Author's Note:
Well, this is going to be a bit of a departure from stuff I normally write(or maybe not). I recently found out that Eric Stuart (voice actor on several of 4Kids Entertainments anime "dubs" including Yugioh) has a band, and I've listened to his album "Blue, Dressed in Black." I heard in my head, while listening to the songs, there are some good fanfictions I can get out this. The only thing these stories will have in common is that I will playing in the YuGiOh fandom, and chapters will be one shots (may be tied together, not really sure yet) based on songs from the previously mentioned album. So, expect fluff, angst, romance(slash and het), and other stuff. YuGiOh is copyright 1996-present by Kazuki Takahashi. Song quotes copyright Eric Stuart(and possible others) 1995-2000.
Chapter One: Staring You in the Face
"You're searching the skies for a saving grace,
when the answer's by your side"
It wasn't the kind of place one would normally find one Yuugi Mutou. The dimly lit, dusty, and smoky bar was just the atmosphere he felt was neccessary. The night before he had been on a date, and it ended in a one night stand as they decided that as much good as the sex was, it wasn't the only thing that held a relationship together. It was just some one he had met on the street, no one he really knew well. He sighed, and stared down in his amber beer bottle which had only a few more drinks left in it.
"Want another?" The waitress asked him, as he stared mournfully into the bottle.
"No, I think this was enough." Yuugi pulls out his wallet and hands her the money for the drink, plus a tip. He slides away from the table and gets up and leaves. Nothing had gone right in the last few months. Anzu had left for New York for her dream, Jii-chan had passed away leaving Yuugi wondering what to do with the shop, Honda had been killed in a motorcycle accident. Kaiba was still Kaiba though, spending time in both Japan and America, and apparently trying to evade the papparazzi in both countries, though some still got some interesting tidbits on him and published in the tabloids. Jounouchi was the one person Yuugi didn't want to think about. There were rumors that he was involved in the accident that killed Honda. However, he had massive head trauma, several broken bones, and he remembers very little about anyone, but does recognize some people, which was proven when he had seen Kaiba on TV once and started ranting at him which earned him a shot of tranquilizers in his rump.
Yuugi's walk home was rather uneventful. He only had two prostitutes try to throw themselves on him. He was tired of the meaningless sex. He needed something more. He found a letter in the door. He looked at it curiously. Unless it was a letter from Anzu, but she had girly hand writing, and would have hand written it, and this was typed up neatly. He opened it up.
"Your presence is requested at dinner on the evening of the 12th. Please dress casually and arrive at 7:30." There was an address for the restaurant, and he wondered who could have sent it to him. No one he knew was still here, and all of the other girls he'd been with didn't seem like the type that would send something so formal. He shrugged it off, and set it on the kitchen table. That was next week, so he could find some dressy casual. He made his way to the shower.
After his shower, he laid in bed. 'Was it always this quiet?' he thought to himself. When it had been Jii-chan, mother, and of course, Atemu in his head, it was never quiet. He had turned out looking quite a bit like Atemu as he had a couple of growth spurts in his last years of high school. He never caught up to the 6'1" Seto Kaiba, but it was amazing for Yuugi. As he drifted off to sleep, he thought maybe he'd do something useful tomorrow.
Morning came, and Yuugi did something he hadn't done for over a month. He opened up the shop. He hoped he could take care of it and it would make a small profit. If not, well, hopefully he could get a job somewhere. He sighed. If he wasn't making anything on which he could live on in three months, he'd close the shop up for good.
For one day's sales the results weren't too bad. He had a bunch of kids come in after school, looking for the lastest collectible thing. The figures for the week didn't look too bad either. He was starting to feel better about this. He could do this, why did he doubt himself. It was now the 12th, and he was pulling a sweater over a muscle shirt, thinking he looked alright. Dressy, but casual. Yuugi found himself who this mystery date was that didn't even bother to put her name on the invitation. Maybe it was someone shy who didn't think he'd like her? Why would they think that though?
He walked towards the brightly lit downtown area. There were classier bars than the one he had been in last week, mostly because old businessmen tended to be their clientele. Some were rowdy due to the kareoke machines that had high volumes set on their microphones, and some were rowdy with just plain drunkeness, but it was just loud, not bar brawls that tended to break out in the bars that Yuugi had frequented lately. He soon arrived at his destination. It wasn't fancy, but it wasn't a dump either. In fact, it looked rather inviting, and he entered.
"Excuse me, sir, are you Mr. Mutou?" Yuugi looked shocked, but figured his "date" for the evening had told the waiter about his unique hair. He nodded in answer. "Your friend is waiting at the back table for you." The waiter pointed in the direction of a man who was hiding his face in the menu, and was wearing black from head to toe.
Yuugi hid his look of surprise at seeing his "date" for this evening was a man. "Surprised, Yuugi?" The deep voice asked. He knew that voice. The menu dropped, and Seto Kaiba was giving him a sardonic smile.
"Kaiba-kun? What are you doing here? I mean...what do..." Yuugi was all flustered.
"Relax." Kaiba told him. "I heard you were still in town, and nursing some wounds at that. I've been nursing some of my own, and misery loves company, right?" The waiter came for their order. They ordered an appetizer and a beer for each of them.
"You drink beer?" Yuugi asked, surprised.
"Why not?" Kaiba answered as he raised his bottle to his lips.
"It seems so low class for you." Yuugi said.
Kaiba looked down. "He liked it." he said quietly.
"Who?" Yuugi asked.
"Jou." He whispered. Yuugi's eyes widened.
"Then the tabloids were...?"
"They actually got something right for once. We were together when the accident happened. And if I would have insisted on him wearing a seat belt." He trailed off. "From what the nurses tell me, he gets angry if he sees me on TV or a picture in the paper or a magazine, but they and him aren't sure why because he can't remember it, and it's my fault."
Yuugi sat there, a bit uncomfortable. He wasn't sure if he should say something or not.
"And during that time, I heard that your grandfather died, and Anzu left you. I'm sorry to hear that."
Yuugi muttered something under his breath. "Thanks. It's no great sorrow that Anzu left though. Though, I've been with many women since she left, and I just feel empty. And after a month of deciding what to do, I finally opened the shop again."
"That's a long time not to have an income."
"Not really, there was the life insuarance money, and the inheritence. Though the bitch had wonderful timing with that. I spent those weeks bar hopping, and screwing random women. Even I feel disgusted with myself." Yuugi said.
"You were on the rebound. It's normal to do things like that." Seto reasoned with him. "After I got used to the idea of Jou needing around the clock care, I knew we'd never be together again. I did some stupid stuff once I got through the depression. Mokuba suggested a vacation. It would have been good, but I would have been too worried. Even my secretary hit on me a few times, despite knowing that one, I'm gay, and two, my boyfriend had just been in an accident that changed his life forever." Seto sighed and grabbed one of the greasy deep fried mozzerella sticks.
"Are you looking for someone?" Yuugi asked. Not that he could hook Seto up with any one, and he wasn't sure he was willing to swing that way. It's not that Seto wasn't attractive. Anyone with an active sex drive would want a piece of him, and several women had offered to bear his children (which truly disturbed Seto to the bone...the ones inside his body).
"I'm thinking about it." Seto answered. "I don't have much time for a lover, it seems like. I miss having someone around though. Someone who didn't care that I'm me, someone who had the time to listen and comfort." He said, looking down at the tablecloth.
"Seto." Yuugi said boldly, for he rarely ever used the other man's given name. "Look at my eyes." He commanded softly. Seto slowly lifted his eyes away from the garishly decorated tablecloth, he took a good look at Yuugi's torso...It was so much longer than when they had been in high school. Finally, the colbalt met the violet eyes. Yuugi leaned across the table and took his hand. "I think what you're looking for is staring you in the face."