Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Redemption ❯ Revelations ( Chapter 23 )

AN:

Okay okay people I know this is deadly late. There are a few of you that know why. Last week my mother had a serious operation, one that was very risky and to be honest the stress of the bad odds and looking after everyone's feelings kind of killed the writing for a while. The good news is that the operation was a success, she's back home and yelling at dad as normal and trying to plan Christmas for us all, not a lot wrong with her now, but it will be weeks before she is on her feet again.

 

Either way hiatus over and in theory it should be regular updates until Christmas, but bear in mind I am having my wisdom teeth out on the 8th of December so the following week may be productive or not… see how things go. Anyways after enough waiting… enjoy.

 

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Time passed quickly for them all. During the week Yugi agonised over calling Yami, but didn't actually do it, much to the latter's disappointment. Yugi just kept putting it off, not knowing what to do about it, he was a bit of a novice when it came to this kind of thing. Ryou and Bakura spent Sunday with each other, something that was rapidly becoming routine, though this time he managed to make it home. In a completely unexpected move Marik met up with Malik not once but twice, and had actually taken his young lover to a movie which made a change to simply fucking when they laid eyes on each other. As for Joey and Seto…

 

Seto had quite enjoyed himself artfully keeping the upper hand with his blonde landlord, and the blonde was completely at a loss as to what was going on. He was getting less flustered by it as time went on, but he was finding Seto frustrating. He couldn't explain why but he had decided it was the attitude. True, Seto was learning quickly, picking up odd jobs around the house and being helpful. And yet there was the attitude, the arrogance and an air of almost… superiority. It was never overt, more of a subtle thing, but it was constantly in the background. Not to mention the brunette had him off balance something awful and he had no idea why. It was driving him nuts because everything about the man seemed to be completely at odds.

 

Joey's thoughts were regularly turning to his friends but hell, if they asked he wouldn't know where to start explaining about all of this. Speaking of his friends, for whatever reason he'd had no time to see them since Seto had moved in, something that he regretted and was starting to crave time with them badly. Well Tuesday was almost here so Ryou would not be working and neither would Yugi. Malik was free on any evening so long as he wasn't with Marik, so he was all set for Tuesday night with the guys. Well that was if he could arrange it of course, but that shouldn't be too much of a problem.

 

With that in mind he started to phone around - Malik first, who agreed easily, and Yugi too. Ryou on the other hand hesitated at first, but agreed after quickly realising that he could spend the day with Bakura and the evening with his friends. The knowledge of the upcoming evening did a lot to settle Joey and he was much happier from that point on, though why he couldn't put his finger on, a feeling he was becoming very familiar with. They had arranged to meet up at Malik's place and see what happened from there. When presented with the news Seto had merely shaken his head wondering what all the fuss was about. Either way it was something that Joey was heartily looking forward to.

 

As it turned out when Ryou met up with Bakura on the Tuesday afternoon the youth was typically thinking of others. As Ryou helped Bakura cook the latter couldn't help but notice that his lover was a little distracted.

 

“Penny for your thoughts.”

 

“Hmm?” Ryou responded surprised from his musing.

 

“You're miles away today sweet one.”

 

“Sorry, I was just thinking.”

 

“That much I'd noticed.” Bakura teased. “Care to share?”

 

Ryou chuckled sheepishly. “Sorry, well I guess… I guess I feel a little guilty for spending tonight with my friends in time I've come to see as yours.” He said softly, squeezing Bakura's shoulder as he looked him in the eye.

 

Bakura chuckled. “Only you could worry about such a thing. As much as I enjoy our time together I'm not your whole life Ryou.” Bakura ruffled his hair gently. “We both had lives before we met each other. Your friends are important too you know.”

 

Ryou smiled feeling a little better knowing that Bakura wasn't upset by him cutting their time together short. Though Ryou didn't come out of his thoughts like Bakura expected him to. Was there still something on his mind?

 

“Come on, spill it.” He ordered gently.

 

Ryou blushed, though didn't entirely understand why, and neither did Bakura. He eyed his lover with curiosity. Eventually after a little bit of casting around Ryou managed to find his voice.

 

“Well I was just thinking - well, if all of us are meeting up that kind of leaves you at a loose end, and perhaps you should spend time with your friends too, Yami, even Seto.”

 

Bakura snorted softly. “Seto? I may know him Ryou but that does not make us friends as such. It has been a very long time since we were even on anything other than civil terms.”

 

“Oh sorry.” Ryou apologised. “It's just… Joey says that he never does anything but sit in the house, never socialises or anything. It's not healthy, plus he seems to weird Joey out a little.”

 

Bakura sighed, finally realising where this was going. “And you want me to have a word with him right?”

 

“Would you? That would be great!”

 

He flung his arms around his lover much to Bakura's surprise who had no time whatsoever to protest and say that he'd not agreed to anything.

 

“But…” He tried to slip it in.

 

“Oh `Kura what would I do without you?”

 

Bakura groaned inwardly. I would probably lead a simpler life and you would be blackmailing someone else into doing things for you. Who knew you could be so manipulative?

 

“So what are you going to do, take him for a drink somewhere?”

 

A light suddenly came on in the now slightly glum angel's mind. Seto… never spent time on earth… therefore had never experienced alcohol and ergo… has never been drunk. The grin that started to spread across his features steadily was downright unholy. Oh he might just have to get Yami in on this after all. This was turning out to be a good… no a great idea. He'd have to thank Ryou for it later.

 

“Yeah, something like that.” He agreed.

 

Oh Seto with a hangover, what a sweet image. Though he might have to consider not inflicting him on a poor unsuspecting Joey, it wouldn't really be fair after all. Well, perhaps it would be worth having Seto over for the night in order to savour that little pleasure in the morning. Oh he did love it when a plan came together. Ryou on the other hand was distinctly worried by that smile.

 

“Bakura. Just what are you thinking?”

 

Oops, had that smirk crept onto his face? Oh so it had.

 

“Nothing sweet one, it's nothing for you to worry about.”

 

“'Kura, why don't I trust you?”

 

“I have no idea.”

 

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According to plan the four friends met up at Malik's that evening. Joey was glad to be in their company again at last. It was so relaxing to be in familiar company that didn't stress him out. He had no idea how Seto did it either, got him so on edge, it was nothing specific, he knew that he'd thought about it enough. It didn't change the fact that it was there.

 

“You know it's great to be round you guys again.” He said to them with a grin.

 

“Is Seto really that bad?” Yugi asked.

 

“Well no, it's just… I don't know what it is, he's helpful and all that, really pulling his weight around the house, but he also seems so… smug. On one hand he's great to live with but I don't think I've ever met anyone who's ever put me so on edge before. It's a little hard to explain.” He sighed.

 

“Maybe he just needs to loosen up too.” Yugi replied with a shrug.

 

“You're one to talk.” Malik put in. “have you called Yami yet?” he asked pointedly.

 

Yugi blushed and fidgeted uncomfortably. “Well no…”

 

“And why not?” Malik pressed him.

 

“I don't know if he even likes me, maybe I'm being a little hasty and all, presuming…” He mumbled.

 

Ryou shook his head. “Yugi, he waited till the end of your shift, a late night one if I recall, just to give you his number. I think you can safely say that he likes you.” He chuckled.

 

Yugi blushed a little further, causing his friends to smile at him.

“Come on Yug', it's Ry' who's supposed to be the shy one. You weren't so backward about being forward when we got it on now were you?”

 

“Joey!” Yugi moaned now beet red. “We were drunk, it's not the same thing at all.”

 

“All I'm saying is that you started it, why are you so shy now?”

 

Yugi groaned not wanting to delve any deeper into the subject, but knew that nothing he said would deter the blonde. Ryou too did not like the way the conversation was turning so jumped in to Yugi's rescue.

 

“Anyway, Yugi's right. Maybe all Seto needs is to wind down a little. So I asked Bakura to take Seto out somewhere tonight.”

 

“Really? I didn't think them two got on that well.” Joey questioned.

 

“Well Bakura agreed to it, even if the way he was smiling at the time was disturbing.” He admitted.

 

Malik chuckled. “Well who'd have thunk? I wonder what they are up to right now?”

 

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“No fucking way Bakura. I don't care which way you slice it I am not spending the evening with him!”

 

“Oh come on Yami, it'll be fun. Think about it, Seto has never been to a bar and never ever had alcohol. Are you telling me you are going to pass up the opportunity to see him drunk?”

 

Yami froze. Seto… drunk… oh the possibilities! He turned to face Bakura, a wicked leer on his face.

 

“Okay, now I'm interested.”

 

“I thought you might be, and this would be so much easier with a partner in crime, not to mention a pleasure better shared. If I can't convince him to drink something alcoholic you can distract him while I spike his drinks.”

 

Yami laughed loudly. “Bakura, are you sure you are not a daemon? Because you realise that you are being positively wicked.”

 

“Too much exposure to humanity.” Bakura shot back flippantly.

 

“You know, I think Marik's going to like this one. Come on then.” He said as he grabbed his jacket. “We'll drag the bastard out if we have to.”

 

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As expected, when the two of them turned up at Seto's front door the Avenger was not impressed to say the least. He was even less so when they announced the reason for their visit. The resultant argument had been entirely expected. Seto had stated that he would, in no uncertain terms, rather rot in the darkest, dankest pits of hell for an eternity than spend the night in Yami's company. Yami had chuckled and said that the feeling was mutual but they had all been comrades once upon a time and this was for old time's sake. Seto had shot back asking why he should deign to spend time with heaven's rejects, something that Bakura had actually taken offence to and threw it in his face that he was only doing this as a favour to Ryou, which predictably stopped Seto in his tracks because of the overwhelming confusion that came with that comment.

 

Bakura had then smirked and explained that Ryou had asked him to take Seto out tonight because he was driving Joey nuts. A slight exaggeration on his part but he was not about to tell Seto that, speaking of which Seto had started to growl. Bakura chose this time to add that perhaps he still needed a lesson or two in how to interact with humanity and should see this as an extension of their previous lessons. Glaring at him Seto had muttered something about deliberately unsettling the mongrel and Bakura and Yami suddenly decided to develop selective hearing at this point. So with a lot of arguing they finally managed to get Seto out with them both and into a bar. Well phase one of this little plan was complete at any rate. Now they actually had to get him drunk.

 

“So what are you going to drink?” Yami asked Seto as he sat between the two of them at the bar, Yami doing his best to look bored. Now that he was here, the urge to smirk in his trademark daemonic way was overwhelming. He must resist it though or give the game away, and he sure as hell was not going to blow their one chance at this.

 

“I like tea.” Seto stated flatly.

 

Yami groaned. “This is a bar, they don't serve tea.”

 

Seto glared at him, but Bakura already had a plan for this one.

 

“Well they don't do tea the way you know it at any rate. But they do serve Long Island Iced Tea.”

 

Yami's head came round so fast he ought to have whiplash. He managed to temper down the predatory grin to an interested smile, but only with a lot of effort.

 

“That's true.” He agreed. “Seems like as good a place as any to start.” He shrugged.

 

Yes, the cocktail in question did not have a strong flavour, and the alcoholic taste was nicely masked by its other ingredients. It looked and tasted enough like tea to probably fool the ignorant Seto who had no knowledge of the drink. Seto eyed the two of them warily before sighing.

 

“Fine.”

 

Both his companions felt a strong surge of triumph, things were going nicely. Bakura ordered the cocktail for Seto, and a bottle of beer each for him and Yami. He was glad to see when the cocktail arrived that it was served in a plain manner rather than the gaudy way in which some bars chose to serve it. As such it did not raise too much suspicion with the Avenger. Said angel still eyed it as if it were poisonous, which on some level was technically true Bakura supposed. But on the other hand it was not going to bite him… much… yet. Both he and Yami feigned disinterest knowing that displaying the interest they truly felt was a sure fire way to get Seto suspicious. Resigned Seto gave the drink a try and was pleasantly surprised. It had a tang to it he had never come across before, but the taste was pleasant. He could get to like this.

 

“Well?” Bakura asked.

 

“It's fine.”

 

Suppressing grins his two companions shared a knowing nod. Phase two had begun.

 

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Three drinks later and the effects of the strong cocktail were beginning kick in. For his first time with alcohol his companions were surprised that it didn't take longer, but then again who drinks cocktails as their first drink? Seto was blinking slowly, feeling more than a little strange. Everything seemed… fuzzy, yeah fuzzy was a good word for it, and he felt strangely relaxed, not a bad feeling, but something wasn't right about this.

 

“Why… why do I feel different?” He asked in a characteristic growl.

 

Yami grinned. “It's absolutely normal. Humans drink all the time to attain this feeling. Chill out and enjoy it.” He shrugged.

 

Bakura nodded. “You're far too fucking uptight anyway.” He stated, handing Seto another drink.

 

Oh yes, phase two of the plan was proceeding very nicely indeed. Set growled softly at him but started on the drink anyway. By the end of drink number five Seto had his elbow on the bar, hand propping up his head as he felt woozy.

 

“Humans choose to feel like this?” He grumbled.

 

“Damn straight they do.” Bakura nodded. “There are two reasons why people come to the club where I work. One, to feel like this, or two, to get laid. Sometimes both.”

 

“Get laid?”

 

“Fuck Seto!” Yami laughed. “Have sex, reproduce, all that shit. Don't you know anything?”

 

“Fornication?”

 

Bakura sniggered. “What have I fucking told you about updating your vocabulary?” he couldn't help himself. “But yes, essentially we are talking about the same thing.”

 

“Wouldn't hurt if you got laid, might loosen you up a little.” Yami muttered. “A good fuck with a pretty girl might be just what you need, there's been enough here giving you the eye though fuck knows why.”

 

Suddenly Yami found himself the recipient of a glare that could have nailed him to the floor then torn him limb from limb. He quailed a little at the intensity of it, looking to Bakura in confusion. Seto suddenly got to his feet and headed to the men's room. The two watched in stunned silence as he staggered a little, swaying quite a bit as he walked. It would have been fucking funny if the two hadn't been utterly thrown by the sudden icy turn in the Avenger's mood. True Seto was a cold fish normally but in that moment he had turned positively arctic.

 

“What the fuck was that all about?” Yami snapped, though his sudden foul mood was not meant for Bakura.

 

“Fucked if I know, but my guess is that you hit a nerve, a fucking big one.”

 

“You can say that again, who knew the ice prince could get any colder.”

 

Bakura sniggered. “Well this is Seto we are talking about, you really shouldn't be surprised.”

 

But Yami had dropped into thought. That was strange in itself, enough for Bakura to lean over and kick him in the shin to get his attention.

 

“What's with you? I don't think I can cope with the two of you being moody shits at the same time.”

 

Yami glared at him. “Well if you must know I was thinking about something Akeifa said about him.” He snapped.

 

Bakura arched an eyebrow in question but remained silent.

 

“Something about him not always having been this way. What was it he said? `He's always been stoic but the Battle of Heavens changed him' or some such crap.”

 

Bakura growled in annoyance. The implication that anything Akeifa said could not be trusted angered him, especially because Yami was around him all the time. Akeifa was the most trustworthy person… angel… Fallen he knew.

 

“That mess changed us all, but if Akeifa said it I'm sure you can trust it.” He said acidly.

 

Yami flinched. Okay, he'd kind of forgotten in the heat of the moment that Akeifa was a sore spot for Bakura, not a road he wanted to be travelling.

 

“Sorry.” He apologised. “It's just a little hard to believe.”

 

“Is it?”

 

Yami looked at Bakura, his expression clearly suggesting that his companion was not right in the head.

 

“Think about it.” Bakura explained. “Before the Battle of the Heavens, before he was given that freaking sword, did he really have that reputation, that fear we all felt on the day of judgement?” he posed taking a long swig of his drink.

 

Yami scoffed instinctively but then found himself thinking about it, and when he did Bakura actually had a point. Well shit.

 

“So what the fuck are you saying?”

 

“I'm saying that our favourite icy, arrogant shit-head was known for his superiority complex and being aloof, but otherwise unknown. He only seemed to become such a colossal prick about the same time you became such a shining example of daemon kind and I ended up trapped on this fucking plane.”

 

A crash and a shout behind them caused them both to turn to see Seto swaying, and glaring at a small human who was on the floor after bumping into him.

 

Yami chuckled. “Looks like he's making friends.”

 

Bakura nodded. “He's also a fucking Weeble. Considering how drunk he is he should be on the floor too.”

 

“You can't have everything.”

 

The two watched amused as Seto made his way back to them. Their smiles only grew as he swayed, ah now this was what they had dragged him out for. Seto was muttering in his annoyance at the human and as he sat back down on his stool at the bar he hadn't counted on his current lack of coordination. As he slipped off the stool he fell like only one of his height could. He went down in an ungainly tangle of long limbs, joints folding, like a puppet with its strings cut. The look of utter astonishment on Seto's face was too much and his two companions almost fell themselves as they howled in laughter. Oh now this was just perfect.

 

Seto for his part could do nothing besides glare at them. If he yelled at them it would only add to the indignity of the moment. So he did the only thing that he could and got up as elegantly as possible. He was forced to ignore the childish sniggers from either side of him, his expression one of forced, calm dignity and try to sit down once more, this time successfully taking his seat with no further mishaps. Bakura and Yami just about got themselves back under control though Yami could not resist the cheeky dig.

 

“Comfy?” He smirked.

 

Seto tried to growl and glare at him but found that he could not do both at the same time and therefore failed miserably at both tasks. Bakura coughed, hiding his amusement at the scene, but only just.

 

“Bastards.” Seto snapped quietly, taking a long swig of his drink.

 

The drink was odd, and it was almost certainly responsible for the strange feeling in his head and the way that his limbs did not respond in the crisp and timely manner that he was used to. Yet despite knowing this he actually found himself enjoying the drink and wanted more. Hmm….. this feeling wasn't so bad. He was jolted out of his thoughts as Yami sniggered.

 

“I bet I know where you picked up that bad language from.”

 

“Well you can fucking talk, you have a foul mouth yourself.” Bakura shot back. “But I shouldn't complain, I have been trying to get him to modernise his vocabulary.”

 

“I'm still here.” Seto snarled from between them, suddenly angry, and irrationally so, but he would not be the first or last drunk to get that way. “Don't ignore me.” His tone turned dangerous. “After everything I have done to get where I am don't you dare ignore me!”

 

Yami was having none of the sudden attitude. “Where you are right now is drunk Seto, it looks like the high and might Avenger can't handle his drink. Oh I wonder what God is thinking now? You've sunk a little low tonight.” He said with a satisfied leer.

 

“Low? You haven't got a clue daemon. This is nothing compare to how low I have sunk, no one knows, knows my sins.”

 

Bakura and Yami looked at Seto their eyes wide as the Avenger's voice slipped to barely a whisper, his head hanging dejectedly. Well this was the last thing they had ever expected from Seto. The quiet, sad tone, and him speaking of his own sin. They both knew what he was hinting at, the Battle of the Heavens - hell that little topic seemed to be coming up more and more these days. But in particular it was the loss of one of their own they were all thinking of, Yami feeling a twinge in his gut beneath old scars. They knew the story, had seen it with their own eyes, but the way Seto spoke was as if there were more to it. Both sets of eyes met for a moment behind Seto's back and they wondered what they had unleashed by getting him drunk. Alcohol affected one's inhibitions and Seto had a hell of a lot of power at his command. They realised that they had a potentially dangerous loaded weapon on their hands.

 

Seto sat before them and in a single gesture, him putting his hand to his face as his eyes suddenly screwed up tight, they saw the mask that he had worn for countless years fall away, and as he opened his eyes again true sadness flooded normally icy cerulean orbs. Now that all pretence of strength was gone, Bakura in particular recognised the expression that had replaced the hard and cold mask: it was grief. It was also so intense that he forgot himself and cautiously reached out to him, placing his hand on the angel's shoulder gently.

 

“Seto?” He asked quietly.

 

“You were right about me Yami.” Seto said, his head snapping up suddenly, the daemon flinching as he actually used his name. “I do follow orders, it's all I do and it's all I have, the Lord's good grace, but it's doing that which took everything I cared about. It's why I hate you, Marik, and all the rest of the Fallen scum.”

 

Both Bakura and Yami were a little freaked out by Seto at this point, that little speech having been delivered with an eerie calm. And it seemed that now Seto had started talking he wasn't about to stop.

 

“If it wasn't for you we wouldn't have been fighting, and I wouldn't have been ordered to fight to kill. If it wasn't for you then she wouldn't have been my enemy rather than my ally. If it wasn't for you she would be alive and I wouldn't have had to choose.”

 

Seto turned to Bakura, his eyes deep pools of blue slightly glazed over with more than just drink that captured the red orbs of his companion.

 

“And you, yes you were right. I've caged my heart, what little of it I have left, and yet there is not much point in protecting it any more.” He muttered as he turned back to his drink.

 

Bakura breathed out slowly, not realising he had been holding his breath in the first place. Well that was fucking weird. Yami on the other hand really didn't know when to leave well enough alone and was about to prove that.

 

“Don't tell me you are actually holding us responsible for Kisara?” He asked incredulously. “You're the one that killed her you heartless prick, and now you're upset? I really don't believe this shit!”

 

“Yami!” Bakura snapped in angry warning, eyeing the way that Seto had tensed, his hands balled into fists, the knuckles white as he clenched them so hard.

 

“What Bakura? What right has he to mope and whine about it when it was at his hand for fuck's sake. I know you are an arrogant shit but this is way too much.” Yami spat.

 

What happened next was so fast that Bakura couldn't track it. How Seto managed it considering how drunk he was he would never know, but in a lightning fast movement he had whipped round and punched Yami so hard they all heard the bone crack, catapulting Yami to the floor. Bakura was on his feet an instant later, grabbing hold of Seto and quietly praying he wasn't about to regret this later.

 

“No right!” Seto snarled, the strength of his fury sobering him a little. “I loved her you filth!” he yelled the whole bar looking at him, Bakura looking round at the crowd and swearing to himself. “I loved her with all my heart and you made me choose you bastards!”

 

“Okay Seto, that's enough, time to go.” Bakura put in as he could see Security coming.

 

He was thankful that Seto was drunk otherwise he probably wouldn't have been able to drag him away and outside. Inside Yami was picking himself up and brushing off the worried onlookers who insisted that he should get some medical attention. In truth he needed to get out of there fast before he healed right before their eyes. As he got outside he could just make out the distant figure of Bakura leading Seto away. Well who would have thought? Even drunk the bastard had one hell of a right hook.

 

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It had taken ages to get Seto back to his apartment. He was angry and predictably had swung at Bakura a few times, but considering that the anger wasn't meant for him the attacks lacked both the strength and speed of the rage-fuelled blow that he'd landed on Yami. Eventually he managed to get the emotional man back to his place, get some water down him to ease the coming hangover, and for the sake of an easy life settled him in his bed. Once there Seto fell asleep quickly as many drunks often do. Bakura actually sat and watched the avenger sleep for a while, thinking on the events of the night and what they had learned.

 

Well it certainly wasn't what Ryou would have had planned, and it wasn't what he'd planned either. Hell, the revelation Seto had yelled in the bar explained a few things, though it raised as many questions as it had answered. Hmm, it seemed that come the morning the two of them would be having a long chat. By Seto's total breakdown this was long overdue for him. It also seemed that they weren't so different after all.

 

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AN:

Hah! Why is it that came out more serious than funny, funny was in the plan people. Anyways, important stuff I think, well actually I know, I had to set up a shift in the Bakura and Seto dynamic so here it is, drunk Seto! Hope you all enjoyed that. Anyways Read and Review please I have missed you all