Yugi hesitated for a moment before deciding to walk into Kaiba's shower. He pulled the glass door back and tentatively stepped inside, feeling the hot water grazing his leg before he caught a long stare from the handsome CEO.
"I-I'm sorry…I'll leave," Yugi whispered, changing his mind instantly. He'd originally thought that he ought to avoid Yami because he was angry, but he'd forgotten how dangerous Seto Kaiba could be on his own.
"No, you can stay," Kaiba said slyly, reaching over Yugi's shoulder to shut the glass door with a clang that echoed around them. "I'll help you. Come here."
"Help me with what?" Yugi asked suspiciously. Three tiny towels were rolled nicely, arranged together in a stack, and he saw Kaiba grab the topmost one and unfurl it, holding it out for him to use.
"Your back," Kaiba said plainly, draping the cloth over Yugi's shoulder, reaching up to give his blond bangs a playful pinch. "Turn around."
On the other side of the glass, Yami narrowed his eyes and watched as Yugi placed his palms against the divide and leaned forward, allowing Kaiba to drag the washcloth down in smooth motions, gently cleaning him.
Grinding his teeth, Yami realized Kaiba was still intent on biting Yugi even though he was full. Newborn vampires were so…troublesome!
Yugi glanced over his shoulder nervously, feeling an odd calm settle over him as Kaiba diligently washed his back, and his cheeks grew warm. Th-This was kind of nice….
He nearly slipped when Kaiba pressed into him too hard, and his thighs grazed the glass divide briefly. Shivering, Yugi leaned away from it, seeing Yami's slender silhouette with his arms crossed, watching them on the other side. There was too much condensation to see Yami's expression through the fog, but Yugi could feel him frowning at them.
A cold hand caressed his asscheek, and Yugi shivered, waiting for Kaiba to be finished, but to his rising apprehension, the washcloth fell to his feet, and a hot tongue flicked out over the shell of his ear.
"W-Wait…are you finished?" Yugi asked nervously, feeling Kaiba's hands come up around the sides of his face to turn his head to the side for a kiss, and their lips melted against each other in a warm greeting. Yugi's knees trembled, threatening to give out when Kaiba's tongue grazed his lower lip, and his head spun with excitement and confusion.
Was this okay? Yami was watching them and not doing anything.
The kissing felt nice. And Kaiba was…handsome…
Yami's frown deepened when he saw Kaiba kiss Yugi, and he shut the water off so he could listen to their thoughts. Yugi had been pressed up against the glass so much, Yami could see his palm prints leaving marks, and his erection was outlined clearly through the fog as Kaiba leaned into him from behind, his pale hands roaming over every inch of Yugi's slender chest.
Shaking his head, Yami stepped out of the shower to grab a towel, hearing Yugi's voice drifting through his head.
F-Feels good…! Is he gonna touch me in f-front?
Letting out a sigh, Yami walked across the bathroom to grab a towel and a robe, drying himself off and wondering when Kaiba would be satisfied. He'd known vampires who enjoyed playing with their meals before and after feeding. Of course Kaiba would be the type of vampire to reward his humans with sex after being fed on.
Yami sat down on the stone bench beside the door and crossed his legs tightly, listening to the sound of their panting echoing through the bathroom. He would stay and make sure Kaiba didn't hurt the human too much, because the sun was rising soon, and they needed to give him back.
Kaiba opened his mouth and rested the tops of his teeth against Yugi's pale shoulder, holding back enormously when he felt the urge to bite down. He wasn't hungry…just horny. He had to learn to separate the two.
Reaching down Yugi's front, Kaiba gave his erection a steady stroke, enjoying the way Yugi shivered and leaned back against his body, their skin slipping on each other as the water continued to cascade down their backs.
"Can't stand?" Kaiba asked quietly, reaching behind him to shut the water off overhead. "What do you want? Tell me."
Yugi struggled to put his feelings into words as Kaiba pressed a tight kiss against his cheek and he shut his eyes, trying to speak.
He wanted to cum. But he also wanted to feel safe…knowing that Kaiba wouldn't take things too far.
Kaiba heard this faintly, so he turned Yugi around slowly and pulled him into a tight hug, listening to the rapid pounding of his heart beating against his chest. He felt Yugi slowly raise his arms to return the hug and hang onto him with equal force, causing a bubble of warmth to rise up inside him and sit comfortably low in his stomach.
Fuck. Yugi was sweet and a little naïve.
The resemblance he bore to Yami was arousing too.
He was softer…cuter…
Yami heard this and rolled his eyes, grinding his teeth in frustration. It was not comforting to hear himself being compared to Kaiba's current favorite meal.
Sliding down onto his knees, Kaiba pressed his nose into the soft curves where Yugi's thighs met and stared up the erection jutting up over his head. Cute.
He surged upwards to take him into his mouth, giving it a long, slow suck and earning an excited gasp from Yugi.
Gentle hands came down into his hair and stroked it. Kaiba's stomach turned strangely, but he ignored it, intent on enjoying himself to the fullest when he felt Yugi twitch inside his mouth, and he gave him a powerful suck, feeling Yugi's thighs tremble under his palms.
He bobbed is head and rubbing his tongue lewdly into Yugi's slit and felt fingers curling in through the tops of his hair before a rush of semen caught him completely off-guard, and Kaiba swallowed the thin fluid, noting that it was still sweet, but there wasn't very much of it, and…that had been very quick.
"I-I'm sorry!" Yugi stammered, his vision swimming in and out of focus as he swayed on the spot from the residual shocks of his orgasm. "I couldn't—I didn't…should I have said something?"
"This is why I don't fuck with virgins," Kaiba muttered to himself, and he felt Yugi tense with embarrassment underneath him before relaxing again.
"I'm…not a virgin!" Yugi protested, his face flushing with anger. "You just did it to me!"
"Yeah? And that was…what, your second time?" Kaiba scoffed, reaching for the water again and switching it on. "Please."
Trying to hide his annoyance at Kaiba's tone, Yugi let him run the hot water down the front of his body before shutting it off again. He received a slight shock when he saw Yami standing by the glass door, holding out a pair of robes and towels for them.
Yugi stepped out of the shower and accepted the clean towels gratefully, draping them over his wet body to hastily dry himself off, seeing Kaiba do the same and slip the robe on with ease.
"Is there any wine left?" Kaiba asked, gazing into Yami's face and looking for signs of anger, pleased when he realized he'd been forgiven. "I'll open another bottle for us."
"You should check on Mokuba," Yami said evenly, reaching for Yugi's arm and pulling him out of the bathroom. "I'll bring him back."
Yugi pressed a hand to his mouth to suppress a yawn, and Yami caught this instantly.
"Where is your room? Do you want to rest here instead?" Yami steeled Yugi over to the bed and sat him down firmly on the edge. "I will get you food, and water. Please behave as if you'd just had your blood drawn at the hospital. If you feel faint, please tell me."
"I-I'm fine!" Yugi protested, startled by the sudden hospitality. "I'm sharing a room with my friends, and it's my turn to sleep on the fold-out couch—"
"You should make the dogs sleep on the floor where they belong," Kaiba said coldly, and he received a sharp glare from Yami.
"Kaiba, for someone as young as yourself, you sound as if you have centuries of ingrained prejudice against them," Yami said tiredly, sitting beside Yugi. "Don't be elitist. Werewolves are people too."
"Then why do they reek?" Kaiba snapped, striding over to the silver cart and plucking a sandwich off the bottom basket and tossing it at Yugi. "If they're people, they should act like it."
"We're not any better than they are," Yami fumed, curling his fists at his sides. "Recall what we just did to this poor boy here. They wanted to protect him, and we ruined that."
"Guys? I'm…okay," Yugi said timidly, but he was ignored.
"Who says I want to hurt him?" Kaiba ranted, feeling his temper flare suddenly. "Why do they think we want to hurt him?"
"We think we're not hurting anyone, but we did hurt him!" Yami raged back, feeling Yugi tense beside him. "Ask him yourself!"
"Are you hurt?" Kaiba rounded on Yugi, seeing him blink rapidly at him and shake his head stiffly once.
"See?" He snapped at Yami, and Yami shook his head sadly.
"If not this meal, then the next!" Yami insisted, his ears burning red as he tried to explain. "I hurt you while feeding on you, didn't I? You see? I did it unknowingly!"
"You didn't hurt me," Kaiba said coldly, planting his feet apart and giving Yami an appraising look. "You made me invincible. I am now better than ever. I feel more alive than I've ever been."
"Yes…as one does, after feeding," Yami sighed, no longer wanting to argue. "Now, do you want to check on Mokuba, or shall I?"
"I'll go," Kaiba growled, sweeping out of the room in his robe and not bothering to get dressed. "If I'm not back in an hour, come find me."
"Very well," Yami said tiredly, nodding as Kaiba left the room and slammed the door behind him.
A ringing silence followed, and Yugi patted Yami's leg awkwardly.
"I'm really okay," Yugi said, trying to convince himself more than anything. "I feel fine. I'll eat something and take a nap. Can I…have my clothes?"
"Room service will return them when they've been cleaned," Yami replied shortly, rising to his feet to grab the telephone on the desk by the window. "Get some rest. The sun is rising soon."
Yugi nodded and unwrapped the sandwich hastily, taking even bites out of it and chewing. His stomach growled happily in response and before he knew it, he'd finished it.
Wow, I didn't know I was so hungry, Yugi thought nervously to himself, eyeing the cart and seeing another sandwich on the bottom shelf. He got up and heard Yami call out to him.
"Sit back down! Where are you going? I will get it for you," Yami insisted, setting the phone back into its cradle and rushing to the cart to bring over the entire basket of food. He set it on the edge of the bed and watched Yugi dig around happily inside it, his cheeks pink with happiness at the sight of all the treats.
His heart skipped a beat, watching Yugi smile and hold up a bag of chips triumphantly.
"These were discontinued!" Yugi exclaimed, setting it aside and diving back down into the basket. "Nice! Kaiba-kun ordered all the good stuff."
Yami nodded absentmindedly as Yugi bit into another sandwich and began arranging all the snacks on the bed in a row, his eyes shining.
"You are close in age with him, aren't you?" Yami asked quietly, his chest tightening with emotion as Yugi nodded happily.
"He was enrolled at my school for half a year before he was pulled out," Yugi said conversationally, unwrapping a candy bar and biting off the tip. "I read a news article saying he graduated with honors from T university! I think he went to school overseas too, all while working. I don't really know."
"Is your school a…prestigious one?" Yami asked curiously, and Yugi shook his head, his cheeks pouched full of food.
"We're pretty normal," Yugi said, folding the wrapper neatly and scanning the room for a trash can. "I think high school wasn't for him. Kaiba-kun is way too smart for that."
Yami nodded, feeling the distance grow between Kaiba and himself. Kaiba must've unconsciously recognized Yugi in that moment.
The basket was pushed aside and Yami watched Yugi lay down contentedly and tuck his feet under the covers, curling up with a yawn. He glanced at the clock with one-eye open and froze.
It was 5:30 AM.
"Get some rest," Yami said warmly, giving Yugi's sheet-covered legs a pat. "I'll make sure there is food for you here when you wake up."
"Will you be here…when I wake up?" Yugi asked quietly, sinking into the pillows and feeling himself grow drowsy already. "Maybe I should stay up?"
"No," Yami said, shaking his head sadly. "We won't meet again."
Yugi frowned into his pillow, closing his eyes and asking, "Then what happens when you get hungry again? You'll eat someone else, right?"
"…Correct," Yami replied uneasily, wondering where this conversation was going. "Good night—"
"Then why don't you just keep drinking my blood?" Yugi asked faintly, already fading in and out of sleep. "If you like it so much, I'll just give it to you when you get hungry…"
"You might want to reconsider," Yami suggested gently, his heart doing an odd summersault in his chest at the sight of Yugi's angelic expression tucked under the covers. "But I'm sure Kaiba would love to hear you say that."
His reply was the steady rise and fall of Yugi's shoulders while he breathed evenly, and Yami sighed, gathering all the snacks back into the basket and setting it on the ground.
Might as well get some sleep in while he could to conserve energy.
Climbing into the bed, Yami laid down beside Yugi and turned away, staring at the door for a moment before shutting his eyes and letting himself drift off.
"Lemme go! Leave him alone!" Mokuba shrieked, struggling against the many pairs of arms holding him while a tall, white-haired man leered at Seto, who was doubled over on the ground, coughing after being kicked in the stomach.
Gasping for breath, Kaiba's vision turned red as he bared his fangs at the man he barely recognized. Wasn't he the freak from the hospital? Him and his group of hooded groupies were fanning out around the room, methodically opening all the drawers and closet doors, looking for personal belongings.
"The vampire with brown hair and eyes of blue," Bakura drawled, striding over to the window to gaze out of it before drawing the blinds with a snap. "You reek of freshness. Did you just feed? Ah yes, of course. You fed on the Gem of Domino. Yugi Muto."
W-What?! Kaiba reeled, slowly getting to his feet and tensing, ready to lunge at the man to fight, but two other hooded men surrounded him on either side, so he decided to bide his time.
"So, the sable murderer has a child," Rishid, the man with scripture tattooed on his face muttered, giving Mokuba's arm a shake. "An unregistered child. How long has this been happening under our noses?"
"Are you aware?" Bakura asked softly, stepping so close to Kaiba, they were nearly nose-to-nose in height. "Yes, you are. You were there! You visited them…. after nearly killing them both. We're here to deliver punishment."
Kaiba blinked rapidly, his stomach churning. Oh shit. Were these people vampire police?
Was there a hierarchy? A society?
"Leave! Him! Alone! YAMI…HELP—" A slender hand came down and muffled his screams, and Ishizu took her hood off, glaring at the child.
"Who is he calling for? His mother?" She struggled to keep Mokuba quiet while Mokuba flashed his claws, but Rishid was quicker, restraining him with force and tackling him to the ground while he kicked and squirmed.
"Did the boy just call for 'Yami'?" Bakura asked softly, and Kaiba felt the man on his left tense. "So, the child-feeding reject knows of these two? Of course. Of course."
"Don't speak ill of the fallen king," the man on Kaiba's left mumbled, and he received a sharp glare from Bakura.
"If you want to join him in exile, I'm not stopping you, Mahad," Bakura snapped, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Anyone else want to say anything about 'the king', Marik?"
Kaiba felt the man on his right tense and shake his head.
Such fucking weird-ass names. How old were these freaks?
Also, an hour had passed.
Where the hell was Yami when you needed him?
"I can hear you, you worm," Bakura seethed, stepping in Kaiba's face again, his grassy scent nearly overpowering his senses. "You are hereby banned from the greater Tokyo area. Go live in the north or south, and you will encounter other, more violent clans suitable to your violent needs to kill and devour humans."
"OW!" Rishid cried, yanking his hand back when Mokuba bit down on the top of his hand and left two, long gashes across his skin. "This child is feral!"
"We don't wanna do that!" Mokuba shouted, finally breaking away from Isizhu and rushing to stamp his foot at Bakura. "We live in Domino—"
"Mokuba!" Kaiba cried warningly, his eyes wide with fear, but it was too late. Bakura heard this and leered at Kaiba.
"You live in Domino?" Bakura repeated gleefully, baring his fangs threateningly at Kaiba. "So, what I'm hearing is…you kill and eat where you sleep. Barbaric. We have something called honor, and this behavior is not tolerated here."
Kaiba ground his teeth and said nothing, understanding that he was in deep shit for mauling those two humans while in wolf form. Fuck. Did he need a vampire lawyer to get out of this one?
"And suddenly, he's mute!" Bakura crowed, running a hand through his hair and sighing, sounding refreshed. "Got nothing to say for yourself?"
"I'm paying for their treatment," Kaiba said evenly, willing his voice not to shake, and he received a mirthless cackle in response.
"How? By stealing money from the humans you feed on?" Bakura asked, sounding genuinely interested now. "May I remind you that that is also a crime. If I ever see you again, we will kill you slowly."
"Then we'll never see each other again," Kaiba scoffed, folding his arms across his chest firmly with his feet planted apart. "Let my brother go."
"Yes, yes, one last question," Bakura said absently, tapping his chin with one clawed index finger. "Who is your Keeper?"
The room fell eerily silent, and Kaiba shook his head, confused. What the fuck were all these words? He had no idea what any of them meant.
"Your Keeper, your Master," Bakura repeated impatiently, his voice growing colder by the second. "The person who gave you this life! What is their name? They'll be upset to hear what you've done, and I intend to tell them in great detail after your banishment."
"I said I'd pay for their treatment," Kaiba said, doing his best not to raise his voice because he had a feeling this white-haired man was more dangerous than Yami. "And I don't remember who gave me 'this life'. I only know how I died."
"Then someone was sloppy and didn't drain all the blood from your body!" Bakura hissed, whirling around to face his group who had all half-lowered their hoods, and Kaiba could see their faces clearly for the first time in the dim room.
There was a woman with sleek, dark hair plaited into two braids, and a bald man beside her with tattoos on his face. The man on his left was tall, had dark skin and sharp features, whereas the man on his right had blonde hair, and angular eyes similar to Yami's in shape.
Interesting. So this was a 'clan'. Were they related?
"You." Bakura hovered in his face again, and Kaiba stood his ground, swallowing thinly and doing his best to keep his expression impassive. "You may stay, only because you are atoning for your attacks. In the meantime, there will be a city-wide hunt for a rogue vampire who is turning people. Goddamnit!"
"So…we're not banned," Mokuba said dully, and Bakura loomed over the child with a swish of his purple cloak, sneering.
"Not yet, baby boy," Bakura hissed softly. "Who is your Keeper? Your big brother here? We might have to take you away from him if you continue to bite people."
"The one who saved me is Yami," Mokuba said firmly, and he heard odd grumbles and gasps echo around in the room.
Uh oh.
Was that the wrong thing to say?
But he didn't want to be taken away from Seto!
"Interesting. And when did you die?" Bakura asked, suddenly sounding gentle and sympathetic, but Mokuba didn't fall for it and kept his glare steady.
"Yesterday," Mokuba lied, before he shook his head and frowned, deciding to add more vagueness to it. "No, the day before. Anyway, I ate for the first time yesterday. I don't really remember."
"Death amnesia," The woman with dark hair nodded. "How did you die, little boy?"
"A guy shot me in the head after I survived a plane crash," Mokuba growled, turning to glare at Isis. "And I'm not little. I'm gonna be thirteen soon."
Kaiba grit his teeth and felt a surge of pride. Good little Moki, reading the room and playing his audience well. They might just get away unscathed.
"A child killer, how terrifying. A good thing Yami was there," the man named Mahad muttered at Kaiba's side, and Kaiba clenched his fists in pockets, cursing silently.
It looked like Yami wasn't going to come barging in to help them.
It had now been an hour and thirty minutes.
"Yes, we all know Yami has a savior complex and enjoys biting children," Bakura said absently, waving a pale hand across his nose. "Little boy, you tell him he needs to register your existence with the Council the moment you return to the city. And as for you…"
Bakura rounded on him and Kaiba said nothing, standing his ground.
"You are on thin ice," Bakura growled. "Yugi Muto is off limits. Attacking people in the streets is against the treaty, and if I discover you are turning humans, I will personally drive a stake through your throat and leave you like that."
Sure, fine, whatever. Kaiba blinked and remained silent.
The best thing to do was not start a fight in a room full of enemies.
Not with Mokuba in the room.
"We leave at sunset," Bakura sniffed, waving Kaiba away with his hand. "Now get out of my sight. This room is ours."
"Fine by me," Kaiba said stiffly, eager to leave, he reached his hand out to his little brother. "Come on Mokuba, let's go."
"No! Leave the child," Bakura's fangs glinted threateningly as he sneered. "You are not his Keeper. You are a feral, violent being, not fit to be a guardian."
Losing his patience, Kaiba spun around and shot his arm out with lightning speed, aiming for Bakura's throat, his eyes burning as he glared daggers into the paler man when his fingers closed around his pale throat, and hands came up around his wrist, tugging weakly while gasping for air.
The people around him gasped, and Kaiba felt a vicious rush of triumph when he realized he was stronger, so he gave Bakura's throat a threatening squeeze, choking more air out of him while he heard Mokuba pleading with him, "Seto! S-Stop!"
"My brother stays with me…at all times," Kaiba said coldly, releasing Bakura and giving him a shove for a good measure, watching him stumble back clumsily before he was held upright by his men. "Good riddance. Come on, Mokuba."
Mokuba rushed to Seto's side and grabbed his hand, throwing the group of vampires a fearful look over his shoulder and seeing Bakura holding up a clawed finger to point at him accusingly, rasping, "Tell Yami to come see me, boy!"
Gripping Seto's hand tighter, Mokuba followed his older brother out of the room and down the hall, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart.
"W-Were those bad guys, Seto?" Mokuba asked, and his response was Seto's grip tightening over his.
"Maybe. I don't know," Kaiba replied stiffly, wondering why everyone in that room referred to Yami as a 'reject.' He wasn't sure who he could trust now. That interaction only proved that he knew nothing about this new way of life, and Mokuba had almost been taken away from him.
He had to prevent that from happening in the future at all costs.
Mokuba was all he had in this life.
Hell, this was already his second life, wasn't it?
Time to get some answers.
They strode down the hall and Kaiba knocked on Yami's door, holding his breath and composing a rant inside his head.
Why do they call you a reject?
What does 'fallen king' mean in the context of vampires?
Also, you're a king and you didn't fucking tell me?
King of what?
"Owwww Seto…that hurts," Mokuba whispered softly, trying to pry his hand out of Seto's grip. "Let go, you're squeezing too hard!"
Yami answered the door and pulled it back to let the Kaiba brothers in, noting that Kaiba's expression had considerably darkened.
"What happened—" Yami began but Kaiba didn't give him a chance to ask.
The CEO pointed to the other room and strode into it furiously, leaving Mokuba standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, eyeing the cart full of snacks longingly.
"I'll ask you," Yami sighed, nodding at Mokuba. "What happened that made him so angry?"
"Some bad guys came into my room and got into a fight with Seto," Mokuba reported, moving to sit on the edge of the bed and staring at the crop of spiky hair buried under the covers. "Who's that?"
"I'll tell you if you answer my questions," Yami said evenly, folding his arms. "What bad guys?"
"One of them had white hair," Mokuba replied, and Yami's blood ran cold. "He kept saying Seto attacked people and we were gonna get banned from Domino, but Seto avoided that by saying he would pay for their treatment."
"Bakura's on board," Yami breathed, his hair standing end as he realized he should've been more on-guard. Shit. Instead of taking a nap beside Yugi, he should've been with Mokuba and Kaiba to deal with the Thief King.
"He sounds like a bad guy," Mokuba yawned, kicking his shoes off and crawling into the bed. "Why'm I sleepy? Also, are you my Keeper?"
"What?" Yami snapped, his ears ringing with a strange sound at Mokuba's sudden knowledge. "Where did you learn that word?"
"Yami!" Kaiba shouted from the other room, causing them both to jump, and Yugi remained unmoving in the bed.
"Ooo Seto is mad at you," Mokuba said knowingly, giving Yami a nod. "They kept talking about you."
"Who? Bakura?" Yami asked, edging towards the door leading to the other room. "Sleep. We will talk about it later. You need rest."
Mokuba grumbled but tucked himself into bed, watching Yami's slender legs disappear through the doorway into the other room, and the door clicked shut.
Yami stood with his back against the door, watching Kaiba pacing in front of the window like a madman, and his hair stood on end.
"You…have a lot of explaining to do," Kaiba breathed, shooting Yami a glare. "Are you a king? Why are they all calling you a reject? And what the hell is this…'registering' they say Mokuba needs?"
"I have a lot of teaching to do," Yami corrected Kaiba gently, pulling out a chair from the nearby desk and sitting down gracefully. "I will answer your questions now, and I'm glad you managed to get away unscathed. It is my fault completely that you are in this—"
"Damn right," Kaiba spat, striding over to Yami and looming over him in his chair. "Tell me everything."
"First, let me apologize," Yami said nervously, giving Kaiba a serious look. "…For changing you and not realizing it."
"Apology accepted, now tell me why they want to take Mokuba away from me," Kaiba seethed, wondering why his temper was flaring so suddenly. The tiny strip of sunlight coming in through the blinds was not helping his mood either.
"They want to take Mokuba out of your care because you are also a young vampire," Yami said sympathetically. "You both changed at the same time, therefore, you are the same age. He must be under the care of an older vampire who will help guide him through death, just like how you need me to guide you through death."
"So, all that Keeper and Master nonsense," Kaiba grit his teeth as he spoke. "You're the one who made me like this, so…that's you."
"Yes, I am in…as you humans would say, 'shitloads' of trouble for turning you both," Yami said with a wry smile, reminding himself that Kaiba was no longer human. "Mokuba must be registered for his own protection. Older vampires hunt younglings to raise them as personal servants or as their own, so they can learn their values while they're still malleable."
"Oh fuck," Kaiba deadpanned, pressing a hand to his face in distress. "How long until he's an adult?"
"Centuries," Yami replied seriously, feeling himself sweat. "We must protect him for at least eighteen to twenty centuries. One year for humans is roughly equivalent to half a day for vampires."
"Well, thanks for telling me now," Kaiba snapped, feeling unusually hopeless. "Mokuba is never allowed outside ever again."
"You should teach him how to fight and defend himself," Yami mused, crossing his arms tightly and lacing his fingers over his knee. "A child who can fight back is better than a child who is helpless. He still hasn't changed yet, and…have you changed?"
"Changed?" Kaiba growled, his chest heavy with dread and exhaustion.
"Into your animal form," Yami said patiently, and he received a cold look from Kaiba in response.
"You really don't know, do you," Kaiba breathed, mirroring Yami's stance and crossing his arms. "Have you seen my animal form?"
"Why, do you hate it?" Yami asked, completely oblivious to Kaiba's distress. "Show me. Don't worry about any deformations. It's only natural for the first time—"
"I am the brown wolf who went on a rampage downtown," Kaiba snapped, and he saw Yami pale significantly. "I nearly killed that girl, whatever her name is—Annie. And her boss. Those vampires were going to kill me for it. I blame you for that."
Yami said nothing as his eyes moistened at the corners, and Kaiba turned away from him, not wanting to see tears.
Ah fuck.
He was an asshole in this life too. Who would've guessed?
"I'm here to help," Yam said plainly, and Kaiba brushed past him coldly without sparing him a glance.
"You've helped enough, thanks," Kaiba replied sarcastically, nearing adding 'reject' to the end of that sentence, and he reminded himself to stay amicable before he strode out of the room and closed the door with a click.
Yami heard this thought and remained silent, listening to the Kaiba brothers converse softly through the walls, and his stomach curled with anxiety and dread.
He needed to confront Bakura, regain control of his life, and enter society again as a functioning vampire who contributed to the clan.
After all, he had a child under his wing now, and accompanying him was a terrifying billionaire of an older brother who he was quite fond of, despite the flares in his temper.
Author's note:
ooouououu kaiba learns the harsh truth about yami, and learns he is on the bottom of the food chain with mokuba. What will they do next? Yami can help, but can he pull himself together enough to fight bakura for the title of 'king'?
