Disclaimer- I don't own Yu-gi-oh.

A.N: No, I haven't disappeared! (much to your dismay, I'm sure XP)

FIRST AND FOREMOST- I'M IN DIRE NEED OF A BETA-READER!!!! Please, if you want to be my beta-reader (and I'll love you if you do) e-mail me or IM me! I'll be ever so grateful! ^_^

Sooo, please excuse any grammar mistakes I have made. I like to blame my bad grammar on the fact that English isn't my native language, and that I don't have a beta-reader.

Now, my excuse for taking so long XD- Basically, lost my motivation for this fic. Caught up in school, then last-minute A-cen preparations, then school again. The last straw was having to deal with the frustration and disappointment of loosing 4 hours' worth of corrections and additions at school. (My private, catholic school, no less. . At least my name wasn't on it)

This is dedicated to Lydia again, 'cuz she pretty much forced me to finish the chapter. ~_~ Also, to Ishida Kat, because your review was awesome and made me go "aww" ^-^ (I'm SUCH a sap .) And, as usual, to all my other reviewers! I love you guys! (Also thank you for bringing the "..." thing to my attention. Didn't notice it before. ~_~

Have a lemon half-done that comes before this chapter (you'll see what I mean). Maybe will post it on a website if I ever get one.

Enough of my babble, on with the fic! ENJOY!

*****

I wish I had the power to move time.

Not by much, only about 30 minutes or so. You see, that's exactly how much longer I have until I'm free for the weekend. Then, I'll be able to spend the next glorious 48 hours in the confines of Kaiba's lovely bedroom. The bed, to be exact. Lately I've been getting to know Kaiba's bed rather... intimately.

I find my desk after getting some papers from the teacher, and slowly lower myself into the seat. I shift gently to find the position that causes me the least pain. My ass still hurts from... uh... things.

...Yeah. I grin at the memories.

As I finally start to settle down, Kaiba chuckles knowingly from somewhere behind me and I automatically jerk my hand up to give him the finger.

The bastard has to rub it in, doesn't he? It's all HIS fault, anyways.

I slide down until I can rest my head on the back of the seat and sulk to myself.

On the plus side, Jounouchi Katsuya has FINALLY discovered the wonderful, wonderful world of sex. Moreover, sex with Kaiba. Magnificent, fantastic, amazing sex. And Jounouchi Katsuya thought it was... incredible. ...wow. It was... wow.

...

...

But I'm sure none of you want to hear about THAT. Heheh.

...

Before I can control it, my mind starts replaying some of the more... interesting events of the previous nights.

Goddammit. As hard as I try, I can't prevent certain body parts from reacting accordingly on their own.

I quickly open my book and flip to lesson I think that we are on, forcing myself to read through the printed text. I have found nothing to be as effective in taming erections as Calculus is.

"If f'(x) is bounded then f(x)is a Lipschitzian function. Conversely, it is also true that Lipschitzian functions have bounded first derivatives, when they exist. Since Lipschitzian functions are uniformly continuous, then f(x) is uniformly continuous provided f'(x) is bounded."

Huh. Fascinating. Simply fascinating.

Now if only I understood it.

Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Kaiba putting his notes away and rising from his chair. He walks over to the teacher's desk and asks her something, probably if he can go to his locker to get some imaginary book that he allegedly forgot. As he makes his way towards the door, he makes sure to catch my eye and casually tosses me a look.

Not just any look, but THE look.

What is the difference, you ask? Let me enlighten you.

THE look ('[th]E 'luk): expression of the face given by the one Seto Kaiba to Jounouchi Katsuya, or vice versa, signifying Jounouchi Katsuya or Seto Kaiba to meet the other of the two persons in the third floor men's bathroom for a hardcore make out session, on average lasting for four to seven minutes

I glance up at the clock. I'll wait a minute or two before I follow to alleviate any suspicions my classmates might be having about us.

1...

2...

3...

4...

5...

6 seconds passed. Damn. It'll only drag on if I keep staring at the clock. I fidget in my seat, and then decide to occupy myself with drawing random stick figures with my limited artistic abilities.

I pause and smile to myself. There's Kaiba, with the fangs and the "angry" eyebrows. Ironically, my stick person bears a striking resemblance to that evil bastard.

Ok, now let's draw that trench coat of his.

I look up to examine what I just drew, and scowl at what I find. The cuffs of the sleeves don't look right. I managed to make it look as if his wrists were bound together or tied, or something...

Mmmm... Kaiba tied up... tied up to a bed... bondage... whips... Him writhing beneath me, screaming for release... His very existence (at least for the moment) in my hands...

Dammit.

I let me forehead fall gracelessly and hit the desk with a 'thud' in an attempt to shatter the fantasies that manage to somehow creep into my mind at least once every 5 seconds.

This really isn't an appropriate time or place to be thinking about these kinds of things.

"Are you alright, Jou?" The soft voice carries me out of my reverie.

I feel a warm hand on my shoulder and look up to see Yuugi leaning over, looking at me worriedly with those huge, purple eyes of his.

Heh. I must have startled him with my sudden head banging.

"Never been better, Yug," I manage to smile weakly, and raise my hand as if to wave off his concern.

I watch as his head tilts slightly to the side, his expression changing from worry to something stronger.

There are several emotions that Yuugi displays on a regular basis. Worry, care, determination, and just plain happiness are a few of them. This one, however, is one that I have not seen him wear before. It's less naive, more serious, and more... real. Some small epiphany is taking place behind those polished amethyst eyes, and for the first time I truly do not know what is going through his mind.

I start to feel very uncomfortable under the vehement gaze, like an insect that is about to be stepped on. Which is completely irrational since Yuugi never was one to intentionally hurt those gross little critters (he's actually quite fond of them), and I certainly am no bug.

Nonetheless, my uneasiness gets the best of me and I allow myself to break eye contact and move my gaze away from those contemplating violet orbs.

Yuugi sits back into his seat and when I have the courage to glimpse at his face again, I see that the concern replaced the unreadable expression that was there only seconds ago. I give him a small smile, partly in relief and partly to ease his worry, which he is happy to return.

That reassured him enough to settle any doubts he had because he is again absorbed in his book.

I look down at my own book to see Kaiba's disproportional face staring back at me from the margin. My eyes widen in sudden alarm as I remember about Kaiba.

Kaiba, by himself, all alone in the cold, empty bathroom... Having no one but the rats to keep him company...

Okay, so maybe I'm being a bit melodramatic.

But still... shit. How long has he been waiting?

A quick glance at the clock tells me that it has been no longer than 2 minutes, much to my relief.

I stand up leisurely, stretch a little (to give the illusion that I'm not at all in a hurry), and announce to Yuugi that I'll be right back. I ask the teacher permission to use the washroom, and leave the room after she nods her head in consent.

Damn. This is my fifth trip to the bathroom today. The teachers probably think that I'm developing some major bladder control problems. It's actually more of a self-control issue, really. Perhaps I should try harder to restrain myself.

But come on, This is Seto Kaiba we're talking about. How can you blame me?

I push the bathroom door open and glance around.

Huh. He's not here. He either stopped by his locker first to get a book, or is taking the longer route through the 'Mathematics' hallway. Whichever it is, he should get here soon. Kaiba would never skip out on these little sessions. NEVER.

I hop onto the edge of a sink and swing my legs erratically over the side, idly tracing the pattern of the floor tiles with my eyes. Some underclassman next to me finishes drying his hands and gives me a curious look as he exits. Probably wondering why I'm hanging out in the bathroom.

Stupid freshmen. They finally get into high school and think they own the place. Ch.

As soon as the door closes behind the kid, I hear the lock click into place and am startled to see Kaiba only a few strides away from me.

His talent to appear seemingly out of nowhere never ceases to amaze me.

Kaiba's in front of me in a second. He brings his hands up to my poor, injured butt to yank me down from my perch on the sink, successfully slamming our bodies together and sending an unexpected jolt of pleasure up my spine.

"Hey, hey, hey!" I say indignantly. "Careful with the ass!"

He's abused it enough already as it is.

Kaiba lets his hands glide up to settle on my waist as he dips his head forward, closing in the distance between our faces so that his forehead is pressed to mine.

I curl my fingers around the back of his neck and pull him down, forcing our lips together almost violently.

Gods, I'll never get enough of this.

Kaiba's hands massage my lower back in slow, sensuous circles while my own arms wind tightly around his neck, attempting to press his face closer against mine. He slowly drags his tongue from my mouth across the edge of my jaw until he reaches my neck, leaving a wet saliva trail as evidence of his path.

I shiver as a sudden cold breeze from an open window clashes pleasurably with the smoldering atmosphere that's been created, successfully heightening and intensifying my senses even more then they already have been.

I tilt my head back as he sucks his way down my neck, most likely leaving those small, red circles as souvenirs. Or territorial marks, knowing Kaiba.

Looks like I'm gonna have to find some of those old turtlenecks of mine...

Kaiba's lips are now burning against my collarbone, licking the bony expanse of flesh with his tongue before making his way downward. Every flick of his tongue feels like a newly igniting flame against my sensitized skin.

Just when I thought it impossible to get any more aroused, Kaiba begins to grind our hips together. Starting at a slow, leisurely pace, we are soon crushing our bodies together wildly, primitively, our self-control crumbling by the second. Our mouths once again seek each other out, and I'm swept up in a sloppy kiss.

I moan. Feels... so... incredible. Can't... stop...

When Kaiba's fingers start toying blindly with the zipper on my jeans, something in my mind snaps and brings me back to my senses.

School bathroom.

Other people. Walk in.

Teachers. Principle. Deeeeep shit.

Suspended.

We have to stop. NOW.

I pull away wrap my hands around Kaiba's wrists and drag them away from the 'danger zone', my cock already screaming at me for denying it that blissful touch.

Hmph. And chicks always say that we think with our dicks rather than our brains. You don't know how much fucking restraint it took for me to do just what I did.

I'm sorry, Kaiba. I really am.

I lean against the sink and firmly grasp onto its polished, porcelain sides to prevent me from reaching out for him, which would thus disintegrate my willpower for good.

"What? What's wrong?" He breathes out against my cheek.

"What's wrong?" I echo softly, suddenly irritated that he would ask such an obvious question. "Oh, nothing really... EXCEPT THAT WE'RE STILL IN THE GODDAMNED SCHOOL!" I say in a harsh whisper as my eyes fly to the door, paranoid that someone will barge in at any moment. "You know how much shit we'd be in if someone caught us?" Not only that, but I was only seconds away from creaming my pants. I'm NOT going back to class with a fucking stain... again.

"I've locked the door, remember?" Kaiba starts, calm as usual. "We've already got the library down, and now the school. I say that a church should be next on our list."

My jaw drops and my eyes widen at least a billion times their normal size. He gives me that feral grin of his.

He can't be serious.

Who would've thought that Kaiba would be so... so... brazen... once you got to know him? He's a completely different person from the icy guise he displays daily.

"You're out of your fucking mind. You're insane. I really wonder about you sometimes, Kaiba." I say, shaking my head in disbelief.

He laughs and leans down to plant a quick kiss on my lips. Before he can get away, I grab hold of the back of his neck and keep him in place. A quick nibble to my bottom lip and his phantom mouth disappears momentarily, only to make itself known again on my neck. He turns and starts suckling on the spot just below my ear that he knows will make me squirm.

As was to be expected, I am wriggling in his arms, my eye twitching helplessly.

Oh yeah. It also makes my eye twitch. Luckily Kaiba can't see or he'd make fun of that, too.

Mmm. Nice.

I feel his breath dance across my ear. "You know, he likes you."

"Wha? Who?"

What is he talking about? And what is he doing, thinking about some other guy at a time like this? Way to kill the moment, Kaiba. I should sign him up for "Proper Dating Etiquette" classes or something. Actually, no, I take that back. First he should take "How To Act Like A Normal Human Being Around Other People So You Don't Look Like An Emotionless Asshole And So People Actually Would Not Be Afraid Of Approaching You For Fear of Getting Their Heart Ripped Out" classes. Probably wouldn't help, though. Sadly, I regret to say that this is a hopeless case.

He starts nipping at my neck again. "Yuugi."

It's just a tad bit hard to concentrate when you have a Kaiba latched onto your neck, so I must focus extra hard to string coherent thoughts together.

"Yeah. like him to. My best friend." Ok, the grammar wasn't the best and Sensei would throw a fit if he heard me speak like that. But considering my current situation, I'd say I did a pretty decent job.

He stops what he's doing, and brings his head up to look me in the eyes. "That's not what I meant."

Huh?

I raise my eyebrows skeptically. "You mean... You mean like a... crush?"

"Yes."

I start laughing. And I keep laughing.

I laugh until tears start sprouting from the corners of my eyes. Then I laugh some more.

I have never heard anything more ridiculous. Seriously. Where the hell did he get that idea?

I catch Kaiba frowning and glaring at me as if he were about to wring my neck, which I take as my cue to stop (partly in fear for my life).

The last few fugitive chuckles slip out before I start to speak again. "Sorry. What gave you the idea that Yuugi likes me like that?" It suddenly feels like I'm back in Jr. High, caught in between some weird he-said, she- said, schoolgirl love triangle.

He shrugs as he steps away from me to lean against a sink, arms crossing at his chest. "You just know these things," He begins his explanation, "especially when they concern a certain hot piece of ass that you have complete and total claim on." He eyes me to see my reaction. "I never was one to share." A look of mock sadness passes across his face. "Takase- sensei from 1st grade always reprimanded me for that. I think that is the only skill in my entire schooling history that I haven't mastered and obtained a perfect score on." He adds, almost wistfully.

I roll my eyes but grin as I try to picture a little 6-year-old mini-Kaiba. He was probably already hacking away and creating programs on his precious computer at that time, wow-ing and intimidating everyone with his amazing brainpower. I bet he also brainwashed his classmates into helping him run some kind of illegal homework trafficking dealie which earned him great power and status in the elementary school hierarchy. No, no. Wait. I bet he RAN the school, I bet all the teachers were at his command, that they were his servants that he had complete control--

"Jou?"

My head snaps up and I let the last of my errant thoughts sizzle off, concentrating on the matter at hand.

I mull over what Kaiba has just said about Yuugi. Now, I never had doubts about Yuugi's sexual orientation. I mean, the boy is just too sweet and girly to be straight. Everyone sees that. But... the idea of him actually having a crush on me seems totally absurd and ludicrous.

Nevertheless, my mind starts to unconsciously question if that really is so ridiculous. I try to recall some of Yuugi's actions around me: The delicate touches to my shoulder or back, all of which were lingering and just a little bit too long to be considering purely friendly. The constant blushes and nervous laughing produced by my presence. The secret winks Anzu gave Yuugi after he asked me to the movies, when she thought I wasn't looking.

But no, no... That's just... Yuugi being Yuugi. He does that to everyone. He's sweet like that to everyone, not just me. I tell Kaiba this.

He raises his eyebrows skeptically.

"I would have noticed," I add persistently, not knowing what else to say to convince him.

"There are lots of things you don't notice, Jou. No offense, but you're a complete idiot when it comes to these situations," He says, before adding cockily, "as you are with most other things."

I should have seen that one coming.

My eyes narrow as I send Kaiba an intense glare. "Asshole." I slump against the sink and pout defensively.

Of course, Kaiba chuckles.

Sometimes I can't help but think that Kaiba keeps me around only because I provide some sort of odd amusement for him. The kind of amusement a small child would have in plucking the wings off of a butterfly or sizzling an ant with a magnifying glass.

Hmm, maybe that wasn't the best comparison, but it works... Sort of.

Kaiba brings a hand up to ruffle my hair playfully and teases with mock sympathy, "Aw, did I hurt the poor little puppy's feelings?"

I slap his hand away and roughly push him aside, heading towards the door. I'm not in the mood for these games right now. "Quit screwing around," I snap, irritated and angry.

I start down the hallway and hear Kaiba's shoes click against the floor in a non-rhythmical pattern, trying to keep up with my fast, aggravated steps.

"Jou," Kaiba says gently, grabbing my wrist and whirling me around.

"What?" I bite out, looking up at him.

He smiles softly and brushes my bangs back with his free hand.

Damn him. I already can feel my anger melting into a sweet, warm, gooey puddle of nothingness.

I think I flush slightly at the loving look Kaiba is giving me. He looks so caring that it's heart-warming. I lean forward, seeking his embrace.

This trance doesn't last long, however. I feel something being pushed against my chest and my hands scrabble by reflex to catch it before it falls to the ground.

I find myself, dumbstruck, looking at the large manila folder in my arms.

I turn around and see that Kaiba is already halfway down the hall. "Bring that to the Administrator's Office, will you?" He asks. "I told the teacher I'd do it, that's how I got out of class. But how would it look if you returned before me, when you left a good 2 minutes after? Everyone would be suspicious."

Oddly enough, I have a strange urge to whip the damned folder at him. That urge quickly passes when I reason that it wouldn't be smart. All the papers would get scrambled, teachers would come out of their classrooms to see what all the ruckus is, etc., etc.

I settle for a heated "Fuck you."

Kaiba chuckles. "Maybe later," He says with a wink as he rounds the corner.

I'm left there, standing in the middle of the hallway. I glare daggers at the innocent manila folder, decided to pin the blame on it temporarily.

If I get my hands on Kaiba...

Let's just say that it won't be pretty.

Cursing Kaiba, the beige folder, the teacher, and generally the whole world, I turn on my heel to head towards the office, vowing to get my revenge. One way or another.

*****

"Son, come here."

I freeze in the doorway. Damn. I was hoping my dad wouldn't hear me come in. What the hell does he want anyway? I didn't do anything.

Cautiously I proceed to the kitchen, where all the noise is emanating from. Peering into the doorway, I see that my dad has his poker buddies over.

Six fat, middle-aged men are crowded around the small kitchen table. Most of them wear tight-fitting oil-stained t-shirts, barely covering their beer bellies. They each have a cigarette dangling from their mouth and past their stubbly double chins, their balding heads covered in chunks of greasy, matted hair. Each are almost exact copies of my father.

These are the men that end up working minimum wage jobs frying burgers for the rest of their insignificant lives. These are the men who beat their wives and children out of boredom. These are the men who care about nothing and no one but themselves, and who wouldn't give a damn if the entire world was to be obliterated as long as they have their Heineken. These men are the scum of the earth.

My father scoots over, the legs of his chair scraping loudly against the linoleum floor, and pulls out a stool for me. "Play a couple games with us, son."

Son.

I'm only 'son' when he's showing me off to his friends.

"I tell you, Jou here is one of the best goddamn poker players out there. Taught him myself. He'll give you all a run for your money." He claps me on the back a few times as I sink down into the stool.

Bastard.

One of the men opposite me speaks. "Come on, you're torturing the poor guy! He's a man, for God's sakes! You're keeping him away from his girl. A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do..."

A sudden uproar of gruff laughter assaults the air.

Oh, and by that he means I should be fucking every single girl I ever come in contact with, that I should find some disgusting prostitute-whore and fuck her brains out in the back of a car or in some cheap motel. 10, 20, 30 girls, the more, the better. You stop counting after the first few fucks. Just don't get them pregnant, and make sure they're clean. Have your fun, and don't bother getting your emotions involved in something as meaningless and petty as a "relationship".

'Cuz that's what makes a man. Right, dad?

I feel sick to my stomach, but force myself to curve my lips into an empty smile in response to the leers I'm getting from the faces around me.

Oh, if they only knew.

The cards are dealt. I rest two fingers on the first card that's in front of me, moving it in circles over the polished table. Soon I feel a second card tap against my fingertips, then a third, a fourth, and a fifth.

Everything about this feels surreal, like I'm living in a second-rate, grainy copy of realism. I'm not in my own body. I'm detached, inspecting everything through some unknown person's out-of-focus vision. My spirit is off in a far away, exotic, undiscovered tribal island, trapped with people who are the "same" as me in the politically correct sense of the word... Yet are so incredibly opposite that we might as well belong to a different genus, a different species, a different humanity.

I'm not 'Jou' anymore, I'm someone-no, someTHING else.

I lift the first card up gingerly and examine it. There's no need to hurry.

The two of diamonds. I barely stop the bitter laugh caught in my trachea from escaping past the barriers of my lips. This card represents a love affair that others disapprove of, and will go to extreme measures to prevent.

So true, so true. I wonder what my father would say if I told him that I was sleeping with another guy.

I gently place my fingers on the second card and idly toy with it before picking it up as well.

Three of spades. Lies, betrayal, secrets being revealed, etc, etc.

Damn, no 'happy' cards yet. Come on, I want some forged hope. Give me something nice, tell me that all my dreams will come true... Tell me, that my wishes will be fulfilled...

Third card. Four of spades. Illness, physical and emotional damage, wounds that cannot heal.

Lovely. Maybe I should just kill myself now, spare myself the pain.

Fourth card. Six of spades. The neutral card. The safe card. Signifies things staying the same. No changes.

Ok, that's not too bad.

And the last card. Four of clubs. The worst card in the deck. Symbolizes major emotional conflict, destruction, and death.

How depressing. I sigh inwardly.

Cest la vie, I suppose. Not that I believe in this fortune-telling shit anyways. I picked it up from my mom when she was still living with us. She was one of those spiritual, psychic people who felt more comfortable placing the outcome of her life in the hands of the cards than in her own hands. She told fortunes with regular deck cards, tarot cards, tealeaves, palm readings... the whole nine yards.

It's all a bunch of bullshit if you ask me. As much as I love my mom, I don't know how anyone can actually believe that a piece of cardboard or plastic can tell you whether your existence will be meaningful or not. I like to think that it's up to you, and only you.

My eyes roll over my hand again. Well, I could give back the four of clubs and the two of diamonds in hope of getting either a five of spades and a seven of spades, or a two of spades and a five of spades... But what are the chances of actually getting a straight flush?

Slim. Very slim. But what the hell, I'm feeling bold today.

I set down the two unwanted cards and stare at the ones I received in exchange. Ironically it's a five of spades and a seven spades. A straight flush. This must be my lucky day. I smile bitterly.

My mind registers a thin paper cylinder being pressed into my palm, and two fingers clasp around the intruding item out of habit. I bring the cigarette to my lips and inhale a lungful of the toxic gas.

My father made me smoke my first cigarette when I was in fifth grade. He was trying to make a man out of an 11-year-old boy. Said I would thank him some day.

It's been six years, and for some reason I still don't feel very grateful.

Again, the sense of disconnection from my own body is nearly nauseating. It's like Time has been caught in an eternal cycle of slow motion, caught in the murky eye of the tornado. I can't even translate the sounds produced by the men into understandable language. The sound waves seem to spill together, thick and heavy, like trekking through a muddy swamp.

With trembling hands I insert the cigarette into my mouth and stretch the short sleeve of by shirt to wipe the beads of perspiration on my forehead. I close my eyes and try to take a few deep breaths in order to calm down.

The assault on my senses feels overwhelming. The brusque laughter. The smoke permeating lazily through the air, filling our airways and slowly killing us like an undetected virus. The men's faces, twisted in temporary hedonistic expressions. And most of all, my sudden realization of how much I loathe and despise the man who is my father.

The sounds, faces, and emotions all blur together in my vision to form one big, chaotic chasm.

It becomes unbearable.

I have to get out.

I place my shaking palms on the table and push myself violently out of the stool, hearing it clatter distantly against the linoleum floor. I stand there, taking panicked, gulping breaths.

Every pair of eyes is on me now, watching in silent curiosity.

I stumble backwards until I'm pressed against the doorframe.

A choked apology passes my lips as I turn and stagger out of the house, down the porch steps.

Now that I'm out of that room, the invisible hand constricting my airways has vanished and I am free to breathe again.

I force my legs into motion.

Gods, how I fucking hate him. Automatically, I grind my teeth together and clench my fists. I want to kill him, kill him with all the rage that has built up inside of me over the last 17 years.

I try for a moment to reign in my anger before realizing I'd have about as much success in doing that as I would in taking a rabid Labrador for a walk with a paper leash.

The fury coursing through my veins finally dissolves as I remember that I should expect a beating when I get home for that little stunt I pulled in front of his friends. My once tense shoulders slump in silent surrender. I am powerless against this man, really. What can I do? Move out? And go where?

To Kaiba?

I snort out-loud at the thought. If I showed up at Kaiba's doorstep saying that I was going to move in with him, he would surely laugh in my face before kicking my ass out on the curb.

And I can't just drop out of school and get a job. How much would my life suck if I just had a three-year high school education? I'd be stuck at a dead-end, minimum-wage job until I die.

So thus, I must endure this hell for another year.

The park is finally in my view. I was supposed to meet Kaiba there over half an hour ago and I doubt he's still waiting. Probably left after five minutes.

Nevertheless, I feel compelled to check. Just in case. It's not like I really need to see him or anything, because I don't.

...

Okay, okay... So I'll admit some company would be better than being by myself... even though Kaiba really isn't the best person to be seeking comfort in...

A gust of cold, fierce wind blows against me and I am pulled to the side, deciding it was not worth the energy to try and keep my balance.

Though thinking about Kaiba usually does help me forget about everything going on around me, I am unable to ignore my incessantly trembling body.

It probably wasn't very smart to leave the house without a coat in the middle of November.

I hug my arms in a fruitless effort to keep warm and make my way down the dimly lighted path.

Goddammit. It's so fucking cold.

I let out a long, shuddering breath and watch with a mesmerizing fascination as steam floats out of my mouth in a puff of white and quickly disappear into the darkness of the night. A sure sign that winter is quickly approaching with no hope for warmer days.

My legs make a sharp left turn and I'm under a canopy of long, tunneling pines that incline towards me forebodingly, as if warning me to stay away.

It's all in your head, Jou.

I pick up the pace before my mind has the chance to frighten me even more than it already has.

I few more quick steps and I look up, knowing that the benches would be in my view.

Immediately I stop, arms dropping at my sides, as I absorb the sight before me in a child-like awe.

Kaiba is sitting on the bench hunched over, elbows propped up on his knees and chin resting neatly atop his gloved fist, deep in thought. One end of the dark scarf he has on wormed free of its confines inside the coat and is being blown about wildly, trying to get away from the neck it was supposed to be protecting. Kaiba's normally tidy hair was messy, tousled by the wind, and hiding his eyes from view. The pale light from a streetlamp behind him diffused around his body, encompassing his form in a thin film of yellow light.

All in all, it was a breathtaking sight. Kaiba for the first time looks vulnerable and peaceful, not at all like the immortal, untouchable being he favors to present himself as.

After a moment of standing in stunned immobility, a wave of pure joy washes over me.

He waited! He actually waited!

I felt the familiar needle-like sting at the back of my eyeballs and notice that my eye-sockets are considerably more damp than they had been just a few seconds ago. I have never been so happy to see anyone in my entire life.

At once, a goofy grin spreads across my face and I want nothing than to run and throw myself at him, squeezing him and never letting go. Like the big, fluffy teddy bear that he isn't.

I almost did, too. Until the harsh reality of my complete idiocy reeled me back, causing me to stumble, as I was in mid-run.

What the hell was I doing?!

This is Kaiba we're talking about. It's ONLY Kaiba. Nothing to get excited about. And CERTAINLY nothing to cry over.

I turned my back to him violently, thoroughly disgusted with myself.

What the fuck was I thinking?

We're only fuck buddies after all, right? Right.

This isn't even a real relationship, right? Right.

He doesn't even care, right? Right.

~Or does he?~

Now where the HELL did that come from?!

I shove that thought as far from my mind as was possible.

I run my fingers through my hair in panic, cold sweat breaking out across my body.

Calm down, Jou. It's okay. He hasn't seen you yet, just WALK AWAY. Walk away and don't look back. Break off whatever arrangements you had with him, and go on with your life. Forget about him.

Yep. Sounds like a good plan to me.

I take a couple of slow steps in the opposite direction. If I'd gone any faster surely my legs would have given out.

That's it, Jou. Just a few more steps and-

"Jou?"

*****

A.N.: Ok, that was a TERRIBLE place to stop. .. Eh, oh well. BTW, I ABHOR this chapter. On a level of personal satisfaction, I give it ½ stars out of 5. Yuck. I have another AU Yu-gi-oh fanfic in the works, one that takes place in Ancient Rome. (Don't ask). Anyway, it's a Seto/Jou master/slave type of thingie. Not sure what will come of it, though. Anyways, please review! ^_^ I live off of reviews! ^^