Greetings! As scheduled, here is another chapter of this ongoing angst
fest.
Some of you asked if I was drawing this story out on purpose, and the answer is no, I'm not. This is the way the story has been planned from the beginning. I just naturally drag things out ^_^. Also, some of you mentioned that Jomei's flashback was a bit too descriptive. That it was. . . all I can say on my defense is that I write very descriptively. I can't help it. It's not always a good thing :o(
Reviews:
TZ: Yugi? Who is Yugi? Just kidding. . . I know it's been a long time since he was around. All I can say is have faith!
Adrienne and company: **hands tissues to Adrienne** Sorry to have made you cry! When I write stuff, I don't usually think it's sad but it sometimes ends up that way. Playing 'Bring Me to Life' would dampen the mood though. You should try listening to the song featured in this chapter. That's bound to bring you more tears. It did me, at least. You mentioned this being the second story where Yugi is called a whore. . . what was the first? Thanks so much for your kind words!! I'm glad that you liked 'Paint the Sky with Stars'. I don't like to bash characters even if I don't like them. . . to me, that's just not cool. I'll just not use them. You're just too sweet!! **hands Adrienne Oreos, Hershey's Kisses and a can of soda**
Lizzy: Nah, we don't want to stab Yugi. . . then I'd be out of an authoress job! I need something to do, you know! ^_^ Then again, I'd probably just find another character to torture. Hmm. . . Joey, perhaps? I haven't messed with him yet!
Jadesaber: I'm not purposely dragging out the angst. It's just the way it was planned from the beginning. I guess you could say I already planned it this angsty. It's a bad habit of mine.
Xanda: Welcome to the whacky world of my stories! I'm glad that you're enjoying them so far and hope that you continue to do so.
DarkFoxy: Yup. . . my stories are like the Energizer Bunny: they definitely keep going. I like to tell a good story and it just takes me longer than most to do it. Thanks for the sympathy! It's a shame that you won't post your stuff because you're afraid of the same thing happening. We shouldn't have to worry about that, because people should respect each other's work. Sigh. . . okay, I'll stop now before going off on another rant. This chapter definitely has more Kaiba! The chapter of intruders did too! Thanks again for reviewing!
Celtic Guardian 7: First of all, thank you for reviewing 'Paint the Sky with Stars'. I'm very glad that you enjoyed it. I'm glad you like this one as well! Don't worry **eyes sharpened Egyptian dagger carefully** I won't stop writing ^_^. I know how to duel, but I don't really do it very well. The duels are necessary in the anime, but I tend to stay away from them because I don't think I could write one properly. I'll use the cards every once in a while, though. Celtic Guardian is one of my favorites, which is why I used it. Downloading YGO episodes is awesome! I have the DVD's up to 120, but I've downloaded most of the newer ones. I don't understand much Japanese, but I enjoy them anyway. I didn't know that MegaMan was originally something else. Is it anime? I don't really watch it, but I've seen it advertised. Sorry for the long rant! Thanks again for reviewing!
Labannya: How could I? **hides behind big desk until Labannya calms down** Umm. . . it was always planned? My muse did it? Do any of those work? I'm glad you're not mad at me, though **does happy dance** The YGO movie was violent. . . Joey, Yugi, and that new kid all got beat up. But yes, I was very glad they fixed Kaiba's coloring. I was never fond of the green hair **shudders in repulsion** yuck! About the call: I actually changed that halfway through writing the chapter, so there'll be no call now. Don't worry, what I wrote is actually better, I think. I hope, at least.
Starheart: I will try to continue to the best of my ability! At least until my muse decides to die on me.
Cyberkat: Yeah, I'm horrible with the cliffhangers, aren't I? It's not on purpose, really. Well, not all of the time. Glad you liked it!
Sorceress Vanessa: Hi! Thank you very much for reviewing. There is a first time for everything, right? I hope that you had fun in Ohio. I've never been there, but I hear it's pretty. Thanks again and I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.
Yami-Yugi3: LOL! Yup, that's definitely what Yami's thinking. Don't worry, Yami will get his say. He'll pester Bakura in the next chapter **evil laugh**
Amiasha Ruri: Don't worry about it! Sorry that you have had stuff copied too. It sucks when they won't even acknowledge that they did it, in public, at least. I'm tempted to email the person and ask that she/he change the first chapter. I doubt it'll do any good, which is why I haven't done it. I'm glad you liked the chapter. Yami and Yami Bakura are fun to mess with, especially when they're together.
Arika and Yami Arika: **hands Arika a couple of boxes of tissues** There, there, it's okay. Listen to your Yami, Jomei is okay. For now, at least ^_^. Thank you for giving the story a try and for reviewing. I'm very glad that you liked it!
Ginger Ninja: Awww. . . thank you very much for your kind words! I know that they can't write it the same way, but it still irks me that someone might come across my story and think that I copied that person. Sigh. . . *takes deep breaths* Thanks for the review!
A note on my replies: There may be a spelling error or two, or three, in there. I don't go back and reread what I write, so I don't catch them. I'm sorry in advance! Now on to the story. Enjoy!
**~~**
Part 18: The Inescapable Past
**It's easier to run Replacing this pain with something more It's so much easier to go Than face all this pain here all alone**
With one last look at the house, he ran away.
When he'd taken a few steps, Jomei stopped and turned back around. The house stood before him, dark and inviting. The branches of the tree he'd used to climb down swayed in the gentle breeze as if they were beckoning for him to climb back up and go back inside. The pull was so strong that Jomei actually took a step towards the house, before stopping.
"How do you think your new 'family' would feel about you when they find out you're a murderer? Better yet, how do you think they'll feel when they find out that you're a little whore?"
**Something has been taken from deep inside of me The secret I've kept locked away no one can ever see Wounds so deep they never show they never go away Like moving pictures in my head for years and years they've played**
Asami's harsh words from mere minutes ago suddenly filled Jomei's thoughts and he shivered. His body stung from where Kano had touched it, and bile rose up in his throat as the memories forced their way into his conscious mind.
**Sometimes I remember the darkness of my past Bringing back these memories I wish I didn't have Sometimes I think of letting go and never looking back And never moving forward so there'd never be a path**
"I can't go back," he whispered, his eyes filling with tears. "They'll never want me if they find out. They'll send me back to Tokyo if they know that I. . ." he trailed off, the thought inconceivable in his mind.
Before he could change his mind again, Jomei took off running. He didn't know where he was going, nor did he care. All he wanted was to get away from the house, away from the people who would judge him if they knew what he'd done, what he'd allowed to be done to him. He ran as fast as he could for as long as he could. He was in shape because of the work he'd had to do in Tokyo, so he quickly managed to leave behind the house in the quiet neighborhood and enter the main part of the city. What he thought was the main part of the city, at least.
The nightmare replayed itself in Jomei's mind as he ran, every vivid detail sending shivers down his spine. He put his hands on either side of his head, willing the images to disappear, but they only became even more vivid. His stomach rolled with nausea, and Jomei ducked into the nearest alley and threw up what little he'd had for dinner. The nausea would not stop and he found himself dry heaving until his stomach cramped up, sending painful waves through his stomach and up to his chest.
**If I could change I would Take back the pain I would Retrace every wrong move that I made I would If I could stand up and take the blame I would I would take all the shame to the grave**
Finally, the heaves stopped and Jomei slid down the wall he'd been using for support, landing on the ground and pulling his knees up to his chest. Tears had been running down his cheeks since he'd began to run, which had left wet trails down his cheeks. He was still crying, but was now doing so because of the pain in his stomach. He doubled over, groaning when a particularly painful cramp made itself known. He forced himself to relax and take deep breaths, until the cramps died away.
**Just watching in the sun All of my helplessness inside Pretending I don't feel misplaced It's so much simpler to change
It's easier to run Replacing this pain with something more It's so much easier to go Than face all this pain here all alone**
He sat back and leaned his head against the wall, noting for the first time that he was in a dark alley between two businesses. There was very little light where he was, the only illumination being provided by a street lamp a few feet away from where he sat. He took a few more deep breaths and wiped his face with the sleeve of his shirt. Tears weren't going to accomplish anything. Besides, he wasn't a baby anymore. He didn't need to cry.
"Well look what the cat dragged in."
The voice made Jomei jump slightly and look around. After a few moments, he saw two older teenagers, maybe 18 or 19, standing a few feet away, closer to the street lamp. He couldn't really see them, just their shadows. Jomei didn't wait for them to come to him. He got up and began walking towards them. His shame, guilt, and sadness suddenly transformed into raging anger, and he wanted nothing more than to work off his frustrations by getting into a fight.
"So what?" Jomei replied, his voice hoarse from crying and heaving.
He stopped directly in front of the two, finally close enough to see that he'd been right, they were teenagers. They were dressed in jeans and leather jackets, their hair slicked back. One sported several earrings on his right ear, while the other had one on his eyebrow. Jomei should have felt fear, but he felt nothing but anger.
"You're such a cute little one. What are you doing out here so late?" the one with the earring on his eyebrow said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Does mommy know where you are?" the other one added.
They both laughed, which only made Jomei angrier.
"I don't have a mother and for your information, this is a free alley. I can do whatever I want here."
The two stopped laughing at Jomei's words. He could see their expression change, and they suddenly regarded him with scorn.
"This is our turf. You don't belong here."
Jomei shrugged. "Well, here I am. What are you going to do about it?"
The one with several earrings laughed. "We're not alone, you little freak. The rest of our gang is right behind us, and I doubt you'll want to deal with all of us.
"What's the matter? Are you two afraid of dealing with me on your own?"
In the back of his mind, Jomei knew that what he was doing was foolish and stupid, not to mention dangerous. The conscious part of his mind, however, didn't care at the moment.
The one with the earring on his eyebrow actually growled.
"No, I'm not afraid of dealing with a runt like you!"
To prove his point, the teenager lunged at him. Jomei, being smaller and quicker, easily dodged the blow. Jomei couldn't dodge the other guy, however, and soon found himself in a death grip, his feet dangling above the ground.
With a growl of his own, Jomei kicked backwards and managed to land a blow into the guy's groin. The guy groaned and released Jomei, who landed on his feet. He turned back to see what the other guy was doing and was surprised to see that he'd pulled out a switch blade. Thinking quickly, Jomei ran towards a trashcan he'd spotted earlier and took off its round, aluminum lid, and used it as a shield. While one guy writhed in pain on the ground, the other advanced towards him with the blade. The guy had almost reached him when Jomei heard the squeal or tires behind him. Shortly thereafter, the alley was flooded with light. Jomei's back was to the approaching car, but the guy with the blade was facing the glare of the headlights. He squinted, which Jomei used to move away from him, towards the side of the alley.
Before he could think of an alternate route of escape, since he couldn't go forward and couldn't go backward because of the car, which he assumed contained the rest of the gang, Jomei was roughly grabbed by the back of his shirt and thrown into the back seat of the convertible that had come up behind him. He heard tires squealing again and felt the car moving backwards. He had almost managed to get to a sitting position when the car made a sudden right turn, throwing him into the side of the car. He smacked his jaw hard, cutting the inside of his mouth, along with his lip.
"Damn it!" he cursed as he finally came to a sitting position.
He spit the blood out, not caring if he was damaging the vehicle's interior. He had expected to see the rest of the gang in the car, but there was no one else except the driver. They were moving pretty fast down a street, and Jomei couldn't see the face of the driver. He was about to demand an explanation, when the driver spoke.
"What the hell did you think you were doing? Why are you wandering the streets? Why aren't you home in bed?"
Jomei relaxed as he heard the voice, his anger suddenly dissipating and turning into fear and relief.
"I could ask you the same thing, Seto. Why aren't you at home?"
"I asked you first!" Seto said, and Jomei could hear the cold anger in the teen's voice.
Shaking slightly as the adrenaline left his body, Jomei made his way to the front seat, where he sat down and buckled his seat belt. He looked out at the empty streets of the city, before turning to his companion.
"Where are we going?"
"I'm taking you home."
"No!" Jomei yelled, his voice breaking slightly with his panic. Seto turned to him suddenly, his eyes widening in surprise.
"Why don't you want to go home?"
Jomei clenched his jaw and his hands. He didn't want to tell Seto why he'd left. He didn't want to tell anyone, that's why he'd left Mr. Moto's house in the first place. The nausea came back with a passion, and Jomei put his feet on the seat, doubling over so that his face rested on his knees.
"Jomei, what happened? What's wrong?"
Jomei was silent for a long moment, until the nausea went away.
"If you take me back to Mr. Moto's house, I'll just leave again."
Seto didn't reply to that. After a little while, Jomei heard him sigh. "Fine, we'll go to my house then."
Jomei didn't like that idea any better, but since he was currently sitting in Seto's fast moving car, he didn't have much of a choice.
"Why aren't you home?" Jomei asked again.
Seto shrugged. "I was on my way home from the office. I passed the alley and saw you."
Jomei frowned. "You're telling me you could see that far into the alley from a moving car?"
Seto chuckled. "You were standing under the street lamp, Jomei. Believe me, there isn't anyone else with hair like yours, so I knew it was you."
"Thanks. I realized I'd gotten over my head when the guy pulled out a knife."
"You still haven't told me why you're out here in the middle of the night."
Kano's voice suddenly came rushing back into Jomei's mind and he shivered. "I can't talk about it, Seto. Please don't ask."
There was a long, uncomfortable silence, and then Seto spoke. "Fine."
They both sat in an uncomfortable silence for a moment, until Jomei felt the need to break it.
"Do you make it a habit of going to work in the middle of the night?"
Seto sighed again. "I only do it when I go out of town and miss a lot of work."
"You're injured, though. You should be home in bed," Jomei added, a bit of guilt creeping into his mind at the reason Seto had gotten hurt in the first place.
Seto didn't reply. Instead, he maneuvered his car out of the main street and through some smaller streets, passing some enormous houses on the way. Jomei couldn't help but be mesmerized by the sheer size of the places they were passing, some with huge front laws and towering, metal gates.
After a little while, Seto turned into a driveway and stopped at the closed gate. He reached out and typed something into a small panel beside the gate and it obediently opened. Jomei looked ahead and his mouth opened in awe of the huge house they were driving towards. Seto maneuvered the car around the front of the house and into a garage that housed a few more cars. Once the car stopped, Jomei unbuckled his seat belt and stepped out of the car.
"I sort of ruined your upholstery back here," Jomei said sheepishly, pointing to a red spot in the middle of the white, leather seat. "I busted my lip on one of those turns you made and thought you were one of those gang members."
Seto looked down at the upholstery, then up at Jomei. His eyes widened when he saw Jomei's face.
"That lip looks horrible. I bet the inside of the mouth looks just as bad. Let's get up to one of the bathrooms to clean it up," Seto said and made his way to the door on the side of the garage. "Don't worry about the upholstery, I'll have it replaced," he added.
Jomei followed Seto into the house, marveling at the opulent surroundings. Everything was neat and immaculate. Jomei didn't know much about furnishings and paintings, but he was sure that the ones displayed at the Kaiba mansion were not cheap. Jomei wondered how many people lived here. The house looked too big for only two people to live in it.
"Who lives here?" Jomei finally asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"Just my brother and me," Seto said. "Oh, and the staff. They're all asleep by now."
Jomei nodded and continued to follow Seto up to the upstairs bedrooms. They quickly walked into one, and Seto led him towards the bathroom.
"Sit here," he said, pointing to a comfortable chair in the big room. "I'll get some peroxide to clean that cut."
Jomei did as he was told, even though he didn't think the lip was such a big deal. He glanced at the mirror in front of him and winced. It did look pretty bad. It looked worse than it felt, though, since had he stopped feeling the pain halfway to the house.
"Okay, I'm going to clean it up. It's going to sting, so be prepared."
Jomei nodded, closing his eyes. He felt tired, worn. The adrenaline that had been pumping through his system since he'd left Mr. Moto's house had dissipated, leaving him lethargic and tired.
A hand on his neck drew his attention. The hand was followed by another hand on his face, touching gently by the side of his mouth. Jomei began to panic, his heart racing, limbs shaking, as visions of Kano touching his face and leaning in to kiss him suddenly popped into his mind. He felt someone in front of him, getting closer, and he couldn't stay still any longer. He wasn't going to let Kano touch him ever again.
He pushed with all his might, satisfied when a grunt and a loud curse followed. He opened his eyes and was about to bolt from the room when he recognized the person in the room with him. Seto was sprawled on the floor, hydrogen peroxide soaking into his black shirt. He was sitting up, trying to get his shirt clear of the foamy, white liquid. He finally gave up and simply took the shirt off, throwing it aside.
"I'm sorry, Seto," Jomei said, his heart still beating a mile a minute. "I. . ." he trailed off, not knowing how to continue without giving too much away.
"You thought I was someone else," Seto finished for him. He looked up at Jomei and Jomei saw sympathy, not hate, in Seto's blue eyes. "Yeah, I figured that."
Seto turned around to reach for another bottle of peroxide to finish cleaning Jomei's lip and Jomei couldn't help but gasp when he saw Seto's back. White scars littered his lean back. They covered the entire area, some longer and wider than others. As much as he tried, Jomei couldn't stop staring. There must have been something in his eyes, because when Seto turned around to face him, his eyes narrowed.
"What?" Seto asked.
"How did you get the scars?" Jomei asked in return, focusing his gaze on Seto.
Seto shook his head. "I'll make you a deal: you tell me why you just pushed me, and I'll tell you how I got them. Deal?"
Jomei clenched his jaw. He hated to be manipulated, but at the same time, wanted to know about the scars. Against his better judgment, he nodded.
"Good, not let me clean up that cut. Keep you eyes open, this time."
**~~**
"Make yourself comfortable, I'm just going to grab a couple of things," Seto told him. He'd put another shirt on before leaving his room, so Jomei couldn't see the scars on his back anymore.
Jomei stepped into the spacious kitchen and sat on a stool next to the counter. His eyes wandered and he couldn't help but be impressed at the sheer size of the room. The kitchen alone was bigger than his last apartment had been. Jomei sighed softly. Ever since he'd gotten to Domino, he'd been impressed by everything. The room he had been sleeping in at Mr. Moto's house was more than he'd ever hoped for, and the house was just as big and very comfortable. Now that he was at Seto's, he was even more amazed. His entire life, what he remembered of it, all he'd known was poverty. The people he was around now were the complete opposite.
Seto returned to the counter and placed a couple of cans of soda, two bags of chips, and a bag of small cookies in front of Jomei. He was left holding a small bag of something.
"I don't usually eat this stuff, but Mokuba keeps is around the house. I figured we'd need reinforcements if we're about to talk about our respective nightmares."
Jomei smiled nervously. Seto seemed entirely too good natured about what they were about to do. On closer inspection, however, Jomei could see that Seto was just as nervous as he was and was keeping himself busy to hide it.
"What's in the bag?"
Seto looked at his hands as if he'd forgotten he was holding the bag.
"Oh, it's coffee beans. Do you want a soda or coffee?"
Jomei shrugged. "I've never had coffee, so I'll stick to the soda."
Seto nodded and put the bag down. "Yeah, me too."
He handed Jomei one of the cans, and then opened one of the bags of chips. He took a plate out of the cabinet and dumped the contents of the bag onto it. Seto also opened the bag of cookies and dumped the contents onto another plate.
"Help yourself," Seto said and put the plates between them.
Jomei looked at the food, but didn't feel like eating any of it. His stomach was in knots; all he could thing of was what he was about to say. To kill time, he opened the can of soda and took a small sip. It tasted of strawberries.
"So?" Seto asked.
Jomei shrugged. "So what?"
"Why don't you start?"
"Why me?"
Seto's eyes softened. "Because you really should talk about it."
Jomei's jaw clenched at that. What did Seto know about what had happened to him?
"What makes you the expert on this?" Jomei said, his tone defensive and harsh.
"If what I think happened is true, then it's going to eat you up inside if you don't say it out loud to someone," Seto said, his tone still soft, reasonable.
Jomei shook his head. "I don't owe you any explanations," he said, his fear of being rejected or thought of as dirty bubbled to the surface, making him want to run away. He liked Seto and wanted to keep him as a friend.
"I shouldn't have come here," he said suddenly, standing up. "This was a mistake. Thank you for your help, but I'll be going now."
Without waiting for a reply, Jomei made his way out of the kitchen and to the front door. He could hear Seto following behind him, and he sped up a bit.
"Jomei, wait! We don't have to talk if you don't want to, it's okay. Wait!"
Jomei didn't pay attention. Tears were prickling at his eyes and he wanted to get away before Seto saw them.
"Stop!"
Jomei didn't listen. He reached the front door and ran outside, quickly making his way to the front gate. The property was big, so it was going to take a while to get there. However, once he got there, everything would be okay. Once he was alone again, he'd be fine.
**~~**
Joey cursed himself for his idiocy for the hundredth time since he'd watched Seto Kaiba yank Jomei into his convertible.
He'd been awake, staring out the window, when he'd seen Jomei walk across his field of vision. The younger teen had stopped and looked back at the house only for a moment, and by the time Joey had gotten up to get dressed to go down and talk to Jomei, the younger teen had been gone. Joey had gotten dressed in record time and had gone outside to go after Jomei, but he'd lost sight of him very quickly. He hadn't caught up to Jomei until the fight in the alley. Joey had been about to help him when Kaiba had arrived and helped instead.
"I should have done something sooner," he berated himself as he quickly walked towards Kaiba's mansion. "If I had, Jomei would be back home, not in Kaiba's lair."
For some reason, the idea of Jomei with Kaiba made Joey's skin crawl. Jomei should be home, getting help from his family and close friends, not at the home of some stuck up, rich bastard who probably could care less about Jomei.
He sped up as he realized that he was taking too long. He'd tried to catch up to Kaiba's speeding car, but it had been useless. He figured that since it was so late, Kaiba would be heading home. It was too late to take a bus, so Joey had run most of the way over to the mansion. He was almost there, though. He could already see the front gates.
"Jomei, stop! You don't need to leave. There's no reason for you to be wandering the streets alone at this time of night!"
Joey stopped dead in his tracks at the sound of Kaiba's voice. He looked ahead of him and saw a blur that he quickly identified as Jomei dash out of the Kaiba mansion's grounds. Right behind him, Kaiba himself came out running.
Too stunned to react and still wondering what was going on, it took Joey a few seconds to realize that a black sedan had passed him on the street and had stopped in front of the still running Jomei. As if in slow motion, Joey saw the car's door open to reveal a man holding a gun. He aimed it at Jomei and fired. He then turned around, aimed at Kaiba, and fired again. Both teens immediately fell to the ground either dead or unconscious.
The sight made Joey's heart stop beating momentarily, his entire body frozen with fear. When he saw the man walk to Jomei and pick him up, his paralysis broke. He took off in a mad dash towards the car, pushing his athletic muscles as hard as he could. He was going to reach the man before he took off with Jomei.
He had to.
**~~**
**hides behind monitor to avoid the rotten tomatoes being thrown her way**
This chapter didn't exactly turn out as I thought it would, which is why my previews in the last chapter didn't all come out. I hope this ended up being better, though.
Next up: You'll have to wait and find out ^_^ Until next time!
Some of you asked if I was drawing this story out on purpose, and the answer is no, I'm not. This is the way the story has been planned from the beginning. I just naturally drag things out ^_^. Also, some of you mentioned that Jomei's flashback was a bit too descriptive. That it was. . . all I can say on my defense is that I write very descriptively. I can't help it. It's not always a good thing :o(
Reviews:
TZ: Yugi? Who is Yugi? Just kidding. . . I know it's been a long time since he was around. All I can say is have faith!
Adrienne and company: **hands tissues to Adrienne** Sorry to have made you cry! When I write stuff, I don't usually think it's sad but it sometimes ends up that way. Playing 'Bring Me to Life' would dampen the mood though. You should try listening to the song featured in this chapter. That's bound to bring you more tears. It did me, at least. You mentioned this being the second story where Yugi is called a whore. . . what was the first? Thanks so much for your kind words!! I'm glad that you liked 'Paint the Sky with Stars'. I don't like to bash characters even if I don't like them. . . to me, that's just not cool. I'll just not use them. You're just too sweet!! **hands Adrienne Oreos, Hershey's Kisses and a can of soda**
Lizzy: Nah, we don't want to stab Yugi. . . then I'd be out of an authoress job! I need something to do, you know! ^_^ Then again, I'd probably just find another character to torture. Hmm. . . Joey, perhaps? I haven't messed with him yet!
Jadesaber: I'm not purposely dragging out the angst. It's just the way it was planned from the beginning. I guess you could say I already planned it this angsty. It's a bad habit of mine.
Xanda: Welcome to the whacky world of my stories! I'm glad that you're enjoying them so far and hope that you continue to do so.
DarkFoxy: Yup. . . my stories are like the Energizer Bunny: they definitely keep going. I like to tell a good story and it just takes me longer than most to do it. Thanks for the sympathy! It's a shame that you won't post your stuff because you're afraid of the same thing happening. We shouldn't have to worry about that, because people should respect each other's work. Sigh. . . okay, I'll stop now before going off on another rant. This chapter definitely has more Kaiba! The chapter of intruders did too! Thanks again for reviewing!
Celtic Guardian 7: First of all, thank you for reviewing 'Paint the Sky with Stars'. I'm very glad that you enjoyed it. I'm glad you like this one as well! Don't worry **eyes sharpened Egyptian dagger carefully** I won't stop writing ^_^. I know how to duel, but I don't really do it very well. The duels are necessary in the anime, but I tend to stay away from them because I don't think I could write one properly. I'll use the cards every once in a while, though. Celtic Guardian is one of my favorites, which is why I used it. Downloading YGO episodes is awesome! I have the DVD's up to 120, but I've downloaded most of the newer ones. I don't understand much Japanese, but I enjoy them anyway. I didn't know that MegaMan was originally something else. Is it anime? I don't really watch it, but I've seen it advertised. Sorry for the long rant! Thanks again for reviewing!
Labannya: How could I? **hides behind big desk until Labannya calms down** Umm. . . it was always planned? My muse did it? Do any of those work? I'm glad you're not mad at me, though **does happy dance** The YGO movie was violent. . . Joey, Yugi, and that new kid all got beat up. But yes, I was very glad they fixed Kaiba's coloring. I was never fond of the green hair **shudders in repulsion** yuck! About the call: I actually changed that halfway through writing the chapter, so there'll be no call now. Don't worry, what I wrote is actually better, I think. I hope, at least.
Starheart: I will try to continue to the best of my ability! At least until my muse decides to die on me.
Cyberkat: Yeah, I'm horrible with the cliffhangers, aren't I? It's not on purpose, really. Well, not all of the time. Glad you liked it!
Sorceress Vanessa: Hi! Thank you very much for reviewing. There is a first time for everything, right? I hope that you had fun in Ohio. I've never been there, but I hear it's pretty. Thanks again and I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.
Yami-Yugi3: LOL! Yup, that's definitely what Yami's thinking. Don't worry, Yami will get his say. He'll pester Bakura in the next chapter **evil laugh**
Amiasha Ruri: Don't worry about it! Sorry that you have had stuff copied too. It sucks when they won't even acknowledge that they did it, in public, at least. I'm tempted to email the person and ask that she/he change the first chapter. I doubt it'll do any good, which is why I haven't done it. I'm glad you liked the chapter. Yami and Yami Bakura are fun to mess with, especially when they're together.
Arika and Yami Arika: **hands Arika a couple of boxes of tissues** There, there, it's okay. Listen to your Yami, Jomei is okay. For now, at least ^_^. Thank you for giving the story a try and for reviewing. I'm very glad that you liked it!
Ginger Ninja: Awww. . . thank you very much for your kind words! I know that they can't write it the same way, but it still irks me that someone might come across my story and think that I copied that person. Sigh. . . *takes deep breaths* Thanks for the review!
A note on my replies: There may be a spelling error or two, or three, in there. I don't go back and reread what I write, so I don't catch them. I'm sorry in advance! Now on to the story. Enjoy!
**~~**
Part 18: The Inescapable Past
**It's easier to run Replacing this pain with something more It's so much easier to go Than face all this pain here all alone**
With one last look at the house, he ran away.
When he'd taken a few steps, Jomei stopped and turned back around. The house stood before him, dark and inviting. The branches of the tree he'd used to climb down swayed in the gentle breeze as if they were beckoning for him to climb back up and go back inside. The pull was so strong that Jomei actually took a step towards the house, before stopping.
"How do you think your new 'family' would feel about you when they find out you're a murderer? Better yet, how do you think they'll feel when they find out that you're a little whore?"
**Something has been taken from deep inside of me The secret I've kept locked away no one can ever see Wounds so deep they never show they never go away Like moving pictures in my head for years and years they've played**
Asami's harsh words from mere minutes ago suddenly filled Jomei's thoughts and he shivered. His body stung from where Kano had touched it, and bile rose up in his throat as the memories forced their way into his conscious mind.
**Sometimes I remember the darkness of my past Bringing back these memories I wish I didn't have Sometimes I think of letting go and never looking back And never moving forward so there'd never be a path**
"I can't go back," he whispered, his eyes filling with tears. "They'll never want me if they find out. They'll send me back to Tokyo if they know that I. . ." he trailed off, the thought inconceivable in his mind.
Before he could change his mind again, Jomei took off running. He didn't know where he was going, nor did he care. All he wanted was to get away from the house, away from the people who would judge him if they knew what he'd done, what he'd allowed to be done to him. He ran as fast as he could for as long as he could. He was in shape because of the work he'd had to do in Tokyo, so he quickly managed to leave behind the house in the quiet neighborhood and enter the main part of the city. What he thought was the main part of the city, at least.
The nightmare replayed itself in Jomei's mind as he ran, every vivid detail sending shivers down his spine. He put his hands on either side of his head, willing the images to disappear, but they only became even more vivid. His stomach rolled with nausea, and Jomei ducked into the nearest alley and threw up what little he'd had for dinner. The nausea would not stop and he found himself dry heaving until his stomach cramped up, sending painful waves through his stomach and up to his chest.
**If I could change I would Take back the pain I would Retrace every wrong move that I made I would If I could stand up and take the blame I would I would take all the shame to the grave**
Finally, the heaves stopped and Jomei slid down the wall he'd been using for support, landing on the ground and pulling his knees up to his chest. Tears had been running down his cheeks since he'd began to run, which had left wet trails down his cheeks. He was still crying, but was now doing so because of the pain in his stomach. He doubled over, groaning when a particularly painful cramp made itself known. He forced himself to relax and take deep breaths, until the cramps died away.
**Just watching in the sun All of my helplessness inside Pretending I don't feel misplaced It's so much simpler to change
It's easier to run Replacing this pain with something more It's so much easier to go Than face all this pain here all alone**
He sat back and leaned his head against the wall, noting for the first time that he was in a dark alley between two businesses. There was very little light where he was, the only illumination being provided by a street lamp a few feet away from where he sat. He took a few more deep breaths and wiped his face with the sleeve of his shirt. Tears weren't going to accomplish anything. Besides, he wasn't a baby anymore. He didn't need to cry.
"Well look what the cat dragged in."
The voice made Jomei jump slightly and look around. After a few moments, he saw two older teenagers, maybe 18 or 19, standing a few feet away, closer to the street lamp. He couldn't really see them, just their shadows. Jomei didn't wait for them to come to him. He got up and began walking towards them. His shame, guilt, and sadness suddenly transformed into raging anger, and he wanted nothing more than to work off his frustrations by getting into a fight.
"So what?" Jomei replied, his voice hoarse from crying and heaving.
He stopped directly in front of the two, finally close enough to see that he'd been right, they were teenagers. They were dressed in jeans and leather jackets, their hair slicked back. One sported several earrings on his right ear, while the other had one on his eyebrow. Jomei should have felt fear, but he felt nothing but anger.
"You're such a cute little one. What are you doing out here so late?" the one with the earring on his eyebrow said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Does mommy know where you are?" the other one added.
They both laughed, which only made Jomei angrier.
"I don't have a mother and for your information, this is a free alley. I can do whatever I want here."
The two stopped laughing at Jomei's words. He could see their expression change, and they suddenly regarded him with scorn.
"This is our turf. You don't belong here."
Jomei shrugged. "Well, here I am. What are you going to do about it?"
The one with several earrings laughed. "We're not alone, you little freak. The rest of our gang is right behind us, and I doubt you'll want to deal with all of us.
"What's the matter? Are you two afraid of dealing with me on your own?"
In the back of his mind, Jomei knew that what he was doing was foolish and stupid, not to mention dangerous. The conscious part of his mind, however, didn't care at the moment.
The one with the earring on his eyebrow actually growled.
"No, I'm not afraid of dealing with a runt like you!"
To prove his point, the teenager lunged at him. Jomei, being smaller and quicker, easily dodged the blow. Jomei couldn't dodge the other guy, however, and soon found himself in a death grip, his feet dangling above the ground.
With a growl of his own, Jomei kicked backwards and managed to land a blow into the guy's groin. The guy groaned and released Jomei, who landed on his feet. He turned back to see what the other guy was doing and was surprised to see that he'd pulled out a switch blade. Thinking quickly, Jomei ran towards a trashcan he'd spotted earlier and took off its round, aluminum lid, and used it as a shield. While one guy writhed in pain on the ground, the other advanced towards him with the blade. The guy had almost reached him when Jomei heard the squeal or tires behind him. Shortly thereafter, the alley was flooded with light. Jomei's back was to the approaching car, but the guy with the blade was facing the glare of the headlights. He squinted, which Jomei used to move away from him, towards the side of the alley.
Before he could think of an alternate route of escape, since he couldn't go forward and couldn't go backward because of the car, which he assumed contained the rest of the gang, Jomei was roughly grabbed by the back of his shirt and thrown into the back seat of the convertible that had come up behind him. He heard tires squealing again and felt the car moving backwards. He had almost managed to get to a sitting position when the car made a sudden right turn, throwing him into the side of the car. He smacked his jaw hard, cutting the inside of his mouth, along with his lip.
"Damn it!" he cursed as he finally came to a sitting position.
He spit the blood out, not caring if he was damaging the vehicle's interior. He had expected to see the rest of the gang in the car, but there was no one else except the driver. They were moving pretty fast down a street, and Jomei couldn't see the face of the driver. He was about to demand an explanation, when the driver spoke.
"What the hell did you think you were doing? Why are you wandering the streets? Why aren't you home in bed?"
Jomei relaxed as he heard the voice, his anger suddenly dissipating and turning into fear and relief.
"I could ask you the same thing, Seto. Why aren't you at home?"
"I asked you first!" Seto said, and Jomei could hear the cold anger in the teen's voice.
Shaking slightly as the adrenaline left his body, Jomei made his way to the front seat, where he sat down and buckled his seat belt. He looked out at the empty streets of the city, before turning to his companion.
"Where are we going?"
"I'm taking you home."
"No!" Jomei yelled, his voice breaking slightly with his panic. Seto turned to him suddenly, his eyes widening in surprise.
"Why don't you want to go home?"
Jomei clenched his jaw and his hands. He didn't want to tell Seto why he'd left. He didn't want to tell anyone, that's why he'd left Mr. Moto's house in the first place. The nausea came back with a passion, and Jomei put his feet on the seat, doubling over so that his face rested on his knees.
"Jomei, what happened? What's wrong?"
Jomei was silent for a long moment, until the nausea went away.
"If you take me back to Mr. Moto's house, I'll just leave again."
Seto didn't reply to that. After a little while, Jomei heard him sigh. "Fine, we'll go to my house then."
Jomei didn't like that idea any better, but since he was currently sitting in Seto's fast moving car, he didn't have much of a choice.
"Why aren't you home?" Jomei asked again.
Seto shrugged. "I was on my way home from the office. I passed the alley and saw you."
Jomei frowned. "You're telling me you could see that far into the alley from a moving car?"
Seto chuckled. "You were standing under the street lamp, Jomei. Believe me, there isn't anyone else with hair like yours, so I knew it was you."
"Thanks. I realized I'd gotten over my head when the guy pulled out a knife."
"You still haven't told me why you're out here in the middle of the night."
Kano's voice suddenly came rushing back into Jomei's mind and he shivered. "I can't talk about it, Seto. Please don't ask."
There was a long, uncomfortable silence, and then Seto spoke. "Fine."
They both sat in an uncomfortable silence for a moment, until Jomei felt the need to break it.
"Do you make it a habit of going to work in the middle of the night?"
Seto sighed again. "I only do it when I go out of town and miss a lot of work."
"You're injured, though. You should be home in bed," Jomei added, a bit of guilt creeping into his mind at the reason Seto had gotten hurt in the first place.
Seto didn't reply. Instead, he maneuvered his car out of the main street and through some smaller streets, passing some enormous houses on the way. Jomei couldn't help but be mesmerized by the sheer size of the places they were passing, some with huge front laws and towering, metal gates.
After a little while, Seto turned into a driveway and stopped at the closed gate. He reached out and typed something into a small panel beside the gate and it obediently opened. Jomei looked ahead and his mouth opened in awe of the huge house they were driving towards. Seto maneuvered the car around the front of the house and into a garage that housed a few more cars. Once the car stopped, Jomei unbuckled his seat belt and stepped out of the car.
"I sort of ruined your upholstery back here," Jomei said sheepishly, pointing to a red spot in the middle of the white, leather seat. "I busted my lip on one of those turns you made and thought you were one of those gang members."
Seto looked down at the upholstery, then up at Jomei. His eyes widened when he saw Jomei's face.
"That lip looks horrible. I bet the inside of the mouth looks just as bad. Let's get up to one of the bathrooms to clean it up," Seto said and made his way to the door on the side of the garage. "Don't worry about the upholstery, I'll have it replaced," he added.
Jomei followed Seto into the house, marveling at the opulent surroundings. Everything was neat and immaculate. Jomei didn't know much about furnishings and paintings, but he was sure that the ones displayed at the Kaiba mansion were not cheap. Jomei wondered how many people lived here. The house looked too big for only two people to live in it.
"Who lives here?" Jomei finally asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"Just my brother and me," Seto said. "Oh, and the staff. They're all asleep by now."
Jomei nodded and continued to follow Seto up to the upstairs bedrooms. They quickly walked into one, and Seto led him towards the bathroom.
"Sit here," he said, pointing to a comfortable chair in the big room. "I'll get some peroxide to clean that cut."
Jomei did as he was told, even though he didn't think the lip was such a big deal. He glanced at the mirror in front of him and winced. It did look pretty bad. It looked worse than it felt, though, since had he stopped feeling the pain halfway to the house.
"Okay, I'm going to clean it up. It's going to sting, so be prepared."
Jomei nodded, closing his eyes. He felt tired, worn. The adrenaline that had been pumping through his system since he'd left Mr. Moto's house had dissipated, leaving him lethargic and tired.
A hand on his neck drew his attention. The hand was followed by another hand on his face, touching gently by the side of his mouth. Jomei began to panic, his heart racing, limbs shaking, as visions of Kano touching his face and leaning in to kiss him suddenly popped into his mind. He felt someone in front of him, getting closer, and he couldn't stay still any longer. He wasn't going to let Kano touch him ever again.
He pushed with all his might, satisfied when a grunt and a loud curse followed. He opened his eyes and was about to bolt from the room when he recognized the person in the room with him. Seto was sprawled on the floor, hydrogen peroxide soaking into his black shirt. He was sitting up, trying to get his shirt clear of the foamy, white liquid. He finally gave up and simply took the shirt off, throwing it aside.
"I'm sorry, Seto," Jomei said, his heart still beating a mile a minute. "I. . ." he trailed off, not knowing how to continue without giving too much away.
"You thought I was someone else," Seto finished for him. He looked up at Jomei and Jomei saw sympathy, not hate, in Seto's blue eyes. "Yeah, I figured that."
Seto turned around to reach for another bottle of peroxide to finish cleaning Jomei's lip and Jomei couldn't help but gasp when he saw Seto's back. White scars littered his lean back. They covered the entire area, some longer and wider than others. As much as he tried, Jomei couldn't stop staring. There must have been something in his eyes, because when Seto turned around to face him, his eyes narrowed.
"What?" Seto asked.
"How did you get the scars?" Jomei asked in return, focusing his gaze on Seto.
Seto shook his head. "I'll make you a deal: you tell me why you just pushed me, and I'll tell you how I got them. Deal?"
Jomei clenched his jaw. He hated to be manipulated, but at the same time, wanted to know about the scars. Against his better judgment, he nodded.
"Good, not let me clean up that cut. Keep you eyes open, this time."
**~~**
"Make yourself comfortable, I'm just going to grab a couple of things," Seto told him. He'd put another shirt on before leaving his room, so Jomei couldn't see the scars on his back anymore.
Jomei stepped into the spacious kitchen and sat on a stool next to the counter. His eyes wandered and he couldn't help but be impressed at the sheer size of the room. The kitchen alone was bigger than his last apartment had been. Jomei sighed softly. Ever since he'd gotten to Domino, he'd been impressed by everything. The room he had been sleeping in at Mr. Moto's house was more than he'd ever hoped for, and the house was just as big and very comfortable. Now that he was at Seto's, he was even more amazed. His entire life, what he remembered of it, all he'd known was poverty. The people he was around now were the complete opposite.
Seto returned to the counter and placed a couple of cans of soda, two bags of chips, and a bag of small cookies in front of Jomei. He was left holding a small bag of something.
"I don't usually eat this stuff, but Mokuba keeps is around the house. I figured we'd need reinforcements if we're about to talk about our respective nightmares."
Jomei smiled nervously. Seto seemed entirely too good natured about what they were about to do. On closer inspection, however, Jomei could see that Seto was just as nervous as he was and was keeping himself busy to hide it.
"What's in the bag?"
Seto looked at his hands as if he'd forgotten he was holding the bag.
"Oh, it's coffee beans. Do you want a soda or coffee?"
Jomei shrugged. "I've never had coffee, so I'll stick to the soda."
Seto nodded and put the bag down. "Yeah, me too."
He handed Jomei one of the cans, and then opened one of the bags of chips. He took a plate out of the cabinet and dumped the contents of the bag onto it. Seto also opened the bag of cookies and dumped the contents onto another plate.
"Help yourself," Seto said and put the plates between them.
Jomei looked at the food, but didn't feel like eating any of it. His stomach was in knots; all he could thing of was what he was about to say. To kill time, he opened the can of soda and took a small sip. It tasted of strawberries.
"So?" Seto asked.
Jomei shrugged. "So what?"
"Why don't you start?"
"Why me?"
Seto's eyes softened. "Because you really should talk about it."
Jomei's jaw clenched at that. What did Seto know about what had happened to him?
"What makes you the expert on this?" Jomei said, his tone defensive and harsh.
"If what I think happened is true, then it's going to eat you up inside if you don't say it out loud to someone," Seto said, his tone still soft, reasonable.
Jomei shook his head. "I don't owe you any explanations," he said, his fear of being rejected or thought of as dirty bubbled to the surface, making him want to run away. He liked Seto and wanted to keep him as a friend.
"I shouldn't have come here," he said suddenly, standing up. "This was a mistake. Thank you for your help, but I'll be going now."
Without waiting for a reply, Jomei made his way out of the kitchen and to the front door. He could hear Seto following behind him, and he sped up a bit.
"Jomei, wait! We don't have to talk if you don't want to, it's okay. Wait!"
Jomei didn't pay attention. Tears were prickling at his eyes and he wanted to get away before Seto saw them.
"Stop!"
Jomei didn't listen. He reached the front door and ran outside, quickly making his way to the front gate. The property was big, so it was going to take a while to get there. However, once he got there, everything would be okay. Once he was alone again, he'd be fine.
**~~**
Joey cursed himself for his idiocy for the hundredth time since he'd watched Seto Kaiba yank Jomei into his convertible.
He'd been awake, staring out the window, when he'd seen Jomei walk across his field of vision. The younger teen had stopped and looked back at the house only for a moment, and by the time Joey had gotten up to get dressed to go down and talk to Jomei, the younger teen had been gone. Joey had gotten dressed in record time and had gone outside to go after Jomei, but he'd lost sight of him very quickly. He hadn't caught up to Jomei until the fight in the alley. Joey had been about to help him when Kaiba had arrived and helped instead.
"I should have done something sooner," he berated himself as he quickly walked towards Kaiba's mansion. "If I had, Jomei would be back home, not in Kaiba's lair."
For some reason, the idea of Jomei with Kaiba made Joey's skin crawl. Jomei should be home, getting help from his family and close friends, not at the home of some stuck up, rich bastard who probably could care less about Jomei.
He sped up as he realized that he was taking too long. He'd tried to catch up to Kaiba's speeding car, but it had been useless. He figured that since it was so late, Kaiba would be heading home. It was too late to take a bus, so Joey had run most of the way over to the mansion. He was almost there, though. He could already see the front gates.
"Jomei, stop! You don't need to leave. There's no reason for you to be wandering the streets alone at this time of night!"
Joey stopped dead in his tracks at the sound of Kaiba's voice. He looked ahead of him and saw a blur that he quickly identified as Jomei dash out of the Kaiba mansion's grounds. Right behind him, Kaiba himself came out running.
Too stunned to react and still wondering what was going on, it took Joey a few seconds to realize that a black sedan had passed him on the street and had stopped in front of the still running Jomei. As if in slow motion, Joey saw the car's door open to reveal a man holding a gun. He aimed it at Jomei and fired. He then turned around, aimed at Kaiba, and fired again. Both teens immediately fell to the ground either dead or unconscious.
The sight made Joey's heart stop beating momentarily, his entire body frozen with fear. When he saw the man walk to Jomei and pick him up, his paralysis broke. He took off in a mad dash towards the car, pushing his athletic muscles as hard as he could. He was going to reach the man before he took off with Jomei.
He had to.
**~~**
**hides behind monitor to avoid the rotten tomatoes being thrown her way**
This chapter didn't exactly turn out as I thought it would, which is why my previews in the last chapter didn't all come out. I hope this ended up being better, though.
Next up: You'll have to wait and find out ^_^ Until next time!