"What does he even do for ya, anyways?!"
The question, posed by one Joey Wheeler, seemed innocuous enough when taken out of context. A question of who did something for someone else. But with the context, it was not at all innocent. It was the saying of an enraged duelist looking for a bone to pick with the contender he lost to, and in his own anger, he did not realize that in asking that question he would start a fire that he could not put out.
Joey Wheeler and Seto Kaiba had dueled. Kaiba himself did not remember why he had agreed to duel the imbecile, but he had. Looking back, perhaps he needed some entertainment or a good laugh? Wheeler's strategies were always worthy of laughter. Watching him fume in his defeat was enough for Kaiba, and Mokuba had gone up to congratulate his brother.
"Congratulations, Seto."
"Congratulations aren't necessary, Mokuba. They would be if I had beat a real duelist. But I just beat Wheeler." He said, and began to leave the platform.
"Watch it, Rich Boy!" Joey shouted. "Why the heck do you keep standin' by him, Mokuba? I haven't seen him thank you once for anything you've done for him! What does he even do for ya, anyways?!"
Seto paused. The air around him dropped ten degrees as his stare grew so cold and hard that just looking at him might cause one to become a human popsicle. He turned back to Wheeler, his eyes cold, unforgiving, and yet blazing with anger. The paradox was interesting. Joey, perhaps in stupidity or in pride, did not flinch. Seto was very precise with his words.
"You know nothing about the extent of everything I do for my brother. I am the one who puts a roof over his head, I am the one who puts food in his mouth, I put clothes on his back, and I am the one who makes sure he's healthy."
"There's so much more to it than that!" Joey barked, not unlike the dog Kaiba saw him as.
"There is." Kaiba agreed, and for a moment Joey was stunned by Kaiba agreeing with him that he didn't say anything out of shock, and Kaiba used the silence to continue, knowing it wouldn't last. "I am the one who takes care of his physical needs, but I am the one he relies on. I am the one who took care of him in the orphanage. I am the one who protected him from our Stepfather. I am the one who took care of him after Gozaburo disappeared, and I am the one who raised him by myself. I learned very early on in life to not rely on anyone else to take care of me, but I made sure that he knew that he could depend on me. There is so much that you don't see, Wheeler. I shouldn't be surprised because most dogs don't have good vision. You may have a sister, and you know what the bond between siblings is like, but you never had to raise your sibling as a single parent. Don't talk about something that you know nothing about, Wheeler."
With that remark, and a final cold glare, he exited, leaving Joey speechless for once. Seto led Mokuba inside to a private room, and ended up thinking on his own words, and Wheeler's. There was more to it than just physical needs, that was true. He thought about the emotional needs of his brother. Sometimes, during the deepest hours of the night, when self doubt very occasionally creeped in, he worried that he wasn't doing enough for his brother, emotionally speaking. Sometimes he thought that his stoic demeanor meant that his brother didn't get everything he needed. Physical affection, showing his own emotions, being… unguarded- they didn't come to him naturally. Maybe… Maybe he should try that more for his little brother- in private of course.
And so, after this period of contemplation, he spoke. "Mokuba?"
"Yeah, Seto?"
"Do you remember when we were in the virtual world, and you said you liked how it was before we got here?"
"Yeah."
Seto paused a moment. Then: "Do you still miss it? Me being less… guarded?"
"Sometimes. But other times I can see why you feel the way you do. So… Yes and No. Why?"
Then, his brother surprised him. Seto took him into his lap and wrapped him in a hug, something he only reserved only for when Mokuba had the most distressing of nightmares. Mokuba was shocked, but he sure as hell wasn't about to fight it because he craved this, his brother's affection, more than anything. Mokuba, after getting past his shock, was quick to reciprocate, and hugged him right back, tight as he could. Seto lowered his head into Mokuba's hair, and took in this feeling.
It wasn't bad. It never was for him, just… somewhat uncomfortable for him because affection was rare to him, and as taboo as emotions. But this time it wasn't uncomfortable. This time it was just… natural. And the more he thought about it, the more he realized that perhaps it was because it was he who had initiated it, and not Mokuba. Maybe that internal stiffness was of his own making because he didn't like being touched. But now… now that didn't seem to matter.
Mokuba nuzzled into his brother, happy with the moment. When he felt his brother grow restless, he pulled away, and told him something that he hadn't said before. "Hey Seto?"
"Hmmm?"
"You know, with everything you've done for me, I see you more as a Dad than anyone. You're the one who takes care of me, and you're the one who cares about me the most. You are the only one who I would ever trust that way after everything that happened. So thank you."
Mokuba's words stunned him into silence. But when he processed them, he smiled. "Thank you, Mokuba."
Mokuba's grin was all the thanks he needed.
Some time after that, the two of them were interrupted by a knock at the door. Seto went and opened the door. It was Yugi, and Seto's annoyance, abated by his moments with his brother, returned in full force.
"What do you want, Yugi?"
"Just to tell you that you were correct in what you said. There is much that we do not see. But I see. I have seen the lengths you go to to protect your brother, and how much you have sacrificed for him. Joey may not always understand that because of your demeanor, but I do."
"Is that all?"
"Yes."
"Goodnight, Yugi."
"Goodnight Kaiba."
Kaiba shut the door. He didn't expect an apology from Wheeler, nor did he want one. But somehow, that was enough for him. So he went over to his brother, and spent time with him for the rest of the night, as it should have been.