Born of Shadows

Life


Noon was not his best time of day. To say that it was his worse would be an understatement about the CEO of Kaiba Corp. and he hated understatements.
Lunch was finished and the brunet was determined that today the schedule he imposed would be kept. He stood in the doorway and glared at the recalcitrant youths that looked back. It was a battle of wills and he was going to be the winner for once.
“Anyone not in bed in the next five minutes will not be allowed to go to Kaibaland and I am serious.” He said, and three pair of cobalt blue eyes opened wide.
Within seconds three small tykes were bounding into their beds and feigning sleep for their father in an obvious and poorly done acting job. Seto smiled and added in a quiet and calm voice. “Pleasant dreams my little dragons.” And he closed the door with a soft but audible click.
The triplets were three years old, and it had been an exciting three years for the brunet businessman and his lover.
How they had weathered those first few days was still an enigma to them both. Other than to say that without the help of their friends it would not have been possible.
They had remodeled a room for a nursery right next to the room that would now be their shared bedroom. The old room was returned to a guestroom as it was too far from the downstairs to be convenient.
Later the game room downstairs was also redone to include a play area for toddlers.
The gardener went into fits and nearly parted company after years of careful tending when told that part of his precious hedge maze had to go to be turned into a child’s playground. And most importantly, the downstairs was converted to allow for a branch facility complete with separate offices and a secretary each for both Seto and Jou.
Business was actually booming, and a small partnership between Kaiba corp., and Devlin Enterprises, the name Otogi had given to his three stores, had proved to be a great boost for both entrepreneurs.
The Tabloids had gotten wind of the newborns within days, and it was only by sheer force of will that the two young men had gotten through the ordeal with their relationship intact.
Rumors were embellished and every line tugged until it threatened to snap.
First it was said that the CEO had indeed managed to hide an illicit affair with a secretary and then bought her silence and her lovechildren with his fortune.
The second story had the children actually being the offspring of an affair with Jou’s sister Shizuka, and that was a close call. For Jou was very protective of his one and only sibling and had come close to assaulting one very persistent paparazzi in the downtown area.
A third story had them buying babies on the black market and advertising for women that would allow the babies to be taken surgically so that they would share a birthday for some twisted reason. That one they managed to laugh off, right to the reporters face in fact.
Seto had suffered for a while after the trip to Shadows, as his system was severely taxed and this added to the stories, but no one figured out the actual reason for the brunet’s illness. It was speculated that the babies were actually clones and tampered with genetically and that was why the CEO was bedridden for almost a month. Giving of his DNA was said to have left him anemic. It was true that he was weakened and his immunity level was low, but Seto was not about to give credence to such ridiculous tales by voicing an argument to them.
Finally, the hubbub died away and only the most persistent reporters even cared about the three infants for other than cute stories of their progress and development.
So, the family settled down to the business of living. The babies had proved to be true brothers, in more than just the hauntingly exact eyes the perfect shade of blue that they each had inherited from Seto. They were similar in many other ways, such as the foods that they loved or hated, the facial expression that they would show only to Jounouchi when he arrived in a room. They were also different in more than their hair color and the shape of their facial features. The oldest Taro, who indeed looked the image of Kaiba Seto, was determined and steadfast in what ever he did. He spoke his first word, “Yen”, at the tender age of seven months. The second born, Kenji, had the most peculiar resemblance to Mokuba, and was artistic and outgoing; he was the first to walk and the fastest runner of the group. His first word was “Ohayo”. Lastly, Yoshiro was the cuddler. This tiny replica of his blond father was affectionate and easily sent to tears. He was the emotional opposite to his eldest brother. He was shy, unlike Kenji and would hide behind Seto when on an outing; for fear that someone would ask him something, anything. Yoshiro’s first word; amazingly was “Aishitero” which he said to his Daddy and then would speak no more for days. And this fit him, perfectly.
After his initial shock the blond photographer had taken to his role in raising the children like it was second nature. He had become the doting father and was never without a fresh set of prints of his three favorite subjects.
His camera was never still and when not being used for business it was heating up with shots of his family and friends.
Seto had been furious when he had found out about the pictures Jou had managed to salvage from the ruins of the Shadow house. He had not even known he was being photographed, but as Jou was extremely careful never to allow them to fall in to the wrong hands, he had to concede that it was the least he could allow for all the blond had done to take care of him during that time.
As for their friends, the influence of the children on them was evident in the way they each advanced their separate relationships.
Honda and Ryuuji announced their feelings publicly and after six months of stressful searching adopted a two year old little girl named Chiakka. She was a pretty little thing will long dark hair and bright green eyes. Honda called her “Daddy’s Girl” but anyone could plainly see that it was Ryuuji that doted on the child more often.
Yugi and Yami made their own visit to shadows and within two years returned with a small baby boy, though no one was sure if one of them had actually gone through the miraculous experience that Seto had in order to bring the small life into the world. They named him Ichiro in the manner of the Kaiba children, and were very happy.
Bakura and Ryou had convinced Anzu to be a surrogate mother and the outcome was a pair of twin girls named Rei and Akemi. They were the youngest of the new generation being only six months old at the time.
But the real surprise of the period was when the quiet pair of ex-duel champions, Haga and Ryuzaki opened a small baby goods store that specialized in custom made items for the elite and unusual. They carried a full line of special made Blue Eyes Shining Dragon nursery and layette items and within the triplet’s first year they were in the black and going ever up.
The backing they had gotten from Ryuuji was repaid with interest and now they had been asking the various members of the group for advise in how to begin their own family. It was only a matter of time.
Only Marik and Malik remained steadfastly childless. They and Mai claimed no affinity for small people and were happy to be the special aunt and uncles to all of their friend’s broods.
Game nights now ended early and consisted of Candy land, chutes and ladders, and for Taro and his father an occasional game of chess.

Seto looked up and saw the blond in the doorway of his office, eyebrows raised and an odd smile on his face.
“What?” he said, turning and then checking his clothing.
“Are they asleep?” Jou asked, and when Seto nodded, he continued. “You missed a meeting. I covered.” And the CEO’s eyes went wide. He had completely forgotten.
“We have got to fire that woman and get a descent Nanny.” He said, though he knew it was his own fault. Jou laughed.
“It was only a design team meeting. I knew all the answers you would give and Mokuba was there. Besides if we hired a new Nanny, you would still usurp her time and this one is used to you, already. I don’t want to break in someone new.”
Seto smiled and walked up to the smiling Jounouchi. He slid his hands around the blond’s waist and curled his head under Jou’s chin. Jou waited until his lover had found his position before leaning his head on the brunet’s and placing a kiss in his hair. Seto sighed.
“What is it Kasshoku?” Jou asked, rubbing his arms briskly. “What makes you sigh, what is your greatest desire, my love?” and Seto raised his head and smiled at the blond.
“Other than growing old in your arms, I was wondering about the chances that Shadows would like to give us a daughter or two.”
Jou felt a tightening of his chest before he could respond, “You are a glutton for punishment, ya know that?”

The Yugi-tachi next generation:

Honda-Otogi Chiakka - four and a half years old
Kaiba-Jounouchi Taro - three years old
Kaiba-Jounouchi Kenji - three years old
Kaiba-Jounouchi Yoshiro - three years old
Moutou Ichiro - one year old.
Bakura Rei - six month old
Bakura Akemi - six months old.
???
. . . .and the list goes on.


The end??? or just the beginning?

Thank you to all who gave their personal time to review and encourage me on this small piece of insanity. I love a challenge but I just don't do well on one-shots, so if I write it, it runs long. It is my way. I am about to branch out once more as I have a bit in the works under the "Bleach" catagory, wish me luck?
I am also putting the final chapter out to the Weiss kreuz story that went past thirty eight chapters and refused to end. Well, without a fight. I hope no one is disappointed.