Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Behind Blue Eyes: Seto's Story ❯ Day Seven: Don't Tell ( Chapter 25 )

Behind Blue Eyes: Seto's Story

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Ah yes, another BBESS chapter. Not as many people read this story in comparison to the original . . . I wonder why. Without further ado, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not make money from this even though I've spent years on it. Doesn't that suck? And I still don't own Yuugiou.

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Recap:

“Seto. Seto, I'm sorr-”

“No, it's my fault. I've never really explained anything to you so you didn't know. I'll fill you in during our time at my place, okay?” Actually, I just wanted to say something to make him leave me alone about it for now. Hopefully he would eventually just forget about it.

- - -

 

We were lucky that it was already growing dark outside when we began our transition. I made a few phone calls and men were showing up before long to take care of the current mess. The offending mattress was removed in a black bag along with the sheets and stained pillows. They were the best at destroying evidence, as I discovered during the years with my adoptive father. Could he even be called a father? I would have to think of a different name for someone like him. Adoptive pedophile? Hm . . .

The items were all loaded into a rather conspicuous box truck that was parked outside. Hopefully Jou's fellow residents would simply think that someone was getting rid of old furniture or moving. The last thing I needed was for people to get curious and try to look into the situation.

“Oh, I tore up a photo.” Jou's voice came from a place inside the bedroom.

As I turned my attention to him, I saw that he was speaking to one of my men, who was inspecting a few small pieces of torn paper on the floor. “A photo?” What kind of photo would he have torn up? Had this event happened recently?

“Yeah . . .” He suddenly seemed crestfallen, though he didn't bother to downcast his eyes. The frown on his lips was enough.

“What was in the photo?” I tilted my head to show that my interest had been piqued. A photo of something that was bad enough to make him tear it to indistinguishable shreds . . . what could it possibly be?

Rather than answering me, Katsuya simply bit his lip and glanced from the men in the room and then to me, a silent way for him to tell me that it is probably a matter that shouldn't be discussed in front of them. Was it something that would be embarrassing for him or for me? Well, there was one way to rule out the second possibility.

“They know more than I'd like them to.” I informed him, just in case he was worried about saying something in front of them that he shouldn't. One man faltered a bit in his searching, so I threw a glare at him to keep him in line. “Anything that you can say to me, you can say while they're here. They're all sworn to secrecy. They know better than to blab anything.” As if on cue, they all picked up their pace. Were they really that intimidated by me? Honestly, it's pretty pathetic.

Katsuya still looked unsure of himself, but spoke anyhow, “Saki had tied it to the key to those handcuffs. It was a photo that he had taken of the two of you the first time that he . . .”

“I'm going to leave a little treat for your mutt, Seto-koi.”

“I see. It needs to be destroyed, then.” Every little fragment of him must be destroyed, no matter how small.

“Master Kaiba,” One man stood from his place on the floor, “Are you and Saki speaking again?”

Who the hell did he think was talking to? Am I not his boss? “I believe that you have a job to do.” I folded my arms, shooting him the best death-glare I could produce at the moment.

“But master Kaiba, you and Saki were-”

“Mention that name again and I swear I'll have you killed.” All of them faltered yet again, nervous expressions falling upon me. They are all perfectly aware of what I'm capable of doing. “That goes for all of you. Am I understood?” They all still looked like frightened children, cowering before a man that might beat them. A part of me felt bad for it . . . they looked at Gozaburo the same way. I tried my best to not look so pissed, “Work diligently until the end. Don't I deserve that kind of favor?” I had known them all since I first stepped foot in the Kaiba mansion. They all felt sorry for me and the predicament I had fallen into, yet none of them would utter a word to save me, for fear of their own lives and the lives of those they loved. It was understandable, really. They had promised to serve me even after the death of their original master. Had they forgotten such a vow?

“Y-yes sir, master Kaiba!” They all agreed in unison, smiles coming to their faces. Ah, so they remembered. Sometimes all that employees need is a little motivation to boost their morale. Gozaburo's motivation, however, was often a bit different from my version.

As we made our way out to my limousine, more men were bringing in a new mattress and whatnot to replace what that bastard had just lost. See? I'm a nice guy.

One of the men that was helping the others stopped to assist my driver in opening the doors on one side of the vehicle to allow Katsuya and I entrance. We slid in side-by-side onto the same seat. One employee opened his mouth as though he dared to say something about it, so I held up my hand to shut him up. When I was younger, I used to feel so powerful doing that. Now, though, it's just a boring habit.

The doors were shut and we were finally ready to go to my home. Our belongings had been loaded into the trunk before we had even gone outside. Yes, everything was fine.

“Hey Seto?”

I pushed the button on the door to put the screen up between us and my driver, “Yes?”

“Why do all of your servants call you master Kaiba rather than mister Kaiba?”

“Old habit, I guess.” I stared out the window. The sun was nice to look at when it was setting, “My father made them call him that.”

“You keep calling Gozaburo your father.”

What's with the sudden bombardment of curiosity? “Another old habit, I guess. I called him `father' when other people were around.”

“And when other people weren't around?”

“He made me call him master, too.”

 

“You had to call him master Kaiba? That's a bit-”

“No.” I glanced back at Katsuya. What would his reaction be? “Just `master'.”

“Oh.” I could see him fidgeting. What was he thinking? Did he find me even more weird than before? Was it awkward to be sitting in the same car as me? Did he want to scoot away? “So um . . . will Mokuba be there with us all week?”

Oh man, Mokuba. “Oh shit. I forgot about him.” I ran a hand over my face. What would Mokuba do when he saw my arms? “He's going to become a nuisance.”

“But you love that little nuisance.”

As if he needed to remind me. “Yeah, I do.” Of course I loved Mokuba. I did absolutely everything for Mokuba. I would still do anything for Mokuba, regardless of the effect it had on me.

There was yet another moment of awkward silence. Was Jounouchi Katsuya actually running out of things to say? You would think that since he ran his mouth endlessly ever since I met him that he'd always come up with something.

“Hey Seto?” Ah, so the silence wasn't endless this time either.

“Yeah?” I propped my arm up against the window, leaning my head into my hand. I didn't mind his constant talking, I guess. It was nice to have the constant noise rather than the constant silence. I didn't feel so lonely or isolated when someone was talking.

“How much does Mokuba know about all of this?”

“Probably more than I think he does. Mokuba is a snoop. He likes to put his nose where it doesn't belong. I haven't openly told him anything at all, but that doesn't mean he's clueless.” I couldn't help but sigh at the thought, “Either way, please don't even bring the subject up with him. If he tries to start something, shrug it off and ignore him.” Something in my gut told me that Mokuba would end up getting information out of Katsuya. Mokuba could be manipulative when he wanted to be, and I suppose that I only have myself to thank for that.

“He's thirteen now, right?”

“Yeah . . .” I closed my eyes as a smile crept to my lips. Thirteen already. I remember when he was so little and I could carry him around the house. “He grew up so fast . . .”

“You sound like a proud parent.”

I opened my eyes in time to see his gentle smile in reply, “I kind of am, I guess. Even though we were adopted, Mokuba and I still relied heavily on each other.” Though, that was in the past. “But now that Mokuba is older-”

“He still depends on his big brother for support and he always will.” Jounouchi finished for me with his own optimistic touch. “And now,” he added, “I'm gonna be depending on you too! Ya got that?” He pointed a finger, winking while flashing that grin of his. If I said it was cute, would that make me weird? I don't tend to find very many things `cute'. Mokuba is cute. Mokuba and . . . puppies, perhaps? Ah, puppies. Puppies and Jounouchi. I guess I can say that Jou is cute.

“Heh, is that so? Typical dog.”

- - -

The sun had gone down, making way for the stars in the darkened sky by the time we arrived at my house. “Well, we're here now.” I informed the blond beside me. I couldn't help but sigh. I had a bad feeling that this wasn't going to be a very enjoyable week.

There was no response at all from Jou, and upon turning to glance over at him, I realized why. He was slouched over in his seat, fast asleep. I could be kind and lightly nudge him or something to wake him up, but . . . well let's face it, that just wouldn't be as fun.

So I gave him a good shove.

“Hey!” Katsuya yelled, his head snapping up from its resting position. He looked pretty pissed off, that is, until he realized I was the offender. His expression softened quickly . . . it was kind of nice to get that kind of reaction.

“Come on,” I pulled on his shirt, “are you going to come in or would you prefer to sleep outside?”

We went up the stairs to the front door together. Katsuya's reaction was similar to my own reaction the very first time I was brought to the Kaiba mansion: absolute awe. It was large, no doubt, and the detail in the craftsmanship was elaborate. Who knows how old it actually is. To be honest, I don't know much about the history, nor do I really care to research it.

One of my servants, er . . . one of my employees went ahead of us to open the doors, but they swung open before his hand even reached the handle.

“Seto!” Called a voice that I had missed. A mass of black hair and energy flew at me at full force as my younger brother threw himself against me in a tight embrace. His hugs were something that had never changed, even though he was a teenager now. I hope they never change. Mokuba's affection is very precious to me.

“Well hello to you too, Mokuba.” I greeted him after regaining my breath from the wind being knocked out of me.

“Seto . . .” Mokuba studied me from head to toe. Shit. I didn't cover the bandaging on my arms. “What are you wearing?”

Oh no. Much worse. I shot Katsuya a look, silently cursing him for talking me into wearing his clothes. “It's nothing.” What else could I possibly say? There are times when I'm at a loss for explanations, true or not.

“Ohhhh?” Mokuba questioned, smirking as he glanced from me and then to Jou, “It sure doesn't look like `nothing'.” He chuckled. He could be such a brat.

“Ya see, Mokuba,” Oh no, the blond was going to attempt to lie to a Kaiba. I was tempted to hold my ears. “Seto decided that it would be funny to let me try coffee! I took a sip, but it was really hot and it startled me, so I accidentally spilled a bunch on Seto's last pair of clothes that he brought! I let him borrow one of my outfits to wear home.”

You know, if you ignore the fact that I always bring several extra outfits when I go anywhere, his lie was actually relatively believable. It wouldn't be strange at all if he did something stupid and something bad happened to me because of it.

“If he was here, you wouldn't have called out his name when I knocked on the door. He isn't here at all. He's out having fun and you stayed behind. It's likely to be dark before he gets back.”

No. Katsuya hadn't done anything stupid that time. He just went out with his friends like any normal guy his age. Any normal guy. Normal.

“Hmm . . .” Mokuba rubbed his chin while he decided whether or not he would believe Katsuya. “Sure, that sounds likely enough.”

Wow.

“But!” Mokuba began again, “Since when did you call him by his first name?” He grinned.

Fuck.

Well, he is my younger brother, so I suppose that I shouldn't have underestimated him for even a second.

“Since . . .” I guess that Jounouchi didn't have a comeback for that one.

“Since I told him that he could. Since when did you become such a nosey little boy?” I put my hand on Mokuba's head, ruffling his hair. I wonder if he knows how much I like doing that.

“I'm not a little boy!” Mokuba seized my harm, pulling my hand away. I couldn't help but make a disappointed expression. No, Mokuba isn't a little boy, so why do I keep treating him like one? “What happened?” Before I could figure out what he was questioning, my brother grabbed hold of both of my hands, doing what I had previously feared.

He was staring at my arms.

It was only a matter of time, really. I hadn't exactly done anything to hide them. I'm actually surprised that he hadn't said anything sooner. Perhaps he was waiting to see if I would say something first.

“Ah, it's nothing to worry about.” Yeah, that's it, just lie with a straight face like I always do. Lie, lie, lie, just like I was trained to do.

“That's a load of crap, Seto, and you know it!”

“I promise that I'll explain it to you later, okay?”

He released my hands, just as I'd hoped, looking a bit skeptical, “You better.”

Unfortunately my brother wasn't as scatter-brained as Katsuya; my brother wouldn't forget my promise to reveal information, unlike Jou who has forgotten about such promises several times already. Though I had been able to divert Mokuba's attention away from Jou calling me by my first name.

Mokuba turned to go back inside and Jou and I followed. We made it far enough in to close and lock the door behind us before my younger brother quickly spun on his heels. “You thought I had forgotten, didn't you?!” He smirked, pointing an accusing finger at me. What? Was he a mind-reader now? Had I said that out loud? “I want to know why you two are so close all of the sudden!”

Ugh. Yup, he was definitely different from Katsuya. I guess that spending so much time away from Mokuba made me kind of slack.

“Why are you so curious about my love life?”

Son a bitch.

I quickly covered up my mouth, but not before the words had already escaped me. Now I was the one saying things before thinking! Maybe Mokuba didn't quite catch that.

Judging from the size of his eyes, however, he hadn't missed a thing. “Love life?”

I left my right hand over my mouth while Mokuba contemplated my statement. My hand was probably the only thing keeping me from screaming obscenities at Jounouchi for turning me into an idiot.

“Hahahaha!” Mokuba bent over with laughter, clutching at his stomach and pretending to wipe away a tear, “Yeah right! You two are hilarious!” He stood up straight again, running straight to me. I released the breath that I had apparently been holding as he pulled my hand away from my mouth. “Ya know, you almost had me fooled! You and Jounouchi? Pfeh! Not in a million years! Hahaha!” He elbowed Jou, but I wonder how the blond felt about that statement.

The blond in question forced out a laugh, “Aww man!” He played along, “I thought for sure that we got ya!” He snapped his fingers, “Darn. We'll get you next time, though.”

Jou seemed to be pretty good with younger people. Well, perhaps he was good with people in general. He was what people call a `social butterfly'. That sure sounds gay, not that I have much room to talk right now.

I suppose I should say something, “And here I thought that I was a brilliant actor.” I casually ran a hand through my hair, heaving another sigh. We had barely escaped that one. I guess it was a good thing that Mokuba wasn't as intuitive as I had thought.

“You guys are nuts!” Mokuba shook his head, “Anyways, I've got a couple friends coming over here in a little while, so I'm gonna go have the cooks make some snacks! See ya!” With a hyper wave, he darted off.

Friends coming over? Since when did Mokuba ever invite friends to the house? Usually they just went out together.

Jou and I stood there for a moment. Perhaps he was as surprised and relieved as I was, or maybe he thought Mokuba was gullible all along and he was just waiting for me to say something first.

“So uh . . .” Okay, so he wasn't waiting for me at all.

“That worked out nicely.” I finished for him. Did it really work out so nicely? Something seemed a bit off and a bad feeling was gnawing at me, “Mokuba's usually a lot better at reading me. I mean, I don't really joke like that with him, at least not about a fake homosexual romance.” I made a face, “You know, it sounds a lot worse when I word it like that.” Homosexual romance? Kaiba Seto is in a homosexual romance . . . no, let's not word it like that ever again.

“A lot worse? As in, it's bad as it is?” He pouted. Would it be correct to say that he was giving me puppy eyes? Ah, that was a stupid joke. Katsuya makes me say stupid things without even trying.

“Well, some people view it that way.” No, it wasn't really a bad thing at all, but our relationship is still a bit strange. “It's just you and I . . . we're so . . .” How could I word it without his taking it the wrong way?

“Different.” Though he said so himself, he looked crestfallen.

The truth is, we're only different in our living circumstances. When I look at us as individuals, however, the similarities begin to pile up. I wonder . . . if my parents had not passed away and Mokuba and I had grown up with our original parents in our originals lives . . . would I have turned out to be like Katsuya? Minus the nasty cheeseburgers, of course. No, maybe if I grew up normally, I would like that sort of thing just like everyone else.

“Actually, I think I've told you before that we're both very similar.” I looked Katsuya in the eyes, trying my best to cheer him up with the kindest smile I could muster, “You denied it before, but I've discovered the truth; both of us hide hour true selves because we're ashamed.”

Ashamed. That's what came out of my mouth, but was I admitting it or was I just talking out of my ass? Lies, lies, lies. I've told so many of them that I often forget what the truth is.

Jou looked thoughtful, “I think I remember that conversation. I wear the mask of a funny guy and you wear the mask of an asshole.”

“Actually, I really am an asshole.” No really, I am. Just ask the people I do business with.

Katsuya caught be off guard a bit when he shoved me playfully and we laughed together for a short moment. I liked it better when we were lighthearted together. Being serious all the time was rather boring.

Jounouchi suddenly turned his head and I followed his eyes, but found nothing worthy of sudden attention. “What is it?” I questioned, studying the wall that he thought was so interesting.

“I thought I saw someone.”

“Oh . . .” Damn, who could have seen us? “It was probably just a maid or cook or something. They're nosey.” The maids weren't actually in the house, as they only came once a week and today wasn't that day. There were cooks, but they should have been in the kitchen with Mokuba. Unless Mokuba really was lying when he said he had friends coming over, in which case it could have been a cook or Mokuba that Katsuya saw. Or I could be seriously over-thinking this whole thing and Jou could be secretly laughing at me for believing that he saw someone.

“Is that a bad thing?”

“Nah. They know better than to gossip about me.” I winked and started up the stairs with him following at my heels. Everyone knew better than to gossip about a Kaiba. My adoptive father Gozaburo set that standard long before I even became a Kaiba.

“You're creepy when you say things like that.” He actually sounded a bit creeped out as he said so.

“So I'm creepy and my house reminds you of the hotel from The Shining. Anything else?” I teased, turning my head to stick my tongue out at him over his shoulder.

“No master.”

“No master.”

Ugh, no, this was Katsuya and he was making an innocent joke. “Good dog.” I replied, laughing a little. The lines between the past and the present just kept on blurring together. Perhaps I ought to be taking the medicine after all . . .

I led Katsuya to the guest room nearest to mine and Mokuba's bedrooms. Since Mokuba would be with us the entire time, Katsuya would have to sleep in his own bedroom. It's weird to think about it, but I'm actually a bit sad that we have to stay in separate rooms. I guess I really do like him, huh? This kind of feeling reminds me of . . . there I go again. Just forget it. Forget him.

“This is going to be your room for the week.” I opened the door and flipped on a light.

To my surprise, he actually smiled. “Sure looks roomy.” Ah, I guess that he wasn't used to this kind of room, so perhaps it was actually exciting for him after all, even though he and I couldn't share a room. At least he would be happy.

I heard the sounds of heavy footsteps walk behind us and turned to see a few of my men carrying my belonging to my bedroom.

“Hold on a minute,” I called, following after them, “One of those is laundry.”

They stopped just inside my door and so I left Jounouchi to go meet them.

“Here, bring the bags inside so I can open them up and figure out which is which.” They quickly obeyed, not uttering a single objection or rolling their eyes. They were very obedient. That was yet another precedent that Gozaburo set.

They placed the bags on my bed and I unzipped each one, checking inside until I found the laundry. “This is it. Will you take it down to be washed?” Don't say please, don't use pleasantries. Was that really how I ought to ask for a favor? Jounouchi would probably get mad at me for it. He was kinder than me and I was better at logic than him. I guess that's why they say a spouse is a better half. Woah, spouse? Seems I need some sleep.

“Yes, master Kaiba.” They chimed in unison, bowing slightly as one man took the bag and all departed the room.

Master Kaiba? I am not Gozaburo. To be completely honest with myself . . . I feel that he is still the master and I am still the servant. Even after his death, I still do as I was told to do, I still be have as I was taught to behave, I still utter the same responses that were beat into me. Even in death, he is still the master.

I pulled the clean clothes out of the bags and hung them in my closet, but I really wanted to just fall to the floor and curl up. I'm alone. Mokuba is growing up and Mokuba will leave and I will be completely alone here in this house.

I slung the empty suitcases into the closet and shut the door. Alone. I used to like being alone, didn't I? I'm alone because I trust no one. Because I was told to trust no one. Because Gozaburo told me to trust no one. Again, it was him.

“Damn it to Hell!” I punched my bed. Why was I yelling? It has always been this way. I have never been in control. Even when I killed that bastard, I bet that he had seen it coming all along. He knew I would kill him and someday be all alone in this giant, creepy house that was crawling with terrifying memories of him.

And yet . . . I didn't have to be alone. I could invite someone to live with me so I wouldn't be alone . . . but would he accept?

I ventured back down the hallway to wear I knew the person of my thoughts would be, only to find that the door was shut and . . . locked? Why on Earth would he lock it? Was he taking a nap?

“What are you doing, Katsuya?” I called through the door, knocking a couple times, “Are you in there?”

“Nothing, Seto!”

What the fuck?! “Mokuba?! What are you two doing in there?”

The door suddenly swung open and Mokuba zipped past me, disappearing down the hall. I eyed Jounouchi.

“Well, I came in here and was having a look around when Mokuba came in and locked the door.”

I raised one brow. Mokuba came in and locked the door? Why would he do something like that? He must have said something to Jou. “And?” I questioned, pressing for more information.

“Aaaaaand . . . I dunno.” I fidgeted, “He was just worried about you.”

“Worried?” Worried about what? That sounded like it might be true, but I think there is a piece of the story that Jounouchi is conveniently leaving out.

“Your arms.”

I should have known. “I told him that I'd explain to him what happened.” I shook my head, sighing. So he was probably trying to get Jou to tell him what happened. I hope with every fiber of my being that he didn't slip up. Perhaps I showed up just in time, but Mokuba seemed pretty happy about something when he took off.

“Oh yeah,” the blond continued, “And our act earlier didn't food him at all. He knows there's something going on between us.”

So Mokuba hadn't actually changed after all. That was a relief. “Really?” I asked, though he didn't have to prove it to me. I should have gone with my gut instinct all along. “Hm.” I glanced down the hall, to catch Mokuba peering out of one of the other guest rooms before pulling his head back in to keep me from seeing him. That little spy. “Alright then. Get your things and come down to my room.”

“Yes!” Katsuya grabbed his belonging and practically ran to my bedroom. I followed at a relatively quick pace.

Upon entering my room I saw the blond burying his face into one of my pillows and inhaling. Was he trying to smell me or something? I furrowed my brows as I stood a few feet from the bed. What the hell?

“Um . . . creepy?”

He rolled over, smiling upon seeing me, “Haha, sorry. Your bed just looks so soft and comfy.” That was his reason behind sniffing one of my pillows? “I get to sleep in here with you, right?”

I turned my head when I felt the temperature in my face rising. “Um, yeah.” I eyed his belongings.

I didn't have to be alone.

“You can hang your things in the closet, you know.”

Jounouchi was often alone too, wasn't he?

“Are you okay?” He sat up. “Was it because I sniffed your pillow?”

I couldn't help but laugh as I shook my head in response, “No, not that at all. That was weird, but it didn't really bother me.” Actually, it did kind of bother me. Only stalkers and obsessed fangirls sniff pillows.

“Okay, but you didn't answer my first question; are you okay?”

What brought this on? Was it because I told him he could hang his clothes up in my closet? Did that bother him? Did that mean that he wouldn't move in with me? “Of course I am.”

“That means no.”

Was I talking to Mokuba or something? “How does that mean no? I just said I'm okay.”

“No, you said `of course I'm okay', which everyone knows means no.”

I narrowed my eyes. What kind of logic was that? “I'm just thinking about something, that's all.” I rubbed at the back of my head, going back to my closet and opening it.

“It's kind of empty for such a big closet.” Jou observed, following me inside.

“So there's plenty of room for your stuff, right?” Was I sounding desperate? I wasn't desperate, I was just . . . lonely? Oh man, I don't know which sounds worse. I inspected some of my own clothing so that I didn't look nervous or uneasy.

“I've only got a few things with me, so it's not really necessary to hang them up.” I heard him laugh, but refused to look at him. Looking at him would only make my heart pound faster than it already was. Why was I so damn nervous? Would rejection really be so awful? “Seto, what is it that you're thinking about?”

Damn! Was not looking at him actually making him more suspicious rather than less? “I was thinking that . . . I was thinking that there was enough room for your entire wardrobe in here.” Yeah, just kind of hint at it. Don't sound desperate . . .

“Uh, well yeah, that's probably true . . . but I don't have my entire wardrobe with me.” He eyed me suspiciously. Oh no! What if he thought I was bragging about how huge it was?

“I was thinking that all of your belongings would fit in my room, too.” No, that also sounded like bragging. What could I add to clarify? “I mean, you wouldn't need to bring your furniture or anything . . .” Talking was usually my specialty, but when it came to simple things like this, I was seriously lacking.

A shocked look came to his eyes, “Are you asking me to move in with you? Like, permanently?”

Leave it to Katsuya to ask me so bluntly like that. It would be embarrassing to answer such a forward question, but before I even had the chance to utter a word, he quickly turned his head toward my bedroom door, much like when he looked at the wall downstairs. “What?” I asked, peering in the same direction, but just as before, nothing was there.

“I thought I heard something.”

I could help but laugh a little. First he was seeing things and now he was hearing things. Was my house really that creepy? The nightmares of this place are long gone and only the horrible memories remain, engrained in the minds of those that experienced them. “Did you hear a ghost?” I taunted, smirking. It couldn't hurt to scare him a little, right?

“Oh shut up.” He shoved me, trying to play it tough, but I could see a bit of uneasiness on his face.

“What's the matter?” I brought my face close to his own, “Are you scared?”

“No!” He scrunched up his face and folded his arms, “I know it's not haunted, so quit it.”

Oh yeah, he was scared for sure. This was going to be a fun week. “How can you say that?” I backed away, the close proximity making my pulse quicken, “Gozaburo lived her. He had many guests over. Many, many, many guests . . .”

“Seto? Won't you come over and introduce yourself to our guests? They'll be staying with us tonight.”

No, not those kinds of guests! “And in all honesty,” I continued where I believe I left off, “not all of them left the way that they came in.”

To my surprise, Jou laughed. “You mean they left out a different door. That's what you were going to say, right? You're cunning, but I'm catching on.”

So he thought I was joking? “No, Jou. That's absolutely not what I was going to say.”

Kaiba Corporation was originally a military corporation. We manufactured things like tanks and weaponry. This being so, Kaiba Gozaburo was ruthless, both with his business partners and his enemies. He was no kinder to me. Kaiba Gozaburo was about as unforgiving as they come, and he proved that point again and again. Go against the Kaiba family and consider your life forfeit. It wasn't in writing, of course, but it was well known throughout the militant business and even beyond.

Though I was being serious, the bug-eyes that Katsuya was now sporting were enough to make me crack a smile. I suppose I shouldn't be scaring him. I didn't want him to be uncomfortable during his stay here. He did clean his house before I came over, so I should also try to make his stay pleasant. (A/N: Hehehe.)

“But really, I've never seen or heard ghosts, so there probably aren't any.” I shrugged, trying to ease his nerves. I rummaged through some of my clothes until I found a set of pajamas. “I'm going to go in the bathroom and change clothes and change these bandages. I'll be out in a bit, okay?”

He pouted and for a moment I thought he was going to try to get me to change out in the room like he had previously, but he didn't. “Awww, okay.”

I rushed into the bathroom in an attempt to hide the pink that I knew was tinting my cheeks. Why didn't it bother me that he wanted to see me without clothes? Well, putting it that way, it does kind of bother me. Still . . .

I opened the medicine cabinet, retrieving a roll of bandaging and some hydrogen peroxide. I made a mental note to get some more.

I make quick work of pulling off the bandaging. Who had put them on? Was it Katsuya? I couldn't remember him telling me. Either way, the person did a pretty good job; there was only a small mess of dried blood to clean off of the skin surrounding the lacerations. They sure brought back memories . . .

“Do you need any help?”

I almost jumped at the sound of Katusya's voice. Ah, I had forgotten to close the door behind me. Would he have come in anyway? I was getting careless lately. “No, I'm pretty good at this. I used to have to do it all the time.”

“From when Gozaburo hurt you?”

Heh, that man's abuse was more mental than anything. He typically let others do the dirty work, though that's not to say that he didn't do . . . those other things. “No.” Came my brief answer. The cuts were always my own fault. I either cut myself or struggled against bindings, which is where my current cuts came from. I shouldn't have struggled; it was always useless, then and now, and only served to hurt me in the end.

We were staring at each other's reflections in my mirror.

“What are you going to tell Mokuba?”

“I'll tell him that I did it.” Mokuba would probably get pretty pissed off, but I couldn't possibly tell him the truth. I'm not sure how much Mokuba really knows about what happened between Saki and me. When Saki and I broke off whatever the hell it was that we had, I told Mokuba that he was mean and hit me . . . that was enough to make him hate Saki and not ask any more questions. Again, lies saved me.

“What?” Katsuya furrowed his brows, “Why?”

“Oh, come on.” He was acting like I was such a horrible person. “I couldn't possibly tell him what really happened.” I glared down at my wrists, unable to stare at that look on his face anymore. I grabbed the bandages and the hydrogen peroxide and brought them closer so that I could finish.

“Won't that burn?” I suppose that Katsuya wasn't going to push the matter any further. It seems he's learning where my limits are.

“I guess.” Did it burn? The wounds themselves already hurt enough on their own. Besides, a little burning is nothing compared to the pain I've felt in the past.

I pulled out a bag of cotton balls and used them to apply the peroxide. Hm, it did sting a little, but it wasn't as bad as people always make it out to be.

“Mokuba knows a lot more than you are willing to realize, Seto. I think he'd feel better knowing that you didn't hurt yourself.”

Scratch what I said about him learning my limits. What exactly did Mokuba really say to him in that guest room? “I'm not telling him.” I continued my work in hopes that he would give it up.

“Then I'll tell him for you.” He turned to leave.

Tell him for me?! Was he fucking stupid? I grabbed him by the arm and used every ounce of energy I had to yank him back until he fell to the floor. Like hell I was going to let him say something like that to my little brother!

“Do it and I swear I will make you regret the day you met me.” I would. I would and I could. No one messes with Mokuba. If I don't want Mokuba to know something, then he won't know and I would literally kill in order to protect him.

“Seto?”

“When it comes to Mokuba, no one else is more important. I will decide what he is told. Don't fuck with Mokuba.”

He sat there, quiet. Maybe I finally got through that thick skull of his. Sometimes Katsuya could be so stupid, and I suppose that's one of the things that always annoyed me about him. Well, that and the fact that he was surrounded by friends that cared about him . . .

“You're just ashamed.” He finally accused, still on the floor at my feet.

“What?” Ashamed? Ashamed of what?

“You're just too embarrassed and ashamed about what happened to tell the person that cares the most about you. You aren't thinking of Mokuba's feelings at all!”

Not thinking of Mokuba's feelings? . . . no. Mokuba would definitely rather hear the truth. He'd be upset if he knew how often I lied to him. He's my only family, the only person that ever stayed by my side regardless of how mean I may have been to him, and yet I can't even do him the simple favor of being open and honest with him.

“Maybe so.” I leaned over the sink with my hands on the counter to hold myself up. I had to escape the heavy gaze of those brown eyes. “Maybe so, but wouldn't you also be ashamed? I could never tell Mokuba something like that.” I could see him stand up beside me, so I glanced down at the medical supplies in order to keep from looking at him . . . but that just pissed me off even more. I had used those damn things so many times. Was it fair? Was it fair that I had to go through all of that fucking shit then and even now? It was for Mokuba! I went through all of that shit so that he could live a happy, luxurious life! I worked hard to make him happy and I wanted him to stay happy! He doesn't need to know those horrible things! I couldn't tell him!

I swung my right arm, satisfactorily sending the items flying against the wall behind us. “I could never!”

“Seto . . .”

I ran a hand over my face and stood away from the sink. I needed to calm down. Yelling and screaming wasn't going to change anything, and if Mokuba heard me, I'd be in an even deeper hole than I already am. I stared at the mess on the floor, “Listen, Katsuya. Please don't tell Mokuba, okay?” I dared to lock eyes with him, hoping that perhaps my request would have more of an effect that way.

“Don't tell me what?”

I leaned to look around the blond as he spun on his heels to face the doorway. I knew very well who that voice belonged to.

Mokuba.

- - -

 

Next up, another chapter of Behind Blue Eyes! I hope that you all liked the chapter! `Scuse the random Author's Note that I threw in there; I just couldn't help but do that. I'm sure you all would have laughed at the innuendo anyhow (don't get excited though; Seto didn't mean it like that). Please don't forget to leave reviews! See you in the next chapter!