Well, I was going to update this tomorrow, but our annual Christmas party with my extended family is tomorrow ::groans:: so I decided to go ahead and upload it tonight. I hope you guys enjoy it (though this is actually my least favorite chapter in the entire story...) and the next chapter should be up Tuesday or Wednesday. Happy reading and thanks to all who reviewed!
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.
Chapter 2
The next afternoon, I trudged back up the moldy staircase and knocked on the door to apartment 6F. "Who is it?" the familiar proud voice called suspiciously.
"Kaiba," I replied, feeling a sinking knot of dread descend in my stomach. I shook it away- just because I'd never made friends before didn't mean I couldn't succeed now. I'd succeeded in everything else, right? Well, except beating Yami in a duel, that is.
"Kaiba! You came back!" Yami exclaimed excitedly, and I heard the clicking of multiple bolts as Yami rushed to unlock the door.
"Yami," I greeted him, nodding curtly, as soon as he opened the door. He looked even more tired today; the dark circles under his eyes stood out prominently against his pale skin, and I noticed how thin he had gotten- I could see his ribs through the gray cotton undershirt he wore over his dark jeans.
"So, what brings you back?" Yami asked, smiling happily. I felt a strange flip in the pit of my stomach. When I didn't answer immediately, his smile faltered. "Is something wrong? Do you want to come in?" he asked, sounding concerned.
"Don't you ever sleep? You look too tired to move," I blurted rudely (and randomly).
Yami blinked. "Do I? Well, I have insomnia sometimes; I suppose I think too much to sleep well," he replied slowly. "Kaiba, what's going on? Did you come here just to ask me if I slept?"
I flushed. "No, sorry; I didn't mean to say that," I mumbled. God, I sounded like a complete idiot. This was why my social interactions consisted of business associates and computers.
"Okay…do you want to come in?" Yami asked again.
"No…actually I was wondering if you wanted to go get some coffee or something," I muttered.
A cheerful smile spread across Yami's wan face once more, and he nodded. "Sure, Kaiba, that sounds great. Just give me a second," he replied. He vanished back into the apartment and I let out a relieved sigh and ran my fingers through my thick hair. To my surprise, I found that my hands were shaking. What in the world was wrong with me?
"Ready?" Yami asked, suddenly appearing beside me. He had slipped a denim jacket over his gray shirt, and he wore a pair of black boots that reminded me of the ones he wore when I first knew him. I nodded briefly and Yami flashed me another brilliant smile before locking the numerous bolts on his apartment door.
"Yami," I questioned curiously, "why do you live here? Can't you afford to live in a better neighborhood? This one is really dangerous."
Yami finished locking the door and smirked up at me. "I'm used to danger," he replied nonchalantly.
I scowled. "You didn't answer my question," I chastised, and he sighed.
"No, I don't make that much money, but like I said before, there aren't many job options open to me. I was lucky when Bakura gave me the job at his bank, even though it doesn't pay well," Yami answered tiredly.
"You could always come work for me- wait, Bakura owns a BANK?!" I asked, shocked by this revelation.
Yami laughed at my reaction and headed casually for the musty staircase. "You really shouldn't be surprised; he's always been obsessed with treasure," Yami remarked.
"But…how did he get the money to buy it in the first place?" I protested.
"How do you think?" Yami asked dryly. "He probably stole it, or threatened someone at least. I'd actually rather not find out."
Shaking my head in disbelief, I followed Yami outside to where my car was parked on the curb. One of the teenage thugs from the day before nodded amiably at me and I glared at him. He grinned, obviously impressed. Some people were just strange.
Sipping a strong espresso, I watched Yami as he picked slowly at a bagel. "This is a nice place, Kaiba; I've never been here before," he remarked, and let out a long yawn.
"Mokuba likes it, so I'm here about once a week," I replied wryly, and he chuckled. Yami finally took a bite of the bagel, and as he chewed his eyelids drooped, half-covering his dull crimson eyes.
I frowned curiously. Though I inexplicably enjoyed spending time with him, Yami wasn't the same person I remembered- and it wasn't just due to the lack of sleep. Something was wrong with him, and I had to know what it was. Stupid inquisitive nature. Wait a second- I never had an inquisitive nature. Did that mean I was worried about him?
I hoped not.
Yami checked his watch and frowned. "Oh, Kaiba, I'm sorry. I have to leave now if I want to have time to get ready for work," he sighed. "It was really nice seeing you again, though; maybe we could do this again sometime."
I shrugged noncommittally (though honestly I planned on visiting him again the next day) and batted his hand away when he reached for the check. "Don't move. I'm driving you home," I ordered, and he flashed me a bright grin.
"Polite as always," Yami teased, and stretched widely. His thin cotton undershirt rode up a few inches, revealing his lean, pale stomach, and I had to work not to stare. Then I frowned and stalked to the counter to pay the bill, wondering why in the world I wanted to stare at Yami's stomach in the first place.
Friendship was confusing. Maybe that's why I never tried it before.
The next morning I woke at the crack of dawn and drove to the First National Bank; then I parked in front of the entrance and waited. Promptly at six o'clock, Yami strolled out the doors, straight and proud as always, but I could easily read traces of fatigue in his confident gait.
As I watched him thoughtfully he walked right past my car without giving me a second glance. In fact, he made it all the way to the bus stop at the end of the block before I broke out of my trance. I frowned, confused at my own actions, and drove up to the bus stop where Yami sat wearily on a battered wooden bench.
He stared uncaringly at my car for a moment before he finally recognized it, but when he did his entire face lit up, and my stomach flopped strangely at his joyful expression. I just shook my head and pressed the button to unlock the car door, deciding to ignore my stomach's odd reaction.
"Kaiba! What are you doing out here so early in the morning?" Yami asked, smiling at me as he scooted into the passenger's seat.
"I always get up early, and I just thought you might like a ride," I replied. Yami nodded and tugged on his uniform shirt, untucking it, before he slipped the seat belt over himself and relaxed into the soft car seat.
"Well, thank you," he told me, and yawned widely. He closed his eyes and rested his head against the headrest.
We rode in silence until we reached Yami's apartment building and I parked on the littered curb. The street thugs weren't out yet this morning. "Well, here we are…" I began, but when I glanced over at Yami, I saw that he still hadn't opened his eyes. Soft lashes fluttered against the high cheekbones of his pale, thin face; and with his eyes closed the dark circles underneath barely showed. His small, slim frame moved regularly with deep, even breaths; and a tiny smile hovered on his lips.
He looked more peaceful than I'd ever seen him.
I bit my lip, suddenly unable to bring myself to wake Yami. He looked as if he hadn't slept in weeks; what if I woke him and he couldn't rest again later? But then, I guess I'd have to take that chance, since he couldn't very well sleep in the car and I couldn't carry him up a narrow staircase for six floors. I sighed.
"Yami, wake up," I told him softly, and shook his shoulder. He squeezed his eyes tighter together and mumbled something. "Yami!" I called again, slightly louder.
"Seto…" he muttered, and grinned a little, still with his eyes closed. I reddened, for some unknown reason.
"Yami, get up. You can't sleep in my car," I snapped in my usual sarcastic tone, and he finally opened his eyes.
"Kaiba?" he questioned, furrowing his brow. "Did I fall asleep? That's strange; it usually takes me hours…" he trailed off quietly.
I scowled. I knew he never slept; he probably just finally collapsed in exhaustion. "Whatever," I drawled. "You can go home now."
Yami smiled faintly and opened the car door, stretching his lithe frame tiredly as he stepped onto the sidewalk. "Thank you, Kaiba," he said. Then, before closing the door behind him, he bit his lip anxiously and hurriedly asked, "Do you want to come over this afternoon? If you don't have to work, that is."
"Whatever," I repeated shortly, and he grinned in relief.
"Great! Goodbye, then," Yami told me cheerily. I just grunted.
At promptly 5:00 that afternoon, I knocked on Yami's door. This time, he didn't bother to ask who I was- he just pulled open the door eagerly before I'd even finished knocking. "Er…" I mumbled stupidly, with my fist hovering in the air, "That was fast."
"I saw your car pull up," Yami replied nonchalantly.
He was watching for me? I stared in surprise at Yami for a long moment, until a slow red flush crept across his cheeks.
"Um, you can come in," he added, gesturing inside. I raised an eyebrow as I followed him into the living room- his house was even cleaner than the last time I'd seen it. It almost sparkled. When I turned to Yami to make a sarcastic remark about this, however, I instead found myself distracted by his attire. He wore leather again; a tight black sleeveless shirt, black boots, and black leather pants with a silver chain through the belt loops- exactly the same sort of outfit he wore when I knew him last. It was reassuringly familiar.
But… The dark colors emphasized the pallid shade of his skin, and under the tight shirt I could clearly see the outline of his ribs. Heavy circles still hung beneath his eyes, and I wondered if he'd slept at all after I left this morning.
In spite of all this, however, he still flashed me a huge, bright smile.
"Are you hungry, Kaiba? I made dinner, just in case…" Yami asked, observing me uncertainly, and his smile faltered.
"Sure," I shrugged. Yami nodded, smiling widely again, and grabbed my arm.
"Come on, the kitchen's this way," he instructed. I could see the tiny apartment's kitchen perfectly well from where I stood, but I still let him lead me to it. "Okay, sit here," Yami ordered, and gave me a light shove toward one of the chairs at his rickety square table. I scowled but he continued, "Now wait here while I bring out the food."
I smirked indulgently as the slim little figure rushed to the stove and clambered noisily amidst the pots and pans. It was so cute the way he was always excited to see me…
Seto Kaiba, you did not just think that.
Before I had time to worry over my musings, Yami returned, balancing three different pans in his arms; but before he could reach the table he paused and whirled around on a heel. "Oh! Sorry, I forgot the rolls," he said breathlessly, and rushed back to the stove, still hauling all the pots.
"Yami, you can put some of those down," I told him in amusement.
"It's okay, just hang on a second," he replied, trying to open the oven with his foot as he balanced all the pans in his arms. He stumbled a little, and sensing impending disaster I rushed to him. Placing a hand casually on Yami's hip, I reached over the foot he held suspended in the air to open the oven for him.
I think I actually made things worse.
As soon as I touched him Yami gasped and all the pans clattered to the floor, sending all their contents flying across the formerly spotless kitchen. I froze in shock and Yami slowly lowered his foot to the floor. Silently I glanced at Yami's face- disappointed tears quivered in his hazy crimson eyes, and two spots of color burned in his pale cheeks. "Well, at least the rolls are okay," I offered, and pulled open the oven door.
Smoke billowed out the open door and Yami and I coughed, waving it away. When it finally cleared we stared at a pan of pitch-black rolls.
"I guess I forgot to turn the oven off," Yami muttered.
Yami followed me into the house as I quickly strode inside and glanced around for Mokuba. After the fiasco with Yami's dinner, I invited him to the Kaiba Mansion to eat with Mokuba and me; Yami had just looked so disappointed when his food was ruined that I had to do something to cheer him up- and it worked. Yami's smile at my invitation could have lit the room.
Of course, I had no idea what Mokuba's expression would be when he found out what I'd done, since I'd never invited anyone to the house before. Frankly, I was a little nervous about it.
"So… The dining room is this way," I offered, and gestured uncertainly to my right. Yami followed me silently, and I could read nervousness in his dull crimson eyes. Well, at least I wasn't alone.
"SETO!" Just then the voice of my adolescent brother echoed through the spacious foyer. He sounded angrier than he had in a long while, and I groaned mentally. Did Mokuba have to cause a scene now? "Seto! You'll never believe what that idiotic teacher did to me! She said that if I missed any more school because of KaibaCorp work she'd give me a month's detention AND that she'd call you in for a private conference. So I told her that she could just go…" Mokuba halted mid-rant when he saw Yami standing uncomfortably beside me.
I sighed. Well, at least Mokuba's temper tantrum was about school, and not something embarrassing, like the time he'd found me purposely sabotaging my employee's work via my laptop…
What? I needed something to yell at them about.
"Uh, hi Mokuba," Yami finally mumbled. "How are you? Well, I guess you're having a bad day…" he trailed off awkwardly, and reddened in obvious embarrassment.
By some miracle, I actually broke the ice. I think that's the first time that ever happened in my entire life; especially since I usually created the ice in the first place. Of course, this was an accident, so I can't take too much credit.
Anyway, I couldn't help it. When my proud ex-rival, the King of Games, began stuttering awkwardly at the sight of a thirteen-year-old's angry fit, I burst into laughter at the absolute ridiculousness of the situation. Yami and Mokuba gaped in astonishment at me as I doubled over in deep, throaty peals of laughter, until I finally calmed and observed the two with traces of a smile still lingering on my lips.
Yami stared at me a moment longer before an answering smile dawned on his face; then he turned to Mokuba and added, "I presume you got detention anyway for what you said to the teacher, didn't you?"
Mokuba scowled and crossed his arms across his chest in a gesture eerily similar to me before replying, "Yeah, I did. But she was being such a…"
"Mokuba," I interrupted warningly, and he sighed.
"Sorry, Seto," he muttered. Then he suddenly whipped his head up and stared at Yami. "Hey! So Seto did make friends with you after all!" Mokuba exclaimed happily, and it was my turn to redden. Of course, I turned away slightly so Yami wouldn't see.
"Well, yes, I suppose he did," Yami told my little brother amusedly. I glanced at him furtively and caught his radiant smile. He suddenly looked much healthier.
"Great! Come on, then, I'll show you the house!" Mokuba answered excitedly, and grabbed Yami's arm. Before I could protest, he had disappeared through one of the many doors, dragging Yami with him.
I let myself groan aloud this time, since no one was around to hear me.
Finally, an hour later, I cornered Mokuba in the library where he was showing Yami my collection of adventure novels. Yami flipped through them wonderingly, probably amazed that I read anything besides computer manuals. I decided, as a 'friend,' that I should be generous, so I told him, "You can borrow it if you want."
Yami whipped his head up in surprise at my sudden appearance before he blinked, apparently registering my comment. "Really?" he asked, almost shyly. I found his expression strangely endearing.
Again, Kaiba, you did not just think that.
"Why not?" I shrugged. "In fact, you can keep it; I've already read it anyway."
"Won't…you won't want to read it again?" he asked hesitantly, and I shook my head. He wavered a moment longer before he finally nodded, beaming, and murmured, "Thank you so much, Seto."
I gulped, for whatever reason, and quickly covered by snapping at Yami and Mokuba. "I've been looking for you two for over an hour- it's time to eat now, since that is why I invited Yami here in the first place," I grumbled.
Mokuba scowled and stalked from the room, muttering sulkily under his breath, but Yami just gazed up at me expectantly. "What?" I snapped.
He grinned a little before answering sensibly, "I don't know the way to the dining room."
"Oh," I muttered and looked away in embarrassment. "Well…" I finished this brilliant statement with a sweeping gesture, and he followed me to the dining room; clutching his book tightly all the way.
The phone clattering loudly startled me from a heavy sleep, and I blinked hazily at the clock beside my bed. 2:00 A.M. "What the…?" I mumbled, and groggily picked up the receiver. "Kaiba," I grunted.
"Seto, WHY did he make friends with the villain? I mean, it's so obvious that the guy's evil! What was Jim thinking?" Yami's voice cried hysterically.
"Huh?" I muttered in shock.
"I said; why would Jim make friends with the pirate? He's just going to get killed!"
It finally sank into my sleep-addled brain that Yami had called me at 2:00 A.M. just to rant about the book I gave him; and suddenly, friendship with him seemed a lot less appealing.
I knew I should have just jumped off that cliff.
"Did you actually have a reason for calling me, or do you simply like to annoy me?" I snapped icily.
Yami went silent.
After an excruciatingly long moment, he finally mumbled, "Sorry," and hung up the phone.
I hung up as well and rolled over in bed, burying my face luxuriantly in the soft pillows, and as I drifted peacefully back to sleep amidst my down comforters it never occurred to me that I might regret what I'd just done.