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 manga Ahem thank you Maris. (I haven't seen them)
Disclaimers: Yu-gi-oh does not belong to me. One day I'll perfect the Jedi Mind Trick and then they'll HAND it over willingly!
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 5/10

(Last of the short chapters! I had to do it this way to get the later chapters to work out like I wanted them! Sorry!)

Chapter 5

Some one had pressed the 'Mute' button on his vision.

He was in Egypt all right; the pyramids were a dead giveaway. He had just entered his lavish, fabric endowed, thrown room. When they realized his presence, all occupants of the room bowed their heads in respectful greeting, he nodded to them in return and they went back to work. Kaiba was there; he locked eyes with the brunet for a moment. Is it possible that those eyes were even more radiantly blue? He smiled to himself and sat down in the large chair in the middle of the room. A person came to talk to him, but he couldn't hear the words…somehow it seemed normal. Then he gave an order to a near by servant, and who was with the servant when he returned? None other then their stalker, the atmosphere seemed to leaden in response. Words started to be exchanged, he could tell his were heated, but the man just was staring. Staring with a strange look in his cold gray eyes, a look that would have made the mightiest towers waver in their foundations. It was uncomfortable. Yami didn't want to see it anymore.

"Yami?" that was Kaiba's voice. The thrown room fell away, leaving him in darkness, though he could feel something on his face…cloth?

"Yami?"

Yami's eyes flickered open; he was back in the diner! He was sitting up against the booth with Kaiba close beside. The brunet had a napkin in his hand and was in the process of wiping something off his face. So that was what the cloth was. Yami automatically pulled away. Kaiba's eyes widened.

"Are you okay? You just passed out into your lunch!"

"For how long?"

"About 30 seconds"

"That's it?" Yami was shocked. It seemed so much longer…

"Hold on you still have potatoes on your face." The CEO reached over and swiftly cleaned Yami's right check with the napkin. Yami gave him a surprised look.

"I've had practice with Mokuba." Kaiba stated.

"Well…thanks"

Kaiba waved his hand as if brushing the 'thanks' away

"I wasn't about to let you drown in mash potatoes." With that he retreated back to his side of the booth and recommenced staring at his french fries.

Yami smiled, maybe Kaiba cared about him after all. Pondering both that and the latest vision he reached for the salt shaker- at the same time Kaiba did. Their hands touched, then their eyes met.

"Go ahead"

"You take it."

They said at the same time drawing their hands back. No one made a move for the salt. Yami sighed and looked down at his dinner. As if things weren't complicated enough. He suddenly heard a quiet scraping noise. Glancing up he saw Kaiba pushing to salt toward him with the end of his fork, although the brunet was still staring at his plate as if it were about to dance. Yami smiled and took the small container.

"Thanks"

"Nemf." Kaiba mumbled

Yami glanced at other just in time to see the CEO turn his head from what, who, he was looking at. His cheeks were flushed again.

"Some thing interesting over there?"

"No- I mean -Yami!" Kaiba interrupted himself, "The puzzle!"

It was glowing. Throwing down their utensils they started for the door.

"Now don't tell me your going to leave with out paying!"

Their stalkers voice called mockingly from where he stopped in the doorway. The lights started flickering making the shadows play off his face eerily.

"There's got to be a back door." Yami said under his breath

"The kitchen. Go." Kaiba said

"What about you?"

"I'll be right behind you, now GO!" the brunet yelled literally shoving Yami toward the near-by brown swinging doors. He stared their adversary, who stared back. Challenge met. At the same time as the man started his insanely calm stroll toward him, Kaiba snatched up a knife from the counter and flung it at him. The blade sailed smoothly end over end at the man with perfect aim, and the psycho caught it with just as perfect form before it struck him in the chest.

"Well, that wasn't very nice." The man lunged himself toward him- only to be hit in the face by the fore mentioned swinging door. The unexpected blow knocked him to the floor.

"I thought you said you were going to be right behind me." Yami scolded Kaiba not even realizing what he did.

"Give me a second would you?" Kaiba responded, reached over to the counter and pushed one of the cash registers off and onto the stalker's stomach. That should slow him down. A satisfying 'Uff' escaped the man's lips and the CEO couldn't help but smirk as Yami grabbed him by the collar and dragged him away.

Bursting out the back doors they quickly scanned the area for some sort of transportation, and conveniently there happened to be a young man with a motorcycle a few yards away.

"I'll be right back." Kaiba told Yami before walking up the vehicle's owner. "Nice bike."

The rider smiled brightly, "Thanks! I've been saving for years to buy her."

"Wow, how much did it cost?"

"Around ten thousand"

Kaiba whistled. "Tell you what I'll give you 15 thousand for it."

The young man stared at him like he just sprung a third head. "WHAT?"

"Fine. 20 thousand but that's my last offer."

"I…I…who are you?"

Kaiba smirked at him as he handed over the 20 thousand dollar check.

"Seto Kaiba."

"As in Kaiba Corp!"

"One and the same, oh and don't worry it won't bounce." With that he swung a leg over the bike and pulled away leaving the man in stunned silence as he started at the check in his hand.

Kaiba drove the motorcycle skillfully back to where Yami was waiting, circling the other playfully few times before coming to an abrupt halt in front of the former pharaoh's feet. The brunet thrust a helmet into the shorter teens hands.

"Hop on."

"Your such a show off."

Kaiba shrugged not arguing with the assessment. Yami sighed and climbed on the back of the red sport bike, slipping the matching red helmet over his hair. Kaiba twisted around to see him.

"What?" Yami asked when he received an amused look

"I was just wondering how that hair fit in there."

Yami's eyes narrowed, though one could barely tell through the dark tinted faceplate.

"Shut up and drive."

Kaiba chuckled whole heartily in return, revved the engine, and ripped out of the lot.

A few minutes after the dust cleared the gray eyed man stormed into the back lot blowing the doors off their hinges. He yelled in frustration and took it out on the closest dumpster he could find. The impact of his fist not only left a mark in the metal but also rattled the garbage can next to it. Its lid slid off and started to roll across the lot, the stalker following it with his eyes as the top hit the prone leg of the former owner of Kaiba's bike. Who, not surprisingly, was still staring at the small fortune in his hand.

"Excuse me sir," The man said his gentlemanly façade now reinstated, "have you seen two young men around here?"

Yami tightened his grip around Kaiba. The brunet really did have a thing for speed. Not that he minded being this close to the other, or having his arms wrapped around his trim waist. The scenery was flying past Yami's eyes as the motorcycle speed past it. The trees blended into a green line, and kicked up trashed fluttered in the air. He would have liked to feel the wind in his hair, but the helmet prevented that. He looked up at the driver. Kaiba was totally focused on the road in front of him, his chestnut hair flinging around his head – wait. Yami frowned why wasn't he wearing a helmet? Turning his head to look behind him he saw another helmet secured to the back. This just wouldn't do…but he'd have to wait till a red light before bringing it to the CEO's attention. The opportunity came soon enough.

"Kaiba, put this on." He shoved the headgear at the other. The brunet gave the shiny plastic a disgusted look.

"I've never needed a helmet before and I don't need one now."

"Yes you do! What if we crash?"

"We wont."

"Like we didn't crash the car?"

A slight pause

"That was different."

"Yeah, we had seatbelts and airbags."

"Yami…"

"Either put it on or I'll put it on for you!"

"Are you yelling at me!"

"3…2…-"

Kaiba twisted around enough to stare at him unbelievingly,

"1." He finished for the former pharaoh smugly

"Fine have it your way." Yami snatched the helmet back and started to force it on Kaiba's head.

"Yami! Stop it! OW! That was my nose! YAMI!"

Plop!

The helmet fell into place. Kaiba flipped up the face shield to give Yami another blue-eyed glare.

"Lights green." The shorter rider said all too innocently. Kaiba rolled his eyes, replaced the shield before them, and took off. They hadn't gone far when Yami's attention was drawn to the puzzle, it was activating. Glancing in Kaiba's side mirror he saw the stalker appear over the horizon. Ra! This guy just doesn't give up!

"Shit." Looking around he was relieved to see that they had made it on to some type of small city road and were currently surrounded by other cars and motorcycles. Plus with the helmets on, they would be harder to find.

Thank the gods for small miracles.

"Kaiba!" Yami called out to the driver but the brunet couldn't hear him over the hum of the bike. So instead Yami jabbed him in the side with his finger. Kaiba jumped in surprise and glanced back at the owner of the intruding finger, who miry pointed at the puzzle in return. Kaiba nodded and turned his eyes back to the road. Words weren't needed after all. Yami continued his watch in the mirror as the man started to inspect the motorcycles, focusing on the ones with two riders. Just to their left was a bike that fit that description, and it looked like the stalker was closing in on those unfortunates next. He came up beside the driver and lifted up the faceplate. Frowning in disappointment, he let the piece of plastic fall back into place. Unfortunately, the driver was so frightened that he slammed on the brakes. Horns and yelling commenced as the traffic slid, skidded, and screeched to a halt around the shaken up motorcyclist. Kaiba didn't miss a beat. As soon the commotion started he began expertly weaving threw the confused traffic toward an exit. Just as he was squeaking threw a small gap between a semi and a SUV the Semi driver threw open his door to, most likely, yell at the SUV.

"Hang on!" Kaiba yelled

"I AM!"

"TIGHTER!"

The brunet reached behind and forcibly tightened Yami's grip then shifted all of his weight to the right side. The cycle shifted with him, the very bottom of his white coat dragging against the ground. The bike was nearly horizontal as they brushed underneath the door. Throwing the weight back to his left Kaiba successfully righted the bike. By this time Yami was practically melded into the CEO's back. Taking a few deep breaths to regulate his breathing, he finally – and regretfully – pulled away. The lost of body heat caused him a slight shiver and wishing he could have stayed that close, Kaiba just clicked on his left blinker and exited, via an off-ramp, casual as can be. You never would have known that a second ago they were almost road kill. It didn't matter; they gave their stalker the slip and that was what counted. The scenery resumed blending and Yami soon found himself back to were he was only a few minutes ago, staring blanking at the passing world and thinking, for instance, it was a good thing the strange man couldn't sense them like the puzzle could sense him. He wounded why that was…it had to do with the shadow powers…had to! But, what did this man have to do with the power? He didn't have a Millennium Item, at least, not one that the former pharaoh could see. He sighed softly and laid his head lightly against Kaiba's back. Oh yes…and there was Kaiba, Seto Kaiba, his rival and current enigma. What was going on between them? What did Kaiba think of him? Ra, what did he feel? What, what, what, WHAT, WHAT? What could he do to change Kaiba perception of him from rival to partner?

Kaiba felt Yami's grip on him falter. They steady pressure had been nice, and now that it was gone…well…he just wanted it back.

"Yami, keep a tight grip, you'll never know when we'll run into trouble again."

No response. How odd. Chancing a quick look back he saw that Yami had fallen asleep. Okay, not an ideal situation. He was now left with two choices. One: Wake up the suicidal sleeper. Two: move Yami to the front of the bike where he could make sure he didn't a fall off. Which? Why was this taking so long to decide? Why wasn't he screaming at the other to wake up? Why wasn't he slamming on the brakes to scare the former pharaoh- just for fun? And, why was he pulling over to the side of the road? It seems his body made the choice with out bothering his mind. It's just as well, the rational side of his brain told him, Yami just would have complained about being woken up.

Yes…of course that was it. It wasn't because he knew the shorter duelist was tired and stressed, and he certainly didn't care about such a small thing as a good nap when it came to his top, and only, rival. It had nothing to do with Yami looking so peaceful when he slept. No anxiety about people trying to destroy the world –or them. No worry about Yugi and the friendship freaks, no 'I'm going to take you down' smirk of success. (Even though Kaiba kind-a liked that one.) Just rest. He let the faceplate slide back down. Wait. When did he push it up? Better not to think about this too much, instead he picked Yami up, a little heavier then Mokuba, and set him down in front of him on the cycle. The other didn't even stir, his body only leaned back into him with comforting warmth as he kicked the kickstand back up and retook the road.

(A/N shrugs I know! It's a werid place to stop!)