Mokuba followed his brother's gaze and turned around in his seat. "Oh…hey Yugi!"
Yami froze and felt himself break out into a cold sweat. He turned his head, seeing Mokuba grinning widely, with Kaiba sitting stoically across from him, his cold blue gaze fixed on a point just above his shoulder.
"Oh…hey!" Yugi beamed, waving, and Yami's ears began ringing, causing him to feel light-headed. Casually running into Kaiba while they were out…what were the chances?
Was this going to be a normal occurrence?
Perhaps if he did use the #spotted app at Maconnal's suggestion, he would be able to run into Kaiba more often!
Kaiba forced himself to remain calm, furiously wondering how M knew of his whereabouts in relation to Yami. Did that mean crowds of photographers were waiting for them at the door?
Would one of those nosy photographers manage to rush in and shove a camera in his face while he was trying to enjoy a meal with Mokuba in a public place?
He dipped his head down to send M a message, reading the barrage of texts he had missed.
xlmaconnalx: ANSWER ANSWER ! PLEASE SAY YES
xlmaconnalx: I'll pay! even tho ur richer than me! KUSHIYAKI IS DELICIOUS!
xlmaconnalx: TARO! TARO TARO TARO taro don't ditch me like chiro
xlmaconnalx: You're the only other person I know in this fandom who's crazier than me
xlmaconnalx: given the sex scenes you write. SO COME ON! !
xlmaconnalx: WHAT CAR DO YOU DRIVE?!
Shinnn: first tell me how the fuck you knew kaiba and yami were going to be at the same place? (angry frown)
xlmaconnalx: YOU AND CHIRO ARE BOTH RETARDED I SWEAR.
xlmaconnalx: And you call yourself """"fans"""""
xlmaconnalx: come pick me up and I'll tell you in person.
xlmaconnalx: NOW! BEFORE THEY FINISH EATING!
Yami snuck another glance at Kaiba as they were seated, seeing Kaiba's head ducked down, clearly engrossed in something else. Irritated, Yami watched as his friends ordered an assortment of meats, secretly thankful that his seat was facing Kaiba's table.
The back of Mokuba's thick black hair shone brightly under the restaurant lights and Yami stared intently at it, feeling his phone buzzing in his pocket again.
Damn, could Maconnal not spam him while he was out in public?
Kaiba hastily tapped out a message to Chiro, not expecting a response.
Shinnn: hey. Stop ignoring your friend.
Shinnn: he is bothering me in the place of you.
Shinnn: How is M such a stalker? He's trying to drag me into this random restaurant where Yami and Kaiba are apparently…eating at, together?
"Yami?" Yugi peered at his twin from over the menu, frowning worriedly. "Pick something! You're treating everyone, but you should at least-"
"Anything is fine…this," Yami said carelessly, pointing at the large photo of roasted lamb skewers before turning his attention back to his phone under the table, surprised to see that Shin had messaged him too.
He glanced at the time, thinking it was a bit early for Shin to be off work, but he was glad Shin wasn't angry, so and he replied hastily.
12Chiro: it's an app called #spotted, apparently.
12Chiro: Not sure if the hashtag is supposed to be part of it…
Kaiba immediately tabbed away from the chat and found the app with ease, hitting download, and clasping his hands between his thighs, feeling his phone buzzing between his fingers as Mokuba gave him a strange look.
"Seto, would it kill you to nod, or even say hi?" Mokuba asked, disgruntled.
"I'll say hi," Kaiba responded hastily, turning his phone face up, seeing Chiro's texts panning down his screen rapidly.
12Chiro: and honestly it makes me feel really uncomfortable
12Chiro: I understand that we're fans but it feels really stalker-ish
12Chiro: Like, how would THEY feel if they knew that everyone was aiming their phones
12Chiro: at them while they're trying to enjoy dinner with friends (yami) and family (kaiba)
12Chiro: Mokuba sure is cute tho (grin)(grin)
"Yeah, he fucking is," Kaiba muttered, feeling Mokuba's foot give him a hard nudge across his shin underneath the table.
"Seto! Pay attention to me!" Mokuba whined, picking up the menu and pointing at several other meats. "Can we have some of these next?"
Yami glanced down at his phone again, Tristan and Anzu's laughter ringing in his ears as he read Shin's texts.
Shinnn: he is fucking cute.
Shinnn: and I just downloaded the app. It's Spotted with no hashtag.
Shinnn: People are fucked up.
Shinnn: watch me join this madness (grin)
Shinnn: I'll download it so you won't have to.
Shinnn: and they're celebrities. It's part of their job to be visible.
Shinnn: granted, Yami seems to be a bit more camera-shy than Yugi & Kaiba.
Shinnn: cuz believe me when I say, I've looked for casual photos of him
Shinnn: and found none.
Yami watched the waiter set down several steaming plates of meat skewers, and he snuck another glance at Kaiba's table.
Their eyes met briefly and Yami felt his stomach flip.
His cheeks burned and he glanced back down at his phone.
xlmaconnalx: I HEADCANON THAT THEY ARE TEXTING EACH OTHER
xlmaconnalx: FROM ACROSS THE ROOM
xlmaconnalx: WHILE THEy'RE EATING AT SEPARATE TABLES WAHAHAHA
xlmaconnalx: -image attached-
xlmaconnalx: get on the app, girl.
12Chiro: haha…(sweatdrop)
Shinnn: (star) "yami and kaiba are looking at each other while they eat"
Shinnn: it must mean they're in love…haaaaaaah
Shinnn: this app is entertaining. They even have photos. Those stalkers.
Yami felt his stomach curl and he felt slightly nauseous, seeing his friends tearing at the meat off the skewers with their teeth, smiling and laughing merrily. A plate was pushed across his nose and Yugi nodded encouragingly, "Eat!"
"I'm not hungry," Yami said weakly, realizing that Yugi hadn't heard him. Yugi had turned to laugh at a joke Joey had told, and Yami felt his eyes drifting towards Kaiba's table again, feeling his cheeks burn as he realized Kaiba was still staring right at him, with his head propped on one hand, his other hand tucked into his lap, his expression as cold as ever.
Swallowing his nervousness, Yami cautiously raised his hand, and slowly dropped his fingers down into his palm, curling them into a fist and mirroring Kaiba's pose by placing his elbow on the table and propping his head up on his knuckles. He glanced around the table, wondering if any of his friends noticed.
No one did.
Everyone was still laughing and joking merrily, and a pile of bamboo skewers were slowly accumulating at the center of the table.
Kaiba blinked and felt his heart skip a solid beat, staring intently at Yami's knuckles which were pressed tightly against his cheek.
That was intentional…wasn't it?
He wasn't crazy?
He wasn't seeing things?
Had Yami just surreptitiously waved at him while copying his pose?
He stuck both his hands under the table and sent Chiro a quick text, his heart pounding furiously in his chest as he felt Mokuba give his foot another hard nudge. "Seto! Who is your friend?"
Yami frowned, seeing Kaiba's hand disappear underneath the table with his head ducked down once more, and his phone buzzed. He glanced down, reading the texts from Shin.
Shinnn: call me crazy but
Shinnn: I fucking swear Yami just waved
Blinking rapidly, Yami wondered just how many people were watching them from the app. Maybe he did need to download it after all.
12Chiro: ok I've had it with that app.
12Chiro: Get off of it, Shin.
12Chiro: that's invasion of privacy and its upsetting.
Kaiba glanced up and saw Yami had also stuck his hands underneath the table, and he caught the glow of a phone underneath Yugi's elbow. Yami's thumbs moved quickly over his screen, and Kaiba felt his phone buzz. He froze, wondering if it was a pure coincidence.
He glanced down to read Chiro's texts, and Yami lifted his head up, seeing Kaiba duck his head down, and he saw the blue light reflecting underneath the table.
His breath hitched painfully in his chest as his phone buzzed with Shin's reply.
No…it couldn't be.
It was a coincidence, right?
Kaiba was texting his girlfriend, probably.
Shinnn: if you're so upset, get on the app too!
Shinnn: if you were Seto or Yami, wouldn't you like to know what everyone is saying about you?
And Yami paused, lifting his head to glance across the room, and once again, Kaiba was looking right at him. Yami swallowed nervously, this time, raising his hand to wave visibly, and everyone at his table turned to stare at him.
"What?" Yami asked defensively, lowering his hand to rest casually on his phone in his lap, feeling his phone buzzing again as everyone's eyes burned holes through his skin.
"Are you waving at rich boy?" Joey asked, picking his teeth with the skewer, turning to make an ugly face in Kaiba's direction. "Thought you couldn't stand him…or the island. By the way, you missed a killer rollercoaster…"
Kaiba leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms and legs, smiling brightly in return, keeping his phone tucked in his palm against his side, ignoring Joey's grotesque face. He saw Yami's eyes widen and he swore he saw him blush.
"Good, you're saying hi," Mokuba said carelessly, tossing a skewer into the pile he had made on his plate.
Yami felt his world stop as Kaiba flashed him a boyish smile so bright, he swayed in his seat.
He smiled at me! Yami thought faintly, and he watched as Kaiba unfolded his arms to glance down at his phone once again.
Disappointed, Yami lowered his gaze, furiously texting Shin, his fingers shaking with excitement.
"HE SMILED AT ME!" And Yami was about to hit 'send' before he realized his mistake.
He hastily deleted it, his heart threatening to explode from his chest as Shin's messages popped up one after another, coupled with several angry texts from Maconnal.
Shinnn: Yami is pretty (heart eyes)
Shinnn: (angel)(halo) holy fucking shit he's so pretty.
Shinnn: what do you think would happen if
xlmaconnalx: I'm seriously mad at you
xlmaconnalx: you and shin are getting all close without me.
Shinnn: Kaiba stood up and stole him from his group of stupid friends
xlmaconnalx: Are you guys there now?! DID HE PICK YOU UP?!
Shinnn: reaction from the dork herd would be 11/10
xlmaconnalx: CHIRO!?
Shinnn: -screenshot-
Shinnn: There are 2 people reporting.
Shinnn: Someone who is sitting to the left of Kaiba's table
Shinnn: and one of the waiters (grin)
xlmaconnalx: I'll forgive you if you draw food porn with actual porn.
xlmaconnalx: Chiro?
xlmaconnalx: I SEE YOU ONLINE BITCH. ANSWER ME 8(# % -+_
"Yami, you haven't eaten anything," Anzu said delicately, pointing at his plate which was still laden with skewers. "Who are you talking to?"
"A fan," Yami replied vaguely. He clicked his phone off and stuck it in his pocket, feeling Kaiba's gaze on him once more as he picked up a skewer and pulled a piece of meat off from the end.
Kaiba couldn't tear his eyes away from Yami. He watched as his mouth moved, saying something, and then a delicate, pink tongue flicked out over the skewer, and Kaiba felt himself grow hard. He set his phone on the table and began texting Chiro details, pausing between messages to stare at Yami, and their eyes met again.
Kaiba accidently hit send before he had time to proofread his message, and he cursed himself privately, watching as Yami slowly teethed a piece of chicken off the bamboo stick without breaking eye contact.
Kaiba swallowed dryly, seeing Yami slide the stick across his tongue horizontally and smirk at him.
Was Yami doing that intentionally?
Was he seeing things again?
Did it matter?
Dizzy with arousal, Kaiba forced himself to glance down at his phone, dismayed to see that Chiro hadn't even read his messages.
Look at me! Yami thought furiously, seeing Kaiba turn his attention down to his phone again. He tossed the skewer aside and felt his phone buzzing in his pocket again. Deciding to ignore it, he began to eat in earnest, realizing he was starving.
"Want more?" Joey asked excitedly, reaching for the menu as Yami rounded off his last skewer. "Dessert anyone?"
Yami shook his head mutely and wrung the wet towelette through his fingers, irritated. Kaiba was ignoring everything! And his phone was exploding with buzzing messages in his pocket.
Yami felt his skin crawl as he watched Kaiba's fingers dance across the screen, and his phone continued to vibrate.
Was he going insane, or was Shin sending him a message every time Kaiba looked down at his phone?!
He shoved his hand in his pocket, grabbing his phone, reading Shin's messages angrily.
Shinnn: hey.
Shinnn: can you draw a scene where
Shinnn: Yami and Kaiba are at that restaurant and
Kaiba glanced up, seeing Yami scrolling down through his phone, and he decided to test his theory.
"Look up!" he typed, and sent it hastily, keeping his gaze fixed on Yami.
Yami frowned, thinking that message didn't make sense.
12Chiro: Why? What the heck?
Shinnn: Just do it! Heh.(grin)
12Chiro: no! I'm still mad at you btw
Hissing in annoyance, Kaiba clicked his phone off and propped his head up on one hand again, seeing Yami blink emptily at the waiter who was taking more orders from the table.
Was he going insane or was Chiro sending him a message every time Yami looked down?
His phone buzzed and Kaiba snapped his head up, seeing Yami with his head ducked down once more, his hands tucked under the table.
He read the message.
12Chiro: you look up! Heh.(grin)
Kaiba frowned, thinking Chiro was either being playful, or he was trolling him.
Yami lifted his gaze and watched as Kaiba looked up from his phone and stared directly at him. He felt his stomach swoop and dip down to the floor. The waiter walked past and Kaiba was blocked from view.
"That was delicious! Thank you, Yami!" Anzu said happily, raising her water glass in a small toast.
"Yeah yeah, cheers to getting paid," Tristan laughed, clinking their glasses roughly together, causing the water to slosh over the edge and onto her sleeve.
"You jerk!" Anzu cried irritably, grabbing a handful of napkins to dab at her sleeve.
Yami watched as Kaiba and Mokuba stood up and walked off, neither of them acknowledging their table, and Yami felt his heart sink.
He was seeing things.
Maconnal and Shin were fueling his desires so much that they were leaking into reality.
Sure, Kaiba made eye contact with him several times, but that didn't mean anything.
He hadn't enjoyed this meal with his friends at all.
Instead, he had spent it feeling anxious, agonizing over who Kaiba was texting, and waiting for Kaiba to lift his head to look at him again.
Yami felt his breath shortening, and his chest tightened painfully.
Everything was suddenly too loud, and it was getting hard to breathe.
He was stupid!
So stupid!
He stood up quickly and moved towards the door. Yugi grabbed his arm, looking worried. "You okay?"
"I need air." Yami replied stiffly, jerking his arm away, and moving through the crowded restaurant, feeling his despair crushing him from the inside out.
Kaiba felt his phone buzz, and he checked it again.
It was the Spotted app.
"#spotted #Yami walking down 4th Ave! I think he was crying…(shock face)"
[15 seconds ago]
"Lost him. He crossed the street. Anyone near 4th ave can confirm?" [35 seconds ago]
Crying?! Did something happen at the table? Kaiba shoved his phone back into his pocket, seeing the headlights of his limo turning the corner, and he gave Mokuba a quick pat on the head. "Hey, I need to go for a quick walk. Circle the block and I'll be back."
Mokuba shook his head, confused, calling after him. "Wait…Seto...what?!"
Kaiba hurriedly crossed the street, feeling his phone buzzing in his pocket, undoubtedly with people #spotting him.
He grit his teeth and barreled down the crowded street, shrugging off his blazer and throwing it over his arm while loosening his tie with his other hand. The less flashy he looked, the less likely people were to spot him.
He reached the end of the street and glanced around, noticing that it was much darker. It was in the shadow of the brightly-lit main street, and many buildings were closed.
Kaiba slowly walked down the street, pleased to see that it was deserted, but that meant no one was on the app #spotting Yami. He passed a dark alleyway, and another, and another.
The rancid smell of garbage invaded his nostrils and he suppressed a gag, passing by another dark alleyway, and he caught movement out of the corner of his eye.
Yami held his breath, seeing a Kaiba-esque silhouette walk right past the place he was standing and he quickly palmed the tears off his face, thinking he was going mad.
He inched down along the wall towards the end of the alleyway, wondering if he really had seen Kaiba.
Suddenly, a quick patter of footsteps approached him from behind and a thin band of cloth was pressed over his eyes, tightening so painfully, all he saw was green.
Yami let out a startled cry and struggled, jerking his elbow back to hit his attacker, but strong arms pulled him into a tight headlock and he was pressed up against the brick wall, his cheek scraping painfully against the rough stone.
Kaiba bit his tongue to keep himself from talking, and he tightened his grip on his tie, making sure it wouldn't slip off from Yami's face as he shoved his knee forcefully between Yami's legs, hearing Yami gasp and shout, "GET OFF! GET THE F—" And Kaiba press his fingers into Yami's mouth without thinking, pressing his entire body flush up against Yami's slender frame, keeping him pinned against the wall, wincing in pain as Yami bit down furiously across his knuckles.
He would endure it…for just one taste.
One taste.
This was unhealthy, and he knew that.
But his discussions with Chiro about his one-sided love for Yami was fueling this irrational and abusive behavior, and this wasn't the consensual-non-consensual scene Chiro had wanted.
This was purely non-consensual.
Yami tensed and felt his fear rising higher as his attacker's fingers tasted salty in his mouth, and he struggled harder, kicking his heels back, but to no avail. He was pressed harder up against the wall, and his attacker's knee dug firmly between his ass cheeks. Yami could feel himself tearing up again.
He was going to be raped.
Struggling would only make it hurt more.
Maybe…when his attacker moved to touch his belt, he could kick out again.
Kaiba felt his head spin as he felt Yami relax beneath him at an alarming rate.
He gripped his tie and gave a hard yank, seeing Yami's head roll back against his chest with his lips parted, and Kaiba bent forwards to kiss him, reminding himself that this was only as far as he was going to go, feeling Yami shudder and tense against him, and he held his breath, drowning himself in the softness of Yami's lips, his hand roaming down to give Yami's ass a firm squeeze.
Yami froze, feeling a hot tongue sliding into his mouth, and he resisted the urge to bite down on it. The warm scent of beef and vegetables wafted up around him and Yami inched his foot out behind him, his heel grazing over his attacker's shoe, and he stamped down on it as hard as he could.
Was his attacker a waiter from the restaurant?
The waiter who was using the Spotted app?
Kaiba's eyes watered heavily and he pulled away, his fingers slipping out of Yami's mouth. He watched as the corners of Yami's lips turned downwards into a scowl as he spat, "Fuck off!"
Kaiba hastily tied his tie into a firm knot behind Yami's head and hurried off, back the way he came, throwing a frantic look over his shoulder, seeing Yami struggling to push the blindfold up off his eyes before he ducked behind the building and crossed the street, his heart thumping wildly in his chest.
He paused in the shadow of another alleyway, trying to calm himself down, unable to believe what he had just done.
I assaulted him! Kaiba thought, horrified, feeling his phone buzzing violently in his pocket. Mokuba was calling him.
He glanced down at himself, seeing dirty stains streaked on his slacks, right across his knees. His shoes were scuffed, one of his cuffs had come undone, and he had left his tie with Yami.
Shit.
Yami had yanked the blindfold off and whirled around breathlessly, listening intently, bringing his sleeve roughly across his lips as the taste of his attacker lingered.
He glanced down at the blindfold in his hands, realizing with a jolt it was a tie.
There was no tag, and the color was light blue.
Like the one Kaiba had been wearing.
It wasn't the one Kaiba had been wearing, was it?!
Trembling, Yami pressed the tie to his nose, inhaling deeply, wondering what he would gain from doing so.
It smelled like the meat from the restaurant, and…something else.
Yami stood shakily, gingerly touching his cheek, glad to see that nothing was cut or bleeding, but he was dirty. His palms were covered in dirt, and dark streaks covered his upper thighs and knees from where he had been pressed up against the wall.
He hurried out of the alleyway, shaking from head to toe, sliding out his phone and keeping it in his fist, slowly piecing together irrational thoughts.
Kaiba had been staring at him in the restaurant, while intermittently texting someone under the table. It could be anyone.
Kaiba had followed him into the dark alleyway, after seeing him leave the restaurant, and assaulted him…because…Kaiba was feeling pent up, and horny, and wanted to mess with him.
No.
That wasn't it.
Someone had followed him out of the restaurant and into the dark alleyway…
Was it Shin?
Was that why Shin had said, "Look up"?
That wasn't it.
But what if it was?!
Shin had followed him…and assaulted him, because Chiro had asked for a kidnap-rape scene! But how did that explain the blue tie? Did Shin wear blue ties because he idolized Seto Kaiba? Because Shin self-inserted as Seto Kaiba in his writing!
I brought this on myself, Yami berated himself, ignoring the stares from passersbys as he crossed the street, relieved to be back on the main road with the brightly lit buildings.
He took a deep breath and composed himself, forcing himself to remain calm as he approached the door of the restaurant, seeing his friends walking out towards him with shock painted across their faces.
"Oh my god! Did you get into a fight?!" Anzu cried, reaching out to brush the dirt off his chest, and Yugi looked equally shaken. "What happened?!"
Yami balled the tie up in his fist and shoved his hand into the pocket of his blazer, keeping his gaze on his shoes, which he realized were also covered with streaks of dirt.
"I was assaulted."
"What?!" Joey and Tristan echoed each other with equal looks of incredulity, and Yugi pulled him aside, bending forwards to peer into his face, frowning deeply. "Assaulted how?!"
"Someone…pushed me up against the wall in the alleyway up there…and I fought back," Yami lied, vividly recalling how he had decided not to struggle.
"Do we report it?! Describe your attacker!" Anzu cried shrilly, causing several heads to turn as people walked by.
"Please don't," Yami said quietly, seeing Yugi's eyes widen. "It was a fan. They didn't mean it."
"That makes it doubly-triply not okay!" Joey said frantically, and Tristan chimed in unhelpfully. "But she wasn't stronger than you…so good thing you fought back!"
Yami tried to shake the ghostly feeling of strong arms wrapped around his shoulders, and he shivered.
That was definitely not a girl.
It was definitely Shin.
There was nothing to report.
Shin was anonymous.
Shin wasn't even his name.
He needed to have a long, serious talk with Shin
"Let's get you home," Anzu said gently, and Yami nodded mutely, feeling his phone buzzing in his hand as Yugi led him down the busy street.
Kaiba sat at his desk, his fingers flitting over the keys as he hurriedly jotted down every detail he could remember, flinching at himself as he wrote.
His phone buzzed repeatedly and Kaiba picked it up, his stomach curling as he read Chiro's texts.
12Chiro: You and me, we need to have a serious talk
12Chiro: about what is real and what isn't.
12Chiro: I'm friends with Anzu, the girl with short hair in Yugi's group of friends?
Kaiba let his breath out in a slow hiss. Of course Chiro was friends with Anzu. Who in the fucking universe wasn't? That was how Chiro got "insider information" about Yami! Which also meant….
12Chiro: DID YOU ASSAULT HIM?!
12Chiro: SHIN ANSWER ME
12Chiro: WAS THAT YOU?! I KNOW IT WAS YOU, WASN'T IT?
Feeling himself shake, Kaiba responded.
Shinnn: ….
Shinnn: what if I did?
Yami thunked his head back onto his bed, feeling stressed.
His bangs were still wet from the shower and he shook them out of his eyes.
He had mixed feelings.
So it was Shin after all! But it was still assault with a blindfold!
12Chiro: I need you to say the words, "It was me, I did it."
Kaiba felt his eyes burn as his fingers moved across his screen.
Shinnn: yeah ok fine.
Shinnn: that was fucking me.
Shinnn: ok?
Shinnn: I'm not fucking proud of it.
Shinnn: I couldn't stop myself.
Shinnn: It felt like I was living in another person's body!
Shinnn: …Yami is OK tho, right…
Yami shut his eyes and forced himself to calm down. He felt like laughing and crying at the same time. So, Shin, the office worker, wore blue ties, ones similar to Seto Kaiba's, and had an extreme attraction to Yami.
If he didn't know any better, he would say Shin was Kaiba!
12Chiro: he's not ok.
12Chiro: he'll never leave the house again.
12Chiro: look what you fucking did!
12Chiro: you better apologize!
12Chiro: And what the fuck! You wear blue ties?!
12Chiro: It looks exactly like the one Kaiba wears.
Kaiba felt his stomach twist and drop to his feet as he remembered that it was one of his custom hand-dyed silk ties, and his initials were sewn on the inner flap.
Fuck.
Fuck.
12Chiro: APOLOGIZE! WHAT THE FUCK IS TAKING YOU SO LONG?!
Shinnn: What did Yami do with the tie? I need to know.
Yami paused and stared at the light blue tie hanging off his bedpost.
He had considered throwing it away. He had also considered sending it back…somehow, and he knew that was a bad idea.
Shin was a dangerous individual who acted rashly. Contacting him physically was a bad idea, and their previous interactions had already proven so.
12Chiro: threw it away probably. Why?!
Shinnn: nevermind. I'll apologize…how should I do it?
Kaiba had no intention of apologizing. He would discuss it with Chiro as if he had the intent to apologize, and then never speak of it again.
12Chiro: he has a twitter. Message him there.
Shinnn: NO I can't do that!
Shinnn: Hi, its me, your attacker. Contacting you again after assaulting you
Shinnn: to say "I'm sorry, please don't turn me in"
Shinnn: ?!
12Chiro: JUST. DO IT.
12Chiro: or I'll block you off my socials and call you out on my twitter
12Chiro: cuz I know you DID assault him. The community will shun you.
12Chiro: you'll have to come back as …YAM-TARO or something.
12Chiro: and then I'll call you out again. And again.
There was a long pause, and Yami felt anger curling in his chest. Shin had better agree to apologize. This way, he could meet Shin, as Yami, and not as Chiro.
Shinnn: fine.
12Chiro: k. I'm waiting. I'll know about it.
12Chiro: ….right now. Do it right now. I want a screenshot for proof.
Shinnn: …FUCK NO!
12Chiro: SHIN I STG
12Chiro: I'lL TELL YAMI MYSELF
Kaiba's breath hitched in his throat.
Ah…Chiro was close enough to Yami to tell him things personally?!
Kaiba leaned back into his seat, running faces through his mind, briefly entertaining the thought that Chiro was the white-haired freak, Bakura.
No. Impossible.
12Chiro: MESSAGE YAMI RIGHT THE FUCK NOW
12Chiro: screenshot for proof. You're blocked until then
12Chiro: I'll tell Maconnal too
Shit.
Shit.
Not blabbermouth Maconnal, fuck.
Shinnn: FUCKING…FUCK YOU CHIRO. Give me two fucking seconds.
Kaiba closed out of the chat and opened Shin's twitter. He typed Yami's name in his search bar, seeing that Yami had roughly 800k followers, but no activity except for one photo.
The distance was real.
And he was sending a message as Shin, and not as Kaiba.
He hit compose and began typing:
"Hey it's me, your attacker.
You know, the one who cornered you in a dark alley and forcefully kissed you?
I'm here to say that I'm sorry but not really sorry because I thoroughly enjoyed it even though you probably hated it.
Yours sincerely,
Shin"
He took a screencap and sent it to Chiro, waiting for her reaction.
Yami bit back a laugh as he read the message, his eyes watering as he realized it wasn't a laughing matter and Shin wasn't taking him seriously.
12Chiro: that's not a real apology asshole.
12Chiro: I hope you didn't send it.
12Chiro: try again.
Yami paused, realizing that Shin had probably been at the restaurant the entire time, which was why his tie smelled like meat!
12Chiro: ALSO apologize for stalking.
12Chiro: your hands were salty and disgusting, and you reeked of meat.
Kaiba drew in a sharp breath, willing himself not to panic.
Yami must have divulged the details of his assault to Anzu, who in turn had probably told every girl in Japan about it.
Shinnn: that is …an extreme detail.
12Chiro: apologize properly, you pig-fucker.
Fine, fuck me! Kaiba thought furiously, tabbing over to his twitter and re-writing his message. He hit send without taking a screenshot, just in case Chiro told Anzu about anything the fuck else. There was no way to escape that fucking friendship girl!
Yami saw a notification pop up on his twitter and he tapped on it, reading it quickly. Shin sure typed fast.
"My name is Shin.
I would like to apologize for following you to the restaurant and for assaulting you in the alleyway. I wasn't thinking clearly, and I am willing to do anything (other than turn myself in to the police) to make it up to you.
Please go out on a date with me properly because I am obsessed with you.
Please don't respond to this message because you'll just fuel my desires and give me false hope.
I am really in love with you, to a point where I (clearly) need help.
-Shin"
Yami felt another bubble of laughter bursting out of his chest. The second attempt wasn't any better than the first. Shin did a very good job of sounding like an obsessed fan….
He is an obsessed fan! Yami told himself as he swallowed dryly and composed a reply, but not before sending a message as Chiro.
12Chiro: YAWN. You are boring me. Goodnight.
Shinnn: yeah whatever. I sent the fucking apology.
-Shinnn is away-
Right, Yami thought, disgruntled. He would talk to Shin as Yami. No loss.
He hit 'reply' and began typing:
"You have some nerve contacting me after what you did.
I have your tie.
Do you want it back or should I burn it?"
He hit 'send' and clicked his phone off, closing his eyes, feeling a slight headache coming on.
Kaiba saw a message notification pop up and was deeply surprised. He hadn't expected a reply. Now, he had a direct connection with Yami as Shin!
Unable to contain his excitement, Kaiba hovered his hands over the keyboard, his heart thudding wildly in his chest. How should he approach this situation?
Obsessed fan?
Friendly fan?
Remorse, fear, or admiration?
All of the above.
"OH mY GOD! I DIDN'T EXPECT AN ANSWER FROM YOU!
Hi. Hello. Hi.
I AM really really sorry.
Honestly, I was terrified, but I didn't know what to do, and I just saw you and I just followed you and I really wanted to touch you.
I hate myself for being such a despicable person.
I deserve to die.
Do you want to kill me in person?
But I can't promise I won't assault you again!
My name is Shin…nice to meet you!"
There, Kaiba thought gleefully, wondering how Yami would respond.
Yami read and re-read the message over again, thinking that Shin sounded exactly as he did when he first messaged Chiro. Shin was anything if not consistent, and Yami found that he appreciated that.
He hit 'reply' and typed quickly, attempting to match Shin's speedy messages.
"Calm down.
And you didn't answer my question.
Your tie.
Do you want it back?
I don't want to kill you. I accept your rather strange apology.
I'm flattered you're such a huge fan, but please stop following me.
If you want to meet up (in a public place, broad daylight), just say so.
I'm sure we can become great friends."
Kaiba felt his cheeks burn as he read Yami's message.
"Friends."
Throwing that word around so casually, that was so Yami.
His style of writing was even as serious as he sounded in real life.
What the fuck was with all the damn periods?!
Slightly put-off, Kaiba decided to respond with a barrage of emojis in his next message. Talking in emojis with Chiro was beginning to pay off.
"(star)(star) OK! I would love to meet up with you! (grin)
Broad daylight in a public place?! Sounds like a date to me! (heart)(flower)
What do you like to eat?
Where do you want to go? (sun)
I drive a nice car! Let's go for a ride! (cloud)
I don't want to be friends with you! (devil grin) You're now giving me hope by responding to my messages!
(star) I like you a lot! (heart)(heart)"
Yami felt his eyes water heavily as he scanned the emojis after each message. Now this sounded more like the Shin he knew, but that somehow wasn't comforting.
Shin was dangerous.
"Cute.
I'm being serious. Answer my question about the tie. I will block you and report you if you do continue to follow me."
Kaiba bit his lip so hard, he tasted blood. Fuck.
Too much. He had fucked up.
He hastily tried to rectify his mistake.
"I was just trying to be friendly, but clearly my definition of friendly translates to "assault".
I hope you can forgive me. As for the tie, just get rid of it.
It has no special meaning.
Just…that it's made of silk, and it's hand-dyed, and the color might run if you don't hand-wash it.
Have a good night."
Yami snickered to himself as he read the message. Shin sounded like he wanted the tie back, but was too ashamed to ask for it. He even included care instructions. Hilarious.
He clicked his phone off and stared at the tie. After a moment, he looped it off his bedpost and walked into the bathroom, switching the faucet on and dipping his hands underneath the running water. He watched the tie darken as it soaked in water and he wrung it out carefully, noting that the color did run off and the water turned a pale blue.
He held it out in front of his face, scanning the inner seams, his skin crawling as he stared at the even stitching.
It looked like an expensive, hand-made tie!
Running his hand along the back, he realized it was indeed silk, and he saw his phone vibrate with another message.
xlmaconnalx: hey. You've been unusually quiet. Are you okay?
xlmaconnalx: Chiro?
Yami paused and decided to ignore it. He walked back to his bed and lay down, throwing the tie over his eyes, catching the light scent of coffee coming from it and he bolted upright, gazing down at the tie in his hands.
He yanked out his phone and began searching images of Kaiba, seeing him wearing the same blue tie in several photos. On second thought…he reopened the chat with Maconnal and scrolled upwards, opening the screenshots that he had sent during dinner.
Yami tapped on the photo, staring at the neat knot of Kaiba's tie, and he stared at the tie in his own hand. Maybe he was going crazy, but the color matched.
Or maybe it wasn't the same tie.
Or maybe the color of his screen made it look that way.
Clicking his phone off, Yami buried his head in his arms, feeling his eyes heating up dangerously. He took a deep breath and ran the tie through his fingers again, feeling a strange bump beneath the fabric.
He flipped the tie over and lifted the flap, biting back a sharp gasp as he saw tiny initials embroidered on the inner fold in a curly font.
S.K.
Yami felt his world stop as his mind spun violently.
S.K.
Seto Kaiba.
No.
No.
Impossible.
It couldn't be.
Or…the S was for Shin…who also had a surname that started with a K.
No.
No.
Impossible.
But…it all made sense….
But at the same time, it couldn't be real…could it?
Shin…was Seto Kaiba.
Shin was an office worker.
With a generic anonymous name.
Shin signed all of his messages with 'S'.
The generous donations.
Kaiba wore an expensive blue tie embroidered with his initials.
The stories.
Shin wrote eerily accurate descriptions in all of his stories.
Shin had "an aunt" who "worked as a secretary for Seto Kaiba", which was a complete lie….
Because…Shin…was Seto Kaiba.
The odd texting under the table.
The timing was off.
Every time Kaiba looked down, his phone would buzz.
There was also the time he texted with Shin about alcohol while at the hot spring and discussing Yami's level of tolerance…as Kaiba returned with bottles of alcohol….
Chiro had lightly discussed writing an assault scene with Shin, and Shin had brazenly committed assault, claiming to be madly in love with Yami…to a point where he needed help.
The assault.
He had seen Kaiba walking by.
Kaiba had followed him into the alleyway.
Kaiba had assaulted him.
Kaiba would do such a thing, and sound completely unapologetic afterwards.
This also meant that the hallucination of Kaiba confessing his feelings while on the island was a real occurrence! It was too good to be true!
Shin was Seto Kaiba.
Yami thunked his head back down on the mattress, each breath becoming easier to take, his heart swelling with a mixture of joy and anxiety.
It was too good to be true.
Shin...was Seto Kaiba!
He saw his phone glow beside his pillow as it buzzed to life, and he picked it up triumphantly, reading the messages from Shin.
His mind was clear.
He knew exactly what to do…to make Kaiba suffer…for making him suffer.
But first, he needed a good night's rest.
Author's note:
YAY! Yami figured it outttt! LOL Kaiba is losing his touch! What will Yami do next to torture Kaiba? bwhahaha
leave a review! They're always motivating!
endless love and appreciation to YLJE for begin my sharp-eyed editor!
Can't wait anymore? Want to read new chapters ahead of time? follow me on my patroen! (the e and the o are switched) my user is /ugli as usual! and rewards include YGO packs and YGO themed envelopes!
much love,
Ugli
