just means too much to him.
Seto hears Joey moaning into his kiss while Seto's hands are roaming over the younger man's body, "Seto," Joey mumbles and Seto shivers, happy that Joey isn't calling him master and uses his name instead. "Please," Joey mumbles and Seto forces himself to ease up and look into his eyes questioningly, praying that the blond man didn't change his mind or even worse just joked or felt the need to test Seto's words but doesn't want to be touched in this way. "Please Seto," Joey mumbles looking deeply into Seto's eyes, "Please don't ever let me go."
"Never." Seto promises and happily pulls him even closer and nibbles at the tender skin on Joey's neck until he left a clearly visible mark on his skin. Skin that is starting to turn sweaty. "We should go into my rooms though." Seto adds, "I really don't want to risk some guard or servant walking in on us and getting to see you like this, never mind giving them the treat of seeing you even less covered than you are now. Something I really want to see myself.
Seto felt Joey shiver and press himself closer to the man holding him, while Seto is trying to move them into a standing position before he starts to pull Joey towards his rooms without letting go of him.
They stay in Seto's bed until close to lunch before Seto finally and reluctantly says, "I think we should go and eat something."
"I thought you wouldn't let me leave this bed." Joey replies, grinning cheekily. "Not that I'd mind, it's really comfy."
"Too bad." Seto sighs and stands, walking towards the bath adjoined to his room "I guess that means I have to ask someone else to scrub my back."
"Don't you dare." Joey grumbles and nearly flies out of bed towards Seto. "I don't care what you say, I won't let anyone else touch you when you're naked."
"Could it be that you're a little bit possessive?" Seto asks grinning smugly.
"No." Joey grins cheekily again, "I'm very possessive."
Both man came late for lunch and Serenity was asked to join the two brothers. Usually Seto only eats with his brother and Joey and Serenity eat separately since they're slaves. Mokuba and Serenity are wondering why Seto had sent a guard to tell her to eat with him and his brother rather than just her brother. She's also worried since she hasn't seen her brother all day and couldn't even find him to let him know that she'd not be able to eat lunch with him.
Mokuba assumes that Seto wants a reply to his offer since he can't think of anything else.
They both are surprised though when Seto arrives neither on time, nor alone as he usually does. Both of the younger siblings stare at their respective older brother and the grin both have on their faces. "Did we miss something?" Mokuba dares to ask, hoping that those two finally got together. The constant staring and near drooling was getting tiresome.
"Not really." Seto replies, "Considering that until this past night there wasn't anything to miss." After that Seto moves one of his hands over the mark he left on Joey's skin and he grins at the blush rising to Joey's face. "And I doubt that any explanations are still needed. Just know that we will share our meals with Joey and his sister in the future and that if you ever have any need of me while I'm in my rooms, please knock and wait for my call before entering."
"Oh, don't worry about that." Mokuba quickly agrees smiling towards Serenity, happy that both of their brothers are smiling so much and look so happy. "I wouldn't have it any other way." Mokuba smiled at the older two and was glad to finally see both of them smiling and thought 'Finally that constantly watching each other can stop and the happily ever after can begin.'
Authors Note: I hope that you enjoyed the story. And thanks again for all the reviews and following or even just reading it to the end. *hug*
