A/N: This chapter took longer than I wanted it to, but I rather like how it turned out. Thank you to my wonderful Hikari (Regulus of Slytherin) for proof reading it for me. And thanks so much to everyone who reviewed feels loved. I have never gotten so many reviews and I am greatly enjoying them. Please let me know if any of the characters start getting OOC…I'm trying my best to keep them in character, but if I slip I need to know so that I can fix it. Thanx.
Jounouchi stared at the doorway. He knew that he should turn around, and pull his shirt back on, but between the shock and the knowledge that any fast movements would worsen his injuries, Jou was frozen. Of all the people on this planet who could have been standing there, Kaiba was the last one Jou would have picked.
Kaiba walked slowly toward Jounouchi, eyes never leaving the blond boy's mutilated back. Jounouchi bit his lip. He didn't know what to say, or do. Kaiba was getting closer and Jou couldn't move. 'Move Damnit!' Jounouchi shouted to himself.
"Leave him the hell alone!" Honda yelled from the door to the roof. His arms were clenched at his sides and scattered around his feet were the various medical items that he had been getting, and had apparently dropped at the sight of Kaiba.
Honda stormed up to Kaiba, and before the millionaire could so much as blink, Honda had punched him right in the face. "Isn't it bad enough that he's all cut up without you coming here to rub it in his face!"
Kaiba caught Honda's next punch. With his hand wrapped around Honda's fist, Kaiba threw Honda to the ground. Kaiba turned and headed silently for the door.
Jounouchi was now in full on panic mode. "Kaiba!" When the millionaire didn't even slow, Jounouchi tried again, "Don't tell anyone about this! Please." The last was said in a whisper, with the blond's eyes on the ground.
Jou knew that if anything could convince the CEO to keep this a secret, it was Jounouchi begging like a dog. It hurt to drop his pride and beg, but Jounouchi didn't know what else to do. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and all that shit.
"He's talking to you, Kaiba!" Honda yelled as Kaiba walked calmly opened the door.
"What do I care about some dogs yapping?" In spite of his words, Kaiba turned to face the pair.
"I'm not asking you to care, Kaiba. I'm telling you to keep your mouth shut about it," Honda growled. He was always one for over protectiveness when it came to Jounouchi. Honda had known about Jounouchi's secret for years, since before his father had first hit him, back when the abuse was purely emotional. After all the years of taking care of the blond, he had developed a love for him that was deeper than he could have had for any brother.
Kaiba walked over and stared at Jounouchi's back. For his part, Jou was trying desperately not to squirm. It wasn't easy having your deepest secrets and pains laid out for someone who despises you to examine at his leisure.
"You need stitches," Kaiba said coldly, glaring down at the cut across Jounouchi's back.
"We had noticed," Honda said quietly, "I was going to do them when I got back from the nurses office."
Kaiba glanced first at Honda and then at the pile of medical supplies still laying by the door. He glanced back at Honda again and in an emotionless voice said, "You really are an ignoramus. Get his shirt on and come with me."
"What? I'm not going anywhere just cause you say so, Moneybags!" Jounouchi yelled. The last thing he needed right now was for Kaiba to take him god knows where to do god knows what to him.
"Just make sure he's bandaged up well, I don't need his blood ruining the interior of my limo." Kaiba continued looking at Honda, ignoring Jounouchi altogether.
"Stop ignoring me you ass hole. I said I'm not going anywhere with you!"
Honda looked at Jounouchi, studying the cuts across the boy's back. If Kaiba was offering what Honda thought he was offering, then they really should take him up on it. Honda wasn't that good at giving stitches, and he really wasn't eager to see the pain in Jounouchi's face again. Pain Honda had put him through.
"We'll go," Honda said, turning to his friend.
Jounouchi's mouth fell open in shock, "What do you mean we'll go? This is Kaiba we're talking about. Why would we go anywhere with him?"
"Because he might be able and willing to help," Honda grabbed some bandages and began wrapping Jounouchi's wounds again. "You could use a doctor, Jou. You know you don't really want me stitching you up again."
Jou sighed, "Alright." He lifted his arms slowly and pulled his shirt back on. "But you better not try anything stupid, Moneybags."
"I'd hate to sink to your level, Mutt," Kaiba said, turning and leading the way through the door. As he walked he pulled out his cell phone and made a quick call to his driver, demanding to be picked up at once.
Once in the limo, Kaiba made a call to a doctor, ordering him to be at Kaiba Manor in twenty minutes. The rest of the ride was filled with an awkward silence. Jounouchi was praying that this doctor could be trusted.
Just as they stepped out of the limo, Jounouchi looked back at the CEO, "Listen, I can't really afford this now, but I promise that I will pay you back every penny of bill as soon as I can."
"I don't need, nor do I want, your money, Mutt." Kaiba walked briskly to his door, opening it and leading the way inside. It was obvious, from the CEO's stiff posture, that he was uncomfortable with the whole situation, and Jounouchi had the sudden urge to turn on his heals and run. He had never run away before, and he wasn't about to start now.
Jounouchi and Honda made their way slowly into the manor, trying to look as though they belonged here. Jou had never felt more out of place in his life. Now Jou understood how Kaiba could call him a mutt all the time. Compared to this place, Jounouchi's house was like a dog house.
The doctor arrived at the manor shortly after the odd trio. Jounouchi felt a little uncomfortable letting the doctor examine him. In all his years of injuries, Honda was the only person who had ever treated them. When Jounouchi saw the look of pity is the doctor's eyes as the bandages were removed, he almost walked out…until he saw the death glare that Kaiba was giving him. Kaiba didn't offer help often, and Jou knew that if he walked out now, Kaiba was sure to spread the information of Jounouchi's injuries all over the school out of spite.
It didn't take nearly as long for the doctor to stitch him up as Jou expected it to, and it was certainly less painful than Honda's last fumbling attempts. The doctor gave Jounouchi a small supply of pain killers and instructions on how often they could be taken and walked out of the manor, leaving an awkward silence in his wake.
The blond stretched lightly, testing how far he could move without pulling at the stitches.
"Kaiba…um…thanks for doing this. You didn't have to, and I…appreciate it," why did saying thank you to Kaiba have to feel like Jounouchi was having everyone of his teeth pulled out? "Listen…would you…I mean…I don't really want anyone knowing about this, and I was wonderin'…"
Jounouchi didn't get the chance to finish his sentence, because Kaiba grabbed both him and Honda by the elbow and all but threw them out of his manor. Jounouchi stared in shock at the CEO.
"Shit, Kaiba, calm down. All you had to do was ask and we would leave!" Honda glared.
"Why would I care about a mutt like you enough to even bother spreading your secrets?" Kaiba said, closing the door in Jounouchi's face.
That hurt. Jounouchi never wanted anybody's pity, but he had never expected that, should someone find out his secret, they would treat it with complete disregard. Considering who this was, maybe he should have expected the coldness, but he hadn't. He hadn't expected to be taken home, stitched, up, and then tossed away like that, and it hurt.
"Come on," Honda pulled Jounouchi's sleeve lightly and looking at him with worried eyes. "Let's get away from that jerk."
Jounouchi nodded silently, and followed his friend. A part of him was hoping that Kaiba had been telling the truth, that he didn't care enough to tell anyone. A part of him just wished that someone out there, someone besides Honda, could care about him. Never mind that this was Kaiba. This was the only other person that knew his secret, and the fact that they didn't care made Jounouchi feel more miserable.