Glass

Seto had been awake for hours before Pegasus showed up. Without a window to judge the passing of time, he didn't know how long he had been asleep, but he normally got five or six hours. Once he had woken up, Seto tried to fall back asleep, because it was dark and he couldn't do much in the dark.

After failing to sleep, Seto went into the bathroom to use the light in there. It didn't much help illuminate the bedroom, but did give Seto enough light to sit in the doorway between the two rooms and read. The position on the floor was uncomfortable, but the heat had filtered through, leaving it almost warm enough to be tolerable.

He made halfway through one of the French language guides before the lights came up to full power.

"Good morning, Kaiba-boy."

Seto didn't move to see Pegasus, and his back was to the glass wall so Pegasus couldn't see his face, just the back of his head and a shoulder. Maybe a knee, because Seto had his legs pulled up to hold his book against his thighs.

"I brought you an actual breakfast," Pegasus said. "Eggs, sausage, toast. And it's all hot right now."

Tempting, but not enough for Seto to move.

"And coffee, strong, full of caffeine—"

Seto checked first to make sure he could see the mug in Pegasus's hands, accompanied by a thick stream of steam rising from the top. Whether Pegasus was telling the truth about it being coffee, or if it was actually tea or hot chocolate, Seto didn't care. Coffee was preferable for the caffeine, but he could settle for something other than lukewarm tap water.

Seto pushed to his feet and left the books on the floor. The heat made the concrete bearable, so he walked over to the hatch without carrying the blanket.

He could smell the coffee the moment the hatch door opened, but the plate came through first and was traded out for the salad from the night before. The coffee stayed on the other side.

"Are you going to mock me with it?" Seto asked.

"I'm going to trade you for it."

"I have nothing to trade."

Which was a lie now that Pegasus had KaibaCorp. It hadn't been a clean takeover, so Pegasus wouldn't have any of Seto's logins or access codes. He always had those to bargain with.

"You have your family's medical history."

"What?"

"I don't know who you were before being a Kaiba, and it seems that money hasn't been able to buy any information about your biological family. I want to know who you were before becoming Seto Kaiba, and I want any information about your family's health history. I realize you were a child at the time of the transition, but whatever you happen to know will suffice."

"You mean when my parents died. Call it what it was."

"When your parents died."

Seto wanted the coffee, and he hardly cared about telling Pegasus some medical information. He understood Pegasus's interest. If Seto was going to be staying as his prisoner for a lifetime, Pegasus would need to know what he was getting himself into. And since Seto had searched into his own past before, he knew exactly what information a good investigator could dig up, so he assumed that Pegasus had lied about finding nothing. Seto could give Pegasus what he already knew.

"Tomura Seto. I was born in Japan, which is where my family died. My mother died in childbirth, my father in a car accident. As far as I know, there are no terrible illnesses that run in my family."

Pegasus nodded. "Any allergies?"

"None. The allergic-to-peanuts gene skipped over me."

"Is that common in your family?"

"It is."

Pegasus pushed the mug through the hatch before locking it. Seto didn't waste a moment before taking a sip, glad to find the coffee still hot enough to burn his tongue.

"You should eat the rest while it's hot. How did you end up in the United States?"

"Our godparents lived here," Seto said, taking another sip. But now that he had what he wanted, Pegasus would have to work harder for the information he wanted.

"Why didn't you stay with your godparents?"

"We had better things to do."

Pegasus smiled like he understood the shift in Seto's tone. He set the old plate on the chair and stood in front of Seto, never losing the amused expression. Seto hated serving as a source of laughter for Pegasus, but there wasn't much to do to counteract it.

"It seems the heat started working."

"Hardly."

"Has anyone ever told you to be more grateful?"

"Only madmen who kidnap me."

"Are you going to eat?"

"Probably," Seto said, glancing down at the plate with the plastic fork jutting over the edge. He took a sip of the coffee and his glasses fogged over.

"If you would tell me what foods you like, I would bring them to you. Honestly, I'm running out of meals that can be served cold or at room temperature."

"I'm not picky, just not hungry."

"But it has been days since you've really eaten, Kaiba-boy."

"It has also been days since I've been out of this room. I'm sure you see the correlation."

"You're going to have to get used to it. A life under artificial light won't kill you."

Seto sighed. He didn't feel like arguing that the lighting was the least of his concerns, that in fact, he liked the lighting and wanted it to stay on.

"You didn't bring a chess set."

"I only have two hands. I'll bring it tonight. I have to head up to work in just a few."

Seto took another sip and hated how quickly he was emptying the mug. He hoped a single cup would be enough to temper his caffeine withdrawals, because after the previous day's headache, he didn't feel like putting up with it again.

"How's the French coming along?" Pegasus asked.

"About how you would expect with only a few hours to get started. The lights are too dim at night."

It obviously bothered Seto more than he cared to admit if it just slipped out.

"If they were any brighter, I doubt you could sleep."

"If I get tired, I will sleep. The light won't make a difference."

Pegasus sighed and glanced over in the way he came and went, gaze focusing on something out of Seto's sight.

"I'd rather you didn't wake me up at two in the morning because it is too bright for you to sleep."

"You bring me dinner at what, six, seven? If you turn off the lights when you leave and I go to sleep then for a lack of something better to do, then I will wake up around midnight. Then I'm stuck in the dark until you show up again."

"You made do this morning," Pegasus said, gesturing toward the bathroom.

"So I am supposed to spend my time in the bathroom?"

"Sure. I've got to run. The chess set will come with me tonight."

Without another word, Pegasus picked up Seto's old plate and turned off the speaker. Seto couldn't argue any more, but was stuck, again, waiting for Pegasus to come back.

But he did pick up the plate. Pegasus couldn't have stayed longer than a few minutes, so it wouldn't be too cold. He reclaimed his spot in the doorway so his back was to the camera.

He needed to find a way to get up high enough to rip down the camera. It wasn't like Pegasus could get in to repair or replace it. Maybe that would be when he finally got around to drugging Seto's food. It would be worth it to get rid of the camera, and to test Pegasus's limits. Like everything else about being kidnapped, it required waiting.

He ate the food Pegasus brought and found that it wasn't drugged. The coffee was nursed until every drop was gone, and then Seto put all the used dishes back beside the hatch door.

Reading the French study guides sounded marginally less interesting than reading the book in Spanish, so Seto grabbed the last novel he could read from the shelf and sat in bed to read. Like Mother, it was a book that barely clung to Seto's attention.

Once he could no longer stand sitting in the bed or looking at words on a page, Seto went to shower. The bathroom was designed with three concrete walls, the fourth wall being the one between Seto's rooms, and it was just drywall. When Seto put weight on it, he felt the wall start to give. It had to be double layered to hold the pocket door, but wasn't designed to be a bathroom. Seto couldn't find a vent, which meant the moisture would just build up in the room. He left the pocket door cracked open in hopes that would help the moisture dissipate.

Seto had nothing else to change into, so he had to put back on the same outfit he had been wearing since he woke up in the cage. It was just another thing that needed to be addressed with Pegasus.

Napping eluded him again, which was starting to get under Seto's skin, because he had managed to fall back asleep the day before with minimal effort. Maybe reality had set in harsher than before or the drugs hadn't fully left his system then. It had been two days–three days?

Pegasus had KaibaCorp, or at least, Seto had no way to prove otherwise. It would take several months, if not longer, for Pegasus to be fully accepted as KaibaCorp's CEO, and it would probably be easier if Seto was out of the way for it. Maybe once KaibaCorp was under Pegasus's control, Seto would be allowed to leave. After seeing what lengths Pegasus would go through to get what he wanted, Seto would grab Mokuba and put as much distance between them and Pegasus as he could manage.

He could reclaim KaibaCorp remotely, somehow. His money would have gone to Mokuba, or would be willed over once Seto was considered dead. But that took years. And Seto didn't want to get out and then leave a trail of money for Pegasus to follow.

A plan would come to him eventually. He had nothing but time to think of something.

Seto hated not being able to hear Pegasus approaching. Pegasus showed up later that day, holding a basket in both hands. He set it down by the chair before turning on the intercom.

"Good afternoon, Kaiba-boy."

"I don't suppose you have a change of clothes in there."

"I do indeed. I'll pass them through and you can go change. I'll wash that set for you and switch them out later."

"I'm only allowed one set of clothing at a time?"

"Knowing what I do about you, Kaiba-boy, I'm sure you could find a way out of here with just a pair of pants."

Seto accepted the clothing as Pegasus passed it through the hatch. There was an annoying lack of socks or shoes, but Seto took them regardless and headed for the bathroom while Pegasus traded out his plate.

Seto changed quickly. There wasn't much to either set of identical clothing–the pants didn't even have a button for the clasp, but a drawstring. He knew that wearing pajamas would get old, likely before the cage drove Seto to madness. The silk seemed to scratch at his skin, and Seto wondered if Pegasus would spring for some nicer clothing if asked.

Although he wanted to keep both sets of clothes, he didn't want to try to wash them in the shower or in the sink. Eventually he'd negotiate something with Pegasus that allowed him to keep more than one pair of pants at a time.

"Have you been sufficiently convinced that I'm not drugging your food?"

"You sedated me to bring me here. I'm not foolish enough to think you only purchased one dose."

Pegasus had slid the plate with Seto's dinner through the hatch, another sandwich, but instead of chips, it had some raw vegetables on the side. There was no accompanying mug of coffee.

"Is there a reason you only bring two meals a day?"

"I didn't think you would eat three. I'd rather not waste any more food than I already am."

"Your island is how many miles off shore?" Seto asked.

"Sixty-three from the nearest land, but seventy-nine from the nearest land with a grocery store," Pegasus said, seeming to catch onto Seto's train of thought.

Seto chose to sit on the floor rather than the bed, but used it as a backrest. His body was starting to sore from all the time spent sitting, but there wasn't much space for him to do anything else. The floor was at least a little different than the bed.

"There have to be more islands around here though."

"There are three, all privately owned. They just have vacation homes on them."

"Why not just live on the mainland? It must be a hassle coming out here all the time."

Pegasus smirked and sat down in the chair after moving the laundry basket to the floor. Seto spotted the chess set in the basket, but decided to wait before mentioning it. If the game had to be paused, then it would run over to the next night. Seto doubted Pegasus would want to bother with it in the few minutes he stopped by in the mornings. Since the last time he had spoken to Pegasus ended in a pseudo-fight, Seto didn't want to leave them without some sort of mediator. Getting along with Pegasus meant getting out.

"I highly doubt you care about my island, Kaiba-boy. Why don't we talk about you instead?"

"You didn't bring a coffee," Seto said.

"It's getting late. You'll never get to sleep."

"When you drink as much coffee as I do, you become desensitized to the effects of the caffeine, save for the withdrawal systems."

"I'll keep that in mind. What part of Japan are you from?"

"Miyagi Prefecture."

"I haven't heard of it."

"Not everyone is from Tokyo."

"But you don't look very Japanese. I mean, you have such blue eyes."

Seto shrugged. "Abnormalities happen. I don't really know my entire genetic history."

"You could have asked your godparents."

With a snort, Seto adjusted so the corner of the bed frame wasn't digging into his spine.

"How did you end up going from a relative's–now I'm assuming they were relatives? Yes?–home to an orphanage?"

"In ways that don't concern you."

Pegasus threw a hand over his heart and gasped. "How you wound me, Kaiba-boy. Tomura-boy? No, that just doesn't have a nice ring to it."

"Or you could just leave off that last bit altogether. I'm hardly a child."

"No, I suppose you're not. You're a boy who takes himself too seriously. Even for a game designer—"

"I'm a software engineer. I don't make the games."

"Who designs the software that allows the games to be played. Really, semantics."

"It's a different thing."

"If you insist," Pegasus said. "But you've gotten me sidetracked. I don't suppose you did that on purpose?"

"If you didn't want to be sidetracked, you should pay more attention to the conversation."

"But following a train of thought is far more interesting. You know, keeping with the ebb and flow of dialogue. It isn't natural to fight against it."

"I clearly didn't fight it. But then again, you've made it fairly obvious that I can't fight."

"Oh, now you're just being petty. I've heard all about what a good hand-to-hand fighter you are. And so resourceful, Kaiba-boy. Using a briefcase to fend off gunfire? A card to jam a trigger? Hearing tales of your exploits all those years ago was like watching a drama unfold!"

"And now I have no options, not even an extra pair of pants."

"A briefcase and a playing card. You have a knack for using unconventional items to your advantage."

Pegasus ended his sentence in such a way that Seto could see he was about to continue. He watched Pegasus shake his head slowly before giving Seto a knowing grin. "And a knack for changing the subject, apparently."

"It's proven a useful skill."

"Occupationally?"

"With Mokuba. Kid likes to argue."

"He does–you just did it again! I'm catching onto you, Kaiba-boy. Your tricks aren't going to continue working."

"Why do you even care about my biological relatives? They weren't part of the interesting portion of my life."

"I am trying to get to know you. Starting from the beginning is an easy way to go."

"Then shall I give you the Tristram Shandy version of my life? Start by describing the history of the caterer at my parents' wedding? Maybe the nurse who helped deliver me? Is that what you are interested in hearing?"

"You have odd taste in literature," Pegasus said.

"You have odd taste in literature," Seto threw back. "These books are ridiculous."

"They are classics. I can take them all away, if you'd prefer."

"You'll have to come in to get them."

Seto stood to take the step forward to the glass. There had been a delay in the conversation, and when trying to change the subject, it was never a good idea to leave a gap for the other person to come up with their own comment. It usually led back to the topic that needed to be avoided.

Luckily, Seto had another option.

"You brought chess."

"I did. It isn't a fancy set or anything. Maybe I'll purchase a set with customizable pieces. Make you and me the kings. My toons can defend me, while your dragons can defend you."

"Whatever. Just bring it out."

Seto sat close to the glass, and Pegasus moved to sit on the floor as well. The chessboard was set up right next to the wall so Seto could see it, although Pegasus would have to make his moves for him. The plastic pieces ended up in their proper positions without any instruction from Seto, which at least meant that Pegasus knew something about the game.

"I forgot to ask," Pegasus said. "Do you normally play white or black?"

"Black."

"Is there a reason for that?"

"I want to see how you open."

"Is that a trick you picked up from your—"

Pegasus stopped and slapped a hand against the glass like he wanted to shove Seto. "You truly are masterful at changing the subject. Honestly, truly impressive."

"Just start playing."

Pegasus moved a pawn two spaces forward, and said, "I want to know about your godparents."

"Pawn to D5. I don't want to talk about it."

There wasn't much of a reason for Seto to give thought to his moves, since from just a few haphazard moves from Pegasus, Seto could tell that the man didn't know what he was doing. Solely to drag out the match, Seto threw in a few odd moves of his own.

"I met my wife when we were children," Pegasus said, making one of Seto's moves for him. "She was, and still is, the most beautiful person I have ever seen."

Under any other circumstance, Seto would have informed Pegasus that he really didn't care to hear the story of his lost love, but it kept Seto from having to discuss his own lost family, so he let it slide, only speaking to tell Pegasus which piece to move.

"She teased me so at first. But you know children and how they flirt. Have you ever flirted, Kaiba-boy?"

"No. And I said E6, not E7."

"I can't believe that you've never flirted, and so I'm calling your bluff. I'm not saying you had to flirt because you liked someone, but because you needed something, maybe? To trick someone? Because you wanted to be spiteful? Revenge?"

"Then fine, I've flirted."

"Who with?" Pegasus asked, his tone light and irritating.

"People."

Seto directed his next move and noticed that he was running out of ways to drag out the game. Pegasus was terrible at chess, and Seto was having to purposefully give up each opportunity he had come across–and there had been several–to win. After another four moves, Seto couldn't fake interest anymore, so he moved in for the checkmate.

With an overly dramatic exhale, Pegasus tipped over his king.

"You're impressive, Kaiba-boy."

Seto leaned back on his hands while he watched Pegasus fold the board in half and set it on the chair. If Pegasus was packing up, it meant that he was about to leave, which meant the lights would be dimmed. He hadn't managed to get tired, even though he had been awake since around midnight. He would be stuck in the dark until he could get to sleep, and then again after waking up.

"You are going to eat, right?" Pegasus asked. He picked up the basket along with the plate and mug from breakfast, and stared down at Seto.

"I am. Are you going to make me sit in darkness while I do?"

"You need to be able to sleep."

"There are much more important things that I need right now. Just leave the lights on."

"Maybe in a few days. But you should try to keep your sleep cycle in check."

Seto stood up and put two fists against the glass. "If you're so concerned about my well-being, give me something to do, or better yet, just let me go."

"Good night, Kaiba-boy."

The speaker went off before Seto could get out the long stream of curses that followed Pegasus's departure. His frustration resulted in a single hit on the glass, but that was all he allowed himself with the camera glaring down. Seto went back to sitting on the floor, but on the side of the bed that faced the bookshelf so that the camera could only see his profile. He pulled his knees up to his chest and dropped his forehead down to press against them.

He would kill Pegasus whenever that door was raised.

The lights had been dimmed for a while, which made Seto think that Pegasus would be showing up at any time to turn them back on. Seto leaned his head to either side to pop his neck, and then twisted to get his back to do the same. He was sitting on the bathroom floor again, still in the doorway, but at a better angle to catch more of the light. He was tired, but not from sleep deprivation, but from staring at the French text on the page. But having an eidetic memory helped keep all the information stored whether he wanted it to be or not.

Seto heard a tapping on his glass, which he thought was odd since Pegasus had been announcing himself before turning on the lights or walking into view. The tapping grew more insistent until it became a pounding, like someone was trying to break down the wall.

Seto turned and saw the outline of someone there, but his eyes weren't adjusted enough to make out a face. He saw the long, white hair first, and assumed it was Pegasus being his usual strange self, but then realized the hair was white and not silver.

"Bakura?"

Thanks for reading, reviewing, following, and all that! Sorry I didn't get review responses out. I'll do better this next go around!

You can expect an update on Saturday, January 23rd.