I'm really, REALLY sorry this chapter took so long! O_O *Gives everyone
chibi Joeys* I hate school, can you tell? It's sucking away my time, and
I'm not learning anything important, even! This is just ridiculous, and
_definitely_ unfair for you guys. Thankfully though, this story promises to
draw to a close sometime soon, so hopefully I'll be able to rush along and
get up the next parts as quickly as possible. I intend to focus on this for
the time being, instead of my other stuff, which'll definitely help. Once
more, sorry! ^^;;;;
~*~*~*~
"BANZAAAAAAI!"
"Wha?!" Seto sat bolt upright, eyes snapping open as he heard the shout. He wasn't quite fast enough, however, and the wind was knocked out of him as a blue-black blur landed on his stomach, forcing him to lay back down.
"Mokuba!" Seto took a moment to catch his breath, shaking his head at the overly enthusiastic 12 year old sitting on his stomach, giggling gleefully at his successful prank.
"Good morning!" Mokuba chirped sunnily, eyes sparkling. He scooted backwards into Seto's lap so his older brother could sit up, then hugged him.
Seto let out a low groan, looking at the alarm clock groggily. "Mokuba, it's 5 AM on a Saturday morning...." Not even HE got up that early on a weekend!
"I know." Mokuba beamed. "Today's gonna be GREAT!" It was painfully obvious that he was a morning person.
Seto yawned widely. "Do tell." He mumbled. "What's so special about today?"
"You're gonna take us to the park today, silly! That's what's so special!" Mokuba smiled at Seto indulgently.
"Oh, alright, then." Seto murmured, and wrapped one arm around Mokuba to hug him, the other rubbing his eyes. "I thought it was something important."
He hugged Mokuba for a moment or two, still in a sleepy "all's-right-with- the-world" sort of daze. It lasted for nearly a half minute before Seto did a double-take. "Say _what_?"
"You're going to take us to the park today!" Mokuba repeated brightly, a grin splitting his face from ear to ear. "I've got it all planned out."
"Umm." Seto mumbled, desperately in need of coffee to wake up at such an obscenely, absurdly early hour. "You do?"
"I do." Mokuba repeated insistently. "First, you're gonna shower and get dressed, then you're gonna cook breakfast...."
"Now?" Seto asked incredulously, running a hand through his messy brown hair, mussed from sleep.
"Now." Mokuba repeated happily. "Cause I don't think you'll be going back to sleep anytime soon."
Seto yawned again, recognizing that he was defeated. "Alright, you. Off." He slurred, and swatted at Mokuba halfheartedly. The boy scrambled off of his lap with a triumphant laugh, his light and dark blue pinstriped pajamas rustling as he went.
Seto slid out from under the warm haven of the covers with a groan of protest, and painstakingly stood up. Rather than pajamas, he was wearing a pair of midnight blue, silky boxers, and nothing else, leaving his well- toned chest and stomach exposed for all to see, and fangirls to drool over. He headed towards the bathroom, finding himself tired enough to need to concentrate on what he wanted to say. "What do you plan for me to wear, then?" Mokuba seemed to have everything figured out, this morning. Couldn't he have waited just a little bit longer, though?
"Jeans and a T-shirt." Mokuba supplied smugly. "And no coat. You're gonna get dirty." Yep, he'd planned it ALL out.
"Mm." Seto slipped out of his boxers, opening the shower door. "Why?"
"Cause I said so." Mokuba's grin was one of fiendish delight, a mischievous glee dancing in his jade green eyes.
"Uh-huh." Seto agreed simply as he turned on the water, and let out a hiss as the icy spray hit him. "You wake the mutt up. I'll be out soon."
"Okay!" Mokuba skipped off dutifully, intent on carrying out his task.
~*~*~*~
"Rustyyyyyyyyy!" Mokuba squealed hyperactively, flinging himself onto the bed for a flying glomp.
"Mrrn?!" Joey exclaimed, having woken up with a mouthful of Mokuba's blue- black mane of hair. Not a good way to start the day.
"Good morning!" Mokuba cuddled him happily.
"Mrrrmngh." Joey responded, and spat out the hair, hardly able to keep his eyes open. He took one look at the guest room's clock, groaned, and sank back down into bed. Sleeeeeeeeeeep......!
"Up!" Mokuba commanded, and started dragging the covers off the bed.
"Nnnnnngh....." Joey whined, and curled up to try and preserve body heat, wearing a pair of lime green pajamas.
"C'mooooooon!" Mokuba flipped on the lights, which caused Joey to bury his face into the pillow protectively. Needless to say, Mokuba immediately went for it, and a tug-of-war ensued.
Joey flopped back onto the bed as the pillow was yanked out of his grasp. "Whaddya waaaaant?" He rubbed his eyes, quite unhappy with being awake so early.
"Big brother told me to get you up." Mokuba replied brightly, giggling at the expression on Joey's face.
"Mmm, your brother isn't clinically insane, is he?" Joey reached for the covers again, to drag them back onto the bed.
"Nope!" Mokuba shook his head, and leapt into the pile of blankets like one would a pile of leaves in autumn, to prevent Joey from taking them back.
"Then you are." Joey accused.
"Nu-uh." Mokuba disagreed. "We're going to the park today, so you gotta go shower and get dressed so we can have breakfast and go." With that, he grabbed hold of Joey's pajamas, and attempted to drag him out of bed by the ankles.
"Hey, hey! Cut that out!" Joey yelped, and grabbed the waistband of his pajamas, in serious danger of losing his pants. "I'm going, I'm going.... Crazy kid....." Joey grumbled, yawning as he finally stood up, heading for the bathroom the bedroom was connected to. "Why're you awake so early?"
"We're going to the park today!" Mokuba cheerfully shepherded Joey into the bathroom.
"....And that's a big enough deal to wake up at 5:15?" Joey groaned. "Mokuba, kiddo, you're great, but you REALLY need to get out more often....." He shut the door, and the sound of running water soon began.
~*~*~*~
Once everybody had showered, dressed, and eaten, they managed to get to the park quickly. "We have the ENTIRE day to have fun!" Mokuba declared, overjoyed.
"Mokuba, I do have work I need to get done later in the day..." Seto reminded.
"Later." Mokuba repeated, stressing the word. "Like maybe tomorrow! Today, you're going to have fun, and not worry, because I _said so_!" The last part was spoken with surprising firmness, and with that, he hugged Seto around the waist, then gave him a gentle shove into the park.
Joey shook his head and chuckled, following the pair. "He's got you there, Kaiba. You won't be getting away from him anytime soon."
"Bah." Seto rolled his eyes in mock exasperation. "I should've known. What did you plan for us to do now, you little scoundrel?"
Mokuba headed towards a clump of bushes that he'd paid a visit to that morning, even earlier than when he'd woke up the others, and pulled the cover off of a large bucket. He scooped out two balloons, each sloshing with the movement, and flung them with expert aim. "This!"
"Ack!"
"Hey!" The boys let out twin yelps of surprise as they were pelted.
"What IS this stuff?!" Joey began to rub furiously at a bright orange splotch on his shirt, which only spread, smearing a generous portion onto his hands.
Mokuba was nearly doubled over laughing, as Seto studied a sky blue paint splatter all over his shirt front, with some even speckled on one sleeve. "It's paint! What did you think it was?" Giggling, he took up two more to throw. "Can't get me!"
SPLAT! SPLAT!
Seto gained a sunny yellow stain on his jeans and the lower part of his shirt, some of which had mixed with the earlier blue to make a very nice shade of green. Joey, meanwhile, had flung up an arm to protect himself, and now was a redhead, with a large smear of the same color along the length of his arm. The drycleaning bills for this would be astronomical.... "What're ya waiting for, Kaiba? You heard the kid!" Joey plunged towards the bushes.
"You to go." Seto joined in the chase, though he stayed behind him. "You're the shield, after all."
"Hey, hey! He IS your brother!"
"Obviously." Seto retorted, and ducked behind Joey as another volley came their way, letting him take both paint-bombs, one a lime green, and the other a dark brown.
"You cheat!" Joey exclaimed, to neither in particular, and dove in.
"Ack!" Mokuba grabbed his bucket, and tried to run, but was grabbed from behind. "Hey, super squirt. How about we work together?"
Mokuba grinned. "Deal."
"Great." Joey picked up a balloon, and winked, holding up three fingers, starting to count down. As he finished, both of them lobbed their missiles. "Yes!"
"Gah!" Seto took one full in the face, and the other to the gut. He turned, spitting out some of the neon pink paint that had been splashed all over his face and hair, and purple paint ran down his jean legs.
"Got him!" Joey cheered, high-fiving Mokuba. "But he'll be here in a minute, so we'd better leave bef--"
"Before he gets us?" Seto supplied, and scooped up a balloon in each hand from the bucket, dropping them on each conspirator's head.
"No!" Mokuba let out a little yelp, his long black hair now plastered with white paint.
"Yuck!" Joey looked grossed out, as black paint started oozing down the back of his neck and down into his shirt.
"You talk too much." He picked up the bucket with a small smirk, and tossed another projectile, sending them scrambling. This one managed to hit Joey squarely in the backside, bursting in a shower of salmon colored goo. The CEO chased after them, laughing.
Joey nearly stopped in his tracks at that. This was the first time he'd ever heard Seto laugh, except for the sarcastic triumphant snickers of an expert duelist taunting his beaten opponent. Hell, this was the first time he'd seen the guy _actually_ SMILE, and not just smirk. He was starting to like this side of Kaiba a lot more than the one he usually knew.
~*~*~*~
Some time later, the last balloons had been expended, and they were right back where they'd started. "Well, aren't we a sight to see...." Seto chuckled dryly, looking down at his stained clothes. "What now?"
"Easy, we clean up!" Mokuba laughed, and ducked behind the bushes, this time reaching under them. "Big brother, catch!"
Seto turned, and reached out for whatever was being thrown to him, finding a large Supersoaker landing firmly in his grasp. "You don't mean to say...."
"Ow! Watch it!" Joey winced as the gun bonked him on the head, then bent to retrieve it.
"I do." Mokuba agreed. A devious grin passed between them, and they both turned on Joey, firing.
"GAH!" Joey jumped a good three feet, eyes wide. "That stuff's COLD!"
"I always knew you were washed up." Seto smirked.
"That's pretty low, Kaiba." Joey returned fire, soaking his shirt.
"Oh, is it? Then I'll aim higher." Seto brought the gun up to his shoulder, executioner style, took aim, and fired, the icy stream nailing Joey between the eyes.
"Gotcha!" While the two were bantering, Mokuba had fired at Joey too, the first spot of wetness blooming directly over his heart, before the rest of his shirt fell victim to the freezing water.
Seto shook his gun a little, and heard it rattle. "Ice cubes? Very intuitive." The brothers exchanged grins, and were on the attack again.
"Hey, you want me? Gotta catch me, first!" Joey ducked out of sight as he fled.
"Hmmm...." Mokuba looked around, assessing all the cover that the park provided.
"I'll go after him; you stay here in case he comes back?" Seto suggested. Receiving a nod and a thumbs up, Seto slunk off, looking very much like a hunting cat. .....A soaked, dripping, paint-splattered hunting cat, but a hunting cat nonetheless.
Meanwhile, Joey had doubled back after he had gone a fair distance, knowing he would be followed, and just caught sight of Seto as the CEO strode towards the tree he was hiding behind, looking around purposefully. "Hah!" Deciding to turn the tables on him, Joey leapt out and fired his squirt gun. He slid on a patch of slick grass, which was in a puddle of diluted paint, and crashed into his target.
Not expecting to have to support both their weight, Seto fell, Supersoaker spinning across the ground as he landed hard on his back, Joey sprawled on top of him. In the utterly cliché position of romance stories, Joey had landed between Seto's legs, faces a bare inch or so away from Seto's as he stared into dusky sapphire eyes. Well, this was... awkward.....
He could feel Seto beneath him, the subtle interplay of muscles rippling just beneath velvety skin. It felt strange, but what took his breath away the most was that..... Seto was.... cold....
Joey shivered in spite of himself. While he was flushed and hot, drenched with sweat from running around so much, the day's exertions had only added a soft, rosy glow to Seto's ivory skin-- at least, what he could see of it beneath the paint. Only the faintest hint of heat radiated from the taller teen's body, probably from the exercise. Besides that.... Seto was deathly cold, as though he were laying on top of a corpse. Or some sort of alien.... but definitely not a human. What was with Seto, anyway? How could he be so.... different?
Seto was barely even shifting beneath him to breath, seeming no more winded than if he'd only just gotten out of bed. Joey was still panting, trying to recover from the surprise of the fall. He felt an odd sort of pity. Did Seto.... miss being like people? Was it very hard to be so different? Mokuba wasn't like him. Neither was anybody that Joey could think of. Only him... It was like he was unaffected by everything the world could throw at him....
But he could certainly affect the world.
Joey smiled weakly at the thought. While Seto seemed to rise above and beyond worldly troubles, he could and did affect lowly mortals.... like him. Joey had enjoyed this day more than he ever thought possible, so far. Seto seemed more human than he'd ever been before, and it was oddly thrilling to be able to take part in it. He and Mokuba were helping Seto to come out, in a sense, as if he were being born again....
He'd do it.
It felt.... right, just like laying here did. He was supposed to be doing this. He wanted to be doing this. It was a way to get closer, to the one person he'd presumed was inapproachable. How wrong he'd been.... He would help show Seto what it was like to be a human again, how to be happy. The guy hardly ever smiled or laughed, for heaven's sake; how COULD he be happy? Seto needed someone to care for and be cared for by, someone to show him the way and stay by his side....
Couldn't that someone be him?
"You're heavier than I expected, pup." Seto's voice startled him back into reality, soft and deep, a little subdued. He could feel the sounds vibrating up through Seto's chest, and the breath tickling against his ear. It was hard to believe they were this close....
Joey could feel his cheeks flame with heat, as he blushed scarlet. "I... It's all muscle."
"I might've guessed." Seto raised an eyebrow, chuckling softly. His expression was rather unreadable.
"Y-yeah?" Joey's responded, starting to feel embarrassed. He should've gotten up a long time ago.... Seto would think he was a pervert or something, now!
"That's right." Seto agreed. He hesitated for a moment. "We'd better get going; Mokuba is waiting for us." His arms wrapped securely around Joey's waist, and he propped himself onto his elbows, using a single, smooth push to lever himself into a kneeling position. Seto stood up, then set Joey back down on his feet. "Come on."
"Uh...." Joey's breath caught in his throat, and he blushed harder, not expecting to discover quite so intimately how strong Seto really was. Seto's arms encircled him protectively, and he could feel the how comfortingly solid the chest he was pulled against was. Joey wobbled on his feet as he was set down, and he had to shake off his surprise to stand normally, fetching their Supersoakers. "Thanks."
"Anytime." Seto gave him a nod, and walked off, glancing over his shoulder to make sure the blond was coming.
~*~*~*~
Once they had gotten back together, Mokuba, the sneaky boy that he was, had pulled a picnic basket from the bush he'd hidden the squirt guns and paint balloons in. Just HOW early had he gotten up to do all of that? Joey had immediately tried to pounce on the food, though the two Kaiba brothers had promptly chased him off, fending him away until they could at least spread the blanket to put it down on. Once that was done, Joey dug into his portion. Seto sat down next to Mokuba, and started to eat more slowly, taking in the scenery around them. His eyes always returned to the group, though, thoughtful. They lingered on Joey in particular.
He'd felt the boy's unease. Seen flow of emotions across his face, so painfully obvious that he was deep in thought. What he hadn't been able to see, though, what was he had been thinking about. Joey wore a mask, and it was a good one, though it wasn't nearly as good as Seto's own. They were two of a kind, it seemed.
What did Joey wear such a mask for? What could he possibly have to hide? Seto could guess his father might've played a part in it. Just as his had. Abuse, perhaps? He didn't know. He wasn't sure if he could bring himself to ask. That was private and personal information, he knew. Nobody liked sharing their pasts, unless they were just perfectly idyllic. Nobody had that sort of life; even the most tempting rose has it's thorns.
Joey.... Joey was strange. He seemed so simple! It had to be to hide something else, right? Just look at him.... He ate, he went to school, he hung out with his friends, he went home. He wore his heart on his sleeve. There was nothing to that sort of life. It was.... well.... too easy. Too simple. There had to be more, because he knew there was something else in there. Joey wasn't an energetic goofball with a bottomless stomach and a ready laugh, no matter how much he looked and acted the part. He was hiding.... closing himself off behind a mask of openness. Shielding himself behind vulnerability. Strange, since it didn't seem as if it should be able to work.... but it did. And that, in and of itself, was astonishing. Ingenious. What did it take to be that way? How could he take that sort of risk, when he might be exposed?
He wouldn't LET Joey be exposed. It would be wrong. He was sheltering the boy now, and that meant shielding him, too. Joey was a Kaiba, for the time being, and Kaibas stood together. A small smile reached Seto's lips, and his eyes lingered on Joey, slowly gaining the fierce, protective watchfulness he had previously extended only to Mokuba.
Joey was part of the family now, a Kaiba. Kaibas watched each others' backs. Kaibas cared for each other, loved each other, because family was the one of the only things a Kaiba could truly depend on.
~*~*~*~
Sometime later, Joey started helping the others pack up the remainder of their picnic. It was late afternoon, now, bordering on early evening, and the mosquitoes were beginning to come out. He couldn't help but notice Seto, though, looking around with an almost hawk-like intensity, but always, always returning his gaze to them. It made him shiver. Seto was looking at him the same way he looked at Mokuba.... Protective, possessive. Like a lion defending his pride and territory. A wolf looking out for his pack. It scared him out of his wits, but at the same time imparted an inexplicable warmth. Seto accepted him. He belonged.... Belonged to what felt like a family more real than his own, already, when he had lived with them for less than a day. A family that stuck together through thick and thin, that loved each other more than anything, that would fight to the last breath rather than allow themselves to be separated. He was part of that, and it couldn't have felt more wonderful.
But at the same time, it concerned him. Seto was so wary... So watchful.... So TENSE. Couldn't he just relax? Nobody was going to get them! They were all fine! Strangers weren't going to steal them out from under his nose. Seto was just worrying too much. That couldn't be good for his health. The guy had been fine earlier on, when they'd been playing around. He had been happy. Had obviously been enjoying himself.
That was it! That was the key. Seto HAD to be busy. He just couldn't cope any other way. It was as if there was a fire burning inside him, or a rat crouched in his gut, gnawing at him, only noticeable when Seto could really sit down and pay attention to it. So he didn't. He busied himself, to not feel the anxiety, the self-doubt, the guilt.... but for what?
He UNDERSTOOD. Maybe not the why, but the what. That was the first step, identifying the problem. Second was learning about it, so you could solve it.
It unsettled him as he climbed into the limo after the other boys, still damp and paint smeared. Now that he knew.... what did he do?
He had to find out more.
But how?
~*~*~*~
"BANZAAAAAAI!"
"Wha?!" Seto sat bolt upright, eyes snapping open as he heard the shout. He wasn't quite fast enough, however, and the wind was knocked out of him as a blue-black blur landed on his stomach, forcing him to lay back down.
"Mokuba!" Seto took a moment to catch his breath, shaking his head at the overly enthusiastic 12 year old sitting on his stomach, giggling gleefully at his successful prank.
"Good morning!" Mokuba chirped sunnily, eyes sparkling. He scooted backwards into Seto's lap so his older brother could sit up, then hugged him.
Seto let out a low groan, looking at the alarm clock groggily. "Mokuba, it's 5 AM on a Saturday morning...." Not even HE got up that early on a weekend!
"I know." Mokuba beamed. "Today's gonna be GREAT!" It was painfully obvious that he was a morning person.
Seto yawned widely. "Do tell." He mumbled. "What's so special about today?"
"You're gonna take us to the park today, silly! That's what's so special!" Mokuba smiled at Seto indulgently.
"Oh, alright, then." Seto murmured, and wrapped one arm around Mokuba to hug him, the other rubbing his eyes. "I thought it was something important."
He hugged Mokuba for a moment or two, still in a sleepy "all's-right-with- the-world" sort of daze. It lasted for nearly a half minute before Seto did a double-take. "Say _what_?"
"You're going to take us to the park today!" Mokuba repeated brightly, a grin splitting his face from ear to ear. "I've got it all planned out."
"Umm." Seto mumbled, desperately in need of coffee to wake up at such an obscenely, absurdly early hour. "You do?"
"I do." Mokuba repeated insistently. "First, you're gonna shower and get dressed, then you're gonna cook breakfast...."
"Now?" Seto asked incredulously, running a hand through his messy brown hair, mussed from sleep.
"Now." Mokuba repeated happily. "Cause I don't think you'll be going back to sleep anytime soon."
Seto yawned again, recognizing that he was defeated. "Alright, you. Off." He slurred, and swatted at Mokuba halfheartedly. The boy scrambled off of his lap with a triumphant laugh, his light and dark blue pinstriped pajamas rustling as he went.
Seto slid out from under the warm haven of the covers with a groan of protest, and painstakingly stood up. Rather than pajamas, he was wearing a pair of midnight blue, silky boxers, and nothing else, leaving his well- toned chest and stomach exposed for all to see, and fangirls to drool over. He headed towards the bathroom, finding himself tired enough to need to concentrate on what he wanted to say. "What do you plan for me to wear, then?" Mokuba seemed to have everything figured out, this morning. Couldn't he have waited just a little bit longer, though?
"Jeans and a T-shirt." Mokuba supplied smugly. "And no coat. You're gonna get dirty." Yep, he'd planned it ALL out.
"Mm." Seto slipped out of his boxers, opening the shower door. "Why?"
"Cause I said so." Mokuba's grin was one of fiendish delight, a mischievous glee dancing in his jade green eyes.
"Uh-huh." Seto agreed simply as he turned on the water, and let out a hiss as the icy spray hit him. "You wake the mutt up. I'll be out soon."
"Okay!" Mokuba skipped off dutifully, intent on carrying out his task.
~*~*~*~
"Rustyyyyyyyyy!" Mokuba squealed hyperactively, flinging himself onto the bed for a flying glomp.
"Mrrn?!" Joey exclaimed, having woken up with a mouthful of Mokuba's blue- black mane of hair. Not a good way to start the day.
"Good morning!" Mokuba cuddled him happily.
"Mrrrmngh." Joey responded, and spat out the hair, hardly able to keep his eyes open. He took one look at the guest room's clock, groaned, and sank back down into bed. Sleeeeeeeeeeep......!
"Up!" Mokuba commanded, and started dragging the covers off the bed.
"Nnnnnngh....." Joey whined, and curled up to try and preserve body heat, wearing a pair of lime green pajamas.
"C'mooooooon!" Mokuba flipped on the lights, which caused Joey to bury his face into the pillow protectively. Needless to say, Mokuba immediately went for it, and a tug-of-war ensued.
Joey flopped back onto the bed as the pillow was yanked out of his grasp. "Whaddya waaaaant?" He rubbed his eyes, quite unhappy with being awake so early.
"Big brother told me to get you up." Mokuba replied brightly, giggling at the expression on Joey's face.
"Mmm, your brother isn't clinically insane, is he?" Joey reached for the covers again, to drag them back onto the bed.
"Nope!" Mokuba shook his head, and leapt into the pile of blankets like one would a pile of leaves in autumn, to prevent Joey from taking them back.
"Then you are." Joey accused.
"Nu-uh." Mokuba disagreed. "We're going to the park today, so you gotta go shower and get dressed so we can have breakfast and go." With that, he grabbed hold of Joey's pajamas, and attempted to drag him out of bed by the ankles.
"Hey, hey! Cut that out!" Joey yelped, and grabbed the waistband of his pajamas, in serious danger of losing his pants. "I'm going, I'm going.... Crazy kid....." Joey grumbled, yawning as he finally stood up, heading for the bathroom the bedroom was connected to. "Why're you awake so early?"
"We're going to the park today!" Mokuba cheerfully shepherded Joey into the bathroom.
"....And that's a big enough deal to wake up at 5:15?" Joey groaned. "Mokuba, kiddo, you're great, but you REALLY need to get out more often....." He shut the door, and the sound of running water soon began.
~*~*~*~
Once everybody had showered, dressed, and eaten, they managed to get to the park quickly. "We have the ENTIRE day to have fun!" Mokuba declared, overjoyed.
"Mokuba, I do have work I need to get done later in the day..." Seto reminded.
"Later." Mokuba repeated, stressing the word. "Like maybe tomorrow! Today, you're going to have fun, and not worry, because I _said so_!" The last part was spoken with surprising firmness, and with that, he hugged Seto around the waist, then gave him a gentle shove into the park.
Joey shook his head and chuckled, following the pair. "He's got you there, Kaiba. You won't be getting away from him anytime soon."
"Bah." Seto rolled his eyes in mock exasperation. "I should've known. What did you plan for us to do now, you little scoundrel?"
Mokuba headed towards a clump of bushes that he'd paid a visit to that morning, even earlier than when he'd woke up the others, and pulled the cover off of a large bucket. He scooped out two balloons, each sloshing with the movement, and flung them with expert aim. "This!"
"Ack!"
"Hey!" The boys let out twin yelps of surprise as they were pelted.
"What IS this stuff?!" Joey began to rub furiously at a bright orange splotch on his shirt, which only spread, smearing a generous portion onto his hands.
Mokuba was nearly doubled over laughing, as Seto studied a sky blue paint splatter all over his shirt front, with some even speckled on one sleeve. "It's paint! What did you think it was?" Giggling, he took up two more to throw. "Can't get me!"
SPLAT! SPLAT!
Seto gained a sunny yellow stain on his jeans and the lower part of his shirt, some of which had mixed with the earlier blue to make a very nice shade of green. Joey, meanwhile, had flung up an arm to protect himself, and now was a redhead, with a large smear of the same color along the length of his arm. The drycleaning bills for this would be astronomical.... "What're ya waiting for, Kaiba? You heard the kid!" Joey plunged towards the bushes.
"You to go." Seto joined in the chase, though he stayed behind him. "You're the shield, after all."
"Hey, hey! He IS your brother!"
"Obviously." Seto retorted, and ducked behind Joey as another volley came their way, letting him take both paint-bombs, one a lime green, and the other a dark brown.
"You cheat!" Joey exclaimed, to neither in particular, and dove in.
"Ack!" Mokuba grabbed his bucket, and tried to run, but was grabbed from behind. "Hey, super squirt. How about we work together?"
Mokuba grinned. "Deal."
"Great." Joey picked up a balloon, and winked, holding up three fingers, starting to count down. As he finished, both of them lobbed their missiles. "Yes!"
"Gah!" Seto took one full in the face, and the other to the gut. He turned, spitting out some of the neon pink paint that had been splashed all over his face and hair, and purple paint ran down his jean legs.
"Got him!" Joey cheered, high-fiving Mokuba. "But he'll be here in a minute, so we'd better leave bef--"
"Before he gets us?" Seto supplied, and scooped up a balloon in each hand from the bucket, dropping them on each conspirator's head.
"No!" Mokuba let out a little yelp, his long black hair now plastered with white paint.
"Yuck!" Joey looked grossed out, as black paint started oozing down the back of his neck and down into his shirt.
"You talk too much." He picked up the bucket with a small smirk, and tossed another projectile, sending them scrambling. This one managed to hit Joey squarely in the backside, bursting in a shower of salmon colored goo. The CEO chased after them, laughing.
Joey nearly stopped in his tracks at that. This was the first time he'd ever heard Seto laugh, except for the sarcastic triumphant snickers of an expert duelist taunting his beaten opponent. Hell, this was the first time he'd seen the guy _actually_ SMILE, and not just smirk. He was starting to like this side of Kaiba a lot more than the one he usually knew.
~*~*~*~
Some time later, the last balloons had been expended, and they were right back where they'd started. "Well, aren't we a sight to see...." Seto chuckled dryly, looking down at his stained clothes. "What now?"
"Easy, we clean up!" Mokuba laughed, and ducked behind the bushes, this time reaching under them. "Big brother, catch!"
Seto turned, and reached out for whatever was being thrown to him, finding a large Supersoaker landing firmly in his grasp. "You don't mean to say...."
"Ow! Watch it!" Joey winced as the gun bonked him on the head, then bent to retrieve it.
"I do." Mokuba agreed. A devious grin passed between them, and they both turned on Joey, firing.
"GAH!" Joey jumped a good three feet, eyes wide. "That stuff's COLD!"
"I always knew you were washed up." Seto smirked.
"That's pretty low, Kaiba." Joey returned fire, soaking his shirt.
"Oh, is it? Then I'll aim higher." Seto brought the gun up to his shoulder, executioner style, took aim, and fired, the icy stream nailing Joey between the eyes.
"Gotcha!" While the two were bantering, Mokuba had fired at Joey too, the first spot of wetness blooming directly over his heart, before the rest of his shirt fell victim to the freezing water.
Seto shook his gun a little, and heard it rattle. "Ice cubes? Very intuitive." The brothers exchanged grins, and were on the attack again.
"Hey, you want me? Gotta catch me, first!" Joey ducked out of sight as he fled.
"Hmmm...." Mokuba looked around, assessing all the cover that the park provided.
"I'll go after him; you stay here in case he comes back?" Seto suggested. Receiving a nod and a thumbs up, Seto slunk off, looking very much like a hunting cat. .....A soaked, dripping, paint-splattered hunting cat, but a hunting cat nonetheless.
Meanwhile, Joey had doubled back after he had gone a fair distance, knowing he would be followed, and just caught sight of Seto as the CEO strode towards the tree he was hiding behind, looking around purposefully. "Hah!" Deciding to turn the tables on him, Joey leapt out and fired his squirt gun. He slid on a patch of slick grass, which was in a puddle of diluted paint, and crashed into his target.
Not expecting to have to support both their weight, Seto fell, Supersoaker spinning across the ground as he landed hard on his back, Joey sprawled on top of him. In the utterly cliché position of romance stories, Joey had landed between Seto's legs, faces a bare inch or so away from Seto's as he stared into dusky sapphire eyes. Well, this was... awkward.....
He could feel Seto beneath him, the subtle interplay of muscles rippling just beneath velvety skin. It felt strange, but what took his breath away the most was that..... Seto was.... cold....
Joey shivered in spite of himself. While he was flushed and hot, drenched with sweat from running around so much, the day's exertions had only added a soft, rosy glow to Seto's ivory skin-- at least, what he could see of it beneath the paint. Only the faintest hint of heat radiated from the taller teen's body, probably from the exercise. Besides that.... Seto was deathly cold, as though he were laying on top of a corpse. Or some sort of alien.... but definitely not a human. What was with Seto, anyway? How could he be so.... different?
Seto was barely even shifting beneath him to breath, seeming no more winded than if he'd only just gotten out of bed. Joey was still panting, trying to recover from the surprise of the fall. He felt an odd sort of pity. Did Seto.... miss being like people? Was it very hard to be so different? Mokuba wasn't like him. Neither was anybody that Joey could think of. Only him... It was like he was unaffected by everything the world could throw at him....
But he could certainly affect the world.
Joey smiled weakly at the thought. While Seto seemed to rise above and beyond worldly troubles, he could and did affect lowly mortals.... like him. Joey had enjoyed this day more than he ever thought possible, so far. Seto seemed more human than he'd ever been before, and it was oddly thrilling to be able to take part in it. He and Mokuba were helping Seto to come out, in a sense, as if he were being born again....
He'd do it.
It felt.... right, just like laying here did. He was supposed to be doing this. He wanted to be doing this. It was a way to get closer, to the one person he'd presumed was inapproachable. How wrong he'd been.... He would help show Seto what it was like to be a human again, how to be happy. The guy hardly ever smiled or laughed, for heaven's sake; how COULD he be happy? Seto needed someone to care for and be cared for by, someone to show him the way and stay by his side....
Couldn't that someone be him?
"You're heavier than I expected, pup." Seto's voice startled him back into reality, soft and deep, a little subdued. He could feel the sounds vibrating up through Seto's chest, and the breath tickling against his ear. It was hard to believe they were this close....
Joey could feel his cheeks flame with heat, as he blushed scarlet. "I... It's all muscle."
"I might've guessed." Seto raised an eyebrow, chuckling softly. His expression was rather unreadable.
"Y-yeah?" Joey's responded, starting to feel embarrassed. He should've gotten up a long time ago.... Seto would think he was a pervert or something, now!
"That's right." Seto agreed. He hesitated for a moment. "We'd better get going; Mokuba is waiting for us." His arms wrapped securely around Joey's waist, and he propped himself onto his elbows, using a single, smooth push to lever himself into a kneeling position. Seto stood up, then set Joey back down on his feet. "Come on."
"Uh...." Joey's breath caught in his throat, and he blushed harder, not expecting to discover quite so intimately how strong Seto really was. Seto's arms encircled him protectively, and he could feel the how comfortingly solid the chest he was pulled against was. Joey wobbled on his feet as he was set down, and he had to shake off his surprise to stand normally, fetching their Supersoakers. "Thanks."
"Anytime." Seto gave him a nod, and walked off, glancing over his shoulder to make sure the blond was coming.
~*~*~*~
Once they had gotten back together, Mokuba, the sneaky boy that he was, had pulled a picnic basket from the bush he'd hidden the squirt guns and paint balloons in. Just HOW early had he gotten up to do all of that? Joey had immediately tried to pounce on the food, though the two Kaiba brothers had promptly chased him off, fending him away until they could at least spread the blanket to put it down on. Once that was done, Joey dug into his portion. Seto sat down next to Mokuba, and started to eat more slowly, taking in the scenery around them. His eyes always returned to the group, though, thoughtful. They lingered on Joey in particular.
He'd felt the boy's unease. Seen flow of emotions across his face, so painfully obvious that he was deep in thought. What he hadn't been able to see, though, what was he had been thinking about. Joey wore a mask, and it was a good one, though it wasn't nearly as good as Seto's own. They were two of a kind, it seemed.
What did Joey wear such a mask for? What could he possibly have to hide? Seto could guess his father might've played a part in it. Just as his had. Abuse, perhaps? He didn't know. He wasn't sure if he could bring himself to ask. That was private and personal information, he knew. Nobody liked sharing their pasts, unless they were just perfectly idyllic. Nobody had that sort of life; even the most tempting rose has it's thorns.
Joey.... Joey was strange. He seemed so simple! It had to be to hide something else, right? Just look at him.... He ate, he went to school, he hung out with his friends, he went home. He wore his heart on his sleeve. There was nothing to that sort of life. It was.... well.... too easy. Too simple. There had to be more, because he knew there was something else in there. Joey wasn't an energetic goofball with a bottomless stomach and a ready laugh, no matter how much he looked and acted the part. He was hiding.... closing himself off behind a mask of openness. Shielding himself behind vulnerability. Strange, since it didn't seem as if it should be able to work.... but it did. And that, in and of itself, was astonishing. Ingenious. What did it take to be that way? How could he take that sort of risk, when he might be exposed?
He wouldn't LET Joey be exposed. It would be wrong. He was sheltering the boy now, and that meant shielding him, too. Joey was a Kaiba, for the time being, and Kaibas stood together. A small smile reached Seto's lips, and his eyes lingered on Joey, slowly gaining the fierce, protective watchfulness he had previously extended only to Mokuba.
Joey was part of the family now, a Kaiba. Kaibas watched each others' backs. Kaibas cared for each other, loved each other, because family was the one of the only things a Kaiba could truly depend on.
~*~*~*~
Sometime later, Joey started helping the others pack up the remainder of their picnic. It was late afternoon, now, bordering on early evening, and the mosquitoes were beginning to come out. He couldn't help but notice Seto, though, looking around with an almost hawk-like intensity, but always, always returning his gaze to them. It made him shiver. Seto was looking at him the same way he looked at Mokuba.... Protective, possessive. Like a lion defending his pride and territory. A wolf looking out for his pack. It scared him out of his wits, but at the same time imparted an inexplicable warmth. Seto accepted him. He belonged.... Belonged to what felt like a family more real than his own, already, when he had lived with them for less than a day. A family that stuck together through thick and thin, that loved each other more than anything, that would fight to the last breath rather than allow themselves to be separated. He was part of that, and it couldn't have felt more wonderful.
But at the same time, it concerned him. Seto was so wary... So watchful.... So TENSE. Couldn't he just relax? Nobody was going to get them! They were all fine! Strangers weren't going to steal them out from under his nose. Seto was just worrying too much. That couldn't be good for his health. The guy had been fine earlier on, when they'd been playing around. He had been happy. Had obviously been enjoying himself.
That was it! That was the key. Seto HAD to be busy. He just couldn't cope any other way. It was as if there was a fire burning inside him, or a rat crouched in his gut, gnawing at him, only noticeable when Seto could really sit down and pay attention to it. So he didn't. He busied himself, to not feel the anxiety, the self-doubt, the guilt.... but for what?
He UNDERSTOOD. Maybe not the why, but the what. That was the first step, identifying the problem. Second was learning about it, so you could solve it.
It unsettled him as he climbed into the limo after the other boys, still damp and paint smeared. Now that he knew.... what did he do?
He had to find out more.
But how?