There must have been dirt on the mirror. Something about his reflection looked off, looked strange to him. He studied his face carefully. Something had been off for a while, but it was getting more and more visable by the day. He just couldn't put his finger on it.

It was making his skin crawl. And it wasn't just this mirror; it was all the mirrors in the house. He called Mokuba into the room, and pointed at the mirror.

"Do you see anything wrong with it?"
Mokuba studied his face and shook his head.

"Nope. Normal face." Mokuba replied, not quite sure what was happening.
Kaiba pointed to another one in the hallway.
"What about that one?"
Mokuba walked over, tilted his head in curiosity, and sighed.
"No, nothing weird. Is everything okay?"
Seto looked back at his own reflection, fear making his skin crawl.
"I…don't know."

…

This news lady was pissing him off. He didn't understand why, but he was going to blame it on her dumb pencil skirt. That shade of green, hideous. If he were wearing the skirt, he'd have chosen a much nicer one. Black or white. More business like. Just above the knee to help accentuate long legs.
…Why was he picturing wearing a skirt? He couldn't put his finger on it.
"Why are you scowling at the TV, bro?" Mokuba asked, snapping Kaiba from his trance.
"I'm not quite sure. Does anything about that woman seem off to you?" He asked. Mokuba frowned. This again. First mirrors, and now newscasters. What did they have in common?

…

He was stuck going through his wardrobe before a meeting. Everything he pulled out seemed to be wrong, but it had all been fine before. He didn't understand why it was so off today, why he couldn't focus or concentrate. He turned to face a full body mirror. It suddenly started going blurry. It took him a while to figure out why but then, oh. He was crying. Why was he crying? How did this relate to a stupid skirt and…
Oh.
Oh.
He picked up his phone and dialed a number he never thought he'd have to use again. But he had a feeling she'd be the one to talk to.
"Mai Valentine. It's me, Kaiba. I'm sending you a limo. I…need your help with something."
"Another virtual world pod?" She joked, before hearing a slight hitch in his voice.

"…I'll be right over, Kaiba."

…

The maid at the front door pointed Mai in the direction of the elder Kaiba's bedroom. Apparently he'd gone in that morning and missed a business meeting, which everyone knew, was extremely unlike Kaiba.
She knocked on the door and waited. The voice that came back was weak and defeated. Mai was shocked to hear it.
'Mai?...Come in."
She slowly opened the door to see clothes strewn all over the room, the whole room turned upside down and the CEO of KaibaCorp, wrapped in a duvet, sat in the middle of the carnage. Mai stepped over his things and sat by him.
"Kaiba, what the hell happened? This was…unexpected."
Kaiba turned to her and looked up. She realized he'd been crying the whole time. His eyes were puffy and red, and she could tell it was taking all of his strength to look at her, and admit to his defeat.

"I don't…I need…" He took a deep breath.
"I need your help. What I say cannot leave this room. Do you understand?"
Mai was taken aback. What had made Kaiba cry? What could she possibly help him with.

"I promise. What's gotten you into this state?"

Kaiba took a deep breath, unable to believe he was about to say it out loud. He'd only just figured it out, let alone confirmed it, but if he said this now, he would be unable to take it back.
"I'm having an identity crisis." He started. "I understand you and I are from similar backgrounds. You've had to work for everything you have, as have I." He hadn't thought his words through, so allowed his brain to continue without much attention.

"I wonder if there were any differences because of…certain factors." He asked. "Maybe you've had to prove yourself more than me to get results lesser than mine. It wouldn't surprise me. It takes a great lot of strength to persevere regardless."
"What do you mean, Kaiba?"

"Being a woman." Kaiba answered. "I'm guessing people don't take you seriously."

Mai laughed weakly, dwelling on the many situations she'd had to prove herself twice as much as any man would have had to.
"Yes. It's difficult. But worth it."
"Tell me, Mai." Kaiba asked, eyes drifting to his wardrobe.
"Is dark green a bad colour for a pencil skirt?"
"Definitely! That's novice behavior!" She exclaimed, not quite understanding where Kaiba was headed, but in total agreement.
"I thought so. It looked so bad. Maybe a black or navy…" He sighed again and became silent for another few minutes. Mai sat awkwardly, waiting for him to continue.

"You'll have to teach me how you do it, Mai. You've never been apologetic for who you are."
Mai blinked in shock, before frowning.
"Neither have you."
"Not yet." He corrected. "But it's likely."

"What's going on, Kaiba?" She asked again. It felt like they were finally reaching a conclusion.
"Mai, I…" He stared back at the mirror, slightly cracked where he'd thrown a lamp at it.
"Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror and thought that you were staring at someone completely different? And it's all wrong and you just want to tear your own skin off?"
Mai went to answer, when it suddenly clicked into place. The talk of skirts, the talk of how she must have had it harder because she was a woman, him despising his reflection.
"Kaiba…" She muttered, grabbing his hand and holding it when he tried to pull it back.
"Are you…a woman?" She asked, not knowing how else to put it. He turned to her, fresh tears in his eyes, and he nodded.
She nodded.

…

Eyy I'm back and with more Yugioh bs because I got my new partner obsessed and I can't let it go.
Also, this AU came from a picture someone did of Kaiba in a black cocktail dress and heels, and I fell in love.
Also MAI IS UNAPRECIATED AND I LOVE HER.
Will eventually be Rivalshipping.
Thanks for reading!