I'll just leave this here :)

-Jehbel


The morning loomed bright and full of promise. Joey bounced out of bed with all the excitement of a puppy and donned his favourite clothes- jeans, white shirt, green jacket. Feeling much better than he had yesterday, Joey made his bed- it did make him feel more organised- and headed to breakfast. He noticed that Kaiba had already left, but he could smell the CEO's distinctive cologne and knew he had not left too long before Joey. The thought of seeing Kaiba made Joey's stomach flip a little in excitement, but he pushed the thought down. Today was not for mooning about after the brunette. Today was about paintball! Joey felt a wide grin stretch his face as he strode to the dining hall.

The students were all milling about inside the dining hall, where several long tables had been set up. The teachers were taking a list of names of students who wished to play paintball, and recording the activities chosen by those who did not wish to participate. As Joey stood amongst the jostling crowds, he scanned the room for his friends, but could not see anybody. He had just decided to sign up and head to the island to find the gang when he felt a prickle run down his scalp, and he turned unerringly to see Kaiba pushing his way through the students toward him. The CEO looked good. He was wearing black jeans and stylish shoes, with a deep blue T-shirt underneath a black canvas jacket. Only Kaiba could make paintball glamourous, Joey thought with some humour. He waved at the approaching CEO and joined him midway through the crowd.

"Joey." His heart lurched a little as Kaiba said his name. God, you are so ridiculous, he thought to himself. Kaiba grabbed him by the upper arm and started pulling him away from the thick mass of students. "I signed you up for paintball already; it's a mad house in there. Let's head down to the island and take a look at the battleground, huh?" Joey nodded, touched that Kaiba had thought to sign him up already, and overly distracted by the feeling of the CEO's long fingers digging into his arm. His stomach began fluttering with nerves and he sighed internally at his own silliness.

As the two boys made their way down the ramp to the beach, they noticed several students were already in attendance. Bakura was already kitted up, holding a paintball gun that somehow looked far deadlier and sinister in his hands. He gave Joey a grin that was basically just bared teeth, before moving over to stand in front of Ryou. He seemed to be feeling very protective that day and was making it clear that anybody with an eye on his Aibou, had to go through him first. Joey decided to leave those two well alone. Joey and Kaiba made their way to the equipment station, where the bored looking instructor showed them how to put on their vests, how to use and reload their weapons, and pointed out the little button on each vest's top right shoulder.

"This button is attached to a tracker. If you get hit with a kill shot and 'die' during the game, you must press this button. This will tell us who has 'died' and who is left. We give out prizes to the last man standing. Each game will last about one to two hours, and each game will vary. Some will involve a free-for-all, others will require you to pair up, and others again may consist of two larger teams in a capture-the-flag type scenario. Once you hear the siren blast, make your way immediately to the start point of the ruins, as that means the game is over and a new one will begin soon. Do not leave the ruins area, do not aim for the face, do not vandalize the obstacles or any part of the paintball arena. Understood?" Joey and Kaiba nodded, both feeling a bit dazed at the rapid fire instructions.

"Good. The first game type will be a free-for-all. When you hear the announcement, gather over there at the start point. You will hear a chime and that means you have two minutes to spread out and find a good hiding spot or strategic point. When you hear the single horn blast, the game has started." He gave them a weary smile. "Have fun."

Joey and Kaiba wandered over to the start point, where many students were now gathering. Joey was surprised to see that not as many students had signed up for paintball as he'd expected, however it was still a good number. He spotted Yugi in the crowd alongside Tristan, but there was no sign of Tea or Yami. Joey did not really expect that Tea would want to play paintball but he'd have thought Yami would be in the thick of it.

Yugi gave Joey a wide smile, but he was already slightly pale. Physical sports were not really his thing, and shooting people and being shot at was definitely not something he relished. Joey clasped him lightly on the shoulder and grinned at the shorter boy. "Mornin' Yug'! Good day to be hunting people, aint it?" He laughed a little at Yugi's disapproving expression. "One bit of advice before we go in there and become mortal enemies-" Yugi eagerly leaned in, keen for any advice that would keep him in the game- "… don't let anybody hit you." Then Joey moved away, laughing as Yugi scowled after him and called out, "real helpful Joey! Glad to know you've got my back!"

Joey, still chuckling, looked about and was mildly surprised to see Kaiba standing with him. "Kaibs, you know this one is a free-for-all, right? So you don't have to partner with me if you don't want to." Internally though he was overjoyed to see the taller teen still standing with him.

Kaiba blinked. "Oh, I know, don't worry. But I was thinking- two heads makes better than one, even if one of them is only your head." He grinned at Joey's answering scowl. "So, I propose we stick together for a bit, at least until Bakura has been defeated, and then we do our own thing. What do you think?" Joey pondered for a moment but really, he had already decided. Not only would they be far more effective working together as a team, but it saved Joey the anguish of wondering constantly where Kaiba was and how he was doing. Nodding, Joey put his hand out and shook Kaiba's.

"You're on, Kaibs, but I warn you- when we do eventually split up, I aint going easy on you, just coz I like you." Kaiba looked surprised momentarily, before grinning widely and pumping Joey's hand once more. "You're on, Mutt."

Just then, the boys heard a loud voice crackle over the loudspeakers. "Students, please gather in the starting area. The first game is about to start. Repeat: please gather in the starting area. The first game is about to start. On the chime, you may begin to explore the ruins. When you hear the horn, the game has begun. Good luck!" The loudspeakers faded to a crackly silence, and moments later a tinkling chime sounded over the field.

The game had started!

Joey and Kaiba glanced at each other before breaking into a jog and heading into the ruins. Students were beginning to scatter all about them and their shrieks and hoots of glee could be heard echoing from all directions. Joey could also hear Bakura snarling with wild excitement as he made his way through the crumbling buildings and walls, frightening the wits out of those he encountered. Joey shivered and called softly to Kaiba, "Let's hang a left here; I want to be as far away from that nutjob as I can get." Kaiba didn't respond but began to turn to the left, Joey following close behind.

The ruins were fantastic. They were not just a couple of crumbling old brick walls as Joey had expected, but were a labyrinth of half-formed structures, thick jungle and even a few deep trenches. As Joey and Kaiba pushed their way through some dense undergrowth, the silence was almost tangibly thick, with only the faint shrill scream of insects and the boys' deeper breathing breaking through the hush. They had since slowed to a walk, and had not seen anybody else for quite some time, however this only heightened their excitement and both boys were already flushed with the thrill of the hunt. Kaiba, having taken the lead, was already looking slightly dishevelled, his hair in disarray and a twig poking out on a crazy angle. Joey chuckled slightly, remembering the feather that had caused him so much amusement the previous day.

Suddenly, a single blaring horn sounded, and both boys pulled up short, their breath held with anticipation. Almost immediately, the faint popping sounds of guns firing began to permeate the area, and Joey was alarmed to hear guns going off quite close by. It was easy to imagine that they were all alone out here, but clearly they were not as far from the others as they'd thought. Kaiba's hand shot out, grabbing Joey's, and making the blonde boy jump with fright.

"Christ Kaiba you almost gave me a heart attack-" Joey began, but Kaiba pulled him along, interrupting to say frantically, "shut up, someone is coming!" Joey strained his ears and true enough, he could make out the sounds of someone crashing through the forest toward them. His heart leapt into his throat and when Kaiba cried out, "RUN!" he did so without argument, excitement making him outrun the taller brunette for once, pulling Kaiba along behind him.

The boys burst into a slight clearing, and all hell suddenly broke loose. The sputtering and popping of paintball guns sounded all about them, and explosions of colour began to pepper the surrounding walls and trees, already a stained purple-brown from countless paintball battles before them. Joey released Kaiba's hand and flung one arm up in front of his face for protection, skidding and scrambling about trying to avoid the crossfire. He felt a paintball hit his forearm and lower knee, but neither shot constituted a 'kill' and Joey was able to scramble to cover behind a low bush before he was eliminated from the game. Soil and vegetation flew in tufts around him as his attackers fired at the bush he was behind, but none could quite get through to him. Arm burning but still held over his forehead for protection, Joey looked about frantically but could not see Kaiba anywhere. Dammit I've lost him! He thought frantically, trying to come to grips with the situation he was in. The shooting seemed to go on and on.

Finally, through the cracks and pops of the guns firing, Joey could hear another sound echoing through the clearing- his attackers were crying out and cursing. The shots being fired at Joey were lessening and he risked poking his head out to see what was going on. He could see several students angrily making their way to the clearing to sit down, spattered with paint and their buttons all flashing red to indicate they were 'dead'. Joey noticed that all the players had paint marks on their torsos and faces, and just as a thought formed in his mind, he heard the maniacal laughter of Bakura floating through the trees. Joey groaned out loud. Granted, Bakura had probably saved him from being wiped out by the ambush, but he had no doubt in his mind that the white-haired teen would turn his gun to Joey in a heartbeat. In fact, Joey doubted very much whether Bakura was even playing by the rules- he was probably just shooting anything he laid eyes on.

Joey was just about to resign himself to laying behind the bush for however long it took Bakura to leave, when he heard a hiss from right behind him. Wheeling about, Joey pointed his gun right into Kaiba's face. Then, recognising the newcomer, he lowered it and gaped. "K-Kaiba! I thought for sure they'd got you!"

"Only on the hip; not a kill shot. Come on, we have to get out of here, that freak is just over there!" Joey whipped his head around and peered through the trees, but he could not see Bakura. "Come on, Wheeler, move it!" Joey nodded and scrambled to his feet, chasing after the retreating Kaiba who was weaving through the trees and crumbling walls with ease. Joey followed as best he could, ears straining for any sound that would indicate that Bakura was coming after them.

Suddenly, Joey realised he could no longer see Kaiba. Panicking slightly, he made for a low brick building that appeared to be mostly intact. Slowing to a walk, Joey made his way through the brick rooms, which had a surprising number of trick walls and alcoves. It was almost completely dark inside some rooms, with only a few beams of weak light filtering through the cracks in the brickwork. Joey felt as though he were actually in a war bunker; it was oppressive and more than slightly creepy in here alone.

Although he wasn't alone, he suddenly realised, when he heard the distinctive sound of a boot scuffing a piece of stone, the sharp clattering echoing off the walls and making it impossible to discern where it had come from. Joey's heartrate increased a hundred times and his breathing was jagged with anticipation. "Kaiba? Was that you?" he hissed as quietly as he could.

"Come out, little mouse, this cat wants to play." The sniggering voice echoed from nearby, causing Joey's hairs to stand on end. Bakura was in the building with him. "Why O why won't anybody play with me? Do you not LIKE me? Do I SCARE YOU?" The voice peeled off into evil laughter, and suddenly Bakura was firing his gun in all directions. Joey felt a paintball graze his cheek and knew that he was close to being discovered. As silently as possible, Joey backed up until he hit a wall, then he began to sidle sideways away from the direction of Bakura's laughter. God, it was scary in the dark with that rabid monster on the loose! My only hope is to find an alcove and hide out until Bakura leaves, or walks past so I can shoot him back. Although knowing him, he'll probably continue to play anyway and ignore all the rules. Joey did his best to breath silently, moving with utmost care. He could hear Bakura cursing and from the noises that were coming from the next room, it sounded as though Ryou's partner was dismantling a brick wall with his bare hands.

"I'm COMING for you! I'm COMING and I'll GET you!" Joey's heart leapt into his throat and he began to move faster along the wall, his palm reaching out to feel his way.

Suddenly the wall no longer continued, and a pair of hands reached out and grabbed Joey, pulling him backward into an alcove. Joey bellowed with fear, but a hand clamped itself over his mouth and he felt a breath hiss in his ear, "Shut up fool, it's me!" Joey slumped against Kaiba with relief, who had his back against the alcove wall and his spare arm around Joey's chest, holding the blonde boy pinned back against him. Joey realised the alcove was extremely shallow, more an indent really, and with both boys hiding in it, it was extremely cramped. Kaiba's harsh breath ruffled Joey's hair from behind him and Joey could feel the brunette's heart thumping crazily against his back.

"God, he's terrifying isn't he, that freak," Kaiba murmured, and Joey nodded in fervent agreement. They could hear Bakura moving through the room, but he was on the other side now and it seemed as though he was going to pass through without finding them. The sounds of his search slowly faded until the only thing Joey could hear was his and Kaiba's ragged breaths and his own heartbeat sounding deafeningly in his ears. Now that the excitement was fading, Joey realised that Kaiba still had one arm wrapped around his chest, and the other, while no longer covering his mouth, had slid down until it was resting loosely around his neck and collarbone. Joey's heartbeat sped up again for a whole new reason, and he suddenly felt warm all over, which was odd as he kept getting prickles of cold flicker over his scalp as well. The nervous excitement he felt was heightened by the fact that it was so dark he could barely make out Kaiba's profile in the little alcove. Joey shifted slightly in discomfort and Kaiba's arm tightened ever so slightly around him. He felt Kaiba's face turn toward his own, beside his neck, and the brunette whispered, "What's wrong? Do you hear someone coming?" His breath was warm on Joey's cheek and it suddenly struck the blonde how easy it'd be for him to turn his head to the side and meet Kaiba's lips with his own. The thought made him squirm with embarrassment and Kaiba's grip around his chest finally relented, letting Joey step away a little, however Kaiba's hand tightened around a fistful of Joey's jacket, causing Joey to spin slightly mid-step and turn to face the brunette.

"N- no, I didn't hear anything," Joey stammered, his mind a mass of confusion. Kaiba's nearness was almost unbearable, and the intimate situation had his thoughts running wild. "I uh, just thought… well maybe we should move on?" He realised that as he spoke, Kaiba had stepped forward, so that as Joey turned, his back was against one wall of the alcove, with Kaiba standing opposite him against the other wall. He could feel rather than see Kaiba watching him through the darkness.

"Yes, I suppose we should probably get going," Kaiba agreed blandly, and Joey again felt both immensely relieved and slightly disappointed. "But first of all, there is something I need to do." Joey cocked his head to the side, straining his ears to hear what Kaiba was doing, but all the brunette seemed to be doing was standing still, facing Joey, his breath coming quickly as though he were frightened. Joey took a step forward and reached out, his fingers brushing against some part of Kaiba he could not identify in the dark. "Kaiba? You alright? Waddya need to do?"

"This." And suddenly, a hand whipped out and grasped Joey's extended palm, threading its fingers through his and pushing it up over Joey's head until it struck the brick wall behind him. Joey gasped with surprise, and Kaiba gasped in response- then suddenly, the brunette was gripping Joey's head in his spare hand, his body pushed to its full length along Joey's, now pinned flat against the wall. Joey could barely understand what happening before Kaiba's mouth unerringly found his own in the inky darkness.