::Kitzaku::
Disclaimer: Don't own YGO, and never will.
Authoress Note: In my ending notes last time, I said I needed the tuna to concentrate. So here I am, eating TUNA. I amaze even myself sometimes.
It's been 7 months since my last update. What excuse can I make this time? Er, I DO have an excuse, but it's kind of a mean one. I don't like Jounouchi. *coughs lightly* It's just, I'm such an OTOGI fan, and well, anything that's not Otogi and Honda doesn't interest me. Needless to say, this will be my last chapter. I cannot thank all the reviewers enough for the support this story has gotten. My first (and probably only story) to get over 100 reviews. I was/am ecstatic. Here's to *hopefully* another story in the near future to reach a buttload of reviews.
::Fragile Chappatah 6:: ::Ze Final Chappatah::
"This is what you normally eat for lunch?" Jou's eyes were wide with surprise as he gazed at all the contents of the table. There were huge plates of chicken tempura, various forms of sushi, who knew how much rice and cakes and tofu there were; there was even pocky for dessert.
Seto nodded, completely serious. "You get used to it."
Jou wasted no time in digging into his meal much like a starved dog. Food was spilling over the plate as his chopsticks basically tried to shovel everything into his mouth. He appeared to be a bottomless pit, taking seconds and showing no signs of stopping. Seto merely watched him quietly. Every once in a while he would eat a little bit of this, and a bit of that, but he had to admit, this was fairly amusing.
Jou stopped mid-scarf to look up at Seto, who was still staring at him. Food particles littered his face and he tilted his head to the side. "What?"
"I find you amusing." Seto stated.
Jou considered this for a moment, but then went back to stuffing his face.
They were seated at one of the far tables in the school cafeteria. (Note: Er, I'm not sure if they would have on or not, but let's pretend. o-o; ) Students that passed with their lunch trays shooting the two of them completely awkward glances. Jou was making an ass of himself for one, and for another, it was insane to see the two of them getting along.
Jou and Seto's casual behavior and general lack of fighting had immediately taken it's toll on Yugi. He was seated across the room from the feasting duo, with Anzu, Honda and Otogi.
"I don't understand." Yugi said, poking the monster the lunch ladies had created on his tray. It made angry glorping noises at him. "Jounouchi has always eaten lunch with us."
Honda placed a friendly hand on Yugi's shoulder. "Don't worry too much about it, Yugi. He hasn't left us completely."
"Yeah." Otogi agreed, he leaned over Honda's lap to give Yugi's shoulder a reassuring pat. Honda took this glorious opportunity to wrap his arms around Otogi in a giant bear hug from behind. Otogi fought in protest. "Honda, you big lug! Lemme GO!"
"Not unless you take that comment about a 'lug' back." Honda grinned. "By the way, what's a lug?"
"You."
Honda glared for a moment, but they were both cut short by Anzu's sudden gasp.
She had perked up, closing her eyes matter-of-factly and raising up one finger to make a point. "Jounouchi will forever be our friend! He knows well of the bond we all share! He will see that his interation with Kaiba is just a phase and he will return! Jounouchi is our dearest friend and he's so close. We would do anything for him and he to us. Our bond can never break, because that's it was friendship is for. Friend to the end I always say..."
"Does she have an off switch?" Honda muttered to Otogi, who shrugged.
Yugi sweatdropleted and gave out a weak laugh. They tuned the friendship ranting Anzu out. Yugi looked over toward the table that Jou and Seto were seated at and sighed again. "I only hope he knows what he's getting into..."
Honda raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"See," Yugi pointed at Seto. "The way he looks at Jounouchi... I've never seen him look at anyone like that."
Honda and Otogi looked too, and fairly quickly saw the glint in Seto's eyes that Yugi was talking about. Seto was clearly interested in Jou in more ways than one. And it appeared that Jou either felt the same way or, in fact, was completely oblivious to the whole situation. Honda had to admit that Jou himself looked a little better-- as if he'd gone throught a miracle overnight. His wounds looked as if they had been treated and he was cleaner. Honda was a little worried this morning when Jou walked into class smelling like strawberries, but he was reminded that he helped warn Seto about Jou' abusive father in the first place, and Seto must have taken him in. The strawberries worred him all over again, but for a different unexplainable reason more along the lines of WHY and HOW.
Considering Otogi smelled like apples. But that was another story for another day.
---
After school let out, Yugi ran to catch up with Jou, who was walking in kind of a fast pace toward the doors. "Hey, Jounouchi-kun! Wait!"
Jou turned around, looking slightly annoyed, but when he noticed that it was Yugi, he smiled. "Yugi! I barely talked to you all day! How are ya!"
"I'm fine." Yugi said quickly. "But I want to talk to you. It... it's about Kaiba."
"Yeah?"
"Jounouchi-kun, you HATE him!"
Jou seemed to be pretending as if that had never occured to him. "I do?"
Yugi was nodding and talking frantically. "You two would fight like cats and dogs, but now you're not and we're afraid Kaiba will hurt you if you're not careful."
"Why would Seto hurt me?"
"He HATES you!"
Jou stared hard at Yugi, as if staring along would convice Yugi's mind to think otherwise. "No, he doesn't." He stated as clear as any fact in a History book.
"He does, Jounouchi-kun." By this time, Yugi was involuntarily crying. "He always has, and I'm really worried for you. He could be tricking you."
"Yugi..." Jou's voice trailed off, and he seemed to be struggling for the right owrds to say. "Don't worry about me so much, I can hold my own."
"Then why," Yugi sniffed. "do you have so many cuts and bruises?"
"What?"
Yugi's voice was getting louder. "If you can hold your own, why are you hurt?"
"I'm... I'm not hurt."
"Jounouchi-kun don't LIE to me!" Yugi yelled, stomped his foot and elt his tears runs down his cheeks in streams. "You used to be so open with me, don't push me away!"
Jou fell silent, clenching his fists. He sighed after seeing Yugi's sobbing form. Kneeling down, he reached out to hug him, and the crying boy nearly melted in his hold against him. "I'm sorry, Yugi." He whispered. "I'm not pushing you away. I thought you wouldn't want to hear about what happened to me."
Yugi looked up, wiped his tears and sniffed. "B-but I want to help you. I would understand."
Jou glanced down in thought. "You don't have to help, because Seto is already doing more than his share. Thank you for your concern, though, Yugi. You're a real friend."
"K-Kaiba?" Yugi asked, sniffling still. "No, he's not helping. Like I said before, he hates you. He's hurting you..."
"You're wrong!" Jou stood up. "You don't understand!"
"Listen to me, Jounouchi-kun!"
"No!" Jou shut his eyes, blocking Yugi's face. "He's helping me because he's been through all this before! You haven't! That's why you can't help me!" Turning around, Jounouchi bolted out the door, leaving Yugi behind.
Yugi stood alone, mouth gaping open at the door, completely taken aback at what Jounouchi had just done. The two of them had been best friends for a long time now, and Yugi was afraid he'd just gone and completely messed things up. New tears slowly rolled down his face.
---
Before he knew it, Jounouchi was standing outside the gates to Seto's mansion. He didn't and would never go back home. There wasn't anything left for him there at all anymore. Sure, his Father would notice the disappearance, but Jou would deal with that later. In the mean time, he wanted to avoid it all and just stay here.
He was furious with Yugi and how he refused to beleive that Kaiba wasn't this mean sadistic heartless bastard. Sure, he was sadistic, and yes a bit mean, but not heartless. Jou knew he had a heart. Hell, he'd been close enough to hear hear heart beat.
Doki Doki.
Jou whirled around to look down the streets in front of Kaiba's mansion. He'd thought he heard someone coming.
Doki Doki.
The sound came again, and he clutched his chest.
Doki Doki.
He sighed when he realized the sound was his own heartbeat. It seemed to be beating twice as loud and harder than it had before. Why? How the heck should Jounouchi know? Things were moving too fast for him in all directions. For a moment, the gate in front of him seemed to be solid, but the next it was standing water. The ground rushed up to meet him when he hardly moved at all, and it took him a few moments to realize that the world hadn't tilted, but he had fallen.
---
"Is he alright?"
"Yes, just too much stress, his body couldn't take it and he passed out. You were right to bring him here."
"He's my responsibility."
"Are you two related?"
"No."
"What's your relation to him, then?"
"I'm a... friend."
The nurse raised an eyebrow at the taller boy in front of her. She scribbled a few things down on her notepad. "Well, Mr. Kaiba. If you want to see him, he's down the hall to the left."
"Thank you, ma'am." With a swish of his trenchcoat, Seto Kaiba strode down the hallway to the indicated door. He paused for a moment outside, then slowly turned the handle and entered.
Flowers and cards were on a table next to the bed. It was a small pile. Some from Yugi, one from Otogi and Honda together. Jounouchi himself was asleep on the bed. The windows were drawn and the air smelled of detergent.
Seto stood next to the sleeping blonde. His head tilted a bit, remembering the turn of events only an hour or so before. He was coming back from a short meeting after school when he found Jounouchi passed out at his gate. It wasn't anything big and fancy. No helicopters or abulances. Seto simply picked him up, put him in the backseat of his limo and drove him to the hospital.
Seto didn't blame him for this. When he had taken Jou in, he was in pretty bad shape. There was only so much he could do himself, and Jou refused to go to the hospital before. Maybe passing out was all for the best to get him the help he needed.
"I have some good news, and some bad news." Seto murmured to the air. "The bad news, if you'll see it as bad. Is that I've told the authorities of your father. The good news is that he's under arrest for child abuse and neglect." He wasn't aware if Jou could hear him or not. But when Jou made a slight movement, he was certain. His hand reached out to clasp Jounouchi's own. "You are under the custody of the Kaiba household until you're 18. Then you're on your own."
Jounouchi's eyes tightened for a moment, before he was able to slowly blink them open. He moved his head to the side to take a look at Kaiba. He mouthed the word: "Why." But no sound came out.
"Don't make me repeat myself." Seto leaned over the side of the hospital bed and planted a soft kiss on Jou's lips. He pulled back slowly, and let go of Jou's hand. "Get some rest."
As soon as Seto left the room, he turned around to see Yugi standing there. His face was set in a determined shape, and his hands were clenched into tiny fists at his side. Seto returned the gaze and they stood there, letting the sparks fly for a moment.
Yugi relaxed and sighed. "I understand now."
Seto only nodded.
"If you hurt him, I'll come after you." Yugi said, quietly. "You can be certain of that."
"I know." Seto answered, and turned to take care of the hospital bill. "I know."
----
Owari
----
Yami Muse: But what about Otogi and Honda!
Kitzaku: o-o; What ABOUT them?
Yami Muse: Do they live happily ever after too? Where did they get the money for the flowers? Are they even TOGETHER?
Kitzaku: *blinks* Yami, this isn't -their- story.
Yami Muse: *pouts*
Kitzaku: But I'm gonna go write a HonTogi X-mas fic now. Wheeee!! Sorry for the band ending, folks. I'm a little crazy. Have some R&R Christmas Cookies.
Disclaimer: Don't own YGO, and never will.
Authoress Note: In my ending notes last time, I said I needed the tuna to concentrate. So here I am, eating TUNA. I amaze even myself sometimes.
It's been 7 months since my last update. What excuse can I make this time? Er, I DO have an excuse, but it's kind of a mean one. I don't like Jounouchi. *coughs lightly* It's just, I'm such an OTOGI fan, and well, anything that's not Otogi and Honda doesn't interest me. Needless to say, this will be my last chapter. I cannot thank all the reviewers enough for the support this story has gotten. My first (and probably only story) to get over 100 reviews. I was/am ecstatic. Here's to *hopefully* another story in the near future to reach a buttload of reviews.
::Fragile Chappatah 6:: ::Ze Final Chappatah::
"This is what you normally eat for lunch?" Jou's eyes were wide with surprise as he gazed at all the contents of the table. There were huge plates of chicken tempura, various forms of sushi, who knew how much rice and cakes and tofu there were; there was even pocky for dessert.
Seto nodded, completely serious. "You get used to it."
Jou wasted no time in digging into his meal much like a starved dog. Food was spilling over the plate as his chopsticks basically tried to shovel everything into his mouth. He appeared to be a bottomless pit, taking seconds and showing no signs of stopping. Seto merely watched him quietly. Every once in a while he would eat a little bit of this, and a bit of that, but he had to admit, this was fairly amusing.
Jou stopped mid-scarf to look up at Seto, who was still staring at him. Food particles littered his face and he tilted his head to the side. "What?"
"I find you amusing." Seto stated.
Jou considered this for a moment, but then went back to stuffing his face.
They were seated at one of the far tables in the school cafeteria. (Note: Er, I'm not sure if they would have on or not, but let's pretend. o-o; ) Students that passed with their lunch trays shooting the two of them completely awkward glances. Jou was making an ass of himself for one, and for another, it was insane to see the two of them getting along.
Jou and Seto's casual behavior and general lack of fighting had immediately taken it's toll on Yugi. He was seated across the room from the feasting duo, with Anzu, Honda and Otogi.
"I don't understand." Yugi said, poking the monster the lunch ladies had created on his tray. It made angry glorping noises at him. "Jounouchi has always eaten lunch with us."
Honda placed a friendly hand on Yugi's shoulder. "Don't worry too much about it, Yugi. He hasn't left us completely."
"Yeah." Otogi agreed, he leaned over Honda's lap to give Yugi's shoulder a reassuring pat. Honda took this glorious opportunity to wrap his arms around Otogi in a giant bear hug from behind. Otogi fought in protest. "Honda, you big lug! Lemme GO!"
"Not unless you take that comment about a 'lug' back." Honda grinned. "By the way, what's a lug?"
"You."
Honda glared for a moment, but they were both cut short by Anzu's sudden gasp.
She had perked up, closing her eyes matter-of-factly and raising up one finger to make a point. "Jounouchi will forever be our friend! He knows well of the bond we all share! He will see that his interation with Kaiba is just a phase and he will return! Jounouchi is our dearest friend and he's so close. We would do anything for him and he to us. Our bond can never break, because that's it was friendship is for. Friend to the end I always say..."
"Does she have an off switch?" Honda muttered to Otogi, who shrugged.
Yugi sweatdropleted and gave out a weak laugh. They tuned the friendship ranting Anzu out. Yugi looked over toward the table that Jou and Seto were seated at and sighed again. "I only hope he knows what he's getting into..."
Honda raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"See," Yugi pointed at Seto. "The way he looks at Jounouchi... I've never seen him look at anyone like that."
Honda and Otogi looked too, and fairly quickly saw the glint in Seto's eyes that Yugi was talking about. Seto was clearly interested in Jou in more ways than one. And it appeared that Jou either felt the same way or, in fact, was completely oblivious to the whole situation. Honda had to admit that Jou himself looked a little better-- as if he'd gone throught a miracle overnight. His wounds looked as if they had been treated and he was cleaner. Honda was a little worried this morning when Jou walked into class smelling like strawberries, but he was reminded that he helped warn Seto about Jou' abusive father in the first place, and Seto must have taken him in. The strawberries worred him all over again, but for a different unexplainable reason more along the lines of WHY and HOW.
Considering Otogi smelled like apples. But that was another story for another day.
---
After school let out, Yugi ran to catch up with Jou, who was walking in kind of a fast pace toward the doors. "Hey, Jounouchi-kun! Wait!"
Jou turned around, looking slightly annoyed, but when he noticed that it was Yugi, he smiled. "Yugi! I barely talked to you all day! How are ya!"
"I'm fine." Yugi said quickly. "But I want to talk to you. It... it's about Kaiba."
"Yeah?"
"Jounouchi-kun, you HATE him!"
Jou seemed to be pretending as if that had never occured to him. "I do?"
Yugi was nodding and talking frantically. "You two would fight like cats and dogs, but now you're not and we're afraid Kaiba will hurt you if you're not careful."
"Why would Seto hurt me?"
"He HATES you!"
Jou stared hard at Yugi, as if staring along would convice Yugi's mind to think otherwise. "No, he doesn't." He stated as clear as any fact in a History book.
"He does, Jounouchi-kun." By this time, Yugi was involuntarily crying. "He always has, and I'm really worried for you. He could be tricking you."
"Yugi..." Jou's voice trailed off, and he seemed to be struggling for the right owrds to say. "Don't worry about me so much, I can hold my own."
"Then why," Yugi sniffed. "do you have so many cuts and bruises?"
"What?"
Yugi's voice was getting louder. "If you can hold your own, why are you hurt?"
"I'm... I'm not hurt."
"Jounouchi-kun don't LIE to me!" Yugi yelled, stomped his foot and elt his tears runs down his cheeks in streams. "You used to be so open with me, don't push me away!"
Jou fell silent, clenching his fists. He sighed after seeing Yugi's sobbing form. Kneeling down, he reached out to hug him, and the crying boy nearly melted in his hold against him. "I'm sorry, Yugi." He whispered. "I'm not pushing you away. I thought you wouldn't want to hear about what happened to me."
Yugi looked up, wiped his tears and sniffed. "B-but I want to help you. I would understand."
Jou glanced down in thought. "You don't have to help, because Seto is already doing more than his share. Thank you for your concern, though, Yugi. You're a real friend."
"K-Kaiba?" Yugi asked, sniffling still. "No, he's not helping. Like I said before, he hates you. He's hurting you..."
"You're wrong!" Jou stood up. "You don't understand!"
"Listen to me, Jounouchi-kun!"
"No!" Jou shut his eyes, blocking Yugi's face. "He's helping me because he's been through all this before! You haven't! That's why you can't help me!" Turning around, Jounouchi bolted out the door, leaving Yugi behind.
Yugi stood alone, mouth gaping open at the door, completely taken aback at what Jounouchi had just done. The two of them had been best friends for a long time now, and Yugi was afraid he'd just gone and completely messed things up. New tears slowly rolled down his face.
---
Before he knew it, Jounouchi was standing outside the gates to Seto's mansion. He didn't and would never go back home. There wasn't anything left for him there at all anymore. Sure, his Father would notice the disappearance, but Jou would deal with that later. In the mean time, he wanted to avoid it all and just stay here.
He was furious with Yugi and how he refused to beleive that Kaiba wasn't this mean sadistic heartless bastard. Sure, he was sadistic, and yes a bit mean, but not heartless. Jou knew he had a heart. Hell, he'd been close enough to hear hear heart beat.
Doki Doki.
Jou whirled around to look down the streets in front of Kaiba's mansion. He'd thought he heard someone coming.
Doki Doki.
The sound came again, and he clutched his chest.
Doki Doki.
He sighed when he realized the sound was his own heartbeat. It seemed to be beating twice as loud and harder than it had before. Why? How the heck should Jounouchi know? Things were moving too fast for him in all directions. For a moment, the gate in front of him seemed to be solid, but the next it was standing water. The ground rushed up to meet him when he hardly moved at all, and it took him a few moments to realize that the world hadn't tilted, but he had fallen.
---
"Is he alright?"
"Yes, just too much stress, his body couldn't take it and he passed out. You were right to bring him here."
"He's my responsibility."
"Are you two related?"
"No."
"What's your relation to him, then?"
"I'm a... friend."
The nurse raised an eyebrow at the taller boy in front of her. She scribbled a few things down on her notepad. "Well, Mr. Kaiba. If you want to see him, he's down the hall to the left."
"Thank you, ma'am." With a swish of his trenchcoat, Seto Kaiba strode down the hallway to the indicated door. He paused for a moment outside, then slowly turned the handle and entered.
Flowers and cards were on a table next to the bed. It was a small pile. Some from Yugi, one from Otogi and Honda together. Jounouchi himself was asleep on the bed. The windows were drawn and the air smelled of detergent.
Seto stood next to the sleeping blonde. His head tilted a bit, remembering the turn of events only an hour or so before. He was coming back from a short meeting after school when he found Jounouchi passed out at his gate. It wasn't anything big and fancy. No helicopters or abulances. Seto simply picked him up, put him in the backseat of his limo and drove him to the hospital.
Seto didn't blame him for this. When he had taken Jou in, he was in pretty bad shape. There was only so much he could do himself, and Jou refused to go to the hospital before. Maybe passing out was all for the best to get him the help he needed.
"I have some good news, and some bad news." Seto murmured to the air. "The bad news, if you'll see it as bad. Is that I've told the authorities of your father. The good news is that he's under arrest for child abuse and neglect." He wasn't aware if Jou could hear him or not. But when Jou made a slight movement, he was certain. His hand reached out to clasp Jounouchi's own. "You are under the custody of the Kaiba household until you're 18. Then you're on your own."
Jounouchi's eyes tightened for a moment, before he was able to slowly blink them open. He moved his head to the side to take a look at Kaiba. He mouthed the word: "Why." But no sound came out.
"Don't make me repeat myself." Seto leaned over the side of the hospital bed and planted a soft kiss on Jou's lips. He pulled back slowly, and let go of Jou's hand. "Get some rest."
As soon as Seto left the room, he turned around to see Yugi standing there. His face was set in a determined shape, and his hands were clenched into tiny fists at his side. Seto returned the gaze and they stood there, letting the sparks fly for a moment.
Yugi relaxed and sighed. "I understand now."
Seto only nodded.
"If you hurt him, I'll come after you." Yugi said, quietly. "You can be certain of that."
"I know." Seto answered, and turned to take care of the hospital bill. "I know."
----
Owari
----
Yami Muse: But what about Otogi and Honda!
Kitzaku: o-o; What ABOUT them?
Yami Muse: Do they live happily ever after too? Where did they get the money for the flowers? Are they even TOGETHER?
Kitzaku: *blinks* Yami, this isn't -their- story.
Yami Muse: *pouts*
Kitzaku: But I'm gonna go write a HonTogi X-mas fic now. Wheeee!! Sorry for the band ending, folks. I'm a little crazy. Have some R&R Christmas Cookies.