The Long Way

Disclaimer: I don't even want to own Yu-Gi-Oh...too much pressure.

Warnings: same as last chapter.

/..../ Flashbacks to previous conversations (mostly from Affirmations)

The title of this chapter is from the Paul Westerberg song of the same title because that's what
was stuck in my head when I wrote this.

"My company is worth five times what you're offering!" the man shouted indignantly.

"Not to me it isn't," Seto stated calmly. "If you don't accept my offer, you're going to have to file
for bankruptcy and then you'll have to watch your company, your life's work, fall into ruin."

Seto was amused to see the fear in the man's eyes. Once again, he had been able to zero in on
someone's weakness and use it to his own advantage, just as Gozaburo had taught him. In truth,
there were several other companies lining up to buy Son Tech, this man's company. Knowing this,
Seto had gone about convincing him that Kaiba Corp was the only chance Son Tech had.

It had been annoyingly easy. All he'd had to do was threaten him with the thought that the other
companies would misuse Son Tech, and that only by selling it to Kaiba Corp could he make sure
it didn't go to waste. Once the man had been convinced of that, it was as simple as making an
offer.

"I can't agree to this. I put my heart and soul into this company, and I know it is worth more than
that." The man looked resolute, but Seto could easily read his eyes. His eyes said that he would
sell, and that he would sell at the price Seto wanted.

Now time for the bluff.

"Alright Mr. Kobayashi. I'm sorry to see you pass up this opportunity, but I can understand
having to do what you think is right."

Mr. Kobayashi looked startled. He had obviously been hoping that Kaiba would offer him more
money, it never occurred to him that the teenager would just let him walk.

Seto reached his un-bandaged hand over to press a button on his intercom.

"Yes Mr. Kaiba?" a cheerful voice asked from the other end.

Keeping his steady gaze on Mr. Kobayashi, Seto spoke to his secretary.

"Please have Mr. Kobayashi's car brought around for him, it seems he's going to be leaving."

Mr. Kobayashi fidgeted nervously in his chair. He was a grown man, but something about this
teenager made him ill at ease, those blue eyes were just so unsettling.

"Yes sir, right way. Is there anything else?"

Seto continued to study the man across from him.

"No, I think that will be all for-"

"Wait," Mr. Kobayashi spoke up, a slight hint of desperation to his voice.

Seto raised a brow.

"I've decided to accept your offer after all."

Works every time, Seto smiled to himself.

"Cancel the car, and inform legal that Mr. Kobayashi will be down to see them shortly."

"Yes sir, right away." The feminine voice was very curt and very respectful.

Seto removed his hand from the intercom, and opening the file on his desk he handed the man
across from him a paper.

"Sign this here please. The rest can be taken care of down in legal." Seto could just imagine the
looks on the companies lawyer's faces when they saw what he had bought the company for. He
knew that no matter how many ruthless business deals he made they still thought of him as a
teenager who had lucked out and gotten control the company. Now here he was securing yet
another small company for Kaiba Corp. He had half a mind to go down there and rub it in their
faces.

Mr. Kobayashi signed the paper, and then both he and Seto rose from their respective seats. Seto
took the sheet of paper from him and returned it to the file in his hand. Leaving his office, he
stopped at his secretary's desk and handed the file to her.

"File that please, and give Mr. Kobayashi instructions on how to find the legal department. I'm
going home for the day, so have all important calls sent to my cell," Seto instructed.

When the secretary nodded her understanding, he turned around and walked to the elevator.

Stepping inside, Seto waited for the doors to close before he finally relaxed a little. He had done
what was necessary, but he still felt bad about practically robbing the man blind. Son Tech had
been a prosperous technology manufacturer until it's owner, Mr. Kobayashi, had fallen upon some
hard times a little less than a year ago. Following suit, the company had started to fall apart;
stocks had dropped, there had been massive layoffs, and production had decreased. Eventually it
had become clear that Son Tech's only ge wge was to be bought out by a larger company.

Seto had seen to it that company was Kaiba Corp. Acquiring the company for a fraction of what
is was worth was a major accomplishment, one Seto took pride in. At least until he had to think
about the people it affected. That's why he tried to deal with as few people as possible when it
came these kinds of things. He didn't want to see their faces, to know there names. He tried to
remember what Gozaburo had taught him and thought only of himself and his company, not
worrying about the little people. He didn't need to be feeling guilty, it would only effect his future
performance.

/...a cold hearted asshole like you is incapable of emotions./

Jounouchi didn't know what he was talking about.

When the doors finally opened, he was greeted by the sight of his little brother sitting on one of
the benches in the lobby talking to someone who was partially hidden by some tall bushy plant the
decorators had claimed would give the area "personality."

"Seto!" Mokuba called out as he spotted his sibling stepping off the elevator.

Seto nodded to acknowledge him, it wasn't like the CEO could yell a greeting to his younger
brother across the lobby and then run over to see him. He may only be sixteen, but he was
expected to act like an adult. That was the standard set for him by himself and others.

As he got closer, Mokuba jumped out of his seat and closed the distance between them.

Seto smiled down at him. "Are you ready to go?"

"Just about," came the cheerful reply. Then came the smile that Seto instantly recognized as his
'I'm about to ask you for a favor' smile. "But first, It yot you to meet someone."

Seto was never keen on meeting new people, but he wasn't about to tell Mokuba no. He followed
the raven haired preteen over to where he had been seated and came upon an unexpected sight.
Sitting on the bench was a small child, no more than eight years old, completely bald and
extremely thin.

"Seto, this," Mokuba motioned to the little boy, "is Kobayashi Fumito."

The little boy smiled up at him meekly, and Seto realized that in spite of his sickly appearance the
boy had bright green eyes.

Seto kneeled down and held out his hand. "It's nice to meet you Kobayashi Fumito, I'm Kaiba
Seto."

Fumito laughed at this. "I know who you are, you're buying my father's company."

Seto winced at those words. Great, the man's kid was obviously sick and he had just given them
an unfair deal.

"Fumito has leukemia," Mokuba informed him. "The money they get from all this is going to pay
for his treatment. I was just assuring him that you would give his father a fair price for the
company."

Could this get any worse?

"Everyone told us that you were a bad man, but Mokuba says that people only say that because
they are jealous. You look scary, but I don't think Mokuba would lie," Fumito said. Ah, the brutal
honesty of children. "Thank you for helping my father and me Mr. Kaiba."

A wave of guilt rushed over Seto. He hadn't helped this family at all, he had played on the father's
fears to get the best deal for himself.

"Seto?" Mokuba's hand on his shoulder snapped Seto out of his thoughts.

He couldn't face this little boy anymore. Rising to his feet he said a quick goodbye and started
walking towards the front doors. Realizing Mokuba wasn't beside him, he stopped and called to
him over his shoulder.

"Lets go Mokuba." His voice was calm, the complete opposite of how he actually felt. Inside his
mind was racing, chiding him for running away from a child, degrading him for the deal he had
made earlier, Gozaburo's voice criticizing him, and amongst them all he could hJounJounouchi's
harsh comments from the earlier in the week.

What was wrong with him? These things shouldn't matter, Mokuba and the company were all that
mattered. Still...

"Mokuba I'll have the car take you back to the mansion. I just remembered I need to pick
something up before I head back." Now he was lying to his little brother.

"Can't I come with you?" Mokuba's voice sounded a little hurt and Seto felt his heart tighten.

"No, I have to do this alone." It came out harsher than he had intended, and he immediately
regretted it. "Look, I'll hurry and I promise that we can do whatever you want tonight ok?"

Mokuba's smile returned. "Ok."

Seto could already see the boy's brain churning with ideas for how they could spend the evening.
He really should be catching up on some work tonight, but he need to go do this now and if
devoting his evening to his little brother was the price, well it could certainly be worse.

Seto watched the car with Mokuba inside drive off before he stepped into the ally alongside the
building and whipped out his cell phone.

Malik knew he was supposed to be in school at the moment, but he still found the whole idea of
being forcibly confined in that building disturbing. He had spent almost his entire life up until now
in a tomb, wasn't that enough? He supposed he should just be happy Isis hadn't enrolled him in the
same school as Yund and all his stupid friends. Sure they had claimed to be his friend's after Battle
City when they had thought the Ishtar's were going back to Eygpt, but when he and Isis had
resurfaced in Domino, suddenly they were to busy to spend any time with him. The exception of
course being that greedy thief Bakura, he couldn't seem to understand that Malik no longer had
the millennium rod nor was he any longer interested in killing the Pharaoh. Oh and then there was
Kaiba, who occasionally showed up for a good roll in the sack.

So while the rest his classmates at Rintama, at least those who weren't skipping like him, were
stuck in class, Malik was spending his Friday afternoon sitting in the food court of the Domino
mall. He'd long since finished the chocolate ice cream he had come there for, and was now
drawing a picture of the man a few tables over from him.

Malik was far from what one would consider an artist, he merely had a habit if sketching. He'd
never taken any lessons, it was hard to convince an art teacher to come into a tomb, and even
now he made no effort to hone his abilities. He'd just started sketching some of the things he read
about in the ancient texts when he was younger and it had grown from there. Lately though he
had gotten especially careless in his drawing. It seemed that no matter who he was drawing, he
always gave them a pair of fiercely beautiful eyes, the same eyes that belonged ne Kne Kaiba Seto.
No matter how many times he drew them though, Malik could never quite capture the unsettling
quality of those blue eyes. It was something about the way they acted as the window to the CEO's
soul and you could see that he was purposefully blocking you from seeing inside that made them
captivating. It was as if they were taunting you, offering the chance to see what Kaiba was feeling
but then denying you access. Or perhaps it was the thought that if you could just get close enough
to the owner, those beautiful pools of sapphire would be filled with honest emotion when they
looked at you. It was terribly frustrating.

Malik was drawn out of his daydreaming by the ringing of his cell phone. In a flight of fancy, he
programmed his ring to play the Mission Impossible Theme and now that he saw the reaction it
got in a public setting he made a mental note to change it.

"What?!" His voice was much harsher than usual when he answered, due to his irritation over
being stared at.

"Where are you?" Kaiba's voice was equally harsh, but then again that was his normal tone.

"The mall. Why?" Malik realized he knew why Kaiba was calling, there was only one reason he
ever called. Still, a part of him hoped that the CEO just wanted to hangout or catch a movie.

"Meet me in twenty minutes," Seto told him, knowing Malik would know where to go. What he
didn't expect was what the Egyptian saext.ext.

"Why should I?"

This wasn't what was supposed to happen. He called Malik and Malik agreed to meet him, that
was how this worked. He was in no mood to explain himself to the blond. Kaiba's answered to no
one.

"Fine then, don't."

Malik heard Kaiba hangup and angrily slammed his own cell phone shut. How dare Kaiba just
expect him to drop everything and run off to meet him. Granted he wasn't exactly busy and he had
spent the last twenty minutes lost in thoughts of the CEO, but that was besides the point. The
point was...the point was...

"Dammit!" Malik rose from the table in a fit of fury. He quickly gathered up his things and headed
out to where he had parked his motorcycle. He'd have to hurry if he wanted to make it to the
hotel in twenty minutes.

Seto was waiting for Malik in the hotel lobby. His face was obscured by the newspaper he was
pretending to read. He wasn't hiding he reminded himself, he was simply being discreet. He'd
already rented the room, the electronic key card securely in his pocket, now all he needed was for
his chosen partner to arrive.

As if on cue, Malik sauntered into the lobby. Several pairs of eyes locked onto the exotic blond,
but his lavender eyes instantly searched out the lithe form of the man he loved. Karoserose from
the chair he was occupying and motioned for Malik to follow him to the elevator. Malik willingly
obliged.

They didn't say a word to each other on the ride up to the room, mainly because they weren't
alone in the elevator and Kaiba was busy pretending he didn't know Malik. The blond sighed to
himself. Would it kill Kaiba to hold his hand or at least acknowledge his presence in public?

Probably, he concluded. He couldn't hold back a snicker at the thought of Kaiba dropping dead as
the thought of storming into Kaiba Corp and taking the CEO on the table during a business
meeting formed in his formerly wicked little mind.

Seto glanced over at Malik when he heard his lover's familiar snicker. What the blond could
possibly find amusing in a crowded elevator was beyond him, but the teen was here and that's
really all that mattered.

Exiting at the third floor, Malik quickly followed suit. He stayed several paces behind the taller
duelist just enjoying the view. While he always enjoyed Kaiba decked out in leather and long
coats, he had to admit the three piece business suit was doing wonders for the CEO.
Professionally tailored no doubt, it clung in all the right places while never really giving you a
good glimpse of anything. His lover was such a tease.

Seto unlocked the room he had gotten them and simply left the door open for Malik behind him.
He had sensed the teen's admiring gaze on him all the way down the hallway and as he heard the
door close he turned to see Malik leaning against it, lavender eyes roaming his body.

Then the Egyptian's gaze left him and took in the room. Two beds, a night stand, and a bathroom
in the back.

"This was the best you could do?" Malik sounded more than a little disappointed. He was
screwing one of the richest men in the city, you'd think he'd at least be getting some perks out of
it.

"I had to pay in cash, and I'm not renting some overly fancy and ridiculously expensive room
wI onI only plan to use it for an hour," Kaiba explained as he started undressing.

"Only an hour? Don't you think that's underestimating me a little?" Malik pushed away from the
door and made his way over to Kaiba. Grabbing hold of Kaiba's tie, he pulled the brunet down for
a kiss. He massaged the soft lips with his own, but when they parted in invitation Malik relea him him.

Kaiba stood still with his eyes closed for only a moment, then he returned to undressing.

"Feel free to take as long as you like Malik, but I'm leaving in an hour." Seto glanced at the clock.
"Make that forty-five minutes," he amended.

Knowing Kaiba was serious, he'd have to have a sense of humor to be kidding after all, Malik
started to divest himself of his own clothing. His hated grey uniform fell uselessly to the floor with
his boxers, and he noted with amusement that Kaiba was carefully folding each article of clothing
he removed and placing it gently on the bed they wouldn't be using.

More importantly thoughe goe gorgeous brunet was now stripped down to his boxers. Malik snuck
up behind him and wrapped his tanned arms around Kaiba's slim waist. As always, Kaiba tensed at
his touch before willing himself to relax. Malik no longer took the reaction personally, he had long
since realized that the icy teen just wasn't used to be touched, especially in an loving way.

Seto felt Malik trailing a line of kisses down his spine and put all of his focus on the feel of those
soft, slightly wet lips against his skin. Thoughts of angry blond mutts, neglected brothers, children
battling leukemia while their fathers lost their companies, and the ruthless businessman behind it
all slipped away. He let Malik guide him to a place where who you were and what you did no
longer mattered. All that mattered was that you were there, and that you were wanted.

Malik turned Kaiba around in his grasp and cupping the back of the brunet's head pulled him
down for another kiss. Kaiba's eyes were already shut, and when Malik's tongue brushed his lips,
he allowed the Egyptian to deepen the kiss. When their tongues collided, a spark traveled through
Kaiba and he instinctively pulled Malik closer.

Pressed flush against his lover Malik was starting to become lightheaded. Something about the
feel of the CEO in his arms combined with his feelings for him was overpowering. If Kaiba knew
how he really felt, he was certain the duelist would run away and never look back. He didn't want
Malik to truly love him, he merely wanted Malik to give him an imitation of love that he could use
to feel better about himself.

But Malik did love him, and nothing the CEO did was going to change that, for Malik had been
infatuated with the former priest before he even met him.

"Malik?" Kaiba asked quietly.

The addressed teen blinked out of his thoughts to see his lover looking down at him quizzically.
The look of confusion was so foreign on the normally harsh face that it looked absolutely
adorable.

"Sorry," he apologized. He then sealed his apology with a kiss above the CEO's heart. Taking a
closer look at the teen's torso, he noticed the cuts Marik had made Monday still hadn't completely
healed. Kaiba's wrists were still a little red, and it seemed he'd also hurt his hand recently because
it was bandaged. It was hard for Malik to look at the wounds because in part they was his
fault--he had created Marik after all.

Seto noticed where Malik's focus was and realized he was losing the blond. He couldn't allow that
to happen, he needed Malik.

"Malik," he began in his normally calm voice. Lavender eyes looked up at him. "I wanted it."

Malik caught the message of those three words; don't worry about it, don't mention it, and don't
try to understand it. Nodding his comprehension, he decided to just focus on ing ing Kaiba how
much he loved him.

He ran his index finger just inside the waistband of Kaiba's boxers, enjoying the moan the action
produced. With one swift tug, the boxers fell to the floor and their owner stepped out of them.
Malik led him to the bed and climbed atop him. He could feel the CEO's excitement, and
readjusting himself a little he was able to grind his own hardness against it.

Seto once again gave into the sensations coursing through his body. Malik was kissing him
ravenously again, and he wrapped his arms around his tanned body. His hands splayed on the
muscular back and Malik immediately pulled back. Kaiba saw a flash of fear and panic in his eyes
for just a moment and realizing his mistake he moved his hands to rest on the teens hips instead.
The Egyptian starred down at him as the seconds ticked by, and Kaiba merely met his gaze.

Malik had panicked when his scars were touched, a flood of awful memories washing over him.
He knew Kaiba hadn't done it on purpose, but it still hurt that the CEO hadn't been attentive
enough to realize what he was doing. Now, as he stared down into those brilt blt blue eyes he
made his message very clear.

Don't ever do that again.

The vengeful part of him urged him to bite the scar on Kaiba's right hip, but the part of him that
loved the CEO objected, and it was that part that won out.
SetoSeto relaxedn Man Malik returned to showering his neck and exposed chest with kisses. It wasn't
that he was afraid of the Eian,ian, it was just that he much preferred him in a good mood.

"Malik..." Seto arched into Malik's touch as the blond lavished one of his nipples with his tongue.

Strong hands reached between their two bodies and firmly took a hold of Kaiba's growing
erection. Kaiba threw his head back as Malik began to stroke him. He felt himself reacting to the
pleasurable touch, the slight squirming of his hips, the heated sensation tingling in his lower
stomach, the heaviness of his breathing...he was losing control.

Malik watched the change come over the body beneath him. The slight flush to the pale skin, the
clenching shut of his eyes, the noticeable arching into his touch...Kaiba was beautiful.

"If I'm not mistaken, I started something last time that I didn't get to finish." Malik leaned in close
so his wareatreath brushed against his lover's ear, simultaneously pressing his thumb against the
head of Kaiba's erection.. "Do you want me to finish?"

Seto bit his lower lip as Malik purred his words seductively into his ear. His body cried for the
warmth of Malik's mouth, but his mind told him not to give in, that it would show weakness.

Seto nodded his head.

Malik placed a wet kiss on his cheek and then moved down so his face was level with the proof of
Kaiba's intense arousal. He ran his tongue from base to tip once, and reveled in the needy moan
that Kaiba let out. Grabbing the base with his hand he used his tongue to thoroughly wet the tip,
lapping up the liquid that had gathered there. The salty taste was distinctly Kaiba, and Malik loved
it.

As the blond engulfed him, Kaiba placed one hand on the back of Malik's head. He tangled it in
the silken locks, attempting to guide the head in a pace that suited his burning desire. The warm
cavern moved up and down along his shaft but Malik provided no suction to accompany the
movement; the sensation was maddening. Kaiba gave the tresses in his hand a yank.

Feeling the pain in his scalp Malik placed his teeth along the sensitive skin in his mouth in
warning. Kaiba got the message and instantly loosened his grip. Malik realized that Kaiba wanted
to feel the pleasure of release, but he also knew that the more he was able to put it off the better it
would actually be for the brunet when it happened. All Malik was trying to do was give the man
he loved the most intense pleasure possible...you'd think he could at least be appreciative.

After a little more mouthing of the shaft, Malik finally provided the suction Kaiba was longing for.
Kaiba's slim hips rocked in time with Malik's talented mouth and the only warning the Egyptian
received of Kaiba's violent release was the tightening of the lean muscles of the brunet's body
moments before it happened. Malik's quick reflexes allowed him to back off enough to be able to
swallow the white liquid that shot into his mouth.

He drank up every last drop and as he let the now softening shaft out of his mouth he replaced it
with his own fingers. He glanced up at Kaiba and then, noticing the brunet was still lost in the
haze of his orgasm, Malik went to work. His own desire to be buried in the heat of the CEO's
body urged him to work quickly.

Spreading the pale thighs he used one of his fingers wet with saliva to circle the tight ring of
muscle guarding the entrance to Kaiba's body. Kaiba stirred slightly as the finger slipped inside of
him, but didn't seem all to aware of what was happening. Malik carefully added another finger and
sought out his prostate.

That got Seto's attention. He propped himself up on his elbows, but with a second massage of the
sensitive nerves he plopped back down onto the bed. Gods Malik was good at what he did. He
was barely done with his last orgasm and he could already feel his desire reawakening.

Spreading kisses along Kaiba's inner thighs, Malik continued his assault on his prostate. He
noticed Kaiba's erection returning from the sensation, and took it back into his mouth. Back
arched and hands tangled in the sheets, Seto didn't even notice as Malik slipped a third finger
inside of him. Being careful to thoroughly stretch and prepare Kaiba while giving him pleasure the
whole time, Malik was finally satisfied with his work and pulled back entirely from Kaiba.

Seto let out a groan at the lose of Malik's warmth but as he felt his legs going over strong
shoulders, he pulled his attention away from his disappointment and prepared for Malik to enter
him. Malik kissed him deeply as he slowly pushed inside of him. Kaiba winced slightly at the pain
but Malik covered his face in apologetic kisses as he seated himself to the hilt.

"Gods I love you Kaiba," Malik moaned as he began to rock his powerful hips, moving in and out
of Kaiba's tight body.

Kaiba's only response was to turn his head to the side and focus on the peach colored paint
covering the walls. He didn't know how to respond to that,he jhe just continued to offer up his
body.

Malik was blind to Kaiba's lack of response, his senses too overwhelmed by the pleasure. Besides,
it wasn't like he had expe him him to suddenly make a declaration of undying love back. He just
wanted Kaiba to know how he felt.

Seto brought his hands up to grip Malik's shoulders, being careful to avoid his scars, as the pace
of their activities increased. Readjusting slightly, Malik angled every thrust to strike Seto's
prostate sending wave after wave of intense pleasure through his body. All that mattered to him
now was finding rel onc once again, and all that mattered to Malik was giving it to him.

Gripping Kaiba's reawakened arousal, Malik matched the pace of his hand to the pace of his
thrust. Kaiba rocked with him, needy moans coming from both of them although Kaiba seemed
more aware of the fact that the walls might not be as thick as one would hope.

"Are you close?" Malik purred.

Breathing too hard to make a proper response, Seto merely nodded his head.

"Then let me see you come," Malik whispered. He increased the strength of his stroking, and felt
his heart skip as Kaiba cried out and released all over his hand and chest. Satisfied that Kaiba was
taken care of, Malik increased his pace and as Kaiba's body tightened it's hold on him he found his
own completion.

Sated, he lovingly pulled out and lay down next to his lover. Gathering the tall boy in his arms he
held him tightly, hoping that this time Kaiba wouldn't get up and leave him...that this time they
would stay together and make love for the rest of the day. It was extremely unlikely--Malik knew
that, but he couldn't help but want tve Kve Kaiba tell him he loved him.

Seto came back to his senses to find himself resting in Malik's strong arms, the Egyptian stroking
his hair in a loving gesture. For just a moment he felt guilty about using Malik, but then it was
gone. He wasn't at fault here. He hadn't told Malik to fall in love with him, and he'd certainly
never pretended to return his feelings. If Malik chose to love him in spite of that, it wasn't his
responsibility.

He savored the gentle caress for a few seconds more before disentangling himself from Malik. He
briefly kissed his lover on the lips and then made his way towards the bathroom.

"I'm going to shower, I'll wake you up when I'm done."

Malik nodded, but he knew Kaiba wasn't telling him that so he could agree. The CEO was simply
stating what was going to happen. Worn out from the romp he had just had, Malik crawled under
the covers, noting that he too would need to shower later. With thoughts of his sexy lover filling
his head Malik gave in to the darkness that seemed to be calling to him and slept.

After an evening of playing Capsule Monster Chess with Mokuba, Seto once again found himself
standing in the shadows across the street from Jounouchi's apartment in the middle of the night.
He didn't know why he kept coming here, it wasn't like he could even see the blond. Hell,
Jounouchi didn't even know he was here. Then again, that was probably a good thing. How could
he possibly explain something he didn't even understand himself.

He wasn't stupid, he knew he liked Jounouchi. What he couldn't understand was why, knowing
that he was attracted to the blond, he went out of his way to insult and degrade him. Wasn't that nternter productive?

Not when you know you don't deserve him, his mind pointed out.

Seto thought about it. Was he mean to Jounouchi because he wanted him to hate him? Because he
needed him to hate him? The idea was logical in it's own twisted little way; as long as the mutt
hated him his rejection was guaranteed.

Looking across the street at the apartment building, Seto realized this had to stop. He didn't need
Jounouchi. He didn't need anyone, and the mutt certainly didn't need him.

/I don't want anything from you Kaiba./

A heavy sigh escaped the CEO. When did he get this stupid? Pushing someone to the brink of
utterly despising him and then pining after them--it was ridiculous. He could practically hear
Gozaburo laughing at him.

Turning on his heel, Seto decided to head back to the mansion. He didn't call it home, he hadn't
known where home was since they arrived at the orphanage. His normally long confident steps
were languid. Going back to the mansion meant going back to his bed--alone.

Wasn't that why he was out here in the first place? He couldn't stand the silence. With Mokuba
asleep and his work done for the evening he was left alone with his thoughts. Left to wonder
about the sacrifices he had made and the things he had spent so much time convincing himself he
didn't need, and while he had no problem lying to others, he was finding it harder and harder to lie
to himself.

So he walked. And no matter what direction he headed in, no matter where he intended to go, he
always wound up in front of Jounouchi's apartment building. He was as bad at avoiding that
apartment aswas was at avoiding the blond himself.

Empty blue eyes took one last glance over weary shoulders and a single word broke the silence
that had enveloped Seto.

"Jounouchi..."

A/N: I made Malik go to Rintama because that's the only other school I can find mentioned in the
manga, and I have no clue what color their uniforms are (stupid black and white photos) so I
randomly picked grey.

I don't even know who I feel worse for in this chapter, Malik or Seto. I've been in both of their
spots bef(exc(except without the sex, because I'm not old enough) and neither one is fun. That's
why I'm half tempted to just let Malik have Seto in the end. Who knows, I'm a Gemini, and as
such I'm very fickle so I probably won't decide until I absolutely have to.