GYAH!! Great… I totally messed up… see in chapter 4, it messes this whole fic up… So… lets forget PRECISELY what Duke says and just go on what I have now!

If I knew exactly how to replace a chapter with out destroying everything… I will do that and fix this ERROR!!

Anyways! If you are reading right through right now… it hasn't been "years" but merely "months" so ya…

Um… ya

Goodness. I didn't spend New Years with my family this year, I stayed at my friend Dana's house… which in reality I probably had a hell of a lot more fun (SORRY FAMILY!) actually I did ^^, but then my mom calls the next day (we kind of had a small, AS IN VERY SMALL BUT EVERYONE OUT HERE DOESN'T REALLY SEEM TO KNOW WHAT THE HELL SNOW IS SO THEY ALL FREAK OUT ON THE ROADS!! …and anyways… ^^;;; she's like "I'm so worried and I want you to be with the family during this time."

And there's me..

Me: … -___-;;; mother mother…

So anyways, I was still sleeping when she called (stayed up 'til 4:30) and so I had to call back.

Me: *calling*

Michael(my nephew… who's OLDER THAN ME BY 1 ½  YEARS!! ..don't ask): Ya?

Me: Can I talk to my mom?

M: Ya, here just a minute.\

Me: *waiting*

M: Your mom's all freaking out cause she doesn't know where you are.

Me: *thinking: what the hell??! I haven't even left Dana's yet*

Mom: HI SWWETY!! *extra scary happy voice*

Me: 0___0;;;;; *is scared* ..hi.

ANYWAYS!! My mom's kinda scary sometimes… a lot of the time… BUT I SHALL NOT TALK BAD ABOUT HER CAUSE… its not that nice! And she cant help it I guess! My sister agrees with me too about her being… weird…

^__^;; moving along!

Now that I have bored you with my holiday blues… *cringes* We shall move on to the fic!

GYAH! My hands are frozen!! My house is so cold! … WHO CARES!!!

…I'm done..

ANYWAYS!!!! *glares at self* This chappie is definitely abstract kinda… so weird. BUT its not so so weird!

Oh, and Kaiba snaps. BUT you were probably all expecting that! And Duke continues to have mood swings and Joey eats some rice… and cries like a little kid…

And Tristan acts stupid.

No Bakura or Ryou, some Yugi, no Yami yet. (I just realized he did appear in chapter 4 and in chpt.3 he was mentioned!)

Maybe he went home early or something.

ANYWAYS!! Ya, here it is! I will do responding thingy at the end… if I forget… I WILL DEFINITELY ADD IT IN THE NEXT!!

 Unexpected Surprises

Author: Aera-chan

Date: 01-02-04 (HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!)

Series: Yugioh!

Rating: R (Sorry kids, I just cant control my mouth or my typing for this fic to be PG-13)

Chapter XI: Bowing, Bending, Breaking,

________________________________________________________________________

Push.

Kaiba blew out his breath slowly.

The pen danced and rolled across the hard wood of his desk.

"Stupid…"

He pushed the pen back.

Breathe out.

Roll.

"Stupid.."

Again.

"So stupid…"

Again.

"Can I be so dumb?"

"Mr. Kaiba sir?"

He straightened himself up.

"Yes? What is it?"

The young girl blushed. "I'm sorry to bother you sir, but Mr. Ikigawa of Gamer Inc. would like to speak with you. Shall I let him in?"

More work.

"More work big brother?"

"Yes."

"But why cant you just take a break and play with me?"

"Mokuba… I cant do that, it just doesn't work that way."

"But why-"

"Mokuba! Don't start this now."

Sigh.

"But why do you have to work so much? You're-"

"Mokuba-"

"Only twelve…" he muttered, still lost in thought.

"What was that sir?" she asked.

"Nothing… send him in."

He closed his eyes tiredly.

Breath escaping…

Rolling.

Red flashing.

Dropping.

Its gone.

Joey sniffed the air.

Burning?

"GYAH! MY RICE!"

He tore off towards the kitchen.

"My rice! My poor, poor rice!" he cried pulling the blackened lump from the mini oven.

He sobbed silently, over dramatizing the situation.

"…my rice… my rice…"

He glared at the funny white contraption.

"YOU DAMNED PIECE A SHIT! I OUGHTA KILL YOU!"

He glared some more.

"But your not alive… no fair…"

Grunting he began to nibble on the burnt rice.

"Not so bad if I do say so myself!"

He munched on the rice happily, internally grimacing at the disgusting stuff.

His dad would probably hit him a good one if he found out he burnt and threw out perfectly good rice.

Anyways, it wasn't like they had much food anyways, that's why he was so hungry all the time. Everyone thought he was a glutton, but he couldn't help it when he was underfed at home.

'…home… what a joke…' he thought smirking sadly.

"Joke…"

He laughed to himself, his voice bitter.

Home.

What the hell was that?

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard his half drunken father burst through the door.

"…daddy…?"

He couldn't help himself from feeling some joy from his father's return.

But one hard fact kept him from jumping up and hugging the man in a childish fashion.

His dad hated him. With that known, he decided on staying low to the ground instead.

"Joey." his dad said gruffly. "Get out of here."

Joey remained still.

Here it comes.

"Get out!"

Joey couldn't move.

"Get out of here Joey! Don't come back 'til tomorrow!"

Joey refused to move.

'Daddy…?' he thought to himself. 'Why have you changed? Why have you left?'

"Joey! What the hell is wrong with you?! Get out of here!" his dad screamed chucking his half empty beer bottle at Joey. It missed him by a foot but splattered near him, soaking him with the vile smelling liquid.

Joey moved backwards.

"Joey!"

His dad smacked him hard across the head.

"I said get out of here! Why don't you listen?!"

Joey rubbed his head. His dad hit harder than anyone he knew.

"Daddy… don't hit me…"

His dad's eyes flared. "You sound like a child Joey! Go, get out of here."

His dad picked him up roughly by the collar and led him to the door.

He stopped.

Joey's hands gripped his father's coarse ones.

"Wha..?"

"Daddy… please don't do this to me anymore… I love you daddy… please!" Tears started to come.

His dad's eyes softened momentarily, then froze.

"Like I said… out…" He threw open the door and tossed his son out to the wet pavement. "Go to Tristan's or something…just don't come back until tomorrow…"

With that he closed the door.

Joey heard it lock.

He sat there for a minute.

The rain poured down.

His hair started matting to his face.

His tears mixed with the heaven's.

"Daddy… daddy…" he moaned. "…daddy…"

He couldn't help it any more.

He couldn't stop the tears, the unrestrained feelings of sadness.

So he cried. He sobbed.

That was the first time in nine years he had told his father he loved him.

And to get rejected so easily.

It stung.

His own father.

Rejected him.

He rubbed his eyes fiercely.

He really was a child.

He laid his head down on the cold stone and sobbed pathetically.

"Daddy…daddy!"

He curled up into a ball and laid on the step.

Soon the door swung open.

"Joey, do I have to kick you out?"

Joey continued to cry.

His dad sighed before bending down to take his son up into his arms. He carried Joey into his bedroom and plopped him down on the bed.

He grabbed some clothes from his son's closet and threw them down along with him.

"Change your clothes, you're soaked." His dad looked away. "You'll get sick or something."

He left.

Joey slowly got up and changed.

His dad returned with some towels and a small heater. He threw a towel onto the blond's head.

Joey just sat there and cried.

"…stop crying okay."

Joey's sobs grew louder. He curled up into a ball and hid under the covers away from his father.

"Joey I said…" he couldn't say it. His son looked absolutely miserable.

He sighed.

"What have I done to you Joey? What have I done?"

He rubbed the towel over Joey's wet hair. He sighed again.

Joey peeked from beneath his shelter. His eyes widened.

"What have I done? I'm such a… terrible father.."

"Daddy…" Joey said quietly. "Its okay… I love you, you didn't do anything wrong…"

He hugged the crying man lightly, feelings of rejection still strong.

His dad pushed him away again.

"Here, get under your covers, you'll get hypothermia or something from the cold."

His dad pulled the covers over him until it reached his chin.

"Go to sleep… and stay warm…" his dad said smiling sadly. He turned on the small heater.

That's when Joey finally noticed how cold their house really was.

"Goodnight Joey."

"Goodnight daddy…" Joey said snuggling deeper into the covers. He closed his eyes tiredly.

His dad turned off the light and left, closing his door behind him.

It was only 4:30, but it was dark outside from the rain, and he was tired.

His dad had kicked him out all week long, and he wasn't up on the idea to go to others for help.

He just thought it was best for him to spend the lonely cold nights at the park or somewhere like that.

He yawned.

Too many things to think about, but he would get there. Rest was good for now.

The light tapping of rain on his window pulled him into a deep sleep.

A much needed rest.

A much accepted rest.

Kaiba walked down one of Kaiba Corps many halls. He yawned.

"10:20 already?" he said staring down at his watch. 'That meeting lasted longer than I thought it would. At this rate, I'll be getting home just in time to see Mokuba off to bed.'

He sighed.

He still had a load of paper work to do tonight. Along with his various homework assignments.

Apparently there would be no sleep tonight.

He would have to pull an all-nighter for the 8th time in the past 2 weeks. Sometimes he wondered what consequences lay in his future if he continued to do this kind of thing. But it couldn't be helped anymore.

It was just how it worked out.

Locating his limo in the parking lot he quickly climbed in. No use dawdling when he had so much to do.

The limo started off towards the mansion, all the while he typed.

"I cant eat either… nor tomorrow… I have to skip lunch again… there's so much fucking work!" he yelled slamming his fists down onto of his laptop feeling frustrated.

All his life it seemed like work.

Why was it this way?

Fun…?

What the hell was fun anyways?

The limo arrived at the Kaiba mansion around 10:50. He walked up to the doors slowly.

He hated his damned life so much sometimes.

'If only people could be trusted… but they are so stupid! All people are so stupid!'

He shrugged off his coat and shoes before he trudged up the stairs. He slowly opened the door to his little brother's room.

Mokuba was sprawled out on the floor, game controller in one hand, the other used as a makeshift pillow.

The tired brown haired boy smiled.

'..except him…'

He picked up the small black haired boy and put him in his bed. He switched off the gaming console and the TV.

'Silly maybe, but absolutely not at all stupid like the rest of humanity.'

He kissed his brother on the forehead before flicking off the light.

He stood in the doorway awhile and watched the small boy sleep.

"He's not stupid like me…"

Sighing sadly, he left to his own prison.

The barred walls he made for himself.

The cage that would most likely lead him to his own death. But in a sense he didn't care anyways.

He kind of wanted to die. Why wait for bodily complications or old age when you can end it when you want.

When you least expect or realize you are.

He was definitely losing his mind in that room, but that was okay.

Because he didn't really know it anyways.

His cage.

His death.

What did it matter anyways?

Nothing.

Nothing mattered anyways…

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

His head fell to the desk. His eyes closed. How could he open them again he wondered. They felt so heavy. He was so tired.

"Why? Why? Why is it this way? What did I do? What did I do to deserve this?…" he cried, angry tears swelling. "God… so selfish… I'm so selfish..!"

He ripped at his hair furiously.

So selfish.

"What the hell is wrong with you?! Why are you so selfish?!" he screamed at himself.

He screamed.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

He stood up swiftly, kicking over his desk furiously.

"Fuck you!!"

He kicked his chair at his wall, hitting a picture of himself. He looked at it.

"I hate you…" he whispered to no one.

His eyes flared.

"I HATE YOU!!!!!" he screamed. He took a pair of scissors from his overturned desk and took them to his face.

He stabbed deep.

"I hate you! I hate you so much!"

Deep cutting slashes.

The portrait tore.

Deeper. Deeper.

He screamed again in anger… internal raging pain… in confusion.

"Seto! What's going on?! What's happening big brother?!" Mokuba screamed from the other side of the door.

The knob shaking franticly. Dying in its own way. Escaping away…

"Big brother! Let me in! What's wrong with you?! What's happening?! Big brother?!"

Kaiba slashed again.

Blood was falling down.

He slashed again.

Deeper.

Dancing red raindrops falling.

Echoing voices hitting the soft forgiving floor.

A crimson singing waterfall.

Forgiving. Singing. Falling.

Falling down.

Faster.

The current's speed increasing.

Raging.

Harder and deeper now.

He dropped the scissors to the ground.

"Seto! Let me in! Seto!"

He was surprised Mokuba hadn't ripped the door right off its hinges by then.

The knob was dancing to the sweet music of the screaming.

"Let me in! What did you do?! Are you okay?! Seto!"

He drew one of his palms to his mouth, holding it in the other injured one.

Sweet refreshing liquid.

It trailed down his arms.

Little crimson rivers.

Paths.

Streams.

Trails.

To the pain.

To his pain.

He looked down at his palms.

Deep gashes.

Pulsing gashes.

Pulsating with blood.

Fresh beautiful deep red blood.

He stared.

"You're so selfish… I hate you.."

His eyes narrowed.

"…I hate you so much…"

He fell.

Lying.

Not sleeping.

Sleeping was escape.

Not for him.

Not ever for him.

He didn't deserve that.

He didn't deserve such an escape.

He only deserved this pain… after all, it was his fault in the first place.

Wasn't it?

"…yes… it is my fault… so much pain I have caused… I want some escape… so many terrible things…" he mumbled.

His mind was slipping, not to the darkness, or to the blankness… just slipping.

He screamed again. Angry.

He clawed into the carpet, his hands coursing over the two sharp metal blades.

He touched them again.

Cold escape.

To the darkness.

They found his face.

They drew their initials for him.

Signing him as theirs.

They fell as fatigue drew close and embraced them.

Deep color staining, he laughed. Bitterness echoing.

His face grew damp, but he didn't notice this so much.

His eyes stared blankly into such a sweet forgiving oblivion.

His eyes grew white with its pleasure filled emptiness.

The nothingness drawing him in deep. Sucking out the pain, replacing it with nothing..

A most smooth soothing nothing.

A forgiving nothing.

A nothing of nothings.

Nothing…

…mattered…

Finally he found his escape… his eyes closed…

Cold nothing…

Mokuba pounded fiercely at the door.

All was silent. That was bad.

"SETO!!? Are you okay?!! Seto?!"

The other boy was silent.

Was he okay? Was he…

…still alive..?

Mokuba screamed loudly shaking the house.

"NOOOOO! SETO! NO!" He tore into the door with his hands, clawing. Digging. Scratching. Anything… everything…

He slipped down… the world fading. Heavy footsteps echoing.

He felt arms around him… moving… he was moving…

He watched the door shred…

He watched them take him..

They carried him…

He was covered in deep red…

…so much of it… so much red..

His eyes were blank, red pouring over them, covering them.. hiding them.

"…Seto..?" he whispered to the fading world around him. "…be okay… please be okay…"

With that it was gone, all was gone.

Joey stirred. He blinked.

His walls were black, everything was black, dark.

The heater was off, but he was still warm.

He blinked again. The time..?

What was the time?

3:30...

He sat up and rubbed his eyes. He felt so awake now. He felt new almost…

He quickly made his bed and got dressed into his school uniform. School wasn't until 8:00 so he had quite a bit of time, but he felt so good inside.

So brand new.

He walked into the bathroom to take care of his business.

He washed his hands while he looked into the mirror.

He paused touching his face softly.

Marks.

Little faint claw marks.

Four of them, on his left cheek right under his eye.

They were a bit bruised around the edges, there was force behind the person who made the marks.

But…

…where did they come from exactly? ..and who?

He touched them again. They didn't hurt. How long had he had these?

He closed his eyes, struggling to remember.

Nothing came to him… nothing at all.

"Why cant I remember where they came from, or when I got them… wouldn't I remember? Wouldn't I?"

He turned on the faucet and splashed the cold water to his face.

The icy wetness slipped down to his neck sending shivers up his back. What a good feeling. But he knew of greater ones.

He closed his eyes.

Kaiba's lips… so soft, so warm and wonderful. Delicious, tasty…

His mouth began to water with his thoughts.

He grinned. Today was their first date…

"…our… first date… oh fuck…"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He stood up from the toilet only to bend over again.

'I never thought I would get this nervous… its still so many hours away… I cant believe I'm getting sick already.' he thought as he threw up again.

He thought of Kaiba's face.

He threw up again.

'How can I face him when I cant stop myself from doing this, he'll think I'm disgusted with him or something… oh well, I'll get over it… I just have to let this thought settle in my head… this new reality..'

He smiled. His sickness seemed to stall and stop for the time being.

"Our new reality… ours…"

Smile.

He wiped away the filth… but the smile was stuck…

But he liked it that way… it was good.

"Hey, wake up baby. Time for school!"

Duke woke up slowly. He blinked.

"Tristan..? What's going on?" he mumbled half asleep and confused.

"Its time to wake up for school of course! You're not thinking of skipping now are you? Your mother said you could stay here overnight if we promised not to skip, and of course my mother would know also if I skipped… she's too observant sometimes…" Tristan continued to ramble on and on about random things.

Duke sat up and rubbed his eyes slowly.

He remembered now. His mother had come into his room the previous night.. She let him stay here..

She cared… she cared so much… and he took that for granted…

He smiled. It may have hurt a bit to realize how unappreciative he could really be..

But that was something he could handle, but for now, he had something else to do at the moment.

"Tristan…"

Tristan stopped talking to look down at Duke. Duke smiled at him mysteriously.

"..yes?"

"I think you're forgetting something dear."

"What?" Tristan asked slowly, a bit suspicious.

Duke lightly slipped his hand under the other boy's shirt. He tugged Tristan's body down onto his own.

"Where's my good morning kiss?"

Tristan smiled. Something was changing. Something was changing for the good.

He smiled into their kiss.

So sweet… dreamy… wonderful. So very wonderful…

His hands glided up his chest, working over the muscles, feeling the skin reacting to their cold touch.

He smiled against Tristan's lips.

Tristan ran his hand over Duke's face gently pulling his face in closer. Their lips closer.

They eventually pulled away for air.

Duke looked up at Tristan shyly. "You're so cute sometimes." Tristan said laughing.

Duke blushed. "Why?"

"Just are." Tristan stood up. "Come on, time to get up honey. If it was the weekend I'd let you stay in that bed a little bit longer." he said with a wink. Duke blushed at his implication. Tristan laughed. "But ya gotta be patient for a bit longer, 'kay?"

Duke stood up quickly and threw the covers over Tristan's head. "You perverted animal! Jeeze!" With that he stormed off to the bathroom.

Tristan blinked having removed the covers long enough to watch him leave.

"I was only joking…" he said into the bathroom door. "Come on Duke… lets not fight.."

Suddenly the door swung open.

"Huh..?" Tristan mumbled before Duke grabbed his arm and pulled him into the bathroom also.

"I'm not angry…" Duke said, his voice low and sexy as he pinned Tristan against the door. "..not at all.."

He ran his teeth over Tristan's collar bone. The other boy's breath hitched.

"Duke… what is up with you?"

"What do you mean?" Duke asked without looking up. He licked and sucked at the brown haired boy's neck.

Tristan wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, one hand sliding up and down his side. "I don't know… first you barely let me touch you… then you totally go off and…" Tristan left off with a laugh.

"And what?" Duke asked, his attention turned upward.

Tristan smiled, his face laughing. "And now you act like you're gonna rape me or something." He laughed again.

Duke's face paled.

That word… he hated that word…

Slap.

Crash.

Slam.

"Duke!" Tristan called after his boyfriend from his position in the shower.

He felt the back of his head.

His hand had a bit of blood on it.

Something he said had been wrong. Duke never acted like that.

He had thrown Tristan clear across the bathroom into a metal bar in the shower.

So hard the metal had drawn blood. The dull metal.

He stood up slowly. What had he done? What did he say that was so bad? What did he do?

He sat down on the toilet lid, his head in his hands.

What had he done?

Duke ran.

Just ran.

Anywhere would be fine. He just ran.

His feet led his somewhere safe. Warm. Welcome.

He knocked on the door.

'Please be home… awake… anything!'

Soon the door opened.

"May I help you young man?"

"Yes. I'm Yugi's friend, Duke. Is he here still? Is he awake?"

"Why yes, here, come in." Yugi's grandfather said ushering him in. "Come in this way." he said showing him into their living space behind the store.

Duke sat down on the chair offered to him and gladly received the blanket the elderly man also gave him.

"Th-thank you.." he said shivering.

It was still raining outside. And it was cold.

He was also still wearing his pajamas. He was freezing.

Moments later the short boy came into the room.

"Duke! What happened?! Why are you wet and in your pajamas?! Did something happen?!" Yugi questioned quickly as he ran over to his friend's side to offer as much support as he could.

"..Tristan…" Duke blushed and looked down.

"…he didn't try anything did he..?" Yugi asked quietly.

Duke looked up. "..No.. I'm okay Yugi, thank you." he said smiling.

Yugi smiled slowly, still fearing, still worried.

Duke had told him, but Yugi never understood why exactly.

Duke never trusted anyone. So why Yugi? Why not Tristan?

But that could wait.

Yugi wrapped his arms around his shaking friend. That could wait.

To be continued…

So, how was that? Like? Hate? Despise? Adore? (probably not that much ^^;;;)

Please review and tell me what you thought.

NOW I WILL RESPOND TO YOU PEOPLES!! BAHAHAHAHA! (don't ask why I'm laughing… no clue ^^;;)

Mai Valentine: Oh thank you! I'm really glad you like it thus far! *teary eyes* thank you.

Misura: Gomen! Mokuba is gonna come soon, sorry I couldn't make it sound like a good thing! Oh, and thank you! I love angst!  Maybe too much but oh well! ^^;;

ColeyCarissa: Thankies!

BarbedWire23: Kaiba is nutzo too! ^^;; Hmn, I wonder, maybe they do call him that. *starts singing* Little Dukey! Little D-U-K-E-Y!!!  Yes, I found myself laughing while I typed that. ^^ Oh, I'm glad my fic was able to keep you company while you were bored! ^^ Oh and happy late holidays to you too! And happy writing if you do! I think that's right! Oh well, I'll have to check up on that!

Duke: SHUDDUP!

Me: …O.o

FREAK014: Gomen! No need for you to apologize!! Please don't apologize!! I'm the one who has caused ill feelings! So I apologize. Truth is I knew someone would get offended by it some so I almost didn't post at all. I'm sorry it had to be you, (where in reality I probably offended quite a few people, maybe all…. GOMEN NASAI!! GOMEN NASAI!! I AM SOOOOO VERY SORRY EVERYONE!! IT IS MY FAULT!! I APOLOGIZE!! MY INCONSIDERATION HAS CAUSED BAD FEELINGS!! I WILL TRY TO AVOID THIS IN THE FUTURE.)

Now I will apologize for wasting everyone's time with my stupid useless rantings! I AM SORRY!! Please forgive me for being so stupid!! GOMEN!

….sorry… sorry… I'm leaving now… *crawls off* ..sorry…

Aerik: STOP APOLOGIZING!! JUST SHUDDUP!!

Me: …sorry… SORRY!!!!

Aerik: …anyways…

Me: Maybe our alter egos have met… its possible. ^^

Smaty1: Thank you for your review! ^^ Yay! I'm glad! I was worried I'd get people confused then they would hate the fic! I'm glad! Thank you!

yuki44: ^^

Ranma Higurashi: Thank you for the review! ^^ Yes, I guess I made it too obvious… *growls* *beats self with brick* I have no sense of mystery I guess. ^^;;

Molly-chan the Anime/Game fan: Oh why thank you! *hides from Yami* …I'll get you and Yugi in there sometime… GOMEN!! *hides*

Aerik: …*sighs*

Hikage Uumanhantaa: GOMEN!! I'M VERY SORRY!!

Aerik: I apologize for her 'apologizing' complex…

Me: I put Otogi and Honda in there because I was stumped on Kaiba and Jou and I needed something to keep me going so I didn't just quit like usual instincts would tell me to. I guess I made some chapters kind of dumb and stupid but some people (maybe I'm just paranoid) thought it was too sad and that it needed some comic relief… (course my comical side came back from hell or where ever it decided to stay while I'm SITTING ALL BY MYSELF IN DEPRESSION!! *whacks 'supposed' humor side of self with an axe* …*bleeds* … dang… anyways! *smiles while she slowly bleeds to death* I needed a break maybe too! I'm sorry it sounded dumb! Please tell me exactly what was dumb (if you ever decide to read this fic again CAUSE I AM SO STUPID AND MADE STUPID STUFF UP!! ITS MY FAULT!! GAH!!!)

Aerik: …she sounds like Ritsu's mom…

Aera: And I'll try to avoid that again! SORRY!