Seto Kaiba (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
firstrateduelist) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
kittensinboxes2024-11-22 12:34 am
firstrateduelist) wrote in kittensinboxes2024-11-22 12:34 am
I Ended Up Losing And It's All His Fault
Kaiba had gone to the afterlife. He'd finally achieved his dream, and in doing so, faced his eternal rival in combat.
It was never meant to be permanent, of course, but he hadn't neglected to consider the possibility that he might struggle to come back intact. Before launching across dimensions, Kaiba had set his affairs in order, although only Isono was privy to what that meant.
If he was gone for more than a month, his shares would be converted into Mokuba's name, thereby protecting the interests of Kaiba Corporation. At this point, Mokuba would be appointed interim Chief Executive Officer of KaibaCorp.
If he was gone for two, then Mokuba would formally inherit the business in its entirety, with Isono overseeing most functions from day to day with stricter clauses added to his work contract that would disallow him the chance or ability to destabilize Mokuba from his position, which would still be interim CEO for all public records.
From that point on, the changes were only reversible on paper if Seto returned within a year from the launch date. If not, Mokuba really would inherit the business as the true CEO. He'd meant it when he said he was leaving it all in his brother's hands. What else could you say when you intended to launch yourself at speed from your own space station, with no full guarantee that you wouldn't impact, rather than travel across dimensions?
It wasn't a smart idea from the start to do that, and although Kaiba had achieved his goal metaphysically, the reality was that he had, in fact, launched himself from a space station down to earth. The impact was real, and while the safety features of the pod offset a great deal of the damage, he didn't escape unscathed.
The wreckage was found half a day later, bored sixty feet into the ground. Kaiba had been pulled from it and immediately hospitalized for his injuries which ranged from mild bruising to broken bones, specifically his legs and one arm. His resting heart rate had settled at 130, which was...less than ideal, and needed to be treated.
For the next 3 months, he remained in the hospital in a private room paid for by Mokuba, away from prying eyes and off the general record so that he could heal from his injuries and reawaken healthy but still remain incognito. The former worked out, but waking up...well, Kaiba simply wouldn't. His brain activity was elevated, and his heart rate often spiked, but Mokuba, at least, knew what that meant. He'd pulled his brother from their Neural Network inches before a severe cardiac episode before.
If his vitals were behaving that way, then he got what he wanted--he got that final contact with Atem that he'd been denied due to fulfilling his own dream of spreading Kaiba Land all across the world.
What happened was anyone's guess.
But after three and a half months, Seto Kaiba finally opened his eyes, and the light made his head ache. His heart rate was finally at a level that didn't indicate atrial fibrillation, and although he was pale, thin, and exhausted, he'd finally made it back where he belonged.
He was back home--no. He was...back in a hospital. Why a hospital? Why wasn't he home? Surely, he couldn't have been gone for more than a week or so, right? The dimensional connection had been flimsy at best, and he'd had to spend his time with Atem as quickly as possible.
So why were his limbs heavy? They felt wrong. So much felt wrong, and his eyes wouldn't open all the way, but he can make out a blurry image if he just...forces them to move. Someone...?
"Mo...ku...ba?"
Ugh. No, even his voice sounds awful. The muscles of his throat feel stiff, his voice is hoarse from disuse, and he'd barely managed to say his brother's name, to see if it really was him, or...maybe someone else.
It was never meant to be permanent, of course, but he hadn't neglected to consider the possibility that he might struggle to come back intact. Before launching across dimensions, Kaiba had set his affairs in order, although only Isono was privy to what that meant.
If he was gone for more than a month, his shares would be converted into Mokuba's name, thereby protecting the interests of Kaiba Corporation. At this point, Mokuba would be appointed interim Chief Executive Officer of KaibaCorp.
If he was gone for two, then Mokuba would formally inherit the business in its entirety, with Isono overseeing most functions from day to day with stricter clauses added to his work contract that would disallow him the chance or ability to destabilize Mokuba from his position, which would still be interim CEO for all public records.
From that point on, the changes were only reversible on paper if Seto returned within a year from the launch date. If not, Mokuba really would inherit the business as the true CEO. He'd meant it when he said he was leaving it all in his brother's hands. What else could you say when you intended to launch yourself at speed from your own space station, with no full guarantee that you wouldn't impact, rather than travel across dimensions?
It wasn't a smart idea from the start to do that, and although Kaiba had achieved his goal metaphysically, the reality was that he had, in fact, launched himself from a space station down to earth. The impact was real, and while the safety features of the pod offset a great deal of the damage, he didn't escape unscathed.
The wreckage was found half a day later, bored sixty feet into the ground. Kaiba had been pulled from it and immediately hospitalized for his injuries which ranged from mild bruising to broken bones, specifically his legs and one arm. His resting heart rate had settled at 130, which was...less than ideal, and needed to be treated.
For the next 3 months, he remained in the hospital in a private room paid for by Mokuba, away from prying eyes and off the general record so that he could heal from his injuries and reawaken healthy but still remain incognito. The former worked out, but waking up...well, Kaiba simply wouldn't. His brain activity was elevated, and his heart rate often spiked, but Mokuba, at least, knew what that meant. He'd pulled his brother from their Neural Network inches before a severe cardiac episode before.
If his vitals were behaving that way, then he got what he wanted--he got that final contact with Atem that he'd been denied due to fulfilling his own dream of spreading Kaiba Land all across the world.
What happened was anyone's guess.
But after three and a half months, Seto Kaiba finally opened his eyes, and the light made his head ache. His heart rate was finally at a level that didn't indicate atrial fibrillation, and although he was pale, thin, and exhausted, he'd finally made it back where he belonged.
He was back home--no. He was...back in a hospital. Why a hospital? Why wasn't he home? Surely, he couldn't have been gone for more than a week or so, right? The dimensional connection had been flimsy at best, and he'd had to spend his time with Atem as quickly as possible.
So why were his limbs heavy? They felt wrong. So much felt wrong, and his eyes wouldn't open all the way, but he can make out a blurry image if he just...forces them to move. Someone...?
"Mo...ku...ba?"
Ugh. No, even his voice sounds awful. The muscles of his throat feel stiff, his voice is hoarse from disuse, and he'd barely managed to say his brother's name, to see if it really was him, or...maybe someone else.
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He sat at Kaiba's bedside, softer than usual with sleep, hazy eyes watching him as though he was trying to translate what he was saying.
Mokuba was gone -- he'd been the one to wake Yuugi up, letting him know that he had to get to the office -- leaving just these two in the room for now.
He... wanted to eat.
He wanted to drink.
Right out of a coma.
Yuugi let out a little noise, rubbing his eyes.
"I'll... call the doctor," he mumbled with a yawn.
We'll do this again. I promise.
...before absent-mindedly kissing Kaiba on the forehead. As you do.
He didn't even think about it: he was already fumbling with the call button.
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He's uncertain if he liked that. But he's equally uncertain as to whether he cared all that much about it, which evens out his temperament, and keeps him blessedly silent for at least long enough that Yuugi can hit the call button.
Kaiba slowly sits up again. It's getting easier every time.
"Why are you still here?" he asks quietly, choosing not to comment on the kiss for the moment. Besides, it's a valid question. Doesn't Yuugi have things to do...?
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He yawned, sitting on his usual chair with a sheepish look.
"I, ah. Can work anywhere on my laptop. The hospital is quieter than the office."
Especially with the rumor mill flitting about. With Yuugi's sudden hiring, it was inevitable.
"I am mostly doing prototyping and engine study for Spherium right now, so I don't need on-site facilities to do my work just yet."
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He reaches behind him awkwardly, repositioning one of his pillows on his own, because he is not asking for help! Nope!
"I would like to see the prototype sometime. When you feel it's ready."
Kaiba's not sure why, but he feels terribly awkward around Yuugi like this. It's not as if he's ever shunted off the idea of being embarrassed about something he'd done, and moved on from it! Why would this be different?
(because you can still taste him)
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Because of course he did. This was a man who didn't know his own worth.
Effortlessly, he stood, adjusting the pillow as he spoke.
"And I'd love to show you. The digital version isn't going to be ready for a while, but if you ever want me to set up the board, let me know."
He needed to quit looking at Kaiba's lips. He needed to stop thinking about how soft they were, how perfect it was to kiss him.
Now.
Immediately.
"If I can be honest...I was always hoping we'd get to play it together."
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The words feel like acid on his tongue. He's admitting that he isn't at his best, after all. Which is, consequently, why he doesn't thank Yuugi for adjusting his pillow the rest of the way. That and...one other reason, which he's trying to keep off his mind.
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...
Did Kaiba truly think he disappointed Yuugi, or did he simply feel disappointed with himself...?
"Kaiba, you didn't disappoint me. I'm just looking forward to when we can really play all the more now."
Because what was he supposed to do: expect him to be at his best right out of a coma? The man was lucky to be talking, much less able to move as well as he did!
Yuugi shifted his legs slightly, stretching them in front of him in his seat.
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Admittedly...he wasn't at his best. Talking and moving, he'd done that during the fight to regain his company and his brother from Pegasus, out of sheer power of will. This was no different.
And because it was no different...there were deficits elsewhere.
His inability to walk. His inability to regulate his emotional outbursts, apparently. He might be awake, but Kaiba was inadvertently behaving like a cornered beast at all times, including now.
"You say that, but without the challenge inherent, I'd only be wasting your time," he says sharply. "It's a waste right now."
He licks his lips suddenly, a reflex. They sting from disuse, from breathing open-mouthed during months of unconsciousness, and he wonders, unbidden, if that had been unpleasant for Yuugi?
They...they had kissed, hadn't they? That wasn't a dream.
His gaze follows the movement of Yuugi's legs covetously, but he tries not to let it show, not anymore than he wanted to reveal why he'd licked his lips in the first place.
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Those lips. They'd kissed; that wasn't a dream. They kissed, and...Gods. Yuugi wanted to kiss him again so badly.
Again.
And again.
And again--
He licked his own lips, mirroring Kaiba's motions as he watched him, intense and yearning--
Shit.
He uh. Was staring, wasn't he? At his mouth. Probably should uh...Not do that. Who knew if he still wanted to kiss him after last night? Best not push his luck.
Yuugi coughed, forcing himself to avert his gaze.
Kaiba'd been... looking at his legs, hadn't he? He barely was able to tell.
"Ah... sorry. I. My legs are okay. Just a little stiff."
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The words are out, sarcasm dripping from them, before Kaiba can stop himself. The brain to mouth filter was never really any good, but even he flinches back at it, feeling, if not guilty, then at least cognizant of the fact that perhaps those words were too strong for the situation.
"I mean," he amends, "That's...not what I meant. What I mean to say is..."
He sees Yuugi lick his lips as well, and there's a strange bloom of warmth in his chest, a thought that he's glad remains behind his filter after all.
"I apologize."
And? He means it.
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That...
Heat bloomed in his stomach, replacing the lead stone in it only moments before as stricken, guilty eyes gazed at Kaiba at hearing those words.
Yuugi swallowed.
Smiled.
"... thank you."
Not 'you don't need to apologize' or 'it's okay', but 'I acknowledge your apology and accept it.'
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Kaiba reaches a hand up, running it through his hair...all the way to where it falls past his shoulders.
"...How many months?" he says quietly, frowning at the curl at the edges of his hair. It's probably a silly distraction, something that doesn't really matter in the grand scheme, but there's still so much he doesn't know, and it's easier to fixate on that than on what he and Yuugi had gotten up to hours ago. "I've missed many things, I can see."
He'll have to tread cautiously here. He has to keep his mind out of the maelstrom of emotion that learning about his situation could drag him into. He won't shy from the truth howeve.r
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But Yuugi's eyes...
They were drawn to those long fingers, playing with the strands of his hair.
That soft hair he touched when they... you know. Did that thing. That he was thinking about.
"I..." he swallowed. "I never knew your hair curled on the ends like that.
"I like it. It looks nice."
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Hence, why Yuugi never knew that his hair curled on the ends. Kaiba didn't want it to. It looked silly when it did, and he had an image to uphold. Even Mokuba, by now, tended towards gelling his hair down.
"I'm surprised it isn't longer."
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"I'm not surprised you don't like it," Yuugi said, "It's wilder than your usual look. It probably wouldn't look too great in a boardroom."
It was so tempting to touch it again...just once, between his fingers.
"But hey, look on the bright side: at least it all grew out and looks flattering. Could be worse: You could have ended up with a mullet."
...
The mental image of Seto Kaiba with a Snake Pliskin mullet was not going to leave him for the rest of his life.
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He's just going to stare at Yuugi until he thinks about what he just said critically and considers apologizing.
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Maaaaaaybe.
"Ahaha...not... that you ever would! Because you're way too dignified for something like that!"
Now would be the time to apologize. A quiet Kaiba is far more threatening than a loud, bombastic one--
"Er, I...I'm sorry, I probably... shouldn't have said that? Your regular hair is fine! Looks really good, even! And it's really soft!"
...Yuugi.
"Nice to touch, you know? Felt really silky."
That was because Mokuba and Yuugi insisted on Kaiba being cleaned regularly, including hair care, even when in a coma.
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Kaiba frowns, his hand dropping from his hair as he looks at Yuugi with a strange look on his face.
"You seem as if you spent a lot of time touching me while I was in a coma. My hair is soft? The hugging? And I'm certain you've held my hand before this point. Why are you so comfortable? What is this, Yuugi?"
How much more is he going to find out about Yuugi's involvement? How much stranger is it going to get, now that they'd been physical in a way Kaiba was struggling with already?
"Do you expect something?"
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But that comment. That...question.
Do you expect something?
"No." It came out his mouth without hesitation; to expect something like this as a Matter of Course was not just absurd, but cruel. Entitled. The Worst kind of person, especially when they weren't...
"I just...I'm usually pretty physical with my friends. Jonouchi and I hug all the time. I've fallen asleep on Bakura plenty. But..."
He bit his lip.
"I do care about you, in a way that's...more than that. Friendship, I mean." Could this get any more awkward? "But I don't expect or feel entitled to you reciprocating those feelings, if that's what you mean."
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It's not said with cruelty, but it's strongly worded.
"Temper your expectations. I'm..."
Kaiba trails off, gripping the sheets awkwardly. He notices that one arm hurts more than the other when he grips too hard, but it's nowhere near as painful as his legs.
"I'm not well at this time, and even if I was, your assistance would be appreciated and properly compensated...but your feelings, I cannot promise that I will reciprocate them in a way that you'll find acceptable."
Which isn't meant to give Yuugi hope. Kaiba really isn't the kind of guy to just--suddenly kiss another man.
As he said: he's not well. Not just physically, but his mind. Even he knows that much...
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Why would he?
He was just happy to be his friend. To be close to him. He didn't need anything else, really.
"I just... want to help you. So long as you're okay and happy, that's all I need."
Selfless, perhaps...
But wasn't that Yuugi Mutou to his core?
a safe for work thread? in this economy!?!?!
Guilt?
Why would he feel guilty?
Maybe because...Yuugi had clearly spent time with his brother, and with him, enough to care for the both of them, and now here he was spitting on that kindness. It felt like he shouldn't be doing that, really. But he's Seto Kaiba, and accepting kind gestures isn't written into his DNA.
"You don't have to spend so much of your time on this though," he finally answers. "There's your own personal time to consider. I'm grateful that you found me, and that you have contributed to my care."
That is really weird to say.
"However, it shouldn't inconvenience you anymore."
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After yesterday, after all Kaiba said-- he thought he was inconveniencing Yuugi?
(Or... did he simply not want him around?)
I'll keep you.
"It's... really not an inconvenience for me," he said, "I don't mind."
(Do you, though? Do you mind?)
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Kaiba isn't sure wh he's insisting on this. It's not as if he wants Yuugi to leave, if he's honest with himself--
--but that's the problem. He's not every good at being honest with himself, and furthermore...it's easier to push someone away than to let them in, where they can see the parts that are well and truly irredeemable.
It doesn't matter what happened in the afterlife, or what he was told he should do. Seto Kaiba didn't do anything that he didn't want to do. Right?
"Are you going to stay and watch as I recover from surgery? Stand there and watch me go through therapy? Get serious, Yuugi. That's not a life you need to live.
You have things to do. You have a game to make, don't you?
...It's a good game."
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Yuugi was maybe a little harsher than he'd intended; the words came out in a flood, pouring and unrelenting as his heart ached.
"I don't want to stand and watch: I want to cheer you on! I want to be there for you! Spherium will be made, no matter how long it takes."
Seto always pushed everyone away. The closer you got, the harder he pushed!
I'll keep you.
"It will remain, long after I'm dead and gone; I'm sure of that. But I only have one life, and I'm tired of living with regrets.
And if I turned my back on you and let you push me away, I know I'd regret it for the rest of my life."
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