Author's Notes: I'm back, until I forget I am. Also, I'm still waiting for my AO3 invitation.

Warnings:

1. Typos, missing words, and wrong grammar will be scattered (I have no beta)

2. This will have out of character tendencies, without a doubt.

3. This is not DSOD compliant, I don't want it to be.

Where the End Stops and the Start Begins

CHAPTER ONE

Reaching the End of the Tightrope

They sat there again, as per usual – at the diner, where first of their many so-called dates had began. Jounouchi Katsuya, with a hamburger that was newly delivered by the corner of his hand together with what was probably a soda. Across him, Kaiba Seto, with coffee nestled safely inside an inelegant white paper cup. It was a sight that had been a rarity for those who do not frequent the place. Then again, nowadays, it was a rare sight to actually see these two men together. Perhaps, partially blamable to the schedule and the lives they lived – after all, it was tournament season.

It was already a miracle for Katsuya to convince his supposed boyfriend to have a quick break with him before the former would leave a the tournament in the afternoon. Katsuya looked at the man before him – there were so many changes since they had graduated.

"Is there something wrong?" Seto asked after sipping from his cup. "Your food will get cold."

The other shook his head and decided to reach for the hamburger that he was reminder of. "Nothin' much," Katsuya smiled before he decided to dig in.

"You don't seem to be in the mood." The latter responded, carefully watching every movement made by his partner. "Is there something the matter? Are you nervous?"

"As if, you know I have it in the bag." Katsuya grinned widely; knowing well enough that the act would put him at ease. "Just a bit tired, I was rushing the new designs last night just so I could play properly today."

Seto nodded in acknowledgement.

Their relationship was running for almost two years. It started four years after high school and a year after he started joining the workforce – Katsuya recalled. How it began was as anticlimactic as possible. There was no explosive romance or pent-up sexual tension, if anyone had to expect. What it was was the growth of mutual affection of each other.

If memory served him right, Katsuya had returned from America – after his first year of work. Why he was there in the first place was because of his mother. At the time, she decided to patch things up with him, with the help of Shizuka, and to provide whatever else she missed out on giving him. First was to keep him away from her abusive ex-husband and the next was to give him another chance at having a real family. She flew him and his sister out to San Francisco, where they had become a happy bunch, even upon her marriage to her military boyfriend.

For the most part, Katsuya remembered missing his friends who were in Domino (save Anzu who decided to pursue performance art in another part of America, particularly in New York). Nevertheless, he was grateful for the opportunity to start fresh. For the first time, without Yugi, he found a place he belonged. Consequently, Katsuya graduated with a respectable degree in Arts and Design – in turn, however, the hard work he had to subject himself into meant less time and opportunity to get around the U.S. dueling circuit. He was lucky enough to have had Pegasus J. Crawford rediscover him through his artworks, and had him on-board as one of the newest card designers.

Katsuya should have probably thanked Pegasus for the chance. After all, it was nice to have some sort of semblance of the good things from his past. Moreover, it was what brought him and Seto back in each other's orbits. They had seen each other a handful of time, when Seto would visit for business.

It was not the best re-meetings. Seto was, at the time, still every bit of a jerk he remembered from high school. Only older, taller, fuller, and more settled down – where his attitude was concerned. Or, perhaps, Seto had felt it as well: the niceness of having something familiar back. Their fights evidently decreased in intensity, they evolved into soft bickers and taunts – to which Pegasus enjoyed and made the most of it when Seto was in town. It was in one of the lunches they had together that triggered Katsuya's return to Japan.

Seto was looking for a fresher marketing strategy for his technology, a more relatable appeal to a new audience. Perhaps the younger businessman had mentioned it in passing, which prodded the suggestion of turning Katsuya into one of those influencers. Since Katsuya also passively implied to the oldest that he did miss dueling in one of their after hours sessions.

Seto and Katsuya's arrangements, of course, took some time to consider. However, with much convincing from Pegasus, Mokuba, and Yugi (whom Pegasus also suggested but would only sign if he could convince Katsuya), Seto caved. Katsuya agreed a couple of weeks later; it was his stepdad, Shizuka, and – ultimately – his mother that urged him.

The two men flew back to Japan a couple of months after Katsuya had fixed his papers – NDA's that claimed he was to work for Industrial Illusions remotely and under a pseudonym Joey Wheeler in order to avoid accusations of being biased for when he actually dueled. Katsuya and Yugi then made their debut as the official endorsers for KaibaCorp. a few months later. Another set of months, he and Seto decided to be together.

Katsuya smiled more to himself, before he took another bite of his burger. He admitted to have developed some sort of a crush on the Seto. After one of their morning meetings together with the KaibaCorp. PR Marketing team, Katsuya had decided to make workspace of the diner that was right in front of the KC building. Seto had joined him on a whim and paid for the both of them, every time he was free. During one of those days Katsuya blurted: "Careful, rich boy. I might start to think we're together."

The diner had become their place from then on.

"How much time do you have before you leave for the tournament?" Seto asked as he eyed his wristwatch. In their time together, Katsuya learned to understand that the phrase, time means money. The latter, Katsuya thought, breathe and lived for time. And with the nature of the gaming industry, it was unquestionable. "Do you need a lift? You can take one of the company cars."

"Nah, the bus is better." The other answered thoughtfully. "Limos are cool and all, but with crowd waiting in line, I'm pretty sure it'd be hard to get to the back entrance. Thanks though."

"Whatever you're comfortable with, Katsuya." Seto nodded. "I'll try to catch the games."

"That'd be cool! Yugi will be thrilled if you could – it's the gramps' anniversary tourney."

"And it is also KaibaCorp.-sponsored. I want to see if the branding guidelines have been followed."

Katsuya rolled his eyes. "You have a marketing team to check that." He smiled as he leaned forward. "Just admit you miss dueling and you miss us."

Seto snorted, yet a small smile crept onto his face before he looked out the window. "Maybe."

Their relationship started on a tentative note. Katsuya never truly understood back then if Seto had reciprocated his feelings. Who could have, anyway? The response was a curt, "I don't mind." He remembered the way they danced around each other and the idea even when they met at the diner. The topic had presented itself openly, but none of them were even willing to bring it up. Katsuya, himself, could not gather the usual courage he had to ask.

He merely waited for something, anything to happen.

Then they kissed – or, rather, Katsuya kissed Seto. It happened in the private space of Seto's office, after a business party they had to attend. Yugi had been dropped off at the shop a few moments before then and Mokuba decided to stay back with his date, much to Seto's chagrin. Katsuya remembered that Seto made a beeline for his desk and sat to work on a few documents as soon as an idea popped-up after Yugi got off.

Katsuya enjoyed that about him – the passion and hard work he invested into his projects. It was amidst the feeling of enjoyment that Katsuya, at a spur of the moment, moved behind the desk and landed his lips on Seto's. It was chaste, without ulterior motive beyond that. Nonetheless, the way their lips felt against each other felt like pieces of the puzzle that fit together. Then they pulled away, with a smile on each other's face before Seto slowly returned to his paperwork and before Katsuya decided to admire the cityscape.

The first time they had sex happened a month after. During one of the stormy Domino nights, Katsuya offered his apartment to Seto – after having his car breakdown not too far off from his complex. It was a bad day, the other thought as the latter banged on his door. Katsuya opened it as soon as he heard, revealing a slightly drenched CEO whose umbrella could not hold-up against the strong winds. They ended up with a decently made dinner and a classic horror movie on the television. Somehow, between discussing which were the best monsters and the gap between their bodies, they had ended up feeling each other.

Soon enough, the two were entangled in Katsuya's bed with clothes cast away on the floor and with sullied sheets dancing in between their bodies. They way Seto traced every line on Katsuya had sent shivers down his spine, the same way Seto's kisses did – as they nipped and claimed every inch of the other. Katsuya had had sex before, multiple times with men and women during his university years; however, none of his partners had him writhing and moaning in pleasure the way the latter made him. Never in his life did Katsuya foresee one Kaiba Seto inside of him, feeling him – filling him.

In the morning, Seto was gone.

Like their diner getaways and their private kisses, sex in Katsuya's apartment became a staple. It was five months into whatever they were that Katsuya decided they had been in a relationship. After all, they did whatever couples did – aside from their dates, which ended up in the diner or at Katsuya's place, their kisses, and their sex life, they argued about the things couples usually argued about and gifted each other presents for their own respective reasons. Regardless of the absence of interchanging I love you's.

They still have not said it though.

Katsuya, who initiated everything else, thought it was Seto's turn.

Was it healthy? In fact, was their whole relationship healthy? Katsuya had no clue, and there was no one to compare notes with too. It seemed to have been an unspoken rule between them to keep things under wraps. Katsuya, while normally one to talk, never sought his friends or his family to speak about it just as Seto seemed to have preferred to keep Mokuba in the dark. It was perhaps for the best, as well. Dueling for KaibaCorp. while still maintaining an NDA under Industrial Illusions was already quite a challenge, after all.

Katsuya wished he could ask someone though, anyone.

He was happy, undoubtedly – however, in the almost-two years of their relationship, he could not fathom if Seto truly was. He had learned all there was about the CEO, every body language the latter could speak behind his words; however Katsuya knew there were still shoes he could not fill as much as there was a distance he still could not close. And, maybe, Seto was unaware of them.

At least, Katsuya wished he was.

"But if you can then you should." Katsuya said carefully, as he looked at Seto straight in the eye "Since it's also Atem's anniversary too."

Seto shifted a bit, but it was enough for Katsuya to catch the reaction he so often saw when there was any mention of Yugi's other self. Katsuya had seen it numerous of times, in high school, in San Francisco, and even during their current circumstances. Before, the other chalked it up to the fact that Seto was too proud to admit his losses against Atem – that he kept seeking for a rematch that would never happen. However, with a relationship as long as theirs, the obsession was bordering uncomfortable.

Katsuya did not want to admit it – that maybe Seto had never moved on from Yugi's darker half. That Seto valued time to the point he was frozen in it, looking for the familiarity that Katsuya could not provide.

"We have around thirty more minutes before your lunch meeting, yeah?" Katsuya said as he broke away from his phone's lock screen. "I'll make this quick." He continued, with a gulp of his soda.

"Make what quick, exactly?" Seto replied, and the concern that laced his voice earlier returned. With his coffee cup emptied and discarded to the side, he no longer had an absorber of his well-kept tension. Katsuya noted to himself as he remembered how easy it was to stress the latter out despite the years of work experience.

"Damn it, why do I have to suck at words…?" Katsuya seethed to himself before looking up to Seto. His lips set in a thin line. "I'm tired of being fourth place, Seto." He finally confessed. "I can take being third, after Mokuba and the KaibaCorp. – since, you know, one is family and the other is an empire you worked hard for. But I can't compete with someone with a dead man."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Atem." Seto twitched and Katsuya frowned. "Look me in the eye and tell me the truth, Kaiba –" the other breathed heavily upon the escape of the latter's last name from his lips. It was something Katsuya had not done in a while. "Have you moved on from Atem?"

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Seto released a heavy sigh. "Would you please explain what has gotten inside your mind, Katsuya? What sort of work of fiction polluted your brain?"

"It's not fiction when it's real." The other retorted as he crossed his arms, as though he was protecting himself from an impending rush of pain. "It's okay. I'm ready for this."

"Katsuya—"

"—I see the way you shift every time his name is mentioned. Your sketches for your new tech always involve the Dark Magician. You watch videos of his duels as though he comes alive every time you put it on. You even offered to sponsor and watch the tournament today. At first, I thought you just didn't have the chance to play him again, but—"

"Would you please listen—"

"—the other night, you called him in your sleep again." Katsuya finished with his eyes, straight at Seto. "How do I fair against someone you don't want to let go?"

Then there was a stunned silence between the two. It would have been a moment to poke fun of the latter, Katsuya thought. However, with the circumstances, it was something he did not have the strength for. His heart, after all, was breaking.

"I was happy though, I hope you were too – for what it was worth." Katsuya started once more, in an awkward attempt to clear the air. "The sex was great," he managed to quip; however inappropriate it was. "Good thing we kept this all to ourselves, huh? This break-up would have been a PR nightmare."

"Are you done with this joke?" Seto finally spoke; his voice was too icy for comfort. His eyes, however, were – for the first time in the time they have spent – unreadable. "Because I'm still waiting for the punch line, and if that was

it then I would like you to rethink your humor."

"Geez, you're really making this hard, Seto." Katsuya answered with a lopsided grin. "We're breaking up, if there was ever anything to break up to begin with."

"Has it not occurred to you that we invested so much into making us work," Seto fired back. "to just have it all finish right now – you know what, let's talk about it after the tournament."

"I don't think there's anything to talk about anymore if you can't stop looking for Atem."

The silence returned once more.

"See, you don't even have a rebuttal against that." Katsuya muttered as he began to set himself up to leave the diner. "As per our contract, I'll stick it out for one more year until it expires and abide to what I've signed-up for – I've decided. Then you can choose if you want to keep me or something." He continued, "Don't be a stranger, yeah? Oh, and happy anniversary."

Just like that, Katsuya was out of the diner – deaf to the way Seto had called just as he disappeared through the doors.

The Kame Prix ended near midnight, with Katsuya and Yugi vying for championship. It was an unsurprising yet exciting turn of events, which still earned them the cheer of the crowd and fellow duelists. What was more exhilarating was the presence of their friends, all of which made time to celebrate the competition. Of course, it was the first death anniversary of Yugi's late grandfather and a tribute to Atem's eighth year of passing over. Perhaps it was a selfish thought, after all, the event was made in memory of one Mutou Sugoroku and one Pharaoh Atem, but Katsuya felt relieved to be surrounded by his friends for his own sake.

He was even more so ecstatic to have been crowned champion, winning against Yugi by a close match. Not that Katsuya needed to gloat – since his return to dueling, battles between him and his best friend often resulted into alternating wins, to which Katsuya had already grown used to. Nevertheless, the championship was a welcomed change of mood against what he had to settle earlier that day. Moreover, while Katsuya was well aware of the pettiness, he found himself proud to at least have won something against Atem – never mind that it was really just Mutou Yugi, his mere reincarnation.

"Congratulations, hun!" Kujaku Mai, who Yugi contacted to host the tournament, announced on the microphone as she watched Katsuya climb on stage.

His best friend, Yugi, was in tow.

"Thanks!" Katsuya smiled as he felt Mai's arm wrap around his shoulders.

"That was one heck of a fight, a great way to honor Mr. Mutou and our dear friend, Atem!" Mai continued, "Do you have anything to say?"

"Nothing really, just thankful that Yugi invited me to play." Katsuya answered as he shot his friend a respectful smile.

Which earned him a small shake of the head – "it's no big deal, Jou." Yugi replied with a smile of his own. "We're practically family, anyway."

"Oh, we also have a special guest!" Mai. "Kaiba Mokuba, come up here, darling."

"Thanks Mai," Mokuba appeared through the side stage with a bright expression. "Seto wanted to make it," the young man began as he approached both Katsuya and Yugi with two bouquets. "But he got held up again, you know how it is." He said as he presented each man with his own set of flowers. "But he had these flown in for the top players."

Katsuya stared at the flowers in his hands – Egyptian Lotus. He recognized them with the many times he had been in Seto reading about Egypt. Reminiscing the time spent with Atem, Katsuya presumed.

"Would you look at that," the lone woman on-stage whistled. That's pretty sweet of Kaiba."

"Send my regards and gratitude again, for helping us with the event." Yugi's comment followed suit. "Right, Jou? Jou, are you okay?"

Katsuya looked to the close few around him, with the abrupt realization that his cheeks were damp. "Sorry," he hid in an excuse as he pretended to sniff. "I think I'm allergic." Katsuya whispered, yet his hold around the bouquet had all but loosened.

At that point, Katsuya had multiple wishes: he wished he could talk to Yugi about it, or anyone of his friends. He wished it were Seto coming for him. Ultimately, Katsuya wished Seto asked him to stay instead.

Tears continued to stream down his face.

TO BE CONTINUED