Chapter Seven:

Okay, don't expect daily updates like this ... I've been under house-arrest, what with this hurricane and all ... and now it's over. School. Woot.

So, I'm almost rabidly writing this story, to placate the plot bunnies gnawing on my ankles. They're very hard to please.

Ookay, so I'm at 21 reviews now! Yay! The next fanart piece will go to Calico Avengi; my little brother has spoken. Sorta. He actually just pointed at the screen again. Oh well.

So, Cali-baka, just leave you request in the next review and I'll get wokin' on that ...

SetoKaibaWheeler: Yesyes, Seto marrying Jou. That would be so cute. Illegal, but cute. Stupid marriage laws. They're depriving me of pretty yaoi boys in wedding dresses. (cries)

Kumori Sakusha: Y'know, I'm really considering doing a fanart series for this story ... it's pretty long ... would anyone be interested in that?

Calico Avengi: WAI! (bounces around with you) Am I that predictable? Augh, I don't wanna be boring! (spazzes) Fanart? Pretty fanart. Meh.

Firey Charizard: Well, let's just assume the the reporters have gotten used to Seto's death-glare. And his reputation seems pretty important to him, so ... (shrugs). Yes, they're going now. But I can't just let the boys enjoy a party quietly, y'know? We gotta have something interesting happen. Oh, and I tried really hard to make Jou's father rough, but not abusive. I think we've got enough of that with Seto's stepfather and all ... thanks for noticing! I feel original!

mandapandabug: What? Did I say I hated you? I'm sorry, I didn't mean it! I like stories like that too, I just thought there would be too much if I did it in this story too! I have no problem with ANY type of angsty story! Except Anzu angst. I'm not a huge fan of her, but whatever! (hugs you) I love you! Don't be upset! (blinks at VIH with wide, teary eyes) You don't like me much, do you? I'm sorry! (bows) I apologize! GAH! (explodes)

"Kaiba-san! How have you been?"

"Kinoshita-san, glad you could make it." Seto bowed respectfully to the smiling elderly man. "This is my friend, Jonouchi Katsuya, co-owner of the Kame Game Shops."

"Hey," Jou grinned, bowing.

"Kinoshita-san is a senior executive of Kaiba Corp."

"Pleased t' meet you, sir."

"Ah, no, the pleasure is all mine, young man. I don't believe I've ever met you before ... ?"

"Ah, no, well, you wouldn' have. Not really one for parties ya know?"

"Mutt," Seto hissed when Kinoshita had left. "Do you think you can manage to speak in proper Japanese? I know you can do it."

"Why? Dere somethin' wrong wit' my accent?"

"Not if you're looking for a job in the yakuza," Seto snapped. "Please, these are high-class people."

Jou shook his head and sighed. "Lighten up, Seto. I'll be polite, okay?"

Seto gave him a quick, terse grin. "Thank you."

"You've been jumpy eva since we got here. You wanna tell me what's up?"

"I'm just surprised no one's asked why I brought my 'friend' instead of a date."

"Maybe they figured out you're a fag?"

"Please pup, you're not helping."

"Sorry. Couldn't resist."

"Kaiba-san?"

"What's the matter?" Seto turned to glance at the waiter who'd spoken, managing to nearly scare the poor boy to death with an unintentional glare.

"H—here," the boy stammered, shoving a martini into Kaiba's hands. "F—from him," he whimpered, gesturing to a man seated at the bar. He took off.

"Geez, what'd you do to—Seto?"

Seto had frozen, the glass slipping from his nerveless fingers. Jou reached out to grab it before it smashed on the floor, and managed to slosh the alcohol all over his hands. Wiping them on a napkin he grabbed from the buffet table, he straightened up. "Seto, what's wrong?"

"It's ... him ... "

"Him?" Jou peered at the man who'd presumably sent Seto the drink. "Who is dat?" He grabbed Seto's arm, startled to find that he was shaking fiercely. "Seto, talk t' me. Tell me who he is."

"Y—Yutou—"

"Kaiba-kun!" The man strode towards them, arms open as if he was about to embrace Seto. He had a cheerful grin plastered on his handsome face, but something about him made Jou's skin crawl. "It's been so long, my boy, how have you been?"

Seto could only stare at him, wide-eyed, breath hitching in his throat. He took a step backwards, nearly crushing Jou's foot.

Yutou wasn't the monster Jou had expected. He was a relatively good-looking man, appearing to be about in his middle to late thirties, blonde hair cut boyishly long and barely touched with gray. He was about Seto's height, which translated to a head taller than Jonouchi, but broader of shoulder than either of them. A demure gold chain and matching signet ring were the only apparent signs of wealth, save for the obviously-expensive cut and material of his suit, but Jou doubted most people looked that closely.

"What are you doing here?" Seto managed at last, barely above a whisper. Jou kept a firm, almost possessive grip on his arm, as if daring Yutou to touch what was his.

"I'm a major shareholder in Kaiba Corp now, my dear. What's the matter? You don't look happy to see me at all."

"I'm surprised, needless to say. I know you weren't invited."

"Ah, but being a shareholder does open certain windows of opportunity, Kaiba-kun. Let's just say I have an acute interest in your future."

"Why?"

"After all the hard work I put into teaching you? I was your father's best friend, I watched you grow from a skinny, awkward preteen into a ruthless, calculating machine. You're somewhat of an investment for me, Kaiba-kun." He reached out to caress Seto's cheek and the CEO flinched away.

"Don't touch him," Jou growled, stepping between Seto and Yutou.

"The puppy barks so fiercely, for being so small," Yutou remarked with a grin, and Jou bit back a snarl. Dammit, what was with all these dog jokes?

"Small or not, I can still kick your ass, old man."

"Watch it, punk," Yutou said, still smiling. "Your master and I have business to attend to. Go on and play now, be a good boy."

"Like hell."

"Pup ... go. I'll be fine."

Jou stared at Seto. "You serious? After what he—"

"Go. Now."

"Alrigh', alrigh' I'm goin.'" But he stood not twenty feet away, sipping a glass of wine and watching them warily over the rim. Seto suspected it wouldn't have taken more than a touch from Yutou for Jou to attack him; Seto couldn't have that. He didn't want the party disrupted, didn't want to have to explain why his 'friend' was beating a major shareholder to a bloody pulp.

"Clingy, isn't he?" Yutou commented. "Pretty though."

"Stay away from him," Seto hissed, blue eyes fierce and deadly.

"Fine, fine. I'll stay away from your pretty little boytoy if we can come to an agreement. Have a seat, please." He gestured to two plush chairs, a little away from the crowd.

"What sort of agreement?" Seto settled himself in the chair.

"Is this how you treat an old friend after seven years? Come on now, don't be so mean."

"We were never friends, Yutou. Let me put it this way: I hate you."

"Such strong words!" Yutou wiped away a false tear, and Seto wondered if he'd been taking acting lessons from Pegasus. They certainly had the same mannerisms.

"Yutou, you'd better start talking very quickly before I have security throw you out."

"Fine. Wouldn't want to cause a fuss, now would we dear?"

"Don't call me that," Seto snapped, but Yutou ignored him.

"I've been watching you for a while, Kaiba-kun."

"That's not precisely comforting."

"You know, your father wanted me to take care of you. He would have been so ashamed to see what you've made Kaiba Corp into. I mean honestly, a game company?"

"What's it matter to you?"

"I'm sure he would want the old Kaiba Corp restored back to its former glory."

"I'm making three times what Gozaborou did. Don't patronize me, Yutou, I know you. You don't give a fuck about the company. What do you really want?"

"You always were so perceptive, Kaiba-kun. Alright, fine. You want honesty, you'll get it." He leaned forward and Seto found himself unable to tear his gaze away from those hypnotic hazel eyes. "I want you, Kaiba."

"Hell," Kaiba whispered. "Don't you get it? I'm in control now, Yutou. Gozaborou isn't calling the shots anymore, and if you think I'm going to willingly let you—"

"You've never been in control, Kaiba-kun. You're no different now than when you were sixteen. You're a scared little kid who's somehow stumbled into the big leagues, and you've got no idea what you're doing."

"I'm twenty-three," Seto protested, knowing the logic was lame. Yutou was right. Even though Gozaborou had been dead for years, he was still controlling Seto's life. He was the reason Seto couldn't get close to anyone, the reason he couldn't let Jou touch him. The reason he woke up every morning and could barely manage to get out of bed.

"You're not stupid, Kaiba. A little naïve, perhaps, but not stupid. You never were."

"Thank you," Seto snarled.

"I'm offering you the chance to come willingly. If you refuse, I'm afraid I'll have to force you."

"I'm not a little kid anymore."

"Not on the outside," Yutou agreed. "But inside ... I bet it wouldn't take much for you to revert to that cowering, shivering little ball of misery you used to be."

"I do not cower."

"You were broken, Kaiba. I doubt you've managed to heal that yet. In fact, I doubt you've been able to have anyone in your bed in the last seven years. Am I right?"

"Don't pretend you know me," Seto growled.

"Hit the nail on the head, didn't I? Even that pretty little blonde boy—he likes you, you know."

"Shut up."

"And I'll bet you can't even let him touch you. You remember me, don't you? You remember what it felt like to have me on top of you ... inside you ... "

Seto flinched.

"You do, don't you? Have you told him yet?"

"He knows everything."

"Everything? He knows that you liked it?"

"I did not—"

"He knows how you begged, pleaded with me to fuck you?"

"I wasn't—"Seto cringed.

"You did, Kaiba. You begged me."

"Get out of here, Yutou. Before I call security." Seto couldn't meet his eyes.

"Ah, but surely you wouldn't want to cause a disturbance, and I assure you it will become one if you try to have me removed." He cast a glance at the reporters trying to blend into the crowd, trying to conceal notebooks and cameras. "I'm sure the press would love that."

Seto stood up. "If you won't leave, I will."

"So soon?" Yutou grinned up at him. Seto would have loved to punch him, just to wipe that smirk off of his face, but his arm hung useless at his side, refusing to obey him. He couldn't even control his own body.

"Fuck you, Yutou," he snarled, whirling around and stalking away.

"Afraid I can't let you do that, love," Yutou called after him.

"We're leaving."

"What? What happened?" Jou grabbed his arm and Seto jerked away.

"Don't touch me," he whispered. "Please. Let's go."

!! Scene Change !!

"Kaiba—mmph!" Jou had barely made it into the car when Seto grabbed him bodily and threw him down onto the limo seat. "What're you doin'?"

Kaiba's teeth closed on his throat and Jou choked. "Nnn ... Seto ... dat hurts ... "He could feel the blood vessels rupturing below the skin, bruising a mark of ownership on his neck.

"It's supposed to," Seto growled, claiming Jou's lips, sliding his tongue into the pup's mouth. He tasted like fear.

His hands busied themselves with Jou's shirt, undoing the buttons swiftly, although he was close to just ripping it off. Jou struggled, beating futilely at his powerful back with half-pinned arms. "Please," he panted when Seto finally broke away for air. "Please don't do this—"

"Please don't—augh!" Sixteen-year-old Seto screwed his eyes shut, a high-pitched keen forcing its way from his throat as his body tried to adjust to Yutou's unrelenting thrust into him. "Ahhn," he whimpered, tears prickling at the corners of his eyes and spilling down his cheeks. "Please ... "

"More, little dragon?"

"No, please, no! Father, help me!"

"Your father's not coming," Yutou grunted, slamming into Seto again, deeper, harder than before. Seto cried out, fingernails digging into his palms. Yutou grabbed him by the wrist, examining the tiny crescent-shaped cuts.

"Whatever gets you off," Yutou laughed, dropping his hand. "If I'd known you liked pain ... "

His teeth closed on Seto's ear, biting down hard. Seto screamed as the teeth pierced flesh, blood trickling down the side of his face, mingling with tears and sweat. "Yutou!"

"That's right, scream my name, little one." Another thrust and Seto's entird body went rigid, his back arching far beyond his flexibility.

"YUTOU!"

"He's not here, Seto, it's alright. Just breathe. Breathe. We're almost home."

Seto was curled up against the door, shoved as far into the corner as he could go, though he couldn't remember how he'd gotten there. Jou's arms were around him, holding him close to his chest. "Don't let him, please, don't let him touch me, oh God it hurts oh God ... "

"Shh. It's okay, everythin's okay now. He's not here. Just me. I won' hurt you. Breathe."

"Inside me, he's inside me, please, make him go away ... "Seto buried his face in Jou's collarbone, shaking. He was babbling and he knew it, but the rational bit of his mind seemed to have abandoned him and he was crying like a child, shivering and scared. "It hurts ... "

"What does?"

"Everything ... "

"It's okay, babe. Calm down."

"Stitches, I need stitches, it's gonna scar, people will ask ... they'll know, they'll know ... "

"What?" Seto was seriously starting to scare him. First he'd gone all rigid and shaky, and now he was rambling on about stitches. "What's gonna scar?"

"My ear, it's bleeding, it hurts, please, help me ... "

"Seto, nothin's wrong wit' your ear. It's not bleeding."

"He bit it, he bit me, I don't like pain, I don't like him, make him go away, make everything go away ... "Seto's fingers clenched spasmodically around Jou's shirt. "Please, just end it, I don't want this anymore, I'm sorry I'm sorry, please ... "

"Shh," Jou whispered, burying his face in Seto's hair so the shivering man couldn't see his tears. "It's okay now, he's gone ... " Seto's muscles went lax and he sagged against Jou.

"They can't find out," Seto mumbled. "Can't, I'm too weak, you won't tell them, will you? You won't, you can't tell them, please."

"Who?" Jou asked. It was plain that Seto didn't recognize him, didn't care who was holding him just as long as they weren't hurting him. "Tell who?"

"Yuugi-tachi," Seto answered. "Can't tell them. Promise?"

"Why not?"

"Ashamed, don't need their pity. Stronger than that. Strong."

"Of course you are," Jou said, tightening his grip on Seto, who was trembling so fiercely that Jou wondered if he was sick. Physically.

"Um ... driver?"

"Yes, sir?" The driver glanced in the rearview mirror. "Is Kaiba-san alright?"

"Uh, no, could you call his brother?"

"Mokuba-san? Of course, sir." The driver flipped open a small silver cell phone. "Do you want him on speakerphone?"

"Oh, uh, sure."

"Moshi moshi?"

"Mokuba!" Warm relief swept over him; he wouldn't have to handle Seto alone!

"Jou? What's wrong? It's eleven at night."

"It's Seto. I don' know wha's wrong wit' 'im. He's shaking and ranting, and I don' think he knows who I am. What do I do?"

"He had another attack?"

"Is that wha' this is? I dunno, I guess so! What should I do?"

"Take him home, call Aizawa-san, and ... keep him away from sharp objects. I'm heading over." He hung up.

"Jonouchi-san? Should I drop you off somewhere ... ?"

"You heard him. Take us home."

!! Scene Change !!

"Well, he's calm now." Aizawa ran a shaking hand through his graying hair.

"Calm?"

"I had to give him sedatives. He's conscious, but he's pretty out of it."

"Can I see him?

Aizawa shrugged. "I don't know if he'll be able to talk, but go ahead. Just don't let him up."

Jou nodded. "Sure."

"Jonouchi-san," Aizawa said, grabbing his arm. "Don't let him up. No matter what you see, no matter what he says. He'll just hurt himself if he isn't restrained."

"Fine." He pushed past the doctor and into the room.

It wasn't Seto's bedroom. It was cold and white and stark, and Seto looked so pitiful lying there strapped to a hospital bed. His eyes were closed, but as Jou approached, they snapped open.

"Hey, Seto. How ya doin'?"

It was a stupid question.

Seto grinned at him, a dreamy, drugged-up smile that scared Jou beyond all belief. "Hello," he said thickly, as if his brain couldn't quite force out such a complicated word. "I'm fine. How about you?"

"I'm ... a little shaken up. I'll be alrigh'."

"Have I seen you somewhere before?"

Jou winced; Aizawa had been telling the truth. "I'm your boyfriend. Jonouchi."

"No, no, that's not it. Have you ever been on TV? You look so familiar."

"We've been datin' for a month now."

"Liar. You're too pretty. No way you'd date me." Seto giggled. "Ugly, ugly Seto." Another deranged laugh.

"Ugly?"

"Ug—ly!" he said, accenting the last syllable. "You stupid or something?"

"You're not ugly."

"You're so nice. I swear I've seen you before. Hey," he said, as if struck by a sudden thought. "You're an angel, aren't you?"

"A—no, I'm not an angel."

"Hm." Seto frowned. "Come here, angel. I think you're lying."

"I'm not, really." Jou took a few steps toward him. Seto tried to beckon to him, but his wrists were bound with thick leather straps. "Damn it. Come closer."

Jou complied.

He reached out a shaking hand, his fingers hovering just above Seto's pale cheek. "No, no," Seto scolded. "Bad angel. Don't touch me." He lowered his voice to an exaggerated whisper. "You're not allowed."

"Why not?"

"You'll get dirty," Seto said with a self-satisfied smile. "No one touches Seto. He's a bad boy."

Jou could feel tears welling up in his eyes. "No, Seto, you're—"

"Yes I am! Seto's bad!" The CEO jerked frantically at his bonds, anger flashing over his face for the first time. "Bad Seto! Bad!"

"No, calm down—"

"Bad Seto!"

"Please, you're gonna hurt yourself!"

"Bad Seto!"

"Stop it!"

"Bad!"

"Seto, please!"

Seto's anger was gone as suddenly as it had come and he stilled, his face relaxing. "Hello."

"Er—hi?"

"I don't like this anymore, angel. I don't want to play anymore. Let me go, please."

"I—I can'—"

"Why not? I asked nicely. Let me go." Tears spilled soundlessly down his cheeks. "Please, angel."

"I don'—I'm not allowed—"

"Oh. Angels have rules too?" Rules were something Seto understood. You obey them, everything's alright. You break them, you get punished. He didn't want the angel to be punished. He wondered if the angel's daddy set his rules.

"Yeah. Angels have rules."

"But this game isn't fun anymore. I'm scared, angel. Don't leave."

"Why?" He was drugged, Jou shouldn't be taking advantage of that. But Seto was so hard to figure out when he was his normal, angry self that this seemed so much less painful for both of them.

"Because if you leave, Daddy will come."

"You—don' like your dad?"

"No, Daddy's alright. I don't really like his friends. Don't tell him."

"I won'. I promise. You can talk to me, Seto. I'm your friend."

"I don't have friends."

"Then I'll be the first."

"I'd like that."

"Why don' you like ... um ... your dad's friends?"

"Sometimes they're nice. They play games with me. But sometimes the games are bad. They hurt. And I always lose."

"Always?" No wonder Seto wanted to beat Yuug so badly ...

"Always. But I think they cheat."

"Wha' kind a' games?"

"I can't tell you that, angel. I'm not allowed."

"Games like this?" Jou gestured to Seto's restrained body. "Games where you can't move?"

"Can't move, can't make a sound. If I cry, I lose." He glanced up at the ceiling. "I always end up crying, though. Or screaming. I don't want to. I just ... do." He shrugged. "It's okay. I'll win someday."

Jou had to look away so that Seto didn't see his "angel" crying. "Someday."