Title: Once We Were

Author: celestial-fire-angel

Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh

Pairings: Mainly Seto x Yami

Rating: T


Author's Note: Thank you so much for the nice reviews. Since people seemed to like it, I've decided to continue it...Please enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or Meteor Garden.

Chapter Two

Yami glanced at the clock from time to time, anxiously waiting for school to end. He knew he had to go right after school to work. When finally the bell did ring, Yami hurriedly gathered up all his books and placed them in his school bag.

"Yo Yami, you leaving?" Honda asked.

Yami nodded. "I have to or else I'll be late to work," he said. "See you later." He ran out of the school building and went to the parking lot where he had parked his motor scooter. His grandfather managed to get it for him, using the money he had saved up for years. Yami of course shouted at his grandfather for spending the money on something so worthless but the old man had been insistent that Yami take it to school.

He took the helmet from off the handlebars and somehow managed to stuff his gravity-defying hair into it. Clicking the helmet in place, Yami got on and turned the ignition. The small motor scooter purred to life and Yami sped from the school, leaving a trail of leaves in his wake.

He carefully maneuvered his scooter onto the main roads and sped towards his workplace. He prayed that he wouldn't be late. Urging his scooter to go faster, Yami pulled up in front of the restaurant where he was currently employed. He hurriedly parked his scooter and made his way inside.

He slipped to the backroom and changed into the necessary uniform, black slacks and a white button up shirt. He glanced up at the clock and sighed with relief. "I'm not late," he said.

He hurriedly went out into the main room to get ready and take orders. He walked over to a table with a couple sitting there, flipping through the menu. "Hi, my name is Yami and I will be your waiter today," Yami said. "Are you ready to order?"

"We need more time," the woman answered.

Yami nodded. "I'll be back shortly," he said.

He noticed new customers arriving and went to greet them. He grabbed menus and made his way to the entrance. "Welcome to…" he started to say.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the bastard who hit Kaiba today," the voice cut in.

Yami stopped and stared at the person who had spoken. "Oh shit," he whispered. His crimson eyes widened for a brief moment before narrowing again. "What are you doing here, Marik?" he asked.

"You don't get it do you?" Marik said. "Kaiba owns the place, I'm here to survey."

Yami's eyes widened again. "This place is his?" he asked.

"That's what I said," Marik answered.

"Goddamn…of all the places…" he said. "Whatever."

He was determined to show Marik that the news didn't affect him as much as he knew it did. Working for a place under Seto meant that Seto was his boss. And of course since Yami wasn't on good terms with Seto, his job might have just gotten a little harder. He turned and started walking into the restaurant. "This way please," he said in a business-like tone.

Marik smirked and decided for a little payback for what happened to Seto. He walked quickly and 'accidentally' tripped Yami. Yami went sprawling onto the floor, the menus sliding from his hand and skidding across the carpeted floor. Yami turned and glared at Marik who just shrugged. Yami picked himself up and went to retrieve the menus. He dusted himself off and held his head high. He continued walking, now wary of where Marik walked.

Yami led Marik to one of the restaurant's V.I.P rooms, located on the second floor. He pushed open a door and placed the menus, along with another special menu, on the white linen-clothed table. "I am Yami and I'll be your server tonight," he said, saying those trained lines forcefully.

"I'll have one of everything on the menu," Marik said, not even bothering to open both menus. Yami knew he was doing this on purpose. He would have to carry all those dishes up and down the stairs. He growled but wrote it on his little pad of paper. "I'll send this to the kitchens immediately," Yami said.

He turned to leave but Marik called him back. "And a bottle of your finest wine, waiter," Marik said. Yami nodded and proceeded out the door.

"Damn you, Marik," he muttered under his breath. He walked down the carpeted stairs and to the kitchens. "One of everything," he called out.

He stepped out of the hot and noisy kitchen to get the keys to the wine cellar located below the main building. He looked to the rows and rows of bottles and gulped. Which one did Marik want? He wondered. Climbing on a stool, Yami reached up to grab a vintage wine from the shelves. Dusting it a little, Yami hurriedly climbed back down and to rush the bottle to Marik. Just as he was going to step into the room, he realized he forgot glasses. Muttering incoherent curses under his breath, Yami ran back down the stairs to grab glasses before heading back into the room.

Catching his breath, Yami walked up to Marik and placed the glasses down. "Is this year alright," Yami asked through clenched teeth.

Marik looked at it and waved it away. "That's too old," he said. "Another."

Yami stiffened but nodded. "I'll be right back," he said. He went down the stairs again and back into the wine cellar. Choosing something a little less aged, Yami went back upstairs and presented it to Marik. "This one?" he asked, forcing a smile.

Marik smirked. "No," he said. "Not aged enough."

Yami had a murderous look in his eyes. He counted backwards from ten to keep from strangling the man in front of him. "Of course," he said. By now, he was starting to sweat slightly from running up and down the stairs. But Yami went again back into the cellar and chose something in between the two years he picked. Don't kill Marik, don't kill Marik. Yami repeated over and over again in his head. He went back upstairs, wiping his forehead a little. "This one?" he asked for the third time.

Marik looked at him. "I don't like wine," he said finally.

"Then why did you send me to the wine cellar?" Yami asked, his hands twitching at his side.

"I like seeing you run," Marik answered, crossing his arms over his chest.

Yami sighed, counting backwards from ten again to control his temper. "Fine," he said. "Then what can I get you to drink?"

"One of everything," Marik said again.

In that restaurant alone, there were probably hundreds of drinks available. "One of everything?" Yami asked. "You're seriously going to drink all that?"

"You really need to repeat everything?" Marik asked. "You have a brain don't you?"

"Yes, in fact," Yami retorted. "It seems my brain is much bigger than yours."

Marik jumped to his feet, his hands grabbing Yami by the collar. "What did you just say?" Marik growled.

"Now you're the dumb one," Yami said, smiling. "Do I need to repeat it to you?"

Marik let Yami go and took a deep breath, "Bastard, you better watch who you're messing with," Marik warned.

Yami merely brushed his clothes a little to straighten them out. He ran a hand through his hair and brushed his blond bangs from his face. "I'll return with your drinks soon," he said, walking out, careful not to slam the door. He walked downstairs and to the bar, ordering one of everything for Marik. Tray after tray was loaded up with various drinks. Yami looked at the long line of trays waiting to be delivered. He sighed and picked up the first tray, carefully balancing it on one hand before slowly making his way back up the long flight of stairs to the V.I.P room where Marik was. He opened the door and pushed it open wide so he could get the tray into the room.

"So you weren't lying Marik,"

Yami stiffened and hesitantly turned around. It couldn't be! "What's he doing here?" Yami growled, narrowing his eyes at the newcomer.

"I own the place, bastard," came Seto's comment.

Yami rolled his eyes. "So I've heard," he said. He set down the tray carefully, almost forcing himself not to 'accidentally' spill all the beverages onto the two customers.

"Is that anyway to treat your boss?" Seto asked smugly.

"I'll be back with the other trays," Yami said, choosing to ignore Seto for the time being. He didn't know what Seto would do and had to be extra cautious because of the incident that morning. He knew Seto wasn't the type of person to let a punch go unanswered. Retreating quickly to the bar again, Yami hefted the drink-laden tray onto his hand and once again walked to the staircase. A fellow waiter stopped him.

"Yami, how many people are you serving?" the waiter asked.

"Just two," Yami answered, smiling at the look of disbelief on the other waiter's face. He walked back to the ground and set the tray down next to the previous one before turning to go get the others.

"Tired yet?" Marik smirked.

"Not at all," Yami said.

"You're going too slow, pick up the pace," Seto said, crossing his arms across his chest and leaning back in the seat. "All the ice is melting you pea-brained waiter."

"Don't push it Kaiba," Yami warned.

"This is my restaurant. I can do whatever the hell I want," Kaiba retorted. "Certainly no dirty street rat is going to tell me what to do."

"Shut up!" Yami shouted. In a blur of white and black, Yami seized the two trays and flung all the liquid inside towards Seto and Marik. "I'm sick of hearing your crude insults. You know nothing about me."

"You bastard! Do you know how much this shirt was? More than your annual salary," Seto screamed.

"Maybe you should have used to money on something else," Yami said, his crimson eyes blazing. "Maybe a nice reality check would have done you some good. Not everyone is rich and spoiled like you. Some of us actually have to work in order to survive."

Seto stared at Yami, his whole body trembling with rage. "This is coming out of your paycheck," Seto said.

"I'm not paying for anything," Yami retorted.

"The hell you aren't. You forget who controls your salary, you lowly waiter," Seto growled.

"Then I quit," Yami said calmly. "Serve yourself, I'm out of here."

He turned heel and walked out of the room, breathing a sigh of relief from finally getting away from both Marik and Seto. But now he had to find another job. Stomping down the stairs, Yami pushed open the doors and walked back to his scooter. He looked at the building one more time, glaring at it before putting on the helmet and driving off.

Seto watched from the second story window, his blue eyes narrowed with a dangerous glint. His hands fisted beside him as he watched Yami drive off. He turned back around and stared at the puddle of liquid on the table, the variety of drinks staining the previously spotless white tablecloth with a wide array of colors. He stared down at his own shirt, clinging to his body, also stained a multitude of colors.

Marik wasn't fairing much better than Seto. The drinks had gotten into his hair so now the sticky blond tendrils clung to his face. He unfortunately had been wearing a white shirt and now that was drenched in alcohol and various fruit juices. He could feel the liquid running down the back of his neck and he shivered slightly from the coldness.

"Bastard," Marik muttered. "He'll pay for what's he's done." He peeled the sticky shirt from his chest and stared down at it. "I'll kill him."

Seto shook his head. "It'll be more fun to…break him," he said. He turned to Marik. "Don't touch him."

"You serious?" Marik asked, his eye widening a fraction.

"I never joke," Seto said coldly. He would make sure Yami understood where his place was. Seto smiled a little at the thought of breaking Yami. He had never encountered someone as defiant as Yami was nor anyone who had the guts to do what Yami did. Seto saw it as a challenge and Seto liked challenges.


Reviewers Responses:

Saphira's Ember: Thank you very much for the compliment. I'm so glad you liked it!

Anime Blade: Thank you very much!

dangerousgirl: I have heard of Boys Over Flowers. I think Meteor Garden was based off of that manga. Thank you for the suggestion.

supernerd3333: Yeah, Yami needs to kick some major ass but I hope what he did in this chapter could substitute any ass-kicking that Yami might do in the future.

Pysche: Oh gosh, it's such an honor to get a review from you. Your fics are all amazing and I'm a big fan. I'm so glad you liked it, thank you! And we'll see just what Seto has in store for Yami...

:Final Thought from Seto:

We'll see who's stronger...no punk form the street is going to best Kaiba Seto!


Author's Note: Well, the second chapter is now complete. Was it good? Bad? Wonderful? Horrible? Please let me know!

Read and review! Arigatou!