Mokuba's Plan
By Pearl of the Dark Age
Disclaimer: I don't, have never, and will never own Yu-Gi-Oh. Ano, maybe I shouldn't say "will never." Hee hee…
Chapter 21
"Don't worry about me, Raphael," Amelda reassured. He held his cordless phone up to his ear with his shoulder while trying to duct tape a box shut.
"What about all that money you've saved?" his former co-worker asked. "You said you were going to buy a house with it. If you need anything extra-"
"I know: 'Don't hesitate to ask,'" Amelda finished for him. "I have a week to move out. I'm still looking around, but I found a some potentials over in Domino City that looked really nice."
"I still can't believe you got evicted," Raphael muttered. "Domino City?" His voice filled with caution. "Amelda, don't tell me that you are moving there because of Kaiba."
Damn that guy! Amelda thought. I haven't told him that I'm dating Seto! How does he know me so well?
"Amelda?" Raphael prompted when the redhead did not respond. "I thought I've told you that he's not responsible for Miruko's death. Don't tell me you've found some excuse to further justify your obsession with him."
"Have all those muscles cut off the circulation to your brain?" Amelda scorned. "I am not obsessed! I'm in love! There's a difference!" He dropped the phone as the tape he was using stuck to itself, and he thrashed about trying to pry it apart. "I'm still here!" he proclaimed as he retrieved the cordless.
"It's the duct tape, isn't it?" Raphael astutely predicted.
"You know, sometimes I think you're psychic," Amelda remarked. He cut the wadded tape from the roll and decided to use a fresh piece. "And I'm not obsessed! Don't give me that psychoanalytical speel of yours!"
"Something tells me that you've somehow sucked Kaiba back into your life," Raphael stated.
Psychic! Amelda confirmed. I was hoping I could tell Raphael after I've at least had sex with Seto! I fool around too much for my own good. "Actually," Amelda replied, resigned to confess. "Mokuba was the one who did that."
Silence. "What?"
Amelda laughed at Raphael's confusion. "You've seen the news, right? I'm sure they've reported it in America, too."
"About Mokuba running away? Yeah. They also said he came home recently."
"Ano," Amelda whispered conspiratorially, "he ran away to live with me!"
Silence. "What? How did you-"
"Hey! It wasn't my idea! He arranged the whole thing! I took him in and-"
"And Kaiba didn't kill you? Or does he not know?"
"Oh, he knows," Amelda replied mischievously. "He took me out on a date!"
Silence. "I don't know what to do with you sometimes," he said, exasperated. "I should-"
"What? Hop the next flight over the Pacific and spank me?" Amelda laughed.
The redhead could just picture the scowl upon Raphael's face. He heard his wife in the background asking him if everything was alright. "Amelda," he said into the phone, "I got to go now. My daughter wants to say hello."
A cute little voice of someone still learning to speak came over the phone. "Hello, Unkie Amelga," she said.
"Hello Julia!" Amelda said sweetly. "How are you?"
"Me fine," she answered. Amelda could hear Raphael trying to get the phone back. "Bye, Unkie Amelga!" she sang.
"Amelda?" Raphael inquired. "Still there?"
"Yeah," he replied. "I hate packing!" He kicked a box over in frustration.
"Look, we need to make this short," he informed gruffly. "My wife wants… uh… It's time for Julia's nap. What's going on between you and Kaiba?"
"Seto and I are boyfriends," Amelda summarized, emphasizing the name use.
There was a vague "Hmm," from Raphael. "Well, keep in touch," he said. "Good-bye for now."
"Bye-bye!" Amelda said, and he hung up. He was glad to not have to cradle the phone with his shoulder any longer. That went better than I thought. Now I only have to tell Varon. He could just hear the racious laughter and the endless taunts he knew he was going to receive. He sat down trying to focus and surrounded himself with a load of stuff that he intended to box.
"Nii-sama!" Mokuba called. "This package came for you!" He stode into Seto's study, carrying a large box in his arms. "Did you order it online?" he asked as he set the box down on the desk. Across the package was bold, red kanji spelling out, "Fragile! Handle with care!"
"Un," Seto murmured. "Thank you, Mokuba. You can leave it there."
"What's inside?" he asked nosily.
Seto smirked in reply. "I would have thought that was obvious." Mokuba's face lit up when he figured it out. He grinned. "Once I'm done here I'm going to go give this to Amelda" Seto informed. "Finish your homework while I'm gone. Don't waste time on video games!"
Mokuba rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, Nii-sama," he said. "I'll get it done. Just get this over to Onii-chan's!" He patted the package. "Good luck!"
Someone was knocking at his door. Amelda cursed, trying to extricate himself from the messy pile he had been sorting through. He fumbled with the strand of chili-lights to no avail. The impatient visitor knocked louder and more persistent. "I'm coming!" Amelda shouted. He freed himself from the pile, but the lights were still wrapped around his topless torso. He opened the door. "Seto?"
His new boyfriend looked him over and smirked. "What's going on?" Seto asked mildly. He stepped inside the apartment, took one look around at the multitude of boxes and stuff scattered everywhere, and gasped. He turned to Amelda, eyes full of question.
"I'm moving," Amelda said with a sinking heart. "I got evicted yesterday. My landlord found out that not only am I gay, but that I run a "lewd" business. Honestly! There should be more rights to protect people from discrimination!" (22)
"Japan still has a long way to go before gays are treated with the rights they deserve," Seto muttered. "And Bishonen-ai isn't lewd."
"He said that's just what he was told!" Amelda hissed cattily. "Which means someone tipped him off! When I found out who…" Amelda made a gesture of strangling someone. "…until their head pops off!" The redhead suddenly noticed the large box Seto was holding. "What's that?"
Seto looked down at it. "Ano, I decided to buy you a present," he answered. "I just wanted to thank you again for taking care of Mokuba."
"The date wasn't enough?"
Seto shrugged. "It was a date. I kind of feel that it isn't the proper way to thank you. I wanted you to have this." He handed the box to Amelda.
"Did you wrap this?" Amelda asked. He was impressed. The paper was very pretty and the ribbons decorative.
"Do you like it?"
"Yeah, it's very nice."
"Then yes - I wrapped it," Seto replied in a joking voice. Amelda snorted with a small laugh. He knew Seto had the maid wrap the present for him. There was no way Seto would know how, and the testosterone in him would not care.
"It's so pretty I almost don't want to unwrap it," Amelda whispered. "But I like presents!" And he promptly tore the package apart it seconds.
"Careful!" Seto cautioned. "It's fragile! And I spent a good amount of time searching for it!" By the time Seto had finished talking, Amelda had revealed the contents.
The redhead stared at the most realistic-looking painted porcelain pineapple in existence. His brain went completely numb. No expression of emotion was revealed upon his countenance. He had never seen anything like it.
Minutes dripped from the leaky faucet of time. The air grew heavy. Sweat beads coalesced on Seto's scalp, dampening his crown. He began to cringe internally as he stared at Amelda's passive face. I have made a huge mistake! he thought. What was I thinking - a pineapple? He began plotting ways to torture Mokuba for this asinine idea and how to explain himself to his boyfriend.
But then, Amelda's face brightened as the cogs in his brain moved again. He wore the same wide smile that Mokuba had when he told Nii-sama to get a pineapple. The redhead was on Cloud Nine. (23) "THANK YOU! I've always wanted something like this!" he shrieked joyfully. "How did you know?"
Seto was flabbergasted. He was too stunned that it really was the perfect gift to answer.
"Wait, don't tell me," Amelda said with a look of realization. "Mokuba told you, didn't he? Still, I'm touched."
Touched? Seto wondered. You mean touched in the head. But he smiled. "It was my idea to get you a gift," Seto said, smug with pride. "I only asked Mokuba for an idea of what you would like out of consideration." Seto wanted it fully understood to whom the credit was due.
"Yes," Amelda replied, grinning knowingly. "Thank you, Seto. I really appreciate it." He started to carefully wrap the porcelain pineapple back into the box.
"What are you doing?" Seto asked, shocked.
"I'm moving," the redhead said patiently. "I don't want this to get damaged."
Seto looked around at the multi-functional room. All of Amelda's stuff was either in the litter of boxes or strewn upon the floor. The Care Bears were missing, presumably packed away, and the knife had been removed with a crowbar. Both items were resting upon the stand where the Statue of David used to be. He really is moving, Seto thought. Suddenly, it hit him. "Why don't you move in with me?" Seto suggested in his most persuasive tone. "Mokuba loves you, and I would love it if you moved in! I have lots of room!" Nii-sama did not realize that this idea had been planted into him by the mastermind.
Amelda bit his lower lip skeptically. "Seto," he said slowly. "I don't think that's a good idea. We've only been on one date. It's best not to pick the fruit before it ripens."
It's best not to… what? Seto recalled something similar he had been told.
If you pull a plant up by the stalk, trying to force it to grow, you'll only end up tearing it apart.
Thanks a lot, Jonouchi! Seto thought bitterly. I don't want to ruin this! He was torn between good advice and his desire to have Amelda completely. "Look," Seto gulped. "I know that it is kind of sudden, and it's probably not the wisest course of action; but I want this, Amelda. I want you! I'll try everything within my power to make it work. I won't force you to do anything."
"Not that you could if you wanted," Amelda returned. He indulged Seto with a kind smile after fortifying the box that contained the precious pineapple with duct tape. "I don't have a place to go, yet."
"So, does that mean you'll move in with me?" Seto asked eagerly.
Amelda sighed. Reluctance was written all over his face. He was trying not to think of how wonderful it would be to live with the man he loved. He felt as if this was inviting trouble. They still did not know each other that well. With the exceptions of the one date and the two duels, anything one might have learned about the other came from Mokuba. Amelda had no doubt that Seto had pumped his little brother for all the information he could. "You're used to having everything your way," Amelda said slowly. "Aren't you? Just have to whip out a check book and you can buy it on the spot, right?" (A/N) He took a deep breath. "I can't be bought, Seto. And you can't control me."
Seto's shoulders slumped. He glared at Amelda. "I know that!" he defended. "I am not trying to buy or control you! I can learn to love!" The words were out before he could stop himself. "I understand that it takes a daily effort. I understand about spending quality time together to accumulate knowledge, which leads to respect and responsibility. I understand letting things grow on their own for their own sake. I can do that for you; just give me a chance!"
Amelda was floored. He was speechless. He could not breathe. Wow! he thought. I don't think that came from Mokuba! The moment was surreal. The sunlight filtered through the open window, illuminating the specs of dust suspended in the air. The light glinted off Amelda's tresses like rubies. He cast his eyes down at the floor, hoping Seto would not see the tears that had formed.
Seto saw them. He knew. He walked over to Amelda and lifted his chin so that grey eyes looked straight across into his blue ones. "Amelda," he said fervently. "Let me love you." The shines multiplied, shimmering across an abyss of liquid silver. "Will you move in with me?" Seto whispered.
"Yes," Amelda breathed. He smiled broadly. "I trust you."
A/N: Amelda doesn't know about this, but it's a logical assumption: In episode 171, Kaiba buys a sports car right on the spot. It's one of my favorite scenes of Kaiba!