Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ A New Moment ❯ Chapter 1

Rating: G-PGish

Pairing: Seto/Yami

Spoilers: None

Summary: The beginnings of a new and irrevocable relationship.

Completed: 17/11/04

Disclaimer: YuGiOh doesn't belong to me, yadda, yadda, yadda.

A/N: Okay…so my WIPs have stalled, and I feel uninspired lately, even though exams are over and I can finally catch up on my numerous fan-like obsessions, so I decided a little fluffy challenge should get the muse working again.  

Moe: Or not... muse being dead could be a good thing...

Much thanks goes to Moe for beta-ing all my ficlets (and all at once too!).

A New Moment

Yami looked around the Kaiba Mansion, impressed by the decorations the staff had put up for tonight's festivities.  Everything looked gorgeous for Mokuba's birthday party.  Especially a certain CEO standing at the top of the grand staircase. But then, Kaiba wouldn't have wanted to know that (despite the fact that it was most certainly true), much less have his eternal rival think of such mundane and incomprehensible things. That alone, Yami thought with a certain amount of wilful glee, was almost enough to make him want to say it in front of Kaiba. For a second, Yami entertained the shocked expression on an otherwise neutral and grumpy face, and found himself trying to control the laughter that wanted to bubble up. He could feel Yugi's amusement.

Just a little food for thought; nothing serious.

Is that what they're calling it these days? Yugi teased. Though, Kaiba does look impressive, doesn't he?

Yami nearly snickered out loud. Are you ogling him, aibou?

Please. I never ogle. I admire, unlike a certain darker me who is currently drooling.

Hey! That is very unfair, Yami thought indignantly. I do not drool.

Metaphorically, you do drool.

That is not much better, aibou. Sometimes, I don't think I'm the darker half of this outfit.

Aw, Yugi teased. Are you sulking, Yami?

I don't sulk. I am merely giving off an aura of displeasure.

Yugi nodded in his mind. It's a very large aura of displeasure. I'm sure Kaiba can feel it too.

What? Yami questioned, before he noticed the dark figure with his arms crossed and an eyebrow raised, standing impatiently in front of him.

Aibou...

He heard snickering in his mind just before Yugi closed off their link. Have fun, Yami! And don't forget to bring back pictures!

Aibou. Yami could feel his eyebrow twitch. It couldn't be said enough, but Yugi was much less innocent than many people gave him credit for; if they could have just seen the images he had conjured up just before he had left -- whoever said Yugi lacked imagination was most assuredly wrong.

"Ah…hello. Everything looks great," Yami said, smooth as a brick. He wondered if he could somehow exit quickly and with as much dignity as he could possibly save at the moment without appearing ungrateful. Then he decided, he probably couldn't, so why not just stay and say the most obvious things?

"Thanks." Kaiba looked uncomfortable just saying the word, which made Yami wonder why he was trying to be polite anyway.   

"Let me guess," Yami said, curling his finger around his chin in thought, trying to hide the upward tugging of his mouth, "Mokuba made you promise to behave tonight."

With something almost like relief, Kaiba said, "Is it that obvious?"

"Well, you're many things, Kaiba, but well-mannered and polite isn't quite on the list."

"A pity," he said insincerely. "And that had been my lifelong dream as well."

"Somehow, I don't quite believe that." Yami smirked briefly.

"No, that isn't quite right. My lifelong dream is to crush you."

"Nice choice of words there," Yami said dryly.

"I don't like euphemisms." He fixed his gaze pointedly away from Yami while they stood side by side, shoulders nearly touching. Yami thought it was strangely intimate, and most likely the friendliest they have ever been outside of a duel. Even then though, friendly wasn't exactly the right term for what they were inside of a duel.

"Of course, everyone knows that," Yami retorted. "I think you frightened Jou earlier today; he thinks you're up to something."

"He would, the stupid mutt," Kaiba muttered half-heartedly. "You want me to insult him just to ease his mind?"

Yami laughed outright, "Oh, no. I wouldn't want you to get in trouble with Mokuba."

"How kind of you."

They turned to look at one another, almost grinning, except that Kaiba didn't grin, and Yami only smirked, so the scene never happened; except, maybe in their own minds, but that was all right with them. It was just the two of them at that moment. Nothing else mattered.

"Uh, Mr Kaiba?"

Kaiba turned away, and Yami felt a slight tug of disappointment.

"What?" Kaiba snapped briskly, irrationally irritated.

"All the guests have arrived, sir. And the preparations are complete." The man squirmed.

Yami was sympathetic; if looks could kill - well, there wouldn't be any people left for the birthday celebration Mokuba had been so excited for. And that wouldn't do. Not for either of the brothers. 

The poor servant squirmed a bit more in the ensuring silence; he could see that while Kaiba was ready to play a scowling but polite host, he also wanted a little more time being mean and scary. It was probably torture for Kaiba not to insult other people in his company, Yami thought. But a promise was a promise, and Yami understood that all too well.

"Hn." Kaiba finally nodded and dismissed his employee, who at once let out a relieved sigh before scrambling away as gracefully as he could.

He watched Kaiba sigh with irritation and some noise of disgruntlement, preparing to leave with a less deadly scowl on his face, when an earlier thought came back teasingly at the back of Yami's mind.

"Hey, Seto."

Kaiba turned back to look at Yami, frowning with puzzlement.

"I think you look…" Yami trailed his eyes along his body, lowering his lashes and widening the slightly lascivious smile on his lips slowly, "very good tonight."

He almost laughed. The look on Kaiba's face; shock and surprise and something - something unnameable, was worth it. Very worth it, Yugi agreed. He could feel Yugi grinning in sudden mischief. Remember Yami, I want pictures. He was confused, until he noticed the considering look that was now on Kaiba's face, somehow turning from shock and confusion to predatory and challenging in the time between Yami's brief chat with his lighter (but not more saintly) half. Yami found himself raising his head, accepting the challenge before he could stop himself, and Kaiba turned away, blue eyes gleaming.

Yami found himself smiling.