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Blue Eyes White Lover (Fox)

Ryou stopped beside the bed and continued to scrub at his hair. His large doe eyes were loosely shut as he tilted his head this way and that, ignoring the droplets of water that were shaken free of the fluffy locks. They landed on his neck and shoulders, the tiny specks slowly building up into little beads that dripped down over his flushed skin, tickling his chest as they made their slow treks around scars and tiny pink nipples. He'd just popped his head free of the now damp cloth when he heard Seto complaining from the hallway. He should have found it cruel, the way Seto spoke to his employees. It was mean and disrespectful, something he usually detested in a boss, and yet he couldn't help but quietly laugh. Somehow, someway, Seto Kaiba had turned work place sadism into something amusing.

"Hm?" The albino lifted his head and opened his eyes at the quick knock. He opened his mouth to ask for just a moment so he could dress, but he wasn't given that moment. Before a word could form the CEO had already entered his room. Ryou nearly leaped out of his skin and let out a squeaky, feminine "Yeek!" And tried to cover himself with the towel. It caught on his head when he jerked it forward, forcing it down while Ryou let out a frustrated grunt. Seto had more than enough time to get an eyeful while Ryou fought with the inanimate object. The towel on his waist slipped just a bit, allowing blue eyes to see the faintest line of a white happy trail. Thankfully, it remained secure.

"Y-yes. I planned to wear the clothes I came in until I can change at home tomorrow," he explained, finally getting the cloth to cooperate with him. He held it loosely to his chest to hide the bruise and marks on his skin that had already been seen. "There's no need to tell her," he assured quickly. "Really, it doesn't hurt much, and it looks worse than it really is. I just bruise easily. No cause for worry." He waved his free hand in an attempt to be dismissive, but looked more like some funny flail.

He wanted to look away, shuffle awkwardly, but as those sharp eyes turned away from him he realized... Seto was looking at him, and he couldn't help but do the same. He watched on shyly as the button down shirt was slowly opened. Ryou swallowed a sudden lump in his throat. Inch by inch tanned skin was exposed to him. As was to be expected, the man took incredibly good care of himself. Gently defined, sinewy muscles that outlined firm pecks and tantalized him with the hint of tight abs, and... Oh god, was that? Was he?

Ryou swallowed again, his eyes locked firmly between Seto's legs at what he was so sure was a tent. His sight was thankfully blocked by the shirt being thrown at him. He dropped his towel and fumbled to capture the clothing. He was given a moment to think while his face was hidden. It had been, what, a month perhaps? Maybe five weeks since his last fling. He was projecting his previously unrecognized sexual frustration, that was it. Seto Kaiba didn't have a boner, not now, not for him. If the bulge was real, then Seto just... Had to be that big on his own. Which only made him want to see it.

He silently cursed himself. No no, he's your boss. He's Seto bloody Kaiba! Bad Ryou!

The flustered man hid his blush behind his hair, feigning having to look down to button the shirt. It was pulled on carefully, and his embarrassment was briefly forgotten as he slid his arm into the sleeve. Lifting it like that caused a dull pain to travel down the length of his arm until it tingled his fingers. Aside from the smallest of hidden flinches, he made no mention of it. "Alright," he answered, but Seto was already gone by the time he looked back up.

Now alone, he let himself pout. He was short. He knew he was short and all around small for an adult. He was often mistaken for a high school student. So he knew he was short, but he didn't like having it rubbed in his face... Seto's night shirt stopped just short of his knees. With a heaved sigh, the man slipped the towel from around his waist and tossed them both into a hamper before following after his boss. He didn't need the extra covering, the shirt was obviously more than enough.

He jumped to attention once he realized his hesitation, and quickly darted after him, slowing down once he caught up. He should have found it strange, but he just couldn't manage it. Walking into Seto's room didn't feel weird in the least bit. In fact... It sort of felt nice. Looking around with curious eyes, he found a wonderful lack of the anxiety he felt with every other thing he'd been shown today. He was comfortable, and it showed with how easily it was for the albino to stroll inside to get a closer look on what his eyes fell on. Not the extravagant bed, not the beautiful painting, not the impressive computer set up... Ryou stood in front of the crudely drawn picture. "Ah, it's cute," he praised, looking over his shoulder with a brilliant smile. "How old was he when he drew it?"

Brown eyes returned to the picture, and as he admired the adorable picture, earlier words finally managed to settle in his mind. "Wait..." Ryou turned around fully to give Seto a confused look. "My room?"
 
Seto took a deep, but silent breath as he entered his room. He rationalized the incident in his mind. The small shudder in his groin had little do to with Ryou, he decided. These things simply happened sometimes when he grew over excited. Though while it probably had something to do with the way in which he utterly repressed that excitement, that bit of it wasn't on his mind. He didn't honestly realize how ignoring those particular needs could make him more susceptible to their onslaught. Yes, rationalizing; Seto was good at rationalizing. And they were already helping to quell what was only a slight issue in the first place, as he hadn't gone fully erect.

Ryou walked past him to peer at the doodle on his wall, the president ignoring his presence for the most part as he calmed himself, until he reached the foot of the bed himself and picked up the notebook and pants. With the pants rested over his forearm he turned to answer the man. Already planning to be vague, instead he stopped in his tracks once again.

He had expected Ryou to drown in his shirt a bit, but not as much as he did. The arms were several inches too long and loose, hiding his hands completely if he didn't think to release them. The fabric did hug to his body in places--places that suddenly really bothered him-- as Seto was an incredibly lithe man. And the hem of the shirt nearly reach down to the man's knees. Upon noticing this, he also recognized the lack of the lengthy towel that had been wrapped around his waist before and had reached just past them.

This meant Ryou had nothing on underneath the shirt that Seto had loaned him; beneath Seto's shirt that was clinging tightly against his chest and hips, and fell loosely in other places.

The shock he received for the jump in his chest was much stronger this time. The palpitation he suffered was as well. It brought heat to both his face and groin this time. He was glad for the convenience of the extra pair of pants as they hung from his forearm so perfectly disguising the now full issue that had claimed his nether area. But it was only when Ryou turned to face him fully that he recognized the look on his face was one that felt far too foreign, though not completely.

A scowl hit his face as he quickly corrected himself. Though to be fair there was a chance it was more of a mixture of a frown and slight pout. This was what he got for bringing the stray mouse along for the day and into his home. Even though this wasn't quite how it worked, he couldn't help but equate it to the bitchiness of karma.

Without answering his initial questions Seto lifted the small notebook and tossed it to the under dressed man. Again in the essence of fairness, it was honestly more of a chuck than a toss as he attempted to breeze past his issue as quickly as possible. "Here."

It was all he said quickly making his way to his dresser and rummaging around until he found a pair of boxer briefs he could also chuck at the small person. He would have given him a pair of boxer, but the briefs were more likely to at least stay up over his hips and offer some kind of support. Once he'd sufficiently chucked them toward the other man's face he explained the notebook properly.

"Write down what you want it to look like and what you want available for use in it." It had been established of course, that yes, he had said his room. "Being Mokuba's friend I'm sure he's going to want you to be around more often. You'd be better to keep around here than any of the other hoodlums that kid calls 'friend'. So get back to me when you're finished."

Realizing that what he said could be taken as far too much of a compliment he stiffened and did his best to fight the heat still attempting to attack his face. "Now get the Hell out of my room," he added much more curtly.
 
Already large brown eyes rounded and widened when his sights fell fully on Seto. That look was vastly different from the 'many faces of Seto Kaiba' that he'd seen that day. Rather than being just slightly different from his usual scowl or smug smirk, the well composed man actually looked... Confused? That was a strange emotion he'd never thought to associate with the CEO before, and it also didn't seem quite right. There was confusion, yes, but there was something more there as well. Something almost... Innocent on that sharp face that created a fun little tingle in his body. He was also clearly flustered over something. The dappling of a pink flush accented his high cheek bones and the slight curve of his nose.

As much as he liked the new and quickly hidden look, her couldn't help but wonder what had caused such a reaction. Ryou knew that he couldn't possibly be what had caused it... Unless... A wave of panic rolled over his skin, making it pucker into goosebumps. Had he forgotten a button?! Seto looked away briefly and Ryou took that time to get a quick glance down at himself, and sighed through his nose in relief to find that he had not missed a button, and his trouser snake was not on display.

Ryou didn't have time to come up with more possibilities, as an object was tossed his way. With a squeak he reached out to catch it, only to fumble it. The notebook bounced from one hand to the other for several long seconds before he finally captured it with a sigh... Only to have a pair of briefs smack him right in the face. Surprise had him sucking in air through his nose, and a blush of his own colored his face. At least he could say the blush came from the complimentary words Seto had to offer him.

"Oh! Um, yes, of course," he agreed. He thought the man wanted to talk to him, but he offered no resistance. He stepped out into the hallway and turned to give a short bow. "Thank you very much Seto, for everything." Ryou was quick to dart away afterwards, not waiting for a response.

The small, albino man returned to his room and quickly shut the door behind him. After setting the notebook and pen down on the writing desk available, Ryou held up the briefs that were too big for him, but would stay on his hips through the night. "Seto wears these," he murmured quietly under his breath. How shameful... As he pulled them on over his thin legs a rush of excitement threatened to make itself known between his legs, but he took a few stuttering, calming breaths, and he had himself back under control.

Returning to the bathroom, he searched for a brush, and though he didn't expect to find one, he did a drawer. Ryou got to work on untangling his hair, though it puffed right back up into his usual wild hair do. When he set it down and looked in the mirror, he paused. He really was drowning in the shirt loaned to him. His arms lifted slowly, and the loose sleeves were pressed against his mouth and nose while his cheeks burned even brighter. Ryou inhaled, long and slow. "Smells good," he murmured to himself, wondering if, perhaps, Seto wore some kind of cologne, or if he just smelled this way on his own...

Ryou jolted to attention and quickly left the bathroom to avoid anymore strange things with his friend's clothes. What would Seto think if he knew his new assistant was fawning over his scent?! With a quick shake to his head to rid himself of those thoughts, he sat down at the desk. Then frowned at the blank paper, looked around the room, then returned his attention to the book. The room was perfect as is, what more could he want? Still, he picked up the pen.
  • Large work desk
  • Computer system if needed
  • Modeling table
Really, that was all he could come up with. He wasn't good with interior decorating. In fact his own home was practically barren.

The sheet was torn off and set to the side, and his frown turned into a sad smile as he went on with his usual nightly routine. He thought he'd have to miss it this time, but with the notebook so conveniently offered to him, he was able to keep his tradition.

Dear Amane
I hope you're receiving my letters well. I have so much to tell you tonight. My day has been absolutely crazy, and you're probably not going to believe a single word of it, but it's all true, I promise! I made two new friends today, and you'll never guess who. Seto and Mokuba Kaiba! It's crazy I know, but let me try to explain it.

I told you about that project I was helping with, and that the team was going to talk to Seto today, and that I was hoping they'd tell him I helped. Well, they didn't, but they didn't have to. He knew all along! I thought he'd be mad, and I really thought he was going to fire me, but he promoted me instead! Now I get to help out with the game a lot more, and I'm Seto's assistant now, so I'll be helping him out now. I'm going to try really hard Amane. I don't want to mess this all up and prove that I really am worthless. Like Bakura always said. I'd like to tell you more about the project, but even though you can't tell anyone, it's probably bad to put it on paper.

The day got even stranger from there. It was crazy Amane! I got to see his Blue Eyes jet up close for the first time. It sounds a bit corny, but she's absolutely beautiful. I wish you could see it. I'd find a way to convince Seto to let you ride it. I would.

Then, we flew around in a plane for an hour just to land back in Domino. Turns out, Seto doesn't sleep much, and his little brother Mokuba wanted him to get a nap. Since I'm his assistant now, maybe I can help with that, though I'm not sure how. If you have any ideas, send me a dream okay?

After that, we got into a fancy car. An Ashy Martini or something. I might have to do some research on cars. And it TALKED! She was funny and kind of nice I think. I forgot to ask her name though.

We ate at my favorite grill, and I ate a whole lot! I actually felt full! I can afford to eat more now, maybe I can finally gain some weight back. Bollocks on the doctors. What do they know, right?

We went all over the city, and we talked like real friends do. Mokuba and I did most of the talking, but Seto joined in sometimes. It felt really comfortable. It was a lot better than I ever felt with the others. I was actually relaxed.

Ryou paused, his pen lifted up off of the page to avoid a splotch. He looked up and stared out the window at the darkened sky, and a smile slowly brightened his face.

Bakura didn't talk to me much today. Not even he could put a spin on gaining Seto Kaiba's approval.

It wasn't all good though. When they tried to drop me off, there were police at my apartment. Someone broke in. I tried to get inside but Seto stopped me, Mokuba too. I think that's why I calmed down so fast. I know who did it too. You remember Mannings, right? Seto fired him today, and he was so angry at me because I didn't try to defend him. He said he'd get me for it, and that he knew where I lived. He knows what means most to me in there.

This time a splotch did form as he stared blankly at the paper. He had to skip a few lines.

I hope the picture's okay.

Anyway. They offered me a place to stay for the night, and oh Amane, it's beautiful. And it's huge! It would take hours trying to describe it to you, so you'll just have to take my word for it. We watched a movie and ate snacks. Mokuba called it a sleep over. I haven't had one since that incident. It fells really nice. Like I actually belong here. I'm not just someone who follows them around, they actually seemed to enjoy my company. I really hope I'm not just seeing things that aren't there.

I'm exhausted, but I'm so excited. Tomorrow I start my first day as Seto Kaiba's Assistant, and I won't fail. No matter what. I promise Amane. This time you can count on your big brother. I want to write more, but I must get some rest if I can. It's amazing how one little thing can change everything.

This has been the best day I've had since I lost you and Mother. I'm happy Amane. Tonight, I feel so happy.
- All my love. Ryou

Sitting back in his chair, he folded up the several pieces of small paper and placed them under the pen. He leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling. "Amane... When was the last time I said it?" There was a long pause before he whispered into empty air, "I'm happy."
 
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"It's nothing." For him, it really wasn't much, all things considered. Seto stared into the empty hallway for a long moment after the mouse had disappeared from his door frame, needing the time to compose himself.

What a stupid time to have such an unsightly affliction attack him. Though he could at least be glad the midget didn't seem to have noticed his issue. At least not that he could gather. That would have been a much more dampening experience. He'd been so curt purely in order to avoid such a thing, figuring neither of them needed that awkwardness to have to deal with after the busy day they'd already suffered.

After a minute or so he walked over and shut his door, returning to his computer shortly and pulling his system back up. Gladois had something snarky to say about his absence, but he ignored her for the most part. He was about to pull up the security footage at Kaiba Corp again, but decided against it. He wanted to deal with his security team just as little as he did with his new assistant while still suffering from his affliction.

Instead one thought struck him. And without another in following, he followed its line of reasoning to its conclusion and pulled up his home security instead. Aside from wanting to be sure their interaction hadn't been as awkward as he felt it could have, he really had no idea why he wanted to do this so badly. But seeing as he wasn't thinking on the subject all that much, he simply went ahead and put in the command and clicked open the feed that led to the camera in Ryou's room.

The young CEO's breath caught as he watched the albino male make his way back into his own bathroom. The camera had been strategically placed so that the view it cast wasn't unnecessarily compromising, so he couldn't see what it was the little brat was doing in there. However the disappointment he felt when he walked back out of the bathroom and back into the bedroom brought a horribly confused heat back to his face, as he couldn't even begin to grasp what he could possibly be feeling disappointed for in the first place.

Stark blue eyes flicked down to the commands that line the bottom of the box the feed was held in. For privacy sake the camera's were set automatically to be muted upon being pulled up. The mics, or bugs depending on how you thought to see it, that were strategically placed throughout nearly every room within the mansion were only there for security's sake; purely to be used in the case of emergency. He had to remind himself several times as his mouse hovered over the icon that this contingency was only there in circumstances that involved instances of a stand off wherein he would need to see what was going on inside of the room for the safety of whomever happened to be in there at the time.

Grunting as he pulled away from it for the last time without clicking, Seto maximized the screen. He noticed that Ryou had begun scribbling in the notebook he'd given him and he decided to take a look for himself. After all, there was a very obvious reason--though it wasn't the only one-- that Seto Kaiba seemed to know everything.

He was expecting to come across the list he'd told the mouse to make. What he got instead was the greeting of a letter. The blonde man sat back in his chair for a moment, slowly taking in the features of his new assistants face as he wrote. He seemed pretty intensely focused on it. And that peeked the man's interest.

Seto nearly groaned and palmed his face as the first thing of note he came across fell early in the letter. What part of secret didn't this moron understand? Tell a guy not to talk about something of top level security and the first moment he's alone he starts writing things down about it. And how much had he already written?

The only good thing about the anger that was liable to grow to a quick boil inside him was that it was helping him to focus on something other than the issue he'd been facing; therefor allowing him to calm down even quicker than he usually might. Except while reading on angrily it quickly dawned on him that he really had no reason to be so quick to boil. In possibly the most depressing way one could think of. Well before he got to the part that specifically stated his new assistant was writing a letter to a dead girl Seto had already gathered as much through the language he'd used before hand.

He'd been curious in the beginning as to whom the name belonged. Though by the time he read the signature he was fairly certain he got the picture. Even if his assumption that began with the girl likely being a relative and ended upon her most likely being sibling were wrong, he denied himself the want to look further into the situation. It wasn't pertinent at the moment.

With a short huff Seto closed the feed that now showed his guest finding his way to his bed, staring at the blank screen for a long moment as he thought.

Having caught on a bit early as to the fact that Ryou had been writin a letter to the dead, he'd glossed over a sentence the struck him now. 'The picture' most likely referred to one that depicted his lost loved ones. He assumed as much anyway, but why would he be worried about it? Pictures could be copied, scanned, digitally backed up, and any number of things really.

The question begged that if it was so important, would he really be dumb enough not to have a backup of it? Then again, the thought didn't manage to cross his mind that the photo in general may be the important thing, and not just what it depicted. Seto was anything but a sentimentalist, after all. Either way, he forced the thought from his mind after a few long moments of contemplation. It was a rare occurence, but if he were being perfectly honest with himself, hed be willing to admit that there happened to be a twinge of guilt forming somewhere in the recesses of his mind over the stark intrusion of privacy he'd just committed.

Reading such a personal letter over Ryou's shoulder hadn't been his intent to begin with. And the kid wasn't even aware it had happened. He decided it would pribably be better to keep the knowledge he'd just gleened to himself. After all, it was really none of his business.

Still...

There was no way the pipsqueak knew he was looking in on him. And even if he were smart enough to have guessed as much it wasn't exactly conceivable that he'd be writing a letter to his dead sister in order to remain on Seto's good side. After all, aside from its mention, he hadn't written much more about the project. He'd only had good things to say about Mokuba, and even Seto himself amazingly. He was a little surprised at how much he liked that last bit. The young president prided himself in his ability to give precisely zero shits when it came to what others thought about him on a personal level.

Anyway, Ryou's convictions seemed solid enough. Better yet, Mokuba had taken a great shining to him. He supposed he could give the clumsy little mouse a fair chance. If for nothing else, than for Mokuba's sake. Then again, if things didn't work out, Seto could always hire him on as a nanny or something.

With a chuckle the young president closed down his computer, opting not to check in on his security team again tonight. He'd had a shower, felt more at ease than he had in a long time, and had had a surprisingly relaxing day for the most part. There was no need to rile things up further at the moment despite the large part of him that really did want to open up and chastise his shit security team into next week just from the thought of them coming to mind.

With a sigh Seto found his bed and climbed in to find a snug place. He'd have to speak with Roland properly about the subject. He knew the man wouldn't take his old job back. But it might be time for him to be willing to admit that not taking him up on his offer of personally selecting the team members that were going to follow in his footsteps hadn't been the right decision. In fact, he had little doubt the man knew several officers in Kaiba Corps Secret Police Unit, or even the Armed Force department who'd be better for the job than any of the numb skulls Seto had had to pick from. He didn't interact with those forces nearly as often, and had had trouble with the thought of bringing such unknowns into the situation previously. But it was becoming obvious that his personal experience was most likely overshadowed by Roland's personal expertise when it came to this particular matter. He did rely heavily on the man to keep those forces in order and to make sure they complied with the standards that had been set before Seto had taken over the company.

A groan hit his chest as the words 'Ashy Martini' suddenly flashed across his mind for seemingly no reason. It was a sound that had left his throat with just as much irritation as it had the first time he had seen it. Although this time it rolled into an exasperated chuckle. At least the moron had the thought to look into it further. Which reminded him; he should let Ryou know his computer system's name. He'd need to start getting used to her. They'd be having plenty more interaction, so it was best to at least give him that small comfort in order to help him do as much. If nothing else, in the long run it would provide less of a headache for Seto.

Before he managed to calm back down well enough to be able to drift off, Seto had been forced to come back to the letter he'd recently read. And the various faces he'd watched strewn across the soft face that was leaning over it as Ryou wrote. It was interesting how calming of an effect this had on him. But he didn't get the chance to think on it much further before the darkness of sleep had crept past the corners of his mind to invade and overpower any further conscious thought.
 
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With his letter finished and the large bed calling his name, Ryou decided to call it a night. The main light to the room was shut off, leaving a soft yellow glow from the lamp on the bedside table. He despised the dark. Even the shadows cast by the single light source gave him the shivers. They taunted him. Threatened him with what lay inside of them. A deep, malicious chuckle. Pale hands reaching out to grasp at him. Sweetly spoken words of love beckoning him closer. Ryou pulled back the covers on the bed and slid beneath them, and it was like sliding into heaven. The small man let out a low groan as tension and stress left his body and melted into the plush mattress, and he was fast a sleep the moment his head touched the pillow.

What should have been the most comfortable, restful sleep he'd ever gotten, quickly became everything but. Ryou's soft, rounded face contorted now and then; his nose scrunching, eyes clenching, teeth grinding. Then relaxed for several minutes before twisting again. Soft, whimpering noises left the man's pursed lips, and sweat started to bead on his forehead. The albino kicked out his right leg, throwing the blanket off of his body and tangling his naked limbs. He flopped and turned, hair flailing this way and that, clinging to sweat soaked skin. Seto's night shirt stuck to his body with large damp patches.

In his unconscious fit, the top button flew off and the second came undone, dangling by a single thread. Whatever color his albino skin held was sucked away, leaving him looking clammy and grey. His breath picked up into pants, and soft pleas left his drool covered lips. A mantra of apologies and 'please no more Bakura!' was sputtered into the room.

And at that moment, the lamp flickered. The old, unused filament valiantly clung to life, but in the end, it sputtered out with a loud SNAP.

Ryou arched his back, his eyes snapping wide open, and he took in a gasp so hard it hurt. Like the first gulp of oxygen from the brink of suffocation. He couldn't see anything. Panic thrummed through his body, prickling his flesh with needles made of ice. His heart beat so loud he could feel each pulse in his head. There was a pitiful glow from window, but it only served to make things worse. The shadows moved. He heard them groan. He heard the screeching, ravenous cries of ferocious beasts. And the deep, commanding voice of evil incarnate.

I've missed you too Landlord. Let's celebrate our reunion with a game!

Bakura's maniacal laughter spurred Ryou into scrambling off of the bed. His legs caught in the blanket, and the man let out a terrified yelp as he fell to the floor with a heavy thud. He kicked and flailed until finally freeing his legs. Bony knees scraped painfully over the rough fabric of carpet, peeling away a layer of skin to leave raw burns, but Ryou didn't care. He forced his way onto his feet and threw himself at the door to open it and stumble into the hall.

So dark... He looked to the left, down the long unlit hallway and into the ominous blackness he'd be running into. The right was no better. The rapid beating of his heart was starting to hurt his head, and the rush of blood deafened him with constant white noise. Yet he could hear the whisper in his ear without issue.

Ryou.

A lock of hair fell from its sweaty mess and touched his neck. If his throat hadn't clenched he would have screamed. He picked a direction and thundered passed Seto's room with heavy feet, running as fast as his muscles could manage, plus the powerful boost of adrenaline.
 
Seto sat up fully in his bed with a heavy sway. Tired eyes turned themselves across the dark room silently. He didn't know what had woken him up considering he'd fallen into a blissful bout of dark, seamless lack of consciousness. If it had been a dream he would have known it. The man was intimately familiar with waking in such a way.

A low groan pierced his chest unevenly as large hands rose to cover, then rub over his face through an attempt to rouse himself. Seto Kaiba was not quick to wake. There were many reasons for this; none of which crossed his lazy mind at the moment. What did cross it was the question he'd attempted to ask himself just as he'd woken up.

What had done it?

A loud noise from somewhere outside his room caused a quiet, confused one of his own to bubble from him as he lifted his face from his hands and turned his head in the direction it had come from.

Again, Seto Kaiba was not akin to waking quickly. But slowly, so slowly, his mind began to catch up. And all at once he was hit with the realization and understanding that he was hearing a scrapping struggle coming from the room next door; the room Ryou had chosen to use for himself for the night.

A flushing heat flooded into his legs and face in the same moment that ice trickled it's way into his veins. The day's previous events flashed across his mind shortly, but not in any way that he could recognize properly. The thought of a break in or worse was certainly there. Roland was amazing at his job, and no one had made it close to getting inside since the man had retired to watch over them personally, but that didn't mean it couldn't happen. His focus was cast on this line of thinking in such a way that before he even realized it he'd shoved his way quickly from the bed.

There was a heavy sway in his tired movements as his still sleeping body fought against the quick few steps it took him to get to the door. It was tossed open haphazardly just in time for him to feel the slight change in the air from Ryou running past as he caught the back end of him passing his frame. "H-ey..." Tired voice cracked and barely managed to make it's way from his chest as he reached out far too late to grasp the small man as he went by.

There was a sudden snap within him though, and he felt wide awake a fraction of a second later. "Hey!" In a moment he was on the midget's heels.

Ryou was fast, but he was short. A combination of speed matching up with his own lanky limbs had him catching up before they even made it to the end of the long hallway Ryou would be forced to choose a turn on at the end. To the left was a winding hallway that led to several more bed and day rooms. The right led to the direction of the living area and vast kitchen they'd all been standing in earlier that night. But Seto reached out and grabbed the tiny man by the arm. "Hey."

Waking mind only allowed him to remember how to say the single word as it changed gears and spurred him into action.

Surprisingly or not, Seto was actually used to a similar routine to this. Mokuba sometimes suffered from night terrors. Although they plagued him far less often now than they had in the past. Because of it, this big brother knew almost exactly how to handle such a situation. He was so well trained in it that he barely even needed to be as awake as he was to do it; even though he still hadn't completely shaken off the haze of sleep.

In fact, he was so good at it that he'd even managed to grab Ryou by the arm at the most opportune moment. And he used the fact that he was going faster to pull Ryou back against himself while managing not to jostle him too much. He had no idea if the small man was running from a real threat or an imagined one. Because despite the fact that Ryou had found his way out of an unfamiliar room, Seto was fully aware that he could still be in a state of sleep. Mokuba barely ever slept in the same room twice and he was able to find his way out of them as well.

What Ryou wasn't able to do if he were sleeping, would be to predict that a t-junction was ahead of him and he could very well run himself straight into a wall at full force. Which was why the blonde decided to grab him up before that could happen. One lithe arm snaked itself around Ryou at the waist, barring the movement of his forearms, while the other did the same over his chest and upper arms. It was a lot easier to keep his own face out of the way from a thrashing head with their height difference than it was now due to his little brother's growth spurt. Startling Ryou in any way would only worsen the situation if he was indeed still sleeping in some capacity. So he did lean down just enough to envelope the smaller man with just enough of his own body weight to keep him grounded on his feet as he slowed and stopped their run.

"Calm down, Ryou." While he wasn't one to panic in the first place, he could still be glad for how well his tired mind forced his own voice to radiate the same calm he was looking for. "I need you to tell me what is happening."

Tired sapphire eyes peeked back down the into the inky black hallway in the direction they'd come from. They were drowning in a good deal of darkness as it was, but being closer to a hall that actually faced the outside and had windows that let some of the moon light diffuse it just enough to have a slight glow surrounding them only made the denseness of what was behind them seem almost sinister. "I've got you," he added mildly as he turned his attention back down on the albino male, an automatic need to offer some sort of comfort in a familiar situation. "So I need to know if you think we're safe."

If he wasn't asleep, or wasn't just reacting to an imagined danger, he needed to know so he could act accordingly to that as well.
 
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Beware the darkness, flee the shadows.

Ryou couldn't tell if it was his voice or Bakura's. But it repeated in his mind every time another invisible hand reached out through the darkness to grab at him. Each time a hungry wail echoed through his head, rattling his brain and triggering another dose of adrenaline that fuzzed the edges of his vision. The petite man's already labored breathing became ragged and loud, throat pinching, tongue going numb. One of those grasping appendages seized his arm, and the screeched out "No!" From Ryou was nothing more that a broken gargle. Thin arms thrashed to free himself, but the albino soon enough found himself grappled to a strong chest, long arms locking him in a tight hold.

The tiny body flailed in Seto's hold, legs kicking, arms desperately trying to free themselves from the hold. He didn't even notice the pain that bloomed over his dark bruise, nor the tiny trickles of blood running down his left shin. The back of his shirt was soaked through, and it wasn't long before his captor's front was covered in a thin sheen of sweat. "I'm sorry," he whimpered weakly. "Please, I'm sorry. Forgive me!" Even his last ditch effort pleading was strangled off, wavering in his continued struggle. "I don't want to, Bakura, please!"

Brown eyes clenched shut, and a few tears dripped down his cheeks from all four corners of his eyes. More words were spoken, but they were muffled by the blood rushing through his ears. So they couldn't be Bakura's or even his own. Calm down, it said. I've got you, it said. Slowly, Ryou's resistance faded until he was stagnent in Seto's arms. His head hung, and something inaudible was said under his breath. "N--e- -a-e. B---re --- da----ss, f--e --- Sha---."

Slowly, tentatively, Ryou turned his head to look up and over his shoulder. His expression was not one of fear. No, 'fear,' didn't come close to describing the pure and utter horror painting his deathly pale face. Something much farther than fearing for one's life. He was terrified of a fate far worse. It took him several long seconds of labored, patchy panting before reality seemed to come back to him. "Se-to?" Suddenly his expression changed into unadulterated shame and humiliation, though his color was still ghostly.

Ryou turned his head away again and slumped weakly against the taller man's chest. "Please, forgive me for waking you. It was only a dream..." A final, steadying sigh allowed him to catch his breath, his eyes lidding half way as his shoulders hunched forward. "Just a dream," he repeated to himself.
 
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The taller man's legs took the brunt of Ryou's struggles, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. And he held him too close for the head hitting him as he tried to get away to be any worry for either of them. Being closer as he leaned down over him, he heard his complaints, pleading, whatever it was. 'Bakura' sparked some form of recognition in his mind just as it had when he'd read it on paper just before bed. Though the spark was even more dull due to his tired state at the moment. It had been something similar to being on the tip of his tongue earlier, but at that moment it just made him look harder into the darkness. It was something that had nothing to do with that fact that it was also his last name.

Nothing seemed to be coming after them....

The thought gave him pause. It was weird to think 'nothing' rather than 'no one'. He didn't manage to make any connection with this however, as when he looked back down on the squirmy midget upon hearing him say something else but being unable to catch what it was, they soon locked eyes.

Seto tensed a bit more than he already was, just a bit more alertness being able to flood into his senses. The look that had been landed on him was... disturbing. His head hit a swivel and he willed his eyes to focus in on the deep swirling darkness down the hall. He didn't see the humiliated look on Ryou's face. In fact, with most of his senses trained so fully on who or what could be back there, he almost missed the next thing he said to him as well.

It took a moment for the realization to fully seep in. Although the moment it did a great deal of tensity left him in the form of a slightly vocal huff of a sigh. "One Hell of a dream," he mentioned dully as he loosened his grip.

No sooner had it loosened than Ryou was suddenly plucked right up off his feet. Realizing he might be annoyed by this, and even deny it, Seto simple added "Shut up," in early response. After all, that wall was less than ten feet in front of them and he didn't feel like dealing with letting the shrimp go only to have him walk the wrong way and run into it anyway. That... That really did seem like something he'd probably do. And the more he thought about it, the more he assured himself of it. It almost made him chuckle.

Speaking of walking into walls, as he turned on his heel and prepared to march the moron back he looked up at the ceiling before looking forward and pinching his eyes shut tight. He knew what he was about to ask for, and he didn't feel like being blinded. " Turn on the hall lights, Gladios."

As soon as he made the command it was obeyed. He started walking before he even opened his eyes, slowly peering through the squint of them to make sure he wasn't about to do what he was trying to avoid in the first place.

The larger male was quiet for the rest of the walk, setting Ryou down right next to his bed upon making their way inside. He tugged the small chain on the bedside lamp to turn it on and made his way toward the bathroom. There was little need to go all the way inside to reach in next to the door and pull a clean towel from its rack. He simply reached in and grabbed it before turning and tossing it at Ryou in the same way he had the earlier clothing. "Here."

He repeated a similar process with a new shirt that he pulled from the dresser, though it landed on the bed in front of his assistant instead of hitting him. "Get changed. I'll be right back."

There was no telling how he was able to catch as many things as he had while not being able to catch so many others, but it really didn't matter to him at the moment as he did make his way into the bathroom this time. All he cared about at the moment was fixing what needed to be fixed so he could fall back into that peaceful darkness he'd been lounging in before he was so rudely awakened. Although to be fair, the time he took in grabbing up supplies was more purposeful than not. If he got nothing else out of doing all this, not having a repeat performance of his body's earlier betrayal would honestly be more than enough.

No one needed to deal with that sort of thing right now.

Seeing as he didn't know how bad the injury he'd noticed blood flowing from was, he eventually settled on bringing out the entire first aid kit. It had a variety of sizes of bandages and aid tools. He doubted he'd need such things as burn creams, but carrying Ryou to the room didn't entirely have everything to do with that wall they were so close to after all.

When he did make his way back out of the bathroom, he simply stood near the foot of his bed as he looked through the kit. "Come sit down." At least this time he had more to say than the earlier minimal sentences that told the story of how very tired he was far too clearly. "When we're done you can just climb in my bed. I don't feel like having to come find you when you get lost while looking for the room next door."
 
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"Wasn't so bad," he answered dully, as if on reflex. Perhaps it could have been seen as a poor attempt to wave off worry, but the sinking heaviness in his tone pointed to something crueler that little white lies. The truth. This had been one of his milder dreams, and reaction. "Mph!" Ryou grunted as the embrace was released and he was scooped up into Seto's arms with ease. He felt so small, weak. To this man he must feel nearly weightless. "You don't--" his timid resistance was quickly put into place by a preemptive 'shut up,' and for some reason, those two words had him melting into the CEO's arms, gazing blankly at the dark walls.

Ryou wasn't given as much warning about the lights, but it wouldn't have mattered. Rather than pinch his eyes shut, he widened them to be blinded by the sudden intense illumination. His vision went white and his pupils retracted into pin pricks, but it wasn't darkness. He was out of the shadows.

By the time they reached Seto's room, the smaller man was blinking away the colorful spots that censored the room. His feet once more sunk into plush carpet, and Ryou steadied himself on decidedly unsteady legs. His hands lifted to fiddle with the hanging button while he looked anywhere other than at his boss. He jumped at the sound of cloth hitting the bed, but settled down and nodded his head with a quiet, "Okay."

The wet shirt was pulled up and over his head, then dropped on the floor. He took the time to towel off and get rid of as much of the salty perspiration clinging to his skin. When Seto returned, the albino was dried off as well as he could be, and wearing the clean shirt. "Okay," he murmured again, taking a seat on the edge of the bed and lifting the shirt up just enough to expose his scraped knees. The right knee was red, and blood had already begun to coagulate over the quarter sized scratch. The left was much more irritated, and covered the majority of his knee. Some areas were deep enough to dribble out a few thin lines of crimson that were making their way down his shin and calf.

Brown doe eyes stayed locked on his hands as they gripped the cloth tighter. "Okay," he said for the third time. Ryou didn't react much to the tending of his scrapes, a small twitch at most. "I'm sorry for being such a bother, Seto. Truly."
 
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The sleepy man looked over the tools once more in the kit before kneeling on the floor in front of Ryou. His eyelids somehow seemed heavier than they had even when he'd woken up. Although to be fair any burst of adrenaline he might have had most likely melted away by now. He waited until the small wounds were revealed then tilted his head slightly. It wasn't as bad as it could be. "It's just a carpet burn," he muttered tiredly. Mokuba had hurt himself plenty worse over the years during these episodes.

It took him a few moments to catch what the albino male had to say. He pulled out a large bandaid that would cover the smaller irritation. It wasn't bleeding, but the color on pale skin made him think it might be a possibility as they slept. Besides, it would stop it from becoming more irritated through the night. The rash was rubbed gently with one of the small soaked clothes provided, and the lack of reaction he got from it surprised him. It wasn't until he looked up to inspect his patient that the apology hit him; along with the fact that this was not Mokuba sitting in front of him.

The barely startled look he had to offer Ryou was short lived. He was too damned tired to interact, dammit. With the slight shake of his head and shrug of his shoulders he looked back down as he covered the knee. "It's fine," he mentioned lightly upon turning back down to the kit and choosing a small roll of gauze out. "I'm used to it."

It might have been a bother otherwise, but considering he was indeed used to it, this was practically routine.

After gently cleaning the blood from his leg and knee, Seto sprayed the antisceptic and began wrapping it around the small wound. "I'll fix it when I'm more awake," he added quietly. Though to be fair it was applied quite expertly. Tight enough to stay in place, but loose enough to breath easily.

Once he'd taped the gauze he set everything back into the kit, closed it, and set it neatly at the corner bed post for later use. Part of the way through this task he was forced to bring the back of his forearm up to his face to hide a heavy yawn that assaulted him. If there were any other thing Seto had programmed into him--aside from late night EMT, that is-- it was image. Still, he couldn't stop the dampness the yawn forced into his eyes. So instead he blinked them shut several times and breathed in sharply through his nose.

When he turned his attention back to Ryou, there was a slight jump in the movement. this was because, if he hadn't have gotten caught up in that routine all over again, he probably wouldn't have forgotten it was Ryou he was helping and not Mokuba for the umpteenth time. If he had remembered, he would forced back the bodily needs he'd quickly cycled through. The status and reputation that came with being Seto Kaiba demanded a certain level of inhuman appearance. And while he understood that his new assistant would now be with him often enough to see exactly how human he was, that didn't mean he could stop a need ingrained in him from childhood.

Closing his eyes tightly, the young CEO pinched at the bridge of his nose. The light from the hall and lamp were getting to him. At least, he assumed that was what the slight headache he was beginning to feel was from. Although it could have just as likely been a rampantly running mind in such a tired state. "Alright," he told the smaller male solidly. "Now go to bed already."

He stood and walked around the large mattress to the opposite side of the bed from the door. "Gladios turn off the lights," he added shortly as he pulled back the covers. To the order, the hall lights went out instantly, almost before he'd even finished speaking. She did pay close attention after all. It was a particular point in her programming.

It was a good thing really. Because the moment Seto hit the sheets he seemed to lose the ability to speak. At least for the moment. What should have come out of his mouth as 'stay on your side this time' came out in a fully jumbled mess that his state of mind and a face half shoved into a pillow as he situated the blanket over himself left zero room to be interpreted properly.
 
The physical pain of the alcohol on the layer of exposed nerves was a welcomed distraction. It was real, he could see it, feel it, smell it, touch it, taste it if he so wished, but he couldn't hear him. He was awake. He was okay. Bakura was gone!

I am always with you. Just as I promised.

Ryou swallowed hard, a lump forming in his throat, nearly choking him. A visible, icy tremor rolled through his body, but he didn't look up. Instead he watched as long, dexterous fingers gently cleaned and bandaged his knees. Those large hands he'd only ever seen tense with strain or clenched in anger, were being so careful with him. Maybe he was still dreaming, but at least it had turned into a good one. "Thank you," he said as Seto began putting things away. It was a gratitude for everything that had just transpired, but he could disguise it; pretend it was simply for the medical treatment.

The order to go to bed was met with a slight nod and an affirmative sound. Ryou slid slowly under the grey comforter and curled himself up to make himself as tiny as possible. The lights went out, but the glow of the table lamp remained. He wasn't sure if that had been done on purpose, or if Seto had simply forgotten. He'd seemed half asleep. In fact, thinking on it, the man looked exhausted through the whole ordeal. His eyes had been glazed as he went through the motions, as if on auto pilot. Which brought to mind a strange thing Seto said. 'I'm used to it.'

Chocolate eyes fell on the lump on the other side of the bed, and caught a small tuft of chestnut hair poking free. There was only one way that that statement was true. A frown pulled lightly on his lips. The thought of Mokuba being troubled by such night terrors created an ache in his chest. He was glad he had a brother like Seto to take care of him. In fact, that must be why his newly dubbed friend had bothered to take such good care of him in the first place.

Ryou tried to close his eyes and rest, but every few seconds they would pop wide open to stare exhaustively at his slumbering bed buddy. He had a fleeting thought to just get out of bed, return to his room, and work the night away... But he had a feeling Seto would wake up to drag him back to bed, and he didn't want to interrupt the man's sleep anymore than he already had. So he waited, and he stared, until his lips pursed together in debate. Then, he began to inch away from the edge of the bed, gradually getting closer and closer to his goal of another warm body to find comfort in.
 
Sleep wasn't coming as quickly as his state should have permitted. He was used to staying up for a bit; used to listening for Mokuba's even breaths that indicated he'd fallen back to sleep. And he was used to listening just a little longer to make sure he didn't start tossing and turning again. While he did so though, he lie still and remained as relaxed as the large comfy mattress allowed, only as awake as it possibly could require to be alerted to any changes.

After a bit he heard shifting. It startled him into a slightly more aware state that allowed him to debate what he was hearing. He felt it before he heard it though. Once the smaller man in the bed was close enough, Seto felt the slight depression of the mattress that told him he was scooting closer.

An exasperated huff pushed itself from his chest as he shifted where he lie. He should have expected it really. Mokuba barely ever listened to him when he told him to stay on his own side of the bed. Luckily for him, his big brother understood that he felt all the safer the closer he was to him. Luckier still, that big brother had every bit of pride in the fact that he could make his little brother feel that way.

With a noise that mixed somewhere between an amused chortle and an annoyed groan Seto rolled over, scooting himself closer to his bed mate in the process and reaching out for him under the covers. "Baby," he mocked as he pulled the warm body in closer and caccooned himself around the smaller body. All of this without opening his eyes in the slightest.

It had been a long time since he'd been able to fit his little brother so snugly against his body. A warm wave of nostalgia washed over him that was in no way dampened by the fact that he still shouldn't be able to do so; because he wasn't awake enough to realize this.

And extra lucky for Ryou, he was also not awake enough to show the annoyed portion of that sound he'd just made as it spread across his face before that face found its way into crazy hair and nestled in. That wasn't just because he was too tired to do so however. It was mostly because he wasn't actually annoyed with the antics. "Just sleep already, Mokuba," he mumbled against his scalp. "You're safe now."
 
He was terrible. Seto had given him so much in such a short amount of time. He'd shown him unfathomable kindness, even so far as to share his bed with the terrified little mouse, and had only asked for Ryou to stay on his side of the mattress in return. Yet there he was, inching ever closer to the sleeping CEO with wide eyes and held breath. With each shift he thought 'just a little bit closer, then I'll stop,' but he never did. He got about half way across the bed before the other man began to move.

Ryou froze and curled in on himself. Large brown eyes clenched tightly shut, and the held in breath tried to escape only to be stopped in puffed out cheeks. If he was trying to feign sleep, he wasn't very good at it. He expected to be yelled at, or at least kicked out, and those thoughts alone had tears welling right back up. Instead, long, strong, warm arms wrapped around him and dragged him in. That trapped air was forced from his body in a high pitched squeak when he was forced flush up against Seto's chest. Doe eyes snapped wide open once more to stare at the smooth pecs he was now nestled against. His palms laid flat on the hot skin, and his fingers spread out wide as if he were ready to push himself away, but could only bring himself to marvel at how smooth and soft Seto's chest was.

Seto's sleepy command pulled away some of the tension in the small man's form. His assumption had been right. Mokuba must suffer, or had suffered from night terrors or something similar, and this walled off man knew just how to care for him. It was nice to know the teen had someone to fall back on, and even though the affection he was getting wasn't meant for him, it was still.... well... You're safe now. Those words hadn't given him comfort since he was a small child. They were pretty lies told by the ignorant to sooth the desperate. A trap filled with false hope. And yet, when they were whispered into his hair and those long arms pulled him in close, he felt it. For the first time in a life time, he felt safe, and a smile pulled at his lips.

He fell asleep that way; tucked in the arms of his unlikely savior, while blissfully smiling into the man's chest. It was the best nights sleep he'd gotten in years, filled with some crazy dream he couldn't quite follow. Really only catching his own thought of 'Seto would kill me if he saw this,' and if that small Blue Eyes White Dragon really was making donkey noises, then he would have to agree with himself.

Slumber didn't last long, they had stayed up quite late and his night terror had occurred even later, and yet when the sun came dappling through the window to gently rouse him, Ryou woke up feeling well rested and extraordinarily calm. He was used to waking up early, the light heat of the morning rays was always enough to pull him gently out of darkness... So long as the spirit wasn't in control, that is.

A light sigh was released through his nose, his breath billowing over the bare chest he was still held close to. He should have panicked when he recognized arms around him, but he didn't. He should have been embarrassed when he remembered who's arms he was in, but he wasn't. Slowly, he peeked his eyes open, though, with his nose pressed to the CEO's sternum, he couldn't see much. He didn't need to though. It didn't matter what he should have felt, Ryou was safe and protected. Not even Bakura could reach him, not here. Not in Seto's bed. Not in Seto's arms.

After a quiet hum, the smaller man took in a slow breath and reveled in it. He smelled good. It was light and airy, but masculine. Sandal wood, perhaps. His hands, which had coiled up together, trapped between their chests, opened back up to place his open palms on the strong body keeping him safe. He couldn't help but touch, just a little. He was fascinated by just how smooth Kaiba's chest was. In fact... thinking on it the other man didn't seem to have much body hair at all. His face, his chest, his arms, he couldn't help but wonder if...

Ryou puffed again, his cheeks heating up into a light pink. He shouldn't be thinking such things, especially about his boss! He should try to sneak out of the bed before the alarm woke up his bed mate. He doubted Seto would be very happy once he found out that it was Ryou, and not Mokuba, that he'd brought back to his bed, and yet he didn't budge. Even if he thought he could somehow wiggle out of Kaiba's hold, he didn't want to.

Just a few more minutes... After the years he'd suffered at the hands of a vengeful spirit, he deserved just a few more minutes of peace. Right? He closed his eyes and tried to find sleep, but wound up resting his eyes while consciously soaking in the affection not meant for him.
 
If Kaiba cared enough to be open about the situation, he'd have no problem admitting that he slept better while watching over his little brother at night. Hell, there was a chance, though he'd probably never admit it willingly, that he tended to wake up often enough during the night that he'd eventually find Mokuba's new nest in one of their many rooms and watch over him for a while before he could even get back to sleep. It was a comfort he had no problems allowing himself when they shared a bed together.

This was different though. Because even Mokuba did join him in his room he could never fully relax. Sometimes he woke up a few times through the night anyway. Though he'd only adjust his hold on the boy or himself and go back to sleep. And while they didn't sleep for all that long in the first place, Seto's waking habits were detrimental to his sleeping schedule. Sometimes he could only sleep a few minutes at a time before he was forced into some sort of waking state again.

The change might have had to do with the warm feeling of nostalgia he'd noticed before falling asleep. It might have had to do with the sweet, lovely scent that filled his nose as he nested in what he thought was familiar wild hair. Maybe it even had to do with the fact that he was able to calm his new assistant down so easily and do precisely as well as he could do when helping his little brother through these issues. Because on some level he did understand that was exactly what he was doing, forgetting his presence often or not.

When it came down to it though, whether it was all or none of those things, Seto would most likely just convince himself that they'd had a long and tiresome day as he had before. Which would most likely take the blame for any oddity in this situation he might not care for and allow him to breeze right past it.

He was slightly aware at some point of hands running over his chest, but the light movement was enough to bother him in his deeply recessed state. That is, until slim fingers barely trickled their way across a particularly sensitive area at the base of his lower rib. It forced a sharp intake of breath, an awkward twitch to the side that might have been an attempt to move away if they weren't locked so tightly together, and for his stomach to cave in the same sort of response for a second.

A groggy grunt his his chest as he pushed his face in closer to the sanctuary of crazy hair he'd been reveling in for a while now as listless blue eyes forced themselves open. Once again he was hit with the sensation of a sweet aroma he still couldn't quite put his finger on. It reminded him of the vague want to tell Mokuba he smelled weird in comparison as he was drifting back to sleep earlier that morning. Although he couldn't quite gather at the moment why he'd even want to mention that considering the person lying in his arms was not Mokuba.

A revelation that wasn't quite as surprising as it had been to him several times before, but still was surprising enough to allow him to pull back and look down on his new assistant.

It could have been somewhat awkward, their position. If he weren't too tired to care at the moment. It could have made its way to any other extreme as well. But for the same reason, the only thing he was annoyed with at the moment was the fact that the tiny man had just ruined a blissful sleep by tickling him for some God forsaken reason.

He wanted to go back to sleep. And he didn't feel like possibly losing whatever comfort he had from their particular position right now by fully pulling away. So when he did, it was only enough to even an annoyed look down on him. The glare he had to offer was just as listless as his initial look as he offered a threat toward the action. "Don't make me eat your hair, Mouse."

It was a threat that was just as weak as his waking state. Even as he shoved his face back into that sweet scent, a previously cradling arm moving up to take a small hand full of it and tug, he knew it was a sad attempt. Of course, something like that wouldn't stop Seto Kaiba from delivering on a threat. Which he made known. "Don't think I won't." The comment came with that tug. Although after a few moments of soaking up that comfort he was already back asleep, the end to the threat having had a bit of a slur to it as lithe fingers began kneading comfortably at the hair it had taken hostage until he was too far back into the haze of sleep to keep the action up.



It wasn't but half a minute later that a raven haired teen rubbing sleep fro his eyes was stumbling his way past the door frame silently. It wasn't unheard of for Seto to leave his door open through the night, but he didn't do it very often. And sometimes it worried the little brother about why it might have happened. After all, Seto did have certain routines, and there was never not a reason they'd been interrupted.

As he looked at the bed he was completely baffled for a good moment. Heck, he almost allowed the thought to fully form that Seto might be sleeping with a pet before he was able to stop and remind himself that his big brother practically hated animals. Mokuba wasn't even allowed to have a pet that wasn't caged in some way or something meant to only live outside. And lucky for him, he was a lot quicker than his brother to wake up, and basically as smart.

When he did realize that Seto and Ryou were sleeping together he couldn't help but form a bit of a jealous pout. After all, it wasn't really fair to leave him out like that. They were having a sleep over. The least they could have done was wake him up when the movie was over and give him the option.

As teenagers will, he got a spike of a sudden urge to get back at them for their misdeed. And without much thought to it at all, was almost instantly running toward the bed and yelling, "DOG PILE!" Which, of course he followed through with by throwing himself at them somewhat mercilessly.
 
Ryou's hand twitched away with that quick intake of breath. He watched, fascinated by the flexing muscles, and though he was tempted to do it again, the albino turned his attention away from the apparently sensitive spot. Who would have thought that Seto Kaiba, of all people, would be ticklish? It was strangely endearing. A little glimpse of the human hiding beneath a god-like persona.

There was a dull thud in his chest when Seto pulled back, but not away. Slowly, he tilted his head back until shy doe eyes could just barely meet ocean blue through the fluffy curtain of his bangs. He meant to murmur a quiet apology, but the threat tossed his way threw him for all kinds of loops. Not only was the threat itself just plain ridiculous, but Seto had called him 'Mouse!' The use of one of his newer 'nicknames' had color rushing up into his cheeks and burning his paper white skin crimson.

He... Knows it's me? Ryou swallowed hard and was grateful that Seto had already buried himself back into the wild white mane. And he was glad his sharp gasp went unnoticed when the man grabbed a fist full of his hair for a little tug, because that felt just a little too good. He continued to look up, though now his view was filled the the sharp, taunt line of a shoulder. He stared for several seconds, unsure of what to do with himself, but it ended up only taking seconds for him to decide.

He relaxed. The petite man closed his eyes, rested his still warm cheek against Seto's chest, and released a long, slow breath to ease himself back to sleep. He almost got there too.

Mokuba's 'DOG PILE,' snapped brown eyes wide open. The teen's body was launched across the two occupants, and the smallest of them let out a loud, terrified 'YEEP,' when the younger Kaiba landed across their abdomens. Ryou jolted out of his curled and comfy position and reflexively clung to his temporary protector like a startled cat. There was pain. Only dull and throbbing, but persistent. It pooled where Mokuba landed on his bruised torso and spider webbed out across the rest of his body, but he didn't so much as flinch. Handling a little discomfort wasn't difficult, but it was pitifully easy to spook the poor mouse.
 
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A grunt that could have resembled pain but was far more likely a noise that derived from annoyance left the largest man's chest. He could have curled back up. He could have pulled the warm body against him closer and simply ignored the one lying across them to go back to sleep. He could have let the slight completely pass and dealt with it later if he felt like it.

He could have, except Mokuba's action caused the warm body against him to cling and practically climb up his body in a much less comfortable position. The loud noise he let off was far less annoying than the maniacal laughter his little brother let off for the reaction he received.

"Ha! That's what you get for--eep!" The young man would have continued his gloating, but he caught sight of a sharp sky blue eye focusing on him from between should and collar of the man clinging to him.

In a fit of over dramatic reaction Mokuba all but squealed out his complaint as he rolled away and behind Ryou, lying as flat as he possibly could on his stomach to completely hide himself behind the small body. "Monster~!"

"I'll show you a monster." He let off another one as a lazy hand reached for his hair, attempting to roll away as not to be caught. Unfortunately he was too zealous with that action as well and ended up rolling right off the bed. The 'oof' noise he let off had Seto chuckling sleepily as if he'd already gotten his revenge.

There was no long focus in those sky blue eyes as he pulled back against the tight hold on him in order to look directly into doe brown eyes. "And you," he growled lightly. He didn't say anything else until he'd shoved his face into the small chest that had been presented to him through the change. He closed his eyes, and all he could manage was a short mumble. "Move again and I'll swallow you whole."

Mokuba peeked up over the side of the bed, a heavy pout on his lips despite only his eyes being visible. "C'mooon~" The look wasn't helped in the least when Seto mumbled something about it being too early in a way that told Mokuba he'd already relaxed enough to nearly be asleep all over again.
 
Ryou's rapid heartbeat slowed to normal, and the claw-like grasp he had on Seto's shoulders relaxed then completely released with a small jerk and a quietly mumbled apology. As the brother's lazily quarreled, he released an airy laugh that was abruptly cut off by Seto's growl and rather humorous threat. He jumped with a quiet 'ah!' as the man buried himself into his chest. Heat rolled up into pale cheeks, and slowly, tentatively, he placed his hand on the back of the CEO's head. His hair was... surprisingly soft. He had to stop himself from running his fingers through the short locks.

He was pulled from his trance by Mokuba's whine, and Ryou quickly pulled his hands back to himself. Large, doe eyes turned to the teen and watched him for a few seconds; then, with a bit of help from some slight-of-hand magic, Ryou switched places with Mokuba. The fluffy haired teen was placed in Seto's arms, and the shot man was standing beside the bed. The borrowed shirt was long, but didn't quite cover his bandaged knees.

"Stay here and get some more sleep. I don't want to be eaten," he murmured in a quiet tease after glancing at the clock. It was too early for even the Kaiba brothers to get up for work. "I need to make a few phone calls before getting ready myself."

Ryou didn't give the teen a chance to object. He simply scurried out the door the moment he was done explaining.

He redressed in his clothes from the day before with a slight scrunch of his nose. The albino was a bit particular when it came to cleanliness. Bakura tended to forget such a basic thing, or he skipped it on purpose. Waking up from a week long stay in his soul cell to a chaotic mess in his home, and worse, in the same, unwashed clothes he'd gone in with. He hated the feel of soiled clothing clinging to his skin; but at least this set was still relatively clean, and he'd be able to change soon.

The bandages had also been removed. Fresh, clean scabs had covered the rug burns, so he decided to leave them uncovered to heal faster. Then he made the phone calls he'd mentioned. He had two jobs to quit. His manager from the cafe screamed at him over the phone about a two week notice, and only the mention of Kaiba's name shut him up, if begrudgingly. The manager from his retail job at the mall was much more accepting. In fact she seemed happy for him, especially after he so casually mentioned his signing bonus. He promised to take her out for dinner one night to make up for his quick leave, and to catch up.

All in all, it hadn't taken long, and with at least 40 minutes to wait until the brother's woke, Ryou came up with a wonderful idea! Finding the kitchen was surprisingly easy. He was sure he'd get lost, but he was at the industrial stove in less than five minutes; and it took less than that for Seto's interface to gather everything he needed to make breakfast. "Forgive me for not asking for your name to begin with, Gladios," he said while cracking eggs into a frying pan. "And thank you for your help."

Ryou placed rice in the cooker, then began to whisk pancake batter. "Seto and Mokuba have been so kind," he said quietly. Mokuba would be happy with the praise, but insinuating that Seto Kaiba had any sort of generous bone in his body would surely end in disaster. "I don't have much to offer in return, but at least this way I can show them my gratitude... Even if they don't like it."

The mixture of batter was poured into a second pan, and as it cooked Ryou began to work on filling the two bento boxes Gladios had so kindly procured for him. From what the interface told him, Seto didn't often eat anything through out the day. Ryou had a good idea as to why, and he had an idea to change that. Each of the food items set in the box meant for his boss was small, bite sized, and would cause little to no mess. That way, the man could eat without interrupting his work.

By the time he'd finished, the kitchen and hallways leading to it smelled of fresh pancakes, eggs, and ham. Two plates had been set, each with a small bowl of rice with a runny egg on top set beside them.
 
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Big purple-blue eyes grew larger as the teen suddenly found himself lying with his brother. He looked around for a moment before they landed on Ryou with so many questions in them he didn't even know where to start. Ryou spoke, and he found his first question a few moments later but it was lost in a chaos he hadn't been a part of in a long time.

"You were warned." That was all he got out of Seto before the man burried his face in his hair and started making a ridiculous chewing noise as he knawed at his head.

"Ack! That wasn't me!" Not that Mokuba's squirms were anything compared to Seto's grip.

The brotherly torture continued, the sound of it and Mokuba's uncontrollable giggle fits following Ryou out the door. Though it didn't last for too long, as the teen managed to appease the beast by promising not to move again.

Gladios had recognized what she'd done to Ryou the night before. And while a little boisterous still, as her personality was programmed that way, she was tentative and courteous to the newcomer. She fetched whatever he asked for, answered most of his questions in as upfront a manner as she ever could, and had the least trouble engaging in mindless chitchat with him.

By the time Ryou was done cooking, Seto was sitting up in his bed. Though he was a bit trapped at this point, as his comfortable, warm body had been more than enough to knock the teen out shortly after their tussle. Although he wouldn't deny having done it by force if it came up.

He was just finishing a call, tucking the receiver of the home phone back into it's nook where it sat on the side table. The conversation was ended with, "I expect it to be done in ten minutes." It wasn't harsh, but as calm, cool as forceful as usual. His attention drew down to his slumbering bed mate for a few moments before turning toward the door.

Seto Kaiba had a particular taste for food. He didn't eat as often as he should for many reasons. But the smell wafting through the halls was way to inviting not to be absolutely distracting. Again he looked down at his little brother.

A cruel smirk snaked its way across his lips, and he began pushing the smaller male toward the side of the bed. "If you don't get up you're going to fall. You'll have no one to blame but yourself."

"Noooo~" The sleepy, but over dramatic whine was playful enough for the elder Kaiba to finish his action. The heavy "Oof," that followed just made him chuckle cruelly. It might have been given to him, but that didn't make it any less funny. It was great to be the only one who could 'torture' Mokuba and get away with it.

"Something smells really good." As he stood, he noticed that Mokuba had popped up almost instantly. And within the next blink of an eye the boy was making a bee line for the kitchen.

"Oh woooow~" The happy sparkle in the child's eyes as he peeked into the kitchen and saw their breakfast was perfectly appreciative. "We have real food for breakfast?" That look turned on Ryou, the teen practically squirming with the want to rush in and try the yummy smelling stuff. It was only dampened for a moment by the heavy hand that landed on his head and ruffled his messy main about.

"You could have 'real food' for breakfast any time. You choose not to," Seto mentioned as he made his way into the kitchen and leaned on the counter. While the smell of the food was enticing, the mess in the kitchen was just as distracting as the meal.

Instead of mentioning it though, sharp blue eyes landed on the cook. "Your new clothes will be laid out on your bed shortly. Shower and change here. When we're ready for work, we'll be going to check on your belongings."
 
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He could hear Mokuba's pounding footsteps long before the teen came into view. He turned around with a smile, intending to greet him with a pleasant 'good morning' but Mokuba's outburst distracted him. Giddy glee expanded his smile into a grin that curved his eyes. "I hope you like the taste as much as the smell," he chimed as Seto joined them. Ryou caught his boss's glance at the mess, and was quick to respond. "Please don't worry. I'll clean up while you two eat," he assured before the CEO continued.

Ryou perked up with an 'Oh!' He'd forgotten about their shopping trip, he'd been too wrapped up in thoughts of today. "Of course, just after I clean up." However, his mood visibly dampened at the mention of his things. Ryou scratched at the back of his head, looking up at Seto through fluffy bangs. "I really do appreciate your help Seto, and yours as well Mokuba. I'm sorry to be such a burden."
 
Mokuba and Seto exchanged glances for a brief moment as Ryou mentioned cleaning while they ate. This made Seto roll his eyes at his younger brother for the pout of a face he could read all too well that was sent his way. It was the sign of the older brother giving in to the whims of the younger.

Seto sat down slowly, still dragging and in need of a proper wake-up. Instead of answering for himself, considering Mokuba piped up and complained about him not being a burden at all, the CEO lifted his plate and gave a grumpy grumble. "Ryou. Bring me another plate."

He had to admit, the spread did look delicious, if a little too happy for this time of day. He would attempt to work down the food that was offered to him, but seto Kaiba was not a morning person. Breakfast was not something he usually dealt with aside from perhaps a piece of fruit or something on the way out of the house in the morning. Mokuba, on the other hand, loved breakfast. And even though he tended to be the only one to eat, he liked it even better when Seto joined him at the table anyway with a cup of tea and a newspaper on those days he did manage to pull himself out of his sleep-daze in the mornings.
 
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Ryou smiled kindly at the younger brother, thankful for the assurance but still feeling as if he'd caused both him and Seto a large amount of trouble. He smiled even wide as Mokuba picked up a fork and dug into his food, practically shoving a full pancake into his mouth with a wildly happy "Mmmmm~" With his mouth still full the teen happily called out "Thish ish shoo gud!" And Ryou couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm so glad you like it. I hope you enjoy your lunch just as much." He gestured to the cloth covered bento boxes sitting pretty on the counter.

His attention was pulled away from Mokuba at the gruff command from his new boss. "Oh, of course," he answered while turning to grab the requested dish ware. He returned to the table to place the plate down. "I was waiting to brew some coffee until you two had woken up. Would you like some?" He looked to Mokuba. "Perhaps some orange juice?"
 
Seto watched his little brother scarfing down the meal they'd been provided so happily for the moment he had to wait for the dish to be presented to him. "Gladois, orange juice for Mokuba and Earl Grey for me. You know how I like it." He picked up his own plate as he gave his orders to the computer and halved the food on his plate with his knife, shoveling the newly sectioned portion off onto the new one.

"As for you," he mentioned to Ryou as he looked over to him while setting his plate back down. "Collect our drinks if you want, but once you're done, sit down and join the meal." He looke dback down on his plate, not sure why he felt the need to explain himself, really. It wasn't something he was used to. "You have a big day ahead of you, and not just for what I'm going to be putting you through at work..." What he was used to was the need to add something that at least threatened some sort of cruelty onto the end of it, however. "I don't plan on having my day suffer because you aren't able to keep up. So I don't plan on letting you any excuses if it does happen." He set Ryou's plate at the head of the table, seating them all at opposite faces, yet putting him directly next to both brothers who were sitting across from each other.

Mokuba, who'd taken much too big of a bite for himself, and was forced to struggle it down, smiled warmly at Ryou and added in offering. "Thank you so much for breakfast, Ryou. It's really great. And, I don't suppose you noticed since you probably didn't look for it while you were waiting, but we don't have a coffee maker of any kind in this kitchen. This is mine and Seto's personal kitchen. We don't usually have anyone in here, you know. And since we both really can't stand coffee, there was never a need to get one. If you want some though, I'm sure Gladois could still make it for you."
 
Ryou did as he was instructed. He was happy to gather their drinks, and offered a thank you to the computer for not only getting the brothers what they ordered, but adding in a second Earl Grey for him as well. He didn't quite register what Seto had said until he returned to the table and saw half of the CEO's meal on the second plate. He opened his mouth to argue, after all he couldn't possibly ask for any more than had been given him, but Seto was already hounding him, and Ryou could only do as he was told.

It felt rather strange to be sitting at the table with the brothers, but not for the reason it should have. It was strange, because it felt completely natural. He didn't feel out of place, and he certainly didn't feel unwanted. "You're welcome, I enjoyed cooking for yo-"

Ryou stopped mid sentence. Not because he'd just been told that he had intruded on the brothers' personal kitchen, but because of everything else. He smiled, bright and sweet as he turned his attention to Seto. His eyebrow twitched, making it clear that that happy expression was hiding fury. "You don't like coffee." He stated simply and sharply. Ryou had turned himself inside out to get the man just that. Coffee. "May I be so bold as to ask," his lips twitched, his grin trying and failing to turn into a scowl. "Why you asked me to get you a cup? And why you wanted it so urgently?"
 
In the interim of Mokuba's thanks and Ryou's sudden realization Seto had cut himself a well mannered bite of pancake from his portioned breakfast and managed to finish his bite. While he did soak in the reaction to his little ploy the day before, he didn't stop himself from offering the slightest compliment as he moved directly to cutting himself a second bite. It teased a secret sweet tooth too pleasantly not to. Especially when even given that secret, his pallet couldn't very well stand anything too sweet so early in the morning; Mokuba's sugary cereals as a case in point. "You must cook a lot," he mentioned almost off handed before allowing himself to fully register the anger pointed in his direction.

It was even better than he thought it would be. He was glad he'd allowed the revelation to marinate through a much more relaxing state of affairs that had followed for the rest of most of the day before, sure that it wouldn't have been nearly as satisfying if he hadn't. And, of course, he was perfectly unbothered by the seething reaction and palpable want to practically wring his neck over it.

With a smirk, he first decided to answer Mokuba's somewhat scolding question of, "Why would you ask him to get you coffee of all things?"

Well, not directly, but still. "I'll show you the footage of it later," he promised smoothly. "It was quite entertaining. He marched himself down at least six floors on the banister of the stairs out of pure stubbornness." He was rewarded by a quiet giggle from his little brother who was desperately attempting to hold it back given Ryou's feelings toward the situation.

That bite he'd cute himself was turned to point at the little angry man despite the fact that it didn't leave his plate as cool blue eyes landed on his new assistant. "It wasn't about the coffee at all," he offered smoothly. "Of course, you wouldn't be sitting where you are right now if you hadn't managed to do something so simple in the first place. But if you must know, it was a teaching experience."

The smirk faded and he offered his new charge a serious look upon sampling that second bite and moving to pick up his tea cup for a quick follow up for the distinctly bitter addition that went a little too well with his meal. "You were flung into a situation where you could have found yourself floundering for air in an instant. Instead, you stepped up to that situation and dealt with it the best way you felt you could at the moment. However, I was genuinely serious when I told you afterward that asking questions was more than acceptable. I expect the best out of my employees no matter what their position might happen to be. Seeing as you've barely any experience in the sort of duties that will be required of you in your new position, questions are to be expected. 'Coffee' was a simple and recognizable enough task to handle in the moment."

He took another well mannered bite to allow that information to sink in just a bit before finishing his explanation. "I do things a very specific way, Ryou. You'll come to realize that a lot sooner the more you stick around. On top of that," his smirk returned. "I tend to like to get my entertainment where ever I can find it given the gravity of my own position. I'm sure that's something you already have recognized.

"Nearly everything you will be experiencing between both of your new jobs will likely differ greatly from your norm. While some of what you've shown me might speak to the contrary, most of it doesn't. I expect you to be able to keep up with a great deal of things on your own moving forward. But I also expect execellence in the line of work you've found yourself in. Questions and growing pains are an unavoidable 'must' given this particular situation." The look he had to offer when the smirk slid away from his face was something softer he'd been able to experience himself once they'd left word the day before. It was almost light, and understanding; despite how harshly it might still naturally sit on the CEO's face.

"You seem to possess some qualities I happen to covet quite thoroughly. Though, I really don't plan on explaining that any further. What ever questions you do happen to ask me, I'll only give you what I think is enough for you to work the situation at hand out on your own. I don't plan on holding your hand or coddling you in any way. When you feel like getting something like that, look elsewhere for an answer. Mokuba's quite good at offering that sort of thing, for instance. And I'm sure there are plenty of other people in the company whose hearts bleed just as easily. All I care about, however, is results. And the only thing I feel the need to offer to you on that front is something solid to work with."

"All of that from coffee," Mokuba mentioned playfully before shoving another large bite of his meal into his own mouth.

"What can I say?" He chuckled lightly. "I like to see those results." Kaiba also returned to his meal after mentioning as much. Although, if not only perfectly clear to Mokuba, he was very much still paying attention to Ryou, and his reaction to what he had to say.

He didn't mind Mokuba's translation in the least. "So basically," the teen confirmed almost fully for himself. "As usual: you'll screw with whoever you want whenever you feel like it. Nothing is going to change that. But that doesn't change the fact that just about everything you do do has its own underlying purpose." Big purple eyes couldn't help but roll at how very much the same his brother still was after all these years when the response he got was simply another snarky chuckle.

Kaiba did think to add one last thing as he payed great attention to the delicious meal he'd been providee, given the small man's rage over a simple, not so simple cup of coffee. "You could attempt to hit me over it," he teased meanly. "Stronger men than you have tried and failed."
 
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The irritated twitch above his eye grew harsher and more noticeable as Seto answered his brother. Of course it was recorded, and of course Seto was going to show it off. However, the tightness in his face began to relax as the CEO went on. The coffee was forgotten for the moment as he soaked in the information that was so graciously being given to him. It almost felt like a Seto Kaiba version of a pep talk.

Mokuba provided a translation that wasn't wholly needed, and the little twitch returned. "I understand," he started, his eyes arching with his tight lipped smile. "But none of that is an excuse to waste perfectly good coffee. So next time you feel like finding your jollys," his smile faltered as he pointed an accusing finger at Seto. "Ask for something you'll actually use ya bloody donkey." It was, perhaps, a silly thing to be upset about, especially considering everything else he'd taken without a bit of offense; but if Ryou had anything that could be called a 'pet peeve,' it was being wasteful. It was just a cup of coffee, but he'd survived starvation with less.

There was a moment of quiet before recognition finally hit him. His fork dropped harmlessly onto the plate and he lifted both hands in front of him with a pained, uncomfortable laugh. "I'm sorry! That was terribly rude, I shouldn't have said that out loud."
 
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