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...boy?

He called him that earlier, didn't he? Was that some kind of nickname? Term of endearment?

Rich people were strange sometimes.

Still, he smiled, bowing quickly.

"Yes; it's an honor that you want me to come along, Mr. Pegasus, sir."

He had to stay polite, no matter how weird he got. Maybe if he was polite enough, he could get him to stop arguing with Kaiba? Or at least stop being 'weird', as Mokuba put it...

Yuugi's efforts are, of course, appreciated. Kaiba hates having imperfections called out, and he's tired

(tired of pegasus's shit to be honest)

so he wants to make a quick night of this.

"Come on, I've got to close up," he says flatly. "Everybody out."

"Oooh, so prickly! Alright, alright! Let's go, children!"

Yikes. Well, it gets everyone out, doesn't it? Whether by Kaiba's order, or Pegasus's. Kaiba lets out an annoyed sigh as he locks up the building, then turns to Mokuba.

"You know, you don't have to come. I'm not sure you should even have coffee this late," he comments, frowning. "Isono can take you home, he's in the car."

Which means...Isono isn't the one who'll be driving them to the coffee joint. So then who...?

Mokuba shook his head; Yuugi's text sat in his stomach like a hard lump, rolling around and causing residual nausea as it went.

"Don't worry about me. Besides, I'm sure Yuugi could use the company."

Which was only partially true: he was worried.

Yuugi was already stepping outside, walking astride Pegasus as he seemed to be listening to him chattering about...something.

"Hmm."

Why is everyone around him other than Yuugi being so contrary? Kaiba is only doing this for business, and everything's annoying about it all!

"Fine, do what you like," he mutters, but the truth is, he's not entirely displeased. He does love his brother, despite some evidence to the contrary at times. Him being there is...dare he say, emotional support?

"Oh!"

Pegasus breaks away from the conversation he's having with Yuugi (about cartoons) to butt in.

"There's plenty of room in my car! It's a rental!" he says cheerfully, before waving over a...seriously.

Seriously?!?

Kaiba pinches the bridge of his nose as a limousine approaches, driven by a steely gray-haired middle-aged man with...man, do all the seconds always have sunglasses? Hello, it's night time...

"Croquet can drive us~"

"Cro...quet?" Yuugi tilted his head. "Is that a nickname?"

Mokuba had to stop himself from laughing. That was probably the most polite way anyone has ever said someone's name was stupid in the history of everything.

Still, a limousine had plenty of room, and it wasn't like anything weird could happen if everyone was all bunched up, yeah?

Besides, it'd be nice to stretch his legs for once.

Kaiba actually snorts at that one. Good job, Yuugi.

"Now, now, that's not very nice is it~? After all, isn't my name silly too? Maybe it's just cultural differences!"

Or maybe it is a nickname--unclear. Unimportant, really. And if it comes down to it, then Kaiba will be the first one in, might as well lead the herd, right? When Croquet comes around to open the door for them, he gives Yuugi a very unkind look that's only mostly occluded by his sunglasses as he waits for the group to get comfortable.

"Comfortable" being a strong word for whatever Kaiba's feeling now. The sooner this is over, the better. Especially since--of course--there's Pegasus, shuffling right next to him, in a spot Mokuba should be occupying but isn't...

"S-sorry," Yuugi mumbled, and gosh, his cheeks. They were so red!!

He climbed into the limo, then stopped.

"Hey, Mokuba--"

Mokuba was already climbing in to get to Seto's other side, leaving Yuugi on the other side of him and closer to the door.

"Oh, okay. H-haha..."

Well, this was a nice snug fit...

A snug fit and yet somehow, Pegasus seems like he's in his element. The entire ride he chatter about various subjects, including cartoons

(ugh)

and pre-release spoilers on the new expansions for Duel Monsters. It's...very clearly the second that Seto responds to at all, and it's certainly not because he likes Pegasus. That much is evident in his body language.

Honestly, the ride couldn't go fast enough, and when they finally arrive...it's quite a nice little coffee shop, actually. Odd that it's open this late, and yet...

"Alright, come on, children! We can't stay out too far past your bedtimes!"

Ohhh, the look Kaiba gives this man as they file out.

Children...?

He doesn't look any older than his mid-20s; Yuugi is a college grad for goodness' sake!

Old frustrations bubble up, thick and hot, but he tamps them down hard as he steps into the coffee shop with the others.

Though...

Kaiba would probably notice that scowl, quick enough to miss, that flits on Yuugi's face.

Looks like someone doesn't like being referred to as a child.

Pegasus doesn't seem to notice either look, as he's too busy heading to the door of the coffee place. Croquet holds the door open for them all, of course.

Kaiba definitely does notice the scowl, and as he walks up to Yuugi, having reluctantly slipped into his mismatching studded white trenchcoat by now...he bumps an elbow into his arm purposefully. It's not hard, but it's enough to get the man's attention.

The look in his eyes may or may not be easy to read, but it tries to convey let it go. he's just like this, before Kaiba pulls ahead, hands in his pockets.

When the three of them finally step into the place after Pegasus, the smell of coffee that far exceeds the palate of most washes over them, along with the warmth of a comforting space. It's even enough to get Kaiba's shoulders to relax, which never seemed possible.

Well, at least it's cozy in here.

Yuugi blinked; he hadn't expected Kaiba to get his attention, much less...

Try to be comforting? Reassure? At the very least he noticed his discomfort and acted on it, which was...

...

Nice.

He didn't normally let his uglier emotions show, so...

"Oh..."

It was cozy in here. The scent of coffee was almost overwhelming but somehow also nostalgic. It reminded him of long study binges and almost endless nights with friends.

There weren't many here, either...

Pegasus, of course, is already at the counter, ordering for himself. And guess what this place has? It's got--

"Kopi luwak! Oh, you simply must try it!"

See what you did, Yuugi? YOU SEE WHAT YOU DID?!

Kaiba looks about as enthused as anyone would expect about this, because he knows exactly how this is going to end, and he immediately opens his mouth to decline.

"I'm not interested in some highfalutin coffee beans--"

"But how do you know, unless you try it?" Pegasus immediately counters. "Come now, just a little bit--the process of procuring the beans really is extraordinary."

His lip curls in no small amount of distaste.

"Yes, I'm aware of the process. And it's up to them whether they want it, but I have the distinct feeling you're not going to let this go, are you?"

When he says "them", he jerks a thumb back towards Yuugi and Mokuba, the latter of which has already pulled a face and is shaking his head vigorously.

"Oh, Kaiba boy...I'm not so pushy that I'd make everyone have a coffee they don't like, you wound me~ But as a compromise...why not try some yourself, and you can tell us how you feel about it? Don't worry, tonight's my treat no matter what we drink!"

And of course...Kaiba feels as if he's caught between a rock (the kopi luwak) and a hard place (responding to hospitality). He hates it! He really does!

Mokuba was shaking his head vigorously, but like hell was Yuugi going to just let Kaiba suffer alone. If he was going to drink it, then he would, too.

"I'll have some too, then. Who knows? I might like it!"

Yeah, fat chance on that, but be'd try. At the very least to do one of two things:

1) make sure Kaiba did not do this alone.

2) show Pegasus that he was not going to back down.

Still...

Gods, sometimes he hated being right.

"That's the spirit!" Pegasus replies enthusiastically. "Then three it is! And of course whatever Mokuba boy wants!"

Kaiba actually glances at Yuugi with a very odd look on his face. So...he was ready to throw himself on the sword just so that Kaiba wouldn't be the only one?! He's really quite the strange one...

...but you know, it wasn't as if he'd have been able to get out of this. One way or the other, Pegasus would have them drinking shit-bean coffee.

"Fine," he mutters, stalking off to a table to sit. Mokuba orders a hot chocolate then practically sprints after him.

Well, he couldn't just leave Kaiba to it, you know? That was just cowardly.

Friends stick with friends, after all.

...

They also join them at their table in an attempt to not be alone with Pegasus. He turns on his heel, ready to go--

There's a blessed moment where they're alone as Pegasus waits for the order to come up, because unlike Isono, who would have brought the coffee order to the table, Croquet was watching the car. He has way less patience for teenager and teenager-adjacent creatures than Isono.

And in that moment, Kaiba sinks into his chair and lets out a frustrated noise, just in time for Yuugi to show up and see the mask slip completely. For a moment, he looks so tired and miserable, but he realizes he's being seen and immediately tightens up the facade.

"...You didn't have to do that, Mutou. He probably would have been satisfied if I was the only one," he grouses lowly. "Why put yourself out there?"

Oh, Kaiba.

On one hand, seeing the mask slip was... almost nice to see, because he got to see him and not the image he pushed to the world.

On the other...

"Because you're my friend," he said, as though he was discussing the weather, "Think of it like camraderie through suffering. Or me having your back."

"Stop saying that."

It's snapped far more harshly than Kaiba even intended, but they aren't friends! Yuugi's a means to an end, and Kaiba should be the same for him! Working at KaibaCorp was a step up in Yuugi's career that would help him achieve bigger and better things, so he should take advantage, especially if Kaiba was going to be biting him all the time!

"Just--forget it. I don't care," he adds in an annoyed mutter. "The sooner we're done here, the better."

Mokuba looks caught between being worried about his brother and wanting to kick his shin from under the table for his shitty attitude.

"Sorry," said Yuugi, though really he didn't look sorry at all.

Kaiba was like that. He was harsh, dismissive, and generally kept to himself. But he was also respectful, enjoyed playing games with Yuugi, and when his guard was down...

Talked to him like a friend.

What else were they but friends?

Of course, one particularly thick bit of scarring decided to flare up with pain -- on the hand Kaiba did not bite -- right then, and for a moment, he grimaced in pain before schooling his expression and holding onto that hand tightly.

Kaiba's eyes flicker as he sees Yuugi's expression shift. It doesn't seem to have anything to do with what Kaiba said, because when he'd answered, Yuugi had sounded pretty insincere with his apology.

For a moment, the vampire has to think--is that the hand he'd bitten? He's certain he hadn't bitten where Yuugi was holding...and the cut should have been healed enough that Pegasus wouldn't notice it.

Then again, he'd noticed the wrist, hadn't he?

"Mutou, what's--"

"I'm heeeere~"

Kaiba's cut off as Pegasus joins them at the table with four cups, humming contentedly to himself as he takes a seat.

"Here we are, one for each of you. And this one--hmm, yes! This one's the hot chocolate for Mokuba boy."

The coffee's divvied up, Mokuba is in his little safe zone without the catshit coffee...and the rest of them? The rest of them are on Fear Factor. Kaiba's nose visibly wrinkles as he takes hold of his cup.

Don't think about it.

(don't think of cats)

Don't think about it.

(don't think of cats in the jungle shitting)

He can do this.

(cats eating coffee beans and digesting them and there's no litter box in the wild people just pick that shit right up off the ground)

Something on his face says he's definitely not interested in doing this, and he knows it. Even Mokuba looks as if he's pitying him from over the rim of his own drink, brows drawn together, grimacing where Seto can't see.

But Seto Kaiba has never turned down a challenge, which is exactly what this is. And he won't be starting now. So, he tips the cup and takes a long sip because he is doing this, he is drinking the shit coffee and he only has some regrets...

(all the regrets)

You know what? Yuugi'd done some strange things before.

He went to university. With Ryou. And Jonouchi. He'd gone on benders with questionable food and even more questionable alcohol. He decided to play a game with Jonouchi where they tried out all the sketchiest restaurants in town and the winner was the one who managed to not vomit before they got to the apartment (Yuugi won that one simply by the power of deep breathing).

He could drink something that was supposed to be a delicacy, even if it did have...questionable origins.

Yuugi took a deep breath.

And a long sip.

"It's...sweet." Even without sugar, it was smooth and sweet. "It's delicious. It even seems to have a hint of caramel in it."

Even if it was made from Cat Shit.

After having Mystery Bao at 3 AM at old Kenji's rundown stand, literal poop would probably have tasted better by comparison.

Another sip.

Yuugi tried to stay relaxed, even though the words 'You're drinking cat shit' sit in the back of his head, singing loud and in E Minor.

"I didn't even know you could get this around here."

Kaiba's in hell. Yuugi's actually enjoying the coffee, and Pegasus seems to be as well, given the way he hums after his own sip, and responds to Yuugi with such enthusiasm.

"There's not too many places that serve it, but this shop happens to! I couldn't resist expanding the palates of my young friends~" he lilts, his icy eye twinkling with delight...and perhaps something else. Mischief? No, of course not!

"What about you, Kaiba boy~? What do you think of it?" Pegasus adds.

What does Kaiba think of it? He can't even focus on the taste. He's not some first or second year university student that had to live off scraps to get by, or who had friends to feed into dares with. He was particular about what he imbibed, and this? It didn't fit the bill.

He isn't Yuugi.

So he's pretty sure he's going to vomit if he keeps drinking this.

And yet that's what he does. Can vampires go pale? Is that possible? Well, he's doing a great job of it. He's not going to lose this game. He will not lose!

(don't gag don't gag don't gag)

"It's...not my preferred choice of drink," he mutters lowly. "Too sweet. Too unusual."

He takes another sip though, and he's definitely not thinking about cat shit, and how roasting the beans could never remove the taint. He's not thinking about the beans moving through the civet's guts, and it's not making his stomach twist itself in knots.

He's not grossed out, YOU'RE GROSSED OUT.

This was not as bad as the kind of things he put in his stomach in the name of a dare, and if you thought about anything other than the fact that it came out of a cat's ass, the coffee was good.

But...

Vampires had sensitive guts, didn't they? Kaiba couldn't have been having a good time. Was coffee even good for vampires? Did Kaiba drink too much? Maybe he needed to eat something more substantial in the bathroom?

And he clearly wasn't enjoying himself...

Okay.

Yuugi -- a man well-versed in the 'teacher I have a headache please let me go back to my dorm because I definitely don't have a hangover' sway -- gently touched his forehead and closed his eyes.

"I am...feeling a little dizzy, though. I think I didn't get enough sleep last night."

His eye opened slightly, just enough to get Mokuba's attention as he sipped on his hot chocolate.

"Seto, take Yuugi to the bathroom!" There was a gentle kick to his leg to get Seto's attention. Brother! Pay attention! "We'll be fine here!"

Yuugi was literally giving you an out without losing face, so take it!

Coffee is in fact, not good in large quantities, but Kaiba would rather end his unlife than give it up. This, though? It's way too much coffee. And way too much "palate expanding".

He's caught in his own death-spiral over cat shit coffee when Mokuba's shoe connects with his shin, pulling him out of it. A quick glance to Yuugi, and his eyes narrow. Is he really having trouble?

Well--any excuse to get away from this situation is welcome, so Kaiba gets to his feet, fingers still firmly clasped around his coffee cup.

Pegasus, miraculously, doesn't stop them. He just sips his coffee innocently. Now you're stuck with him Mokuba~

"Come on, Mutou. The last thing I need is for my employee to pass out in a public place," he says curtly. And then, like the absolute asshole he is, he stalks off towards the restrooms. Honestly he's fighting the urge to not be ill over the coffee, so this works for him.

(and he has the distinct feeling that's what yuugi was trying to help him with. STOP BEING A FRIEND-ADJACENT CREATURE)

Predictably, once they arrive to the bathroom, the first thing Kaiba does is dump out at least HALF of the kopi luwak in his cup, then try to act as if he's not super disgusted that he had to drink any, in order to attend reluctantly to Yuugi.

"...Are you really dizzy?"

Nailed it.

"I'm fi--"

Oh, whoa. That was...actually a bit of dizziness that hit him like a wave, and he stumbled on his feet to lean against the sink.

"I ah. I actually am, a little, yeah. I was just trying to get you an out a few minutes ago, but..."

What was the phrase: Play stupid games, play stupid prizes? Maybe it was too much coffee. Or not eating enough even though he'd lost plenty of blood. His lunch was his typical: a normal store-bought bento since he didn't have enough time to cook for himself, but considering his blood loss, his lack of sleep, and everything else...

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