Kaiba was in bed at 7:30 PM, bored and restless.
Every day was the same.
Every day, he would wake up and get into his limousine without looking or talking to his driver.
Every day, he would enter his building through the rear emergency exit to avoid the paparazzi at the front.
Every day, he would walk by his secretary while she sat at the front desk, nodding at him politely, sometimes adjusting her hair, other times carefully applying lipstick.
He didn't mind the preening, but he wished she wouldn't do it so openly, not that it was rude or that anyone would even see her doing it, because no one came into the office earlier than the two of them, but it suddenly occurred to Kaiba that he had never seen her face without makeup.
Sighing, Kaiba tossed his pillow aside and walked out of his room in search of Mokuba, but he had a feeling his little brother would be out of the house. He had been, for the past few weeks, and he was always going somewhere different.
Sometimes it would be a sleepover at a friend's house, or a road trip to a nearby beach or hiking trail, and other times, it would be a movie-marathon night at another friend's house.
Either way, it was clear that Mokuba was growing up, and being in the house was something he wanted to avoid.
Kaiba knocked softly on Mokuba's door, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Isono walking up the stairs, carrying a silver tray with a platter of cookies.
"For Mokuba?" Kaiba asked aggressively, thinking he would take the tray into Mokuba's room himself for some face time with his little brother.
"For you, Master Kaiba." came Isono's reply, and his manservant bowed stiffly, looking slightly worried. "The young master is out with Yugi Mutou tonight—"
"Right, don't care." Kaiba said stiffly, turning away and walking back into his room.
He caught a glimpse of himself in the full-length mirror and moved towards it magnetically, thinking he looked gaunt. Maybe he needed to work out more.
Eyeing his reflection, Kaiba ran a hand through his hair, catching an odd glint between his fingers.
He froze for a moment and hastily patted his hair flat, carefully separating the strands until he found the culprit.
A silver hair.
Holy fucking shit.
He gave it a light tug and it came away easily.
Blinking rapidly, Kaiba stared at the white hair sitting in his palm, feeling an odd sense of panic bubbling low in his chest.
Either he was really fucking stressed, or he was getting old. Or both. It was probably both.
Feeling slightly uneasy, Kaiba discarded the strand into the waste bin in the bathroom and sat down on the edge of his bed.
He lay down and tucked his hands behind his head, staring up at the crystal chandelier hanging above his head.
Maybe…he would do something different tomorrow. Instead of going to work, he would attempt to relax. Keyword: attempt.
Maybe he could take a leisurely drive through the city.
What was the point of buying such nice cars if he was always being driven around by someone?
Maybe he could have a peaceful lunch, alone, by the waterfront of Domino Bay.
It would be a refreshing change from the constant formal dinners he had been attending.
Tomorrow was going to be full of possibilities.
Kaiba quietly heaved the shopping bags up the stairs, hearing Mokuba's footsteps rushing up behind him.
"Seto…! Seto, you're home before dinner!" Mokuba cried excitedly, staring at the multitude of branded bags his brother was carrying. "You went…shopping?"
How strange. Mokuba thought Seto hated shopping.
"I was bored," came Seto's reply as he stepped into his room and began closing the door, but Mokuba quickly stuck his foot into the crack, gazing up into his brother's face.
"If you're home early…does this mean you have time to watch TV with me?"
Kaiba smiled half-heartedly, "Yeah, kiddo. Give me a moment." and eased the door shut, trying to calm his frantic, pounding heartbeat.
He grabbed the shopping bags and messily dumped them all out on the bed.
Kaiba stared at his purchases, feeling his eyes water with anxiety.
Long, flowy dresses, short skirts with matching flowery blouses, padded lacy bras, stockings, packets of hair extensions, several boxes of delicate jewelry, and an array of colorful assorted cosmetics lay strewn in a heap atop the comforter.
Additionally, thick, shiny boxes containing several pairs of high heeled shoes and boots gleamed in the low light of the chandelier above his head.
His breathing quickened as he carefully sorted out every item on his bed, unconsciously building sets of outfits as he organized everything.
Delicate gold earrings, paired with a white skirt, a dark maroon blouse, black thigh-high stockings, and dark heels.
A statement necklace, with a simple top, paired with denim, the hair extensions, and thigh-high boots.
What the fuck am I doing? Kaiba thought nervously, backing away from the edge of his bed, staring at the remaining mountain of clothes.
This was ridiculous.
He had done this as a joke. Because he was bored.
Hastily gathering everything into his arms, Kaiba shoved the pile of clothes and shoes into the back of his closet and slid the door shut with great effort.
Fuck that shit, Kaiba thought plainly, staring at his own reflection in the mirror.
The joke was over. The impulse had passed. He had entertained the thought, he had carried it out…and it was considered a day well lived.
Pushing away the heavy rock of guilt sitting in the pit of his stomach, Kaiba went to join Mokuba in the other room.
He let Mokuba pull him into a sitting position beside the large TV, and he felt his chest grow heavy as Mokuba snuggled warmly against him.
The scenes on the screen flashed across his vision slowly, turning into one long blur as the black, thigh-high boots danced at the front of his mind.
Mokuba's breathing was evening out slowly, and Kaiba gently picked Mokuba up and carried him steadily up the stairs, seeing Mokuba shift and attempt to glare sleepily at him.
"I wasn't sleeping!" his younger brother protested, but Kaiba ignored him and shouldered the bedroom door open before setting Mokuba softly down onto his bed.
"Sleep when you're tired," Kaiba said robotically, wrapping his fingers around the golden door handle. "Isono will wake you up for dinner."
He shut the door quickly and strode back into his room, feeling a headache coming on.
Slowly sitting down on the edge of the bed, Kaiba stared at his mirrored closet doors, seeing his own pale reflection staring back at him.
Holding his breath, he pushed the door open slowly and stared at the heap of clothes sitting at the bottom. Bottles of cosmetics were lying haphazardly on the floor, so Kaiba knelt and packed them back into the bag, running his thumb absently over the tinted moisturizer.
Well…he could give it a try. This stuff could be easily washed off so…it should be fine.
He grabbed the entire bag and strode into the bathroom, carefully placing every item along the counter in a neat line and bent forwards, inspecting each one.
What hell was all of this shit?
Granted, all he had to do was say nothing as the saleswoman helped him out to everything she thought he needed for his "new lady friend", but as a result, he had no idea what the hell he had just bought.
Biting back a frustrated sigh, Kaiba slipped his phone out of his pocket and gave it a few aimless taps.
The internet…would be helpful in this situation.
An hour passed quickly as Kaiba patted and prodded at his own face with the cosmetics, and he leaned back to frown at himself in the mirror.
Was this…correct?
The cream gave his skin a healthy glow. The eyeshadow and light brown liner accentuated the shape of his eyes and somehow brought out the intensity of his blue irises. He had also taken the time to apply false lashes, section by individual section, he couldn't see a fucking difference.
I look the same…but better, Kaiba mused, drumming his fingertips along the marble countertop.
Mildly disappointed, he took the time to arrange the cosmetics into the empty shelf in his bathroom vanity and strode out of the room, making a beeline for the closet like a man possessed.
Without thinking, he tossed the clothes back onto his bed and sifted through it all, searching for the hair extensions, feeling his fingertips tingle.
This was…mildly fun.
He grabbed a set of clothes and his heart pounded excitedly as he stripped, narrowly grazing the collar of his shirt against his cheek.
Cursing, Kaiba tossed the shirt aside and examined his reflection in the mirrored closet doors, relieved to see that his makeup was untouched.
He slowly got dressed, seeing his own feet shaking as he stepped into a white skirt.
He buttoned the waistband and frowned.
No, this felt strange.
Hastily unbuttoning it, he threw it aside and picked up the pair of ripped denim jeans.
Kaiba straightened up and carelessly threw his own shirt back on. On a second thought, there was a fluffy cardigan sitting in the pile, and he shrugged that on, staring at his reflection again.
No. This was wrong.
Feeling a tight bubble of annoyance sticking in his throat, Kaiba swallowed tightly and stared at the strap of a bra peeking out from underneath another skirt.
Well…he was a man who always did everything to the fullest, with no excuses.
Why would this be any different?
After a few hours, Kaiba stood in front of the mirror and blinked rapidly, feeling his chest grow tight as it became harder to draw his next breath.
He was staring at a stylish slender woman in the reflection of the mirror. She had impossibly long legs and light brown hair that fell in soft curls at her shoulders.
He had easily learned how to apply and curl the hair extensions. He had created an outfit that looked effortlessly chic, and the highlight was slick black thigh-high boots. They slimmed his legs and added even more height to his already towering frame.
This had been two hours of effort.
The bra itched terribly and the new shoes were pinching uncomfortably at the toes.
Now what?
Kaiba stared at his own reflection for a moment longer before deciding to take everything off.
Frowning, he slipped his finger through a curl of his hair, feeling an odd twinge of regret. All this effort…just so he could take it off when he was done. How disappointing.
He gazed at the door, wondering if he dared to go outside looking like this.
Well, on the bright side, no one would recognize him.
Kaiba turned away from the mirror and slid his phone off from the bed, walking towards the door as if he was in a trance.
Yami felt his eyes burning as he leaned away from the computer screen and patted his face with his hands, blinking steadily.
He glanced out the window and realized with a jolt that it had become pitch black outside.
Damn, he had lost track of time again, and he was hungry.
Shoving his laptop away without saving his work, Yami jumped out of his seat and grabbed his jacket, hoping and praying with all his might that the nearest convenience store would still be open.
On a second thought, he grabbed his camera off from the back of his chair before he stepped out of his apartment.
The cold night air was crisp and wonderful.
Yami took several deep breaths and slung his camera over his shoulder, rolling his neck stiffly before setting off down the deserted sidewalk.
He hurried down the street, and caught the green sign of the convenience store appear in front of him, but the windows were dark and a red 'closed' sign hung in the doorway.
Gritting his teeth in frustration, Yami paused in his step and felt his stomach churning with hunger.
Damn it. He really needed to stop losing track of time while editing photos.
Now he had to make a longer trip to the larger convenience store closer to downtown.
He eyed the tops of the trees waving in the light wind in the darkness before him, deciding he would cut through Domino Park to get there faster.
Thoroughly annoyed now, Yami strode through the gated entrance and tried to ignore the wavering shadows on the ground beneath him. Now he felt like an idiot for bringing his damn camera on this impromptu late-night stroll.
Carrying around such an expensive looking camera into downtown this time of night was like an invitation to be robbed.
His shoes crunched lightly on the graveled path and Yami took several deep breaths, calming himself down. He was just stressed.
Stopping in the middle of the path, Yami lifted his head to stare into the night sky, seeing a sparse sprinkle of stars dotting the inky blackness above his head, forcing himself to relax.
He heard a soft sneeze from afar and he froze, wondering if he was hearing things.
Scanning the area slowly, he spied a figure sitting on one of the park benches under the dark shadow of the trees several paces ahead. The glow of a cell phone was barely visible from the distance.
Crap, Yami thought as he broke out into a cold sweat, his mind racing with fear.
He kept his head down and continued to walk forward briskly, intent on not making eye contact.
Kaiba blinked and froze as he heard quick crunching footsteps coming down the garden path, and he held his breath, trying to stem the fear that was clawing its way up his throat. Shit. Who the fuck was walking through the park at this hour?!
Yami kept his gaze aimed downwards and felt slightly nauseous from the hunger as he strode right by the figure sitting on the bench.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the shiny tops of a high-heeled boot, and tripped on his own feet mid-step.
A woman?!
Yami blinked wildly as he fell forwards onto the ground. His knees stung as they hit the gravel and his camera swung dangerously on his shoulder.
Kaiba felt his mouth drop open as he saw a spiky-haired figure trip right in front of him and he clenched his jaw shut so quickly, his teeth clicked. Just his fucking luck. Was this Yugi or Yami? It was too dark to tell, but he could barely make out a slender male figure standing a few feet away, gaping at him.
Yami felt his mouth go dry as he briefly saw her shocked face illuminated by the glow of her phone before it had been clicked off and the darkness blanketed them again.
She had looked…scared.
Slowly getting to his feet, Yami dusted himself off gently and kept his distance, calling out to her.
"Did you miss the last train?"
There was no answer, and the woman sitting on the bench remained motionless.
Fuck! Kaiba screamed to himself, gripping his phone so hard, he could feel himself trembling with a mixture of anxiety and fury.
This voice…! This was Yami, not Yugi.
Shit.
Drawing his breath in slowly, Kaiba forced himself to remain calm. Whatever. This wasn't anything he couldn't handle. He would just ignore Yami until he went away.
Yami frowned, and took a step closer towards her, feeling the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. Why wasn't she answering?
Or…was this woman a prostitute?! If that was the case…was she hurt?
What was she doing here in the middle of the park, far from the city?
"Are you…hurt?" Yami asked tentatively, taking another step forward slowly, seeing her tense visibly in the darkness. "Do you need help finding the police station?" And he took another step closer towards her, his concern rising.
Yeah, my feet fucking hurt, Kaiba thought viciously as his mind raced for a solution as he was now thoroughly regretting his trek through Downtown Domino in his new shoes. After the high had worn off, it left an aching throb at the base of his heel.
Ignoring Yami wasn't working.
And Yami was getting closer, taking a step closer with every sentence he spoke, and Kaiba was quickly beginning to feel like a caged animal.
I'm being preyed on! Kaiba realized as he bit the tip of his tongue, wondering if he ought to shout at Yami to give him the fright of his life.
Yami's reaction would be hilarious…and in turn, the situation would quickly become extremely mortifying.
But if Yami knew about his little cross-dressing experiment, he would never let him live it down.
Kaiba nervously uncrossed his legs and considered kicking Yami if he got any closer.
Yami swallowed tensely as he got close enough to see a curl of hair sitting neatly on the woman's shoulder, and he tried again. "Hey…it's…dangerous to sit here, alone, in the dark. Let me walk you somewhere with light."
Kaiba dug his fingertips into his palm, biting back every instinct to shout at Yami as he shook his head vigorously. What's more, Yami was standing close enough to see his face!
Hating everything, Kaiba dropped his phone into his lap and pressed his hands into his face, continuing to shake his head.
No. No. I'm shaking my head. Go the fuck away. Fuck off.
Yami's concern rose as he saw her drop her phone to bury her face in her hands and shake her head sadly, looking as if she was crying. Crap.
Maybe…Anzu was the person to call for this type of thing.
"Please don't cry," Yami said nervously, biting his lower lip as he stared at the tips of the girl's beautifully manicured nails. "I have a friend who can help you…she'll be able to give you a place to stay for the night."
Kaiba felt the soul being squeezed out of his body as he realized Yami was referring to the friendship girl, Anzu.
Holyyyy shit. NO! This situation was somehow getting worse!
Pissed, Kaiba dropped all pretenses and raised his head to glare straight up at Yami, his heart jumping into his throat and sticking there permanently as he was caught in Yami's dark violet gaze.
Suddenly, Kaiba realized there was one part of himself he had forgotten to conceal. His Adam's apple. Fuck.
"No?" Yami said sympathetically, moving to carefully sit down on the bench beside the girl, keeping his eyes lowered respectfully.
He had only ever heard about these types of girls, but had never encountered one personally. The police station was where she needed to go if she had been assaulted….
Kaiba let his breath out slowly, trying to calm the frantic pounding of his heart. Okay, it seemed that Yami would not leave him alone until he was "safe".
Since when was Yami such a motherfucking gentleman?
But if it would make him go away, Kaiba decided he would play along.
Yami thought he was scared? Fine. He would act scared, and then act like it was all fucking better.
Yami watched the girl take a deep breath and let it out slowly, before nodding shyly at him and ducking her head down low, avoiding eye contact.
Relieved, Yami nodded back at her and stood slowly, pointing down the road. "We'll go this way. I'll walk with you…" And he paused, attempting to smile at her. "…What's your name?"
Kaiba blinked and froze, cursing internally. Great. What was his name? He couldn't fucking speak, otherwise Yami would recognize him right away! He also couldn't use his phone to communicate, because it was a new corporation phone that wasn't on the consumer market yet.
"It's okay…you don't have to tell me anything," Yami said nervously, holding his hand out warmly, knowing she was only acting like this because she was extremely shy and frightened. "Here, take my hand. I'll walk you to the station."
There are no trains in the station at this time, you idiot, Kaiba thought coldly, glaring at the palm of Yami's hand, and he spotted the camera swinging on Yami's shoulder. Was Yami trying to pick him up?! Was Yami hitting on him?!
And what the hell was the camera for?! He didn't know Yami had any hobbies other than dueling. Was he a pervert or paparazzi?
"Oh, this…" Yami said, following her gaze and patting the camera reassuringly. "I was stupid and grabbed it on a whim while heading out the door. I was honestly scared when I saw you sitting here, thinking you were a criminal waiting to rob me."
Right, Kaiba thought sarcastically, trying to quell his nervousness as he saw Yami's hand appear in front of his face once more.
"We'll go together…Miss…" Yami faltered, trying his best to channel his inner Anzu. How did you console a girl who had just been assaulted? Well, maybe he shouldn't have acted this forward.
Realizing he had made a mistake, Yami began to hastily withdraw his hand, but the woman reached forward and grabbed his wrist, pressing a slender finger into the center of his palm.
Yami blinked anxiously and felt his stomach swoop wonderfully as she began to trace letters into his palm, the tip of her nail sending delicious shivers down his spine as it grazed across his skin lightly.
K-U-M-I
Yami stared at the top of the girl's head as she bent forwards over his palm, tracing her name into his palm again, this time, slower.
"Kumi…is it?" Yami asked lightly, frantically tugging his hand out of her grasp, his heart leaping wildly in his chest. Her hands were beautiful…but they were larger than his!
Kaiba swallowed tightly and chanced a nod, realizing that Yami couldn't recognize him at all! Perhaps it was due to how dark it was, but it seemed he had Yami completely fooled.
"Let's walk this way…Kumi-san," Yami said nervously, pointing towards the tall city buildings at the end of the path. He saw the girl nod and stand fluidly.
Yami bit back a startled gasp as she towered over him gracefully, and he got a good look at her face for the first time in the moonlight.
She was…stunningly beautiful!
Astonished, Yami couldn't help but stand there and gape.
She was wearing a simple t-shirt with a flowing cardigan, paired with stylishly ripped jeans and slick black thigh-high boots which ended in a sharp heel.
Her legs were slender and impossibly long.
Her hair looked soft, and she had bangs that framed her face nicely. Her cheekbones were high and delicate, and but her jaw was angular and sharp.
Speechless, Yami opened his mouth to speak, and felt his mouth go completely dry.
All of his original assumptions about her had been shattered.
She was wearing designer brands from head to toe!
She looked like a model.
Was she a model?!
Would that also explain why she looked familiar?! Had he seen her on a magazine cover before somewhere?
Kaiba smirked to himself, feeling a small bubble of satisfaction well up inside him as he casually brushed past Yami to walk ahead of him, and he could've sworn he saw Yami's eyes fall out of his head.
He took long strides down the park path, scrambling for a solution, for an escape route, anything to make Yami leave him alone. Maybe he could lose Yami now.
"W-Wait!" Yami cried, dashing forwards, attempting to keep up with her long, confident strides. She was definitely a model! Even the way she walked was breathtaking!
Fuck off, Kaiba thought dryly, feeling his phone buzz in his hand, and he hastily peeked at the screen. It was a text from Isono...fucking thank god.
"Master Kaiba, have you gone out to meet with a girlfriend? You've left quite a mess in the bedroom. Should I clean it up for you or leave it as is?"
"Leav it." Kaiba tapped at his screen hastily while he walked, misspelling his words in his haste. "Need you to send a car. Wil text you address in a few mins. Stay on."
"Are you calling someone you know?" Yami asked breathlessly, struggling to keep up with the pace. "Maybe we should call you a cab…"
There was a silence as she pointedly ignored him and Yami swallowed tightly, staring at the high curves of her cheekbones, feeling an odd fire burning in his chest.
Love.
This was love at first sight.
He was sure of it.
Determined to spend more time with this mysterious, tall beauty, Yami gathered his courage to speak.
"Kumi-san," he cleared his throat nervously and chanced a smile in her direction, still seeing her ignore him. "Are you hungry? I know of only one café that is open at this time…did you want to come with me?"
Kaiba paused in his step as a slow wave of realization washed over him.
Yami was hitting on him.
Oh this was good.
This was fucking good!
Yami gazed up into the girl's face, slightly lovestruck as he saw her nod lightly and look away shyly, the soft curls of her hair hiding half of her face.
Unable to believe his luck, Yami walked closer beside her, feeling warm and comfortable in her presence.
This situation fit every single checkmark in the book of "love at first sight"!
A chance meeting? Check.
A feeling of soft familiarity? Check.
So graceful and lovely that he was unable to look away?
Check, check, and check.
"Would you mind…if I asked what you're doing out here this late?" Yami asked tentatively as an alien feeling was clawing at his insides, screaming something at him, but he wasn't sure what.
Fear? Anticipation?
She wasn't carrying a purse.
Was that strange?
Or maybe she wasn't real.
Everything about her was just too good to be true.
Why would this stunning beauty give him the time of day?!
The girl paused in her steps again and reached down to touch his hand. Dazzled, Yami stared at her beautiful, plump lips as she traced letters into his palm once again.
W-A-L-K-I-N-G
"You're out for walk?" Yami breathed, feeling his body go numb as she let go of his hand and nodded gracefully again. She couldn't speak? Was she…mute?
"Well, you look…very nice," Yami said awkwardly, feeling as if he was having a one-sided conversation with himself. "Are you a model, Kumi-san?"
Kaiba bit the inside of his cheek so hard, his eyes watered.
Painful, classic pick-up lines. Are you a model? An angel? Did you fall from heaven?
You disgust me, Yami, Kaiba thought angrily, chancing a glance down at Yami and relieved to see him gazing at the ground as they walked.
Yami was thankful that they were still a bit away from downtown, which meant he could spend more time talking with her as they walked through this park, but Yami briefly wondered if she was being nice to him purely because she recognized him from the televised duels.
"Have we met before?" Yami asked lightly, thinking he was sounding like a complete fool for pulling shitty pick-up lines out of his ass.
If she was a fan girl…it was his lucky night indeed!
Kaiba felt himself sweat and he forced himself to remain emotionless.
Either…Yami really meant that, or it was another shitty pick-up line. Deciding to go with the latter, Kaiba shot Yami a contemptuous look and shook his head, wondering if Yami could even see his face in the darkness.
Yami caught an intense stare from the girl as she turned away and shook her head softly.
"Well…maybe we haven't met, but…do you recognize me?" Yami asked hopefully, hating himself for even asking. What if she was a Kaiba or Yugi fangirl instead? Then he had just dug himself into a hole he couldn't crawl out of.
Wow, this guy, Kaiba mused, thinking Yami was stooping quite low.
"Take a left here," Yami said hastily, pointing at the divide in the road. "It's a new themed internet café."
And Kaiba rolled his eyes, his mind racing with a million ways he could reveal himself to Yami that would cause the most embarrassment for him.
He needed Yami to be absolutely mortified, so much that he would never bring this situation up ever again.
Yami watched as the girl slowed to a stop and reached down for his hand again, and Yami let her grab him by the wrist and turn his palm facing up.
A slender finger was sliding over his skin again, sending more wonderful shivers down his spine as she traced out words, this time, a sentence.
D-o y-o-u l-i-k-e m-e?
Yami frowned, feeling goosebumps rising up along his arms as she repeated the action.
Do you like me?
Yes, Yami thought happily, his heart leaping for joy as he slowly fell back to earth, wondering if his original assumption about her was correct.
She was being unusually forward now.
"Forgive me for asking, Kumi-san," Yami began, bracing himself for an answer he didn't want to hear. "But…are you…working right now?"
Kaiba's heart skipped a beat in his chest as he realized what he was being accused of.
Did Yami think he was a…prostitute?!
His rage reared its ugly head and before he could stop himself, Kaiba slapped Yami across the face so hard, his own hand stung. Clenching his fists at his sides, it took every ounce of Kaiba's self-control not to shout at his spiky-haired rival.
"I'm sorry!" Yami gasped, his eyes watering as his cheek stung and throbbed painfully. "I'm sorry, Kumi-san, please forgive me!"
Kaiba felt his fingers tingle from the residual force of the slap, and a warm bubble of satisfaction rose up in his chest.
Ha. Did it hurt?
He had always wanted to slap Yami across the face.
That was pretty fun. Again.
If Yami threw another shitty pick-up line at him again, he would earn another slap.
Yami was still apologizing frantically, sounding unusually undignified and pitiful as he stumbled over his own words. "I'm sorry! Please…I'm just amazed that…someone as beautiful as you…would pay any attention to me! You look like an angel!"
Yeah, I'm fucking angelic, Kaiba raised his hand threateningly again and swallowed his laughter. He sobered up instantly as Yami reached for his hand and cradled it warmly.
"Kumi-san…please believe me. I like you too," Yami said seriously, feeling her hand trembling in his, and he briefly wondered if he could kiss her. She was so incredibly tall, the only feature he could see clearly were her lips.
Did she feel the same way?!
"Go out with me, Kumi-san," Yami blinked, feeling his desperation rising. She looked completely emotionless…because he had really made her mad. "Please forgive me. I'll…treat you really well. I'll do my best to match your pace!"
Kaiba blinked rapidly, wondering if his shock was showing on his face.
He felt like shouting and crying with laughter.
He slowly withdrew his hand and grabbed Yami's wrist, forcing his palm upwards, feeling a wonderful wave of triumph surging up inside him as he wrote:
D-A-T-E ?
This would be his golden plan.
Seduce Yami to bits until he couldn't take it anymore, then, he would reveal himself, and then laugh his ass off while he called Yami an ambulance for the inevitable heart attack he would suffer.
Yami's breath hitched excitedly as he felt the letters being traced into his palm again, and he nodded enthusiastically.
"Yes! Gladly," Yami smiled shakily, feeling weak all over as he saw the beautiful girl flash him a very white and clean smile. Oh gods…she was an angel. An angel was asking him out on a date.
He held his breath as she continued to write in his palm.
S-E-E Y-O-U L-A-T-E-R!
Yami blinked and watched as she let go of his hand and walked away quickly, her heels clicking loudly across the pavement.
Wait…wait…what?!
"Wait…when?! Where?!" Yami called after her, taking a few steps towards the disappearing figure in the darkness before deciding against it.
He watched her vanish around the street corner and he let his breath out slowly, feeling extremely confused.
After a moment, he decided to follow her.
He rushed towards the exit of the park and turned the corner, hastily dashing across the dimly lit street, just in time to see a tall figure with elegant hair ducking into the open door of a long, shiny black limousine with no license plates.
Yami paused mid-step, temporarily speechless.
The limo slowly drive off down the street and he leaned against the street lamp, breathless with shock. Was she…a celebrity? A limousine with no plates! Was she the daughter of a very wealthy family? Or was she involved with the government?
Shaking his head in disbelief, Yami made his way back through the park and up the stairs to his apartment complex.
He leaned the door open and stumbled into his room, his knee hitting the edge of the low coffee table, and the pain stung him back into reality.
He set his camera down on the couch and lay down on the floor, staring up at the dim ceiling lights, feeling his head spin wonderfully.
Amazing. A tall, beautiful woman had appeared in his life…finally!
Struggling to sit up, Yami fumbled for his phone, quickly texting Yugi in his excitement.
Tossing his phone aside after sending a text, Yami sighed and gazed up at the low ceiling of his room. He vowed to wait every day on that park bench for her.
If it was meant to be, and she wanted to reciprocate his feelings, she would show up.
Kaiba sat very still in the back of his limousine, gripping the bundle of hair extensions in his fist, feeling his ears burn with a mixture of rage and humiliation.
The silence in the car was thick and heavy.
Isono had seen him…dressed like this! How fucking embarrassing!
The car pulled into his property and came to a slow halt in the expansive driveway, and Kaiba watched as Isono got out of the car without saying a word before closing his own door with a soft click and walking off quickly.
Obscenely grateful that his manservant was so perceptive, Kaiba waited until he heard the front door close before he got out of the car and rushed into the house, choosing to go around his entire property to enter through the garden door.
He dashed through the mansion, consumed by panic, and he took the stairs up to his room three at a time before reaching his room and slamming the door behind him with a loud bang, not caring if he woke Mokuba…if that little brat was even at home this evening.
Tearing off his clothes hastily, Kaiba stepped into the shower and let the steaming hot water trickle down his face, washing away the makeup. He could feel the cream clinging to his skin, and he blindly reached for soap, any soap, and he lathered it onto his face, only realizing after the fact that it was conditioner.
Hating everything, Kaiba rinsed himself off and stepped out, pressing the fluffy towel to his face and biting back tears of embarrassment.
Yami had seen him and hit on him like crazy.
Isono had seen him and all the color had left his face.
It was as if God was laughing at him…if there even was a God.
Patting himself dry, Kaiba dared to look at his own reflection in the mirror, shocked to see dark smears of eyeliner on his lower lids. He glanced down at the while towel and saw streaks of brown and pink from the residual foundation and blush on his skin.
Fuck, Kaiba growled, tossing the towel into the hamper in the far corner, thinking he would do his own damn laundry this week to avoid more embarrassment from Isono.
Well, he was never doing that ever again. Fuck all this shit.
He hastily got dressed and gathered the outfit off the ground along with the stray cosmetics on his bathroom counter and shoved them into an empty drawer in his spacious closet.
There were so many drawers that were empty on this side of the wall, it would quickly be forgotten there.
Eager to forget, Kaiba climbed into bed and buried himself underneath the covers, shutting his eyes tightly and willing sleep to come.
Yami sat himself down on the park bench at exactly 6:00 PM, watching the shadows from the trees grow darker on the ground as the sun began to set.
He crossed his legs nimbly and leaned his head back, gazing up at the leaves rustling above his head.
Was she going to show up tonight?
What reason would she have to be here?
He shut his eyes and inhaled deeply, enjoying the fresh evening air. Well, at least this was nice. After being shut in the studio all day, he rarely had time to sit outside and enjoy any part of nature.
The sound of heels echoed in the distance and Yami sharpened his senses, looking for the source of the noise.
A voluptuous woman was striding towards him across the park grounds with a multitude of brightly colored shopping bags hanging off her arm, her golden hair bouncing in the low lights from the streetlamps.
Blinking in astonishment, Yami's heart leapt into his throat as he waited for her to walk by. She looked familiar!
She got closer and paused in her step, waving a manicured hand airily at him.
"Yami! What are you doing here?"
Yami raised his hand to wave back, his heart sinking into his stomach. Mai Kujaku.
She approached him softly and smiled foxily, her pink lips curling delicately at the corners.
"Enjoying the sunset?" she asked, placing her shopping bags beside him on the bench and throwing her hair over her shoulder before reaching into her purse to check her phone.
"Yes…" Yami said awkwardly, watching her text furiously. "How have you been, Mai?"
"Good," she answered vaguely, shoving the shopping bags aside to plop herself down beside him with a loud, dramatic sigh. "Wow, my feet hurt. How's your magazine gig going?"
"Good," Yami echoed her response, thinking his photographs weren't making the front page at all. "I've done several spreads already. Have you seen them?"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever it is…Miss Eighteen, right?" she said carelessly, waving a hand across her nose. "I'm too old to read those magazines, but tell me which edition and I'll take a look!"
"Thank you," Yami said sincerely, feeling slightly better about running into her now as he figured one magazine sale with his photographs inside would bump him closer towards a promotion.
"Are you eating enough?" she asked suddenly, giving him a sympathetic look. "Let's go out for a meal together sometime. We'll bring Yugi and Anzu."
Yami felt his cheeks redden with sudden embarrassment as he quickly declined. "That's very kind of you, but no thank you."
He watched her throw her head back and let out a full laugh which echoed throughout the empty park.
"Oh stop being so modest, Atem," she said, reaching into her purse again for her phone. "I know what it's like. It's shitty pay to take photos of pretty girls trying to make it big."
"It's not…shitty pay," Yami said quietly, embarrassed that Mai had hit it on the nose.
It was shitty pay. The publishing company took a huge chunk of royalties from his photos every month. If he wanted to leave the company, he would need to refresh his portfolio, and pretty models for his own portfolio were hard to come by.
The girls who knew they were beautiful charged even more for their time, so it was doubly unfair. Some even charged per outfit. It was almost like he was paying for a better portfolio, which made the gap between photographers painfully obvious.
"Okay," she said simply, crossing and uncrossing her legs restlessly. "Well, I'm on my way."
Yami nodded stiffly and watched her gather her things, biting back a yawn. It was getting late. Where was Kumi-san?
Perhaps…was there an off-chance that Mai would know who she was? She did get into a black limousine with no plates, and Mai was very well-versed in her celebrity faces, even obscure ones!
"Wait," Yami said hastily, and Mai paused in her motions, giving him a curious look.
"Changed your mind? How about this weekend?" she said, nodding knowingly and giving him a small smile.
"No, well yes…" Yami said, gathering his thoughts. "Do you know a model by the name of Kumi?"
"Is that her real name?" Mai asked, frowning slightly. "Can't you just look her up in your database at work?"
"I don't know her last name," Yami answered guiltily, thinking he had tried looking her up earlier today, but the results came up empty. "I was hoping maybe you've heard of her. She's very beautiful, tall, with long brown hair—"
"Sorry hon, I can't help you there," Mai interrupted smoothly, sweeping her shopping bags off the bench and giving him a wave over her shoulder. "These girls have stage names for a reason. So creeps like you won't go stalking them for pictures."
"Creeps…like me?" Yami bristled, and he had a feeling the way he had acted towards Kumi last night was indeed quite creepy. Actually, the fact that he was sitting here, waiting for her on the off chance that she would walk by…was very creepy behavior.
"Or something! Byyyye," she sang, gracefully strutting away down the pavement, her colorful bags swinging merrily on her arms as she walked around the corner and disappeared.
Yami sighed and leaned back against the bench again, trying to quell his rising disappointment. Okay, she was right. He was being a creep.
I should go home, Yami thought glumly, rising to his feet and making his way back toward his apartment.
If it was meant to be, perhaps she would show up in his life again; maybe it would be tomorrow, or maybe even a year from now…!
Yami vowed he would keep his hopes up.
A girl that beautiful was definitely easy to spot in a crowd.
Author's note:
A slow start. But please stick with me as I will continue to try my best :D
Will Kaiba muster up the courage to go out in women's clothes again? And when would that be? Hurry, Yami is waiting!
(leave a review, dear reader!)
thank you YLJE for your tireless work and quality edits. Kaiba and Yami both thank you wif their diqqkkcsss ok that got bad real fast. IGNORE ME
Much love,
Ugli