Written for Round 1 of contest.
Disclaimer: Just for the record, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.
Pairing: Siblingshipping- MokubaxShizuka
Summary: Fear doesn't have to be a bad thing. It doesn't have to be a weakness. As long as you have someone to go through it with you.
A/N: I really like this pairing, so I loved writing this. I hope that you all enjoy reading it!
"Nobody expected the operation to go wrong. I mean, they all assumed that it was getting the money together that would be the hard part. It didn't occur to any of them that maybe the operation wouldn't succeed, maybe my eyesight could not be saved. I was so scared. I was scared that I would never see again, never see my brother again."
The boy sat next to me nodded, as though he understood. He was staring straight ahead, not looking me in the eye, probably because he was so awkward. That helped really. I was pretty awkward too. Of course he was terrified as well. He just didn't want anyone to know that.
"And when it was time to take the bandages off I couldn't. Because I was scared."
Again, he nodded, his black hair falling over his face. He brushed it away with a look of impatience that was so akin to his brother's permanent scowl that I couldn't help but laugh. He glanced at me then, a half smile on his face. He loves to make me laugh. I smiled back, and squeezed his hand. But then he suddenly remembered where we were, and why we were there, and the smile vanished like the sun disappearing behind a cloud. He turned back to the wall, his expression stony. But he kept holding on to my hand as though his life depended on it.
We sat in silence for a few minutes, gazing at that wall with the door in the middle of it, ignoring the bustle around us. I wondered vaguely how long it would take, but I refused to think any further. My heart twisted in fear just to think of what might happen. Not for me, but for him. If something went wrong… But no. I couldn't let myself think of that. I wouldn't.
"How did you find the strength?" I started as the quiet murmur jolted me out of my thoughts. I looked at him; he remained staring at the wall.
"Sorry?" I ask.
"How did you find the strength to take the bandages off? How did you overcome the fear?" His voice was so soft. Above the squeaking of shoes on the polished floors, and the steady buzz of voices I could barely hear him. My heart twisted again. You could never usually describe him as quiet… He loved to talk, and to talk loudly. It was all just part of his exuberant eternally-optimistic nature. Had he really lost that?
"Well…" my voice faltered. I was usually so good at giving comfort. What was it about this boy that looked so lost that made my tongue curl up and the words die in my mouth?
"I suppose it was my… my big brother," I finally answered, quietly. His face was turned away from me, but I could see his shoulders stiffen at the word 'brother', and I winced inwardly. Not wanting to continue, I fell silent, gripping the edge of my plastic seat so hard that my knuckles turned white.
"Why have you stopped?" I looked up in surprise, only to find him still staring at the wall, and the door, fixedly. He sounded like he was talking through gritted teeth. "What did Jou have to do with it?"
I smiled softly as I remembered. Looking down at my lap, I let my brown hair fall in a curtain around my face and replied, "You were there, weren't you? Don't you remember?"
No response, but the grip on my hand tightened.
I sighed, closing my eyes to allow images of that wonderful and yet terrible day flash before my eyes.
"He was so strong, and so protective, that day," my eyes remained closed, and I continued to talk, because the silence stretching out between us was so much worse. "He was a hero; diving into the water to save Yuugi, with no thought for himself. No, check that, he was an idiot," I grin, and my heart leapt in happiness and hope as I heard his weary chuckle in response. "And…"
"And you rescued him," Mokuba finished my sentence for me. I open my eyes in surprise, to find him looking at me. I leant back into the seat, brushed the hair off my face, and smiled at him.
"Yes. Yes, I saved him," I replied. "You do remember, then?"
"How could I forget? It was the first time I'd met you. The first time I realised how…incredibly brave you were. And how beautiful."
As he mumbled this, a rosy blush coloured his cheeks. I blushed in return and tightened my grip on his hand, trying not to grin. It was a reassurance to know that he still felt awkward talking about how he felt about me, even if we were…
As suddenly as my spirits had rose, they sank even further than before. My shoulders began to shake, and tears began to spill down my face. I just couldn't take it. The waiting. Without a word he put an arm around my shoulder in comfort.
My voice shuddering, I whispered, "I'm supposed to be comforting you, not the other way around. It's… it's your brother in there."
His face twisted into an expression of utter pain, but then fell back into that impassive mask almost instantaneously. I looked down at my free hand in despair. He was gone. The boy that I knew was gone.
Until I heard him say quietly and yet clearly, "Seto may be… dying, but I'll always take care of you, no matter what happens, not matter how scared I am."
And with those words I knew that he wasn't gone, and that he'd always been there. I wiped away my tears, and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek.
"Your brother isn't dying," I murmured. "He is going to be fine. And when he comes out of that operation, we'll be waiting for him. Oh, and Mokuba, there's nothing wrong with being scared. As long as we can be scared together."
Although the dark-haired boy next to me didn't actually reply, he did smile slightly. And that was enough for me. So I just leaned my head on his shoulder, and squeezed his hand. And hoped.