Warnings:
Future YAOI (JöXSeto), ANGST, MENTIONS OF UNDERAGE RAPE AND CHILD ABUSE

Disclaimer:
Don't own it; chapter title by Nickelback.

Summary:
When Mokuba Kaiba faints in the middle of school, and a devastating revelation concerning his health comes into view, will Seto be able to deal with the added complication to his already problematical life? And what will happen when Yuugi and the gang find out?

Author's Notes (A/N's):
1) When people are yelling, the words will appear in CAPITAL LETTERS, when people are being sarcastic, it'll show up inside single quotes (apostrophes)
2) "…" People speaking, or a quote
3) '…' Thoughts and/or a voice in someone's head, or written words
4) Memories are in italics, as are any 'stressed' words and/or syllables, and Japanese/French/whatever words (not English). If something is 'stressed' in a flashback or something else that's in italics, then it will be in plain text, because italics on top of the italics cancels the italics out; now, are we clear?
5) At the end, anything that has a (number) beside it will be translated, anything with a -number- beside it will be explained.
6) A bolded -o- indicates a time change. If needed, the amount of time that passed will be added between two -o-.
7) Japanese names and ages

Shattered Masks, Healed Hearts
Book One: Opposites Attract
Chapter Eleven: How You Remind Me
.nachzes black-rider

— Seto POV—

Friends.

It was still a strange word for me to say…or even think, for that matter. Still, I couldn't stop myself from rolling it around in my mind—or occasionally speaking it aloud, just to test it's exotic flavour on my tongue. Friends. Jö and I were friends.

It may have been a month and a half since he'd proposed the friendship and I'd accepted, and two weeks since he'd very nearly saved my life, but I still hadn't gotten used to the word, or the phrase, never mind the fact that he came to visit me every day, cutting class in favour of getting the best of visitors' hours.

The first day, after I woke up from surgery, he and Mokuba had proceeded to deny me my laptop, instead making me playing endless games of cards and Duel Monsters with them, not to mention nagging me to eat every half hour. Seeing the two of them laughing together made me remember the night when I'd seen Jö holding Mokuba, and I felt a sudden pang of sorrow and resentment toward Jö, but I knew that I couldn't keep pushing him away because of it.

Every other time when I had been sick—which was actually very rare, but, as Sandi says, sometimes I tend to "neglect my own health in favour of Mokuba's"—either Sandi or Ai, and Isono, had taken care of him while I was stuck in the hospital. But I couldn't deny the bond that was developing between Jö and my brother, and I knew that the mutt was a good brother…so two weeks ago, while he and Mokuba were preparing to leave, I'd asked Jö if he'd take care of the other; his answer was his usual quirky grin and a boisterous yes.

Even two weeks later, the feeling that I could trust somebody other than myself, Mokuba, or Sandi, was still taking me by surprise.

Friends. I rolled the word around in my mind again, then tried it out loud: "Jö and I are friends."

Why?

I thought about it…even if Yuugi and his little tachi were always preaching about how friendship needed no reason, my mind needed to find one. I was an analyst, carefully considering the pros and cons of each possible decision before I finally made one. The friendship between myself and Jönöchi had not been pre-meditated. It had simply seemed…right…to trust him. Right to consider him my friend.

I was interrupted in my musings by a sharp rap on the door and a nurse's muffled voice telling me that I had a visitor. "Let him in," I called, knowing who it was even before I heard the hearty "Hey, Seto!" and saw the now-familiar tousled mop of blond hair. "Konichiwa, Jö," I said, placing my weight on my hands as I shifted into a sitting position. "How is Mokuba doing?"

"He's tired," Jö replied promptly, and I nodded; it was to be expected, after all. "He's…been dozing off quite a bit in class; the note to get him out of Gym helped, but I think that he's trying to push himself too much. He can't do this, Seto."

This time I looked away. I'd known what I'd had to do last time this happened, and I knew now. "When I get back home I'll start home-schooling him," I said. "I'll pull him out of school at the end of this week—a note to each of his teachers should do the trick."

"Speaking of getting out…" Jö looked at me, grinning, "when do you get out of this place? You had your final physical yesterday, right?"

I nodded. "And Sandi said I could leave in a week…so…six days from today. I'm counting down."

Jö grinned. "I don't see a calendar," he said.

"Ha ha," I retorted, sitting back against my hospital bed and wincing at the tiny pain in my chest. "You know, you were much easier to get along with when you couldn't take part in an exchange of witty banter."

"The mere fact that you are now friends with me disproves that point," Jö said.

"I became friends with you when you still couldn't banter wittily."

"Point."

"Thank you."

There was silence for several seconds, and then Jö spoke again. "How are you going to take care of and home-school your brother, as well as do work for your company, not to mention making sure you keep up with your own schoolwork?" he asked.

"I managed before," I said, looking away.

"Not very well," Jö commented wryly.

"I was younger before."

"Point."

"Yes.

"But it's still going to be hard. And you know that Mokuba won't be getting the attention that he deserves."

I grit my teeth. 'Point,' I thought, but refused to say it out loud. Jö was silent as well, and finally I was forced to break it. "Fine," I said, "yes, it's going to be hard, but there's no other way, is there?"

"What if you hired somebody to tutor Mokuba, and then you'd have one less thing to worry about?" Jö asked, and I shook my head.

"Last time I tried that, Mokuba's tutor ended up trying to blackmail me with the secret of him having cancer; I can't risk that. I don't want sympathy cards and employees asking me constantly who the next vice president of KaibaCorp is going to be. I just want people to do their jobs and leave me alone."

"Mokuba is VP?"

I looked at him. "You thought it was a joke, didn't you?" I said flatly.

"What? No—well, yeah," he said. "I mean…he's an eleven-year-old kid!"

"Twelve," I corrected. "His birthday was the ninth of July this year. And it's no joke; he handles the PR department, mostly. He does it better that I ever could."

Jö guffawed. Apparently, I had just said something funny.

I sighed. "Anyways," I said, "it's true. Although recently I've been handling PR to lighten Mokuba's load."

"All the more reason for you to hire somebody to look after Mokuba while you're working," Jö said.

"I told you, I can't—" I paused, thinking. "Would you do it?" I asked.

"Do what?" Jö asked, apparently taken aback. "Tutor Mokuba?"

"No. Would you watch him while take care of my stuff? Kind of like what you're doing now," I added, "except you wouldn't need to cook."

"I still can't believe you don't have a cook," Jö mused, and I looked at him. "Well, I mean, it's just that I didn't expect you to be the cooking type," he said hastily, and I rolled my eyes. "But yeah, sure, I'll do it," he said. "When are my hours?"

"Actually…" I said, forming a plan in my mind. The way I saw it, I owed to Jö to get him away from his father. The bruise on his cheek today was testament to that; though I knew that he didn't get knocked around too bad, abuse was abuse, and I didn't like thinking about anyone else having to go through anything close to what I did. "I was hoping that you would move in with me," I finished. "You know, live in the mansion. There's definitely enough room, and that way we wouldn't really need to set up hours that might need to change every second week."

"You just don't want to pay me," Jö said, grinning, and I blinked.

"Do you require payment?" I asked, and he rolled his eyes.

"Seto," he said, "I'm doing this because I'm your friend; learn the definition of a joke, why don't you?"

Frowning, I pondered this. It seemed to me that this was taking a simple (and tentative, at that) friendship a little far, but what did I know about friendship? Almost nothing, that was sure. "Alright," I said, settling back. "Are you coming?"

"When do I start?"

"As soon as you want," I replied promptly. "Tomorrow, if you want; if you need somebody to help you move, I'll tell Isono, and he'll get some people together."

"I can do it—"

"Don't be a prideful idiot," I said. "I know you don't have a vehicle. How are you bring over all your things?"

"Seto, seriously, I don't have all that much. Just some clothes and games and things. I don't think I'll need to bring over my bed or dresser or anything."

I shook my head. "I suppose not," I said.

"Okay," Jö said, then paused. "Umm…I'd better get going if you want me to start moving right away."

"Okay," I said, watching as he stood up and left. "Good bye," I said.

"Bye, Seto," he replied, letting the door fall shut behind him. I sighed and reached for the book beside my hospital bed. Damn Mokuba and Jö and their plot to hide my laptop. I was really going to need to do a lot to catch up on work when I got out of this stupid hospital.

—Jö POV—

Mind still reeling a little, I went straight from the hospital to Yuugi's house. I needed to get this out of my system, even if Seto did curse me for it after.

"Hey, Yuugi," I said upon entrance. "Guess what!"

"Jö!" he exclaimed, ignoring my command, "I was just about to call you" (he held up the phone) "Anzu agreed to go out with me this Friday!" he finished, and I grinned.

"That's great, Yuugi!" I said. "Next to that, my news pales in comparison."

"Well what is it?" Yuugi asked.

"You know how I've been babysitting Mokuba while Seto's in the hospital, right?" I said, and Yuugi nodded. "Well," I said, "he's asked me to move in to take care of Mokuba almost full time once he starts getting home-schooled! Can you believe it?"

"Wow, Jö," Yuugi said. "The Kaiba mansion? That thing is huge!"

"I know. And get this: I get my own pick of bedrooms. I'm going to take the biggest one there, I swear. Well, if Seto doesn't already have it, that is," I added, thinking that he must.

"Cool," Yuugi said. "And now you have to help me choose what to wear on Friday."

"Yuugi," I said, "that's four days away."

"So?"

"So…you don't…oh fine," I said, following him up the stairs to his room. "But you're probably going to change your mind anyways."

to be continued…

Sorry it's so short! But I really couldn't think of anything else to put in this chapter, and it's been so long! I am working on chapter twelve, though (I have the outline all done, and it's pretty detailed, so it shouldn't be that hard to write!), and Harry Potter and the Sennen Items has been updated to chapter ten, and should get updated again soon. Oh, and a further note: there will be no more review replies to anonymous reviews on my live journal, because I've gone friends only. Thanks for reading, and please remember to review!