Kurama's Oni: Thank you

Zelia Theb: You'll just have to wait and see and thank you for the complement on the flashbacks. Those are what make me nervous because they're so much a part of telling the story. I'm very glad they're well recieved.

Anaraz: That will be answered later, and here's the update.

Okay going back to school next week so I'll just see how fast I can get updates out. Updates for other stories are coming once I get my computer to behave with them.

Jonouchi was officially sick of KaibaLand after about the twentieth 'Mr. Kaiba can I have your autograph?' in five minutes. This time it was a boy who looked like he was about eight. His brown eyes looked pleading up at him. Sure he had refused every single request before but it was something about this kid.

"John?" The mother hurried up and grabbed the kid. "Don't bother Mr. Kaiba. Listen, we need to get rid of these puppies."

Jonouchi knelt down beside John as he picked up the large box. "Can I see them?" He removed the cover and smiled at the Golden Retriever puppies in the box. There was one small male in the corner. It tried to stand and fell over. "These are cute puppies."

John grinned. "This one is Joey." He pointed at the small one. "He eats so much but he's so little and clumsy!"

Jonouchi smiled and stood up to look at the mother, taking out his checkbook and writing a large check. "Here, I'll take little Joey."

The mother gasped. "Mr. Kaiba! We can't take this."

"Please do," Jonouchi saw John looking up at him and then John took his hat off his head. It had the emblem of KaibaLand on it in front of a Red Eyes.

"Mr. Kaiba? Can you sign my hat please?" Jonouchi nodded, taking a silver pen and signing the name as best he could: Seto Kaiba. Jonouchi smiled to himself. He knew Seto's handwriting had always been the worst, now he just needed to pretend to make his horrible.

"Thanks Mr. Kaiba!" John yelled as the mother handed him his new puppy. He ran off, tagging after his mother.

"That was out of line, Jou." Noa growled.

"Where's Mokuba?"

"He found Yugi and the gang and went to get hamburgers after a few rides. That was way out of character."

Jonouchi just shook his head. "Seto had a very soft spot for blonds and puppies. A very soft spot."

Noa figured out what Jonouchi was insinuating and blushed. "I didn't need to know that Jou."

"Actually, Seto loved puppies, especially goldens. You should have seen the time that he came with me to get a goldfish for my sister. He just melted when he saw a little golden." Jonouchi laughed to himself and handed the little puppy that was frantically trying to lick him to Noa. Noa pet it, and the puppy promptly peed. "Where's Mokuba again?"

"I told you," Noa said as he held the puppy away from him. "With Yugi and the gang. I promised we'd have lunch with them all."

Jonouchi's face paled. "Lunch? With Yugi?"

"Hey Kaiba!" Jonouchi glanced up as he saw the table with Mokuba and his friends, and Yugi.

"What do you want Mutou?" He said gruffly as he sat down across from his best friend.

"I heard rumors that you were hosting another duel monster tournament. Is that true?"

"Really?" Anzu said, her eyes tracing him. "Yugi, too bad Jou couldn't be here for that.

"Yeah," Yugi said his voice cracking a little.

Jonouchi stood straight up as soon as he heard this. "You okay big brother?" Mokuba asked.

"Yeah Mokuba. I'm fine. Where did you hear this from, Mutou?"

"Otogi told me," Yugi forced a smile.

"Otogi?" Jonouchi swallowed hard.

"Well, if it isn't the great servant to the underdogs himself."

Jonouchi growled as he heard Otogi's taunting voice.

"My, I didn't expect to be seeing the grub here. The flying monkey finally let you off your leash?" Jonouchi sneered at Otogi. It was no test being a jerk to Otogi. He hated the guy's guts. Honda and Bakura jumped up as they saw the rage on Otogi's face. They held him back from doing anything drastic.

"Go ahead, let him go!" Jonouchi taunted.

"One of these days Kaiba," Otogi snarled. "You'll get what's coming to you Kaiba! As if getting your boyfriend killed wasn't enough. If that hasn't taught you something maybe you are just a selfish pig."

Jonouchi stood straight up and turned away from Otogi. He had a reason to be a jerk but every one of Otogi's words cut deeper than the last. The pain was worse than anything else.

"Otogi is right about something, Kaiba." Anzu said, her hands on her hips. "You never deserved Jou!"

Jonouchi snorted like it was nothing from her. Mokuba was staring on the ground. "Is there some reason you asked me here Mutou? It better be more than to be lectured by your miserable pep squad."

Honda was glaring at him as Jonouchi sat down and ordered something to eat. Honda turned around as Otogi leaned into him and began kissing his boyfriend's cheek. Jonouchi saw Anzu, Shizuka, and Isis staring at him as well. They all hated him now. Jonouchi excused himself to the restroom and went to the one he knew would be empty. It wasn't a public one but a private area for only him and special guests. Jonouchi stepped in and turned the water in the ornate sink to cold. He stuck his hands under the faucet and splashed it into his face.

Jonouchi hurried to the area where the note directed him. He knew it had been from Seto and he knew what the CEO wanted from him. Jonouchi sighed as he stood outside the building where Seto Kaiba said he'd be waiting.

"I'd figured you'd show."

"What makes you think I wouldn't anytime." Jonouchi smiled as Seto dragged him into the small building. It was basically a small apartment in the middle of KaibaLand.

"I thought maybe you'd chicken out. How about the bed?" Seto asked with a raised eyebrow. "That would be new."

"Yeah," Jonouchi snorted. "You're horny, yah know dat? You just can't be patient, any place works. The backseat, bathrooms, conference rooms, the roof, your office, janitor closet, beach, couch...

Jonouchi continued to rattle on all the places. The look in Seto's eyes just grew hungrier as he jumped at his puppy. Jonouchi struggled but he was pinned down, halfway into the bathroom. Seto was straddling his waist as he leaned in closely.

"I never was one to be patient."

"Ya think I don't know dat Set!" Jonouchi felt Seto's arms wrap around him. Seto kissed him openmouthed in an overly aggressively manner. Jonouchi felt the tongue exploring in his mouth. Jonouchi wrapped his arms around him and Seto eventually broke away.

"Jou, I've been gone for too long." Seto whispered as he licked Jonouchi's cheek.

"I love ya Set," Jonouchi whispered as he finally dropped into his lover's arms. They lay there, naked on the floor, limbs tangled together in a loving embrace.

"I know, pup. I know."

Jonouchi shook his head and let the water droplets drip off. He needed to focus. So many things were happening with the huge meeting next week, the new tournament in a few months, and school right after that. He leaned his hands against the counter and stood there and for the first time since Seto had been killed he allowed himself to cry. He let it all out, all the pent up agony.

"Seto, why did you have to leave me?" He said through strangled cries.

Jonouchi wasn't paying any attention and he didn't hear Yugi coming in behind him. "We all miss him Seto." Yugi said and Jonouchi jumped as Yugi stood beside him. He had to tell some one. He was sick and tired of lying to Yugi after all the kid had done for him.

"Yugi, can you keep a secret?"

Yugi blinked a few times. "Yeah Kaiba, I won't tell anyone I saw you crying. Everyone misses Jou you don't need to hide it."

Jonouchi swallowed hard as he straightened himself out. "Jou isn't dead," he saw Yugi's gasp.

"Where is he? Why were you crying Seto? Why did he have to do this?"

"Katsuya Jonouchi isn't dead," I tried again. "And I am not Seto Kaiba."

Yugi's jaw dropped as he reached up and touched Jonouchi's face. He rubbed his hand across it. "You're really Jou. I can't believe this. You're really Jou!" Yugi hugged his friend tightly and cried.

"Why are you crying Yugi?" Jonouchi said calmly.

"I'm happy, but you don't sound like Jou, even now." He said quietly.

"I've gotten used to it."

"But why were you crying Jou?"

Jonouchi sighed as he stood there and turned his back towards Yugi. "Yugi, Seto died in the destruction of Kaiba Corp. Do you remember when you and gramps dropped me off?"

"Uh-huh," he nodded his head even though Jonouchi couldn't see him.

"I went in and found Seto's body. He wasn't even supposed to work that day." He voice faltered and Yugi put a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"You don't have to tell me."

"No, I have to tell some one."

"Jonouchi! I can't sit around all day,"

"Seto, can't you take just one day off for me?"

"Jou, I hate it when you do this. I can't stay, my company needs me today."

"Let them be for a day."

"Katsuya! I need to be there. Will you quit being so selfish just this once?"

"Jonouchi! I can't sit around all day,"

"Seto, can't you take just one day off for me?"

"Jou, I hate it when you do this. I can't stay, my company needs me today."

"Let them be for a day."

"Katsuya! I need to be there. Will you quit being so selfish just this once?"

The argument played over and over in Jonouchi's mind as he sighed. "I have to tell some one Yugi. Seto and I," he faltered again as he struggled to say more. "We-we-we-we, we had an argument that morning." He sniffed a little. "He had been called in for an emergency and I had complained about it and yelled at him about it. He was supposed to spend the day with me. We departed angry that day and I didn't hear about the accident for another week. I only heard about it because your grandfather gave me that newspaper. I went to see, not believing it." His head hung and then he started again, regaining his composure just he did day after day in Kaiba Corp. "I investigated it myself, hoping he had survived but I found the body. The sight flashed in front of his eyes.

Seto's perfect eyes were closed, the breeze teasing his chestnut locks. Jonouchi remembered running his hand through his hair so often and he remembered the look of passion in the sapphire eyes. They contained through the years hate, passion, sadness, pain, jealousy, loneliness, and of course love. Jonouchi sat there with Seto's head resting in his lap for the last time remembering all the times Seto had done that as Jonouchi played with his hair. His flawless complexion darkly tanned now charred and destroyed. He could remember lying in the sun on the beach with him. He would knead the sun block into his lover's dark skin. He could still feel the smoothness of it as his memory played back those days on his private beach. Lying basked in the sun, the sun beating on them almost as hot as the love and passion they shared. The clothes and sticking to his body, clothes he remembered having removed himself and throwing on the ground in their throes of passion. Sticking to his strong arms that had picked him up bridal style over the threshold as he joked about being married. Jonouchi's attention went to his hands, hands he had felt so often on his body. Hands that had held his and his wonderful smile whenever he blessed Jonouchi with one. The same mouth that kissed him patiently and softly, that whispered sweet words in the dark. The same mouth that had learned every inch of his body and laughed lightly as Mokuba had taken a picture of Jonouchi feeding his lover a chocolate dipped dessert, getting some on his lover and licking it off.

"Jou?" Yugi asked looking concerned.

"I found his body and I called the driver, Tom. On the way of driving me home he had been talking. He informed me that Noa refused to take over." Jonouchi swallowed hard. "Without a CEO Kaiba Corp would fall since there was going to be a huge meeting. I had to do something so Tom helped me along with a couple people from Kaiba Corp. Noa has been teaching me how to run a business and everything else I need to know. Now I've made a mistake and there's a tournament and I have to duel in it. I have that huge meeting in two days and I'm about two seconds from snapping. Marion Crawford has been using me, Otogi suspects and Mokuba thinks I'm his big brother. He's taken residence in bed with me and he's been fantasizing about me for the longest time. I just don't know what to do anymore."

Jonouchi sighed as he hung his head. "I'm a miserable friend Yugi."

"No you aren't Jou," Yugi smiled. "You're a great friend and an even greater companion. You're throwing your future away to make sure Kaiba Corp stays afloat. It was Seto's dream and you aren't going to let it fall."

"Thank you Yugi," I hugged him as I smiled. "I think I can do this now."

"We'll all be behind you a hundred percent."

"Please Yugi, tell the others. They deserve to know." Yugi nodded his head and left.

"Take care Jou!" Yugi said as he waved good-bye.