Title: An invitation from Seto Kaiba
Characters: Seto Kaiba x Yami no Yuugi (Prideshipping)
Rating: (to become) NC-17
Summary: One fateful day, Seto Kaiba sees himself forced into a date with his greatest nemesis, the King of Games. And not just any date, but a boring, reluctant, annoying one with one of the preachiest guys he has ever known. What good can come of this?
Author's notes: This story takes place after the series' end, all characters are of consenting age and Yami has his own body just because we like it that way. Concrit and comments are appreciated!
Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh is the property of Konami and Kazuki Takahashi, and this work is only a very appreciative celebration, from which we hope to derive no profit of any kind.
Thank you dear friends, for the lovely reviews so far. And a special note to SweetRevenge666: Yes, the Chekov's Gun of having Pegasus in there will be resolved. Bless his heart, Pegsy is a supporting character here, and that means he's got to scramble for screen-time.
Subtle lighting, the subdued clink-clink of silver against expensive china and the so-discrete sound of it being set down again on the cloth of the tabletop, the gentle sound of the servers' voices, and the faint strains of the music that served as a background: Everything was quiet in Kiyoshi, in that discrete, elegant way, that irritated the hell out of Seto, who preferred the rush and clutter of KaibaCorporation, and the peaceful, absolute quiet of his research room, once he'd shut the doors and told the staff he wasn't to be disturbed. This fancy, privileged atmosphere raised his hackles and made him as restless as a cat before a thunder storm. Food was food, right? What was the point with all this elegance?
Well of course he had a good reason to be here, now didn't he? There was something big at stake here, big enough and more so, to be worth sitting for one evening in Kiyoshi, where even the water came in cut crystal, and the napkins were the size of tablecloths. Sitting there with his big piece of snowy linen draped across his knees, sitting there upright and politely quiet, with his hands folded on the tabletop (because what else was he supposed to do with them?), and his feet neatly together in front of him, Seto felt kind of like a table himself. He felt like he wasn't going to have any more fun than the average table, as he went through the motions of scanning the excruciatingly elegant menu he'd been given (which featured elaborate descriptions of dishes that sounded like they'd been thrown together out of all the strangest ingredients the chef could find, opposite prices that would have paid for a small continent, outside in the real world), even though he knew he'd probably just be taking the first special the waiter described for them when he came back.
Yami, on the other side of the table, looked perfectly at ease. He wore a suit (a nice suit, way nicer than Seto would have ever imagined he could afford), and he had a glass in front of him (white wine), and he'd taken a little of the weird, depressing little complementary appetizer they'd been given when the waiter took their drinks orders. Seto, who didn't care for fish foam on tiles of dry toast, had left it strictly alone. And he hadn't drank much of the cup of coffee he'd ordered either. But he didn't come here to have fun, he had an objective in mind, and all he wanted to do was get through the evening and be done with it, as quickly as possible.
"Nice weather we had today," he said, just to make polite conversation. And then, because he couldn't think of anything to add to that, "have you decided what you want? I'll signal the waiter."
One course at Kiyoshi was as expensive as buying your own apartment, Yami thought, but he didn't feel uncomfortable here, surrounded by all this wealth and luxury, in fact, he was faintly amused the stiff posture of his host, sitting across the table. Yami had done everything to look his best tonight; well, if this was a 'date'; he'd better make most of it, right? He'd asked Yuugi's mother for help, and she'd done great work in altering one of jii-chan's suits into something fitting, and even becoming, he flattered himself in thinking. He looked good tonight, and he knew it with the arrogance of a Pharaoh. Studying the menu though, he had no idea what to order; everything looked so exquisite and excellent to him, that it was hard to decide. He wasn't going to show any insecurity to Kaiba Seto, however. With a controlled gesture, he put the menu down.
"Why don't you decide," he said, folding his hands in front of him. He had noticed that Seto hadn't looked at the menu at all, or touched his little appetizer. "And order some wine for yourself. Relax. No one is going to devour you." It was pretty much preposterous that he had to calm down Seto of all people, but the young CEO really needed to lighten up, otherwise this date was ruined before it had even properly started. Oh well, he was going to get an evening at the kabuki theatre out of it anyway, and he could ignore Seto during the performance if necessary. But now that this was a 'date', it would be nice if the other would relax some, instead of glaring around and sitting up straight like his spinal cord was an unbendable, solid steel rod.
He sipped a little wine. Gods, but this was heavenly. The wine at the Mutou house was just store-bought, thirteen-in-a-dozen cheap stuff, tasting like dish-washing liquid. One sip of this, and he felt like he was in heaven, with nothing but the best at his disposal. He relaxed some more, showing Seto a superior smirk.
"What can I get for the gentlemen tonight?" the waiter asked, popping up by their table right as Yami said, "why don't you decide for both of us," to Seto.
"Decide for yourself," Seto snapped. He glared at Yami, feeling irritated out of proportion, by the request. Then, when Yami didn't speak up right away, he transferred his glare to the waiter. "Has this restaurant got anything without fish foam in it? Bring some of that," he said, and held the glare until the man dropped his eyes, and mumbled something about bringing the special for both of the gentlemen.
"And bring me some wine," Seto told him, "some of what he's having," and he jerked his chin toward the glass of white wine at Yami's place. It could have been anything - What did Kaiba Seto know of wine? It wasn't like his stepfather had had him in the dining room all the time, learning social graces and trying all the best vintages. - he wouldn't have known, or cared, but he knew that he wanted something to relax him a little bit or this whole evening was going to suck, and wine would do that, wouldn't it?
The waiter scuttled off. He knew the CEO of KaibaCorporation, they paid flunkies at these fancy places to know those things, and he wasn't going to piss off such an important customer, no matter what he requested. And as he left, almost as if he was speaking to his retreating back instead of to Seto, Yami spoke up: "How's your brother doing?" he asked.
Seto looked at him. "Mokuba's fine," he said. "Why wouldn't he be?" Then with an effort, he reminded himself that he ought to be making small talk, that socializing would make this "date" go more pleasantly and smoothly. "He's in his second year at Domino High now," he said. "He tells me he's got a girlfriend named," - He thought, tried to remember what the girl's name was, when he'd never listened that carefully to Mokuba talking about her. - "...named something," he said. "Chieko or something."
"How's Yuugi?"
Yami mentally congratulated the younger Kaiba brother, thinking how pleased Yuugi would be by the news. Mokuba had always been so close to Seto, not that there was anything wrong with that, but it was good for him to stand on his own two legs and discover the world. His girlfriend would teach him some of the social interaction skills which Seto so obviously lacked; that waiter was probably going to have nightmares about the glares he'd been giving him.
"So, Mokuba has a girlfriend," he said, sipping his wine again. "That's good. Yuugi is dating Anzu, a pretty obvious development. He's totally smitten with her and kisses the ground she walks upon." As he mentioned her, Yami thought about Anzu for a moment: She'd always been a good friend, but he'd been pretty much blind to the feelings she once harbored towards him, never even aware they were there, until after the girl had moved on. It hadn't been until then that he'd realized how patient Yuugi was either, loving her, unnoticed and unappreciated for so long. His aibou would rather deny his own happiness than to make his friends feel any discomfort, but when Anzu did look his way, he took the opportunity at hand; with results.
For himself, Yami had never given relationships much thought. He loved Yuugi well enough, and thought of him as the other half of his soul, but could he classify that as being in love? Not really, come to think of it. Moreso, he'd never really felt desire for anyone and he chalked that up to still being a stranger to this world, still new to having his own body. He had more than enough time to discover himself and his sexuality. Only one thing was for sure, and that was that his eventual partner had to be strong, and commanding. Not any of this metrosexual crap where inner feelings had to be discussed every night. No, a partner should be strong and authoritative, that was what he liked. …Although Seto's authority here at the restaurant, was so extreme it was almost funny. He was still grumpy of course, with this 'date' going on, and Yami decided to tease him a little.
"You're not really enjoying yourself are you?" he said. "Maybe fancy restaurants and kabuki theaters are common to you, but not to me. A shame really, considering that I used to be a Pharaoh and people would throw themselves at my feet... but I won't bite your head off, Seto-kun. Try to relax a little."
The waiter returned to their table and set a glass at Seto's place, a glass of something clear-ish, and yellow-ish, that did not smell as appealing as his coffee, but of course he'd known it wouldn't. Wine wasn't something he drank for pleasure. He found it rather amusing actually, the way everyone seemed to dive for the drink whenever they got the chance. Alcohol tasted nasty, it smelled nasty; there was even an experiment somebody had done some fifty years ago or so, where they'd offered it to a cat, but whenever the cat got near enough to smell it, he'd wrinkle up his nose and then run away. That was because you only had to smell the stuff to know it wasn't good for you. As he recalled, had to put the cat under a lot of stress, make it about as nervous as any animal could get, before it would have anything to do with drinking... Seto wondered for a moment if that was why he was drinking, before he picked up the glass and took a drink, noting as he did, that the taste wasn't too offensive, that is if you liked spoiled grapefruit juice. Then he responded to Yami's "conversation".
"Yuugi and Anzu." He ...sort of remembered Anzu. She had a temper on her, if he remembered, and she was way too mouthy for a girl. She protected Yuugi. But that's how it had always been, wasn't it? Everyone was always protecting Yuugi, who was way too soft and weak to survive by himself in the world. She was full of energy too, wasn't she? He wondered if she ever got bored, having to protect her boyfriend all the time, or if Yuugi's balls had dropped by now and maybe he was able to protect other people for a change. "I'm surprised," he said. "Why would she be with Yuugi, when she could be with you? Or maybe you're dating someone else?"
Seto took another drink, the wine ...not totally unpleasant on his tongue. Yami was saying something about how many fancy restaurants he probably went to all the time, and he nodded. "I have to go to places like this sometimes, yes," he said, "mostly when I do business with Pegasus." His lip-curl showed what he thought of the American. "It's his idea of fun. He forces me to go to some restaurant where they don't serve normal food, just so we can sign the contract for KaibaCorp to use Duel Monsters in our VR systems. How stupid is that?" he asked, sounding animated for the first time that evening. "He benefits as much as I do, why waste everybody's time? But of course Pegasus can't do anything the normal way. It's all got to be fun for him."
"Dating someone else? No, not really." Yami toyed a little with his own glass, enjoying the taste of the wine. He was fond of Chardonnay, and he never had it at home; no one else in the Mutou household cared for the taste of wine. "I never felt the urge to date Anzu," he continued, wondering why he was confessing this to Seto of all people. "She's a great friend, someone you can rely on, but I don't consider her as a lover. I think she fits Yuugi better."
Nothing wrong with Anzu, indeed. She had a spunky personality, , and her body was to die for, a perfect elegant dancer's body, with nice… Ah, assets. Yami wondered for a moment, how it would feel to make love to a woman, to anyone, actually. He'd never done it in his old life, and it was still too early for him to have had the chance in the new one. He wasn't even sure who attracted him, whether he preferred men or women. …Although all of a sudden, the question began to make him curious.
"Pegasus, hm?" Yami continued, shaking his head at the thought of the eccentric American. Pegasus wasn't one he wanted on his friends-list, and he was glad it was Seto, rather than him, who had to interact with him. His idea of 'fun' had to be disturbing. "I hope he doesn't make things too much fun for you," he said, then added with a grin, "you don't enjoy fun at all, Kaiba. What would it take for you to smile, really smile, not like your usual cat-ate-the-canary or I'm-going-to-kill-puppies smile?"
"What do you mean I don't enjoy fun?" He'd only had a couple sips of his wine, and Seto didn't notice the loosening effects of it yet (although that's not to say someone else wouldn't have noticed them). He responded to Yami's teasing without anger, with something almost like amusement. "I like fun," he said. "I like to..." He stopped. He wanted to say he liked dueling, which was true of course, only not relevant, especially not when he was talking to Yami, the one duelist on earth who could consistently beat him. "People don't understand fun," he said instead. "They think you have to play, and do silly things, but designing a plan, and carrying it out, and then seeing the perfection you created with your own hands, that's fun too."
That had to be the most personal thing he'd ever said to his rival, and Seto didn't notice it at all. He took another drink of his wine, and continued, "and I don't have an 'I'm-going-to-kill-puppies' smile. What a thing to say to someone, Yami. How about you? How about the I'm-awesomer-than-the-whole-world smirk you get when you're laying down a card during a duel? You're a one to talk about having fun. You're like all Yuugi's killer instinct, wrapped up in your own body. Ever since I've known you, he's had the fun, and you've won the duels."
Their waiter had reappeared at the table, delivering salads made out of what looked like spiky garden weeds, which apparently came with the night's special. It was not actively unappealing, but Seto ignored it. He could have salad any time he wanted (and normal salad too, not strange concoctions of plants nobody had ever heard of); interesting conversation was harder to come by. "What do you like besides winning duels?" he said. "Yuugi's got a girlfriend, and you're oh so happy for them, but you don't really sound like you want anything like that for yourself. And don't tell me you want to go watch a bunch of boring kabuki. Come on. Be honest. You just said that because you wanted to see how serious I was about this date, didn't you?"
It was pretty tempting to reply "Because I am awesomer than the whole world", but Yami knew how conceited that would sound. He also realized that, well, in a way, Seto was right. He'd been interrogating him about having fun, but what did he have on his own to show for? Not that much fun either, right? What did he really enjoy? Well, since he had his own body, he'd enjoyed his freedom. It was amazing to walk around not having to share a body, and to do whatever you wanted; go to bed, brush your teeth, eat, drink, dance or whatever, without being dependent on someone else. He had discovered classics and literature, enjoying his visits to the library (on Yuugi's card, he didn't use it anyway) to get himself a pile of books. Reading was fun, but somehow Yami doubted that the other wanted to hear that.
"I'll have you know, Seto," Yami answered a little sourly, "that I do enjoy the arts and kabuki in particular, as it's something I've never been able to watch or enjoy in my life before. I died very young, remember? I have a new shot at life now, and I want to see and make the most out of it as possible. That you don't have an eye for the wonderful rich culture and traditions of your own country, is just embarrassing. And yes, I did suggest the theatre to test you, but if it's something that you can't live through, I'll be happy to either go without you, and you can enjoy your evening at home alone."
He raised his glass towards Seto's, continuing, "I have much to learn in this world, but I do already enjoy the smallest things, like a glass of wine, and a good dinner. And I'm always honest, Kaiba. A little less paranoia would do you well. If you want to be serious about this date, I suggest you act starting like an interesting partner instead of being an ass."
Now Yami picked up his fork and started tackling the salad, a delicious mixture of fresh green vegetables and several kinds of lettuce. "Oh, and so you know," he couldn't help adding, "most of the times I AM awesomer than the rest of the world, yes."
"Cry me a river, everyone's had a tragic past, Yami." The words were out of Seto's mouth without his even having to think about them. "You didn't have a childhood because you got killed so young, but here you are now getting to do it all over again, so excuse me if I don't have much sympathy. I spent my childhood learning how to run KaibaCorp," he said, "and before that I was in an orphanage. How much fun do you think I had?" He'd always hated his rival's self-righteous attitude, which was just as obvious now as it always was, and he was about ready to get pissed off at it all over again, when Yami's other comments brought him up short:
"If you want to be serious about this date..." Yeah, he wanted to be serious about it. It was imperative that he be serious about it; if Yami decided to get mad and leave halfway through, he'd be fucked, wouldn't he? Pegasus had told him to go out on a date with the ex-Pharaoh, not to take him out and then have him run immediately for home.
"We're going to see your precious kabuki," he said. "I told you we would, and we will. I'll probably be bored the whole time, but who cares?" He gave his best effort at a warm smile. "Your enjoyment will make it all worthwhile. Don't give me that shit about Japanese culture though," he went on. "You don't know jack-squat about Japanese culture. My heritage is where I get my love for technology, especially gaming technology. Do you know what that means, Yami? Do you know how much care and attention we Japanese have given, to designing things that will make children happy? All over the world, at any time of the day or night, there are children having fun, because of Japanese technology - Because of KaibaCorp technology. I'm proud of that," he said, sounding a little dramatic himself as well.
He forked up a few bites of the salad (which didn't taste all that bad really), and followed it with a swallow or two of wine. All in all, he thought, this date wasn't going too badly, even if Yami did have to brag on himself every two seconds.
"Like you said yourself, cry me a river," Yami snapped back. "I don't care about how you're getting bored, or how bad your childhood has been. You asked me, no, demanded to go out on a date with me, and so far all you've done is bitched and whined. If this is such a sacrifice for you, Seto - He thought back to how the other had given up his BEWD just like that, - "then I'll finish my dinner and go home right now."
He took a few bites of his salad: Delicious fresh, and a wonderful dressing, not too sweet, not to sour. His words had been harsh, and maybe he wasn't being the perfect guest either. Maybe he should try soothing Seto a little. "I know how good you are with technology, and I know how many people enjoy what you brought to their world," he said. "I didn't mean to say anything that belittled that. You know how much I enjoyed the holographic rendition of the Duel Monsters cards, and darn right you should be proud of that. You accomplished something, and no one can take that away from you. I apparently enjoy living in the past," he said without bitterness, "by reading history books and enjoying the art and performances of ancient centuries." His voice turned a little softer. Perhaps the wine was loosening him up as well, because he never confessed to this, not even to Yuugi. "I don't know how to live in the present. I feel safe with everything that has a past, a history. This world is going to fast, is too loud, too overwhelming. You were born in this world, knowing how to deal with it from the beginning. I feel like I've been put in the middle of a large department store trying to find the exit."
Another sip of wine, and, "cry me a river indeed," Yami murmured. "It wouldn't be bad to care a little more about the people around you. That's something I learned from Yuugi: It's not a weakness to care, it's not a weakness to show emotion."
Lectures, and criticism; Yami was getting up on his high horse again, just like he did every time they met, Seto thought, and it was only good manners, or more accurately, the power of 10,000,000 Blue-Eyes White Dragons, ready to flood the market if he failed, that helped him keep his mouth shut. He gritted his teeth and stabbed at his salad hard with his fork, spearing hearts of palm and hearts of artichoke, as if they were hearts of Yami, until he was calm enough to respond politely. "All right yes," he said. "I guess dying must have been pretty bad, especially dying young like you did. And having friends is great, I never said I had anything against having friends. It must be," - He paused, looking for a word that fit. - "It must be ...useful," he said, "to have someone you can confide in."
He finished his salad, spearing something round, that squeaked between his teeth, more like seafood should squeak than like a vegetable. "Speaking of friendship," he added, "I've always meant to ask you: Why are all your friends such losers? You've got a lot going for you," he said assesingly. "You've got dueling talent, and some brains. You know how to lead. You could be friends with anyone you want," he said, "but instead you always choose second-rate duelists like Jounuchi, and posers like Otogi. What is with that? Is it because you let Yuugi pick all your friends? - You let him pick your clothes too, don't you," he added, which was way more personal than anything he normally would have said to his rival, especially considering how close he came to grinning as he said it. "That explains the leather pants; he's got a pair just like them."
"Yours look better on you," he said, and then, when he realized what he'd just said, he took a quick drink of his wine, and then stared down into what was left, so hard that it should have started boiling.
"They're not losers," Yami immediately defended his circle of friends. "Just because they don't have a multinational gaming company at their fingertips, doesn't make them losers. They all have assets that make them wonderful people: Loyalty, a listening ear, help and comfort in times of need, and fun and laughter in times of happiness. You probably don't believe me, Seto, but it would do you good to have some friends as well. No one is made to live the rest of their lives alone. I'm not saying you should be in a relationship," - He blushed faintly as he said this, even though he didn't know why. - "that's for each person to decide for themself. It has nothing to do with a relationship or staying single. Just to have some people around you, someone you can talk to…" He grinned. "That would've probably taught you that you don't just go around knocking on people's doors, and shoving chocolate at them when you want a date. You would've known that you have to woo a person."
"Not that it matters much now," he continued, as to avoid an awkward silence. He had finished his salad, with proper nibbles and small bites, not stabbing and poking like Seto (who looked like a kid who didn't want to taste 'funny chunks' in his food). Did Seto even notice the freshness of the vegetables, the delicious aftertaste of the delicate dressing? Probably not. "We're on a date now, and it's all water under the bridge. But don't," and he almost wagged his finger, "judge people you don't even know. I would give a kingdom to have someone like Jounouchi at my side. His loyalty is more worth than the God Cards; I know I can always count on him."
Then Yami blushed some more, suddenly noticing Seto's comment about his pants. "Thank you," he said, pleased by what he took as a compliment to Yuugi (who did, as Seto said, pick most of his clothes) as well as to himself. "Do you think a suit looks good on me too?" he asked a little teasingly.
'Friends', should be interesting, and the trouble with all Yuugi's friends, Seto thought, was that they weren't, not at all. Some of them were fools, and some of them were assholes, but none of them generated even the faintest spark of excitement when they entered a room, except maybe Anzu, and that was just because of those short skirts she always wore. But he didn't want to get into a whole big argument about it, because talking to Yami was interesting. It was way more interesting than he'd expected it to be, and maybe that was the wine, but maybe he'd always been interesting (for himself that is, not just as a dueling opponent), and Seto just hadn't realized it. Maybe? Maybe he just wasn't quite as expert on what people were good for as he'd always thought.
No, he thought, that wasn't all that likely. But Yami was kind of fun to talk to, kind of more interesting than his flunkies at work, or even Mokuba, even right now when he seemed intent on talking about nothing but clothing. "What about my suit?" he said. "Does that look good on me too?" And for all it was a totally trivial thing to talk about, Seto decided to treat it as a serious question. He eyed Yami up and down. And he thought, as he always did, that he should lose the ridiculous hairstyle, which looked like he'd decided to stick a starfish on his head (but that one curl falling across his face was kind of nice), a starfish which had somehow managed to be three different colors. And he looked at the suit, and then, "the grey looks nice with your hair," he said. And then he thought what an incredibly girl-y thing that was for him to say, and he wished he'd just cut Yami off short after he asked such a ridiculous question in the first place.
...And then fortunately the waiter showed up, removing their salad plates, and replacing them with the huge new plates that held their entrees, which looked like little tiny clusters of tall buildings, surrounded by pools of multi-colored sauce. "You know this is still just food, for all it's so fancy," he said. "It's still just fuel for your body. And clothing is just clothing. You'd be the same person if you were naked, Yami," he said, not realizing at first what he'd just said.
Out of everything he had expected, being eyed up and down by Kaiba Seto hadn't even made the list. It felt nice though, not awkward at all. Yami knew he was good looking and that his appearance was different from the usual crowd, and he normally reveled in attention, but being checked out by Seto felt something like a victory, even though he knew the CEO only did it to answer his question. His trademark smirk appeared on his face, curling his lips; this 'date' was going to be more interesting than he'd thought.
"Naked, hm?" Yami couldn't help but continue that interesting subject. "What would you know about that? Have you seen that many people naked? Who knows what I'm hiding underneath these clothes." It was a a not-so-subtle insinuation; maybe he'd gone too far. "What I'm trying to say is, that appearances on first sight aren't always what they're supposed to be. You have such a quick opinion about everything, but have you ever tried really looking at what's there? Take this plate: It's food yes, and it's for our body, it's nutrition that gives us energy. But does that mean we can't appreciate it for its taste, its texture, its presentation? Should we shovel everything inside because it's 'just food' or can we stand still for a moment and be grateful that we have food, that we can eat, and that it's perfectly normal to appreciate it?"
He lifted up his spoon to gather a little of the sauce, and tasted it. "It's not 'just food', Seto. Open your nice blue eyes and really see for once. Enjoy the taste of what's on your plate, instead of doing it away as 'just food'. Take something on your spoon and taste." Yami licked his lips. "It's heavenly."
Nice blue eyes? He had nice blue eyes? All that about ohh, life is so lonely when you don't have friendship, and why can't you just open your eyes and see what's all around you Seto, that was just the usual crap, that Yami and his friends always gave him whenever they saw him, but nice blue eyes? That one was new, and it was surprisingly flattering, coming from someone who'd never showed any signs that he saw him as anything besides a rival before. The endearment was kind of lovely - Seto hadn't lived the kind of life where he got very many endearments. - but the context for it was so weird, that it was hard to focus on the loveliness. Instead, he just blinked, and pretended it hadn't happened.
"This stuff?" He stirred his fork through the multicolored sauce pattern on his plate. There were puddles of gold, and puddles of crimson, and puddles of deep, dark green; it looked, not like food, he thought, but like someone was getting ready to paint Yami, with a whole bunch of trees in the background. And now all the colors were touching, and starting to get mixed together. Seto picked up his fork while they were still distinct enough to tell apart. "Sure, it tastes fine," he said without tasting it. "Why wouldn't it taste fine? They put enough work into making it taste fine certainly. But the point is, why would you want to waste all this time sitting around and nibbling little bits of this and that, and dabbing with sauces that are the same color as your eyes, Yami? Why not just eat, and get done with it, and then go do something more interesting? Dueling for instance?" He licked the fork, and what was weird, was that you could tell the difference between the three kinds of sauces. The yellow tasted one way, and the red tasted another way, and the green tasted a third way, and they weren't just good, they were actually kind of interesting. He could get into eating like this, at least once, at least for long enough to figure out what he was eating exactly, and how they got it to taste like that.
"Okay, this stuff's not bad, I'll give you that." He speared the top layer, a piece of something floppy and green, that might have been seaweed, or pasta, or ...the gods knew what. "Now, back to you being naked:" Being Kaiba Seto, he of course wasn't going to shy away from Yami's implied challenge. "What are you hiding under those clothes?" he said. "Is it something really embarrassing? Were you given a body that didn't have all its parts?" This time he did grin, and it was a gamer's grin, the expression of someone who had just upped the ante. "I've seen you in those leather pants of yours," he said, "and you didn't look like you were missing anything."
Yami winced at Seto stirring his food, all but mixing the sauces together. How could you taste the exclusive flavors if you mixed everything up like that? Was it so difficult for him just to appreciate something for once? Not that he could really blame him, after all, they were kind of alike, weren't they? Both rulers in their own right, they were nothing like the 'ordinary crowd'. The way Seto behaved, was authoritative, someone who was used to getting what he wanted, when he wanted it, and how he wanted it; maybe he acted like a spoiled child sometimes, but was that so surprising, considering how he'd been raised? Wait... – Yami caught himself - Was he starting to feel empathy towards Seto? Usually it was his aibou, Yuugi, who was quick with the forgiving and the empathic emotions.
"It sounds to me like you need someone who can show you the other side of life," Yami said, "someone who can show you that it's not all about work-work-work. There is more to life yes. Just breathing, eating for enjoyment, instead of shoveling your food down: You like it, don't you?" That came out entirely wrong; he'd been referring to the food, but his voice decided to go a little husky at that moment and he ran out of breath at the last syllable, eliciting a soft gasp. Gods! Of all the moments for him to start sounding like a porn star!
"Dueling, that is," he continued, blushing. "And with one BEWD card in my possession, I'm sure you're going to challenge me sooner or later. Talking about my leather pants, I didn't know you paid so much attention to them and how I wear them. I've always wondered why you'd wear a coat like yours. Even though it leaves everything open at the front," - Yami smirked. - "it leaves much to the imagination from behind. Do you have something to hide underneath all that fabric, Seto?"
"What? You mean my dueling coat, right? You don't mean this?" Seto ran his hand down the sleeve of the purple coat he wore. He thought about the big white coat he wore for tournaments, that was designed with intimidation in mind. Yeah, that one was all about how long it hung down in back, but that was to make him look taller, - And it didn't hurt that it always made his entrances and exits so dramatic either. - it wasn't supposed to draw attention to anything underneath. And this coat he was wearing tonight ...that had coattails too... Was that really what everyone was looking at? Seto's eyes dropped to his lap for a moment, noticing for the first time, how close-fitting the black pants he wore with it really were, and it occurred to him what else they might be looking at. When he looked up at Yami, his cheeks were a shade pinker.
"You're joking," he said. "No one ever looks at my butt. It's a pity too," he added, with his self-command back, and an almost joking tone to his voice. "I've got a good butt. Just because I don't go showing it off all the time like some people I could mention..." Yami had changed, hadn't he? - It didn't occur to Seto that he'd changed too. - He'd been stuffier when they'd first sat down, more judgmental. He'd been more like he usually was during a tournament, like he was the boss of everything, and thought he knew everything. Now he was more relaxed, even kind of ...The young CEO's mind floundered in search of the word "fun", but he'd never really learned it. Yami was just different, was all.
"You always defend everyone, don't you?" Seto said. "You defend your friends, and total strangers you meet. You're defending this food," - He pointed his fork at the, now teetering, stacks on his plate. - "I'll bet you're going to defend the kabuki theatre when we get there. You talk about how I'm always work-work-work, but you're always defend-defend-defend. You don't have to be, not tonight. What am I going to do," he said, "take away this pasta's locator cards if it doesn't live up to my expectations? ...It is pasta, isn't it?" he added, tasting the piece on his fork, "or is it seaweed?"
"You're unbelievable." Yami shook his head, but he couldn't help a grin appearing on his face, a smirkish grin, of genuine amusement. "That's what I meant the entire time, silly!" - He didn't notice that he'd just called the youngest and most influential CEO around 'silly'. - "You call it 'defending', but I was just calling your attention to it. Taste the food, really taste it – don't sit there asking me if it's pasta or seaweed. You need to open your mind and take in life, and not your work all the time. It's pasta, by the way," he added helpfully. "You're so busy with your work that you don't recognize pasta any more, and don't allow yourself to taste it. It's extremely good food, not something I could afford, and for you it's 'just food'. Even if it's 'just food', pay some attention to it, Seto. It would do you good."
Yami had finished his own plate, enjoying the rarity of the dish. This wasn't something he could have at the Mutou home, and he was humble enough to appreciate it. It must be very different for Seto, who could lavish himself with this kind of food whenever he wanted to. Such a shame that he didn't seem to appreciate it. Had work overtaken him so much that he couldn't even taste the finer things in life? And why was he, Yami, even thinking about it? This wasn't a real date; Seto had 'bought' his company by giving him his BEWD. Yami sipped of his wine, enjoying this taste in particular; cheap wine could be awful, but this was the best of the best.
"Concerning your dueling coat," - He chuckled a little. - "I didn't know you had clothing especially for dueling. Yuugi always had that stupid school uniform... but well, it is a pity that no one looks at your butt. You don't give anyone the chance to, ever! How can you keep all that good stuff to yourself all the time, and deprive the entire world of what you have?" It had to be the rush of the evening, somehow, because he couldn't really believe that he was saying this. Yami tried to hide behind his glass. "Uhm, well, what I'm saying is... maybe you should try to wear leather pants. You never know, you might like it."
"Know it all," Seto said, but there was no rancor in his voice. The floppy stuff on his fork was green, dark green; it wasn't the most obvious thing in the world, that it was pasta, but for once, he didn't really care all that . What did capture his attention, was the relaxed, boyish smile on Yami's face. The word that crossed his mind for it, was "cute", but as soon as he thought that, he pushed it away again. Cute? Who went around thinking their rival was "cute?" "Mutou Yami," he said (and if he could have seen, the expression on his own face was pretty relaxed and boyish as well), "the expert on everything. The all-knowing genius who instantly recognizes ugly squares of green stuff for what they are, because he always 'opens his mind and takes in life.' - That sounds really wrong for some reason," he added with a grin.
Opening his own mouth, he took in the ugly green pasta. It was cold now from waiting, and when he looked over at Yami's plate, he saw that he was completely finished with his entree. Quickly, he took a few more bites of his own, before pushing it away with enough gone to make it look like he'd eaten it. Yami's lectures to the contrary, food was still food, to the young CEO, and it was something he could have any old time he wanted. Arguing with his rival on the other hand, was fun, and and more interesting than any food. He emptied his wine glass, then signaled for the waiter.
A glance at his watch, showed him time was getting short before the kabuki performance started. "There's no time for dessert, unfortunately," he said, "not if we want to get to your theatre in time." - In this part, he was totally sincere; of all the kinds of food in the world, which he mostly ignored to get work done, the only kind besides coffee that actually provoked much interest in him, was sweets. - "So I guess I'll have to give you something else for your dessert." Seto couldn't believe he was really doing this; not only was it flirting, with his arch-rival of all people, but it was silly, just like Yami had called him just now, but he got up, and he turned, and he flipped up his coattails in back, and he actually got in a good butt-waggle in Yami's direction, before he saw the waiter approaching, and retreated back into his usual icy dignity.
"There," he said, grinning at Yami. "Was it all you dreamed it would be?"