He felt so out of place, huddled deep inside the hoodie that was drenched of Jounouchi. He sat there on the bench looking down at the blue vanz that oddly fit his feet and the strip of duct tape that covered the hole on the side.

"Hey loser!" He waved to the brunette trying to get him to look up. He was at the summit of the half pike. "Yosh!" He jumped, Seto watched.

Nothing spectacular at first, just that initial build up, getting the speed, a feel for the pike, watching other skaters around you, the ones wiping out, the ones watching you.

'Ok push up; grip the rail with your right, wheel with the left. Move with your speed, feel the pull.'

Jounouchi was going back, back over all his mental notes. He hadn't been skating since…well since…

He stood there with the letter shaking his head. "Dad…why?" His father tried to be calm clenching his fists.

"You're wasting your time, you'll never get anywhere skating…"

"But you always supported me dad. It's the X-games, its national, global!"

"Your mother says I'm letting you waste your life…"

Jou took a hard sigh rubbing the spot between his eyes. "Dad…if you stop me from doing this…she's still not coming back."

His father looked up, horrified, panicked. "Yes she will, she'll come back and so will Shizuka. We can be a family again. She still loves me!"

"Dad…" He went to reach for his father, who tried to fill the void his wife left him with alcohol but never missed a baseball practice. The father that fell deeper and deeper into despair but made Jounouchi go to school so he wouldn't have to work as hard as he did at the Toyota factory. That man now covered his face with his hands to keep from crying.

"You need your mother in your life…I need her…"

"Dad…"

He reached for him.

"She's not coming, she doesn't want us anymore."

"That's not true!" Those hands, those broken callused hands pushed Jounouchi away into the black abyss that awaited him at the bottom of the staircase. Nothing was there when he finally awoke, just two broken men instead of one.

"Lift with right, grab with left." He need to think out loud now, that same abyss was creeping back, up his spine, into his chest.

Daddy…

"Push with the left, spin out with the right, think you're a top."

Daddy it's ok, I'll love you just as much as mommy…

"Skid with your back wheel and kick up"

Daddy please don't cry…

No... just let me do this, kick up with your left foot and push, till you come all the way around. Land on just your front two wheels.

Daddy…please don't hit me again…

Something did hit him though. The pike as he failed his flip smashing down onto his back.

"Aw man that was a gnarly but quiet nasty fall, are you alive?"

"Idiot!" Random skater man was shoved out of the way as a hooded brunette hovered over him, patting at his face.

"Jou, Jou? Can you hear me? Jou? Jou? Jou can you hear me? JOU!"

"I hear you I hear you shut the fuck up." He groaned loudly as pain shot up and over his back every time he moved.

"I don't believe this…" he was sitting on a bench with the immobile Jounouchi strewn across his lap, fussing as to what was to be done with him. The C.E.O. sulked as the blonde moaned in his lap.

"Aw come on, can't you nurse me back to health?" He gave a sly grin as he was promptly pinched on the nose. "Ow! Dammit I'm hurt already." He hissed slowly sitting up. "You're so cool when were in your house, but once were in the real world you're a total frigid bitch!"

Seto stood up seething. "What did you say to me? You lowly mongrel! You have about as much right to as that as an ameba!"

"Fuck you ass master and fuck this deal. I'm gone!" He stood to his feet, which took much more effort then he would have liked, and started to skate away.

"Seto…you have to be the one to try now."

He was still angry, but now panicked as well. He knew that if he didn't do something, Jou would never come back.

"You…you don't understand."

"Oh I understand perfectly your highness!" He did a smooth full turn on his back heel. "Or then again maybe I don't, I am just a lowly mortal after all." He scowled at Seto.

"But you really don't understand." He struggled for something to say. "I get anxious in situations like this."

"Like what?"

"Like when all I can do is sit and watch. I can't do anything else."

Now Jou really didn't understand. "Wait…you want to learn how to skate?"

He nodded his head dumbly.

"Well why didn't you say something?"

"Well I didn't know how or if you would laugh at me."

"I've laughed at you before."

"Shut up." He looked at his feet kicking at a rock.

"So…you wanna learn or what?"

He felt a rip cord pull at his heart at the notion he would stay, nodding to Jou.

"Well let's get you some skates."

He sat there beat red as Jou hovered over his feet adjusting the lock straps. Seto argued before that he could do it himself but Jou would hear none of it. He said he had no liability on this planet that would cover him once they got the claim that Seto Kaiba was suing. So Jou stay hunkered down, fixing his shoes, showing him just how they should be. Once he was all set, he dusted his hands, helping Seto up.

"Ok the shoes make you tilt forward, so try not to lean to much or you'll topple."

"…Ok…" He felt so ridiculous, wobbling and hanging to Jou's hands for dear life. He led them both out to the rink.

"Ok just hang onto me and I'll show you how."

"Let go and show me." The shame was too much to bear that he had to grip onto the mutt.

"You sure? You don't look like you got your legs yet."

"I'm fine let go!"

"Alright." His hands slipped away, Seto leaned forward, his feet slid back, you get the idea.

Once set right again it took all of the blonde's strength not to mention a word of it to the moping duelist with the X bandage over his chin. Seto now held to both of his hands as he stumbled along.

"Don't try to walk, use your feet as anchors to the feet that are moving and push."

"Ok…Jou?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't let go…"

He bit his lip to suppress the 'Aw' he felt. "Were gonna go a little bit faster ok…don't look like that you'll be fine." And with that they began to pick up speed, Jou scooting backwards with Seto trying to follow.

"Jou…" He called out nervously. "Don't let go ok?"

You're fine just follow, push, follow, push, follow, and push." He was amazed at how much Seto had changed. He was now a soft-spoken man, timid and shy, gripping to his hands. Jou wormed out of his grip to move along his arms to let his hands slid around his waist, softly grasping his hips. He heard Seto gasp as his body started to shake.

"You're fine I've got you."

He slowly nodded trying to keep the pattern in his head, as he was now moving them both along. Jou watched him carefully, making the grip on his body lighter and lighter as he started to fall back.

"Good you got it. Keep going."

Seto felt a bit better, even though his face still hurt. Jou watched, as his balance was getting tighter.

"That's it, now just keep it going." Soon Jou let go as Seto kept on.

"You think you can show me how to go backwards now?" He smirked turning his head slightly, but it soon dropped to no longer find his teacher behind him. "Jou…Hey Jou..?" He turned around as much as he could. He felt himself shrink as panic took over him. He started to wobble. "Jou!" He lost his footing as he began to crash down.

"Oops!" He caught the boy as his bruised face landed against his chest. "Didn't last as long as I thought but you did ok." He smiled as he helped him to stand again. In which Seto's hands now curled around Jou's collar instead of his own.

"You…Let…Go…" He snarled as Jou gasped for breath

"I was…trying to help…you…you were going good…until you freaked…"

Seto had an oh so delicious reply that was cut sadly short as he feel forward again with Jou's arms swiftly around him.

Seto was once again sitting watching Jou tinker with his skates hanging his head low to smother the heat on his face.

"Stay here I'll get your shoes."

He nodded watching him leave. He had to admit, aside from the sting in his chin this was…a pretty fun afternoon. He never felt more like a little boy…Jou giving him clothing, fixing his shoes, leading him around, teaching him how to skate.

"Here."

Giving him ice cream…ice cream? Right in front of his face was a stuffed chunky monkey waffle cone.

"Stop moping ok?"

He was speechless as he reached out taking the cone in both hands. "……Thank you……" He tentatively licked at it and nearly choked as Jou slipped his sneakers back on for him.

"You'll do much better now next time."

His face grew more scarlet as he ate faster. He wanted to go again? He wanted to go again…with him… He nodded his head with a smile. "Yeah…next time."

Jou watched the luke warm water fill in the grand white tub surrounding him. The scent of the French vanilla bath salts coiling at his nostrils. Since both men were pretty banged up it took forever to get home. Only to get back to a spastic house were a puppy, Mokuba, and a dog trainer ran in tow. But now after a simplistic dinner of Reese's puffs, Jou was in the mood for some nice down time. He soaked and soaked, and soaked some more. He was finally able to tend to his sore and slightly battered body. The pruney wrinkles had long since set into his skin but he could care less. He thought of how in such a short amount of time Seto and his relationship had taken such a radical turn. Was this normal? It sounded to him like one of those incredible situations that you only find in cheap supermarket smut novels. (Or fan fiction v)

Could he just turn to Seto like that so suddenly. At least Seto's reason seemed more realistic and made more sense then his own. The only thing he could cling to in his defense was hormones and that was really no excuse. He was seeing Seto differently though. Especially after today, he looked so cute when he had no clue what was going on. He rubbed his temples and chuckled, he was starting to get a headache.

He thought those thumping feet were merely the pounding in his head. Well, this wasn't the first time Jounouchi was wrong in his life, so we can forgive him. Mokuba shoved the door open, paled and panicked.

"Oni-sama…Oni-sama is…"

Jou stood in the doorway, shocked and drenched at the sight before him. Seto Kaiba lay in his bed as his knuckles where a frigid white as they gripped the sheets . His teeth were tightly clenched as pained gasps of air passed through them.

"What the hell happened!"

"Brother…is having a night tare."

"Well…what the heck are we suppose to do?"

"We have to help him through it…"

Jounouchi looked to Mokuba and back to his brother suffering on the bed. "Oh god…"

The phone rang through the dead of the night, cutting the peaceful silence wide open. A blind hand waved out through the darkness reaching for the phone.

"He…hello?" The soft but tired voice called. "What? Slow down." He was more awake now at the sound of the urgent news.

"Who is that?" A similar looking man asked peering over at his silver haired twin as he tried to make sense of the call.

"Why not just take him to the hospital?"

"Who is it dammit!"

"Jou I don't know what I can do."

"Does he have any idea what time it is?"

"Alright I'll come over." He reached over for the pad and paper on the nightstand.

"I'm not going."

He waved his hand to shoo off his spirits miffed attitude writing down as he nodded to the phone. "Alright I'm coming." He hung up the phone and pulled back the covers.

"Who was that?"

"Jounouchi."

"What does he want?"

"Someone is sick. He said he needs my help."

"Why you? Why not just take him to a hospital?"

"I don't know. He says he won't go. So if I can help I'll certainly try."

"Well where is he?"

He groaned as he struggles to pull up some pants. "Bakura if you don't care and your not going why ask me. Its late, I'm tired, and this may be an emergency."

"Well…well." The spirit sat up some. "Maybe I want to go, did you ever think of that?"

"Then get dressed or I'm leaving with out you."

The blonde puppy stood in the doorway biting his nails as Ryou moved about the room with the curious eye of his yami to follow. Mokuba had attached himself to Jou's waist, watching as well. He told Jou that they couldn't bring Seto to the hospital, and he wouldn't say why. Bakura had, had enough of Ryou's mothering skills and now looked to Jou. They were both shocked indeed when his directions had led them right to the Kaiba mansion and even more so to see the state Seto was in.

"Where are the others?"

"The others?" Jou replied.

"Yeah. Yugi, Yami, and the rest of your retarded posse."

"Bakura!"

Jou felt a small grip in his stomach, he didn't think they would bother to ask seeing as how the way things were.

"Where are they? Why didn't you call them instead? Why just us? This is more of Yugi's job to help a bastard like him." The spirit questioned.

Ryou was going to step in but he had to admit he was curious too.

"Well…it's a long story so that's why I called Ryou…I remember he said his dad was a doctor at one point…I thought he would understand"

"Understand what?"

Jou took a deep breath and rubbed his head. "I lost a bet with Seto and now I have to stay here a week…I didn't want the guys to know."

Bakura smirked so devilishly. "So that's why you have that dorky collar. You have to be Seto's bitch now."

"Bakura that's enough!"

"Shut the fuck up phantom fag!"

"Make me cum dumpster!" Bakura snarled in near delight. Things were finally getting interesting for him. "I can just drag his ass to a hospital and be done with it instead of mother Teresa doing the run around over there."

Seto had been laying in Ryou's lap for some time now. The tender boy was patting his forehead with a damp cloth as he tried to massage out his clenched hands. Although still in a state of intense dreaming and anxiety, he was well aware of the argument going on around him.

"No! You can't take brother to the hospital."

"Why the hell not. Ryou's no doctor!"

"But he's helping."

"Shut up you twerp!"

Jou growled stepping up to Bakura as he jabbed at his shoulder. "You better cool it pal, or Seto wont be the only one in trauma."

"Oh I'm sorry." Bakura mocked in a gentle baby tone. "Is the little bitch protective of his new master?"

Fists were about to fly until Ryou would have no more. "Stop it right now the both of you. This is no time for such childishness! Now Jounouchi I must agree with Bakura. I know some things from my father but I'm no expert and a night tare is more of a mental problem. His body's tense and he's breathing so heavy. I really feel he should be treated at a hospital."

"No." Every one had stopped to stare at the bed where Seto Kaiba was slowly coming out of it. Or so they thought. "No. I'm not going." He sat up and turned his eyes to Ryou. "I'm not going. You can't make me."

"Seto please, I'm just trying to do what's best for you. I'm worried about you. Your condition looked so painful, a doctor can treat…"

His voice was cut short as his frail neck was now in the palms of Seto's hands, wringing tightly. "I'm not going. You can't tell me what to do any more. You're not my father, you're not even human! I'm not listening to you any more!" His was in rage, screaming at Ryou as he throttled him against the bed.

"Seto!"

"Oni-sama!"

"Let him go you fucking prick!" Bakura was already in motion hurling himself at the bed and the brunette. Both tumbled to the floor in a fierce struggle, Ryou gasped for breath in bought of coughs and gags. Jou ran over to try and pull them apart as Mokuba cried to his brother.

"Oni-sama…Oni-sama." He sobbed softly. "Stop it"

"He's still sleeping." Ryou panted.

"What?" Jou looked back at the still uneven breathed boy.

"Night tares are almost like violent living dreams. They can still allow the person to act and talk, like sleep walking."

"Get him OFF ME!" Bakura howled as he was now pinned to the floor fighting off the unnatural strength of the seething Seto Kaiba.

"There has to be a way to wake him up." Jou was starting to panic.

"That could be very dangerous for him in this state of mind to just suddenly stop."

"Well unless we do something it'll be very dangerous for Bakura!" He turned back to watch the thief pushed Seto's hands away merely inches from his neck.

Mokuba finally shook from his fear and panic and ran to his brother's closet, pulling out a small white box and handed it to Ryou. Jou hand once again tried to pry off Seto from the screaming thief.

"Mokuba what is this?"

"Its something brother told me once. He said if he ever couldn't get to his mad room during his night mare I should use this."

"Mad room?"

"What the hell is it?" Jou yelled as he was getting tangled in flailing limbs.

Ryou opened the box looking over its contents. "Tranquilizers."

"Well fucking use it! Ah!" Jou was now pinned under Seto as Bakura moved behind him hooking his arms around him and behind his head in a full nelson lifting him up. Ryou filled the thin needle with the clear solution.

"You have to hold him still, I have to get his jugular."

"Oh what fresh hell we have now." Bakura groaned and struggled to hold him still which wasn't going over very well. It took every thing he had just to hang on. "Hurry up"

"We have to put something in his mouth, he'll bit his tongue."

"We don't have time just stick him!"

"Bakura!"

"Come on a little nip wont kill him."

"Yes it will!"

"Shut up and do it!"

Jou stepped between them, in front of Seto. "On three."

"But Jou!"

"One."

"He's fucking nuts." Bakura smirked but frowned soon after as he felt his grip slipping.

"Two."

Ryou grimaced as he tried to steady his hand on Seto's shoulder.

"Three."

Ryou winced as the needle punctured Seto's neck, but gasped as Jou had pushed his forearm between the C.E.O.'s lips. His teeth sunk into his flesh as the blood ran.

The sun was rising and the night was finally over. He sat by the bed pulling up the covers over the two brothers. Mokuba's eyes were still moist from all his tears as he finally lay exhausted next to his even more docile brother. He rubbed over the tight gauze on his arm that Ryou tenderly mended as he left the room. After Seto collapsed Ryou was quick to clean the bite mark. Truth be told he didn't feel a thing, only pity for all the hurt he could see in Seto's half lidded and dreaming eyes. He thanked them both and was able to silence Bakura groans with a few big bills that Seto had in his unbendable wallet. Ryou politely and honestly refused as Bakura demanded more, leafing through it and checking the watermarks by the light of the slowly rising sun. Ryou finally dragged him away as the house slowly settled into its familiar stillness. He thought about whether he should go to school or not. Ryou and Bakura would most likely be out too. No, he should go. It will only look more suspicious if they were all out. He headed down the grand staircase slowly hearing the pitiful yipping of the puppy downstairs. As soon as he hit the foyer the little blonde ball was bounding between his legs barking for joy as it pawed and prated at him.

"Just lonely huh?" he smiled to the dog as he headed into the living room, Bruno with him every step of the way as he plopped down on the couch. He jumped right up in his lap as he was promptly pet by Jou. He smiled down at him laying his head back on the plush couch. He felt his sloppy tongue and slightly sharp teeth at his fingers as his eyes closed once, twice, then nothing.

Hello all I know I have been gone for some time but I'm sure you hear it a lot from authors so I wont bore you with the same shit. If you still reading from long ago I love you and wish to make sweet sweet love TO you for being so nice in keeping tabs on my sorry little story. If you're new….welcome! I love you too

I will try to make more and frequent updates on ALL my fics, thanks!

Messiah