Warning:mature themes ahead. Not G-rated!

There's a life inside of me that I can feel again

It's the only thing that takes me where I've never been

I don't care if I lost everything that I have known

It don't matter where I lay my head tonight, your arms feel like home, feel like home

-Three Doors Down

It begins with a smile. They're playing Duel Monsters the old-fashioned way, cards laid out on the floor between them. It's pretty much the only way they can Duel each other. Using a Duel Disk just isn't feasible.

Not when only one of them has a body.

Yami draws a card, sets two, and nods: his turn's done. Over the edge of his cards, though he seems to be studying the field, he's looking at Yugi.

Yugi has his chin propped in one hand as he ponders the Pharaoh's strategy. There's a little smile on his face; his eyes are intent, focused, but at the same time full of happiness and mischief. He's enjoying their game. He sent a card, glances up, meets Yami's look, and the smile deepens. There's a challenge there now: I dare you. Come on. Make your move.

Yami loves that expression. The shy, hesitant child he first knew has given way to a strong young man. Still gentle, considerate, forgiving- some would say too much so. But they don't see what Yami sees, know what Yami knows.

Yugi is the stronger of them, but his strength isn't so easily perceived in this modern age. They don't understand how much it takes to keep one's heart open, yet protect it from filling with anger and hate. And Yami knows that heart, better maybe than he knows his own. That heart, that soul, that mind, this boy, is his dearest treasure. Without Yugi... But no. No pondering 'without Yugi'. He's been there before, it doesn't bear thinking of now, in this cozy little bedroom with the stars shining in through the skylight.

Instead he just adds a third card and sets a creature face-down, defense mode. Yugi clicks his tongue, irritated, and goes back to his cards. This lets Yami gaze openly at him.

The childhood roundness is gone. Yugi's gained height, a bit, and put on some muscle. The two together have brought out the best in him- delicate high cheekbones, slender build, the faintest tip tilt to his eyes. The resemblance between them has deepened, but in Yugi's case it's brought something of a fey quality.

If Yami is earth and fire, Yugi is wind and water.

Or maybe he's just prejudiced. Yami's perfectly willing to concede that point. He's a man in love, after all, and that might possibly have something to do with how beautiful his aibou is.

Since traveling to the Memory World things have been a little different. He knows who he is, but more than that... Yami raises his free hand, rubs the fingertips together. Savors feeling what he's doing. He senses his God-Father's hand in this; Amun-Ra is the Namer-Of-All-Things, and it would take but a word, literally, to bestow this upon his favorite child. He isn't truly physical, but to those who know him, know of him, he is solid, audible and visible. Still a spirit to the rest of the world, unseen, intangible, though he can with some effort affect the material. Smaller and lighter things most easily.

Like cards.

It still remains most expedient to join with Yugi and share the body. But being able to touch, to feel, on his own again is so much more than he ever expected to be able to share with his chosen. He's beyond grateful and certain Amun-Ra knows it.

He glances back over at his Prince and feels the world drop out from under him, in the nicest way. Yugi's caught his lip in his teeth all unawares as he concentrates. Those lips, as Yami recalls, are soft and warm and welcoming. And he has no idea at all, does Yugi, that a King's heart just fell at his feet. For at least the thousandth time. Take his breath away? Ha. Yami hasn't breath to take, and Yugi steals it from him anyway without even trying.

He makes some noise, he must have, because Yugi looks up questioningly. As soon as he sees Yami's expression, the tenderest smile breaks and mends the Pharaoh's heart in one stroke. Setting his cards aside, Yugi reaches out, hands on either side of Yami's's face. He leans in for that marvelous kiss Yami wanted. He tastes of the hot chocolate he's been drinking and even more of himself.

Yami's own hands splay on Yugi's chest, slide around to the other boy's back as they lean together, kiss deepening. It's Yugi's turn to make a sound, plaintive in the back of his throat.

That's it. That's all. Atem-who-is-Yami now wishes to play a different kind of game, one which will result in more soft little moans like that. And if anyone- anything- interrupts him at his play, he'll sear them to ash where they stand.

No, really, he will.

...All right, perhaps Grandpa will be spared. He'll have every pillow in the room flung at him.

...And maybe Joey will survive. A bucket of ice water for him. Mahad can fetch it from Antarctica.

Kage, Bakura, Seth or Seto? Feather dusters in a Jello-filled wading pool at dawn.

About this time the kiss falls apart in giggles and chuckles, because of course Yugi can hear what Yami's thinking. They have to work at keeping things private, they always have. Yugi flings his arms around the Pharaoh's neck, and Yami can feel tears drop on his shoulder. Not from sorrow, but from joy, a river of light washing from one to the other.

Yugi is so, so, so happy. This brave, strong, wise man is his, and he wants to sing and dance and shout from the top of KaibaCorp. The whole world is lit by Atem's smile

(my Yami, forever my Yami)

and how could anything get any better, ever? Of course there are going to be problems, disappointments, disagreement. They're not the same person, they're not identical. They each bring their own experiences and perspectives to this relationship. The freedom to disagree, to have their own opinions, is a good thing.

Because there is understanding, and support, faith and unshakable trust, and love. Love is there too.

Only diamonds should be flawless. Perfection would be hollow, shallow. Neither one of them is perfect. And that's part of what makes up this miracle in Yugi's arms. Yami is beautiful because he's Yami. He's real, he's alive, he makes mistakes, he learns from them and makes Yugi want to grow and stretch and be better himself.

To shine for his aiseru.

Yami just cradles Yugi close as all this fills his mind and trembles. He's understood and accepted unconditionally for everything he is. There's nothing in the world he can't achieve, so long as he has that. He draws back and realizes his own eyes are wet- only Yugi can make him weep so easily. Kings are meant to be above such things, to be noble and lofty and unshakable.

When the moment calls for that, he will be. He will be altogether the Pharaoh Atem, Son of Ra, Lord of the Two Kingdoms, embodiment of divine justice.

Right now, he's only Yami.

He draws back and kisses Yugi's eyelids, takes away his tears. Yugi gives him another smile, does the same in return, then stands. The bed awaits, and pajamas are easily enough made away with.

Yugi leans back against the pillows, holds out his hands as Yami shuts off the light, lies atop him, between slender thighs that part for him to enter. Yami's enfolded and drawn in and Yugi wraps his legs around his lover's waist, arching up to the first thrust.

The lovemaking is slow and gentle, neither wanting to rush even though their bodies are begging for release. It's Yami who cries out when he reaches that one place that fires Yugi's nerves to a white heat; it's Yugi who pets and soothes and purrs, tightening on the Pharaoh until Yami's will snaps and he gasps for the air he doesn't need. For a moment neither of them know if they're taking or being taken and don't care. Their bond is complete: hearts, minds, souls and bodies joined as one.

Parting is done reluctantly, but really Yugi wouldn't rest well in that position. Besides, there's always the consolation of being able to pillow his head in the rise of Yami's shoulder, just where a King can easily bury his face in a Prince's hair. One of them doesn't need to sleep, but both of them do, chasing each other down into dreams.

A lifetime of dreams is just beginning. Tomorrow is a fine day to begin making those dreams come true.