Sorry for taking so long to update, everyone!

On with the chapter! ^^

CHAPTER EIGHT

So bright. Why did it have to be so bright?

With a muffled groan, the tri-colored haired teen brought his arm up, letting it drop over his eyes in an attempt to block the awfully disturbing sunbeam. And just when he was having such a nice dream.

And speaking of dreams…

With a sharp intake of breath, Yugi shot upright, a cry escaping his lips when he did so. Clutching the bed sheets tightly in his hands, he had to bite down on his lip in order to prevent himself from moaning at the pain that shot up his spine.

With a loud 'thud', the bathroom door shot open, making his head snap upwards. "Yugi?" another spiky haired teen questioned, worry clinging to his voice as he made his way over to the bed clad only in black boxers.

Yugi blushed, turning his gaze to the mattress and tugging at the sheets to cover his own nudity. He didn't look up when he felt a warm hand cupping his cheek, not even when Yami kneeled down right next to the bed and gazed at him with concern swirling in those red depths.

"I thought… I thought you had left during the night." he finally said, his voice coming out in nothing more but a mere whisper. Well, not that it was his fault. His voice was just kinda hoarse after… that.

At the reminder of last night, his blush only deepened. A chuckle brought him out of his musings and he had to blink when the hand that was on his cheek moved downwards, grasping his chin instead and turning his head to the side.

The moment amethyst met crimson, his eyes widened. He had never seen those blood red eyes glowing with such mirth. Was it something he said?

"My silly little one." was all that Yami said and before he realized what was going on, Yugi found himself lying back against sheets, Yami's lips firmly locked with his own. Shaking, his hand moved of its own accord, shooting up to grasp Yami's forearm. When Yami's tongue ran lightly over his lower lip, Yugi's eyes closed, lips parting to grant the other's request.

An involuntary moan rose from his throat as Yami coaxed his tongue into a fierce battle, which he relented after a while. He felt the corners of Yami's mouth curl into a victorious smirk before the other pulled away.

Panting and with a rosy blush coloring his face, Yugi looked up into Yami's face who smiled tenderly at him while running his thumb against those petal soft lips he had just kissed. "I thought I had already made it clear to you last night. You're much too precious to me to let you go."

Eyes doubling in size if only for a moment, Yugi averted his gaze to the side. Honestly, why was Yami so insistent on saying such embarrassing things?

"B-Baka…" he muttered quietly. But as he glanced at Yami's smiling face, he couldn't suppress the soft smile that graced his own features. Really … he was happy.

Yami chuckled again, standing up and helping Yugi do the same. But as the latter sat up, this time he wasn't quick enough to stop himself from grimacing when another wave of pain washed over him.

"What's the matter?" Yugi cursed mentally at himself. Damn. Why did Yami have to be so perceptive about things?

"Nothing, I'm fine." he muttered hastily. The last thing he needed right now was the other's pity. He didn't want Yami to think he was a weakling or something. A long, exasperated sigh made his eyebrows furrow.

"I didn't mean to be so rough." A hand suddenly appeared at the base of his neck, stroking lightly the fine hair that was within reach. Yugi's eyes slid shut of their own volition, finding this rare show of gentleness far too hard to resist.

"…It's not like I protested or anything."

Yami's hand paused for the barest of moments, staring down at the other with slight wide eyes. "I see," he muttered, a tiny smile playing at his lips, "Then you should definitely look forward to next time."

Yugi's head jerked sideways, the heat that had risen to his face diminishing somewhat the intensity of his glare. "Idiot! Who said anything about next time?!"

Yami laughed, catching the pillow that was thrown towards him with no effort. "Well, it's pleasing to know that you can now talk about such things without the stuttering. Not that I would mind it during the sex. Stuttering while screaming my name was a real turn on."

Yugi face palmed. How could he possibly think that this guy had changed? Once a jerk, always a jerk.

"Anyways…" the boy said, lifting his face from the depths of his hands, "we should get ready. School's going to start soon."

A heavy frown settled over Yami's features at that prospect. Yugi couldn't help but blink when in a minute's notice, Yami's whole demeanor seemed to change, turning imperious and predatory in an alarming rate. "And here I thought that we were going to take a day off…" The teen trailed off, getting on the bed and crawling over to Yugi slowly, a wicked grin upon his face. "You know," he said, lifting himself to tower over a stunned Yugi, "so that we can explore our newly discovered relationship thoroughly."

A choked gasp was torn from Yugi's lips when teeth suddenly encased his earlobe, gnawing and sucking and licking all at once, providing him with a full demonstration of all the possible activities they could be having if they were to stay at the house.

"…Nngh! Wait, Y-Yami!" he managed to breathe out, pushing against his better judgment at the other's shoulders.

Yami pulled away, a deep scowl marring his face. "Why? That fucking hellhole is meaningless anyway."

Yugi's brows furrowed as well, punching the other's forearm. "For the future career of the Game King, maybe. But we, common folk, need some sort of education to get a job sometime in the near future. And besides, we still need to turn in that stupid piece of paper we worked on last night, not to mention that thanks to a certain someone, I'm still so fucking sore!"

Yami seemed to freeze on the spot, the scowl that appeared to be firmly in place beginning to melt away ever so slowly. An all too satisfied, triumphant grin soon took its place, refusing to budge even as he leaned in to peck Yugi lightly on the lips. "And I'm too damn proud it's all thanks to me."

Yugi flashed him a pout, swinging his arm to get another punch at Yami, but the latter caught his fist with his hand just in time to prevent it from finding its target. A whole hearted laugh passed through Yami's lips. "Fucking sore?" he repeated in good humor, grinning from ear to ear. "Who would have thought that I could be such a bad influence on you?"

Yugi huffed, folding his arms across his chest. "At least you've got self-awareness. That's something, I guess."

At those words, Yami's grin got even broader.

Yugi snorted, using his hands to support himself and then slowly proceeded out of the bed. His nose scrunched up once he placed his feet on the solid floor, his entire spine tingling from the pain that washed over him. An arm suddenly wrapped around his waist, steadying him gently. Yugi flashed a small, grateful smile at his companion, allowing the other to steer him towards the bathroom.

Once inside, Yugi faltered. He craved a hot, steaming shower more than anything right now, dying to feel its wonders on his stiff muscles. The problem was, well, he could barely stand as it was.

"Have you found it yet?"

His head jerked to the side so quickly, that Yugi considered it a miracle that he didn't get a cramp. Bringing a hand up to rub at the nape of his neck, he shot a quizzical look at Yami. "Found what?"

"The thing you've been looking for inside the bathtub." Yami's eyes not once had wavered from the said spot even as he spoke. "I assure you, no shark is gonna jump you."

His next inhale of air got caught in his throat when Yugi elbowed him hard in the ribs. Soothing the abused spot, Yami's glare dropped and his eyebrows nearly disappeared under his hairline at the shove that Yugi kept on giving him. He planted his feet firmly in the ground, folded his arms over his chest and simply refused to budge. Blinking at the resistance he was suddenly met with, Yugi glanced downwards before outright huffing.

"You'll go out on your own, then?" he asked and gestured towards the door to farther his point.

Yami followed the direction he was pointing at with no concealed confusion. "Why would I want to go out?"

"Because I want to take a shower, and no," Yugi stretched out the word when the other opened his mouth, "you won't be keeping me company."

Yami bristled. Rolling his eyes irritably, the teen stalked over to the door and exited the room without so much as a backwards glance. Once alone, Yugi let a sigh tumble from his lips. It was moments like these that made Yugi wonder about his mental health. No, seriously, what sane person would willingly commit themselves to someone like Yami?

He bent to take off his boxers when his own thoughts actually caught up to him. Commit? When did he start thinking about commitment? Well, sure, he didn't want what they did last night to be a one time thing, but how serious was it going to be? Yami definitely didn't give off the aura of someone willing to commit themselves in a relationship.

Shaking his head, Yugi discarded his briefs to the side and wasted no time to get into the shower, groaning when the scorching water came in contact with his skin, turning him into a pile of goo in the process.

Forehead resting against the cold tiled wall, Yugi stood there and just allowed the heavenly sensations to reach every pore in his body. God, he could stay like this for hours on end.

No sounds had reached his ears, and so, the gush of air that came out of the blue hit his bare back with full force, eliciting a shudder from him that started from his head and ended at his toes. Lifting his head, he straightened and was just about to turn around when a pair of warm arms wounded around him; one curling around his waist, and the other coming to rest upon his torso.

"If I didn't know you any better, I'd say you were a masochist and wanted to get off by scorching yourself raw."

Yugi scoffed, head turning slightly to the side to look at the nearly identical pair of eyes that were peering at him from over his shoulder. "I'm seriously starting to consider having been a masochist all along and not realizing till now." At the flat look the other graced him with, Yugi nodded affirmatively to himself. "I must be, seeing as I torture myself by putting up with you."

Yami merely chuckled, an action that sent hot puffs of breath right into Yugi's ear, this time making him shudder for a whole new reason. "Yes, I think you are."

The arm on his chest started rubbing soothing circles over the skin, and combined with the warmth of the water, made Yugi's eyelids drop. Yami's hand glided over to his nipples, encircling them lazily with the pads of his fingers and forcing Yugi to draw in a long inhale of breath. Slowly, without the shorter boy realizing it, it traveled lower and lower, intending for the more private parts of the teen's body. When those slender fingers wrapped themselves around Yugi's shaft, the boy jerked at the unexpected tug.

"Yami," he breathed warningly, hand moving to dislodge Yami's from its current location, only for the latter to grip his wrist. Yami guided his captured wrist on the tiled wall, interlacing their fingers together just as his other hand delivered a deliberate, almost painful pull to his cock.

Yugi's back arched, tightening the hold on their fingers when Yami pressed against him from behind. He couldn't help the groan that slipped past his lips upon feeling Yami's semi-hard member rubbing against the crack of his ass, and sensing his own cock coming to life. A content hum left Yami's throat, and he lowered his head to the expanse of skin that was revealed to him, trailing his tongue over the column of Yugi's pale neck, before letting his teeth join and nip at the soft flesh, eliciting a shudder from his counterpart.

"Yami," Yugi's voice was deepening by the minute, husky even to his own ears. "Too soon for…!" A startled cry was torn from him at the sudden speed boost of Yami's hand, whimpering when he felt his member hardening completely under the ministrations.

"So sensitive," Yami whispered against the skin of Yugi's neck, "Or is it reacting like this because it's my touch?"

"Idiot!" Yugi hissed, a guttural sound leaving his throat when Yami tightened his grip on his waist and simultaneously rocked harshly against him from behind. His entire body was burning up, seized in the haze of pleasure that Yami had swept him in. The strokes on his cock strengthened in intensity, drawing a long whimper from Yugi, who bucked uncontrollably into the other's hand.

Yami growled softly, the hot breath in his ear making Yugi swoon. In a blur of movements, Yugi was swirled around, the gasp that left his lips upon contact with the cold wall of the shower being swallowed by Yami's devouring mouth. The kiss was anything but gentle, hungry to the point of bruising, and Yugi was having a hard time keeping his knees from turning to mush. Amidst the war their tongues were engaged in, Yugi only mildly felt the heat vanishing from his member, but the moment Yami pressed himself flat against the other boy's body, the friction that was created between them caused Yugi to tear his mouth away with a cry.

Smirking, Yami rocked against him, aligning their members together and picking up a succession of thrusts that had Yugi's mind reeling. Fingers carding through Yami's hair, he held on black strands even as he tossed his head back, the pain that erupted in his skull only heightening the pleasure.

"Y-Yami," the teen moaned, amethyst eyes seeking ruby ones and interlocking in a staring match that was broken nearly as quick as it started since both boys leaned in at the same time, lips coming together in a gentler, leisure kiss.

Yami grunted against his mouth, snaking one hand between their bodies to take hold of their leaking shafts and fisting them together. Yugi whimpered, back arching off the wall and teeth sinking into his lover's lower lip as an anchor to this world, an action that had Yami growling into the kiss before increasing the tempo of his movements, rubbing their members faster and squeezing them almost mercilessly.

Yugi's throaty scream was muffled by the smoldering lips that were covering his own, swallowing in return his companion's guttural groan. Boneless in his post orgasmic state, Yugi untangled himself from Yami's arms and let himself slide down. Following his example, Yami too slid to his knees on the floor, their breathing labored and hectic.

Yugi allowed his head to fall against the wall behind him, trying to catch his breath and closing his eyes for a quick respite.

Feeling a prickle on his eyelids, he reopened his eyes and flushed at being under the other's scrutiny. Suddenly conscious of himself, he tore his gaze away, only to have his face redden further at the sight of their chests, covered in each other's essence.

"Yugi," Said person shivered at Yami's still husky voice. A throaty chuckle reached his ears, right before a thumb stroked his burning cheek. "Seems like I was right. Stuttering during sex is a real turn on."

And just like that, the tension evaporated right out of Yugi's shoulders, his entire body easing back. And surprisingly enough, breathy laughter left the teen's lips, soft and pleasant and taking even his counterpart by surprise. Smiling widely once the rounds of laughter were through, Yugi reached up and flicked Yami on the forehead, the sight of those angular shaped eyes growing nearly double in size almost sending Yugi over the edge in hysterics again.

Plastering the back of his hand against his mouth to smother any remaining giggles, Yugi beamed behind said hand, an act that did nothing to ease his companion's shocked state.

After staring for a while longer to ensure that he wasn't imagining things, Yami felt his eyes soften involuntarily.

"Wow," he breathed out, arm coming up to lower the hand that was covering Yugi's mouth. "Who would have thought you'd look so breathtaking when you loosen up."

Yugi chuckled one last time, amethyst eyes sparkling under the water spray.

Yami heaved a sigh. "Now I'm conflicted. I don't know which I prefer more; your bedroom face or the little ray of sunshine right here." And before Yugi could so much as breath a retort, he slipped his arms around the other's smaller form, thankful that the water had washed away their cum and their chests were no longer sticky.

"The first I can make sure is locked away and stored for my personal use only, but as for the second…you wouldn't allow me to forbid you from smiling at another person, would you?"

Yugi shook his head, sliding his own arms around Yami's neck, burying his face in that wild mane. "Remind me to work on that possessiveness of yours when we've got time on our hands."

Yami snorted out a laugh. "Will do."

*)&(*

"Remind me again why you were in such a hurry considering that we reached here in…" he consulted the watch on his wrist, "precisely five minutes and forty-five seconds?" One black eyebrow arched upwards. "You know there's still twenty minutes for first period, right?"

Yugi closed the door to his locker, history book clutched in his hand. "I know, but I want to find Tea first. I have to apologize for yesterday."

Yami took hold of Yugi's arm, stopping him from walking past. "No, you won't."

"Excuse me?" Yugi wrenched away his arm, amethyst eyes narrowing. "That better not have been the order that it sounded like."

Yami folded his arms over his chest. "And what if it was?"

"Then I'll have to disappoint you, your Majesty!"

"Wait, Yugi!" Yami yelled after the retreating back of the other boy, attracting the attention of a couple of other students that were loitering around the locker rooms. Yami growled deep in his throat, running a hand through his hair. One glare was all it took for the crowd to scatter.

Yugi stomped through the hallways, paying only half a mind to the weird looks directed his way. "The nerve of that guy!" he hissed quietly through gritted teeth, curling the book like a papyrus and beating it against his palm. And here he thought that things were going to change between them. As if! Yami still acted like he had a right to boss him around, like he did with the rest of their school's population.

"Yugi!" Royalty his ass! As far as he was concerned, the King of Games could go to hell! The place went fabulously with his personality.

"Oi, Yugi!" His shoulder was grabbed, and out of reflex, he batted the person's hand away with his coiled history book.

"Ouch!" Tea shook her hand, face scrunching up at the stinging in her fingers. "What gives?"

"Tea?" Yugi blinked. "Oh, god, Tea!" Finally registering what he was seeing, he rushed forward. "I'm so sorry! I thought it was…uh, someone else."

The brunette gave him a scrutinizing look, arm still moving back and forth by her side.

Yugi flashed her a sheepish smile. "Anyways…" he scratched his cheek awkwardly, "I was looking for you, actually. I'm really sorry about, you know, last night. I didn't do it on purpose!" he hurried to add, gesturing wildly. "It's just that things came up, and I was kinda preoccupied, so I-!"

"Whoa, whoa!" Tea shushed him, covering his mouth firmly with her palm. "You mean you didn't show up either?"

Yugi removed her hand, nodding frantically. "Yeah, that's what I've been trying to say! It wasn't my intention and –" he trailed off suddenly, brow furrowing slowly. "Wait," he said, more to himself rather than his friend, "You didn't go to the meeting place?"

Tea's cheeks adorned a reddish hue at his question, gaze guiltily drifting towards the floor. "I'm really sorry, Yugi. The truth is, Tristan came over just when I was going to see you and it got sort of complicated after that."

Yugi looked at her concernedly. "Nothing bad happened, right?"

Tea's face seemed to go aflame. A nervous laugh rumbled deep within her throat as she lifted one hand to rub at the back of her neck. "Bad…I wouldn't say it was, uh, b-bad. N-not really." She made to give him a reassuring smile, only to end up alarming him further at the way her eyes shot to the ground the moment they came in contact with his.

Yugi stared at her funnily, never before having heard her fumble for words like that.

Then, for the first time he noted the turtle neck blouse she was wearing underneath the standard pink jacket of the school's uniform for the girls. The weather was pretty pleasant today. Instinctively, his hand rose to touch the black choker around his throat, unable to forget the necessity of the item.

A soft smile graced his lips. "You should try splashing some hot water on it. I've found it's pretty soothing."

Tea paused in her incoherent mumbling, staring at him through wide blue eyes. "You've…found? Wait," she glanced at his neck momentarily, shell-shocked, "is that why you didn't go yesterday? You t-too?"

Yugi fought down the blush that threatened to rise, taking her hand in his tentatively and squeezing gently, "I'm happy for you and Tristan. He seems like a really good guy."

"Really?" Tea murmured quietly, disbelief coating her voice.

Yugi chuckled, "Really, really."

His friend's eyes glistened all of a sudden and before he knew it, Yugi was engulfed in the tightest hug he had received in a while. "Gosh, Yugi! I thought you'd be angry with me, or that you'd consider it betrayal. Thank you so, so much! I don't know what I'd have done without you!"

Yugi rolled his eyes fondly, arms tightening around her for only a moment before he was forcefully ripped away.

Blazing red eyes were drilling holes into Tea's face, who was looking incomprehensively back, her posture rigid at the hostility she was suddenly being placed under.

"Hands. Off." Yami growled every word with a warning so clear, that a flicker of something akin to fear flashed behind those blue orbs.

That was it. Yugi had just about had enough.

"That's enough!" he shouted, pushing at Yami's chest harshly and causing a pair of smoldering crimson eyes to jerk sharply to him. "Keep your temper under control around my friends, or never approach me when I talk to them again!"

Yami stared at him, anger overriding any other emotion that splayed over his face.

All tension melted out of Yugi's body as a sense of resignation coursed through him, not blind to the impossibility of a sane relationship between them. "Can't…can't you trust me at all?"

Yami bristled, turning sharply on his heel. "Fine." he assented at last, not facing Yugi. "I'll wait for you over there." He stalked off towards the opposite wall, resting his back against the hard surface. His arms crossed over his chest as he stared off towards the side.

Yugi slid a hand down his face, a drawn out sigh slipping past his lips. "Baby steps," he mumbled to himself, "baby steps."

A polite cough made his head shot upwards, face coloring at Tea's raised, expectant eyebrow.

"Is Yami the one that-"

"Yeah." Yugi cut her off sharply, refusing to allow her to complete that particular sentence. "Are you disgusted?"

"I'm concerned for your state of mind, certainly." Tea laughed, her eyes dancing with mirth, "I could never find anything about you disgusting, though."

Yugi's eyes closed for a moment, breathing a sigh of relief he hadn't known he was withholding. "Thank you. I don't know what I'd have done if I lost you, either."

Tea grinned broadly. "Best friends for life, remember?" she said, holding up her pinky.

Yugi laughed, mimicking her by doing the same. "I remember."

*)&(*

Yami scoffed.

A laugh, clear and magnificent, rang out in the hall and making him tighten his hold over his own forearms.

What the fuck were they talking about?

"I never thought I'd live to see the day." a voice sounded from somewhere to his left, and Yami shot the newcomer an irritable glare. "Yami Sennen, sulking alone in a corner. I do believe hell might have just frozen over."

"Was there something in particular that you wanted, Seto, or just to annoy me in general?"

His cousin leant beside him, adopting a similar position. "It has always been my job to annoy you, and vice versa."

"True, that." Yami relented, letting his head fall as backwards as the wall allowed him so that he could stare up at the ceiling.

"On a more serious note, you're frightening the students." Seto commented, lazily eyeing a group of lower year students as they hurried to turn hot on their heels and hightail it out of the hallway. "What could have you in such a foul mood so early in the morning?"

Yami gestured absently towards the pair a few feet away. "He shooed me off, more or less."

Seto glanced in the pointed direction, addressing the other with a questioning look. "Humor me and answer me what exactly that has to do with you."

A sideways scathing look was sent his way. "It has everything to do with me."

Seto sighed softly, rubbing at his temples. "Look, I know the kid intrigues you, but you can't possibly-"

Yami laughed suddenly, earning a frigid glare from his counterpart. "You don't get it." he muttered, shaking his head. Nevertheless, he felt generous enough to enlighten his childhood friend. "Look at his choker." he said dismissively, returning to his appraisal of the ceiling.

Seto's eyes narrowed in suspicion, opting to do just that. He looked, not knowing what he was actually supposed to be looking for but still. Wait…there was something purple-bluish picking from underneath the accessory. It was barely noticeable but it was there, none the less.

"Is that a bruise?"

His cousin snorted. "Better; a hickey."

His eyebrows rose dubiously. "That's a hickey? And one you put there, I presume?"

Yami chuckled, the sound sheepish. "I might have been a little too enthusiastic about it, but yeah. And trust me, it's not the only claim I've placed on his body, by far."

Seto hummed softly under his breath, head tilting back towards the wall. "Hm, may god have mercy on his soul."

Yami made to swing at him, only to grab thin air as Seto stepped just out of arm's reach.

"Morning, Kaiba." Both heads turned at once.

"Mutou." Seto nodded curtly at the other teen, a gesture which was returned before the latter directed his attention elsewhere.

"I see you've finally decided to stop sulking."

"For fuck's sake!" Yami threw his hands up in surrender, "I'm not sulking." he made certain to stress out the last word.

Yugi paid no heed to it, however. "Would it really be too much to ask you to not try and isolate me from my friends? They mean a lot to me, you know."

Yami's face remained passive. "And here I thought so did I."

Yugi sighed, eyes slipping shut if only for a moment. "Can't we compromise?"

"It's not the others." Yami grumbled through clenched teeth, "It's just her. I can't compete with her. She has known you far longer than I." He tugged at his hair in frustration, feeling utterly resentful for the vulnerability he was experiencing. "It makes me absolutely mad that I have to fight against her over your affection. This is probably the first time I've felt so scared of losing a battle."

"Shit…" Seto murmured quietly, still in a semi state of shock. "You're actually serious about him?"

Yami grunted. "It would be counterproductive for this whole drama if I wasn't, wouldn't it?"

"Right," Seto shook his head, moving towards the direction of the classroom for first period. He waved a hand above his shoulder, "Good luck with breaking the news to Wheeler. Oh, and Mutou…" he glanced briefly at the muted boy who seemed to snap out of his stupor long enough to look at him, "my sincere condolences for the loss of your so far peaceful days."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?! Oi, Seto!" Yami yelled after the brunet, not receiving a single response in return. "Family love my ass." he muttered grudgingly.

"How much of an idiot are you?"

The chime went off, leaving an insistent pounding inside Yami's head even after it had stopped ringing. An occasional student would pass by but they were too busy worrying over being late for class to pay any attention to the duo, thus gifting them with relatively undisturbed silence.

"What did you say?"

But Yugi wouldn't lift his eyes to look at him.

Red was beginning to creep into his vision, and Yami's fists clenched by his sides when the silence stretched on. He pushed off the wall, intent to physically shake the words out of the other teen if necessary, only to stagger backwards again when another body slammed into his.

Warm lips covered his firmly, their mouths coming together forcefully. Familiarity already stirring in his muddled brain, he reached up to grab a fistful of hair, keeping Yugi's head in place while his other arm wrapped around a petit waist and pressed their bodies flush against each other. Friction sparkled between entangled limbs, and the strangled moan that vibrated against his lips had Yami seeing a different kind of red.

With a half-snarl, half-growl, he had their positions reversed, his previous anger fueling an aggressiveness within him that was steadily turning him blind to everything but the person trapped in his arms.

His bit Yugi's lower lip viciously, tasting the coppery taste of blood and drowning in the gasped sob that reached his ears.

He forced his tongue inside Yugi's mouth, instantly locating its counterpart and stringing it along into a fierce dance that he had no intention of allowing Yugi to back out of. He unwind his arm from its steely hold of the other's waist to trail it lower till it grasped one of Yugi's hips, purposefully dragging their northern regions closer still, grating their clothed, semi-erect members together and bringing them into full hardness.

"Yami…!" Yugi choked out, but Yami didn't allow him to proceed further than that before he engulfed his mouth again, growling when those smooth lips parted willingly to grant him entrance.

Plundering the other's cavern once more, he pivoted his pelvis with sharp accuracy, thrusting into Yugi's lower body with a ferocity that was making the friction from their clothes painful.

Still, he pressed on, the smothered screams from the boy underneath him making a beeline to his groin.

He sucked and nibbled at the soft flesh, kissed him until Yugi's lips were too bruised to press back, but Yami just relocated to his ear. He whispered all the things he wanted to do to Yugi, all the ways he fantasized about taking him and the marks he'd leave on his body so that whenever Yugi touched one accidently, he'd remember the pleasure that had been bestowed on his body.

Yami bit at the lobe, informing his lover about how hard he was planning to take him, so that whenever Yugi moved, he'd always be reminded of the way Yami had moved inside him, claiming him from all the way in.

He told him all those things as he humped him, and Yugi writhed in his arms, having lost the fight against the goosebumps that had erupted all over his body a long time ago.

"Let's go back to your house, Yugi." he breathed onto the smooth column of neck, "We've still got forty minutes before first period is over. You can't even begin to imagine the things I can do to you in forty minutes."

"Ngghh…!" Yugi fought for any fragments of lucidity left in his mind, but piecing two words together was too hard, and Yami was making sure he couldn't focus.

"If we don't go now, I'm going to fuck you right here, right now, against this very wall, so that everyone in this school learns to whom you belong."

Yugi whimpered, involuntarily thrusting back and eliciting a deep, guttural grunt from Yami.

He removed himself from Yugi's body long enough to catch his breath and then he was dragging Yugi along with him through the hallways, so easy to maneuver now that they were empty. Mind still scattered from earlier, Yugi could only follow after him, beginning to catch a glimpse of his clarity after being exposed to the fresh air for a minute or so, and by then, they were almost halfway home.

"What about your grandfather?" Yami asked as he fished inside Yugi's pockets for the keys. "I thought Joey said you were living together with him, but there was no one else at the house yesterday."

"…Excavation trip to Egypt." Yugi mumbled back, watching Yami search for the right key, just barely holding back a wince as his erection rubbed against the rough fabric of his pants.

"Perfect," Yami whispered, but Yugi couldn't tell whether it was because he had managed to open the front door, or for all the potential fun they could have in a house all to themselves.

Yami intertwined their fingers, tugging him along into the game shop and towards the stairs that led upwards to the living quarters.

"Tea and Tristan are together, ever since last night." That gave Yami pause, leaving them stranded in the middle of the staircase. "There's no one else except you." Yugi went on, searching Yami's face for anything that could clue him in to his lover's emotions. "I just wanted you to know that. Didn't want you to do this out of anger."

"You love her, though." It wasn't a question, not even a confirmation. It sounded every bit like the statement it was and Yugi couldn't fail but wince, sensing Yami growing distant.

Their fingers were still locked and yet Yami felt like he was miles away.

Yugi squeezed those long digits, needing to feel their warmth. "And I won't stop loving her for as long as she lets me. She's my best friend. But I don't understand why, to you, it means that I'm already full and have no more room for other people."

Yami scowled, lips setting into a thin line. "It's not the same."

"How isn't it the same?!" Yugi tore his arm away, staring at Yami through furious, hooded eyes. "I love my grandpa too, he's the only family I've got left! Are you going to act so irrationally about him as well?"

Yami sighed exasperatedly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You don't see the way you act around Tea. It's as if it's Christmas all over for you."

Yugi nodded once, resolutely. "Fine. I see how it is."

"Huh?"

Yugi paid him no mind, instead starting a swift descent of the stairs. He really needed to get out of there, like, right now. "Thanks for everything and all that crap. Now, if you don't mind getting out of my house, I have to get back to school. Hopefully Mr. Shadi will still let me attend."

Yami reached him the moment he climbed down the last step, grabbing his shoulder and twisting him around.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Yugi tried to remove the hold Yami had on him, glaring when his shoulder was gripped harsher in retaliation. "I'm done here. Now let me go."

Yami's expression turned incredulous for the briefest of moments before it contorted into something nasty, catching Yugi off guard with the abruptness of it all. "You think that after last night," Yami pushed him backwards, following him step for step, "hell, after what conspired a few minutes ago," His fingers felt like they were digging all the way into Yugi's shoulder blade, grinding painfully against the bone, "I was going to allow another person to see you like that, let alone touch you in such a way? Don't make me laugh." Yugi stiffened, casting started amethyst eyes towards the counter behind him before letting out a sharp yelp. He was forcefully bent backwards, his upper back coming to rest against the cold, glassy surface of the counter.

He glowered at the other, banging his fists on the hard chest and when Yami made no move to stop him, they simply fell down by his sides.

"I don't know what you want from me." he whispered, too afraid to speak up and confirm how quivering his voice was sounding. His eyes stung, and as he lifted his palms to bury his face in them he tried to convince himself it was because of the bruising hold on his shoulder.

"I was willing to try. I wanted to try. But the way you refuse to believe me, it's like you want to push me away…" Scorching hot tears trailed down the side of his face, despite how pursed his eyelids were, and he pressed his hands down harder. "You're so full of contradictions that I don't know what to expect anymore!"

His entire body was shaking, he could feel it. He bit down on his lip, swallowing back the sobs that threatened to spill past.

Warm heat enveloped him from all sides as strong arms coiled around his form, making Yugi tense up. A body lay atop his chest, never applying too much pressure, just resting against him snugly.

"I don't know how to share." Yami whispered into his hair, his tone coming off more apologetic than Yugi had ever heard him, "I never had to."

His trembling reawakening anew, Yugi raised his arms to wrap around Yami's neck, one of his hands carding through midnight tresses and drawing his head closer. "It's-" he sniffled quietly, "it's not that hard. Just takes a while to get used to." After a while, he felt Yami nod ever so slightly against his neck.

"It's scary," Yami murmured into his flesh, "how much drawn I am to you. You make me lose control." Lips closed around his earlobe, sucking it gently into a hot mouth before bestowing a soothing lick on the soft skin.

Yugi was violently reminded how sensitive that spot had been a while ago, and all the sinful promises which had been confided in it.

He sobbed openly this time, spreading his legs to better accommodate Yami before lifting one to snake around the other's hip, bringing their bodies close. "I want you. Only you."

A sharp intake of breath and the softly uttered, "Shit…" was all the warning Yugi was given before his head was turned to the side and teeth clamped down on his lower lip.

The bite wound from before was reopened and Yugi whined, a sound both needy and pained that brought a flush to his face as it resonated in the space around them. Yami was the first to pull back, touching his temple with Yugi's and locking their gazes together.

"I hope you know that by the time I'm done with you, second period will have already ended."

Hot breath fanned over his face, making Yugi shiver involuntarily, uncontrollably. Yami didn't linger long enough to hear an answer before he swopped down and claimed the boy's lips in another heated kiss, turning all remaining thoughts in Yugi's brain into an incoherent mesh.

And as he responded in kind, Yugi couldn't help but entertain the rueful notion of how they never turned in their assignment.

*)&(*

True to his promise, the bell that signaled the end of second period went off the very moment they stepped foot inside the building. If it had been up to Yami, they'd have skipped school altogether, but as it was, he could only trudge along his lover, grumbling incoherencies under his breath all the while.

"Yami!" Said person chanced a glance over his shoulder, tempted to grab Yugi and just make a run for it but as though his intentions were stated loud and clear over his forehead, a hand shot out, grabbing him from the scruff of his jacket and spinning him around.

"Seto!" he exclaimed cheerfully, "Fancy meeting you here, eh?"

Icy sapphire eyes bore into his face, the thunderous glare they were sporting making him want to fidget inexplicably, despite having been subjected to that look on numerous occasions.

"Where the hell have you been?" his cousin hissed, voice dangerously low.

"I, uh, was distracted?" he tried, smiling nervously.

Seto's teeth grinded together. "By what, pray tell?"

"The many wonders of life?"

Out of the corner of his eye he could see Yugi burying his face in his palms.

Seto himself didn't seem particularly amused.

With a low snarl, he was shoved away. Shooting his cousin the stink eye, he deftly reached up to straighten the collar of his jacket.

"I hope you had fun while you could, because your father is just about ready to skin you alive." Seto's lip curled into a sneer, arms folding over his chest.

In the process of wiping imaginary dust from his sleeves, Yami froze mid-movement, head lifting slowly to stare at Seto. "My father?" he repeated, brows knitting together. "I thought he was away on a busyness trip to Egypt."

"Apparently, not anymore." Seto said with a shrug. "During first period, he came and introduced the new history professor. He wasn't too pleased when he noticed your absence."

"We have a new history professor?" Yugi piped in for the first time, "What about professor Shadi?"

"Temporary leave to settle some family matters." Seto quipped before his attention snapped back to Yami, "You are both expected in his office."

"Me too?!" Yugi squeaked.

"Well, your grandfather didn't seem to appreciate you missing his first lesson."

Yugi blinked, repeatedly and Seto frowned, not liking the dubious look he was given. "What?" he growled, frustrated.

"Could you run that by me again? My what didn't appreciate what?"

Seto's arms fell by his sides as he turned to face the other boy fully. "He's not your grandfather? I assumed so when he introduced himself as Professor Mutou."

Wrinkles were slowly forming on Yugi's forehead, brow furrowing deeper and deeper. "That's the new history professor?" At Kaiba's nod Yugi turned to the remaining member of the group, the matching scowl that marred Yami's face only unsettling him further.

"What's going on?" he muttered hesitantly.

"Come on," Yami took hold of his wrist, waving goodbye to a confused Kaiba before giving a gentle tug to his hand as indication to follow him.

"Yami?" Yugi question warily, increasing his steps to match the hurried pace of his lover. "Where are we going?"

"To find out what's going on. This is too much of a coincidence."

Yugi couldn't agree more.

Lost in their own thoughts, none of them spoke a word in the entire walk to the chairman's office. They paused outside, Yami's knuckles raising to knock on the door when suddenly slender fingers enclosed around his lifted arm.

Startled, he shot a whispered 'What?' in Yugi's direction, but the other just stared ahead in space.

Now seriously alarmed, Yami shook his shoulder, breathing a sigh of relief when wide amethyst eyes jerked away from the door and to his face.

"…Yami?"

He made a humming sound deep in his throat, sliding a hand through his hair.

"What was the busyness that your father had in Egypt?"

"He didn't say – "

He froze, the rest of the words dying on his lips. His hands balled into fists by his sides, a furious scowl taking over his features. "No. Fucking. Way." With no further ado, he turned the handle without even bothering to knock and slammed the door all the way open.

They took a couple of steps forward, halting upon the sight of the two elderly men sipping leisurely from their cups.

"Well, well, well." The man behind the desk lowered his cup, the corner of his lips tilting to form a small smile, "And here we thought our wayward boys wouldn't grace us with their presence this fine day."

"It is, isn't it?" the second man, seating on a chair in front of the chairman's desk, said pleasantly.

"Grandpa, what are you doing here?" Yugi stepped forward, glad to see his only living family safe and well from his trip but unable to mask his displeasure on the events.

"Good to see you as well, my boy." Solomon rolled his eyes, placing his cup on the desk beside him.

"How long have you known each other?" Yami said through gritted teeth, his accusatory gaze settling on his father.

"Hmm, how long has it been, Solomon?" Aknamkannon tapped a finger on his chin thoughtfully. "Thirty five years, I believe?"

"Have you gone senile in your old age, my friend? It's been forty solid years."

"Forty, huh? Who would have thought?"

They looked at one another, letting out a chuckle at the same time.

"You planned this whole thing, didn't you? My enrollment here?" Yugi looked from his grandfather to Yami's father, frowning when he received twin nods. "Meeting Yami as well?" Again, the same response.

"Can you believe this shit?!" Yami shouted, whirling around and kicking shut the door.

"Language," Aknamkannon commented idly, taking a sip from his tea.

"Screw the language! You meddled with our lives!"

Solomon hummed, looking from one scoffing teen to the other. "Did it work?"

"Oh, I'll show you if it worked!" Yami pulled Yugi to him by the arm, swallowing the latter's yelp by connecting their mouths and pushing his tongue past Yugi's parted lips. His other hand gripped Yugi's hip to angle their bodies better, closer. Yugi made a protesting little sound in his throat, but Yami didn't allow him to pull away from the kiss, relentlessly attacking the boy's mouth and after a while, Yugi gave up resistance and met Yami's demanding tongue with his own.

Loud, rumbling laughter erupted throughout the room and the two boys separated, started, only to see their parental figures clasping hands.

"They're crazy…" Yugi murmured, echoed shortly by Yami's soft reply of, "Bat shit crazy."

Yugi shook head, his brain refusing to believe what it was being presented with. "You guys wanted us to be together from the start?"

Aknamkannon chuckled good naturally, "We merely gave you a push in the right direction. What you would do from then on was your choice only."

"My grandson," Solomon gestured with his arm towards Yugi, "needed to be brought out of the shell he had constructed over the years around himself…"

"And my son," Aknamkannon picked it up, pointing at Yami, "needed to be brought down a peg or two. His mastery in Duel Monsters, along with the worldwide title of King of Games, had gotten to his head over the years and made him lose sight of what's important."

Solomon grinned at their dumfounded expressions, "We thought it was worth a shot to throw you in each other's path, but it was solely up to you whether you'd let your paths entwine or simply cross briefly."

Aknamkannon nodded his agreement, "We believed you would do each other good, what with the contradicting personalities you possess. Perhaps what you both needed was a little balance."

Solomon exchanged a look with Aknamkannon before they turned to the boys. "Were we wrong?" Solomon asked after a moment's silence.

Yugi and Yami snickered between themselves.

"I wouldn't say we're balanced, exactly." Yugi said, cocking his head slightly to the side.

Yami mimicked him, raising a single eyebrow as he studied Yugi, "But I don't think we're too much, either."

Yugi smiled, nodding his assent. "Though…perhaps we're enough?"

Yami laughed out loud, flicking the other on the forehead and drawing a small, sweet laugh from Yugi. "Hell, yes. We're definitely enough."

Solomon closed his eyes, head falling back against the chair, while Aknamkannon smiled softly, resting his chin above his intertwined fingers. A single thought passed through their mind, if only for a moment; at last. And at their children's booming laughter, they couldn't fail but join in.

At last, everything was as it should be.

THE END

It's over, at last!

Thank you all for sticking through this with me.