Itemshipping (Ishizu Ishtar/Kaiba Seto/Yami no Yugi)
. . .
"Why such a grumpy cat tonight, Kaiba?"
Seto flung a glare at the crimson-eyed boy, who was very clearly trying not to grin as he pointedly did not make eye contact with him.
"I am nota grumpy cat," he said.
"Yes you are. You're even making the face."
Seto scowled a little deeper, but then realized that was what Yugi was making fun of and tried to school his face into the practiced emotionless wall that he used in business meetings.
It was a chilly March evening, a little too cold and too early for a festival. But the event continued despite chill that crystallized on the sides of brightly painted booths. The lights and paper lanterns glowed against the dark and sent glimmers of almost firelight against the stars. There were a fair amount of people present, milling around, laughing, chattering, moving in mobs of brightly colored yukata. Enough people that Seto had felt the need to drag his hood over his head and continue to wear his sunglasses even though the sun had gone down; he didn't want to be recognized.
Yugi dressed in a similarly low-key fashion, having somehow mashed his distinctive hair inside of a baseball cap, and for once wearing something otherthan his school uniform: a gray, sleeveless vest over a long-sleeved black shirt. His crimson eyes flickered around at the festivities, a tiny, almost excited smile growing over his face.
"Ah," he said suddenly, tapping his fist on top of his hand. "I've got it. You're upset because I interrupted your date."
Seto almost let his jaw drop at the bluntness of it, and he shifted awkwardly with his hands in his giant sweater pocket.
"This—this isn't a date," he said.
"Sure it is. You came here with Ishizu. She's in a yukata and everything. Looks like a date to me."
"This is nota—"
"Sorry to keep you waiting, the line was long..."
Ishizu finally returned, in a yukata as Yugi had already observed. It was a soft, regal sort of lavender, painted with careful designs of black floral. She had pulled her hair back in an intricate bun, but a few strands were already finding their way free.
"Here you go," she said with a smile, offering each of them one of the fried octopus that she had bought. "I've never tried this before..."
"Thanks, Ishizu," Yugi said, taking it with a nod.
Seto hesitated before accepting the offered stick. He looked at it dubiously. He had also actually never had this before. He couldn't remember if he had ever beento a festival before, much less tried any of the food offered there. He wasn't really the type to eat fried things...
Yugi had already finished his by the time that Seto decided to try a nibble. It was warm, and the taste spread through his mouth slowly. It...wasn't unpleasant, he conceded, and took another bite.
"So what brought you two here anyway?" Yugi said, smiling mischievously at the both of them. "I didn't even know you were in town, Ishizu."
"I stopped by for a meeting," Ishizu said. She smiled as she tucked a strand of silky raven hair behind her ear. "Mokuba told me that there was a festival happening tonight, and, well, I've always wanted to attend at least one."
Seto grunted once as Yugi sent him wiggly eyebrows.
"So Mokuba planned this for you two?"
"Well, he certainly nudged Seto out of the house to come with me," Ishizu said with a laugh, pressing a hand lightly above her heart. Seto hoped that it was dark enough to hide the heat that was spreading over his cheeks.
"Definitely a date," Yugi whispered under his breath.
Seto was thiiisclose to punching him. Smug little bastard; he wished the purple-eyed Yugi would come out. At least thatone didn't completelyirritate him.
"It's not a date," he hissed back.
"Ah, well then you won't mind me third-wheeling. Care for a game?"
He nodded towards the closest booth, a cork gun game where you had to shoot the prizes off the shelf. Seto didn't deny the fact that he felt a little more interested now that there was a game involved.
Ishizu followed their gazes, and her own eyes lit up.
"Ah! I've played that game before. We should try it."
Yugi got there first—for a guy with such short legs he was quick. He was already handing over his money and carefully selecting a cork gun, weighing each one in his hand before choosing one.
"Highest point prize wins?" Yugi said.
"You're on, Mutou," said Seto, selecting his own weapon.
Yugi hefted his chosen cork rifle. He propped it up with almost an ethereal grace, balancing it in his hands and sighting along the edge as though he had held a weapon before and knew intimately how to use it—which was dumb, of course, because Yugi had probably never touched a real gun in his life. He just liked to act like he was in total control. Seto had to grin. Two could play at that game—and he actually knewhow to fire a gun.
He sighted along his own cork gun, selecting the biggest prize at the top shelf—a particularly large stuffed rabbit. Clearly the highest ranking prize, and put right center. Mokuba would like it—probably. Seto wasn't actually sure. But he could at least pass it off on Mokuba when he won it.
He fired one shot right at the top of the rabbit's head—that ought to wobble it.
The cork swung wide and bounced off of the shelf instead of hitting the rabbit.
What the fuck...
Seto looked over the cork gun with a furrowed brow. That was stupid. The aim was completely off—he shouldn't be surprised, this thing was definitely rigged, but...
He sighted again, compensating for the aim, and fired. It smacked the rabbit right in the forehead—but it didn't move an inch. Seto swore. That was probably weighted down. His eyes flickered towards Yugi.
Yugi's first shot missed its target, but he fired a second and third right away and dislodged a small octopus stuffed animal, sending it tumbling behind the shelves. As the booth owner scurried to retrieve it, Yugi winked at Seto.
"You don't have to go for a big one," he said, clicking the next cork into place. "If I can get a few smaller ones and you focus too much on the big one without getting it, then I win."
"Stuff it, Yugi, I'm going to make you eat your words, just watch—"
The giant rabbit dropped like a stone behind the shelf. Seto caught the motion out of the corner of his eye and both he and Yugi stopped talking immediately. Ishizu hummed softly as she accepted the giant rabbit from the stunned looking booth owner. Her eyes wandered over to the two of them.
"Oh," she said. "I'm sorry to interrupt you two. It looks like I won the competition, though."
Both of them could only stare at her for a moment. She grinned at them between the rabbit's ears. And then, with a quick wink and little pop of her hips, she turned around.
"Let's play that one next; I've always wanted to try catching goldfish."
Her hair was slipping out of her bun as she sauntered away. Yugi and Seto stopped staring at her to glance at each other.
"It's a date," Yugi said.
"It's definitely a date," Seto agreed.
They didn't quite confirm, however, who it was a date for.
. . .
A/N: I'm not gonna lie I could get behind this? I mean I love Trustshipping and I don't particularly mind Prideshipping or Avishipping, so like, yeah. This could actually be a fun one. Next is Issueshipping (Jonouchi x Seto x Ishizu).
