hadriel_logs | Closed

Entry tags:

atem,
seto kaiba

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Who: Kaiba and Atem
What: It's Kaiba's birthday
Where: The Speakeasy
When: Backdated to October 25
Warnings: None. Will update if they get into another fight.

Kaiba sits at the bar in the speakeasy contemplating his drink. Technically he shouldn’t be allowed to have it. Not that there were drinking laws here. Not that he’d paid any attention to them in Domino anyway. Who was going to tell him he couldn’t? How would it look for him to carry around a soda when everyone else had wine at a business party. He might as well just shout “I’m too young to be in charge” in the middle of the room.

He hadn’t voluntarily celebrated a birthday in close to 15 years. Besides what did a birthday mean here anyway? The prevalent theory is that everyone forgot they were here and returned to their original point in time. Ignoring all of the bullshit in that theory, would that mean any aging would be undone? Is there enough of a difference between 18 and 19 that he would notice anyway if it wasn’t?

The only thing happy about his 19th birthday was that no one here knew it was.

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"No!" Kaiba yells. He can tell that Atem is still laughing at him, and that's unacceptable. "It's because you're a constant irritation!"

There we go.

"Ah? And what is it that irritates you so much about me?"

"You're a self-righteous bastard. Every other sentence out of your mouth is insanity, but you say it with so much conviction you almost make me believe it. My world made sense before you showed up. I'm half convinced my even being here is somehow your fault, because anytime something odd happens it always comes back you."

"Have I ever lied to you, Kaiba?"

It's probably started not to be fun anymore, Atem's smirk hardens but it's not entirely gone.

"However, you don't have to believe anything I say, you know that, right? I'm not forcing you to do so. If anything, it seems you've followed me here." He serves himself a bit more of what he's drinking, part of him doesn't even want to think that what Kaiba is saying is true. What if it were? He downs that doubt with a few gulps from his drink. If it was, then he's going to fix it in some way.

"I know that!" he snaps back. He's oblivious to the change in Atem's thoughts. He's drunk, and it's making him confused. How is he supposed to explain why he follows along with Atem's insanity, when he hasn't admitted most of it to himself? Is it the friendship that Atem always talks about?

He pinches the bridge of his nose and closes his eyes willing them to be more in focus when he opens them again. He can see the empty glass more clearly now, that's a start.

"It's possible," he finally says. "I was planning to hunt you down for our duel."

He says it calmly, like it was just a matter of stopping by Kame game shop some afternoon.

It's not alright to be taking advantage of Kaiba in this way, Atem knows perfectly that he's not being himself, but getting some actual answers from him for once... No one ever said Atem was a good person.

"...What are you talking about?"

Kaiba already knew what happened, the hell is he implying by that?

Kaiba chuckles in his evil villain way at the question. "You didn't think I was going to let something like you disappearing stop me did you?"

He stops examining his empty glass, and turns much more focused eyes at Atem. "You promised me that duel at Alcatraz. Not in words, but since when do we need those? I'm going to get it. Well, I did get it. But you don't remember it anymore. I have proof it happened though."

That wasn't where he was going when he started that sentence. He'll have to try again.

"There's a way between dimensions and I was going to find it and make you come back and face me."

Atem is about to retort that he just didn't disappear, but he allows Kaiba to collect his thoughts and let him simply talk, see where this is leading.

Puzzlement falls upon the Pharaoh's countenance, his eyes wide as he processes what Kaiba is telling him. He always knew their road to battle went as far as the eye could see, but this... This was going beyond that. Beyond Kaiba's limits.

How so very Kaiba of him.

Atem's confusion gives way to something milder, something more akin to him. There is a smile in his eyes and different shine in them that could be easily be mistaken with his duelist fire.

And he laughs.

He no longer bothers to cover it, it's too honest to do so, though he does bring a hand over his eyes. It's not a mocking one, he's not laughing at Kaiba, heck, even one could say there is a bit of a shaky nervousness imprinted in it. Not even Atem himself can tell why he's laughing.

"I should have known."

Kaiba glares at him while he laughs. He knew why he had laughed, why was Atem laughing? The look in Atem's eyes and his drunk brain decide that clearly, Atem is so impressed that he had to join him in his celebratory laugh.

"Hmpf," he grunts imperiously. Obviously Atem should have known he would be able to do it. "Don't think this detour got you out of it either. As soon as I get us home, we're dueling again in the new Kaiba Corporation arena, and all of your friends will get to watch you lose."

He ends his declaration with a smirk and wordless request for a refill.

In all truth, maybe Kaiba isn't that far from it, if anything, Atem would like to see where that determination would take him. There is yet again a bit of a surprised stare and a unbelieving chuckle. He will get them home? That's why he kept working so much at the Lab, right? He should have also figured that one out, somewhere in the back of his mind he's sure Kaiba must have said so already. Either if he had or not, it's nice to hear it.

"If we get out of here and get home, we'll do whatever you want, Kaiba." It's not even a dismissing answer, if they get to return to Domino without Atem having to leave again... He trusts him, he wants to believe it can be done.

He's not going to get his hopes up too much, but there is no way in hell he's ever telling that to his friend. If he says he can get them home, he can take them home.

But the wordless request gets him a little side eying form his part, even a bit of a lifting of an eyebrow and a crooked smirk.

"Okay, I will, but you have to walk to that booth and return without falling first." He says as he points at the closest booth behind Kaiba.

Kaiba will count himself lucky tomorrow (assuming he remembers this), that he was already flushed from the alcohol to hide what might have been a blush. Even if Atem hadn't argued, it still felt like he'd won one just by virtue of Atem agreeing with his plans.

The flush didn't last long before he was distracted by Atem's challenge. "Are you insinuating that I'm drunk?"

See, he can still say big words. That means he's fine.

"Yep." He keeps his usual smirk on him, he doesn't even have to force it, both the conversation and the company are nice, for a change.

"You manage to walk without falling on your butt and I'll serve you another." Of course Kaiba could just go around the counter and get whatever he wants anyway.

"Save the mother hen routine for somebody else." He has no intention of playing this game, and it's not because he doesn't think he can do it.

With a bit of a sigh, Atem refills those empty glasses, for him and Kaiba.

"Grumble all you want, I'm not letting you go home like that."

"You have it backwards," Kaiba corrected, pacified now that he won another argument. "Bartenders are supposed to kick people out when they think they've drunk too much, not force them to stay. You should ask for more training."

Is Kaiba actually telling him how to do his job? This shouldn't be so funny, the whole thing is received with a patient smile.

"I'm not only a bartender, Kaiba. I'm your friend and I will look after you." Alright, now it is him who is probably talking too much, granted that it's exactly what he'd do anyway, but he didn't have to announce it!

"I will get you home when you're ready."

"I don't need help," he replies automatically. It's missing its normal bite and just sounds petulant. Though now that he's thinking about it "home" requires a boat trip between islands. That was bad enough when sober (not that he was drunk now of course).

"I hate these damn islands," he said aloud, forgetting that any context had only been in his head.

"Don't worry, I will not hold your hand through it." Doesn't mean he's going to leave him alone.

"Heh, that makes two of us." And Atem resumes his own drinking, "Can't wait to leave this place."

"Hn," it sounds like an agreement. The drinks made him more talkative, but he still had a social limit and it had been reached. It's a comfortable silence as he finishes his latest drink. He's not ignoring Atem, just puzzling through how he will be getting back to the apartment without drowning.

Or worse, embarrassing himself in front of Atem by actually being too drunk to operate a rowboat.

He waits until Atem turns his back for whatever reason to try to slip out. He manages to stand just fine, and smirks that he knew he could handle his drink. However, when he takes a step the ground was not where it was supposed to be and he stumbles hard into a stool causing it to fall to the ground with a large clatter. Fortunately for his dignity he caught himself on the bar and didn't go down with it.

Atem doesn't press the issue further but enjoys his drink as well, but being behind the counter calls for him to get away for a moment or two, and it is when he's getting a few things ready that Kaiba uses the opportunity to get away from under his radar. By the moment Atem turns back he catches the stool falling.

There isn't exactly a judging stare or even a worried one as he looks at Kaiba slowly putting himself back to his feet. Instead, Atem takes off the apron and hangs it in its usual place, dries his hands with a rag and walks around the counter. He picks up the stool—when he leans to do so he can also feel the floor moving but not nearly as bad—then, approaches to Kaiba.

Without further ado he grabs Kaiba's hand and puts it over his own shoulder.

"Hold on tight."

Kaiba snaps his head to the side to stare at Atem and immediately regrets it. The last drink had been a mistake, but hell if he was going to let Atem know that he was right. He rubs his eyes with his free hand to stop his vision from swimming. It's awkward being supported by the much shorter man. It's a good thing he was already leaning to the side, or it might not have worked. It was completely undignified to be supported by his rival, but much more dignified than falling down in front of him.

"You're short," he says like that's the cause of all of his current problems.

"Darn! You noticed!" He jokes—how can't he not? But he notices that Kaiba might need a bit more support than that. Placing a hand over Kaiba's so he doesn't let go, he puts the other around his waist. Better be safe than sorry.

"You ready?"

Kaiba doesn't acknowledge the extra support. Doing so and not immediately throwing it off would be admitting that he needed it. It's much easier to pretend he didn't notice.

"'f course," he said, straightening as much as he could. He's able to walk well, just more slowly and with shorter steps. If anyone actually saw them, he could say it was so that Atem was able to keep up. It still doesn't solve the most pressing problem of how to leave this island.

"What houses are on this island?" he asks suddenly. "I don't fell like dealing with a boat again."

"I didn't think it would be a good idea to put you in a a boat right now..." That would get super extra messy very fast. But Kaiba's suggestion comes up as a brilliant one! It solves everything.

"I'm pretty sure there must be a few empty ones around here you can stay till the morning." There always were, waiting for new residents and whatnot. Heading towards the center of the island instead of the shores, they finally find the housing area, and just as Atem thought, there seemed to be one or two that didn't seem occupied by anyone.

He guides Kaiba towards one of them, making sure that there isn't actually living there. Once inside, Atem drops his precious cargo unceremoniously on a coach, but when he sees how bad Kaiba truly looks, he opts to stay longer. He shouldn't have let him drink that much.

"Wait here, I'll get you some water."

Kaiba grumbles a bit as they walk. The normal 'I can do this myself' and 'I don't need your help.' He was glad he always limited himself back home, if this was embarrassing how much worse would it have been if it was in front of investors. That thought leads to what Gozaburo's reaction would have been. He starts chuckling at the thought. The idea that he would be so pissed off but couldn't do anything about it because he was dead, kept him amused through being dropped on the couch.

At some point during the walk he had passed into the tired drunk where everything was funny. He didn't even complain when Atem started mother-hening him again. "Whatever Isono."

That play on 'whatever mom' led to more tired ~~giggles~~ chuckles from the lump on the couch.

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