I'm sorry this story is not a long one either, but I am working on some ideas and trying to put them all together to make a long story. I don't know how long it would take for that Jou/Seto fic, but I guess I'll work on one at a time. Thank you though for your kind reviews. I'm so happy that people liked the first chapter. This chapter is a little longer than the first one, but not much. Hopefully it's to everyone's liking.

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Chapter Two

Seto sat behind his desk, staring at the computer screen that he clearly was ignoring. It has been nearly a week since Hiro's party. The business card remained untouched in his wallet as he debated on whether he should talk to Jou first or go right for the boss. With his continuous research, Seto finally found a reason for Jou's lack of talking, but not an explanation to his disappearance. Jou was involved in a drive by that left him shot in the neck while he was walking home the night before he disappeared. Seto couldn't find much about his progress through the hospital. Jou's condition was never written down, but he was released a month before graduation. Jou never returned to school or his place a residence. A few months down the line and the building was condemned before torn down. After that, Jou seemed to vanish. There was no forwarding address, no bank accounts, and no employment. It was like the man the hospital released wasn't even the same person.

Seto tapped his fingers along the keyboard, still staring at the screen. He reached another dead end, and figured it would be easier just to confront Jou after work, except he didn't know his work schedule. The CEO sighed and shut his computer down. There was no way that he could focus on work. He reached over for his cell phone and dialed Yugi's number again. It instantly went to voice mail for the third time that day. He didn't know if Yugi still had the same number, or he was ignoring Seto, but he decided to leave a message that time. "Yugi, it's Kaiba. Return my call when you have a moment."

He hung up and waited a few minutes, half expecting Yugi to check his voice mail and call him back right away, but the phone remained silent. Seto sighed heavily and started out of his office. No work was going to be accomplished today. He left without any announcement, knowing that he had no other appointments the rest of the day. The limo pulled up a few minutes later, obviously someone noticed him leaving and called for his driver. He debated for a few minutes over taking the limo home or walking through the park before journeying back home. It was midday and he had a couple hours before Mokuba would return home.

Deciding that it was pointless for him to walk since he was too restless, Seto got into the limo and rode back home. The mansion seemed quieter than normal. Only a few hallways were lit. He sighed and looked around. Normally his staff would be there at that moment, but obviously his horrible mood was scaring everyone away. The mansion was spotless, and he could smell some form of dinner being cooked. He ignored everything and walked up to his office. Tonight he was going to chance a meeting with Jou. It was the same night of the week as the party. If Jou had any consistency, he would be at work, but if someone bought him, he might be waiting for a while. Seto shuddered at the thought. He didn't know how someone could sell themselves like that, and he still had trouble thinking about the once proud male having to stoop that low.

Moving over to the desk, Seto stared down at the clear desk. Usually he had a stack of papers on the side of the desk, but he finished everything his was working on the day before and didn't even bother printing out more reports while he was at the office. He ran his fingers through his burnet hair and sighed. He still couldn't figure out why he cared for what was happening to Jou. It did bother him that the entire school, including his friends, seemed to ignore the fact that he was missing.

Seto sat down on the cool leather chair and turned to face the large window behind him. He watched the early spring birds fly from treetop to treetop in his backyard. Just as he was about to leave his office, the phone in his pocket vibrated. Without even glancing at the number, Seto put the phone up to his ear. "Kaiba."

"It's been a long time since I've spoken to you. It's strange of you to call out of the blue. Was there something you needed?"

Seto smirked to Yugi's attempt to get right to business. "Have you talked to Jounouchi lately?"

Yugi was silent for a few seconds. "No. We haven't seen him since the day before he disappeared. Do you know where he is?"

"I do, but I'm not certain. He's working at a bar. I'm going to see if I could meet him. He doesn't talk as far as I can see."

"I want to come with you."

Seto stared out at the setting sun and glanced at his watch. "Maybe it will be easier for me to meet him first. I don't want to scare him off. I'll find the reason for him abandoning everything. I'll keep you posted."

"Kaiba, I don't think he'd trust you. Maybe I might have better luck."

"Yugi, as much as I'd love to argue with you, but I don't have much time. Jou isn't in a place you would be safe. Let me do this. I'll call you tomorrow. I promise," Seto said, not sure why he was promising things to someone he saw as his greatest rival.

Yugi let the argument fall, knowing that he could take care of himself. He found it odd that Seto would care about what happened to him and found it touching. He didn't say anything for fear that Seto would go back to the same cold-hearted person he was in high school. "Okay, but if he's in danger, call me right away."

"I will." Seto hung the phone up before Yugi could say anything else. With the sun already setting, he knew that Mokuba would be home soon. He moved downstairs to get something quick to eat before he drove to the bar. He didn't know what type of excuse to use on Mokuba, nor how he was going to approach Jou. It discouraged him thinking that he would be playing everything by ear. He loved to plan everything out prior, but something told him that regardless of his planning, something could go terribly wrong in a second.

Mokuba quickly ran into the dining room, apologizing for being late. "Mokie, you aren't late. I'm going out tonight and wanted to eat before I left."

"Where are you going?"

"Doesn't matter. I don't know when I'll be home. Don't forget about your homework."

Mokuba rolled his eyes and played with his long black hair while he debated on what to eat first. "When are you going to stop saying that? Of course I'll do my homework before I start playing any video games, but seriously, Seto, where are you going?"

"Don't worry about it." Seto looked up at the clock. The bar would be opening up in an hour. "I'll see you in the morning." He left the rest of his uneaten food, knowing that either Mokuba or his maid would clean up the mess. He entered into his room and opened his closet. He didn't want to wear anything that Jou would recognize, nor anything that would show that he had a lot of money. He figured some people might recognize him, but the less the better. He reached in and grabbed a pair of black pants. They were a bit tight around him, but not enough to be like a second layer of skin. He flipped through of few of his shirts before deciding on a simple red button down shirt. He grabbed his sunglasses and a pair of black shoes before leaving his long walk in closet.

Once dressed, Seto glanced at himself in the tall mirror, satisfied that he didn't look much like himself. He left without telling his brother and drove off in the white sedan that he used to hide his identity when he wanted to go out with Mokuba. It wasn't anything spectacular and looked a bit rundown even though it ran perfectly. Seto parked closed to the bar and waited for Jou to arrive. He figured that the blond would already be in their, however he didn't want to wait outside for the bar to open like some desperate fool. Once seven o'clock came, Seto realized that either Jou would be inside, or he wasn't working that night. He decided to take the chance and walk in to the bar anyway.

The guard standing out front was the same tall man that escorted Jou from Hiro's place. He glanced suspiciously at Seto. "ID," he said firmly.

Seto reached into his pocket and handed it to the man who motioned for him to take off his sunglasses. Once the thorough inspection was over, the guard handed the ID back to Seto. "There would be no touching of the workers inside unless your payment is accepted. Make any offerings you have to the bar, and the boss will review your proposal. Enjoy, Mr. Kaiba," he grunted and opened the door.

The blast of music was horrific for the CEO who tried desperately not to show that the music was extremely loud. He winced as the beating drum mirrored the beating headache he was developing. He quickly glanced through the dark bar, ignoring the rainbow colored strobe lights that danced around every part of the large bar. Finally, he spotted the bar and someone that could be Jou, except he had red hair tonight. Walking closer, Seto got a better look at Jou. His eyes never met any of the man around the bar as he prepared the drinks and set it down in front of them. Several men tried to grabbed his wrist, but he moved it out of the way before they could reach. Seto growled, not liking the men that were harassing Jou.

Seto remained in the dark shadows of the bar, watching all the men and Jou very carefully for several hours. Jou would nod to anyone that order something and quickly went through the alcoholic beverages behind him to make the drink. He moved as if he was doing that for years and always made sure that no one touched him. If it weren't for the fact that his eyes looked dull in the little light or him not talking, Seto would have thought he was acting normal. He still had his fighting nature, but he wondered how long that would last before someone managed to touch him. He wondered if Jou would punch them or do anything to show that no one should touch him.

Jou wiped his hands on the white apron after a guy spilled his drink trying to reach for Jou's elbow. The redhead glared at the man before slamming a new drink down in front of the man. He turned and nodded to the other bartender before moving out from behind the long bar. Jou disappeared through an employees entrance to obviously clean himself off. Seto sighed and glanced back at the large tables positioned around the room. No one was gathered at them yet and he wondered if or when the tables would be used. Just as that thought ran through his mind, a brown haired woman wearing nothing but a short white bathrobe walked out from the other side of the room. The men at the bar began to whistle while she shed her only clothes off and sat up on the table. A black haired male came up behind her before spreading various creams and fruit on top of her nude body. Unable to stomach watching the men swarm her like rapid dogs, Seto chose to exit the bar and wait for Jou outside.

He nodded at the guard and moved down the street in the direction of his car that was parked two blocks away. He glanced back at the guard before disappearing down the nearest alleyway. He needed to find where the employees normally came out. He figured that the owner was smart enough to not have his employees walk out the same entrance as his customers. He found the door and ducked behind the nearby dumpster just in time to see Jou slam the door shut and lean against the nearest wall. He was clearly angry and frustrated.

He licked his bottom lip and sucked on it for a few seconds. He glanced back at the door and shoved his hands into his pockets. Just as he was about to leave, a young raven haired male run out after him. "Katz, wait!" the shorter man yelled towards him. "You know the boss doesn't like it when you walk home alone. So many people are after you."

Jou stopped and glanced back at the male. He sighed and waited for him to catch up before walking further down the alleyway. Seto moved carefully through the shadows, not wanting to alert either of them to his presence. "Akira said that your latest client was easy on you. No marks. I guess that pleased the boss. You know how...hold on. Is that a bloody lip?" Jou turned further away from the male. "Why didn't you tell someone. The boss is going to be furious when he finds out. How about we head back to my house and I'll fix that lip?" Jou shook his head. "Why not?" Silence fell between the two while Jou continued to walk down to the end of the alleyway and into the main street.

The shorter male continued to follow him, giving up on talking to the silent man. Seto followed at a distance through the deserted streets. They entered into an average neighborhood. Most of the houses were well taken care off. The gardens were beautiful with various flowers and plants and a well trimmed grass around the area. Some houses had picket fence while others remained opened. A large apartment complex stood at the end of the block. Seto ducked beside on of the houses as Jou and his companion stopped. "Are you sure you don't want to stop at my house so I can treat your lip?" Jou nodded and patted the man on the shoulder before disappearing into the open stairway.

The man left a few seconds letter and Seto looked up to see Jou still climbing the stairs. He ran after him and stopped suddenly when he noticed Jou standing outside of the room labeled as 4F. He opened the door and carefully shut it without making any noise. Seto wondered if Jou was naturally noiseless or was he not allowed to make any noise at midnight. Seto approached the door and placed his hand against it. Something about the defeated look in Jou's face as he walked into his apartment made Seto pause at knocking. He heard and felt something hit the door. Seto frowned, wondering if Jou was leaning against the door. Muffled sobs could be heard through the door, breaking Seto's heart. The only noise Seto heard from Jou since meeting him again was the crying. Seto closed his eyes and moved his hand off the door. He didn't want to hurt Jou's pride by knocking while he was crying. He waited for several long minutes while the crying slowly faded away.

Once sure that Jou was either close to stopping or finished, he quietly knocked on the door. A few seconds went by, making Seto think that Jou was ignoring the door or fell asleep against it. He was about to try again another day when the door slowly opened. Jou didn't even look at Seto. He kept his gaze to the floor as he moved away to invite Seto into his apartment. Seto glanced back at Jou after he walked into the dull room. Everything was white except for the black love seat in the living room. There was no television or anything that showed that Jou actually lived there. "How did you know it was me? You haven't even looked up at me and there's no way you could see me through the door without a peephole."

Jou sighed and moved over to the couch. Seto was disappointed that Jou wouldn't say anything to him. He half expected Jou to instantly yell at him or talk back, but he got nothing from the still redhead. Seto moved over to the couch and sat down next to Jou. "Why won't you speak to me?" Seto asked softly. His ex-rival only turned his head away from Seto, still not looking at him. "Your medical reports said that you were shot in the neck, and it said that there wasn't much damage done. Did it affect your voice box?" Jou shook his head. "Why won't you talk to me?" Jou frowned and sighed heavily. He hadn't spoken in years. He didn't remember why he stopped talking or even abandoned his world. He was sure it had something to do with his father abandoning him and losing his house, or the months he lived on the street too proud to ask his friends for help after being in the hospital for a little less then a month.

He turned and looked at Seto who was obviously waiting for an answer. Out of the people he knew, he least expected Seto to be following him home, nor wanting to talk to him. He wet his lip and frowned from the sting. Seto got up and walking into the kitchen that he could see from the living room. There was barely enough room for one person to fit conformably. He wet the towel that he found and walked back to Jou who hadn't moved. Seto knelt down in front of him and tapped Jou's bloody lip with the towel. He held it there for a few minutes before refolding it to another damp part and pressed it to Jou's lip. He was about to do it again until he heard Jou chuckling. "What's so funny?" Jou pointed to Seto. "Me? Why?"

Jou finally spoke, his voice a bit scratchy, "I'd never expected you to nurse me."

Seto smiled and placed the towel back over Jou's lip who reached up and took it from Seto's hand. "You'd be surprised. I'm more caring than you think."

"Could have fooled me," Jou whispered. It felt good to talk again, but he didn't know for how long he wanted to talk.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" Jou shook his head. "Why not?"

"Long story."

"I have all night."

"But I don't. I need to get up early tomorrow for my other job."

"When's your next day off?"

Jou fell silent for a while before deciding that it might not be too bad to have Seto in his life for a little while. It felt good having someone he knew to talk to. "Friday. Both jobs," he answered before Seto could ask if he had to work for one of his jobs.

"What time do you normally wake up."

Confused as to why Seto would ask that, Jou decided just to answer anyway. "Usually ten."

"It'll be here at eleven to pick you up."

"Why?"

"I want to hear your long story, and we can spend the whole day together."

"Why would you do that for me?"

Seto sighed and debated on whether he should actually tell Jou the truth or make something up. "When you disappeared, the teachers didn't even bother to acknowledge that you were gone. Your friends couldn't find you, and they grew apart. I began to realize that I..." Seto paused. "I missed you," he finally finished.

Jou smiled for the first time in a long time. For years he would dream of Seto saying those words even before he was shot. "I missed you, too. So, eleven on Friday?"

"Yes."

"Good." Jou curled up on the couch. "You can stay as long as you like." Jou yawned and rested his head on the edge of the love seat. Seto debated on leaving right away, but Jou fell asleep rather quickly.

"You must have been exhausted," Seto whispered, lifting Jou up and walking him bridal style into the other room that happened to be Jou's bedroom. The small single bed sat in the middle of the room with a nightstand beside it an alarm clock. Seto checked to see if it was set before tucking Jou into the black covers. He nearly walked into the other dresser while walking back to the door. He took one last look at Jou. "Good night." Seto walked back towards the door and double checked that it would lock when he left. The long walk back to his car was slightly cold, but it gave him enough time to think about the different places he could take Jou for their day out. He did plan on hearing Jou's story, but he wanted Jou to feel that he was doing this because he cared.

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I'm almost done rewriting the next chapter it won't take much longer. Tomorrow at the latest. Thank you for reading please review.

Angel Dove