Title: Grave Robber

Summary: Seto wanted to take his secrets to the grave, but when a class project lands him and Joey closer than desired, those secrets become harder to protect than ever. Especially when Joey is discovering the common ground they share.

Contains: Yaoi, lemon in random chapters, references to child abuse and molestation, sudden flashbacks, arguments, and occasionally ooc-ness

Pairing: Seto X Joey

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or the characters, I also make no money from the writing of this fanfic.

( ) ( ) ( )

It made him angry. It made him so angry that no matter how hard he tried, no matter what he told himself, Seto couldn't bear to have Joey trying to touch him. He didn't want to admit that he was so weak. He didn't want to accept that the mere thought of having Joey's hands on him, or having Joey's eyes on him, made him sick to his stomach. It made the anxiety gnaw at him, caused his heart to start pounding and his mouth to run dry.

Seto hated to admit how much it frustrated him to want touched so badly but to have fear hold him back. Since Gozaburo, Seto hadn't let anyone see him or touch him that way. Not anyone. He couldn't stand the thought, and when Joey's hands ran over his body all Seto could think about—all he could hear and see and smell—was Gozaburo.

It made him remember things he didn't want to. It brought back all the old, bad feelings. The helplessness, the terror, the pain. Seto couldn't stand it! The anger and rage kept mounting—building off of his aversion to admitting that he was frightened, that he was afraid to be vulnerable, that he couldn't have what he wanted because he was too scared.

And it upset him that Joey knew that too. Yeah the blonde had played off Seto's anger with an off-hand comment, but it was just a cover up. Seto hated that Joey understood him as much as he did, but deep down he was relieved that he didn't have to answer for his actions or explain that he just couldn't bear to be touched like that.

Seto wanted to be normal—to have a normal relationship and get back what he put in—but that wasn't going to happen. Not unless he got over his stupid, outdated fear and just…

Just what?

Just fuck the blonde? Or let the dog fuck him…?

Either way, just the thought made him anxious and that anxiety turned to anger. He didn't like being pushed into anything, and even though Joey wasn't pushing, the pressure was still there. It didn't help that Seto couldn't get that release he so desperately, desperately wanted. Sure he could go get in the shower, take care of his little problem, and wash it all down the drain—but that wasn't the same as the real thing and it wasn't enough.

It wasn't good enough, and Seto hated Gozaburo for making him aware of that. If Gozaburo had just hurt him—just used him and tossed him aside after he was finished—then it wouldn't be so horrible, Seto told himself. If all he knew of sex was pain, then he wouldn't have a reason to associate every sensation with that sick, twisted man. As it was, there wasn't really much Joey could do for him that Gozaburo hadn't already done…

Gozaburo had done lots of things just to see his stepson squirm.

Oh how he'd loved to see his stepson writhe…

Seto shuddered against the memories and forced himself to try curling in Joey's side in search of "comfort." Joey, who was already asleep, started clinging to him as soon as Seto's head was rested against his shoulder. The blonde moaned something about looking for a lost shoe and then went quiet again. Seto whished his dreams could be so trivial—that he could dream of missing footwear instead of nightmares about plummeting stock or perverted businessmen.

For once, Seto wanted to dream about something other than that man's hands on him, rubbing up and down his sides, forcing off his clothes…

"Stop shaking," Gozaburo would command. When Seto's body didn't obey, Gozaburo would just laugh and keep touching, tracing his fingers down his stepson's sides, toward his inner thighs and then back up. "How can you expect to succeed at anything when you're terrified of everything?"

"I'm not afraid," Seto would whisper. It wasn't a lie—he wasn't afraid that he would be hurt. He was shaking because he knew he'd be hurt and he didn't want it. He shook because he was resisting the urge to run—because running would just make it worse.

Gozaburo would laugh at him and make him lie back on the bed. He would make Seto look him in the eye when he started pressing rough fingers into his body, he would laugh when Seto's eyes would tear up when the stretching started to hurt…he would make Seto kiss him and use tongue. He would make Seto into his little whore, coaching him more and more each time until—at last—after several months of training, Seto didn't need told what to do.

Seto would undress at the foot of the bed, but never sensually enough to really make it a show. He would crawl up the mattress toward his stepfather, would sit in the man's lap with his knees on either side of his hips, would kiss Gozaburo on the mouth—with tongue like he'd been told—he would let the man prep him, he wouldn't make a sound as it happened.

Even when his stepfather pressed inside of him, never with enough preparation as to make it painless, Seto would stare up at the man and breathe through his pain. No whimpers, no cries, no screams…no begging. It wouldn't stop. It wouldn't stop until he was finished and Gozaburo was finished.

Sometimes, but not always, Gozaburo would be violent enough to draw blood. He'd refuse to do any prep or he'd make a point to pull out all of the way with each thrust so the pain would explode every time he pushed back in.

That's how it had been the final time. Gozaburo just pounded into him, breaking Seto's body and thinking he'd crushed the boy's spirit as well. Blood dripped down Seto's thighs, stained the sheets, spattered against Gozaburo's hips. When he saw it, he would laugh… He always laughed.

Then he'd start stroking up Seto's thighs, grab his member and force him to feel pleasure—make him feel good when all he wanted to do was disappear into the depths of his mind.

And it would just go on and on until Gozaburo had had his fun and then Seto would lie still and sleep, dreamless sleep. Seto never understood why Gozaburo let him sleep afterwards. Maybe so he could watch him, maybe because he realized that Seto was nearly useless after he'd been taken—too pained and distraught to go back to lectures or studying. Maybe he was just merciful…

But not too merciful. Seto had woken up more than once with his stepfather inside of him, pinning him down and smirking when Seto would fight to get free. Laughing in the face of his victim because each time he would make Seto scream or cry, it gave him that much more pride.

( ) ( ) ( )

Joey couldn't say for sure what woke him, but it was still dark in the room. Kaiba was curled up close to him, and that was when Joey realized what woke him was the sound of his companion sniffing—sniffling… Crying!?

It took everything in his power not to sit straight up in the bed in shock. Seto Kaiba was lying next to him crying. There was nothing hysterical about it, nothing dramatic or loud. The only indication that anything was amiss were the sounds of Kaiba sniffing back the tears

Joey didn't know what to do. Anyone else—any other friend—he would've asked what was wrong and offered support. But this was Kaiba. He was so reserved and introverted. He didn't like to show any emotion let alone break down and cry in front of another person. Joey doubted Kaiba would appreciate him asking questions…but it just felt wrong to just ignore what was happening.

Rather than prying, Joey just squirmed a little closer, pretending that he was still asleep and making his movements groggy and lethargic. He moved so Kaiba's head was closer to his shoulder, but it still shocked him when Kaiba accepted the invitation and rested his head against Joey's chest.

Kaiba made no noises after that. He just laid still, cuddled close. It shocked Joey so much, and he still didn't know how to react. He guessed he was doing alright—Kaiba didn't push him away or get angry.

However, as soon as Kaiba's body had relaxed again, the alarm on the nightstand began blaring. Within seconds, Kaiba was up and out of bed, showering in the bathroom and then gone for work. He didn't even speak a word on his way out.

( ) ( ) ( )

Joey sat on the roof again for lunch the next day with his friends. After Kaiba had left for work, Joey had been unable to go back to sleep and he was left exhausted. He leaned back against the brick wall and stared out past the wire fence at the tops of the buildings across the way. Téa and Tristan were arguing over something trivial while Yugi laughed at them in good humor. Joey couldn't help but wonder how they would react if they'd seen what he had—if they knew what he did about Kaiba.

Whenever Joey had problems, his friends were always able to help him out. When all of them came together, there was nothing they couldn't solve. It was just too bad he couldn't ask for their advice about what to do to help his boyfriend… Kaiba wasn't an emotional person. To show any bit of vulnerability was to show weakness—to fail. Joey didn't know if he was supposed to try to offer support or act like nothing had happened.

Kaiba would probably die of humiliation if he knew Joey had heard him, but Joey didn't think their relationship would ever go anywhere if Kaiba didn't start facing his dark past. He couldn't even stand to have Joey try to touch him. Joey understood why, but he just didn't know how to help Kaiba move past it.

"Hey, man, you're being too quiet. What's wrong with you?" Tristan asked. When Joey didn't answer right away, Tristan began tossing flecks of rice at him until finally Joey grunted at him. "Did your boyfriend keep you up all night or somethin'?" Tristan asked, laughing.

Joey glared at him darkly and when Yugi caught the look he hummed apprehensively.

"Be careful, Tristan," Yugi murmured. "You know how bad it would be if the media found out about them."

"I didn't say his name," Tristan said matter-of-factly. "I just asked Joey if Kaiba let him sleep."

"Knock it off, Tristan," Joey muttered. "I'm not in the mood."

"Did something happen?" Téa asked. "You seem really upset."

"Eh, I can't talk about it," Joey said with a sigh.

"Why not? Did he make you sign a nondisclosure contract or something?" Tristan asked.

"No… He's upset about some stuff and I don't know how to help him," Joey said. He wondered if there was a way to get their advice without actually divulging any of Kaiba's secrets. He would never betray Kaiba's trust that way…

"What stuff?" Téa asked. "Business stuff?"

"No… Personal stuff. Like, really personal stuff."

"I don't suppose you can give us any details, can you?" Tristan asked.

"I promised him I wouldn't. I don't want to turn my back on him."

"Is it about his stepfather?" Yugi asked, that look of concern in his eyes that he got whenever anyone was in trouble. "We already know he had a rough childhood."

"Yeah, you don't even know the half of it," Joey mumbled. "I can't say anything, but…I know he's unhappy and I just wish I knew how to help."

"Have you gotten him to open up to you at all?" Téa asked.

"A little bit. It's hard… I don't want him to lash out at me," Joey said. "And I don't want to make him upset."

"It seems really complicated," Yugi said. "I won't ask for the details, but I wish I knew more so I could help."

"I promised him I wouldn't say anything," Joey mumbled. "It's not… You guys just gotta understand that it's not just some business things or some matter of pride. It's a real…tragedy."

"If it's something in his past, he's going to have to accept it and move on," Téa said.

"Yeah, but how do I help with that? I don't know what to say to him. I don't want to act like I don't see what's happening, but I don't want him to get mad at me either."

"I don't think he would get mad at you, Joey," Yugi said. "He's opened up his home to you, he wants you around. He might not know how to ask for help, but that doesn't mean he doesn't want it. If he wanted you out of his personal business he never would've let you into it."

"It's not that simple, Yug," Joey mumbled, leaning back and closing his eyes. He just wished they could understand. Kaiba wasn't struggling to move past the death of his parents or sort through the emotional strain of trying to raise a pre-teen on his own… He was trying to get into an intimate relationship when it was obvious that he was traumatized by what his stepfather had done. Those weren't wounds that just disappeared with a few nice words. Joey didn't know how to fix a trust issue that was so deeply engrained.

It was even harder since he had no idea how to act in a same sex relationship. With girls he'd just done all the easy stuff—take them to movies, buy them some food, travel all the bases and kiss them goodnight. He couldn't do that with Kaiba. Kaiba didn't want dates or movies. Joey didn't know if Kaiba even wanted sex.

"Have you tried just talking to him?" Téa asked.

"It's not that easy."

"Of course it's not going to be easy, Joey," Téa said, narrowing her eyes. "If it's so personal, he probably hasn't opened up to anyone about it. He doesn't know how."

"Yeah, and I don't know what to say to him," Joey mumbled.

"Just ask him if he wants to talk about it and when he says no tell him he has no choice," Tristan said.

"Tristan, I'm not gonna do that!" Joey yelled. "You guys just don't get it. I can't force him to talk about this! That wouldn't help—that'd just make it worse."

"You can't force him; you're right," Yugi said. "But you can approach him about it. You probably know his moods better than we do. Just try to find a time when he's more likely to answer and ask if he wants to talk about it."

"He'll just say no," Joey mumbled. "He gets defensive. Eh, I probably haven't been around long enough for him to trust me yet…"

"You're living with him. He trusts you," Tristan mumbled.

"Not with this," Joey said.

"Not with what, Wheeler?"

Joey stiffened and sat up perfectly straight. He knew that angry, cold voice anywhere.

"K-Kaiba?" Joey said, turning around slowly to look at the doorway.

"Hey, Kaiba," Yugi said, as friendly and chipper as ever—as if he hadn't just been involved in gossip that would've made the editors-in-chief of all the tabloids drool.

"What are you doing up here? I thought you worked during lunch," Joey said, getting up quickly and standing before Kaiba. He looked so angry. Joey didn't know how long he'd been standing there listening, but Kaiba looked like he already came to his own conclusions.

"I do," Kaiba said.

"Oh, drop the act, Kaiba," Tristan said. "We already know about you."

"Is that a fact?" Kaiba asked, staring Joey down as he said it.

"No," Joey said, shaking his head. "They just know we're together—that's it; I swear," Joey whispered so Tristan couldn't hear. It didn't take an expert to see Tristan didn't approve of the relationship in the slightest.

"Forgive me if I find that hard to believe."

"Kaiba," Joey whispered, trying to sound as genuine as he could. "I promised you I wouldn't tell them."

"Shut up," Kaiba said, his voice as cold as his eyes. "I'll deal with you after work." With that, Kaiba disappeared back down the stairs from the roof and Joey fought with the decision of whether or not to chase after him.

"What was he doing up here?" Tristan mumbled.

"It's obvious he came here to see Joey. Why did you have to be such a jerk?" Téa asked, slapping Tristan on the back of the head. "Joey, you know if you don't follow him his mood is just going to get worse."

Joey didn't wait to be told twice. He sprinted down the steps after Kaiba, barely catching him before he left the stairwell and entered the third floor.

"Kaiba, please wait a second!" Joey said, grabbing Kaiba by the shoulder. "I really didn't say anything to them. I… I told them you were upset and that I didn't know how to help. That was all. I just wanted advice on how to…to talk to you without making it worse."

"Gossiping with your little friends made it worse," Kaiba said, still sounding bitter. His voice was a bit different though in another way, but Joey couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"It wasn't gossip! Look, I don't think we should talk about this here… Just promise you won't stay at work all night because I really just want to talk about this."

"I have to finish looking over my contract," Kaiba said. His voice seemed a little…hoarse. That was how Joey would describe it. It was more hoarse than usual.

"I don't want you to be mad at me all night," Joey said. "I swear I didn't tell them anything about you. I wouldn't do that. I… I don't wanna hurt you, Rich Boy."

"I'll be home by nine," Kaiba said. He tried to open the door to the third floor, but Joey grabbed his hand to stop him. "What? Go back to your little friends." Kaiba sniffed slightly and then swallowed hard.

"I want to go with you," Joey mumbled, biting his lower lip. Kaiba seemed like he was getting upset…choked up even.

"No. We talked about this last night. It's not time for the press to find out about—about this." As soon as he finished speaking, Kaiba buried his nose in his elbow and sneezed.

"You…you have a cold!" Joey said, everything clicking into place. His slightly altered voice…the sniffling the night before. Kaiba hadn't been crying, he'd been sick.

"I haven't slept well in weeks and I've been slaving over that stupid contract. It was only a matter of time," Kaiba muttered. "Now go back to your friends. I have work to do."

"Don't!" Joey called, grabbing Kaiba's arm again as he tried to leave the stairwell.

"Stop it."

"Kaiba, would you just listen to me for a second!?"

"Why?"

"If you came all the way up here to talk to me, you had to have something you wanted to say," Joey said softly. "I really didn't say anything to them about…all that."

"Spare me," Kaiba said. "I know how your little circle of friends works. What one of you knows, all of you know."

"Maybe before, but not now," Joey said. "I made you a promise and I'm not gonna break it."

"And why should I trust you?"

"Because if you don't trust me then there's no reason for me to stick around," Joey said, feeling hurt and frustrated. "If you don't trust me at all, then I may as well pack my bags and move back into my dad's house."

Immediately, Joey wished he could take the words back. He had a feeling that Kaiba would react badly, that he would get angry and say he didn't trust Joey, that he'd never trust him, and that he should leave.

But Kaiba surprised him.

"Fine. Whatever. I came up here to tell you I was leaving early. I don't feel well and I have a lot of work to do at Kaiba Corp. I'll be home early."

"Is there anything I can do?" Joey asked, knowing that Kaiba wouldn't want his help with anything.

He'd probably just say something cold like, "Stay out of my way."

"I can take care of myself, Wheeler. I always have."

"Yeah, but what's the point of havin' me around if I can't take care of you when you're sick."

"Children need taken care of," Kaiba said, his eyes looking more humored than cold. "I have everything I need."

"You never lighten up for a minute, do you?" Joey muttered, rolling his eyes. "Go on—get out of here. I'm gonna go finish my lunch."

Slightly irritated by Kaiba's unrelenting attitude, Joey turned to go back upstairs, but was stopped when Kaiba grabbed him by the wrist and yanked him backward. Joey was spun around to face Kaiba once again and then the brunette had him backed into the wall of the stairwell, kissing him hard on the mouth.

"You're gonna give me your cold!" Joey yelled, shoving Kaiba away. The CEO laughed at him, a quiet, cocky laugh. "If I get sick, I'm gonna give you a piece of my mind, rich boy!"

Kaiba said nothing to him, just turned away and left Joey behind in the stairwell. Joey grumbled to himself and then went back up the stairs.

"That didn't take very long," Téa said. "Did everything go alright?"

"Yeah," Joey muttered, returning to the same place he'd been sitting before. "He's going home."

"Why? He's really that mad?" Tristan asked.

"He's sick," Joey said, hoping that wasn't a detail Kaiba would get mad that they were informed about. "So he's just going to go work in the office."

"Because that makes sense," Tristan said sarcastically.

"He's got some contract he's working out with Pegasus," Joey said. "He probably wants to get it done while he still has the energy today so he can come home and go to sleep…or whatever he does when he's sick."

"Hopefully he's not an even bigger jerk when he's sick," Tristan said.

"He's not a jerk," Joey muttered. "He's just tired all the time."

"Which makes him act like a jerk," Tristan argued.

"You don't know him," Joey said quietly. He wished Tristan would just be more accepting. He and Kaiba were together now and Joey didn't want to hear him talked about in such a negative way. He wished Tristan understood what had happened to Kaiba, what he'd been forced to endure in order to provide a good home for himself and his brother, so that maybe he'd be a little more respectful.