Summary: Amelda had grown accustomed to dealing with the consequences of his actions, yet one of 'those' seminars is probably a bit harsh for just one furtive kiss.
If only Kaiba would stop looking at him...


A long kiss.
A really long kiss.
Those kind of kisses that made one gulp for air once it was over.
Yazawa didn't pull away, neither did Amelda. Well up to the point where he ran out of breath and was beginning to feel dizzy.

He stared at Yazawa wide-eyed. She stared back.
Amelda's hand reached for her face.

"I'll have to go now."
Yazawa had jumped to her feet, but hesitated seemingly torn whether she should stay or leave.
"It's really rather chilly in here…and…" she struggled to find the right words as she chose the latter.

"Of, course…sure…"
Amelda closed the window and tidied the place up a bit, as if he could thereby remove all traces of their awkward intimacy.

"So…"

"Yes…"

"See ya…"
And Yazawa had fled the room.


"…to emphasise this behaviour. True, it is only natural and we're all human so…"

Oh god, what had he done.
Amelda wished the ground would open up and swallow him.
How could he have let himself go? Kissing a colleague…

"…which I am sure we could achieve over the next quarter. However I believe that…"

It had been wrong.
Morally, ethically and fundamentally wrong. And it had felt wrong too.
Well, no, of course it hadn't felt wrong.
Actually Amelda had to admit kissing someone had never felt so right, apart from the one time at New Year's Eve, though he preferred not to remind himself of the sickening fact that he had kissed Seto Kaiba.
Amelda buried his face deeper in his palms.
He felt like crawling under a stone to die. An ugly stone.

"…of success. Role model is the term. What an executive has to obey, should apply to every superior. Only then will…"

Amelda took in a deep breath.
Out of the corner of his eyes he could see Kaiba.
Watching him.
Observing him intently.
God please, he didn't know, did he?
He didn't right?
No, he couldn't, right?
Amelda groaned.
He knew.
Kaiba always knew.
Hanako's little lesbian outburst must have come to his attention.
Why else was there a lecture being held in his study titled: 'why screwing your subordinates endangers your company'?
The man hadn't used those terms of course.
He had talked about: trust and dependence and sexual harassment and liability…
God, why was Kaiba looking in his direction again?

The sudden absence of noise made Amelda snap back into reality. The lecture has ceased, there were approving nods from other superiors and some topics were brought up again.
And it was only a matter of time until Kaiba would…

"Miss Sotha?"

"It was an accident, I swear," Amelda babbled without thinking.

Kaiba's expression did not change.
"I'm sure of it," he stated levelly, "can I have a word with you?"

"It didn't mean anything, it just happened…"

"Alright, fine," Kaiba continued once he had led Amelda into the small adjacent room, Amelda had only been allowed into once or twice, if Kaiba had been really tired but needed to dictate a few letters nonetheless.

"I'm sure you had only the best intentions and I will refrain from blaming you," Kaiba had taken a seat opposite his upset secretary.

Amelda relaxed.

"…once I have found out what this is all about," Kaiba added a bit quieter, but before Amelda could have said anything he continued," But I must admit, there is a reason why I wanted to talk to you in private."
He sighed.

"It has come to my attention…no…Miss Sotha, may I be frank with you?"

A careful nod on Amelda's behalf sufficed, Kaiba continued.

"I am, if you allow me to let you in on a little secret, I am quite concerned about my little brother. Of course Mokuba is going through a difficult phase, rebelling against external influences and oppression, myself included."
He sighed.
"You see, I wish nothing but the best for Mokuba, yet I feel giving him advice would be pushing my luck. Though it breaks my heart to see him struggling with the hardships of adolescence…"

Kaiba seemed concerned. His voice was different too, Amelda noticed.
The level, businessman like shallow tone had faded. Those were intimate, secret thoughts. Sharing those would make him vulnerable, Amelda made a mental note.

"I'm afraid my overly protective manner has transmuted me in some kind of parental figure. I can't help noticing the way he treats the unhealthy mixture, a siblingish blend of mother and father, though I must admit it makes me somewhat proud to know I could cover for them."
He gave a dismissive chuckle.

It stung. Just listening to the words hurt.
Amelda's heart was pounding, the air he forced down his lungs burning.
Shut up.
Please, just shut up.

"Unfortunately as some kind of authorial, brotherly monstrosity, my guidance is frequently mistaken for attempts to regain control and therefore ignored if not opposed. I can't give him any advice a common elder sibling could give. He will just try to prove me wrong as a matter of principle. Every little remark provokes an inferiority complex, any sort of guidance confound with me having not enough faith in him managing on his own. But as elder sibling I'm sure you know what I'm talking about."

Amelda said nothing.

Kaiba sat back, lost in thought.
"I guess it's only natural that way…There are things that are not suitable to be discussed with older brothers. Which is…"
Kaiba looked up at Amelda.
"Where you come in, Miss Sotha…"

Kaiba explained further what little talk he had in mind.

"He'll know it's a trap," Amelda concluded eventually.

"Perhaps," Kaiba sat up a little straighter," but he is also in dire need of someone to talk to. And…" here he gave a smug smile in Amelda's direction, "I know he's very keen on you Miss Sotha."

Amelda blushed inevitable and evaded Kaiba's gaze.

"But furthermore," Kaiba continued unperturbed," I had hoped you might share some of your feminine secrets with him. You know, help him understand the mysterious species he has recently showed interest in called 'girls'."
"I suspect he's fallen in love," Kaiba clarified under Amelda's puzzled stare and couldn't bite back a grin, "he's been acting rather strange lately, moody, hardly listens to the world turning around him…meeting up with a girl in secret…"
"Well, apparently not secret enough if I know about it, I know," Kaiba was aware of the glance Amelda shot him, "But let me put it this way. He trusts you, well so do I and I'm sure he would take advice from a clever woman such as yourself. As I am sure a female conversational partner will be more appropriate for questions concerning matters of the heart."

"Any particular parts he needs to gain experience with?" Amelda tried narrowing the big mysterious field of young love down.

"Sex."

Amelda gulped.

"Not the bodily activity as such," Kaiba rolled his eyes at Amelda's shocked expression, "but the differences in sexes. You know, helping him understand that men and women are equal in their capacity, but need different handling. Give him hints, perhaps even a few warnings what girls like and what he probably shouldn't do. You know, share some inside information with him. He might even have some questions about women…"

Amelda gulped again.
"I'm very honoured, sir, but…"

"You should be," Kaiba cut him off, "it is my beloved little brother I am reluctantly entrusting you with. And only because he wouldn't talk to me or Isono or any other of my most loyal men but I know you for long enough to know that you're legit and you will report to me exactly what he said and asked you about and if you mess this up, consider yourself fired, is that understood?"


It just wasn't right, Amelda could feel it.
He was slowly pacing down the corridors, taking as much time to do so as possible.
Well, he had thought things through, had thought about some useful phrases and answers and had brushed up a little on female anatomy via a quick online search just in case.
He took a deep breath.
But what if he asked a weird question? God, he was bound to ask some weird questions Amelda would be uncomfortable with and probably unable to answer and then he would panic and make things up.
Why couldn't he just ask what the average size of a uterus was? Those were scientific facts, clean, straightforward scientific facts Amelda could deal with.

He had reached his destination.
Of course he would be able to tell Mokuba what he could surprise his girlfriend with, though after chocolates and flowers he had run out of options.
Safe sex.
Please don't tell me he is going to talk about that with me, Amelda thought as he knocked at the door.
I knew I should have called Valon…

"Come in."

Mokuba was sitting at his desk, textbooks using up all the space, yet Amelda could see the treacherous top shelf magazine protruding.
He smiled mildly as he closed the door.

"Please," Mokuba made room for Amelda on the couch as he picked up embarrassedly clothes he had lazily thrown on it after coming home before he sat down opposite of him.

"So…you wanted to talk to me?" Mokuba croaked, miserably failing at sounding relaxed.

"Yes, I…" Amelda began but hesitated.
He reconsidered his opening speech.

"Your brother thinks, you're behaving rather strange lately…"
Mokuba almost jumped as he had already been lost in thought due to the short silent interval.

"He described the symptoms and…well, I could be wrong…" Amelda gave the well-studied female reinforcing smile that he was indeed not wrong and knew it.

"I…he…it…"
Mokuba stammered, unsure what to respond.

"I just thought you might want to talk about a thing or two…you know…girls can be really scary…"
Which unfortunately, Amelda had to admit, he actually meant.

"Yeah, ehm…sure…"
Since Mokuba was still unable to retort anything of importance, Amelda continued.

"You know, I'm not here to lecture you. I just thought I'd share with you some thoughts on this matter. Young love is a beautiful thing…"

Mokuba watched Amelda with strange fascination, yet he didn't interrupt him.

"It's just that…" Amelda skimmed mentally through the points he had considered appropriate for this conversation," Well, as unbelievable as it might sound at some points, girls and women are human too. They have feelings, insecurities, dreams and hopes just like boys, though they use a different system to cope with it, which probably will strike you as odd sometimes."

Another long lost stare was all it provoked.

"All I wanted to say is that the different phases of love you're probably passing through, joy, annoyance, doubt…it's all a natural process. Everyone experiences those. She does as well. And if you're struggling to express your feelings…Just talk to her. Make her understand the way you feel, okay? Just be yourself and everything will work out fine…"

Mokuba looked up at Amelda, his big round eyes brightening up.

"You sure?" Mokuba stammered.

"Yes," Amelda answered truthfully, "she knows what a well-bred little treat she had got herself in the first place."

"Right…ok…" Mokuba seemed to be as embarrassed about the whole thing as Amelda, "thank you Miss Hanako…"

"And if you have questions, you know don't be shy. Just ask me…"
Well the last part had not been voluntarily, yet Amelda felt it was expected of him to add that.

"No, right…fine…thank you, Miss Sotha…"

Well, this went better than expected, Amelda had to congratulate himself.
No awkward topics, no questions about women.
It had played out very well, Amelda was content with the result.
And he was set to go, when Mokuba said:

"Miss Hanako, could I…ask you something…"

Amelda considered using some lame excuse to escape the feared questioning, yet the dead serious look on Mokuba's face forced him to stay.

"Yes," Amelda stated in a soothing voice, "Sure."

"It's just that…" Mokuba's voice trailed off as he was still unsure whether this was the right place nor the right time nor the right person to discuss this topic with.
"I have a friend…well, we used to be friends and…well in a manner we're probably still and…"

Before Amelda could have weighed his options what a divorced woman in her late twenties was supposed to make of this, his brotherly instincts had kicked in.
Amelda took a seat next to Mokuba, sparing him the humiliation of facing him as he continued.

"It's stupid, I know, but he makes me feel…weird…in a sense…I just feel so…strange. I can't get my head around it properly, but in a way I like it, but it…"
Mokuba was controlling his breathing way too much for Amelda's taste as he fought off the tears.
Amelda placed a hand on his thigh.
"It scares me…it…it feels just wrong. I know it's wrong and it scares me. I don't understand and worst of all, I don't know what to say to him. He's just so nice and such a good friend. I constantly remind myself that we're friends. But I…I…"

Amelda knew what words were supposed to follow, yet he felt it best if Mokuba would speak them on his own.
Gone was the mask of Hanako Sotha, gone the carefully calculated moves. It was just Amelda. Spurred on by brotherly affection as he reached for Mokuba's hand. And the silly wish to comfort all the little brothers in the world.
He wrapped an arm around Mokuba's trembling shoulders.

"I really like him…I love V…"Mokuba broke off unintentionally as he gulped for air, "I just like him. More than I have ever liked a friend. Well, come to that, he had been my first real friend. And I didn't realise those feelings right away…I…When he's around everything just feels so good. The world is a brighter place. Even now I can't stop smiling while thinking of him."
Mokuba started to laugh, yet it choked in some kind of wheeze. He was struggling with his emotions.
"I love him…" he stated a bit quieter. It hadn't been intended for Amelda's ears. He had heard nonetheless what he had suspected in the first place.

"And I don't know what I should tell him. If I should even tell him. I mean, what if he doesn't like me…that way. And I don't even know which way that is…"

Amelda patted his shoulder.
"I think…" he said," I think you shouldn't give it another thought."
He took Mokuba's unresisting hands and gave them a firm squeeze as he searched his gaze.
"Just enjoy it," he continued, "cherish the moments you share with him. Give it time. You'll know when the time is right."

Amelda saw Mokuba's shoulder sagging and felt impelled to clarify.
"I won't be telling you that it's only a phase and you shouldn't worry. Neither will I tell you that the first love is just one of many more to come."

Mokuba looked even more lost than before.

"Look, all I can say is that you should be patient. Just let your heart guide you to whomever it might be. Just give it time, don't rush yourself. And in the meantime enjoy those moments and don't brood over their nature. Don't think, just feel. Everything is going to be alright."

Amelda still wasn't too sure whether this were the words he would have used, if his little brother had confronted him with a similar problem, but it didn't matter now.
"And no, it's not a thing your bigger brother ought to know. It doesn't concern him and you can tell him if you wish to do so. It's your choice."
There was just the slightest hint of realisation within those lines that this would apply to his little brother as well. If he had homosexual tendencies, Amelda added mentally.
Yet, as much as he avoided thinking about Miruko becoming an adult, deep down he knew that he would always support him and be proud of him. But luckily he would have a few years left until then…

Mokuba looked up in confusion and Amelda retorted his 'I just know' smile.
Still it made Amelda sad.
Mokuba was afraid of his brother disapproving of the feelings he shared for this classmate.
Poor thing.
He made a mental note of hugging his brother next time he saw him, just to let him know that he would always support him. And then Miruko would shoot him this 'what's gotten into you again?' glance he hated so much. He could even do this through his bandages, mind you…

"It's your life," Amelda emphasized his words by yet another pat, "You shouldn't rack your brain over what other people might think of it. It's none of their business, anyway. Don't push yourself. You don't have to have an answer right away, but I'm sure your friend would understand…"

Mokuba stared disbelievingly at Amelda, who nodded in return.
Then he threw himself into his arms, sobbing as the tension and insecurities and fears that had built up over the past few weeks dissolved.
Amelda ruffled his hair amicably and if he dared closing his eyes, it almost felt like hugging his brother.

"Thank you Miss Hanako," Mokuba croaked as soon as he had restored his ability to articulate. Well, at least rudimentary.

"If something's bothering you, you can come to me straight away. And if you have any questions don't be shy. Just ask me."
This time however he meant it.


Amelda stretched in his chair as he went through his mail.
Lunchtime was still a far too distant point on the clock and already he felt like crawling back into his bed to hibernate there.
The 'talk' had gone smoothly, yet it had lasted way past midnight, with the occasional 'ehms' and 'uhs' elongating it necessarily. Still it had been the first time Amelda corrected himself a talk with the runt had been anything apart from disturbing or awkward.
Of course he had reported the topics discussed in their little tête-à-tête.
Well, of course not everything. Kaiba had been informed that his little brother had fallen in love, true. And he might have stated later on that there were certain difficulties he was experiencing towards a male class mate. He might have left out their correlation. A fugitive mistake wasn't it.

Amelda opened another envelope which to his surprise lacked a promising invitation to dinner with a self-proclaimed well-hung colleague, lewd underwear, saucy remarks or any other common indecency. Skimming through the formal letter identified it as some sort of unconventional method for inter-departmental bonding. A weekend at a luxury spa.
Lucky bastards…

It had been the right decision to omit a few, yet vital matters Mokuba had confided him with. Of course it had puzzled Amelda why he even cared in the first place, yet…
Well, he had to admit it, the runt reminded him just a bit of Miruko and…
He sighed.
He couldn't help it, when he looked at him with those eyes, those big round eyes asking the world for help…
Anyway, it didn't concern Kaiba. Well at least until he would walk in on them which was an accident waiting to happen, considering Mokuba never locked his doors…
But in the meantime, it was none of his business.
Amelda had been brooding over the last part for a long time.
He wasn't too sure whether…Well, actually he would prefer to know if his little brother…
Well, most of all he would prefer if this topic had never come up in the first place…

"A great opportunity to fasten the bonds between co-workers, don't you think so Miss Sotha?"

Amelda snapped back into reality and mentally skimmed through the monologue Kaiba had held. Fortunately his ability to half listen to any conversation was finally paying off.

"You're spoiling the girls," Amelda smiled.
Yes, it had been about the weekend KaibaCorporation was treating its female employees to.

"It's all right," Kaiba was working through some documents, "though I must say, I'm not quite sure how I will spent the time alone."

"I'm afraid I don't quite follow," Amelda stated perplexed.

"Didn't you receive my invitation?"

The advertisement for the spa surfaced mentally.
"A formality, surely…"

Kaiba sighed terminating his work as he looked up at Amelda.
"As much as I enjoy your overzealous and obliging attitude, I'm afraid I will have to cope without it for a few days."

Amelda was dumbstruck.

"Have fun with the girls."
Kaiba readjusted some files.
"Enjoy your stay."


Author's Note:

Here on fanfiction my readers had been a little reluctant whether Amelda should be sent to a spa, but on archiveofourown it was a definite yes.
So next week Amelda will be forced to deal with a short and...well, peculiar company outing. But apparently a woman's meridians are converging in an unexpected part of the female anatomy. Oh and apparently modesty is a state of mind only used if male co-workers are around...