Ficlet: A Detour
I wrote this years ago, and never ended up posting it. So to kick off my next YGO fanfic, I figured this was good a time as any to unearth it.
This is part 1 of 2 of a prologue of sorts to my "Life With Kai-baby and Yami-kins" series. Except, it's not. Think of it as an AU take on a prologue. Confused? : )
A Detour
Kaiba hadn't planned to pass by the Kame Game Shop, but with road construction, the detour happened to take him that way. His head had done the rest, reflexively swinging in the direction of the familiar store as traffic crept by.
He hadn't expected to see a certain ex-spirit stomping on cardboard by the dumpster. He couldn't help but smirk. After all the things the other Yu... no, Yami, had accomplished, it was more than a bit amusing to see him doing something as mundane as breaking down boxes for recycling.
Before Kaiba realized it his car was in park and Yami was looking over at him, surprised, as the taller duelist got out and strode over towards him.
"Kaiba?"
"They have you taking out the trash, hmm?"
For a moment Yami looked like he wanted to snap something in return, but instead he managed to smirk before saying, "Well someone has to do it. We don't all have an army of servants."
Kaiba didn't know what to say to that. He didn't bother pointing out that it would be ridiculous to expect a CEO to be taking out trash from his office building. Instead, Kaiba's eyes swept down and back up again. Yami was wearing a ridiculously bright green t-shirt with an iron-on store logo that was beginning to peel itself off the chest pocket, and plain blue jeans. A distinctly non-Yami-like outfit, except for the fact that he'd still seen fit to raid Yugi's accessory collection for studded belts, wristbands, and a collar. "Nice shirt," he drawled.
"I'll try to be more fashionable while working," Yami huffed, wiping off his brow. "Did you really stop to tell me my shirt is ugly?"
"... No."
"Well, then...?"
Kaiba wasn't sure why he'd stopped. He wasn't used to casual conversation... casual anything, really. He turned part way, undecided if he ought to return to his car and just head home, then looked back and said, "Traffic is shit right now."
"Yeah. It's been awful for business," Yami agreed, staring out at the tangle of cars before turning back to the taller teen. "You should come by more frequently. I hardly see you around."
"I've been busy," Kaiba replied automatically. It was his answer to a lot of things.
"Yugi and the others are too. They're seniors now. I guess it's a big deal."
"I wouldn't know."
"Neither would I."
Kaiba grinned at that, earning a similar smile from Yami in return.
"How's Noa doing?" Yami began again.
Kaiba's grin sagged into a very slight frown. "Behaving, for the most part. I don't care what he does as long as he doesn't cause problems."
"Mokuba keeping him in line, then?"
"Something like that."
Footsteps on the sidewalk drew both their attention back towards the shop. "Yami, if you're done with the..." Sugoroku began asking as he came around the corner. He came to a sudden stop as soon as he spotted Kaiba. "Ah, I... well..."
Kaiba knew when he wasn't welcome. He probably shouldn't have stopped in the first place. "I better get going," he muttered as he turned abruptly and headed for his car.
But Yami followed. "I meant what I said. Don't be a stranger, okay?"
A stranger? Well, it wasn't like they were friends either. But Kaiba didn't say that. He gave a curt nod instead before getting into his car.
Yami took a step back as Kaiba started up the engine, then watched as it vanished into the stream of traffic just as suddenly as it had appeared.
"Well, that was unexpected," Sugoroku said when Yami walked back towards the shop.
Yami's head bobbed in agreement. It certainly was. He couldn't help but wonder what else Kaiba might've said if Sugoroku hadn't interrupted them. Given how random Kaiba's appearance had been, he doubted he'd find out for quite a while.
This is part 1 of 2 of a prologue of sorts to my "Life With Kai-baby and Yami-kins" series. Except, it's not. Think of it as an AU take on a prologue. Confused? : )
A Detour
Kaiba hadn't planned to pass by the Kame Game Shop, but with road construction, the detour happened to take him that way. His head had done the rest, reflexively swinging in the direction of the familiar store as traffic crept by.
He hadn't expected to see a certain ex-spirit stomping on cardboard by the dumpster. He couldn't help but smirk. After all the things the other Yu... no, Yami, had accomplished, it was more than a bit amusing to see him doing something as mundane as breaking down boxes for recycling.
Before Kaiba realized it his car was in park and Yami was looking over at him, surprised, as the taller duelist got out and strode over towards him.
"Kaiba?"
"They have you taking out the trash, hmm?"
For a moment Yami looked like he wanted to snap something in return, but instead he managed to smirk before saying, "Well someone has to do it. We don't all have an army of servants."
Kaiba didn't know what to say to that. He didn't bother pointing out that it would be ridiculous to expect a CEO to be taking out trash from his office building. Instead, Kaiba's eyes swept down and back up again. Yami was wearing a ridiculously bright green t-shirt with an iron-on store logo that was beginning to peel itself off the chest pocket, and plain blue jeans. A distinctly non-Yami-like outfit, except for the fact that he'd still seen fit to raid Yugi's accessory collection for studded belts, wristbands, and a collar. "Nice shirt," he drawled.
"I'll try to be more fashionable while working," Yami huffed, wiping off his brow. "Did you really stop to tell me my shirt is ugly?"
"... No."
"Well, then...?"
Kaiba wasn't sure why he'd stopped. He wasn't used to casual conversation... casual anything, really. He turned part way, undecided if he ought to return to his car and just head home, then looked back and said, "Traffic is shit right now."
"Yeah. It's been awful for business," Yami agreed, staring out at the tangle of cars before turning back to the taller teen. "You should come by more frequently. I hardly see you around."
"I've been busy," Kaiba replied automatically. It was his answer to a lot of things.
"Yugi and the others are too. They're seniors now. I guess it's a big deal."
"I wouldn't know."
"Neither would I."
Kaiba grinned at that, earning a similar smile from Yami in return.
"How's Noa doing?" Yami began again.
Kaiba's grin sagged into a very slight frown. "Behaving, for the most part. I don't care what he does as long as he doesn't cause problems."
"Mokuba keeping him in line, then?"
"Something like that."
Footsteps on the sidewalk drew both their attention back towards the shop. "Yami, if you're done with the..." Sugoroku began asking as he came around the corner. He came to a sudden stop as soon as he spotted Kaiba. "Ah, I... well..."
Kaiba knew when he wasn't welcome. He probably shouldn't have stopped in the first place. "I better get going," he muttered as he turned abruptly and headed for his car.
But Yami followed. "I meant what I said. Don't be a stranger, okay?"
A stranger? Well, it wasn't like they were friends either. But Kaiba didn't say that. He gave a curt nod instead before getting into his car.
Yami took a step back as Kaiba started up the engine, then watched as it vanished into the stream of traffic just as suddenly as it had appeared.
"Well, that was unexpected," Sugoroku said when Yami walked back towards the shop.
Yami's head bobbed in agreement. It certainly was. He couldn't help but wonder what else Kaiba might've said if Sugoroku hadn't interrupted them. Given how random Kaiba's appearance had been, he doubted he'd find out for quite a while.