AN: So part two is clearly posted now if you're reading this, and it's the last half of the story. Have fun.

Disclaimer: Nothing's changed since I wrote the first disclaimer a minute ago. Not mine.

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It turned out that the answer to his 'what now' was nowhere near as interesting as he might have hoped. High school was finished in much the same fashion as it had been spent- very boringly. Kaiba only turned up only long enough to qualify for graduation, though Jou spent most of those last few weeks cramming wildly for the exit exams and hoping that he might somehow gain a miraculous college acceptance despite his consistently low grades.

Which he did, though he had some suspicions about how that might have come about.

Graduation was boring as well- a long dull ceremony with the normal speeches no one really heard or cared about. Still, all the teens rejoiced when it was over, glad to say goodbye to high school as they made the preparations to move on with life.

They had all taken turns at attempting to convince Yuugi to go on to college, but it was obvious he had no interest in the idea. He seemed entirely content to take care of the game shop, giving his grandfather an opportunity to pursue his own interests. He had even rejected a lucrative job offer at KaibaCorp. All of his friends knew that losing Yami had stolen his enthusiasm for anything, though the littlest of the group was certainly being brave about it.

Anzu was off to dance school in America as she had always planned, and they even had debated briefly on trying to get Yuugi to go with her for at least a little while. Everyone was convinced he needed a vacation to get his mind off things. Ultimately, though, Jou had nixed the idea. Yuugi's sole comfort seemed to be the game shop that he and Yami had spent so much time in, and he had no intention whatsoever of taking that from him.

Ryou was returning to England for college, despite the fact that Yuugi was more willing to discuss Atem with him than any of the others. The British teen had told them as much as he felt he could without betraying confidences, but he had also said that he had his own demons to battle and that he didn't think he could do that if he remained in Domino. Yuugi wanted to stay with the memories of his other half. Ryou didn't. Still, he had promised Yuugi before he left that he would come back when they could both honestly say that they were able to put their pasts behind them.

Honda actually left town to go to work with Otogi almost the instant graduation was over. As far as any of them knew they were working out of Industrial Illusions in San Francisco, though there had some vague comments before they left about Europe. It elicited a great deal of speculation but no set answers.

That left only Jou, Yuugi, Kaiba and Mokuba in Domino.

Kaiba went through with his plan for another tournament, this one named 'Battle City: Supremacy'. The main portion of the event would be done primarily in the same style as the first Battle City, but the finals would be more along the lines of the Grand Prix. He had followed through on that as he realized that Yuugi really wasn't up to the strain of a long melee.

"Good luck, Jou," Yuugi told him as they waited for the tournament to be officially declared open.

"Yeah! This tournament, I'll actually beat Kaiba!"

Yuugi actually laughed, something that pleased the blond to no end. "Is Kaiba-kun even participating?"

He pulled a scowl, maintaining his old act. "Of course moneybags is participating. He wouldn't pass up a chance at calling me a losing dog or taking you on." He paused. "Hey, what deck are you using?"

Yuugi's gaze fell to the ground for a moment, and Jou was afraid that he had upset his friend again. Still, the other teen answered evenly. "Ours. Mine and Yami's. The one we used together for so long."

"So with Black Magician and Kuriboh and all your other favorites?"

"Yep."

"And… the God cards?"

Now the King of Games shook his head. "I won't use the God cards again unless I really have to. This isn't a gamble tournament, so Kaiba-kun won't make me use them. I'll play the way we always did."

Jou crouched to be more level with the seated Yuugi as a thought occurred to him. "Can you still use Black Magician like you used to?"

Yuugi drew the deck as a response, shuffled it neatly, and flipped the top card to reveal the Black Magician. Never once had he even looked at the stack of cards. He did it several more times in quick succession, each time drawing the Black Magician without fail.

"What do you think?"

"But… Mahaad was Atem's guardian."

"And I'm a part of him."

Jou shook his head. "I don't get it."

"I looked up the Egyptian definition of 'soul' when we got back," Yuugi explained. "Atem sealed his soul into the puzzle, but there are parts of the soul that go on to be reincarnated. Not the entire thing, but I was born with those parts. Black Magician bound himself to Atem's soul, and he'll stay that way until all the parts are gone."

"So he'll serve you just the same as he did Yami."

"Not exactly. It was Yami he loved, not me."

"Oh, Yuugi," Jou sighed.

The loudspeakers crackled, interrupting their conversation. Mokuba's voice boomed overhead, giving the tournament instructions and explaining how to reach the finals, which were to be held at the KaibaLand Duel Dome.

"Just collect ten monster tokens?" Jou said. "No treasure hunt this time?"

"Maybe he didn't want to make things too complicated."

Jou knew why. Kaiba was more than aware that during the general melee Yuugi would follow Jou, and he didn't want to put any more strain on Yuugi than necessary. Whether it was actually for Yuugi's sake or his own, Jou didn't know, but he appreciated the lengths Kaiba was going to in order to make things easier for Yuugi.

He spotted Kaiba nearby and quickly excused himself from his friend, assuring him that he would be back in a minute and just wanted to get a drink of water from the fountain.

"How is he?" Kaiba asked as Jou joined him.

"Holding up. He's remade their deck. Still draws Black Magician like a pro."

"Will he be able to win?"

Jou shrugged. "It's hard to say when he doesn't seem to have any enthusiasm for the game."

"Well, we'll see, won't we? I assume you'll be keeping him close."

"With Anzu and the others gone, where else would he be? His grandfather practically pushed him out the door this morning." He glanced up at his lover. "…Thanks."

"For what?"

"For…" Jou gestured. "For all of this. For forcing Yuugi to remember he's still alive even if Atem's gone. For being the nice person that's in there somewhere."

"I am hardly nice. This is entirely self-serving."

"I won't believe you at all if you tell me you're only doing this to get another shot at him. Admit it, you actually want him to win."

"No, I want him to wake up and get on with things. I would be more than happy to beat him in the finals."

"Who even says you'll be in the final matchup? What if I beat you out? Did you think of that?"

Kaiba looked down at him. "No."

"Jeez, Kaiba, way to have faith in me."

"You should get back to Yuugi," he said. "He might start worrying if you're gone much longer."

"Yeah, yeah. Really, though, Seto… Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now go before I decide to take you out in the first round."

Jou, not really sure if he was being serious, hurried back to Yuugi. He was almost willing to swear that Kaiba laughed at his retreat.

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"There wasn't much competition," Yuugi commented mildly as he and Jou made their way to the finals.

"Not really. I saw Leon and Rebecca around, though. They'll probably make the finals."

"And you already took Haga-kun and Ryuuzaki-kun out of the running."

Jou scoffed. "They couldn't beat me when I was barely starting out. How would they manage it now?" He glanced at his friend. "Are there any you'd be worried about facing?"

Yuugi shook his head. "Only if Leon-kun's brother is playing. I don't really have the cards I would need to beat his Valkyrie combo."

"I don't think he would've been invited. Kaiba doesn't like him."

"True."

Jou was relieved that Yuugi was showing an interest, however slight. And he was definitely hoping that dueling would help more.

"All right!" he shouted. "This time I'll beat that Kaiba!"

Yuugi laughed. "You say that every time."

Jou pouted. "Don't you believe I can do it?"

Judging by the way his friend was smiling, he didn't, but Yuugi was never one to be discouraging. "I'm sure you'll do great."

The Duel Dome was already packed with fans waiting for the finals to start, and Yuugi reluctantly detached himself from Jou to go to his seat. Kaiba was there, doubtless having mercilessly beaten anyone that dared to challenge him. Other than that, Jou was the only one that qualified for the finals so far.

Leon entered only a few minutes later and joined Jou and Kaiba on stage. Rebecca wasn't too long in coming either. The other four finalists were newcomers.

Mokuba ran up to the stage and grinned at the competitors. "Everyone ready to go? Nii-sama?"

Kaiba nodded. "Make the announcement."

So the younger Kaiba did, listing the eight finalists and giving the order of matches. Each of them was to duel someone they hadn't before, so Jou was against one of the duelists he didn't know. They were first up. After that Kaiba would pulverize his opponent, then Rebecca and hers, Leon and his.

Jou's match went smoothly, and he gave Yuugi a thumbs-up as he moved to wait for the semi-finals. Kaiba did as predicted- his duel was a horrible slaughter. Jou couldn't help feeling sorry for the other guy as he slumped offstage. Leon and Rebecca each beat their opponents as well, though in a far less torturous fashion.

The next round was more stressful: Jou had seen all three of his possible opponents play before and knew that any one of them would be difficult to beat. He just hoped he wouldn't be paired with Kaiba quite yet- he wanted them to be the final match.

"So, in the first round of the semi-finals," Mokuba called, "Jounouchi Katsuya against Rebecca Hawkins! The second match is Kaiba Seto against Leon Wilson!"

After that, Mokuba announced a half hour break before the games picked up again, and Yuugi came up to the stage to talk with the finalists. Rebecca fastened herself to his arm, but he had politely extracted it and hurried over to Leon, asking about his brother and if he had been in any other tournaments recently. Rebecca sat there pouting as Kaiba quietly came up behind Jou.

"You were hoping she would get through to him."

"Yeah," Jou admitted sadly. "Or that he would at least talk to her. He normally wouldn't just push her away."

"Did he ever really like her?"

"Not really, but Rebecca knows about Atem. She'll try to understand."

Mokuba ran over to his brother. "Nii-sama!"

"Anything wrong?" Kaiba asked.

"Nothing," the younger brother said as he shook his head. "I just wanted to wish you good luck. You too, Jounouchi-kun!"

Jou grinned. "Thanks, Mokuba. Looks like it'll be me and Kaiba here in the final two, won't it?"

"Hn. As if a bonkotsu duelist like you can defeat any decent player. The girl will destroy you."

Jou managed a snarl for appearances. "She will not! Oh, I'll show you, moneybags!"

"Don't fight," Mokuba pleaded. "Please?"

The blond relaxed. "Fine, I won't argue with him now. Okay? I'll save it for the game."

"Save what for the game?" Yuugi asked as he joined them.

He was playing with his Duel Disk a little, and one hand kept going to his deck as if to reassure himself it was there. He also seemed to reach for his Puzzle a lot, but he would freeze and wince each time he realized it wasn't there.

Jou pulled Yuugi aside. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Yuugi, you keep reaching for the Puzzle."

His face fell. "I know. It's just… I haven't dueled without him in so long. I keep expecting to hear him ask if I'm ready and to make comments about Kaiba-kun. Or even just to hear him call me aibou like he used to."

"Hey."

"I'm fine. Really."

"Are you really going to be up for this then? You know Kaiba won't go easy on you just because of what's happened."

"I'll manage."

"Yuugi…"

"Let it be, bonkotsu." Kaiba stepped up. "He'll win or lose on his own. What you say won't make a difference unless he's ready to hear it."

"Kaiba-kun…"

"Yuugi. He's gone. Either you can keep crying about it forever, or you can get up and move on with your life the way he would want you to. Besides, you owe it to him to keep playing."

"I know what I have to do!" Yuugi snapped, shocking both of them. "I just don't know if I can…"

Mokuba said something to Kaiba through the microphone in his coat, and the CEO glanced at them. "Time to play. Let's go, bonkotsu." Jou hurried after him, but Kaiba paused again. "Yuugi, you have to make the choice yourself; we can't make it for you. I'll see you in the finals."

"Hey!" Jou yelped. "Who's to say you'll win?"

"I always win, bonkotsu."

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And he did win, against both Leon and Jou. It hadn't been too embarrassing of a loss for the blond, at least- he had put up one hell of a fight. After all, he hadn't seen Kaiba duel so many times for nothing. There had even been a few points where it looked like he could've won. Only to have Kaiba play his Blue Eyes, of course.

So it was down to Kaiba and Yuugi, as it always was. Yuugi took his place on the platform and managed to smile and wave for his fans, though anyone who knew him could tell his heart wasn't in it. His deck was shuffled and slipped into place in his Duel Disk. Kaiba did the same opposite him.

It was immediately clear that Yuugi was off his game. Kaiba was killing his monsters and avoiding his traps without any trouble, and Yuugi's life points were dropping like a stone. Whispers were spreading through the crowds, muttering how something seemed wrong and didn't he look different than he usually did?

Jou heard what the people were saying and winced, hoping Yuugi wouldn't. When the little duelist stiffened a moment later, it was clear he had.

Yuugi got intense, and for a moment Jou would've believed it was Yami up there instead of Yuugi. He managed one spectacular feat after another, taking down one of Kaiba's Blue Eyes while summoning his Black Magician in a crucial moment. Black Magician Girl quickly followed.

Kaiba managed to not only revive his dragon but to fuse all three to create the Blue Eyes Ultimate. Black Magician Girl was destroyed in one horrific burst, and Yuugi's life points were only just above zero.

At this point, Yami always would pull off a last minute miracle, and it was clear Kaiba was wondering if Yuugi could do it. Jou was too, and hoping for Yuugi's sake he could. He didn't know if Yuugi could bear losing at something he and his other half had always excelled in.

Yuugi stared down at the ground, and the crowd held their collective breath. Kaiba was tense as could be, waiting for his opponent to do something. And the Duel King looked up and smiled.

Several magic and trap cards were activated in quick succession, destroying the Blue Eyes fusion. Still, each individual dragon had more attack points than the magician, and it wasn't clear how Yuugi intended to pull his maneuvering off.

"Really, Kaiba-kun. You should have seen this coming. I used this move to beat you before."

One more magic card flipped over. Fusion. And he turned a hand card to reveal Buster Blader. The two monsters combined to form Black Paladin, and the move was certainly familiar. Kaiba only had a thousand life points, and with three dragon cards on the field the Black Paladin's attack was raised by 1500 points, putting it 1400 points over the attacks of each Blue Eyes. If he landed a hit, Yuugi would win.

So one more card was used. Quick Attack, allowing a Fusion monster to attack in the turn it was summoned.

Kaiba countered with a trap card, but Yuugi had anticipated the move. His Remove Trap was flipped over, destroying Kaiba's card, and the attack landed.

"The winner is Mutou Yuugi!" Mokuba shouted as the crowd cheered.

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Jou chose to wait outside as Yuugi went through the motions of greeting fans, accepting congratulations, and signing autographs. It was easier to breathe away from the crowd. Jou liked people, all in all, but that many so close could be uncomfortable.

"You're thinking dark thoughts."

"Not really." He didn't have to look to know it was Kaiba. "Sorry you lost."

"You're not."

"Well, no. I think I'm supposed to be given how we are, but I'm not really. It was good for Yuugi. For a moment though, I would've sworn he was Atem. The way he smiled…"

"I was worried he would just give up at first."

"Yeah, I was too. I could practically hear Yami yelling at him for those first few plays. I think he'll hold on now, though." There was a sort of heavy thud behind him, and Jou whipped around at the sound. "Kaiba!"

He would swear that Kaiba seemed worse this time, crumpled on the ground. His skin was pale enough that it might have been bleached, and his breathing was almost frighteningly shallow. Jou's gaze flitted to the communicator in the collar of his white trench coat, but he dismissed the possibility.

"Kaiba…" Jou thought about their last discussion of his attacks, and how Kaiba always seemed to come back whenever Jou said he needed him. It was worth a shot, at least. "Come on, Kaiba. I need you."

When there was absolutely no response, Jou was ready to hyperventilate. The only reason he hadn't gone straight to Yami with what he knew that night on the boat had been because he seemed to be able to wake Kaiba up on his own without too much trouble, but now the one method that had worked wasn't producing results.

"I need you to wake up, okay? Just open your eyes. Seto, please, for Mokuba's sake, snap out of it. Wake up, wake up, please wake up. Damn it, Seto, if you don't open those blasted eyes of yours, I swear I'll kick your ass later. Come on, I need you to come back to me, rich boy."

None of the entreaties seemed to be getting through, and Jounouchi was just about ready to panic. He considered going for Yuugi for a moment, but decided against it: Yuugi wouldn't be likely to know and it was too much to ask him to deal with on top of having just lost Atem. There was Mokuba, but Kaiba had made his feelings abundantly clear where that option was concerned. Shifting his grip on the other teen so he could look around, Jou scanned the area.

They were fortunately far enough from the Duel Dome that no one was likely to just walk over, but that meant it was unlikely help would appear.

Jou struck gold when he realized there was a pay phone only a few meters away. He had enough yen in his pocket to make a call or two, and after all the times this had happened Isono had made sure that Jou had both his number and Kaiba's doctor's.

The blond hurriedly pulled free of Kaiba and shrugged out of his denim jacket, using it to pillow the CEO's head. He also managed to get Kaiba out of his own coat and draped it over him like a blanket after noticing the way he began to shiver once Jou let go. After a brief debate, he also set Kaiba's Duel Disk aside. Satisfied that the other teen was as comfortable as could be expected given the circumstances, Jou ran for the phone, making sure to keep Kaiba in view the entire time.

He dug the change out of his pocket and fed it to the machine before dialing Isono's cell phone number. He got the voice mail system.

"Damn it! Um, Isono-san, it's Jounouchi. Kaiba's out of it again. We're near the dragon roller coaster and he's not responding to anything. I'm going to try the doctor next, but please hurry up and get this message!"

It took most of his self-control to not slam the receiver against the base. Instead, Jou drew several deep breaths, carefully set it back in place, and reached into his pocket again. He had enough to make a second call, but only just. If this one didn't go through he would have to seriously think about going against Kaiba's wishes in order to get him the help he needed.

He took a great deal of care as he pressed the buttons, knowing a misdial now would mean he was out of luck, but to his immense relief the call connected at once.

"Sasaki."

"Sasaki-sensei! Kaiba, he's unconscious again and I can't wake him up."

"Jounouchi-san?"

"Yeah. I tried reaching Isono-san but I only got his voice mail, and Kaiba really seems worse this time."

"How so?"

Jou shifted to get a better view of the teen. "He's really pale, he's shivering, and his breathing is too slow."

"The symptoms are common with a strong reaction to stress. Has he done anything that would have triggered it?"

"He was in today's tournament, but I think that's about it," Jou answered, getting restless. "Sensei, I can't wake him up and I don't like leaving him alone."

"Where are you?"

"KaibaLand, near the dragon roller coaster. Isono-san should still be at the Duel Dome, so if you can reach him he can be here sooner. I'm out of change for the phone."

"I'll see about contacting Isono-san. Return to Kaiba-sama. Keep him warm and continue to talk to him. Hopefully he'll hear you."

"Right."

The blond hung up without waiting to hear anything else, too worried deal with manners. He hoped the doctor would understand. Instead he hurried back over to Kaiba.

He dropped down next to him and carefully arranged Kaiba's limp body so that he was laying with his head in Jou's lap, though he made sure the coat stayed over him. It was late March, so it wasn't very cold, but night was descending and Kaiba continued to shiver even after Jou wrapped his arms around him.

He started talking to Kaiba in a low murmur, keeping up a steady stream of comments and practically begging him to wake up. He thought he heard footsteps at one point, but when he looked around there was no one there.

"Seto, please," he whispered desperately. "You're really scaring me this time. I don't know how to help you. Can't you be your normal bossy self and tell me what to do? I know you feel bad about what happened to that girl. It was Kisara, right? She's not gone, not really. She's in your heart. I know it sounds lame, but she is. Come on. I need you to come back to me, you jerk. I still haven't beaten you in a duel or anything. Or are you going to leave me too? Yami's gone, and Shizuka and Honda and Anzu, and Yuugi can't even help himself right now, so what could he do for me? You're not going to leave me alone, are you? Mokuba needs you, damn it. And Yuugi, you're doing so much good for him.

"I need you. I never thought I'd see the day, did you? I actually need you. Seto, wake up. Please just wake up, or I'm going to start making bargains with any god I can think of, and you know you don't want any more magic in your life. So open those eyes. Or even your mouth. Call me a losing dog, I don't care. As long as you're awake, it won't matter. I need you to come back to me."

Jou didn't know how long he could count on their continued privacy with the tournament over, and he had no idea how much time he had before Yuugi went looking for him, if he hadn't already. His desperate musings were interrupted by quick footfalls nearby. The blond tightened his grip on his lover.

"Jounouchi-san!"

"Isono-san! Hurry up, I don't know how long until anyone else gets here, and I can't wake him up, and I called the doctor, and why isn't he waking up?"

"I don't know. Hurry; the car is at the back entrance to the park. People are already headed this way."

Jou jogged after him as the older man carried his employer as quickly as he could, carrying Kaiba's Duel Disk. "Where's Mokuba? And Yuugi?"

"Mokuba-sama joined several of his friends and intends to spend a few hours enjoying the rides. I haven't seen Mutou-san since he left the Duel Dome about a half hour ago."

"A half hour?" The blond felt awful about abandoning his friend, but he swore he'd find a way to make it up to him. Right now he was more worried about Kaiba.

They made the car without running into anyone else, fortunately, and Isono all but dumped Kaiba into Jou's arms in the back seat before pulling out. The smaller teen resumed his quiet pleas, but they were proving just as ineffective as the previous ones.

They probably broke a dozen traffic laws speeding for the mansion if the smell of burnt rubber was any indication, but they weren't pulled over so Jou didn't care. Once there, Isono carried Kaiba to his room as he had that first night Jou discovered his secret, but this time Jou went right after him. He was not going to wait downstairs for news.

So the blond was right there as Kaiba was settled into his bed, waiting only until Isono had left the room to call the doctor again before he dumped their Duel Disks in a chair and was right next to him, holding onto him and whispering more encouragements and entreaties. And when those didn't work, he switched tactics.

"I'll call those crazy Egyptians if you don't wake up soon, I swear," he threatened- not really meaning it, since evil or otherwise Malik creeped him out. "They might know something. I'll even carve those sealing symbols into you if that's what it takes. Damn it, Kaiba, I need you to wake up or I'll do it."

"Don't even think about it," the CEO muttered as he moved for the first time in an hour.

Jou's heart nearly stopped. "You're awake. You're awake! Damn it, you scared me half to death, you jerk! Isono! He's awake!"

Kaiba's eyes were only half open, but he was aware at least, even if he was still too pale and cold. "Don't shout, Katsuya. My head feels ready to split open as it is."

"I'll shout if I want to; you had me worried sick. What happened? One second I'm talking to you, the next thing I know you're passed out and nothing I'm saying is getting through to you."

"I don't know what happened. I could hear you, but I couldn't respond."

The doctor finally stepped in, but Jou didn't budge an inch. If anything, he only moved closer.

"Kaiba-sama. You seem better."

"Don't be absurd," Kaiba snapped. "I'm awake, not better."

Sasaki inclined his head. "As you say. I meant that it's better you've regained consciousness. Jounouchi-san was getting quite worried."

"I know."

"Jounouchi-san, I need to examine Kaiba-sama. If you would give us a minute…?"

Jou shook his head. "I'm not leaving. What would you do if he went under again?"

The doctor was ready to argue, but Kaiba cut him off. "Stay."

If anyone needed confirmation that Jou was worried, the fact he didn't say anything about the dog joke was it. He just backed off enough that the doctor had room to look the other teen over. Except for some vague statements about stress and overwork, neither of them could get anything useful out of him.

Finally, Sasaki-sensei beckoned Jou over to one side. He obliged reluctantly, but only after looking at Kaiba and making sure he could still see him from this new spot.

"I'm very worried, Jounouchi-san. You and Kaiba-sama are close?"

The blond blushed, but managed to nod. "We're… lovers… so yeah."

He nodded, seemingly unsurprised. "For whatever reason, he trusts you and depends on you. More, you are apparently the only person that can lead him back from whatever is happening. I am not a psychiatrist, Jounouchi-kun, but in my opinion there has been some sort of trauma that has resulted in his mind constantly revisiting an image or memory."

"I really don't know what you're getting at, sensei."

"Kaiba-sama is on the verge of a breakdown," he said bluntly. "I warned you that it was possible a few months ago, and that possibility is dangerously close to becoming reality. I am going to order that he be under round the clock surveillance, and given your closeness and your singular ability to reach him, I would also suggest that you be the one to undertake it."

"Round the clock?"

"With a special emphasis on the nights. The images could easily return while he is asleep and vulnerable, and he might begin to sleepwalk or engage in some other dangerous activity."

"I- Fine. If you can get him to agree to it, I'll do whatever I can."

"He will listen to you, Jounouchi-san, not I. You have proven as much many times now."

Jou was sorely tempted to call the doctor a coward, knowing very well that he didn't want to be the one to inform Kaiba because he knew the CEO wouldn't like it. Instead, he shook his head and rejoined his lover on the bed, waving the doctor out. He'd told him all he could.

Kaiba turned to Jou immediately as the blond wrapped his arms around him, lying with his face against Jou's chest. "What did he say?" he asked.

Kaiba looked vulnerable and small and scared, and he hated seeing any of those things. Of course, he appreciated it at the same time, knowing how few people Kaiba would trust to see that side of him, but he was scared too. Jounouchi was almost tempted to cry.

"Do we need to talk about it now?" he responded finally.

"We should." Kaiba sounded exhausted. "Probably." He frowned when Jou didn't answer. "Katsuya? What's wrong?"

Jou took a deep breath and went for it. "The doctor says you need constant supervision. Round the clock. Seto, you're going to have a complete breakdown if we don't do something about it soon."

Kaiba sat up, the silk sheets rustling gently with the movement. "That's absurd," he said coldly. "I don't need to be watched."

"Don't you? I can't turn around these days without you passing out! I spent more than an hour trying to get through to you today. An hour, Seto. Just saying 'I need you' isn't working any more. I'm afraid if someone isn't with you, you might slip into another one and never come back."

"And how do you propose to accomplish this without anyone noticing?"

"Do you really think people noticing is something I care about? Tell Mokuba. Tell the world for all I care. What matters right now is keeping you alive."

It was the softness he saw that reassured him. "Jou, I'll be fine."

"I thought you were calling me Katsuya."

"I thought you didn't like being called Katsuya."

"… It's not so bad if it's you."

"Fine. Katsuya, I'll be okay."

"If you were going to be okay, you wouldn't have taken ten years off my life earlier. I'm really, really scared, Seto. I don't know anyone that can help you, and now the doctor's worried that you're a step away from losing it entirely. If he thinks having someone around you all the time is the answer, I'll do it. Even if it means you hating me."

"I wouldn't hate you for that."

"I know you better than that. You would resent me for stealing your privacy, ruining your concentration while you're working, for making it difficult to explain things to Mokuba… You don't like having your life invaded, and I wouldn't blame you."

An intercom on the bedside table buzzed, and Kaiba leaned over to answer it. "Yes?"

"Seto-sama, Mokuba-sama has returned and is asking for you."

"Tell him I'll be down in a minute."

Both teens knew Isono was ready to argue, but Kaiba cut the connection before he could. Instead, his sapphire gaze slid over to his lover.

"We should tell Mokuba together."

"Tell Mokuba what?"

"Everything," the CEO said simply. "You'll stick around whether I want you to or not, so we'll just do this the easy way. We'll tell Mokuba the truth, both about my condition and your involvement. You can move in, and I'll find a job for you at KaibaCorp so you don't have to resort to stalking me to stay close."

Jou scooted closer and cautiously gave him a hug, unsure of how that sort of casual intimacy would be received. For all the time they had spent as lovers, they didn't do things like hugging, but right now the blond felt that they both needed the comfort. He jolted a little in shock when Kaiba returned the gesture.

The brunette was beginning to run his fingers through Jou's hair when Jou realized something. Kaiba was still trembling.

"Seto?"

"What?" His voice was subdued, and he seemed reluctant to relinquish his hold.

"You're trembling. You… you're scared too. Aren't you?"

He didn't answer for several long beats, which was itself an answer. "Yes," he responded. "I'm scared too."

Jou patted his back a little awkwardly. "You know, I feel like I should thank you."

"Thank me? Why?"

"For letting me see this side of you. This human side you don't share. For helping Yuugi, for getting me accepted to a college, for offering me a job and a home… For so many things."

"I owe you far more than that for what you're doing." He reluctantly pulled out of the embrace. "We should go. I said I'd be right down, so he'll worry if we take much longer."

"You have to admit he'd pick up on us being lovers a lot easier if he'd seen us like that."

"Jounouchi, we are not having my brother walk in on us in my bedroom."

Jou laughed. "Yeah, yeah. Need help up?"

Kaiba shook his head. "Jou, I can feel you staring at me. I'll say something if I feel like I'm going to go under again, so if you could calm down, I would appreciate it. Mokuba will take this hard enough already without you making him think I might drop dead at any moment."

"I guess."

Still, Jou looped an arm around Kaiba's waist as they walked down the stairs.

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Mokuba wasn't a fool- how could he be with who his brother was- and cottoned on very quickly. Jou and Kaiba had scarcely set foot in the den he was waiting in before he stared at them.

"You're together?"

Kaiba's mouth opened and closed, stunned speechless. Jou took the question more in stride.

"Yeah. You okay with that?"

"I mean, I knew nii-sama was gay, but Jou, I thought you were straight!"

"Bi. Actually. It was a bit of a surprise to me too."

The boy studied them fiercely. "How long has this been going on, and why didn't you tell me?"

"Mokuba, that's not important right now," his brother said. "We have something we need to talk about."

"Something more important than you keeping secrets?" He caught the look the older teens exchanged. "You have more you haven't told me. Nii-sama!"

Kaiba sighed and sat down, pulling Jou down with him. Mokuba planted himself in the chair across from them, glaring.

"Just… try to understand. This is serious."

"Serious how? You're not getting married, are you?"

Jou practically choked on the breath he had just taken. His lover only barely kept from laughing. There hadn't been a lot of funny things in his life, but Jou's antics made things easier.

"Don't… joke like that," Jou gasped. "We're only eighteen, Mokuba, and two guys can't get married in Japan anyway."

"Then what is it?" he asked, crossing his arms.

Kaiba sighed and leaned forward. "You're not going to like this," he warned. "Mokuba, I'm sick. I have been for months, and I've avoided telling you because I didn't want you to worry."

"Sick how?" Mokuba demanded.

"I'm not sure how to explain it…"

"He sort of zones out," Jou said bluntly. "His eyes might be open but he's not seeing what's around him. Occasionally he'll almost walk in front of a car."

The CEO shot him a dark look. "You might have put that a little more delicately."

"So what does that mean? Why are you telling me now?"

He blew out a breath. "The doctor says I need constant supervision. He's afraid I'll suffer a mental breakdown if this keeps happening."

"So…?"

"So it would've been difficult to keep you from realizing that someone was always hanging around me, wouldn't it?"

His grey eyes shifted to Jou. "Why do you know already and not me?"

"I found your brother outside my job one night," Jou responded gently. "He was almost hit by a car, but I got him out of the way and brought him home. He told me then."

"And where was I?"

"You were still in America," Kaiba answered. "I was only here for a few days to deal with some issues."

Jou looked between the two of them. "You guys need to talk about this on your own. I'm going to head back, okay? Pack up and everything. When do you want me back here?"

"Pack? Here?" Mokuba studied him. "You're moving in?"

"The doctor says that I'm the one that'll have the easiest time keeping an eye on your brother, so yeah. I'll be moving in, and your brother's going to give me some job or other at KaibaCorp so I can stay close. Sorry if it bothers you, Mokuba, but right now your brother's health is more important." He glanced at Kaiba. "I'll be back in a few hours unless you'd rather I wait till tomorrow."

"Tonight is fine. Take my driver."

"You realize I can get to and from on my own, right?"

"You've been busy all day, and you must be tired. Take the driver, Katsuya. I'll stay with Mokuba till you're back."

"Katsuya?" the younger Kaiba asked. "You call him Katsuya?"

Jou snickered as he headed out.

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Jou returned with his stuff only to have Mokuba barrel into him at full speed.

"I'm sorry I was rude earlier and I don't know what's wrong with Seto and help him!"

"Whoa, what was all that?"

"I should've been nicer when you said you were staying to help him! He's… I don't know, we talked for a while and all the sudden he just fell over! Jou, help him!"

Jou crouched down to Mokuba's level. "Hey. You don't have to ask me to help him. I've been through this a bunch of times, so I know what to do. Just calm down and tell me where he is. Is he still in the den, or did he go to his room?"

"He's still in the den."

"Did you tell anyone?"

Mokuba shook his head. "It's a secret, you said."

"Well, if it happens again and I'm not here, you can tell Isono-san. He'll help you until I can get back, okay? Now go upstairs and I'll let you know when he's feeling better."

Mokuba ran off looking upset and Jou sighed, dropping his bag by the door before he hurried back to the den.

"Idiot, should've remembered to stay with him," he muttered as he knelt by the couch the CEO was lying on.

Kaiba was pale, but beyond that he seemed like he normally did during one of these spells, so Jou hoped he would wake up more easily this time. He was still a little upset from earlier and didn't know if he or Mokuba could put up with a long one.

"Come on, Seto, I need you to wake up."

The massive amounts of relief that poured over him when his lover's eyes opened baffled Jou, but he pushed it aside to focus on what was important. He gently brushed Kaiba's bangs back and helped him sit up.

"Katsuya?"

"I'm here. Damn, can't I leave you alone for an hour without you slipping off like that? You scared Mokuba."

"Is he all right?"

"A little panicked, but I think he'll be okay. I thought you said you were going to tell me if you weren't feeling good."

"I felt fine."

"I should've made you come with me. Or, I don't know, had you and Mokuba both come with me. I wanted to give you a chance to talk alone, but if I had realized how quickly you were going to go under again I would've kept you close."

"You can't blame yourself."

Jou sighed. "Whatever. Let's get upstairs and tell Mokuba you're okay. After that you're going to bed. And we're not having sex tonight, just so we're clear. I'm still mad at you."

"For?"

"Scaring me to death. And yes, I realize it's unreasonable, but I don't care. Deal with it."

"Jou…"

"I said no."

"Jou."

"What?"

"Thank you."

And just like that, he melted into a little pile of puppy-goo.

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The board of directors tried to object to Jou's being given a job despite his lack of qualifications, but Kaiba shot them down without batting an eye.

"Skills can be taught. I need someone trustworthy."

"This… person… could easily be influenced by money," one man argued.

"I have known Jounouchi for two years now, and never once has he attempted to ask for money or a job. I have chosen him for the position because of that fact."

"But your personal assistant! Start him as an intern if you must!"

Kaiba gave them one of his death glares. "I was under the impression that I was the president of KaibaCorp. Am I wrong?"

The others hurriedly shook their heads. "We're only trying to look out for your best interests, Kaiba-sama," one said.

"Wrong. You're looking out for yours, because you have people you would prefer to advance in the company and don't mind using me to do it. Jounouchi is the one person I can be certain will never share anything I want kept private and that will be available whenever I might need him."

"Sir, you have had a number of altercations with this man."

"That is part of the reason I decided to hire him. I do not need any more sycophants kissing my boots. He will tell me if he disagrees with what I am doing, and he will not be put off by temper." He smirked, but it was cold as ice. "If anyone has any further objects, you may take them up with security as they escort you from the building. With your belongings, of course. Is that all?"

People stopped mentioning it after that.

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It took work for Jou to settle into this new life. Subterfuge was tiring, and living it day after day took a lot out of him. After all, people would wonder if he always showed up and left with Kaiba, but he couldn't just leave him alone for the time it took to get from the mansion to KaibaCorp.

Leaving, it turned out, was easier. Kaiba was often one of the last people to leave the building, and he often would be doing so only because of a business dinner he had to attend. As his assistant, it was perfectly reasonable for Jou to accompany him.

It seemed that Kaiba could avoid passing out if someone kept him talking the entire time, so that resolved the morning issue. Isono just made sure they were chatting during the drive to the office. Jou, who now drove a company car if he needed it after getting a special license, would meet them there. If he left with the CEO one of the security team would drive it back to the mansion for him.

A desk was set up for him in Kaiba's office, which elicited further criticism, but Kaiba was quick to stamp it out a second time. Private dealings needed the private space, and he didn't want to have to pick up the phone any time he needed something.

It was a good thing Jou was staying close- the episodes were coming closer and closer together, but thankfully only a very few had been the difficult sort that he had a hard time stopping. Generally he just would look up from his work and say he needed him for something or other- generally related to the various papers he was learning to deal with. It aroused no suspicion and kept Kaiba sane.

Still, things seemed to be going well.

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The past has a tendency to catch up after a while, no matter how long you try to outrun it.

Jou ran into his one rainy day about eight months later. It was November and already getting really cold, so he'd taken his break to run to a nearby café for some coffee for Kaiba and a hot chocolate for himself.

He didn't expect to run into his old gang in such a good part of town.

"Well, well, if it isn't Jounouchi!" Hirutani crowed. "What brings you here? I thought this was too rich for your blood."

"I'm getting some coffee for my boss. I've got to go."

He started to edge toward the door, but he was surrounded before he could get there. Jou disdained the bodyguards Kaiba had offered him as a high ranking individual in the company, but now he was wishing a little that he'd taken him up on it.

"Look at his suit!" one of the newer members called. "Awfully pricy for a secretary."

"You're right," Hirutani moved. "You look more like a big-shot than an errand boy."

"Everyone dresses nice. I'm just one of them."

The café was crowded and therefore loud, so no one seemed to be noticing their little disagreement. Jou wondered if throwing the drinks at them and running might save his skin. He doubted his lover would approve if he came back covered in bruises or worse.

Hirutani looped an arm over Jou's shoulder as he cringed. "You should come hang out sometime, Jounouchi. We've missed you, haven't we boys?"

They steered him out of the shop and toward some cars.

88888888

Kaiba was well enough at this point that he could be alone for short intervals of time, but he was still wary. Too many close calls had taught him some strong lessons. So when Jou was gone way longer than his half hour break permitted, or that his own ethics would allow, Kaiba was worried and paged Isono.

"Where's Jou?" he demanded the instant the older man entered his office.

Isono frowned. "I thought he had come back already. I haven't seen him since he left to get you some coffee."

"Do you know where he went?"

"The café across the street. He was hurrying, so he should have been back a long time ago."

"He isn't, and he would've called me if something came up. Does Jou's phone have a tracking device in it?"

"All company issue do."

"Then get into the system and pin his down." He accessed the cameras and checked parking. Jou's car was still there. "He didn't take the car, and he wouldn't leave without a word. Something's wrong."

Mokuba stuck his head in, having just got off school. "Nii-sama, where's Jou?"

"I don't know."

The younger Kaiba frowned. "Isn't he supposed to be here?"

"Yes. He went for coffee and hasn't come back. Something must've happened."

Isono came back with a printed report. "It seems Jounouchi-san's cell phone is in a warehouse by the docks."

Kaiba snatched the paper. "I know that place. Mokuba was there during Battle City."

Mokuba peered over his shoulder at it. "I've heard rumors that there are a lot of gangs there lately. The kids were talking about it at school a few days ago. Apparently there's been some screaming and stuff out that way."

"Mokuba, keep an eye on things here. I need to retrieve my wayward pup."

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Kaiba knew he wasn't supposed to be alone and that he risked lapsing into a daze before he could do anything. It didn't matter. Jou was his and he wasn't going to let anything happen to him.

The area surrounding the docks was abandoned except for a few bored sentries. He avoided them easily and found an upper story window in the appropriate warehouse that he could reach. The thin roof that ran against it was full of holes, including a very large one near the end, but he made it across without causing the thing to cave in.

It was obvious he'd found the right place. There were clear sounds of fists meeting skin below, as well as the occasional grunt of pain. Inching forward to the edge of the walkway, he peered down on the scene.

Jou was there all right, hands tied overhead and secured to a large hook. Various men he didn't recognize were throwing punches, but Jou's jaw was set and he made very little noise. Whenever he had the opportunity he kicked out at his attackers, sending one sprawling even as Kaiba watched. The others joined him in a matter of seconds.

"Hirutani!" Jou shouted. "You'll have to do better than that!"

Another man stepped in. He was about the same height as Jou, meaning Kaiba would be several centimeters taller, but he had a far stockier build than either of them. His hair was strange- dark blue on top, but with a lighter blue shade beneath.

He recognized the name. This was the guy whose gang went after Jou sometimes.

"I thought about using stun guns, but decided against it. You're more valuable to me alive and conscious."

"Big talk for someone that's letting his underlings do all the work and take all the punishment."

"Really, Jounouchi, if you'd just come back on your own none of this would be necessary. I don't want to be forced to involve the people you care about again."

"Touch Yuugi and I swear you'd better count your breaths, because I'll kill you."

"No, the kid's too high profile these days. What about your sister? I'm sure she'd come if her dear big brother were to ask her." He paused for dramatic effect. "Of course, there's always your lover. He already deals with enough dark stuff that no one would be surprised if something were to happen to him. I hear he killed his father."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about Kaiba Seto, of course. It's strange, Jou. I've been following you for a few days, you know. I wouldn't make a move unprepared. Don't you think it looks suspicious that you work for his company and live in his house?"

Kaiba realized he'd heard the name before, and his blood ran cold.

I used to run with Hirutani in middle school. The other gangs are still scared of me- I had a pretty bad reputation- but Hirutani likes to regularly pop in and mess with me, or send some of his goons to give it a go. If he found out about this thing with us he'd probably have me killed.

"I live there because I work for him, you idiot!" Jou snapped. "If you'd paid any attention, you'd know Kaiba and I don't exactly get along. He needed someone available at any time, and I wasn't exactly interested in staying with my old man any longer when I could get a good job."

"So why the secrecy? If it's just a job, you shouldn't need a separate car or any of that."

"Because of things like this! Kaiba hates gossip, so he decided it was easiest to keep things as professional as possible. Wouldn't it look weird if the boss was driving his secretary to work every morning?"

"See, Jounouchi, I don't think you understand I got involved for your own good. You know how people around here are. No one wants to see you go down the wrong path."

"And what wrong path is that?" Jou asked acidly. "Last I checked, a good job with one of the biggest companies in the country was the sort of path people liked."

"Jounouchi, Jounouchi… it's not the job I'm worried about. You know how we feel about… well, I'm sure you can understand what I mean."

"Not really."

Kaiba wanted to shake Jou for playing dumb now.

"I'm talking about you being involved with another guy. You have to realize how this would affect my reputation, after all. You're one of mine."

The blond snorted. "In case you didn't notice, I left a long time ago. What I do has nothing to do with you."

"You're not denying it."

"I already denied it, you moron. I said as much when you first mentioned Kaiba. I WORK FOR HIM."

"Then why haven't you been with any girls recently?"

"They're not Mai."

The CEO felt that one like someone had punched him. He hadn't realized Jou still wanted Mai.

"Who?"

"Mai. Kujaku Mai? She's been in some tournaments with me? Blonde, big purple eyes, busty… That Mai?"

Hirutani abruptly began laughing and slapped Jou hard on the back. He had to clutch the ropes holding him up to keep from spinning. "You really had me worried for a minute! As if Jounouchi Katsuya would be involved with a man, let alone one like Kaiba!"

Jou gritted his teeth. "Great. Now that that's settled, want to let me down? I've already been away from work for a few hours by now." He looked down at the guys he'd fought. "You might want to get better help. These ones crumpled with one kick to the head."

The gangster shrugged. "Good fighters are hard to come by. I need more people like you."

"Well, gangs aren't my thing now. I have a good job these days, and I'd rather not give that up and go back to constantly trying to outrun the cops."

Hirutani untied him and Jou rubbed his wrists, trying to get the blood flowing to his hands properly.

"Sorry we couldn't work things out, Jounouchi."

"Yeah. Well, I'd say see you around, but we don't cross paths much these days."

"You're always welcome here."

The blond shook his head. "I'm not going up a good thing just for some fun. Bye, Hirutani."

Kaiba scrambled down from his hiding place as Jou walked out and shadowed him until they had reached the area the CEO had left his car in. In a hurry, he grabbed Jou's arm and steered him over to it, all but shoving him to the passenger side.

Jou waited till they were driving away to round on him. "What are you doing here? Are you trying to get killed? And- you're alone! Damn it, I thought you knew enough to bring someone with you by now!"

"Jou, shut up. I am not discussing this now."

He frowned. "What-?"

"I said not now."

The rest of the drive to the mansion was silent, and even as Kaiba went up the stairs to their room he didn't say a word. Jou just followed, absolutely baffled, and watched as his lover sat very precisely at the edge of their bed.

"Want to tell me what's wrong now?"

The look Kaiba shot him would have killed lesser men. Jou didn't bat an eye. "You might have told me you still had feelings for Kujaku Mai."

The blond blinked a few times. "What?"

"You just told that imbecilic gangster that the reason you hadn't been dating any girls recently was because they weren't Mai."

"You were there? Of course you would be," he realized. "You would've been the first to notice I was missing. You shouldn't have come after me, though. I had things under control."

He was willfully ignoring the various bruises and minor cuts that were visible even on his face. On one cheek alone Kaiba could see three bruises and a forming black eye, and his lip was split. His knuckles looked like they had been shredded, and there was rope burn on his wrists.

"Jou…"

"Wow, calm down. Last thing I really need to top off a horrible day is you flipping out on me. Did it ever once occur to you that I was making it up? I certainly couldn't tell Hirutani the truth, not if I wanted to get out of there in one piece. So I told him what he wanted to hear."

"Like I'm going to believe that."

Jou snorted. "You haven't changed, have you? If something doesn't fit with what you think, it's automatically wrong. Kaiba, I've never prettied things up or lied to keep from upsetting you before, so why would I start now?"

He pointed at the door. "Out."

"Excuse me?"

"I said out. I don't want to see you until I've had a chance to calm down and think this through."

"Like hell. I don't take orders from you at home."

"Jounouchi, get out."

"If I have to go a few rounds with you to get it into your head, I'm game." Jou began to roll up his sleeves. "It's the only thing that made you really pay attention to what I was saying anyway."

Neither of them were sure who jumped first, who threw a punch. All they realized was that seconds later they were practically rolling across the floor trying to kill each other. Until Jou decided to play dirty.

He grabbed Kaiba's face and kissed him.

The CEO froze, the fist he'd been about to send flying into Jou's gut slowly uncurling, as he met his lover's gaze.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to make sure you get it. I haven't lied to you, Kaiba, and I'm not going to start now. What I told Hirutani was completely made up. I told him what I had to in order to get out alive, because I know you need me here."

"Then why Mai…?"

"He would believe me about Mai. There's been pictures of her from the various tournaments we've been in, and sometimes they show various Duelist Kingdom games, so he's seen me with her. I just gave him what he wanted to hear." He snickered. "Never would've taken you for the insecure type."

"Not the time to crack jokes, Katsuya."

He sat back and wincingly rubbed his bruised cheek. "Yeah, well, I would say it wasn't the time to jump to conclusions and try to kill me either."

Kaiba frowned as he saw yet another bruise blooming along his cheekbone. "Those must hurt."

"Injuries do that."

"Jou, I…"

"I know you feel bad. You don't have to force it out."

"I should though." He wiped a trace of blood from Jou's lip. "I had no business getting mad at you while you were hurt. Even if it was true, it could've waited till you'd had time to rest. I'm sorry."

Jou cracked a grin, but he flinched again as it pulled his various injuries. "Great. Ice please. My face hurts. Honestly, we fight for years without you leaving a mark, and today while I'm already banged up you finally decide to land a punch."

"I…"

"You already apologized once. That's enough."

Kaiba left for a few minutes before returning with an ice pack, a glass of water and some painkillers. Jou swallowed the pills before holding the ice over his blackening eye.

"You look like you're going to have one of these too."

Kaiba touched his face. "Maybe. I don't even feel it."

Jou snorted. "You'll certainly see it come morning. How do you intend to explain why we both look like crap at work tomorrow?"

The CEO pulled Jou over to their bed and let him curl up against his chest. "We'll just take a few days off. The company can run without me for that long."

"You? Take days off? I've seen you go into work after one of those bad episodes like nothing's happened, and a few bruises will keep you home? Damn, I wish I'd known that sooner."

"We can stay in with Mokuba for the weekend. Play games or something. It's for your sake more than mine anyway, silly pup."

"I'm not a dog."

He smirked. "If you say so, Katsuya."

"You're laughing at me, aren't you."

"Of course not."

"Right. I'm going to sleep now. Good night, Seto."

He stroked his lover's golden hair. "Night, Katsuya."

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AN: I will admit that I like sappy endings. Yes, I realize that the thing with Kaiba's visions hasn't been resolved. If you're still curious, I'll be writing a puzzleshipping sequel, likely sometime soon. Hopefully everyone enjoyed the story, and I'd like to see you for the next one. Now, please, pretty please, let me know what you thought. This is the first Yu-Gi-Oh fic I've finished or even made any decent progress on, so I would appreciate the feedback. Till next time!