Ace of Spades

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

Warnings: Yaoi, angst, attempted rape, attempted suicide, more angst, Kaiba/Yami.

Author: Koneko Shido

A/N: My ffn account has just been wiped because they're utter, utter bastards, so I'm re-posting everything here. Grrr...
Added Note: Jei is just some random name I gave to that big, ugly guy who beat up Honda and Jou at the start of the series, and they got him expelled. He's not an OC. And instead of Yami taking over Yugi when he appears, I've written it so that Yami and Yugi just switch places. So they're both sepa peo people, right? You'll understand when you read it, hopefully.

Ace of Spades

"Well, if it ain't little Yugi. Fancy meetin' you here. Why don'tcha stop and play a while?"
Kaiba paused as Yugi's name reached his ears, halting his shortcut home through the park and turning towards the source of the rough voice.
"Ow! Let me go!" Yugi cried, gasping as Jei, the school bully, shoved him roughly against the wall of the brick shelter he'd been dragged behind. Neither of them noticed as Seto Kaiba stood back to watch, his back leant against a tree, almost hidden by the thick foliage.
"Not likely. Pretty little thing, ain't ya? Why don't we have some fun?"
Kaiba narrowed his ice blue eyes as Jei smirked and began to pull off Yugi's shirt, making the little duellist freeze with fear.

* * *

Yami was looking out of the window at the darkening sky with hollow crimson eyes when he felt Yugi's fear through their link. Without evenmuchmuch as a second thought, Yami switched places with his little hikari, not knowing w of of of danger his light was in, only knowing that he would endure it instead. A second later Yugi appeared on the window seat where Yami had been, his eyes closed as he slept peacefully.

* * *

Kaiba watched Yugi vanish before Jei, who grunted in surprise. An instant later Yami appeared, narrowing his crimson eyes at the one who had been about to hurt his hikari.
"You will not touch Y" Y" Yami growled, glaring defiantly up at the huge thug.
"Ok, fine. I'll take you instead." Jei smirked, not really knowing what had just happened, but not caring either way. Stranger things had happened, and as long as he still got what he wanted it was of no concern to him. Yami gasped in surprise as two strong hands clamped down on his slim waist, holding him in place like a vice. As he tried to free himself Jei snarled and backhanded him across the face so hard that his head snapped to the side and he fell back limply against the wall, too dazed to resist when Jei hungrily began to strip him of his clothes.
Kaiba noticed the dazed look in Yami's pain-filled eyes, stepping out from the trees behind Jei so that Yami could see him but his attacker could not.
/Kaiba.../ Yami whispered into the CEO's mind, his eyes widening a little then snapping shut tightly as a hand was shoved roughly between his thighs.
/Yami. That's quite the situation you've gotten yourself into./ Kaiba thought back, knowing that Yami would sense his thoughts.
/...Observant as ever.../ Yami replied softly, and Kaiba was shocked to see tears begin to fall from the Pharaoh's closed eyes as a meaty finger was thrust inside him.
"Nice an' tight, ain't you?" Jei hissed, smirking cruelly.
/Ohh Ra.../ Yami's thoughts came out as a choked moan of pain. /Please don't watch this.../
/You assume I'm not going to help you?/ Kaiba was mildly surprised.
/...Yes.../ Yami's thoughts began to dissolve into a mass of fear and pain, and he gave a little gasped whimper that made Jei smirk.
That little sound Yami made had Kaiba stalking forward in an instant, grabbing Jei by the back of his collar and yanking him off the pharaoh, who slid weakly to his knees, shivering. Jei gave a surprised grunt as he was pulled back, turning to punch the lights out of whoever had interrupted him, only to find Seto Kaiba standing there, looking furious. And it was common knowledge that nobody messed with Seto Kaiba.
"Leave, and if I see you again you won't be walking away." Kaiba said coldly, his tone sending an icy shiver up Jei's spine. The look in Kaiba's sapphire eyes said beyond a shadow of a doubt that he meant every word. Stumbling back, the thug glanced at Yami, who was watching with wide eyes, then turned tail and slinked off before Kaiba decided not to let him go.
Yami got shakily to his feet, leaning heavily against the wall, and zipped up his jeans with trembling fingers.
"It looks like you owe me." Kaiba smirked, turning to the Pharaoh. Yami shivered, knowing that Kaiba would never have saved him if he didn't want something in return. There was always a catch; Kaiba never did anything for free. Especially for him.
Saying nothing, Yami nodded reluctantly, shivering again. He felt as though he'd sold his soul to the devil.
"Come here." Kaiba beckoned to him, folding his arms. Yami took a step forward but fell to the ground with a gasp, his knees trembling too much to support him.
"I-I can't..." He whispered, shuddering as a cold breeze brushed across his bare back.
"Pathetic. You're nothing but a pretty face without your cards. And you act so tough." Kaiba sneered, striding over to crouch down before Yami and grasp his chin, tilting it up to look into the Pharaoh's tear-filled eyes.
"I should just leave you here to freeze to death, but since that would upset Mokuba, and since you still owe me, I suppose I'll have to take you home." Kaiba mused, lifting Yami effortlessly into his arms and smirking at the Pharaoh's gasp, his cheeks flushed with shame.
"Y-Yugi can't see me like this..." Yami pleaded, clinging to Kaiba as the CEO began to walk towards Yugi's house. "I-I don't care if I freeze, he can't know what happened! Just leave me here, I can't let him see this..." Yami gently touched the dark bruise starting to show through on his cheek, wincing as Kaiba growled at him.
"Fine, then I'll take you to my house. Mokuba will never speak to me again if I leave you out here, much as I'd like to." Kaiba muttered, turning and heading off in the other direction, towards the mansion where he lived.
Yami trembled in his arms, not wanting to go home with him but having no other choice. He didn't know whatba wba wanted in exchange for saving him from Jei, but he felt sure he would not enjoy it. Laying his head dizzily against Kaiba's shoulder, he closed his eyes in defeat and shuddered, the feeling of Jei's fingers still burning inside him.

* * *

Kaiba opened the door to his huge home, carrying Yami inside and setting him down on the marble floor of the entrance hall. Next to the huge stairs a grandfather clock chimed ominously and Yami jumped slightly, keeping his eyes lowered to the floor. He remained still and silent as Kaiba read the note Mokuba had left for him on the long table by the door before screwing it up and tossing it into the bin nearby. So Mokuba wasn't home. That was somehow not reassuring, since Kaiba was always a different person around his little brother. Yami knew that whatever Kaiba wanted to do to him in return for saving him from Jei, he wouldn't do it in front of his brother. Now that it was confirmed that Mokuba was absent, Yami knew with a sick sense of dread that there would be no reason for Kaiba to pull his punches.
"What... What do you want of me?" He finally asked, his voice trembling slightly. He hated to come across as that weak, but he was deep inside enemy territory, alone with someone much stronger than him who could do to him whatever he liked. Plus, with the ghostly memories of Jei's hands on him, all Yami really wanted to do was run away and find somewhere to hide until he could cry the feeling away. But he was Yami no Yugi, once pharaoh of all Egypt, and he never ran away from anything.
Kaiba frowned at his voice and turned to face him from where he'd been hanging up his coat, looking almost as though he'd forgotten that Yami was there. He ran his deep blue gaze slowly up and down the pharaoh once, making Yami shiver, then ran a hand through his hair and muttered something under his breath.
"Nothing. Forget it." The blue-eyed executive said, turning away towards what seemed to be a living room and taking a few steps toward it.
Yami froze at his words and narrowed his eyes, anger swallowing up the fear he felt.
"Whatever you were planning, do it, because I will not owe you anything!" He growled, taking a step towards where Kaiba had paused at the sound of his voice. "I don't care what you want, just get it over with!"
Kaiba whirled around at his words and pinned him to the spot with a ferocious glare, his fists clenched at his sides.
"If that's the way you want it, fine! Follow me." The tall duellist snarled, changing direction and heading up the stairs. Yami drew in a shaky breath at the tone of his voice and followed silently, trying not to let himself start trembling again as they reached the top of the huge staircase and passed by rows of closed white s wis with no markings except one, which had a name plate saying 'Mokuba' in big, green letters. They passed by that door, though, and continued along the corridor, turning a corner at the end and walking past yet more doors. Yami began to feel dizzy at the sheer size of the place, when Kaiba stopped outside the final door before the end of the corridor. The name plate on the door said 'Seto' in cold black letters, and Yami felt himself begin to tremble all over again. This was *his* room... That didn't bode well. If Kaiba had simply wanted to beat him or humiliate him as Yami had been expecting he could have done it downstairs. But, since they were at Kaiba's room, that meant...
Kaiba opened the door and stood back, waiting for Yami to go inside with an angry look in his eyes. Yami did as Kaiba expected of him and walked slowly into the dark room, blinking slightly as the blue-eyed duellist switched on the lights and entered himself, closthe the door behind them.
The room was fairly plain compared to what Yami had been expecting. There was a large bed in the centre of the room with the headboard pressed up against the back wall, a big, oak desk against the opposite wall with a computer and stacks of papers filling it, a large wardrobe and a bookcase filled with technical manuals and loose papers. There were a few pictures of Mokuba scattered about but other than that the room was bare of anything to make it feel lived-in.
"Strip." Kaiba hissed, his eyes burning with anger as he glared at Yami. The pharaoh stared at him with wide eyes for a moment, terrified at that one, sharp word. But the look in Kaiba's eyes said he wasn't joking, and Yami forced himself to stop shaking, gritting his teeth. He owed Kaiba for saving his life, and his honour was at stake. If this was what Kaiba wanted from him then it was what he would get, the pharaoh could not run away, ever. He would prove to Kaiba that he was strong enough to take whatever was thrown at him without showing the fear he felt inside.

* * *

Kaiba hadn't really expected Yami to do it, but to his surprise the pharaoh lowered his eyes and began to unbutton his jeans, his shirt already lost in his encounter with Jei. The CEO said nothing as the spirit slowly stripped, folding his cls nes neatly and placing them on the floor next to where he stood, his pale skin marred slightly by the red tinge of a blush across his cheeks.
Taking a deep, trembling breath, Yami slowly raised his eyes to Kaiba's, his hands falling to his sides.
Not quite sure what he meant to do, Kaiba stalked forward to where the smaller young man stood at the end of the bed and looked coldly down at him, running his eyes over every inch of the pharaoh's naked boFinaFinally the diamond-hard blue gaze settled on the thin white lines of old scars on the insides of Yami's arms that the CEO hadn't noticed before. They were faint enough to be barely noticeable, and Kaiba had never been close enough to see them before. He reached down and grabbed one of Yami's small hands, turning it palm-up and running his eyes over the marred skin. The little silver lines ran across his arm in criss-cross shapes from his wrist to his elbow, some fresher than others and one still faintly pink as though it were still healing. Lifting his eyes from the scars, Kaiba silently raised an eyebrow in question, not releasing his grip on Yami's wrist but loosening it a little.
Yami met his eyes coldly and wrenched his arm free of Kaiba's grip, growling.
"Just do what it is you bought me here to do. These are none of your concern." He gestured to the scars.
Angry at that response, Kaiba grasped Yami's delicately pointed chin and forced his head up, crushing his lips to Yami's in a fierce, bruising kiss. The pharaoh's breath caught in his throat, his eyes wide, and he froze until Kaiba released him once the kiss had ended. Gasping, Yami pushed away from Kaiba only to find himself falling back onto the bed. Sprawled on his back, he looked up at Kaiba, half expecting the CEO to hit him. Instead, though, Kaiba just glared down at him and growled savagely.
"You're pathetic." Kaiba hissed, gesturing to the scars on Yami's arms. "You claim to be so strong, but you'd let someone do that to you. You'd let me do this to you." He glared angrily at the pharaoh. Yami stared up at him, about to reply, but before a sound could leave his lips his crimson eyes suddenly filled with tears. Unable to speak, he just stared up at Kaiba, trembling.
Surprised at such a response to his words, Kaiba frowned and moved to sit on the bed next to Yami, looking down at him. He hadn't meant to bring Yami to tears, it was strange to see the proud king of games so vulnerable and helpless.
"I'm sorry," Kaiba murmured, as Yami struggled to sit up, hugging his arms to his bare chest. "I didn't mean to be so rough, I just hated to see you hurt like that." He gestured vaguely to Yami's arms. "Someone as perfect as you shouldn't have scars." It was true, Kaiba thought to himself, Yami was perfect. His skin was so smooth, his eyes were usually so bright and filwithwith strength and passion, his small, slender figure so beautiful. Kaiba had always loved the way he seemed like he could take on the entire world unflinchingly. He hadn't seen much of Yami since the duels had ended months ago, but it seemed like he'd changed for the worse. How had Yugi and his friends not noticed? How could they have overlooked something like this?
Still not able to make a sound, Yami just stared up at Kaiba and shuddered, his ruby eyes hollow and empty. It felt so wrong to see the pharaoh like that, so Kaiba leant down, gentler this time, and kissed Yami again. To his surprise, Yami went limp in his arms as he broke off the kiss, and buried his face in the executive's shirt.
"Do as you please. I still owe you." Yami whispered so softly Kaiba could barely hear his voice. Seeing the submission and despair in his greatest rival, Kaiba sighed and stood up, cradling Yami in his arms, and drew back the covers to tuck Yami into the bed. There was something wrong with the pharaoh, and there was no way he would do anything when Yami was that upset. There were limits to how far being heartless went, and using Yami when he was in this state overstretched those limits. He could be cold and arrogant later, right now Yami meant more than upholding his icy façade.
Stripping off his shirt, Kaiba climbed into the bed beside Yami and held him protectively, feeling the pharaoh turn toward him and cry silently into his chest, his petit body shaking with each sob that wracked through him. He had no idea what was wrong with the spirit, but he decided that Yami would tell him when he was ready, and right then really wasn't the time to push it. All he needed was for Yami to know that he was safe, and that he had someone to hold him when he cried.
Reaching out to his side, Kaiba picked up the small black remote off the table beside the bed and pressed a button, causing the lights to flick off.

* * *
Part 2
* * *

Yami awoke in Kaiba's arms, held in a possessive embrace that reminded him so much of Seth that he curled closer, closing his eyes and resting his delicate fingertips on Seto's chest over his heart. It beat in a steady rhythm beneath his touch, forcing Yami to remember that it was not his priest who held him and it never would be. Seth had betrayed him and died thousands of yeago. go. Yami wished he could have joined his beloved priest in the afterlife back then, but he had a task to complete, to save the world of the future. It wasn't his world, though. His world was gone.
Listening to Kaiba's soft breathing, Yami wondered vaguely if Seth would be waiting for him in the next world. The familiar lump in his throat returned as he thought about his priest and he took a few deep breaths, trying to rid himself of the urge to cry again. It was all he seemed able to do lately. Whilst he'd been out saving the world and duelling he hadn't had to think about it, but now that there was nothing left for him to do, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about Seth. He'd still loved the priest more than anything, even after Seth had betrayed him and caused him to be trapped in the puzzle. All he wanted was to curl up in Seth's strong arms and fall asleep, and never have to fight anyone or save anyone again. He was so tired lately... Every time he fell asleep he would dream of Seth, fragments of his memories of times they'd spent together. There was one dream he loved that always bought him to tears when he woke up. It was of a day when Seth had stood with him on a boat sailing along the Nile, and the sun had been shining on the water so brightly, and Seth's arms had been so warm... Everything had been so perfect. Yami hoped that was what the next world would be like, there would be no worries about betrayal and they could just be lovers again without having to remember anythinom tom this life.
Gently removing himself from Kaiba's arms, Yami pulled on his jeans and took one last, long look down at the sleeping mirror image of his priest. It hurt every second he was near Kaiba, because the CEO was so much like Seth. Except that Kaiba hated him and seemed to live purely to beat him at Duel Monsters. Turning away, Yami walked on shaking legs to the bathroom, standing in front of the mirror and taking a look at himself.
'Five thousand years is a long time.' He thought with an empty smile, reaching out to run his fingers over his reflection in the mirror above the sink. 'I do not look my age, though.'
He was so tired of everything, of having to be everybody's hero all the time. Everyone expected him to be strong, seeming to overlook the fact that deep down beneath the confidence and strength he was really only a teenager. He'd done his job, was there really any reason for him to keep being strong?
Looking down at the razor beside the sink, he ran a finger over the safety blades and smiled a little at the irony. Nothing was ever simple, was it? Placing the razor back down carefully, he opened the medicine cabinet behind the mirror and rooted around in there for a moment before finding a bottle of paracetamol pills, which he decided would suit his purpose. The safety cap made a loud clicking noise as he unscrewed it, tapping a few of the white pills out onto his hand and filling the glass beside the sink with water. Then, closing his eyes, he began to swallow the pills.

* * *

A sharp click and the sound of running water awoke Kaiba and he sat up, rubbing sleep from his eyes and looking around. Slowly the events of the night before came back to him and he got out of bed, stretching, and walked over to the bathroom where Yami was stood in just his jeans, his back to Kaiba. Something struck him as wrong, though... The medicine cabinet was open. Hearing Yami give a soft choking noise and take a drink of water, Kaiba came up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Yami? What are you doing?" He asked, surprised when Yami gasped and whirled around to face him, clutching something to his chest. Kaiba was getting a very bad feeling. He frowned and moved one of Yami's hands away so that he could see what the pharaoh was holding, his eyes widening when a bottle of paracetamol was revealed slowly. He looked down at Yami for an explanation, praying that the pharaoh just had adachdache and had only taken two of the pills, but Yami looked down at the floor and refused to meet his eyes, looking slightly guilty.
"Please tell me you didn't..." Kaiba whispered in horror, then came to his senses a little and grabbed Yami's shoulders, shaking him. "How many did you take?!" He demanded.
"I-I don't know..." Yami said in a trembling voice, dropping the bottle of pills to the floor.
"Idiot!!" Kaiba snarled, angrier than Yami had ever seen him before. He grabbed the pharaoh he hhe hand and roughly dragged him back into the bedroom, digging his cell phone out of the pocket of his shirt and dialling for an ambulance, then turning back to Yami. He glared at the pharaoh for a minute before grabbing a spare shirt from a drawer and kneeling down before Yami, helping him put it on.
"I can do it myself." Yami growled angrily, feeling a little dazed but not really caring. He wondered if he would die before the ambulance managed to get him to the hospital. He hoped so.
"Why the hell would you do this?" Kaiba finally asked, on his knees doing up the buttons of Yami's shirt, which was far too big for him and hung almost to his knees. Yami sighed and looked down into his eyes honestly.
"Because I'm tired. What do I really have left to live for anyway? I had a life, but I left it behind me in Egypt. I had a lover, but he betrayed me. Besides, he died thousands of years ago, just like everyone else that I knew. It was alright when I had a purpose; to help Yugi and his friends with the duels and save your world, but they don't need me anymore. I've done my job and saved everybody, no one needs me now." The pharaoh said, the dizzy feeling washing heavily over him.
Kaiba listened to Yami's words and saw the truth in his eyes, angry that Yugi and his friends, who claimed to care about each other so much, could have missed all this. But perhaps he still had time, maybe he could fix things. There was something he'd been meaning to tell Yami for a long time and he couldn't think of a better moment than now. Besides, he might never get another chance. Nobody needed Yami? That wasn't true. Kaiba needed him.
"Yami, I-" He began, but he wasn't given a chance to finish because at that moment Yami gave a soft gasp and collapsed into Kaiba's arms, his eyes closed. Swearing, Kaiba quickly checked that Yami was still breathing and picked the unconscious game king up in his arms, carrying him out of his room, along the corridors and down the large staircase to the front door, opening it just as the ambulance pulled up, sirens screaming loudly.
The paramedics rushed out and took Yami from him, laying his limp body on a bed that seemed far too big for him and ignoring Kaiba as he climbed into the ambulance as well and sat opposite where Yami lay, being fussed over by the medics. The ambulance started up,ens ens still blaring, but Kaiba barely noticed. He kept his eyes locked on Yami's lips beneath the clear plastic mask he was now wearing, praying to anyone who would listen for Yami to keep breathing.

TBC

This was meant to be a one-shot, b dec decided to write it in two parts instead, just so that I could be a mean, mean authoress and leave it at a cliffhanger here. So Yam Yami going to live? Is Kaiba ever going to tell Yami how he feels? Am I ever going to stop listening to 'Mad World' over and over again?
Review, please, and tell me what you thought.