Inner Beauty
Chapter 1Joey struggles to keep up with the beatings from his Dad… Plus all the emotional bruises he gets from Seto Kaiba! S/J
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"Ack!" Joey screamed as he hit the wall, making his head spin. "I don't even know why I bother with you, mangy mutt!" Joey's Dad screamed at Joey's face, grabbing Joey's hair by the process. "You. Insolent. Fool." The drunken man banged Joey's head to the wall every after word.
"Dad, stop it! Please, stop it!" Joey pleaded weakly, feeling that darkness is about to overcome him. Joey whimpered as his dad gave him one last throw to the wall, creating a small dent to it. Joey's mouth dropped open and eyes widened at the sudden impact as he coughed out blood, he slid down to the ground and the next thing he knew, everything instantly became dark even though his eyes were open.
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Seto raised his head from all the papers in his hands. Somehow, he felt a surge of pain hit him and it felt unbearable. He shook his head as he rubbed his temples, "I must be tired from all of this!" He muttered. Slowly, he got up and went to Mokuba's room, peeking to see his little brother fast asleep.
He gave a small smile as he closed the door slowly, heading to his own room to go to bed. And as soon as he closed his eyes, horror and fear stroke him.
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///"T- Tasukete…" A certain blonde's face came into view. Except this face wasn't his normal, cheerful self. But a broken one… like as of a doll…
Eyes widened as if he had forgotten how to blink. Blood running from his head to the tip of his chin. And eyes flooding of tears and blood. The blonde was lying on the ground with his hands at his sides, his leg broken and bleeding. He was mess, yes he was…
And the last words that came out from his mouth was, "…Kaiba…"///~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Jerking awake, Seto panted as he stared wide-eyed at the darkness surrounding his room. "W- what the heck was that?" Seto breathed, "W- was that actually, the- the…" He couldn't say it.
"Th- the mutt?"
Joey woke up the next day only to find himself numb by all the blood loss and bruises. "What a weird dream…" Joey whispered as he tried recalling the dream he just had.
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///"Tasukete…" He called for someone desperately, feeling as if his body was no longer living with him. "Kaiba…" He whispered, it was the only word he wanted to let out after all the pain inside his heart. He didn't know why he had to call out to his worst enemy.
Slowly, he felt strong arms bring him up as he opened his eyes sleepily. There, Seto Kaiba, smiling back at him with such sadness and concern. "Kaiba…" Joey whispered again. Seto pulled Joey tighter, but not enough to hurt him, reassuring the blonde that everything will be all right. Joey was staring blankly at the CEO with tired eyes and tears coming out of them.
"I. I love you…" Were the last words he said, before blacking out.///~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
He's lucky it was only a dream! If the CEO would knew he liked – no – loved him, he would be dead by now. He was more terrified of the young millionaire than he is with his father. He felt like laughing a bit… he couldn't go to school now. He was too misshapen and he needed someone's help to prepare.
"I need a day-off…" Joey sighed to himself, "But not here, not at home… somewhere else… somewhere far, far away!" And with that, he proceeded to his bedroom to patch his wounds up.
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Seto wasn't able to put the right finger on his situation… why did he have that strange dream? And worst of all, it had to be the 'mutt'! He sighed as he sat down on his chair; maybe he was working too much. He should take a break and head out to vacation once in a while.
He looked up to face Joey Wheeler when he heard footsteps coming his way, Joey blushed for a while, having an eye-to-eye contact but then shrugged it off and went to his seat right behind the CEO. As soon as Joey sat on his chair, he felt the excruciating pain from last night returned as he head his head tightly.
"No more… please… stop…" He whispered to himself, hoping he wouldn't get anyone's attention. Unfortunately, Seto turned around to face the blonde, "What did you say?"
"N- Nothing… L- Leave me al- alone…" Joey whispered louder. 'Please, face away! Stop looking at me!' Joey pleaded inside his head, but he knew all his pleas were useless, for Seto Kaiba, CEO of Kaiba Corporation and Multi-billionaire, would always stick his nose in anyone's business.
Seto looked at Joey with wide eyes, luckily, no one was able to see him with that rare expression. "Hn!" Seto mocked as he faced back to the book he was just reading. Somehow, he can't get it out of his mind… he has to know what happened to Joey.
The look on Joey's eyes that morning indicated him of something wrong… it was the look of fear and horror just like what he saw last night, in his dream.
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He was walking around the halls during lunch break, looking for the mutt. He couldn't believe he was this drawn to the mutt! Of all the people, why him? Is it because? He blushed at the thought. He shook his head as he got out from that thought; he was interrupted when he heard weird noises coming from the Men's washroom.
With a slight peek, he found out where his little doggy was. He was going to barge in and start taking over, hoping he could beat the shit out of the blonde and get the truth out, but then, his jaw dropped when he saw… Blood.
Joey was clutching his stomach with such pain and the other for support, vomiting BLOOD all over the sink and faucet. "Oh God!" Seto gasped, cupping a hand to his mouth. Honestly, he felt like vomiting himself just by the sight.
Joey coughed out more blood and soon realized he didn't have much power left… he was losing blood rapidly and his small body couldn't take it anymore. The next thing he knew, his grip began weakening as he fell unconscious.
"Joey." Seto snapped as he ran to the boy, luckily, catching him before he could hit the ground. "L- Leave me alone." Joey mumbled in his sleep. "Stupid mutt." Seto smirked, looking at the sleeping form. He felt like touching the face of the beautiful angel sleeping in his arms… he seemed so vulnerable… so pained. And Seto couldn't bear seeing him like this.
"What happened to you, Inu?" Seto asked with pure sadness as he carried Joey on his back, heading to the nurse's office.
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///"NO! Yamette, Oyaji! He didn't do anything wrong!" Joey pleaded as he watched the fallen CEO on the ground. "SHUT UP!" The drunken man raised a bat and was about to heat the brunette on the floor, but Joey jumped in just enough to take the hit. Joey screamed as the pain electrocuted him to numbness. "You are in love with a boy! What are you, some sort of gay? How do you know if he's not using you? You're just wasting his life on him!"'What do you care?'
"J- Joey." 'So, what if I'm just wasting my life? It was already wasted from the beginning…' 'My life is worthless… no one will care, anyway!' Joey thought as a single tear trickled from his eyes.///Joey instantly woke up with tears in his eyes, facing a pair of cerulean eyes. "Inu!" Seto called. "Hey, Joey!" Yugi smiled as his face came into the blonde's view.
"Kaiba? Y- Yugi?" Joey tried to speak right, but he was too tired. "How are you feeling?" Yugi asked. "Painful." Joey arched his back as another wave of pain surrounded him. "We have to take him to the hospital, a school infirmary is not enough for his condition!" Seto suggested, Yugi agreed with the CEO for once.
"N- no… No hospital…" Joey mumbled.
"Don't be stubborn, mutt!" Seto snapped.
"No… he- he'll find me there. H- he'll hurt you too." Joey said, trying to stand up, only to be pushed roughly back by Seto. "Then we'll hurt him more!" Seto smirked, cracking his knuckles. "P- please… j- just d- don't bring me there. Anywhere b- but not… there…" Joey breathed in heavily, feeling as if a huge sumo wrestler is sitting on top of him.
Seto felt pity rising over him as he nodded politely. "Th- thank you…" Joey smiled as Seto faced away, a blush slowly creeping out of his cheeks.
"He? Who are you referring to, Joey?" Yugi asked. Joey tried to open his eyes; he didn't want to surrender back to sleep. But, he was too tired. He felt soft, cold hands touch his forehead, as those hands slid down to his eyelids, closing them against Joey's own will. "Sleep now, Inu. We'll talk later…" It was none other than Seto.
"Don't… call me… that…" Joey's eyes obeyed as they remained closed and surrendered himself to slumber.
To be continued…