A/N: Thank you guys SO much for the reviews. I'm feeling a wee bit better now. Huff. It feels great to pour my feelings out on this fic. And I'm proud of it! Though it IS kinda freaky seeing me in Jou's stances. Especially the promise part.
Warnings: Mild Cursing, Shounen Ai, OOC Tendencies
Disclaimer: Disclaiming all rights right now—aside from the promise…

Story Notes:

1) -.-.-Page Break-.-.-

2) Flashback

3) For the flashbacks, I shall call Kaiba… 'Seto'. Because he wasn't a 'Kaiba' back then… yet. :D!

"There's always ONE promise bound to be broken."

Find Me

I Promised

Both teens silently walked the halls of the school, heading to detention. They were really quiet. No words. No arguments. No nothing.

This made everyone they passed by seemingly happy—but little did they know. If ever they squint, they would see sparks (the bad kind) in between them.

Though, let's not really get into that.

Soon, half way going to their destination, the sparks had finally died down. Hell, the two didn't even say a word to each other. But as they walked to the room, both of them seemed to have been stuck in their own world. Lost in the vastness of their thoughts, Kaiba and Jou had not noticed how close they were walking together.

Finally, reaching the door they aimed for—Jou started to reach out his arm, just as Kaiba did. And for a brief moment, before reaching the doorknob, their hands brushed slightly.

There was a pause.

The blond's heart pounded a bit. Nervous. He didn't want to look at the CEO's reaction. But he was curious. Jou, then, took a quick glance at Kaiba as he continued to reach for the knob—leaving Kaiba's arm in mid air.

Honestly, the brunet didn't look a bit bothered by their contact. It actually seemed like he didn't care. Just as Jou should've been. Sadly, the blond expected a bit of a reaction—even if it was a scowl or a hiss. Or yelling. Any reaction would've been fine, but there was none.

"Turn the knob." Kaiba commanded. "Mutt."

The smaller teen would've started to argue with him, but he wasn't really in the mood now. And so, silently, he opened the door and sighed.

"Masters first." The brunet stated again as he slightly shoved the blond out of the way just to enter the room.

Still, there was no reply. Jou really didn't want to get into anything. At least, not right now. So, he just walked in, following the CEO's steps—nodding at the teacher-in-charge.

Kaiba soon found his seat in the front row. Now, only Jou's light footsteps had sounded through out. Proving the wall between the two.

The silence was either deafening or really uncomfortable. All honesty, Kaiba can really admit it was disturbing. The Mutt, the Dog, the puppy was actually quiet.

Of course, he could partially take the blame for that. Kaiba knew he acted like a jerk. Or maybe a bastard. Or better yet, a complete and total asshole. He was fully aware of how he broke a promise without conscience. No, he wasn't guilty. It was just; you know… how his step-father brought him up. Cold and ruthless.

'It has to be like this.' He breathed as he eyed the blond who sat in at the farthest corner of the room. 'Though I cannot apologize to you right now. After everything I've done.'

"What are you looking at, Moneybags?" Jou asked, cutting off the CEO's thoughts. "Something interesting around?"

"If you mean you're the one interesting, then you have got to be kidding."

Brown orbs locked onto blue ones.

"Yeah, I'm not interesting, am I…?" Jou replied tiredly as he slumped down into his seat, channeling his attention on the chalkboard.

As Kaiba heard those words escape the blond teen's rosy lips, his heart (if we could even call it one) started to pound heavily. He started to feel guilt.

But as he said, or more likely thought, it was too late to say sorry. Too late to fix things. And too late to be friends or pick up where they left off.

It really couldn't be helped.

Seconds later, the CEO decided that there was no use for any conversation. Sighing, he took out his documents and laptop, preparing everything he needed for his company. Hey, if couldn't work in his office, might as well work in a lazy detention room, right?

Plus, it was the only way to keep his mind from wondering about the blond.

-.-.-

"Wait here, Mokie!" A young brunet said as he ran through the bushes. "I'll go get our ball!"

"Okay, Seto!"

Hearing his younger brother's approval, young Seto ventured into the back of the orphanage—not knowing what awaited him on the other side.

"Where is it?" He mumbled, looking down on the grass.

Suddenly, he noticed another shadow. He slowly raised his head only to find the small blue ball with white stripes stretched out to him by another boy.

'A blondie…?' He thought.

"This yours?" The blond kid asked, watching the other nod and take the ball from his small hands.

"T—thanks." Seto replied as he tilted his head to check behind the other.

He was surprised. Behind the blond child was a playground, obviously built with woods of strong trees that had once lived on the piece of land. And though it may have looked old, the playground stood in the middle of the field ever so beautifully and proud.

"Is it your first time here?" The other child grinned as he saw the awe in Seto.

"I—I never knew this was behind here…"

"Yep! This thing's hidden!"

The brunet watched the young blond move away to sit on one swing.

"Hey, how'd you get here?" Seto finally asked. "I've never seen you around."

"I don't live here…!" The blond smiled. "I took the bus, though!"

"Who's with you, then?" The brunet asked curiously, interested on what blondie had to say.

"S'posed t'be my sister," The other replied sadly. "But Mama won't let me take her. So I'm alone."

Seto couldn't believe what he heard—blondie, taking the bus all alone. He knew very well that most children his age weren't really capable of such. And where'd he get the fees?

The brunet continued to think as he failed to notice the sounds of rustling leaves behind him.

"Big brother?" A small raven haired boy called out. "Where are you?"

"Mokuba, I told you to wait!" Seto said as he turned to his younger brother.

"You took so long…" Mokuba pouted.

The blond watched the scene before him. He smiled, remembering his little sister, whom his mother seemed to keep away from him.

"Never mind, Mokie, I got the ball." Seto smiled. "C'mon. Let's head back."

"Hey, wait—" The other boy called out just before the other two started to walk away. "What's you're name?"

Seto blinked at the blond.

"Seto." He simply replied. "And this is my brother, Mokuba." He said as he gestured towards the raven haired boy beside him—who was waving back.

"Nice to meetcha', Seto!" The other smiled. "And Mokuba!"

"How about you, what's your name?" Seto asked.

"Hm? Name's Katsuya! But they call me Jou."

"Well then, nice meeting you, Jou." The brunet replied, flashing his smile towards blondie.

-.-.-

'Yeah, that's how we started out…' Jou thought. 'Weeks after that, we became best of friends…' A soft chuckle escaped his lips. 'We always meet at that hidden playground… I wonder if it's still there…'

His eyes started to wonder around towards the CEO, who busy typing away on his laptop.

By then, the blond teen became distracted with Kaiba's long slender fingers that had raced over the buttons and keys.

'He used to smile a lot back then.'

Honey brown reflected sadness and grudge in them.

Jou wasn't really sure if it was right to blame Kaiba Corp. for everything—the coldness, the bitterness and the bastard…ness. But, who cared? He had to blame someone or something.

A few years back when Seto returned, he was… well, who he stood as right now. Jou remembered the first time the CEO walked into the classroom as a full Kaiba. But even with the differences of the last name, the teen knew it was his childhood friend standing before the whole class. Jou was very well thrilled—he couldn't wait for break to approach the brunet. Sadly, when break came…

Everything became a nightmare. Seto—or should we say, Kaiba had become an 'Ice Prince'. And since then, fights and arguments became their past time.

"Stupid, shitty Kaiba…" Jou hummed as his eyes shifted onto the ceiling. "Calling me names, acting like a prick… breaking a promise…"

-.-.-

Young Seto hurriedly ran towards the swings where his friend, who was staring straightly to no where, sat.

"Hey," He asked with concern as he sat on the swing beside Jou's. "Are you okay?"

Jou only shook his head and smiled.

"I don't believe you…" The brunet frowned. "Tell the truth…!"

This statement only made Jou grip the chains more, his eyes solely watching ground as he started to swing back and forth.

Seto was right, Jou wasn't fine. At all. The events that had happened earlier—every second of it made the blond's heart sunk. It felt worse than someone taking away his candy, as he would probably compare it with.

"This place is pretty," Jou started. "I love this place! Maybe more than I love candies, ice cream and my action figures…" His swing slowly came to a halt. His small voice slowly cracked. "That's why I come here all the time!" He paused, as tears slowly streaked down his face. Seto could only watch. "Shizuka and I went to the beach once… I liked the beach too…! But not as much as I love this place… I told her I'd take her here to play and meet ya' and Mokuba…" His grip slowly loosened. "But, Mama took Zuki away…"

Young Jou had cried.

"Jou…" Seto whispered as he stood to walk in front of his broken friend.

"Mama and Zuki left me and Papa!" Jou yelled. "She said I'd hurt Zuki just like Papa would hurt Mama! But, it's not true! I dun wanna hurt Zuki! I'm not like Papa!"

Seto, as ten-year-old, of course, did not know how to handle these or what to say… but he didn't want Jou to continue crying. Jou was his only friend. One and only friend. Though he did have Mokuba, but they were siblings—that was different, while Jou… he was someone else special.

"Zuki's gone now! Mama's gone now!" Jou panicked, wrapping his little arms around his small body. "Everyone's going to leave me—"

His sentence was cut off by two arms that had suddenly wrapped around him. Jou looked up to meet calm and comforting blue eyes. Seto was hugging him and the pain suddenly went away… now, he felt like someone just gave him a new candy bar.

"No, that's not true! I won't leave you…" Young Seto smiled at Jou's surprised brown orbs. "I'll never leave you!"

"R—really?" The blond sniffed as he held onto the brunet's shirt.

Seto only nodded happily as his smile grew wider.

"I promise."

-.-.-

What happened to that promise?

Both teens—Kaiba and Jou knew very well that, that very promise had been broken. But not one of them knew if it was intentionally or accidentally.

But it was broken. That's it. That was all that mattered.

With this Kaiba sighed and Jou scratched his head.

Then, both groaned.

Why did they have to make that stupid promise in the first place…?

To Be Continued

A/N: Crappy chapter. I know. Haha! Let me hear all your rants! Lol. Or if you liked it, let me hear it as well! Lolololol! Sorry, I'm choco-high tonight!

Review, please! XD!