Yami woke up slowly, feeling like he was being watched.
He was.
Kaiba was staring intently into his face, propped up on the pillows beside him with Mokuba's scraggly black hair in the space between them as he beamed handsomely.
"Morning," Kaiba said steadily, feeling his face heat up as Yami blinked prettily at him and nodded, glancing around the room before sniffing the air tentatively, his frown sharpening.
"…Did you feed?" Yami caught a whiff of something savory, similar to…Yugi's blood.
"Yep. On my favorite meal," Kaiba replied blithely, not caring that Yami was going to be upset about him seeking out Yugi again. "He brought a friend. Mokuba will like him."
Yami bit back a groan and palmed his head, feeling a hunger headache coming on as he eased into a familiar lecture. "Kaiba, I know you like him, but you can't keep drinking from him or you'll turn him—"
"I took a light sip as a snack, and he brought a friend!" Kaiba insisted, hating how Yami was mothering him about this.
He knew what shit was.
He knew if he drank from Yugi too often, the meal would disappear.
He wasn't an idiot.
He'd seen movies and comics about how vampirism worked.
Hell, even Mokuba knew.
Yami said nothing, his mind churning as he slowly shook the dredges of sleep off his body. He could feel his powers returning slowly, little by little.
It shocked him that he could smell a freshy fed vampire. That ability, along with color in his vision had vanished a long time ago, but now that he had it all back, the changes were unnerving.
For the first time in centuries, he felt… alive. And another full meal was waiting for him in the form of Yugi's friend, because Kaiba had made it so.
"You're going to be powerful," Yami said shortly, standing from the bed to walk into the bathroom to wash up.
"Thanks, I know," Kaiba replied cattily, wondering if he should mention his blanket hypnosis trick he'd performed moments ago on all his security.
Mokuba woke up beside him and sat up with a wide-eyed look on his face, "food?!" He asked brashly, glancing around the room and seeing Yami emerge with a towel draped around his neck.
"Yes, food. A dessert," Kaiba said calmly, grabbing his little brother by the hand and leading him out of the room, feeling Yami following them magnetically.
They arrived in a spacious guest bedroom where strips of orange sunlight was beaming in through the tall windows, and a limp figure was propped up against a plush chair in front of a sprawling entertainment area.
Mokuba leapt over the couch and circled the unconscious boy like a hawk, his eyes wide with glee as he leaned forward to give him a sniff.
"Cookies?!" Mokuba breathed, and he knelt to grab the bowtie-wearing boy's hand, passing his lips over the pulse point before baring his fangs to take a bite.
Yami folded his arms and watched this scene with mild disapproval, but he couldn't help but feel like this type of easy dining fit their billion-yen surroundings and Kaiba's lifestyle perfectly.
The CEO had spoiled Mokuba in life, and of course he would spoil this child in death too.
"…Yum…!" Mokuba mumbled, throwing his head back to take deep heaving breaths before shooting Seto a grateful look through his bangs. "Thanks Seto. You're the best!" And he sank his fangs into the boy's pallid arm again to take another deep draft before he stopped suddenly and backed up to spit on the wound. He sat back on his heels robotically and bowed his head at the boy.
"Thanks for the meal," he mumbled, and he jumped to his feet, racing to Yami's side, gazing up with glowing eyes, silently asking for approval.
"Good. You stopped when you were full, right?" Yami nodded, staving off the pang of hunger that made him weak in the knees when he caught a whiff of Mokuba's freshy-fed scent.
"Yep!" Mokuba puffed his chest out proudly and gave Seto a beaming smile too.
"Now you will go about your day like you would if you were alive," Yami instructed, aware that Kaiba was watching him with narrowed eyes, unaccustomed to someone else commanding his little brother, but Yami pushed on. "You will complete your human studies until 3AM, and when you've finished that, come to me, and I'll teach you something…cool after we eat lunch at 4."
Mokuba fist pumped the air and dashed out of the room in a blur, leaving behind a cold wind that ruffled Kaiba's bangs across his forehead.
There was a tense silence, and Kaiba wanted to say something about how Yami was overstepping, but the protest bubbled down into complacency the more he thought about it.
Yami was both of their guardians now, and he probably knew 'cool' tricks that would be useful to learn. He needed to act graciously towards Yami, because this spiky-haired man had saved both of their lives.
"Now you feed, and I will go last," Yami said strongly, and to his surprise, Kaiba shook his head and gestured at the limp boy.
"No, age before beauty," Kaiba smirked arrogantly and he thought he saw Yami's mouth move upwards into a wry smirk, so he added to his defense, "…Because I owe you one. And I fed on Yugi…against my better judgment," he muttered, feeling his ears burn the way they did when he was furious or embarrassed about something.
"Glad you're aware it was wrong," Yami said calmly, stepping forward to take a bite out of the boy, listening steadily to his heartbeat as he knelt and grabbed the other arm and sank his teeth into the tender flesh, his mind buzzing and humming as his vitality returned in a rush. The colors around him sharpened again, and he slowly raised his head to stare at the wall opposite to them, seeing a human figure pacing around in a circle on the other side.
He lowered his head and took another sip until the pang of hunger subsided, and when he spit on the wound, Yami realized he could hear the human's thoughts through the wall.
"…Oh gosh, do I keep waiting? I think I heard Kaiba-kun walk past…"
"He's still here!" Yami cried, dropping the boy's wrist and standing to glare disapprovingly at Kaiba.
"Who?" Kaiba asked innocently before he dropped all pretenses and rolled his eyes. "Fine, yeah. So what?"
"So what? He has somewhere to be!" Yami exclaimed, eyeing the wall and seeing Yugi's shadow pacing in a circle again. "You can't snatch humans from their lives and keep them as pets. Do you want to reveal yourself? Let him go home."
"He can go whenever he wants. I didn't lock the door," Kaiba replied stiffly, striding forward to take a bite out of the vanilla cookies boy, thinking he wasn't even that hungry anymore, but he'd take one tiny bite to hold him over until lunch.
Yami shook his head and walked straight for the wall, intending on walking right through it, but he re-considered. He didn't want to show Seto this type of power right now. It would go to his head and make him dangerously arrogant, more so than he was already.
He walked to the door and closed it behind him, hearing Seto's thoughts lingering in the back of his mind.
"…Wierdo… Wonder if he can see through walls? He probably can…"
And he's already figured it out, Yami thought nervously, cracking a smile to himself. Kaiba was showing that he would already make a formidable opponent at a few days old, and Yami shuddered at the thought of Kaiba as a century-old vampire.
He would be nothing short of terrifying.
Which was why good feeding habits and kindness needed to be taught now, before he lost what little of his humanity he had left.
Yami stood at Yugi's door and knocked, seeing the outline of Yugi's warmth emanating through the barrier.
Yugi froze and hastily tied the robe tighter around his body before hurrying to answer. His heart thumped wildly as he wondered if it was Kaiba coming back to do something else with him, and his anxiety rose when he discovered it was Kaiba's rockstar vampire boyfriend at the door instead.
"Yugi, is it?" Yami asked kindly, hearing the human's fearful thundering heartbeat in his ears. Kaiba was the worst. He chose small, weak humans such as Yugi to feed on to make himself feel powerful. Classic infant behavior.
"Y-You remember me? Uh, I mean…n-nice to meet you…again…" Yugi whispered, his sweaty grip slipping on the door's beautiful golden handle as he took a step back, wondering if he was about to be eaten, but thankfully, Kaiba's vampire boyfriend didn't appear angry.
Yami gave the tiny spiky-haired human an appraising up and down look, smiling gently as he stepped into the room and eased the door shut behind himself, listening to Yugi's frantic heartbeat.
"Are you coming here against your will?" Yami asked quietly, and Yugi shook his head vehemently.
"N-No…Kaiba-kun is…nice," Yugi breathed, his eyes darting to the closed door and to Yami's angular eyes glowing in the semi-darkness, making his hair stand on end.
"As long as you want to, I won't oppose," Yami said warmly, walking forward to give Yugi a gentle pat on his shoulder, and Yugi froze, feeling a gentle haze settle over the front of his mind.
Oh man. Vampire…hypnosis?
"I'll bring friends," Yugi continued weakly. He'd heard the argument they'd had through the wall. Kaiba insisted he'd had a snack and Yami was concerned about him 'turning'…into a vampire presumably.
"Good. Continue to bring friends," Yami encouraged with a handsome smile. "I'll worry less about you the more friends you bring, alright? But again, if you ever feel like you don't want to, tell him very clearly. Don't be afraid of him. He's…still learning."
"I-I know…" Yugi stammered, and he received another gentle smile from the vampire before he was left alone in the room once more, and he let out the breath he'd been holding. Something told him Yami was way more dangerous than he let on.
He hastily slipped out of the bathrobe and got dressed, trying not to feel disappointed. Kaiba-kun and Yami didn't want to have sex with him today. They'd only called him over to drink his blood.
I'm stupid for hoping, Yugi thought furiously as he shoved his arms into the sleeves of his blazer, deciding to stay in the room and watch TV until the vampires were done feeding on Haga-kun.
Kaiba had just stepped out of the shower when Yami came barging in, invading his privacy while he was still naked.
The CEO gripped his towel before deciding against it and letting it fall away, grinning.
"Want to have some fun?" Kaiba asked, flashing his fangs in a catty grin. "I feel pretty good right now."
"Yes, I know," Yami replied impatiently, sitting gracefully on the leather lounge in the middle of the bathroom and crossing his legs tightly, aiming his stare at the vase of flowers on the marble counter instead of Kaiba's parts. He'd come to discuss a serious matter away from prying eyes and ears. The bathroom seemed to be the only safe place away from Mokuba and any humans who might overhear them. He wasn't strong enough to set up a barrier yet anyway, so this would have to do.
"Well?" Kaiba prompted impishly, reaching down to give himself a rub, irritated when Yami ignored him and continued to stare blankly at the other end of the wall.
"We need to strategize," Yami said calmly, fixating on the dark screen hanging above the vase of flowers. "The men who crashed your private flight will find out you're alive. We must return to the island alone, without Mokuba, and take care of this matter. Our food supply has been resolved, thanks to your fondness of Yugi, so I appreciate that."
Kaiba blinked and grimaced, grabbing a fresh bathrobe from the shelf and throwing it on. He sat stiffly beside Yami and crossed his legs too, lacing his hands over his knee thoughtfully.
"And here I thought you were going to yell at me some more about Yugi," Kaiba grinned, and then he sobered up instantly. "Can't I just send my security? Have them take care of it?"
"No. Because you're dealing with a murderer and you'll put their innocent lives at stake," Yami answered stiffly, unable to shake the image of the army of men standing above Mokuba's mangled body with a gun. "This human is ruthless. They killed a child in cold blood, Kaiba. They killed Mokuba before my very eyes. I won't let this slide."
Aw… Kaiba thought nervously, and he rested a hand on Yami's shoulder, curling his fingers into the thin fabric of his blazer and feeling a pang of uncertainty.
"I'll follow your lead," Kaiba said quietly, looking down at his knees and feeling a strange tightness in his chest he recognized as gratitude. "I was planning on hiding out for the rest of…ever and using a puppet to run my company."
"Hidingnever solves the problem. Trust me," Yami replied darkly, and Kaiba felt a shiver run down his spine. "You're immortal. That's no way to live."
Alright then, jesus.
"We're full now, and this blood will give us strength for the journey," Yami said stiffly, gazing into Kaiba's face and taking in his handsome features. He rested his hand on Kaiba's pale cheek and swept his thumb across the soft skin. "Appoint some guards to protect Mokuba, and we'll leave right after sending Yugi and his friend back to their homes. Time is of the essence."
He stood quickly and walked out of the bathroom, leaving Kaiba sitting on the leather lounge, staring after him.
Hanging his head, Kaiba listened to deafening silence growing louder, bracing himself for the hell that was coming. He'd been trying to avoid thinking about his death, Mokuba's death, and everything leading up to the plane crash, but Yami was pushing him to take action on it.
Fine. He had a feeling he knew who was responsible anyway.
And killing humans didn't faze him. He thought he'd feel guilt, experience nightmares, or lose sleep, but he'd passed the days peacefully as if it hadn't happened.
Being undead truly had its perks.
He rose to his feet, expecting to see his own reflection in the mirror, but there was nothing, reminding himself that he was indeed, truly dead.
I'm a Nobody Vampire, Kaiba thought darkly, striding out of the bathroom and into his closet to get dressed. I must carve out my place in this world…again.
He reached for a suit but changed his mind, moving down the rows to pull out another set of comfortable loungewear—the classic dark shirt and athletic pants, designed to wick away sweat.
I'm going to be transforming. I can't ruin a suit, Kaiba mused, pulling on the clothes and stepping out into his room to see Isono bowed before him so low, only the swirl of his dark hair was visible.
"What?" Kaiba asked sourly, crossing his arms in the doorway of his walk-in closet.
He could hear Isono's heartbeat humming in his ears with fear. It sickened him slightly that his loyal manservant was…terrified of him in this state, but it couldn't be helped.
"Master Kaiba, I must ask…" Isono began carefully, and Kaiba zoned out, staring at his own feet where the floor was glowing with an odd warmth. He knelt and grazed his knuckles across the spot, his vision fading briefly as he recalled fainting from exhaustion right after a shower.
He'd fallen here.
He'd…died here!
My death…spot?! Kaiba reeled, flattening his palm against the floor and feeling a rush of relief. He had to tell Yami about this immediately. Yami had expressed concern about not knowing when and where he died exactly, and mentioned it might give him more feral episodes if he didn't find it. Well, thank god it was right here.
"Master Kaiba?" Isono asked sharply, also kneeling to gaze into his face. "Are you feeling ill again?"
"No," Kaiba replied hollowly, looking his manservant right in the eyes and realizing the dark glasses did nothing to stop him from making direct eye contact through them. "I wasn't listening. Say it again."
Flustered, Isono cleared his throat and sat in a formal position with his feet tucked under him, steeling himself to ask again.
"I must request that you give me the resources I need to continue working for you in your changed state," Isono said tactfully, lowering his head into a formal bow. "I'm aware that you're leaving for Pegasus's castle, and Mokuba will be under my care. I can't protect him if I am what he eats."
There was a tense silence, and Kaiba bit the inside of his cheek, understanding instantly.
"Wait here," he said shortly, and he hurried out of the room to find Yami.
He didn't have to look far. He found Yami sitting in the middle of the library, setting candles down in a salt circle around his feet, and Kaiba paused, wondering what kind of occult nonsense he'd just walked in on.
"What's happening?" He asked dryly, and Yami gave him a reassuring smile over his shoulder, setting the last candle down in the salt ring before stepping out of it.
"I'm not strong enough to set a barrier, so I'm making do," Yami said calmly, aware of Kaiba's derisive thoughts about occults. "There are still humans in this house—"
"Yeah so, about that," Kaiba interrupted heatedly, feeling his ears burn with the memory of feeling embarrassed, and he shoved it down until he felt nothing again. "Isono asked me to change him. I came to ask if you think that's a good idea or not."
Yami blinked steadily and nodded. He already had a feeling Kaiba's manservant was quick to follow…
After all, it had been that way for himself too.
"If you want to bring him into this life, I will help," Yami said warmly, giving Kaiba a sad smile. "Will his loyalty stand the test of time? Only time will tell."
"Yeah, thanks for all the cryptic nonsense," Kaiba replied stiffly, clenching his fists at his sides in frustration, suddenly aware of their giant age gap. "I'll do it. If he wants to betray me a thousand years from now, honestly, I couldn't stop him. He'll have served under me for a billion years and I'm sure he'll want a change of pace eventually. The least I could do is let him continue working for me in a way he's comfortable with."
Yami nodded solemnly again, appreciating Kaiba's insight. Yes. This was what he'd thought was the correct method of action thousands of years ago too. They were oddly alike.
"You sound like me, from a millennia ago," Yami said thoughtfully, brushing past Kaiba and giving his arm a gentle pat. "We'll postpone our trip for a few days and focus on fortifying your mansion before we leave. If Bakura and the others catch wind of us vacating, they might fly here and murder everyone in this house just to send a message."
Kaiba grimaced and growled, "are they fucking gangsters?"
"No. They're the ones in charge…currently," Yami replied quietly, walking through the mansion halls, feeling Kaiba following him loyally. "If your manservant wants to join us, we must feed on him when we need it the most."
They came to a stop in front of Kaiba's room, and Yami gave Kaiba another tentative smile, "may I borrow a few humans from your arsenal, or would you like to accompany me to a secret location to pick up a few weapons?"
Kaiba's interest piqued, and he nodded excitedly.
"I love secrets…and weapons," Kaiba replied aggressively, walking inside his room and seeing Isono bow to him immediately. "Pick a car and we can bring a few guys too."
"Perfect. I'll see you downstairs," Yami grinned, flashing a hint of fang before hurrying down the steps, passing casually by Yugi who squeaked in anxiety and flattened himself against the banister.
"Ah, and you need to go home," Yami said strongly, reaching up to grab Yugi by the arm and leading him down the staircase with determination.
Yami realized he finally had a reason to live fully again.
Kaiba's rebirth had given him a purpose.
Inside his room, Kaiba gave Isono a tense smile after breaking the news and waited for his manservant to react.
Isono lowered his head respectfully and quietly evaluated his options. He would be dying. Master Kaiba had explained it clearly, so there was no confusion.
"I'll give you a few days to come to terms with it," Kaiba said calmly, listening to Isono's heartbeat thudding in his ears. "I won't blame you if you change your mind. So, hold the house down while I'm gone. We're off to get…weapons."
Weapons, Isono echoed curiously in his mind, but he remained bowed.
Yes.
Anything for Master Kaiba.
Author's note:
ITS BACK! This fic was on hold for SO LONG! thank you for your patience! I'm back to updating this story!