Chii: Omigosh I am SO SO SO SORRY for not updating since er...*checks watch
and sweatdrops*...Okay, nevermind that. Anyhow this is chapter two. Hope
you enjoy and please review! ^^
*
The man breathed heavily, staring at the door where his son had sped out of a few moments ago. Sluggishly, he looked around. The blood on the floor, the split cane in pieces...He staggered to the wall and leaned against it for support. His breathing came ragged; the acid taste of alcohol bubbled up inside his throat. He'd lost control. Again. He raised the bottle of beer in his hand and took another long swig. And collapsed into a drunken slumber.
*
BAM!
He heard the door to the house slam violently open. He opened an eye lazily and looked into the cold blue ones of Seto Kaiba.
"G-get out of my housssse." He slurred, waving the bottle of beer in his hand at the CEO.
"First tell me why you beat up your son so badly," Seto said icily. "You could be sued for child abuse."
"S-sued?" The man hiccupped, his eyes crossing and uncrossing, the smell of alcohol emitting from his mouth. "Like I h-have any money to pay!" He waved his free arm to indicate the house. "L-look around. See what I've gotten m- myself into? Now, I n-need that stupid son of mine to g-get a P-PROPER job and g-give me the money he e-earns s-so I can pay off my d-debts..."
Disgusted, Seto glared down at him. "You," He said clearly and loudly, "do not deserve to be Joey's father."
He turned his back and was about to leave when the shadow of Joey's father played out on the ground before him. He jumped to the side as the drunkard's beer bottle swung into the air where he'd just been. Seto whirled to face the beet-red face of the man, fire burning in his eyes.
"You attack people when their backs are turned?" The CEO snapped angrily. "One day you'll get a taste of your own medicine, you...you...drunkard!"
His fist smashed into the wall beside him as he glared at the man. Then he turned for the second time and swept out of the house, slamming the door behind him so hard it shook. He was shaking, too. With anger and pity for the guest at his house. Poor Joey...to have to live with that sort of man every day...He got into the limousine
"I need to buy some food. Nothing in the kitchin is edible." He said absentmindedly to the chauffeur, who sped off immediately.
"A packet of your best cookies." Seto said to the girl behind the cashier. She grinned and winked flirtatiously as she prepared the treat; he pretended not to see. I wonder where Joey'll stay after he recovers, he mused to himself. Maybe he'd return to that house...he'd have to, after all...His felt a sudden, painful jolt as the image of Joey being beaten again surfaced. He pushed it away stubbornly. He shouldn't be caring about that; his primary concern was to let the boy stay until he recovered to pay back the debt he still owed Yami.
But then again, Joey...The blood that night on his doorstep...
"Thank you, sir. Please come again soon!" The girl chirped merribly, bringing his thought to an abrupt halt. He nodded and reached for the cookies. With swift movement, the girl caught his hand in an iron grip and stared up at him.
"Yes?" Seto asked coolly, trying to extract his hand.
"Would you come with me to dinner tonight?" The girl asked pleadingly. Seto opened his mouth to say no, but then she continued, "Name's Yurina. Yurina Takeshin. My father's the editor of Japan Weekly and he wants me to do an interview..."
Seto thought of the publicity his company would get and sighed in resignation.
"Okay, then."
*
Joey woke abruptly and brought a hand to his forehead. He could have sworn Kaiba had kissed him...Ridiculous. He laughed aloud at the thought of the CEO even being nice to him. "He'd kiss me the day he bought me cookies for lunch," The blond said conversationally to the bedpost, stretching and yawning.
Just then the door opened and Seto walked in with a bag. "Your lunch." He said indifferently, opening the bag to reveal steaming hot cookies.
Joey stared openmouthed at the CEO, then at the cookies, then at the bedpost which seemed to be laughing at him.
"Well...er...uh...thanks," He stammered, getting out of bed and helping himself to one.
Seto watched as an expression of pure delight spread on the blond boy's face and as he began gobbling everything down. He grinned inwardly. Even when he was hurt, he still acted like an animal...His gaze settled on Joey's bandages. They were stained a pinkish red.
"It's time to change your bandages again," Seto said expressionlessly. He brought out another roll of fresh bandages from his pocket and motioned for Joey to turn his back.
"I can do it myself," Joey said angrily, spraying cookie crumbs everywhere. "Oops...sorry..." More crumbs flew. Seto rolled his eyes and walked around to Joey's back. Experimentally, he touched one of the bandages. Joey stiffened suddenly in the chair.
"Does it hurt?" Seto asked, already knowing the answer.
"Like hell." Joey relaxed again, stuffing another cookie into his mouth. "I hate physical pain."
"Really?" Seto said, raising an eyebrow as he began changing the boy's bandages. "And your studies?"
"I hate mental exhaustion even more." Joey said cheerfully, ignoring the pain as Seto wound the new bandage tight.
"I see." Seto finished with the new bandages and rolled up the old ones. "How especially...talented you are."
Joey glared as the brunette gathered up the bandages and prepared to leave.
1...2...3!
He stuck out his foot and Seto tripped over it on his way out. He got the effect he wanted, all right, but...
"OOMPH!" Joey gasped as Seto sprawled onto him, effectively crushing off his air. Stars swam before his eyes as he struggled to shove the CEO off him, to no avail. Seto braced his hands and pushed himself up off the blond. Unfortunately what he had braced his hands on was Joey's chest. For one frozen second they both stared, expressions equally horrified. Then...
"You PERVERT!" Joey fumed, grabbing a pillow off the bed and sending it flying at the elder Kaiba. Seto caught the pillow before it hit his face and threw it back.
"You're not even a girl!" Seto taunted. "Oh wait...I forgot...you ARE a girl..." The next pillow caught him right in the face.
Trying not to laugh as Joey attacked him with the pillows, he backed off and tripped over a stool. He landed hard on the ground. Joey, view blocked by the enormous pink heart-shaped cushion he meant to charge into Seto with, tripped over the very same stool and landed on Seto with the fluffy pillow between them. The two stared into each other's eyes unbelievingly.
"BIG BROOOOTHERRRR!!!" Mokuba burst into the room, singsonging. "I'M HOOOOOMEEEE..." He trailed off when he saw the scene: his big brother underneath a big pink heart-shaped pillow, and Joey on top of that...
"Omigosh!" Mokuba turned dramatically away, hand over his eyes. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt..." And he bounced out of the room, cackling evilly.
Joey and Seto stared at each other, then looked haughtily away.
*
"So you work at your company all alone?" Yurina asked Seto, twining the end of her long black braid over around her index finger.
"Yes."
"For how long?"
"Very."
"Is the work interesting?"
"Yes."
Tired with the one-syllable answers the brunette was giving, Yurina kept her notebook and pen and began a different approach.
"Do you have a girlfriend?"
"No."
"I understand you have a brother?"
"Yes."
"ARGH!" Yurina screamed and glared at Seto, who inclined his head slightly in amusement. "Stop acting like a block of ice!"
"Why?" Seto asked mildly, giving her a grin. He observed her for a moment. She was pretty, though...delicate features and beautiful hair...just the temper... "I enjoy being cool."
"..."
BRRRIIINNNNGGGGG! The ringing of a handphone stopped the girl from stabbing the CEO with her fork.
"It's mine." Seto said automatically, reaching into his pocket for his handphone. Yurina tapped her foot impatiently and listened.
"I'm busy...yes, dinner...Urgent? What about? WHAT?!!!!"
The chair screeched loudly as Seto got up, throwing down a $100 bill on the table.
"Urgent business, I have to go." He told Yurina, who stared at the bill in astonishment.
He stepped out of the restaurant and restrained himself from running full- out to the car where his chauffuer waited.
Joey...in hospital?!
*
Chii: ^o^ I'm done! Well errr...sorry for the cliffhanger XP Please r&r yeah? =)
*
The man breathed heavily, staring at the door where his son had sped out of a few moments ago. Sluggishly, he looked around. The blood on the floor, the split cane in pieces...He staggered to the wall and leaned against it for support. His breathing came ragged; the acid taste of alcohol bubbled up inside his throat. He'd lost control. Again. He raised the bottle of beer in his hand and took another long swig. And collapsed into a drunken slumber.
*
BAM!
He heard the door to the house slam violently open. He opened an eye lazily and looked into the cold blue ones of Seto Kaiba.
"G-get out of my housssse." He slurred, waving the bottle of beer in his hand at the CEO.
"First tell me why you beat up your son so badly," Seto said icily. "You could be sued for child abuse."
"S-sued?" The man hiccupped, his eyes crossing and uncrossing, the smell of alcohol emitting from his mouth. "Like I h-have any money to pay!" He waved his free arm to indicate the house. "L-look around. See what I've gotten m- myself into? Now, I n-need that stupid son of mine to g-get a P-PROPER job and g-give me the money he e-earns s-so I can pay off my d-debts..."
Disgusted, Seto glared down at him. "You," He said clearly and loudly, "do not deserve to be Joey's father."
He turned his back and was about to leave when the shadow of Joey's father played out on the ground before him. He jumped to the side as the drunkard's beer bottle swung into the air where he'd just been. Seto whirled to face the beet-red face of the man, fire burning in his eyes.
"You attack people when their backs are turned?" The CEO snapped angrily. "One day you'll get a taste of your own medicine, you...you...drunkard!"
His fist smashed into the wall beside him as he glared at the man. Then he turned for the second time and swept out of the house, slamming the door behind him so hard it shook. He was shaking, too. With anger and pity for the guest at his house. Poor Joey...to have to live with that sort of man every day...He got into the limousine
"I need to buy some food. Nothing in the kitchin is edible." He said absentmindedly to the chauffeur, who sped off immediately.
"A packet of your best cookies." Seto said to the girl behind the cashier. She grinned and winked flirtatiously as she prepared the treat; he pretended not to see. I wonder where Joey'll stay after he recovers, he mused to himself. Maybe he'd return to that house...he'd have to, after all...His felt a sudden, painful jolt as the image of Joey being beaten again surfaced. He pushed it away stubbornly. He shouldn't be caring about that; his primary concern was to let the boy stay until he recovered to pay back the debt he still owed Yami.
But then again, Joey...The blood that night on his doorstep...
"Thank you, sir. Please come again soon!" The girl chirped merribly, bringing his thought to an abrupt halt. He nodded and reached for the cookies. With swift movement, the girl caught his hand in an iron grip and stared up at him.
"Yes?" Seto asked coolly, trying to extract his hand.
"Would you come with me to dinner tonight?" The girl asked pleadingly. Seto opened his mouth to say no, but then she continued, "Name's Yurina. Yurina Takeshin. My father's the editor of Japan Weekly and he wants me to do an interview..."
Seto thought of the publicity his company would get and sighed in resignation.
"Okay, then."
*
Joey woke abruptly and brought a hand to his forehead. He could have sworn Kaiba had kissed him...Ridiculous. He laughed aloud at the thought of the CEO even being nice to him. "He'd kiss me the day he bought me cookies for lunch," The blond said conversationally to the bedpost, stretching and yawning.
Just then the door opened and Seto walked in with a bag. "Your lunch." He said indifferently, opening the bag to reveal steaming hot cookies.
Joey stared openmouthed at the CEO, then at the cookies, then at the bedpost which seemed to be laughing at him.
"Well...er...uh...thanks," He stammered, getting out of bed and helping himself to one.
Seto watched as an expression of pure delight spread on the blond boy's face and as he began gobbling everything down. He grinned inwardly. Even when he was hurt, he still acted like an animal...His gaze settled on Joey's bandages. They were stained a pinkish red.
"It's time to change your bandages again," Seto said expressionlessly. He brought out another roll of fresh bandages from his pocket and motioned for Joey to turn his back.
"I can do it myself," Joey said angrily, spraying cookie crumbs everywhere. "Oops...sorry..." More crumbs flew. Seto rolled his eyes and walked around to Joey's back. Experimentally, he touched one of the bandages. Joey stiffened suddenly in the chair.
"Does it hurt?" Seto asked, already knowing the answer.
"Like hell." Joey relaxed again, stuffing another cookie into his mouth. "I hate physical pain."
"Really?" Seto said, raising an eyebrow as he began changing the boy's bandages. "And your studies?"
"I hate mental exhaustion even more." Joey said cheerfully, ignoring the pain as Seto wound the new bandage tight.
"I see." Seto finished with the new bandages and rolled up the old ones. "How especially...talented you are."
Joey glared as the brunette gathered up the bandages and prepared to leave.
1...2...3!
He stuck out his foot and Seto tripped over it on his way out. He got the effect he wanted, all right, but...
"OOMPH!" Joey gasped as Seto sprawled onto him, effectively crushing off his air. Stars swam before his eyes as he struggled to shove the CEO off him, to no avail. Seto braced his hands and pushed himself up off the blond. Unfortunately what he had braced his hands on was Joey's chest. For one frozen second they both stared, expressions equally horrified. Then...
"You PERVERT!" Joey fumed, grabbing a pillow off the bed and sending it flying at the elder Kaiba. Seto caught the pillow before it hit his face and threw it back.
"You're not even a girl!" Seto taunted. "Oh wait...I forgot...you ARE a girl..." The next pillow caught him right in the face.
Trying not to laugh as Joey attacked him with the pillows, he backed off and tripped over a stool. He landed hard on the ground. Joey, view blocked by the enormous pink heart-shaped cushion he meant to charge into Seto with, tripped over the very same stool and landed on Seto with the fluffy pillow between them. The two stared into each other's eyes unbelievingly.
"BIG BROOOOTHERRRR!!!" Mokuba burst into the room, singsonging. "I'M HOOOOOMEEEE..." He trailed off when he saw the scene: his big brother underneath a big pink heart-shaped pillow, and Joey on top of that...
"Omigosh!" Mokuba turned dramatically away, hand over his eyes. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt..." And he bounced out of the room, cackling evilly.
Joey and Seto stared at each other, then looked haughtily away.
*
"So you work at your company all alone?" Yurina asked Seto, twining the end of her long black braid over around her index finger.
"Yes."
"For how long?"
"Very."
"Is the work interesting?"
"Yes."
Tired with the one-syllable answers the brunette was giving, Yurina kept her notebook and pen and began a different approach.
"Do you have a girlfriend?"
"No."
"I understand you have a brother?"
"Yes."
"ARGH!" Yurina screamed and glared at Seto, who inclined his head slightly in amusement. "Stop acting like a block of ice!"
"Why?" Seto asked mildly, giving her a grin. He observed her for a moment. She was pretty, though...delicate features and beautiful hair...just the temper... "I enjoy being cool."
"..."
BRRRIIINNNNGGGGG! The ringing of a handphone stopped the girl from stabbing the CEO with her fork.
"It's mine." Seto said automatically, reaching into his pocket for his handphone. Yurina tapped her foot impatiently and listened.
"I'm busy...yes, dinner...Urgent? What about? WHAT?!!!!"
The chair screeched loudly as Seto got up, throwing down a $100 bill on the table.
"Urgent business, I have to go." He told Yurina, who stared at the bill in astonishment.
He stepped out of the restaurant and restrained himself from running full- out to the car where his chauffuer waited.
Joey...in hospital?!
*
Chii: ^o^ I'm done! Well errr...sorry for the cliffhanger XP Please r&r yeah? =)
