If You Want Him, Stalk Him
Chapter 2
Two Sides
"I can't believe Yami and Kaiba would take part in a contest like that", Jounouchi said as the group waited for the ex-pharaoh in question on the schoolyard. Yugi glanced up at the blond just as the taller teen continued: "But then again, when one takes their competitive streak into account it's not really all that surprising at all."
"Will they ever learn not to fight, I wonder?" Bakura mumbled thoughtfully, to which Jounouchi replied: "The day Yami and Kaiba are not in each other's throats is the day the world will finally end, despite Yami's efforts on saving it." The joking laughter of the blond faded away suddenly when Jounouchi grew serious and spoke: "I still wonder though. Who is Kaiba going to get a present for?"
There was a snicker from Honda then, followed by the brunet suggesting: "Maybe he's getting one for you." Honda broke into full-blown laughter then and continued on, even as Jounouchi attempted to swing a fist at him: "Oh, my precious puppy! I can't live without you! Please be mine!"
"Eww!" Jounouchi exclaimed as he kicked Honda's feet from under him, sending the brunet tumbling on the ground. "That's got to be the most disgusting thought ever!"
As Yugi watched Jounouchi rave and gag, he noticed a soft blush dusting his friend's tan cheeks. To Yugi, Jounouchi did not look disgusted at all, and Yugi liked to think that he knew Jounouchi pretty well.
In the next instant Jounouchi changed moods again, this time into curiousness, as he jumped at Yugi quickly enough to cause the smaller boy to jump as the blond questioned: "Who do you think Yami will get a present for?"
Yugi shrugged his shoulders, releasing a rather bitter snort before grumbling: "How should I know? Anzu probably. I mean, who else is there?"
Only silence followed Jounouchi and Yugi wondered if he had insulted the blond with his snappy tone. He was just about to apologise when Yami came out though the school doors and everyone started calling to the former spirit. It was when everyone's attention was focused on Yami that Jounouchi spoke quietly: "You're jealous."
That time Yugi released a squeak in addition to jumping. He had not expected his friend to speak and suddenly Jounouchi was continuing again: "I understand, Yugi. I also feel terrible thinking that Kaiba is getting a present to some girl." Yugi turned to Jounouchi to see a sad look in his friend's normally happy eyes. "Except that it must be even worse for you, since that girl will also be a friend of yours, right?"
"I wonder how Yami is going to get a present to the one hosting the competition, though?" Yugi muttered then. "I mean, he would have to tell Anzu who he was getting a gift for."
"That's a good point Yugi", Jounouchi said with a nod of his head. Then the blond grinned widely once more. "That means it might just be you, Yugi! You actually have a chance."
Right as Yugi was about to tell Jounouchi to not give up on Kaiba himself, Yami's voice called to him: "Aibou? Aren't you happy to see me? We've been apart for so long."
"We were apart for ten minutes you big baby", Yugi shot back at the crimson-eyed boy but went over to hug Yami nonetheless. Yugi really considered himself lucky to be able to at least hug his beloved, while others had to deal with crushes who would not speak a single kind word to them. Yugi felt sorry for Jounouchi then, for the first time since they had become friends. Yugi had always admired the blond and thought that Jounouchi was everything he wanted to be. And now Yugi had something that Jounouchi could probably not even dream of, and the amethyst-eyed boy had not even realized that before today.
At that instant the guilt became too much and Yugi pulled away from Yami's embrace, a lot more forcefully than he had intended.
"Aibou?" Yami questioned in a worried tone of voice. "Is there something wrong? Didn't you want me to accept Kaiba's challenge?"
"When do I actually want you to accept one of Kaiba-kun's challenges?" Yugi asked with a worn tone. "Still, this has nothing to do with that. We're too busy for these sorts of things." The short boy then turned around to look at Jounouchi again. "Me and Jounouchi-kun decided to go into a movie and we're going to be late. See you, Yami." And with that Yugi rushed off, grabbing a hold of Jounouchi's sleeve as he went.
It was after the two were out of hearing range that Jounouchi spoke out: "When did we decide to go to a movie?"
"We didn't, Jounouchi-kun", Yugi confessed in an apologetic tone of voice. "I'm sorry about this but I just had to get away from Yami for a moment."
"Ah", Jounouchi uttered in an all too understanding tone. "Okay then."
Jounouchi did not resist or mention the contest at all after that, and actually chose a good movie for the two of them to watch together. The blond was really the best friend Yugi could ask for.
&&&&&&&
"So, you want to place our own terms in this contest?" Yami questioned from his seat opposite Kaiba in a small café. Yugi had still been out somewhere with Jounouchi when Kaiba had called and suggested they meet up to discuss the stakes that would be involved in the contest going on between the two.
"Of course", Kaiba drawled with an amused smirk on his face. "I mean, what is the point on an single contest of win or lose? There is no…thrill in that."
"Right", Yami grumbled, all the while thinking vicious thoughts of a certain adrenaline-junkie sitting opposite to him. "It seems there is one thing you have in common with Jounouchi." The former pharaoh grimaced with distaste at the thought of his rival with his best friend. "And here I thought you were just after his body."
"I don't think you really wish to know what thoughts exactly I have about Katsuya", Kaiba spoke evenly with a rather lewd curl of his lips. The brunet had actually dared to speak the blond's first name when he had said those suggestive words. It was enough to make Yami's blood boil.
"I swear if you harm Jounouchi-" Yami started but was cut off when Kaiba snapped back: "Why does everyone keep insisting that I would harm Katsuya?" The brunet leaned forward towards Yami as he growled in a dangerously low rumble: "I care about him, pharaoh, and I tell you to not forget it." Then the brunet leaned back in his chair, looking as calm as ever and not anything like the angered Kaiba from seconds earlier.
Kaiba's blue eyes studied Yami challengingly a moment before the brunet spoke: "So, will we make a deal?"
"You're pathetic", Yami shot at the brunet, simply to get to fire some kind of a retort at Kaiba. He was growing angry of the other's impassive posture and he hated it how the brunet stayed so controlled even when he was furious, like Yami had just witnessed.
"I see", Kaiba drawled in a taunting manner. "You're afraid to lose to me." The brunet smirked all the more viciously then. "You know that there is no way you're going to beat me."
Not about to be second to Kaiba Yami allowed his game face to slip on his face before he spoke: "I think you are forgetting one important thing, Kaiba: I never lose."
There was a deep chuckle from Kaiba, followed by the brunet speaking: "Well, this isn't just any game, pharaoh. This is seduction."
Yami allowed himself the luxury to snort before he countered with: "You know nothing of seduction. You're emotionally deprived."
Kaiba did not seem affected at all by Yami's words. Instead the brunet merely smirked wider as he spoke out carelessly: "I simply need to be more irresistible than you and that is definitely no problem for me."
Now the brunet was claiming that he was better looking that Yami? There was no way that Kaiba could beat Yami in the area of looks. Yami's features had been worshipped by women near and far. There was no one more irresistible than Pharaoh Atemu. It was with thick disbelief that Yami grumbled: "Oh, please, you wouldn't know style if it was granted to you with shadow powers."
If there was one way to get Kaiba riled up it was by mentioning magical powers. Even though the brunet had admitted their existence he still hated the very thought of magic, the one thing his technology could not overcome. There was finally an angered tone in Kaiba's voice as the brunet spoke: "One: your shadow powers are completely useless in every day life, and two: You have been out of fashion for 3000 years."
"Yugi says that fashion goes around in circles", Yami argued. His aibou had taught him all he knew of the present day and the boy had not been wrong once yet so Yami would trust Yugi's word on how things operated in this world. Still, Kaiba brushed this statement aside by waving his hand dismissively before saying: "Your sense of fashion is helplessly out of that loop."
"Well, I can read Yugi's mind and find out his deepest desires", Yami claimed then. There was no way Kaiba could beat that. The brunet had not contact with Jounouchi besides arguing and fighting so there was no way Kaiba could throw back something that would beat the mind-link shared between two halves of a single soul.
"I have the technology and resources to dig up anything at all about Katsuya", Katsuya stated simply and Yami glared at the brunet. Damn it, how was Kaiba capable of all those things with his technology? It was not like machines could read minds.
"How much faith do you have in this ability of yours?" Kaiba questioned then, the challenge clear in his tone and eyes. "Will you agree on a bet with me?"
"Fine", Yami snapped heatedly, not about to back down now that he had come this far. Kaiba would go down one way or another and this way Yami would get something a little extra out of it. Struck with sudden inspiration Yami spoke: "I will want an all-expenses-paid weekend vacation with my aibou."
Kaiba actually lifted an eyebrow at those words, clearly surprised by Yami's demand. The brunet placed his lower arms on the table as he leaned slightly forward to question: "You're planning on luring your precious other half into bed with you by means of a vacation?"
Yami actually blushed a bright red at the accusation and snapped back defensively: "What do you take me for? No! I simply want to make my aibou happy."
"And satisfy him in the process, I believe", Kaiba mumbled as he leaned back in his seat. Yami was about to retort angrily at the brunet's words but was cut off when Kaiba spoke: "And if I win, I will have your word that you will not interfere with matter that are between me and Katsuya."
"What do you mean by that exactly?" Yami asked suspiciously. He would not simply stand aside and let Kaiba abuse Jounouchi all he wanted. If that were what the brunet would demand then there would be no beat, least of all with those terms.
"I mean that I will not have you come in the way of my attempts to court him", Kaiba growled out in an irritated manner, like he knew exactly what Yami had been thinking. "I don't want you to demand to duel me in some courageous goal to keep your friend safe from my evil wiles." The anger faded away then, to give room to the brunet's usual cockiness. "So, what do you say, pharaoh? Do you accept the challenge?" Kaiba's large and slim hand was then offered to Yami. The former spirit wasted no time in grasping the hand and shaking it. Kaiba would go down and Jounouchi would not need Yami's help to be rid of Kaiba; the blond could not stand the brunet for more than a few minutes.
