Disclaimer: Just own the words, not the folks.
The Miller
I watch Atem's sleeping form through the window on the door.
I don't even know what I'm doing here. And I can't believe I lost it like that at school. I'm tired of being 'Kaiba'! Sometimes I just want to be Seto. Hn. As if I had any idea who that was.
Absently, I grasp mom's locket. I haven't talked to her in a while. I'll call from work tonight.
Sighing to myself, I turn to leave and nearly run right into Atem's parents.
"Excuse me," I apologize, lowering my head and moving to walk around them.
"Mr. Kaiba," his dad begins, a slight annoyance in his voice. "Joseph tells me you don't want our money."
Shit. Here we go again.
"I assure you that your charity is unnecessary. We are more than capable of paying our son's medical expenses."
I sigh again. What's the use? No one will ever believe that I'm not Kaiba Corp., that I'm not a clone of Gozaboro. Hell, sometimes I don't even believe it.
"Fine. If that's what you want," I mumble, walking away.
"Mr. Kaiba!" Atem's mother calls. I stop, but don't turn around. "Is there anything we can do to thank you?"
"No. Your words are enough," I reply sadly, striding away quickly. I don't go back to the hospital again.
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"Thank you."
I look up this time to see Atem smiling at me.
"Whatever," I dismiss, looking back down at my paper. I see no reason to go a third round with these people. Let them think whatever they want.
"Well, that's not the response I expected," he snorts.
I look back up.
"What do you want?" I snap. Why doesn't he just go away? He looks hurt by my reaction. Whatever. I look back down at my paper. "If you don't want anything, then please go away. I'm busy."
"How can you be so cold?"
I look up, angry at his accusation. Cold? Cold is taking my kindness and throwing it back in my face.
"I'm a Kaiba," snarl. "Don't you know that's all we are? Cold-blooded bastards? Didn't your family tell you about us?"
He frowns at me a moment, and then his lips curl in a smirk.
"You're so full of shit," he states, crossing his arms defiantly. It only makes me angrier. I stand slowly.
"What did you say?"
"You heard me," he stands, eyes narrowed, jaw set. I step forward, rage bubbling.
"So are you going to beat me up now?" he sneers. "Finish what the Tanaka's started?"
Why won't he shut up! Does he have any idea how much danger he's in? I could kill him with one strike!
I grab his shoulders.
"Do you have any idea what I could do to you?" I hiss.
"But you won't." He locks eyes with mine. "Because you're not Gozaboro. You're Seto. And Seto is not a cold-blooded bastard."
At his words, the rage drains from me in a rush. Finally someone saw me. Me! Seto Kaiba. Not Gozaboro. Letting go of him, I stumble away to a bathroom to calm down. I can't break down here. I sit in one of the stalls and try to calm my erratic breathing. A few moments later I hear someone come in.
"Seto?" Atem calls. That's quite bold of him, using my given name without permission.
"Go away!" I growl.
"I will. After I know you're okay."
"And why wouldn't I be?"
"You're a stubborn jackass, you know that?"
"And you're an arrogant bastard!"
He laughs.
"Well, isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?"
I stand and snatch open the stall door.
"You enjoy pushing my buttons, don't you?"
"Well, yeah. 'Cause you're so easy."
I look away.
"You don't want to play this game with me, Atem. I'll hurt you."
"You won't. Because I can see you. And you want someone to see you."
"Stop. Just leave me alone, Atem."
"As soon as you accept my thanks."
I turn to him, bewildered.
"What?"
"I'm still waiting for the proper response to my 'thank you.'"
I smile lightly, shaking my head at him. He's just as crazy as Valon.
"Fine. You're welcome."
"See that wasn't so hard, was it?" he tilts his head at me.
"You're family didn't like it."
"Meh. They're a bunch of stubborn, prideful idiots sometimes, but they are very grateful to you for saving me. I have an idea, why don't you come for dinner tomorrow night? That will make my mom happy if she can at least feed you."
"You're not going to leave me alone unless I agree, are you?"
"No. So you might as well agree and save yourself the hassle and me the work."
"Fine. Tomorrow night then."
"Great! Hey how about a ride in your limo?"
"Think your brother will want to come too?"
"Maybe."
The end of lunch bell rings, startling us both.
"Back to class, junior," I scowl playfully.
"Yeah, whatever," he snorts, heading out the door.
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Dinner is delicious and Atem's family is much warmer to me than they were before.
After dinner, Atem gives me the 50 cent tour of his house, winding up in his room where we find we have a lot in common. Both of us enjoy Duel Monsters but can never find any one to play us seriously. I promise to find my deck and bring it to school tomorrow. We talk about the incompetence of some of our teachers and then have a great laugh about that ditz the vice principal.
"Ow!" Atemu clutches his side as he laughs on the floor. Concerned, I stop laughing and kneel beside him.
"Are you okay?"
"Y-yeah," he grimaces. "I guess laughing too much is still out of the question."
"Are you sure you're okay? Should I get your mom?"
"No! She'd just worry and fuss and there's nothing she can do. It takes time to heal inside, that's all."
"Okay. If you're sure."
"I'm sure! Man! Is this the real you? 'Seto Kaiba, worry wart'?"
"Just wait until you heal up."
"Promises, promises. Hey, you want to see the scar?"
No. I've seen enough scars.
"Sure. Why not?"
He climbs gingerly up on the bed and lifts his shirt. I kneel in front of him for a good look. I can see that across his washboard abs is a pretty impressive scar. Though my eyes seem to roam up his torso and back down of their own volition and my breathing is becoming erratic.
"Touch it," he says quietly and I reach out without hesitation to trace the scar's contours before letting my hand roam where it will.
What am I doing?
"Seto," Atem whispers.
Suddenly, my lips are on his as my hands grasp his waist. I feel his fingers in my hair massaging my scalp and a moan escapes me. At some point, I open my mouth and his tongue is dominating mine. I lose myself in our desperate kisses.
What the hell am I doing? I'm not gay!
I pull away from him a moment, breathing hard, gazing into intense crimson.
Oh hell, maybe I am. Or maybe I just can't get enough of being touched with out pain involved. Deciding I don't care, I go back to our crazed kissing, pulling Atem off the bed and into my lap.
I don't know how long we sit there groping and kissing and rubbing against each other, until a knock at his bedroom door scares us back into reality.
"Atem?"
"Yes, mom?" he replies in a surprisingly even tone considering the kisses I'm trailing along his neck and collarbone.
"It's late, Atem. I think it's time for your friend to go home."
"Yes, mom!"
"Okay, goodnight!"
"Night, mom!"
He turns to me with a giggle and a light kiss.
"Shit, that was close!"
"Mmm," I mumble, capturing his lips again. He can't ask me to just go home and sleep. Sleep is the last thing on my mind.
"Seto," he whispers, responding to me eagerly.
Reluctantly, I pull away after a few more minutes. I don't want to get him in trouble, because then he won't be able to stay over this weekend.
"Listen, why don't you stay over this weekend?" I kiss into his hair. "I have to work on Saturday, but I could come and get you after that. We could go to dinner and then back to my place."
"Won't your dad mind?"
"If he's not at his girlfriend's he won't care. I've had people spend the night before."
"People? You don't strike me as a people person, Seto."
"Okay one person. My friend Valon.
"Is he your boyfriend?"
"No. I've never…" I look away a moment. "He's just a friend. He lives in Shanghai now."
He pulls back and studies me.
"You've never been with anyone have you," he frowns. "Not even like this."
I get angry.
"I don't need your pity, Atem! If that's all this is for you then just forget the weekend!"
"No! That's not what I mean! Besides, I'm the one who should feel slighted here."
"Why?" I ask angrily, standing quickly.
"Because I'm probably just a quick grope for you! You could decide by the weekend that you don't even like guys! Because you've never had to choose!"
I throw on my coat from the back of his desk chair and whirl on him with a cutting response.
"Fine. Then I'll choose now. I don't! Or even if I did, I don't like you!"
I'm halfway home when my anger abates.
Shit! I didn't mean any of that. Or maybe I did. I don't know. He's right. I've never had to choose. Because I never cared. All that was important to me was surviving another 'Gozaboro Tuesday' and taking care of my mom. Sex had no place in my world. Shit! I can't think straight. I'll call Valon. Maybe he can help me with this.