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Sand Lover	By : Ykarzel Category: Yu-Gi-Oh > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 6501 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- 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
- 1-Sand Lover Part One
- 2-Sand Lover Part Two
- 1
- 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.

Sand Lover

By Ykarzel

Part One of Two

He hated sand. He
didn�t understand the appeal. It was
uncomfortable to touch, irritating to the skin, and it got everywhere.

But that didn�t stop Mokuba.
He skipped ahead of Seto, already in bare feet despite the way the sand
was scorched by the sun and burned Seto�s toes every time it came up over the
edges of his sandals. Seto�s eyes
scanned the shore for a lifeguard chair, and directed his brother to it.

The blanket had hardly reached the sand before Mokuba
exclaimed, �Can I go swim now?�

�Stay close. Don�t go
too far out, understand? You don�t swim
well.�

�Yes Seto,� he answered, grinning.

�Go on then,� Seto said with one of his rare smiles,
reserved for Mokuba alone. Watching him
squeal and sprint for the water made what would be ten days of discomfort worth
it.

He reluctantly pulled his shirt off; the entire trip had
originated from Mokuba�s opinion that Seto was too pale. He looked sick-like, his younger brother
decided. The excuse of preventing skin
cancer was scoffed at.

Seto did have to admit, quietly and too himself, that the
mirror often showed him a person who was much too transparent, much too
thin. Perhaps a week of sun and junky
beach food would do him some good, physically anyway. Mentally, he might be ready to banish all
sand to the moon by the week�s end.

He watched as Mokuba dived head
first into the water, and mentally chuckled when the teenager came back up with
hair covering his face. He didn�t really
want to take his eyes off his younger brother, not trusting the waves, but then
mentally berated himself. Mokuba was a
young adult, almost. He really needed to
learn to let go, just a little. And
starting in small amounts, like looking away, might make it easier later.

He turned over onto his back, closing his eyes. Maybe the sun would coax him to sleep. He seemed to be getting precious little as
the school year began to approach.

*^*^*^*

Joey�s eyes scanned the shore repeatedly, when he thought he
heard a familiar voice. He mentally
brushed it off. There were a lot of voices around him, any could sound familiar. Until right below him, �Yes
Seto.�

Before he could stop himself his eyes were ripped away from
the water to look down, and his guess confirmed. There was Seto Kaiba and Mokuba, standing
beside a blanket right beside his chair.
�Why would they be here?�

He stared at them for another moment, and when Mokuba went
sprinting off he returned his attention to the beach with a start. �They haven�t noticed me yet.�

He pulled the whistle off his neck and after another scan of
the shore, followed it with his lifeguard tank, leaving him clad only in his
red swim shorts. He twirled the whistle
around his wrist and shifted in his seat so the sun was even on his back. There was only a little over a week left
before he had to go home, and he wanted his tan to be even before then.

It was a slow day, which wasn�t a bad thing when you were a
lifeguard. He blew loudly into his
whistle, calling in two boys who were too far out. He scanned the water and picked out a head of
black hair. He noticed that Mokuba
wasn�t too far out, and wondered if it was because Kaiba had told him too stay in.

That made him glance down at the
brunette, and was shocked to see he was laid out, shirtless, on the blanket,
his pale skin glistening in the sunlight.
He�d expected Kaiba, being as protective of Mokuba as he was, to have
his eyes glued to him. But even in the
few seconds he spared to look down at the other man, Kaiba sat up and visually searched
the water for his brother. Joey smiled
to himself. Some things just don�t
change.

�Joey, that�s not the water,� came
an amused voice.

Joey looked back out at the ocean. �Neither are you, Jason.� He watched a wave shove Mokuba right over and
noticed that he wasn�t a good swimmer.

�Your shift�s over in a minute. Emily�s on her way over. You want to go get some lunch?� he asked,
climbing up to hang from Joey�s chair.
Joey glanced down at Jason, meeting ocean blues that always reminded him
of home for some reason. The fiery red
head grinned at him.

�I�ll go with you, if you come with me into the water first,�
Joey answered, looking back out at the ocean.

�Joey, you know I�m always willing to come with you.�

Joey grinned, but didn�t give Jason the satisfaction of
looking down at him. He did, however,
glance over at Kaiba, and found himself locked in a sharp blue gaze. �Caught,� he thought. He grinned at the brunette, then focused back on the water. He reached a hand down to pull Jason a step
higher, putting his face about level with Joey�s knee.

�You really going home, Joe?�

Joey threaded a hand in Jason�s hair. He really loved that hair. The deep red quality of it amazed him. Jason told him it was near auburn in the
winter, that the sun made it the bright red.
�Yeah, Jay.
School starts back up soon. Maybe
you�ll be able to come visit. Meet my friends. Though, I think you�d be a bit of a culture shock
to them.�

Jason grinned, resting his head against Joey�s knee. �There�s a guy staring at us,� he said
softly.

�Blue eyed brunette?�

�Yeah. The one you were looking at before. Do you know him?�

�Remember the asshole I keep telling you about?�

Jason�s eyes went wide and he looked up at Joey. �That�s Seto Kaiba?� he hissed, not wanting
his voice to carry.

Joey nodded. �I don�t
think he realized I was here until you started talking to me.�

Jason peeked over Joey�s knee to find Kaiba staring at
him. He ducked back again, hiding his
face behind Joey�s thigh. After a moment
he peeked back out, and as Kaiba was still staring at him, figured it was okay
to stare right back. �He looks ill.�

Joey glared at the water.
�Probably working himself into the ground
again.�

Jason raised an eyebrow, though the blonde couldn�t see
it. �I thought you didn�t like him?�

�I can�t stand him half the time, but I don�t hate him or
anything. He�s just an ass, that�s
all. His brother�s great though. Soon as Emily gets here, we�re gonna go meet
Mokuba.�

Jason jumped down off the chair. �Here she comes.�

A light female voice drifted up to Joey. �Are you distracting Joey again, Jason?� she
asked with a smile.

Jason smirked at her.
�I�m doing my best. Maybe if you
get up in that chair, I�ll be able to cart him out of here and have my evil way
with him.�

Joey�s water bottle smacked Jason right on the head. Emily laughed while Jason glared up at his
attacker. Joey shrugged and jumped down
off the chair, falling forward into Jason�s arms. The redhead rolled his eyes and shoved the blonde
away. �We�ll see you later Em,� Joey
said, picking up his water bottle.

Joey looked over at Kaiba�s blanket to find the brunette
glaring down at the shore line. He
walked over, and dropped his water bottle, towel, and shirt at the edge of the
blanket. �Kaiba watch those for a minute,
would ya? I�m gonna teach your brother
how to swim.�

Seto looked up, but before he had a chance to say anything,
Joey smiled and ran down towards the beach, leaving Seto looking at Jason.

*^*^*^*

What were the chances?
It was nearly impossible. Out of
all the beaches, all the lifeguards, all the different places on the beach,
he�d ended up right next to Joey, of all people. He couldn�t help but watch them. Joey and this Jason person. At first out of shock, then
just out of curiosity.

He watched as Joey jumped down, landing on his feet easily
but falling into Jason�s ready arms anyway.
With a jerk he turned his attention to the water. Out of the corner of he
eye, he saw Joey approaching, but he didn�t look up until after the blonde had
made his request.

Joey ran away, leaving Seto face to face with this
person. The first thing he noticed was
that he was looking into eyes the same color of his own. Jason stared at him for another moment,
before turning and shouting at Joey to wait up.

Seto tried not to be angry.
There was no reason to be angry.
Just because Joey happened to be here today did not mean that he would
have to see him through his whole vacation.
There were plenty of other lifeguard chairs. Just because the blonde had no manners and
hadn�t even said hello was no reason to be angry. That Joey had rude friends was not Seto�s
problem. When had Joey become a
lifeguard? The childish side of him
wanted to protest that nobody was safe in Joey�s hands, but the practical side
knew that Joey swam much better than anybody else he had ever met before.

He watched, with no small amount of jealousy as Mokuba
shouted and jumped Joey, bringing them both tumbling into the sand.

*^*^*^*

�Joey!� Mokuba exclaimed, running
to the blonde and crashing into him, causing them both to fall into the
sand. �What are you doing here?�

�I work here,� Joey answered, laughing and holding up the
whistle.

�You�re a lifeguard?�

�Yep. Saw you and your brother sit down. When I saw you swimming I knew I�d have to
come say hello.� Jason kneeled down
beside where they were laying in the sand.
�This is my roommate Jason. He
works at the fancy hotel on the corner.�

�Seto and I are staying there!�

�Figures,� Joey said with a grin, pushing Mokuba off him and
standing. �How long are you guys going
to be here?�

�Two days before school starts.�

�I go back the same day.�

�Have you been here all summer?� Mokuba
asked. �What about Yugi and
Tristan?�

Joey smiled. �I have
been. I haven�t seen them since I left,
but we talk every other day and write lots of emails. They should be waiting for me when I get
home. We�ll probably have a party, you
can come with us.�

Jason gave Joey a glare.
�Can we not talk about you leaving, please?�

Joey gasped dramatically.
He reached over and pulled Jason to him, crushing the other teen to his
chest. �Oh no! What will Jason do? He�ll have to go back to how he was before I
was here!�

�Yeah, alone and un-� Joey smacked a hand over Jason�s
mouth. That glint in Jason�s eye meant
he was going to say something completely inappropriate.

�Save it, Jay.
Mokuba, you wanna learn how to swim?�

*^*^*^*

It was literally an hour later before his brother, the mutt,
and that Jason guy started to walk up from the beach. Seto knew, because he had been counting. Mokuba ran the last few feet, jumping onto
the blanket beside Seto.

�Seto, did you see?
Did you see me swim?�

He couldn�t help it.
With those big gray eyes staring up at him, he felt himself cave. He smiled down at his brother; proud that
Mokuba had managed to learn one of the few things he never had. �Yes, I saw.�

Mokuba grinned. �Joey
said he would teach me more when we go to the pool, because there�s
no waves there.�

Seto glanced up at Joey, but the blonde was busy trying to
smack Jason with his towel. Jason easily
jumped away from every attempt, just as Joey carefully calculated enough time
to let him get away.

Jason reached out and grabbed the towel, ripping it out of
Joey�s hands. The blonde backed away as
Jason slowly advanced, towel in hand.
With one quick movement, Jason threw the towel over Joey�s hair and
started to dry it, causing Joey to burst into giggles.

�You promised to come to lunch with me, Joe.�

Joey pulled the towel off his face onto his head, creating
something like a bonnet with it. He gave
Jason his best pout. �Can they come with
us? Pwease Jay?�

Jason gave a long suffering sigh. �I suppose so. But you owe me.� Joey grinned, leaning foreword and whispering
into Jason�s ear. The red head smiled, his cheeks tingeing to match his hair.

�Mokuba, Kaiba, do you wanna come get some lunch with
us? My treat.�

�Seto, can we?�

He wanted to say no.
He was going to say no, he really was.
But he found he was nodding before he had a chance to speak.

�YES!� Mokuba shouted, jumping
up. He threw his towel into the bag,
following it with the sunscreen laying on the blanket. Seto grabbed his shirt before Mokuba could
swipe it, and quickly pulled it on.

*^*^*^*

Mokuba and Jason were chatting, their conversation washing
over Seto in a way that he didn�t have to listen but would remember it later; a
useful talent one acquired when sitting through years of boring board
meetings. His attention was on Joey, who
was across the room talking to the girl behind the counter.

�No, flirting with her.�

Now he was slightly confused. Because he had assumed by the way that they
were acting that Jason and Joey had something going on between them. He watched as the red headed girl giggled and
smacked Joey lightly. The mutt smiled audaciously,
kissed her cheek before accepting their food, and turned. Seto focused instantly on the window.

�Jay, your sis says the cat needs to stay at our place for
the weekend,� Joey said, sliding the tray onto the table.

Jason glared over at the counter his sister stood behind. �Why?�

�Something about her new boyfriend being
allergic. Everybody, dig in.�

�Joey was flirting with Jason�s sister?
She has a boyfriend. They must
have been playing��

Seto stopped staring at the boardwalk outside long enough to
look down. Before them sat a large tray
of fries and nachos, covered in orange cheese, chili, and onions. He felt his stomach turn at the sight. Deciding to eat later, he turned his
attention back to the window. He felt
almost out of place here because he was wearing a shirt while none of the other
three were.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Jason, who was
across from him, watching him intently.
Joey, who was next to Jason, elbowed him softly, and whispered something
to him Seto couldn�t catch. �Not hungry,
Kaiba?� Joey asked, his tone
polite. Perhaps it was for Mokuba�s
benefit.

Seto cast another long-suffering look at the nacho-fry
mixture.

�Seto�s a picky eater,� Mokuba replied, shoving several
fries in his mouth.

�Obviously not a trait you share,� Jason observed with a
grin.

�Get some regular fries, Seto,� Mokuba advised.

�I�ll eat later,� Seto said, trying
not to sound short tempered.

�No you won�t. You
never do.�

�Hey boys, everything okay here?� Seto looked up. It was the waitress that Joey had been
talking to. Jason�s sister.

�We�re fine, Sarah.
This is Mokuba and Seto Kaiba.
They�re from my home town.�

Sarah smiled at them, her attention mostly on Mokuba. �It�s nice to meet you.�

Seto watched, in something akin to amusement, as his brother
blushed and grew suddenly very quiet.
Sarah winked at him, and Mokuba suddenly found his soda straw very
interesting.

�Sarah,� Joey warned with a grin, while Jason attempted to
hide his snickers behind a few fries.
�Bring us an order of naked fries, would you?�

�Sure thing. Be right back.� Her red hair swinging, (Seto could see the
family resemblance now) she turned and headed back to the kitchen. It took only a moment, and she handed the
small cardboard container to Joey, who passed it to Seto. The brunette was spared having to express
gratitude when the waitress spoke again.

�Isn�t it a little late for you guys to be here? Are you off tonight, Jason?�

�No,� he started, looking down at his watch. �Shit.
Joe, I got to get going if I�m gonna shower before work.�

Joey was already sliding out of the booth so Jason could get
out. �I�ll be right back.� Mokuba nodded. Seto watched as they both walked towards the
door. They were too far away to hear,
but Jason nodded at something Joey said.
Then Jason leaned in and caught Joey�s lips in a quick kiss, before turning
and nearly running out the door.

Joey turned before Seto averted his gaze. The blonde blushed slightly, knowing that he
had been seen. He still walked over, and
sat back down as if nothing had happened.

�Hey Mokuba, I�ll probably be hanging around your pool
tonight, if you want more lessons.�

�You will be? Why?�

�Jay doesn�t get off until later. I usually wait for him somewhere in the
hotel, the pool or sometimes downstairs on the treadmill. I wanted to be a lifeguard because it wasn�t
a sit on your butt job. But as it turns
out, unless something goes wrong, it is a sit on your butt job.�

Seto wanted to make some kind of comment about foresight,
but restrained himself. �Are we doing
anything tonight, Seto?� Mokuba asked, turning his
puppy eyes on his brother.

He would have loved to say they were, but they weren�t, so he
shook his head. �Good. I want to be able to swim really well before
we go home.� Mokuba grinned,
thrilled with the challenging goal he had set himself.

Joey smiled. It would
have been an understatement to say this situation had the capability of becoming
awkward if not handled correctly.
Kaiba�s silence was starting to bother him though. �Do you swim, Kaiba?�

�Never learned how,� Seto answered, chewing primly on a fry.

�Would you like to?�

He never rushed into giving an answer to anybody�s questions. �I�ll think about it,� he said slowly.

Joey nodded, and considered that plenty of conversation with
the elder of the Kaibas. �So, what do
you think of Jay, Mokuba?�

�He�s nice,� Mokuba said with a mischievous grin. �He�s your boyfriend, right?�

Seto noted that this time, Joey didn�t blush. He wondered if it was because knowing was
different than seeing, or if it was because Mokuba was different from himself.

�You could say that.�

�What kind of answer is that?� Seto
thought. Obviously one Mokuba
accepted.

�Are you going to bring him back to meet everybody else?�

Joey shrugged. �I
don�t know. He�s out of school, so I
could if I wanted to. Depends on how
things work out after I leave.�

Mokuba nodded again.
Seto was irritated that his brother was just accepting these half
answers without digging for the rest of the truth. He glared down at his fries, suddenly
remembered he wasn�t eating them, and started to again.

�How�d you meet him?�

Joey grinned. �Like I
said, we�re room mates. He moved down
here, needed somebody to help him pay for the apartment until he got on his
feet. I needed a place for the
summer. But the apartment�s very small,
so we became close fast.� Joey�s eyes
flickered to Seto for the briefest of moments, as if to check that the
conversation with Mokuba was still approved of.

�What does he do at the hotel?� Mokuba
asked. Seto found himself
bored. Who cared? In a week and a half they�d never have to see
Jason again.

�He�s a waiter, heading to become a chef. It runs in their family.�

�And, his sister?� Mokuba
continued, and Seto had to restrain himself from smiling at his sibling�s
blush.

�Sarah�s the reason he moved out here. They�re twins. She got lucky, chanced into owning this
place. They thought it was just going to
be a summer job. When they realized she
was going to stay, Jay had to move here.
They don�t like to be apart. And a little of friendly advice, kiddo. She�s nine years older than you.�

Mokuba blushed harder, and Seto wasn�t sure if he should be
pissed at Joey for saying it, or amused at Mokuba for taking it so badly, even
when he had to already know that.

�But, Jay and Sarah do have a younger sister.� Joey grinned.
�Maybe I should track down her phone number for you. Like red heads, do you?�

Mokuba glanced at his brother, as if wishing Seto wasn�t there,
and nodded minutely. Joey winked and
grinned. �Me too,� he whispered.

Seto was a little insulted, that his brother felt he could
discuss that with Joey, but not with him.
He reached to pick up another fry, and realized with a start he had
finished them.

�Ready Seto? Can we go?
I want to swim some more!�

Seto nodded. Joey
grinned, tossing a few wet dollars on the table before leading the way
out. He caught Sarah half way out,
wrapping an arm around her waist, and kissing her cheek. �Bring her over tomorrow morning, and bring
some kitty chow. I don�t think we have
any left.�

She nodded, and gave Mokuba a warm smile before disappearing
back into the kitchen. The three teens
started the walk towards the large hotel.

�So why didn�t you ever learn to swim, Mokuba? Don�t you guys have a huge pool?�

�My last instructor tried to drown me. Seto wouldn�t hire anybody after that. He didn�t trust anybody else with my safety.�

�He tried to drown you? Why?�

Mokuba shrugged. �I
don�t remember. Something
to do with Kaiba Corp. I forget
what his specific reason was though.�

Joey put a hand on Mokuba�s shoulder. �How many people have tried
to kill you, kiddo?�

Mokuba snorted. �Oh,
countless have tried. Very few
ever got anywhere close. That was the
only time I really died, but Seto had me breathing again within seconds.�

Joey climbed up on the knee high ledge that lined the walk,
his arms out to balance himself. �That�s awful. Do you get scared?�

�Not usually,� Mokuba answered truthfully, with a small
proud smile.

�Well I�m impressed, kiddo.
Even with how much I love swimming, if I nearly died drowning, I doubt
I�d have the guts to get in the water again.�

Somehow that didn�t add up in Seto�s mind. �I think you underestimate yourself,� he
commented.

Joey nearly fell off the wall, then
stopped short. �Was that a compliment,
Kaiba?�

Seto scoffed. �Merely an observation.�

Joey jumped down and put a hand on Mokuba�s shoulder. �So, do you trust me to teach you?�

Mokuba grinned. �You
wouldn�t benefit from trying to kill me.�

�True, but even if I did, trust me?�

Mokuba laughed. �Joey, I doubt
there is a person who couldn�t trust you.�

Joey grinned and grabbed Mokuba around the waist and lifted
him into the air. �Joey! What are you doing?
Put me down!�

�Why?�

Seto stared. He had
no idea that Joey was that strong. The
blonde held him in he air, without even seeming to
notice that the �kiddo� he was carrying was an eleven year old over a hundred
pounds

�You can�t carry me without hurting yourself!�

�Is that a challenge?�

�What? No, Joey!� Mokuba exclaimed through giggles.

Seto watched, with no small amount of jealousy, as Joey
proceeded to carry his younger brother the rest of the way back to the
hotel. Joey wasn�t even particularly
buff. But in his position slightly
behind them and Joey with his shirt still off, Seto could watch every muscle in
Joey�s back and arms work. It was more
desirable than being buff, to be that strong without it being completely
obvious. Perhaps he really should pay
more attention to his body. He knew he
couldn�t lift Mokuba into the air.

Mokuba laughed at his own embarrassment the whole way. This too made Seto jealous. This was supposed to be his vacation with his
little brother. Not with his little
brother and the mutt.

Joey sat Mokuba down in front of the door. �Told you I could do it.�

Mokuba turned around and was about to comment, but his mouth
clamped shut.

All the sudden Joey was lifted into the air, then tossed over his captor�s shoulder. �Who the-� Joey cut off. �Wait a minute, I know that ass, Jason put me down.�

Rather than comply, Jason swung Joey back down to hold him
bridal style. The red head looked showered
and clean in his black uniform, though his hair was still wet. �I can do it too. You shouldn�t pick on the kid like that.�

�Ah, Mokuba can take it.�
Using Jason�s shoulder as a brace, Joey jumped down. �Tie?� he asked.

Jason unwrapped the black garment
from his wrist and handed it to Joey, who proceeded to tie Jason�s tie. Seto watched the overly domestic gesture in
disgust. What man couldn�t tie his own damn tie?
Joey patted Jason�s chest affectionately. �Have a good day at work, dear.�

�Yes, honey.� He bent
down and kissed Joey�s cheek. �You�ll be
at the pool?� Joey nodded. �Alright, but when I get off, we�re going
home.� He bent down, and whispered
something in Joey�s ear that made the blonde grin.

�Promise?� Joey asked.

�Promise,� Jason agreed with a smirk. He kissed Joey�s cheek one last time before
running around toward the back entrance of the hotel.

With a grin seemingly glued to his face, Joey turned back to
Mokuba. The teen�s gray eyes were
laughing. Joey�s grin only widened as he
walked inside.

�I�m going to take the bag upstairs,� Seto remarked,
noticing they were already heading in the direction of the pool.

�Oh! I�ll come with
you. I�ll see you in a minute, Joey!�

The blonde nodded and continued to the pool, waving to the
man behind the desk he seemed to know.
Seto assumed they�d seen quite a bit of Joey this summer.

On the elevator, while his brother hummed cheerfully, Seto
spared a moment to think about Joey and Jason�s relationship. He prided himself in being good at reading
people and evaluating them. Something
about Jason seemed off to him. Or at
least, the way Jason was around Joey.
Something about the pair was unconventional. There were no sweet confessions of love, no
meaningful glances, no deep connections. Perhaps that was what Joey had meant from his
comment of �you could say that�. Jason
wasn�t really his boyfriend at all. It
only made the way they acted with each other that much more disgusting if it
was meaningless. He glared at the seventh
elevator button.

*^*^*^*

When Seto and Mokuba reached the pool, they could hear the
light splashing that meant Joey was already in the water. Getting closer it was obvious he was swimming
laps. Seto was slightly impressed,
though he admitted it only to himself, how fast Joey crossed the length of the
pool. When he reached the wall, somehow
knowing where it was before he hit it, he would dive under, spin, and push off
in the other direction.

Mokuba wadded into the shallow end; Seto found a chair. There were other people around, adults in the
hot tubs and mothers with children in the kiddy pool, but the large pool was empty,
save Joey.

Joey didn�t stop his laps.
Seto counted twenty three before Joey started teaching Mokuba and he
could only estimate that the mutt had done about the same amount before they
got there. Nobody liked a show off. But he had a feeling that this was a ritual,
not a special performance for their benefit, which only made it that much more
disgusting.

He watched Joey and Mokuba interact. Under normal circumstances he doubted Joey
would make a good teacher. He didn�t
have enough patience with incompetence, a trait Seto grudgingly admitted he
shared. But Mokuba understood Joey�s
personality, and knew what to say and how to react to keep the blonde from
becoming frustrated. Seto took some
pride in his brother�s abilities to read people.

�Joey! Can you take a
call? It�s Sarah, and Jason�s training
the new kid, he can�t take it.�

Seto looked up to see one of the restaurant chefs. He wondered how many people here were on a
first name basis with Joey.

�Yeah.� Joey used the side of the pool to lift him
clean out of the water and Seto was once more impressed with his strength. Joey took the phone, trying not to get it
wet, and held it a inch away from his wet head. �Sarah?�

He was quiet for a moment, but Seto wasn�t watching. Mokuba was alone in the pool and though Joey
had him grab the side before he got out, he didn�t want to take his eyes off
his brother, lest he slip.

�Alright. Okay I�ll let him know. Why didn�t you beep him? Well he should have it on him. Yeah I�ll ask him later. It might not be working again. Okay love, stop by tomorrow with
Sabrina. No, it doesn�t matter, just let yourself in if we�re not there. Love you too cutie. Bye.�

Seto found himself growling in the back of his throat. He hadn�t asked to become this informed of
the blonde�s life. All he wanted was to
spend a week with his little brother and get enough color that he wasn�t
looking at his veins anymore. The mutt
was like a stain; he just wouldn�t go away.

He stopped noticing the time pass. His mind was filled with unhappy thoughts. About Joey, his vacation, work, Jason, sand,
the little time he ever got with Mokuba.
When his brother called out to him he snapped out of it, and wondered
how long he�d spent in his self pity.

�Do you want to try, Seto?
It�s fun! We could swim together
at home!�

Seto let out a sigh.
Well, perhaps, even if they didn�t get much time together here, it could
lead to more time at home. And if Joey
stayed in that kind of shape from just swimming laps, then it could be
beneficial to him as well. He stood and
walked over slowly, not sure who was more surprised, Joey, Mokuba, or
himself.

He swam over to them.
He wasn�t completely ignorant in the water. He did know how to stay up and how to
move. But he wasn�t exactly graceful
about it. He grabbed the edge and held
tight, trying not to sound out of breath.

�What do you want to learn?� Joey asked, his voice skeptical. Seto knew this wasn�t going to be good. Joey had no patience with incompetence,
Seto had no patience with Joey. This had
no possible good ending.

�Let�s teach him the dead man float! That�s the most fun!�

Joey tried to smile at Mokuba but Seto�s presence seemed to
make him nervous. �Is that okay with
you?�

Seto nodded, using his hands to move down where the water
was shallow and he could stand and still breathe. Mokuba and Joey followed. Seto found himself
nervous as his brother crawled out of the pool to sit on the side and
watch. He wasn�t used to not knowing how
to do something.

�Okay, uh, just lean backward and float.�

�I�ll sink,� Seto said before his brain scolded him. He knew technically he would float, a very
small percentage of the population actually sunk in water.

�Here, just�� Joey
found he didn�t communicate well with Kaiba.
He moved closer and put his hand on the brunette�s back. �Lean back.�
Short, quick instructions.

Seto almost refused just because he hated to follow
orders. He resisted the urge, and slowly
leaned backwards. Joey�s other hand came
to rest under his bottom, and he nearly shouted in surprise. The blonde was lifting his lower half out of
the water. For a split second he feared
Joey would flip him, but he kept his face stolid and emotions masked, refusing
to admit fear.

�Okay, hold your body like this. Keep your back straight. I�m gonna let go now, okay?�

Seto forced himself to nod, despite the impractical voice in
his head shouting he would sink like a rock.
Joey�s hands left and for a moment he held perfectly still. Then he thought he felt himself sink and
panicked. He began to flail, trying to
stay afloat, and instantly Joey�s hands were under him again.

He tried not to blush and could only pray he managed. Joey said nothing. Seto flattened his body again, preparing to
float. If he went under, Joey would lift
him back up. He just had to trust the
stupid mutt and hold still.

�Ready?� was all Joey asked. Seto closed his eyes and nodded, holding his
breath just in case. Joey�s hands left
slower this time. Seto felt himself
start to sink but Joey�s hands were still there. Then they left, and he didn�t move. He kept himself very still, but he didn�t sink. Slowly he started to breath
again, and let his arms float away from his sides.

�You did it Seto!� Mokuba
shouted. �It took me a lot longer to get
it! Isn�t it cool? If you move your arms and legs you can float
around.�

First glancing to check Joey was still close, Seto began to
move experimentally, and found it didn�t cause him to go under. He stared at the ceiling, using his legs to
move. Suddenly Joey�s hand was under his
bottom again, pushing it upward to keep Seto�s body parallel with the
water. Seto realized his mistake and
stiffened his lower back to keep his bottom from sinking.

In this way, they continued.
Joey spoke as little as possible.
Instead he would instruct Seto through demonstration or physically
correcting him. Seto�s determination not
to make the same mistake twice led him to be a fast learner. He knew that it was communicating through
touch rather than words that allowed them, for this one time, to get
along.

Seto wasn�t sure where he went wrong. He caught a mouthful of water and panicked. Joey grabbed him, holding him above the
water�s surface. Seto held gratefully to
Joey�s arm, trying to get his breathing back in order. He glanced down as his coughing receded, and
saw his arm on Joey�s.

He hadn�t gotten any sun in his first short stay on the
beach. You could still see the veins all
through his hands and all the way up the underside of his forearm. Joey�s upper arm was bronze. Brown, even. An even golden color all
the way up to his shoulder, neck, and down his chest. Seto looked sickly in comparison. He looked like he came from a different part
of the world rather than a different part of town.

Suddenly it hit him.
They were from different worlds.
That was why hearing about the little details in Joey�s life, his job,
his friends, his boyfriend�s sister�s cat Sabrina,
made him want to scream. All of it was
from a world he didn�t belong in, a world that wanted nothing to do with him.

�I�m done,� he said through his coughing, angry at himself
for swallowing the disgusting germ infused water. �Teach Mokuba.�

He grabbed a towel and sat back in his chair, without
looking at Joey�s face or Mokuba�s. He
threw the towel over his head in a semblance of drying it but in truth he was
hiding. He would have left, but he
didn�t want to leave his brother. He was
so stupid. Who was he kidding? Joey was from another world. They would never be able to be friends, let
alone something more.

He had no idea when he had started wishing they could
be. He�d been lying to himself and he�d
just let himself realize he wanted it only to realize he couldn�t have it. He didn�t know why he�d even considered
it. He didn�t know how it had started or
how he had managed to hide it even from himself. Every feeling, every
instinct, carefully explained and reasoned away.

He�d hated Jason because he�d been flirting with Joey, not
because Jason was rude. He�d been mad at
Joey for running to Mokuba without a word for him, not for being rude. He�d been jealous that Joey gave his
attention all to Mokuba, not that Mokuba was giving his attention to Joey. The way Jason and Joey interacted didn�t
disgust him, it enticed him. He wasn�t
jealous of Joey�s strength, he was appreciative of it. He�d been thrilled to see Joey, not shocked,
not angry.

What was wrong with him?

�Seto are you okay?�

Was he? Not
really. He wanted to be a part of a
world he�d been denied. A world where
there was a cat named Sabrina and sometimes the new boyfriend was allergic to
it. A world where your
twin brother would pick up his life and move it to be near you. A world where sometimes you
had to take a room mate just to make rent. A world where your lover
could tie your tie for you. Where
it was okay to get covered in sand. And sometimes your beeper didn�t
work. It was a world that he�d never
been a part of, the real one. He�d lived
in a world of technology, knowledge, and work.
For as long as he could remember, he�d been living in a world where
emotion was frowned upon and outside ties nearly impossible. Where living was an
annoying necessity rather than a benefit or privilege.

�Seto?�

�I�m fine, Mokuba.�
Seto snapped out of it. Philosophical bullshit.
He was fine. He just couldn�t
swim. That was all.

He pulled the towel down and looked over. Joey was already back
to teaching Mokuba. Okay, so maybe that
wasn�t quite all. He couldn�t under
analyze this any more than he could over analyze it. He did want Joey, and he had
been hiding the fact from himself. But
that was it. It wasn�t a big deal. If he could hide it from himself it should be
no problem hiding it from Joey and everybody else. Eventually it would go away.

He laid back and shut his eyes so he didn�t have to watch.

*^*^*^*

It�d been at least a few more hours. Seto wasn�t quite sure, because he had dozed
off. It was hard to admit to himself that he trusted Joey enough with his brother�s life
that he�d fallen asleep. He�d been death
on Mokuba getting into the water since that bastard had pushed him under. It�d been one of the worst days of his life,
and one of the scariest moments.

The pool room was empty besides them now. Joey and Mokuba weren�t really swimming
anymore, and Seto could tell from where he sat it was because Mokuba was
tired. They were sitting on the pool
steps, talking together like best friends.
When the jealousy hit again Seto didn�t try to pretend it was Mokuba�s
friendship he craved. He already had
that.

There were footstep approaching, in
shoes, not the normal pool bare feet.
Jason walked around the corner. Seto
was nearly disgusted by the way Joey lit up when he saw him.

�Hey, Mokuba, I�m out of here. I�ll see you tomorrow right?�

Mokuba nodded, climbing out of the pool and heading toward
Seto and the towel. While Mokuba dried,
Seto watched Joey out of the corner of his eye.
Jason had grabbed a towel off the pile and held it open. The gesture was once again sickeningly
domestic as Jason wrapped Joey in the towel and kissed his forehead.

�How was work?�

�Busy. Mike said you
took a call from Sarah for me?�

�Yeah. She wanted to let you know your mom called
her, and she�ll be down on Saturday. So
we�ve gotta get the apartment clean.�

Jason groaned, holding the wet Joey against him. �I was hoping she�d wait until you were home
before she came back.�

�Don�t worry Jay, I have the speech memorized. No, ma�am, I assure you your son and I
have a completely platonic relationship.
No, ma�am, we do not share a bed.
No, ma�am,
those are not cum stains on the couch.�

�Joe!� Jason warned, and Joey
jerked around to make sure that Mokuba and Seto hadn�t heard them. Seto certainly had, though he pretended differently. Mokuba seemed too wrapped up with destroying
all the water in his hair by means of vigorous towel beating.

Relieved, Joey giggled and leaned against Jason. �We better get outta here, Jay, or I might
jump you in front of the kid and Kaiba would probably kill me.�

�Do you want me to carry you?� Jason
asked, as he was supporting most of the blonde�s weight.

Joey giggled. �Save
your energy, sexy, you�re gonna need it, the second we walk in the door.�

�Platonic my ass, Joe.�

�Shut up and take me home.�

The rest of their conversation was lost to Seto despite how
hard he strained to hear them.

Mokuba pulled the towel off his head, glanced to make sure
Joey and Jason were gone, then turned to his
brother. �They�re kinda cute, aren�t
they?�

Seto looked skeptical.
�That�s one word for it I suppose.�

Mokuba grabbed all their stuff. �Is there something wrong, Seto?� Seto shook his head, and, taking his
brother�s hand, led him back up to the room.

*^*^*^*

Jason fumbled with the key as Joey covered his jaw with
kisses. With the door open he nearly had
to drag Joey inside.

�Joe,� he said with a laugh. �Joe,
come on, I�m starving.�

Joey paused. �But you
promised to bottom to me and I want you now.�

Jason kissed Joey soundly on the lips. He smiled, staring into Joey�s warm honey
eyes. �If you want me, you can have me,
just promise to feed me when you�re done with me.�

�If you have enough energy to move when I�m done with you,
I�ll make you a five star meal.�

�Couch, bed or floor?� Jason asked, his blue eyes sparkling bright.

�Bed,� Joey answered, pushing Jason into the bedroom. There was only one in the apartment, which
was partially how Jason and Joey had hooked up.

Joey had Jason�s tie undone before they hit the bed, and had
already started on the long row of tiny buttons. �It�s hard, Jay, not being able to touch you
all day long,� Joey said, running his hands across Jason�s freshly exposed
chest.

Jay smiled. �That�ll
teach you to give somebody besides me your attention. What are you going to do when you go home?�

Joey kissed the redhead soundly before answering. �Go to school, work, turn
celibate.�

Jason�s laugh turned into a moan as Joey began to rub him
through his pants. �If I come in my work
clothes, Joe, I�m gonna kick your ass.�

Joey snickered against Jason�s neck, but began to undo the
redhead�s pants all the same. As Jason
kicked off his slacks, Joey followed it with his bathing suit. He moaned appreciatively when his cold damp
skin pressed against Jason�s warm body.

Jason was probably going to comment on how cold Joey was,
but was silenced by Joey�s mouth, as Joey�s hand went back to rubbing him.

Jason�s hand was digging under the other pillow, searching
for the lube he knew they�d left there.
When he located it, he pressed it into Joey�s hand. Joey pulled away and looked down at Jason, who
was as flushed as his hair.

�Eagar?�

�Hungry,� Jason retorted slyly.

Joey squeezed Jason�s erection particularly hard as he
brought his lips down to the teen�s ear.
�Jay I�m gonna make you come so hard that you�ll pass out before you can
even think of food.�

Jason grinned, nipping at Joey�s neck. �You do that Joe.�

Joey grabbed the blanket and pulled it over himself as he
ducked down. Unable to see what he was
doing, Jason shouted in surprise when he felt Joey�s mouth surround his cock at
the same time as a slick finger entered him.
He felt his entire body break out in sweat instantly as his hands fisted
into the sheets.

�Joe, you sneaky bastard,� he managed through clenched
teeth. The only response Joey made was
to pinch the back of Jason�s leg.

As Joey�s tongue proceeded to bathe his erection, another
finger was added in order to stretch him further. It�d been nearly a week since Jason had
bottomed to Joey, and the blonde was going to make sure that he was as prepared
as possible.

Jason couldn�t find it in him to hurry Joey along, because
he knew that as soon as Joey�s fingers stopped his mouth would stop too.

Joey continued to work at Jason with his mouth as he added
one more finger. Curling them, he felt
Jason�s body jerk as he hit his prostate.
Mentally smirking, he jammed his tongue into Jason�s slit at the same
time as he thrust his fingers in particularly hard. Jason came into his mouth instantly, and Joey
sucked all he could down.

Jason lay panting, trying to get his mind to work
again. Joey moved back up to suck on his
neck, still stretching the redhead with his fingers.

When he thought Jason was stretched enough, he removed his
fingers and used them instead to stroke the redhead into hardness again.

Jason took a deep breath, but even so his words came out
strained. �You�re an asshole, Joe.�

Joey smirked. �Ironic
word choice, Jay,� he said as he pushed himself into Jason�s entrance. Jason groaned and wrapped his legs around the
blonde, grabbing onto his shoulders.
Joey waited for Jason to adjust, still stroking him. When Joey did begin to move, Jason bit into
his shoulder to stifle his moans.
Encouraged, Joey began to move faster, pushing into Jason harder while continuing
to stroke him.

After a bit, Joey could feel the pressure beginning to build
in his groin. �God Jay you�re tight,� Joey
said harshly. Joey�s voice was his
undoing. Jason came again, spilling hot
seed into Joey�s hand.

With the last of his energy, Jason took the blonde�s hand a began to lick it clean, while his bright blue eyes stared
straight into Joey�s golden pair. The
sight was so erotic, Joey couldn�t hold back anymore. He emptied himself deep into Jason,
collapsing as he rode out his orgasm.

The pair lay still, Joey half on top of Jason, breathing
deeply. As Jason�s ear was the only
thing he could reach without moving, Joey sucked on it lazily. The action woke Jason from his daze. With a chuckle he wrapped his arms around his
roommate and pulled him closer.

�You win,� he murmured.

Joey smirked. �I
always do.�

�Shut up and sleep, Joe.�

*^*^*^*

�What?� Seto barked grumpily into
the phone that had just succeeded in waking him from a very pleasant, dreamless
sleep. The office had been instructed to
call him only if it was a complete emergency.

Which it was, of course. And it of course couldn�t wait. And it of course had to be dealt with by him
personally.

�I�ll be back in a few hours. Don�t do anything until I get there,
understand?�

Mokuba was not going to be happy. He blinked, and even half asleep his mind was
formulating a plan. Mokuba could stay
here with Joey. That way he�d be back
before nightfall, and his brother wouldn�t miss one of his days in the sun. The thought made him feel a little better,
but he was still pissed. He showered and
dressed, but let his brother sleep.

When he reached the front desk, he knew the receptionist
could tell he was pissed, and used to his advantage.

�There�s an emergency that requires my immediate
attention. I need the address of a
waiter that works here by the name of Jason.�
That information would of course be classified, but his voice and his
stance demanded obedience, and she simply nodded and hit a few buttons on her
computer.

�Ah, which Jason, sir?�

Shit, that he hadn�t thought
of. �I don�t know his last name,� he
admitted. �But his roommate is the one I
actually need. His name is Joseph
Wheeler.�

The girl giggled. �Oh them! Joey and
Jay are right down the road. Go out
behind the hotel and turn left, two buildings down is their place. It�s like a nasty pink color. They�re in room thirty two.�

�Thank you,� he said, managing to hide his disgust. Was there a person in this building that
didn�t know them?

*^*^*^*

At the lack of response, Seto pushed the doorbell a second
time. That had the desired effect, as
there was a large bang from inside followed by a lot of
noises Seto couldn�t place.

�Coming Sarah!� he heard Joey�s voice.

At the same time Seto realized that they thought he was
Jason�s sister, Joey opened the door.

�Hey- oh!� he exclaimed.
For a moment, all either of them could do was stare. Joey, because the last person he expected was
standing on his doorstep. Seto, because Joey was standing in front of him in nothing but his
boxers. This wouldn�t have been
news, (Seto had seen him all day in his suit) if Joey�s appearance didn�t
scream the fact that he�d been having sex.

�You know, Sarah, when Joey said anytime tomorrow, he didn�t
mean at the crack of dawn,� Jason shouted, coming up to stand behind Joey. His eyes went wide when he spotted Seto, and
he ducked behind Joey because, as Seto had noted in the brief moment, he wasn�t
wearing anything. The one small part of
Seto�s mind that still thought that perhaps they weren�t sleeping with each
other was now convinced otherwise. The
death of that hope was followed by a wave of disappointment that he ignored.

�Is something wrong, Kaiba?� Joey
asked when he found his voice. He�d been
embarrassed that Kaiba had seen Jason kiss him.
That was nothing compared to this.
Sarah had walked in on them doing all kind of things, and he wasn�t shy
in front of any of his friends. Even
Mokuba wouldn�t have been a big deal.
But Kaiba was very different.

�I need to ask a favor,� Seto said, gluing his eyes to
Joey�s honey orbs because he didn�t trust himself not to stare. A small part of him was disappointed he
didn�t get a better look at Jason, so he would know what he was up
against. Reason brutally killed that
small part. There was no competition; he
wasn�t trying.

�What is it?� Joey asked, trying to
ignore how exposed he felt. From an
observer�s view point, he supposed this situation would be pretty funny.

�I need to go back to the office. There�s a problem that requires me
personally. I was hoping that you would
be willing to watch Mokuba for the day.�

Joey blinked, and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes with a
fist. �Um, yeah. I�m working today.� Before Seto couldn�t respond Joey turned to
look behind him. �Jay? Jay go get something
on and get Em on the phone for me will you?
See if you can sweet talk her into covering for me today.�

Jason darted away from the door. Seto had just enough time to noticed that even his backside was tan. He wondered how.

�Where is he?�

Seto blinked and focused back on Joey. �He�s still asleep. I�ll give you the key to the room.�

Joey nodded absently, and rubbed some more of the sleep out
of his eyes. �We�re gonna have to shower
and get dressed. Is he gonna freak out
if he wakes up by himself?�

Seto shook his head and glanced at his watch. �He should be asleep for the next two hours.�

�When will you be back?�

�Midnight at the latest.�

Joey blinked. �You�re
gonna drive all the way down there and back tonight?� Seto nodded and Joey shook his head. �The kid can stay with us if you want. Then you could drive back up tomorrow, after
you�ve slept.�

�If I feel that�s necessary I�ll call.�

Joey nodded, then looked behind him
again. �Jay are
you decent?� Receiving an affirmative,
Joey opened the door the rest of the way.
�Come on in. Jay will have coffee
started if you want some. As soon as he
gets a hold of Emily I�ll be able to tell you for sure.�

Joey walked away and through another door, which Seto
assumed was the bedroom. He walked past
a well worn couch, resisting the urge to search for any of the stains Joey had
referred to, and into the kitchenette.
Jason sat at the table, big enough only for two, clad now in a pair of
sweat pants, with the phone against his ear.

Seto took the empty chair.
Jason motioned to the coffee pot on the counter and Seto shook his head
to decline. He took a moment to look
around. They had a lot of cleaning to do
if they wanted this place respectable in two days.

�Emily, I know you�re there.
It�s Jason. Wake up sleepy
head.� Seto�s attention was drawn back
to the couch. He wondered if it really
was stained. �Emily. Pick up Emily. I�ll make it worth your while. Good morning Emily!�

The door to the bedroom opened and Joey came out, now clad
also in sweat pants. They hung so low
that Seto could see his hip bones protruding.
Jason covered the phone with his palm.
�Feed me!� he pleaded. Joey
smirked at him then nodded walking over to pour himself a cup of coffee

�Oh, I�m on speaker phone!
You are? What�s his name? Is he good looking? Hello Adam.
Can I have your phone number?� Even across the table Seto could hear a female
laugh on the other side of the phone.
�True, Joe does keep me pretty busy, but you know,
he�s leaving me in a few days.� Joey
smacked Jason on the top of the head as he crossed the kitchen to sit on the
counter by the sink. Jason cringed.

�Right, Em, the reason I called, is Joe and I need you to
cover for him this morning. You can? Great!� He turned
and looked at Joey. �Can you take double
shift on Saturday?�

Joey nodded enthusiastically. �That�s when your mother�s coming. Perfect if I�m not here for her to pick at.�

�That�d be fine Em.
Thanks a lot, we owe you big time.
Kiss Adam once for me. See you soon.� He hung the phone up with a beep. �Alright, it�s set,� he told them, handing
the phone behind him to Joey who replaced it on the wall.

Seto stood up. Joey
took a swig of his coffee before jumping down off of
the counter. He led the way out to the
door, and opened it for Seto. �We�ll see
you either later tonight or tomorrow morning, right?�

Seto nodded and paused.
�Thanks,� he said with difficulty.
�This will mean a lot to Mokuba.�
He handed Joey the key to their apartment.

�It�s no problem.
It�s lucky that we were here to help.
See ya Kaiba.�

*^*^*^*

Mokuba blinked his eyes open to see his brother�s eyes
staring straight at him. Except Seto
didn�t have flaming red hair. He blinked
a few more times. �Jason?�

�He�s awake Joe! He�s awake!�

�Sheesh, Jay, don�t scare the shit
out of him.� Joey pushed Jason off and sat
down on the end of Mokuba�s bed. Mokuba
was sitting up. �Good morning, Mokuba.�

�What are you guys doing here?� the sleepy-eyed teen asked.

�Your brother had to take care of an emergency at the
office. He didn�t want to take you with
him, so he asked me and Jay to watch over you.�

�Really?� Mokuba visibly brightened. �We usually have to go home. I can�t believe he actually asked you to do
that. He must really like you,
Joey. He never asks anybody to do anything
for him.�

Joey ruffled Mokuba�s hair.
�Or he just really wants you to have a good time.�

�Joe! I�m starving
and you promised to feed me!�

Joey rolled his eyes.
�Not my fault you passed out Jay.�
He smiled at Mokuba. �What do you
say we go feed him, then we�ll hit the beach? Then once we�ve gotten you a few shades
darker, we�ll head up the boardwalk. I
know a guy that lets us cut in line for the rollercoasters.�

�Yeah!�

*^*^*^*

�Em!� Jason called, climbing up her
chair the same way he had done to Joey�s the day before.

�Jason? Why am I covering
for you two if you�re on the beach?�

�I�m babysitting,� Joey said, picking Mokuba up, much to the
boy�s embarrassment, and holding him up for Emily to see.

Emily laughed. �Put
him down, Joey, before you hurt yourself.
Alright, get away from me before you distract me.�

Mokuba wasted no time.
The second Joey sat him down he took off toward the waves. He laughed when the oncoming wave splashed
his legs.

�Em?�

�You don�t have to ask, I�ll keep an extra eye on him.�

�Thanks,� Joey said gratefully, following Jason over to
where he had already spread out a towel in the sand. He spread out his own right beside him, and laid down, pillowing his head on his arms. Due to Kaiba, they�d both waken two full
hours early, and after last night both were feeling it.

�It�s not fair that you�re only here for a few more days and
I�m sharing you,� Jason said, through his eyes were shut and his words were
slightly slurred from the way his cheek was pressed against his wrist.

Joey sighed. �I�m
sorry Jay. You�re right. I haven�t been giving you enough attention.�

�I didn�t mean it that way,� Jason said, sitting up enough
to prop himself on his elbows. He
glanced down at the ocean where he could see Mokuba, then looked over at
Joey. �I do like him a lot. He�s a great kid. I guess I�m just a little bit jealous. He gets to live with you,
he�ll be just a few minutes away. But I
won�t.�

Joey rolled over, pressing his back against Jason�s
side. �It�s not like you�re never going
to see me again.�

�It�s not?� Jason asked, turning
also so that Joey was pressed more against his stomach.

�Don�t be stupid Jay.
I�m only a few hours away. During
the winter when business is slow at the hotel you can come visit me. And I might even come back next summer if I
don�t find a better job. Besides, you
don�t need me anymore. Once you get your
replacement trained, you�ll be moving into the kitchen and doing what your good
at. Your pay will double and making rent
on your own won�t be a problem.�

Jason threw an arm around Joey�s side and pressed his face
into the blonde�s shoulder. �You�re good
for more than half the rent, Joe.�
Discreetly, he traced a line up Joey�s neck with his tongue.

Joey snickered and reached back to push Jason�s head away. �I�m sure you�ll find somebody to replace
me.�

�Nobody could ever replace you, Joey,� Jason said, his voice
taking on a dreamy tone. He wasn�t the
least bit deterred by Joey�s push, and buried his face this time into Joey�s
hair.

�Don�t feed me bull shit, Jay.�

�Actually, it seems my little student has taken quite a
liking to his teacher.�

Joey pulled away and turned around to face Jason,
shocked. �That little kid, Ashton? Wouldn�t that be like robbing the cradle?�

The red head glared.
�I�ll have you know he�s a year older than you are.�

Joey�s amber eyes widened with genuine surprise. �Really? Man he doesn�t look it. Well he�d make a pretty little pet, that�s
for sure.�

Jason shook his head.
�No, I don�t think it would be like that. He�s not that kind of guy. He�s too sensitive. He won�t do anything his heart�s not into.�

Joey�s eyes narrowed.
�And you�re still considering him.
And I know you would never lead somebody on. So that means you�re actually
considering having a real relationship, with love and commitment and
loyalty and all that stuff?�

�Sounds crazy doesn�t it?
But I don�t know, there�s something about
him. I mean, his crushing on me is damn
annoying he gets flustered and drops stuff all the time. But, beyond that, in those few minutes that
he forgets I�m there, I can see the real him.
And I like what I see.� Jason�s
voice had again acquired the dreamy tone, but it wasn�t faux this time.

Joey�s eyes were threatening to jump out of his head. �God, Jay, why didn�t you tell me about this
sooner?�

Jason shrugged.
�You�re only here for a little while longer. I didn�t want you getting any ideas that I
had to suddenly be loyal to him or anything like that.�

�Then why are you telling me now? We have nine days left.�

Jason smirked deviously.
�Because you can�t hide anything from me Joe. I see the way you keep looking at that kid�s
brother as if you�re a starving man and he�s a piece of meat.�

Joey stared at Jason
for a long moment. Then his eyes
narrowed almost threateningly. �Don�t be
stupid Jay.� With that, he turned his
head away and pillowed it again on his arm.

Jason was dumbfounded for a moment, then
he grinned slyly. �I guess I was kinda
off the mark there then? Well if you
don�t want him, mind if I give him a try?�

�I doubt,� Joey said harshly, �that Kaiba swings that
way. But do what you want.�

Jason chuckled silently to himself.

*^*^*^*

Joey pulled the door shut to Mokuba�s bedroom with a small
grin. It was a good deal past midnight, and Joey had agreed to allow the kid
to stay up if he promised Joey the privilege of tucking him in. Mokuba had readily agreed, figuring his
embarrassment was worth it. Joey had a
tendency to treat him half his age but Mokuba was now used to that.

Jason was sitting primly on the edge of the couch in the
greeting room of the Kaiba�s suite. The
place was huge. Both Mokuba and Kaiba
had their own bedroom, there was a greeting room that
the door opened into, a more private family room, and a small kitchen. Jason looked like he was afraid if he touched
anything it would be forever marked.

Joey, on the other hand plopped down onto the couch as if he
owned it, turning and using Jason�s lap as a pillow. �God, I�m beat.�

Jason grinned, and buried his hand into Joey�s hair. Ecstasy rolled across Joey�s face as the red
head began to run his fingers through Joey�s hair. He sighed contentedly while Jason chuckled at
him. �You�re so easy, Joe. All I have to do is pet you and you melt in
my lap.�

�Less talking, more petting,� Joey said, catching Jason�s
eyes. They�re gazes locked for a
moment. Their �fight� from earlier today
was forgotten, despite the fact Joey had been on edge for the rest of the day. �You have really beautiful eyes,� Joey stated
quietly.

�Careful Joe, people will start to think you�re in love with
me.�

Joey reached up and stroked the side of Jason�s face. �Just with your eyes.�

Jason gave him a lopsided smile before bending as well as he
could to plant a wet kiss on Joey�s nose.
The blonde cringed, reaching up to wipe it away. He was pacified, however, when Jason began to
stroke his hair again. His eyes fell shut in bliss.

A few minutes later Joey was sound asleep. Jason continued to pet him because he knew if
he should stop the action it would wake the blonde back up. And Jason had selfish reasons for wanting him
well rested.

He heard the sound of the door handle a heartbeat before the
door was opened. Kaiba walked in looking
as tired if not more than Joey had been. He didn�t quite start when he saw them, but
he obviously wasn�t expecting them to be there.

�I didn�t mean for you to have to wait for me. He would have been fine alone here.�

�Joe wouldn�t hear of it,� Jason said softly. �If you just give me a minute to wake him
we�ll be on our way.�

Seto didn�t reply but Jason wasn�t paying him any
attention. �Joe,� he said a bit louder
then normal speaking tones. �Time to
wake up, Kaiba�s gonna want his couch back.�

�Kaiba can shove it,� came Joey�s sleep slurred reply. His eyes hadn�t opened yet and there was no
sign that he had any idea what he was talking about. Jason snorted before he could help it.

�Sorry,� he said in Kaiba�s general direction but didn�t
look at him because he was just managing to keep his laughter in toe and he
didn�t want to tax himself any more.
�Joe, you gotta get up so we can go home.�

Joey�s voice returned clearly annoyed. �What are you talking about Jay?�

�Joe, get up,� Jason pleaded.

�I am up,� Joey replied, opening his eyes. He stared at Jason for a moment, then his memory seemed to return. He sat up slowly, then
spotted Kaiba. Jason was impressed that
he didn�t blush. �Hi,� he said
intelligently.

Kaiba didn�t reply.
Jason stood up and grabbed Joey by the shoulders. He wanted to get his friend out of here
before he could embarrass himself any more.
�We should go; Joe�s asleep on his feet,� Jason said by way of parting.

On the way to the door Kaiba called after them. �I don�t suppose it would be appropriate for
me to compensate you for your help?�

Joey pulled himself out of Jason�s hands. �No, it wouldn�t be. We did it as a favor.� There was a challenge in Joey�s voice. Jason wondered if this was the result of
Joey�s half asleep state or the fact that this was the first time he and Kaiba
had been around each other without Mokuba near.

�I�m sure Mokuba appreciates it then.�

�Not for him,� Joey spat.
�We love him, sure. But this was
a favor for you Kaiba. Somebody
was nice to you. Chew on
that.� His amber eyes blazing with
something that Jason didn�t understand, the blonde turned and stalked out of
the room, slamming the door behind him.

Which left Jason alone. �Um,� he started, feeling the need to justify
Joey�s actions but not entirely sure of their cause himself. �I�m sorry about that, he�s just,� he
faltered, because he wasn�t exactly sure what Joey was.

�Don�t worry about it,� Seto said, his voice calm and his
eyes glued to the door that Joey had slammed.
�That�s the most normal thing he�s done since we got here.� Seto turned and headed for Mokuba�s room,
allowing Jason to see himself out.

^*^*^*^

Jason finally caught up to Joey at the apartment. He found his friend pacing the small area in
front of the couch. His path was so
small, however, that it was akin to walking in circles, or a dog chasing his
tail. Sabrina sat on the couch watching
him.

�I made an ass out of myself,� Joey stated before Jason had
a chance to say a word.

�He didn�t seem bothered by it. He said it was normal.�

�That�s because I always make an ass out of
myself.� Joey crossed the room to Jason
and pressed their bodies together.
Within heart beats he had Jason�s lips caught in a desperate kiss. Joey obviously needed him. He wasn�t sure why, but he wasn�t going to
deny him either. But the way Joey
wouldn�t meet his eyes became disconcerting.

^*^*^*^

Seto woke grudgingly because he sensed that his sibling was
in the room. He�d gotten home late last
night, and it had been later still before he�d fallen asleep. This actually seemed like a manageable hour
compared to when Mokuba usually seemed to rise.
Perhaps he had been up late last night too.

His eyes came open one at a time. He glanced over at Mokuba, who had his face
pressed up against the glass door. As
Seto was in the master bedroom, it was his room that had the doorway to the
balcony that looked over the boardwalk and beach.

It only took a moment more for Seto to comprehend why Mokuba
was still on this side of the glass when he usually went outside to feel
the morning air. Water streamed down the
other side of the glass as the rain poured down.

�I�m sorry Mokuba,� he grunted, sleep making his voice
harsh. He would never have slept this
late if he�d been at home where there was an alarm to set.

�What are we going to do?� his brother asked, coming away
from the now smudged glass to sit beside Seto on his bed.

�We�ll just have to stay inside.�

�Can we invite Joey and Jason over?� Mokuba
asked him, his eyes large and begging.

�Didn�t you get enough of them yesterday?�
Seto asked, his voice muffled by the pillow he was shoving his face in.

�Never! But thank you, Seto, for doing that for me.�

�It�s them you should thank,� Seto answered, then grunted
when Mokuba jumped on him and wrapped his smaller arms around his back in a
hug.

�I love you big brother.�

Seto turned his head to look at his brother who was still
clinging to him. He raised a skeptical
eyebrow. �You want them to come over that
bad?�

�Joey left their phone number on the table so you don�t have
to show up on their doorstep this time,� Mokuba
answered with a grin that said he knew he�d already won.

Seto groaned as he pulled himself out of his warm bed. �You know Mokuba, one of these days I�m going
to say no to you and you�re going to die of shock.� The floor was carpeted, but still felt cold
to his feet. He stuck his toes into a
pair of slippers and headed for the room where the phone number was located.

�By the time you manage to be able to do that, I�ll be old
enough to get whatever I want on my own,� Mokuba replied. Seto spared a moment to thank fate that
Mokuba had felt hardship deep and true in his young, impressionable years, and
the fact that the kid was smart, or he�d be spoiled beyond help.

He dialed the phone number without thinking. It was only after the third ring that it
occurred to him this might have been a conversation he should have planned out
before it happened. He didn�t have to do
that often, his ability to act and react was a toned and developed skill, but
special circumstances had brought him to do it before.

�Hello?� came a breathless voice,
but Seto was still able to recognize it as Joey�s.

�Hello,� Seto responded, but only got the word half out
before a burst of giggles interrupted him.

�Jay, Jay, stop, stop it I�m on the
phone, Jay!� The last word came out as a
type of squeal. It was followed by a
series of giggles and snorts. �No, Jay,
give it back!�

�Hello?� said a new voice, though Jason�s voice sounded much
deeper on the phone line than in person.

�I would like to speak to Joey please,� Seto said
calmly. Not that it mattered which of
them he spoke to, but a deep part of him wanted to thwart Jason at every
possible turn.

�Oh, right. It�s for
you Joe.�

�You ass,� Seto heard Joey say before he reclaimed the
phone. �I�m really sorry about that.�

�There�s no need to be,� Seto said patiently, holding in an
exasperated sigh with years of practice.

�Kaiba!� This was followed by a lot of shuffling, some
hushed arguing, and by what Seto thought was a door slamming. �What can I do for you?�

In his head, Seto could see Joey�s face. He was caught too off guard to go into his
hate-and-anger state, which meant he would still be naturally in his good
natured Joey state. That is until he
said something that would piss the blonde off, or remind him that he was
supposed to be in his hate-and-anger state, or threaten him. But Seto needed him in his good natured
personality right now.

�It�s raining, and Mokuba wanted to know if you would be
interested in coming over.�

�Oh, well then why didn�t he call?�

The question hit Seto hard.
He knew Joey hadn�t meant to insult him, he was innocent and honest, and
really Seto wasn�t insulted. But why
hadn�t Mokuba called? Seto had done it
without thinking. He whipped around to
see his brother�s head peeking through the crack in the bedroom door. Realizing he�d been spotted, Mokuba
paled. Seto�s eyes narrowed. �Good question. I�ll find out later.�

�Oh, right. Is this
just me, or me and Jay?� Joey asked hesitantly.

�I can�t imagine Mokuba would mean to separate you,� he
answered, in what he hoped wasn�t a colder tone than usual.

�Okay, well, we�re kinda cleaning right now. Lemme ask.� Seto heard a door open.

�Alright Joe, why when Mr. Millionaire
calls, do you need to run into the bedroom and shut the door?� Whatever response Joey made to that wasn�t
verbal, though Seto would have given a lot to see it.

�Do you want to go hang with kiddo when we�re done
cleaning?�

�It�s better than being here.�

�We�ll probably be done cleaning in about two hours,� Joey
said into the receiver.

�So expect us in three,� Jay said,
his voice louder which implied he was much closer.

Joey gave and undignified squeak,
sputtered a goodbye and hung up with a loud click. Seto did likewise, excluding the squeak,
trying not to glare at the phone too harshly.
Calming his features, he turned to face his brother.

�Alright, Mokuba, what�s going on?�

Mokuba tried to look innocent, but he knew he�d been
caught. Now he had to play the hardest
game of all; outwitting his brother. �What
are you talking about big brother?�

�Some things just don�t add up, and now I feel thick for
letting you get away with them in the first place. First of all, you�ve always wanted to know
how to swim, but not this badly. You�ve
always been friends with Joey, but not this close. And, there�s no reason that I just had to
make that phone call.�

Mokuba called up a blush on command, particularly proud of
that skill and equally glad Seto didn�t know he had it. �I just don�t want to seem desperate. There�s a chance that tomorrow when Jason�s
mom comes she�ll bring his little sister with her. I saw her picture yesterday and I�d really
like to meet her.�

�Oh,� Seto said, grinning.
He walked over and ruffled Mokuba�s head. �If that�s all it is, Mokuba, you should have
just told me. I might have helped.� Mokuba grinned as Seto couldn�t see. �But I won�t help you unless you stop trying
to set me up.�

Mokuba nearly fell right over. He turned to stare at his brother with wide
eyes. �But, how, how did you?�

Seto raised an eyebrow.
�Who taught you?�

Mokuba hung his head.
�You did.�

�So that will be enough of that. It�s not appreciated and unnecessary.�

�You�d appreciate it later!� Mokuba
defended. �And what do you mean
unnecessary? If I didn�t set you up with
people, you�d never date.�

Seto glared at his brother, and the boy shrunk back. Very rarely did Seto actually get mad at him,
and it wasn�t an experience that Mokuba enjoyed. �I have more important things to do with my
time.�

With that, he turned and walked back into the bedroom,
slamming the door behind him. Mokuba
heard the lock turn and cringed. That
hadn�t gone well. But it could have been
worse. Seto told him to stop attempting
to set him up, but he hadn�t denied that he was interested. And that was progress at least.

*^*^*^*

Joey knocked on the door twice. It was opened a moment later by a rather
sullen looking Mokuba. �Hey, come on
kiddo, you can�t let the rain get you down that much.� He walked in and picked the boy up, but
didn�t hold him for too long. He�d
strained himself carrying him around, and then following that with other
strenuous activities. �Besides, you know
what the rain means?�

�What?� Mokuba asked
skeptically.

�It means I get off work.�

�Which is lucky,� Jason said, following them inside and
shutting the door. �Or we would have
never gotten that apartment clean.�

�I hope it doesn�t rain tomorrow, though,� Joey said,
looking toward the window. �If it does
I�ll have nowhere to go, and your mom will just continuously pick at me.�

�Why doesn�t she like you?� Mokuba
asked, leading them into the family room where they could sit on the couches.

Joey glanced at Jason, not exactly sure how to answer
that. �She doesn�t exactly approve of
our relationship. Or at least, what she
suspects our relationship to be. Which
it is, but we deny it to her at least.�

�What, because you�re a guy?� Mokuba
asked, rolling onto the floor to set up his game system.

�Not, exactly,� Joey said slowly. He glanced around to make sure that Kaiba
wasn�t around. He doubted that the older
sibling would approve of this conversation.
�It�s because Jay and I aren�t really, well, exclusive. We don�t really have much of a
relationship. She wants her baby to find
a nice boy to settle down with.�

�Oh,� Mokuba said, his eyes widening. �So that�s why you guys are
so, well, weird.�

�Weird?� Jason asked, accepting the
controller that Mokuba handed him. �How
are we weird?�

Mokuba shrugged.
�Joey checks out other people and it doesn�t bother you. You�re never cooing at each other or anything,
like Yami and Yugi do. You�re not in
love with each other.�

Joey snorted, jumping down off the couch and into Jason�s
lap. �In love? With Jay? It would take a saint to have that much
patience. When he annoys me, I can just
leave and deny him sex.�

Jason pinched Joey�s side.
�Ass.
Don�t talk that way in front of the kid.�

Mokuba giggled, starting the game. �Where is your brother, Mokuba?� Joey asked, taking the controller from Jason. The red head wrapped his arms around Joey and
allowed him to steal his turn in favor of nuzzling the back of his neck.

�His room,� Mokuba said, turning sullen again. �I said something and he got mad.� The boy�s tone said he didn�t want to talk
about it.

Joey gave him a friendly smack on the back, then set in to kick his ass virtually.

*^*^*^*

Seto emerged again from his room around lunch time. After fighting with his brother, he�d gone
back to bed. More sleep would improve
his mood. As soon as he stepped out he
was thankful he�d slept. His mood was
going to need all the help it could get.

Mokuba was laid out across the couch, taking up the whole
thing, violently beating a controller with his thumbs. Jason was sitting on the floor up against a
chair. Joey was laid on his back in
front of him, his head pillowed in Jason�s lap, with the other controller. Seto cringed inwardly. As violent as Joey was known to get when
playing a game, it didn�t seem wise to allow him that close to sensitive
areas. But Jason didn�t seem
worried. And despite his frantic arm
movements to go with his character on the screen, Joey�s head didn�t move an
inch.

�Hi Seto!� Mokuba said brightly as
Joey began to swear, having been beaten.
Joey sat up and moved away from Jason.
Seto wondered why he bothered.
After what he�d seen yesterday morning and then again last night, it�s
not like there was anything to hide.
�Did you go back to sleep?�

�I did,� Seto answered.
�I�m ordering pizza for lunch, is that okay with all of you?� He could have cooked something, but he didn�t
feel like. Besides, he was trying to put
on weight.

�As long as you get mushrooms!�

Jason and Joey made noises of disgust that mirrored what
Seto felt but didn�t express.

�I�ll get you one with mushrooms. The rest of us will have normal
pepperoni.� From some memory that he
didn�t even know he had, he knew that Joey preferred pepperoni over cheese. He didn�t have much of a preference, and
didn�t really care if Jason did or not.

�You guys don�t get enough veggies,� Mokuba said with a
snicker as he started the next game.

�Yeah, that means a lot coming from you,� Joey answered,
handing his controller to Jason. �Last
night I couldn�t force those peas down your throat.�

�He doesn�t like peas,� Seto said, at the same time as
Mokuba exclaimed the same.

�And Seto hates carrots!�

�So do I,� Jason agreed, flashing a
smile at Seto that surprised him. �Not
Joe though. I don�t think there is
anything he won�t eat.�

�Dogs tend to be that way,� Seto said mildly, as he walked
into the kitchen.

Joey started to growl, glaring in the direction of the door
way. Jason reached out and pulled the
blonde back into his lap, running his hands through his hair. Joey quieted instantly. �Don�t let that get to you,� Jason said
softly, kissing the top of Joey�s head before pushing him up to sit on his own
again. Jason handed him back the
controller and stood.

Caught up in the game, Joey didn�t bother to ask what Jason
was doing. The redhead followed Seto
into the kitchen, arriving just as he hung up the phone from placing the pizza
order.

Seto looked over at him questioningly, and Jason
smiled. �It�s the color.�

�I�m sorry?� Seto asked, taken
completely off guard.

�Carrots. I can�t get past the fact that they�re so orange. Even oranges aren�t that orange.�

�I see,� Seto answered, moving around the kitchen
table. He ducked into the refrigerator
for a soda, mostly so he wouldn�t have to look at Jason.

�Anything else that you don�t like?� Jason
asked, causing Seto to turn and study him.
Jason had followed him around the table, and was closer then necessary.

�Why?�

Jason shrugged. �I�d
like to get to know you better. It
seemed like a good place to start as any.�
He took a step closer, so Seto shut the door to the refrigerator, giving
him a little more room. �Is he,
flirting?� Carefully, he sidestepped
the redhead, moving closer to the doorway.

�I don�t like sand,� he answered, his back already to Jason
as he walked away. Undeterred, Jason
followed him with a grin. Seto took a
seat on the couch with Mokuba, who moved to sit cross-legged to give his
brother room. Instead of sitting back on
the floor with Joey, Jason sat in the chair across from Seto.

�Alright, then what do you like?�

Seto glanced at Joey while he debated how to answer that
question. The blonde was either very
involved in the game, or pretended to be in order to ignore his rival�s
presence. �Games,�
he answered, looking back at Jason, who had a huge grin on his face that Seto
didn�t understand.

�Is that all?� Jason persisted,
leaning forward.

�Jay, knock it the fuck off,� Joey growled, his thumbs
beating the controller with more force then necessary.

�Sorry, Joe,� Jason said, reaching out to thread his hand
into the blonde�s hair. �I thought you
said I could do what I wanted. Didn�t mean to make you jealous.�

Joey glared up at the redhead when his character on the
screen died. �I�m not jealous,
pinhead. But you�re freaking Kaiba out.�

Jason looked over at Seto again. He didn�t meet his eyes, but rather let his
gaze travel slowly up the other�s body.
Internally, Seto squirmed. �But
Joe, he�s so, gorgeous.�

�Jay!� Joey exclaimed, dropping his
controller entirely. �God, stop it!�

�Alright,� Jason grumbled, though the grin on his face
didn�t drop. Seto had found something
interesting on the other side of the room that needed to be studied. But Mokuba was staring at Jason with wide
eyes. The two made contact, and an
instant but silent conversation passed between them. Mokuba�s face split into a grin that matched
Jason�s, and only then did he turn his attention back to the game he was
playing.

*^*^*^*

Seto watched, from his place in his chair, as Jason and Joey
prepared to leave. They were saying
goodbye to Mokuba. Seto pretended to be
interested in his book, which spared them the awkward act of having to say
goodbye to him also.

�See you later, Kaiba,� Joey said hesitantly on his way
past. Seto grunted a reply, not looking
up again until they had walked past. As
they opened the door, Jason reached out for Joey�s hand. But the blonde pulled away, and sped his
steps, moving in front of Jason rather then beside. The door closed behind them, and he couldn�t
see anymore.

So Joey was angry with Jason. Somehow, he couldn�t help but feel as if it
was a battle he�d won. Not that he and
Jason were competing for anything.
Still, it felt great to see him lose.

*^*^*^*

The walk back to the apartment was silent. A blind man would have known there was
something wrong, because that silence was deafening. The rain was still falling consistently, so
they walked quickly, making the trip mercifully short. Not until the door with the thirty two nailed
on it (the three now upside down) closed was there a sound between them.

�Do you want to tell me who shoved the stick up your ass,
Joe?�

�You!� Joey replied, and Jason
reflected that under any other circumstances, that would have been amusing.

�What? What did I
do?�

�That, thing! That you did with Kaiba! That �what do you like�, thing!�

�What?� Jason asked, moving over to
the table and leaning against the back of one of the chairs. �I was just flirting with him. You said I could.�

�Not when Mokuba�s around,� Joey snapped, backing his legs
against the side of the couch. Jason crossed
his arms.

�It�s not like it was dirty flirting. Mokuba�s no stranger to that anyway, I�d
bet.�

�Then not when I�m around.� Joey was staring beyond Jason, at the peeling
wall paper behind him. He�d yet to meet
Jason�s eyes.

Jason let his arms fall to his sides, and took three large
steps, closing the distance between him and Joey. Joey�s eyes moved to stare at his feet. �Why?�

�Because,� Joey defended, trying to lean away but already
trapped by the couch, unless he were to fall back onto
it. Sabrina�s purring presence prevented
that.

�Look at me Joey. Why
won�t you look at me anymore?�

�Because!� Joey repeated, his eyes
clenching shut when Jason tried to lift his chin.

�Because why, Joe? I
thought you loved my eyes.�

�They�re his eyes!� Joey
exclaimed. �I can�t love your eyes. They�re the same as his. Same color, same shape, same everything!�

�So?� Jason persisted, wrapping his
hands around Joey�s waist to keep him from moving away. �You can love Kaiba�s eyes.�

�No, I can�t,� Joey cried. In a
heart beat, his defensive posture broke, and he collapsed forward, allowing
Jason to keep him up, and hiding his face in Jason�s chest. �I can�t.
It ruins everything. I can�t,
ever.�

�If you love him, Joe, you love him. It�s not something you can decide not to
do.� Jason�s voice, instead of being
accusing again, had turned gentle. His
hands, trapping Joey�s waist, had moved up to hold him steady.

�But I can�t. Not before, not now, not ever, not him.� Joey�s voice sounded close to tears, which
shocked Jason. He�d had no idea it was
this serious.

�It�ll be alright, Joe,� he said into the blonde�s hair,
rubbing small circles into his back.
�We�ll help you.�

�He�s my rival,� Joey said, his words muffled by Jason�s
chest. �We hate each other. We always have.�

�Or perhaps you�ve always pretended to hate each other?�

Slowly, Joey looked up, and Jason kissed his forehead
softly. �When he looks at you, Joe, it�s
with anything but hate.�

�But,� Joey started, then was
silenced by Jason�s finger pressing against his lips.

�I was testing him today, Joe. There�s not even a chance that he hates
you. I�m not a mind reader, I can�t tell
you what he does feel towards you, but I can tell you it�s not hate.�

�Are you sure?� Joey said, hardly
above a whisper. Only in front of Jason,
would this be okay. To
break down, to show fear, and even hope.

�I�ve never lied to you before, I wouldn�t start now.� Bending down, he caught Joey�s lips in a
kiss, eliminating the need for words.
Joey clung, his mouth begging Jason to make him forget, at least for a
while.
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Sand Lover