Voids

"Ojiisan?!Ojiisan?! Where are you?" Mokuba searched. He felt if there was anyone who would possibly know what had gotten into Seto, it would be him.

"Mokuba? What's the matter?" came from the library. Mokuba charged, heading right for the man's lap, landing with a thud. "Mokuba?! What is the matter? Seto upset you again? I'll..."

"No, I'm fine, but, have you noticed him acting funny lately?"

"You mean funnier than usual?" he chuckled, until he noticed the seriouness in the boy's eyes. "Ok, how has he been acting funny lately?"

"Yesterday he just sat at his desk tapping at his computer. Not doinig anything, just tapping ! I heard later he blew off the possibility of taking over a company and today I ran into Anzu Mazaki and she said he was being nice to Jounouchi Katsuya!"

"Jounouchi? He's the boy..."

"Yea! So he's snapping at me, being nice to Jounouchi, blowing off work...oh, and Anzu even said Yugi told her he saw Jounouchi and Seto together after school!"

"Hmm... let's see; snapping at you, being nice to a boy he doesn't like, blowing off work... come to think of it he was a little spacy last I saw him..."

"What do you think is wrong? Is he sick?" Mokuba couldn't believe his ears when ojiisan bagan laughing again. He jumped off his lap and stared with deep irritation at this reaction, "Ojiisan!"

"Mokuba, it does sound like your brother is sick..."

"What?! Then why are you..."

"Love sick, boy! Your big brother is in love!"

"So he's being nice to Jounouchi and mean to me over some girl?!"

"Love does crazy things..."

"Seto in love? He is pretty popular... wait, why wouldn't he tell me? He just keeps telling me I wouldn't understand... so he goes to Jounouchi?!"

"Jounouchi is closer to his own age and does have a very pretty girlfriend from what I've heard..."

"This is sick! I gotta talk to him! Arigatou, ojiisan!" he called over his shoulder as he ran out of the room.

"Ah, young love..." the old man sighed to himself.


Mokuba found Seto in his bedroom looking like he was actually working, Bad timing, Mokuba. he thought to himself.

"You need something?" Kaiba asked, not even having looked up from his work.

"This looks like a bad time..."

"Not at all. I'm just playing catch-up with some reports. What's on your mind, little brother?" he still hadn't taken his eyes off his work, what ever it was, it must have been important.

"I was talking to ojiisan, and... he said something... about..." he started choking on his words, then decided it would only irritate his big brother to be dancing around a question, so he swallowed deeply then got right to the point,"Are you in love?"

"What?! What makes you ask that?" He snapped his cold-blue eyes up at Mokuba. This got his attention.

"You've been snapping at me, and being nice to Jounouchi! And blowing off work..."

"Do I look like I'm blowing off work?!" he responded by flipping a stack of papers across the bed.

"What about being nice to Jounouchi? Ojiisan said love does crazy..."

"Alright," he quickly rose from his bed and marched toward Mokuba, "You and ojiisan are both a little nosier than need be..." he was a little less friendly with the remark this time, took Mokuba by the arm and led him to the door.

"Wait! Nii-sama, please! I'll understand!"

"Oh really? So tell me, when was the last time you were in love?"

"Come on, Seto, I'm not a little kid anymore..."

"So you have been in love then?"

"Well, no, I guess not... I had a crush, I guess..."

"Mokuba, you're twelve..."

"At least tell me who the girl is, huh?" he watched the color drain from Seto's face. "Is it someone I know?"

"Yes, it's someone you know." he answered matter-of-factly.

"Is that why you're not telling me? 'cause all the girls I know are Anzu, Mai, and Shizuka and it can't be any of them... nii-sama! The only other girls I know are..."

"My own age, Mokuba!" he clenched his fists and could feel his teeth grinding. He had to calm down, but Mokuba cared too much for his own good and it was knawing away at his nerves. He took a breath and sat back on his bed, making every attempt to calm down. Mokuba just watched from the door, either waiting for a response, or a chance to run. "Look..." Kaiba had finally calmed down and gotten his response in order, "... nothing is confirmed. If things work out, there will be no keeping anything from you, I promise."

"Then I hope things work out for you! Maybe you'll get your head on straight and leave Jounouchi..."

"He knows this person well. I... need... his help." he had never had such a hard time putting a sentence together. He practically choked on his tongue. Mokuba just shrugged and waved a goodnight.

"Damn it! Who the girl is?! I may as well just tell him..." he fought with his thoughts as he tried to get back to all the catching up he had to do. He flopped back onto his bed to try and get on with business as usual, finding himself working well into the night.


Jounouchi decided to sleep on it, as best he could anyway. The thought of hooking up his best friend with a guy (a guy) he couldn't stand to be in the same city with kept him tossing and turning all night.

He did seem genuine... how do I know that wasn't a cover?!, "Ow! This hurts!" he dove into his pillow, trying with everything he had to just go to sleep.

How am I going to bring this up to Honda in the first place?!, "Stop it! Damare!" he hollered into the pillow. He sat up, then fell to the floor. Quietly he crawled into the bathroom.

Grabbing the edge of the sink, he pulled himself up to catch his weiry reflection.

"Just say it, Jounouchi," he said to the reflection, "Just tell him, 'Honda, Kaiba is in love with you, what do you think?'." He repeatedly smacked himself in the forehead trying to knock sense into himself. He rehursed over and over what he would say and how he would say it, loosing track of time. He hadn't realized his alarm had been going off, waking his father.

"What the hell?!" came crashing through the hall.

Shit! I forgot...

"Katsuya?! Damn it!" he charged into the bathroom and threw his son out by his ear, "If you're ganna get up before the damned alarm, SHUT IT OFF!" he exclaimed, slamming the door in Jounouchi's face, obviously claiming his turn.

"Yes, sir." he said in contempt under his breath as he made his way back to his room.

He grabbed his uniform off the floor and began dressing when he realized the incident with his father had washed away his well rehursed speech to Honda.

"Damn it!"


No one in the entire school could believe what they were seeing and hearing. First, the day before; Jounouchi Katsuya is seen getting into Kaiba Seto's limo. Kaiba being nice to him and now both boys looked as though they had been run through the mill. Obviously neither had slept.

"What do you suppose is going on?" one girl whispered to her friend.

"I don't know! It's too weird for me!" the other said.

Both girls were so caught up in their conversation, they were unaware Anzu and Mai were standing behind them listening.

"Wow!" said the first girl, "Even with lack of sleep, Kaiba-san is so cute!" she exclaimed. Mai and Anzu couldn't help a quick finger-down-the-throat guesture.

"He kind of gives me the creeps," her friend started, "I mean, why all of the sudden nice to Jounouchi Katsuya of all people?! Not to mention how they look thismorning..."

"Come on! Maybe they decided to get along..."

"Get along? A little too well if you ask me!" she nudged her friend in the side and both began to giggle.

"Well, she didn't ask you, did she?" Mai decided to speak up, not liking where the conversation was going. Both girls turned to find her and Anzu staring them down.

"That's right! Shoo, shoo!" she called after them.

"Mai, you don't think...?"

"What I think is I need to have a word with Kat-chan..." she watched him as he lugged his way up to the school, his eyes only half open, and not even noticing either girl standing right by the door. Kaiba wasn't too far behind, his eyes appearing near shut. "Oh, yea! For sure going to have a few words with him!" Mai finished. She began to pout and stomp her way back to her car.

"Only a few words, Mai? You?" Anzu jabbed.

"Very funny, Mazaki!"


"Yo, Jounouchi?! Ya in there?" Honda waved his hand in front of his face. "Jounouchi, wake up!" he cried, then slapped him.

"Thank you, Honda..." he said lazily, "I didn't sleep well lastnight..."

"No kidding? You fall asleep in class, again, you are going to end up in detention, again." he warned.

"Yea..."

"Hey, did you hear the crap going around about you and Kaiba?!" the sudden jolt from Jounouchi sent Honda back, crashing to the floor.

"What?! Me and Kaiba?!" he slammed his fist into his desk. He knew no good could come from being seen with him.

"You're awake I see..." Honda said, climbing back into his seat, "Yea, you and Kaiba. Anzu said she and Mai over heard a couple of girls giggling about..."

"I wasn't with Kaiba lastnight! I just couldn't sleep! I don't know why he looks so rough!"

"Well, hate to tell you this, the other story going around is much more interesting which makes it way more powerfull..."

"Well, I'm not going to worry about it!" Jounouchi had finally calmed down enough to get his thoughts back on-line, Let them think this for now, 'cause when I drop the bomb on Honda, no one will remember saying it was me!

"You're not?! Jou..."

"Listen, I have to talk to you... after school.", I'll at least wait till we're alone!

"Jounouchi, I don't think I like the look in your eye, which means I don't like what might be going through that feeble brain of yours..."

"Oh, yea?! And what do you think it is?" he asked sharply.

"I don't know, I just know it's your feeble brain I'm dealing with!" Honda never saw it coming; Jounouchi's famous right hook into his jaw.

"Jounouchi Katsuya!" the teacher had walked in at just the worng moment. "After class!"

"Yes, ma'am." he said, taking his seat, watching her try to revive his semi-consious friend. Damn Honda! He's not going to make this easy!