This chapter was amazing for me to write! I really tried my best to get into each character, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.
Please feel free to share any and all thoughts with me.
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Chapter Seven
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Ryou nervously chewed on his lower lip as his body was jerked forward, his hand keeping him on his feet by gripping the elevator's handrail tightly. The steel doors of the machine gracefully glided open, and he stepped out.
Glancing around the room, he noticed Seto's office was quite different from last time. In the center stood a large metal table, completely covered with open books, several opaque triangles, stray papers and pencils, and something that looked like a solar panel.
Is this our project? Ryou wondered, briskly trotting across the all-too familiar floor. As he got closer, he could see other small tools and metal wires sticking out from underneath the panel. It sparked his curiosity, and he stretched his hand forward to touch it.
"Hello, Ryou." Seto said from behind, a fervent tone laced in his words.
Ryou's hand stopped in mid-air, and he turned slowly to face the voice. "Oh, hello Seto."
Even though he was standing at the far door of the room, there was a look of pure fascination that radiated from Seto's eyes, and it nearly sent erotic shivers of pleasure down Ryou's back. Never before had he known Seto to give the appearance of anything other than an emotionless void, and this sudden onset of passion struck him as unusual. Excluding the brief glance into Seto's soul their first night as Chemistry partners, this was the first time Ryou could recall seeing his human side.
Ryou took an involuntary step forward, mesmerized by the vibrant cerulean eyes. Their color was only pronounced by the streaks of early afternoon sunbeams that flowed into the spacious office through the many windows that made up the far wall. As the light hit them just so, he could have sworn he witnessed their energy burst to life, everything within them set ablaze by an unknown internal force.
He smiled gently, as did Seto, and a moment later they were standing only a foot apart.
"What do you think of our project thus far?" Seto asked, glancing down at Ryou's dazzled expression.
Ryou turned slightly, looking directly at yet right past their project. "Well, I don't really know what it is. I mean, three weeks ago, all that was in here were some wires, a book, and that science professor you hired. All I can remember is that you two were talking about doing something with sunlight."
Seto chuckled, and nodded his head in agreement. "Isn't it obvious? It's an experiment that will prove a solar panel will output different levels of power depending on the color and wavelength of the incoming light." He glanced at the table, his face now encrusted with a thin layer of conceit. "If you had been paying attention, you would have been able to tell me that."
Ryou blinked, his brain attempting to make full sense out of Seto's candid explanation. "Oh."
Brushing past Ryou, Seto walked to the table and picked up one of the clear triangles. Holding it in front of his face, he scrunched his eyes, closely examining its entire surface. "These prisms are the perfect size and depth to capture the right amount of light needed to prove our hypothesis." Using his other hand, he pointed to the closest window. "The early afternoon sunlight is in perfect correlation to the angle at which these three prisms will be rotated at."
Ryou hesitantly took a few steps forward, stopping short of Seto's side. He looked back down at the solar panel, and then over to the two remaining prisms on the table, his thoughts lost in comprehension. "How does it work, exactly?"
Seto grumbled, gently dropping the triangle. "It's simple. Each prism will be put into a different degree of direct sunlight, and the refracting colors will be absorbed by the solar panel. Then the energy produced by it will be transferred down through a series of metal wires to one of three different incandescent light bulbs. The warmer colors, such as scarlet or orange, will produce a stronger energy wave then their complementing cooler colors, like indigo or amethyst. We'll be able to see that in the amount of light given off by the bulbs."
"How come?" Ryou responded.
"Their wavelengths are longer and more direct. That's why we have three different prisms to use, so we can prove our hypothesis to be accurate."
Although he had been listening intently, Ryou didn't completely understand Seto's advanced scientific explanation, nor was he sure what a prism was or what it could do.
"Do you get it now?" Seto asked.
Ryou gingerly picked up one of the prisms, his eyes scanning it briskly in search of what its function was. "Forgive me for asking, but what exactly does this do?"
Seto snorted. "Are you kidding me? The idea of a prism is elementary school knowledge."
The nonchalant response Seto had given stung Ryou's heart a little. "I've never actually seen one before, is all." He muttered, tilting his head down.
Seto's fingers forcefully rubbed his temples, and a low grunt escaped his sealed lips. "You hold it up to a beam of light and the entire color spectrum will be made visible to your naked eye."
With a prism cupped in his hands, Ryou took a few steps closer to the window and held it into the light. A soft rainbow glowed out of the opaque triangle, triggering a delighted cry from his orifice.
Seto smirked, and plodded over to Ryou's side. "You're like a kid going into a candy shop for the first time." He took a single step backward, standing adjacent to Ryou.
"The colors are captivating!" Ryou exclaimed, never before having seen a rainbow in this form.
Seto was tempted to inquire as to why this seemingly common knowledge was so foreign to him, but his thoughts were drawn into the delighted expression that had swept across Ryou's face like a firework, his two brown eyes exploding from the newfound discovery.
Seto gently placed his arms on top of Ryou's, his lean body merely inches behind him. He encased Ryou's hands with his own, catching him off guard.
"Seto!" Ryou cried at the unexpected movements.
As smoothly as he could, Seto thrust Ryou's body forward and into a more direct beam of sun, their hands still intertwined.
Using his hands as a guide, he redirected the prism that Ryou still held over and into a radiant streak of light, sending a powerful wave of colors across the whole room.
Ryou stood in silence, taken aback by the vitality of the rainbow stream and the unexpected closeness of Seto's body.
"See?" Seto whispered. "The stronger the light entering the prism, the stronger the color spectrum being refracted will be, therefore, more potential energy."
He pressed his cheek against Ryou's, the soft skin sending a chill of desire through his being.
"Ryou…" He breathed, the warm air tickling Ryou's skin. "Do you think I'm a complete bastard?"
In response, Ryou shook a little, Seto's body heat hitting his in all the right places. "I'm not entirely sure what to think of you. You're…" He paused as Seto's lips lightly dusted past the peak of his jaw line and wandered up to his earlobe.
"…unpredictable!" Ryou exclaimed, the sensation sending manic sparks of lustful thoughts into his brain.
"Sssh." Seto cooed, lifting a hand off Ryou's and placing it onto his chin, gently turning it towards him. He then removed his other hand and took the prism with it, the array of colors disappearing instantly. He tossed it onto the table nearby and put his hand at the nape of Ryou's neck, rubbing his fingers through the silky white hair.
Ryou opened his mouth to speak, but upon locking eyes with Seto, all words escaped him. For the first time in his life, his mind had gone blank, and his entire being was focused on the electric pulses stemming from this boy's long, lithe fingers.
Seto gazed down at Ryou's rose-colored lips, catching a glimpse of his pearly white teeth through his gaping mouth. His cheeks were flushed, and against his porcelain skin it closely resembled a fine China doll. His eyes had fully dilated, his rich brown irises swallowed up by their black pupils. Simply from the fresh glimmer in Ryou's eyes, he could tell this moment was priceless, and in this moment of time his emotions were raw and exposed. A single wrong word or action at this point could severe their unspoken bond, and deliver a powerful, unnecessary blow to their hearts.
Seto gracefully glided his fingers across Ryou's crimson cheek, drawing a small moan of excitement from him.
"Seto…what are you doing?" Ryou murmured.
A seductive smile spread on Seto's face, causing the already passionate thoughts in Ryou's head to grow twofold.
"Showing you that I'm not an ass all of the time." He responded, his expression still laced with the desire of a fervent youth.
"God, I haven't been this close to someone in so long; I nearly forgot what it was like." He whispered, continuing to stroke the back of Ryou's neck.
Then, almost instinctively, Seto leaned down and placed his lips on top of Ryou's, sealing their intimacy with a fiery kiss.
Much to his reluctance, Seto pulled off Ryou's lips and temporarily broke their quixotic moment.
"Ryou, I'm…" Seto paused, momentarily averting his eyes. "…I shouldn't be doing this." He concluded, breathing a heavy sigh.
Ryou was shuddering with pleasure from Seto's taste, and his body was wild with excitement. "Please." He replied, caressing Seto's cheek with his fingers.
Seto glanced up, his eyes relocking with Ryou's.
…under this new dosage, your disorder is as good as gone. Dr. Teleshov's words resounded in his mind, and the look of pure contentment plastered on Ryou's angelic face beckoned to Seto to throw off all worries and just let their nature take over.
Seto took a deep breath, reaching down to unbutton Ryou's shirt. He gasped, and grabbed Seto's hand.
"Not…not that fast!" Ryou spat out, his face becoming exceedingly red. "I'd like to stay pure for at least…at least until we've gone on a few dates!"
Seto stopped, releasing his shirt. "Sorry." He muttered.
Ryou straightened his collar. "As much as I would enjoy doing that right now, I'm more the old fashioned type." He smirked, revealing his perfect teeth once more. "You know…picnics in the park, a walk on a moonlight beach, stargazing…" Ryou paused, realizing how vulnerable he had made himself. He quickly shook his head, hoping the thoughts would somehow fling out.
What am I saying? All Seto would want me for is…well, to play with. He's not the romantic type. Ryou thought to himself, turning to face the window.
Seto grinned down at Ryou's pouting expression, noticing how furrowed his brow became when he was deep in thought.
"That could be arranged." He said, hoping his words sounded gentle enough for Ryou to believe.
He stretched his hand forward, grasping Ryou's arm. Upon contact, Ryou shrieked and jumped back, holding his arm close.
Seto was shocked, and stood motionless for a second. "You alright?"
Ryou tenderly touched his arm, wincing from his own contact. "I don't know." Slowly, he rolled up his sleeve, finding a black bruise the size of a golf ball nestled near the elbow of his arm.
"How the hell did you get that?' Seto asked, wide-eyed.
The color drained from Ryou's face, and he swallowed hard. "I'm…I don't remember getting a bruise…"
"Are you being abused at home?"
"No!" Ryou responded instantly. "Maybe I just banged my arm on a door and can't remember it right now."
Or maybe…maybe it's something else… He worried, biting his lip.
"Your bruise is black. Whether you hit something or something hit you, it completely destroyed the blood vessels under your skin." Seto replied. "If it doesn't look any better within a few days, you should get yourself to a hospital."
Ryou gazed at Seto, stunned to hear a genuine-sounding concern come out of his mouth. "I'll be fine. Really, it's nothing major."
A loud ring reverberated through the room, splitting any mood in two. Seto made a fist, and trudged over to his phone.
"What is it?" He sneered into the receiver.
"Pardon me for interrupting, Mister Kaiba, but-"
"This had better be pretty fucking important. I told you that I was going to be busy all day today, and now you call and disrupt me!"
"Yes, yes, it is. The professor that you hired had to make an emergency flight home and won't be able to make it back in time to finish-"
Seto slammed his hand down into his desk, the sudden boom causing Ryou to jump.
Damn it! I paid that bastard in advance! Seto thought, his mind seething.
"…Mister Kaiba?" The voice questioned.
"Forget it. I'll take care of things personally." Seto retorted, chucking the phone down.
His tense fingers scraped past his temples again, attempting to rearrange the thoughts that had accumulated over the past several minutes.
"What's wrong?" Ryou asked, standing behind him.
Seto jerked around, his body nearly smacking into Ryou's. "The science bastard I hired had to fly home." A bitter groan erupted from his chest.
Ryou gazed into Seto's glossy eyes, sensing his frustrations. "Did he say why? What does that mean for us?"
"No, and I'll have to finish the project myself." He grumbled.
Ryou looked at Seto, silently wishing he knew what to say to appease his nerves. Seto forced an irritated smile. "At least he left all the parts here. That'll make my job a lot easier."
"Can I help you any?" Ryou asked, tenderly touching Seto's fist.
Seto shook his head, and relaxed his harsh grip. He intertwined his fingers with Ryou's and breathed deeply. "That isn't necessary. There isn't very much left do, and it'll be easiest if I'm just left alone to complete it."
Ryou nodded. "Okay."
Seto grimaced. "I'm going to give him a call right now and find out what was so damn urgent."
Ryou took a step back, gently tugging his fingers free from Seto's grip. "I'll let you do that, then."
Seto's head snapped up. "You don't have to leave, Ryou."
Ryou shook his head. "No, I should. Michael might get upset if I'm not home by a certain time."
Seto sighed, "It's only the afternoon. Why would he want you back so early?"
Ryou redirected his gaze to the window, the vibrancy of the sunbeams causing him to squint. "Saturdays are the only time that we get to spend an entire day with each other. All week long I'm in school, and on Sundays he spends his day either resting up for the upcoming work week, grading papers, or volunteering in a soup kitchen."
The room went silent for a moment. "You're very fortunate to be so close, then." Seto muttered.
Ryou smiled, turning to face Seto. "Thank you for letting me come back here again, and for patiently explaining to me what our project is and all."
Seto laughed. "My pleasure." He replied, giving Ryou's forehead a gentle kiss.
Ryou soaked up the final gesture of emotion, and basked in his ecstasy for a precious second of time before taking one more glance into the enchanting eyes of his partner and drifting down the elevator on the wings of reality.
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"I'm terribly sorry for having to leave you and your project on such short notice, Mister Kaiba, but I just had to get home."
Seto released a heavy breath, his fingers entangled around a lock of his hair.
"Just what was so exceedingly important that you found it necessary to leave near the end of your pre-paid duty and go all the way back to your home?"
The professor sighed into the phone, and replied, "My wife has cancer, Mister Kaiba. Her nurse called me and said that she was in her final days here on earth."
Seto froze, not having expected to hear such a dismal reason for his sudden departure.
"She…she died just last night, actually." He finished, his voice cracking a bit.
"I'm…sorry for your loss." Seto said dryly, unable to comprehend what the professor on the other end of the line must be thinking.
"No need to say anything, Mister Kaiba."
There was a brief window of time where the only sounds made on the phone were soft sniffles and the occasional stressful cough. Seto released his hair and glanced out his window, spying the evening moon peeking out from beneath a blanket of fog.
"Mister Kaiba, if it will ease your dissatisfaction, I can get on an early flight tomorrow and come back to complete the project."
"No. You don't need to. I can handle the rest, thanks." Seto responded quietly, pressing the red off button on his cell and tossing it to the side of his desk.
He stood up and wandered over to the window, losing his psyche in the captivating tranquility of the autumn night.
Here he stood at the end of each day, to collect his thoughts and focus on the imminent danger that the next day would bring, yet this one was vastly different. A typical one for him would begin with a cup of coffee and conclude with a bottle of Lithium, his emotions tottering between the veracity of the current moments and the horrible fear of what nightmares his mind could ruminate. Hardly ever did a day come to pass that brought any genuinely real news or stir any sensation within his soul, but somewhere within the dark recesses of his mortal self, something had clicked.
Although Seto wasn't sure what specific change had been initiated in him, he knew that in this heartless world, things never happened without prompting some sort of alteration to the current reality, whether it be within the neighboring communities or in a country on the far side of the ocean.
The innocent fluttering of a butterfly's wings can trigger a typhoon halfway across the globe.
Though somewhat archaic, the chaos theory had been a source of comfort for Seto's hardened exterior. He found it to be a steady wall of sanity he could lean against when his life was in distress, and it was a dark promise of sorts to him.
In stark contrast to these dark promises and grey clouds that had clung to his life like a bloodsucking leech, Ryou's sheer presence brought a new light into his corner of the world. Something about him was different, made him stand out like a beacon on a rugged seacoast, made Seto feel magnetically drawn to him. Unlike most situations where the only emotions exchanged between Seto and the other person had been ones of spite and acrimony, Ryou drew out his romantic side, somehow finding a way past every verbal barricade he spewed out and nestling into his secret tender spot.
The corner of Seto's lips curved up, plastering his moonlit face with a knowing grin.
God, Ryou, you're going to turn me into one of those softies. He thought, watching the fog thicken and the darkness surrounding him intensify.
The digital clock on the wall began it's melodious quarterly chime, it's steady rhythm connecting to his memory and reminding him he was due for another dose of stabilizers.
With a new beat in his heart and an unfamiliar feeling in his gut, he turned away from his window and sauntered over to his desk, the still atmosphere engulfing his form as he swept up his three white pills and left his office, disappearing into the evening haze.
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