Chapter Seven: Somewhere in Between
Seto opened the front door to the Kaiba estate with a casual push of the door. He removed his jacket and walked into the foyer with his shoes still on.
Honda blinked, watching the other boy just stroll in. He looked around and stepped inside. It's like a hotel. He mused, keeping his shoes on too. The tiled foyer was very pretty looking and it was even decorated for Christmas.
"Make yourself at home." Seto said, running his fingers through his hair, "Would you like something to drink? Wine perhaps?"
The other boy was playing with the ends of his borrowed scarf, smiling slightly. He looked up at the billionaire with wide eyes, "Oh…umm no thanks." He blushed and followed Seto deeper into the mansion, "I like your place." Honda commented, looking at the dark wood and the artwork on the walls.
Seto shrugged, "I suppose. It serves its purpose." He walked into the kitchen and opened up a wine cabinet. He selected a random bottle and a glass, "Are you sure you don't want one? It's Christmas." He added with a smirk.
Honda shrugged. He took a seat at the breakfast bar, "Maybe just a little bit?" he smiled sheepishly.
"That's the spirit." Seto grabbed another glass and poured a decent amount into them. He put the bottle down and leaned on the other side of the counter. He lifted the glass and locked eyes with Honda, "Merry Christmas." He clinked his glass against Honda's in a toast.
Honda blushed, watching the eyes of the other boy's. They seemed focused on something besides Honda's eyes, but they were looking right at him with confidence and strength. He bit his lip and took a sip of his wine. It was surprisingly fruity, "This is really good."
"Best there is. Your boss, Reita, makes wine at his summer home. He gives me a bottle every year for my birthday." Seto took a delicate sip, putting the glass down to lick the taste off his slim lips.
Honda watched in severe fascination. He watched Seto's tongue expertly trace his lips with a little jealousy in his stomach. Oh I hate you. He mentally cursed. Clearing his throat, he looked out the window. It had gotten very dark with all the clouds in the sky. Suddenly, there was only one thing he seemed to want to ask.
"Don't you want to spend Christmas with Jou?"
The room had grown very still. There wasn't even the sounds of a maid cleaning nearby. Honda couldn't seem to remember how to breathe. The air had gotten so thick, he didn't he'd be able to breathe even if he could get the hang of it. He took a long drink of his wine to get a hold of himself.
Seto's eyes darkened. He took another sip of wine and shrugged, "Don't you want to spend Christmas with Jou?"
That was certaintly unexpected. Honda's eyes went wide, "What do you mean?"
The glass in Seto's hand had become empty. He put it next to the sink and sighed through his nose, "Nothing." he took the glass from Honda and placed it beside his own. He ran his fingers through his hair once again and began to walk out of the kitchen, "Follow me."
Honda had never wanted to do anything else. He was up on his feet and at Seto's side in a heartbeat. His cheek had gone a little pink when he realized how earnest he had acted.
Seto didn't think anything of it. He continued to stroll down the corridor and up the stairs to the second floor. Honda reached the top and blinked. The hallway was paneled with dark wood and a plush carpet lined the walk. He looked down either end and saw there was no end in sight. "You have a bigger house than I thought." he said mostly to himself.
The billionaire laughed through his nose, "Heh. I know." he opened the door only a couple steps from the top of the stairs, "I don't even use the other half of the place."
Honda was up to his ears in intimidation. He gulped and accepted Seto's invitation into the room that was opened up to them. He blinked when he realized he was in Seto's office. It was fairly plain and green. It had several bookshelves of dusted books and a square desk with nothing but a slim laptop sitting on the surface. Honda noticed the number of comic books and empty snack containers on the coffee table in front of the plush couch. He laughed a little, "Mokuba's or yours?" he smiled at his sudden wave of confidence. Something had scared away his shyness.
Taking a seat in his leather office chair, he opened his laptop, "Both actually." he bit his lip as he checked his stocks, "Sorry for boring you. This will only take me a minute." he slipped his glasses out of his pocket and placed them on his ears.
The other teen shoved his hands in his pockets and waited, "I understand." his eyes wandered over to the bookshelves, "Do you even read these?" he wandered over and read some of the titles. Besides selves of Computer and Business manuals, there were books of fantasy all over the place.
"Do you ever see me with one?" Seto answered without looking up from the screen.
Honda looked over his shoulder and frowned, "Not with these."
"Yes, well, carrying books of different history makes you look smarter, don't you think? Burying your head into fantasy novels only make you forget reality." Seto closed his laptop and the room became as dark as the sky outside.
The other boy's eyes went a bit wide, "...Is there a light switch around?"
Seto snapped his fingers and the room faintly glowed from a lamp in the corner. Honda could barely make out the other man's beauty. "Light switches are for people who don't believe in convience." he smirked and threaded his fingers under his chin, "So, what would you like to do?"
"Um..." Honda chewed the inside of his cheek. What was there to do in the home of Seto Kaiba? He blushed at the perverse idea of seeing his bedroom. He shook his head and shrugged, "Well, you seem to have a better idea on things to do than I do."
"Hmm so true." Seto stood from the chair and removed his glasses. He turned and stared out of the window that made up to wall behind him. There was a blissful silence and suddenly, "Do you see that bottle of Ramune on the table in front of you?"
With his almond eyes, Honda glanced over at the coffee table. There it was. The bottle of soda was standing ever so slyly on the surface. He stared back at the other boy, "What about it?"
"I think Ramune is the perfect example of reality." Seto looked over his shoulder. There was gleam in his eye that Honda could see from miles away; lights dimmed or not.
Seto tucked his glasses back into his pocket, "That marble is choice." he walked passed Honda and held the bottle in his hand. He smiled as he unwrapped the top and said softly, "When one has to make a choice, their decision comes with consequences. They can either be good..." he held the plastic opener in his hand, "...or bad."
The boy wasn't speaking English to Honda. What was he trying to get at? Good or bad choices...so? He had his brow knit, waiting for the catch.
He continued to speak in his quiet volume, as though if he spoke any louder, someone would pop out from the shadows. He said, "In your dream world, any choice you make is safe, because you can easily change it or be able to arrange it in your favor." Seto pushed the marble from the top of the bottle into the fizzy soda. The marble made a "clink" as it rested in the cradle in the neck of the bottle. Seto grinned, "See? It's a safety net, letting people think that no matter what, they will always be safe."
Honda watched in pure fascination as the other boy placed the plastic opener back into the hole where the marble had just sat. Without warning, Seto's hand came crashing down, the bottom of the bottle hitting against the coffee table hard. Honda expected it to crack or shatter, but the bottle remained in tack. Only, he noticed, the marble was now resting at the bottom; fallen from its cradle.
Seto left the bottle there, looking at Honda with his sharp eyes, "Nobody is safe in reality. If you fuck up, prepare for the consquences." his face was completely expressionless; showing the seriousness in his words.
Almond eyes went wide, turning their attention from the bottle to the billionaire. Immediantly, it all made sense. He is so wise. Honda's mouth stayed open a little, still shocked by the performance he had single handedly watched. He had nothing to say. What could he say? He suddenly felt very small.
The distance between Seto and he shortened, and a strong hand held Honda's jaw tight, "Hiroto..." he said in the same softness as before.
Honda blushed. There was no lust, but only...music. Whenever someone else said Hiroto, it had never sounded to pure, so clear. Suddenly, the back of Honda's mind starting screaming. What is going on?
"Hiroto..." Seto repeated just as perfect. He leaned in, their noses centimeters away, "I think I'm prepared to make a choice."
"W-What could that be?" Honda asked with nothing but innocence in his tone. It would be too good to be true if he assumed Seto wanted anything to do with him. Jou. Honda reminded himself. It's all because of Jou...
A small chuckle came from deep in Seto's throat, "I-"
A sudden ringing caused them both to jump, they're breath hitched in their throats. It took another ring for Seto to finally realize what was going on. He cursed, letting go of Honda and pulling out the cell phone that rested in his other pocket. He unflipped it and said, obviously vexed beyond belief, "What?" after a short silence on his part, he suddenly changed his voice, "Oh, it's you, Darling." he didn't even dare to glance at Honda, "What? Oh. Well, Mokuba called me and needed me to drop something off at his party. Honda? Who is- oh, yes, your friend is with me."
Honda hung his head, his cheeks blazing red. Of course, it was Jou checking up on his sweetheart. He suddenly felt embarrassed. 'Your friend?' The boy knew he shouldn't have hoped too high.
Seto had sighed through his nose and nodded again, "Yes, we're on the way back already. You worry too much." he turned his back on Honda, crossing his arm over the other, "...I love you too."
A pain went through Honda like a knife. What else could Seto possibly say in those five minutes that could make him feel any worse than he did right at that moment?
He hid his hurt when Seto turned back around, the phone already put away. Seto decided to act like nothing had happened at all that night, "We need to head back now."
Don't need to tell me twice. Honda said, already walking towards the door. He had his hand on the knob when he looked over his shoulder. Now or never. He took a deep breath and said a little quieter than he had wished to.
"Kaiba?"
Seto perked up, locking eyes with the other boy, "What is it?"
Seeing the color of a moonlit lake made Honda change his mind. He couldn't, he wouldn't. He gave up and shook his head, "Nevermind." he bit his lip and opened the door, looking over at the abandoned Ramune bottle on the table. He sighed and walked into the hallway.
"When one has to make a choice, their decision comes with consequences..."
Honda followed Seto back down the stairs and into the car. He rested the side of his head against the cool glass of the window. He sighed so hard, his shoulders heaved and a cloud of breath appeared beside him on the window. They pulled out of the driveway and into the road before Honda thought, "Until I know what kind of consequences will come of this, I think I'll stay comfortable in my cradle." he clutched the scarf that Seto had yet to ask for and smiled, "Reality isn't ready for me just yet."
x-x-x
Yay! I finally updated! I'm sorry it's taken so long! School is a drag. XP Leave me your precious reviews so I can work harder to get these out! It's finally starting to get good if you ask me. XD PEACE!
