There's a slight tremor in Kaiba's arms as he waits. A kind and gentle person like Esteban would be shocked by a cruel person like him, right? He waits for the claws to rip into him, cursing himself for being so stupid....but instead a warm and gentle weight leans on him.
His head lifts, and he looks at Esteban wide-eyed...what? Is this...? But he thinks a little more. Maybe. Is this the same trust Esteban showed him back then, talking about his half-dragon form? How people might have found his appearance scary? But he used that power to save lives.
And while Kaiba's motivations were nowhere near heroic back then, the person he is now is who he wants to be. So he returns the gesture, leaning on his friend and exhaling softly. It's all right now.
"I should show them to you..."
After a few moments of peace, he reaches for the card-shaped locket that always hangs around his neck. It opens with a soft click, and he holds up its contents for Esteban to see. There are two pictures: on the right is a small boy with messy black hair and a big smile, who appears to be playing some sort of board game. On the left is Seto with Yugi, a shorter teen with wild spiky hair in shocking colors, but they're both wearing bright neon pajamas and leaning on each other with slightly flushed faces.
He points to the young boy first. "That's my little brother, Mokuba. He was five when this was taken...we were in an orphanage after our parents died and our extended family spent our inheritance and dumped us. A lot of my worse decisions were made because someone had to protect him. He was 15 when I left...he's 16 by now, and he probably hates me for leaving him, but I still have to try to get back."
He sighs deeply, but manages to smile when looking at the other picture. "And this was the first week Yugi and I were on the train, a little over a year ago. We got invited to this mingle and he pushed me to go, and everyone was required to wear these ridiculous pajamas. We got a little drunk and I ended up carrying him back to the room. That's...when I started to really see him."
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His head lifts, and he looks at Esteban wide-eyed...what? Is this...? But he thinks a little more. Maybe. Is this the same trust Esteban showed him back then, talking about his half-dragon form? How people might have found his appearance scary? But he used that power to save lives.
And while Kaiba's motivations were nowhere near heroic back then, the person he is now is who he wants to be. So he returns the gesture, leaning on his friend and exhaling softly. It's all right now.
"I should show them to you..."
After a few moments of peace, he reaches for the card-shaped locket that always hangs around his neck. It opens with a soft click, and he holds up its contents for Esteban to see. There are two pictures: on the right is a small boy with messy black hair and a big smile, who appears to be playing some sort of board game. On the left is Seto with Yugi, a shorter teen with wild spiky hair in shocking colors, but they're both wearing bright neon pajamas and leaning on each other with slightly flushed faces.
He points to the young boy first. "That's my little brother, Mokuba. He was five when this was taken...we were in an orphanage after our parents died and our extended family spent our inheritance and dumped us. A lot of my worse decisions were made because someone had to protect him. He was 15 when I left...he's 16 by now, and he probably hates me for leaving him, but I still have to try to get back."
He sighs deeply, but manages to smile when looking at the other picture. "And this was the first week Yugi and I were on the train, a little over a year ago. We got invited to this mingle and he pushed me to go, and everyone was required to wear these ridiculous pajamas. We got a little drunk and I ended up carrying him back to the room. That's...when I started to really see him."