[Open]

[note_atem]

Whur is your boyfrand? He iz missing. This is terrible news. It's probably the regular rite? Kidnapping or torture or something. But wait. There's more.

Comments

I don't feel like looking up exchange rates, so..

[shutupandduelme]

Kaiba Seto's day was quickly falling apart from a bad few hours to an absolute nightmare. Sure, Pegasus had approached him to join in this little escapade. He was probably the only one who could fetch a price as good or better than Atem's. Of course, that hope was quickly crushed when the mailed invitation had been sent back as a pile of shredded paper and ashes. Pegasus hadn't even bothered to call after that.

But what else could Kaiba do once he saw the report that the King of Games would be up for auction? Secret or not, it was his rival that had been put up at the mercy of the fangirls and doses with wine. Kaiba was practically shaking with repressed rage before even making the event.

There was no way for him to go in without making a scene, either. The press of fangirls was just too much to overcome. So it was a suit jacket and sunglasses-less Isono who raised his hand for the first bid while his boss lurked about outside. He would pay the man for the embarassment later.

[note_atem]

The words were enough to drive his guilt complex deeper. Kaiba had bailed him out. Kaiba had spent a lot of money to do so. Even if Kaiba wasn't supposed to know about this, and he really could have handled himself, he was there.

His head hung slightly, frowning again as he turned as much as he could towards the door. If it was the last thing he did he would pay Pegasus back in droves for this. For now, it was all he could do to bite his tongue and keep quiet.

[shutupandduelme]

With no replies from Atem, Kaiba settled back into silence, his attention fully on stopping the flow of blood from his nose. The car stayed that way until it came to a stop, Isono coming around to open the door on Atem's side.

Kaiba glanced over before shifting as if he was going to get out as well. "I will be borrowing ice," he said firmly, not up for an argument. "The last thing I need is to go into work tomorrow with a bruised nose."

"Or on the date you were contracted into," Isono added quietly. "A date is part of what you paid for, Seto-sama."

"Tch," Kaiba clucked, completely ignoring it.

[note_atem]

There was a point where he thought he might have drifted off, but slumping against the seat hard enough at least jerked him back into reality. Once the door was open for him he sat straight up, only placing a hand to his head for a moment before stepping out.

The fresh air was nice; he hadn't had time to enjoy it when he was worked up inside and stomping back out. A soft 'thanks' and nod was given to Isono. It was only after he'd stepped a little away that he even registered that Kaiba had spoken at all.

"As you will." A favorite saying of the brunet and Atem didn't particularly mind using it as he walked away, making extra sure his steps were steady. He didn't say much else as he walked into the complex and opened the door to his apartment.

[shutupandduelme]

The comment just made the brunet scowl as he stalked after Atem. This whole thing was bothering Atem clearly, and rightly so. Kaiba wasn't about to tell him that it wasn't his fault that any of this had happened. But the icy treatment was only making his bad mood worse. The pain on his face threatened to spread into a real headache.

The darkness of the apartment was a pleasure to the already overstressed CEO. He exhaled softly, his eyes closing for a moment to try to dull the pain. Carefully he stepped forward, choosing to go hunting for the refrigerator himself rather than ask Atem to do it.

[note_atem]

The darkness had always been his greatest ally and his greatest weakness. Right now he chose to keep it as it was, despite how awkward it made getting around the place. He was already disoriented from the drink, but at least he could blame it on the loss of light as the reason he was holding to the wall to feel his way around.

Kaiba would do whatever he wanted, as usual, so he left the brunet to his will. He instead stalked off to the bedroom to sit down for just a moment. There was a stray inkling to lock the door but it would just end in disaster and argument he was sure.

He lurched forward only after a moment, hands going to his face. There was a mix of overwhelming emotions that he wanted nothing to do with. The shame was overpowering them all, however, burning him deeply.

[shutupandduelme]

Kaiba wasn't having nearly as much luck. He was too proud to search for the light switch, and the apartment wasn't nearly as familiar to him as his own mansion or office. Given that it wasn't nearly as big as either of those two places and how distracted he was in his anger, the tall brunet practically tripped or struck every piece of furniture between the door and the kitchen. He cursed sharply after hitting the hard wood table in the main room with his foot, but still refused to turn on the lights. Thankfully he didn't hit the fridge too, once he reached it.

"You will come up with a good story when Pegasus asks you about this...date, understand?" Kaiba growled towards where Atem had disappeared, his voice a little muffled as he pressed the ice to his nose. "He will call and check, I'm sure."

[note_atem]

"A date would be asking for too much, I think." His voice hovered somewhere between sardonic and sincere. There was a slight part of him, as usual, that was quick to egg the other on. Aside that, his own voice was muffled by his hands.

"I'm not accepting any calls from him." Added on after only a moment and with a slight growl of his own.

[shutupandduelme]

"It isn't happening, don't concern yourself with it," Kaiba replied dryly. They didn't go on real dates as society would consider them at the best of times. This was far from the best of times. "Besides, your schedule is already full for the next twenty years with unpaid appearances for Kaiba Corporation."

He rolled his eyes, though there was no way the other man could see them. "And if you think avoiding his calls is going to keep him away, you're more foolish than I thought."

[note_atem]

The scoff he let loose of could be heard throughout the whole apartment, he was sure. It was loud enough to even cause the twinge of pain to come back to his head.

"You'll have your money back in two month's time. No need to sign me up for useless ventures I won't be attending."

[shutupandduelme]

"With interest, I suppose? Do you think I just let my money rot in a bank somewhere when I'm not using it. What I just used on you would have far exceeded the original amount two months from now," Kaiba snapped back. "Working promotions is the easiest job I can give you."

[note_atem]

"Stop being difficult!" He couldn't help it. The slight snap was setback when he realized what he'd done. His hands came to his head again, thankful for the darkness of the apartment, and that Kaiba wasn't even in the same room.

"I'm sure you have work to be doing. Stop lingering here. There's nothing more for you."

[shutupandduelme]

"I will do as I please," Kaiba said, his tone dark. The ice was dropped into the sink before he stepped out into the darkness again, trying to follow the path Atem had into his room.

"You seem to really want to be thrown to those women. Shall I take you back to them, drunk as you are?"

[note_atem]

"I never asked for you to show up there. I never asked for your help." More and more he was starting to sound like Kaiba himself. He should have been slightly grateful, he knew. He was just having a hard time doing that underneath all the bruised and broken pride he was experiencing.

"In the face of those facts, I don't owe you anything. Be grateful I've promised you your money and go away."

[shutupandduelme]

"Did you really think I was just going to let those women put their hands all over.." Kaiba hissed, before pulling himself back and gripping the door frame to the room tightly.

"Is that why you hid this from me? So you could go with those women?"

[note_atem]

His head whipped up sharply and his eyes narrowed, almost as if he could see right through the darkness. The quick move made the world spin and quake around his vision and made him feel slightly sick but it was unavoidable now.

"I don't want anything to do with them. But it was none of your damn business either way." Pride. It was his own broken pride he couldn't fix and the very same fueling his anger and his words.