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WHIRRRRRRrrrrrrrr- WHIRRRRRRrrrrrrrr- WHIRRRRRRrrrrrrrrr

You kept flicking the fidget spinner in your hands. You bought the damn thing to help you focus while you were writing your interview questions. Now, it just served to fill the silence as your thoughts spiraled. Every time you closed your eyes you saw blue; the memory of your gym session with Kaiba replaying over and over like it was branded into your brain. Your skin still prickled with goosebumps where his hands held you, could still feel the ghost of his breath tickle the nape of your neck.

WHIRRRRRRrrrrrrrr

How the ice in his gaze melted, how the muscles in his forearm felt when they twitched before relaxing under your touch.

WHIRRRRRRrrrrrrrr

How the smell of sandalwood enveloped you when he leaned in, how you swear you saw his eyes flick down to your lips just before he opened the car door. 

THUNK

Your head hits your desk and you let out an annoyed groan.Why were you thinking about this? You had a show to plan and here you were wasting time on unprofessional thoughts of your ridiculously attractive boss.

“Hey Y/N!”

Your head shoots up and you come face-to-face with Mokuba. His grin falters slightly when he sees the bewildered look in your eyes. “Are you okay? You look a bit flushed.”

“Yea!” you chirp, voice half an octave higher than usual. You cough into your hand, hoping to clear the improper thoughts of Mokuba’s older brother from your mind. “Yes, I’m fine. Just have a lot on my mind is all.”

Mokuba nods, his eyes darting to your cheek. You had covered up the bruise with make-up, not wanting your co-workers (or worse- the press) to see it and speculate on how you got it. There was no hiding from Mokuba though; he was there when Kaiba carried you into the mansion, he had seen the swollen and inflamed skin while you lay unconscious in his brother’s arms. Noticing the path his eyes took, you cleared your throat self-consciously, “Thank you for watching Smiles the other night. I owe you one, Mokie.”

He smirks at you, “Aw well, you can repay me by going to lunch with me today.”

You opened your mouth, prepared to tell him you had work to do, but then you thought about it for a second. Staying at your desk, alone with your thoughts, was only going to lead to more ludicrous ruminations about the CEO of Kaiba Corp. You were already not getting work done anyways, at least this way you would be distracted. Mind made up, you smiled back at him, “Lets go!”

If you hadn’t already known that the Kaiba brothers were polar opposites, this would have cemented it for you. When Kaiba had dragged you out to lunch, he had taken you to a quiet, upscale French Café. Meanwhile, Mokuba’s ideal restaurant was just as vivacious as he was- the infamous Burger World.

Kids ran amuck, laughing boisterously. Employees rushed trays of food to various tables like the burgers were set to detonate in exactly 5 seconds. The whole place was so chaotic that you didn’t even notice the group of celebrity duelists until a particularly pissed off blonde woman was standing before you with her arms crossed and expression promising murder. You swallowed thickly, eyes blowing wide. “Hey…” you say sheepishly.

“Did we not talk about staying with Emi or Mokuba?” Mai asked in full mom-voice.

“Uhh yea. You see, what happened was I met this great group of girls. We were dancing and having fun and I kind of just lost track of Emi and Mokie… and how much I was drinking. But it’s okay, I’m totally fine!”

Mai’s eyes widened and she looked at you like you just said the stupidest thing she had ever heard. “Fine? FINE?! Y/N, you were assaulted! Nothing about this is okay!” She was whisper-yelling as she struggled to contain her anger and not cause a scene in the restaurant. 

Your eyes narrowed, “How did you know that?” Your head whipped sharply in Mokuba’s direction with an indignant look on your face. 

Seeing your expression, Mokuba immediately raised his hands up with his palms forward in the universal ‘not-a-threat’ pose. “It wasn’t me! Seto… kind of sent out a memo the day after the incident.”

Your stomach dropped, fists clenching at your sides, “What do you mean? He… announced what happened?”

“No, no, no!” Mokuba waved his hands frantically in front of him. “He didn’t say anything about you or provide details of what occurred. He sent out a formal memo to all companies Kaiba Corp partners with saying that Bandit Keith is officially banned from all Kaiba Corp sponsored events. If any of our partners allow his participation in their own events, Kaiba Corp will immediately pull our sponsorships. It was just that, no other details. Keith has a lengthy track record of cheating during duels, I am sure most people will assume he cheated in the Domino City All-Stars Tournament. No one will question your involvement, I promise.”

You flexed your jaw, chewing on that for a moment. Kaiba went through all that trouble- threatening his business partners and possibly harming his company’s image- for you? Hearing that made your chest feel tight in a way you refused to examine right now. And it still didn’t explain how Mai knew. 

Before you could voice your confusion, Mai spoke up, “We asked questions. The news of Bandit Keith being banned from Kaiba Corp events- which is pretty much all dueling- traveled quickly. We didn’t stop pestering the Kaiba brothers for answers until Seto finally told Yugi what happened.” 

Wait- Kaiba was the one who cracked? That just didn’t sound like him, why would he want to talk to Yugi about it?

You were so lost in thought that you didn’t realize you were crying until you felt someone blotting at your cheeks with a tissue. Focusing on reality again, you notice Mai’s rage had subsided and she now looked at you in concern. “I am so sorry that happened to you, Y/N. I’m glad Kaiba took action against Keith as swiftly as he did, although he deserves a lot worse.”

Joey, who had been uncharacteristically quiet through the whole discussion, finally spoke up, “Well, Kaiba also broke Keith’s nose so he did give that creep some pain as well.”

You turned to Joey, this was news to you, “He broke Keith’s nose?”

Mokuba was rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish grin, “Well, technically, he dislocated it which is harder to do!”

Your eyes darted between the two men, “Kaiba didn’t tell me any of this.”

Yugi piped up, eyes warm and smile gentle, “He probably just didn’t want to freak you out. You deserve to focus on your own healing without being worried about the ramifications Keith’s own actions caused him.”

You were so close to crying again that you had to bite the inside of your cheek to distract yourself. Everyone was looking at you with a mix of concern, reassurance, and… could you dare call that last emotion fondness? Taking a deep breath to prevent your voice from wobbling, you say in a hushed voice, “Thank you all for supporting me, I’m sorry for worrying you.”

“Eh, don’t sweat it, N/N. You’re one of us now,” Joey winked at you. 

“Yes, we are all happy you are okay”, Mai tucked a stray piece of hair behind your ear. Then, in a firmer voice, “Now sit down. There’s more we have to discuss.” She gently nudged you to take a seat between Téa and herself in the booth. 

You looked around at all the faces in the group, every one of them watching you carefully. The room felt like it dropped a few degrees as your skin prickled along your arms. Everyone still looked friendly but there was an edge to the group now, as if they were all waiting for something. 

“Uhh, why does this suddenly feel like an intervention? I get you’re concerned but I hardly think one night of binge drinking calls for group support”, you chuckle nervously.

Téa took your hands in hers, her grip loose so you had the option to pull away, “Y/N, there’s something we need to tell you.”

“There’s something you don’t know about our group”, Tristan supplied from where he sat across from you.

Your heart skittered inside your chest. Oh god, are they about to reveal they are a polycule?!

Duke smirked as if he knew exactly where your thoughts had gone, “Relax, it’s nothing too scandalous.”

“Just promise me you won’t look at me any differently!” Bakura suddenly cried out.

You stared at him, the British man appeared extremely uncomfortable, as if the impending conversation was already upsetting him deeply.You didn’t know what was going on, but the sudden pang you felt for the shy man had you removing one hand from Téa’s grip and reaching across the table to rest it on top of Bakura’s wrist. “Hey, I promise not to judge anyone until I know the whole story.”

Bakura turned his hand over to hold yours, nodding at your partial agreement.

Mokuba cleared his throat, gaining your attention.”We wanted to tell you this because Joey is right- you’re one of us now. Even Seto views you that way.” He holds a hand up when you go to protest, making you close your mouth again. “There’s something- or rather someone- we need to tell you about. Just… please listen to the entire story before you walk out.”

Your gaze swept over the group one more time, everyone looked optimistically hopeful and gave you small smiles when your eyes met. You nodded to the group before turning back to Mokuba who gestured for Yugi to take over. You turned to him, waiting patiently as he took a deep breath and placed a gold box on the table in front of him. You cock your head to the side inquisitively, what is that for?

“It all started about 30 years ago, when my grandpa gifted me a puzzle he found while in Egypt….”

Silence descended upon the table once Yugi finished telling you what happened at the Exhibition Duel for the 2nd Generation Duel Disk. Everyone waited with bated breath to see how you would react to the gang’s shared history. They knew a lot of what happened was hard to believe- 5,000- year-old spirits, body possession, shadow games, true evil, and magic. They wouldn’t believe it themselves if they hadn’t lived it. Hence why they’ve never shared the story with anyone… until you. 

You were currently staring at the tabletop intently, absorbing everything Yugi just shared. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of choking on the tension, you rubbed your temples and broke the silence, “I can’t believe it.”

The restaurant itself physically deflated. Yugi let out a sad smile, “Yea, I know it’s hard to believe-”

“That motherfucker”, you continue on before he can finish, “was obsessed with a ghost, and he had the audacity to judge me for my belief in spiritual energy?! Un-fucking-believable!”

Everyone stared at you, completely flabbergasted by your sudden outburst. “Sooo,” Mokuba starts, “you believe us?”

You stare at him, lifting a brow reminiscent of a certain brunet, “Yes, why wouldn’t I? You have no reason to make a story like this up. Besides, I always found the story of ‘holograms gone wrong’ at Battle City and the Exhibition Duel to be fishy. Holograms don’t cause actual explosions; I think the only reason people believed that story was because your brother intimidated them into it by being his general, unsettling self.”

“And… what about my brother’s sexuality?” Mokuba glanced around nervously, checking to make sure no one was eavesdropping. When he turned back to you, his eyes were fierce and stony.“You’re not going to be weird about Seto liking men, are you?”

You met Mokuba’s intense gaze head on, “No, Kaiba being a bisexual disaster actually makes a lot of sense. “

As you and Mokuba were locked in a staring contest, Joey suddenly burst into laughter. You both whipped your heads around to face him, expressions equally bewildered. Through his laughter, Joey wheezed out’ ‘M sorry! Y’er just handlin dis remarkably well is all!”

Téa rolled her eyes, “He means ‘thank you for not laughing at us and thinking we were crazy’.” Her face softened as she turned to you, “Seriously though, you really do believe us?”

You nodded, “Yeah, I do. Like I said, you have no reason to lie to me.” Turning to Bakura, his face was ghostly white and he was trembling. There was a distant look in his eyes, his mind clearly 20 years in the past reliving his trauma. You gently take his hand again and give it a soft squeeze,”Hey, that wasn’t you. I know you would never do those things. You were held hostage in your own body and I am so sorry you went through something that awful.” He finally glances at you, tears falling freely down his cheeks. You angle your whole body towards him and bring your free hand up to cup his face, using your thumb to gently wipe under his eye. “I am so proud that- through it all- you have remained one of the sweetest men I have ever met. I would never think any differently of you.” He sniffled, leaning his head into your hand before closing his eyes and nodding. His hand squeezed yours back in a show of gratitude as he slowly started to calm down. You removed your hand from his face, but you would hold his hand for the rest of your lunch break.

You chewed your lip, pondering the one question you needed an answer to. “Why? Why did you tell me this?”

Yugi gave you a small smile, “Like Joey said before, you are one of us now. We would prefer to not keep such an important time in our lives a secret from you. Plus…” he rubbed the back of his neck with a chuckle, “it was nice to share the story with someone else.” 

You smiled, but it faded as quickly as it appeared,”I am so sorry for your loss. Atem sounds like a great man, I would have loved to meet him.” 

“He would have liked you a lot!” Yugi nodded enthusiastically. “You actually remind me of him. Strong-willed and tenacious with a deeply-rooted assuredness when it comes to your job.”

“Plus you’re not afraid to go toe-to-toe with Money Bags!” Joey added with a couple of air punches like he was in a boxing ring. 

“Well, Kaiba needs someone to challenge him sometimes,” you snicker.

“Yeah, that’s probably why he likes you so much.” Mai snorted, making you turn to her. 

“He just likes that I filled a role he needed at Kaiba Corp.”

“Actually,” Mokuba inserted, “we didn’t even have your position at Kaiba Corp. Seto created it after The Battle City Reunion.”

“What?” Your wide eyes turn to him confused. 

“Y/N,” Mai regains your attention, “do you really think Kaiba would have punched Keith for just anyone?”

“I mean, I would have done it just to knock those sunglasses off his face,” you grumble, earning laughs from several members but Mai just looked unimpressed. “Yes, Kaiba doesn’t like violence so I fully believe he would have intervened even if I wasn’t Keith’s chosen victim.” You really did believe that wholeheartedly- Kaiba was truly a good man and would never have stood by while someone was assaulted. 

Mai nodded, “That’s fair, but do you think he would have brought just anyone back to Kaiba Mansion with him?”

You didn’t have an answer for that. That was a question you kept turning around in your own head- why did he bring you back to his home? His bed? He told you it was so he could keep an eye on you but that just didn’t seem like the whole truth. But Kaiba having feelings for you was an insane thought! “He was just being nice”, you murmur just above a whisper. It didn’t even sound convincing to your own ears but, thankfully, everyone took mercy on you and nodded in agreement. 

“So, how do these burgers compare to those in the States? Oh! And you’re coming to movie night at Yugi’s this weekend, right? We request you bring one American snack!” Tristan moved the conversation on to lighter subjects. 

The glare from your laptop screen burned your tired eyes. You weren’t sure what time it was, you were afraid to look, but you knew it was the middle of the night. You should have been asleep hours ago but your mind just kept racing and nothing you did would turn your thoughts off. You rewinded the video you were religiously watching for the umpteenth time and started it over again.

The duel you knew by heart at this point begins with Yugi- or rather Atem as you now understood- playing Queen’s Knight in defense mode. But you weren’t watching this duel to dissect and understand the strategies deployed. 

You were watching the duelists themselves; trying to read every twitch and microexpression that crosses their faces. Attempting to understand the things their bodies say even if their voices don’t. 

You pause on the tri-haired man’s face. There wasn’t much of a difference between Yugi and Atem, you understood why so many people were fooled for so long. The most obvious tell you found when Atem took over was the look in his eyes- Yugi’s eyes were softer and kinder but still intense whereas Atem had an edge of ferocity and wisdom that only a king could possess. He looked at his opponent like the outcome of the duel was decided the moment he decided to play; this assertion was never questioned, it simply was just inevitable . Once you found this difference, you were able to pinpoint the exact moment Atem took over in every video-recorded duel Yugi took part in during his teen years. 

You hit play again and let the duel progress to when Kaiba finally made his first move by summoning X Head Cannon. Hitting pause again, you stare at the younger version of the Kaiba Corp CEO. The brunet aged gracefully, there weren’t many obvious differences in his appearance back then compared to now besides the slight salt and pepper in his sideburns. If you were only looking at his physical appearance, Kaiba would look like a man nearly frozen in time. The differences between the Kaiba you knew and his younger self were emotional. Kaiba was an angry teenager; cruel just for cruelty’s sake, going through the world like it owed him something and cutting down anyone who he saw as a threat. 

And boy, was Yugi/Atem a threat to his ego. 

Kaiba’s obsession with beating his rival in a duel has always been obvious, their matches throughout the years were a duelcasters dream job. But Kaiba never spoke kindly of Yugi back then and acted like each loss that was handed to him by the porcupine-haired teen was an egregious offense against Kaiba’s very being. Watching the video, the animosity was obvious in the way Kaiba consistently belittled Yugi’s strategies and demeaned his friends. Then there was the full-blown temper tantrum that Kaiba threw when he lost, going so far as to threaten canceling the last match of the tournament just because he would not be participating in it. To put it in simple terms: Kaiba was an asshole. 

But you dug deeper than what he showed on the surface (muting the video so you couldn’t hear him talk helped) and found micro-affections that were easily missed the first few times you watched the duel. 

First, Kaiba always listened when Yugi/Atem spoke. His attention would narrow down to just the other man, not even paying attention to Isono announcing the duel or the holograms screaming his name. Kaiba would even shut his own mouth when Atem spoke to him. The egomaniac rarely listened to anyone and was prone to speaking over others, but he hung on every word Atem said to him.

Second, Kaiba peacocked like a motherfucker when dueling Atem. Every movement was exaggerated for no reason, cards being slapped down on his duel disk with unnecessary panache. He would drone on and on about his own greatness, desperate for Atem’s approval. You swear that at one point he even brought up how big his dragon was… and you didn’t want to think too much on that innuendo.

Lastly, you saw it in his eyes. You’d known for a while now that Kaiba’s eyes were incredibly expressive. He had mastered the art of schooling his face into a stoic mask over the years, but his eyes would always give away his true emotions. You found yourself watching those ocean eyes more than anything else in the duel. Even when Kaiba was saying something insulting or trying to deflect Atem’s attempts at camaraderie, he only ever looked at the ancient spirit with soft eyes. Kaiba’s eyes reflected awe, yearning, and something that looked a lot like fondness when he watched Atem. 

You sighed and slammed the laptop shut, rubbing your eyes in hopes that would make them ache less. Kaiba obviously had feelings for Atem.

So why did he get the same look in his eyes with you?

“Are you feeling alright? You don’t look too good.” Hana questioned, concern clearly written across her face. 

No, you had been up all night obsessively rewatching a duel from 20 years ago between your boss and his supernatural crush.

Yeah… you couldn’t say that. “Was just a rough night”, you settled on instead.

Hana hummed, “So, what happened to you at the club? Last we saw you, you were headed to the bar for a drink and then just disappeared.”

Your body tensed subconsciously, partly because you didn’t want to relive those events and partly because you didn’t know what to tell her. You weren’t exactly close, not yet anyways, but you also didn’t want to lie to her. Perhaps a carefully constructed half-truth would suffice for now. “I stepped out the backdoor to get some air and got locked out. Sorry to leave you girls hanging like that, I hope I didn’t ruin the night for you three.”

“Not at all! We figured you probably met some hunk and let him sweep you off your feet.”

You nearly choked on your lunch. Nope, nuh-huh, not even going there. “Uhhh”, you cough into your hand, “no. No, I left the club after that.” Not technically a lie.

Hana nodded, easily believing your story which made you feel a little guilty. You didn’t want to start this friendship off on the wrong foot. You scramble to come up with a new topic of conversation that you didn’t need to cherry-pick details of. Just as you open your mouth to say something, you glance up at Hana to see her staring behind you with widened eyes. You look around and notice that the usual chatter of the cafeteria has gone quiet. Fully turning around in your chair, you notice the cause of everyone’s anxiety.

Seto Kaiba had entered the cafeteria… and was coming straight for you.

He threw a piece of paper down on your table and slid it over to you; looking down at it, you notice that it was the email you had sent him with your special guest line-up for the next month. “You invited Maximillion Pegasus to the show?” Kaiba’s voice was low and irritated. 

You lift your head, meeting his annoyed gaze calmly, “No. He contacted me.”

His eyes widened fractionally, “How the hell did the creator of Duel Monsters contact you?”

You scoff, “I work for Kaiba Corp. ALL of our emails are just our names at kcorp-dot-org. It’s really not that hard to figure out! Besides, isn’t he a billionaire? I’m sure he can reach just about anyone- same as you.” You shrug like it’s no big deal that Kaiba Corp’s most important business partner reached out to you personally, stifling a smile by taking a sip of your water when the brunet pinched the bridge of his nose. You really do live for getting under this man’s skin nowadays. 

He sighs in resignation, “Fine, but I am going to be there for that interview.”

“What?! Why?” you ask incredulously. 

Kaiba raised his brow at you, “Do I need a reason?”

Now it was your turn to sigh resignedly, knowing there was no changing the CEO’s mind especially when it was a matter of his business. Kaiba gives you a small smirk, satisfied with your acquiescence, and grabs the email before turning to head back to his office again.

You weren’t really sure what suddenly came over you but before he could leave you called out, “Will you be attending movie night at Yugi and Téa’s this weekend?”

Kaiba stops dead in his tracks, only half-turning back to look at you over his shoulder. “I don’t think I am invited.”

“No one would object if you showed up; I’m sure they just got used to you declining every invitation so they don’t bother to ask anymore. I’m inviting you now.”

He stared at you for a moment, his silence making your heart rate skyrocket. Then, he just gave you a single nod and walked out without saying a single word.

With Kaiba now gone, the cafeteria resumed its normal jabber. You turn back to Hana and find her staring at you like you solved world peace. “You are the coolest person I have ever met!” she exclaimed excitedly with sparkles in her eyes. “Did you really just ask the Seto Kaiba out on a date?!”

Now you really did choke on your lunch. *cough* “w-”*cough cough* “WHAT? No! That is absolutely not what happened!”

She narrowed her eyes as you, devilish smirk playing on her lips, “Hmmm, yea, because asking Kaiba to attend movie night with you doesn’t sound like a date at all.”

You stared at her, eyes widening as realization finally crashed into you. 

Throughout history, countless words have been used to describe Lucifer Morningstar.

Wretched. Tricky. Unholy. Abomination. Evil. Just to name a few.

None of these descriptors were quite what you were looking for. No, the word you were looking for was... imbecile

He was the most beautiful being you had ever seen both in life and in Hell. His soft, blonde locks always looked perfectly tousled- just begging you to run your hands through them. His lavender eyelids and flushed cheeks looked so damn kissable your mouth watered at the sight of his face. And don't even get you started on the stunning gold of his eyes; eyes that held a depth that only a being thousands of years old can manage.

Yes, Lucifer was stunning and regal.

Too bad that none of that beauty could cover up the fact that he was also an absolute idiot.

You'd tried to be subtle, not wanting to scare him off or make him uncomfortable by being too forward. But it quickly became clear that nuances went right over his head.

Complimenting his perfect skin earned you a 10-minute description of his skincare routine.

Lightly grazing his fingers with your own when you passed him his mug of coffee ended in profuse apologies from the stuttering man before he ran away.

You'd even tried learning a few things about ducks to impress him. But that backfired on you when you stated how romantic it was that some ducks mated for life only for your efforts to lead to him telling you that you were confusing ducks with geese or swans.

So you decided to take a more direct approach...

... like calling him from an abandoned warehouse and telling him you needed him for an emergency.

You hear the metal door of the empty warehouse creak open, the eeriness of the sound quickly erased by Lucifer's chipper voice. "Hey N/N! I got your call! You said you needed help and it was an emergency. Is the emergency fixing this place up? Because yikes! Don't mean to yuck your yum, or kill your vibe, or whatever it is you mortals say nowadays." He trails off with a nervous chuckle. "N/N? You in here?"

You step out of the shadows, wearing a black trench coat, fishnet stockings, and Louboutin stilettos. "Hey, Lu," you say as you slowly twirl a lock of your hair around one finger.

The fallen angel's face glows bright gold as his eyes scan your form up and down. "Uhhh...", he trails off with a nervous cough. "That's a uhh.. interesting!... outfit choice N/N." He tugs at the collar of his button-up shirt like it was suffocating him. "So!" he claps his hands and turns away from you to look over the ruins of the building once more, "What did you have in mind for this rust bucket? Though, I must say, you aren't really dressed for demolition right now." He lets out another nervous laugh.

You smile, walking up to him slowly. Reaching out a hand, you slide your fingers down his bicep, feeling the muscle tense just as Lucifer's breath hitched. You grip more firmly, nails gently digging into his jacket sleeve as you lean in to whisper directly into his ear, "I have a different kind of ruination in mind." Before the angel could react, you used your grip on his arm to push him back against the wall. You pin his hips with yours, sliding one thigh between his legs.

"Y/N, what- what are you doing?" Lucifer gasps.

You lean back from him just slightly, creating just enough space between you to be certain he gets a good view of your body. Deliciously slowly, you release the knot keeping your jacket closed and peel it off your form. Now standing in the black and red corset, you watch Lucifer's eyes widen as his pupil's dilate and take up nearly all the yellow in them. His heart was beating so erratically that it felt like it was trying to jump out of his chest and into yours. When a few moments pass without him doing more than stare, you start to second-guess if this was a good idea. Maybe it was foolish to corner the King of Hell like this.

That was when he let out a whimper. A sound so frail and pathetic that you couldn't believe it came from the literal Devil at first. That one little mewl went straight to your core- you fucking needed him right here, right now. Mustering all the self-control you had left, you lean forward until your whole being was flush with his. Placing your lips next to his ear again, you whisper, "Tell me to stop and I will."

In response, Lucifer's arms wrap around you, his hands gliding up and down your body from your waist to your shoulder blades like he couldn't decide what to do with them. Frantically shaking his head, he cried out, "Please Angel, don't stop."

A wicked grin spread across your face before you nipped at his ear, punching another little whimper from the most powerful man in Hell. "Good boy."

You finally kiss him, starting slow but quickly morphing into filth as they became more passionate. You greedily swallow his moans when you bite his lower lip, using your tongue to explore every surface of his mouth. His hands finally settled on your hips as your thigh began rubbing against his crotch, holding you so tight it was like he was afraid you'd disappear if he let go.

While sucking on his serpentine tongue, you made quick work of shedding him of his jacket and shirt. Once his torso was bare, you stepped back again take in the view. Fuck, he really was gorgeous. His pale, toned stomach twitched as you ran a finger over his abs. Your mouth watered at the sight of his dark nipples standing hard against his pectorals- just begging to be bitten. Glancing back up at Lucifer's face, you find his eyes staring off to the side and avoiding your scrutiny, his face completely golden again. The sight made your heart clench.

"Hey, look at me, Lu", you coo and rest a palm on his flushed face. When his eyes finally meet yours again, you lean in to touch your forehead to his, "You are beautiful. The most perfect being I have ever seen." His body trembles against yours- a combination of arousal, anticipation, and nerves. Suddenly, you get a thought that makes your thighs clench and you sink to your knees in front of him.

"Uhh Angel? What are you doing?" The blonde archangel asks as you work on the buttons of his pants.

You smile up at him sweetly, "If you don't believe me then I'll show you." By the end of your statement, you were sliding his zipper down. Your fingers trail across his thighs slowly; when they reach the hem of his trousers you pause for moment, giving him time to stop you if he wanted to. His face was flushed the loveliest shade of aureate, his pupils blown wide, and eyes half-lidded. When he gives you no indication he wants you to stop, you carefully peel his trousers off his porcelain legs.

Now in just his boxers, it was no longer possible for him to hide his erection. You bring a hand up and gently cup his bulge through the thin fabric. He lets out a gasp at the contact and his hands fly to your shoulders as if he needs to steady himself. HIs cock rests heavily in your palm as his abs hitch with every shuddered breath he takes. You palm him gently until a wet stain from his precum forms on the soft material. You watch the stain spread through the cotton fibers until your mouth waters, you can't wait and longer to taste him. Leaning in, you flatten your tongue against his bulge, moaning when the salty-bitter taste of him hits your tastebuds. The groan that punches out of Lucifer's throat is obscene, his jaw going slack as his claws dig into your flesh with a delicious sting.

Lucifer's cock strained painfully against the confines of his boxers. Without breaking eye contact, you freed him from his cotton prison. He hissed when the air hit his aching member, the mushroom tip swollen and leaking. Without hesitation, you lick a quick stripe along the vein that runs along the entire underside of his length.

His moan makes your thighs immediately clench together and you dive in, taking as much of his length as you possibly could. His hands leave your shoulders and grip firmly at the back your head, claws scratching lightly at your scalp. You work to relax your throat, moving gradually down his cock until you could feel him at the back your throat. Hollowing your cheeks, you give a curious suck to test his reaction.

"Oh shit, oh- FUCK. Angel, your m-mouth is- fuck! So, so good!" Lucifer's head is now thrown back in pure bliss, eyes clenched tightly as he concentrates on not cumming immediately.

You moan around his length, the sensation sending a shiver up the angel's spine. You move back slowly, sucking during the whole motion until the tip leaves your puckered lips with a wet pop. Then, you dive back in with full intensity. Whatever you couldn't fit in your mouth, you use your hand to gently twist and pull in time with every bob of your head. Your other hand cupped his balls, switching between fondling and tugging gently.

The pace you set was brutal even for you. Your eyes began to water as you fought your gag reflex. Spit and precum dribbled down the corners of your mouth and chin, dripping onto your still-clenched thighs.

Lucifer's speech no longer made sense, his words incoherent and garbled as his peak raced closer and closer. His hips moved in time with your head, his pelvis thrusting forwards to shove his cock as far down your throat as he could get. You gave a firmer squeeze to his testicles paired with a harsh suck to his tip and he slammed into you one final time, his seed pooling in your mouth as you swallowed around him.

His softening dick pops out of your mouth and you wipe yourself clean with the back of your hand before smiling sweetly up at the blonde. He is panting and looked utterly wrecked, the beautiful flush blooming across his skin from cheeks to chest. "Holy shit, Angel. That was- you're just- wow!" He chuckled with a small smile.

You hummed, "Oh my sweet, sweet Lucifer. I'm not finished with you yet."

He paused, struggling to process your statement,"Wait- what?"

Before he could think on it any further, you hooked your hands behind his knees and pulled them forward, causing the man to slide down the wall until he was seated on the ground. Before he could even comprehend what just happened, you straddled him and yanked your panties to one side before sinking down on his half-hard cock. The overstimulation hit instantly as his hiss morphed into a whimper.

You run a hand through his golden locks, pulling at the strands gingerly to force him to look at you. "You're so perfect baby boy. I've thought about having you like this from the moment I met you."

The King sighed at your words, his hands gripping onto your hips like a lifeline as you began to rock your hips gently. You could feel his cock harden as you moved, letting out a cry when you felt him reach that spongy spot that had you seeing stars.

Now fully erect again, you switched from gentle rocking to harsher bounces that impaled yourself on his length. One of Lucifer's hands reached around to your ass, squeezing the fat to hold you closer. The other hand ran down your mound to start rubbing tight circles on your clit.

Your whimpers of pleasure mixed with his as your pace began to get sloppier, you could feel yourself nearing the edge as the coil in your belly became impossibly tight.

"Cum with me, Lu" you gasped out before harshly pressing your lips to his in a desperate kiss that made your teeth click together. With a final, brutal flick to your aching nub, you fell apart around the man. He swallowed your pornographic moan as your walls clenched tightly around him. His second orgasm hit him with a guttural groan as your pussy milked him for all he had left.

In the aftermath, neither of you moved as you caught your breath. Lucifer's fingers traced idle patterns into the skin on your waist; after several minutes, you finally looked up at him. He met your gaze with eyes full of adoration, the sheer intensity of his emotions stole the breath right out of your lungs. As the high from your orgasm dissipated, so did your bravado. "Was that alright?" You asked shyly.

The first thing you noticed as you slowly ascended into consciousness was how fucking comfortable you were. Seriously, you felt like you were in a cocoon- the bed felt like you were laying on a cloud and the comforter was wrapped around you burrito-style giving you the warm and fuzzies in your soul. Damn, if getting drunk makes your bed feel this fucking amazing then maybe you need to drink more often.

That is when the worst headache of your entire existence hit you like a fucking train.

Ugh, nevermind, you will actually never drink again.

You took your time feeling out your body; your head was absolutely killing you, your feet ached so bad you wanted to cut them off, and your back felt like you were sent through a cheese grater. But the most alarming pain was the sharp sting across your right cheekbone. What the hell happened?! Were you hit by a bus on your way home?

Groaning, you untangle yourself from your comfy blanket refuge and stretch your limbs out, hearing each joint pop satisfyingly. You let out one more groan as you bury your face into your pillow, eyes still refusing to open yet, “Fuck, Mai is going to kill me…”

“As she should. I’m not too happy with you either.”

Your eyes shoot wide open but the rest of you freezes. You were dreaming right? There was no way you just heard your boss’ voice chastising you in your own bedroom. Fuck, the pretentious ass couldn’t even leave you alone in your nightmares now!

Slowly- like woman in a horror movie looking for danger slowly- you turn in the direction of the voice…

… and promptly lose your heart through your ass at the sight of Seto Kaiba casually sitting in a chair across the room. His laptop was perched on a little table in front of him as he glared at you over the screen. 

You were so shocked that you just sat there for a moment, trying to discern if you were still asleep and dreaming or if this was actually happening. But the longer the awkward silence stretched on for, the more sure you were that you were- unfortunately- awake and this was your unfortunate reality.

YOU. WERE. FUCKED.

When the gravity of the situation finally sunk in, you grabbed the covers and held them over your chest like a scandalized woman in an old movie, “What the fuck are you doing here?!”

A perfectly manicured brow slowly arched up at your question. “This is my room”, he replied in a nearly monotone voice. The kind of tone used when describing something obvious.

With terrifying clarity, you realize you were not in your bed, not in your own room, not even in your own house. The bed was ridiculously ginormous, it could easily fit 4 people without needing to touch each other. The sheets were a mix of royal blue and gold and were made of the softest cotton you had ever felt; undoubtedly Egyptian cotton with high-thread-count that probably cost more than your entire bedroom set at home. Looking around, the bedroom followed the same blue and gold color scheme. The wall opposite the bed had a giant fireplace set between two floor-to-ceiling windows; upon closer inspection, the “window” to the right of the fireplace was actually a set of french doors leading out to a balcony. Kaiba sat in the chair along the left side of the room; a dark, ornately carved mahogany door behind him. To the right of the bed were two other doors of the same style, you guessed one was an en-suite bathroom and the other a closet. Above you, suspended from the ceiling, was a small but elaborate crystal chandelier- the kind that looked reminiscent of the Great Gatsby. Seriously? Who had chandeliers in their bedrooms?!

The whole space was so exuberant that it could only belong in one place in all of Domino City.

Kaiba Mansion.

Your eyes found Kaiba’s again, dread sinking into your gut and settling like an anchor upon your soul, “What am I doing here?”

The brunet kept his expression perfectly neutral, his voice ringing out calmly and evenly like he was talking to a frightened animal, “What do you remember?”

Your fingers began to knead at the blanket in your hands, an attempt to soothe your frayed nerves. Your eyes darted back and forth rapidly as you wracked your mind over what memories you had from last night. The breath left your lungs in a sharp exhale when the alleyway behind the club came to you in brief flashes. The details were fuzzy, but one thing- or more accurately one person- stood out clearly.

“Keith…” you felt like the air had been punched from your lungs as the memory of the terror you felt washed over you like a tidal wave. Your hands now gripped the blanket so hard your knuckles groaned in protest. You started to breath in rapid gasps, but before you could spiral too much, a large hand wrapped around yours and gently pried your clenched fingers from the comforter and brought it up to rest on a firm chest.

“Hey, breathe with me.” You startled slightly, never having heard Kaiba get up from his chair before he was right in front of you. He held your gaze as he took a purposefully slow and deep breath, the movement causing his chest to rise under your palm. After a few attempts, you were finally able to sync your breathing to his. Once your breathing was even again and the panic left your eyes, he continued softly, “He won’t be a problem anymore. I took care of it, you’re safe.”

You met his gaze with wide eyes, “How did you… how did you know?”

“I left out the backdoor and met my driver on the sidestreet. I passed by Keith on my way to the car. As we were pulling away, I saw him corner you. I apologize for not getting to you before he laid his hands on you.” His grip on your hand tightened as he spoke, not painful, just grounding…reassuring. 

But as you started to relax, the reality of the situation came back to you.

You are at Kaiba Mansion… in Seto Kaiba’s bed… with Seto Kaiba.

The panic sunk in all over again. You ripped your hand off the man like his touch burned, scrambling backwards until your back hit the headboard to put as much space between you and your boss as possible. All that was going through your mind at this moment was what the media would say about your relationship with him now. What the fuck did you get yourself into? Your alarm quickly turned to immense irritation, you leveled a glare at the CEO, “Why didn’t you just take me home? Why bring me here?”

Kaiba’s eyes narrowed at your indignant tone, “You were in no state to be left alone. You were so wasted that you could’ve asphyxiated if you had thrown up in your sleep. I brought you here so I could keep any eye on you.” His tone was now dry and clipped, a stark contrast to the soft way he had spoken to you just a minute ago. 

You huffed, crossing your arms in exasperation, “And what was wrong with my own apartment?”

“Would you have rathered if you'd woken up with me in your own room?” He gave you that infuriating eyebrow raise. You could do nothing but clench and unclench your jaw repeatedly- he was right, that would have been worse. At least you could leave here whenever you were ready to get away from him… 

“Besides, I had my physician take a look at you last night.”

Your eyes went wide as you sputtered, “You WHAT?!”

The brunet rolled his eyes, “As I said, you were extremely drunk. Let alone injured…” He trailed off, his long fingers raising to pinch the bridge of his nose as if he was getting a headache. With a heavy sigh, he rubbed his fingertips up his T-zone then below his eye before they came to a rest at his temple. “I just needed to know you were okay”, he said softly, as if speaking to himself instead of you. He then stood up from the bed and walked back over to his laptop. Without glancing back at you, he added, “There’s clothes for you in the bathroom, change and meet me in the kitchen.”

You were just about to get up when you stopped yourself, tilting your head when you realized your clothes did not feel like the dress you’d worn to the club last night. What you had on was too loose… too comfortable. In your panicked state earlier, you failed to notice your wardrobe change. Peeling the comforter off of you, you discover you were in a t-shirt that was definitely not yours… and a pair of Calvin Klein boxer briefs. Your cheeks were now on fire, “Please don’t tell me I’m wearing your clothes…”

“Fine, I won’t tell you then.” Kaiba shrugged, still not looking over at you. 

“Kaiba! What am I doing in your clothes?! Did you dress me?!” You stared at him completely bug-eyed.

“Would you have rather slept in that uncomfortable dress? And no, my physician dressed you after verifying you were alright.”

“Oh that’s very reassuring, thank you! I am so glad some random dude saw me naked without my consent!” Sarcasm laced heavily through your tone.

Kaiba finally turned back to you, that stupid eyebrow arched again, “My physician is a woman. She had to remove your dress to properly treat the cuts on your back. When she was finished, she recommended loose-fitting clothing to avoid further irritating the affected area.”

You gulped, embarrassed by your own unintentional bias towards the doctor and their perceived gender in your mind. Logically, his explanation made complete sense- you were hurt and in no shape to take care of yourself. Although you were grateful for his help, you just wished it was anyone else but him who rescued you. With a sigh, you finally deflate from your defensive stance,”Thank you.” It was just barely a whisper, but Kaiba heard it anyway. With a nod, he left you in the room to change. 

The person who stared back at you in the mirror looked like a total stranger to you. Your middle and ring fingers carefully brushed the purple contusion blooming across your right cheekbone; it was still tender, you gasped slightly when your fingers made contact with it. Luckily, the bruise was already healing with the help of the salve the doctor had applied. Turning around, your back was in the same sorry state with small abrasions littering the area between your shoulderblades. They too, were treated and in the beginning stages of healing. 

The clothes left on the bathroom vanity consisted of some leggings, a v-neck shirt, bikini-style panties (also Calvin Kleins), a sports bra, and socks. And, of course, everything happened to fit perfectly. After changing, you stood there staring at your reflection again, trying desperately not to think of the fact that you had been wearing the CEO of Kaiba Corp’s clothes just moments ago. With a huff, you set off in search of Kaiba

You might as well have been walking through a maze trying to find Kaiba’s fucking kitchen. Why was this house so damn big? It was just the two of them for crying out loud! They could probably go days without seeing each other in this house! The sound of pots and pans being shuffled told you that you were heading in the right direction and you followed it diligently. The moment you finally stepped into the kitchen your entire being froze, your jaw dropped as you stared in shock at what you had found.

There, at the stove, was Kaiba meticulously stirring a pot of liquid. The smell of miso made your mouth water, stomach rumbling immediately as your body completely forgot about your hangover at the promise of food. But wait a second, Kaiba- CEO of the largest gaming company in the entire world, the man who had his own personal doctor on call at all times- was cooking?!

Now that you weren’t totally panicked, you finally took the time to truly look at Kaiba. He still held the same powerful aura he always had, but it seemed softer now- like a hurricane tempered to a thunderstorm. He had traded his suit for a pair of grey joggers and a black compression shirt- a shirt that left very little of his torso to the imagination….

Fuck, was he always this ripped?! He looked like an upside-down triangle, broad shoulders spanning wider than his nearly non-existent waist. The sleeves of the shirt looked like they were straining to contain his biceps as they flexed with every miniscule movement over the stove. 

Shit… why did your boss have to be the most attractive man to ever exist?

“You’re staring”, the grumbly voice of the man in question rang out without ever turning his attention away from the boiling pot. Shit, you were busted. 

Clearing your throat nervously, you shake yourself out of your stupor and lean against the kitchen island. You stretch onto your tiptoes and crane your neck to get a glimpse of what he was making. “Since when do you need to cook? Don’t you have a personal chef for that?”

Kaiba hummed, eyes laser-focused on making breakfast “She’s not here currently.”

Now it was your turn to arch a brow, “What? Did you scare her away?”

The brunet scoffed, “Yes, I’m such a terrible employer that I helped arrange a trip for her to go home and visit family.”

Both your eyebrows shot up, “Wow, never would have pegged you for a family man.” 

Kaiba turned to you then, eyes dancing over your face for a moment before they landed on the bruise Keith left. He grimaced slightly before turning back at the pot, “You’d be surprised. Food wasn't always a guarantee for us growing up, learning to cook made it easier for me to look after him.”

You felt your chest constrict uncomfortably. Kaiba had never opened up to you like this, never shown any sign of vulnerability before now. Of course you knew the infamous tale of Kaiba’s rise to power, a true rags-to-riches story taking the man from orphan to CEO all thanks to a game of chess. But Kaiba famously never spoke about the details of his childhood, always shutting every question down before any reporter even finished asking it. So why was he bringing it up willingly now? 

You weren’t sure how to respond, so you let those words simmer between you as Kaiba scooped clam miso soup into two bowls. He placed them each on the island and gestured for you to sit as he perched atop another stool. The first bite nearly took you to heaven, you hummed appreciatively as you chewed. Of course Mr. Perfect was an amazing chef, was there anything he was bad at?

“You should go to the gym.”

Oh, right- he was terrible at being a normal fucking human being.

“Excuse me?” Your spoon froze mid-air as you turned to glare at him.

“You need self defense classes at a minimum. Strength and conditioning training would help too. I could teach you.” He just kept eating, as if he was talking about something as mundane as the weather. When you didn’t respond for several seconds he glanced over at you and noticed your bewildered expression. “What?”

“I’m trying to figure out what distant planet you escaped from. What do you mean you’ll teach me?”

“I could teach you Judo," he shrugged.

You blinked rapidly, “Why do you know Judo?”

“Knowing how to defend oneself is important.”

“Right, thanks, that clears it up”, you roll your eyes. 

“Taking over my stepfather’s company put a target on my back- Mokuba’s too. I learned how to keep us safe.” His eyes held a look you’d never seen before- a combination of intense protectiveness tinged with desperation. It made your chest feel tight. 

Unable to look him in the eye any longer, you turn back to your breakfast. Suddenly, another thought occurred to you and you gasped loudly, “OMG Smiles!!” Your spoon clanged against the ceramic bowl as it fell from your hand. How could you do this to him? You were such an awful foster mom!

Before you could spiral, Kaiba’s voice cut through your panic again, “Mokuba is at your place right now. He spent the night there.”

Your brows furrowed in confusion, “Huh? Why would he go to my apartment?”

“We discussed it last night while the doctor was attending to you. I asked him to stay there with the dog until you were fit to go home.”

You were left speechless for the third time that morning, “Why- why would you do that?”

For a beat, Kaiba just watched you, his gaze a steady presence on your face as you fought your inner emotional turmoil. When he did finally speak, it was in that honeyed whiskey tone that silenced your depreciating thoughts. “So you wouldn’t have to worry about going home immediately.” He turned away from you then, the barest hint of rose tinting the tips of his ears. 

You swallow thickly around the lump in your throat. After a couple minutes of awkward silence had passed, you hit your limit and had to break it. “So… where did you sleep last night then? I really hope you weren’t sleeping in that chair all night.” You can’t help the smile that slowly crosses your face at the thought of Kaiba- a literal skyscraper of a human being- folding up to sleep in a tiny ass chair.

“My bed, obviously.”

*record scratch*

You sat there, blinking dumbly into your bowl of soup. Once your entire nervous system rebooted, you turned to him with a horror-stricken face that would put the woman from Hereditary to shame, “What?”

Kaiba leveled you with a blank look again, “I slept in my bed.”

“You slept in your bed? As in… we both slept in your bed… together?”

“Technically.”

OMG, just kill you now!

An unhinged laugh echoes against the marble of the kitchen and it takes a second for you to register it is yours. Your fingers rub at your temples, “Oh gawd, the press is going to have a field day with this.”

The brunet scoffed, “Oh please, as if I give a shit what the roaches think.”

“Yea, well maybe you don’t but I do!” You nearly scream in frustration. Before Kaiba can say anything you go on, “Maybe you haven’t noticed this, Kaiba, but those ‘roaches’ have had me pinned as a gold-digger since day one! They believe the only reason I made it as a duelcaster is because I am sleeping with either you or Mokuba or even fucking both of you!” Your jaw kept clenching and unclenching, the tendons in your neck straining with the effort. Tears of frustration streamed down your cheeks, just thinking of what the tabloids would say made you nauseous. Breathing in a slow inhale to try to calm yourself down before you have yet another panic attack before noon, you whisper, “Do you have any idea what it’s like to have your whole career undermined as a ‘sleep-your-way-to-the-top’ scheme?”

There were a few beats of silence following your speech. Just as you were angrily wiping the tears from your cheeks, Kaiba spoke softly, “They’re wrong, you know.”

You scoffed, “Of course I know they’re wrong. I’m fully aware that I’m not boning either of you.”

Kaiba grunted, rolling his eyes, “Yes, there’s that. But, most importantly, you’ve earned your position because you're damn good at what you do. I’ve told you before, I only employ the best. If you were anything less than that, you wouldn’t still be where you are- hosting the number one Duelmonsters podcast in the world.”

You sniffled out a giggle, “Wow you are actually really good at pep talks when you want to be.”

“Of course I am. How else do you think I run a billion-dollar enterprise?”

“Hmmm,” you tapped your forefinger to your chin, “Gee, I kinda thought it had something to do with a paycheck and the threat of taking that paycheck away if performance was unsatisfactory." The normally-stoic CEO looked at you with amusement, one corner of his mouth curling into a smirk. You bite your lip, looking back down at your bowl shyly. Why the fuck did you have butterflies in your stomach right now? 

You hated to erase the smile from Kaiba’s face, he smiled so seldomly it was a shame, but there was a question you needed answered before you could truly relax. With a sigh, you steeled your resolve, “Nothing happened right? Last night, we didn’t…” You trail off, not sure how to word your awkward question. Your face felt hot again and you hunched over in a subconscious attempt to hide.

“No”, he replied softly, “I only slept next to you so I could be there if you needed me.” His voice remained steady and calm with no hint of irritation with your questioning. When you look back at him, his expression is relaxed and open. There’s an honesty in his eyes you’ve only seen once before- when he told you of his fake relationship with Ishizu. It was like seeing all the walls he’d crafted over the years shift just a little. They didn’t crumble, not completely anyways, but they made just enough space between the cracks for you to see beyond them… to see the gentle man hidden beneath the tough exterior. 

You give him another shy smile (seriously, what is up with the fluttering feeling beneath your ribs?) and tuck a loose strand of hair behind your ear. A comfortable silence settles over the both of you as you finish breakfast; neither feeling any need to break it as you simply enjoy each other’s company. When your bowl is finally empty, you lean back in your seat, “Thank you, you’re a surprisingly good chef.” Kaiba just grunted in response as he took your bowl and rinsed it out in the sink before putting it in the dishwasher. Hangover now cured, you’d figured it was time to go.“Well, thanks for your hospitality…” you trail off, biting your lip in hesitation before continuing, “and for rescuing me last night.” You look down, finding immense interest in the kitchen tile. Was that marble or porcelain? Was there really a difference between the two?

A water bottle thumping against the island where your bowl had just been startled you out of your thoughts. Kaiba gave you a questioning look, “I thought we agreed that I was going to teach you Judo?”

You furrowed your brow, thoroughly confused, “Umm I believe we established that you know Judo and would be willing to teach me. But I never agreed to anything.”

Kaiba just looked at you for a moment before gesturing for you to follow him, “Come on.” He turned on his heel and headed out of the kitchen.

Wrinkling your nose, you tap your foot and contemplate just walking out and heading home. Eventually, you sigh and chase the billionaire through his house. You catch up to him in the foyer, “I’m not a dog you know! You can’t just give me a command and expect me to follow it!”

The brunet says nothing as he takes a key fob off a hook near a doorway. Looking closely at the wall, it is covered in several hooks holding different key fobs. You contemplate what that means as you follow him out the door.

Only to stop dead in your tracks when you find yourself in a garage that looked like the fucking batcave. 

Sleek, sporty cars were neatly arranged throughout the space. They even had their own spotlights on to highlight them against the black-painted walls and floors. Kaiba clicks the button on the fob in his hand and a black fucking Bugatti unlocks. You turn to him with wide eyes, “This is the car you take to the gym?!”

The man just shrugs, but you can see the excitement light up in his eyes. Ugh, men and their cars.

You do a quick circle, looking at all the different makes and models. There was definitely not a car in here with less than a 6-figure price tag. When your eyes catch on a new, classic-red Ferrari, you stop in your tracks and point at it. “Okay, if you’re dragging me to the gym, I get to ride in that at least once.” 

“Deal,” Kaiba agrees easily as he opens the passenger door to the Bugatti. The upholstery is made of luxurious sand-colored leather. You fold yourself into your seat slowly, careful not to touch anything as there was not a part of this car that wouldn’t cost less than your entire paycheck to fix. 

When Kaiba gracefully slid into the driver’s seat and turned the ignition, you had to admit you felt a small surge of excitement as the engine purred to life. Oooohh this car was fast fast. Like RIP Paul Walker fast.

It was already close to midday as you and Kaiba zipped through the streets of Domino City. The streets were bustling with people running errands and enjoying the last days of summer before the crisp, chill air of autumn settles in. You slink back in your seat automatically, there were very few people in Domino City that would be driving a car like this and you didn’t want to be spotted in the passenger seat next to him.

“You were questioning why I would choose this car to go to the gym,” Kaiba’s voice cuts through the silence. “It’s because the windows are so heavily tinted that no one can see through them. Nobody will know we are in the car.”

The tension in your shoulders relaxed a bit, he was right, you’d noticed how opaque the windows were when you had gotten in the car. You then promptly ignored the way your heart fluttered at the fact that he thought of protecting your privacy like that. 

Come on, Y/N, get it together. He’s not protecting you, he’s protecting himself from being seen with you! You bit the inside of your cheek and tapped your fingers along your thigh to distract you from your anxious thoughts.

When Kaiba turns into a parking lot you look over at him perplexed, “I thought we were going to the gym. Why are we at Kaiba Corp?”

He doesn’t answer you until he is parked and turning the engine off, “Because we have a private gym here for employees. I only use this and my home gym.”

“Wait, we have a gym at work? Why wasn’t that part of the first-day tour?!” 

Your boss narrows his eyes at you in annoyance, “It’s in the employee handbook.”

You chuckle at his expression, “Kaiba, the only things most people read in the employee handbook are holidays, PTO, and anything to do with salary increases. No one normal reads the entire thing.”

With an exasperated eyeroll in your direction, Kaiba exits the vehicle. You giggle the entire way into the building. There are several employees milling about and getting work done but, thankfully, the gym is completely deserted. You didn’t have any of your own personal belongings on you- not even your phone which you hoped was still in your purse…wherever that was placed when Kaiba brought you back to the mansion- so you walked straight through the locker room and into the gym itself. 

Floor-to-ceiling windows made up the entire Northside of the space, showcasing amazing views of the city. The bikes, ellipticals, and treadmills were lined up in a row by the windows. The middle of the gym consisted of all the lifting equipment and machines; dumbbells of assorted sizes were stacked against the far wall from the entrance. Finally, on the Southside of the gym, were assorted mats and equipment for a wide range of activities from boxing and martial arts to yoga. 

You whistled, this was just an office gym and it was one of the fanciest gyms you’ve ever been in. 

You were so busy gawking at your surroundings that you didn’t hear Kaiba enter from the men’s locker room. “Are you ready?” The sound of his voice nearly made you jump out of your skin.

“I WILL make good on my threat to put a bell on you!” You exhale a heavy breath as your hand flies to your chest dramatically. Kaiba is waiting for you in the center of a large mat, he had changed into a black tank top that clung to him like a second skin. His arms were on full display and your traitorous eyes mapped every inch of exposed skin without your permission to do so. Veins cut across his forearms and hands like rivers, his collarbones stood prominent at his shoulders, and he even had some freckles dotting constellations across his marble skin.  When you finally came to your senses, you coughed nervously while looking anywhere and everywhere that wasn’t at your freakin boss. 

When you were standing across from the (HOT) CEO on the opposite side of the mat he crooked one finger to beckon you closer. Biting your lip and internally chastising yourself for your inappropriate thoughts, you slowly padded over until you were just a foot away from Kaiba. “I’m going to teach you some basic maneuvers you can use to protect yourself if anyone ever lays an unwanted hand on you again. It won’t be flashy nor particularly difficult, but it will be practical and efficient. Ready?”

You couldn’t help but roll your eyes. Knowing Kaiba’s aptitude for patience, him teaching you Judo should go well. “Yes, Sensei Kaiba”, you snark out. Before you even realized he’d moved, you found yourself with your back on the mat staring up into Kaiba’s eyes as he hovered above you. His large hand cradled the back of your head, protecting your skull from making contact with the floor. You never saw it coming, he moved like a freakin ninja. Just as quickly as you had been thrown to the floor, he picked you up and set you back on your feet. Your eyes were the size of dinner plates as you stared at him, “Fucking hell Kaiba! If you can do that then what the fuck is the point of having a bodyguard?! Honestly, does Isono protect you or do you protect Isono at this point?”

“Isono is the first line of defense for distant threats. I know how to protect myself if they get past him”, he replied in a bored voice. “Now, will you take this seriously?”

You huff, "Unbelievable, it’s like you're a damn Jason Statham character. Fine, yes, I’ll be a good student now.”

Nodding in approval, Kaiba took your hand and gently turned you so your back was to him before gently wrapping his arm around your throat mimicking a chokehold. “Instinct will tell you to lean back away from my arm but it is better if you lean your weight into it to pull it away from your neck.”

You swallow thickly, he was so close that you could feel every plane of muscle quiver against your body. The heat of him was enough to make your breath hitch. With shaking hands, you gripped his forearm and pulled down while shifting your weight slightly, creating space between your neck and his arm.

“Good, once that space is created, shift your leg on the same side as the arm I am holding you with so your calf is behind mine.” Nodding, you slide your right leg back and plant your foot just behind his. “Now, hang onto my arm and swing your other leg out and turn your body so you are facing behind me, forcing me to twist at the waist.” Slowly, you do as he says, the size difference making things a bit awkward but you eventually make it to the correct position. “Plant your feet, keep a tight grip on my arm, and lower your torso.” You hesitate, if you lowered your torso you’d pull him against your back and over your shoulder. “Trust me, just do it”, Kaiba prompted when you froze. Taking a deep breath in, you tighten your hold on his arm and drop your head forward, sending Kaiba up and over your body to splay him out on the floor. 

You grin cockily, proud that you were able to put the megalomaniac on his ass. The grin was quickly wiped off your face though when the brunet grabbed your hand, pulled you down, and pinned you underneath him. “Word of advice: the next time you have your opponent on the ground, get away from them so they can’t fucking trap you again.”

An annoyed huff escapes your chest, “Thanks for the tip, Master Kaiba. Can I get up now?”

Kaiba stands and extends his hand, you take it and he hauls you to your feet. “We will repeat that maneuver until it becomes muscle memory for you. We will also go through a couple of others.” He moved behind you, wrapping his arm around your throat once more. “Again.”

The entire afternoon passed in a flurry of limbs, sharp tugs, and sweat. As with everything he did, Kaiba was a relentless and thorough instructor; however, he was also much more patient than you would have ever thought possible for him. He pushed you until you were just on the edge of giving up before grounding you again. Surprisingly, he never once got impatient or lost his temper. He never let you win though, making you work for every pin you could get. Sadly, he had you pinned much more frequently due to his years of experience practicing Judo. 

Each time you hit the mat, you slowly came to the realization that he would always cradle your fall. His hands never once faltered in protecting your head, elbows, and shoulders from getting hurt. You tried not to read too much into that… or the amount of strength it took for him to hold both you and himself up so he wouldn’t hurt you when he landed on top of you.

By the time you were done, you were a panting and sweaty mess. You were now starfishing on the mat, water bottle in hand, staring up at the ceiling as you caught your breath. Your arms and legs felt like they were made of jelly and you couldn’t wait to get home and take a long, hot shower. 

“Are you ready to go?” Kaiba stepped up and leaned over your supine form. “Or do you plan to just lay there all night?’

In response, you raise a hand and flip him off. “I’ll get up when my legs don’t immediately cave underneath me.”

He rolled his eyes at your dramatics, “Well, I’m leaving as soon as I am in my car. If you want a ride home, I suggest you beat me there.” With that, he walked into the men’s locker room. With a grunt, you haul yourself up off the floor and head for the women’s locker room knowing the menace would make good on his promise to leave you here if you weren’t ready to go when he was.

The drive to your condo was spent in silence. You kept replaying everything you had learned and practiced in your head, committing as much of it to memory as you could in case you’d ever need it. Before you knew it, Kaiba was parking the car in front of your condo. 

The silence officially took an awkward turn as you sat there tapping your fingers to your thigh anxiously. You bit your lip as you contemplated what to say. 

“You did well today”, Kaiba was the one who broke the silence. “Continuing to practice will be beneficial. I’ve booked the gym for private use every morning at 6:00, you’re welcome to join me whenever you like.”

A small smile graces your lips, “Wow, you’d really let me impose on your private time like that?”

“As long as you aren’t a nuisance”, your small smile was reflected on Kaiba’s own face.

You giggle, “Oh, but you know me Kaiba. If I’m not bothering you in some way then what’s the point?” To your surprise but great delight, he actually chuckles at you… and the sound made the butterflies return in full force making you bite your lip.

His face suddenly sours, he turns to look out at the passing cars instead of you. “I just never want you to find yourself in a situation like that again. If I hadn’t been there, if I hadn’t gotten to you…” He closes his eyes and grinds his teeth, unable to finish his sentence. 

You reach out and gently place your hand on his forearm, reminiscent of the way you did in the club the night before. It seemed to calm him down then, so why not try doing that again now? “Hey, I’m okay because of you. You saved me last night, and now, you’ve given me the knowledge to protect myself in case you aren’t there next time.”

Kaiba’s gaze went from your hand to your face, his eyes fixating on the bruise on your cheek. He clenches his hands on the steering wheel, “Promise me there won’t be a next time.”

One side of your mouth quirks up in a smirk, “All I can promise is to kick the ass of the next man who touches me without consent.” You both laugh now, you watch as the tension visibly leaves his shoulders and face. When it appears he has calmed down, your hand retreats from his arm. You sigh, “Is Mokuba still here?”

The brunet shakes his head, “No, he left when I told him we were finished at the gym.”

“Ah, then I guess I should go let Smiles know his foster mom is still alive.” You look down briefly, thinking about the best way to say goodbye. When you look back at Kaiba, he’s already watching you. Slowly, he leans towards you and your whole body freezes, breath catching in your throat. His hand reaches past you to open your door for you. A shaky exhale rattles your lungs. Did you really just think he was going to…?

“Have a good night, Y/N” He’s giving you that soft look again and your heart feels like it’s going to beat out of your chest. 

Time to get out of the damn car before you do something really stupid.

“Goodnight, Kaiba.” You exit the car and speed-walk to your door without looking back, but you hear how the car idles at the curb until you step inside. Once the door closes behind you, you lean back against it. Today was… a lot. It was going to take some time to digest waking up in Kaiba’s bed, him making you breakfast, the Judo session… and whatever the hell just happened in the car. You were absolutely not going to think about how you thought he might kiss you- wait. 

Did you want him to kiss you?

You open your eyes when you hear an impatient huff, finding Smiles sitting at your feet and staring up at you with what you swear is a smug expression. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

The dog just cocks his head to the side in a questioning way. It's adorable. But you’re not ready to examine your evolving feelings for the CEO of Kaiba Corp- your boss. You sigh, “So he can be nice sometimes. Big whoop, doesn’t mean he’s not still an asshole.” Smiles responds with another huff, as if he was annoyed by your denial. 

“Cheers bitches!” Mai squealed. You tipped your head back and let the sake slide down your throat. It was smooth, high-end shit since Kaiba would never let cheap alcohol be served at his party. A pleasant warmth spread throughout your chest, easing the tension in your shoulders. 

You’d arrived at the party with your friends just as you promised your would-be “dates”. The gang was mostly all here- Mai, Joey, Yugi, Téa, Tristan, Duke, Emi and Mokuba. Serenity wasn’t big on parties and opted to stay home, Tristan wasn’t planning on staying long so he could get home to her. 

Kaiba, the ever-gracious host, was MIA. Like always. For a guy who hosted so many social events he certainly was a hermit.

But you didn’t want to worry about that. About him. No, right now, all you had on your mind was letting loose and drinking all your stresses away. 

After downing another shot, Téa led you all out onto the dance floor. Being a professional dancer, the moves she started pulling were insane! “Girl stop! You’re making the rest of us look bad!” You laughed and sent her a wink. Of course you were joking, Téa was absolutely mesmerizing to watch and it was clear she was happiest when she was moving to a beat. You, Mai, and Emi started trying to copy the brunette, laughing whenever one of you would trip over yourselves. But Téa was an excellent instructor, soon, she had you all dipping, swaying, and gliding like you were a debuting K-Pop group. 

After the dance lesson, you found yourself at the bar downing shots 3 and 4. Tristan had gone home already and Mai, Téa, Yugi, and Joey were looking at heading out soon as well. Emi had found some production friends in a booth and was catching up with them. Mokuba was still on the dance floor with a group of women who were absolutely fawning over him. 

Slut. Endearlingly. And I mean Mokuba- not the ladies!

“Hey hun, maybe you should have a glass of water and slow down on the shots hmm? I don’t want to leave you alone here completely intoxicated”, Mai cupped your flushed face in one hand. A look of concern only a mother could muster graced her gorgeous features. 

You giggled at her, “‘M fine! I got Mokie and Emi to keep me company!”

She looked past you towards the booth Emi was currently at, then traced her eyes over to the dance floor to find Mokuba with his tongue down a girl’s throat. She looked back to you with hesitation, clearly battling with herself on leaving or staying. You couldn’t help but roll your eyes at her, you found her concern endearing but you were a grown ass woman who could look after herself. “I promise I’ll be fine Mai. I will get a water then go hang with Emi and the crew.” You deliberately worked to steady your voice to sound less tipsy than you were.

With a sigh, Mai nodded, “You’d better keep that promise!” She gave you one last hug before heading out with the others. 

Unfortunately, you were a fucking liar.

You knew another shot would not be a good idea but you didn’t want to get a water either. The alcohol in your system was helping you relax, this was the first time in weeks that you were not thinking about headlines or people’s opinions… or stupidly attractive bosses…

What? Who said that?!

So you compromised with a hard seltzer- that was close enough to being water right?

As you were sipping your drink, you spotted Rex Raptor sitting at the bar. He wasn’t nearly as much of an asshole as Weevil was (and maybe the booze was making you feel just a bit friendlier) so you caught his eye and waved at him with a smile. 

However, you were not prepared for his reaction. He saw you, sat up a little straighter as his eyes widened, then promptly grabbed his drink and bolted like you pulled a gun on him.

Huh, you furrowed your brows in confusion. That was weird. Well, not going to worry about that now. Time to get back out on the dance floor!

Just as you took your first step, another urge hit you. Guess you’ll be making a trip to the restroom first. While you were washing your hands, the girl re-applying her lipstick at the sink next to you suddenly froze and stared at you. “Oh. My. God! You’re her! The KC Barbie!” 

You smiled back at her, “Yup! That’s me!”

“OMG! I LOVE you! I listen to your podcast every week! You are so pretty in person! Could I please get a picture with you?”

“Of course!” You leaned in as she grabbed her phone. You took a couple of selfies together before she turned back to you, “My name is Naomi, I’m here with my friends. Would you like to join us?”

“Sure! My friends just left anyway.” 

Naomi, Jun, and Hana all welcomed you with open arms. They were around your age and were fun, lively, and incredibly sweet. Each one had been a fan of yours since your Battle City Reunion debut and had seen your duelcast earlier for the All-Stars Championship. They didn’t make you feel different or weird or “special”. You were free to just be you, which was a breath of fresh air.

Jun was from Louiseville, the two of you were able to reminisce about all the things you missed about the states (mostly food related). Hana was the youngest of the group, she was currently studying Journalism at Domino City University and was working as an intern at Kaiba Corp for their publishing division. She was the one who got the invites to this party for their group. She asked you some questions about your own internships and early career days and you were happy to bestow all the knowledge you had upon her. The young woman was incredibly bright and driven- you had no doubt that she would accomplish whatever she set her mind to. You two made a plan to get lunch in the company cafeteria the following week. 

After meeting them, your time in the club wasn’t measured in minutes. It was measured in drinks downed and songs danced to. You had taken two more shots with them and had another empty seltzer in hand currently. The final chords of Stray Kids’ newest hit had just faded into the next song when you told the girls you were going to get another drink. You had just cracked open your next seltzer when you felt a presence beside you. “Where have you been?” you asked without even turning towards him.

“Don’t you think you’ve had enough?” His voice was flat, completely devoid of emotion.

“No. It’s called having fun, you should try it sometime”, you finally glance up at the cobalt eyes boring into the side of your head. 

Kaiba scoffed, “This is a work event and you are wasted. You should go home.”

There was no stopping the borderline maniacal laughter that erupted from your chest, “Kaiba, I have been in complete control of myself all night! All I’ve been doing is dancing and having a few drinks. I checked the company handbook earlier, the only thing against the rules was…”, you cough and clear your throat dramatically, lifting your right hand like you were swearing into court, “...unruly behavior or otherwise causing a scene that could cause negative publicity directed towards the company, its directors, or its employees.” You shook your head with a chuckle at the unimpressed look he shot you; then you looked down with a heavy sigh, “I needed a night like this Kaiba. I’ve been under a microscope since that first duelcast and tonight is the first time I feel like I’m free. That I don’t have to put on some facade, they just… see me.” You reach out to gently grip his forearm, eyes pleading, “Please let me have this.”

Those blue eyes bounced between yours and your hand still resting on his arm, his face a carefully constructed mask of neutrality. Then he sighed, “You haven’t broken any rules, make sure it stays that way. You should still drink some water though.”

You groaned and let your hand slip off him, “You sound just like Mai.”

“Mai’s a smart woman, you should listen to her.”

Another laugh escaped your lips, “So…you never answered my question. Where have you been?”

The brunet casually leaned against the bar, the first sign of relaxing you’ve ever seen him make. He lifted a glass of amber liquid to his lips as he watched you curiously, “I’m not a fan of soirées. There’s a private suite here that I’ve been working in, I was just coming to the bar to get a drink and check on my brother.”

You scan the dance floor at the mention of the younger Kaiba brother, but you could no longer spot him in the crowd. Noticing the direction of your gaze, Seto went on, “He’s not here anymore. He took some girl back to the house a while ago, he texted me to let me know he left.”

“Sometimes it’s hard to believe you two are brothers”, you giggle as you lean your head into your palm, a dopey smile on your face thanks to the alcohol.

Kaiba’s lips tenderly quirked at the edges ever-so-slightly, amusement warming the cool tones of his irises. You lost yourself staring at his face; you couldn’t help but notice the lines etched around his eyes from years of glaring as well as the exhausted bruises forming due to lack of rest. Your heart lurched in your chest, did this man ever take a break? Feeling the sudden impulse to reach out and brush the hair back from his handsome face, you set your drink down on the bar so you could sit on your hands instead. You chew your lip as you finally drop your gaze from him to your shoes. 

Suddenly, you feel the man beside you shift close enough that you could feel the warmth radiate from his torso, his breath ghosting across your face as he leaned in. “Do you really believe no one has truly seen you before tonight?”

When you glance back up your whole world is consumed by blue, his gaze trapping yours and holding you captive. The warmth you saw earlier while he was checking on you after scaring Keith off was back, the color more reminiscent of ocean tidal pools rather than frozen glaciers. The sandalwood and musk scent of his cologne felt like it settled into your bones, you’d never experienced a scent so relaxing before. For just a moment, the world around you both melted away like a comforting bubble had formed for just the two of you. 

That bubble burst when some asshole bumped into you from behind and sent you flying off the barstool. With your hands beneath your thighs, there was nothing you could do to stop the floor from racing up to meet your face… that was until strong arms caught you and a muscular chest met you instead.

In your inebriated state, your mind was slower to piece together what had just happened. Luckily for you, Kaiba still had all his wits about him; he stood still as a statue and glared at the man like he could will him out of existence. Upon meeting Kaiba’s gaze, the asshole scurried off with his tail between his legs. 

Too bad the moment had already died.

When your brain finally caught up to your predicament- your face pressed to Kaiba’s sternum- you scrambled to get back on your feet. Which was much more difficult than it should have been as your legs felt as stable as cooked spaghetti underneath you. When you could finally stand on your own, you unceremoniously pushed off of Kaiba to create some space between you again. You could feel the blood rushing to your face so you pointedly looked anywhere but at your boss, trying to gain some semblance of dignity back. 

Your drink scraping across the surface of the bar caught your attention. You glanced from it to the hand pushing it over then to Kaiba’s face. His features were once again schooled into that cool indifference that gave nothing away. “Enjoy the rest of the party”, he rumbled out as he turned away. After taking just a couple of steps, he glanced back at you, “And behave.” 

After watching Kaiba disappear into the crowd, you let out a sigh and took as large a swig of your drink as you could. Only to nearly spit it out when it didn’t taste right. “Ugh, what the fuck?!” You scanned the can- it was sparkling water- not the seltzers you had been drinking all night. That son of a bitch switched out your drink while you were distracted!

“Oh hell no!” you growled as you pushed off the bar to track down the self-righteous prick. You weaved through the crowd, following the same line the CEO took just moments before but he seemed to have just vanished into thin air. How the hell does a damn GIRAFFE manage to just disappear like that?! Finally, your eyes land on a backdoor with an exit sign posted above it. There, he must have gone outside!

You throw the door open with the dramatics of someone objecting to a wedding in a rom-com, only to find no one in the dimly lit alley at the back of the club. You huff in annoyance and mutter to yourself about asshole billionaire control freaks. When you try to open the door to get back inside… it doesn’t budge. You try yanking a little harder… still nothing. The stupid thing is locked. You groan and rest your forehead against the cool metal of the door, “Just fucking great. My night was going so well before you showed up Kaiba!”

A dark, humorless, and sinister chuckle makes your eyes snap open and goosebumps erupt across your skin. “Need a knight in shining armor Sweetcheeks?” 

Your head whips around so fast you get dizzy from the movement. Looking to the right, there is a 3-meter-high fence with a dumpster in front of it; to your left, a poorly-lit alleyway leading to the main road. There, stepping out of the shadows and standing between yourself and your only means of escape, is Bandit Keith. He’s smiling, but it is anything but friendly; in fact, the look on his face reminds you of the phrase ‘the cat who finally ate the canary’. You swallow hard, terror spreading through your body like ice in your veins. Fight or flight was screaming at you to do something, anything to get out of there. But the alcohol in your system was making you sluggish; logically, you knew you wouldn’t be able to run or fight. Your only hope was someone finding you out here and scaring Keith off. 

Decision made, you swiftly turn on your heel and start pounding on the door with all the strength you had; hoping desperately that someone would hear the ruckus and come investigate the cause. You opened your mouth to start screaming, but a large hand clamped down over your face before you could make a sound. Keith wrenched you violently away from the door and threw you against the wall beside it. Your back slammed into the bricks so hard it knocked the air from your lungs, the jagged surface digging into your spine and shoulders feeling like you were getting stabbed by a hundred tiny blades. The hand on your mouth moved to roughly grip your jaw, yanking your head to the side as the blonde sneered down at you, “You should have just had that drink with me! Would’ve made things a lot easier for you.”

Feeling the little strength you had left starting to drain in your panic, you put all that was left into a kick to his crotch, “Get off of me!” The man yelped and let go of your face, but your retaliation did not quite hit home as he composed himself quicker than you could run. Before you could make a mad dash for the road, his fist came down hard on your right cheek, sending you sprawling across the pavement. 

“You little bitch!”

A high-pitched ringing reverberated in your eardrums, black spots danced in your hazy vision, and a feeling of vertigo so intense it made you nauseous all compounded as soon as you hit the ground. Your sense of self-preservation was screeching at you to get up, but your body no longer had the capacity to respond. Every breath felt like a monumental task and you had to squeeze your eyes shut to stop the world from spinning. You curled into a fetal position and prayed to whatever deity would listen that it would be over quickly and he would leave you alive afterwards.

You were already so far into disassociating that you barely registered the chaos around you. You picked up on a voice yelling, but it sounded far away and muffled as if you were hearing it from underwater so it was impossible to distinguish who it was and what they were saying. Then, there was silence, only the residual ringing in your ears. You tried to crack your eyes open, to see what was going on, but the vertigo and nausea came back with such force you nearly projectile vomited. Then a voice again, this time soft and close by; it took a moment to realize it was your name but you couldn’t will your body to form any sort of response so you just laid there. Gentle fingers pushed your hair from your face, causing you to curl deeper into yourself, a pathetic little whimper escaping your lips that would have embarrassed you if you weren’t so terrified. 

The voice spoke again, but you couldn’t focus on the words anymore, just the deep timbre that had a soothing effect on your nerves like a balm over rough skin. Before you realized what was happening, you felt arms- firm yet gentle- wrap around your shoulders and legs and pick you up off of the ground. Your head was carefully nestled against a muscular chest, you could hear a strong heartbeat pulse under your ear. You focused on the sound, the rhythmic beating lulling you to sleep as a bone-deep exhaustion that- thankfully- replaced the vertigo and settled over you.

You picked up on the sound of a car door opening before you were jostled ever-so-slightly. The person carrying you took a seat in the car and settled you back down in their lap, your head still on their chest. Long fingers started petting your hair in a repetitive, soothing motion. The car door slammed shut but you weirdly didn’t feel any panic. It was like some innate sense was telling you that this person could be trusted- this person was safe. 

BEEP BEEP BEEP

Your alarm was blaring, you had to get your ass in gear to Duelcast your second ever tournament. But the bed was so incredibly warm and you loathed to leave it behind. Luckily for your career, however, you weren’t alone in bed. 

Smiles propped his large head over the sheets on top of your shoulder, tail thumping rhythmically against the mattress. A loud groan escapes your lips, you’ll never understand how dogs are immediately bright and happy in the morning. Rubbing the crust from your eyes, you look over at the beast, “Ready for breakfast?” His response is harder tail thumps.

After breakfast- mostly just coffee on your end- you are in the bathroom finishing your make-up and straightening your outfit. Today, you were determined to not repeat the peek-a-boob incident during the Battle City Reunion. Your outfit of choice was a smart, black jumpsuit with flared legs over a crisp, white button up shirt. You paired it with heeled boots to keep the flared ends from dragging and to accentuate your figure. Simple pearls adorned your ears as your only jewelry to keep the look as casual as possible. Business Barbie- you told yourself.

The ring of your doorbell lets you know the company car is here to pick you up. Before heading out, you kneel in front of Smiles and place a loving kiss on his nose. “There’s a party tonight after the tournament. I’ll be home late but I’ve given you plenty of food and water to last you until then okay? And Joey will swing by a couple times to let you out. Be a good boy. Love you!”

Isono greets you at the car, holding the passenger door open for you. “Good morning Miss L/N”, he smiles softly.

Your eyes light up, “Isono, my man! Thanks for the ride!” You glance into the car curiously, but see no one else inside, “Is it just us today?”

“We will meet the Kaibas at Kaibaland. They had to be there early today to oversee the tournament set-up”, Isono explained. 

You hummed in response before folding yourself into the seat. The tournament was taking place in the Kaibadome- the indoor arena at Kaibaland. On the way there, you and Isono make small talk. You were discussing who would be participating in the tournament; the Domino City All-Stars tournament was set to draw the best duelists that ever graced the capital city of the game. One name in particular made you wrinkle your nose in disgust.

Isono chuckled at your reaction, “I see you’re not a fan of Bandit Keith.”

“He’s a creep. He regularly cheated in tournaments, how exactly is he a Domino City Champion?” 

The older man hummed thoughtfully, “Mr. Kaiba hopes that he will draw a larger American audience. He did make it to the Duelist Kingdom finals, despite how he supposedly got there.”

You clicked your tongue in annoyance, “You are far too diplomatic Isono. Everyone knows he cheated, that’s why Kaiba banned him from participating in Battle City to begin with.” 

“And this is no longer Battle City”, your chauffeur replies patiently. “All you have to do is Duelcast, you won’t need to do any sort of interview or be alone with the man in any way. Then, after he loses, you will never have to even think about him again.”

You sighed, Isono was right, you just hoped that Keith would lose right away. 

Admittedly, this was your first time visiting Kaibaland. As Isono escorted you through the amusement park, you took the opportunity to take in your surroundings. The air was thick with the sweet scents of cotton candy and funnel cakes, with the occasional whiff of something greasy like corn dogs or burgers. Colors so vivid they tattooed themselves to your retinas when you blinked made you think you stepped inside an alternative reality. The pulsing lights and zippy music from the arcade games drew you in like a siren’s song.

Yea, this place was the epitome of a child’s dream (and a parent’s worst nightmare).

Speaking of children… they were EVERYWHERE. Dashing between gaming booths, waiting in ridiculously long lines for the rides, and cheering each other on in duels at every corner. Sure, it was a children’s theme park, but you had no idea it would be so insanely busy! That’s when you noticed something missing.

You squinted as your head whipped from side-to-side like you were watching a ping pong match,“Where are the adults?”

Isono stopped to watch you spin in a full circle as you searched for anyone older than a teenager. “They are working. Every employee in Kaibaland is over the age of 18.”

Your eyes finally settled on him, your face twisted in obvious concern, “But where are the parents? All these kids but not a single parent in sight? How is that possible?”

A sad smile spread slowly across Isono’s face, “They don’t have parents.”

Your brain felt like it blue-screened for a second while your heart dropped into your stomach, “Huh?” 

“These kids reside at the orphanages here in Domino City and Tokyo. Mr. Kaiba closes the park once a month so that these kids can have an entire day at Kaibaland without the pressure of having families in the crowd. A day where these kids can just be kids and not feel like they need to impress anyone to get adopted.”

Through misty eyes, you look around at all the happy faces again. Melancholy creeps in and settles deep within your bones. Cocking your head to the side, furrowing your brow, you ask, “So Kaiba just lets them run amuck? No supervision at all? What if they run away or get kidnapped?”

Isono chuckles, amused by your continued concern for the kids, “The orphanages do not have enough staff or volunteers to watch all the kids. Kaiba wasn’t about to let that stop them from making this day happen and he also wasn’t going to leave any of the kids behind at the orphanage either. All the Kaibaland employees are keeping watch, they are all trained in de-escalation and mental health awareness practices as well as combat. I can assure you that they are ready for anything. Thankfully, the most any of them has ever had to do is deal with occasional spats between the kids. Mostly everyone is just happy to be here.” He shrugged as if what he just said wasn’t absolutely insane. 

As you stared at him, you could feel your right eye begin to twitch, “Kaiba…essentially hired body guards to man the ticket booths and make churros?”

A slow smirk stretched Isono’s lips, “Kaibaland may be one the safest places in the entire world.” He then nodded his head in a ‘follow me’ motion as he began walking to the Kaibadome once more.

You gaped after him, looking around like you expected a hidden camera crew to jump out screaming “you’ve been punked!” However, that moment never came and you had to jog to catch back up to the now incredibly smug bodyguard. Once you were walking side-by-side again, you shrugged, “You know what? That kinda makes sense for Kaiba. Honestly, I doubt anything he does will surprise me anymore. Hell, the next thing you tell me will probably be that he has an office in space!” You laugh at your own absurdity, completely missing the way Isono has to bite his lip to keep his composure and not burst at the seams…

The Kaibadome was just as outlandishly ridiculous as you thought it’d be. Seriously? A building shaped like a dragon’s head? You’d kill to be a fly on the wall of the meeting room where the contractors drew up those blueprints. Immediately upon entering said architectural nightmare, you were tackled into a hug.

“EEEEEKK!”, a familiar, feminine voice screeched. “I’m so excited to work with you again!”

You smiled and returned Emi’s hug, “I’m so grateful to be your partner for another tournament.”

“How cute, glad to see the Girl Scouts back together hehehe”, a grating, nasally voice cut the sweet moment short. You turn to the voice and find Weevil Underwood eyeing you and Emi with a weaselly grin.

You pull back from your partner, your eyes narrowing at the teal-haired insect enthusiast. “Can we help you, Underwood?”

“Hmm, actually, I was thinking I could help you.” His smile morphed into something twisted that made you internally shudder, you already didn’t like where this was going.

You attempt to plaster a smile on your face, however, it definitely comes out as more of a grimace, “And what is it that you are wanting to help us with?”

Weevil cackles, “Oh no Fruit Fly, I just mean you in particular. After Mokuba Kaiba’s incredibly public rejection of you at the Museum Fundraiser, I wished to spare you further humiliation by escorting you to the All-Stars Afterparty tonight.”

All you could do was stare dumbfoundedly at the man, there was entirely too much to unpack here. First- did he seriously just use fruit fly as a term of endearment? Second- did people seriously think Mokuba rejected you? Were you really seen as someone who was after the Kaiba brothers? You knew there were a few online trolls that saw you that way, but was that opinion of you more widespread than that? Third- he thought being escorted to the afterparty by himself would be less humiliating for you than just showing up by yourself? 

Several seconds of awkward tension pass as you try to sort out the tangled web in your mind but when you finally opened your mouth to respond, another voice chimed in, “Tch, I think you broke her!” Your head snaps to the voice- Rex Raptor. “If creepy crawlies aren’t your cup of tea, Sweetheart, you can always go to the afterparty with me”, he smirks as he eyes you up and down.

You feel your fists clench, the feeling of your nails digging into your palms helping to clear your mind as the anger seeped in, “No, thank you. I will be going to the afterparty with friends.”

Weevil’s eyes narrowed at you, but the sickening smirk never faltered, “Afraid of getting replaced again Ladybug?”

Your teeth audibly clicked when your jaw clenched, fists now trembling at your sides. Before you could unleash a full-scale verbal assault on the cockroach in glasses, Emi stepped between the two of you, “Thank you gentleman, but she said no. Now, the tournament will be starting soon and we must be in our designated spots. Mr. Kaiba does not tolerate delays”, she looks directly at Weevil, “or threats. Good luck in the tournament.” She grabs you by your wrist- your hand still tightly clenched into a fist- and hauls you off to the broadcasting booth. Once inside, she beelines it for the back corner where you’d have the most privacy from other staff and onlookers. When she finally turns to look at you, her eyes are wide and full of concern “Are you alright?”

A long, drawn out sigh deflates your chest, your shoulders hunch over in an attempt to hide within yourself. You work your aching jaw for a few seconds to loosen it up enough to speak; when you do, your voice is hushed and thick with emotions you were desperately fighting to hold back. “Yea…I’m okay. Thank you for stepping in like that.” You look up at her and blink rapidly to keep the tears from falling, you didn’t have time to fix your make-up if you ruined it by crying. 

Emi’s arms wrapped around you again, the hug helping to further ground you and you felt your chest loosen up slowly. “Don’t pay any attention to what those morons have to say. You are incredible and Mokuba would be lucky to have you! He’s just a sucker for Rebecca, there’s lots of history there.”

Your breath catches; a small, disbelieving smile forming. Of course she thinks that’s what the problem is…

“Thanks Emi, I appreciate the reassurance”, you pull back, face flushing in embarrassment. Emi passes you a tissue to carefully blot your eyes with and you smile at her in gratitude.

“Are you two ready yet?” You nearly jump out of your skin at the sound of Kaiba’s voice.

“Jeez Kaiba, I swear I will put a bell on you if you keep scaring me like that!” you turn toward him to shoot him an annoyed glare. He scrutinizes your face, taking in the flush of your skin and your damp lashes. His eyes narrow just slightly more but he does not comment. 

“There’s refreshments on the table, go get yourself a water”, he nods towards the side of the room where a long table was set up with various drinks and snacks. You freeze, completely caught off guard by his lack of snark. Was he actually acting like he cared right now?

“Uhhh…okayyy yea sure”, you shoot him a confused look and leave him with Emi to grab your waters. When you turn back to them, you see them leaned into each other, Kaiba’s head turned to the side like Emi is speaking quietly and he is trying to catch it. You cock your head to the side curiously as you watch their strange behaviour. What is going on with them?

As if hearing your thoughts, Kaiba straightened and met your eyes. He had an inquisitive expression, but he gave nothing else away. However, you did note that he didn’t look quite as cold and distant either. Before you even had the chance to approach, the brunet turned on his heel and walked away. 

What the fuck was that about?

You turn to Emi but she just smiles at you and turns to lead you over to the cameras. “The first duel we are duelcasting is set for Weevil Underwood vs. Bandit Keith followed by Rex Raptor vs. Alexis Rhodes. Then, we duelcast the battle between the winners of those duels. Other duelcasters are working on the other matches. Should be a fairly simple day!” She hands you your mic which you attach to your jumpsuit. 

 As the countdown begins, you lean in one last time to whisper, “Hey, thank you again. I really appreciate what you did to help me.”

Emi nudges your shoulder with hers,”It was nothing. No one should ever talk to you like that. He was totally out of line!”

You both giggle as the countdown hits zero and the LIVE light comes on, “Hello audiences from around the world! We welcome you to The Kaibadome where Domino City’s finest will compete in the Domino City Tournament of Champions. We have a stacked line-up coming at you today! Emi, I am so excited to see what today has in store for us!”

“Absolutely, Y/N! We are bound to see some intense action on the field today. The duelists we will see are the crème de la crème of Domino City. They have everything to prove and cannot afford to make any mistakes against this type of competition. First, we have Weevil Underwood against Bandit Keith!”

“This broadcast brought to you by Weevil’s FAB haircut”, you deadpan straight into the camera, catching your partner off-guard as she snorts a laugh. 

“Underwood is up first”, Emi continues. Weevil placed Basic Insect on the field and equipped it with Insect Armor with Laser Canon. “That combo raises his insect’s attack strength to 1200.”

“A basic first move”, you stifle a yawn. Keith summoned Mechanicalchaser and promptly used it to destroy Weevil’s monster before placing a card facedown. “Squashed him like a bug! Keith comes out strong.”

In retaliation, Weevil played Hercules Beetle and Kuwagata Alpha before combining them with Polymerization to special summon Kwagar Hercules. Emi turned to you, “The bugs have teeth now!”

Keith played one monster in facedown defense position before turning it over. You narrowed your eyes, “I think Keith is trying to goad Weevil into attacking!”

The insect duelist played Big Insect before attacking with Kuwagata Alpha. Just as you suspected, as soon as Weevil attacked the facedown card on his next turn, Keith’s facedown card was revealed to be Blast Sphere. “Kwagar Hercules will be destroyed and Weevil will take its attack points as damage to his lifepoints!” you gasped. Unable to stop his monster being destroyed and nearly half his lifepoints being wiped out, a grumbly Weevil finished his turn by placing a card facedown.

“I sure hope that is a trap card”, Emi muttered. You nodded at her, Weevil had played right into Keith’s hands. Interestingly enough, Keith did not attack Big Insect on his next turn. Instead, he laid another monster in facedown defense position alongside a second magic card and ended there. 

“Do you think Keith was nervous about Underwood’s facedown card?” your partner turned to you. 

Furrowing your brow, you scrutinize the field “I’m not sure. My gut is telling me Stars and Stripes is planning something.” Seemingly emboldened by Keith’s lack of attack, the teal-haired man smirked as he played Girochin Kuwagata. He then equipped Big Insect with Laser Canon Armor and played Forest to further boost his monsters’ attack strength.

“Girochin now has 1900 attack points and Big Insect has 1700!” Emi announced excitedly. Girochin attacked Mechanicalchaser, but before it was sent to the graveyard, Keith revealed his Time Machine trap card that immediately brought it back to the field unscathed. By the look on his face, it was clear the Bomb Pop in sunglasses thought this duel was over.

“I don’t think Weevil is going to like what comes next.”

Bandit Keith flip-summoned Drillago to attack mode before revealing the facedown magic card 7 Completed. Your eyes widen in disbelief; you were right, Weevil isn’t going to like this. “Drillago’s special effect is attacking an opponent directly if they only have monster’s of 1600 attack power or greater! Combine that with an attack from Mechanicalchaser boosted with 700 additional attack points from 7 Completed…” you trail off as Keith’s winning strategy plays out in front of you. 

“This duel is over”, Emi finishes for you. Between being attacked directly by Drillago and Big Insect being destroyed by a juiced up Mechanicalchaser, Weevil’s lifepoints hit 0. 

You hum, “Not even a cockroach could have survived that apocalyptic defeat.”

“And this tournament’s only just getting started! Up next- Rex Raptor and Alexis Rhodes!”, your teammate announced as the duelists took the stage for the second duel. “Rex had initially won the coin flip to go first, but he deferred to Rhodes.”

“What a gentleman”, you rolled your eyes. On the field, Alexis placed Blade Skater and two face-down cards onto the field. “Miss Rhodes is a brilliant strategist- one that could give even Kaiba or Yugi a run for their money- it will be interesting to see how Raptor responds.”

In answer, Rex played Two-Headed King Rex and rushed to attack Blade Skater; only to be thwarted when Alexis revealed her trap card- Hallowed Life Barrier.

“Rhodes will lose her Blader Skater plus an additional card from her hand, but her lifepoints will be protected!” Emi clarified for the audience. Rex ended his turn by placing a card facedown. 

On her next turn, Alexis played Cyber Tutu. “That card allows her to attack Raptor’s lifepoints directly!” you cheered. When her attack was over, Alexis set another card facedown and ended her turn.

Far from being vanquished, Rex revealed some clever strategizing of his own on his next turn. First, he played Crawling Dragon #2 but did not keep it around for long; he flipped over his facedown card to reveal Big Evolution Pill. Emi let out a small gasp, “With that magic card, all Raptor needs to do is tribute one lower-level dinosaur to summon his level 5 and higher monsters for the next three turns!” Once Crawling Dragon #2 was tributed, Megazowler took its place. But Rex wasn’t finished just yet, he also played the spell card Wasteland. “Wasteland gives his dinos 200 additional attack and defense points. Two-Headed King Rex now stands at 1800 and Megazowler 2000!” 

“Alexis better think fast if she wants to get out of this in one piece. Rex has two more turns he can use to summon his most fearsome monsters!” You stare at the field in astonishment. Rex sent his Two-Headed King Rex after Cyber Tutu, but Rhodes protected herself with Negate Attack. “She’s doing well at holding Rex off, but there’s only so many trap cards in one’s deck!”

Knowing she was in trouble if she let this duel play out for three more turns while Rex summoned even more powerful monsters, Alexis thought of a way to rid the field of her opponent’s magic card. She played Etoile Cyber and then sacrificed both her monsters to summon Cyber Prima. Emi bounced excitedly, “That monster’s special ability is erasing all face-up spell cards on the field!” Just like that, Raptor’s advantage was erased though his monsters remained on the field with their original attack strengths. The blonde woman then placed another card facedown. 

Slightly irked that his original plan turned to ash, Rex pulled off another brilliant move. He played balloon lizard, then promptly sacrificed both it and Two-Headed King Rex when he played Double Evolution Pill.  You bit back a groan, “Rex can once again summon his strongest monsters to the field.” However, when he did summon his monster, he did so in facedown defense position. “Uhhh okay… does that seem a bit strange to you Emi?”

“Very Y/N. I have never seen anyone summon a monster like that before. This has to be a trap of some kind, but will Rhodes fall for it?”

Seemingly unphased, Alexis reveals her magic card that she placed facedown on her very first turn to be Machine Angel Ritual. She then sacrificed Cyber Prima in order to play Cyber Angel Benten- a monster that was significantly weaker than the one she sacrificed for it. Your fellow duelcaster clicked her tongue, “Now what would be the strategy there?”

You shook your head in confusion, “I can only guess that she’s trying to force Rex to reveal what that facedown defense monster is.”

Taking the bait, Rex flipped over Sauropod Brachion- a dino with 3000 defense points. “With that monster being flip-summoned all other monsters on the field move to facedown defense position.” Rex then played the spell card Jurassic World which gave his dinosaurs 300 additional attack and defense points. 

“Sauropod now has enough attack strength to destroy Cyber Angel Benton and a nearly impenetrable defense strength!”

You narrowed your eyes, it wasn’t like Alexis to make mistakes like this. She had to have a plan! But you watched in shock as her monster was destroyed. You eyed the female duelist, she looked as determined as ever, no signs of any doubt that she would be winning this duel. First, she played her final facedown card Fulfillment of the Contract. Cocking your head to one side, you narrate, “That will bring Cyber Angel Benton back, but it still won’t be strong enough to defeat Raptor’s monsters.” As if hearing you, Alexis paired her freshly revived monster with Ritual Weapon and played Mystical Space Typhoon. Your jaw dropped, “There it is! Now Cyber Angel Benton’s attack strength is greater than Sauropod’s defense!”

“That’s not all Y/N! Let’s not forget Benton’s special ability- when she destroys a monster, the damage done is equal to that monster’s defense points! She turned Raptor’s monster’s greatest strength to its greatest weakness!”

You watched in awe as the young woman wiped out one of the strongest dinosaurs in Duel Monsters and finished off Rex Raptor. “Sorry Rex, sadly, no one can outrun extinction!”

Emi hummed in agreement, “The final duel is set! Bandit Keith vs. Alexis Rhodes!”

After a brief intermission, you are back in front of the cameras for the final duel. “Welcome back to the final duel of the Battle City All-Stars Tournament! The stage is set for acclaimed American duelist, Bandit Keith, to take on Kaiba’s strategist protégé, Alexis Rhodes”, you opened

“Both of these duelists proved why they deserve to be in this final earlier in their first duels. Bandit Keith swiftly squashed Weevil Underwood while Alexis Rhodes annihilated Rex Raptor in a strategic game that looked more like a chess match. This is certainly going to be an entertaining battle!” Emi finished.

This time, Keith won the coin toss but, unlike Rex, he was not chivalrous enough to turn it over to Alexis. He opened by putting Cyber Soldier of the Darkworld into play alongside two facedown magic cards. Emi commented,”A strong opener for the American.”

You scoffed, “He needs to come out strong if he has any hope of defeating Alexis. He was practically half-asleep in the beginning of his duel against Weevil! Rhodes is a whole other level of competition, he can’t make any mistakes!” Alexis placed Cyber Gymnast on the field. “Now, don’t be fooled by this card! She may only have 800 attack points, but her special ability is to automatically destroy any monster on Keith’s side of the field each turn as long as Alexis discards a card!” As explained, Alexis does discard a card in order to destroy Keith’s monster. She also finishes by placing two magic cards facedown.

Keith responds by playing KA-2 Des Scissors and immediately sends it to attack Cyber Gymnast. “If this attack is successful, he will take out half of Alexis’ lifepoints due to KA-s’ special ability!”, Emi gasps. However, Alexis was ready with the trap card, Sakuretsu Armor, which destroyed Keith’s monster. Now, the Captain America-wannabe was left without a monster on the field. 

“I think Keith is starting to sweat a bit. It’s still early in this duel, but Alexis already has him on the ropes!” Alexis sent Cyber Gymnast directly for Keith’s lifepoints, but he had set a trap of his own as he used Magic Cylinder to direct the attack back on her. 

“Oof, that definitely hurt!” Emi winced. Alexis finished by playing Pot and Greed and drew two more cards. 

Now, Rhodes had nothing but one facedown magic card to defend herself with and Keith smelled blood. He played Disc Magician, then threw down Monster Reborn to bring back Cyber Soldier of the Darkworld. He then tributed each of them to summon Pendulum Machine. You hissed, “If the last attack hurt, then this is going to be agonizing!” But you had nothing to worry about, true to form, Alexis had a plan. As Pendulum Machine attacked, she played Dark Hole. “Dark Hole wipes out all monsters on the field! Since there is only one, we can say goodbye to Keith’s machine!” Not wanting to be left defenseless, Keith played one magic card facedown for protection. 

“Miss Rhodes needs to get a monster on the field stat!”

You nodded in agreement with your partner’s statement. “It really seems that neither can keep a monster around for long in this duel.”

The first card Alexis played was Cyber Petit Angel. “That card allows her to pull either a Cyber Angel monster or the Machine Angel Ritual card from her deck to her hand”, you note.

“She must have the other one in her hand already”, Emi hummed. 

After getting the last card she needed, Alexis played Monster Reborn to bring back Cyber Gymnast. She then tributed both her monsters by using Machine Angel Ritual to summon Cyber Angel Idaten. “Rhodes can now move one Ritual Spell card from her deck to her hand due to her monster’s special ability.” To finish off, she placed two more cards facedown. 

“Wow, lots of moving parts there!” Emi huffed a laugh. 

You giggle and shrug, “Can’t rush perfection!” You knew Keith needed to get a powerful monster on the field in order to go against Idaten. “I bet Keith plays a monster and then brings one back from the graveyard somehow to tribute it here.” Right on cue, Keith played Robotic Knight but before he could go any further Alexis sprung her trap -Trap Hole- which promptly destroyed it. 

“She just left Keith without a monster again!” Emi shouted in awe, practically vibrating with excitement. Not able to summon the monster he wanted, Mr. Bomb Pop played Dark Factory of Mass Production and moved two monsters from his graveyard to his hand.

With a determined look that promised the end of the duel, Alexis revealed her first facedown card to be Ritual Sanctuary. You pause, trying to work through what her strategy could be. “Ritual Sanctuary allows her to add spell cards from her Graveyard back to her deck and then summon one monster whose level equals the number of spells shuffled back into her deck so long as she sacrifices one other spell.” You watch curiously as Alexis adds two spells to her deck; with only two spells added, she could only bring back Cyber Petit Angel. Once she had two monsters on the field, she played Machine Angel Ritual again.

“That must have been one of the spells she got back earlier”, your co-worker speculated. 

With the ritual set, Alexis summoned her most powerful monster- Cyber Angel Dakini. You gasp as the pieces finally click together for you, “Since Rhodes tributed Idaten to summon Dakini, Dakini’s attack strength gains 1,000 points bringing her attack to 3700! She can defeat Keith!”

However, when Alexis tried attacking, Keith stopped it with Thunder of Ruler which ended the battle phase to allow him to survive another turn. 

But Alexis would not be stopped. As soon as Keith played his last card, she revealed the final facedown card on her side- Dust Tornado- which wiped Keith’s trap from the field. You and Emi stared completely stunned as the duel ended in spectacular fashion.

“Uhh Emi? Did that really just happen?!” 

“Pinch me Y/N, I must be dreaming!” Emi held her arm out for you which you pinched jokingly. You both giggled in disbelief. 

“Move over boys, the girls have the title now!”

“Alexis Rhodes is officially crowned the Domino City All-Stars Champion! What an absolutely unbelievable duel! It was fun having you with us! Until next time, I am Emi Ito with my partner Y/N L/N signing off!”

“Yo that shit was WILD!” you turned to Emi with stars in your eyes after the LIVE feed was cut. 

“Alexis truly is one-of-a-kind. It’s no wonder she was a star pupil at Kaiba’s school!” Emi laughed.

As you and Emi giggled together, a grating voice cut in, “I’m glad to see you girls enjoyed the show.” You immediately freeze, a mix of dread and disgust churning your gut. Only one man could elicit this response- Bandit Keith. Before you could even turn around, he continued, “I’m always happy to entertain the fans.”

You clicked your tongue, finally turning to him with a raised brow, “Sorry to burst your bubble Keith, but you didn’t win that duel.”

The man hummed as if that was inconsequential, “Hey, us Americans have to stick together no matter what. Speaking of which, I heard you need a date for tonight’s afterparty. You owe me a drink anyways.”

Fuck, you knew that ‘later’ comment would come back to bite you in the ass! And why the hell were so many sleazy men trying to escort you to the party tonight?! “I’m good Keith, I have company for the afterparty already. Plus, I have a rule against dating anyone who defaces the American flag with their attire.” 

You give him a smile that is more of a sneer and move to turn around to walk away but- just like before- he grabs your wrist to stop you. “Why don’t you stop being a bitch and just go out with me already?!” His hold on your wrist hurts, he was gripping much tighter this time than he was back in Chicago when you interviewed him. You stood there- frozen with shock- when a different, strong hand grabs Keith’s own and twists it off of you. You hear Keith let out a yelp as he staggers back.

“Lay a hand on any of my employees again and you’ll leave with a broken arm.” The voice was as dark and dangerous as you’ve ever heard it. There was so much ice in his threat that the room physically felt colder and a shiver ran up your spine. You slowly turn to look at Kaiba and gasp at the unhinged look in his eyes. There was no doubt that he meant his threat… and a broken arm may even be the least of Keith’s worries.

Kaiba let go of Keith with such force that he practically threw him a few feet across the room. The older man winced as he rubbed his wrist, then schooled his face as he looked back up. “Easy man, I was just making arrangements to take the star duelcaster to the afterparty. She came onto me back in Chicago so thought I’d cash-in”, the blonde shrugged. 

WHAT. THE. FUCK??!! Your jaw dropped at Keith’s accusation. Oh now you were PISSED and about to let the scumbag know it! But Kaiba beat you to it, his voice still cold and even, “I don’t care what happened in Chicago. If she tells you to fuck off, you do so.” His eyes narrow at the American, daring him to argue further. But all the Temu Uncle Sam did was chuckle and raise his hands above his head to show he was yielding before stalking off. 

Once Keith was out of sight, Kaiba turned to you. His voice was still rough, but noticeably warmer, “Are you alright?”

You nodded, feeling embarrassed and still pissed at what just happened. “I had that handled”, was all you said as you looked at the floor. 

The brunet scoffed, “Yeah, sure looked like it by the way he was gripping your arm.”

“I don’t need you to protect me!” Your face felt hot, you were spiraling in your own self-consciousness and every instinct was telling you to fight. “I can take care of myself!”

Kaiba’s chest rose steadily, like he was consciously controlling his breathing to help keep himself calm. He glared down at you for a beat before barking out, “Fine.” All the warmth drained from his voice again. Then, he brushed past you and left you standing there in your own emotional hurricane. 

Eventually, your own breathing evened out and Emi gently clasped your shoulder, “Are you okay?”

“Yea,” you sigh, “it was just a long day is all.” 

The bass reverberated across the floorboards of the night club, winding its way up your legs and blooming across your chest before settling just behind your ribs. Your mind hazed over with the effects of the alcohol from one too many shots.

It had been Angel's idea- a night out on the town fueled by booze, dancing, and questionable life decisions. You now find yourself at a joint called Club Hell 666- a personal favorite of Angel's- dancing along to the beat of some pop song you had never heard before but Angel knew every line of.

"What'd I tell ya, Toots? Beats group therapy any day!"

You threw your head back and laughed. Truthfully, you didn't mind Charlie's redemption tactics...but this was definitely way better. You kept swaying your hips mindlessly, basking in the rare moment of nirvana in Hell.

Until you felt Angel stiffen beside you.

You ceased your movements immediately, looking up at the spider in concern, "What is it?"

Angel's face had gone blank and pale, eyes cold and emotionless as he stared at something in the crowd. Suddenly, he grabbed your arm and began pushing you towards the exit. "Time to go", he replied in a flat tone. You tried to look around him, hoping to find the source of his sudden distress but his hands forcefully turned your body as he made a dash for door.

Just as you were about to place your hand out to push the door open, a sultry voice called out, "Oh no Babe, I know you weren't just about to leave without saying hello." Your blood ran cold, though you had never met him, you recognized the voice from the hundreds of disgusting and dehumanizing voicemails you'd overheard on Angel's phone.

Valentino.

Angel's hands tightened around your shoulders in a near-bruising grip, you could hear his breath hitch as he tucked his chin to his chest in an attempt to disappear. "I'm not on the clock Val, I don't need to talk to you." You shimmied free from his grasp and stepped around him so you could confront the moth-pimp, seeing red at the way Angel's entire demeanor went from carefree to utterly devastated in seconds.

"Oh cariño, who's your friend?" Val exhaled smoke right at you as he spoke, making you hold your breath instinctively.

The question made Angel snap out of it and his two left arms darted out to grab you again before you could get any closer to his boss, "Oh, she's no one. Just another one of Charlie's projects." He tried to make his voice cold and dismissive, but you could see the concern in his eyes when he turned back to you, "Toots, what're you doin?!"

You glared at the overlord in front of you, "I'm someone who has seen your work Val and- quite frankly- I'm not impressed. Your ideas are unoriginal and- worse yet- you're sloppy. Plus I don't like the way you treat your employees."

Val only chuckles sinisterly, blowing more smoke in your face and making you hold your breath. "Oh, Niña, why don't you stay and chat for a bit hmm? Tell me all about the things you don't like so I can cater to you personally."

Before you could respond, another voice cut through the tension, "Val! Where the fuck did you go?! Who the hell are you talking-". The demon with the TV head muscled his way around Val but stopped dead in his tracks when he laid eyes on you. You watched the way he mapped your features from your tall doe ears, speckled shoulders, and finally to your fluffy tail raised high in alert. A shiver immediately ran up your spine, every prey instinct you had was screaming danger. You knew who this was, everyone knew the Vees and Vox was arguably the most famous of them all. One of the most powerful overlords in Hell stood before you... and he was looking at you like he had a taste for venison.

You stood still as a statue, every sense honed in on the danger radiating off the television demon in waves. When he made to a take a step towards you, your body automatically reacted by taking one back, keeping the distance between you two. The man paused, tracking the motion intently, "Do I scare you Doll Face?" Your only response was a subtle flick of your ear, but even that tiny movement caught his attention. "Such a pretty little doll you are", he cocked his head to the side, a menacing smirk stretching across his face. "I could give you everything Hell has to offer, you know? You'd rise above the filth and degenerates", he stretched a clawed hand out and gripped your shoulder roughly, "Trust me."

You're not sure what happened next, you remember looking from his outstretched palm back to his face and it was like your mind went blank. When you became aware again, you heard loud static coming from behind you and you were being cradled against Angel's floof with all four of his arms wrapped tightly around you. It took you a second to register a voice with a distinctive radio filter speaking, "Didn't your mother teach you not to touch things that don't belong to you, Old Pal?" The relief that flooded through you at the sound of his voice was so immense that you could forgive the possessive language he used. Your body slumped further into Angel, tired from being so tense. Only your ears remained on alert to listen in on Alastor's conversation with Vox.

"Alastor! Fancy seeing you in a club! Isn't this a bit modern for your tastes? Not to mention it's past your bedtime!" You couldn't help the internal cringe, Vox tried to play off as nonchalant but his desperation bled through his words.

"Hmm I'm just here to collect some things and bring them back to the hotel", Alastor replied with a twirl of his cane. To others he looked completely unbothered, but the tension in his smile pulled his lips taut over his teeth.

"Oh, but why not stay? Come on, have a drink with me and introduce me to your pretty friend. For old times sake!"

Alastor's shoulders stiffened imperceptibly, his eyes narrowing just enough to harden his glare at his nemesis. "I am sure my Darling has better things to do than associate with the likes of you."

Vox's face literally bluescreens, when his face comes back into focus his left eye is twitching as his screen glitches, "Darling? That's funny, I seem to remember that you said you only work alone."

"Hmm, I did", Alastor turns his back on Vox and approaches you, resting a hand on your now-bruised shoulder, "but I suppose even genius requires a little inspiration. Ta ta Voxie!" Darkness suddenly engulfs you as Alastor used his shadow magic to transport you and Angel back to the hotel.

Angel was unceremoniously dumped into a chair at the bar, startling Husk who keeps glancing between Angel and the shadow portal as it closed before taking a swig of his drink. "I don't even want to fucking know."

You're deposited onto the bed, letting out a small "oof" as you bounce. You watch as Alastor immediately stalks over to his private bar. He pours himself a glass of whiskey before downing it all in one go, muttering to himself under his breath. He never looks your way and makes a point to keep his back to you though his ears swivel in your direction indicating he is keeping tabs on you.

By now, the adrenaline from your confrontation with two of the Vees was waning out of your bloodstream. You breathe out a long sigh, swallowing thickly before breaking the silence, "I'm sorry. I didn't think that-"

"And that's precisely the problem Darling. You didn't think", Alastor cuts you off. He meets your gaze in the mirror then continues, "You didn't think about the consequences of your actions, you didn't think about your safety, and you certainly didn't think about putting a target on your back."

You flinched slightly at his tone, the radio filter completely forgotten in his wrath. Guilt washed over you but so did defiance; it was true it wasn't smart to mouth off to an overlord, but they'd interrupted your night first. You were not sorry for standing up for Angel. "I won't be tethered Alastor. I can't just live in a cage."

Alastor finally turns to face you, his crimson eyes an intense mix of emotions. Anger flitted at the surface but underneath the rage was an emotion many would think unbecoming of The Radio Demon...fear. Your breath catches in your throat at the realization that he was genuinely scared for you. When he speaks, his voice is like silk on a blade- soft but cutting, "I would never dream of clipping your wings Sha; but I have enemies. Enemies that will do anything to get to me, including hurting those I cherish most. Do you know what those two could have done to you if I didn't intervene? Angel cannot protect you, not from them. I need you to be smart enough to protect yourself when I am not around."

The irritation you felt before melted away with each word he spoke, replaced with guilt until it seeped into the marrow of your bones. You hung your head, thinking back on it, you truly were lucky Alastor had shown up to save you. The thought of where you could be right now if left on your own with Vox and Val made you nauseous. "How did you know? You hate clubs, yet you showed up when I needed you most. How?" Your voice was small, tears beginning their slow trek down your cheeks when you finally looked back at Alastor.

While your gaze had been diverted, he had made his way over until he stood before you. Slowly, as if you would run off if he moved too quickly, he lowered himself util he was knelt on the floor in front of you. His hands came up to cup you cheeks, his thumbs wiping your tears away. For a demon known for ripping sinners apart with his claws, his touch was devastatingly gentle against your skin. "Know this, Ma Biche, I am with you always. There is nowhere in this forsaken realm that I won't follow you." His shadow smiles at you from behind its master and you realize that he must have been following you and alerted Alastor to your plight.

Though the words were vaguely threatening, you had known The Radio Demon long enough to know that this was how he showed he cared. You slowly raise your hands to place them over his as he held your face. When he allowed your touch, your hands slowly drifted down his arms to his shoulders. You waited there for a bit, giving him a chance to tell you if he didn't want your hands on him; when he leaned forward slightly into your touch, you finally wrapped your arms around his shoulders and held him close. His own arms wrapped around your waist, chin hooking over your shoulder and nose burrowing into your hair. For a while, you both just held each other close; you reveling in the security of his embrace and him content to have you safe in his arms again. You're the first to break the silence, "I'm sorry for worrying you, and thank you for rescuing me."

Alastor pulls back to look at you, cupping you cheek again as your eyes meet, "Toujours, Ma Biche." He leans in and presses a delicate kiss to your lips. You part for just a breath before he's crashing his lips back into yours with more desperation. You moan when his tongue pushes into your mouth like he will die without your taste. Alastor wasn't big on sexual intimacy outside of mating season, but it seemed the adrenaline from today's events needed an outlet.

"What was that you said about not being tethered?" Alastor pulled back just enough to watch your face as he conjured the chain around your neck that tied your soul to him. He yanks on it, forcing you to arch into him "Don't forget who you belong to." His hand then presses down on your chest, forcing you to lay back onto the bed with him looming over you. He keeps the soul chain in his hand as he presses you into the mattress, using his free hand to hike your dress up.

Claws brush over the sensitive skin of your inner thigh causing you to part them immediately. His fingers trace looping patterns all the way up to your core, you sigh contentedly when they finally brush over your clit through your panties. He licks a stripe along your jaw as he shifts your panties to the side to tease your entrance. Your arch your back with a breathy moan when two long fingers finally push into you.

Alastor leans in until his breath tickles your ear, causing it to twitch, "You're mine, Pet, no one else gets to see you like this." His fingers crook just right and your eyes flutter, seeing stars. You grind down on his fingers as you feel the knot in your lower abdomen tighten. Your mewls turn desperate as your Overlord lover watches you fall apart. His thumb presses down hard on your clit and you propel over the edge with a scream.

As your body spasms with aftershocks, Alastor removes your dress. As he does so, he reveals the bruise Vox left when he grabbed your shoulder. The demon clenches his jaw at the sight of it, his hand gently stroking the damaged flesh. He closes his eyes, silently vowing to make Vox pay for daring to lay a hand on you. When his eyes open again, there's a fire in them, desire and possession burning brightly as he lines himself up and enters you.

You gasp at the sudden intrusion, legs closing around his hips and hands scrambling for purchase at his back. He gives you little time to adjust as he flies into a ruthless pace, slamming into you with a force that rocks the whole bed.

"No one else will ever lay a hand on you again", his voice is wild with desperation. His arms snake down your thighs and hook your knees into the crook of his elbows, holding you open for the onslaught his cock was wreacking on your pussy. The pleasure bordered on being painful, the tip of his cock bruising against your cervix.

Alastor dipped his head into the crook of your neck and began sucking and nipping at the tender skin, leaving a constellation of hickies across your throat and clavicle. "The only marks you will ever bear are mine."

Your screams mingled with the sound of skin slapping against skin. The coil in your tummy grew taut once more, your legs trembling in Alastor's hold as your orgasm washed violently over you. Every muscle in your body locked up so hard that your vision when white, nails digging into the Overlord's back until they drew blood. Alastor let out a guttural grunt as he found his release inside of you.

You felt completely boneless as your exhausted body collapsed back into the mattress. Alastor pressed his forehead to yours as you both panted, trying to find your equilibrium again. He tried to be careful when he pulled out, but you still winced slightly.

Gathering you in his arms, The Radio Demon pulled you against his chest. You rested your head over his heart, letting the steady beat lull you to sleep. As you drifted off, Alastor's hand stroked down your spine. His eyes watched your sleeping form in the mirror across the room. When his shadow showed beside the bed in the reflection, he spoke without looking away from you.