A/N: Fun with seating charts! For those of you who like keeping track of positioning, I left the thing I used while working on the game scene. Ten people can be a lot to keep track of, needless to say. Lines were used to prevent FF from screwing up my formatting again.

Anzu—Yami—Ootogi—Jounouchi

Shizuka———————Honda

Mai—Kaiba—Mokuba—Yuugi

Other than that, nothing much to add other than beware of the lengthy insanity that lies ahead! There's also a rather verbose note at the end, but that shouldn't come as much of a surprise by this point…

Chapter 17: A New Game

He hadn't wanted to leave.

As that singular thought continued to echo through his slowly reawakening mind, the enormity of it began sinking in and Kaiba found himself deeply disturbed by the sentiment. He had never had cause to fear dependency because he had never been in a situation where it could arise; he had always been self-reliant and he needed the comfort of no one. And yet, if they had not been interrupted, he would have been content to remain as he had been and that was a fact that he didn't know how to process.

Kaiba's hand rested on the gearshift, but he remained motionless as he sat there, hearing the music that was faintly coming through the speakers. He knew that he should leave quickly before the others arrived and he was detained any further, but he had yet to shift from park into drive, too distracted by his sudden realization. Since when had Kaiba Seto allowed himself to become so weak as to indulge himself in such things? Even as he berated himself over the fact, he also recognized that it hadn't felt like weakness at all, but he didn't know what else to call it; his mind only knew one way to catalogue it and since it wasn't something that could strengthen him, it was therefore relegated to a weakness, even if it didn't quite fit there, either.

Deciding that he could think just as well back at home, he finally put the car into gear, only to see in his rearview mirror that a car had turned the corner. Narrowing his eyes, he saw that it was one of his own and he found himself wondering just how Yami had known that without a phone call. With a sigh, he put the car back into park and turned it off, knowing that he wasn't going to get away without some form of interaction with the Yuugi-tachi because of Mokuba. Getting out of his car and shutting his door, he watched as everyone began exiting the limo, his brother running over to meet him.

"Nii-sama!" Mokuba exclaimed as he all but launched himself at his older brother, looking up at him with anxious eyes. "You're okay?"

Ruffling his hair affectionately, Kaiba reassured him, "Of course I am," feeling a twinge of guilt for worrying Mokuba.

"Really?" Mokuba questioned in a disbelieving tone. He wanted to believe his brother, but he was surprised by the small gesture that his older brother would normally reserve for times when there was no one watching and there was no way to miss the sound of the seven people approaching. It was enough to let him know that something was amiss with Kaiba, but he wasn't quite sure what was different. Maybe it was the extra sleep?

"Yes, so stop worrying."

Frowning, Mokuba became more perplexed by the comment. It lacked the normal commanding tone and Mokuba was trying to find the reason behind it and failing. "Did something happen with the prototypes?"

"No, why?" Kaiba asked, the question reminding him that he should get the data off of the card before giving it back over to the R&D team. He was looking forward to using it to modify his deck further into perfection, but it would have to wait for the time being.

That confused Mokuba further; his brother had been stressed about the project getting stalled, so if nothing had been resolved, what other reason would he have to be so…relaxed? He still wasn't sure if that was the right word to describe his brother at the moment, but he didn't get a chance to answer since Jounouchi finally made his presence known by asking, "What's he doing here?"

"I invited him," Yuugi answered, although he was taken aback by the fact that Kaiba was still present. He knew that Yami had been back for at least twenty minutes, but did that mean Kaiba had remained the entire time as well? It was just another question he added to his list to ask Yami about later, but for the moment he let it go as Mai, Anzu, Shizuka, Honda, and Otogi followed him inside the house.

"But, Yuugi!" Jounouchi started to protest, before shrugging it away and following the group. "Well, at least we'll get to see an interesting reaction."

Knowing what Jounouchi was referring to, Kaiba couldn't help but taunt, "Prepare to be disappointed, mutt."

At least with those words, Mokuba realized that his brother was still the same. He didn't know why he was so concerned, but he decided to take his brother's suggestion and stop worrying so much about it. "You're really going to stay?" he asked hopefully.

Even if he agreed to stay, it didn't mean that he had to for the whole duration, Kaiba decided. Locking the car and pocketing his keys, he simply said, "Ah," and watched as his brother's face lit up in joy. Was such a simple thing really all it took?

"Thanks, Nii-sama!" he exclaimed happily, rushing ahead as Kaiba made his way to the door at a more dignified pace.

He wasn't entirely sure what he had just agreed to get himself into, but it was a little late for that now, he realized as he shut the front door behind him, heading toward the noise. The tiny living room seemed even smaller when filled with so many people, but he noticed that Yuugi had already gone upstairs in an attempt to procure Yami through less than magical means. Not that any of them know that, he added to himself, crossing his arms as he remained standing. Despite the noise level, he could faintly hear the sound of two people descending the stairs and he watched as Yuugi led Yami into the room. "Hn, so he finally appears," Kaiba commented with a smirk, watching as Yami's eyes went wide with shock.

"Kaiba?" he questioned in disbelief, faltering in his step before continuing to enter the room. He could have sworn that he heard Kaiba leave; after all, what reason would he have to stay?

"Why are you the one that's surprised?" Kaiba asked with a snort of derision, although the question wasn't entirely without merit. Judging from the other's reaction, Yami must have seriously that that he had already returned home, which added another level of confusion for Kaiba. Yami had changed clothes in the interim, but the collar was conspicuously absent. If he was so confident that Kaiba had left, what would have prevented him from wearing it? Unless he…? No, Kaiba didn't have the time to devote to such thoughts right now.

Quickly recovering and approaching Kaiba, Yami was vaguely aware of Jounouchi muttering in disappoint about the lack of initial reaction. Standing in front of Kaiba and meeting his gaze, Yami couldn't help but be notice that the other seemed to have returned to normal, his demeanor giving away nothing about what had happened earlier. "You being here is more surprising than me," Yami said with a grin as reached up and poked Kaiba's shoulder. Yuugi was once against mystified by the strange greeting and wondered if there was some ancient Egyptian custom that he didn't know about that was behind the weird action. Even if there was one, it still didn't explain why he only did that to Kaiba, though.

"Testing to see if I'm real?" Kaiba asked sarcastically as he forced Yami's hand away from him.

"Something like that," Yami replied with a chuckle.

"Still," Kaiba replied, running his fingertips along Yami's neck in order to tip his chin back, "you feel real enough."

"Do I?" Yami questioned with a perverse look flashing in his eyes that did not go unnoticed by Kaiba.

Biting back his first answer, Kaiba merely said, "Hn," as he pulled his hand away from the other, remembering just how many eyes were focused on them at the moment.

Everyone had been watching the two of them like it was a duel, causing Jounouchi to exclaim in disappointment, "That's it?" Jounouchi knew that Mokuba had already told Kaiba about Yami, but there still should have been some amount of protesting from Kaiba to make him feel justified. It was Kaiba, after all—possibly the most cynical, disbelieving person ever—so how could he just accept it that easily?

"Should there be more?" Kaiba asked, turning his attention toward his source of annoyance.

Before Jounouchi could answer, Anzu interjected, "Does this have anything to do with what Bakura was talking about?"

Shifting his gaze over to the girl, he coolly responded, "Why would this have anything to do with him?"

"Well, I just thought…" Anzu began before trailing off, when she realized Kaiba was no longer listening to her. She was just about to call him out on his disrespect, but Kaiba spoke before she had the chance.

"Wasn't there something you were supposed to be doing?" he asked Yami, giving a short laugh when he saw the scowl on the other's face.

Yami could sense his aibou's amusement through their link and he glanced over at him just in time to see Yuugi covering a grin with his hand. Returning his focus to Kaiba, he lowly warned him, "Stop before—"

"Oh yeah!" Mokuba exclaimed, remembering the previous night's adventures that had been put on hold. "The game that Anzu's friends in America told her about!"

Wincing, Yami shot Kaiba a fierce glare, but it didn't prevent Kaiba from continuing, "After all, you've kept everyone waiting," enjoying the sight of Yami becoming increasingly uncomfortable.

Angling his body so that his mouth couldn't be seen, Yami told him softly, "You have no idea what you just got yourself into," with a laugh before making his way into the kitchen to get some water to disguise his actions. As much as he wasn't looking forward to what was about to happen, he could at least understand his aibou's amusement over the situation. It would almost be worth it just to see the expression on Kaiba's face over the whole thing.

"Myself?" Kaiba repeated, puzzled by the reaction, but still unfazed by the words.

Oblivious to what was happening behind him, Mokuba asked Anzu, "The numbers…well, they're not exactly even, but it should still be okay, right?"

Stammering as she stared at some spot on the carpet that interested only her, she answered, "N-no, it was a stupid idea, let's just—"

"So all of the interesting stuff happened after I went home?" Mai teased, amused when Anzu became even more embarrassed, giving her some sort of an idea of what had transpired.

Returning and standing near Kaiba, Yami commented, "Six against three isn't exactly what I'd consider favorable."

"It just means the girls have more of a chance," Mai countered, giving Yami a look that made him feel like he was in danger of being devoured if the game commenced.

"My sister is not joining in!" Jounouchi vehemently stated from the floor, hating the thought of his innocent sister being corrupted by Honda or Otogi, not to mention the possibility of Kaiba getting anywhere near her.

Pouting, Shizuka protested, "But, onii-chan, I want to play! It sounds like fun," as she glanced over at Otogi and Honda with a faint blush on her cheeks.

"B-but, Shizuka!" Jounouchi exclaimed, staring at his sister in disbelief.

"If Shizuka-chan wants to play, let her join in the fun," Otogi said suggestively, causing Jounouchi to jump to his feet as if he was going to start a brawl with the other.

"Bastard! Like I would let her and you—" Jounouchi began, but when he glanced at his sister, his jaw dropped when he saw Honda talking with Shizuka in a secretive manner. "Honda! What the hell? I'll—"

Kaiba watched with mild distain as Yuugi and Anzu restrained Jounouchi from launching into an attack that was sure to cause more damage to their surroundings than anything else. He didn't understand why everyone was getting so worked up about it, but then again, he didn't really understand what they were actually talking about, either. Refusing to display his ignorance, he chose to remain silent instead, using the distraction as a cover to glance over at Yami who was watching the scene with far more amusement than Kaiba could possibly find in the situation.

Realizing that everyone's attention was focused on Jounouchi attempting to uphold his sister's purity, Yami looked over at Kaiba and grinned when he caught the other watching him. Knowing that there was very little chance that the others would hear him over the current commotion, Yami softly asked, "I thought you were going to leave?"

"So did I," Kaiba muttered with a scowl, his eyes drifting toward Yami's bare neck once more.

"I'm glad you stayed, though," Yami admitted before grinning wickedly, "even if you did just get yourself into one hell of a mess."

"Is that so?" Kaiba asked in a way that sent a shiver of anticipation through Yami, making him instinctually take a step closer, narrowing the distance between them.

Mokuba had quickly grown bored with the same fight he had seen occur several times throughout the past few hours, so he decided to turn around and ask his brother a question, but he was greeted with a surprising view. Peeking over the back of the couch, Mokuba watched as his brother and Yami conversed, unable to hear what they were saying despite the fact that he wasn't that far from them. He hadn't really given much thought to how his brother and Yami would interact with each other since he had just assumed that it would be the same way he did with Yuugi, but Mokuba was beginning to realize that wasn't exactly the case.

He couldn't quite figure it out, but his older brother certainly seemed to be focusing on Yami in an intense manner that made him hesitant to interrupt. After all, there wasn't a trace of annoyance or irritation on his face, which was shocking considering the yelling that was still going on as Jounouchi begged Yuugi to let go of him so that he could rearrange Otogi's face in order to make him completely unappealing to his sister. He assumed that they were standing so close to each other because it was hard to hear over the noise, but in Mokuba's opinion, there wasn't a need for them to be that close to each other. "Nii-sama?" Mokuba called out, bewildered by the fact that it took three tries to get a response.

"Mokuba?" Kaiba responded as he looked over at his brother who was staring at him with some amount of confusion, although he was at a loss as to why.

"What do you want to do?" he asked, figuring that there was no way his brother would agree to such a game.

When Yami snickered and tried to cover it with a cough, Kaiba glared at him before asking his brother, "About what?"

"The game."

"Game?" Kaiba repeated as he continued to look at his younger brother with a blank expression.

Jounouchi had finally stopped his attempts to go on a murderous rampage and he turned to face Kaiba with an obnoxious laugh as he said, "Give it up, Mokuba. There's no way in hell he'd ever agree to it."

"Damn," Mai muttered, causing a few of them to turn toward her in surprise.

"M-Mai?" Jounouchi asked in confusion.

"What?" she asked in an indignant manner, crossing her legs as she laughed haughtily at Jounouchi. "Some of us wouldn't object."

While Jounouchi continued to gape at her statement, Kaiba's brow furrowed as he tried to process what had just happened. In the past he had only had minimal interactions with the woman so he was unsure about what she meant, although he caught on quickly when she looked at him with flirtatious violet eyes that left no question about the meaning of her words as she continued, "After all, it's such a rare opportunity."

Yami couldn't hold back his laugh and he saw Kaiba bristle at that. He wasn't sure if Mai was being serious or just teasing Jounouchi, but Yami was inclined to believe it was the latter. "Ridiculous," Kaiba said dismissively, causing Jounouchi to recover from his shock.

"How typical," Jounouchi accused, "thinking you're above the rest of us."

"What are you yapping about now, mutt?" Kaiba asked, quickly approaching the threshold of his tolerance level for dealing with the noisy teen.

"You're saying you'll play?" Jounouchi asked skeptically, figuring there was no chance the other would ever agree to it. He might have finally found his trump card and he wasn't about to let it go.

Kaiba was annoyed at himself for not having a better grasp of what this unknown game was about since he was not given to agreeing blindly to things. However, he felt like his pride was on the line, because if he didn't agree, it would make him look like a coward running away from a challenge. Realizing that everyone was staring at him and awaiting his decision, he shrugged and said, "It's just a game," figuring that it was harmless enough. How bad could one game be?

"Holy shit," Jounouchi swore as he stared at Kaiba. "Do you even know what you just agreed to?"

"If I didn't, do you think I would have agreed to it?" Kaiba snapped, hating the fact that the question was a little too close to the truth for his tastes.

"Count me in!" Mai exclaimed happily, causing Jounouchi to look at her with disbelief.

"I, uhm, I'd like to play, too," Shizuka said shyly, earning her a look of despair from her older brother.

The instant Honda and Otogi said in unison, "We're in," Jounouchi began to swear again.

Mokuba called out, "I'll be the officiator!" having been told the previous night that he even though he was too young to participate, he could still make sure that everyone followed through with their turn.

Anzu looked like she wanted to crawl in a hole and stay there, which amused Mai and made her go over to the younger girl and hug her in a teasing manner. "Anzu's playing since it was her idea, right?" she cajoled, relentlessly poking and prodding the younger girl.

"I-I guess, yeah," Anzu agreed reluctantly, seriously regretting ever having suggested the game in the first place. It had seemed like a good way to pass the time last night when they were all bored and looking for something interesting to do, but now it was just beyond embarrassing.

"Me too," Yuugi said, careful not to look at any particular person as he did as such.

"Great idea," Mai whispered to Anzu and winking in a knowing manner. "There's more than one way to win a man, ne?"

"M-Mai! What—" Anzu started, but didn't get to finish since Jounouchi groaned loudly.

"Yami, are you…?"

In a manner that Kaiba found far too seductive, Yami agreed, "Of course," before sauntering towards the kitchen with a laugh that set him on edge.

"That leaves just you, mutt," Kaiba told him with a look that further pissed off the other.

"Like I'd back down now?" Jounouchi shot back, but it failed to earn him a response.

"Hey, Anzu?" Yami called out from the kitchen. "Question."

Blushing as Mai continued to laugh at her expense, Anzu asked, "What is it?"

"Would salad dressing work?"

Salad dressing? What the hell kind of game is this? Kaiba wondered in shock, further confused by the fact that no one else in the room seemed to find the comment strange.

"Well, proba—actually, no, not really," Anzu replied, "are there any drinks?"

"Milk?"

Getting up from her chair, she answered, "No, that's definitely no good," as she made her way over to the fridge. Looking in, all she saw were a few cans, which also wouldn't work. Realizing that this was her last chance to escape what was sure to be a humiliating experience, she brightly announced, "Nothing here will work, so I guess we'll just have to find something else to do until the food arrives."

Taking his role of officiator as seriously as ever, Mokuba suggested, "We could always just go to the store and pick something up there."

Anzu continued protesting, "I really think it would be better if we just—"

Mai suddenly clapped her hands together, startling everyone as she said in a singsong voice, "I have just the thing! I'll be right back." Leaving the room to head out to her car, it was relatively quiet until she returned a short time later with a triumphant noise as she brandished a bottle of red wine. "Perfect, don't you think?"

How the hell did we get from salad dressing to wine? Kaiba wanted to know, his mind racing to try and figure out the mystery. Red wine vinaigrette was the only link his brain could find and that had absolutely nothing to do with games, so he ignored it and continued trying to find a more appropriate answer.

"I'll go get the glasses!" Otogi volunteered before getting shot down by Mai.

"Wrong kind of game," she chided in a tone implying she wouldn't have minded playing that kind at all. "And if any of you shatter it, you're buying me two to make up for it, got it?"

"But minors can't buy alcohol," Shizuka said in a worried tone, knowing that her brother was at a high risk for breaking it.

"Ahhh, Shizuka-chan, so pure," Otogi complimented her in a dreamy tone of voice.

It caused Honda to chime in as well, "So innocent!"

Wrapping their arms around each other, they said in unison, "So perfect," earning them a pillow in the face from Jounouchi.

"Will you two stop? See, Yuugi? This is why I wanted to teach them a lesson earlier!"

"Like they would learn?" Mai said derisively with a laugh as she strutted back into the living room with a laugh.

"You two get over here!" Jounouchi commanded, gesturing for them to join him, which they did with much grumbling. The two of them sat on the floor with Jounouchi between them, situated across from Shizuka who had also moved to the ground; Mokuba likewise slid off of the couch and sat with his back against it while Yuugi sat between him and Honda.

As the rest of them began walking toward the circle that was slowly forming, Kaiba barely caught Yami's hushed, "You brought this on yourself," as he brushed past him with another laugh. Choosing to ignore it, Kaiba sat on the other side of his brother with Mai quickly dropping down next to him; it was only his years of conditioning that prevented him from flinching at her self-satisfied laughing. Yami sat next to Otogi which just so happened to be directly across from Kaiba, flashing him a smile that had a pit of dread forming in Kaiba's stomach. Anzu settled herself between Shizuka and Yami, further displeasing him and causing him to scowl in irritation.

Taking his role as officiator as serious as he did when he was working on one of the Kaiba Corp tournaments, he asked, "Is it okay that all of the girls are sitting together?"

"It's a matter of probability, so it wouldn't make any difference even if we were spread out," Mai reassured him, not willing to give up her spot since it offered her the best potential views of anything that could happen.

Shrugging, Mokuba addressed Anzu, "You should go first to show everyone how it's done."

"Show everyone how it's done?" Anzu repeated, glaring fiercely over at the snickering coming from Jounouchi's side of the circle. "Oh, stop being so immature, you three!"

Handing over the bottle with a grin, Mai encouraged her, "Give it your best, ne?"

Hesitantly accepting it, she looked away with a bashful, "Ah," before carefully placing it on the floor, laying it on its side. Taking a deep breath, she sat up on her knees and rolled it about an arm's length away from her, spinning it hard as she sat back and waited for it to stop, unsure as to who she should be hoping for it to choose.

When it finally ceased rotating, Mokuba looked carefully at where the neck of the bottle was facing and it was clearly pointing at an already blushing Yuugi. Despite the obviousness of it, Mokuba followed formality as he announced, "Yuugi is the winner," causing Jounouchi, Honda, and Otogi to start making all sorts of comments to Yuugi.

"Lucky!" Mai cheered, not helping Anzu's blush any as she stood up in order to approach Yuugi.

Kaiba watched with a detached interest, only paying enough attention to figure out what the hell was the point of this so-called game. When he saw Anzu hesitantly kiss Yuugi chastely on the lips, he suddenly realized why Yami had tried to stop him and Kaiba glared at him, ignoring all of the celebratory noises that were being made. Yami smirked at Kaiba, further irritating him, especially since it was far too late to back out now. The feeling was made even worse because if he had just kept his damn mouth shut, he wouldn't be in this situation and Yami knew it, too. Bastard, Kaiba swore in his mind, he's so going to fucking pay for this. He wasn't sure how exactly, but he trusted that he'd be able to come up with something suitable. His only hope at this point was that the food arrived before he had to participate in such absurdities.

Amused by Kaiba's reaction, Yami had been distracted from instantly congratulating his aibou through their link. Thus, he wasn't surprised when Yuugi reached out to him first, "Did I just…?" Yami didn't answer with words; instead he just laughed gently, allowing the other to feel his happiness for what had just happened. "I never thought it would happen that way," Yuugi continued, still stunned.

"At least it happened," Yami pointed out, shielding the fact that another reason he was so pleased was the fact that it hadn't been him. That was a whole level of awkward that he had no desire to deal with at any time.

Once Anzu had returned to her spot, the flushed cheeks still apparent on both her and Yuugi's face, Mokuba decided that it was time to ask, "Who's next, Yuugi?"

Debating about what to do, Yuugi was about to choose Jounouchi when he felt Yami's mirth through their connection, causing his to question, "Yami, what…?"

When Kaiba noticed the way Yami tilted his head, he looked over and quickly confirmed that Yuugi was doing the same, leading him to believe that if they could in fact communicate in such a manner, no good could come from whatever plan was being hatched between those two. The feeling intensified when he saw the smug satisfaction on Yami's face and he braced himself for whatever was coming next.

"Uhm, it can be anyone, right?" Yuugi questioned, causing Kaiba to narrow his eyes at the still overly pleased Yami. They were definitely up to something, he decided, hating that he was at a loss for an effective countermeasure.

Mokuba looked at Anzu for confirmation and she simply nodded. "She says it's fine, so who is it?" Mokuba asked eagerly.

"Yami," Yuugi said quickly, causing the jeers to begin anew, but Kaiba could only stare at the person in front of him with his iciest gaze.

Still flustered from her earlier experience, she silently handed the bottle to Yami, glancing shyly over at Yuugi as she did so. Having spun it like Anzu had earlier, Yami sat back and waited for it to stop, noticing that Kaiba had shifted his glare from him to the bottle. Everyone quieted down as it slowed in its rotations and when it finally stopped, it was deadly silent as everyone looked at it in various states of shock.

He wasn't sure how Yami had pulled it off, but somehow Kaiba wasn't surprised by the outcome in the least. Yami was smirking at him as if they were facing off in a duel and Kaiba narrowed his eyes, not the least bit amused.

Jounouchi found his voice first, laughing nervously as he said, "Oi, Yami, I'm pretty sure that you don't have to—"

The comment was an outlet for Kaiba's irritation and he laughed scornfully at Jounouchi. "Just what I would expect to hear from a third rate amateur," Kaiba commented out of habit, "always so quick to back off like a dog with its tail between its legs."

"What was that?" Jounouchi exclaimed angrily, ignoring the fact that there were already hands holding him down to prevent him from jumping up and heading over in Kaiba's direction. "I'll show you who won't back down, you arrogant bastard!"

Mokuba tried to interrupt by saying, "Nii-sama, if—" but he got no further when he realized that his brother wasn't paying any attention to him at all. Instead, Kaiba was tensely waiting for Yami's next move, watching him intently in an attempt to find a way to gain an advantage in the situation.

"…like he'd really do it!" Jounouchi finished his rant, breathing heavily, becoming incensed when he realized that he had been completely ignored. "Hey! Bastard, fucking listen when—"

Any retort was stopped when Yami stood up and took the few steps over to stand in front of Kaiba, his scarlet eyes full of challenge and defiance. Unable to resist, Yami provoked Kaiba by asking, "Do you intend to run away?"

He was thoroughly sick of hearing that question and it made his anger increase significantly. "Just who the fuck do you think you're dealing with?" Kaiba growled, reaching up and grabbing Yami's wrist, yanking him down hard, resulting in Yami straddling his lap as in previous times.

Mokuba had backed up closer to Yuugi and was watching everything with a sense of surprise that the entire group was feeling. None of them had been prepared for what happened after Yami answered, "Kaiba Seto, of course," in a playfully mocking tone.

"And don't you fucking forget it," Kaiba told him arrogantly, refusing to forfeit and setting everything into motion. In an instant, Yami's lips were on his and Kaiba forced his tongue into the other's mouth, not bothering with permission as the ferocious kiss deepened. Since Yami's left wrist was still being held captive, he used his right hand to brace himself against the couch cushions as he adjusted his position, failing to hold back a soft moan at his own actions. Yami wanted to laugh as he felt Kaiba's left hand entangle itself in his hair, pulling him that much closer as they continued to battle it out in front of the group.

Everyone was watching with horrified fascination, unable to look away from the pair who had yet to separate, neither willing to quit first. Anzu, Jounouchi, and Honda all felt somewhat traumatized by watching Yami and Kaiba go at it, whereas Mai was all too happy to watch something that was usually reserved for fantasies. Shizuka kept trying to look away demurely, but her eyes continued to occasionally return to the sight regardless. Mokuba and Yuugi exchanged glances and could only shrug; neither was really surprised by the behavior, but whereas Mokuba assumed his brother was just accepting a challenge, Yuugi was beginning to understand things a bit more clearly now despite his other half shielding him from his current emotions. Otogi could only shake his head and ask, "Is everything a competition with these two?" but no one answered him. "Is there a time limit or something? This is getting a bit ridiculous…"

Anzu was too stunned to answer verbally so she just shook her head. Mokuba didn't want the responsibility of interrupting his brother, so he shrugged and did nothing, figuring they'd both have to stop at some point.

Oblivious to the comments being made, they eventually paused for air, Yami sucking on Kaiba's lower lip before letting it go and leaning back with a satisfied look that Kaiba met with a smug one of his own. Getting back at Yami for earlier, Kaiba taunted, "Is that the best you can do?"

All too eager to take up the challenge, Yami leaned forward with a perverse smirk to prove just what else he could do, only to be stopped when he felt Kaiba squeezing his wrist tightly to remind him of their situation. He was about to respond when they were interrupted by a timid, "Uhm, guys?" from Yuugi.

"Yes?" Yami answered, looking over at his aibou, but still not moving because he needed a little more time to calm himself. He had gotten a little too caught up in the intensity of the moment, but he could at least take comfort in the fact that he could tell he wasn't the only one.

"What the fuck was that?" Jounouchi finally exploded in a loud shout, pointing at the pair.

Looking over Yami's shoulder, Kaiba laughed at the enraged boy, further infuriating him. "What the fuck do you think?" Kaiba countered smoothly, pulling his hand back from Yami's hair and letting it rest on his knee, ignoring his desire to let it brush against the firm ass that was almost with its grasp. The situation was made worse when he remembered that Yami was currently lacking underwear and Kaiba swore at the other for making him more susceptible to perversions. He left go of Yami's wrist in favor of balancing himself to better accommodate the position, realizing that Yami had no intention of moving quite yet. It was fine with him since the other was proving himself to be an effective cover for Kaiba's current state.

"Hot," Mai answered airily with a dirty grin, amused when Jounouchi's arm dropped limply at his side.

Doing his best to ignore the girl who was watching them with hungry eyes, Kaiba became aware of the fact that Yami's fingers were once again stroking the back of his neck. He didn't know why the other insisted on doing it, but he found himself letting it continue, rationalizing it with the thought that he couldn't stop it without drawing attention to what Yami was doing. Kaiba couldn't understand why the subtle movements were so soothing to him, but there was too much going on at the moment to think about it seriously.

"Mai!" Jounouchi exclaimed, before realizing that his sister was blushing with a giggle. "Wait, Shizuka! Don't tell me…you…too?"

"It's not every day a girl gets to see such a show," Mai told him, having fully noticed Shizuka's reaction and winking at the girl.

"If you have the right channels you can," Otogi pointed out, earning him a punch from Jounouchi.

Ignoring them for the time being, Jounouchi refocused his attention on Kaiba, frowning when he realized that Yami had yet to move, despite the fact he wasn't being actively restrained. "Kaiba!"

"What?"

No one else might have noticed, but Mokuba was more startled by that comment than by what he had just witnessed. It lacked the normal icy hatred he usually reserved for Jounouchi; instead, it sounded more like mild annoyance. His brother's demeanor was similar to what it had been when they had first arrived and Mokuba found himself at a complete loss over what was going on with his brother. Wouldn't his brother have normally forced Yami away after such an unwanted display? Instead, he remained in Kaiba's lap with a bemused expression and Mokuba suddenly noticed what Yami was doing with his free hand. Maybe his brother was just too shocked by the whole thing to react, but even as he tried to excuse the behavior with that logic, it just didn't work. It also didn't explain why it seemed like such a natural thing for the two of them and Mokuba got no help from Yuugi when he looked back at him for answers.

"But, how could—I mean, why did—it just," Jounouchi's words continued to fail him and Kaiba just watched in arrogant amusement at the reaction. "Yami!"

Looking back at the other, Yami answered, "Yes?" When Jounouchi had no words for him, Yami shrugged and defended himself with, "That's how the game is played, right?" although he was unable to keep the smugness out of his voice.

"Yeah, but that was just…"

Turning his head the other way to look at Anzu over his shoulder, Yami asked innocently, "Did I misunderstand the rules?" When Kaiba laughed at his attempt to sound naïve, Yami tugged on a lock of the hair that was still entwined in his fingers, causing Kaiba to inhale sharply at the unexpected sensation, scowling when they resumed their normal slow movements.

The look on her face made Yami realize any hope she ever had about him had been effectively demolished by his actions and he couldn't help but feel somewhat pleased about it, despite the fact she was clearly upset by everything. "No," she finally answered, still unable to meet his gaze.

Watching as Yami turned to face Kaiba once again, Jounouchi found himself losing his desire to try and explain the wrongness of the situation. Maybe there were different traditions in ancient Egypt regarding men, but he didn't care about what they were; the only thing that mattered was that it had been Kaiba. He didn't think he would have responded much better to the situation if it had been anyone else, but to see someone he respected so much doing that without complaint with someone he loathed was just too much for his brain to handle. Looking over at Yuugi with a pleading gaze, he was met with a shrug that gave him no reassurance. Why wasn't Yuugi upset over seeing something like that? Then again, if he always had Yami in his head, that meant he would be privy to his thoughts, which would mean that if Yami had thought of Kaiba…no, Jounouchi realized that he was being ridiculous. There was no way such a thing could possibly be true, right?

"Since you seem so concerned about it, why don't you go next and show everyone what you would do differently," Kaiba challenged him.

"Fine!" Jounouchi exclaimed, figuring that the sooner he put it behind him the better. "This Jounouchi doesn't back away from any challenge!"

"Hn," was Kaiba's only response and Yami had to stifle a laugh over the whole thing. It didn't matter what the circumstance was, Kaiba was always Kaiba and there was something vaguely reassuring about it, even if it could be frustrating from time to time.

Resuming his role as referee, Mokuba said, "As soon as Yami, uhm…returns to his…seat, we can continue."

Yami's eyes clearly warned Kaiba that what had just occurred wasn't finished and for once, he wasn't inclined to argue against it. The conceited bastard had a lot of nerve to put him on the spot and he wasn't about to let the other get away with it so easily. However, he was also cognizant of the fact that it would have to wait for a time when there wasn't an audience present. No words were exchanged as Yami gracefully rose, walking over to the bottle and bending over to retrieve it, making Kaiba roll his eyes at the blatancy of such an action. Walking over to Jounouchi and holding the wine bottle out for him to take with a benign smile, he casually returned to his place, acting completely nonchalant about the whole incident.

Filled with the desire to retaliate against Kaiba, Jounouchi spun the bottle, confident that his luck would allow him and Mai to prove to the bastard just how the game was played. Staring smugly at an unimpressed Kaiba, Jounouchi gave him his best glare before watching as the bottle finally began to slow, waiting for the moment when he could show Kaiba just who he was dealing with. However, all of his bravado disappeared when he saw who his luck deserted him for: Otogi.

Kaiba didn't bother to restrain his laugh, resting his arms on the couch cushions behind him as he leaned back and settled in for the spectacle, realizing that the only person who was going to enjoy the situation as much as him was Mai, even if their reasons were entirely different. Otogi turned and looked at Jounouchi with a resigned sigh and as much as Jounouchi wanted to protest the outcome, he didn't want to give Kaiba the satisfaction of hearing that. Kaiba managed to exacerbate the situation further by adding, "So what exactly are you going to do differently, mutt?"

Glaring at Kaiba with all of the hatred he was feeling at the moment, Jounouchi was barely aware of the fact that Otogi had edged his way closer, sincerely regretting that he had been backed into such a corner. It was only after Mokuba confirmed that Otogi had been picked that Jounouchi turned to face his fate and was startled by the close proximity he suddenly found himself in with the other. "Otogi! What the—" Jounouchi started, but didn't get very far because he found himself being pressed back as Otogi began kissing him, causing his whole body going rigid in shock. When Jounouchi felt Otogi's tongue suddenly invading his mouth, he couldn't stop his first reaction, which was to shove the other off of him and exclaim, "What the hell are you doing?" as he wiped his mouth with his hand. "You actually—I mean, you really, ugh, what the fuck! You—"

"I'd rather make out with your sister, but—" Otogi started, but wasn't allowed to finish the sentence since he was suddenly being assaulted by Jounouchi's fists.

"Maybe you should start calling him, 'puppy,' instead," Mai suggested conspiratorially to Kaiba, laughing as the scene unfolded before them.

The comment actually made Kaiba chuckle and he looked over at the girl with a raised eyebrow. He didn't have time to respond since Jounouchi was once again exploding, this time aiming it at Mai as he exclaimed, "Mai, you're on his side now?"

"Side?" she repeated, trying not to laugh at the flushed cheeks and seriousness of Jounouchi. "I wasn't aware that there were any sides in this."

As Jounouchi began spluttering in disbelief, Otogi leaned over and retrieved the wine bottle, checking over its vintage before looking over at Shizuka in a seductive manner that had her cheeks pinker than her brother's. "Ne, Shizuka-chan, do you want to try it?"

"What the hell are you implying, pervert?" Jounouchi demanded as Honda restrained him from attacking Otogi again.

"I was simply asking if she would like to have her turn now," Otogi replied calmly, turning the bottle in his hands. "Why? What did you think I was implying?"

"Yes, uhm, if it's okay, that is," Shizuka answered, causing her brother to fall back in despair as Otogi stood and began walking over to her. Just as she accepted it, the doorbell rang, causing all eyes to turn to the door.

Realizing that his sister had been saved, Jounouchi stood up and grabbed Otogi, dragging him over to the door as Yuugi walked over to open it. As everyone began heading over in the direction of the dining area, Mokuba peered over at his brother who had yet to move. "Nii-sama?"

"Hm?"

When his older brother's eyes met his, Mokuba suddenly lost the nerve to ask the question he really wanted. He was beginning to think that maybe he should have paid more attention while in class, because he was realizing just how few adjectives he actually knew; he was at a complete loss to describe or figure out just what was different about his brother and he found it frustrating. Instead, he settled for asking, "Are you going to stay for dinner?"

Kaiba's eyes flicked over to catch Yami watching them and he quickly returned his gaze to Mokuba. "Sure, why not?" he said casually with a shrug, figuring the worst of it was already over.

Instead of thanking his brother, Mokuba simply nodded and got up to go over to where everyone was beginning to gather as the food was being unpacked from the bags. Standing as well, Kaiba noticed that only Yami remained in the living room and he commented, "I figured you would have been the first over there."

"Aibou told me I had to wait until everyone else got food before I was allowed to," Yami said remorsefully, hating having to acquiesce, but knowing that there would be very little for everyone else otherwise. Walking past Kaiba, the pair began to make their way over to the group, still lingering on the edge of the commotion.

Realizing that everyone was too absorbed in what they were doing, Kaiba took advantage of what would probably be his only opportunity to ask the question that had been bothering him since Yami had reappeared. Standing closely behind Yami, he quietly asked, "Why?"

Initially assuming that Kaiba was asking about the reason Yami had to wait until everyone else was served, he was about to answer when he felt Kaiba's fingers brush against his neck and he involuntarily shivered. Realizing what the real question was, he turned slightly to glance up at Kaiba, telling the other, "I said I wouldn't, didn't I?"

"But you thought I left," Kaiba stated in a low tone, taking his eyes off of the group to meet Yami's gaze, surprised by the slight smile that greeted him.

"So?"

Mokuba realized that his brother had yet to get anything to eat, and he was about to call him over until he saw what was delaying Kaiba. He could have sworn that his brother was smiling faintly at Yami and there was no misinterpreting Yami's expression as he looked up at Kaiba. It gave Mokuba the feeling that he was watching something that he had no business seeing and he quickly glanced around the table to make sure that no one else had noticed the private moment yet.

There was something strange about seeing his older brother looking so at ease around another, especially someone whose presence was possible only through the magical means that he knew his older brother despised. It would have made sense to him if his brother kept his distance for that reason, but instead, they were standing close enough that their bodies were practically touching and there wasn't enough noise to justify it this time, either. He was beginning to question what exactly had happened the other night when Yami went to visit his brother, but a small part of him was beginning to wonder if it was something best left alone.

Even though he was oblivious to his younger brother's observations, Kaiba had at least maintained awareness of their present situation. It was why he reacted to Yami leaning against him by pressing his thumb hard against the bruise he had made earlier on the other's left shoulder, pleased when it created an acceptable distance between them.

It had resulted in Yami making a small noise that drew attention to their presence, so he tried to cover it by asking Yuugi through their link, "Can I please eat now?" When his aibou nodded in consent, Yami said out loud, "Good, because I'm starving."

"Whose fault is that?" Kaiba asked, earning him another glare from Yami that he laughed at in a condescending manner.

"I wonder?" Yami replied sarcastically, although no in the room quite knew what to make of the odd exchange.

Ending his participation with a mere, "Hn," but unable to keep the smirk off of his face, Kaiba walked over to where his brother was, deciding that he would eat after all.

"Nii-sama?"

"Yes?"

Once again confronted by the openness of his older brother's blue eyes, Mokuba lost his nerve to ask the question he really wanted to. Instead, he settled for suggesting, "You should try the chicken. It's pretty good."

"Is that so?" Kaiba asked, deciding to do just that.

Frowning, Mokuba looked over at Yami and continued trying to figure out what had just happened between his brother and the other. They both still seemed to be amused by the same private joke that no one else in the room understood and it just didn't make sense to Mokuba. It was weird watching them occasionally exchanging glances across the table that seemed to carry on an entire conversation when they thought no one was paying attention to them; it was both fascinating and disturbing all at the same time. Even though he felt terrible for eavesdropping on their silent dialogue, he couldn't help himself. He had always longed to see his brother's smile return, but under these circumstances, he found it somewhat unsettling, especially since he got the feeling that his brother wasn't entirely aware of what he was doing.

It was only then that he realized that his older brother had barely said anything to Yuugi the entire time, which only served to confuse him further. Since when had his brother paid the same amount of attention to Yuugi as he did to Shizuka or Honda?

A/N: Five bucks says no one saw THAT coming. XD

Like I said in the previous chapter, I have no clue WHERE the idea came from, but I ran with it and hopefully everyone else enjoyed it. I was originally going to do this as a random one shot, but it wouldn't work as well because here the psychology of it fits enough to (hopefully) make it believable.

Unless my memory has gone completely, I'm pretty sure that according to the manga, Anzu actually lived in America at some point. Even if I've gotten that wrong, I would think that since she wants to study dance in New York so badly, she's bound to have some friend over there whom I assume would be a girly dancer. Said girly friend in my mind would have mentioned the game to Anzu and I could see her half-jokingly bring it up while they were all trying to figure out what to do next. Think about how bored she would have to be watching Yuugi and Jounouchi working on their decks—anything would be better than more hours of that. But I could see her doing one of those, "Oh damn, not enough men, oh well…so, how about the arcade? DDR, anyone?" Only not quite so spastic.

Otogi and consequently Honda, both wanting to have any excuse to get a chance with Shizuka would probably not let it drop so easily, though. Of course, she'd have to explain the concept and Yami would quickly realize that he was as much of a target as Yuugi, ergo his disappearing act. I can't imagine him allowing for a situation where something tantamount to betrayal could happen since he knows how huge of a crush Yuugi has on the girl. And he would have already known how boring Anzu at the arcade would be, so I could see him thinking Kaiba was a highly preferred option.

I just loved the idea of a testosterone filled Spin the Bottle game. :laughs: To me it's such a girly middle school sleepover OMIGOD giggle-giggle kind of a thing and having those three in a Battle of the Wills over such a trivial thing just makes me laugh. If they're so deadly serious about card games, why would this be any different? At least the fate of the world wasn't hinged upon it, though. XD

The real fun is the Kaiba/Jounouchi/Yami aspect for me. Essentially, ego and pride would drive them all to their actions. Jounouchi would be so confident that Kaiba would never agree to such a ridiculous game as Spin the Bottle that he would have no problem going up against the other; the odds that Kaiba would just leave before giving in to such stupidity would be high in Jounouchi's mind. Kaiba would refuse to back down on principle (especially because of Jounouchi) and Yami would just be there for the ride, basically. : Kaiba was seeing it in terms of a game, he would play to win, witnesses be damned, and well, Yami being Yami would just run with it. After the incident from the previous chapter, I think Kaiba's aggression would be a consequence of trying to prove something.

As for Jounouchi, a couple of things almost happened. I thought it would have been oh so very perfect for Kaiba's plan to backfire on him again and have to make out with Jounouchi. Ohohoho, that would have been so rich and amusing, but while I understand the pairing, it's not quite my thing and would detract the focus from what I wanted. So I spared Kaiba and was naturally inclined to make it Honda, but I can't see the two of them going through with it in that situation. Honda isn't a gamer and I can't see his pride getting in the way; he would gladly forfeit for Shizuka, I think. And while that would give Jounouchi an easy way out, it just didn't feel satisfying. Otogi on the other hand, is a gamer. He would have enough of a competitive streak to follow through with it, regardless if his opponent/partner was Jounouchi or not; plus, he seems…flexible with such things. But Jounouchi is too confrontational to just go with it and his instincts would force him to fight back, so there ya go.

His little thought interlude about Yuugi being aware of Yami's thoughts was a throw back to the beginning of Battle City for me. Jounouchi kept doubting Namu/Marik and was mentally asking all of the right questions, but he's so used to being stupid (aww) that he ignored his instinct and dismissed it completely. Anzu is always incredibly observant and I think that she would make the connection quickly between what Bakura had said and Kaiba. And as much as I wanted Bakura there to spice things up even more, I can't imagine them inviting Ryou over to see Yami when they know just how close to the surface Bakura is. He'll have his chance soon enough, though…

Mokuba is so adorable sometimes when it comes to his older brother. He obviously loves him and would be concerned enough to notice the slight differences within Kaiba. Realizing that his brother was having nothing to do with Yuugi would be a weird thing for Mokuba, I think. There's no missing the way that Kaiba was always fixated on Yuugi and to have such an important figure becoming an incidental background character would be a glaring thing. But as we all know, if they have no use to Kaiba, then they might as well not exist.

Ah well, hopefully my little rabbit hole adventure didn't traumatize or cause any of you to lose your faith in me. XD It was all in good fun and I was trying to stay true to the silly nature that the show occasionally taps into whenever they aren't being dramatic. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it, so please feel free to let me know what you thought about this little bit of madness!

NEXT CHAPTER: Acquired Dream

Kaiba finally gets some sleep, but what he sees wasn't what he had been expecting…

It's been quite a few chapters since the last dream one, but it makes one final return. It was another one that was originally going to be a one shot, using a situation and paralleling it, but it accidentally worked its way in here and fleshed itself out deeper than a simple lemon, so we'll run with it. It's a return to the semi-serious, so you don't have to worry about any more crazy detours. XD

It'll go up next Sunday as per usual. Until then, take care and enjoy!