Atem had rushed into Kaiba Corporation a wet mess. The city sky had suddenly leaked with a downpour of both rain and snow. He hadn't been expecting it and had jumped between buildings to keep out of it. Not only because he didn't want to get soaked, clothing, hair and all, but because he was wearing his Duel Disk. He'd never forgive himself if he broke it, still his first edition Disk. He'd never bother with upgrades- though he did accept personal tweaks from Kaiba's screwdriver now and again. But it was the first one he'd ever owned, and the only one he wanted to own.

Breaking it wasn't an option. So he tried to dodge the rain, eventually seeing the towering Corporation building nearby. He damned the rest of sneaking along and took off his jacket so that he could keep his disk safe and then made a run for it. He broke into the lobby of Kaiba Corporation, the secretaries and workers stopping in their hustle to look at him standing there. He took a moment to collect himself, drenched, shaking with cold now. At least his disk was safe and sound. That was all he asked for.

In just another minute Isono bustled out of the elevator and held a hand up to him. "I'm sorry, Atem-san. Seto-sama will not allow you in his office this way."

Anger made the cold fade as he bristled. …though it did make sense. He was dripping wet. Beneath him even now there was a puddle. He allowed his shoulders to droop as he realized he was already defeated. "That's fine. I just need to wait out the storm."

"-tell him my lobby isn't a daycare-" Atem heard the crackle of Kaiba's voice over Isono's radio. The anger welled right back up.

"Here." Isono held a towel up to him with a tired smile.

"-thanks." A little shocked. It wasn't that Isono was heartless, quite the opposite. But ignoring a command from the boss? He didn't have time to think about it as he grabbed the towel and began drying off his hair. He deflated even more. His clothes were surely ruined by this point. But the disk…

He lifted it up, the jacket having fallen to the ground in his haste to dry his hair. His fingers skimmed the plates but he was scared to turn it on. What if he'd failed? What if it would backfire? There was his open. "I'm going up." He declared.

Isono frowned. "But-"

He didn't want to put Isono on the spot but he wasn't going to keep standing in the lobby like a child who had gotten separated from their parent. "My disk might be broken." A little firmer. Kaiba was listening. He had to have been. Though doubt simmered a little as Isono just looked at him.

Then his head tilted up and he looked like he was listening. Kaiba wasn't letting him hear now, unlike before. But the man turned back with a nod. "Go ahead." But when Atem moved- "Ah… please dry off a little bit more first."

Atem resisted a roll of his eyes as he did as he was told. Once satisfied enough he slung the towel over his shoulder and entered the elevator with Isono, riding it to the top. The bodyguard gave him a nod before Atem opened the door to the office and stepped inside. The sight of a grey and wet city below lit up the room even more than the lights overhead.

"So you traipse around in the city while there's a storm and ruin your Duel Disk and just expect me to fix it for you?" Kaiba voiced, clearly disappointed, not even bothering to look up at him. Atem ignored him to go sit, but before he could- "Do not sit on my couch!"

It left him standing in the middle of the office. It was completely normal for Kaiba to be this brisk about things but he was angry, too. He'd been disturbed in the middle of serious work, Atem could see that now. He tried to bite back shivering but was unable, having instead to focus on looking at Kaiba. "I got caught. Not went out in."

Kaiba glared at him. "Listening to the weather report is beneath you, I understand. But you've failed to get to the point where this becomes my problem." He was really seething.

Atem couldn't pinpoint the reason for it. It left him uneasy, with responding anger trying to break through. "You let me up here, you must think it is your problem." He could at least get him elsewhere.

"I don't need you dripping in my lobby looking like a worthless dog in search of its master."

He'd never been privy to that type of insult before. The way it smacked him across the face hurt. Now he understood why Jonouchi couldn't bite back his anger and use sense when berated with them all the time. It hit him right in the gut and the more time passed without him saying anything he could see Kaiba waiting. Why was Kaiba acting this way? What had he done? Disturbed him in the middle of the Christmas rush perhaps but that…

An unwanted shiver broke him out of the hardest, stupidest silence of his life. How could he have let Kaiba get one up on him like that? Beyond Kaiba he could see the storm letting up. The clouds were disappearing a little. The snow was slowing. Kaiba stood seconds after his gaze had relocated, slamming his hands on his desk.

"Pay attention! This is the last time I'm going to say this to you." He growled before circling the desk to start approaching. Atem stood straight despite the shudders of cold, glaring at him now as he should have been doing this whole time. "This office is closed. You are not to come here." Atem swallowed as Kaiba reached out to shove him near the door.

Once his back hit he was forced to look straight up, Kaiba cornering him. He could see it now, the lines of worry- or was he fooling himself? It was the lack of sleep. "You let me up here. Was it only to reprimand me for getting caught in sudden storm?" Glowering darkly.

Kaiba's fist hit near Atem's head to silence him- it worked, unfortunately. He wasn't terribly scared. He could fight Kaiba if he had to. He was more worried what was driving this behavior. "Silence." Kaiba hissed, getting right in his face. Atem struggled not to back up and wedge himself into the door. He was not a coward. He was not scared of Kaiba.

Even if his heart was beating rapidly. But now he felt it. The warmth of Kaiba's body draped so close, well, pushed against his now as he was being bullied into a corner. …or was it… "Seto-"

Kaiba's hands reached down to grab his shirt in angry fists and pull him closer. "This office is closed, I said. And you are not to go around acting like an idiot when it is." Causing worry.

There it was. The realization didn't have a lot of time to break across Atem's face before they both bent for a bruising kiss. Angry. Atem was tired of the secret code, of being hit until one of them broke. Kaiba was probably tired of being interrupted- and tired of being worried. It was warming. At least it might have been, if he'd been normal and just admitted it rather than insulting him.

The sound of rain ceased against the windows. Atem only had half a mind for it as Kaiba assaulted him further, his teeth catching the shorter's lips and tongue. He fought back with a pull of Kaiba's hair and a hard twist of his tongue around Kaiba's. The rain stopped-

His better sense came back to him. While Kaiba was caught up in drawing blood from any place he could get it to prove a point Atem's hand drifted to the doorknob. Once he found it he didn't give himself time to question his escape, instead pushing it open, leaving Kaiba bracing the frame of the doors as he stumbled backwards out of reach. The secretaries knew better than to look.

"I'll leave you alone." He announced, smirking a little despite the bruises around his lips now. "I'll be at home if you desperately need to check on my duel disk. Not top priority for either of us." At home. Where he'd warm up, change clothes, not get sick. He watched Kaiba's glare lighten as he realized.

The door was slammed and he smirked to himself before leaving the top floor and riding the elevator down. The snow was light but at least he rain had stopped. Before he could fully step off the Corporation floor a car pulled up. Isono removed himself from the driver's side and opened the door.

"You don't have to."

"Seto-sama's orders."

Atem had to fight to keep his fingers from brushing the stings he still felt on his lips. "Of course they are." A little cocky reprieve, just in case Kaiba was still listening. But he couldn't wait much longer before getting into the car. Once at home he nodded to Isono in the mirror before getting out. The man got out of the car anyway, holding his hand out.

"Leave your Disk with me, please."

Now this was rich. "Is that what he said, too?"

And then Atem was surprised as Isono shook his head no. "Seto-sama has not asked for it. But he will worry about it. I'm trying to cut the trip in half when he realizes." The ever dutiful Isono.

How could he say no to that? Isono was right besides. He sighed, slipping the machine off his arm. "Only because you asked."

"It's for the best." The man smiled, taking the disk in his hands like it was a precious item. He then bowed. "Thank you, Atem-san."

"Keep an eye on him." With the 'office being closed', which was not new terminology, Atem really wasn't supposed to go there. Not to take Kaiba home to sleep. Not to try and get him to eat. Nothing. This wasn't his first Christmas season with the brunet but he still worried. He didn't like it.

"I have for a long time. You don't need to worry." Right. Before Atem there was Mokuba and of course Isono. Maybe it had been selfish of him to assume there were no other nets. Kaiba had gotten here, after all, hadn't he?

He turned towards the door, feeling a little better. "You need a raise." Truly. Though he didn't think Kaiba was unaware of Isono's unending love for the brothers and the company. How could anyone be?

"I don't work for Seto-sama for the money, Atem-san." Isono replied easily before stepping back to the driver side door. "Have a good night." Atem waved over his shoulder before opening the door. Waiting out the Christmas rush was always hard. He hated it. But given Kaiba's state he knew it was necessary. Now he just had to avoid any more missteps.

…perhaps it was time to watch the weather channel, every now and again.