Jounochi open the door gently. Everyone watched him come in. "You okay?"
Yugi asked softly.
Jounochi looked up at him. "Yeah, fine, Yug. I'm going to go lie down, so if...anyone..." he trailed off, making his way to his bedroom.
An hour or so later, a soft knocking on his door woke Jou up. "Hmmerph? he mumbled.
"Jounochi?" Bakura peeked into his room. "There's someone out here to see you. They insist upon it."
Jou nodded. As he entered the living room, the breath in his throat caught and he gasped. "Oh god..."
"I'm Seto Kaiba's lawyer," the black haired young man was explaining to Yugi. He turned to look up at Jou. "Katsuya, please sit down."
Jou shook his head in disbelief, tears in his eyes. "Why?"
"Seto has sent me over with a set of papers..." He sat down on the couch, motioning for Jounochi to join him. Jou sat on the couch, his tears increasing. The lawyer folded Jounochi in his arms. "It's okay," he whispered.
Jou began sobbing in the man's long black hair. "Oh god, Mokuba...why?"
"Seto's an idiot," he whispered. "He doesn't deserve you."
"Well, he got rid of me," Jou said bitterly, pulling from Mokuba. "So what's he giving me?"
"Over a million dollars after taxes. You'll be able to live the rest of your life off of it. It's in a nice, high interest bank. There's no way to loose it except on your account."
Jou stared at the document laid on the coffee table. "How is he?" he whispered.
"A wreck," Mokuba whispered back.
"Then why is he doing this?" He ran his fist over his eyes, wiping up some of the tears.
"He wants you to be happy. And he...he's embarrassed."
"Of me?"
"No, of being gay."
Jounochi nodded. Bakura had been right all along. "Okay, where do I sign?" he asked with a new sense of calmness. His heart was already too shattered after everything to feel anymore pain.
Mokuba turned the pages of the document and handed Jounochi a pen. "Right here."
Jou scrawled his name on the line, then stood up. Mokuba joined him. "You take care of yourself," Jou whispered, taking Mokuba in his arms. "And take care of him for me."
"Of course. Take care of yourself, Katsuya."
"Tell him...tell him I understand. Tell him it's okay. Tell him I'll love him still. And that I hope he finds happiness somewhere."
Mokuba nodded. "I better be going. If you ever need to talk, don't hesitate to call me."
Jounochi nodded and pulled away from him. "I need to lie down. Syanora, Mokuba-chan."
~~~
"It could be worse, Jounochi," Yugi gently.
"How?" Jounochi said miserably, hugging his pillow to his chest.
"At least you still have Marik," Ryou said softly.
Jou scoffed at that. "No. Today's the day in which everyone makes Jounochi miserable. He left me, too. Now will everyone please get out before I start screaming?"
Bakura, Yugi, and Ryou looked at each other wide-eyed.
~~~
Bakura rushed through the street. "Get in the house!" he called to Marik, who was standing on the stoop of the apartment building. "I need to talk to you!"
Marik raised his eyebrow at Bakura. "I have to get to work, Bakura."
"Why did you do that? i made him promise he wouldn't hurt you! I never thought you would hurt him!"
"He did hurt me, Bakura. I didn't mean to hurt him. But at least now I'm not holding him back."
"Back from what?" Bakura pushed Marik against the door. "Kaiba left him! Permanently. Look what you've done!"
"What I'VE done?! Bakura! It's not my fault Kaiba's such a little shit! Why do you even fucking care?"
"Because Jounochi doesn't deserve this! He deserves to be happy!"
"Don't we all?! Come on, Bakura, I know you care, but forcing me to like him more than I do isn't going to make him happy. I thought I liked him more than I did. I still wish him well and want to be his friend! That's what he needs right now! Not a boyfriend, a friend. I can be that! And so can you! But is that what you want?"
"What?" Bakura asked startled.
"You obviously care for him, Bakura. You wouldn't be acting this way if you didn't."
"Jounochi is just a friend! That's all!"
"Then go over there and *be* a friend. You want to fix his problems? Then go talk to him, okay?"
Bakura looked away. "What do I say?"
"You comfort him, Bakura. You can't fix his life but you can be there for him."
Bakura weakly sat down on the step. "I just can't help seeing...me..."
Marik sat down next to him, wrapping his arm around his friend's slack shoulders. "You're like a parent trying to live their life through their kid's. You can't do that to Jounochi."
"I just want him to be happy."
"Things happen. It's shitty that they do, but they do. If Jounochi hadn't slept with Kaiba, I might feel different. But the fact is, he did. And I'm hurt. I don't hold it against him. But it still hurts. But I certainly don't hate him and never will. But I think that you...should talk to him, Bakura. Tell him you know how he feels. Just...I don't care, talk about the weather! He just needs someone to talk to."
Bakura nodded. "I'll see you later, okay?" He started walking away.
~~~
Bakura entered the apartment, rubbing his forehead. "I'm home," he said quietly, walking past the snuggling omote couple on the couch. He walked into the kitchen and began wondering around it, searching for something to eat.
"You okay?"
Bakura looked up, startled, into Yami's crimson eyes. "Yeah, fine," he said softly, looking back into the refrigerator.
"So they both left him in the same day," he commented softly.
"I guess," Bakura mumbled.
"What was I like really that big of a jerk?"
Bakura didn't mind the change of subject. "Yami," he spoke softly, "no one's perfect." He heaved a large sigh. "And what you did wasn't that bad by the time period's standers." He leaned into Yami, almost kissing him. "I've already forgiven you once, I remember."
Yami closed his eyes. "What about the Ring?" he whispered.
"Not such a bad thing anymore," he whispered even softer. He placed a gentle kiss on Yami's lips. "Maybe it will pay off someday."
"Maybe..." Yami whispered even softer.
~~~
Bakura helped Jou move into his new apartment. "How you holding up?" he asked softly.
Jou shrugged. "Fine." He sat down on his new couch. "I figure it could always be worse," he said softly.
Bakura sat down on the couch hard, next to Jounochi. He put his arm around the blonde's shoulders. "Well, maybe I...can move in. Be your roommate."
"Really?" Jounochi asked hopefully.
"The omotes really deserve some alone time. And things are kind of awkward between Yami and me after the kiss." Bakura had ended up spilling everything about Yami to Jounochi. In detail. Well, fuzzy detail, he was getting old, after all.
Jounochi smiled at Bakura. "That would be really nice."
Bakura placed a small kiss on Jou's cheek. "Then we'll be moving me in next," he said softly. "I'm taking you out for drinks," he said, standing up. He pulled Jounochi up. "Come on."
"Isn't drinks the thing that started this weird friendship between us? Jou asked amused.
"Yup, but you better shut up, because I'm paying. This is probably the last time, too, blond-y, so enjoy it."
Jou smiled weakly, following Bakura out of his apartment.
Jounochi looked up at him. "Yeah, fine, Yug. I'm going to go lie down, so if...anyone..." he trailed off, making his way to his bedroom.
An hour or so later, a soft knocking on his door woke Jou up. "Hmmerph? he mumbled.
"Jounochi?" Bakura peeked into his room. "There's someone out here to see you. They insist upon it."
Jou nodded. As he entered the living room, the breath in his throat caught and he gasped. "Oh god..."
"I'm Seto Kaiba's lawyer," the black haired young man was explaining to Yugi. He turned to look up at Jou. "Katsuya, please sit down."
Jou shook his head in disbelief, tears in his eyes. "Why?"
"Seto has sent me over with a set of papers..." He sat down on the couch, motioning for Jounochi to join him. Jou sat on the couch, his tears increasing. The lawyer folded Jounochi in his arms. "It's okay," he whispered.
Jou began sobbing in the man's long black hair. "Oh god, Mokuba...why?"
"Seto's an idiot," he whispered. "He doesn't deserve you."
"Well, he got rid of me," Jou said bitterly, pulling from Mokuba. "So what's he giving me?"
"Over a million dollars after taxes. You'll be able to live the rest of your life off of it. It's in a nice, high interest bank. There's no way to loose it except on your account."
Jou stared at the document laid on the coffee table. "How is he?" he whispered.
"A wreck," Mokuba whispered back.
"Then why is he doing this?" He ran his fist over his eyes, wiping up some of the tears.
"He wants you to be happy. And he...he's embarrassed."
"Of me?"
"No, of being gay."
Jounochi nodded. Bakura had been right all along. "Okay, where do I sign?" he asked with a new sense of calmness. His heart was already too shattered after everything to feel anymore pain.
Mokuba turned the pages of the document and handed Jounochi a pen. "Right here."
Jou scrawled his name on the line, then stood up. Mokuba joined him. "You take care of yourself," Jou whispered, taking Mokuba in his arms. "And take care of him for me."
"Of course. Take care of yourself, Katsuya."
"Tell him...tell him I understand. Tell him it's okay. Tell him I'll love him still. And that I hope he finds happiness somewhere."
Mokuba nodded. "I better be going. If you ever need to talk, don't hesitate to call me."
Jounochi nodded and pulled away from him. "I need to lie down. Syanora, Mokuba-chan."
~~~
"It could be worse, Jounochi," Yugi gently.
"How?" Jounochi said miserably, hugging his pillow to his chest.
"At least you still have Marik," Ryou said softly.
Jou scoffed at that. "No. Today's the day in which everyone makes Jounochi miserable. He left me, too. Now will everyone please get out before I start screaming?"
Bakura, Yugi, and Ryou looked at each other wide-eyed.
~~~
Bakura rushed through the street. "Get in the house!" he called to Marik, who was standing on the stoop of the apartment building. "I need to talk to you!"
Marik raised his eyebrow at Bakura. "I have to get to work, Bakura."
"Why did you do that? i made him promise he wouldn't hurt you! I never thought you would hurt him!"
"He did hurt me, Bakura. I didn't mean to hurt him. But at least now I'm not holding him back."
"Back from what?" Bakura pushed Marik against the door. "Kaiba left him! Permanently. Look what you've done!"
"What I'VE done?! Bakura! It's not my fault Kaiba's such a little shit! Why do you even fucking care?"
"Because Jounochi doesn't deserve this! He deserves to be happy!"
"Don't we all?! Come on, Bakura, I know you care, but forcing me to like him more than I do isn't going to make him happy. I thought I liked him more than I did. I still wish him well and want to be his friend! That's what he needs right now! Not a boyfriend, a friend. I can be that! And so can you! But is that what you want?"
"What?" Bakura asked startled.
"You obviously care for him, Bakura. You wouldn't be acting this way if you didn't."
"Jounochi is just a friend! That's all!"
"Then go over there and *be* a friend. You want to fix his problems? Then go talk to him, okay?"
Bakura looked away. "What do I say?"
"You comfort him, Bakura. You can't fix his life but you can be there for him."
Bakura weakly sat down on the step. "I just can't help seeing...me..."
Marik sat down next to him, wrapping his arm around his friend's slack shoulders. "You're like a parent trying to live their life through their kid's. You can't do that to Jounochi."
"I just want him to be happy."
"Things happen. It's shitty that they do, but they do. If Jounochi hadn't slept with Kaiba, I might feel different. But the fact is, he did. And I'm hurt. I don't hold it against him. But it still hurts. But I certainly don't hate him and never will. But I think that you...should talk to him, Bakura. Tell him you know how he feels. Just...I don't care, talk about the weather! He just needs someone to talk to."
Bakura nodded. "I'll see you later, okay?" He started walking away.
~~~
Bakura entered the apartment, rubbing his forehead. "I'm home," he said quietly, walking past the snuggling omote couple on the couch. He walked into the kitchen and began wondering around it, searching for something to eat.
"You okay?"
Bakura looked up, startled, into Yami's crimson eyes. "Yeah, fine," he said softly, looking back into the refrigerator.
"So they both left him in the same day," he commented softly.
"I guess," Bakura mumbled.
"What was I like really that big of a jerk?"
Bakura didn't mind the change of subject. "Yami," he spoke softly, "no one's perfect." He heaved a large sigh. "And what you did wasn't that bad by the time period's standers." He leaned into Yami, almost kissing him. "I've already forgiven you once, I remember."
Yami closed his eyes. "What about the Ring?" he whispered.
"Not such a bad thing anymore," he whispered even softer. He placed a gentle kiss on Yami's lips. "Maybe it will pay off someday."
"Maybe..." Yami whispered even softer.
~~~
Bakura helped Jou move into his new apartment. "How you holding up?" he asked softly.
Jou shrugged. "Fine." He sat down on his new couch. "I figure it could always be worse," he said softly.
Bakura sat down on the couch hard, next to Jounochi. He put his arm around the blonde's shoulders. "Well, maybe I...can move in. Be your roommate."
"Really?" Jounochi asked hopefully.
"The omotes really deserve some alone time. And things are kind of awkward between Yami and me after the kiss." Bakura had ended up spilling everything about Yami to Jounochi. In detail. Well, fuzzy detail, he was getting old, after all.
Jounochi smiled at Bakura. "That would be really nice."
Bakura placed a small kiss on Jou's cheek. "Then we'll be moving me in next," he said softly. "I'm taking you out for drinks," he said, standing up. He pulled Jounochi up. "Come on."
"Isn't drinks the thing that started this weird friendship between us? Jou asked amused.
"Yup, but you better shut up, because I'm paying. This is probably the last time, too, blond-y, so enjoy it."
Jou smiled weakly, following Bakura out of his apartment.