Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Watch Over Me ❯ The Proposal ( Chapter 31 )

*review responses next chappie*

The Proposal

Seto woke early and did some paperwork. Ryou was going to bring the chibis over today in the hopes it would calm Hayden. Seto hoped that having Aten around may relax the child a little.

The only concern was Aria. Aria was accustomed to having his undivided attention. After all, she was his `princess.'

Seto had breakfast with his new son. Joey was reading his books with his breakfast.

The child continued to poke at the scrambled eggs curiously.

"Haven't you ever seen eggs before, Hayden?"

Hayden nodded. "Yes, but I only saw them raw for as long as I can remember."

Joey raised his head. "Raw eggs?"

"My uncle gave me a raw egg for breakfast every morning. He never cooked them."

Joey sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Well, they're never raw here!"

"Joey, eat your bacon like a good little puppy," Seto chided.

"Seto, don't call me a puppy! What if Hayden starts calling me `Papa Puppy' or `Daddy Puppy?'"

Seto chuckled. "Why stop a good thing, Joey?" Seto handed Hayden the comics from the paper. "Be careful not to dirty the comics, son. Aten likes to read them when he comes over. In fact, he's coming over today."

Hayden looked up from his plate. "Is he nice? He's not going to hurt me, is he?"

"Aria and Aten are good kids, Hayden. You don't have to worry about them. Just enjoy your breakfast."

*******************************************

Seto was in his office finishing updating his financial portfolio. The stocks that Aten picked out for him were accruing funds quickly. Seto promised his father he would take any profits from these stocks and put it into a college fund for him.

Aria announced her arrival with a squeal as she burst into the office. "Unkie Seto!"

"Aria!"

Seto opened his arms and she dug into his pockets.

"Where's your M's, Unkie Seto?"

Seto pouted. "Don't I get a hug first from my little girl?"

"SQUEE!" Aria threw herself at him and hugged him tightly.

Aten walked in holding Marik's hand. He calmly walked up to Seto and hugged him. Ryou held Bakura's hand as they entered. Joey jumped up from the couch and hugged Ryou and Bakura.

"I don't know how you do it, Ryou. Being a daddy is tough."

Ryou shifted his eyes. "Actually, Joey, Marik and Bakura are the fathers of Aten and Aria, you know that."

"I know, but still…..it's tough."

Aten returned to Ryou and lifted up his arms. Ryou picked up Aten.

"Why, Joey, is your new son here?"

Seto sighed. "Yeah, he is. He's going to take a while to accustom himself to being around us, eating cooked food, and sleeping in his bed."

Aten put his head on Ryou's shoulder and listened to the teens talk.

"Hayden lost his parents and his sister to a house fire and lived with his uncle who abused him," Seto remarked.

"You have to give him time to get used to all these new things, Seto," Malik said standing beside his yami, who looked somewhat nervous. "After you go through that, it takes a long time to heal."

Bakura looked around. "Where is he, anyway?"

"He's terrified of my desk and I don't know why. This morning I asked if he would like to come into my office and he ran away. Joey found him in the study a little while ago."

"Can we tee him, Unkie Seto?" Aten asked.

Seto nodded and carried Aria. Aria had grown quiet and for the first time in her life had grown speechless.

Seto lead them to the study. Hayden could be anywhere hiding, but knew the corner was quickly becoming a popular retreat for the frightened little chibi. Mokuba was sitting in the chair by the fire.

"Hayden, son? Son, are you in here?"

A blue-green eyed, red-haired chibi stuck his head out cautiously.

"These are our friends. Would you like to come out and meet them?"

Ryou put Aten on his feet. The chibi slowly walked to Hayden with his head cast down submissively.

"Aiden?" Aten said quietly. "Towwy to hear about your tisser."

Hayden came out slowly to stand in front of the tiny, thin child before him. Aten opened his arms and took Hayden into his arms. Hayden's eyes went wide and his body went rigid.

Aten looked up at Hayden. "You afwaid of me?" Aten's brown and purple eyes went teary. "I'm towwy. I no mean to afwaid you."

Hayden bit his lip. "No….I'm just…afraid of….people touching me."

Aten released Hayden. "Well, Aiden, if you no weady for me to hug you, dat's ok. When you wan hug, I can hug you adain. Okay, Aiden?"

"It's prounounced "H-ay-den", Aten," Joey corrected him.

"Ai-den. Dat's what I tay….Aiden."

Seto put Aria down and she narrowed her eyes at the new kid.

"Dis is my tisser, Awia. Awia, come meet Aiden!"

Hayden watched Aria approach slowly. As she approached, the crowd noticed her spiky hair became more spiky and began to twitch. Her fists were closed and a low growl emanated from her throat.

"Awia, dis is Aiden."

Aria stopped in front of Hayden. "So, kid, you Unkie Seto's new kid?"

Hayden lowered his head and began to back away from her.

"I am Aria, Unkie Seto's princess, and don't you forget it!" Aria said poking Hayden's chest.

Hayden gasped and ran into his corner. Aria snarled and her canine teeth showed.

"Awia, dat's not nice," Aten said turning to her.

"Aria Kanika, behave yourself!" Ryou scolded her.

Aria turned back to Hayden and without warning darted behind the couch snarling. Hayden eyes opened wide, seeing Aria's canines. She pushed herself behind the couch and roared at Hayden, the canine teeth shining in the light. Hayden couldn't move from behind the chair. He was paralyzed….the dog……big teeth……sparkling white teeth.

"AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! BIG DOG!"

Aten grabbed Aria and tugged at her ankles. "Awia! No! No fighten him!"

Bakura reached around the chair and picked up Aria. "Aria Kanika Itemri! Stop it this instant!"

Aten saw Hayden curl up into a fetal position and whimper. Aten crawled behind the chair and wrapped his arms around Hayden again.

"It's otay, Aiden. I'm towwy about my tisser…..Shhh…it's otay."

Seto sat down on the chair beside Mokuba. "Aria, come here."

Bakura put down his child and she pouted as she stamped over to him.

"Come here, princess."

"Dat's right, Unkie Seto! I'm your pincess!"

Seto picked up Aria and put her on his knee. "There's no need to be jealous of Hayden, Aria. You are still my little girl."

Aria began to whimper. "Don't you love me anymore, Unkie Seto?"

Seto wrapped his arms around Aria. "I love you, Aria, but I'm not trying to replace you. This is something that Unkie Puppy and I wanted to do. We wanted to bring Hayden into our lives because we love each other like your mommy and daddy."

Aria wiped a tear from her eye. "If you loved me, Unkie Seto, you wouldn't do this to me!"

"Sweetheart, this is Seto and Joey's decision. They wanted a son to love just as we love you and your brother. There's nothing wrong with that."

"But….But…..do you still love me?"

Seto hugged Aria tightly. "You are still my little girl. Nothing is going to change that."

Hayden gripped onto Aten as Aten stroked his red hair.

"I newer met a boy wif wed hair before."

Joey looked behind the chair to see Aten curled up with Hayden. Joey nearly bit his lip trying not to take Aten out of the corner and hug him until he stopped breathing.

"Hayden, you can come out if you want. Aria's ok now."

Hayden shook his head. "I'm staying here with Aten, sir…."

"Ok. When you're ready to come out, we'll be here."

Marik sat on the couch and Malik cuddled up into him. Ryou cuddled up to his yami beside him. Joey leaned against Seto.

They soon became so tangled up in their own conversation, they didn't notice Hayden and Aten slowly coming out of the hiding space. Hayden kept his eyes fixed on Aria as he emerged.

He looked up at Seto's lap already occupied with Aria. He turned to Joey and sat on the ground.

"Unkie Puppy will wet us shit in his wap."

Malik bit his lip and took a deep breath. "Aten, it's `sit' not `shit.'"

"Oh…towwy, Mommy Mawik."

Joey pulled the two chibis into his lap. The red-haired boy watched as Aten snuggled up to Joey comfortably. Hayden then sat closer to Joey, but refused to bury his face in the blond's chest.

Hayden looked at Bakura and Marik. Their spiky hair looked menacing, but they sat there holding the other two boys so gently.

"Maybe it would make him feel better if you told him who you were, Ryou."

Ryou smiled and shifted closer to Bakura. "I'm Ryou Bakura. This is my husband, Yami Bakura. You can just call him Bakura."

Malik rested his head on Marik's chest. "I'm Malik Ishtar and this is my yami, Yami Marik."

The "yami" gripped a golden object in his hand.

"What is that?"

Marik looked at it. "This? This is the Millennium Rod. It's my….umm……favorite toy."

Joey snickered. "Yeah, and I know how you like to play with it."

"Hey! Puppy! Behave!"

"I couldn't help myself!"

Bakura leaned forward. "How do you like living with moneybags, Hayden?"

Seto sighed. "Just ignore him, Hayden. He's not important."

Aten raised his hand and turned to his daddy and whispered something in his ear.

Marik nodded. "Malik, Aten has something important he would like to say to you."

Aten walked up to Malik after jumping off Joey's lap. From his picket he removed a slip of paper with hieroglyphics written on it.

"To Mawik…"

Marik cleared his throat and pointed to his right knee. "Get on your knee, Ibn! (Arabic=son)" Marik whispered through knowing that everyone could hear him.

Aten looked at his leg. "Was my knee, daddy?"

Marik pointed to his right knee again. "This is your knee."

Aten smiled and nodded. He kneeled on his left knee and took a deep breath. Marik thought to himself that he had to work ith Aten on what was right and what was left. "To Mawik. I wove you weawwy mush. I wan to tay dis bifore, but you are de wight in my darkness. You are more booty-ful dan de Wiffer Nile. Your hair is wike gold. Nutting can com…comp…Daddy, was dis word?"

"Compare, Ibn."

"Oh. Ok. Nutting can compare to your booty-fullness. Your skin is wike miwk. mm..I wike miwk awot! Daddy, when I done, can I haff some miwk?"

Marik nodded. "Yes, son, keep going."

Aten took Malik's hand in his own and kissed it. "I wan you to be my hisband. Mawik, I pwomise to wove you for all etern-ty. I know I haff been a meanie in de pass, but I wan to sow you what wove weawwy is." Aten bent over until his forehead touched the floor. "Mawik, will you mawwy me?"

Marik took Malik's hand and kneeled, looking into his hikari's teary eyes. "Malik…I've always said I wanted to make you mine. I couldn't wait anymore." Marik pulled the dagger from the Millenium Rod. He have the Rod to Malik and bent to the ground like his son, touching his forehead to the ground. "If your answer is no, Malik, drive that dagger into my heart because an eternity without your love is just existence. I don't want to exist. I cannot exist without you…all I'd do is survive. you are my world and always shall be. If you don't feel the same way, then you may just as well plunge that dagger into my heart. Do what you will."

Updates: Friday….Marik's Bachelor Party.