I do not any way, shape, or form own Yu-Gi-Oh! or its characters. The OC characters Darren, Kili, Aya, and Trin are of my own creation and I own all copyright to them.
This story is rated Mature as it contains adult language, situations and sex scenes in later chapters.
Nor do I in any way make profit from this story.
WARNING! Dark content in this chapter.
Thanks for the reviews! Keep 'em coming!
Chapter VII
So this was it, Joey was going on his very first date. Although there was a slight lingering disappointment that it wasn't with Kaiba, he decided to push those thoughts to the back of his mind and enjoy tonight. After all, it wasn't every day that a guy got taken out to dinner by an ancient Atlantean prince.
Wanting to break the rather awkward silence, Joey looked up at Darren and asked, "So when was the last time you went on a date? I mean, I know you don't go out much, but a hot guy like you is probably beating dates off with a stick right?"
Darren rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand and looked away for a moment. "Actually, this will be the first date I've ever been on. We didn't have dates back in Atlantis and I just never found someone I wanted to go out with in the times since."
Joey couldn't believe it. This was Darren's first date too?! Suddenly, Joey felt like crap; Darren shouldn't be going on his first date with a guy who wasn't even sure if he was interested in him or not. He should be going with someone that for sure wanted to be with him. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."
"How do you mean?" Darren asked, stopping and turning to fully face Joey.
"I mean that you should take someone who really likes you out on your first date. Even after what he did, I still have feelings for Seto. I... think I like you too, but Seto's been a big part of my life the last few years and those feelings for him aren't going to go away overnight."
Darren offered an understanding smile and nod. "Well of course they aren't. And I doubt they will ever fully fade. I may never have been on a date before, but I have been in love before. The feelings for one's first love never truly go away, not completely. But they can diminish enough for you to let someone else into your heart as well. I don't want you to instantly fall in love with me, Joey. I want to earn your love as one should."
After a few moments, Joey seemed to accept this answer and they resumed their walk. They spent the rest of the walk in a peaceful silence, merely enjoying the sights of the city in the evening.
Finally, they arrived at their destination- an American style steakhouse. "This is where we're eating?" Joey asked, looking over the front of the restaurant.
"You don't like it?" the prince asked.
"No, it's not that. It's just that I've never been to a place like this before. Always been a bit outside my price range." Joey's cheeks blushed a slight red at his little confession.
"Well tonight, order whatever you like and eat to your heart's content." Darren swept Joey inside, smiling at the blond's awed reaction to the decor. There were cowboy and Western objects all over the walls. Stuffed animal heads mounted on plaques, cacti in pots, road signs, etc. The floor was covered with straw and wonderful scents of cooking meat wafted throughout the entire building.
After informing the hostess of their reservation, Darren and Joey were shown to a booth in the middle of the restaurant where they see just about everything that was going on. They ordered their drinks and meals then looked around for a bit while they waited for their food.
"So I know this is your first date, but have you ever been here before?" Joey asked after watching the other guests was no longer entertaining.
Taking a sip of his lite beer, Darren nodded. "I have a few times actually. I find I prefer Western and American cuisine to that of Japan. I know that's a bit odd since I've decided to take up residence in Japan. But I didn't move here for the food. I came to this land because it's far away from where Atlantis used to be and because the Japanese culture pays so much honor to a family's ancestors."
"That makes sense I guess. I mean, I really wouldn't want to live in an area where my home was destroyed either I guess. What were Trin and Aya like?" At the suddenly saddened look on Darren's face, Joey quickly added, "You don't have to talk about them if you don't want to."
Darren simply shook his head. "It's alright. I need to talk about them. I need to share with someone the sort of people they were in life." He took another sip of his drink and sighed deeply.
"Trin was my best friend in the entire world. And at times, it felt like he was my only friend. As you know he was my cousin, but our relationship went far beyond simple blood relations. Trin's father, my uncle, was the head priest of the temple of Leviathan. As second in line for the throne, it became my duty to succeed my uncle when he stepped down or passed away.
"Now, every priest of Leviathan is assigned a knight to guard them and serve as their companion... and lover. This was Trin's duty. Despite his well earned reputation as a playboy and a womanizer, he took to all aspects of his duties to me with considerable enthusiasm."
Joey's face was turning beet red now at exactly what Darren was implying. "You mean you two..." he trailed off, unable to voice the words.
The Atlantean prince smiled at the boy's shock. "I believe these days you would call us 'kissing cousins.' Now before you go off and think that what we did was wrong or immoral, you have to remember the age we lived in. Sexuality, sexual orientation, and many of the taboos you have today had no such meaning in our world. Things your modern culture would consider forbidden could be everyday occurences back when I was your age.
"But I'm digressing. Trin was always someone I could turn to when I was feeling down. He somehow managed to help me feel better almost every time. And he was a passionate lover when he engaged in such ways."
At this point in the conversation, their food arrived. Darren had a large Tex-Mex platter and Joey looked forward to enjoying the huge steak and baked potato on his plate. After a bit of silent eating, Darren continued, "Aya is a much different story. She was not originally from Atlantis, well sort of. She came from a tribe called the Shoa who were a group of Atlanteans who had left the island centuries before in favor of a nomadic life on the mainland. She had been placed among them by Leviathan as a gift for the Atlantean royal family, specifically as my bride.
"My father had a much different opinion on the matter however, and gave her to Dartz as a bride. I pleaded with Leviathan to change that decision but she refused, not wishing to get caught up in the discord of the situation. So my brother married Aya and I went off for a time to stay with the Shoa to clear my head and get away from the newlyweds.
"As for the sort of person Aya was... She was a woman of a very gentle and loving nature, never wanted to see anyone suffer for any reason. Being with my brother made her happy because he was happy, but she also wanted me happy. And the only way she could think of do properly do this given our situation was to sleep with me behind my brother's back. Now don't go and think of her as a bad person; she loved my brother to an extent, but she knew who she was meant to be with and that was the only way we could. We only slept together once or twice."
He paused once more to take a bite of food and a drink. "When Dartz went mad, she was devastated. She was never quite the same after that. Oh sure, she put on a strong front, but Trin and I could always sense her pain simmering just beneath the surface and hear her cry herself to sleep each night."
"Did you ever sleep with either of them after you guys escaped Atlantis?" Joey asked. Since Darren had slept with both of them before, he figured he had to have at least a few times in the last few millenia.
"No. For the same reasons I never married either of them. I didn't want t risk complicating what we had between each other. I'm sure we could have all three shared each other from time to time, but honestly the thought never crossed my mind until now. In fact, I haven't had sex at all since a few months before our home was lost."
The bite of steak that was on its way to Joey's mouth halted as the blond gaped at the prince. "You haven't had sex in over ten thousand years?! How did you manage that?"
"I've had too much responsibility, Joey. I was the oldest of our trio, and the strongest in many respects. So I have spent all this long time securing our comfortable lives in this modern era and watching over them, helping them to flow smoothly with the transitioning times and cultures. And other than Trin and Aya, I never found anyone who appealed to me in that way."
Joey frowned slightly at this. He couldn't imagine going for so long without being driven mad with need. Sure, he was a virgin himself, but when things got too rough, he at least took care of himself with his hands. "Do you at least... You know... take the edge off every now and then?"
"I do in fact. I had to a few times the night you and I shared our first kiss. Sometimes a cold shower just doesn't help," he said with complete casualness while his young date blushed. That meant that while Joey was in the bathroom scrubbing Darren's taste from his mouth, the prince had been releasing into his own hand.
Shaking his head mentally, Joey decided to switch up the topic as their server came by and Darren paid the check with a black American Express card. "I've been wondering something, how have you guys lived so long?"
Darren waited to answer until they were outside the restaurant and heading home. "Well, you know it was Orichalcos that prolonged Dartz' life. For us, it was a blessing from Leviathan. I think she held out hope we'd be able to save my brother one day."
They walked in silence after that, soon arriving back at the townhouse. Darren held the door open for Joey, but the blond shook his head. "I want to take a walk by myself, think a few things over."
Though Darren looked like he might want to protest, he decided against it and nodded. "Just be careful, Joey. A city at night has its dangers lying in wait to strike."
"Don't worry, I know exactly where I'm going and what places to avoid," Joey assured the older man before turning and heading down the street across from the townhouse. He tucked his hands into his pockets and wandered along the streets, moving into an increasingly poor and unpleasant part of town.
Joey looked around as he got to his old street, taking in the sight of the same old rundown houses he hadn't seen in months. He sighed to himself and resumed his walk, heading for his dad's house. Part of him wanted to go back and spend the rest of the evening with Darren, safe and sound. But he knew he needed to check in on his old man and see how he was holding up without him. Because sometimes his dad would forget to buy food or go to work if he'd had too much to drink the night before and stuff. And he didn't have a wife to help him out anymore, he just had Joey.
The young blond headed up the short flight of stairs to his front door and tried the door, not surprised to find it unlocked; his dad always forgot to lock it. He opened the door and stepped inside, looking around the living room. Sure enough, nothing had changed. There was the same patched up armchair, the same naked overhead bulb, even the bloodstain from when he'd shot himself was still there. Sitting in said armchair was Joey's dad, a half-finished bottle of cheap sake in his hand as he looked up at his son.
It seemed to take Mr. Wheeler a few moments to recognize his own flesh and blood, but with a few more sake bottles laying on the floor near the chair, it was clear he was already well past drunk. Once his gaze managed to somewhat focus on the blond teenager standing in the doorway, he scowled. "Where the hell have you been you little shit? I almost got laid off the other day 'cause your sorry ass wasn't here to wake me up in time for work." He took a swig from his bottle and rose unsteadily to his feet.
"Dad, you know where I've been. Didn't Darren's guys tell you I'd be staying with him for a bit when they came and got my stuff?" Joey closed the door as he stepped further into the house, not wanting any of the neighbors to see or hear the fight he knew was coming.
After a few moments of trying to remember through his booze addled mind, his dad seemed to recall it somewhat. "Darren? That the name of the sumbitch you've been shacked up with? I got a look at his thugs when they came. Bet he's a pretty rich bastard. Never took you for a faggot though. Staying with some high rolling asshole and living off his money while all you gotta do is bend over when he wants you to."
Tears stung at Joey's eyes, but he wasn't about to let his dad see him cry. "It's not like that dad. He's just helping me recuperate from trying to kill myself. I don't sleep with him or anything." Sure, he and Darren had kissed a couple of times, but there was no need to give his dad any fuel for his drunken accusations.
"Don't you lie to me boy. I can tell a whore when I see one. And that's all you're doing with this fucker, is being nothing but a cheap whore. One thing I don't get is that since you're so easy to bend over, why ain't you been selling yourself around here to help out around the house for once."
"Dad, please, you don't know what you're talking about. Come on, let's get you to bed and you can just sleep it off like always," Joey pleaded, stepping forward and reaching for the bottle.
That was a bad move. His father swung the bottle at his head, striking him across the side of his face. The blow shattered the bottle, slicing open Joey's face in several places and embedding a few glass shards in his skin. But his drunken parent was only getting started. He slammed a fist into Joey's stomach, bringing the teen to his knees before the older Wheeler slammed his son's face to the floor.
Joey cried out in pain from each blow. He could feel his own warm blood trickling down his face from the cuts and shards. His lungs gasped for air and his vision was hazy and doubled as he lay there on the floor.
"Lie to me about not being the whore to some rich ass sugar daddy?" his father fumed, grabbing one of the empty bottles from the floor and stumbling back over to his fallen son. "I'll teach you a lesson 'bout being a faggot slut."
Still dazed from the blows to his head, Joey wasn't able to fight back when his father ripped away his pants and boxers. "Dad?" he asked, trying to get to his feet as an increasing sense of panic and danger grew in him.. "What are you doing?"
A swift and strong kick to his ribs with the tip of a steel toed work boot sent Joey collapsing back to the floor. "I said I'm gonna teach you a lesson, bitch. Now just lay there and take your medicine." Kneeling down behind his son, Mr. Wheeler began undoing his belt.
"Dad no please... please don't... please..." Joey begged softly. He clenched his eyes and fists tight as he waited for the pain of what he suspected his father was going to do when he heard the older man's zipper being pulled down. All he could think of was how not even Darren would want him after this...
Author's Note: Yeah I know, Joey just can't seem to catch a break can he? And just when things were starting to look up for him. Some very dark material there and I apologize if it offends anyone, but I wanted a way to include his father in this tale and this was the only way that seemed fitting. Next chapter will be up soon and we'll see how things turn out for Joey. I'd really love to hear your opinions on this chapter.
I'll have the next chapter up tonight or tomorrow and you'll all be able to find out what happens to Joey! So just hang in there a few more hours.
