All righty, in this Chapter, Malik and Kaiba grow a bit closer. Yay.
Wait 'til you see next chapter! BWAHAHAHA! Okay, that's obnoxious, I take
it back... anyway, this chapter'll be full of confrontations. Tanoshii!
Disclaimer: Don't own it. (It being Yu-Gi-Oh). Sorry, I wanna be a lawyer when I grow up- they know loop holes, trust me! O.O hides under a rock
"Hey Mokuba?" Malik knocked on the door and gawked.
Jounouchi turned and blinked at him as Mokuba gulped.
"...MALIK?!!"
"Jounouchi..." Malik blinked.
"Yeah, what is it, Malik?" Mokuba sweat dropped.
"Your brother says it's time to go..." Malik gulped.
"What's he doin' here?" Jounouchi exclaimed.
"What're YOU doing here?" Malik snapped back, annoyed.
Jounouchi glowered at him. "I'm interviewing for a job."
"I work here. I beat you." Malik snickered.
"Grrr..." Jounouchi growled.
"Uh, he passed the interview and he qualifies... congratulations, Jounouchi, you're our new janitor."
"Hn... what a lame job." Malik snickered, walking off as Jounouchi glowered at him.
"Yeah, that Malik guy had the job of janitor for about an hour before he got bumped all the way up to Kaiba's assistant, so I'm sure it's not going to be as bad as ya think." Takeishi told Jounouchi as he mopped up some puke.
"....Mmhmm..." Jounouchi groaned, annoyed. 'Why's Malik here... shouldn't he be in Egypt? I gotta talk to him...'
"Don't inhale, or you might have to clean up double the mess, that's what my mother always told me-"
"Hey, Takeishi." Jounouchi turned to him. "Anyone know where Malik lives?"
"With Kaiba-sama, all of the personal assistants of the past have."
"YOU MEAN HE LIVES WITH KAIBA?!! NO WAAAY!!!" Jounouchi gawked.
"Oyasumi, Mokuba-kun." Malik smiled, closing Mokuba's door.
He turned and blinked when he saw Kaiba standing right in front of him. "Oh- hey, Kaiba!"
"...-Sama."
"-Sama..." Malik blushed, rubbing the back of his head.
Kaiba smirked. "Come with me."
Malik blinked and followed him.
"Malik... you've been completely honest with me for as long as you've been working for me, and you've been a hard worker. None of my other personal assistants lasted more than four days.
"Are you firing me?" Malik arched a brow.
Kaiba sighed, annoyed. "Do you know how often you ask me that?"
"...Mm... it's gotta be at least twice a day..."
"To me, it seems very unprofessional that you ask that so often. It seems as though you feel you deserved to be fired. Is that the case?" Kaiba turned to him, arms folded.
"...No... it's just... because, well... you're such a jerk..." Malik smirked.
Kaiba smirked back, before continuing on down the hall. "Come with me, Malik, there's something important I need to talk to you about."
"...Am I getting a raise?"
"HA!"
"...You didn't have to be so cruel." Malik pouted. "I get the feeling I'm in trouble... that's why I asked if I was fired... that's why I ask so much... when I was a kid, my father was very hard on me, even though he treated me better than the others, and all of his servants, he was still pretty mean to me, always making me feel worthless, and stupid..."
Kaiba could relate to that. "What's your point?" Like he'd show it. Pfft.
"Well, whenever he talked to me, it seemed like it was to scold me, or to warn me to stop doing something I hadn't realized I'd been doing... So whenever people at a 'higher status' or whatever, say they want to talk to me... I assume it's because I'm doing something wrong... I'm sorry I make it seem like I have a low-self esteem, or low-confidence level... I promise I know I'm perfect, it's you I doubt!" Malik smiled, teasingly.
Kaiba chuckled, heading into a room. "Come in, Malik."
Malik closed the door behind him.
"Are you serious?" Yugi's large innocent eyes widened even more, somehow. "How in the world did Malik get here all by himself?!"
"Takeishi, this guy at work, he says it's true, and the secretary I have charmed down there hates Malik, not that I blame her, and she knows a lot about him, as far as his living conditions. Everyone there knows Malik lives with Kaiba now, which means his sister and Rishido can't be there!" Jounouchi huffed.
"So Malik's come back on his own?" Anzu blinked. "I wonder why we haven't seen him... do you think he dislikes us?"
"He's Kaiba's personal assistant, so it's hard to say." Honda commented, stroking his chin, thoughtfully. He had developed five whiskers and was constantly trying to bring as much attention to them as humanly possible. "Even if he wasn't working twenty-four seven, I doubt he'd want to see us, though. Don't get me wrong, I like the guy, at least since after he gave up with the whole trying to kill Atemu thing... but I just think he's trying to bury his past, and us along with it- in his mind, anyway."
"Wow, Honda! That was very insightful and intelligent of you!" Anzu commented, smirking teasingly. "Too bad you look like such a big dork, rubbing your scrubbies."
"Not scrubbies!!! It's a BEARD!!!"
"You know..." Jounouchi blinked. "I think Shizuka once told me she didn't like men with beards..."
"WHY NOT?!!" Honda gawked.
"Probably from the whole Santa imposter ordeal. Now she thinks men with beards are fake and phonies and stuff..."
"....Got a razor, Yugi?" Honda turned to Yugi.
"Just look at the guy- he doesn't even have a pair of scissors." Otogi teased Yugi, who smiled up at him.
"I say we all go to Kaiba Corp tomorrow, to say hi to Malik. I bet it'll make him feel really happy!" Anzu suggested.
"Good idea." Honda nodded. "Maybe Shizuka can come."
"Isn't Malik that one really attractive blonde Egyptian guy from battle city?" Otogi blinked. "Oh- I remember now! He was in Egypt, now I know who you're all talking about! I say we go without Shizuka, that guys is really really hot."
"...Good point." Honda nodded, gulping.
"...There's just one problem, you guys." Yugi sighed, lowering his head.
"What's that?" Jounouchi leaned forward, expectantly.
"...I talked to Ishizu the other day...."
"And?"
"...She has no idea where Malik is."
"I KNEW IT!!!" Jounouchi leapt to his feet, excitedly. "I'm so gonna bust him! Let's go down to Kaiba mansion right now!"
"At ten PM?" Anzu blinked.
"Kaiba doesn't sleep!!! He's like a robot!"
"...Okay..." Honda sighed. "Otogi?"
"Sure, we can take my car..." Otogi scratched his head, tiredly. "...When did it hit ten? Shouldn't we send Anzu come?"
"HEY!" Anzu teased. "You're all ugly! Nothing's gonna happen!"
They all glowered at her as Yugi laughed.
"Can you explain yourself?" Kaiba leaned back, folding his arms.
"..." Malik lowered his gaze. "...Well... I.... ah..."
"You lied to me. Why is that?" Kaiba snapped. "Did you really think I would care that you ran away?"
"I don't know..." Malik shrugged, looking Kaiba in the eyes. "I don't know! Do you? You seem to care!"
"I don't want to get into any trouble. Do you know what the authorities in Egypt would do to me if they found out I was harboring some run-away punk teenager and letting him work for me? Worse yet, do you know what ISHIZU would do if she found out I had you here?!!"
"...She'd kill me, not you, why're you so worried?" Malik huffed.
"Malik, why did you come here? To Domino? You lied to me before... I want the truth this time."
"...I came to find someone... to find them... that's all..."
"I won't ask you who... I don't really care, and I probably don't want to know."
"What do you think will happen to you? What's your problem, anyway?" Malik huffed.
"...We'll continue this discussion tomorrow, Malik... get some sleep." Kaiba sighed.
"Are you going to sleep?" Malik blinked.
"That's none of your business- do as I say."
"I won't go to sleep until my boss does! That's my job." Malik folded his arms, sternly.
Kaiba glowered at him. "You need sleep, now go to sleep. I sleep more than you do, so-"
"Yes, I know. You don't seem like the kind of person who'd fall asleep on the job, but occasionally when nothing's going on, I come in to ask you something and you're snoozing away on your desk. YOU'RE the one who should go to sleep."
"You're stepping way out of line, Malik." Kaiba stood, pushing his chair away.
"Especially considering your personal assistant could walk in on you moaning his name in your sleep at any given second."
"You're fi-" Kaiba stopped mid-sentence and his eyes widened.
"...." Malik held his piercing lavender gaze on Kaiba's his eyes baring into Kaiba, daring him to finish that sentence.
"...What are you talking about?" Kaiba's hand, which was clenched around the back of a chair, trembled with anger. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"
Malik approached Kaiba, who took a step back, gritting his teeth together.
"Kaiba..." Malik snapped, equally as angry as he stopped in front of Kaiba, not once tearing his eyes from Kaiba's. "Kaiba-SAMA, right? Well, Kaiba-sama... Why is it, exactly? Why do you dream about me?"
"I don't." Kaiba snapped.
"Don't lie!" Malik closed his eyes, angrily. "DON'T YOU DARE LIE!!! Even if I hadn't seen it with my own two eyes-!" He reopened said eyes and turned his glower back onto Kaiba. "Even if I hadn't!!! I can still tell! Don't look me in the eyes and lie to me... I'm a person, you can't do that! Do you look Mokuba in the eyes and lie to him?!"
"You're fired."
"Do you look Yugi in the eyes and intentionally lie to him?!!"
"Get out of my room."
Malik blinked, looking up surprised. So they were in Kaiba's room...
"Right now." Kaiba snapped, unfolding his arms.
"....You ready to use force?" Malik snapped.
"Yes, I am." Kaiba replied, coldly.
"..." Malik kicked the door closed from behind him and Kaiba blinked, confused.
"Okay, I won't put up a fight!!! Take me... just be gentle."
"..." Kaiba's eyes widened and he backed away. "GYAAAH!!! I'm not gay like you, Malik! I'm-"
"HMMM.... then why do you fantasize about me?" Malik narrowed his eyes on Kaiba, annoyed.
"I don't kno- ooooh... you..." Kaiba clenched his fists, angrily.
"AHAHA! So you DO fantasize about me! I knew it!"
"..."
"Well you fired me from personal assistant..." Malik reached up and ran his fingers down Kaiba's cheek as the older teenager froze, eyes wide. "Maybe you can hire me to do something else for the night?"
"....Kaiba Seto does not purchase whores, Malik. Get out." Kaiba snapped.
Malik smirked, pulling his hand away. "I was only kidding, you bastard. Get over yourself... all I want from you is a promise."
"A promise?" Kaiba blinked.
"...Don't tell my sister I'm here." Malik turned to leave.
"...Malik-"
"Hm?" Malik turned, blinking.
"..."
The two stared at each other for a moment before Kaiba gulped.
"I want my coffee with milk in it tomorrow." Kaiba closed his door shut in Malik's face.
Malik blinked. "...What's that mean?"
Kaiba reopened the door. "It means you're not fired, idiot." He then slammed it closed in Malik's face again.
Malik smiled, happily. "WOO HOO!" He turned and headed to his room before gawking at what he found.
"So it's true." Honda smirked.
"Hey Malik!" Anzu waved. "Welcome to Japan!"
"We need to talk." Yugi told him.
Malik gulped.
Disclaimer: Don't own it. (It being Yu-Gi-Oh). Sorry, I wanna be a lawyer when I grow up- they know loop holes, trust me! O.O hides under a rock
"Hey Mokuba?" Malik knocked on the door and gawked.
Jounouchi turned and blinked at him as Mokuba gulped.
"...MALIK?!!"
"Jounouchi..." Malik blinked.
"Yeah, what is it, Malik?" Mokuba sweat dropped.
"Your brother says it's time to go..." Malik gulped.
"What's he doin' here?" Jounouchi exclaimed.
"What're YOU doing here?" Malik snapped back, annoyed.
Jounouchi glowered at him. "I'm interviewing for a job."
"I work here. I beat you." Malik snickered.
"Grrr..." Jounouchi growled.
"Uh, he passed the interview and he qualifies... congratulations, Jounouchi, you're our new janitor."
"Hn... what a lame job." Malik snickered, walking off as Jounouchi glowered at him.
"Yeah, that Malik guy had the job of janitor for about an hour before he got bumped all the way up to Kaiba's assistant, so I'm sure it's not going to be as bad as ya think." Takeishi told Jounouchi as he mopped up some puke.
"....Mmhmm..." Jounouchi groaned, annoyed. 'Why's Malik here... shouldn't he be in Egypt? I gotta talk to him...'
"Don't inhale, or you might have to clean up double the mess, that's what my mother always told me-"
"Hey, Takeishi." Jounouchi turned to him. "Anyone know where Malik lives?"
"With Kaiba-sama, all of the personal assistants of the past have."
"YOU MEAN HE LIVES WITH KAIBA?!! NO WAAAY!!!" Jounouchi gawked.
"Oyasumi, Mokuba-kun." Malik smiled, closing Mokuba's door.
He turned and blinked when he saw Kaiba standing right in front of him. "Oh- hey, Kaiba!"
"...-Sama."
"-Sama..." Malik blushed, rubbing the back of his head.
Kaiba smirked. "Come with me."
Malik blinked and followed him.
"Malik... you've been completely honest with me for as long as you've been working for me, and you've been a hard worker. None of my other personal assistants lasted more than four days.
"Are you firing me?" Malik arched a brow.
Kaiba sighed, annoyed. "Do you know how often you ask me that?"
"...Mm... it's gotta be at least twice a day..."
"To me, it seems very unprofessional that you ask that so often. It seems as though you feel you deserved to be fired. Is that the case?" Kaiba turned to him, arms folded.
"...No... it's just... because, well... you're such a jerk..." Malik smirked.
Kaiba smirked back, before continuing on down the hall. "Come with me, Malik, there's something important I need to talk to you about."
"...Am I getting a raise?"
"HA!"
"...You didn't have to be so cruel." Malik pouted. "I get the feeling I'm in trouble... that's why I asked if I was fired... that's why I ask so much... when I was a kid, my father was very hard on me, even though he treated me better than the others, and all of his servants, he was still pretty mean to me, always making me feel worthless, and stupid..."
Kaiba could relate to that. "What's your point?" Like he'd show it. Pfft.
"Well, whenever he talked to me, it seemed like it was to scold me, or to warn me to stop doing something I hadn't realized I'd been doing... So whenever people at a 'higher status' or whatever, say they want to talk to me... I assume it's because I'm doing something wrong... I'm sorry I make it seem like I have a low-self esteem, or low-confidence level... I promise I know I'm perfect, it's you I doubt!" Malik smiled, teasingly.
Kaiba chuckled, heading into a room. "Come in, Malik."
Malik closed the door behind him.
"Are you serious?" Yugi's large innocent eyes widened even more, somehow. "How in the world did Malik get here all by himself?!"
"Takeishi, this guy at work, he says it's true, and the secretary I have charmed down there hates Malik, not that I blame her, and she knows a lot about him, as far as his living conditions. Everyone there knows Malik lives with Kaiba now, which means his sister and Rishido can't be there!" Jounouchi huffed.
"So Malik's come back on his own?" Anzu blinked. "I wonder why we haven't seen him... do you think he dislikes us?"
"He's Kaiba's personal assistant, so it's hard to say." Honda commented, stroking his chin, thoughtfully. He had developed five whiskers and was constantly trying to bring as much attention to them as humanly possible. "Even if he wasn't working twenty-four seven, I doubt he'd want to see us, though. Don't get me wrong, I like the guy, at least since after he gave up with the whole trying to kill Atemu thing... but I just think he's trying to bury his past, and us along with it- in his mind, anyway."
"Wow, Honda! That was very insightful and intelligent of you!" Anzu commented, smirking teasingly. "Too bad you look like such a big dork, rubbing your scrubbies."
"Not scrubbies!!! It's a BEARD!!!"
"You know..." Jounouchi blinked. "I think Shizuka once told me she didn't like men with beards..."
"WHY NOT?!!" Honda gawked.
"Probably from the whole Santa imposter ordeal. Now she thinks men with beards are fake and phonies and stuff..."
"....Got a razor, Yugi?" Honda turned to Yugi.
"Just look at the guy- he doesn't even have a pair of scissors." Otogi teased Yugi, who smiled up at him.
"I say we all go to Kaiba Corp tomorrow, to say hi to Malik. I bet it'll make him feel really happy!" Anzu suggested.
"Good idea." Honda nodded. "Maybe Shizuka can come."
"Isn't Malik that one really attractive blonde Egyptian guy from battle city?" Otogi blinked. "Oh- I remember now! He was in Egypt, now I know who you're all talking about! I say we go without Shizuka, that guys is really really hot."
"...Good point." Honda nodded, gulping.
"...There's just one problem, you guys." Yugi sighed, lowering his head.
"What's that?" Jounouchi leaned forward, expectantly.
"...I talked to Ishizu the other day...."
"And?"
"...She has no idea where Malik is."
"I KNEW IT!!!" Jounouchi leapt to his feet, excitedly. "I'm so gonna bust him! Let's go down to Kaiba mansion right now!"
"At ten PM?" Anzu blinked.
"Kaiba doesn't sleep!!! He's like a robot!"
"...Okay..." Honda sighed. "Otogi?"
"Sure, we can take my car..." Otogi scratched his head, tiredly. "...When did it hit ten? Shouldn't we send Anzu come?"
"HEY!" Anzu teased. "You're all ugly! Nothing's gonna happen!"
They all glowered at her as Yugi laughed.
"Can you explain yourself?" Kaiba leaned back, folding his arms.
"..." Malik lowered his gaze. "...Well... I.... ah..."
"You lied to me. Why is that?" Kaiba snapped. "Did you really think I would care that you ran away?"
"I don't know..." Malik shrugged, looking Kaiba in the eyes. "I don't know! Do you? You seem to care!"
"I don't want to get into any trouble. Do you know what the authorities in Egypt would do to me if they found out I was harboring some run-away punk teenager and letting him work for me? Worse yet, do you know what ISHIZU would do if she found out I had you here?!!"
"...She'd kill me, not you, why're you so worried?" Malik huffed.
"Malik, why did you come here? To Domino? You lied to me before... I want the truth this time."
"...I came to find someone... to find them... that's all..."
"I won't ask you who... I don't really care, and I probably don't want to know."
"What do you think will happen to you? What's your problem, anyway?" Malik huffed.
"...We'll continue this discussion tomorrow, Malik... get some sleep." Kaiba sighed.
"Are you going to sleep?" Malik blinked.
"That's none of your business- do as I say."
"I won't go to sleep until my boss does! That's my job." Malik folded his arms, sternly.
Kaiba glowered at him. "You need sleep, now go to sleep. I sleep more than you do, so-"
"Yes, I know. You don't seem like the kind of person who'd fall asleep on the job, but occasionally when nothing's going on, I come in to ask you something and you're snoozing away on your desk. YOU'RE the one who should go to sleep."
"You're stepping way out of line, Malik." Kaiba stood, pushing his chair away.
"Especially considering your personal assistant could walk in on you moaning his name in your sleep at any given second."
"You're fi-" Kaiba stopped mid-sentence and his eyes widened.
"...." Malik held his piercing lavender gaze on Kaiba's his eyes baring into Kaiba, daring him to finish that sentence.
"...What are you talking about?" Kaiba's hand, which was clenched around the back of a chair, trembled with anger. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"
Malik approached Kaiba, who took a step back, gritting his teeth together.
"Kaiba..." Malik snapped, equally as angry as he stopped in front of Kaiba, not once tearing his eyes from Kaiba's. "Kaiba-SAMA, right? Well, Kaiba-sama... Why is it, exactly? Why do you dream about me?"
"I don't." Kaiba snapped.
"Don't lie!" Malik closed his eyes, angrily. "DON'T YOU DARE LIE!!! Even if I hadn't seen it with my own two eyes-!" He reopened said eyes and turned his glower back onto Kaiba. "Even if I hadn't!!! I can still tell! Don't look me in the eyes and lie to me... I'm a person, you can't do that! Do you look Mokuba in the eyes and lie to him?!"
"You're fired."
"Do you look Yugi in the eyes and intentionally lie to him?!!"
"Get out of my room."
Malik blinked, looking up surprised. So they were in Kaiba's room...
"Right now." Kaiba snapped, unfolding his arms.
"....You ready to use force?" Malik snapped.
"Yes, I am." Kaiba replied, coldly.
"..." Malik kicked the door closed from behind him and Kaiba blinked, confused.
"Okay, I won't put up a fight!!! Take me... just be gentle."
"..." Kaiba's eyes widened and he backed away. "GYAAAH!!! I'm not gay like you, Malik! I'm-"
"HMMM.... then why do you fantasize about me?" Malik narrowed his eyes on Kaiba, annoyed.
"I don't kno- ooooh... you..." Kaiba clenched his fists, angrily.
"AHAHA! So you DO fantasize about me! I knew it!"
"..."
"Well you fired me from personal assistant..." Malik reached up and ran his fingers down Kaiba's cheek as the older teenager froze, eyes wide. "Maybe you can hire me to do something else for the night?"
"....Kaiba Seto does not purchase whores, Malik. Get out." Kaiba snapped.
Malik smirked, pulling his hand away. "I was only kidding, you bastard. Get over yourself... all I want from you is a promise."
"A promise?" Kaiba blinked.
"...Don't tell my sister I'm here." Malik turned to leave.
"...Malik-"
"Hm?" Malik turned, blinking.
"..."
The two stared at each other for a moment before Kaiba gulped.
"I want my coffee with milk in it tomorrow." Kaiba closed his door shut in Malik's face.
Malik blinked. "...What's that mean?"
Kaiba reopened the door. "It means you're not fired, idiot." He then slammed it closed in Malik's face again.
Malik smiled, happily. "WOO HOO!" He turned and headed to his room before gawking at what he found.
"So it's true." Honda smirked.
"Hey Malik!" Anzu waved. "Welcome to Japan!"
"We need to talk." Yugi told him.
Malik gulped.