A/N: This chapter contains humor, some FRIENDS lines, which I don't own, and whatever comes up in my head! You have been warned!
Chapter 14: Take It Or Leave It"Mmmm… I'm in heaven!"Irma moaned with satisfaction, tasting again her chocolate ice cream. She and Seto were fans of chocolate – something that Seto claimed to have taken by his little brother, Mokuba. Joey, on the other hand, preferred caramel, Tea strawberry and Yugi vanilla.
"Congratulations, Lair, and when do you plan to go back in hell?" Seto scoffed.
Like she would let that slip! "Don't worry, sweetie, I'll be in our home by noun…"
And he didn't intend to as well. "Great. I was starting to get rather impatient…" He counterattacked, smirking. Just an ice cream, a nice environment in a coffeehouse, friendly company and some cunning comments, and she had already forgotten the little (let's say) episode in the aquarium. Not that he would ever… But of course, the puppy had to interrupt again!
"Please, get a room you two! I've told you so before!" Joey continued eating his ice cream, ignoring the murderous glares by Seto's side. He was so used to them.
As the growl: "Wheeler…"
"What? What did I say now, you're hurting my feelings!" Joey pretended the hurt one. "I'm so…"
Tea groaned. "Please, Joey, don't say innocent, no one is gonna bought it!" The others laughed.
"Really, Joey, you have to be more discreet - let people flirt!" Yugi snickered.
"Flirt? Who flirts? Are we going mad or something here?" Irma shrieked. She wasn't flirting with the bastard! She'd bet he was mentally unstable – he had shoved somebody into the white sharks pool! Like she would ever forget! But how would she like to get that proud and luscious body beneath her, shove his tight black shirt over his head, messing his chocolate brown locks in the process, his sapphire blue eyes half-lidded and glistening with passion and pleasure, waiting for her to make the first move, giving her the ultimate control…
Yaaaaahh! What am I thinking? I am the mentally unstable one here! She realized, in a freaky moment, her eyes widening. Seto saw that, and smirked, deciding to taunt her once more:
"Yeah, Lair, louder: I think that there's someone at the end of the hall who didn't hear you!"
"No, I did!" Tristan made his appearance, grinning at the scene. Irma let herself blush. "Hey guys, what's up?"
"Nah, nothing Tristan, just a tease. Where are Mai and Duke?" Yugi asked, trying to suppress his laughter.
"Mai suddenly decided to go shopping, and she wanted someone to drag along. We were close, so Duke and I turned a coin to see who would accompany her. As you can see, I won!" Tristan grinned even more, proud with his luck. It was common knowledge that Mai was a tornado at that stuff. But there was someone who wasn't happy with that turn of events.
"Duke? Alone with Mai? For shopping? Something smells bad here!" Joey started to get suspicious. Duke may was a good friend, he had helped Serenity and blah blah, but if there was some field that Joey wouldn't trust him in, that was with women!
Tristan raised an eyebrow. "Did you ever consider that being your aftershave?"
"Stop the bad jokes! I don't trust Duke with any woman!" Joey finally voiced his thought.
"While you trust Valentine with every man." Seto added his two cents, making Joey fume even more badly.
"Shut up, Money-Bags! You don't trust anyone with anything! Ever!"
"So? What is your point?" Seto smirked and raised his eyebrows innocently.
"Aaaargh, forget it!" Then Joey turned to Tristan again. "I have to find out what they're doing!"
"If you suggest that we spy on them, forget it! I was lucky to get away! If she sees us, who knows how many bags we'll have to carry!" Tristan protested, raising his hands.
"Uh, Joey… I think you should give Mai more credit." Yugi suggested. "And Duke too. And, in a final analysis, what do you worry so much for? Are you so protective over her?" Yugi smirked, in a way he seemed more like Kaiba.
"Thank you, Brutus, for your advice." Joey put his hands in his hips. Now what to do? He had to find out what had happened! What to do, what to do… oh, yes. "Setooooo…?"
Oh… I'll regret this. Seto thought. "What, puppy?" He turned to face Joey.
"Remember that game we were talking about the other days?" Joey asked hopefully. Seto narrowed his eyes, trying to remember. It didn't take him long.
"The Truth or Dare? That I told you that only when I say, we'd play it?" He asked, a little bewildered. "This is your way to get Valentine to talk to you without raising any suspicions?"
"Yes. Pleeeeease?" Joey kneeled and gave him the sweetest and most pleading look he could muster.
It didn't take them long, and they all laughed. "Oh, Joey…" Tea sighed. Yugi shook his head, smiling. "You're really such a puppy!"
"And for another time, Seto Kaiba gets that right. But you're an adorable puppy, Joe!" Irma ruffled her friend's blond hair, giggling. Tristan tapped Joey's shoulder, smiling as well.
"Okay, Golden Retriever." Seto gave away one of his really rare smiles. "I'll do it."
And Joey's face lit up. Suddenly, it wasn't so bad to call him a puppy.
Truth be told, it had stopped being so a long time ago.
SXIXSXIXSXIXSXI
"Mai, truth or dare?" The long awaited time had come. The next day they were all gathered at the Kaiba Mansion, once again. Forming a circle, they chose carefully their words, so they could bring the other in a dead-end. And now, the bottle that they were turning around finally showed Joey and Mai.
"Truth, hon." Mai winked. She wasn't stupid. She knew what Joey wanted to ask her. She liked it!
"Uh… because I haven't really much of ideas… what were you and Duke doing yesterday at the mall?" Joey asked innocently.
Duke groaned. He would never forget what he had to carry! The next time, A) He would drag Tristan along or B) He would hack into Mai's accounts, froze them, so she couldn't buy anything ever again!
"We went shopping, then we went to eat at Goodies, and then back home." She replied, totally composed. Joey couldn't suppress a sigh of relief, which Duke caught. Mai was honest, and Duke not dense.
At the next turn, the bottle showed Duke and Joey. Duke smiled devilishly. "Truth or dare, Joey?"
"Dare!" Joey yelled immediately, so Duke wouldn't have to question him about that and confirm any suspicions.
But Duke's plan was other. "Well Joe, since you thought that me and Mai were possibly making out, thus you didn't trust us, I'll have to find a real evil something for you to do, huh?" He grinned.
Joey sweat-dropped and nodded in defeat and embarrassment, in front of Mai. But come on, what could Duke possibly do?
"I dare you to make out with Seto Kaiba for five minutes. On watch."
"WHAT!!" Seto, Joey, Mai and Irma shot up from their sits. Yugi and Tristan tried to help their insane laughter, while Tea was blushing gloriously. Duke continued to grin in a very devil like manner.
"Do you care about your life at all, Devlin?" Seto had started to form his notorious glare once again.
But that didn't discouraged Duke. "Tch, tch. Where's your honor, Seto Kaiba? We play a game, there are rules. We have to follow them. Where's the problem?" Duke smirked, as Seto was fuming, but he knew he could say nothing. A game is a game, and so are its rules. He couldn't disobey them. He had learned that long ago.
Suddenly, a pang of fear shot through him. Why? He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, not willing at all to let that show.
Mai and Irma bolted out of the room.
"Heh, don't worry!" Joey whispered in Seto's ear. "Mai and Irma won't let that happen. They like us too much to do so."
"Don't you dare to do anything!" They listened to their voices. Right after that, Mai and Irma appeared into the room, each of them having a camera in hand.
"Now, continue." Mai said, while she and Irma was getting them recording.
"You were saying…" Seto told Joey, with a non-surprised expression at all, while Joey was gawking.
"Come on, I'll do it ten minutes!" Duke said amusingly. None of them could tell there was something wrong. Except for one, whose soft cerulean eyes wouldn't leave Seto's form.
Joey grumbled. "Okay… come on." He placed his hand onto Seto's left shoulder and led him towards the couch. Seto swallowed hard and did his best not to jerk his body away. What kind of a fucking game was this! He didn't want this! But he couldn't let that show; they would say he was coward, weird, and faint-hearted. That he couldn't handle a situation like this! He, Seto Kaiba!
So he didn't let anything show. He sat obediently at the couch, and let Joey lay him down, in the cushions. His facial expression was docile and indifferent, namely exactly the opposite of what he felt. And no one noticed. Damn, if he were an actor, he would have gotten the Oscar long ago! He saw Joey climbing on top of him, straddling him. He saw also Irma putting the camera down, with a rather worried look in her face. But what could she possibly know? He would never let that show.
Joey avoided looking at Seto's face, and especially, his eyes. Instead, he turned to Duke, raising a finger and pointing it straight to him. "You… Payback is a bitch, Devlin. Remember that!"
Duke just shrugged. Yugi started getting worried as well. Seto didn't seem disturbed though… was it just pretending, or was he used so much to Joey's presence, that he didn't care? It seemed it was the second, but…
Joey's heart had a long time to beat at his chest like this. He didn't want to do that to Seto. The motive may was innocent, but Duke, Mai and Tristan didn't know a thing of what he did. H-he couldn't do this! Seto hadn't protest more than him, though. Joey knew that it had to be the other's proud and strong act that took over, but was he really so sure? He could find out, by looking at the other's eyes… but he was too afraid of what he 'd probably see.
He leaned down, towards the other's lips, and avoided to spare a glance at the cobalt eyes. Seto found himself suppressing a whimper, he was so scared… but he would never let the others know! And why was he so scared, anyway! It would be just a kiss! It wasn't like Joey was planning… other things… he didn't meet his gaze to confirm otherwise.
He clenched the cushions of the couch in his fists, and his eyes shut, trying to avoid the trembling. Five minutes…
"Stop it!!" They heard the scream.
Joey shot himself up, relieved being the light word. Tea was standing up, fuming to all in general. "Stop it now!! How can you do this? This isn't fun anymore! The purpose in this game is to have a good time, not push people beyond their limits! This isn't what it was supposed to be, this is a torture!" She was more than furious.
Duke was startled, and he felt quite guilty. "What's the matter? I-I didn't mean to hurt anyone, it was just a joke!"
"Jokes, and everything, Duke, have limits, which you just crossed!" Tea continued, while Joey and Seto were numbly standing up. "Not everything is allowed, not even in a game!"
"I'm sorry, guys. I thought…" Duke tried to apologize. Things had gone terribly wrong; he didn't expect a reaction like that.
"Nothing happened." Seto stated, sadly for everyone, with his old, coldest voice, which he used to cover up emotion. "It wasn't that of a big deal." Joey nodded.
Irma lowered her head. She was feeling guiltier than everybody else. She had seen Seto's discomfort, but she didn't make a thing to stop it, except for lowering that damn camera. She wasn't there for him. How had things gone from the jokes and entertainment to this?
She would never forgive herself.
Suddenly, a cell phone rang, that turned out to be Yugi's. When he picked it:
"It's a message from Sam!"
"Wow, boy!" Tristan exclaimed, and what had happened before got almost instantly forgotten. They started questioning Yugi, teasing him, telling him what to write back. Joey started flirting and being comforted by Mai, helping him forget the previous incident, and feel comfortable again. Tea saw sadly Seto looking at them expressionlessly, then turn out and leave the room, without anyone noticing. She made a move to run after him, but Irma stopped her.
"I'll go." She said to her.
Tea wanted to say: No, I'll go. I was there for him, you weren't! Her eyes widened, shocked at her own thought. When had she started to think like this? She nodded to Irma to go.
Seto had gone outside, to the balcony. He tried to block out the tears. All this time, when he was under Joey, all he could think was Gozaburo's words:
"Maybe I should have that blond friend of yours do it for me. He would be gentler than me, don't you think?"
Seto took some deep breaths, in order to calm himself. The fresh air was really refreshing. The urge to cry stopped, but the sadness lingered. They hadn't even noticed he was out there… He smiled bitterly. Who would care? They surely didn't. What Joey had told him, that speech he gave him the other day… The bastard, he wouldn't even meet his eyes, when he was over him and ready to…
The emotional side of Seto told him one thing, one word: Hypocrisy. Exploiting. But the other side, the logical one, which would never leave him, was reminding him that Duke didn't know what Gozaburo had done to him. He didn't have idea of what had really happened in the virtual world. Neither did Mai, or Tristan. What could he do…
And then, he felt someone behind him. He turned, and saw Irma. Was she ready to cry? She definitely looked sad. Wait… had she followed him?
Seto didn't have much time to contemplate about it, as she ran straight into his arms, wrapping hers around his waist, and holding him tightly there. She still refused to cry. She wouldn't cry. And Seto didn't know what to do - or how he felt about it. Right then, he was so numb… He didn't return the hug. They just sat there.
Irma was doing her best not to cry. The purpose was to comfort him, not her. She held him tighter, and felt his heart beating awkwardly at his warm chest. She remembered what Hay Lin's grandma, Yan Lin, had said: "To get through this fight, you have to consult your two hearts: The one you already know. It's beating right into your chest."
Follow your heart, follow your heart, follow your heart! Everybody was always saying this! Follow your heart, and you'll do the right thing! And how, pray tell, would you know where your heart beats? And if you know, how can you be so sure that it's beating at the right place? Where is the right place for it to beat? How can you follow something you don't know where it is, where it's going, or where it should be! Just how?
"Where should our heart beat, Seto? Where does it belong?" She asked him in a soft whisper, wishing there was more she could tell him, but knowing that… he didn't need to.
Seto's gaze melted, along with his heart. How could he think he was alone? He had problems… but he could get over them. With them. For them. For her…
He wrapped his strong arms around her waist, holding her in his warm embrace. Irma felt her knees giving away; oh boy… didn't he smell beautifully… his shirt, his neck, his hair…
Seto leaned down, and whispered in her ear, his voice as silky as his locks: "Why, where he can hear it, of course."
…his breath.
She would kiss him, and damn the consequences! Yes, she liked him, yes, she wanted him!
Did she love him? Or was it too soon to speak for love?
She lifted her gaze, and locked eyes with him. Cobalt indigo met emerald sea green, each drowning at the depths of the other. His lips… so smooth they seemed… so enticing, impatient… she leaned forwards, and he did too…
"So there you are!" Tristan appeared from nowhere. "Seto, Mokuba is on the phone, he wants to speak with you!"
…and the magic was gone. When Seto heard his brother's name, he forgot even to growl from irritation. "Excuse me…" He unwrapped his arms away from her and he disappeared inside.
Tristan looked at where he had gone startled, then he looked at Irma. "Was this my imagination, or did he actually say 'excuse me'? Will wonders never cease?"
"Give me a rest, Tristan!" Irma sighed. She hadn't kissed Seto. Was this good or bad? Man, she was so tired and confused! Right now, she wanted only to get some sleep. It was late.
She closed the door to the balcony carefully behind her, as she left. The blue curtains fell and hided her.
SXIXSXIXSXIXSXI
"Okay guys! I have a very important question to do to all of you!" Joey officially stated, as he was standing up from the cafeteria's couch, where they were all gathered. "What do you prefer: Sex or food?"
"Food!" Irma replied immediately. Seto turned and gave her a funny look.
"I'm sorry! You see, I used to be chubby! It's in my DNA!" She protested.
"Or: You haven't experienced the other matter in it's real depth." Seto smirked devilishly.
Irma felt the blood accumulating in her brain's veins. When I lay you down, I'll show you, you little sexy jerk! She thought, but she said: "I will, as soon as I find a cute, warm, humorous, loving, blond guy to make a relationship with!"
Seto raised his eyebrow, amused. "Was all of your relationships like this in the past?"
"Yes…" She said, as she remembered Andrew, Martin, Joel and Steven, namely, all the boys she had taken a liking to. Where was the damn catch?
"Well, that explains it all then."
Irma's jaw dropped. She'd never thought it that way. But she quickly got over it: "Well, what about you then?"
Seto brushed some bangs away from his face. "Sex, I was never a glutton."
Irma fumed, how did that bastard manage to turn his answer to this, was beyond her. But then an evil scheme came up to her mind: "Except when we're talking about chocolate, of course."
"Humph, I suppose I could handle this." Seto replied in a confident, more of an arrogant tone.
"Really?" Irma smiled devilishly, and placed a warm, chocolate soufflé under his nose. "I dare you not to touch this all the afternoon, but being constantly under your nose!" He stiffened, without being able to say a word.
"What about you, Yugi?" Mai asked, always the energetic one.
He blushed like a poppy. "Sex…" He barely whispered.
"So do I." Duke volunteered to take him off the embarrassing situation.
"Me too…" Tea sighed, and under her bangs, she shot a glance at Yugi and Seto.
"Count me in." Tristan added. "Hey, what about you, Joe?"
Joey hesitated. "I really can't decide… I don't know, it's too hard…" He contemplated about it a little. "Food… no, sex… no, food… ugh, I told you, I can't decide!"
"And you, Mai?" Tea giggled, she knew that the blond woman had a good answer in mind…
And indeed. The feisty blond gave a playful look and a wink: "Believe me, sweethearts, I can combine both!"
All the heads turned immediately towards Joey's direction.
"WHY IS EVERYBODY LOOKING AT ME!"
"Yes… why indeed!" Tristan pretended wondering, snickering, planning what jokes he could do to his blond friend afterwards. He would have fun for over a month…
Some minutes passed to a somewhat awkward silence, while everyone was snickering from inside. Until:
"To the hell it goes, I'm constantly losing the bets in this squad, anyway!" Seto cracked, and grabbed a spoon, burying it deeply into the chocolate soufflé in front of him. Then, he dipped it in his mouth, with a full taste of it. He closed his eyes and moaned at the delight of the warm sweetness.
They all tilted their heads to see him better.
"Stop looking, I can sense you!" Came the answer.
"Do you make these moans when you're having your climax?" Irma slipped out. Oh, oh, oh…
Seto dropped the spoon.
SXIXSXIXSXIXSXI
"Hey guys, guess what we found out!" Duke and Tristan rushed into the room where Yugi, Seto and Joey were playing Duel Monsters.
"Quick, you lackeys, I have a duel to win!" Seto demanded, as Yugi and Joey groaned.
Tristan ignored that comment, as always. "You know what our girls are doing now? They are all in the nearby room, and they talk!"
"They talk?! Really! Fascinating, don't tell me! I never expected that! Hallelujah!" Seto scoffed, making Joey chuckle.
Duke rolled his eyes. "Guys! Girls! Are talking! Girl-talk! About boys! About us! Hello!" He shook his head.
"And… what do you mean, that we should overhear? That's… not right, Duke! We shouldn't!" Yugi stated, the ever-good guy, as always. They all looked at each other.
Thirty Seconds Later
"I cant hear them – what do they say?"
"Quiet, Wheeler, or else they'll catch us!"
"Haven't you ever overheard again, Moneybags?"
"To know what some girls think of me? Definitely not!" The five of them had stick their ears onto the wooden door that separated them from the three girls. But still, they couldn't hear as much as they would like!
"Guys, I can't stand behind the door for a long time more!" Said Yugi, not feeling comfortable at all. "We're invading their privacy. I don't feel it right, and I'm stopping!"
"And I'm thirsty. I'm going too." Duke added.
"And I want to go to the bathroom. I'm off too." Tristan agreed. The three of them left immediately, and disappeared from another nearby door. And that wasn't good… Not for Joey, that he had put all of his weight onto them, while Seto was kneeling under him.
"Argh, Moneybags, they left too quickly!"
Seto didn't bother to look up. "So? You missed them?" He asked, annoyed.
"Yes! And that's because they supported me! And now that they left, I can't keep my balance anymore!" Joey squeaked desperately, while he was toppling.
When Seto realized what those words meant…"What? No, no wait – wait!!" …it was too late.
Joey fell on Seto, and they both fell on the floor, with a loud thud. They remained completely unmoving; in any chance they weren't heard. But… Right after that, Mai opened the door, quirking an eyebrow at the sight. Joey had fell on Seto, holding him from his shoulders and straddling his waist. Well…
"Not that I don't find that pose of yours really interesting, but what exactly are you doing there?"
"MAI!" They both barked.
"What? I'm saying what I'm seeing!" She started chuckling.
"Great! That didn't seem gay at all!" Seto grunted, and he and Joey stood up as fast as a human being could. Mai tapped her foot on the floor several times.
"Well?" She asked them.
"Oh, nothing, we were just overhearing, to see if you really like us – I mean, me!" Joey caught Seto's glare. "And then the three other traitors left, and let me fall on Seto, and then you came, and now I'll go enhance my really hurt manliness by drinking some beers and punch a wall!" Said Joey as casually as he could.
"Other than that, we're fine!" Completed Seto.
"O.k. then, continue, just wait a minute to go and grab that camera which Duke brought… and if you want someone for threesome, I'm soooooooo willingly offered!" Mai sent them a kiss.
"MAI!" Joey shrieked again, while Seto remained cutely speechless. But she just giggled and closed the door. Seto and Joey looked at each other.
"We deserved this." Said Joey.
"Totally." Replied Seto.
"But we'll still overhear again?"
"Yep. But after this, we better not talk to each other for a month!" Seto warned, not only Joey, but himself as well.
"I agree. I need time to be cured!" Joey nodded, and they stick their ears on the door again. But Joey didn't remain silent for a long time. His expression got serious, and he left the door. Seto noticed, and he frowned, leaving the door as well.
"What's the matter, puppy?" He asked him, a bit concerned.
Joey let out a weak laugh. "Still a puppy, huh? Even after what happened to the 'Truth or Dare'…" Joey knew he shouldn't do this, he was feeling guilty for bringing it up, but he didn't want to bottle things inside…
Seto froze. Why was Joey referring to this, after so much time? "We've talked about this, it was no…"
"Nothing?" An angry glint flashed through Joey's eyes, making them darker. Suddenly, he seized violently Seto's wrists, and shoved him inside a door at the opposite side of the hall, where no one could hear them. He pushed Seto, pinning him to the nearby wall. "I don't think so. Not for me." He whispered hotly in the other's ear.
Seto felt his senses almost abandoning him; the world was getting darker and darker… This was nightmare, it had to be. A perverse joke, for which he would tell Joey off later… He had done so much for this guy! And now… this? It didn't make any sense, any fucking sense! Wasn't Joey and Yugi supposed to be his best friends? What was he thinking, of course they weren't… They were best friends; the two of them alone. Seto didn't fit.
How could I do this? How could I trust him? His mind was screaming, but his body refused to make a noise. Let him do anything… let him do this. Let's end this as quickly as we can. I wouldn't escape forever, anyway… Seto mused, his heart breaking. He closed his eyes, anticipating the next move.
And then, he felt the pressure leaving his wrists. He let himself slip quietly on the floor. He stayed like this for a good couple of minutes, but still, nothing happened. Hesitantly, he opened his eyes, to slits, just to see what was going on… just to have a vague idea of what he was sure it would follow.
He was more than surprised to see Joey's eyes glistening with tears. Those chocolate eyes that now seemed like his. Seto opened fully his eyes - he was more than startled.
When Joey spoke, his voice was cracked. "He didn't have to rape you, the bastard, did he? He achieved what he wanted. You're completely defenseless."
Seto was stunned, still not finding the voice to respond to this statement. But Joey didn't stop:
"You didn't fight me. You didn't do anything. Look at you…" He waved towards the other's motionless form, on the ground. "You could have easily snapped me in two. Instead, you were afraid even to be touched by me! You… you would have let me… let me… Did you honestly believe…" Joey's voice didn't obey him to complete the sentence, as he was taking a few steps backwards, shaking his head 'no, I refuse to believe it' as he was doing so. "And you still say it's nothing!"
"I have some problems, okay??" Seto suddenly shot up, his blue eyes glazing with rage and sorrow. "I know it, you don't have to remind me, because I never forget it, it's in my mind every day, every single fucking day! But do you honestly think that doing something like this gets me better? That it will make me stronger?" Seto felt his raw rage rising, boiling into his depths. "I didn't resist, because it was you! I couldn't fight back, because betrayal can be more powerful than any other weapon! Didn't you feel it? Didn't you feel it when Mai joined Orichalkos?"
Joey felt himself being lost, trembling. Gods, what had he done! But… but he didn't intend to… He thought that… "I-I thought that… but… how can you be so sure that…"
"…That I won't let anyone else do that? Wake up, Joey! You may now are my friend, but that doesn't mean I have changed, get that through your minds, all of you! I am Seto Kaiba!" Seto stood his full height, his style filled with sarcasm, arrogance and confidence. "I know how to crush my enemies down, like the warms they are." He smirked. "And my enemies are everyone else except Mokuba and you guys…" His expression softened.
That didn't make Joey feel better. He felt totally stupid, weak and imbecile. How could he think that if he did this, he would teach Seto a lesson, and he would actually help him? That what he was doing was right? That all that mattered was the fight, and not the circumstances? He dropped to his knees, his eyes never stopping watering. "Forgive me…" He managed to whisper faintly.
What did he expect? It was Seto Kaiba. He couldn't forgive. And what he had just done didn't bare forgiveness. That was why he gasped from surprise when he saw Seto kneeling in front of him, so they were at the same level. Seto's eyes were so sad, as he brushed away Joey's tears. "They say it's difficult to forgive, puppy…" He sighed. "But it's more difficult to ask for forgiveness and really mean it."
They hugged each other tightly, without feeling any shame. Their hearts now happy and peaceful.