Pairing: Seto/Jou, Yami+Yugi
Beta: Jennie B. - The angel
Chapter four"It's tomorrow."
"What?"
"Tomorrow it will have been three years."
Yugi glanced to up at his blonde friend and frowned. Since the day he had learned of Jou's 'promise', his friend had seemed even more depressed. And not even Seto seemed able to cheer him up this time. Not that the CEO was in any better mood, either. The brunette slowly ate his cereal, which came as quite a surprise to the shorter youth; he had always figured the other as the coffee-for-breakfast type.
The former pharaoh was watching the two of them carefully, reflecting on the words Shizuka and Mokuba said to him last night during their 'visit'. Yami could see them, and apparently, he was the only one. Both spirits had been so worried about their siblings’ state of mind that they had asked him for help. But, he had no idea what to do now! His plan wasn't working like it was supposed to have. After Yugi had told him about the promise Jounouchi had made, he had immediately asked Shizuka about it, and to his surprise, the girl couldn’t remember any promise. "Would you two stop?" he exclaimed in sudden exasperation. The three pair of eyes turned to him, and Yami sighed as he rubbed his temples. “You two, Jounouchi and Seto, are the most annoying, stupid pair of lovers I have ever seen!"
"Lovers?" inquired the brunette.
"Yes, lovers! And even if you don't believe in those things Seto, you and he were lovers in ancient Egypt," Yami said, suddenly coming up with a change of plans. With these two, he knew he would have to do something…more drastic.
The sound of the fork clattering on the floor drew everyone’s attention to the blonde. He quickly looked away and got up. "Excuse me."
Before anyone could say anything, the blonde had bolted from the dining room. He locked himself in his bedroom and closed his eyes, feeling his heart beating quickly inside his chest. That dream, those kisses…they had indeed been real! "I can't believe this." Seto had called him 'beloved'. Those azure eyes that had been sparkling with devotion. Jou shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. No; he had promised his sister, and Jounouchi Katsuya never went back on his promises. Ever.
----------
Seto couldn't take anymore. He had to do something! He got up and felt Jou, who was at his side, stiffen slightly, but he couldn't care less. With the confident strides befitting his position of CEO he walked to where the robbers stood with his brother. Both men simply stared at him for a moment."I thought we told everybody to lay on the fucking floor," the bulky man sneered.
"You did, but I think we can come some sort of an understanding."
"And who the fuck you think you are?" snarled the bulky man.
"Seto Kaiba. If it's money you want, I will give to you. But first, you have to let my brother go."
"So…this is your brother, huh?" the man smirked, his lips set in a cruel smile as he held even tighter to the boy. "I think this kid is more valuable than I thought."
Seto clenched his hands by his sides, his azure eyes sparkling with silent fury. "If you do anything to him, the world won't be big enough for you to hide from me."
Worried, Jou got up, sensing that the brunette was about to do something very irrational. "Kaiba…"
"Stay out of this, mutt."
The icy tone felt like a punch in the face. Still, the blonde approached stubbornly. "Don't tell me what to do, moneybags."
"You two! Shut the fuck up!" the other, slightly smaller, robber shouted nervously, pointing his gun at the blonde. He was deathly afraid; the police would be there at any minute, and the robbery was taking far too long.
Seto approached further, his desire to take that frightened look from his brother's eyes causing him to act foolishly. Startled, the skinny man moved his finger, and all hell broke loose. Everything happened so fast, it was like a blur. The bulky man shouted to his partner, who was growing more nervous by the minute. Seeing the robbers were distracted, the brunette took a chance and advanced on the man, hoping to set Mokuba free.
"Kaiba no!"
And then there was a shot. Jou closed his eyes at the sound and then…he felt something warm and soft fall against his chest. His opened his eyes and gasped as he looked down at the body of his sister in his arms. "Shizuka! Shizuka!"
"Take that, you little bitch!"
There was another shot, and Mokuba fell on Seto's arms.
"Niisama…”
"Mokuba, what were you thinking?" For the first time in his life, the blonde heard the desperation in the CEO's voice. "Why did you do that?"
"We are always there for each other…right?" The voice of the raven-haired boy came in little gasps.
"Oniichan…are you okay?"
"Shizuka…" Jou felt the tears in his eyes. He didn't fucking care about anything anymore. He had to get his sister to a hospital!
Yugi approached him, with Anzu at his side, hearing the police sirens. In all the confusion, the robbers had been knocked down by Honda and Otogi. But, neither Seto nor Jounouchi could hear or see a single thing. The most important people in their lives were slowly dying in their arms.
The blonde could feel the tears before he even opened his eyes. A loud clap of thunder echoed in the room, and soon the sound of a heavy rain could be heard.
"How ironic." Jou whispered as he sat up on the bed. He hadn’t had that dream for some time now. He took a look at the expensive room and sighed heavily. Kaiba had so much money, and for what?
I promise to never love anyone ever again…to never lose anyone ever again…omouto.Jounouchi sighed again, hearing his own voice echoing in his mind from the day after Shizuka had died, at the funeral. The blonde had stood at the brunette's side the whole time, but it was like a part of him had gone with the girl. And it was on that day that he would close himself off emotionally. He would be cold and aloof like Seto; he would never love anyone again, so he would never again have to go through what he was feeling. As he took the CEO's hands in his, he promised that he would look after Seto for Mokuba. He made his promises on both siblings’ graves because after having lost two of the people he loved most in his short life, he felt that such actions would be the only way to make that heart-wrenching pain go away.
"This isn't working anymore," Jou said to no one in particular. He got out of bed and left the room, heading downstairs to look for the other occupants of the house. The rain echoed loudly in the huge mansion, and as he approached the living room, he heard Yami saying something to his other half.
"Did you put the collar there as I told you to, aibou?"
"Yeah, but I still don't understand how this is gonna help Jou-kun and Seto-kun."
"In time Yugi…in time."
"But, are you sure no one is gonna steal the collar?"
"Oh, they won't."
"What the fuck you two are planning?" the blonde shouted as he entered the living room.
"Jou-kun!" Yugi looked like a deer caught in the headlights.
"It's for your own good, Jou," Yami said, obviously unaffected by the blonde’s raving.
"And since when is my good it's your business, Yami? This all started with that whole 'duel' thing! You're sticking your nose into something that’s not your concern!"
"You and Seto are my friends, and I want you two to be happy!"
"I will never be happy with Seto!"
"Really?"
The familiar voice made Jou freeze. He turned around and looked at the pair of blue eyes that were staring at him. Yami took that as his cue to leave the room, and he and Yugi slipped out without being noticed by either teen.
Seto crossed his arms and continued to stare at Jou. His voice sounded harsh.
"You hate me that much, Jou?"
"It's not that…I…"
"What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue…mutt?"
The blonde gasped. The acidic tone cut straight to his heart. His hurt overriding all rational thought, he refused to back down from the taunt. "No…I just don't have anything to say to you, you prick."
"Oh, we’re back to the good, old names. How I’ve missed them." The mocking tone was evident, but Seto couldn't help it himself; he had been wounded by the blonde words.
"I can revive others as well, moneybags!"
"You have no imagination, idiot?"
"Mokuba was so stupid to protect you!" the blonde shouted angrily.
"So was your sister!"
"Oh yeah? Well, you want to know the truth, Kaiba Seto?"
"As if you would know the truth!" Their voices were escalating in volume.
"Money is not everything in the world, and because you thought you could buy anything, they fucking died! Yeah, that’s right! It's your fault they died!"
The silence was deafening. Jou immediately regretted every word he had said when he saw the obvious pain in the other’s blue eyes. He couldn't take it anymore. "Coming here was the worst idea ever."
"So what is holding you here?"
Seto didn't move a muscle to stop Jou from leaving the mansion.
----------
The blonde ran. He had stopped his bike in a deserted parking lot and then ran, not looking where he was going. He could sense the heavy rain that was falling on his body, soaking his clothes, but he couldn't care less. He just wanted to run away. To run away forever.
Stupid Kaiba!His heart was aching so much, and he could feel the tears still burning in his eyes, tears that he thought it had dried up. His shaking hands opened the iron gates of the cemetery, and he passed through them into the silent place, walking at a fast pace. As soon as he found it, Jou fell on his knees in front of the grave, sobs wracking his body. His amber eyes gazed at the carved stones where the names of Shizuka and Mokuba were permanently etched. "I'm so sorry omouto…Mokuba. I couldn't stop the robbers, I couldn't stop Seto from acting like that, I couldn't stop myself from hurting him even more…" He trailed off when his eyes landed on something gold glowing faintly despite the darkness of the rain. He extended his hand and took the piece. "What is Yugi's collar is doing here?" He touched the half-heart, remembering what he had heard moments before.
----------
Back at the mansion, Seto had locked himself in his bedroom, and was now holding a little box on his bed. After opening it, he removed a small pendant and held it against his fingers. It was a pendant in the shape of a half-heart…just like the one Yugi had showed to Jou. He had kept it hidden since his mother had died. She used to wear it all the time, and had said that she would one day give it to Seto's wife. Why was it so similar to the one that Yami and Yugi had found in Egypt? "Everything turned out so differently, okaasan…" the brunette whispered, his fingers touching the pendant almost lovingly.
Suddenly, the pendant started to glow. And then everything faded to black.
----------
Yami had his eyes closed, and the eye of Horus began to glow powerfully on his forehead. He opened his eyes and whispered to himself, "It's time to begin healing their wounds once and for all. Both the old ones and the new ones."
TBC
