Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.
Chapter 2
Two weeks later Yugi-tachi were still crowing about my new job – Jou, especially, since it meant that I got free dueling gear… and gave it to him. Today, once again, Yugi-tachi were crowded noisily into the living room, grouped around the television set; though for once they weren't paying attention to the screen as Jou waved his new toy excitedly through the air, smacking Honda in the face and annoying everyone in the process.
"This duel disk is just as awesome as KaibaCorp's! And I love the colors!" he exclaimed for the hundredth time. (True to its heritage, RAGE disks came in a choice of red, white, or blue and all bore an American flag insignia just under the logo.)
"Yes. We know," Honda replied dully, rubbing the rising bruise on his cheek.
Yugi turned to me. "How long until your commercial comes out, Yami?" he asked curiously.
"I'm not sure. It should be really soon though; they're anxious to get the advertising started."
"Are you nervous?" Yugi questioned.
"Why would I be?"
"Oh, you know, the fact that your face will be everywhere, and you won't be able to go outside without getting mauled, and you'll probably have crazed fangirl stalkers…" Jou supplied helpfully, still staring lovingly at the gaudy duel disk.
"I'm sure that's not true," Yugi said hastily, though his eyes widened and he looked rather worried.
"Yeah, Yami, don't listen to Jou. He's an idiot," Honda put in.
"Why you…"
Ignoring the impromptu wrestling match on the carpet below him, Yugi returned his attention to me and smiled. "Well, anyway, I'm sure it'll be great. Loads better than Kaiba's commercial, anyhow."
I could feel the blood drain from my face in one sickening rush.
"I… I need to go to the store. I'll be back later," I muttered hastily, and rushed out the door before Yugi-tachi could question me.
As soon as I had turned a corner I buried my face in my hands and sighed loudly, rubbing my eyes tiredly with shaking fingers. Seto's commercial… I had agreed to do this spokesperson thing because of it, because the tacky advertisement rubbed my face in the fact that Seto had turned me down – in more ways than one. And yet, every time the stupid thing crossed my mind I felt a terrible surge of guilt, and I got the feeling I had screwed things up more than I realized by giving in to my whim and signing that contract.
Seto and I were rivals once again.
I wandered aimlessly for the next hour or so, my thoughts lingering on the blue-eyed duelist who had so successfully gained my affection and complicated my life. Eventually I found myself in the crowded square in the center of town, standing just under one of the giant, billboard-sized television screens that broadcasted propaganda to the populace all throughout the day.
I glared at it. Why was it that television had to haunt me every second of the day? It was everywhere! Finally I sighed and turned away from the screen, deciding to head home – hopefully Yugi-tachi had finished fussing over the duel disks – when I saw him.
Seto.
He rushed along the sidewalk, in a hurry as usual, and he almost passed me by without event until he happened to carelessly glance up at the flashing, billboard-sized screen – and stopped in his tracks. I watched him curiously for a moment as he openly stared at the screen, his brilliant cerulean eyes darkening with some inexpressible emotion, before I turned to see what had drawn his attention.
It was a black-and-white picture of someone's arm.
Then the image changed, and a word flashed across the screen, bold and black against a white background.
Untamable.
The screen flashed again, the camera panning out over thin, shapely legs encased in black leather.
Unbeatable.
"Oh no…" I whispered, realization finally sweeping over me as the camera zoomed in on the person's chest, an open black button-up shirt revealing tempting hints of the muscles underneath.
Unstoppable.
Then, finally, the camera swept up to his face, and I saw my own features smirking back at me from the giant screen. I stared at the image for several long, aching seconds before the final words flashed across the screen.
Duel Monsters: Play the game. Live the life.
With that the RAGE logo briefly appeared and the billboard screen launched into the next commercial, leaving my hands shaking and my heart pounding thunderously against my ribcage. I slowly, cautiously turned to see Seto's reaction; sure that scathing fury would be etched all across his face. But, though when I turned I saw his features blotted in an awkward shade of purplish-red, I wasn't sure if the expression I saw was rage. His eyes had widened and seemed about to pop from his skull, and his jaw hung open as he continued to gape at the television screen.
He looked like he was in shock.
We stayed like that a few moments longer, Seto staring blankly at the screen and me staring awkwardly at Seto, until he blinked slowly and lowered his gaze, only to finally notice me watching him as he tore his eyes from the screen. As our eyes met the reddish-purple tint rushed over his face all over again, concentrated in the tips of his ears, and Seto's eyes narrowed as he gave me the fierce, icy glare he had directed toward me so many times before. But this time there was something added to it, a sharp edge that made my breath hitch and a burning knot lodge itself in the back of my throat.
"Seto… I…" I stuttered helplessly, but he just narrowed his eyes further, into two flashing, tiny slits, and spun on a heel, not even bothering to give me a derisive grunt as he stalked away.
When I finally dragged myself home, hours later and with suspiciously red-rimmed eyes, Yugi-tachi leaped on me in one huge, chattering pile, nearly knocking me to the floor. "Ooomph!" I grunted as Yugi tackled me around the middle.
"Oh, Yami, we're so proud of you! We saw your commercial; it was fantastic!" Yugi cried joyously.
"You were soooo handsome," Anzu crooned, batting her eyelashes at me.
"Er…"
"I can't wait 'til it comes on again! I'm going to make a copy of it!" Yugi shouted excitedly and let go of me suddenly, rushing to the closet to look for a blank tape. The others trooped back to the couch to stare at the television some more and wait for the commercial to reappear.
None of them seemed to notice my less than enthusiastic response.
I stood watching them for a few minutes, not really seeing their smiling, proud faces. Instead all I saw were Kaiba's red ears and that dark, smoldering glare before he walked away. I couldn't imagine what he thought when he saw me in that commercial… Why had I done it anyway? Just because Seto hadn't wanted me as a stupid spokesperson was no reason to betray him like that; I didn't even want to work for him in the first place. I just wanted to spend time with him.
But when I saw Seto's face on that screen, I had just felt so rejected… I had felt… heartbroken.
I sighed softly to myself and trudged up the long, steep staircase to my room, my feet dragging a little more with each labored step until I finally collapsed facedown on my bed. I lay there for a few moments in silence, the only sounds my ragged breaths and the dull sloshing of water in the fishbowl as Crackers swam aimlessly back and forth. Eventually, however, I began to run out of oxygen – as my face was buried in a pillow – so, with a low groan, I rolled over onto my side.
As I lay there, staring blankly ahead of me, my gaze fell upon the nightstand beside the bed – and the cordless phone lying innocently on top of it.
I sat up.
"I shouldn't call him… should I?"
Even as I said this, my fingers twitched forward and grabbed the phone, and I stared at the object a few seconds longer in silence before I spoke again. "Maybe I could apologize… I could still quit this advertising thing, after all. I got his attention; isn't that what I wanted?" I murmured softly.
An extra-large splash came from Crackers' bowl and I decided to take that as encouragement, rapidly dialing numbers before my rational mind could object, though as the phone rang my throat clenched and my hands shook fiercely. I gulped.
"KaibaCorp offices, how may I help you?"
"Yes… I need to speak to Seto Kaiba. It's an emergency."
"Your name sir?"
"Yami Mutou."
"One moment, please."
He probably wouldn't even take my call anyway. The thought reassured me slightly, though, to be honest, I really wanted to speak to him, to hear that rich, sultry, voice…
"What do you want, Yami?" Seto suddenly snapped, jerking me nastily from my reverie.
"Er… well… I…"
"Well? Wanting to inform me that you got a job with the competition? There's no need. I saw your commercial. I suppose congratulations are in order."
"Kaiba, that's not… I mean…"
"Well what then? Worried about the status of KaibaCorp? Don't let it bother you. I can handle a little competition – that's what we've always been after all. Rivals. It's almost a relief to know we've gone back to the old routine."
"Seto! You're not my rival, you're my FRIEND!"
There was silence on the line for a moment. Then, "I don't have friends."
"Seto…"
"Well, it's been an interesting conversation, but I'll have to cut it short. I'm a very busy man. I'll be seeing you, Yami."
And he hung up.
I've always been prone to using old, sometimes clichéd adages to describe how I feel, and over the next few days one saying in particular kept up a tiresome refrain inside my head: You always hurt the ones you love… However, for once, this particular proverb didn't seem exactly accurate, so I edited it a little to suit my purposes.
The ones you love always piss you off.
That seemed about right.
I wasn't sure if I loved Seto, not really, but after our conversation on the phone I was definitely pissed off. Regardless of how attracted to him I was, or how guilty I felt over making us competitors again, I couldn't overlook the fact that Seto had acted like a complete jerk to me. And I was mad. So, when the director called me to begin filming my next commercial I readily complied, imagining Seto's red ears throughout the whole project.
Yugi-tachi were as enthusiastic as ever about my new career, even though I hadn't brought them any new toys for a while – though, of course, Jou was still waving around his new duel disk for anyone who appeared to be paying the slightest bit of attention to him. Anyhow, they still came over to the game shop every day to stare at the television and wait eagerly for the new commercial to come out, until one rainy afternoon, two weeks after my conversation with Kaiba, when the long-awaited ad finally appeared.
We were all sitting on the couch, Yugi-tachi chattering away while I stared meditatively at the screen and tried to keep Seto's last words to me from replaying in my mind for the thousandth time, when suddenly my black-and-white, smirking face appeared in front of us. Anzu squealed once, and then Yugi-tachi fell into deafening silence as we watched.
Low, sultry music played in the background as the camera slowly moved away from my face, gradually revealing more of my body. I was shirtless this time, my arms crossed defiantly across my chest, while boot-cut black pants clung snugly to my thighs, several chains threaded loosely through the belt loops. I looked directly at the camera, smirk widening, and murmured the new company catch phrase. "How do you play?"
With that, Anzu squealed loudly again. "Oooh, Yami, you look so…"
She broke off mid-sentence, her jaw dropping in amazement, and I winced. The girls had shown up.
Two large-chested models, one with waist-length dark hair, the other a curly-haired blonde, wearing nothing but super-short strapless white sundresses strode onto the screen and immediately started running their hands all over me. They wrapped their arms around my chest, resting their heads on my shoulders and pressing their bodies tightly against mine, as I continued staring at the camera through dark, smoky eyes.
Then the screen went black, white letters flashing across it.
Duel Monsters. Play the game. Live the life.
The RAGE logo appeared briefly once again, and then the next commercial began, but Yugi-tachi still sat in stunned silence while I stared determinedly at the screen and avoided eye contact. I really hadn't wanted those girls, but the company had insisted… I fought a shiver as I remembered the way they had shoved their bodies against me, giggling and winking flirtatiously at me the whole time. And one of them had groped me. Now I understood why girls complained about that all the time; it was really embarrassing.
Of course, if Seto groped me, I don't think I would mind that much. He probably had incredible hands, firm but soft, tender with just enough strength behind them to make me shiver at the thought of what he might do…
"Yami? Were you listening?"
I blinked at the sound of Yugi's curious query. "Hmm? What was that?"
Jou laughed. "No he wasn't listening! Look at that grin; he was probably remembering filming with those girls!" He and Honda broke out into wolf whistles and a series of other animal noises while Anzu scowled and tried to lecture them about "respecting women."
Yugi smiled at me. "Why didn't you tell us about the commercial, Yami? Was it fun?"
I looked away. "Well, it was… I mean… I didn't really like them touching me so much," I mumbled.
He was silent for a moment and I chanced another glance at his face, only to see a curious, thoughtful expression etched across Yugi's features before I quickly looked away again, just in time to see Seto's face smirking at me from the television screen. "Oh great, Kaiba's got another commercial," Jounouchi groaned – as he and the rest of Yugi-tachi dropped back into their seats to stare intently at the television.
While the camera panned over Seto's lithe, slender form, decked out in all his dueling gear, I inched forward involuntarily until I perched on the very edge of the couch, my elbows propped on my knees as I gawked openly at him, under the pretext of examining his new commercial. Seto's thick chestnut hair whipped around his face, his trademark trenchcoat fluttering in the wind as he stood, arms crossed triumphantly across his chest, while the announcer boomed an enthusiastic voice-over.
KaibaCorp dueling gear: the product of champions. Designed and tested by Seto Kaiba, proven expert and brilliant duelist…
In spite of myself, a tiny smile crept over my face as I watched him – until the next phase of the commercial began, and I almost fell off the couch in shock.
Seto Kaiba has proven himself a champion duelist, overcoming all obstacles with the help of his superior designs and equipment… KaibaCorp products…
With that, rapid images flashed across the screen of Kaiba defeating duelist after duelist, mostly footage from his Battle City tournament – though the final image was a blurry shot from Duelist Kingdom, a shot of Jou kneeling in front of Seto in a humiliating loss. On that note, the commercial ended, leaving us gaping in shock at the screen once more.
"How did he get footage of that?" Honda mused.
"Must have been surveillance cameras," answered Anzu.
"Oh. Well…"
"I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!"
Assuming this explosion came from Jounouchi, Yugi-tachi turned to him, only to whip their heads back toward me in astonishment when they saw him gawping wide-eyed in my direction. "Yami…?" Yugi questioned faintly.
I vaguely registered their surprise as I leapt to my feet, quaking in anger, and glared at the television as if Seto's picture were still there. "How DARE he! He's acting like he and I never dueled! I BEAT YOU SETO KAIBA! Don't you remember? Or am I not important?" I shouted at the top of my lungs, waving my hands frantically in the air. "You selfish, egotistical bastard! You… you…"
But, right there in the middle of my screaming rant, as suddenly as my rage had begun it ended, rushing out of me and leaving a hollow ache behind. I dropped my hands and hung my head as I ran out of insults mid-sentence, forgetting – as usual – all the reasons I hated Kaiba, left only with a dull sense of disappointment and vague longing. "Kaiba, you… I…"
I closed my eyes, breathing raggedly as my all my anger slowly deflated, until Yugi's gentle, stammering question broke through my tumultuous thoughts.
"Yami… You like him, don't you?"
