Disclaimer: Do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!
"Hey Seto. Sorry I missed your call again. I guess you're in a meeting right now. College is great so far, except for a few boring teachers, but the people are very friendly! How is Tokyo? Hope you're not too lonely-Oh! Sorry Seto I gatta get to class!"
His finger still laid on the repeat button on his cell. It would be a month since he left for college in Hokkaido. Why? Because that's what Mokuba wanted...
Lonely... How could Seto Kaiba be lonely? A simple question can easily answer that.
"Another one sir?"
He just slammed the empty glass on the counter, the bar tender taking it and exchanging it for another. Seto pressed the button on his cell once more, taking the glass of alcohol carelessly into his hand. The message played once more, in the same tone as before. The liquid disappeared as the message ended once more.
With each new repeat of the voice, another shot was downed. He'd been there for at least a few hours since he broke out of his meeting with his "colleagues."
Lonely...
Was that returning home to no one? Expecting someone, that isn't there, to be close? Wanting someone when you have no one...?
'Yeah right...' Seto Kaiba lonely? He shook his head in a drowsy fashion, pocketing his cell and pulled out a bill. Even after a copious amount of liquor, he didn't feel any different. He just became bored.
Seto didn't feel himself sway slightly in the elevator up to his room. He thoughtlessly leaned against the door for support as he fumbled with his key card and pushed the oak door open with his weight.
He shielded his eyes against the light of the room. He heard someone laughing lightly. His vision adjusted enough to glance at Mineko reacting to the movie she was watching. Mineko's laugh sweetened the tone of the room. Seto slightly stumbled into the room, slamming the door closed and thus slowly silenced the girl.
Her content eyes turned away from the television and to Seto. She looked up at him, her bright eyes became questioning at his posture, and her lips became parted ever so slightly.
His posture was different, almost slouched. Mineko noted his hazy eyes as they didn't seem to move from something on her face.
"Seto...?"
His thought process stopped, trying to shake it off her discarded his coat and brief case by the couch that Mineko sat on. She was still staring at him. Her eyes... Seto tried to refocus his gaze, landing on her parted lips. They seemed to be asking him to do something without moving and without him hearing it.
Mineko stood up from the couch, forgetting about the movie that she was previously watching. Seto finally forced his eyes away from her lips, but found them still on her form.
When his thoughts did return, he thought about the flesh beneath her loose shirt that showed the length of the neck and shoulders. She was barefooted with the only article covering he legs in any way was a short skirt that only served to showcase them.
Seto felt the tips of his fingers tingle. She was approaching slowly.
'Is he feeling alright?' She outstretched her hand, a feeble attempt at checking for a temperature. But as her hand reached up, he grasped her wrist. She was only slightly surprised at his reaction. His breathing quickened.
Mineko was close enough to smell something on his breath. It was familiar, yet foreign to her. She leaned into him a bit more, trying to identify the scent, but he reacted violently by throwing her hand down and stumbling back, turning away in the process.
She winced slightly at the sudden movement, and moved her wrist lightly.
"Seto, are you okay?"
He ignored her and kept his rocky path to the other room. She followed, easily matching his drunken stride.
Seto removed his tie, and began stripping open his shirt. He needed a cold shower.
"Seto..." She placed her hand on his shoulder. Was she trying to drive him crazy?
He grasped her hand, yet again, turning around to face her, also taking hold of her other wrist. His thoughts far from him. He was just reacting now, he lost his sense. His teeth locked together.
Mineko opened her mouth, if it was out of surprise or to speak, he would never find out. He pulled her towards him, closer. Her arms outstretched, eyes wide as he covered his mouth with hers.
Mineko recalled the scent, she could taste it. She winced at the flavor, nothing good ever came out of alcohol. She found herself pushed against the night stand.
'What's happening...?'
She tried to speak, her mind scrambled. The skirt was forced off her small waist, she cringed.
"S-stop..." He couldn't hear her weak voice. The palms of her hands were flat against the wood of the stand, her back was against his chest. She bent her head down lower, hair veiling her visage.
This was Seto. They've done it many times, yet, this didn't feel right. Not at all. It felt like... that night... She could have taken it, she could just keep quiet like she did the other times... but...
"...stop... Seto..."
It was below a whisper. Before she couldn't find her voice, now she still couldn't. The bitter taste still lingered on her tong. A breath was caught in her throat as she felt more clothes being shed.
Seto felt the curve of her waist from under her shirt, but even still, they craved more. He threw the shirt off, exposing more. Mineko was silent.
He pulled her lower torso in to him, keeping his arm wrapped around her small hips, holding them there. He caught a scent in her hair, it was different. He paused, finally noticing her quivering.
'She's scared...' his thoughts awoke, but were still far from logical. He turned her chin up gently, her eyes still shut, her breath still caught. He noticed a shallow stream forming under her lashes. Tears?
He took a few steps back, releasing her; yet, she didn't move. He took a breath, what was he doing? Seto bee-lined for the restroom, slamming the door behind him.
Mineko finally released her breath, in the process slumping down against the night stand against the bed. Palms still planted on the surface.
What had happened?
"... Agh..."
Mineko covered her mouth as a few drops slipped from under her eyelids. With the other arm, she covered her chest, what little she could.
If wasn't any different... It should have been different! But... it didn't feel like it... It felt the same...
Mineko felt bumps rise on her skin, she was still shaking. Slowly, she wrapped her arms tighter around her exposed form; yet, tears wouldn't stop and she was still cold... so cold...
Seto stared at someone that looked just like him, but acted so different... What had he done? He calmed his breathing, but Mineko's tears still invaded his mind with every breath.
He splashed water on his heated face, it didn't help... much... Another breath, another attempt to calm himself.
Why had he done it? He splashed himself once more, removing the alcohol from himself.
He wasn't thinking, but he sure felt something...
Safe...? Content...? Calm...
Seto reached for a towel, wiping his face before looking down at his hands... They held her, close... He leaned against the counter, wiping his hair and neck as well in one motion.
She never cried before. It wasn't like it was the first time she's been with him either... So why this time?
Seto caught his own gaze in the mirror.
Was it the first time he was that abrupt with her... Seto thought back.
'No, it wasn't...'
Then why-... A thought occurred to Seto. It came from that night. The night he found her again, in the rain.
'Was she crying then too?'
Her image from that night flashed through his mind as lightning does in a storm. His head fell into his palm. It made sense...
A soft, timid rapture on the bathroom door met his ears. Seto took a few seconds to breath before moving.
Mineko held her chest, earlier she found her shirt and skirt. Her hair was a tad disordered, but she was better than before...
She held her heart with both palms and kept telling herself the breath. She faced the door, but after figuring that the door wasn't going to open, she started to turn away.
Just as she did, the door began to budge. She heard it, and paused. Light escaped the bathroom and flow past her, she winced slightly; but still peered in, allowing her eyes to quickly adjust.
Seto stood in the doorway, still debating to budge from his position or not. He met her eyes, but couldn't quite read them.
Many things could have been said, but they weren't. It was silently understood. She breathed and dared to approach closer to him.
She understood, and felt guilty because she understood.
Seto's eyes widened, as she embraced him without fear.
"... sorry..."
He was finding comfort in her and she did the worst thing possible in that situation... Pushed away...
'It won't happen again...'
She promised. He remained stiff, but allowed the reassurance. Yet, his thoughts still nagged at him.
"Mineko," he shattered the silence. She moved to look up at him with large eyes. He looked into her eyes, noticing that on the surface they presented a mirror of what anyone wanted to see. However, look deeper and a scared doll lies inside, beaten and discarded by humanity.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
The mirror seemed to be cracking, exposing more of the broken being inside. "Tell you...?"
"You were raped."
And the mirror cracked away. She turned down to the ground, arms falling to her side once more. Seto immediately grabbed for some contact. He tilted her chin towards him, locking her gaze with his.
He wasn't going to let the question slip through his fingers, nor would he let her escape through his grasp. He needed answers.
"Raped..." She never put it in those terms. Her eyes started to become hollow, "It was just a-"
"Don't lie to me."
She felt her heart beating faster, she'd tell him the truth, but it wouldn't be what he wanted to hear. "Yes, I was raped, but it was nothing new..."
She started to turn away, but he wasn't about to accept that answer. He pushed her into the door, cornering her between the light and dark. He encased her between his arms, no way out. Mineko's eyes went wide, alert.
"Nothing new?" He repeated it; yet it still didn't make any sense to him, "You were crying." Both that night and no more than an hour ago...
He felt her breathing, heavy and uneven. "There must have been something different."
'Different...'
What was different from the other nights, why did that night make her cry?
"It hurt," she broke, "it just... hurt..."
Her hands shook, she attempted to steady them by grasping her head on either side. It didn't help. "It was the first time it just really hurt."
She heard his calm breathing, yet hers wouldn't slow. "All other times, even my first, just felt numb..."
He was a monster. His arms retreated to his side. He was a monster that hurt an already broken doll, thinking he was helping.
She took audible breaths, eyes wondered to the ground with ears still covered in attempt to retreat into a safe shell.
"I see..."
Seto began to step away, but she grabbed for his hand like a life line to salvation. "You never hurt me." He paused. "But..." He heard her breath.
"I was scared that it would hurt..."
She was looking at him now, with hope that he would sew her back up.
"What about the other times." Now his voice was hollow. She felt his hand, it was cold. Mineko pulled it closer, trying to warm it.
"With you," she handled the hand like a child, "it was different..." He eyed her curiously, yet his features said otherwise. She continued, "I felt something. Like I wasn't just taking it as a child takes their medicine. It was..." she looked up at him, eyes locking, "...different..."
She seemed so small with the world weighing on her. He sighed, allowing his fingertips to touch her cheek. Her hands still clasped around his.
They both breathed out, and tension seemed to be released with it.
Mineko felt his fingertips brush her skin, it almost tickled. She gave a small smile, something quite hard after everything that happened, everything discussed.
Seto's heart started to feel lighter, no longer weighed down. His shoulders began to slouch slightly, he began to relax and slowly let his barrier fall.
His thumb grazed her lip, she remembered the kiss quite well. It wasn't quite the best, in fact, it was scary. Seto remembered too, his eyes lingering on her parting lips.
He felt her breathing and she seemed to move closer. He felt her lips press against his softly.
Mineko's eyes were closed. No bitter taste lingered in his mouth, no alcohol...
After a good few seconds, Mineko pulled away slowly, yet still close. She looked up at him, seemingly asking a question.
Seto looked back at her, his mind beginning to sing once more. He felt the warmth of her hands creep up his arm.
Mineko understood she broke a rule. No kissing clients.
Their lips met again, for his sake. Third time was better. Satisfaction...
But Seto Kaiba was no mere client...
Mineko's back hit the door again. His arms trapped her against him. Her arms settled on his shoulders, fingering his loose collar. Despite the kiss, her lips turned upward contently.
She could be fixed...
Well, how was that for an update? Special thank you to aurdox, michiei , bjjoke, Lestatsgirl15 and Adorehim88 for giving me inspiration and drive for the series! Really, I would be nothing without you guys!
Please, I would really love to hear any comments about the series that you may have or even questions! I know it has been a while since I have updated, but I am planning to finish this series off by the end of summer and my stupid imagination has formed a possible sequel... tell me what you think and thank you for reading!
-Sin