/The night before...\
He glanced out the window just as the Heavens let loose an army of raindrops upon the Earth. He flicked black hair from his eyes and sighed, his father's snoring disrupting his thoughts.
It had only been a few months since he had moved to Domino and found his father. Both were working in the harbor as fishermen. It wasn't the best way to live your life, but both loved it so---
He was suddenly jerked from his thoughts as a hand slammed itself against his apartment door. Confusion written all over his dark skinned features, he stood and moved quickly to the door and opened it.
A cold and wet blonde stood shivering at his doorway. He turned his chocolate brown eyes up to the blue-eyed boy and stared seriously into his eyes. "Mako...I need a favor..."
"Joey!" the fisherman cried. "Come in! Come in!" Quickly Mako pulled his old friend through the doorway and into their small but nice apartment. "What do you need?"
"I--I just n--need a place to stay tonight..." Joey whispered shivering. "I can't go h--ome and I c--an't face my fr--iends right now...please...."
Mako smiled and laughed. "Of course! You can have the couch!"
"Oh n--o...I'll just take a place on the floor..."
The dark haired fisherman shook his head. "I'll not take no for an answer my friend. We have two beds and a very comfortable couch."
"T--wo?" Joey shook his head. "I'm sorry Mako, I didn't realize that you had a roomate. I--"
"Nonesense!" Mako cried. "It's just my father!"
The blonde swallowed hard. "Your father?" he whispered. "You found him?"
The black haired duelist grinned. "Actually he found me only a few weeks ago. I'm sorry I had not told you. I forgot!"
"That's okay..." Joey murmured. He let himself fall onto the couch that Mako indicated towards and closed his eyes. The sea-duelist threw a blanket over the cold boy.
"Good night Joey," he said softly.
"G'night fish-boy...."
Slowly his chocolate brown eyes dropped closed and he fell into a deep sleep where bright sapphire eyes haunted him, but this time not because he had lost a duel.
***
/Pharoh!/
Yami turned quickly in his soul room. He diverted his attention from the four searchers in the hospital to the all too familiar voice. //Tomb Robber?//
/Yes. I have....a question./
The ancient Pharoh crossed his arms susoiciously and allowed Bakura to hear his caution through the link. //I'm listening.//
/What's going on?/
//What?//
/Why did Ryou leave so suddenly? What is he doing?/
//Can't you tell? Through the bond of the Millenium Ring, can't you tell where he is? What he's doing?//
Bakura's voice was thick with hate. /No ::pharoh:: I can not. Ryou...he broke..../
//He broke off your connection didn't he?//
/Maybe.../
//They're looking for Joey. He's missing.//
/Why didn't--?/
//Maybe you should be asking your hikari that, not me.//
And Yami cut off the connection just as Tristan proclaimed the hopelessness of the situation. Of course the spirit's smart hikari found something that the other mortals had not.
With a jolt, they began running towards the street.
***
Seto closed his eyes and imagined the blonde haired boy just as if he was standing right in front of him. /Don't get hurt.../ the famous CEO found himself thinking. /If you get yourself hurt you little dork I'll never forgive you...and I'll never get to find out what I was going to say to you...what you said to me...Joey..../
An inexplicable feeling that Seto had never felt raced through his body. It started in his chest and spread down to the very tip of his toes. Warmness covered him...what was this feeling? What was happening to him? What was he thinking?
Rolling over carefully as to not wake his little brother, Seto checked the chart next to his bed. Just what kind of drugs did they have him on?
/"Kaiba...just how drugged up are you?/
Seto started suddenly, rewarding him with a groan from Mokuba. What was that? Could he be....
....remembering?
***
"No..." he whispered. "No why don't....why can't you....remember....remember..."
Mako watched as the blonde boy on his couch rolled over, gripping the pillow and muttering strange words. He studied the boy for a moment. The tears streaming down his face and the look of pain etched in his features.
Walking over, Mako pulled another blanket from a nearby chair and placed it on Joey's shoulders. Then he patted the boy on the head as he settled down and went to make some coffee. It was almost 7:40 am.
***
"Yugi!" Téa cried. "Where are we going?"
"To an old friend's home!"
"What?" Tristan asked. "We've searched every friend's house that Joey has!"
"Not quite." The young boy turned. "C'mon and I hope that you all have some money."
"Money?" Ryou asked. "Why?"
"For a train fare."
"What?" Téa cried. But Tristan caught on.
"Of course!" the taller boy cried putting on more speed. "Mako Tsunami! He lives about forty-five minutes outside of town doesn't he Yugi?"
The young Keeper of the Puzzle grinned and inside his soul room, Yami nodded with appreciation.
***
Mako laughed as his father poked him in the jaw and began another story of the great and mighty sea. Joey turned his eyes to the ground and scratched the back of his head.
He felt so out of place...so wrong. He shouldn't be here, what had be been thinking?
At the same time, jeolousy coursed through his veins, Jealousy of Mako and his father. Jealousy of the bond that they shared. He wished that he had that kind of relationship with his father....
/"Come back here you little bastard!/
Squeezing his eyes tightly shut for a moment, to keep the tears at bay, Joey stood and bowed respectfully to Mako and his father.
Opening them, he swallowed and smiled slightly. "I must be leaving now, but I greatly thank you for your hospitality and your kindness." He tugged at the kimono that he wore. "Mako, I'll return these to you later all right?"
"Keep them my friend," Mako cried. "And let the sea always be with you!"
Joey smiled at his friends words and bowed again before leaving. He glanced at the clock on the wall as he stepped into the elevator.
8:03.
***
"Almost...there!" Yugi panted as he ran into the apartment buliding and headed for the elevator. He pressed the button ten times repeatedly but still it did not come.
"Too slow," Tristan decided and bounded up the stairs, Yugi, Téa and Ryou close behind him. Finally they came to a stop in front of a door that proclaimed 'Tsunami'.
"Mako!" Tristan cried as he pounded on the door. "Are you in there?"
The black haired fisherman opened the door as the elevator came to a stop on the ground floor and let out a single blonde passenger who looked uncomfortable in his long kimono.
A/N: Well...this was an odd one. Not exactly how I wanted it to turn out, but hey! it's all good. R&R if you please. I'll give you a cookie. ^_^