Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ The Heart Behind Blue Eyes ❯ Too Much Responsibility ( Chapter 2 )

~The Heart Behind Blue Eyes~

***

Okay, this is my first fic that I've had the guts to post on ff.net, so please don't flame it! Constructive criticism is welcome, and hyper reviewers are enjoyed (I can be one myself!). I'm making this a Yami/Seto fic, because I love this pairing (there are so many clues to it on the show, I swear!) and if you have a problem with yaoi, then sucks for you. But seriously, with this show, it is almost impossible for there to be het pairings because of the lack of female characters. I've only seen the English dub up to Yugi's duel against Joey (pathetic, I know), so I hope some of my ideas aren't incredibly off or outdated, I need to find a decent site so I can find spoilers! Suggestions would be great! ^_~

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! The characters in this story, or anything else that has been patented! If I did then I would be insanely rich, I definitely wouldn't need to be writing fanfictions, and the show would be a little different, heh heh heh. So anyway, DON'T sue me because all you will get will be six fifty in loose change, my school supplies, and an enormous lawyer bill. Oh yeah, and I don't own tic tacs either!

"Blah blah blah." indicates speech

'Blah blah blah.' indicates thoughts

...Blah blah blah... indicates flashbacks, or memories

*~*~*~*~* indicates the start and end of a dream

/Blah blah blah./ indicates yami and hikari talk to each other

<Blah blah blah.> indicates that the frivolous author is inserting some deeply insightful comment.

<Alright, I know the first chapter was a little weird, but some of that will be explained in this chapter. For example, I know that Seto wouldn't be able to see anyone from the fortieth floor, but he's so obsessed right now (if you didn't notice he mentioned Yami in practically every other sentence) so he's half living in his head. I'm so happy that I got reviews already! Wow! Here's the next chapter that I promised. I love you Solitaire and Silver Mist4, my first two reviewers! Thanks for taking the time to read my probably stupid fic, it means a lot since this is my first one I've ever let the public read! Oh yeah, and I had to re-upload chapter one because I can't figure out how to get italics or other stuff in my post, so I had to change some things, nothing major.>

Chapter 2: Too Much Responsibility

Seto Kaiba's early thirties, no-nonsense, bespectacled secretary was on her way back from an exceptionally good lunch date when she happened to glance at her watch. With a jolt, she realized that she was running five minutes late, with the KaibaCorp. building still at least as many minutes away. Quickly forgetting all about the black haired Ian she had just taken leave of, she began running through the mall her heartbeat speeding up to a rapid pace. Shaking out her nondescript KaibaCorp. umbrella she shoved unceremoniously through a knot of people and sprinted out into the pouring rain.

As Cinda, for that was her name, galloped through the streets, slipping in puddles in her low heels, she began to furiously reason with herself just why she had taken this job. All of her friends could easily come in from lunch on a rainy day five or ten minutes late and only deal with a few words of reprimand if anything; but no, she worked for Seto Kaiba, a man who would simply fire her if she was lucky. She had heard tales of workers leaving in tears, men and women alike, after they had annoyed their young employer, and she was wishing heartily now that she had not accepted the position no matter how much money it paid.

Panting for air, Cinda reached the grandiose front doors of the KaibaCorp. building and she threw herself in the doors, sliding comically on the tile floor in her wet shoes. Heedless of the stares and titters from the customers in the lobby (any worker in the building new full well what she was going through and had performed similar antics on various occasions), Cinda sloshed to the 'employees' only elevator and frantically began pressing the button for the fortieth floor. She growled menacingly at other workers as the lift was stopped at the third, tenth, twelfth, twenty-first, and thirtieth floors, earning her mumbled curses and grudging space. Finally the elevator beeped, announcing that she had reached her destination and she squeezed through the doors before they were even all the way open.

Reaching her desk Cinda collapsed in her chair, realizing dully that she was soaking wet, had somehow lost her umbrella in the mad dash through the rain, her shoes were ruined, and there were no notes or messages on her machine. She breathed in sharply. She had been dreading a message from her hot-headed employer, but somehow the lack of one was even more intimidating. Unwelcome memory surfaced of a time the CEO had stated, "When you've failed at something, I would try to come to me before I come to you, or else you might find you're out of much more than just a job."

Cinda's calm demeanor was shot, and she was hiccuping with nervousness as she stared blankly at her desk. Something was definitely wrong here, and she knew with a sense of dread what she had to do. Suddenly she heard a click and the red light that signaled that the young man in the next room wanted to speak with her flashed on. Before the tone that accompanied the light had ended it's note, Cinda had crashed into the doorway with strength of desperation and exploded into her employers room the words 'FORGIVE ME I AM NOT WORTHY!' on her lips... but they never came.

Before her eyes was a sight that deadened any feelings or thoughts she had just been experiencing. She fell onto her hands and knees and vomited violently, then backed up against the wall trembling with fear and shock.

The massive glass wall behind the desk leant a silhouette-like scene before her, the smooth surface of it spattered with drops of blood. The soft cream colored carpet was a dull red below he glass desktop, and the desk itself was only a surface seemingly covered by a red blanket. A dark form was collapsed on the glass, one shoulder resting against the button that lit up the light and tone by her desk. One arm was stretched out straight, merely a mass of crimson and darker scarlet, the shirt rolled up past the elbow. The other arm was beneath the body, a blood stained blade of some sort resting just inches from the fingers. The head itself was turned to the side, vermillion coating the side of the face on the table, an almost sadistic smirk of triumph plastered on the pale face.

Cinda began to cry and shudder uncontrollably, she didn't know what to do, only minutes before she was worried about her job and her reputation, now there was a mangled corpse in the same room as her; she felt like a lost child. Then she heard a raspy sound coming from the body, this gave her enough strength to wobble to her feet. With a sort of morbid curiosity she crept closer until her shoes were at the edge of the blood soaked carpet. It was indeed her young employer, but she couldn't tell if it was he that had made the sound. Coated so in his own blood she was ashamed of how frightened she was to see if he was alive. But then he stirred slightly and she heard a pathetic rasping in his through that sounded oddly like, "I've won... Help me Yami..."

At the utterance of the sounds she reeled back and fled from the room, slamming the door behind her she picked up her phone hastily dialing 9-1-1.

"Hello? Police, we need an ambulance right away to the KaibaCorp. building, fortieth floor. It's urgent." She didn't wait for any sort of reply, she had already let go of the phone and had fled to the bathroom where she sat hunched over in a corner crying for her sanity and her shame.

***

The Moto residence was quiet, with an air of expectance. The clock on the kitchen wall proclaimed that it was seven p.m., and a thin layer of dust darkened the cheery pale green counter tops.

With a bang, the front door was thrown open, and the happy laughing forms of Solomon, Yugi, and Yami Moto tumbled through the door, accompanied by a snorting Joey and a Tristan specimen that seemed to be choking on his own spit. The three Moto's staggered into the kitchen still laughing hard enough that their sides ached, Joey merely rolled around on the living room floor pointing at his disgruntled friend. Yami and Yugi dragged themselves back into the living room and collapsed on the sofa, and Solomon followed soon after carrying with him a large glass of water and two boxes of tic tacs. No one noticed the flashing light on the telephone that signaled that they had a message.

After fifteen minutes of Tristan guzzling down water and crunching tic tacs, the living room calmed down significantly. Joey, however, was milking the opportunity to the dregs, and Tristan was looking as if he had recovered enough to start a wrestling match on the floor.

"I told you that eating the double, garlic, onion, jalapeno, horse radish, deep fat fried shrimp, combo wasn't worth the prize, but NOOO you had to go and do it anyway!" The blonde was now jeering from his seat in a plush green armchair opposite the couch that Yami and Yugi were seated in.

"Just shuttup, ALRIGHT!" Tristan growled hoarsely, rubbing his throat and glaring daggers at his supposed friend.

"I mean, come ON. Not only did you eat the entire thing but you forgot the stupid prize in your mad dash to get out of the pit stop!"

"I said COOL IT JOEY!" Tristan shouted. Joey merely continued to giggle.

Solomon Moto rolled his eyes and smiled at his grandson and the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle.

"I think that this old man is going to go into his room and read for a while. A road trip with four noisy teenagers isn't exactly prescription for an old guy like me." He rose and went into the kitchen.

/Yami, do you think we should try to separate those to?/ Yugi's eyes sparkled evilly as he watched Tristan head lock Joey and get kicked in the shin.

/I think that those to would need an All-You-Can-Eat Buffet to distract them./ Yami's thoughts held a hint of mischief not normally associated with an ancient spirit. The two would have conversed farther, but Solomon Moto came into the room, a strange expression on his face. The two boys looked up at him expectantly.

"Yami, I think you should come into the kitchen for a moment." Yugi noticed that his grandfather's voice was tight and careful not to reveal any inner emotions. The hairs raised on the back of his neck as he exchanged glances with Yami before the taller boy rose from the couch and followed the older man into the kitchen.

"What is it grandpa?"

"There was a message on the phone for you," the gamekeeper's eyes were tired and wouldn't meet Yami's, "something about Kaiba. Here listen to it, and then I'll take you down to the hospital."

Yami took the phone in shock. Kaiba? Of all people, why was he in the hospital, and why was he, Yami, involved? He pressed the message replay button and held the phone up to his ear.

"Mr. Yami Moto, this is the Domino City Hospital calling in regards to a Mr. Seto Kaiba. Mr. Kaiba is currently in our care, and we would like to have a few words with you. Come immediately once you are home. Officials at the hospital will explain in more detail. Good day."

The emotionless voice cut off, and Yami lowered the phone filled with curiosity and a bit of dread. He nodded silently to the other man, and followed him towards the car.

/Yami? What's going on?/ Yugi asked through their mental link.

/I'm not really sure Yugi. I have to go to the hospital, something about Kaiba./

/Kaiba? Why would they need you there?/ Yugi's thought was tinged with worry.

/I wouldn't know./

"Well I'm coming too!" Yugi said a he rounded the corner and confronted his yami and his grandfather by the car. With a heavy sigh, Yami gestured for him to get into the car with him. "Joey and Tristan are popping some popcorn and are going to watch a movie." Yugi added as an after thought. His grandfather nodded and pulled out of the drive way.

The ride over was silent, each man brooding over the reason why Yami's presence was required at the hospital. Solomon Moto dropped the two boys off at the entrance and left to try to find a parking space, telling them to go on without him. Upon stating his name at the desk, the receptionist gave Yami a strange unreadable look and gestured for him to wait in a plain white room two floors up, down the right corridor, third on the left. Silently, the two followed her directions and entered the room in time.

After waiting about five minutes an important looking man in a dark gray suit, followed by a slightly balding gray haired doctor, and a nurse practitioner, entered the room and sized Yami up with a glance.

"Yami Moto?" The tone was hard and indifferent.

"I am Yami Moto." Yami stated, looking the man in the eye. He felt the older man bristling at the tone.

"Who, may I ask, is this then?" Gray suit turned accusing eyes towards Yugi.

"He's my friend." Yami growled through clenched teeth. "Are you going to tell me why I'm here or not?"

With a quick change of tactics, gray suit ignored the fact that Yugi even existed on the face of the earth and favored Yami with a distasteful smile.

"Mr. Moto, what exactly are your relations with a Mr. Seto Kaiba?" His tone was slightly sneering, and his eyes boring into Yami's were condemning.

"My relationship?" Yami huffed. "There is no relationship. We are acquaintances, nothing more."

"Acquaintances. Really." Gray suit scowled darkly at Yami. "Was it not you that handed Mr. Kaiba his only duel monsters defeats? Have you not attended school with Mr. Kaiba now for about five or six years? Have you not-"

"If you know all his, then why bother asking me?" Yami snorted and refused to look the other in the eye. The manner of the man really rubbed him the wrong way, making him feel rebellious and testy.

"Perhaps I wanted to see how sincere you are, Mr. Moto." Gray suit growled. "I would advise that you cooperate fully, it will make procedures much simpler."

"Do I have the right to remain silent?" Yami snapped back, his dark violet eyes flashing.

"Enough Brutus," the balding doctor interjected with a sigh. "You, young man, are not on trial, but it is a good idea to cooperate with us in this particular case. Now Brutus, perhaps we had better take them to see Mr. Kaiba before we continue." The doctor pulled at gray suit's sleeve, shooting him a keen sideways look. With a grunt, the big man walked through the doorway, the doctor following.

Yami glared after the retreating back, tempted to remain behind simply to annoy. The nurse practitioner smiled at him reassuringly. "It's ok hun, Mr. Tivon is under a lot of stress right now. Just follow us if you please." She beckoned to Yugi to come as well, and grudgingly Yami followed suit.

After losing count of the doorways on either side of them, Yami was relieved when the party stopped in front of a door in a relatively quiet wing of the hospital. As they stopped a pretty young blonde nurse slipped out of the door, looking at gray suit and the doctor appraisingly, she handed them the clip board she was holding, then walked away.

"This is Kaiba's room?" Yugi asked tentatively.

"This is Mr. Kaiba's room," Gray suit snapped, "You will have to wait outside, Mr. Moto's friend." He shot a deadly glare at Yami as he said this. With a sigh he balding doctor placed one hand on gray suit's elbow, and he seemed to relent. "Fine, can't do much more harm if you wait inside."

Gray suit and the doctor opened the door with quiet care, as if they were afraid it might explode, and Yami watched them in curiosity. He was already confused that Kaiba would be in a hospital at all, the brunette was a master of martial arts and scorned public places despite the amount of money he donated every year. With one last glance at the nurse practitioner who was clearly waiting to leave until he was inside, Yami followed into the darkened room.

Dim light filtered through the slatted shades of the window beside the bed. A form was lying crumpled in the sheets, a UV tube attached to his right arm, and various wires attached to the stack of machines beside the bed monitoring his heart rate, blood pressure, brain activity, and other things. On a dry erase board on the wall was written a time sometime the next day when the patient was supposed to have a second blood transfusion.

A second blood transfusion? Yami started as he realized that the defeated form in the bed was indeed the arrogant youth he knew as Seto Kaiba. He turned and saw the sadly triumphant expression on gray suit's face at Yami's reaction. Now silent and professional, he handed the clipboard to Yami, gesturing with his eyes that he was to read it.

Scanning the heading, Yami saw that it was an observation chart, things that Kaiba had said or done as he wove in and out of consciousness. He was startled as he realized he saw his name many times. After being brought to the hospital around one thirty, he had rambled on about seeing Yami, Yugi, and Mokuba running in the rain from his room on the fortieth floor. Later he had said quite clearly in the middle of his blood transfusion, "Yami, can't you help me?". Just a few hours ago he had claimed that he saw Yami standing outside of his room, and why didn't he just come in or stay away from him. Yami trembled, for he knew that he had only arrived from a road trip half an hour before.

He lowered the clipboard to look at the expectant faces of the doctor and gray suit. Yugi looked at him curiously, and he felt the desire to read the clipboard tugging at him through the mind link, but he handed the clipboard back to the doctor, determined not to let Yugi see it. He didn't know why he was so embarrassed, but this revelation made him feel weird.

"Wh-what happened to him?" Yami managed to stammer out.

"What happened is a knife that reportedly YOU gave him, Mr. Moto." Gray suit was easing back into his personal dislike for the smaller overconfident young man.

"What?"

"Perhaps you noticed that young Mr. Kaiba has already had a blood transfusion, and is scheduled for a second one tomorrow morning?" Yami nodded dumbly. "He was discovered at one fifteen p.m. in his office, near death from extreme blood loss and shock."

"He...he cut himself?" Yugi quivered as he spoke, looking for some sort of sign from either of the three other men in the room. but no answer came.

"Mr. Moto we called you here for a number of reasons." Gray suit said in a low voice. "Come here Mr. Moto."

With grave solid strides the burly man strode to the side of Kaiba's bed. Numbly Yami felt his body jerkily following him. Beside the bed he looked down at Kaiba's face, strangely innocent, his chestnut locks damp with sweat and tears, his skin two shades paler than before, eyes squeezed tightly shut. Gray suit regarded him closely for a minute, then reaching out a hand, he twitched the cover off of Kaiba's suspended arm.

Yami wheeled back in shock, falling to the floor, his face a world of horror, pain, and disbelief. Suddenly, he bolted from the room, he shoved roughly past Yugi and the doctor. Blood pounded through his ears as he sprinted unseeingly through the hospital. He had no idea how he found his way out of the maze of hygienic hallways, but he was then out in the cool crisp night. Racing down the street he felt tears of guilt and confusion wet his cheeks. When he finally collapsed he was panting for air, and sitting alone on a moonlit hill in the park. Sorrowfully he looked up at the rising moon, still unable to believe what he had seen.

For, upon the baring of Kaiba's arm he had seen the cruel knife slashes, stitched closed over the gray skin, and the ten wounds had spelled out his own name: YAMI.

***

Bwa-ha-ha! A bit of a cliffhanger! I'm so proud of myself that I managed to type up this whole chapter in one afternoon! I hope that this chapter wasn't too corny, but I'm trying to get in some of the angst stuff on Yami's side as well as Kaiba's. Hopefully I'll get the next chapter up some time this week, but school is probably going to be really uncooperative! If I had it my way all school would be is a place to socialize and do sports. Anyway, hope people like my fic!

Next Chapter: Cry For Help

Yami confronts Kaiba once he is feeling better, but will he be overwhelmed?