Large, fluffy yet angry looking clouds loomed over the entire city. The larger ones were almost black, the smaller ones floating underneath those a dark gray. When the heavy rain had started, the dome on the stadium had already been closed. It hadn't had a chance to disrupt the duelists or fans inside while the games were going on. Now, hours later, everyone was starting to head on their way out, players and watchers a like. The press had gathered underneath the large overhang, shy of the rain and not wanting their equipment to get harmed. They'd overtake any duelist that left the area quickly and ask them about a million questions.

Around the back only one duelist was permitted to leave via the employee exit. It didn't have a shelter, forcing him to stand in the cold rain, but for one reason or another, he didn't really mind. His Duel Disk had already been handed off to one of the only people he trusted it with earlier, so he didn't have to worry about that. The water was slightly soothing, perhaps cooling him down after so many heated battles that evening. It had the unfortunate heavy effect on his hair, dousing it after only seconds and keeping it from fighting gravity any longer.

A hand reached up to slick his blond bangs back and away from his eyes, but it wasn't long before found their way to the front of his face once more, sticking to his long eyelashes.

"Wow. Yanno, people told me you were amazing but I never really would have believed them without seeing it up close!" An older male voice sounded just from the right of the King of Games.

It sent his head turning in that direction, an eyebrow arching. "Who are you?" It was a question that needed to be answered immediately, because already from the man gawking at him, he was beginning to feel uncomfortable.

"Not as important as who you are. Just look at you! You're perfect!"

Atem was not so easily impressed with the compliments. He glowered. "If you're part of the press, the gathering is out front. This is the employee exit only."

"They sure are, but the main star isn't even there is he?"

"Go away."

It wasn't as if he'd never heard compliments before but he didn't take them particularly well from strangers. Before he had a chance to possibly step back inside the man overtook him, stepping in front of the door and staring him down some more. He set an angry glare at the other.

The guy smirked, reaching into his jacket, sending Atem tense before a business card was presented. It was fully ignored. "Come on and take it. I want to sign you, you know."

"Sign?"

The man stood at his full height with the biggest grin all of a sudden. "Tokimeku Modeling Agency! You can't tell me that no one ever told you that you could be a model before."

Atem was even less impressed at that. He stepped back a foot. "Not interested. I'm waiting for my ride, so would you please go where you belong and leave me alone." Even with the indicator, the duelist was not asking a question. He was very blatantly telling the man to go away before trouble started.

"It's a good question you know? If this is meant for employees, then why are you out here? It can't be because you're a duelist because then they'd all be leaving this way." He tried to surmise. His hands were brought up only a second later waving frantically as if trying to clear that line of thought. "I can tell you right now you could make millions! Better than dueling for cash, right? Let me just get a look at you-" And with that he stepped closer.

It sent Atem taking three steps back to avoid him, growling now. "Go away. I'm not going to tell you again." He was trying to keep his temper.

"You really are beautiful! That eye color is so exotic! And that hair, and those hips... ah.. well... I suppose we can use things to make you look taller. I know they said you didn't have the legs for it and they were right..."

"Excuse me?" Even if he hadn't been buying into this, hearing an insult about his height so suddenly had him all the more angry.

Thankfully a long black limo finally pulled up in the alley, Isono jumping from the driver seat so that he could provide Atem with an umbrella. He eyed the other man suspiciously. "Atem-san, is this... a guest of yours?"

"Absolutely not."

The man seemed stunned. "Aren't you Kaiba's goon? Tell me the King of Games doesn't work for him!"

As if on cue the back door opened, Isono suddenly having a crisis of who to hold an umbrella over. Kaiba got out of the limo, staring down the other with an intense glare. "This exit is for employees only. Only an idiot would wander back here to interrupt a duelist's exit."

"He was waiting back here for you, not much of an exit really. Listen kid," He turned back to Atem, trying to ignore Kaiba altogether. "Take my card, really. We could do great things!"

Long fingers swiped said card out of the man's reach and only looked it for a moment before it was crumpled and left to the ground. A boot came over it soon after as Kaiba advanced. At least he was closer now so Isono could cover the both of them. "As of this moment you are banned from every piece of Kaiba Corporation property."

The agent paled, but seemed determined. "Isn't that mostly all the city? How can you really check on everything all the time." He sounded in disbelief.

But it had Kaiba smirking. "Try me. And unless you want your shitty little modeling business to become the new place for a Blue Eyes statue, you'd better hurry up and go bother someone else."

"We could work together you know!" He still tried. "If he's really your employee then he could do modeling for the both of us. I noticed you never have humans showing off your technology and stuff in ads."

Kaiba scoffed. "Technology can show itself off, it doesn't need anyone's help."

"Look," Atem finally intervened, "I'm not interested. Just go away."

"Don't bother him again." Kaiba set the glare back as he stepped closer.

The man wilted and wisely stepped away. "...but.. he's perfect! Just look at him! I bet no one gets to see sides of him like this! Just one shoot, okay? Give the fans what they deserve!"

Something in Kaiba darkened just the slightest bit. "If I see you within fifty feet of him as of now you will wish you'd never concocted this ridiculous scheme in the first place. I don't know how you got past security to get here but it won't happen again." Someone was getting fired, but as long as he made his point the man would surely not show his face again.

Despite wanting Atem's face to make him millions, he wasn't a stupid man. And facing down Kaiba Seto so suddenly had been the last thing on his mind. But he thought he saw some leverage here. "Do what I say, otherwise I'll take this story to the press myself!" Surely that would bend them to his will.

"Story?" Atem had to ask.

"You two are in cahoots, but I don't think it's strictly employer-employee otherwise we'd know you worked for him. I think you two are dating!"

Dating was a strong word and obviously Kaiba and Atem were having none of it. They wouldn't call it dating, so it wasn't. It didn't matter what they were doing. Kaiba certainly didn't think so. "Try it. You think you'll have a tough time getting around in this city without touching my property? How would you like to be exiled to America for the rest of your pathetic life?"

The agent seemed to be weighing his options carefully. It was with a heavy heart that he finally turned. But he seemed not to want to go without leaving his message again. "You really could, you know. Make a lot of money. Your face is beautiful."

Kaiba's action was rough and quick, the compliment not received well from either duelist. The agent was roughly knocked to the ground as Kaiba turned on his heel. "Come near him again and it'll be the end of your career and your life here." He set his eyes on Isono. "Let's go." There was an intentional lack of looking at Atem as he climbed in the car. The shorter man followed suit quickly enough and it wasn't long before the door was shut behind him and the car was moving.

"Desperate, pathetic people trying to sell their looks in order to feel worthwhile." The CEO spat, staring out the window.

"I wasn't interested." Atem tried to ease the air, not sure why Kaiba was so very angry all of a sudden.

Blue eyes quickly turned on the other. "Of course not. You're worth more than that."

An eyebrow arched. "...are you mad because he called me beautiful?"

Kaiba's eyes then narrowed. "Don't be ridiculous." He gruffed.

Atem finally smiled for the first time since they'd left the arena. "You can't stand it when other people compliment me?" What an interesting turn of events.

Seto was quick to pin him against the opposite door, glaring at him, but leaning in close regardless. "You are worth more," He reiterated, "than some loser's comments about your appearance; worth more than thousands of eyes that don't deserve to look at you."

He'd been slightly surprised but he smirked. "Unlike you who does deserve it?"

"It shouldn't even be a question." He had been so set on taking Atem to the corporation and working for the rest of the night but now he felt frustrated and angry.

Atem would serve well enough to take that out on, seeing as how this was mostly his fault. And sealing in a message never hurt, either.