Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh
warning: Kaiba's heartfelt musings that he can only bear to think of in the middle of the night
This is the companion piece/sequelish thing (since this is later on in the day) of Never so please go and read that.
Please do not flame this idea.
The mansion was completely black by the time Seto got home from work. After the duelist banquet, he had been forced to spend hours catching up on the work that he missed. Usually if he missed a few hours the work piled up was pretty insignificant, but that day it seemed as if every half hour some problem was popping up. Since no worker wanted to call their boss in the middle of a pro duelist banquet, they tried to fix what they could and hoped the rest didn't get them fired later on.
Seto groaned as he quietly put his briefcase on the kitchen table and looked over at the clock which said: 2:20am, he had really wanted to come home early and surprise Mokuba. But as always, his work caused something that could be seen as a failure.
You're always going to disappoint the ones you love. Who had said that? Seto thought back to when that memory had taken place, it was his aunt Hilary who had never been too pleased with her quiet and distant nephew. She had been so happy when she had been nominated for something at her work, but when Seto got there late with the rest of his family (dirtied from walked a few miles to make it there since their car had broken down) she had lashed out. She wouldn't hear of it being the car's fault, she blamed everything that ever went wrong in her life on the sweet little boy who had asked on the way to her ceremony to stop and buy her a bouquet.
He winced a little as he hit his side into the counter, distracted by his own thoughts, his aunt had never been happy with him afterward. She outright refused to adopt him or Mokuba when his parents died. Which didn't even make sense, sure she was angry at him, but what did Mokuba do to deserve being placed in the orphanage?
You're always going to be a disappointment! This idea of kindness and friendship needs to stop! I won't allow my heir to be some weakling, there are no such things as friends in your future boy! Seto instinctively froze in terror at those words. Gozaburo Kaiba used to scream those when he beat the brunette until he passed out. Seto put a hand to his mouth as he leaned against the hallway wall, he wasn't allowed to be weak. Just like he told Yugi, friendship was nothing. He could never admit that, maybe, he wanted some companionship with those losers… no not losers, they were loyal people who saved his brother multiple times.
"Look at yourself." he muttered to himself, "You look pathetic, those friendship freaks are getting to you again. Get a grip. I don't need anyone but Mokuba." He practically forced himself off the wall, no need to look scared. Gozaboro Kaiba was dead and couldn't hurt him.
You're always going to be alone. Mokuba had accidentally said once. He had immediately said besides me of course, but the damage had already been done. Seto knew that as soon as his brother was old enough he would be gone. His excited brother would travel the world, meet new people, con businesses out of everything they had, and so much more. And that made the brunette happy and sad at the same time. He was happy because his brother deserved to be happy and meet the people who could care about him in ways that Seto just could not, and he especially deserved someone who was able to tear themselves away from their work to make him happy! Though it saddened him to think that his baby brother one day be taken from him.
Kaiba calmly walked up the stairs of his foyer. He was too tired to be dealing with those kinds of thoughts, if he tried to process them now he would start bawling from the brain strain probably.
Ya know somethin' Kaiba? Yer always gonna break, when ya let the hammer hit ya glass heart. Wheeler. They had passed each other once and Seto could have sworn he heard that come out of the blond's mouth. What did that mutt know about his heart? He frowned, maybe he had been to hard lashing out at the duelist today. In retribution for all the hours Seto had spent thinking about those words he had just lashed out, taking notice of Wheeler's flinch at 'never' and exploiting it to the fullest.
Seto sighed and as he opened his brother's door. Peeking into the room he almost had a heart attack when he couldn't locate the young teenager.
"Seto?" a tired voice whispered, prompting the CEO to turn around quickly. His brother looked so young in his pajamas with the blanket wrapped around him. The black haired boy rubbed at his eyes, "What time is it?"
"It.. doesn't matter, what are you doing still up?" the brunette asked with worry, his brother had nightmares. Did he wake up in the middle of the night and come to his big brother's room only to find no one there?
Mokuba blinked, "I was waiting up for you in your room." he explained lowly, "I wanted to surprise you. I guess I fell asleep, sorry Seto."
A small smile graced his lips, "I'm the one that should be sorry Mokie, I meant to come home earlier but something caught me at work."
"Oh."
The brunette's heart plummeted, that 'oh' was filled with disappointment and not for the first time Seto wished he could turn back time and make something change. "Come on Mokie, let's go sleep in my room."
"Ok." Mokuba yawned. Seto led the boy to his bedroom quickly, the more sleep his brother got the better. Mokuba climbed into bed, and by the time Seto had him thoroughly tucked in he was barely keeping his eyes open. "Goodnight Seto."
"Goodnight Mokie." the older teen said softly watching his brother finally lose the battle for consciousness.
"I'll always be here for you Mokuba. I hope you know that."
Thank you for reading the companion piece to Never. If you did not read that some things might not have made sense and I advise you to go read the other piece.
Please review and let me know what you think.