YUGIOH

Hopeless Collisions

Chapter 14.

"And why do you think I wouldn't accept such an option? Just because you used it against me once, doesn't mean you'd be stupid enough to try it again....not with me holding the Rod." Kaiba stated.

Pegasus shook his head. "You don't understand. You'd be getting the Eye for yourself, not for me."

There was a long moment of silence that stretched across the room. Strangely, this conversation was beginning to remind him of that weird day dream he had of the past, and Ishizu's warnings.

Kaiba finally broke the silence, as he said, "That's makes no sense....why would it be for me?"

"I lost the Eye to a madman who was possessing a boy known as Ryou Bakura. The spirit of the Millennium Ring defeated me and he took the Eye from me. Because of that, I have lost the ability to use it again." Pegasus answered.

Kaiba said, "But, I lost to you....wouldn't that mean I can't use it, either?"

"Yes." Pegasus answered. "But once you defeat Bakura, you will prove your power to it, and it will work for you....this I assure you."

"Then, why don't 'you' defeat Bakura?" Kaiba asked.

At that, Pegasus laughed. "Oh, Kaiba-boy....seriously, how do you think I could defeat him now, when I couldn't even defeat him when I 'had' the Eye?? I have no chance. You, though....you have more than enough strength and ability to take him down."

"But, I would be fighting against someone who all ready has two items. Wouldn't that make the fight unbalanced, as you stated youself?" Kaiba pointed out.

At that, Pegasus smiled. "He may have 2 items on him, but he can only use the Ring. The Eye is useless to him. He was never destined to be able to use it."

Kaiba glared. "So, what makes you think that *I* can use it??"

"Because my dear boy, you are the reincarnation of the High Priest Set. You have no idea how unique your bloodline is. You're father in ancient Egypt was the bearer of the Eye. Being a blood relative makes you able to use it, as well." Pegasus said.

Was that weird vision of his supposed to be him in the ancient past? Was it supposed to be warning? In that vision, he too had both the Eye and the Rod. Was he actually following some sort of path of destruction, as Ishizu was hinting at?

But Kaiba reminded himself quickly that if that was the case, no one would be alive now. If he was some past world threat, it obviously didn't happen yet. Plus, he all ready proved to Ishizu that he created his own fate. And even if they were all correct, there was nothing he could do that would make it worst than losing his brother. Nothing changed....he still had everything to gain, and nothing to lose.

"And I assumed you talked to this supposed spirit friend of yours to find this out, too?" Kaiba asked.

Pegasus smiled, and nodded, "Of course."

Kaiba then suddenly looked confused. "Wait a minute. So, you have to be the right blood-type to use an item? But you used the Eye....so what does that make you?"

"Me?" Pegasus asked. He chuckled, and waved saying, "No, no, you misunderstand. The items can still choose other bearers....but they are much weaker than the true blood of the original bearer. You shall in fact be even much more powerful using it, than I was. Here's an example....Marik Ishtar had no ties to you, but the Rod still chose him. But I bet it caused him some trouble with you around, since you were the original holder of the item."

Kaiba paused, thinking about that. "Actually....I think it did. After Battle City, I went through my tapes again. There were times I had, like....visions of things, and didn't know why it kept happening. Then I noticed when I had a vision, Marik seemed to be struggling with his little toy Rod."

Pegasus laughed at that. "Poor guy. He was destined to lose that from you, from the start."

"I don't believe in destiny." Kaiba said, not sure if he said it for Pegasus or as a reminder to himself.

'Good.' Pegasus thought. It's the one thing he knew he could count on from Kaiba. And Kaiba seemed to even believe and accept that he consorted with some spirit to get all this information, too.

Pegasus then approached Kaiba, and wrapped his arms around him. "You don't have to....just keep your beliefs on having your brother back soon. We almost had him....he was so close. Just a little more power, a few more computer tweaks, and he'll be yours again. You will have your brother back, Kaiba....don't give up on him."

"Never...." He said quietly, accepting Pegasus' embrace, and holding him as well.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Morning came again, and Kaiba woke up finding Pegasus and himself wrapped around each other. He sat up on one elbow, and looked down at the man's sleeping form. He lost Mokuba again, and Pegasus was nothing but some kind of temporary crutch. Kaiba was nothing to him, just a fair weather friend....and he hated feeling used. It made him feel even emptier than he was before....he couldn't stand that feeling.

Kaiba began to move, to get up and out of bed as quickly as he could, just as Pegasus began to wake. He grabbed Kaiba's wrist, asking, "Leaving so soon? What's the rush?"

Kaiba instinctively snatched his wrist back away from him. "Listen....I know what I said, but...." He looked away, feeling terribly weak for backing down like this, after his previous agreement. "....I can't do this."

"But, why not? Don't you like me? Am I that unbearable? Is this gay concept thing just too much for you?" Pegasus asked.

Kaiba turned himself fully away from him, and began to get up. "No, it's just....I get used enough at work everyday. I don't need anymore leaches. I'll find a way to sleep on my own."

"Using you?" Pegasus asked. "But you said earlier that your problem was you weren't gay."

"I'm not." Kaiba said, though his voice wavered a bit. He refused to look Pegasus' way, as he muttered. "Listen, I don't want to talk about it."

"You're lying." Pegasus said, as if just catching it. Kaiba ignored him and stood. "Maybe you honestly believed that at first, but it sounds so fake in your voice now."

Kaiba continued to ignore him as he put on his pajama bottoms, refusing to say one thing on the matter.

"But...." Kaiba began to walk away. "But, what if I told you I wasn't using you?" Kaiba froze immediately, and turned to look at him.

"What are you talking about?" Kaiba asked. "You're here to get your wife back....aren't you? Is there something you're not telling me?"

"I...." Pegasus stuttered, for probably the first time since Kaiba ever met him. Pegasus then looked down, saying, "Yes, there is. I just wasn't sure how you'd take it. You know how temperamental you could be."

"Spit it out, all ready!" Kaiba snapped.

Pegasus answered quietly, "When I came to you, I never planned on bringing back Cecelia, at all...."

Again, there was silence between the two. Pegasus could physically feel the heat rising in Kaiba, from his anger about to explode. "This whole thing was some attempt at PITY??!"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Pegasus snapped. "I didn't even plan to originally make a pass at you, to be honest. After I lost the Eye, and after I recovered from losing the Eye....I had a lot of time on my hands to think. I decided it was time to let her go. Cecelia was in the after life, and an Angel like her I had no doubt was in heaven. She was probably happy and in peace. Who was I to play god and choose where she would rather be? And when I decided I would no longer pursue getting her back, I went into a terrible depression. I felt as alone as you, drowning myself in alcohol and hoping to find death myself, so maybe I could join her."

"I'm still waiting for the part that involves me." Kaiba said, impatiently. There wasn't even a hint that Kaiba might have been in the least bit moved from Pegasus' words.

"Well....when I heard about you, I realized how remarkable our similarity was....how you were going through the same thing I was. That's when I decided I'd help you get your brother back. But, not for you....it was for me. I felt by helping you, it would give me a purpose, help make me feel whole, as well. I....I guess I was using you for my own emotional fix. I really didn't expect the attraction, at first....it just kind of happened. And with you talking down on this male thing, I wasn't sure how you'd react to me." Pegasus explained.

He turned away from Kaiba, saying, "I suppose I wasn't entirely truthful to you, and I'm sorry for that. Maybe you 'should' have probed my mind more carefully....you would have seen that sooner."

"That's why you never bothered to enter your wife into the VR unit, because you had no intention on bringing her back." Kaiba said, and Pegasus silently nodded to it.

Another thought hit Kaiba's mind, and he added, "And that's why you were so panicked when I scanned your mind, yesterday. You were afraid I'd find out how you felt." Kaiba had a feeling Pegasus' state of panic seemed stronger than it should, as if he was hiding something. That was the reason....Pegasus feared that Kaiba would learn the truth about this.

"Yes....I suppose you're right." Pegasus said. "So....are you going to throw me out?"

"That was a pretty stupid move. You know that eventually I would have found out, when you started to refuse to have her brought back." Kaiba added.

"I know. I had hoped by then, things would work themselves out. If you had your brother back, maybe you wouldn't be so angry with me." Pegasus replied, assuming Kaiba hated him, now.

But, Kaiba then smirked. "Actually, you're wrong. It's still using me....just a different way. But, I think this way I can live with."

"Really? Then....you don't mind? I mean, I'm really not actually looking for a temporary thing." Pegasus said.

Kaiba sat back down, looking Pegasus over. He couldn't believe he felt good about being around someone he at one time saw as his enemy. "I can't commit to anything. I don't know what to think about this. When we get Mokuba back, I'm going to need his approval of you. And being who you are, I don't know if that'll be possible."

"I know. I did some despicable things in the past. But tell me, Kaiba....if saving your brother meant hurting or destroying me, wouldn't you have exploited any weaknesses against me, if it meant helping your brother? You would have done the same, wouldn't you?" Pegasus asked.

Kaiba nodded. "Of course....in a heartbeat. To be honest, I've all ready forgiven you. But we're not talking about me, we're talking about Mokuba."

"Well, I'll just have to sweet talk the little boy." Pegasus said, moving closer to Kaiba. "I know I have a large debt to pay, and I promise I'll do anything I can to make up for all the terrible things I did to him. All I need is a chance to do that."

"Then, I'll help give you that chance...." Kaiba said, as he moved his hand up, touching Pegasus' face. Both faces moved to each other and kissed passionately.