SUMMARY: Seto/Yami SLASH. Don't like it, don't read it. More friendship
than slash, but just to be safe. SLASH!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. I wish I owned Yami Bakura. And Kaiba. And Malik. And maybe even Yami. Hey, a girl can dream.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Sequel to "When the Last One Falls". Happier than the last one, for once!
DEDICATION: Kris, as always.
****
THE TRUTH OF IT
"Damn you, Seto Kaiba," Yami cursed under his breath, "I don't need this right now." The flowers sat on the kitchen table in front of him, taunting him. The card sat innocently on the table as if it hadn't been thrown there in frustration moments before. Familiar handwriting stared up at him as Yami picked up the card again, studying the simple words for hidden meanings.
"Yellow for friendship."
Yami let out a few more curses he'd picked up from Bakura before sighing. It was a sweet gesture, he didn't deny that, but it was also completely out of character for the CEO. Yami hadn't even been aware Kaiba knew what a florist's shop *was*. Apparently, he could still surprise his former lover.
How did Kaiba know that yellow roses stood for friendship anyway?
****
Kaiba glanced out the window of his office, wondering if his gift had arrived at its destination yet. It had been a week since the dinner party, and he hadn't seen or heard from Yami. Not that he was really expecting to, but there was that last bit of hope that clung stubbornly and refused to let go.
"Lisa," he barked into his phone, paging his secretary. She buzzed back seconds later. "Did you do what I asked?"
"Yes, sir," the girl replied. "The flowers were delivered as ordered."
"And?"
"No response, sir. Would you like me to call the Turtle Game Shop for you?"
"No, Lisa." Breaking the connection as quickly as he'd connected, Kaiba sat back in his chair and sighed. He'd made the first move -the proverbial ball was back in the spirit's court. Now he had to wait and see if Yami took his bait.
****
"Flowers, Yami?" Yugi questioned when he saw the gift. "What's the occasion?"
"No occasion. They just... arrived."
"From who?"
"I don't know," the spirit lied smoothly. "They arrived during the day, though. Maybe they're for you?"
"Who would be sending me flowers?" Yugi asked sensibly. "No, the flowers are for you, Yami. And we both know who they're from. He sent a card, didn't he?"
Yami pulled the card out of his back pocket and handed it over to his hikari.
"Do you think..."
"I don't know what to think," confessed Yami. "He apologized to me at the dinner. Seto Kaiba *apologized* to me. And then he sends me flowers! I don't know he's messing with my mind or honestly trying to make things right."
Yugi studied the bouquet of roses. "Well, a guy usually doesn't send flowers unless he means it."
"Means what?"
"I wish I knew."
"You and me both, aibou."
****
Against his better judgment, his impatience got the best of him and Kaiba found himself reaching for the phone and punching in a set of familiar numbers. The phone rang only twice before it was picked up.
"Turtle Game Shop."
"Yugi."
"Kaiba!" Yugi's voice was surprised, but he quickly got himself back under control. "What can I do for you?"
Kaiba studied the ceiling of his office. "Is Yami around?"
"Somewhere."
"Can I talk to him?"
"No."
"Excuse me?" Kaiba sat up quickly in his chair, nearly knocking it over. "Why not?"
"Because he doesn't want to talk to you," Yugi said firmly. "And I won't have you messing with his mind anymore than you already have."
"I have not messed with his mind, Yugi."
"Really?" The younger boy let out a bark of sarcastic laughter. "He told me you apologized to him. That is not normal for you, Seto Kaiba. And then you send flowers?"
"So he got them then."
"Yes, he got them, and he thanks you very much. But I'm still not going to let you talk to him."
"Will you at least tell him I called?"
"Are you admitting defeat already?"
"Stop baiting me. I know you well enough by now to know that you won't change your mind. So, just please tell Yami I called. Whether he calls me back or not is his choice."
There was a long pause at the other end. "What do you want, Kaiba?" Yugi finally asked. "Why are you suddenly so interested in him again?"
"I can't give you an answer, Yugi," Kaiba said with a sigh.
"So you're doing this out of the good of your heart? I didn't even know you HAD one... ouch!"
"Ouch?"
"Hold on." Yugi put his hand over the phone, muffling whatever was going on over on his end. Moments later, he was back. "Stubbed my toe. Anyways, I didn't realize you had a heart, Kaiba."
"I am not heartless," Kaiba said mildly. "Look, I apologized and I'm trying to make things right between Yami and I. Just tell him I called, okay?"
"He probably won't call you back."
"His decision." With that, Kaiba hung up the phone, sitting back in his chair with a heavy sigh. It was all up to Yami now.
****
"What was that for?" Yugi shouted at Yami after Kaiba had disconnected the call. "Why'd you hit me?"
"Why didn't you tell me Kaiba was on the phone?" Yami shot back.
"I didn't think you wanted to talk to him."
"That's my choice to make, aibou, not yours. And I will not have you insulting him, is that understood?"
"Yes, Yami." Yugi studied the floor. "I'm sorry."
"I appreciate you trying to protect me," Yami said gently, "but I am capable of making my own decisions."
"I know... I just don't want to see you hurt again, Yami."
"I love you, aibou." Smiling, Yami pulled his hikari into a hug. "Thank you."
****
The phone rang three times before Kaiba even realized what the sound was. He grabbed it half a ring before the call bounced to his voicemail.
"Kaiba."
"You still answer the phone like that?" came Yami's voice from the other end, nearly causing Kaiba to drop the phone. "Not very professional."
"How'd you..."
Yami laughed. "Told your secretary who I was. She was... more than happy to put me through."
"Remind me to fire her later," Kaiba muttered to himself, only half-joking. "The woman needs to learn to warn me first! What can I do for you?"
"You're the one who called me."
"Right."
Long pause. "Why did you call me?"
"Uh..."
"Come on, Seto. You called for a reason. And I must apologize for Yugi's behaviour. He gets a little over-protective sometimes."
"It was kind of cute, actually," Kaiba admitted. "But don't you dare tell him I said that."
"Your secret is safe with me. Thank you, by the way."
"For what?"
"The flowers. I put them on the front counter of the game shop so everyone can see them when they come in. I've received quite a few compliments already."
"You're welcome." Kaiba sat back in his chair and picked up a pen, idly twirling it in his fingers. "I meant what I said the other night, you know."
It was Yami's turn to play clueless. "About what?"
"About making things right. Maybe we can't try again, but we could at least, you know... clichéd as it sounds... be friends?"
Yami smiled. "I think I'd like that, Seto. I've missed you, and not just because you were my boyfriend. I've missed your friendship most of all."
"You've always had it, Yami, and you always will."
"Thank you. And since we are now friends again, tell me about your day. And none of this 'fine' crap - I know you better than that. Tell me the truth of it all."
Laughing despite himself, Kaiba did just that.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. I wish I owned Yami Bakura. And Kaiba. And Malik. And maybe even Yami. Hey, a girl can dream.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Sequel to "When the Last One Falls". Happier than the last one, for once!
DEDICATION: Kris, as always.
****
THE TRUTH OF IT
"Damn you, Seto Kaiba," Yami cursed under his breath, "I don't need this right now." The flowers sat on the kitchen table in front of him, taunting him. The card sat innocently on the table as if it hadn't been thrown there in frustration moments before. Familiar handwriting stared up at him as Yami picked up the card again, studying the simple words for hidden meanings.
"Yellow for friendship."
Yami let out a few more curses he'd picked up from Bakura before sighing. It was a sweet gesture, he didn't deny that, but it was also completely out of character for the CEO. Yami hadn't even been aware Kaiba knew what a florist's shop *was*. Apparently, he could still surprise his former lover.
How did Kaiba know that yellow roses stood for friendship anyway?
****
Kaiba glanced out the window of his office, wondering if his gift had arrived at its destination yet. It had been a week since the dinner party, and he hadn't seen or heard from Yami. Not that he was really expecting to, but there was that last bit of hope that clung stubbornly and refused to let go.
"Lisa," he barked into his phone, paging his secretary. She buzzed back seconds later. "Did you do what I asked?"
"Yes, sir," the girl replied. "The flowers were delivered as ordered."
"And?"
"No response, sir. Would you like me to call the Turtle Game Shop for you?"
"No, Lisa." Breaking the connection as quickly as he'd connected, Kaiba sat back in his chair and sighed. He'd made the first move -the proverbial ball was back in the spirit's court. Now he had to wait and see if Yami took his bait.
****
"Flowers, Yami?" Yugi questioned when he saw the gift. "What's the occasion?"
"No occasion. They just... arrived."
"From who?"
"I don't know," the spirit lied smoothly. "They arrived during the day, though. Maybe they're for you?"
"Who would be sending me flowers?" Yugi asked sensibly. "No, the flowers are for you, Yami. And we both know who they're from. He sent a card, didn't he?"
Yami pulled the card out of his back pocket and handed it over to his hikari.
"Do you think..."
"I don't know what to think," confessed Yami. "He apologized to me at the dinner. Seto Kaiba *apologized* to me. And then he sends me flowers! I don't know he's messing with my mind or honestly trying to make things right."
Yugi studied the bouquet of roses. "Well, a guy usually doesn't send flowers unless he means it."
"Means what?"
"I wish I knew."
"You and me both, aibou."
****
Against his better judgment, his impatience got the best of him and Kaiba found himself reaching for the phone and punching in a set of familiar numbers. The phone rang only twice before it was picked up.
"Turtle Game Shop."
"Yugi."
"Kaiba!" Yugi's voice was surprised, but he quickly got himself back under control. "What can I do for you?"
Kaiba studied the ceiling of his office. "Is Yami around?"
"Somewhere."
"Can I talk to him?"
"No."
"Excuse me?" Kaiba sat up quickly in his chair, nearly knocking it over. "Why not?"
"Because he doesn't want to talk to you," Yugi said firmly. "And I won't have you messing with his mind anymore than you already have."
"I have not messed with his mind, Yugi."
"Really?" The younger boy let out a bark of sarcastic laughter. "He told me you apologized to him. That is not normal for you, Seto Kaiba. And then you send flowers?"
"So he got them then."
"Yes, he got them, and he thanks you very much. But I'm still not going to let you talk to him."
"Will you at least tell him I called?"
"Are you admitting defeat already?"
"Stop baiting me. I know you well enough by now to know that you won't change your mind. So, just please tell Yami I called. Whether he calls me back or not is his choice."
There was a long pause at the other end. "What do you want, Kaiba?" Yugi finally asked. "Why are you suddenly so interested in him again?"
"I can't give you an answer, Yugi," Kaiba said with a sigh.
"So you're doing this out of the good of your heart? I didn't even know you HAD one... ouch!"
"Ouch?"
"Hold on." Yugi put his hand over the phone, muffling whatever was going on over on his end. Moments later, he was back. "Stubbed my toe. Anyways, I didn't realize you had a heart, Kaiba."
"I am not heartless," Kaiba said mildly. "Look, I apologized and I'm trying to make things right between Yami and I. Just tell him I called, okay?"
"He probably won't call you back."
"His decision." With that, Kaiba hung up the phone, sitting back in his chair with a heavy sigh. It was all up to Yami now.
****
"What was that for?" Yugi shouted at Yami after Kaiba had disconnected the call. "Why'd you hit me?"
"Why didn't you tell me Kaiba was on the phone?" Yami shot back.
"I didn't think you wanted to talk to him."
"That's my choice to make, aibou, not yours. And I will not have you insulting him, is that understood?"
"Yes, Yami." Yugi studied the floor. "I'm sorry."
"I appreciate you trying to protect me," Yami said gently, "but I am capable of making my own decisions."
"I know... I just don't want to see you hurt again, Yami."
"I love you, aibou." Smiling, Yami pulled his hikari into a hug. "Thank you."
****
The phone rang three times before Kaiba even realized what the sound was. He grabbed it half a ring before the call bounced to his voicemail.
"Kaiba."
"You still answer the phone like that?" came Yami's voice from the other end, nearly causing Kaiba to drop the phone. "Not very professional."
"How'd you..."
Yami laughed. "Told your secretary who I was. She was... more than happy to put me through."
"Remind me to fire her later," Kaiba muttered to himself, only half-joking. "The woman needs to learn to warn me first! What can I do for you?"
"You're the one who called me."
"Right."
Long pause. "Why did you call me?"
"Uh..."
"Come on, Seto. You called for a reason. And I must apologize for Yugi's behaviour. He gets a little over-protective sometimes."
"It was kind of cute, actually," Kaiba admitted. "But don't you dare tell him I said that."
"Your secret is safe with me. Thank you, by the way."
"For what?"
"The flowers. I put them on the front counter of the game shop so everyone can see them when they come in. I've received quite a few compliments already."
"You're welcome." Kaiba sat back in his chair and picked up a pen, idly twirling it in his fingers. "I meant what I said the other night, you know."
It was Yami's turn to play clueless. "About what?"
"About making things right. Maybe we can't try again, but we could at least, you know... clichéd as it sounds... be friends?"
Yami smiled. "I think I'd like that, Seto. I've missed you, and not just because you were my boyfriend. I've missed your friendship most of all."
"You've always had it, Yami, and you always will."
"Thank you. And since we are now friends again, tell me about your day. And none of this 'fine' crap - I know you better than that. Tell me the truth of it all."
Laughing despite himself, Kaiba did just that.