"Well he's gone," Kaiba said flatly, watching for changes in Isono's body language. "Speak freely. How do you feel?"
"Hungry," Isono replied as he bowed to Master Kaiba again out of habit and turned to walk up the stairs into his room. "I'm going to get changed. I'll be down in 10 minutes."
Okay, Kaiba shrugged and leaned against the front door, digging his phone out when he felt it buzz with messages from Yami.
YAMI: hope this can be resolved today. Will ask Mahad to speak candidly about Isono
YAMI: coming down the stairs, I saw a red aura on Mahad's shoulders. Anger, maybe?
YAMI: I'll try to get to the bottom of it. Good luck.
Fuck, they hate each other, Kaiba raged as he typed just that, sent it, and almost dropped his phone on the ground when he glanced up and saw Isono coming down the stairs, wearing a black shirt with loud, traditional pattern of white cherry blossoms. Three buttons were undone, showing off a deep V across a muscular chest that was bulging out of the front, and a shiny silver watch sat on his left wrist.
Kaiba gaped.
W-WHO WAS THIS?!
Along with the absence of facial hair, absence of the usual dark glasses and the dark hair with the silver streak, Isono looked like a…. hot gangster.
"I see this is how you've been eating so well," Kaiba finally found his voice and gaped at Isono's physique. "You got…ripped as fuck. Work out?!"
Like damn! He knew Isono had broad shoulders but now that he was busting out of a form-fitted dress shirt, if he looked from the back, he might drool a little!
"Well I'm not as young or handsome as you or King Atem," Isono sniffed as he touched his collar with a practiced tug, aware of Master Kaiba's gaping, and he made sure he had all his items–wallet, phone, keys, cigarettes, lighter, sunglasses tucked into his shirt pocket–ready. "I'll show you the territory we've acquired."
He walked out of the house first, holding the door open for Kaiba and bowing, feeling a strand of his gelled hair graze his temple as he bent forward.
Kaiba continued to stare. What the hellllllllll!
Isono sounded like a total gangster when he spoke like that!
What had happened to his serious, solid, steady manservant? Well, he was still here…
Snapping out of his shocked stupor, Kaiba strode forward and saw another limo pulling around the fountain for him. Nice. Isono's car system was still neat, even accommodating Yami and his needs without clashing with him.
"You've been doing great work," Kaiba praised, and he was further shocked to see Isono nod and climb in to sit beside him. Not in front. Beside. Their knees almost touched.
He was growing more and more alarmed.
"I try my best for our family, Master Kaiba," Isono replied in the same tone Kaiba was used to hearing ever since he was a child, but it was coming out of the mouth of a…middle-aged cologne ad model.
And the scent of Isono's musk was almost stifling, until Kaiba realized…it was pheromones.
Wow, uh…
He wasn't affected by it, but wow.
Trying his best to keep a kind face, Kaiba asked the questions in a rush as the limo pulled out past the gates and rushed onto the main road, "...so, Mahad. Has he been giving you trouble?"
"Quite the opposite," Isono replied truthfully, crossing one leg over the other and holding out on smoking.
Dammmmnn it.
His fingertips were tingling, and he was irritated that his leisure feeding time was being encroached upon today.
He usually smoked one with all the windows down before a meal, then enjoyed one slowly after sex, sharing it with Mahad between sweet kisses. Damn it. Now he was pent up.
"You seem angry," Kaiba noted Isono's clenched fists over his crossed knees, and his heart leapt a little. "Your style outside of your work uniform is very…cool. You should dress like this all the time."
OR NOT! The flowery patterned shirt was freaking him out.
It was giving…pimp grandpa.
All Isono was missing was a silver or diamond chain around his neck.
"I was expecting everything to happen today on a schedule. That's all," Isono said calmly, and forced himself to unclench, not wanting to give Master Kaiba the wrong idea. "Mahad has been nothing but helpful and a bright, guiding light. Thank you for allowing him to live in the house with us."
I…wasn't responsible for that! Kaiba forced a smile on his face, hating the awkward pauses in their conversation. Mahad was a helpful and bright guiding light, huh?
Could Isono say that to Yami's face without 'an aura of a lie'?!
"You'll have to thank Yami for trusting him again," Kaiba began, and his voice faded when the limo made a practiced stop at a curb, and Isono moved first to get out without another word, without thanking the driver, without saying anything about where they were.
He didn't announce the stop like usual, and even climbed out first.
Shaken, Kaiba got out of the limo after him and had to close his own door.
Okay that was the last straw.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Kaiba demanded, reaching out to grab Isono by the arm and recoiling when his palm met pure muscle, he withdrew quickly. "You're so…" Different?! Bold.
Commanding and quiet.
It was scary.
"Being less expressive? Apologies, Master Kaiba," Isono turned to bow his head politely, his stomach curling with hunger and irritation. "Mahad has told me to smile more and to be aware of my emotions. Right now, it's hunger. Let's walk and not stand in the middle of the street to attract attention."
He turned to head up the sidewalk first, aware that his familiar behavior in the city might be disturbing to Kaiba, and reminded himself to talk less.
The sooner he fed the master, the sooner he could put Kaiba back home, and the sooner he could find Mahad…. Maybe get a room with a view this time…
Kaiba followed Isono's neat crop of hair, barely able to believe this was the same man he'd grown up with. His manservant made a sharp left, so Kaiba followed reluctantly and saw Isono paused by some vending machines.
Oh, he was…thirsty?
Unable to hold out anymore, Isono stood by the smoking area markings on the ground and dug out his cigarettes, inching out a stick and placing it between his lips, patting his pocket for a lighter while predictably, Master Kaiba lost it on him.
"Since when do you smoke?!" Kaiba cried, his sanity slipping the more he saw Isono acting like a legit gangster. "Give me that–" He tried to swipe it away, but Isono swiftly turned around with a graceful spin and lit up while facing the alleyway wall.
A dark, flowery scent grew overwhelming and Kaiba realized…the musk from earlier wasn't pheromones! It was Isono's smokes.
Isono leaned handsomely against the wall with one hand in his pocket and exhaled happily, enjoying the dark creme taste at the back of his throat, now wishing he had Mahad's tongue to pair it with.
"Oh okay, ignore me!" Kaiba was steadily losing his composure as he wondered who the hell this man standing before him was. "Mahad is going to fucking get it. I'm calling Yami right now to tell him he is changing you for the worse."
Isono tensed and flicked ash away from the cigarette tip by tapping the back of the cigarette against the wall as he frowned, "I started this habit all on my own, Master Kaiba. I'll have you know, I used to smoke when I worked for your fath–I mean, I quit before we adopted two children."
He raised the cigarette to his lips to inhale briefly and exhaled slowly, feeling himself relax.
The motions calmed him.
"Nice to know you won't die of cancer since you're immortal," Kaiba said flatly, eyeing the square pack in Isono's pocket, wondering why he never noticed it before. "In that case, let me have one."
"No sir," Isono shook his head firmly. "I forbid you to copy me."
Seto was like a son to him, and for this reason, he didn't want the master seeing him smoke. He and Mahad had a brief conversation about keeping this habit away from Mokuba, but they accepted that Atem or Kaiba would find out eventually.
After all, how could they not?
"You forbid me–who are you!" Kaiba took a step back and glanced up and down the deserted alleyway, feeling like his world was tilting upside down. "You even talk like Mahad! Maybe he's been a worse influence on you than I thought!" He held his phone in his hand and was about to hit 'call' when Isono shot his hand out to grab it from him, and pocketed his phone, effectively confiscating it.
Shocked beyond belief, Kaiba stood there, his palm numb, his body numb, his brain numb.
"Master Kaiba, Mahad has taught me so much," Isono growled, almost done with his cigarette, hoping to get this difficult conversation over with. "He's warned me of boredom and the urge to betray you as the centuries pass. One way to avoid that is to become my own person outside of your employ. If I continue to let family duties be my only purpose without any retirement in sight, I will burn out. I will feel the need to rebel."
Kaiba glanced up and down Isono's muscular form and his crisp clothes.
This did not feel like a rebellion. It felt like he was in a different mindset, that's all!
"So I'm living to the fullest, trying to find a good routine," Isono explained smoothly, tapping his cigarette against the wall again and keeping the bits of ash away from his shoes. "And I'm enjoying life's small vices again. I can drink, smoke, and eat horrible foods without feeling ill effects. I'm taking full advantage of it."
"Well aren't you a happy fucking camper," Kaiba crossed his arms with a huff and stepped back to let a chicken-scented human come striding up between them to use the vending machine.
Ah, this was how Isono got his food. It was a waiting game.
This explained why his servant went out for 4 hours sometimes. Somehow, he couldn't see Isono sexually baiting his food, and the mental image made him want to barf.
"Chicken katsu," Isono said calmly, putting out his cigarette butt just in time, and he placed it in the smoking receptacle beside the vending machines. "I like this alley because I can smoke, and…get a drink…and eat…"
He heard a sharp gasp from the human and glanced up to see Master Kaiba already hypnotizing the man, then bending down to bite him on his wrist while the human swayed gently to and fro, with his vending machine drink hanging limply from his fingertips.
Isono kept watch and glanced at the crowd of people walking past the mouth of the alleyway. No one looked down in their direction.
Kaiba drank three sips and let out a grateful huff. Delicious.
Finally something new.
Maybe he ought to come out and 'hunt' with Isono more often, just to close their emotional gap, because one had happened, clearly.
A canyon had formed between them.
He sent the human on his way after breaking hypnosis with a snap of his fingers and passed a thumb delicately underneath his lower lip, licking his fangs.
He was half-full already.
Great dining experience so far.
It was calm and pretty quiet in this vending machine alleyway.
"HEY! …You!" A sharp, gruff voice echoed towards them, and Kaiba glanced up lazily to see a gangster pointing accusingly at him. He was wearing a similar patterned flower shirt, dark glasses, and had a tight haircut. What the…
Kaiba stepped back to let Isono deal with it, and sure enough that man came stomping up to Isono to breathe in his face.
"You sure make yourself memorable, old man!" The gangster spat, shaking with rage while his fists were curled at his sides. "Silver streak in your hair and dressed like you could afford to be robbed–pay up. Stop loitering in our territory! This is a tax for not killing you!"
Kaiba stared, unable to believe that Isono had…joined the Yakuza?!
People could hear an altercation happening and Kaiba could see people walking faster past the alleyway opening, whispering about it.
"Yakuza fight…"
"Yeah I try to avoid this street but can't be helped…"
"Ugh, of course they'd be doing that near a smoking area. Never use those machines."
Kaiba swallowed his amazement and watched Isono apply hypnotic pressure and subdue the man fast, even though the other man was wearing sunglasses.
"I remember you…and no worries… I'll…pay," Isono said gleefully as he caught a familiar whiff of hummus, and he couldn't wait to tell Mahad that his luring had worked.
He'd been going out secretly at 5 AM to 'loiter' in their drug territory near the love hotels, intentionally being spotted, because he knew the connection was:
School girl asking for drugs – a man named Higuchi who tasted like a fatty grilled cheese – Higuchi's hummus-flavored superior.
Isono inched his phone out of his pocket and dialed Mahad in a gleeful rush.
Mahad would enjoy this man so much, the sex-reward was going to bend his back in half.
Isono eagerly listened to the rings until Mahad's deep voice answered, sounding strained, "...can't talk right now…"
"It's fine. I found your hummus dip," Isono said coolly, and he heard Mahad let out a strangled gasp, then relay this message to Atem in Arabic.
The line went dead in his ear, and Isono slowly lowered the phone to stare at the 'call end' screen.
Well, maybe he could gently tell Master Kaiba he was fond of Mahad in a…sexual way.
He has a feeling Kaiba would understand, because he's heard the master comment offhandedly at times about how Mahad looked like, "a statue, the art kind."
"You…gonna eat? Or….what?" Kaiba was struggling to find the words. Isono had gotten a meal for Mahad. Not for himself.
What the HELL was happening today?!
Was he insane or was this normal?!
Was this like…paying for a friend's meal?
"I'll let you have this ," Isono slipped his fingers into his pocket to gracefully extract one slender cigarette, knowing a bribe always worked with Seto. "If you can keep a secret from Atem."
Kaiba blinked and contemplated shaking his head.
Isono blatantly addressing Yami casually as 'King Atem' , or 'Atem' was also freaking him out.
"Okay, please keep a secret about me , and you can taste one of these…exclusive, black coffee flavored smokes, imported from Denmark," Isono was selling it hard, so Kaiba reached out to snatch the cigarette out of his fingers so fast, his skin burned.
"Does it really taste like black coffee?" Kaiba asked heatedly, swiping the lighter that was offered to him and clicking it a few times, puffing on the cancer stick and freezing in absolute joy when a dark, smooth, lovely, bitter taste flooded the back of his throat.
Oh. OH NO.
This was fucking amazing!
"The first taste… I envy you," Isono chuckled and gently took the lighter back, watching Seto's face change into one of extreme bliss as he closed his eyes, threw his head back and exhaled slowly. Yes, the taste was that exquisite.
They had similarities almost as if they were father and son.
Kaiba took three consecutive drags and Isono laughed at him.
"Slow down! These are quick smokes, so savor it," Isono instructed kindly as he tapped the top of Kaiba's hand with two fingers, making ash fall from the tip. "Always stand downwind to avoid getting it on your clothes, and it's about a 4 minute burn. Three if you're going to inhale like that. These are smalls."
"I need a big-ass fat one," Kaiba said aggressively, then pausing when he was hit with the PTSD memory of Gozaburo puffing on a big-ass fat one, and changed his mind instantly. "Never mind. Smalls are fine. Mokuba can never find out."
And the rush of having discovered coffee-flavored cigarettes almost made him forget that Isono was going to tell him a secret he needed to keep away from Yami.
"So tell me now," Kaiba said with a gleam in his eyes, and he took another drag, holding it in as long as he could, his ears ringing with happiness as the bitter taste coated the back of his throat, and he exhaled slowly. Savoring…..
Isono chuckled and was about to say, 'I'm having sex with Mahad' when he felt a shadow come sweeping overhead, and he closed his mouth instantly.
Form of a bird was King Atem's second-favorite next to being a cat.
"What?!" Kaiba asked sourly and glanced up to see a spiky-haired figure hovering over the edge of the rooftop, then come diving down in a dark, shadowy streak, giving him a fright.
He flattened himself against the wall, frantically tapping the cigarette against the wall and holding it at his side, hoping to hide it from Yami, but Yami emerged upwards from a wavy shadow in the ground and his spiky-hair formed with terrifying precision.
"Smoking, Seto?" Yami said with a disapproving head-shake, and Kaiba swallowed thinly. O-Oops.
"Tastes like coffee… Try it?" Kaiba offered weakly, noting that the cigarette did burn fast and he was almost at the end.
"It reeks," Yami wrinkled his nose delicately and glanced disapprovingly at Isono. "Starting bad habits in your servants, are you? Kaiba, did you fix the problem like I asked?"
"Yes," Kaiba lied, and Isono winced. Mahad grit his teeth and saw an orange mist wafting around Kaiba's shoulders. A lie…
"Give me that," Yami scowled and snatched the burning stub out of Kaiba's fingers, hissing at it, "never liked these." He tossed it to the ground and crushed it under his heel, hearing Seto let out a yelp, "there's a receptacle! You can put it in there! Don't litter!"
Yami felt a light wind when Seto dipped down to clean it up, and Yami sighed, finally smelling hummus when the air cleared of the noxious stink of dusty chocolate.
A human wearing a flowery shirt was wavering to and fro on his feet, staring blankly at the wall, under someone's hypnosis, and Mahad moved to sniff the man happily, giving Isono a bright smile.
"You found him! It's been how long?"
"Two months, but I got him in the end," Isono beamed, and Yami glanced between the two servants, quickly putting it together.
"You were both looking for this particular one?" Yami asked curiously, watching Mahad start on the man's arm and his eyes glowed with excitement as he bit down.
"Yes, your majesty. Please enjoy," Isono's eyes never left the curve of Mahad's ear, where a strand of hair slinked down his cheek and almost touched the blood on the corner of his mouth, so he reached out instinctively to push the hair away.
Kaiba caught this motion and stared at Isono's index finger moving with too much familiarity, tucking the stray strand of hair for Mahad behind his ear, and his stomach dropped to his feet in a violent dip when he saw Mahad glance up and give Isono a lustful smirk…that was completely unrelated to bloodlust.
Oh shit. He knew the secret.
Yami was too hungry to notice, and was pushing the man's collar aside, standing on his tiptoes to bite the man's neck, his eyes glowing as he smiled and took two sparing sips, enjoying the taste. Delicious.
He wanted this meal again and again.
Time to implement phase 2 of his takeover plan to reclaim the city from Bakura.
"Mahad, GPS tag him, and we'll visit him when we're craving his blood," Yami said quietly, and Kaiba stood by, no longer shocked. He was done having surprises for the day.
Yami being methodical was not new.
Mahad nodded and patted the man's pockets for his phone, using his fingers to unlock the screen and downloading the tracking app on it, then making sure it wouldn't show on the man's home screen, or recent downloads, and buried the icon in the man's settings tab.
Done.
The man's phone was messy with icons.
It was easy. A staple acquired. Now if they could find coconut rice, that would be perfect.
"Well, that was nice to see you both enjoying the meal I caught, " Isono said calmly as he backed away from the king with a light bow. "I'm off to find myself a meal now. Seto has eaten, and I can entrust his well-being with you for the rest of the afternoon." He wanted to get away from Yami, who he learned was sharp, a bit strict, and unrelenting.
Death had relaxed Master Kaiba in a sweet, fun way.
Yami was a new obstacle to him now.
Still hungry, but…sure, he wants to be alone with Mahad, Kaiba thought weakly, once again stunned that Isono casually addressed him by first name all of a sudden.
"I will accompany you, as usual," Mahad said instantly, and Yami glanced up sharply, wondering why these two suddenly wanted to separate from them as a pair. Something was fishy.
"Perfect. Because I'm still hungry," Kaiba announced loudly as he slinked his arm through Yami's elbow and gave him a playful tug, then tilted his head at Isono's deep V on his muscular chest. "Bye, you two. Get lost. I want alone-time with Yami. Your shirt is killing my eyes, Isono."
"You're welcome," Isono replied coolly, and Kaiba's stomach twisted again when Mahad jumped to take this exit, and together, they walked out of the alleway, their elbows bumping once before they turned the corner and disappeared.
There was a tense pause and Yami gave Kaiba's arm a pat, "they're up to something. Let's follow them."
"I don't really care, and I figured out the secret–I mean, the issue," Kaiba stumbled stupidly on his own words and Yami's violet eyes narrowed prettily.
"What secret."
"No secret. There's no secret," Kaiba said with a wide smile that showed fangs. "I'm hungry–"
"What. Secret." Yami's eyes flashed with a red glow, and Kaiba's mouth went dry. AH, fuckkk!
"That they don't hate each other and are…probably boning, a lot, maybe," Kaiba said through numb lips and saw Yami's face darken. Oh no. Did he not like that?
"You don't sound so sure, and why would they do that? Mahad isn't attracted to men. Please don't make up shit , Seto," Yami asked arrogantly, and Kaiba realized in a split second that Mahad had never sullied his image in Yami's eyes. That's why Yami, right now, refused to believe that Mahad would ever do such a thing. Oh nooooo….
"Well you can stalk them by yourself. I said I'm hungry," Kaiba said lamely, and to his annoyance, escape was not so easy.
"We'll find you food along the way. Let's go," Yami snarled, grabbing Kaiba by the arm and patting his pocket for his phone. "Track your manservant. Where's your phone?"
Kaiba blinked and realized the extent of Isono's efforts to hide his secret relationship with Mahad from Yami as he whispered, "...in his pocket. He took it from me as a joke…and I'm phone-less now."
Probably as Isono had planned.
Yami sighed and gave Kaiba a long, long look.
Kaiba blinked and shuffled uncomfortably. What? He knew Isono.
He was pretty sure that Isono was in a romantic relationship with Mahad, and he was already betraying his servant's trust by telling Yami, who clearly didn't approve.
"Your manservant is playing you and taking advantage of you. Let's find them. Now." Yami stormed out of the alleyway, his blood boiling.
Mahad better not be scheming to leave him again.
This was so fucking suspicious!
Isono treated him with careful intent, probably from Mahad's advice.