"You need to sleep, Seto," the High Priest was murmuring as he guided the seemingly half-dead CEO by the shoulders to their bedroom. "If you push yourself to stay awake for much longer, you really will start to hallucinate, and that would be very bad indeed."
"Just give me a cup of coffee, and I'll be fine," Seto grumbled, barely able to keep his eyes open as he shuffled forward down the hallway. If it weren't for Seth's guiding presence, he probably would have just fallen asleep standing up.
"No more caffeine for you," Seth chided, a touch of amusement in his voice. "I think it's time I made you quit cold turkey."
Seto grumbled incoherently, and Seth paused for a moment to open the door to their room before guiding Seto through it, then turning to close and lock the door behind them. He turned back to his lover in time to catch him as he began to sway.
"Come, Seto, just a few more moments, then you'll be safely embraced by sleep," the wise priest murmured, guiding a drowsy Seto to the edge of their bed before he gently stripped him down to his underclothes. He would mumble gibberish nonsense every now and then, but no real words came through.
"Four full days without sleep, Seto. I still can't believe you'd do that to yourself," Seth murmured mostly to himself as he coaxed Seto's yielding body into bed comfortably, tucking him in. "Honestly, what's the point when you're like this at the end of it?"
No sooner had he finished tucking Seto in had he begun to toss restlessly in bed, throwing the covers off as a wordless cry escaped his lips. Seth face softened with sadness, and he quickly shed his own linen robes before joining his lover in bed and putting his arms around him, cradling Seto's head against his chest.
"Sh, my love. You are safe, nothing can harm you here," he murmured, concern filling his accented voice. Sleeping Seto only cried out again, somewhat quieter this time, and Seth began to quietly sing him a lullaby in Hieratic Egyptian. He ran his fingers through the brunette's soft locks, only ceasing the singing once Seto was long settled back into sleep, and only then did he let himself slip into sleep as well.
"You can't do that again, Seto," Seth scolded sternly the following afternoon, when Seto finally woke up. The young CEO had just gotten out of the shower, extremely irritated for having slept in so late. He was rummaging about in his closet as he hurriedly got dressed for work.
"Shut up," Seto snapped, his nerves still frayed after spending close to one hundred consecutive hours awake. "You should have woken me hours ago. Do you realize that I had an important meeting this morning?"
"You should take the day off and rest, Seto, or you'll work yourself to death," Seth said calmly, still trying to impress upon him the gravity of the situation.
"I'm fine," Seto growled from his closet, the door open so that Seth could hear him from where he sat on their bed. Now Seth stood, entering Seto's closet as the young man fumbled with his tie, cursing his clumsy fingers under his breath. Seth stepped up and began to carefully tie it for him, making Seto drop his hands with a sigh of exasperation. "I'm fine," he repeated, even though Seth hadn't said anything.
"Your hands are shaking," he pointed out quietly, his fingers handling the silk blue tie with care.
"I haven't eaten since yesterday's lunch," Seto growled bitterly. "No wonder."
"You know, Seto," Seth said quietly without looking up, still fiddling with his partner's tie. "Gozaburo is long gone. You have nothing left to prove to him." Seto stiffened, frozen by Seth's words. The High Priest, who hadn't actually been tying Seto's tie at all, set the tie aside and began to take off Seto's work shirt. A small whine came from the back of Seto's throat, and Seth embraced him as the businessman swayed forward, tears springing to his eyes spontaneously.
"I already called the office this morning, Seto. They know that you're not coming in today and your meetings have all been rescheduled." He kissed Seto's forehead as he started to cry.
"I'm acting like such a girl," Seto grumbled, rubbing at his wet eyes. Seto Kaiba did not cry.
"No, you're acting like a human," Seth corrected tenderly. He finished removing Seto's work shirt and carried him back to bed, laying him down once more and rising to close the curtains, engulfing the room in shadows. "I'll have food brought up to us so that you can get something substantial in that empty stomach of yours before going back to sleep." He turned and saw that Seto lay on his stomach with his face buried in his pillow. Seth sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed Seto's scarred back reassuringly. "Some parts of the past are worth letting go," he whispered, leaning down to kiss the top of Seto's head.
Seto whispered faintly through his tears, "But why does it have to hurt so much?"
