Coalescence

23) Papers

Summary: Lunchtime inspection of Yugi's contract with the Kaiba Corporation. Yugi struggles with the decisions he has to make.


At lunch, the entire group was silent for about five minutes, each person apparently very interested in their lunch. The only ones who seemed at ease were Seto Kaiba and Katsuya Jounouchi. The former was calmly eating, not in the least disturbed by the company he was sharing, and the latter was eating but grinning to himself almost maniacally.

Yugi couldn't eat.

Seto broke the silence. "I gave Yugi the papers from my lawyers about working for me on the virtual reality game," he began conversationally as if it was merely a switch in topic. It was enough to get the group to stop eating and gape at him. "Isn't that right, Yugi?"

Five pairs of eyes - Anzu, Jounouchi, Honda, Ryou, Otogi - swung toward Yugi. "Ah, yeah, Kaiba-kun," Yugi managed to gasp. He laid the large packet on the lunch table, glad he had brought it along. [I knew he would bring this up...] The thought irritated him for some reason.

"Mine first!" Jounouchi declared, grabbing for the packet before anyone else could. He immediately dumped out the papers and started to read.

"Jounouchi-kun!" Yugi cried, but calmed when he saw that his friend was actually reading intently. "Um, I haven't really had a chance to look at them much..."

Ryuuji Otogi, the only other person at the table at all familiar with contracts, elbowed his way in to look at the papers with Jounouchi. "Cool, research associate... ne, Kaiba-kun, will he have his own office?" he asked after a few moments reading.

"That won't be necessary," Seto replied smoothly, "though he will have his own computer setup in the lab on which to record data and make notes. And of course to write up proposed scenarios."

Yugi's eyes bugged out as he looked past Otogi as best he could at the papers. [My own computer setup?]

//Sounds exciting, aibou,// Yami offered, echoing his hikari's growing interest. //You know, this could lead to a career of gaming design.//

/Honto ni?/ (Really?) Yugi blinked, astonished.

"I had to do a lot of that sort of thing myself," Otogi was saying, talking about his own work to develop the Dungeon Dice Monsters game. "Believe me, it's a lot of work to plan a game on this order. And this is VR as well!"

"It won't be using the exact same system of card control as the original Duel Monsters Quest," Seto explained, seeing with relief that he at least had the group's interest... and especially Yugi's, which for him was the most important. "I plan to use my new Duel Disk system."

"Oh, not THAT thing again?" Jounouchi muttered, looking up with distaste. He remembered all too well when Kaiba clobbered him on the Duelist Kingdom island, using the prototype Duel Disks which were cumbersome.

"This is much more sophisticated," Seto coolly replied. "Trust me, you're going to like it." He wore a grin that told that he knew exactly what he was talking about.

And he did; Yugi and Jounouchi were practically drooling. The others, who'd played Duel Monsters but not in a tournament, were also very interested.

"Okay, so it's going to be way cool... any chance more of us could, you know, test it out?"

Seto had been prepared for the question, and hoped his answer would help his case with the blond. "Certainly, if Yugi chooses to involve his friends as test subjects. As a research associate, he will plan and organize testing, and collect and assimilate data. I don't see any reason why he can't choose volunteer testers from among his friends."

"Volunteer, huh?" Honda put in. "That means 'not paid', right?"

"Generally, that's what the term means," Seto replied. "Marketing and research organizations utilize volunteers from among potential target groups to get their data in order to produce the best product."

"Guinea pigs, eh?" Jounouchi frowned, making a face. "There's that animal reference thing again..."

"Jounouchi-kun!" Yugi exclaimed before Seto could open his mouth. "Kaiba-kun's not implying anything and *you* brought up guinea pigs, not him!"

"Yeah, well..." Jounouchi glanced at the CEO to check his reaction.

Seto was, as usual, calm and collected. "Although I designed this system, I am not the typical end user. I wouldn't be where I am in business if I did not test my products with a wide user base."

"What'd he say?" Jounouchi asked of Otogi, who had managed to wrest away control of the stack of papers, which he was now going through fairly methodically.

"He means for the average guy like you to play the game," Otogi explained, turning pages, "he needs average guys like you to test it."

Jounouchi, who was across the table from Seto, stood up suddenly and leaned over to get in his face. "Are you implying that I am AVERAGE?"

//Is lunch always this interesting?// Bakura wanted to know.

/No,/ Ryou replied, smirking.

/I was afraid of this!/ Yugi moaned to his own darker half. /Jounouchi-kun is baiting him!/

//Just wait, aibou,// Yami replied confidently. //It'll be all right.//

Seto did not as much as flinch, though the other boy's face was about two inches from his. Slowly, a tiny, enigmatic smile grew on his face. "No, actually I am implying that Yugi Mutou is an EXCEPTIONAL user, which is why I chose him to work with me on my gaming systems. I also chose him because he's good with people and can relate well to gamers at any level. Do you have a problem with that?"

Jounouchi opened and closed his mouth a few times, then brandished a fist in Kaiba's face. "No, I just have a problem with YOU..."

Yugi stood and pulled on his arm, suddenly furious. "Jounouchi-kun, STOP!"

Catching a glance at his friend's face, Jounouchi subsided, sitting down. "Sorry, Yugi, it's just so hard to trust this guy, you know?"

"No, I *don't* know," Yugi retorted. "I'm fed up with this feud! Kaiba-kun is trying; why won't you?"

Everyone but Yugi had somewhere else to look suddenly. Otogi concentrated even more on the papers in his hands.

Yugi looked directly at Seto for the first time. "Kaiba-kun, this looks like a really good offer. But I have a lot of things to consider first - as you said, my help at the game shop, my schoolwork..." He looked pointedly at Jounouchi for a moment. "And my friends. I... can't say when I'll have a decision on this."

Seto gazed back at him steadily for a long moment. Yugi thought he might be searching for Yami in his eyes, but he did not let himslooklook away.

//No, he is looking at *you*,// Yami commented silently. //I sense it.//

/Oh.../

"Yugi," Seto began slowly, "I want you to know that I am not offering you this position as a gesture of friendship... though I do sincerely want to be your friend. I do value your expertise and welcome the prospect that we might work together. Despite my feelings on other... matters... I do sincerely hope this can happen."

At first, Yugi thought he meant Jounouchi as "other matter", but realized that he might instead mean his feelings for Yami. [He's trying to tell me that this isn't about him and Yami... or trying to make nice with me or my friends. Huh...]

Yami was silent, understanding that Yugi had to figure this out for himself.

"T...thank you," Yugi responded finally, managing a little smile. "I hope so, too."

Otogi spoke up. "The contract looks really terrific, Kaiba-kun... Yugi-kun." He handed back the packet. "I don't think you could do much better."

"Thanks, Otogi-kun," Yugi replied, taking the envelope.

The noon period finished a few minutes later. Only Anzu and Ryou got to eat their lunches.

//Why is Kaiba trying to make nice?// Bakura wanted to know at the end of the school day as Ryou was gathering his things to leave for home.

/You got me,/ Ryou replied, stuffing his schoolbag. /Why are *you* nice to me?/

Bakura was stunned into silence for a long moment, then retorted, //Where the hell did THAT come from?//

/It's an honest question,/ Ryou went on. /Since you're such a bastard./

The tomb robber chose to ignore the comment for the moment. //Are you implying that Kaiba wants in Yugi's pants?//

Ryou nearly laughed out loud. At the worst he snickered, and got a look from a couple people passing by. /Not everyone is obsessed with sex as you are... oops, I mean we are. No, wait, but you're obsessed with Millennium Items, aren't you? My bad.../

//You are bad, Ryou,// Bakura chided his seemingly good little hikari. //Wait until I get you home...//

/Promises, promises,/ Ryou teased. /So, when are you going to tell me what you did to that piece of the Millennium Puzzle?/

Silence. Or rather, a dark, glowering look.

/Thought so.../ Ryou smiled to himself as he closed his locker and started for the exit. [You don't deal with me, Bakura-kun, I don't deal with you...]

At home, Yugi took off the Puzzle and laid it on his bed beside the envelope with the contract, then sat cross-legged before them as he regarded the two items.

[Decisions... oh, hell, do I ever have decisions to make,] he considered morosely, wondering when his life got so complicated. [This job offer is one thing, and it's a very good thing - the money could help Jii-chan so much. I know the shop isn't doing the greatest - there's a lot of competition in town, especialrom rom Otogi's store so close by. Jii-chan could retire soon. I know that he and his friend Professor Hawkins talked recently about doing some traveling...]

Yugi sighxpanxpansively. [On the other hand, I don't think Jounouchi, and maybe not the others either, can handle me working for Kaiba-kun. Jounouchi is really being a pill about this...]

He straightened, sensing the presence of his other half. Looking up, he saw the spirit form of Yami standing at ease, leaning against his closet, arms crossed. /Yami, I have to think this out for myself,/ he sent, frowning.

//Of course, aibou,// the spirit replied, glancing over. //But if you need my help... I'm here.//

/I know.../ Yugi sighed. /You know this isn't just about the job./

Yami straightened. //I know. You're thinking about my... proposal.//

Indeed, Yugi also was thinking about the decision he had to abo about Seto and Yami... the Bond of the Gods ritual, and the Dark Manifestation card. On the one hand, it seemed obviously a good thing, for after all, Seto and Yami could be together as they wanted to, but it meant... it meant that Yugi would invariably be drawn into their relationship.

/I'm not ready for a relationship like that,/ Yugi told his other. /I'm not!/

//I know. Seeing you around Seto today made that very clear.//

Yugi felt tears starting in his eyes. /I can't help it! I.../

Within his soul room, Yugi heard Yami come in, then felt himself being pulled into the other's arms. Releasing a deep sigh, Yugi hugged his dark half tightly about the waist. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

"Don't be, aibou," Yami whispered, nuzzling his hair. "We haven't been very fair to you, and I'm sorry I expected too much... and too fast. Please, Yugi... this is my fault, not yours."

"I want you to be happy, though," Yugi murmured into his chest. "And Seto-kun makes you happy..."

"I want *you* to be happy as well, aibou," Yami responded, tightening his arms around his little light. "In fact, I didn't tell you yet, but Seto and I have decided to take it easy between us for a while. Give things some time..."

"N...no," Yugi protested immediately, pulling out of the embrace to look up at his darker half. "You shouldn't do that! Those cards... the future..."

"Seto and I will make our own future," Yami countered firmly, not letting Yugi out of his arms just yet. "There's nothing forcing us to use them. And there's no time limit. We can wait..."

"No!" Yugi snapped, though more angry at himself than at his other self's words. "Look, Yami, this is my problem, and I need to deal with it myself." He pulled completely away and stepped back from the taller spirit. "I love being in your arms like that, but I cannot be running to you for comfort every time I run into something difficult. I have to deal with things on my own! And that includes finding a way to make everything work." He hugged his arms to himself. "Please, Yami, I think I need to be alone. I have a lot of soul searching to do... in my half of our soul."

Yami bowed his head, the hand he still held upraised toward his hikari dropping to his side. "Of course, aibou," he murmured. "As you wish." Then he vanished, returning to his own soul room.

Blinking away unbidden tears, Yugi took the papers out of the envelope to read.


(tbc)