It was another uneventful day as Joey and Yugi made their way to the usual diner to meet up with Tea and Tristian. As such, Kaiba's limo arrived just on time at the curb in front of the business building next to the diner. "There he guys in that stuffy leather outfit carrying that suspicious suit-case." Joey said tauntingly, then turning his head down to Yugi, "Why do I feel like I've said that before?" He pondered as he scratched his chin. Yugi shrugged his shoulders with his usual awkward and timid smile.

"I wonder what he carries in that thing!"

"Shh Shh, Joey, he can hear you." Yugi desperately covered his mouth his finger in a hushing motion. He hurriedly glanced around.

"That guy tried to kill me, and we're talkin' more than once. Why should I have to be so considerate of his "Royal Highness"?" Joey shrugged his shoulders, speaking even louder. "If he's got somethin' to say, he can say it to my face." It was obvious this speech was helping him build confidence after all the losses he had taken.

"You just don't quit it, do you dweebus?"

Joey shrieked as his body shivered and he fell to the ground. He looked up to see Kaiba himself. "Y-you, you usually come from that directi- what?" Joey was in complete disarray; his heart was still beating furiously from the fight; he could tell he likely look more messy than usual. He could only calm down as he looked up at Yugi who seemed to have taken no loss.

Yugi gave up on preventing another quarrel between the two as it was too late.

Kaiba scoffed, "so you didn't really think I would hear you, yet you talked so big?" He firmly gripped his hand onto Joey's head. "The ground suits losers like you." His piercingly cold eyes were completely focused on Joey's as his face began to flush.

Joey swatted Kaiba's hand away. "Ya know what!? It's all yer fault! Why have you even been comin' around here in the first place? This don't seem like yer kinda scene. Besides, that building is probably only the size of yer dinin' room." Joey's pride was seriously hurt. He furiously stood up and tried to intimidate him by staring right back.

"Wait Joey, I know he went too far, but you shouldn't fight like this every time you guys meet!" Yugi looked up at Joey pleadingly as he flailed his arms.

"But he-!" Joey stooped mid-sentence and freed a huge sigh. He could not fight against that look. Just as he had turned all his attention to the pitiful Yugi caught in their fight, Kaiba spoke up.

"Wheeler, you honestly don't know why we keep running into each other?" For a moment, his cold stare became a glare. Kaiba sighed exasperatedly. "Whatever, enjoy yourself losers." He rudely shoved himself between them as he made towards his limo, the tail of his coat fluttered in the air.

The two just stood dumbfounded. As soon as Kaiba's limo was out of view Joey spoke up, "Huh? So….does this mean he is seeing us on purpose? Kaiba? Really?" He scratched his head as he tried to arrange his thoughts out loud. He had pretty much gotten used to Kaiba's jabs enough to completely forget the fact that Kaiba practically called him trash at least 2-3 times.

Yugi shrugged his shoulders and shook his head, "you got me." He too had no idea what Kaiba had meant.

As the two stood on the corner in deep thought, they vaguely heard their names called. They looked up only to notice Tea, who had gotten close without either of them noticing. Both jumped in surprise.

Tea propped her hands on her hips. "Your bickering with Kaiba sure took longer than usual, we could see a bit from the window."

Joey bided his time with his pals. The next thing he knew, they were waving goodbye and the day was over. He had spent the whole day thinking of what Kaiba had said. "What could his reasons be? If not for business? But he's already rollin' with the big fish, what would he need with those small shops?"

Joey lied in bed as he spoke his thoughts. Only after he was able to reach a conclusion could he fall asleep.

A few days later, Joey made sure to stick to his routine and headed towards his usual meet-up with Yugi near the game shop. Sure enough, Kaiba was "coincidentally" nearby. "Kaiba!" Joey frantically waved his arms and ran to Kaiba, who was only a few meters away. "I got it! I know why ya keep showin' up everywhere!" He was super excited.

Kaiba seemed somewhat annoyed, but oddly enough he decided to listen. He looked down at Joey with his typical aloof expression. "Make it quick, unlike you, I don't make a habit of wasting time."

"You know Kaiba, you can be a real jerk."

"Joey, if I was as gullible as you and your little gang of friends, I would be dirt poor and just as insignificant as you are now. I would even be so gullible as to lose a card like Exodia to a person I just met." Kaiba said tauntingly as he shrugged.

"What?!"

"That's right Joey. Oh, did you think I didn't know about that little stunt? That's one of the several reasons I can't bear to lose to one of you disappointments."

"That's it, pal!"

"I'm not your 'pal'."

Joey's eye twitched. "Ya know what Kaiba, for yer sake, I'm gonna let that go, 'cause I know why yer here." Joey smiled brightly, and triumphantly. "Yer trynna to get in good with Yugi!" He accusingly pointed at Kaiba. "I knew that lone wolf act was bullsh*t! You're just an a**hole who happens to be too shy to admit ya want a do-over with Yug." He exclaimed as he crossed his arms, "Guess ya might wanna start getting' on my good side to get with Yug." He laughed obnoxiously.

Kaiba just stared, then raised his hand to his, partially covering his eyes and mouth in thought.

"Ha! Bet ya didn't think I would see through ya so easily!" Joey only laughed louder.

"Joey" Kaiba sharply spoke his name as he looked up from his palm. "You're an imbecile." He spoke as coldly as ever, but it was obvious he was peeved.

"What!?" Joey retorted angrily. His mood changed at the drop of a hat.

"Today's your lucky day Wheeler." Kaiba glared down at him, his blood began to boil as he revealed his duel disk.

I don't know what's got this prick's panties in a bunch, but it just earned me a duel. Joey was elated. "Ha! Fine, yer on!" He was pumped. He had never won against Kaiba, but if their adventures had taught him anything, it was to grow from the experience. He clenched his fists as he peered on with determined eyes.

Kaiba retrieved his spare duel disk from his suitcase. "Here." He shoved it into Joey's arms. "We will play under only one condition. The winner gets to make one request of the loser."

"Huh!?" Joey broke from his concentration.

Kaiba simply responded with a snarl, "What is it Wheeler? Afraid you cannot win?" As usual, he made no attempt to hide his smugness.

"W-what!? That's not what I was sayin'!" Joey averted his eyes as he tripped over his words. "I'm just surprised you'd take the risk with yer pride n' all!" He turned and pointed at Kaiba with sweaty palms.

"Heh. Just don't cry when the inevitable comes." He opened his suitcase swiftly and simply threw one of his dueling disks at Joey.

"Ya know what pretty boy!? When I BEAT you – as I was always bound to— I'm gonna-!" Joey was interrupted by a scoff.

Kaiba lowered his head. "As far as I'm concerned, losers always talk big before falling on their face." He looked to Joey with a cold stare, "How about you save it for when you actually win." Kaiba positioned himself in a readying stance for the duel.

Joey was pissed that Kaiba always seemed to keep his cool, but he hurried to compose himself for the duel. "Let's Duel!" He shouted with great enthusiasm.

- 10 minutes later –

Only a few moves in and Joey had lost nearly all his life points. He had hoped he could beat Kaiba before he used all his trap cards and found some sneaky way to not only land but level up a Blue Eyes. He had gotten too excited about the game and quickly laid cards without thought under the notion it was just a "warm-up" and he could simply turn the game around later after feeling the flow of the duel.

His face scrunched up into a complicated expression as he stared at his dwindling life points. "But the game had only just began, this feels even quicker than the first time," he muttered. He ruffled his hair, trying to focus. He did not even want to glance at Kaiba's mug, his head low enough for his blonde bangs to cloud his eyes as he scuffled through his hand hopelessly.

The only thing I can do is use the power-up I laid face down the first turn to attack. It shoulda been my trump card, but there's no tellin' what he's got face down. Yugi told me so many times to come up with more "tactics" rather than using force, but I guess I was too pumped fer this duel to start with a real strategy.

Joey pointed and cheered. "Ha! Take that!" Knowing far too well what little difference his play would make didn't take from the excitement of landing a hit.

Kaiba did not even flinch at the sight of the attack of course, and simply attacked with one of the monsters already laid on the field. "It's over."

As Joey watched his life points plummet to zero, his stomach that had just churned from excitement and anxiety had finally been released. Despite foreseeing the outcome, he was still surprised. Despite his dark personality and shady sense of style, he always manages to steal the light. He fell to his knees. "He didn't even need to use his blue eyes." Joey laughed to himself. He hardly got to learn anything from the duel.

Before he knew it, Kaiba stood over him. "Did you even take this duel seriously?" He slightly lifted his head and tilted his chin with a condescending tone.

"Ya know, from this angle I can finally make out what seems to be eyebrows and nostrils. I guess you are human." Joey shrugged his shoulders. His pride was hurt, but he could not help but to secretly respect Kaiba all the more. "You won yet again," He muttered as he stood up and patted the dirt from his jeans.

"It's time for you to fulfill your end of the bargain, Wheeler." Kaiba peered into Joey's eyes as if searching for something.

"Huh?" Joey stared at him blank-faced. His loss still fresh in his mind.

Kaiba sighed. "We will be romantically involved for 8 months."

"HUH!?" Joey gasped as he ungracefully tripped backward over his feet.

"You plan to go back on your word?" His bangs rustled as he raised a brow.

"What!? A man never goes back on his word!" He shouted and lunged towards Kaiba, he put a fist on Kaiba's chest.

Kaiba calmly brushed off Joey's arm as he grabbed him by the collar and pulled him in for a kiss. He was aggressive, yet suave, leaving Joey no room to take a breath.

As his collar was released from Kaiba's grasp, so were his lips. He fell back to the ground dumbfounded. More shocked than he was embarrassed of the abrupt public display only a moment after agreeing.

"That seals the contract." He leaned as he slid the duel disk from Joey's arm.

"But you- uh… Isn't Yugi the one you wanted?" Joey tied to formulate his thoughts aloud.

Kaiba's brow twitched, then crouched to steal another kiss from Joey's lips. After, he stood firm and turned on his heels, and stepped towards the street just in time for a limo to pull up, leaving Joey to his thoughts.

Joey abruptly covered his face the moment Kaiba stepped into the limo, he finally realized the reality of the situation. He didn't even respond to the voice of Yugi who found him sitting on the ground lost in thought. He was doomed to another sleepless night.