Disclaimer: How many times do I have to tell you I DON'T OWN YU-GI-OH!!!!

Warnings: abuse, swearing, shounen-ai/yaoi

Jou's POV

My body hurt all over as I stood up or at least tried. I kept falling down onto our living room floor meaning I couldn't make it to my room…again…Shaking my head I remembered my dream.

"No need to call me sir my name is…Atem," the guy told me. I really wanted to shake my head because he looked exactly like…Yami? I couldn't believe it. So now Yami's in my dream? Now that's just weird…I continued to follow him as he led me away from that man. "I will hire you to be one of my servants and you won't have to go back to serving that man," Atem told me. Bowing really low I kept repeating, "Thank you so much Atem!" He chuckled at me as I kept repeating that. Atem seemed like a nice person and he reminded me of Yami.

"What's your name?" Atem asked curiously. My voice which sounded so strange yet familiar told him, "Jono."

For the rest of the dream Atem led me around the palace, as I've come to figure out that was the place I was at and showed me where I would be needed most. Everything was so detailed that at times I wondered if I was really dreaming. Everything seemed familiar also and made pause and wonder. Shaking my head I removed these thoughts and tried to stand. Wobbling but able to stand finally I made my way down the hall and to the door. Again my dad was passed out meaning I could make as much noise as I wanted and he wouldn't wake up. Grabbing two pieces of bread I put some peanut butter which I had picked up yesterday and spread it on one of the slices. Taking a big bite I was out the door. Before leaving for school I stopped at one of my apartment's neighbors a floor below mine. There lived a really nice lady who was named, Yume Yuki. Although I found her pleasant her husband was verbally abusive to her and she would always have no confidence unless it came to nursing and cooking. Knocking lightly on her door I waited for someone to answer. Hopefully it would be her.

A petite woman with long white hair and orange glowing eyes answered. It was Yume thank god. "Do you have time to spare?" I asked in case her husband would get mad at her for helping me.

"Yes Jou. Its fine come in I'll get the first aid kit," Yume told me smiling. She always seemed to know that if I was visiting that I needed her help and that it was bad. A few minutes later she came back with a big box that she used whenever I came over. Slipping off my shirt I let her inspect my wounds. I could see her taking mental notes as she touched ever bruise and cut. "None of these need stitches and looked to have closed, but the bruised may have caused some damage internally," Yume assessed. Great.

"Do you have anything I can use to cover my whole body so no one can see my scars? And is waterproof?" I asked hopefully.

"No, but I could see about finding you something. Why do you need it?" Yume inquired.

"This Saturday I'm going on a four to five day trip with my friends. I don't want them to know about my scars…" I explained. She nodded her head in understanding.

"I'll see what I can do," She told me. I smiled and thanked her trying to stand but falling down again. Yume frowned. "What other injuries are you hiding?" she asked scolding me slightly. I should have known she would see my other injuries. Taking my pants on I made sure my boxers stayed up and put my shirt back on. Yume has seen a lot of my injuries but when she saw my legs she couldn't help but gasp at the sight. I knew she would react like this when she saw how bad my legs were. "How are you still able to stand?" she asked worriedly.

"I push the pain aside and put my mind on other things," I told her. Yume shook her head sadly.

"You shouldn't have to do that," she whispered. Sighing I gave her a pained smile.

"It's okay Yume. I'm used to it," I assured her but it didn't help at all.

"You shouldn't have to be used to pain!" she exclaimed. I backed away shocked with her outburst. Normally Yume wasn't this upset about anything and was gentle. She gave a determined look before checking my legs over. I knew they looked horrible. Bruises where scattered all over, cuts were everywhere and dried blood seemed to be permanently stuck to my legs. Yume first cleaned my legs making sure none of the cuts were infected before wrapping them tightly around some wooden stick like things so they would heal and it would be easier on me.

"Thank you…" I whispered gratefully as I stepped out of her apartment. I always felt better after visiting Yume. She was like a real mother to me since my biological mother didn't want me and abandoned me along with my father. I tried not to visit her too often though so she wouldn't get yelled at by her husband or worse yet have it escalate to him hitting her. Grateful for her treatment I made sure to walk more cautiously so I wouldn't tear any of the bandages she put on me. At the same place as yesterday I saw a familiar car waiting.

"Kaiba what are you doing here?" I asked shocked.

"Waiting for you. Do you need another ride?" he answered calmly.

Seto's POV

I asked Jou for a ride while he gave me a shocked look. "Why the shock? I gave you a ride yesterday," I told him.

"But that was yesterday. Besides I never expected you to wait at the same place where we were yesterday," Jou replied.

"I figured since I have no idea where your house is I might as well wait here until you came and if you arrived too late I would just drive to school without you," I explained.

"Still I wasn't exactly expecting this," Jou continued to say.

"Are you going to stand there or will you get in?" I inquired rolling my eyes. Jou opened the door and slide into the seat.

"Thanks for the ride you seriously didn't need to give me one," Jou said appreciatively.

"Didn't have to but I am so don't mention it," I replied. He smiled at me leaning into the leather seats. I turned on the radio and the first song that came on was 'Diary of Jane' by Breaking Benjamin. That song was coming to an end and the next one came on making me remember Duelist Kingdom. The song was Face down by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. I remembered how I had been such a bastard to Jou and pushed him to the ground insulting him about his duelist skills. Glancing at Jou he seemed to be lost in thought.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked looking at him.

Jou's POV

Kaiba asked what I was thinking which really surprised me. I had been thinking about my father and how he constantly hits me when the song came on. There was no way I was going to tell Kaiba this even though we are on better terms now I guess. My friends don't even know and I've trusted them for years. Quickly I make up a lie, "Just my past when I was in a gang…"

"Really?" Kaiba inquires. Damn it I really didn't want to say anything to him about that either but it's not a complete lie. Part of what I was thinking about was when I was in a gang with Hirotani.

"Yes…" I mumbled. Talking about my past and family had always been a sore subject that I hated talking about. Kaiba seemed to see my discomfort since he stopped asking me about it. We sat there letting the song play listening to the lyrics neither of us wanting to say anything. Sadly the song ended and it cut to commercial. "So why did you want to give me a ride anyways?" I asked looking at Kaiba.

"You walk to school every day right?" he asks.

"Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?" I reply.

"I just thought that I would give you a ride since I see you and we have the same destination. Don't think I'll be all friendship freakish but your company isn't too bad," Kaiba explained.

"I would never expect you to become 'friendship freakish' that just doesn't suit you," I told him smiling. Actually I'm glad that we've been getting along lately. Other people have noticed we haven't been fighting but they are placing bets on how long that will last. Usually the rumors bother me because then that means my father or friends of my father might get wind of it, but they haven't said anything to bad so it's okay.

"Oh and what do you think suits me?" Kaiba inquired looking at me out of the corner of his eye.

"Well…you're more of a silent type? Intelligent, calm, always seem to know what's going to happen…Friendship Freak doesn't suit you. But it's not like my friends are freaks about friendship…Okay Anzu is but not everyone else," I replied.

"Yugi is constantly talking about friendship. I think that would make him a friendship freak," Kaiba teases. Which I find weird since I've never seen or heard Kaiba tease anyone before. Let alone actually loosen up in front of me.

"No he isn't! He's just influenced easily…" I trailed off. Yugi really was influenced easily especially if you mentioned friendship.

"Whatever you say pup whatever you say," Kaiba said rolling his eyes. We joked like this all the way to school. It was nice to talk to Kaiba without him being defensive or insulting. Before yesterday I probably would have kept yelling insults at him if he hadn't stopped and given me a ride. He pulled up to the same ally as yesterday and asked, "Do you want to get out here or take the full ride to school?" My legs were really hurting today even with Yume's treatment.

"Can you please take me to school?" I asked. Kaiba gave a very faint microscopic unnoticeable unless you're looking smile. I could see him nod his head as he continued to drive toward the school. Upon arriving he parks and immediately steps out gracefully. I sort of stumbled out, but then again I don't think with my injuries I could ever be graceful. All the students who were at school were staring at Kaiba and I in shock and disbelief. Some of them pointed at us expecting to see us bickering in a few seconds.

"They really need to do better things with their time," Kaiba muttered annoyed at all the whispering.

"I wonder how many different kinds of rumors will go around about us now," I mused. I know that its high school and gossip was something that would always go on. Yugi was running towards us waving rapidly high of sugar. Okay I'm not sure but he seemed more hyper than usual.

"Jou, Kaiba!" he called running toward us.

"Hello," Kaiba briefly stated. Rolling my eyes I looked at Yugi.

"Yo Yugi, how's it going?" I asked returning his wave.

"Yami and I were just making sure that everything was alright for the trip. You know double checking things so nothing goes wrong," Yugi told me. I could tell he wanted to ask something and I had an idea of what he wanted to ask. "Jou, Kaiba are you two friends now?" he asked. I knew it. Yugi was always trying to be Kaiba's friend it doesn't surprise me that he would be curious to know if we were friends or not.

"More or less," Kaiba affirmed. Well that was as close to Kaiba saying he was my friend as I was going to get. Although it was nice to hear he considered me something like a friend. Yugi's smile seemed to grow even bigger at Kaiba's answer.

"So you'll hang out with us some more?" Yugi asked hopefully. I could tell he was trying not to bounce with childlike delight. Yugi has been trying to be friends with Kaiba for the longest time with Kaiba shooting down all attempts.

"Maybe. It really depends on how I'm doing at Kaiba Corp," Kaiba replied. He didn't really want to hang out with all of us at once. It was obvious that Kaiba didn't want to be part of the gang and hang out all the time. The bell that signaled we only had ten minutes to get to class rang. Groaning I split up from Kaiba and Yugi to get to my locker. Quickly spinning my lock to get the right com I opened my locker snatched my books and was on my way to class. Too bad I had to trip and drop everything. Pain laced through my body as I hit the floor. What did I trip over anyways?

Groaning I moved my head to look around saw that the janitor's broom was in the middle of the floor. I grabbed my books and rushed to class. Two more seconds and I would be in class. Running slightly I was almost there when the bell rang. Damn. Opening the door the teacher immediately reprimanded me. "Jou, detention for the rest of the week!" she demanded fury radiating from her. Great and I had a streak going on. What a greaaat week this will be.

TBC!

I don't know if you like this or not but I tried my best.