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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"Help...me?"

When he hears that, something else besides pain bubbles up in his chest, spilling forth like he's vomiting the sound up.

"Mm...mheh. Mmheheh...HAHAHA--Aaagh!"

Of course, it bleeds into that desperate pain, because he can't stop craving this little shit, no matter how he tries.

"Want me to be okay...huh? Even if it means you're not."

He chuckles again, breathlesly, then uses one hand to snatch Yuugi's arm up. His grip would normally have been harder than iron, but now, his fingers shake as he turns Yuugi's arm outward.

"F...fine."

He wants to be bitten, and Kaiba might die if he doesn't bite Yuugi now. He can't hold back anymore, even as he seeks a vein by sight, he's practically drooling at the sight of Yuugi's flesh.

His fangs are so long...when they press to Yuugi's flesh, he's afraid he'll pierce too far. He holds himself back, just in case it might be too much.

Then he feels the skin give with a light pop, and there's a rush of life in his mouth, sweeter than any meal he could have had as a human, pouring in his mouth, swallowed greedily.

Seto Kaiba moans in ecstasy as the blood cascades down his throat.

When Yuugi went to the doctor, the nurses always said that getting his blood was "just a poke".

Just a poke.

Shouldn't that have applied to vampires, too? It was the same concept, right?

Molten bliss erupted from the bite as endorphins rushed through his blood. He gasped, exhaling into a whimpering moan as he trembled in this vampire's arms.

He burned.

But it burned so good.

"Nnn..."

From his head down to his...

"Mmmm..."

His...

"Ka...iba...!"

His very tight underwear.

This...this compared to nothing Seto Kaiba had ever tasted before in his life. Yuugi's blood filled him so completely, in a way he'd never experienced. It was like drinking a boiling hot, savory soup that comforted after a long cold day and soothed the aches of whatever had occurred.

It was like playing a game with someone who could actually match wits with him, for hours.

It was like having a home.

He felt as if he was being resurrected from the undead, with the sun filling him and burning him to cinders while he thanked it for the experience.

When he finally breaks away, Kaiba collapses on the bed next to Yuugi, eyes half closed and now it's his turn to have pupils blown so wide that it's rather pathetic. There's a bright flush to his cheeks--no, his whole body--as if he really had been resurrected! He was human again, with human skin, human warmth and...

...well, Kaiba's so euphoric that he doesn't really pay any mind to the way his sleepclothes have creased and tightened below the belt. The euphoria isn't from his erection, or anything that could have caused it naturally. It's from Yuugi's blood, and he could have taken more if he wanted, he supposes, but...it's so much right now. Even if he wasn't full, he's sure he'll writhe in overstimulation if he feeds anymore.

And...and he doesn't want to kill Yuugi, does he?

No. God...he'd been prepared to, though...hadn't he?

Yuugi laid flat against the bed and panted hard against the sheets.

Blood poured from his wrist, and he couldn't bring himself to lift it. Was this what euphoria was like? Not the simple pleasure of orgasm, but absolute completeness and sensation...

Like a duty fulfilled.

Like coming home.

Like... being lo--

"Ka...a..."

He couldn't even find words. He was too drunk. Too giddy. He smiled even as the sun burst in his chest and his veins sang with joy. He knew he needed to speak, to stand, to do something--

But all he could do was lie on the bed with an obvious hardon and stare up at his ceiling.

"Ssh. Don't...don't ruin it."

He says it like that, in his abrasive way, but the tone is softer than any Yuugi would have heard from him. He didn't even speak to Mokuba this way.

Lazily, he reaches for Yuugi's wrist, and out of instinct, he brings it to his mouth and runs his tongue along the still-weeping bitemark. More blood, another moan as it courses through him...and then, he sets Yuugi's wrist back down. The wounds...they've begun to seal now.

He didn't know he could do that. He's never fed on a human before...

Ssh. Don't ruin it.

Yuugi exhaled a quivering breath. His voice was so gentle...warm. Nobody had ever spoken to him like...

"Ahn..."

Like this.

Intimately. Like a--

Slowly, Yuugi curled on his side to face Kaiba, close enough to touch, but he... couldn't. Didn't.

Wouldn't.

He just wanted to be close; he needed it right now. He needed... he needed to feel safe.

Kaiba could stay here forever. He could stare at Yuugi for the rest of the night, wondering at why he hadn't done this by now. Is this all they'd needed to do in order to coexist after all?

He doesn't want to leave yet...but he has to. He can't stay here, there's no reason to overstay his welcome. After all...he'd taken from Yuugi like this. He could have killed him.

"...I'll pay for the window."

...Now who was ruining the moment?

"Sshhh..."

A finger, trembling and nervous, touched Kaiba's lips.

"Don't... worry about that for now." Yuugi murmured. "Just... stay here with me."

He didn't want Kaiba to leave.

He wanted someone next to him, lying next to him, just for a little while. When he was there, he was safe.

He bit him, but didn't kill him.

Even at his most feral...

He wouldn't hurt Yuugi. What was a little blood?

"...Please."

"Mh?"

Kaiba's eyes, long since faded back to their usual blue, widen as Yuugi's finger presses to his lips. He'd really do that, even while Kaiba's fangs are still this visible...?

He reaches a hand up, tugging Yuugi's arm down.

"Yuugi, I can't stay. You cannot want that."

He has to tell his brother. He has to take care of this stupid, uncontrollable hard-on. He has to create distance...

But he's warm and content. Even being in the same bed as Yuugi like this, which is something he'd never do ordinarily...is not something he's against. Despite his arguments, he doesn't want to move. He's not sure what he wants...other than the obvious. Why does he have to be affected like this...?

Yuugi moved closer.

"I do. I feel... safe. Like this. It doesn't have to make sense to you."

He bit where he asked.

He healed him.

He's speaking to him now.

If that didn't scream "reliable" and "safe" then what did?

If only he didn't blush. If only he didn't feel -- and look -- so shy, like a schoolboy with his crush.

"Also, um. Your hand. Feels nice."

As soon as Yuugi says that, Kaiba pulls his hand back. It's uncharacteristic for him to look so out of his element, but Yuugi has that effect on him.

"Don't say such foolish things," he mutters, "Not when we're like this. It's not some romance novel you're in, just in case you haven't realized."

And at that point, Kaiba sits up, pulling one knee up so that Yuugi can't see how he's reacted to all of it. To his blood...to the sensation of biting a human for the first time...

It's his shame.

"I didn't say it was," Yuugi chuckled. "I'm not that naive."

He knew better. And yet...

He still...

"I just... thought it'd be nice to be close to you. To maybe be held for a while."

"You should know that I'm not that kind of person," Kaiba says indelicately. "I don't know enough about you--"

Which is a lie, given Kaiba's control issues and rigorous background checking of this particular individual.

"--nor do you know anything about me, other than the fact that I'm a vampire, and your boss. What makes you think that 'being held' is in any way appropriate?"

It's rude, and he knows it. But Kaiba's gotten along best by keeping himself separated from distractions and weaknesses. His only blind spot was for his brother. Still...having said that...

"...Don't think I'm not grateful, though. I could have been in trouble without you, and I'm aware that my gratitude has been lacking. I will repay you for it.

And the window."

"I know. Can't blame a guy for trying though, right?"

It was kind of weird, wasn't it? Maybe it was the blood. Maybe it was the proximity, of a gorgeous man this close and making him react like this.

"Sorry, sorry. Though...I would like to get to know you better. To...be friends, maybe. Mokuba thinks really highly of you, and...you're an interesting, honorable person."

Maybe in his own way, but he did have ethics. That much was clear.

"And...if you need to drink again in the future...I don't mind. You. Drinking from me. Better to drink from someone you know, right?"

"Tch. I could blame you for trying...but instead, I'll thank you for the meal," Kaiba comments wryly. Talking is helping, though. It's helping to calm him down, and clear his mind.

(and deal with being aroused)

"You want to get to know me, huh? Fine. But first, I need you to text my brother. I'm afraid I don't have my phone. Give him a full report. Hopefully it'll reach him before he's made upset by what he finds."

He doesn't comment yet, on whether Yuugi's assessment of him is right or not. Clearly it's not, but he's not in the mood to shoot all of the man's statements down.

"...You enjoy games, yes?"

...Okay, he had to laugh at that. It wasn't even that funny, but there he was chuckling like it was some secret joke that--

--Oh.

It kind of was, wasn't it?

This entire situation was practically a joke in the making: A vampire goes into a gamer's bedroom at night...

"On it, boss."

Good, he could reach for the nightstand to get his phone. Texting Mokuba was very not sexy, too, so it helped bring down his...aha. Problem. His very big problem that was definitely not friendly.

...

If Mokuba noticed Yuugi's mentions of Kaiba's "Gentlemanly" nature and his "Gentle" biting...well, that was going to be held over Yuugi's head for the rest of forever.

As his fingers flew over the touch-keyboard to text, he grinned.

"I love them. My grandfather owned a game shop, and I grew up there. He was the one who really instilled a love of games in me from the time I was really little. I swore I wanted to create something that could inspire kids like me and help them make friends and have fun with others--"

Kaiba frowns, because he's definitely not in on the joke. But rather than lose face by asking what was so funny, he simply gives a nod of acknowledgment. Good. This is how it should be. Distance. Normalcy.

Really, really good blood.

Hm. As Yuugi texts Mokuba, Kaiba thinks about the desperation he'd sprinted here with, the thought that this was all Yuugi's fault. He'd intended to kill him, really. Without regret, he would have ended the man's life, based on the assumption that he was the problem.

Why had he thought that? Was it really just the desperation of his own hunger? Now that he was well-fed, his mind was as clear as a spring, muddied only by his arousal. Something had triggered this, he's sure of it.

...Probably the alcohol and the sushi hadn't gone well together. He'd vomited quite a lot. Next time Pegasus wants omakase while discussing business matters, he'll be sure to put his foot down on the matter.

Idly, he rubs at his shoulder, as if trying to soothe an old complaint.

"We have a commonality at last: I also enjoy games. I had to retire from the international circuit, given my condition, but I am an internationally recognized Duel Monsters champion."

He says it proudly, but there's a hint of sadness. His cards have slept for so long...it had affected his stock for a while since he ran a gaming company and achieved acclaim off of his skills in the game. It's why he still ran exhibitions and invitationals set during times at which he could play, but he hasn't attended so much as a regional run by any other company, including Industrial Illusions.

"Cards are my favorite, but my specialties are vast. Any game you could think of, I'm a master of."

Ever been to an arcade? Check the cabinet for high scores. It's "KAI" at the top, anywhere at all that you could go.

Though, he hasn't kept up with it since...well. Since this began.

"I know! I used to watch your matches all the ti--"

Uh.

Yeeeaaaaah, that was a good reason to blush hard and think the phone was the most interesting thing in the world. It was a good thing that he had to tell Mokuba a lot of things! Important things! Things that he already told him but definitely needed to look at his phone for! Yeah? Yeah!

Definitely!

"Uh...y-yeah. I've been in a few tournaments..."

Duelist Kingdom? That weird tournament that Pegasus decided to throw a while back in order to advertise the new and improved duel terminals? He was an up-and-comer that ended up winning the whole thing.

The prize money paid his entire college tuition.

"I still compete when I have the time. But I play pretty much anything. Duel Monsters, Dungeon Dice Monsters, Chess, Go, Shogi, Cribbage, Baccara, Senet...And that's not counting the video games I play."

You ever heard of the guy who went on RedEyesJou's stream and speedran Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice while completely toasted? Yeah. That was Yuugi.

Oh? Kaiba caught that. He caught it, and now he's curious about how much Yuugi had been holding back after all. So, he decided to join the company to try and achieve his dreams...and knew that the CEO was an internationally recognized player, but decided not to comment on it?

Actually, it's refreshing.

He doesn't like having awkward hangers-on. Best to admire but keep it from turning into something annoying and overbearing.

For his part...he raises an eyebrow curiously as Yuugi states he'd been in a few tournaments. He wasn't aware of which ones, but then...sometimes his job made him miss a few.

(Duelist Kingdom was a very bad time for him. Pegasus was making a play against him, in a bid to gain controlling interest of Kaiba Corporation. The tournament hadn't really registered on Kaiba's radar due to having to defend his interests.)

The more Yuugi lists off the games he enjoys playing, the more intrigued Kaiba becomes. So then...if Yuugi likes so many games, and they've both competed, then...

"If I'm going to be stuck here for a while, the least that we can do is play a game, wouldn't you say? If you're as skilled as you imply, then perhaps something simple, like...liar's dice?"

Ever seen a vampire smirk, all fangs and overconfidence? Kaiba wants a challenge. Games are life, and seeing as most of his has been robbed from him, the idea of living a little sounds very tempting.

Honestly, that smirk was...

Aside from Kaiba, he'd never seen anything like it. Not in his tournaments, and definitely not in his daily life. It was something that was branded in his mind, though, and he often tried not to think about when he passed by Kaiba's office or tried to go through his daily tasks.

See, that smirk?

That was what inspired Yuugi to compete in the first place.

His confidence. His strength!

The way he transformed a company known for weaponry and made it into something wonderful.

Yuugi wanted to be strong, too. If Kaiba could do it, then he could too, after all.

He knew better than to expect them to be friends when he started working for him, or to even get much of a relationship with him. He didn't mind that; he just wanted to be close. He wanted to be able to create games under the banner of the person who inspired him so much.

But...

That smirk inspired a grin of Yuugi's own: mischievous, almost impish with childish delight as his eyes glittered in the moonlight.

"You're on. I can't move too much still, so ah...dice are on the dresser. In the, uh..."

Ugh, he was going to see how much of a fanboy he was, huh?

"...Blue Eyes White Dragon dice cradle."

It was a custom job he got from his friend Ryou for his birthday two years back, and he took it to every Monster World session he ever went to. That was his baby, and he wasn't letting it go, okay?

Yuugi's inability to move brings a sobering reality to the matter at hand, and it almost has Kaiba hesitating. Perhaps they shouldn't play a game that required such wit--it wouldn't do to have Yuugi on the backfoot already, that's not the kind of game Kaiba wants to play.

However, there's something else that perks him up, and it's Yuugi admitting he has Blue-Eyes merchandise.

He's on his feet faster than he means to be, certainly he's at the dresser faster than the blink of an eye as well, leaning over to get a look at the thing more closely.

"Custom work," he says blandly, but his eyes are wide and bright. "It's very good."

He wants something like this. No, he doesn't just want it, he covets it. The Blue-Eyes White Dragon is his ace, after all, and seeing this here...it reminds him how much his heart aches to play them again.

...He can't let Yuugi know that, though. So, instead, he takes what dice he needs, while adding:

"I wasn't aware that you were the type to enjoy merchandise for a card you might never see in person, Mutou."

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.

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