In A Different Way

In A Different Way
By DarkGiggle
Part 3

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Disclaimer: I don’t own Yu-Gi-Oh. I don’t even like Yu-Gi-Oh but I just love Seto-Chan! I make no money off this so don’t sue!

Plot: Will be very OOC and very mild for the moment, beyond that I haven’t decided yet. :-) However I don’t think I’ll keep it G-rated for too long. Language and Yaoi are sure to come.

Author’s Note: This is a Seto Kaiba story. I’ll pair him with someone as soon as I decide whom. I might have him flirt a bit and experiment with a few people he won’t end up with. (giggle)

People Seto won’t be paired with: Mokuba, Honda, Anzu, Yami no Bakura, Isis, Yami no Marik, Marik, Pegasus, Noah, Seth or any girl.

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It was Wednesday when he decided there was no other word for it. Mutou and his little gang of friends were flipping annoying! Well maybe there were other words for it, like: maddening, irritating, infuriating, bothersome, exasperating, aggravating, frustrating, grating and pain in his freaking ass!

Kami, who knew these idiots could give him such a headache? And it wasn’t that they were doing anything particularly harassing. Well except for the inu; him Seto was seriously two hairs away from strangling! But as for the others they just watched him, discussed him and hung around in his general vicinity. Now, normally that wasn’t so bad and normally he could ignore it all without a second thought. However since He was trying to watch them at the times They were watching him, it all made his situation very inconvenient!

How was he supposed to figure this out? He sighed at this rate he really would have to wait until Saturday and hope that it went better than the last time.

The only bright side was that he was getting to see more of the quiet members of the bunch. Though he has many of the same classes with the twerps, nearly all, they had been smart about it and divided up the watchman shift. Through this rotation he was able to learn more about Honda, Bakura and Otogi whom were normally over shadowed by Mutou, Jonoichi and Mazaki. Even if his observations of the group couldn’t be as in depth as he would have liked, it was still something.

Further thoughts were cut off with the changing of the watchmen. He could feel the eyes on him change from Bakura’s soft non-threatening gaze to the inu’s burning stare. The brunet found it a queer sensation when he could tell, with as much certainty as an actual touch, where and when those brown orbs ran on him.

Imperceptively the CEO’s jaw clench and his stomach churned. Oh Kami, what that stare did to him. He hated that stare. It stirred up too many things inside him. If he didn’t get his temper under control or that inu didn’t stop it soon there would be hell to pay in the hallways after class!

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By the second Thursday of this school year Tall, Mean and Handsome had perfected ignoring him. Or at least Katsuya was sure of it and he was going bonkers because of it! It kinda, sorta, a little, a bit hurt every damn time Kaiba’s gorgeous blue eyes past over him or didn’t turn to him at all. It hurt when he wasn’t seen, like he was a worthless dust particle in the air. It hurt when all his words to Kaiba had the same impact they would on a brick wall.

Now this wasn’t the first or likely the last time someone had or would just by pass him, but his reflexive ‘Same-To-You-Fucker’ attitude just didn’t stand up to par when it was Kaiba Seto doing it. Something about the other boy made it hurt each time he was ignored and he couldn’t figure out what it was. Beyond being assigned to watch the exec, Katsuya looked to find out what it was that the bastard had that made him stand apart from the rest, so far all that looking only brought to his attention how much more handsome Seto was this year than last year. Arh!

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Today was Friday and it held no interest for him. Yami anxiously waited for tomorrow to come. It would be good to have the elder Kaiba close and only a few seats away again. Once he and his Hikari were not the distance of a classroom, hallway or cafeteria away then he would know for sure if what he sensed was real.

He’d thought he felt something last Saturday at the lunch but because of the tension and unease of the meeting he hadn’t recalled it until much later. Now thinking back he was sure he’d felt something, it was so very faint and suppressed but he’d felt it. He’d felt an awakening heka, or magic as Yugi would call it, running through Kaiba. And not just any magic but a familiar magic that he couldn’t seem to place.

Honestly it was the familiarity that had him anxious. He should know that magical signature. He knew in his soul he’d once known it, but he had yet to recover all his memories of Egypt and of his past life. From the time he’d been born to the time he’d died, were these large chunks of time missing. Maybe being around his harsh classmate would jog his memory.

Also, maybe being around Kaiba would reveal why the other suddenly had that heka in the first place.

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Stepping out of the taxi it was just he, Katsuya, Hiroto and Ryo. Anzu couldn’t come because of a family thing, not that she wanted too anyway. Ryuji had a business meeting to attend instead.

Not needing to be led in this time they all went in, Yugi in front. For some reason he could feel the pharaoh’s anticipation and it was all but vibrating in the back of his mind. He was tempted to offer to switch with his other half but the hope of Kaiba finally looking to them for help, like a potential friend would was just too tempting.

Rounding the same corner they were all rendered speechless again, though not by the garden. Kaiba was smiling, not smirking or grinning, at Mokuba of course. And it was a heart-stopping, dazzling, easy-going smile. Which, naturally, disappeared the second he saw them.

Seto knew a headache would come on soon. The inu was here. Why the hell was the inu here? Controlling his impulse to just have the blonde thrown out he chose to lock eyes with Mutou, Honda and Bakura individually and give them each a small nod of welcome.

Mokuba immediately got up to hug them all. He should have known he could count on them! He knew Anzu and Ryuji couldn’t make it but the rest… Now he felt guilty for having doubted in the rest of his friends. Hurriedly he had them sit and began talking a mile a minute. Whatever it was that went wrong last time for his brother, he had a gut instinct it had to do with the silence of the table.

Very determinedly Katsuya took the seat to the tall brunet’s left, pinning him between Mokuba and himself. Let’s see the jerk ignore him now! To his own left his buddy Honda gave him a ‘what-are-you-on?’ look. Turning to the CEO he cracked, “Oh I’m fine here, aint I Rich Boy?” A nasty smirk spread on his face as he continued, “I mean if ya aint comfy wit’ me here, ya’d say so, right Money Bags?” There! Now the bastard had to either talk to him or put up with him, thus a win-win for him.

And there started the very first of his headache. For half a moment he played with the idea of K.O.-ing the idiot with a punch to the back of his empty head, but he passed on it for two reasons. One, this was already his second chance and he didn’t want to blow it. Two, he’d probably hurt his knuckles on the stupid inu’s hard, thick head. So he just kept calm and snapped for the menus.

Mokuba, not wanting a fight, instantly took to talking to the blonde and keep things smooth. Dang it! He thought Jonouchi was here to help, not start trouble!

Hiroto mentally shook his head at his friend. When was Katsuya going to learn it wasn’t worth it to piss Kaiba off? Seriously, he didn’t understand why his pal was so adamant about getting the other brunet’s attention. As far as he was concerned having Kaiba back off had been great. No arguments, no fights, no detention due to the fights and no having to cheer up his friend after the mean fucker ripped Katsuya a new one.

Yugi had a hard time focusing on the menu in front of him, it seemed his eyes and mind kept wondering back to the elder Kaiba. He knew Yami was looking for something but it was getting distracting. ‘’‘Yami, if you want to switch just tell me but this is going to make me go cross eyed.’‘’

‘’‘Forgive me Hikari, it was not my wish to strain you.… And I would like to switch, but not yet.’‘’

Seto tried to wait patiently for the waiters to be through but for the first time in a long time his nerves were getting to him. “Bakura-San? You are originally from England, correct?”

Having just given his order Ryo was a bit startled when Kaiba suddenly started a conversation. “Hai Kaiba-San.”

“If you would like the kitchen can make something more to your tastes, you are not bound to the menu. In fact no one is.”

Not sure what to make of that, especially since Kaiba had not offered it last lunch Ryo just thanked him and fell silent.

“Does that mean I can have French fries this time?” Mokuba hoped. His brother sent him a look. “I guess that’s a no.”

Determined not to have the table quiet again Seto picked Yugi this time. “How is your grandfather, Mutou-San?”

While he did still want to be friends with Kaiba, Yugi grew suspiscious and worried. Why bring up his grandfather? “He is in good health, but why do you ask?”

Hearing the tension in his smallest classmate’s voice Seto cocked his head slightly to the side. “Am I not allowed to ask?” He challenged and sidestepped the question all at once.

Yugi, trying not to give an offence but still unsure replied, “It is unusual that you ask about him Kaiba.”

That wasn’t a yes or a no. Seto mentally crossed Mutou off his list. This was good, in the long run someone without a dual identity would be better. Relaxing he said easily, “It is, but I just wondered how he was handling the stress of a Yuushiki* Games shop moving into his neighborhood.”

All eyes around the table went wide, “What?!” Yugi squawked. In his head even the pharaoh let out an undignified ‘Huh?’ that no one heard.

Seto raised a brow. “Didn’t you know?” Silence greeted him all around. “It will open in two months, just three blocks down from his shop.”

Yugi and the others at the table went still. Yuushiki Games was a big, successful company with many chain locations. It didn’t make games, but the stores were huge and prices cheap. A store located so close Sugoroku’s Kame Game Shop could very well put it out of business.

Mokuba was the first to end the stillness, “Yugi does your grandfather know? Is he doing anything to keep ahead of Yuushiki Games?”

As panic began to flood Yugi, Yami redirected all his attentions to keeping his Hikari calm. ‘’‘We’ll think of something. Don’t worry, your grandfather will be alright.’‘’

‘’‘Somehow I’m not sure Yami.’‘’ Still it helped to be reminded that he would have his friends with him. “No he doesn’t know.”

Then, the oddest, out of the blue question hit the table. “Could you do something to help Sugoroku-San, Kaiba-San?” Ryo pondered.

Seto internally scowled. Oh wonderful. Now this lunch was going off track too. Damn. “I could, but why should I? It-” He was cut off by two hands grabbing the front of his shirt. Abruptly he was turned to the left and face-to-face with a pissed off inu.

Bastard! He’d moved before he’d had a chance to think it through. Now suddenly he had those gorgeous azure eyes on him, fists full of Kaiba’s shirt (with his knuckles pressed into the hot, hard muscles of Kaiba’s chest) and that perfect face with those kissable lips so damn close. He could even feel the brunet’s hot breath on his own lips. Why was he mad again? Oh right! “Damn you Money Bags! Don’t you know that friends help out friends! Are you really such a cold bastard that you won’t lift a finger to help.”

Seto only half heard the inu’s ranting, he was mainly focusing on restraining himself to not fucking knee the blonde in the crotch for this offense. With more outward calm than he felt he grabbed the inu’s shirt in return, stood up, and lifted in one fluid motion.

Katsuya gasped as his feet rapidly left the floor by about 26 inches. Automatically his fists left the fine shirt and he pawed at Kaiba’s hands but the CEO’s hold was an iron grip.

As soon as his own shirt was release more of his temper died down, yet he was still pissed at the inu so he glared nastily at him. “Let me remind you of a few things you seem to have for gotten with your house-fly attention span. One, I’m stronger than you AND trained how to fight.” To drive in that fact Seto shook the blonde once like a toy doll. “Two, excluding my Ototo, I am not friends with anyone here. Three, you lucked out on this one, there is no fighting of any kind here.” Very slowly, with great muscle control Seto set his classmate down on his feet. Releasing him Seto returned to his seat and sat down.

Mokuba gazed at his brother with adoration. He hadn’t been this proud of his Nii-San in a while. When Katsuya had grabbed his brother he’d expected to see the blonde on the ground grabbing his kneed crotch in pain, as that was Seto’s preferred choice of dealing with people who tried to manhandle him. But his Nii-san hadn’t! He’d stuck to his promise instead. As his brother turned to him he beamed at him.

Hiroto, Ryo and Yami (having switched with Yugi) had gotten up immediately. They’d been expecting to have to stop a major brawl, especially when Kaiba had hefted the blonde up. Now they were more than a bit shocked and it took them a while to return to their seats.

Yami watched the young exec drink from his glass of water as if the moments prior had never happen. Despite all that Kaiba said Yami couldn’t help but be proud of the elder brother. “I’m glad you did the right thing Kaiba.”

The whole table winced at that, even Katsuya, who had just gotten to his seat.

In a flash Seto was looking at Mutou to chew him out. What the hell was that?! And so condescendingly said too! He ALWAYS did the right thing; whether others thought it was right or not. He didn’t need some goody-goody two shoes patting him on the back for making a decision that also benefited said goody two shoes. He- Was not looking at Mutou. Not-Mutou was there in normal Mutou’s place, smiling at him with approval. Approval that for some reason caused butterflies to appear in his stomach and make him want to all-but purr in happiness. Hastily Seto stomped the feeling down.

Violet eyes widened a millimeter as the heka coming from Kaiba suddenly swelled and pulsed. It was very familiar and just as a name was on the tip of his tongue the heka was gone. Yami frowned as was about to ask Kaiba about it when someone turned those blue orbs away from him.

“What is it you were going to say Kaiba-San?” Ryo asked, oblivious to the tension between his pharaoh friend and rich teen.

Relieved, Seto singled his focus to Bakura and only Bakura.

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End Part 3. * Yuushiki = well-informed; learned. A.K.A. Learned Games shop. I thought it was a smart name for a game shop as the games in Yu-gi-oh are all hard to play and take some brains to master. (Now collapses from making such a long chapter…. Well… um… it’s a long chapter for me.)

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