Gah. It figures that I'd get sick just when my summer job begins… x.x Anyway, here's chapter 3 for you, and I try to get the next chapter out… well, as soon as I can, but right now I'm in no condition to write anything. sniffle This chapter is the last one that deals with their (Seto and Jou's) past, in the next chapter the 'plot will (finally) thicken'. ; ) At least I hope so.

Review responses (very quick this time, sorry…):

goku-the-saru: Thanks! I'm glad that you like this (so far anyway…)

mandapandabug: Heh… friends they'll be, sooner or later. Thanks for the review!

Cassandra: Thanks for reviewing! I was afraid that the beginning could be a little confusing, but I hope you get it now…

Yami-loverOB1: Thanks! I thought when I started doing this that this might turn quite different, and yes, that's probably because of the books. Anyway, I hope you'll like the rest of this too.

innominate: Line breaks? D'you mean those long line's I have there in the beginning and the end… okay, okay, what else? (Sorry, brain's not working.) Truthfully, I don't how they're done, I just used copy and paste when I saw them used in one fic. ::sweatdrop:: As for the shounen-ai, I think it's something between minor and major plot… maybe major. And yes, I guess I can tell you that it's Seto/Ryou. …not sure why I haven't told it earlier…
Yes, and beta comments are always appreciated. : )

Sarasusamiga: Hmm… I have to add those books to my list… Thanks for the review! (… ::is still quite amused by the masks::)

Tokemi: They're good books, worth finding. : ) Anyway, I'm glad that you like this, and thanks for reviewing!

Very many thanks to Rayne-Jelly for betaing. Believe me, this chapter's a lot better now than it was before…

Chapter 3

-

About six years later

-

Once again, home arrest.

Seto sighed as he lay down on his bed staring at the ceiling. When will I learn…? When he gets an idea, it's always bad. Such an idiot… though… which one of us am I talking about? He sighed again, but smiling nonetheless. Jou could really be a bother, he always had been, and it made him wonder what on earth had convinced him to agree to this… this madness. Well… he did remember what… now he was wondering more about the why of it.

Good thing I've learned some self-control after that…

One day, years ago, not so long after he had first arrived to Shironouchi, he had been walking alone in the nearby forest, trying to decide what to do. The fact was that he didn't want to stay.

The past few days had really been extremely trying for everyone's nerves. He and Jou seemed to be incapable of being in the same room for five minutes without fighting. He wasn't the only one who was tired of that constant fighting…. Jou's mother complained that she would soon suffer a nervous breakdown because of them. That made him feel guilty, he liked Jou's mother, she had been kind to him from the very beginning.

But he just couldn't help himself when Jou was around. So he wanted to leave… and wanting that made him feel even guiltier.

After Mokuba had recovered from his shock of being dressed up as a girl, he had become quite good friends with Shizuka and was wholeheartedly enjoying his life in Shironouchi. Seto knew that no matter how much he wanted to leave, he wouldn't ever be able to do it. It would be too cruel to Mokuba to take him back to the streets just when he had grown accustomed to an easy life.

He walked on, starting to wonder if it they'd want to adopt Mokuba in any case, even if he wouldn't agree to this huntbrother-folly. Actually, it wasn't such a bad idea, everyone really seemed to enjoy Mokuba's company, they all liked him. Seto just abhorred the thought of leaving his brother behind. Still, it might have been best for everyone.

Just then he came to a small meadow and saw Mokuba sitting in middle of it, obviously crying. There were four laughing boys standing around him, but he couldn't hear what they were saying. He felt his heart fill with rage, all the frustrations of the past few days rushing through him.

"Hey! Leave him be!" He sprinted towards the boys. Three of them almost ran away when they saw him, but the fourth held them back shouting after them.

"Where are you going? C'mon, he's alone!"

When Seto reached Mokuba the younger boy clung to his arm with a tight grip, sobbing. He glared angrily at the boys. "What do you think you're doing with him!?"

The boy who had told to the others not to run away, obviously some kind of leader in that small group, laughed at him.

"Just telling him what we think about lowlifes like you who use other's friendliness for their own ends. You're just like parasites."

Seto glared at him, "What are you talking about?" he bit off angrily.

"What d'you think? You come here, obviously with no intention of becoming a huntbrother or anything, you're just eating their foods as long as they let you."

Seto snorted. "Really? I'm still thinking about this whole thing… if you know what that word means. If I were you I'd be quiet about it…"

"Oh? And if we're not quiet what'll you do?"

Seto squeezed his hands into fists. "Then I'll have to teach you how to be quiet."

"You can try, thief." The boy smirked at him as they began to form a circle around him.

"Get away from here," Seto muttered to Mokuba.

"But…"

"Go!"

"Yeah, run away, kid! Just like your brother's doing. I bet he's just too scared to become a huntbrother!"

Seto opened his mouth but before he could say anything another voice cut him off.

"You'd better take that back!"

"What…?" The smirk on the boy's face changed suddenly to a very confused expression. "What are you…" He didn't have time to finish his sentence before a fist hit his chin and he fell down to the ground.

Seto stared at Jou, not believing his eyes.

"What the hell are you doing!?"

"What does it look like?" He set his feet apart and balled his fists up, ready for battle. "Hey, watch out, here they come!"

Seto avoided narrowly a hit that had been aimed at his stomach, still surprised about Jou's sudden appearance. With few quick moves he was able to get another boy down. The two remaining boys realized that the fight had suddenly turned, two against two, and decided it to be best to run away. The defeated ones gathered themselves to their feet and stumbled after them.

Seto glared after them for a while and turned then his glare to Jou who was looking at him expectantly. "What are you waiting for?" he snapped.

Jou raised his eyebrows. "I just thought that you might want to thank me for my help."

Seto snorted. "I didn't ask your help and I didn't need it. I could have handled them alone."

"Really? One against four?"

"Yes, really!" Seto all but shouted, still angry. "Why did you have to get into this?"

It was Jou's turn to glare at him, he was getting angry as well. "No one picks on my huntbrother."

Seto bit his lip angrily, trying to stay calm. "I haven't agreed to anything, remember?"

Jou gave him a long look, crossing his arms before his chest. "So… were they right? Are you scared?"

"Of course not!"

Jou snorted. "Suuure… Who's gonna believe that? Probably wet yourself when they told you about Hunter's Death…"

Seto jerked his head with an angry move.

"I am not scared!"

"Then prove it!" Jou stepped forward so that he was standing right before the other boy and stared straight into his eyes without a blink.

"Fine! I'll do it! I'll be your huntbrother!"

Shit. I didn't say that, did I?

"You will?"

Jou's sudden grin made Seto extremely wary, what was he getting himself into? "Yes…"

Suddenly the blond boy jumped to his neck, hugging him tightly. "That's great! I was afraid you wouldn't agree."

Seto stood dumbfounded where he was until the other finally let go. Jou grasped his hand, grinning at Mokuba who was beaming beside them.

"I told you he'd agree, Jou!"

"Wha…" Seto turned to stare at his brother. "You what?"

"C'mon, we have to tell others!" Jou started to run towards the mansion. Seto let himself to be dragged away, not really knowing what else to do.

"What have I gotten myself into?" he just muttered too quietly for Jou to hear.

Jou was happily ignorant of his peer's confusion. "Mommy!" he shouted as they run inside. "Mommy, where are you?"

They run through the empty rooms, Jou still keeping his hold of Seto's hand, dragging him along. Finally they came to the Lady's room and burst inside.  "What?" She almost dropped the book she had been reading. "What's going on? Katsuya, haven't I told you to knock before you enter a room… Oh, gods, have you two been fighting again?"

"Sorry Mom." Jou was still grinning. "He agreed!"

Lady Jounouchi sighed and placed her book on a table, there would be no reading today it would seem. "Who agreed, and to what?"

"Seto! He's gonna be my huntbrother!"

"Really?" She looked a little surprised. "Are you sure about it?" Now she was looking at Seto.

No. "Yes." It was too late to back out now, even though he had agreed only to save his honor. Anyway, he wouldn't prove Jou right by backing down.

Smiling, she got up from her chair, walked to Seto and hugged him gently. "I can't tell you how glad I am to have you as my son. And Mokuba too…" She smiled at the little boy who hadn't been able to keep up with the older boys and arrived now to the room, completely breathless. "I was desperately trying to come up with a way to keep you here if you hadn't agreed, but now there's no need for that, is there?"

There was something in Seto's throat that made it feel kind of tight. He nodded, not trusting his voice…

-

Seto smiled a little as he remembered her words. She really had treated him and Mokuba as her own sons. Although… he sighed, that wasn't always a good thing: it brought around the eternal threat of home arrest. Which, in his mind, was not fair, since it was usually because of Jou they got stuck in lock-up.

Their fights had not ended that day, far from it; in fact, it would be a wonder if their fighting ever ended. Still, things had changed for the better. As time went by, Seto gradually got used to the other boy's "senseless activities," and by the time they had taken the Hunter's Oath they had been friends. At least in the eyes of all others.

And after the Oath…

It really had changed a lot. He no longer remembered the details of the ceremony, nor all those pieces of ancient speeches he'd had a hard time memorizing – although not nearly as hard as Jou. He had vague memories of answering the priest's questions with those centuries old phrases. But what had really stuck in his mind, what had stamped itself on his memory, not to be ever erased, was what happened when the ritual speeches were over.

"I call the Hunter God to witness…"

"Breodan, Hunter, accept this pledge."

And there was fire… and darkness and warmth… the call of horns from somewhere far away, the growl of some great beast… The spirit of the Hunt, filling him.

Then the bond had been forged. Suddenly he had been able to feel everything Jou had felt, all the excitement and joy and… love? Such love that one feels towards one's brothers, very similar to what he felt towards Mokuba, but still different, unique.

It had left him completely speechless.

As his initial astonishment had faded away, fear and shame had replaced it. Suddenly he had been afraid of what Jou would feel in him, what he would think when he'd feel all his doubts and hate. Then he had felt a new emotion in Jou, growing mirth. In surprise, he had looked at the blond boy whose hand he had been holding and seen a wide grin on his face. Gradually the feeling had taken a hold of him as well, and suddenly they both had been laughing aloud.

Silly…

But to this day he wasn't sure whose thought it had been.

All those feelings they both had felt… reassuring him that here was something else for him to hold to, someone else than Mokuba, but still as real. He had held Jou's hand, not wanting to ever release it, fearing to release it. Suddenly he had understood what Kagemi had meant when he had told him about how difficult it was for the huntbrothers to face their hunters' deaths, and it had made him to grasp the hand even tighter. There hadn't been such fear in Jou, there had not been any place for death in his thoughts, and slowly the feeling had faded to the background. Still, it hadn't vanished completely, and he knew it never would.

He remembered looking at their audience. Lord Kawai and his huntbrother had been looking at them proudly, but he remembered that when he had met Kagemi's eyes for the briefest moment, there had been something sad in them. The elder huntbrother had nodded at him, knowingly, and he had nodded back, ever so slightly. Lady Jounouchi had been watching them too, also proud, but he had seen tears glistening in her eyes, and for a moment he had understood also that fear all mothers had for their children. There had been no trace of fear or sadness on Mokuba's face, though, nor on Shizuka's, they both looked at their elder brothers with beaming smiles. He had turned to look at Jou again, and looking at his eyes he had realized that he would be the one in the relationship who would have to do all the worrying. 

Something hit his window. The sound was very quiet, but enough to draw his attention. Lazily he got up from the bed and walked to the window.  Probably it was some little bird that… Oh, no.

There, underneath his window, was an all too familiar figure, holding little stones in his hand.

Seto opened the window.

"What do you think you're doing?" he whispered fervently to the other boy.

"Me?" It was quite dark, and he couldn't see the other's face clearly, but Seto could easily imagine the innocent expression he was wearing. "What do you mean?"

"Do you have any idea what your mother will do if she finds out that you've left your room? …How did you leave your room?"

"Climbed down the vine. It was easy, you can do it too. Come on now, I want to go to the town. I heard that there's a new bard, just came in. And she's not just any singer, but bard-born! Let's go now!"

Seto sighed. "Jou, go back to your room. We have enough troubles as it is without this…"

Jou grimaced, Seto could be such an old man. "Come on, Seto."

Seto shook his head. "No. This isn't exactly what I'd call wise. Get back to your room before they find out that you're gone."

Jou shrugged. "Well… if you don't want to come, I guess I have to go alone…"

It was Seto's turn to grimace, he couldn't let Jou go wandering around town in the middle of the night. The blond would probably get himself drunk, make a lewd pass at a barmaid and be arrested for assault on her sweetheart. If he was a menace in company, he was a hellion alone, and Jou's mother would never forgive Seto if something happened…

"All right." He took a look at the vine growing outside his window and to his distress, he knew he could climb down it. He sighed, "I'm coming…"

When will I learn, indeed...

So, that's it for now. Push the button and tell me what you think, okay?

::shuffles away and to bed::