"Ok runt, hop down." Seto said as he went threw the door of their mansion. Mokuba jumped off of Kaiba back and proceeded to run up to his room, grabbing his bag off of Jou's stomach as he went past them. Jou blinked at the little tornado. For some one who just had their tonsils out five hours ago, he sure was hyper.
"Wow, and here I thought Serenity was hyper when we were kids." Jou said more to himself then any one unparticular.
"Ya, nothing ever seems to really get him down. And he always seems to come out of the worst predicaments only slightly scathed." Seto said with a cocky grin. Jou seemed to have zoned out his eyes unfocused as he continued to look in the direction Mokuba had dashed off to.
"That's because he has someone ta keep him safe and he doesn't have ta worry about what we had to." Jou's voice was low and quiet. Seto just looked at him, he saw that Jou wasn't with him but had receded to some far off place in his mind. Seto frond, he knew it would take awhile before Jou would fully trust him, do to there unstable past relationship and the way he had been treated but he hoped that Jou would recover soon. Jou blinked a couple of times before looking up at Seto.
"So ya got a kennel for this shaggy mutt?" Jou said putting on a broad humorous smile to show no hard feelings. But Seto didn't take this as lightly as Jou was. Inside Seto cringed as his heart fell deep into his gut. How much pain did he do to this poor boy with his taunts about being worthless and nothing grater then a street mutt? He started to go up the stairs to where the bedrooms where.
"Jou I'm sorry, though I don't know how much it's worth but I apologies." He said solemnly. Jou looked at him with wide confused eyes, then he cast them down as understanding came upon him.
"That's ok Seto, I kinda figured that it wouldn't last, some things are just too good to be true, right? But do you mind if get cleaned up first, you probably already noticed, I kinda stink." He said with a small, sad, self-loathing smile. Kaiba blinked but he soon understood. Jou thought he was apologizing because he thought that Seto had changed his mind and was planning on taking him home after all. He opened his mouth but Jou cut him off with an anxious tone, but not looking up at him while he wrung and fidgeted with his hands.
"Though I'd like it a lot if we could stay friends, but that's only if you want to, I mean I'd like it but . . . . . . If you would prefer us not to be friends I guess that would be ok. But would it be wrong of me to ask for ya to just leave me alone? That's only if ya don't want to be friends. Could I still call you Seto? Or would you rather I call ya Kaiba again? Aw jease, now I'm ramblin like an idiot. Guess that's all ya can expect huh? Though thanks seriously, ya paid off my bill and I promises on top of my deck that I will pay ya back the money. Not ta mention that ya been real nice and all ta me-" by know Seto had gone into one of the spare rooms right next door to his and had laid Jou down. He cut the blond off by covering his mouth.
"Jou you're still staying here, I was apologizing for how I have treated you in the past. I was a complete and utter bastard towards you and there was no excuse for it, but still I apologize." He said quietly. He moved off the bed and clicked on the small lamp that sat on the nightstand next to the bed.
"I'm going to go and check on Mokuba and make sure he is in bed, then I will be back and we'll get you cleaned up. Like you said you kinda stink." Kaiba said as he headed to the door. He was just about to step threw the open door way when he heard Jou speak.
"Thanks Seto. You really never even had to lend me your coat but ya did and I don't think I could ever repay you." He said solemnly. Seto nodded and walked out. Jou laid there and slowly drifted off into lumber.
Seto walked down the hall till he came to a door with a hand full of Duel Monsters on it. The most pronounced one was a carving of Neo the Magic Swordsman standing in the center with his head tilted slightly as he smiled to a miniature Feral Imp that perched happily on its shoulder nuzzling his cheek. Seto knocked twice on the door before twisting the handle and walking in to find Mokuba sitting up on his bed in a clean pair of pajamas, starring at the plasma flat screen on the wall across from him as he played a PS2 game. Mokuba turned his head and smiled to his brother, Seto smiled back.
"I'm going to help Jou clean up then I'll make something that we all can eat. Sound good runt?" Seto asked as he walked over and ruffled Mokuba's hair. Mokuba smiled and nodded.
"Maybe if you and Jou feel up to it, I'll bring you two into my room and we'll watch a DVD." Mokuba's eyes widened and he shook his head wildly up and down. Seto laughed.
"Alright, alright, we'll watch a movie after you and Jou eat k. but right now I need to go and tend to Jou, he doesn't have anything of his own any more." He saw the look of confusion his brother gave him.
"He had an accident and lost every thing, now leave it at that and go back to playing your game." Seto said gently as he went threw the door and back to the room that he had sat Jou in. When he walked threw the door his heart jumped. Jou laid there, having turned and curled up on his side snoring slightly as he slept. Seto couldn't explain why he felt like he did, but he couldn't help but smile at Jou. He was reluctant to wake the blond but he knew that he had to get him cleaned up and fed. He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed and slowly rolled Jou back on to his back.
"Come on Jou you need to get up, cleaned, and fed." Seto said gently as he rubbed Jou's shoulder with slight force. Jou's eyes scrunched shut before blinking open owlishly.
"Oh, sorry guess I dozed off, huh?" Jou said as he brought his good hand up and ran it threw his hair.
"That's alright, but you need to get cleaned and into some fresh cloths." Seto said as he helped Jou sit up.
"Um, slight problem Seto, I don't have anything here, all my stuff's at home."
"I'll get you new things, for right now you can barrow something of mine." Jou blinked.
"Come on lets get you washed up." And with an 'uff' of slight effort he scooped Jou up and took him to the bedrooms personal bath. He sat Jou down on the toilet seat before flipping on the light. He bent down and retrieved a couple of towels from under the sink along with a rag. He sat them on the counter top. He left but was back in a moment with what looked liked dark blue pajamas.
"Lets get you out of these rags shall we?" and with that he removed the hospital gown to revile Jou's cast chest and bruised flesh. He rose up and chucked the cloth into the small waist bin behind him. He looked at a seriously blushing Jou.
"You do know if you are embarrassed just say so, though you really have nothing to be embarrassed about." Seto said gently. He almost missed it but he caught what Jou mumbled in return.
"I have scars, and these bruises I bet aren't all that wonderful to look at either." Seto knew how he felt. Seto hated his scars and the only one who ever saw them was Mokuba, and that was rare. His little brother only saw them when they were swimming together or he took his shirt off when he was working out. Seto rubbed his chin slightly before heaving a sight as his hands came up and made quick work of the small buttons of his shirt. He peeled it off slowly and folded it over the towel wrack.
"You are not the only one with scars Jou, and I know how embarrassing and how awkward it is to have some people see them, but lets make a promise right now ok?"
Jou looked up to see Seto's pale back facing him as Seto fixed his shirt over the towel wrack. Jou blinked at the pale pink scars that marred that creamy skink. He blinked when Seto turned back around.
"What type of promise?" Jou asked innocently.
"That we won't keep anything from each either, alright?" Seto said gently. Jou nodded.
"Well now that I don't have to worry about my shirt getting completely drenched, lets get that hair of yours washed shall we?" Seto tapped his chin lightly.
"Seto,"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you." Seto knew Jou's was thanking him for showing him his scars.
"Now how are we going to do this gracefully? Ah! That's it." He said in triumph as he lifted Jou up again and sat him down on the bath rug so he was leaning agents the bath tub. He turned the bathtub tap on; holding his hand under the water till it was just the right temperature.
"Ok lean back so I can wash your hair." Jou complied and tipped his head back over the rim of the tub. Seto grabbed a cup out from the cabinet under the sink and filled it with water from the bath tap and slowly poured it over Jou's hair. Seto did this a few times before he was happy with how wet Jou's hair was. Jou's hair was pretty long when it was wet Seto noticed as he ran his hands threw the golden locks. He reached over and grabbed the two bottles of shampoo and conditioner.
"You have two choices, Apricot Sunshine, or Cinnamon and Spice. God who buys this shit, I know I don't. Probably some git from my company." Seto murmured. Jou gave a laughed that sounded so seat to Seto. He blinked as he realized that he wanted to make Jou laugh like that all the time. He wanted to make sure that Jou didn't go a day without smiling and these facts surprised him. He decided to let it be and figure them out later.
"Um, I don't care they both do the same thing right." Jou said as his laugh subsided. Seto smiled and decided on apricot. He squeezed a nice amount onto his palm and rubbed his hands together before working the shampoo into Jou's scalp. Jou closed his eyes and began to purr as Seto's strong hands massaged his scalp gently, working up a nice lather. Seto's smile widened as he listened to Jou. Out of the blue Jou gave a hiss of pain and pulled his head up.
"Jou, are you alright!" Seto asked quickly as he pulled up from the position Jou had left him in.
"Y. . . .Ya, I'm fine." He said quietly. Seto reach over and slowly and gently pulled Jou back so his head leaned back over the tub edge.
"Lets get your hair rinsed and then I'll take a look, you might have a contusion that was missed." Seto said softly as he began to pour water over Jou's head again. Once he was sure all the shampoo was out he grabbed a towel from the counter and wrapped it over Jou's shoulders and pulling his hair to lie on top of the towel. Seto slowly and gently parted Jou's hair several times before finding a nice purple bump above Jou's left ear.
"I'm sorry Jou, I must have hit this bump, but it doesn't look to bad." Seto said as his fingers lightly examined the bump. He left it be and gently picked Jou up once again.
"Now to get the rest of you washed." He said as he got a rag and got it wet with warm water from the sink tap before getting it soppy and handing it to Jou.
"I'll step out and you can get what ever part of you isn't cast washed, ok? I'll wait out side so just call when you're ready to come out. He stepped out and closed the door before leaning agents the wall.
He began to think. He already knew where his sexuality laid, that was no big surprise. He had to admit that when he first saw Jou he had been attracted to him, and now that he thought about it he really didn't know why he had been such a bastard to the poor boy. That revelation made him feel like a real ass. So why did he care so much? He knew that he should care some that Jou had been abused and he found it reasonable that he wanted to do every thing he could to get Jou out of that situation but why did he want to make sure that Jou never went a monument with out smiling or laughing? Or why he was willing to replace all Jou had lost or why he had willingly shown Jou his scars? Was he falling for the blond? No he couldn't be, could he? Oh yes lets just traumatizes the boy some more shall we? Seto sighed. Well if he was he knew there was nothing he could rightfully do about it so he decided just to wait, time would tell him, and if Jou seemed interested he would ask Jou but not till he was sure Jou was better. He was brought out of his retrieve by someone calling his name.
"Um, Seto I need help." He heard Jou call gently from inside. He turned swiftly and opened the door to see Jou with the towel he had had on his shoulders draped over his lap and the still somewhat soppy rag in his hand.
"I need to rinse off." He said quietly as he looked at his cast feet. Seto gave a smile as he took the rag and tossed it into the hamper. He grabbed another out from under the sink and got it wet with warm water and gave it back before stepping out again. He had just leaned back agents the wall when he heard his name called again.
"Seto?" Jou's voice was much quieter then before, like he was afraid to call upon Seto again.
"Yeah?" Seto said with a smile as he stepped back in. Jou was looking back at his feet and fidgeting.
"You threw away my cloths." He said quietly, turning his head to look longingly at the waist basket just out of his reach which held his tattered, dingy, rags. He tried to reach for it but nearly fell off the toilet trying. Seto frond, this was getting harder and harder. Jou had only looked at him a handful of times since there little conversation before leaving the hospital and now he was acting like the only thing that he was aloud to have had been taken. He steadied Jou back on the seat.
"Listen Jou, you're never going to have to wear shit like that again, do you understand me?" Seto said sternly.
"But Seto, that's the only thing I have here." Jou said quietly.
"We will go shopping once you feel up to it but till then you will wear these" Seto said as he picked up the dark blue silk pajama bottoms that must have slipped off the counter.
"I can't wear those." Jou stated with surprise as he finely looked Seto in the eye.
"Oh and why not? Are they not up to your standards your highness?" Seto said with mock malice but Jou took it the wrong way and flinched, curling in on himself, and bowing his head down to stair at the floor, his bangs covering his eyes. Seto almost missed his reply, it was uttered so quietly.
"They're yours and they feel and look so expensive. I'd ruin them for sure if I was to put them on. Then you would be mad at me, worse then you are now." He mumbled. Seto looked down at Jou, his face slack and eyes wide. He could not believe what he was hearing. Jou thought that he was really mad at him, was afraid of ruining a pair of 'pajama' bottoms, for crying out loud, and believed that in doing so would make him even madder. Seto collapsed to his knees and drew Jou to him.
"Jou, I'm not mad I was only teasing, and those pants aren't expensive, I've had them for gods know how long and I could care less if they got ruined." Seto said softly as he held Jou. Jou just sat lax in Seto's arms.
"Seto, I really wish that you would just let me have my cloths back, let me go home and you stop being so nice." Jou murmured.
"What? Why, did you really prefer it when we were fighting?"
"No Seto, I like it that we're not fighting but you already paid my bill and that's going to take long enough for me to pay ya back, and I will never be able to pay you back all the money if I was to ruin those pants they're . . . . . they're. . . . . just stop Seto please!" Jou had started to cry silent tears when he had begun but now he was full out crying. He had raised his hands up and buried his face in them, not caring that the cast on his hand was rubbing roughly agents his bruised face. Seto let go of him, and sat him firmly on the toilet before standing again. He grabbed up the pajama bottoms, pulled off the towel that was still covering Jou's lap and with a swift movement Seto had taken the silk pants and pulled them over Jou's cast legs and with a slight jump on Jou's part had them on. He stood straight, grabbed his shirt of the rack and left. He'd had enough.
Seto was mad, no doubt about that. But it took him a good half hour in the kitchen trying to find something that Mokuba could have before he realized that it was really how Jou had been treated and not Jou he was mad at. It wasn't Jou's fault that his father was a bastard that had beaten and raped him. It wasn't Jou's fault that he had never had any nice things, not counting his dueling deck, his most prized possession, and was afraid that if he ruined something that he thought was expensive he would be punished or that Seto would get mad. It wasn't his fault that ether people, Seto included, had done almost every thing to make his life an even worse hell to live in. It wasn't Jou's fault that he didn't know what generosity was from ether people besides Yugi. No one had ever offered to help him, had they? It wasn't Jou's fault that he thought that he absolutely had to pay Seto back all the money that Seto had spent on his bill and would end up spending on him. It wasn't Jou's fault, nun of it was.
Seto sighed as he flopped down into one of the chair stools at the breakfast bar. He buried his face in his hands. Jou was scarred, he wasn't use to this type of place and Seto doubted that he was use to being treated with love . . . did he just think that? Oh dear he hoped he wasn't getting in over his head. But still, he doubted that Jou wasn't use to any of this, especially from him. He snapped his head up out of his hands when he heard a loud thud come from up stairs.
"OH GOD! I left him on the toilet in the bathroom!" Seto got up quickly, knocking the stool he had been sitting on over as he bounded his way up the stairs as quickly as he could.
"Seto . . . ." Jou mumbled as he watched Seto storm away. I did it again, didn't I? Jou thought, tears streaking his face his face more then when Seto held him. He had been rejected again.
I asked too much of him, he can't give me everything and I knew it! I always ask too much! The only thing I ever do is take and take! Now Seto is mad at me! I . . . . I knew that this would happen, I made him mad. I should have made him take me home! This is his house he shouldn't have to leave a room because I'm in it, this is his and Mokuba's home I have no right to be here intruding on his happiness. He got away by working hard, how in hell did I ever think that I was aloud to take the easy way out! It's not his job to take care of me! I need to start taking care of my self for once and not rely on some one like Yug' or Seto.
Tears still trekked heavily down his cheeks as he looked around. He knew he had to move. It wasn't Seto's job to carry him every where he need to go. He gave a hard sniff that turned into a shuddering sob. He sat there for awhile trying to calm down but it was no use. He just sobbed harder, though he knew it was his entire fault he was in this mess. If he hadn't have made his dad mad and hadn't have fought agents him he would be sitting in his room or be hanging out with Yugi and the ethers. If he had just not agreed to Seto bringing him home then they could still be friends but now he had ruined it. He always ruined everything. He still wondered what kept Yugi around.
I better start going. Least I stay too long and make him madder, gods know dad is going to skin me. He gripped the side of the counter and pulled himself up. Pain shot threw his legs as he wobbled there. He could do this, it was just a little pain, he wasn't going to get any more help, he had to do it on his own. He took a shaky shuffle of a step still holding, best he could, onto the counter top. But with the third step, his grip slipped, do to the bulk of his cast wrist, and the pain throbbing from the fractures. If at all possible his tears fell heavier from pain.
The fall seemed so slow as the rug slipped out from under him, taking his legs with it. He hit the wall before he hit the floor hard. It felt like he smashed every burse and bone into the surfaces of the wall and floor. It all just hurt so much, just too much. He balled full out, shuddering sobs of pain, and not just physical pain but the emotional pain that came from one who lived a life like his. He heard some one running but didn't care as he curled in on himself as his body was wracked by shudders of pain and sobs.
Seto burst in and saw Jou lying there crying, hard.
"Jou!" Seto shouted in horror at what he saw. Jou flinched and raised his head, showing red puffy eyes, wet face, and so much pain. He slowly uncurled himself and moved shakily to try and get onto his hands and knees.
"I'm sorry Seto, don't be mad at me, I didn't mean to make you mad, please tell me what to do and. . . And I'll fix it. I promise. I didn't mean to ask to much, I . . . I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have asked for so much. I shouldn't have been picky. I'm sorry Seto." Jou knelt there still trying to get up and move but shaking so badly with sobs and pain. Seto rushed to him but stopped dead in his tracks when Jou jumped up to his hands and knees as he threw himself into the nearest corner and curled in on himself.
"PLEASE DON'T! I . . . I'M SORRY SETO PLEASE DON'T HIT ME! I . . . I'll leave and you wont ever have to see or deal with me again! I swear just don't hit me. . . please Seto please don't hit me." Jou baled as he shook and his in the corner." Jou panicked, covering his head to protect it from a rain of blows. Seto just stood there in shock. How badly did Jou have it? It must have been so much worse for him.
/he thinks that I was going to hit him. By gods, he's scared of me. NO! No I have to fix this, this is my fault. I should not have stormed out of here like that!\
Seto slowly moved forward and with each step Jou curled in on him self more. Seto knelt down and slowly wrapped his arms around the cowering blond, and pulled him closely to his chest. Gently rocking the abused boy and softly petting his head; Seto murmured soft comfort and apologies to Jou.
"Shhh, hush now. . . . . Jou I would never raise a hand to you, I promise that you will never have to fear me. And I'm the one who's sorry. I shouldn't have left you here like that. I should never have let myself become that upset. It is NOT you that I was mad at Jou, I doubt that I can ever be mad at you ever. I'm sorry Jou, that was very stupid, and cruel of me, you have nothing to be sorry for and you may ask what ever you want her. You can never ask too much of me, I can only give too little." Seto cooed hopping that Jou had not gotten hurt worse when he fell and when he threw him self in this corner.
"Hush now Jou, shhhhh, I'm not mad at you. Shhh." Jou continued to shake and the pain continued to throb from his broken body but his tears slowly calmed and he still clung to Seto as the taller brunette rocked him gently.
"I bet you hungry aren't you?" Seto said quietly. Jou nodded his head into Seto's chest; Seto's shirt was wet with the blonde's tears. Seto reached and with a grunt of effort grabbed the end of the damp rag that hung on the corner of the counter and brought it back to him. Tossing it lightly to get it to cover his hand he brought it up and gently wiped Jou's face clean of tears.