Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Chapter 4

No.

He hadn't done that.

That had not actually happened.

There was no way that Seto Kaiba, billionaire CEO and child prodigy, had suddenly lost his mind and kissed his male rival, less than a day after he'd even admitted to himself that he enjoyed the other's company. Surely that momentary flash of idiocy and hormones had only been a figment of his imagination, a brief hallucination brought on by overwork and lack of sleep.

And the unfamiliar taste on his lips was definitely not from Yami's mouth.

He hadn't been watching Yami's lips throughout his pointless, repetitive ramble and given in to the sudden urge to interrupt him by ramming their lips together; hadn't reveled the sweet warmth of the other's mouth as they kissed, only to be shocked back into reality when Yami unmistakably kissed back.

He couldn't have.

Could he?

At least, Seto reflected as he parked his car and wandered slightly dazedly back into the cozy living room where Mokuba still sat watching cartoons, he had pulled it off well. He had pulled away quickly and invited Yami over to the house, just as Seto had planned from the beginning, and pretended that the kiss never happened. Maybe Seto would be extremely lucky and Yami would ignore it too.

Though he doubted it.

"Seto! Good you're home, I wanted to know if I could duel you again today, I've been working on some new strategies that I think will finally… Seto? Are you okay?"

"Hn."

The brunet's only response to his brother was an affirmative grunt, as per usual whenever Mokuba would ask embarrassing or uncomfortable questions. Usually the dark-haired boy wouldn't push Seto, leaving him be until when – or if – ever Seto was ready to confide in him; but today the CEO's silent tactics didn't seem to be working. Instead of backing off, Mokuba stared curiously at his brother, his slate-gray eyes widening at the dazed expression on Seto's face.

"You're not okay. What happened with Yami?"

Seto ignored the fluttery sensation that filled his stomach at the question and merely scowled. "Why would you think something happened? I didn't do anything!"

"Well you mentioned something was wrong when you left… Didn't you go over there to help him with some – Hey wait! What do you mean you didn't do anything?" Mokuba's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Going through a very long, very foul list of curses in his mind, the brunet turned his back to his brother and began stomping up the stairs. Just great. What a wonderful way for Seto to phrase things. Mokuba had a sharp mind and was used to catching hints from his brother's sparse conversations; but it would be fine, he wouldn't figure it out… Seto just had to choose his words carefully… "Just what I said. I never touched him. Well do you want to duel or not?"

But Mokuba wasn't to be distracted. "You never touched him? What does that mean? Did you two get into a fight?" Mokuba raced up the stairs after his brother, stopping Seto just as he reached the top and tugging his arm so the taller teen faced him.

"No. We didn't." Seto sighed and distractedly ran a hand through his thick brown hair. "I don't want to talk about it, Mokuba."

"But Seto! Something's wrong and I want to help," Mokuba protested.

"Nothing's wrong."

"But…"

"I said I don't want to talk about it!" Seto snapped.

Mokuba bit his lip and released his brother's arm, tears threatening to fall as he stared at the floor, not meeting the other's gaze. "Sorry… I just thought… I just wanted to…" he broke off, swallowing heavily.

Seto immediately felt guilty. He sighed and absently ruffled Mokuba's hair, causing the other to look up at him again. "No, I'm sorry. It's… well…" Seto looked away, a lump settling in his throat before he finally began to speak, the words pouring out uncontrollably. "He was just there, sitting so close, and I was holding his arm… Like he held mine earlier, like he was clinging to me; like I was… was… I don't know. And he was talking, saying something about Yugi depending on him, or something; but all I could see was those lips, how full and soft they looked, and something came over me – I felt so… warm, all of a sudden – and I just… did it."

Mokuba's brow furrowed. "Did what?"

"Kissed him," Seto answered dully. God, he sounded like an idiot. What had happened to him today? Had he gone temporarily insane? Chasing after Yami, kissing him, then rambling about it like a madman… Maybe he'd never actually woken up and this day was all just some sadistically long nightmare. If only he were that lucky.

"You… kissed Yami?" Mokuba asked blankly. He stared at his brother for a long moment, gray eyes threatening to pop out of his skull in shock, before he blinked and a wide, jaw-cracking grin spread across his face.

A distinct feeling of dread settled in the pit of Seto's stomach.

Yami sat rigid on the uncomfortable metal stool behind the counter, staring blankly ahead while his fingers absently traced star patterns atop the wood. Had that really happened? Had Kaiba really kissed him? He lightly touched his lips, which still tingled from the brief pressure of Seto's lips against his. Why would Kaiba do that? Had it only been a friendly gesture, a nice way for the CEO to silence Yami's ramblings? After all, it had only been the briefest of touches, a brush of lips barely lasting long enough to even be considered a kiss. But even that gesture was completely unlike the cold, professional Seto Kaiba; everything he did was methodically, painstakingly planned; he would never just give in to a sudden impulse to shut Yami up that way.

So did it mean something more?

Did it, could it possibly mean that Seto liked Yami? Wanted something from him? Was Yami's invitation back to the Kaiba Manor this evening Seto's idea of a date?

This was all so surreal; it was happening so fast. The day before yesterday Yami had thought Kaiba hated him, or at the very least resented him, until suddenly, without any warning, the brunet was thrown back into Yami's life again – only to show that he didn't hate him at all. He was acting like Yami's friend, maybe more, and the night before under the stars had been so wonderful; just like it had been when… it almost felt like Seto was…

But he wouldn't think about that now.

No, he wouldn't think about any of it anymore. He would focus on the game shop, make sure that everything went well with it today; Saturdays were their busiest days, after all. Yami should just shove everything else from his mind for awhile and do his job, and not think about Jiichan's missing card or the gentle pressure of lips against his own, the scent of foreign aftershave wafting through the air as Seto was so close for those few, heart-stopping moments…

The bell over the door tinkled and Yami tore his hand away from his lips.

"Welcome to the Kame Game Shop, how may I help you?" he asked pleasantly as a tall, curvy blonde woman ambled through the door. "Mai! How are you?" Yami added, recognizing her after a moment. "It's been awhile since I've seen you."

"Yami." She nodded briefly in greeting before letting her eyes wander lazily around the room. "I'm fine; thought it was time to update my deck, so I decided to stop by here and pay you all a visit while I was at it. Mind if I have a look around?"

"Sure, let me know if you need anything," the crimson-eyed teen replied, settling back onto his uncomfortable stool as the blonde casually browsed through the various displays. Yami watched her absently, his mind wandering inevitably back to Seto no matter how much he tried to prevent it. What was happening between the two of them? He supposed he would find out that evening; but knowing Kaiba he'd just act as if nothing had happened. If anyone was a master of denial, it was him.

"So how's life?" The casual question snapped Yami from his reverie and he glanced, blinking a few times, to where Mai had approached and leaned against the countertop, a saucy grin on her bright red lips.

"It's fine," he answered shortly. "Finished shopping?"

"Meh, didn't see anything that appealed to me. No really, how have you been? I haven't seen you since that last tournament, what, six months ago? Ooh, that was a good one though; really thought Kaiba was going to beat you that time…"

Yami started involuntarily at the mention of Seto's name, the slight movement causing the metal stool to rattle noisily, and Mai broke off her cheerful gossip with a questioning glance. "Is something wrong?"

"No, it's nothing. You were saying?" He smiled politely and the blonde raised an eyebrow but shrugged it off.

"Oh yes; that was a great tournament, almost as good as Kaiba's Battle City one – though of course it didn't have psychopathic murderers sabotaging it, so that's a plus." She laughed heartily. "You got what, a hundred grand for winning it? What'd you do with it?"

"It's in the bank, for Yugi's college fund."

"Of course." Mai nodded approvingly. "But still, didn't measure up to Battle City. That Kaiba's got style, you gotta give him that. And he's an incredible duelist; too bad he's been too busy with his company to duel as much, I like watching him. Have you seen him lately?"

"I… I, ah… Kaiba; well, that is…"

Mai stared at him. "Are you sure you're alright? You're looking awfully pale."

"I… I…"

She stared at him a moment longer as he stumbled for words, before her gaze turned sympathetic and she straightened from her sprawl against the counter, taking a few steps back. "Hmm, I think I'll get going. You don't seem like you feel well. Take care of yourself, Yami." With that she gave him a brief wave and strolled out the door, shaking her head disapprovingly the whole way. "Some people just work themselves too hard…"

Yami buried his face in his hands.

"Here! This is perfect!"

"Mokuba, I am not wearing that. I didn't even know I had that. Actually I don't even know what that is."

The raven-haired boy stuck out his tongue. "Don't be stupid, Seto. This is the shirt I got you for Christmas last year. You said you liked it then…" He trailed off, sounding hurt, so Seto grabbed the shirt and tugged it over his head, mussing his hair in his haste – though the wicked smirk on Mokuba's face once he had it on made Seto frown in suspicion.

"Did you really buy…?"

"Now we have to fix your hair!" Mokuba cried joyfully, interrupting him. "Hmm, let's see... Not too much gel; you have to look irresistible." He shoved Seto into a chair and whipped out a comb and a brush, immediately attacking the thick brown locks, liberally spraying hairspray as he went – though he succeeded more in making Seto's hair stick out wildly all over his head than taming it.

"Mok – ow! This is stupid," Seto grumbled sourly, crossing his arms across his chest. "Why don't you go play with your video games now?"

"No! We have to get you looking nice so you can tell Yami you love him!"

"WHAT!" Seto leapt to his feet, sending the chair – and Mokuba – tumbling to the floor. "Where would you get an idea like that? I told you, that kiss was just a fluke. I don't know why it happened; just overwork, and I hadn't slept the night before…"

"Yeah right." Mokuba climbed to his feet, wincing and rubbing his rear. "You kiss someone because you like them. And you like Yami. You couldn't keep your eyes off that window last night."

"That's not…"

The smaller boy raised his hand, cutting off Seto's protest. "You stare at him, you spend all night talking to him, you call him the next morning and go running off like a protective boyfriend when you find out he has a problem, you kiss him, and then you invite him back to your house. I'd say you like him. And that's not counting the way you acted around Yami before. I know you, Seto. Don't try to deny it."

Seto gaped. There just… There were no words. He felt numb. How could his brother be such a child one moment and completely floor him the next? Everything Mokuba had said… it couldn't be true. Could it? All Seto had managed to admit was that he liked having Yami around – and he honestly didn't know where that kiss had come from. It was as if his body was moving faster than his mind could deal with.

Blinking a few times and finally composing himself, Seto said so. "It's too fast."

Mokuba smiled his knowing, sympathetic smile and laid a hand on his brother's arm. "Well, maybe you don't have to confess your undying love tonight. For now let's just make sure you look nice."

Seto rolled his eyes but let the preteen usher him back to the chair and resume his task of toying mercilessly with Seto's hair. "You're acting like a girl, you know," the brunet commented.

His brother merely smirked. "Well who else is going to make sure you get Yami horny?"

"MOKUBA!"

This was it.

Yami stepped out of the taxi, handing the driver his fee without even really looking at it, and stepped out in front of the suddenly dark and foreboding Kaiba Manor. Thankfully, since Yami had been here yesterday the guards had remembered him and allowed the taxi to drop him off in front of the door. He didn't know if he could have gone through with this if he'd had to walk the entire length of the driveway to get to the entrance.

Though being dropped off at the door didn't seem too much better, now that he was here. Yami's skin felt clammy and he shivered a little, though not from the chill of early spring, or even the slightly eerie sensation of standing alone before a silent mansion while the first stars appeared around him in the darkening sky, or from the resounding, hollow echo as he knocked three times on the blood-red door.

No, Yami's shiver was caused by something else entirely. He shivered with the anticipation of a certain moment, a moment that still came as a shock, though long expected and dreaded as much as longed for – the moment when Seto Kaiba finally opened the door and greeted him.

"So. You're here."

The less-than-enthusiastic greeting never even registered in Yami's mind. He was too caught up in staring openly at the sight of the brunet who stood before him, his cobalt eyes flashing with something that seemed like uncertainty. Yami had admitted before that Seto was handsome, but now, after that… after that morning, the thought seem to have intensified to an unbearable level and kept replaying itself over and over in his head.

Seto observed him emotionlessly, those blue eyes not even flickering as Yami's gaze trickled from his face to take in all of the other's long, slender form. Seto wore a silky gray shirt, so thin it was almost see-through, with tiny veins of darker gray running in random lines throughout the fabric, like rivulets of water along smooth skin. His boots and pants were black, as they normally were, and just tight enough to accent the sculpted muscles of the other's thighs, though Yami was sure if Seto turned around the perfectly fitted slacks would accentuate another part of his anatomy as well.

"Kaiba," Yami finally greeted stiffly, giving the other a slight nod.

The brunet nodded back at him, and as his intense blue eyes flicked appraisingly over Yami's form the smaller teen had to turn his head and look away. This was too awkward.

"So…" Yami ventured after a moment. "Was there a reason you wanted me to come over?"

Only silence answered him, so Yami flicked his gaze back to Kaiba's face, only to see a momentary flicker of surprise followed by a deep scowl settle on the other's features. "Kaiba?" he questioned.

"I was doing you a favor," he snarled, the venom in his voice making Yami's eyes widen in astonishment. "Letting you indulge in your little hobby. Well, whatever. Go sit in the dirt if you want. I'll be inside."

He slammed the door in Yami's face.

"What was that about…?"

"What was that? Seto, are you completely insane? What did you just do?"

"I should have known you were spying on me," Seto mumbled dully, not turning his eyes from the door. "Just let it be, Mokuba."

The younger boy rushed over to his brother, reaching around him to open the door again, but Seto stopped him, laying a hand heavily against the wood. "I said let it be."

"But why? What were you thinking? How could you say that to Yami!"

"You don't understand." Seto turned away and stalked further into the house, determined to escape the scene of his latest humiliation concerning Yami. He had been a fool to even consider that the other's presence was a good thing; all his rival had ever really done was wound Seto's pride. Like now. Seto had spent all afternoon preparing himself for the worst, and the worst was exactly what he had gotten.

Yami had greeted him with a blunt 'Kaiba' and stared at him like he was a freak before he realized he was being rude and looked away. And then he had pretended like he didn't know why Seto invited him here.

"Seto, stop!" Mokuba cried, racing after his brother. "You can't just leave him outside!"

"I certainly can. And I intend to."

"Stop being so stubborn! If you like him why are you…?"

"The question, Mokuba, is not whether I care for Yami. Regardless of whatever feelings I may or may not have, he has made it clear that he doesn't return them. So it's a moot point. I'd rather let it go and move on with my life."

"What makes you think he doesn't like you?" Mokuba asked softly. "Seto, I saw the way he looked at you."

"So did I," the brunet replied darkly. "He tried to be polite, but he couldn't help but stare at the idiot who kissed him for no reason this morning."

"Is that what you…?" Mokuba laughed for a few seconds before quickly sobering and giving the other a scrutinizing glance. "Would you just do one thing, for me? Please?"

Seto sighed. "What is it, Mokuba?"

Mokuba grinned. "It might get cold tonight…"

Seto stomped across the carefully manicured lawn, swearing under his breath. Yami hadn't been in the spot he was yesterday, though it was probably the best place on the lawn for observing the stars. When he'd seen that the other was missing, Seto almost gave up and went back inside, but something made him keep looking a few minutes longer, just in case Yami hadn't left after all.

Besides, Mokuba would kill him if Yami had stayed and Seto didn't give him that blanket.

Finally, when the brunet had almost completely circled the house, he caught sight of a slim, spiky-haired figure curled up on a slight rise of the lawn. Yami's dark clothes and slender form blended in with the night, giving Seto the feeling that Yami belonged out here, at peace in the darkness. Except he wasn't at peace. Yami wasn't stretched out, gazing wistfully at the stars the way he had been less than a day ago. Instead, his long, slender legs were drawn up to his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around them and his head resting on top of them all. He stared blankly at the ground.

"Yami…?"

The other started at the sound of his name, his body jerking before he raised his head and stared emotionlessly at Seto. "Yes, Kaiba? Do you want me to go home now?" Yami rose to his feet, brushing off bits of grass that clung to the dark fabric of his pants, and allowed himself a tiny glance at the brilliant, clear sky before looking the brunet in the eye once more.

Seto stared back, searching those crimson eyes for a glimpse of… well, he wasn't even sure what; but Yami had closed himself off, his face perfectly impassive, and Seto could read nothing in the other's gaze. But… but… Yami had looked at the sky again. That meant he wanted to stay, if only to observe the stars.

And Seto wanted him to stay, too.

He shoved the fleece blanket into Yami's arms. "Here. It might get cold, later."

Yami blinked, a hesitant smile creeping over his face, and wrapped the blanket around his shoulders before settling back onto the grass. "Thank you, Seto. That was thoughtful of you."

"Hn."

They stayed in that position for a few long, silent seconds, Yami sitting on the ground, idly looking up at the stars, while Seto stood beside him, feeling increasingly more uncomfortable. He should go back inside; he'd given Yami the blanket, after all. That was all Mokuba asked for. Seto didn't have to stay out here with the person he had kissed, who had snubbed him, who he might possibly have feelings for…

"That's Leo."

"Huh?"

"Leo; the Lion. See it?" Yami raised his hand and pointed toward the south, toward a group of stars that looked vaguely like a backward question mark. "That's his head. His body goes out like this," he traced out the pattern, "and following after him is the virgin, Virgo. Back in Egypt, we watched for the Lion to come up, because when he was in the sky the Nile would flood again. Every time."

Seto plopped onto the ground beside the spiky-haired teen, who was looking at him again with a strange, wistful smile. That smile made Seto feel… well…

"Egypt again, huh. You know that's ridiculous."

The sentence, however, was said with less than his usual spitefulness, and Yami merely smiled and rolled his eyes indulgently at the taller teen, rather than getting angry as he normally did. "Sometimes," Yami continued quietly, "people said the Lion and the Virgin were one big constellation, instead of two. That's why the Sphinx has a woman's head."

"I didn't know that," Seto replied. They lapsed into silence once more.

"You can see a couple planets right now, too. There's Jupiter, in Virgo. Saturn is way off to the west."

"NASA and the ESA have a probe orbiting Saturn right now. It's so far it takes the radio signals from the probe over three hours to reach Earth."

"That's interesting, Kaiba."

Silence again.

Seto risked a glance at the other. His knees were drawn up to his chest again, one arm resting lazily atop them, the other pressed flat against the grass. The blanket pooled around his back, rumpled and forgotten. Yami's bangs hung in wisps about his face, shading the dark eyes that stared thoughtfully at the sky.

This was stupid.

Why were they talking about stars and space probes instead of what had happened that morning? Or what happened at the door just a few minutes ago? Was Yami purposefully avoiding the subject, finding it easier to tell Seto about Egypt or not say anything at all rather than mention the fact that they had kissed?

But they had kissed, and Seto was tired of not talking about it and pretending not to think about it. He was tired of awkward moments and his ridiculous attempts to explain it away as a brief moment of insanity on his part. Because frankly, Seto Kaiba didn't have moments of insanity. He did everything for a reason, whether to advance his goals or simply because he wanted to do it.

He had wanted to kiss Yami.

And he wanted to do it again.

So, without further deliberation, Seto scooted closer to the slender figure curled up on the grass beside him, moved close enough to feel the warmth of the other's thigh against his own; and when Yami glanced up at him in surprise Seto grabbed his chin and pressed his lips against the other's, mentally triumphing when Yami's eyes slipped closed and he immediately responded to Seto's kiss.

He opened his mouth and ventured farther, pressing his tongue against soft lips that willingly parted and allowed him access to foreign warmth, to a sweet mouth quickly becoming familiar as Seto dominated their second kiss. But their lips had moved against each other for mere seconds before Yami's tongue slipped past Seto's, sliding into the brunet's mouth as he forcefully responded to Seto's actions. A moan – whether his or Yami's, Seto couldn't say – made its way to Seto's ears, and warm fingers slipped around his neck to tangle in the chestnut hair at the nape of his neck.

Seto pulled away, panting lightly, and rested his forehead atop the other's. "Yami…"

Dark eyes opened to stare at a point somewhere on Seto's chest. "Kaiba, why did you do that?"

"I… I don't know. I wanted to."

"I see."

They sat for a moment, Yami's fingers still twined in the brunet's hair, their foreheads lightly touching, before Yami muttered, "Well, that's as good a reason as any, I suppose."

And reattached his lips to Seto's.

Pysche's Boring Notes About Astronomy: Just to clear things up; I'm basing the sky in this story on the sky as it is right now (in the Northern Hemisphere). Right now, in the beginning of May, Leo is almost directly overhead in the southern sky, with Virgo following after it in the southeast. Jupiter can be seen in Virgo, and Saturn is low on the western horizon, in the constellation Gemini, and is visible for a few hours after sunset.

As far as Egyptian astronomy goes, I don't know a great deal - just general facts. So if the things Yami says about the Egyptian sky don't quite line up with things he might have seen (assuming he lived 3,000 years ago) please bear with me. You can pretend he learned about it later... or something.

Okay, boring part's over. Now go review!