So a computer fan failure and a move later, I'm back in business. Despite being in the new place for about a month, we're still unpacking boxes and my work just put in a new mandatory "no personal computers," so I'm back to old school pencil and paper. Which means my writing has slowed down somewhat; it's twice as fast to type as it is to write by hand. Updates should pick back up, but my error rate will probably go up too. If there's something glaring, please tell me, otherwise it will be up to my random "lets make sure everything is correct" fits.
On the story end of things, remember that there are three basic levels of speech in Japanese: the neutral -desu, the informal -da, and the formal -de gozaimasu, all of which basically mean "it is." It's one of those things that's hard to translate over. There's actually about seven different divisions of language, with four "polite" versions that depend on who's talking about what. Suffice to say, Jounouchi typically speaks in the informal, usually to the point to of being exceptionally rude. Remember this, it's important later in the chapter.
~Tawnya
Chapter 9—
Despite being unhooked from every machine they had in the room and being held for only a few more days of observation, Jounouchi was never moved out of the private room and into one of the recovery rooms often shared by five or seven others. And while there were certainly more severe cases that could have made use of the space, no one asked about it, though Kaiba received a few considering looks from the rest of the group. If they thought he was responsible for it, then they were sorely mistaken. The Kaiba name and monetary power went far, but not that far. Keeping Jounouchi isolated in a private room was the doctor's discretion; it just wasn't a point Kaiba disagreed with.
It had taken two days of isolation and distraction (helpfully provided by Mokuba) before he felt ready to walk back into the hospital and face Jounouchi. He knew he had pushed too far, and for the first time in a while, he felt guilty for it. The whole thing had brought up demons he thought he was done with. The resentfulness of being abandoned at the orphanage, the anger at all those who's "love" couldn't extend to his brother, the hatred he'd developed for Gozaburo. He'd run the full gambit of emotions in these last two days. This had been so much easier when he hadn't cared…
So it was with mixed feelings that he entered the room that Saturday morning. Putting off the confrontation would only make it harder. He would be fine with however the situation played out, but he still needed to know where he stood so that he could move on. Thus, he was justifiably confused when he opened the door to an empty room.
There was that moment of Did I already miss my chance? before logic stepped in. The book bag Honda had brought with make-up work was still in the room, packed to overflowing and waiting in one of the chairs. The hospital smock was tossed into a haphazard pile on the bed, trying to slink over the edge to the floor. And then there was a thump and a loud curse from the room's private bathroom.
"What the hell are you doing?"
Jounouchi half turned, blinking at Kaiba from under one arm with an annoyed expression. "Bleachin' my hair. What's it look like?"
The response died on his tongue as the implications of that statement came home. "You bleach your hair?"
"Yeah, I do. Now do you mind? I'd like to get this stuff out before the nurses come back."
For as awkward as it was to watch, it had to be more so to wash out whatever solution Jounouchi had applied to his hair with only one usable hand in such a tiny sink. For a moment, Kaiba was tempted to offer help, but there was no way both of them would fit into the space without some uncomfortable positioning. So he took his usual position and waited.
After several more minutes and curses as the blond jarred his injured wrist, Jounouchi walked out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his bare shoulders and hair dripping. Someone had been thoughtful enough to bring street clothing, and Jounouchi had already changed into his jeans. The stitches in his side were like a neon sign against the pale skin, following the curve of his ribcage. Bruising marbled the area, fading in and out all across the exposed torso, highlighting fainter, older scars. He was also thinner than Kaiba had originally thought, but he had more muscle mass then had been accredited, too. Watching Jounouchi move in the clothes that always seemed a little too big for him had given the impression of a smaller, slighter frame, though the strength he displayed at any given point should have been a clue otherwise. Given a few more years to fill out properly, he'd be swimming in a sea of women. If they could get past his personality…
Silently, he shook his head at himself. Jounouchi was hard headed, and a slacker when he thought he could get away with it, but there was also a dedication and determination underneath that few could match. He held strong to his own convictions, even if they were impractical or unpopular. Though he might not always be the easiest person to get along with, there was never a doubt of where you stood with him. Kaiba had to give credit where credit was due; Jounouchi would make a wonderful husband someday.
With a smile he wasn't conscious of wearing, Kaiba walked over to the floundering boy and pulled the towel from his fumbling hands, briskly rubbing the wet hair down. He reasoned it was okay because he did the same with Mokuba, and his brother had twice the amount of hair as Jounouchi. For the most part, there wasn't a complaint. Jounouchi had only jumped the once when their hands had touched, but endured having his hair dried for him silently.
"So why do you bleach it?"
"You have seen my sister, right?" Kaiba made a positive noise. "That's what color it is naturally. I look dumb as a brunet." This time, Kaiba snorted. "What? I do!" Jounouchi took the towel back, glaring up from under his half-dried bangs. "I mean, it wouldn't be so bad if maybe if it had ended up darker, like yours, or maybe Honda's. But no, I got mom's red-brown somethin'. It may have started as a dare, but I like the blond." He shrugged. "Lets me know when my hair needs trimmin' too."
"Only you would consider that mop 'trimmed'."
"Yeah, well I look stupid with short hair, too."
They fell into an awkward silence as Jounouchi finished messing with his hair and pulled his shirt on. Though he didn't make any noise, there was an obvious flinch of pain as the stitches were pulled. Kaiba found himself looking away and instead busied himself with looking over his classmate's make-up work. Just glancing over it, he found a handful of problems done incorrectly, and even more where entire steps had been left out. He shook his head. There would be no way Jounouchi would graduate the grade, let alone the school, if his work kept turning out like this. It was pretty obvious he wasn't cut out to be a regular student. So… "Why aren't you in the vocational school?"
Jounouchi huffed, taking the papers out of his hands. "Just because I suck at anythin' dealin' with numbers doesn't mean I should be a gas attendant for the rest of my life. I've spent enough time in physical labor jobs to know I'm built for it, but I wanna do somethin' else with my life. Don't really know what yet, but I wanna try for it anyway." He stuffed the paperwork into his bag. "It's part of the reason I chose to attend Domino High. I know I'm not cut out to be a salary man, but bein' in vocational trainin' wasn't the only way I was gonna graduate. Figured it was the best of both worlds." He suddenly pinned Kaiba with a sharp glance. "What about you? How the hell did you end up in Domino High?"
Kaiba shrugged. "They were the only school willing to deal with my demands."
"Deal with your demands?" Jounouchi asked, raising a disbelieving eyebrow. "You're kiddin', right? You've got more money than god and a business that's world recognized and you're sayin' that of all the high schools you could've gone to, Domino High was the only one willing to deal with you?"
"For all the reasons you just pointed out, I don't need the damn degree," Kaiba said coldly. "Technically, I've had a high school diploma since I was thirteen, but the records can't be verified."
He paused, thinking if he should continue. He'd already forced out one of Jounouchi's secrets, certainly he could let one of his own slip, too. "Besides," he continued in a softer tone, "it was part of the deal to give Mokuba's guardianship to me. Kaiba Corporation by-laws demanded that upon the CEO's death, another bearer of the Kaiba name must take over. And because I had already proven to be uncontrolable, the other five major stockholders decided to try and take custody of both of us, citing that I was too young to take care of both the business as well as my own brother. I argued that that was precisely why I could. The court ruled that I could have custody so long as I retained certain points of 'normalcy.' One of which was to attend high school. Not graduate, not test out of, simply attend. Domino High School was the only school that was willing to allow me the time off to deal with the full-time job of running my business. As long as I turn in all the homework and attend at least 70% of the time, I can do whatever I want."
"You do whatever the hell you want anyway," Jounouchi grumbled.
"I have the power and the ambition to take what I want, there's a difference. You'd be surprised how restrictive my life has been."
"Yeah, right. I'm sure it's been really hard for you to be the spoiled rich boy with daddy there to make it all go away," the blond sneered.
"My father," Kaiba said slowly, deliberately drawing himself up and meeting Jounouchi's somewhat startled expression, "was a kind and honest man who believed that the greatest gift anyone could ever receive was the chance to have a family. My mother was a beautiful and gentle woman who liked to sing while she worked around the house. Contrary to popular belief, they were happily married for ten years, during which time Mokuba and I were both born. Kaiba Gozaburo was many things, but he was most definitely not my father."
Jounouchi's golden eyes merely blinked at him, and widened as the implications became clear. It was more than he'd ever said about his previous life, and the emotion it sparked had him turning away again. Maybe two days hadn't been enough.
"I'm sorry."
The words were so softly spoken, he wasn't even sure he heard them. He looked over. Jounouchi had curled up on the bed, arms wrapped around his legs, his chin resting on his knees. His eyes were downcast as he toyed with the blanket. "I really am. That had to have been really…" Jounouchi frowned and let out a breathy sigh. "Anything I'm gonna say is just gonna sound lame, but I'm sorry for disrespectin' your family like that."
Now it was Kaiba's turn to stare. Somehow, he felt relieved and…happy?... that the other had apologized. But where had that come from?
The blond boy must have seen his confusion because he laughed softly, chewing on his thumbnail. "Just 'cuz my family's screwed up doesn't mean everyone else's is," he said with a half smile. "I'm glad you got memories like that."
"Thank you." Well, this was a weird conversation. But at least Jounouchi was talking to him. Suddenly loathe to let the exchange drop, he asked, "Do you?"
"Do I what?"
"Have memories like that?"
He was answered with a shaky smile before Jounouchi laid back down, arms crossing over his face. "I wish," was the soft reply.
Kaiba found himself straightening, curiosity starting to overcome the uncomfortable feel. He patiently waited to see if the other would continue on by himself, or if he would need to prompt the blond into continuing. But Jounouchi remained quiet this time, hiding behind his arms like they would shield him from whatever was going on through his head. After debating for a minute, Kaiba made the decision to broach the subject. He leaned against the end of the bed and said casually as he could, "What do you have then?"
Silence was his only answer for so long that Kaiba honestly thought that he wasn't going to get one. But after a while, Jounouchi shifted a little so that he was staring at the wall. "Um…Shizuka is four years younger than me and, uh… I was ten when she and mom left… I kinda remember goin' to the hospital when she was born and everyone being really happy. And then there was this place out in the middle of nowhere. We only went there once, borrowed it from some friend or somethin'. I remember that Shizuka was still too young to go out to play, so she was probably no more than three or so. So, because mom wouldn't let her outside, I brought the outside to her. Flowers, bugs, stones…anythin' I thought looked interestin'. Laid it all out on the front porch so that she could play with it…
"That's…pretty much it. I don't…really remember any other time we acted like-like a normal family, when they smiled like that at us or each other. I remember takin' Shizuka out lots of times so that she didn't hear 'em fightin', mostly to the beach." He smiled sadly. "She really liked going to the beach…"
"I'm sorry."
Jounouchi chuckled at that, finally looking back up. "What the hell are you sorry for? I'm the one that baited you into an argument. I just got what I deserved."
"No one—" He blinked in surprise as Jounouchi rolled to his knees, slamming a hand over Kaiba's mouth.
"I baited you," he said softly, "because I need to know that you knowin' about my family doesn't change anythin' between us. Yugi worries enough for ten people and Honda's been there since practically the beginnin'. Not even Shizuka knows, and it's gonna stay that way. I don't need help and I don't want pity."
Kaiba removed the hand from his mouth. "Pity and understanding are two different things. Don't mistake my understanding for anything other than that."
They stared at each other for a very long time, trying to read something that neither had a full understanding of. Finally, Jounouchi nodded and started to move away. "Good, now we can move on."
"Not yet." Kaiba didn't relinquish his grip, pulling the blond back around. "This isn't a game. If you use my family as leverage—"
"Then you don't know shit about me," Jounouchi hissed back, eyes bright with hurt and anger. "This wasn't some exchange of secrets, me getting one up on you because you had somethin' over my head. This was me openin' up to someone I thought would understand." He spat the word back. "You said all that stuff by yourself. I didn't force a damn answer out of you, so don't you dare try to threaten me with this." He pulled free of Kaiba's grip, retreating to the head of the bed and glaring for all he was worth. "Now get the hell out of my room."
Kaiba froze. What had just happened? Jounouchi repeated his demand, voice rising in both volume and tone as he became even angrier. Shock finally gave way to indignation and outrage. He'd just spent the last five days worrying over the moron, giving up precious school and work time to be there, and was only being met with anger because of it. He felt like and idiot and a fool for trying to be supportive. So much for friendship…
Clenching his jaw, he turned briskly and walked out of the room, barely having the presence of mind to not slam the door behind him. Yugi and Anzu were in the hall. Both tried to greet him, to ask what was wrong, but he ignored them. A part of him knew it wasn't a good idea to take his anger and frustration out on people who weren't involved, but the rest of him told it to shut up. At least they were smart enough not to follow him.
They did, however, contact Mokuba, who came by with the car to stop him from aimlessly wandering his anger off. He didn't even ask what was wrong, just directed the driver back to the house. When Kaiba tried to contradict that order, Mokuba very patiently told him to stuff it, that he wasn't going to work and scare all the employees half to death. They wouldn't have much of a company if he ended up firing anyone that looked at him wrong.
But being home left him with nothing to do. Not that he would accomplish much either the way his thoughts kept whirling around his head. Everything was happening too quickly and for once, he couldn't keep up with it. Mokuba once again saved him, though, by dragging him into the tv room, pushing him onto the couch and curling up next to him. "It's okay, nii-sama," he said, hugging his brother tightly. "I promise, it's okay." Kaiba returned the hug, reminding himself that this was the only thing that was important. Mokuba was the only thing that mattered, the only thing that had ever mattered. With that mantra repeating in his head, all other thoughts and feelings slipped away. And Kaiba Seto fell asleep.
Once he was sure his brother was asleep, Mokuba pulled away just enough to grab the phone. Yugi had called and said something had happened between Seto and Jounouchi. Mokuba guessed it was their first real argument since the unofficial armistice. But in order to convince his brother it would be okay to try again, that even friends of many years had their fair share of disagreements, he needed more information…and a partner in crime, if he was going to make everyone play nicely together.
()~()~()
"You're never going to pass if you keep staring off into space like that," Yugi chided, not looking up from the last of his homework.
"Sorry," Jounouchi mumbled, dropping his pencil. "I just can't get my heart into it today. Just feels like a losin' battle, ya know?"
Yugi frowned and put down his own pencil, scooting closer to his friend. "You know, you've been like this ever since you had that argument with Kaiba-kun last week. It's not like you to be this depressed."
"Kaiba's an asshole and I hope he chokes on the high altitude his horse keeps him at," Jounouchi spat. "And I'm not depressed, I'm frustrated." He flinched at Yugi's patient stare. "Okay, maybe I'm a little depressed," he finally admitted with a sigh. "I just don't get why everythin' has to be a damn contest with him. I wasn't threatenin' him. I wasn't tryin' to pry into his goddamn personal life. Hell, I wasn't even looking for anythin' other than some surly comment he usually makes when I fuck up. Just when I was really thinkin' I could like him, he turned into the ice bitch from hell again." He flopped onto his back with a huff. "So yeah, I'm depressed, and pissed, and a whole bunch of other things right now."
Yugi took the tirade in patiently and then sighed. "Don't you think that maybe you're over reacting just a little bit?" Jounouchi glared at him and he put his hands up in a placiting gesture. "Just listen to me, please? Jounouchi-kun?" The blond nodded his assent after a minute. "I'm not saying you don't have a right to be angry. Blackmail, or stabbing someone in the back is something you'd never do. You're a good, straight forward, honest person. But look how many times Kaiba-kun's been betrayed by the people who were supposed to support him. And family is always a sensitive issue, but more so for both of you. You'd do anything for Shizuka-san, just like Kaiba-kun would do anything for Mokuba-kun. Your methods are different, but the intent is the same.
"So, don't you think that maybe, if the rolls were reversed, you would have done the same thing?"
The argument died on Jounouchi's tongue. Yugi had a point. As much as he wanted to deny it, there were quite a few things that they shared in common. And the more he mulled it over, the more he realized how out of line he'd been that day. Yugi and Honda had been there to show him he didn't have to go it alone, that if he should ever need it, there were people who knew, understood and accepted who would support him regardless of anything else. If his trust was so hard to earn, why wouldn't Kaiba's be? Kaiba, who had only two things precious to him – his brother and his company.
He groaned, covering his face with his hands. "Okay, so I'm the asshole. Now what?"
"Apologize."
"Oh yeah, right," Jounouchi snorted. "Just walk up to him in class and say, 'Hey, sorry about bein' such a dick earlier, wanna go out for a burger?' May work on Honda, but I don't think Kaiba will go for it."
"Then think harder," Yugi scolded, poking him in the ribs. "You should settle this before tests start next week, otherwise you really will fail."
"Yeah, yeah. What are you, my mother?"
"No, I'm worried about you. I am allowed to do that, remember?"
This time, Jounouchi poked him back. "You worry too much." He pushed himself back up, grabbing his pencil. "Now, you gonna help me with this homework or not?"
"I thought your heart wasn't into it," Yugi said with a sly smile.
"Yeah, well, my stomach is. And your mom's not gonna feed us until this is done. So help a guy out here."
()~()~()
"Kaiba-shachou, there's a Jounouchi Katsuya-san asking to see you, sir."
Kaiba blinked at the intercom. Jounouchi was here? After all that fuss a week ago, he had a lot of nerve showing up so late at his office. He was tempted to tell security to throw the idiot off the grounds, but stalled when he caught Mokuba staring at him. "Be nice," was mouthed at him.
"Escort him up," Kaiba growled. There was an affirmative from the guard before the comm. silenced again. He leveled his unhappy scowl at his brother, who just laughed as he walked around the desk. "I don't find this amusing, Mokuba."
"He's probably as scared as you are."
"I am not scared of that third-rate imbecile."
"No, you're afraid of what he might be offering," Mokuba said, slinging his arms around his brother's neck in a loose hug. "Of what an apology will mean."
"He damn well better apologize, or I will have him thrown out and sued for trespass."
Mokuba heaved a sigh of long suffering. "He has as much right to be mad at you as you do at him. We talked about this, remember? Just give it a chance, that's all I'm asking. And if Jounouchi really turns out to be such a jerk, I'll file the paperwork for you, tonight."
Any further conversation was cut short by the heavy rapt at the office door. The two brothers separated and Kaiba called permission to enter. The security guard opened the door and strode in first, making a short bow to his boss before stepping aside. Jounouchi hesitated slightly before stepping into the room. He waited until the guard had been dismissed and the door closed before coming any closer.
"Jounouchi!" Mokuba lit up. "What are you doing all the way out here this late? Would you like something to drink?"
The blond managed to relax some and smile back. "I don't think I'll be stayin' that long, but thanks anyway. I need to talk to your brother, though. Could you give us a minute?"
"Sure!" the boy chirped. "Nii-sama and I were just about to call it a night anyway, weren't we?" Mokuba's sugar smile only caused Kaiba to roll his eyes and start shutting down his computer. "I'll just go wait in the car. Don't take too long!" He waved happily from the office door, shutting it quietly behind him. Kaiba continued to gather his stuff together while Jounouchi stood awkwardly in the middle of the room.
"Speak. Or get the hell out of my office," he snapped as soon as he ran out of things to arrange. Jounouchi finally stopped fidgeting, took a deep breath and did something Kaiba had never seen him do – bow down. And not just down, but down low, into a position of subjugation.
"I…apologize for my behavior last week at the hospital," he said somewhat hesitantly, like he wasn't sure exactly which words he should be using. Kaiba blinked at the use of formal language; he hadn't even though Jounouchi knew it. "It was rude and inexcusable. I'm sorry."
"You're damn right it was inexcusable," Kaiba muttered to himself, ignoring the sharp pang he felt in his chest. Apologies were supposed to make hurt feelings go away, but all it did was intensify the feeling of betrayal. That day, he had realized how lucky he was, and yet how poor he was as well. For a fleeting moment, he had believed that all endless rants about friendship he'd endured might actually live up to the hype. And then he'd set Jounouchi off, had the fledgling trust he'd placed in the other thrown back in his face. After everything was said and done, this is where they stood – wary adversaries that couldn't be trusted further than a thrown stone.
He grabbed his briefcase and walked briskly toward the door. "I don't want your apology. Get out and don't come back." He didn't catch Jounouchi's response, focused solely on leaving his office, reaching the elevator, getting in his car and leaving this nightmare behind. He was halfway to the elevator, cell phone in hand to inform security of a trespasser when his office door slammed open hard enough it made the windows rattle. "Hold it!" Jounouchi raged, stalking up to him. Kaiba closed his phone and turned to face his classmate, as cold and indomitable as he ever was. As usual, it didn't faze Jounouchi, who walked right up until they were toe to toe, one hand gripping Kaiba's suit lapel.
"I don't give a damn what you want," he snarled, rising up on his tip-toes to get further into Kaiba's face. "I've spent the last fuckin' week sleepless and made about a dozen trips across town, tryin' to track your ass down, so you're gonna damn well listen to what I have to say!
"I fucked up, okay? I was scared and insecure and I took it out on someone who as only tryin' to help. And that makes me twelve kinds of an ass, but I can't take back what I said. In fact, I don't take it back, because you're an asshole for even thinkin' I'd do somethin' to hurt you or Mokuba or, gods forbid, this damn company that runs your whole fuckin' life. So understand this, you damn prick: fuck you. Fuck you and that behemoth of an ego you haul around. I'm not gonna waste my time and energy worryin' about someone who's won't even consider how damn hard it was for me to walk in and do somethin' like that." He pushed Kaiba aside and stormed to the elevator. "Now I'll get the hell out."
Kaiba stared after him, mind working through everything Jounouchi had just dumped on him. It sounded exactly like the argument he'd had with Mokuba after being thrown out of the hospital room. He hesitated only a moment before moving to stand beside the still-fuming boy.
"You're right," he conceded. "I shouldn't have assumed you'd use the information against me. You're loyal to a fault, just like a dog." He glanced over to catch Jounouchi's distrustful look. "But you're not the first to offer me an olive branch. I can't live with even a shadow of a doubt, with promises that are unspoken. Someone will try to take advantage of it. Blind trust is something I can't afford."
"So do I need to prick my finger and sign some oath of silence or somethin' to make you happy?"
He smirked at the surly reply. "No. Come work for me." The elevator chimed pleasantly as it reached them, the doors sliding open quietly. Kaiba stepped in and turned to find Jounouchi just staring at him. He clapped a hand over the door to keep it open. "Are you coming or not?"
Jounouchi blinked and quickly stepped in. He pressed his back flat against one side while Kaiba keyed the ground floor. They had ridden about three floors when Jounouchi asked, "Why are you still offerin' me a job?"
"Prove you're loyal to me," Kaiba said simply. "I know you're loyal to Yugi, bar none, though the rest of the group isn't far behind. But I'm not really a part of 'the group,' am I? You'd be under the two I trust this company to after Mokuba. Earn their trust, and you'll know you have mine. Wash out, and then we'll talk about blood oaths."
The offer was considered for a few more floors. "Okay," Jounouchi said, "but not until after tests are done and I find out which classes I have to make up over the break." Kaiba arched an eyebrow. That had been entirely too easy. Jounouchi caught the look and looked away. "Stitches don't come out until tomorrow. The brace won't come off for another three weeks, and I'm lookin' at at least another month to get the strength back in it. Hard to lift boxes under those conditions. They had to let me go."
"Saa." The elevator chimed again and the doors opened to the ground floor. Kaiba gestured for Jounouchi to go first. The two guards at the front desk dropped their conversation, one coming out to open the front doors. Waiting by the front curb was a black car, two men and Mokuba. While the driver snubbed out his cigarette, Mokuba and the bodyguard packed away whatever game they had been playing. Kaiba stopped and turned to his guest. "Do you need a ride somewhere?"
"Uh…no, thanks." The flush that crept across his cheeks was visible even in the dark evening. "I kinda jacked Honda's bike," he said, pointing to a motorcycle sitting forlornly in the otherwise empty parking lot. "I should get it back to him before he has a heart attack."
"You have until the 3rd," Kaiba responded. "Come during normal hours and security won't stop you. You're looking for Matsudera."
"I thought you said I'd be under two people," Jounouchi frowned.
Kaiba smirked. "You will be." The car door closed behind him.
Mokuba twisted in his seat. "You're throwing him to the twins? Seto, what part of 'play nice' don't you understand?"
"I've played by their rules long enough. They can play by mine for a while." He gave his brother a side long glance. "Would you rather be filing legal documents, or going home to ice cream?" Because the heavens knew he wasn't above bribing his younger sibling into complacency.
"That's not a fair question," Mokuba pouted.
"He wants my trust again, he earns it. End of discussion."
To be continued.
