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Yugi had always figured he’d become one of those old people who played chess in the park, he just never thought the park in question would be a private KaibaCorp space station.
He says as much to Kaiba, sitting across from him, and expects Kaiba to make a smart remark in response, but Kaiba says nothing. Instead, Yugi sees Kaiba’s hand hovering over a piece for a second longer than usual before moving it on the chessboard. A simple, “Hm,” is all Kaiba vocalizes.
Yugi stares, puzzled. He wonders what Kaiba is thinking as he makes his own move.
60 years now they’ve known each other. Seto Kaiba has mellowed out considerably since their high school years; he still rules KaibaCorp (and Domino City as a whole) with an iron fist, but age and Mokuba and Yugi’s persistence has broken down some of his walls. He’s not so quick to anger these days, and it doesn’t take quite as many teeth to pull for him to admit that he considers Yugi a friend. Still, Kaiba continues to keep his thoughts and feelings close to his chest. While he concedes friendship to Yugi, he keeps his distance from the rest of their (Yugi’s) friends, calling them “acquaintances from high school” at best. Mokuba had married, had kids, had grandkids now, but Seto hasn’t even had a scandal in the tabloids. Though he’s largely let go of the deep-set hate within his heart, he’s also loathe to open up. But if Yugi is anything, he is patient — how else could he have survived 60 years at Kaiba’s side? He doesn’t pry, just lets the chess pieces move as he watches Kaiba sort through his thoughts, whatever they may be.
Yugi notes, not for the first time, that Kaiba’s face is nearly wrinkle-free. It makes sense, considering he’s always been so stoic. Usually, Yugi only sees Kaiba smiling when they duel — cruel, mischievous, smug, his expressions as infuriating as they are enticing — but these days, he also sees Kaiba smiling when he sees his family — small, soft, fond… He thinks maybe Kaiba would have gotten married if somebody had seen those smiles, and how Kaiba spoiled Mokuba and his nieces and nephews. Yugi wishes he could see more of that himself….
In a dark corner of his mind, Yugi wonders, not for the first time, if the reason Kaiba had never married was the same as Yugi’s.
Eventually, Kaiba speaks, “How is your health?”
Yugi’s eyebrows raise. “Um, fine… Still got aches and pains, but I stick to a plain Japanese diet and take walks around the game shop, so I’d like to think I have a good amount of years left,” he chuckles, “Grandpa lived to 102, you know? I might try to beat that.”
“Hm,” Kaiba hums, again.
Okay… Yugi tries to keep the conversation going. “…Why do you ask?” Kaiba isn’t one for simple pleasantries, after all.
A few turns pass before Kaiba answers, “…I’ve been making preparations. For when I pass.”
Yugi freezes.
Kaiba scoffs, “Not that I’ll pass any time soon, dimwit. I also have a clean bill of health.”
Yugi lets out a breath. “Maybe lead with that next time?”
Kaiba rolls his eyes. “It’s never too early to make plans. And I plan to make sure I can run KaibaCorp even without a physical body.”
Memories of ancient flying machines, body snatchers, and robot monkeys flash through Yugi’s mind. “You mean… you’re going to upload yourself to the virtual world?”
“Yes. And I’m making sure there are plenty of firewalls and failsafes should anyone try to mess with my data.” No doubt that Kaiba had remembered the same incidents Yugi did.
Yugi sits with that for a moment. “None of Mokuba’s descendants want to take over?”
Kaiba shakes his head. “They all have other interests. Even if they did, I only trust myself with the direction of the company.
“There’s still so much I have to do…” he adds quietly. A wrinkle forms between Kaiba’s brows, as if the thought of not finishing his work physically pains him.
A gnawing feeling grows in Yugi’s chest. He can’t help but admire Kaiba’s resolve, and by extension his creativity, that drives him to run KC and its many, many inventions and properties. At the same time, there’s an ache in knowing that Kaiba, after all this time, still feels unfulfilled. Everything KC has developed — KaibaLands all over the world being top tourist destinations while continuing to be free for anyone and everyone, Duel Links revolutionizing community gaming and connecting people across the globe, Yugi’s own games owing half the popularity they have now to Kaiba’s consultation — and yet… somehow, it’s not enough. Kaiba has built a grand castle for himself, but he thinks it’s made of sand, to be wiped out by even the smallest of waves.
“I see…” is all Yugi can say in response, “So why ask about me?”
“I assume you’ve made plans yourself, even if you’re perfectly healthy. You and I are alike in that aspect. What are they?”
Yugi breathes in deep. The gnawing feeling is replaced by an almost overwhelming yearning. “I don’t really have any plans. I’m the last Mutou, after all. I have someone in mind to take over the shop, but otherwise I think… I think I will simply… pass.”
Yugi stares at his black King piece. With trembling lips, he goes on, “He’s… he’s been waiting all this time for me. So I… I’m just planning to go to him. And make good on our promise.”
The deafening silence of space follows. No pieces are moved. Yugi continues to stare at his King. Kaiba says nothing, asks nothing.
Yugi wonders if Kaiba is surprised by his answer. This was the only “plan” Yugi had ever considered. He’d joked earlier about his grandpa’s centennial age, but, truthfully, he doesn’t really want to live that long. He’d made the games he’d wanted to make, he’s surrounded by friends, and the game shop has been doing well. There’s not much that Yugi wants in this world anymore; these days, he just thinks of all the times he’s sat at the edge of his soul room, looking out into the empty space for what used to be right across the hall. The only reason he won’t go early is because he knows his friends would be sad if he did, and because…
Because…
Yugi turns his gaze toward Kaiba. As if sensing it, Kaiba meets his eyes.
Yugi stares into those deep blues — no true wrinkles or crow’s feet surrounding them, but a sunken weariness lies there all the same, one that hasn’t changed since their youth. The spark of competition still roils behind those irises, though what used to be a raging fire has now simmered into a softer flame, one that Yugi basks in. It reminds Yugi why they still play games with each other, even now.
Kaiba glances back down at the board, finally making another move.
“KaibaCorp is trying to figure out how to make interdimensional travel safer,” Kaiba states. He places Yugi’s king in check.
Yugi furrows his brow. It seems like a non-sequiter. “You’re not trying to find the eighth Millenium Item again, are you?” He moves his king out of check.
“No, that disappeared the first time I tried.” Kaiba goes on the offensive and checks Yugi again. “No magic, we’re using pure science and technology. I have trackers on every relevant quantum physics journal, and I’ve recruited experts — postdocs and industrialists — from top universities and companies the world over.”
Yugi moves his king again. “What’s your point?”
Another check. “If you really want to see him again, then you don’t have to ‘simply pass.’ You just have to stick around for when that project succeeds.”
Yugi smirks at Kaiba’s wording — when, not if. He decides to defend his king with a bishop. “And what’s the projected date for that?”
Knight takes bishop, checks again. “Ideally under twenty years, but the research is going slower than expected despite previous records… twenty, give or take ten.”
Yugi shakes his head. “I might not live that long, Kaiba, even if I am healthy.” Move king.
Rook checks king. “So upload yourself to the virtual world with me.”
Yugi scans the board and realises there’s a fork in the making. He moves his king to the only safe spot.
Holographic text appears above them:
STALEMATE (K)
K M
1780 - 1185
Yugi and Kaiba lock eyes.
Yugi works his jaw. “You… you want me to… be in the virtual world with you?”
Kaiba brings his hands into a steeple, hiding half of his face. “Mokuba’s doing it too. He agrees that KaibaCorp could only be run by us, so he’s in the middle of the process.”
A beat.
“You’ve been valuable as a developer, consultant, and duelist, for both your gaming prowess and for your people skills. If you joined, then I at least have one more person I can trust as a part of the additional failsafes I’m putting in place.”
Another beat.
“…I’ve seen some of your drafts. It seems like you still have ideas to develop. It’d be good for you to oversee them yourself.”
Kaiba glances at the scoreboard still projecting above them.
“…You’re the King of Games, and I’ve yet to wrest the title from you. But I’m still better at chess. You need to practice more if you’re ever going to catch up to my number of wins.”
Yugi’s eyes water.
“…If you wait for KC’s interdimensional travel, then you could go in and out of… there. You wouldn’t have to be stuck in one place for all eternity, and… potentially… neither would he.”
Yugi shoots up from his seat.
Kaiba doesn’t flinch, but he narrows his eyes as Yugi rounds the table toward him. He puts his hands down, crossing them over his chest—
Yugi plops himself into Seto’s lap. He grabs Seto’s face to make sure their eyes are meeting.
“Seto.”
Seto’s eye twitches at the use of his given name. “Do you have to be sitting on me?”
“Seto. What are you really asking me?”
“…I’m simply suggesting—”
Yugi shakes his head. “You’re making a proposal, you’re proposing what?”
Kaiba rolls his eyes at the wording. “I’m ‘proposing’ that you upload yourself to the virtual world so you can continue to develop games.”
“…With you.”
“I’d also be there, yes.”
Yugi searches Seto’s eyes. They’re exasperated now, mostly, but there is some… desperation lingering there. Yugi closes his own eyes and knocks his head against Seto’s.
“Yugi—”
“You’re proposing—” Yugi reiterates, voice wobbly “—that I go to the virtual world with you. So we can continue our lives there. So we can play games together there. Forever.”
Seto says nothing.
Yugi continues, “You… you want me to wait with you until going to the afterlife is just an option, and not a finality, because you… you want me to come back to you. Me and- and him.”
Yugi opens his eyes and looks back into Seto’s. Impatient, still, but pleading.
“Seto…” Yugi sighs shakily, “You love me that much?”
Seto flinches at the word love. He grabs Yugi by the ribs and forces him back, but not off. “Don’t be ridiculous. Just give me your answer.”
Yugi caresses Seto’s cheeks. Tears fell from Yugi’s eyes.
60 years they’ve known each other. There was a time, shortly after letting go of his other half, where Yugi didn’t think he’d even live past 20. But then, there was Seto Kaiba, and Yugi learned to have fun again. While Yugi loves and treasures all of his friends, there was just nothing like the games he played with Seto. They shared each other’s passion and matched wits, and it made their rivalry exciting. They also had the same kind of loneliness — the kind that came from getting so used to being your own playmate, the kind that was hard to shake off no matter the company. In his absence, they reminded each other that neither of them were alone anymore. When they eventually worked together on game development, they just… worked. They fit together like a pair of puzzle pieces.
And there’s nothing more Yugi loves like a good puzzle.
Yugi had always thought that falling for Seto Kaiba was inevitable. He couldn’t think of anyone else to be it for him, but even something so simple as friendship had been difficult for Seto. So, Yugi had been content to let their relationship lie. And lie it did, 60 years and counting.
To know now, after all this time, that they shared feelings… that Seto had even planned their afterlife together…
Yugi wiped his tears. “I… I need some time to think about this… But—” he catches Seto’s face falling and redirects Seto’s gaze back to his own “—I love you, too, Seto. I always have. And that won’t change with death. We will meet again, one way or another.”
Yugi pulls Seto in for a hug. He feels Seto’s hands hover over his back before settling around his waist. Yugi squeezes tighter.
“…Love.” The word tumbles out of Seto’s mouth as a half-hearted scoff, muffled into Yugi’s hair. “How foolish.”
Yugi turns his head into Seto’s neck. He smiles, feeling the steady heartbeat thrumming underneath his lips. “You’ve called me as much.”
Seto hums. “Don’t mistake this… moment of sentimentality for such foolishness. This is about business, as it’s always been.”
“And you’ve always put your whole heart into business.”
Yugi places a kiss on Seto’s pulse.
Slowly, almost trembling, Seto fits his hand between their chests. He rests it against Yugi’s heart.
“…And you’ve always had a nasty habit of getting in my business… But you hesitate now.”
Yugi raises his head and presses his cheek to Seto’s. “With your plan, perhaps, but not with this—” he clasps Seto’s hand tight, then places their hands over Seto’s heart. “Not with you…”
Seto turns his face slightly, the corner of his mouth brushing Yugi’s. With a gentle pressure, he threads their hands together; his long fingers fit between Yugi’s, one by one. Each little movement breaks Yugi down more and more.
“Yugi…” Seto whispers, and the very man shivers at the low rumble of his name. “…You never fail to make a fool out of me.”