Author's Note: After like, nearly two years, I finally woke up one morning and decided to write a part two. OO;; This isn't exactly a chapter two… kind of an extra… thing. Seto's thoughts, I guess.

I kind of suggest reading the rewritten chapter one… or else you won't get a little bit of this. It's short, but hey.

Disclaimer: Still don't own anything.

"Chapter" Two

Open Windows

Who are you?

You were someone else, Niisama.

When you're like that, you don't care about me.

Seto lay Mokuba down in his bed. The boy still trembled and the tears remained on his cheeks. The older brother made quick work of that and wiped them away, pulling the blankets up to Mokuba's shoulders. Despite this, Mokuba's trembling did not ease, and Seto frowned.

He'll be fine. Go back to work.

"No." Seto leaned down and kissed Mokuba's forehead. The boy relaxed a bit, and Seto smiled, not surprised. That always works. It worked back then, and it still works now…

He looked up and noticed the open window. The curtains rustled in the night breeze, but the stars hid behind clouds and the moon was new. Seto wondered briefly if he should close it—Mokuba didn't seem cold, but…

Go back to work.

Seto sighed. "Good night, Mokuba."

Mokuba mumbled something in his sleep and rolled over. Seto almost smiled, but the smile seemed held down, heavy, and fake. Instead he pursed his lips and left the room, flicking off the light and closing the door softly behind him.

Back to work.

Kaiba never opened his office window—the breeze distracted him. The consequence, however—the room was stuffy despite the air conditioner. Seto felt the hot air the moment he opened the office door, and the bright glow of the computer screen in the darkness stung his tired eyes. With a groan, he sat down in the chair and put his hands on the keyboard.

Hello, Microsoft Word.

He blinked a few times and tried to remember where he'd left off. A report on Kaiba Corp's monthly funds stared back at him, snakes of text on the screen. He'd lost his focus, and the text suddenly seemed jumbled, nonsensical. Damn it, Mokuba…

"Funds increased by thirteen percent… spending increased as well, five percent… and now the difference between what's made and what's spent…"

His head ached and Kaiba cursed under his breath. If only he hadn't been interrupted, he might have this finished up by three in the morning… and now, with his mind almost blank, it seemed an all-nighter was at hand. Kaiba closed his eyes and massaged his temples.

It's too hot. Open the window.

No, I can't open the window; I'm not allowed.

What?

Only adults can…they think the children will try to escape if they could--

Seto's eyes blinked open. Of course he could open the window. Where had that thought come from? He stared at the closed window, running a hand through his sweaty hair. Kaiba's head had begun to throb by then, and he groaned.

Back to work. Back to work.

Text, swimming all over the screen.

"I can't do this right now." He felt sick and hot, and Seto stole from the chair and left the office. In the hall he stopped and leaned against the wall, muttering to himself and wiping sweat from his brow. In irritation he discarded his jacket, dropping it to the floor and leaving it behind as he entered the bathroom.

Kaiba didn't bother to turn on the light. He splashed himself with water from the sink, spat to cleanse his lips of the salty sweat, and then looked at his reflection.

You look horrible.

"Yeah, screw you."

Much different than before. You've changed a lot, Seto Kaiba. You look so old. Heavy eyes, a constant scowl, hard-set eyes. Dark eyes.

"I've grown. It happens."

Mokuba seemed to notice. You scared him.

"He was delirious… the kid needs sleep. I told him that."

Was he?

Seto gripped the marble countertop and leaned forward towards the mirror.

Weren't you listening to him? You hardly seem to do that anymore. "You were someone else." He's right, you know. Who are you now? Seto, or Mr. Kaiba…?

"I'm the same person as always."

Something welled up deep inside him and almost made him chuckle. Seto's reflection was smiling grimly back at him, but he couldn't feel the smile on his own face. He touched his cheek—nothing. His dark eyes grew wide with surprise and confusion. "Who…"

Go back to work.

"I can't."

It doesn't matter. You have to finish. This is bullshit—why are you in here? Go back to work.

Seto felt his heart pounding in his head as though blood would spurt from his ears at any second.

You were someone else, Niisama. You don't care about me. Who are you?

"Who are you?"

With a strangled cry, Seto tore himself from the mirror and left the bathroom. The voice vanished, leaving Seto with only a sick taste in his mouth. He swallowed a few times and leaned against the wall again. "Back to work, eh…?"

The mahogany doors awaited him only a few feet away.

"Fuck you."

Mokuba's window was still open when Seto entered his younger brother's room. The boy slept silently, his trembling eased. The older brother smiled and climbed beneath the blankets beside him.

Mumbling, Mokuba's eyes fluttered open and fell drowsily on his brother's face beside him. "Niisama… your work…"

"Shh. The window's open."

The younger boy stared at him.

"They'll make me go back to my bed if they catch me in here, Mokuba. The window's open—I was worried about you."

A blank gaze.

Seto pulled his brother close and closed his eyes. "It's alright. We'll be okay. I'm here."

The boy had heard those words before—so many times before, long ago, in the tiny beds of the orphanage as the wind howled and made the curtains wave through the open window, ghosts on the breeze. Mokuba lay awake, trembling, until Seto stole from his own bed and slipped into Mokuba's.

"Niisama… you can close it, can't you?"
Seto's eyes went wide, sparkling blue in the dark. The eyes of the photograph, Mokuba thought, and he touched the locket against his chest. "Mokuba, they'll punish us if they catch us near the windows. They'll think I'm running away."

He's Seto again, Mokuba realized, and tears pricked his eyes. Seto, the real one.

Mokuba hugged his brother round the shoulders and lay his head against his chest. Kaiba was gone, at least for the time, and Mokuba had Seto to himself. No computers, no work to be done—Seto had none of that; it all belonged to Kaiba.

Seto only had a little brother to protect from open windows at night.

Fin

End Note: GYAAHHH WTF, that wasn't exactly what I wanted it to be… but hey. XX Hope you enjoyed it a bit. Sorry it was so short. =P

Thank you to all the people who originally reviewed part one (47 reviews—I've never gotten that many on one chapter before! )!