Everything was a complete blur as Joey cracked his eyes open to an immaculate room. The light overhead, and the intense white on the walls assualted his eyes. He slammed them shut after the bright intrusion. A steady electric beeping echoed throughout the room. He groaned.

Seto heard the small noise that errupted from the blonde's lips. His head whipped up, his deep blue eyes snapped up staring intently at the blonde's pained expression. He squeezed Joey's hand.

The subtle firm pressure against the young blonde's hand came as a supprise. Why would anyone be here? He thought. Where was he in the first place? He had to face the scintillating brightness that filled the room. He opened his honey eyes fast and wide. They dialated to the size of his creepy chin.

Joey's vision was out of focus, the minimal colors mixed into one, shapes being molded into a vague, uncharacter- istic figure. He rubbed his eyes slowly, then picking the sleep out of his eyes. The blonde tried oncemore to steady his shaken vision. To his avail, he saw the starry blue eyes that belong to the man he so wanted to see; his boyfriend.

"How are you feeling? Are you in pain?" Seto questioned. He knew he souned concerned by ear, but he was terrified at heart. Joey had lost a substantial amount of blood. If it weren't for Seto's medical team arriving quickly, it was hard to say what could have happend. Joey lost enough to feel symptoms, luckily he lost about 25 percent. It sounds like alot but, if it were any higher than 30 percent they might as well say their goodbyes. Seto was glad to have a medical ward at his place.

"I'm okay, I think." the blonde replied, "How long was I..?"

"Not as long as you think, only a couple weeks."

"Holy shit!" Joey sat up quickly, "A few weeks?! How's my dad holdin' up? An' school! An' Yugi... Don' you have work?" A million thoughts raced through his mind all at once.

"Your father's in jail." Seto stated bluntly, "Your friends had stopped by. Tristan gave me whatever assignments you missed. And, Yugi came to see you once. For some reason, he's very sorry and blames himself for this." Blue eyes looked up expecting an explanation.

Joey took a minute to soak it all in. He was almost sure that Seto wouldn't tell his friends, he disliked the "geek squad" with a passion. Still, glad he did though, he could always count on Tristan to give him work. It was either him or Téa who would have. And Yugi, his poor little bud was blaming himself, probably for kicking him out the night before. He needed to set things right.

"Joey?" Seto said

The blonde shook himself from his thoughts. "Yeah?" he said, confused. Was Seto talking the entire time? he thought.

"What happened between you and Yugi?" The brunette asked.

"Waait!! How are you not in jail?" Joey asked.

"Because I was defending you, who was unable to defend yourself." he stated, "Stop changing the subject, and tell me what happend." Seto was doing is best not to sound demanding

"Well, 'member when I called you late dat' night? I wasn't callin' 'cause I had a fight with Tristy." Joey looked down avoiding eye contact.

"I know. So, what was the real reason?" He felt smug, he knew Joey was lying from the start.

"I had a fight with Yugi." the blonde stated simple, to the point.

Seto held in a laugh. That was ridiculous. A fight with Yugi? That was more funny than the "fight" with Tristan. "Joey, be honest."

"I am!" He continued, " 'fore I called I was at Yugi's place an' I saw Téa an' I asked Yug' somethin' an' he was puttin' her on a petastole.." Joey stopped there, Yugi took it hard. What if Seto.. he gulped.

"I'm not hearing a fight." The brunette stated.

"Promise ya won' get mad?" His honey eyes looked right into Seto's night sky eyes.

"What did you do?" he said sternly

Joey sighed. Whatever happens, happens. "I told Yug' Téa wasn't dat hard to get 'cause all I did was ask her an' we slept together."

Seto couldn't believe what he was hearing, he laughed hard. Joey asked him not to be mad, how could he not be? Joey was cheating! He took care of him for weeks to find out he's sleeping with some bitch.

"Did you forget we're dating Joey? Because I thought I made it clear." Seto voice was deep, dark, cold.

"No! Seto it happend last year! We weren't then!"

Joey pulled Seto close into a desprate kiss. He couldn't lose Seto. He loved him. Even if it were only afew months, he felt love for the brunette. The kiss was deep, Joey entangled his fingers in the smooth dark hair. He moaned as Kaiba darted his tounge plunging the pink muscle down the blonde's throat.

The elrctric beeping only got faster as Joey's heart rate increased steadily. By the time they pulled away needing air, Seto had found himself on top of his lover. Lust oozing from those cute bedroom eyes, honey half lidded. Joey bucked his hips forward hoping to get some movement, friction. He wanted more than just touch, he wanted to feel the man over him.

Seto hesitated. Joey had only woken up today, he had to take it easy. "We shou-ldn't," Seto stated. "We should wait." Joey looked up, disappointment lurking in those eyes. "Baby.. you want to." The blonde said softly grabbing his boy-friend's member through his clothes, feeling the hard length.

"I know, but you're still weak." The brunette was blunt. Joey needed to realise his body required rest, not fatigue. "I'll be fine besides," he moved his mouth to Seto's ear, in a hot, needy whisper he said "I need you... inside me." as he said the final words he wormed his way through the brunette's waistband, enjoying what he was feeling.

Seto was tempted to ravage the blonde right there and take him till he writhed and begged for ecstasy. Till he screamed his name, digging his nails down his back. Till Joey had no control over his body, lost in the woes of lust and pleasure. It was a tempting thought indeed, but Kaiba knew better. He pulled away from the blonde in one swift motion. Joey whined.

"Babe.. please."

"No, you can wait."

"I'm okay, really. "

"No, Joey."

"HE'S UP?!" The loudest roar in the room came from Tristan, the rest of the friend group followed as the excited brunette ran to Joey's bedside. "I missed you man!" He squeezed Joey into a tight hug.

Kaiba snickered at Tristan's first words. He bit his lip suppressing the sentence that was threatening to escape from his mouth. He's up alright. Seto thought to himself.

Yugi lingered to the back of the ecstatic teens, he was afraid to see Joey. The first time he heard the news, Yugi was the first one to visit aside from Kaiba. He didn't know what he was expecting then, but seeing Joey with pale skin, shallow breathing, and a thick bandage around his neck was enough to scare him. It was like the bubbly, outgoing blonde he used to know was on his deathbed, dying.

Yugi hung his head in shame. It was all his fault. If he hadn't blown the whole situation out of porportion, Joey wouldn't be here. If he hadn't kicked him out, the blonde wouldn't had been so close to death. Joey didn't deserve this, he didn't deserve any of it.

Joey was happy to see all his friends greet him. A little piece inside told him that not all of them would care. They say those you are friends with in high school don't last. None of that matters, he had his friends now, now was good.

Joey scanned the room. Kaiba retired to his laptop that found its way into the hospital room. Tristan was talking about something, Téa wasn't here, Duke sat in a chair, Mai came with "celebration" drinks, champange to be more accurate. Ryou was supposed to come a little later. His heart sank, Where was Yugi?

Mai began to twist the cork off the alcohol, a loud pop followed in persuit. "Now since all of you are underage, this is all for me," Joey scrunged up his face. Mai laughed at that, she knew her friend well, Joey could never refuse a drink even if he'd get busted for doing so, "Relax hun, I was only kidding." She winked re-assuringly at him, but Seto saw it as more of a seducive look. Blue eyes hardend, narrowing into an evil glare.

The female blonde noticed "Do you have a problem, Kaiba?" She asked. The brunette rolled his eyes at her. She wasn't worth his words, nor time. He'd ignore her alltogether, but still keeping an eye on Joey. Seto knew it was under his terms not to let anyone know, but he had sick-ening feeling to wrap his arm around his puppy and kiss him to oblivion. Am I... Jealous? Haha! No.. Seto thought. He was going to lay low, unless Joey did something stupid.

The older blonde began pulling out shot glasses to such, caused Joey to burst out laughing "Ya know Mai, dem shot glasses is for somethin' strong. " He couldn't stop laughing, "I didn't have enough glasses for everyone so deal."

Seto glanced up again, this was his place, no one considered he could have just asked someone to get alcohol and glasses?

Seto snickered, Mai's shot glasses didn't even match, as amusing as this was, we wasn't going to let it continue. "I'll get some glasses and liquor keep your glasses out." He said to Mai, with that Seto texted Roland, he was there within minutes with actual glasses and liquor.

xxx

By the end of the night everyone was completely wasted, Tristan and Duke went to one of the many empty rooms of the mansion to "have fun" as they phrased it. Bakura showed up with his brother, Ryou who decidedly didn't want to drink. Bakura however, had no shame and managed to convince Seto to knock 'em back.

Joey was still in his bed in the white room he woke up in. He denied drinking to the nurse that checked on him, to which she insisted on bedrest and no more alcohol. Once she left the room, he went straight back to it. He called Yugi.

Yugi was still at Kaiba's, but he had left the hospital ward when the room was still packed. He was happy that Joey was awake, but he couldn't stand seeing him like that. Confined to a bed, to one room, to recover. He had to get out of there.

Yugi had been in one of the living rooms sitting on a couch. He was reviewing his deck when his phone rang startling him. The silence was broken. He picked up the phone and looked at the time.

10:32pm Joey was on the line.

The tri-colored teen considered putting it to voicemail. He hadn't talked to the blonde since the day he had thrown it out. He swallowed hard. "Hello?"

"Ay Yug' did ya come home yet?"

From the sound of Joey's voice he knew he was drunk. Not to mention, the blonde sounding like he was at his house. "I'm at Kaiba's still, something up?"

"I need t talk hic t ya face to face."

"Okaay.. Joey are you sure you can't tell me over the phone?"

"M'sure, I need t see ya."

xx

Yugi made his way over to Joey's room. He was just worried what the blonde would say. He knew it was up to him to apologise for kicking him out. That all of this was his fault, he had to let his friend know. He opened the door to see a drunk Joey and a not-so-sober Kaiba sitting at a table in the room. Not so private Yugi thought.

"You wanted to talk?" Yugi asked

"Yea' I jus' I know I messed hic up." The blonde said looking straight into those violet eyes.

"You didn't Joey," Yugi took a seat next to his bed, "I shouldn't have kicked you out. If I didn't none of this would have happened." The smaller teen dropped his head looking down.

"Nah, Yuge I, mm, mean, I it coulda happend any time I was wit' ma dad."Joey's words were slurring in all sorts of ways. "I he's thrown shit at a at me be-hic before, it coulda happend."

"Joey, why didn't you tell me, you shouldn't have to go through that." The tri-coloured teen felt remorse. How long has this been going on? Would he even tell me?

"yuge, I din't tell hic nobody. I, Seto foun' out 'cause he, he came, he was, I jus' ugh. I need a drink." The blonde gripped the neck of a half empty bottle with ease, swaying to the slow movements of his body. He took a few large swigs of the intoxicating drink, enjoying the burn at the back of his throat. Joey found comfort in hopes that he'll forget, he always drank to forget.

Yugi watched his friend swallow the nasty stuff down. The smaller boy couldn't wrap his head around any of it. He questioned all of its contents. What was Kaiba doing at Joey's? Why didn't he ever report his father, and alcohol had to be an aquired taste. Yugi glanced at the brunette sitting in the chair. He wondered if Kaiba had really cared for Joey, taking someone their personal hospital ward was one thing, beating their assailent to death was another.

Moreover, Joey was so incoherent. He slurred almost every word he said. Yugi shook his head, his friend was such a handful, but he still loved him just the same. He smiled, "At least you're okay. That's all that matters Joey."

" 're we ok, Yuge? 'm sorry 'bout all da bullshit." The blonde said.

"Of course, I'm sorry too." he reached over the bed and hugged his best friend, repeating softly in his ear, "I'm sorry too."

Joey returned the gesture and hugged Yugi tightly. All of his worry melted away immediatley. He had his best friend back. He was so worried he'd lost Yugi forever. And here he was, caring, concerned and worried. It was almost as if the fight they had didn't exist. Or it could have been all the booze clouding the blonde's mind, but he felt sure that it wasn't.

Yugi pulled away, a smile plastering his face, "So, why was Kaiba at your place Joey?"

"Uhh," Joey was caught soley off guard. He figured Yugi forgot that minor detail as the conversation went on. Their relationship was still kept in the dark, there was no way he could tell Yugi the truth. He had to think of something.

"I, was, he was just, uhh, he came over..."

The brunette rose from his seat with grace, he shook his head, "Don't listen to him, he's drunk." he continued, "I only came on business, nothing more." Kaiba said, rolling his eyes.

Joey laughed to himself, Of course that was the reason. He wondered how long he could possibly keep this up. He only figured a week, but they were going on at least a month. He downed whatever was left in the bottle. "Welp, I'm exhausted, and Kaiba could you not keep the lights on." The blonde snuggled a pillow on his left side.

For once, he fell into sleep, without worry.

A/N: Sorry for the long wait!