dragonlady222 – He is misunderstanding everything, but then don't men always jump in the deep end and screw everything up? Hehe, just kidding. /stops being bitter about past experiences/. Ahh…Yami Bakura. I adore him, but unfortunately he isn't necessary to the story so, so far, he hasn't made an appearance. And I can tell you that Malik won't be coming into it. As pretty as he is, there is also no need for him. Keep guessing! Haha! Thanks for the review!
fallen-angel-of-repression – I'm not entirely sure what you mean there, but thank you anyway! I'm not too confident in my writing but it's nice to hear that others like it! Hahahaha! Not an Anzu fan then? Must admit, she really winds me up! They really are, had many fun nights based around drinking games!
Dark Magician Of Chaos – Oooh regionals…sounds interesting…/would know nothing about it after having ended up in this small isolated island they call Britain/. Thanks for the review :)
Thanks also to: whatevagirl1 : KeraJeir : FireieGurl.
Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I had way too much school work to get done, as well as the HP Premiere. /Way too much fun/. So haven't had time, but I couldn't leave you hanging for too long hehe. Apologies for the crappiness, but it had to be for the next chapter to be good…if that makes any sense whatsoever! Have fun reading and please don't forget to review at the end : good/bad. L. xx
flashbacks are in italics
includes swearing…like the 'f' word…/dies of shock/
The days that followed his previous talk with Kaiba were some of the more confusing. Everything he left for, everything he was fighting for had – potentially – come crashing down in the space of a few hours.
But Kaiba wouldn't leave him alone after his hasty departure. Joey started to notice Mokuba making more frequent visits to his café and his phone ringing and not leaving a message about four times a day. However, it wasn't this that bothered Joey. It was fear. He knew there would be implications and side-effects to returning but with so much pent up hatred, he wasn't ready for it to start again.
'I left it all behind Stupid High School thing. Means nothing.' Joey often found himself thinking, trying to suppress everything. But it wasn't an easy task as Joey feared it was all coming back to him. It was this fear that lead him to remember his Graduation night…
"And here's to slumming it, dossin' at home and getting tho…thorough…thoroughlalaly pished…just like now eh?" Joey giggled as they sat in a club amongst their peers celebrating leaving school.
"Hear! Hear!" His friends called, raising their glasses before giggling along with Joey. When the giggle fest had ended, his gaze led him to spot Seto Kaiba standing alone by the bar drinking a clear liquid Joey thought to be water. A familiar feeling of nervousness spread through him as he took in how good he looked in smart trousers and a blue, silky casual shirt. Joey even took the time to notice the shades clipped down his chest. Moving up to see his gaze, he immediately looked away having met a familiar gaze with Kaiba.
'Jeez Joey!' He mentally berated himself.
"Go ask him to dance. Last chance mate." He felt someone nudge him and saw Tristan urging him on.
"Wha…no way! He hates me! Why would I?" Joey said, suddenly becoming very interested in his drink which he was currently swirling.
"Yes, that real look of want and lust in his eyes is just screaming; 'I hate you Joey! I hate you so much I want to take you home and fuck you senseless! Yes Joey, these are the words of hate!' C'mon man!" Tristan joked, doing an excellent Kaiba impression.
"He doesn't want me, Tris." Joey answered with a defeated tone. However, knowing otherwise Tristan knew what he had to do.
"Joey Wheeler. I dare you to ask Seto Kaiba to dance with you." He said smugly, a smirk dancing across his face.
Never one to back down from a dare, Joey grinned at his friend before making his way to the bar. As soon as he got there, his favourite song to dance to started playing, Spicy Marmalade. 'Perfect.' He smirked internally.
"Kaiba, I…erm…yeah…erm…"Joey trailed off wondering what went wrong, he had been so confident before! So…clearly with a death wish, he grabbed at Kaiba's arm and pulled him to the dance floor, surprisingly finding no rejection. As Joey started dancing he noticed Kaiba standing still, so he placed his hands on Kaiba's hips and began moving him in time.
"Dance with me, Kaiba!" He smirked and winked up at the taller boy, shocked to a smile in response.
"Why didn't you just ask?" He replied and they began moving, completely in time and as perfect dancing partners. Half way through the song, Joey noted that he had moved and was now centimetres from being pressed up against Kaiba. As his eyes wandered up the taller boy, their eyes locked for a few moments. With a new bout of confidence, Joey moved an arm upwards and placed his hand on the back of Kaiba's neck, still receiving no resistance. While still moving into each other, Joey pulled Kaiba's head down and their lips met.
"Thank you, Seto Kaiba." Joey said against them, before attacking him with a kiss fuelled by everything he had at that moment. It was a moment where every thought or apprehension left his mind and it was only him and Kaiba. However, it nearly ended prematurely as before long – Joey nearly pulled back in shock – Kaiba responded with as much want and passion, if not more, that Joey placed into his. But, determined as ever, Joey soldiered on, savouring the moment as he was sure it wouldn't happen again. After what seemed like forever, they pulled apart at the same time as the song died away. As Kaiba looked down at him in confusion and shock, Joey pulled his body away and looked up smiling.
"Honestly…arigatou Seto." He said before turning away to rejoin his friends. Kaiba remained there for a moment or two before briskly walking back to the bar.
"Bloody hell." He thought aloud, still dazed. "Give me a shot of the strongest or most effective spirit they allow you to sell." He demanded of the bartender.
"That would be absinthe." The barman responded.
"Sounds interesting. A shot of that." He ordered, downing it in one to calm himself as he recalled the previous few minutes.
Joey was sat on the floor in his living room, head in one hand, as he recalled that memory.
'That's why it hurt so damn much.' He thought, in a moment of realisation. 'That's why it hurt so much when I thought he was with Yami. That's fucked.'
So he did what he always did. He ignored it and put on a CD, blasting Blink 182 throughout the flat as he began air-guitaring. A sight for many, but especially Danny as he watched in amusement, laughing – something he hadn't done for a while. It was this sound that brought Joey back to reality and reminded him that he wasn't alone.
"Hey Dan!" Joey grinned, beckoning to the smaller boy.
"Uncle Joey, what were you doing?" Danny asked accusingly, a smirk brightening his features.
'Since when do eight year olds smirk?' Joey though, but shrugged it off. "Air-guitaring…c'mon and join me, its great fun!"
Seemingly convinced, Danny joined in with his Uncle's antics, laughing and giggling all the while, like he hadn't for months. Soon they had worn themselves out and collapsed on the floor in a giggling heap. Exhausted, Joey reached out to the remote control and switch the music off, hugging Danny while leaning against the sofa.
"I'm sorry, Danny." Joey said, tightening the hold.
"Why?" Danny asked innocently, oblivious for the time being to any reason for an apology.
"I've not been around, little buddy. But I promise I'm not going anywhere for a while yet." He smiled down at the smaller boy in his lap, ruffling his hair, happy to get a small chuckle in response.
"That's really great, Uncle Joey! But could you get the phone, it's getting really annoying!" Danny giggled as he slid off of his lap and grabbed the cordless for him. Absent-mindedly, Joey answered the phone without a moments thought of whom it could be.
"Y'allo?" He asked wearily.
"Joey!" Kaiba's surprised voice resonated from the other end.
"I can't be bothered with this…not over the phone. I'll come and see you." Joey said, rubbing his eyes. Kaiba's voice had brought him to his senses and realised that he needed to sort this. Joey knew he wasn't being fair, but at the same time he was curious to find out why Kaiba was so desperate to hear from him, why he had been calling him constantly, why he was sending Mokuba to find him every day. So hanging up the phone he told Danny to get ready to go out.