Kaiba had just finished checking his morning emails when he noticed the time. It was a little after ten in the morning, and Jonouchi was bound to be somewhere within headquarters. Deciding to try his office first, but not really expecting him there (for whatever reason, Jonouchi preferred to avoid staying in it as long as possible, although Kaiba couldn't fathom the reason why), Kaiba made his way over, stopping to get two cups of coffee.

The door was slightly ajar, and bumping it open with his hip, Kaiba peered inside. "This is the second day in a row that you're actually at your desk. Perhaps the world is ending," he teased lightly, setting the extra cup in front of Jonouchi and pulling up a seat.

"Maybe it is," sighed Jonouchi before he glanced at the cup of coffee with disinterest.

He seemed...out of it. Like something else was occupying his mind. "I thought we could go over the report I left for you yesterday."

"That's the main reason why I'm here," replied Jonouchi as he took his cup and swirled it around, "I thought you'd want to do that sooner than later."

"So let me ask you first, how do you think you did?"

Jonouchi's face scrunched up, his discomfort obvious. "That's a loaded question... I did better than I thought I would. I didn't think I'd end up on top, honestly, with that kind of competition, but I'm definitely not going to complain about it. It just means having to bust my ass to defend myself next time I duel, which is always harder than getting the title the first time..."

"You're correct about that last part," Kaiba said, pleased that Jonouchi had come to the realization by himself. "You had a few bad plays and moments of missed opportunities, but on the whole, you played well. The marketing analysis was also good. About midway through the tournament, your name started trending on the internet, and that trend continued until hours after the tournament ended. So as you can imagine, the marketing department is very happy with you right now."

"Awesome."

Jonouchi didn't sound that happy from the sound of his voice. His reply was flat, and his eyes were everywhere but Kaiba's face. Unlike times before, it didn't appear like he was too anxious or nervous to look Kaiba in the eyes, but just disinterested in what they were talking about.

Kaiba leaned back in his seat. He wondered how long he could remain quiet without Jonouchi realizing. It was obvious that while the other was physically at work, his mind hadn't made the same trip that morning. "Jonouchi."

"Yeah?" It was a delayed response.

Jonouchi's coffee cup was still untouched. "Is this a bad time?"

"A bad time? No. I'm listening. Marketing is happy with me, which means you might be happy with me, right?"

"That is also correct, but I require your full attention. You seem preoccupied." There was no point going over the data if Jonouchi was only half-listening.

"You have my full attention," Jonouchi replied back, forcing himself to sit up more as he tried sipping his coffee. He made a face. His eyes darted away as he apparently forced himself to drink the liquid, even though they could both tell that he didn't care for it.

Kaiba stared at Jonouchi for a long moment before sighing heavily. "Forget it. We can do this another time. Take the rest of the day off, and...whatever's on your mind - just take care of it." He stood, tapping the report back into a neat stack and retrieving his coffee cup.

"Yeah sure, 'just take care of it', thanks for the amazing advice. As always."

Jonouchi didn't move from his seat, though. He didn't seem like he was going to get up even after Kaiba did, and instead of running off like he usually did, Jonouchi just twirled around in his chair, appearing preoccupied again and clearly ignoring Kaiba's lingering presence.

"I'll be in my office," Kaiba muttered as he left, not bothering to close the door after himself. Jonouchi always complained that Kaiba was the impossible one, but Kaiba was beginning to think differently. Just the day before, Jonouchi almost begged for privacy, and now he was acting as though he'd actually care to hear Kaiba's advice.

Well, whatever.

He wasn't going to get involved. Whatever afflictions that were swimming around in Jonouchi's head, Jonouchi could take care of them himself. He didn't need to get his head bit off practically first thing in the morning, especially not by his...boyfriend.

It was still a strange thought. Their relationship seemed to ebb and rise, never reaching constancy. They were intimate when they were intimate, but most of the rest of the time, there was this great disconnect between them. And it didn't help any that Jonouchi was an unpredictable variable, his moods as wild as his brash personality.

He didn't hear from Jonouchi for the rest of the day, and Kaiba ended up whittling the hours away holed up behind his desk, crunching numbers for the projected end-of-quarter report. His CFO was on maternity leave, and with a Board meeting at the beginning of the next month, the report had to get done one way or another. Kaiba didn't trust many people, especially not with his financials, and so inevitably it was up to him to fill the gap.

The day had stretched into another long night at the office. Pushing back from his desk for the first time in hours, Kaiba stretched his stiff muscles, turning in his seat to stare out upon Domino City's skyline. It was already pitch-black outside, but the city itself seemed to sparkle against the sky's relief.

What was he going to do about Jonouchi? Or rather, what could he do?

Jonouchi wasn't like the others. Granted, Kaiba conceded that he'd never really dated any of the people he'd been with before Jonouchi. Aside from the actress, and a man he'd seen somewhat regularly during trips to America, all the others probably counted more as hook-ups. Nothing had ever really been long-term - most had been just one-night-stands.

So what really did he know about dating someone? And why was he so insistent upon that someone being Jonouchi?

Jonouchi was attractive, that was a given. But all the others had been good-looking as well, so what was different?

It wasn't like their relationship was easy, even before they had entered into an official one. It was an unending source of stress, really, but now that he was in it, Kaiba didn't want to let it go. Something about Jonouchi kept him holding on.

They had a history. It hadn't always been a positive one, but Jonouchi knew him in ways that others didn't, and he still stuck around. Had tried to befriend him first, and even long after. When they weren't arguing, they had an amiable companionship. Kaiba did enjoy Jonouchi's company when the other wasn't being infuriating, and the feeling appeared to be mutual. Jonouchi was deceptively complex, enough to sustain Kaiba's interest.

When they were physical, the sex was amazing. It was completely unlike all of Kaiba's other experiences. It was intense, and at times, hard for Kaiba to control himself. He could feel himself reduced down to pure desire - it was utterly terrifying and exhilarating at once.

Kaiba knew how he felt about Jonouchi. Once the epiphany had dawned on him, there had been no point lying to himself. It still didn't really explain why he felt the way he did, but it was a truth he had to accept.

But how did Jonouchi feel about him? He had been the one to insist that they become an item when Kaiba had been prepared to cast it all aside. Had really been the one who had gotten them into this entire mess, back when Jonouchi had kissed him on a dare.

When Jonouchi had defeated him.

It wasn't a situation Kaiba could solve by applying logic or reason. Jonouchi ran so hot and cold that Kaiba couldn't really tell which direction they were heading. They weren't exactly regressing, but they weren't progressing, either. And Kaiba was trying, but Jonouchi more often than not failed to meet him even halfway.

Rubbing his hands over his face, Kaiba decided that he'd had enough work for the day. Enough depressing thoughts. Locking down his computer, he gathered his briefcase and turned off the lights, the emptiness of the dark city shining around him swallowing him up.

The following day hadn't brought any changes. There was still something off about Jonouchi - he'd arrived at work early, idling hours by sitting behind his desk. It didn't appear as though he was doing much of anything, either. He'd occasionally flip through his deck, page through various reports while not really reading them, or stare vacantly at his computer screen.

Kaiba had allowed it. There wasn't much work for Jonouchi to do post-tournament, anyway. While it was in the corporation's best interest to use the momentum from his recent win to their advantage, it wouldn't do any good if Kaiba put Jonouchi out in the field or in front of a camera when he was going through some kind of crisis.

Pushing his way through the door after a cursory knock, Kaiba leaned against the doorframe. Jonouchi was rocking slowly in his seat, absently twirling a pen. "Are you busy?" he asked, even though the answer was evident.

"Not really," answered Jonouchi, who looked up quickly before dropping his head again. His brown eyes focused on the pen as he continued to flick it around the desk, but it was apparent that he wasn't doing anything more than wasting time.

"Good," Kaiba said, "Let's go to lunch. Maybe food will help you to focus on that report we still need to review."

Looking up, Jonouchi seemed a little stunned at the suggestion, but he didn't reject the offer.

"And by lets, you mean you're buying, right?" he asked before getting up from his seat, "That would be the gentlemanly thing to do."

"I was secretly thinking of sticking you with the bill, but now you've thwarted my plans," Kaiba replied with a laugh. Of course, even after taking home a 4 million yen cut, Jonouchi still had a poor-man's mentality.

"Yeah, whatever," snorted Jonouchi as he pushed his seat back. The promise of food seemed to awaken Jonouchi from his little spell; he walked quickly out of the office without much prompting and was rather chatty during the car ride downtown. It was a nice change, and Kaiba found himself surprised to actually be enjoying Jonouchi's pointless rambling after two days of relative quiet. When Jonouchi was quiet, things were not good with him. That much was certain now, and Kaiba didn't think he'd complain about Jonouchi's chattiness after dealing with him forlorn and practically shut down. It was unsettling.

Jonouchi's talkativeness continued even after they arrived at the small cafe, and they had even managed to work through the major points of the report without much difficulty. It was almost alarming how quickly and completely Jonouchi's demeanor had shifted. Kaiba knew Jonouchi couldn't have gotten over whatever was bothering him in the short time between leaving for lunch and finishing up their debriefing.

"Will you come watch my next competition, then?"

"Of course. If you wake me up for it, next time," Kaiba teased. He gave Jonouchi's foot a nudge with his own under the table for good measure.

"Who says we'll be doing that again the night before, hmm?" asked Jonouchi as he laughed and moved closer to look Kaiba in the eyes straight on without flinching, "Although I did win the next day, so maybe that's like the lucky thing to do for me.

"Or it was my lucky tennis shoes. Whichever."

"Then let's not defy superstitions and just make both a tradition," Kaiba leaned in flirtatiously. He didn't care that they were out in public. Only two other customers were in the cafe, and Kaiba had picked it specifically based on its quiet atmosphere.

"I thought somebody like you wouldn't even believe in that crap."

Jonouchi was making quick work of the plate of spaghetti he had in front of him. Kaiba could smell the tomato and pepper sauce that seemed to linger as Jonouchi used a fork and tried to eat properly before slurping the noodles in his mouth. Thankfully, he didn't get sauce everywhere, not that the idiot would even care.

Apparently he had to eat everything like it was ramen.

Taking a bite, Kaiba finished off half of his egg sandwich. At the rate Jonouchi was eating, he'd be long done before Kaiba even began working on the second half. "I don't, really. But I know that you do. And if it works to my advantage, I'll take it."

"You know I've been wearing the same shoes while dueling since high school, right?" pointed out Jonouchi.

"Yes," Kaiba confirmed, rolling his eyes a little, "I'm surprised those old things are still holding together."

"Glue," Jonouchi smiled.

"Then they must be more glue than leather or fabric by now," Kaiba laughed. It was kind of sad, though, too. Kaiba knew Jonouchi's family didn't make a lot of money, but keeping (and regularly wearing) the same pair of shoes for over five years, even if he was attached to them, was unfathomable.

"Besides, I almost killed myself getting these, so I'm never going to give them up until the day they completely fall apart," announced Jonouchi, "Yugi was there, when I got them. There's a knife cut in the one from the stupid game I had to play to win them from the store owner. They are as much a part of me as my stupid looking hair."

Kaiba snorted. "Of course there was a game, if Yugi was involved. I don't even want to know what kind of shop you were frequenting to get those…"

"No, you really don't." Taking another fork-full of noodles, Jonouchi shoved it into his mouth before (barely) chewing it and swallowing, "But they were worth the risk."

"If you say so," Kaiba said around another bite. "Although I'd suggest leaving those days behind you and just outright purchasing the next pair of shoes you want. No more silly, dangerous games."

"But then I won't have an interesting story to tell," sighed Jonouchi. He glanced back down at his plate, moving the food around in piles before taking another bite. "That's all right, though. I'll probably need a new pair next year, because the treads on these ones are entirely gone and the soles are so worn out. Besides, now that I have money, I can try collecting real Nike's again.

"Why did you retire from dueling?"

"Your apartment will become a magnet for theft, then." Taking a sip of his tea, Kaiba considered the question as the warmth of the drink traveled down his body. "It's more of a hiatus, really. I don't really plan on returning anytime soon. Mokuba will be starting college, so his duties at the company will shift, as will mine, until he graduates. I don't have the time to focus on competition.

"Besides, Yugi's not here anymore. Even he's taken a break from dueling, and he's the one I have to beat."

Jonouchi rolled his eyes dramatically, leaning back against his chair and folding his arms against his chest before speaking, "I knew you'd say some crap like that. Yugi's not the only good duelist out there, Kaiba, and maybe if you didn't just wait for him to come back, you'd realize that. He's certainly not the only person ever to beat you, and if you sit around too long, I might end up taking your spot as number two. How about that?

"Besides, aren't you interested at all in dueling against me again?"

"He was the first," Kaiba replied seriously, "I've never regained my title." He brought his cup closer, enjoying how it warmed his hands. "I would like to duel you again someday, but I'd rather have you focus on your own career right now."

"Fine, Kaiba."

Jonouchi wasn't pushing the subject. That was a relief.

They fell into a comfortable silence, both staring out the window. The sky was a pale gray - almost white - a sure threat of snow.

"You seem...better. Is everything okay now?" Kaiba ventured, breaking the silence.

"Not really," answered Jonouchi in a somber voice, "my dad is missing. All his stuff is gone. I have no idea where he went."

Well, that definitely explained Jonouchi's spacey behavior over the past couple of days. If it were him, Kaiba would have been elated that his problem had solved itself. Good riddance, as far as he was concerned. "When did you find out?"

"When I got back from Honda's place, after winning the competition. It didn't help that my mother was pestering me again over shit, but I don't really care too much about her. I don't understand why my dad would just up and leave on me like that without saying anything at all. I know he had some real bad shit going on, but still. He'd never done that before."

"Did you ask any of your neighbors? Maybe one of them saw or heard something."

"I don't talk to my weird ass neighbors," answered Jonouchi.

"It sounds like he doesn't want to be found," Kaiba sighed. "He's an adult, anyway, and so are you, so he's free to do whatever he wants. It's not like he contributed a lot to your household; if anything, he was a burden on you. If he didn't even bother to inform you of his plans or at the very least leave a note, then just let it go."

"I can't."

And grumbling, Jonouchi's eyes downcast before he started picking at the remainder of his food. His eyebrows were cross and his mouth was tight, the signs of irritation screaming across his features. He could turn from happy to childishly annoyed in seconds, and Kaiba found himself conflicted between laughing at Jonouchi's ridiculous facial expressions and being mad that once again, they were arguing over Jonouchi's crappy family that seemed keen on leaving him all the time.

"Why not? Your father up and left. There's no point in holding onto a connection that's no longer there." Kaiba couldn't understand Jonouchi's attachment to the man. Blood wasn't everything. Jonouchi's father had gifted him with more problems than opportunities, some leaving visible remnants upon Jonouchi's body. Kaiba had seen them all - the bandages Jonouchi had come to school wearing, the faint and raised lines marking his skin, the fresh and angry bruises across his face.

"I don't like the idea of him half dead in some sewer," complained Jonouchi as he slumped farther in his seat, looking wholly uncomfortable, "And I have the money now, so I could help him. He's not that terrible. When he's not drinking, he's like normal again, but he won't go to rehab while he's dealing with all this debt... I have the money to pay it off now. I could figure this all out if I could find him."

Kaiba frowned as Jonouchi continued to spiral down into a depressed pit. "His debts aren't your responsibility, Jonouchi. You don't need to keep making excuses for him anymore. It doesn't sound like he's ever tried to help himself, so you don't owe him that same courtesy." Kaiba leaned forward, his fist upon the table, "He beat you. There's no excusing that."

"He punched me in the face once, while drunk. It wasn't that big of a deal, and nothing I haven't done to him in one of my bad days before you gave me the light of day, so I don't see why you are making such a big deal of it. If I don't help him, no one will."

His fist clenched tighter, a tumult of frustration coiling up inside. "Parents aren't supposed to strike their children hard enough to leave marks. That's abuse. Why do I suspect that the last time wasn't the first?" Kaiba scoffed.

"If you won't help me find out where he went, I'll find someone else who will," said Jonouchi stubbornly, "I don't care if you don't like him. He's my father and nothing you say will change the fact that he's my responsibility.

"I just want to make sure he's all right. If he is, I'll leave him alone."

There was a long, tense moment where a battle of wills clashed invisibly. Kaiba could feel his jaw straining, the muscle beginning to tick as he stared Jonouchi down. Jonouchi, for his part, didn't back down - his face was fierce, like a wild animal protecting its kin.

"I'll make it up to you," promised Jonouchi, "just this one thing, that's all I'm asking for."

Sighing loudly, Kaiba closed his eyes and crossed his legs. He couldn't believe he was going to agree to this. "I'll help you, but you've got to agree to accept whatever answer we discover, even if we don't discover anything."

"Okay."

"You'll have to come over to the Mansion tonight, then, because that's where the computer that can run the searches is located."

"Why do you have a computer at home that can look up that kind of thing?" asked Jonouchi as he raised an eyebrow in question, "You've done this kind of thing before?"

Kaiba shrugged. "Mokuba used to get kidnapped a lot, and the kidnappers didn't usually leave a calling card," he said. "I would have to tap into the Kaiba Corporation satellite to locate him, so instead of conducting my personal business at work, I built a computer that could handle it at home."

"That's insane."

Jonouchi didn't say anything else after that, though. He seemed quiet again, finishing the rest of his lunch and sipping on his drink.

And he was right. The whole thing was insane. Having to basically plant a tracker on Mokuba throughout his childhood to ensure his safety was not normal and Kaiba didn't like doing it, but it was the only way he had to ensure that he knew his brother was safe. It was better to have a plan in action than get caught unawares like he had the first two times.

The rest of the day seemed to eke by, now that Kaiba had made a promise he wasn't thrilled about fulfilling. He'd sent Jonouchi off to beta test a new video game, in the hope that the activity would take his mind off things. Sitting in front of a screen and playing around in a game world was much better than Jonouchi sitting behind his desk, staring mindlessly at nothing. But for Kaiba, the hours after lunch had stretched - he'd expected the opposite to happen, to have had the day pass by in a breeze so that the dreaded task that awaited him would come that much closer. He found that knowing something wholly undesirable was waiting on the horizon for him was actually so much worse than it appearing unexpectedly.

In contrast, the ride back home had gone by in no time. Perhaps it was a by-product of Jonouchi's nervous energy, palpable in the air of Kaiba's tiny sports car. But the usual long drive had passed quickly in relative silence, and Kaiba hadn't tried to make Jonouchi talk again. He was convinced it was a futile effort, anyway - Jonouchi appeared so anxious, like he wanted to jump out of his own skin.

Leading them downstairs to his lab, Kaiba turned on all the lights and then proceeded to power up a large machine at the back of the room. The projector screen flickered to life in front of them, covering almost the entirety of the back wall. Hands flying across a keyboard, Kaiba booted up the gateway that allowed access to the satellite, logged in, and waited.

"How does this computer work," asked Jonouchi, who finally broke the silence as he leaned in against Kaiba's computer chair and crossed his arms over the back close to where Kaiba's head was resting. "It's so big."

"It's big because it needs a lot of memory to talk to the other satellites and process the data quickly enough to convey it in real-time," Kaiba explained. "Okay, when did you discover that your father was gone? I need an exact time."

"When I came back from the tournament," Jonouchi replied, looking down towards Kaiba's head as he sighed heavily, "I haven't seen him since then. Everything was missing."

"What time did you get home?"

"Right after a lunch I had with my sister. It was an hour past noon."

"So over fifty hours ago… There was no sign of a struggle?" Kaiba doubted they were dealing with an abduction case, but to ease Jonouchi's anxiety, he had to be thorough.

"No. The apartment was clean. His stuff was missing and he left money in the kitchen cabinets, since he ate everything. Nothing was missing besides his crappy old tv. I'm sure he went and pawned it for cash..."

A series of windows expanded across the screen, rapidly scrolling through hundreds of images. "Hmpf, how considerate of him," Kaiba grumbled, but his mouth snapped shut at Jonouchi's sudden glare. His fingers continued to dance across the keyboard, pausing when he found a strange bit of activity. "Look here. These are surveillance cameras from the pawn shop across the street from your complex." Hitting the enter key with a flourish, several videos began to play, each from a different angle.

It was a little after four in the morning, two days prior. The streets had been empty and dark, when a taxi had pulled up and waited right in front of Jonouchi's apartment. It sat idling for three minutes, and then a large older man had hobbled up to it. He was balding and wearing a red jersey jacket, hauling a large bag of clothes slung behind his back and a rolled-up futon under his other arm. The driver had come out to assist them, and they managed to shove everything into the trunk before the man went back for two other boxes, a duffel bag, and an old tube television. He looked around skittishly before climbing into the passenger seat - the back seat too crammed with junk, and then the taxi had sped off out of sight.

"That man look familiar?" Kaiba asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah, that's him. With my high school letter jacket, no less. That fucker..."

Jonouchi's voice was a mix of sadness and amusement. Kaiba could have sworn he'd seen that jacket before too, outside of Domino High School, but he couldn't quite recall the occasion.

"So we know he left of his own volition. Now, to see where he went…" The windows were closed and new ones sprang to life, lines of code streaming across the screen. Kaiba's hands were moving rapidly, the computer beside him whirring audibly as it tried to keep up with his commands. Jonouchi's picture appeared on screen, followed quickly by his father's, his mother's, Shizuka's, and another man Kaiba didn't recognize.

"What are you doing?"

The loud clacking increased. "I had to pull up your file in order to pull up your father's. The system just pulled your entire family to ensure an accurate match." A few more keystrokes, and - "There," Kaiba declared victoriously, "It's now searching for anyone matching your father's profile. If he left through any port or boarded any kind of carrier, it'll show up in the results. It doesn't look like your father has any kind of credit card, so unfortunately we can't track him through his financials, and he has no registered cell phone. We'll be out of luck if he left by car, unless he passes through a toll, gases up, or visits any place that has a surveillance system installed. But based on how nervous he looked when he got into that taxi, I doubt he'd take a risk like that. He'd probably want to make the quickest getaway possible, so that means he probably took a flight somewhere."

Jonouchi said nothing, his focus intent on the screen. A flurry of windows opened and closed as the system scanned and cycled through thousands of reports, databases, and hours of video footage. It seemed endless, and six minutes into the search, Kaiba was starting to wonder if Jonouchi's father really had disappeared without a trace. He could feel his seat tipping back as Jonouchi leaned his forearms against the top of it heavily.

And then everything stopped, the computer emitting a sharp beep as activity on the screen ceased. A box announcing "MATCH FOUND" blinked slowly at the top of the screen, underneath it a picture of a boarding pass and receipt. Four small boxes to the bottom corner depicted loops of a man with only a duffel bag entering an airport, waiting at the ticket counter, passing through security, and having his ticket scanned at the gate.

The name, the face, the timeframe, the manner of the man's gait - it was all a match.

"California," Kaiba said. "You father took the first flight out of Narita International Airport the day after you came back from Tokyo."

"Which city?"

"Los Angeles. Do you know why he would go there?"

"That's where he's from," sighed Jonouchi before he got up from leaning on Kaiba's chair and turned around, crossing his arms against his chest, "He's not a Japanese citizen. He's only a quarter, and barely even passes..."

That didn't make any sense. "He isn't a citizen? Then how did he manage to stay in the country so long after your parents divorced? His spouse visa should have expired long ago."

Jonouchi merely shrugged.

"Your father hasn't held a steady job for a while, either, so he wouldn't have had a work visa, either…" Kaiba continued.

"He was into some illegal shit, okay?" admitted Jonouchi loudly before he turned his back again and stared at the other side of the wall. "I didn't ask questions about it because I didn't really even want to know."

That...wasn't surprising, actually. Jonouchi's father had most likely investigated illegal avenues to obtain a visa and ended up falling in deeper thanks to vice.

"Is there anything else you want me to search?"

"No, I guess I know what I needed to know now," answered Jonouchi.

A strange uncomfortable silence fell between them. Jonouchi wasn't speaking anymore. When Kaiba looked behind him, he could see him standing there still holding onto his arms, appearing almost completely withdrawn into himself. That wasn't surprising, but it didn't make Kaiba feel any better about it.

Closing out the search windows and getting up from his seat, Kaiba cautiously walked up to Jonouchi. He reached out to snake an arm behind Jonouchi, pulling him close against his side. "It's...okay to be upset."

"Yeah, I know that. But it doesn't mean I like the feeling. I didn't think he'd just run off like that, but I understand why he did it. Still don't like it..."

Jonouchi's shoulders trembled slightly before he quickly wiped his face, making a noise before finally turning back to look at Kaiba. His face looked so strained, like he was trying really hard not to cry. Eyes rimmed red, Kaiba could see the building up of tears, but he had enough sense not to say something out loud about it.

"Thanks for looking, even though I know you didn't want to," said Jonouchi as he turned heel and headed towards the door, "I'll get over it."

The heartbroken look on Jonouchi's face sent a sharp pang through Kaiba's chest. Following after him, Kaiba quickly caught up, catching one of Jonouchi's hands in his own. "Jonouchi, wait up. I'll...I'll drive you home."

"To that shitty apartment in the ghetto?"

Jonouchi's laugh sounded fake and forced, and Kaiba frowned as he tried wiping his eyes again.

"I don't want to go back there," said Jonouchi, "my lease is almost up, so you'll finally get what you want. I'll find some other place to live now." His shoulders trembled again. "I don't want to go home right now. Can I stay here with you?"

The sharp pang returned, but this time, it wasn't painful. "If that's what you want."

"Yeah, that's what I want."

Then suddenly, Jonouchi crossed the distance between them and grabbed Kaiba into a crushing hug, squeezing the air out of his lungs. It took him completely by surprise; he wasn't sure how to react at first. People didn't typically do this. Only Mokuba had ever hugged him like that, and not since he was a pre-teen. Jonouchi had an iron grip and it didn't feel like he was planning on letting go anytime soon.

The most Kaiba could manage was to bend his elbows and lightly hold onto Jonouchi's waist. They stood there for a long while, Jonouchi shoulders shaking and head buried into Kaiba's chest. Although the circumstances were all wrong, it felt nice.

"Jonouchi. You're going to squeeze the life out of me," Kaiba half-joked, attempting to ease Jonouchi's high-strung emotions.

"You'll live."

Thankfully, Jonouchi did let go though and after forcing a smile on his face, he seemed somewhat better. "I'm tired and hungry. Where do you hide all your food?"

Kaiba hadn't been hungry, but Jonouchi seemed to be nursing his pain with a pint of ice cream after eating leftover pizza Mokuba had left in the refrigerator. A salad had been plenty enough for Kaiba, and he watched Jonouchi eat with mild amusement and mixed horror before they finally made their way together to the master bedroom.

They had held hands the entire walk upstairs. Kaiba was still a little unbelieving that Jonouchi had allowed it, but he'd seemed eager for the contact, staying close by. It wasn't until after they had entered the bedroom and Kaiba closed the door that their hands had parted.

"There are pajamas in the closet, if you want them. I'm going to get ready for bed," Kaiba said.

"Pajamas are for girls."

Jonouchi stripped down to his boxers, throwing his clothes into a small pile before taking over the bathroom and using Kaiba's mouthwash before also grabbing the man's toothbrush.

"Don't hate me," Jonouchi called out from the room, "I'll clean it really good when I'm done, promise."

Kaiba groaned as he pulled his turtleneck over his head. "You could have asked for an extra one…" The thought of sharing a toothbrush with someone else made his skin crawl, but after the initial disgust, Kaiba supposed his aversion was a little silly. They'd swapped spit and done other things, so how was this any worse?

"And you could have used a condom last time we had sex, but you didn't. I lived," snorted Jonouchi as he rolled his eyes, "and so will you."

He stuck out his tongue for effect.

Rolling his eyes, Kaiba finished getting undressed, tossing his clothes into the hamper and making his way to the bathroom. True to his word, Jonouchi was in the process of thoroughly rinsing off Kaiba's toothbrush, and Kaiba snatched it back, playfully bumping Jonouchi out of the way with his hip.

"Enjoy."

Jonouchi didn't stick around, skipping off into the bedroom as Kaiba finished up. Brushing his teeth, Kaiba watched Jonouchi get into bed from the corner of his eyes. While he didn't seem too upset on the outside, Kaiba knew better. He was probably trying to hide it.

Kaiba quickly completed his nightly routine, turning off the lights and making his way to the bed by muscle memory and the faint light of the moon seeping past the curtains. Climbing into bed, Kaiba was surprised to find himself immediately next to Jonouchi, the other laying uncharacteristically close to the center of the bed. Going on instinct, he sidled up next to Jonouchi, throwing an arm over the other's waist.

It was so dark, they could barely see each other, but Kaiba could smell Jonouchi's familiar scent, and hear his soft breathing. He wasn't asleep, and he didn't feel tense for once, either.

Jonouchi moved an inch closer, touching a lock of Kaiba's hair before pulling his hand back. "Why did you help me?"

"Because you asked me to." If he focused, he could almost make out Jonouchi's eyes shining in the darkness.

"You didn't want to."

"I wanted to help you, Jonouchi." His hand traveled up, resting lightly against the column of Jonouchi's neck, thumb tracing along his jawline.

"You're just a little gay, you know," mumbled Jonouchi as he turned his head away shyly, "but thanks though, really. I appreciated the help. I just can't believe he up and left without saying goodbye or anything. He had his issues, and I know you don't like him, but he wasn't always like that. Before all that garbage happened and Shizuka got sick, he was actually pretty alright. The stuff that happened to him wasn't completely his fault, and I never blamed him for it.

"I would have liked to at least say goodbye or something, even if our relationship wasn't a good one. But whatever, you don't want to hear me ramble on about him anymore, I'm sure."

There was a nervous laugh before Jonouchi went silent again. Kaiba almost thought he'd fallen asleep before he spoke up again.

"I just wish people would stop disappearing from my life all the time."

"I'm here," Kaiba said as his fingers continued to rub at the soft hair at the back of Jonouchi's neck.

"I know."

There was a warm rush through his body when Jonouchi suddenly reached forward and kissed him. It didn't happen often. Kaiba felt lightheaded by it, at first. He didn't know how to react, but he could feel Jonouchi placing a hand on his chest as the other sank into his hair. It was a completely alien sensation; no one ever touched him like that. Jonouchi felt desperate for him, pulling him closer, and not resisting, Kaiba felt himself leaning into him.

He didn't know how long they had lied wrapped together on their sides, but at some point Kaiba found himself hovering over Jonouchi, the other reclining against the bed. Jonouchi had spread his knees to allow Kaiba to rest between them, and Kaiba could feel himself getting warmer and warmer, the heat collecting at the center of his body, spurred on by Jonouchi's insistence.

Jonouchi had never acted like this, demonstrating his wanting of Kaiba outright. Their first time hadn't really counted - both had been drunk and stupid, reacting to a steadily building tension and carnal desire. But this was new and intoxicating in its own manner, and Kaiba quickly started to lose his head to instinct, their tangled bodies together, kisses turning deep and breathless.

Kaiba could feel Jonouchi completely. Pulling back, Kaiba gazed at his face. There were unshed tears collecting at the edges of his eyes, and Kaiba's heart nearly skipped a beat when Jonouchi reached up to cup his face with both of his hands. Jonouchi's eyes never left Kaiba's, and he rose up to meet Kaiba for a kiss, eyes closing just as their lips met, soft and languid.

It ignited a burning sensation throughout his body that he'd never felt before. Every nerve felt alive and on fire, the connection between every touch thrumming with electricity. Jonouchi was pressing against him, his knees tight against Kaiba's hips, hands roaming across Kaiba's back.

He traveled down Jonouchi's body, leaving a wake of kisses upon every expanse of skin he met. He could feel Jonouchi's rapid heartbeat pulsing in his stomach, fluttering every time Kaiba trailed further down. Lifting up, Kaiba reached over to the nightstand before he slid his and Jonouchi's boxers off. He found a warm place to settle, and after preparation, gave Jonouchi the best pleasure he'd ever given any partner before.

Jonouchi inhaled sharply, both hands reaching down to thread themselves into Kaiba's hair. A low moan escaped before his body jerked from instinct. They were both completely lost in the moment.

It was something Kaiba had rarely done with his other partners. It was something that previously held little of his interest. But now, with the taste of Jonouchi's salt on his tongue and the heavy smell of his musk all around him, Kaiba only found himself growing more aroused.

The hands in his hair began to tug, and Kaiba pulled back, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. Jonouchi was breathing in short pants, hands moved to either side to twist into the sheets. Kaiba leaned up to catch his lips again, and Jonouchi immediately responded, widening his legs, his hands finding their way to Kaiba's hair again. Kaiba came to him, and Jonouchi moaned in response, their bodies melted into each other. Jonouchi's legs encircle his hips, and they lied there for a moment, joined, staring into each other's eyes unflinchingly.

Jonouchi's eyes were heavy-lidded, but there was an alertness behind them, a total recognition of the present rooted within his desire. Kaiba almost forgot to blink, but then he recalled the pressure surrounding him and so began.

Forearms braced on either side of Jonouchi's head, Kaiba could feel his and Jonouchi's breaths mingle in the air between them. Jonouchi would oscillate between closing his eyes and locking his with Kaiba's, his hands likewise running a circuit starting at Kaiba's hair, down his shoulders, pausing to grasp onto Kaiba's forearms, and then back again.

Then suddenly, Jonouchi gasped loudly as his entire body shuddered underneath Kaiba. He'd never taken his eyes off Kaiba's face, and Kaiba thought it was the most erotic thing he'd ever seen.

Leaning down to recapture Jonouchi's mouth, Kaiba rode out to completion, bright spots converging in front of his eyes until he couldn't see at all. And then the moment passed, and his vision returned, and all Kaiba could feel was the rise and fall of Jonouchi's chest. The room was sweltering, and they were drenched with sweat, but neither found themselves wanting to move. Kaiba suddenly felt bonelessly exhausted, but he managed to lift up enough to plant tiny kisses all over Jonouchi's face, smoothing out the other's matted bangs with his fingers. It brought out a tiny laugh from Jonouchi, whose slight smile slowly faded as he relaxed and recovered from the exertion.

Kaiba rolled onto his back, finding a dry space on the bed as Jonouchi scooted closer and fell onto his side, laying his head against his chest. It felt comfortable, and before Kaiba could react, Jonouchi had half his body draped across him, including one leg lying over Kaiba's own and an arm across his chest. They were both so sweaty, but neither of them cared, and Kaiba found himself stroking Jonouchi's hair as the other began to close his eyes.

"You don't need to worry about anything," Kaiba whispered as Jonouchi's eyes fluttered open.

"What do you mean?"

"You can live with me," Kaiba continued, his face becoming more serious as Jonouchi stared up at him, "I mean it. I want to take care of you."

Jonouchi didn't answer verbally. He was quiet, but Kaiba didn't push the subject. Now far too tired to argue his case, he just continued stroking Jonouchi's hair as the other dropped his head and succumbed to his desire for sleep. Soon his breathing changed and the characteristic little snores that Jonouchi always gave began to begin without delay.

Kaiba didn't fall asleep as quickly, though. He watched, his eyes heavy under the strain of staying awake.

His idea was a good one. It would solve all their problems. If Jonouchi just stayed with him, they wouldn't need to worry about him getting jumped again, and the problems with his family would dissipate. Things were different now, and Kaiba was sure Jonouchi felt the same way back. They were together, after all. Really together. Jonouchi had to feel the same for him as what Kaiba felt, after what they'd done together.

Kaiba had never looked his partner in the eyes before while having sex. He'd never felt comfortable with the idea. Before, he had always made sure he couldn't be watched, but that hadn't happened with Jonouchi. Everything had changed, and while making love to him, Kaiba knew he'd never settle for anyone else after feeling so much. He was sure of it. He couldn't emotionally handle opening up to another person ever again.

Finally closing his eyes, Kaiba felt self-assured. Jonouchi wanted to be with him. He wanted to stay with him, and Kaiba didn't want him to leave. Staying together would solve all their problems, and with that final thought in his head, Kaiba fell asleep.