A/N: Dedicated to my Amane: Pipes.
"You know what? Nope. Not doing this. I'll talk to you later. Maybe. Unless you are still a giant ass."
Kaiba sat in his office chair, two days after his disagreement with Amane that had led to her storming out of his house in a huff. It wasn't like he had known her that long, but they had enjoyed her company. It wasn't too often that someone would hang out with him, put up with him, and not incessantly give high-and-mighty friendship speeches. A mostly untouched glass of whisky sat next to him, though the bottle on the floor told a completely different story.
He stared at the spreadsheet in front of him, it was a little blurry, but still legible. Still, he couldn't focus on it if he tried. And right now he wasn't trying. Instead, he was just trying to remember how his usual 'one glass to sleep' had turned into over half a bottle.
"Big brother?" A tentative voice came from the doorway to his study.
"Hmm?" he hummed, acknowledging Mokuba's presence.
"You've been drinking a lot lately, do you want to talk about it?"
"It's nothing important," he replied, blowing off his inner turmoil. Afterall, he wasn't supposed to need friends. He wasn't supposed to hurt because they stopped being around. And he certainly didn't need to get out of the house again.
Anyone who knew him would know it was a defense mechanism.
And Amane obviously didn't know him.
Otherwise, she would have understood. Trust didn't come easily to Seto Kaiba. And he wasn't sure he'd ever be up for trusting again.
But Mokuba did understand. "What happened between you and Amane?" he questioned. "She used to be over almost every night. You were getting better."
Kaiba shrugged. "It doesn't matter. It was a mistake, that's all. A drunk text… a few nights out… they don't mean anything."
It was just random chance anyway. A gamble to placate his younger brother. A failed endeavor.
Mokuba wasn't buying it, but could sense that he wouldn't get through to his brother in this state. "At least let me get you to bed. You aren't going to get any work done like this, and you don't need a worse hangover in the morning."
Seto immediately felt guilty. Mokuba shouldn't have to see him drunk like this. Shouldn't have to work to get him to bed. Shouldn't have to put up with him hogging the bathroom as he tossed his cookies in the morning. He nodded glumly. "You're right Mokuba," he returned sincerely. "I'm sorry for worrying you."
And so he picked up the bottle and put it back on the shelf where it belonged. He may have stumbled a bit, but he was functional on his own, for which he was grateful.
Leaving the study, he turned to his little brother and added a quiet, "Thank you," before turning to his own room and shutting the door.
Mokuba shook his head sadly at his brother's back, but said nothing. It was all he could do for now.
