Title: Scenes Series
Author: bnomiko
Rating: PG-13
Pairing(s): Yami + Seto
Spoilers: none
Warnings: swearing
Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! is the creation of Kazuki Takahashi. This is a not-for-profit fanwork and I do not own any of these characters.
Summary: Newly hired guard Mahad makes a big impression during an incident at the mansion.
Status: 1 / 4
Archived at: http://www.phenixsol.com/Miko/FF/

This is a SHONEN-AI fic (male + male romantic relationship). If you are offended by homosexual relationships, please do not read this. Flames will be disregarded.

Setup for this arc:

Setup for this particular fic:

* * *

Crime Scene

Scenes Series

* * *

Damn car, go faster! Seto raged even though he was easily doing at least double the speed limit on the road leading into his neighborhood. Thankfully it was late morning and the streets were relatively empty of both residents and cops, not that any of that was on his mind.

The young CEO had been at work for only two hours but was now rushing home as if the house were on fire. It might as well have been. Threats were threats, regardless of the type or the source…

Just thinking about it made his teeth clench in rage and his foot grind down even harder on the gas pedal. Despite all the security measures he’d taken, someone had managed to climb the wall surrounding the mansion grounds and gotten onto the property while Yami was at home, asleep.

At least he was being kept up to date on things as they were happening, now that Yami was up and about. Nothing was damaged; no one was hurt, not even the intruder. A security officer had chased the man down – apparently the intruder had been running away from a furious Kuriboh – and tackled him. The police had been called and were already on scene. Isono was there too, having left Kaiba Corp. the second he’d heard about it.

Seto had followed suit mere minutes later, yet it felt to him like he wasn’t doing enough, like he hadn’t acted fast enough.

His heart wouldn’t stop pounding even when he pulled past the gates and spotted Yami on the front lawn, wedged between two ponies, Isono and another security guard. The ex-spirit was only wearing a robe and lounge pants and his hair was a bit messy, but otherwise he looked perfectly fine as he waved at Seto. That still didn’t make the tall duelist feel better. Seto hit the brakes hard, jumped out of the car, and ran over to engulf Yami in a huge hug.

"Are you sure you’re okay?" Seto asked breathlessly.

Yami tried to pull away just a bit so that he wasn’t having to answer into Seto’s chest, but when his lover wouldn’t relent he sighed and mentally told him, I’m fine. Really. The guy didn’t get close to the house. I didn’t even see anything until after the fact.

With his face still half buried in Yami’s hair, Seto barked at Isono, "What happened?"

The security chief jerked to attention and tried to arrange what little he’d learned into a coherent summary. "Well, uh… Mr. Kaiba, we were unable to get much information out of the intruder. He did not appear to be stable or cooperative. Thankfully Mahad was able to stop him promptly and hold him until the police arrived."

Seto looked the other guard over. The man was tall and slender, with dark hair and a tan complexion. For a moment Seto felt a sense of déjà vu wash over him… he was almost certain he knew this man from some place, and not just from seeing him out of the corner of his eye in the lobby or as a blur in the guard station outside the house. Even odder was the strange combination of trust and dislike that struck at the same moment. He had no idea why he had such a strong reaction to someone he’d just met, but he chalked it up to the fact that he was stressed out and unsettled at the moment.

On the heels of that initial reaction came Mahad’s personnel file, popping into his head courtesy of his photographic memory. The man had been hired only a few weeks ago. He had first come to Domino as a military guard accompanying the priceless ancient artifacts that had been on display when Ishizu Ishtar had first met Seto’s acquaintance. He had apparently liked Domino enough to move back a few years later, accompanied by his younger cousin Mana, the tiny sprite of a girl who’d been working in their stables for the past several months. She’d given him an application for a position on the security team; he’d interviewed well with both Isono and Mokuba and had Ishizu’s recommendation on top of that, so Seto had approved the hire without ever meeting him.

Well, formal introductions could wait until later. Seto lifted his hand and gestured at his own temple. The guard removed his sunglasses and tucked them into a pocket, receiving a nod in return.

"All right, so what happened?" Seto asked, wanting a first hand account of what had occurred. It was important; he needed to know if they needed more guards, more cameras… or razor wire and a pack of attack dogs.

"I was on duty monitoring the cameras and thought I saw movement on one of the screens. Though I thought it was unlikely that someone could have scaled the wall, I went to investigate after informing my fellow guard of my intentions. I then noticed a figure moving about behind security housing. When I requested that he identify himself, he began running. I gave chase. Your… little horses joined in, startling and distracting the intruder. I was able to catch up and throw him to the ground and hold him until authorities arrived."

So there wasn’t much else to the story, at least not at this point in time. Seto made a mental note to contact the police later for additional information. He really wanted to know who the intruder was, whether he really was just some crazy person who’d chosen the wrong wall to jump, or if he was a stalker or some other form of threat gunning for his family. "I see…"

"He would not have reached the house. I would’ve staked my life on it; I know Mr. Yami was inside," Mahad added.

"Just ‘Yami’ is fine," the ex-spirit muttered into Seto’s shirt, not that anyone could hear him.

Seto finally released Yami to slowly, thoughtfully scratch his ponies behind their ears. Kuriboh and Kuribon seemed satisfied with their reward for their part in the intruder’s capture and after a minute went back to grazing in circles around the group.

The young billionaire turned his attention back to Mahad, staring right into the man’s eyes. Mahad met his gaze and held it. While it was a relief to know that Mahad understood what was important, Seto wondered why this guard was so eagerly offering to protect Yami with his life. Was he that dedicated to duty, or…

Seto fought the urge to scowl since they were still having a staring contest. Could Mahad have some interest in Yami? The guy did come to Domino all the way from Egypt… and Seto found it hard to believe he’d do so just because he’d become enamored of the city. Maybe he was a closet Duel Monsters fanatic and wanted to get closer to the King of Games? Or maybe he’d noticed that Yami was the pharaoh on the memorial tablet and that had gotten his attention? That seemed a bit farfetched, but Seto always figured it was better to be paranoid than blissfully unaware.

Still, loyalty was paramount. He’d just have to keep an eye on Mahad, make sure he didn’t get too friendly with Yami, and everything would be fine.

"Thank you," Seto finally said, breaking the silent stalemate. But he couldn’t resist slinging an arm around Yami’s shoulders to pull him close again, all while watching Mahad’s reaction.

If Mahad thought anything of it, he gave no sign. He simply nodded courteously.

Yami looked up at the two of them, then turned back to his boyfriend. Seto was being weird but then again, he tended to act up when stressed – thankfully Mokuba and Noa hadn’t been the ones at home! But Yami thought his boyfriend was overreacting in this case, just a bit. After all, even if the intruder had gotten into the house, he was far from helpless. By the way, if it came down to it, you know I can protect myself, Yami pointed out as he folded his arms across his bare chest, looking almost regal despite the robe and pajamas.

Seto’s lips twitched into a smile. Yes, but you shouldn’t have to.

I just don’t want you to worry.

Isono had been watching them carefully during their silent exchange, but once he noticed that they were most likely done, he spoke up to assure his employer. "Mr. Kaiba, if you’d like… I could remain at the mansion today and check over our security equipment and procedures to ensure that this doesn’t happen again. I’ll also follow up with the authorities. And Mahad could assist at corporate for the remainder of the day."

Seto juggled his options in his head. The suggestion wasn’t bad. If Isono said he’d take care of it, he would. But Mahad too had proven himself capable at his job. There was really no reason to pull both of them away from their duties, and yet… well, wouldn’t this be the ideal opportunity for him to get a better read on Mahad?

So finally, Seto slowly nodded his assent and asked Mahad, "I assume you’ve been trained to perform a driver’s duties as well?"

"Yes, sir."

"I’ll have you drive me back to corporate then. I need to make up for the time I’ve lost this morning." Mahad gave him a quick bow and disappeared into the garage to fetch a suitable vehicle. "And Yami…"

"It’ll be okay. Isono will be here; you know you can count on him," Yami reminded his boyfriend.

Seto nodded again. He wasn’t going to relax until he got Isono’s reports, but this was about a good a result as he could expect, given the circumstances.

Besides, Mahad seems very reliable, as reliable as Isono. I think he’s a good fit for this position. So don’t worry so much.

Seto quirked a brow at that. Maybe he ought to have Mahad and Isono switch shifts for the rest of the week…

… He’s not at all my type, you know.

Seto’s other brow went up. He grunted.

Yami grinned. Seto’s jealousy was unwarranted, but it also meant he’d found something to do with his mind other than worry all day. And that made Yami feel a lot better too. "Have a good rest of the day, Baby. I’ll see you when you get home."

"Yeah…" And Yami?

Hmm?

Could you just humor me and put on a shirt?

Yami just laughed as he took Seto’s hand and kissed it as the limo swung into view. Yes, I will.

* * *

Author’s Notes:

January 31, 2011