There's just something wholesome about Noa coming to Seto for help.
I just can't help myself sometimes.
.
"Um . . . Aniki?"
Seto turned and watched Noa approach. The newest and yet oldest Kaiba brother never seemed inclined to wear his heart on his sleeve, not the way Seto did. There was something in Noa that told him he still had to show deference to his house's patriarch, and so he did his best to contain his emotions whenever he came into Seto's study.
"What is it, Noa?" Seto asked, softly.
Noa sighed, then rubbed his hands on the front of his pants. "I, ah . . . I'm not sure how to ask this, because I'm not sure what's going on. But I can't . . . go to Mokuba. It wouldn't be right. I feel like you might go to Roland, but I'm . . . I'm not . . . well. Anyway. Um. I guess I'll just get to the point. You know how Ryo Bakura and I . . . we've been. You know. Hanging out. A lot. Right?"
Seto gestured. "You're dating," he said. "That's what you're dancing around, right?"
Noa flinched. "I mean . . . I guess . . . yeah. I think I am. Yes."
"Then yes. I know."
"Okay. Um." Noa cleared his throat. "I just . . . I don't know how to do this. I said I wasn't going to say anything, and I don't want to lie to him about something this important, but . . . I can't figure out what else I'm supposed to do."
"If you must," Seto said, "tell him that I forced it out of you." He smiled slyly. "Go on. Spill it."
"Ryo . . . got a letter from his dad today. From somewhere in Chile. I don't remember the specifics."
"Roma Bakura is an antiquities dealer?" Seto asked.
"Yeah." Noa nodded. "That's right. Ryo sends him letters, you know, to keep him up to speed on what's going on here at home. You know?" Seto nodded. "So anyway, Roma sends him a letter back. And he just . . . it looked like an inventory list, Aniki. If you showed me this thing without any context, I'd figure it was an invoice." Noa's voice darkened. "No recognition of what Ryo said, no indication he even got it. Just telling Ryo what he found, how much he sold it for, how much was in the account he set aside so Ryo could pay the bills. He didn't even sign the damn thing."
Seto's eyes narrowed; the smile, sparse as it had been, vanished. "I see," he said.
"And . . . I mean. Ryo says he doesn't really care. He says he doesn't have a relationship with his dad anymore. I think he believes that. I think he wants it to be true. But it isn't. It's not true, Aniki. It's not. If it was, he wouldn't have started crying. If it was, there wouldn't have been tears running down his face when I came back from the restroom."
Seto clicked his tongue.
He'd never been close, or even friendly, with Ryo Bakura. They had shared classes in high school, and Seto had some passing knowledge of his reputation as a tabletop gamer and student of occultism, but other than that . . . he knew effectively nothing. But looking at Noa's face, hearing the worry and anger and sadness in his voice, Seto thought he knew plenty enough to work with.
"I . . . don't know what to do," Noa said. "I feel like I should have stayed with him. I should have argued. I should be there right now. But . . . but he asked me to leave. He said it was okay, he was okay, but he needed time alone. And I . . . I don't know if I'm scared he's lying for no reason, or if . . . if it's justified."
Seto drew in a breath, then let it out.
". . . All right," he said, with grim finality. "I'll take care of this."
