A/N: For a while, I've been editing and posting my Hetalia fanfiction on my Tumblr, but I started to run dry and hit a road block. So, I decided to try to write something else for another fandom. I'm coming back to Yu-Gi-Oh! I'll be editing those old stories and putting them on my Tumblr as well! This here is just some thing I was trying and I ended up liking it! It's Rivalshipping and the smutty version should be posted soon on my Tumblr: yanki-tan . tumblr . com. This here is just the teasing non-smut version. Sorry, guys. I'm off to go write the smut! Until then, enjoy this! ^_^

LonelyHearts2008

Seto Kaiba's greatest achievement was KaibaCorp. He put his all into his business and with his hard work, KaibaCorp had become a monolithic company, manufacturing everything from gaming implements to medical equipment. However, no matter how successful his company was, after days of being up to his eyes in paperwork, Kaiba longed for a break.

He would never say a vacation; he was needed at all times, so it wouldn't end up being much of a vacation, but he would have liked some time to catch up on reading or help Mokuba with his homework or even just some time to breathe.

As usual, Kaiba was in his office, his desk swamped with contracts, patents, sketches and other such paperwork. After signing his approval on a few papers, he straightened his back, pinching the bridge of his nose. He folded his hands across his lap and spun around in his chair to face the large window behind him.

"I wonder what the weather is like today," he thought.

His eyes roamed about, following cars his attention locked on, people hurrying down the street with bags or children or bags and children in tow.

"How long has it been since I last dueled?"

Two years.

Two years ago, Kaiba went on many adventures that tested his skepticism. He missed the constant goings-on, but he prefered to leave the danger accompanied alone. That ended when the Pharaoh left for the afterworld.

Yugi.

It had also been two years since he last saw Yugi. Two years since he last dueled Yugi. He thought fondly of that strange boy and his strange friends. What did Yugi end up doing after high school? Was he alright? Was he even still alive? He hadn't heard Yugi's name mentioned in the news lately. Was Yugi still dueling? Had he retired?

His thoughts were interrupted by the feedback of the intercom system.

"Mr. Kaiba?"

Kaiba quickly spun back to his desk, sighing at the work he still had left.

"Make it quick. I'm busy," he snapped.

"A Yugi Muto is here to see you, sir," replied his secretary.

Finally! Some excitement!

He perked up, smirking.

"Send him up."

The secretary shook her head, turning back to the smiling boy.

"Normally, Mr. Kaiba doesn't let anyone see him without a prior appointment, aside from his brother. You must be very important to him."

Yugi blushed faintly, silently wondering what she was insinuating.

"Oh, no," he finally said, "I'm just an old high school acquaintance of his. That's all."

She handed him an appointment card.

"His office is on the 20th floor. Please enjoy your stay at Kaiba Corporation."

A knock to his office door. Kaiba sat up as professionally as he could. After all, he was expecting company.

"Come in," he said pleasantly.

The large oak door swung open, Yugi stepping inside slowly.

"Close the door behind you."

Yugi did as told, nervously turning back to the desk.

"I-it's been a while...hasn't it, Kaiba?" Yugi asked nervously.

Kaiba acknowledged his statement with a breath, rising from his chair to stand before the much shorter man.

"It has."

Yugi looked away, that feeling of being looked down on rising in his chest. He swallowed a lump, recalling his other half's confidence. Hesitantly, he stood straight, rigid and confident, looking Kaiba in the eye. The CEO's blue eyes widened, then narrowed, peering over to a couch against the wall.

"Why don't you have a seat, Yugi?" Kaiba finally said, still taken aback with Yugi's show of confidence.

Glancing at the blue carpet, Yugi strode past Kaiba to sit, Kaiba once more taking his chair. The taller man folded his hands under his chin.

"So, Yugi. Have you been dueling recently?"

Yugi inhaled a sharp breath.

"That's it?"

"What do you mean?" Kaiba asked, cutting his eyes.

"It's been two years! You don't know whether I was alive or dead! I don't get a, 'how have you been, Yugi?' or 'how's life been treating you?'," Yugi complained.

Kaiba's eyes sharpened icily. "If you wanted that, you should have gone to see a friend. Surely, Jonouchi would have spoken with you," he spat.

"I thought I was coming to see a friend..." Yugi said matter-of-factly.

The two had a silent, cold stare-off, crackling blue meeting glistening amethyst. Kaiba was the first to look away, leaving Yugi in shock.

"You shouldn't have come here."

"I came because I wanted to talk to a friend. I've offered my friendship to you for so long, Kaiba, and I know you don't see me as a friend, but haven't you ever thought about how I felt?"

Kaiba turned back to his adversary, a look of cold confusion. "Yugi..."

"I held out an olive branch and you smacked it out of my hand every time. After everything we went through together, I thought I could call us mutual friends, but I guess not. I wanted a friend to talk to and I came to you because at least I know where you are," Yugi explained.

Kaiba watched the downtrodden boy move toward the door.

"I'm sorry, Kaiba. I shouldn't have wasted your time."

Before he could process it, Kaiba found himself thundering across the room to embrace Yugi, holding him tightly against his chest. Confused, Yugi pushed against him in a futile attempt to see him released.

"Kaiba, le-"

"I've thought about you, Yugi."

Yugi knitted his brows together. "What?"

"I think about you; what you've been doing, how you've been doing, where you've been. I guess you could say...I missed you."

Yugi pushed his hands against Kaiba's chest once more, but the man's embrace only tightened.

"I'm sorry..." Kaiba whispered into his hair.

"Why the change of heart?" asked Yugi.

"I can't deny what I've been feeling anymore. Simple as."

Kaiba pulled away, holding Yugi at arm's length.

"Don't leave. Stay a little longer?"

Yugi smiled, swayed by Kaiba's words.

"Of course!"

Kaiba decided to stop working to spend time with his rival. They sat on the couch, Yugi on one end, Kaiba on the other. Despite their awkward seating, they managed to carry on a conversation, much less awkward than the glances they passed when the other wasn't looking.

"Say, Kaiba?"

"Yes?"

"Do you remember the last time we spent time together?" inquired Yugi.

How could he forget? That was the encounter that left Yugi a permanent fixture in Kaiba's mind. He found himself drifting to that memory during work. It brought him solace at night.

"I know you didn't mean for it to happen, but -"

"Why would you assume I didn't intend for it to happen without asking me?" asked Kaiba.

Yugi smiled forlornly. "Because you were really trying to make love to the other me."

Kaiba shook his head. "No. I sent him away for a reason."

"But, he was going to leave soon. Didn't you want to make your mark on him?"

"No," said Kaiba. "I wanted to make my mark on you. However, it didn't go over as planned."

"What do you mean?"

The CEO sighed, lacing his fingers under his nose. "I left that room that night with so many feelings. For two years, I haven't known what to do with them."

Yugi shook his head, brows furrowed in confusion.

"I wanted a relationship to come out of our tryst, but nothing happened. We carried on as normal from then on. Then, we lost contact and I was confused. So, I told myself that those feelings were a lie, that you and I only had sex out of necessity. To fill a carnal need," explained Kaiba.

"That's not why I did it," Yugi said.

"Then why?"

Yugi resisted the urge to smile at Kaiba's rare bout of insecurity.

"I looked up to you. When you began attending school with us, I thought we would become fast friends because of our similarities, but I soon found out that you were a loner. I forgave you for everything. I wanted to be your friend. After Battle City, I saw you change a lot, but my hopes for friendship - no - not even friendship, maybe just an alliance of some sort, still hadn't come to fruition. That night was my last chance because I knew I wouldn't be able to be near you like that again. You would go back to your busy life and I would go back to mine. But, I came out of that with stronger feelings and I knew you just wouldn't agree," said Yugi.

Kaiba smiled, running a hand through his hair. "Seems I wasn't the only one to come out of that with feelings I couldn't explain."

Yugi smiled coyly. "Would...you like to try again?"

The CEO smirked, walking over to his desk.

"It's me. Cancel my appointments. Something's come up."