Seto walked through the front doors to Toxic Pleasures for the last time. It had been over a week since that night with Mokuba. Unmasked, both physically and emotionally, they had experienced something only one of them had thought possible while the other had never imagined it could be so.

On his way out the front door, headed to work that morning he had decided it was time for a side trip. Grabbing the small, seemingly insignificant white plastic card from his brother’s wallet and placing it along side a matching card within his, he left. Mokuba would be into work later on and he could explain the disappearance then if he needed to.

He walked up to the front counter intending to hand the cards to the receptionist before turning to walk out of that building forever. “I’m sorry, sir. You have to return them inside, it gives Miss Kimber a chance to show you the fact that we erase you from the system.”


The girl was sitting in the same chair she used every time he had seen her previously. Looking up at his arrival, she smiled noticing the pair of cards in his hand. “Finally found what you were looking for did you? The both of you it seems. I’m glad, I’m kind of fond of your brother--reminds me of mine.”

“What?” He sat in the chair opposite of her, speechless.

The smile grew, and Seto decided that even after all of this, he did not trust her. “Did you really think, that after I pointed out so slyly that I knew who you were, I didn’t know who your partner was as well? If it were not for the fact I make money off this kind of thing, I would say it was sad it took you so long to find each other. However, if you had figured it out on your own you wouldn’t have needed us.”

Arms crossed defensively, even if he thought it was to imply a more threatening glare, he prodded her to continue. “And just what is it you think we were looking for?”

“He came here looking for you, you answered even if you did not know what you were doing. You were the only person who could give him what he was looking for, the love he thought he had lost, and could not get, from you.”

Her answer was, more or less, what Mokuba had told him, himself that long night. However, that did not mean anything. An easy guess based on too many coincidental factors. “And myself?” He hadn’t come looking for anything in particular, a simple uncomplicated sex life--not as if that had happened.

She did not flinch or hesitate for a moment, “An emotional reaction--your own to someone else’s needs. Proof that you are human.”

He rolled his eyes at the girl, huffing slightly at the stupidity of the answer. "Hmf, I know I am human."

"Yes, but did you feel it? When was the last time you felt any true emotion toward another and knew without a doubt they felt the same way?” She did not wait for him to answer her purely rhetorical questions, “You were looking for a connection with another that would prove you could feel the same as everyone else. That you weren't locked up in some emotional black hole that kept you from loving anything and keeping it."

Standing up quickly, he knocked over the chair he had been sitting in before leaning over the desk at the girl. “I’m not interested, in your diluted beliefs or anything else. What is this, the blackmail portion of the show?”

Taking a deep breath the girl stared back at him, refusing to back down even in the face of one angry Seto Kaiba. “No. How long do you think we would be in business if we pulled something like that? Our company has been around a lot longer than you would think. The best way to get new clients is by word of mouth. You will leave here satisfied with our services and one day someone else will be looking for something, even if they do not know what, and you will pass our name along. That is all we ask for. We will never mention either of your names. No one will ever know you were here, except for the ones you may tell of us.” She sat back, pushing the chair away from the desk while holding her hand out for the cards still in Seto's grasp.

A quick press of a few buttons and the cards slid into a demagnetizer, also emblazoned with the familiar KC logo. A certain department was about to see a raise in their salaries and budget, even if they did not know why, as far as their now grateful boss was concerned. “All done. All information has been erased--we have a very wonderful company who maintains our equipment so you can be assured of your security.” Another department was getting more money as well--Kaiba Corp. always ran regular inspections on any merchandise sold with a warrantee; he was rather pleased. “I do hope you both enjoyed your time here; however, may I say it would be my pleasure to not see you again?”

“Can’t say I could agree with you more. Good day.” With those words, he turned and left walking out the way he had originally come in the building without turning to look back.




 

onward