Well, here I am, fifteen years after I started on ffdotnet, with the fandom and the ship that started it all! xD This is a story that's been in progress for over a year (!) and I would venture to say that 80% of it is already written. The good news there is that updates will be pretty regular and there won't be any kind of hiatus. I've had so much fun with this one, and I'm so excited to share it with the world. I think I'm finally ready!

Music is an integral part of my writing process and SO many songs have gone into this story, but the title comes from the one that has come to encapsulate the whole thing for me: Passing Afternoon, by Iron and Wine.

This story begins about six years after the original series ended. Seto and the others are is in their early-mid 20s, Mokuba and Serenity are like 19-20. I don't own any of the songs I'll reference (or Yu-Gi-Oh itself, of course!)... but I hope you enjoy! r/r plz. ;)

"Is something the matter, Seto?"

Mokuba looked up at his older brother, unable to hide his concern. Though they saw one another often enough, it was usually either around the house or because he took the initiative to venture up to Seto's top floor office and take up residence in one of the chairs in front of his desk. It was highly unusual that Seto called him from work and ask him to come by.

Something told Mokuba that the news probably wasn't going to be good.

His brother sighed.

"Mokuba, you know how I've always lectured you about being so careful when you do whatever it is that you do with all those girls you go out with on Saturday nights?"

Mokuba nodded, but his mind had already started racing.

Had something happened? Was one of his ex-girlfriends… pregnant? Infected with something? Either way, why on earth would she – whoever she was – call his brother before calling him? Was she going to try to extort them for money or something?

"Seto, I – "

"It's not about you, Mokuba," his brother sighed. "It's… Serenity."

Mokuba's fear quickly transformed into confusion.

"Serenity?" he laughed. "Serenity Wheeler? Seto, you know I'd never do anything with Joey's sister. She's too good of a friend, and also, she's not really my type."

"Again, Mokuba, it's not you. It's Serenity and… me. I just got off the phone, and I think…" Seto paused, and sighed deeply. "I can barely even say it. Okay. I might have gotten Serenity Wheeler pregnant."

Mokuba felt his veins turn to ice. The entire office was so silent that he could hear the knocking of the radiator pipes. His mind replayed his brother's words over and over, but the repetition didn't make them any more logical.

His brother, get someone pregnant?

Get Serenity pregnant?

Of the two Kaiba brothers, Mokuba knew that he certainly came closer to fulfilling the wealthy playboy stereotype. As soon as he reached his late teens and Seto (in spite of his reservations) gifted him with his first car and credit card, he had started doing pretty well for himself where girls were concerned. He wasn't a player, he wouldn't say, but he enjoyed companionship without the constraints of commitment. Each weekend brought a new slew of phone numbers and nights out, some secured with his own charm and some falling into his lap – more or less just perks of bearing the name Kaiba.

Even as he neared twenty-two years old, Seto had never really taken advantage of those types of perks.

Mokuba had begged and pleaded and cajoled for a year at least, but he could never get his brother out from behind his desk long enough to take advantage of being young and rich. As time passed, it became clear that Seto was going to remain the same tightly-wound perfectionist and workaholic he always had been. Eventually Mokuba gave up extending invitations, but it didn't mean he resented his brother or even admired him any less. Of course, he wished Seto would have a bit of fun once in awhile, but there was something nice about feeling like he knew his brother inside and out and always knew what to expect.

However – if this news was anything to go by - he hadn't known Seto quite as well as he thought he had.

Mokuba paused and swallowed.

"How… how did that happen?" he asked.

Seto scowled at him, and Mokuba instantly realized how his question had been interpreted.

"Well, obviously, uh, I know how it happened. But what were the circumstances, I mean? Was it some kind of hook-up, or were you two… seeing each other?"

Seto collapsed into his desk chair and sighed.

"It's complicated, as you might imagine. It was some of both. We had talked a few times, and there had been some… overtures… mostly from her, as you may have guessed. But it was just an accidental, one-time thing."

"Well, you've told me ten thousand times… one time is enough."

Seto sighed and gazed over at his brother.

"Apparently, I was right."

The two sat in silence for a minute. Finally, Mokuba smiled a little.

"I know it's not what you wanted – "

"Not what I wanted? It's the worst possible outcome I could have ever imagined."

"Well, yeah, but I'm just saying, I'm a little impressed. I never thought you would be the one out of the two of us to make this mistake."

Seto laughed humorlessly.

"Surprise."

Mokuba looked thoughtful for a second, but suddenly his face fell.

"Joey's going to kill you!"

"I give you this kind of news, and that's where you mind goes?" Seto demanded. "Joey Wheeler is the least of my worries."

"Well still, you know he's going to be really pissed. He's always been so protective of his baby sister. He wouldn't even let Tristan or Duke near her, and he likes them. He hates you more than anyone. Knowing that the two of you…" Mokuba's voice started to trail off, but he finally added, "well, he's not going to be happy."

"I don't know why it's his business," Seto countered. "Serenity is her own person, and it was… certainly consensual."

Mokuba made a face, but then he started to laugh.

"Good for you, bro. Well, good at the time, I guess. But still - when did this all go down? Where were you? Where was I?"

For what may have been the sixth or seventh time in as many minutes, Seto sighed. But it was the kind of sigh that indicated that he was about to start a story, so Mokuba leaned in.

"It was about a month and a half ago," his brother began. "It started the Friday night that you stayed over at the game shop for Joey's birthday party. Apparently – from what Serenity said – he and Mai got in a terrible fight."

Mokuba laughed.

"Did they ever."

"Well, Mai was so angry she left, and Serenity went with her. Apparently the two of them went downtown and Mai kept drinking."

"That makes sense," Mokuba agreed. "Mai was barely even buzzed at the party, which is really unusual for her. It's also part of the reason she started the fight, I think."

Seto continued as though he hadn't been interrupted.

"Well, as you can imagine, the night went downhill from there. Mai got very drunk and ran into an old friend from school. They all danced for a while, but eventually Mai was getting sloppy, and the friend said that she would take her home. Serenity agreed to that, but it meant that she was going to be out by herself, and she doesn't like to do that. So she called me while she waited for a ride."

"I had no idea you two were that close," Mokuba said. "I mean, obviously. I didn't even know you talked."

"Well, that's another story altogether. I offered to take her back to her apartment that night, but she didn't want to go, because she figured that Joey would be there and he would be mad that she took Mai's side."

Mokuba grinned.

"…and I was still at the game shop."

Seto crossed his arms, looking embarrassed. It was an unusual look for him, and one that very few – perhaps only Mokuba – ever got to witness.

"You can probably assume the rest," he finished. "I dropped her off the next morning before you got back. She and I have only talked once or twice since then, and things have been awkward. She called me the second the test came back positive, though. It's… definitely mine."

"I mean, I'd guess that," Mokuba said. "Serenity really doesn't hook up. Except with you, apparently."

Mokuba grinned, and Seto scowled.

"Please be serious."

"I am!" Mokuba insisted. "I'm as serious about this as I am about anything. This is big news! This is going to change a lot of things. Who has she told?"

"Nobody," Seto said sternly. "Outside of the two of us, you are the only one who knows. So you're not to breathe a word."

"Of course. But it can't stay secret too long. She and Joey live together. He's going to find out sooner or later."