Here's Chapter 6! I'm really sorry it's taken so long, but I've been very busy and I've had to catch up with a lot of stuff! Anyhoo, don't worry, this is NOT going to go on hiatus any time soon! Enjoy!
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Shizuka happily made her way up the stairs toward the math class. Never would she have guessed at the beginning of the semester that she would look forward to an average Tuesday morning. She slowed as she reached the class, and quietly slipped in.
Shizuka was greeted that morning, though, with a quite unusual sight. Kaiba sat in his seat near the windows with a lifeless look on his face. Upon closer examination, Shizuka found him a bit pale and mussed. His usual laptop was nowhere in sight and he sat limply at his desk, his legs sprayed out and his arms hanging loosely at his sides.
As Shizuka stepped into the room, he slowly turned his face to her. His bloodshot eyes had bags underneath and were glazed over, almost looking through her instead of at her. His tie was only loosely knotted and slung lazily over his right shoulder. His bangs were unruly and his longish chocolate hair stuck up in various places. His school uniform jacket had slipped down past his left shoulder.
Shizuka stepped closer and found also that he wasn't cleanly shaved as he normally was, but rugged stubble was scattered over his long, thin jaw.
"S-Seto-senpai…? Are-- are you alright?" She asked as she cocked her head and, concerned, kneeled down in front of him.
His tired eyes wearily watched her for a moment,
"Kawaii-chan…" he mumbled.
Shizuka bit her lip,
"Seto-senpai, what's wrong? Is something the matter…?"
Seto leaned forward and rubbed his eyes, his long fingers still stiff. Shizuka watched him and he sat back up,
"I… I've got a lot on my mind and I didn't sleep." he said quietly.
"Why didn't you get any sleep?" Shizuka asked as she took her normal seat beside him.
The man sighed and rubbed his eyes,
"Truth be told, it's because my brother wants to start dating." He waited, expecting her to laugh at him and say 'that's no big deal,' but he instead only received silence. He looked up and found the redhead expectantly and intently watching him with her large, round gold eyes.
"Mokuba?" she asked quietly.
Kaiba nodded,
"I just… I don't know." he said, defeated, as he leaned back in his chair and ran his long fingers through his messy locks, "When our parents died…" he paused and gained a thoughtful, almost regretful look, "It seems like so long ago." he mumbled to himself, "It was over six years ago, now, that they died… Mokuba was almost seven…" he paused for a moment, "I promised myself that I would get him the best life I could give him… and I don't want him to rebel…"
"You've given him a wonderful life." Shizuka said with a soft smile, "He's got everything he'll ever need, good friends, and best of all…" her smile grew, "He's got you. I know that you're not his father and there must be an awful void where parents should be but… but he's got you. He's so lucky!" She grinned, "You care so much about him-- more than he'll ever know."
Seto sighed,
"I just… he's only thirteen years old… I know that he thinks he's seen the world, but it's a darker place than in his childhood fantasies." Seto said, venom filling his words, "It's suck a hostile world out there-- there's people everywhere, just waiting to get the chance to stab you in the back!" He hadn't realized it before, but bitter tears had begun to sting his eyes, "I just… I don't want him to be hurt… I don't want him to suffer…"
Everything was silent between the two for a moment, while a songbird chirped outside.
"Well…" Shizuka said finally, "I don't know a whole lot about the older brother half, after all, I'm the younger of two… but… you really want to protect him, don't you?" she asked with a soft smile. Kaiba grunted affirmatively in response.
"It's very sweet that you care." Shizuka said quietly. Seto looked up at her and could tear his eyes away from her kind face, "You and Jouiniichi are more alike than you think." She said with a smile, "I know that my big brother cares about me the same way you care for Mokuba-san." She paused as Seto nodded, "So… what do you think best for Mokuba?"
Seto's dark brows furrowed as he thought for a moment,
"Well, I want him to be happy… so I suppose I should let him… but he should still have rules to keep him out of trouble."
"How about nothing, you know, serious." Shizuka suggested, "And it's best if he's lightly supervised, even from a distance-- but not secretly, of course. And… and…" She grinned, "Of course, he must really like the girl and prove it if need be, and he must be a gentleman."
Seto chuckled,
"Sounds good." he looked up at her, "Are you positive you're the younger sibling? You're much more mature than that mu--" he caught himself before he had said 'mutt' and could tell that Shizuka knew what he was going to say by the look on her face. He sighed, "Sorry…" he mumbled, "You're more mature than your brother." he finished weakly, "I… I'm grateful…" he muttered.
Shizuka offered a sympathetic smile, "You're welcome."
The sun had almost fully risen and there was only roughly fifteen minutes before the first bell. Shizuka laughed at the thought of the other student's finding Seto in the state he was in-- he looked simply dreadful! She could hear the popular girls screaming and fainting as the men of the class shouted about the end of the world coming.
"Why don't we get you cleaned up?" Shizuka asked with a giggle as Seto looked up at her almost as a bewildered puppy, "Here…" she said softly as she pulled a comb out of her bag and sat down of the desktop behind him.
Shizuka began to gently comb the man's unruly hair. Seto let his eyes drift closed as her gentle fingers worked through his mane and moaned slightly.
"Are you alright…? I didn't hurt you, did I, Kaiba-sama?" Shizuka asked as she paused brushing his hair.
Seto forced his eyes open,
"Mmmn… no…" he mumbled, "That… that feels nice." he said softly, a blush and a small smile adorning his beautiful face for the first time. Shizuka watched him, wide eyed and then continued to gently brush his hair.
Little did either know as the tender moment continued that, just by chance, that a certain popular blonde senior girl was heading up to the math room because she had forgotten her lip gloss there the day before.
And, just by chance, she happened to glance into the classroom and saw none other than billionaire Seto Kaiba and little old Shizuka Kawaii together-- the lady gently brushing the blushing man's hair. Enraged, the blonde growled, but then a moment later, laughed.
Oh, this was perfect, just perfect. The blonde thought as she quietly tiptoed the other way down the hall, back downstairs to the rest of the popular clique.
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Well? I really hope you liked it! This is that chapter that really links the explanation of the beginning of the story to the real plot. It's only going to get better on from here, I give you my word!
Please review! (Thank you to those who have already reviewed!)
Mysteria Pearl