Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Seduction of Ice ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

Summary: Yami finds out that his hikari is not pure and innocent the hard way when he loses a duel and has to hold up his end of a bet: seducing the iciest businessman in Domino.

Dedication: For you, Beckster...you *did* request it, after all.

Disclaimer: Not mine!

A/N -I found a way to make it less 'typical'...so it should be a couple more chapters longer. I'm going to keep this one light and happy, just because my other fics are dark and serious...but anyway, on with things...

//...// Yami to Yugi
/.../ Yugi to Yami

*~* change of scene
*** change of perspective

Seduction of Ice

Chapter 2

Yami approached the Kaiba mansion warily, his crimson eyes narrowed as he headed up the long driveway cautiously. It was quiet. Eerily so. The front gate had swung open of its own accord...he hadn't even had time to push the buzzer. As he headed up the tree-lined strip of pavement, he paused slightly, glancing to his right. He could swear he'd heard someone cough...but he brushed it off as being one of Kaiba's security guards and continued on his way. He adjusted the bag slung over his shoulder as he reached the front steps, and taking them two by two he made his way to the front door. Again, he didn't have time to do much of anything before it swung open, Kaiba's presence looming over him.

He scowled, cursing his height (or lack thereof) repeatedly as he was forced to look up to meet his rival's smirk.

"You're early," Kaiba commented, stepping aside after a moment of silence to let the Pharaoh into the entranceway.

"Seems you were ready for me anyway," Yami replied bitterly as he toed out of his shoes and followed the brunette down the hall.

The very long hall.

The hall that never seemed to end.

<The never-ending hall,> his mind supplied, and he frowned slightly at the thought that followed after: <and you don't seem to mind how long it is, considering that he's walking ahead of you...>

Yami kept his gaze noticeably higher after that remark. Damn, but his inner mind always managed to ruin his fun.

Kaiba stopped abruptly in front of a large oak doorway, stepping aside to let Yami pass him. The pharaoh scowled slightly as he stepped past his rival, not entirely liking the idea of having the CEO behind him...but his attention was quickly diverted to the vastness of the room he'd entered.

His eyes widened by a fraction as he took in the large room. Books literally lined the walls, and the center of the room was converted into a mini computer lab, by the looks of it. He was surprised to see that little to no wires were involved, but then again, Kaiba probably was the most technically advanced citizen of Domino. Apparently he was too good for wires.

That didn't surprise Yami, and the ancient spirit had to keep himself from smirking in amusement. Instead, he was content to quirk an eyebrow as Seto came up beside him, contempt radiating from his tall figure. "Nice setup," he commented, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the CEO's behavior...though he couldn't say he'd expected anything else.

"Hn. We should get to work," Kaiba replied, cold indifference quickly ruling out any other emotion, arrogance included.

Yami sighed softly as he followed the brunette to one of the desks, and he set his bag down on the smooth surface, quickly slipping out the binder and notes he needed for the project. Kaiba was already heading for the nearest bookshelf, and since he looked like he knew what he was doing, Yami left him to it, instead leafing through their text book in an effort to find some sort of information that could help him.

However, the text book proved to be ironically useless. But by the time he'd finished flipping through the waste of good trees, Kaiba had already returned with a couple more books. The brunette seated himself on the opposite side of the table and fired up his laptop while leafing through the first book.

"You won't find anything in there," the CEO stated bluntly, never once bothering to so much as look at Yami. "I read through it a couple of times before you arrived."

Yami frowned. "Well, thanks for telling me," he replied hotly. "For someone who doesn't want to do the work by himself, you're certainly not helping matters by letting me waste time like that."

Kaiba snorted. "I figured you'd do less damage engaged in something low risk. I can't have you actually forming an opinion and getting it wrong."

Yami's eyes narrowed dangerously. "And how, pray tell, can an opinion be wrong?"

Seto didn't bother to look up at his rival as he replied, his tone indifferent and uncaring, as though the question hadn't been asked with such repressed anger. "If an opinion is not the same as mine, then it becomes redundant."

Yami growled. Yes, Seto Kaiba was sexy. Yes, Seto Kaiba offered a challenge and was a worthy rival. Yes, he was attracted to Seto Kaiba, and yes, Seto Kaiba was definitely the most obnoxious person he knew. The sennen eye flickered to life on his forehead as the ancient Pharaoh got to his feet, slamming his hands down on the tabletop. "Kaiba...I will NOT tolerate this ridiculously childish behavior!"

Seto actually glanced up from the computer screen, quirking a chocolate eyebrow inquisitively. "Ah, back to your hocus pocus, I see. Well, you fail to intimidate me, Pharaoh. I don't believe in any of that Ancient Egypt bullshit."

The tri-colour haired teen's hands clenched into fists, his knuckles white with tension as he drew himself up to his full height and although he didn't seem to have any vertical advantage over his rival, his posture was positively regal. "I've banished half of your mind to the Shadow Realm," Yami warned, keeping his tone low and menacing. "Don't make me finish the job."

Seto snorted softly, turning his gaze back to his computer. "Your magic tricks pose no threat, Mutou, so sit down and get back to work."

However, he was surprised when his laptop snapped shut, his rival having pushed it closed. Enraged, ice blue eyes turned to regard Yami as he too got to his feet. "Don't forget that you're the one who proposed this partnership," he reminded the shorter youth in clipped tones.

"Perhaps that was a mistake on my part," Yami replied, crossing his arms over his chest. "But if this is going to work, it will require an effort from both sides."

"How predictable. A friendship speech. I'm touched." Kaiba replied, sarcasm practically dripping from his voice. "I never thought I'd be on the receiving end of one."

Rage was quickly building up, and Yami found it was fuelled directly by his rival's arrogance. "Hm, you have a point, Kaiba," he replied bitterly. "An icy bastard such as yourself has no chance of making friends...why would you want them anyway? I'm sure your company keeps you quite satisfied. It's a wonder Mokuba puts up with you."

"Mokuba does not 'put up with me', as you so eloquently put it," the CEO snarled, and Yami was mildly surprised that Kaiba had yet to bare his teeth.

In fact, he would have been amused if he hadn't been so furious.

"Get out of my house. I have no further use for you. I intend on calling the school and having this partnership terminated," Seto continued, his glare never wavering. He had been a fool to think that he and Yami together had even been a possibility.

Hell, this whole 'want to work with me' deal was probably another set up to try to get him into the 'friendship orgy' (as he had recently taken to calling Yugi's clan).

This had been a mistake that he was willing to admit to, and therefore he didn't mind ending it and moving on. He had survived this long without a significant other, and he didn't intend to break down and beg now because of a stubborn classmate with spiky hair.

"Coward," Yami hissed, bringing Seto back from his thoughts to the present moment. He made quick work of stuffing his books back into his bag. "And here I thought you were actually...you know what? Never mind." Yami slung his bag over his shoulder, glaring evenly at the CEO. "Screw the bet. I'm outta here."

He turned to leave, intent on storming out of the mansion and banishing thoughts of Seto from his mind. However, an iron grip clasped around his wrist before he got further than one step, and curiosity forced him to glance over his shoulder.

Seto was leaning over the table, and had just managed to stop Yami's escape.

"Bet?" He asked, stepping around the corner of the table so that he was towering over the shorter duelist. Seto Kaiba did not like to be toyed with. "What was the bet, Mutou?"

Yami frowned, trying not to wince from the bone crushing grasp on his slender wrist. "I don't have to answer that."

"Wanted to see how far you could push me? Or perhaps you just wanted to see the inside of the mansion?" Kaiba snarled sarcastically, anger overriding all other senses. How dare they use him as some sort of amusement like this? "I bet the mutt finds this absolutely hysterical."

"For your information, Jounouchi knows nothing of the bet," the pharaoh countered, eyes narrowing. "Quite frankly, I don't see how it's any of your business. Now if you'll excuse me, I believe you just ordered me to leave."

Despite this reminder, Kaiba showed no intent to release the spiky haired teen. Instead, he fell silent, processing the bits of information Yami had revealed.

If the dog was not in on it....then who was? He couldn't see Yugi planning against him like this...but then again, he didn't know any of them very well.

Yami sighed, rolling his eyes. "Kaiba, let go."

"No," the brunette replied automatically. "Tell me about this 'bet' of yours, and I might consider it. However, I fail to see how this situation would prove amusing to anyone..."

Bets were usually made to embarrass people...and Kaiba just couldn't see Yami's friends trying to embarrass him. In fact, he couldn't see Yami acting embarrassed at all. So, that left one other option for the motive behind it.

They must be trying to embarrass him.

But he still couldn't figure out how the mutt wasn't involved....However, before he could figure things out on his own, he was distracted again by his rival.

"It wasn't meant for amusement," Yami responded after a moment of thought, noticing that the grip on his wrist had loosened slightly. He wondered if it would leave a bruise. "I lost a duel and had to follow up on my end of the stakes. Now, will you let me go?"

Seto quirked an eyebrow. There was only one person who could beat Yami at duel monsters, (not including himself, of course).

Yugi.

Yugi must have been involved with this somehow. But if the bet was not meant for amusement, then what the hell was it meant for?

"I want to know what these 'stakes' were," Kaiba replied. "I'm obviously involved somehow or else you wouldn't be here. Yugi doesn't seem like the type to dare you to do anything, much less approach me."

With a soft sigh, Yami shook his head. He shouldn't have mentioned the duel...but it was too late now. He was quickly losing patience...and at the moment he just wanted to get back to the game shop. Yugi needed to know that he had been correct, and that Kaiba just wasn't human enough to be involved in a relationship, however unfortunate that thought might be.

"That was exactly the case, Kaiba," Yami finally replied calmly, choosing his words carefully. "If I lost, I had to approach you."

Seto frowned. "Define 'approach me'."

The pharaoh rolled his eyes, jerking his wrist from Kaiba's now lax grip, but he made no move to leave. The brunette looked like he'd finally managed to get his temper under control, and Yami's anger had dissipated somewhat. Right now he was mostly just frustrated. "Yugi's word of choice would be 'seduce'," he replied dryly, crossing his arms over his chest. He couldn't wait to see how Seto was going to react to that.

*** TBC ***