Memoria

This is smut, smut, smut, smut...I may get hurt for this ha ha.

Chapter 18: Joey’s Confession

Seto rubbed his temples hard. He couldn’t believe what he had seen at the Cavern. Half of the stuff he knew to be real…but the stuff that transpired with Seth. Seto relived the day over and over again at the air port. He hadn’t seen Joey since then. He wasn’t brave enough to. But seeing all the memories and images of Joey from when he was a child to now…he was an idiot. He never saw all the signs. He couldn’t believe he had been so blind to it all.

Gripping the steering wheel of his car he took a deep breath and got out. He made his way into the hospital and to the receptionist desk. The woman on duty looked up at him and flushed, “y-yes? How can I help you?”

“I’m looking for Joey Wheeler.” Was all he said and waited.

“Yes, he’s in room 318-.” Before she could finish he was gone.

Seto practically ran to the room even though he knew he shouldn’t. He paused before the door and smoothed out his clothes. Not that it mattered. He was still jet lagged and probably needed a good shower, but he had to see him. He knocked on the door before going in. He noticed Joey asleep or at least looked to be. He looked pale and broken. Seto shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He sighed and took a seat beside the bed. The heart monitor sounded every so often but largely remained annoying background noise to his thoughts.

Without another thought he said, “I…I’m so sorry Joey. I should have gotten you here sooner. I could have saved you…you wouldn’t have been hurt as bad if I had summoned Blue Eyes earlier.” His mind raced back to the cavern and all of the memories he had seen. Some were good, some not so good…and some of them involved him. He was not proud of some of them. He shut his eyes tightly and pressed his palms against his eyes. “I can’t imagine what life was like…and I made it worse.”

“If you came here to whine about how much of a shitty asshole you’ve been, you could have waited until I was well enough to kick your bony ass.” Seto looked up surprised to find Joey semi-awake. “Stop beating yourself up for something that already happened. You can’t change it.”

“I know…” Seto admitted trying to compose himself.

“Then why bring it up?” Joey asked. “You don’t need to. I would have died if you hadn’t of brought me here.” He paused and looked over Seto briefly. “What’re you doing here anyway?”

“I had to apologize to you.”

“Done, now why are you still here?”

Seto went quiet. He seemed to be looking for something, debating, calculating, but something about him was different. “What did the doctors say?” Kaiba was skirting around something.

“I’ll be fine, Kaiba. I just need to rest, which you aren’t helping.” Joey said with a smirk. “Still causing me grief. What happened at the cavern?”

Kaiba seemed a little relieved. “Yugi found the diamond after a little setback.” He answered and rubbed his temple.

“What setback?”

“There’s this legend about the cave that says you’ll experience the memories of the person who you care most for…All of us except for Mai collapsed.” Kaiba answered and he met Joey’s tired brown eyes.

Joey felt unnerved by the gaze and cleared his throat. “I’m not really surprised about Mai I guess.” He muttered. “What?”

“I know…I’ve done and said a lot of horrible things to you in the past…and I’m not really helping your condition right now…but I truly am sorry Joey.” The heart monitor fritzed for a second and Joey flushed.

Joey made to speak but he was stumped. He was never called that to his face, never addressed by anything other than some crude name. “Well…Kaiba, what do you expect? We’ve been on opposite sides of the spectrum in pretty much everything in our lives…the only thing we had in common was cards and…Yugi slash Yami.” He said and looked away from Kaiba.

“That’s no excuse.” Seto said and rubbed his eyes.

“What’re you gettin’ at here? I’m tired Seto really…I’m glad you guys got the diamond, that means Yugi can complete the ritual now. You’re going to have to be there with him because I can’t be.” Joey admitted sadly.

Seto shook his head. “That’s a big task you’re putting on me…”

“Yeah well, it’s because I know you can handle it.” Joey looked back over at Seto and found a contemplative expression on his face. “There has to be some other reason why you’re still here harassing me and not leavin’.”

Seto nodded. “I’ve had a lot of people ask me why I’m helping, or have helped Yugi with gathering all of the items.”

“Yeah, some of us are still questioning.” Joey admitted.

“It’s not largely for personal gain.” Seto admitted. He felt like a weight lifted off his shoulders.

“Come on Kaiba. You bought a bottle of perfume valued at 1.5 million…how could it not be for self gain?” Joey said in disbelief. “I know you ain’t that close of a friend to Yugi. To Yami however, totally different story.”

“Yeah but it’s not for me!” Seto snapped. “It’s not for Yami. It’s for Yugi and…for you.”

Joey lay stunned. He could understand doing this for Yugi, but for him? “Wait…” Joey thought frantically for something to say but all he got was, “why? Why would you do this for me? I get nothing out of this.”

“You don’t…perhaps this is personal gain for me…but, I really am not doing this because of some affections you people seem to believe I have for Yami.” Joey shook his head. “For Yugi…because if it weren’t for me, Yami would probably not have been so caught up in his memories and realized he had a perfectly good life here. I blame myself for that…” Seto took a deep breath and met Joey’s questioning gaze. “You’re Yugi’s best friend…and someone who has always been by his side.”

For some reason, Joey couldn’t explain it but his reserve fell. “Yeah…” he silently looked away and tears built up in his eyes. “Why would I deserve that Kaiba? If it’s even worth anything…you’ve never wanted more than a cuss match with me.” Joey went quiet however when Seto came to sit beside him.

“I’m telling you the truth. You can believe me or not but I am not doing this out of some insane need to have Yami back. I really am doing this for Yugi and for you. Yugi has become a good…friend and I know I’m not the best person to be friends with.” Seto said and sighed deeply.

“You know, sometimes you’re really stupid.” Joey said his voice betraying him and letting his sadness show. He couldn’t take being this close to the person he cared about, and hearing this.

“Not going to lie, I am.” Seto didn’t know who was more shocked him or Joey.

Joey shook his head about was about to speak but Seto caught his head between his hands and pressed their foreheads together. “I’m not good with this touchy-feely stuff-.”

“-I know that-.”

“You were the one I saw in that stupid cavern. I can’t get you out of my head.” Joey shut his eyes tight and gripped Seto’s wrist weakly in his grip. “Believe me when I say I care about you.” Joey gasped quietly when Seto’s lips came in contact with his forehead. “I’m sorry Joey, for what I put you through…”

“Shut up,” he mumbled weakly, “I’m still here ain’t I?” He retorted weakly and his tears fell without pause. “Sometimes I wonder…why I fell in love with you.”

Seto couldn’t help smiling, “because I’m a cocky bastard.”

“Yeah well…the whole world knows that.” Joey mumbled and tilted his head away, an embarrassed flush on his cheeks. The heat between them was becoming unbearable. His eyes fluttered shut as Seto’s fingers combed through his hair. “You need to go…”

“Yeah…”

“I’m going to be fine. I can’t do anything to Seth…I won’t be a target. He’s got other things to be worrying about now.” Seto finally eased back and Joey took a deep breath. “Can you please let me rest now? I think I’ve had enough excitement for one day.”

Seto couldn’t help but smile. “It’s weird…this is weird.”

“Of course it is.”

“No…I mean, you got the best of me this time.” Seto said which made Joey hum in interest. “You fooled me right until the end.”

“Thank Yug then…if he hadn’t of come and seen me…I may not have told you.” Joey eyed him with sleepy eyes. “It seems like you already knew though.”

“I had to think about it…” Seto admitted. “Anyway, I’d better go and make sure Gardner didn’t muck things up or something.”

Joey nodded and seemed to realize he was still holding Seto’s wrist, “sorry…” His blush deepened when Seto’s lips once again pressed against his forehead. “Seto…go away…you’re makin’ this worse…”

“Doesn’t matter…” He said but got up anyway. “I’ll do my best to look after him.”

“Just make sure he gets Yami back…he needs him back…” Joey said.

“I swear.” Seto promised and sighed. Without another word he was gone.

Joey slumped completely onto his bed and smiled to himself. “Thanks Yug…”

***tbc

*dodges objects* yeah they're OC or whatever, I couldn't get them into character for this I haven't done it all along...in my opinion ha ha. We've only got two more chapters to go and then finis!!! yay