Work Text:
“In the beginning, KaibaCorp made man–” came the rather...narcissistic first few words of his fourth attempt at a first draft of the speech Seto was trying to chip away at on his computer. A speech for the latest release of...even he didn’t remember at this point, the rumble of his own stomach drowning out his thoughts.
“That’s terrible, bro” Mokuba muttered rather loudly as he looked over his elder sibling’s shoulder. “...Even for you!”
“I don’t hear you helping…”
“You didn’t ask. Plus, you never ask for help writing these dry speeches! You feeling okay?”
Seto groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose, feeling a hunger headache trying to form. It was nearly lunchtime, and for a change hunger was actually negging at him. “Is it Company Lunch day?”
Mokuba glanced shortly at his tablet and nodded. “Yup! And pizza won the vote.”
+++++
A short time later, a rather rundown but still very capable car screeched to a stop outside of the intimidatingly sized KaibaCorp building. Not too soon after, a blonde figure quite begrudgingly made his way up the set of stairs leading into the building. As he got closer, he began to worry and wonder how he was going to open the doors with his arms occupied by the stack of pizzas he was carrying.
The sudden rush of the crisp, cool air conditioning rushing through his hair took his pondering scowl and the torment of summer's heat outside away. “Of course ‘dis place would have automatic doors..” he grumbled to himself, approaching the receptionist desk. The walk from the door to said desk was unnecessarily long and Joey found himself turning his head in all directions, taking in the pristine yet cold atmosphere.
“Welcome. Oh, yes. Those must be for the main break room.” came the surprisingly friendly tone from the clerk at the desk. Joey took a slight breather, setting the hot and deliciously fragrant boxes on the countertop.
“Great! Mind tellin’ me where ‘dat is?” His tone was polite, but apparently his choice of words wasn't, for all he got was a point down a corridor to the left of the desk and a curt, “That way.” Excited to be done with visiting KaibaCorp, Joey took up the stack of pizza boxes once again and made his way down the instructed corridor. However, down said hall only led to another hallway–that led to another hallway that was entirely made of plexiglass.
“Whooooaaa!!” came the awestruck gasp from the now most certainly lost delivery man. “‘Dis is sooo cool!” His awe showed no bounds as he carefully stepped onto the first panel of see through material. Even after a few steps, he crept along carefully, the view of one of Domino City’s roads directly below him full of cars zipping through traffic right below his feet.
+++
Within the main break room, Seto Kaiba stood with crossed arms, very much impatiently waiting for his lunch that he was notified arrived ten minutes ago. He glared so hard at the door it was a surprise it wasn't melting.
Moments later, the sound of hurried footsteps became audible from down the hall. Thankfully for whomever this delivery person was, it was not a moment too soon. The office door flung open, Joey’s back against it due to his arms occupied with the near dozen boxes of pizza.
“It’s about ti–” Seto nearly roared, but his words stopped the moment he caught sight of just who had delivered his damned food so damn late! “Wheeler?!!”
“Gah!! Kaiba?!” Joey gasped. “What are you doin’ he–”
“Well this is KaibaCorp," Seto interrupted. "and I work here, dumbass! First you have the nerve to be late, then have more gall to somehow get stupider instead of handing over the order?!”
Joey shrank slightly under the hangry glare and harsher than normal words that sprang out of his bitter enemy’s mouth. An action that Seto caught onto, a smug smile quickly replacing his upset scowl.
“Aww, now look at you–-whimpering and cowering in fear like the puppy dog you pretend not to be.”
“Heeey!! Ya got a lotta lip for someone who hasn’t paid for their food yet!” Joey fought back as best as he could, his tired arms still holding the delivery. Oh right–-he was holding a bunch of pizzas! It was Joey’s turn to smirk, but his was far more devilish. ‘Now ’dere’s an idea! I could just smash ‘dese pizzas over ‘dis rich boy’s stupid head! Yeah, ‘dat’ll teach him!~’ he thought slyly.
“Again your stupidity knows zero bounds. We prepaid.” came Seto’s thorny reply, pointing to the clearly bolded and circled -PAID- on the receipt sticking out under the top two boxes of pizza in Joey’s arms. A detail he clearly couldn’t see currently–but should’ve at least noticed on the drive over...! Or at least knew beforehand, being the delivery driver and all!
Joey flinched, realizing he’d no longer be able to take the loss of the cost of pizza if he acted on his plan. Also a few other thoughts came to mind as well, losing his job was one for starters! Then again, how cool would it be to brag to Yugi that he smacked the Seto Kaiba with a face full of pizza? Then again, Seto was certainly the ‘will sue you for everything you and your future spawn will ever have’ type…
“Grr...Here! Just take your damn pizzas so I can get da hell outta ‘dis maze of a place!”
“Maze? We’re just down the h–” Mokuba was cut off by Seto practically shoving an individual sized pizza in his little brother’s arms. “Whoo hoo!! I got mine first!” he cheered, forgetting what he was even mentioning in favor of his pepperoni and mac and cheese topped pizza.
“Be quicker next time. Now leave before I decide not to tip you, mutt.” Seto remarked, grabbing the stacked boxes rather easily from Joey’s arms.
With another growl, Joey scoffed and made tracks for the exit; not needing to have to be told twice to leave.
“Man, what a jerk!” he shouted the moment the automatic doors shut behind him upon leaving the building. “Treatin’ me like ‘dat...I did him a service, damn it! If I ever gotta deliver here again I’ll–”
A loud ping suddenly erupted from his phone. He angrily checked the messages, thinking it was his boss gripping about where the hell he was. But no, it was a message that invoked a completely different reaction. He had been tipped! Rather generously, too!
“Whoooaa, I could get my car a new muffler with dis..!!”
Suddenly making another delivery to KaibaCorp didn’t seem like such a pain in the ass. It was a pain for his arms, though!
+++
~One week later~
“Mokuba, isn't it about time to make the call for Company Lunch?”
Mokuba froze mid keystroke from his work and looked at his brother with begging eyes. “Please bro, not more pizza!”
“Pizza? Again? Well, if you insist.”
“BRO!!! C’mon! Company Lunch is only supposed to happen once a week–its been seven days of thiiiiiisss...!”
“I know. Such a generous boss I’m being, aren't I?”
“Setoooo, my stomach can’t handle cheese anymore this week! No--this lifetime!”
“Fine, I’ll get you some damn breadsticks. Now hurry and put in the order, Wheeler’s delivery shift started not too long ago.”
Mokuba scowled at his brother and how he was handling whatever this bizarre revenge was. For someone who hated Joey Wheeler so much, Seto certainly poured a good amount of company time into researching as much about his workplace, and thus his schedule, as possible.
As for his social schedule, he didn’t need to really research too much about that. Fortunately for Seto and rather unfortunately for Joey, Yugi Mouto worked at KaibaCorp as well! All it took was inviting the surprisingly talkative little shrimp into the office a few times during his lunch break (over pizza of course), which Kaiba gladly set aside time for--keen for any information on Joey divulged.
It was how he was able to find out a few things. To make ends meet while being a Pro Duelist (It took all of Seto's willpower to not roll his eyes) not only did Joey work as a pizza delivery man, but also did package delivery! It was almost too easy after that. For the week prior, Joey delivered his daily two dozen pizzas (which now required two trips from his car, mind you) to KaibaCorp--being pointed in the wrong direction each time.
Yes, if Joey only took a right instead of a left at the receptionist desk, he’d be to the main break room in a matter of moments, not walk an entire lap around the interior of the first floor first...!
Then like clockwork, shortly after Joey would start his part-time shift delivering packages he would wind up back at KaibaCorp. Not only delivering actual supplies an office needed like replacement staplers and the like, but some of the items were downright ridiculous. Who the hell needed an entire box of kinetic sand in various colours? Or a grocery run that consisted of nothing but 5 bags full to capacity with canned pears...in heavy syrup?! And those were just the first two days of the slow torture! Unlike with delivering the daily pizzas, Joey had to take these items to Seto’s main office--as per request from the front desk. At least Seto was gracious and made sure the elevator was being serviced suspiciously around both delivery times, however. How kind.
This time, however, Joey was fed up! His arms were already sore from the prior six days of this nonsense. But now, with his arms still tired from the lunch delivery of three (yes, three trips now) dozen pizzas, Joey had been specially requested to deliver a large rectangular shaped aquarium tank!
At first, Joey’s strength made somewhat easy work of lugging it out of the delivery van. But after carrying the awkward to hold and fragile tank up the front stairs, his stamina was showing wear. Watching the entire display from multiple feeds thanks to the many cameras within KaibaCorp, Seto smirked with sadistic satisfaction. These deliveries from Joey had been the best parts of his day for that entire week; and he had no intention of stopping.
After watching Joey struggle with not only bringing in the tank but also heaving it up the stairs with much effort and involving him making many strained or comical faces, Seto nearly had his fill of Joey-torment for the day. Nearly.
“Mr. Wheeler is here with today’s delivery sir...” came the voice of his personal receptionist; their voice barely masking how fed up they were at their own boss’s antics at this point! Calmly closing his computer’s private view of the cameras, he gave the receptionist the go-ahead to let Joey in. After a good few moments of Joey fumbling with the door, Seto was greeted with the large aquarium tank he certainly did not need being firmly placed on his desk.
“Here's your damn fish tank, Kaiba!! ‘Dis is da last one! Ya aint gettin' me to deliver one more thing to ya! No more of dis bullshit!”
Instead of looking insulted or even his usual brand of annoyed yet smugly interested Joey had grown used to seeing over the past week; Seto gave him an even look. Attention fully locked onto him, undivided and intense. Within moments, all the fight and fire Joey had in him seemed to get tampered down. What the hell was he looking directly at him for?? It was almost weird, but...the longer the gaze went on, the more Joey felt like he had climbed all those stairs again.
“So you’re saying you won’t deliver to me? A customer, mind you--ever again? Good luck keeping that job, Joseph.”
The look on the blonde’s face was one akin to having their face slapped. How dare this pompous asshole use his first name so casually. ‘How da hell did he even know it?!’ Joey fretted in his brain, seeming to forget that this was Seto Kaiba in front of him. Any information he wanted, he’d get it by any means. It was just everyone’s fortune that he felt like doing things the semi-legal way. Yugi’s help had been a happy accident; and also the source of how Seto knew not only his first name, but full name and even other little timbits like the name of his pets.
“I’ll just get another job ‘den! Anything is better ‘den workin’ and knowin’ at some point you’re gonna call me here to deliver somethin’!” Joey practically roared at the CEO. Not barked, nor whimpered.
‘Interesting..~’
Joey didn’t want to give him time to think up any insult, instead firing first himself. “And ya can keep your damn tip ‘dis time!”
Now it was Seto’s turn to be shocked, but his expression remained more or less stoic. “I see. Well I guess there’s only one thing I have to do now.”
“Tch!” Joey scoffed. “Whatever it is, I don’t w–” he words halted all together as he saw Kaiba reach into the front pocket of that overly fashioned coat he wore so well. “Wh-Whoa hey!! Are ya about to shoot me?!”
“Idiot! Though now I am more than tempted to!” Seto thundered back, slamming his hand down on his desk. He was grateful for sound dampening walls or his receptionist may have called the authorities by now in a panic. The sudden sound of a firm hand meeting a much firmer desk made Joseph flinch and keep quiet. On the desk in front of the intensely blue-eyed man sat a set of papers. Documents, even. Upon closer look, Joey noticed these weren’t just any documents! This was a–
“Give it to Yugi when you’re done filling it out.”
“Why Yugi?” Joey asked before realizing he may have already agreed just by asking that. “A-Ahem..! And just why da hell would I work for YOU, huh?! Gimme one good reason!”
“Page 3.” came Seto’s only reply as he twirled a fancy and rather heavy looking pen about in his fingers. Joey didn’t know why his hands moved to turn to said page in the set of paperwork, but he did.
He didn’t want to be overwhelmed by the amount of money that was listed; but he certainly was.
“D-Dats a lotta zeros..!”
“That’s your yearly total before taxes, yes.” Seto remarked, taking his pen and scribbling down some quick math. “And this is what you’ll make per month.”
“Ohhh! ‘Dats still a lot! Soooo what’s da catch here? Do I gotta, like...be KaibaCorp’s Delivery Boy? Cause no thanks! Dis Joey Wheeler’s got self-respect!”
‘Quite interesting indeed..’ Seto fought back the urge to grin at that statement and remained cool-headed at this crucial moment. “If you had used those spheres in your skull called your eyes, you’d have read that the only delivering you’d be doing is driving our shipping trucks. Trucks that are unloaded by other workers; not you. I’m not risking you getting hurt and trying to take me to court.”
Joey was at a loss for a retort, only making it easier for Seto to slide the contract--now neatly folded--into Joey’s hands. “Think it over and talk about it with the runt. He works here and he’s clearly not being picked on. (As much) Plus, I’m only saying this once, so listen up mutt. We could really use people with your...type of character here.” Despite all the deliveries and their intended near back-breaking heaviness, Joey showed he was not only strong but hard working, even while doing a task for someone he apparently hated. Seto wasn't going to compliment him outright though, of course; but giving him a job felt just as charitable.
While being at a loss for words, the stunned speechless blonde now felt like all the wind had been knocked out of his gut. All without Kaiba having done anything more than use a pen, his words, and...Joey dared not to admit it...but his charm. It was an oddly cold charm, but somehow alluring nonetheless. There had to be warmth inside Seto Kaiba somewhere, otherwise why else would he not only complement Joey Wheeler (some what), but offer him a job!?
“...F-Fine. I’ll talk to Yugi. But dats it! Dat aint a promise or nothin’! Now I’m leavin’!”
With the employment documents firmly in his hand, Joey made for the door. Unbeknownst to him, behind his turned back Seto grinned a calculated and sly smile. Yugi would all but seal Joey into being hired. Especially with all his empathy filled talk of friendship and all that crap that honestly still made Seto slightly taste bile.
It was all a matter of time. Just a bit more planning to go. Because where was the fun in buying what he wanted if he could make someone believe he gave them the choice of being his?
-Fin-