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“What?”
“I said, do you want to watch a movie?”
You never thought the same Kaiba who was regarded as 'cold' and 'egocentric' by many would be calling to ask you to watch a movie together.
"I heard you, but why?" you asked, confused.
“What do you mean ‘why’?”
“I mean, why me?”
It was true that you had become close to Kaiba in the few years you had known each other. Through the mutual friend group that the two of you shared, you had initially tried to get him to open up; however, the more you had tried to be friendly with him, the more he had said spiteful things towards you. But after one particular comment – calling you a ‘walking participation trophy’ – had made you cry, he seemed to have finally realized the impact his words had on you and had stopped.
It wasn't until you both found a common ground that brought you closer: ancient philosophy. You started to talk more and more about different philosophies, and soon you were having long conversations about the different theories and beliefs. As your conversations deepened, you began to understand each other more. You learned more about each other's perspectives and began to appreciate each other's points of view, even if you didn't always agree.
Kaiba released a deep sigh before responding to your question. "Mokuba had purchased tickets for us to go to the movies together on Saturday, but he has other plans with his friends that day. I didn't want the tickets to go to waste, so I'm asking if you'd like to join me."
You were honestly glad he hadn't asked you in person, since he wouldn't have been able to see the red flush that had spread across your cheeks. His request had taken you by surprise. Normally, you were the one asking him to hang out, not the other way around. You viewed this as a sign that he enjoyed your company. "I'd love to come."
Saturday seemed to last an eternity as you anxiously waited to see Kaiba. By the time the sun started to set, you found yourself standing in front of the movie theater, in the bustling city of Domino. You had almost forgotten how crowded it could get on the weekends, and you were starting to panic that you wouldn't be able to find Kaiba in the swarm of people.
Your heart began to pound in your chest as you felt a tap on your shoulder. You slowly turned to face the stranger, and you were taken aback by their clothing. They were covered head to toe in black, wearing a hat, glasses, and a mask that covered their face. Your stomach dropped as a million possibilities ran through your mind. Were they asking for directions? Or were they intent on something more sinister, like trying to kidnap you? No, nobody would be stupid enough to do that in broad daylight, would they?
Panic began to set in as you reached for the pepper spray in your purse, your fingers brushing against the cold metal of the canister - just in case the stranger decided to pull anything. But before you had the chance to grab it, you felt a firm grip on your wrist. Without thinking, you bit down on the hand that held you in a desperate attempt to protect yourself.
“What the hell is wrong with you?!?"
Your eyes widened at the sound of the familiar voice. You quickly grabbed the stranger's mask and pulled it down.
"Kaiba?!" You gasped.
"Are you trying to draw attention?!" He hissed in a loud whisper, his hand quickly covering your mouth.
You pulled his hand away, shaking your head. "It's not my fault I thought I was going to get kidnapped." You muttered
Kaiba sighed, running his hand over his face before pulling the mask back up. "Let's just go in already, if I'm out here for too long people might get suspicious."
You looked at him in disbelief. "You look like you're about to rob a bank, not watch a movie, people are definitely going to be suspicious."
He ran his hand through his hair, his expression pained. "I know. This is the only way I can go out in public without being bombarded by the press. If they found out I was hanging out with you, they'd have a field day."
You felt a pang of sympathy for him. Having your every move watched by millions must be exhausting. "What movie are we watching anyways?" you asked, desperate to change the subject.
"I don't know," he replied. "Mokuba bought the tickets, so it's just as much of a mystery to me as it is to you."
The both of you began to make your way inside and towards the employee to collect your tickets. As Kaiba gave the tickets, the employee gave him a suspicious glance due to his attire, but Kaiba didn't seem to care. The employee informed you both of the theater number you would be seated in, before allowing you to enter.
"Do you want to get anything to eat?" Kaiba asked
You shook your head, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Um, not really. To be honest, everyone just sneaks snacks into the theater because of how overpriced the food is here."
"So you don't want anything because of the price?" Although his face was covered you knew he wore a smirk.
You nodded, "Yeah."
"Tell me what you want and I'll buy it for you," Kaiba said.
"No, Kaiba," you protested, your cheeks warming. "You don't need to do that. I already feel terrible that you won't accept the money for the tickets." Over the few times the two of you had hung out, you noticed that it was always Kaiba that paid for you. Every time you tried to pay him back he would always refuse to take your money. You genuinely enjoyed being around him, and you didn't want him to think that you saw him as a cash cow.
"You do realize that I'm financially stable right?"
"Just because you are rich doesn't mean you have an obligation to pay for everything," you said.
"I'm not doing this because of obligation," Kaiba said as he pulled out his wallet. "I'm doing it because I want to. Now tell me what you want."
Instead of trying to reason with him, you ended up telling him what you wanted. You knew Kaiba could be stubborn and you would have ended up missing the movie trying to convince him not to buy you anything.
"Thank you," You said, feeling a warmth spread through your chest.
Kaiba shrugged. "It was nothing."
As you made your way to the theater, you couldn't help but take in the sight of the movie poster outside. The minute you saw that poster, you knew what type of movie it was going to be—Anzu had been raving about it all week, claiming it was one of the most romantic movies she'd ever seen and that she planned to take Yugi with her to watch it again. You started to wonder if Kaiba would even be interested in cheesy stuff like that. Then again, you didn't expect him to even ask you to watch a movie with him either.
Kaiba began to lead you towards the seat. It was a miracle that he could even see in the dark with those glasses he had on. As the movie started, you felt Kaiba relax beside you, the tension in his body dissipating. You couldn't help but smile as you watched him let go. Despite his gruff exterior, it was clear he had a soft side.
As Kaiba's focus had been on the screen in front, you decided to lean towards his seat and take off his glasses. His eyes glistened like diamonds as the light from the projector reflected from them, making them appear like sapphires in the dark.
"I don't think you would enjoy the movie if you had your glasses on the entire time," You whispered. "Plus it's dark enough so no one would recognize you."
"Thank you," he said, his voice low and gentle. For the rest of the movie, you couldn't help but steal glances at Kaiba in between the scenes.
As the movie came to an end, Kaiba had offered demanded to walk you home, given that it was pretty late at night. With the street lights providing a soft glow, the both of you made your way to your apartment.
"I can't believe Mokuba wanted to watch that movie," Kaiba said as he removed his glasses, letting you get an uninterrupted glimpse of his eyes.
The streets were empty, except for a few people who were too intoxicated to take in their surroundings, so Kaiba felt comfortable enough to let his guard down.
"You didn't like it?" You asked. Sure, it had the same universal romance plot that every movie has, but there's a reason why everyone enjoys it.
"It portrays a false reality of what love is supposed to be like," he said, his voice filled with a kind of wisdom that made you wonder what kind of experiences he had gone through in the past.
“How so?”
“There’s a fine line between being protective and being possessive. The movie portrays the latter. It teaches people that it’s okay to be controlling and jealous in a relationship. That’s not real love.” Kaiba was so much more than the aloof and arrogant persona he presented to the world; he was an astute observer of human relationships and emotion.
"Do you believe in true love Kaiba?" You asked.
"I don't know. There are days where I do and there are others where I believe that the whole concept is absurd."
"Why is that?"
"No one could be willing to do everything for another person, no matter how important they are to them."
"That's not true, I mean look at how you treat Mokuba."
"Mokuba's my brother. It's different."
"No, it's not," You said. "Love is sacrificing and doing whatever it takes to make the other person happy. That's what you do for Mokuba, and I'm sure with time, you could do it for someone else too."
Kaiba thought for a moment. "Maybe," he said. "I suppose there is something to be said for that kind of devotion, but it's still a risk. It could all be for nothing in the end."
"Are you scared?" You said. Kaiba stopped in his track and gave you a confused look.
"Not scared, I just see no point in it when being loved unconditionally is unachievable." He explained. "I don't want to invest my time in something that could be taken away just as easily. No expectations, no disappointments."
“Love is a mysterious thing—it can take on many forms and mean different things to different people. For some, unconditional love means lavish dates and flowers, while for others, it means loving someone even when they no longer love you.” You explained.
"Not everyone deserves to be loved like that," Kaiba said softly, his gaze fixed on you. "There are those who have done things that can never be made right."
"That doesn't mean they don't deserve love," you said. "Everyone deserves to be loved for who they are, no matter what mistakes they've made. We all make mistakes, and that doesn't make us bad people."
Kaiba looked away, his expression troubled. You could tell he was struggling with something, but he didn't say anything.
Instead, Kaiba's gaze was fixed on the sky above, his deep blue eyes mesmerized by the tiny stars that littered the night sky. The air was crisp and cold, the wind gently tugging at his hair as he stood there in contemplation. He looked troubled, the expression on his face betraying an inner battle he seemed to be fighting. He stayed like that for what felt like an eternity until finally, he spoke.
"Sometimes I wish I could just forget everything bad that happened in my past," he said softly. "And start over with a clean slate."
You were taken aback by his confession, but you knew it was something he needed to say. Kaiba rarely opened up to anyone, he would rather endure his pain in silence than tell anyone about his troubles.
You walked up to him and gently placed your hand on his shoulder and spoke in a comforting voice. "I know it's hard, but you can't change the past. What you can do is focus on the present and the future. You have the power to choose what happens next, so make the best of it."
Kaiba looked up at you and smiled, his eyes filled with gratitude. It was the first time you'd seen a genuine smile from him. He turned to look up at the stars again, and you could see a newfound hope in his eyes that wasn't there before.
“The moon is beautiful isn’t it?” Kaiba asked
“It’s always has been.”