This is kind of an AU that was inspired by this beautiful gif: post/116519194541/imagine-ur-height-difference-otp

I really like how their dynamic turned out in this one and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it :)

Uniform

Yami groaned and rolled his eyes.

Why was the train in the morning always so crowded? Sure people had to get to work and university and school, but he didn't understand why they all had to take the same train like him.

With an irritated sigh he squeezed in and looked around for an unoccupied spot, when a particular someone caught his eye.

He had his back turned to him, but Yami could tell it was him anyway. His chestnut brown hair was neatly combed into place, his long fingers held the hand grip above his head with ease and casualness and his uniform played around his body like a tailor-made suit. Everything about him screamed exquisiteness and Yami found himself pushing over to him before he could even think of doing something else.

"Well, well if that isn't the great Seto Kaiba, condescending to the peasants and taking the train to school." He greeted his classmate who turned around and eyed him with his typical annoyed look. "What happened to your limo and chauffeur?"

"Nothing you should concern yourself with." Kaiba said with a false smirk. "I bet you have better things to do than to worry about my chauffeur."

"Not, if it means I have to see you on the train every day, too. School and Tournaments are already enough time we spent together, don't you think?"

Kaiba chuckled once. "And still, you walked up to me and said hi. It's almost like you long for my company."

"Don't mistake me for one of your fangirls, Kaiba. I have far more to offer than them."

"Like what?" Kaiba looked him up and down and Yami had to concentrate to not lose himself in the striking intensity of his blue eyed gaze. "Your miniature figure? Your gaudy hairstyle and rakish eyes? Or maybe something even more impressing?"

"Impressing?" Yami repeated and raised an eyebrow. "I take that as a compliment."

"Then I must have said it wrong."

Yami chuckled at that and grinned at him. "Wit." He said simply. "And the fact I'm the only one who's ever beaten you lets you stay awake at night thinking about me."

"Hm, since you seem to know so much about me, I suspect this statement applies more to you than to me."

Now Yami's laugh was bitter. "In your dreams."

"More like my nightmares."

They both stared at each other for a moment and although their faces were blank their eyes spoke volumes. But of course they turned away from each other before they could see these certain emotions reflected in their respective rival's eyes.

This was just like it always was between them. They were classmates in school, rivals in the dueling arena, constantly bantering and taunting each other over anything they could find. Still Yami could never tell if they were really friends or if he even wanted them too.

If that was all he wanted.

A silence settled over them, that was rather uncomforting for Yami since his mind kept wandering to things, he didn't know how to interpret. So he just stared out of the window as the landscape passed by. He had this view every day but somehow it was different today. Although he strictly denied that it had anything to do with the man standing next to him and that he had to refrain himself from turning to look at him.

The train jerked a little and Yami only now realized that he wasn't holding onto anything. He certainly didn't want to tumble or fall with Seto Kaiba being there, so he reached out to the handle over his head. But even as he got up on his tiptoes, he couldn't reach it and he groaned for the second time that morning.

What were the constructors of these things even thinking hanging them as high as this? Not everyone was a giant like Kaiba and Yami definitely wasn't the only one unable to reach them.

He gasped, when the train shook anew and he was barely able to keep his balance.

And then he saw Kaiba grabbing the handle just as casual as he was holding the one other side. Yami looked at him a little bugged, saw his indifferent face and the way his arm swung right before his face… and without thinking twice, he grabbed his upper arm and held onto that instead.

Kaiba immediately turned to look angrily at him and Yami could feel Kaiba's arm muscles tensing and untensing through the layers of his uniform jacket and a small, appreciative smile played around his lips.

"What do you think you're doing?" His classmate gritted out, but Yami knew that Kaiba just wanted to help him. He wouldn't dare say it out loud though and Yami wouldn't call him out on that, too. So he just played along.

"As much as I'd like to strike you down, I don't think this would be the right place to do so."

"So you use me as your stabilizer?"

"Well, I don't want to fall, when the train shakes like that."

There was a short pause in which Kaiba searched Yami's eyes and then looked directly into them. "Who says, I wouldn't catch you if you fell?"

Yami only snorted, his grip on Kaiba's arm tightening as the train jerked to the next halt.

"You can't know if you don't try." Kaiba insisted after a short pause. Something in his voice let Yami shiver and he had to make sure to keep his own face devoid of any emotions when he stared back into those dark blue orbs.

And suddenly Kaiba leaned closer to Yami. It was almost imperceptibly, but Yami noticed anyway and his breath caught in his throat. He could only stare at him with wide eyes and a slightly open mouth.

What was going on? What were they even talking about? He couldn't decipher the look on his Kaiba's face, but he could tell that he was serious and he felt heat rising in his cheeks under the other's unblinking gaze.

In this moment the train stopped and Yami stumbled forward with a surprised gasp, face suddenly pressing against Kaiba's chest and nose full of his scent. He was so overwhelmed, he just stood there frozen on his spot until he heard and felt Kaiba's chuckle at his cheek and all but jumped away from him.

"See, I caught you." Kaiba said with an honest tone in his voice and all Yami could do was gape at him, as he got out of the train. "Now come on or we'll be late."

For a second, Yami thought Kaiba would hold his hand out for him to take it but then he shook both his head and the thought aside and stepped out as well, joining his friend on the platform with a small smile.

"You're right. Let's go then."

They walked side by side to the school, occasionally commenting on their homework or the upcoming tournament, but not about what had happened on the train and Yami was both confused and relieved about it.

They just weren't like everybody else and that was exactly as it should be.