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A thin folder was held out between them, its steel clasp glinting under the overhead light, Yugi taking it with questioning eyes.
“I personally made some edits to the talking points for the conference tomorrow. Have a read through them before we speak to the press.” Kaiba's words were strict, so Yugi didn’t comment on the lateness of the hour, simply nodding, a hum of appreciation passing through the space as he acknowledged the dedication to work on display.
“Sure, will do.”
The assessing gaze shifted and quickly found the blanket spread across the floor, precious cards sitting atop it in a neat pile; a bizarre nocturnal mock-picnic setup placed under the window, curtains thrown wide.
“Is there a reason you’ve decided to sleep on the floor?” Kaiba asked, a frown creasing his brow as if the other had personally insulted him. Which perhaps he had, indirectly, considering it was the other man’s company hosting him here ahead of the tournament press day and match start. The CEO was certainly the type to take offense to someone determining his choice of sleeping arrangements less than.
“Oh,” Yugi breathed, glancing around him. “It’s not for that, it’s just something I like to do before big duels.”
As soon as he mentioned duels, Kaiba’s bored stare seemed to morph, carving itself into something pointed and curious. Perhaps it was unsurprisingly that he would take interest in the pre-match habits of his greatest rival.
“You lie on the floor with your cards before a duel?”
Yugi’s face softened in amusement at the deadpan tone, as if hearing the unspoken accusation of ‘superstitious nonsense’ echoing from the taller man’s mind. “Would that be so strange?”
An unimpressed ‘hm’ formed behind the other's lips as he eyed the blanket, curiosity clearly unsated.
“Do you want to know the truth?”
Kaiba’s sharp eyes shot to Yugi immediately, the speed and intensity of the action enough of a ‘yes’ to bypass a physical nod or vocalisation. The shorter man hesitated for just a moment as he reached a hand to the middle of his chest absentmindedly.
“It’s something Atem and I used to do.”
Kaiba stilled upon hearing the Pharaoh’s name spoken aloud, his posture poker-straight as Yugi moved to take several steps back to the light switch on the wall, his pale fingers reaching up to it.
“There’s a skylight in my room at home, above my bed. I – we – would lie under it, watching the moon, the stars, the clouds, the rain, whatever existed above us, and talk. We’d discuss strategies, the cards we loved, our lives, and everything in between.”
Darkness doused the room in midnight blue at the flick of the switch, and pale moon rays floated through the glass, flanked by twinkling starlight – the glittering dots surprisingly clear considering the city skyline that lived beneath them.
“I can’t tell you how much those hours we spent like that, on so many nights, mean to me. He might not be with me anymore, but I still like to do it, lie under the night sky and think. It keeps our time together alive for me, keeps him close, and helps me figure out things...”
It was intensely quiet as the admission trailed off, Kaiba’s own breath caught as he found himself trapped in Yugi’s ritual, in a secret world that had existed for him and Atem alone.
A low sigh was loud in the hush, drawing his companion’s eye, blue squinting in the din to discern the expression there, but even as his eyes adjusted to the lack of light, Kaiba couldn’t be sure of what he found. The other was looking away in that moment, expression peaceful but torn somewhere between melancholy and fondness. A lesser human would have faltered, but Kaiba stared intensely, determined to decide what that face meant, screenshotting it in his mind’s eye just as Yugi shifted, stepping over to his floored arrangement, easing himself down onto the blanket, his side profile now facing Kaiba as he hugged his knees to his chest, bathing in the sky’s light and darkness.
“You don’t only do this before duels, do you?” Kaiba questioned after a lengthy silence, the words almost a surprise to himself.
Yugi’s back seemed to stiffen at the insinuation, before he huffed out a soft laugh, turning to face the still stoic man.
“No, not just before duels.”
Belted arms folded themselves, twisting the previously perfect posture into something defensive.
“Does it make any difference?”
Yugi’s head tilted at the question. “You mean, with duelling?”
A beat.
“No.”
“Oh,” Yugi whispered. “Well… yeah, yeah it does. It’s not the same as before, doing it alone, but it helps.”
Silence settled on them once more, both still, as ghosts filled the empty space.
“Hey, Kaiba,” came Yugi’s gentle voice, looking past their shared spectres to find alert eyes. “Would you like to sit?”
A tight pause squeezed its way between the two, an uncomfortable swallow against a knotted throat. But it eased, arms unfolding, and long legs moving, swift and decisive, as the CEO lowered himself to the ground, settling atop the fabric only inches away from his companion, careful not to disturb the cards.
“On the floor,” Kaiba noted with distaste. “Really?” As if he hadn’t already sat down.
Yugi snorted, ignoring the faux question and facing straight ahead, out into the endless night that was clear and vibrant through the towering hotel room windows, the floor-to-ceiling heights showcasing the stretching sky in glorious form. Kaiba followed only moments later, easing into the view with a surprising lack of resistance, his mind’s inner marathon stilling with every second, feeling the quietness of Yugi’s being beside him, observing the world ahead of him – lamenting the loss behind him.
“You would talk to him, like this?” Kaiba finally asked, pushing for knowledge, unsure why he desired it so.
“Yeah. I think he liked being able to look at the sky after being trapped in the puzzle for so long, he was more at ease when we chatted this way.”
“I see. I’m surprised you’re telling me all this.”
Yugi’s smile was visible from the corner of Kaiba’s eye. “I’m shocked you’re asking.”
“I’m full of surprises,” Kaiba said flatly. “So, now what?”
“That’s up to you. Either you stay to sit and talk with me, or you get up and leave.”
Kaiba didn’t move a muscle, his fingers clenching in the soft fibres beneath him. “I can’t be as generous with my time as he was.”
Yugi nodded his head solemnly. “I get that. This was enough if that’s all you can give. It’s more than I would have expected in any case.”
Kaiba made a non-committal noise through his nose then, tilting his head, thinking for a long moment. “Remind me to set you up in a room with a skylight on the March tour. I refuse to sit on the floor next time.”
He felt, rather than saw, the other turn to him, but he maintained his forward gaze.
“Next time?”
“I can spare a few hours, every now and again.”
“I don’t know if there are many hotel rooms with skylights,” Yugi admitted.
“I’ll build one if I have to.”