Falling To Pieces

"Well, well! So?" Otogi said as he took his place back at the table. Honda took a seat across from him and slumped back.

"You're awful nosy, Otogi..." he siged.

"Sorry, but it must have been something! You look beat!"

"Shut up! It's nothing like that..."

Noting Honda slumped posture and mood, Otogi let up; a little.

"Um, you don't look like a guy who just had the..."

"Ok, let's put it this way," he went for the fridge for a drink, while he was still hidden by the door, he started to come clean, "you know how I'm always on that I'm not gay, I'm bi..."

"Y-yea, why? What happened?"

"Well," he started, now standing so Otogi could see him, "she made me realize something..."

"And that would be...?"

"I'm not bi..."

"No kidding?! So I guess that whole Kaiba thing was just..."

"Nope," he interrupted, "I'm gay."

"Wh-wha... come again?"

"Yup. One-hundred percent; I would have rather been with a guy..."

"?!"

"And to be honest..."

"Uh... huh..."

"I miss Kaiba." sensing Otogi would rather not discuss such things, he started to head back to his room til he was caught off guard by him being pushed back into the chair.

"Look, I don't care. I'm sorry if I'm coming off like a jerk and all..."

"No. I was surprised myself..."

"So what are you going to do about Miho?"

"I don't know. I don't want to hurt her..."

"And since I don't really know why you left Kaiba in the first place, I guess you just have to keep that in mind too..."

"You mean why I left him...", Really was stupid of me! Mokuba was right! He loved me so much!

"Honda?"

"Yea, sorry. It's a lot on my mind is all..."

"Well, I have nothing! This is all very foreign territory to me, I'm not going to tell you what you should do or anything... I'll leave that to Anzu..." he laughed.

Honda still wasn't in the best of moods, but that last one got him and he began to laugh just as hard.

"Y-you know... just to be on the safe side, let's not tell anyone about this, ok?" he asked, laughing harder still.

"N-No... pr-problem, Honda!"

The two couldn't help laughing, and it was something Honda needed. They ended up staying up most of the night joking and laughing about almost everyone they knew; from Pegusas to Malik, even poor Jounouchi wasn't safe.

All was good until Otogi brought up the Grand Prix.

"Remember that creep that tried to ruin the Grand Prix?"

"?!", No! Seig!, "Uh... y-yea..."

"Did you hear?"

"H-hear? Um, no...", Oh, gods!

"Yea, on the news. Someone found this foreign guy in the harbor..."

"Th-the h-harbor?"

"You ok?"

"Huh? Yea! Never better! I needed this, ya know! A good time with a close friend," he stood, stretched and looked over his shoulder at the clock. Any excuse to get out of there, "Oh, gods, it's late!" he yawned.

"Yea, you're right,", Ok, Honda, what do you know?, "But, we don't have school tomorr..."

"Night!" he called from atop the stairs then made a break for his room, Shit that was close!, he fell onto the bed, trying to clear his mind. Of all things, that was the last thing he wanted to talk about.

He saw it on the news? Oh man! That's why Kaiba told me!, "He knew I'd find out anyway!"

He burried his face into his pillow to let loose. He had to cry, it had been built up for days.

"Gods, Kaiba..." he sobbed, "I'm sorry! You were just being honest with me! And you did save my life! I'm sorry I'm sorry!"


Kaiba had stayed out most of the evening; trying to avoid bars.

He hated to admit it, but since Honda had helped him to quit, he did feel much better.

Instead, he had his driver just drive as he listened to the radio.

Once home, he headed for his room, til passing his ojiisan's favorite room; the study.

He sat in ojiisan's favorite chair, motionless, staring at the floor.

He had a million and one ways to tell Mokuba built up over the years, yet managed to reject every one. Now he had to tell him he's gone.

He's now truely my only relative and he's going to hate me.

He was so deep in thought, he hadn't heard Mokuba, who had been up most of the night waiting for him, come in.

"Nii-sama?"

"..."

"Nii-sama, please..."

"..."

"H-he's... he's... nii-sama!" he cried, falling into Kaiba's lap.

Kaiba knew he should be comforting him, but he was still numb.

"They wouldn't let me go!"

"??"

"They said I was too young, and realtives only! I didn't know any!"

Kaiba couldn't take it and pulled Mokuba into a crushing hug.

The little boy was unable to breath, but didn't seem to care, and returned the hug just as strong.

"I-I... t-tried to tell... them..."

"It's alright, Mokuba." he said softly, "You didn't know..."

"D-did you get to see him?"

"..."

"Nii-sama?" he pulled from his brother's grip to find his eyes dull and face soaked with tears, "Th-they let you, didn't they...?

"Yes, they did." he said in the same soft tone.

"They told me... y-you have to be over thirteen... so I guess..."

"That's not why." he said, keeping his tone, trying not to lose it completely to keep from hurting Mokuba anymore than he was, or was soon to be.

Mokuba jumped from his lap and stared at him, puzzled, "Th-then why?"

"He was our ojiisan."

Kaiba had kept his gaze to the floor, so never saw Mokuba raise his hand aimed right for his face.

His eye felt as though it were about to burst from it's socket, but he remained still, never looking up.

"You liar!"

"No," he said to the floor, "i-it's true... I'm sor..."

"Shut up! It's not true!" he cried as he ran from the room wanting nothing more of the conversation.

Kaiba stayed in just the position the smack had left him; stunned to the point he couldn't even think.


Honda and Otogi shot from their beds for the door, alarmed at why the door bell would ring at such an hour.

"M-Mokuba?! I-it's three in the morning!" Honda exclaimed, taking the exausted boy in, "Gods, did you walk here?"

"I-I r-ran... I... didn't know... where else to... go, H-Honda!" he panted, "Nii-sama!" he hugged Honda around the waist tightly and began to cry into his chest.

"Gods, Mokuba, y-you want anything? Need anything?" Otogi asked, trying to play the good host despite the hour.

"N-no... thank you..." he said into Honda's chest, "Oh, Honda!"

"I-I'll just leave you guys to talk then." Otogi said, heading back to bed.

"Thanks, Otogi... Mokuba, what is it?" he sat on the couch and took Mokuba onto his lap, "Calm down, what's wrong?"

"N-nii-sama... told me," he cried on his shoulder, "O-ojiisan..."

"??"

"I-is it true?!" Mokuba was now eye to eye with him; his eyes wide and drowning in tears, "O-ojiisan... was he our real..."

"Wait, wait, Mokuba... was?"

"H-he died earlier today! And... and..."

"Gods, I'm so sorry..."

"They wouldn't... let me... go with him! They... they said relatives only, but... but... nii-sama got to see him!"

"M-Mokuba... I..."

"You knew?"

"Y-yea. I knew... I'm sorry..."

"I-I can't blame you, it wasn't your place to tell me... it was HIS! And he LIED to me all these years! Why?!" he began to cry on Honda's shoulder again. All he could think to do was hold him and let him go.

"Cry it out. Trust me, you'll feel better."

"Why, Honda? Why didn't he tell me?"

"All I remember him telling me was he was afraid of what Gazabouro may do or having someone, like your aunt or uncle or something, taking him away..."

"I-I wouldn't have told anyone! If it were a secret... what now, he didn't trust me?!"

"Calm down, Mokuba, it was for your ojiisan's safety... and yours..."

"L-like how he got rid of Sieg?"

"What?!"

"It was for my safety... and yours..."

"Mokuba, I don't think..."

"C-can I stay with you tonight?"

Huh? Pretty quick to change the subject aren't we?, "Of course, I wasn't going to put you out on the streets at this hour. Come on, you can take my bed..."

He led Mokuba to the room to get him settled.

Taking an extra pillow and blanket for himself, he was set to sleep on the couch.

"Where are you going?" Mokuba asked as he climbed into bed.

"On the couch. Why?"

"I didn't want to put you out. Besides, I don't want to be alone..."

"I... I don't... well..."

"Please?"

"Alright." he said as he climbed into the bed next to his ex-lover's brother, This just doesn't seem right., he thought before noticing Mokuba had curled up into his chest and still exausted from his run and crying, fell fast alseep.

Gods, this is one for the books.