Title: Rubik Cube
Author: Icy Flame
Disclaimer: If you really think it's mine, live on in your lil world dude.
Summary: Seto attempts to solve his rubik cube.
Pairings: A lil puppyshipping is hinted at.
~~~
Seto frowned; one of his American business associates had given him a Rubik Cube as a gift. At first he had ignored the insignificant present, merely leaving it in his limo; after all, he was a businessman, and had little time to fiddle with such irrelevant toys. In minutes the small game had left his mind, to be forgotten for a few weeks, right after he reminded his secretary to send out a thank you note for the trinket. It wouldn't do to seem ungrateful in business. It wasn't until he was coming from an early business meeting to school that he even recalled the knick-knack.
Having an hour before school even began, and no work that he need attend to, he was left in the back seat of his limo, for once Seto Kaiba had not a thing to do. Not use to the extra time, he was unsure of what he should fill it with.
There was no work that he needed to attend to at the moment. Unlike in the past his employees hadn't been plotting against him or kidnapping his younger brother. They had surprisingly been efficient enough to catch up on the surplus work left over from his previous unsuccessful takeover attacks. The meeting he'd been at had gone over the fact that his staff had completed their tasks.
Visiting Mokuba was sadly out of the question. Not only would the boy just be waking up to prepare for work, he would also be prattling on about making friends. He loved his younger brother; no other was allowed to make any sort of demand of Kaiba. The only person who was out and out rude to Kaiba was Joey Wheeler and that mutt was too stupid to known was saying. Besides, he was not a cold, careless, emotionless bastard. It's not like what his opinion of Seto was mattered anyways. He was just a brainless mongrel.
Seto scowled. That stupid mutt was still invading his thoughts. Throughout the entire trip in America the pup just wouldn't leave his thoughts alone. Seto didn't know why, and wasn't eager to find out why soon. He had a sneaking suspicion of late that he was consciously pushing back the fool to retain his aloof manner. Joey Wheeler was not someone he wanted to rub off on him. Seto blushed at the thoughts that particular image brought to mind. He really would have to limit the time he spent with that Yugi and his friends.
Mokuba, for some god-forsaken reason, seemed to think that Seto should make friends with the whole group. To instigate the friendships, he was constantly inviting the whole bunch to the mansion or dragging his brother along for random outings that they threw. While Seto was willing to do almost anything to please his brother, spending time with airheads like that Tea girl was out of the question. Not to mention that dumb mongrel always got on his nerves. He was constantly drawing Seto's attention away from important matters unwittingly and making Seto forget what he was doing. More than once he'd stopped mid-sentence because of the mutt. The elder Kaiba had forged a friendship with Yugi, mainly out of respect for his dueling skills. If there was one thing that Seto Kaiba could value it was intelligence. Being a child prodigy made knowledge a highly reputable trait to his eyes.
Seto snorted, that mutt was starting to get to him. Flipping through the pamphlet, he grunted; this would be child's play. All one had to do was line up the colors and the puzzle would be compete. There were only a few ways that he could possibly turn it, in a matter of minutes he could accomplish this. Scoffing at his associates' unimaginative and effortless brainteaser, he spun the rows and twisted it a few times. When he was satisfied that the puzzle was mixed enough he began.
******
Eight hours and fifty-five minutes later found Seto Kaiba in his last class, still attempting the puzzle. He was at the point where he would rip out his lovely brown tresses in order to understand the mechanics of this Rubik's Cube. No matter how he turned or flipped it, the colors remained scattered; only one row was willing to line up at a time. Throughout class he ignored the teacher and continued fiddling with the small object.
How was it that such a small thing could cause him such frustrations? He was a genius for Pete sakes! This should have been child's play. Hadn't the box mentioned something along the lines of the game being for ages three and up? If this was true, why couldn't he-Seto Kaiba, seventeen-year-old, child prodigy, CEO of a major company- discover the secret of this little cube? What would need to be sacrificed in order to unlock this little box? What number of hours would he have to forfeit to the puzzle before it found him worthy of the answers?
He was so caught up in the game that he didn't even hear the teacher dismiss the class with the last bell. He was lost in himself until Yugi and Joey came up to his desk.
"Uh Kaiba are you feeling all right today?" asked Yugi, concerned for the teen.
"What do you mean?"
"Well…it's just that…you've been acting rather strange today, is all," Yugi said, shifting uncomfortable as Kaiba refused to look at him as he spoke. In fact, he seemed more caught up in the thing he held in his hands than he did his work for Kaiba Corp., and that was saying something.
"Whaddya mean t'day, Yug? He's strange ev'rday!" cracked Joey, smirking at the CEO.
Seto slammed the cube down on the desk, irritated more than he should have been by the mutt's response. So annoyed by Joey's answer he didn't even notice as the blonde scooped up his puzzle and began to fiddle with it. Yugi saw the colorful box and grinned.
"How'd you come across a Rubik Cube, Kaiba?"
He scowled at the shorted teen.
"An American associate of mine," Seto said, "How do you know about them?"
"Grandpa gave me one when I was three."
"How long did it take you to complete it?" sneered Seto.
Yugi blushed lightly, and rubbed the back of his next in embarrassment.
"Actually I never did." Seto raised an eyebrow, surprised that the young 'King of Games' was unable to solve the puzzle. After he spent such a long time playing with that necklace of his, he never took Yugi as the type to give in.
"Oh?"
"Yea, well there are just over forty-three quintillion positions you can move them in!"
"I t'ink I got ya problem, right 'ere Kaiba!"
Both Duel Monster masterminds turned to the blonde and gaped.
"Ya puzzle's broken!"
Joey had the entire cube sorted; all of the colors were in lines and rows with the same colors. No matter what side you looked at, all were matching.
"What did you do mutt?"
"Eh…sorry?"
"Joey, I can't believe you solved that! Have you ever played with a Rubik Cube before?" Yugi asked, confused at his friend's sudden ability.
"If I'd a seen one 'fore you t'ink I'd a broke moneybags'?" Joey growled, blushing hotly.
"Mutt, you really are as stupid as your look," Joey growled out a 'hey' but Seto continued, "You finished the puzzle correctly, Wheeler."
"I did? Uh cool, I guess. So Yug, we still up for pizza cos I'm starvin'!" His stomach let out a growl to prove that he was indeed hungry.
Seto sweatdropped. He had spent the entire day working at this riddle and hadn't made a dent in the puzzle whatsoever. Then the mutt-who could barely pass his classes with decent grades- picks it up and solves it like it was nothing.
"Wait a sec. Do it again." Seto thrust the puzzle back into Joey's hands.
"Wha? No way man, I'm hungry." He pushed it back into Seto's hands.
Twisting the cube so that it was once more had the colors scattered he placed it back in Joey's grip.
"If you can do it again mutt, I'll buy you all the pizza you can eat."
"All the pizza I can…hey! I'm not a mutt!"
Nonetheless he picked up the puzzle and set to work. Within seconds he had the little box sorted out once more. He grinned as he placed it down on Seto's desk.
"ahah now ya gotta buy me dinner Kaiba!" Joey punched the air in celebration.
Seto stared at the blonde; how was this possible? Looking at Joey's victory dance he smiled slightly, and nodded.
"I'll keep my word pup, let's go." Grabbing Joey's hand he tugged the teen out of the classroom and out to his limo.
Joey saw a crossword puzzle wedged in-between the seats. Taking it out he smiled, grabbing a pencil from behind his ear he began filling in the blanks.
Staring at him in disbelief, Seto just shook his head. Scooting closer to Joey, he looked over his shoulder. His eyes grew in size. Joey was filling the thing in right.
"How do you even know those words?"
Looking over at Kaiba he jumped, not thinking the other boy would be so close to him. A light blush colored his features.
"I uh didn't think you'd mind…sorry?" Joey shrugged, laying the completed book down.
Scooping up the crossword he flipped to the page that Joey had been working on. It was the same one, that he'd been stumped on six months ago.
"So, what're you gonna get on your pizzas?"
Seto just stared at him, shocked.
~ The End ~