Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Watch Over Me ❯ Sketches ( Chapter 19 )

ssjgoddesschico: My ferret's doing fine. Marik's learning….but he misses his Millenium Rod.

Stwawbewwy: Poor Seto..now he and Bakura are even.

Crazy kins: I saw your profile! TIPPIE! I feel so loved.

Zera: Thanks for the praise!

Joey's Gal: I never really went into Joey and Seto's past. I think I want to do a side fic to this one on how Joey and Seto got together.

Sketches

Malik turned to Bakura as the yami picked up the medicine bottle. Bakura poured some thick, green liquid onto the spoon beside the bottle. He sniffed at the green glob of medicine and his lip curled.

"I'd think I prefer the leeches used back in Egypt. At least they had no smell."

Malik grabbed his stomach. "Don't mention leeches…I hate the thought of blood-letting. Makes me queasy."

Bakura fed Malik the green goo making the sick boy break into a coughing fit.

"You think it's bad smelling it? Try tasting it!"

Bakura shook his head. "No thanks, the dead don't need medicine."

Seto opened the door and walked to the bed. His eyes were wide and his mouth was gaping as he sat on the mattress. Bakura replaced the lid on the bottle and looked at Seto.

"You see a ghost, or what, Seto?"

"What?"

Bakura sat down. "You are all pale."

Seto closed his eyes tightly. "Seeing Marik naked just took ten years off my life."

Bakura shrugged. "I wondered where Ryou was."

"Bakura, I just saw Ryou naked….with Marik! Doesn't that wedding ring make Ryou yours?"

"Ryou loves me. He will always be mine. It is very rare that I sleep with Marik or Malik. But, when I do, Ryou knows about it. I don't keep secrets like that from him. There's times when all four of us are together, but that hardly happens. My love for Ryou is not the love I have for Marik."

Seto sighed. "I could only love Joey. I don't care what Flannery will do Joey is not leaving. However, I told her Malik was missing. It gave her a scare."

"Why did you do that?"

Seto glared at Bakura. "Don't question my reasons."

Bakura snorted. "Fine."

Malik turned towards Bakura and cuddled up to the tomb robber's hip. Within minutes, Malik's breathing became more shallow and he fell asleep.

"Malik can't stay here, Bakura. It's not safe for him."

Bakura narrowed his eyes. "Where else can he go? You can't kick him out, Seto. He's still sick."

"I wouldn't kick him out, Bakura. Malik will be moved to my summer home."

"Away from here? What if his fever gets worse and he needs Zira?" Bakura rubbed Malik's back making the sick boy moan. "I want him near Zira in case of an emergency."

"It's nothing for me to call Zira and have him flown to Malik. Bakura, he can't stay here. If Child Services finds him here, he'll be taken to another foster family. I don't want to chance it. Do you?"

Bakura looked down at the fingers twitching on the sleeping boy. "He belongs with Marik, Ryou, and myself."

"But even Ryou must return to his foster parents sooner or later."

Bakura sighed. "Well, Ryou did want to spend the night with Malik since he was sick."

"Well, Ryou is with Marik."

Bakura growled. "Seto, let it go. Marik and Ryou needed their time together. Ryou will be here once he….cleans up. You said Joey is staying here?"

Seto nodded and folded his arms. "Yes, Joey will have my orders on what I want him to do during my absence."

"Where are you off to so suddenly? You're lover needs you and you are leaving now? At the worst possible time?"

Seto stood up and walked over to Bakura. "I have to go to Egypt and find Isis. Child Serives isn't doing anything about it, so I have to."

The spirit nodded. "What about Aria and Aten?"

"I don't want Aten sick. Aria needs constant supervision. They'll go with me to Egypt. Joey is in no physical or mental state to watch the kids. Malik needs someone to care for him. Otherwise, no one will be able to take the kids."

Bakura sighed. It was true. Bakura didn't want to leave the kids with Yami. He already lost Aria once before. "You're right. Aria does need constant adult supervision. And Aten would end up right back in the hospital if he caught it, if he hasn't already."

"What about Ryou? He can't stay here."

Bakura shrugged. "Maybe his foster parents would let him stay at your summer home. They haven't given me a reason to mistrust them. Ryou actually likes it there, exept when Anzu is there and he hears me trying desperately to knock myself into a beautiful, unconscious oblivion."

"Yeah, it's a shame. Ryou can stay with Malik if he can. Have him call his foster parents in the morning."

"You said Joey is staying here? Alone? After what happened to him?"

Seto turned away from the tomb robber. "I don't want to do this, Bakura. But, Joey is in no condition to travel. If he was, he'd be following me around. But I have something that must be handled here. That is why my puppy must stay home." Seto stood up and headed towards the door. "Oh, by the way, Bakura. Thank you for the bill to replace Flannery's desk. To return the favor, I'll send you the bill for the cleaning of my 17th century Oriental carpet. It's going to need a good scrubbing."

************************************

Seto found Joey asleep with a file folder beside his table. It was the file folder which fell to the floor in Joey's room. Seto opened the file folder to find drawings done by Joey as a child. The art reflected that of a child, stick figures with missing fingers and pictures of family.

The first drawing: Four people all labeled: Serenity, Daddy, Mommy, and Me. All the figures were holding hands and had huge happy faces. Below was scribbled in blue crayon: Joey, Age 5.

The second drawing: Joey and his dad were playing baseball. Even at Joey's young age, his drawings elegant in their simplicity.

The third drawing: Joey, his mother, and his sister were playing. Happy clouds surrounded them….but, Joey's father was no where to be found.

The next drawing was Joey's father, bottle of liquor in hand. His father had a large unhappy face. Below the sketch was a picture of Joey's dad chasing his mom with a bloody knife. Seto held his breath as he turned to the next drawing. Joey was in a hospital bed smiling with his mother beside him.

A picture of Joey's mom leaving with Serenity made Seto's eyes water. Joey's father changed….His teeth became sharp like a vampire. Joey's dad spread his arms over his son, his arms now portrayed as bat wings.

Seto looked at the rest of the drawings….Joey continued to draw, but his drawings became more detailed. Joey tied to a bed with his father standing over him with a whip…below, the inscription, Joey, Age 7 1/2 . Joey drew himself unhappy in the middle of a page with the implements in his toy box surrounding him…below, the inscription, Joey, Age 8. To Seto's surprise, he saw a picture with trees and Joey playing in a field…Below, scribbled in green, ` I am someone special.' Was Joey using this picture as a means of escaping everything around him? Seto flipped another page…Joey and his father were in a series of sexually explicit positions…below, the inscription, `Daddy's Fuck-Toy' Age 10. The corner was stained dark crimson.

Seto was ready to tear up the pictures, when a picture slid out of the file. Seto bent down to pick it up. He looked at it closely and his eyes widened.

The picture was of himself. He was lying on his back, his arms slightly bent up to his head. Surrounding him was a wreath of roses. Seto looked at his body on the paper, completely naked with the exception of a find white sheet covering his genitalia. His one leg was slightly bent and his other completely straight. The way Joey drew his body was flawless. Every muscle, his skin tone, everything was perfect. It looked like the picture had been torn in half, but had been taped back together. Below was the inscription, `If only……..', Joey Wheeler, Age 14.

Seto wiped the corner of his eye. "Joey…..I'm sorry." Seto threw the file folder aside, letting it streak across the tile floor. The CEO kneeled before Joey taking his hand. "Joey…I'm so sorry. I never knew."

Joey opened his eyes as he heard his lover's sorrowful sigh. "Seto? Why are you crying?"

"I saw those drawings. Why didn't you show them to anyone?"

Joey shrugged. "I was told not to, Seto. If I ever did, I would get the shit kicked out of me…or pounded out of me. I learned early to keep it quiet."

Seto showed Joey the picture he drew of himself. "Why did you draw me? Me, of all people?"

Joey turned red and bit his lip. "Well, I loved you then. But, you hated me. It was as if you didn't know or didn't care that I existed, much like my father. But, I wanted that to change. That picture is nothing more than a 14 year old's fantasy. Here, I have the reality."

"Why did you tear it up? It was such a good picture."

"I didn't think it was ever going to happen. I figured that there was no way in hell you would ever give me the time of day. It was an unrealistic fantasy then. So, I ripped it up thinking my fantasy was better in my head than on paper. My father never found this drawing. But, he did find another one I made of you. Me and you were kissing in the moonlight. You were holding a bundle of roses that I gave to you. There was a body of water behind us and the moonlight lit up the pond. Around us, I drew a heart and above us, two doves were holding a sating heart above us with ribbons. It was really nice, but my father found it and made me tear it up. That's what made me leave. He threw me onto the bed and he made me love him again. After my bleeding stopped, I ran out of the house for the last time. I began living on the streets after that."

Seto sat on the bed and wrapped his arms around Joey. "I'm sorry, Joey. I want you to continue this drawing. It's not colored."

"Actually," Joey smiled. "I wanted to continue that picture. All I need is some acrylic paints, some oil paints, and a canvas and I can make it bigger for you."

Seto lifted his head and stroked Joey's cheek. "You'd do that for me?"

Joey nodded with a smile. "I want to do that for you. Besides, I can teach Aten and Aria how to paint and draw."

"You'll have to get your rest first, puppy. I'm taking Aten and Aria with me tomorrow."

"Where are you going?"

Seto sat beside Joey and took his hand. "I'm going to Egypt. I have to find Isis."

"Why do you have to go? I don't want you to leave me, Seto! Please, don't leave me!"

Seto brought Joey to his chest and cradled him. "I have to go, Joey. I don't know what Child Services is doing to get in touch with Isis. So, I gotta go. You need your rest, puppy. Besides, you have an important task to do while I am gone."

Joey looked up at Seto with wide puppy dog eyes. "Which is?"

"Striker is coming over tomorrow to see you."

"Your lawyer? Why?"

"Joey, I want you to go through the list of children available for adoption. In the list, there may be some that are not happy where they have been placed. I want you to pick who you want…a child who needs us the most." Seto kissed Joey's forehead. "I trust you with this, Joey."

"You should be a part of this decision, too."

"When I come back, puppy, I will see what you chose."

Joey nuzzled into Seto's chest. "What about Malik? Will he be here?"

"He's going to the summer home with Marik and Ryou, if his foster parents allow it."

Joey let out a whimper. "I'll be all alone."

Seto hugged Joey tightly. "Security will be tight, Joey, so don't worry about anyone getting to you. Nobody knows you are here."

"Promise?"

"Promise, my puppy."

Seto tilted Joey's face up to look into his brown eyes. Seto's thumb traced the bone of Joey's jaw. Joey's hand floated up Seto's shirt feeling the crevices of Seto's chest and flat, chiseled stomach. Seto leaned in slowly to claim Joey's lips. The blond captured his lips hungrily, his fingers suddenly clawing into the skin.

"I'm sorry I have to do this, Joey. I'm so sorry I have to leave you like this."

Joey kissed his master's neck. "Promise me you will come back. Please."

Seto nodded, kissing Joey's cheek. "I promise, Joey. I love you. Why wouldn't I come back for you?"

Joey smiled as he buried his face in Seto's chest. "I waited so long to hear those words, Seto. When you told me that you loved me for the first time, I was speechless. How could anyone love a stray dog like me?"

Seto pulled back and looked Joey in the eyes. "You are not a stray dog. You have a home with me here. And when our kid or kids come here to live with us, we will be a family. You will be their daddy. I will be their daddy, too. You'll finally have the chance to have the family that you always wanted…that you always deserved. Your father wasn't family, Joey. He was a torturer. He was a gutless, spineless bastard. You'll never have to look at him or hear from him again. I made certain of that."

Joey nodded. "I do love you, Seto. I love you very much."

"That's my puppy. I'll leave it up to you who you want to adopt. When I come back from Egypt, we'll make our decision."

Joey smiled. Seto stood up and began to unbutton his shirt. Joey sat up, his face squinting in pain, as he grabbed Seto's buttons.

"Joey, what are you doing?"

"Shhh…..put your hands down, Seto. I want to do this."

Seto raised an eyebrow as he put his arms down. Joey sat at the edge of the bed and slowly opened the buttons on Seto's shirt. He unbuttoned each button slowly. When he was done, He pulled the shirt over Seto's shoulders, watching the material fall gracefully to the ground. Seto ran his long, thin fingers through Joey's hair. The blond unbuttoned Seto's pants and pulled them down slightly to kiss the belly button beneath. The pants which hugged Seto's hips were pulled to the ground by the blond.

Joey reached for Seto's socks and removed them. The CEO stood before his lover only in his white underwear.

"Joey, don't….you've been through enough today."

Joey kissed his lover's belly, ignoring Seto's plea. Joey put his fingers on the underwear to pull them down and he hesitated. He wrapped his arms around his lover's waist burying his face in his lover's abdomen.

"I can't, Seto…….I just can't."

Seto slipped into bed beside his lover, his underwear still on. "I don't want you to rush, Joey. You have been through hell today."

Seto brought Joey into his arms. The blond sighed as he laid against his lover's chest. A smile grazed his features…a smile of contentment.