Rebirth
by Ceresi

Rating: R

WARNING: There are spoilers for the HP books in here. I know, it's crazy. Also, slash, and one racy little R scene. ALSO. This is still, for all intents and purposes, a rough draft. I've had it betaed and edited it several times myself, but I'm working on a sequal, and some changes might be necessary.

A/N: Hugs and love to everyone who's reviewed -- I can't remember who I have and haven't thanked, so, from the top: rayemars, metalsilverarmor23, angel_soul03, ShadowzofChaos, Yume Takato, Jenniyah, Kaneda-Shotaro and Yami Tetsuo, Katsuki, Jargonelle, and Celeste1.

Want more notes? See Chapter One.

***

Entirely uncomfortable, Tristan waited outside of Seto's office. He tried to avoid looking to his left, where a group of cleaners struggled to get blood out of the carpet, or his right, where a brand-new secretary sat, twitching occasionally. It probably paid well to be Seto Kaiba's assistant. He wondered if the woman found the money worth her life.

Finally, the door opened. He'd been expecting to see Seto, and was startled at the vision that greeted his eyes. "Mai?"

She was drop-dead gorgeous, as always, tricked out in black leather, sunglasses, and a deep tan. She looked over her glasses at him and pronounced his name like it was a tasty treat. "Tristan Taylor."

He gulped. Those eyes. "Hey."

"You're staring."

He held his hands up defensively. "Not my fault." Blame the halter.

She laughed and grabbed his arm. "Get in here, you dolt. Kaiba says you need a job."

"Huh." Tristan shrugged as she cocked an eyebrow at him. He might need to accept Kaiba's charity, but he sure as hell wasn't going to admit it.

"I've been in Egypt, thanks for asking." She shut the door behind him. "I'm heading Kaiba's research into the underground temples that our Yugi uncovered."

Tristan grimaced at the memory. It had been two years ago, and he still hadn't recovered -- not from the sight of a spirit stepping out of Yugi's body, or the way the spirit casually levitated massive, bone-crushing rocks, gently elbowing Yugi and teasing him simultaneously.

"It's fascinating," Mai continued. "I can tell you think so."

Tristan was, in fact, staring at her hair. It had been bleached by the sun or something. "Yeah. I'm . . . fascinated."

"If the two of you are finished?"

Tristan looked past Mai, at the man standing by the window. "Sorry, Kaiba."

"Don't bother apologizing, he doesn't really care." Mai sat in the chair in front of Kaiba's desk. "So, what do you have planned for Tristan?"

"I'm going to let you inflict yourself on him for a year," Kaiba said dryly. "If he survives, I'll give him an award."

"That's cruel," Tristan said, before Mai could object. She turned a glare on him, then batted her eyes. Tristan grinned at her, turned back to Kaiba. "What are you really planning?"

"Help the research," Kaiba said. He crossed to his desk and sat in his chair, leaning back. Tristan noted that there were no chairs for him to sit in; he stayed near the door and tried not to twitch every time Kaiba moved.

"I'm not a researcher," Tristan protested. "In fact, I'm pretty horrible at anything like that."

"What are you good at?" Mai asked. She turned in her chair and rested her arm on the back, hair cascading around her pretty face and clever eyes.

"Nothing," Tristan said flatly.

"That's a lie," Kaiba said. "Here's the offer, take it or leave it. Accompany Mai to Egypt and work with her, and Ryou, to research the temples and their relevance to the Millennium Items and Duel Monsters."

"I don't know anything about Egypt," Tristan pointed out. "I barely know anything about Duel Monsters."

"You know magic," Kaiba said bluntly. Mai looked back and forth between them like she was watching a ping-pong match. "You know it well enough to know what it looks like, feels like, what it can and can't do."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Tristan said.

"Magic," Mai reminded him. "You know, like Ryou's Ring?"

"Yes," he said impatiently. He fidgeted -- all of this standing was getting to his feet. "The problem is, of all the times he was being mind-controlled, I didn't realize it. When Yugi told me I dreamed a duel between the two of them, I believed him. I thought that Pegasus was cheating, that the Shadow Realm business was a clever trick, the works."

"Don't be an idiot," Kaiba snapped. He leaned forward, patience spent. "You know it well enough, and I need someone like you to keep an eye on Ryou."

"I'm not going to spy on him for you," Tristan snapped. "Get someone else to do your dirty work, Kaiba. Like Mai."

Mai glared at him. "Watch it, kid," she said. "I don't do anyone's dirty work, and I sure as hell don't spy on Ryou."

"Not spying," Kaiba corrected coldly. "Guarding. From his other half."

"Yugi sealed it away," Mai said tiredly. "Permanently." Clearly this was a conversation they'd had before.

"Nothing's permanent," Kaiba said dismissively. "Will you accept the offer, or will you get out, Taylor?"

There was nothing for it -- he needed a job, and this was the best offer he'd get. Too bad he hadn't listened to Tea and applied for college, not that he would have been accepted with his grades. Unlike Joey, he didn't have a genius billionaire boyfriend to coach him through high school.

Irritated and depressed, Tristan snapped, "Fine."

"Good." Kaiba gestured to Mai.

She stood with a roll of her eyes. "We're flying to Egypt tomorrow," she said. "I'll get you your ticket. Make sure you bring short sleeved shirts, and make sure your family knows that you'll be out of contact. Once you're in the dig site, no messages go in or out."

"What?" Tristan stared at her. "Why?"

"Security," Mai said wearily. She breezed past him. "Get some sleep tonight, Tristan. You'll hit the ground running tomorrow."

Great.

Kaiba gestured for him to follow Mai out. Tristan scowled and turned to go -- at the last second he looked back. "Have you talked to Joey lately?"

"Why?"

"Can you tell him I'm leaving?"

Kaiba narrowed his eyes at him. "Tell him yourself."

"We're not exactly on the best terms," Tristan said, flushing. It had been unjust of Serenity to involve her brother in their break-up a few weeks ago. Hopefully, he and Joey would probably be talking again soon -- assuming that Joey stopped referring to him as 'that bastard' and telling off Yugi and Tea for not doing the same.

"Then he won't miss you," Kaiba said. "Get out. I have important business to take care of."

Tristan rolled his eyes and left as the phone began to ring. He swallowed back an urge to advise the secretary to quit, and tried not to notice the broken windows or the skittish security guards. Damn, that man's life had to be unpleasant.