Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Laid Bare ❯ Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh. Why? Because if I did, Kaiba would be in leather or naked all the time. Just how many times do I need to say this?

Author's Notes: Uh, not quite sure what to make of this. It wasn't intended to be so angst-y as first, but eh, it happened and I'm still baffled as to why. No worries though, because nobody's dead. Which has happened, uh, before. ^^; Since I always use third person (main character) narration and recently first person, I decided to try my hand at third person omniscient again. Written for the April challenge (my first one ever), and beta-ed as always by Moerae, who cracks me up and makes me think with her comments.

Was this some kind of trick?

Seto Kaiba, genius and CEO of the illustrious and famed KaibaCorp and no one's fool had to eye his rival, Yami suspiciously. Not only had Yami just challenged him, telling him that he wanted to duel (a rarity in itself since it was Kaiba who mainly initiated their heated rivalry) but there was also a certain unusual gleam in his usually serious violet eyes. A gleam Kaiba was wary of since he saw it quite often in his somewhat ruthless and obsessive fans when they turned their glazed expressions at him, but he had never expected it on the face of his adversary. Saying it was baffling was an understatement of the year, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to take up the challenge. He was. Seto Kaiba never backed down from an opponent, and he wasn't going to now, despite the scheming (for the lack of a more appropriate or more fitting description) on Yami's face.

Yami, on the other hand, was inwardly smirking in glee. He knew Kaiba would never back down from a direct challenge, and he knew he would have his way, but it somehow hadn't stopped the overflow of doubts that had seized him on his journey to the grand (and very gloomy looking but hey, who was he -- an ancient spirit living in a crumbling maze of a Puzzle -- to judge?) Kaiba mansion. It never stopped while he waited impatiently for the large steel (though it was probably titanium knowing Kaiba) gates to open and despite Yugi's giggling assurances, it didn't stop until Kaiba had finally uttered, "Yes, I will duel you," in a prideful but cautious voice.

Maybe Yami should have waited until he was alone before expressing his full rapture at the success of his plan because then, Kaiba had given him such a guarded look that Yami knew Kaiba would be on alert throughout their evening of fun and games and nakedness. Kaiba didn't know about the naked part right now though and Yami would prefer it that way.

He widened his eyes and put on one of Yugi's more innocent visages, hoping that Kaiba wouldn't see the strain Yami was under in order to make said visage authentic.

"So tonight, at eight, we shall duel here." Kaiba reiterated with no lessening suspicion. In fact, it had increased due to the weirdly skewed expression on Yami's face.

"Yes." Yami tried to keep his grin under control. "I hope we will not be interrupted." It was a fiery battle to stop the spontaneous leer that was threatening to combust and on top of that, he had an insane urge to laugh evilly like Kaiba often did.

"Mokuba is going to stay over at his friend's place," Kaiba said while narrowing cold blue eyes and trying to decipher what his instincts were telling him.

"That's...good. I think it will be a very enjoyable evening." Yami smirked now; finally toppling under the strain of putting on one of Yugi's trademarked looks. Again he found himself appreciating Yugi's inner strength because nobody, and he did mean nobody, could maintain such a cherubic demeanour for such a long period of time. Yugi was surely gifted.

"Yes..." Kaiba sat up now, face fully turned towards Yami's and trying to stir up some answers from Yami's scheming soul. "I wonder. Are you up to something, Yami?" His blue eyes chilled until they turned to ice. "Because it will do you no good, what ever you are planning to do. I can promise you that."

"What makes you think I'm up to something?" Yami met cobalt ice with heated violet fire, and somehow, because of some strange quirk of fate, won. Kaiba turned away and was he flushing? Yami gave a slow, slow smile that showed off the softening look on his usually hard face and stepped back. Sometimes, it was much better to retreat and then attack.

"Until then, Kaiba." Long strides took him further away from Kaiba, but that didn't lessen the distance between their souls and their connection. And sometimes, this gave Yami the irresistible temptation to tease, to taunt, and perhaps, to have Kaiba face him with something other than cold anger because passion once heated, never became cold again.

"Oh, and Kaiba," Yami said, unabashedly amused, not once looking back. "Have you ever heard of strip poker?"

There was silence. It remained until Yami was long gone and remained still as Kaiba clenched and unclenched the taut fists lying on his desk. He was angry and not angry. Amused and shocked and a thousand other emotions flew through his heart but never showed on his face because old habits were hard to break, and Kaiba never really wanted to break them anyway so they stayed as a barrier against a world Kaiba had loathed.

Yami had just tricked him.

And he was going to allow it.

He should have expected this, should have known sooner or later his rival would decide to retaliate with dirty tricks, but this? This had never occurred to him. Why should it? Because rivals didn't go around trying to seduce each other? Because rivals only hated each other passionately but never allowed that heat to delve into more physical areas?

Weaknesses upon weaknesses and Kaiba just about had enough. He threw his paperweight in rage, and felt a hint of satisfaction at the shattering of glass, at the loud crack of broken wood as it sailed through its destructive path. And then he laughed, slightly hysterical, slightly manic, but a laugh it was still, and he couldn't stop. Didn't want to stop.

He wondered if Yami knew what he was doing. Then he wondered if he did as well.

------

Yami knew what he was doing. There was no doubt in Kaiba's mind about whether or not Yami knew the cause and effect of his seduction because there was no way Yami didn't know. He had to know that changing his usual magic and trap strategies to those of getting strong monsters and attacking Kaiba's life points screamed I want hot, sweaty sex. Now. And no, Kaiba was not imagining the sultry look in Yami's eyes. Not at all because despite already losing several items of clothing (thankfully Kaiba had prepared himself with a lot of small bits and pieces), Yami was still trying to picture him naked. He knew he was. There had been a couple of times when Kaiba had to growl to catch the wandering attention of his lecherous rival only to have that attention wander again when disturbingly hot eyes travelled down his body in long, full gazes.

They hadn't talked much, other than some growling and monosyllable grunts from Kaiba's end and absent replies from Yami's, but neither minded. Especially Yami, who was enjoying himself tremendously. It had been a surprise, to say the least, when Yami had turned up and Kaiba hadn't sent him on his way back home because although he knew Kaiba's pride ruled him far more than his head (and Yami had to shake himself from thinking lewd, lewd thoughts), he had honestly thought that Kaiba would back down from this new and insane challenge. He had to know about Yami's motives. He had to know that after tonight, everything circling their relationship would change. Whether for better or worse though, he couldn't quite tell; but Yami was determined to make it better. Even if he had to drag Kaiba cursing and kicking by the leash (hm...leash...).

He blinked and pulled himself away from his thoughts, and then stared at Kaiba, who had been scrutinising him with this oh crap look on his face. Yami tried to smile, he really did, but that probably wasn't the right thing to do because Kaiba shifted his chair back uneasily.

Not for the first time, Kaiba had to wonder at what he was doing. Why was he here at all? Why the heck was he baring himself piece by piece as Yami took away his life points? And not for the last time, he found no answers within. He sighed and went on with the game because even though he was nearly half-naked (Yami had been extremely content to attack Kaiba with monster after monster), Yami wasn't too far behind. In fact, he had on far less than Kaiba and was soon bare chested, with only his Puzzle and collar to mar smooth tanned skin.

Kaiba was distracted. He tried to hide it. He even tried to stare at his cards and nothing else, but when it came down to it, he just couldn't. Yami fascinated him, enthralled him with his unselfconscious movements and his exotic features. Ancient, but not truly. Not exactly since he was lost too, in this modern world of science and chaos. Dangerous, but all the more beautiful because beauty was nothing without that element of sultry seduction and graceful confidence that whispered I could destroy you. Let me destroy you, please? You'll love me for it.

Yes, Kaiba answered in his mind. Yes.

And then, Yami attacked. Kaiba curled his hand tightly into a fist, indecisive and confused. He had only a black shirt and his black leather pants on now, and would be less one of those soon because he had been distracted. He had allowed one of Yami's monsters to directly attack and now he would pay the price as part of Yami's rules. His hand hesitantly brushed the hem of his shirt, a touch light as an owl's feather and just as soft. Should he? Could he? And then his hand reached down towards his belt. Or was it better if he didn't reveal what he always denied?

And then, Yami attacked. His goal had been to get Kaiba naked. It was the whole point of this farce duel, the whole point of his challenge. Then why wasn't he waiting? Kaiba was going to take off the rest of his clothing; either his shirt or pants and Yami would get his fill of the view. But then Kaiba had looked so lost, and because this was Kaiba and Kaiba didn't do lost, Yami found himself spellbound. Trapped between one moment and the next, and falling into a deep, but comforting darkness; Yami did what he had to do.

The next moment came, and it was good. Teeth and wet mouths pushed forcefully against each other, giving and taking but mostly taking, and both Kaiba and Yami lost their rational minds as they kissed. From one brutal hold to another's possessive caress, entwined neither knew who belonged to whom but then, they didn't care either. What was a little confusion between rivals and would-be-lovers?

Yami was the first to give a little, gentling rough kisses and lightly licking Kaiba's lips as he moved back. Not too far away though, never too far away because even as he moved, his hands reached to stroke the back of Kaiba's neck, his shoulders and then his waist which was slim but not weak. An athlete's body honed to the point of perfection though probably in Kaiba's case, it was more for survival and strength than anything else. His hands lightly curled under the shirt but he never took his eyes off Kaiba.

Kaiba stared down just as intently; his hand moved from Yami's hip to Yami's flushed cheek. A fingertip traced around the supple curve and down to the edge of bruised lips. He brushed against those lips, knowing as he did so that he caused this. Caused those brilliantly violet eyes to widen and close in desire, caused those lips to turn puffy and bruised, caused this strong, lethal being to yield to him, pliant and waiting but so very wicked as well in his will to let his body be used as Kaiba saw fit.

I could destroy you.

Let me destroy you, please?

You'll love me for it.

And Kaiba whispered, "Yes."

Yami lifted up the hem of his shirt and delicately traced the crisscross of scars underneath. He lowered his head and gently kissed each one, a press of warm moist breath and the tinkling touch of tender lips, until there were none left, and there was no one else but them.