Oo It's you again! Come back to read another chappie, have you? How marvelous! Maybe you'll even… dare I say it…review? Review, review! Hooray!
Because! This fic has almost 2000 hits so far (go you guys! . ) but according to my calculations puts on reading glasses (...I don't have reading glasses...) that means only about every 40th person reviewed! You guys can do better than that! It only takes you a minute to clicky the review and say "hi" or whatever you want to say and it makes me happy as a clam! I don't like clams... well, I like the clams themselves but I think they taste bad, which is why I don't eat them... erm...yes...
Warnings: shonen-ai? This chapter? What? Maybe not… you'll have to find out, I suppose…
Disclaimer: NO!!!! Kaiba Corp. belongs to meee! YOU'LL NEVER TAKE IT, FOOL!!! Oh, that's right, it doesn't. It belongs to Kaiba. Who belongs to Kazuki Takahashi. My mistake… I wish Kaiba belonged to me…anyway… ficcy time!
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Chapter 7: Dusty Skeletons
"I guess… I'll be going now. See ya around, Kaiba."
The breeze as the blond walked by him caused the CEO's chocolate locks to sway slightly, although he himself did not stir as he watched the spot where the blond had disappeared, long after the revving of the engine had faded.
It had been a week, and Jounouchi still couldn't get the moment off his mind. The moment he had left, and the look on Kaiba's face. What could he call it… confusion? Maybe even…sadness? But no, that was stupid. A confused Kaiba's weird enough, without him havin' any actual emotions or anything…but I guess he did save me, so he's gotta have a heart after all… it's just 10 sizes too small… he grinned at his reference, thinking how like the Grinch Kaiba really was. Just not green… and really huggable.
Dammit… that's right. Why'd I do that anyways? Musta been outta my fuckin' mind to hug Kaiba like that. Dunno what I was thinking, but it sure as hell won't happen again. It can't happen again. An' why'd he hug me back? I mean, talk about out-of-character things to do...
He stood and paced back and forth in his small room in the attic, finally stopping to lean heavily against the dusty window and stare out at the street. Two small girls with matching red scarves were drawing a hopscotch game on the cracked sidewalk with bright chalk, breath fogging slightly from the cold. Jounouchi watched them for a moment, before turning away and sighing. Why couldn't he stop thinking about Kaiba? Maybe it was that he felt he owed him something. He couldn't imagine why the cold man had done so much for him, but that didn't change the fact that he would be a lot worse off than he was if Kaiba hadn't come along when he did… and how much did that doctor cost anyway? Probably a shitload… it was home care, after all… s'not like he can't afford it, but how pathetic am I? First I need 'im to save my ass, then he's gotta spend a whole buncha money on me, too? Nah… can't let 'im do that… I gotta find a way ta pay him back.
The answer was so obvious… he'd just have to get a job. Who knows how long it would take before he could get the doctor fees to Kaiba, but dammit, he would do it if it killed him… he'd do it if it took paying Kaiba in installments until he was 60. He didn't need this. He didn't need to owe Kaiba anything. So… where to get a job? It'd have to pay better than minimum wage, but what place like that would hire him? Jou jumped up and ran across the room to the door, throwing it wide open and scrambling across the hall and down the creaky stairs to the makeshift kitchen, where the daily newspaper was laying disheveled on the table. He picked it up and scanned it for available jobs.
"Lessee… fast food, no, minimum wage… more fast food… more fast food…well, shit, are there any other jobs available?... barista… bookstore… janitor. Janitor? Didn't that pay well? Or at least, better than the other jobs did. Jou wasn't sure he liked the idea of cleaning other people's shit up but it was a hell of a lot better than being stuck at some sweat shop owing Kaiba for the rest of his life. Okay, so what was the place that needed a Janitor? He scanned the advertisement, until he finally found his answer… and promptly dropped the newspaper back onto the table, sinking weakly into a folding chair next to it.
"Oh, no. No, no, no. Ya gotta be kiddin' me. Why, of all places, does it have ta be Kaiba Corp?" But he found himself in too deep, as the saying goes. Nothin' else for it, I guess I'll just have ta deal with Kaiba makin' all kinds of Rich Asshole jokes… talk about addin' fuel to his fire. The dog names are bad enough, but this! This is gonna be hell.
Katsuya sat listlessly at the dingy table, wrinkling the ad absentmindedly and thinking. When all of a sudden an idea hit him. It hit him so hard that he nearly jumped out of his chair. That's it! What better way to pay Kaiba back than to save his life? A life for a life! 'Cause I just know he's gonna get himself into deep shit with this magic business…then again, if he catches me, I'm gonna have a lotta explainin' ta do…
The blond almost laughed aloud. It was too perfect. Even after all his warnings of the danger and the risk, he knew Kaiba wouldn't listen. Since when had he put his personal health or safety before getting ahead in the business world? Just take the fact that he doesn't eat dinner because he's always working into consideration! He doesn't care about himself any more than he cares about anybody else. As Janitor, he would have access to Kaiba Corp… all of Kaiba Corp… and that would include Seto's office, on the very top floor. It would be a simple matter to sneak in under the guise of cleaning, and snatch the earring as soon as Kaiba took it off and left the room… it's not like he would wear it all the time, right? He could just slip it into his pocket, easy as pie, and be out of there. Of course, he could just do that right now using his anklet, but he wouldn't make any money that way… no, it would be better to take the job. He crossed the room to the phone, ready to schedule an interview.
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Two days later, Jou found himself seated at a desk in Kaiba Corporation, across from a rather frumpy man wearing a business suit. The man's fingers were interlaced, and he was leaning forward across the desk in a manner that possibly was supposed to be intimidating. This guy needs to chill out…maybe some sedatives would do da trick…
"Excuse me, sir, but did you hear the question?" Jou was started out of his thoughts by the man's voice, which was currently directing annoyance and irritation his way.
"Sorry, I missed that last one… what didja say?" He grinned as the man bristled. Maybe not so good to make him mad when he wanted the guy to hire him, but it sure was funny.
"I said, what qualities do you believe you possess that would make you the best candidate for the job?"
"Well… I'll work really hard, 'cause I need the money to pay back a…friend… who helped me out, and I can work long hours on th' weekends."
The man sighed. This…boy… annoyed him, and yet he seemed at least sane, which was more than he could say of the others who had applied for the position. He shuddered as he remembered the man dressed as a Viking who had arrived carrying a rainbow striped umbrella even though it had not been raining. And that breath…well, he supposed that decided the matter.
"Very well, consider yourself hired. We will be sending you your work schedule by mail in the next day or so."
Jou grinned. "Thanks a lot." The man attempted to smile back, although it came out as rather a grimace. "Indeed," He returned, before making his exit and leaving Jounouchi to do the same at his leisure.
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Days later, Jou stood in the basement of Kaiba Corp wearing pale blue overalls and a name tag that read "Hello. My name is Jounouchi Katsuya." Oh, the indignity of it all. But there was one part of his uniform that he liked very much, and that just happened to be the enormous keyring that hung from his uniform belt. He loved how they jingled, he loved that they were shiny… and he loved that they would get him into Kaiba's office when noone was looking. But first, to establish some basic trust, Jou decided to go about his job as normal for the first few days. Simply to squash suspicion. He doubted Kaiba could get himself into too much trouble in such a short span of time. Katsuya picked up his mop and surveyed the basement of Kaiba Corp in bewilderment. Everything was so dusty… well, guess I better jus' pick a spot and get started.
Hours later, Jounouchi had decided that there was a very good reason that being a Janitor paid better than other jobs. It seemed the dirt and dust had disappeared from the floor just to reappear all over him.
Jeez… th' things I do for that asshole…
He glanced at the clock, realizing that his shift was over. Jou made his way to the closet and put away his cleaning equipment before checking himself out. So far, so good. He hadn't been spotted by Kaiba. But who knows how long I can keep that up…
Fortunately for Katsuya, said CEO was at that very moment holed up in his office, yelling at his secretary through the intercom.
"I most certainly did NOT order 50 pounds of Hershey's kisses in the company name! Send them back, dammit!" He paused, listening to his secretary, Miwa-san, try to explain the strange order. Why wouldn't the damn woman stop stuttering? Kaiba loved trying to intimidate people, but he hated it when they turned into blithering idiots. Where the hell did that order come from? The only people who can order items under the company name without my authorization are myself, of course, and…
"MOKUBA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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How many days had it been since he had started his job? Jounouchi Katsuya had once again donned the overalls, mop in hand. Unfortunately for him, his plan had proven much more difficult to execute than he originally thought. Does that bastard ever leave his office? At this rate I'm gonna have to start workin' grave shift just to catch him outta the office! Nothing for it… he would have to have reinforcements. And when it came to Kaiba, reinforcements meant Mokuba. Kaiba fished around in his jeans, withdrawing a worn piece of paper with the Kaiba Mansion phone number scrawled across it in the raven-haired kid's messy handwriting. He had given it to Jou soon after he regained consciousness, just in case he ever needed anything. And he certainly needed help now.
He made his way stealthily over to the janitor's office, carefully picking the dirty black phone out of the cradle and holding it to his ear as he dialed.
Ring…ring…ring…c'mon, Mokuba, pick up! …ring… "Hello?"
He sighed in relief. "Hey, kid, it's Jou."
"Jou!" the other said happily, "what's going on?"
"Well… I kinda need yer help…"
"Sure… what do you need?"
"D'you think you could get Kaiba outta the office for a little while?"
"Well, I guess so. Why do you need my big brother out of his office?"
"Ya wouldn't believe me if I toldja. Actually… you might, but never mind that. Can you just trust me on this one? It's for his own good…"
He could hear Mokuba shuffling around the mansion through the phone. He seemed to be thinking before he finally replied. "Okay, Jou, I trust you. I mean, you and niichan are friends now, right?"
Jou tried his very best not to laugh. Niichan? Friends? What gave him that idea? Oh, well… "Course we are, kid."
"Well, okay then. I'll call him right now."
"Thanks, Mokuba. I'll talk to you later."
"Okay, Jou. Bye!" the younger boy chirped, before the dial tone rang once again in Jounouchi's ear.
Well, that went well, at least. Kaiba hasn't responded to any of my thoughts recently, so I bet he's not wearin' the earring right now. It would get tiring ta have ta hear someone's thoughts all th' time…the tricky part'll be findin' where he put it. I wonder how long it'll take for Mokuba ta get 'im outta there... better wait, just ta be sure.
Jonouchi slowly made his way to the front of the building, mop in tow, and began inconspicuously cleaning the floors in a corner of the room. As soon as Kaiba made his exit... he'd move. Jou grinned to himself. This was beginning to sound like a cheesy detective movie. Ah well... those'r always the best ones, anyhow. That was when his phone rang again. Jou picked it up, hoping the secretary at the front desk wouldn't notice he was talking on the job.
"Moshi moshi?"
"Jou! It's Mokuba!"
"Mokuba...? How didja get my number?"
"Oh, that's nothing special. I traced your call from before."
"...Oh."
"Anyway... I can't get big brother to leave! He says he has a lot of work to do, and we can go have lunch another time!"
Jou sighed, massaging his temples to aleviate his irritation with the older Kaiba. "It's okay, Mokuba. Just keep tryin'... use any tactics necessary... I don't know... tell 'im the mansion's burning down or somethin'."
"I can't do that! He'd kill me when he got home!"
"Okay, well thinka somethin' different then. This is real important, Mokuba. Please, ya gotta help me out."
He heard the other sigh into the mouthpiece. "Well, allright, Jou, I'll do my best."
He smiled. "Thanks, kid."
And so Jou settled in once again to wait. He mopped slowly so he would have an excuse to stay in the lobby. As the time passed, out of sheer boredom Jou began to listen to people's footfalls. Some were timid as they walked up to the desk, as if they thought the secretary would bite there heads off. Some were fast, as if they were in a hurry.
"step...step...step"
"stepstepstepstepstep"
"step...step step step...step"
Jou sighed at how pathetic this was.
"Step. Step. Step. Step."
What was that? Those... self assured footsteps that sounded like their owner owned the place. And sure enough... their owner did own the place. Jou looked up just in time to see Kaiba round the corner, looking thoroughly exasperated. His secretary looked up questioningly, but was silenced by a well-directed glare. His footsteps quickened as he crossed the lobby, trench coat billowing threateningly behind him, briefcase swinging by his side. Within moments, he was through the revolving doors and climbing gracefully into the limo awaiting him by the sidewalk just outside Kaiba Corp.
Allright! Jou cheered silently, making his way past the front desk. He hurried along the corridor until he was sure he was out of sight, and then began his strange request.
Take me ta Seto Kaiba's office in Kaiba Corp. The one in Domino. he thought quickly, unsure if Kaiba was based in other countries as well. Seto Kaiba's office in Domino. Seto Kaiba's office--
"Oof!" Jou sat on the floor in a beautifully furnished room, rubbing his backside dejectedly. Am I ever gonna be able ta land right? Oh well, maybe someday. But..holy shit! Look at this room... it's just so...so.. Kaiba. He stood slowly and turned in a full circle, taking in the splendor. It wasn't overly furnished, it was just... beautiful. Jou shook his head to clear those thoughts. Time to focus on the job at hand. He quickly spotted the desk in the back of the room. It was positioned just in front of a large window that looked out on the whole city. The view was incredible, and Jou watched the cars down below, and the black specks that were people bustling about. Was this what it was like to be Kaiba? So high above the rest of them, and yet completely alone. This building was all he had to show for it. No... he didn't think it was worth it at all. Turning his back on the window, Jou took in the sight of the desk. The computer was state-of-the-art, situated on the far left, and there were two piles of paper neatly stacked on the other side. He glanced through them. They seemed to be nothing more than stocks and business propositions. No sign of the earring... Jou glanced down again and noticed the drawers in the desk. He tugged on one handle, but it was locked tight. Jonouchi grinned wickedly at the keyring hanging at his side. He sat crosslegged on the ground and began trying keys, one after another, and yet, fifteen minutes later when he had run out of keys to try, the lock still remained unopened.
Damn that richboy... what does he have in here? Well... I don' live in th' slums fer nothin'. He grinned wickedly and produced a single hairpin, and set to work on the stubborn locks. Five minutes... ten minutes... eleven minutes... dammit...
Click.
Jou froze. Was that what I think it was? He reached out one hand and slid the drawer open noiselessly. Jackpot! But...where's the earring? These're just more papers. Dammit, another dead end. But..then again... if Kaiba went through all the trouble of locking these up an' makin' sure noone would see em, there's gotta be some interestin' stuff in here...
He reached into the drawer and picked up some of the papers. Underneath them was a single yellowing folder that looked quite old. Jou removed it from the drawer and put the papers back. And what do we have here...? He opened it and glanced at the first page. But he did not glance away. Jou's eyes were rivetted to a single photo attached to a stack of papers with a simple paperclip. This was... it can't be. Not Kaiba...he's...
A sudden sound at the door made Jou's heart leap into his chest. Panicking, his brain wasn't working properly to find a solution, and he could only stare in horror as the door handle turned and Kaiba stepped into the room holding his cell phone.
"Yes, Mokuba, I left those stocks on my desk, and I need to look through them as soon as possible. Yes, we're still going to lunch. I will be bringing them with me. Okay." He snapped the phone shut and looked up, blue eyes meeting brown, both frozen in place, one in horror and one in rage.
Kaiba was the first to speak. "Mutt..." he said softly, voice quivering with fury, "what are you doing in my office?"
"I...I jus'... I didn't mean ta..."
That was when the CEO spotted the folder clenched tight in Jonouchi's hands. His eyes widened with unknown emotion. He saw it. Jonouchi saw it all. DAMN HIM! What gave him the right to... Damn it! He saw it!"
Jou stared once more at Kaiba, and his eyes wandered down to the picture in his hands. It was Kaiba... but a younger Kaiba. He was wearing nothing but sweatpants. Stripes of blood were slashed across his chest, scars woven across his body like spiderwebs. Those blue eyes stared at the camera lifelessly...they were so empty... as empty as they are now. Jonouchi closed his eyes softly, filled with unexpected pain at the yellowing photograph. That was when Kaiba regained his voice once again.
"How...how dare you. How dare you come in here and go through my desk... look at my private documents. What gives you the right? WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT, GODDAMN YOU!" He roared suddenly. Kaiba threw down his briefcase and flew across the room, elbow slamming into Jonouchi's stomach as he grabbed the folder and threw it away from them. He grabbed Jonouchi's shoulders and slammed him again and again into the floor. Katsuya lay limp, at a loss for words, head roaring dully with pain. And yet it didn't register. Those empty blue eyes were burned onto his vision... they were all that he could see. He faintly noticed Kaiba's voice getting more and more ragged, his assault becoming weaker. The hands that had once gripped him fiercely were shaking uncontrollably... and then Kaiba stopped his attack altogether.
Jou weakly pulled himself into a sitting position, watching the other warily. The brunet's eyes were squeezed shut and he was muttering incoherantly, holding his head in his hands and rocking back and forth, gasping for breath. He gave one final shudder, before his eyes rolled up and he collapsed against the blond, unconcious.
Katsuya hardly dared to move, hardly dared to look upon the body covering his own. He felt nothing but shame and pain coursing through his veins. He didn't deserve to look at this person. Still, he found his hands gently sliding up the other's arms. He wrapped his arms around the brunet softly, pulling him close and gently kissing the top of his head, feeling the soft hair brush against his cheek. Jou buried his face in the other's neck, lips brushing against skin as he whispered to the silent room the one thing he desperately wanted the unconcious boy to know.
"I'm sorry."
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Fini!!! The longest chappie yet by A THOUSAND WORDS! Yay!!! Don't you think I deserve a review for the long chappie?
I'm kind of like a dog that finally managed to do a trick and wants one of those doggie crackers shaped like bones. .
Jou: Hey wait a sec! I thought I was the dog!
Seto: Oh, so you finally realized that, did you?
Jou: Shaddup.
authoress: review!!!!!!!! XD