Disclaimer: Just own the words, not the folks.

They Don't Get in my Door

Intertwining his fingers, he glares over them at the pile of letters on his desk. He's read every letter three times; even the archeo-babble filled ones, to no avail.

The last three weeks have seen him sequestered in his study every evening, pouring over the letters as if they held the secrets of the universe.

When Yami began actually writing again, his tone reverted back to that of the original letters, as though there hadn't been an eight-month gap in his conversations.

Maybe if he read them again…Out of order this time. Reaching into the pile, he grabs a random letter and begins skimming it.

11 July

Hey Kaiba!

You'll never guess what happened today.

He tosses that one back. That's the letter where Yami talked about finding kid number 40-something and that it was so hot the gold from the tomb started melting.

'Actually, it was a pretty funny letter', he smirks to himself as he rifles through the pile.

6 April

pg 2

What an ass! I finally had to…

Gods, no! Not that boring thing about how he told off one of the archaeologists because he refused to believe there had ever been a pharaoh during the time Yami had ruled. He smirks to himself again. Yami had ranted on about that for three pages! What an ego!

Pulling out page four of another letter, he starts skimming that one.

17 November

pg 4

…should end next month. So, it looks more likely that I'll be back home next summer. Or next fall at the latest. I can't wait. Not that this time hasn't been enlightening and somewhat fun, but I miss home. I miss Jii-chan and Yugi and even your sorry ass who still won't write to me! smile

He tosses that one back too. That's the letter explaining the picture he found that got him caught up in all of this. The other students thought it would be fun to dress one of the group up in an ancient pharaoh's garb for a few pictures and publicity. Yami drew the short straw.

Seto furrows his brow.

Students. That's the key. Those students he went out with that night. Corey, Pierce and Tanya. He never mentions them in any letters again.

What the hell happened?

Sweeping the letters from his desk in a broad gesture, Seto groans to himself. Why the hell did he care about this anyway? Yami's not even his friend anymore! Shit! He should have gotten rid of those letters when he had the chance.

"Nothing's stopping me now," he murmurs to himself, glancing between the mess on the floor and the fireplace.

A knock on his study door disturbs his deliberation.

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"So, how's your brother?" Yami asks me after we'd talked again about his apartment search now that he'd found a job.

Yami and I have been on the phone almost daily since that day at Seto's office and have met several times for coffee and dinner at Jou and Mai's, but Yami hadn't mentioned my brother once in all that time.

I pause, unsure how to respond, because I have no idea how my brother is. I've never even gotten an answer about that day he overslept. In fact, since then, Seto had begun sequestering himself in his study after dinner. He's been more withdrawn than normal. I've ignored his actions, figuring he'd come around like always, but it's been three weeks and we still haven't spoken more than a few words to each other. Was Seto really that angry with me for bringing Yami to the office?

"Mokuba?" Yami calls into the phone when I don't answer.

"Sorry, Yami. Drifted for a minute. Seto's fine. Well, fine for Seto."

Crap. I didn't mean to say that. I knew Yami understood my 'Mokuba speak' and now knows that Seto is anything but fine. I'd meant to say something like 'We went riding yesterday' or something that he couldn't decipher quite as easily.

"I see. Why don't I talk to you later then so you can talk to him about it."

I knew he'd figure it out.

"Maybe I should," I reply. "I'll call you later."

"Okay, bye."

"Bye."

Flipping my cell closed, I take a breath and exhale slowly, before heading down to Seto's study.

After my second knock, he emerges, closing the door behind him as he silently heads into the living room. I frown at the study door a moment before following.

"I'm sorry," I begin, sitting across from him on the sofa. As expected, he's stretched out in his lounger, twirling an unlit cigarette in his fingers. Thankfully, he still only smokes in the study, though I wish he'd quit altogether.

"Sorry for what?" he murmurs, studying the cigarette instead of looking at me.

"For bringing Yami."

He pauses in his twirling momentarily, still not looking at me.

"Nii-sama, I just thought you'd be glad to see him. I'm sorry if it hurt you."

"It didn't," he murmurs.

"Then why won't you talk to me?"

"Nothing to say," he mumbles.

"Then why won't you look at me," I whisper.

He's silent for a long while, still twirling that cigarette before standing slowly, still not looking at me.

"Good night, Mokuba," he calls over his shoulder, heading upstairs.

I sit there a few minutes before grabbing my keys and heading out for a ride. I need to clear my head.

Two hours later, I pull up at Jou and Mai's. I know it's 2 o'clock in the morning, but I really need to talk to Yami. Instead of knocking on the door and waking up everybody, I call Yami on the cell.

"Mm-hello?" he mumbles sleepily.

"Yami, it's me," I whisper loudly.

"Mokuba?"

"Yeah. Sorry it's so late…um…early, but can you come out for coffee? I need to talk."

"Sure," he yawns. "When should I be ready?"

"Now. I'm out front."

I hear him scramble out of bed. Moments later I'm waving sheepishly at him peeking at me through the front window. He opens the door and I rush in, glad to be in the warm house instead of out in the crisp November air.

"Have a seat and I'll be out in a minute," he whispers rushing back to his room.

We wind up at an all-night coffee house in the clubbing district.

Around 7:30 am I find myself crawling into Yami's bed, having barely made it back to Jou's house even after four cups of coffee.

"Mokuba, don't forget to call your brother," I hear Yami prodding as sleep begins to claim me.

"'Kay," I mumble pulling out my phone. "Call Nii-sama," I yawn into the phone.

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"Call Nii-sama," he yawns before dropping the phone onto the smooth carpet and lapsing into a light snore. Great. I guess I'll have to tell Seto myself and I'm sure I'm the last person he wants to speak to.

I pick up the cell and wait.

"Kaiba," he barks after the third ring.

I pause.

"Mokuba?" He calls into the phone. "What do you want? I have a meeting in 15 minutes. And where the hell are you?"

"Sorry, Kaiba. He's asleep," I state calmly. "He passed out after he called and I didn't want you to worry like last time."

Silence.

"Kaiba?"

More silence.

"Well, sorry to disturb you. I just wanted you to know that Mokuba's okay. I'll wake him in a few hours and send him home. Good-bye."

"Yami," he cuts in before I hang up.

"Yes?"

"What happened to you, Yami?"

I pause, not understanding the question.

"Happened to me?"

"In Egypt."

"That's kind of a broad question," I scoff.

Silence.

"Kaiba?"

"I have to go to a meeting," he grumbles, and then hangs up abruptly.

Well. That was…different.

Deciding that, for now, Kaiba's issues are his own until I get some sleep, I pull off Mokuba's jacket and cover him up with the sheet and blanket before throwing off my pants and crawling into the other side of the large bed. I'll be able to think clearer about all he and I talked about in a few hours.

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9:20 am

The bedroom door opens and Jou just stares at the scene before him. Mokuba lies sprawled on one side of Yami's bed with Yami curled up under the covers on the other side.

"Well, I guess we're not apartment hunting this morning," he mumbles under his breath, closing the door and heading back to Yugi in the living room.

"Yami's still asleep?" Yugi questions with a laugh.

"Yeah," Jou chuckles, scratching his head sheepishly.

Yugi recognizes the nervous habit for what it is.

"What?" He asks Jou seriously.

"Nothing really. It's just…" he trails off.

"What!"

"It's probably nothing…"

"Okay, Jou. What's wrong?"

"He just seems to spend a lot of time with him."

"Who? What are you talking about?"

"Mokuba."

"What about him?" Jou's got him really confused now.

"He's here. With Yami."

The color drains from his face. Jou can't mean…

"What do you mean, 'with Yami'?"

"See for yourself," Jou gestures toward the bedrooms and watches Yugi head in that direction.

He hopes he's wrong about the whole thing, but Mokuba has been over a lot. And he and Yami have been spending a lot of time together. Maybe it's nothing, but he doubts Kaiba would see it that way. And he is a kid. Which is why Jou's sure he's just overreacting. Yami would never...

Back in the room, Mokuba had gotten cold and burrowed under the covers, pulling the blanket from Yami's shoulders and back as he rolled away. Yugi looks in just as Yami is groggily unraveling Mokuba to retrieve part of the blanket and mumbling, "Stop hogging the covers." Though he can't see anything but the top of Mokuba's hair, he does catch a glimpse of Yami's bare leg.

Yugi comes back into the living room, a light flush to his cheeks. He frowns.

"What?" Jou questions, eyes wide.

"I think we need to talk to Yami," Yugi replies grimly.