Somebody knocks and Kaiba turns to see it is Joey's mother.
He smiles, standing up, offering her a chair.
She nods her head and sits.
She is looking at him with bright amber eyes, like scanning him.
He finds the situation uncomfortable, but he has a feeling the woman wants him to stay.
"What would you do, young man" she starts, Seto knew something like that would occur, "if Joseph wakes up in several months or years? Would you still wait for him or would you find somebody else?"
She is like a polygraph.
He clears his throat so he can answer the unpleasant question.
"It is relative…"
"So, the first time you're lacking sex, you would find somebody else?"
"Listen, I'm not obligated to answer you anything, especially something so intimate!" he snaps, "I'm not obligated to justify myself! I love Joseph, I already told you."
"Sometimes love isn't enough." She says sadly, lowering her head.
Seto knows what she's talking about.
"What happened, happened." He says, "It doesn't matter what happened to you. If I find somebody else, that will be only if Joey wants me to. I will never cheat on him, especially not now, behind his back, when he's unconscious." He doesn't notice how much pissed off he became, how much he raised his voice.
"But that didn't stop you to…" she stops.
Kaiba lowers his head, ashamed.
"It was the moment of weakness." He says, lowering his voice.
"If you love someone, then…"
"Enough!" Seto cuts her off, "I already feel terribly guilty about that! I'm a lucky man he forgave me! You think I don't know all that shit?! The hell I know, I know the best! I made a mistake, so hang me if you'll satisfy the justice!" he storms out, slamming the door.
She blinks a couple of times, then turns to her son to caress his cheek.
--
Seto is furious, he goes down to cafeteria, his face bright red, like a potato.
She didn't have right to judge him, she is or was the homophobe after all.
But her question was a good one.
And he doesn't know the answer.
Would he wait the blonde wakes up or not.
Will their love survive?
--
After six weeks
Joey's condition was better.
But will he wake up and are there any damages?
Seto is concerned.
He sent back his mother in law and Serenity to USA, so he doesn't have to stand insults from Joey's mother anymore.
It is nasty, it was a bad beginning.
And the circumstances under they met wasn't good.
Joey is so beautiful.
Seto remembers.
He recalls sleepless nights when watching the blonde sleep.
He is the most beautiful creature in the world, according to Kaiba.
--
A couple of nights ago he went to the bar, not to look for sex or something, just to relax a bit.
But one handsome guy approached him.
It was expected, Kaiba is the most wanted man in the universe after all.
He was flirting with Kaiba and even if it was flattering, it was uncomfortable.
Kaiba didn't want to fall in another man's arms.
Yes, he was sexually frustrated, but there was no problem that his right hand couldn't solve.
He wouldn't trade any of his hot nights with Joey for any other night with somebody else.
But he enjoyed fooling around with the stranger, giving him a fake hope.
"You will never have me, precious." He said in the end, "Because I belong to another man."
The stranger was beautiful and somehow familiar.
"I heard he's in coma. How can you wait for a sleeping beauty when the beauty wakes up after hundred years?"
"Because I love him."
"Do you like your right hand as well? Such a loss for a piece of meat like you." He said seductively. "Isn't it tempting, you and me, our hard cocks, don't you need a touch by a real man, Kaiba?" the man nipped his ear.
"No, I don't need anything from you. I told you, I belong to one and only Joseph Wheeler. You know him well, Keith. He hated you and I hate you." He shrugged and left the blonde man standing stunned.
--
Joey moved his thumb.
Joey moved his thumb and moaned in a dream!
That was something.
And now, after ten weeks, Seto can't move from him.
He doesn't even blink, he's staring at his boyfriend, hoping he will open his chocolate eyes every minute.
"You can do it" he whispers.
--
Seto has the beard again.
He doesn't sleep, or eat or anything.
He's just staring at the blonde.
--
After two more weeks, Seto loses his hope as well as doctors.
He's exhausted, sad, disappointed.
--
The night is cold.
Eyes open in the dark.
They don't recognize the place.
Pain in head unbearable.
He moans.
Blinking, he recognizes a silhouette of a man sleeping in a chair.
The man has the beard.
'Who the hell is this and where the hell am I?"
His body is weak and he collapses on the bed.
That wakes Seto up.
"Joey?" he whispers timorously.
"Where am I? Who are you?!" the voice is weak and frightened.
Seto says nothing, he just runs out to call the doctors.
--
Joey's eyes got used to the darkness, they hurt when the doctors turn on the light.
"Turn it off!!" he screams.
He slowly opens the eyes, getting used to lights.
"Se-" he recognizes the man, "Seto?"
Seto smiles, confused and happy.
--
After the doctors finished, Seto runs to Joey, burying his face into Joey's shoulder.
"What happened?" Joey asks.
Seto looks at him, tears down his face.
--
After explaining, Joey was stunned.
"Now relax. Soon they will check if you can walk and do you have any other damage." His voice cold.
"Don't go, Seto…" Joey whines.
"I have to shave this damn beard. I will come back later." He smiles softly.
Joey smiles back.
--
But many questions remain in the room.
Joey is wondering if Kaiba cheated on him, he is worried how Domino looks like now, after months of his comatose state.
All of that terrifies him.
But the only good thing is Serenity had been next to him for a while when he was a 'sleeping beauty'.
--
The doctors are helping him stand up.
Seto is waiting outside.
It's been a few days now, since he woke up.
They're helping him stand on his feet, but he feels nothing.
Like the cold floor isn't there to send a horrible sensation of cold throughout his body.
"I…" Joey sobbed slightly, "Can't feel anything…"
"It will take time." Says the doctor, but his face is telling something else.
Once he is let standing on his own, he falls.
He starts to cry.
"I…can't walk…"
The doctors are placing him back to bed, but hysteria is taking him part by part.
He screams.
"I can't walk, can't walk, can't!!" he shrugs them, yelling uncontrollably.
After a sedative he calms down.
Seto approaches, sitting next to him on the bed.
Joey grabs his hand, despair in his eyes.
"I can't walk, Seto…" he has tears in his eyes, asphyxiating him.
--
TBC