Author's Note: I really feel the need to do something other than Fair Play right now and I know I should probably work on Prior Engagement, but I don't really feel like doing that either. So I'm up at 2:44 AM with the urge to write and no ideas. So I think I'm going to use the first sentence given to me by a story idea generator and see where the fuck it goes. And yeah, it's going to be Seto/Joey again.
Agents of Change
Chapter One: Mokuba
"What you need now is gratuitous sex." He said authoritatively.
"Excuse me?" His cell phone rings in a tone that aptly captures his reaction of incredulity. He swiftly silences it.
"You heard me."
"I'm going to pretend I didn't, if that's alright."
"It's not."
The tone of his reply was deeply sarcastic. "Oh. Well, I suppose there's nothing I can do about it then."
"There isn't." His brother returned snappishly.
"I really don't think it's appropriate for us to talk about this."
"Seto, I'm twenty-fucking-three. I'm working on my masters in social work and sex therapy. I talk about things like this all the time and I know when someone needs to get laid."
"I don't think suggesting gratuitous sex is in line with your intended profession."
"For you it is, I don't know if you could do it any other way."
Seto was offended and it showed.
"Sorry bro, but you always seem to think that strings will get you tangled."
He couldn't ague with that, but could still debate the reasonableness of the advice. "Still, gratuitous sex?"
"It's that, yoga or therapy."
"You're not serious." Somehow yoga ranked above meaningless sex in level of indignity and therapy, he shuddered, he liked being the only one in his head, thank you very much. Therapy was out of the question.
"See?" Mokuba triumphed.
"And why do you think meaningless sex will succeed where medication and meditation has failed?"
"Because it's the only thing that will stop you from having meaningful sex, ruining one of your only close relationships and messing yourself up even more."
Seto pretended to not know what his brother was referring to and tried to sound nonchalant in his reply. "Would meaningful sex really be that bad?"
"Not if you could handle it, but you'd try to treat it the same way you'd treat meaningless sex, you'd run away afterwards. Why not save yourself the trouble and make sure there are no strings to need to be cut?"
Mokuba had a point, not a particularly valid one, but a point none the less. Seto didn't know however that Mokuba wasn't serious in his argument, that he was trying to provoke his brother into exactly what he was urging against. The more he pointed out the evils of sex with attachment, the more devil's advocate Seto Kaiba would find the good in it. This was certainly not due to an optimistic disposition but rather an inquisitive one that lead him to look at a situation from all sides.
"Besides," He continued. "You're miserable to deal with when you're any kind of frustrated."
Again Seto found himself unable to protest. That is, until Mokuba slid a few condoms across the table.
"Where did you get those?"
"Twenty-FUCKING-three, Seto. Emphasis on fucking."
"I really didn't need to know that."
"Yes you did! You need to realize that you little brother is getting some and you aren't, and probably haven't in years!" He paused. "You need release and not the kind you're getting from work, exercise or your hand."
Again Seto's face was a mask of horror.
"You want him. He wants you. But you're afraid you'll fuck it up by fucking him and I'm telling you that you probably will, but that you definitely will by not having sex at all. You're pushing him away."
Seto knew this was true. For weeks now he'd been making excuses, ignoring phone calls and generally avoiding him. He just couldn't safely be around someone he wanted so badly.
"I can't think of any other situation in which I'd recommend meaningless sex, but if it could save the only close friendship you have, I think you should consider it."
With that Mokuba left the room as quickly and quietly as he could, leaving Seto in the booming cacophony of his thoughts.
What Mokuba said, in a sick light, made sense. He was losing his only friend in the name of preserving said friendship. How fucked up was that? But he couldn't bring himself to terms with Mokuba's advice. He didn't want anonymous sex, and even more than that, he knew it wouldn't help.
Needs weren't interchangeable.
Scratching an itch would never relieve hunger.
::End Chapter One::
