I decided to mix this prompt with Valentine's Day lol. I'm not sure if it turned out alright but I'm glad I brought it to paper^^' Also I apologize in advance for the terrible puns. It got out of hand somehow…
19. Card
„That's about all, Sir." Isono said and Kaiba relaxed his shoulders a little at the words. The meeting had been rather long due to the upcoming launch of new products and he could feel a headache coming in.
"Good." He nodded curtly and waited for the man to take his leave but Isono stopped abruptly and pulled something out of the inside pocket of his jacket.
"I almost forgot…" he murmured and handed his boss a dark red envelope. "This was delivered for you earlier."
Kaiba took it with a frown and barely noticed how Isono left his office while he studied his name on the front that was written in a lean handwriting he would recognize immediately. He couldn't think of a reason for Atem to send him a normal card and his curiosity was more than sparked.
He couldn't be sending one because of this pathetic holiday, could he? What was he even thinking?
Without taking the eyes of his name on the front he grabbed his paper knife, opened the envelope and pulled out a card that was just as red as the cover.
When he saw what it was he blinked astonished at it, not really sure how to react when he saw this ugly and untalented edit of a bunch of random duel monsters on it in stupid poses and weird designs he was so distracted by it that he almost didn't catch the words Let's duel! in the left middle of the card.
His eyes twitched and the faint hammering in his temples increased the longer he looked at it, but nevertheless his heartbeat sped up like it always did when he had the prospect of dueling Atem. When he opened the card though his eyes went wide and he almost dropped the card. There was another text that said It's my favorite thing to do but Atem had gracefully scratched the little it's and had written you're instead so that now it read You're my favorite thing to do.
Seto coughed, blinked then stared at the text some more as if this stupid pun would disappear miraculously when he glared at it long and hard enough. Was he… was he actually being serious? Was that really all he wanted to tell him on this day? Granted he didn't exactly oppose to that sentence and if it would have been delivered under different circumstances maybe he would have appreciated the sentiment but this just seemed so… cheesy. Atem definitely spent too much time with his brother and that mutt. It was showing on his wit.
After a deep breath to calm himself down he finally realized his mouth was still hanging open. He closed it almost at the same time when he realized he could use this stupid card and Atem's mistake to his advantage and his hand reached out to grab his phone like on reflex.
Normally he didn't call him during work – not that he called him very often in general – but Atem had already disturbed his work flow and pretending that he hadn't would only make matters worse, so he might as well settle this now. However he told himself that he was calling to rub him his stupid pun, his degenerating mind and his ridiculous mistake in his face and a devilish grin spread over his face when Atem picked up.
"If I had known you were so eager I wouldn't have waited to send you this card…" He teased playfully and Seto's grin widened even more. So he really was clueless, huh. "I wouldn't have thought Seto Kaiba was so easy though."
"You're the easy one here. Sending me a card like this… I'm quite disappointed."
"Ow and I thought this was just right down your alley. First a duel in the streets and then one in the sheets..." Seto could practically hear him wink and see the smirk playing around those appealing lips but he concentrated on his task ahead and shoved the pictures aside. This would be his victory and he would gladly celebrate it to the fullest.
"This isn't what I meant…" There was a small gasp on the other end of the line but nothing more and Seto smirked to himself. I actually expected such a card yesterday…"
"Why?" Atem asked and the surprised tone in his voice made it clear for Seto that he had won this turn.
"Valentine's Day was yesterday, not today. You're a day late."
"Yesterday was…" Confusion was palpable in his voice and Seto waited with pleasure until realization would finally hit Atem. "…Valentine's Day?"
"That's what I just said." Seto leaned back in his chair, eagerly awaiting Atem's wails of regret and embarrassment, ready to bath and glory in them and make sure he'll never forget that he did that wrong.
But they never came.
Instead Atem said after a while. "You mean that ridiculous stupidity of a holiday that's only a marketing campaign of the chocolate and flower industry?" Seto blinked astonished when he heard that and suddenly remembered that those were his exact words when Atem had asked him last year what all this fuss was about. He swallowed as the memory of Atem laughing and shaking his head and basically agreeing to hisopinion, promising him to never participate in this.
…
Fuck.
"Wait, wait, wait." Atem cut in line of thought, surprise was still in his voice but it was a different kind now and Seto cursed again. "Did you actually think I sent you this as a Valentine's Card?"
"…"
"And were you teasing me because it came a day late?" Kaiba managed a snort but his No still sounded pressed and unconvincing to his own ears and Atem continued mercilessly with his assumptions. "Did you actually want me to send you something for Valenti…"
"No." Kaiba cut in, his voice this time strong but too hasty to be truly compelling.
Well he was quite shocked himself actually. Just like Atem had said this day always was the embodiment of ridicule to him but somehow, hidden deep inside he had obviously expected Atem to mind that day. Apparently his mind was even more degenerating than Atem's.
He could hear Atem drawing in a breath and waited for his laughter to erupt through the receiver but again, it never came. Atem just cleared his throat loudly – too loud – and said with suppressed amusement in his voice. "Seto, I bought this card a week or so ago because I thought it was funny."
"Hm." Seto brought out and decided to shoot back. Offense was the best defense after all. "Then what did you send it for? You could have just given it to me last weekend."
There was a short pause as if Atem pondered on what to say and Seto thought he could hear a slight nervousness in his voice when he finally answered. "Would you be very offended if I said I wanted it to be a small gift to cheer up your work day? A token to remind you that… I think about you?"
For a moment Seto was silent, thinking about Atem's words before he remembered the card's text and he snorted. "With a pun like that?"
"Yeah…" Atem's laugh was nervous and Seto knew he had caught him a little again. "I admit that it's indeed really bad but it's also the truth, you know. You and dueling are my favorite things to do."
"Tch. I'm flattered." Seto said with sarcasm dripping in his voice.
"You should be."
Seto rolled his eyes and weighed the possibilities in his head before saying in a harsh tone. "I call it a day in about three hours. I pick you up then."
"For a date?"
"A duel." Seto corrected and resisted the urge to roll his eyes again.
"Come on, Seto! You know as well as I do that with us every date is a duel and every duel is a date. There really is no difference at all."
He shrugged, fully aware that Atem couldn't see it as he decided not to answer that. This phone call had only increased his headache and if he wanted to beat Atem later he better be in complete possession of his skills. "You won't be able to walk when I'm done with you."
"Don't be too confident of your victory. I'll make sure of giving you a hard time."
"I'm sure you will but this time you will be on yourknees."
"Hm." There was a small chuckle, a pause and then: "Well, as long as you're standing behind me I'm okay with that." Atem said and hung up before Seto had the chance to answer.
With a loud groan Seto hung up as well. He was actually glad that this stupid conversation was over. He had made a complete fool of himself, not only because of this Valentine's Day mistake and the last exchange and he made a mental note to never call Atem during work ever again.
He took a last glance at the card and decided to put it into his bottom drawer as a grim reminder that cards that weren't Duel Monsters cards were a complete waste of his time and tell Atem later to refrain from sending one of these one more time.
After all the only cards he and Atem should exchange ought to be Duel Monsters cards.