"As much as I hate to admit it... you're right..."
Seto turned to look at the young man that was sitting next to him.
"I usually am... but what are you talking about?" he said, arching an eyebrow.
Honda sighed. "About... me and... Jounouchi, and..."
"Eloquent, as always." Seto said.
It had been a week since Jounouchi got in the hospital. Seto was there everyday, talking to the doctors, but he hadn't managed to see Jounouchi yet. As expected, his friends were constantly there in the visiting hours as well, and when the time would come for him to finally see Jounouchi and talk to him, he needed them to be alone.
Jounouchi was still in pain and in need of care, but he was getting better. The doctors assured Kaiba he could take Jounouchi from the hospital whenever he wanted- provided the young blonde would sign the necessary papers.
Of course, there was one slight problem Seto hadn't mentioned- he had it in good authority that the young man currently... hated his guts.
More than ever.
"The day Jou was brought here... I told you what was going on between him and his dad. And you... said I should have done something about it, instead of just sitting back and watching... and you were right..." the brunette lowered his head, shrugging his shoulders. "I should have done something. I just... I don't..." Honda sighed and hid his face in his palm. Seto was completely still, legs crossed and arms folded, staring at the back of Honda's head with cold, azure eyes.
Honda leaned back on his chair. "I guess... I believed him when he said it was nothing... he wasn't in pain. It didn't matter. He didn't want me to get involved..." He smiled bitterly. "Instead of burging in and kicking the bastard's ass, I let him get hurt that badly..."
He closed his eyes and tightened his fists.
What was it with self-guilt in this company?
"We won't let that man hurt him again..." Seto said calmly.
"We...?" Honda opened his eyes and stared at the tall man.
"We." Seto said, intensely.
They were silent for a few moments. "You know... When I told him you were here, I expected him to be surprised, but-"
"You... told him I am here...?" Seto asked, widening his eyes in surpise.
"Of course we told him you are here!" Honda said, sounding offended.
"And... how did he react?" Seto said, trying to maintain his coldness.
Honda arched an eyebrow. "As if I told him he won the lottery. If he was an actual dog, he would jump up and down insanely."
Seto let out a sigh of relief- which, unfortunately didn't go unnoticed by Honda.
"Okay, what's going on here?" he said, narrowing his eyes.
Seto straightened his back and fixed his eyes on the floor, unwilling... and unable to answer.
Honda shook his head. "I'm glad his feelings are not... unrequited."
Seto exhaled sharply. Was it that obvious?! Even Honda had noticed?!
"...for now. I just know this is not going to end well, though." Honda said, with the same bitter expression on his face.
Once again, Seto wanted to punch him. He wasn't even certain why...
Yami came out of Jounouchi's room, preventing the conversation to turn into a fight between the brunettes. The small duelist sat next to Seto.
"How is he...?" Seto asked quietly.
"He's in pain. The food is horrible... and there is a little girl on the bed next to his who asked him to marry her three times so far." Yami said.
Seto smiled. "What did he say?"
"He said yes..."
All three of them laughed. "So... he doesn't really like it here, does he?" Seto said.
"Well, it IS a hospital. I am sure he would rather be recovering in some place with lots of burgers and ice-cream, but I'm not sure that's possible." Yami said, smiling.
Honda smiled and got up. "Does anyone want some coffee? I could use some."
"Get some for Anzu- she called, she will be here in ten minutes..." Yami said.
Oh, perfect. Yet another day he didn't manage to see Jounouchi.
Yami was staring at Honda until he was no longer in sight. "Now's your chance." Yami said.
"What?" azure eyes widened in surprise.
"You obviously want to see him, but you never will as long as we are there... Go in. Yugi is in there, he will leave the room as soon as he sees you!"
Problem solved... Right?
He was so frightened to go talk to Jounouchi... he was almost certain the young man would reject him.
"Look, I..."
"Anzu will be here in less than ten minutes and he is dying to see you..." Yami said, sounding persistent.
How did he manage to stand up? He thought his legs would not be able to lift his weight.
He entered the room quietly. His eyes fell on Jounouchi immediately. He didn't seem as cheerful and loud as always, but he certainly looked better than Seto expected. Yugi was sitting on a chair next to his bed, trying not to laugh too loudly and annoy the other patients- hurt or not, Jounouchi could always find a way to make others laugh.
Seto walked slowly towards Jounouchi's bed, ignoring the other three patients that where in the room and their companions, who were sitting next to the beds, on chairs identical to Yugi's.
Jounouchi stopped talking, as his eyes fell on the brunette. Two pairs of eyes, innocent purple and warm brown ones fell on him. Just like Yami had said, Yugi mumbled something about Yami being alone and left, promising Jounouchi to come back.
The small duelist walked past Seto and left the hospital room. Seto took a deep breath and sat on Yugi's chair, feeling Jounouchi's eyes on him.
Oh, he had practiced so many times what he would say... And yet, there he was, next to the blonde who always visited his dreams, unable to say a word.
"Hey, Seto..." Jounouchi broke the silence, tilting his head.
Seto smiled in a reserved way. "Hey... puppy." he croaked.
"What...?!" Jounouchi's eyes widened in surprise. "What did you..."
"Well, every mutt needs to start somewhere..." Seto said, trying to smile. Instead, he managed a creepy grin the Chesire Cat would envy...
"Puppy..." Jounouchi whispered. "I could get used to that..." he smiled, shrugging, chocolate eyes examining Seto's face.
"Okay, what the hell... I-" Seto started, until his eyes fell on Jounouchi's pale face. What was he doing? He had been really harsh with him... and now he expected him to do what exactly? Forgive him and...
Why would he even want something like this? He was Seto Kaiba, he didn't really need that... kind of...
Oh, who was he kidding?
"Honda told me you come here every day and talk to the doctors." Jounouchi said quietly, smiling. "By the way, I am sorry I talk so slow, it still hurts when I talk and breathe."
"Don't apologise, puppy..."
Well, if he liked it, perhaps overusing it would help!
"In fact, I should..."
"Seto, stop." Jounouchi interrupted him. "The last conversation we had... was really... bad. No, painful. Did you really... mean everything you said?"
Straight to the point. Way to make things even more awkward, puppy.
"No." Seto took a deep breath, as his gaze met Jounouchi's. "None of the things I told you were true. I just.. freaked out. Just... coming to realise that I had feelings for you was-"
"What do you have for me?!" Jounouchi said loudly and then cringed, grabbing his painful ribs.
Seto was left staring at him. The blonde thought his eyes were more beautiful than ever- finally, they weren't ice cold. Besides... that red hue on his face made an interesting contrast with his cerulean eyes.
"We have a lot to talk about, don't we?" Jounouchi smiled.
"Don't yell... you're in pain..." Seto said, turning his eyes away. "I was... very hard with you. And I would understand if you never wanted to see me again... I... I was going to call you. You disappeared and I was scared you were never coming back and I..." he raised his head and looked at the fairly amused blonde.
"You really don't have it with words today, do you, Kaiba?" he said, smiling.
"Not at all. And Anzu will be here any minute. So... to cut thing short... do you like this place?"
Jounouchi gave him a confused look. "No, why-"
"Will you sign the papers to get out of here and stay at my house until you recover?"
"What?!" Jounouchi said, widening his eyes in surprise.
"Just say yes or no for now and I will explain." he said, smirking.
Now, there was the Kaiba he knew, but...
The door opened and Anzu entered, interrupting his thoughts. The girl rushed next to him and hugged him. She widened her eyes and let a small gasp escape her lips when she noticed they weren't alone. Seto gave her a cold look and got up. "So?" he said, looking at Jounouchi, his expression cold and his eyes... oh, his eyes said everything...
"Yes..." the young man said numbly.
Seto didn't answer. He simply nodded and left the room, without another glance at Anzu.
"What... what was he doing here...? And what did you say 'yes' to?" the girl said, arching an eyebrow, putting her hands on her hips.
Jounouchi stared at her blankly. He was still surprised, irritated, excited and many more feelings he wasn't even certain they had a name by the weird, short conversation he had just had with Seto.
"What...?" he said, blinking fast.
"Blondie..." Anzu and Jounouchi turned to see the small redhead girl who was lying next to Jounouchi. Her smiling mother was sitting next to her. "Will you marry me...?"
"That. That's what I said yes to. Of course I will, Akarin!" he said, smiling.
The girl clapped happily. Anzu smiled. "You know I am surprised nobody noticed Seto Kaiba was in that very room..."
Akarin's mother widened her eyes. "That WAS indeed Kaiba?! I never thought he would come to this hospital..."
"HE WAS KAIBA?!" an old man right across from Jounouchi said.
Anzu smiled awkwardly. "Good job, Anzu!" Jounouchi smiled, relieved his very curious friend seemed to have forgotten that random "yes" of his...
Seto left the hospital ten minutes later, after informing the doctors young Katsuya was ready to sign the papers.
Yugi was looking out the window. "It's going to rain again!" the small boy said, staring at the sky.
The former Pharaoh stared at Seto's back as he walked away. "I don't think so, Aibou..." he whispered, smiling.