Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh, or TBAA. I do own the angel and Rita. Yay! I own something!
Author's Notes: A big THANK YOU for all those who have reviewed! I appreciate all your comments and suggestions! A special thank you goes to my beta-reader, Hyatt Insomnia! Hope you are feeling better now.
Warnings: Mild violence and language, so far.
Listening With The Heart
Chapter Ten: A Glutton For Punishment
Kaiba was walking down a street he didn't recognize. Where the heck am I?? And how did I get here? I don't remember coming here....
"Seto Kaiba!" He looked to see a young girl, about a half a block away from him. She wore her raven black hair in a ponytail, with short bangs on her forehead. She was wearing a long sleeved while dress, which fell all the way to her feet. She appeared to be....glowing? "Who are you? What do you want?" Seto demanded.
"He's in there," she stated, pointing her finger straight out to her left side.
"In where?" He looked up and saw the sign. "You mean the diner?"
"Yes. He's in there." she repeated.
"Who?"
"You once asked him why he helped you. If you help him, perhaps you will find the answer to that question."
"What do you mean? Who are you talking about?"
He awoke with a start. He was sitting at his desk in his home office. I must have fallen asleep in front of the computer. Gotta stop keeping these late night hours. The young CEO rubbed his eyes and stretched his arms. That was a strange dream. He turned off his pc, and got up to get ready for bed.
But he couldn't get the strange dream off his mind. It had almost seemed as if it was real.
"You once asked him why he helped you. If you help him, perhaps you will find the answer to that question."
The words ran through his mind again. He went into the library of the spacious mansion and picked up a phone book. He quickly found the listing for Pete's Diner. This is crazy, he thought to himself.
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Kaiba pulled into the parking lot at Pete's Diner. He had driven himself to the little coffee shop. He didn't feel like having to explain himself to anyone. Not that he ever would. Kaiba's employees quickly learned to do whatever he wanted, no questions asked.
He sat in his car for a while, staring at the building in front of him. I can't believe this. This looks exactly like it did in that dream. This is too weird. He waited a few more moments. Well, I've come this far. I might as well go in.
"You're a real good worker, Joey. Anytime you want a job, you just come see ol' Rita here." Joey was sitting up at the counter now. He had insisted on doing something to pay for his meal, so he had helped out around the restaurant, clearing dishes, and sweeping up. Rita was refilling his coffee cup.
"Since when did you own this joint?" One of the cooks had his coat on and was getting ready to leave work.
"Oh, you hush up, Mike. Pete wouldn't mind havin' a fine boy like Joey here to work for him."
"Whatever. See you tomorrow, Rita. Later, kid."
"Bye!" Joey waved, and turned back to his coffee. "Oh don't you mind him," Rita advised the young blonde.
"I never do," Joey grinned. Rita chuckled. "Alright then, so gettin' back to what we were talkin' 'bout earlier....so, be honest, you really don't think I should dye my hair, then?" she gestured to her salt and pepper gray hair, which she wore up in a bun. "Lizzie thinks I should; she says it'll make me look younger. But I just don't know if I wanna do that."
Joey shrugged. "It's up to you. I think it looks fine the way it is."
"Now, you're not just sayin' that 'cause I'm givin' ya coffee, are ya?"
Joey grinned. "Ah, ya figured me out, Rita. I'm always flattering women just so's I can get some free food outta 'em." Rita just laughed and shook her head.
The door to the diner opened, and Joey glanced over at it. He did a double take and nearly fell off the stool when he saw who was standing there. Kaiba was not quite as surprised to see Joey as the blonde was to see him. He walked right over to him. "Hello, Joey."
Joey didn't say anything; he just continued to stare at Kaiba with wide eyes and his jaw hanging down to the floor.
Kaiba smirked. "Guess you weren't expecting to see me."
"K-Kaiba??" Joey finally found his voice. "What are you doing here!!??"
"I might ask you the same question."
"I asked you first!" Joey shot back.
Kaiba sighed. "We need to talk. Let's go sit down in one of the booths." Kaiba went over to the booth in the corner and Joey followed. He noted with some irony that it was the same booth he'd sat in when he first walked into the diner. "So, what are ya doin' here, Kaiba? No offense, but this doesn't exactly strike me as the kinda place you'd frequent, ya know what I mean?"
He couldn't exactly say that he was just in the neighborhood. "I got a message that you were here."
Joey's eyes widened. "A message?? From who?"
"I don't know who the person was. They just told me that you were here."
"But no one knows that I'm here. And why would they call you??"
"I'm as much in the dark as you are." Kaiba hadn't mentioned anything about receiving a phone call. But he wasn't about to correct Joey. After all, what was he supposed to say...I saw a glowing being in a dream?
"Man...that's freaky!"
"For once, I actually agree with you on something." Kaiba continued. "You mentioned that no one knows you're here...so I take it that you haven't called Yugi yet?"
Joey shook his head and looked down at the light gray formica table.
"Why not?" Kiaba demanded.
"I dunno." Joey shrugged.
"Hn. I thought you and Yugi were supposed to be friends."
"We are!" Joey glared at Kaiba. "It's jus' that....well...it ain't that simple, that's all!"
"You're afraid that your father will track you down at Yugi's like he did before."
"Yeah," Joey cast his eyes downward once more. "I can't take the risk of puttin' Yugi and Gramps on the line again!"
"What about your other friends?"
Joey shook his head. "No. It's the same thing. He'd track me down and come bustin' through the door again, jus' like at Yug's. I can't take that chance."
"What about your mom?"
"Nah...I can't go there. I don't want to take the chance of him goin' there, either. I don't want him botherin' my sister, Serenity."
"I see.. so that's why you lived with him all these years."
Joey looked at Kaiba "Huh?"
"That's why you lived with your father. Because you didn't want him hurting Serenity. You figured that if you were around, then he would take it out on you and leave her alone."
Joey blinked. How could someone like Kaiba know something like that?
"So are you going to do, then? You certainly can't stay here all night." Kaiba continued.
Joey looked down again. "Uh....well....."
No, thought Kaiba, Do NOT say it. Do NOT say it. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no......
"Joey.....," he began.
No, no, no, no, no....
"If you want, you can stay at the mansion with me and Mokuba."
Oh. Crap. You HAD to say it, didn't you?
Joey looked at him with wide eyes. "Wh-What!!??"
Ok, here's your chance. Go on. Laugh at him, and tell him you were making a joke.
"If you want, you can stay at the mansion with me and Mokuba." Kaiba repeated.
I must be a glutton for punishment.
"I...I....I c-can't do that!" Joey stuttered.
"Why not?"
"I...it's....."
The blue-eyed brunette sighed in frustration. "Joey, you did take a bullet for me. It's the least I can do to repay you."
"Well, you did pay the hospital bills."
"Bills you wouldn't have had if you didn't take the bullet for me."
"Kaiba....you really don't owe me anything....." Joey didn't want Kaiba to take him in because he felt obligated to do so.
"All right, then...so if you aren't going to be staying at the mansion, then were are you going to stay?"
He didn't answer. He didn't have a place to stay and Kaiba knew it.
"Just as I thought. You don't have a clue as to what to do." Kaiba smirked.
"I do all right," Joey said defensively, "I'll figure something out."
"Look, why don't we say it's just for tonight....we can figure out something later, ok?" Kaiba offered.
"Well.....," Joey hesitated.
"Unless you have a better plan?" It's official. I AM a glutton for punishment.
"Well....Okay. I'll go back wit' ya. Thanks, Kaiba." Joey finally gave in.
"Good." He got up to leave.
"Hang on a sec, Kaiba," Joey called, "I just wanna say good-bye!" He walked over to the counter. "Are you going to be staying with your friend?" Rita asked him.
"Um...yeah, it looks like it. So I just wanted to thank you and say goodbye."
"Oh....Joey, honey, that's great!" She came out from behind the counter and gave him a big hug. "You take care of yourself. You come back and visit me sometime, you hear?"
"I will," Joey grinned.
Rita walked over to Kaiba. "Thanks for taking care of my Joey here." She planted a kiss on his cheek and walked away. Kaiba's eyes widened and his face became even more pale than it normally was. His entire body stiffened. He wasn't used to such displays of affection, especially from strangers! He noticed Joey looking at him, biting his lower lip to keep from laughing. The young CEO quickly put his usual cold, unemotional mask back on. "Let's go."
They both got into the car and started back towards the Kaiba mansion.
"BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!! You should have seen your face when Rita planted that smooch on ya! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
Kaiba said nothing. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel and stared straight ahead.
"AHHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Man, if only I had a camera! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" Joey was laughing so hard he had tears in his eyes.
"If you don't shut up, I am going to personally wire that mouth of yours shut."
Joey fell silent for a moment and looked out the window. He then turned back to his blue-eyed companion. "Uh....Kaiba?"
"What!?"
"You have lipstick on your cheek," Joey informed him, pointing at the offending mark. Kaiba roughly brushed it off with one hand and kept driving.
"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
This is going to be one loooooong night, thought the CEO bitterly.
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