Disclaimer: All Yu-Gi-Oh! characters and references belong to their respective owners. Story elements © Hideki LaShae. No money was gained in the writing of this story.
The Night Innocence Died
By Hideki LaShae
Chapter Six
Shattered
Seto's Memory
"I hate you! I never want to see you again!" exclaimed Jou.
End Memory
Instead of knocking on Katsuya's door or simply entering like he normally does, Seto raps gently on the door to Mokuba's room.
Mokuba opens the door while still drying his hair. He smiles. "Hi, big brother! You're back! Jou and I were wondering where you'd gone!"
"Jou wanted to know?" asks Seto.
"Well… it was more just me wondering. Jou's been acting weird," says Mokuba, "He's…"
"Mokuba! Can you do a favor for me? This is rather important," says Seto.
"Sure, Seto! What is it?" asks Mokuba.
"Jou and I had an argument today. We're not speaking to each other," says Seto, "but these papers are… an apology of sorts. Would you give them to him and tell him to read it? That's all I want you to do. Tell him to read it."
"Is it a love letter?" asks Mokuba smiling.
"What?"
"Come on, Seto! I've seen you look at Jou! You love him!" exclaims Mokuba.
Seto blushes. "I can't hide anything from you. Now… will you do it or not?"
"Of course I'll do it," says Mokuba taking the envelope and folder from Seto, "What is this anyway?"
"That's between Jou and me. You can ask Jou after he's read it," says Seto, "Go give it to him now. I'll be in my bedroom working." He turns and heads into his bedroom.
Mokuba walks to Katsuya's bedroom and knocks on the door.
"Who is it?" calls Katsuya from somewhere on the other side.
"It's Mokie. Can I come in?" asks Mokuba.
"Okay!"
Mokuba opens the door and walks into Katsuya's bedroom. He sees Katsuya lying on his stomach wiping his tears from his eyes. He hurries up to the side of the bed, leaving the door ajar in his haste. "Jou! What's wrong? Why are you crying?"
"It's nothing," says Katsuya wiping his eyes again.
"Is this about the fight you had with Seto?" asks Mokuba setting his hand on Katsuya's back and rubbing gently.
"What do you know about it?" asks Katsuya tensing beneath Mokuba's hand.
"Just that you and Seto had a fight and aren't talking to each other anymore," says Mokuba, "He gave me something for you to read. He said it was an apology."
"I don't want it!" exclaims Katsuya.
"Jou… please… don't argue with Seto anymore. Read it. He doesn't want you to be mad at him anymore. He's sorry, but he just doesn't know how to say it," says Mokuba, "He likes you, Jou."
"I'll read it," says Katsuya rolling over and sitting up.
Mokuba passes everything to Katsuya. "I have to go to bed now. I'll see you at breakfast!"
"Good night, Mokuba," says Katsuya tossing the file folder beside him on the bed. He opens the envelope as Mokuba heads out. He sits in bed all night reading his medical report and understanding about every fifth word. He yawns as the sun comes up outside, but he doesn't try to sleep. He continues to read the medical report, finishing just as Mokuba comes in to drag him down to breakfast.
"You're not ready for school!" exclaims Mokuba. He sees the papers from the medical report spread across the bed. "You spent all night reading, didn't you?"
"Yeah, I did," says Katsuya getting up, "I'll be dressed and downstairs in a minute." He walks into his walk-in closet. He changes into his school uniform quickly and hurries downstairs with his bag of books. He doesn't say a word as he eats the waffles the cook prepared for him.
Seto tries not to look at Katsuya, but he finds himself glancing over at the other boy ever other second.
"Will you two say something to each other?" asks Mokuba looking back and forth between the brunet and the blond.
"It is time to leave for school, Jou," says Seto simply.
"I'm ready to go," says Katsuya setting his fork down and standing, "I left my books by the door."
"Okay, let's go then!" exclaims Mokuba standing.
Seto stands up.
The three boys leave the dining room, grab their schoolbooks, and head out to the awaiting limo.
The ride to school is long since they have to stop at Mokuba's school on the way, and the entire trip is racked with an unnerving silence.
No sooner has the limo stopped at their high school than Katsuya hops out with his bag and runs into the building.
By the time Seto takes his seat in the classroom, Katsuya's chatting happily with Yugi and Honda.
Class soon begins, and both boys fall into an uncomfortable silence, neither speaking for the entire morning.
During lunch, Seto leans against the side of the building watching Katsuya snag food from his friends' lunches. He sighs. 'At least he's eating. I can't believe we forgot to bring lunch! And I haven't given him any money. I should slip some into his wallet… then blame Mokuba.'
Seto heads back to the classroom and sits down with a book, but he can't concentrate on the words. His eyes stare at the page while his mind races back to Katsuya. 'He loves me, and he made me love him. I can't tell him now though. Not until he knows the truth about what happened. I want to tell him how I feel about him and pull him into my arms. I want to kiss him… my first real kiss… his first kiss. I want him to know I love him. I really love him. He's my puppy, and I want him to be my puppy for all time. Katsuya Jounouchi… maybe even one day, Katsuya Kaiba…'
"Kaiba?"
Seto drops his book and looks up at Sensei's glaring face. He hadn't realized that everyone was now seated and class had begun.
"Is anyone home in there, Kaiba?" asks Sensei.
"You're the teacher. You tell me," says Seto.
"Go to hell, Kaiba," says Katsuya.
Seto stands up turning a soft glare to Katsuya. "What did you say?"
"I said…" Katsuya stands up and glares at Seto. "Go to hell, Kaiba!"
'He hasn't called me Kaiba since he moved in with me. He must have been acting… or else…' Seto grabs Katsuya by the collar and pulls him closer. He looks into the honey-brown eyes. "Say that again, mutt!"
Katsuya smirks. "Go to hell…"
Seto shoves Katsuya away from him. "I'm already there!"
A spark lights behind Katsuya's eyes as he sees Seto gather up his books.
Seto storms past Sensei and out the door.
"I hope you're going to the principal's office!" shouts Sensei.
Katsuya sits down again.
"If it's not too much trouble, Jounouchi, could you and Kaiba leave your disputes outside the classroom?" asks Sensei.
"Fine," says Katsuya standing and grabbing his books. He storms out of the classroom and hurries down the hall. He hurries out the front door and sees Seto at the curb speaking into his cell phone. He walks down the sidewalk to within five feet of Seto's back. "This isn't the principal's office, you know, Seto."
Seto hangs up the phone and turns to look at Katsuya. "I know. I'm leaving. What are you doing?"
"I'm exhausted." Katsuya yawns. "I'm skipping class. It's better than falling asleep in class… I spent all last night reading that medical file you gave me. I think I understand the generality of it."
Seto nods. "And the other file, puppy?"
"Haven't gotten to it yet," says Katsuya. He sighs. "Listen, Seto. I don't hate you. I just hate what you did. Would you tell me why? Did you even know it was me?"
"The other file will answer a lot of your questions, Jou, but I didn't know who was being attacked," says Seto, "and as for why I did what I did… I knew that I…" He pauses for a long moment as he searches for just the right words. "I couldn't just do nothing. I had to do… something. I'm sorry, Jou. I am truly, from the bottom of my heart, sorry for everything I've done to hurt you. I never in my entire life wanted to hurt you!"
"I think I know that, Seto," says Katsuya as the limo pulls up.
"Come on. I'm heading to my office, but I'll take you home first… puppy," says Seto opening the door.
Katsuya slides into the seat, and Seto climbs in beside him.
"Home," says Seto.
"So… what's that other file you gave me?"
"The police report and all the information on your case," says Seto, "It should fill in the gaps in your memory. Dr. Takanai told me you might have been drifting between conscious and unconscious because of your head injury. How do you feel, by the way, Jou?"
"I'm tired because I was reading all night, but physically I feel fine," says Katsuya.
"I suppose that's good enough. I can't expect you to be fine with all the emotional scars you have," says Seto, "but there's something I want to tell you. Something I need to tell you, but I can't tell you until after you've read the police file." He hangs his head so Katsuya can't see the blush that graces his cheeks.
"I'll come find you after I finish reading that file then," says Katsuya.
"Please do," says Seto.
The limo pulls up in front of the mansion.
"Get some sleep, and try to have a snack," says Seto.
"I will," says Katsuya before climbing out of the limo and closing the door. He heads into the mansion as the limo takes Seto away. He heads to his room, but instead of going to sleep, he lies down on his bed and starts to read the police report. His eyes widen as he reads, and he gasps on several occasions. "What have I done?"
Katsuya walks into the living room. He looks around and sees Mokuba on the couch watching TV. "Hey, Mokie… do you know if Seto's come back from the office yet?"
"Yes. He got back about a half hour ago," says Mokuba, "He went to the kitchen to get drinks for me and him. Why? Are you two talking again?"
"He apologized this afternoon. Now it's my turn," says Katsuya, "Catch you later, Mokie." He walks out of the living room and heads into the kitchen. He sees Seto looking in the refrigerator. "Seto?"
Seto looks up at Katsuya. He sees the tired honey-brown eyes and the slight tremble of exhaustion in his knees. His left fist clenches tighter around the small juice bottle he holds. "How was your nap, Jou?"
"I couldn't sleep, so I read that file. Why didn't you just tell me?" asks Katsuya.
"I didn't think you would believe me," says Seto quietly.
"Thank you… Thank you for saving my life, Seto," says Katsuya, "Thank you!"
"You're welcome, Jou," says Seto.
"Seto… I'm sorry! I'm so sorry that I accused you, Seto! I just… I assumed when I heard your voice! I didn't hear you enter the alley. I'm sorry!" exclaims Katsuya, "Can you ever forgive me?"
"Oh, Jou. I already have," says Seto. He doesn't seem to notice the door to the refrigerator still open and blowing cold air at him. "Um… would you like something to drink?"
Katsuya swallows hard. "Yeah… maybe just a little drink."
"What would you like?" asks Seto.
"What do you have?" Katsuya starts to walk towards Seto, and he keeps his eyes fixed on the rich blue eyes of the one he loves.
Seto stares into Katsuya's eyes and doesn't answer. Answering would require taking his eyes off his puppy, and he doesn't want to do that.
Katsuya walks up to Seto and stands only a breath away from the tall brunet. "I love you, Seto, and I really don't care if you feel the same way or not. Just give me this moment."
"Puppy…?" Seto's eyes close quickly, hopefully.
Katsuya tilts his head and brings his lips up against Seto's. His eyes flutter closed. His cheeks redden as he blushes. He tries to step back and pull out of the kiss, but the second his lips break contact with Seto's, they meet again.
The glass juice bottle falls from Seto's hand as he moves to wrap both his arms around Katsuya, and it shatters when it hits the tile floor, splashing juice onto their pants' legs.
The refrigerator door swings silently closed and ceases to send the chill down Seto's spine.
Seto holds Katsuya close as he deepens their kiss and kisses him energetically, enthusiastically, using his tongue to lightly lap at the blond boy's lips during their kisses.
"Big brother! What happened?" calls Mokuba from the other room. He hurries into the kitchen unnoticed by the two teens who are obviously distracted. He stares wide-eyed at the two boys standing in the kitchen kissing. He watches in shock, partially because there are two boys kissing in the kitchen and utterly amazed by the almost giddy-happy expression on Seto's face. His big brother is actually enjoying it. He smiles.
Katsuya wraps his arms around Seto's waist and opens his mouth slightly.
Seto slides his tongue into the small opening and teases Katsuya with it.
Katsuya opens his mouth much wider, and his tongue invites Seto's further inside.
Seto pushes his tongue inside Katsuya's mouth, vaguely aware that he has no idea what he's doing.
Katsuya leans against Seto, and he starts to fight the tongue in his mouth with his own.
Seto withdraws his own tongue and opens his eyes wide when another tongue, hot and ready to play, invades his mouth. He sees Mokuba over Katsuya's shoulder. He pulls away from Katsuya quickly and blushes. "Mokuba!"
Katsuya's eyes widen, and he spins around. "Mokie!"
Mokuba giggles rather girlishly. "Oh, please! Don't stop on my account! You looked like you were enjoying yourselves!"
Katsuya turns bright red. "I'm going to go take my nap now… before dinner."
Seto breathes deeply as Katsuya runs from the kitchen turning even redder than before. He glares at Mokuba. "You… have… lousy… timing!"
"If my timing is that bad, go join him in bed!" exclaims Mokuba slyly, "You can finish your make-out session there where you'll be more comfortable!"
Seto looks at the shattered glass on the floor. "Sorry about your juice. It was the last one."
"Don't worry. I'll have something else and Rissa can clean up the mess! Go to Jou!" exclaims Mokuba waving his brother off.
Seto nods and runs out of the kitchen. He sprints up the stairs and opens the door to Katsuya's room. "Jou?"
Katsuya walks out of the bathroom wearing a simple white shirt and blue dress pants. He yawns. "Yeah, Seto?"
"I want to join you for your nap," says Seto.
Katsuya nods and smiles as he heads to the bed and lies down.
Seto moves to the bed and climbs in the other side. He slides close to Katsuya and captures the soft lips in a loving kiss. "I love you, Katsuya."
Katsuya's eyes widen. "That's the first time you've called me Katsuya!"
"It is your name, puppy," says Seto softly wrapping his arms around Katsuya, "Katsuya, would you like me to stop using it?"
"I like it when you call me Katsuya," says Katsuya blushing.
"I love you, Katsuya," says Seto giving him another kiss on the lips.
"I love you, Seto," says Katsuya. He wraps his arms around Seto and pulls himself up as close as he can get.
"So… how was your first kiss?" whispers Seto.
"Scary and surprising. I didn't expect you to kiss me back. I thought you loved someone else," says Katsuya.
"Only you, Katsuya. You're my puppy," says Seto.
"How was your first kiss?"
"Surprising and scary. I didn't expect you to kiss me, and I wasn't sure if I was kissing you right…"
"I enjoyed it!"
"So did I," says Seto, "but I think we should still practice some more after dinner."
"I agree," says Katsuya.
"Let's get some sleep," says Seto.
Katsuya yawns and cuddles up against Seto. He closes his eyes as he rests his head on his love's shoulder and quickly falls into a deep, restful slumber.
Seto smiles as he closes his eyes and drifts to sleep.
Seto wakes up with a pair of warm lips pressed firmly against his own. He doesn't bother to open his eyes to look at the person kissing him. Instead he opens his mouth invitingly and a tongue enters to accommodate him. He moans happily as he pulls the body closer.
"It's time for dinner, Seto," whispers Katsuya pulling out of their kiss.
Seto opens his eyes. He smiles. "I like this new alarm."
Katsuya smiles and blushes. "I'm hungry."
"Let's go eat then!" exclaims Seto sitting up, "But after dinner we are practicing some more!"
"A lot more practicing kissing," says Katsuya nodding. He climbs out of bed and pulls Seto out. "I love you, Seto!"
"Katsuya!" exclaims Seto pulling Katsuya into a warm embrace, "I love you! Now let's go eat!" He guides Katsuya down to the dining room.
Katsuya and Seto both eat quickly while Mokuba smiles at them.
"Yes, Mokuba?" asks Seto.
"Are you two going to start dating now?" asks Mokuba excitedly.
"We haven't even discussed it yet," says Katsuya blushing and looking at his half-eaten Salisbury steak.
"Oh, come on! You two were totally making out in the kitchen!" exclaims Mokuba, "You have to be planning on dating now! You're perfect for each other!"
"Mokuba… we haven't decided on anything yet. There are other things to consider that you know nothing about… Katsuya may not be ready for a relationship, so we need to talk it over," says Seto, "We'll tell you if we decide to date."
"Okay!" exclaims Mokuba.
"Are you finished eating, Katsuya?" asks Seto.
"Yeah," says Katsuya glancing at Seto.
"Then let's go. We have much to discuss," says Seto standing and holding out his hand for Katsuya.
Katsuya stands and takes Seto's hand. "We have a lot to talk about."
Seto smiles as he guides Katsuya out of the dining room and up to Seto's room.
Katsuya looks around at the murals on the wall that depict nearly every dragon in Duel Monsters. "Wow!"
Seto watches Katsuya's awe-inspired expression as he looks around the room at the hand carved oak computer desk in the corner.
Katsuya's eyes rest finally on the bed, a Queen-sized canopy bed with royal blue, silk hangings falling from the oak banisters and supports. 'That comforter looks so inviting! Are those silk sheets?'
"What do you think?" asks Seto.
"You are such a romantic!" exclaims Katsuya walking up to the bed and feeling the silk hangings. "Silk? Nice."
"Katsuya, will you be my boyfriend?" asks Seto.
Katsuya looks at Seto and smiles. "I'd love to be your boyfriend!"
Seto smiles. "I'm glad."
Katsuya glances at the bed. "What do you expect from a boyfriend?"
"I expect you to be healthy and happy," says Seto walking up to Katsuya and gently running his fingertips up and down Katsuya's arms, "I won't lie to you and tell you I don't want to have sex with you. I do, but I won't force you and I won't ask you to. When you are ready, you can come to me. My door will always be open for you, Katsuya, my puppy, for whatever reason you need me." He kisses Katsuya's forehead. "Since yours has been stolen, I will give you my virginity… when you're ready."
"And Seto… when I am ready, would you let me be on top… or would you want to be in control?" asks Katsuya blushing. He looks into Seto's eyes, and that simple act becomes his undoing. His knees weaken, and he falls into Seto's chest. He buries his face into the soft fabric as he wraps his arms around Seto's waist.
"I won't let you be in control all the time, but whenever you want to be or need to be, I will let you dominate me," says Seto helping Katsuya sit down on the edge of the bed.
Katsuya's eyes perk up at Seto's confession, and he pulls Seto onto the bed with him. He presses Seto's back into the bed and starts kissing his neck.
Seto tilts his head to give Katsuya better access to his neck.
"Could I… stay here… with you… tonight?" asks Katsuya pausing his question to suck lightly on Seto's neck. He smiles to himself as he starts to see the signs of the bruise his kiss is creating. "No sex… just kissing…"
"I told you… my room is always open to you," says Seto as Katsuya continues to suck and nibble on his neck, "You can sleep here with me anytime!"
Katsuya kisses his mark one last time and smiles, knowing full well that it will be visible above the collar of Seto's uniform shirt. He thinks, 'How are you going to explain that, love?'
Seto looks into Katsuya's smiling face before capturing the lips in a long kiss.
"Seto," says Katsuya when they finally pull apart for air, "I'm ready to talk about that night."
"Then let's get comfortable," says Seto, "You can start because I don't know how it began. I'll take over where your memory fails you."
Katsuya nods. He moves up to lie completely in the bed.
Seto lies down close to Katsuya.
Flashback
Katsuya sits in his bedroom trying to finish the last of his homework, a collage for that stupid, mandatory art class. He stops working when he hears a key scraping the lock. He gets up and walks into the small, adjacent living room. He checks out the peephole before unlocking the door and letting it swing open.
"Hey, son! Help yer… hiccup… old man to bed!" exclaims the man falling into Katsuya's arms.
"Been out drinking again, Dad?" asks Katsuya reaching for the keys in the door. He sighs when he sees that the key in the lock was actually to their battered old station wagon. He pulls his dad into the apartment and helps into the larger of the two bedrooms.
Katsuya's father collapses onto his bed.
"Have you eaten anything?" asks Katsuya.
"Mmm-hmm… at the… hiccup… bar," says Katsuya's father closing his eyes.
Katsuya stares at his old man as he quickly falls asleep. He sighs and heads back to the living room to close and lock the door. He drops his dad's keys on the table beside the door, and his stomach growls. Katsuya sighs as he heads into the kitchen to look for something to eat. He opens every cabinet and thoroughly searches the refrigerator. All he manages to find are a couple ice cubes and one moldy slice of bread. He tosses the bread in the trashcan and heads back into his father's room.
Katsuya's dad snores loudly.
Katsuya kneels down beside his father. He regrets doing this, but he has no other choice. He quietly slips his father's wallet from his back pocket and he opens it. His honey-brown eyes light up when he sees the twenty-dollar bill in the wallet. He pulls out the bill before sliding the wallet back into his dad's pants pocket. He stands up, folding the bill and tucking it into his pants.
Katsuya hurries out of the apartment and locks the door behind him. It's a warm night, so he didn't bother to bring his coat. He walks down the street. It's only about twelve blocks to the nearest convenience store.
Unfortunately for Katsuya, a few of the streetlights, and the slight amount of protection they have provided, have been shattered.
A pair of hands reaches out from a darkened alley and grabs Joy from behind, yanking him roughly into the near pitch-blackness of the alleyway.
Katsuya screams before he's slammed into a solid brick wall. His voice rings in his ears.
"Scream all you want, bitch. No one can hear you," whispers a man's voice into Katsuya's ear as he's pressed into the wall, "Give us your money, and we'll let you live."
"I have no money," whispers Katsuya trying to catch his breath.
The man yanks Katsuya away from the wall and punches him in the face.
Katsuya catches glimpses of three shadowy figures before his head is rammed into the brick wall. He slumps against the wall, half-coherent and completely defenseless against his attackers.
One of the shadowy figures moves to Katsuya and rips his clothing off, tossing it to another shadow. He whispers to the other two, "Let's have some fun with this virginal bitch."
A quiet laugh fills the air as the shadow hovering over Katsuya turns him onto his stomach.
Katsuya lets out a blood-curdling scream as something long and hard forces its way into his opening. He's vaguely aware of his tears rolling down his face as his body is nearly ripped in half by the man raping him. He drifts in and out of his consciousness, his mind not wanting to endure this torture. He sighs with relief as the engorged member pulls away from his bruised and bleeding opening.
"All the bitch has was twenty bucks," whispers another man, the same voice that had originally spoke.
Another shaft, slightly shorter but wider than the first forces its way into Katsuya's helpless body, and he screams again.
The quiet laughter echoes through the night as the second shadow wreaks havoc on Katsuya's body, sending his seed forcefully into the teenaged boy's body before pulling away.
Katsuya tries to move but finds himself pushed back into the dirt and concrete as a third body presses against his opening and forces its way in. He screams. "Help!"
"No one can hear you," whispers the now somewhat familiar voice, "You belong to us, bitch."
A fourth shadow steps into the alley, undetected by Katsuya's eyes.
Katsuya grabs the wrist of the man currently assaulting him.
"What are you doing, worthless mutts?" asks an angry brown-haired teen.
Katsuya releases the hand as the forceful thrusting comes to a halt. His eyes widen in pain and shock. He recognizes that voice. Seto's here!
The cock emerges from Katsuya's body and a forceful kick to his ribs sends a wave of pain coursing through Katsuya's body.
Katsuya passes out from the pain.
"Who the hell are you?" asks one of the attackers.
"Someone who won't have another's death on my conscience!" exclaims Seto.
The three attackers hurry towards Seto swinging their fists.
Seto dodges the fists easily and initiates his own attack, sending fists and feet flying. He knocks the three men unconscious against the brick wall of the building. He pulls out his cell phone from the pocket of his jacket and calls for emergency assistance. He slides his phone into a pocket of his shirt and pulls his dark trench coat off. He kneels beside the blond-haired teen and wraps the jacket around his nude body. He looks at the face as he closes the jacket over the pale flesh. His eyes widen. "Jou?"
Sirens sound in the distance and rapidly approach.
"Jou? Can you hear me?" asks Seto gently shaking the other boy.
Katsuya's head falls to the side, but he doesn't revive.
Four police officers run into the alley shining their flashlights around.
"Is the ambulance on its way?" asks Seto quickly.
"It should be here soon!" exclaims the eldest of officers, "Are you Kaiba?"
"Yes! I was the one who called. I found those three attacking my classmate!" exclaims Seto.
The officers handcuff the unconscious men and drag them to the cars while the eldest officer speaks quietly with Seto.
"I understand. Of course you will need a statement. I was a witness to this crime," says Seto realizing that he still cradles Katsuya in his arms, "I want to accompany him to the hospital to speak to his doctor, but then I will be right down to the station to give my statement."
"I would rather you head straight to the station," says the officer as he hears the ambulance sirens approaching, "but I understand. He's your friend, and you're concerned about him."
"He's not my…" Seto hears the ambulance stop and a few paramedics rush down the alleyway with a gurney.
"We'll take good care of him," says the paramedic as they take Katsuya from Seto's arms and place him on the gurney.
Seto watches for a moment as the officer recovers 'evidence' and the paramedics rush Katsuya away. "I'll be at the station as soon as I can, officer."
"Thank you, Mr. Kaiba," says the officer, "That young man owes you his life."
"I know," says Seto starting to walk away. He whispers to himself, "And I'll collect on that debt."
Seto climbs into the driver's seat of his bright blue Jaguar and starts the engine. He throws it into gear and tears off towards Domino Memorial Hospital. He spots the ambulance and follows it to the hospital. He parks quickly and runs inside. His heart pounds as he sees Katsuya on the gurney.
"What do we have?" asks a doctor rushing to Katsuya's side.
"Assault and rape," says Seto moving closer to him, "His name's Jou… Katsuya Jounouchi. Check him for head injuries!"
"Of course!" exclaims the doctor, "Nurse! Prepare the rape kit!" He looks at Seto with dull green eyes. "Do you know him? Could you fill out his paperwork?"
"Yes!" exclaims Seto.
"We're going to take him away now!" exclaims the doctor.
Seto nods and moves up to the head nurse's desk.
"Here are the forms for the boy," says the nurse, "Please take a seat and fill them out. Don't worry about your friend. He's in good hands here. We'll take good care of him." She passes a clipboard and pen to Seto.
"You'd better," says Seto moving over to take his seat in the waiting area. He pulls a gold pen from his shirt pocket and starts in on the form. 'Name – Katsuya Jounouchi. Age – 16. Sex – Male. Any allergies to medication? – Unknown.'
Seto sighs. He mumbles to himself. "This is harder than it looks."
Seto hurries through the forms writing down all the information he knows. He stands and heads back to the nurse. He passes her the clipboard as he puts his pen away. "This doesn't mention billing."
"Those forms are separate," says the nurse with a smile, "They can wait until his parents arrive. These are accurate to your knowledge?"
"Yes," says Seto, "I will be heading to the police station now to give them my statement. I want you to call me if there's any news on Jou before I return."
"Of course," says the nurse adding a note to Katsuya's paperwork, "and your number?"
Seto quickly tells the woman his cell phone number. "And I'll fill out the billing forms when I return."
"What about his parents?" asks the nurse.
"I'll try to track them down," says Seto, "I'll be back as soon as I can."
The nurse nods as Seto walk away.
Seto hurries to the police station. He sits there for over an hour telling and retelling the story of how he found and rescued Katsuya.
"What were you doing in that part of town anyway, Mr. Kaiba?" asks the detective.
"I had a late dinner meeting at La Gourment," says Seto, "and I usually head home on the less used roads. Not only are there less reporters but also not as many idiot drivers to aggravate me like the main roads. I was driving along, and I heard screams. I went to investigate and found Jou."
"Well… thank you for everything, Mr. Kaiba," says the detective.
"One more thing. Could you find his father? He might want to know that his son's been attacked. Jou's never told anyone where he lives," says Seto.
"We'll go out and try to find his father," says the detective with a nod.
"You have my cell phone number if you need anything else. I'm going back to the hospital," says Seto.
The detective nods.
Seto returns to the hospital and sits down to fill out the insurance and billing forms. He figures Katsuya doesn't have insurance since his family is rather poor, so he fixes the form so that the bill will be sent to his mansion. He returns the forms to the nurse and looks at the time displayed on the clock on the wall. He pulls out his cell phone as he sits down again. He dials his home number.
Hi! Kaiba residence! Mokuba speaking!
"Mokuba. It's Seto."
Big brother! What's taking you so long? You promised to help me on my science project after your meeting!
"I'm sorry, Mokuba. Something's come up, an emergency I'm afraid. I won't be home until late. I can help you with your project tomorrow after school. I'll cancel all my meetings so we can work on it together," says Seto, "I didn't mean to break my promise, but this was an emergency."
That's okay, Seto, says Mokuba, How was your meeting?
"Long… as usual. Have you eaten? It's almost eleven. You should take a bath and go to bed," says Seto.
I had dinner. Rissa made pizza for me! Homemade pizza! It was delicious! exclaims Mokuba.
"Good. Now, I want you to go to bed," says Seto, "I may be here for awhile."
Okay, big brother! Don't forget that you're helping me on my project tomorrow!
"I'll remember," says Seto, "Good night."
Good night.
Seto puts his phone away.
"Mr. Kaiba?" asks the doctor walking up to Seto.
"Yes!" exclaims Seto standing.
"Maybe we should sit down?" asks the doctor motioning to the chairs.
Seto would normally refuse, but he nods his head when he sees the exhaustion on the doctor's face. He takes his seat, and the doctor sits beside him.
"I am Dr. Takanai. I've been helping your friend, Katsuya," says the doctor, "He's in serious need of help."
"That's what you're here for," says Seto glaring.
"There's only so much I can do," says Dr. Takanai, "I've tended to his wounds. He was raped. We've pulled three different DNA samples from him. He has several bruised ribs, but luckily for him, they aren't broken. He has some bumps and bruises on his head. No brain damage however. He woke up for a few minutes, but we've given him something to put him to sleep. He should recover from his attack fairly well, but that's not why he needs help."
Seto's eyes widen. "What else did you find?"
"He's extremely mal-nourished, and his stomach is very small. I believe he is anorexic," says Dr. Takanai.
"Anorexic?"
"Anorexia nervosa. It's an eating disorder where, for some reason, a person will stop eating or eat very little," says Dr. Takanai, "He may need counseling. He'll need to be watched carefully for awhile."
"Whatever help he needs, he'll get," says Seto, "When can I take him home?"
"I would like to keep him over night for observation, and truthfully, due to his condition, he should be hospitalized longer," says Dr. Takanai.
"I'll make sure he starts eating better," says Seto, "Could I take him home in the morning? Early morning?"
Dr. Takanai sighs and nods. "If you insist, Mr. Kaiba."
Seto leans back in his chair as Dr. Takanai leaves. He thinks to himself, 'Why would I tell that doctor that I would make sure Jou got better and started eating? Why do I even care about him getting better? I'm just paying his bill because I found him, and I'm not going to have his death or injuries on my conscience! He's really going to owe me for all this! Filthy mutt, making me worry!"
An erratic ringing breaks Seto from his train of though. He pulls his cell phone out. "Kaiba."
This is Detective Shimura, Mr. Kaiba. We believe we have found the home of Mr. Jounouchi. His neighbors recognize his picture, but there's no one responding at his apartment, comes the voice on the other line.
"Tell me where it is," says Seto.
Detective Shimura gives Seto the address even as Seto hurries out to his Jaguar.
Seto drives back to the neighborhood where he found Katsuya beaten and battered. He parks the car and turns on the state of the art security system as he runs towards the apartment building. He looks at the mailboxes and sees 'K. Jounouchi' written on the box for an apartment on the top floor. He runs all the way up the stairs to the sixth floor of the shabby apartment building. He pants as he heads to 6B. He knocks on the door.
Silence greets Seto from the apartment as he catches his breath.
Seto looks around and smirks when he sees no one. He pulls two paper clips from his pocket and straightens them as best he can. He kneels in front of the door and slides the clips into the lock, twisting and fiddling with them until he hears the lock release. He smirks at the trick he learned while in the orphanage.
Seto stands while turning the doorknob, and he enters the apartment. He closes the door as he looks around the living room. He scoffs at the tattered couch and small black and white TV that are the only things in the living room aside from a small table near the door. He walks through the first doorway he sees and enters the kitchen, and a thought occurs to him.
'Anorexia nervosa. It's an eating disorder where, for some reason, a person will stop eating or eat very little.'
Seto searches the cabinets and refrigerator, finding them all empty. The only food he sees in the kitchen at all is a piece of moldy bread in the trashcan. "Maybe," he mumbles, "Maybe this isn't Jou's house. I hope not."
Seto steps out of the kitchen and walks into the larger bedroom. He sees the man lying on the worn mattress on the floor. He covers his nose as the stench of alcohol reaches his nostrils. He glances around the room, trying to pretend that the man's blond hair doesn't look slightly familiar.
The man grunts loudly.
Seto ducks out of the bedroom and breathes a sigh of relief. He looks into the next room to find the bathroom. He steps into the next room, the smaller bedroom, and his heart sinks.
A broken-down mattress sits on the floor with a thin blanket spread neatly over it. The closet door hangs open to reveal, at the most, six different outfits, three of which being the school's uniforms. A bag and schoolbooks litter the floor, but the most surprising aspect of the room is the wallpaper. Letters and pictures cover the solid white walls, and the pictures all show the same smiling face, a pretty young woman.
"Shizuka… Jou's little sister," whispers Seto, "Damn it." He locks the door for the apartment from the inside before heading out Katsuya's bedroom window and moving down the fire escape. He returns to his car and heads home. He checks on Mokuba, sleeping peacefully in his bed, before he heads to his own room. "Damn. I forgot to grab clothes for Jou!"
Seto quickly pulls out a few older articles of his clothing, things he grew out of the year before but hadn't yet disposed of. He folds them neatly and sets them on his desk. "The house was locked… Jou should have had a key."
Seto starts to remove his clothing and get dressed for bed while he dials the number from the card Detective Shimura had given him. "Yes, Detective Shimura? This is Seto Kaiba… Did any of the officers find a key in the alley where Jou was?"
Yes, Mr. Kaiba. There was an empty wallet and a small key chain found with the torn clothing your friend had been wearing, says Detective Shimura.
"Could I come by tomorrow morning… around six… to pick up Jou's possessions?"
That will be all right, says Detective Shimura, I'll make sure the receptionist knows in case I have to step out.
"Detective… what will happen to the men who attacked him?" asks Seto.
They've confessed. I think we have a good chance of them pleading guilty, says Detective Shimura, I'll keep you posted, but we shouldn't even need Jou to testify that it was forced.
"Good," says Seto, "I'll be by in the morning. Good night, and do try to lock those men up forever!"
We certainly will. Good night.
Seto places his phone on his nightstand, removes his pants and replaces them with his pajama pants. He turns the lights off and climbs into bed for a few brief hours of sleep.
The alarm clock wakes Seto at the normal time, five-thirty.
Seto dresses quickly in his school uniform. He grabs his cell phone and the clothing for Katsuya before hurrying out to his Jaguar. He drives to the police station and finds Detective Shimura.
The detective gives Seto the wallet containing Katsuya's driver's license and picture of Serenity as well as the simple key chain with one key on the bracelet chain.
Seto nods his thanks and hurries to the hospital. He carries the stack of clothing inside, and he approaches the nurse's desk. "I'm here to take Katsuya Jounouchi home."
"Yes. Dr. Takanai said you'd be here. You need to sign these release forms," says the nurse passing some papers to Seto.
Seto quickly signs all the forms and returns them to the nurse.
"He's in room 201, second floor," says the nurse.
Seto carries the clothing with him as he steps into the elevator. He goes up to the second floor and quickly finds room 201. He enters to find Katsuya all alone and sleeping peacefully. He sees his trench coat hanging in the closet and he smirks. He pulls the blankets down and gently removes the hospital gown Katsuya wears. He sees how thin Katsuya is and even takes a minute to count all the ribs poking through the skin.
Katsuya moans quietly as Seto guides his body into a satin shirt.
Seto's nimble fingers button up the shirt quickly before he lowers the gown the rest of the way to reveal Katsuya's lower body. He stares for a moment at the sight before him before he shakes his head with a thought, 'I am not gay! I do not like boys! I hate Jou, and I most certainly don't want to touch his dick!"
Katsuya rolls a little to the side as Seto pulls the black boxer briefs from the pile of clothing.
Seto slides the underwear up Katsuya's legs, and he lifts the sleeping boy's waist to try to pull them the rest of the way on. However, the one part of Katsuya's body that Seto swears he wants nothing to do with refuses to cooperate nicely. He blushes as he uses both his hands to get past the obstacle, one hand running lightly down the length pushing it down as the other hand pulls the fabric up. 'I'm not gay! I did not enjoy that! That was a shiver of dread running down my spine! I am so not gay…'
"That's the way… I like it," mumbles Katsuya in his sleep.
Seto blushes a deep red as he slowly pulls the black pants up Katsuya's legs. To his surprise, he finds a slightly larger bulge preventing him from zipping the pants. He uses his hand once again to push the length beneath the fabric, and the same tingling sensation courses through his body. He zips the pants quickly.
"That feels so good, baby," whispers Katsuya in his sleep.
'He's getting aroused by a guy, but he doesn't know I'm a guy because he is still asleep,' thinks Seto, 'If he ever knew I touched his crotch he would totally go ballistic. Not like I want him to know. I'm not gay.' He moves over and gets his trench coat, sliding it on as he returns to the side of the bed to look at Katsuya. 'The mutt is rather adorable when he's sleeping… what? Did I just call him adorable? I am so not gay. He is not adorable!'
Katsuya moans as Seto lifts him in his arms.
Seto carries Katsuya out of the hospital and places him gently in the Jaguar's passenger seat. He drives to the shabby apartment building while Katsuya sleeps peacefully beside him.
Katsuya doesn't wake up, even as Seto carries him up the several long flights of stairs and wrestles with getting the door unlocked.
"Oh, let me help you with that, dear," says a gentle, feminine voice emerging from the apartment behind Seto.
Seto backs away from the door and looks at the seventy-something woman. "Who are you?"
"I'm Mrs. Iroki, Jou's neighbor," says the gray-haired woman unlocking the door to Katsuya's apartment and handing the key back to Seto's hand, the one holding the blond boy's knees, "It's so nice of you to bring Jou home like this. I was beginning to wonder if he would ever find a boyfriend."
"Boyfriend? I'm not his…"
"Oh? Are you just a friend then? I'm sorry. I just assumed that since you were carrying him and bringing him home so early that you didn't want his father to know you'd been having sex," says Mrs. Iroki, "I'm sorry."
"I happen to be a virgin," says Seto defensively, not quite sure why he's telling a strange old lady such private matters, "and I didn't know Jou was gay."
"Well, Jou doesn't like to tell too many people that, not even his closest friends. He's afraid they wouldn't quite understand," says Mrs. Iroki reaching out to brush a stray blond hair away from Katsuya's closed eyes, "He's such a loving boy."
"I love you too," mumbles Katsuya.
"Do you have a moment, Mrs. Iroki? I would like to buy you a cup of coffee so we could talk some more," says Seto.
Mrs. Iroki smiles. "I would like that."
"Wait here. I'm going to put Jou to bed," says Seto.
"Be sure to kiss him good night when you tuck your boyfriend in… oh, I'm sorry! You said you weren't his boyfriend," says Mrs. Iroki with a glint in her eyes, "Old age, you see… you tend to forget things." She reaches out and opens the door for Seto.
Seto carries Katsuya into the apartment and into his bedroom. He lays the sleeping boy gently on the mattress and pulls the blanket to wrap around him. He gives Katsuya a quick peck on the forehead. 'I am not gay. It's just to please the old hag.'
Seto deposits the still empty wallet and key beside Katsuya's book bag, and he hurries out to where Mrs. Iroki waits. He closes the door. "Is there a coffee shop nearby?"
"Not for several blocks," says Mrs. Iroki.
"We'll take my car," says Seto starting down the stairs with Mrs. Iroki, "So… if Jou didn't even tell his close friends that he's gay, how do you know?"
"His own father doesn't even know about his preference," says Mrs. Iroki, "but I had let it slip once that my youngest son was gay. So Jou came to me about six months ago, and he told me his secret because he knew I wouldn't judge him."
Seto leads Mrs. Iroki to his car and opens the door for her to get in.
Mrs. Iroki climbs into the car.
Seto closes the door and runs around to the driver's side. He climbs in and starts the engine.
"Jou wanted some advice," says Mrs. Iroki.
"What kind of advice?" asks Seto driving the car away.
"He wanted to have some ideas for how to win the man of his dreams," says Mrs. Iroki with a gentle sigh, "Such a sweet boy. I told him all about how my Eiji had won my heart and then about how my son, Eikiji, had won the heart of his current boyfriend. He hoped he could use some of those ideas to attract a special young man he has his eyes on, and such handsome eyes they are, don't you think?"
"Muddy brown does nothing for me," says Seto with a pale blush adorning his cheeks.
Mrs. Iroki notices the blush but doesn't comment on it. She closes her eyes and smiles. "I think they look more like the golden rays of sunlight reflecting off the autumn leaves."
Seto pulls the Jaguar into the parking lot of the coffee shop. "We're here."
"Already? Oh, my! This car is fast," says Mrs. Iroki.
Seto climbs out and moves around to help Mrs. Iroki from the car. He escorts her into the coffee shop and up to the counter. "Order anything you want."
"I'll have a small black coffee and a cinnamon Danish if you please," says Mrs. Iroki.
"And for you, sir?" asks the woman.
"Just a small café au lait," says Seto.
"You're still growing, young man. You should eat something," says Mrs. Iroki with a smile, "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day."
"Fine. I'll have the same Danish," says Seto.
Mrs. Iroki nods happily.
"That comes to five dollars please," says the woman.
Seto pulls out his wallet and passes the money to the woman.
After a minute, Mrs. Iroki leads Seto over to a table where they sit down to eat their Danishes and drink the coffee.
"So… what do you know about Jou's crush? Does he also like men?" asks Seto.
"Jou doesn't know his crush's preference, I'm afraid," says Mrs. Iroki, "All he's told me is that his crush is tall, dark, and handsome with the most beautiful eyes that could make you go weak in the knees." She takes a long drink of her coffee. "That's why I thought it was you."
Seto takes a long breath as he eats his Danish. 'Could she be right? Could Jou have a crush on me?'
"Shouldn't you be heading off to school soon, young man?" asks Mrs. Iroki, "You haven't even told me your name."
"Seto," says the brown haired teen quietly, "Call me Seto."
"Thank you for breakfast, Seto," says Mrs. Iroki, "I hope you make some boy really happy someday."
"I like girls," says Seto standing, "And you're welcome. Do you need a ride anywhere?"
"I would like the exercise of walking, but thank you none-the-less," says Mrs. Iroki.
Seto nods and walks away. He heads out to his car and heads back to his mansion. He walks into the kitchen where a still tired Mokuba sits having breakfast. "Good morning, Mokuba."
"Morning, Seto," says Mokuba yawning.
"Hurry and finish your breakfast. We need to leave for school soon. And I need to call and cancel my meetings this afternoon so we can work on your project," says Seto pulling out his cell phone.
Mokuba's eyes light up as he hears Seto telling his secretary to clear his schedule for the day. "Thanks, Seto!"
End Flashback