Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of it's characters.
Chapter 1. The First
I have seen the same weird dream every night on this week. The dream about an angel whispering in a storm of blood-red rose petals. "Trust me" the angel says every time. And every morning I have woken up screaming.
It was rainy evening when Siegfried von Schroeder was going to the important business meeting. KaibaCorp and Industrial Illusions had started brand new project and Siegfried, the other owner of I2 was invited too. But suddenly the car stopped on the half way.
"What do you mean that the car is broken?" Siegfried yelled from the opened window to Arnold, his personal car driver who was trying to make sure what had happened to the car. It had already taken five minutes.
"Herr Siegfried, there is something wrong with the motor", he said nervously. Siegfried had waited the meeting for two months and now the car had broken. It was truly the irony of fate.
"Fix it then! I can't be late from that meeting!" he shouted back. And he was getting slightly pissed of because of all that waiting.
"But herr!" the driver replied and slammed the bonnet. "I can't fix it! I'm not a mechanic! And even if I would be a mechanic I don't have tools to fix it! And at every case it would take hours!"
This can't be! Kaiba kills me if I'm not there at time! Siegfried thought biting his lip. Right then the man driving a red motorcycle halted beside the car. He glanced to Siegfried trought his helmet's glass.
"You seem to have a problem", he said. "Do you need some help?"
Siegfried turned his gaze to the man and regarded him estimately. He seemed young, maybe under twenty years old, but the helmet covered his face. And something at him made Siegfried consider options. He was alluring.
"Yes", Siegfried finally replied. "I need to go to the important business meeting. Could you take me to the Domino Hotel?"
"But herr Siegfried!" the driver protested. "You become wet and you might get sick at the rain! And of course we don't know this man. It would be dangerous!"
The man waited few seconds and then he took his leather jacket off even thought he didn't have anything but a top and long gloves under it. He opened one of car's doors and threw the jacket to Siegfried.
"Wear my coat, it's warm and waterproof", he said. "And trust me. I promise I don't do anything but drive you to the hotel and back."
The driver glared at the man when Siegfried without any suspicions about that biker jumped out from the car and sat behind him on the motorcycle.
Siegfried whispered unsurely to the man. "I've never been on the motorcycle before. Is this absolutely safe? I'm not wearing a helmet or anything."
"It's safe", the biker replied seriously and turned the motor on. "Just hold on tight."
The weather was cold and the rain just continued to fall. Driving in these circumstances was clearly difficult but the driver was like he was born to drive a motorcycle.
"And by the way mister", he said to Siegfried while driving. There was a little bit pride on his voice. "My name is Alister."
Before they were at the hotel the rain started to fall harder. That was the other reason why Alister drove right in front of the main door. The other was that Siegfried had muttered that he would be late for the last ten minutes. Siegfried tried to wore off Alister's jacket but that just made him nervous. The zipper is stuck, he thought alarmedly when he tried to open it. Alister took off his helmet and smiled. His short red hair framed his face and made him look kinda pretty.
"Give the coat back later", he told and pushed Siegfried. "Go to your meeting. You don't obviously want to be more late than already are. And pull the zipper first up and then down!"
Siegfried nodded embarrassedly and run to the hotel.
"I'm sorry that I'm late", he said when he got to the assembly room. "I had some problems with the car."
"It doesn't matter", Seto Kaiba sighed. He sat on the other half of the table and looked very irritable. "Because Pegasus isn't here yet either."
Siegfried wasn't listening. First up, then down, he thought and pulled the zipper. He blinked when it opened so easily. Kaiba stared at Siegfried.
"Was it so hard to open that now you are going to smile because of it?" he asked laughing. "And where you even get that? It's not your style at all."
Siegfried glanced back. "It's not mine", he replied pissedly. "It's… just important. And I'm going to give it back." I can't believe that I fell for you years ago, Kaiba. You are just mean to me.
"Hello darlings!" Pegasus sang when he came to the room. "There is not so fabulous weather today!"
"Finally", Kaiba sighed ignoring him. "Well, when you are here we could first discuss about the offered rates…"
After three hours, several cups of coffee and tea and thousands of useless comments and ideas the meeting was over.
The rain has stopped, Sigfried thought when he left the building. He carried Alister's leather jacket in his arms. I should return this soon. Siegfried couldn't believe his own eyes when he saw Alister sitting on his motorcycle at parking area. He was all wet because the rain. He smiled to Siegfried.
"How was your meeting?" he asked when Siegfried was near enough to hear him. "I'm just curious."
"Important but boring like always", Siegfried replied looking at Alister. "But what are you doing here?"
"I thought you need me to drive you home", Alister said smiling like it was crystal clear. "And you have my only coat."
"Did you wait me this whole time? Here? At the rain?" Siegfried asked abashedly. Alister nodded and made Siegfried suddenly blush.
"Yes, I did", he said. "Is it a problem?"
"No, I'm just suprised", Siegfried noted trying to keep calm and correct. "But why did you wait me?"
"I don't know", Alister replied grinning. "Because I wanted to and I didn't have anything better to do, I guess. By the way the wind is cold even thought the sun shines so put that coat back on and tell me where to drive."
Siegfried wore the jacket and sat hesitately behind Alister.
"To the east district", he said and held the shorter man tightly. Oh my god, his skin is freezing cold! he thought holding Alister."Wait! It should be you who wears the jacket!"
"Too late for that", Alister replied and speeded up.
"I don't like motorcycles", Siegfried said walking unsteadily after Alister had stopped in front of Siegfried's mansion, which he had bought as an occupation apartment.
"Are you okay?" Alister asked sounding very worried and swithed off the engine of his motorcycle. "Did I drive too fast?"
"I'm not just used to things like this", Siegfried replied.
"Like driving a motorcycle? That's okay", Alister said and sneezed suddenly. "Uh. Maybe I need my coat back before I get ill because of that coldness."
Siegfried wore off Alister's jacket and handed it back to him. Alister grinned.
"Maybe we shall meet sometimes again", he said wearing his jacket. He looked at his motorcycle. "It was fun to help somebody, but, well, back to the road again."
"Where will you go now?" Siegfried asked referring what Alister had said at the parking area. "I'm just curious."
"I don't know", Alister told. Actually he looked a little bit sad when he said it. "I'm just driving around. I haven't place to go right now. I mean that I just drive. To somewhere. Maybe I try to find some cheap hostel. It's kinda funny, I guess. That I don't know where to go."
Siegfried gazed at Alister. Even thought they had met only this once, Alister had become familiar person to him. So familiar that it felt weird to think he was leaving. For the first time he felt something so strange. And it wasn't a weak feeling. It was growing all the time. Alister just was different than the others. And this difference fascinated Siegfried.
"If you don't have place to you could stay here", Siegfried muttered. "You lend me your jacket. So only what I could do as a return service is let you stay the night here."
"Sounds great", Alister admitted smiling timidly. Siegfried smiled back. It felt weird but strangely nice and new when Alister looked at him with his gray eyes.
"Well, then it's decided", Siegfried remarked. "Come with me."
The red-haired man nodded and followed Siegfried.
The mansion was grand. Not as grand as Kaiba's but grand enough for Siegfried. Siegfried had given a towel to Alister. Siegfried also offered dry clothes to him but Alister had refused. He said that the towel was enough.
"Willkommen, herr Siegfried", the servants wished everywhere he went with Alister. And everywhere they stared at Alister. It made him feel like he was a unwanted guest. Siegfried touched suddenly his hand while walking. He wasn't sure why he did that but it made Alister look at him. Siegfried grinned.
"Don't care about them", he said. "They are just suprised because I have never before invited someone to come my home. Not here and not in Germany."
Alister grinned distrustly. "And now you invited me?" he chaffed and retreated. "A guy you have known under five hours?"
"It's kinda odd, I know", Siegfried laughed trying to look not ashamed. "But somehow I really trust you."
"That's nice to hear", Alister replied looking around and trying to avoid Siegfried's gaze. He remembered that it was himself who asked Siegfried to trust him. But not that much that he must took him to his place. For him trust meaned something else than that. "This house is spacious, but in my opinion anything beats sleeping at the filthy motel", he continued.
"Geräumig? I thought this is normal size for a house", Siegfried said surprisedly. "And what is a motel?"
Alister rolled his eyes. "Motel is a place where you don't want to sleep if you share your room with middle-aged trucker who haven't get laid in weeks", he replied. "It's extremely dangerous."
"What happened?" Siegfried asked and stopped walking. He looked very worried. "Or did something bad happen to you then?"
"To me?" Alister replied laughing and continued walking. "I was able to take care of myself. The guys like me just doesn't sleep with men like that. And I made sure that he can't ever try anything like that again."
Siegfried stared at Alister. In his eyes Alister didn't look weak or insecure. Contrariwise he looked like he really could beat somebody up.
"I think I don't like motels", Siegfried whispered making Alister smile.
"You don't like motorcycles or motels", Alister sighed and tried not to laugh. "So what do you like?"
"I like roses", Siegfried noted without thinking and blushed when he remembered that liking roses is extremely girly but Alister just grinned. "But there isn't anything bad in motorcycles or motels I just don't…!"
"I like roses too", Alister said.
"Really?" Siegfried replied. In his eyes Alister didn't seem like a guy who likes roses. He drives a motorcycle and wears a leather jacket! Of course he was very pretty and a bit feminine but his attitude was anything but girly.
"Yes, was it a surprise?" Alister asked looking slightly ashamed. "At least you look like it was a surprise."
"It was a surprise", Siegfried admitted smiling. "But not a problem."
Alister only made Siegfried become more interested of him.
He guided Alister to the spare room. The furniture, including bed, couch, computer and table, was imported from Germany. All walls were painted white and there was one big window straight to the front yard.
"This is "the white room", and now it's yours", Siegfried said. "I hope you like it even thought it's not decorated for you."
"It's perfect", Alister whispered and walked look out from the window. "I can see my motorcycle from here."
Siegfried smiled. "It's important to you, isn't it?" he asked.
"It's anything I have now", Alister replied. "But let's not talk about it. Could you use that computer?"
"Sure", Siegfried said but Alister's sudden change of subject confused him. Is there something I should not know? Of course there is. I don't tell everything even to my brother, he thought. But what he meaned that the motorcycle is anything he have? Alister sighed when he sat at the computer. Without showing any emotions he checked his e-mail. There was one message.
I need money. I will wait you at the harbour tomorrow morning. V.
Siegfried saw the message before Alister turned the computer off and smiled sadly.
"Thanks for lending", he said. "But could I ask one more thing?"
"Of course", Siegfried replied. What is it? Something about that message?
"Could I get something to eat?" Alister whispered and his stomach growled loudly making Siegfried smile.
"Just come with me", he replied. "I show you where the kitchen is."
…
Alister sat vis-à-vis to Siegfried eating roast which was made earlier at the same day. Siegfried watched him perusingly.
"When did you eat last warm meal?" he asked when Alister started to eat his third portion. He was hungry, really hungry.
"I don't remember clearly. Maybe four days ago", he replied. Siegfried gazed him shockedly. For him four meals in day was foregone conclusion. Did they really live so different life?
"You haven't eaten well after that?" he stammered. "But why?"
"No money, no food", Alister replied. His plate was already empty. "I refueled my motorcycle with my last money. Thanks for the meal."
"No need to thank me", Siegfried said. "And you can just come to kitchen and take something to eat if you are hungry. Do you remember where your room is?"
"Yes", Alister answered and stood up. He turned slowly his glance to Siegfried and gazed his blue eyes. "I don't want to sound like a kid but could you still come along with me?"
"Sure", Siegfried replied smiling surprisedly to Alister's question.
They both were very quiet whole time when they walked toward the white room. Alister looked at Siegfried in front of rooms door.
"Thank you", he said and smiled. They stared each other for a moment.
"It was my pleasure", Siegfried replied blushing slightly. He startled his own reaction. Why was he blushing again? He blushed to Alister at the parking area too. But he hasn't any reason to blush. Or did he have? Of course Alister looked extremely charming but he was a guy. And guys don't blush because of other guys. It's unnatural. But still something at him attracted Siegfried so much that blushing made sense.
"Good night", Alister wished when he opened door to the white room and returned Siegfried back to the reality.
"Yeah, um, sweet dreams", Siegfried replied. "I trust you so don't hesitate to wake me up… if you need something."
"I keep that on mind", Alister said and went to his room. Siegfried stood behind the door. Why I'm just an idiot? he considered almost crying. Please, somebody hit me if I really feel that way…