A/N: Hi, minna-san! Sorry I'm a little late with this chapter! I (temporarily) broke my laptop! My nose stud fell in there! Oops! Wow, massive response from last chapter! Heh, there seems to be some strange suspicion that I've let Jou get hit by a car! Oh no, my darlings! LOTS more angst is on it's way! I can't have Jou struck down when I haven't even reached the middle of the story! Mwa ha ha!
Reviewer Responses:
Flame Swordswoman: Hello again, my dear! Good to see you reviewing! Ooh, this is gonna be an angsty beast! There's lots more to come! Sorry I'm a little late with this chapter! My nose stud fell in the laptop, damnit! I'm running out of nose studs disturbingly quickly!
You'll draw more amazing fanart? YAY! I love you! If you ever want a part in any of my stories, all you have to do is ask, okay? I'd be happy to write you in! In fact, if you ever want anything, just ask! Thanks for your review(s), and I hope you like this chapter! I don't, incidentally. It's not one of my favourites!
astalder27: Thank you for the quote, my dear! I loved it! It made me laugh! Thanks for your inspiration, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!
PunkerPrincess: You'll write me a piece of fanfiction? Thanks! That's so sweet! (runs away crying.) Thank you for reviewing! I hope you like this chapter!
Erik's Siren: Yeah, thanks for the suggestion! It really helped! Heh heh, that was a good cliffhanger, right? Thanks for your review! Hope you like this chapter!
HellsEternalFlame: It does, huh? You think it's good? Yay! Thanks for reviewing! Hope you like this chapter!
Yukiko-Angel: Lol, don't worry! Thanks for reviewing! Hope you like this chapter!
Chapter 4.
Seto was not having a particularly good day. Jou, and what he had said to Jou, weighed heavily upon his thoughts. His first class melted into his second, the second bled into the third, all the way up until lunch, when he finally decided to seek out his puppy, and apologise for snapping at him.
He strode out of the classroom as the bell rang, barging into people and not caring what he knew they whispered behind his back. It was pretty obvious that they were not going to be accepted at this damn school.
A jolt of fear shot through his stomach. What if Jou had gotten into a fight, and was hurt? He tried to dismiss this as ridiculous. He knew Jou could hold his own. And anyway, he would have heard if anything had happened to his puppy. One of the geek squad would have found him by now. Smirking, he began to look for his lover.
He searched all over the school for Jounouchi. Little did he know, the blonde was also searching for him, so they managed to miss each other. Seto finally came to the boy's bathroom, and went inside. He noticed that one of the doors was closed, so, saying a brief farewell to his dignity, he called softly.
"Jou? Are you in here, pup?"
He didn't hear a response, so he turned around. Just as he went to open the door, he heard the one behind him open. Looking around, he saw a guy with black hair and startling emerald eyes. He knew this person…but the name escaped him…
"Hello Seto," the boy purred.
Oh! That was it! Otogi, that was his name. 'He hangs around with Yugi,' his mind supplied. 'He might know where Jou is!'
"Hello Otogi. Have you seen Jou?" he asked gruffly.
Otogi giggled (yes, giggled) and played with a lock of his ebony hair. "Nope. Sorry, Seto."
Seto scowled. What on earth was this guy grinning about? He nodded, and turned to leave, stopping when he felt a hand grasp his shoulder. He spun around, and began to ask Otogi what the hell he thought he was doing. However, he only got as far as "Wha…" before he felt the boys lips on his. Too stunned to react, he stood there for around five seconds, not hearing the door open behind his, then slam shut.
He finally managed to react, throwing the dark boy off of him. "What do you think you're doing!" he screeched. Otogi looked up from his position on the cold floor, and grinned. "Oh, come on, Kaiba. You can't say you don't want this."
Seto gaped at him. This guy was delusional! He narrowed his eyes, and adopted his classic 'I don't care about anyone' look, and glared as hard as he could.
"You're out of your mind." He growled, and turned away, wiping his mouth in disgust. "Now, if you don't mind, I'll be on my way. I need to find Jou."
Otogi smirked. "I doubt you'll have far to look."
Seto spun around again. "What's that supposed to mean? What are you saying!"
"I'm saying that your boyfriend opened the door when we were making out. Geez, you'd think that you of all people would notice that."
Seto felt his heart drop. Jou…had seen? But…he would think…Oh no…no!
He strode over to Otogi, pulled him to his feet, and punched him. Leaving the stunned boy to slide back down to the floor, he ran out, and began searching for Jounouchi.
Otogi smirked, wiping his hand across his mouth, and noticing a bright streak of blood on his pale skin. He was vaguely impressed by the CEO's reaction. It proved that he wasn't emotionless, and did care about something other than himself.
Gingerly getting to his feet, he ran his tongue over his teeth, and smiled.
xXx (This is my new page break since it WILL NOT let me have one!)
"JOUNOUCHI! NO!"
Jou dimly heard someone screaming behind him, and felt a pair of strong arms wrap around his chest. He was pulled backwards with force, and both he and the other person collapsed in a heap as a car screeched to a halt next in front of them. The driver screamed obscenities, and drove off.
Jounouchi felt him self being pulled up, and two hands were placed on his cheeks, forcing him to look into a pair of wide crimson eyes. They burned with fury, and fear.
'Huh, Yami must have switched with Yugi,' his mind registered uselessly. He wasn't really capable of thinking much right now, as his heart had just been ripped into small, insignificant pieces.
Yami shook him hard. "What are you thinking, Jou! Are you trying to kill yourself!" he shrieked furiously. Jou stared at one of his closest friends for a moment, then burst into heart wrenching sobs, burying his face in Yami's shirt. Gripping the fabric like a lifeline, he sank to the cold, hard concrete. Yami gently placed his arms around the trembling boy, his anger at Jou's foolishness gone in a second. Something had to be terribly wrong. Jou didn't usually seek comfort like this. He knelt with his best friend, and rocked him gently, like a parent comforting their frightened child. He noticed Ryou, Honda, and Anzu behind them, all with looks of deep confusion on their faces. He turned back to Jou, and whispered to him.
"What is wrong, Jounouchi? Please…please tell me…"
Jou lifted his head, and took a deep, shuddering breath. "Seto…Seto and Otogi…they…they were kissing…"
He dissolved into fresh tears. Yami felt anger boil deep inside of him, and horror from his hikari. He heard Anzu and Ryou gasp behind him, and Honda's growl of fury.
"That…bastard…" Honda muttered. His best friend certainly didn't need this right now, having just started to feel happy again.
Anzu felt tears come to her bright blue eyes. "Oh no…" Poor Jou…
Ryou felt his yami's outrage. Bakura, sadistic though he may be, cared about what happened to Jou, and was deeply unhappy.
Yami clung to the blonde, unsure of what to do. He felt his hikari ask to take over, and suddenly Yugi was the one cradling his best friend. Jou held him in a death-grip, almost as if he was afraid to let go. Yugi whispered pointless comfort to the blonde, but nothing helped. Jou wept bitterly, and started to cry out words.
"Why? Yugi, please, tell me why he did this to me…please? I was happy, I was finally happy. He made me happy…I was so happy…I was……I…please…?"
Yugi bit his lip, tears spilling from his large, amethyst eyes. Jou just kept talking, words that didn't even make sense half the time. It seemed that he had finally been pushed over the edge. Years of abuse, combined with normal teenage pressure, had weakened Jou's emotional balance. Now, the person that he had given his heart, his soul, everything to…had betrayed him, finally shattering him once and for all. Of course, he would heal, but…
Yugi looked down at the sobbing boy in his arms, and inhaled shakily. It was gonna take a hell of a lot of work.
Suddenly, Jou lifted his head to the overcast sky, and began screaming.
"Why didn't you stop it! Why did you let it happen!" He sank back to the ground. "Why did you let it happen…?"
He buried his face once again in Yugi's shirt. He vaguely remembered seeing everything go white, then…
Nothing…
XxX.
Seto raced through the cafeteria, calling for Jou, not caring what he looked like. He prayed that Otogi was lying, that Jou hadn't seen them kissing. He would be heartbroken, Seto knew this, he knew…
He couldn't see any of Jou's friends around either. They were more than likely with Jou. He would be telling them what he saw…
Guilt curled around his heart, making him feel sick. He knew it wasn't his fault, that Otogi had obviously set him up, but this knowledge didn't help in the slightest.
He suddenly felt compelled to go out through the school's reception area, and search outside. He ran that way, ignoring the receptionist yelling at him, and threw open the double doors.
Making his way down the path, he turned a corner, and stopped dead in his tracks.
Oh my God……His heart froze in his chest as he saw his blonde lover being held up by Honda, who was shaking him fiercely, and shouting something. Anzu was crying and looking panicked. Yugi and Ryou were looking terrified.
Jou…His puppy was so still…his eyes were closed…was he breathing?
Seto cried out his lover's name, and began to run towards the group. Ryou looked up, and narrowed his eyes. He said something to Yugi, who nodded, and both were taken over by their darker halves. Yami and Bakura strode towards Seto, and Bakura grabbed him by the arm. Seto gave him a death glare, then looked back to his boyfriend.
"Jou!"
Yami, hearing his cry, glowered at him. "You can keep away from Jou. It's your fault he's like this!"
Seto's sapphire eyes widened in shock. His…fault? His fault?
He clenched his teeth, and shoved Bakura off of him, the surprised spirit landing with a thud on the concrete. Seto ran the rest of the way to Jou, and knelt by him the words "your fault" echoing in his mind. His eyes swept across his lover's unnaturally pale face, and broke down.
The people surrounding the two were shocked. The great CEO of Kaiba Corp, who was famous for being cold and emotionless, daring to cry so openly for someone he had just betrayed?
The brunette was sobbing so loud, it was hard to distinguish the words that were mixed in with the tears.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Jou! It…it isn't what you think! Puppy…please wake up…Please?"
He couldn't say anything more, so he settled for just holding his blonde lover's hand. And, as if this touch was enough to jolt Jou out of his unconscious state, the boy began to stir…
His hand twitched…
And his beautiful, soft, honey-coloured eyes, the eyes that Seto Kaiba had fallen in love with, began to open…
But would they be happy to see him? Or would they be filled with anger, and hate towards the brunette?
Seto stopped crying, and exhaled in relief. "Puppy?"
Those breathtaking eyes turned to him, and Seto gasped at the intense emotion that filled them…
A/N: Ooh! Is Jou gonna be happy to see Seto? Probably not! Man, I am so evil!
Okay, let me clear a few things up. Jou is most certainly NOT overreacting. For someone that has led a terrible life, and been abused, it is extremely difficult to trust anyone. Jou may seem more emotional than most people, but this is because he feels that Seto, who is the only person aside from his sister and Yugi that he really trusted, doesn't love him, and doesn't care. Which we all know is CERTAINLY not true. Thanks for reading this, I just thought I should bring it to your attention before the flames start rolling in. Arigatou!