Seto and Mike have a moment, plus some filler.
-BB
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The brunet would beat her awake, and she didn't budge in the slightest when he removed himself from the bed and dressed. His sweats didn't get much use at home, but he'd have to return to the estate before they went out anyway.
Barefoot, he padded down to the kitchen, where he spotted Mike out back on the patio with a cup of tea on the table and an iPad in his lap. Helping himself to the kettle, he stepped out.
"Good morning Professor."
Mike smiled wide at the blue eyed man. "Good morning, Seto! I see you found the tea. Please, join me. It's lovely this morning."
Seto had to agree as he sat down. Flynn's yard was a little empty yet, with only the pool and the freshly manicured lawn, but he suspected by this time next year she'll have filled it with something.
"I didn't hear you come in last night, but I did notice her study was empty this morning." Mike flashed a toothy grin.
"Good job prying the bear from her cave. She gets a bit fixated. Like a hunting dog on a scent. I was just thinking of asking Ryou if we might clip the wifi to draw her out."
Seto chuckled and sipped his tea. "Not a bad idea, but I'm glad to save you from such grave measures."
"You'll forgive her, of course. She's just a bit excitable when it comes to her passions. My wife was much the same way…" Mike smiled fondly across the lawn. "Valindra would spend hours on her piano… just making music. It was magical and terrifying. She'd forget to eat, sleep, come up for air…" Mike shrugged and looked to the brunet.
"Just another thing to love about her."
"We're all guilty of getting carried away at times." Said the blue eyed man.
"Too right. There's been a night or two I've spent devouring one book or another." Mike chuckled and sipped his tea. "Christ almighty, that stamina. I've not seen her that deep since college."
Seto chuckled and the Professor did too before they settled into silence.
Finally having the older man to himself presented Seto with an opportunity to ask something that he'd been hesitant to take from Flynn.
"Professor?"
"Hmm?"
"You know her better than anyone else…" The man's smokey eyes came up, they were an ashy green today. Seto found them with a confidence he didn't feel.
"How serious were the attempts she made on her life?"
"I can assure you son, they were quite serious." Said Mike.
"Allow me to rephrase." Said the brunet, setting his cup on the table and forcing himself to focus on the conversation.
"I saw the snake attack. I saw her opportunity, her situation, and I saw what she looked like… I can understand that what she was going through broke her."
Mike nodded but didn't respond.
"What I'm asking about is the second time. When she was with you. She told me she was diagnosed as postpartum psychosis, which means it was after Tito was born."
Mike nodded again and sighed, sitting his iPad flat on his lap and leaning back in the patio chair.
"I felt sick when she came home… She said it was better served in person, which is right, but to think…" The man paused, seemed to collect himself before continuing.
"I told her whatever she wanted to do, I was here for her. We made it all the way to the clinic before she broke down… She said 'Mum would have said it's not it's fault.' And she was right… So. We broke it down. Piece by piece, what each option came with, and what she wanted to do. The plan was to give the child to Ryou, and Ryou would ensure she would receive more than enough to live by from the tomb."
Mike sipped his tea before continuing.
"She was fine, the delivery went great… we got home and that's when the nightmares started. She'd scream… Christ she'd scream…" The Professor's eyes dropped to his cup and he swallowed a bit nervously.
"She was seeing a Therapist, but she quit going… then she went quiet. I knew something was wrong but she wouldn't speak to me… I found her shortly after." Mike looked over to the brunet.
"If you're asking if she'll do it again, I can't be sure, but I can assure you she meant to do what she did. She very much wanted herself dead… but… she's not foolish. She knew what time I would be home… and she knew the first thing I do every day is hang up my jacket. She wanted to be found. With her dying breath she was asking for help, and it was something I couldn't give her. She went into hospital, and she stayed for some six months."
Mike sipped his tea again.
"When she got out was when she told me she would be returning to Egypt, and she was going to help raise Tito with Ryou… I was scared but…She's done well. She continues to grow as a person, settling here. It's quite nice."
Mike's lip curled. "I just wish Bakura wasn't a part of it. Every day she looks at the animal that attacked her, and accommodates him. I… just wish…" His face pinched into one of anger.
"I wish someone could control that monster."
Kaiba nodded in agreement. One of the things that made Bakura so dangerous was the fact that he seemed to answer to no one but himself and the Pharaoh.
"Perhaps… I know someone." Said the blue eyed man as he picked up his tea.
"Then I would advise you to give them a ring, son." Said Mike.
"Because as long as she's with you, you're on Bakura's list."
(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)
"You look gorgeous." Seto told her. It was completely true. He'd matched her in black, white and blue to his white, black and red, and the result had pleased the brunet to no end.
His coat was a long familiar white long coat with the red liner. Hers was black with a blue liner, with a white button up below and a black vest. She'd taken the coat with delighted eagerness, claiming it was better than any dress simply by the fact that it held pockets. He'd even managed to convince her to sport matching leather pants like his own, shaping her beautiful form below the coat. He had half a mind to forget the tournament and have her in the owner's box.
"I feel gorgeous, love." She told him, taking his arm and starting down the stairs. "And that's not even with you serving as my arm candy. My word, look at us." She studied their image in the mirror in the hall, and made another pleased sound in her throat. "Come on, let me go see Dad and the boy before we go." She started for the kitchen and strutted with clear purpose.
"Jeeves! Let's get some music in here!" She crooned as she swept in. Mike was seated beside Tito at the island with pancakes. An intro played from the kitchen's speakers and Tito's grin turned huge as the woman broke it down, running her hands down her front.
Tito scrambled down and Mike didn't stop him, instead he leaned an elbow on the island and gave the brunet a smirk as the boy fell in with her and mirrored her steps and hand motions. Flynn scooped the boy up and Tito cackled as she rocked him through another verse,
She threw into an inverted dip, drawing another string of giggling laughter, the boy's hair draping out under him.
She swung him back up and Tito started a rolling wiggle in her arms to the beat, finding her free hand and lacing it with his tiny one as they giggled.
"You're funny uba!"
"Duh." Said the woman with a smirk as she dropped the boy to the floor.
"Alright love, give me a once over, what do you think?" Asked Flynn.
Tito hummed and studied the woman top to bottom before landing on her face.
"You going outside, uba?"
"Probably be outside most of the day, why?" Replied the woman.
"You should wear your glasses."
The woman's face pinched and Mike smirked as he looked back to the island, shifting their breakfast plates around.
"I have sunglasses, I'll be fine."
"No, those aren't as good. Get yours, uba. They're better for you." Said the child sternly.
"Do you have special glasses for your eyes, koibito?" Asked the brunet, crossing his arms as he looked to his lover.
"Maybe." She said defensively.
"Go get them, please."
She turned to give him a look of betrayal, and he held a hand up in placation. "I have a set I'm supposed to wear too, if it makes you feel any better. Too many hours in front of a screen." He got into his coat to show an eye glass case.
"See? It's good for you uba. Go get them." Said Tito.
Flynn sighed. "Yes, alright. I'll be back, they're just in the study."
When she returned, she was in a pair of sharp frameless glasses, the lenses shifting to accommodate the light in the kitchen immediately.
"I like those." Murmured the CEO to her warmly, giving her a smile as she approached.
"Oh good, as I'll be wearing them tonight as well."
The thought of her in the dress they'd picked out and the lenses was delightful. He couldn't wait. He should tell her.
"If I wasn't already the envy of everyone in attendance, you're cause enough."
"Oh stop." But her smile said her objections were empty. She crouched, her arms out.
"Come now Darling! XOXO."
Tito grinned and hugged her tight.
"I'll see you tomorrow morning, you can tell me all about your day, and I'll tell you all about mine, deal?" Asked the woman, the boy nodded excitedly.
"Love you, uba."
"Oh, I love you too. Be good for Papa Mike." She smooched the boy's face and stood, blowing a kiss to her father. "Love you Dad!"
"Love you too, have fun."
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