I looked at Kaiba with surprised eyes, why was he apologizing? I kissed
him, not the other way around. He pulled me into a hug and I gave in. I
laid my head on his shoulder. I felt his slender fingers massage my side.
My eyes began to feel heavy.
"Kaiba, before I fall asleep, I should call my dad."
"That might be a wise idea." He handed me his cell phone. "This has a call block already on it, so he can't trace the call and come here causing trouble."
I took the phone from him and dialed my number. The phone rang several times before I heard the message I'd recorded. I waited until the machine beeped and then spoke.
"Dad, I'm at a friend's house, and I'll be staying for a few days. I'll be by tomorrow to pick up some things. Talk to you later!" I shut the phone off, and handed it back to Kaiba.
"I wish you'd call me Seto. That is my name after all. I don't mind you calling me Kaiba, but it seems like it's rather rude now."
"If you insist." I said then yawned. "I think I need a nap."
"Of course. After what you have been through, I think you should try to take a nap before dinner. I still want to talk, but it can wait."
Seto walked to the large bed and pulled back the covers. The clothes he'd lent me were a tee shirt and a pair of sweat pants. They were baggy, but I could handle that. He tried not to laugh as I crawled into the bed, getting tangled up in the baggy pants.
"I'll let you have some privacy. You an slip those off if you wish." Needing no further encouragement I slipped the pants off, not caring if he saw what they concealed or not. He eased the covers over me and I was asleep before they reached my chin.
*Seto's POV *
I couldn't believe he readily shucked off those pants, as if I wasn't watching. I don't really care anyway. As soon as he was free of the baggy garments, he was quickly falling asleep. I eased the covers over him, noting the soft snores that escaped. I sat on the edge of the bed, watching him sleep. He's been through so much in the past few years, and I haven't made it easier on him. I've seen him come to school with bruises on his face, and limping rather oddly. These next few days were going to be good for him. I just have to be able to hold back my feelings for him. I don't want to frighten him. I get up from the edge of the bed and move quietly to my side of the bed. I move the covers gently, so I don't wake him. I then go to my closet and pull out some sweat pants and change into them. I then go back to the bed and crawl in. Joey snuggles close to me. I wrap my arms around him.
"Seto, I miss him terribly."
"Huh? I though you were asleep" Shit, I woke him.
"I was, until you got in the bed. Did I ever say what happened that day?"
"No, you said you missed school because you were sick, and that he called you." I could see tears starting to form in his eyes.
"I watched his tower crumble, and fall to the ground. He died that day, I wish I could have been the one to die, and not him." He turned and buried his face in my shoulder. I held him very close.
"It's okay to feel that way Joey. I wish he hadn't had died either. That doesn't change my feelings for you. Nor does it change the secrets you shared with him."
I saw his eyes fill with tears. I could feel the pain he was going through. I myself had a childhood that was less than pleasant. My adoptive father was cruel and abusive. Riley had told me things that Joey's dad had done to him. They had made me upset, and angry. That still didn't stop me from tormenting him every chance I had.
"He told you?"
"Joey, he knew I have a lot of pull in this town, and though I could do something to change your situation. At first, I told him that you were only a classmate, and a duelist. You weren't any of my concern. It was only when he told me that his last visit here, that he tried to stop your dad." I stopped, tears welling in my own eyes at the horrors Riley had told me. Joey jumped from the bed and ran to the bathroom. I could hear him gagging between sobs. I never meant to bring back these horrible memories. I got up and went into the bathroom. I picked up a towel and wrapped it around his waist, then pulled him into my arms.
"Don't make me go back, Seto, don't make me go home." I held him close. He'd lost the closest friend the day riley had died. There were things that his friends here didn't know about his situation at home.
"Joey, when you are ready, my attorneys are ready to do anything within their power to take you from there. I have more than enough money to support you. I have been trying since before Riley's death to take you out of that home, and you keep telling the counselors that nothing is happening. Joey, Riley told me and he told them what he saw that night. He told us Joey. The reason I continue to treat you the way I did is because you never acted like you had the balls to stand up to him. My own adoptive father threatened to kill Mokuba, but he never did. Abusers use tactics like that to make you fear them. I know he said he'd kill Serenity if you told." He sobbed into my shoulder. My own speech had died away into quiet sobs of my own. It hurt me to hear Riley talk of the things Joey's dad had done. I don't even want to remember them. I slipped my hands under Joey's shirt. My fingers encountered burn marks in the shape of the end of a cigarette. I pulled the shirt over his head. His chest and back were map of scars; cigarette burns, and even bruises.
"I have scars like this all over my body, Seto." He moved the towel and stood. Burn marks and bruises made patterns over his hips and down his legs. His hands covered his member, but I moved them. What I saw made me immediately call the police. They said to cover him in loose clothing, and to take him to the emergency room. They'd send some one there after he'd been examined.
I helped Joey back to my room, and helped him dress in the clothes I'd lent him. I got a pair of slippers and put them on his feet, and took him to my car. He was kinda shocked that I drove, but I thought that him arriving at the hospital in a limo wouldn't be very cool.
After a short wait, the doctors saw him, and they then called the police and admitted Joey into the hospital. In his room, I sat on the edge of his bed, holding him when his friends arrived. I pulled them out in the hall and asked them to not mention Joey's father or anything else.
"Kaiba, it was nice of you to help Joey and all, but can we have some time alone with him?" Yugi asked. It was a simple request, but it hurt to hear him say it.
"I guess, Yugi. I'm going own to the cafeteria, do you guys want anything?"
The group thought for a moment, then they noticed something different about me. Yugi's eyes widened when he saw how I was dressed. I looked down and saw I was still wearing a tee shirt and sweat pants.
"Pay no mind to this!" I growled playfully. "I'm serious, do you guys want something." They all decided on food, and Tristian went down with me to get it, and helped me carry it back to Joey's room.
"How long will he have to stay here?" Tristian asked in the elevator on the trip back to the room.
"Tonight. They just wanted him somewhere where they know he will be safe, lest his father send friends after him. They forget I'm rich and can afford bodyguards, plus Joey's dad has no clue where I live.
"That's true. So what made you change your mind about Joey? I haven't heard you call him a dog."
"Because I realized that he has suffered enough cruelty."
The elevator stopped and we got out. Tristian grabbed my arm and stopped me just before we went into the room.
"There's something else, spill it, Kaiba"
"First, call me Seto. Second, I love him."
"Kaiba, before I fall asleep, I should call my dad."
"That might be a wise idea." He handed me his cell phone. "This has a call block already on it, so he can't trace the call and come here causing trouble."
I took the phone from him and dialed my number. The phone rang several times before I heard the message I'd recorded. I waited until the machine beeped and then spoke.
"Dad, I'm at a friend's house, and I'll be staying for a few days. I'll be by tomorrow to pick up some things. Talk to you later!" I shut the phone off, and handed it back to Kaiba.
"I wish you'd call me Seto. That is my name after all. I don't mind you calling me Kaiba, but it seems like it's rather rude now."
"If you insist." I said then yawned. "I think I need a nap."
"Of course. After what you have been through, I think you should try to take a nap before dinner. I still want to talk, but it can wait."
Seto walked to the large bed and pulled back the covers. The clothes he'd lent me were a tee shirt and a pair of sweat pants. They were baggy, but I could handle that. He tried not to laugh as I crawled into the bed, getting tangled up in the baggy pants.
"I'll let you have some privacy. You an slip those off if you wish." Needing no further encouragement I slipped the pants off, not caring if he saw what they concealed or not. He eased the covers over me and I was asleep before they reached my chin.
*Seto's POV *
I couldn't believe he readily shucked off those pants, as if I wasn't watching. I don't really care anyway. As soon as he was free of the baggy garments, he was quickly falling asleep. I eased the covers over him, noting the soft snores that escaped. I sat on the edge of the bed, watching him sleep. He's been through so much in the past few years, and I haven't made it easier on him. I've seen him come to school with bruises on his face, and limping rather oddly. These next few days were going to be good for him. I just have to be able to hold back my feelings for him. I don't want to frighten him. I get up from the edge of the bed and move quietly to my side of the bed. I move the covers gently, so I don't wake him. I then go to my closet and pull out some sweat pants and change into them. I then go back to the bed and crawl in. Joey snuggles close to me. I wrap my arms around him.
"Seto, I miss him terribly."
"Huh? I though you were asleep" Shit, I woke him.
"I was, until you got in the bed. Did I ever say what happened that day?"
"No, you said you missed school because you were sick, and that he called you." I could see tears starting to form in his eyes.
"I watched his tower crumble, and fall to the ground. He died that day, I wish I could have been the one to die, and not him." He turned and buried his face in my shoulder. I held him very close.
"It's okay to feel that way Joey. I wish he hadn't had died either. That doesn't change my feelings for you. Nor does it change the secrets you shared with him."
I saw his eyes fill with tears. I could feel the pain he was going through. I myself had a childhood that was less than pleasant. My adoptive father was cruel and abusive. Riley had told me things that Joey's dad had done to him. They had made me upset, and angry. That still didn't stop me from tormenting him every chance I had.
"He told you?"
"Joey, he knew I have a lot of pull in this town, and though I could do something to change your situation. At first, I told him that you were only a classmate, and a duelist. You weren't any of my concern. It was only when he told me that his last visit here, that he tried to stop your dad." I stopped, tears welling in my own eyes at the horrors Riley had told me. Joey jumped from the bed and ran to the bathroom. I could hear him gagging between sobs. I never meant to bring back these horrible memories. I got up and went into the bathroom. I picked up a towel and wrapped it around his waist, then pulled him into my arms.
"Don't make me go back, Seto, don't make me go home." I held him close. He'd lost the closest friend the day riley had died. There were things that his friends here didn't know about his situation at home.
"Joey, when you are ready, my attorneys are ready to do anything within their power to take you from there. I have more than enough money to support you. I have been trying since before Riley's death to take you out of that home, and you keep telling the counselors that nothing is happening. Joey, Riley told me and he told them what he saw that night. He told us Joey. The reason I continue to treat you the way I did is because you never acted like you had the balls to stand up to him. My own adoptive father threatened to kill Mokuba, but he never did. Abusers use tactics like that to make you fear them. I know he said he'd kill Serenity if you told." He sobbed into my shoulder. My own speech had died away into quiet sobs of my own. It hurt me to hear Riley talk of the things Joey's dad had done. I don't even want to remember them. I slipped my hands under Joey's shirt. My fingers encountered burn marks in the shape of the end of a cigarette. I pulled the shirt over his head. His chest and back were map of scars; cigarette burns, and even bruises.
"I have scars like this all over my body, Seto." He moved the towel and stood. Burn marks and bruises made patterns over his hips and down his legs. His hands covered his member, but I moved them. What I saw made me immediately call the police. They said to cover him in loose clothing, and to take him to the emergency room. They'd send some one there after he'd been examined.
I helped Joey back to my room, and helped him dress in the clothes I'd lent him. I got a pair of slippers and put them on his feet, and took him to my car. He was kinda shocked that I drove, but I thought that him arriving at the hospital in a limo wouldn't be very cool.
After a short wait, the doctors saw him, and they then called the police and admitted Joey into the hospital. In his room, I sat on the edge of his bed, holding him when his friends arrived. I pulled them out in the hall and asked them to not mention Joey's father or anything else.
"Kaiba, it was nice of you to help Joey and all, but can we have some time alone with him?" Yugi asked. It was a simple request, but it hurt to hear him say it.
"I guess, Yugi. I'm going own to the cafeteria, do you guys want anything?"
The group thought for a moment, then they noticed something different about me. Yugi's eyes widened when he saw how I was dressed. I looked down and saw I was still wearing a tee shirt and sweat pants.
"Pay no mind to this!" I growled playfully. "I'm serious, do you guys want something." They all decided on food, and Tristian went down with me to get it, and helped me carry it back to Joey's room.
"How long will he have to stay here?" Tristian asked in the elevator on the trip back to the room.
"Tonight. They just wanted him somewhere where they know he will be safe, lest his father send friends after him. They forget I'm rich and can afford bodyguards, plus Joey's dad has no clue where I live.
"That's true. So what made you change your mind about Joey? I haven't heard you call him a dog."
"Because I realized that he has suffered enough cruelty."
The elevator stopped and we got out. Tristian grabbed my arm and stopped me just before we went into the room.
"There's something else, spill it, Kaiba"
"First, call me Seto. Second, I love him."