Chapter Text
The lights in the grand ballroom were surprisingly sharp, adding to the headache of so many chattering voices. Every single person here was a snob. Prattling on and honking over expensive chardonnay and petite dishes of appetizers. And although he himself may be considered snobbish by some, and he certainly did enjoy the finer things in life, this was not Seto Kaiba’s scene.
In truth, there was probably no one on this earth who detested Kaiba Corporations annual shareholder party as much as the gaming company’s current CEO. If it were up to him these parties would have been happily dropped from the budget years ago.
But it wasn’t up to him. Because there were still the shareholders, and even more importantly that grandmother of his, who made sure to make hosting this event a priority every year.
Fumiko Kaiba, the mother of his adoptive father; and the bane of his existence once a year when he was forced to be seen in the same room as her. She was conniving, vicious, and surprisingly still despicably coherent in her old age. If she would hurry up and die already this whole occasion could come to an end with her. But because the old bat was still hanging on, overstaying her welcome, so was this event and this awful night.
The hours ticked on laboriously as many more drinks were poured, and many more soft instrumentals mixed unendingly and indistinctly in the background. This had to be purgatory.
Constantly Kaiba found himself snubbing and waving off wandering businessmen and old cougars who dared try to approach him. He couldn’t stand one more person’s irksome attempt to strike up a conversation by complimenting his wonderful party. He could care less if it hurt their feelings. Besides, it was common knowledge that the wealthy had no such thing. He certainly didn’t.
Just as he was busy shooing a black-vested waiter carrying a tray of olives out of his sight, Kaiba caught a glance of something quite disturbing in the corner of his vision. It was a flash of magenta. A color that stood out starkly in this sea of whites and blacks. Instantly his rage was piqued.
He found himself turning on his heel to follow that stray bit of color, shoving carelessly through a group of ladies cloaked in fur shawls to do so.
He was right.
Not far ahead was exactly the person he thought it was, back turned, seemingly perusing through a massive charcuterie board laid out on a 30-foot, white clothed table. Immediately his feet carried him to them, making the journey across the wide space in only a few steps to stand ominously behind them.
“What do you think you’re doing here?” He hissed, voice obviously meeting its target as he saw that person raise their head from the table just slightly. “You better have an answer for yourself. You know very well the authority I have to throw you out of here, Mutou.”
The head turned. Revealing sharp eyes, curtained by loud, blonde bangs.
“Good evening, Kaiba.”
He shouldn’t have been, but he was a little taken aback at that response. And that look. When he’d charged over here, he had been expecting the smaller one, but surprisingly he was met with….
The other.
“What are you doing here?” He’d already asked that. But he felt like he needed to again after finding out he was talking to someone different than what he’d expected.
“I’m enjoying the party, Kaiba.” That deep voice.
Kaiba gritted his teeth. Nothing could be easy for him. He couldn’t just go through this horrible night smoothly, there had to be at least one bump in the road. A spikey haired and smooth-talking bump.
“Yugi, I’m only going to give you the opportunity to answer me one more time before I call over the staff and kick your ass out on the streets.” He still wasn’t calling him by his true name, even though he knew it. He’d been introduced to both the Mutou’s as one person, and although they’d been acquainted separately an abundance of times now, he still fell back on that.
Atem skipped correcting him.
“Of course, I was invited-“
“Bullshit!”
The smile on Atem’s face grew even after being interrupted. A few guests turned in their direction at Kaiba’s outburst, but they all quickly ignored the situation. It was their eccentric and aloof young host after all. It was his party; he could yell at whomever he wished. They were just glad it wasn’t them.
“Listen Kaiba. I’m not here to upset you,” Atem stated calmly, “Yugi and I received an invitation the night before last, addressed to ‘The King of Games’. He couldn’t attend on such short notice, so I’m here representing the both of us.”
“That’s absurd. Invitations were released months ago. This isn’t some kind of uncoordinated, last-minute affair, and you-“ He addressed his words pointedly, “Were not on the guest list.”
“And seeing that this isn’t some uncoordinated, last-minute affair, you’d suspect that if I wasn’t meant to be here, they wouldn’t have let me through the door?”
Kaiba went quiet at that. Unfortunately, that was a very good response. If it wasn’t the will of a high up person with wide reaching influence at the company, how could he get in? And that thought sparked understanding in Seto Kaiba.
He turned towards the center of the room. Where a line of important company heads stood, looking omnipotently over the well-dressed crowd, from a sort of stage-like vantage point. In the center of that group was the woman in charge of this whole event. His father’s mother. Dressed in elegant black, wrinkled hands clasped strictly in front of her, still standing straight and tall.
“Damn it,” He muttered under his breath. If it was her doing there was no need to wonder.
Calculatedly calm, he came back to address the shorter man. “I apologize to you then. It appears your presence here was the will of my grandmother rather than myself.”
Atem’s expression relaxed slightly and his speech became more sincere, “I didn’t know you had any more surviving family, Kaiba.”
“Well, it’d be simpler if I didn’t.”
The look Atem gave him showed he did not approve of that remark. Of course he wouldn’t. He’d always had a kind and accepting family, who loved him. Not a family like Kaiba’s. Who chose to test him like this. Set up a scene specifically to press his buttons with hope to embarrass and demean him at his own company’s party. Well, he wouldn’t let her get her way. She wouldn’t get a reaction from him this time.
“Yugi, I apologize for my previous harshness. If it was my grandmother who invited you, then obviously you are welcome,” He had to act okay with this. If he did anything different, he’d fail to prove his grandmother wrong. Then he’d be the fool. No, he could use this to make her the foolish one instead.
“Thank you, Kaiba. I’m glad to hear that,” Atem was obviously surprised by this sudden olive branch. He appeared puzzled for a moment before seeming to accepting it, uncrossing his arms and dropping his standoffish guards. He wasn’t an idiot, but he was too trusting of others. Kaiba could take advantage of that.
Atem turned back to the table he’d been looking at earlier. Not much because he cared for the food on it, but more so to allow for the inevitable end of this conversation. To him the matter had been resolved (unexpectedly quite easily) and now Kaiba would want to get as far away from him as possible. That was not the case.
Kaiba did not leave. Instead, he stayed glued to his spot and took the time to survey the outfit Atem had chosen for this occasion. It was a slim fitting and actually quite flattering if not understated black formal tux. Although the shoes gave away that he wasn’t used to this sort of environment. They were just his normal studded boots, even if they were partially concealed by the dress pants Kaiba could tell that. Classy, wearing street clothes into a black-tie event.
Noticing he was still being watched Atem gave Kaiba a curious glance. To which he received a scoff and a retort that couldn’t be considered a continuation of the previous discussion.
“You clean up nicer that I would have assumed.”
“I truly do believe you meant that to be a compliment, Kaiba.”
Kaiba frowned, and chose to hold back his intended next comment; that Joey would have surely shown up in something reminiscent of a delinquent, street urchin.
“Have you been enjoying the festivities?” Those words and that question sounded so alien being said by Seto Kaiba. Especially considering, earlier in the night he’d been prepared to shoot himself if he was forced to engage in party small talk.
“Kaiba why are you-“ Atem began, but unfortunately Kaiba stopped listening as his eyes drifted over and met his grandmothers across the room. Deep brown meeting striking blue.
At that moment the lights dimmed and the people in the ball room quieted down as the background music came to a sudden halt. Before swelling up again, much louder this time, but now a slow and beautiful classical piece. His grandma’s eyes were watching him. Guests cleared the way to the dance floor, allowing space for couples to make their way and begin dancing. The old lady was still watching. He had to do this quick. Before she looked away.
“Would you like to dance?” Kaiba had no idea if his words cut off his chatting partner, neither did he care.
Atem was silent now.
Kaiba held his hand out to seal his offer. Atem stared at it for a moment, perplexity evident. Maybe he needed to mentally question this with himself first. Still, in the end a dance was a dance and he wasn’t inclined to turn it down. So, he took Kaiba’s hand and followed him onto the dance floor.
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The song playing was strong and low toned, with a splendid mix of string and wind instruments. It wasn’t especially romantic or entirely not so. Even so, it was simple to see that they were the only pair of the same sex dancing with each other. The steps were uncomplicated, allowing for a higher level of split attention then there otherwise may have been.
Many guests observed them in slight wonder, whether on the dance floor as well or off, although it was unclear if the stares were because two men were dancing together or if they were more mystified that Seto Kaiba was dancing with anyone at all. If was a first in this ball’s history, after all.
Kaiba paid no one else’s looks any mind. Only his grandmothers. She was watching, eyes squinted, mouth set in a thin wrinkled line. Satisfied he smiled, but when he turned his attention back his expression froze. Atem’s stare was the most intense of them all. He looked directly into Kaiba’s eyes and being on the receiving end of a look like that somehow shifted something inside him. What was this bizarre feeling?
It was like a prickling in his stomach. Like an army of ants biting him from the inside. It was so sudden. He almost pulled away, but that wasn’t an option. His grandmother was still observing them. He couldn’t abandon this now. She’d invited this man just to prod his nerves, and he’d decided to prove she couldn’t rattle him with this.
Atem made this very difficult, however. He didn’t speak, just held Kaiba’s gaze, and continued to give him a feeling like he was being consumed by something. They stepped together across the dance floor with ease, never again looking away from one another.
And when the song faded out, and they found themselves back where they’d started; at the edge of the dance floor, Kiba decided he was done with this.
Atem dropped his hands to his side, “Kaiba, I’m-“
“Never mind it.”
“What?”
Kaiba reached back out, grabbing his arm he quickly led Atem away with him. Through the crowd of guests watching the dancing, and away from the burning gaze of his grandmother. A gaze he could feel still watching as they went.