AN: Well? What do ya think? Kinda icky and mushy I know. Coming up next: Kaiba wakes up and tells more mutt jokes. Yami gets a tad too inquisitive for his own good and Kaiba reveals all. YEA!! Emotions run wild! (BTW, I'm showing Joey as a bit mean, because lets face it! When your archenemy shows up and is begging to get smacked, you aren't gonna give him a big hug. It doesn't happen! So, that's Joey's motivation.)

Hurts X

"Kaiba?" A voice asked. I turned my head away from the light and let an incoherent mumble pass my lips as my right shoulder cried out in pain. I returned to my original position of lying on my back and tried to ignore the burning pain in my arm and shoulder.

"Kaiba?" The voice asked again. I thought about chewing them out or sending them away, but then decided that this might actually require movement or energy so I automatically veto those ideas.

"Let me try." A new voice volunteered. I mentally rolled my eyes and was trying to go back to sleep when a pair of hands grabbed my collar and shook me. "Come on Kaiba! We know you're awake!"

"Fuck... Off... Fido." I managed. There was a small, stifled snicker from the back of the room and Joey's hands left my shirt, presumably in search of the laugher.

"Seto?" Another voice asked. My eyes flew open and I found myself looking straight into the eyes of Tea.

"Tea!" I gasped. "But, I thought you were... dead!"

"Why?" Tea asked.

"There was a second gun shot." I explained as my eyes scanned her body for visible injuries.

"I'm fine." Tea smiled, resting a hand on my good shoulder. "Damon shot himself."

"Oh." I nodded. I couldn't say I'd miss him.

"Seto. You were calling for me in your sleep." Tea told me. I shrugged with my good shoulder.

"I wouldn't know." I joked. "I was asleep."

"I know that." Tea muttered, covering my right palm with one of her own.

"I'm really tired, Tea." I spoke up hurriedly, not wanting her to ask me many questions. "Can't I just go back to sleep now?"

"Well..." Tea hesitated.

"I'll be fine." I assured her, squeezing her hand. "See you tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow." Tea agreed. I waited for her to release my hand from her grip, but instead she leaned in and kissed me softly on the cheek. I looked away, trying to hide my blush only to realize I was looking straight at Yami. I turned away quickly but was relived to find that all the others had left. I waited for Yami to leave but after a few minutes of silence, it seemed evident that he fully intended to continue staring at the back of my head forever, unless I spoke up.

"Yami, I know you're still there. I could probably wait for you to give up and leave, but I really am tired, so hurry up and ask your questions. I haven't got forever."

"I was just thinking," Yami began.

"That's definitely a good start." I smirked, sitting up so I could look him in the eye. Yami glared at me and I rolled my eyes. Some idiots just couldn't take a joke!

"I was just thinking," Yami continued, "About what I pegged you as when we first meet."

"Oh, were you?" I asked, pretending to be interested. Honestly, I didn't want to know what he had thought of me. I'd heard it all before. Everything from 'rich snobby bastard' to 'a wallet load of cash'.

"Yes." Yami nodded, helping me sit up. I gave him the smallest nod, to show my thanks. "I thought you were a ruthless asshole."

"Nice to know." I muttered with a sarcastic roll of my eyes. Yami continued as if he hadn't heard me.

"And my opinion still hasn't changed. Okay, so after duelist kingdom your asshole level sank to a low prat, but you still had the adjective ruthless."

"Am I supposed to feel honored?" I asked. Why he was telling me this was truly beyond me. Most of the time I only learned people's true opinions of me when I watched the tapes from my surveillance cameras. Gotta love hidden cameras.

"I don't suppose so." Yami shrugged. "What I really want to know is, why did you save Tea? The only person I've EVER seen you risk your neck for is Mokuba. He doesn't really count though because he's your family."

"Yea, well, my reasons are none of your business!" I snorted. I couldn't explain it, but I didn't want anyone to pay much attention to my good deed. It was almost as if it embarrassed me.

"Tea is my friend!" Yami shot back, his hand gabbing my right shoulder. I screamed and clawed at his hand, but Yami just tightened his grip. "Now tell me! What was your reason!"

"I promised!" I finally yelled, unable to stand anymore of the pain. Yami automatically released me and I was free to slump down.

"You promised her?" Yami asked. "Promised her what?"

"I don't have to explain my actions to you, Yami!" I yelled at him, suddenly angry. "I did what I did, now leave me alone!"

"Kaiba!" Yami said, his voice dangerous.

"No! It's my fault! Now leave me alone! I hate you all! Stay away from me!" I told him.

'Please go, Yami!' I silently begged him. 'I've learned from my mistakes! I don't want anyone else to get hurt.' Too bad Yami can't read my mind.

"I'm not leaving, Kaiba." Yami sighed, settling into a chair. I glared at him. He looked back, seemingly unconcerned that I was presently writing his obituary.

"Will you go if I ask nicely?" I asked. Yami shook his head. "Damn. Ah well, worth a shot."

"Everything is worth a shot." Yami told me. "That's why I'm waiting here."

"Look. My actions are my actions. You see the beginning; you see the middle; you see the end. Draw your OWN goddamned conclusions."

"But I don't see the beginning." Yami told me.

'Shit! I HATE it when he's right.'

"Perhaps that's the way it's meant to be, then. I don't want to talk about it."

"But I do!"

"You think you can just intimidate me?"

"I'm fully prepared to try." Yami shot back. I glared at him.

"No." I said finally. "Not a chance."

"I could always ask Tea." Yami mentioned. I felt my face pale.

"No." I whispered. "Please, don't ask her."

"So she does know!" Yami smiled. I stared at him in shock.

"You didn't know?" I asked, unable to believe what had just happened. "You guessed! You lucky bastard!"

"Ah, ah, ah!" Yami grinned, waving his pointer finger at me. "I'll leave you now and go ask Tea."

I reached out and grabbed his arm, tightly.

"You can't!" I whispered. "You just can't!"

"And why not?" Yami asked, as he pried my hands from his arm. "You won't talk about it, but I have to know. Now tell me why I can't ask her, or I shall find out for myself."

"She doesn't understand." I told him, placing my hands in my lap. "Neither would you, or anyone. That's why none of you should know."

"I think you underestimate us, Kaiba." Yami sighed. "Especially Tea."

I paused and mulled over his words. 'Perhaps he's right. The others have had their share of hardships, why shouldn't they understand mine? Oh, yea, NOW I remember. It might just be my share of actions. Oh, and, perhaps, the dead frickin' body!'

I shook my head, remembering the way Tea had recoiled from me when she had found out. The only person who knew and didn't hate my guts was Mokuba, probably because he didn't fully understand. I looked up at Yami and sighed. He was expecting and answer or an explanation.

"I seriously doubt it." I shrugged. "Besides, the more people who know the more danger I'm in."

"Kaiba," Yami sighed. "You aren't making any sense."

"Good." I replied. "That's the way it should stay."

"Does this have something to do with your adopted father?"

"Yes." I replied absent-mindedly. "Wait. What? No! No, it has nothing to do with him!"

"You're lying." Yami told me frankly. "You're a terrible liar."

"I know." I nodded. "Mokuba tells me that all the time. But I can convince some people. I'm here, aren't I?"

"Kaiba, you've lost me again." Yami sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"Excellent." I smiled. Then I remembered that if he gave up on me, he'd get Tea's version of events. NOT a good thing. "Look, Yami. If I tell you the basic events will you leave me alone?"

"Perhaps." Yami nodded. I glared at him. "Fine. I will."

"You will what?"

"I will leave you alone if you tell me what the bloody hell is going on!"

"You're hanging around that Bakura guy too much." I mentioned. Yami did not look amused. I shrugged. "Just trying to make conversation."

"You're not succeeding." Yami growled.

"I noticed." I grinned. "Anyway, this shit took along time coming my way, but to save time, I'll start from my eleventh birthday."

"Why then?" Yami asked. I glared at him.

"It was a few days after that that I met the man who would cause all this."

"Tea called him Damon." Yami nodded. I shook my head.

"No. The man I mean is Gozaburo. He would later become my adopted father."

"So it does have to do with him." Yami smiled. I rolled my eyes.

"Yea, yea. Don't let it go to your head. Anyway, a few days after I meet him, Mokuba and I were adopted and taken to my current home, though it looked a lot different. To make a long story short, things weren't family picnics and parties at my new home. I had to do something. So, I killed my adopted father."

"You killed him?!" Yami exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "I thought he fell out a window!"

"SHUT UP!" I hissed at him, motioning for him to take his seat. "You wanna get me arrested?!"

"Sorry." Yami muttered, sitting back down. I watched as he tried to move away from me without offending me.

"You can move away if you want." I told Yami. "I'm not offended. I expected you to act so. Anyone I've ever told reacted like that. But as to your question, no. I pushed him. Gozaburo was afraid of heights; his windows were always closed. I opened one and when he tried to close it, I pushed him out. I honestly don't care what you think, Yami. I did what I did. I had to do it. If I was ever in that situation again, I would do exactly the same thing. I'm not ashamed or guilty. Anyway, Damon was Gozaburo's brother-in-law. He'd come to take revenge. Evidently, Damon's wife took her brothers death badly and killed herself and their unborn child. I am sorry that happened. It was not my intent in any way! I didn't even know my adopted father had a sister. Basically, Damon didn't want to hurt me physically. He had shot Mokuba and he was going to kill Tea. I couldn't let that happen."

"I see." Yami nodded stiffly. "I thank you for saving Tea."

"I promised." I shrugged. "I keep my promises."

"I respect that." Yami told me, standing up. "I shall leave now."

"You won't tell anyone, will you?" I asked, looking out a window.

"Uh huh." Yami nodded. I nodded back and barely heard Yami close the door behind him.

AN: Nope, still not the end! I'm telling you! This thing in LONG!