Gotta Be Somebody

[High Priest Ali]

"God, I hate english..."
Seto sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He stared at the computer screen for only 5 seconds before forcing down the Backspace key. Why couldn't he write this stupid paper?
He shook his head and pulled up a spreadsheet instead. How bad did this suck? Homework, work work, and it was going on 12:30 in the morning. He couldn't focus on that either. With an irritated growl he leaned on the desk and rubbed his forehead.
I don't know how much more of this I got in me... Seto thought as he listened for Mokuba, asleep down the hall. That derailed his entire train of though. He was only 18; he shouldn't feel like this every day. And was this really wanted to do with his life?
This brought to mind the talk of college at school lately. The senior class was ecstatic about finally graduating and had about 5 different acceptance letters lined up, each. But not him. Honestly, it'd never even crossed his mind. Me? College? Ha! He'd been running this place since before middle school. A degree was going to do him squat. He hoped Mokuba would go though. He deserved so much better than to be nailed down in this office every day.
One of us should be happy...
There's a versatile word. How do you measure happiness? He resisted the urge to go get the dictionary off the bookshelf and decided (easily) that he wasn't happy.
Suck it up, and get that paper done. It's due tomorrow.
Unless I'm not around tomorrow...
Seto sat up at this thought. Not around...somewhere else...that was a very appealing idea at the moment.
Right. Where would you go? reason argued.
Seto cast around for someplace he could hole up for awhile. His blue eyes scanned the room.
Well?
I'm thinking.
His gaze landed on the briefcase that held his deck. Unbidden, the thought leapt into his mind.
"Absolutely not." he said aloud, and then bit his lip shut. But he didn't hear Mokuba stirring.
Seto pulled the thought to the front of his mind and seriously looked at it. Could be worse, he supposed.
Like showing up at school tomorrow without his paper...
And tell them what? My dog ate it?
Matter settled.
He reached for the phone before he could have time to worry about what time zone Duelist Island was in.

====================================================

So...
Pegasus stared out at the lake below his bedroom. Troubled.
It wasn't every day Kaiba-boy called him at 1 in the morning. Nor was it every day that the younger businessman requested to stay with him. He'd said yes, of course, but he couldn't help but worry.
Seto hadn't sounded like himself on the phone.
So, we'll have to see what's troubling him...
Pegasus turned to leave and resume his musings on the veranda while he awaited the chopper.

(And if you need more, I can go again... *sigh* -_-

[High Priest Ali]

(I hate you... XP)

Pegasus hadn't been overly worried until Seto actually arrived. He heard the boy step onto the patio behind him and turned, and was about scold him for missing the beautiful sunrise, but decided instead to comment on his attire instead.
"Oh, I'm sure the ladies rave over that..."
Seto cocked his head and looked down at his blue jeans, hoodie, and tennis shoes.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing, come and sit with me," Pegasus gestured gracefully at the chair beside him. Seto shrugged and stepped forward and was greeted by Pegasus' Doberman.
"Hey, Thesseus," Seto patted the dog's square head. It growled but not angrilly, more like a kitten purring. A big, barrel-chested kitten.
Seto joined Pegasus by the lakeside and tossed his black bag beside the chair. Pegasus eyed it scrupulously. "That's it?"
"I don't need much," Seto told him, "I don't plan on being here long."
"Doesn't matter," Pegasus said cheerfully, "Anything of mine, I'm sure will fit you."
"I'm shorter than you."
"I know," Pegasus said happily, "There was a time, I remember, when you were about 14 or 15 and I was afraid you wouldn't stop growing and I would be forced to look up to you."
They both laughed.
"And what brings you here on such short notice, Kaiba-boy?"
Seto didn't answer immediately. He watched a pair of swans traverse the water. The laughter had gone and Pegasus noticed a brooding look in the boy's eyes.
"You should have brought Mokuba." Pegasus stated.
"Um..." Seto muttered.
"He does know you're here, doesn't he?"
"Well..."
"Seto Kaiba!" Pegasus snapped.
"He'll be OK." Seto immediately leapt to his own defense, "He's been alone before. He can take care of himself. He's used to it..."
"You should call him."
"No."
"Then you should be ashamed of yourself."
Seto bit his lip. Pegasus watched as the boy struggled with guilt the accusation had laid on him, smiling.
Seto growled and stood, digging his cell out of his pocket. He walked to the edge of the veranda, saying, "I'm here 5 minutes and already you're manipulating me!"
"Tell him I said hi!" Pegasus called.

[High Priest Ali]

(Well, this feels slightly onesided. XD Here's where the fun starts. You'll either hate me or die laughing. Or both!)

After the initial tiff, the two tried harder to get along over the course of the day. Pegasus could feel the tension in Seto. Why he was so highstrung at the moment, he couldn't guess. But he would help in any way he could.
It wasn't until dinner that the next catastrophe occured.
Seto fidgeted at the table. When Croquet came with the soup Seto smiled up at him uneasily.
"Thanks," he muttered.
Croquet clapped a hand on his shoulder affectionately, "It is my pleasure, sir."
Pegasus poured wine for the both of them and watched Seto. The boy just stared back. Finally he said, "You don't have to do this..."
"Do what?" Pegasus asked.
"It's just..." Seto started, "I'd be just as happy with Chinese takeout. I'm just here to...I dunno, get away from everything else. I...I don't want your charity."
Silence enveloped the dining hall. The two stared across the table at each other.
"I don't offer charity, Seto," Pegasus began, setting the wine bottle down, "I don't know what's bothering you, and I don't expect you to come out and tell me. But I can promise you dinner and a warm bed every night you stay here. Alright?"
Seto's solemn expression turned to a smile. "I can drink to that." he said.
They raised their glasses.

=======================================================================

Well into midnight the two were still up, talking and laughing like old friends do. Dinner hadn't even been touched; it'd been nothing but alcohol from the get go.
Seto wasn't sure how they ended up where they were now. All he remembered were a couple of toasts and before he knew it the wine bottle was empty. So Pegasus suggested sherry. That was OK. Seto had had sherry before, so he didn't think anything of it. What he didn't factor in were the six glases of wine he'd had beforehand. Again he wasn't sure, but he knew at least a third of that had gone to Pegasus, but that meant the rest of it must have gone to him. Soon that bottle was empty too. Somewhere deep in his head Seto knew he was drunk, and he probably should have stopped there. But when Pegasus brought out an imported bottle of pure Russian vodka, he couldn't refuse.
Thinking about the whole thing made his head hurt, so he gave it up.
In any case, one thing was certain:
Seto. Was. Plastered.
Somewhere in the mix the two had started swapping duel stories. Adventures in their travels and strategies.
"And that's what I told him though," Seto continued, reaching across the table so Pegasus could clumsily pour him another shot. "I'd never even been to Ireland. They called me the 'world champ' but there's like a million places I've never seen..."
His face was flushed a deep red with the alcohol, and he could hardly talk without muddling the words together.
Pegasus replied with something and went into his own story, but Seto didn't here him.
He didn't remember passing out, but he must have, because everything went black.

[High Priest Ali]

(OK, yeah, I'll add another tomorrow Kris.)

[Royal Vizier Kris]

(Okitaka. If you don't add one, I can at least try to do something tomorrow.)