"What the Hell is that thing!?" Hano yelped as her dragon was wrapped in cyborg vines and dragged underground. The snow danced around silently as the hole covered up, leaving no trace of Kaiba's trap.
The man in question laughed manically at the situation, which was dulled by the cheery atmosphere of a late night Christmas display. "I told you not to doubt my skills, but you wouldn't listen."
Matsuzaki grumbled at his girlfriend. "You're moves are too cocky! Be more careful!"
The gyaru girl stuck her tongue out, only making her outfit that much cuter. "I am careful. You've gotta back me up here!"
It was late at night; the sky was pleasantly dark to allow the massive light displays of Domino Square to be viewed easily by the few patrons left milling around. It was mostly couples, hand-in-hand, wandering about and walking slowly as they talked and admired the view.
Before the massively bright Christmas tree four duelists stood. Atem and Seto were in disguise, looking once more like hipsters with a floppy hat and tibly, respectively, to hide their hair and profiles. Their opponents were employees that just so happened to put two and two together when it came to their relationship. Luckily, all they asked for was a duo duel to keep their silence. They really weren't vindictive at all, and according to Kaiba's background check, no one would believe the otaku couple anyway.
Even with secondary decks they still were no match for the famous Duel Monsters rivals.
"Hn, that's the problem with working with weak partners," he said with a vibrato that he hardly ever displayed at work. It was wild and predatory, and made Atem shiver with desire. "If you are constantly watching each other's back, then you're not looking forward."
The Pharaoh gave Seto one of his trademark smirks then yanked his own card from his Duel Disk for his turn. He took a moment to examine it and formulate a plan. He then gave a wickedly triumphant smile over the top of his card. Hano and Matsuzaki both shuttered in fear at that smirk.
"Oh no!" Matsuzaki exclaimed in disbelief.
"Oh yes," Atem disagreed and gave a quick glance to Kaiba, who had his arms crossed and a shared smirk before he nodded. "This is the end."
Atem laid down a three-point combo of the Rose Deck, utilizing one of Kaiba's facedown cards. He decimated the field, leaving one monster and a handful of points for himself and his partner.
"You gotta be kidding me," Matsuzaki fell to his knees in disbelief. "I've never seen moves like that before."
"What did I tell you about weak partners?" Kaiba grumbled but his triumphant smirk said enough to his enjoyment of the battle.
Atem laughed lightly as he returned his deck to its holster at his belt and walked over to offer the man a hand up. "You put in a lot of effort," he said honestly. "It was truly admirable."
"No wonder you're the King of Games," Matsuzaki said in awe as he took the offered hand. He stared at his own for a long time after he let go. "I'm never washing this hand again."
"Ew, gross!" Hano chirped as she bounced over, her wildly colored wig streaming behind her. "If you don't wash your hand you're never touching me again."
At that, the man looked utterly torn.
Kaiba's Duel Disk made a few blipping sounds as he closed it up and walked forward. "Now, if you two losers are satisfied, we still have more work to do before the evening's done."
"What? It's almost nine o'clock," Hano pout at them. "You're still working this late? We were going to stay and walk through the lights. You should, too."
"I'm not CEO because I sat around peering into Atem's eyes like some love-sick puppy," Seto barked.
Hano must have only heard part of that sentence, because she clasped her hands together and cooed as if she just saw a cute kitten. "Aw, he does that?"
Kaiba opened his mouth to argue but Atem only grinned and responded first. "Only sometimes."
"Atem!" Kaiba ground out his name to not attract attention. A vein was throbbing on his temple and his eyes were dark with embarrassment hidden by anger.
"Seto!" Atem teased right back, his voice low as well, but his words were formed from a playful wink.
It was Matsuzaki who broke up their staring contest with a little, wheezy laugh. "You gotta keep the romance going somehow," he stated and put his arm around Hano's shoulder. "It's too bad you have to keep it a secret."
"Our friends are aware," the Pharaoh explained as he looked back at the two. He ignored the laser point glare he knew Kaiba was still giving him. Probably drilling a hole into his head with it.
"Yes," Kaiba agreed, his voice slowly dropping from frigid Artic to cool Siberia. "He simply couldn't keep it between the two of us."
Atem's grin rose up to Kaiba, and he watched as the other jerked back, waiting for the retort. "Admit it you enjoy kissing me in front of Joey."
"Oh?" Kaiba seethed, his cheeks slowly gracing pink despite his best efforts. Discussing their love life in front of anyone always put him on edge. Atem liked it; it was a nice trump card to get under his lover's skin. "I thought it was because you enjoyed having girl time with Téa."
"Yes, and the last time she and I had girl time we came back with a present for you. If you didn't like it, I could always return it," Atem smirked and waited for his lover to secede. And he did, just as he knew he would. The reaction Kaiba had to that sexy school girl uniform was priceless and was a sure gateway to more dress-up playtime in the near future.
Kaiba simply crossed his arms and looked away, head aimed at the dazzling Christmas tree.
"Wow, you two are really in love," Hano teased, which only made Atem all the more proud. He puffed up his chest then nod.
"You should stay awhile and enjoy the sights," Mastuzaki said as he pulled his girlfriend away. "We're going to take a walk ourselves."
"Thanks for the duel!" Hano waved happily, and Atem replied. "Anytime!"
The Pharaoh turned to goad his boyfriend into a walk as well when he noticed he was no longer at his side. After a quick glance around, he spied the silhouette of that lanky man against the blazing lights of the tree. He was turned away, staring off, and his fists were clenched at his side.
That was not a good sign. Had he really make Seto angry with his comments? He was simply having a bit of fun.
Either way, he slowly made his way forward, careful to walk around another couple that passed by before he reached out to place a hand on Seto's arm. "You're pissed now, aren't you?" he stated.
"Amazing deduction," Kaiba growled and jerked his arm away. The fact that he didn't storm off was a positive, but Atem knew he was still treading on thin ice. A beat of silence passed while Atem began to conjure a smart reply when the other continued. "What I don't understand is why you have to embarrass me like that. Not only your friends, but in front of these strangers as well. Why can't we keep it between us? Why do you have to force my hand?"
Atem blinked up at the man beside him. They were now facing the tree, the sparkles of the lights playfully danced in the air. Atem watched it for a long time, finding his answer to be shallow. "I'm not quite sure," he confessed, and at that Kaiba's piercing blue eyes flickered to Atem's own. "I think it's a part of me that wants others to know that you love me. You're not the easiest person to read and…" he paused, catching fleeting words. "I want people to know that you're human, too. That you're-"
"What? That I'm soft? Is that how you want people to view me as?" Kaiba finally turned to him, his expression all malice. "You don't make me weak, Atem, so stop pressing that image onto others."
Aghast, Atem turned to his beloved, watching the passion burn bright behind sapphire eyes. He was half in shadow, half bathed in dazzling lights of the tree. "I didn't mean-"
"You didn't mean to make me look frail? Then why do it? In fact, the complete opposite happens. When we're together you make me stronger, you push me like no one else can. My heart throbs harder in my chest knowing that you can break me in a moment if I slip up. And here you are, belittling yourself with stupid goads as if you do nothing than weaken my character."
Kaiba reached out with both hand to cup Atem's face, his fingers hooked behind his ears and his thumbs ran across his jaw. The Pharaoh couldn't find words to speak; this was not what he was expecting at all. Instead of childish bickering and temper tantrums, it felt more like a confession of love.
"You're an idiot sometimes," Kaiba affirmed and suddenly they were kissing. Atem blinked at the pristine skin so close to him in shock at the unexpected turn of events. However, this was his lover, his crazy, thoughtful, erratic lover. What else could he hope for? So, he closed his eyes against the blinking lights of Kaiba's heart and let himself get washed away. "Stop pretending you're anything less than worthy," Seto breathed into his mouth.
A hand dropped from his cheek to curl around Atem's slim waist to pull him closer. In response, the smaller man wrapped his arms around his middle and let his hand slide up Kaiba's back to his shoulder blades.
They stayed like that for some time, locked in a passionate embrace with the fleeting hope that their disguises hid their expressed love from the public eye. Seto didn't always have the right words when it came to love, but neither did Atem. They both messed up, they both learned, and they both grew. With that in mind, Atem gave all his love into these kisses, trusting that his beloved could feel the protective feelings of love that he neglected to speak.
Awhile later, Kaiba had agreed to a walk around Domino Square to look at the displays together. Atem was blown over with joy, although he knew in the back of his mind this wouldn't lead to bed. No, there was too much work to do for the VR Arcade to really indulge, but losing a few extra hours of sleep to spend a romantic evening together was worth it.
"Give me your Disk; I'll put it in the car. Why don't you get us some coffees?" Atem said as he gently pulled his own Duel Disk free.
"Sure, whatever," Kaiba agreed and handed his own Disk over.
Atem headed to the town car that was parked a block away. He nodded to the driver who opened the door for him then he plopped onto the seat as he pulled Kaiba's silver briefcase into his lap. The code to the case was a present for their one year anniversary a few months ago. It might not seem like much to some, but it was a real stepping point to Kaiba's trust with Atem being a part of his life. Not only did it host some of his rarest cards, but more often than not it held documents of game designs, his own written notes, and a number of private items that no one else was to touch.
When the briefcase opened, Atem easily slotted Kaiba's disk in place, then his own on top of it. He went to close it when it jammed. He frowned and pulled it open to find what object kept the case from closing completely when he spied a small box shoved in a corner.
He'd only meant to move it aside to make it fit against the extra Disk but the object in question quickly caught his eye. It was a jewelry case covered in black velvet.
Atem knew he shouldn't pry into Seto's private affairs. If it was important enough to entertain the Pharaoh with, then he would, but it was surely something not often found in Kaiba's possession. Curious, Atem pulled the box out and slowly opened it with a stiff creaking sound of secured hinges.
Inside was all the more surprise. It was a ring; a lovely, diamond studded piece. It wasn't overlarge, but shined beautifully even in the low light of the car's cabin. Atem felt his heart jump into his throat, knew it was throbbing hard as he turned the ring to glint at different angles.
It wasn't just any ring, it was an engagement ring!
Atem snapped the box shut and thrust it back into the briefcase as if he were burned. He moved the Disk to close the case the returned it to its hidden, secured space under the seat.
Atem slid out of the car and let the driver close the door behind him. His breath came in humid puffs before him as he stared straight ahead, his mind blank. He couldn't process this, not even to make his next move. Far be it for him to move in a dangerous battle with nothing but the skin of his teeth, this was something far beyond what the great Pharaoh could process.
"Sir… sir?" the voice of his driver echoed a few time into his conflicted brain before he came to. "Yes? Oh, sorry, what is it?"
"Are you okay, sir? You look a little pale," the man politely asked.
"Yes, I'm… I'm fine, thank you. Seto and I are going for a walk. We'll return soon," he said automatically and began to walk away.
As he came closer, the mighty tree loomed over the Square with its mass of lights dominating the space.
Marriage? He and Seto, marry? He knew he should be happy at this thought, knew it was only a natural step for them, but he had to wonder, as he watched his beloved come forward with two cup of steaming coffee-"They only carried domestic brands!"-why was he feeling a heavy threat of dread?