Yami hastily threw on the yukata Isono had brought out for him and hurried out of the room, grateful that the secondhand sandals fit. Clothes that didn't fit were usually the most annoying problem he encountered, but it seemed he no longer had to worry about this because of Kaiba's loyal servants.
How…nice.
It was nice to be cared for.
It was nice to have a home to protect and a family to feed.

These thoughts kept churning in his mind as he dashed down the grand staircase, pausing on the bottom step when he saw the front doors swing open, and a tall, elegant woman walked in, wearing sharp, black heels.

A device was attached to her ear and her black hair was tied back in a sleek bun. Tapping the device, she barely glanced at Yami as she spoke into it, sounding harassed. "You've reached the desk of Seto Kaiba. No, he is not available for comment."

She tapped the device again and sighed, giving Yami a disdainful up and down glance before walking right past him and into the house.

The scent of fresh peaches filled his nose as she passed, and Yami's breath hitched excitedly in his chest. He followed her magnetically into another brightly lit area of the house and watched her tuck her skirt gracefully underneath her and sit down on one of the luxurious grey lounges, waving a manicured hand at him.

"Get me a coffee. Black. And fetch Isono when you see him. These rumors are ridiculous…. Excuse me, I have a call incoming. Hello, you've reached the desk of Seto Kaiba, state your name and business."

Yami blinked at her, understanding that she thought he worked in the house. She was under Kaiba's employ, and Kaiba was his to command, which meant…

She is indirectly under my employ, Yami thought firmly, his stomach churning with hunger at the wonderful peach scent. She would make a perfect meal.

He strode forward confidently and sat down across from her on a plush, single-square sofa and crossed his arms and legs tightly, giving her an appraising look and catching a worried side glance from her in response.

"I've never seen you before." She said bluntly, facing him, also crossing her arms protectively. "Who are you?"

"I'm Seto's Master," Yami answered truthfully, waiting for a shocked reaction, but to his surprise, she threw her head back and laughed heartily.

"Okay! I get it," she winked and pointed a playful finger gun at him. "Hilarious. Can you tell me where he is?"

"Upstairs, asleep, with Mokuba," Yami replied, continuing to make steady eye-contact, appreciating her soft, almond-shaped eyes. "Who are you?"

She smiled prettily at him and bowed her head respectfully, "if Isono is his right hand, you could say I'm his left."

Yami nodded stiffly, his eyes sliding down the front of her formal blouse, feeling his control over her slip slightly when she looked away to bow.

They sat together in awkward silence before Yami decided he would not leave the house to find a meal. She would do.

"You know," he began, making sure she was looking directly in his face while he spoke. "Kaiba wouldn't get too upset if you were to take a short nap...aren't you tired?"

She laughed again and settled deeper into the cushions, eyeing him suspiciously. "You're getting less funny, Mister," she said, sobering up just as quickly. "You haven't told me who you are."

"I told you, I am his Master," Yami replied impatiently, his stomach gnarling with hunger, and to his surprise, she threw her head back to laugh again.

"I understand," she grinned, her cheeks tinged pink with curiosity. "You're his boyfriend. Congratulations on conquering Seto Kaiba. Should I send him some flowers?"

Her eyes slid down Yami's front again to take in his thin robe, and Yami grit his teeth, irritated when their lack of eye contact broke his slow hypnosis. She was a difficult one. He needed to find a connection with her and strengthen it from there.

He sat up straighter and prepared to try again, but before he could say anything she leapt to her feet and gasped, "Mr. Kaiba!" She bowed frantically and looked extremely relieved.

Yami whirled around and saw Kaiba standing at the entryway, wearing nothing but a dark blue bathrobe, looking pale and tired, but otherwise fine.

"Oh, you're here," Kaiba said absently, his senses nearly overwhelmed by the sweet peach scent emanating from her, and his stomach responded automatically, curling with hunger.

Yami hastily rose to his feet to Kaiba's side, worried he was unstable on his feet, but the CEO gave him a shaky smile and tilted his head at his secretary, asking Yami, "are you hungry?"

"Yes," Yami answered nervously, worried that Kaiba was going to be forceful with her. "Please rest. I will handle it. I was handling it."

"I can't wait for you to handle it," Kaiba snapped, his impatience rising the longer his throat remained dry. "I'll do it."

His secretary straightened up out of the bow and watched this conversation, her confusion rising. Kaiba's boyfriend was offering to…cook? She adjusted her blazer and kept her shoulders squared back, ready to be reprimanded for stopping by the mansion unannounced, but to her surprise, she received a gentle smile from the CEO which threw her completely off guard.

"Thanks for coming," Kaiba said, advancing on her quickly and feeling her mental walls drop alarmingly fast. "I'm not feeling well, so let's sit."

"O-Of course!" She stammered, and sat down immediately, her eyes still sharp and clear, following Kaiba's every move as he sat down across from her and folded his arms. Mr. Kaiba had thanked her, which was a rare occurrence. This was a good sign that she had made the right decision, rushing over here after days of no contact.
Mr. Kaiba was merely sick, not dead.

Yami stayed standing in the doorway, watching closely, but he was also worried about Mokuba. Could he trust Kaiba to handle this alone? Better to stay just in case.

The secretary pulled out her tablet and began swiping across the screen, reading off her notes aloud. "Several news outlets have been contacting our offices non-stop claiming you and Mokuba went down in a plane on your way to an island owned by one of your business rivals, Maximillion Pegasus…."

Kaiba nodded, not really listening. She was glancing up from the tablet occasionally to make eye contact, and he made sure to hold her gaze for a second longer than he normally would, listening to the steady beat of her heart, and hearing her thoughts echoing from her faintly.

Ahhh my gosh…he's not even listening. Wait, is he? This is a serious matter. I should've had an extra cup of coffee on my way here. I'm getting sleepy, damn it!

"….And that's it," she said with finality, setting the tablet down and crossing her legs stiffly. "Any questions?"

"Just one," Kaiba replied, gazing deeply into her almond shaped eyes and seeing her blink slowly, sleepily, and try to suppress a yawn. "Do you need a quick nap? You work hard, I don't deny that. Get some rest. I'll be right back."

Yami swallowed thinly and watched Kaiba stand and walk away from their meal who was clearly still alert. What on earth was Kaiba thinking?

Kaiba strode right past him and towards the grand staircase, so Yami ran after him, but Kaiba already anticipated his question and answered him quietly, "she won't fall asleep if someone is watching. That's how she is."

"What?" Yami whispered incredulously, "How do you know that?"

"I worked with her for years. How the hell could I not know?" Kaiba growled, tapping the banister with a pale finger, counting the seconds and hating how his hunger seemed to dictate everything he did: his mood, his language, and the way he treated the people around him.

Unsure of what to think, Yami followed Kaiba back into the lounge and was shocked to see the woman fast asleep on her side, with her feet tucked up the end of the couch and her slippers sitting neatly on the ground.

"That's incredible," Yami praised, and Kaiba shot him a handsome, fanged smile.

"The real issue is where we should bite," Kaiba mused, his vision already clouding red when he saw her exposed neck half-covered by a curtain of black hair. "…but I'm too fucking hungry to think about that."

"Arms are always a good place," Yami offered, resting a hand reassuringly on Kaiba's shoulder as he knelt to her level and gently lifted her hand up to give it a tentative sniff. "Have your fill. I will only have a sip and then head out to get more. We can't all feed on her or she'll never wake up."

"Yeah, I don't think this tiny woman can feed all three of us," Kaiba muttered, passing his lips over the pulse point on her wrist, his ears ringing with a tinny sound. He couldn't wait any longer. Opening his mouth, he sunk his fangs into her soft skin and sighed with relief as a wonderful sweetness rushed into his mouth and coated his tongue. He took a deep draft, and another, and another, until the horrible tightness in his stomach disappeared.
Warmth spread quickly from his mouth to the tips of his toes, and Kaiba leaned his head back to take a break, breathing slowly, willing himself to calm down.

She tasted like a wonderful, refreshing peach soda. Mokuba would love her.

Blood trickled off her skin and onto his fingers, so Kaiba hastily bent forward to clean it up, making sure to pass his tongue over the wounds thrice.

This was someone he knew personally.
He couldn't do this again.
Drinking her blood was for emergencies only.
He needed to set some boundaries, or he'd really become a monster.

Footsteps approached behind him, and Kaiba froze, realizing it was Isono from the light thumping of his frantic heartbeat and his scent…which he recognized as a smoked whiskey.

F-Fuck. Everyone around him was an enticing, delicious drink that he sorely missed.

"M-Master Kaiba?!" Isono rushed to the sofa, wondering if someone had been hurt, and Kaiba didn't bother hiding the blood on his face. He let his manservant gape him while he licked his lips and set her hand back at her side.

"She fainted?" Isono asked fearfully, dreading the answer.

"No," Kaiba answered simply, deciding to go with the truth. "She is what I eat now to stay alive. Mokuba too. Where is he?"

"You…eat—You're…no longer alive?" Isono whispered shakily, sinking into the nearest sofa and clutching his knees so hard his fingertips turned white as his mind spun with questions.

Kaiba stood and said nothing, letting the silence ripen for the news to sink in.

Upstairs, Yami was hand feeding Mokuba a strawberry from a bowl of fruit Isono had brought in, and Mokuba was devouring it wildly with frenzied pecking, sounding ecstatic.

"It tastes good! Like a real strawberry!" Mokuba cheered, ruffling his feathers and getting the red stain all over his face. "This is awesome! I can eat whatever I want if I stay a bird!"

"You can eat whatever birds can eat, but not everything," Yami said anxiously, his stomach turning at the sight of the red juice on his palms. "Ready to be in human form? There's a very delicious lady waiting for you downstairs."

Mokuba nodded nervously and let Yami set him gently down on the ground.

"Who is the lady?" He asked, but Yami shook his head and replied, "think only about your human form. You will meet her downstairs."

Disgruntled, Mokuba shut his eyes and chanted to himself in his head, "arms, arms, arms….legs, legs…" Soon enough, a horrible tingling feeling dotted his entire body and he could no longer stand. He'd fallen over onto his side as the feathers melted away from his body and his legs came sprouting out from underneath him. His bones were stiff, and Mokuba swore he heard something pop, but he ignored it, keeping his eyes tightly shut and wiggling his fingers tentatively after his skin stopped tingling.

A nice breeze was coming in from the curtain covered window, and he felt a cold hand on his shoulder as Yami congratulated him proudly, "you did well! How do you feel?"

Mokuba's stomach grumbled loudly in response and Yami let out a hearty laugh, brushing a stray feather off Mokuba's head and holding it up for the child to see.

"A souvenir?" Yami suggested, giving Mokuba a fond smile. "To commemorate your first winged transformation."

Mokuba beamed and took the feather from him, shivering from the cold, but Yami's warm words helped immensely.

Downstairs, Kaiba set his jaw when he heard Yami and Mokuba laughing, having a grand old time while he was stuck here, with the unconscious secretary and his frightened manservant. He'd summarized their journey to Isono, starting from the plane crash to their flight back home, and Isono had said nothing through it all, only growing paler and paler.

"Any questions?" Kaiba asked impatiently, itching to check on Mokuba, but he had to keep Isono at his side, because he was the closest thing to family that he had.

There was a tense silence before Isono managed to find his voice.

"He…changed you. That man. Yami."

"He saved me," Kaiba said firmly, feeling his ears grow hot at the admission, and he enjoyed the feeling briefly, knowing it would vanish once he started getting hungry again. "He saved us. I glossed over what happened to Mokuba. I'll let him tell you."

Isono blinked rapidly, lowering his head and trying to sort through his turbulent emotions. He didn't have long, because Mokuba came rushing down the stairs and threw his arms around Seto, giving him a tight hug.

"Hey, kid…let's be quiet." Kaiba said warmly, hugging Mokuba back and nodding at the secretary still sleeping soundly on the couch.

"'Kay," Mokuba replied simply, letting go of his older brother and gravitating towards the sleeping woman. "Thanks for the meal."

Isono stayed rooted to his seat, unable to stand, unable to speak as he watched Mokuba's face change for a moment. Fangs sprouted from his teeth and his nose wrinkled, giving him a ghastly appearance for a brief second before he sank his fangs into the skin on her wrist and lowered his head.

The silence in the room grew thicker, and Yami stood protectively behind Kaiba, hearing all of the manservant's frantic thoughts about Mokuba being a monster.

Kaiba heard these thoughts too and bit back a tired sigh.

"If you'd like to quit working for me, I accept your resignation," Kaiba said formally, hoping to give Isono a gracious exit from his years of service to the Kaiba family, but a part of him knew that Isono would never quit.

"What?" Mokuba lifted his head up and hastily lowered it to spit on the wound before throwing a frantic look at his older brother. "Isono wants to quit?"

Isono tried to speak but his voice had vanished. A mixture of fear and shock kept him motionless as Mokuba turned around to throw his arms around his waist in a hug, his tiny knees sinking into the sofa cushion underneath them while he sobbed, "I can understand why you wanna quit, Isono! What we do is really gross, but don't worry! I'll never eat you because you smell bad."

"Ah, Master Mokuba…" Isono muttered, giving the child's arm a pat as he struggled to find the words to describe his feelings.

"Guess what?" Mokuba sat back on his heels and gave Isono a wide-eyed stare. "The bad guys who crashed our plane shot me in the head. And Yami helped me off the ground. I'm okay now, obviously."

Isono nodded, and nodded again, patting Mokuba's arm with odd, frantic motions which Yami recognized as fear. He chose to remain silent, wondering how Kaiba was going to handle his manservant.

After a moment, Isono stood slowly, his head spinning with dizziness, but he pushed through it to bend himself into a deep bow, keeping his hands stiff at his sides while he spoke quietly, "Master Kaiba. It is an honor to work for you and Master Mokuba. There is nothing in the world that would make me want to resign. If this is what you need to remain 'alive', then you have my support. Please give me instructions, and I will follow them as best as I can."

Kaiba leaned back into the cushions with a satisfied smirk and Yami stared, unable to believe his ears.

This man was…so loyal! Kaiba had the world's most loyal servant here. It was possible to have a loyal human, even without hypnosis.

Yami felt an odd twinge of sadness at the memory of his own loyal manservant, and he quickly brushed the thought aside.

"Then it's settled," Kaiba said, seeing his secretary's fingers twitch. "Get someone to cook her a full meal and make sure she eats it before she leaves. She's waking up. Mokuba, get in the shower."

"But I'm not dirty!" Mokuba cried, and Kaiba gave him an exasperated look.

"We just flew through the city," Kaiba shot back impatiently, feeling Yami shift behind him. "I don't remember you taking a shower at all during our last days on the ship. Go now."

Mokuba bared his fangs at Seto and stomped out of the lounge, leaving a lukewarm atmosphere behind him.

Isono bowed again and hurried away quietly with his head lowered, and Yami swayed on the spot, hungry and weak. The woman was waking up…dammit. There really wasn't enough for three meals in one human.

Kaiba's worried face appeared before him, and a warm hand caressed his cheek. Yami's chest tightened as Kaiba's clear blue eyes roamed over his face, and his handsome brow wrinkled.

"You're tired and hungry. Sit down. I'll call in one of the housekeeping staff," Kaiba said, thinking there had to be a better way to get everyone fed. Eating out of the house was one of the first rules. This would be the only time he would offer to let Yami bite one of the staff.

"I…can't do that," Yami said, trying to be noble, but Kaiba saw right through him.

"I'm not an idiot," Kaiba scoffed, reaching into his pocket for his phone to text Isono. "We don't shit where we eat. Basic logic. This is an emergency, so don't get used to it."

Yami nodded weakly, allowing Kaiba to help him onto the sofa while his stomach growled embarrassingly just as the secretary sat up slowly and delicately covered her mouth while she yawned.

She reddened and made a movement to get up, but Kaiba shouted at her from across the room, "don't get up!"

"Wh-Why?" She squeaked, turning redder and redder. Yami's gaze on her remained unblinking, clearly unfazed by Kaiba's sudden outburst.

"You're low on iron, or something," Kaiba lied, hoping his sarcasm didn't leak into his voice. "Isono is having someone bring you some food. Don't move, or you'll faint."

"I feel…fine?" She said nervously, trying to force a laugh and swatting her hand in front of her face. Yami's unwavering gaze made her blush, and she had to look away.

There was a long, awkward silence which was relieved by a man rushing into the lounge, carrying a tray laden with various dishes covered with glass lids, and Yami's mouth watered painfully at the delicious scent of the man's blood.

He smelled like a whole roast beef. Either that or it was the meal he was carrying.

"Oh, thank you…" The secretary mumbled, ducking her head down in a bow and reaching for the food that was set in front of the low table for her. The glass lids were lifted and Yami saw an impressive array of salads, soup, and the main dish: a colorful fried rice.

The man is roast beef! Yami thought, reeling with joy. The man is roast beef!

"Pretty good, right?" Kaiba grinned boyishly at Yami and received a weak but grateful smile.

"Thank you…" Yami breathed, growing hot all over at the thought of the wonderful savoriness filling his mouth, but he couldn't be too hasty. How would he begin to get close to this man? Order him to?

"There are some new flowers budding in the garden," Kaiba said, trying his best to sound conversational. "I think I saw you looking at them the other day, right? Inoko-san, I believe?"

Kaiba glanced down at his phone to read the text Isono had sent. "He's what you requested. Inoko-san, 27(?), Male, well-built, works hard, enjoys gardening in his spare time."

"You know about that? I see," the man bowed stiffly and Yami couldn't keep up the pretense anymore.

"Yes, let's go see them. Show me," he commanded, rising to his feet and grabbing the man by the arm, practically dragging him out to the patio, not minding the harsh sunlight that stung his skin.

Out from the corner of his eye, he saw Kaiba give him a playful wave and wink that made his heart soar. That, combined with the man's confusion, made him smile.
Kaiba really was the best.

It was possible to live a wonderful, well-fed, and luxurious life with Kaiba at his side.


author's note:

sorry for the bit of short chapters haha. I find its easier to break it up this way!

they return home safely and get fed! Yami is realizing he doesn't have to hide and starve himself! Kaiba is helping him come out of his shell…aw what a change.

:thinking emoji: also, maybe kaiba is more expressive after his death? Idk u tell me. I like the idea where a person flip-flops on their nature when they die (well not too much here obviously), because death changes them and gives them a -new perspective- on how to "live"