fic: go directly to Hell, do not pass go do not collect $200

[xparrot]

I said it before, that I fell for Kaiba because he reminds me of Lex. Brilliant and deeply disturbed, casualties of their sadistic fathers' damage and their own ambitions. Kaiba is the more culpable of the two, having chosen his path rather than being born into it; ironic that he's the one to eventually rise above his darkness, while Lex is ultimately damned. Maybe it's because Lex is destiny's puppet victim, while Kaiba has always forged his own. Or maybe Lex just needs someone to shatter his heart.

Anyway. They're obviously a match made in some dark and deliciously twisted place.

I might've futzed with the YGO timeline; the story is set in the spring of '95, with Lex at 15 and Kaiba at 14 (for anyone flummoxed by imaging the real with the animated, please follow praiseofshadows's lead and picture Kaiba as played by Gackt). The idea is that Gozaburo sent Seto to an American boarding school for a semester to practice his English; Seto took the opportunity to learn some other valuable life skills from the school's expert. I'm not confident of the characterizations of either one of them, but hell, they're just kids here. Seriously fucked up kids.

Exchange Student {9,795 words}
NC-17 (Warnings for underaged sex and references to child abuse), Lex Luthor/Seto Kaiba
Sometimes broken edges can almost fit together. Lex meets a boy one semester at Excelsior.

Read it on AO3

Comments

[roxymissrose.livejournal.com]

I had no idea who the character Kaiba was, but I feel now like I know him. Lex was brilliantly drawn. What a powerful story. The abuse was all that more terrible for the almost off-hand way Lex saw it, like it was old news, contrasted with Kaiba's consuming hatred of his abuser. Amazing stuff, thank you.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Eee, thank you! I'm relieved to know it worked even if you don't know Kaiba. Lex was an interesting challenge to write, his undeveloped (and pre-Clark!) self...especially when thrown together with someone else just as damaged.