all is forgotton

 

 

All is forgotten

 

sxj

nc17

angst, romance, drama,violence.

whilst on vacation someone attempts to kidnap mokuba, seto runs after them to rip mokuba from their grip and winds up getting taken in fight with them. He stumbles back off a steep ledge yu gi see but jou gets their first, he reaches out just as seto falls away into a river, not to be seen from again.

A year and a half later yu gi and company discover him as a waiter in small town diner going by the name 'momo-chan'

he feels his chest burning from the panic and fury, he knows hes fast -but is he fast enough? People behind him are shrieking and yelling, he can hear sirens as well. The white van picks up speed, not fast enough-he slams his hand onto the tinted window. It gives, a loud shattering and glass is everywhere. He jumps clinging to the side of the van with his arm crammed in the window- fumbling to find the handle

“CLAK”

The door swings open a dark skinned man with a thick mustache shouts and screams obscenities, Seto cold cocks him before he can find the gun tucked to deeply in the back of his jeans. Mokuba cries profusely while Seto yanks the knot out from behind Mokuba's back, rips the tape off his mouth and holds him tight as he watches Honda rev the engine of his beloved motorcycle pulling up as close as he can to the quick moving van. Seto holds Mokuba out and drops him into Hondas lap as the driver looks back ward yelling something Seto doesn't hear. He sees Honda pull back taking Mokuba to safety before turning to deal with the driver.

Jou runs as fast as his legs will carry him hearing only the sound of his blood pumping violently in his ears. He sees a round damaged looking man get thrown from the driver side door, but the van is going straight for the waterfall that had made this vacation so spectacular. From the open door where he had jumped in, kaiba leaps out , just not fast enough. Jou can feel himself scream but he cant hear it, white hot tears stream down his face as he collapses on the edge of the waterfall hand outstretched desperately reaching for the falling brunette, who's eyes are wide in terror- his own hand raised up wishing he could reach. Yami grabs jou by the back of his jacket and yanks him backward as the ground where he knelt crumbles. Bakura and Malik rush to the scene with others trailing behind them panting. Bakura blinks bewildered with what transpired.

“OH MY GAWD! did that just happen!?”

Jou screams from his place tucked in Yami's chest crying hysterically, in the distance they hear Mokubas shrill scream flood the air.

For weeks afterward the scene is searched and picked at with a fine tooth comb by search and rescue teams, every tv station available shows the scene over and over again. He is heralded on magazines as a hero, a credit to the people of domino city. The price of kaibacorp stock skyrockets to new heights as Mokuba Kaiba settles in his brother's chair thwarting attempts to overtake the company his brother had fought tooth and nail to keep. He stares out over the large red oak desk with eyes red from crying for his brother. When nothing comes up and no one can locate a body after his drop from the top of that waterfall a memorial is held there. At the top of the waterfall a statue is placed of the blue eyes white dragon with its wings fanned out and its neck curving upward roaring forever into the sky. It had been a vacation, it was supposed to be a way to relax. The school mourned his loss for all of two months before the cheerleaders decided it was time to 'pep up' and move on.

Most people did, Jou did not. He stared at the empty place where kaiba had sat. He felt his eyes sting and burn, he chewed his lower lip trying to force back the storm that threatened behind his eyes, every single time he thought about Seto kaiba.

Today after school he finds himself sitting at the kame game shop watching anzu honda yugi and every one else eat and chatter cheerily. He tries to smile with them but it never once reaches his eyes, finally fed up honda slams his hand down on the table effectively silencing the group.

“Dammit Jou!”

he jerks his head up to look at his friend bewildered and confused.

“huh?”

honda leans forwards facing him with an intense stare

“what the hell man! When are you going to come back to us!? You keep looking like it just happened”

Jou sighs audibly and looks at Honda with a vague smile.

“I know your just concerned but I -”

hes cut off before he can search for anymore words

“you didn't even really know him, he helped us out in a pinch but he was never here like this!”

he opens his arms to motion to group at large, to the picture of their friendship.

Yu gi glares at honda

“honda your going too far”

“ how can you miss that bastard this much!?”

anzu and yu gi both jump at the language

“honda you need to stop now!”

shouts anzu while yugi nods his agreement, jou not knowing how to explain him self reaches in his pocket for the phone that kaiba had given him so long ago. He sets it down on the table and taps gently at the screen which currently wears a gray play button. The room is filled with soft laughter and the sound of rustling sheets, the voice is mellow and smooth like a well aged brandy. Its something that Jou had found equally as intoxicating, on the screen a video plays. The small screen shows kaiba rolling over to lay on his belly his body bare and his normally perfectly kept hair messy. He stares curiously at the lens for a moment before snatching it out of jous hand, the sound of laughter and messy kisses fall out of the speakers. It shows light blue walls with silver accents and then it shows jous face as he blushes trying to hide from the camera that now shows his bare torso pressed against kaiba, kaiba laughs

“oh now you want to be all shy!”

“shut up! Put that away you jerk-”

kaiba holds the camera just out of jous reach and ends his argument by planting his lips firmly against jou's the view falls to show just the sheets rustling.

“seto! Your such a bastard!”

there it is that mellow laugh, the sheets rustle and the view changes, jou lays on kaibas chest looking down at him. Seto pushes his bangs away from his face before responding

“love me anyway pup?”

“you know I love you”

they kiss for a moment just as the video stops.

Honda looks at jou, confused and unsure of what to do or say. Anzu steps over to jou with out a word and wraps her arms around him, he cant helps it he cries without restraint gripping her shoulders tightly. Bakura leans over and picks up the phone staring at the frozen scene, he feels a scowl form on his face as he looks at kaibas gentle smile.

It is the end of the school year, this is the year that kaiba would have graduated, jou lets this thought pass through his mind quickly lest he be brought back into a spiraling depression. He sits in the kame game shop watching mokuba on tv, with his wild hair pulled back into a tight ponytail. Yugi bounds down the stairs excitedly with a duffel bag filled with a weeks worth of clothes and basic needs.

“you ready jou?”

“are we meeting the rest at the stop?”

“yup hurry or we'll miss the bus!”

jou throws his usual backpack over his shoulder and follows yugi out the door.

They shout nonsense on the tour bus to the hot springs, babbling about this and that upcoming concerts games and partys. Even jou find him self laughing wholeheartedly at jokes and pranks. A few hours later the cluster of energy that is Yugi Yami Bakura Malik Honda Anzu and Jou hop off the tour bus effectively freeing up half the seats and wandering off to the hot spring hotel. They get their in time to drop their things in their selective rooms and decide to go out for food. The hotel shuttle takes them to a bustling noisy part of town, pointing out a small brightly lit bistro with a red awning hanging over the door. They don't catch its name they just rush to it in such a hurry any passerby might have thought it was a mob. The room is warm like the colors of the walls, soft shades of red orange and yellow. The tables are all cherry wood and spotless, they chatter on as they are escorted to a large circular booth that they generally use for families. The waitress with a tight pony tail wide smile and near flat chest takes their drink orders just before telling them

“I'm going to bring you your drinks and then your server will be right with you alright?”

she leaves and returns handing out their menus and drinks then slips out of sight again. The table quiets slightly as they look over their edible options, not more than a moment later their waiter arrives setting down a tray of bread sticks for the table, anzu looks at the waiter and says out loud

“oh lucky us we got a real cutie!”

jou looks up and stares in shock. Their waiter is impossibly tall and slender with dark brown hair that frames his angular face nicely. He wears a black uniform vest that makes his shoulders look broader than they are, a white dress shirt with tight black pants and shiny black loafers. The waiters face tints pink as he introduces himself

“Hello there my name is Momotaro, you can call me Momo chan if you like. I'll be your server for this evening”

yu gi tilts his head to the side as he looks at the man

“you look really familiar you know that?”

momo curls his hand in front of his pink lips and chuckles

“I get that a lot, have you decided what you'll be having or do you need a moment?”

they order and continue chatting, jou wonders how none of them noticed those eyes... eyes a shade of blue the ocean could be jealous of. Then the laugh, a gentle laugh that previously only he had heard, how does no one know just from seeing him? He gets up and hurries off to the loo. the bathroom is white and clean, with three wide sinks and three stalls, off in the back are three polished urinals. Jou presses himself against the wall his breath erratic, he runs to the sink to splash his face with cold water.

“what the fuck!?”

he stares in the mirror wondering if he was hallucinating or if they really didn't see kaiba- how did they not see kaiba. He reasons to himself that none of them really paid attention to the brunette, yu gi noticed at least a little. He splashes his face trying to calm his nerves and doesn't hear the door open.

“oh im sorry I – are you alright sir?”

jou turns to see 'momo' standing there looking at him with very concerned blue eyes. Jous mind works frantically to find an excuse for his current state of distress.

“I'm fine it was just a bit much excitement, I got light headed.”

“ would you like me to take anything to the table for you ? Er sir.”

jou looks and sees Momo look around the room for a moment feeling rather awkward.

“momo huh?”

he blinks and looks at jou who wears a rather reminiscent smile, the taller man feels his face turn warm.

“yes?... sir.”

the blonde shakes his head lazily, letting the water drip down from his chin and roll down his neck.

“you have very beautiful eyes, its an unusual shade of blue you have.”

he watches momo's face flush hot pink, he takes the towel from his forearm and hold it out towards jou.

“ you should d-dry your face sir.”

jou reaches out letting his finger glide over the back of momo's hand as he takes the towel. He dries his face and hears the door shut while rubs the towel down his neck. In his mind jou recalls the way kaiba had reacted to jou's confession of his interest in kiaba. He'd slammed jou into the wall and kissed him with fever. It would appear 'momo' was rather shy ,very much unlike kaiba. Jou left the bathroom, having left the towel on the sink, he wanders back to the table sitting down with his plan set firm in his mind. Momo comes back face flushing red at the sight of jou(which does not go unnoticed by the rest of the table) he takes their orders brings refills and leaves again. Jou finds that he isn't listening to the conversation or the way anzu teases him, looking across the table he sees Bakura looking at 'Momo' from the corner of his eye. The evening passes pleasantly as everyone stand's to leave Jous stays seated

“hey are you coming back with us?”

yu gi asks curiously, Anzu cuts in

“ooh I bet you wanna leave a nice 'tip' for the waiter huh”

she giggle's as yu gi flushes red and walks away but not before hearing jou blurt

“slut...”

she quiets quickly glaring at him, ready to throw a tantrum. she swallows her rant when she sees a familiar look on Jous face as he sips the remainder of his soda. She huffs audibly grabs yugis wrist and marches out, Bakura looks back at Jou from the doorway.

Momo returns to clean their table and smile brightly when he sees Jou still sitting there poking the ice at the bottom his glass with a red straw.

“would you like a refill sir?”

the blond looks over to him and feels himself smile without meaning to

“ no thank you.”

momo worries at his lower lip for a moment before responding

“what can I do for you sir?”

Jou leans back against the booth grinning at the sight of 'momo' looking at him so coyly.

“I'd like to know what time you get off work, if that's alright.”

a sweet smile blooms on the brunettes face as he tucks his order pad into his apron pocket.

“I was scheduled off about twenty minutes ago...”

Jou scoots to the edge of the booth

“I'll wait at the front ok.”

Momo nods wordlessly, cleaning the table as he watches Jou walk to the front of the restaurant.

At the hotel Bakura glowers at the lot of them, he watches Anzu snarl as she paces back and forth in the main room. Honda looks at her confused

“you must have misheard him, he would never say that.”

yu gi squeaks

“I know its weird but he said it... he was mad about something...”

malik smiles to the room at large

“your just pissed off cause its true!”

anzu snaps in his direction glowering at him

“you think I don't know you slept with ootogi? And what you TRIED to do with kaiba?”

honda looks at her bewildered and hurt, malik quirks an eyebrow at him then her

“and it looks like you had fun with fin head here too.”

her face flushes bright red and just as she opens her mouth to scream Bakuras voice cuts in.

“your all idiots.”

the room at large stares at Bakura as he slinks out of his corner and into the open.

“the waiter... trim his hair and wipe that smile of his face. Who is he.”

when no one answer's, Bakura rolls his eyes

“KAIBA!”

walking down the now deserted streets jou smiles at the sight of 'momo' in his long sleeve sky blue sweater, tight black pants, knee high black platform boots all riddled with buckles and most amusing the thick knitted black scarf that he has wrapped loosely around his neck at least three times.

“how long have you been working there?”

“just a few months.”

jou smiles at the rose tint the night tempature has placed on momos cheeks.

“ is it your first job?”

momo stops and looks rather worried for a moment before continuing his trot

“I don't know.”

Jou looks at him with a quirked eyebrow, then tilts his head to the side curiously

“I... don't know. I cant remember more than about a year ago... my ma- I mean that's just what I call her. She found me on the side of the river by the peach orchard. She was there picking fruit because she like to make jelly, its really good.”

they continue walking along at a slow unhurried pace as momo debates how to continue

“she took me home and I haven't remembered anything from before then. The police have for the most part been gone for a while now, so there was really no one for me to file a report with. I guess I just got used to being here, ma has never asked me if I went to the station or anything. She just tells me all the time to stay out of trouble. I get freaked out sometimes when I think about it … I wonder who I was I guess if I'm different or the same.”

jou smiles inwardly

“momotaro... the peach boy. That's cute.”

momo looks over to Jou and feels that flush on his cheeks again

“the last person I said this to thought I was crazy”

they look around a moment before momo points to a bench and shuffles off to it.

“do you believe me?”

the blonde sits down next to the taller teen and nods.

“why?”

Jou looks up at him watching him blush furiously as he worries his lower lip.

“you have beautiful eyes, I think they're the color of you soul. I think if you lied it would show.”

Momo looks at him astounded, he can hear his heart pounding violently in his chest.

“ I kind of wanna kiss you right now...”

his voice trails off, jou smiles places one hand on momo's face the other on the small of his back, gently pulling him closer. Right as their lips would have brushed together Jou pulls away and stands up. Momo blinks highly confused

“is something wrong?”

“I would feel guilty”

Jou looks at the brunette directly in his bright blue eyes.

“what was your first thought when you looked at me?”

Momo places his hands on his knees and looks at the blonde curiously

“ I thought you looked very familiar, but I wasn't really thinking cause when I looked at you my heart just wouldn't stop pounding...”

Jou smiles weakly and sits back down next to Momo

“your name isn't Momotaro,its seto kaiba. This is not your first job, your the CEO of the gaming company kaiba corp. and yes you are extremely different from your old self.”

the brunette looks at him blue eyes wide as saucers

“what?!”

“you have a little brother named mokuba who is currently sitting in your spot at the company, he misses you so much it hurts...we thought you died. See we where all on vacation... just before the school year started. You rented out this huge hotel next to a waterfall cause Mokie liked it, at dinner you announced that you where engaged. But that's right when it happened...”

the brunette stares at him, his hands clenching down on his knees. He blinks repeatedly as small images flicker through his head.

“some one tried to kidnap your brother again... this time you chased em down on foot an pulled him outta the van and you tried to jump out before it went over the cliff... but I guess it was bad timing or something.”

momo watches thick pearly tears pour down jous face as he presses on with the story.

“I was following you but by the time I got to the falls … you where already down. I watched you fall. God you looked so scared.”

Jou looks away from the brunette trying not to cry.

“how do I know... your telling me the honest truth?”

jou laughs sardonically and digs in his pocket for his phone flicking his thumb across the screen over to his photo gallery pulling up one of his favorite pictures and holds it out for Momo to see.

The image on the screen is a kaiba laying on the couch wearing his black work suit in the game room with Mokuba sitting on his belly wearing blue pajamas, both with playstation controllers in hand. Kaiba wears a calm smirk while Mokies brow is furrowed in frustration and his tongue peeks out the corner of his mouth.

Momo looks over to Jou who wont look him in the face, he takes the phone from the blondes hand and flicks the image off screen with his thumb. In place there is an image of jou with his arms wrapped tightly around kaiba who is holding the camera out, the image only shows from the shoulders up but leaves little to question given jou and setos expression. He flicks the screen again and sees kaiba sitting in bed looking just above the camera with a cherry stem tied into a neat little knot sticking out of his mouth. Momo flicks the screen again this time its a picture of kaiba holding a pair of small silver scissors cutting a wide red ribbon tied from one end of a door frame to the other. He flicks the screen again a video starts, it shows jou blushing bright red with a flustered expression

'no! You cant record it!?'

'mm I think I can.'

the image is them on the bed with light blue sheets, kaiba s body pressed firmly against jou who halfheartedly pushes kaiba away. Kaiba lifts the camera and sets it down on the bedside table to better view them as kaiba thrusts into Jou whos given up protesting the recording.

Momo doesn't stop the video, but looks away as the sounds flow from small device in his hand.

Huff's mewls desperate name shouting and then the most amazing sound to Momo plays off the screen

'ah seto! I love you so much!'

he looks down at the screen to watch them kiss for a moment before kaiba sets himself down beside jou holding him close.

' jou I think I'd just die if I didn't have you with me'

the screen freezes on their kiss.

Momo just stares forward and wonders how much pain Jou has been in since then.

“engaged?”

Jou smiles idly and leans back against the bench staring outward remembering how kaiba had proposed to him.

“yes, you got as far as that you had been seeing someone for awhile... and then right when you announced that you wanted everyone to meet your fiance is when everything went wrong.”

“so no one knew it was you?”

“nope.”

Jou heaves a disappointed sigh, in Momo's mind and image flickers by of jou sitting on the couch glaring at the pages of a text book.

One week later

Momo sits on the couch in the sitting room of an obscenely large house that he doesn't like. He sits here waiting to meet his little brother... he muses to himself what that boy would be like. In all the pictures he was happy and playful everyone says hes very sweet. Then he hear's voices floating down the hall from the stairwell.

'are you sure its really him?'

the voice responding sounds insulted

'you think I wouldn't know him if I saw him?!'

'you know what I mean- is he all there?'

'nope, he cant remember crap- says he can only remember up to about a year ago.'

'are you serious!?'

'yea I know...'

'oh, jou im so sorry I know this has to hurt.'

'whatever- hes home okay'

Momo finds himself wringing his hands nervously wondering if he'll be a disappointment. Then he hears a small voice from behind him

“big brother?”

Momo turns around to see Jou leaning against the wall, in front of him is a boy with long black hair pulled back in a slick braid. He wears a dark blue suit with glossy black oxfords, his black silk tie loose at his collar. The tall brunette stares at him curiously, wondering how old the pictures are.

“hi.”

Mokuba looks at him critically inching forward all the while. He reaches out a trembling hand , stilling it as he presses his palm onto Momo's shoulder. He sighs with relief as if he thought it was a mirage, that his hand would go straight through him.

“it really is you... isn't it?”

Momo watches as Mokubas slate blue eyes glisten then spill over with tears, he is taken into a tight hug as Mokuba cries. Momo tries not to flinch at the stranger hugging him so desperately.

“!?”

when the younger kaiba finally pulls away he looks at his elder quickly catching the look of bewilderment on his face. He pats Momo on his shoulder as he backs away smiling and wiping away the remaining tears.

“you don't remember me at all do you.”

it is said in the form of a question but the tone of a statement.

“its ok its ok, we'll get through this. I'll help you, we'll hire a therapist and stuff okay- what matters is that your home!”

he smiles at Momo who smiles at him nervously, fidgeting in place. He wonders why it is he feels nothing but such extreme confusion. He looks around for a moment, seeing a picture on one of the end tables, he bends down to look at it. Its him, behind him is jou with his arms thrown loosely over his shoulders planting a kiss on his cheek, sitting beside him is mokuba leaning against his right shoulder, his face in the picture, is smirking his cheeks a slightly pink. Momo thinks to himself

(this is a family portrait?)

he is pulled from his thoughts when he sees this boy, mokuba leaning his face into jous chest crying as jou rubs soft circles into his back. The tall brunette looks away as if he where intruding on someone else's life. He settles to peek at pictures he had previously not noticed before. A small album with a light blue cover, he opens it and feels a a sense of warmth that he cant place. The image is of a very small boy with tousled brown hair and an obvious lack of sleep sitting in the corner of a red couch wearing dark blue sweat pants and a white t shirt with funny stains on one shoulder. Tucked in slim pale arms is a bundle of plaid blankets, from the small opening in them a small sleeping face with a tuft of wild black hair can be seen. Upon closer inspection he notices the water stains on one corner, yellowing of edges and at the very edge a slight black line.

(a fire?)

again hes wrenched from his musing, this time by a gentle tap on his shoulder. Jou looks at him then at the picture, a soft smile tugs at his lips.

' I can show you around the house now if you like.'

momo doesn't say anything just nods and puts the album down, fully intending to get back to it. He follows the blonde up the curling staircase, down a long hallway through an atrium filled with colorful plants crawling vines and...birds. Momo stops in his tracks when he sees one sitting on a branch that juts out from a thick tree that grows ever upward, it huge canopy serving in place of a ceiling. The bird is a strange one, solid white with a long swan like neck on its head is a bright blue jewel from underneath which grows three feathers in a fan type shape-just Like a crown. its tail is long and svelte, it turns to look at him with colorless eyes. He watches as it raises its head up and send out a cry that is shrill and for some reason fills him guilt, it them tucks its head under its wing as if not to see the abomination that wont look away. A guiding hand on momos shoulder pulls him away jou looks at him critically for a moment before continuing down another long hallway.

' you had named her lau lau, you told me it was an old word that meant beloved. You told me when I first met her, that you had found her on one of your stepfathers business trips. She was injured and after you helped her, she just followed you around. You called her your 'feathered dragon'. She has missed you a lot, she hasn't sang since we lost you, not once'

the rest of the trek passed in silence until momo stops, looking up from the floor and seeing jou pushing open a heavy oak door. Cold air washes over him, he sees the blonde shiver and press on, the room is massive, with a second level vaulted ceilings and an enormous skylight. The California king size bed is made, and has been for some time... off in the corner is a wide dark wood computer desk complete with fax/scanner/ printer and a thin sleek looking computer. Jou stalked into the room as if something might jump out and attack him.

'the closet is this way'

he walks across the plush white carpet to an empty space in the wall between two banners, one a Chinese painting of a white dragon, on the other side a Chinese ink painting of a black dragon. Jounouchi presses his hand onto the empty space and pushes inward, air hisses sharply as the sleek door jerks inward and slides to the left revealing a brightly lit square room with two rows of suits, one entire rack weighted down with various trench coats. The last with a variety of more casual clothing, black turtle necks, various shades of blue long sleeve shirts. On the floor from one corner stretching from one wall to the other are various boots and black dress shoes. In the center of the wall behind the boots is a tall narrow mirror that stretches from ceiling to floor. Noticing something taped to the mirror, the brunette steps forward and peers closely at it. It is a simple and quickly taken snapshot, probably from someones phone. It is a picture of kaiba and jou standing in suits at the doorway to the manor, jou looking flustered and kaiba smirking as he straightened jous tie.

Jou looked over to momo who was smiling at the picture he'd forgotten about.

'it was the first time you took me to one of your dinner parties'

'you look so nervous...'

jou sighed at the memory, he wound up drinking two glasses of champagne to calm his nerves and wound up very chatty. When he was chatty he was very flirty, he wound up charming a woman who he thought seemed lonesome, he sat with her jabbering about nothing particular. It wasn't until the following monday that he'd realized who she was, she was the founder of an overseas toy company, someone kaiba had been trying to negotiate a deal with for a almost a week. A week being incredibly long given that most people threw themselves at the opportunity. She had only agreed to sign the contract after jou had chatted with her about kaiba, whom she said made him to appear quite saintly.

That night kaiba had hugged jou so tight he though he might break in two, then proceeded to make love to jou til neither could move.

'I was very nervous, I didn’t want to embarrass you'

momo lays in the massive bed , curled into a tight ball in the center of the bed. He was confused and scared of this place, but the bed while ominously large had a feint odor to it. Like rain, or dewy grass, the comforting smell was only on one side of the bed. In his sleep he rolled until he was covered completely in the smell that made his stomach unfurl from its many knots. His body uncoiled and he felt himself fall into a deeper sleep.

-----------------------------------------------dream----------------------------------------------------------------------

for some reason his fist is connected with jous jaw, he swings back but momo feels himself step out of the way and laugh when trips and hits the floor. Brown eyes glare with a fiery heat that makes his skin feel warm. He blinks and the scene is different, hes standing beside a frozen lake leaning lazily onto the rail watching mokuba skate clumsily with a short spiky haired fellow, there are others, but they are blurred. The spiky haied boy lets go of mokubas hands and lets him try on his own, too far the ice collapses, he blinks. Hes sitting in the hallway of a hospital between two beds, his face is blank but he feels himself riddled with guilt and worry. He blinks, the scene this time is just himself in an empty class room, its so quiet it hurts, until the door slides open and jou walks in. he looks shocked to see kaiba sitting there, his lips move but there is no sound. Kaiba shakes his head and stands, walking towards jou. He slides the door shut thumbing the lock down, then looks carefully down at jou who looks so hurt. He sees and feels something burn as their lips touch just lightly.

Morning falls in glorious golden rays across his body, the brunette feels as if he knows something, but cant find it. He knows the dream was important but feels it slipping from his mind like an autumn leaf in a light breeze. He lays there for just a moment, he hears some one knock lightly on his heavy door, the door sways open only part ways showing the blonde who steps in looking a bit sadder than he did the night before.

'if your hungry were having breakfast now.'

Momo pushes himself into a sitting position and nods at him. Jou backed out sliding the door shut without a word.

He stepped out in his pajamas, just black sweat pants and a gray muscle shirt. He was sure he'd get lost if he was forced to make the trek on his own, luckily he ran into a petite woman in a black dress and white apron, she had dark brown hair pulled in a tight bun. Her eyes where pleading, she smiled at him for a moment then when he spoke she appeared crest fallen, not speaking as she escorted him to the dining room. Breakfast was awkward, mokuba was in a suit trying to appear as if he had all the time in the world, but wound up cursing himself and his tardiness. After that it was just the two, the room quiet aside from the slight clinking of silverware against the porcelain plates.

'im sorry'

the blondes gaze jerked upward and he stared blankly at his once upon a time.

'for what?'

his gaze met jous, he felt as if he could almost touch the misery that seemed pent up in that poor thing.

'you all seem to miss this, seto... im so sorry I cant remember. I feel like im disappointing you all just by being here.'

obviously the wrong thing to say , the blonde puts his head down and tries to push back the tears. To tell him its alright and it not his fault.

After breakfast momo returns to his room dresses and waits out front as mokuba instructed, there he climbs in a limo and is taken to his first session of therapy.

The day passes poorly for them both, in the end Momo is once again trapped in his too big room. This time he sits in the large wing backed office chair staring idly at the cursor blinking in the empty password bar. He heaves a heavy sigh, wondering what the word could be. He decide that maybe just maybe there's a clue somewhere in the desks many drawers. He begins by opening the slenderest drawer revealing only a collection of highlighters various pens post it notes and paperclips. He slams that drawer shut and opens another, printed forms stacks of paper work. Then he opens the last drawer and in the back is a small tin box with no adornments and no lock. He opens it, to see a large pile of folded up bits of writing paper, written in prim handwriting on the top of each one is date. One from three years ago in September is the earliest one, he carefully unfolds it with long slender fingers, smoothing out the wrinkles and reads, the first part of the note. Written in sloppy angled letters with thinning and blotting ink.

hey what the hell was that about?

in cleaner straighter more controlled writing in evenflowing black ink.

i meant what I said

the sloppy writing again

why should I believe you?

Why else would I kiss you?

I dunno, but why me?

Because you are you

what the hell does that mean?

You have qualities I ,admire

what are they?

 

The note ends there, he picks up another one, by the date its about a week later, it starts with the angled writing again.

Im sorry

why

I didnt mean it

why else would you have done it?

I paniced

why ?

You, your too fast

are you scared of me?

No, not you.

Than why panic.

I was surprised, it was unexpected

and?

It was my first time

ah, I didnt know that. Im sorry for behaving rashly

its ok, I wont run next time

next time...?

yea, meet me at lunch behind the gym ok

alright.

 

This note ends there, momo picks up another, this one starts with the clean and proper handwriting.

Where where you?

Home

whats on your neck?

Nothin

im not blind

its nothin

tell me or ill start assuming things

dont, I didnt do nothin

tell me!

Fine, meet me at the rooftop. Ill show you

alright

another one about another week or so later again in the very neat handwriting

I forgot to tell you

what?

You looked very good last night

eh? thanks, id say it back but you've got enough of an ego

fair enough, would you like to go again on saturday?

Yea!

 

the note ends there, momo spends the better part of two hour reading through notes finding himself laughing at some of the things written in the sloppy angled handwriting. The words written in the cleaner more upright handwriting seeming relatively distant until one note written about 4 months later.

 

I cant wait for the weekend

I thought you worked?

I cleared my schedule

why?

I wanted to spend it with you

 

it stops there but in his mind an image flashes by of jou in his school uniform a few desks ahead of him, turning to look at him with a beet red face, hiding a smile. This night momo sleeps heavily almost excited for the day that will follow. Mokuba had said that they would be going to a dinner to reintroduce him to his old friends. In his mind the image of jous face all flushed red, stayed without fading.

Dinner

the restaurant is boisterous and full of small chattering mobs, he sits down at table with jou on his left mokuba on his right ahead of him is a short man with spiky multi colored hair, beside him is a relatively tall brunette with a brown leather jacket and a sharp coif in his hair. On jous other side sits a young man with long choppy silvery hair across from him sits a girl with short brown hair , at the end of the table sits a slightly tanned young man with heavy eyeliner bright green eyes and his glossy black hair pulled into a tight ponytail. The spiky haired youth looks at him with a sheepish smile

“im yugi, and were all very happy to see that your safe.”

Momo wonders to himself why he seems nervous.

“than why do you seem so scared.”

the one with the very sharp coif cuts in

“because your not the nicest guy around”

the girl glare at him

“shut it honda- were here to be supportive!”

the raven haired boy at the end of the table grinned, green eye's ominously bright.

“oh? Since when does the great seto kaiba need support?”

bakura snorts but doesn't say anything. Anzu glares daggers at ootogi,

'ootogi shut your trap! Friends are supposed to be supportive-'

ootogi rolls his luminous green eyes

'oh quit preaching you bimbo- you always bitch when you know kaibas gonna be with us!'

Momo glanced back and forth between them and the occasional honda. Tilting his head to the side when yugi tried to jump to his defense, but didnt really have a leg to stand on.

'jou put his face in his hands and sighed audibly, he leaned back in his chair looked at mokuba

'told ya we couldn't trust em'

yu gi squeaks in shock and hurt, honda just glowers.

' you don't trust us?'

' I never trusted you where seto is concerned.'

yugi hangs his head feeling really quite ashamed, anzu crosses her arms over her chest huffing angrily. Bakura places his elbow on the table, resting his chin in his palm.

'doesn't really matter anyway'

jou and mokuba both gawk at bakura who gives a lazy smile to jou, completely ignoring momo. Jou sneers in a way that had once made seto swell with pride.

'why is that snow white?'

bakura smiles in a lopsided way

'because, he's right there and he doesn't have a clue who you are. Your right back in square one. He's not who he was and I dont think he'll ever be that guy again you know....'

jou glares downward feeling a stinging the corner of his eyes, he speaks in a low controlled voice.

'shut up'

bakura leans closer to the blonde

'oh kay'

he dips his face forward and crushes his lips against jous taking advantage of his shocked gasp he slips his tongue in, feeling jous hand on his chest pushing him away he grips jous hair forcing himself further. In the background he registers ootogi howling with laughter, anzu screaming for him to quit- honda shouts obscenities , moukuba says something. Then he feels a strong grip around his throat, it tightens and he lets go thinking its jou. Mokuba pulls jou to the side and bakura feels himself being lifted off his seat and held impossibly high up. He opens his eyes to see white hot fury reflected in eyes the color of glaciers, he's back. His lip curls in a furious snarl as he watches the spirits face lose color, he watches as for once fear spreads across bakuras face. Looking down he feels fear, feels the words more than hears them, feels them sink into his blood stream like corrosive acid eating at him gnawing at his mind.

'don't touch '

the blond thrown haphazardly on the floor behind them feels hot pearly tears spill down his face as he watches an extreme show of jealous rage that could only belong to seto kaiba, he feels tears fall down on him and looks over to see mokuba just watching in absolute awe of his brother. Bakura hits the floor with a thunderous crash and just lays there desperate to breathe and afraid to move. Mokuba shrieks with joy and flings himself at his brother wrapping his arms around him tightly.

'nii chan its really you! We missed you so much'

the brunette wraps one arm around his young brother who grins and jumps back, pulling bakura up off the ground. Seto turns and crouches down on his knees to face jou, who stares at him with desperate longing eyes.

'I missed you pup'

a desperate smile blooms on jous tear laden face as he throws his arms around seto gripping him so tight it hurts, seto returns the hug. He listens as jous breath hitches between sobs.

'seto i-i thought I was going to die without you!'

the brunette pulls away only to give an eager and passionate kiss

ootogi looks down at bakura who decided to stay on the ground and grins

'good thinkin bakura'

the ebony haired spirit gawks at him and seethes

'decidedly not'

the following morning

 

kaiba seto grins behind his desk, sitting comfortably in his wing backed leather chair eying the old men sweating in suits across from him. He leans forward to look at them making sure watch each one squirm in place.

'it would appear that some of you seem to think that this company is not receiving proper care, some of you seem to think you could do better if you where seated in my place. Now that is fine... thinking to ones self, however some of you have been busy little things digging your nests deep while I was... away. Aren't we all so lucky that I've raised up my brother well, he stood as a sentinel guarding this company from you. You will all be happy to know, when I am gone this company, it WILL fall under his care. As for your nests, dont worry ive already cleared them out.-'

he watches them sweat, a few of them losing color faster than others.

'you will be dealt with-'

on of the men of to the side of meeting table bellows

'you cant do shit- you've been gone a year and you dont proof anyone has done anything!'

seto stands up walking toward the man, holding a smirk in place as he walks lazily over to him.

'your absolutely right, ive been gone so long... and my dear brother has had his hands full with everything else. However... one should not underestimate the strength of a good and loyal.. secretary.'

with that the office door opens wide revealing a slightly plump woman in a pencil skirt and blazer with her brow furrowed in a striking glare, tucked under one arm is a fat stack of manilla folders. She trots in the room with purpose, a line of armed officers in her wake. Seto watches them stare slack jawed at the woman, at the folders then at him. He grins,

'ooh ousted by the receptionist, that's gotta burn.'

only one week later a single scene takes over every tv in most of japan

 

in great cathedral stands a priest and two young men in sharp black tuxedo's, the brunette a full head taller than the blonde, behind them are rows of pews. In the front row on the left side sits a small cluster of people, a short haired brunette girl in a pink mini dress, aspiky haired blond with pink and black streaks in a slightly oversized suit, a slightly effeminate man with heavy eye liner and a specialty suit with dice shaped cufflinks. On the right side sits a teenage boy in black suit white dress shirt and black tie, his long choppy black hair hanging freely over his back.

The priest gives them their vows, they exchange rings they say their 'I do's' with heated expressions. They exchange their rings with caressing touches and seal it with a searing kiss. The kiss is plastered onto the cover of every tabloid, but not one single person can get a hold of them for an interview. For three weeks they make love to eachother basking in their presence on a private island with its own private condo.

 

~owari