Fears

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SETO'S POV

I had to sleep beside him and my laptop for three days. Even if I was in the hospital I couldn't leave the work undone in the office. Still though, every time I glanced at Jou, I couldn't concentrate with what I'm doing. I feel the guilt struck me specially last night, when I heard him mumbling my name softly. That's when I actually decided to stop pressing the keys on my laptop and turned to hold his hand. I remembered that his hand was warm yet still limp but I was certain that I felt one of his fingers move. Those could be signs that he's going to be okay. Finally I could breathe without restraint knowing that his condition is going to be stable.

Since I didn't get enough sleep for two consecutive nights, this explains why today, I wasn't able to wake up early to start working on more piled up papers from the office. I slept with my fingers locked with Jou's. When I slowly opened my eyes, I saw him. Jou. He laid his sight on me.

"Seto…kun…"

I immediately sat up and held his hand a little tighter. "Jou. You're finally awake. Thank god."

He smiled. I finally got to see that cheerful look on his face again. Though I wasn't really used to hearing his voice in such a soft tone seeing as he always says things out loud. "Was Seto Kaiba possibly worried about Jounouchi Katsuya?" He even managed to tease me.

"Yeah. He was terribly worried of Jounouchi-pup."

He looked over at the table just beside his bed. His expression changed a bit when he saw the stack of papers and my laptop placed on it. "Not as worried about your work, I see."

He then slowly lets go of my hand and shifted his gaze on the other direction, avoiding my stares. I had to let minutes pass before I could even think of something to say to break the silence. "Jou… I'm—"

My words were cut off with his bitter statement equipped with strong emotion. "I don't want you apologizing, Seto. Cause apologizing to me means that you're allowed to do it again. Do you have to let things like this happen to me before—"

It's my turn to cut his statement off but I did it with a kiss. I leaned down and kiss him lightly on his lips. "I missed you… a lot."

He blushed for a short while and all of a sudden pushes me away with a frail arm. "No, you didn't! You were- ow…" With his eyes closed he tried to touch his shoulder.

"Stop moving. You'll just hurt yourself." I called the nurse via intercom. I should've called the nurse that exact time that Jou woke up, but I almost forgot because I got so keyed up seeing that he's okay.

"…You don't want me hurt?"

"Of course not."

"Then kiss me again!"

I didn't see that coming but then I obeyed him. I did this not just because he ordered me to but also because I had the urge to do that anyway. I placed a hand on his face and bent down once more to give him a kiss. I started with short kisses before I deepened the kiss. His tongue made its move at once. I could feel his tongue stroke mine violently. It's amazing how a bed-ridden person could actually kiss like that. But, sorry, I'm in no mood for defeat. Our tongues fought even through position shifts. We part our lips for a moment to gasp for air until I felt his hand hold onto me, weakly pulling me for another kiss. As he slipped his tongue to meet mine again, the nurse entered the room. I don't really know which one of us was the one who got embarrassed. Was it me who was actually leaning down with my lips locked with Jou's? Or was it Jou who actually had his tongue slid inside my mouth? Or maybe the nurse who had her face red all over, coming in at the wrong time?

I shyly pulled myself away from Jou and started fixing my paperwork placed on the table. Jou hid his face in the blanket in humiliation. The nurse nervously looked away and asked, "Uh… well… I see you're awake, Mister Jounouchi… I… I guess I have to call the… uh… doctor now…" Her hands reached for the door and almost speeded her way out from what I saw from my view.

There goes the heated momentum driven away by that startling, or supposedly anticipated, coming of a hospital crew. How could I forget that I was the one who called up the nurse? Wrong move. I couldn't react for quite some time until I heard a faint giggle from Jou.

"What?" I said firmly as I compiled my papers together.

"She caught us. That was totally embarrassing. The look on her face…" He began to laugh. "Ow…"

"There's nothing funny about something that's embarrassing. Now, stop laughing cause you might end up bleeding there."

"But Seto… Didn't you see?" He forced not to laugh.

"See what?"

"The look on her face…" He giggled once again.

"Yes. I saw it. She was red all over."

"You know why?"

"Yes, because to actually bust in all of a sudden in a room seeing two guys French kissing would get every girl blushing."

"Wrong!"

"Make sure to make sense. You frequently forget to."

"She's one of your fangirls!" His laugh was followed by another 'ow' in the end.

"I knew you'd say something stupid."

"You're blushing. Aren't you used to fangirls yet? Damn. You get girls following you everyday and you don't notice it!" He even teased me.

"I don't notice because I don't necessarily care."

"That's harsh."

"I don't care cause I only care for one."

"That's me, right?"

"No, that's Mokuba."

"I hate you!"

"You don't."

"Yes, I do!"

"No, you don't."

"Okay, fine! I don't!" He only pouts and tones down a bit.

"Stay put before you start bleeding." I arranged his blanket.

"Come here!" He pulled me down. I can't believe he actually got me leaning over to him again. I'm sure I heard the doctor say that Jou would be unable to move that much for more than a week.

How did he manage to pull me down? No, the real question is, how can a person with a bullet stuck in his shoulder easily pull me down?

At this position, where two of my arms stretched down with Jou's head between them, was when the doctor popped up from the door. He coughs and I pulled off Jou once again. Jou only stuck his tongue out seeing the same scene happen.

The doctor looked at Jou. "I can see that he's in the right shape for the next operation. So we have to schedule him right away."

"Wha… what operation?" I saw Jou's face reflect anxiety after hearing what the doctor had said.

"You still have a bullet on your shoulder, Mister Jounouchi and we're going to plan the next operation so you can finally be released from the hospital."

"I… don't want an operation."

What the hell was he saying? "What?"

"Please, Seto. I don't want it."

The doctor didn't interfere. It was as if he knew that I'm the only one who could handle things. He gave me the slip where the schedule of the operation was written along with the amount to be paid for it before he left.

"Are you saying that we let you walk out there with a bullet trapped inside your shoulder?" I asked Jou at once.

"No… but…"

"What?"

"I'm scared. I really am, Seto." He hid his face in his palms.

"Don't say that. That's so not like you."

"I won't be afraid if you'll stay by my side during the operation." Jou looked a bit shy as he delivered this line. He looked down uncomfortably with strokes of pink on his cheeks. It may be true that Jou wasn't that scared of the operation at all. He probably wanted to spend some more time with me. After all, he hasn't spent this much time with me. It was only now that he was confined in the hospital.

I had to assure him that I'd stay by his side during the operation. "Okay. If that's the only way to stop a pup from whining."

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TBC

A/N: Jou is alive. Why of course. I love Jou to death. XD

Thanks for the reviews again even though my fic isn't that good I still get reviews.

Late update for I have school now. Gah. Sorry.