AN: (Please read, it's sort of necessary...)

Alright, some background to this story. This is just a small chapter in a larger story I'm writing, but this is my favorite bit and the most completed, so I thought I'd post it.

Essentially, Jounouchi Katsuya and Kaiba Seto (last name and then first name) are roommates in college (don't ask, it makes more sense in the bigger story) and this is their sophomore year. They've grown to be pretty good friends. Katsuya just found out his abusive dad just got out of Jail. Shizuka, his sister is still in highschool and Katsuya is taking care of her, but with their father out of prison she goes back into his care. The scene that ensues is the two of them talking about that.

A note on names: I wanted to stick to the Japanese names because this does take place in Japan, so I'm using them properly. I, as the narrator call them by their first names (because I love them. ) but Katsuya and Seto call each other by their last names, as is common. They don't use name suffixes because they're more comfortable with each other. (Not that Katsuya ever used suffixes with Seto in the first place, just to be rude…)

Disclaimer: Yugioh and it's characters are NOT mine. Nope. This whole fic was inspired by Nickelback, this particular chapter by the song 'Someday'.

Enjoy!

-Patrick McKinney

"I wish you'd unclench your fists, unpack your suitcase. Lately there's been too much of this, but don't think it's too late… Someday, somehow, I'm gonna make it alright…"

- Nickelback

"Don't you even care he's getting out?!" Seto was incredulous.

"It's not my business anymore…" Katsuya tried to focus on the assignment that was supposed to fill the laptop screen in front of him.

"Jounouchi, you're sister is still in high school! With your mother gone-"

Katsuya turned. "I know okay! I can handle it. It's none of your goddamn business anyway."

Seto raised a cynical eyebrow. "Yeah, sure you can. You were handling him pretty well up until they put him away."

Katsuya started to turn back to the computer, trying not to let the stress and worry get to him. Seto was being an ass, and he didn't think he could take it right now. "I didn't ask for your help and I didn't need it dammit! I'd done fine for myself and Shizuka before that and I can do the same now, so just shut up and leave it alone!"

Seto narrowed his eyes slightly. "Don't kid yourself- if I hadn't gotten there you'd be dead and he'd be put away permanently, not that bit's a bad thing-"

Katsuya turned and stood abruptly. "Shut up about my dad alright?"

Seto raised both eyebrows. "You're defending him?"

"He's my dad! Not that you'd understand about 'family'."

Seto let out a sharp laugh. "Some father, comes home, gets drunk as hell, beats his kid senseless. You're more of an idiot than I thought."

"Oh yeah? I'd like to see a rich kid like you survive what I went through and come out on top. You'd snap in two giving up what I did… Can't even live without your precious computer…"

Seto's voice was sharp with warning. "I'm not some spoiled rich brat. I sacrificed a hell of a lot to get where I am, so don't you dare pull that 'You've had it easy' bullshit on me..."

But Katsuya was too angry to even notice he'd finally ruffled the unruffled-able feathers, or even take note that he'd finally heard Seto curse. Later he wished he had heard him better, and just stopped right there.

"You think your all that, that you've seen it all." Katsuya was practically shouting now. "Well fuck you Kaiba- you know I've seen it all. I can't believe you'd pull that line on me."

Seto looked like his was struggling to keep a snide comment in. His voice laced with restrained anger, he spoke "Drop it Jounouchi… I'm warning you, I'm not getting into this…"

But Katsuya couldn't stop, he had to just let it out. "I've seen the bad and dealt with what I've been given. I've come out on top for once, when all you do is sit back and tuck tail and run when the bad shows up."

Seto's eyes narrowed, balling his fists tightly. He spoke through gritted teeth. "I've said it once, and I'll say it again: I. Don't. Run."

Katsuya laughed. It wasn't a pleasant sound, bitter and angry. "Oh yeah? What about those scars all the way up your wrists huh?"

Seto went completely still, staring in shock and anger at Katsuya.

"Yeah, I've seen them. What kind of man tries to off himself and leave his kid brother all alone huh?" Katsuya was practically spitting in his anger. "Coward."

Seto went completely white, his eyes livid. Faster than Katsuya could follow, Seto's hands shot forward, grabbing him by the front of his jacket and slammed him against the door, knocking the breath out of him.

They were almost nose to nose- Katsuya suddenly wished he hadn't picked a fight with an aikido black-belt— Seto could probably kill him.

Then Seto let go, stepped back and turned his back, breathing heavily.

Katsuya swallowed— guilt had a funny way of setting in right after you'd screwed up… He opened his mouth to say something but Seto cut him off, his voice like a gunshot in the small room.

"Out."

"Kaiba-"

Seto whiled around, livid, his face a tumult of anger and… betrayal? "Get Out!" he shouted.

Katsuya bolted for the door, feeling it slam behind him. His first thought was 'Crap. Where on earth am I sleeping tonight?'. His second was far more sobering. The look of betrayal on Seto's face… He cursed to himself. They'd come so far. Seto Kaiba didn't make friends, but somehow he had managed to slip under that barrier, only to attack Seto inside his own defenses. Somehow the thought that Seto could get him expelled was secondary to what felt like the biggest mistake of his life. He had just cut his closest friend, for that's what Seto had become, to pieces.

Katsuya put his hands in his pockets and began to slowly walk down the hallway out into the cold courtyard. He had a feeling he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight anyway.

He hadn't seen Seto in a week. A full week. Katsuya had returned to their dorm the night after the fight to find the door unlocked and Seto gone.

Katsuya sighed and got up for the millionth time that night, his page still blank. His professor would kill him if this was late, but sitting there in that empty room was driving him nuts. With an aggravated grumble Katsuya crumpled the still clean sheet of paper, tossed it in the general direction of the trashcan. He needed to get out of there, breathe. The worry and guilt were suffocating when he knew it was his fault that Seto wasn't sitting at the desk opposite him, poking fun at his hunt-and-peck typing and bothering him to pick up his clothing. His fault that those cynical looks and that infuriatingly smug grin were nowhere to be found.

The campus was still wet from the downpour earlier that day, the puddles reflecting the still clouded sky. Katsuya walked aimlessly, trying to think of anything but the stupidity of his actions yesterday.

"He deserved it the insensitive jerk… badgering me about stuff that's my business…"

Somehow it didn't make it any better.

"Who am I kidding… he was just worried and I bit his head off… I don't even know exactly what I said… trust me to stick my foot in my mouth the second I open in…"

Turning with the intent of sitting down on the stairs the led up to the main building, Katsuya stopped dead. As if summoned by all his worrying, there was Seto, sitting quite still on the wet steps, the puddles reflecting the light of the streetlamp nearby.

Katsuya bit his tongue. He had to do something; they couldn't just keep avoiding each other…

So intent on some sort of apology, Katsuya took a deep breath and walked over to Seto. The sound of Katsuya's footsteps made him look up. Their eyes met. Katsuya didn't think he'd ever experienced a more awkward silence.

"Um… hey."

"Hey."

More silence.

"Look, Kaiba…"

"It's-" Seto looked away, an odd look on his face. "It's fine. I'm fine." He looked up again. "Lets just drop it okay?"

Katsuya frowned slightly, his eyebrows coming together. "No, it's not okay."

Seto sighed softly. "Jou-"

"Can you just let me talk? I'm trying to apologize you big jerk."

In spite of himself, Seto raised an eyebrow. Katsuya scrunched up his face and half smiled. "Can I start over?"

The corners of Seto's mouth twitched. Katsuya took that for a yes and plowed on.

"What I was trying to say is, it's none of my business what you've done. I don't have any sort of right to poke my nose in your business or judge you or anything like that. So I'm sorry. Really sorry. So can you come back already?" Katsuya's face was pink and he was looking at his shoes.

Seto smiled slightly and sighed. "I- I apologize as well. I started it all in the first place. I shouldn't have badgered you like that." A quiet bitterness crept into his face as he continued more softly. "Besides, you were right.

Katsuya looked up from his shoes in surprise, then concern. "Hey man, don't say stuff like that. I was way out of line-"

Seto cut him off. "No, no you weren't. I am a coward. I couldn't handle it and tried to find a way out. I even nearly left Mokuba to that monster…" He trailed off, realizing he'd said a little too much and mimicking Katsuya, looked down at his shoes.

But Katsuya caught it. Sitting softly next to Seto, he nudged the taller boy. "Hey."

Seto glanced sideways at him. Katsuya didn't look away. "Tell me."

Seto snorted in amusement. "What was that about not sticking your nose in my business?" he said sarcastically, but there wasn't any bite in the question- his voice was tired, worn out.

Katsuya merely waited. Seto sighed, and then, after a minute, spoke.

"My adopted father," Katsuya was taken aback by the hatred and bitterness Seto put into that word, "was far from the caring individual who, and I quote the obituary, 'cared for and cherished' my brother and me. When his son Noa died, Kaiba Gozaburo needed an heir. I convinced him to adopt Mokuba and me- we'd been in the orphanage for years already." He smiled a grim tight-lipped smile. "Our new father then proceeded to 'groom' me, so to speak, to eventually take over the company. That is to say, work me to death, steal my inventions, beat me senseless, and screw with my head." Seto rubbed his wrists absently. "I promised myself I'd deal with it; keep Mokuba out of his hands. This," He looked down at his forearms, "was how I 'dealt' with it." He clenched his hands. "I thought about ending it. Several times. I tried it once too, nearly left Mokuba to that…" Seto trailed off. It took him several minutes to begin again. "Mokuba never knew what was going on… not really."

Katsuya didn't quite know what to say. Instinctively he reached for Seto's clenched hand. They were silent for a time. Katsuya could feel Seto's cold hands slowly relax in his.

"You won't tell him will you?" Seto asked quietly. "I don't want-"

"Mokuba won't hear it from me. I promise."

Seto smiled softly. Katsuya looked up just as Seto did, and rather suddenly found himself literally nose to nose with Seto.

They both froze, their breath mingling visibly in the cold night air. They stayed there for a long moment, unable to look away, the surprise in Katsuya's brown eyes matching that in Seto's blue ones.

Katsuya never knew who moved first, just that suddenly Seto's lips were warm against his, kissing him, and Katsuya was kissing back. The moment seemed to stretch, although it was just a few seconds, into hours.

Then, as if struck by lightning, they both came to their senses. Both of them leapt backwards, Katsuya with a shocked look and Seto with embarrassment written all over his face.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" Seto flushed. "It was an accident, I'm not-"

Katsuya didn't think he'd ever heard Seto stutter before. He licked his lips without thinking about it- they tasted like Seto…

Shaking his head, Katsuya replied. "It's fine, it's fine." He grinned weakly. "Just an accident."

Seto grinned weakly back. Katsuya, still distracted, didn't see the small flash of disappointment in his eyes.

There was another moment of silence. Then Katsuya stood up, brushing himself off (to no avail, he'd landed in a puddle). Holding a hand out to Seto, he smiled. "Shall we?"

Seto smiled slightly and took Katsuya's hand, allowing himself to be helped up.

Seto looked him over. "You're wet."

Katsuya shrugged. "I'll change when we get back to the room…"

Seto rolled his eyes and pulled his coat off, ignoring Katsuya's protestations. "Put it on idiot. I'm not going to play nursemaid if you get sick."

Katsuya laughed. "Aww, you wouldn't bring me chicken soup and sing me a lullaby…"

Seto shoved him. "Idiot…" but he was smiling.

And still bickering, they walked back towards the dorms.

Please review, this whole arc is still morphing, I'd like to know what people think of it so far.