Hello! A-Ahem, so ... uh ...
Well, I uploaded it, lol. This is my first Yu-Gi-Oh! fanfiction, and I got a sudden inspiration while watching the series. By the way, I don't own any part of Yu-Gi-Oh!, otherwise the whole show would be all about Kaiba and the Pharaoh getting it on XD So this is obviously prideshipping pairing yaoi/bl fanfiction, there are most probably going to be some steamy sexy scenes up ahead. When the time comes, I'll change the rating to M, so for now it'll be T. Any reviews are welcomed!
So, with that being said, I hope you enjoy and I'll see you guys in the next chapter, whenever that is.
Chapter I
"You can't run this company, Atem!" Seto screamed, slamming his hands shamelessly on the desk. He was sick and tired of being bossed around, told what to do and where to go, especially since this is something Seto should be doing. He believed this position was rightfully his. This whole company existed thanks to his father, and the brunet couldn't understand why and how the rights for owning it had suddenly transferred to the Muto family.
Atem sighed and looked at Seto, his eyes full of neither fury nor shock. Rather, they reflected nothing but the man standing before him, and at this point, the taller male realized what a wreck he was. He looked horrifying, like some extra for a zombie in The Walking Dead – dark circles under his eyes, veins popped on his forehead, lips red and swollen from constant biting, and sclerae were bloodshot from lack of sleep and a lot of stress.
Atem, on the other hand, seemed completely calm and collected. No signs of pressure on him whatsoever. And perhaps this was what angered Seto the most.
"Kaiba, you may not be aware of this, but I haven't majored in psychology, so I cannot help your anger management issues. For the fifth time today, and the thirty-seventh for this week, I will ask you to –"
"I won't leave your damn cabinet until you've answered me one question, why is it that you're the one in control of this company, and I'm just your puppet on strings?!"
Atem's closed eyes opened, accompanied by a slight grimace as Kaiba hit his desk once more. He sighed and looked at him, leaving the luxurious pen aside. He would have to continue his paperwork later, it seemed. With Kaiba around, it was going to be hard to concentrate on anything.
"I was actually going to ask you to stop slamming your hands on my desk, seeing how this is more painful for you than it is for the wood." Atem said, his lips curling into a small, playful smile. He couldn't conceal his amusement from Kaiba's constant mental breakdowns, although it did get boring after the first month. It's been a few years now. Surely, even Kaiba would have gotten over something as little as this. But Kaiba had his pride to protect, and as long as he lived, he wasn't going to give up on what was rightfully his, which was, in this case, the power to rule over KaibaCorp.
"You think this is funny, don't you? We'll see who laughs last, Muto. I'll make you feel the same way I have felt over the last three years, robbed of your own glory and what's rightfully yours. Then we'll talk!" And with that, Kaiba leaned closer to Atem, both men looking straight into each other's eyes. Blue intertwined with purple, reflecting determination and bravery, and for a second, the air filled with such tension and weight, it had gotten hard to breathe.
And what happened next was too fast for the young leader to comprehend. Kaiba grabbed his Millennium Puzzle and, knowing it was held around the neck with a chain, swiftly pushed Atem's head against the desk so he could pull the Puzzle out with ease and run away.
"No, my puzzle!" Atem yelled, a jolt of fear striking his heart. He stood up and growled, seeing how Kaiba had done the lowest thing one could possibly do – steal and run. But why? Kaiba would never steal something. He was against cheating, and was the most hardworking employee Atem had the honor of having in his company. So, if it wasn't stealing, then … what was it? Never mind that now, I must follow him, the exotic-haired man said. He quickly ran after him, rushing by his own employees who were working tirelessly to be promoted, yet because of Kaiba, Atem never really got the chance to reward all of them for their hard work. If only he could get that man to realize that the world didn't resolve around him.
"Kaiba, this is not a game, get back here this instant!" Atem roared, running after him as fast as he could. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had gifted Kaiba with quite the tall posture, leaving poor Muto at an unfair disadvantage of 153cm, in comparison to the other male's staggering 186cm. It was a tag game which Atem was doomed to fail at, and it took him a while to figure that out. His own pride wouldn't let his brain speak the truth, but the truth was revealed soon enough, because the moment Atem left the building and lost Kaiba somewhere between the grocery store on the main street and the pharmacy, he realized he was never going to outrun him.
"Damn it, Kaiba! What was he thinking?!" Atem cursed. This puzzle meant the world to him, and he could barely function right without it. He had to retrieve it immediately. Waiting until the morning would not be possible, not only because Atem wouldn't be able to sleep without his precious puzzle around his neck, but also because he had no idea whether Kaiba would actually show up at work. Perhaps the only way to get that puzzle back, was to find that man's address and pay him a visit tonight.
Atem shook his head, feeling a pulsing pain surging through it. Yes, this was going to be quite the annoyance. He turned around and walked back inside the building, hands in the pocket, back posture straight, head lifted high, his gaze prideful and powerful. Atem's personality seemed to make up for his rather small body, but that was only natural. After all, he was a king on the inside. He was a true pharaoh in this modern world. The leader it needed most desperately.
"Mister Muto, is something wrong? You left so swiftly." Atem's secretary greeted him. The girl was new to this job, barely having worked here three months, and still couldn't learn to keep the private questions to herself. Atem didn't seem to mind. He respected her innocence and taught her whenever he could. He missed Tea as his secretary, but she left to pursue her dreams as a dancer, and Atem couldn't bring himself to stop her. Although he did miss her a lot, she had every right to go.
"No, Turner. It's alright." Atem said, passing her by calmly. He could feel her eyes linger on his body, and for a moment, he was about to question that out loud. But a more important matter came to his mind, and he swiftly turned around, his jacket nearly falling off his shoulders.
"Turner, may I ask a favor?" Atem spoke as he boldly walked towards her. He could see his own reflection in his secretary's eyeglasses, and under them – a mysterious redness build in her cheeks.
"Y-Yes, can I help you, mister Muto?" The young lady asked, stuttering for unknown reasons. Atem decided not to think about her odd behavior and concentrate on his own problems.
"I would like you to find me the address of a certain employee. Can you do that for me?"
"Yes, of course! What is his name, mister Muto?"
"Seto Kaiba." Atem bitterly said, a little grimace following these words. "And, if possible, I would like his phone number as well. You can send someone to give them to me if you can't do it now, but no later than 7PM."
Turner nodded vigorously, so much that her glasses nearly fell. She swiftly grabbed them and repositioned them, smiling awkwardly at her boss. Atem couldn't help but feel bad for that girl. It seemed like she was starting to bend under the stress. He knew that KaibaCorp was quite the busy company, but he still didn't want to see his employees suffering the same way Kaiba does. Then again, with Kaiba, it's more of a personal vendetta than mental exhaustion.
Perhaps the least a boss could do is to give his workers some slack, eh?
"Turner … "
"M-Mary. Mary Turner, sir."
Atem smiled and nodded. "Yes. Mary, are you having a hard time as a secretary? If you wish, I could send you to a different department, you don't have to work here if you don't want to."
"No, no, I'm totally fine here, this is like, the best place ever!" Mary said, lifting her shaky hand to make a victory sign. Atem eyed her suspiciously, before his smile disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared. Indeed, smiles weren't a naturally-occurring thing with him.
"I'm … sure it is, but you seem rather stressed. Is it something at home, or do you have difficulties getting used to your new job?"
Mary looked away, her face flushed pure red. She shook her head in denial instead of confirming Atem's suspicions, which confused him further. He was usually right!
"Then, are you not feeling well? If that is the case, then you can tell me any time, Mary. I assure you, although I'm known to be bad, I'm actually quite the kind and generous person." Atem joked and chuckled with his usual, deep voice. Seeing how the girl's obvious fever only worsened, the man decided that he needed a new strategy to speak to his employees. It seems that more than half of the female workers here had the same reaction. Was he an allergen, and if so, why were the allergic reactions so severe every time?
"W-Well, then." Since Mary didn't really reply to his joke, Atem cleared his throat and turned towards his cabinet. "Don't forget to do what I told you." And with those words, he left in his cabinet, leaving the poor, flustered Mary to herself.
The girl breathed out in relief, as if she had been holding her breath all this time, and traced her boss as he closed his door and disappeared from her sight.
"Ah, I barely made it … Calm down, Mary, you're not the only one with a crush on Atem. Y-You should be braver than that! It's not like he's a monster or something." She scolded herself quietly, typing on the computer. It certainly wasn't hard to find what she needed, especially since what she needed was quite popular. After all, the person was, ironically, an employee of the month. Again.
Mary sighed as she looked at the information graphics about Seto Kaiba on the screen. "You should be brave like him, Mary. He's been confessing to Atem for three years straight now, every single day! S-Still, if Atem loves mister Kaiba back, then … then Mary's finished!" The girl softly whined, shaking her head in denial. No, that can't happen! She was in a complete dilemma. She actually liked the relationship between Seto and Atem, but at the same time, if this progressed to something more than friendship that would mean there would be no chance for Mary. A catastrophe indeed.
But wait. Why would Atem want Seto's phone number and address? Could it be that they have finally grown to love each other? Could they be in a relationship? Her wild yaoi-loving otaku heart had spoken, and Mary knew what to do now. She certainly loved the pairing, yes, but if she wanted to have a chance with Atem, then she had to hurry and do something fast, otherwise it would be over too soon!
"Hm … I suppose mister Muto won't be very mad if I accidentally mess up the address, right?" Mary spoke to herself once more, grinning as she wrote down Kaiba's address, changing the number and name of the street, so that it resembled the original, but at the same time, was as further away from it as possible. Changing the phone number seemed to be a tough job unfortunately, since Atem would probably call his employee first, to warn him that he was coming over. He would find out swiftly if the number was wrong. But the address was a whole different matter.
Chuckling rather happily, Mary wrote down the contact information and stood up. She looked around, trying to scan the perimeter for an unwary worker who had some job in Atem's cabinet, and once she found her clueless prey, she effectively pleaded him to give the piece of paper to Atem, and got rid of this dirty job. For now, at least.
"Mm, Mary deserves a pat on the back!" The girl chirped to herself once she sat on her chair and happily hummed. She twisted a lock of hair around her finger, closing her eyes as she daydreamed of her one and only Atem, not realizing the grave mistake she did …
A few knocks on the door got the violet-eyed man's attention.
"Come." A strong voice welcomed the employee that was standing behind the door. He came inside and bowed before handing the little paper that Mary had given him, along with some documents that needed to be done for a future deal with Industrial Illusions.
"Is this from my secretary?" Atem asked as he took the paper, glancing at it before he looked at his worker. The man nodded. "I suppose she was too busy to deliver it herself … it matters not. Thank you for bringing it, Jameson. You're dismissed."
As soon as Atem was alone in his cabinet, he carefully read the address and the phone number before he took his little Nokia and dialed the number. One would think that for the leader of such a powerful company a non-OS phone was absurd, but Muto relied more on the old, but trustworthy technology, instead of the new and fragile one. Perhaps that was one of the reasons why Kaiba hated his way of ruling so much – because with Atem in charge of the company, barely any new technology was being introduced, and instead, a lot of diplomacy and deals took place.
Waiting patiently, the spiky-haired male wasn't surprised to hear Kaiba's voice mail activate. He sighed and decided to leave a message anyway. Perhaps the man wasn't home yet. That, or he refused to answer his phone. Either way, a message was going to do the job Atem had to do.
"Kaiba. It's me, Atem. I could not comprehend your actions today, but rest assured that I have forgiven you for what you did. Know that I am coming over after work to get what you stole from me, and … if you truly wish, we can discuss the matter that has been bothering you lately." After all, if this was what got Kaiba so edgy and emotional, perhaps it was best to give him what he needed. This company belonged to him. It was rightfully his, not Muto's. Still, explaining why things turned out like this might be more of a hassle than anything else. But he owed Kaiba at least an explanation.
Without saying anything further, Atem finished with his message and left his phone aside, deciding to take care of the paperwork for today. Someone had to do it, and although he felt extremely insecure and distracted without his puzzle, Muto knew he had to have faith if he wanted to regain his precious millennium item. And with Kaiba in this, there was nothing else he could do but hope for the best.