Title: Five Hundred, 25 Thousand, Six Hundred Minutes
Summary: She had counted them. All the minutes that he had her. And now it was over. All over. MENTIONS OF CHARACTER DEATH!
Disclaimer: I do not on Yu-Gi-Oh! I'm only borrowing the characters.
A/N: BTW – it mention Yugi 'sleeping over' with his sister. It means that he is provided comfort, not sleeping with her. That's not my thing. He's just being the loving brother he is.
2nd A/N: NO FLAMES! Not Accepted!
It was turning colder outside now, as October came to a close. It would start snowing soon as winter and Christmas came nearer. Soon Kaiba Corp would be releasing a new game, just in time for Christmas. But it would be without their mighty and fearless CEO. It would be without Seto Kaiba.
Ayali Muto-Kaiba hadn't meant for it to happen. As she wrapped her arms around herself, she rested back against the wall and slid down it until she sat on the floor. Her world was over. Everything they had was over. He was gone. Never to return. Married one year. 12 months. 52 weeks. 365 days. Five hundred, 25 thousand, Six hundred minutes. She had counted them. All the minutes he had with her. And now it was over. All over. She had lost the love of her life. He had gone somewhere she couldn't follow.
"Ayali?" She raised her usually bright grey eyes to meet eyes that matched the pair she had lost, "they did their best. They tried everything. There was nothing they could do. He didn't want to leave you. He wasn't like that." Téa Gardner had never gotten along with Ayali, she had always been jealous of her.
"I know Téa, thank-you." Ayali said quietly, trying to subtly ask the brunette to leave her alone.
"Téa? Why don't we give Aya some peace?" A voice said, Ayali sent a relieved and thankful smile to Duke Devlin as he carefully led his girlfriend away from the tearful blonde woman.
"Aya…are you ok?" A soft child-like voice asked. Ayali looked to where the person slid down the wall beside her.
"I will be, Yugi. Thanks. How's Mokie?" She asked.
"He's still really upset. Joey and Tristan are trying to calm him down. When I left he was clinging to Joey like a monkey." Yugi said.
"Like he did to Seto." She nodded slowly, Mokuba now needed them more than ever. Even if Seto hadn't liked it, Mokuba needed his family. And Ayali, Yugi, Tristan, Joey, Serenity, Duke, Bakura and Téa were all part of that family now.
"Seto loved you Aya. He loved Mokuba. He didn't want to leave you behind. In fact I don't think that Seto loved anyone as much as he loved you and Mokie. Not even his company compared to the both of you." Yugi said, settling down next to her. Ayali gave him a small, tired, watery smile. She refused to believe that she meant more to Seto than his company had. But she knew it was true.
"Yugi…can I tell you something? You have to promise me that you won't tell anyone else." Ayali asked.
"Of course. You can tell me anything, Sis." He gave her a grin, it was a little strained but he managed to make her laugh softly.
"Seto said to me…that…when he…was gone…he wanted me to…carry on and…find love again. Give Mokuba…someone to look up to again." Ayali said, sniffling as his words came back to her.
"Oh, well I understand that. I mean Seto wouldn't want either of you to grieve for the rest of your lives. You can grieve for him right now…but I know he'd want you to find love once more. Seto doesn't want you alone." Yugi said. Ayali nodded, she knew whom she would choose she'd had feelings for him for a long time – but the feelings she had for Seto were fiercer and stronger.
"There's something else. I'm pregnant, Yugi. And I don't want to go through this alone. I'll be at the mansion with Mokie, until we can settle into life without the constant typing in that insane office of his." Ayali said. Yugi got to his feet and stared down at her.
"Wait…how are you pregnant? How far along are you?" Yugi asked a little shocked.
"About 6 months." She replied.
"But Seto was in hospital for 8!? How did you manage that?" He asked.
"When we found out that Seto would be going into hospital we asked to have his sperm frozen. That way I could have a child to him no matter what happened." Ayali said quietly.
"Oh ok…but what about your next lover? Won't he be a little put out that you had a child to Seto just after he died?" Yugi asked,
"Why should he? It's my choice. Seto is my husband Yugi. It was our choice to have a child. Seto wanted children. Always did. And he wanted to be there for them. Wanted to be there for Mokuba. Wanted to right all the wrongs in the world." Ayali told him.
"I get it and I must say I'm a little shocked to hear you're pregnant. But I'm happy for you. It's a blessing to have created such a precious little person. Have you and Seto discussed names?" Yugi asked.
"Yes we said if it was boy he would be Kiyoshi – after Dad. And if it's a girl she'd be Sakura. For cousin Sakura." Yugi nodded, they were beautiful names for children.
"Aya…I want to help you. I will help in any way I can. If I have to babysit when you start to date again, I will. If I have to sleep by your side every night so you can sleep well, I'll do it. We shared a bed as kids. I'll do all I can to help you through this." Yugi promised. Ayali had to smile. Her brother had always been her rock. Ayali got to her feet slowly and glanced at the bed, the white sheet that was laid carefully across Seto's body cut through her heart. He didn't deserve to be covered like that. But she didn't think she could deal with seeing his pale face and closed eyes, never to open again. As she exited the room she paused in the hallway to reflect on the moments in her life that she loved…
Flashback
She was dressed in her favourite red knee-length dress and her brand new black heels, bought for her by Seto, and she was chewing her bottom lip, trying to see if her hair looked better up or down.
"You're going out with him again aren't you?" Yugi asked, pausing at Ayali's door as she finished pulling her hair up.
She turned to him with a slight frown, "Yes, Yugi. Why? Is there a problem?" He shook his head slowly and stepped into her room.
"No. I just hope he's treating you like you deserve." He said, she laughed.
"Seto would never treat me badly. Joey and Tristan have already given him 'the talk' and I suppose that Mokuba has told him not to hurt me either." She told him with a smile.
"Sometimes I wish I was taller, simply so I could be a bit more intimidating to him." Yugi said dropping his chin to his chest.
"You'd never be intimidating to Seto. You're too cute." Ayali said, lifting his chin and dropping a kiss to his cheek, "see you late, Yugi. Don't wait up." She gave him a cheeky smile, blew him another kiss and then went downstairs to join Seto in the shop front for their date. Yugi knew he was taking her out to dinner and he wasn't sure what else they were going to do. Probably go back to Seto's mansion and watch movies on TV or – and Yugi thought this was more likely for how Ayali was dressed – slow dance in his office to some slow ballad.
FLASH
"What would you like to know?" He asked resting his hands on her hips as she sat on his desk's edge in his home office.
"Well, whatever you'd like to tell me." She said.
"Ok…well…I'm addicted to blueberries." He told her.
"Blueberries?" She frowned.
"Yeah. Whenever they come into season I ask for them to buy hundreds of them. I can't get enough." He said.
"You'll be so full of antioxidants, you'll be so healthy. And you might also turn blue." She teased.
"Maybe. What else can I tell you…I'm actually very ticklish? Particularly the soles of my feet…perhaps I shouldn't have told you that…uh…I sometimes dream in black and white." He said, she smiled at him.
"Oh, like a silent movie?" She asked.
"Yeah. Like a silent movie. I love the Harry Potter books. I have a secret stash…it's not so secret anymore…of Marvel Comics. I particularly enjoy the ones about The Silver Surfer." He said, pulling her off his desk and into his lap.
"Norin Radd? Really?" She asked.
"You know it?" He frowned, she was hardly a comic book buff.
"Know it? It was one Yugi's favourites." She said.
"I have always loved the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. My favourite was Leonardo." He told her.
"My goodness! You're a closet geek!" She gasped.
"Does that worry you?" He asked.
"No, I think it's adorable." She said, Seto gripped her hips and tipped her over the edge of his lap, their faces inches apart.
"You may be surprised that my favourite movie is The Notebook." He whispered.
"Oh, and a romantic!" She giggled. He chuckled in response and dropped a kiss to her mouth.
FLASH
"I love you, Ayali." He whispered, as he held her close to his chest.
"I love you too, Seto." She replied, running her long fingers in the hair at the back of his neck.
"Even if I was sick?" He asked, softly.
"Especially if you were sick." She sighed.
"Really?" He asked.
"Yes. Why? What's brought this on?" She asked taking a step back from their embrace.
"I recently found some of my birth families records." He said tentatively.
"Oh?" She quirked an eyebrow.
"Yeah, and it turns out there's a history of heart disease in my family but there's something else." He said slowly.
"Seto, whatever it is, we'll face it together," She said.
"I went to the doctor to see if I was at risk of heart disease, I'm not but…" He trailed off, unsure if this was really the right time.
"But, Seto, you know I don't like buts." She told him.
"I have the beginning stages of Osteosarcoma." He said.
"Osteosarcoma? What's that?" She frowned.
"It's bone cancer." He said finally after a pause.
"Bone cancer?! But S-Seto…" She stuttered, unable to comprehend that this strong, young, healthy man in front of her had something so devastating.
"I know. I know. Come here." He pulled her into his chest and held her as the news hit her and brought tears to her eyes. She sobbed into his chest holding him tightly.
"I can't lose you Seto. Mokuba can't lose you." She whispered.
"I know. I start treatment next week. Hopefully I can beat this." Seto replied softly. Ayali slowly pulled back from his embrace as the tear slowed.
"Does Mokuba know?"
"Not yet. I don't want to upset him. Stress him out."
"Seto, if you don't tell him – when he finds out you're losing your hair and you're looking paler and sicker every day he'll be even more annoyed you didn't tell him about it." She said firmly…
FLASH
"Ayali!" She looked up sharply at her name, the blond she had always seen as another brother was jogging down the corridor to her.
"Joey?" She replied, seeing the distress on his face.
"It's Mokuba. He's having some kind of panic attack." Joey said. Ayali gripped Joey's hand tightly.
"Show me." She said, Joey led her down the corridor to the private waiting room where Mokuba knelt on the floor, hyperventilating and no hearing Yugi, Téa, Tristan or Duke's words trying to calm him down.
"Mokie, Mokie look at me." Ayali said kneeling down, Cobalt eyes met her honey ones, "you're ok. Just listen to my voice and breathe. That's it…in and out." Mokuba took several deep breaths and eventually calmed down. He was still shaking slightly but he allowed Ayali to pull him into an embrace.
"Seto Kaiba was never the type of man to let many people get to know him very well. Or at all. Seto was the type of man who would work all night if he had to just to be able to spend the day with his family or friends. He was the kind of man to drink countless amounts of coffee all day and still complain of being exhausted. And he loved his boiled sweets.
"I had the privilege to meet him when we were 12 years old. We met at Gala, and he taught me all he knew about Duel Monsters, a children's card game that I couldn't grasp. But he loved me all the same. He told his father quite proudly that night that I was the girl he wanted to marry one day. We were 12! Just a couple of kids who had met by chance and became instant friends.
"Of course his father wasn't too rapt in that idea. But Seto was adamant. I was going to be his wife and we'd have a family. Unfortunately we lost him far too soon. Seto may not have lived long but in 20 short years he made up for that with his fire and determination. Seto would do everything in his power to look after the ones he loved. His little brother, Mokuba, was everything to Seto. If anything happened to Mokuba, Seto hurt too. I was second only to Mokuba. And I knew that when I met him. And it didn't bother me, because I knew that Mokuba knew more of Seto than I could possibly hope to know.
"I had the privilege of seeing Seto from the point-of-view of a lover. To see the kind, compassionate, loving, fiercely protective and tender man he was behind closed doors. Seto was all these things in public too, but he hid them well. The Seto Kaiba that the public saw was cold, calculated and callous, but that was his brilliant, business façade. The façade he needed to be not seen as weak in the public eye. However, the Seto Kaiba I knew, was well respected by his peers and feared but also revered by his colleagues, employees and business rivals.
"Seto, my best friend, my confidant, my lover, my husband…my Dragon," The audience chuckled at this, "I love you more than life itself. I know you didn't want to leave Mokuba or myself…we love you so much. Godspeed and we'll see you again one day. Heaven has another angel." There was scattered applause as Ayali stepped down to sit down between Mokuba and Yugi. Joey sat next to Yugi and he had offered to stand up there with her in case she couldn't finish it. But she had gotten through it well. The service was short and sweet – in fact the longest part was Ayali's Eulogy.
As a song started to play Joey, Tristan, Duke and three of Seto's employees lifted the coffin onto their shoulders to carry it out. Mokuba and Ayali led them out of the church. Seto would have hated a lot of fanfare. But then it wouldn't be Seto if it wasn't a big deal. He liked big events he just didn't want his funeral to be big. Mokuba cried quietly into Ayali's torso as they watched Seto's coffin lowered into the ground. Yugi stood next to Ayali, his hand on her arm giving her silent support. Ayali knew that Seto was in a better place, she said he was no longer suffering and really that was all that mattered. She had her memories and so did Mokuba. For now, they would do.
"Get that camera away from me! I'm warning you Aya! You know I hate being filmed! Get that away from me!" Seto ran from the camera but Ayali followed, laughing he tried to hide behind Mokuba who dodged his brother and ran to Ayali. She laughed at Seto's pout.
"Traitor!" He said, sulkily at Mokuba, who giggled, before Seto suddenly grabbed the boy and hoisted him up into the air and onto Seto's shoulders. Mokuba was a little too old for that but Seto didn't care. Mokuba was still his baby brother and Seto loved him dearly. Ayali was laughing as she followed the laughing pair over the beach. It was then that the camera turned away from them to look over the sand castle Seto had helped build.
"And this is Seto's very detailed scale version of Kaiba Land. Just like the one I'm told he made once at the orphanage." Her voice said. Then the camera gave a sharp jerk as if it had been dropped and it settled in the sand for a moment then it was picked up and turned to show Seto grabbing hold on Ayali and tossing her over his shoulder.
"No! Seto! Put me down!" he gave her an evil sort of grin then tossed her into the waist–high waves. After she came up she tackled Seto into the water as well, both came up laughing and next minute Seto had pulled Ayali into a salty, sea-watery kiss. Mokuba made a noise behind the camera like it disgusted him.
Ayali knew he liked seeing Seto smile again. Seto had stopped smiling after they were adopted. He'd also stopped calling him Mokie then too. Sometimes – before Ayali – Mokuba had wished they were still at the orphanage. So that Seto would still smile and still call him Mokie. When Ayali joined them it all changed.
FLASHBACK
"Mokie! Are you home?" Mokuba looked up at the familiar nickname, he got up from his desk in his room and rushed out to the staircase. At the base Seto stood there a broad smile on his face.
"Seto! You're home!" Mokuba rushed down the stairs and launched himself at his big brother. Most of this exuberance had to do with that fact his brother was smiling! Seto laughed as Mokuba latched onto him like a monkey. But it was the tinkering laughter that drew Mokuba's attention then.
"Seto? Who's this?" Mokuba asked.
"Oh, Mokie, this is Ayali Muto. Aya this is my brother Mokuba." Seto said.
She smiled widely, "I remember. I sang him to sleep when I was 12. He'd had a nightmare and he thought there was a monster under his bed." Mokuba suddenly realized he had met her before. He'd been about to turn 6 but still replied on his brother for nightmares and monsters under the bed.
END FLASHBACK
After that day Seto had started smiling again. Mokuba's old nickname had returned and the atmosphere in the mansion had changed. It was not as cold. When Ayali moved in after the pair got engaged the atmosphere changed again. It was happier. And Seto was always smiling and Mokuba always had someone to talk to and play video games with. It was perfect.
For the first few years.
Then Seto got sick.
That was the same year he proposed to Ayali. It was a further year later the Ayali and Seto got married. It was the one day that Mokuba remember when his brother didn't work. Not at all. Ayali and Seto had stolen away from their party at 11:30 and Mokuba hadn't seen them til noon the next day. Ayali had explained to Mokuba that Seto had been very tired so they'd decided to retire early. The reason for not appearing til noon was that they had just gotten married. Mokuba knew the mechanics of a 'wedding night'. He didn't need to hear it again.
When Seto had told Mokuba that he was sick – that first year – Mokuba had shut himself in his room and cried. The only person he spoke to was Ayali. She listened to his worries and didn't judge him. She didn't offer a condescending tone when spoke to him. She offered a soft, comforting tone and she told him that no matter what happened he had to remember that Seto loved him very much and so did she.
Three months after Seto's death, on January 12th at 1:45 in the afternoon, Yugi got a call to Domino City Hospital. Ayali was in the early stages of labour. Yugi called Mokuba's school and told them so that Mokuba could be pulled out by Joey and Tristan and being taken to the hospital, told his sister was in labour. He was going to be an uncle to one very special and very privileged little boy.
Yugi arrived before them.
He could hear her sobs in between her contractions. The one person she needed in there with her, wasn't there. Yugi really felt for his sister. The only person allowed in the room with her would've been the father of the child. But it her son came out with brown hair and ended up with ice-blue eyes – then they would know Yugi wasn't the father. But she was strong he knew she'd get through it. He had offered to help in any way he could and he would. He would love and adore his nephew; he'd be a father figure until Ayali found it within herself to love again. But he listened to her screams he thought back on what she'd told him and he knew what she was going to do when she named her and Kaiba's son.
Kiyoshi Seto Kaiba.
Named after her father and her lover. She could get through this. Yugi knew that in spirit Seto was right there with her. Beside her, telling her she could do this, for them. Mokuba had text Yugi and asked him if he'd missed it. Yugi assured him he hadn't. That he had plenty of time.
He sat outside, his friends arriving not long after. Mokuba curled up next to Yugi. Tristan, Joey and Téa along with Duke, Serenity and Bakura, all sat around. Joey sat next to Mokuba, telling the kid that if anyone could make it through delivering a child of Seto Kaiba's it was Ayali. A small watery chuckle was his answer. Mokuba smiled at Joey. Mokuba knew Joey was trying to lighten the mood. And he appreciated that, he just didn't know how to put that into words. Since Seto's death Mokuba had felt alone, despite having Ayali living at the mansion and Yugi around more often than not, he still felt like he was missing something. And maybe that was the incessant click of typing coming from Seto's home office. It just wasn't the same without his brother. Mokuba missed his brother, he didn't know life without Seto and it was hard to try and get used to it.
When Mokuba, Joey, Yugi and the other were allowed into Ayali's room, Yugi noticed immediately that she had been crying. But she was smiling as well. Happy tears. She was obviously totally in love with tiny blue bundle in her arms. And Yugi was willing to bet that if Seto was still with them he would be as well. As most first time parents would be besotted with their child. Either that or he would be recovering from fainting in the delivery room.
"Come and say hello to your nephew, Mokie. Kiyoshi Seto Kaiba." Ayali said, she gently handed the child to the teenager who stared down at the little pink face and almost cried himself. The child had a small tuft of dark hair on his head and his eyes were the clearest of ice blue. He even had Seto's nose!
"He looks just like him!" Mokuba said, Ayali smiled at him and nodded.
"Yeah. He'll be just like his father." Ayali said.
"Well at least for his later years but let's hope he's not like Seto was before you came along." Joey joked.
"Cold and unfeeling? My son will be raised in a loving and caring environment. He won't know what cold and unfeeling means." She stated matter-of-factly. Mokuba carefully let Yugi take the child form his arms. The young man looked down into the small face and smiled when the eyes settled on him. The child let out a sound like a laugh and coughed slightly but wriggled to get comfortable then closed his eyes again and fell asleep. Ayali giggled.
"Looks like you've got the touch Yugi. He feels so secure and safe in your arms that he feels that he can sleep there," she said, "he takes a while to fall asleep with me." Ayali grinned and took the child back from her brother.
"Aya, Seto loves him as well. He knows you'll raise him like he would have liked to. Know that. He loved Kiyoshi before he was born, you remember right?" Yugi said, Ayali remembered.
"Seto?" Ayali had arrived at his office at Kaiba Tower.
"Aya, what's wrong?" He asked, seeing her worried face.
"Nothing. I have something to tell you." She said.
"Ok." He nodded slowly.
"It's kind of big news…I'm not sure how you'll take it." She said a little nervous. Biting her bottom lip.
"Try me. I'm much more open minded now after dating you and getting to know Yugi." He told her with a smile.
"I'm pregnant." She announced. Seto pale slightly but then his lit up with a smile and her grabbed her to him.
"I'm going to be a dad?" He asked, she nodded. He pulled her to him and she welcomed the kiss he gifted to her.
But when they were told he had to go into hospital their happiness dimmed a bit and Seto knew he'd never see his son born, let along grow up to take over Kaiba Corp. And Ayali had only ever wished for that.
Two Years Later
Mokuba looked over the breakfast table at Ayali. She hadn't dated since Kiyoshi's birth. She'd spoken to lots of guys but once they found out she was a mother, they were gone. No one stuck around because no one wanted to date or marry someone who already had a child.
No one cared she was Seto Kaiba's widow. Because that meant she had money. But Mokuba suspected that it wasn't Kiyoshi that scared them away it was the fact that they wouldn't get a much out of her if they had to share it with a child. What they didn't know was that most of Seto's estate was left to Mokuba. Mokuba had signed it over to Ayali and Kiyoshi but Seto's had kept forgetting to change his will so everything legally went to Mokuba. But he changed it to Ayali and Kiyoshi.
Ayali had agreed that Mokuba took over Kaiba Corp with Ayali as his head advisor. He ruled in name and Ayali helped him make all the decisions. But there one he could help her with.
"Aya?" Mokuba asked.
"Yeah?" She replied not looking up from the paper.
"Why haven't you chased Joey yet?" He asked.
"Joey?" She asked perplexed, still not looking up from her paper.
"Wheeler? The guy you had a crush on before you married Seto?" Ayali nearly chocked on her coffee.
"Joey?! Mokuba, Joey wouldn't want me anyway. I'm damaged goods." Ayali said.
"Joey loves you Aya. He always has, you know that. He told you so the day of your wedding to Seto!" Mokuba pointed out. Ayali remembered, Joey had spoken to her before going out to stand with Seto as his best man, he'd told her that he loved her and always would. Ayali had told him she was flattered but of course she loved Seto. Joey was heartbroken but understood, he was so gracious to play his part. To smile at Seto and pat him on the back once they were presented to the crowd as Mr and Mrs Seto Kaiba, to make his speech at the reception. It was amazing how after years of fighting at school that Seto and Joey could be such good friends.
"I guess he did…but Mokie…"
"No, don't 'but Mokie' me. He loves you and I know for a fact you still have feelings for him. Why else would you date all those blondes as well as the brunettes?" Mokuba had noticed that it had been an even split. He had also noticed that the brunettes had blue eyes and the blondes had brown eyes. But none of them were around for long. He knew if she broke up with them then it was because they weren't Seto or Joey. It was the fact that she was comparing them to the two men she had loved her whole life. She would never get anywhere doing that!
"Just talk to him. Please? I'm sure Yoshi would love him." Mokuba said.
"Yoshi loves anyone who plays with him." Ayali said, "But alright. I'll talk to him."
Joey agreed to go out with her. Joey had loved her forever and he was happy she had decided to date again. This date was different because Joey was different.
"You know, Aya, I don't care that you were married to Seto Kaiba or that you're his widow now. I know Mokuba signed Kaiba's estate to you and Yoshi. But I don't care. And I adore Yoshi. He's the cutest thing." Joey said seriously.
"You know, whenever I mention Yoshi or the fact that the estate is shared between myself and my son, the men usually run scared." Ayali told him with a smile.
"Well you know that I know your son anyway. And that I would never date someone because they're filthy rich. If Seto had a sister, and she was lovely as he turned out to be – then maybe I might have asked her out, because of her personality, not because of her brother's riches. I think that is why I got on so well with him after he dropped the icy exterior." Joey said with a grin. Ayali smiled as well, Seto hadn't been kind to Joey at High School but somehow her influence made Seto…better. He wasn't mean. He didn't pick on Joey. He stopped calling them the 'geek squad' they became his friends. In fact he even asked them all (except Téa) for their cell numbers. Joey and Tristan had been the most surprised.
The only reason that Seto didn't ask for Téa's phone numbers is the last thing he needed was to hear her sprout friendship speeches every other time he had to call her. Most of the time he would call Yugi or Joey.
What shocked Joey the most was every month if they hadn't seen Seto he'd call him and Yugi to 'check in'. Even if they saw Mokuba or Ayali, Seto still made sure to 'check in' with them. It was a little strange but those months were not often. Usually they'd see him once a week. It was slowly going to form the friendships he had with them when he died. But Joey wouldn't have had it any other way. One thing didn't change.
"You know there is something I do miss." Joey said, Ayali raised one elegant eyebrow.
"What's that, Mutt?" She teased.
"There it is. That is the one thing I'm going to miss, Moneybags." He said. Ayali laughed, a loud clear laugh. At least Joey could still make her smile.
You look so perfect standing there
In my American Apparel underwear
And I know now, that I'm so down
I made a mixtape straight out of '94
I've got your ripped skinny jeans lying on the floor
And I know now, that I'm so down
Joey jumped when his phone began to sing to him. Surprisingly Seto had given all of them (except Téa) new phones for Christmas. Tristan, Joey, Yugi, Mokuba, Ayali, Duke, Serenity and Bakura all got brand new iPhones for Christmas two years before he died. They weren't the newest ones out (only Ayali and Mokuba got those), but still an iPhone each was pretty amazing. Joey had chosen ringtones for all of them as well as taking a photo of each for caller ID. Ayali's picture appeared on his screen.
"You're go for Wheeler." He said earning a giggle from the other end.
"Hi Joey. I need to talk to you. It's kind of important." Ayali said. Joey agreed to meet her at the park and Mokuba was babysitting Kiyoshi.
He spotted her before she saw him. She was on the phone to someone. As he got closer he could hear what she was saying.
"No I don't care about your stupid excuses. Excuses don't get work done! Get it done yesterday!" She snapped at the person on the other end and Joey was suddenly reminded of one afternoon when he'd gone to Seto's office in Kaiba Tower to deliver an invite to Yugi's 18th birthday party.
"I don't care! I tell you to do something I expect it to be done! Not when you feel like it! I want it done yesterday!" Seto yelled into the ear piece as he beckoned Joey into his office. The tinny sound of a reply mad Seto's anger increase tenfold.
"No! I tell you to do something you do it! If that report is not on my desk by this afternoon you're fired! You can quit if you like but just you'll have to explain to your wife why your house is about to be foreclosed upon!" Joey cringed, Seto was seriously pissed at his employee, he pressed the disconnect button on the ear piece and turned to Joey.
"Sorry about that, Joey, what can I do for you?" Seto asked.
"Uh, an invite. For you to Yugi's 18th birthday party. It's in three weeks." Joey replied handing the invite to CEO. Seto smiled and unfolded the invite.
"You can tell him I'll be there. No problem." Seto said with a smile.
"Uh, Aya?" She spun around to face him and smiled she held up a finger as the person on the other end of her call answered her.
"This afternoon, Miko. He wants it this afternoon. Master Kaiba isn't one that likes to be kept waiting! Just get it done!" She hung up her phone, "Sorry Joey. Seto used to complain about morons and idiots and sycophants. I didn't believe him. But now Mokuba complains about them." She sighed and sat down.
"Well at least they're brothers. What did you want to talk about?" he asked, it was odd for her to just want to talk to him, usually it was a phone call asking him to go with her on a date.
"Well…it gets kind of lonely when Mokuba is working late and Yugi hasn't had the chance to sleep over – so I want you to move in." Joey jaw hit the ground, move in? To Kaiba Mansion? Was she insane?
"Uh…yeah ok." What are you thinking?! Joey's mind screamed, are you crazy?! It screamed. Yeah, thought Joey, crazy in love with her.
Joey looked around at the mansion he would call home, he felt a sense of foreboding, wasn't it a little weird to know that he would be sleeping in the same bed that Seto Kaiba had once slept in? Wouldn't Ayali feel a little guilty to be sleeping beside another man? But then, he thought, if Kaiba had told her to remarry and find love again he wouldn't have minded so much. Kaiba obviously knew that Ayali was a very loving person and would eventually open her heart to another. And she had.
Joey just hadn't thought it's be him. He'd thought maybe Tristan or maybe even Bakura. But she'd told him that he was her next love. Seto had been her first and her only for a long time. But now, it was Joey. He'd been there by her side when she had bad days. When Kiyoshi called him and told him that 'Mommy was sad'. Joey would be there by her side, telling her that it was ok to cry because Seto had meant so much to her, that it was natural for her to cry. That her tears were not a sin. That he was right there for her. Joey had become her rock. Her support system after Yugi. And it made perfect sense to her that her new lover would also be her best friend. She'd had a best friend in Seto, and she had one in Mokuba, but now it was Joey. Her first best friend.
"Are you sure you're ok with this Joey?" Ayali asked. He looked at her and nodded, despite the biting nerves and worry that ate away at his insides.
"Yeah. I'm just a little nervous that's all. I mean…before you I had never stepped foot inside this house and then suddenly I was invited to Mokuba's birthdays, Seto's birthdays – which he never celebrated before you – and your parties as well. You managed something that no one else had managed to do. You melted the heart of the coldest man to have lived. No one else had managed to ever crack the ice." Joey said wrapping an arm around her and pulling her into a hug. It was the beginning of something beautiful, something he was ready to jump feet first into. As long as Ayali was by his side.
One year later
Joey pulled her closer. He placed a soft kiss to her mouth as he swayed from side to side. The music playing on the radio had made her heart hurt. It was their song. The song Seto and she had danced to at their wedding.
Five hundred, twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
Five hundred, Twenty-five thousand
Moments so dear
Five hundred, Twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure-measure a year?
In daylights- in sunsets
In midnights- in cups of coffee
In inches- in miles
In laughter- in strife
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure a year in the life
How about love
How about love
How about love
Measure in love
Seasons of love
Seasons of love
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Journeys to plan
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure the life
Of a woman or a man
In truth that she learns
Or in times that he cried
In bridges he burned
Or the way that she dies
Its time now to sing out
Though the story never ends
Let's celebrate
Remember a year in the life of friends
Remember the love
Remember the love
Remember the love
Measure in love
Seasons of love
Seasons of love
"It's ok, Aya. It's ok." Joey whispered pressing kisses to her neck. Ayali let Joey pamper her with kisses. She felt herself relax. Joey was a gentle lover. He worshipped her. He looked after her. Took care of her. He loved her beyond rhyme or reason. And Ayali couldn't ask for anything else. She hoped that she got spend another five hundred, 25 thousand, six hundred minutes with Joey Wheeler, her new wish.
I'm not sure I'm happy with how it ended. But I had to end it somewhere right? Anyway that's it! Good family fun.