“One good reason. That’s all I want, and you obviously don’t have one to offer.”

Kaiba could be surprisingly deterring when he wished. Which, in hindsight, was all the time—but that was beside the point.

The two were standing outside the KaibaCorp. building, where they had encountered each other by chance. Kaiba was waiting for Isono to arrive in the limo to drive him home, and had been surprisingly willing to chat with Yuugi in order to pass the time. That had led to Yuugi asking Kaiba to provide a solution to his problem, and unfortunately, the CEO was extremely reluctant to do so.

“Because I have no idea what I’m doing?”

“No.”

“Because…because you’re good at it?”

“You’ll have to do far better than that,” Kaiba sniffed, staring at the building across the street. Yuugi felt himself growing irritated at the other man’s flippant behavior, and heard himself speaking before he could restrain the words.

“Oh, give me a break, will you?” The shorter man grabbed at his hair in frustration, “You’re my friend, Kaiba-kun! I’m not trying to take advantage of you, I just need your help!”

Kaiba blinked in surprise, his deep blue eyes wide as he regarded the flustered Game King. Yuugi stood, breathing heavily as he gazed back, eyes large and pleading; after a few seconds his rival averted his gaze and sighed.

“What can I do against that?” He muttered, seeming as if he was talking discreetly to someone Yuugi couldn’t see, “I’m only a man…”

“Huh?”

“I’ll do this favor for you,” Kaiba stated flatly, crossing his arms, “I suppose I owe you anyway. I’ll have Isono drive us to your place.”

“Um…” Yuugi blinked, processing the sudden change of heart, then shook his head. “Oh! Thank you. I…wasn’t expecting anything tonight. It is a bit late…”

“The night is only beginning,” the taller man purred, an odd glinting in his eye alerting Yuugi to the fact that he may be in a little bit of trouble.

As if on cue, the limo arrived in front of them, and the amethyst-eyed man realized that Kaiba must have seen the vehicle coming some time ago. The CEO opened the passenger door and gestured for Yuugi to enter. Surprised at the courtesy, Yuugi bowed slightly in thanks before climbing into the limousine. Kaiba followed suit, and once the door was shut, he pressed the intercom button.

“Isono.”

“Kaiba-sama. Is your guest going…home?”

Yuugi, being a lover of people, had a tendency to observe them closely and notice small details. As such, he detected the mild strain in the question Isono posed, as well as the way Kaiba’s lips slightly tightened in response. He felt curiosity burning his chest, partly because he was a little nosy and partly because he wondered if something bad had happened to Kaiba as of late.

“No. Take us to the Kame Game Shop. Yuugi-san wants my assistance with something. I’ll be staying for the night.”

“Sir…?”

“Kame Game Shop, Isono.”

“Hai, Zachou.”

The limo began to move, and Yuugi thought that Kaiba was sitting awfully stiffly, the veins in his neck slightly protruding due to the clenching of his jaw; then he seemed to relax completely, sinking into his seat and loosening his deep blue suit tie.

“So, when did you acquire this machine?” The CEO asked directly, resting his hands in his lap.

“I ordered it on the internet about a week ago,” Yuugi explained, “I received it just this morning, and after looking over the manual, I think it’s safe to say that I have no clue what I’m doing.”

“Hmm…” Kaiba grumbled deep in his chest, eyes shut as he thought about…something. He said nothing more, however, and Yuugi realized in something of a eureka moment that the other man had been attempting to make small talk.

They arrived at the shop with considerable speed, as it was located not far away from the KaibaCorp. tower. The two young men left the car, and as Yuugi set about unlocking the front door, Kaiba stopped to talk to Isono through the driver’s side window. The older man seemed concerned about something, but he was mildly assuaged by the time they finished speaking. The lines of worry didn’t completely disappear, however.

“Shall we go inside?” The CEO asked as his bodyguard drove away into the night, and Yuugi cleared his throat before opening the shop door.

It was very dark—and quiet. To Yuugi, everything in the shop felt strange lately. He was used to entering and being greeted by his doting grandfather, to lights being left on for him in anticipation of his return; there was none of that now, and hadn’t been for months. Not since Sugoroku Muto passed away, leaving his young grandson to cope with the loss of both his only close relative and his closest friend—the man who’d lived in his soul for years. He’d recovered from the initial shock and depression from his grandfather’s death, but the feeling of emptiness that remained in every aspect of his life could not be ignored. All the little things were missing, or changed, and sometimes he found it more difficult not to cry than he’d like.

Life went on, however, and at the age of twenty-three he was more than old enough to run the Game Shop. He’d been a sufficient owner for it thus far, and as both a business venture and a plan to distract himself, he’d decided to bring the store into the twenty-first century. This plan backfired immediately when he realized that he had almost no experience with technology—rare for a Japanese teenager, but he’d been raised on traditional lifestyles and methods.

He led Kaiba up the stairs after they removed their shoes, and he noticed that the other man had removed his suit jacket at some point. Likely, he’d left it on the coat rack downstairs, but why couldn’t Yuugi remember it? These constant short-term memory blanks were beginning to bother him. He supposed it was part of depression, but still.

It occurred to him that he could have asked any one of his friends for computer help. Why he had forced the first person he spoke with to come into his home and fix his machine, he didn’t know. Or, at least, that was what he told himself. He didn’t want to analyze his mental failures right now.

He entered the upstairs office and turned on the light. Kaiba’s eyebrows rose as he appraised the space.

“It’s true. You have no idea what you’re doing.”

He was referring, of course, to the computer that accompanied the sturdy wooden desk in the room. It was a black tower, sitting beneath the desk; the monitor, keyboard, and mouse were atop it. There were chords and packaging materials strewn about due to Yuugi’s inability to connect one thing to another.

“I knew that…” Yuugi pouted a bit at his friend’s words, but the man seemed not to hear him; he walked across the room and knelt before the computer, observing it.

“It isn’t a…terrible choice,” the CEO offered, almost as if trying to make Yuugi feel better, “You certainly could have done worse, but…this machine won’t do at all.”

“Well…what’s wrong with it?”

“It’s a factory build, for one,” the blue-eyed man grumbled, “And it’s not one of my factory builds. For shame, Muto. Also, this has some pretty old casing—I’m betting the parts are old too, and probably on the verge of being discontinued. Any warranty or customer service you may have expected will be unavailable within a couple of months, and you’ll have to go through hell on earth to get replacement parts…and, no matter what the adverts for these machines may tell you, the minimum processor, video, audio, and RAM are not enough to be functional for even the average user.”

Yuugi blinked while Kaiba sat on the floor and pulled the tower toward himself, positioning it between his legs and popping off one side of the casing.

“Wh-what are you doing?” Yuugi panicked, running toward the taller man, “You’re breaking it!”

“Yuugi, they’re made to do this. Calm the fuck down and take a seat.”

Yuugi had never heard Kaiba curse that hard before, certainly not without a tone of spite in it. Right now though, he was acting quite differently than usual, his full lips parted slightly from concentration as he stared attentively at the inside of the computer. Yuugi sat.

There was a period of silence.

“Okay,” Kaiba declared, closing the casing, “Let’s plug it in. I’ll see how it runs as it is now.”

“Um…right,” Yuugi agreed nervously, not really sure where the power chord was at this point. Kaiba seemed to notice his uncertainty and, with little more effort than Yuugi may have used to tuck his hair behind his ear, Kaiba found and connected the cable to the computer; he extended the plug end to an outlet nearby. Then, just as quickly, he hooked up the monitor and keyboard. The brunet pressed the power button, and Yuugi scooted closer to the other man’s side so he could see the screen.

It stayed dark for a moment, despite the computer being obviously turned on, then the Windows logo appeared. Kaiba scoffed.

“Windows. That’ll have to go,” he shook his head, and Yuugi’s brow furrowed.

“But then what will I use?”

“What?”

“If Windows is gone, then how will I use my computer?”

“There are other operating systems, Yuugi,” Kaiba rolled his eyes.

“…there are?”

“Yes. Superior ones. Don’t get me wrong—DOS is wonderful and Bill Gates is a great guy—but Windows is a hot mess of an operating system, and I wouldn’t saddle even Jounouchi with it.”

Yuugi was trying to process what Kaiba had said as the CEO glanced back at the screen, then screamed in frustration and fell to his back on the floor. Yuugi panicked, kneeling beside his friend immediately and leaning over him to observe his face.

“Kaiba-kun? Are you all right?”

“It’s Vista,” Kaiba moaned as if in pain, “Did you pay money for this?”

“Well, yes,” Yuugi admitted, slightly embarrassed, “What’s wrong with Vista? Is that bad?”

Kaiba’s eyes snapped open, and though it seemed his intended response had been to stare at Yuugi in shock, he instead made a strange expression. His blue eyes took on an unfamiliar depth, less like glaciers and more like the ocean; he tilted his head slightly, dark lips parting as if to ask a question. The entire scene caused the shorter man’s groin to tingle unexpectedly, and in his surprise he jerked back. He blinked, and Kaiba was sitting up, his focus back on the computer as if nothing had happened. The CEO shut down the machine and began disconnecting all the cables.

“Um…why are you doing that?” Yuugi queried. He’d only asked Kaiba to come over so he could set up the computer.

“This thing needs help. I’m going to disassemble it and order new parts—after that, you’ll need a new operating system and application suite. I’m thinking…Ubuntu, for you.”

“Oh…okay…”

“I’ll explain more when I have the hardware to demonstrate what I mean. Do you have a spare futon?”

The sudden change of subjects made Yuugi double-take, but once he figured out what was happening, he shook his head.

“Don’t be absurd. I’m not going to make you sleep on a futon. You can use my bed.”

“And where are you going to sleep?”

“I have a couch in the living room,” Yuugi shrugged, “I’ll probably use that.”

Kaiba was quiet for a few long seconds, staring at the floor almost as if he was blaming it for something; when he looked at Yuugi, however, his eyes had that look again, the deep hues holding a poetic expression that was so nearly pleading, it plucked at the Game King’s heartstrings. His mind raced for the term to place the expression, which should have been the last thing on his mind at the moment, but it didn’t stop his addled brain from being ridiculous.

Bedroom eyes.

Kaiba was sitting in his private quarters, tie and jacket removed, making bedroom eyes at him.

“Yuugi…”

“Wh-what is it?”

“We could…both sleep in your bed.”

Yuugi wished he had enough control over himself to look away from those eyes that touched his soul, but it seemed he had no choice but to meet them. He decided to play dumb in the hopes that Kaiba would take the hint.

“That’s…fine, if you’re okay with that,” he began tentatively, “I mean, it’s a twin. There isn’t much space, so that’s why I was going to sleep on the—on the—”

He couldn’t finish his sentence. Kaiba had shifted to his hands and knees, and shortly thereafter had rested his hands on Yuugi’s shoulders. It was an odd view; from this perspective, Yuugi was the taller one, and something about the way the CEO gazed up at him in such a sultry way made him think it had been done on purpose.

“We’ll have enough space,” he insisted, his deep voice breathy, “As long as we lie on top of each other.”

Yuugi was forming another protest as quickly as he could, but all thought of doing so fled his mind when Kaiba hugged him tightly, using the leverage to lean on Yuugi’s shoulders. It was as close a hug as the man could manage without strangling Yuugi; each of his hands was touching the opposite elbow, his upper arms resting on the shorter man’s shoulders. Yuugi couldn’t stop himself from returning the gesture. The constant ache in his chest subsided when their bodies met, and the loneliness he’d grown almost accustomed to feeling lifted away.

Kaiba nudged him, pushing him to lie on his back, and for a split second Yuugi’s mind was overrun with fear. Was Kaiba about to do that to him? Would it hurt? Did he even want that? He was about to chase the other man away out of sheer panic, but he changed his mind when the CEO started massaging his groin fervently. It just wasn’t right for another person’s touch to feel that good.

Yuugi had gained a respectable hard-on by the time he remembered that this was Kaiba and they were in his house about to have gay sex. And even then, somehow the boner made it matter less. Kaiba ceased his ministrations and nuzzled his face against Yuugi’s.

Nothing happened for a few seconds, and the Game King realized that Kaiba was waiting for consent. Whether it was out of genuine desire for their excursion to be consensual or he was simply avoiding liability, Yuugi didn’t know. He did know that he couldn’t back out now—whatever crap he would deal with later because he slept with Kaiba…he could deal with that. But right now, he couldn’t bring himself to give the CEO the boot just so he could go back to his existence that was being passed off as a day-to-day life.

“Kaiba,” Yuugi addressed, feeling that honorifics were unnecessary given the circumstances.

“Hmm?”

“Let’s go to bed.”

Yuugi was more comfortable than he expected to be when Kaiba lay close beside him, leaning over him intimately; the company was more than welcome, at least. And he was a touch approacher himself, so the proximity didn’t bother him. However, he did feel a bit awkward with kisses, though whether it was from his own lack of experience or a lack of chemistry between them, he couldn’t say.

The first kiss was very gentle, almost experimentally so, as if Kaiba was also struggling with their sudden excursion into sexual ventures. But, once the general feelings of embarrassment and awkwardness dissipated, kissing the other man was very nice. His lips were soft, and his method was firm, but not forceful. Yuugi found that he was inclined to lean into the brunet and get closer. This was the point that Kaiba lifted one of his hands from the mattress and held the side of the shorter man’s face, fingers threading into his multi-colored hair. Eventually, Yuugi became committed enough to lie down and make their actions easier; his partner didn’t complain, gazing at him with oddly gentle eyes as he took a straddling position and lay on top of him. The Game King rested there quietly, waiting, as Kaiba locked their fingers together. Then it seemed their tentative kisses must have progressed to an actual making-out session, because Yuugi started getting an erection from the heat and face sucking—combined with the fact that Kaiba was grinding against him persistently.

Shirts were eventually removed and quickly forgotten; oddly enough, Kaiba seemed to keep the habit of shaving his chest hair, if his lack thereof was any indication. Yuugi himself only had very fine, dark hairs fanning over his pectorals, so soft and thin that it was barely visible in the dark. Kaiba didn’t seem to judge him poorly for it. He ran his hands over every patch of skin he could touch, leaving tingling trails where his fingers slid over Yuugi’s body, and arousing him exponentially. He’d known that he needed to be close to someone, but he hadn’t expected every touch to feel so gratifying. Either Kaiba had a specific talent, or he was just very, very starved for affection.

The growing pressure in his groin prompted Yuugi to open his legs, blushing a little as he did so, and let the taller man rest between them. He all ready knew he was going to bottom—it didn’t alleviate his feelings of embarrassment or apprehension. His masculine side made him reluctant to let Kaiba dominate him, and in all honesty, he had no idea what gay sex was like, and wasn’t sure whether or not it would be painful.

Perhaps Kaiba sensed that he was troubled, or perhaps he anticipated that Yuugi would be nervous. Either way, something prompted him to cease his ministrations. He sat up, still straddling Yuugi’s hips, and looked down at him almost questioningly.

“Did you change your mind?” The brunet asked cautiously, his evident concern easing the tension the shorter man hadn’t even realized he felt.

“I’m just a bit…nervous. I’ve never done anything like this before…”

“I assumed that you didn’t have any experience with men.”

Yuugi blushed deeply just then, his own virginity being a point of shame for him more often than not. One of Kaiba’s eyebrows arched.

“Or…women?”

“D-don’t judge me…” Yuugi muttered, averting his gaze to escape what would inevitably be a mocking response. To his surprise, Kaiba started to chuckle.

“You don’t have to be ashamed of keeping your body private,” he reassured, “But now I feel guilty. I don’t want to take your virginity like this for the sake of a fling.”

“But,” the amethyst-eyed man pleaded, “I want to do this with you. We can’t stop now.”

“You don’t want to bottom though,” Kaiba folded his arms thoughtfully, “I didn’t plan for this…”

Yuugi remained quiet, not really knowing what to say in response; the CEO sat, eyes closed and brow furrowed in thought.

“I suppose it wouldn’t be awful…I could do that…”

“Huh?”

Kaiba’s eyes opened, and he rolled over, lying on his side next to Yuugi and gazing at him uneasily.

“Is something wrong?”

“Yuugi,” the blue-eyed man addressed, “Since you don’t want to—I could—”

Yuugi stared, wide-eyed, at the proud man who was lying beside him looking alarmingly docile, offering his body to him.

“A-are you sure about that?”

“You’ve saved my immortal soul before,” Kaiba muttered, “I can trust you with my body.”

Yuugi began to stammer incoherently, his brain so flustered that he was unable to decide what to say first. Was Kaiba as comfortable with this as he let on? And even if so—Yuugi wasn’t sure if he would even be able to top, at least to the other’s satisfaction. If they followed through and something went wrong, he’d never live it down.

He close both eyes and mouth, however, when Kaiba rested one hand atop his and proceeded to kiss his neck with a tenderness that one would never have expected from Kaiba Seto. Yuugi sighed at the stirring in his groin, enjoying the contented feeling he gained from the physical contact. It was still surprising him that the cold, introverted CEO was so unexpectedly sensual—but he was aware of the fact that a person’s usual behavior did not dictate their bedroom manner. As of now, Kaiba was rubbing the bulge in his pants while simultaneously trying to coax him into mounting, and under such conditions, Yuugi couldn’t rightly resist. He swallowed his anxiety and raised himself, kneeling between the other man’s legs.

Kaiba held his hips, vibrant blue eyes locking with his own amethysts. Yuugi tipped his head back and moaned quietly when his partner ran one hand over the front of his pants, teasing the phallic bulge beneath. Maybe the CEO considered this incentive to continue; shortly after receiving this response, he unfastened Yuugi’s pants, sliding them down his hips and releasing his now rock-hard erection. The Game King felt slightly self-conscious. He personally thought he was poorly-endowed in that area, which might be expected of someone his height, but he still struggled with the idea. Kaiba, on the other hand, didn’t seem to give it a second thought. He began stroking immediately after it was free, and for a split second, Yuugi thought the pleasure may actually drive him insane. His own touch didn’t feel this good. It never felt this good. He found himself rocking into Kaiba’s hand to increase the sensation, the thought that he needed to save himself for later pushed to the back of his mind. He was broken from his reverie by his partner’s deep baritone cutting through the relative silence of the moonlit room.

“It curves upward.”

“Wh-what?” Yuugi blushed, looking down at Kaiba, who was staring at his penis.

“I said ‘it curves upward’.”

“Is that bad?” The shorter man asked, panic evident on his face, “I’m sorry, I—”

“Will you calm down?” The CEO interrupted, giving him an uneven smile that suggested he found this behavior cute in some strange way, “I was only making an observation. There’s nothing wrong with your cock.”

Yuugi felt embarrassed by the crude language, but pushed it out of his mind. The important thing was that he had all-important penis approval.

“You should have more confidence,” Kaiba asserted, “You won’t be able to keep it up if you spend the entire time worrying about everything.”

He blinked, looking down at the other man who, strange and sometimes neurotic as he was, had all the confidence he needed. In fact, he was beginning to think it would have been better in the long run to just let Kaiba top. The man knew what he was doing, and probably could have made it pleasurable for both of them. But he’d panicked about it, just as he was panicking now, and as he had been panicking over anything and everything since ojii-san had passed. An overwhelming exhaustion fell over him out of the blue.

“I can’t do this,” Yuugi groaned, falling forward to rest against the other man, “I want to. I just really can’t.”

He’d expected an unpleasant response—ridicule, or perhaps having the CEO storm off in a huff. Instead, Kaiba rested one hand in his hair and the other on his back, keeping him in a close embrace.

“Don’t worry about it,” he murmured, tightening the hug slightly, “It shouldn’t be forced.”

“Thank you.”

“Hmm,” the other man’s smirk was practically audible, “It’s probably for the best anyway. Secretly, I wasn’t sure I would bottom well.”

“You didn’t act like it,” Yuugi blinked at the brunet, who averted his gaze for reasons that could not be guessed.

“I’m a good actor.”

“Even so. Thank you for—for everything, I guess.”

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll just sleep for now. Maybe we’ll try again another time, maybe we won’t. As long as it’s mutual, I have little concern for what course we eventually choose.”

Yuugi sighed in relief, feeling strangely tired. That was probably due in part to the fact that Kaiba’s bare upper body was so warm and soft and comfortable, and his hugs were so sincere, and he was so remarkably understanding and pitiless all at once.

They lay in silence briefly, and the shorter man found that he was drifting in and out of consciousness as his partner stroked his hair gently.

“This is nice, too,” Kaiba stated so quietly that Yuugi thought he might have dreamed it, “Maybe this is what we should have done in the first place.”

He nodded tiredly in agreement, but that was all he could manage before he gave up trying to stay awake.

Yuugi woke up alone. Part of him had expected as much, but it still hurt a little. He forced himself to leave his bed, zipping his pants as he shuffled across the floor. He had a shop to run, after all. Oh, wait, it was Sunday. So he didn’t have work, and he could have just gone back to sleep for the rest of the day. But who really gave a damn? He was all ready standing.

He made the trek downstairs, finding that the pleasant smell of steamed rice greeted him. His stomach growled, leading him to remember that he hadn’t eaten the day before—at all—and he should probably investigate this delicious smell. As it turned out, Kaiba was sitting at his table with the rice maker at the center, spooning fluffy jasmine rice into a bowl. He also had managed to acquire a mug of coffee (Yuugi didn’t even know he had a coffee maker), a saucer of bacon, and another of fried egg rolled and sliced sushi-style.

The CEO shut the lid of the rice maker and saw Yuugi standing in the doorway. There was a moment of silence.

“Are you hungry?” He asked, but before the shorter man could respond, his stomach growled rudely. Kaiba’s eyebrow rose.

“I’ll take that as a yes. Have a seat—I made enough for you.”

Yuugi drowsily knelt at the table, something seeming very odd to him as he did so. He wracked his brain to identify it, and at last happened upon the answer.

Kaiba was making him breakfast.

Kaiba was making him breakfast, and he hadn’t even been laid the night before. Who was this person and what did they do with the real Kaiba Seto?

Yuugi waited, watching Kaiba bustle about in a search for dishes. It seemed he’d memorized the kitchen all ready, if his efficiency was any indication. Within a minute, Yuugi had a meal identical to the other man’s: rice bowl, meat, egg. He didn’t usually cook anymore—just grabbed a slice of toast or something equally convenient during the day, if he remembered. Most days he didn’t feel much like eating, but he assumed it wasn’t a big deal. He just focused on working the store, spending time with friends…

Kaiba was at the table again, preparing to eat his own breakfast; he went for the rice first, likely wanting to get it while it was still hot.

“I was disappointed that you have no fish in the house,” he said after taking a few bites, “Bacon is fine, but somehow my breakfast doesn’t seem right without fish.”

“You mean you eat the same thing every day?” Yuugi asked, munching some of his own crunchy bacon. He certainly wasn’t complaining.

“Absolutely, unless something drastic happens. A routine diet is my best method for maintaining my figure. I don’t have as much time to exercise anymore—three or four times each week, at the most.”

“Is that all,” the Game King muttered, knowing that he himself did no such thing ever and would probably be able to run for a grand total of eight seconds should he need to escape a predator.

Kaiba didn’t speak anymore, which wasn’t exactly unusual. He was normally very quiet, unless he was on a rant or couldn’t hold his tongue anymore. The night before and this morning were unusual for that fact. The CEO was being conversational (even friendly), which Yuugi was unaccustomed to seeing, but found to be rather nice. When he really thought about it, there was little he knew about Kaiba’s personality. He’d glimpsed bits and pieces during duels between him and Atem, and whenever Kaiba faced an opponent that got under his skin. Mostly, however, he was simply stoic, often vindictive, and conducted behaviors ranging from passive-aggressive to downright offensive.

That said, if there was any way to truly describe Kaiba, it was tsundere. Yuugi wished he had money for every time the man had pretended not to care, or refused to help, only to prove in the end that he was a loyal friend—whether he’d ever admit it or not.

He was broken from his thoughts when the very person who was crowding his thoughts began crowding his personal space as well. Kaiba had managed to take a seat behind him without being noticed and was holding him in an embrace, nuzzling his neck.

“Um, Kaiba-kun,” Yuugi glanced at the head of chestnut hair in his peripheral vision, “What are you doing?”

“Enjoying the company,” the other man grumbled, as if he was reluctant to admit it, “I don’t have to work today…I’ll just stay here…”

Thanks for asking, the Game King thought dryly, but he was hardly going to disregard the sentiment. Kaiba Seto didn’t ask permission, but he usually didn’t cause property damage either. Usually.

“I like hugs as much as the next clingy bastard,” Yuugi began, “But…I’m eating.”

“Hm?” Kaiba rested his chin on Yuugi’s bare shoulder, idly rubbing his chest, “I don’t mind.”

“I mind.”

“Oh.”

The man released his grip and stood, leaving the room promptly. At first, Yuugi was worried that Kaiba was throwing a tantrum, but he heard the man walking up the stairs. He finished his meal quietly, immediately feeling the void where Kaiba had been, but feeling too tired to call him back.

After eating, Yuugi couldn’t be bothered to handle the dishes, and the store was closed today, so he forced himself back up the stairs to find Kaiba. The CEO was in the office, stripped down to his boxers, fiddling with the inside of the computer. He saw Yuugi enter and looked up, his face in its more usual impassive state.

“Oha,” he greeted, “Do you want to sit?”

Asking if he, the owner of the house and the computer, wanted to sit in his own floor. Yes please, thank you Kaiba-sama for your graciousness.

“Why are you undressed?” Yuugi asked, kneeling at a safe distance. He didn’t want to be too close if Kaiba got electrocuted by that volatile machine.

“To avoid static-shocking the parts. Too many fibers creating friction will make electrical charge build, and I’d rather the computer kept working. I’m sure you would, too.”

Yuugi nodded, but didn’t speak; he could tell that Kaiba wanted to say something else. For some reason, it took him a moment to continue.

“Also, it’s good marketing to advertise one’s assets.”

Hm, interesting way to put it. Yuugi removed his own pants, knowing he had no underwear on and not caring as much as he thought he would. He was oddly shameless with Kaiba. Perhaps it was because they’d been intimate the night before, or perhaps it was how strangely accepting the man was despite his volatile behavior. Either way, he sat near the other man, in the nude, and for now was willing to wait and see where that would go. He didn’t know if he was ready for sex, but he had certainly enjoyed being touched.

Kaiba stared down at him (down because even sitting cross-legged he was taller than Yuugi was kneeling) in mild surprise, but didn’t comment. He focused on the task at hand—the computer—with his infamous diligence. It seemed he was disassembling the entire thing.

“You’re taking it all apart,” Yuugi mused, “What are you planning to do with it?”

“I used my phone to order some new parts for it, since you have no internet,” Kaiba explained, “I don’t really have anything I can do with this machine until they arrive. I just want to fiddle with it, so I figured I may as well take these things out.”

“Oh.”

“You don’t have to pretend you understand me. Just don’t get in my way.”

“Ah, that’s the golden rule for when you’re working, then?” Yuugi laughed, and Kaiba smirked.

“That’s the golden rule for when I’m doing anything.”

They were relatively quiet for a few moments while Kaiba ‘fiddled’, removing parts and putting them back, cleaning fans, observing what he said was the motherboard.

“You’ve lost weight,” the CEO stated unexpectedly, still so focused on his hands-on task that Yuugi almost thought he imagined it.

“Yeah.”

“You should eat more. You should be healthy.”

Yuugi sat in silence while Kaiba slid the computer’s side panel back into place.

“Kaiba-kun,” he addressed, and the man glanced at him out the corner of his eyes, “Why did you decide to stay here today?”

Kaiba looked him in the eye, examining him as if he was trying to read the meaning behind the statement.

“I have no reason to go home. No one is there. I don’t work Sundays anymore.”

“I’m just surprised you want to spend time with me, is all.”

“You’re good company, and you’re lonely. We’re both lonely. In my opinion, my staying here benefits both of us.”

Yuugi nodded, not sure what to say to this confession—or how to express his appreciation without making Kaiba uncomfortable. Rather than speak, he chose to sit closer to the taller man, who was staring at the re-constructed computer. The Game King leaned against Kaiba’s arm, and, receiving no objection, stretched up to kiss his cheek. He was surprised by his own desire to be physical with this man, someone he’d never thought about like that before now. Hell, he’d never thought about men that way in general. He started to wonder if his loneliness was driving him to make poor decisions, and promptly stopped thinking about it. He knew he was making poor decisions—in the long run, anyway—but Kaiba was here, and he was being kind, and he somehow looked so much better than he ever had before…

They didn’t say or do anything for some time. Yuugi simply sat, leaning against the brunet, holding the man’s opposite shoulder. Kaiba was still as well, legs crossed and eyes shut, unmoving until he chose to rest his head on Yuugi’s. He seemed tense, however, and it wasn’t long before he had one of his outbursts—a direct result of his rare failure to keep his thoughts to himself.

“Yuugi,” he began, “I shouldn’t have started anything last night.”

“Huh?”

“I shouldn’t have tried to have sex with you.”

“Oh,” Yuugi looked into the deep blue eyes that observed him, “It’s fine. I wanted to.”

“For a short time. After I coaxed you into it.”

“I still want to,” Yuugi insisted, “Just not…not at this moment.”

Kaiba tilted his head, gazing down at him with an expression that seemed to be a cross between curiosity and disbelief, but he let the issue drop. The CEO chose to pull Yuugi into his lap rather than continue discussing their sex life; he wrapped his arms around Yuugi’s middle and rested his head in the crook of his neck. It seemed he had no intentions of moving in the immediate future, so Yuugi relaxed into the embrace, enjoying the contact. For now, at least, it was all that was needed.