Masami: Ok, people! Let's get it together!
Seto: (frowns)
Masami: oh stop complaining, Seto! You're an actor! Just get over it!
Yuugi: what's he so upset about?
Make-up Artists: please don't speak, Motou-san.
Masami: He thinks his character is too goody goody.
Seto: All I'm saying is I don't like being so nice and giving advice!
Masami: That's why you ACT like you do! Now get into your costume and take your spot in the stage. Is everyone else ready?
(the make-up artist leaves)
Yuugi: now I am!
Masami: places everyone! Hurry up Seto!
(Seto walks on stage reluctantly)
Masami: (sits in director's chair) OK! Yami start pacing, and ready? Lights! ROLL CAMERA DAMION! ACTION!
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Duel Six: The Job Of A Life Time
Thursday
Yami paced back and forth in front of his history class entrance, trying to think of a way to apologize to Yuugi. "I'm sorry. I wasn't feeling good yesterday and- no, that's terrible. He knows I wasn't sick . . . Yuugi, I'm sorry for . . . uh . . . damn it! Apologizing was never this hard before."
"That's because you fell in love." Seto said. He was watching Yami and listening to what excuses the teen would come up with while he leaned against the wall. "It's twice as hard to say you're sorry because you don't want to lose the one you love if you say something wrong. It's all very romantic when you think about it."
Yami rolled his eyes. "And since when did you become such an expert in love?"
"Since I've been dating Jou for almost two years now, baka." He stood up straight and unfolded his arms. "Now, I want you to pretend I'm Yuugi."
He blinked. ". . . Excuse me?"
Seto rolled his eyes. "Just trust me on this. I'm Yuugi, all right? Good. Now, apologize to me."
Yami hesitated. 'This is the dumbest thing I've ever heard of! But if I pause like this with the real Yuugi, he might think I don't want to say I'm sorry. So I guess I have to practice.' He took a deep breath and stared at Seto straight in the eyes. "Yuugi, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to just break down in front of you like that. I shouldn't have done it and I'm sorry."
Seto was about to say something when Yuugi came out from behind him. He stood between them and put his hands on his hips. "Yami, what's wrong with you?"
The teen blushed. He didn't know Yuugi would have heard him at that moment. But since he did, there was no other way around it. "W-what do you mean?"
The boy stared at him. "Why do you want to apologize to me? You didn't do anything wrong. So you cried in front of me for some reason. So what? It's not a crime so why do you think you should beg for forgiveness?"
Yami blinked. He had absolutely no answer to that. What could he say?
"It's ok to let your feelings out when you're around friends. We won't hate you because you felt like crying. It's ok to have moments of weakness. Everyone does. So you have nothing to regret."
Seto was shocked. He may not have known Yuugi all that well, but he was amazed at the strength and confidence he was showing right now. Yami felt exactly the same way. 'Just when you think you have him figured out, he changes himself. Is this maybe how Mai felt when Yuugi stood up to her?'
When he finally came out of his thoughts, he felt arms around him. "It's ok to feel sad, Yami. But you don't have to be scared." Yuugi said as he nuzzled the teen's chest. "You'll never be alone." Then he whispered, "I'll never leave you."
Yami smiled. Those were the words he had wanted to hear for so long. He instantly held Yuugi close to him. "Thank you, Yuugi." Yami heard the classroom door open and another pair of arms surrounded the two of them.
"Group hug!" It was Morita-san! "Kaiba-san, get in here! Come on!"
Seto just stood there trying not to laugh. Morita-san released Yami and Yuugi and said, "Well, that was fun. We should have another group hug again sometime. Now, how about we start class?"
They nodded, trying to keep a blush from tinting their cheeks. The four of them walked inside and hid their embarrassment from the rest of their classmates. Seto sat down behind Yami and was still snickering. "Jou, you should have seen his face! The shock! It was priceless!"
XxX
Yuugi was stuck cleaning the halls with Yami once again. He didn't have a problem with it; he just wanted the school day to end. He couldn't wait to start the first day of his first job!
( Flashback to Tuesday! )
Yuugi and Mai made their way down the streets of Domino City. With each step, it took them closer to the place where Seto had found Yuugi a job. The boy, however, still didn't know where that was. Mai hadn't told him and neither had Seto. Why were they keeping it a secret?
"Ok. This is the place, Yuugi."
The boy looked up at the building . . . and kept looking up. His mouth gaped with shock at the shear size of the structure. It was the tallest building he had ever seen! And right above the door were familiar symbols. Yuugi was far too shocked to realize Mai was pulling him to the gate. She pressed the buzzer and waited.
"Please state your name and-"
"Shut up, you fool! Their guests! Let them in immediately!"
"Yes sir, Kaiba-sama!"
The gates opened and she continued to walk inside, pulling Yuugi along with her. Mai took off her shoes when they were inside the building and nudged Yuugi to bring him back to the outside world.
"Yuugi, don't be rude." She pointed to his shoes.
He paused. "Oh!" Yuugi quickly removed them and waited. Seto came around the corner with a smile. "Hey! I'm glad you came, Yuugi-kun! And it's good to see you too, Mai-san."
She crossed her arms. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Now, what exactly did you want to hire my brother for, Kaiba?"
Yuugi blinked. "You want to hire me, Seto-san?"
He nodded. "Of course I do. And if the two of you would follow me to my office, we can discuss the matter privately in my office."
He led the way and the two siblings went with him. Along the way, Yuugi tried to remember which way they came. 'First a right . . . now a left . . . then up a few stairs . . . then another right . . . and a left- no right. I mean- ah! Too many rights and lefts!'
"This is one hell of a maze, Kaiba. Being CEO of a huge company wasn't enough so you had to give your self another challenge by turning your headquarters into a labyrinth?"
Yuugi tugged on her sleeve. "Mai! Don't be so mean."
Seto laughed. "Don't worry, Yuugi-kun. I took no offence. Besides she does have a point. It can be pretty difficult to maneuver around this place but after a while you get the hang of it."
Yuugi forced a laugh out but it came out pretty shaky. He cursed his nervousness and hoped Seto didn't notice. "Don't worry, I'll help you around here if you take the job."
Yuugi mentally wined. He noticed. Finally, they arrived at Seto's office. Again, Yuugi was shocked by the size of it. Apparently Seto believes in 'the bigger the better.' Yuugi and Mai sat down on a couch opposite of Seto. The CEO smiled. "Again, I'm very glad you could come. I appreciate you even took my offer into consideration."
Yuugi bowed his head. "Thank you for offering. It's very kind of you. But may I ask why you want to hire me?"
"Well, first of all, you're a friend of mine so I know I can trust you. Second of all, from what Yami tells me, you would be the perfect man for the job. And third, I need someone to fill this position."
Yuugi nodded. He wanted to ask something but Mai interrupted him. "And just what has Atemu been saying about Yuugi?"
Seto shrugged. "Nothing bad, that's for sure. He never talks about Yuugi negatively behind your back. But let's see. He's told me that he is kind, sweet, caring, and very dedicated to whatever's important to him."
Seto turned to Yuugi and smiled. "He told me that while you were working on your project together, there would be times when Yami would have lost his train of thought and completely forgotten about his research. But you would get him back on track saying this project was important and if he didn't want to fail history, he's better get back to work."
Yuugi blushed. "H-he really said all that about me?"
The brunette nodded. "And that was all I needed to know. From that information, I could tell this position would be perfect for you."
"And what position is that?" Mai asked.
He stood up. "If you stay here, I'll show you."
As he walked away, Mai gave his back a suspicious stare. What could he have been planning? Seto left out the door and returned a few moments later. He stepped aside to reveal a young boy about the age of eleven. He had black hair, and blue eyes and stood just less than five feet. "Yuugi, Mai, this is my little brother, Mokuba."
Yuugi stood in his presence and respectively bowed. "Hello. It's very nice to meet you."
Mokuba also bowed. "It's nice to meet you too." He looked at his older brother. "Nii-sama, is he going to be my new friend?"
"I don't know yet, Mokuba. Let me ask him." Seto approached them. "Yuugi, as you know I am the CEO of Kaiba Corp. As such, I have taken on a lot of responsibilities and most of them take up so much of my time that I can't spend any time with Mokuba. If you say yes, then from time to time, I will call on you to look after my brother and take care of him if and when I am too busy to be with him."
Yuugi blinked. "Really? So I'm going to be a babysitter?"
"I'm not a baby!" Mokuba yelled.
He flinched at the young one's harsh tone. "Sorry. But that will be my job?"
"If you agree to it then yes. If you have a schedule you must adhere to, then we can work around it so it's more convenient for you. When you have homework, it's all right if you do it here as well. Mokuba often has homework so you could even do it together."
"Nii-sama!" The child whined.
"And if you ever need help with anything, you can ask one of the members of my staff. They'll be glad to help you in anyway and it won't be any trouble. So? Will you take on the job?"
Before Yuugi could say a word, Mai asked, "How much do you plan on paying him?"
Yuugi gasped. "Mai!"
"3000 yen an hour each day ( 1 )." Seto said, matter-of-factly. Again, the boy gasped. "Bu . . . But Seto-san! That's too much!"
He raised an eyebrow. "Too much?"
"Yes! It's far too much! I . . . I could never accept that from you!"
Seto frowned. "And why not? It's a reasonable price."
"Not for taking care of a child, Seto-san."
Mokuba grunted. "I'm not a child!"
Seto put a hand on Yuugi's shoulder. "Yuugi, trust me. It won't be any trouble if I pay you that much. My company can still stand on its feet without it. And you don't have to feel guilty. 3000 yen isn't even a pin prick if you compare it to how much my company makes in the amount of time you would work for me."
"But-"
"Yuugi, please. This is a reasonable amount. Trust me. You'll agree once you really get to know Mokuba. He's quite the little hell raiser."
"Nii-sama!" He whined again.
Yuugi bit his lip. He wanted to take this job so badly so he could help pay for things. But it just didn't feel right taking so much money from Seto. He looked at Mai to see what she had to say. Instead of some inspirational speech, or a few encouraging words, Mai simply shrugged.
Yuugi looked back at Seto and sighed. "All right. I'll do it."
Seto smiled. "Good."
"I'll do it. I'll take it! I'll take the job!" He hugged Seto and laughed with joy. "Thank you so much, Seto-san! You won't regret this! I promise I won't let you down!"
He laughed. "Yuugi, this isn't some top secret mission you're on. This is just taking care of my brother."
Mokuba scowled and whispered a few mocking words under his breath. Yuugi pulled back and nodded. "I know. I'm just really excited. It's my very first job ever!"
He nodded. "Yes. So I say we should celebrate. Please, stay for dinner."
Mai stood up. "I can't. I have to go to work myself. But can I talk to you for a second Kaiba?"
He nodded. "Mokuba, why don't you take Yuugi-kun down to the dining room and wait for me there?"
The child nodded. "Ok! It was nice to meet you miss Mai! Come on, Yuugi-kun!"
The two left Mai and Seto alone. "So, what's the real reason you're giving him so much money, Kaiba?" She indecently asked.
Seto sighed. "You heard why. Mokuba's a handful and it's a reasonable price for the job."
"Ha!" She crossed her arms. "Don't be ridiculous, Kaiba. No one just gives that much away without there being some kind of catch."
He shrugged. "Well, there isn't a catch here. And it's not some kind of charity if that's what you're hinting to. I'm not under the impression that you and Yuugi are desperate for money. Yuugi came to me asking for help and this is the help I'm giving him."
She glared at him. "Fine. You win, Kaiba. I'm not in the mood to argue with you anyway. But if I think something's up, I won't hesitate to keep Yuugi away from you."
Seto nodded. "But you know, there are trustworthy people out there, Mai. And believe it or not, I'm one of them." She snorted and turned to leave the room.
"I'll have a car outside to take you to your job. Just go out the way you came and tell the driver where to drop you off."
Mai didn't react to his kindness. He knew she heard him but she just kept walking. Dinner was, to say the least, interesting. Mokuba was the life of the party and couldn't stop talking about anything he could think of. Seto was right. Eleven year old child or not, Mokuba won't be easy to catch up with. But no matter what, Yuugi would be up to the challenge.
( End Flashback Of Tuesday)
Yuugi smiled as he put away the mop and clothes. He and Yami had finished early today so they decided to sit on the bench again and enjoy each other's company.
"So you're starting your new job today, eh Yuugi?"
He nodded. "Yeah. And I can't wait. Mokuba is . . . well . . . he's . . ."
Yami laughed. "I know what you mean. You're not quite sure what he is, but you know he certainly is something."
"Yeah. That's true." Yuugi sighed and snuggled close to Yami. The teen put his arm around Yuugi's shoulders and pulled him just a little closer.
"Yuugi?"
"Yeah?"
Yami paused. "I was wondering . . . has Kaiba given you any specific dates you would be working?"
Yuugi thought about it for a moment. "Um . . . not that I know of. Today is for certain but I don't know about a precise schedule. Why?"
"Oh no reason. I was just wondering." Yami silently sighed. 'I should probably call Kaiba tonight and see if my plan would even work. I just need a perfect day to carry it out. But if he's working on that day . . . well, screw Kaiba. I'll just kidnap Yuugi and ask him out anyway.'
Satisfied with his plan, Yami rested his cheek on the top of Yuugi's head and wrapped his other arm around the boy's petite waist after closing his eyes. He inhaled Yuugi's scent and sighed.
Yuugi's smile widened and he too closed his eyes. 'Yami's so sweet. I love it when he holds me like this. I don't want this moment to end. Maybe Seto-san won't mind if I'm just a little late for work.'
He could hear Yami's slow, soothing heartbeat and could feel himself gradually drift off to sleep. But a flash of light awoke him. Yami noticed it as well and they sat up properly.
"What was that?" Yuugi inquired. Yami stood up and looked down either end of the hall. "I don't know. Perhaps the lights failed for a moment."
He nodded. Yuugi looked at the clock. "Oh, I should probably get to work now."
As Yuugi stood up and stretched, Yami requested to walk with him. Yuugi at first declined but Yami insisted. Deciding it would be nice to be with him a little longer, Yuugi agreed.
Being with Yuugi a little more wasn't even a quarter of his reason. 'That flash wasn't from the ceiling lights. It was from a camera. I heard the shutter click but Yuugi must have missed it. I'm glad he did. I don't want him to worry. I'm sure Ushio had something to do with it. I want to know what he's planning. Whatever it is, he better not hurt Yuugi.'
"Yami? Why did Seto-san hire me? Doesn't he have staff that could take care of his brother?" he timidly asked. Yami knew the boy didn't want to offend Seto even if they weren't in his presence.
He smiled. "Kaiba trusts his staff. I think he just wants someone he knows wouldn't hurt his brother in anyway. You never know when someone is lying, but with you he knows he can trust you. You wouldn't hurt a fly."
Yuugi smiled. He felt honored that someone as important as Seto would have such regard for him. Yuugi would make sure not to let Seto down.
The two were silent the rest of the way, hardly exchanging a word. Yuugi would occasionally look at Yami out of the corner of his eye. The teen seemed so tense. He appeared to be watching everything around him as if something would jump out and attack them. Yami stood very close to Yuugi. But it was more of a protective, watchful, and cautious nearness then an intimate one. Yuugi was very concerned. Why was Yami acting so paranoid?
"Yami? What's wrong?"
He blinked and turned his head to look at Yuugi. "What?"
"I asked, what's wrong? You look upset."
Yami sighed. 'I should have known Yuugi would be so insightful.' He smiled. "It's nothing, Yuugi. I'm fine."
"No, something's wrong. If you really were fine you wouldn't be so tense and your body wouldn't be so stiff like it is."
Again, he sighed. "Yuugi, don't worry. It's really nothing. I just have a headache."
"Are you sure?"
He nodded. "Yes, I'm very sure. Don't worry. I'll take something when I get home."
Yuugi smiled. "Ok."
But inside, Yuugi wasn't satisfied. He knew something was wrong with Yami and he wasn't about to let it go. But he wouldn't let Yami know about it. If Seto had a minute to spare, Yuugi would make sure to ask him about it.
Finally they arrived to the gate. Yuugi took out a piece of paper from his pocket and input a number combination on a keypad. The gate door opened and a computerized voice from a speaker said, "Welcome to Kaiba Corp. Headquarters, Motou Yuugi."
He smiled. "Well, I'll see you later Yami."
"Good luck, Yuugi. You just might need it."
He forcefully laughed. "Yeah. Thanks."
Yuugi walked through the gate. It closed behind him and he heard Yami's footsteps departing. 'I know something has upset you, Yami. And I won't rest until I know what it is.'
He walked up to the sliding door and stepped over the threshold. After removing his shoes, he was slammed against the wall when someone crashed into him. "Yuugi-kun! You're here!"
He coughed a few times. "Mokuba-kun . . . please . . ."
"Mokuba! Get off him! Let him breath!"
Seto quickly pulled his little brother off Yuugi and helped him to sit up. He kneeled beside him and put a hand on his chest and on his back. Yuugi was having a little trouble regaining his breath. His chest felt tight just like it had when he was in the bathroom with Yami. His throat felt constricted as if air couldn't get into his lungs.
'What's going on? Why can't I breathe! What's happening!'
Seto saw that Yuugi was starting to panic. He could see the fear in his eyes and knew it was overwhelming him. "Yuugi-kun, just calm down. Don't panic. Just breath." He said in a calm voice. "Everything's all right. You'll be ok. You just need to calm down."
But Yuugi couldn't compose himself. He was so afraid. He could feel his face starting to turn red from the lack of oxygen. Seto leaned closer and whispered in his ear. "Yuugi-kun, just close your eyes. Don't concentrate on breathing. Just concentrate on something. Anything that makes you happy."
'Makes me happy?' Yuugi knew it was Seto's voice that was speaking to him and he knew he could trust him. He closed his eyes and the first thing he saw was Yami. Yuugi was with him and they were holding each other.
Yami was gently stroking Yuugi's hair and had his cheek resting on the top of Yuugi's head. He imagined Yami was saying gentle, calming words just like when he did in the bathroom after he met Anzu.
And with that image in his head, he felt a wave of tranquil peace wash over him. His throat and chest didn't feel so tight any more and could feel his lungs expand as he took a deep breath.
He opened his eyes again; Yuugi came face to face with Seto who looked extremely concerned.
"Are you all right now, Yuugi-kun? Does your chest hurt at all? Can you breath all right?"
He slowly nodded. "Yeah . . . I'm ok." Seto turned to his brother and told him to get a glass of water for Yuugi. Once the child was gone, Seto asked him, "What did you think of that calmed you down so quickly?"
Yuugi blushed. "If you promise not to tell him . . . I thought of Yami."
Seto smiled. 'That's what I thought.' "Don't worry, Yuugi-kun. I won't tell him."
Mokuba returned with the glass of water and gave it to Yuugi. He greedily drank it in one gulp and sighed deeply when he had finished. "Yuugi-kun . . . I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."
The boy smiled. "It's all right, Mokuba-kun. I'm fine. There's no harm done. I'm excited to see you too."
Seto's younger brother grinned. "Well I'm glad you're ok."
"Mokuba, why don't you go in your room and finish your homework. I'm going to talk to Yuugi for a minute in my office so you can come see us when you're done, ok?"
He nodded. "Ok! I'll be there in a second!"
Mokuba ran up the stairs and shut the door behind him. As he stood, Seto started to pick Yuugi up bridal style and carried him to the stairs. "U-um . . . Seto-san? Why are you carrying me?"
He smiled. "Well, first of all, you're probably tired from that attack you just had. And even if you can walk, you'll need to save your strength for Mokuba. He'll run you pretty ragged today."
"Hey now. Give him a break. Mokuba-kun wasn't that bad at dinner yesterday."
Seto snorted. "I guess you do have a point. Compared to yesterday he was pretty tame. But it's probably because I was there. He tries to act his best whenever I'm around."
"He must really look up to you, Seto-san."
He nodded. "You know. You don't have to keep calling me Seto-san. You can call me plain old Seto."
Yuugi shook his head. "You're my boss now. It's my duty to give you the respect you deserve."
Seto shrugged. If that's what Yuugi wanted then he wouldn't force him to. When they arrived at his office, Seto put Yuugi on the same couch where he sat with Mai only yesterday. But this time, Seto sat beside him to keep a careful eye on him.
"Yuugi-kun, I'm sorry. I completely forgot you had asthma."
He blinked. "You know?"
"Yes. Yami told me about it after you had that attack in the bathroom at school."
Yuugi looked away. Seto could tell he was embarrassed but of what he wasn't as sure. "Yuugi-kun, don't be ashamed. You can't help it. It's not your fault. But I should have taken your problem into perspective. If I knew this was going to happen I would have offered you a different job."
He shook his head, but still didn't meet his eyes. "No, Seto-san. It's not your fault. It was my responsibility to tell you about it if you didn't all ready know. But I rarely ever have attacks . . . so it's kind of like that old saying. 'Out of site and out of mind.'"
Seto nodded. "I understand. So in a way, we're both at fault. But I am more then you are. I should have controlled my brother."
"No, I'm glad you didn't. Children should be allowed to do as they wish and have fun while they're doing it." Yuugi smiled and looked into Seto's eyes. "You shouldn't force him to live a controlled, thought out and fated life. Let him do as he pleases for a while. After all, when he grows up, he'll never have that freedom."
Seto blinked. "You know what? You're a lot wiser and smarter then you let on."
He laughed. "No, not really. I'm mostly speaking from experience so . . ."
"From experience? What's that mean?"
Yuugi gasped. 'I can't believe I just said that. Mai's going to kill me when she finds out!'
"Yuugi-kun . . . who tried to control you? Has someone hurt you? You can tell me. I'll help you."
Yuugi shook his head. "No, Seto-san. It's ok. No one's hurting me. Really. Although I do appreciate the offer."
"Yuugi-"
"Please, Seto-san. It's ok. Really. I'm safe with Mai. She protects me from people who would try to hurt me."
Seto shook his head. "I wasn't talking about Mai. What about your parents?"
He winced and looked down at the floor. 'Please don't ask about them, Seto-san! I can't talk about them! Mai will get so mad! She's going to be so mad at me!'
He felt a hand on his shoulder. "Yuugi-kun, is this what you wanted to tell Yami but you couldn't because you felt you would be betraying Mai?"
Yuugi was at first, confused as to how Seto knew about that, but he figured Yami told him. Slowly, he nodded his head. 'So it's something about his parents. They did something to him and I have to figure out what.' Seto held Yuugi's chin and guided his head toward himself. Seto stared into Yuugi's eyes to show he felt nothing but respect, friendship, and even admiration for the boy.
"Yuugi-kun, it's all right. You don't have to say anything. I won't be offended. You can come to us when you're ready. And it doesn't matter whom you talk to about it. It can be Yami, Jou, Honda, or me, or any one! Even the councilors at school. They can help you too. But please, tell someone soon. None of us wants to see you in pain. Do you promise to tell someone?"
Yuugi nodded. "If . . . If you promise not to tell Yami about this."
Seto blinked. "But shouldn't he- . . . All right, I promise. He won't hear it from me."
Yuugi smiled and hugged Seto again, just as he had done yesterday. "Thank you, Seto-san. Thank you so much. And I promise I'll tell someone . . . someday."
There was a beeping noise and the two separated. Seto pulled a beeper out of his pocket and rolled his eyes. "Honestly. Does anyone know how to do anything with out me?" Seto put the beeper back and stood up. "I'm sorry, Yuugi-kun, but I have to go. My company needs me."
He nodded. "That's all right. I'll be fine, I promise."
"All right. Well, Mokuba's room is one level up, down the hall and the first door on the right. Think you can remember that?"
Yuugi laughed. "Yes, I think I can mange."
Seto winked and left the room. Once the CEO had exited, Yuugi had curled into a ball, holding his knees to his chest. 'Maybe Seto-san is right. Maybe I should tell someone. But who? Who wouldn't turn away from me if they found out? Who would still be by my side?'
Yuugi decided not to think about telling someone for now. If he was sad it would upset Mokuba and that wasn't fair for the child. He sighed and got up. He walked up the stairs, remembering Seto's instructions.
'Ok. He's one level up,' Yuugi thought as he stood on the top of the stairs. '. . . But which door was it again?'
On either side of him, doors surrounded him. But was it the right or the left. He was pretty sure it was the left . . . but maybe it was the right.
"This isn't good. I'm totally lost! How am I supposed to find it?" Taking a deep breath, he took hold of the doorknob of the first door on the left.
"I wouldn't go in there if I were you." Yuugi turned around and standing in the entrance of the first door on the right was Mokuba. "That's my brother's room and he hates it when people go in there without him knowing."
Yuugi backed away from the door and jerked his hand away from the doorknob as if he had been burned. "Oh. Of course."
He turned around and smiled a crooked, embarrassed smile. "Um, thanks Mokuba-kun."
He laughed. "Don't worry about it. But Yuugi-kun, could you help me out with my math homework?"
Of course, Yuugi agreed. But as he watched Mokuba try to solve a long division question, he had to stop him. "Mokuba-kun, I think I know why it's hard for you. You keep hunching over it and you're analyzing it way too much. It's like you think there's a deeper meaning to it all. It's just long division." He said. "Sit back and then look at it."
Though he found it strange, Mokuba still went along with it. He gasped. "Ooh! I get it! I have to carry the two first! No wonder I couldn't get it."
"See? You barely even needed my help." Yuugi smiled. "You can easily master this, you just have to look at it from a different perspective."
Mokuba smiled. "Well, I guess I get that from my brother. He always looks for a deeper meaning."
Yuugi nodded. "And there's nothing wrong with that. Sometimes, you just need to see something from a different view to really understand it."
Once they finished math, Mokuba led Yuugi to a room on the same level. "Where are we going?"
Mokuba mischievously smiled. "You'll see."
They stood in front of a door and Mokuba made Yuugi promise to close his eyes and keep them closed until he said so. Yuugi was a little unsure, but he went along with it. Mokuba isn't a bad person so Yuugi had nothing to worry about. Once Yuugi could open his eyes, he gasped and took a step back from the shock. He was inside the biggest and most expensive looking game room he had ever seen! There were games of all kinds here.
Giant race car games, a basket ball hoop was mounted on a wall, an electric train was running around the perimeter of the room, everything you could imagine was here!
(A/N: imagine, Yuugi's soul room (post battle city with the brick walls), combined with the games of an arcade)
"Mokuba-kun . . . this is amazing! I've never seen so many games before!"
He smiled. "I know. It was my present from Nii-sama last year."
Yuugi turned on his heels toward Mokuba. "This whole room!"
Mokuba nodded. "Yeah."
"What was the present before that!"
The child thought for a minute. "I think it was a manga."
Yuugi felt his jaw hit the floor. How could you go from a simple manga to an entire game room? After gathering a bit of composure, Yuugi and Mokuba sat in giant chairs with steering wheels in front of them and stared at the screen as they raced. It was mostly neck and neck but then Yuugi won it just by a centimeter. After that, they thought it would be fun to just crash into random things, sometimes even each other.
At six o'clock, they had supper. Seto didn't join them this time but they were fine just by themselves. They returned to their games and after a while, Seto came into the room. He smiled when he saw Yuugi and Mokuba lying on their stomachs in front of a board game. "Hey you two. How did it go?"
Yuugi stood up and smiled. "It was great, Seto-san. We had a lot of fun."
Mokuba ran up to his brother and hugged him. "Thank you so much, Nii-sama! I had so much fun!"
"That's good to hear." Seto looked at Yuugi and smiled. "Well, it's time for you to go home now."
Yuugi smiled. "Ok. What time is it?"
"9:00."
He blinked. "Really? Wow I had no idea it was so late."
Seto sheepishly smiled. "Sorry. Mai-san won't be mad will she?"
"No, I don't think she's even home yet."
Seto frowned. "Mokuba, why don't you get ready for bed then you can come say goodbye to Yuugi-kun."
The child agreed and ran off to his room. Seto kneeled down to Yuugi's level and looked directly at him. "Yuugi-kun, how late does Mai-san work?"
"Well since she got the job, she would usually be home around eleven or sometimes midnight."
He frowned again. "Where do you live?"
"Um, we live in an apartment building near an old, broken down mall."
Seto placed his hands on Yuugi's shoulders. "Yuugi-kun . . . that's a very dangerous place to live. You're practically right on the border of the akasen."
He blinked. " 'Red-light disctrict'?"
"You have to call Mai-san and tell her you're staying here until she gets home. I'm not letting you stay in such a dangerous place all alone for that long."
Yuugi tilted his head. "But why?"
Seto sighed. "There's a lot of dangerous people there that would hurt you if they got inside and you were alone. Think about it this way. Would you let Mokuba lie on a bed of nails?"
"Never! That's too dangerous! He could get badly injured!"
"Exactly. And that's the same reason why I can't let you stay there alone." Seto said.
Yuugi bit his lip. "Seto-san, I understand what you mean now. But . . . I just don't know if Mai will let me. She doesn't exactly trust you or any one. Especially Yami."
"I know. But if Mai really cared for you she wouldn't put you in danger. I don't think she truly understands how close the two of you are to the akasen. So we have to tell her the truth."
Yuugi nodded. "All right. I'll try."
Seto smiled and stood up. "Good. Come with me to my office. We can use the private line in there to call her."
The two entered his large office and Seto handed him a cordless phone. "You know the number?"
"Un."
He held the phone in his hand and dialed the number. He put it to his ear and waited for the other line to pick up as it rang. "Moshi Moshi. My name is Yuko. How can I help you?"
"Hi Yuko-san. It's Yuugi. Can I talk to Mai?"
He could tell she was smiling. "Sure, Yuugi-chan. Just a second."
The line was quiet while we waited again. Soon he could hear Mai's angry voice in the background. 'Oh no.' He thought. 'This isn't going to go very well.'
"What is it, Yuugi?"
He took a deep breath. "Mai . . . Seto-san wants me to stay a little longer here. He says . . . that where we live is too dangerous for me to be alone while I wait for you to get home. So . . . he wants me to stay here until you get home."
"WHAT!" Yuugi pulled the phone away from his ear when she screamed. "HE WANTS YOU TO DO WHAT! LET ME TALK TO HIM RIGHT NOW!"
Seto took the phone from Yuugi's hand and put it away from his ear just a bit. "Mai, before you start screaming at me, just listen to what I have to say. I'm only looking out for his safety. You live near the akasen, you know. Just think about it. Someone sees Yuugi-kun inside your apartment and he's all alone. They could break in and hurt him if he couldn't defend himself. Do you really want that to happen to him?"
She didn't say a word. But he knew she was still there because he could hear Mai breathing. He hoped that his words were sinking in but just incase they weren't, he went on.
"Mai, trust me. I know what it's like to have a younger brother. I worry about Mokuba all the time and I just want him to be safe. But if he were staying in a dangerous place all by himself, I wouldn't let him. I'd find someone – anyone – to look after him if I couldn't.
You can trust me. You know I won't hurt Yuugi-kun and I'll protect him if something were to happen. He's safer here where someone can keep an eye on him. Please, just trust me. I'm not a danger to him in anyway. He's my friend and I would never hurt him. I promise."
He heard Mai sigh angrily. "I don't know who you think you are, but don't just assume you know how I feel for my brother. But for tonight, he'll stay there until I get off work. And as soon as I do, I'm coming over there and you and I will have a few words, Kaiba, I promise."
She hung up after that. Seto took a deep breath and put the phone back on the charger. "Well, she agreed. She'll be here after work and talk to me for a minute."
Yuugi bowed his head. "I'm sorry I'm causing you so much trouble, Seto-san. I should just go home."
He started to walk away, but Seto grabbed his hand in a firm grip. "No, Yuugi-kun. I won't let you. You have to stay here where it's safe. Besides, if Yami knew I let anything happen to you on my watch, he'd kill me."
Yuugi felt a tiny blush come to his face. "D-do you think so?"
"Ha! I know so!" Seto smiled. "He's so protective of you. I can tell he's worried about you all the time when you aren't with him. If he knew you stayed at your apartment by yourself for so long, he would go over there himself and stay with you no matter what Mai or anyone else says."
Yuugi's face turned bright red. 'Would he really do that? Yami . . . do you care about me that much?'
"So do you promise to stay here? If not, I'll have to get my bodyguards to stand at the doors and stop you from leaving. I'll do it, you know."
Yuugi chuckled. "I know you would. So I'll cause you less trouble and stay here willingly."
Seto let out a deep, relieved sigh. "Good. Thank you."
He nodded. "Seto-san? Is it ok if I lay down somewhere for a while? I'm really tired."
"Of course you can. Follow me." Seto led the way to the same floor as Mokuba's room. "Your room won't be much, but it has a clean bed with all the fixings. Mokuba and I have a mansion on the other side of the city, but when I have to work late like this, we usually just stay here. This is more of a residential floor anyway."
Yuugi smiled. "Well, it's ok. I don't need much."
Seto opened a door just four doors down from Mokuba's room. It was a large room that must have been the size of Yuugi's kitchen and living room in his apartment put together. He was used to seeing such large rooms in the Kaiba Corp. headquarters. But it still amazed him.
The room's furnishings were very elegant. There was a canopy bed in the left crook furthest from the door with four wooden posts at each corner. The frame was a beautiful wood that matched the posts. It cradled a soft mattress with dark blue sheets and matching pillows and blankets. There were curtains all around the bed that were the same colour as the sheets.
Over to the left were a lovely beige couch and two large armchairs of the same colour. They surrounded a dark wood coffee table that looked like an antique. The sitting area was situated in front of a large entertainment system including a T.V, a video game consol, and a large stereo. Yuugi stared at the room in awe, never mind amazement. "Seto-san . . . is all this for me?"
He smiled. "Yes, it is. Any time you're tired or need to be alone for a moment while you're here. This is your room and your room alone. Until now it was unoccupied. And if you really need privacy then you might want this."
Seto fished around in his trench coat pocket and pulled out a silver key. "This is the key to this room, Yuugi-kun. It's the key to your room. I'm the only one who has copy of it so no one else can get in. Only me. But I won't invade your privacy whenever I feel like it."
Seto dropped the key into Yuugi's hands. The boy curled his fingers around it and looked up at the CEO. "S-Seto-san . . ."
"Yuugi-kun, what's your size? For clothing I mean."
He blinked. "Why?"
"Well, I figured I should buy you a few things to keep in your room to really make it yours." He said thoughtfully. Yuugi gasped. "What! But . . . Seto-san . . . you can't!"
Seto raised an eyebrow. "And why not?"
"Y- . . . I mean . . . this is just too much. You give me my own room in your house. You pay me 3000 yen an hour! Now you want to buy things for me!" Yuugi practically screamed. "I mean, why are you- . . . how can you be so kind?"
Seto smiled. "Would you prefer to be paid nothing, and be forced to sleep on the floor like a dog? Yuugi-kun, I don't treat my employees like that. They're given everything they need. I treat them with respect just as I would anyone. Just because they're below me in employment status, doesn't mean I'm superior to them outside of this building."
Yuugi felt his eyes stinging with tears. "Seto-san . . . that's the nicest thing I've ever heard anyone say."
"I doubt that."
"No it really is." Tears started to fall down his face. "You've got to be the nicest, most kindest person I've ever met. It's almost too good to be true. How can I ever repay you?"
Seto laughed. "Yuugi-kun, please. I don't need anything from you. You work for me! What more do you want to give me?"
"Anything. I'll do anything to please you."
Seto blinked. 'Please me?'
"You've done so much for me. I can't take all of that without giving something to you, too."
He shook his head. "No, Yuugi-kun. I don't want anything from you."
Yuugi started to sob and embraced Seto. "Please Seto-san! I can't take all this from you! It's just too much!"
He frowned. "Yuugi-kun, calm down. You don't have to get so worked up about it. It's nothing."
"That's not true! It's everything!" He shouted into the CEO's stomach. "You're giving me all this and you don't want anything in return! I don't understand! Why are you doing this? Why are you being so nice!"
Seto went down on one knee and held Yuugi by his shoulders. When the boy stared down at the floor as he continued to cry, he lifted Yuugi's head and looked in his eyes. "Yuugi-kun . . . I'm being so nice because you are my friend. I want to help you in any way I can. That's what friends are supposed to do."
He sniffed. "But . . . you're spending so much money . . . just for me!"
Seto smiled. "I know. But it's ok. I don't mind. And it's not all that much money anyway. I told you before my company makes a lot of money in just ten minutes. There's nothing you need to worry about. I promise you're not being an inconvenience."
Yuugi embraced Seto again. This time with his arms around the CEO's neck. "Thank you so much, Seto-san." He hiccupped. "Thank you."
He smiled and rubbed the boy's back. "It's no trouble, Yuugi-kun. Remember that. You are not a burden to me or anyone else."
Seto waited for Yuugi to calm down before he carried the short teenager to his new bed. He tucked Yuugi in and wished him goodnight. Yuugi, however, didn't answer for he had fallen asleep.
Seto sighed deeply after he closed the door. He walked silently to his office once more and sat behind his large desk. 'I can't believe it. Why was he so devastated and confused just now? I've got to call Yami.'
He grabbed the phone and pressed speed dial two. A few rings later and the line picked up.
"Moshi Moshi. Atemu residence."
"Good evening, Atemu-san."
"Oh well, hello Seto-san. It's good to hear from you." Hiroko's voice rang happily through the line. "I'll go get Yami-chan for you."
Seto chuckled. He always thought it was hilarious that Hiroko would call her son Yami-chan.
"Hey Kaiba. What's up?"
He sighed. "You won't believe what just happened with Yuugi."
XxX
It was midnight when Mai finally arrived to Kaiba Corp. headquarters. She was fuming mad and glared the instant her eyes met Seto's.
"You bastard!" She grabbed his collar and pulled him up close. "Who do you think you are! How dare you try and tell me how to take care of my little brother!"
Seto pulled Mai's hands off himself and stood back. "First of all, I wasn't trying to tell you how to-"
"Yes you were! 'Oh Mai! It's too dangerous for Yuugi to be there all by his lonesome!'" She said in a mocking baby voice. "Don't you think I know that! I know it's too dangerous! I know exactly where we live!"
Seto stood still. He didn't want Mai to know that he was actually surprised that she knew this. Not many people know where the akasen is. Or at least, they don't realize it.
"And I am afraid! I'm afraid for Yuugi every night! I can't be there to protect him and it scares me." Her voice had quieted down a bit now. She looked away from Seto as if she were ashamed. "I want to always be with him. He's all I have left and I can't loose him. Kaiba, believe me. If I could, I would be with him every minute I had and watch over him. But I can't! I have to work late so I can pay the bills and buy food."
She looked up at him again and glared. "You know nothing of how I feel for him! You're not poor and living in a broken down apartment. You're not almost starving every day and freezing every night. You know nothing of our life and you never will!"
Yuugi suddenly entered the room and was rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Mai? What's going on, Seto-san?"
Mai briskly walked up to Yuugi and grabbed his arm, pulling him over to the door. She pushed him down so he was sitting and shoved his shoes onto his feet. She stood up, forcing Yuugi to stand with her to slip on her own shoes. Her grip on his arm was very tight.
"Ow! Mai, please. That hurts."
She fiercely glared at Yuugi to shut him up, then to Seto. "From now on, you will never talk to or go near Yuugi ever again! Unless it's about his job, you can't even look at him! Just stay away from us. And that goes for Atemu and the others as well!"
Yuugi pulled on her jacket. "Mai, please don't! That's not fair! They're my friends!"
"No they aren't! And if I ever catch you near them I swear you won't be able to walk for a month!"
Yuugi gasped and stepped away from her. He wrenched his arm away and ran to Seto, holding him around his waist. "Please, Seto-san. Don't let her hurt me." He whispered fearfully.
Seto put a hand on his head. "It's ok, Yuugi-kun. Go with her. You'll be fine."
He answered in a tone just as quiet as his. But he made sure his voice was comforting but firm. Mai growled and roughly pulled Yuugi towards herself. "Stay away from us! All of you!"
She dragged Yuugi out the door and slammed it behind her. Seto sighed. 'Mai, you better not hurt Yuugi. Yami will kill me if you do. I just hope you're the person I think you are. If not . . .'
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Masami: CUT! That's a wrap!
Yuugi: Phew! That was quite a chapter!
Seto: (is still angry) stupid writer. Stupid director.
Damion: (eye twitch) (leaves to editing room)
Masami: now, all of you get off my set!
I love how in my head, Mokuba sounds like Eric Cartmen from South Park when he whines. (don't own it)
(1) Twenty-five dollars American