Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ My Project: Jounouchi Katsuya ❯ Part 6 ( Chapter 6 )

Mr Project: Jounouchi Katsuya

Sam: Ok… Seto: *pulls lever and huge amount of cement and soil is piled on top of the idiot*

Tombstone: Here lies the forever grammatically retarded authoress who can't tell squat between an adverb to an adjective…

Disclaimer: Madyamisam doesn't own any characters in Yugioh or the song `Against All Odds' by Phill Collins

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The sign was flipped over showing that the café was closing for the night. Everyone except the Kaiba brothers and Joey had left after sweeping up the floor and pulling up the chairs onto the tables. After placing the last chair on the table, Seto looked out of the window and stared at the blonde sitting on small step at the café door entrance. Mokuba was relaxing near the bar from the cup of hot chocolate that Joey had whipped for him whilst they waited for their limo to pick them up.

Serenity had been reluctant to leave after the news of the proposal figuring her ready acceptance of the couple's arrangement was the cause of her brother's temper. Joey had put on the brave face though and persuaded her to return back to the apartment that she and her mother were currently living in. Quietly, afterwards when all anger and resentment had subsided he let himself brood on the porch of the café with cigarette in hand. Seto and Mokuba glanced at each other then at the back of the blonde whilst a whiff of smoke lazily snaked its way upward. Even Eddie the chick noted the solemnity and decided to do his own brooding on the top of the blonde's head. The two brothers looked back at each other and Mokuba cocked his head suggestively for Seto to talk to him. Seto narrowed his eyes but sighed as he complied with his little brother's unspoken wish. Joey tapped away the large lump of ash from the tip of the cancer stick, revealing the glowing ember underneath, indifferent to the shadowy presence behind him. An eye twitched, in which Seto, showing the vague disgust of such a habit; but having only ever started a conversation with the blonde with an insult he decided to keep his mouth shut and waited for the blonde to acknowledge him instead. The said blonde however didn't say a word. Frowning impatiently Mokuba nudged at his brother's side.

"You're being more pathetic than usual Wheeler," he stated. Mokuba sighed covering his face forlornly, but nudged at his brother to try again but with a little more subtlety. Seto already had some idea of what was going on prior to the blonde's current predicament but he didn't think it would be tactful to reveal that he had been eavesdropping on the conversation between Joey and his mother. Joey turned to glare at the brunette with his ochre eyes. It was at that moment that Seto saw, for the first time, a single personality of the many faces of the blonde that was totally unexpected. A face that he never knew the blonde was capable of pulling off and it disturbed him. His stare was cold, perhaps colder than Seto could ever pretend to be and it stood as a single testament of the turmoil of the blonde's life. Of which he hid with his mask of false happiness.

"I wonder Kaiba… when you threatened Yugi that day at Duellist Kingdom to save Mokuba. What went through your mind when you thought you were going to lose?" Mokuba cringed as he wrapped his arms around one of Seto's. Mokuba looked up at the brunette who stood frozen in place. He noticed the quivering Adam's apple on his throat before he answered.

"I can't describe it except that my life at that point didn't mean anything," he whispered. Joey blinked before the cold stare had instantly melted into a comforted and satisfied smirk before Joey turned to lock the café and go home (which was just next door). Seto wondered what else he wanted to say, as did Mokuba who was nudging at him to continue the conversation or at least change the topic. "Movie." Seto blurted.

"What?"

"Mokuba and I missed the movie this afternoon," he said. Mokuba raised and incredulous eyebrow before looking at the stunned blonde for an answer. He didn't recall wanting to see a movie with his brother. "Since it was because of your family problems Joey, you should really compensate for taking up our time"

"Like how?" Joey asked suspiciously.

"Like paying for tickets for the Saturday night showing." Seto smiled smugly.

"WHAT?" Joey yelled.

"And dinner at the local Ristorante restaurant… "

"You're the richest kid in the entire precinct of Domino and you want `me' to pay for a night out?"

"Yes…" Joey narrowed his eyes at the brunette. Mokuba continued to look bemused as ever from the interaction.

"You have the sleaziest way of asking people out on a date moneybags," he scowled but let a small smile crawl to his lips. He closed the door without giving an answer leaving the brothers standing outside in the middle of the street waiting for their limousine to arrive. Mokuba managed blinked a few times as the momentary shock started to wear off in its effect.

"Did… did he just say that you just asked him out on a… date?" Mokuba asked before revealing a big toothy grin in his brother's direction. Seto's eyes widened in horror.

"Mokuba I don't know what you're talking about. Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Big brother you just asked someone on a date." Mokuba's two grey eyes sparkled in adulation and delight for he was finally able to perform a certain ceremonial event he had longed to do all of his young life.

"No…. Nononono…. Don't you even da-"

"Seto and Joey, sittin' in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G"

"SHUT UP! Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up!"

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The amusement was short lived when he noticed the door to his apartment was unlocked again. Joey knew the routine that was to be followed the second he opened the door. As predicted a bottle flew in his direction and he ducked letting the glass shatter against the battered down beer soaked wall he had continuously been forced to fix. His already short temper was beyond containment as he stormed towards the room, the glass crunching beneath his sneakers. He stood glaring at the man who, despite looking a little red was a little more sober than the night before.

"About time you came back. Where were you?" he groused. Joey chuckled at the attempt to play father. For once he decided to humour him.

"Out." he replied shortly before settling his bag down and heading towards the fridge.

"Where?"

"Why do you wanna know? Are you going to ground me?" Joey mocked. He heard a growl in the next room to him. Unimpressed from the implied threat he met his father's gaze.

"How dare you take that tone with me boy?" Joey wasn't impressed. It was an empty threat, a pathetic attempt to exert parental authority and if he knew his father it wasn't going to last long. The routine would be that he would keep his mouth shut; his father would throw a tantrum from the silent treatment, start throwing bottles about, and then leave for a drink. Joey was left to pick up the pieces of shattered debris adding a few insults to his father before he left and that would be that for the night. However tonight Joey decided to speak up for once. Due to his growth spurt Joey could look him directly in the eye. He calmly took one step forward.

"I dare, because I can. I dare, because I worked and paid for this apartment. I dare, because I have the right to throw you out again JUST like last night. I DARE, BECAUSE I'VE GOT TWO FAILURES FOR PARENTS!"

"HOLD YOUR TONGUE YOU LITTLE BRAT!" Malcolm roared.

"Why? Because it's the truth? You know I never understood why you and Annie never worked it out. You have so many things in common with each other. You screwed up your own lives, you screwed up with each other's lives, you both screwed with my life and best of all, you both won't even admit it!"

"YOU LITTLE SON OF A BITCH! I'LL TEACH YOU FOR TALKING TO ME LIKE THAT AND BRINGING THAT SLUT OF A SISTER OF YOURS HERE!" The force of impact made the man keel over in an instant, as Joey stood over him, eyes dark and knuckles white from the powerful left hook he dealt him.

"The one good thing that you both did was bring Serenity into this world" Joey whispered as he crouched down in level with the man. "The only good thing, and you have the audacity to insult `my' little sister?" Malcolm stared fearfully at his son and how easily he had overpowered him and with that moment he realised how long this had been coming. "I've already had little respect for you before last night. But ever since last night I lost any hope of you ever being a father or even a man when you slapped her. You're nothing to me but a burden, the trash that I couldn't be bothered to take out and, from the way I see things now… you're not about to change that are you?" Joey picked up a bottle of whisky that was nearby and waved it in front of his father's face. Malcolm stared, almost hypnotised from the movement of the brown bottle before staring at the cold, cold eyes of his son. He couldn't deny it anymore, his son had lost faith in him as a father and for the first time in 7 years, he felt guilty and could do nothing but stare at the bottle before it was tossed outside the window where a distant wet shatter was heard when it hit the floor. "I want you out of this apartment and I don't want to see you ever again." Joey said as he stood up and went back to what he was doing in the kitchen. Malcolm stared solemnly at his back before he staggered to his feet then shuffled out of the apartment for the first time closing the door without a sound.

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Joey took a deep breath to calm down the rage when he heard a polite knock on the door. He snorted surprisingly amused. Malcolm was obviously expecting to get his keys, and at first ignored it, until it became insistent. He growled ready throw the man down the stairs like the night before as he wrenched the door open to find kind amethyst eyes staring him in surprise.

"Mr Kinajima…" he whispered in embarrassment. The man chuckled.

"Didn't I say to call me Asato?" he said. "Can I come in?" Joey wanted to say no, he still had a big order to fill and it was probably going to take him all night to finish. However he knew it was wrong to turn away the man who obviously had come especially to see him. Joey opened the door wider as an invitation into the room hoping silently that the visit was going to be brief. He inwardly winced as he watched Asato vigilantly tip toe around the broken glass that he neglected to clean up.

"Do you want something to drink?" Joey asked concealing his weariness.

"Um… coffee… if that's ok?" Joey nodded as he went into the kitchen. A short few minutes later he went back into the living room with a dust pan and brush and swept up the glass. He muttered curses as he carelessly cut his hand whilst picking up the shards. "Are you alright?"

"M'fine…" Joey muttered as he tried to stifle the bleeding. Asato gasped taking out a handkerchief and applying pressure to the wound.

"Here let me clean up that while you get a first aid box." he said as he tentatively brushed the glass into the pan. Joey sat down preparing to bandage his hand when Asato was already by his side and began cleaning the wound before dressing it. Asato looked around the apartment and smiled. "This is a nice apartment, is your father at work?"

"No… he's just out…" Joey replied earnestly.

"Out huh? Doesn't he spend any time with you?"

"No… and I don't really want to…"

"What does your father do?"

"Are you done?" Joey asked avoiding the question. "Your coffee's nearly ready." Joey got up slightly relieved for the excuse to avoid Asato's questions. "Cream and sugar?" he called out from the kitchen.

"Please…" Asato replied almost dejectedly. Joey placed the cup of coffee before him. Asato blinked as he held the cup mid-sip. "This is freshly ground coffee isn't it?"

"Yeah…" Joey said. Asato smiled appreciatively as he took a moment to smell the rich fragrance of the aromatic beans. "Do you have any interests? Like sports."

"Track I suppose." Joey replied looking straight ahead. Asato stared sadly at the boy half dreading the answer to his next question.

"Do you do anything with your dad?" Silence was his answer and he settled the coffee cup on the table with a heavy heart. "Joey-"

"Look, you don't have to go through all this trouble just to get my blessing on you and Annie's marriage." Joey interrupted patiently. "I mean… we're not close or anything, plus I haven't seen her for 6 years until Serenity came back to Domino for her operation."

"You think that's the reason I came here?" Asato asked sadly. Joey looked away. "I actually came here because I wanted to get to know you as a person Joey. I love your mother, which is why I want to help you two to get along better or at least see each others side halfway."

"I respect that Mr Kinajima but the fact of the matter is I don't care what my mother or my father does. All I care about is my little sister and what makes her happy." Joey replied. Asato stared back sadly. "I'm sorry but… I've got some stuff to do."

"Like running a restaurant?" Joey turned towards the man. Asato smiled. "I've been really worried about Annie ever since she lost her job and how she was going to pay for the apartment. I mean the 3 million you won is nearly gone after the major operation on Serenity, so I had a look into her bank statements and found the strangest of things. She was low on income and surely wouldn't able to pay for the apartment rent for the next month, yet when I went to get my chequebook to help out. I found that someone's already paid for the expenses. At first I thought that it was probably your father but I quickly found out that he was also unemployed." He stood staring sternly at the blonde. Joey laughed.

"You honestly think it was me?"

"I don't think, I know. I thought you might have been doing some sort of illicit business but I quickly found out, from the way you pace in and out of that café next door. When I looked at the café I noticed the name." Joey merely stared as Asato revealed the plot like a detective in a murder story. "It was a very impressive website to be able to translate names into Tolkien's elf language. Wheeler.... Nénharma." Joey sighed as he leaned back against a wall. He smirked.

"You a journalist?"

"I manage one of the major departments."

"Thought so." Joey remarked. Asato was serious again though. The first step was finding out about Joey working too many hours legally and physically. The second step was to try and help him get out of it before the strain of a full time job AND school would take a toll on the blonde.

"Joey… Words can't really describe on how much you have done for this family. But it'll be ok now… You don't have to take up this burden any longer." Joey narrowed his eyes.

"What the hell are you ranting on about?" Joey snarled.

"I'm just saying… since we're going to be a family… you don't have to work so hard on this job and be able to-"

"You think I can't take care of my little sister? I work harder knowing that I'd be keeping her from living on the streets and I still manage to spend time with her… and you… you're trying to take her away from me like she did aren't you?" Asato took a step back partly in shock and realising the issue was a lot more serious than he originally thought. The manic glint of desperation and immense fear in his eyes was more than enough to hint that he was trying to deal with something that he couldn't handle.

"I'm not trying to take that responsibility you have over Serenity. I just want to help. The fact of the matter is, what you're doing now is far too much. No one, not even the most capable individual can take that kind of strain and-"

"You're just like them… You have to get what you want and if you don't you just make everyone else around suffer with you… I'm not going to let that happened. I'm not going to let any of you hurt Serenity… DO YOU HEAR ME!" he screamed. "Joey-"

"YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SCREW UP MY SISTER'S LIFE ANY OF YOU! GET OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT!" Joey pushed the man out of his apartment and rammed the door shut. Asato began pounding at the door.

"Joey! Joey you don't understand!" he cried desperately when he heard the shortness of breath of the blonde hyperventilating behind the door. Asato buried his face in his hands knowing that the blonde was too hysterical for him to get through to him the reality of the situation. Instead he realised that he needed to deal with the source of the problem rather than the result. He waited for a while to make sure the blonde was calming down before he finally decided to leave with determination to help the blonde. Joey slid to the ground clenching and unclenching his hands as tears started to form in his eyes. He wiped them away when he heard the defeated steps of Asato when his cell rang. He noticed the name of his sister flashing on and immediately answered with a sigh of relief.

"Serenity?"

"Hey big brother…" she whispered sadly. The change was instant as Joey seemed to switch from crazed possessive, to loving brother.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry…" Serenity said. Joey was instantly worried.

"Sorry? For what?"

"Today… I was so excited about the proposal that I didn't consider your feelings about all this… I mean mama and Asato had been dating for nearly a year but you only just recently knew about that and it must have come as a big shock to you…"

"Serenity, are you… happy about this? The marriage I mean…" Joey asked tentatively. "Well yeah, pretty much everyone is… well except you… I mean I understand. Especially when you first met Asato and Kuro, they didn't exactly make much of a good impression. But they're not always like that it was just Kuro was a little upset that day, which is why he seemed a little crude and-"

"Well if you're happy about the marriage too then ok…" There was a pause of silence on the other side of the phone that Joey assumed was surprise.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean if you're really happy about this, then tell… `Mom' I give her my blessing."

"Are you sure you'll be all right about this big brother?" Serenity sounded suspicious as Joey went to shield the weariness and defeat. Joey laughed.

"Hey you know me little sis… I'm cool with anything as long as my sister keeps that beautiful smile on her face."

"Well ok…" she replied reluctantly. Joey smiled as he got up.

"Look… I've got some work to do…"

"Wait, big brother… I talked with Asato while you were with mom this afternoon; he said he was recently doing an article in his department about the human anatomy and the number of hours a person can work before their immune system starts to shut down from the stress levels, and it just makes me worry even more about how much you've been working lately especially with that banquet this Friday and on your birthday of all days. You shouldn't have to work on your birthday."

"I'll be fine sis…" Joey assured imagining the cute little pout that must be on his sister's face at the moment.

"I don't know… when was the last time you spent hanging out?"

"Um… just today… with my little sister?"

"I meant with your friends Yugi, Tristan, Téa and Ryou?" There was a brief pause before Joey said anything.

"Just last week," he lied. "We went for a pizza then the arcade." There was doubt in his words but Serenity sighed accepting this.

"Well… I still think you're working too hard. I'll be making a cake for you when you get off from work though ok?" Joey smiled gratefully.

"Thanks Serenity…" he replied gratefully. "I've really got to go now though… it's getting late…"

"Oh… ok… See you later." Click. Joey leaned back as he solemnly placed the phone back on its cradle. Staring at the clock, it was five minutes past eleven and he still had to prepare for the reception and what hors d'oeuvres would be suitable.

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Seto stared blankly at the screen as the blonde made his way into the kitchen. Mokuba had instantly fallen asleep when they were in the limo and he decided to check up on the blonde via his computer. First was the incident with his father then Asato.

"Oh my God…" he whispered as he turned off the computer. "Driver, stop the car."

"Yes Master Kaiba." as the limo pulled up. Mokuba groaned blinking his eyes blearily.

"We're home already?" he complained.

"No… I've just got an urgent call from the office… I'll probably be working late again Mokie… so don't wait up… Go straight to bed understand?"

"Ok but stop calling me `Mokie', I'm not a thumb sucking, diaper soiling baby anymore."

"You were never a thumb sucker Mokuba. You preferred your toes…" Mokuba scowled in embarrassment whilst Seto got out and told the driver to resume the journey before he jogged back to Joey's apartment. It had started to rain just as he entered the building. He knocked on the door and found no answer. He frowned impatiently knocking again. This time he heard a shuffle on the other side of the door and the rattling of locks before the door was opened. Joey blinked a few times staring at the brunette in surprise.

"What is it?" he asked not bothering to ask how the CEO knew which apartment he lived in.

"Can I come in?" he asked. Joey sighed and nodded opening the door wider and letting him through. The room was instantly warm with a rich smell of freshly baked bread. "It's a bit late to be cooking something isn't it?" he asked.

"Well I've still got quite a few orders to fill in." the blonde replied as he made his way back into his kitchen. Seto was glad he had come in quickly as he stared at the sudden downpour that quickly soaked the streets with trembling puddles. "Oh for crying out loud!!!" Joey complained. Seto looked in his direction and saw a metal sheet flapping in the growing wind outside. It was part of a roof in the kitchen of the café. Joey hurried down the stairs neglecting to put on a jacket and then started climbing the stepladder to towards the café roof.

"HEY!" Seto cried grabbing an umbrella with him. "WHEELER! GET DOWN FROM THERE!" he climbed after the blonde. "FIX IT TOMORROW!" he shouted above the wailing winds and rumbling thunder.

"IF I DON'T FIX IT NOW I'LL HAVE `FLOODED' KITCHEN TOMORROW!" Joey yelled back hammering the metal sheet with nails and hammer. Seto, knowing all too well of the blonde's stubbornness, dropped the umbrella and held it down. The job was done pretty quickly as they hurried back inside. Both of them were soaked to the bone when Joey closed the door into the warmth of the apartment. "Want anything to drink?" Joey asked. Seto shook his head looking for a bathroom to dry up whilst Joey went back to his cooking. Seto came back out hanging his trench coat and a dry head from the hair dryer he found in the bathroom.

"You should get yourself dried up too," he said as he neatly hung the trench coat just above the radiator. When he turned he noticed a cup of coffee and a tray of freshly baked gingerbread.

"It should warm you up…" Joey croaked as he sat down with his own cup of coffee. Seto looked at the tray, then the coffee, then at the wet blonde, who despite everything still looked like a drowned puppy dog to him. Seto sighed as he took a sip of coffee and felt inwardly grateful for the tingle from the hot liquid that warmed him from the inside. He stared at the gingerbread somehow recalling that he had a sort of affinity towards the biscuits in his childhood. Joey prodded the tray in his direction indicating an invitation for him to take one. Seto frowned also recalling the more recent events regarding the effects of Joey's food on him but the temptation of the innocent looking biscuits seemed too much to resist. He took a piece and stared at it briefly, bracing himself to be fully mind blown, however as he took the bite there was no shocking affect to his system but a warm sense of belonging that nestled in his stomach. "They're another one of my grandmother's recipes. Are they ok?" Joey asked. Seto blinked in mid-chew and nodded. He leaned back somehow thinking back to days in the orphanage then even further to when his parents were still alive and he remembered. His mother had a knack of baking such snacks for him before she died of childbirth with Mokuba. He blinked realising that Joey's gingerbread had made an effect on him, but one that was a lot subtler to the unnatural feelings being stirred previously. When he turned to talk to him though the blonde was asleep. His wet tresses were matted against his face as a single drop of water slid off his chin. The exhaustion had indeed taken its toll and Seto brooded over the fact that at this rate Joey wouldn't be able to take the strain any longer. Seto got up to rouse him.

"Joey?" he said shaking the blonde awake and not realising how natural his first name slipped out from his tongue. "Joey!"

"Hmm?" Joey said rubbing his eyes with a damp hand.

"Body temperature goes down whilst your asleep. You're more likely to catch a cold or even hypothermia if you don't get yourself into some dry clothes." he said as he forced Joey back onto his feet.

"Sorry… I'm being a bit lazy." Joey drawled as he went back into the kitchen to continue with the work.

"Leave it until tomorrow…" Seto replied sternly as he marched the blonde towards the bathroom and locked him in to change into some dry clothes before marching him into bed. (Seto: Joey+ bed=… *drawls* Sam: HENTAI!!!!!). Joey didn't have the energy to start shouting again, he had fallen asleep the instant his head hit the pillow. Seto sighed as the blonde unconsciously snuggled into him and wrapped his arms around his waist like a teddy bear. Seto groaned but remained still by his side while he slept.

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The loud beeping of the clock woke him instantly as he rubbed his eyes of the sleep. His body ached from the position he was in when he noticed a hand wrapped loosely around his waist. Seto stared down at the blonde who seemed a little pale and realised that the alarm clock couldn't arouse him. Seto frowned before switching off the alarm clock and allowing the blonde to sleep a little longer. To no avail the blonde groaned and sat up.

"What time is it?" he croaked overlooking the fact that the head of Kaiba Corp had `slept with him'.

"5.00 o'clock in the morning…" Seto replied.

"Funny… I didn't hear the alarm clock," Joey whispered thickly. He rubbed his throat, which Seto suspected was tickly in evidence of an impending cold.

"You're sick." he stated. Joey didn't seem to hear him as he got up. "I said you're sick." Seto repeated.

"But I'm not dying ok?" Joey retorted.

"Joey…"

"Moneybags if you really actually wanna help lay off the acting for today alright?"

"What?" Joey didn't answer him as he went into the bathroom to get changed. The blonde came out trying to look a little more respectable. "What do you mean?" Joey stared at him impassively.

"Informed consent: General ethical guidelines applied to by the APS (American Psychology Society) and internationally on research and development of Psychological experiments." Joey narrowed his eyes. The penny dropped. Seto couldn't believe he had left out something as important as that. "Considering your notorious reputation as being a genius, I would have thought you had that accounted for. I know you have Psychology as a course. I know you guys are conducting some sort of project and I know I signed that participation form allowing you to do so. I also know under ethical guidelines I'm allowed to withdraw my participation at anytime; that I'm allowed to withdraw any data collected on me at anytime." Joey ranted almost to hysteria. "I know… I know ok? I hate to admit it but I'm not that stupid… because maybe… maybe I might have thought that I've found someone that understood me." Seto remained silent as the blonde turned away to face another gruelling day of work and school.

"I'm sorry…" Seto whispered.

"Its ok…"Joey replied. "It… it was nice to have some company though…" Joey smirked putting up the well-crafted mask before he went out the door leaving the CEO alone in the lifeless apartment.

~How can I just let you walk away? Just let you leave without a trace? When I stand here taking every breath with you, ooh. You're the only one who really knew me at all. ~

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Seto couldn't concentrate, not on school or even on his work. Despite how much he tried to tune into the drawling teachers of Domino High his attention continuously drifted towards the blonde sitting two seats away. However the blonde never acknowledged him in class. It almost seemed like before. As if his embarking on his project had never taken place. The blonde did talk to him eventually though it was certainly not the way that he expected or wanted. It had happened during lunch and though there was a degree of familiarity of the usual spat, rather than feeling the victory over the argument he felt hollow. Too much had happened between them. No matter what the blonde wanted they couldn't go back to the way they were. They couldn't be strangers again. Once in a while Seto would try to catch Joey's attention as subtly as he could to find some hint that the time they had spent together registered in Joey's mind, however the defences were still high and the `role-playing' continued.

~How can you just walk away from me? When all I can do is watch you leave? 'Cause we've shared the laughter and the pain, and even shared the tears. You're the only one who really knew me at all~

School ended as Seto followed Joey to his locker. Yugi and the others were there with him so he was certain that Joey would try to keep up the image that they were nothing more than rivals but he was having none of it. He stormed towards him letting all his own restraints of his own mask relax. He wanted the blonde to see him with his real face, the face that he had been hiding.

"What da `ell do you wan' Kaiba?" Joey scowled with the heavy Brooklyn accent that Seto knew now was fake.

"Joey… just walk away." Téa warned. "He's trying to provoke you and get you into detention again."

"Care for a knuckle sandwich moneybags?" Joey said.

"Cut it out Wheeler." Seto growled making Joey crack his knuckles much to the dismay to his friends. Tristan was holding trying to hold him back.

"He's gonna pound your ass Joey. Don't let him get to ya!"

"I can take him…" Joey muttered as he swung with a right hook. Seto staggered a little from the pink mark on his face. Joey froze in mid-strike staring like his friends in shock as he had made the blow to Seto's face. It wasn't supposed to have happened. The routine was for him to get riled from Seto's approach, ignore his friend's pleas, punch him which Seto would subsequently catch and direct it back at him and so on and so on. Joey could think of every scenario, ranging from detentions to backing off to full out bruising (on his part only) but there was no way he could prepare for this new development where Seto had deliberately laid down his defences and let him deal the blow.

~So take a look at me now, 'cause there's just an empty space. And there's nothing left here to remind me, just the memory of your face Take a look at me now, 'cause there's just an empty space And you coming back to me is against all odds. And that's what I've got to face~

"Oh shit he hit him!" Yugi squeaked.

"Yugi!" Téa shouted in surprise and anger. Yugi gasped as he realised he had swore for the first time in his life. Joey threw Seto a glance clearly stating this irked him. Seto brushed himself off.

"I've had it with this stupid routine you put yourself in Joey…" he said making his friends gasp in amazement. Even Yami stood wide-eyed and baffled of the sudden change of interaction. Joey, however inwardly realising what Seto was doing tried to recover a degree of normality to the situation.

"Well dis is new…" he retorted. "Takin' a change to using first names huh moneybags? What can't take I got friends?"

"If they were your friends Joey. Why don't you tell them about your little secrets?" the comment froze in Joey's mind as he glanced at the confused stares of his friends clearly curious of what the CEO meant. Taking advantage of the blond being unable to reply he stepped forward and drew closer to him until there faces were mere inches away from each other. His cobalt eyes stared at his ochre ones intensely as if it Seto was willing the mask that Joey had on to be ripped off.

"What da hell are ya doin'?" Joey rasped.

"I'm going to rip that mask of your face and show your friends how you really feel inside…"

"Ok… is this the part where we as spectators officially freak out?" Tristan commented. Yami noticing the distress in his blonde friend took over.

"What are you playing at Kaiba?"

"I'm going to show them what's been going on with you Joey…"Seto said. "And I'm going start by telling you to quit that ridiculous accent you put on to hide with all the time." He was shoved hard as Joey pulled back fearfully much to the distress of his friends.

"KAIBA!" Yami yelled clearly infuriated that somehow Seto may be manipulating the blonde. Téa tended to him.

"Joey… what's-" she didn't have time to finish for Joey sprinted away from the group. Seto hurried after him manoeuvring out of the obstacles of his friends with ease.

~I wish I could just make you turn around. Turn around and see me cry. There's so much I need to say to you, so many reasons why. You're the only one who really knew me at all~

Seto headed towards the roof where he knew was one of Joey's favourite roosts. It was there that he was greeted with a slap across the face.

"Right to privacy, right for confidentiality… No one was supposed to know about Nénharma… not even my friends!" Joey yelled as loud as was possible without others hearing.

"This isn't about the project… this is about you!" Seto shouted gripping by the arms firmly. "Since you know about the project then you'll know about the cameras I put around your apartment and that argument you had with your father then your mother's fiancé. Your fear of losing your sister has clouded your judgements and you've been overreacting to that man who was trying to help you with your problems."

"I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM!" Joey screamed before his lungs gave way to a retching cough from underlying symptoms of illness. Seto was unfazed from the outburst and brought the blond closer to face him.

~So take a look at me now, 'cause there's just an empty space. And there's nothing left here to remind me, just the memory of your face. Take a look at me now, 'cause there's just an empty space. And you coming back to me is against all odds. And that's what I've got to face~

"Yes you do… " Seto growled. "By letting me look into your life you allowed me to look into your past as well. I hacked into your old school records and found some court files about you." Joey remained silent in the revelation. Seto took the opportunity to continue. "How does an extremely intelligent ten-year-old who has the capacity to achieve an outstanding university degree-"

"Shut up… SHUT UP!"

"-get reduced to be a child delinquent within a year of entering middle school? Was it influence from the other students or was it the fact that in that same year his parents divorced and he found his mother dragging his little sister away?" Seto swallowed before he continued. "An example of what I'd be like if Mokuba had ever been taken away from me like that…" Joey shoved Seto hard, turned and ran never looking back at the brunette who stared helplessly after him.

~Take a good look at me now, 'cause I'll still be standing here. And you coming back to me is against all odds. That's the chance I've got to take, oh, oho.

Just take a look at me now~

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Sam: Hmm… I said Seto was going to make the boo-boo go away but I didn't say it was subtle… *shrugs*