It wasn't all that bad, as Joey expected. Kaiba was caressing him gently, carefully observing every his reaction.
He did it slow, with lots and lots of patience, even though he was very sexually frustrated. That was their first sex since Joey's accident.
--
"Well, I guess that satisfied you." says Joey, lying on his back.
Kaiba looked at him.
"I thought you enjoyed."
"I did."
"Then what?" Kaiba asks, a little annoyed. It looked like Joey wanted to accuse him or something.
"Nothing. You…I still can't trust you."
"Love isn't a game, Joey."
"But you're constantly playing it!" he turns his head to look at Seto.
"That happened only once and never again…and so long ago!" he justifies himself. He, almighty billionaire, cruel, heartless, big CEO, who once thought he never needed to justify his own actions.
But this is an exception. Joey is the reason. His puppy dog eyes.
"You guys would do everything just to climax, I realized. No matter you step on something so pure, such as love. You'd do anything, and say you were sorry. I understand girls now. And I regret I've been so dumb. If only I could walk, I would move out of here." Joey says bitterly.
Kaiba is looking at him in anger in shock. Everything he has just said, his readiness to die for the blonde, everything…all for nothing. It seems that those things didn't get through his lover.
"And you say that you had never done it behind my back?" he asks, accusingly, raising one of his well shaped eyebrows.
"I loved you enough not to make such stupidity, Seto. And, believe me, I had a plenty of chances."
Kaiba closes his eyes for a moment, to think about what next to say.
"Love," he starts gently, after he was counting to ten to calm himself, "Does it still hurt you?"
"I can never forget it." Joey admits.
"How would you like to punish me?"
Joey's eyes become comically big.
"What?!" he asked in shock.
"What can I do to ease your pain?" Kaiba scoots, supporting himself with his left elbow, while the other hand caresses Joey's cheek. "I'd do everything you say."
Joey narrows his eyes, finding himself in utter disgust, anger and disbelief.
"Just shut up. And fuck me whenever you want. Everything, but don't leave me. And stop with pathetic things! It's so unlike you." Joey closes his eyes to prevent tears to come out.
Kaiba suddenly leans in, taking Joey's lips eagerly.
When they pull apart, Kaiba says:
"You have changed me. Don't expect I'd change again. I'm not a man I used to be."
With that, he kisses the duelist again, wrapping his arms around him.
"And don't make me say this again…" he whispers into Joey's ear, "I love you."
Joey shivers. "I know you doubt in it so much, and you have all the rights. You may think, how could I do such thing when I loved you…Well, I was an idiot back then. Don't know how to explain…But it won't happen again…" Kaiba's voice becomes shaky.
"Seto…?"
Kaiba looks at him. "I'm only human, Joseph. Please forgive me for what I've done." he burst into silent cry.
"Se-seto?"
Joey looks at him, stunned.
Kaiba says nothing in reply.
Joey strokes his hair gently. "It's ok…" he whispers.
--
Somehow, Seto was softening more and more. Maybe too much.
They both took their masks completely, allowing themselves to cry, to show how weak they are.
Maybe that was a good thing. But only among the four walls.
--
Honshu
-Four years later-
"Congratulations, now you're Doctor Taylor!" says the red headed woman.
"Yeah. I still can't believe!" smiles Tristan, placing a light kiss on her lips.
"But you never told me, what made you be doctor?"
Tristan remembered and sighed.
"It's my…best friend. He can't walk due to an accident."
"Oh." she says, not finding anything else proper to say to that.
"And I never managed to come to visit him. For so many years…"
"I'm…I don't know what to s…"
"But now I can help him! I specialized for injuries like his."
She smiles softly. She has never seen that amount of dedication. She is amazed.
She kisses him.
"Tell me more about it." they sit on the bench in the park. The day is surprisingly beautiful.
Tristan takes her hand in his. She is the ray of light since he got there. She consoled him, showed him other ways. He fell in love with her after some time, realizing that his love for Joey was only a childhood crush.
"I haven't spoken to him for so long…But I call Yugi, one of my close friends, every now and then. Joey rejected Kaiba's proposal, considering himself disabled for everything. You see, a few years ago, Kaiba cheated on him. They made up, but Joey couldn't forgive him completely."
Aneko is listening with interest.
"And Joey's disability to walk only made things worse. But they're still together. I can't wait to go there and propose them surgery." Tristan's eyes were shiny, full of tears. "I can't stand my best friend suffer any longer." he lowers his head.
"I'm glad you'll be able to change his life." Aneko says softly.
Tristan looks at her, smiling.
"What would I become without you?" he kissed her, holding her head close to his heart.
"Aneko…"
"Yes?"
"This isn't the right time to ask, but…" he hesitates, but finally, he clears his throat and continues, "Will you marry me?"
Aneko lifts her head from his chest, blinking in confusion.
"What?"
--
Domino City
Kaiba mansion
"I'm going to stay until late. Go to sleep, Joey. Don't wait for me."
Why does that sound so familiar to Joey?
"Ah." he says flatly.
"Is something wrong with that?" Kaiba's voice is cold, yet he's concerned. He knows Joey would be very unsatisfied.
"No, just go ahead, stay there as long as you want, Seto."
Joey can hear the sigh on the other side.
"Making a scene, huh? Don't be so ironic."
"As if you know!"
"Just fuck you, Joseph! If you can't believe me all these years, I don't see…"
"…A reason why we are still together. Is that what you wanted to say?" Joey cuts him off.
"Very well, a puppy learned a new trick. Now you're a mind reader! My congrats!" says Seto sarcastically. "Listen, I don't want a fight. As soon as I come, we'll have a little talk."
"Yeah, whatever!" Joey snorts.
"Ok then…See you tomorrow…..Joey?"
"Yeah?"
"It would be weird to ask you this, but…"
"Just spit it." Joey says impatiently.
"Tell me…you know…"
Joey smiles.
"I love you."
"Thanks. Bye." Kaiba sighs and hangs up.
"Bye." Joey hangs up as well.
--
"Thanks. Bye." Kaiba sighs and hangs up.
He turns his chair to face the man that was sitting opposite.
"So, Taylor, could you tell me something more about that surgery?"
--
TBC….