Declaimer: I don't own Yugioh!...Unfortunately.
Small Changes
Mokuba isn't stupid. Nor is he blind. He might have been young and somewhat innocent to the world but there are things even he could easily see and even more so – understand.
His brother is one of those things.
And so it isn't very hard for the boy to notice what everyone else seemed to have missed - Seto's distinctively less freezing glares towards his incompetent (according to him, of course) employees, the reduced number of colorful words when something didn't go as planned and let's not forget the fact that he could now bear to spend approximately two minutes and twenty-six seconds in one room with Joey before threatening him with bodily harm.
And, yes, Mokuba had counted.
To some, if not most, people this would seem like no big deal. But to Mokuba, who had spent his entire life with Seto, who had watched helplessly as his brother turned from the sweet twelve-year-old boy to one of the most ruthless businessmen in the world, all because of their awful step-father's teachings and Seto's desire to give Mokuba everything he could possibly ever want…to him it is a very big deal, indeed.
Every time he sees his brother showing a little more patience or understanding, every time he catches the slight quirk of his lips – he wouldn't say it's a smile but it sure is pretty close – or the barely-there – but still there – softening of Seto's usually cold blue eyes, Mokuba feels as though he's floating on the highest cloud possible.
He feels as though he is getting his brother back from that dreadful pit of shadows and loneliness that had threatened to consume him not long ago…that was going to do so without anyone realizing it, either.
And it was all thanks to her -the woman who saved Seto from his own demons, who helped him where no one else could. The woman who is wearing their mother's engagement ring on her finger and soon enough will be Mrs. Kaiba.
Kisara.
When he'd first seen her on his big brother's arm as he came out of the limousine that had picked him from the airport, Mokuba would freely admit to thinking Seto had found an angel in Egypt. With her long white hair, sparkling blue eyes (and was it just him or did she remind him of the White Dragon…only in human form…?) and slender figure, the only thing missing were the wings.
Of course, at first he'd been apprehensive and a little hostile towards her but who could blame him? Despite the young woman's natural beauty and charming personality, she was still a stranger who had somehow managed to achieve what till that day was considered impossible – break the icy shell around one Seto Kaiba's heart. Mokuba thought he was entitled to a little mistrust although he still feels ashamed remembering all the times he'd done something mean towards her (after it became apparent she didn't deserve it in the least) , acting like every other child would when thinking that someone wants to steal their toy.
Not that he considers Seto his toy! No, it was just that Seto is his brother, his only family and the thought of ever loosing him terrifies Mokuba more than any evil forces trying to rule the world ever could.
But then he'd gotten to know the young woman and see exactly how much she cared for his big brother and the cold knot in the pit of his stomach had eased some. He'd noticed how Seto started acting less like the ruthless businessman their step-father had turned him into and more like…the big brother Mokuba thought he'd lost forever.
And all because of Kisara.
So, yes, it wasn't something big and noticeable and probably most people didn't even see the difference…but that didn't matter. Because Mokuba could see all those small, almost insignificant changes that showed that the ice in his brother's heart was slowly but surely melthing.
In the end it's those small changes that really make a difference.