Chapter 25: Intervention
As Kaiba stared blankly at the television screen, he failed to understand why Mokuba had recommended the movie they were currently watching in the downstairs entertainment room. Mokuba seemed to be enjoying it so far, so Kaiba thought perhaps his lack of interest was a result of the malaise he had been unable to escape from recently. Then again, maybe the movie really was complete crap, but it wasn't like he had anything else pressing to take his attention at the moment. It sufficed as a distraction and if it made his brother happy, that was even better. The benign images were a welcome change from the treacherous thoughts that he had been consumed by, but it was becoming increasingly harder to stay awake through the monotonous drivel that the characters were spewing. Stifling a yawn, Kaiba tried once again to force himself to pay attention to what was happening, but his lack of empathy made it hard for him to give a shit about any of the idiots.
When Mokuba heard his brother yawn yet again, he snuck a glance as Kaiba squinted at the screen in an attempt to concentrate. His older brother looked beyond exhausted and Mokuba couldn't stop worrying about what was causing him to lose sleep this time. He knew that he would have better luck trying to make his brother fall asleep rather than finding out the reason, so Mokuba had decided to try and bore his brother to sleep with the movie. It felt a little devious, but he was willing to do almost anything to help his brother out—even if Kaiba didn't seem interested in helping himself.
Unfortunately for Mokuba, the movie wasn't interesting enough to distract himself from wondering about his older brother's strange behavior. He knew better than to show his concern, but it was becoming increasingly frustrating to him to see his brother in such a state. There had to be a logical explanation as to why Kaiba's mood had suddenly taken a turn fort he worst, but Mokuba could only hazard random guesses. Mokuba knew that he was missing some crucial detail, although he suspected that Yami might have had something to do with the situation.
Hiding a frown behind his hand just in case his brother happened to notice, Mokuba continued to mull over the matter. He trusted his brother implicitly and knew that Kaiba would never lie to him; he might shield him from some things for his protection, but he would certainly never lie to him. Despite that belief, it was obvious to Mokuba that something was being withheld from him and it almost certainly had to do with Yami. Mokuba only had the little glimpses of the two from last week to base his theory on, but he thought it was a logical and fairly reasonable deduction.
It was probably why Mokuba had assumed that Kaiba intended to meet up with Yami at some point when he said that he was going to work earlier that day. He wasn't sure why he had suspected that and he hadn't even been aware of the thought until he went over to hang out at Yuugi's place and was surprised to see Yami sitting silently on the couch. Without completely understanding why, Mokuba found himself concerned about Yami's tired appearance and withdrawn behavior that was vaguely reminiscent of Kaiba's. It had bothered him enough that he had asked Jounouchi about it when he got the chance, but he found it hard to completely accept the explanation that Yami had become that way because Yuugi and Anzu had started dating. Mokuba had seen the slight smile on Yami's face whenever he let his gaze drift over to the awkward blushing couple and it was enough to let him know that Jounouchi's theory had to be wrong.
With that reason dismissed, Mokuba began to wonder if maybe Kaiba and Yami had gotten into a fight—a real one that didn't involve card games. As much as Mokuba loved his brother, he figured that whatever had happened had probably started or been exacerbated by Kaiba's problematic temper. Having witnessed plenty of their interactions when Yami was still sharing a body with Yuugi, Mokuba knew that Yami could get Kaiba worked up without even meaning to, so it wasn't beyond the realm of possibility. He knew that he should be angry with Yami for causing his brother's mood, but it was hard to feel that way when he remembered that he was also the reason for the recent positive changes in Kaiba. Even though he still didn't know how he felt about Yami being responsible for the return of Seto's smile, he was still grateful on many levels. Plus, he was somewhat mollified by the fact that Yami seemed to have lost some sleep over the problem since it meant that Kaiba wasn't the only one suffering.
He wanted to do something to help his brother, but he also recognized that it wasn't his place to interfere. It wasn't that he wanted to pry into his brother's affairs, but he also knew just how stubborn Kaiba could be sometimes. He knew better than to walk up to Yami and bluntly ask what was going on, but he suspected that he would have an easier time getting information from him than from his brother. Most of his time at Yuugi's had been spent debating what the best course of action would be, although that became a moot point since he had seized an unforeseeable opportunity and followed Yami into the kitchen during Jounouchi and Yuugi's duel.
Mokuba belatedly realized that he had spent more time trying to figure out how to talk to Yami than what exactly he intended to say. He had been surprised to see a look of genuine amusement on Yami's face as he leaned against the counter and toyed with a glass of water. After coming closer, Mokuba had asked what was so funny, but he hadn't expected Yami's answer to be, "You really are like Kaiba sometimes."
His first instinct was to become defensive since people were always saying how different he was from Kaiba, but it was only after the simple sentence sunk in that he became confused by it. "Of course I am!" Mokuba had said with pride and a haughty glare as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm his brother, after all!" Yami's quiet laughter had been unexpected, as was the kind gaze that made Mokuba feel like his hair would have been ruffled if he had been standing any closer to the other.
After the pause had turned into silence, Yami eventually asked, "So how is he?"
"Busy," Mokuba said simply, not wanting to disclose any further information.
"Your brother certainly can be stubborn," Yami murmured, almost as if he was speaking to himself. Mokuba barely managed to see the small smile on Yami's face before it was replaced by a look of concern. It hadn't really been an answer to Mokuba's unvoiced questions, but that alone was enough evidence to make him realize that there was definitely something else going on between the two; well, that and the two times he had observed them making out with each other. Mokuba didn't understand, but maybe he wasn't supposed to. It didn't stop him from being curious, although he would prefer to not have to witness anything like that again.
Looking over at his brother again, Mokuba tried to gauge where his brother stood on the whole thing. Kaiba obviously cared enough about whatever was going on to get upset about it, but was that necessarily a good thing?
As the film's story took another predictable turn, Kaiba became aware pf Mokuba studying him intently and he turned to meet his younger brother's gaze. "Yes?"
Cursing himself for getting caught, Mokuba tried to play it off as he did his best to mask his previous concerns. "The movie kind of sucks, doesn't it?"
With a snort of amusement, Kaiba agreed, "Yeah," glad to know that his brother's taste and judgment hadn't been completely corroded by the time spent around the Yuugi-tachi. "Where did you get it from?"
Leaving out the fact that Jounouchi was the one who recommended it, Mokuba answered, "I borrowed it while I was over at Yuugi's place today." He continued watching his brother carefully in order to gauge his reaction, but he was disappointed when there was no change in Kaiba's countenance.
"That would explain it," Kaiba said, his eyes drifting back to the television when he heard an explosion. He thought that it was a shame that such semi-decent graphics were being wasted in such a pointless and terrible film.
Mokuba really wanted to try and find out more about Yami from Kaiba, but even though he knew he should leave it alone, he was too curious not to at least try. At least if he did it right, his brother wouldn't even realize what was being asked—or at least that's what he was hoping for, anyway. "Everyone was there, but it was a little weird today," Mokuba started, trying not to react to the fact that his brother's attention had once again returned to him.
"Oh?"
"Yeah, Anzu and Yuugi are going out now," Mokuba informed his brother, although it wasn't like that was a surprise to anyone.
"So?" Kaiba asked, trying not to feel nauseated at the idea of the lovey-dovey bullshit he was so glad that he didn't have to put up with when—no, that thought would stop right there and go no farther.
Mokuba wasn't sure what exactly his brother was scowling at, but he casually mentioned, "I kind of feel bad for Yami." Failing to get a response, Mokuba continued, "I guess it could be worse, though."
"What could?" Kaiba asked, unsure as to what his brother was trying to get at with such talk.
"It would be pretty awkward if Yami was still sharing a body with Yuugi," Mokuba pointed out, surprised by the reaction that earned him.
Kaiba couldn't help but laugh at the idea of Yami having to suffer through those two on a date, although it made him realize the reverse of the situation. Considering what had happened between Kaiba and Yami previously, Yuugi surely would have been traumatized by what he would have witnessed—if he wasn't already from the limited knowledge he already possessed. Even though Kaiba wouldn't have wanted to be placed in such a situation, he couldn't help but smirk over it.
Realizing that his brother still had no intention of speaking, Mokuba persisted since it seemed safe enough for the time being. "Still, he'll probably be left alone a lot now that those two will be going out on dates and stuff."
"If he managed to survive alone for three thousand years—"
"Nii-sama!" Mokuba exclaimed in a disapproving tone, shocked by the callous comment.
"—I'm sure he can think of plenty of ways to entertain himself for an afternoon while those two go and do whatever," Kaiba finished, ignoring his brother's displeasure.
Hesitating before continuing, Mokuba forced himself to say as casually as possible, "Maybe he could come over here sometimes."
Raising an eyebrow in surprise, Kaiba skeptically asked, "And do what?"
"I don't know…you two could duel?" Mokuba finally suggested with a shrug.
"Hn. Like I have time to duel him every time Yuugi and Anzu decide to have dinner together?" Kaiba asked with a sarcastic laugh. "I have better things to do than that." Even though it was meant to be a dismissive statement, he couldn't stop the somewhat perverse smirk that came with the ideas of what exactly those better things that he could be doing with Yami instead of dueling were. Then again, given the way their last duel had ended, it could certainly be one and the same. He laughed quietly to himself at the memory and was pleased to note that the carpet didn't betray any evidence from their activities from the other week. Realizing that his thoughts were quickly getting out of hand, Kaiba forced them to stop before it led to more dangerous things. He shouldn't even be thinking about that kind of thing, anyway.
Even though Mokuba had witnessed countless instantaneous mood swings in his brother, he was somewhat perplexed by the one he just saw. It was always disconcerting to him to watch his brother's expression go completely blank in an attempt to gain control of whatever internal situation he was experiencing. Mokuba was tempted to push his luck since it seemed the topic of Yami wasn't off limits, but he still wasn't sure if it was a good idea. Then again, he could play off of his innocence in the event that it went badly. After a long lapse of silence, Mokuba hesitantly asked, "Nii-sama, do you like Yami?"
Ignoring his first instinct to dismiss everything outright, Kaiba knew that Mokuba had seen too much of their interactions at Yuugi's place to get away with a complete denial. The question made him nervous because he wasn't sure what exactly Mokuba meant by, 'like,' but Kaiba did his best not to ignore the fears that sprung up instantly that Mokuba might know more than he should. Instead, he simply shrugged and said, "When he's not being a complete bastard, I suppose I can tolerate his presence sometimes."
Mokuba wasn't sure how to interpret his brother's response, but he was still surprised that his brother had actually admitted to anything at all. "I—" Mokuba started before deciding against saying anything directly. "If Yami were to come over sometimes, that would be okay, right?" Kaiba was too caught up in trying to stop the memories of having Yami over from replaying in his mind, but Mokuba thought his brother's sullenness was a result of what he had just said. In an attempt to cover up his sentence, Mokuba added, "After all, he's been here before."
Kaiba stiffened at the comment, his fears multiplying as he wondered once again if Mokuba had seen anything the night he had brought Yami over, but he realized that he must be referring to the night Yami came over to "discuss" his body after the disaster of a duel with Yuugi. Forcing himself to relax somewhat, Kaiba faintly said, "Yeah," but didn't elaborate any further.
His brother's reactions were so unlike anything Mokuba had expected that he couldn't help but want to continue further. Watching Kaiba carefully, he pointed out, "And now you're not going to get to see him in school anymore."
"Mm." It still confused Kaiba why he didn't feel more pleased about the fact that his irritant would no longer be in school. They hadn't spoken at all since Yami had pulled him into the classroom earlier in the week and it left a feeling inside of Kaiba that he didn't like to acknowledge. He had ignored his desire to speak with Yami on his last day since he certainly didn't see the need to seek the other out to settle the matter, but it definitely didn't feel like the situation had been resolved. There were plenty of unresolved issues in his past, so what was one more? Once it became the past, it would cease to matter, right?
"You should have him over again sometime," Mokuba told his brother, but it earned him no response. Whether it was from lack of anything to say or from being too immersed in his thoughts, Mokuba wasn't sure, but it didn't really matter. "I'm okay with that." It was the subtlest way he could give his approval without revealing the fact that he knew more than he should.
The words were enough to pull Kaiba from his thoughts and he stared at his brother in barely masked confusion. "What?"
It was hard for Mokuba to keep a straight face at the startled expression on Kaiba's face, but he managed to do so somehow. "I'm just saying—it would be okay if he came over here sometimes."
"If you want him over, invite him over," Kaiba told his brother, although he realized rather belatedly that those words would probably come back to haunt him later. It was a necessary thing to say in order to not seem too suspicious, but he really hoped that he wouldn't have to deal with any potential consequences it could cause. "It has nothing to do with me."
"I think he'd rather see you," Mokuba said, cursing himself for the slip up that seemed to cause his brother's expression to darken considerably. Trying to quickly come up with a way to salvage the sentence, he added, "I mean, it's easier for me to see him over at Yuugi's, but since you're always so busy…if he came over here—well, you wouldn't have to deal with the rest of the Yuugi-tachi and…uhm..."
Kaiba was definitely becoming suspicious of how much his brother knew, but maybe he was just being that transparent. He had nothing to add that wouldn't cast further light on his own abnormal behavior, so Kaiba remained silent and returned his attention to the movie. Things were starting to explode with more frequency and Kaiba was more than happy to give himself over to the mindless distraction. Anything to stop him from thinking about Yami and what they could do when—no, it had to stop.
Mokuba knew that he had stepped over a line, but he was surprised that his brother hadn't gotten upset at him. It had happened a couple of times in the past, but this time his brother seemed all too willing to let the issue go, which told Mokuba more than words could ever hope to convey. Deciding it was in his best interest to drop it for the time being, Mokuba continued watching the movie as well, although his interest had diminished now that he had lost track of the plot in favor of a far more intriguing matter.
It was why he was grateful once the ending credits finally began to roll an hour later, although he had to admit the finale was impressive. Once again he wondered why Kaiba Corporation hadn't branched out into the special effects industry and he turned to ask his brother about it, only to discover that Kaiba had finally gone to sleep. Turning off the television, Mokuba was pleased that his idea had worked, although it left him with the dilemma of what to do about it. If Mokuba woke him up to go upstairs, Kaiba would likely just stay up instead of going to bed. There was no way he could carry his much larger older brother, so he would just have to leave him where he was. At least tomorrow was Sunday and he could sleep as long as he wanted to.
Getting off of the couch, Mokuba left the room in search of a blanket and he quickly returned once he found one. Mokuba tried to carefully cover his older brother without disturbing him from his sleep and he was glad that his brother was at least lying down instead of sitting up in a position that could hurt his neck. Straightening the blanket to make sure that his brother was properly covered, Mokuba turned to leave and was startled when he felt Kaiba catch his wrist. Before he could say anything or free himself, Kaiba stirred slightly as he asked in a voice that was thick with sleep, "Yami?"
Mokuba started down at his brother in shock and debated about what to do. Unsure about what would be the best way of handling the bizarre situation, he finally decided to simply ask, "What?"
"Night," Kaiba finally answered, his grip tightening somewhat and Mokuba swore that there was a hint of a small smile on his brother's face. What the hell did that mean?
Mokuba stood there awkwardly as he watched his brother, but he finally managed to force himself to reply, "Good night." Gently extracting himself, Mokuba decided to leave before Kaiba woke up completely; he just hoped that his brother wouldn't remember anything later. Looking back at Kaiba one last time before turning off the lights, Mokuba sighed softly. It was clear to him now more than ever that something must be done about Yami to help his brother, but the question was what? Whatever it was, he knew that he was the only one who could do it, because Yami was right about one thing: his brother was damn stubborn when he wanted to be.
Actually, Yami right about a second thing as well: Mokuba was just like his older brother and he could be just as stubborn when he needed to be.
A/N: I want my old posting schedule back... XD
I never intended to have such a Mokubacentric chapter, but there it is. Hopefully it wasn't too out of the scope for everything; I figured we'd all had enough of Kaiba's continuous, "OMIGOD WTF?!" thoughts, even if a few managed to sneak in here somehow. Mokuba really is so much like his older brother so I liked the idea that he would mentally process things in a very similar manner. After all, he was raised in the same environment—different conditions, but same environment—so I would imagine that the levelheaded analytical way of examining problems would have been something he grew up with as well. The kid might not understand everything he sees, but I'd imagine he's a pretty good observer—even more so when it comes to his older brother.
And for those keeping track of the days, the previous chapter took place on Wednesday and this one takes place on Saturday night after Mokuba got home from hanging out at Yuugi's for the day. Kaiba's first non-Yami school day has potential for fun, doesn't it? Especially if Bakura decides to shoot off his mouth… XD
This chapter got delayed for the weirdest little shit that I couldn't make up my mind over, once again proving I put waaaay too much thought into some things. The internal debate between having Kaiba addressing Yami as, "the irritant," or, "his irritant," was one that took up far too much of my time. XD All for the sake of an authentic experience, haha.
Anyway, I've once again got a little extra work completed on the upcoming chapters and an outline from here on out to the end ("It has an end?!" exclaims the shocked authoress, haha), so delays should hopefully go away from here on to the end. 'Twould be nice, ne? And I can finally get back on top of properly responding to reviews on time. I feel so bad about not getting back promptly after you've taken the time to leave me such kind and encouraging words!
NEXT CHAPTER: Interception
When Yami appears in Kaiba's office after hours, the beleaguered C.E.O. refuses to accept the realty of the situation. What can Yami do to convince Kaiba otherwise?
…that makes it sound kind of smutty, doesn't it? Can't say I wasn't tempted to take it down that route, though. But, given the state of mind Kaiba is functioning in, I didn't think it would be very realistic to have them fucking on his desk, even if it would have been oh so very fun. That's what one shot spin offs are for, right? XD
Even though I have to work next Sunday (and Devil May Cry 4 comes out this week!), I'm pretty confident that I can still get the next chapter posted by then. Now that I have a clear idea of where everything should end up, that should help immensely. And then I can show everyone all the other fun ideas I've been toying with on the side…