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The first breath of fresh air Seto had was from the broken window at the top of Kaiba Corp. It was cold as the wind blew and Seto felt numb, disbelieving that they were free.
The second breath came about a week later, after Seto and Mokuba shared their passions late into the night. When Gouzaburou never appeared as Seto held Mokuba through the night, Seto finally believed they could be free.
After that, Seto felt he could breathe easier.
One of the first things he did was reduce the amount of staff attending to Kaiba Manor. It wasn’t the money Seto was concerned with, but it was a convenient excuse. Seto’s privacy concerns played a large part in the decision to reduce staff, but the real reason was Seto didn’t want to turn into a lazy pig like their Father had been.
Seto didn’t want to end up feeling helpless and beholden to paid strangers, incapable of completing even the most basic and mundane of tasks. And he would never forgive himself if he allowed Mokuba to have such an easily exploited vulnerability.
They learned how to take care of themselves so they could take care of each other.
Seto especially liked cooking dinner with Mokuba, even after a long day. It allowed Seto to pack away all of his hurt, so he could focus on Mokuba.
He started with washing the rice, just as he did many nights. It was an easy ritual to fall into, allowing himself to be mesmerized by the swirling white rice, the way the water foamed slightly and turned from milky to clear. Seto likened it to his mind turning from murky, stuck in the past and Gouzaburou’s monstrosities, to draining away the opacity, so he could be present for Mokuba.
Years had passed and Seto felt like he could actually breathe inside of Kaiba Manor. He felt content, smiling as Mokuba chopped vegetables.
“I’m excited for Battle City, Big Brother!” Mokuba giggled.
“Me too,” Seto smiled. They were free of Gouzaburou, Seto was sure of it.