A/N: I am a terrible updater, and I apologize. But, the long wait is over. I'm endin' this S.O.B. :) I'm not sure if I'll be writing any other puppyshipping/yugioh pairings after this is done...Unless I can somehow get myself back into this fandom (Blame Higurashi, Shiki, and 07-Ghost...)

So, to all the people who have stuck through this story to see the end, thank you. To those who have reviewed, favorited, and alerted this story, thank you. It means a lot to me :) Seeing as how I started this story awhile back and it needed revision, I did just that. I added in, took out, and fixed some errors in the previous chapters. I can see how much I've improved as a writer as I progressed through this story, and even after.

Anyway, I can't thank you all enough, and I'll now stop with this boring AN. Ciao~!

It was cold. Everything was cold. Jounouchi wrapped his arms around himself in hopes to gain some warmth. He received none. Puzzled, he held out his arms and stared. He touched his arm and shivered. It was cold.

He was alone. Alone in a room he did not recognize. It was an empty room... Four simple walls of white plaster closed him in. Yet, strangely enough, he felt there was enough room. In fact, it felt like there was too much room...too empty... Much too empty. He wanted to call out. He wanted some form of comfort. He didn't want to be alone.

He wanted warmth.

He turned in place, and looked around. Nothing. No one. He was alone. He bit his lip and held himself again.

"Jounouchi."

The blonde jumped at the sound of someone's voice. The teen turned to see four wooden chairs, all lined up against the wall in a perfect row. Sitting in the chair on the far left, was none other than Kaiba. He had his legs and arms crossed, and a serious expression on his face. Much like normal.

"Kaiba?" Jounouchi called out. He took a few steps forward, half expecting for Kaiba to disappear. When he didn't, a flood of relief washed over Jounouchi. Kaiba patted the seat next to him. Jounouchi sat down thoroughly confused by all of this.

"Kaiba, what's going on?"

Kaiba didn't look at him. He kept his gaze straight ahead, like he was watching something in the distance.

"Kaiba?"

There was a sudden roll of thunder that made Jou jump. The rooms color began to darken into a mixture grey hues. The sound of falling rain followed shortly after.

"I'm waiting." Kaiba answered him simply, still not looking at him.

"...Waiting?" Jou asked, confused. "For what?" No reply. "Kaiba? And what're you lookin' at?" Jou demanded. He followed Kaiba's eyes to the wall opposite of him. The more he stared at it, the more he began to see images...flashbacks...

Memories.

"Hey...that's...that's Duelist Kingdom..." He breathed, barely audible. He chuckled slightly. "It feels like...forever ago..."

He sat there in silence, Kaiba by his side, and watched as events of his life flashed before his eyes. His friends...his family before it became so jaded... All of the fun he had...

But even then he felt empty.

Events of recent time passed by him. There was, on that park bench. There was Kaiba, lifting him when he was at the lowest of the low... The past three months flew. And here he was.

"I'm waiting..." Kaiba repeated again, still looking ahead. "And I'm not the only one..."

Jounouchi stared at him. What did he mean...?

"Nii-san,"

Jouncouchi turned to his right to see his sister smiling back at him.

"How are you, Nii-san?"

"...Shizuka..." He murmured in a hushed tone. He pulled her close to him and closed his eyes.

She was warm.

"Jounouchi-kun!"

Jou opened his eyes to see Yugi next to Shizuka. He was smiling as always. Jou could even make out what seemed to be a spector resembling Yami hovering beside him.

"Hey, Yug." Jou smiled, tears welling in his eyes. He didn't know why...but he had to the urge to cry. It was like, he felt like he was gaining something from all this. He laughed dryly as Shizuka pulled away with a smile.

"I love you, Nii-san."

Jounouchi smiled.

"I love you to, Shizuka."

He wiped the moisture out of his eyes and turned back to Kaiba, whose eyes were still looking straight ahead.

"You were never alone, Jounouchi. We were here. All of us. Look around."

Jou did as he was told. Like they were there all along, he noticed more chairs lined the walls. They went all the way around the tiny room. Only, it wasn't so tiny anymore. It seemed to have increased, without Jou noticing. Instead of four chairs lining a wall, eight lined it. Honda, Mai, Anzu, and Ryou were all seated, smiling at him.

"Jounouchi," They said in unison. Jou watched as all the other seats were filled. The rain that had been present before was all but another memory. The dark grey had faded into happier colors, colorful hues that were easy on the eyes.

"We're all waiting, Jounouchi. We're all waiting to be accepted into your heart." Kaiba told him, his cold eyes still staring ahead. "We're here for you. We always have been. And we'll never leave."

A lump rose in Jounouchi's throat as guilt tugged at his heart. The feeling only worsened when Kaiba looked at him. Cold cobalt met warm honey as Kaiba said,

"I'll be by your side, wherever you go." He told him simply. "I promise you. You don't have to feel alone anymore."

A tear streamed down the others cheek before he could stop it. I laughed a little and wiped it away with his sleeve.

"I...I don't know why I-" Jou started to say. That was before Kaiba pulled him into a warm hug. Jou gasped in surprise due to the sudden embrace. His shaking hands wrapped around Kaiba's back and he gripped the fabric as he fought the urge to break down.

He didn't get the chance.

"...It's time for you to wake now."

Jounouchi sat up with a start. His breathing heavy and his body was broke out in a cold sweat. He felt hot and dizzy.

"You're up?"

Jounouchi turned to see Kaiba, sitting in a wooden chair by his bed. He looked exhausted, like he hadn't slept in days. The bags under his eyes indicated it quite clearly. Jounouchi was speechless.

"How are you feeling? That was a stupid move, you know." Kaiba muttered as he stood. He leaned over Jounouchi and held a hand out to feel the others head.

Before Jounouchi knew what he was doing he reached out and grabbed the the CEO and pulled him in for a warm embrace.

"...I...I'm sorry..." Was all he could say. "I'm so sorry..."

His hands gripped the fabric as he struggled to find what he wanted to say. Kaiba was thoroughly surprised by the suddenness of it all.

"Jounouchi...are you okay?" He asked hesitantly. When he heard Jou sniffle and felt his shoulders shake, he figured it was now or never to express how he felt as well.

Kaiba hesitantly wrapped his arms around the other. He closed his eyes and rested his head on Jou's shoulder. It felt good, to be like this. Like, this was what he needed all along. Jou stopped shaking and was just relishing the embrace.

"I'm sorry..."

"...Why do you keep apologizing?" Kaiba asked, confused by it all.

"I've...I've been so...stupid." Jou sighed as his hands fell away from Kaiba's back. He was released from the embrace. He tugged at the bed sheets nervously. It was now or never. "Kaiba, I...I really like you. A lot. And, I don't...I mean, I DO care, but, my feelings, they, they won't change, no matter what you think...so-"

Impulse took over Kaiba. He could careless about anything else right now. All that was on his mind right now was what was in front of him. And that was opportunity. He moved in close and planted a soft kiss on Jounouchi's cheek. The blonde's face was already flushed from fever, but it grew redder still.

"K-Kaiba you-"

"I'm here for you...Jounouchi. I always have been..."

Jounouchi smiled a little. Kaiba had actually come to terms with liking Jounouchi that night Jou fell asleep on him. There was no denying it. But he never imagined those feelings would be returned...

"How are you feeling...?" Kaiba asked, changing the subject awkwardly.

"Okay..." Jou answered simply. He was deep in thought. The thing before...the room...the people...his heart...Kaiba... Was that his rainbow? He believed it to be true... He couldn't imagine it being anything better.

And all this time, he was too worried about the rainbow not being worth the rain...

He wouldn't fight the hands that were holding him any longer. No more would he deny the people wanting to comfort him.

No longer would he be so opposed to love.

He welcomed the feeling... He wanted the feeling...He longed for it...and he was receiving it. It couldn't have made him feel happier.

He felt a hand slide on top of his. He looked down to see Kaiba's hand covering his. It was warm... Kaiba was warm.

He let his head fall forward and land on Kaiba's shoulder. He wanted to stay like that forever. Kaiba's arms wrapped around him comfortably and held him close. It was so warm...

The storm clouds were cleared. The tempest, vanished. Those feelings were all replaced with colorful hues.

It wasn't as impossible as Jounouchi thought, to achieve his rainbow.

Because sometimes, the rainbow turns out to be worth the rain.