~ Sometimes I need some time...on my
own
Sometimes I need some time...all alone
Everybody needs some time...
on their own
Don't you know you need some time...all alone ~


“He wouldn’t dare.”

“I think you know your little brother better than I do. But, if I came home and saw my sister talking to one of the people she’s always been unable to stand being anywhere near...”

Seto sighed, “Good point, but then again you can’t hear anything through these walls, something I learned a long time ago.” He got up, and walked over to the door. As he opened it, the small form that was his brother came tumbling head first into the room.

“Oh...um...hi Nii-sama, hi Jounouchi! Ummm I was just walking by and uhhh wondered if you’d like anything to drink...I was just about to knock on the door and ask.” Mokuba tried the big puppy’s eye routine with his brother as he was saying this, for some reason he didn’t think it was working.

“Katsuya,” Seto said very pointedly making sure Mokuba caught the use of the name, “why don’t you go get us something to drink while I talk to Mokuba for a moment.”

“Sure you don’t want me to stay Seto?” The look on Mokuba’s face at the use of his brother’s name was priceless.

“No it’s alright.”

He got up leaving the two brothers alone then turned again to look at them. ‘Easy enough for him...them. Don’t think anything can tear those two apart, which is so good for me.’ Because at that moment he had no idea how or what he was going to tell his friends.

After the blond left the room, Seto had gone back over to sit upon the couch. He smiled knowing that the last time they had been there did mean something not just to him but to his lover as well.

There was a slight movement on the cushions as Mokuba sat down next to his brother. Mokuba looked at Seto surprised by the smile. It had been a long time since he had seen him look so happy especially around other people. Right then he decided it didn’t matter who or what made his brother smile, as long as it happened more often.

“Mokuba...Jounouchi and I...” he fumbled for the words, trying to get them to come out, wanting them to sound just right.

“He called you Seto,” Mokuba pointed out.

“Yeah,” he agreed.

“And you called him Katsuya.”

“Yes.”

“No one calls him that, not even his sister. Wow, he must really love you.” Mokuba’s eyes were wide open at the implications of that thought.

“We do,” Seto told him stressing the ‘we’.

“If he hurts you I get to kill him right? Cause no one is going to hurt my brother and get away with it.” Mokuba reached over, wrapping his arms around Seto in a hug.

“You‘re getting scarier everyday you know that?” Seto said as he returned the embrace.

“Nope, just becoming more like you.”

“May the gods help us all on that.” They hadn’t heard the door open or closed again after Jounouchi’s return. “So are we okay here?”

Seto looked down at this brother, looking for an answer.

“Yeah, we’re cool,” Mokuba told them both.

They spent the rest of the day explaining the few things about their relationship they felt comfortable with him knowing. The how long, the whys, the how they kept it secret so long.

Supper came and went; the night hours disappeared and soon after Mokuba was telling his brother goodnight. He threw a goodnight to Jounouchi also along with a hopeful, “See ya in the morning,” as he ran up the stairs, leaving them on the couch.

“I should head home now, good night Seto.”

He went to get up but the brunet took his hand, holding him in place, “Stay.”

Katsuya raised an eye, “Back to the dog commands?”

He just shook his head, “No...Stay please? There’s no reason now why you can’t.”

“Actually, there is something very important I have to do tonight. I’m sorry.” He bent down to kiss Seto goodnight. Their lips touched and a thousand thoughts came to his mind. How much he wanted to stay, how much he needed to leave, how he should have done what he was fixing to do months before, how delicious Seto was, how wonderful he felt, how if he didn’t break off their kiss he’d never leave.

“Have to go.” He slipped away from the brunet and out of the room.

Once he was alone, he started going over in his mind what it was he needed to do next. It wasn’t as if he never planned on doing it, just he didn’t realize how soon it should have been done.

He and Seto had only been together for a few months and he admitted to himself, he had never been as happy as he was right now. ‘Well...once.’ Jounouchi’d been keeping too many secrets lately, from his friends and Seto. ‘First fix this, and then Seto, then I’ll talk to the guys.’

Looking up he found himself standing at a familiar door, he knocked waiting for an answer. A minute later, the door opened and a pair of bright green eyes looked out at him. “Jounouchi? What are you doing here this late?”

He laughed to himself, not believing what he was about to say. “Otogi, we need to talk.”

“Sure, Jounouchi come in.”

He walked through the barely opened door, brushing past the dark haired boy. ”Not a social visit I take it?”

“No.”

“Want to sit or is this a standing visit?”

Jounouchi sat down, sighing as he did. This was not going to be easy. “Look it’s been months since you said you needed to think things over. Needed space. I gave you that, and more. And I’ve know about you and Honda since the start.”

“What? Jounouchi we never...”

“I know. Point is, I decided you made up your mind. It’s over between us, not that there was anything to start with really.”

The dark haired boy sat there dumbfounded, “You’re dumping me?”

“No...Technically you dropped me remember? ‘It’s not you, I need time’ not to mention my best friend...Either way let’s just forget it ever happened. You’re happy, I’m happy, leave it at that.”

“Wow. That was rather mature of you...didn’t know you had it in you Jounouchi.” Otogi smiled, flashing his most charming look towards him.

“I didn’t...not until now. Makes a difference doesn’t it?”

“So, do I know them?”

“Yeah, maybe you’ll meet tomorrow, when you let the others in on your little games with Honda...”

“Blackmail. Nice.”

Jounouchi had learned a few things from his friends, getting smart just happened to be one of them. Protecting his own ass, he already knew. “Figure if you go first it won’t look so bad when I do.” ‘And the fact you two were running around while you were supposed to be kinda with me, looks a lot better for me when I bring out Seto.’

“I’ll see you tomorrow; we’re all supposed to meet up at Yugi’s before going to a movie or something. I expect your confession as soon as we’re all there. Then I’ll bring in my ‘date’.”
 

onward