#i'm sorry i'm writing scenes for random WIP AUs from my backlog

[alectoperdita]

Fictober - Day 30

prompt: “just say it” fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters pairing: Jounouchi Katsuya/Kaiba Seto rating: teen warnings: none a/n: brief background: this is a pivotal scene that i’m trying out from my mostly unpublished childhood-friends AU, we trade petty cash for miracles, where Katsuya and Seto grew up as childhood friends after Katsuya went with his mother after the divorce and Seto’s parents never died. The intention was to pick up the story when they’re in high school as Shizuka’s eyesight deteriorates and explore the events of Duelist Kingdom from this canon divergence.

Katsuya stared blankly at the ceiling. The bed cradling him was as soft as a cloud. After a night of sleeping on the forest ground, such a mattress should be heaven-sent, but he doubted he'd get much sleep tonight. His thoughts had been racing into overdrive ever since the dinner hosted in honor of all the qualifying semi-finalists. 

It was a miracle in itself that he even collected ten Star Chips to enter Pegasus' castle. As much as he worried about who he'd been matched against for tomorrow's semi-final, it wouldn't matter because he didn't have either the Glory of the King's Hand or the Glory of the King's Opposite Hand card. Dammit! 

What could he do? For a brief second, he considered knocking on the room next door but quickly shut down that train of thought. Like hell was he going to rely on that bastard now. He'd made it this far without his help.

He heaved himself into a seated position and cast a resentful look around the richly decorated room. Just the sight of it made Katsuya's blood boil. Pegasus had wasted God knows how much money on a private island, a whole damn castle, and then this stupid tournament. Probably more than enough to pay for Shizuka's surgery ten times over. If it was possible, he'd settle for robbing the long-haired weirdo blind and be done with this whole strange affair.

A knock on his door pulled him from his thoughts. Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, he rose to his feet and called, "Who's that?"

"It's me," replied a familiar male voice from the other side of the door.

Katsuya stiffened. Part of him wanted to tell the other boy to go to hell—still might, depending on what he said next. "C'min."

The door swung inward, and Seto entered the room. He immediately shut the door in his wake, yet he remained standing clear on the other side of the room. It seemed the other boy was just as wary of him after their last confrontation.

Katsuya studied Seto more carefully than any textbook he'd ever owned. Why did it feel like it had been months since they last saw or spoke to each other when only a few hours had passed since dinner? When it had been no more than a day since they stormed off on each other?

He clenched his hands into fists and forced himself to breathe, already feeling like they were tittering on the edge of another screaming match. "Whaddaya want?"

Sucking in a sharp breath, Seto finally crossed the room to approach him. He reached into the coat of his trench coat and pulled out a card. "I came to give you this," he said and offered it to Katsuya.

Katsuya took it and flipped it over. It was Glory of the King's Hand. Stunned, he snapped his shocked eyes back to Seto's impassive face. "You're givin' me yours?"

Seto shook his head and flashed two more cards, Glory of the King's Opposite Hand and a second Glory of the King's Hand. 

"Then where'd you get this one from?"

"I asked Yuugi for his. He knows the reason why we're both here."

Rage flooded through Katsuya's body. "You told him about Shizuka?"

Ignoring his outburst, Seto continued, "Yuugi has no need for the prize money. His only concern is rescuing his grandfather."

"And he just gave it to you outta the goodness of his heart?" sneered Katsuya. 

Seto gave a small laugh. "Actually, yes, but I offered to help him regardless. Should I win the tournament, I will challenge Pegasus for Sugoroku-san's soul."

"Oh my god, please tell me you don't actually believe that bullshit! Magical Egyptian artifacts, my ass!" 

"Something is happening here. You can't deny that."

"Which is exactly why we should win that prize money and get the hell outta dodge. We don't have time to get involved in their bullshit. We have to worry about Shizuka first!" shouted Katsuya. 

"I owe Sugoroku-san. If he hadn't given his Blue-Eyes, do you really think I'd made it this far in Duelist Kingdom?" asked Seto.

"Well, somehow, I've managed fine." 

Disgusted, Katsuya turned away, but a grip on his elbow stopped him from leaving. Seto closed the last of the distance between them. Katsuya's skin prickled at their closeness, as it often did in the previous few months since they reconnected. 

After several awkward seconds, Seto cleared his throat and said, "There's more I wanted to talk to you about."

"Yeah?" 

Seto fell quiet again. He met Seto's dark blue eyes head-on, unflinching as that intense gaze swept across his face. The seconds seemed to drag on into minutes and then hours. Katsuya's patience was close to reaching its limit.

"Just say it!" snarled Katsuya.

"Tomorrow's match, I want you to drop out."

Katsuya couldn't believe his ears. "What the fuck?"

Seto clenched his jaws and forged ahead. "Or throw the duel. Either way works."

He ripped his elbow out of Seto's grip and spun to face the other boy fully. He acted on instinct as he invaded Seto's space, much as he would any perceived threat in the schoolyard. Seto was not intimidated—had never been by Katsuya's physical posturing no matter how many times they clashed over the years. But if Seto thought he'd even consider such a request for even a second, he really didn't understand Katsuya.

"You want me to take a dive?" growled Katsuya. "You really think that little of me, huh? Gotta save Jounouchi from himself. Stop him before he fucks everything up. Wow, fuck you, Seto. Screw your superior, holier-than-thou ass."

Tension furrowed between Seto's brow. "Be reasonable. Only one of us can advance in the tournament to win the prize money. It was bound to happen sooner or later."

"No."

"Jounouchi—"

"I said no! You're always looking down on me, but I'll show you—"

"This isn't about your pride, dammit! Listen to me for once in your life!"

"My pride? What about your's? Ever since we were kids, you had to be the best, be fucking perfect. You can't stand the idea that I might actually be a good Duelist. That I might be as good or better than you."

Seto's face turned bright red, flushed with anger, as his body trembled. Good. The damn bastard was losing his cool. Out of the corner of Katsuya's vision, he spotted Seto lifting one hand and tensed in anticipation of an oncoming punch. If Seto thought he wouldn't throw down with him in a fancy castle, he was stupidly mistaken. But Seto didn't try to hit him. Instead, he grabbed both of Katsuya's shoulders and shook him. 

"I'm trying to protect you, you idiot!" shouted Seto. 

The earnest plea in his voice made Katsuya finally give pause. When he looked—really looked at Seto, he could spot the telltale signs of worry and fear that marred his features, from the dark circles around his usually vibrant eyes to the perpetually pinched corner of his frowning lips. 

After seeing that he had Katsuya's attention, Seto continued, "There's something very wrong with Yuugi's pendant. If Pegasus' eye is anything like it, I don't want you caught in the middle. It's too dangerous."

"I can take care of myself." Katsuya tried to shake off Seto, but the boy clung to him with an iron grip. "Seriously, I'll be fine."

Seto shook his head. "That's not something I'm willing to take a chance on, Katsuya."

The use of his given name caused a shiver to run down his spine—or maybe it was the way Seto said. Something didn't add up. Hadn't been adding up since they stepped foot on this strange island. Katsuya had written it off as Seto being even more of his usual persnickety self. Yet given what he just said, had he been overprotective?

"Why not?"

Seto pursed his lips. "I can't let anything happen to you."

"Why?" Katsuya insisted.

"Because I care about you. Because I—" 

Seto squared his shoulders as if he'd made a decision; determination blazed in his eyes. Pulling Katsuya forward, Seto bent his head down and pressed their lips together urgently. Seto didn't really know how to kiss, Katsuya noted in an almost detached way. He seemed to think applying pressure was the end all and be all of kissing, and he was staring into Katsuya's eyes as if he could see into his soul. It might have been endearingly incompetent if it wasn't happening to Katsuya.

Eventually, Seto drew back. Katsuya's lungs burned, reminding him to breathe again. His body was having a delayed reaction to the kiss. His lips tingled first, before the sensation and the warmth spread to the rest of his face and down his chest. Even the tips of his numb fingers paradoxically twinged and itched. 

"Did you just kiss me?" Katsuya croaked. 

Seto actually rolled his eyes before giving him a fond look. "Yes, you idiot."

"Why?" Katsuya asked for the third time, still as confused as the first time he asked.

With surprisingly gentle hands, Seto embraced him. The hug was both achingly familiar—carrying traces of the affection they'd shared as children—and foreign in how much they'd grown in mind and body since. Yet their bodies still slotted together like puzzle pieces. Seto's answer ruffled his hair like a gentle spring breeze.

"Because I love you, Katsuya. I always have."

Check out other puppy/violetshipping ficlets I’m writing all #fictober20 long

#fictober20 #violetshipping #puppyshipping #kaijou #my fanfiction #fic: we trade petty cash for miracles #enjoy your soft Seto #i'm sorry i'm writing scenes for random WIP AUs from my backlog #i actually already have the first 2 chapters of this completed #but i keep hmming and hawing about publishing it #because i'm still struggling with the rest of the Duelist Kingdom details #one more day to go! #yugioh