Title: Unexamined Life - Part II

Author: whosjeebus

Rating: M (lime ahoy!)

Pairing(s): Seto/Joey, Tristan/Joey (with brief hints of Yugi/Téa, Joey/Mai, Tristan/Duke & Duke/Mai)

Beta: Jennie B. & Angryhamster (teaming up to save the world from bad grammar once again!)

Spoilers: Slight mentions of the ending of the anime series.

Disclaimer: Don't own it. Would like to, but they won't let me. Wonder if that restraining order is still in effect? Mr. Takahashi, it was all just a big misunderstanding, I swear...

Summary: Nearly fifteen years after being forced apart from the one he loves, Joey Wheeler reminisces on the events leading up to their separation, and holds onto a dim hope that they might one day be reunited. But, after hardships faced and conquered, can things EVER really go back to the way they were?

A/N: A space age A/U with no specific setting, based loosely on a number of popular science fiction premises, tweaked and molded to fit the LOLA challenge criteria, which it was NOT originally intended for. However, the more I wrote on it, the more I thought, 'this fic has EVERYTHING to do with the passage of time and the memories we build in conjuction WITH, and ABOUT the people close to us.' If that doesn't just scream ANNIVERSARY, then I don't know WHAT does… A number of things happened along the way, and I scrapped this idea in favour of another, but, eventually I came full circle again. (I think) I'm glad that I did. Anyway, enjoy!

Special note on the A/U concept behind this fic: Though it DOES technically have a sci-fi premise, the futuristic aspects of this fic are meant to be a bare bones backdrop to the overall story itself. Do NOT expect to see wildly OOC behaviour or ridiculous notions such as 'Space Captain Kaiba Saves the Universe'. That's all in the sequel, folks. Not.

This fic was written for the 'Love or Lies Anniversary Challenge' at A Dragon's Lair

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"I know you didn't, Seto."

It broke Joey's heart a little to see Seto nodding and looking so pathetically grateful for those few kindly spoken words of reassurance. Though his pride was still evident in his posture and mannerisms, Joey couldn't help but view his lover through a critical eye. He seemed almost broken, and the very thought that there could be anything in existence capable of bringing the great Seto Kaiba this low made his throat constrict with terror.

Never taking his eyes from Joey's face, Seto stepped back to seat himself stiffly on the edge of the cell's only furnishings, a narrow pallet too sparse to be called a proper bed. Joey felt an irresistible urge to propel himself forward and wrap his lover in a comforting embrace, but despite the defeated slump to his shoulders, Seto's posture remained stiff, something in his overall demeanour warning Joey off.

The brunet sat with his knees pressed tightly together and his hands fidgeting restlessly in his lap, giving off waves of uncertainty and causing Joey's apprehension to grow. At least he seemed to be drawing some measure of comfort from the pointless movements, though his deep, blue eyes were wide and caused him to appear almost frightened. The dark circles beneath them only helped to highlight the fragile expression that sat so alien on his handsome features. It was this expression, coupled with the tremulous smile of relief that had lit Seto's face when the open doors had first heralded his arrival, that had frightened Joey the most.

Had he done something to cause Seto to doubt him...? Granted, he was terrified of what was about to happen, but Seto's uncharacteristically timid demeanour unnerved him more than any of the traumatic occurrences of the past week. At a loss for words, and desperate to keep the tremor out of his voice, Joey stammered, "I'm sorry, but even with Yugi's influence, this was the first time they've let me in to see you. I've only got an hour…" he trailed off, looking apologetic.

Apparently, those were the magic words Seto needed to hear, shedding his former, hesitant persona as easily as if he were shrugging off his trademark full length coat. "I'm relieved you're here at all. I've been worried sick that you'd bought into their lies, what with all their so-called 'evidence' to back them up." He snorted derisively, and Joey was treated to a brief glimpse of the Seto Kaiba he knew and loved. "I was starting to think that you believed the nonsense they were spewing; that you actually thought me capable of -- "

"Seto, stop. We - we can't do this. There's… no time." Joey's carefully schooled his attitude to appear vaguely businesslike as he fixed the other boy with a firm gaze. "I've come to talk to you about your options."

Before he could even begin laying out the facts, he was interrupted by a bark of incredulous laughter.

"Options? Joey, there aren't any. The court has handed down their sentence, and it's final. That's all there is to it."

"NO! You gotta stop thinkin' like that, dammit!" Joey turned away from Seto, addressing the smooth, blank metal of the wall as stinging hot tears threatened to spill forth. "I've talked with Tris, and together we think we've pieced together why Mai contacted you in the first place." Joey began to gradually warm to his subject, forgetting his audience for the time being. He welcomed the excuse to take his mind off of his lover's impending fate, to feel like he was doing something. He rummaged through the front pockets of his jeans, emerging with double handfuls of scribbled notes, which he consulted as he paced back and forth across the tiny cell. "Tristan even thinks it has something to do with Duke's accident. Well, actually, turns out that it wasn't really an acci-"

"Joey, quit it." Seto's calm, level command cut through the blond's chatter. "There's no point to this, don't you get it? We're never going to see each other again after tonight. Can't you just sit down and be with me, at least for the time we have left?"

Joey heaved a loud and mournful sigh as he shoved the scraps of paper back into his pockets. After running his fingers agitatedly through his messy hair a few times, he plunked himself down on the bed next to Seto and did his best to sound confident as opposed to merely placating. "You know that's why I'm here. But I haven't given up yet, either." He leaned his shoulder into Seto's, reaching up with both hands to gently turn his face until their lips met. Seto exhaled sharply, his breath shuddering against Joey's mouth, and then he was crushing them together, his lips and teeth everywhere on Joey's face and neck, kissing him, devouring him hungrily. Joey couldn't help but respond in kind, parting his lips eagerly when Seto's hot tongue demanded entrance, only to throw his head back in ecstasy a moment later when the brunet suddenly dove lower and bit down hard, just above the pulse point in his throat.

It seemed that Seto couldn't keep his attention focused on any part of his lover for more than a few seconds at a time, his hands scrabbling frantically at Joey's clothing, or tangling in his hair, only to move away again in a desperate search for something more tangible to hold on to. Joey felt overwhelmed, consumed by Seto's passion and need. The kissing, the clinging, the sensation that Seto was trying to climb right inside his skin with him seemed to last forever, but was over with far too soon. Seto pulled back abruptly, placing one palm against Joey's flushed cheek and panting heavily. Searing blue met brown as Seto slowly regained his composure, staring down at his lover with undiminished fire burning brightly from his eyes. Caressing his thumb over Joey's cheekbone, he opened moist, kiss-swollen lips and breathed out, "Joey, I --"

Behind them, the double doors slid open again almost soundlessly, revealing the form of Yugi Moto, standing there pressed between two burly guards. As he stepped inside, he had the grace to look embarrassed at discovering his two friends in such a compromising position, but he quickly settled his face into his usual, compassionate smile.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, guys. I came down as soon as the Ruling Council finished with their deliberations."

The hand on Joey's cheek snaked down and twined around his fingers instead. Squeezing gently, Seto asked, "And?"

Yugi's eyes slid away briefly. "Not a single one of them voted with me."

All three faces fell at these words, Seto managing to look both discouraged and unsurprised at the same time. Joey knew that Seto had stopped relying on other people ages ago. Yugi , Mokuba and himself were really the only exceptions to this rule, although his love for Joey had blinded him to most of the blond's faults by now. Their passion for arguing and the powerful emotions they had formerly channeled into their fierce competitiveness had morphed into an all-consuming hunger and devotion that rendered propriety and rational thought a near impossibility when they were together. Seto may not have been able to hide his disappointment from the two of them, but the fact that he didn't even bother to try covering his reaction illustrated the changes he had undergone in the past year. Joey spared a moment's thought to reflect proudly on the obvious fruits of his influence before he remembered that everything was about to be lost...

Unbeknownst to Joey, Seto found himself thinking along much the same lines. The previous months he had spent with the blond, learning him, loving him, had changed him on a fundamental level that couldn't be perceived by the casual observer. But it wasn't Joey alone who had influenced these changes in Seto, even though he had accomplished the unthinkable in teaching Seto to be more open with his feelings and with himself. Yugi had done his part as well, so much so that now Seto had hardly any trouble at all in bringing himself to admit a grudging admiration for his former rival.

He had to accede that Yugi had guile and ambition to spare; something he'd not thought the diminutive duelist had possessed in such large quantities when they'd first met. At only twenty-one, becoming the youngest Council member in all the recorded history of the Colonies was quite the remarkable feat; just the thing to impress the accomplished young man who had been a child prodigy at eight, boy billionaire at ten, and self-made CEO at the age of fourteen. But what made Yugi unique in Seto's mind was the fact that all of his successes had come with a price, the same as it had been for Seto himself. Nothing had come easy to Yugi, and despite all the uphill battles he'd had to struggle through, nothing had deterred him from his goal. In fact, Yugi sat on the Ruling Council through a cruel twist of fate, finishing out the late Solomon Moto's incomplete term. After his grandfather's sudden death from a heart attack, Yugi had made the decision to run for office and was voted in with surprising ease. The rest of the Council tended to view Yugi as a joke, a mascot even, despite the fact that he had won the election based on his own merit and not out of nepotism and bribery, as a number of the other members had.

From their first very introduction, Seto had been left standing on the sidelines, watching dumbstruck as Yugi worked his various miracles. Whether it was summoning Exodia to the field on day one, or demonstrating the courage to duel his ancient Egyptian counterpart, effectively saying good-bye and sealing him in the past, Yugi had never ceased to awe Seto with his fortitude and exhaustive efforts at winning. His ever cheerful disposition disguised a core of iron, and he now counted Yugi among the few and proud souls who were able to refer to Seto Kaiba as 'friend'.

These days, Yugi was working miracles of a different sort, struggling to make his voice heard over those of the other, more self-serving members of the Council of Rulers. Members who claimed to fairly govern the multitude of Earth Colonies strewn about the solar system, but who, in reality, did nothing more than promote their own interests while simultaneously lining the pockets of their sycophants and cronies. Yugi had turned his formidable powers of persuasion and do-gooder sense of optimism toward eliminating these corrupt officials in an effort to affect change on a larger scale than Seto had ever thought possible, even for someone of Yugi's level of prowess and determination.

But now, it seemed as if Yugi's endless supply of miracles had finally run out. When he'd first come to Seto in prison, ablaze with righteous indignation and outraged fervor to see justice prevail, he'd made such a strong case for how and why it was unthinkable for this travesty to continue, that Seto had been convinced it would only be a matter of hours before he was released, with apologies and a red carpet to see him on his way. Now, one week later, with his sentence to be carried out the very next day, Seto didn't feel quite so invincible anymore. Nevertheless, he took what meager comfort he could from having Yugi so steadfastly in his corner. It was something, and even if he was pathetically grateful for it, there was really no need for anyone else to know more than he was willing to let on.

Joey, on the other hand, might just be a different story. The blond had been happy to see him again; that much was obvious. But, did he truly believe Seto's proclaimed innocence? He turned a searching gaze on the his lover, willing him to meet his eyes and allow Seto access to the truths hidden there, but all his attention was focused on Yugi at the moment. The news of Seto's denied appeal seemed to have ignited a fire under the other boy.

Joey jumped up from the bed, yanking Seto's arm with him. He turned a questioning glance on the brunet, who shrugged, but adamantly refused to release his grip. "So... is that it? We can't be out of options already, Yug'!" When Yugi did not immediately reply, Joey became even more incensed. He tried to jerk his hand free from Seto's, to no avail. "No! I refuse to accept that we're just gonna sit back and let them --" he choked up at this, looking away angrily and using his free hand to swipe at the tears leaking from the corners of his eyes.

Seto tugged on Joey's arm, pulling him back down on the bed and wrapping him in a tight embrace. The blond buried his face in Seto's chest and sobbed brokenly, all pretense of restraint gone once he felt his lover's arms about him.

Yugi clasped his hands behind his back and retreated a few steps to lean against the wall, seeming both anguished and uncomfortable at being the bearer of bad news.

Seto leaned down, murmuring low, comforting nonsense words in Joey's ear, and then pressed a soft kiss to the back of his head. He looked up at Yugi over the tousled golden mane and asked, "What about Mokuba? Did you ask if they'd be willing to wait until he could be sent for?"

"A few of the Council members were sympathetic," Yugi began, "Until I informed them that Mokuba was in school at Juniper Colony, and it would take at least 3 weeks for him to get here on the earliest transport."

Joey lifted his tear-streaked face to stare at Seto in dismay. He struggled visibly, attempting to pull his scattered emotions back together for Seto's sake. "Oh Seto, I'm sorry. I've been so selfish! I never thought for one second about Mokuba! I didn't even contact him to let him know when you were -- when they told me..." He trailed off, lower lip trembling.

"Shhh..." Seto soothed, wiping away stray tears with his thumbs. He mused on how he'd been so very traumatized and upset before Joey had arrived, pacing his cell like a caged animal and railing at the world for the unfairness of it all. HE had been the one needing comfort and reassurance, but now he realized how Joey had gone him one better, by giving him someone to comfort instead. Seeing to his lover's needs was the one thing guaranteed to take his mind off of his impending fate.

He gazed down at Joey fondly, his words quiet but clearly audible. "I knew the high likelihood of their refusal, and as always, I was one step ahead." He gave a ghostly version of his trademark smirk as he released his hold on Joey to reach beneath the pillows at the head of the bed. He pulled out a thick sheaf of folded papers, filled from margin to margin with small, precise lettering. He stood up and walked stiffly over to where Yugi still stood with his back up against the wall. "Yugi, thank you for all you've done for me. You've been a true and loyal friend throughout all of this."

The smaller boy looked taken aback at the solemn words, though his smile was no less warm for it.

"I suspect you never thought to hear those words from ME, did you?" Seto laughed softly. His question was already answered, as Yugi's shocked expression had merely confirmed it for him. "Well, I mean them sincerely, though they're coming too late. I figured I'd try to 'slip them in under the wire', as it were."

Joey frowned at the dark humour evident in his lover's voice. He opened his mouth to protest such an offhand, morbid statement. It didn't do to go 'whistling past the graveyard', so to speak. "Seto --"

Seto held up one slim hand. "Hush. I'm not finished yet." He turned back to Yugi. "I have one more favour to ask of you, if you're willing."

"Anything I can do, Seto. You know that."

He held out the papers for Yugi to take. "Then please make sure Mokuba gets this letter when he arrives, if you would. And let him know that I was thinking of him, always."

Yugi reached up to place one hand briefly on Seto's shoulder, before accepting the papers and stuffing them inside his coat pocket carefully. "He already knows, Seto. He knows."

All Joey could do during this exchange was watch with a horror-struck expression on his face, looking back and forth between the other two men in disbelief. Seto could tell that Yugi wanted to offer some form of comfort to his best friend, but held back because he knew it wouldn't be accepted. For Joey, reality had not yet sunk in.

As Yugi turned toward the door, he addressed Joey directly. "I did the best I could Joey, but the Council has refused to grant Seto an appeal or to overturn his sentence. You have special permission to stay with him tonight, but I'm afraid only family and Council members are allowed at the... procedure," he finished lamely.

Joey surged to his feet, fists clenched at his side. "Shut UP! Stop sayin' things like that!" He whirled on Seto, next. "Both of you! You just can't -- You don't know!"

Yugi took a step forward, reaching for Joey, who jerked away from the outstretched hand only to collapse in the middle of the floor. As the blond's renewed sobs reached their ears, Seto took pity on his guilt-stricken friend.

"It's OK, Yugi. I'll take care of him."

Yugi looked uncertain for a moment.

"It's alright; trust me. You should go on home; I'm sure Té a is worried sick by now. You probably ran out the door without an explanation when they called the emergency session, didn't you?" Once again, Yugi's easily apparent, decidedly sheepish, expression gave him away. How the man had come to the conclusion that politics were his destiny was completely beyond even Seto's formidable intellect.

Yugi sent a grim, closed-mouthed smile Seto's way before he pushed the intercom button and asked the guard to let him out. He shuffled his feet awkwardly, giving Seto one last glance and a solemn nod. "I'll see you in the morning, Seto. Joey, if you need anything..." Yugi looked away, unsure of how to wrap up his well-meaning sentiment. Instead, he murmured a barely heard, "Farewell," before exiting the cell with his head lowered.

Once the door had closed again behind him, the only sounds in the small room came from Joey's continued crying and Seto's own footsteps as he strolled casually around the figure huddled on the ground. Seating himself back on the bed, he took a few moments to stare down at Joey impassively. Watching his lover as he lay doubled over, his thin body wracked with harsh, braying sobs, Seto was hard pressed to keep from breaking down himself. He didn't have the luxury or the time however, and now, neither did Joey.

Seto leaned back on the pillows, crossing his arms over his chest and splaying his legs out before him on the bed. He took a deep breath. "Joey."

Joey twisted his head slightly, so that one tear-rimmed brown eye stared balefully at Seto from under the crook of his arm. In place of a response, the eye disappeared again just as quickly as it had appeared.

Seto sighed deeply. "Joey, get up."

Keeping his face hidden, Joey shook his head furiously, the sobs coming even more loudly and ragged than before. Seto knew from experience that there was only one line to take with Joey, when he was like this, though he dreaded doing it. Joey was the very reason he'd left his former, cold persona behind in the first place, and he hated that he was able to slip back into the role so easily when needed.

"Joseph Anthony Wheeler," he said in a hard voice, watching in satisfaction as Joey stilled his thrashing at the use of his full name. "You're acting like a spoiled child, and you know it." The sobs began to taper off, but Joey stubbornly refused to look up at Seto as he spoke.

Springing up lightly from the bed, Seto gave a soft snort as he strolled over to gaze down at Joey in derision. He hovered over the prone form, pacing with his hands behind his back, his words dripping with invective. "Weak. Pathetic. Snivelling." With each pass, each heaped upon insult, Joey's spine stiffened a little more, until his sobs had died out and only the barest hitching of his breath remained. Yet he still refused to face his lover. "All the things I called you back when we were enemies..." Seto began, "I guess they were true after all."

Joey finally turned to look at Seto, shock and hurt plainly visible upon his face, along with the barest beginnings of anger. Seto ceased his pacing long enough to toe Joey's hip with his boot, shoving him off balance and over onto his side. He knelt down on his haunches and stared straight into the other's liquid amber eyes. "Joey, I love you more than life itself, but if you're going to roll over and show your underbelly at the first sign of adversity, then you're not the same person I fell in love with, all those months ago."

Unmindful of the disadvantages of his prone position, Joey immediately went on the attack. "First sign of adversity...!" He shoved forcefully at Seto, toppling the taller boy back onto his rear. "You have an extremely selective fucking memory, you ass!" he spat, knuckling away the remaining tears from the corners of his eyes with one hand, and pointing an accusing finger at Seto with the other. "You were the one telling me to just give up not twenty fucking minutes ago! I swear to God, Seto, sometimes you are the biggest hypocrite I have ever --"

Tuning out Joey's tirade, Seto brought a hand up to cover the small smile just beginning to break over his face. Joey Wheeler, and his uncanny ability to go from emotional train wreck to willfully belligerent in less than three point five seconds, had never ceased to amaze him.

Pausing to take a breath, Joey observed Seto's reaction and narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Wait a sec. Are you laughin' at me?"

Unable to suppress his mirth any longer, Seto burst out in amused laughter, his delight only heightened by the blond's outraged indignity. Oh God, it felt wonderful to laugh again, to be like this with Joey, to feel normal once more, if only for a brief time. He'd spent the past week hoping against hope that this had all been a horrible nightmare, that he would wake up, warm and groggy, tucked safely in his own bed with Joey's body wrapped tightly about him. This, now, was the first genuine moment that had felt real, the one thing he wouldn't gladly give back., since this entire tragedy had begun playing itself out. It was at once both a blessing and a curse, because it brought home to him with full force exactly what he had to give up.

Joey pulled himself up on his knees, glaring at the brunet with a mixture of confusion and irritation. Seto merely shook his head fondly at him and asked smugly, "Feeling any better?" Joey's petulant frown only deepened, and this gave Seto another excuse to chuckle. "Nearly a year together and you're still just as easy to manipulate. I can read you like a book, Wheeler."

"Hmmph. But I thought you always said I was 'unpredictable in my predictability'," Joey pouted, gracing Seto with a hesitant half smile.

"I was only humouring you so you'd put out."

The red flush that suffused Joey's cheeks sent Seto into further gales of laughter. Chagrined, but ever forgiving, the blond stood and wrapped his arms about Seto's waist, leaning his head into his lover's chest. He sighed yet again, a breathy, forlorn sound, and buried his face in Seto's plain, black t-shirt. Nipping at the soft fabric with his teeth and lips, Joey let his hands wander up underneath the shirt, feeling the smooth muscles in Seto's back contract at the cool touch. His voice was muffled as he asked, "Seto, what are we gonna do?"

Dimly, Seto's mind registered that Joey had spoken, but he was too lost in the pleasant sensations coursing through his body to immediately respond. It felt SO good to be touched again. For as long as he could remember, people had been intimidated by his cold and standoffish attitude, even when he was only a child. And now, after the past week's events, everyone looked at him like he was a leper. But to Joey, he had always been just Seto. OK, so he'd occasionally been known as 'Moneybags' or 'Pompous Ass' or even 'You Obnoxious Prick', but Joey Wheeler had only ever seen the boy that was to become his friend, his lover and his soul mate. He'd never been viewed as anything less than human, for which Seto would be eternally grateful. He found it difficult to believe he'd actually entertained the notion that Joey might reject him after hearing the jury's verdict...

"Seto?"

The brunet leaned down, his mouth nuzzling at Joey's neck, his hands drifting lower until they brushed against the seat of Joey's jeans, cupping the rounded buttocks and pulling the smaller boy flush against his body. "Hmmm...?" he murmured against sweat damp skin.

"I asked you a question."

"Oh." Seto lifted his head, blinking rapidly as he thought back. "Do? There's nothing to do. We've got tonight, and that's it. We should try to make the most of it." He emphasized his point by grabbing Joey's hand and pressing it against the hardened flesh between his own legs.

Joey jerked his arm back, pulling away and glaring up at Seto. "I can't believe you're thinkin' about sex at a time like this!"

"You started it!" the brunet spat out defensively. He decided to try a joking tactic instead, as he pulled Joey to him once more. "Come on. Think of it as a last request?" Seto realized his mistake when Joey sucked in a huge breath of air and looked horrified. He planted both hands flat against the taller boy's chest and shoved.

Seto didn't try to resist, merely giving out a frustrated grunt as he toppled back onto the bed in a boneless heap. "Fine! You know, you have the option of waltzing out that door and back to your life any time you damn well please."

"Are you saying you want me to leave?" Tears welled up in amber eyes once more, and Seto felt an irrational surge of anger at the sight of them.

"NO! I haven't even been within arm's reach of you for over a week now; I'm going crazy from the isolation, and I just want to hold you again, make love to you one last time! Why is that so god-damned wrong?" Flinging himself back onto his pillows, Seto threw an arm up over his eyes and turned to face the wall.

Joey stared down at him for the space of two heartbeats before he crossed over to sit at the foot of the bed. "I know, Seto. And believe me, I'd like nothin' more, but I can't stand feelin' like this, like there's something I could be doin' to FIX everything. I want to make it all alright again." As he spoke, Joey carefully unbuckled Seto's boots and set them on the floor. He made short work of his socks as well, pulling the long, elegant feet into his lap and giving Seto a serious look. "Me and Tris', we dug up so much information. It explains everything, proves your innocence, and exposes the whole fucking mess, but no one will listen."

"I'll listen."

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tbc