Jou sighed. He'd gotten detention for sleeping in class…again. The teacher had told him to go to the nurse's office to have a check up, but he refused to go. The nurse was nice, but very strict when it came to check ups and especially when she knew you got into a lot if fights with Seto Kaiba…she'd make him tell her about his last fight and where Seto hit him and all that sort of stuff, then make sure that spot wasn't bruised and so on.

"Now Jou, you'll write a page on why you keep sleeping in class, and it better be good." Mr. Chipmunk (Jou's science teacher) explained to him. Jou nodded and quickly took to thinking about a reason why he went to sleep in class… 'Yes, the reason I slept in class Mr. Chipmunk is because my dad beats me so I stayed up all night trying to get in a comfortable position where it didn't hurt…as if.' He thought to himself.

Well, I had a lot of homework that I had to do yesterday so I stayed up all night finishing it…ummm, is that enough? Or did I have to do a whole page? If so can I do it tomorrow and I'll tell my dad that I have to stay behind to do it so he doesn't get worried.

He put it on the desk up the front and left casually. Once out of the school he took of at a jog so he wasn't too late.

"Finally." Jou said through deep breaths. He walked up the steps that only yesterday he'd fallen down and opened the door slowly. "Dad? I'm home now." He called out. There was no answer. Jou poked his head into every room he went past. Finally he found one with two people in it. "Eah shit."

"Why were you late?" Jerry snapped viciously. "You made him wait." Jou looked at the other person… "He said he was one of your friends." Jou shook his head violently.

"No he's no-"

"Shut up mutt. I've got a few questions I'd like to ask you." Jou quirked a brow.

"Eh?"

"Was that your dad?"

"Ummm, yeah, why?"

"does he get drunk often? I could smell alcohol."

"That's none of your business. Can we take this to my room if you insist on asking questions because I really don't like my dad listening to my conversations." Seto shrugged before standing, so Jou led him to his room. Once in Jou sat on the bed and put his bag down.

"Now what d'ya want?"

"do your friends even know?"

"Okay can you start making some sense for once or I'll have to make you leave." Jou snapped in annoyance. Seto sighed.

"Tell me, are you familiar with the word abuse? I am, and I know what happens when people are getting abused." He told him as he took a step towards our little blonde puppy.

"If you're implying something then get out now!" Jou growled. Seto shook his head.

Appreciate

"listen, I know what's going on so don't try and hide it."

"you obviously don't know what's going on because I ain't getting abused you idiot."

"Stupid dog. You are so admit it!"

"Am not!"

"You are!"

"Not!"

"Are."

"Not!"

"You are you idiot!" At this Seto stormed over to the bed and took Jou by the shirt, ripping it off of the un-expecting boy. Jou yelped as the cold air hit his skin. "See!" Seto pointed at the various bruises and such on Jou's stomach and back. The door suddenly opened.

"Will you two keep it do-" Jerry started, but stopped when he saw his son and Kaiba. Kaiba had thrown Jou's shirt to the floor and Jou was pinning Seto to the floor and gripping his shirt as though he was going to do the same. "Bedroom…no shirt…on top of him…" Jumping to conclusions Jerry backed out and closed the door before the two teens heard him screaming.

"MY SON IS GAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Uh, that's scary." Jou stated dumbly as Seto plied his hands off of his shirt and pushed him back so he could get up. "Oh yeah, I was about to see how you liked someone ripping your shirt, wasn't I?" he asked before scratched the back of his head. "Maybe you should go." He added. Seto shook his head.

"Jou you should get help." He announced. Jou shook his head.

"Just go! And don't tell anyone… … …that reminds me, who told you?!" He hissed. Seto grunted.

"No one." He replied simply. "Jou get help or I'll get it for you."

"No wait! You can't tell anyone." Jou suddenly took to pleading as he grabbed Seto's hand.

"Jou…" he looked down at the pathetic boy clinging to his hand. "I'll give you a week to get help, after that I'm going to do it whether you like it or not." And with that the CEO left. Jou watched helplessly as his enemy retreated from his house to go home.

"JOU! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU LITTLE BRAT?!"

"Jou, are you feeling okay, you keep hitting yourself." Yugi inquired. Jou shook his head.

"No Yug. I just didn't get enough sleep last night so I'm tryin' to stay awake, that's all." He lied. Yugi nodded understandingly. Just at that moment Seto walked past. Jou stared after him for a while before letting out a frustrated noise and running his fingers through his messy hair. "God that guy confuses me!"

"Who Kaiba?"

"Yes! Yesterday he totally freaked me out." Then realising what he said clapped a hand over his mouth.

"But we didn't see him at school yesterday…so did you see him after school?" Jou shook his head in defence.

"No." he said unusually fast. Yugi quirked a brow.

"Why don't I believe you?" Jou pouted.

"Yeah, why don't you. I'm your friend, you're meant to trust me."

"Um, well you said it really fast which usually mean people are lying." Yugi suggested. Jou puffed before sitting down.

"I guess, I saw him at the shops?" Yugi shook his head in defeat.

"Whatever you say."

It had almost been a week since that little incident at Jou's house, and he just couldn't bring himself to get the help Seto had told him to get. Now Jou sat, thinking of how he was going to try to stop Seto. I was seeming to take it's toll on him too…his brain wasn't functioning properly. He kept forgetting simply things, and some things that he really needed to do.

"Jou, are you sure you're okay? Have you been getting enough sleep lately?" Anzu inquired. Jou nodded.

"Yeah, it's just that…oh don't worry. It's nothing really." He lied. Shizuka looked the most worried. She hadn't seen her brother for a little while, and she hadn't known he'd been so out of it and stuff.

"Jou, I'm worried…jeez, usually you're so lively…you've even stopped fighting with Kaiba, not that that's a bad thing, it's good but…it's not like you." Yugi told him. Jou smiled at the people he loved to call friends.

"I'm fine, I've just something on my mind. It'll be over soon though, so don't worry. By next week I'll be fine." He knew that…because even if he didn't get help, Seto would. At that moment the devil had to work its ways, and force Seto (. Not really) Seto to come over.

"Hello mutt, have done it yet?" He inquired. The gang looked at him curiously.

"Uh, wait a minutes. Can we talk some other place?" he asked. He had already started dragging the older boy away before he even answered.

"Uh, was it just me…or did that really happen?" Honda questioned the rest of the gang.

"It happened." Ryou replied for him. With that answer Honda looked even more worried.

"I think Jou need serious help."

"Mmmhmm."

"Well, have you?"

"Uh, well. I um."

"You haven't, have you." Seto stated rather than asked. Jou shrugged.

"So?"

"Jeez, you realise now I have to waste my time to help you do it."

"No you don't, you could just forget about it." Jou suggested.

"No pup, I know what it feels like and even if it's you I don't think anyone should go through it." Seto said simply. Jou shook his head.

"Kaiba…"

"What?"

"I, don't."

"Why not?"

"It's my fault."

"How is it your fault that your father abuses you."

"I give him a reason to."

"What reason."

"It's none of your business."

"Yes it is. Otherwise I'll get the-"

"Fine. You see, my mother divorced my dad, and it was my fault."

"How?"

"I don't know. It just was."

"You idiot. That's no reason." Was all Seto said before going to leave. "Now come on."

"What?"

"You're coming aren't you."

"No?"

"Yes you are." And with that Seto grabbed Jou's arm, pulling him out of the school grounds and to wherever it is you go for this sort of stuff.

Seto sighed.

"Muttly, can you do me a favour, when we get to your place will you not take long to pack. I don't need to waste more of my time that I could be working." He told Jou as they drove in the limo which had picked them up from the help place. (If you get pissed at what I'm calling it then you'll have to deal with it!)

'I can't believe I agreed to let him stay at my mansion.' Seto thought as they arrived. Here's what happened…

"He's going to have to stay with someone…you?"

"Uh…" Seto didn't know how to reply to that one. He didn't want Jou around all the time, but with Mokuba in the background (he'd seen Seto dragging Jou along and decided to tag along with them.) pleading for him to say yes it was hard to refuse. "N-n-okay."

"Do I have a choice in this?" Mokuba, Seto, and the other people in the room all snapped a reply of,

"No." Jou sweat dropped.

"Okay." He muttered.

So there they were, Jou was packing, Jerry wasn't home, he was at the help place yelling at them…and to think, he must get drunk every morning and night because I haven't seen him act nice to Jou once. Anyways, they were out of there like a missile after Jou had packed, the smell of alcohol had almost drove them bonkers.

"Come on Jou, you can pick the room you wanna stay in." Mokuba chirped as he tugged on Jou's hand and led him up a flight of stairs and to the guest room area. Jou chose the one first on the right so he'd know which one it was, and dumped his stuff in it. "So what do ya wanna do?"

"Well, I didn't get lunch today, so how bout food?" Mokuba grinned and took the older boy down to the kitchen.

Okay, now the serious stuff is over, and we can get onto the humour! . Oh, and I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! Never have never will!

Wuv Jaye