Forgotten Love, Resurrected

Prologue - 8 Years Ago

Watching Joey laugh and play with his friends always made Seto jealous. Everyone liked the mutt, it didn't matter how dull he was or that he had that annoying smile - the innocent, optimistic kind of smile. Seto would watch them talk with an expression as empty as the surrounding tables. Why couldn't the others in his class see that Seto wanted to be a part of things too? It wasn't his job to beg for friends.

So, Seto hatched. The one lunchtime all Joey's friends were at extra-curriculars, Seto caught the blonde sitting alone in the cafeteria. He carried his tray over and cleared his throat. "Do you mind if I sit here?" Gesturing to the empty seat across from him.

Joey stared up at him with uncomprehending eyes and a chicken wing hanging out his mouth, but recovered quickly, starting to smile. "Nah - I don't mind!" His grin was endearing. It almost made Seto feel bad for this plan. Almost.

"I'm-"

"Seto Kaiba, right?" Joey smiled and tilted his head. Seto sat back in surprise, not expecting Joey, let alone anyone, to have noticed him enough to remember his name.

Seto began eating with painfully slow movements, as tense and awkward as a robot. "I like you,"

Such a lie was so sudden that it almost felt like the truth. He cleared his throat again and repeated. "I like you, Joey. I wanted to invite you to dinner at my - at my mansion,"

He knew Joey was poor, that he wouldn't pass up such an opportunity. He felt nothing but the jab of desire in his heart, a climax of lustful pleasure as he reigned the high art of manipulation.

Joey, looking surprised, took a sip of Fanta and placed the bottle back down. Completely unaware. "Yeah, I'd love to! I've never been to a mansion before,"

"Excellent," Seto ate more comfortably, the hard part was over.

They only made occasional small talk for the rest of the meal. Joey, while loud, wasn't overbearing in his conversation. It was refreshing, but it didn't matter. It wasn't like Seto actually liked him.

The meal ended pleasantly and they said their goodbyes before heading to different classes, promising to meet at the main doors.

*

"You're late,"

The late afternoon sun set below a black treeline on that chilly autumn day. School finished twenty minutes ago.

"Aha, sorry," Joey rubbed the back of his head, smiling apologetically at Seto. "I was saying goodbye to my friends,"

Ah yes, friends. The popular kids had friends.

"This is so cool!" Joey exclaimed, sitting in the leather interior of the limousine. He began exploring the wall pockets and visor, Seto content to just watch his enthusiasm.

He had the same reaction to the splendour of Seto'a mansion. His loud voice wasn't nearly as annoying as Seto remembered, perhaps because Joey was talking to him, and it wasn't just background noise.

Thankfully, Joey's shock at the grandeur of the house diffused when he saw Seto's fanboy bedroom. "You must really love the Blue Eyes White Dragon, huh?" 

Seto sat on his Blue-Eyes themed bed, leaning back against the wall. "I suppose," he didn't want to look at Joey, irrationally embarrassed of an integral part of his personality.

"You have Duel Monsters Cards?" Joey grinned, walking over to view some of Seto's rarest cards displayed in a frame on the wall. "D'you wanna play?"

"Not particularly," Seto crossed his arms over  his chest, feeling awkward. He'd never had any friends in his bedroom before and while Joey was simply an instrument of his manipulation, it felt like his space was being invaded.