Time passed, and they walked on in relative peace. Jounouchi was leading the way, though occasionally he had to stop and give lengthy consideration to exactly where it was he was going. The distant buildings were framed with the light from the setting sun, which cast apricot tones over the cooling streets. Once in a while a car cruised past them, but for the most part there was hardly anybody else around; it was seven, and most people had returned home from work or school by now.

Something had been bothering Kaiba for a while.

"Jounouchi," he said, breaking the easy silence between them. Kaiba felt mildly concerned that Jounouchi hadn't seemed to express very much remorse over battering another man half to death, so he'd decided to pry.

"Yeah?" Jounouchi said, tearing his gaze from the orange sky to turn and face Kaiba. The pastel light of the sunset softened all his features. When Kaiba looked into his eyes he could see that his pupils were dilated, and he smiled. He was still totally out of it, but this seemed to make him more pliable.

"Why did you have to go and pick up that guy's debt?"

Jounouchi looked blank. "Who?"

Kaiba sighed. "The one you thought you murdered, Jounouchi. Remember?"

"Oh. Yeah. I think so." Jounouchi scrambled for the memory. "If you run money for dealers sometimes they give you a cut, see, and… I'm poor." He was smiling, apologetically. Kaiba was not. Jounouchi cocked his head. "Are you angry?"

"No," he said. "Why did you hurt him?"

Jounouchi broke eye contact at this question and looked at the pavement. He didn't usually hurt people who didn't deserve it, but that guy had deserved it. Right? Kaiba waited, trying to stifle the unease that gathered within him. He knew that Jounouchi was not a bad person, but he also knew very well that money, the pursuit of it, and the need of it, changed people.

"His son," Jounouchi eventually said.

This seemed like an odd thing to say. The news report had mentioned that the man had a son, but they'd given no further details. "What about his son?"

"He was…" Jounouchi trailed off, a kind of perplexity clouding his eyes. He was looking for the right words to describe what he had seen, but they eluded him. After a few moments, he said, "He was all beat up."

Kaiba raised an eyebrow.

Clarity came suddenly, briefly. "And, and I asked him how his kid got like that, and he said that he did it, and then I guess I hurt him."

"Do you feel guilty?"

Jounouchi considered this.

"Not really."

Kaiba nodded. He would not have felt particularly guilty either. Once Jounouchi realised that Kaiba had no further questions, he set off again, with leisurely, self-assured strides. He'd completely forgotten that they were supposed to be heading to where he lived, and as far as he remembered they were just on a nighttime stroll. Jounouchi led Kaiba to the park; by now the sun had set and the city was darkening purple, blazing amber when the streetlights turned on.

The park was empty and refreshingly cold. Lights lined the cobblestone path that Kaiba strolled along - Jounouchi had eschewed the path to walk on the cool grass, underneath the trees. When Jounouchi stopped to watch the sky (as he did with increasing frequency), he could see dark blue spreading like a stain.

"Look," he said simply, pointing.

At first, Kaiba rolled his eyes, but at Jounouchi's imploring stare, he looked up.

He was not a very romantic person. He didn't spend a lot of time gazing at the sky; it did not particularly interest him and he was essentially too impatient for things like this. But he noticed, and accepted, the fact that the sliver of moon that they could see, and the spattering of stars that blinked down from the deep blue, were relatively pretty.

When he looked back down, Jounouchi was standing underneath a streetlamp, staring at something. He approached, and as he did so he saw what it was that Jounouchi was looking at: a moth was flitting in the yellow light. Shortly, its wings tired, and it spiralled to earth. In cupped hands, Jounouchi caught it, and it crawled over his thumb, spread its wings, and darted into the night.

"Jounouchi," Kaiba said gently, "where exactly is it that you live?"

Jounouchi looked at him, narrowed his eyes, thought. Why was Kaiba asking him that? What a strange question.

"Somewhere around here… I think."

He couldn't remember? Kaiba couldn't leave him alone to find his own way home; he'd get himself into trouble, what with his drugged state.

"Okay. Come on, let's go this way," Kaiba said, taking the left that led to the park's exit. The path changed beneath their feet from broad, sturdy paving stones to longer grass. There were a few interspersed trees, whose leaves were ruffled by the cool, light breeze. The scent here was rich with the smell of flowers. Jounouchi followed, curious, and a touch fearful.

"Where are we going?"

"Home."

Jounouchi accepted this. They left the park and crossed the street. This was a much nicer part of the city than anywhere Jounouchi frequented. The pavement looked clean, it was blissfully quiet, and the streetlamps cast a clear light. It was when they drew up to a handsome wrought iron gate that Jounouchi spoke again.

"This isn't where I live," he said quietly, staring wide-eyed at the regal mansion that towered in the near distance, and the long gravel drive that led up to it. It was bordered by impeccably manicured lawns. He had never seen anything like it, he thought, as he twined his fingers around the bars of the gate. They were cold and rough under his fingertips. He jumped backwards a little, in shock, as the gates opened apparently of their own volition.

"No, but you can stay here for tonight."

Kaiba had already crossed the threshold. Jounouchi aligned his toes with the start of the path, wary of following him. "Is it safe?" Jounouchi said after him, casting his bloodshot eyes warily ahead.

"Very."

So he followed, all the way down the straight drive and through the huge, glossy doors that towered, stately, at its end.

Jounouchi kicked off his shoes, a touch nervous, and went to sit on the bottom step of the central staircase. And he tried to come to terms with the fact that he was in Kaiba's house. Surrounding him were massively tall walls, coated in luxurious floral wallpaper, which swept upwards for what seemed like miles. Everything looked bigger from down here. The ceiling, he noticed when he craned his neck, was painted with a mural depicting an elaborate scene of angels in pale blue and gold. There hung a gigantic chandelier, which cast a radiant bright light over everything. The banister he was leaning on was lustrous oak. The carpet beneath him was plush, navy, unstained and undamaged. This was not like anything he had ever seen.

"Seto!"

Preoccupied by staring at the glinting chandelier, whose diamonds looked from here like tiny rainbows, Jounouchi barely heard the voice. But Kaiba did.

Mokuba flung himself at his brother, and then almost an instant afterwards withdrew from him, a stern look on his face.

"You're late! And… who is that?" he said, at first sounding awfully firm, before he noticed Jounouchi perched on the staircase. His wide eyes took in first the fact that he was covered in blood, then that he looked to be totally out of it, staring at the ceiling.

"He's from school. His name is Jounouchi."

"Is he your friend?" Mokuba said, looking back at his big brother.

"Kind of."

Mokuba hesitated. "Can I talk to him?"

"You shouldn't," Kaiba said, mostly because he did not want to find out what stoned Jounouchi would say to his little brother, "he's ill."

"Oh. Okay. Then why is he here?"

Kaiba sighed. "He forgot where he lives."

Mokuba stared. "Wow. He really is ill."

A servant materialised from the top of the staircase, a prim and proper man in a suit. This startled Jounouchi, who watched him warily as he trotted down the stairs and onto the landing.

"Master Kaiba, shall I prepare a guest room?" he said, and Jounouchi laughed a little. He spoke like he was royalty.

"Yes."

"Very well."

As the man left, Jounouchi said, "Can you get them to call me master?"

"No."

Jounouchi slumped, defeated. At this, Mokuba chuckled, but his laughter died the instant his brother turned his stern gaze back to him.

"It's late, isn't it?"

"Uh… kind of."

"And shouldn't you be in bed by now?"

"Well… maybe…"

It was a relief when Kaiba smiled at him.

"Go. I'll see you in the morning."

"Nightnight, big brother!"

"Goodnight," he said, and Kaiba smiled after him as he bounded up the stairs.

"Cute kid," Jounouchi said, and promptly fell asleep. Kaiba rolled his eyes. This was going to be a very interesting night.