Early the next morning, seto was woken by the sounds of birds chirping outside the window. -urgh..same old?- he thought, as he slowly opened his eyes -same room, same bloody birds, same things, same yami-!- here he woke up fully, a blush spreading across his face -no, this is different..yami-kun..- he didnt get any further, as he trailed off, blushing deeply.
He sat up, drawing his knees up to his body, looking sideways at the snoozing figure beside him. Such an identical likeness...The likeness stirred at that moment, deep blue eyes looking dozily up at him. "hey...aibou-" he sat up, brushing his fingers over seto's cheek, "good sleep?"
Seto blinked, still blushing "y-yes.." as Yami sat up fully, shifting a little closer so he could hold his light...his Koi. Kaiba leant into the warmth a small smile curving over his flushed face. Yami ran his fingers thru kaib'as hair, gently kissing the top f his head. "Aibou...." He held seto even closer, arsmw rapped around the slender figure...
seto wondered if his face was going to go any redder, and soon found it was, when yami whispered "thank you aibou-koi...for trusting me.." kaiba looked up, face scarlet now, but me managed to choke out "yami-kun...um.." then, entirely out of his usual nature, he hugged his yami tightly.."your the one -i- should be thanking....your the first person to ever stay beside me...made me realise i couldnt always manage alone..."
He waited for yami to say something, even luagh. But he heard his partners voice a second later, and it carried the same loving, kind tone it had always had since the very beguining. "i never break a promise..especially to my koi.." Seto blushed, still feeling like this was a wonderful dream....
The two sat on the bed, yami holding the light close, the warmth of the memories of the last night occupieing their minds..Seto closed his eyes -Things seem different now..all that resentment for what i thought was a foolish emotion...yami was so patient with me, even when i was pushing him away he didnt go, he just waited to tell me he cared for me..-
Yami smiled, looking down at his love, -ill never forget this, the first time i truly got to hold you tight, to fall asleep with you beside me..unafraid id upset you..- he kised seto's cheek -i fell in love with you the moment i saw you, my sweet little descendent...and its a feeling i will never ignore..i love you so much now..-
Seto blsuhed, tilting his head up so he could kiss yami "mhh...i love you..." he murmered, smiling properly for the first time..Set smiled, kissing him back playfully, squeezing the slender waist, making seto squeak, then laugh. "How's about we go get some food love...im starving.."
Seto nodded, feeling damn hungry himself..he trailed behind yami, still in a bit of a daze..so many things he thought he could never feel..had shown themselves in the lovign circumstances...-i spent ym whole life beleiving this was a farce..but now..i dont EVER want to have to leave him..never..-
This still preyed on his mind as he bustled around, picking various thigs to cook. Another sadening issue, which he'd forgotten about this day, was waiting to show itself..Yami plopped himself down on a stool, smiling at how his aibou seemed happily occupid, and cheerful. The smile grew even bigger as set heard his hikari humming something softy, and saw that happy smile. -Its good..ive managed to help you feel hapier aibou..-
seto absent midedly hummed the song from the DDr machne in the arcade, and was lost in his own world. Until that was, set decided to see what his Koi was doing. Seto had puased, stirring the stuff in the pan....and as a result got a fright when yami wrapped his arms around his waist, resting his chin on aseto's shoulder again, murmerring "what'cha making koibito?" seto blushed, the little nickname making him remember that night....
"anou..just a special kind of soup, i rememebr my mom used to make it...i found the recepie..it was after they.." he trailed off, looking a little sad, the memory returning... set frowned worriedly, knowing his aibous past still caused him some considerable pain..."aibou.." he murmerred, and as seto turned the heat down, yami drew him into his arms again, whispering "its OK, i just want you to be happy...ill always be here when its too much for your heart to handle..you'll always have me..."
Kaiba nodded, feeling espeshially sad, since it was the anniversary of the sadness that very day. He eventually turned back to his cooking "...i have to visit..the cemetary later..." set felt like he was beign torn apart, hearing the sadness in his hikari's voice..."your not going alone..im coming too, aibou..."
seto blinked, "you..dont mind?" he whispered. Set shook his head "of course not..i love you seto-koi, and i wont break that promise.." as seto grabbed some tings from the various cupboards, yami smiled "as darkness ill look after the light..."
---------------
As they walked back from the cemetary visit, set saw how much this day realy semmed to upset his love...the soft smile that had been hanging around him all that morning had faded, and he looked ready to cry..
"aibou..." Seto had stopped in front of a building. stepping up beside him, yami saw the words "Orphanage" written on a hanging sign. "aibou..aibou-koi?" Seto at last snapped free from the trance "yami-kun..um, i just need to go in here a moment.." set blinked, but follwed his love faithfully, as he had promised, gently sqeezing his hand..
Seto stepped in, and got one huge, familiar surprise..
"Kaiba!"
-----
Yugi, Joey and Tristan had all volenteered to give the orphanage a hand, since one of yugis grandfathers friends had a job there. They were happily surrounded by all the little ones, when the childrens attention attention was captured by another person entering...
"Ohh, Kaiba!" giggling, one of the little ones ran over, and was picked up by the older duelist. The three gaped "k..k...kaiba?!" Joey spluttered, as the kids all crowded around him, they obviously were delighted to see him..
"Ah.." Yugi's eyes widened, a look of comprehension dawning "he said he came from an orphanage, it must be this one then..."
"Thats right.." they all turned, seeing a motherly figure, one of the matrons, standing beside them "he was here when he was a child, parents were killed very close together, it almost destroyed him, we had a worrying time when we thought he wasnt going to stop blaming himself for it..he wouldnt speak, woudnt do anything, kept trying to escape to get back to the place it happened.."
The group stared at her, hardly able to beleive it "he, he was ehre since he was a kid..?" Joey blinked, the woman nodded "bright child, but as for childhood, he was more like a grownup, always doing what you'd expect of a parent for his younger brother, he wouldnt do anything pertaining to himself if he could help it, he kept saying t was his mothers last request before she died..that he look after his younger brother..."
Yugi and the other two were speechless, this was what had hurt him so much, having your parents torn away from you was horrific.."man..." joey shook his head, watching how kaiba was smiling at the kids, but behind the smile seemed to lurk an old pain...
"So, a few times every year, he comes in here to see the little ones, plus, if it wasnt for the help and money he's donated to us, we would have had to close this place..." she shook her head "he still seems as serious and adult as when he was a kid, ive not seen 'im smile for a long time..."
Yugi blinked "i think..he's better now.." he murmered, joey looked at set, who was standing his light, their hands barely touching but this seemed enough to help seto.."yeah.."
Seto looked up, seeing them all there for the first time since he'd walked in. A look of slight panic and confusion dawned, and he quickly just looked back down -no matter how many times i visit, it still makes me feel like im re-living it..i want these kids to have a happier life..but..now yugi's lot knows about this..i didnt intend..-
He closed his eyes, praying they wouldnt interfere, wouldnt come any closer......
NO such luck. "Kaiba-kun?" he accidentally let an anxious shiver run through him, the bubble of panic that always came up when people mentioned his past appearing now. Knowing he couldnt avoid them, he mamanged "a,h-hey, what're you here for? i just.." but he stopped, deciding not to continue, and glanced away from them. watching the kids playing in the newly re-vamped building, Yugi smiled. "This is what your brother was talking about, and what you mentioned..isnt it?" kaiba flinched slightly, just nodding "mm.." Joey frowned, and Tristan wondered -is there something else thats behind this guy, seems hes done nothing but be used as peoples tools since his parents died, from what mokuba told us of thier stepfather...-
Yugi was trying to get the details out of kaiba, who seemed very anxious, and upset. Yugi blinked "hey ,the lady that works ehre, she told us how..about-" here kaiba definatly couldnt seem to even meet their gazes "mhm..." his ahnds were clenched so tightly they left marks when he fially loosened his grip.
He was so intent on just answering all yugi's questions he barely saw the looks going between Joey and tristan. They were all used to dealing with a cold, arrogant guy, not someone who rgiht now looked pretty wound up about something.
Thankfully yugi's questions were cut short by the arrival of the place's owner, and kaiba instantly began speaking to him about how the place was doing on its current funds. Yugi's group watched in curiopsity as kaiba held out a flat envolope, and when he heard the amount of money it was, joey practically had a heart attack...
"how the hell can he have so much money!? the lucky goit!" ttristan shrugged "he runs a massive business empire joey ya doofus, THATS where.." yugi smiled "mm, but from what ive heard, alot of it gets sent ehre, the Orphanage...guess cos of he grew up here.." The lot nodded, and ythey saw, as soon as the guy had finsihed talking to seto, the kids crowded round him and set again as they made to go..
"aw, c'mon, pwease stay!" "ya gonna come back!?" "aww.." Thruogh all this Kaiba smiled "yeah, dont worry, ill be back now its the holidays, take care!" he waved cheerfully to them, then ducked out into the chilly air outside, some of the kids following, yelling goodbye as he and Set started to walk back to KaibaCorp.
"Wow..those kids seem ta really adore him.." Joey said, surprised to high hell. "well, they all know him as the saviour of this place..a few years back it was due to close.." they turned to look at the smiling manager "but then Mr.Kaiba just showed up, originally from here, and saved the place from the funding slump it was in...we were all surprised he was from here, so few ever return.."
Yugi smiled "thats good, my grandfather's friend said the place suffered a lot of trouble, but we had no idea it was kaiba.." The guy nodded as he turned to go, and ygui and co made to go to the kids "if it wasn't for KaibaCorp, we'd be stuck..."
Yugi couldnt help thinking it was odd, for kaiba to be saving such a painful part of his past -but i guess he's doing all this for mokuba, according to that lady, thats all he's ever cared for..or else he wants these kids to have a life he obviosuly never got to see..for them to be happy..what really happened to him??-
-------
Set really began worry as seto hardly spoke "aibou.." they stopped on a desterted street "are you OK?" seto didnt answer for several seconds then "y-yeah..its just..." he stopped as yami's arms wrapped around hsi waist and the other pulled him into his arms, the warmth pushing away the chill of the air, holdig him in the iddle of the street.
"Aibou..i love you, i hate seeing you sad like this..." Set kissed his cheek softly "please tell me whats making you so sad, is it these memories?" Seto blinked, not wanting to leave the wamrth and safety of yami's arms, even if it was only a temporary respite from his past....Sighing he looked up, managing a fake smile "Im ok..really.."
But set couldnt get rid of those nagging doubts as they walked back to the mansion -please tell me love, i only want to help..-
The sky had fallen dark by the time they got back, and kaiba was feeling oddly tired. Set managed, after 20mins of seto's objecting, to get him to go lie down. "you have to rest aibou!" he had stated, and Seto had just given in eventually, set had a way of looking very cte and persuasive. -i bet..- setot hoguth as he curled up ato the bed -Mokie taught him that..- chuckling he lay back and closed his eyes...
-----
Water. A masive expanse of it, glittering with pinpricks of lgiht coming from somewhere in the darkness around him. "where..." he whispered, his voice echoed "is this...?" he tried to move away from his place atop the water, but his whole body felt weighted down, numb almost. It felt depressing....heavy....
Scarcely had he gotten sight of where he was, then the water started to swirl, swiftly it rose up, entwining into a serpent, which snaked its way around his body, pulling him down before he could fully react....
As the dark waters closed in, he saw all the things he had tried despertly to hide, the memory of his parents deaths, the orpahnge...
Gozaburo. here the memories seemed slower, more malicious, showing every instance that man had used him as a tool, as only a means to keep his company going. He felt flashes of pain as he saw each memory of each time he'd been thrown aside, hit, and heared that mocking laughter.
Blood red ribons suddenly appeared, wrapping aroumd him, hearing a cold voice -this is, and always will be, your past..dont think yugi and those fools really care about you, dont think you can be any different then what you are..-
As he felt the warmth from yami fading, it spoke again -you'll always just be a tool, give him one chance, that precious lover of yours wil destert you, just like--
Here Seto had heard enough, he closed his eyes :-:yami, you're the only one who's ever told me diferent then this cold blankness..i dotn want to beleive it:-: Here he finally managed to form a few words dispite the cold, and woke up yelling "NO MORE PLEASE!!!"
He sat up on the bed, shivering, then buried his head in his hands, shaking from deep within, the chill of the things words still feeling like a cold knife through him. -do..do i beleive myself? or was that dream right, am i nothing more than a tool, no use for anything more? no.....-
He let out a miserable hiccup, and the door was flung open a second later, Set skidding in "aibou!!" he ran to his love, seeing how pale he was. "aibou..." he sat on the bed next him, wrapping his arms around Seto's terrified, slender frame, feeling how much he was shivering.
"What happened love?" the yami asked. Seto just made a miserble choking sound, clutchung to yami's body as if he was afraid he'd vanish..."y-yami-kun..." he finally choked out "am i just a puppet?" set started slightly, confused "what? what the hell gave you that idea love..." seto looked down, biting his lip, the next second feeling warm blood flowing from the bite.. "im only..any good to people, as a tool...?" he whispered blankly, leaning slackly against yami.
Set felt a frightening shock run through him -Seto...aibou-kun..dont let your past do this to you..i dont want to lose you to your sadness..what can i do??- In his arms Seto sniffed slightly, still hiccuping miserably. Set sighed, sotly kissing the younger one, briefly tasting blood from the cut, which faded away at the touch. seto stopped shivering, leaning thankfully into the others warm kiss. It seemed to calm him down a little, and he dropped back into sleep seconds later, but yami didnt feel any better.
-What if it happens again aibou?- he thought, checking his lgiths breathing. It was steady, good. He sighed, not wanting to leave the others side. He heard mokuba's voice yellig "im home!", as the kid got back from one of his clubs. Set shot downstairs to tell him to keep the noise down. Mokuba blinked, panicing when yami told him of what happened. "my brother! lemme see him!" Set shook his head "he's asleep at the moment..but hes been having some bad dreams...its best he just sleeps it out.."
Mokie nodded worriedly, wandering up to his room, worried sick about his older brother. -seto, stop concentrating on me, think about yourself for once, i hate it when you get so ill and tired because you spend so mcuh time on that promise. I know its Mom's last request but, youve got to look after yourself too...-
Set sighed, walking back to his lights room...
-----
"Hey yugi!" mokuba smiled as his friend answered the phone on its first ring, feeling releived, he needed someoe to talk to.
----
"Nightmares? well, they shouldnt have that kind of effect...is he ill?" yugi had listened to everything mokie had said about his older brother's sudden strange condition. He heard Mokuba sigh "no, hes just tired, keeps babbling about puppets and something..i don't understand it other than i think it was the orphanage memories that brought up the ones about our step-dad...he always went for Seto when he was mad see.."
Yugi nodded, frowning worriedly, since they'd seen him at the orphanage, it seemed Seto had gotten worse as far as his already precarious mental state went...."dont worry mokie, just get yami to stay with him, yami loves him to high heaven, if i know him, hes not about to let your bro get ill, kaiba just needs time to realise tthis isnt going to fade like the other things..."
----
Yugi sighed as he put the phone reciever down. "hey yug, whats wrong?" he looked up, seeing yami, tristan and joey all looking worriedly at him "who was that calling?" joey finsihed.
Yugi sat down and sighed "it was mokyba, hes worried about his brother, apprently kaiba's started having strange nightmares, and whatever he sees its making him ill, he's hurt yb something..its worrying him..but theres no sign of a fever..."
Joey frowned "he seemed a bit weird ealier in the orphanage didnt he...?" tristan nodded, and yami spoke "all of this recent stuff, the gozaburo reappearence, noa, its all deeply to do with his past, and the way things went, its all hurting him more than any of us..."
They all blinked, realsied just how right yami was, seto HAD been the central focus of all of this...yami sighed "i noticed he didnt really react at all during it, all i can think of is its all sinking in and its too much to handle after years of hiding it according to mokuba.."
They all sighed, they knew a persons memory could consume their entire mind, and if there wasnt away of pulling kaiba from this strange slump he was in, then what....
----
Seto felt like he'd been flung into an icey lake as he finally woke up after a semi-dreamless sleep, broken only by the odd flash of those ribbons again...
He heard set talking on the phone down below, and he tried to yell to him, but all that happened was a faint, almost kittenish mewling sound, it was all his frozen voice would allow in his state.
-why is that nightmare doing this to me.- he winced, feeling frozen from the inside. He forced himself to sit on the edge of the bed, trying to ignore the constant pounding in his head "why..why is-?" but he stopped there, as his stomach lurched unpleasntly, and he was forced to make a break for the bathroom...
-----
Set walked back into his koi's room just as the certain afore-mentioned came out of the bathroom, one hand pressed to his head, white as a sheet..."aibou?" the spirit ran forward, wrapping an arm around seto's waist, helping him hobble back to the bed.
"Aibou..." concern had not left the yami's voice since seto's nightmare. Seto tried to say something, but he could already feel sleep trying to claim him again -no..i dont want to see it again..- his last view was of yami sitting right by him, their hands entwined gently...
The visions struck again, seto found himself floating in the blackness, the cold seeping into the soft barrier of warmth he could feel from yami's hand..trying to drag him away from such a sweet hope...
---
-he keeps passing out, he can hardly stay awake..i dont..i never want to lose him..i have to end this nightmare for him, i love him!- set felt panic rising, and struggled to think of something to do "aibou.." he held his loves pale, icey hand as he wished for a way to show itself...
---
In his nightmare, the light tried desperatly to get free..but the ribbons were tightenign their grip around his body, leaving streaks of blood were they touched, he could feel the warmth fading..-i dont want to give n to this..but i cant get free..yami..please...-
----
Yami's panic increased as seto's breathing began to slow, the coma state trying to start, as his mind convinced him he was supposed to go that way...
Set touched seto's cheek, frightened by how cold he was "seto...koibito.." as he heard seto's breathing pause, he knelt on the bed, crouching over seto, holding his hand close to his heart, and kissed his beloved with all the desperation, adoration, love, and worry he felt for him...-please aibou..-
Unnoticed by him, a bright ball of light started to shine between them...
----
Just as he fet ready to just let go, he felt a familiar warmth, knew set was trying to help him..-he, he DID cme for me..he really does mean his promise, he doesnt care about what ive done in the past, only the present..-
He felt the ribbons shred aaprt, as a strange light surrounded the whole area, the memories breaking into fragments thats dissolved into the glow -yami..-
he slowly bgean to wake...
His vision cleared as he managed to open his eyes, feeling yami gently breaking a kiss betwene them, the light that had felt so warm vanishing now, to show his worried partner right beside him, one ahnd warmly clutching his, scared blue eyes locked onto his "ai..aibou?"
They were only a few inches apart, seto could see the fright and worry in his yamis eyes...he sat up, set arms sneaking aroudn ihs back to ease the movement. He slumped against his other half, feeling a overwhelming sense of relief..-its gone..yami..saved me from what id always been so scared of..he neevr broke his promise, even when i couldnt ask him for help, he tried everything..-
Set slowly began massaging his back, feeling seto shivring. He paused a second later though, as he coudl hear seto making faint little noises, like he was.....crying?
"aibou.." he kissed seto's cheek softy, this persuading the other to look up at him "yami-kun..i.." he blsuhed as yami raised his other hand to brush the tears away "i..thank you..." Set smiled, identical crystal blue eyes looking at his hikari "seto..ive said it once, ill say it again, -i love you-, you alone only, and ill NEVER leave you..you mean more to me than life itself, wthout you, nothing would be worth anything to me..and ill repeat it as often as you worry.."
Seto couldn't stop himself from going bright red at these words, both at how the truth could be felt in yamis soft touch, moving under his shirt again, and in the gentle smile in the blue eyes so like his own..."yami-kun..i.." two more crystal tears spalhed onto his trouser leg as he leant into the embrace.
"i love you..i dont want to be aywhere else..only with you..." with eavh word he felt the bad memories fading, like this was something that should have been expressed long ago, bt was ow fnally being unlocked from an icey barrier...
He uttered a soft cry, clutching to set's back, nuzzling into his shoulder, biting his lip at the contrast as yami's warm hands began straying purposely along his back under the fabic of his clothing, the wamrth countering the chill of his skin, "you're cold love.." set murmered...
Seto opened his eyes, knowing how red he must be "..you made the cold go away in my dreams mm?" he trailed off, leaving the question hanging in the warm air.
set blsuhed at his light's sweet invitation.."mhh, then ill just have to stay with you and...warm you up then, eh?" as he whispeerd ths last bit he kissed his love again, lying him down and drawing them both close together...
seto blsuhed again as yami began gently kissing the tears that had fallen onto his face, then gently kissing him just perfectly, but almost as if he teasing him...
The prevous hours became nothing more than a passing thought as the kisses grew deeper, familiar paths being traced over soft cool skin.., like clouds being whisked across the moon...
-----
Mokie perked his ears up as he sat watching TV, what was that...noise? Sounded like...he giggled, knowing JUSt what it was -bloody hell yami, you sure know how to charm my brother...but you'd better be looking after him!-
He wondered though, wether yami and seto would be able to deal with the no doubt huge fuss the world would make when they found out about the two of them..-yami'll help him cope, im sure they'll be Ok, hehe, maybe yami and yugi can help?- he grinned, thinking up whateevr plans it took to help his brother....
(( o ...o -eyeball falls out- damn, im goign to pieces XD, ive typed me butt off lately, trying to write all my ideas before i forhget hehe..but at least i managed to pass my exams for I.T just got the (delayed) results on friday! ))
He sat up, drawing his knees up to his body, looking sideways at the snoozing figure beside him. Such an identical likeness...The likeness stirred at that moment, deep blue eyes looking dozily up at him. "hey...aibou-" he sat up, brushing his fingers over seto's cheek, "good sleep?"
Seto blinked, still blushing "y-yes.." as Yami sat up fully, shifting a little closer so he could hold his light...his Koi. Kaiba leant into the warmth a small smile curving over his flushed face. Yami ran his fingers thru kaib'as hair, gently kissing the top f his head. "Aibou...." He held seto even closer, arsmw rapped around the slender figure...
seto wondered if his face was going to go any redder, and soon found it was, when yami whispered "thank you aibou-koi...for trusting me.." kaiba looked up, face scarlet now, but me managed to choke out "yami-kun...um.." then, entirely out of his usual nature, he hugged his yami tightly.."your the one -i- should be thanking....your the first person to ever stay beside me...made me realise i couldnt always manage alone..."
He waited for yami to say something, even luagh. But he heard his partners voice a second later, and it carried the same loving, kind tone it had always had since the very beguining. "i never break a promise..especially to my koi.." Seto blushed, still feeling like this was a wonderful dream....
The two sat on the bed, yami holding the light close, the warmth of the memories of the last night occupieing their minds..Seto closed his eyes -Things seem different now..all that resentment for what i thought was a foolish emotion...yami was so patient with me, even when i was pushing him away he didnt go, he just waited to tell me he cared for me..-
Yami smiled, looking down at his love, -ill never forget this, the first time i truly got to hold you tight, to fall asleep with you beside me..unafraid id upset you..- he kised seto's cheek -i fell in love with you the moment i saw you, my sweet little descendent...and its a feeling i will never ignore..i love you so much now..-
Seto blsuhed, tilting his head up so he could kiss yami "mhh...i love you..." he murmered, smiling properly for the first time..Set smiled, kissing him back playfully, squeezing the slender waist, making seto squeak, then laugh. "How's about we go get some food love...im starving.."
Seto nodded, feeling damn hungry himself..he trailed behind yami, still in a bit of a daze..so many things he thought he could never feel..had shown themselves in the lovign circumstances...-i spent ym whole life beleiving this was a farce..but now..i dont EVER want to have to leave him..never..-
This still preyed on his mind as he bustled around, picking various thigs to cook. Another sadening issue, which he'd forgotten about this day, was waiting to show itself..Yami plopped himself down on a stool, smiling at how his aibou seemed happily occupid, and cheerful. The smile grew even bigger as set heard his hikari humming something softy, and saw that happy smile. -Its good..ive managed to help you feel hapier aibou..-
seto absent midedly hummed the song from the DDr machne in the arcade, and was lost in his own world. Until that was, set decided to see what his Koi was doing. Seto had puased, stirring the stuff in the pan....and as a result got a fright when yami wrapped his arms around his waist, resting his chin on aseto's shoulder again, murmerring "what'cha making koibito?" seto blushed, the little nickname making him remember that night....
"anou..just a special kind of soup, i rememebr my mom used to make it...i found the recepie..it was after they.." he trailed off, looking a little sad, the memory returning... set frowned worriedly, knowing his aibous past still caused him some considerable pain..."aibou.." he murmerred, and as seto turned the heat down, yami drew him into his arms again, whispering "its OK, i just want you to be happy...ill always be here when its too much for your heart to handle..you'll always have me..."
Kaiba nodded, feeling espeshially sad, since it was the anniversary of the sadness that very day. He eventually turned back to his cooking "...i have to visit..the cemetary later..." set felt like he was beign torn apart, hearing the sadness in his hikari's voice..."your not going alone..im coming too, aibou..."
seto blinked, "you..dont mind?" he whispered. Set shook his head "of course not..i love you seto-koi, and i wont break that promise.." as seto grabbed some tings from the various cupboards, yami smiled "as darkness ill look after the light..."
---------------
As they walked back from the cemetary visit, set saw how much this day realy semmed to upset his love...the soft smile that had been hanging around him all that morning had faded, and he looked ready to cry..
"aibou..." Seto had stopped in front of a building. stepping up beside him, yami saw the words "Orphanage" written on a hanging sign. "aibou..aibou-koi?" Seto at last snapped free from the trance "yami-kun..um, i just need to go in here a moment.." set blinked, but follwed his love faithfully, as he had promised, gently sqeezing his hand..
Seto stepped in, and got one huge, familiar surprise..
"Kaiba!"
-----
Yugi, Joey and Tristan had all volenteered to give the orphanage a hand, since one of yugis grandfathers friends had a job there. They were happily surrounded by all the little ones, when the childrens attention attention was captured by another person entering...
"Ohh, Kaiba!" giggling, one of the little ones ran over, and was picked up by the older duelist. The three gaped "k..k...kaiba?!" Joey spluttered, as the kids all crowded around him, they obviously were delighted to see him..
"Ah.." Yugi's eyes widened, a look of comprehension dawning "he said he came from an orphanage, it must be this one then..."
"Thats right.." they all turned, seeing a motherly figure, one of the matrons, standing beside them "he was here when he was a child, parents were killed very close together, it almost destroyed him, we had a worrying time when we thought he wasnt going to stop blaming himself for it..he wouldnt speak, woudnt do anything, kept trying to escape to get back to the place it happened.."
The group stared at her, hardly able to beleive it "he, he was ehre since he was a kid..?" Joey blinked, the woman nodded "bright child, but as for childhood, he was more like a grownup, always doing what you'd expect of a parent for his younger brother, he wouldnt do anything pertaining to himself if he could help it, he kept saying t was his mothers last request before she died..that he look after his younger brother..."
Yugi and the other two were speechless, this was what had hurt him so much, having your parents torn away from you was horrific.."man..." joey shook his head, watching how kaiba was smiling at the kids, but behind the smile seemed to lurk an old pain...
"So, a few times every year, he comes in here to see the little ones, plus, if it wasnt for the help and money he's donated to us, we would have had to close this place..." she shook her head "he still seems as serious and adult as when he was a kid, ive not seen 'im smile for a long time..."
Yugi blinked "i think..he's better now.." he murmered, joey looked at set, who was standing his light, their hands barely touching but this seemed enough to help seto.."yeah.."
Seto looked up, seeing them all there for the first time since he'd walked in. A look of slight panic and confusion dawned, and he quickly just looked back down -no matter how many times i visit, it still makes me feel like im re-living it..i want these kids to have a happier life..but..now yugi's lot knows about this..i didnt intend..-
He closed his eyes, praying they wouldnt interfere, wouldnt come any closer......
NO such luck. "Kaiba-kun?" he accidentally let an anxious shiver run through him, the bubble of panic that always came up when people mentioned his past appearing now. Knowing he couldnt avoid them, he mamanged "a,h-hey, what're you here for? i just.." but he stopped, deciding not to continue, and glanced away from them. watching the kids playing in the newly re-vamped building, Yugi smiled. "This is what your brother was talking about, and what you mentioned..isnt it?" kaiba flinched slightly, just nodding "mm.." Joey frowned, and Tristan wondered -is there something else thats behind this guy, seems hes done nothing but be used as peoples tools since his parents died, from what mokuba told us of thier stepfather...-
Yugi was trying to get the details out of kaiba, who seemed very anxious, and upset. Yugi blinked "hey ,the lady that works ehre, she told us how..about-" here kaiba definatly couldnt seem to even meet their gazes "mhm..." his ahnds were clenched so tightly they left marks when he fially loosened his grip.
He was so intent on just answering all yugi's questions he barely saw the looks going between Joey and tristan. They were all used to dealing with a cold, arrogant guy, not someone who rgiht now looked pretty wound up about something.
Thankfully yugi's questions were cut short by the arrival of the place's owner, and kaiba instantly began speaking to him about how the place was doing on its current funds. Yugi's group watched in curiopsity as kaiba held out a flat envolope, and when he heard the amount of money it was, joey practically had a heart attack...
"how the hell can he have so much money!? the lucky goit!" ttristan shrugged "he runs a massive business empire joey ya doofus, THATS where.." yugi smiled "mm, but from what ive heard, alot of it gets sent ehre, the Orphanage...guess cos of he grew up here.." The lot nodded, and ythey saw, as soon as the guy had finsihed talking to seto, the kids crowded round him and set again as they made to go..
"aw, c'mon, pwease stay!" "ya gonna come back!?" "aww.." Thruogh all this Kaiba smiled "yeah, dont worry, ill be back now its the holidays, take care!" he waved cheerfully to them, then ducked out into the chilly air outside, some of the kids following, yelling goodbye as he and Set started to walk back to KaibaCorp.
"Wow..those kids seem ta really adore him.." Joey said, surprised to high hell. "well, they all know him as the saviour of this place..a few years back it was due to close.." they turned to look at the smiling manager "but then Mr.Kaiba just showed up, originally from here, and saved the place from the funding slump it was in...we were all surprised he was from here, so few ever return.."
Yugi smiled "thats good, my grandfather's friend said the place suffered a lot of trouble, but we had no idea it was kaiba.." The guy nodded as he turned to go, and ygui and co made to go to the kids "if it wasn't for KaibaCorp, we'd be stuck..."
Yugi couldnt help thinking it was odd, for kaiba to be saving such a painful part of his past -but i guess he's doing all this for mokuba, according to that lady, thats all he's ever cared for..or else he wants these kids to have a life he obviosuly never got to see..for them to be happy..what really happened to him??-
-------
Set really began worry as seto hardly spoke "aibou.." they stopped on a desterted street "are you OK?" seto didnt answer for several seconds then "y-yeah..its just..." he stopped as yami's arms wrapped around hsi waist and the other pulled him into his arms, the warmth pushing away the chill of the air, holdig him in the iddle of the street.
"Aibou..i love you, i hate seeing you sad like this..." Set kissed his cheek softly "please tell me whats making you so sad, is it these memories?" Seto blinked, not wanting to leave the wamrth and safety of yami's arms, even if it was only a temporary respite from his past....Sighing he looked up, managing a fake smile "Im ok..really.."
But set couldnt get rid of those nagging doubts as they walked back to the mansion -please tell me love, i only want to help..-
The sky had fallen dark by the time they got back, and kaiba was feeling oddly tired. Set managed, after 20mins of seto's objecting, to get him to go lie down. "you have to rest aibou!" he had stated, and Seto had just given in eventually, set had a way of looking very cte and persuasive. -i bet..- setot hoguth as he curled up ato the bed -Mokie taught him that..- chuckling he lay back and closed his eyes...
-----
Water. A masive expanse of it, glittering with pinpricks of lgiht coming from somewhere in the darkness around him. "where..." he whispered, his voice echoed "is this...?" he tried to move away from his place atop the water, but his whole body felt weighted down, numb almost. It felt depressing....heavy....
Scarcely had he gotten sight of where he was, then the water started to swirl, swiftly it rose up, entwining into a serpent, which snaked its way around his body, pulling him down before he could fully react....
As the dark waters closed in, he saw all the things he had tried despertly to hide, the memory of his parents deaths, the orpahnge...
Gozaburo. here the memories seemed slower, more malicious, showing every instance that man had used him as a tool, as only a means to keep his company going. He felt flashes of pain as he saw each memory of each time he'd been thrown aside, hit, and heared that mocking laughter.
Blood red ribons suddenly appeared, wrapping aroumd him, hearing a cold voice -this is, and always will be, your past..dont think yugi and those fools really care about you, dont think you can be any different then what you are..-
As he felt the warmth from yami fading, it spoke again -you'll always just be a tool, give him one chance, that precious lover of yours wil destert you, just like--
Here Seto had heard enough, he closed his eyes :-:yami, you're the only one who's ever told me diferent then this cold blankness..i dotn want to beleive it:-: Here he finally managed to form a few words dispite the cold, and woke up yelling "NO MORE PLEASE!!!"
He sat up on the bed, shivering, then buried his head in his hands, shaking from deep within, the chill of the things words still feeling like a cold knife through him. -do..do i beleive myself? or was that dream right, am i nothing more than a tool, no use for anything more? no.....-
He let out a miserable hiccup, and the door was flung open a second later, Set skidding in "aibou!!" he ran to his love, seeing how pale he was. "aibou..." he sat on the bed next him, wrapping his arms around Seto's terrified, slender frame, feeling how much he was shivering.
"What happened love?" the yami asked. Seto just made a miserble choking sound, clutchung to yami's body as if he was afraid he'd vanish..."y-yami-kun..." he finally choked out "am i just a puppet?" set started slightly, confused "what? what the hell gave you that idea love..." seto looked down, biting his lip, the next second feeling warm blood flowing from the bite.. "im only..any good to people, as a tool...?" he whispered blankly, leaning slackly against yami.
Set felt a frightening shock run through him -Seto...aibou-kun..dont let your past do this to you..i dont want to lose you to your sadness..what can i do??- In his arms Seto sniffed slightly, still hiccuping miserably. Set sighed, sotly kissing the younger one, briefly tasting blood from the cut, which faded away at the touch. seto stopped shivering, leaning thankfully into the others warm kiss. It seemed to calm him down a little, and he dropped back into sleep seconds later, but yami didnt feel any better.
-What if it happens again aibou?- he thought, checking his lgiths breathing. It was steady, good. He sighed, not wanting to leave the others side. He heard mokuba's voice yellig "im home!", as the kid got back from one of his clubs. Set shot downstairs to tell him to keep the noise down. Mokuba blinked, panicing when yami told him of what happened. "my brother! lemme see him!" Set shook his head "he's asleep at the moment..but hes been having some bad dreams...its best he just sleeps it out.."
Mokie nodded worriedly, wandering up to his room, worried sick about his older brother. -seto, stop concentrating on me, think about yourself for once, i hate it when you get so ill and tired because you spend so mcuh time on that promise. I know its Mom's last request but, youve got to look after yourself too...-
Set sighed, walking back to his lights room...
-----
"Hey yugi!" mokuba smiled as his friend answered the phone on its first ring, feeling releived, he needed someoe to talk to.
----
"Nightmares? well, they shouldnt have that kind of effect...is he ill?" yugi had listened to everything mokie had said about his older brother's sudden strange condition. He heard Mokuba sigh "no, hes just tired, keeps babbling about puppets and something..i don't understand it other than i think it was the orphanage memories that brought up the ones about our step-dad...he always went for Seto when he was mad see.."
Yugi nodded, frowning worriedly, since they'd seen him at the orphanage, it seemed Seto had gotten worse as far as his already precarious mental state went...."dont worry mokie, just get yami to stay with him, yami loves him to high heaven, if i know him, hes not about to let your bro get ill, kaiba just needs time to realise tthis isnt going to fade like the other things..."
----
Yugi sighed as he put the phone reciever down. "hey yug, whats wrong?" he looked up, seeing yami, tristan and joey all looking worriedly at him "who was that calling?" joey finsihed.
Yugi sat down and sighed "it was mokyba, hes worried about his brother, apprently kaiba's started having strange nightmares, and whatever he sees its making him ill, he's hurt yb something..its worrying him..but theres no sign of a fever..."
Joey frowned "he seemed a bit weird ealier in the orphanage didnt he...?" tristan nodded, and yami spoke "all of this recent stuff, the gozaburo reappearence, noa, its all deeply to do with his past, and the way things went, its all hurting him more than any of us..."
They all blinked, realsied just how right yami was, seto HAD been the central focus of all of this...yami sighed "i noticed he didnt really react at all during it, all i can think of is its all sinking in and its too much to handle after years of hiding it according to mokuba.."
They all sighed, they knew a persons memory could consume their entire mind, and if there wasnt away of pulling kaiba from this strange slump he was in, then what....
----
Seto felt like he'd been flung into an icey lake as he finally woke up after a semi-dreamless sleep, broken only by the odd flash of those ribbons again...
He heard set talking on the phone down below, and he tried to yell to him, but all that happened was a faint, almost kittenish mewling sound, it was all his frozen voice would allow in his state.
-why is that nightmare doing this to me.- he winced, feeling frozen from the inside. He forced himself to sit on the edge of the bed, trying to ignore the constant pounding in his head "why..why is-?" but he stopped there, as his stomach lurched unpleasntly, and he was forced to make a break for the bathroom...
-----
Set walked back into his koi's room just as the certain afore-mentioned came out of the bathroom, one hand pressed to his head, white as a sheet..."aibou?" the spirit ran forward, wrapping an arm around seto's waist, helping him hobble back to the bed.
"Aibou..." concern had not left the yami's voice since seto's nightmare. Seto tried to say something, but he could already feel sleep trying to claim him again -no..i dont want to see it again..- his last view was of yami sitting right by him, their hands entwined gently...
The visions struck again, seto found himself floating in the blackness, the cold seeping into the soft barrier of warmth he could feel from yami's hand..trying to drag him away from such a sweet hope...
---
-he keeps passing out, he can hardly stay awake..i dont..i never want to lose him..i have to end this nightmare for him, i love him!- set felt panic rising, and struggled to think of something to do "aibou.." he held his loves pale, icey hand as he wished for a way to show itself...
---
In his nightmare, the light tried desperatly to get free..but the ribbons were tightenign their grip around his body, leaving streaks of blood were they touched, he could feel the warmth fading..-i dont want to give n to this..but i cant get free..yami..please...-
----
Yami's panic increased as seto's breathing began to slow, the coma state trying to start, as his mind convinced him he was supposed to go that way...
Set touched seto's cheek, frightened by how cold he was "seto...koibito.." as he heard seto's breathing pause, he knelt on the bed, crouching over seto, holding his hand close to his heart, and kissed his beloved with all the desperation, adoration, love, and worry he felt for him...-please aibou..-
Unnoticed by him, a bright ball of light started to shine between them...
----
Just as he fet ready to just let go, he felt a familiar warmth, knew set was trying to help him..-he, he DID cme for me..he really does mean his promise, he doesnt care about what ive done in the past, only the present..-
He felt the ribbons shred aaprt, as a strange light surrounded the whole area, the memories breaking into fragments thats dissolved into the glow -yami..-
he slowly bgean to wake...
His vision cleared as he managed to open his eyes, feeling yami gently breaking a kiss betwene them, the light that had felt so warm vanishing now, to show his worried partner right beside him, one ahnd warmly clutching his, scared blue eyes locked onto his "ai..aibou?"
They were only a few inches apart, seto could see the fright and worry in his yamis eyes...he sat up, set arms sneaking aroudn ihs back to ease the movement. He slumped against his other half, feeling a overwhelming sense of relief..-its gone..yami..saved me from what id always been so scared of..he neevr broke his promise, even when i couldnt ask him for help, he tried everything..-
Set slowly began massaging his back, feeling seto shivring. He paused a second later though, as he coudl hear seto making faint little noises, like he was.....crying?
"aibou.." he kissed seto's cheek softy, this persuading the other to look up at him "yami-kun..i.." he blsuhed as yami raised his other hand to brush the tears away "i..thank you..." Set smiled, identical crystal blue eyes looking at his hikari "seto..ive said it once, ill say it again, -i love you-, you alone only, and ill NEVER leave you..you mean more to me than life itself, wthout you, nothing would be worth anything to me..and ill repeat it as often as you worry.."
Seto couldn't stop himself from going bright red at these words, both at how the truth could be felt in yamis soft touch, moving under his shirt again, and in the gentle smile in the blue eyes so like his own..."yami-kun..i.." two more crystal tears spalhed onto his trouser leg as he leant into the embrace.
"i love you..i dont want to be aywhere else..only with you..." with eavh word he felt the bad memories fading, like this was something that should have been expressed long ago, bt was ow fnally being unlocked from an icey barrier...
He uttered a soft cry, clutching to set's back, nuzzling into his shoulder, biting his lip at the contrast as yami's warm hands began straying purposely along his back under the fabic of his clothing, the wamrth countering the chill of his skin, "you're cold love.." set murmered...
Seto opened his eyes, knowing how red he must be "..you made the cold go away in my dreams mm?" he trailed off, leaving the question hanging in the warm air.
set blsuhed at his light's sweet invitation.."mhh, then ill just have to stay with you and...warm you up then, eh?" as he whispeerd ths last bit he kissed his love again, lying him down and drawing them both close together...
seto blsuhed again as yami began gently kissing the tears that had fallen onto his face, then gently kissing him just perfectly, but almost as if he teasing him...
The prevous hours became nothing more than a passing thought as the kisses grew deeper, familiar paths being traced over soft cool skin.., like clouds being whisked across the moon...
-----
Mokie perked his ears up as he sat watching TV, what was that...noise? Sounded like...he giggled, knowing JUSt what it was -bloody hell yami, you sure know how to charm my brother...but you'd better be looking after him!-
He wondered though, wether yami and seto would be able to deal with the no doubt huge fuss the world would make when they found out about the two of them..-yami'll help him cope, im sure they'll be Ok, hehe, maybe yami and yugi can help?- he grinned, thinking up whateevr plans it took to help his brother....
(( o ...o -eyeball falls out- damn, im goign to pieces XD, ive typed me butt off lately, trying to write all my ideas before i forhget hehe..but at least i managed to pass my exams for I.T just got the (delayed) results on friday! ))