Content Warning: Slight sexual content, very very slight dub-con\non-con.

It had all started in such a uselessly stupid way, like most things did. One thing piled up on the other on the other until it crumbled under a weak structure. Sometimes their relationship felt that way. No strength. Just ridiculousness and petty behavior. Easily bent and broken. Once he left the office, walked around and cooled off, Atem would think twice. And once Atem did walk angrily out the doors, Kaiba would stew, brood, and then feel a creeping sense of desperate panic, but be unable to act on it.

Days without sleep were to blame. As well as subsisting only on coffee. Not getting enough work done. Atem walking around like he owned everything. The much smaller man had perched himself on a corner of Kaiba's desk, trying to draw attention to himself. If he'd just wanted to hang around quietly he'd have sat on the couch and done puzzles. No. Instead he walked right in, letting the doors swing closed after him with a light push that was somehow hard enough to get them to smack loudly in the frame. And he moved right to the desk and sat. With a smirk. The cocky little bastard.

And Kaiba had ignored him, as he had every right to do. No one had invited him. No one even wanted him- obviously, else why would he be in the office in the first place? Kaiba didn't need his presence, and his friends must not have either. Pathetic.

The moment Atem picked on the dark circles underneath the man's eyes, or the sharper angles of his face that indicated weight loss that couldn't be spared, Kaiba started snarling. Started implying. That his worth wasn't as high as he seemed to think. That he was taking up too much space in the office- or that he was, indeed, a waste of space. That no one, least of all Kaiba himself, needed that lousy pity (that he knew to be carefully well placed concern only after Atem had stormed out). That he was useless. Small and easily crushed.

Atem wasn't the sort of man who took that kind of abuse, not even from someone he supposedly had been able to call a lover. Kaiba wasn't an easy man to deal with. He'd really have been as stupid as Kaiba was implying if he had waltzed into this relationship thinking that. But he hardly expected the tongue lashing he'd received. There was only so much that he could take, that he could pass off as Kaiba being tired, behind schedule, and not up to par. Only so much. And once that point was passed with Kaiba going in for personal insults, he stood his ground. He got angry. He imagined stomping Kaiba on the duel field with his Gods, or his Black Magician smacking the man straight in the face while he was wide open for attack with his staff.

Instead after they both has started a shouting match that all the secretaries on the top floor could hear for sure, they breathed heavily at the other. Daring the other to start the next round. Make the next hit. Intense stares of absolute hatred and loathing. All Atem had wanted to do was spend time. Just a little bit of time- and had ended up concerned for Kaiba's health, as he had every right to do.

And in one swift move, neither was sure who moved, things escalated. Kaiba was sure Atem had inched closer with the intent to strike. Atem was sure Kaiba had reached for him first, grabbing a fist full of his hair while his fists found a good spot against Kaiba's chest once pulled so hard. So hard that it hurt. It sent waves of pain down his spine, and it didn't stop. Kaiba refused to let go, even as Atem growled, and a kiss was initiated. All teeth.

They bit. They drew blood. It was so very angry. And Atem was almost subdued by it. Not in the way that he was going to stop, just that he didn't want to fight with words. But who the hell was Kaiba to just do that to him? He wanted no part of it. And the moment he was able to angle his head away from another bite on his lip, he voiced his distaste with a hard spat word. "Stop." Commanding as he had every right. But caught up in a gasp that was more than just air between them when Kaiba went for his neck, moved his hands up along his body. It felt electric.

But Kaiba couldn't heed it. Stop? Who was Atem to tell him what to do? It was another challenge, like everything else. And he was going to rise to it. He was going to put that little idiot in his place- face down on his desk, and fucked hard. It was too late to stop now, and he even managed to push Atem, twisting his arm against his back. Atem wanted it, he was sure, with the way his hips moved back.

That was until he realized with how much force he was moving. And the fog lifted with Atem's shout. Different from the anger before. It was... anxious. Scared, almost. "Get the hell off of me!" Kaiba's attention snapped to and he almost fumbled backwards a few uneasy steps. This was a play never made. Once they started this game it never stopped until they were both finished. Atem had never...

Kaiba stood there, frozen as he watched Atem wrench his shoulder back with a grimace. Saw the dark red marks on his upper arm that were sure to turn into angry bruises. On his neck. The blood trail on his lip to his chin. And the absolute disgust in his eyes that he was suddenly faced with. How could he have lost so much focus? His control had snapped underneath pressure and anger and the sureness that Atem was challenging him to continue- not to really stop. He could have...

Atem stared at him for a few moments more. Angrier than he'd been before, even with the insults. "What's the matter with you?!" This was worse. Kaiba had almost physically tried to force his dominance. And he was small. So much smaller than the CEO. He was shorter and not as strong. If Kaiba had had a mind to do so, things wouldn't have ended. He knew Kaiba was not that sort of man. He'd always placed his trust in him, and thought it not to be wrong to do so. Kaiba wasn't like that. But the thought was terrifying. Kaiba had always been an aggressive man but this was going entirely too far.

He wasn't without full blame, he thought. He'd given in for a few moments. And that had been very wrong of him. Engulfed by Kaiba's aura. He was just as disgusted with himself. Stepping forward he was still just as displeased when Kaiba stood his ground. Staring him down. Judging. As if to say 'there's nothing wrong with ME'. That unbelievably frustrating man. Kaiba probably should have been apologizing. But Atem knew that was on the bottom of the list of most unlikely things Kaiba would ever do. Even after this. Which made him wonder. Was this really even worth it? Worth the fight when things so easily dissolved in seconds?

Setting himself straight he pushed past Kaiba, physically, just to make his point. Kaiba didn't make a sound, and almost wanted to stand there as an impenetrable force, but finally better judgement called to him and he moved aside. Allowing Atem to leave. To walk out of his life for good, he was sure.

He would have let it happen, after that. What choice did he have?