Chapter 02: Talking It Out
Shutting the door behind him after he arrived home and leaning against it heavily, Yami realized he was breathing heavily. What the hell just happened? Yami wondered, still unable to make sense of it all.
"Hey, you're back!" Yuugi brightly greeted Yami until he noticed his worked up state. "What's wrong?"
"Kaiba kissed me," Yami answered, saying it out loud making it feel even more surreal. "He actually kissed me."
"What? Why?" Yuugi questioned in shock.
"He said because he wanted to," Yami replied as he finally moved away from the door and toward the living room as he followed Yuugi.
"Is that a bad thing?" Yuugi asked, surprising Yami.
"Of course it's a bad thing!" Yami immediately protested. "It's Kaiba."
Once again shocking Yami, Yuugi's only response was, "So?"
"He's my rival," Yami answered, as if that explained everything.
"Did you enjoy it?" Yuugi shyly questioned, having his suspicions that the answer was yes.
Sitting down heavily on the couch, Yami argued, "That's not the point! The point is—"
Interrupting Yami, Yuugi pointed out, "That wasn't a no."
Scowling at that, Yami muttered, "Fine, I suppose it wasn't terrible, but he's my rival and we can't—"
"He's also your friend," Yuugi interrupted again to add.
"What's that have to do with anything?" Yami demanded, although he didn't refute the claim. He had long considered Kaiba a friend, but he doubted the feeling was mutual.
Grinning, Yuugi held up his hands defensively as he protested, "I'm just saying, there's no rule that says friends can't do that."
"But why would he do that?" Yami wanted to know, still not understanding Kaiba's motivation.
"He said because he wanted to, right?" Yuugi questioned.
"Yeah," Yami confirmed, "but I don't get why."
Hiding a grin behind his hand, Yuugi explained, "Did it ever occur to you that it's because he likes you?"
Scoffing at that, Yami immediately denied, "There's no way! Kaiba doesn't like people, let alone like that."
Yuugi shrugged as he suggested, "Maybe you're not people. You're his rival, someone who matters. And how do you know he's never liked anyone that way?"
Burying his face in his hands, Yami muttered, "This doesn't make any sense."
"Oh, it makes plenty of sense," Yuugi contradicted. "He's obsessed with you, so is it really so large of a leap to believe it could be in a romantic way?"
"Kaiba? Romantic?" Yami repeated before laughing loudly. "Kaiba is many things, but romantic is not one of them."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Yuugi said, suspecting he was closer to the truth than Yami was comfortable with acknowledging. "I bet he likes you."
"He doesn't even like me as a friend," Yami protested, sounding more bitter than he meant to. "What makes you think he'd like me as a boyfriend?"
"Would you like him as a boyfriend?" Yuugi asked, finally causing Yami to look up at that question.
"Why would I think of him like that?" Yami wanted to know. "Just because I like guys doesn't automatically mean I'm attracted to someone like Kaiba."
"But he's handsome," Yuugi knowingly argued, having figured out Yami's type some time ago.
"He's arrogant," Yami stubbornly persisted since he couldn't refute the claim.
Laughing at that, Yuugi had to point out, "But so are you."
"That's different," Yami defended himself. "I'm at least nice."
"He's nice to his brother," Yuugi said, enjoying poking holes in Yami's weak arguments.
"Whose side are you on?" Yami demanded.
Smiling reassuringly at Yami, Yuugi answered, "Always your side. But I think you're protesting a little too much for someone who's not interested."
"But I've never thought about him like that!" Yami exclaimed.
"Maybe it's time you start," Yuugi wisely suggested.
"But it's Kaiba," Yami protested. "He doesn't need anyone but Mokuba."
"People change," Yuugi stated. "Maybe Kaiba-kun's grown up a little."
"Right," Yami said in a disbelieving tone. "Because Kaiba just decided over night that he has a crush on me."
"Oh, I think he's had it a lot longer than a night," Yuugi commented. "It's been at least since Battle City."
It took a moment for that fact to register and Yami started to protest, "One, that was years ago. Two, you knew he felt this way and said nothing?"
"I don't know for a fact," Yuugi reassured Yami. "I'm just saying, in hindsight, that's when his obsession with you really came to light."
It was true that the two had bonded during their trials at Battle City, but did that mean Kaiba liked him in that sense? "That doesn't mean he likes me," Yami protested, still not convinced. "Not like that, anyway."
"I'm pretty sure kissing is a good indicator that it's like that," Yuugi said with a grin. "We all know Kaiba doesn't do anything unnecessarily, so why else would he do that unless he really likes you?"
Yami didn't have an answer to that question either and he continued grousing, "This still makes no damn sense."
"Then talk it over with him," Yuugi suggested. "But prepare yourself to have an answer for him."
The comment confused Yami and he asked, "What do you mean?"
"I mean whether or not you like him back," Yuugi clarified. "He's not exactly patient."
"But I don't have an answer," Yami growled in frustration.
"Then that is its own answer, isn't it?" Yuugi astutely noted. "If it's not an outright no to him, then you need to figure out whether that means it's a yes."
Groaning as he laid down on the couch, Yami wondered, "Why did he have to do that?"
"He probably couldn't help himself," Yuugi guessed. "The rush of adrenaline after a fight, I get that."
"I'm glad one of us does, because I'm fucking lost," Yami complained.
Smiling kindly at Yami, Yuugi said, "You're smart, you'll figure it out."
"That's what he said," Yami crossly muttered, not amused by it when Yuugi started laughing. "It's not funny!"
"Sorry," Yuugi apologized as he tried to reign in his amusement. "If I were you, I'd try to figure out if you liked being kissed by him and go from there."
"But what am I supposed to do when I see him again?" Yami asked, although he had no clue when his rival would have enough free time to duel. "Just act like nothing happened?"
"That really depends on what conclusion you reach, doesn't it?" Yuugi pointed out, knowing it could go a couple of different ways.
Sighing miserably, Yami continued to scowl over the issue. He knew he needed to reflect further on the matter, but it really didn't appeal to him. "I'll think about it later," Yami finally decided, knowing his mind wasn't going to give him any choice in the matter.
A/N: I'm so glad that everyone seems to really like this version of confident Kaiba! It's also been fun to write a more uncertain Yami and I hope that everyone continues to enjoy the story.
NEXT CHAPTER:
Yami just couldn't be sure from one kiss.
The next chapter will be posted on Sunday, November 16th, so please look forward to it! Unfortunately, I'm in the middle of applications process, so I'm going to be a bit behind on review responses, but I truly do appreciate you taking the time to let me know your thoughts on this new story.
