I'll respond to reviewers soon, but I'm so tired and rushing to get this one out and I don't have time…sorry! Love you all though and thank you for them all the same!
Sorry for the delay but again, school work has caught up with me and prevented me from doing anything I want to, barring seeing the abysmal new HP movie. Anyways enough of my ranting. Not sure if this chappie is good or not, I'll leave it up to you to decide, enjoy Joey's explosion…once I started writing it I couldn't stop…so yes, it might ramble a bit. /shuts up/
Some swearing…'f' word again…
Clutching Danny's hand tightly as he walked the streets of Domino, Joey realised he didn't have any idea where Seto would be.
Berating himself once more, he came to the conclusion that he would be in only one of two places; Kaiba Corporation or the mansion. He wasn't aware of any other hiding places Seto may have acquired since he left. So naturally, he headed for Kaiba Corporation assuming that Seto was still a workaholic after all this time.
After stopping at McDonalds to get Danny a Happy Meal, they finally made their way to the Reception on the ground floor of the looming building.
"Hello and welcome to the Kaiba Corporation. How may I help you?" A chirpy, but seemingly friendly receptionist asked looking up at Joey expectantly. Her expression began to harden as Joey took a while to register that Seto hired 'nice' people. Amazing, he thought to himself.
"Erm…yes, sorry. Spaced out there. I need to find K...erm…Mr Kaiba's office please." He asked politely in manners acquired from his café.
"Do you have an appointment?" She asked, glancing at him with a disbelieving glare under the friendly façade as she looked between Joey and Danny.
"Yes actually. He called about half hour ago." He smiled back, in a similar false manner.
"Well then. Mr Kaiba's office is on floor fifty-nine. You can see his secretary and wait for him to see you. Have a nice day, sir." She answered, turning her eyes elsewhere.
"Thank you, ma'am." Joey sniggered, grabbing Danny's arm and walking towards the elevator wondering about the kind of person Seto was to hire false bitches like that one on the front desk.
After a surprisingly short elevator ride, Joey soon exited and was surprised to be immediately faced with an extremely elaborate desk and a beautiful woman seated behind it. 'Typical, sleeping with the secretary.' Joey thought. Chuckling to himself as he signed his name in and was asked to take a seat. He noticed a few other men in smart suits seated around him and assumed he would be waiting a while. In silence.
It was then he wondered if Seto was even here. Soon the silence and thoughts were broken by the secretary ringing a small bell, trying to catch attention.
"Mr Wheeler? Mr Kaiba will see you now. Please enter through the white door." She smiled at him and grinned down at Danny. It was then that Joey saw she was heavily pregnant and beaming down at the small child in his hand.
"Congratulations." He smiled warmly at her before proceeding through the specified door.
When he entered the room he was expecting some really elaborate room, similar to the secretarial area. But he was pleasantly surprised to find a large room with an ornate bookcase and matching desk. There were two black, leather sofas and a door leading somewhere from one wall. All along the wall behind Seto were window panes, letting the light in and creating a light blue hue around the room as the sunlight ricocheted off of the walls. It was this light that almost blinded Joey as he struggled to make out the silhouette of Seto Kaiba seated at his desk.
"Take a seat, Joey. I'll be five seconds!" Seto said hurriedly as he frantically moved papers around on his desk. He had his shirt sleeves rolled up and thin rimmed glasses sat stylish on the bridge of his nose. His hair was tousled; obviously having had a hand ran through it too many times. He had a single cigarette smoking out of his mouth as it hang there for lack of a better place, coinciding with an expensive looking pen tucked behind his left ear.
Joey obliged, leading Danny to a sofa, smiling at the sight of a very stressed and real view of Seto Kaiba before him. In a short time he eventually made his way around the desk and seated himself next to Danny, acting as a border between Joey and Seto.
"Thanks for coming." Seto smiled at Joey, turning his attention to Danny playing with his Happy Meal toy. "And who might you be?" He grinned down at the small boy.
"I'm Daniel Wheeler, sir." He answered politely. This caused Joey to stifle a giggle as he watched the maturity levels rise in the little eight year old.
"Well I'm Seto Kaiba. Pleased to meet you!" Seto said, offering his hand to Danny, who took it happily and shook it vigorously, giggling as he did.
"Alright, Danny, that's enough! Sorry Kaiba, a bit too enthusiastic for his own good." Joey said, nervously, pulling Danny's arm back.
"No he looks like great fun. He yours?" Seto asked, still smiling. Joey noted inwardly that Seto had a soft spot for children. The reason? He didn't dare ask himself for fear of his subconscious answering him.
"Erm…not exactly. I've got legal custody of him, but he's Serenity's kid. He's a great one and I love him to pieces but you know it's hard. But you know that with Mokuba. Anyway I wanted to talk to you without Squirt but I couldn't leave him. Anywhere he can go? Or be amused?" Joey asked, sure that Seto would have at least something child-proof.
"Do you play computer games, Danny?" Seto asked as boy in question nodded frantically. "Well go to my desk and you can carry on what I'm playing on the screen." Seto laughed as the little boys eyes lit up and he ran to the desk. When he reached his destination, a high-pitched shriek of "Harry Potter! Cool!" was heard, resonating around the office.
Seto was momentarily distracted from Danny, however, by a giggling Joey next to him.
"What's wrong?" He asked, confused, not finding anything funny.
"You playing Harry Potter…just so…so…unexpected. Sorry." Joey said as he calmed down and flashed an apologetic look to the man next to him.
"Oh, yeah it is kind of funny. But I get bored here all day and I only have simple games on the new computer so I have to make do. However it isn't half bad…of course…" Seto began but was immediately cut off.
"…you could have done it so much better. Yeah, I know Kaiba." Joey said smiling at him, seemingly proud of such a skill; being able to end Seto's sentences.
"You know me too well. So…want to talk?" Seto inquired, wanting to get straight to it. He had a lot he needed or wanted to say after not seeing Joey for three years, but also wanting to find out why he left the club so cryptically the last time he saw him, therefore not wanting to push other issues in the way.
"Yeah…I want to apologise for walking out like that. Had a kind of epiphany y'know. I'm still not convinced my new theory is right because something inside me wants me to be stuck on the original, but I'll work it out. Also would be nice to have a proper catch-up chat as opposed to being in a sticky, hot club consuming too much alcohol." Joey joked, hoping that Seto would pick up on the joke in there as he referred to every time he saw him at the club.
"Ah no problem, and yes…let's chat. Why are you delving into Yugi's issues again? If that drove you away the first time then why come back and repeat the past?" Kaiba asked, gingerly at first but soon put it behind him as he grew bolder at diving in instantly into a 'question and answer' speech.
"Because I can't run away from it. His problem has become my problem, Kaiba and it haunted me the whole time I was away. Plus, it's easier than dealing with Serenity." Joey answered honestly. He didn't know why he was telling Seto all this when he couldn't even tell his closest friends that his sister had died. He hadn't told anyone and that was how he wanted it. He was upset that Danny had told Mai but that couldn't be helped.
"What's Serenity got to do with anything? Hold on, Joey. You're going to have to back up here and tell me everything because I'm lost. Is this a 'let-it-all-out' moment?" Seto asked, trying to remain nice but knowing he had to keep up some of his usual persona so he sneered a little for good measure.
However, sensing some slight hostility Joey lost trying to be calm and collected. At the club he could be anyone and do anything, he was free and he was on neutral ground. But here. Here where Seto Kaiba worked and spent his life away was somewhere he would eventually erupt. Somewhere where he would be expected to tick and explode. So, naturally, he would shy away from being adverse and unpredictable. He would explode.
"Yeah, maybe it is, Kaiba. I heard you and Yami that day…in the supermarket. All that 'I care about you' crap. I know Yami was cheating on Yug' with you, I watched and listened for days and then when I return to confront my troubled here there and everywhere I find you…you who had betrayed me, dropped me like nothing, helping my best friend. Aiding him through a break-up you were solely responsible for. So it made me angry, I tried to be pushy with you and get it out but it wasn't working! I needed to know, Kaiba because when I left, the last thing I said to Yami was that he was a cheating bastard…and he tried to tell me he didn't do any such thing. So I had unfinished business. It became my business when I couldn't shrug you off, after Graduation, I couldn't shrug you off and then you went and fucking started out with Yami like no one else mattered. So I ran away like I always do…and into Serenity. She never told me in the time we spent apart or even when she was here that she got into trouble. She had Danny when she was fourteen, best bloody kept secret in our family. Of course when my Dad found out, he left to go help her and he and my Mum kind of figured something out. They're not ever going to be back together but they're managing to stand each other's company for Danny's sake if anything. Serenity died about six months ago. She left me custody of Danny, not trusting Mum and Dad enough. Well the trouble she was in at fourteen followed her to twenty-two and they killed her, in the room next to Danny. I mean, that's fucked-up! Danny's dad claimed that Serenity was doing drugs and couldn't take care of Danny, neglecting him and refusing him any contact. The guy was later found to be mentally ill, but that doesn't excuse his friends that helped him. I couldn't stand it and Danny shouldn't have been in that environment. That's why I came back here, kind of hoped that I could resolve Yugi's problems to get over my own. But yet again, as per fucking usual, Seto freakin' Kaiba has to storm in and ruin it! You ruined it! I can't accomplish anything…you fucking cheated with Yami, hurt Yugi and now you're hurting me. Wow…full set, Seto. Well done. Jesus, why am I telling you any of this? Why? This is ridiculous. Danny, c'mon mate, we're going home now." Joey said, calming down at the end, not taking his eyes off of a slightly dumbfounded Seto Kaiba, who looked speechless.
As he held Danny's hand and grabbed his Happy Meal toy, he slowly made his way to the door so he wouldn't miss anything Seto had to say if anything.
And then he did.
"Joey…you're wrong. I...erm…I never…what's the point? You won't believe me…just go tell Yugi about your little predicament. He could shed some light on a few things for you before you go shooting any more accusations around." Seto answered, surprisingly calm, as he moved back to his desk to continue with paper work as Joey left the room, thinking about what he had said, remembering to have a chat with Yugi sometime.