Work Text:
Chiyo Sugihara
Seto Kaiba's personal bodyguard
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The quiet on the Kaiba Corp station was different from any sense of silence on Earth. It was devoid of any sounds indicating signs of life, save for the steps of Seto Kaiba, the only living being for countless miles.
This station was the culmination of everything he was. Brilliant, far beyond the reach of anyone else on Earth, and completely alone. He had accomplished the impossible over and over again through his own efforts, each time spitting in the faces of the family that abandoned him and the step-father who tortured him. To Kaiba, this gleaming tribute to his success was also his sanctum. A place where he could focus on achieving the one thing that kept him from finding peace within himself.
He made his way towards the center of it all, where his latest project waited for him. The Duel Dimension Ship, as he called it, was nothing short of a marvel. Kaiba applied everything he could learn from the Millenium Cube to it, to finally find Pharaoh Atem and settle everything in one last duel. Kaiba had been twitching with anticipation since the project’s conception, but now it was finally real. He was too restless to wait or think of anything else, just the battle that lay ahead. He was so focused he almost didn’t notice the woman leaning against his precious ship when the doors first opened.
“Hello, sir.” She said, a little too calmly.
“Chiyo?”
Seto Kaiba was the kind of man that no matter what you thought of him, all could agree that he had an impressive presence. He was quite tall with piercing blue eyes, and when donning the flowy studded coat lined with his own technology he was impossible to miss even in a dense crowd. Chiyo Sugihara on the other hand would prefer to blend into that crowd. She was short and petite, with messy dark hair that she attempted to contain in a single dense braid. She was also not supposed to be on this space station, let alone leaning against perhaps the most delicate piece of machinery he had ever built.
“Let me guess. Mokuba told you.” Kaiba guessed rhetorically. Of course it was him, Kaiba hadn’t told anyone else what he was doing today.
“Yes.”
“Did he also tell you to stop me?”
“Not with his words.”
Kaiba sighed as he looked towards one of the windows, where he could see a view of the Earth and all its splendor. Chiyo was his bodyguard, but she took on other tasks such as being the insistent voice of reason whenever he was set on doing something dangerous. While he didn’t like hiding things from her, he knew if he told her what he was planning she’d try to stop him.
“Sir, with all due respect, what the fuck are you doing?” She asked, patience already thin.
With that snide comment, Kaiba’s attention snapped back to her, meeting her angry gaze with his own.
“Chiyo, you’ve been aware of this project since its conception. “What the fuck” I’m doing is just the purpose it was created for.”
“But sir, this is a prototype! An untested one at that, using technology we don’t fully understand to do something far beyond anything we’ve ever accomplished! Can’t this at least wait until we make certain it’s not going to explode with you in it?”
“Chiyo, have a little more faith. Kaiba Corp engineering is flawless. Besides, I can’t wait any longer. Now that I know the Pharaoh is out there, I know he’s waiting for our next duel. We have unfinished business, and it’s been put off long enough already.”
“Wait a little longer, that’s all I’m asking! Why does it have to be today?”
“Just trust me when I say that everything is already in place. We’ve spent too much on this to back out now, so if you want to be helpful you can step aside.”
She stepped in front of him instead. “What about Mokuba? He’s a child. You’re going to paint an even bigger target on his back by piling all the stress of running Kaiba Corp by himself?”
“Not at all. You’ll be helping Mokuba by assuming his old position as the Vice President. Congratulations. That’s quite a promotion.”
“I. I’ll be what?”
Kaiba had said it so candidly that Chiyo almost didn’t process the news. She was so stunned she could barely form words.
“You heard me. I’d suggest meeting with Mokuba to go over all your new duties. There’s quite a lot of them.” Kaiba took advantage of her shock by walking past her.
“Stop!” She cried out as she came back to her senses. “All these steps you’re taking are scaring me! It’s like you’re so certain that you’re not coming back, but are doing it anyway. Is…Is that really what you believe? That you’re not coming back?” Her voice softened, a rare lapse where she let her fear show.
Kaiba was silent. He couldn’t even look at her. He had one hand on the ship, ready to open the hatch and let himself in, but he could feel her sad eyes on him and it gave him pause.
“Oh. Oh my fucking GOD!” Chiyo began to furiously pace around in front of the ship, she had too much anger to contain it all in her body.
“Chiyo-“
“So you’re just abandoning us then? Your brother, your company, and m…you’re ditching your entire life all for him ?!”
“Chiyo, that’s-“
“NO! No, I'm not standing for it! I can’t let the Pharaoh take you away again!”
“…Again? What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about when he put you in a fucking coma! Did you think I forgot that?”
Kaiba’s eyes widened. That had happened at a time that neither of them liked to talk about anymore. Kaiba, Mokuba, and even Chiyo had done things they were not proud of back then. Kaiba had gone too far, creating games to hurt people, and he had dragged Mokuba and Chiyo down with him. It was everything he was against now, and he couldn’t believe he ever let himself get so lost.
“You were a changed man after you woke up,” Chiyo continued. “I’ve accepted now that the Pharaoh’s actions were all to help you, and I do believe he did, but that doesn’t change the fact that I had to witness the best doctors in the world tell Mokuba that his brother was never waking up. Or that I had to guard your lifeless body every single day. It felt like God was punishing me for failing to protect you. I can never forget that.”
“…I’m so sorry Chiyo. I didn’t forget either, but that doesn’t change that I have to do this.”
“Why?! You don’t have to do all this to be happy! The Pharaoh said that your anger kept you from winning, so you owe it to yourself to let that anger go. I know it’s not easy, but we can find a way to work through it!”
“It’s because I can’t let it go that I have to do this.” Kaiba insisted. “I have Gozaburo to thank for that anger. Bastard that he was, he taught me that-“
“No, don’t you give any credit to him! Fuck Gozaburo! He was a billionaire sicko who got his kicks from torturing children. You’ve made his fortune ten times over by making the world a better place for them!”
“Yes, and he lost and died so he didn’t have to live in his failure. I didn’t have that option, I had to be there for Mokuba.”
Chiyo stepped up to him, getting as close to his face as she could. “So what’s changed then?” She demanded through her teeth. “I saw the look in Mokuba’s eyes when the doctors told him you weren’t coming back. He was so devastated that it tore my heart out. And now you’re going to make me be the one to tell him that again? This is cruel, even for you.”
Kaiba’s eyes narrowed as they stared each other down, feeling his rage boiling deep in the pit of his stomach. He was so close to achieving everything he wanted, and now Chiyo was trying to twist a knife where he was most vulnerable to stop him.
“If you won’t listen to me as your guard, then let me say as your friend-“ She started.
“STOP!” Kaiba interrupted, slamming a fist against the ship. “Chiyo, stop being stubborn for once, and listen to your boss!” Kaiba snapped, his patience finally gone. “You know exactly who you’re talking to and you know I won’t be dissuaded. Not from this. Get out of my way.”
“You know that’s not going to happen.” Chiyo continued, undeterred. “I’m just as stubborn as you are. And my job, Boss , is to keep you out of danger. And you sir, are aiming to shoot yourself out of a giant fucking cannon.” She snapped back.
“Well, one way or another I’m getting in there. Don’t make me throw you out of here.”
Chiyo’s eyes narrowed at his challenge. There was a fire in them that said “Go ahead, try it.”
“I’m not going to ask you again.” He said calmly, but there was a threat behind his words.
“Then stop asking, and try to get past me!” She growled.
“Don’t make me-!” Before he could finish Chiyo lunged forward, tackling his midsection. The Duel Links gear fell off his head as he stumbled backward. He barely managed to keep his footing, but reached down and grabbed her wrists, wrenching them free as he jerked his hips out of her grasp.
He was tall, but she was fast. Not to mention, used to tackling taller people. The moment he pulled her arms off him, she shot her head up, headbutting his chin. Kaiba nearly bit off his tongue from the force of it and took a step back to keep his balance, letting go of her wrists in the process. Chiyo swept her legs beneath him and knocked him onto the floor. She immediately climbed on top of him, pinning him down with her weight as she sat just above his hips.
“How are you both the greatest genius who ever lived and the biggest IDIOT I have ever met?!” She screamed as she wrestled with him to keep him pinned. “You don’t have to do this!”
“Yes, I DO!”
With that, Kaiba planted his feet on the ground and quickly lifted his hips, bucking Chiyo forward and forcing her to let go of him to catch herself. Now Kaiba had the advantage, as he hooked his right arm around Chiyo’s left, trapping it in his grip. She tried to pull herself free but to no avail.
“ARGH!” She screamed as she used her free hand to beat against his shoulder. “Why aren’t Mokuba and I enough for you?!”
The Duel Links headset caught her eye, as it was close enough to reach. She raised her fist to destroy it, but Kaiba hooked one of his legs against hers, trapping her as he rolled over and tossed her completely off him. He climbed on top of her to pin her down, waiting for her to wear herself out as she struggled against him.
“Chiyo, enough! Stand down!” He cried.
“Get off me!” Her voice practically dripped with venom.
Kaiba got off, and Chiyo turned away from him. Exhausted, he leaned back against the ship. They both took a moment to catch their breath in silence, neither knowing what to say to the other.
“Does it hurt you that much to stay with us?” She said suddenly, still not looking at him. Her voice had lost its aggressive edge and sounded desperate. It was hurt, tired, vulnerable, and pleading for him to listen to her.
She sat up with a start, surprising Kaiba with flushed cheeks and tears in her eyes.
“Look at all of this!” She cried, lifting her arms and gesturing around towards the leagues of Kaiba Corp technology that reached back down to Earth. “Look at all that you’ve accomplished! Ask yourself if the Pharaoh would do even a fraction of this kind of work for you! Why can’t you just stay? Why is everything I do still not enough?! ”
Kaiba looked around him for a moment. He had the words but saying them had always been a challenge.
“…It’s difficult to explain.” He started.
“Try. Please. I want to know.”
Kaiba sighed. “Chiyo…you knew me way back then. Before I ever dueled him, and before I stepped out of Gozaburo’s shadow. The Pharaoh thought I was consumed by hate back in Battle City, but that’s laughable compared to how I used to be. I was so lost in the dark back then I had forgotten every reason I wanted power in the first place. Every time I duel with the Pharaoh, I feel more and more of that darkness finally fade away. And the pain of the past goes with it, but it’s not completely gone yet. The Pharaoh may be at rest, but I’m not .”
Kaiba looked toward Chiyo, who was listening intently. “You will never ever hear me repeat this, but these feelings scare me. I worry that over time they will eventually consume me again and I’ll go back to being the monster Gozaburo created. I don’t want you or Mokuba to ever see me like that again.”
“Do you understand?” He asked softly. She nodded, but that didn’t stop the tears.
“Thank you for telling me.” She said quietly. That time had been dark for all of them, of course she understood. But that didn’t make the twisting feelings in her own heart go away.
“I just don’t want you to go!” She finally admitted. “I want you to stay and be happy with all that you have here! That’s all I’ve wanted for years now! You have everything in the world that a person could want, and yet you let the one thing you don’t have torture you so badly you are willing to throw your life away for a chance that you will maybe find it! I’ve tried everything to keep you and Mokuba safe, and over time I hoped…”
She took in another deep breath. “I hoped I would be something that made you happy.”
Kaiba’s eyes widened. Her words tugged at his chest, but before he could formulate what to say she continued.
“But I’m just being a big hypocrite. Here I am scolding you for chasing after the Pharaoh when I’ve been doing the same thing with you. But it’s not going to happen, right? You’re Seto Kaiba, and you don’t need friends. And yet, I so stupidly want to follow you into whatever place you launch yourself to…but I also don’t want to toss away my life for someone willing to toss me aside.”
Her voice broke on those last words. She bit her lower lip to keep any more sounds from coming out, but her body still got out a sniff and the telltale deep shaky breath.
“You weren’t even going to say goodbye to me? I thought I mattered enough to you for that at least!” She sobbed.
She hugged her knees to her chest and hid her face against them. Until Kaiba grabbed her shoulder and moved them back, as his other hand turned her chin towards him. His gaze was so intense it was terrifying, but she couldn’t look away.
“I haven’t said goodbye to anyone, because I’m not tossing anything aside.” He said firmly.
“I’m not going to die, not before I see him again. And after I do, I will do everything in my power to make it back here. I don’t want to abandon anything…but I have to be realistic and prepare for the worst because I don’t know what is going to happen or how long I’ll be gone. But if we don’t say goodbye, that means I’m going to see you again.”
“The Pharaoh told me that he always found victory because he had people to fight for. I know I scoffed at that, I found strength within myself to accomplish my goals and I still believe in that power. But I have found even more strength than I thought possible from you and Mokuba. I will duel the Pharaoh with this new strength, so I can come back victorious to the two of you.”
Chiyo’s eyes widened at his words. She tried to stop her tears, but they flowed down the sides of her face without her permission. She replayed his words in her head, desperate to preserve everything from his tone to his inflection in her memory.
“Do you trust me to do that?” He asked.
Chiyo sniffed and wiped her face, trying to at least look more composed. “Of course I do. You’re Seto Kaiba.”
The two flashed rare and genuine smiles at each other. Chiyo sighed, releasing the tension in her chest as she rested against the ship. She closed her eyes as Kaiba leaned against her. She felt him relax, which she knew from past experiences was a rare moment meaning he felt truly comfortable. She’d only seen this side of him in the brief moments they had shared after work days. In the limo and jet rides, and moments at his home where he let himself just be . She tilted her head into the crook of his neck, and they just lay there for a bit of peace.
They let time slowly pass as their senses took in every detail of the moment. Kaiba’s weight pressed against her frame, reversing their roles and making her feel safe and protected. Their hands found each other and interlocked, as he ran his thumb up and down hers. Kaiba pulled himself out of the moment enough to open his eyes, wanting to burn the memory of her face into his mind. He meant what he said earlier, he would do whatever it takes to come back, but he didn’t know how long that would take. With that in mind, he moved to close the gap between them.
The kiss was brief, but everything it needed to be. Soft, earnest, and a promise that there would be more in the future.
“We’ll say that was for luck,” Chiyo smirked. “Since you’re coming back, there’s no need for a goodbye kiss, right?”
“Exactly.” He grinned.
END
Seto Kaiba
CEO of Kaiba Corp