Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Nightmare ❯ Mind Games ( Chapter 18 )

(Apparently, the stupid bug bit me this weekend. I was supposed to do something Saturday, but I forgot till just now, as the no-sleeping bug bit me. *pissed look* Maybe that damned hurricane canceled it and it's been rescheduled!! *prays*

Anyway, the no-sleep bug has bitten me, so you'll have to deal with my horrible no-sleep ficcy. I should be working on my site.....*shurgs* It'll forgive me!

Uhm, cause I'm outta ideas, this is tenth grade year for Seto-chan, Noa-chan, and Yuugi-kun. It will differ slightly because of many aspects that have changed, other than just Noa-chan living. You'll see, I'm sure. Some might make you cry, others might make you happy. We'll see.)

-~^TENTH GRADE YEAR^~-

`I wish I wasn't playing this stupid game. I'm starting to know how Chichiue felt, why he jumped out his window and committed suicide. Of course, he didn't have an actual life to deal with, like I do. I have school, friends, koibito, Mokuba-chan.... It's wearing me thin. I want to miss school sometimes, maybe to sleep in, but school lets me be normal, or, at least, it lets me pretend I am. It hurts, seeing koibito's look when I tell him I still have paperwork to do, can't quite go to bed yet. Then, when I finally finish, he's asleep.

`I miss them sometimes.... Let's see. Chichiue committed suicide, I mentioned that. Jako and Fradt got into a motorcycle accident a couple years ago, right after Chichiue's death. Tsuku and Moru moved to New York, courtesy of Kaiba Corporation. They needed to escape from Fradt and Jako's deaths. Erito and Sho broke up and moved away from Domino City, leaving me no trace of where they were headed, what they would do. I could probably trace them down, like Chichiue did with Seto and Mokuba-chan's family, but that's rude, and I won't. They know that, if they ever need me, they can find me. And Bethany and I still keep up. She visited last summer. I had her flown out here.

`Well, I have work to do, again. Oh, hell, I ALWAYS have work to do. I hate this cursed life I lead. I hate it so much....'

~Kaiba Noa's Diary

-~^NOA'S POV^~-

"Kaiba! Pass the damned ball!"

I glance over at where Yuugi's sitting under his tree. He hasn't grown much over the years, so Seto and I are always looking out for him. A couple of the school's bullies, one blonde, one brunette, are bugging him, again. I see him put out his Puzzle's box. ~Shit. He wouldn't....~ He shows the pieces to the bullies and they grab the box and run with it. "Damnit!" I curse under my breath.

"Kaiba!" My teammate shouts again. I notice, suddenly, the boys headed for me. They've trapped me in a corner.

"Fucking waste of my time!" I shout, toss the ball at my teammate, then run after the bullies who took Yuugi's Puzzle, which places me behind Yuugi, who's also chasing them. "Yuugi!" I call as I catch up to him. I wack him lightly on the head. "I thought you didn't show that thing to people, you baka."

"They were really interested!" Yuugi complains.

I sigh. "I'll get it back." I tell him, then put on a burst of speed. I'm one of the fastest kids in the school, or so I've been told.

"Shit! It's Kaiba!" The blonde shouts.

That's another thing. I've quickly become one of the most feared kids in the school for my speed and fighting skills. As soon as I catch them, I grab the backs of their uniforms and they go crashing down as I pull them to a halt. I walk around front of them and glare. "That's Yuugi-kun's. Give it back."

"Yes, please can I have my Puzzle back?" Yuugi begs, bowing over behind them to catch his breath.

"Wimp." The blonde's hand shoots out and he knocks Yuugi to his knees.

"Yaro!" I grab the blonde's shirtfront and pull him up to my level, fist back and ready to punch.

"Noa!" Yuugi gives me a sad look. "Please, let him down?"

I sigh and drop the boy with a thud. "Damnit. You and your fucking rules about violence." I growl.

Yuugi smiles at me. "I can't have you getting in trouble for protecting me again!"

I smile slightly, remembering the time I almost got suspended back in grade school for telling a kid to buzz off and hitting back when he started it. "Yeah, well..." I shake my head, then glare down at the boys, who are inching away. "Where do you two think you're going?" I ask sharply.

They freeze. "No where. Right, Jounouchi?" The brunette turns to the blonde.

"Yeah! No where!" Jounouchi, the blonde, agrees brightly.

"Give Yuugi-kun the Puzzle back before I pound the both of you to a pulp for wasting my time." I suggest coldly.

The brunette hands the Puzzle box back over to Yuugi as Jounouchi apologizes. "Sorry `bout that, man. We was jest playin."

I frown at the blonde. "If you were just playing while you were stealing Yuugi-kun's stuff, then I'm just playing when I fire people from work, correct?"

The blonde blinks. "Eh?"

"You beat people up and steal from them and you can't even understand proper Japanese. How pathetic." I shake my head sadly.

"Might help if Japanese were my first language, you creep!" Jounouchi calls angrily, standing to face me.

I raise an eyebrow at him, not the least bit intimidated by his anger, Chichiue was worse, and I'm taller than him, even if it is only by a little bit, it still gives me an advantage. "Would you like to switch to a language you can understand then? Maybe that will help."

"You're a real creep, Kaiba." He hisses in smooth English.

"Thanks. I do believe I'm told that everyday." I reply in his native language. "You have a New York City accent."

Jounouchi looks surprised. "You're an expert on my accent now, too?"

I shake my head. "I just have friends in New York."

"You're still a creep."

"Go ahead, say it again. I know you're dying to." I reply drily. I'm used to people like Jounouchi by now.

Instead of immediately calling me a creep again, Jounouchi studies me. Then he holds out a hand. "But you're a cool creep. Jounouchi Katsuya's the name, but everyone either calls me Jounouchi, or just Jou."

I blink at the hand a few times before taking it. "Kaiba Noa." I shrug. "And people call me whatever they damn well please."

"Which do you prefer? Kaiba, or Noa?"

"Are you trying to win my friendship?" I cock my head to one side.

"Maybe." Jounouchi grins.

"Noa. I prefer Noa." I decide I like the boy after all. He reminds me of my friends from the Hide-Out.

"That's cool, Noa."

I frown suddenly as I realize Yuugi's gone. The brunette is hanging around with a couple of the older guys by one of the benches. "Yuugi-kun...." I mumble.

Jou looks around, and comes to the same conclusion. Yuugi's gone. "Honda! Where'd Yuugi go?" He calls to the brunette.

The brunette looks up. "Eh? Oh, that yaro, Ushio, he dragged him off."

Jou pales. I frown at him. "Jou, what is it?"

"Ushio. He's freaky. Even the teachers are terrified of him. I feel so bad for little Yuugi." Jou explains.

"Ushio, eh?" I smirk. "I haven't met him yet."

Jou shakes his head at me. "You're insane, Noa." He tells me, then turns back to Honda. "Which direction did they go?"

"You're gonna loose your heads, but they went towards the garbages!" One of the other boys calls.

I turn and head for the garbage cans on the back of the property. Jou runs up next to me. "You're really going to go find them?" He asks.

"Shit, yes! Yuugi-kun's my friend!" I glance over at him, smiling. "You look like shit, you know?"

"Your fault, you know?" Jou returns the smile.

"Let me alone!" I hear Yuugi call, then a sob.

I narrow my eyes and speed up. ~No one hurts my friends!~ I growl as I come upon the sight of the older boy, taller then me, standing over Yuugi, who's crumpled up on the ground, blood coming from a cut on his arm, through his uniform. I see a glint in this Ushio's hand and know it for what it is immediately. "You're going to pay, yaro." I hiss, getting between him and Yuugi.

"And what are you going to do about it, money bags?" Ushio asks laughingly.

"Noa...." Yuugi mumbles from behind me.

I kneel down carefully, keeping one eye on Ushio, and look at Yuugi. "Hey. You're gonna be okay. And, gomen, but I'm going to have to break rule three, now."

"Have fun." Yuugi offers a smile.

I smirk. "Oh, I will." I see Jou out of the corner of my eyes. "Jou! Take Yuugi-kun to the nurse!" I order, then turn back to Ushio, cracking my knuckles pleasantly. "I assume no one's stood up to you in a long time. You seem surprised that a rich kid like me would dare. Trust me, my reputation is no joke."

"Nor is mine, Kaiba." Ushio flicks the blade out into the open.

"Obviously. That of a bully rarely is."

"Never call me a bully!" Ushio dives at me with his blade.

I roll my eyes and step out of the way calmly. "Sloppy." I look at him as he tries to regain his balance. "Kaiba Policy. Always make your opponents make the first move. While they least expect it, strike!" I send my foot flying into his stomach, and him back a couple steps. "Another Kaiba Policy. Disadvantages to you are bad. Try to be rid of as many as you can as soon as you can." Another kick sends his knife flying into my grasp.

"Kaiba policies. What a bunch of shit." Ushio growls, glaring at me.

"Glad we agree. Let's cut to the chase and I just kick your ass without warning you how I'm planning it, neh?" I smirk.

"You're not kicking anyone's ass, Kaiba!" Ushio shouts, running at me again.

I sigh and spin out of the way, then, as he passes me, I kick his butt. "Check." Playing chess with Seto has gone to my head. He loves the game, but it does help me concentrate on things, to think about what I doing as a chess game. ~One more move, eh? Come on, Ushio, run at me again. Give me checkmate.~ I think.

"Kisama!" He shouts at me, then starts his running game.

I duck and make myself small. He trips over me and goes flying into one of the trash cans. "Checkmate." I tell him, patting his head as I walk past.

"Yeah! Go, Noa!" Yuugi cheers.

I sigh and shake my head at him and Jou. "I thought I sent you two to the nurse."

"I wanted to see you fight!" Yuugi smiles.

"You don't like fighting." I point out drily.

"So?" Yuugi gives me a curious look. "What are you going to do with that knife?"

I glance down at the knife in my hand. I'd forgotten I'd had it. I shrug and toss it in the trash compactor, then slam it's door shut. "Get rid of it. You know I can't stand those things." I'd told Yuugi everything Chichiue had done to me, when he asked once, but I left out the three rapes. I don't even want to think about them.

"Why didn't you just dig the knife into his side?" Jou questions.

I pick Yuugi up and carry him piggyback style. We head back towards the school as I answer Jou. "That's like cheating. It's stooping to his level. When I do fight, I fight fairly. People don't tend to see it that way, but that's how it is."

Jou smiles. "I've gotta hand it to ya, Noa. That was the most pathetic excuse for a fight I've ever seen. You started out mocking him, then you proved him wrong, then you almost sounded like you were playing chess with him!"

"I was playing chess with him. It's how I do half the things I do. Life is just one big chess board. If you look for the right moves, the game is yours. If you look for moves, but can't see any good ones, pick the one that feels right. Most of the time, your feelings are smarter than your brain." I explain, remembering the time Seto told me that.

"That's deep...." Jou gapes at me.

I grin. "That's Yagami, for ya."

"Yagami Seto? You mean the boy who rivals you in everything?" Jou gasps.

Seto and I tend to lead people to believe that we're rivals and hate each others guts. It gets entertaining when we get home to recount the stories of the people we know, laughing at our `rival'. Yuugi's the only person who's in on our game, and he thinks it's funny. Seto plays the loud, tough, cold, poor guy, since it's in his personality, while I play the silent, cool, compassionate, rich guy. Yuugi's rules don't apply to Seto, which drives me nuts sometimes, but I'm far better at following rules than my koibito.

Speaking of whom. "Well, well. If it isn't that bastard, Kaiba, and his little wimp, Mutou." Seto drawls from one of the benches. "Who's the new creep?" His gaze shifts to Jou.

"Jounouchi." Jou replies briskly. I try not to laugh at the look on his face. "And I'm not a creep, you are."

I snicker. "Slam dunk, Jou." I narrow my eyes at Seto. "And, for the last fucking time, Yagami, Yuugi-kun isn't a wimp."

Seto plays along. "Isn't he now? Did you have to go save him again?"

I snort. "I woulda had to save even you from Ushio."

Seto looks taken aback for a second and I see worry behind his mask of ice. Then, before I can blink, he's himself again. "Ushio, huh? That guy's pathetic. How many times did he hit you? A billion? Did your little friends help?"

I snort again. "Oh, give me a break. Like I can't handle someone as clumsy as Ushio! He's big and clumsy!"

"Yeah! Noa took him down in five minutes, without getting hit once!" Jou adds in.

"I wasn't talking to you, mutt." Seto hisses, glaring at Jou.

"Noa... My arm really hurts." Yuugi whines.

"Right. Would love to chat, Yagami, but I have a hurt kid to take care of. Bai-bai." I spin on my heels and walk away briskly.

I hear Jou run up beside me. "What a jerk!" He exclaims.

"Yuugi-kun, how bad is it?" I ask, worried. Yuugi's tough. He doesn't complain unless it's serious, and he likes the arguments Seto and I have. They can get quite entertaining.

"It's red and puffy, and still bleeding." Yuugi reports.

"Hang on. I'm gonna speed up." I warn.

"Okay." Yuugi's hold on me tightens and I start jogging towards the nurse's station. I don't much like the sound of red and puffy. I like the still bleeding part even less.

I walk into the clinic calmly. The nurse looks up. "Kaiba, Mutou. What happened this time?" She asks, getting up as I set Yuugi down on the bed.

"Ushio." I shrug.

"Where is Ushio?" The nurse inquires, giving me a quick look-over for any damage before turning to Yuugi.

"Over by the trash cans, last I knew. He didn't look like he was getting up any time soon." I answer, sitting in a chair next to the bed.

"Don't you have a policy about fighting?" She inquires, taking a look at Yuugi's cut. "Jacket off, Mutou."

Yuugi removes his jacket. "I told him he could. It was either let him fight this time, or watch as he wears out Ushio by stepping out of the way every ten seconds."

"And he had a knife." I point out.

"What did you do with the knife?" The nurse looks at me over Yuugi's cut.

"Compacted it." I stand to get a better look at the cut. "Oh, shit...." I don't like the look of that cut.

"Do you want to call his Ojiisan and then take him home, Kaiba?" The nurse requests as the door opens again.

"Yeah. Yuugi-kun, you are going to be so sick for the next few days." I sigh, shaking my head at him. I wave at Jou. "Have a seat." I tell him, pulling out my cell phone.

"Those aren't allowed on school grounds." Jou points out.

"The school can suck my dick. This is the fastest way to call people and be called. I can't go through the school's system for my business calls." I growl, quickly dialing the Game Shop's number.

"Wait. Business calls?" Jou looks confused.

"Noa's the president and CEO of Kaiba Corp. I thought you knew that." Yuugi frowns, looking at me.

"I'm not going to run around pointing out that I own a company at sixteen. The idea was to be normal, remember?" I point out.

"Kame Game Shop." Ojiisan picks up.

"Ojiisan, Yuugi-kun got into a fight, and he's got an infection. Is it okay if I bring him home?" I inquire.

"How bad is it?"

"Degree five." I reply. We'd settled on different degrees of injuries a while ago, based on my, Seto's, and Yuugi's knowledge of past wounds and what Yuugi might run across. Ojiisan can't leave the shop, so, since I'm always being called out of the school on short notice, I'm the one who makes sure he gets home safe. The different degrees are our code way of explaining the damage in fewer words. It goes up to degree eight, which is the worst it can be, and points towards going to the hospital immediately from the school. For short, degree eight is life-threatening. We haven't ever used degrees eight, seven, or six, and this is the first for five, so we've done pretty well.

"You have my permission." Ojiisan agrees.

"Make sure he takes a bath when he gets home." I add, giving Yuugi a meaningful look.

"Why?" Yuugi asks.

"You're gonna be sore as hell, and you know it." I roll my eyes. "Asking me the same stupid question every time I tell you that."

"He'll get a bath, even if I have to knock him out." Ojiisan chuckles.

"I could just do that for you in the limo." I suggest playfully.

"What are you two plotting?!" Yuugi shouts.

"Keep it down." The nurse reprimands. Then she looks at me. "He's going to need triple antibiotic cream to clean that out."

"We have some." Yuugi nods. "Although, I hate it."

"Stings like hell, I remember." I sigh, then return to my phone. "Alright, everything seems to be in order. We'll be by shortly."

"Oh! One last thing!" Ojiisan cries. I pause. "Find some way to tell Seto-kun that Mokuba-kun's school called. Mokuba-kun's here with me."

I groan. "What did he do this time?"

"He won't tell me, and he got a ride home from a teacher, who just dropped him off and ran."

"Fabulous. Let me talk to him."

"One second." Ojiisan sets the phone down and I hear him in the background shouting for my little scamp of a brother.

Mokuba picks up the phone. "They started it!"

"Why aren't you at school?" I growl. "What did you do this time? I though we had this discussion about behaving for the teachers."

"I did! But one of the other kids punched me, so I punched him back and..."

"And you got into a fight and got suspended again." I rub my forehead. "Mokuba! Do I have to get you a tutor?"

"No! Onegai, Niisan? Don't get me a tutor. Onegai?" Mokuba sounds like he's about to cry.

"You know what, it's up to your brother now. He's going to yell his head off, too."

"Don't tell him! You can't tell him!"

"I have to go. I'm bringing Yuugi-kun home. We'll have this discussion later."

"Okay.... See you soon."

"Hai, see you soon." I hang up, knowing Ojiisan won't want to talk again, and dial for my limo.

"Mokuba-kun got suspended again?" Yuugi asks.

"I'm going to kill him." I nod.

"You're not the only one." Yuugi snickers.

"Only one what?" Seto peeks in and makes a face at Jou. "Oh, great, the mutt's still here." He walks in and lets the door close behind him.

"Mokuba-chan got suspended again." I inform him drily. "He's at the Game Shop now."

Seto growls. "Let me guess, he got into another fight."

"Hey, he's your brother." I shrug.

"Urusei." Seto glares at me and I snicker. He hops up on the bed next to Yuugi, glaring at Jou. "What are you staring at, mutt?"

"Nothin...." Jou looks down at his feet.

"Humph!" Seto turns to Yuugi. "How bad?"

"Noa says degree five." Yuugi shrugs. "You know I can't tell."

"I'll kill this kid." Seto growls.

"Don't get too carried away." I put my cell phone away, having called for the limo. "You're coming too, I assume."

"I have to kill someone at the Game Shop. Of course I'm coming." Seto snorts.

"Come on, then. I'll sign you out. Jeeze."

"Can't I just break my nose again?" Seto whines.

"That was funny." Yuugi giggles.

"No. The whole thing got blamed on me."

"Well, it was partly your fault." Seto gets off the bed and offers Yuugi a piggyback ride silently, which is gladly accepted.

"Don't remind me." I roll my eyes. "Okay, we're ready." I sign Yuugi out of the clinic, and the school. "Come, little ones." I smirk.

"I'm going to tackle you." Seto threatens as we leave the clinic.

"And hurt Yuugi-kun?"

"Who, wimp boy? Nah. He breaks too easily. Anyway, who said I'd tackle you right now?"

"Who's signing who out here?" I raise an eyebrow at him.

"I know the password to your diary." Seto smirks.

"I know you do. That's why I changed it this morning, genius." I return the smirk.

"How'd you know?" Seto's face falls.

"You talk in your sleep, remember? You were mumbling it when I finally went to bed." I tell him lightly, remembering how cute he'd looked.

"Question." Jou peeks out from behind Seto. "Don't you two hate one another?"

"Actually, they're adopted brothers. They live together in the Kaiba mansion." Yuugi throws in.

Jou's mouth crashes open. "Way to break it to him, shrimp." Seto snickers.

"What? It's fun to see how people react." Yuugi giggles.

"You have a mean streak." I grumble, holding the door to the office open for Seto and Jou. "And I can't sign you out, Jou. You'll have to stay here."

"I don't need signing out, just a ride." Jou mumbles.

I shrug. "I know nothing about how you got in my limo."

"Arigatou."

"Sure." I walk up to the desk.

"What are you being called away for this time? And it had better be good, Kaiba." The principal glares at me. "Especially with you bringing in your enemy."

I roll my eyes, used to this by now. "Our brother got suspended again. We need to pick him up. Yuugi got an infection, so I got permission from Sugoroku and I'm taking him home while we're on our way. Jou's just making sure all's cool."

"Tell your brother I'm going to expel him on sight if this keeps up." The principal growls, handing me the sign-out sheet.

"All the more reason to get him a tutor." I hand the sheet back, having signed Seto and myself out. "See you tomorrow."

The principal snorts. "I'm going to expel you two too, with all the trouble you're always causing."

I snicker. "Oh, come on, we're just keeping other kids out of trouble by giving them entertainment." I joke with him.

"Get out of here, Kaiba." The principal growls. He's really not so bad. Seto and I would have been expelled long ago, if not for him.

"Who needs to get their stuff?" I look at the three raised hands as we get back into the hall. "Oh, good. Me too." I grin.

"I will tackle you, just you wait." Seto growls.

"Hey, Jou. Since you haven't been signed out, and class has already started, do you want me to get your stuff?" I glance back at him.

"Wait...." He scribbles a quick note on a scrap paper he finds on the floor, then hands it to me. "Give that to Honda. He'll grab my stuff on his way home."

I nod, then look at Seto. "Yagami." I growl.

He sets Yuugi down and glares at me. "Kaiba." We turn and walk over to our classrooms, Yuugi with me, and knock on the door, then go it.

"What is it, Kaiba, Mutou?" Our teacher asks.

"I'm taking Yuugi-kun home. We need to get our stuff." I say coolly.

"Fine."

I walk past Honda's desk on my way and slip the scrap paper on to it. The paper moves swiftly into his palm and he reads it as I get my stuff, and help Yuugi get his. Honda nods to us on the way out. "Done." I tell Jou as Yuugi closes the door behind us. "Honda nodded as we left. I assume that means he's okay with it."

"Yup!" Jou smiles, then looks down at Yuugi. "Yuugi, you wanna ride on me this time? I ain't got nothing to carry."

Yuugi looks at me and I nod. "Sure!" I help him on to Jou's back and hand him his things as Seto comes out.

"That fucking bitch." Seto grumbles. "I hate her guts. She had to make a point of finding out every damn detail."

I hang an arm around his shoulders. "Lighten up, you grouch. It's no wonder nobody likes you."

Seto's hand snakes around my waist. "Don't make me tackle you on school grounds."

"You two, real world, please." Yuugi reprimands.

"What? I'm enjoying my cuddle time." Seto make a face. "Someone works too much."

"You go to sleep too early." I reply. Same old argument.

"Limo!" Yuugi calls out.

I hail the driver, not letting go of my koibito. "Front, or back?" I ask Yuugi.

He looks at the way Seto's arm is around my waist. "Come on, Jou. We'll ride in the front." He decides.

"Good choice." Seto smirks as the driver opens the door for Jou and Yuugi. He closes it and opens the back door for Seto and me and we slide in, letting him close the door behind us.

Once in the dark, Seto's mouth latches on to mine in a fierce kiss. I straddle his waist and quickly pull his shirt from his pants so I can run my hands up under it. "You really do need to stay up later." I whisper against his lips.

"Talk later, damn you." Seto hisses before forcing us into another kiss. I let him dominate, since he usually does. I'm comfortable with that. Then his hand slides into the front of my pants and grasps my cock. I gasp aloud, glad for the sound-proof barrier between us and the front of the car.

I lick at his earlobe as he works me. "What do you think about me calling in sick today?" I whisper.

Seto bites my neck, marking me, before replying. "I thought you'd never ask."

~~~

A/N: Ths thing's a shitload longer than I thought it would be. I looked at it one moment and went: `Okay. Five pages. That's a good length.' And then, next thing I know, I look at the page counter and almost fall off my bed. Ten pages. I think that, with this A/N, it'll make eleven. I really got into this chapter. It was slow starting, but, when I got to the fight, it sped up and I lost track of it. I had a hard time ending this chapter, too. But, since I didn't want a repeat of NYC(Chapter 7, I think) with 12 pages by the count of WordPerfect, I MADE a stopping point. So, next chapter will begin at the Game Shop.

REVIEW REPLIES:

W00t!! FL hast read!! *bounces* Oh yeah!! Funness!! *grins*

Wooh... *big eyes* Jeeze....Thanks for all those compliments, *J*. Uhm, answers to your questions will basically be popping up randomly till this new time frame evens out, I think. No, Gozaburo didn't rape Noa again, that was answered in this chapter. The other two questions... *hums* We'll see. Probably no to the Mokuba one, and I doubt it for Seto. And...*blushes* Thanks, a lot. I didn't think I was doing that well... Heh.... ^_^"

AH!! JM, I totally forgot!! *sighes* Sorry. My girlfriend and my lists have been taking up what little time I can find on the internet, and I've got a job to take up the rest of the time. There are days I don't even touch my computer... *sweatdrops* I'll write myself a note. Try and make time for it, promise. Ah...baka...baka...baka.... *wacks self a few times.

~KK

(AKA Noa Girl = NG)