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“This may have been a tactical error on my part.”
Mokuba glances up from his tablet, trying to meet Seto's eye in the mirror but Seto's gaze is fixed firmly on his own tie, straightening it with more-military-than-usual precision.
“You like him, big brother!”
Seto makes his customary dismissive grunt. It's the one that means he doesn't want to admit he likes Atem. He makes it when he doesn't have an answer for Mokuba's increasingly blatant prodding on the matter. Mokuba's been hearing it a lot recently. Seto suspects Mokuba knows exactly what it means.
“You like him. He definitely likes you. You want to date him. So dating him sort of requires, you know, going on a date. Eventually. At least one. I thought that was why you asked him out!”
“It isn't.”
Mokuba sits up straight from having been sprawled back on the couch but Seto's eyes are now unwaveringly focused on the task of ensuring his cufflinks sit at precise 90-degree angles.
“Okay, then why did you ask him out?”
“Because I thought he was going to ask me out and I wasn't about to let him get the drop on me like that.”
~
“I really think it's a positive sign that Kaiba-kun asked you out for a proper dinner date!”
“Hmm.”
Yugi smiles brightly, catching Atem's eye in the mirror, before resuming sorting through their shared jewellery, setting out Atem's favourite bracelets with the jewellery he'd already chosen.
“Well, why would he do it if he didn't want to move things along? He obviously wants to spend time with you.”
Atem finishes applying his kohl and blinks at Yugi in the mirror, fidgeting with his tailored shirt, tucking it into his twice-belted leather trousers and then tugging it back out again, indecisive.
“He does want to spend time with me. Dueling. But I still don't know if he actually wants more than a rival, aibou.”
“Kaiba-kun definitely treats you as more than a rival, Atem.”
Yugi takes Atem's hand gently, leading him over to the desk where his jewellery is laid out.
“That might just be what passes for friendship with Seto Kaiba.” Atem's tone is uncertain, almost dubious, he's not convinced by his own argument but he's not entirely convinced by Yugi's either. Even Seto – hell, even Mokuba – admits that Atem understands Seto better than perhaps anyone else which, Atem reflects dourly, isn't saying much. “Kaiba's never said he wants more.”
Yugi picks up Atem's bracelet and slips it on, fastening it for him.
“Well, Kaiba-kun has never been one for openly admitting what he wants. Or needs. You two gets on great, when neither of you are overthinking the other's 'strategy'. Speaking of which, did you suggest a different restaurant?”
Atem looks guilty. “No, I agreed to the place he chose.” He turns back to the mirror, ostensibly to switch his earrings from his usual plain studs to something a bit more eye-catching. Actually to avoid Yugi's soft, mildly exasperated sigh. “It's fine, aibou. The winnings from the Chinese tournament came through early and I don't need to put more in my savings this month. I can afford it.”
“Atem...” Yugi shakes his head. “Really, truly, for normal people, suggesting a more reasonably-priced restaurant for a date is not backing down from a challenge.” Lowering his voice to mimic Atem's, which draws a laugh.
“But I'm not going on a date with a normal person, aibou.”
Yugi huffs, but he's smiling and he reaches forward to take Atem's hand. “Fine, but then let the record state that I don't consider it a challenge worth meeting.”
“You're probably right.” Atem squeezes Yugi's hand and smiles back.
The problem is Atem finds all Seto's challenges irresistible.
~
Four minutes before their agreed-upon meeting time and Atem is standing outside the restaurant calculating how many minutes early Seto has been to every duel they'd ever had, in order to assess whether Seto being merely on time rather than early was a snub.
Three minutes before their meeting time, Atem shakes himself out and repeats Yugi's advice to himself firmly; don't overthink this.
Two minutes before … and a limousine pulls up to the curb, Kaiba stepping smoothly out, it barely even stops moving, driving away as soon as he shuts his door smartly behind him.
Atem straightens up, pleased and not bothering to hide it.
“You prefer to drive yourself.”
Seto has to quash a smile at the notion that Atem knows his preferences. He huffs instead.
“I prefer to be able to have a glass of wine with my dinner.” That arrogant tilt of the chin that Atem – maybe only Atem – finds charming. “This place has perhaps the best wine cellar in the city. Discounting my own, of course.”
“Of course.” A wry smile.
They both reach for the door at the same moment, their hands not so much meeting as battling for dominance on the handle. Atem's quicker and wins the door exchange, opening it and gesturing Seto inside with a smug smile, but Seto takes charge inside, smoothly requesting his reservation, equally smug, and gesturing Atem to follow him as they're led into the dining room proper. They're given a secluded window table; Kaiba's name certainly speaks loudly in Domino City.
Both of them hesitate before sitting, eyeing each other. After a slightly-too-long pause, Atem unfastens his cape and sweeps it back, exposing his tanned arms, adorned in gold, then sits rather abruptly.
And catches Seto looking. Atem opens his mouth, the hint of a blush across his cheeks, but Seto cuts across him.
“Don't you think the cape is a bit much?”
Atem arches an eyebrow incredulously as Seto sits opposite him.
“A bit much? Have you ever seen yourself in one of your coats? Or is there not a mirror wide enough, even in a mansion?”
Seto huffs.
“But I don't wear my dueling clothes on a – out for dinner.” Seto grimaces slightly as Atem narrows his eyes; he noticed Seto's catch. Seto quickly gestures for the wine list.
“I'm ordering.” He practically snaps, speaking too fast and too aggressively as he forcibly pushes the conversation past the hole left by the absence of the word date. “We'll share a bottle. You do drink red?”
Atem glares across the table, seriously considering reaching past the romantic candlestick to snatch the wine list out of Seto's hands, before he convinces himself to take a breath and nod. He wouldn't admit it, but he would like Seto's recommendation, he doesn't often buy wine for himself. It's Seto's attitude that's the issue. The constant issue. With everyone.
Seto orders. When the bottle arrives and the waiter asks who would like to taste, there's a brief but intense staring contest. Seto has to admit to himself that Atem was gracious to allow Seto to order without an argument, so he musters a sharp nod and gestures for the waiter to let Atem judge. And tries not to let himself enjoy Atem's genuine smile in response.
Atem deems the wine excellent, the waiter pours, takes their orders, and leaves them to their silence.
Which stretches.
Atem swirls his wine in his glass, cheeks slightly flushed, wishing he'd asked Yugi for more tips. Not that Yugi had very much more experience than Atem anyway. Maybe he should have called Mai?
Seto sits stiffly, eyes fixed on a point past Atem's gleaming earring, methodically running through etiquette guides in his mind.
When someone finally opens their mouth to speak, it's both of them at once, instantly interrupting each other. Seto practically growls in frustration and Atem lets out a huff of laughter. He takes a mouthful of wine – he's drinking it faster than it deserves – and decides to immediately disregard the one tip Yugi did give him.
“I watched your demo duel at the KaibaLand Singapore opening. You've added a couple of new traps to your repetoire... Just testing them out or should I be watching out for them in the finals of next month's tournament?”
“Obviously it's not in my best interests to answer that question honestly.” Seto's tone is sharp but his shoulders aren't as stiff and he's actually looking at Atem now, and Atem can't help but smile.
Once they start talking about Duel Monsters, it's easy not to stop. And when the conversation moves on, it doesn't stall; chess, game design, KaibaCorp's current projects … Seto finds himself halfway through describing plans he's barely mentioned to his own engineers over dessert. Atem is a perfect sounding-board for Seto, who struggles to find people willing to give Mr Seto Kaiba CEO any honest critical feedback.
When the bill arrives, Atem is leaning over the other side of the table to add to a diagram Seto has drawn on his tablet, so Seto has unimpeded access to snatch up the bill before Atem can reach for it.
“I'm paying.” Seto flashes that arrogant smirk.
“We should split it.”
“I asked you out, I'm supposed to pay.”
“So this is a date?”
They stare each other down across the secluded, candlelit table for two.
“Yes. It's a date. And I'm paying.” Seto manages to avoid snapping it, at least, and Atem grins, returning to the tablet without pressing the matter.
When they leave the restaurant – Seto gets the door first this time – the limo is waiting, and after a hesitation that's only slightly too long, Seto offers Atem a lift home. Atem accepts only slightly too quickly.
There's a long silence inside the car, both of them looking out opposite windows on the back seat.
“... You know, Yugi suggested I should try to talk about something other than Duel Monsters over dinner.”
Seto laughs. “Mokuba told me the same thing. He doesn't really believe I'm relaxing properly if I'm thinking about cards or business.”
“But it's fun!”
“I keep telling him it is!”
They share a smile. The limo is just pulling to a stop outside Yugi and Atem's apartment block. Seto takes a breath … and Atem steals it by abruptly closing the distance between them and pressing his lips to Seto's in a decidedly amateur but passionate kiss. It's long enough for Atem's cheeks to start burning and his heart to almost stop in his chest … but then Seto's kissing back, uncharacteristically clumsy but characteristically committing with all the enthusiasm of full devotion to his course of action.
~
“So, how'd it go?!” Yugi's practically bouncing on the balls of his feet when he opens the door to a blushing and grinning Atem.
“I think it was a draw...”
Yugi lets out a fondly exasperated laugh at the idea that Atem and Seto spent their date keeping score. Atem can't stop smiling.
“It counts as a draw when you both win, right?”