Doctor's Note: This series of one- and two-shots will center around the Kaiba brothers and the cast of Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters in their efforts to regain normalcy after the trying, even traumatic events of Duelist Kingdom. Reviews and constructive criticism are welcome. Thank you. :) - Dr. Mini Pie
Duelist Kingdom was over.
Seto Kaiba, Mokuba Kaiba's big brother, was back, and alive, and working, and going to school. And he was paying attention to Mokuba for the first time in a very, very long time.
He'd make it a point to eat dinner with Mokuba, even if he had to return to the office afterward. Last month on Mokuba's birthday, Seto had given him the new video game he'd wanted, though Mokuba had only mentioned it once. It was Mokuba's first present from Seto in five years.
Still, it was a long and hard road to rebuild trust between them. The few nights after Duelist Kingdom were a rush of emotion – the brothers hugged whenever they saw each other, slept in the same room, ran to check on each other if there was any prolonged separation. Then they both began to remember the troubled darkness that had swelled around their lives before that week on the island, and they retreated, unstable and unsure.
But not all the way. And now, taking small steps forward, they were doing the best they knew how to be brothers again.
Mokuba Kaiba was eleven years old. Naturally, he lived for summer horror movies. Even after Duelist Kingdom and the actual horrors of the Shadow Realm, these movies thrilled him. Nothing in them could compare to that true Darkness. Surrounded by ordinary people, munching on popcorn, he was safe.
For Mokuba, horror movie-going was a grand affair. He and his group would map out the release dates for every one of them and buy their tickets far in advance. Then they'd mob the theater, clamor into the front row, and gaze with their heads tilted back like turkeys, totally engrossed for up to six hours a week.
The best part was Mokuba's complimentary limo ride home, of course. The boys would proudly rub the cricks in their necks and gush over the movie, pausing only to take heaping bites of their Frozen Mountain ice cream sundaes.
Yet the experience, however heavenly, wasn't quite complete for Mokuba.
He resolved to ask Seto to join him this time. He hadn't asked for a single thing from Seto since they'd been home. It was conditioned in him, and Mokuba daren't disrupt their implied comfort zone. In the past, he daren't for another reason.
But ugh, he was tired of the past! And he wanted to share something he loved with his brother. He wanted to invite him in to be a part of his preteen life.
He reasoned, what's the worst that can happen? Seto would say no. Mokuba had plenty of steel in him to weather a little disappointment. He'd wait and ask again when they both felt more ready.
Mokuba repeated these encouragements to himself as he rode the elevator up to the higher reaches of Kaiba Corp. Tower. He had his messenger bag slung over one shoulder (he felt more important when he carried it), and he kicked his heels against the elevator wall.
58...59...60. In place of the usual chime was the electronic zwing of the Life Points counter on a Duel Disk.
Mokuba stepped into the hall. This floor was sparse, and quiet. Sunlight glimmered gently along the sea-colored tile. The hall led to a single door – the door to Seto's office.
Mokuba had seen it once, when the Tower was still under construction and he was invited to review the building. After that he was forbidden. Only recently was his I.D. reprogrammed with special access to the top floor.
In a novel or a movie, this walk down the hall would've felt long and endless. In real life it was short and abrupt. Mokuba took a few deep breaths. Out of the corner of his eye could see the city through the windows, bustling far below. It seemed like a great, silent model toy.
Okay, enough distractions. He buzzed the intercom. Mokuba wondered if he was on camera or not.
"Who is it?" Seto asked in his business voice. Nope, not on camera. Mokuba cleared his throat.
"Me. Er - it's Mokuba."
Seto's hesitation was very subtle. "Come in," he said, and Mokuba heard the inner mechanism of the deceptively plain door whir and unlock. The door popped off its hinge. Mokuba eased it open.
His first impression was one of peace. It all clearly worked together to achieve that aura: muted colors, pleasant plants, floor-to-ceiling windows letting in sunlight along the western wall behind his brother's desk. Mokuba had pictured his brother a harried mess, surrounded by gabbing employees, papers flying. Maybe he had been watching too many movies lately...
But here Seto was, sitting alone, and apart from a tiny crease of concentration between his eyes he was possessed by incredible peace.
"You've never been up here," Seto said, watching his brother explore the premises. Mokuba shook his head.
"Just once, when it wasn't built yet," he said.
"I don't remember," said Seto quietly. They both knew why.
Mokuba finally finished looking all around him and stopped a few feet from his brother's desk. Seto watched him fidget, and in a gesture that made Mokuba's spirits inflate, lowered the lid of his laptop to see Mokuba properly.
"What's up, kid?" he offered. Mokuba shrugged.
"Oh, uh, nothing."
Seto raised an eyebrow.
"Are you sure?" he prodded.
Mokuba was an awful ball of nerves and he cursed himself for it. "Yeah, um, I was just gonna ask you something," he managed, trying and failing to sound nonchalant. He yanked his satchel higher onto his shoulder.
"You could've called me," Seto said. Mokuba nodded distractedly.
"I know. I'm sorry. I can leave. Or, I'll ask you when you get home-"
"You're already here. Go ahead and ask."
Mokuba sweated on the spot. He had lost all his willpower. Now his brother was counting on him, and he was letting him down. Again. How often did that have to happen, big or small, for Mokuba to learn his lesson? Don't interfere, don't bother Seto, you'll mess things up –
Then Seto did something remarkable. He stood up and with smooth strides came around to the front of his desk. He stood before Mokuba as Mokuba stood before him. Mokuba stared.
He waited for Mokuba, standing patiently, and Mokuba realized how difficult this must be for him. Seto was by nature very impatient. This inspired him to get it out.
"Do you, um, want to go with me to the movies sometime this week?" he blurted, and he felt the weight on his shoulders rise a little. Seto's eyebrows rose a little again, too.
"The movies? You mean, to the theater?" He asked this with bizarre curiosity.
"Um, yeah," said Mokuba slowly.
"You know, I haven't been there...since we saw Hercules." Seto shook his head. Mokuba gaped.
"What?! That was like- what, like six years ago!"
"I know! I can't believe it, either."
"Well, we gotta go, then."
"Yeah, we do. What was I doing for six years?" They both knew. This put a bit of a damper on their roll. But they both looked at each other with new light behind their eyes. Inexplicably – without warning – they both smiled at each other.
"Name the date," Seto said, and he clung to his smile a moment more before straightening up.
"Saturday matinee?" Mokuba said quickly. He couldn't keep his smile off. Seto returned to the other side of his desk and lifted the computer lid. He scrolled through something.
"...That's free," he confirmed with an adamant click of his mouse. Whether or not it had been before, Mokuba would never know. All he could do was grin.
"Okay," he said, "cool! So we can go to the theater close to our house-"
"You'll have to play navigator, I have no idea where that is," said Seto, and before Mokuba could respond Seto's telephone rang.
Both boys looked at it for a moment, then back at each other.
"You should probably take it," said Mokuba in earnest. Taking up his brother's time.
"I probably should," agreed Seto. He held his hand over the receiver. "So we're on for Saturday."
Mokuba smiled again. "We're on!"
"Good. Don't bail on me," said Seto with a friendly smirk. And he picked up the phone.
"Seto Kaiba," he said, sitting in his chair, bringing his other hand up to rest his forehead. Mokuba hovered for a minute. He wasn't sure how to leave. He was nervous and happy all at once. Seto looked up at him as he replied to the other line, expectant, and Mokuba got the hint.
"We'll discuss that at the next board meeting," Mokuba overheard his brother say as he maneuvered around the heavy door. "I'm not available this Saturday."
His mouth hurt from smiling, and for some reason he thought he might cry; but he figured he'd save the tears until after he told Seto they were going to see Crazy Pumpkin Massacre Summer Camp Attack 7.