What Can Never be Forgotten or Forgiven

Title: What Can Never be Forgotten or Forgiven 3/?
Author: Kleptomaniac Can Opener
Pairing: Jou x Seto
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: I don't own anything Yugi-Oh. It's almost as depressing as this fic.

Summary: Kaiba Seto has a good reason for hating Jounouchi Katsuya. But it's not until recent that Katsuya learns the past has a vicious bite when teaching you a lesson. "Sometimes, doing nothing at all is also a sin."

***Third Sin***

Jounouchi stomps his way home. He hasn’t been this angry at the icy teen in a while. “I can’t believe I have to spend the weekend with that shit!” He jerks around and stomps on an old, beat up trashcan. “Dammit! I hate this! I hate him!” The metal lid bounces to the ground with a ringing clatter and rolls across the concrete until a break in the floor makes it come to a noisy stop. “What’s that bastard’s problem with me anyways?! I ain’t never done nothin’ to him!”

Then that cold, demon gaze flashes inside his mind’s eye.

“Fuck!” Jounouchi grabs his head. “Why do I keep thinking about that?!”
“What the hell you yellin’ about, boy?” In the blonde’s anger, he has managed to reach the small apartment that he shares with his father. The man is large with broad shoulders and a square face, his belly juts out from years of over-drinking. If not for the older male’s sun-colored hair, it would be difficult to tell that they’re related at all. Jounouchi hunches his shoulders and walks pass his parent to get inside.
“Nothin’. I got this huge project for school so you probably won’t be seeing me much this month.”
“I just better not get another note from yer teacher, boy, or I’m beating yer ass again!”
“Yeah, yeah.” He slams his bedroom door and locks himself inside.

The blond grabs a worn out duffel from under his bed and stuffs his spare uniform and some clothes into it. He also throws in his Gameboy and his MP3 player along with his school things. After a quick run to the bathroom for his toiletries he’s ready to begin the trek to the Kaiba Manor.

“I wonder which bus I need to take?” Jounouchi mumbles to himself as he walks down the street, only to freeze mid-step when he sees a limo pull up.
“Jounouchi-kun!” Mokuba cries as he jumps out and hugs the teen. “Seto told me about the project, so I decided to pick you up!”
“Thanks, little buddy!” The blond hugs the youngest Kaiba and ruffles his long, black hair. “I wasn’t lookin’ forward to the public system, if ya know what I mean.” Mokuba laughs and pulls him into the car.

“Have a soda.” The boy tosses Jounouchi a coke from the mini-fridge.
“Thanks. Ya know, I’m surprised your brother let you do this.”
“He doesn’t know,” Mokuba answers with a toothy grin that makes the blond chuckle. Jounouchi pops open his drink and relaxes in the expensive vehicle. He’s ridden in it before so he doesn’t feel compelled to play with the buttons at the moment.
“So catch me up on the gossip, little man.”

The car ride flies by, and before Jounouchi knows it, they’re at the Kaiba Manor.
Before now, Jounouchi has only ever seen the gigantic house from the outside. Mokuba grabs his hand and drags him indoors, eager to show off. The place is as grand as he thought it would be. Antiques that cost more than his entire city block are on display in special cases, the carpet probably costs more than a year of rent, and the electronics are mind blowing.

“Here, I printed you a map to keep you from getting lost. I’ll show you the guest room you’ll be staying in.” Mokuba presses the folded paper into Jounouchi’s hands.
“Thanks, Mokuba.” He opens the map and follows their path as they walk through the house. “Don’t you ever get lost in here?”
“Nah, I’m used to this place. It’s no worse than the mall.”

“Where’s your brother, anyways?” Jounouchi asks. He wants to yell at the brunet for being a dick. Again.
“Seto? He’s at work. He won’t be back until after dinner.”
“He went right after school?”
“Yeah, he always goes straight to the office afterwards. He comes home early when he can, usually a couple times a week.”
“Geez, I knew all that guy did was work. Do the teachers waive his homework or something for him too?”
“Huh? Not at all. Brother does other things too, and he always completes his assignments before bed even if it means he won’t get much sleep.” Mokuba frowns. “I really hate it when he does that though. It’s not healthy.”

Mokuba goes on to describe all of Kaiba’s bad habits, some that he wants his brother to work on fixing. A few of them make Jounouchi laugh, but he finds it strange. He didn’t think learning things like this would make Kaiba seem so human. It’s almost like Kaiba is the teenager he acts like he isn’t.

“And that’s when Seto started putting syrup on his tofu.”
“You’re pulling my leg!” Jounouchi follows him into a bedroom and runs into a coat rack because he’s laughing too hard to see it. “Ow!”
“Doing that hurts, Jounouchi-kun,” the kid says between snickers. The blond sticks his tongue at him.
“I was just checking how sturdy it is.”
“Suuuuure.”

Jounouchi dumps his bag on the bed then looks around. The room is the size of his entire apartment, and it’s stocked with furniture that looks more pricey than he’s comfortable with using.

“Once you’re settled in we can have dinner.”
“Why didn’t you say so, buddy? I’m starvin’!”

~~~

During their dinner of fried chicken and all the fixings, the head of the Kaiba family arrives home. “Big brother!” Mokuba eagerly pounces Kaiba with a hug. The stoic teen cracks a smile and hugs the boy.
“Done with your homework?”
“You bet! How was the office?”
“It was typical.”

The display is so NORMAL that Jounouchi’s mind freezes when trying to process the information. There’s Kaiba, smiling and holding a conversation. Even knowing that the brunet is kind to his brother, actually seeing the proof is mind-boggling to him. Then those blue eyes slide over, instantly sharp and cutting into him like razorblades. Jounouchi bristles in self-defense and glares right back.

“Your soup will be right out. Come over and sit with us!” Mokuba pulls Kaiba to sit at the head of the table. Not a minute later, one of the house servants brings a bowl of beef broth out, setting it in front of Kaiba. Jounouchi raises a brow, wondering why the other teen isn’t eating the same thing they are. From how skinny Kaiba is, he thinks the brunet could stand to gain a few pounds.

Mokuba starts up conversation again, this time about the new movies that are out in theaters. Kaiba remains silent as the two chatter, drinking his soup and staring into his bowl.

“You guys aren’t going to be able to do your reports if you don’t talk, you know.” Jounouchi winces when Mokuba breaks their conversation with the sudden comment. He’s not sure if it’s because Mokuba noticed that he was staring at Kaiba for the fiftieth time or if the boy has another reason for the sudden shift in subject.
“Leave it, Mokuba. We’ll work it out on our own.”
“I’m right and you know it, big brother.”
“I said leave it.”

Jounouchi sighs and casually cracks his neck. “Look, Kaiba, as much as I’d hate ta admit it, the kid’s right. The teach will know if we hand in crappy assignments.”
“Perhaps your work will be trash,” Kaiba snaps. “Don’t put me in your category.”

“Stop!” Mokuba shouts before the two can really start to get into it. “Not another word out of either of you until I’m finished!” Amazingly enough, the two teenagers hold their tongues. “The point of this project is so the teacher can see you two are at least learning about each other right? You just have to write your observations down then make it into a report.” He waits for a silent confirmation before continuing. “Why don’t both of you keep a daily journal?”
“I don’t keep journals,” Kaiba deadpans.
“It’s for your assignment, Seto!”

“Hey, I think he’s got the right idea,” Jounouchi cuts in. “We won’t even have to really speak, ya know? And that works damn well for me.” The blond can almost see Kaiba’s teeth grinding in his clenched jaw.
“Fine.”

Mokuba grins. “Good. I have some extra notebooks you can use. I’ll go get them!”

Dinner breaks up soon after Mokuba gives Jounouchi a red notebook and his brother a blue one. Kaiba then retires to his room with only a goodnight to Mokuba. Jounouchi crosses his arms and holds his tongue on the matter. It’s not like he wanted a goodnight from the ice king. The blond then follows Mokuba to the TV room to watch movies.

“Hey, what was up with dinner?” Mokuba blinks at the question.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean your brother didn’t actually eat anything. It’s weird.”
“Oh, that. Seto says eating at night makes him sick, so he only has broth. I try not to worry since I know he has good meals for breakfast and lunch.”

Jounouchi frowns. Is that normal? Even Yugi and Mazaki admit to being hungry all the time. It comes with being a teenager if the teachers are to be believed. “Huh,” he manages to say in a dismissive tone to end the subject.

“Jounouchi-kun?”
“Yeah, little buddy?”
“Don’t be too hard on my brother, okay? He doesn’t act it, but he’s really sensitive.” Jounouchi can’t help a snort.
“Right.”
“I’m serious!” Mokuba huffs and puts in the DVD for Resident Evil. “You’ll see what I mean, I guess.”

Throughout the movie and his night routine, Jounouchi turns over Mokuba’s words in his mind like a puzzle he can’t figure out. Despite the cold behavior, Kaiba hadn’t really said anything to antagonize him. In the least, the brunet is mindful of his brother’s presence. Maybe Kaiba doesn’t hate him as much as he thought, because he’s pretty sure that if Kaiaba did then little brother or no little brother...

“Dammit, whatever!” Jounouchi opens his new notebook, grabs his pen from his bag, and throws himself onto the double bed.

[Dear Journal,
Okay, so there’s probably more to the guy than I know, but he’s still an ass. Enough said.]