Chapter Three
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Kaiba Corporation
1.45 p.m.
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"Leave me alone!" Seto desperately cried.
Silence, just the phone ringing for the thousandth time that day.
"ARG!" He inwardly groaned.
Mokuba entered the room with a questioning gaze. "Are you feeling okay, Seto?"
"That damn phone rings for at the a million times a day and I'm bloody hungry and I'm tired and my head hurts and… and… and…" Seto sighed.
"You should go home if you feel sick, big brother."
"That's a very good idea!"
Seto smiled and Mokuba wondered how sick he must have been when he was willingly leaving Kaiba Corp. and going home because of sickness. He had never been sick, never admitted that at least. And then even a smile! His brother must definitely be sick, very sick. Mokuba started to worry.
"Shall I join you?"
"No circumstances, bro." He winked at his younger brother.
"Well…" Since when the hell was Seto calling his younger brother 'bro'? However, Mokuba decided to check the latest files of Kaiba Corp. for his brother, instead.
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Wheeler Apartment
4.15 p.m.
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Joey sat down at the kitchen's table and switched on notebook. "Finally."
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6.45 p.m.
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"Hey Joey, what are you doing?" Serenity said in happy mood as always.
"None of your business." He replied coldly.
"…I… just… asked…" Her smile faded smile and she got a bit sad now.
"Well, next time, don't."
Serenity nearly sobbed but suppressed it. "Aren't you going to change your clothes?"
"Why should I?"
"Don't tell me you've forgotten that we're supposed to meet Tristan and the others later."
"I'm not in the mood, thank you." He sighed annoyed.
"JOEY!" Serenity screamed mother-like.
"What!" Joey was slightly angered now.
"Tomorrow's Tristan's birthday and you're not in the mood to celebrate with him! You had taken the day off work just for him and now you're not in the mood! Not in the mood! You can't do that to Tristan!" Serenity said with a voice like a siren.
"…"
"That's not my brother…" She shook her head sobbing.
Why do I need to do this at all? I couldn't care less about Wheeler's life! Then again, he should not do any damage to my life and my life is important in comparison to his! I need to take care! Damn! "Fine, I'll go."
Serenity clapped happily in her hands before she ran to her brother and hugged him tightly. Then she kissed his cheek and hurried off to her room. "You're the best Joey!"
"Hmph!" Again the blonde's hand raised up to brush his fingertips against his newly kissed cheek. Why does she have to do this all the time? I want my brother back!
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In a random pub in Domino City
7.45 p.m.
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Joey and Serenity have entered the pub where they have met with Tristan, Yugi and Tea to celebrate into the next day--Tristan's birthday.
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Kaiba mansion
8.15 p.m.
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Seto yawned lazily, stretching his long limbs while he was sitting in front of his huge television screen, but then threw the remote at the wall. I'm bored to death! I've got no friends to talk to, spend time with, annoy or whatever they're good for! I want my friends back! Mokuba has his own friends and doesn't want to be with me, again! I want my sister! I want to do something!
Jumping up he sighed and almost let himself fall back on the sofa. What date is it? Suddenly he remembered that he actually wanted to party with Tristan but that was when he was still Joey Wheeler. Now he was Seto Kaiba and unfortunately had no friends. He cursed silently for being that rich prick until he had an idea.
Luckily he had apologized to Tristan yesterday…
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The random pub in Domino City
9.15 p.m.
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Seto Kaiba entered the pub where Joey's friends should celebrate Tristan's birthday. His eyes lit up when he saw them on one of the sofas in their usual corner. "Heya buddies, how're ya doin'?"
Five surprised, paled faces stared at him.
"Kai…ba…" Yugi tried to form words.
"…" Tea hadn't even some.
"We're fine, how're you?" Tristan asked suspiciously.
"I was so bored that I thought I'd join you! Celebrate into your b-day, Tristan, ya know? I might pay some drinks, too." Kaiba grinned.
"I should have expected that you come here! There is really no need for you to waste your money on us!" Joey replied a bit bitter.
"I really like to!" Kaiba gave a big winner smile.
Joey instead snorted with his fists clenched.
"Well, that's nice of you Kaiba, why don't you sit down then? Um… tell me, how did you know about my birthday tomorrow?" Tristan tried polite small talk.
Kaiba looked around where to find a place to sit. He had wanted to sit next to Serenity but of course she already had taken the seat next to her seemingly brother. So at last Kaiba took the place at the corner of the sofa opposite Joey and his sister. "I knew from Joey."
"Well, Joey…" Tristan gazed accusingly. "He's such a good friend, isn't he?"
"Yeah, he's the best." Again Kaiba grinned.
Joey just sat there cross armed and stared ahead, grumpily waiting for the evening to end. Serenity meanwhile watched Kaiba, something was strange, as if he was shining with a newly born familiarity to her—what sounded quite insane after all. Nevertheless, he seemed nicer than before and that was for sure.
Kaiba paid for at least five rounds when it was almost twelve o'clock and everyone was preparing to congratulate Tristan. Slightly drowsy Kaiba smirked after the fifth Tequila Sunrise. "Pfff… I could have sworn I was able to take more, when I was… um… younger."
"Are you drunk, dumb nut?" Joey sneered.
"Joey! However, what do you mean, Kaiba? Have you drunken more when you were a child?" Tea asked with concern.
"Nah… I mean when I wasn't… um… two days before. Doesn't matter, what does matter is that…" Kaiba replied confused.
He was cut off by Mai who entered the pub and waved yelling loudly. "Sorry Tristan, I know I'm late but it's not twelve, is it? You know, a lady needs time to fix herself!"
"Lady! No wonder it takes you time, how does it look like when you're trying to make a lady out of yourself?" Joey pondered at her.
"…" Mai was shocked. "Better than it looks like when you're trying to make a man out of yourself!"
"Whuahuahuahuahua…" Kaiba laughed loudly at this. "This was your best Mai…"
"What's with him? Why's he here?" She pointed at Kaiba with a raised eyebrow.
"He thought he might celebrate with us and had the idea all by himself. Well Mai, why don't you take a seat, Kaiba pays the drinks tonight." Tristan smiled creepily.
"Really?" Mai had her doubts.
"C'mon Mai, sit next to me!" Kaiba padded the space next to him.
"…" Mai looked lost. "Is it safe?"
"I'm the safest!"
"Well, as Joey's obviously in a bad mood anyway, I'm sure he won't mind if I sit down next to you, Kaiba." She said with a sideways glance to Joey.
"Call me Seto." Kaina winked.
"…" Wide eyed she stared ahead.
"Do whatever you like, Valentine, just don't… just don't touch him." Joey said with the idea of Mind-Joey using Body-Seto to make out with Mai.
"Are you jealous if I did, honey?" She hissed sweetly and putting her hand on Kaiba's knee.
"No, disgusted."
Mai growled like a furious cat at Joey but left him when Yugi announced that it was Tristan's birthday. That was the next point of questions. After Yugi and Tea had congratulated and even hugged Tristan it was Serenity's turn. Tristan used this opportunity to get closer to her and hugged her longer than necessary. But after at least ten minutes in a tight embrace, instead of Joey it was Kaiba who slowly got impatient.
"Damn Tristan, will you leave your fingers off her now?" Kaiba hissed anrily.
Both of them looked surprised. Serenity was blushing and Tristan was getting angry—both of them because of Kaiba saying that.
"Man, calm down. What's your problem?" Tristan wanted to know.
"My problem is that you can leave her alone now, got that? She's really too young for this!"
"Huh?"
"I don't think so." Joey said cold as ice.
"Huh?" Tristan was wondering—again.
"Well, I do think so. And I bet you do think so, too, right? Because she is your sister and you should be fing protective!" Kaiba almost growled.
"Yes, fine." Joey replied annoyed. "He's right, Tristan, leave your fingers off my sister. By the way, happy birthday and all these things."
"?" Tristan was finally lost.
Serenity had been watching in silence and wondered what was finally wrong with Kaiba and Joey, both of them acted weird.
"Hey Tristan, happy birthday, buddy!" Kaiba suddenly jumped up and ruffled Tristan's head.
"Stop that, Kaiba!"
So they continued, chatting and drinking, with Joey grumpily watching and Kaiba funnily paying for the drinks. Joey watched helplessly Kaiba's body slowly giving in to the alcohol. Mind-Joey wasn't clever enough to check why was happening this with Body-Kaiba. It was so simple. Kaiba's body wasn't used to drink alcohol in any sort or way—he simply couldn't stand alcohol—and because the liquid was going into the blood of someone's body, you become to feel tired and uncoordinated. It wasn't a mind-thing after all and affected Kaiba badly although Mind-Joey surely was used to drink often. Mind-Kaiba in Joey's body realized soon because he simple didn't even notice the beer he had drank reluctantly.
Understood? Whatever!
"I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell…" Kaiba was meanwhile singing a Matchbox Twenty song. He wasn't even able to hold his own head anymore when his voice faded.
"What's with him now?" Serenity pointed at Kaiba.
"Maybe he's dead, who cares?" Tristan responded.
"I think he's asleep." Mai said.
"Drunk. Leave him alone." Joey finally ordered.
"It's late." Tea yawned. "Yugi and I are going back home now, we'll see you later Tristan."
"I want to break free!" Yugi was singing because he was also drunk. Tea supported Yugi when they made their way outside.
"We should all go now." Mai suggested.
"Yeah, we can celebrate later when we had our beauty sleep." Tristan agreed.
"You'll need a lot of that." Joey muttered under his breath.
"I'm very tired. What are we going to do about Kaiba?" Serenity asked naïve like an angel.
"Wake him." Mai shrugged. She put a hand on Kaiba's shoulder and shook him but to no reply. She gave up after twenty minutes.
"Just leave him here. He came alone, he can go alone. Who cares?" Tristan couldn't stand Kaiba anyway.
"I do. We can't just leave him like that. Maybe he'll get robbed or something. We need to bring him home!" Serenity said with force.
"And how should we do that?" Tristan asked.
"You've done that a hundred times with Joey, can't you just do it once for Kaiba?" She replied.
"She's right." Joey nodded. "I don't want him to be left here."
"Samaritan." Tristan rolled his eyes.
"Since when do you care about Kaiba?" Mai asked.
"It doesn't matter since when. No one should be left alone here!" Serenity spoke up.
"Whatever!" Was all that Joey had to say.
The blond man walked over to where Kaiba was lying and bent down to lift him across his shoulders in order to carry the sleeping body. A groaning noise could be heard from out of the dark haired guy's mouth but he didn't wake. Joey made his way with him to the door.
"Have you trained secretly?" Tristan was wondering that his friend was able to carry the body all alone.
"Yeah, Joey, impressive!" Mai was stunned.
"It's not a matter of strength, it's a matter of technique." Joey replied coolly.
Approaching at the Kaiba mansion, Joey realized that Seto had forgotten his keys, nor was he able to reach someone over the speaker being fast asleep. Joey could have easily opened the gates but that would leave the others suspicious, so he simply decided to take Kaiba with them home. His dear body would be save there.
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Wheeler apartment
7.30 a.m.
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Seto groaned when he woke up in the bright morning sun. Scratching his brown haired head he blinked and tried to bring himself in a sitting position but exactly like he had been expecting, his head hurt badly. He had remembered last night and was prepared for the hangover, though he hadn't expected it to be that bad. Stumbling into the kitchen he saw Joey sitting on the table and hammering words into his laptop.
With a 'good morning groan' Seto walked past him and made himself coffee. Not that he liked that black liquid but with the headache, nothing would be better right now.
"You're awake, finally," Joey noted in an arrogant sounding tone, "it's about time. You should have been at work half an hour ago."
"What time is it?" Seto asked groaning.
"Half past seven." Joey was not even looking up from the notebook.
"Way too early for anything." Seto yawned and sat down opposite Joey. "By the way, I hate your work.
"What else should I expect from someone like you?" He finally looked up. "But anyway, I don't like your work either."
"Well…" Seto scratched his head again. "What do I do here anyway?"
"You passed out last night, too much alcohol. I don't expect you to check why this has happened. Whatever, I brought you here because it was the safest way to protect my body."
"So that's why I slept on the sofa? Uh… yeah!" He snapped with his fingers.
"Right. Now do me a favor and dress yourself properly. I don't want your sister to see you like this!" Joey glared at the unbuttoned shirt of Seto, which was dangling loosely out of his trousers.
"She sees me almost every day like this." Seto shrugged.
"Not anymore." Joey corrected.
"Okay, okay, Kaiba, I'll dress myself properly – for her. But one more question, just tell, why is it a problem for you if my sister sees me, or better you, like this?" He asked suspiciously.
"I want no one to see me like this, actually."
"Oh and I thought you liked her. I'm glad you don't, though." Seto grinned stupidly.
"Don't be, maybe I do like her." Joey's lips graced an evil smirk suddenly.
"What's that supposed to mean? Either you like her or not. So do you?" Seto became slightly annoyed when it came to his dear Serenity.
"I won't tell you anyway." Joey paid his attention back to his laptop.
"Tell me immediately, I need to know!" Seto was almost jumping at Joey's throat!
But Serenity stopped them when she entered the room, having caught the liking part. "Good morning, I hope you aren't fighting over girls."
Both guys said together: "We?"
"No, no. I just wanted to know if he liked… Mai! Mai, yes. Either he likes her or not, you know." Seto nervously explained.
Joey rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.
"Well, Kaiba, are you interested in Mai?" Serenity wanted to know.
"No… no! Definitely not, she's the perfect match for Joey, I think!" Seto grinned and nodded.
Joey instead snorted. "Hmph! That's right." Dumb and dumber.
"Yeah, probably." Serenity smiled, walking past her brother and kissing his cheek.
Joey smirked. Seto glared.
"Do want something to eat, Kaiba?" The girl asked politely.
"I'm afraid, Seto has to leave soon. He's supposed to work, you know, Serenity. He's a busy person after all who needs to lead a big company all alone."
"I know." Serenity sighed. "I just thought, now that you two are friends…"
"FRIENDS!" Both guys exclaimed, glaring at each other.
"We're not friends." Joey stood up, heading for his room.
"How should anyone be friends with that stubborn bastard?" Seto headed straight after Joey in—actually—his room.
Serenity wondered, again, what was happening. Kaiba called her brother a stubborn bastard and Joey, actually, was a stubborn bastard, the last time so far. This was all too confusing for her and she decided to let it drop for now.
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Inside Joey's room…
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"Can't I be left alone to change?" Joey stood half naked in front of the wardrobe.
"Who cares? I've seen that body a million times! Anyway, I need some things from here."
"Like?"
"This." Seto held up a photo of his sister.
"Give me the neck chain you're wearing." Joey instructed immediately.
"This thing here?" Seto lifted the neck chain and opened it.
"YES!" Joey shouted and snatched it away from Seto.
"It's a picture of Mokuba in it. I already was wondering why you wear that thing. Now that explains a lot… you should admit it, you've got a heart, after all."
"I don't know how this shall be of any interest for you." Joey snapped arrogantly and put the chain around his neck but hiding it under his shirt.
"I should strangle you, now that I'm taller. I bet you have enough tie-wearing yuppies to get away with murder, huh?" Seto became angry.
"Probably." Joey fixing his zip and straightened his jacket.
"Do have to walk around like this?"
"What now?" Joey asked impatiently.
"You're looking so… so… so Kaiba. So straight, neat and proper. That's not Joey!"
"Coming from you I should take it personally." Joey raised an eyebrow. "Button up that shirt of mine and stuff it in your trousers, damned hell. And brush your teeth, do your hair and go to work!" With that Joey left the room, but Kaiba was on his heels.
"Yes, mother." With his last words Seto plastered a huge smile on his face and ran out of the door.
Serenity almost frightened. "What was that?"
But Joey replied, "nothing, forget it."
"It's really weird… Kaiba's so changed and he makes… jokes. And that smile… I really like it. He should smile more often."
"His brother always tells him that, too." Joey gazed down on the ground and thought of Mokuba and how much he missed him.
"I really wonder why he doesn't do just that, then."
"…"
Not that Joey wouldn't have an answer but he knew, it would just be an excuse. Mokuba was right and Serenity, too. If he would be in his own body, he would defend himself right now, having enough reasons not to smile but being Joey, it was a waste of time anyway. He could let his guard down for while.
"What would it make for a difference if Kaiba was to smile more often? It's not that you or someone else had a bonus from Kaiba smiling. I don't get it."
"Well, I just guess I like him more the way he is now. That's bonus enough." Serenity was naïve about that.
"More?"
"It's not that I wasn't liking him before, I just like him a bit better, now. And seeing how cute he is when he smiles…" Serenity dreamily gazed at the ceiling.
Cute! Why is that, that I don't like this word much? Why is that, that it affects me, though? Why is that, everyone likes me just if I smile? Why is that, that nobody wants to accept me the way I am? Why do I care?
Joey snorted. "Hmph! You know, if cuteness is that important to you, I'm afraid Kaiba won't look at you twice. He is the way he is and we should not try to change him just because we might like him more. We should like him for what and who he is!"
With a last Kaiba-like 'hmph' Joey left the small auburn haired girl and waltzed off to get his notebook. He needed to be in school in forty minutes. Serenity, on the other hand, was out of words. Not that her brother was only acting strange, he also was right.
Seto might seem heartless, mean, selfish etc. but he was good. He protected his little brother and had done only good to people with all the money from his stepfather. Seto Kaiba must have a good heart. And here she was, liking him for just a cute smile…
That morning Serenity and Joey were going in silence to school. And watching him closely she couldn't help thinking that he was acting like Kaiba…
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Kaiba Corporation
11.05 a.m.
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"I've got no time…" Seto answered his phone.
"We know, you are busy, Mr. Kaiba, but just let me tell you---"
"No! Leave me alone, now!" Seto insisted like a child.
"Mr. Kaiba, you can't talk to us like that! We're a big American concern and you really should be happy to make a deal with us, but under these circumstances we're not so sure anymore. Good bye, Mr. Kaiba."
Peep, peep, peep… line went dead.
"…"
What was that? I fucked up, right? Seto had become so annoyed that morning when everyone was bugging him that he had just freaked out. Like a maniac he had called people names and refused talking! Now he was sorry. What had he done? There was only one person who could help right now...
Opening the door to leave, Mokuba entered with a questioning gaze. "Where are you going?"
"Need to see someone, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in school?"
"It's almost midday and I've got no classes anymore today, like every Friday, you should know that by now."
"Sorry, I forgot."
"Where's your neck chain?" Mokuba asked as soon as he had noticed what he missed.
"…"
"You always wear my photo, just like I do wear yours…" Mokuba sadly opened his card to look at the picture of his big brother.
"I've just… taken it off… for shower, you know? And after that, I must have forgotten to put it back on!" Seto tried to explain but to no avail.
"Normally you don't forget…" Mokuba whispered.
Seto bent down to take 'his' little brother in an embrace. Seeing how those huge gray-blue eyes stared at the photo of his brother, really got his heart. All this mess had to come to an end and that pretty soon.
"Hey Mokuba, come with me."
"Where are we going?" The child asked.
"You'll see!"
So they both left Kaiba Corporation.
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Tbc…