Tradeshipping (Seto x Suguroku)
The door jingled, indicating that a customer had entered the game shop. But Sugoroku didn't even look up from the ancient Aztec game he was working on cleaning.
"You're here again, hm?" he said.
The tall figure of Seto Kaiba looked strangely out of place in the dusty game shop. What with all the shelves full to bursting with games, stands that were nearly toppling over, and disorganization as far as the eye could see (which was not far at all), the clean cut suit, practical suitcase and slicked back hair of the young businessman made him look like he had stepped out of his conference meeting at a hotel and ended up in the lobby where the anime convention was taking place.
"Looks like you just came out of a big meeting," Sugoroku said, finally looking up from his piece. "What brings you here?"
"You know what it is, old man," he snapped.
"Hmph. Kids these days. No respect."
He let his eyes drop back down to the game and continue to clean it. It was an odd piece. Looked like a small helmet with holes for pegs all over. Sugoroku would have to do some research on it, find out how it was played.
Neither figure spoke nor moved. Each one waited for the other to crack.
It didn't take long.
"Cut the crap, old man," Kaiba said, dropping his suitcase so that it slammed to the floor, mimicking the anger on Kaiba's face. "You know why I'm here."
"Yes, and you know my answer," Sugoroku said.
He set the game down carefully on the table, studying it. Perhaps it was a peg racing game, like that old Egyptian frog game he had sold a few days ago. The peg holes weren't quite in the right position though.
"Stop ignoring me!" Kaiba said, slamming his hand on the table.
The helmet game wobbled, and, with a sigh, Sugoroku swept it off the table and stowed it safely away. He didn't need a repeat of last week, when the angry Kaiba had shattered the Ming game vase. Ten thousand yen, down the drain.
"You know, I think you need to be ignored every once and a while," Sugoroku said, finally meeting Seto's fiery blue eyes. "Maybe then you'll realize that the world doesn't revolved around you."
"Stop acting so superior. I've already beat you in Duel Monsters once – what more do I have to do?"
Sugoroku snorted.
"Unlike you, my life doesn't revolve around whether or not I win a game," he said. "How many times does my grandson have to beat you before you realize there's more to life than winning?"
"Don't preach at me, old man. Life is about winning. Single people, businesses, love, even charities – everything is competing with everything else for money, love, and attention. So why shouldn't I want to win?"
"Then let me rephrase it," Sugoroku said. "When are you going to realize that there's more to life than games?"
Kaiba paused. Sugoroku turned around to the shelves behind the desk, checking each dusty, overflowing cubby for what he was looking for.
"I used to think life was one big game myself," he said.
"Spare me the 'when I was your age' speech," Kaiba groaned.
Sugoroku ignored him.
"Back then, Duel Monsters wasn't my game. Archeology was. It was one big competition: who could find the biggest, most important discovery first?"
Kaiba drummed his fingers on the table, obviously anxious to be gone, but too curious to leave. Finally, Sugoroku found the box he was looking for. He blew the dust off of the plain brown top and turned back to face Kaiba.
"I enjoyed the competition. I thrived on 'winning,'as you do now. Then a friend gave me this."
He pushed the box across the table. Kaiba stared at it, nose wrinkling.
"It smells like old people," he said.
Sugoroku waited. He knew Kaiba's curiosity would win out in the end.
It did. Kaiba flicked the top off the box and stared at the mass of pieces.
"This is a puzzle," he said.
"It's a puzzle," Sugoroku agreed. "You see, a puzzle is a different kind of game. There is no winning or losing, except if you give up on it. The only person you can defeat is yourself. To complete a puzzle, you often need help. A second pair of eyes can help, especially with a puzzle of this size, and without a reference picture."
"Are you going to make some 'puzzles are a symbol of unity and friendship' metaphor?" Kaiba said, looking disgusted.
"Not really," Sugoroku said. "But solving this might teach you a thing or two about life being more than a competition, or a game."
He closed the box and pushed it towards Kaiba.
"Solve that," he said. "When you've finished, come back, and maybe I'll tell you what you're looking for."
"I'm not here for a silly game!" Kaiba said, dropping the box onto the counter. "Tell me – did Pegasus remake the fourth Blue Eyes for you? Does the fourth Blue Eyes still exist?"
Sugoroku had already turned around.
"A spirit has to go somewhere," he said. "Solve the puzzle, Kaiba. Then come back."
He knew Kaiba stood there, glaring at him for at least another full minute. Then he turned with an angry flick of his suit coat and stormed from the shop.
You can't change that prick, Sugoroku, the soft hissing voice said from the corner.
"Oh, I don't know," Sugoroku said, pretending to dust as the tiny, semi-transparent Blue Eyes White Dragon crawled from her box and onto his shoulder. She settled onto his shoulder, claws digging into the cloth of his overalls.
Once a prick, always a prick, she said.
"You just haven't forgiven him for tearing up your last card. It's time to let go, Ryuni. You can't stay angry forever."
She snorted, letting out a flurry of blue sparks as if to say, 'oh yes I can stay angry forever.'
You're wasting your time with him, Sugoroku. He's nothing like you. He'll just stay an obnoxious brat for the rest of his life.
"Hm," Sugoroku said, turning back to the table and starting to dust that. "I'm not sure. He took the puzzle, after all."
That won't change his mind.
"He'll come around, I think. After all, he doesn't like to give up. Even if it means asking for a second pair of eyes to complete the puzzle."
A/N: This is one of the grossest pairings ever invented, but I enjoyed writing this scene between the two of them. I wonder if Seto will finish the puzzle... :) I'll let you, my wonderful readers decide that for yourselves. I also got to add my character Ryuni, the fourth Blue Eyes White Dragon into the story. :D I was sad cause I had to cut her from my other Yu-Gi-Oh fanfiction, so I quite sneakily decided to add her in here. Next up is Trackshipping (Yami no Bakura x Shadi). Creepy...but strangely intriguing...this will be an interesting scene...
