Chapter 14

Bold Italic is Seto's thoughts.

Bold is Joey's. If bold or italic isn't present due to formating, then...(Seto's thought) ~Joey's thoughts~

Booting up his laptop, Mokuba calls up the others and explains that Joey is awake. Ignoring the calls from work, he pounds out his frustration on the keys until he finds the information he is working for. Seto's birth announcement. He finds it and stares at the photo of a woman holding a baby with a bright smile and glazed over eyes, distant and sad. He doesn't recognize her, nor does he remember the man next to her. Biting his lip, he recalls how she smelt like lavender and dish soap and how the man had a low voice that comforted him and his brother after a bad dream. Logging off he glares at the device.

"Just ignore Seto and go see Joey, he needs the support. I have to go." Swiftly he weaves in and out of traffic until he finds the orphanage. Seto steadfastly refuses to come near the place and he barely remembers his stay here, yet each year they give a generous amount of money to this orphanage and various others as charity. A nun strides up to him with a smile as snow crunches beneath her face.

"May I help you?"

"I hope so, or I am doomed," he states cringing as the tone is a tad overly dramatic even to his ears. What's next? Flaring trench coats? Thankfully he had never taken up an affection for those long coats his brother constantly wore. "Did my brother, Seto Kaiba, have a twin?" He doesn't back down from her open hostility. As soon as she had realized who he was her whole demeanor had changed.

"Yes, but he was a stillborn. Too small to live on his own. As if that brother of yours sucked his life essence away in order to survive."

"Did he have a name?"

She nods withering under his intense, direct glare. "Donavan. Your mother named him before she had him cremated."

The mansion is eerily silent when he enters. Rushing up to Joey's room, he enters in time to watch Joey wrench the Seto twin's hands off his throat and go over to check on Yugi. Yami's glowing crimsons hold the boy at bay as Joey limps over to him. "Donavan?" Seto's blues galre at him as an unnatural hiss escapes his mouth.

"Asshole, " Joey mutters rubbing his sore cheek from where the boy had hit him. "It wasn't always you; though, Seto was there in the beginning too. He remembered the card and it was him that kissed me. When my dad was with us, it was Seto. Only when we were alone was it you. Seto never whines, for one, and Seto never admits defeat, for two, and lastly, Seto not once told me he liked me. He either comes out and says I LOVE YOU or he beats around the bush. However, not once did you give Seto's traditional response."

Donavan looks shocked, like a child that got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, as he mutters, "You shouldn't have been able to tell. I studied his habits even after he stopped acknowlodging my existance. I wanted his life, the life which his greedy soul stole from me." Sneering Joey looks nearly feral and unconciously Donavan takes a step back.

"So, you expected me to be some dumb blond?"

Taking another step backwards, Donavan shakes his head while weakly explaining, "Not at all. I just believed that I'd bewhat you always dreamed of."

A quick instant and amber burns scarlet. Hypnotic pull like dancing flames. "My dreams, huh? You're such a fool. I don't have dream, they always evolve into nightmares. I can't escape my past any more than any one else. You think I like reliving how I broke a man's leg then tossed him aside as if he was nothing. You heard what Tonio called me, Bone Crusher. Almost as familiar as Red Eyes. I answered to both like a sailor to a Siren's song. You know nothing."

Desperate fear upon a pale visage revealing such fralilty in the shimmering soul. Not at all like the true soul coiled somewhere within the mind. Devestation in stolen blues. Such heavy despair emenating from this being.

Taking a step forward, feeling the power rising in the soul across from him, Joey raises red stained orbs to blue fire. "If I wanted some sickingly sweet version of my lover, I would have accepted Stevie's offer. If I wanted to feel powerful and in control of the world, I could have taken back my position as Padrone's assistant. You never understood that I love Seto and I'm not foolish enough to fall for another's charms no matter how similiar the actions may seem. His memories have become so intertwined with your emotions that you know not what you trully are. However, Donavan, I know that you could never conquer a man whose soul once resided in a High Priest."

Spiraling out of control. Losing touch. Slipping from this strong anchor. Drifting away. Slower and slower. Disbelief in cold fire blues as unknown power uncoils itself.

Yugi's large amethyst orbs flutter towards Yami as he steps away from the shock of strength surging between the two males. He's unsure exactly what is going on but is aware that it's monumental is being unleashed. Quietly Yami drags Mokuba to the far side of the room as they huddle together. The lights flicker twice before shutting off completely. "What the hell is he doing to my big brother?"

Sighing Yami explains, "Joey's awakened the part of Seto he's kept silent for too long."

Flames dance around the blond as eerie mist carreses the brunet. Between them lightning flashes. The ground trembles as wicked winds slash through the air.

Flying up, up, up as he's forced out of the body, Donavan gazes down into eyes so full of ice it's a miracle that the body is radiating so much heat. Yet the blond with swaying flames within honey orbs is so chilled. Rash impulsiveness. Calcualted wisdom. Suddenly he's terrified. More scared that when he had stumbled upon mother sobbing over a vase that held ashes.

His ashes. So lonely, so cold. Drawn to the one that had shared the only home he had ever known. Shivering he tries to scream, to throw objects at them, but it's as if an invisible barrier surrounds them.

Fingers intertwining, Joey tries to fight back the uncontrollable shivers as a deep chill steals into his soul while Seto accepts the relief that the blond's cool fingers bring to his burning body. Shutting his eyes against the blinding light, he whispers, "Banished." He faintly hears Joey echo the same word.

Silence. Empty silence.

Suddenly the lights flicker back on. Pulling himself to his feet, Seto watches as Yugi stumbles to Joey. "Call someone! A doctor, a nurse, anyone," the boy pleads sobbing. Yet he is rooted to this spot unable to move or speak. Blue lips tremble as shallow breaths pass through and amber eyes are shut tightly in pain. Vibrant male reduced to this trembling mass of bluish fragility.

( Pup? You can't do this to me. I wont let you die. Please, puppy, it's not supposed to end like this. I vowed to make this work. Can't you see, you are everything to me. Weakness overtakes me when I lose you. The nightmares chase me away. Without you, I am nothing. Please, pup, return. I meant it everytime. Always and forever, pup. Not even death shall break these bonds forged between our hearts, our souls.)

Finally he finds his voice as he drops to his knees pulling the blond onto his lap. "Go." With arguments, they walk away. Like a levee broke, tears pour down his cheeks to dampen the blond hair beneath his chin. "I tried, puppy, to walk away as if I didn't care. I fought against my feelings hoping they'd fade. I figured I'd be better as a memory. But I'm selfish, you had that right, and even if it turned out to be a mistake I wanted you. I dream too big for even me to convert into reality. For I've never truly made you happy, and now I doubt I shall ever be able to."

"Shut up," Joey hisses as a migraine the size of Texas intrudes on his brain.

"Puppy?"

Growling he raises amber orbs as he clutches the brunet's shoulders to steady himself. "Yes, now shut ya trap." Wincing at even his own voice, he groans burying his face once in the taller male's chest to escape the too bright of lights. Nodding Seto observes as warm, somewhat golden color reclaims the boy's skin and the shivers cease. It had been Mokie's suggestion to let the sun shine on the blond thinking maybe the heat would awaken him.

( I love you, puppy. )

"Always and forever, right?"

( Of course, I am your Master after all. )

"Go to Hell."

( Only if you come with. After all, I doubt you'd behave if I wasn't around to discipline you.)

"Seto, my head hurts, stop talking."

( I'm not, puppy.)

"Then stop thinking so damn loud."