A Very Long Engagement

By black-winged Fury

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that concerns Yugioh except this fic's plot.

Warning: Just the dirty mouths of the characters, specifically a certain brunette multimillionaire and a crimson-eyed teenager.

Fury: Well, howdy everyone! Here's a second prideshipping fic made by yours truly. Hope everyone will enjoy it.

Oh, and to those who are reading my other story, "Love All Over Again," I am very sorry for the long delay with the fourth chapter. As usual, school was being all evil and hell on us, especially during the last two months, but with the exams out of the way, I'll be able to concentrate more on my stories. While I'm sprucing up that chapter though, I hope you'll spend time reading this first.

Chapter 1: A White Lie Turned Nasty

In his bedroom, Seto Kaiba was peacefully sleeping. His lean form was snugly tucked in his blue, silken covers, his chestnut brown hair disarray while resting on a pure white pillow. His chest rose and fell evenly under the sheets, soft bangs following the same movement as they were caught by his breath. His face was calm and relaxed, quite the opposite when he's awake.

To anyone who was familiar with the young man, the state that he was in could not be any more unbelievable. Seto Kaiba was the kind that never wanted to show weakness, and sleeping was considered as a sign of vulnerability. In fact, Kaiba usually never sleeps, using his work and caffeine to keep himself from drowsing off.

But for this moment, he lets himself sleep properly, even just this once. He decided that it wouldn't hurt his pride too much if he slept for more than three hours. After all, today was his day.

As the first few rays of the sun peeped in through the curtained windows, the door to his room swung open. Kaiba immediately woke up, the graveness of his face and the coldness of his blue eyes back as if he never slept at all. He sat up before falling back on his bed again as the mass that was his brother practically jumped and crashed on him.

"Happy Birthday Seto!" Mokuba yelled, almost deafening his brother. "Happy, happy birthday!! I'm so excited! It's nii-sama's birthday!"

"Mokuba…" Seto said, his voice muffled under the other's body.

"What is it?" Mokuba asked, the enthusiasm in his voice still there.

"Please let go off me. I can't breathe."

But Mokuba just did the opposite and hugged him even harder. "That's why I love you so much! You're so funny! You should always be funny, Seto! I still can't believe it's already your birthday! It's your birthday! It's Seto's birthday today! I'm so happy!"

"I'm not trying to be funny… I really can't breathe…"

At Kaiba's emphasis on the word, Mokuba grudgingly obeyed. He stayed at his side though, watching his brother rub his neck where he had hugged him.

"I still am happy that's it's your birthday Seto," Mokuba mentioned for the umpteenth time under an hour, his excitement about the matter barely wavering.

Kaiba was still massaging his sore neck. "I can see that. You're even happier about it than I am."

Mokuba's grin turned into a small frown. "How come? Everyone should be happy for their birthday."

"I am happy, just not overly wound up about it like you. Must be because of your higher sugar intake even at so early in the morning," Kaiba chuckled.

"What can you expect? I'm still a growing kid," Mokuba shrugged. "I'll need the energy."

Kaiba rolled his eyes. How many times has he heard his brother use that excuse? "Right. Now, how about some breakfast?"

Mokuba nodded. "I'll go and tell the cook to prepare something for us." And with that, he left the room.

Staring at the closed door for a few seconds, Kaiba stood up and headed towards one of the windows. Pulling aside the curtain, the view of the gardens opened up to him. For a time so late in the year, the greenery was still vibrant, though a few trees were starting to lose their leaves.

Closing his eyes, he heaved a sigh. Today marked his twenty-first birthday, as Mokuba so energetically reminded him, and it was starting to fill him with unease. As today was a reminder of his beginning, it could also very well start his end. No, no one was after his life, but it could be an end nonetheless. An end to his career, an end to the life he got so accustomed to, an end to the future he worked so hard for Mokuba.

The memory of two years ago surfaced into his mind, making him feel worse of what he condemned himself into right now.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"You said you wanted to talk to me about something?" Kaiba asked.

The man in question nodded his head. "I did, Mr. Kaiba. As you may very well remember a few years ago, you seized control of this company from your adoptive father, Gozaburo Kaiba, whether it was against his will or not. Either way, you have given Kaiba Corp. a better reputation than it ever had when it was still in Gozaburo's hands – "

"I thought you're here for something important, just like what you told my secretary," Kaiba interrupted, clearly pissed with the man cutting corners. "If this is what you only wanted to say to me, then I suggest you start leaving my office. I do not need reminding of such insignificant events."

The man again nodded. "Very well. To make the long story short, Mr. Kaiba, your father instructed me before he departed to let the company stay in your possession, lest anything may happen to him. However, he also told me that when the time came when you graduated and has yet to settle down, you will be stripped from your powers over this company and your position will be given to the next highest shareholder."

Kaiba stood up, towering over the expressionless man seated across his desk and glaring at him with such rage and disbelief that the man could have melted right there and then. "What the hell do you mean by 'stripped from my powers'? Did that bastard actually think he can do that to me?"

"Those were your father's very words." The man stated simply.

"I don't believe this."

"These papers might be able to convince you then." the man said, handing some papers to him. Kaiba snatched them from his hands before reading them quickly, his eyes narrowing slowly into dangerous slits as he read.

"The bastard…" Kaiba growled under his breath, barely containing himself. He slammed the papers on his desk before slumping back on his chair. The man, still unnerved, took the papers and stored them away, letting Kaiba comprehend his current dilemma in silence.

His father knew that he'll take over someday, that's why he made up this stupid contract. The elder Kaiba also knew how introverted his adopted son was, which was why he was so sure that Kaiba would never find someone to settle down with, much less raise a family. Gozaburo knew him too well…

Or did he?

Kaiba sat up straight. "Gozaburo told you that I will lose control over Kaiba Corp. if I haven't found someone to settle down with by the time I finish school, am I right?"

"Precisely."

"Then I'm sorry to burst his bubble, but I will be keeping my position here in this company." Kaiba smirked.

Finally he got some reaction from the man's face as his eyebrows rose with surprise. "Oh? So you mean to say that you have plans of marrying someone?"

Kaiba leaned his arms on his desk. "Yes, of course. What did you take me for?"

The man paused for a moment, contemplating, before nodding in agreement. "I bid you congratulations then, Mr. Kaiba. Do you have a date for the wedding in mind?"

It was Kaiba's turn to pause, racking his brains for a good answer. "In two years."

"Excellent. Well, I'll be contacting you by then, Mr. Kaiba. Maybe even help you out with the preparations," the man then stood up, Kaiba following suit. "Now that this problem's fixed, I must bid farewell."

Kaiba took the hand offered and shook it. "Pleasure talking to you, Mr. Hiroshima."

The man nodded, and then walked towards the door. Before exiting though, he turned back to Kaiba. "In two years, Mr. Kaiba. In two years."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

'In two years.' He remembered saying those words exactly two years ago. Now his time has run out.

With another sigh, Kaiba opened his eyes. He turned away from the window and went down for breakfast, a single thought in his mind.

All lies really do come to an end.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

When Seto Kaiba thought of breakfast, a simple cup of coffee came into mind. If he had the time and appetite, it was a piece or two of buttered toast. The most would be a plate of bacon and eggs.

But never this.

Laid out in front of him was a feast of all kinds of breakfast foods that could make even the hungriest man nauseous. Add the fact that most were overflowing with sugar, maple syrup, and other sweeteners. Trust Mokuba to come up with this.

"Er, Mokuba, don't you think this is too… much?" Kaiba asked, eyeing the intimidating stacks of blueberry, strawberry, and chocolate chip pancakes in front of him, all oozing with syrup and whipped cream.

"Don't be silly, Seto. This is just enough for the both of us. Besides, you rarely eat, so might as well indulge yourself today." Mokuba answered, who was busy with a large bowl of frosted cereals himself.

Seeing his brother looking at him curiously, Mokuba took a spoon of his cereals and offered it to him. "Want some?"

Kaiba looked at the spoon in a strange way, before shaking his head. "I'm perfectly contented with my coffee. Thank you anyway, Mokuba."

"Suit yourself then," Mokuba shrugged, eating the offered food himself.

Kaiba just took a sip from his cup when a maid came into the dining room, the cordless phone in hand. "A call for you, sir."

Kaiba nodded, taking the phone from her. "Hello?" he greeted.

Mokuba couldn't hear what the person in the other end was saying, but from the expression on his brother's face, the conversation was definitely not good. They may have been very slight, but Mokuba could see the changes in Seto's face as he talked on the phone. The way his face paled ever so slightly, how his hard eyes faltered a tiny fraction with fear and anxiety, only a brother could have noticed. And it worried him.

When the call ended and Kaiba gave back the phone, the maid bowing and leaving the room, he took a longer drink from his coffee as if to settle his nerves.

"Who was on the phone?" Mokuba asked with concern.

"No one… It wasn't important." Kaiba answered flatly.

"I know something's wrong, Seto, I can see it in your face. Tell me what's wrong."

Kaiba stared at his brother's eyes for a long time before sighing. "Fine. If you really want to know then I'll tell you, but finish off your breakfast first."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"So now you have to find someone and get married? Just like that?" Mokuba concluded after hearing his brother's explanation. Apparently he didn't like it at all.

"You have to understand, Mokuba. I had to lie. If I didn't, we would be living in a far smaller house right now."

Mokuba sighed. "Of course I understand, I'm your brother after all. My only question is: have you found someone to marry yet?"

Kaiba shook his head. "That's the problem. Ever since that day two years ago, I've been trying to find the right person, but no one is up to even a quarter of my standards. Everyone just seemed so… unqualified."

"Well, I'm not letting my brother marry off some complete stranger." Mokuba declared. He then started to think deeply. "Who could be someone fitting enough to be a Kaiba?"

"No one I could think of so far," Kaiba snorted. That earned him a slap on the arm by Mokuba. "Ow, what did you do that for?"

"Don't be so negative, it's your future we're trying to decide here. Besides, I'm still picking who could be my future in-law, so don't complain yet."

"Why are you the one picking? I'm the one getting married here." Kaiba muttered.

But Mokuba didn't seem to hear him as his eyes suddenly brightened and he slapped his fist on his open palm. "I have an idea on who can help us. Just leave it to me."

Fury: Interested? Bored? Skipped half of it and just opted to read this a/n for some reason? Whatever it is, I would love to hear your comments, especially constructive ones.

Now for some spoilers: There would be more action on the next chapter as Kaiba would meet a certain tri-colored guy for the first time. Would it be a good occasion or a disastrous one? We'll also figure out who Mokuba is referring to that can help them with Kaiba's problem. But why is Kaiba not too happy about it?