~Epilogue: The Gates of Genesis~

Watching the two teenagers together was a painting of unrivaled splendor, magnificence, utter and complete brilliance that would be next to impossible to duplicate in any artistic format. Setting aside their typical stereotypes, the afflictions of their public labels had been left behind in the plane of superficiality, a setting where only a very gluttonous civilization thrived. Beyond the realm of crazy capitalists, greedy politicians, and the workplace filled with artificial friendliness resided something real, attributes that were noticeably genuine. Tapping into this spiritual scenery were two subjects, both males, which happened to be the most highly unlikely to ever, arrive at such mystical elucidation. Everyone who was acquainted with the adolescents would divulge that they were the exact opposites of each other. While one was an affluent aristocrat, his counterpart's economic status was at poverty level, a person that was regarded as more of a village rat than a human. It was an odd face-off of differences, the kind of quirks that would cause outright hostility, major conflicts of interest that had a tendency to ruin prospective partnerships. Somehow, someway, the couple of classmates were able to disregard the prejudices that they had been taught since childhood to uphold and continue, clinging to one another's frames in feelings that represented a vast variety of feelings extending further than camaraderie.

/Hold me/

Tenderly offering outspread arms to his companion, the blond instinctively welcomed the affection to follow. His associate, overwrought with emotional anguish, climbed into the genial limbs without a second thought. The tear-stained brunette tensed the moment he felt the brush of his comrade, but was calmed by the subtle engagements made towards him. Passively, the sapphire-eyed boy sat in the lap of his caretaker, actually savoring the times fingertips stroked the mass of his silky tresses. Seto wished this intimate contact could last longer than just these few sacred seconds of heaven's mercy.

/Whatever lies beyond this morning/

He wanted them to go on forever.

/Is a little later on/

For once in his existence, he wasn't being pushed away, beaten, or horribly threatened for accepting an invitation of apparent fondness. This was a fantasy he had reasoned to be unrealistic, impracticable, and even totally illogical previously, but now--

/Regardless of warnings/

Everything seemed probable to him, as if some deeper meaning to life had been revealed to him through means of divine intervention. Hopes and dreams from yester years came flooding back to him, indulging the child within himself in desires he had been prone to deem whimsical as a young adult. In his entire life, he had never felt so at peace, being gently rocked to sleep by wave-like limbs he was nestled inside of, drifting away on the calming waters created by the embrace he received. Kaiba was the mermaid who evolved into a human, someone capable of walking not only because he had dared to dream the unattainable, but also due to the account that there was an individual out there that actually cared about him. That person made no crude advances towards him, nor did he expect something in return in order to be repaid for his kindness. It was the sort of benevolence that was a gift of the heart, a mark of character, an actual representation of the altruistic soul that came quite naturally to the honey-haired male. Here he was, Joey Wheeler, Mr. Street Tough Himself, nursing the blue-eyed boy back to health as if that was his most important task to fulfill. Jonouchi was unique in that respect--notorious for putting up a dangerous front, yet extremely considerate and perceptive if the circumstances were serious enough to provoke those traits from him.

/the future doesn't scare me at all/

/He hides just like I do…/ realized the youngster huddled in the blonde's arms. /Jou only lets people see what he wants them to see. Both of us, we're one in the same. So very similar although we come from worlds apart. And yet I just want him to call my name--so we could share in the music of a single heart. Simple and clean is the way I feel tonight, / he sang softly to himself. /and it's hard to let it go. /

Envisioning a demonstrative smile on his companion's lips, Seto swam in the depths of Katsuya's compassion, an endless paradise surpassing the greatness that Eden hypothetically possessed. Miracles did exist, but not in the conventional methods that Christians preached about. The phenomenon of romance, whether angels, deities, or an on-going dynamic equilibrium produced the feeling, was an emotion that exceeded the boundaries of anything ordinary or conservative. Whether it was wrong or right, both blonde and brunette would be with each other tonight, allowing one another to be the shelter for their souls as they entered into the gates of Genesis together. Sometimes, people fall and lose it all, their possessions, money, and even self-respect. As long as there was someone there to catch him before he hit the ground, the damage to his self-esteem was always reparable, restoring the capacity to adopt sensation for a valuable kindred spirit. To pick himself off the sidewalk and dust himself off to try again, readily returning the sincerity he was shown, Kaiba let himself trust someone else besides his brother. This was the enlightenment he had been searching for, seeking out, waiting to see if the graces of passion would ever dawn on him and expose the path of ever-lasting contentment. Hand-in-hand with the one he hoped to call his own one-day, he nuzzled into a cozy location, murmuring lyrics to a song he used to sing as a little boy with restored faith.

/Cradle softly

Me on your knee

All that's sacred

Cherished, unsaid

Surrounded by

Your lullaby

Rocking to sleep

My soul

Forever

Yours to keep/

/Nothing's like before/

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Author's Note: To comprehend the difficulties of the obstacles Seto encountered as a child, please read the sequel to this story, Trials of Trauma, already available to read on fanfiction.net. Terror haunts the lives of Kaiba and his younger sibling as they endure countless flashbacks pertaining to the broken histories between themselves. As Joey comes to understand the shattered childhood of his past rival, he is faced with much more than becoming a secure friend. Grasping the fact that he has been developing feelings additional to good relations with Seto, Jonouchi battles against helping his comrade overcome mental illness and satisfying his own selfish desires. Can the teenagers become mentally capable of handling their emotional burdens, or will their instabilities ruin the chances of a potentially beautiful relationship?