Voids

Honda took his time taking Kaiba home, a sharp contrast to the hurried speed up the mountain.

"Taking your time, Hiroto-chan? You don't have much time to..."

"I don't care!" he called back to his passenger. Kaiba shrugged it off. If Hiroto wanted to take his time to be with him, who was he to argue.

They pulled up to the end of the long driveway, Honda started getting visions of what Mokuba may do or say if he saw them. He cringed, then looked to Kaiba who just stared in the direction of the mansion, seemingly thinking the same thing.

"What are you going to tell him?" Honda's question snapped Kaiba back.

"I don't know. I promised him if things worked out between me and "this person" I would tell him everything..."

"Everything?!"

"Not that!" he laughed, "Anyway, what are you going to tell..."

"I don't know either. Besides, Jounouchi knowing is enough for now I guess!"

"Which Jounouchi?" he asked callasly. This did not sound good. Kaiba watched as Honda's face reddened, only this time it wasn't so kawaii, this was anger. "I'm sorry, Hiroto-chan!"

"What do you mean by that?!"

"Hiroto-chan, please, not so loudly! And I don't know for sure he said anything to her! I just dropped him off at the train station..."

"What?! Ah, hell! Sorry, I shouldn't worry about it."

"I'm sorry."

"I think I was more worried about why you asked..."

"I don't understand." Honda could tell Kaiba was getting worried himself. He gently stroked his cheek to ensure him it was all right. As Kaiba relaxed, Honda continued.

"I was afraid you may have asked me that because you were maybe jealous of Shizuka, and please know, there's no reason to be! Or, did you say that to get me pissed at Jounouchi so you wouldn't have to be nice to him for much longer?"

"Jealous." he answered softly and very honestly.

"Do me a favor."

"Anything..."

"Lie to me! Just once!"

"Whatever for?!"

"Because, you're making me feel... well... I lied to you! This bruise, I didn't do it..."

"I know."

"Shit! What do you mean you know?! Why did you let me lie to you?!"

"You were protecting a very dear friend, one whom I owe a great deal." he took Honda into his arms and hugged him tightly. He tried to make the final "goodnight kiss" move until a rustling sound jolted them both.

"Squirrels? Tell me you have dogs, right? Cats maybe..." Kaiba shushed him and moved toward the bushes the noise was coming from. Honda stayed back, and watched as Kaiba's face melted into three shades of white.

"What the hell are you doing out here?!" Kaiba demanded. Honda decided this couldn't be good news, and quickly checked his watch.

Shit!!! I'm late!! But, I can't leave Seto here to deal with Mokuba alone! He straightened himself up and as bravely as he could, walked over to Seto and took his arm.

"What are you doing?" Kaiba whispered, "You are late as it is! Go!"

"No. If I'm late I'm late, it doesn't make much difference. My dad already made it clear I'm in deep, so what's a little deeper to help out... to help..." What do I call him?! And infront of Mokuba?! Mokuba's shocked expression turned into a sly little smirk. He had something on his mind that just the tought of made even Kaiba cringe.

"I'm just getting back from all these weird errands ojiisan sent me out to do. What are you doing here?"

"I'm just getting back from..."

"A date! And Honda..."

"...?"

"You can't even say it, can you?!"

"What?!" Honda could feel Kaiba holding him tightly as a little warning to keep his distance. If there was one thing Honda should know, it was to not mess with Mokuba with big brother around. But the temptation to drop kick him was too real, especially after Mokuba got in his jab.

" '...to help out my boyfriend!' is what you wanted to say, right? By the way, nice threads!" he said mockingly, laughing.

"What?! Why you little... I'll..." he tried to escape Kaiba's grip; just one swing at the kid, just one...

After getting the reaction he wanted from Honda, he turned to his big brother, his expression having done a complete one-eighty from laughing mocker to kawaii concerned little brother, "Nii-sama? Why didn't you ust tell me?!"

"Listen to yourself! I knew you would react this way!"

"What way?"

"You're being childish!" Honda stepped in, surprised Kaiba didn't try to defend Mokuba in some way. Even Mokuba was at a loss.

"Nii-sama..."

"'I'll understand, nii-sama!', 'You can tell me anything, nii-sama!' and this is how you behave when told! You make fun! Damn it!" he turned to hide his face in Honda's shoulder. Mokuba flinched at first, then allowed what his big brother had just said set in.

"I'm sorry!" he cried as he ran for home.

"Sorry, Set... Seto-chan..."

"...?!"

"I'm sorry."

"It's all right. I'll have a talk with him and apologize in the morning." Kaiba was rubbing his eyes, visibly upset by Mokuba's reaction.

Crying?! he checked his shoulder, slightly dampened from the tears. "S-Seto-chan, is there anything I can do...?"

"Yes. Go home and hope you are not in so much trouble I'll never see you again." he said taking Honda's wrist and pointing to his watch.

"Damn it!! Twelve-twenty-one?! How, where..."

"Go!"


As Honda pulled up it was just as he had expected. His parents weren't going to make any secret out of the fact they were up waiting; every light in the house was on.

Shit! I know what's coming! 'Where have you been, Hiroto?!', 'Who were you really with, Hiroto?!', 'Why the hell are you so late?! It better be good, Hiroto!'. Kuso!

"What the hell are you wearing, Hiroto?!" was his father's first and most unexpected reaction.

Ok, didn't see that coming!, "I... well... fell in a pool and..."

"Shut up! Geez, you look like a... a fagot or something...!"

"What?!?"

"Honey, I really don't think that was..." his mother stepped in.

"Oh! Sorry! Sorry! I forgot, your little friend Bakura... he was... sorry..."

"I don't know! I... shit! I'm not hearing this!" , Man, I hope they're as cool about it if they find out about me! He started up the stairs, when he was caught around the ankle.

"I said sorry," his father said, trying to keep his cool, "Grounded. Two weeks. Keys?" he held out his hand as Honda tossed his keys to him. "Now, where did you get those clothes? Where were you?"

Honda was able to calm down himself. Taking a deep breath, he blatenly lied through his teeth, straight faced for two hours.

"Ok, so long as you know this isn't happening again." his mother stated.

"Yea, mom..." he yawned and stretched, trying to hint he was exausted. It has been one hell of a long day.

"Ok, go to bed! But, you be up bright and early to help out like you were supposed to tod... well... yesterday!"

"Yes, dad. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." They watched as he trudged his way to his room and quietly shut the door.

"He's lying about something. I can't put my finger on it, but something in his story didn't make sense." his mother thought aloud.

"Which part?"

"All of it."


"Are you insane?!" Kaiba had been rudely awakened by ojiisan taking a wack at his backside.

"Watch it, boy! I warned you about upsetting Mokuba! And you still have yet to apologize to him!"

"I planed on it today! Matte, you didn't get the whole story, did you?"

"You mean how you and Hiroto were so mean to him lastnight?"

"You didn't. He was spying on us, then had the audacity to make fun of Hiroto! You know, come to think of it, why should I apologize?! I'll explain everything, but, now that I think about it, I will not apologize!"

"Now hold on there! You owe him an apology for yesterday. Handle lastnight however you see fit, but you will apologize for yesterday."

"Yea. I must have forgotten."

"Well, breakfast is ready, so Mokuba should be there now."

When Kaiba entered the dinning room, Mokuba quickly buried his face in his arms.

"Mokuba, I want to apologize for yesterday, and, well, actually the last few days at least up till lastnight. I have been so confused and, can you forgive me?"

"Only if you can forgive me."

"I think I can, but, I want you to ask Hiroto as well, understand?"

"Yea, but, does this make you happy?"

"What do you mean?"

"Does Honda make you happy?"

"Yes, he does. Why?"

"That's all that should matter then! You told me everything you ever did was for us or me! I guess it's just... it's just about time you did something for yourself is all!"

"So you are ok with this? Then why the little display lastnight?!"

"To see if it was true. I didn't mean to upset you or Honda, really, I just wanted to see how you would react is all, and it's real enough to me, so long as he treats you well and makes you happy, I'm fine with it!"

"Thank you, Moki!"

"Moki?! Nii-sama..." he jumped from the table into his big brother's arms and hugged him tightly around the neck.

"Moki... air..."

"Sorry! Does ojiisan know?! What does he think?!"

"He knows and he is fine. Why do you think all the weird errands?" he winked.


The moring was spent in silence. Every now and then, from the corner of his eye, Honda would catch his father staring at him, seemingly puzzled.

"Hiroto...?"

About time someone said something!, "Yea?"

"Oh, nothing... never mind, just, go back to what you were doing."

Damn it!

"Well..."

"Well...?!"

"What?!"

I said that out loud?! Shit!, "Sorry! Uh, what?"

"Those clothes... your mother went to wash them, well, they're dry clean only..."

"Shit! She didn't?!"

"Pipe down! For the Gods sake watch your tone! No, she didn't! It's just, there's these little initials, they seem familiar...KC?"

"Oh! The K... uh, yea... Kaiba Corp." he answered under his breath.

"Where did you go and who were you really with lastnight, Hiroto?"

"I told you."

"No, you didn't."

"What?! I did! Lastnight!"

"Wide awake you may be a pretty good liar, but, when you're tired and not thinking straight... why did you lie to us?"

"I was with Kaiba Seto, all right!", Oh, Gods, I didn't!

"You said you had a da... oh! I see..."

"You see what?!"

"Shit! I said watch that tone!"

"S-sorry..."

"It's all right... that's why you got so defensive when I said... well... what I said. It wasn't because it was about Bakura, who I am still very sorry about, it's because..."

"Really, dad, sorry, it's... he... I..."

"I thought you couldn't stand the guy. He's so horrible to Katsuya, the poor kid doesn't need that kind of abuse!"

"Well, I got to know him. His foster father... he didn't treat him very well, and...

"I understand. Who else knows? This would kill Katsuya ya know."

"Kaiba Mokuba, and well, Jounouchi knows. He's the one who... who hooked us up."

"Oh. Ok." was all he had left to say, and went about his part of the chores. It drove Honda crazy when his father did this. He dropped what he was doing and marched over to his father to at least get some kind of closure for once.

"What are you doing? You don't have time to be dropping..."

"Hate me..."

"What?! Are you..."

"Hit me. Call me names. Do something!" with that, his father dropped what he was doing and stood eye-to-eye with him. Honda waited to be struck, instead, he found himself face first into his father's chest.

"I'm not going to hate you, hit you or call you names. All I do want is for you to be honest with me."

"I'm sorry! I was so confused!", I still can't believe I let him... How could I have let him...!, "Dad?"

"Yea?" he took Hiroto by the chin, his face was pale and his eyes all of the sudden seemed to sink in."You don't look so good!"

"I'm going to be sick! Excuse me!"

"Hiroto?! What's gotten into him?" his mother had to jump for her life out of his way as he sped past her.

*sweat drop* "Oh, dear, we're going to have to have a little talk later..."

"What did he do now?"

"No, not him. You and me. Talk later."

"Ok... I guess."


tbc... "Regrets? Hmm..."