Joey walked into school the next morning. Kaiba had left earlier than him to get Mokuba to school. So he went in search of the brunette. Unfortunately he couldn't find Seto at all.
"Hey Yami?" said Joey as he approached his friend.
"Yes?"
"Have you seen Seto?" asked Joey.
"I believe I saw him go up to the roof top," said Yami.
"Thanks," said Joey as he took off up the stairs.
Seto was leaning on the railing of the roof, when Joey ran up the stairs and through the door, gasping for breath.
"About time you got here," said Seto, turning his head to look at Joey.
"Well I wasn't expecting you to be up here," said Joey as he walked over to Seto.
"I have to go back to my father Joey," said Seto.
"What!" said Joey, "Where the hell did this come from?"
"Last night you stood up for me against your father. And you stood up for yourself. It's more than passed time that I stood up to my father," said Seto, "But I...I want to leave Mokuba with you. I don't want to have anything I care about held over me."
"Seto, you're risking everything," said Joey, "He could kill you."
"I know, but this is something I have to do. I thought hard about it all night and now I know I have to do this," said Seto.
"I won't try and stop you, but I will tell you to be careful. Your father is a strong and powerful man," said Joey.
"He won't win Joey, not this time," said Seto, "Now how about we head to class."
"Not yet," said Joey.
"Why not?" asked Seto as he stopped in mid turn.
"Because I owe you something,"said Joey.
"You don't owe me anything. So what are you talking about?"
Joey didn't say anything, he just stepped up to Seto and kissed him. It was Seto's turn to have his eyes widen. But unlike Joey he didn't pull away, he kissed the blond back. They pulled away from each other after a few moments.
"Well, I guess we should get to class," said Joey, who was bright red in the face.
"Yeah," said Seto, slightly pink. He had not been expecting Joey to do that. Actually he hadn't expected the blond to do anything remotely close to that. But he was glad that Joey had. It made him feel better and more confident in what he was going to do tonight.
"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY!" yelled Gozaboro.
"I said no," said Seto, "I'm tired of being abused for your pleasure. And you won't do anything to Mokuba either. I'm leaving. I won't take your abuse any longer."
"You'll wish you had never said that," said Gozaburo as he locked the door to Seto's bedroom.
Seto knew he had two choices. He could either jump out his window that was two stories up or his was going to take his father's abuse. He made for the window, but didn't get there. His father, though his was a big man, was quick for his size. He had a firm hold of Seto and pulled the boy back towards the bed.
Seto ran his booted heel down his father's shin, but got no results. Gozaboro wrapped his arm tightly around Seto's neck, cutting off the brunette's air. Seto struggled to get away, to breath. His lungs burned for air and he fought as hard as he could to be free. Gozaboro loosened his grip, he didn't want to kill his son. He forced Seto on to the bed and stripped the young boy of his clothing.
Seto took in deep breaths of air, but before he could fight his father, he was naked and forced down onto his stomach on the soft covers of the bed. He found his hands tied to the headboard, and he tried to break free of the bonds. Gozaboro entered his son, fast and hard.
Seto bit down on his lip to keep from crying out. He wouldn't let his father have the satisfaction of hurting him. He'd show his father that he didn't have control over him any more.
Gozaboro didn't like the fact that Seto wasn't responding. His son wasn't sobbing, or crying, or struggling to be free, like normal. He was taking the pain like a man, and Gozaboro didn't like that. Seto's father bit into the brunette's neck, drawing blood, and still Seto didn't react.
"What's wrong with you!" snarled Gozaburo.
"I'm tired of this. Tired of all of it. I don't want this anymore. I'm a young man now, and I'm telling you to stop this."
Gozaboro was furious with Seto, but he couldn't keep up hurting his son. He came deep inside his son and moved away. He untied Seto's wrists, got dressed and left the room.
"I did it Joey, I survived it..." whispered Seto before passing out on the bed.
Joey paced back and forth in the living room. Seto should have been here by now and Mokuba was on the verge of spazing out.
"Seto where are you?" whispered Joey as the doorbell rang.
Joey opened the door to find Gozaboro standing there. Joey made to shut the door, but the older man forced it back open.
"Where's my son?" growled Gozaboro.
"That depends on which one you want?" snarled Joey.
"Where is Mokuba?"
"He's not here!"
"Bullshit! I know he's here, because this is where he and his brother stayed last night, when they left with you. Now where is he?" demanded Gozaburo as he wrapped a hand around Joey's throat, lifting the boy into the air at eye level with him.
"Get your hands off my son!" commanded Joey's father, who had come home early.
"Then give me back my son, Mokuba, I know he's here," said Gozaboro.
Joey's eyes pleaded with his father's not to tell Seto's father where Mokuba was.
"Your son is not here, I've been home all day and I have seen no one in this house but my own son," said Joey's father.
"If I find out he was here, you'll wish you were never born," said Gozaboro as he threw Joey from him and stormed from the house.
Joey hit the nearby wall and fell to the ground. He got to his knees as his father closed the door. His took in slow deep breaths, trying to make everything stop spinning. Strong arms picked Joey up and moved him to the couch. Joey could hold on to consciousness no longer and he blacked out.
"You're strong son, I'll give you that," said Joey's father, walking from the room.
Seto waited on the roof top of the school for Joey the next morning, but the blond never showed up. Seto wasn't worried, he figured Joey was running late because he had had to take Mokuba to school. Seto headed to first period.
By the end of the day Seto was worried, Joey hadn't come to school at all. And none of Joey's friends had seen him. As soon as school was out he headed for Joey's house.
Mokuba answered the door at Joey's house when the doorbell rang. He looked up at his brother and smiled.
"Mokuba," said Seto.
"Seto, you're okay! We were worried when you didn't show and dad did," said Mokuab.
"What!" said Seto, "Gozaboro came here."
"Yes he did," said Joey's father exiting the living room, "He came looking for Mokuba. Joey and I handled it though. But..."
"But what?" asked Seto stepping inside so Mokuba could close the door.
"Go into the living room and find out yourself," said Joey's father as he headed for the kitchen.
Seto didn't like the sound of that. He walked into the said room and almost started crying. Joey was laying on the couch, covered in blankets, and burning up. Seto rushed to Joey's side and knelt down.
"Joey..." cried Seto as he grasped the blond's hand.
Joey looked at Seto through glazed eyes. He forced a smile before he went into a violent coughing fit. Joey's lungs were burning and it hurt to breathe. His throat was swollen and bruised from where Gozaboro had forcefully taken a hold of him last night, causing him to be in this sick state.
"Joey, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault," said Seto as he ran his fingers through the blond's damp hair.
"No..." said Joey raspily, "No, it's not."
"But Joey, look what he's done to you. If I hadn't done what I did last night, this wouldn't have happened," said Seto, tears rolling down his face.
"If you hadn't done what you had...he wouldn't have risked coming out into the open," whispered Joey. It hurt to talk, his throat was so swollen.
"Here," said Joey's father walking back into the room with a cup of tea and handing it to Seto, "Help him drink this. It should help with the swelling."
Seto took the cup and propped Joey up with his arm. He brought the cup to Joey's lips and cocked it slightly, so Joey could sip at it. Joey took little gulps of the tea, that's all he had had all day. Actually that was all he could swallow, anything that wasn't liquid he had pretty much choked on. The hot tea made Joey's throat feel a lot better, but it still hurt.
Seto set the cup of tea down and laid Joey back down. He felt horrible, Joey was in this state because of him. He'd fix everything, he'd fix it all later, he hoped.
A week later, Joey was back in school. It was the end of third period and Joey waited for everyone to leave before he hit the shower. Like always. Joey stood under the hot water and let it soak into his body. He closed his eyes, letting the water wash over him. He quickly rinsed off and pulled a towel around his waist as he stepped out of the shower. He went over to his locker to grab his clothes.
Seto was standing next to Joey's locker when the blond walked over. Joey looked at him surprised.
"Joey..." said Seto.
"Yeah?"
"Why do you always shower last?"
"Habit..."
"It's more than just habit Joey."
Joey turned his back towards Seto, allowing the blond to see the scars that covered his body. Seto walked up to Joey and ran his hands down the blond's back lightly.
"This is why? You don't want any one to know about these?"
"No, I don't. Because if people knew they would start asking questions. But I'm sure you can figure out why they're there. My father. But I don't want people to know, because they'll go to the police, and they'll put my father in prison. And I don't want that," said Joey.
"I understand," said Seto.
Joey slipped on his boxers and jeans. Then turned to face Seto.
"Tell me something, when did you start caring about me?"
"The day I was running late at school and you were the last to shower and get dressed. I saw the bruises on your body. And I knew. I knew it was more than an alley fight that had caused those bruises. I knew someone had beat you. And I assumed it was your father," said Seto.
"Well I'm glad you started caring," said Joey, "Because I'll always care about you."
Seto wrapped his arms around Joey and kissed him. Joey kissed Seto back. Both wanted the moment to last forever.
Gozaboro sat in his chair in his room. He was furious that his son had left him. That was okay though, because he had the perfect way to get revenge. He would hurt his son, in the worst way possible. He would get rid of the blond.
The next chapter is the last one.../tears/...
Sishyu
