kittensinboxes | To Be Endlessly Cold Within [Rivalshipping, Vampire AU]

To Be Endlessly Cold Within [Rivalshipping, Vampire AU]

It had taken some time to get used to living a new life as a vampire. For someone who actively decried the supernatural, it wasn't easy to admit that he'd been overcome by some creature of the night in anything outside of a nightmare.

But he had ended up like this nearly half a year ago, waking up hospitalized with what looked like some kind of lesions at the joint of his neck and shoulder. From that point, it was only a matter of time before he shifted to his new reality. Trying to suppress it out of sheer force of will had only worked out so long, and deflecting his thirst onto a natural human cause had nearly ended in him attacking his brother. That was the last straw.

That was when Seto Kaiba gave in and took the first drink.

He had to, of course, curate his inner circle slightly--tell the ones most important to him what exactly his new life would entail. Mokuba...well, while he hadn't fully intuited it, had been concerned about his brother ever since the hospital stay. How could he not be? Seto had gradually lost color, energy, and most concerningly, weight since he'd been discharged. He barely ate and looked discomforted when he did, and drank liquids constantly. Honestly, figuring out Seto's needs had been jarring, but ultimately relieving.

Isono was the only other person who knew. He was the one responsible for acquiring blood for his boss, and he did so admirably. Kaiba never fed from the vein, no matter what. Even when his jaw ached around others, and his fangs itched in his skull, he'd instead bite down on something else. He kept a solid rubber ball in his desk for such occasions, and it didn't feel right, but at least with his bagged alternatives, he was doing alright.

Isono and Mokuba had floated the idea to him of perhaps feeding on small animals, and while the thought of it had made his fangs stretch past his lower lip and made his stomach twist as if he'd been starving for all his life...he declined. He didn't need it. There were other things to attend to.

And so he never really regained his weight despite a regular diet of blood.

But at least the company was running smoothly. Seto fought the urge to take a fully nocturnal sleep schedule, and instead positioned himself between worlds. He'd come into work around midnight, well before the sun rose, and leave once it had set. Work meetings were scheduled past dusk. Probably the most expensive alteration needed was to slowly have his office windows altered with UV blocking, the tinting of which could be controlled automatically with a single remote. He mostly kept the tinting at a lower level, so he could still enjoy the sun's brightness without harming himself.

His acclimations weren't perfect. Sometimes he ended up burning himself. Sometimes, the hunger was triggered by proximity to his employees...but for the most part, Kaiba had fallen into a holding pattern. Not yet fully healthy by vampire standards, but also not withering away.

Today, Kaiba was to be participating briefly in orientation for a very small handful of new hires. Isono would bring them up, to show them who they would be working for and have Kaiba offer a few words as he often did while he judged the merit of the hires individually. He always thought it unnecessary, but what he thought, and what was actually done? Those were two different things.

The first two hires went through their orientation interview without incident. Kaiba wasn't terribly impressed, but they'd do as entry to mid-level workers. Nothing really extraordinary to be brought to the the table.

He taps the logo on his lapel.

"Isono. Bring in the last candidate, and then prepare lunch," he ordered.

"Yes, Master Seto!"

The third candidate...they better be worth something.

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Yuugi slowly sat up, leaning on the headboard to give himself some stability--

-- and he was glad he looked up.

Kaiba's eyes...

They were...

Diamonds: That's what they reminded him of. Not the clear prismatic ones, beautiful as they were. No, with his regal bearing, nothing less than blue diamonds were good enough.

Beautiful.

"She's your ace." It slipped out before he could stop himself. "You uh. Inspired me to get into competing, and to pursue my dreams. Not in a weird way! You just work really hard and weathered so much hardship while defeating everything in your way.

"So, looking at her makes me remember my dreams, and my love of the game."

He bit his lip, pausing.

"Look at the dice, though. Those are based on my ace."

Gandora. A dragon that was often hard to combo due to its particular effect and summoning condition, but Yuugi made it work. He felt bad for how many people called him a "bad" Monster because they couldn't use him well, and then...

Well.

He won with him every time, so that had to count for something.

Kaiba holds one of the dice up, looking at it a bit more closely than he had. Yes...he can see the influence here. He opens his mouth to comment on it, but that's not what he speaks to, actually. Instead, what slips out is:

"You...how would you know anything of my hardships?"

This could have just been about playing a game. About rolling the dice, and trying to outsmart each other, but Yuugi's said something that makes him feel perceived, in a way he's not sure he likes.

Had Mokuba said something? Was Yuugi reading between the lines? Did he know more about Kaiba than he'd let on, before applying with the company?

...Is it just as simple as being inspired by someone's actions? Kaiba really hadn't ever felt that feeling, not the way Yuugi was describing it. How was he meant to aspire to anyone else, when his life was spent aspiring to be better than those around him? His job was to be better, and to make a place for him and his brother, when no one else wanted to make room for them.

He was the fixed point. He was the one to aspire to.

"I know a little. Just the basic stuff that everyone knows. But...my grandpa always told me that nothing valuable ever comes easy. Everyone works, and everyone struggles. The more effortless something seems, the more likely they're hiding how hard they had to struggle for it.

"He raised me, and used to collect rare games. Traveled all around the world before starting a Game shop here. He was a great man."

He smiled, but it was wistful. Sad.

"And I'm not so arrogant that I'd try to say I understand what you went through or anything. I could just tell that you worked and fought hard for what you wanted. And I wanted to do that too. And...I dunno. Stand under your banner, I guess."

Was that weird? That was weird.

Ugh....

Why was he like this...?

Just the basics, huh? Fine...that's alright. The less anyone knows about him the better, right? Though...it sounds as if Yuugi's grandfather had a lot to say about things that, applied to Seto Kaiba himself, shouldn't mean anything at all.

And yet...

He thinks about it. How all that anyone ever saw was the rich, pompous Seto Kaiba, sat upon a throne handed to him by his father.

Little they knew. Little he wanted them to know.

"Collecting rare games sounds like a worthwhile venture," Kaiba responds, and his voice is mostly kept even, because the way that Yuugi was talking about his grandfather, it sounds as if he wasn't around anymore. Kaiba hasn't been able to relate to the sorrow of loss for a very long time, and he's not going to act as if he's any good at it. So, he sidesteps it with silence, until Yuugi continues on.

"You're a strange one," he finally adds, bringing the dice over and setting them on the bed before having a look around the place. "At any rate, we'll need a flat surface, and some cups. Shall I find that on my own?"

Unbelievably...he manages not to sound quite as scathing as he usually does when he asks that.

His grandfather had been dead for around four years now, and it was finally easy for him to talk about him without bursting into tears. He almost didn't go to his graduation ceremony in high school because the man was in the hospital, but he delivered his speech and Ryou -- Gods love him -- recorded it on his phone so the three of them could show it to Sugoroku on his deathbed.

He died a few weeks later.

It was refreshing that he wasn't offering condolences; Kaiba didn't seem like the kind of man who would offer himself emotionally, and it was better to be honest than to play at something that you didn't care about.

In a way, that was its own kind of respect.

"Oh, ah. Check by the computer. There's a tea table and two dice rolling cups."

The tea table is a simple thing, made of cherry maple with a deep, almost burgundy finish. It was his grandfather's: small nicks can be seen peppering the wood from years of use...

And the dice cups?

One was Gandora-themed, while the other was Kuriboh themed.

Yuugi was very strange...he didn't call Kaiba out for his inelegant handling of what was clearly a tough subject. It's as if he didn't expect much at all from him, which was both insulting, but also how Kaiba wanted it.

They weren't friends. They were barely coworkers, what with the disparity of their positions. Still...he doesn't feel entirely right considering Yuugi to be a means to an end. His blood was like ambrosia, but now that Kaiba had fed off him, he hopes that they'll be able to react appropriately to each other in the future.

He moves to the computer, finds the tea table and cups...and lets out a low scoff of a laugh. Well, Gandora might be Yuugi's ace, but Seto Kaiba is not rolling out of a Kuriboh cup. Fuck off with that.

There's an awkward moment, where he moves towards the bed and...isn't sure if he should be in it again. It's Yuugi's bed. Not his.

...He sets the tea table down, and looks for a chair. No. No, he's not getting in the bed again, not when he's finally gotten his dick calmed down. Chair. Yeah. Chair.

Oh, Kaiba.

Not even if it's a rainbow Kuriboh? You know, because you're gay--

Yuugi didn't seem bothered by his choice in cup, either; it seemed like that was a common thing. He even found himself chuckling a little.

"One of my best friends does that too," he smiled, "He finds Kuriboh unmanly. But I think he's pretty cute. Soft, fluffy, and unassuming, but great in a pinch."

He pulled his knees up to his chest; he was starting to get his bearings, albeit slowly.

"And... thank you. For what you said. Grampa passed his collection to me, and I still play with some of them. I think...he'd like it if I showed them to you sometime. We often watched your matches together."

He paused.

"That, and I think you're one of only two people I know who would really appreciate them."

The other? Ryou.

Kaiba has to catch himself as he finally finds a chair, to stop himself from saying Of course you like Kuriboh. You just described yourself.

Not that Kaiba found Yuugi cute, but he certainly was soft, fluffy, and unassuming. And that blood of his...yeah. He'd certainly saved the man some grief.

As Yuugi mentions his grandfather again, Kaiba can feel his shoulder tense. It isn't because of the subject itself, but because he's being thanked for...for what? Not saying much of anything, except for about the games?

"I think," he says before he can measure out a proper response, "I would like that."

Ugh, what? No! He sets the chair down in front of him and closes his eyes with a frown. There's no way...not a single chance he can concentrate on the game like this. Embarrassingly, Yuugi's gratitude, his promise of showing Kaiba some rare games, and the ego stroke of knowing two different generations had enjoyed his skill?

It's a little too effective. He can feel his half-hard cock twitch in his pants. Oh? Games? Compliments? Neat.

So much for not thinking with the wrong head. This isn't even a sexual thing at this point, he hates when this happens, and then compliments end up making it worse.

"Where is your bathroom?" he asks sharply, looking as irate as he sounded. If he's gonna properly bluff, this thing has got to go.

Geez... talk about having the grace of a flying brick. Kaiba, Yuugi was a man with needs, and you weren't subtle. Also he had a half-chub himself, so...

Talking about his grandfather killed his libido, but the thought of Kaiba... you know.

You know.

Ugh.

So much for not being weird. Was it weird when you wanted to stick your inspiration's dick down your throat and suck him dry? Asking for...well. Himself.

But.

Yuugi put his hands in his lap, cheeks burning.

His eyes averted.

Seriously, he was being weird. What if he didn't have to do... that? What if he just had to pee? Vampires peed, right?

"Uh...um. Right. Down the hall. First door on the left."

Ugh, was he gonna have to take care of himself, too? Probably.

No. Stop. Stop. Kaiba can see the rush of color at Yuugi's cheeks, and he knows his own face is flushing, not out of any kind of want, but out of sheer embarrassment. Ridiculous. Ridiculous!

This is a biological imperative, he won't let it rule him! He definitely didn't dig his nails into the back of the chair he got, and whatever material it was, definitely did not have new scratches on it. No. Not at all.

"Set up the game," he grumbles, turning on his heel and stalking off like an aggravated beast towards the bathroom. Good thing that jacking off involved a very specific motion, because he wanted to strangle his cock and at least he could pretend that's what he was doing!

Yuugi would be able to hear the bathroom door slam hard enough to rattle the frame. Someone's not proud of himself!

And then...silence.

Yeah, what? Did Yuugi expect that as soon as Kaiba got hands on himself, he was going to become anything other than an exceedingly private person? Absolutely not. He was definitely already bringing himself to a full erection by his own hands, but he refuses to moan about it, thanks.

...Well.

Okay.

Yuugi set up the table before propping himself up away from it in a burst of energy only capable by a horny man who didn't want to get cum on the game pieces, because he knew this was going to be a big one.

He freed himself and wrapped his hand along the shaft, and--

"Ah...!!"

Uh.

That was a loud, airy sigh, followed by a moan. Kaiba didn't hear that, right?

Right?

Seto Kaiba is a vampire.

Seto Kaiba is an apex predator with heightened senses.

He can hear you, Yuugi Mutou.

Here he was, in the middle of working himself past what's an incredibly annoying hurdle in his life, so he can actually play a game that doesn't have anything to do with his shitty life, his shitty work, or the shitty bastard he's going to have to see later today, and now, Yuugi was practically moaning in his ear about it.

The only thing Kaiba can do is bite his free arm to try and get his mind off of it and not make an answering sound as he thumbs the head of his cock while sitting in the bathroom, pajama pants to his ankles in an unfamiliar house.

This is the worst...this is punishment, isn't it? For the cardinal sin of almost killing a man, when he'd sworn off such cutthroat actions years ago.

That's why whenever he hears Yuugi making sounds out there, he feels a shot of fire in his abdomen, swirling around like a flaming salamander inside him and making his arousal worse than ever.

Blood trickles down his arm as he bites harder. Focus. Focus!

(don't think about how nice it would feel if it was yuugi he was biting instead of himself)

"Nnmgh"

A small, muffled sound. A sound only he can hear, but which feels like giving in, and frustrates him further. He takes it out on his cock, working up and down himself more fervently than ever.

Yuugi's pace, by comparison, was languid and relaxed, as though he was pampering himself with his touches.

He liked it like this: slow, gentle, intimate. He could imagine it was someone else caressing the head of his cock, whispering sweet things in his ears as he writhed and mewed on the bed.

"Nnn...yes... just like that..."

"Fuck...i-in your mouth, baby..."

"Hahhn, yes...Yes..."

In his mind, Kaiba was there.

His hazy blue eyes stared into Yuugi's soul as his tongue caressed every inch of him, flicking his tongue just the way he likes to do with his thumb, sharp canines brushing his sides--

"I want...oh...nnnnn...!!"

"Ghh!"

Why is it that Yuugi thinks he can be so lewd with company over? Why is it making Kaiba react like this, he's never had these kinds of reactions before! Then again, to be fair, he's never shared space with anyone while doing this, much less someone so loud.

So lewd, more like.

He has to stay quiet. He has to keep control of himself, even when Yuugi's behavior already has his dick wet. No, it's fine, it helps, it's going to make this go faster. Faster...!!

Fuck...i-in your mouth, baby...

That's his last straw right there. In the time it takes Yuugi to keep being an absolute sex hound, he dislodges his own fangs from his arm, blood dripping from the wounds, and he shouts out:

"DO YOU MIND KEEPING IT DOWN OUT THERE?! FOR FUCK'S SAKE!"

They both have needs, but this is absolutely ridiculous!

The embarrassed squeak was practically ripped out of Yuugi's throat as he gripped his dick just a little too hard.

Was he that loud?

Kaiba could hear him?

Hey, uh. Maybe he should have killed him while he had the chance. At least he wouldn't have to deal with the embarrassment.

... really, erection? He was still...

G e e z.

So uh.

Flopping on his stomach and letting out muffled moans as he jerked himself again was...

Better, right?

Better. Not perfect, but better. Kaiba can, at least, concentrate enough to deal with his problem. He doesn't hear much from Yuugi after that squeak, which is fine with him. None of the other stuff was anything he wanted to hear!

Not...not at a time like this. Now the sanctity of games had been disturbed!

Some minutes later, definitely once Yuugi's finished as well, he exits the bathroom with a damp washcloth. He can't hide the flush on his face as he holds the cloth out to him.

"Here. For your...needs."

He isn't apologizing for what he said. But he'd rather Yuugi didn't have to wash his dice and such more than usual because he'd gotten handsy in bed.

Yuugi was face-down on the bed, pants on and accounted for. His dick is put away, too.

With his clean hand, he gives a thumbs up and opens it up, as if to say: hand it to me.

Yeeeeaaaaah, he was not going to raise his head just yet.

He was too embarrassed.

Ashamed?

Embarrassed.

"Sorry," he mumbled instead, muffled by the sheets.

"Don't be a coward about it," Kaiba says, dropping the washcloth into his outstretched hand. "For the record, however, I have heightened senses. I could hear you as if you were very close.

I suppose it is my fault for not telling you before I left, but I didn't expect you to...attend to yourself as I was. I assumed that..."

What did he assume? That Yuugi wasn't going to be as straightforward about dealing with an inconvenience such as a random erection?

"...it's my mistake. To assume. It won't happen again. But if you stay that way, then there's no chance we'll be able to play a game."

There's something to his tone there. Something that betrays that he does in fact want to play.

"Not bein' a coward," he muttered into the sheets. "It's natural to feel a bit embarrassed, isn't it?"

Mortified, more like.

Still, he took the washcloth, cleaned himself, and flipped over on his back to slowly sit up.

"But... thank you. I'll keep that in mind too for uh. I'll just keep it in mind."

He smiled, warm and inviting as he sat cross-legged on the bed.

"All right. Let's play, then."

"Hn. I would probably be embarrassed too. But lingering on the matter won't help alleviate it. Take control of it, and alter your moves later!"

...It's a very Seto Kaiba thing to say. But at least he's not picking on Yuugi, right? He's trying to smooth it over, in his own overbearing, loud way.

Once that's cleared up (enough for him anyway), he takes a seat in the chair he'd pulled up, and takes the Gandora cup, along with half of the dice.

"You're familiar with the rules, I assume. Do you prefer aces wild?"

Probably?

Mister "I can't perceive anyone else masturbating other than me because it makes it weird" would probably be embarrassed if someone called him out for masturbating?

Still, the attempt to smooth it over worked. It even got a little smile out of him.

"Yeah! To both, I mean."

He took the other half of the dice and his beloved Kuriboh cup in hand.

"Good. That makes it more interesting."

Kaiba scoops the dice up into the Gandora cup and gives them a brief shake, before tipping the cup onto the table, catching around his dice in order to conceal them.

Now that they're playing a game, the awkwardness starts to fall away. This...this is his element. He's wanted this since they talked about it--no. For even longer than that. Sometimes...you just want to do something that doesn't require working, or dealing with the fact that you're a vampire.

Sometimes, you just have to roll some dice and try to outsmart the new guy you just drank like a capri sun.

A quick look under his cup, and then:

"Two threes."

Games taught you so much about the person you were speaking to. A person revealed themselves through how they played games; what would Yuugi learn about Kaiba tonight?

Beyond the obvious.

Beyond the things that his vampirism and their close proximity already taught him.

Excitement bubbled in his stomach and he rolled his dice with a soft grin.

He peeked under his cup.

"Four threes."

Games did teach you a lot about who you're playing with, and Liar's Dice is a game of bluffs. It's a perfect way for at least Kaiba to get a read on Yuugi. And...his first read isn't exactly the best.

There's twelve dice between them, and Kaiba is the only one who knows what his bid really means. True? False?

Well...one thing's for certain. The appraisal is very nearly as dire as the first time he'd met Yuugi, and he can't stop himself from scoffing.

"Four? That's bold, isn't it? Perhaps too bold for your first turn, Mutou."

Is he really...?

"I don't believe it. Show your hand."

Show him yours, and he'll show you his.

"Yeah, probably."

He wasn't too bothered by it; sometimes incredulous plays early in the game and minor setbacks can improve a player's position later. Yuugi was used to being on the back foot...

And he showed his hand:

6 2 1 1 2 4

No threes to speak of. Unless you counted the two ones as sixes, with each three counted twice.

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i got heads

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