So sorry I haven't updated for ages! Been so busy with everything, rehearsals and work etc…but I'm back now that's its Christmas! Yaay! Anyone else super-duper excited? Anyways, thankingyou for all the reviews and here is the next chapter for you all, for waiting so patiently! L. xx
It had been a week since Joey's talk with Seto, and he hadn't heeded his advice, instead skirting around the issue whenever Yugi called. He hadn't seen any of his friends and he had enrolled Danny into a local school, leaving him plenty of time by himself when he wasn't doing a shift at the café. Despite everything he had heard and remembering events leading to his departure, he still couldn't remove the idea that Yami was cheating on Yugi with Seto. No other reason seemed logical.
But he was soon dragged away by the phone ringing. It had been ringing all day, but this seemed to be the final straw as Joey couldn't stand to listen to it any longer.
"Hello?" he answered, wearily. He had thought it would be Yugi or Seto at first, so was surprised to hear Ryou's panicked voice sounding down the earpiece.
"Joey! Thank goodness you're in! You should come to the Game Shop as soon as you can, Yami…he's spoken to Yugi and he's in pieces about it. I don't know what to do!" He said hurriedly.
Ignoring his initial anger and rage at the sound of Yami having anything to do with the group, Joey agreed and grabbed his coat and keys, ready to leave.
Upon arrival at the Game Shop he saw it had been closed, but through the windows he could see Yugi, Ryou…and Seto. Walking straight past them to Yugi, he embraced his friend who was currently in tears on the floor.
After a short while, they progressed to the back room. Yugi had calmed down, but still clinging to Joey and shuddering every now and then. No one had uttered a word after Joey's arrival, just watched, so now he dared to speak.
"Yug'…what…what did he say?" He asked, gingerly so as not to send his friend off again. But he was greeted with silence and the sensation that he was being watched. Now, finally, acknowledging Seto as a part of this event, he looked up and glared at the man before him. Their eyes locked for a few moments, neither revealing anything to the other, remaining as stubborn as ever. This continued until Yugi shifted off of his seat and walked into the shop front again, leaving Ryou, Joey and Seto sitting in an uncomfortable silence.
"I'll…just…" Joey muttered as he left the back room, following Yugi, unaware of Ryou following him out of desperation not to be left with Seto.
"Joey…leave me alone." Yugi said quietly as Joey approached. The comment took him aback as it was so unlike anything Yugi had said before. The closest he had got to angry with any of his friends was with Téa during the Dartz ordeal.
"Leave me alone, Joey. You've left Seto on his own, go to him." Yugi repeated.
"Yug'…why would I do that? You're my best buddy and he's some insensitive jerk who couldn't give a damn about anyone. I'm not leaving 'til you tell me what Yami said." Joey said, standing his ground, wondering why Yugi would request him to spend time with Seto, of all people.
"He gives a damn about you."
But Yugi's response was met with silence as Joey refused to speak until he got what he wanted. This continued for a few moments until Yugi spoke again, barely a whisper and muffled through sobs.
"He said he still loved me, more than anything…but…but he didn't want to trust me anymore. He said that nothing could stop him loving me but he didn't want me anymore."
His answer was not replied to, instead greeted by an array of confusion on Joey's part about Yami's cryptic message. He had assumed he had spoken to him via their mind-link but why talk at all if not to put Yugi through further pain? Why couldn't he do the trusting when he was the one cheating?
"Yug'…I'm gonna go find Kaiba. I'll be back in a sec, OK?" Not waiting for an answer, Joey dashed to the back room, trying to find some sort of answer in Seto, but also to run his thoughts through his mind.
As he entered the room, he found Seto bent over in one of the chairs, elbows on knees and head rested in hands. He looked stressed and tired, but most of all exhausted.
"You okay?" Joey inquired, silently hoping for no response so he could just sit there and mull things over mentally.
"I don't understand you, Joey." Seto simply stated, looking up at him finally, meeting his confused appearance. "Why the heroics? Why have you always been Saint Joey, helping Yugi out all the time. Always the good guy. Why can't you ever do anything bad? Something so unthinkable and terrible that it's fantastic."
"I'm not following you, Kaiba." Joey finally said, after pausing for a moment to try and understand Seto's point.
"After High School. During High School you were always helping Yugi out and solving his problems, hell you even helped me out more than necessary. But after High School you had the opportunity to stop being such a 'nice' guy, to do something unpredictable and so looked down upon and you could've ended up in a better position than you are in now. I don't understand why you never took the opportunity. I would have if it was me and I was being honest. It occurred to me tonight, when you came rushing to Yugi's aid once again." Seto finished, looking away from his, sighing in despair.
"What are you trying to say, Kaiba? What could I have done? Do you want me to help you more often? What is it!" Joey demanded, getting more frustrated and angry at Seto's cryptic speeches. So like Yami's, Joey thought. Seto soon after, made a small growling noise from the back of his throat and looked at Joey, leaning forward, and exclaimed:
"You could have been with me! I'd always sort of admired you, then liked you and then liked you more than I should have! That's what Graduation was about, jeez Joey!"
"But…I kissed you."
"I didn't exactly push you away."
Joey stared at him and lowered his tone, as he tried to prevent his friends overhearing.
"But it's not the same anymore. You've been with Yami, you've screwed my friend over and lied to him about it, lied to me. Kaiba, you're fucked up. How you can sit here like this is beyond me, probably hoping that dear Yami has left you a little love note on the end? I really liked you once, Kaiba. So much so that I got the balls to kiss you like I did."
"Been with Yami? What the hell? You think it was me he was cheating with! Fucking hell, Joey! Why would I cheat with Yami when I was so fucking hung up on you the whole time? So if anyone's screwed anyone over, you did me when you fucking upped and left! Just when I thought we were getting somewhere, just when I thought you could tolerate being near me…Jesus Christ!" Seto yelled at Joey, stunning him into silence as he just stared, wide-eyed at Seto as all his revelations came out.
But in his stunned state, his mind wasn't working as well as it should have, as he marched over to Seto and kissed him the same way he had done on their Graduation night. It wasn't what Seto was expecting so it was a few seconds until he responded, but he did gladly, letting Joey take over as he deepened the kiss, being thankful for getting anything at all.
But it was after Joey broke away from him, that he was confused. Joey looked into his eyes with a look of regret and apologies, as he walked past him and left the Game Shop, promising to sort it all out for Yugi when he had collected Danny from school.
Once again, for the third time in his life, Joey had left Seto Kaiba hanging and Seto had a feeling this wouldn't end the way he wanted it to. After all, barring the kiss, he was given no clue of requited feelings; maybe Joey kissed him out of pity. He presumed he'd never know as he left the shop to attempt to track Yami out with the Kaiba Corp. systems.