A Year With You

Seto looked around the room slowly taking everything in. It laid unchanged in nearly every way except the fine layer of dust that had gathered on every surface of the years. Memories danced behind his eyes of all the things that had happened in this room. He moved slowly over to the bed touching the soft fabric. It was in this bed that Seto had died along with his innocence. It was in this bed that the cold cruel CEO named Kaiba was born. The things that happened in this bed was a secret he would gladly take to the grave. “You let it happen.” A small voice said beside him. He turned staring at a young blue eyed boy. It was the boy that had died in this bed. “You killed me.” He reached out and the child didn’t move or blink. He lowered his hand and nodded. “I know.” He whispered not daring to touch the image of his younger self. “You’ll never be seen as human when they find out what you did to me or what you let him do to you. They will all leave you. After all you are a murder.”

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Jou sighed heavily looking at the closed office doors. Seto had been distant ever since his friends had first come over. He missed the kind tender brunet he had seen the first few days he was here. He knocked softly and waited for any sound. He nearly jumped from his skin when the door swung open. Seto stepped out looking at him blankly. Dark circles rimmed blood shot blue eyes that were almost a startling intensity. Normally perfect shiny brown hair was a dull dirt color over its normal rich chocolate. He had been at the house over a week now and he had never once seen Seto so unkempt. “Wow, you look like shit.” The words left his mouth before he could stop them. Seto gave him a small smile and ran a hand though his hair. “Thank you for your kind observation Jou.” He shook his head and smiled. “Sorry, I have no filter from my brain to my mouth. But you really do look like shit, are you feeling ok?” Seto nodded and Jou grabbed the slender shoulders. “Well I’m demanding you eat lunch with me and Mokuba.” He nodded firmly dragging the brunet into the kitchen.

Jou watched as Seto ate methodically. He doubted the brunet even tasted the food. Mokuba looked like a kicked puppy and was poking the food on his plate. He growled and slammed his fist down on the table turning to the brunet. “What the hell is wrong with you?” He screamed jumping to his feet. The chair behind him clattered to the ground and he kicked it out of the way hauling the CEO from his seat. “You wouldn’t understand.” Seto muttered softly and the brain dead idiot was slammed into the wall. “Your right I can’t understand if you don’t tell me! Stop being such a god damn robot and look around you.” The fist that connected with his jaw took him totally by surprise. “Don’t you dare call me a fucking robot!” He growled standing and wiping the blood from the side of his mouth. “I just call them like I see them. Only a robot wouldn’t realize he’s alienating his family and friends.” He pointed to Mokuba who was sitting in wide eyed shock. “Mokuba has been moping around this house like a lost puppy while you’ve locked your self in that damn office of yours.” Seto’s eyes flicked to Mokuba and Jou took advantage of it and slammed his fist into the pretty face.

Seto hit the ground but sprang back up tackling the blond to the floor. Jou glared at him and grabbed a handful of his hair yanking as hard as he could. He dug his elbow into a tender side and the blond did release him but a head came up and smacked him in the nose. He shuddered in pain but ignored it slamming a fist into the blonde’s face. “How dare you say I neglect my brother! You have no idea what I’ve done to protect him! You have no idea what I gave up! You have no idea how many times I’ve pushed him away just so he could have everything I didn’t have. I have given everything for him. Everything I do is for him. I have thought of dying so many times but it’s for him I live…” He was punching Jou at first but the tears chocked him and he just held onto the blond and let the tears fall.

Mokuba sat very still during the whole fight. His brother was in pain and he didn’t know the cause, he just hoped this would help. The speech at the end sent his stomach crashing to his toes. He always knew. Deep down he always knew he was the cause of Seto’s heart ache. His brother had given him everything and he had taken it like the greedy child he was with out even thinking of his brother’s feelings. He stood as silently as he could and ran up to his room to cry in solitude.

Jou pulled Seto close and the brunet hissed. He was fairly sure he had broken the brunet’s nose but didn’t much care. Seto stopped crying almost was quickly as he had started but the brunet didn’t move. He held the other teen close trying to lessen some of the pain. He knew a little what it was like to take care of some one but not to the extent that Seto cared for Mokuba. Seto was mother, father, and older brother to the young raven haired boy and had been since they were both little. “ Are you better now?” Blue eyes leveled him with a lethal glare. “Claim that I alienate my brother again and you will find your ass out on the street and twelve million dollars in debt.” He grinned looking over Kaiba’s nose pleased to see the pretty nose was not broken neither was the man he knew and loved. “Then don’t be a prick and stop hiding in your office.” Seto just glared at him and huffed. “I wasn’t hiding.” He smiled and hugged Seto close. “What ever you say Seto. Well, let’s get you cleaned up. I don’t think I broke your nose but I sure did make it bleed.” Seto gave a hallow chuckle into his shoulder.

Seto stood and looked around furrowing his brow. Mokuba’s seat was empty and his little brother was no where to be seen. “Where did my brother go?” Jou looked at him and grabbed his hand. “We’ll worry about that in a few minuets for now lets get you cleaned up.” He nodded absently as Jou dragged him into the kitchen.

~~~

Mokuba head a soft knock on his door. Tears still burned his eyes while his body shuddered with shame. He had destroyed his brother’s life. “Mokie are you in there?” He buried his face in his arms and sobbed. “Go away I don’t want to talk to you.” He screeched as his brother tried opening the door. He had maybe locked his brother out twice in his entire life. He was sure Seto was confused. “Mokie what’s wrong?” He sat up looking at the door. “Mokuba please open the door and talk to me.” It hurt to hear the pleading in his brother’s voice but he wasn’t going to open the door. “I don’t want to talk to you.” He yelled and flopped back in his bed.

Seto stood at the door confused. He was fully capable of opening the door but he had the feeling he and Mokuba were at a milestone in their relationship and that he should let his little brother open the door on his terms. “Mokie why don’t you want to talk to me?” He called softly and he heard his brother take a long sniff. “Because I’m a bad brother and I ruined your life!” He blinked resting his hands against the door. “Oh Mokuba. If this is because of the things I said during the fight with Jou…well you took it the wrong way, I think. I didn’t even mean to imply you ruined my life. Mokuba, you are my life. If it weren’t for you, I would most likely be dead now.” His brother was quiet on the other side so he decided to go on.

Mokuba slowly crawled out of his bed and went over to the door so he could hear his brother a little better. “Mokie, after Mother and Father died, I would have given up if it wasn’t for you. You have always been my strength. I could endure anything as long as I knew you were safe. I don’t regret the things I did to make sure you had a good life. In fact, if I had the chance I would do them over again. I would sacrifice everything for you with out a moment hesitation.” Tears ran down his face as he listened to his brother. He knew Seto would give up the world for him. He also knew his brother shouldn’t have to. “That’s part of the problem, Seto. You have given up so much for me and I know you would always give up more. It hurts me to know that I have taken all your other reasons for living from you. You should have so much more.” He leaned his head against the door and cried silently.

Seto slid to the floor leaning against the doorjamb. He understood what his brother was saying he just wasn’t sure he agreed with it. “Mokuba, please let me in so we can talk about this face to face.” He listened silently for his brother to respond. When nothing came he kept begging to be let in.

~~~

Jou smiled softly as he found Seto asleep against Mokuba’s door. He slowly stepped over long legs and called out softly. “Mokuba, it’s Jou open up.” The door cracked open and one bloodshot deep gray blue peeked out. “Where is Seto?” He pointed to his feet and the boy opened the door a little wider. “Can I come in?” Mokuba nodded and he slipped inside slowly shutting the door so as not to wake Seto. He walked over and flopped on the bed smiling at Mokuba.

Mokuba felt a lecture coming on but he wasn’t sure how to avoid it. He sighed deeply and sat next to the blond. “I heard you and Seto talking.” He opened his mouth to defend his point and Jou just held up a hand stilling his mouth. “Don’t even try it kid. I see your point but I also see your brother’s. I just think that maybe you need to try and understand where Seto is coming from.” Gold eyes locked on to his and he pulled his knees to his chest. “Jou, you are missing a lot of information. Seto was abused my…our stepfather for years. He was locked in little rooms and denied food, water and sleep until he finished piles of work. He was beaten and I fear worse. Seto doesn’t talk much about it but I can tell it still affects him. I feel that is one of the main things that keep him so distant from everyone. I also feel responsible.” Jou sat up and touched his face gently. “Mokuba, it’s not your fault. I blamed my self for what happened with my parents for many years. You can’t do that. Don’t blame yourself for a past you can’t change; just work for a future you can. Mokuba, Seto needs help getting out of his shell and breaking what ever hold your stepfather still has on him. So don’t blame your self for what you didn’t do. Hell, kid you most likely didn’t even know what was happening. Just know Seto made his own choices and nothing you could have done would have changed that.” he nodded slowly.

Jou smiled and playfully nudged the kid. Mokuba smiled and sighed softly. “Mokuba, just be there for your brother and push him a little to make friends. Also know that he loves you and he doesn’t regret a single thing he did and he never will. He gave you a good life. That’s all any one ever wants for the ones they love.” Mokuba nodded and leaned against him. “That’s all I want for Seto.” He kissed the top of the kid’s head and sighed. “I know. You both want one another to be happy which it why you are in conflict over this matter. But I’m sure what ever makes you happy makes him happy so just keep that in mind.” Mokuba nodded and he put the kid in a head lock ruffling soft strands of black hair.

Mokuba shoved Jou off of him then walked over to the door and threw it open. Sleepy blue eyes blinked at him and he flopped down in Seto’s lap. “Nii-san, we do need to talk. First off, I hate it when you don’t take care of yourself. It makes me sad. So from now one you are going to have to take better care of yourself. Second, I’m a big boy. I’m fourteen almost fifteen. You need to loosen up a little and have a life instead of always worrying about mine. You’ve raised me well and I know what’s right and what’s wrong. I just need to make my own mistakes and take care of them on my own or I’ll never learn. Can you do those things for me?” Seto nodded and he hugged his brother tightly. “Mokie, can you just promise me that no matter what you’ll always love me.” He looked up at his brother reading a deep long resting fear in those eyes. “Seto nothing you could have done or ever do will make me stop loving you.” His brother pulled him close in a desperate almost crushing hug.

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thank you thank you to all my lovely reviewers please keep reading and reviewing.

melodyz07:haha i hat to say it but i'm not a big Yugi fan. I don't hate him but i pretty much watched the Yugi-Oh series for the other characters. But i glad you are liking this story. it only gets better....i hope.

cally: oh i'm glad you like it.

misstress0fyaoi: I'm glad you like Jou helping Seto. I don't know why but i always saw Seto as having more demons than Jou. So i really wanted to have Jou and Seto helping one another. Seto is more helping Jou with money while Jou is more helping Seto fight his demons. Don't worry you'll see a lot more of Seto's demons and how Jou deals with them in later chapters. I have big things planned for our boys. Glad you are enjoying the story.