Warning: This is a Shounen-Ai/Yaoi (meaning boy love) story. If you are offended by this, please leave now. I will accept no flames regarding this. Flame my spelling. Flame my grammar. You can even flame my logic (or lack thereof). But if you don't like Shounen-Ai/Yaoi and continue to read, you are the only one that should get roasted!
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, nor do I make any profit from this story. I only borrow the characters because I love them and like to play with them and because they give my very mundane life meaning. How sad is that?
Previously…
Grabbing his suit jacket and finger-combing his hair into place, he slid his cell phone into its inside breast pocket. Slipping it on, he made his way to his office door with a frown, trying to remember the temp-of-the-day's name, and then deciding that even if he could remember it, that she hadn't done anything to merit him doing so.
"I'm going out for lunch – I'll be back around two." He informed her as he passed by the receptionist's station. All he got in reply was a non-committal shrug of the shoulders that made him see red and grit his teeth.
As the automatic doors in the front lobby slid open and the cool outside air hit his anger-warmed face, the teen CEO thought to himself that he had never been so thankful to be leaving anyplace in his entire life.
What he didn't know at the time was that in the very, very near future, he would be even more grateful…
Chapter Four: "Unfriendly Persuasion"
Tristan sat on the rickety wooden counter stool, trying hard not to grin as Yugi's large, expressive eyes wandered back to the game shop's wall clock for what-seemed-like the hundredth time. In getting to know the young duelist through the many adventures that had taken place over the span of the last two years or so, he had come to recognize that his unique (and that was putting it mildly) friend had many great qualities – he was loyal, kind, generous (sometimes to a fault) very forgiving, brave and strong-of-heart – however, when it came to the art of patience …well, that was an ability that the wild-haired youth hadn't seemed to master yet.
"Where is he?" The shorter boy mumbled under his breath, frowning. "He's late!"
The other teen chuckled lightly and shook his head. "This is Joey that we're talking about here, Yug'. He'd be late to his own funeral if he could get away with it. He probably slept in late and let the time slip up on him…or decided to eat breakfast…or both."
"Well, if that's the case, we may not see him until this evening! Put food in front of that boy, and the world could end and he wouldn't notice!" Solomon Mutou stuck his head around the corner, a smile on his face; his own wild, gray hair tied up in the usual handkerchief, he waved the pack of Duel Monsters cards at his grandson to let him know that he had found them. The family resemblance was startling; one look at the shocking hair, the oversized eyes, and the relative height (or lack of it) the two shared would have been enough to put a DNA lab out of business.
"Grandpa…!" Yugi scolded the older man gently, but you could see the laughter in those aforementioned eyes. "I wouldn't go that far…" he paused for effect, and then playfully flashed him a crooked grin, "…he'd notice…and then he'd ask what was for dessert…"
~~~~~~~~oOo~~~~~~~~
Seto had been walking for all of five whole minutes before the numerous guarded looks and oft-repeated dumbfounded stares of the other pedestrians had begun to become annoying. His disposition, already dour, darkened further as the unwanted attention escalated, people stopping and rudely pointing, even as he made a steady trek towards the petite coffee shop he frequently visited when he needed to 'get away from it all'.
The gentleman who owned it was in his late fifties; ex-military and still amazingly fit, he brokered 'no nonsense', and understood the teen CEOs need for privacy. A quick phone call was all it took; upon arrival, Kaiba would be ushered through the front door by the man himself and directly into a back room that had been set up especially for that purpose – a place where the small, but highly attentive, staff could keep a close eye on him and ensure that there would be no unwanted attention and no unwelcome interruptions. There, situated in a cozy booth, he would be served a delicious lunch (usually consisting of half-a-sandwich and a generous bowl of homemade 'soup de jour') drink an overly-large cup of coffee for dessert (one made from freshly ground beans, strongly brewed, and enhanced with all sorts of delectable, sweet ingredients) and then, depending on his mood, either read or lightly doze for what was left of his 'lunch-hour'.
Today, however, it was looking highly unlikely that that was going to be the case…
First, he had forgotten to call ahead (and upon trying to rectify that situation, had discovered to his dismay that, due to the topsy-turvy nature of the last few days, he had neglected to charge his cell phone and the battery had chosen this exact moment to go dead)…
And second, his being on the crowded mid-day sidewalk was beginning to draw a following, one that was not only irritating, but now was making him feel downright uncomfortable…
It seemed that his days of being able to take a simple stroll were a thing of the past.
Not wanting to lead a mob of curiosity-seekers right to the front door (literally) of one of the few havens that he had found from the outside world, the brunet made a split-second decision. Looking for an avenue of escape, he chanced a glance down the street, and was surprised to see Wheeler ambling lazily across the painted road, one corner to the next, in his direction, as if he hadn't a care in the world.
Perhaps, if he was with someone, even if it was just…'the puppy'…the gapers and self-appointed 'groupies' might think twice about approaching…
It's worth a try. Picking up his gait, the lanky teen made a graceful bee-line for the end of the street, artfully dodging the newest set of gossipers and gawkers along the way, and putting distance between himself and the swelling crowd that was trailing behind. The shaggy-haired youth, still walking on 'cloud nine' and grinning like the proverbial cat-who-had-eaten-the-canary, had just made the midway-point of the crosswalk as the billionaire passed the corner-building to reach the curb, affording him a clear view of the boulevard…
…where he saw a black sedan suddenly begin to speed up from a slow crawl…
…and head straight for the oblivious blond…
~~~~~~~~oOo~~~~~~~~
"Sister…"
"Yes, Marik…?" Ishizu Ishtar spoke softly, blue eyes shifting slightly as they followed the text in the research book she was reading, "What is it?" She had a lot to do. The shipment of antiquities that had been held up had finally come in and she was on a tight deadline – she had an entire brand new exhibit to set up in order to showcase them, and little help – the recent unrest in the country had not only caused the initial delay in receiving the items, but left her short-handed when it came to staff, as well.
"You were up late again last night…" The blond proffered, his violet eyes watching her carefully for any reaction, as he waited for an explanation. When neither came, he continued, pressing for an answer. "Was it that dream, again?"
Marking her place and putting the heavy tome down, the ebony-haired woman sighed deeply as she turned to face her younger brother. Being Secretary General of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, as well as a museum curator, were daunting tasks in and of themselves for a female of the tender age of 21; even though she already had nearly four years of experience under her belt at doing both. When she and Marik, along with Odion, had helped all of the others pave the way for the Pharaoh to return to the 'afterlife' nearly a year before, and subsequently been released from their obligations as Tomb-keepers, she had believed that those two things would be the only burdens left that she would have to balance upon her delicate shoulders. Unfortunately, it seemed as if her involvement with all things supernatural had not ended with the loss of the Millennium Necklace or the Pharaoh's departure.
"Yes, it was…" She answered simply, knowing what he meant without any elaboration; after all, she had been having exactly the same dream every night for a month now.
The boy frowned. "So…what are you…what are we… going to do?"
Ishizu's gaze settled calmly on the sibling for which she had risked so much to save. "We are going to wait…"
Startled at her answer, he could only echo it. "Wait…?" And then ask in confusion, "…for what?"
His sister's lips drew into a slight smile. "Not for what, dear brother. For whom…"
~~~~~~~~oOo~~~~~~~~
It had all happened so fast.
One second he had been walking across the street, minding his own business – and the next, he was being bowled over by a blue blur, amidst screams, the squeal of tires and the smell of burning rubber. Lying on his back on the rough pavement, eyes closed, Joey found himself desperately fighting to catch his breath and calm his racing heart, while at the same time trying to take stock and see if anything important had been damaged in whatever-it-was that had just taken place.
However, the weight that was lying halfway on top of him wasn't helping his thought processes any.
The delicious aroma of warm cinnamon and sweet coconut wafted past his nostrils, sending what was left of his functioning brain into a scent-induced tizzy. But it was what happened next that sealed his fate. When his 'savior' spoke and he recognized the voice, that was when his mind decided to totally desert him – so, of course, his body happily stepped up and took over.
The reaction was immediate; and downright humiliating. The blond could feel his face getting hot, and if he could have, he would have melted into the asphalt in embarrassment. As it was, he had no clue as to what to do next; so he lay there, frantically praying to any God, or Saint, that he could name, of every religion he could think of, that the other male hadn't noticed. That was why it didn't sink in right away that he was being asked a question…apparently, for the second time…
"Huh…?" Finally opening his eyes, the prone teen almost gasped at how close the other boy's face was to his.
The brunet merely frowned, his sharp blue eyes narrowing as he stared down. "I asked you if you were hurt…" His face is so red…is he really all right…?
"Oh…uh…no, I don't think so…" Forcing himself to breathe deeply and ignore the incessant thudding of his heart, Joey tried moving his arms and legs; doing so required Kaiba to relinquish his current position over the top of him rather quickly, unless he wanted to get elbowed in the ribs for his trouble. "Everything seems to be working okay…" He grimaced slightly as he brought his right arm up to look at it. It was bleeding, the entire forearm having been scraped raw from his tumble on the pavement. "Well…at least, dere's no permanent damage done…"
Sitting straight-legged in the middle of the street, and taking a good look around for the first time since pinning the blond, the teen CEO was not surprised to find that the crowd that had been following him had dispersed like smoke in the wind at the first hint of trouble; God forbid, that they would offer to help…
He snorted at the idea.
It what little experience that he'd had with people (inside and outside of business) he'd found that they usually didn't want to get involved with anything other than their own petty problems and superfluous lives – unless it worked to their advantage in some way. Nothing was ever given freely.
He frowned. However, even he'd been forced to admit that there were exceptions…
He would have to say that Yugi was one…
Turning his head, his gaze fell on the younger teen still lying on the newly repaved street. A split-second slideshow of some of the adventures that had occurred in the last two years played through his mind, and he felt his lips twitch upward. Yes, he supposed he would have to say that Joey Wheeler was also an exception to that rule…
Shaking his head to rid himself of such thoughts, the brunet got to his feet; trying to make himself look a bit more presentable, he started to pat away the dirt on his clothes, but quickly gave up on the notion when he saw the sticky tar staining his pant leg and jacket. Recalling what the blond had stated a few seconds prior, he couldn't help but comment. "Maybe no permanent damage was done to you, but this suit has seen its last meeting…" He grumbled, and then glanced at the still silent blond with a raised eyebrow. What is up with the 'puppy'? He's never this quiet.
"Wheeler…" Even he could hear the exasperation in his voice, "If you're not hurt, then get the hell up from there. We've got things to do, and you're wasting time."
Sitting up, the fair-haired boy looked up at him in surprise, his amber eyes wide. "Things to do…? Like what, Kaiba?"
The young billionaire shook his head; reaching down, he grabbed the other boy's arm (the uninjured one) firmly and hauled him to his feet. "We need to get cleaned up, and you need to get patched up. Then, I need lunch…" Frowning at the look he was given at his mention of food, he amended his statement with a deep sigh, "alright…we need lunch. Then we will go back to my office, where you will help me, in whatever way I need." There's no way that he could be any worse than the so-called secretary I have now. "After which, we will discuss our trip to Egypt, and see about making arrangements. You do still have a valid passport, right?"
Blinking in rapid succession, Joey nodded, trying to keep up with and process what he was being told.
Finally, it dawned on him exactly what Kaiba had asked and what that meant; but he still wanted to be absolutely sure. "Does dat mean dat you're saying 'Yes', Kaiba?"
"Yes, Wheeler…"
"Why?" The question was out before the poor boy could stop it.
The brunet looked at him as if he had asked why the Earth was round or the sky was blue. "Because of what just happened…" At the other's blank look, he clarified. "That was no accident. Someone just tried to run you over, Wheeler." He watched as the blond's coloring quickly went from ruddy to a pasty white.
"No accident…? Are…are you sure…Kaiba?"
The teen CEO scowled, uncertain as to why he was suddenly so very, very angry; whether it was at the boy standing in front of him for asking such a stupid question, or from the fact that someone had tried to do the inept, naïve, good-hearted, cute but clueless, duelist harm in the first place. He would sort out the truth later; about everything. Right now, he let the anger wash over him as he snapped back his reply. "Of course, I'm sure! Now, get a move on before I change my mind!" Standing so straight that his back popped, the brunet spun sharply on his heel and with giant strides, took off in the opposite direction down the sidewalk from the way that he had originally been heading, leaving the blond-haired boy to follow or not, as he chose.
A few seconds later, he couldn't keep his lips from sliding into a satisfied smirk as his ears caught the sound of sneakers scuffing along behind…
…While in the alley across the street, pulled back just enough to be discreetly hidden, a certain black sedan sat idling, the dark tinted windows giving no clue as to who its occupants were…
…To who was waiting…
…And watching…
Author's Note: Sorry for the delay! Had this mapped out; was just polishing it when I came down with Cellulitis – been on antibiotics for a while now, but it's still not much better and it HURTS! Oh, well! Enough griping! Hope you enjoy! XD