Queer as Tachi – Chapter 83
The small, unassuming flat in a neighborhood somewhere in the middle of everything was a little pricey, Alastair thought, for so little square footage, but such was the way of life and real estate in Japan. It suited his needs exactly, being an equal distance from important locations like work, the Kaiba estate, and the home of his only other real friend in the city, and within his budget once he started receiving steady paychecks. And, with his employer’s promise to pay his fees so he could relocate without any problem, he was able to sign for it and agree to move in right away. He only really had the weekend to himself, now, before beginning his job and his new life as a resident of the city and a new country. He had already accepted Kaiba’s assistance in getting his papers squared away, and reluctantly agreed to let him pay for some business attire, but beyond that he refused to take any more of Kaiba’s money or time. The flat came partially furnished with just a futon, a table, a desk, and the appropriate tatami, but he swore he didn’t need anyone to buy him anything else – he would take care of his own needs after he had been paid and decided what he wanted. Kaiba didn’t argue, he was in complete agreement with Alastair on that point and had no intention of interfering with his lifestyle. The only thing he had his way on was going along on the day Alastair chose to move in to inspect his choice of living space. It wasn’t that Alastair needed any help moving, for all he had to bring was his clothes and personal effects which all fit into the large backpack he had brought with him, but he accepted Kaiba’s demand without a word.
They drove separately, so Alastair could take his bike and Kaiba his own car, which carried Alastair’s things to his new place. A flick of the lightswitch revealed a plain, rather bare interior with no decoration and the barest hints of furniture, and beyond the sliding glass door at the far side of the main room, the tiniest balcony ever. Kaiba stood there in the entry while Alastair carried his bags around the corner into the bedroom, which was only separated from the rest of the flat by a moveable screen, and rummaged around for a minute hanging something in the closet. “Go ahead, say it,” he called out to his distant partner.
“Say what?” Kaiba responded blandly.
Alastair came back out of the bedroom, flipping back an errant strand of hair with his finger. “Whatever snide comment you were going to make about the size or the view or anything else that doesn’t meet your standards.”
His companion shook his head. “I don’t have any problem with it. It’s…it’s nice.”
Alastair noticed his hesitation and smirked very slightly. “You can come in. I don’t care about custom, I’m not from around here, remember?”
Kaiba blinked, glanced down at his shoes, and decided to step inside without removing them. He didn’t care about custom either, but it was ingrained in him enough to make him wait until being invited. “This is it, huh?”
“Yep.” Alastair turned and slowly paced through the main room, raising an arm to indicate the entirety of his flat. “You can get the grand tour just by standing in one spot. Kitchen, living room, bedroom, balcony. Bathroom’s around the corner.” He paused by the patio door and turned with a smile. “It’s all so very Japanese. I’ll have to get used to it.”
“What, meaning that it’s cleaner and safer than whatever roach motel you might have called home in Prague?” Seto snorted to himself and folded his arms. “All things considered, you could have done a lot worse.”
“Well, fortunately, when I was narrowing down my search, someone from the relocation office at my new workplace called and offered some advice,” Alastair grinned. “Some particular neighborhoods they’ve had success placing people into. This one seemed just right.” He shrugged stiffly and tucked his hands into his pockets. “It’s not like I’m going to be spending a lot of time here. A good place to eat and sleep, that’s about it.”
Kaiba eyed him. “You’re not expecting to be wasting the rest of your free time at my place, are you?”
“Not remotely,” Alastair replied. “I figure I’d probably be working late half the time, and the rest, going out clubbing or something.” He narrowed his eyes in a challenging sort of smile. “I have other friends here in Domino besides you. Or I will, as soon as I give Yugi a call and tell him how it all worked out.”
“Ah.” Arms still folded, Kaiba turned and wandered through the apartment, vaguely inspecting it with just a practiced glance. It was naturally small but very well-kept, and seemed to have been remodeled recently. For an efficiency flat, it was actually pretty nice. “All the same…”
“If you call me up and invite me, I won’t say no,” Alastair remarked before he could even say it. “You know. For Mokuba’s sake. He’s going to miss having me around.”
“Yeah. Mokuba might like to have you over for dinner once in a while,” Seto conceded.
A short silence passed between them, as Kaiba stood with his back to Alastair, who remained leaning against the door to the balcony. The sun was setting beyond the walls; they had waited until late to make the move, so Alastair could have one last big free dinner at Kaiba’s expense. Now that he was here, along with all his things, there was nothing left for either of them to do – but plenty to say, if either felt like dredging up the courage to do so. After a long while, Alastair merely heaved a sigh. “Man. New job, new flat, new motorcycle…new laptop, new cell phone even…I hardly recognize myself anymore.”
“Be careful, you just might become respectable,” Kaiba sniffed. “Then I won’t recognize you, either.”
“You’ve got the new number…right?” Alastair asked hesitantly.
Kaiba’s cell phone was in his hand in an instant, and with just a few keyclicks, he was able to report, “I have your cell phone, your landline, your address, and your work number and email.” He smirked to himself. “And your duel network user profile is still added to both my accounts.”
“Oh yeah, that. Guess I have the time to use it again, don’t I?”
Kaiba turned back towards him, and stood gazing at him for a moment. The light of the setting sun filtering through the trees and glancing in through the patio door set Alastair’s red hair on fire and put a blushing glow on his cheeks and lips. Yet, it also shadowed his gray eyes, making him look weary and hunted as he lifted his gaze to his partner’s face. Kaiba just stared, finding him beautiful and a little bit scary at the same time, and at a loss for anything to say. He finally cleared his throat and looked down at his feet, muttering, “Well…”
“Yeah,” Alastair sighed. “That was all it took. I’m all moved in. Thanks,” he added, with an absent nod toward the bedroom and the closet. “For the new clothes. I’m sure my boss will appreciate you making me presentable.”
The slightest laugh whiffed across Kaiba’s lips. “Yeah, sure.”
He turned on his heel, awkwardly trying to form the words to say goodbye, but Alastair suddenly pushed himself away from the window and came up behind him, stopping him with his hands on his shoulders. “Not yet,” he murmured. “I’m not done yet.”
Kaiba lowered his head, and his voice. “What more do you want?”
“Let’s go for a ride,” Alastair suggested. “On my bike.”
“A ride? Where?”
The young man shook his head. “Nowhere, anywhere, just…a drive on my motorcycle. Come on. What do you say?”
Kaiba thought about it for a moment, and then gave a slight nod of consent. It would give him a chance to be with Alastair without having to do or say anything except cling to him and enjoy the high-speed thrill. It only took a second to lock up, and then they were climbing astride the fast bike and hiding their identities beneath helmets, zipping out of the cramped parking lot behind the building and zooming away into the coming night. Kaiba kept his arms wrapped tightly around Alastair’s chest and waist, melding their bodies together so they could lean into the turns as one and hunch low over the motorcycle to urge it to speed. It was the sort of activity that didn’t require much thought, so he could detach himself and not have to entertain his heart’s inner conflicts. He had never openly said how relieved he was that Alastair would be living in Domino, just a phone call away at any time, or that he might be willing to give this relationship thing a try. Calling in a demand for a sex partner was not exactly the most important thing he considered about Alastair’s location, but the fact that they both knew they’d be wanting the same thing out of each other time and again gave him an excuse not to bring up anything more flowery. Just to be sure, Kaiba allowed his hand to glide lower while they sat at a stoplight and give his partner a small grope through his jeans. The glancing turn of Alastair’s head showed that he approved of the gesture. But it was mostly about the fast ride, the drone of the motor and the sting of the wind as it whipped through their coats and chilled Alastair’s bare stomach. Twilight had fallen and the first stars were out when they made it back to the flat, and Alastair pulled his partner into the concealing shelter of the shadowed front entry to say his goodbye – he knew Kaiba wouldn’t want his face seen in the area. But Kaiba placed his hand on the door, and gave him a curious look when it wasn’t unlocked for him. Alastair blinked in confusion at him, and asked reflexively, “You want to come up?”
Blue eyes gleamed in the darkness. “If you’re offering.”
A rush of warmth brought a minor blush to Alastair’s cheeks. “Yeah, sure. Come on in.”
He fumbled to unlock the security door, and hardly dared to glance back at the man following a step behind all the way to his second-story home. Kaiba’s hand fell on the door and practically pushed it open ahead of them, and then he was catching Alastair up in his arms, kicking the door shut behind him even as his hands snaked underneath his partner’s coat and sought to warm his chilled midsection. Alastair heaved a long, eager sigh and lifted his face to meet the kiss plunging toward him. In seconds their coats were off, and Kaiba pushed his lover up against the nearest wall to kiss him further, clasping his hands over the gloved ones beneath him. They kissed breathlessly for a while before finally calming down, though Alastair merely sagged into his partner’s arms and rested his hands on his shoulders, his face hot and breath stolen away. “Well,” he whispered. “I had kind of hoped, but…”
Kaiba’s hand fumbled up under his cropped shirt and playfully favored his chest and one nipple. “What better way to christen your new residence?” he murmured deeply.
Alastair laughed shyly. “I haven’t even made the bed, yet.”
“Then you won’t have any sheets to get dirty, will you?” Kaiba backed off to share a look with him, but it grew too meaningful and made him break off with a sly chuckle. “Unless you want to do it somewhere more creative.”
“No,” Alastair chuckled back. “It’s fine.” He pushed against Seto just enough to be able to worm out of his dominant embrace and take him by the wrist instead, towing him around the corner into the bedroom. “Just give me a second to get my things out of my bag, and I’m all yours, for as long as you want.”
“I have to work in the morning,” Kaiba reminded him. “I can’t stay.”
“That’s okay. So do I.” Alastair let go of him, but then leaned in for another kiss, slower and more tender than their first rush of passion. “It’ll be enough. First time here. I can accept that.” His gray eyes lightened as he backed away to go and unpack the necessary items from his bag. “First of what I hope is many, anyway. Right?” Kaiba said nothing in response, but the look on his face said it all. Rather than look away in discomfort, he just stood there and held his lover’s gaze, his eyes glimmering in the half-light with the faintest smile.
The onset of autumn sent September spiraling into October, but the whirlwind of activity centered around Yugi and his friends seemed to have finally settled down. Not only had Tristan found a job to his liking, so had Marik, as a clerk in a bookstore near campus. Alastair called for Yugi at the game shop to let him know that he had rejected Sony in favor of a better job in town, and shared all of his information just in case Yugi ever wanted to go out dancing with him. Sure, clubbing in Shinjuku was now out of the question, but Alastair knew he had exhausted all chance of getting Kaiba to play with him in one shot, so Yugi was his best bet to have a friend to go out with. With everyone finally back on their feet, Yugi could relax and think ahead to the Tokyo Game Expo, which he and Grandpa Muto had both registered for, and the full moon just a few days before it. There may have been any number of opportunities for the lovers to indulge in, plenty of friends to hang out with and places to go, but in the intervening days, Yami began to notice that Yugi hadn’t made any plans at all. No one had called them, and the only thing he knew for sure was that Duke’s Dungeon Dice Monsters tournament would be held the same day as their ritual day-out. Yugi did not play the game, the original Duel Monsters was his drug of choice, but when specifically needled about it he suggested that maybe he and Yami could go down later in the evening for the post-tournament party and mini-concert. Duke still hadn’t told him what band he had booked, but promised Yugi that he’d probably like it a lot. As the days flew by and the autumn weather grew darker and more chilly, the pharaoh’s spirit started to think it all very mysterious, the way Yugi wouldn’t mention plans or even hint to having some kind of secret surprise waiting. Perhaps the young one was just getting better at hiding it, but it really looked to Yami like Yugi was forgetting about the time of the month and their ritual. At last, Yami gave up completely and went into a mood. He had the perfect chance to find out from Yugi what he wanted to do when Duke called to tell him about the tournament party and the reason he ought to come down for it even if he wasn’t into the game. Yugi bugged him repeatedly about the concert, since it was such a unique thing that they had never tried before, until Duke finally sighed, “All right, I’ll tell you! It’s not like you couldn’t find out just by picking up one of the advertising flyers anyway. I put up a bunch around town, to try to bring in extra people for the party and maybe get them interested in the game.”
“Oh, I didn’t know that,” Yugi said innocently. “So who is it? Someone I might have heard of?”
“I don’t know, I don’t know how into the pop music scene you are. It’s a little band out of Tokyo called Bad Luck.”
Yugi’s eyes went wide, hearing that. “Are you serious? Bad Luck? The one they’re playing on the radio right now, with the song…oh, what’s it called? Some English name…”
“That’s probably the same one, then, yeah.” Duke chuckled over the line. “So you have heard of them.”
“Well, yeah! I have their CD. That’s awesome! Of course Yami and I will come down for that. I didn’t think they’d be big enough to tour around the country yet…”
“They’re trying to get their name out,” Duke noted. “So yeah, they’re gonna play my little game shop. You know, you and Yami could come down for the whole day if you didn’t have any other plans…”
“Oh, I don’t know if that’s going to be possible,” Yugi said nonchalantly. “We’ll see.”
After wrapping up the phone call, Yugi let his mind wander inward to test and see if his partner had overheard everything, but to his surprise, Yami’s presence felt as though it were wrapped in a cloak of ice. He did not respond to the mental probing, requiring Yugi to close his eyes and call out to him via the connection between their minds. Even then, all the spirit could muster was an aloof response. “Hmm? Did you say something, Yugi?”
Yugi had taken the call upstairs in his room, since he wasn’t on duty yet, giving him the opportunity to direct all of his energy into communing with his partner – and entering the Puzzle if he had to. “Is everything okay, Yami?” he wondered, slumping onto his bed with his eyes closed so he could focus all of his attention on the spirit inside him. “What’s the matter?”
Despite his intention to brood, Yami could not resist his lover’s soft, innocent voice and pure query. The icy silence around him began to ease almost immediately. “So you do wish to speak to me, after all. I had to wonder.”
“Yami?” Yugi’s eyes flew wide open for a second, and then squeezed tightly shut again so he could focus. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand. Can I…can I come into the Puzzle for a moment?”
Yami’s mental voice was soft and low. “I can’t keep you out if you wish it.”
Upset now, Yugi sat back on his bed so his back rested against the wall, and then dropped his head as he slipped into the trance required for his mind to be able to cross the boundary into the Puzzle’s shadow world. He pushed open the door between their minds, but found the big, steel one across the corridor closed. Yugi paused there for a moment, laying his hand on the door, while he wondered what he might have done to upset his partner. They never kept anything from each other except secret birthday plans. He decided to politely knock first, and then tested the latch. It was open.
Yami was not waiting in the space directly before the door as usual, but it didn’t take a very long search to find him. He sat at the top of one of the staircases to nowhere, his arms wrapped around his knees and a sullen look in his violet eyes. Yugi climbed up and sat down next to him, staring at his own feet for now. “I don’t know what I did to make you mad,” he said quietly, “but I’m sorry. You know I never mean to hurt you…I love you too much.”
“I’m not mad,” Yami said just as softly, turning his head toward his partner. “I’m just…confused. Usually, around this time of each month, you and I can’t stop ourselves from eagerly discussing what we want to do on the ritual day. But this time, you’ve said hardly a word. Even when Duke asked if we had plans, just now, you gave him an evasive answer.” He breathed a ragged sigh. “I don’t understand.”
“Is that it?” Yugi turned toward him, his eyes widening innocently. “Oh…Yami. I’m so sorry. I…I was trying to make it a surprise. I didn’t know how else to keep you from finding out – with our minds so closely bonded…”
Yami turned toward him in response, blinking hugely. “That’s all? You…wanted to surprise me?”
Yugi bit his lip and shrank away. “Well…yeah…”
Relief and exasperation lit the pharaoh’s elegant eyes. “Why didn’t you just say so? You know I won’t pry if you wish to give me a surprise.”
Yugi covered his face with his hands. “I’m so stupid,” he lamented. “I’m sorry, Yami, I…I didn’t mean to upset you. Oh, you must have thought I didn’t want to talk to you…”
Yami’s hand came to rest on his shoulder, warm and comforting in its familiarity. “It’s all right. As long as that’s all it is…it’s just a misunderstanding.”
“I’m sorry!” Yugi whirled around and threw himself into his lover’s arms, hugging him tightly around the chest. “I didn’t realize you didn’t know…I didn’t mean to hurt you!”
The pharaoh hugged him back, his mood easing considerably now that he understood. “Next time, just tell me,” he implored. “I will understand if you want to keep a secret for the sake of a surprise. It’s not as though you’re trying to hide something significant from me.”
Yugi sagged against him. “I’m just so used to being completely open,” he murmured, “we haven’t hid anything from each other for so long. I didn’t know how to think about it and not let you find out automatically. I guess I just closed myself off instead…”
Yami chuckled and ruffled his hair affectionately. “At least that’s all it is. I was afraid it was something serious. It’s no harm done, Yugi. I understand.” He raised his lover’s face to him with a nudge to his chin. “It’s hard for me, too. The more we become accustomed to our bond, and the ritual, the more I take it all for granted. I want to have a normal life and relationship with you, but at the same time, I cherish our bond and all it affords us. We don’t often have arguments over miscommunication,” he noted.
“I guess,” Yugi said sheepishly. “Really, that’s all it is. I just want to spring a little surprise on you, that’s all. I kind of have something planned…it’s nothing big, but…”
“Say no more,” Yami assured him, brushing his cheek with gentle fingertips. “I will let you have your little secret. Think on it all you have to, I won’t pry.” He smiled adoringly. “Hearing that makes me feel very loved, Yugi. You’re going to a lot of trouble to make our day special, and I don’t even know why.” He cocked an amused look at his partner. “It isn’t for this ‘Bad Luck’ band, is it?”
Yugi finally laughed. “No, I didn’t find out about that until just now. But I do really like them,” he gushed. “I’m so excited, I can’t believe Duke got them to come all the way out here. I want to see the concert. If that’s all right with you,” he added cutely.
The pharaoh chuckled back. “Yes, that’s fine. As long as it won’t interfere in whatever other plans you have for our day.”
“No, we should be fine to go to the concert,” Yugi reassured. They sat and blinked at each other for a moment, and then shared identical, hopeful smiles. “Are we okay, then? You’re not mad at me?”
“I’m not mad at you,” Yami promised. “It’s all right. I overreacted a little.”
“Aw…it’s not like I didn’t make a mistake.” Yugi smiled sweetly, and closed his eyes in thrill as his lover leaned in and kissed him softly. They shared a long, silent moment, savoring the kiss, and then Yugi moaned tiredly. “I wish I could stay. But I have to work in a little bit.”
“I know.” Yami kissed him again, first on the lips, and then across his round cheeks and on the forehead. “I shall wait for you. I need the time to clear my mind. We can meet again, later tonight,” he vowed, lowering his voice to a purr. “And this time, I’ll leave the door open for you.”
Yugi seized his partner’s hands and squeezed them. “I can’t wait.”
No sooner had Yugi awakened from his trance and gotten up to head downstairs, and the phone rang yet again. He reached to pick it up before it could transfer downstairs into the shop, and recoiled in surprise to hear the cool murmur on the other end. “Yugi. Good, now I don’t have to leave a message.”
“Kaiba?” Yugi leaned against his desk and cradled the phone. “Well…hi. What’s up?”
“Business,” Kaiba said curtly. “I need you to come down and game test the demo for the Tokyo Game Expo. This week, the sooner the better.”
Yugi perked up in interest. The expo was a little less than two weeks away, now. “Oh, give me a second. I’m upstairs, I have to go down into the shop to check my schedule.”
“I’ll hold.”
Yugi bounced down the stairs into the shop as quickly as he could and consulted the calendar, swiping up the phone before Grandpa Muto could even ask what he was up to and hitting the button to access the second line. “Okay, well, I’m working mornings most of the rest of this week, and then it’s the full moon so…I won’t be available at all on that day…”
“You and your stupid full moon,” Kaiba grumbled, accessing a calendar of his own via the computer in front of him. “Fine. What about before then? Pick an afternoon, I’ll make room in the testing schedule for it.”
Being as he didn’t really have plans for any of the other days leading up to the ritual day, Yugi picked one at random and received the order to come down to the development department at KaibaCorp and run through the demo of Legendary Heroes. It was cutting things very close, but Kaiba sounded fairly confident about it as he made the arrangements. “You’ve been working hard on it, haven’t you?” Yugi said amiably. “I figured as much. Sure, I’ll be there.”
“This is very important,” Kaiba said sternly. “I can’t afford to have to make large changes now. If it still doesn’t work, I’ll have to scrap the plans for premiering it at the show.”
“I’m sure it’ll be okay,” Yugi said patiently. “I’ll do my best, Kaiba. You know that.”
“Fine.” With a click, he was gone. Yugi quickly penciled the appointment onto the calendar, and then glanced to one side as he sensed his partner watching over his shoulder with a smile. They both figured this would happen, even if the call itself came out of the blue.
A couple of days later, after finishing his shift at Kame, Yugi pulled on a sweater and headed downtown to the heart of Domino, to the towering skyscraper that dominated the skyline. There wasn’t anyplace to clip his security pass to, so he settled for carrying it in his hand and flashing it at the appropriate doors to let himself into the development department. From the look on Kaiba’s face the moment he spotted him, Yugi guessed that the CEO was not in a good mood. He stood in the middle of the programmers with his arms sternly folded, glaring in silence while work went on around him. His expression didn’t soften at all when he turned to find Yugi coming up to him with a little wave. “Finally,” he grumbled, even though Yugi wasn’t the least bit late. “Let’s get this over with, if I’m going to be making any last-minute fixes I need a head start on it.”
Yugi nodded his agreement. “That’s what I’m here for. Lead the way, I’m ready to go.”
Kaiba turned sharply and strode briskly away, trusting Yugi to follow him. He passed through a door into a smaller conference room where a game system had been plugged into the projector. Not only was it quieter in here, there were big, cushy chairs for Yugi to plop into. He wheeled one up to the game system and picked up the controller, finding himself alone with Kaiba in the small room – none of the programmers or other staff had come in with them. Though there were plenty of chairs left, Kaiba opted for standing just over Yugi’s shoulder to watch him. “A deck has already been constructed for the character you’re going to play,” he reported as he set himself in place to observe. “I chose to place the demo in a middle level, so you would already have a decent deck to use and the monsters would be slightly more of a challenge. There is a boss at the end,” he added, “but I trust that with your knowledge of the game, you’ll be able to beat it.”
“Okay,” Yugi accepted with a nod. “Anything else I should know before I start, or you want me to see if I can learn how it works as I play?”
“You’ll pick it up fairly quickly,” Kaiba said with aloof confidence. “I modified the standard duel rules slightly to accommodate the fact you’re battling the monsters directly instead of another duelist – enemy monsters only have the ability to attack your life points directly before you initiate a duel. Once you play a monster to the field, even if it gets eliminated, the enemy can no longer attack you directly. That also means you can summon high-level monsters to the field without a tribute,” he added slyly, “but with the understanding that once the duel is over, that monster will go to your graveyard and will be unavailable unless you play the right magic or trap card to resurrect it.”
“That’s good to know.” Yugi slouched back in the chair and hit the “start” button on the controller to bring up the game menu and begin. “And even if I summon high-level monsters, I assume all the other rules are still in place? They have to be the right attribute and are subject to magic and traps and effects like normal?”
Kaiba nodded. “Mhm.”
“Okay, then.” Yugi found he had only two options, “play demo” and “exit,” so he selected appropriately and hunkered down to play. The moment his character popped up on screen – his favorite one, in the blue armor and red cape – he allowed himself a happy grin before hitting the button that in most games would bring up an inventory or menu. As expected, he had access to his deck from that screen, and made a little noise of pleased surprise to see how it had been designed to give the player a “hand” of sorts to draw into and play from. There were five slots in which he could carry cards, and his open hand constituted the “draw” slot for when a fight began. “Cool,” he said, before deftly setting up the five cards he wanted closest to him and then setting out on his mission. Without the benefit of storyline to guide him to that point, he had to rely on the old-fashioned RPG approach to discovering what to do: talking to every character he ran into. His character had been dropped into a small village on the far side of the forest, so there was enough to interact with and deduce his goal for that level. As he walked his little armored man around, Yugi asked over his shoulder, “Are these people all going to be voiced in the final game, or just text?”
Kaiba eyed him. “What would you suggest?”
Yugi pursed his lips in thought, his eyes still on his figure on the screen. “Well, it’s always a little more exciting when everybody has voices, but it’s really only absolutely necessary for cut scenes, and any character that’s going to be recurring later or has a prominent role in the game. These random villagers, if this is the only time you’re going to see them, you can get away with just the text boxes.”
Kaiba nodded his head toward the screen. “That one, the one you’re about to talk to. He’ll be voiced in the final version. I just haven’t had time to cast voice actors yet.”
“That’s fine.” Yugi did as expected and talked to the character, and at last the suggestion of a mission came up. He followed the game’s prompt to let the other warrior join up with him, and together they set out into the forest looking for a particular sorcerer who held some kind of key to a bigger issue in the story. The first monster jumped out at them as soon as they entered the forest, and Yugi got a quick lesson in how the battle system worked. After that, he played without comment for a good long while as he simply got so into the game that he forgot to say anything, except to cheer his minor successes as he went. Kaiba hung eagerly over his shoulder, noting his enthusiastic posture and determined look as well as his player-character’s victories and battle strategies. He said nothing to offer hints to make the battles go any quicker or easier, but true to Yugi’s nature as a gamer, he figured the best strategies out by himself and had even taught himself a quick cheat to be able to avoid getting attacked immediately by weaker enemies before making it to the end of the level. He expected that the boss would be a spellcaster-type, and anticipating it as such, prepared himself to meet the inevitable assault with a couple of nice cards he had picked up randomly for beating monsters along the way. As a result, he beat the sorcerer on the first try, though he almost lost all of his life points before battling back to a win. The reward was a rare card – the Magician of Black Chaos – money, and game information that would help him progress to the next goal if he were actually playing a full game. Upon completing the level, Yugi sighed in relief and swiveled his chair to face Kaiba. “Now that’s more like it. That’s what I would expect out of Legendary Heroes, as a game.”
Kaiba’s expression lightened a bit. “You enjoyed it?”
“Yeah, it’s pretty neat. I mean, it’s only a tiny glimpse into a much bigger story, but at least I felt like there really is more story waiting to be uncovered. It’s such a tease, now I want to know what happens next!” Yugi laughed. “I know the basics, but…you’ve changed a lot of it. I like how the duel system works, too. It’ll take some getting used to, but I think for the most part, that’s the best way to do it. You can’t just expect that the top card you draw off your deck is going to be the one you need, but you don’t want to create a bigger duel disk for the characters to use, either. That would be too much like real life dueling.”
The company president nodded his acknowledgement of the criticism. “Anything else?”
“Well…just that, it’s starting to look really good. The graphics are gorgeous,” Yugi gushed. “I’ve just got a couple questions about the overall game play and balance, though.”
Kaiba gave another slight nod. “We’ll go up to my office and discuss them. I would like to hear your take on larger game issues, in the off chance someone asks about them at the press conference.” The slightest twinkle of sly amusement came into his blue eyes. “Maybe I’ll even show you the trailers and cinematics we’ve prepared for the game expo.”
“Ooo!” Yugi perked up like the gamer geek he was. “Would you? Thanks, Kaiba! That’s really cool!”
“In exchange…” Kaiba turned on his heel and stalked toward the door, pulling it open. “I’d like you to repeat everything you just told me in front of the software team. They’re behind schedule and far from supportive, and no amount of threat from me is getting through to them. Maybe if they heard it from an independent source, it would sink into their thick heads.”
“Sure,” Yugi said blithely, hopping up from the chair. He took one quick, longing look over his shoulder at the game demo, wishing he could save his progress, but there was no means to do so at this time. It was merely a demo, anyway, he couldn’t have done anything with it afterwards, but he felt rather proud of himself for picking up the cards he had.
Kaiba’s mood had been lightened just watching Yugi play, since his opinion of the game had gone from sheepishly embarrassed to overly enthusiastic, and it gave him no end of evil glee to trot his game tester out in front of the programming department to prove where he was right and they were wrong. The one or two niggling things Yugi wanted to complain about, not so much for the demo itself but to consider for the finished game further down the road, were direct results of the clashes between the president and his software team, giving Kaiba even more reason to be smug when Yugi suggested – without any prompting whatsoever – the same things Kaiba had been insisting all along. The programmers awkwardly turned back to their work, making note of the game tester’s opinions to advise their decisions later, leaving Kaiba free to call the test a success. There were no glaring problems with the demo itself, no glitches or alterations that had to quickly be made before revealing it in Tokyo next week, unless he chose to scare up a temporary voice actor to fill in for the team character that had to be recruited on that level. He resolved to worry about that tomorrow, instead gesturing for Yugi to come with him up to the penthouse office to discuss some of those game play issues they had touched upon.
Yugi’s query about whether you could get cards when you beat monsters or just currency to spend on cards in the towns led to a long discussion of game economy and the availability of cards to upgrade decks, and once again they were off on a tangent that kept them sequestered away in Kaiba’s office until closing time. He had shown Yugi the trailers that would play at the expo, but told him the rest of the presentation was a secret and if he wanted to see it, he would have to be there himself. Yugi swore he would, both him and his grandfather. “After all, I’ve been talking it up since you first had me come in to game-test,” Yugi grinned. “I can’t wait to see it.”
“So you’re both going to be there,” Kaiba noted aloofly. “Well. It should blow your little minds, so make a point to be there.”
Yugi had been looking over his shoulder to see some of the cinematics on his computer, so he had a chance to glimpse everything the company president had at his fingertips. “What day of the expo will it be? We’ll make sure to get there early.”
Kaiba swiftly pulled up a calendar and scrolled ahead to the weekend of the game expo, which was filled with line after line of scheduled tasks and meetings. “Second day,” he noted. “Ten a.m. Just as most of the fanboys are entering the hall and coming to see what KaibaCorp has to offer.”
Yugi saw something else on the calendar, too. “Hey…your birthday is right after the expo.”
Kaiba bristled and immediately closed the calendar before Yugi could see any more of the schedule. “Yeah, so?” he muttered brusquely. “It’s no big deal. I came of age last year, from here on out it’s just getting older by the minute. I don’t celebrate birthdays.”
“Well, I know you’re not into doing stuff with friends, like I do all the time,” Yugi said airily. “But you shouldn’t ignore it. It’s your one day every year to have people make a fuss over you. Although,” he added with a laugh, “I guess being the president of a big company like this, people make a fuss over you all the time.”
“I don’t need a fuss,” Kaiba said curtly. “I don’t care if anyone notices my birthday, and that means you, too.” He turned his chair sharply, as if to force Yugi to back away from him, which he did. Seto glowered up at him. “Forget that you saw that. I don’t want you thinking we’re all friendly and you have to do anything on behalf of my birthday. Got it?”
“All right, all right,” Yugi chuckled, holding up his hands. “If that’s what you want. That’s the day after the expo, anyway, it’s not like you and I will be in any position to hang out. I’m sure you’ll be back here hard at work on Legendary Heroes, and I’ll be in the shop as usual. Just…” He turned away, but gave Kaiba a knowing look over his shoulder as he went around the desk. “…make sure Alastair knows. If Mokuba hasn’t told him already.”
Kaiba chose not to react as he busied himself shutting down his laptop and packing it away to take home. “I would assume, based on our past meetings, that you would prefer my driver take you home rather than leave you to wait for a bus,” he said in a bored tone.
Yugi shrugged casually. “It is kind of cold out, today. I wouldn’t mind a ride.”
“Fine.” Kaiba picked up his briefcase and swept past on his way to the door. “This way.”
Yugi was only mildly disappointed to find that Kaiba didn’t have the fancy sports car today, only his usual driver to chauffeur him around the city. They settled on opposite ends of the back seat, Kaiba with his arms folded in a closed-off stance. Yet, some distance into the drive, it was he who broke the silence between them. “Have you heard from Alastair, lately?” he asked in a low tone, as if keeping his question private.
Yugi blinked at him. “Uh…yeah, he gave me a call a couple weeks ago, so I would have his new number and everything.” He cracked a faint smile. “I’m glad he decided to stay in town…”
“It’s nothing to make a big deal about,” Kaiba muttered.
“You didn’t dump him or anything, did you?” Yugi also quieted his voice for the sake of a personal conversation. “It’s been almost a month since we all went out, so…for all I know…”
“It’s really none of your business,” Kaiba said shortly, turning his gaze to the window beside him. After a moment, though, he added, very softly, “No, I didn’t. He’s still…making himself a presence in my life.”
“Ah…” Yugi smiled knowingly. He could have been mistaken, but he thought Kaiba seemed to be a little shy about it. He decided not to pry any further, even if it did appear that the subject awakened a subtle sense of comfort in his comrade. “Well, don’t worry,” he added with a grin. “The only reason Alastair wanted me to have his number was so we could make plans to go dancing – since you won’t go with him. He thought I’d make better company.”
Kaiba snorted. “You got that right.”
Yugi sat back in the seat and cast his gaze absently out the window, musing over the memory of their double-date nearly a month ago and the hilarious look of panic on Kaiba’s face when he realized Yugi had seen him trying to dance. “It’s okay, you know. A relationship isn’t about agreeing on everything all the time. That can be his thing, it doesn’t have to be an obstacle between you. Though…there should always be a little bit of compromise.” He thought of his own partner, and the tiff they had had not too many days before. “Both partners should be willing to do something to please the other instead of himself all the time. If one always has to have his way, no matter what…well, that can’t be any fun for the other.”
He trailed off there, losing himself in his thoughts. Kaiba glanced briefly at him and then turned his attention to his own window, to the waning day and the pale blue sky peeking between city buildings. Whatever Yugi had been trying to advise him about, it got him thinking about Alastair in the abstract sense. Whether or not he agreed with the philosophy of compromise didn’t matter, for the young man was in his head now and he couldn’t shake the thought of getting in touch with him. He had given Alastair some space over the last few weeks, to settle in and form a routine of daily life that he could call his own, but they had seen each other a couple of times – not really dates, just quick visits. Not nearly enough to satisfy his urges. Kaiba said nothing further to Yugi the rest of the way to his place, and to his relief, Yugi had apparently exhausted his fount of relationship advice and didn’t really say much either. The driver pulled up outside Kame game shop, and Yugi departed with a cheery promise to see Kaiba in Tokyo. That done, Kaiba sat back and stared darkly at the peek of his driver’s eyes in the rearview mirror. “Head back downtown,” he ordered as the car began to pull away. “Toward the National Financial building.”
An eyebrow raised at him, but the driver wisely said “Yes, sir,” and did as he was told.
The CEO swiftly retrieved his cell phone from an inner pocket and flipped it open, selecting a number with just one click and making the call. To his annoyance, the call went to voice mail. Smirking to himself, Kaiba snarled into the phone, “Stop making more work for yourself and look out your office window. Don’t be late.” He snapped the phone shut and settled back for the short ride with a smug look, knowing enough of Alastair’s habits by now to expect that the voice mail meant he was still at work and would be rather surprised by the message. Surprised, and hopefully enticed.
The message had apparently been immediately received, for as the black car pulled up outside the bank building, there was a tall, slender, dark-coated figure already standing on the curb by his parked motorcycle with a rather perplexed look. His smirk intensifying, Kaiba opened the door and paused on the verge of sliding out. “I won’t need your services any longer tonight,” he told the driver. “You can take the car home.”
The driver boggled at him, enough to turn completely around and gape at him. “What? Sir? Is everything all right?”
“It’s fine.” Kaiba allowed himself that smug grin as he emerged from the car and leaned back in to reiterate his order. “I don’t need the car any longer. That’s all.” He slammed the door shut and turned swiftly, more or less to make his purple coat flare out as he crossed the street to where Alastair stood. The driver gave him a perplexed look through the window, not sure he ought to leave his boss stranded.
Alastair’s bike was parked around the corner from the main entrance to his office building, assuring them both that anyone else lingering after hours would not likely catch the two men meeting up. Kaiba strode right up to Alastair, still smirking, and grabbed him by the front of the coat. “Nice to see you, too,” Alastair said wryly. “To what do I owe this blatant play for my attention?”
“I’m restless,” Kaiba said bluntly. “Let’s go.”
“Anywhere in particular?”
“You have any ideas?”
Alastair’s brow twitched briefly before he began to grin. “Maybe. As long as we can swing by my place first so I can get out of these pretty clothes.”
Kaiba looked up and down his lean figure with a wolfish smile. “They do flatter you.”
Alastair made a disbelieving noise and turned to the motorcycle to hop on. “If I would have known you were going to show up out of nowhere, I would have brought the second helmet, but you’re out of luck.”
“I think I’ll survive the trip to your place,” Kaiba said sarcastically. “We’ll pick it up there.”
Alastair mounted first, and Kaiba dropped heavily behind him, clutching him around the waist. As his partner started and gunned the engine, Kaiba glanced to see that his driver was still waiting to be sure that he had a ride out of there before departing. He only glared through the window to signal that the driver’s caution was unnecessary and he should really be obeying orders right about now. The black car eased away first, followed by the motorcycle, though at the corner both went in opposite directions. It gave Kaiba something to ponder over the course of the ride, though clinging to Alastair’s sexy body eventually gave him plenty of other things to occupy his mind with, so he shelved his concerns and resolved to revisit them after the night was over. Wherever they ended up eventually, Kaiba knew that his first priority was to help Alastair out of those clothes, quickly and with a seductive flourish. Between a successful game test of his demo and finally being with his partner again after a very long work week, he was in the mood to take the rest of the night off and waste it in pursuit of pleasure. And from the way Alastair kissed him the moment they got the door to his flat open, Kaiba knew he was in complete agreement.
With much of KaibaCorp devoted to preparations for the Tokyo Game Expo, Seto knew that any minor issues that he had to handle as the boss needed to get done right away, or else be postponed until after the event. After all, he would be gone for several days leading up to the weekend show. If he didn’t take care of his business, there was no telling what state it would be in when he got back. As a result, the day following his abrupt clandestine meeting with his lover, he called Roland into his office. “I need you to get a hold of certain employees, and bring them all here to meet with me by the end of the day today,” he crisply ordered his assistant. “All at once. Make it a three o’clock meeting. I know one of the drivers will need to leave to get Mokuba shortly after.”
Roland took the list being handed over the desk and peered through his sunglasses at it. “Sir? All of the drivers…your secretaries and assistants…I don’t understand…”
“Just do it,” Kaiba said tiredly. “And you’ll need to be here as well. I have something to discuss, and I’m going to take care of it all at once instead of repeating myself ten times over.”
Roland nodded and went to do as directed, making the appropriate calls and setting everything up. He returned at three to find everyone gathered outside Kaiba’s office, waiting for him to initiate the meeting. Being as Roland was just about the only KaibaCorp employee who could annoy the boss and still get out with all of his body parts intact, they let him go first. Fortunately, the president was in a perfectly bland but serious mood, and didn’t appear to be angry with anyone or about to fire any of them. He merely waited for them all to usher themselves inside and then pushed aside his computer screen so he could face them all, folding his hands on his desk. His blue eyes narrowed slightly. “Good. This is everyone I needed to speak to.”
“Yes, sir,” Roland affirmed. “Is there something the matter?”
“Not yet,” Kaiba said, “but I’d like to keep it that way.” He let his eyes roam across the line of employees, from drivers in their caps to secretaries and personal staff. “I thought, with the game expo coming up and KaibaCorp about to enter another phase of intense public scrutiny, that I ought to take a moment to remind select employees about the clause in their contracts that prohibits them from sharing personal, confidential information with anyone not with the company.” He closed his eyes briefly, so he could think and choose his explanation carefully. “All employees are aware of this as it pertains to trade secrets, and anyone involved with the current Legendary Heroes project has already gotten more than one lecture on keeping everything regarding it under wraps. Especially with the game expo next week,” he added sternly. “But you aren’t involved directly in that, so it may be of no consequence. What I’m talking about today is the protection of personal information.” He glared roundly at them again, focusing mainly on Roland, for he was the closest to Kaiba and knew just about everything about him, on and off the job. “That clause was put in your contracts because most of you have dealings with myself and Mokuba outside this building, and I realized when Mokuba was still very young that it might be necessary to have your confidence legal and binding to keep away tabloid gossip. I had no way of knowing how he would grow up, or whether people would find our age and family origin a good subject for rumors, so it was built into every contract for any employee who might have to deal with us off the job and in our personal lives. Now. Nothing has happened, to my knowledge,” Kaiba went on, shifting his suspicious glance to the drivers at the far end of the line, “but I’d like to keep it that way. I will remind you only this once, that anything you witness of my life or Mokuba’s, good or bad, is not to be repeated to anyone who isn’t under contract to KaibaCorp themselves. Our lives are private, and I’ve worked hard to keep it that way since the day I took over control of this company. Violating any term of your contract is grounds for immediate dismissal, with the potential for legal action for defamation or slander if the case warrants. KaibaCorp is on the verge of breaking into a new market,” he concluded heavily, “and I will not have loose-lipped employees who think they know something standing in the way of our success.
“That said…” Kaiba straightened his shoulders and let a blank look take over his features. “If there is anything any of you have heard, that may not have come to my attention yet, this is your first and last chance to ask me about it. Once this meeting is over, I will not entertain rumors or gossip of any kind, and if I get wind of any being passed around, you’ve already been notified of the clause in your contract and I will consider this your last warning.” He looked along the line once more. “So?”
The drivers shuffled nervously and looked at each other. The secretaries blinked in confusion. Roland knew what his boss was getting at, but he wasn’t about to be the one to bring it up. At last, the driver who had taken him around last night cleared his throat. “Well, sir,” he began, “I know it isn’t any business of ours, but…some might take any kind of out-of-the-ordinary behavior as being…interesting. No one’s tried to get anything out of me,” he quickly added, “but…I can understand how some might be curious if they thought you were…acting weird.”
Kaiba eyed him directly. “Define weird.”
“Uh…well, sir…” The driver decided to suck it up and say it, since this was his only chance to do so without being fired for being too nosy. “There’s been a man your age hanging around the estate a lot, lately. The red-haired guy…”
“He’s a close friend of mine,” Kaiba immediately responded. “He just moved to Domino, and yes, you have seen a lot of him and probably will continue to do so. That is all anyone needs to know.”
The assistants shared a look – Mr. Kaiba calling anyone a friend was definitely out of the ordinary. “And, you don’t want it known that you have a friend who comes to visit – sir?” one of them asked.
“Who I spend my time with or where it takes me is not news to anyone at KaibaCorp,” Seto confirmed. “And if anyone dares to ask, they need to be reminded of that. What happens in my personal life, or Mokuba’s, is to be protected so we can have our privacy and not let our choices of friends affect the business of KaibaCorp. Particularly when Mokuba starts dating,” he added in exasperation, eliciting a few tittering giggles among the secretaries. “Anything else?”
The employees all looked among each other, but shook their heads. No one had any other questions about his recent doings, and dared not speculate. Kaiba nodded his acceptance. “That’s all. I haven’t had to fire anyone using this breach of contract reason, and I’d really not like to start now. Mokuba is getting to be that age where his actions might be of extreme interest to tabloid reporters, and it would be very bothersome to me to have any little rumor about our personal lives ruin my plans for Legendary Heroes and the future of KaibaCorp. Remember that. You’re dismissed.”
Everyone except Roland filed out of the office, for he had work to do alongside his boss. Glancing to make sure the door was closed and everyone else was gone, he paused to adjust his glasses and finally stepped up alongside the desk. “If I may ask, sir…”
“What is it?” Kaiba said curtly, swiveling his computer screen back towards him to resume work.
“Have there been any actual rumors around the office, or the house?” Roland wondered, a little concernedly. “I wasn’t aware that there were any problems.”
“There aren’t, to my knowledge,” the president replied. “But I’d like to head them off. People have already noticed the presence of a stranger around the house…”
“Yes, I figured this had something to do with Mr. Alastair,” Roland said sheepishly. “It’s a good thing you have us all under contract to protect your personal information, sir. I can’t imagine what would happen if people let their imagination get away from them.”
Kaiba sighed in annoyance as he typed swiftly at his computer. “I put that in all employment contracts back when we were young – I didn’t want Mokuba to be under any public scrutiny when he was barely eight years old. But now it looks like well-planned foreknowledge that I’d need it to keep rumors of my personal life from getting out.” His hands paused for a moment, and a dark look crossed his face. “I’m not going to let investors lose confidence or the business world start gossiping about the president of KaibaCorp being gay. I can’t stop people from noticing that Alastair comes and goes freely from the estate, but I can stop them from talking about it.”
Roland stiffened in surprise; he had suspected as much, but never wanted to come right out and ask his boss about the nature of his friendship with the former rival who had been lurking around. “Sir,” he said in a quiet tone, “I didn’t even…” He nervously adjusted his glasses again. “Are you? No, no, I’m sorry, it’s not my business. But what should I say, if someone should happen to ask…?”
Kaiba did not look at him, keeping his sullen eyes locked on the screen in front of him. “In the strictest sense of the word,” he finally said, his voice heavy, “no, I’m not. That’s all you need to say.”
“Very well, sir,” his assistant said with a nod. “That’s enough for me.” He reached to gather up the pile of folders on the corner of the desk, which were meant for him, but stood there for a moment with them before even considering departing. “Sir,” he said patiently, “I’ve been with KaibaCorp for a very long time, and if you think about it, I’ve practically watched you grow up before my eyes. It’s as though I consider you…well, not like a son, not nearly as close as my own children. Maybe more like a nephew. Someone I feel responsible to, and not just because you sign my paycheck. And if I may say so, with your confidence, I think that some of the recent changes to your personal life are for the better.” He made the slightest smile when Kaiba shifted a wary gaze to him. “It’s good to see you indulging yourself in something other than work and Duel Monsters.”
Kaiba stared at him for a long time, and then a sly half-smile curved his lips. “I’d like to remind you that it still isn’t any of your business, Roland.”
Roland straightened up and nodded, but with his own half-smile. “No one will hear it from me, sir. You have my solemn promise.”
Kaiba’s eyes followed his assistant as he took the armload of manila folders and left the office. Unfortunately, it seemed Alastair had the potential to be a liability after all. But with people like Roland on his side, Seto began to believe that he could have it all and not lose a thing. As long as he was careful. For once, he was grateful for Roland’s sycophantic nature; it allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief and concentrate on the game expo instead.