Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Chinese Food ❯ Chapter 1

Disclaimer: It's on my Christmas list :)

 

AN: Because Siegfried is just so cute... in a silly sort of way...

 

Chinese Food

 

Somewhere in that great big city, while the other children dreamt of sugarplums, one boy - though he would never think of himself that way - was finding out that all the money in the world couldn't turn back the hands of time.

 

Some men might have cursed, or banged their fists on the desk, or gone briefly into denial. Seto Kaiba was tempted to do something like this, but he was an emotionless stone, after all. Therefore he merely sat and stared at the clock, and the desk calendar next to it, for a very long time.

 

Seto was one of the richest men in the world, and therefore he had many one-of-a-kind things. Most of them were worth thousands of dollars and would normally be in a museum, but the desk calendar was unique in another way. It had hand-drawn pictures of Duel Monsters in it. Seto treasured it, because it took a long time to draw three hundred and sixty-five pictures of Duel Monsters, especially if you happened to be a ten-year-old boy with an understandably limited attention span. It was almost done now, of course, but even then the pages would more than likely wind up in a drawer or a closet somewhere, rather than a trash can.

 

It was almost done. But the twenty-fifth of December was only the day of the important teleconference with the board members of the smaller American corporation that Kaiba Corp. had plans of absorbing, only the day that the new virtual duel lenses were going to be tested for the first time... Of course, in the back of his head he had been aware that many of the employees were taking the day off, that the front lobby had been virtually empty when he'd crossed it on his way to the elevator...

 

It was only the day that Mokuba would have spent lonely, bored, at home - in that too-large, too-quiet, downright creepy mansion supposedly for two - waiting and waiting for a big brother who couldn't even make it home for a late dinner...

 

Come to think of it, had he even seen the boy all day? Had he even said `good morning' to him? What about yesterday...?

 

He couldn't face that...

 

Seto Kaiba, one of the richest men in the world, rode in a taxi that day. He was feeling rather cynical about material possessions in general at the moment. Eventually he told the man to stop, and braved the elements for the few steps between the curb and the front door of Lucky Sun Chinese Foods; it did, after all, appear to be one of the few places open tonight.

 

Xoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooX

 

Somewhere else not too far away, another young man was banging his fists on his desk. “Fluch!(1)” he cursed. “Ack... Dieses kann nicht geschehen....(2)”

Siegfried von Schraider was also one of the richest men in the world, though perhaps not quite as rich as Seto Kaiba. He had gotten this way - and, possibly more miraculously, managed to stay that way even after recent events - because his intelligence also rivaled Seto's, and it was this vast reserve of wit that had just this evening afforded him with the wonderful realization that, were he to catch a flight from Japan to Germany, say, now - at nine o'clock p.m. - then he would actually arrive home at a decent time for dinner.

 

He paused in clutching miserably at his hair to glare once more at his laptop screen. Announcements in bold red letters were never good, but this one was especially unpleasant. All Flights Out of Domino Area Airports: Delayed Until Further Notice... It was not a habit among corporate CEOs to be particularly in touch with the natural world, but even Siegfried had been aware of the veritable blizzard that currently held sway over Domino. His private jet would be even more risky than a commercial airliner, of course, because of its small size. Nothing like a white Christmas...

 

He took a deep breath, and tried to compose himself. Even he could not affect the forces of nature. There was nothing he could do about it, but that also meant that it wasn't his fault, after all.

 

Right?

 

Breathe in, breathe out, a slightly over-dramatic sigh. He smoothed his hair out and shut his laptop with perhaps just a little more force than was necessary, and then, slowly, got out his cell phone.

 

He did not make a call, however, but merely stared at it for awhile. It was pink, and it had a Japanese good-luck charm on it. The charm didn't really match the phone - to say nothing of his suit - but because Leon had bought it for him, he had kept it on for over a year now. He had given it to him as a gift just before they left the country after Seto's tournament, and it had been an unvoiced token of apology, or forgiveness, or perhaps something in between. It was at that time that he had first truly realized the importance of not becoming in any way like his father, and now look at him...

 

The phone was placed into his pocket with care, as if it were as fragile as an egg. A few minutes later Siegfried stepped out into the snow and deserted streets, and wondered vaguely what would happen if he froze to death.

 

Xoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooX

 

There were four other people the restaurant when Seto walked in. In a corner by the window there was a young woman and a young man who sat very close together and talked about something pleasant in hushed voices, and in the far corner from them a decidedly homeless-looking man brooded over a cup of coffee. The forth person jumped to his feet and, in a gross display of enthusiasm, hurried over to get Seto's order before he'd even sat down. He also took a corner seat, across from the homeless man in the back.

 

He wasn't really sure when the food was brought to him. It was bad, he noted, but he was hungry and so he ate it anyway. Normally he wouldn't have, but then again, normally he wouldn't have been here in the first place. Right now he was too miserable and guilty to care, and... and....

 

Eyes meeting across a crowded room is a cliché that almost everyone is probably familiar with, even if in this case it was only crowded with empty tables. But such a cliché is not usually followed by one party choking on an egg roll, and the other dropping his hat.

 

Siegfried was the first to recover. “Herr(3) Kaiba!” he crowed jubilantly - the mischievous smirk gave it all away, of course - “Frohe Weihnachten(4)!”

 

To his credit, the smirk only wavered slightly as he said it.

 

Seto managed to work up a scowl. The couple by the window was muttering something that sounded suspiciously like, “Kaiba? Seto Kaiba?” so he scowled at them, too. “What the hell are you doing here?” he hissed.

 

Siegfried glanced sideways at the couple. “Oh, right...” He chuckled, and sauntered over before Seto had a chance to protest. “You are not in the mood to show off tonight; is that it?”

 

“I don't show off,” Seto growled in the general direction of his food, because all that pink hair was hurting his eyes.

 

Siegfried arched a delicate eyebrow and considered pointing out the he had personally seen Seto project he face from a giant blimp during the Grand Prix, but decided that it wasn't worth it. He sat down instead, and Seto stared because he had sat at the brunet's own table. “Ah... Waiter? Some tea...” He then smirked at Seto, as if daring him to comment.

 

“...You're shaking.”

 

The smirk faded slightly. “What?”

 

“Your hands...” Seto frowned. It was more of a curious frown than a concerned one, but a frown none the less.

 

Siegfried glanced down, as if he had just noticed. “Oh... I walked,” he said primly, and rather quickly moved his hands to his lap under the table. It was Seto's turn to raise an eyebrow, but Siegfried beat him to the punch for a second time. “I believe you asked me what, ah, I was doing here... I could ask the same of you, of course. What business could a person such as yourself possibly have in the low-rent district? I just happened to be passing through...”

 

“So did I,” Seto snapped, the spell broken. “I meant what the hell are you doing in the country, damn it. And get your own table!”

 

Siegfried pretended to be offended as the waiter delivered his tea with a somewhat wary glance in Seto's direction. “But Herr Kaiba, are we not old friends?” he demanded, sipping genteelly at the drink. “Old acquaintances, at the very least?” He grinned. “As for why I am in Japan again, I'll have you know that it is, in fact, all your fault. After the... event... at your tournament last year, I've had to take several trips abroad. Promoting the company and such; you understand.”

 

“That was my fault?” He laughed quietly; it was not a nice sound. “Oh... oh, no... That was all you. And your little brother, of course.” Siegfried's face abruptly took on a mask-like quality, and Seto sneered, well aware that he had won one. “I can see that you still don't care very much about him,” he continued, rather caught up in his victory. “Poor kid.”

 

“How do you mean?” he said softly. “Because I was not able to spend today with him? But where is little Mokuba right now?” He paused for another sip of tea, while Seto's façade crumbled. “Of course, I can't know that you didn't spend time with him today, but...” - teal eyes flashed over him appraisingly - “I think not.”

 

Siegfried left it at that and Seto had nothing to say, so a silence settled over them. One man stared at his food and did not eat, and the other stared out the window and did not see. After a little while, Siegfried shifted to rest his chin on his palm, and smiled pensively.

 

“I meant to be home last week,” he said. Seto looked up but did not comment, so he continued. “I really did. But then this one man - really high up, you know - finally agreed to speak with me. What luck! He even arranged a press conference for me. Of course, that sparked the interest of another corporation, and the board of directors invited me to lunch... And then this.” He gestured at the snow, and met Seto's eyes for the first time. “All flights are delayed; did you know that? And now I...” He broke eye contact, looking down with an almost puzzled expression. “I can't even bring myself to call him...” Around his tea cup, his hands began to tremble again.

 

Seto stared. Why is he telling me this? Why me? Why is he... breaking down... in front of me...? He shivered though he wasn't cold, and looked away, because it was uncomfortably close to home. The despicable German was only doing this because he was there and Seto knew it, but nevertheless he somehow found himself saying: “Mokuba... I... I haven't seen him all day.” Part of him shriveled up and died right there at the thought that he was telling this to Siegfried von Schraider, but he found that he couldn't stop now that he'd started. “I... forgot. I mean, of course I knew it was Christmas, but I guess I just didn't make the connection...” He stared at his hands on his lap, and grimaced. “Last Christmas, he... made me a calendar. It was almost like he knew I would do something like this - and who knows; maybe he did. It's just too typical...” He laughed softly, bitterly.

 

Siegfried was silent for a few moments, and then he laughed too, but it sounded surprisingly genuine. Seto looked at him quizzically. “And just think-” he inclined his head subtly towards the homeless man - “he probably wishes he was one of us!” In spite of himself, possibly in relief as well as amusement, Seto grinned slightly.

 

Siegfried smirked again. “Oh, my - can it be...? You look better when you smile, you know.” Seto shot him another irritable glare and muttered something like `shut up', picking at his food again; the German chuckled. Then he leaned forward and steepled his fingers in front of his face, growing serious again. “But, really... you ought to go home.” He smiled wistfully. “Take it from me; coming home late would be better than not coming home at all.”

 

Seto scoffed. “And a phone call would be better than nothing at all.”

 

Siegfried sat back again. “Ah. Touché.”

 

Another contemplative silence fell on them for a little while, but this time it was broken by Seto. “Damn it,” he muttered, and then abruptly got to his feet. “This is stupid!” he declared. “I'm going home.” Siegfried looked up at him in something like awe, and his expression softened. “Did you... really walk?” he asked gruffly.

 

He shrugged. “I'm afraid so.”

 

Seto shook his head in apparent disgust. “Moron! You should get body guards, to protect you from yourself...” He frowned deeply, as if this was taking quite a lot of effort to say. “Would you... like to come eat dinner with me? The food here is horrible anyway.”

 

Siegfried gave him a long look, and then quickly dabbed at his lips with a napkin. Behind the cloth he allowed himself an understanding smile, but Seto didn't need to know. “The tea wasn't very good, either.”

 

So they stepped out into the blizzard together. Siegfried shuddered and tried hurriedly to button his coat. “What are we waiting for, exactly...?”

 

“A cab.” Seto watched his struggles impassively.

 

“A cab?” Siegfried widened his eyes theatrically. “You rode in a cab?”

 

“You walked,” he pointed out dryly. “I could call my limo, but I think this would be faster...” Then he `tsk'ed, and before Siegfried knew what was happening, his hands had been swatted away and Seto was doing up his buttons. He stared; he didn't think the brunet noticed. “Moron,” he muttered, but without too much force.

 

Eventually, a cab came. They watched the city go by. After a little while, Siegfried said, without looking away from the window: “Did you get him anything?”

 

Seto didn't look over either, but he smiled to himself. “Of course. Duel Monster cards.”

 

Siegfried blinked. “Cards? Not to offend, of course, but... doesn't he already have a lot-?” Then he hesitated, and his eyes widened. “Hmm... But for cards, you need... Yes, I think I see...”

 

Seto glanced over his shoulder at him. “You think so, huh?” He chuckled. “Maybe you're not completely stupid, then...”

 

Siegfried scoffed. “That was probably supposed to be high praise or something, wasn't it?” Seto just grinned, and he couldn't help but grin, too.

 

And then they were at the mansion, and it was out into the cold again. Seto was silent in a way that implied that any attempt to break the silence would be very foolish indeed. That meant he didn't say anything about waiting behind for a little while or anything either, though, so Siegfried followed him through the dark halls. He did wait by the door when Seto went into his bedroom to grab the present, but he couldn't resist peeking in. Hmm... It was very clean and Spartan for the most part, though he did have a rather large four-post bed... Then the brunet reemerged with a handful of card packets, and they went off to look for Mokuba.

 

A quick search determined that he was not in the living room, game room, or any of his other known day-time haunts. Seto sighed. “He's probably already in bed,” he muttered, half to himself. Siegfried offered a sympathetic smile, and followed as he set off in a new direction.

 

Seto stood in the new doorway and watched the black-haired little boy sleep for a few long moments. His face was a blank slate, Siegfried saw, but he had a feeling that it was a very thin shell of a mask, and that it was only in place at all because of his own presence... a pity, really... Finally he stepped inside, going over to kneel at the edge of the bed. Siegfried watched from the door with interest, mildly surprised that he still hadn't been told to leave.

 

“Mokuba... Come on, wake up...” After a moment or two his eyes slowly flickered open, and the boy stared vacantly up at his older brother as he attempted to wake up. Then he blinked a few times, and his eyes darted to the clock to verify that it was, indeed, still Christmas evening. He grinned sleepily.

 

“Seto... you... you made it...” He reached up and wrapped his arms around Seto's neck; the older boy tensed for just a moment, before giving in and hugging him back.

 

“Of course I did,” he said gruffly. Then he bit his lip, and added, much more quietly: “I'm sorry...”

 

Mokuba smiled. “It's okay.”

 

Seto held him out at arm's length by the shoulders so he could meet his eyes. “No, it's not,” he said earnestly. He managed a small smile. “I got you a present.”

 

“Really? Cool!” Seto handed him the packets, and he grinned happily. But then his smile faltered slightly. “I couldn't think of a good present to buy you this year, so I was going to cook for you, but...”

 

Seto smiled. “Well, how about I stay home all day tomorrow, so you can try out you new cards - you can cook for me then.” Siegfried smiled slightly. Mokuba's eyes widened for a moment, and then he caught Seto in a tight hug again.

 

Then he let out a strangled little yelp. “S-Siegfried?” he blurted. The pink-haired CEO managed to look innocent.

 

Seto shrugged. “Yeah... we happened to run into each other,” he said vaguely, sounding a little bemused himself. “He did me a favor, so I'm letting him spend the night. He wanted very badly to be home, but unfortunately all the flights are delayed...”

 

Mokuba's eyes widened again in understanding. “Leon...”

 

Seto just smiled at him, and pushed him gently back down onto the mattress. “I'm sorry I woke you. Go back to sleep now; I don't want you passing out on me tomorrow.”

 

The younger Kaiba brother managed to stick his tongue out, but after that he stared, bug-eyed, at Siegfried until the door closed.

 

“A cute boy,” Siegfried commented, chuckling. Seto smirked.

 

“Of course he is,” he said smugly. Then his expression softened. “Well...”

 

Siegfried arched an eyebrow. “Hmm?”

 

Seto shrugged. “Come on; let's go back to the living room...” As they started down the hall again, he asked suddenly, “Are you going to call him?”

 

Siegfried glanced sharply at him, and then looked away. “I suppose...”

 

“`I suppose'? You have to call him sometime, you know.”

 

Siegfried sighed. “Hmph... Say, Kaiba? Do you still hate me, for what I tried to do at your tournament?”

 

Seto stared. He had dropped the honorific, he noted vaguely. “Well, yeah, pretty much,” he eventually said, with his typical frankness. “I don't like you very much, anyway.”

 

He chuckled. “And only for something I tried to do. I did succeed in one thing at your tournament, Herr Kaiba, and that was ruining my little brother's reputation. They don't let him play in the tournaments any more, you know, `just in case'. And yet he forgives me. He always asks for ways to help, even! All he wants is for me to pay him some well-deserved attention, but he doesn't even ask for that.” He turned to Seto, and fixed him with another needle-sharp aqua gaze. “And of course that is something he shouldn't have to ask for, yes?”

 

Seto didn't answer for a moment, but he did nod slightly. The way his fists clenched at his sides, Siegfried considered, was more than enough. They attained the living room, and Seto opened the door for his guest and closed it behind him before collapsing in a semi-dignified fashion into one of the many comfortable couches. Siegfried sat as well, across a small coffee table. Finally, Seto glanced at him, and frowned.

 

“So, what?” he demanded. “You don't actually mean you're too scared to call, do you?” Siegfried frowned too, but before he could answer, Seto scoffed and continued. “You know, if the kid can forgive you for using him, I think he can forgive you for this. Sure, maybe you should have gone home earlier, but at least you tried. I'm just as surprised as you are, but this time it really isn't your fault. So grow up.”

 

Siegfried stared at him for a long moment. Then he smiled, very slightly, and pulled out his cell phone. He hesitated for only a moment before dialing the number.

 

Seto heard, very faintly: “Hallo?”

 

Siegfried swallowed. “Hello, Leonhard...”

 

There was a pause, and then Seto heard a torrent of excited German that made Siegfried wince and hold the phone an inch or two away from his ear. “Yes, I'm quite all right... I couldn't have even if I'd wanted to; all the flights are grounded. I'm sorry...” The resulting deluge made Siegfried go misty-eyed; Seto grimaced. He composed himself before speaking again, however. “Oh, I'm quite comfortable, actually. Just guess where I'm staying. No, guess again.” Seto rolled his eyes. “I'm staying with Herr Kaiba!”

 

Even Seto could clearly hear the ear-splitting, “What?-!” This was followed by what sounded like choking. Siegfried grinned for a moment, but then forced himself to become serious again.

 

“Listen, though - I really am sorry... No, it does matter. I meant to come home a week ago, but I allowed myself to get caught up. I messed up again...”

 

Seto could never have heard what Leon said next, because he said it barely above a whisper. But what was important was that Siegfried heard - he said: “It's okay. I'm just glad you called.”

 

He sighed softly, and floundered for some words for a moment. “Well... Are you having a good day, at least?”

 

On his end, Leon grinned. “Sure. I had some friends over, I hope you don't mind... No, we didn't make a big mess... just a little one... heh... I'm glad you aren't alone, either.”

 

Siegfried smiled thoughtfully. “Yes, I guess that is nice, isn't it?”

 

They talked for a few more minutes, though it was long enough for Seto to start getting decidedly bored, before Siegfried said, “Well... Frohe Weihnachten, little brother. I'll be home as soon as I can, I promise... yes... Sleep well...”

 

As he replaced his phone to his pocket again, Seto smirked. “That wasn't so hard, was it?”

 

The German just chuckled. Then he said, “It was really very lucky that we met each other today, no?”

 

He shrugged. “I suppose,” he said grudgingly.

 

Siegfried grinned. “Then you don't completely hate me?”

 

Seto boggled at him. “What are you talking? Of course I do.”

 

The grin remained firmly in place. “Oh really? I suppose I'll just have to keep trying, then. Annoying you is almost as fun anyway.” With that, he stood, leaned across the coffee table, and kissed him firmly on the lips.

 

Seto sputtered and gagged; Siegfried beamed down at him. “G-Get out!” the brunet half-screamed, but Siegfried merely `tsk'ed at him.

 

“Oh, do be civil. I believe you have invited me to dinner? Heaven forbid the great Seto Kaiba should be rude to an invited guest, and on Christmas no less!” He fairly cackled, and flounced out of the room without a backward glance.

 

Granted, Seto was very pale, and the way he clasped his hands over his mouth might have initially made the casual observer think that he was going to be ill. But he was not ill, and merely sat extremely still for a very long time...

 

Owari!!

 

(1) Damn... or some-such ;)...

 

(2) This can't be happening

 

(3) Mister. I hope everyone already knew this one, but just thought I ought to be safe...

 

(4) Merry Christmas

 

AN: :) I had fun. I hope the German didn't bug anyone; I just couldn't resist. Look on the bright side; at least now you know how to say `damn' in German! Now remember, Christmas is a time for giving, so please give me reviews! (grin)