How Do You Like Me Now?

Part Seven


Mokuba had gotten the call at home just before he was about to leave
for Yugi’s house to see if Joey Wheeler had stopped by at all. Mokuba
had been a long-time fan of Joey and his band and was excited about
seeing his old friend again. But just as he was walking out the door,
the phone rang. Suddenly, Mokuba panicked and picked up the receiver,
his heart racing. Something was terribly wrong and he knew it.
“Hello?” his voice croaked.

“Mokuba? This is Yugi.”

“Yugi?” His throat was tightening. “What happened?”

“There’s been an accident. Kaiba was-- He was hit by a car.”

The blood drained from Mokuba’s face. He said nothing. He was unable
to answers vos voice was lost in his throat.

“Duke’s on his way to pick you up,” Yugi went on. “Joey found
Kaiba and called an ambulance. When they got there, he called me, Duke,
and Tristan and when we got down there, Joey told me he hadn’t called
you yet, so I called. I didn’t think it’d be a good idea for you to
drive.”

“Is Seto okay?” It was all Mokuba could manage. He had barely heard
any of the previous speech.

There was a pause on the other end and Mokuba’s stomach dropped.

“He’s-- He’s in critical condition,” came the dreaded reply.
“Several broken bones. Head trauma. He’s under continuous watch. I
think it’d be a good idea for you to be here with him.”

A couple of car honks were heard outside and Mokuba glanced outside
the window.

“Duke’s here,” Mokuba croaked to Yugi.

“Good. See you soon,” Yugi said. Mokuba hung up the phone and
ran out of the apartment, leaping into Duke’s jet-black car and said
nothing as the other started up and they sped down the road. Duke
seemed to respect the silence and said nothing as well as he drove down
the dark streets, the lights passing over them quickly, illuminating
their worried expressions as they sped toward the hospital. They made
the trip in silence until Duke pulled up in front letting Mokuba out
before he parked himself. Mokuba took the south elevators to the third
floor as Duke had instructed before letting him out and arrived in a
waiting room guarded by two burly, suited men.

“Mokuba!” came a familiar voice from the waiting room. The two
men parted and Yugi stepped between them. Mokuba could see Tristan
seated on a couch inside, but his would-be excitement was overridden by
his concern for his elder brother.

“Yugi, where is he?” he asked, tears threatening to fall.

“In there,” Yugi gestured. “His condition has stabilized. He’s
resting now.”

Mokuba nodded once and raced across the hall and into the room
Yugi had indicated. When he entered, he found a long-haired young man
sitting in a chair next to a white hospital bed. It took a moment for
him to realize that it was Joey.

“Hey kid,” the blonde greeted softly. He stood up and put a
gentle hand on the other’s shoulder and pushed him forward slightly.
Mokuba walked hesitantly to the hospital bed and sat down on the chair
Joey had occupied moments before. It was a moment before the
raven-haired man found the courage to raise his eyes to the bed.

Seto Kaiba hardly looked like himself. His skin was terribly
pale where it was not bruised and swollen beyond recognition. Casts and
braces were fitted onto his body. Both legs and his right arm
apparently broken, a brace around his neck and another around his ribs.
An oxygen mask had been placed over his mouth and a steady, mechanical
beeping rang out in the otherwise silent room. Mokuba could no longer
hold back his tears.

“Seto…”

“I’m sorry kid,” Joey said. “I-- This is my fault.”

Mokuba looked up at him. The blonde was staring at the
unconscious man on the bed, his eyes heavily glazed over. “What do you
mean?”

“I-- I scared him I guess,” Joey replied. “He took off running
and…” He closed his eyes, a pair of droplets snaking their way down his
face. “I should’ve stopped him… I should’ve… done something…”

“Joey…” Mokuba said. “No… Don’t blame yourself. This isn’t your
fault.”

Joey said nothing in reply. He simply continued watching Kaiba’s
motionless form, more tears shimmering in his eyes. Mokuba also lowered
his gaze, searching his brother’s face any sign of consciousness. But
there was none.


****

There was a bright fire burning in the fireplace, black smoke
engulfing the richly decorated room. Seto Kaiba opened one of the large
windows, the sharp winter air blasting in and ending his papers flying.
He dropped to his knees, scrambling to catch them before they escaped
their burning fate. He crushed them into a large ball before throwing
it into the smoking flames. Just then, the door flew open and in
stepped a gangly blonde figure.

“Kaiba? What the hell’re you doin’?”

Kaiba ceased his crazed panic to stare up at him. “This is all
your fault!” he snarled.

“Me?” Joey blinked, highly insulted by the other’s accusation.
“What’re you talking about? This?” He heldwhatwhat Kaiba had not
noticed in his hand before. A newspaper, a tabloid. A picture of him
and Joey Wheeler that bore the headline, “Seto Kaiba’s secret gay
affair!”

“Give me that!” the CEO shrieked, snatching the paper aw from him
and throwing it into the smoking fire with the others.

“Hey, that had some good pictures in there!” Joey pouted, winking
slightly.

“You think this is a joke?” Kaiba snarled. “Wheeler, do you
realize what this is going to do to me?”

“Kaib, relax,” Joey said, approaching the pked ked brunette..
“This ain’t gonna do nothin’ to you. Trust me.”

“Trust you? Trust you?” Kaiba raved. “I trusted you. I trusted
you to keep us a secret!”

“I did keep us a secret!” Joey replied. “I didn’t tell no one!
Someone must’ve seen us together and just assumed. But don’t worry
Kaiba, nothin’s gonna happen to you. Or us.”

“Are you insane?” Kaiba snarled. “Have you ever heard the word
‘blackmail’?” His blue eyes were quivering with panic, his pupils small
and shaking. His skin was pale and his hands were trembling
uncontrollably.

“Kaib,” Joey began. “Seto, you need to calm down. Sit on the
couch,
take a deep breath, and let’s talk about this.” He began walking toward
the distraught CEO again but stopped when Kaiba shot a death glare his
way.

“We can’t have this,” the brunette sed. ed. “I can’t have this!
This
is going to ruin me!” His eyes had glazed over and Joey could not help
but wonder if Kaiba even saw him anymore. “Not only do my rivals know
I’m gay… They know my partner too!” He began pacing back ad forth
quickly, showing no signs that he was aware of Joey’s presence at all.
“Not only is my partner a guy… But an unknown guy…”

“Kaib--”

“Unknown! Some stray mutt picked up off the street…”

“Kaib!”

“A no one… common person… What will the executives say…?”

“Seto!”

“What?” The CEO stopped and whirled to face him, his eyes bulging
out of his skull, sweat dripping down the sides of his head.

“Kaib, you do know I’m standin’ right here, don’t you?”

Kaiba said nothing. He simply stared at the blonde with a raging
look in his eyes. Joey was mildly surprised that he was not foaming at
the mouth.

“Kaib, listen,” Joey began again. “I know you’re upset. I know
people’re gonna use that against you. But come on, how long do you
think it’s gonna last? Did you see the other stories in that tabloid?
‘Aliens Sent Leprechauns to Steal the Colors of the Rainbow’? Come on
now.”

Still Kaiba aid nothing. He continued staring.

“I don’t want this to hurt us,” Joey continued, lowering his
voice. “I love you Seto. I don’t wanna lose you.”

The blue eyes narrowed dangerously. “Get out,” he growled. “Get
out of my house. I don’t want to see you again. Ever.”

Joey felt like something had plunged into his chest and ripped
his heart out. “Wha-- Wha--- What?”

“You heard me,” Kaiba’s voice was quiet and threatening. “I don’t
want to see you again. We’re through, Wheeler. We’re through.” He
turned his back to the other, studying the hot flames reflected in the
window glass.

Joey’s eyes stung and there was nothing he could do to hold the
tears back. They fell down his cheeks and his chin trembled.

“You-- You don’t mean that,” the blonde sobbed.

“I do. We can’t love each other anymore.”

Joey held onto the wall to prevent himself from collapsing onto the
floor in sorrow. How-- How could Kaiba say that? How-- How could--? He
sobbed again but he could no longer bear to be in the same room with
the rabid brunette. He slinked out the door, closing it behind him.
Maybe after a few days, Kaiba would return to hismal mal self and the
two could be together again…?