A/N: Onward, yes?

Chapter 14.

Not all confidence was lost. Kaiba kept the minimalist amount of encouragement deep within his psyche, using it as the only catalyst towards the goals he had been setting each day. All of his efforts were much like research, something that he had to look towards and find out before he could conquer. He did all of this in silence, going to therapy and acting in it like it was some kind of race. He kept a look out for Jou, though Jou never seemed to be looking for him, or seemed to be particularly interested in the times that he was working with Kaiba.

That was the hardest part of the research. Trying to find a way to make things work. Every day was like a new experiment, working towards a singular goal of finally getting Jou to see that he said those things out of the frustration that he had at the moment. But not all of that was true. Not entirely. The honesty of it all was that he believed there would be failure no matter what they did together. To him it was like a mathematical certainty, a certain percentage of everything leading to a more ultimate downfall. His heart, however, was overriding all of those mathematical calculations. It was telling him that percentages didn't matter, only how he felt mattered.

Now if only he could explain that to Jou in terms that didn't sound so crazy.

He was thinking about this, off and on, as he was sitting and speaking with the heads of his departments, one chair conspicuously empty. He found himself looking at it and bringing his hand to run down the chain of his locket, the moment where the hands were clenched around his neck and he was pressed against the window, stricken, contemplating nothing only lashing out with red in his vision.

He had come to the office for that day only, slowly working himself back into the rhythm of working in his office. There was a mild aversion, more so than there was when Gozaburo had inhabited it. When he walked in, he could only see the shattered glass and the bullet holes, though they were long gone. He could see Naoko crying as she wriggled, Mokuba sitting on the floor pretending to be brave.

Kaiba took a deep breath as he returned to this place, his eyes downcast as he limped to his chair and sat down, the cane leaned against the side of the desk, tired.

He looked to his computer, toggling with the touchpad to wake it up, thinking about how he had been physically researching information that could help him in his healing process. Though all of the doctors he spoke to had given him the same advice, he had also been told that there could be something done about his ankle. The weakness in it was something other than nerve damage, and it was possible that second surgery could help.

He just was weighing the options. Of course he would take it if it meant that he could control his ankle. That would make his life so much simpler. But then it was another few weeks at home, his leg propped up, on crutches and uncomfortable. Mokuba would end up being his nurse, end up being the one running the company because he refused to let his nii-sama do it.

But, what if he got himself a nurse instead?

He liked the idea, but he knew it would be too much, too soon.

"Kaiba-sama?"

Kaiba looked over to his assistant who was perched by his side, leaning in. "What?"

"You've just been sitting there for several minutes. I was wondering if there was something I could help you with?"

It was a tender spot to say the least. Speaking to him as if he were an invalid. He was soft enough from the physicality; there was only so much that his psyche could handle at a time.

He turned to his assistant, teeth clenched behind closed lips, and glared as if he were ready to shoot down his assistant in a fit of rage. His assistant backed off, looking at the preciseness of Kaiba's desk, Kaiba's thoughtless little tinkerings making it look as if he were trying to keep it completely straight and sheened. He watched as the CEO unconsciously flattened out the desk calender and then looked to his computer, fingers clicking through the files that he wanted. Still, his assistant lingered.

Then, at that very moment, as breath seemed to be running down his neck, he looked over to his assistant with a half blanched look, his surprise hidden by his typically inpassive face. His assistant blinked and took a step back, unsure what the look meant entirely. "Sir?"

Kaiba stood, taking shallow steps, his hand bracing against his leg, and he looked out the window at the people that were below, nothing short of ants. It was as if he had snapped, turning back around and grabbing his cane to walk toward his assistant's office. "Is there something the matter Kaiba-sama?"

Kaiba was rifling through the draws on the assistant's desk. He was looking for anything that could be an answer. A strange phone number, a receipt, possibly even physical evidence of pictures or documents that were copies of the original. Something that looked out of the ordinary. When he found nothing, he looked to his assistant with a quizzical glance, his brows furrowed. "What did I expect?" he asked out loud. His assistance had less of a questioning look and more of a worried one now.

"Kaiba-sama...are you feeling alright? You seem a little...stressed."

He remembered his assistant having placed the magazine on his desk as though it were helpful. As if Kaiba actually wanted to deal with the taunting that the tabloids were dishing. He kept a imposing eye on his assistant, but he straightened his back, no immediate thoughts arising in him. There was no proof, but what did he expect from a man he hand picked for the job? It was like finding a secretary: time consuming and done with his critical gaze on it, nothing escaping his scan as if he knew everything as soon as glanced at their paperwork.

"Is there anything I can get you? Tea maybe?" The assistant was turned away, already leaving. Kaiba kept watching him, taking a deep breath and walking back to his desk. He knew, in his heart, what the truth was. There was no denying that. But, despite that, there was no proof of his assistant leaking anything. Just circumstance. Still, he wanted to see how much further this would go.

"Ach!-" Kaiba leaned awkwardly against the wall. Of all the therapy that he did in the day, the thing he hated was actually trying to walk without anything holding him up. So he held the wall, looking down to his ankle and expecting it to be broken again. It was just the awkward turn the got him.

"Get back up," Jou chided, pushing him away from the wall. "No pain, no gain."

The only thing that was worse, he thought, was that after this was over he was going to be lacing the brace back up. To him, this wasn't just a bad leg. It wasn't the nerves damaged. To him, it made him think he was a polio patient that would never be able to walk again, the brace his only support for the disgusting thing beneath. Not that it really was. The worst part of it was the little scars that lingered, nothing too serious. Nothing extremely interesting to look at.

"Just give me a moment," he half-snarled, keeping his hand at his leg as he tried to push forward.

"Ya know...I think yer holdin' yerself back," Jou said, his hand at his chin as if his thought was really that astounding. Kaiba nearly growled in protest. "Ya do great in the weight trainin' and other movements ain't that compromised...I wonder if maybe ya just ain't...tryin' hard enough. Ya lose confidence."

"I'm fine." No other explanation needed. At least, not in Kaiba's mind.

"Yer ankle should have gotten stronger, honestly."

"Well, it hasn't." Kaiba was tired and the time was almost up. He went over to a seat, placing himself at it, reaching for his brace. Time seemed to slow, seemed to taunt him as he did this. It had become so routine, he knew each and every latch perfectly. He knew how to make himself comfortable. Jou watched him, sitting down beside him. There was always something that Jou was wanting to say, but he never said it. Never found the courage to say it. He was still upset. He was sure that he was always going to stay upset about all of this. He took a deep breath and looked away as Kaiba finished, standing and grabbing the cane.

"So, the doc tells me that yer gettin' another surgery."

"What about it?"

"Well, I was jus' curious."

Kaiba rolled his shoulder as he pulled on his jacket. He disappeared into an adjoining bathroom, coming out a short time later with his pants covering the brace. "About what? It's none of your business."

"Yeah, well. I jus' figured I'd make polite conversation."

Kaiba approached him, coming up against his knees and staring down at him. "Not exactly polite, but whatever you say," Kaiba shrugged. He debated for a few seconds before saying: "I'm trying to see if maybe I can't make this a little easier."

"Yeah?"

"I think that would be an obvious explanation."

"Well, I guess I mean...ya sorta got several problems."

"My ankle."

"Ah," Jou stood up. "Best of luck ta ya there. Hope they can fix it." He seemed like he was in a bit of a rush, but Kaiba wasn't buying it. He turned with Jou, taking the steps behind him. "Somethin' else to it?"

"Yes and no," he said, walking up to the nurses' station where he swifting signed out. Jou was going in an opposite direction, but was momentarily stopped. "I would hope that we could speak privately."

"We just were. I figured ya had finished it or somethin'," Kaiba could hear how low Jou was dropping his voice, his eyes conspicuously scanning all of his coworkers as if they were watching him, ready to pounce about all of this. Kaiba knew what was being written in the tabloids, and, unlike he, Jou was unprepared for the kind of assault that kind of press typically got. There was a ready made answer, a face even, to the reporters, to the colleagues, to the suboridnates. He was ready for any idiotic questions. Jou seemed like the slightest prick was going to burst him. A normal response to a harried being.

"Today?" Kaiba asked, not accepting no for an answer. Jou nodded and led him to a back room, closing the door behind them. Kaiba could practically see what was going through Jou's head. Whatever. "In the very least, you seem complacent," Kaiba said, knowing that Jou wouldn't have even considered this several weeks ago. "I want to give you this," he said, producing a small card from his pocket. "I know you're uncomfortable with the media, and I think I know who the problem is. If you start having difficultly, this is my PR manager. She's already been informed about you, none of it would be a charge to you."

"Oh..."Jou took the card tentatively. "Thanks, I guess."

"And there's one more thing." Kaiba eyed the room, Jou following his scanning motion, before he got close to Jou (too close) and took what he wanted. What he promised that he would be allowed to do.

Jou didn't seemed to mind; not after the initial shock at least.

Kaiba realized along time ago that Jou didn't respond well to words. He got flustered in the state of anger and only said what he thought would be appeasement. Kaiba wondered if his playground-like behavior was enough to assuage the curiosity, kissing Jou hard as if it were the only kind of communication he had to offer. He touched Jou no more than that, his hands planted firmly on the head of the cane, his body leaned in as if it were a simple peck. Again, Jou did not protest, only kissed back. Eventually his hand slithered to Kaiba's joining the two that were overtop one another, caressing the knuckles as if they were any other crevice of the body. When Kaiba leaned back, no immediate emotion to be shown, he gauged Jou's face-half-stunned, half turned on.

"Uh...t-thank for the card..." was all that Jou could utter, as if his memory of the last minute had been erased. It was better than him being enraged. "So um...wait...I'm confused."

"What about?" Kaiba was already turned around, going to the door.

"I don't know..."

Jou was still upset, and Kaiba knew that wouldn't really change. The fact that he was more accepting now meant there was still sentimentality. It was just a matter of getting around the problems that Kaiba had self-inflicted on what could have easily, without the speed bumps, been going a decent, normal route. But really, would have said anything to Jou if the circumstances had been different? If he had never gotten injured in the first place?

"Think on it. And do so without thinking about the...ignorant things I've said in the past. Everyone gets upset occasionally," he said, trying not to make himself sound as weak as he knew he was.

Jou followed him out shortly after, and he was surprised at how spry Kaiba seemed as he went outside. He knew there was a blush on his face, and he didn't try to make it go away as Naomi popped up beside him, though he did shove the card into the pocket of his scrubs.

Naomi was about to say something when Jou noticed the small mob of reporters that were outside. It was a scene that scared him, but Kaiba seemed unfazed, walking through them as though he were parting the Red Sea. For the most part, reporters kept a respectable distance when around him, as if Kaiba had some kind of shield. That was until one cameraman grabbed his elbow. And Kaiba flinched. And for once, Jou was sure that Kaiba found a decent use for the cane, raising it threateningly, milliseconds away from bashing the man over the head. He had already been shoved to the ground, the camera looking as if it had been broken against the pavement. The rest were taking pictures faster than their pointer fingers could move. Jou rushed out the door and pushed through the people, coming up beside Kaiba and ushering him to the car not even thirty feet away.

"Vultures," he snarled, making somewhat of a shield as Kaiba slipped into the car.

The cameraman that was attacked came up to Jou just after the car had left. "You condone that kind of behavior! Look what he did!" He showed Jou the broken camera. "You know how much this is worth?"

"Why don't you stop bein' an asshole and do some research? The lot of ya!" he scanned the others, knowing that this was going to be a front page story. At least they didn't see the kiss. "Scram! This is private property, the lot of ya will be arrested with one phone call." He said, walking back through. He didn't know what made him feel so invincible. Probably the card that was in pocket at the present moment. His hand ran over it, feeling it's shape in his pocket.

Once he was inside, he slid down the nearest wall like he was jelly. Naomi came up to him, squatting beside him. All eyes were on him. "That was brave of you."

"Yeah, well, last thing we need is them here harrassin' other patients."

"Its not just that Jou."

"What's it matter anymore?" he asked, taking her hand to pull himself back up. "'Sides, if the jackasses knew anythin' they'd know that touchin' him might get 'em killed. Got a feeling that one guy's gonna prosecute. Lots a luck he's got there..."Jou knew he was rambling, but it was appeasing enough. Naomi was following him to the breakroom. Jou pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily. "Ya got some stuff ya wanna say Naomi?"

"Not really. I think you guys are cute, that's all. I mean...from what I can see. There's some kind of chemistry there that I can quite...understand I guess. I think of me and my boyfriends and how they're just...assholes sometimes and I can't really seem to find anything to talk about with them because their favorite thing about me isn't eye level." She shrugged. "You don't really have to worry about that. Kaiba-san isn't really one that looks anywhere but in your eyes. Like he's trying to read you."

"He is."

"Well..."

"Kaib' has this thing about him, ya know? He likes to...go in prepared I guess you could say. People's eyes are the most truthful things 'bout them. And if he wants ta strike ya, he makes sure that yer lookin' at him and then he just scares ya shitless and makes ya listen ta him."

"You sound like you like that about him."

Jou shrugged. "He's got somethin' 'bout him I guess. Somethin' that clicks with me. I seem to be the only one that can get him ta do stuff besides Mokuba so, the fact that he listens is amazin' enough. Not only that but..."he shrugged. "He's just...kinda...got that tall, dark, and handsome thing I guess. 'Cept the brain sorta annoys me. And, well, he's about as wise as a fourth grader about love. Probably thinks of it like a math problem or something."

Jou leaned his head on the table knowing that he would have to go back shortly, and then he thought about Kaiba getting the surgery. "Wonder if he'll be okay..."Jou muttered.

"Okay?"

"Sakamoto-sensai said somethin' about him gettin' surgery, help his ankle so it won't roll around like jelly, and I think he's actually doing it. Knowin' him, he's gonna need nurse again. Swear, he takes about as good care of himself as a kid does." Jou stood and went over to a vending machine. There was no reason for Naomi to respond, he was fine simply explaining it to himself.

What if Kaiba asked?

He wasn't about to ask Naomi. This wasn't a problem that he could talk to her about, he didn't think.

Kaiba stared up at the ceiling and took a deep breath, tired and a little anxious. It seemed like battle plans had been drawn, the doctors explaining to him, curtly, what they were going to be doing to fix his ankle. He didn't care how long it took to heal, it was better than never being able to walk just right.

He looked to Mokuba and smirked at the boy as he read a book, less worried. Or at least, he was trying to be less worried.

Kaiba rested his hands over his diaphragm and looked back to the ceiling. Despite Mokuba being there, he felt along and uncomfortable. The bed was stiff and he was lying flat, as if ironed that way. They had been waiting for hours for the surgery, nothing they didn't expect. Kaiba could cope in the silence, using his phone as his distraction, much like Mokuba was doing with the book. But, he couldn't necessarily fight the lonliness. He remembered that last time that he went through this, Jou was by his side. He was being comforted the entire time, Jou being like some kind of guardian, smiling at him and being reassuring.

The door opened, and Kaiba closed his eyes as the nurses spoke to him, telling him that he was being taken. At that moment, Mokuba looked up and looked around as if panicked. Kaiba hardly noticed his brother's behavior, too curious about the situation at hand. Mokuba stopped the nurse as he poked around. The door was open and Kaiba was being taken down the hall, in a position as if he were dying. Mokuba beamed when he looked down the hall. His call had worked.

Jou was standing at the end of the hall, his arms crossed as he walked slowly towards them. Mokuba made not a peep about this. He didn't want his brother to know that he done something like this. He was going to try his own tactic to get them together, if it would work. "He gonna be alright?"

"It's a pretty simple procedure, just kinda long."

"Eh, jus a lotta useless waitin' is all," said Jou. "Hope ya don't mind if I sit and wait with ya?"

Mokuba smiled. "Sure. You gonna stay till he wakes up?"

"We'll see."

A/N: this is like a rollercoaster, I'll tell ya...I hope you enjoy this chap. I hope it's nice and long. And I hope you caught onto the tabloid thingy...anyways, till next time, KenSan out!