Jou laid awake with his eyes open. He couldn't sleep. It had felt like forever since he had spoken to Seto, and the whole room was pitch black. He turned over to face the ceiling. He sighed. His bed was uncomfortable and wasn't helping at all.

'Seto?' He whispered, sitting up. 'Seto, are you there?' He exhaled loudly, apparently the ghost wasn't there. He rested his head on the board behind him and shut his eyes, drawing his knees upwards.

Just then the room turned from the deepest black to a dulling grey and cold air whipped around the blond. Slowly materialising, Kaiba sat at the edge of the bed. As his form became more apparent his distant blue eyes found Jou and they held the honey gaze for a long moment.

'What do you want?' He looked bored and uninterested, Jou looked onward in silence before deciding to speak.

'I wondered where you were.' He bit his lip. He had gotten used to the idea that Seto was always there, always watching. Maybe he had been wrong.

'I..I had gone to see Mokuba.' He forced himself to say, inhaling as he did so. Jou nodded slowly.

'How is he?' Seto looked away. He seemed a little upset but he fought away his emotions in front of the blond.

'He…he doesn't need me. He can look after himself. He seems to have taken over, quite smoothly.' He paused, nodding as if to convince himself, 'As a Kaiba should.' Jou nodded slowly in agreement, he knew what the brunet was feeling. He knew what it felt like to loose a sibling, to be no longer needed in someone's life. Yes, it was on a whole new level, but the feeling still remained.

'It sucks, don't it?' He smiled towards the spectre in a poor attempt to lighten the mood.

'I was his brother. His big brother. He depended on me for…everything. It's like…it's like I was never there.' Kaiba looked away, no longer capable of keeping eye contact.

'When I see Shizuka, all grown up. With friends, happy. It's like she never needed me. All the talks we had, the moments and the memories, they…they don't exist to her.' Jou closed his eyes as they began to burn. He missed his sister, but that wasn't important. Should he require to, he had the power to see her. Kaiba on the other hand, did not have such a luxury.

'You know, I thought he would crumble without me. I thought he would break. I should be proud to see him like this. But I'm not. I can't be proud. He seems to feel no remorse for my death, for the discovery.' He took a long breath, 'I expect they will ask him to confirm by body soon. A DNA test. Something. I don't know. I wish I could be there, to see what he does.'

'Then go?' Jou looked at the ghost. Surely this was the obvious solution?

'I can't. I wouldn't be able to bear it. If he was like me, emotionless and unforgiving, I couldn't watch. I can't watch his innocence melt away to become what I did. I don't want to watch him become alone, watch him live the life I hated. I can't watch it. I couldn't bear it.'

'You do have a heart.' Jou smirked, crawling closer down the bed towards the brunet. Seto snorted at the gesture and looked at the blond. Jou could feel his heart beating and his mouth dry out…but he wouldn't back down, not this time. He raised a hand to his head, and scratched at his hair slightly, mustering as much courage as he could.

'Hey…Kaiba?' He bit his lip, taking a deep breath between the silence. Kaiba looked over at Jou, willing him to continue. 'You know earlier…in the woods?' He swallowed, it was a lot harder than he had anticipated, 'When I was trying to…erm, you know, comfort you?'

'Yeah?' Kaiba nodded. He could feel himself feeling lighter, it was unexplainable. He could physically feel nothing, but it was as if a pressure was being lifted. He looked into the coffee eyes across from him, waiting for the blond to continue.

'Did you…did you feel…anything?' He paused for a split second, before opening his mouth and speaking rapidly, 'I mean I thought I felt something weird like electricity but I don't know and I don't know if you felt it or if it was me or nothing at all and I just imagined it because it was all tense and you were upset and I was nervous and I didn't know what to do and I-' the blond was cut off promptly by Kaiba leaning in towards him, touching their lips together. The room suddenly turned icy, and Jou's lips began to burn. His fingers tingled and reached up to touch the lustrous brow hair besides him. His fingers fell through silky air, no physical feeling, but the mentality was all he needed. He could almost sense the strands falling through his fingers, wrapping around. As he laid down, he could almost feel the weight of the ghost, who pressed their lips together further. He could feel the electric pulses of the others heart, or what it would be, he could feel it beat separately from his own, racing through his blood, through his mind. He could feel the icy pricks run over his skin where the phantom hand trailed and his lips burn more and more. He could feel the pressure, it was real. He could feel it. He could feel Kaiba. He could hear faint whispers in his mind, racing thoughts that were not his own, he could feel the strange emptiness inside, the illusion that he was not whole. He could feel fire burn through his mouth as the ghostly tongue flicked at his cheeks, and he could see the emotion in the blue eyes when he kissed back, knowing, that the other felt the same.

It was strange. It was real. They were together, linked in a way no two humans ever could be. He could feel Kaiba inside him. His pulse that not longer physically existed, his thoughts that he had kept so private, he could feel every emotion, every longing and desire. He turned his head away as the ghost pulled back. Jou raised a tentative finger to his own lips, scorching his own finger tip. He watched the phantom mirror his movement, examining his hand also.

'You felt everything…didn't you?' Jou spoke slowly, touching his lips again where blood dripped down from the searing kiss. 'You felt it all. You did, didn't you?' Kaiba nodded slowly.

'You…you've been abused for years. I felt every injury, every bruise, every emotion…it was like my own memories, my own body.'

'I…I could hear your thoughts whispering in my mind. I, I could feel the emptiness, the longing…the cold.' Kaiba's eyes went wide.

'You understand how it feels? The loneliness, the desperation…'

'The confusion.' Jou cut in. His eyes looked to the bed. 'How…how can this be? Kaiba…we're not friends. We're not enemies…are we?' Kaiba shook his head slowly. 'What are we?' Seto froze. He had anticipated the question, but had no answer yet. He didn't know how to respond to the blond boy before him. Jou knew this…he now knew everything. Every secret, every lie. He knew everything from the past, and everything from the present…right up until,

'What can we be?' Seto felt himself saying the words. He wasn't in control, he couldn't stop himself. He could feel the emptiness grow, the longing stir, he needed Jou, he needed his warmth and comfort. He needed his understanding and positivity. He needed…someone. Katsuya frowned and his eyes glazed over, for he knew the ghost was right. There was nothing they could be. They could share nothing for Kaiba no longer existed in a way known to most. He no longer had a form that could be touched and loved. And it hurt. It hurt Jou more than he cared to think. This…man, who he had spent so many years loathing, hating and forcing hate upon himself. This man who had shown no compassion for anyone, who had tormented and teased, belittled and aggravated him. This man who he despised so much…he had fallen in love with. And he knew, from the kiss, from his thoughts that Kaiba had grown to feel the same. That they wanted each others strength and company, that they needed the support to cope, to survive…yet, it was impossible. Their love was something that could never be fulfilled. They couldn't express their emotions like normal people, they couldn't share memories and make them happen. They couldn't hold hands and sit by the fire, go for dinner or watch a movie. No. They were in love, but they were in love alone. A complete understanding of the other person, the torment of the mutual feeling, and the knowing that it could never blossom…that it could never be. Jou felt his eyes sting and he bit back the tears. He could do this, he could be strong. He needed to be the backbone, the support. He needed to be there for Kaiba, to avenge him and be there with him throughout the investigation- no matter what.

'Katsuya?' Seto looked over to the blond, his blue eyes saddened like melting glass, 'I really do love you too, you know.' His eyes tried to piece together and hide the cracks, but they split when the blond began to weep, falling into what should have been waiting arms. He touched the strands of golden hair, weeping inside. Jounouchi couldn't see the tears, and he could barely feel the movement. But it was there. And that was all that mattered for that night…

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Hey

So a slightly longer, slightly fluffier chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it.

I've now posted ALL of the Christmas Comp rules (and a poll on my page) on DA if anyone cares.

I watched the Ghost of Canterville tonight, which I loved and found inspirational. It's been years since I've seen it and I really idolise Patrick Stuart, he's amazing (and from Yorkshire! Ahah)

Anyway, the story line will swing in for an appearance next chapter and the story is gonna get a little more dramatic haha. I hope you all like it,

Please read and review, I'll love you forever ^^

Much love

AB

X

PS: Trying to decide which city to visit this week. I'm thinking Whitby cos Manchester went wrong…any ideas where I should go? I've been to *Chester, London, Preston, York, Scarbourgh, Bridlington, Sheffield* So far, so any recommendations?