Seto's POV!

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The next morning, Social Services came to the house right on schedule. Jounochi and Mokuba shared a heartfelt goodbye and he walked out, with not even a glance my way. Not that it mattered to me – in fact, I preferred not to talk to him, after our conversation last night. I would be lying if I said I wasn't embarrassed by what had come out of my mouth last night. I had never intended to reveal that information to anyone, least of all Jounochi. I sighed where I was sitting at my desk, putting my head in my hands. Even though I was more than certain the blonde hated me, I still felt like I wanted to help him. When the butler who had changed the mutt into his pajamas had informed me of his injuries, I was appalled. It wasn't really a secret that Jounochi's home situation was bad, but I had no idea his father was abusive. I was repulsed, utterly disgusted. No father should abuse their child, let it be physical or emotional. Memories of Gozaburo flooded to my mind. He had slapped me once or twice, but he was never truly a physically abusive parent. Jounochi…for some reason, I felt the need to protect him. Even before this, I had felt like that, and I couldn't explain why. Perhaps it was because he acted so tough on the outside, while in reality he was struggling more than anyone. I wasn't normally a sympathetic person, but there was something in the blonde that struck a chord in me. It could be how he always went out of his way to help people, even though he himself needs help. Whatever the reasoning behind it was, hearing about the cuts and bruises that littered his body made my feelings flare up, along with anger towards his father. I knew I had to do something about his situation, I just didn't know what. And frankly, I didn't know if he would let me at this point.

The blonde didn't show up at school the next day. I wasn't really worried about it – after all, he had just moved in with his mother, presumably, and if that was true it was more than likely he was still adjusting to a new environment. During the day, I noticed Yugi and his friends giving me a few sideways glances, and that did nothing but piss me off. Like they were expecting me to have all the answers. Why should I know anything about the mutt's situation? Not unexpectedly, he approached me at the end of the day.

"Kaiba," he greeted, his tone polite. That was something I respected him for – Yugi was always courteous when talking to someone, unlike those idiot friends of his. Especially Jounochi. Honda was the worst with that, though. Just seeing his face wanted to make me punch him.

"I don't know anything about Jounochi's situation," I said, my voice cold. Might as well cut right to the chase. The shorter boy shifted, obviously uncomfortable. "Kaiba, please talk to me. I know that he stayed at your house the night he…got drunk, but I haven't heard from his since then. You have to know more than me, at least."

I looked at him. Did he really not know about the fire? As impossible as it sounded, knowing how buddy-buddy those two were, I hadn't seen Jounochi on his phone the entire time he was at my house. I sighed. It figures I would have to be the bearer of bad news, it would only make me out to be more of a villain. That idiot Honda would probably accuse me of the crime.

"His house burned down." I let no emotion slip through into my voice. "And his father passed away. He left my house Saturday morning with Social Services, and I haven't heard from him since."

Seeing the shock on the boy's face, I truly sympathized with him. He was the mutt's best friend, and he hadn't even told him. It only proved my point that having friends was pointless. As much as they talked about friendship and being there for one another, Jounochi hadn't even told his best friend something as big as this.

I twitched, thinking of other things he hadn't told anyone. In the end, I suppose I couldn't rightly criticize him for keeping the information to himself. That was how he had always been; not wanting to be a burden on anyone else. Well, unless it came to food.

"I'd suggest checking in with his sister, assuming you're still in contact with her," I continued." From across the room, I could see Anzu and Honda staring at us in curiosity, unable to hear what I was saying. "It sounded to me like he was going to be staying with his mother."

I started walking away before all the friendship nonsense started, or Honda got mad and decided to take it out on me. Right before I was out the door, I heard Yugi finally get over the shock and yell a strangled thank you at me. I gave no response, only pausing for half a second before continuing my way out the door.

On the way home, I thought about what I had said to Yugi.

"I'd suggest checking in with his sister."

To be honest, I had forgotten about the girl until then. But now that I was thinking about it, I realized Shizuka didn't go to the same school as us. I had no idea where she and her mother lived, but the girl couldn't be that much younger than us. She must live far enough away to go to a different school, but still close enough to be able to travel to Domino easily, since she had been around fairly often. Does that mean Jounochi would be attending a different school now? The thought of never having to see his smug face again lifted my spirits slightly. If he transferred schools that would be one less annoyance in my day to worry about. Then again, he may just commute farther, and since I had no real idea of where his mother and sister live, there was no way for me to make an accurate and calculated guess.

So I dropped the subject from my mind just as the car pulled into my driveway. We skipped picking Mokuba up from his school today, since he had informed me this morning that he had plans to hang out with his friends after school. I was happy to hear that he was fitting in at school and making friends, but on the same hand

I worried about the quality of the people he was hanging out with. There would be no forgiving anyone who tried to get close to him because of his wealth or mild fame, and if my brother ever made friends like the idiots I attend school with, I wouldn't let them in the house. Still though, I had raised Mokuba to bee a good judge of character with any luck, so I'm sure he'll be hanging out with good people.

Having the house to myself was nice, albeit a bit lonely, but I enjoyed the silence. Homework was an afterthought for me, and I finished the mediocre problems in a matter of minutes. That was fine by me, as I had much more important things to worry about. There were a couple kinks in the new system I was developing that had to be worked out, and I had been trying not to think about all the calls I had to return today. Brewing myself a cup of coffee, I leisurely made my way upstairs, in no rush to get started on work. The events of this past weekend had exhausted me, although I was feeling much less stressed out now that I didn't have that whining brat to deal with.

Memories of our last conversation flashed through my head, and I gritted my teeth, clasping the stack of papers I was holding at my desk a little tighter. If that mutt told any of his loser friends what I had told him – there would be no hearing the end of it. One thing was for sure, if he did end up returning to school, I would be avoiding him like the plague. I had done my good deed for the year, but there was no reason to keep up pretenses. I helped him when he needed it, but especially now when we both have things to hold over each other's heads, I wasn't going to pretend to be his friend. If he wanted to tell everyone what I had said to him and effectively ruin the rest of my high school career, then I could just let it slip that his late father had some anger control issues. I cringed just thinking about it – I would never tell this to Jounochi, but I was glad his father had died. No one who treated their own flesh and blood like his father had treated him deserved to live. I had no idea what the blonde's mother was like, but anything would be better then the situation he had been in before.

The phone ringing brought my attention to more relevant things, and I scoffed when I realized that I had been thinking about someone who was so irrelevant to my life for so long.

"Hello," I answered. "Seto Kaiba speaking."

And that began the next two hours of my afternoon, schmoozing business executives and going back and forth over the phone with people who's names I can't remember. I don't tolerate bullshit, but I can cut back the bluntness when it comes to talking business. In my world there's a very specific way to do things, and if you don't play the game, you're out. I already have a reputation amongst my coworkers as being manipulative and being able to get what I want, but once I graduate I can really stop holding back, put all of my attention into the business and be as cutthroat as possible. When it came down to it though, right now I was still a high school student, and some people had trouble taking me seriously because of that.

Hanging up the phone, I sighed and cracked my neck. I couldn't stand being talked down to just because I was younger then a lot of other CEO's. There were many people who saw me for what I was – a ruthless, intelligent business leader who you shouldn't cross – but other people just haven't figured that out yet. There was nothing I could really do about it, until I released some new products and made the news. There was only a month until graduation though, so for now I would focus on that – not that it required much effort. But it would be irresponsible to slack off on school and then end up not doing as well as I could have. There was just one big obstacle in my way regarding work, and that was the press conference coming up in a couple weeks. If I didn't put on a flawless delivery at that, then my career was essentially in the toilet.

My cell phone vibrated on the desk in front of me. It was a text from Mokuba, saying that he wouldn't be home until after dinner. I guess it was just me then – I was going to take Mokuba out to eat since the cook has off today, but I didn't feel like going out by myself. To the kitchen it is.

I really didn't have that much experience with cooking, and really only know the basics. Maybe I'll just make an omelet and call it a night. Opening the fridge to see what we have in stock, I noticed the container of leftover lo mein that mutt had made here the other night. My face wrinkled when I thought about it. Seriously, who did he think he was, just using my kitchen without permission? I took the food out of the fridge, ready to throw it away. My hand over the trashcan, I couldn't help but notice how good it looked. And it would be an easy solution to my diner problem. I paused for a second, and then sighed, grabbed a fork from the silverware drawer and threw the noodles in the microwave. A minute and thirty seconds later I was sitting at the table eating the food…and it was really damn good.

Excellent, really. I took my time eating it, and when I was done I felt full. The mutt could cook, I'd give him that much.

There was nothing left to do but wait until Mokuba got home, so I sat down at the table with a glass of water and a newspaper. It didn't take long for my brother to get home, and hearing the door slam closed and his voice yell "I'm home Seto!" made me smile. I called out to him that I was in the kitchen, and he quickly came bounding in. "Hey bro! How was your day?"

I put down the paper and smiled at him. "It was fine. Nothing eventful happened, just dealing with corporates on the phone. Did you have fun with your friends?"

I watched his face for any sign of hesitation, but he just beamed at me. "Yeah, we had a blast! We went to a sushi place for dinner and Takumi ate thirty plates of sushi by himself! It was crazy!"

Seeing that he was having fun with his friends sent a wave of relief over me. "Good. I'm glad to hear you had fun. Did you get your homework done?"

The change of expression on his face was so immediate it almost made me laugh. "Uh, not yet. I'm gonna go do it now."

"Alright," I replied. "Get it done and don't be up too late. I'm going to head upstairs soon so I'll see you tomorrow."

He walked closer to me, giving me a hug. "Okay! Goodnight Seto, I love you!" I closed my eyes. Times like these is when I'm most at peace. I work so hard trying to be a good role model for my brother, trying to teach him how to be the best person he can be and care for him as much as possible. Times like this made it all worth it. "I love you too kid. Good luck on your work."

I said that but I know he doesn't really need luck. Mokuba's a smart kid and he's always done well in school. I might give him grief for his schoolwork, but it's all so he doesn't fall behind. At this point, though, I know he can do just fine without me.

He smiled at me before heading upstairs. In my seat I folded up the paper and cracked my back, but when I looked up, Mokuba was standing on the stairs looking at me with a troubled expression on his face.

"Yes?" I inquired.

He paused for a moment before talking, his brows furrowed. "Seto…was Jou okay today?"

Of course my brother had to bring him up right before I went to bed. I sighed and stood up. "He wasn't in school today, and it's none of your business or mine why he wasn't. I'd suggest not worrying about it, as I doubt we'll ever hear from him again."

He looked down, sadness on his face. I'm glad my brother was more compassionate then me. I wasn't given a choice, but I hope Mokuba never looses the kindness he shows towards other people. "Okay, night Seto." He retreated upstairs, and I waited until I heard his door shut before I followed.

For some reason that night I didn't sleep well, and kept waking up in the middle of the night after having terrible dreams about lo mein restaurants being set on fire. I woke up the next morning, groggy, and made my way to school.

When I entered the classroom, I immediately noticed the bright shock of yellow hair in the classroom. Jounochi was sitting with his friends in a group, and as soon as I walked in they all stopped what they were doing to stare at me. I ignored them, walking to my seat without even blinking. I hadn't been sitting in my seat for more then ten seconds when out of the corner of my eye I saw my former house guest get out of his seat and make his way over to me. Great, what sap-fest was I in store for now? My body tensed up as he got closer to me, and I made sure to look towards the front of the room the entire time, never even looking his way.

He finally reached my seat. "Hey Kaiba, I-"

And then the bell rang. Simultaneously, our homeroom teacher walked in. "Alright everyone, in your seats. That means you Jounochi."

The blonde froze where he was standing, sighed, and walked back to his seat. The expression saved by the bell had never been more relevant to my life before now.

"All right, time for roll call…Touzoku and Ishtar aren't here today? Alright, time to get started."

I let my mind zone out for the rest of class. There had been some interesting rumors going on about the new kid, Marik Ishtar. He had just transferred here from Egypt of all places, and practically no one spoke to him, except for the local delinquent Bakura Touzoku. Of course there were immediately rumors going around that they were sleeping together, which Marik's feminine looks didn't exactly help. I didn't think anything of the rumors though, people could do whatever they pleased. As long as it doesn't affect me, my brother, or my business, I didn't care. The rest of the day passed by quickly, and I wasted no time trying to leave the building. Unfortunately, the dumb mutt caught up with me before I could.

Walking down the hallway, I heard someone yell my name behind me.

"Kaiba!"

I sighed, knowing that Jounochi wouldn't give up until I finally talked to him. Choosing a couple seconds of irritation over weeks, I quickly turned around.

"What do you want Jounochi. Make it quick."

The blonde boy was standing in front of me, an expression of uncertainty on his face.

"I, uh, just wanted to thank you for letting me crash at your place. I'm all set up at my mom's place now, so everything's good. But I really appreciate what you and your brother did for me last weekend."

"It really wasn't anything to get excited about, I was just doing what any person would have."

"Exactly," the blonde smirked. "Any other person. Not you. So thanks Kaiba."

He glanced behind him, where Yugi and the others were waiting. "I gotta go. But I'll see you later."

He started turning, but something inside me panicked and I grabbed his arm.

"Jounochi."

He turned back to me in surprise.

"If you breathe a word of what I let slip out Saturday night –"

He laughed. "Don't worry Kaiba, not happening. I'm tryin' to graduate highschool without any more drama."

Before he left, he gave me a knowing look. "But if you're ever bored, Mokuba has my number."

I scoffed. "It's rare that the CEO of a multi-billionaire corporation gets bored Jounochi."

I turned and walked away before he could reply with any smart ass comments.

In the car back to my house, my phone was blowing up with messages from the same people I had been on the phone with yesterday. It all had to do with a new VR system I was developing. I was still working out the last kinks, but in four weeks there's going to be an important press conference where I release it, and soon after that it'll be available for purchase. My to-do list for today included sending too many emails, and taking a drive over to the Kaiba Corps headquarters to check up on the status of the development. And that would be my schedule for the next three weeks. So much for focusing on schoolwork.

The next several weeks came and went quickly. Jounochi didn't attempt to talk to me again at school, and we lived without acknowledging each other. It turned out that Bakura and Marik were, in fact, a couple. Prom came and went – of course I didn't attend. Before long, finals were starting, and it was the day before graduation.

Hey guys! This finally updated. I think I made it pretty clear in this chapter, but if you weren't aware, this story takes place in the same universe as Fascination. (Which if you haven't read, is my BakuraxMarik story) Thanks for reading! Please leave a review so I know people are still reading this. :P