Only In My Dreams

Chapter Six: A Song of Storm and FireKatsuya ran. There was no particular reason for it. He just ran. What started as an uneasy truce turned into a fierce and hot kiss.

He couldn't believe it. He just admitted to both himself and his social worker that he preferred guys to girls. He knew that he was kinda, sorta, maybe attracted to Kaiba. And then, when Kaiba, whose appearance just qualified for the worst timing ever award, came to bury the hatchet for the sake of their younger siblings' relationship, Katsuya kissed him. He didn't like what was happening to him.

That's not to say that he didn't enjoy the kiss. He just didn't like not having control of it. It felt like his body was moving without orders from his brain. Why was that?

He needed to talk to someone... and fast.

Seto, on the other hand, was utterly confused. He knew that he liked Jounouchi. In fact, that was his first kiss (that doesn't include those dream kisses) ... if he were one to treasure something like that. And something inside of him wanted him to treasure it. It was with Jounouchi after all. He knew that there was some sort of reaction as Seto felt the blond kissing back.

As much as he loved the kiss (and he did love that kiss), he didn't want to send the blond the wrong message. Scratch that. Seto didn't want to pursue him at this moment. They have been antagonists for so long. To change from antagonist straight to lovers would ... to be honest, he didn't know what it would do. What if Jounouchi wasn't gay? He could take what he has to the press. Seto could deny it. But just the mention of the G word could have reverberations well into the future. The CEO was sure that he could weather the storm.

There was a question of whether Jounouchi was gay but not interested in him. If that was the case, he seriously would regret the former animosity between them. But, then again, they could work out something now that Mokuba and Jounouchi's sister were going out.

There was a slim possibility that Jounouchi was interested in him. But if that were true, why would he run? That is why he didn't want to kiss him now.

Seto needed some time to think things through before proceeding. He never wanted anyone in a romantic way before and that kiss, though unexpected and delicious, gave him something he never had.... hope for a relationship.

The myriad of possibilities swarmed about in Seto's head. Rather than think about it at this time, he decided to head back to his office. Calling his vice-president on his cell phone, he told her that he was heading back and to meet him there. The CEO decided to walk back to KaibaCorp to dwell on the Jounouchi matter.

Katsuya walked around, looking for the gang. He had calmed down considerably after that kiss. Although, every once in a while, he unconsciously put his finger on his lips. He could still feel the pressure that Kaiba's lips. He could also still feel the heat from Kaiba. It was all too confusing.

Katsuya found the gang at the arcade portion of Kaibaland. It seems that Anzu and Bri-kun were playing Dance, Dance Revolution. The rest of the gang were standing around the machine watching the two of them hit the steps at the correct time. It seemed as if they were both like water or something. Graceful didn't even cover it. It seems, the blond realized, that the gang took to his social worker not like an adult but someone who was like a friend. It warmed his heart and thanked whatever power that allowed the silver-braided man to be his social worker profusely. Taking a deep breath so as not to reveal the inner turmoil inside of him, Katsuya walked over to the gang.

Honda was the first to noticed his best friend. "Hey, man, where the hell have you been?"

"Oh, I was just talking with Kaiba." He said, congratulating himself on not being shaky when he said that.

"What the hell were you doing with that jerk?" was the response that Honda returned. Yuugi also turned around, curious as to why the two of them were talking. "Yeah, Jou-kun. Why were you talking with Kaiba?"

Mokuba looked at Katsuya. What did he and his brother discuss? Did it have something to do with him and Shizuka? Were they going to prevent them from seeing each other or have they both accepted their relationship? Seto already said that he was going to stop bothering Jounouchi-san.

"We decided that we were calling a truce." Katsuya told everyone.

Brittinia, after hearing that, turned around just a bit to lose his concentration on the game. He missed a step and caused him to lose the game against Anzu. She cheered in victory and hugged her boyfriend. The silver-braided adult, gracious in defeat, smiled at the dancer. "Good job, Anzu-san."

He then walked towards Katsuya. The blond then unconsciously put his finger on his lips. Brittinia noticed that and cocked his head in puzzlement. "So you and Kaiba-san buried the hatchet?" he asked.

Katsuya smiled. "Yeah. I mean, it was getting old."

Yuugi smiled at him. "I am glad for you, Jou-kun. It's good to see that you two will finally get along."

"Well, I wouldn't go that far." With that joke, the surprise diffused. "It's just like a ceasefire." Everyone just started laughing. It was just the thing that the two would do.

The day ended much sooner than anyone wanted. Yuugi decided that he would walk Anzu home. Mokuba called a chauffeur from his brother's company to take Shizuka to her and Jounouchi's apartment. Honda took the bus back to his house. That left Jounouchi and Brittinia. The silver-braided social worker offered to take the blond home.

Inside Bri-kun's red and black 4x4, Katsuya recounted what happened after their talk, which wasn't much. The blond, however, did not mention the kiss but kept touching his lips. "So we talked about allowing Shi-chan and Mokuba-san to see each other and calling an end to our fighting. I'm sort of glad. It was sort of childish."

"When I was a child, I spake like a child, I understood like a child, I thought like a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things." Brittinia quoted. "It seems like you have put away something that was holding you back."

"That was very profound, Bri-kun." Katsuya smirked. "Are you waxing poetic?"

Brittinia ignored that and continued. "Did anything else happened?"

"Why would you think that?"

"You keep touching your lips." The man noted. Katsuya blushed.

"You aren't going to be mad at me?" He asked, twiddling his fingers.

"You already confessed to me about your preferences and I didn't get mad."

"Well," the blond began, hesitation in his voice. "After we called a truce, we shook hands on it. When I touched his hand, there was something that I couldn't describe. It was like my body got hot all of a sudden. I remember it feeling wonderful. I mean, not even three days ago, I hated that guy. But now this, and I don't know."

"You felt something when he held your hand. Was it different from Mai-san?"

"Absolutely. With Mai, it was like if I was holding a friend's hand. But when I held Kaiba's hand in my own...." He paused, trying to find the right word for it. "I don't know. It was just amazing."

"Something else happened, didn't it." It was less a question and more of a statement.

"Well, it was like I wasn't in my body. I felt myself moving closer to him and staring into his eyes. It was so blue." He sighed, knowing that the climax of the story was coming. "Before I realized it, I kissed him... or he kissed me. There was a bunch of kissing involved. It was nothing like my dreams."

"I see." His social worker responded. "How did it feel?"

"Intense... It's not my first kiss, but it felt like the whole world disappeared and it was just the two of us."

"So you liked it. Is there a problem with that?"

"I didn't want to kiss him now." The blond noticed that he seemed to be sighing much as of late. "I just gotten used to the fact that I may like him and this happens. I am such an idiot."

"Why do you say that?"

"I'm 16 years old, Bri-kun. I don't have any idea..." He tapered off on that thought.

"About what?"

Katsuya turned away, looking outside the window of the car, watching everything pass by him. Everyone seemed to be moving about without a care to his dilemma. He envied that. He didn't want to be encumbered with this. He wanted his relationship to Kaiba, as strange as it was, to remain static. If Kaiba wanted to fight, it made things so much easier. He was so used to it that now the destruction of that threatened the axis of his entire thought process. "You're married, right?" He asked, going off topic.

"I am." His social worker responded. "I have a wife and two daughters."

"How is it that you know you love your wife?"

"Love isn't something you can analyze. It's something you feel. You know it instinctively. The heart doesn't lie." Brittinia turned his attention to his charge... well as much as he could while still paying attention to the road. "Why did you change the topic? What don't you have an idea about?"

Katsuya blushed profusely. "Sex." He whispered.

He couldn't help but chuckle. "I can't help you there. I have no idea how sex between two men works but, obviously, there is the one who gives and the one who receives."

"What is my role?" He wondered whether or not he would be the bottom or the top in a relationship.

"Katsuya-kun, the last thing that you should worry about is sex." The silver-braided man told him. "You should, however, decide whether or not you wish to pursue this relationship with Kaiba-san. One day, just pull him aside and see if he wants a relationship. If he says yes, then you can move on from there. If he says no, then at least that will be one albatross you can remove from your neck."

"I'm nervous." Katsuya told him in all honesty. "I'm nervous if he says yes and I'm nervous if he says no. And if he says yes, what sort of relationship will I have with him."

The car stopped, reaching Katsuya's apartment complex. However, the blond made no motion to leave, expecting an answer from the person he considered his father. He realized what stopped him from pursuing a relationship with Kaiba, fear. He was afraid of the change that it would bring. "But... about being gay..." He didn't know how to finish that sentence and stopped there. Katsuya was afraid of being gay and what that entailed.

"Gay rights has progressed since I was your age. In the 1960, it was thought to be a mental disease to be homosexual. No one talked about it. Gays and lesbians were persecuted by both the scientific community and the religious community. It wasn't until the 1970s that homosexuality was taken out of the DSM. From there, the media started to portray gay characters... albeit in a extremely flamboyant manner. It forced the public to acknowledge openly their existence. That, coupled with the gay pride movement, helped make homosexuality more accepted. There have been gay politicians and sports players. There are still some strides that have to be made. But understand this, Katsuya-kun, being gay will virtually become a non-issue someday."

"Why?"

"The younger generation is going to grow up maybe knowing a gay person and become their friend, co-worker, or idol or maybe realize that they like the same gender. It's not going to bother them."

"So am I a gay man? Should I be marching in those parades?" Katsuya asked with a smirk on his face.

"You shouldn't let liking men to define you, 'I'm gay' or 'I'm straight'. I think you should think that whomever you like, man or woman, doesn't change who you are."

Katsuya sort of understood what his social worker was saying. He shouldn't think of himself as gay, per se. He should acknowledge that he liked Kaiba, who happened to be a guy. "But what about relationships with others? How should I handle that?" the blond asked.

"If you don't mind, allow me to philosophize for a bit." Brittinia smiled. "If I do that, then you'll understand something, hopefully." He took a deep breath and began. "Aristotle believe that there were three types of relationships: utility, pleasure and complete. A utility relationship is one of mutual benefit, regardless of whether or not those two people enjoy it. A pleasure relationship is just the opposite; it's one of mutual enjoyment regardless if those people gain anything out of it. Finally, there is a complete relationship. It contains both utility and pleasure relationships but does not exist because of them."

Katsuya knew he was being told a "facts of life" lesson. It sure as hell beat the "Birds and the Bees" discussion with his real father, which went into graphic detail about sticking what in where and doing this to that. He listened to the social worker.

"A utility relationship is one of choice and reason." Brittinia continued. "The two of you choose to have this relationship and you both gain something out of it. Let's take you and Kaiba-san for example. For the sake of argument, let's say that in your relationship, you gain wealth and social status and Kaiba-san gains normality and stability. Whether or not both of you enjoy the relationship is irrelevant."

"Aside for the fact that I don't care about his money and stuff, what's so bad about a utility friendship?" He asked.

"Because the two of you just give the other what they need, it essentially boils down to robotics. There is no spark that makes it worthwhile. Have you ever seen couples who stay together just because it's convenient? That's utility." The social worker turned to Katsuya. "I know you, Katsuya-kun. You have a powerful fire about you. You would never like a relationship like that."

Katsuya could only nod. A utility relationship did sound boring. He didn't mind putting in something towards a relationship with anyone, especially Kaiba. But he knew he was no robot. He was a free spirit. Hopefully, should he pursue a relationship with Kaiba, he would appreciate that.

"What about pleasure relationships?"

"A pleasure relationship is one of passion and emotion. It's dark, instinctual, animalistic. It is something that hormones dictates. It will make the two of you wild, sexual beings. It will be all about the sex, however that works out for you. However, the downside to that is that when that spark, that passion is gone, there is nothing left. Passion is a fire that can be beneficial when used rightly. But, if the fire consumes everything, you are left with a burnt husk. Erotic love cannot survive on passion alone."

Katsuya didn't want that either. Obviously, he didn't want a stoic Kaiba as a boyfriend. But now, after the discussion on pleasure relationships, he didn't want a Kaiba that was all about sex. "So you are saying that the best relationship is a complete one."

"That's right. A complete relationship transcends both passion and reason, utility and pleasure. It is both of those things and so much more. It does not exist solely on reason and neither does it exist solely on passion. A complete relationship can even cause people to deny something that they like for the sake of the other. They are willing to sacrifice for each other and they love each other for their own sake, not because they gain something out of it or they find the other's company pleasurable." Brittinia put a fatherly hand on Katsuya's head. "Aim for a complete relationship, Katsuya-kun. Everything else, after that, will fall into place. Even should you never have sex, you'll be happy."

Katsuya smiled brilliantly at the man who took many roles in his life: social worker, friend, mentor and father. He was lucky that he had this guy in his life. The man who gave him life... screw him. He could rot in hell for all he cared. But Tranae Brittinia, this guy was the father-figure he desperately needed. "I think I understand a bit of what you are saying."

"Like I said before, you should tell your friends and your sister about your feelings towards Kaiba-san. You'll feel better when you do. Trust me. Remember what I always told you: Think, decide, then act on it."

Katsuya shook the social worker's hand and exited the car. His heart felt so much lighter. Waving goodbye to the car, the blond walked to the door that led inside the complex where he lived.

Tranae Brittinia drove towards KaibaCorp and parked outside the street. There was something that he needed to do.

Sakura Nicola was doing some paperwork on a future merger when her intercom buzzed. The front desk receptionist called her and told her that a man, Tranae Brittinia, wanted to see her. She told the person on the other line to let him come to her office. With that conversation over, she finished up her paperwork. She looked around and saw that things were a bit out of order. This merger was really turning out to be a hassle but it would be worth it to bring in a half billion in revenue.

The door opened and in came a man in a casual t-shirt, jeans and silver braids for hair. That was her husband. Before she could give an invitation, he sat down at the other side of the desk. "What brings you here, Bri-kun?" There was a weary tone to her voice.

"I need to speak with Kaiba-san." He told her.

"Kaiba? But why?"

Brittinia was always honest with his wife and that didn't change now. "I need to talk to him about a kid of mine."

"A Jounouchi Katsuya-san?" She responded, knowing something of what was happening.

"How did you know?" He asked.

She sighed. Nicola knew that if he told her husband, she would be betraying her boss's confidence. That could land her out on the street and could become blackballed. She decided to respond as obliquely as possible. "Let's just say that the dynamics between those two has changed significantly."

He didn't understand where she was getting at, but that wasn't the point. "May I speak with him?"

"Well, two things. One, he hasn't come back from KaibaLand. Two, he probably would throw you out before you even spoke two words."

"I'll take that risk. Can you arrange something?"

Nicola put a hand on her head and sighed. "Why are you going to such lengths for a foster child? I mean, he isn't your only case but he is the one to whom you invest so much of your time and attention."

Brittinia chuckled lightly. "Because, as strange as it sounds, I consider Katsuya-kun not just another kid, but my kid, a kid just as if he were born to us like Reina and Andrea." He said, mentioning his name alongside their daughters.

Nicola's eyes softened. "I allow you to get into his office. Make your point fast or else we both could get in trouble." He nodded and the two of them headed to Kaiba's office.

Kaiba Seto, meanwhile, just arrived at his company, ready to finish up the work that he was doing before the field trip to Kaibaland. His walk back gave him some time to think. He realized what was holding him back from pursuing this relationship, his demeanor. He prided himself on controlling every aspect of his life. He controlled his day, his company and his feelings. Nothing in Kaiba's world was askew. Along came this ... the only word that describes is crush ... and now his world is turned on its axis, and he was glad. But Seto was still unwilling to lose control, because that would be the result of him pursuing a relationship with Jounouchi. He wouldn't be able to control the blond or himself and the thought was both a relief and a frightening prospect. The worst thing that came to mind was "what would his brother think"? His brother had come to respect him as a loving, yet domineering figure. He knew the little scamp idolized him. Would he continue to do so if he turned out to like men?

As he made his way to the office, Seto was still on the fence about what to do about the Jounouchi situation. As he opened the door to his office, he noticed a familiar figure leaning against his desk. From that moment, all thoughts of his dilemma went out the window and an anger washed over him. "Any last words as I call security." He deadpanned as he pulled out his cell phone. He was about to hit a memory dial number when that figure spoke.

"Hear me out before you do that. I wish to talk to you about Jounouchi Katsuya."

Seto stopped. He certainly didn't expect that. He took a closer look at the figure and realized it that guy that Jounouchi was dueling at Kaibaland. "Who are you and how do you know Jounouchi?"

"My name is Tranae Brittinia. I am his social worker." The figure introduced himself.

Seto was confused on several levels. He didn't know that Jounouchi had a social worker. That would mean that his parents weren't able to provide for him. Was this guy some sort of messenger for the blond? Was he trying to achieve his own agenda? What was going on? "Did he send you here?" The CEO spat.

"He doesn't know that I'm here. I've come out of my own will."

"What is this about Jounouchi?" Seto asked.

"What are you planning to do?"

"Excuse me?" The social worker wasn't being clear to Seto and it bugged him.

"I know about the kiss."

Seto was stunned. He didn't tell anyone about the kiss: Not Mokuba, not Sakura. Yet this guy knew. That could only mean that Jounouchi told him. But why? What did this mean? But, then the social worker's question made sense. Why else would he asked what was Seto's plan! He put his cell phone away.

"That's none of your business." He was being defensive. Seto realized that. But the idea that there was hope for him yet unnerved him.

"Perhaps." The silver-braided man sighed. "But there seems to be a storm about you. You are conflicted."

"Please stop playing psychoanalyst on me." Kaiba retorted

"I can't tell you what to do. But, if I am reading you correctly, you are probably considering the possibility of a relationship."

"And how do you know that?"

"Just a feeling." The silver-braided man turned away from Seto, not wanting to face him. "I really feel bad going behind my kid's back. But, I feel that he will not be able to progress if he continues to distress over this. You may not know this but his father died about two months ago. He drank himself to death... literally. When he died, his case came to my office. No one wanted a teenager for 2 years and group homes were out of the question so we helped him emancipate himself. He was plagued by the horrors of that man, thinking that he would grow up to be like him. Katsuya-kun has made some progress of getting away from the shadow of his father due in part to his own natural resilience, his friends, and his sister. However, now this happens and it changes the dynamics in his life."

"You think he's the only one who's had a tough life?" Seto asked, indignant that this man came to him with the sob story of Jounouchi.

"Absolutely not, Kaiba-san. I know the person who handled your case file. In the fifteen years that I worked at the Ministry of Social Services, I have never seen anyone fight so aggressively for custody, much less a fourteen-year-old both who was also fighting to be emanicipated."

"If you put your mind to it, anything is possible." Seto said, a certain calmness honeyed his voice. "When I put my chips in a pile, I expect to win. I don't aim to lose."

"And it worked. The ministry acquiesced. My boss was amazed at the way that you handled yourself. I know my colleague makes his usual visits once a month and he is still surprised with the developmental growth of Mokuba-san. You've really proved yourself."

"You didn't come all this way to flatter me." Seto retorted, wanting the social worker to get to his point.

"All business, I see. Fine." The silver-braided man took out a piece of paper and swiped a pen from his desk. He scribbled something quickly and handed the piece of paper to Seto. "This is Katsuya-kun's number. I cannot tell you how to handle this situation and I am sure that Katsuya-kun would respect whatever decision you make. However, I do ask that you do not string him along. Think about it, long and hard, then call him. You two should decide what is best for you."

"What happens when he realizes that you gave me his number?"

"I doubt that it will come to that. If anything, he'll think that Mokuba-san gave you the number. Even if he does, I hope that he would understand that I am doing this for his own benefit, to allow him to come face to face with what he needs to do in order to progress. Either way allows him to continue but stagnation will call him to falter."

Seto pocketed the paper. "Why are you doing this?"

"I want to help my kid. He was distressed today after confessing to me what happened. He thought that I would hate him because of this. That couldn't be further from the truth." The social worker sighed. "I don't want to play match-maker for him. That's not my intention. I just want him to be happy, however he determines that definition to be. I can't imagine what you must be feeling. Obviously, it is much more than Katsuya-kun as you also have your public image to maintain. I understand that you have a multi-billion dollar company and that your reputation could be threatened by this. However, do know that I am sure that Katsuya-kun will understand whatever you decide if you are totally honest with him." The social worker moved towards the door. "Thank you for your time, Kaiba-san."

Seto turned to the social worker. "What would you have me do?"

"Think, decide, then act on it." With that, Tranae Brittinia walked out of the office and headed to the elevator. He hit the down button on the control panel. The door opened, he went through and the door closed behind him.

After that unexpected encounter, he went to his desk and hit the intercom button. It buzzed, signaling that the connection has been made. "Sakura, my office, now." The command was terse. Seto knew that Sakura would be here immediately.

No less than thirty seconds passed when she came into his office. In her hands was a box, presumably packed with her belongings. She put the box down and faced Seto, a somber look in her green eyes.

"You let him in, didn't you?" It wasn't a question. It was a statement. They both knew the answer.

"Yes." She didn't bother to explain it away. She told him the truth. "He came to my office and asked to set up a meeting with you. When I asked what this was about, he told me that it was concerning a kid of his. He didn't specify but based on the knowledge I already had, I concluded that this had something to do with that guy that Brittinia was dueling, Jounouchi Katsuya-san. "

"And then, you allowed him to come into my office, even knowing that I would find out about your involvement and possibly fire you."

"Yes. He wanted to talk to you about him. I don't know what his intentions were, but I do know that he's a very noble man. He sees something wrong or something should be done and he deals with it. I trust him completely."

"He's your husband, huh." Seto deduced. "Why don't you two have the same last name or something?"

"It's a strange issue, to say the least. But I doubt that you have an interest in it."

Seto motioned towards a chair next to his desk. "Sit." Sakura did so. "Do you know what's going to happen to you?"

His vice-president's eyes were downcast. "I don't know."

Seto moved across the desk and sat in his own seat. There was an air of tension with this scene. It showed that Seto had the power and Sakura didn't. It felt as if there were invisible wires that surrounded the woman, making her feel as if something bad was going to happen. And she knew that if he decided to let her go, it was warranted. She took a big risk allowing her husband to make the meeting. She would accept the punishment as an adult.

"You needn't tender your resignation." Seto told her. All of a sudden, the tension diffused, turning into ether. "Actually, that talk helped me with my own feelings. However, this had better be the last time that this happens."

Sakura nodded. She wanted to say thank you but it seemed as if Seto would reject it, saying that he didn't want her thanks or she was too important to let go at this time. She also didn't want to rise from her chair as she didn't know if he was going to say something else. "What would you have me do now, sir?" She asked.

Seto sighed and leaned back into his chair. "You do realized that..."

"This conversation never leads the room." Sakura finished for him. Seto nodded

"After I gave you orders to meet me at the administration room, I talked with Jounouchi's sister. I explained that I would not interfere with her and my brother's relationship. Then I went to find Jounouchi. I told him what I told his sister and that I wanted to call a truce. We shook on it and ..." Seto paused for about a space, contemplating what had transpired.

"I kissed him."

Sakura was shocked. She would have never thought that Seto would make such a bold move. He would have thought that the other boy would have made the first move but she supposed wrong. "Why?"

"I can't answer that myself. It just seemed like that scene required a kiss to end it. And truth be told, I enjoyed it."

"And now?"

"After the kiss ended, he ran away. I was confused. It wasn't the message I wanted to send him. I thought that he didn't like me. But then, if he didn't, why did he kiss back? I found no satisfactory answer."

"So you walked back to the office to sort your feelings."

"I realized that I was afraid of losing control. Sakura, I prided myself on being the boss and having my entire life in my hands, an immovable rock in a rushing river. Then, along comes that blond and suddenly, I wanted to let go and allow the currents to take me wherever."

"You shouldn't think of it as losing control." Sakura told him in a motherly fashion. "In fact, you should even think of control. That's not what a relationship is about, Seto-san." She felt a bit confident using his given name now that she knew that she wasn't in danger of being fired.

"Then the conversation with your husband put things in perspective."

"So, you've decided?" She asked, curious to know.

"What would you do in my situation?"

Sakura smiled. "You shouldn't think about what I would do or what anyone else but you would do in this situation. If you do, you lose your identity. Then, it's not you who makes the decision based on your own needs, wants, and abilities but someone else."

Seto smirked. "These are certainly uncharted waters."

Sakura Nicola rose from her seat. "Uncharted waters is your specialty. You turned a multi-million dollar military weapons company into a gaming industry all on your own. The experts on the media market watch always said that this was a bad move and that the company would go under but you proved them wrong. You turned this company into a behemoth that is the single largest employer in Domino and one of the top three employers in the country. This relationship business is nothing. You'll succeed in this like with every other endeavor."

Seto looked at the woman that served as his vice-president and personal secretary. She was right. "I think I'll call him tonight."

Sakura nodded. "So, now what?"

"Go home, Sakura. I want you bright and early tomorrow."

She winked saucily at Seto. "Of course, Seto-kun." She picked up the box with her belongings and exited his office.

Seto gathered his stuff and prepared to go home as well. He was going to use the number that he got from the social worker tonight.

Katsuya took out his keys as he was heading towards his door. Inserting the correct key into the lock engaged the tumblers which allowed the door to unlock. He walked through the door. He noticed that the Kaiba mat was gone. Shizu-chan must have put it somewhere. Did that mean that Mokuba-san was here? He walked towards the living area and saw her sister sitting on the couch, watching television. She turned around and greeted her brother. Katsuya reciprocated.

"Is Mokuba-san here?" Katsuya asked.

"Well, he did walk me back to the apartment. Then he saw the mat again and there was a look in his eye. So I put it in the closet. Onii-chan, can we get a new welcome mat?"

Without realizing anything, he agreed to what she wanted. He didn't care about the mat. He had other things on his mind. He was trying to find the right words to say to his sister. He wasn't the word smith in the group. He was the heart. He took a deep breath. "I need to talk to you about something important."

Shizuka turned to look at her brother. Something inside her told her that this was going to be an important conversation. She nodded and motioned for her brother to sit down and join her. He did so and took her hand. Shizuka couldn't help the nervousness that washed over her. She just felt that whatever Katsu-chan was going to say was going to change their dynamics.

"Before I tell you what I am about to say, understand that I still love you, no matter what. I really don't know if you will hate me when I tell you this but I just cannot live without telling you the truth." Katsuya took a really deep, audible breath. "I think I am in love with Kaiba Seto."

Honestly, Shizkua did not expect that. She was shocked and didn't even bother to hide it. She couldn't even formulate the words to repsond to her brother's shocking confession. In fact, shocking wasn't even a strong enough word. "Wow, wow, wow..." She kept saying wow over and over again.

"Shizu-chan?" Katsuya whispered tentatively. "Are you going to be okay?"

"How long?" Her words were barely over a breath.

"Huh?"

"How long did you know?" She asked.

"I don't know. I would think that it was just before you came. I started having dreams about Kaiba. At first, it was strange that I was dreaming about a guy that I hated. Then, the dreams become more..." He didn't know how to say the word.

"Romantic?"

Katsuya nodded. It wasn't the word that he would have used. The word would have been 'sexual'. "Yeah. I didn't understand it at first. I couldn't believe it at the time. So I tried to prove my dreams wrong. I went out with Mai."

"In order to do what?"

"I tried to prove to myself that I was straight. In fact, the date went well. But, when I went to kiss her ... I don't know ... I didn't feel anything. I don't think Mai felt anything either because we realized that nothing beyond friendship was going to happen."

"That would explain why you were testy when Yuugi-san and I brought up your date with Mai-san."

"I wouldn't say testy. I just didn't know how to feel that morning. I felt bad for using Mai. I put it behind me. Then, after that duel with Bri-kun, we went to talking about what happened last night. Somehow, he realized that I had feelings for Kaiba and got me to at least admit them to myself."

"You told Tranae-san before me?" She couldn't help but feel hurt with that revelation.

"I didn't plan on telling him. But it was like it just came out of me. He told me to tell everyone else so that I would feel better when it was out in the open. After that conversation, Kaiba, of all people, shows up and wants to bury the hatchet. I mean, we've been going at it since as far as I can remember and now he wants to call a truce. I had no idea what to say. He was like 'Your sister and my brother are in a relationship now. We shouldn't let our feelings interfere with that.' I was like, okay, and we shook on it. Then, it was like I was looking at him and he was looking at me. And then..."

Shizuka was hooked on Jounouchi's every word. "What happened next?"

"Well, I can't explain it even now but I kissed him." Katsuya reminisced, touching his lips as he did. "It was everything that I was looking for in a kiss. It was wonderful, intense and all those things. It was nothing like when I kissed Mai-san. And then, I ran away."

"Why? I thought you said that you liked "

"I don't know. I just felt like everything was spiraling out of control. I couldn't handle the fact that I just kissed a guy that I thought I hated not two days ago. So, when I was discussing what happened with Bri-kun when he was driving me home, he told me not to think of myself as gay or whatever. He told me that I should just think of myself as liking Kaiba, who happens to be a guy."

"But what happens if he's not gay or if he doesn't want a relationhip?" Shizuka asked.

"Then at least I'll know. But I just wanted you to know. I hate keeping stuff from you."

Shizuka was moved to hug her brother. The two stayed in that embrace for a space. "Onii-chan, I could never hate you. I'll admit that this is shocking but that doesn't change that you are my brother. I love you, no matter who you like." Sparkling tears flowed from the strawberry-blond girl just as they did from the blond.

This Kodak moment was interrupted when the phone rang. Neither wanted to move from that spot. It rang again. "I think I should get that." Katsuya told her sister. It rang a third time. That's when he decided to get up and answer the phone.

"Hello!" Katsuya answered.

Seto got home right after his conversation with Sakura. He called out to one of his servants to bring Mokuba to him and made his way to the living room and sat down in his favorite chair, a blue recliner. He took out the piece of paper in his pocket and looked at the number that the social worker gave him. It belonged to Jounouchi Katsuya. He wondered if the blond was at his house right now. While he was alone with his thoughts, Seto wondered what he was going to say to him. I mean, what does one say in these situations? He could ask Mokuba but it seemed strange to ask his little brother love advice. Frankly, it just seemed that the best way to talk to Jounouchi was to be direct. That was more his style.

At that moment, Mokuba came running towards the living room. Seto could hear something akin to a stampede heading in his direction. Then the stampede suddenly stopped. The next thing he knew was the wind being knocked out of him and seeing a mess of black hair. "You're home, Nii-sama."

Seto ruffled his brother's hair. Mokuba realized that his big brother was holding onto a piece of paper. He snatched it out of Seto's hands and ran away from him while the brunet gave chase. "So what's this? Your girlfriend's number?" He taunted. He then looked at the number more closely. He realized that he knew this number. "This is Shizuka-chan's number. Why do you have her number?"

"It's Jounouchi's number as well." Seto told him.

"Jounouchi?" Mokuba asked, his grey eyes curious. "Are you guys friends now?"

Seto closed his eyes. "I like Jounouchi." He confessed, leaving nothing else that can be interpreted with his confession.

Mokuba was floored. "You like Jounouchi-san? You mean like I like Shizuka-chan?"

"Yes. I planned on calling him tonight."

"But I thought you guys didn't like each other?"

"I just realized that I liked him today when we kissed." Seto sighed, not mincing any words.

"You guys kissed today? Wow. Honestly, I would have never guessed."

"How do you feel about it?" He asked. Seto was curious to find out how his brother felt.

"You mean, 'Am I disgusted by it?' Nii-sama is still Nii-sama, whether or not you like guys."

Seto could only smirk at this revelation. He was right. The kid, although he was shocked, idolized him. "Can I have the number back now?"

Mokuba complied with his brother's request and handed over the number.

Seto went to the living room and took out his cell phone. He dialed the number given to him by the social worker. He noted that his heart was beating a little faster with each successful number punched in and it was strange. After completing the sequence of numbers, he hit the send button.

Katsuya, after getting off the phone with Honda-kun was about to get some food out of the fridge when the phone rang. It was strange. He wasn't expecting another call. Yuugi was out with Anzu and Ryou didn't have his number. The phone rang two more times and he answered.

"Hello?" Katsuya answered politely

"Jounouchi" The voice on the other end replied. Katsuya knew the voice for who it was.

"Kaiba." The blond didn't bother asking how Kaiba got the number; he was too shocked to have him talking to him in the first place.

"We need to talk about what happen today." The brunet told the person on the other end of the line.

"Yeah, we do."

And for the longest time, for all of their verbal and physical fights, neither of them knew what to say.

And that's the end of Chapter six. There are a couple of things that need explaining now.

1. The main characters are Seto and Katsuya. Whenever they are in a scene, they take preference over the other characters. The narrator will identify them by their given name and, depending on how the relationship is between characters, will address others with the appropriate honorifics. So, for example, when Katsuya is center stage in the scene, his friends will be addressed as -kun or -chan approriately. Mokuba would be referred to as Mokuba-san and his social worker, Tranae Brittinia (I follow the Japanese way of putting family names first) would be addressed as Bri-kun. As for Seto, he will refer to all of Katsuya's friends by their last names except for Shizuka, which he refers to as Shizuka-san, and Sakura Nicola, because their relation dynamics are an employer-employee one by her last name. So, if you were even a bit confused by that, this is the explanation.

2. This is a chapter about Seto and Katsuya's feelings towards each other and, as such, is a more reflective chapter dealing on issues of being gay, their former relationship and their relationship with the parent figure in their lives. With Katsuya, it was a bit easier. I've already established that Tranae Brittinia was his father figure so having Katsuya talk to him about the Seto issue was easier to write because Katsuya, in the anime and manga, is always honest with his feelings. So, it's easier to put him into the frameset that he is in this chapter, with his fear of being gay, because of that. By establishing the line of connection between social worker and charge, it makes it easier for the reader to believe that this is coming from a deep place in Katsuya's heart. However, it is much harder with Seto. He is very internal, (in fact, he has almost the same amount of internal dialogue of Yuugi in the anime which is interesting for the fact that Yuugi is the protagonist), therfore, to make it believable was nothing short of a challenge. Some authors use what I call the "PERKY YAOI WOMAN". She is the character that pushes these internal boys to go for the relationship. With many of the stories, she can get away with just about bloody murder and still not be hated by the boy she is pushing. This is the one thing that I wanted to avoid (I'll explain that in point four). In Seto's scenes with Sakura Nicola, notice that she doesn't make Seto do anything or tell him to do this and that. She listens and gives advice. However, she does know that she is the worker and is afraid of him when warranted. I wanted their dynamics to be different than Katsuya and Brittinia. Nicola is more of a body that Seto can talk to so that it isn't internal. Internal dialogue is good and all but nothing beats external dialogue and action.

3. Brittinia's discussion about being gay mimics a book that I was reading for a philosophy course. His discussion on utility, pleasure and complete relationships is the discussion my foster father had with me.

4. Seto's scene with Brittinia and then Nicola was the hardest scene to type. As I already said, Seto is an internal character and wouldn't be apprieciative of a lecture on love, especially with someone he has never personally met. He is already coming to the conclusion he likes Katsuya so I wanted to drive the point home. In other fics, these are the times where the matchmaker comes and says "You should be with Katsuya. He's a cool dude and you two would be great together." I didn't want that. As I said before, I wanted to let Seto make his own decision, even though the end result is going to be Seto/Katsuya. I will honestly say that although I am satisfied with that scene, I'm not happy with it. It could be better, I know that. I just don't know how.