Shadow Justice

39: Of Ba and Ka

Kaiba woke in his soul room curled around the stuffed sha and with  the sheet and blankets on the futon tucked around him forming a cocoon.  He could feel his body in the real world still sleeping soundly so he  wondered what could have woken his soul in here.

He heard the  sound of glass brush stone and sat up, turning around to look at the  other person in his room. Seth was kneeling on the floor piecing the  mosaic of Kisara and her Blue Eyes White Dragon back with tender care.  Seth was so focused on his task, he had neglected to notice Kaiba wake.

"You don't have to do that, you know," Kaiba said, smirking when Seth literally jumped in shock.

Blue  eyes identical to his own whipped to him, a blush coloring tan cheeks.  Seth swallowed and looked away, his eyes returning to the almost  completed mosaic once more. Tan fingers stretched out and caressed the  glass and stone face of Kisara.

"I thought I could take it," he breathed, voice almost too quiet to hear. "Seeing her, I mean."

Kaiba said nothing, waiting for Seth to continue, knowing he had more to say.

Seth  heaved a sigh that sounded suspiciously like controlled sob. "But then I  summoned her and I..." His eyes closed and Kaiba felt more than saw the  tears trickle down Seth's dark face. "It hurt. Seeing her like that, it  hurt. I wanted to embrace her, to hold her, to hear her voice again."  The sobs were no longer controlled. "But I never will and it's all my fault."

Kaiba  kicked off his covers and stood, walking over to Seth's shaking form  huddled on the ground. "Oi," he said. "Crying doesn't help anyone. All  it does is take up time and effort that could be used to fight back."

Seth  coughed a laugh. "I know," he said in a broken voice. "Believe me, I  know." With a visible effort, Seth wrapped his arms around himself and  took in a deep breath. He held it for several seconds, releasing it only  when he felt somewhat in control of himself. "I apologize for my  unseemly behavior."

Kaiba clicked his tongue. "Too formal."

Seth breath a laugh. "So you have said."

"And  I'll keep saying it until you stop acting like an idiot." Kaiba watched  Seth bow his head at his words, catching the small smile on his lips.  "It wasn't your fault," Kaiba said. "You didn't do anything. We didn't do anything. He did." Kaiba's eyes darkened. "And we'll make him pay."

"How?" Seth asked. "We can barely stand hearing his name without trembling in fear."

"You tremble with fear," Kaiba corrected. "I tremble with fury."

"You think me weak," Seth said, the edge of annoyance tinging his words.

"I think you're too emotional," Kaiba corrected.

"In Ancient Egypt, it was commonplace to express one's emotions openly," Seth countered. "You should remember that."

"I  do. I just acknowledge I'm not in Ancient Egypt anymore but Japan, and  now the United States of America," Kaiba said. "It's not wrong to  express emotion, but it should be kept under control when not in  private."

"That is unhealthy."

Kaiba shrugged. "It's  expected. In public, emotions are dangerous. In private, they are  acceptable between yourself and someone you trust absolutely."

Seth  hummed and stood, turning to face Kaiba. Neither spoke for several long  minutes, they just stared. Then Seth breathed a short laugh. "We  certainly are something, are we not?" he said, tilting his head so one  long braid fell over his shoulder. "We even hold barriers between  ourselves."