Never let you go...

It was the day after everyone had escaped the virtual world, and as much as he hated to admit it, the events still ran through Kaiba's mind. He tried to keep focused on his goal: obtaining all of the Egyptian God cards, but there was something that would always linger in the back of his mind.

Kaiba was not the type to get scared easily, if it all, but that day was different...the memories still scared him into a panic. He thought he'd lost the most precious thing in the world to him -- Mokuba. Even now...in his mind's eye he could see the blank, cold stare that Mokuba gave him...and the fact that he didn't remember him still destroyed him inside like nothing else. "Mokuba...", he whispered, clutching his sheets tightly as he shook softly. "I promised...I promised myself that I would always keep you safe...but I didn't. I failed you once, Mokuba...I can't let that happen again. I was too focused on my goals...but to see you like that...you were my only goal...for that time, everything was as it should be. I was fighting for you, not power", he thought to himself, "I would never cry in public, especially in front of Yugi...but that day I was on the verge of hysterics at the thought of losing you.You are the only thing that's keeping me here, Mokuba. For you, I would throw down my deck forever. I still have buisness to take care of...but you...you're the reason I do any of it..", his thoughts trailed off as he heard the door open and a soft sniffle. "Niisama..?", the voice asked. Kaiba's heart jumped as he heard the voice, turning fairly quickly. "Mokuba?", he asked, very disoriented.

The door closed and the small form of Mokuba crawled in bed with his big brother, the only thing illuminating his way was the moonlight coming in through a nearby window. "I know you said that emotions won't help anything...but I can't help it. It hurts so much that I said those things to you..", he sniffled, obviously crying. Kaiba pulled him close to his chest desperately, shuddering at the feeling of finally having his brother in his arms. It was like quenching a thirst. His eyes brimmed with tears. "Mokuba...", he whispered, holding him so closely and protectively. "I'm so sorry, Mokuba...I should have kept you safe like I promised...", he murmured softly, tears silently spilling over. Mokuba clutched close to his brother. "No! None of that was your fault, Seto!", he snapped back quickly, shivering in his arms, covered by the blankets. "You are the best big brother I could ever ask for...all you've ever done is keep me safe...", he whispered, quieter.

Kaiba sighed softly. He adored the way his brother idolized him. He didn't know what he'd do without it. It wasn't a matter of an ego boost...it was that feeling of someone putting so much hope, love and faith into him, even though on the outside he seemed uncaring. It was having somebody to love him no matter what...someone with whom he can do no wrong. He held Mokuba close and reached down, under his own shirt, to take his locket with a shaky hand. When he pulled it out, Mokuba reached for his own. Soon they were both holding each other's lockets and gazing intensely into each other's eyes. Nothing in the world could break that gaze. "Mokuba...I love you.", Kaiba whispered, his eyes never leaving his brother's. "Seto...I love you.", the smaller boy replied, his gaze not faultering. Wordlessly, they lay there, gazing into the other's soul.

"Seto...You're mine. We're all we've got. The most important thing in my life is you, Niisama. No matter how old I get, no matter what happens, I'll never stop loving you the way I do now, I swear it. You're my best friend in the whole world, and I really believe you can do anything. You're the best duelist ever, and the best big brother. I don't care what anybody thinks about you. I know the truth.", Mokuba thought to himself, as though sending a telepathic message to his brother. His gaze was intense, even though his vision was starting to get blurred by tears.

"Mokuba...I love you. I've never loved anyone so fiercely that I would risk my life for them. You're mine. Mine. Nobody will ever be able to take you from me. You are the single most precious thing in my life, Mokuba. I don't ever want you to forget that. You are my one and only weakness. I could live without Duel Monsters...but I would crumble without you. Please don't ever leave me...don't ever stop loving me...and don't ever stop thinking of me as your Niisama.", he whispered in his mind, hoping that Mokuba could hear it too. He kept most of his tears at bay, scared of breaking this feeling, but a few did manage to slip out.

As they lay like that, their souls bound. It was something neither of them could explain, but they both felt it. In a sense, it was like making love...the feeling of connecting with someone on such an intimate level...being touched to your core as the entire world disappears. It was also the feeling of release. The weight of all the events of the past few days washed away in a wave of love. Gradually, the feeling faded. No, not faded...it could never fade. It meerly subsided as they both fell into a peaceful sleep.

Kaiba fell asleep first, holding his brother close, protecting him in his embrace. Mokuba's eyes weighed closed as well, but before he fell asleep, he leaned forward, both of his small hands resting on Kaiba's cheeks, and kissed his brother's lips softly, but deeply. He kissed him a few times before sleep took him too, his hands clutching the folds of Kaiba's clothes.

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Unconditional love is a force stronger than just about anything in the world. It can bring you to heaven at it's highest, or break you completely when the possibility of losing it arises. Moreover, it is the intense passion that gives a person the power to do anything they truly believe in. Seto Kaiba may be a lot of things, but heartless is not one of them. His devotion to Mokuba is equaled to Yugi's devotion to any one of his friends. It just goes to show that love can claim the heart of even the most icy duelist.

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Author's notes: This was not meant to be yaoi (as I think Kaiba x young Mokuba is kind of unlikely. When he's older, though, I can see it), it was meant to show the pure, powerful love the two Kaiba brothers have for each other. Nothing more, nothing less. Mokuba is the single most important thing in the world to Kaiba, even if he can be cold and too focused on his goals sometimes. Nothing can ever change that. This fic was written to mirror those feelings.