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In The Name Of Love	By : Rroselavy Category: Yu-Gi-Oh > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 15410 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own YuGiOh!, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Title: In The Name Of Love (22/25)
Author: Rroselavy
Rating: NC-17
Pairing(s): Jou/Ryou (briefly), Malik/Ryou, Kaiba/Jou, Mokuba/Shizuka, Yami/Yugi, Honda/Otogi
Beta: Akuchan
Spoilers: None, AU
Disclaimer: I do not own or profit in any way from Yu-gi-oh!
Summary: For eight years he has scrupulously avoided the brunet, but now with the impending marriage of their siblings, Jounouchi Katsuya and Kaiba Seto are forced to come to terms with the feelings they've secreted away since adolescence.
A/N: I know, I know ... that cliffhanger was quite evil, and I've the reviews to prove it ... I hope that this begins to make up for it ... Thanks to everyone who continues to read and review ... I truly appreciate the feedback!
CHAPTER 22
Kaiba sat impotently in the waiting room; knowing that somewhere in the bowels of the hospital doctors were working feverishly on saving Jounouchi's life and there was nothing that he could do to help.
No matter how he turned the situation over in his mind, he knew in his heart that this was all on him. If he hadn't escalated their argument, Jounouchi would not have been at that coffee shop at that particular moment. No, that wasn't true. If he'd been honest with his lover from the beginning, there would have been no argument. Though the reality was that he'd had the best intentions, nothing had been worth this tragic outcome.
Around him families were acting out their own dramas; he felt removed from them all. He could only focus on his family of two, which had been about to become three, and the tenuous thread that was life and how its trajectory could be so altered by split-second decisions made in the heat of the moment with no thought to the consequences.
To his surprise, it had been Honda who'd finally answered Jounouchi's cell. It was the third time he'd called, the first two times he'd been put through to voicemail after four rings, and when Honda had answered the third time, the CEO had been beside himself with worry.
"Put Katsuya on," he'd hissed, not giving a second thought to how odd it was that Jou wouldn't be answering his own phone.
"Kaiba-san, I can't do that-"
It was something in Honda's voice, and the way he formally addressed the CEO that brought him up short. "Honda, what is it? Tell me now!" Kaiba heard the static of police radios in the background and garbled voices of people talking excitedly.
"I can't." Honda's voice broke. "I can only tell you to go to Domino University Hospital, and that ..." His voice trailed off and Kaiba held his breath as a coldness swept over his body. "Look," he said hurriedly, "It's bad, but he's alive. I have to go now." Before Kaiba could ask anything else, the line went dead.
He didn't recall much after the phone conversation. He vaguely remembered barking something into the telephone to his brother as he'd gathered his belongings. He couldn't remember if Mokuba had said he would meet him at the hospital, or if he would tell Yugi what was going on.
Once at the hospital Kaiba had run into Honda, who'd accompanied the unconscious Jounouchi in the ambulance. Honda had grabbed him into a bear hug-at first unable to speak-he'd only been able to cling to the taller man. Kaiba had found himself unconsciously reciprocating. When Honda pulled away, he was finally able to fill Kaiba in on the details of what had happened before he called Jounouchi's father and mother and then left; his partner had arrived to drive him back to the precinct to file a report. Kaiba grimaced at the thought of having to deal with his lover's parents on top of everything else. His eyes narrowed and he called his lawyer. There was no way that either of them was going to get legal control of Jounouchi's affairs.
Apparently his lover was a hero, but Kaiba found small comfort in that knowledge. He would give anything to turn back the hands of time to their argument. Instead of sending Jounouchi away, he would have grabbed him and crushed him in an embrace. He would have agreed that he'd been wrong to take action without consulting Jou, and together they would have gone and collected Aiko from the wretched orphanage. His heart sunk like a stone as he wondered what would happen to Aiko now. He couldn't think about that, he could only concentrate on remembering how to breathe and willing Jounouchi to find the strength to pull through whatever ordeal he was facing.
Jounouchi's voicemail echoed in his mind, causing waves of guilt to wash over the brunet. He was sick that his lover had apologized, because as he analyzed their argument he found himself not only understanding why Katsuya had been so pissed, but agreeing that he'd had every right to be angry. If the tables had been turned, his knew his reaction would probably have been far more acrimonious. He snorted at that thought, because he ~had~ been far more bitter. He'd immediately gone on the offensive under the blond's onslaught. And his offensive tactics were simply to firestorm his opponent, to capitalize on his Achilles heel and obliterate him.
He looked up to see his brother and Yugi approaching him. Mokuba's face was a mask of pain. Kaiba stood to greet his brother, only to be engulfed by him. "Seto, he's gonna be alright. He has to." He looked beyond his brother into Yugi's mournful eyes.
"Kaiba, have you heard anything yet?" He asked softly. The brunet shook his head.
"All I know is that he's in surgery." He replied disconsolately. Yugi laid his hand on the taller man's shoulder.
"You aren't alone in this." Kaiba's ex-rival averred. Overwhelmed, the CEO could only nod before he fell back heavily into the chair to continue his vigil. Yugi and Mokuba took up positions on either side of him.
"I spoke to Kimura Midori, she will handle the press." Mokuba informed him. Kaiba felt a great flood of relief. He knew that the Kaiba Corps. head of public relations was masterful at keeping the media at bay. And it was a certainty that Jounouchi's deeds would be all over the news in a matter of hours.
"I called our personal attorney ... I don't want Katsuya's parents involved with his treatment options or-"
"You don't have to worry about that. Jou gave Shizuka power of attorney."
"He what?"
"You didn't know?" Mokuba stared at him, surprised.
Kaiba shook his head. "No we didn't discuss that. Tanaka will know what to do about Aiko. Katsuya had just signed the adoption papers." His voice broke. Tanaka and his secretary would be lucky to be alive by the time he was through with them. Mokuba's hand covered his own cold one and the heat was shocking. Mokuba felt so vibrant and alive, he felt numb, dead. "Where's Shizuka?" He mumbled.
"S-she's in with Jou." Mokuba replied softly. "I don't know if she's doing anything, but he's not alone."
"Do you think I should call someone? The Chief of Staff?" Kaiba asked. He hated himself for feeling so unsure, but he needed to make sure that they were doing everything for Katsuya.
"I think the best thing we can do is wait for Shizuka. She'll know what he needs." His brother replied.
Kaiba looked up to see Jounouchi's parents. His mother's eyes were red-rimmed and his father's face was gaunt and ashen. He smirked to himself, thinking how tragedy made all of life's problems fade into insignificance. Here two people who'd barely talked in recent years, let alone had been unable to spend much time civilly together in the same room, were standing hand in hand. Maybe there was hope for he and Jou-if Katsuya held on. He grimaced and bit back a sob at that thought.
"Any news?" the older man asked gruffly, running his hands through his tousled hair. Kaiba appraised him, noticing for the first time how much Jounouchi looked and acted like his father. Before he could answer, Mokuba stood up and lead his future in-laws to two chairs that were now available.
"We're waiting to hear, Jounouchi-san. Shizuka is with him in surgery." Mokuba reported.
Kaiba stood. "I need some air," he stated to no one in particular. He could not be with Jou's parents, knowing how difficult their relationship was with his lover. He couldn't sit there and pretend that they were good parents, loving parents, when he knew otherwise.
"Do you want some company?" Yugi asked.
"No, I need to go somewhere quiet," he said hurriedly, feeling the warning signs of a panic attack. It didn't really surprise him, and he laughed bitterly to himself.
There was a non-denominational chapel across from the waiting room. He slipped into it, thankful that the space was empty. He slid into a pew and hunched over, willing himself to regulate his breathing. He felt an arm placed lightly over his shoulders, and the brunet jumped in surprise.
"It's okay Seto," his brother soothed. Kaiba swallowed hard.
"Mokuba, go back to Shizuka's parents. I need to be alone. I don't want you here." He glanced over and saw the hurt look in Mokuba's eyes, and then something else-defiance.
"No Seto, you are not doing this alone. I'm here for you now, just like you've always been there for me."
"You don't understand," he said shakily.
"Don't understand what?" Mokuba snapped. "That this is what family does for each other?"
He couldn't do this, not right now. Not when he was unsure Jounouchi was going to make it, not when he felt he couldn't get enough oxygen. But sending his brother away reminded him too much of the way he'd rebuked Jounouchi, and as fucked up as he knew his thinking was, he couldn't lose Mokuba too. So he nodded and let his brother offer him some comfort.
"Seto, you've always been strong for me," Mokuba said softly. "Big brother," he said, slipping into his childhood nickname. "You've given me everything, please let me be here for you now." He looked away from Mokuba then, tears sliding down his cheeks.
"He's going to be okay, he has so much to live for. He loves you too much-"
"Stop it Mokuba, I broke up with him."
"You-"
"It's my fault all this happened. I interfered with the adoption. I made it so he could adopt Aiko and he found out."
"Seto," Mokuba said calmly after thinking about what his older brother had said. "I-I ~know~ if you interfered, you were only trying to help! And Jou must know that too!"
He smiled weakly at his brother, his champion and defender. "You're right, but I should have told him and I didn't. Instead he found out ... never mind how he found out, it's unimportant."
"Then, how did you find out what happened to Jou? Did he call you?"
"No-yes. He called me and left me a voicemail apologizing. But he said he had to go. It must have been when ..." His voice trailed off as his imagination flashed gruesome images of his lover being shot. "He must have hung up the phone because of the robbery. Honda was the one who finally answered it."
Mokuba hugged him tightly, and Kaiba realized the panicky feelings had passed. "See, he knew he was wrong."
"Mokuba, he wasn't the only one who was wrong. If I'd been honest with him, none of this would have happened. We would be home with Aiko right now."
He wept openly then. "I can't lose him Mokuba, not after we've finally found each other. I hate myself right now more than I ever have, more than when-"
"Stop it Seto! You have no reason to hate yourself! People argue, they do things, say things they don't mean all the time. "You used to tell me how much you hated Gozaburo-"
"Don't say ~his~ name," Kaiba barked angrily. "I will ~always~ hate him."
"No," Mokuba shook his head. "I saw you cry when he was buried. I know you were angry at him because he was mean-"
Kaiba laughed harshly. "They were tears of joy." He saw the look of shock and horror on his brother's face, and he wondered how Mokuba would feel if he told him the truth. Would he pity his poor older brother, would he be overwhelmed with guilt? Did it matter anymore? His secret was killing him. "Gozaburo wasn't mean, Mokuba. He was a rapist."
Mokuba sat staring at him in stunned silence. He stared back evenly at his younger brother, watching carefully for any tip off that he understood just who Gozaburo raped.
"You?" He said in disbelief, that turning to horror when Kaiba nodded his head. "I-I didn't know-" The younger man launched himself into his brother's arms. "I-I'm sorry-"
Kaiba held on to him tightly. He felt as if he'd been holding his breath for years and had suddenly remembered how to breathe. "Of course you didn't. I didn't want you to know." Mokuba was crying now. "Mokie," he said softly, his nose buried in his brother's ebony locks. "I didn't mean to make you cry."
"I can't help it. When-how?"
"It was only once-"
"Don't say 'only'" He admonished.
"I think after it happened, he was frightened of me." Kaiba mused.
"I remember that night." Mokuba said finally. "I heard him screaming at you, and I hid in my closet. I fell asleep there, and when you found me in the morning you told me that everything was going to be all right. I didn't understand what you meant at the time ... but after that ... I missed your smile."
"It's over though, and it happened a long time ago." Kaiba said softly. "I don't know why I couldn't tell you about it before. It seems so silly and unreasonable now."
"I understand why. You thought you had to be strong for me. But what you've told me now ... Seto, you are the strongest person I know."
The chapel door banged open suddenly. "Mokuba? Kaiba-san?" Shizuka strode in, Bakura Ryou close behind, and behind him, Yugi and Jou's parents. Kaiba, noting their blood-spattered scrubs, realized that Ryou had been in the operating room too. It took him several seconds to comprehend that Ryou was addressing him.
"When Jounouchi-san" the snowy-haired began formally before his soft voice broke. He took a moment to compose himself before continuing. "Jou was brought into the emergency room with two medium-caliber gunshot wounds to the torso. He was unconscious and bleeding severely. We stabilized him before he was brought up to surgery." He took a deep breath before continuing. "Fortunately both bullets missed his major organs and arteries, but he had lost a lot of blood. He hasn't regained consciousness, so it is too early to tell the extent of any damage."
"Is he going to make it?" Yugi asked.
Ryou turned toward his friend, but his eyes remained locked with Kaiba's. "It's touch and go. He's stable now ... but we did lose his pulse a couple-two times. The first 24-hours are crucial. If he makes it through them, then the prognosis for recovery is much better.
"Full recovery?" Kaiba asked softly.
"When he wakes up we'll be able to assess that." Shizuka replied.
"Can I-can we see him?" Kaiba turned to her. He could see the worry etched on her face.
"No, he's still in recovery. He'll be there for a while. There's no reason to stay here, he won't be moved for several hours, and the earliest you could expect to see him in ICU is tomorrow morning." She said, her voice belying her emotional exhaustion. Mokuba took her into his arms. "I will stay overnight with him. If he wakes up, I will call you."
Ryou continued, "Once Jounouchi was stabilized, the surgery went well. We were able to remove the bullets and fragments, and repair the tissue damage. Only time will tell if his body is strong enough to pull through. " His voice broke but he turned, talking directly to Kaiba, laying his hand on the brunet's arm. "I will say this from personal experience. Jou has too much to live for to give up without a fight, Seto. I've never seen him happier than he's been in the past few weeks. He will fight tooth and nail for that." Kaiba nodded wordlessly.
"Kaiba-kun," Shizuka addressed him. "You need to pick up Aiko and bring her home. She can't stay at the orphanage waiting for my brother to get better. Katsuya gave me power of attorney if he became incapacitated, but he named you Aiko's legal guardian."
"He what? He never discussed this with me." Kaiba replied, bewildered.
"He told me what he was going to do. I don't think ... he never expected that we'd need to assume these roles." She reached for him, and he hugged her close. He could feel her body shaking, she was crying silently. "He didn't want to burden me and Mokuba with a child when we were just starting out our life together, and he knew you would love her and take care of her ... the same way you did Mokuba."
* * *
After what seemed hours, Kaiba was finally on his way to the orphanage. Tanaka, cowed by his employer's rage and insistence that his secretary pay for her indiscretion, had explained Kaiba's legal standing to the orphanage, and had also handled meting out punishment to his secretary. Kaiba had managed to satisfy his thirst for revenge by getting the woman fired for her indiscretion and forcing her to sign papers to the effect that she would not divulge to anyone the nature of her removal. If she went to the media, she was warned that she would be prosecuted for breach of client-lawyer privilege.
The orphanage had Aiko ready and waiting to be picked up by Kaiba. He didn't know how to begin to tell the little girl what had happened. He stared unseeing out the tinted window of his limousine, feeling more alone than he'd ever felt in his life. He didn't believe in prayer-he was a man who made things happen-he'd never asked for divine intervention, but he did strike a bargain to no one in particular. If, no, ~when~ Jounouchi Katsuya recovered, he vowed he would spend the rest of his life making this up to the blond.
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In The Name Of Love