Misaligned
Authors Notes: Chapter one is mostly about Seto, and sets up the rest of the story. The ACTION begins in the next chapter. The m-rated content (lemons, limes, sex) will not be in the first few chapters, but are a little on the intense/suspenseful side. Each chapter is around 3k to 5k words.
Also, I wrote this story in a very intermittent kind of way. You'll notice that I leave a good amount unsaid at points, and skip a lot of the "in between" details. (i.e.: Characters getting dressed/undressed) I feel that those details can sometimes be clutter in a story, so I omit them when they are unnecessary. I feel I did well on keeping the story coherent, and reestablished where we were when I did skip things. But I would love some input, and I need to know if what is in my head is not being expressed clearly on the page. Also, I ask that you read my other story Seto Kaiba X Original Character romance "Foresight". I liked both ideas, but couldn't pick which was better. So, I'll take your word for it.
Warm Regards,
vagrantjam3693
Chapter 1: Gozaburo's Gift
At six a.m. his eyes flew open.
He had never needed an alarm clock: his body had programmed itself to awaken in the early mornings. He hated to be still with sleep for long periods of time. A body would do just fine on four hours of sleep. He took a moment to lie in bed, eyes closed, body relaxed, and mind clear. This, the first few minutes of his waking day, would be the only time he would feel at peace.
No, not even in sleep was he at peace. He was simply unconscious, rendered unable to compartmentalize his thoughts. He was drowned by their swift and sudden smashing on the rocky shores of his mind, as he drifted dreamlessly into uneventful bliss.
Wednesday.
An acknowledgement of time was the singular element that kept his returning thoughts from cascading back haphazardously. They returned in a trickle and traveled along a mental funnel, compartmentalizing themselves and keeping the overcrowded mind of Seto Kaiba from slipping into chaos. He exhaled and roused himself, dismounted his bed and walked purposefully to his bathroom for a shower.
"We have arrived at The Kaiba Corporation, Kaiba-San." Mogi the Chauffeur stated over his shoulder in a monotone.
"Hm." Seto replied from behind his laptop.
Mogi wanted to smile. He had been driving the Kaiba family since before Gozaburo had adopted Seto and Mokuba. He remembered looking in the rearview mirror and seeing the old master in that exact same pose: one leg crossed over the other, computer resting on his thighs. He felt a swell of fatherly pride watching the young boy he had driven all these years glide into manhood; though he knew he would never be able to tell him that. It would have been highly unprofessional, not to mention improper. So, he kept his face the same as his voice: monotonous. He slipped the limousine into park, before moving to get out so that he could open the door for the young C.E.O., but, Seto saw no reason to waste time waiting for a door to be opened for him.
That is the essence of his personality. The chauffeur thought.
"When would you like to be picked up, sir?"
"At eleven. The same time as usual. " Mogi's eyes flashed to the rear view mirror so that they could make eye contact.
"I apologize, sir. I only assumed that you would wish to be retrieved earlier, so as to spend the afternoon with master Mokuba. "
"And why would I do that?" Seto asked sarcastically.
"Well sir, master Mokuba sounded very excited. He asked me to make sure I retrieved you both at the earliest convenience, so that you can spend the day together."
Seto's eyebrow rose suspiciously. He didn't recall having made plans with Mokuba today. Mogi had known Seto log enough to know that he hated to be misinformed, unaware, or surprised. So, he quickly clarified his statement.
"Master Mokuba told me you had agreed to take at least half of the day off to enjoy your birthday."
Seto froze for a moment as the weight of Mogi's words sank in. Today was his birthday. Not just the inception of a new year in his life, but the beginning of his adult life. He was born, on this day, eighteen years ago.
He's right. Today is my birthday… And I did promise Mokuba that I would take the day off. He mentally reviewed the day's agenda. It contained nothing that couldn't be postponed. He sighed deeply, before begrudgingly nodding to his chauffeur.
"That is correct. Take me back to the manor, so that I can get out of this suit. "
Mogi let a small smile crawl across his lips as he placed the car back into drive. He turned on his blinker and merged with oncoming traffic. His eyes briefly flashed to the young man in the rearview.
Happy Birthday, Seto. He thought as the limousine made its way through the streets.
Two brothers sat together on a small park bench. They listened to the wind in the trees while they ate their ice cream. You could have told the difference in their ages and personalities based solely on the way they ate. The younger tilted his head in every possible direction, and frequently rotated the waffle cone in his hands, so that he could rescue dripping beads of the melting treat by lapping them up in their tracks. The older opted to place his cone face-down in a bowl, and eat it with a spoon. The younger soon finished his cone, and turned to watch his brother finish his. It amazed him how much patience his elder brother could muster when he felt he must bring something to its knees in defeat.
"Nii-sama?"
"Yes."
"Can I ask you something?"
"Yes. What?"
"Why do you work so hard?"
"Because, there is work to be done. And I would rather lose sleep than do something halfway."
"But why do you have to… Why can't you just take it easy?"
"Hmm. Well, if I could trust the people I work with, then I could."
"Why don't you trust them? Some of them have worked for Kaiba Corp since before you were born—"
"And are loyal only to their wallets. Trust me when I say, Mokuba, that most of the people in that building would love to see me relax long enough for them to take it from me. "
The elder tossed his emptied bowl and his brother's wet and sticky napkins into the trash bin nearest to him.
"…Nii-sama?"
"What now, Mokuba?"
"Do you work so hard so that you can stay away from me?"
"Why would I ever want to avoid you, Mokuba?"
"Because you hate me."
"I do not hate you."
"You should."
Why? He asked with his icy eyes.
"Because, I killed mother."
"Thank-you, Mogi." Seto mumbled, as he climbed from the muffled quiet of the limousine and into the droning chaos on the street.
Why do pedestrians insist on rubbernecking here? There are at least twenty tourist attractions on this street alone. Seto thought as he pushed through the sea of people that always seemed to form on the twelve feet of sidewalk between his limo and the door.
He walked briskly toward the elevator, without making eye contact with his subordinates. He pressed the button on the elevator wall labeled "Superior"; a time saving enhancement that he had personally installed. He stood in the center of the elevator, refusing to slouch, or lean against the glass panels on the walls. His pride regulated his axis of central balance with one rule: Weakness and defeat are not.
Seto entered the meeting room at nine a.m., exactly. He was never late. He took his place at the head of the long mahogany table, and greeted the others with silent eye contact. He did not bow to anyone or shake hands with snakes.
"Hello, Kaiba-san. So nice of you to join us on such short notice."
"Hmph. Let's forego the pleasantries, gentlemen. I have things to do." Kaiba said flatly.
"If course, sir." He smiled. "Now that we are all here, I would like to begin the meeting." Began the vice-president. "Mr. Kaiba, if I am not mistaken, you are now eighteen years of age. You are a man now, congratulations." He offered his hand. Seto scoffed.
"I trust that you did not call an urgent meeting simply to wish me a happy birthday." The older man retracted his hand.
"Of course not." he smiled again. "We have called this meeting to discuss important business matters."
"Then get on with it." Seto said impatiently from beneath his long brown bangs.
"Well sir, the board of directors is concerned about your personal health. You live alone, and act as parent to your younger brother. You also run a multinational, multibillion dollar corporation, and act as majority shareholder. And, thanks to your incredible dueling career, you are essentially a living advertisement for Kaiba Corp. You are, in fact, so dedicated to your responsibilities that you often take on more than are required of you, to assure that this company thrives."
Damn right, I do. I could easily do all of your jobs. He thought venomously from his place at the head of the table. The vice-president moved closer to Seto, so that he could lay a hand of concern upon his forearm.
"You are overextended, overstressed, and are placing yourself in the first percentile for males that die of heart attack, stroke, or aneurism before age forty." He continued. "And As the majority shareholder of Kaiba Corporation, that places the company in potential peril, as your ownership can not be transferred by anyone other than you. That leaves your fifty-one percent ownership back on the open market, and back into the hands of potential enemies, desperate men, and idiots. If you should face an untimely death, that is."
This is complete and utter bullshit. Thought Seto. The vice-president continued.
"You see, as executive level members on the board of directors, we hold a special power in corporate law. If any executive level member of the board makes decisions that are deemed hazardous to the livelihood, image, or fiscal stature of the company, then all other members are entitled to act in a way that protects the company's interests."
Seto felt his attention perk. He was uneasy about this. He knew corporate law like the back of his hand, and was king of loopholes and evasion. He needed to listen carefully, and determine what they were trying to do. They were up to something shady that was damn certain.
"Yes. But as you have said, my actions have benefited this corporation. I am young, and healthy, and I would adopt whatever changes were necessary to preserve my company's best interests. There is no justifiable cause for you to be concerned for me."
"True. But, in the interest of prudence, we have decided to preempt any future self-inflicted danger you might put yourself in. Essentially, we have a solution to our concerns. A sort of consolation that will ease the board's fears for your health. We fully trust that you will comply."
Seto knew that they were not lying to him. He also knew that his only options were to comply, or to be removed. Damn. He knew they would try something.
"What are your conditions? Am I to lay off the sweets? Have someone check that I wash behind my ears? Brush my teeth before bedtime?" He growled through gritted teeth.
"Well, now that you are eighteen years of age, and have graduated high school, you are an adult. Adults must sometimes engage in long term contracts to supplement their needs. In your case, what you need is a partner."
"Fine. Then I shall find a business partner to share ownership with." Seto replied coolly. The vice president smiled crookedly, and just a hint of vengeance flashed in his eyes.
"I am not talking about a business partner, young man. I am talking about a life partner."
It took Kaiba several moments to absorb the information he had just received. Then his heart stopped for an instant.
"You want me to find a wife." He stated.
"Or a husband, if that is your preference. You simply can not go it alone." He smirked. Kaiba sensed that there was something missing. So he went fishing for answers.
"What's your sinister plot, to get me laid?" he snorted. "There are literally thousands of fangirls that would love the chance to be breathed on by me. I received a dozen pledges of never-ending love on my way into the building this morning. " Seto chuckled. "Do you honestly think that finding a woman would be difficult for Domino City's most eligible bachelor?"
"Well, that is true sir. But, the wife is simply a tool to be used for your long-term happiness. " He said. "Women can be so fair-weather, and replaceable. Like you said, there are literally thousands of options for you… So we wish to add an incentive for you to choose wisely."
Seto was on edge. He maintained his composure, barely, by closing his eyes to calm himself.
What the hell do you want from me? He thought.
"Do not misunderstand, Sir. We mean you know harm. I swear we have only your best interests at heart, as well as the best interests of Kaiba Corp."
"What's the catch?"
"The goal of the board is not to simply marry you off, Kaiba-San, but to insure the company's longevity. And so, frankly put, we want you to produce an you are eighteen and can legally marry, we expect you to marry, and to produce an heir to your portion of the company in time that the child will reach twenty-one years of age, and be legally able to act in your stead, before your turn forty, and enter the highest period of danger to your health."
Kaiba's mind raced, searching for a loophole, a way out.
"If an heir is what you desire, I can easily adopt an infant."
"That is true, Kaiba-San. You and could try to adopt, but no orphanage will give a single, eighteen year old billionaire a child to care for. Especially not with your reputation for being impatient and rather unkind, sir. " the vice-president paused to gauge Seto's reaction. He saw a look of anger mixed with deep thought play across the young C.E.O.'s forehead.
For the first time in many years, Seto Kaiba was not able to come up with a solution. He had no options, no alternatives no way out. Dammit, he hated this! And the board of directors was elated. They knew that Kaiba was known as the "Dragon man". No one short of a human trafficker would even consider leaving him responsible for the welfare of a child, save his brother. They also knew that Seto was proud—too proud to entrust his seed with just any woman. The chances of him producing an heir before he was nineteen were astronomically improbable. They smiled.
"I would suggest you begin as soon as possible, Kaiba-San. You have a great task to meet by the years end. "
The door creaked open, causing all heads to turn. An ancient man with deep wrinkles that betrayed a lifetime of worries, laughter, and love entered. He carried a small briefcase at his side, though his frail bones looked like they could hardly support his thin frame. His name was Kenji Yukazawa, and he had been Gozaburo Kaiba's lawyer, years ago. He smiled.
"Hello again, Seto. I have not laid eyes on you since you asked me to help you boot out your father. You were such an industrious youth— but all grown up now. " Seto bore the old man now animosity; he had "indirectly" assisted him in his ascent to C.E.O., by recommending several books on business politics that had proven quite useful. And, like Mogi, he had watched Seto grow. So, Seto returned the old mans politeness. He rose, and walked to shake his hand. "I meant to speak with you yesterday, but chose not to trouble you when I learned you had taken the day off."
"What brings you to see me, Yukazawa?" Seto asked tiredly. Yukazawa's smile widened.
"I have a gift for you, Seto." The young C.E.O. looked truly puzzled.
"A gift?"
"Yes." He took the seat closest to Seto, on his right, and placed his briefcase on the table. He looked at Seto very seriously. "From your father."
Seto flinched. He hated when anyone referred to Gozaburo Kaiba as his father, aloud. He had been out of his life long enough for the physical wounds to heal, but the emotional damage he'd done remained. Seto's heart was hard with calluses now. Yukazawa cast him a meaningful look, and continued.
"I know this may come as a shock, being that he has been out of your life for some time now." He laid a hand on Seto's forearm, to acknowledge that he understood, and had corrected his earlier slip of the tongue. He then took a small envelope from his briefcase. Seto could see that it was old and wrinkled. "You see, Gozaburo knew from the moment you defeated him in that chess match, years ago, that you would one day surpass him. So, he gave me this letter the day following your adoption, and asked that I read it to you on your eighteenth birthday. He instructed me not to open it, and so I have no idea about its contents."
Seto nodded, signaling the old man to begin. Yukazawa painstakingly tore the triangular flap, trying hard not to damage the envelope too much. He removed a single sheet of stationary, folded in half, and written on by hand. He recited the letter.
"Dear Seto,
"If you are reading this, then you have more than likely ascended the ranks and seized control of my corporation. I trust that you have been a formidable leader, and fierce in your desire to innovate, improve and create. I am so very proud of you. But, even in the few days that I have known you, as I pen this letter, I foresee that you will work yourself tirelessly into oblivion and despair. And you will find yourself to be and old man, living all alone, without ever having known love. So I have chosen to give you the gift of love.
I have met hundreds of people in my days, but there is one man who I recall clearly. An American by the name of Hedrick Costa owned a small family restaurant in west Domino City about twenty years preceding this letter. It was called 'Head's Diner', though by now things may or may not have changed. At one point, I was planning to buy out the location and convert it to a storage facility, but he simply would not sell. He claimed that his hard work could not be bought from him, so I tried to force him out. I bought that entire block, with the intent of having the other owners petition to make him sell. The moment I mentioned the petition, those families retracted their deals with me, and simply handed my money back. I thought it truly amazing that all of those people would sacrifice their money for this man. Loyalty and friendship of that kind are not common in our world, as I am sure you have learned. And so, I went to speak with him in person. I was intrigued, you could say.
I ate a wonderful lunch and got to know the man quite well that day. He was older than me, and a beloved father, grandfather, and pillar of the community. He possessed something that I had never had: the unconditional love of others. I learned that he was charitable, almost to the point of bankruptcy, and a true believer in the benefit of the doubt. He cared nothing about money, or class, or reputation. His children were like him in that way, as were their children. All but one. His eldest son, Dante had grown up in America, and yearned for the riches and status that his family should have had.
Now that I have you and Mokuba in my life, Seto, I see that the unconditional love, and the happiness I desire is something that you will need more than I will. I will raise you well, and feel satisfied in knowing that I created who you are now.
So, I made an offer to Dante Costa. I would give him wealth if he could give happiness and love to you, Seto. And he agreed. He has a daughter who is about the same age as you, and he has promised her to you. The marriage contract says only that upon the two of you reaching legal age, you are automatically betrothed. You may defer the actual marriage for as long as needed, should you decide to court each other first, but you may not terminate the engagement. I have done this for your own good, my son. And I know that one day you will thank me for the gift I have given you.
Sincerely,
Gozaburo Kaiba"