Disclaimer: I do not own this story, anime, manga, etc. Created for entertainment purposes only.

Chapter 8

Yami had barely opened his eyes and taken his first breath upon being embodied when Yugi jumped up to his feet and pressed a set of clothing into his arms. "Hurry up, put these on," he insisted as the pharaoh stood there blinking in surprise for a moment. "If we waste too much time, we're going to miss the best part."

Shaking out the folded clothes, Yami discovered his favorite pair of tight black pants and a blue tank top. He knew Yugi was up to something, he had sensed it all day but hadn't pried, deciding to leave his young love with his secrets for the sake of whatever fun he was planning. "We're going out?" he wondered, noticing that Yugi was also fully dressed.

"Uh huh." Yugi went to his dresser and fished out some jewelry, bracelets to match the heavy Puzzle chain around his neck and anything Yami might want to pick through. "But you've got to hurry up, since it's already midnight."

"Isn't it kind of late to be going out?" Yami eyed him curiously as he slipped on the briefs he had been provided (black, as Yugi had discovered the sexy nature of colored underwear). "You're not tired?"

"Nope." Yugi gave him a sneaky look over his shoulder. "I have lots of energy."

Yami's brow twitched uncertainly, but he decided not to protest and just got dressed as demanded. Yugi brought him shoes, but let him choose his jewelry while he tucked his wallet in his back pocket and made sure he had his house keys. They had to be quiet, because Grandpa was obviously asleep now, so they snuck down the back stairs and grabbed their coats on the way out the door. Spring was coming soon enough, but it was still chilly at the start of March and required bundling up for the walk to wherever it was Yugi intended to take them. At this time of night, the streets of Domino City were nearly deserted, so they were able to walk briskly through to the downtown areas where some night life still went on after midnight. Down the block, a brightly-lit sign stood out against the closed shops around it, drawing Yami's attention. It seemed they were heading for it, and Yugi began to smile. "Where are we going?" his partner asked him at last.

Yugi beamed up at him. "We're going dancing."

The bright lights belonged to a dance club, and a new one from the looks of the fresh coat of paint on the outside. A few people milled about outside, smoking or hitting on each other, but they all looked very young to Yami – young enough that he and his companion were not out of place as they passed through the open door and stopped to pay the cover charge. From within the bowels of the building, a heavy bass beat thundered in hypnotic rhythm. One more stop at the coat check and they were able to finally emerge on what Yami could only consider as a thoroughly modern scene. The dim recesses of the club gave way to a mass of swirling lights playing energetically across the sunken dance floor in the middle, where a crowd of young, beautiful people writhed and bounced in time to the steady beat that the two boys could feel within their chests. Yami could only stand and stare for a while, his jaw hanging open, as he beheld the primal, hedonistic display he had been thrust into. Yugi stood beside him with their hands clasped, nearly quivering with excitement but content to just stay there and watch for as long as Yami needed to adjust. After a minute or two, though, the music found its way into him, and he yearned to be one of those beautiful people out on the floor dancing the night away. He tugged at his partner's hand to get him to face him and looked up to him with eager eyes. "Are you ready?"

The pharaoh looked uncertain. "You want me to…" He looked away at the dance floor.

"Yeah! It's not hard," Yugi promised him. "You can do it."

Yami sighed, finding it difficult to believe him. "I don't know anything about dancing. Especially not to…this."

"Come on…" Yugi pulled at his hands. "For me? All you have to do is let go and feel the music, you'll get the hang of it soon enough." He glanced past his partner, and then smiled and nodded his head toward something behind them. Yami looked over his shoulder to see a pair of young men, not too much older than themselves, leaning up against the railing in each other's arms, close enough to kiss and share some kind of conversation that only they could hear. "You see?" Yugi encouraged. "We're welcome, here."

Yami looked back at his partner, and couldn't deny that the idea had some merits. He could never remember Yugi being interested in that kind of music or dancing, which bothered him – he didn't know what Yugi's favorite kind of music was, after all this time. Another glance at the dance floor showed him more couples, of all flavors, looking rather sultry and sensual as they bounced to the insistent rhythm in pairs or in groups. He wanted to know what Yugi would look like dancing the same way, and so found himself obeying the pull of the hands holding his without resistance.

Yugi slid easily into a gap between people and was moving to the beat almost instantly, bobbing his head and shoulders until he could get into it and find the rhythm. He had wisely chosen a corner of the dance floor where they could go unnoticed, for Yami could only stand there for a bit, an unmoving rock in a stream of gyrating bodies as he watched and wondered. Yugi let him be and just danced by himself for a bit, closing his eyes and forgetting about how he might have looked to those who obviously had been to clubs like this far longer than him. He may not have quite known what he was doing, but the music was pouring itself into his soul, driving his movement, exerting a primal tug on his body. He liked this kind of music, but he had never been to a club before. The experience was as new to him as to his mystical partner, but he was eager and ready to throw himself into it and learn by doing, hoping to entice Yami into joining him by being a good example. He glanced to one side to observe a few of the other young people dancing, figuring to copy their moves if he ran out of ideas. Fortunately, as he got used to the beat and loosened up, he didn't seem to have any problem teaching himself to dance. The weight of the Puzzle around his neck swayed back and forth in time with his hips and feet, bouncing a little against his chest. He looked toward Yami to see how he was doing, and smiled despite finding his lover still only standing there. Yugi reached out to him and took his hands, pulling him a little closer. "Come on," he encouraged, needing to shout just a little to be heard. "Just let go!"

The uptight pharaoh did not know precisely how he was supposed to "let go," or what he was letting go of, but Yugi kindly did not yank on him even though he continued to keep his hands while he danced. Yami noticed the way his lover's body moved, the way his hips matched the rhythm and his feet found the beat that thudded constantly through the crowded club. At last, all Yami could do was close his eyes and hope no one was watching, opening his mind to fully hear and appreciate the music. The beat was like a pulse, thundering in his chest and syncing with his heart. Over it soared a melody, a growing conflux of chords that sent a shiver rippling up his back. For some reason, the lush sound awakened emotion deep inside him, making him think of wide open blue skies and the wind roaring in his hair, or sunlight bursting from behind dark storm clouds, or the breaking of giant waves on the beach. Why the music was stirring pictures of great beauty and wonder out of his memories, he didn't know, but it was impossible to resist. He lifted his arms as if to catch the music and enfold it into himself, and the next thing Yami knew, he was dancing. Dancing like all the other youths, dancing with abandon as his body learned to obey the entrancing beat. He felt the closeness of another body and opened his eyes to find Yugi pressed up to him, reaching to clasp his hands over both their heads. The pharaoh smiled and entwined their fingers, shifting his step so that his movements matched his partner's. A similar smile awakened on Yugi's lips, as he noticed they were now dancing in time, swaying forward and back without having to even think about their connection. For a long time they danced together like this, occasionally letting go of each other in order to run hands down flanks or over chests, teasing and flirting in between the consistent movement. The beat never faltered while melodies wove themselves in and out, the DJ effortlessly mixing from song to song to keep his audience sated with the best in trance and house. Now and then the music would break, as the drum beat cut out to let the epic, soul-stirring melodies have their moment. Dancers waved their arms and reached for the light pouring down on them in these moments, a pause in which to catch their breath before the bass built back in and crashed down on them with a fresh wave of energy. In one such breakdown, Yugi felt his lover's hands come around his waist, clasping him and pulling him tight so their hips pressed together with no room for even a whisper between them. He closed his eyes and leaned back, letting Yami hold him around the waist as he tilted his head back and sighed in delight, his arms hanging loose at his sides as his back fully arched. Yami gladly held him so and just watched, smiling indulgently at his young partner's complete abandon to the way the music made him feel. He wanted to pick Yugi up right there and ravage him, that slender throat exposed to him with his head tilted way back like that…and then the music climbed back to a crescendo, slamming the beat down on them like thunder. Yugi snapped back upright and went completely wild, clenching his hands into fists over his head and writhing to the music. Yami kept one hand on his hip, letting him do as he pleased and simply content to be audience and receiver, dancing alongside him with his attention firmly on him. The rest of the club, and the rest of the world, seemed to fade out of notice as they lost themselves in each other.

Despite his claim to having plenty of energy, even Yugi needed a rest now and then, so they took short breaks at least once an hour to go get something to drink. Bottles of water were expensive, so they shared one between them, standing up on the main floor leaning on the railing to overlook the dance floor and glow with smiles. There were many couples just like them in the club, most of them with a lot less restraint (and less clothing), making them feel like they had finally found something to do that wouldn't get them in trouble with average patrons and passersby. They belonged here. Though dancing was fun, and good exercise, and the music was nice, both Yugi and Yami could also feel in their deepest souls that there was something very sexual about it. Particularly when another DJ took over and kept the set heaviest on trance, with ethereal feminine vocals sensuously crooning about love and destiny. Back on the floor after their water was gone, the pair of lovers threw themselves headlong into the experience, hearing the song's words and realizing how much it sounded like them, like the artist had peeked into their soul-bond and wrote of the everlasting love between them. Yami's hands snaked around Yugi's waist again, and this time Yugi did the same, holding his partner close so that their hips ground together. It wasn't hard to time themselves with the beat, to find a rhythm no different than that of lovemaking, and settle into a long, hot dance that turned them both completely on. Yugi's hands rested lightly on Yami's bare arms, his head tilted up to be able to gaze at his lover. Yami bowed his head and began to lead the dance, his lips close enough to kiss Yugi's cheek and neck, though all he did for now was breathe, indulging in his partner's sweaty scent and panting hotly along his skin. It was all Yugi could do not to cry out in ecstasy, thoroughly seduced by Yami's closeness and the tantalizing way they danced together, grinding and writhing and pulsing in unison. At last, as a track featuring operatic vocals soaring into epic high notes filled the club with pure rapture, they both leaned in simultaneously and kissed each other firmly, hungrily, not once breaking step with each other. Yugi threw his arms over Yami's shoulders and pulled himself in close, though for a brief second the Puzzle got in the way and jabbed them both. Yami carefully moved it, and then let his hand slink down around Yugi's ass to pull him in as they resumed both kissing and dancing, though now they were doing a lot more of the former and a lot less of the latter.

The club closed at three in the morning, and the pair stayed right up until then, until the last notes faded and the beat finally relented. The minute it was over and they had collected their coats, they were out the door and walking briskly home, finding the cold night refreshing on their flushed, sweaty skin. They were most of the way home before Yami even felt comfortable throwing his jacket on, though it seemed rather pointless to him. He was ferociously turned on and couldn't wait for them to get home, because he knew what he wanted and knew Yugi was ready. Their hands tightly clasped, they practically dragged each other back to Kame game shop and blundered up the stairs, giggling and shushing each other in the inky darkness. Jackets were cast off on the living room couch as they passed through, and seconds later they were closed away in Yugi's room, throwing arms around each other and plunging into a hot kiss without hesitation. They broke only long enough for Yami to yank his young love's shirt over his head, and then Yugi was all over him again, clinging desperately to the waistband of the black leather pants as he sought his lover's kiss. Yami obliged him for a few more breathless moments and then picked him up and laid him out on the bed's rumpled covers, already prowling over the top of him without prelude. They said little to each other, simply gasping and moaning in anticipation of what was to come. The pharaoh wrapped his arms securely around his lover and bent to ravish him with his lips, fiercely kissing his neck and chest and anywhere else he could reach. This was not going to be the usual sweet, romantic interlude they were used to, and as Yugi arched back with a cry of pleasure, he was rather glad for it. Hours of dancing had served as intense foreplay, and now he just wanted to be ravaged – and it looked that was exactly what Yami had in mind. He pushed the Millennium Puzzle carelessly out of the way so he could lick the sweat from Yugi's chest, kissing all the way down to the dimple of his navel and eagerly tonguing his nipples one after the other. Yugi clenched his hands in his partner's hair and encouraged him to roam, stretching himself temptingly out beneath him. "Please…" he began to murmur. "Please…"

Yami only purred his acknowledgement as he continued to hotly kiss Yugi all over, his lips never leaving the young one's skin for a moment. Just tasting him this way drove the need within him even higher, until his body ached for contact. He pushed himself up and stripped off the blue tank top without ceremony, and then hastily undid Yugi's belt and pried his pants open. Yugi whimpered eagerly, his hands coming around to cup his lover's face as he bent down and wetly kissed Yugi's exposed abdomen. Yugi arched his hips up against him, seeking him, providing him a moment in which to slip his pants and briefs down. Yami tugged the clothing free and tossed it away on the floor so he could resume his roaming kiss, plunging down onto Yugi's growing erection and stroking his tongue roughly along the length. His senses filled with the heady perfume of sex and sweat, the pharaoh clutched his young love around the hip and ferociously kissed or licked every inch of his skin until Yugi's panting breaths became desperate cries. There was a pause, then, as both took a deep breath, and then Yami lunged forward and wrapped his arms around Yugi, his tongue already forcing its way into his lover's mouth as they clung to each other and kissed each other hard, rolling over on the bed until the corners of the wayward Puzzle jabbed into Yugi's back. Yugi just shrugged it aside and kept going, scrambling to work Yami's belt open and then his tight black pants, all while the pharaoh continued to kiss him wildly, sharing with him the taste of his own sex. They broke again so Yami could wrestle his way out of his pants, not an easy thing to do while lying on his side with arms and legs tangled with Yugi's, but eventually he was free and they were locked together again, tongues battling as Yami pushed to force Yugi onto his back again. Small hands clawed at his back, tightening their grip across his shoulder blades as the little one writhed against him, kissing so hard that he began to bite at Yami's lips in his eagerness. With a growl in his throat, Yami tore his lips away and bent to savage his lover's throat instead, kissing hotly from behind one ear all the way down and around to the other side, making Yugi throw his head back with an excited cry. Yami continued down to his collarbone, breathing heatedly over the hollow of his throat until Yugi's hips surged against him again, so that their raging bodies clashed. Both were ready, but Yami had more in mind to prolong the encounter, knowing full well that it wouldn't take much to bring them both to a screaming climax once they were coupled. His hand slithered around Yugi's hip to his ass, clutching him firmly and pulling him up into himself as he ground down against him.

An unrestrained cry burst of out Yugi as he wrapped an arm around the pharaoh's shoulders to hold on tight, surrendering to his whim. His legs fell further open to accommodate his partner's weight and intrusion, his feet bracing so he could push up against the hardness pushing back down into him. Yami continued to kiss his throat and under his jaw and chin, in rhythm with his hips, pressing Yugi down into the bed until he lost his footing and simply drew his knees up, trying to wrap himself around Yami and demand he go harder. Both were sweating nearly as much as they had on the dance floor, a drop of moisture rolling down Yami's neck to the hollow of his throat as he lifted his head and kissed all the way to the end of Yugi's chin, trailing off with a deep-voiced groan. For a moment both gazed at each other through heavy-lidded eyes, knowing it was pointless to wait a minute longer, and then Yami's eyes darted to a spot on the shelf above Yugi's bed. "Where is it?" he panted.

Yugi shifted his eyes and huffed a quick sigh of impatience. "Just a minute," he pleaded, pushing against Yami's shoulder to indicate that he wanted to be let up. Yami rolled off of him and fell onto his side, watching desperately as Yugi leaped out of bed and padded across the room to his dresser. Despite the break in contact, Yami could not help being as turned on by Yugi's cute little naked dash across the room as he had by anything else. "Here," Yugi implored, hurrying back with the tube of lubrication he usually left on the headboard shelf when the full moon came around.

Yami laughed despite still panting for breath as he laid on his side waiting for the bed and his arms to be filled again, sweeping the bedraggled bangs out of his eyes with a finger. "What is it doing there?"

"Sorry! I got a little too organized last time I cleaned." Yugi hopped back into bed, passing off the lube like a runner's baton to his waiting partner. Yami welcomed him back by lunging to capture him in his arms, kissing him hard on the lips and then neck and chest. They were immediately back where they had started, Yugi's lithe arms snaking up around his partner's chest to hold him tight as they ravaged each other's lips, leaving wet trails across each other's cheeks. Yugi pressed his head back into his pillow with a little squeal as Yami kissed him hard and then nipped under his earlobe on one side, shifting his weight to bring the hand holding the lubricant out so he could make use of it. Both were gasping again as they parted long enough for Yami to raise himself up on his elbow and uncap the tube, recklessly squeezing a bunch into his fingers and then flinging the tube onto the floor. Yugi had already bent one knee to allow an easier reach beneath him, and tightened his hand in the short hair on the back of the pharaoh's neck in anticipation as the hand slid under him and slathered the cleft of his ass with lubrication. Yami resumed his furious treatment of his lover's neck and earlobe as he covered himself, then, and repositioned them both to take the next step. He helped Yugi rest one foot over his shoulder, though he could only get the other up as high as Yami's waist as the taller pharaoh was already starting to push into him, guiding himself with a hand as he picked up Yugi under his shoulders with the other arm. Going slow or being gentle never entered either mind as they began, Yugi nestled securely in his lover's arms with his knee pressed back almost to his chest as a punishing thrust ground him into the bed. Every nerve tingled with the building pleasure, head to toes, fingertips to erection, as Yugi felt himself gloriously filled to the brim with Yami, all Yami, already ramped up to a quickened pace. He dug his nails into Yami's shoulder and threw his head back with a gasping cry, his blond bangs spreading all across the pillow like a halo. The pharaoh braced his knees to give himself the best leverage, bending himself as low as he could until Yugi's thigh prevented him. He could lean in for a lightning-fast kiss now and then, but mostly just held on and thrust, a song stuck in his head from earlier providing him a pace to match as he drowned his senses in everything Yugi – his scent, his sweat, his breath, his cries. At last, as he felt the pressure in his abdomen reaching its limit, he pushed himself up on his hands and committed his whole body to the thrust, flinging his head back with a deep, groaning gasp. Yugi's hands fell onto the bed over his head as his body trembled, and then quaked, erupting with an orgasm more intense than he remembered. He caught his scream between clenched teeth, seething for breath as Yami continued to push into him, making it last until Yugi thought he was going to lose his mind. Then Yami came with a gasp, his eyes flying wide open, his body stiffening. Beneath him, Yugi squealed and grabbed a hold of his partner's arms as he felt himself being filled all over again, hot and wet and throbbing with energy. They held for a moment and then it was past, and the pharaoh collapsed onto his young lover, completely exhausted.

A sound eventually intruded on Yugi's fevered dreams, an insistent pounding that could not be ignored forever. As he blinked his eyes slowly open, he heard a muffled voice added to the knocking. "Yugi! I don't care if you're naked, if you don't answer me I'm coming in…"

"I'm awake, Grandpa," Yugi feebly called out with a groan. He didn't want to get up, though, for he was warm and comfy and thoroughly wasted after being up all night. A quick glance through half-open eyes showed him the aftermath of his and Yami's crazy lovemaking: their clothes lay strewn all over the floor, the bedcovers were askew, the bottom sheet tugged free of the corner of the bed, and the two of them were still quite naked. He pushed himself up on one elbow in order to find Yami, who was lying next to him on his side with one arm flung over his partner's waist, fast asleep with his lips slightly parted, his hair a complete mess. Yugi lay on his stomach, his foot sticking out from the covers and dangling over the edge of the bed. His neck smarted in one small place where he had been lying on the chain of the Puzzle all night. It looked perfectly innocent amidst the chaos, sitting beside him wrapped snugly in a fold of his blanket.

The knocking had finally stopped, but Grandpa did not go away just yet. "You've slept in enough, it's almost noon," he called through the door. "Oh, and Joey's on the phone."

"Okay, Grandpa," Yugi responded hoarsely, ruffling a hand through his hair. Footsteps on the other side of his bedroom door told him his grandfather had finally retreated, now that the message had been delivered. Yugi flopped back down with a sigh, realizing how much he ached after a night of punishing his body, first through dance, then through sex. Not to mention, they had fallen asleep from sheer exhaustion before ever bothering to clean up, so he reeked of the aftereffects, of sweat and semen and each other's scent. But that only brought an impish smile to Yugi's lips, and he raised himself up again to roll over and behold Yami once more. Even though disheveled and sporting a red mark on his temple where his head had been pressing against his arm, the sleeping pharaoh was beautiful, the sternness and intensity erased from his features, revealing him to be a simple human, a man of no particular circumstance, naked as the day he was born. Only the particular elegant shape of his nose and lips, and the angle of his eyes, revealed any trace of his heritage. Yugi breathed a soft sigh and smiled, letting him sleep for a few minutes longer before leaning in and kissing him gently on the forehead. Yami stirred a little, but only rolled over onto his stomach, curling both arms underneath his head as he settled back into another dream. Yugi chuckled and folded back the covers to escape, not even bothering to put on a robe as he retrieved his phone from its cradle on his desk to find out what plans Joey wanted to propose. After all, as long as Joey wasn't stupid enough to ask, he didn't need to know what was going on at the other end of the line.

The warmth of the sun chased away the chill that lingered in the air, caressing the bare limbs of trees to coax the buds out and blushing on the cheeks of the young man walking casually home from the nearest bus stop. Yugi faintly smiled to himself as he walked, tugging on the straps of his backpack, for his attention was not on the sidewalk or the sunshine but the spirit inside him who liked to carry on conversations with him within their bonded minds. Any time Yugi had a few moments of distraction, like traveling to and from school, conducting some mindless chore, and so on, Yami tended to be there, regardless of whether he had anything constructive to say. "It's getting close to the one year mark," Yugi noted, speaking within his mind rather than aloud. After all, they were in public and he didn't want to look weird in front of strangers. "Since we learned about the ritual."

"But we've been together for far longer," Yami said warmly. "I remember it from the very beginning, though I can't say as I recall a particular month or date when we decided to be more than partners."

"I know," Yugi said ponderously. "I remember roughly about when it happened, but I don't think there was a marked date like that."

Yami's comforting chuckle echoed through his mind. "You're looking for an anniversary to celebrate, aren't you?"

"Maybe." Yugi grinned to himself again. "I was just thinking about how it was almost a year ago that we discovered the ritual. Next month, maybe we should do something special."

"Even though it won't be exactly on the same day as our first time?"

"Yeah…the actual day doesn't matter." Yugi laughed under his breath. "So much for the idea of an anniversary. I just contradicted myself!"

A delicious purr stole through his senses. "Perhaps we could go dancing again. That was rather enjoyable."

Despite himself, a blush colored Yugi's cheeks. Without having to say anything, he could feel the emotions from the second soul inside him, and picture the same thoughts Yami was having – and they were rather indecent. "I don't think I can say no to that," he murmured inwardly. "Whatever we do, it should be just us. The last few times you've been out of the Puzzle, we've been out with Joey, or Joey and Mai both, or Joey and Tristan…"

He paused his rambling thoughts as he reached a street corner and had to wait for the light, looking both ways to see how bad the traffic was. There was a man in a dark suit walking towards him, rather conspicuously as there was no one else on the sidewalk within a block of him, and Yugi found himself thinking wow, he's really tall before the light changed and he headed across the street. Yami was able to resume distracting him, then. "It's all right. I don't mind going out with our friends," he said patiently to his partner.

"Yeah, but…sometimes, I like to just be with you," Yugi said sweetly, smiling to himself all over again. "Even though you're with me all the time, I still can't get enough of you. I'm never tired of having you near me, whether we're talking or playing or just sitting with each other in silence."

He trailed off, thinking cute, happy thoughts about sitting with Yami on his bed with their arms around each other, but the pharaoh's spirit did not respond for a long while. When he did, the inner voice had gone sharp and stern. "Yugi…we're being followed."

"What?" Yugi started to glance behind him.

"No!" Yami's voice quickly stopped him. "Wait a moment. You don't want to tip him off."

Yugi didn't quite understand, but then he saw the highly reflective windows of the storefront coming up on his walk. He kept his head facing forward as he walked casually up the street, but stole a glance to the side as soon as he came abreast of the windows. Sure enough, about five paces behind him strode the man in the dark suit, his expression hidden by a pair of sunglasses but his posture clearly that of intent. He was walking only as fast as Yugi, not quite overtaking him but looking rather purposeful. Yugi switched his eyes back to his path as his heart squeezed in his chest. "What do we do?" he fearfully asked his inner spirit.

"Just keep going," Yami implored. "I'm ready to take over at any moment, if you need."

"Okay." Yugi darted a glance around him to verify his surroundings. "We're still a few blocks from home. He's going to catch up before then."

"Then, on my signal…run."

Yugi swallowed hard but didn't stop walking, quickening his pace just a little. Whatever the pharaoh's spirit could sense from inside, he knew enough to know whether his young charge was in danger. A few paces up the street, as he neared a corner, Yugi felt rather than heard Yami shout, "Now!"

Yugi lunged and broke into a sprint instantly, racing down the street and barreling around the corner with his backpack beating against him. As he suspected, the man behind him also began to run, though he was not wearing the right shoes to be chasing a younger boy and started to lag behind almost immediately. Yugi only glanced back to check once or twice, concentrating mostly on where he was going. This was his neighborhood, he had grown up here and knew the streets well. He knew exactly where he could duck through and double back to try to lose the dark stranger. It was too early in the afternoon, there weren't many pedestrians around that he could call to for help, so Yugi just kept running, leading his pursuer away from his home and grandpa. At last he found the alley entrance around a corner that he was heading for, and slipped into it the moment he was out of sight, shrinking back against the wall and holding his breath. As he hoped, the man ran right past him, never noticing the hiding place. Yugi waited until he heard the footsteps fade away, and finally let out a huge breath, panting hard. Yami's senses told him the man was far enough away not to come back for him, so they agreed it was safe for Yugi to come out. He first looked both ways, and then dashed back around the corner, doubling back on his path and then crossing the street to put some distance between himself and the stranger. He still looked around warily, but there was no sign of him now. Another block further and he could cross again, putting himself on the correct route back home. Maybe now that he was out of sight of the man, he could make a straight line for home and get there without being spotted or chased again. But just as he began to breathe more easily, he came up to the curb and had to wait for the light. A black car suddenly pulled up in front of him, and even as Yugi noticed it stop, another man in a similar dark suit and sunglasses got out and lunged for him. Yugi turned to bolt, but it was too late. A meaty hand seized his shoulder and pulled him back by the strap of his backpack. He cried out in protest, but the strange man just took his arm and shoved him into the car, ducking in after him and closing the door. The car sped off before the light could change and stall them there.

Yugi cowered in the seat he had been thrown into, his eyes squeezed shut, but then he heard someone give a disapproving cluck of his tongue. "Kimo, I thought I told you not to frighten him," an old, familiar voice sighed. "Honestly, sometimes I wonder what goes through that thick head of yours."

Yugi's eyes flew wide open, and he stared across at the lean figure seated across from him in the limo. "Pegasus!" he hissed.

The one hazel eye shining from behind curtains of thick, luxurious silver hair fixed straight on him. Maximillian Pegasus sat with his arms folded, clad in his usual fruity salmon-colored suit, the vaguest smile on his thin lips. "My apologies, Yugi-boy," he purred. "My assistants seem to have a difficult time understanding when not to use persuasive force."

Though still shocked beyond the ability to find words, Yugi was also annoyed, and frowned at his captor. "Then that was your thug in the monkey suit chasing me," he realized.

A displeased frown twitched on Pegasus's face. "I think I'm going to have to have a talk with certain employees when we get back to the office," he grumbled. "My sincerest apologies. It was not my intention to scare you."

"Yeah, well…" Yugi settled back in the seat, rubbing his arm protectively and scowling. "It's a little late now." He glanced at the thug in the seat beside him, who held a blank expression but seemed to be lightly sweating in the face of his boss's disapproval. "What's going on? What do you want with me?"

Pegasus lightened up very slightly, clasping his hands in his lap and crossing one knee. "Why, just to talk," he said in his typical lilting voice. "I was actually on my way to your quaint little game shop, but I happened to spot you walking along the street and thought maybe I would catch up to you, give you a ride home perhaps."

Yugi remained in a cautious little ball, curling his arms around himself and shrinking away from the man beside him. "I don't know what you could possibly need to talk to me about."

Pegasus noted his wary posture and sighed, seeing that their introduction had put his guest in no mood to cooperate. He pressed the button on the arm rest next to him that would give him an intercom to the limo driver. "Stop here, anywhere around here," he ordered. "This is fine. You and Kimo need to take a coffee break." He released the intercom, as the car began to slow down, and fixed Kimo with a stern look. "And bring me back a cappuccino. Yugi?" His hazel eye glowed with friendliness. "May I get you anything?"

"I'm fine," Yugi grumbled under his breath.

Pegasus shrugged and relented. The car came to a stop at the side of the road, parking out in front of a coffee shop and café a few blocks from Yugi's home. Kimo got out, then, leaving Pegasus alone with his guest. He rested his folded hands on his knee and smiled, though Yugi rarely felt at ease when confronted with that smile. "My, my, it has been a long time, hasn't it? You must have thought I dropped off the face of the earth. You're out of school now, aren't you?" His eye traveled to the backpack.

Yugi looked away shyly. "I'm in university."

"Ah. Well, good for you! Continuing your education, that's a very noble goal, Yugi-boy. Congratulations." Pegasus kept the cool, superior smile as he regarded the young man across from him. "You're growing up so fast. It looks like you're even taller than I remember."

Yugi pouted at that, his brow furrowing. "Will you just tell me what you want to talk to me about so I can go? I have homework to do, and Grandpa needs me at the store."

A wry look flickered across the older man's features. "Kids these days," he sighed. "No one seems to teach the art of conversation anymore. Is it so wrong for me to take an interest in what you're up to, or how you're doing?" He shrugged slightly. "You haven't even asked about me, if I'm doing well. For the record, I'm just fine, thank you." His flippant smile faded, then, his face taking on a shade of seriousness Yugi wasn't sure he had ever seen before. "I never did have the opportunity to properly thank you for saving me, and my company. Perhaps I wasn't foremost in your mind when you set out to defeat Dartz, but I still owe you my soul. Thank you."

Yugi slumped a little in his seat, feeling sheepish. "I wasn't really the one doing the saving," he muttered timidly. "If you owe anyone, it's Yami. He saved all of us."

"Ah yes. The pharaoh." A different sort of smile found its way onto Pegasus' face. "Don't look so surprised, Yugi-boy, of course I know about him. I found out about the same time you did." His eye focused briefly on the Puzzle resting in Yugi's lap. "Those of us with a connection to a Millennium Item tend to be aware of such things. I must say, knowing this now, it doesn't surprise me in the least that you two were able to defeat me so easily. I underestimated you in my haste and my greed."

The sense of unease rose up in Yugi again, and he sat back with his hands braced on the edge of the seat as if to bolt at the first chance. He was pretty sure that with Kimo and the driver having their coffee just outside, he wouldn't get very far even if he did throw open the door before Pegasus could grab him. "We've grown stronger since then," he said warningly, fixing Pegasus with a determined glare. "Our bond is much deeper. If you want the Puzzle, you're going to have an even tougher time taking it from us."

"The Puzzle?" Pegasus started and stared as if genuinely shocked at the insinuation. "My dear boy, what makes you think I even care about that anymore?"

"Isn't that why you forced me into your car?" Yugi snapped. "And locked the doors on me?"

Pegasus shook his head slowly, his sheaf of silver hair drifting elegantly back and forth. "I locked the doors to keep my blundering employees out of my business. I'm here to speak with you, and only you, Yugi…well, you and the pharaoh. Since I know he's listening to every word I say," he added with a sinister smile.

Yugi placed a hand protectively on the Puzzle, and at that moment the Eye flashed, as his omnipresent partner came forward and took control of the situation himself. Yugi hadn't had to ask him, he knew why. Yami wanted only to protect his lover from potential danger. By the twitch of Pegasus' brow, Yami knew he had noticed the switch of minds. "Yugi and I share everything," he declared in a warning tone. "Anything you have to say to one of us, you say to both. But I trust you even less than he does, so I will be keeping a close watch on you."

Pegasus faced him without backing down, holding his gaze. "You heard what I said, then – that I owe you my soul."

"I did. If you wish to thank me, you can do it by letting us go."

Pegasus clucked his tongue again. "Don't be silly, you're free to leave at any time you like," he said. "The doors unlock from the inside, you know." Yami's eyes widened, and he darted a look to the arm rest on the door, and the array of buttons that would allow him to escape. Pegasus sat back with an arm on the back of his seat. "I'm not offended that you don't trust me," he said in a needling tone, his eye narrowing with a slick smile. "Given our past history, I don't blame you. But you accepted my invitation when I asked for your help, so I know you have it in you to act wisely and think through your decisions, rather than rely solely on old grudges to motivate you. It's a quality I trust you'll have today, after our talk," he said coolly.

Yami folded his arms over his chest, looking every bit the stern pharaoh. "Fine, then. I will listen to what you have to say. But if you make any false moves or try to manipulate me with lies, I'm leaving."

"Fair enough. But you don't have to protect your young charge from me," Pegasus cooed. "No harm will come to him, you have my word."

Yami glared at him a moment longer, but decided that the benefit of the doubt was worth its potential cost and let go, allowing Yugi to resume control. The younger one eyed Pegasus warily. "If you don't want my Puzzle anymore, what do you want with me?"

"Why, just to see how you're doing," Pegasus lilted, though his cutting smile indicated that he didn't mean it quite that way after all. "Tell me, have you seen much of your old friends from school lately? Perhaps, Seto Kaiba?"

Yugi gave a small start. "Kaiba? What? No…I haven't seen him in ages," he replied, not sure where this was going. "You'd have more contact with him than I do. Doesn't he have an agreement with your company or something?"

"The licensing agreements and liaisons between our companies are handled between third parties," Pegasus said airily, as if all of it was far above Yugi's head, "Kaiba-boy and I have not crossed paths in a long time either. Though, perhaps you're right, I stand a better chance of knowing what he's up to than you do." He smiled suspiciously again. "Well…half right."

Yugi shook his head. "I don't know what you're getting at. I haven't spoken to Kaiba in a year, and he left school early because he had already passed all the exams and didn't need to stay till graduation."

"Ah, of course," Pegasus smirked. "The boy genius would get out far earlier than the rest of the rabble. So, he hasn't contacted you recently?"

"No…" The suspicion in Yugi's mind intensified. "Why?"

"Merely wondering." Pegasus folded his arms, looking rather smug. "In the business world, Yugi-boy, secrets are kept closely guarded and no one can be trusted. Even between allies, partners, it's habit to keep everything quiet lest the whole of the buying public know what you're planning down the road."

Yugi frowned curiously. "What are you saying? I don't know what you're talking about. What secrets?"

Pegasus tilted his head in a sort of shrug. "We all have them, even myself. For instance, I'm sure you didn't know about this."

He reached up and brushed back the silvery hair that usually obscured his left eye. Yugi's instinct expected the glint of gold, but the actual sight revealed to him made him recoil in disgust and shock, splaying himself back against the seat as if to distance himself from the man across from him. "What happened to the Millennium Eye?" he yelped.

Pegasus let his hair fall back into place, a truly unpleasant frown souring his features. "It was taken from me," he said quietly, "quite some time ago, by a thief whose shadow powers were greater than mine. I don't know this person," he warned, "and much of my memory of the incident seems to have been muddled. But I know I lost a shadow game, and this was the result. So you see," he added with a bit less anger, "even if I did still lust after your Puzzle, I lack the ability to take it from you. I am a toothless old bear. You don't have to cower in fear of me."

The revelation made Yugi sit forward in interest, though he was still rather disgusted by the sight of the empty socket. A memory jolted across his mind, then, making him gasp. "It happened at Duelist's Kingdom, didn't it?" he remembered. "That's right, Shadi told me. He said someone had stolen the Millennium Eye, right after we saw your men carrying you out…"

It was Pegasus' turn to look shocked. "You've spoken with Shadi?"

"Yeah. A few times. He told us about the…" Yugi stopped himself, listening for advice from within before going on. Yami appeared to have no objections, now that they had seen for themselves the true extent of Pegasus' ability to threaten them. "…the ritual."

Pegasus' brow creased in a frown. "What ritual?"

"It restores Yami to a real body, for one day each month," Yugi said simply. "Shadi told us, he's been to visit a few times and helped uncover what little we do know about the pharaoh." He gazed in interest at Pegasus. "You know him. He helped you find the pharaoh's tomb, and the god cards, and all of that, right?"

A faint smile of complete sincerity crossed Pegasus' lips. "It seems you and I have a greater connection than I thought, Yugi-boy," he said in a rather understanding tone. "Nobody knows about that. Shadi alone walked that path with me, and advised me to protect the god cards until the pharaoh could claim them and control them." Some of his usual shade of slyness crept back into the smile, then. "Of course, I know all about the Battle City tournament and the cards. Well done. You're taking good care of them, I hope?"

"They're safe," Yugi said shortly, not needing to bring up the one time he had temporarily lost them, since Pegasus had been deeply embroiled in that same incident himself.

At that moment, one of the men outside rapped on the tinted window nearest Pegasus. He lowered it to accept the cup of cappuccino being handed to him before shutting it again and returning them to complete confidence. "Good. It fills my heart with pride, knowing that my greatest creations aren't buried forever in the sands of Egypt," he sighed, slipping back into his usual self-indulgent lilting tone. "Tell me, what do you think of the artwork?"

"It's nice," Yugi lamely answered. "But, what does all this have to do with Kaiba? Why did you want to know if he'd talked to me?"

Pegasus sipped his cappuccino elegantly, but when he looked up from it, his visible eye had narrowed into a dark frown. "If I were you," he murmured, "I would be on the lookout for Seto Kaiba. It interests me greatly that he hasn't contacted you yet, for it means I'm one step ahead of him. If I can get through to you before he tries anything, you may have a chance."

Yugi stared at him, mystified, conscious of the pharaoh's spirit hanging at his side like a phantom, listening just as eagerly. "A chance at what?"

"Survival." Pegasus sipped his drink again and then set it in a cup holder so he could focus his attention fully on his guest. "I know you don't have a great deal of trust in me, Yugi, and I'm afraid what I'm going to say isn't going to help that. But a warning is in order. I don't actually know what Kaiba is up to, and that's what worries me the most." He scowled even more deeply. "I'm usually aware of his company's ideas because most of them touch directly on the business relationship between KaibaCorp and Industrial Illusions. But whatever he's up to right now doesn't seem to have anything to do with Duel Monsters, leaving me in the dark." He stared directly at Yugi. "About all I've been able to dig up on him is that he may be coming to you, for some reason."

Yugi shook his head in denial, not understanding the cryptic explanation. "Kaiba wouldn't come to me for anything," he demurred. "He hates any thought of needing me for anything, especially if it involves his company."

"Yet, he's done it before." Pegasus shrugged. "As I said, I don't know what he's up to, but that's what bothers me the most. I don't think he needs your help this time, Yugi-boy – I think he's after you."

Yugi gasped, his eyes widening. "After me? Why? He just has a petty duel-grudge, it's nothing serious…"

"Nothing serious?" Pegasus crowed, trying not to laugh. "Why, Yugi-boy, his duel grudge is quite serious! Don't think that just because you had each other's back once or twice that bygones will be bygones. You still stand in the way of his greatest dreams, as the reigning world champion." He smiled cuttingly. "If it was that simple, another tournament to try to save face, I would have heard about it. It's nothing like that. Whatever he's up to, it's quite serious."

Yugi sat back again, trying not to be upset by Pegasus' rambling threats. It was true, he found it difficult to be very worried when Pegasus couldn't even say what the problem might be, but his demeanor was hard to ignore. That, and the whole strongarming-into-a-limo thing. "So," he attempted, "you came to warn me?"

"You don't believe me." Pegasus smiled coolly and reached for his cappuccino. "I don't need to have my Millennium Eye to tell me that. Ah, I expected that. Without any evidence, I'm sure all you hear from me is wild accusations against a former rival." He took a drink and savored it for a moment before continuing. "But you needn't worry. If I'm wrong, then I've wasted a trip and all you've lost is a little time out of your afternoon. But if I'm right…" His hazel eye gleamed with a knowing, superior look. "…you will have the upper hand. You will have been forewarned."

Yugi scowled across at him. "You can't possibly be doing this out of the kindness of your heart," he noted. "What's in this for you? What do you want in return for warning me?"

Pegasus feigned offense. "Why, whatever do you mean? Oh, all right," he added with a snicker. "You're on the ball, Yugi-boy. Of course, my advice never comes free. But what I want is nothing more than I wanted when I gave you the key-card to my office." He folded his hands gracefully around his coffee cup. "If Kaiba's actions threaten my company, I must act to save it. If he does come to you for something, I'd be rather curious to know."

"So you want me to be your spy." Yugi snorted and folded his arms brusquely. "Forget it, Pegasus. I'm not going to be one of your lackeys. I have no obligation to report anything to you."

"You wouldn't have to," Pegasus assured with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Just go about your business, have yourself a normal life, go to class, do whatever you do. Someday, I might just feel the need to check up on you, see how your studies are going. Maybe we need to chat about Shadi some more. Maybe I want to come see how my precious Egyptian gods are looking, after all the abuse they've been through. I'm sure that if anything strange has happened to you, say, oh, Seto Kaiba coming to bother you, you'd feel a sensible desire to tell me, then. If it happens to come up in conversation, you know." He eyed Yugi over his cup with a smug grin. "It's only fair."

Yugi looked away with a hard sigh. He didn't want to help Pegasus with anything, as far as he was concerned any past business between them had been settled, but he couldn't ignore the warning. Pegasus had no other reason to come to bother him unless whatever he had against Kaiba was real. "And that's all you want?" Yugi muttered. "You're not going to deny service to my grandpa's shop or do anything else to manipulate me into helping you?"

Pegasus raised a hand. "Scout's honor," he said proudly.

Yugi gave him a weird look, but chalked it up to some American expression and let it go. "Just don't drag me into a limo next time," he grumbled. "Your guys scared me half to death."

"And they will be reprimanded for it." The comical tone left Pegasus' expression again. "Just beware of Seto Kaiba. I don't trust him any more than he trusts me. Both of us know how to be ruthless when we have to, and for that reason, any secret he holds about his company worries me. Particularly if it ends up involving you somehow. At least now I can be confident that you have the upper hand, no matter what it is." He smiled darkly. "He still can't beat you in a duel, after all."

The limousine dropped Yugi off around the corner from his house, allowing him to walk the rest of the way without having to explain to his grandfather or any customers where the fancy car had come from. Pegasus had extracted one small promise from him before departing, that being that anything said inside the limo was their secret, including anything about Millennium Items or rituals. Yugi felt no loyalty toward Pegasus to want to protect him, but if it was in exchange for protecting what he had blurted out about the ritual, he would have to. Telling his friends and grandfather about Yami's embodiment was one thing, but Pegasus was a gateway to people who probably should not know of it, so his confidence was important. Yugi sighed long as he headed home and went upstairs, glad to be safe in familiar confines like his room. Yami had listened without interference to the whole exchange, and mulled it over in silence until now. "Yugi," his voice quietly said within the boy's mind. "Are you all right?"

Yugi flopped onto his back on his bed. "What just happened? I don't understand this at all. Pegasus being all sneaky and wanting to spy on Kaiba…through me?"

"We must be very careful," Yami intoned. "Not only of Kaiba, but of Pegasus. He may be less of a threat without the Millennium Eye, but he has other ways of causing people harm."

"I don't trust him either," Yugi murmured. "But I've never seen him like this except when he considered Kaiba his enemy. It's creepy and weird, and I don't like it one bit."

"We can only trust ourselves and our friends," Yami said darkly. "Anything else, we must be cautious." His tone softened slightly. "At least, we can trust each other. We will look out for each other, and for our loved ones. If we are forced, we can rely on a duel as a last resort."

Yugi smiled to himself as he gazed up at the ceiling, listening to the voice in his soul. "Because no one can beat us that way. It's our secret weapon – against anyone."

Around a week after the unexpected, clandestine meeting with Pegasus, Yugi spent one afternoon in which he had no classes working in the shop, so his grandfather could go out and run errands without worry. It was relatively easy to do, he only had to sit behind the counter and do his homework while keeping an eye out for customers. In the middle of the afternoon, it wasn't likely that he'd have many, not until after kids got out of school. The shop was deserted when the phone rang, necessitating locating a bookmark to keep his anthropology text from closing on him before Yugi could pick up the phone. "Kame game shop," he said briskly.

"Just the guy I wanted to talk to. Hey, Yugi," Duke Devlin said smartly.

"Hey Duke," Yugi said, more amicably now that he knew it wasn't a customer. "What's up?"

"Not a whole lot. Makin' deals, breakin' hearts," his friend said airily. "Got kind of a weird question for you, though."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah…" Despite his casual tone, something about Duke's voice seemed serious to Yugi. He must have been somewhere private, like an office, for there was no background noise and he didn't need to speak confidentially as he posed his question. "Have you gotten a visit from Seto Kaiba recently?"

A strange feeling quickened Yugi's heart. "From Kaiba? Um…no…" And weird you're the second person in a week to ask me that, he wanted to add, but didn't.

"Huh." Duke was thoughtfully silent for a moment. "Because I have."

"Seriously?" Yugi straightened up. "He came to see you? Why?"

"Well, it wasn't Kaiba himself," Duke clarified, "it was a pack of KaibaCorp lawyer-types. But they were sent by Kaiba, and you won't believe why."

Yugi frowned concernedly as he listened. "Lawyers? What did they want?"

"They had a proposal to give me, drafted by Kaiba himself." Duke paused to take a deep breath before making his announcement. "He wants to buy my game shop."