Chapter 13: Mokuba's Birthday

Yami sat on the loveseat in silence, watching the gang chatter happily with each other. He smiled weakly, everyone was there, as expected. The tomb robber, for once, even decided not to annoy the pharaoh.

What is wrong with him? Weren't he supposed to be talking with them, too? Question by question filled his mind but not one answer appeared. Yami groaned. Today was Mokuba's birthday; it should be a memorable one for the boy. What was wrong with him? He should act happy… for their sakes.

"You alright, Yami?" Joey asked. The former pharaoh looked up to meet the blonde's questioning gaze and flashed a small smile, "I'm fine," he said.

"Hey everyone!" the birthday boy suddenly greeted, his brother behind him smiling. No matter how old Mokuba was, the younger Kaiba would never change.

"Happy Birthday, Mokuba!" they greeted. Mokuba, after thanking them for their gifts, sat with the gang to talk about things. Seto, on the other hand, sat on the loveseat beside Yami.

"I hope you're enjoying the party," Seto said.

"I am. Thank you for inviting me," Yami answered.

"You're welcome," Seto replied.

"I miss him," Yami suddenly uttered, just loud enough for the CEO to hear.

"I guess when you love a person, it's never easy to let him go."

Yami nodded. "I love him that it hurts recalling every memory with him. You know I am to blame, Seto," he answered.

"Don't start this again, Yami. It wasn't your fault, okay?"

Yami sighed. "Whatever you say," he answered softly.

"Hey, who's up for a game of Duel Monsters?" Joey suddenly exclaimed, hoping it would at least cheer the pharaoh up. Bakura smirked before answering the blonde's challenge and they started to duel.

The gang, even Yami and Seto, apparently knew Joey was going to lose since he was down to 100 and Bakura to 1900.

Just in time, Joey summoned Jinzo, destroying Bakura's trap cards and attacked the Tomb Robber's monster, bringing Bakura down to 900. The former spirit smirked, Yami noticed it, too. It was the get-ready-to-lose smirk, "Activate Change of Hearts!"

Joey gaped in horror as Jinzo went to the other side of the field and attacked him directly, obviously indicating he had lost to Bakura… again. "No fair," he said.

"It's all right, Joey, I have never seen you play that good before," Yami commented. Joey smiled, knowing he achieved his goal. "Thanks Yami. At least some people here know how to appreciate one's efforts," Joey answered, who was implying Tristan who was laughing his ass off.

"Come on guys, let's go swim!" Mokuba suggested. In a few minutes, the gang scrambled to the swimming pool, leaving Seto, Yami and Bakura behind.

"You want to go to swim?" Seto asked Yami, not minding Bakura, who was watching the two of them.

"I'm quite fine here, thanks for inviting me anyway," the pharaoh said.

"Oh come on, I know you want to dive your ass off in the pool, pharaoh," Bakura interrupted them. Yami glared at him, "Whoever asked your opinion?" the pharaoh answered.

Bakura, knowing better than to piss the pharaoh off, stood and made his way to the pool. "Well, I'm going to swim and try drowning Tristan, see you later!" he said nonchalantly before leaving the two alone.

Yami smiled, "You know you want to," he teased the CEO.

"Want to what?"

Yami smirked, "You want to swim, don't you?"

"What?"

"Oh come on, Seto. I can read you like a book, remember? I know you want to join Mokuba outside, so go. No one's stopping you, you know."

"Ha-ha… nice try Yami. You can't force people to do something they don't want to do, you know."

"Yeah sure, whatever you say, just don't blame me if you get bored here because I'm going to sleep," Yami said.

"Oh no you don't. You're going to talk to me and play whatever games we can play here," Seto answered. Knowing this was the opportunity to talk to the pharaoh alone.

Yami shrugged before pretending to start dozing off. The CEO smacked him with a pillow. "Hey!"

Seto smirked. "I told you you're not going to sleep. I'm bored," he said.

"Well go swim, I'm not stopping you," Yami answered before returning to his nap.

The pillow hit him again.

"Would you quit hitting me with the pillow? Honestly, Seto--"

Poof!

"That is it. I warned you," Yami growled playfully before taking a pillow for his own and started hitting Seto back.

Before they knew it, they were rolling on the floor, tackling each other. But Seto, being the bigger one of them, managed to maneuver them so that he was pinning the pharaoh on the floor. Yami was laughing in enjoyment, forgetting Mahado for a short moment. All in his mind at the moment was Seto and he; them only.

Seto, who was tickling the pharaoh mercilessly (after finding out before that it was the pharaoh's weakness), stopped and forced Yami to meet his gaze.

"Yami I—" their faces were just inches apart. He could just kiss the pharaoh if he wanted to. Crimson locked with cerulean as both duelists drowned in the depth of each other's pools.

Yami stared into the depths of the CEO's eyes, seeing longing, frustration… and love? "Yami…" the CEO's voice was laced with longing, how awkward. Confusion and mild fear flowed in the pharaoh's veins; did Seto not notice their positions?

And it seems the CEO did not, or perhaps mind not to. The pharaoh was just so tempting at the moment that all he wanted to do was to kiss Yami senseless. Control snapped; Seto swooped down and captured the pharaoh's lips in a soft yet passionate kiss.

Their kiss lasted for god knows how long until someone coughed, catching their attention. Seto and Yami scrambled to their feet, their faces as crimson as Yami's eyes.

"You should get a room, you know," Yugi teased as he and Mokuba chuckled.

"It's not what you…" Yami started

"Think, it was just an accident," Seto continued.

Yugi and Mokuba chuckled again at their nervousness. "Whatever you say," they chorused as they headed for the kitchen.

"I'm sorry," Seto whispered.

"What for? It was just an accident," Yami reasoned out.

Seto shrugged, taking in the other's reason. 'But it wasn't an accident,' he thought. They went outside to watch the others make a fool out of themselves, running and splashing water at each other.

"And I thought after four years, they grew up!" Seto whispered to Yami. The pharaoh smiled, "If you have Joey and Tristan in the group, childishness will never leave," Yami answered, obviously trying to forget about that "accidental" kiss. But Ra, the kiss was wonderful. Somehow, it had the sparks that the kisses Mahado gave him lacked. Odd. How odd.

"Are you just going to sit around all day, you two?" Bakura asked after successfully pushing Joey into the water.

The two duelists ignored the insane former spirit. "You want to duel?" Yami asked the CEO. Seto smirked, "Do you really need to ask when I'm going to beat you?" he answered. Yami smirked back, "Two can play at that game," he replied as they rose and headed back into the house.

Joey smiled mischievously before pulling into the water the closer of the two. Unfortunately for him, it didn't end as planned. Yami reflexively grasped Seto's hand as the CEO fell into the water, and he fell in, too. The blonde, knowing what was good for his health, immediately looked for a place to hide.

Angering just one of them was one thing but to get them both? Oh man, Joey certainly has a death wish.

Yami and Seto gasped for breath as they left the water, looking for any signs of Joey. Bakura and everyone else were acting innocent on the blonde's whereabouts and it frustrated them.

"You better show yourself or else, mutt," Seto said, knowing Joey heard him. As if on cue, Joey appeared and yelped when two dripping individuals tackled him and threw him into the water.

Seto and Yami each wore triumphant smirks as they entered the house to change into drier clothes.

"Man, I know they make a good team but damn, they're scary," Tristan muttered. Everyone nodded in agreement.

Seto knocked on Yami's door, wondering what was taking the pharaoh so long.

"Come in, Seto," he heard the pharaoh say. He opened the door, revealing the shirtless pharaoh.

"Umm… Yami?" he asked, his cheeks tainting into an adorable red.

Yami turned around to meet the CEO's gaze. "I'm sorry, Seto, but I can't find my shirt. Yugi and I somehow accidentally swapped bags and his clothes are a bit smaller for me," the pharaoh answered sheepishly.

"It's alright. I'll lend you one of my shirts," Seto answered, looking away. The pharaoh was looking too damn hot and if it weren't for his admiring control over his body, he would have given in.

Yami watched Seto leave his room to get a shirt, his mind racing. He was sure his heart was madly fluttering already thrice that day and the reason behind it all was a certain blue-eyed executive who was also his friend. He had assumptions that he was in-love with the CEO but he was sure he was more in-love with his former High Priest, Mahado. But man, he really has to learn how to control his heart. It's been racing numerous times already.

"Here," Yami yelped in surprise, not knowing the CEO was already there with the shirt.

"Thanks," the pharaoh muttered before putting it on.

"You're welcome," Seto said before they went downstairs to join the others.

"Yami, I was wondering if you would want to go with me to Kaibaland tomorrow? I'm going to check on them, as usual," Seto said. Yami smiled, 'Still your own self, huh Seto?' He was excited for reasons unknown not to mention his heart doing wild flip-flops weren't helping. It's not as if Seto asked him to a date or something. But damn, it felt like it.

"Sure," Yami managed to say. Oh well, some things never really happened as planned anyway. Might as well get used to it.