Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ A Shovel And Some Faith ❯ Epilogue

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Title: A Shovel And Some Faith - Chapter 10/10 & Epilogue

Author: WhosJeebus

Rating: NC-17

Word Count: this chapter - / total thus far -

Pairing(s): Seto/Jou, Bakura/OMC, threesome

Beta: Jennie B. & AngryHamster (Heh. They double-teamed me.)

Spoilers: None

Warnings: Read at your own risk. Seriously. This fic contains situations of a decidedly grotesque nature. If you get squicked, and STILL keep reading, don't blame me for your nightmares. I warned ya. I will say no more. **looks shifty-eyed**

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, and probably never will. Kazuki Takahashi will most likely take a hit out on me if he ever reads this fic.

Summary: Seto's kinks have steadily become more and more extreme, much to Jounouchi's dismay. Has he finally gone TOO far with his latest fetish?


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Chapter 10:

(Sunday Night)


Seto didn't remember exactly how he had arrived home, whether by limousine or by his own two feet, but he found himself thoroughly exhausted and unable to spare the question any thought. His head was far too crowded with horror and self-loathing to worry about such trivialities. He forced one quivering hand over his lips, stifling the demented giggle that erupted without warning. He knew he wasn't functioning on any rational level at this point, but then again, the matter seemed distant and unimportant in the face of the atrocity he had just committed. Feeling his stomach give a violent lurch, Seto lunged for the massive staircase off to his left, stumbling and sliding in the large puddle of rainwater that had accumulated beneath him. Just how long had he been standing there in the entryway, gibbering madly and staring at nothing?

He bolted up the ornate stairway in desperation, taking the steps two at time before skidding to a halt on the parquet floor of the first landing. Kaiba Gozaburo stood there before him, making no move to bar Seto's path, but simply leaning casually against the far wall. He graced his adopted son with a cruel smirk as one beefy hand lifted to remove the lazily smoking cigar that jutted obscenely from between his lips. His deep, commanding voice carried a jeering tone as he asked, "What's the matter, lover boy? Did your little date not go quite as you'd planned?" He laughed crassly as Seto regarded him with mute horror. "Don't be so picky, son. He put out, didn't he?"

Seto clenched his teeth tightly together in a horrible parody of a grin, holding back the deafening scream that threatened to break free. He hurried past his stepfather's ghostly apparition, averting his eyes but unable to shut his ears to the mocking laughter that trailed after him as he continued upward. Reaching the third floor, Seto flew past his bedroom and threw himself to the floor of his adjacent bath, gripping the front of his toilet with desperate, trembling hands. He vomited into the basin violently until his entire body shook with the force of his spasms, and there was nothing left to bring up no matter how hard he heaved. Hot tears pricked the corners of his eyes as he weakly tugged on the handle of the toilet, flushing away the evidence of his shock and disgust. He rested his forehead against the cool, ceramic lid, breathing raggedly and trying to slow his racing heart.

"Feel better?"

Seto looked up blearilytoward the open doorway, a tentative and hopeful expression alighting on his face. "Jou?" he croaked out, "Is that you?"

Jounouchi stepped around the corner, his hands shoved deep into the front pockets of his jeans, and to Seto, he somehow managed to look unbearably sexy and sheepish all at the same time. "Yeah, it's me. Big surprise."

Seto crawled forward tentatively on hands and knees and pressed his face to the floor in front of Jou's sneakers. He wept openly now, desperately begging for forgiveness through both actions and words. "Oh God, Jou! I'm sorry!" he choked. There were no other words to come until he'd uttered that deceptively simple phrase long enough to cleanse the stain from his very soul. "I'm sorry... I'm SO sorry. I - I didn't - "

"Seto, get up. PLEASE." Jou's warm brown eyes carried a gravity and weight that Seto had never seen in them before as he spoke softly, kindly, "I can't stand seein' you like this. It isn't right."

The brunet quickly scrambled to his knees, reaching for a hand towel and scrubbing roughly at his face.

Jounouchi strode across the bathroom and sat down, perching himself on the edge of the huge, marble tub with his long legs tucked beneath him. "You know, I DID warn you about this, but I'm not here for belated I-told-you-so's, oddly enough."

Seto slunk across the floor, coming to rest with his back against the tub, gazing up at Jou with penitent eyes as he attempted to apologize once again. "I'm sorry. Bakura...he..." Seto wasn't even sure where he wanted to begin; he only knew that he didn't have the words to express the remorse and revulsion he felt in his heart.

Jou merely contorted his face into a grimace at the mention of Bakura's name. "I REALLY fucking hate that guy sometimes." Seto just stared at Jounouchi in bewilderment, blinking rapidly. The blond ran his fingers through his hair and gave a light-hearted laugh at his lover's comical expression. "Oh, not for what he did to ME. Heh. Didn't even feel a thing." Jounouchi winked as he added slyly, "Bet knowin' that would take him down a notch or two, huh? Besides, the sneaky bastard's got his own issues to deal with. It ain't none of MY business, no way, now how. I hate him for what he's done to YOU, Seto. It really hurts me to see my proud dragon reduced to this." A melancholy, far away look graced his handsome features as he turned slightly away from Seto, murmuring quietly, "I'm even starting to forget the way you used to be. The way WE used to be..."

The cryptic words meant nothing to Seto. It didn't matter how things had been between them in the past. He'd done everything in his power to make a new start, to show Jou that he truly cared for him, and all his hopes and dreams had been dashed to pieces. He seemed doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over. "Jou, please...please make it stop." Seto couldn't bear the idea of living with this burden any longer; his lover must know some way to grant him peace, redemption, absolution, anything...

Jounouchi turned thoughtful eyes on Seto once more, his blond eyebrows arched faintly in surprise. "Seto..." He hesitated, doubt tingeing his face and voice. "Seto, you're the only who can do that. If you're ready to see it now." His amber-eyed gaze drifted past the taller boy's shoulder, and he set his jaw determinedly.

Seto was momentarily confused. He looked over his shoulder, following Jounouchi's line of sight as his eyes fell on the medicine cabinet affixed to the wall above the sink. Suddenly, the pieces all came together, clicking neatly into place in his troubled mind. There really WAS only one solution to this hopeless situation; only one way to truly demonstrate to Jou what was in his heart and mind -- by giving up everything to be with him again. Why had he not he seen it before? It was SO simple. How could anything LESS be acceptable after what he'd done?

As realization dawned on Seto, Jounouchi looked away, his sad, mournful visage slipping into an impenetrable mask. The brunet silently, eagerly, disrobed, carefully folding his wet garments and carrying them into the next room. When he returned and began the preparations for a warm bath, Jounouchi stood and moved across the room, observing quietly. Seto opened the steel medicine cabinet, hunting around inside briefly before removing one tiny, silver object from its packaging. He fingered the razor blade absently, a pensive light taking residence behind his azure gaze. He eased himself down into the steaming bathwater, still regarding the gleaming metal warily. He looked up at Jounouchi, who refused to meet his eyes. '"Jou, come here."

The blond hurried to comply, quickly scrambling to the side of the tub and sinking to his knees at his lover's shoulder. Seto opened and closed his mouth a few times before asking, "Are you sure this is OK?" Jounouchi nodded solemnly, but still he didn't speak. "But... what about Mokuba?"

"He's growing up, Seto. Just like Shizuka. I'd have liked to be there and see it happen, but the past is in the past. It won't be long until they can both take care of themselves, just like you had to do. Mokuba will be alright." Jounouchi sighed deeply, glancing up at Seto from under his heavy bangs. "I know you never wanted that for him but - "

"I know. It's alright. I'm no good for him like this. You were right, Jou. This is the only way." Seto hesitantly held up his left wrist, razor blade poised above, clenched tightly in his opposite hand. "Will you - ?" He swallowed, gesturing awkwardly with his right hand. He tried not to notice that his voice was cracking as he spoke. "Will you...help me a little, please? I don't know if I can do this on my own." A tremulous smile lit his pale face, his blue eyes shining with unshed tears. He marvelled that the once proud and arrogant CEO had been reduced to this sad state, but Seto knew in his heart that this was RIGHT; a fitting, ignominious end to a man who had done so much wrong in his short life.

Jou nodded once, his hand wavering slightly as it covered Seto's own. At first, he couldn't register the blond's touch at all, but as he pressed down harder with the blade, feeling his flesh part beneath its sharp edges, the brush of Jou's skin against his own became more substantial, his overall presence more tangible. The first stinging pains assaulted him then, but they faded quickly in the soothing heat and steam of the bath. Despite the small, lingering discomfort, his puppy's presence was ample reassurance to see him through this final ordeal. He only flinched slightly when he moved on to the second wrist, but by then Seto could detect the scrape of rough callouses from Jounouchi's hand over his own, smell his warm, familiar scent, and feel the rush of his breath against the side of his face. He drew the razor down in a firm, straight line, recalling a lecture from freshman year health class, strangely enough -- the teacher had likened slitting one's wrists in the correct manner to cutting open a straw lengthwise, and even now, the imagery made him faintly nauseous. Blood welled up from parted flesh in dark rivulets, and he looked away, bringing his arms to rest in red-clouded water. Seto closed his eyes and tilted his head back, loving the sensation of Jounouchi's gentle fingers stroking through his auburn locks. The smaller boy was leaning close, whispering soothing nonsense words in his ear as Seto took deep, calming breaths of the heated, moist air. "It shouldn't be this easy," he murmured quietly.

"Hmmm?"

"Dying. It shouldn't be this easy... this painless." Seto's words were clipped now, and moving his lips to form them seemed to require far too much effort. "I deserve worse. For what I did..."

"Shhh...just relax."

"Don't deserve..." Seto trailed off, using his waning energy to lift his hand from the water, reaching up to twine his fingers with Jounouchi's.

"Don't be scared. It'll all be over soon."

Behind closed eyelids, Seto felt almost as if he were moving, hurtling toward something unseen at incredible speed. A rushing sound filled his ears, and his head was oddly dizzy and light. "Not scared. You'll be there." When he heard a muffled sob, he slitted his eyes to see tears streaming down Jounouchi's face. Seto tiredly wrinkled his brow in confusion. "S' wrong?"

Jou released his hand and backed away from the edge of the garden tub, sobbing. "I'm sorry Seto. I love you."

Perplexed, Seto struggled to sit up, to come fully awake, anything. He reached a bloodied arm out of the bath, grasping in vain at his lover's retreating form as his vision inexorably darkened. "Jou?"

"I can't come with you. Not there."

Seto fought to stay conscious, shaking his head weakly in denial. "Wait. Don't leave me..." The last thing he witnessed before his eyes slipped shut without his permission was Jounouchi's figure receding to nothing, body turned away from him, his golden head bowed upon his chest. The hurtling sensation gained in intensity and speed, but he saw only darkness ahead. Seto was dimly aware of his outstretched hand falling limply against the side of the tub, the soft patter of blood dripping rapidly onto marble tile drifted back to his ears, and then there was nothing.

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tbc