Mirror Reflection

Title: Mirror Reflection (2/?)

Author: Sprinkles

Rating: R

Pairing (s): Seto/Joey, Other/Seto

Beta: Zazzy

Spoilers: Battle City; Joey’s past with Hirutani

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-gi-oh.

Warnings: Some porn, some plot, and some violence.

Summary: Joey’s twin brother has returned to town, and he wants to play with his little brother; except he’s not who he seems to be.

A/N: Review replies are at the bottom.

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Class progressed uninterrupted for the rest of the day, but Seto hardly pay attention, his focus remaining on Joey even hours later. He had never seen the other teen freak out like that before – except when ghosts were involved, but even then the blonde’s reactions usually consisted of lots of swear words and screams. This time Joey had been completely silent, and ~that~ made Seto worry.

When the final bell rang, Seto languidly began packing his backpack, stalling for as much time as possible. Seto was soon the only one left in the classroom as all the other students rushed for the door. He felt a slight twinge of annoyance. Joey surely had seen his slow movements and knew that Seto wanted to talk. On the other hand, Joey might have been trying to get away from the others, who surely were bombarding him with questions.

The brunet paused for a moment as another thought crossed his mind. Perhaps Joey was trying to avoid him as well in order to not talk. Frowning, Seto grabbed his bag and strode out the door. He didn’t know which option he would be more annoyed with.

He passed Joey’s locker on his way to his own and, as he predicted, the group was clustered together. Honda seemed to be filling in the members of the group that weren’t in their class while Yugi was pelting Joey questions, trying to get Joey to talk to him. One glance at Joey’s stiff shoulders and tense body told Seto that the other would remain stubbornly tight-lipped about the incident. Seto eavesdropped on the conversation while putting his books away.

“Please tell me what’s wrong, Joey,” Yugi was pleading. He kept fiddling with the golden pyramid hanging around his neck, and Seto wondered if his other personality would come out to argue with Joey as well.

“I was just startled, that’s all. It’s nothing.”

“You were frightened!” Yugi’s frustration echoed in his voice. “You looked like the dead had come to life. That’s not ‘nothing’!” Joey snorted and mumbled something underneath his breath, but Yugi was quick enough to catch it. “What do you mean ‘something like that’? What’s going on? Why won’t you talk to me?”

Joey loudly slammed his locker shut. “It’s none of your damn business, Yugi. I said it’s nothing and I don’t want to talk about it, so just fucking drop it already.”

A silence descended on the pair at Joey’s outburst. Yugi’s eyes were wide with hurt and confusion. Ever since they had become friends, they had rarely fought, and Joey usually never cussed at the other. The shorter teen took a small step back and softly said, “I-I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed.”

Joey clenched his fist and he briefly felt a flare of anger. He wanted to snarl at the other boy, to tell him to back off. The blond shoved that emotion to the side and forcefully relaxed his body. Fighting with his friend would only make the situation worse. Joey sighed and tugged the retreating teen into a small hug. “No, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have blown up at you like that. You’re worried for me, I get it. I just don’t want to talk about this yet.”

“I understand,” Yugi said as Joey released him. “I’ll try to be more patient. But!” He glared at his blond friend, “You better promise that you’ll talk to me before something happens. I don’t want a repeat of that time with Hirutani and his gang.”

Joey smiled at the determination his little friend’s eyes. “I promise. As soon as I feel like talking, I’ll come find you.”

“Deal!” Yugi declared, before turning to the rest of the group who were watching the fight from a distance. “So, Grandpa received a shipment of some new games this morning. Anyone interested in testing them?”

Otogi was the only one who declined. He stated that his shop had also received a shipment and he needed to stop by to check the inventory. He planted a kiss on Honda’s blushing cheek before sauntering off.

“Well, well, well,” Anzu purred. “When did this develop?” Her expression told Honda to spare no details in his tale.

Honda’s face turned completely red as the others snickered. He quickly shooed away the rest of the group, promising to tell them the story when he met up with them at the game shop later. For now, he wanted to talk to Joey alone. The three teens left, happily sharing gossip as they walked.

Once the others were gone, Seto approached Joey and Honda. He silently slipped his arms around Joey’s waist. He could feel the tension in the blonde’s body, but the other slowly relaxed in Seto’s embrace.

“Joey,” Honda began, but hesitated. “You know I’m here if you want to talk.”

“I know,” Joey replied. He was leaning against Seto now, allowing the taller teen to support him. “I just don’t want to.”

Honda nodded in understanding. He shared a glance with Seto before moving further down the hall to give the couple some privacy while waiting for Joey.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Seto asked as soon as Honda was out of earshot. “It’s okay if you’re not.”

“I’m fine, Seto.” Joey insisted. “Nothing’s wrong. I just overreacted.”

“What exactly happened?”

Joey hesitated, “I…just saw someone that I haven’t seen in a long time. Someone I thought was either dead or gone for good. So, it doesn’t make sense that I saw him”

Seto made a humming noise of agreement even as he stored the information in the back of his mind where he would go over it at some other point in time. For now, Seto leaned down to engage his boyfriend in a last kiss of the day. Honda cleared his throat after a few minutes and Seto reluctantly parted from Joey. “Better?” He asked.

“Hmm, completely,” Joey practically purred. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Until tomorrow,” Seto affirmed, watching Joey walk away with Honda. The brunet was reluctant to let his lover go, but he could only watch for now. Joey told Seto he was fine, and Seto would take his word, despite believing otherwise. At least, for now.

Indeed, Seto found out how much Joey was affected in the next couple days. The blond seemed to be distracted and jumpy. Whenever Seto touched him to get his attention, he would flinch, and then practically cling to the brunet moments later.

Joey still refused to talk to anyone about what was bothering him. Even when Honda cornered him, all Joey would do was shake his head and say everything was fine. Seto shared Honda’s frustration with Joey’s stubbornness.

Despite his actions, Joey continued to reassure Seto that he still wanted to come over on Friday. The blond knew he seemed paranoid and nervous. Every night, he would rush home, looking over his shoulder, and jumping at shadows. He didn’t tell Honda or Seto that he barricaded himself in his room just in case Jackal came to the apartment. However, as the days passed and there was no sign of his twin anywhere, he felt himself relax. He even looked forward to his sleep over at Seto’s tomorrow night.

Joey couldn’t stop grinning as he snuck into his apartment Thursday evening. Tomorrow – Friday – he would be spending the night with Seto. It was implicitly implied that they would become full-fledged lovers tomorrow. There would still be moments when they snuck around and groped one another at school, Joey hoped, but their relationship would extend beyond the school grounds. The blond could barely contain his excitement, but despite his overwhelming emotions, Joey still took precautions.

With a trained eye, Joey scanned the apartment, his eyesight adjusting quickly to the faded light slithering in from the only window. Nothing was out of place, not even the empty beer cans on the crates that acted like a coffee table. It seemed his father was still on his ongoing field trip. The old man would randomly sober up to find there were no food and especially no beer in the kitchen. He’d take off to find some work, claiming he would save some cash this time. But once he had money in his pocket, John Wheeler rarely was able to hold on to it. He would be gone for days on end, working and drinking until it became only drinking. Then he would show back up at the apartment, broke and hungover. He’d recover for a few days, and then repeated the cycle again.

Joey had a part-time job helping Yugi’s Grandfather with the store and he picked up shifts at the docks when he could. He didn’t bring in much money, but the small income did help pay the rent and feed the blond. The meager unemployment checks covered the electricity and water bills. All-in-all, Joey thought he was surviving quite well for the time. Of course, Joey planned to move out after his High School graduation, and he had been applying for colleges and scholarships whenever he had time. Already, he had been accepted to a local community college and to a small university in Tokyo, but he had a few more months until he had to make a choice. Joey focused on the present for now.

Joey expertly navigated the trash strewn floor, deftly avoiding any and all objects that could make a noise and draw the attention of anyone in the apartment, if there was someone in the apartment. Joey didn’t know if Jackal was here at all, but the blond didn’t take too much of a chance. He slid his key silently into the lock on his bedroom door and slowly turned the dead bolt. The door swung silently open; Joey kept the hinges oiled. A brief glance showed the room was empty as he slipped inside.

Once the locks were set again, Joey breathed a sigh of relief. All this sneaking around and being alert all the time was starting to drain on his energy. He was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed. Joey flipped on the light and turned to face the room. There was a flicker of movement. Joey didn’t have time to even scream before he was pinned against the door, the hand on his throat cutting off all air. Joey whimpered as he stared at the other.

The other blond smiled coldly at him and leaned in, his breath crawling across Joey’s cheek. “Welcome home, little brother.” Joey heard Jackal crackling as he slipped into darkness.

On Friday morning, Seto felt that his fears and worry about Joey’s behavior become reality. Joey had not shown up for class, and it was close to lunch. Seto alternated between glancing at the clock and at the classroom door, willing time to move faster or Joey to walk through the door. He ignored the fact that Yugi and Honda were doing the same thing. Ryou, Anzu, and Otogi each dropped by during the breaks to check as well.

Just as Seto was willing to track down Joey, the blond came striding confidently into the classroom a few minutes before the lunch bell rang. Seto sighed in relief; his fears remained unfounded, although he was angry that the other made him worry so much and then showed up unharmed. Still, Seto started to smile at the other teen, but his lips froze as he looked at his boyfriend closer.

A few seats away, Seto could hear Honda begin to growl underneath his breath. The CEO wished he could do so as well.

The person who walked into the classroom looked like Joey, but Seto knew that it wasn’t his blond. This teen had his flaxen strands slicked back away from his face, showing off a rugged scar that crossed over the edge of one of his eyebrows. His face, though it was the mirror reflection of Joey’s features, seemed crueler, colder, and harsher than Joey’s. The imposter also seemed to have a hint of a sneer on the edge of his lips rather than the smile that Joey always sported.

Seto did not like this imposter who wore his boyfriend’s face, this arrogant imposter who strolled into the classroom with an attitude and a mocking light in his eyes. In his copy-cat brown eyes that belong to Joey. This person made Seto’s figurative hackles go up. He did not like him.

“Mr. Wheeler, do you have a note?” The teacher asked. The disapproval was apparent in his voice.

“Nope,” the blond replied, smirking condescendingly at the teacher.

The teacher bristled. He did not like the haughty, rebellious attitude radiating from the teen. It reminded him that Joey had once been a gang member and a troublemaker, though the blond had not acted up or been disrespectful at all while in his class. The teacher did not know what had caused this sudden change, and he was tempted to assign the teen detention after school, but he hesitated long enough for the bell to ring. The blond immediately turned and walked back out of the classroom, ignoring the teacher’s yells for him

Seeing the Joey-imposter walk out the door, Seto jumped out of his seat and quickly followed. He trailed the blond through several corridors and down a floor into a deserted part of the school near the old classroom. The school was planning on renovating this wing as soon as the budget was approved. Until then

The blond was leaning against an open window when Seto caught up to the blonde. His eyes roved up and down the taller teen’s body in appreciation. “So, you’re Seto Kaiba?” The imposter stepped closer.

Seto stepped back to put room between him and this person. “Who are you?”

“Joey hasn’t talked about me? Hmm, I’m hurt. Especially since I came all this way to meet you.”

Seto glowered at the other teen, but before he could make another comment, Honda suddenly appeared. “Get away from him, Jackal.” The shorter brunet stepped between the two and shoved Jackal away. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“I’m only checking in on my little brother’s life like the good ~brother~ I am,” Jackal smiled. Seto had to look away from Joey’s familiar face being twisted into something different. “You know how he never tells me anything.”

Honda snarled lowly and stepped closer, “You aren’t needed. Joey is ~safe and happy~. You don’t need to be here.” The brunet spoke in a low, urgent voice.

Jackal threw back his head and laughed. “That might have worked a few years ago, Honda, but not now.”

Honda’s fists clenched, but his voice stayed rather level. “Joey’s not in any danger. There’s no one you need to protect him from. You are not needed.” Seto looked between the two teens. He knew he was missing something vital, something that both teens knew.

“Oh, I completely disagree,” Jackal purred. “There’s so much that Joey needs from me. I don’t feel like going away any time soon. By the way, how is that lover of yours? Does he still like to play dress-up games?”

It took a moment for the shorter brunet to pick up the implication, but then Honda paled in rage and took a step closer to Jackal, “If you fucking dare–”

Jackal laughed again, “I would never dream of fucking that.” He ignored Honda’s cursing retort and turned once more to Seto, leaning close to run his hand up Seto’s arm. “I’m sure we’ll be meeting again. I hope that next time we can have some more …privacy to talk.” With one more lingering look, Jackal turned and walked away, ignoring Honda’s indignant yell after him to stay away from Joey, and especially his lover.

As soon as Jackal was no longer in sight, Seto pivoted to face Honda. “Who is he?” The taller brunet snapped.

“Joey’s…twin,” Honda spat out the word in disgust. He glowered at the other teen. “Listen, Kaiba. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay away from Jackal.”

“That’s not good enough,” Seto snapped. “I want to know more.”

“He’s insane,” Honda snapped back. “He enjoys inflicting physical and psychological pain on people he believes have hurt or disrespected Joey or himself. He says he does it because he’s protecting Joey, but that’s a fucking joke. He hates Joey, likes to cause him pain, to prove that he owns Joey. He a fucking lunatic.”

“What?” Seto hissed. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. We have to find Joey then; we have to make sure he’s alright.”

“No,” Honda snarled. “You don’t need to do anything. You may be Joey’s boyfriend, but I’ve been his best friend for years. I will deal with Jackal. I’ve done it before; you haven’t. So, just butt out.”

“Bullshit!” The taller teen growled. He could feel his control slipping as his anger grew. “We can’t sit around with our thumbs up our asses; ~I~ can’t sit around.”

“You don’t know anything!” Honda roared. “So, back the fuck off!”

“Fuck no!” Seto yelled back. “Stop being such a fucking coward. If we wait until Jackal does something, then it could be too late to do something; too late for Joey. Do you ~want~ something to happen to him?”

“You know what? Fuck you, Kaiba. I don’t need this bullshit. Stay the fuck away from Jackal, for Joey’s sake. In fact, stay away from Joey as well. He doesn’t need to deal with you on top of this shit.” With that said, Honda turned and stalked back towards the classroom.

Seto remained in the hallway long after Honda had disappeared, and long after the bell rang. He no longer felt like returning to class, and he was certain Jackal had also skipped. He stood there for a long time, his thoughts running rapidly in his head. Seto knew there was something going on, something that Honda knew about that involved Joey, and apparently his older, twin brother Jackal. If Honda wasn’t going to tell him, and since Joey was apparently missing, Seto was going to have to find information himself.

Flipping open his cell phone, Seto called his chauffer as he headed to the main office to tell them that he would be absent for the rest of the day. He had no intention of backing off. Joey was ~his~ lover, and in his mind, that trumped friendship.

~.~.~.~.

A/N: I'm hoping to post these chapters in two week intervals, but with final papers and tests, as well as graduation, I'm not sure how well I'll hold to that timeline. Hope you enjoyed.

Reviews:

I would like to thank R-chan aka Hoshisaki for your review. I get all fuzzy when I read it. Here is an update for you!