Title: The Prize At The End Was Worth It
Author: Phoenix87
Rating: PG-13, T
Pairing: Seto/Yami (although it's interchangeable)
Spoilers: None
Warnings: Creative use of shadow powers, Egypt scenes following neither the show nor the doujinishis. (I haven't seen them)
Disclaimers: Yu-gi-oh does not belong to me. It wouldn't fit under my Christmas tree.
Summary: A race from a mad man ends up dragging Yami and Seto threw the past, present, and into the future... a future in which they just might end up in each other's arms.
Status: Completed 4/10
(A/N: ARG! I am SOOO sorry this is so late everyone! My computer totally went nuts a few days ago and didn't want to play nice with Fan So my dad fixed it up for me. It took like 3 days. So this chapter, even though he knows nothing about it, is dedicated to my Dad! Everyone say: 'Thanks Phoenix's Dad!')
Chapter 4
"Lordy what were you two boys do'in? Wrestling in the mud?"
Southern United States. Kaiba placed the accent immediately.
((A/N: don't ask me why she's in Japan. She just is! ))
"We were in an accident, could you tell us were the nearest town isma'am?" Yami answered very politely.
"Tell ya? I'll do one better I'll bring you there myself. Hop in boys!"
"Thank you ma'am." Yami replied and started to climb into the truck
"Oh stop it with all that ma'am phooey you're making me feel old. Just call me Millie you hear?"
"Yes ma'am, er, Millie"
"Now that's better."
Kaiba let Yami get settled in before squeezing into the truck himself. The cabin was smaller then he thought. He had to bend his neck to fit in.
"Woh-ee!" Millie exclaimed when she caught sight of the CEO, "Ain't you a tall drink of water?"
"Excuse me?"
Yami elbowed him in the side.
"Be nice!" he whispered under his breath
"I mean, that is, thanks for the lift." Kaiba said throwing a glare at Yami
"No problem sugar."
Yami grinned evilly at that. Kaiba was a little worried now.
"So boys what are your names?"
"Yami" Yami replied straightforwardly
"Chuck." Kaiba answered
Yami elbowed him again, and in the same place…that was beginning to hurt.
"His name is Seto." Yami answered for him rolling his eyes. Millie chuckled.
"Well you boys sure did make my day a heck of a lot more interesting! I haven't had riders along for a long while! I think the last time was-"
And they were subjected to many stories about Millie's former truck passengers, her grandchildren- whom Yami reminded her of, her late husband- whom Kaiba reminded her of, and anything else that popped into her head. Kaiba was dieing inside, he could tell that now Yami was just smiling to be polite. Millie didn't notice of course, she was so excited to have some one to talk to she wasn't stopping.
"-So then Berry tells me I'm doing it all wrong! And I says to him 'Don't you think I know how to tie up a hog?' and he says- Oh Bless' it!" she slammed on the breaks abruptly nearly sending the duelist's heads into the dashboard. "I was having so much fun with you boys I almost drove right by the town!"
When the sand cleared they found themselves in a small truck stop town which looked like it consisted of three buildings: a shabby gas station, a shabby motel, and to complete the set, a shabby little restaurant. (And, though they didn't realize it at the time, the closest to town to their position happened to be further away from Domino. Not closer)
"Here we are!" Millie proclaimed happily
"And where is here exactly?" Kaiba asked
"The town of Poco!"
"Looks nice." Yami said unsurely
"Oh it is. They got some nice folks here."
Kaiba and Yami climbed out of the truck. Going around to the drivers window Kaiba offered Millie some money.
"For your gasoline." He explained
"Oh I couldn't sugar… but if you really wanted to do something for me you can plant a wet one right here." She said tapping her cheek. Kaiba's eyebrows shot upward in surprise. He looked at Yami helplessly.
"Go on!" The pharaoh said waving his hands out.
Trapped. Millie smiled sweetly at him, oh well; she had helped them didn't she? And he never liked to owe anyone anything, so he leaned in threw the open window and kissed the old lady on the cheek. She squealed in delight.
"My girl friends are never going to believe me! I hope everything works out for you boys!" Millie said and pulled away in a cloud of sand. Kaiba watched the end of the truck get smaller and shook his head. He was aware that Yami had moved beside him, glancing at the other Kaiba he saw an amused smile playing on the former pharaoh's face.
"What?"
"Oh nothing…sugar."
"Don't."
"Don't what?" It was Yami's turn to act innocent
"J-just don't." He stormed off towards the restaurant. Yami followed behind grin still there.
Kaiba ignored the stares they were receiving from the locals. He was aware they must have been a sight. Strangers covered in mud and he probably still had blood on his forehead. He swung the restaurant door open; it announced his arrival with an annoying 'ding!' He wasn't really mad anymore, actually he wasn't mad to begin with. He was embarrassed. And the thing was he didn't understand why he was embarrassed! Maybe he just didn't like other people seeing him with out all his shields up, especially Yami. Yami was his rival, he could never see the CEO at anything other then his best. But since when did he care what other people thought about him?
A waitress came up to him, eyed him up and down, then asked as kind as can be.
"What can I do for you today Sir?"
"We need a table." He heard Yami say. Turning his head he saw that the shorter boy was standing at his side. The waitress nodded.
"Right this way gentlemen." She led them to a little booth next to one of the windows, and she somehow managed to slip a menu on top of both their seats so they wouldn't get mud on the cushions when they sat down. Then she gave them two other menu's.
"Take your time there's no rush. I'm Melanie and I'll be your waitress this afternoon. I'll come back in a few minutes and see if you're ready."
"Thank you." Yami said.
The menu was already the lunch menu even though it was only quarter to eleven. Oh well. They opened the little books and started at the contents silently.
"So, you don't trust me to talk to anyone?" Kaiba asked after a few moments.
"Huh?"
"Every time we meet someone you jump right in."
"Well you're not really the social type, and I don't want to get thrown out of town."
Kaiba didn't need x-ray vision to know that Yami was smirking behind his menu.
"I can be polite to other people Yami, I just chose not too."
A chuckle came from across the table.
"Are you ready to order gentlemen?"
"Um…" Yami looked at Kaiba over his menu who nodded in return, "Yes, I'll have the mashed potatoes with the gravy and meatballs."
"I'll just have the cheese burger basket." Kaiba said then quickly added, "please."
The waitress nodded, scribbled down their order on her notepad,
"It'll be a few minutes gentlemen." And walked away.
"See?" Kaiba said
"I'm very proud." Yami replied, "though I hope you didn't strain anything just then."
"Ha. I'm going to the bathroom to clean up."
"That's a good idea. I'll come too."
"I thought only girls followed each other into the bathroom."
Yami pushed him into a wall.
Upon entering the bathroom, Kaiba wrinkled his nose.
"Do they even clean this place?"
Yami had his head in a stall looking around.
"Apparently if you call 555-6487 you'll have a 'good time'. Huh wonder what that means."
"Yeah…well, surprisingly, they have soap." Kaiba said quickly. He grabbed a paper towel and rubbed some soap into it. Stepping up to a mirror he winced when he saw his reflection. No wonder there was so many looks. Hair was messed up, mud in everyplace you wouldn't want it and faint blood trails still on his face. He couldn't believe Millie even picked them up!
"We look like escaped mass murders." Yami mumbled seemingly reading Kaiba's thoughts as he scrubbed his own face. Kaiba didn't bother to answer and continued to wash up. He dried his face and looked into the mirror. Much better. His hair hid the cut and all the blood and mud was gone. From the neck up he looked like a normal person.
Satisfied he threw away his paper towel, just as few drops of aimed water hit him in the cheek. Turning he saw Yami's head snap to the mirror and pretend like he was still cleaning his face. Kaiba narrowed his eyes; oh it was on. He still had some water in the plugged sink so he cupped his hand and scooped a wave of water at the former pharaoh. The mini wave hit Yami in the side soaking threw both his jacket and his shirt.
"That wasn't fair I didn't send that much at you!"
"Life isn't fair Yami." Kaiba replied but his tone came out more playful then he planned. The shorter boy smirked, grabbed a few paper towels then thoroughly drenched them with water; so much the paper couldn't absorb it all. He then turned, water dripping out of the towel. Kaiba eyed it.
"Don't you dare."
"You know what? I will." Yami ran toward him brandishing the water bomb in his right hand. Kaiba slipped to the side narrowly missing the towels; well he thought he did anyway. Yami grabbed on to the back of his coat with his left hand and yanked him backwards. The result was Kaiba hitting the floor with a thud, and Yami didn't waste any time. He sat down on top of the CEO straddling his waist and wrung the towels out right over his face.
"Ahhhh!" Kaiba groaned blindly swatting at the other. Yami caught his left wrist and held it down to the floor, but Kaiba eventually nabbed his other hand, the one holding the towels, and began to lead it back towards Yami. He managed to squeeze some water out of the towels when it was close to Yami, but it missed his head entirely only wetting the front of the pharaoh's shirt. Hmmm he hadn't realized Yami had such a nice chest before-
'Strategy, Kaiba! Strategy!' his mind yelled at him. Since he knew the towels could only be used against him he managed to toss it away from the both of them. He knew that either Yami would let go of him to grab the towels or try to come up with a different tactic.
"What are you going to do now?" He said smugly to the face hovering over him.
"I'll just spit on you." Yami sounded deadly serious.
"Ew." Kaiba began to fight out of Yami's grasp now. In trying to get away he only succeed in throwing the other off balance. Yami fell toward right into Kaiba's face, their noses where only inches apart. Their grins slid off their faces as they both looked at each other in apprehension. Then, almost automatically, they began to lean into each other; they were so close they could feel each other's breath on their lips, lips that were millimeters away from touching…just before the contact was completed-
"Gentlemen? Are you in here?" Melanie called threw the door, "Your food is ready."
They snapped of their daze. Yami practically leapt of Kaiba, landing awkwardly on the floor beside him. Silence enveloped the room.
"Gentlemen?"
"We're coming!" Kaiba said shortly.
More silence:
"So…food." Yami mumbled.
"Yeah- starving."
Kaiba pushed one of his French fries around his plate with his fork absentmindedly. He wasn't really hungry anymore. He was too confused to be hungry. What had almost happened in there? Never mind the fact that he just partook in a water fight, was he actually going to kiss Yami? His rival? Even more baffling, did he still want to kiss the other? Surprisingly the thought wasn't discarded outright- there was just something about those eyes.
Yami discreetly watched the brunet as he poked at his food. The sapphire eyes hadn't left their plate since they sat down. Yami would have given just about anything to read his mind at that moment…he had to know…had to know whether the other had wanted that kiss as much as he did. He knew it wasn't 'some weird hero worship thing' anymore. When he looked into Kaiba's eyes, even in the worse situations, and Ra knows they've had several, things seemed even the tiniest bit better. And they were so close in the bathroom…he could feel the body heat, feel the breath, he could even feel Kaiba's pulse from the wrist he was holding. He never felt connected to someone like that before. Yugi was different- way different. That was a brotherly connection, and this was; what was this? He knew he cared about the other that was evident after the crash of the car, but was it more? Did he love him?
His head whirled suddenly, it was happening again, just like back in the hall. Everything was shifting. The backdrop behind Kaiba flickered from the diner to Egypt like the picture changing on a green screen. Kaiba glanced up at him, his clothes switching from the white trench coat to white robes, himself seemingly unaware, and asked
"Yami? Are you okay?"
The former pharaoh didn't answer and fell face first into his mashed potatoes.
(A/N: Yeah…this one was a little short. Sorry! But since it was, and chapter 5 is too, I those days of computer problems andwrote up a little something- something for you. Inspired by Millie's line in the end of Chapter 3 (and egged on by a few reviewers): Yami and Seto mud wrestle. It's a pointless one shot and I'm posting it right after I post this. Check it out if you want. I hope everyone liked Millie!)