Everything about it had been utterly preposterous, Kaiba decided as he poured his second cup of coffee. He was nursing a small headache, and while the coffee only made it marginally better, it was still better than nothing. He was mildly annoyed that he even woke with a headache to begin with. He hadn't drunk all that much the night before, but he hadn't eaten much the entire day, either, and so the imbalance in his stomach had screwed him over afterward.

Wandering over to his study, Kaiba pushed back the curtains to the large window at the back of the room and climbed up onto the window seat, cradling the warm mug between his hands.

He'd barely spoken to Jonouchi during both work events. It had been a conscious decision—to give Jonouchi his space instead of keeping him so close by like before. While Jonouchi wasn't yet completely trained in socializing appropriately during business gatherings, Kaiba knew he'd be too busy to babysit him like before. He was used to splitting up while working with Mokuba, who understood what was expected of him. It was easier to work a party efficiently when he didn't have to drag someone alongside him all night, and besides, Isono was right.

"Perhaps it would be—prudent—to allow some distance."

He'd tried hard to do that. Jonouchi had stuck by Mai and Yamazaki the entire lunch, which was a safe crowd. That way, he wouldn't manage to offend anyone that really mattered, and Kaiba thought everything would go smoothly just like that. He had kept away and had just watched from the corner of his eyes, trying to put some trust into Jonouchi's abilities that he wouldn't make a fool of himself or Kaiba's name since becoming a bit more educated after being picked up as a sponsored Duelist.

Kaiba had anticipated that Jonouchi would have joined the three of them after the room switch, but instead the latter had decided to occupy his own little table along with whatever mood he had gotten himself into. And Kaiba had allowed it—if Jonouchi wanted to sulk by himself for whatever reason, let him. It wasn't like any of the attendees would remember anything after drinking themselves silly.

And then the girls had come.

One had attached herself to Jonouchi almost immediately, and then two more had followed. And then the night had progressed, and the first girl had practically been sitting in Jonouchi's lap at one point, and the idiot probably didn't even recognize that he was getting hit on. It was an irritating situation to watch unfold—Jonouchi and the girls laughing loudly, the former acting as though he were interested. Obviously, he had been enjoying himself—what man wouldn't want to be praised and deemed interesting by a gaggle of attractive women? But Jonouchi was so passive, it was ridiculous. A beautiful woman was throwing herself at him, and Jonouchi didn't really seem to care, nor did he do a thing about it.

And he claimed to be interested in women.

It was such a joke, and Kaiba found his irritation boiling into anger as the night had gone on. He had sat there and watched Jonouchi, only paying the slightest bit of attention to the conversation around him to remain polite. But every time the hostess had touched a hand against Jonouchi, or had leaned in close to smile or laugh, Kaiba felt his anger spike, twisting uncomfortably in his gut. He had felt the completely unreasonable urge to yank Jonouchi away, to just leave the party behind, and the sudden bout of possessiveness made Kaiba's blood run cold.

It didn't make any sense.

Until it had.

Groaning, Kaiba brought his knees close to his chest and knocked his forehead against them. He was such an idiot. Both of them were complete idiots, and wasn't that the irony? Kaiba sighed and leaned against the window, feeling doomed and uncertain and the tiniest bit of joy all at once.

He was completely, utterly fucked.

Usually Jonouchi was a morning person, but today, he wasn't quite ready to rise so soon. His head hurt, and he drank too much the night before. It didn't help either that he had had a run-in with his father right after walking through the door, Jonouchi senior looking him up and down with a scrutinizing gaze the younger blond did not appreciate.

"Where did you get the clothes from?" he'd asked, and Jonouchi sighed before going to the faucet for water.

"My new job. They gave me a clothes allowance, and we had a dinner party that required me to dress up. That's all."

"New job, eh?" The old man had chuckled in a patronizing manner, leaning against the kitchen counter as he scowled and shook his head, "My son, the salaryman. What a damn shame."

"A shame?"

Twisting around, Jonouchi drank down all his water at once before slamming his glass down on the counter. He nearly broke the damn thing, the base clipping from the force.

"A shame?" Jonouchi repeated. "It's a shame that I'm finally making some decent money and can get out of this shit-hole you put me in? You've never approved of anything I've tried to do with my life. I'm not going to stay in this ghetto with you, Oyaji. I deserve better."

"Your job at the garage was fine. A real man's job, working with your hands and getting dirty. What do you do now, Katsuya? Wipe some rich man's ass in that fancy suit of yours, or something more? You might be a pretty boy they can play dress-up with, but they'll always smell the street on you. Trust me. Nothing good will come of this."

"Whatever, old man, I'm tired..."

Brushing past his father, Jonouchi had forced himself into his room, locking the door behind him. He took off his clothes, putting them into the hamper and stewing on his mattress. He'd have to have it all dry cleaned. Thankfully, it wouldn't cost that much to get done, but it was still a pain in the ass.

Jonouchi also noticed the lack of food in the apartment. He'd have to get groceries. At least now, though, with his last paycheck, he could actually afford to really eat. That meant meat with vegetables and fruit instead of just rice and fish all the time. That was an exciting prospect: actually being able to eat when he was hungry and not worrying about his rent.

He lied down, the room dark and completely silent around him. Jonouchi closed his eyes, allowing his mind to wander.

"Don't go yet, I need to talk to you about something."

Eyes flashing open, Jonouchi groaned before rolling onto his stomach, slamming a pillow over his head.

"Jonouchi, I don't know how to tell you this."

He didn't want to hear the words replay in his head again.

"I don't want to tell you this, but I must."

No. No. No.

"I know you know what this means."

The room was becoming too hot. It was cold outside, but Jonouchi felt suffocated underneath the covers of his futon.

"I like you. I really like you. I can't just be friends with you like this anymore."

The street lights flashed each time the car drove past an intersection. Tired. Jonouchi rested against the door with his eyes closed, the heat of the car making it hard to not feel comfortable inside there. The Ferrari wasn't very big, and it smelled like a mixture of leather seats and Kaiba's cologne—and for some reason, that was relaxing. It was a familiar smell, and Jonouchi was too wiped out to fight against napping on the ride home.

"Don't fall asleep on me; we've barely talked all day." Kaiba was drumming his fingertips against the steering wheel, a strange nervous energy emanating from his side of the car.

"That's because you abandoned me at the party," snorted Jonouchi as he sighed and readjusted himself before closing his eyes again, "It's not my fault you decided to act like we didn't know each other all night..."

A pause in the beats before the drumming restarted. "You didn't join us at our table. You sat by yourself."

"Because I didn't think you wanted me around. It wouldn't have killed you to invite me over, Kaiba. I'm not a mind reader."

One steady beat, the rest of the fingers wrapped tightly around the wheel. "Why would you think that? I brought you with me."

"Yeah, but you weren't friendly towards me at all. Where I come from, that means you want to be left alone. You made it a point to speak to Yamazaki, but not me, so don't get upset because I kept my distance for once. A few months ago, you probably would have given me a bonus for doing that..."

Jonouchi snorted at that, shaking his head a little. It was a true statement. Kaiba never seemed like he wanted Jonouchi around half the time, so how was he supposed to know when he was wanted? Normal people were clear about their intentions, yet Kaiba still played by a different set of rules that only he seemed to understand. It was ridiculous.

There was a low rumbling as Kaiba shifted gears. "It was a business function; I have certain duties and expectations. If you wanted me to pay more close attention to you, you could have said something. Besides, I figured you would have enjoyed the freedom, for a change."

"I didn't want you on my back all night," Jonouchi corrected a bit more sharply than he'd meant to, "I was fine. I had a good night."

"You certainly didn't seem to mind that hostess all over you," Kaiba snorted as he zipped around another car, nearly running a red light.

"Yeah, so? What are you getting at?" Jonouchi opened his eyes, straightening himself out before popping the joints in his legs. "Sounds like you're jealous. I got her phone number, too, and I didn't even ask for it."

Kaiba grew silent, the diffuse orange lights of the edge of Jonouchi's neighborhood glowing strangely against Kaiba's pale skin. "A resounding victory," he finally muttered under his breath.

"I'm not going to call her, Kaiba."

The car slowed as they reached Jonouchi's drop-off point. "Is there a reason you needed to tell me that?" He wasn't even looking at Jonouchi, just staring blankly ahead.

"No."

It wasn't like it was any of Kaiba's business who Jonouchi was planning to hook up with. They slept together, once, and Jonouchi still considered it a drunken mistake. People made mistakes, and while he couldn't lie to himself saying he didn't enjoy it, Jonouchi certainly wasn't going to allow it to happen again. He wasn't a homosexual...

Jonouchi couldn't be a homosexual.

Shaking his head to himself, he slumped in his seat more before finally speaking again, "We're close to my apartment. You can just drop me off at that corner. I can walk from here."

Kaiba did as requested, putting the car into park. When Jonouchi reached out for the door handle, Kaiba reached over and lightly held onto Jonouchi's wrist, stopping him. "Don't go yet, I need to talk to you about something."

Jonouchi blinked before settling back into his seat, wringing his hands anxiously before digging his nails into his palms. "What is it?"

Kaiba's eyes were shifting around bizarrely, not settling on anything in particular. He seemed uncomfortable, frowning and making false starts before he finally uttered, "Jonouchi, I don't know how to tell you this." He looked completely frustrated, and he took a deep breath and closed his eyes before he finally set them unflinchingly upon Jonouchi.

"I don't want to tell you this, but I must. I can't stop thinking about it. Us. That night. I know you know what I'm talking about. I felt something then, more than I've ever felt before, and I don't think that I'm wrong when I say I think you felt something, too. It was something I've never felt before, and I can't get it out of my head. I'm not sure if I even want to. You're constantly on my mind, even when I try to push you away, and everything keeps coming back to that moment.

"I didn't realize what it all meant until now. I don't even have the words to describe it. I know you know what this means," he said quietly. Kaiba waited for a response, and when he didn't get one, he added softly, "I like you. I really like you. I can't just be friends with you like this anymore."

Jonouchi at that moment felt his throat close up, unable to speak. His skin had goosebumps and his mouth felt dry. He wanted to curl away into himself, but he couldn't in Kaiba's tiny sports car, they were so close and it felt like too much. He wanted to run, but he was also feeling something else inside him, something stirring yet terrifying, and shaking his head, Jonouchi started laughing nervously, hiding his face behind his hands.

"You drank too much, clearly," he spoke more to himself than Kaiba, sucking in a breath before turning to look out the window. Anything was better than Kaiba's piercing gaze. "I mean, it was just sex. That's all it was. You're blowing it up out of proportion because you drank too much, that's all. You won't mean any of it by morning."

There was a startling moment when Kaiba slammed a fist against the steering wheel in frustration, "This isn't the alcohol speaking; don't just deny my feelings like that!" Jonouchi looked over at Kaiba in time to see the other man lean forward quickly, pulling them together. The kiss caught Jonouchi off-guard, Kaiba's hands firmly against either side of his face, long fingers reaching into his hair. Jonouchi could feel Kaiba's lips quiver—almost like a small trembling—and he couldn't form enough thought to react when he felt a tongue slide against his.

When Kaiba finally pulled away, he felt out of breath. Jonouchi was too shocked to even be angry, he just sat there staring up at Kaiba dumbly as Kaiba still held onto the sides of his face.

"You can't tell me how I feel. I like you, Jonouchi. I can't pretend like I don't. That's all there is to it," said Kaiba.

Jonouchi continued to just sit there, shocked stupid as Kaiba sighed and dumped his head into his hands. He looked like an anxious mess, and it did nothing to calm Jonouchi's own growing anxiety as his heart began to race in his chest.

They hardly functioned as friends. How could Kaiba say any of that? It all went beyond his understanding...

"Say something," Kaiba said when the silence became too much. It was odd to hear the edge of something not unlike pleading in his voice.

"I don't know what to say," admitted Jonouchi, "I really need to get home. It's late. I can't deal with this right now."

"Will you ever?" The question had been spoken so softly—mumbled, really—that Jonouchi wasn't entirely sure if Kaiba had voiced it at all.

He didn't answer. Jonouchi felt overwhelmed, and no longer capable of fighting the urge to just bolt, he opened the passenger door of the car and got out before looking back at Kaiba. He felt so confused. Unsure of what to do, he turned and looked at the darkness of his neighborhood before looking back at Kaiba's pleading expression. His head was still swimming.

"I'm too drunk to deal with this," he said more to himself than anyone, "Just—I'll see you later."

Sleep hadn't come easily. Jonouchi's mind felt jumbled as the events replayed in his head again and again, touching his lips unconsciously before realizing they felt a little bruised. He couldn't believe that he'd somehow managed to get into this predicament. Kaiba couldn't be serious, about any of it. He had to be just drunk-talking...

But then again, Jonouchi knew that drunks never lied about anything. They always said what they really felt about things, which meant Kaiba's confession had to be an honest one, even if Jonouchi wasn't ready for all that.

How was he supposed to face him now? Especially in a working environment? If Kaiba couldn't manage being just friends with Jonouchi, how the hell were they supposed to be able to continue a working partnership?

With his mind spinning, Jonouchi just couldn't feel ready to really relax. He got up, in only his shirt and boxers, sneaking back into the tiny living room where his father had left a pack of open cigarettes. Most were already gone, but there were still a few left. Grabbing one, he went out onto the balcony, sitting there and fumbling with a lighter as he took in a deep breath and allowed the nicotine to calm his nerves.

He hadn't smoked in years, but at that moment, Jonouchi needed it.

It was a long time after before he finally was able to settle back into bed and get some sleep. Morning had come too quickly, and waking was disorienting. His breath smelled, and Jonouchi tried fixing his hair with his fingers before wandering into the kitchen to get his father's coffee going.

But when he went out of his bedroom, he found his father's bedroom empty. The old man's keys and wallet were missing, along with the remaining Lucky Strikes, and there was no sign of him whatsoever.

That wasn't too out of the ordinary. At least now he didn't have to worry about his father providing homophobic background noise while he tried getting his mind in order.

There was a knock on the door.

"Nii-sama, may I come in? You didn't show up for breakfast..."

"Come in," Kaiba replied from the window seat. He wasn't sure if his brother could even hear him through the door, but he felt too out of it to leave his perch. His thoughts were still racing, muddling together, running a million different projections and outcomes.

Mokuba opened the door, looking around before he spotted his brother sitting alone. He took a cautious step forward before speaking up again, his face unsure as he stared, "Are you alright? You look out of it. Partied too hard last night, huh?"

"I...wouldn't say that," Kaiba replied as he turned to look at his brother. "I just have a headache. I'm...fine." He took a sip of his coffee, only to realize it had already gone cold.

"You are a terrible liar."

Mokuba walked over and took a seat by his brother, trying to squeeze in between his long legs. He just barely fit, since he'd grown larger and was reaching beyond Kaiba's shoulders now, and he snatched Kaiba's coffee and tasted it before making a face.

"This stuff isn't good anymore. You're distracted... Anyways," Mokuba began, changing the subject for safety's sake, "how did the hostess party go? Jonouchi spilled the beans last night on what you guys were doing without me..."

Quirking an eyebrow, Kaiba sighed before turning to look out the window. "There were a lot of girls there."

"Did you meet anyone special?" laughed Mokuba, giving a wink before he burst out laughing, "Hahaha, what did you do to waste the time, force Yamazaki-san to entertain you again? He might actually want to talk to the girls instead for once..."

"He appears to have developed quite the fondness for the Harpie Lady," Kaiba snorted. "He didn't appear bothered to have missed out."

"I hope you didn't bother Jonouchi, then. He seemed pretty excited about the whole thing."

"Oh, Jonouchi had a grand time," Kaiba muttered, rolling his eyes as he tried to ignore the way his stomach twisted around the other's name.

"Wow, that didn't sound venomous at all," snickered Mokuba, "What did he do to piss you off? He seemed pretty mellow at the luncheon. I think he sat with Yamazaki-san and Mai the entire time, and I thought you approved of that. Are you ever going to give him a break, Nii-sama?"

Leaning back against the wall, Kaiba shifted the weight in his legs. God, his brother really was growing up; it was frightening to behold. "It's nothing you need to be concerned about. Jonouchi will get a break once he's earned it." Again, the flipping in his stomach. Kaiba grit his teeth.

"Yeah well, Jonouchi is still kind of my friend, so I care a little. You could get off his back some; you always seem pissed when he's around, and I know you think everyone should break their back working for you, but it wouldn't kill you to give a little support to those people, Nii-sama. I thought considering his inexperience, Jonouchi did a good job out there. Who cares if he liked the girls; that's what they were there for. Just because you don't enjoy them doesn't mean no one else should," Mokuba snorted.

He tapped Kaiba with his foot, his mouth turning into a smile. "Did he do something in particular to get you into a mood?"

"I never said he shouldn't," Kaiba replied, his eyes flashing dangerously. "And if I didn't trust him even a little bit, I wouldn't be bringing him around to these events or have hired him at all."

"Nii-sama," Mokuba sighed dramatically, kicking Kaiba with his foot again, "You didn't answer my question."

Kaiba stared at his brother's concerned face before he, too, sighed—the small outburst of anger fizzling out. "I don't want to talk about Jonouchi."

Mokuba's face contorted, the little gears in his brain shifting as his eyes grew a tad larger. "Why not? Maybe I want to talk about Jonouchi."

"I just don't." Kaiba enunciated each word, feeling suddenly tired. Mokuba was too damn curious sometimes, but he knew he was fighting a losing battle. His brother always won, eventually. He closed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, feeling the wall press unyieldingly against his shoulder blades.

"Yeah, whatever then." Blinking, Mokuba's face went from confused and slightly offended into a sly smile, his arms folding as he moved slightly closer to his brother.

"Anyways," he said loudly, trying to break the discomfort in the room, "What are we going to do today? You don't have work, and I'm bored. I want to do something."

Peeking one eye open before shutting it again, Kaiba mulled the words over. They hadn't been able to spend much time together since Mokuba returned to Japan, and the idea of a day together was nice. It could even be a good distraction from all the other uncomfortable revelations swarming around his head. "Sure, whatever you want to do."

"I want to go to the park," said Mokuba, "and get ice cream. Eat a giant cone of it in public, and you are not to look at me like I'm some fat kid, okay? If you behave, I'll get you one, too, but smaller so you can keep your figure. I'm thoughtful like that."

Kaiba couldn't help but laugh at that. "Very thoughtful," he agreed, a small smile forming on his lips. His brother may be growing up, but he was still a kid at the core.

"I try," Mokuba teased, and he looked out the window, putting his chin into the palm of his hand before looking back at Kaiba again. "So, what did you do while I was gone, anyways? Not stay locked up alone in here moping after me, I hope."

Staring at Mokuba, Kaiba thought that the three months apart might as well have been an eternity. He was more angles than childish roundness now, his face thinning out and body broadening out into that of a man's. It made Kaiba feel a little hollow at having missed the transition—not having been there for his brother—but there was nothing to be done about it now. "Of course not. The business doesn't run itself, after all."

"-Yes, but I hoped a little that you did something besides work yourself to death, Nii-sama. It's okay to have a social life."

"I'm not a complete shut-in," Kaiba replied lightly. "I did have a new employee to babysit. We've even become something like...friends."

Could they even call themselves that now? Something had been beginning, but it was entirely possible that everything was in ruins now. Kaiba himself had admitted he could no longer view Jonouchi as just a friend any longer...

"Oh really," laughed Mokuba, "I thought you didn't want to talk about Jonouchi, unless you're implying someone else I don't know about."

"I still don't. It was to prove a point."

Mokuba huffed, snorting loudly as he brought his folded arms closer to his chest. He leaned into the wall of the window seat, folding his legs and bringing his body close as he rolled his eyes dramatically.

"No offense, Nii-sama, but you're kind of ridiculous."

"You should be used to it by now," Kaiba remarked with smirk, "or did all those months in California make you forget?"

"Apparently a lot of things changed while I was gone. I'm just trying to catch up," remarked Mokuba, "I feel like I've entered an alternate reality. I'm sure I'll get to the bottom of it quickly, though. You're not the only genius in this family, Nii-sama."

"You're in for disappointment, then." Kaiba was lying, but he needed to throw Mokuba off his trail, if only momentarily. Everything was still so new and confusing to him, and he wanted some time to process the discovery alone before he had anyone pestering him about it. Even if it was his brother.

"If you say so," laughed Mokuba in a sing-song kind of voice, "I'm ready for my ice cream now."

The park was moderately crowded when they arrived, the fall chill discouraging the larger crowds from the summer. Mokuba immediately ran to the ice cream stand, insisting upon paying. Kaiba had humored him, and as promised, Mokuba ordered a monstrous-sized cone for himself and a more reasonably-sized one for Kaiba. Wandering over to the swings, they both took seats and slowly rocked in place, silently watching as children ran around the various playground contraptions, kicking around in the sandbox and avoiding chasing mothers.

Mokuba had largely given up on asking about Jonouchi, or at least he was good at playing pretend. Kaiba knew he couldn't avoid the issue forever, especially if Jonouchi ever miraculously came around and decided to be truthful with himself.

A person couldn't lie to themself forever, could they?

It was a disheartening thought, and Kaiba felt cold, beyond the frozen ice cream melting in his stomach and the coolness of the air.

Surely Jonouchi felt something for him in return. It couldn't all be just one-sided, at least not with the way Jonouchi responded to Kaiba physically. Because Kaiba was certain that he would have never experienced something so intense if the other person didn't feel equally the same.

How would they even face each other now? Once all the pieces had fallen into place, it had been impossible for Kaiba to keep his mouth shut: the confession had spilled out of his mouth without second thought. Jonouchi hadn't outright rejected him, and that was a small victory in and of itself, but for all the idiot's determined brashness, he was an indecisive fool. A coward, really.

Kaiba couldn't understand it. He lived his life as he willed. Everything he did, he did by choice. He went into decisions with finality, knowing the consequences and the risks but banking on opportunity. He didn't have time for indecision.

He wanted Jonouchi's answer. Now. Objectively, Kaiba knew the other needed time, but hadn't they circled around each other long enough? Kaiba had stepped forward. Would Jonouchi ever close the gap? Or would he always revolve around Kaiba, never getting any closer, and more importantly, would Kaiba even want to wait to find out?

It was a yes and no answer. Yes, Kaiba wanted Jonouchi. Wanted him too badly, and that was a dangerous reality. But his pride wouldn't allow him to sit around waiting forever while Jonouchi went through life willfully hesitating. They were adults, goddammit, not blushing teenagers worrying over a first kiss. If they wanted to be in a relationship, who the hell was stopping them?

Kaiba's rashness would make working together challenging, though. He knew he could keep it together, but Jonouchi had an annoying penchant for avoidance when things got too uncomfortable. It would be best to just continue business as normal. If Kaiba gave Jonouchi too much space—too many remote assignments, too many days off—it would just make things obviously awkward and probably encourage Jonouchi's anxiety. If Kaiba didn't make it weird, then it wouldn't be weird. The best way to normalize a situation was to continue the status quo.

It didn't end up working out that way, though.

Whatever budding rapport they had developed had retreated back to square one. While Jonouchi's attitude hadn't taken a nosedive towards flippancy this time, he remained distant and determinedly professional. His punctuality had even taken an upswing, but at the same time, Jonouchi only did exactly what was required of him. He came and attended meetings, fleeing once they ended. He disappeared completely during lunchtimes, and he escaped from headquarters on the dot at the end of each work day. He never ventured close to Kaiba's office, eschewing the mansion completely, and he would only remain in the executive lobby for as long as he needed to before he'd be out the door. More than once, Kaiba had overheard Eguchi asking Jonouchi why they couldn't just ask Kaiba something directly, instead of sending Nakahara into a panic over things he didn't know. And each time, Kaiba had laughed derisively to himself. Jonouchi never had a problem barging in before over the tiniest little things.

The fucking coward.

It couldn't continue like this. This kind of mechanical routine between them was becoming exasperating. If a little nudge was what Jonouchi needed to stop being so damn childish, then Kaiba would give him one.

Rising from his desk, Kaiba walked to his office entrance and took a cursory headcount of his staff—no Jonouchi in sight. His avoidance factor must really be high if he wasn't even hanging around to harass the interns.

Moving swiftly (and ignoring the many turning heads as he exited without a word), Kaiba ventured out to the hallways, giving each conference room a brief glance. He was beginning to wonder whether he would have to check all eighty goddamn floors of Kaiba Corporation headquarters to locate the idiot when a flash of inspiration struck. Checking his watch, Kaiba nodded to himself.

It was worth a shot.

His instincts proved true when Kaiba found Jonouchi in the general staff breakroom, sitting by himself and eating a bento. Still out of sight, Kaiba stood alone in the hallway, flexed his hands three times, and entered.

"So this is where you've been eating lunch all week," he said conversationally, strolling over to the coffee maker.

"Yeah," answered Jonouchi noncommittally, "Eguchi told me I'd save money by bringing food instead of constantly buying it out in town... Did you want something?"

Bringing his eyes up, Jonouchi stared up at Kaiba, keeping a neutral face. He didn't eat anything, but his chopsticks remained posed to lift up one piece of sushi, the rolled-up rice still hovering about an inch off the plastic box.

"You do know that there's an executive breakroom for you to use…" Kaiba said, reaching for a paper cup and dispensing the hot beverage into it.

"I didn't think it mattered," said Jonouchi, and he ate the piece of cucumber and rice before giving Kaiba a flat look, "Besides, I prefer hanging around the common people."

Kaiba rolled his eyes, turning around to lean against the countertop and observe Jonouchi from behind the safety of his coffee cup. "I've barely seen you all week."

"So?"

"It just seems like you've been making yourself...scarce," Kaiba replied, trying to keep his tone light, "I wondered if there was a particular reason."

"Not really," lied Jonouchi as he began tapping his foot on the floor, his eyes betraying him as they moved towards the coffee machine beyond where Kaiba was standing, "Is that all you came over here to ask? I was enjoying my authorized twenty-minute lunch break..."

Pausing to take a sip of his coffee, Kaiba watched Jonouchi watch him. Jonouchi's body was rigid all over, even though he was trying to feign nonchalance, and Kaiba could feel the beginning of a twitch below his eye from that simple observation. "Have you thought about it?"

"Thought about what?" answered Jonouchi in a tense voice. "I thought about eating my food, but then you came in here and started interrupting me."

"Nothing," Kaiba said, suddenly feeling detached from his body. He crushed the paper cup in his hand and headed towards the door, tossing the cup on his way. Streams of coffee, still warm enough to be uncomfortable, leaked onto his fingers. He ignored it. "Far be it from me to get between you and your food," he remarked flatly.

"What's your problem?"

Jonouchi gave Kaiba an incredulous look before snorting and darting his eyes away. He seemed well-aware of what the true issue was, but Kaiba knew he wasn't going to address it. Jonouchi would play it off, as always. Make it seem like Kaiba was the weird one even though they both knew what he was referring to.

His hand was on the handle. He could leave now and say nothing, leave it as just another odd occurrence between them.

"You should know." The handle turned, and then he was out the door, the soft clicking of the latch and his discarded paper cup leaving the only evidence of his presence.

Walking on the sidewalk, Jonouchi tried to hurry as he saw the corner store in sight. As always, he waited until the last minute to get his groceries, his entire apartment empty of anything to eat triggering the realization that he should probably stock up before he tried eating his own hand off to fight off his hunger. He wasn't yet financially secure enough to go out and eat at a restaurant, which were all too expensive, and the street food stalls weren't around his side of town.

He only needed one large bag of groceries. Still unused to having actual food around, Jonouchi didn't think he needed that much of anything, either. Milk, eggs, vegetable oil, rice, maybe some frozen vegetables and soybeans, canned fish, curry blocks, and lots of ramen. Quick, cheap calories with lots of protein. Jonouchi wasn't used to eating much else. His father had termed it "struggle food," and grabbing a small hand basket to carry around, he went through the store quickly, snatching up all his necessary items before reaching the checkout counter.

Thanks to having some pocket money left over, Jonouchi grabbed some snacks and a packet of gum. Usually he had to steal it as a teenager, because he couldn't even afford that much. He felt so ridiculous being the only kid in his class who didn't even have the change to get some cheap gum, of all things.

Once he paid, he got out of there quickly. It was dark, the lights were dim, and he could barely see where he was going. Jonouchi was relying more on muscle memory than sight at getting back to his apartment, and trying to hide in the shadows, he carried his stuff in both hands before bumping shoulders with someone.

"Sorry," he mumbled. Jonouchi's eyes grew as he was grabbed, his body spun around before receiving a quick kick in the gut.

Falling to his knees, his bag of food fell onto the sidewalk, eggs breaking and milk spilling all over. He cursed, and looking up, Jonouchi's head was snapped to the side as a fist collided into his face. He didn't know which hurt more, his face or neck, and before Jonouchi could get his own fists up to protect himself, he felt two strong arms grab him from under his armpits, hauling him off the ground as the man in front of him, shrouded in shadows, started wailing on him.

Closing his eyes, Jonouchi tried to lift his forearms to protect himself, but it was useless. The men holding him were stronger. They had more power, and Jonouchi couldn't protect his ribs from being made into a punching bag. His face got hit half a dozen times, and soon Jonouchi couldn't even see out of his right eye. Half-blind and throbbing from pain, he cried out when he was unceremoniously dumped onto the ground, colliding onto the cement chest-first.

One of his ribs had to be cracked. The pain was immense.

"You know who were are," said a voice, "and we know who you are. Tell that old man of yours that he better pay what he owes, or you'll be losing more than just your groceries next time we run into you, got it? He has three weeks, and we'll be back."

Wiggling onto his back, Jonouchi tried cracking open his eyes to see who was speaking, but he didn't see anything or anyone. Just the darkness of the street. There wasn't a soul in sight, not even the stupid punks who smoked cigarettes next to the sidewalk and yelled at girls as they passed by. There was nobody around.

Fuck it all. It'd been years since he'd been jumped this badly. Drawing his knees up to get some leverage, Jonouchi tried to push himself up, but his abdomen screamed in protest. Falling back onto the pavement, he tried catching his breath, but he felt like he was drowning.

He didn't know how long he lay like that; he was going in and out, his thoughts fuzzy. He needed to call someone.

Every movement was a struggle. It seemed like it took hours for him to move his hand down to his pants pocket, and when Jonouchi's fingers made contact with the material, pressing down to reach his cell phone, pain instantly shot up through his arm, all the way to his elbow. He cursed, recoiling. Took another eternity to reach his other arm across and dig the phone out.

After a few unsuccessful attempts, in which he'd dropped his phone square on his already beaten face a number of times, Jonouchi managed to scroll through his contacts.

"We're sorry, the number you have reached is-"

Fuck. Leave it to that asshole to have his phone off when Jonouchi was in trouble. Honda was probably too busy getting fucking laid to be bothered with a friend in need. Sighing, Jonouchi tried option two. The line had rung endlessly. He couldn't even count on his fucking father.

No surprises there, but a small part of Jonouchi had always held onto hope.

Jonouchi idly wondered how long he would have to lie there until someone found him and (hopefully) called an ambulance. If anyone would even find him. It was well past the time when residents rushed inside and bolted their doors.

He had one other option. His last option, really, if he could even still consider it. But when both his father and best friend had failed him, what other choice did Jonouchi have? In his condition, he couldn't wait around for a good samaritan to pass by in the unlikeliest of neighborhoods…

The edges of his vision were starting to become tinted with black. Pulling the phone up close, Jonouchi hit the dial button and held his breath.