A/N: This chapter contains a fairly lengthy lemon, so please proceed with caution.

Chapter 02: Up Above

When Kaiba finally returned, his mood was even darker than before and that concerned Yami deeply. He had expected Kaiba to be angry since he had been gone almost two hours by Yami's estimate, but it seemed that the emotions were far worse. "Those bastards," Kaiba grumbled as he made his way down the stairs with a significantly smaller keyring.

"Bastards?" Yami questioned as he stood up and walked back over to the door, wondering how it had gone from being a singular to a plural.

"Sakaguchi-san seemed to think that I wanted the keys to convert this into a S&M dungeon," Kaiba muttered, still irate about the comment.

"What?" Yami exclaimed before exploding into hysterical laughter. "What the hell kind of hobbies does that man think we have? And why would he know about this?"

Frowning as he started to undo the locks, Kaiba explained, "He was the only one I trust who knew where the keys were stored."

"Why would he know where the keys were?" Yami asked.

"It was some fucked up test of loyalty," Kaiba answered, his voice tight with the strain of trying to undo the third lock that seemed to be stuck from years of disuse. "To prove that even if Sakaguchi-san knew where the keys were, he wouldn't use them."

"Use them to let you out of here," Yami guessed, expecting a hard look and a scathing retort to his words.

It was enough to cause Kaiba to pause for a single heartbeat before he resumed undoing the final lock. "Yes," he softly confirmed as he kept his gaze trained on his task.

There were all sorts of things that Yami could have said, apologies and sympathies that would never undo what had been done, but he chose none of those things as the door opened with a horrendous grating noise. Instead he gave Kaiba a lingering chaste kiss as he murmured, "Upstairs?"

It no longer came as a surprise to Kaiba when Yami knew when was the right time to pursue an issue and when to leave it alone. For once he was grateful for the ability because he really didn't feel up to thinking about his countless stays in the small cell, let alone start talking about it. Nodding once, Kaiba said nothing as Yami interlaced their fingers and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze while he led the way out of the subbasement.

Their silence continued until they reached the sanctuary of Kaiba's room and locked the door to the rest of the world behind them. Figuring that Kaiba needed a moment to himself, Yami went into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. Deciding to take longer than he actually needed in order to give Kaiba some time to collect himself, Yami wasted no time in relieving himself.

Feeling as if he could finally think clearly, Yami washed his hands as he debated on whether or not to take the time to check himself for injury. His body was still sore from the fall, but he wasn't overly concerned about that. Yami was more worried about what Kaiba's reaction would be if he found out that he had been hurt, so it was with that in mind that he took off his dusty school jacket and let it drop to the floor.

Swearing softly when he saw the undeniable bloodstain that had come through his shirt on his arm, Yami scowled at it as he inspected it closely. It was going to be a pain to get the stain out of his shirt, but it wasn't large and probably was a result of a minor scrape, nothing more. Deciding to try and find a bandage to cover it, Yami idly wondered if Kaiba would believe that he did it earlier in the day at school.

Feeling slightly awkward about searching through Kaiba's drawers, Yami tried to be as quiet as possible as he quickly looked for bandaids. The drawers were sparse, which made it easier to see that he was out of luck, much to his chagrin. Not to be deterred, he crouched down and opened the doors under the sink in the hopes that maybe something would be found there that would help. Leaning forward and bracing himself on his hands, Yami frowned as he realized that he wasn't going to have much luck down there either.

Unbeknownst to Yami, his attempts at being quiet were for naught as the sound of the cabinetry alerted Kaiba. It roused Kaiba from the bed where he had been blankly staring at the keyring he had flung onto his desk and he soundlessly entered the bathroom, refusing to knock on his own door. Despite his emotionally fractured state, Kaiba licked his lips as his mind appreciated the sight of Yami on his knees, his pert ass raised and wiggling in a way that gave him all sorts of depraved ideas.

"What are you doing?"

The question had been soft and not at all accusatory, but Yami spun around guiltily and banged his shoulder against the cabinet door as he lost his balance. "Uh, I was…looking for…something," Yami lamely explained, captivated and wary of Kaiba's intense gaze.

"For what?" Kaiba asked in a neutral tone as he approached.

Standing with a sheepish expression, Yami tried to dismiss it with, "Nothing important."

Narrowing his eyes at the weak excuse, Kaiba didn't stop until he had Yami pinned against the bathroom counter. "For what?" he repeated, the sensuous timber of his voice sending a shiver through Yami.

There was something addictively dangerous about Kaiba in moments like these, Yami decided. That wildness, that cold heat that could burn him with one false move—it excited Yami almost as much as it troubled him. He knew how quickly Kaiba could turn on him, but Yami couldn't help but be drawn to it, that beautifully strong fragility. "It's fine," Yami reassured him, lightly pressing his lips to Kaiba's neck in the gentlest of kisses.

Kaiba said nothing and met his own gaze in the mirror, narrowing his eyes at his perceived weakness. It angered him and he averted his gaze, which then drew his attention to the suspicious red stain on the arm of Yami's shirt. "You said you weren't hurt," Kaiba stated icily as he leaned away.

"I'm not," Yami insisted, preventing Kaiba from pulling back completely. "It's just a small scrape."

Roughly working the buttons of Yami's shirt, Kaiba yanked it off and earned a small protest from the former pharaoh. "I'm fine," Yami told Kaiba, disliking the remote look of disapproval that was currently being aimed his way.

Not wanting to hear a word of it, Kaiba pulled Yami's arm up to examine it. Although it was true that it was a small and insignificant wound, it angered Kaiba that Yami had been hurt at all. Releasing it with disgust at himself, Kaiba turned away from Yami to get a washcloth to clean off the dried blood. Yami misunderstood the action and said with some amount of exasperation, "Seto, stop," as he started to walk toward Kaiba. Only when Kaiba returned with the small cloth did realization dawn on Yami and he bit his lower lip as he looked down toward the floor.

Turning on the faucet and wetting the cloth, Kaiba silently cleaned off the dried blood, making it even more apparent how minor the wound was, but he was still upset by it. Yami sighed as he tried to get Kaiba to look at him and he finally said, "Say something."

When that failed to get a reaction, Yami tried to think of a different tactic. He knew that it must have taken a monumental amount of willpower for Kaiba to subject himself to that part of his past. Deciding against avoiding the topic, Yami softly said, "Thank you for letting me out of there."

"I couldn't very well leave you down there," Kaiba muttered, finally ceasing in his efforts to cleanse the injury.

Yami wasn't sure what he had been expecting to happen next, but having Kaiba gracefully drop to his knees was a surprise. Before Yami could question the action, Kaiba wrapped his arms around the former pharaoh's slim waist in an embrace and hid his face. Yami rested his hands on Kaiba's shoulders and smiled down sadly at him, confused by the action and oddly touched. He couldn't help but be amused that Kaiba was almost the same height as him while kneeling, but now was not the time for such things.

Normally Kaiba appreciated the silence, but it also meant it was easier for thoughts to make themselves known. Needing something to distract himself from long repressed memories, Kaiba ordered, "Don't explore anymore."

Yami wondered how much of Kaiba's history was hidden in the corridors that were far away from the public eye. "Okay," Yami easily agreed as he ran his fingers through Kaiba's hair, not wanting to cause him anymore undue stress.

For a brief moment, Kaiba's normally guarded eyes were filled with a troubled concern as he warned, "There are too many things that can hurt you."

Touched by Kaiba's rare moment of openness, Yami caressed his cheek and reassured him, "I promise."

Relief flickered in Kaiba's expression before disappearing. He knew just how dangerous the traps were, particularly the ones that were close to Gozaburo's bedroom and study; Kaiba just couldn't bear the thought of Yami getting severely harmed. "Thank you," he almost whispered as his demeanor returned to normal and he reached up and pulled Yami down into a gentle kiss that quickly became possessive. Gozaburo was dead and Kaiba wouldn't let the bastard—or anyone for that matter—hurt Yami.

As much as Yami wanted to give himself over to the needy and demanding kiss, he was still unsure if it was the right thing to do after such a revelation. "Seto, wait—" he started to say before he was cut off by Kaiba's persistent tongue.

Kaiba wasted no time in undoing Yami's belt and the former pharaoh hesitated long enough for his pants to be discarded. Stopping Kaiba's hands, Yami sighed as he tried to reason, "We should probably—"

Not interested in hearing it, Kaiba removed the last of Yami's clothes. His eyes scanned over Yami's body, methodically examining it for any other injuries. Frowning at a bruise on Yami's shin, he ran his thumb over it and it caused the former pharaoh to explain with some amount of frustration, "Seto, I got that when I ran into my kotatsu table a few days ago."

Choosing not to comment on it, Kaiba ran his hands up along Yami's legs as he finished his assessment. Although he could see that Yami had come away almost completely unscathed, the fact that he could have been hurt still troubled Kaiba. Pressing his lips against Yami's firm stomach, he began kissing his way down, almost as if he were reassuring himself that there was no damage from the fall.

If things continued, Yami was going to get aroused and he was pretty sure that Kaiba wouldn't take too kindly to that given their current positions. "Uhm, Seto? Shouldn't we—"

Kaiba chose that moment to grope Yami's ass and it caused the former pharaoh to interrupt himself with a sharp gasp as he felt himself starting to harden. "Seto, please," Yami insisted, "bedroom?"

Smirking as Yami's capacity for language started to abandon him, Kaiba languidly ran his tongue along the semi-erect member in front of his face. The action startled Yami and he jerked slightly as he breathlessly questioned, "What?"

It wasn't a surprise to see him harden completely at that and Kaiba began toying with the head of Yami's member with his tongue. The slightly bitter taste was still off-putting, but Kaiba continued and took it completely into his mouth. Yami tightly held onto Kaiba's shoulders for support and he moaned at the sight of his cock engulfed in that warm mouth. The smug arrogance in Kaiba's eyes made Yami want to moan, but he slowly surrendered himself to the experience instead. Figuring that it was important to Kaiba on some level, Yami put aside his misgivings and let himself enjoy the attention that was being lavished on him.

As Kaiba continued, his actions began to become fierce and hurried, which was having a profound effect on Yami. He tried to be mindful and not thrust into that slick warmth, but Yami was becoming eager to move onto other things, especially when Kaiba's hand started to drift lower and started running over his eager entrance. Yami gasped Kaiba's name, his eyes closing against his will as the pleasure started to wash over him. He didn't want to miss a moment of it, but it just felt so damn good.

Deciding that Yami was becoming too complacent, Kaiba used one of his hands to fondle the heavy sac that had thus far been neglected. Yami's eyes flew open and a quiet shout escaped from him as Kaiba began massaging them while continuing to suck. Words were failing Yami and it didn't help when he felt one of Kaiba's fingers pressing into him, lightly penetrating him. "Stop," Yami warned in a shaky voice, knowing that he wouldn't be able to handle much more before he came.

Instead of obeying, Kaiba increased his vigor and Yami's grip tightened to an almost painful point on his shoulder. He growled his displeasure and Yami shuddered as the feeling ran through him. "Seto, you have to—I'm going to—fuck!" Yami yelled, unable to find the words to finish his thought as Kaiba flicked his tongue over his slit.

Kaiba could feel the trembling of Yami's legs and it made his male pride swell; he had never done it to completion before, but it seemed that he was doing well enough to make the former pharaoh a moaning, incoherent mess. Taking Yami in as deep as he could, Kaiba had to fight against his gag reflex. It sent Yami over the edge and he came with a loud cry, shocked when Kaiba swallowed it with a slight grimace.

When Kaiba released him from his mouth, Yami sank to his knees as his legs gave out from the pleasure. Stroking Kaiba's cheek, Yami smiled at him as he whispered, "Oh, Seto…"

The aftertaste was terrible in Kaiba's opinion, but he reminded himself of how many times Yami had done it to him without a single complaint about it. He was unprepared for Yami trying to kiss him and Kaiba pulled back a little to prevent it, still somewhat grossed out by the thought of the former pharaoh tasting his own essence in such a manner.

Yami couldn't help but grin and he had to tease, "You want to brush your teeth now, don't you?"

Scowling slightly, Kaiba mumbled, "It's…"

"Unpleasant?" Yami suggested.

"Yeah," Kaiba muttered, unclear of why that amused Yami enough to laugh or how he always managed to look like he enjoyed the activity.

"I won't be offended if you do," Yami reassured him, still shocked that Kaiba had done it at all, let alone allowing him to cum in his mouth. "Especially if it's either that or not kissing you."

Half-heartedly glaring at Yami when he started to chuckle again, Kaiba didn't respond. Part of him desperately wanted to clean his mouth, but his pride was challenging the decision. Yami knew Kaiba wouldn't do anything while he was still present, so he settled for a kiss on the cheek before standing and walking out into the bedroom.

He was half way to the bed when he heard the water turn on and Yami couldn't help but laugh again. Yami was more amused by it than anything else and he remembered to get the lube from the nightstand before lying down on the bed. Sighing contentedly, Yami continued to bask in the afterglow briefly before flipping open the lid to the bottle and coating his fingers in the slick substance. Yami began working himself with his fingers so that they could move onto better things once Kaiba got back and he quietly groaned—not from pain, but from the need of something more substantial.

When Kaiba emerged from the bathroom, he was completely naked and his eyes took in the image of Yami splayed on his bed with great pleasure. He was grateful that Yami had started the process so that they could move on to better things and Kaiba joined him on the bed. Yami paused long enough to kiss Kaiba, grinning when they separated. "Minty," he teased, causing Kaiba to flush beautifully.

"Shut up," Kaiba growled, embarrassed that he hadn't been able to resist the urge to brush his teeth after all.

Yami continued stretching himself in preparation, and Kaiba began placing feverish kisses along the former pharaoh's body as he randomly suckled and nipped along the way to enjoy the sounds it earned him. The dual stimulation was making it difficult for Yami to concentrate and he could only cry out Seto's name when Kaiba replaced his fingers with the hard length of his cock.

Knowing that he hadn't given Yami as much time as he normally did, Kaiba waited for him to adjust to the sudden penetration. Yami groaned in frustration as he bucked his hips to let Kaiba know that he was ready and they quickly reached a relentless pace. Even though Kaiba had wanted to be gentle, the heightened sexual passion was fueling his leftover aggression and tapping into his unspoken fears making him take Yami much harder than normal. Yami didn't seem to have any complaints as Kaiba continued pounding into him, though.

Aiming for deeper penetration to bring even greater pleasure, Kaiba guided Yami's knees over his shoulder and it earned him a surprised yelp and a string of curses that were attached to assertions about how good it felt. It made Kaiba feel smugly superior and he didn't hold back his own low moan that was a result of the exquisite sensations. He could already tell he wasn't going to last much longer because of the intensity and he started stroking Yami's member to ensure that the former pharaoh came again. It only took a few firm pumps before Yami reached his climax with a loud shout as he arched off of the bed because of the pleasure overtaking his every sense. Feeling the aftershocks as Yami's muscles tightened around him as if trying to milk his release, Kaiba gave in to the sensations as he buried himself deeply in the warmth and moaned the former pharaoh's name repeatedly.

They stayed like that for a time as they tried to catch their breath, but finally Kaiba had to pull out despite the small noise of protest that Yami made because of it. Lying down next to Yami, they remained quiet as they continued trying to recover.

The silence started to bother Yami and for lack of anything else to say, he randomly asked, "Wait, did your security actually call me that?"

"Call you what?" Kaiba asked with a yawn he failed to hide. The tumultuous emotions and physically intensive aftermath combined with an already long and arduous day were starting to take their toll on Kaiba. Showering quickly and sleeping were starting to sound better and better with each passing second. At least it would prevent the thoughts from happening for a little while if he was unconscious and unable to think on the memories that were bound to try and make themselves known.

"You said that, 'My security team called to inform me that my boyfriend managed to,' earlier," Yami paraphrased.

Blinking as he tried to order things in his mind, Kaiba confirmed, "Yeah," without really seeing the issue. "Why?"

Straddling himself over Kaiba, Yami kissed him sensuously before replying, "No reason," with an impish grin, disappointed that he didn't have the energy for another round just yet. He then proceeded to finish climbing over Kaiba to reach the edge of the bed in order to go take a shower. Yami wanted to curl up by Kaiba's side, but he knew he'd never get away with it while his stomach was still splattered with cum.

Kaiba followed behind him shortly, although he failed to understand Yami's amusement over such a simple thing. Shrugging and leaving the thought aside, they cleaned themselves quickly before returning to bed, although Yami remembered to bring his towel with him in the event they required it upon awakening. Yami chuckled when Kaiba scowled at the slight mess on the top comforter, but it didn't prevent them from sliding under the covers.

Curling up in one of his favorite positions, Yami rested his head on Kaiba's chest and listened to the reassuring rhythm of his heartbeat. Yami snuggled closer when he felt an arm wrap protectively around him and he sighed contentedly when he felt Kaiba's fingers start idly caressing his skin. Even though he wanted to talk about what had happened earlier in the subbasement, Yami let it go for the moment. It was enough for now that Kaiba had openly admitted such a personal fact and Yami wouldn't violate that trust for anything.

Carefully raising himself for one more kiss, they shared a meaningful look that needed no words to express what was being conveyed. He knew that Kaiba wasn't anywhere close to being able to discuss such scaring personal matter, but Yami would always be ready for him when he was. Settling back down and draping his free arm over Kaiba's torso, Yami murmured a quiet, "Good night," and received one in return. Yami smiled faintly when he felt Kaiba lightly press his lips against his forehead in a sweet kiss, an affectionate gesture that he only did when he thought the former pharaoh was asleep.

The familiar warmth and reassuring weight of Yami pressing against his chest made everything a little easier for Kaiba to deal with. The past was inconsequential because only the present mattered; for the moment all was well in his world since Yami was safe and by his side. It allowed him to drift to sleep in peace since Yami was his and no harm could come to them for the time being.

A/N: Well, this one went up late because apparently Kaiba wanted to blow Yami—go figure. So hopefully that was worth the slight delay and yet another Entangled story concludes.

Not a whole lot to add, mostly because it's almost 3AM and I have to be up in a few hours for work. I'll respond to reviews after I get home on Monday, so I apologize now for the delay there as well.

Next week will either be Anywhen, Anywhere Part XIII or Entangled 09, so please check back on Sunday, April 26th for an update!