Summary: No one was exempt from suffering the seven sins, not even a genius like Seto Kaiba and a former Pharaoh like Yami. From the seven sins, however, rises an unexpected love story.

Pairings: Yami/Kaiba

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, at all. All the characters belong to Takahashi Kazuki-sensei. The only thing in this story that is mine is the plot itself.

The Seven Sins
Chapter One – Pride

Seto Kaiba was not accustomed to this position at all. He was the one who was supposed to be the object of everyone's attention, the one who had the opportunity to reply snidely and reject them. Seto Kaiba always had to be the one in power, with the authority to choose. Right now, however, it seemed that he wasn't in the position that he favored.

He had a feeling he never liked girls to begin with, that didn't bother him as much. What bothered him was the identity of the man who had captured his attentions enough to force the impudent CEO to actually consider bending his pride to spend fleeting moments with him, most of which were "accidents".

"Oh who am I kidding," mumbled Seto in frustration, leaning back against his chair, his hands covering one eye each. He couldn't deny that he had this much of an effect on him but Seto could at least put up a mask to hide the feelings that would ultimately betray him.

Looking at his desk calendar, a scowl formed on the CEO's face. It wasn't something unnatural, to see him scowl. It was one of the few expressions that his employees normally saw, other than a frown and look that displayed superiority complex.

"Does it have to be today," grumbled Seto, standing up and walking over to the window. His cold blue eyes gazed outside, wandering down to the street below. He knew it was futile but he wanted to see, he wanted to make sure that he made an infinitely rare mistake by writing the date of their meeting today instead of a different one.

Trapped in his own little world, Seto Kaiba didn't notice the door open, a familiar figure walking through the polished oak frame. When the CEO finally turned around to get back to his chair, he almost felt his heart beat so fast it slammed against his ribcage.

"Surprised?" asked his visitor, an amused look on his face. Seto shrugged, sitting down on his own seat, knowing his companion would take the one across him. "I was already here. I had lunch with Anzu since she had something to say to me."

"And what did you talk about?" asked Seto, picking up a folder and leafing through the contents inside. His heart skipped a beat. He didn't have the right to pry but he had a feeling his companion would answer him anyway. There was an incredibly strong bond between them.

"She told me that she liked me," he spoke, crossing his leg as he leaned back slightly into the plush chair. "But I told her that I had someone else in mind. I appreciated her feelings but I just couldn't return them. She was crying when we parted but, for some reason, I didn't feel as affected as I thought I would."

"Did you have a love when you were still alive in ancient Egypt?" asked Seto, still leafing through the files in the folder. His cold blue eyes were transfixed on the characters printed on top of the white paper. "I'd assume you did. You were the Pharaoh and there was nothing you couldn't have with your power and riches."

"Well, I kind of had a love when I was still alive in Egypt," replied the ruby-eyed male, his eyes glistening with an emotion Seto couldn't quite put his finger on. "Anyway, you said we were going to talk about another tournament where my title would be on the line?"

"Yes. The preparations will begin when you sign this," spoke Seto, settling back into a position he was very familiar with and would prefer to be at all times. "Around the world, a tournament called the Horus Tournament will be organized and sponsored by the Kaiba Corporation. The winners from each country, there will be sixteen, will gather here and compete in the King's Valley Tournament."

"Horus and King's Valley, how apt. Did you do your research Seto?" asked the other, an amused smile on his lips. Apparently the young CEO of the Kaiba Corporation did things other than work and duel.

"Horus was considered both god and Pharaoh while he ruled over Egypt. All succeeding Pharaohs, even you, became the representation of the god Horus," replied Seto, his own blue eyes glossing over in amusement. "And the Valley of the Kings is where the Pharaohs are buried, where your old body is encased in a sarcophagus, the tomb filled with everything you might need for the afterlife."

Picking up a pen, the ruby eyed male wrote his signature in the appropriate places, handing the paper to Seto after. The latter examined the paper, looking for anything else that had to be signed.

"Isn't it fitting? The Horus Tournament is going to held to see who is worthy to try and defeat me, the Pharaoh, and the King's Valley Tournament is going to be held to see if my reign as Pharaoh has ended," spoke the former Pharaoh quietly, more to himself than to Seto really.

"Your interpretation, Atemu," replied Seto, inserting the white paper into the labeled folder. "The preparations should be fairly quick, as I've already started it even without your consent. The Horus Tournaments around the world should begin next month."

"Then what did you need my signature for?" asked Yami, an amused gleam in his crimson ruby eyes. "And Yami, call me Yami. That name holds far too much power to be spoken out loud so commonly. You remember why I even forgot it, don't you?"

"Formality's sake I guess," mumbled Seto, leaning back into his chair as he continued to fight off the redness that kept threatening to rise. He had done well since Yami had entered his office, not wanting to suddenly show he was embarrassed. "And yes, I remember. Slip of the tongue I suppose."

"Well then, to complete formality, let's go out and discuss the other details of the tournaments wherein I actually have a say," invited Yami, standing up and stuffing his hands in the front pockets of his jeans.

When Seto looked up, it was only then he noticed that Yami actually wasn't wearing the school uniform he himself used to, until he plunged himself deep into the world of the Kaiba Corporation. He was actually wearing civilian clothing which suited him quite well.

Yami was wearing a loose white shirt, on top of it, an unbuttoned red long sleeved shirt acting like a jacket. The jeans on his legs were new though the slightly faded style seemed to prove otherwise. On his feet was a pair of leather shoes, simple but sophisticated.

"Seto, are you going or not? I'd really rather not discuss things in here. It's so… bleak," said Yami, causing Seto to snap from his reverie for the umpteenth time that day. "Or if you have more work to do, we can always discuss it next time."

"No, now is fine. I'll just leave a message to my secretary to take note of anything I've missed while I was out on a meeting with you," replied Seto, standing up as he straightened out his white trench coat. It was rare when he wore it, opting to wear suits most of the time, but for now, he just felt like it.

At the Park

Yami often confused Seto, not just emotionally but mentally as well. When he had asked if he wanted to further discuss the details of both tournaments, Seto had assumed they'd go to a café of some sort and talk. Yami, however, had other things in mind.

Right now, they were walking in the park where a number of younger duelists were playing. Every so often, if one of the two actually noticed Yami, they'd stop for a while and wave at the current incarnation of the Pharaoh. He seemed to smile back, a sign that he visited the park at this time often enough.

On the other hand, none of them really knew Seto. They knew him as the head of the Kaiba Corporation, the company that had allowed them to play the Duel Monsters game with a three dimensional rendition of the cards. He didn't seem to be the friendly type either, exuding a cold aura.

"When you meant discuss the details, I actually thought we were going to sit down in a café of some sort and talk," spoke Seto, shoving his hands deeper into the pockets of his hands. "Not walk around in the park and watch as these kids go up to you and say hi."

"Well, we did talk about them didn't we? We just had fun along the way," replied Yami, a cheerful grin on his face. "Or don't tell me, Seto Kaiba thrives on work and is allergic to fun." He was probably the only one who could jest like that and not feel the wrath of the CEO.

Seto shrugged as they continued to walk, contemplating on the things Yami had proposed, not that there were very many. He had trusted Seto to make sure that everything to do with the tournament would assure smooth sailing throughout its duration.

Yami had suggested that during the King's Valley Tournament, all the environments should relate to places that led to the actual valley, the finals set in the resting place of the Pharaoh's, the resting place of his body. It seemed right, considering the nature of the tournament and why it was named.

Another thing the former Pharaoh had suggested was to publish a believable reason as to why they were called the Horus and the King's Valley Tournament. They would obviously wonder why the names were Egyptian in nature, when the actual card game stemmed from the West.

"Are you sure you want them to know so much about your past life?" asked Seto, out of the blue, when they stopped to sit in a secluded section of the park. "Don't you think you want to stop living in the past?"

"I haven't stopped living in the past, Seto, ever since I've gotten my own body here. I don't think you have either. Look at you," replied Yami, facing the ice blue eyed male. Seto felt the smoldering crimson gaze pierce his every fiber. "You've taken such an interest in ancient Egyptian lore. You never forget that I used to be a Pharaoh. Everyone else has resigned it to your subconscious but you haven't."

"I was actually alive during that time. I'm an incarnation of one of your ministers. How can I easily forget those facts?" retorted Seto, his voice rising slightly. After they defeated Zorc, he couldn't help but look at the High Priest, the one who looked and acted exactly like him.

"Yes, you're the proudest man I know, three thousand years ago and now. Your pride refuses to allow you to simply let the past slide by and I simply can't just forget my past, just when I've remembered it," explained Yami, his voice falling into a pleading tone.

"I know I'm proud. No one knows me better than myself," said Seto, slightly offended at the words of the Pharaoh. The things he used to shun in favor of the present were the very things that kept him awake so late at night. Since the rare defeat of Yami, where they expected him to finally rest in peace, he was absorbed by the lore of ancient Egypt.

Months later, Yami suddenly appeared in Japan bearing a letter from Isis and Malik. In it, the siblings wrote that though the Pharaoh was no longer troubled by memories and ghosts of the past, he was by those of the present.

With the strength that had somehow materialized, he was bestowed with a body that looked exactly like he did, all the hidden scars healed. Isis and Malik were shocked, almost paralyzed in fact, when they saw him step out where his spirit was finally buried. With that, he was sent on the next flight possible to Japan, where Seto had been waiting along with the others.

"Unlikely. Before I became Pharaoh, we had our rivalries and we got to know each other," corrected Yami, leaning back against the bench as he looked up, watching the clouds. "I enjoyed that sense of informality and familiarity we shared. I knew you very well, Seto, I wonder if you can remember just how well."

A surge of confidence finally took over Seto, putting him back into a position he enjoyed, a position where he was not uneasy. With a smirk, Seto leaned in, and pressed his lips against that of Yami's. In his mind, his pale skin mixed wonderfully with the dark honey of Yami's. He reveled in the pleasant shock that was running through both their minds and when he finally pulled apart, he had that cocky, self-assured smirk on his face.

"You're one confident bastard aren't you?" asked Yami, not bothering to wipe his lips. His mouth glistened slightly as he lifted his chin, a sudden blast of royal upbringing shrouding itself around Yami. "But you remember just how well I knew you."

"I'm a proud, proud man Yami, as Pharaoh Atemu and Yami you said so yourself. Even a lifetime won't make me bend it for anyone but for you, it only took a walk in the park," explained Seto, standing up and stretching out a hand, offering to help the shorter male up.

"Pride, one of the seven sins. I read a book about them before, having nothing better to do. I wonder what sins you're guilty of, Seto," asked Yami, a rhetorical question. "But it's funny, you were High Priest, from a social class that was regarded as sinless."

"Ah but no one is perfect, not even you who was considered god," countered Seto smoothly, taking long strides to get out of the park. There was a sleek Porsche waiting in the parking lot with his name on it, quite literally. Kaiba was embossed on the plate. "Although I'd like to think I am. No one can match up to me, not even you."

"There you go again, cocky and arrogant bastard," said Yami with a laugh, his ruby eyes gleaming with amusement.

The End

Well. I'd like to say that I'm new in writing in the Yu-Gi-Oh world and I hope this is going to be well accepted. This started as a sort of a spur of the moment thing but it's well planned and hopefully, well written.

There are going to be seven stories, since this is called The Seven Sins. Each chapter will be named after a sin and if I feel like it, I might add an epilogue. I'm not entirely sure yet but you can count on the seven chapters.

This chapter is called Pride and it is especially well explained towards the end of the story. Seto Kaiba is suffering from the sin called pride but it's not necessarily a bad thing for us, is it? It amuses us and makes Seto an amusing character as well!

The stories are loosely connected. Some references may be made from one chapter to another but they can be taken as independent one-shots.

Again, I hope this story meets your satisfaction and your standards! To keep you, hopefully, excited for the next installment, here's a chapter preview!

Next Chapter: Chapter Two – Envy

Chapter Preview: Yami was an extremely mysterious man, his moods flitting from one to another. His attention was like that as well. Just this morning Yami was practically all but clinging to Seto but now, it was otherwise.

Yami had left a note that he had gone to Yuugi's house having a friendly duel, having been a while since they last did. Seto still remained firm in his belief that he was the only one who had any right in dueling the Pharaoh. It seemed that jealousy, or envy as others called it, reared its ugly head and this time was attaching itself onto an unlikely target, Seto Kaiba.