Slender fingers lightly wrap around the white porcelain mug, lazy tendrils of smoke drift up from the amber liquid. He takes a sip, and idly I wonder if his lips taste of the bittersweet liquid he enjoys so much. I suppose they do, it would certainly suit him. He gives a forlorn look to the drink cupped in his hands, that perfect stoic mask slipping away, for just a brief moment, revealing the picture of loneliness beneath. What kind of life have you led, Kaiba? A mother gone before her time and a harsh, unforgiving dictator for an adoptive father that has led you to drive away those you care about. Even your brother, the one you devoted yourself to protecting, driven away by your self-centered tendencies and your harsh words. Has it been worth it, Kaiba-boy? Is becoming the world's greatest Duel Monsters player and running your company really so important, that you would all but push away those that care about you? There is real emotion hidden away in those crystal blue eyes of yours; too often they are as cold and harsh as the Blue Eyes White Dragon you cherish so much.
He gives a bored glance to the crimson liquid in his glass, idly swishing it about, as if it would make it more entertaining. From between strands of silvery hair I catch a glimpse of molten gold, the all-knowing Millennium Eye that has won many a duel due to its mind reading ability. Those silvery strands are brushed away, and I see a mixture of emotions flicker across his pale face. The carefully held mask of optimism and cheer falls away, revealing a serious, contemplative expression. What kind of life have you led, Pegasus? A wife, deceased before the prime of her life, and a never-ending, selfish drive to bring her back that led you to endanger the lives of innocent people, all for your chance at happiness. Is she worth it, Pegasus? Are your well-meant intentions really worth the trouble you have gone through, simply to secure a second chance at so-called happiness? There is a troubled, broken man hidden away behind that eccentric persona; perhaps the laughter is only a way to hide the sorrow.
I approach, and the dark haired boy nearly recoils at my approach, holding tight to his mug, lest it slip from his grasp, as so many other things have done. The stoic mask is absent, and I see not the man who has created an empire of Duel Monsters, but the boy who merely wants to protect his brother and earn the love of his adoptive father. I cannot help but be pained at the sight of this fragile boy, yet I treasure it as well. Who has seen this rare side of invulnerability of the infamous Seto Kaiba? Who has gazed upon that handsome face and seen the lines of worry crease his brow, the flicker of uncertainty, of puzzlement, in those abysmal blue eyes? He tenses as I sit next to him, the two of us seated on the steps of KaibaCorp, the company that has been the cause of so much. I see the subtle quiver of his hands, as if warring against the voices that tell him to put the mask back in place, to toss harsh remarks, to move away from me as if the fate of his brother depended on it.
Carefully he reaches out and takes my hands in his own, and the quivering stops, the tension returning full force, then slowly ebbing away. He says my name, my real name, Seto, not the 'Kaiba-boy' I have become accustomed to hearing from him accompanied by that sardonic laugh. The word is spoken with a reverence I have not heard him use even when discussing his deceased wife. This startles me, and for a moment I wonder whether the flirting I thought was merely playful and aggravating really had a deeper meaning. Have you been trying to reach out to me in your own strange way, Pegasus? He regards me with a light smile that does not reach his eyes; the solitary chestnut orb is filled with a sort of hopeless concern. It strikes me suddenly: how many times have I pushed him away, for him to always be there waiting for me?