Sadness
Parents were not discussed in the Kaiba household. The main reason being that any such mention of the late patriarch brought bile to the back of Seto's throat, and sent a hush over Mokuba the likes of which Ren had never experienced before. Ren could not begin to surmise the extent of the torture the boys had gone through at the hands of Gozaburo Kaiba. It was a pain that she wouldn't wish on any human, and though she loathed the eldest Kaiba brother, there would always be a part of her that would ache for his childhood.
But even for all he had experienced, Seto couldn't imagine a child raised by biological parents who just plain didn't like her.
Seto had met the Kurokis once, and that had been enough for him. They were the picture of the family Seto had always imagined being a part of as a child. A successful father, a beautiful, doting mother, and their three children, living in the suburbs with a large yard and a couple of dogs. But it was all a façade, their perfect nuclear family.
Reiko, the matriarch, had received them with open arms and a demure smile, positively gushing over the Kaiba brothers while simultaneously chastising her daughter for her shoes being in such poor condition. Her disapproval shone brightly through pained smiles, masking her judgment with a perceived "motherly love". Ren's enthusiasm was quick to fade from that point on, the fire within her dimming as she took her first steps into her childhood home.
The youngest girl, Michiyo, was a miniature of her sister, with the same auburn hair and honey eyes, but there was something fearful behind them that Seto had never seen in Ren. As the two embraced, Reiko boasted that she had received top marks in all of her classes and was on her way to a career in medicine. The young girl smiled nervously, and Seto could hear a muffled "I'm so proud of you," mumbled into her shoulder from the oldest Kuroki.
He met the middle child, Karin, in the sitting room, in polite conversation with her father about the odds of Newcastle United taking the FA Cup that year. Things seemed to come more easily to Karin; though she was a bit tense around her father, she smiled without fear, greeting them with firm handshakes and enthusiastic grins. Karin was easy to take in, Ren insisting that it was her that had given her sister most of her backbone and spunk.
Ken Kuroki was not so easy to endure, taking in the Kaibas with a rigid scowl. He was a smaller man than Seto, with dark eyes and a head of thick black hair, but the lines in his face spoke volumes for the sort of man he was, and what he had done to acquire what he had. He ran the Kuroki chain of hospitals, he explained, and that when he was set to retire, Michiyo would be the one to take over the family business, since this one here hadn't turned out how he'd expected, glowering at his eldest.
Ren's brows were knit, her jaw set as she held her tongue. A fire raged behind her eyes that Seto had never seen before, and thought that this man was the sole reason she was hesitant to ever return home. Ken Kuroki had no hesitations, however, and spent the dinner gushing over his two youngest, mockingly inquiring about Ren's endeavors. "Still taking pictures?"
After a moment of uncertainty, she gave a firm nod, eliciting a brief snort from her father. "Oh, Ren dear," her mother had lamented. "Don't you think it's time you started thinking about a real career? Banking… teaching…?" She glanced at Seto, a soft smile touching her lips. "At least marry a man who can look after you."
As Seto opened his mouth to protest, Ren banged her fists on the table, rising to her feet and sending the chair clattering aside. "Mother!" She spat, the word like venom on her tongue, "He is my boss! And I have the potential to be so much more than somebody's wife." Her napkin slapped against the table and she took her leave, Mokuba fast on her heels as she fled the dining room. Kaiba left without a word just moments behind them, meeting his brother and nanny in the back of the limousine, with Ren visibly holding in tears. Her hand was pressed over her mouth, her brows knit and her eyes shut tight against the world.
The door slammed behind him and her eyes slid open, red and quivering. She shook her head, a pained smile touching her lips. "Sucks," she spat. "Moms have got this fucking way about them that make you feel like the biggest scumbag in the world." Her voice cracked and she gave her head a violent shake, clapping a hand over her mouth again. "And he can't even pretend like he loves me."
Mokuba gave her hand a squeeze, settling in next to her. His arms circled her waist as best they could and he laid his head on her shoulder. "It's okay, Ren."
"No, it isn't!" She snapped, tears beginning to fall. "What the Hell kind of monster can't love his own daughter?"
"A monster." Seto spoke, meeting the woman's gaze. He remembered his own childhood, how it was lost to rigid tutoring and training in the hopes that he would some day take over his stepfather's company. Much like the little girl he had met today.
"Ren." Mokuba said, brushing tears from her chin. "Do you want to go home?"
"Fuck no—I can't stand-!"
"No, I mean…" He gazed up at her, angling his head at Seto. "Home."
She glanced between the brothers and realization washed over her, tears spilling onto her cheeks as she nodded vigorously. "Yeah." Her voice cracked again, her grip on Mokuba's hand tight. "Please. I would love to go home."
Seto gave a short nod, leaning his head to the cab of the limousine. "Isono. Take us home."
