Queer As Tachi – Chapter 56

                While he worked diligently at deciphering quarterly reports and stock information, his fingers flying over his laptop keyboard, Seto Kaiba kept a window open on the edge of his screen to monitor the usual late-night action on his company’s wireless dueling network.  Spying on his consumers was his new favorite pastime, since the anonymity of the internet allowed him to surf messageboards and peek into chat rooms without anyone having a clue that The Man Himself was peering over their shoulders to see how and when they utilized the wireless duel disk to smack down fellow duelists halfway across the globe.  Kaiba kept up the charade by occasionally chatting with duelists who were trolling the chats looking for victims.  It had been a while since he had claimed his dignity back from Shandy, but they hadn’t crossed paths since.  He kept an eye open for her, but not with as much eagerness as before, now that he had the win he deserved.   If she popped up again demanding another rematch for her own satisfaction, he would give it, but he wasn’t seeking it out any longer.  Tonight, he was only lurking, since he had work to complete and it was taking longer than expected.  Sitting in a comfortable chair in his study with the laptop on a padded desk-board on his lap, only the bluish glow from the screen illuminated his solemn face, the room silent as usual but for the click of the keys under his practiced fingers.

                A flash at the edge of his peripheral vision caught Kaiba’s attention, as the little window showing the names of duelists popping on and off the server notified him that he had a private message.  Curious, he clicked on it, bringing up a window over the top of his work.  The username at the header of the message was unfamiliar, no one he remembered seeing before:  DynaDude47.  I wonder who at KaibaCorp would be dueling under a name like that? the message flippantly taunted.

                Kaiba stared at the message for a moment, rankled by the implication but also disturbed.  He used a nearly impenetrable system of layered encryption to keep anyone casually browsing the network from discovering that he was logged in through the KaibaCorp server.  For a moment he thought of simply closing the window and blocking the user, but he had to know.  Playing his part, he typed in, I don’t know what you mean…

                Your pathetic duel record doesn’t hide the truth from me, the stranger responded.  I’m willing to bet there’s a Kaiba brother behind the keys.

                Seto glared daggers at his screen, sitting up roughly and practically pounding his answer into the keyboard.  What makes you think that?

                I’ve traced your IP address.  I know you’re logged in at KaibaCorp.

                That’s impossible, I’m just a regular duelist.

                DynaDude47 threw a pre-scripted smiley at him and then, Sure you are.  I wonder what Seto Kaiba would do if he found out one of his flunkies was using that kind of name to track the system.  He gets mighty jealous over those Blue Eyes of his.

                And how would you know? Kaiba typed without even thinking, rapidly becoming incensed enough to forget to keep up the anonymous façade.  If nothing else, hacking his encryption and tracing his IP address not only got his attention, it pissed him off.

                Because… the stranger messaged.  He and I have a bit of history.

                That gave Kaiba pause.  He stared for a moment before making a decision and curtly typing, switch to voice chat NOW.  His duel disk was always within arm’s reach, so he grabbed it and jacked the cord from it into his laptop directly so as not to have to switch networks, and threw on his headset.  He was going to reveal his identity to this upstart, but right now he didn’t care.  He had to know who this person was, and how they seemed to already know it was him.  As soon as the icon indicating a voice link began to flash on the message window, he barked into the mic, “Identify yourself!”

                A snide laugh echoed in his ear.  “I knew it was you.  I figured there might have been a chance it was Mokuba, but not with a name like ‘Blue-Eyed-Dragon.’  You’re so predictable, Kaiba.”

                Something about the sharp voice with a distinct foreign accent sounded familiar to Kaiba, it awoke an unpleasant feeling of memory within him.  “Just who the hell is this?” he growled.  “What makes you think you know me so well?”

                “So you don’t remember?  I’m hurt, Kaiba.  I would have thought our duels were unforgettable, considering during the second one I nearly killed your brother and stole your soul.”

                The unpleasant feeling coalesced into something tangible, a flash of vision to a plane and a green light and a young man in almost as huge a coat as Kaiba’s.  “Alastair,” Seto seethed.

                “Took you long enough,” Alastair muttered.

                “I thought you’d been taken out of my life for good,” Kaiba grumbled.  “I already smacked you down hard, have you finally come crawling back for a rematch or something?   Because as far as I’m concerned, that whole mess is over and done with.  I’m not going to entertain your grudge for a minute longer.”

                “If I wanted another piece of you, I’d have already taken it,” Alastair said smugly.  “After all, I’m already through your encryption, it won’t take much more to hack into your mainframe…again.  You do remember I’ve done it before.”

                Kaiba snarled at him.  “How did you trace my IP?  I’ve got so many layers of encryption on it, nobody should be able to trace me back here.”

                Alastair chuckled a little to himself.  “Maybe if you stop barking orders and questions at me long enough to listen, I’ll tell you.”

                “All right then.”  Kaiba settled back into his chair and folded his arms stubbornly over his chest.  “What do you want from me now?”

                There was a short pause.  “Actually,” Alastair answered, his voice a little less sharp, “I don’t really know.  I just saw your name on the user list and got curious.  I couldn’t resist.  Valon told me what happened at the world tournament.”

                Kaiba heaved an angry sigh.  “What is it with you people resurfacing all over again?” he sniped.   “First him, now you.”

                “Bit of a sore spot, is it?”

                “Shut up.”  Kaiba reached for his keyboard.  “If you don’t have anything constructive to say to me, I’m ending this conversation now.  Don’t bother me again.”

                Alastair seemed bothered by Kaiba’s haughty tone, because when he spoke again he sounded just as snide as earlier.  “That’s right, just run away so you don’t have to be reminded of it.   Maybe you haven’t learned a thing since I met you.  Maybe I should just come over there and kick your ass.”

                “I’d like to see you try,” Kaiba snorted.  He swiftly ran a few commands and added, “All the way from Prague.  That’s a long way to come to get beaten down yet again by my Blue Eyes, but you’re welcome to it.”

                “Funny you should say that,” Alastair said, not at all ruffled by having his own address traced.  “I’m going to be in Japan next week.  If you’re that intent to try to prove you’re better than me, I’d be happy to teach you that lesson in humility you seem to have never learned.  Then again,” he added, “you’re the one who created this wireless dueling network.  If you were that interested in dueling me again, you’d do it right here and now.”

                Kaiba heaved a short, condescending laugh, glancing down at his computer screen and his clothing.  Being as he hoped to go to bed as soon as he finished his report, he was already in his pajamas.  “I have much better things to do with my time than waste it beating you all over again,” he noted.   “I have no need to prove anything to you.”

                Alastair quieted again.  “On the contrary, but the things you need to prove to me can’t be done with a duel.”

                Kaiba narrowed his eyes.  “What are you talking about?”

                “You may have defeated me in a duel, and somehow you defeated Mas…Dartz,” he murmured, “but you’re still the same selfish, superior Kaiba I always knew you were.  Saving humanity didn’t teach you a thing, did it?”

                Seto allowed a smug smile to cross his lips, even if Alastair couldn’t see it.  “I wasn’t out to save humanity.  That’s Yugi’s thing.  I just wanted my company back, and as you can see, I got it.  End of story.”

                “What a shame,” Alastair remarked.  “Maybe Dartz was right about you all along.”

                “Excuse me?”  Kaiba growled at his computer screen again.  “I never made myself out to be a hero, and I don’t want to be.  Why can’t you people just leave me alone to run my life and my company in peace?”

                “You and your company are exactly why I can’t leave it be,” Alastair snapped.  “You keep saying you’ve changed it into something positive, and you aren’t living up to your father’s legacy, but everything I see of you tells me otherwise.”

                “Step-father’s,” Kaiba corrected him, “and if you’re so unconvinced, why don’t you come see it for yourself?  You’re going to be in Japan next week, you say.  Come to KaibaCorp and I’ll show you, so you can see it with your own two eyes.  Then maybe you’ll leave me the hell alone.”

                “Are you serious?” Alastair asked suspiciously.

                “Completely,” Kaiba said, his tone of voice confirming it.  He brought up his schedule with a few keystrokes.  “What day are you flying in?”

                “Tuesday.”  Alastair sounded much more subdued now, with the offer on the table.

                “You’re in luck.  I have a space open Wednesday afternoon.”  Kaiba typed in a couple words and uploaded the schedule to the network to synch with the rest of his calendar.  “I’ll put you in as a private meeting at noon.  Don’t keep me waiting, I have too many things to do.”

                “Fine,” Alastair agreed.  “Wednesday at noon.  You can bet I’ll be there.”

                “Anything to get you off my back,” Kaiba grumbled.

                “I’ll see you then,” Alastair said curtly, and abruptly signed off the network.  Kaiba heaved a long, aggravated sigh before disconnecting his voice chat and simply logging off, deciding he had had enough annoyance for one night.  He got up and swiftly closed the curtains over the window to keep out the bright light from the moon, just past full, before heading upstairs.  His warm bed and the sweet blankness of sleep were calling.

                The words “private meeting” on his calendar seemed to stare at Kaiba all week long, no matter how much of his attention he diverted to much more important crises and issues of running his company.  He had a lot of irons in the fire and plenty to do, but for some reason every time he had to go through his schedule, he found the short note on Wednesday’s screen drawing his eyes even for just a split second.  He had honestly believed that the trouble with that company-stealing magician Dartz was completely over, and those involved in making his life hell for a couple of weeks had either been destroyed or so thoroughly defeated that they would have merely disappeared into the shadows, never to be heard from again.  But he had run into the obnoxious Valon at the world tournament, and now Alastair accosted him via his own dueling network.  Kaiba figured it was his own fault for showing a tiny grain of mercy to his opponent and saving his life instead of leaving him to die alone and soul-less in the American desert.   He understood Alastair’s reasons for doing as he did, to a point, but he couldn’t fathom being driven to such extremes of insanity if anything were to befall Mokuba.  But even considering that felt like too much thinking and soul-searching, and made him growl and try to forget about the upcoming meeting.  His intention was for Alastair to finally open his eyes and see that Seto was not Gozaburo, once and for all, and then quietly disappear from his life for good, having no further reason to hold a grudge against KaibaCorp or its president.  But that made him wonder if it meant he really did have something to prove to Alastair after all, which once again felt like too much thinking and made him growl.

                The day conspicuously arrived, though Kaiba did his best to throw himself into his work and ignore the time until his secretary buzzed him to tell him that his twelve o’clock appointment was here.  “Send him in,” Kaiba ordered, “and hold all my calls until I return to this office.  This is a private meeting, I don’t want to be disturbed unless the stock market is crashing or the building is on fire.”

                “Yes, sir,” the secretary said politely, trying not to giggle at his analogy.

                Seto got to his feet just as the door swung open to admit a tall, lean figure in a sweeping coat and narrow sunglasses, doing his best to look confident and cool.  Same jacket, same shock of red hair, it was certainly the same Alastair, Kaiba thought to himself.  He put on an aloof half-smile and straightened up, making himself look important and calm.  “You didn’t chicken out,” he purred.  “Good to see.”

                Alastair removed his sunglasses with just the flick of one finger, turning solemn gray eyes on his old adversary.  “You know I keep my promises.”

                “Apparently so.”  Kaiba swept out from behind his desk in his own impressive purple coat, casually handing a plastic badge to Alastair as he passed.  “Your visitor’s pass.  Let’s go.”

                “Not one for small talk, are you?” Alastair noted as he clipped the badge to one of the straps on his coat and followed Kaiba to the door.

                “I told you, I have a lot of work to do,” Kaiba muttered.   “My time is valuable, I never waste it.”  He led the way back out past the secretary, who was well-trained to handle Kaiba’s personality and thus didn’t glance up, and down to the executive elevator that he usually took directly to certain departments.  Alastair stayed one step behind him, wearing a skeptical look as he tried not to glance around at the stylish décor.  They were already on their way down a few floors when Kaiba finally explained.  “I don’t know what you think you need to see, but I know what I want to show you.  We’re going to see the research and development wing, where all of KaibaCorp’s current and upcoming projects are being worked on, and the customer service center.  You’ll see for yourself what this company is all about.”

                Alastair tucked his hands in the pockets of his tight black pants.   “If you don’t mind, I’d like to see where your run-of-the-mill employees spend their days as well.  There’s nothing that shows a company’s true spirit like how they treat their peons.”

                Kaiba smirked to himself.  “Not a problem.  I’m sure you’ll be quite pleased.  Or is that disappointed?”  He glanced aside and shot Alastair a direct look.  “I don’t know what you expect you’ll find.”

                “I’m keeping an open mind,” Alastair said moodily.  “I at least owe you that much.”

                Seto was about to rattle off a list of other things Alastair owed him, starting with a jumbo jet, but the elevator chimed right then to let them know they had reached their first stop.  The doors slid open to reveal a huge and brightly-lit space cluttered with post-boards, models, and exceptionally contemporary workspace design.  There were no cubicles or offices, just a wild, free space with random oddly-shaped desks covered in flat-screen monitors and ergonomic keyboards, as well as blueprint rolls, expensive art-marker sets, and brilliant photographs of completely non-game-related subjects.  Alastair couldn’t help his eyes widening at the riot of color and movement they stepped into, as there were quite a few people in shirtsleeves and rumpled ties rushing between the desks to show each other things.  It was a busy place, but not quite chaotic.  Everyone seemed to have a purpose and no one was idle.  Every worker looked up and offered a greeting or at least a well-timed bow to Seto as he passed through them.  “This is Research and Development,” he announced to his visitor.  “They’re working on any number of ideas, whether it’s to improve our current game offerings or think up something new.  I have a whole separate department devoted to developing new ideas for our theme parks.”

                “Theme parks?” Alastair repeated.  “You mean you’re building more than one?”

                “The primary one is here in Japan,” Kaiba admitted, “but yes, I do intend to put them all around the world.  There’s no reason America should have the market cornered on amusement park patronage.”

                Alastair glanced at some of the pictures and posters as they walked through the department without really lingering, able to see by the drawings on marker boards and the models and photos posted at various desks that many of the developers had not only fantastic imaginations, they were skilled artists and dreamers.  There were no tanks or planes here, but there were a lot of dragons, magicians, and big guys with swords.  They passed a pair of game designers arguing heatedly over whether a character should be drawn wearing a sword if he never intended to use it.  “What are they talking about?” Alastair asked his host after they had gone.

                “My virtual game, ‘Legendary Heroes,’” Seto mumbled.  “I had it completed and in the beta testing stages when my former board of directors tried to use it to destroy me.  I never released it, but now that the technology has improved, I’m redeveloping it.”

                “I see.”

                “But this is my current pet project.”  Kaiba led his visitor into the hall outside the research department, to a huge diorama built in the center and brightly lit.  It was a scale model of an amusement park, complete with little tiny paper people carrying little tiny balloons as they walked around the games and rides.  Alastair blinked in wonder at it as they stopped to take a close look.  “The main park has been open for a couple of years.  The second phase is currently under construction,” Seto explained, “set to open later this year.  This is what it will look like when all the phases are complete.”

                Alastair looked over the monster-themed rides and game kiosks with interest and amusement.  “Does Pegasus know you’re ripping off his trademarks?” he snorted.

                Kaiba rolled his eyes.  “You wouldn’t believe the licensing fees he extorted out of me for the rights to use Duel Monsters as a theme,” he complained.  “But in the end, I got the better deal, no matter how much free publicity he gets out of it.  Sometimes, in order to get what you want, you have to associate with the most unpleasant people.”

                “I guess.”  Something caught Alastair’s attention, so he leaned in closely to get a good look at the tiny scale model.  “Is that…that’s him!  You have a ride based on DynaDude?  But…”

                Kaiba folded his arms and smiled coolly.  “One of my department heads came to me and told me about this thing, said it was all the rage with the 8 to 13 year old demographic.  I thought it looked stupid, but who am I to argue with what will bring in the kids?”  He looked down at the model, even as Alastair looked up at him.  “It will go in with the second phase construction this year.  I approved it, yes, but not as any kind of homage to you, so don’t go getting any ideas.”

                “Of course not.”  Alastair looked away.  “Such sentimentality is beneath you.”

                “You’re damn right it is.”  Kaiba walked around the park model, his blue eyes serious as they followed the streams of paper people having their imaginary fun day at the carnival.  “That’s not to say I didn’t remember,” he added quietly.   “But I’m not doing these parks for you or for any number of big and little brothers around the world who might want to play in it.”

                Alastair frowned curiously at him.  “But then…why?  I can’t see you as the amusement park kind of guy.  Is it just because it’s going to make you even more money?”

                “No,” Kaiba said curtly, almost angrily.  “It’s for Mokuba.  I made him a promise, when we were younger, when we were still in that orphanage.  I promised him I would build this park for him someday, and now I finally have.”  His eyes remained fixed on the model, even as his voice softened as he remembered what he had said so many years ago.  “I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but I said I would, and I never break a promise to my brother.  I was going to start it just when you and your band of rejects came in and took over my company, you made me go back on my promise to him that I would put away my Duel Monsters deck and not duel until it was finished.  I still hold that against you.  Dartz put a major delay in my plans that I’m finally back out of.”

                “So it’s my fault now,” Alastair challenged.

                “Actually, it is,” Kaiba said smartly.  “You were the one who came to me disguised as Pegasus and forced me to duel you.  Prior to that, my deck was locked away in a secure vault so I could concentrate on developing this.”   He nodded toward the model.

                Alastair lowered his eyes, not sure whether he should apologize or just let it go.  He settled for silence, until Kaiba figured they had discussed the park enough and started away.  “And what does Mokuba think of all this, anyway?  He’s a teenager now, isn’t he?”

                “He gets credit as a designer and creator, and is on the development board to give final approval to new ideas,” Kaiba reported.  “So, he still thinks it’s cool.  Maybe not as much as he did when he was ten, or twelve, but he’s still hooked on the idea.”

                They went on to the customer service department, where they could look over a floor of people whose job it was to make sure all KaibaCorp products met the consumer’s needs, and through to the legal department and the office which handled the company’s charitable foundations.  They only glanced briefly into accounting and publicity, but everywhere they went Alastair was able to see for himself that the employees of KaibaCorp were fairly well-off as office drones went.  There was nothing particularly modern or outrageous about the departments’ managing systems, nothing fruity or ridiculous to try to inspire workers or keep them focused, but every office and cube was well-maintained and acceptable, and employees seemed happy to be working there.   The employee lounges and cafeteria were nicer than most, and when asked, Kaiba had no problem explaining what kind of benefits package his company’s peons got.  “I’d have my personal assistant Roland tell you all about his experiences working here,” Seto added with a particularly smug grin, “but he’s currently on vacation with his family in Australia.  Why?”  He cast a strange look over his shoulder.  “You looking for a job?”

                “Not from you,” Alastair quickly answered, pouting.  “But I have to admit, this isn’t a bad place.”

                “Gozaburo’s philosophy of management was basically ‘I am the boss, you will do as I say or get a job somewhere else,’” Seto mused as they walked through yet another department, this one mainly technological in nature.  “You’d be surprised how well that works, but it doesn’t make for very good company morale or loyalty.  I don’t micro-manage every last department, but generally speaking, I operate under the guideline that people work the best when they’re satisfied with their job.  I don’t bend over backwards for anyone, but as long as they’ve got nothing to complain about, people won’t quit to get a better job elsewhere.  Because of the way I treat workers, they know I’m better than Gozaburo Kaiba ever was, and that’s why they stayed with me even when Dartz tried to take over.”  He smiled cuttingly at his guest.  “That’s true loyalty, better than anything inspired by fear.”

                Alastair nodded but said nothing more as they returned to the executive elevator and went back up to Kaiba’s office.  The secretary glanced up for just a second at the sight of two hugely impressive coats drifting down the hallway, and went back to her typing as the two young men passed and disappeared inside the office.  Alastair paused to look out the grand windows at the view of Domino City’s skyline as Kaiba dropped into his cushy leather chair and swiveled it to look at him.  “Well?  Are you satisfied now, that KaibaCorp isn’t what you thought it was?”

                Alastair’s eyes remained on the view.  “I’m man enough to admit when I’m wrong,” he said quietly, “even if it rankles me to have to call you right about anything.  All this happened because you took over?”

                “That’s right,” Kaiba smoothly answered.  “You’re not wrong, KaibaCorp was a military supplier when Gozaburo ran it.  But I changed it into a gaming company, and built an empire greater than his ever was.  Everything you see is because of me, and no one else.  I destroyed everything he stood for, down to his military labs and KaibaCorp Island itself.   I will not let his past ruin my future.”

                “I see that now.”  Alastair shifted his gray eyes to Kaiba.  “But you still have his planes, his private air force…”

                Seto snorted.  “I’m not going to get rid of something useful to me just because of that.  Those helicopters you saw rescuing us have dropped food to earthquake victims and rescued passengers from a capsized ferry.  The KC on their sides stands for my company now, not his.”

                Alastair nodded and looked out the window again, stuffing his hands in his pockets.  “All that really matters to me is that no more lives are being destroyed because of this company.  I don’t care why you’re doing it, it just matters that you are.”

                “What, doing good things with this power instead of evil?”   Kaiba laughed quietly to himself.  “I don’t think even I know why.  It’s not like I care.”

                “Do you care about anything?”  Alastair turned fully towards him.  “Besides yourself?”

                Kaiba closed his eyes briefly.  “My brother.  That’s about it.   But I don’t need to care about anyone else.  I’ve had to be strong for him, so he could live life without being afraid of anything.”

                “I admit that you’re right about your company,” Alastair grumbled, “don’t expect anything more out of me, like feeling pity for you or anything.”

                “I don’t want your pity,” Kaiba snapped.  “I never trot out my past or how I grew up as a means to get sympathy out of anyone.  All that matters is, I survived, and now I’m on top.  I’m able to give Mokuba everything he didn’t have before.”

                Alastair turned away from him, away from the window, reaching in his pocket for his sunglasses.  “The only thing your little brother needs is a big brother who loves him.  All the amusement parks and games and nice houses in the world won’t make up for it if he doesn’t have that.”

                “You question my love for my brother?” Kaiba said darkly, looking up over his clasped hands with deadly blue eyes.

                Alastair flipped his glasses open but didn’t put them on yet.   “You’ve shown me that you and your company aren’t evil, money-grubbing destroyers, I’ll give you that,” he replied, “but I have yet to see any sign in you personally that you’re a good man.  You do good things, but I still haven’t seen evidence that you have a heart.”

                “Then you haven’t looked close enough.”  Kaiba turned his chair back to his desk and made to open his laptop and go back to work.  “You were so obsessed with your revenge plan that you didn’t care to see what it did to me to know that Mokuba’s life was in danger and I needed to defeat you in order to save him.   You were out cold, you never saw me run into the cockpit and try to keep us from crashing.  If you can’t look into my eyes and see that I care about my brother, then you’re just as blind as you were when Dartz ran your life.”

                Alastair’s arms fell to his sides, and he stood there in silent thought for a moment while Kaiba unlocked his computer and pulled up his schedule.  At last, the red-haired young man turned and gazed seriously at him.  “Fine, maybe I haven’t looked close enough.  But it’s not like you make it easy.  I concede, Kaiba, and though I don’t expect you to forgive me for trying to hurt your brother, I want to make some small token of atonement.”

                “Nothing you can do will change the past, and you don’t have to ‘atone’ for anything,” Kaiba muttered as he typed.

                “Can I at least buy you lunch, for agreeing to show me around your company?”

                Kaiba raised an eyebrow in Alastair’s general direction.   “I don’t need any polite gestures of gratitude.”  He glanced at the time on his computer.  “I have a meeting in about ten minutes, but if you’re so intent on doing something like that to try to make it up to me, then let’s have dinner.  Tonight.  I’ll send a car to your hotel.”

                Alastair blinked in surprise, but then nodded.  “I’ll pick the place, though.  I don’t want to be dragged to some ritzy place with snooty waiters and a dress code.”

                “Don’t worry, I wouldn’t want to be seen with you in a place like that anyway.  Fine.”  Kaiba shoved a card and a pen across the desk.  “Write down your hotel name so I can give it to my driver.  Be ready at six.  Don’t stand me up, this is your idea.”

                Alastair frowned but did as requested and then put on his sunglasses.   “At six, then.”  He turned sharply and stalked out of the office, his coat floating along behind him.  Kaiba watched him go with a disdainful smirk and turned back to his computer, glad it was over.  Dinner as payment for taking time out of his day to show a spiteful adversary around the company had better be worth it.

                Before leaving work, Kaiba pulled out his cell phone and called Mokuba to explain his plans for the night, but he got his brother’s voice mail.  “Hey…I wanted to let you know that I won’t be home for dinner,” he said when the message started.  “I have an important client to entertain.  You’ll have to fend for yourself.  If you want to have a friend over it’s all right, but don’t make it too late.   I’ll talk to you when I get home.”   He liked to be home to at least have dinner with Mokuba and find out how school went, but it couldn’t always be that way and both of them knew it.  As long as Alastair didn’t look on this as a betrayal of brotherly love. 

Kaiba sat silent as usual in the back seat as his driver went to the specified hotel in a run-down part of town, only glancing briefly aside when the door opened and Alastair slid in beside him.  Since he had insisted on choosing the place, he leaned forward to give the driver instructions and then settled cautiously next to Kaiba.  “You’ll have to trust me,” he warned.  “I make a point to go to this place every time I’m in the country.”

                “I’ve never heard of it,” Kaiba admitted, “but as long as the food doesn’t suck, I’m fine.”

                “The food certainly doesn’t suck.  I just want you to see how the other half lives, rich boy.”  But that was all the small talk they could muster, passing the rest of the drive in tense silence.  Fortunately, it was short.  They got out at a small storefront restaurant with a plain hand-lettered sign promising southeast Asian cuisine, which seemed shabby on the outside but proved to be quite nice, if small, when they got inside.  They were seated quickly in a corner and left to peruse the menu, though Alastair already knew what he wanted and spent those moments taking off his coat and draping it behind him.  He had been wearing a black button-down shirt for the meeting earlier, but now had changed into his favorite cropped shirt and a pair of fingerless gloves.  A plain silver chain with a pendant had replaced the green crystal he used to wear around his neck.  Kaiba’s coat was his outfit, but no one in the restaurant recognized him so he didn’t worry about it.   A plump motherly-type woman brought drinks and took their order, leaving them with the uncomfortable part of the evening – talking to each other alone.  Alastair leaned his elbows on the table and clasped his hands.  “I…really do want to thank you for showing me around KaibaCorp,” he began.

                “Don’t bother,” Kaiba said shortly.  “It was the only thing I could do to get you off my back.  If seeing the company for yourself didn’t shut you up, nothing would.”

                Alastair looked annoyed.  “What got up your ass, Kaiba?” he groused.

                “What do you mean?  I’m always like this,” Seto shrugged.

                “No wonder you have so many friends,” Alastair said sarcastically.

                Kaiba frowned darkly.  “I don’t need friends, and I don’t want them.  People only want to use you., like I’m using you now for a free dinner.”

                “This is exactly what I was talking about earlier,” Alastair sighed.  “You claim to love your brother, but I don’t see how you can if you hate every other person around you.   If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were just like Dartz.”

                “Me?”  Kaiba laughed harshly.  “There’s a big difference.  I may not like people, but that doesn’t mean I want to destroy all of them.”

                “Of course not,” Alastair retorted, “not when they make you money.”

                “Alastair, in all our dealings, have you ever once heard me talk about the money I make as head of KaibaCorp?  No,” Seto pointed out, “and I’ll tell you why.  I don’t care about money.  I may have enough of it, but it doesn’t rule me.  I know what I have to do to ensure KaibaCorp’s stability and continued power, but you don’t see me greedily trying to squeeze every penny from every potential customer.”  He folded his hands, resting one elbow on his knee.  “That’s only one of many differences between me and that Dartz character.  He had one thing right – people are stupid.  People in general are rude, uninteresting, violent, selfish, and greedy.  They all want something, and they go through life using other people to get what they want.  But if you think about it, that’s exactly what Dartz was, too.  He didn’t care about you, he used you to get what he wanted.  Not even he was immune from the curse of being a human.  At least I don’t pretend I’m all noble and righteous and try to justify what I do.”  He closed his eyes for a moment while he talked.  “I have no interest in destroying the world, as long as the world isn’t trying to return the favor.   All I want is to live my life in peace, and live it my way, and provide for my brother.  As long as people don’t stand in the way of that, I’m fine with just ignoring them.”

                Alastair chuckled sardonically.  “So the sunny disposition is just the way you are.”

                “Do you have a problem with that?”

                “Maybe.”

                Kaiba smirked.  “I can’t see why.”

                 Alastair prodded at his tea with a spoon, hoping to make it steep faster.  “I guess I just thought the man who was right about me and my brother, and loves his brother enough to want to build a stupid amusement park for him, might actually show a little of that compassion on the outside.”

                “Don’t get your hopes up,” Kaiba grunted.  “I don’t do the touchy-feely thing.”  He sipped at his water, and then fixed Alastair with a serious look.  “What do you mean, I was right about you and your brother?”

                The red-haired young man kept his eyes firmly on his tea as he spoke.  “The last thing I remember you saying in our duel, before things went to hell, was that I failed my duty as a brother by not protecting him.  I hated hearing you say it, but it was true.  At least you succeeded where I failed.”

                Kaiba dropped his gaze, and his voice.  “If I were to betray Mokuba like that, I can’t say that I wouldn’t react the same way you did.  That’s why I will never fail him.”

                “Yes, I know that now.  That’s why you were able to beat me.”

                Seto sighed tiredly.  “Don’t you start with the heart of the cards crap now.  I beat you because I’m the better duelist, that’s all.”

                Alastair sighed back.  “You know, just when I think you’re about to show a shred of humanity, you open your big mouth and banish it.  It’s like you’re afraid of yourself or something.”

                Kaiba scowled.  “That’s ridiculous.”

                “Is it?”  Alastair stared at him over the edge of his tea cup as he drank.  “You’re not this cold with Mokuba, are you?”

                “The way I treat Mokuba is none of your business.”  Just then, a waiter brought their food, giving them enough pause to take a deep breath and try to find a different topic of conversation.  The Thai cuisine smelled fantastic, and Kaiba allowed himself a few bites before deciding to break the thick silence.  “I don’t expect you to understand me or even like me.  I don’t care.  I’m not here to win your approval or justify myself to you in any way.”

                “Then why are you here?” Alastair wondered.

                Kaiba smirked.  “Free food.”

                Alastair glared at him, not believing him for a second.  “Then I guess you have a problem.”

                “Oh?”

                “Yep.”  He lowered his eyes teasingly for a moment to concentrate on his food, and then fixed Kaiba with a studious stare.  “Because I do understand you.  You and I are a lot alike.”

                Seto met the stare with one of his own.  “Just because we’re both the elder brother doesn’t mean we’re alike.  I’m nothing like you, I’m not a coward who blames other people for his own failures, or carries out his grudges on people who had nothing to do with what caused him pain in the first place.”

                “I’m not like that anymore,” Alastair complained sullenly.   “You defeating me opened my eyes, Kaiba.   I made mistakes, and I’m not so proud that I can’t admit it.”

                “Oh, I see now,” Kaiba taunted.  “I saved you.  How cute.”

                Alastair grimaced angrily.  “That wasn’t what I meant.  Can’t you stop being an ass for once and just listen?”

                Kaiba sighed heavily, the snide grin disappearing completely from his face.  “Fine.”

                Alastair set down his chopsticks for a moment.  “I don’t care if you don’t believe it, you and I are very much alike.  I’m what you would be if you let your hatred consume you and drive your decisions.  But it took me losing my soul to know where I went wrong.”   An uncomfortable look twitched across his face.  “I bet Master Dartz didn’t even say so much as an ‘oh no’ when he saw it was my soul that had been captured instead of yours.  After all I did for him, for his cause, he didn’t care about me at all.”

                Kaiba kept eating patiently.  “You put your faith in him,” he mused between bites, “and that was your first mistake.  Faith is for the weak.  You wanted to believe in him so badly that you were blinded to what kind of man he really was.  Just another tyrant wanting have everything his way.”

                “Maybe so,” his companion said softly before resuming eating.   “But I don’t want to turn out like you, either, with eight hundred foot walls around my heart.  I’m pretty sure I can find the balance between strength and compassion.”

                Seto stared into his bowl of noodles to keep from looking at Alastair, annoyed by the thoughts running through his head.  He didn’t know how to argue against the statement that he walled away his emotions, because it was true, but he had never wanted so badly to make an excuse for it as he did now.  His only recourse was to change the subject again.  “So what are you doing in Japan, anyway?”

                Alastair shrugged.  “For the hell of it.  Now that I’m not under Dartz’s control, I kind of wanted to see the world that I missed thanks to all that nonsense.  I’ve been across Europe, went back home, now I’m jetting around Asia when I can.  I do kind of need work, though,” he added under his breath.

                “You already said you didn’t want a job from me,” Kaiba said, “so I’m not going to offer one.”

                “No, I don’t want one from you,” the young man grumbled.  “I’ll find my way, don’t worry.  I don’t even know if I like Japan enough to look for something here, I may just go back to Prague, or Berlin or something.”

                “Whatever.”  Kaiba folded his arms on the table and poked idly at his plate with his chopsticks.  “It’s your life.  Do whatever the hell you want with it.”

                “What about you?”  Alastair looked curiously at his dinner companion.  “You’ve built your little brother’s dream.  What’s next?”

                Kaiba’s eyes narrowed.  He had only one goal now, to beat Yugi Muto and claim the title of world champion from him, no matter how long it took.  But he shifted his gaze away.  “What does it matter to you?”

                “Just being friendly.”  Alastair reached for his tea.  “You’re such an ass.  Anyone shows you the slightest hint of kindness, you bite their head off.  If it’s your goal in life to be alone and friendless, you’re doing a great job.”

                “I told you, I don’t need friends,” Kaiba snapped bitterly.  “Sooner or later they all betray you and leave you alone anyway, I’m just saving myself the trouble.”

                Alastair snorted derisively.  “Looks like I’m not the only one with childhood issues around here.”

                “Do not try to psychoanalyze me, punk,” Kaiba said with pure anger.  “I don’t have issues.  I’m just the way I am, and no one has to care.  No one is going to change me, so don’t even try.”

                “I wasn’t going to,” Alastair snapped back, “so don’t freak out.  I just think you’re one sad little man.”

                Kaiba looked up sharply, glaring daggers across the table.  “What?”

                “Someone’s nice to you, you throw a temper tantrum.  You keep everyone at arm’s length, and the only person in the whole world who even likes you is very soon going to be a teenager who wants his independence and will push you away.  And where is that going to leave you?”

                For once, Kaiba caught his breath in surprise.  The hand clenched on his chopsticks was trembling.  “What do you mean?  Mokuba would never…”

                “Think about what you were like when you were fifteen, sixteen,” Alastair warned.  “It wasn’t that long ago.  Pretty soon Mokuba’s going to be just like you.  Do you think he’s going to be nicer than you ever were, or is he going to pick up your habits just from being around you every day of his life?  Don’t hate me just because it’s true,” he added.

                “It’s not going to be like that,” Seto protested, though not very convincingly.  “I’m not like our stepfather, I’m good to him.  He won’t pull away from me…”

                “Who are you trying to justify it to, me or yourself?”   Alastair flippantly tossed his hair.  “Because I don’t care, and I thought my opinion didn’t matter to you.  Face it, Kaiba.   He’s growing up.  You can’t stop it.”

                Kaiba quivered in rage for a moment, but then relaxed his fist and his stance and let go of his sudden fear with a sigh.  “So what?  Just because he’ll grow up doesn’t mean he’ll abandon me.  And even if he does pull away, what makes you think it’s going to crush me?   Maybe I like being a loner.”

                Alastair placed his last mushroom in his mouth and sat sucking on the ends of the chopsticks for a moment as he watched Kaiba stubbornly focus on the last of his meal.  “Whatever,” he said at last.  “It’s your life.”

                “Alastair,” Kaiba said heavily, “don’t try to do me any favors, okay?”

                “I’m not,” Alastair said with equal gravity.  “I just think it would be a horrible irony if you spent so much time lying to yourself that you ended up just like me, angry at the rest of the world for something I could have changed within myself a long time ago.”

                Kaiba gradually lowered his chopsticks and set them aside, having lost his appetite.  There was too much in his head now, too much he couldn’t just shut out and deny.  With the end of their meal, the host brought them sake, good and warm and worth savoring in silence for a bit.  Alastair didn’t like it, but Kaiba sat for a while with a cup cradled in his hands, indulging himself in the hopes it would take the edge off his nerves.  “Well?” Alastair asked him after a long silence.  “Was it worth it?”

                Kaiba glanced up.  “What?  Oh…yes.  It was very good.”

                “I find it’s always the little hole-in-the-wall places that have the best food, no matter what country you’re in,” his companion went on, sitting back with what was left of his tea.  “Every customer matters to them.”

                Kaiba nodded absently as he sipped at his sake, studying Alastair across the table for a moment.  Whether it was the wine or the atmosphere or just his stupid mind playing tricks on him, he found himself briefly thinking that the young foreigner looked kind of hot sitting there so casually, his half-shirt hugging the muscular contours of his chest and his trim stomach open for display.  “Yeah, well,” he murmured after a pause, “thanks for dinner, I guess.  It doesn’t make up for you trying to kill my little brother once upon a time, but it was worth giving you the tour.”

                Alastair lowered his gray gaze contritely.  “I know I can’t say or do anything to earn your forgiveness for my past.  But I will say the words even if they mean nothing to you.  I’m sorry, Kaiba.  I was wrong.”

                Seto just closed his eyes, not quite a nod, and then reached to pour himself more sake to stop the rush of something nice he almost said.  “We’re done, then?” he managed to say.  “This whole past business is over with, I won’t have to hear any more about your brother or your mistake or anything else?”

                “Yeah,” Alastair sighed.  “It’s over.  Everything is settled.”  He waved across the room to the waiter to bring the check.  “You can shut me out now, and forget I exist.  I won’t bring up any reminders anymore.  Shame, though.”

                Kaiba frowned at him.  “What is?”

                “That a guy like you is in such a rush to be alone tonight.”   Alastair left the comment hanging unexplained in the air between them as the check was brought and he dug out the money to cover it.   Kaiba stared into his cup and decided he had had quite enough sake.  He glanced up only briefly, when Alastair opened his wallet, and felt a twitch of surprise to see a squarish packet tucked in between the bills.  At last they were alone again, and Alastair leaned on the table with what could only be described as a flirty smile.  “Now that I’m starting to understand you, I think letting you leave here alone seems like such a waste.”

                Kaiba chuckled wryly to himself, though inside his mind reeled unsteadily between fear and curiosity.  “You aren’t seriously proposing I go back with you to your hotel?”

                “I don’t know.”  One eyebrow raised.  “Have you ever tried it?”

                “One-night stands?  Can’t say I have.”  Kaiba met the challenge with a cool stare and half-smile.  “This is quite the change.  Weren’t you insulting me just a short time ago?”

                “What can I say?  I’m kind of seeing a different side of you.  One you probably don’t even see.”  Alastair reached for his coat and shook it out.  “But, if you’re not interested, I’ll send you on your way.”  His voice softened.  “You don’t even have to drive me back, I’ll walk.”

                Seto watched him stand to put his big swishy coat on, and then stood himself, stopping Alastair with a hand on his wrist as he tried to walk past.  “You’re not kidding with me,” he said daringly.

                Alastair looked him straight in the eyes with all the seriousness he could muster.  Something about the dark, brooding personality was definitely giving him ideas he thought he’d never entertain.  “No, I’m not,” he replied.  “I mean it.”

                Kaiba scowled, holding his gaze.  “What could you possibly see in me?”

                “I’ve asked myself that question several times tonight.”   Alastair worked his hand free of Seto’s powerful grip and brushed his arm lightly with his fingers.  “And I don’t know what it is.  Maybe I’m still looking for that shred of humanity I thought I saw earlier.”

                Kaiba glanced down as the hand fell away from his arm.  Some intangible, unnamed feeling inside him crowded out the fear and silenced the old instincts that wanted to tell him this was a stupid idea.  He slipped a hand between folds of the coat and rested it on Alastair’s bare stomach, making him start.  “I’m not going to some seedy hotel.  If you want this, we’ll go back to my place.”

                Alastair stared at him, shocked.  “What…?”

                “Scared, are we?” Kaiba taunted him with a smirk.  “You started it.  Are you afraid to finish it?”

                Alastair quickly sobered, his eyes narrowing.  “No,” he answered boldly, “I’m not afraid.  Does this mean…you’re interested?”

                “Maybe.”  Seto’s voice was quiet and raw.  He lowered his gaze absently.  “It’s been a while.  I could use the distraction.”  Whatever he was thinking about, or trying not to think about, he shook himself out of it after a second and turned brusquely toward the door.  Alastair slid his hands into the pockets of his billowing coat and followed a step behind, conscious of the fact that they both had suddenly become too shy to look at each other.  Kaiba whipped out his cell phone to call his driver, so they didn’t have to wait more than a minute or two at the curb.  The driver raised an eyebrow but didn’t make any comment when he was told to go straight back to the Kaiba estate, no other stops.  Kaiba settled back in his seat and laced his fingers together, studiously keeping his eyes forward.  This was no romantic entanglement, he had no intention of getting snuggly with his companion, and from his terse, closed stance, arms folded over his chest, he guessed Alastair didn’t want to either.  But it was all Kaiba could think about the whole way home:  that lean, sexy body, soon to be spread out underneath him, getting the chance to release all his pent-up tension and take it out on his former adversary, putting him under his control.  It wasn’t about feelings, or at least that was what Kaiba tried to tell himself the closer they got to the house.  They rode in complete silence, not even sure what they would say to each other now that the deal had been made.

                Alastair glanced out the window as they pulled through the gates of the estate and stopped at the door, interested to see that it wasn’t the mansion he thought Kaiba would own.  It was a very nice house, not small, with a walled-in yard full of trees that cast dappled moonlight shadows on the front walk, but it wasn’t what he expected.  Kaiba got out with his briefcase, not waiting to show Alastair to the door but trusting he would follow, as he did.  “Kinda small, isn’t it?” the young man chided.

                “It’s only Mokuba and I,” Seto pointed out gruffly.  “I sold the old Kaiba mansion, I didn’t need it and I didn’t want to be reminded of my stepfather every time I walked in a room.”

                “I was only kidding,” Alastair lamely tried to say.   “It’s nice.”

                Kaiba didn’t remove his shoes at the door, instead going into the study to drop off his briefcase before climbing the stairs.  “This way,” he directed.  “I need to say good night to Mokuba, first.”

                Alastair sighed to himself.  “If you don’t mind,” he said quietly, “I’ll stay out of the way while you do that.”

                A piercing blue eye appeared over Kaiba’s shoulder.   “Don’t want to face him, huh?”

                “You probably don’t want to try to explain to him what I’m doing here.”

                “Good point.”  Kaiba turned right down the hallway, following the sounds coming from one of the bedrooms.  “Fine.  Do whatever you want.”

                Seto pushed at the slightly-ajar door, rapping with his knuckles as he did.  Inside, Mokuba and one of his school friends were making a lot of noise as they tried to beat each other at a video game.  Mokuba crowed, “Just a minute!” while not taking his eyes off the game, his body contorted amusingly as he pounded on the controller, mashing buttons until he could beat his friend in the fight.  That done, he turned and grinned at who it was.  “Hey, Seto.   Back from your dinner already?”

                Kaiba glanced briefly at the friend, not recognizing him, before addressing his brother.  “More or less.   Listen, kiddo…I don’t mean to abandon you, but I have an important visitor and it might be a late night.  So, I’m going to say good night to you now, in case you go to bed before I do.”

                Mokuba nodded understandingly.  “Okay.  Don’t work too hard, big bro.”

                “I’ll try not to.”  He glanced at the friend again, who seemed in speechless awe that he was in the presence of Seto Kaiba himself.  “Don’t make it too late.  You have school tomorrow.”

                “I know, I know.  I already finished my homework, so it’s okay.  Right?”

                Kaiba nodded.  “All right then.”

                “G’night, bro!” Mokuba said cheerily, waving.  Kaiba just gave him one of his small, rare smiles reserved only for his brother before turning to go, closing the door behind him.

                Alastair stood a few feet down the hall, leaning on the wall with his arms crossed as he listened to the exchange.  He glanced up as Kaiba approached, his gray eyes serious in the half-light of the hallway.  “You always do that?” he wondered.

                “When I can.”  Kaiba walked right past him, once again forcing him to follow.  “Mokuba understands that being the president of KaibaCorp means I have a lot to do and can’t always have dinner with him or see him off to bed.  But I make an effort.”  He glanced back again, and dared to smile.  “It isn’t a show for your sake, trust me.”

                “I never suspected it would be.”  They had reached the room on the far opposite end of the hallway, away from Mokuba’s, and Kaiba led the way inside.  A quick glance told Alastair that Seto was every bit as cold and sterile as he expected.  The décor was sparse, everything was put away neatly, and the huge bed in the center of the room was made perfectly with crisp black sheets.  He smiled vaguely as the door closed behind him and Kaiba went to his dresser, already undoing the silver bracers on his arms.  “Not many people have passed through here, I would guess.”

                “No one has,” Kaiba said darkly, keeping his back turned as he put away the bracers.  “Not that it’s any of your business.”

                “Actually, it is,” Alastair corrected.  “We should know each others’ history before we do this.”

                Kaiba said nothing for a while, concentrating on removing the necklace he wore with the card locket.  His experience was limited and not something he wanted to talk about or even think about, devoid of any meaning and not even that good.  But he wasn’t so stupid as to dismiss Alastair’s point – better to be safe than sorry.  “You have a condom in your wallet,” he finally said.

                Alastair nodded, unable to stop himself from blushing.  “Only one, though.”

                “Then I guess we’d better make it last.”  Kaiba turned slowly, shrugging off his purple coat in the process and leaving it over a chair.  His face betrayed no emotion, neither positive nor negative.  “If you must know,” he said in a low voice, “I’ve only been with one person.  And we took precautions.  You have nothing to worry about.”

                Alastair digested this in silence, and after a pause reached to take off his own coat.  “I haven’t been with anyone since I last got tested, about six months ago,” he murmured.  “Even so…”

               “Yeah.  We’ll do the smart thing.”  Kaiba went to him and took his coat, tossing it over the back of the same chair with his own coat.  He still couldn’t look the red-haired young man in the eye, afraid of the thoughts racing through his head.  His body wouldn’t let him ignore the primal pull, but this time he couldn’t say for sure that he was able to divorce his heart from the moment.  Not that his heart knew any better what it wanted, it got about as much use as the rest of him.  Alastair’s hand came up, brushing cautiously across the black shirt stretched tight over Kaiba’s broad chest.  They were nearly the same height, meaning it didn’t take much for Seto to be able to look up and observe the face across from him.  Alastair did have beautiful eyes, the gray of storm clouds, framed in long, dark lashes.  A tentative expression crossed his face, his petite lips parting as if to say something.  Kaiba placed a hand firmly on his arm to restrain him.  “I don’t kiss,” he said sullenly.

                Alastair flinched with surprise.  “What?”

                “That’s something cute couples do when they’re in love.  And I’m not in love.”

                His companion dared to smirk at that.  “Then you don’t know what you’re missing.  You don’t have to be in love, you know.”

                “Don’t you get it?”  Kaiba’s tone was sharp, but not his usual flavor of anger or smugness.  “This doesn’t mean anything to me.  So don’t try to get all romantic on me.  It’s not going to work.”

                Alastair did not back down, a faint smile remaining on his lips.   “I’m not a romantic either.  I just have more experience than you, and I think you’re being silly.  For someone who claims he doesn’t need emotions, you have a pretty strong sentimental attachment to kissing.”  He leaned in closer, looking up from under the red hair falling over his eyes and grinning in challenge.   “Sounds to me like it’s a case of ‘don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.’”

                Kaiba snorted in disbelief, turning away.  He kicked off his shoes and left them beside the dresser, barely glancing to watch Alastair do the same with his stylish motorcycle boots.  The more he talked, the more Kaiba began to fear that Alastair really did understand him better than he did himself, that he could see through the façade of strength and aloofness as though it were glass.  Before he could decide what move to make next, slender hands freed from their gloves slid around his chest from behind, forcing him to turn around.  Alastair kept his hands resting cautiously on Kaiba’s waist, giving him every opportunity to run away, before stretching up and teasing his lips lightly across Seto’s.  Kaiba stood as though paralyzed, eyes wide open, as fire stole up his back and seared into his chest from just that one feathery touch.  It wasn’t at all what he expected.  He was used to seeing people on the street with their big, wet, stupid smooches, he wanted no part of that, but this…this awoke something in him that had never been there before.  He lowered his head and let his eyes drift closed as Alastair leaned in to kiss him again, a little more firmly but still gently, trailing away like a whisper.  Kaiba’s defenses crumbled, his mind and heart finally agreeing on something – he wanted more of that.   It made his whole body shiver and ache with need, and his heart beat quicker.  He unconsciously placed his hands on Alastair’s shoulders, pulling him closer.  Alastair smiled to himself in triumph as he slid his arms further around Kaiba’s waist, falling into a long series of slow, tantalizing kisses, each one building in intensity.  At last the wall of restraint shattered and Seto dove in hungrily, clenching a hand in the shorter hair at the back of his partner’s neck and just kissing him fiercely, lost in the sensation.   They only broke apart when they needed to breathe, finally able to meet each other’s eyes and search them for a sign of what to do next.  Alastair had been clinging to Kaiba’s shirt hard enough to tug it free from his waistband, so he gave a teasing smile and snuck his hands up under the shirt, brushing his fingertips lightly along Kaiba’s flanks.  Kaiba got the hint and pulled the shirt up over his head, flinging it aside on the floor.  When he turned his gaze back to Alastair, he was surprised to see a calm, eager, almost impressed look in those gray eyes.  Alastair even smiled.  “And here I thought a desk jockey like you would be soft and scrawny,” he murmured.

                Kaiba smirked back.  “Not at all.  I keep trained.”

                Eyebrows went up.  “Trained…?”

                Kaiba took an aggressive step forward, and Alastair raised a hand to catch him.  Kaiba grabbed that wrist and in a flash, had turned his partner around and bent the arm over his head, trapping him with an arm around his throat.  Alastair tensed in surprise, unsure what was happening, but the hold put him in no pain or discomfort.  The thin but deliciously muscled body was pressed against his back, but Kaiba wasn’t even breathing heavy.  “Yes,” he purred, “trained.”

                “I see,” Alastair breathed.  The choke hold dropped away, and the hand pinning his arm back loosened, though it still held him back against Kaiba.  Seto’s other hand drifted down and across Alastair’s bare stomach, seeming to discover for the first time just how good it felt to touch warm skin, not stopping for a while.  Alastair let his head fall back against Kaiba’s shoulder, panting just a little from the unrelenting soft touch.  The hand roamed upward and slid under the edge of the tight shirt, making Alastair stiffen in anticipation.   Kaiba caressed beneath his shirt for a moment before tugging it up, helping him out of it without a word.  A shake of his head let all that red hair fall back into place, and Alastair turned around slowly with dreamy eyes and a seductive half-smile, aware of Kaiba’s gaze following the lines of his body.  They both just stood there and stared at each other, admiring the view and waiting for the other to make the next move.  Without thinking, Kaiba lifted a hand and drew it down the center of Alastair’s bared chest, his eyes flicking to the pendant resting just below his throat.  For the first time he realized it was a dragon, very similar to a Blue Eyes.   He wasn’t sure what it meant, if it was a coincidence or not, so he decided to ignore it for now.  His hand was still on a trip of its own devising, across the firm chest and down the lines of a trim stomach.  Alastair reached to reciprocate, tracing his fingers along Seto’s collarbone and throat, and then his lips.  For the first time, Kaiba flinched, looking away uncomfortably.  His partner frowned.  “What’s the matter?”

                Kaiba closed his eyes, unable to answer.  Truthfully, he had seen something in Alastair’s expression that scared him, and felt it when he touched his lips:  caring.  He just wanted a good, hot fuck, why did feelings have to come into it?  He left his hand resting gingerly on Alastair’s waist, suddenly hyper-aware of their closeness and the gray eyes focused on him with lingering question.  “You wouldn’t understand,” he managed to say after a while.

                “Kaiba…why are you doing this?”

                Seto glanced back at Alastair, perplexed.  The red-haired young man looked his most serious, but not the least bit angry, as he went on.  “I figured you’d just see me as a cheap fuck, but if that were the case, you would have thrown me down on the bed already and not cared about exploring or anything.”

                Blue eyes closed again, briefly.  “I don’t know,” Kaiba murmured.  “Maybe I’m looking for that shred of humanity also.”

                Alastair leaned in very close, his lips next to his partner’s ear, and breathed, “Your reputation is safe with me.  What happens in this room stays here.”  He placed a hand squarely in the center of Kaiba’s chest and pushed him steadily backwards a few steps until the bed came up behind him.  His touch moved to Kaiba’s shoulder, but he didn’t need to force this time; Seto willingly sank to a s