AN: Hi all! It's been YEARS! Somehow, my muse has wormed its way back into my mind and here I am-writing again. Enjoy!

Chapter 8 – In the Air

School didn't exist anymore in Joey's opinion. He floated through each day with his head in the clouds until Yugi, Tea, and Tristan finally confronted him.

"Are you ok, dude?"

"Yea…"

Tea waved her hand in front of his face, but Joey still did not seem to be paying attention.

Yugi asked, "Has something unbelievably good happened?"

"No…"

"Really?" Tristan asked.

"Yea…"

Yugi whispered, "Are you really ok, Joey?"

"No…"

"Is yea and no all you can say?" Tea asked, frustrated.

"Yea…"

"He's gone mental!" Tristan shouted.

"No…"

The gang dragged Joey over to Yugi's house while they assessed the situation. After a question and answer session, Tea concluded, "Joey is love-struck."

Is it really that simple? Love-struck. Joey took a moment to register the words in his mind. The emotion that was overwhelming his body, mind, and spirit was something akin to the feeling of love. Joey loved Serenity as a brother. He looked out for her, worried about her, and wanted to spent time with her. He looked out for Seto, worried about him, and wanted to spend time with him as well. So was it love?

Kaiba swung his arm around to knock the alarm clock radio off the nightstand. It warbled feebly, "Love is in the air…Everywhere I look around…" before splitting into screeching radio frequencies. As Seto stepped out of bed, he crushed the remains of the radio with his fuzzy Blue Eyes White Dragon slippers.

If anyone walked into the room at that moment, Seto was sure to become the main suspect of a murder case. Mornings were not all that great if memories of the previous night were completely tucked away into oblivion. Yes, Seto Kaiba was suffering a massive hangover due his newly developed habit of filling his bathtub with wine. Some lady at the mall had told him it was a cure for insomnia because the sweet scent of wine would engulf his senses and lead him to a lengthened peaceful night of sleep. Seto was sitting in the tub of wine (after taking his usual bath), feeling wary of it as he closed his eyes. The scent was overwhelming, overwhelming to the point where he grabbed a glass and decided to drink it. It would be such a waste after all if he let the years of well-preserved wine go down the drain. So he drank until…well, he didn't remember.

Mokuba had heard the noises from Seto's room and informed all the staff working at the office that Seto would not be in today and at home that Master Seto needing some tending to. He was appalled to find Seto in the bathroom extremely drunk and singing. Singing!

"I feel charming," Seto sang as he dangled off the showerhead. "Oh so charming! It's alarming how charming I feel~!"

Seto had snatched the sheet off of his bad and wore it like a toga. Somewhat.

"And so pretty that I hardly believe I'm real~" Seto picked up a backscrubber and swung his arm out, thwacking their poor butler in the head as he continued to warble the lyrics.

Mokuba was appalled.

"Master Seto," his butler had set a hot cup of tea on his desk.

Seto groaned. "Thank you so much." He took a sip, "Not a word or else none of the staff shall keep their jobs!"

"No worries, Master Seto." Although his butler had a crinkle of a smile on his face.

Seto buried himself into his work furiously.

...

"Please," the voice on the other line begged.

Joey blushed furiously the implications of that one word. "N-No. I'm busy!"

"Please, Joey." The voice said, laced with longing.

Joey mumbled and gave in.

"Serenity, I'm going out for a bit. I'll be back later!" he called out as he bolted down the stairs and out the door.

Joey laughed as Mokuba retold the story of Seto's wine bath. Seto was furious and red but he couldn't deny that it was truly the most ridiculous thing he had done in years.

"And then?"

"And then—"

"I think that's quite enough, Mokuba," Seto cut in smoothly. "Go do your homework."

Mokuba whined a big "Awwwww!" as he left the room.

Joey broke the silence. "So…"

"Thanks for coming." Seto sighed, clearly stressed.

Joey smiled a goofy smile. "No problem."

More silence as they just sat there on the couch. Seto leaned over and just released a big breath, relaxing into Joey. It was crazy how Seto's feelings for Joey changed so drastically. He grew up isolated in the world of business and was tough and unrelenting yet one moment changed it all. He melted like a marshmallow over a flame.

Joey was unsure of what to make of it and settled for closing his eyes and relaxing as well. A nap couldn't hurt.

...

"Master Seto, dinner is ready."

"Mm..."

"Yo, I didn't know you sleep so deeply. Come on, I'm hungry."

Joey pulled at Seto's arm until Seto seemed to be awake. "Let's go! Jeeves said there's some nice steak or something."

After a hearty meal, Seto was feeling quite refreshed. He deemed that he slept best with Joey around and seriously considered asking Joey to move in with him. Of course, that was insane and impossible. Mokuba would probably have a field day.

But now what? They were technically in a relationship. Seto was already the working man. Joey was still in school-high school! The differences between their lives was great and he couldn't quite figure out the best way to piece everything together.

"Maybe it's better that we end things." Seto said with his face against his desk. Joey had left already, and the huge mansion was empty as ever. Maybe it would be his fate to die lonely.

...

"Joey, this is unacceptable!" Serenity preached.

Joey covered his ears and pretended not to hear.

"Your grades terrible! What if you don't graduate?"

"LA LA LA LA, I CAN'T HEAR YOU."

Serenity stepped in front of Joey and put her hands on his chest. "Joey Wheeler, I will not have a high school dropout as brother! You are getting tutoring whether you like it or not!"

"...And that is how I end up here."

Seto rolled his eyes and flipped through his schedule book. "Why don't you come over evenings at eight for dinner and then I can tutor you afterwards? Let's do two o'clock on weekends."

"Wait, why does it have to be every day?"

"Judging from your grades in pretty much every subject, you need major help. Once a week won't cut it, pal."

"Whaaat! How much are you charging me?" Joey demanded.

"You know exactly how to repay me." Seto drawled seductively and hung up. Yes, he couldn't believe he said that either.