Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Coalescence ❯ Talking About the Date ( Chapter 11 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: TheCzarina 
Summary: Yugi asks Yami about the date finally; Yugi encounters Seto at school the next morning.
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Hentai / Romance / Occult / Drama / Angst / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 04.16.2003 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.9K | Visits: 488 | Status: Completed
Summary: Yugi asks Yami about the date finally; Yugi encounters Seto at school the next morning.
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Hentai / Romance / Occult / Drama / Angst / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 04.16.2003 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.9K | Visits: 488 | Status: Completed
11) Talking about the Date
Summary: Yugi asks Yami about the date finally; Yugi encounters Seto at school the next morning.
Once returned home, Yugi raced up to his bedroom, barely pausing to greet his grandfather. He immediately settled on his bed and closed his eyes, wasting no time to retreat to his soul room in order to talk with his other self in person. /Yami! Hey, Yami, I'm home!/
Yami, curious, opened the door of his soul room to see his light bouncing on his heels outside, evidently eager to see him. "Aibou," he greeted him slowly. "Welcome home."
Yugi looked abashed, and therefore terribly cute, all at the same time. "Yami, I was such a shit to you this morning, and I'm so sorry I didn't even talk to you much today. Can I make it up to you?"
The ancient spirit rested his weight back on one heel, one hand to his hip nonchalantly. "What do you have in mind?" he murmured, amused.
The boy blushed bright red, realizing belatedly how his offer could be taken. "Er, nothing, really! Maybe I should ask first what I should have asked this morning - how was your date, Yami?"
[At last.] "It was... enjoyable," Yami murmured, smiling somewhat secretively. "We had a good time."
"Yeah?" Yugi widened his eyes at his tall partner, wondering what exactly constituted a "good time" to an ancient Egyptian spirit and a billionaire genius. He wasn't sure he wanted to know... but at the same time, he was burning to find out. "So, did you, ah... you know?"
"I beg your pardon?" [I'm going to make him say it,] Yami thought a bit wickedly, not minding if he teased his little light.
Yugi blushed again, glancing away. "You know... you and he. Did you two... you know! Did you?"
Yami blinked, holding back a smile with effort. "Did we what, aibou?"
Yugi's hands folded into fists. "Kiss! Did you guys kiss?! Geez, what else did you think I meant?"
[You definitely don't want to know, little one,] Yami mused, his composure perfect. "Yes, we kissed, aibou."
"Yeah?!" Yugi's eyes popped out, his delight showing despite his fierce blushing. "Is he any good?"
Yami smirked finally. "Oh, yes. It was..." He closed his eyes, remembering his lover's luscious, firm mouth. "It was amazing," he finished.
"Wow," Yugi breathed. Then he touched his own lips, wondering. [It's as if *I* kissed him, but of course I wasn't there... just my body, my... mouth... Whoa...]
"Aibou?" Yami inquired.
"Is he better than me?" Yugi asked abruptly, then clapped a hand over his mouth. "Damn, I didn't mean to ask THAT," he added quickly, ducking his head.
Yami put a finger to the boy's chin, tipping the sweet face up toward his. "No comparing, little one," he murmured gently, then leaned down to lightly brush a kiss across Yugi's lips.
Yugi sighed heavily. "I'm sorry... I really do want you to date him, Yami. It's just... strange. A lot to get used to."
[He's insecure...] Yami folded his arms around the boy, drawing him close. "Yugi, no matter what my relationship with Seto Kaiba, you're the most important person to me, always."
Yugi looked up into the intent gaze of his dark half, then shyly put his arms around the other's waist. "Oh, I know that, but he's pretty important to you, too, isn't he?"
For a long moment, Yami looked deep into the honest, open gaze of his partner. "Yes," he admitted finally. "Yugi... I think I am falling in love with Seto."
Something deep within Yugi wanted to protest against that, wanted to cry that Yami belonged only to him, but something else in him saw something very important before him - the other half of his soul. He remembered that Yami already said that he loved him... and meant it... and furthermore, indicated firmly that perhaps Yugi would one day share... intimacies... with him. [With him and Kaiba... he means for the three of us to be together,] Yugi considered seriously with new insight. [Kaiba... ]
"Aibou?" Yami whispered softly in inquiry.
"I'm... glad," Yugi responded finally, managing a smile. "I meant what I said about you two being good for each other. I know that this does not mean you'll think any less of me..." Despite his brave words, he had to duck his eyes at that. [Please...]
"Yugi, never," Yami breathed fervently. "Listen, I don't know if this will make sense, but both Seto and I are beginning to feel strongly that we were meant to be together... and I believe equally as strongly that you'll be an intrinsic part of that. My destiny - why I was locked in your Puzzle for millennia - is coming to fruition and you and Seto are both critical aspects of that. I don't know exactly how yet, but I sense we will find out soon. Meanwhile..." He bowed his head, closing his eyes. "I must love you both."
[There's the destiny thing again,] Yugi mused, chastened. [He believes so strongly in that... and it does seem that everything has been leading to something big.] "But," he whispered, tightening his arms a little, "Kaiba-kun is our biggest rival. Isn't that important, too, somehow?"
"Yes, but not like we think," Yami murmured. "Yugi, I can only follow my heart, and that's to draw close to Seto and allow our fates to be intermingled as it seems they must be. But I also meant something that I said earlier, Yugi... and that's that if you're uncomfortable with anything regarding my relationship to Seto Kaiba, then I will not continue with it."
"Yami..."
"I mean that, aibou," Yami repeated, his tone firm and final.
[I can't do that to him,] Yugi thought. He felt like they'd been tossed into a river and had no recourse but to allow it to drag them along. [So there it is - he's in love with Seto Kaiba and they're dating... and he loves me, too. I think Kaiba and I might actually be friends now... So... I won't lose either of them...]
Taking a deep breath, Yugi managed a bright smile at his dark half. "Thanks. But I've made a decision. I want you to pursue this relationship with Seto Kaiba... I'm cool with it. I..." He glanced away, blushing, but it was merely from embarrassment, not because the subject bothered him. "I trust you with... with my body, Yami."
"Aibou," Yami breathed, his relief immense. He bent to kiss Yugi for real, understanding all too well what a tremendous gift his little host had just given him. //I will always honor your trust, aibou,// he added mentally as Yugi responded joyfully. //This I swear...//
The next morning at school, well before the start of first period, Yugi found himself standing beside a certain classmate's desk, his heart beating rather fast. "Um... ohayo, Kaiba-kun!"
Seto had been lost in his own thoughts and hadn't seen the other boy approach. Therefore it was with a bit of a shock that he glanced up to see Yugi Mutou standing in front of his desk, looking a bit expectantly at him.
At least there was no one else in the classroom; it was Seto's habit to arrive early to simply read, as Mokuba's school operated on a different schedule than his and their limo left him off first. But Seto couldn't recall Yugi ever here at this hour.
"Yugi..." he breathed, then blinked as if he'd half expected it to be Yami. But of course it was Yugi, his classmate. "Ohayo," Seto added belatedly, scrambling for his own composure. [Now the challenge,] he thought, willing himself to calm. [Yami said I was up to this... I must be!]
Yugi blinked a couple times, finding himself suddenly fascinated with the fact that his very tall and very brilliant classmate's eyes were a rather intense shade of cerulean blue, the same blue, in fact, as the eyes of his rival's favorite monster, the Blue Eyes White Dragon. [Yami only calls him Seto now,] he considered, amazed. [He's so... so...]
It occurred to Seto Kaiba finally that the bright-eyed teenager in front of him was equally as unsettled at seeing him as he was. [What DID Yami tell him?] he had to wonder, then swallowed carefully and cleared his throat. "How was your weekend?" he asked, then almost winced at the lame question he'd asked.
Another blink. "Oh, ah... pretty good, I guess," Yugi replied, shifting nervously from foot to foot. "I went with the guys to the mall yesterday."
[Ah, so that's where he was,] Seto considered, unwillingly reminded of Yugi's grandfather's implication that he wasn't really a friend of Yugi's after all. [Just as well I wasn't invited. Me, Seto Kaiba, at a... mall? I just have to snap my fingers and any vendor would bring their merchandise to *me*...] Then he remembered his "experiment". "Yugi, you heard me calling to Yami, didn't you?" he asked quietly, glancing aside.
"HUH?" Yugi gaped at him, not understanding, then he remembered when Yami abruptly wanted to call Kaiba on the phone yesterday. "Oh, is that what happened? I heard something from Yami-san, so I went as if to make a phone call and that's when he asked to call you." Then he frowned, staring at his classmate in astonishment. "You can... call him? Like a psychic thing?" As he talked, Yugi turned a chair around before Kaiba, sitting on it backwards, leaning on the back to regard the other boy more closely.
"If you remember that duel you had on the island against the dark copy of me that Pegasus had made... I called to you and my Blue Eyes White Dragon's attack was called back. I thought then that it was your Heart of the Cards thing working... that my own cards somehow would obey only me. But I had to test that idea." Tentatively he glanced back.
"And it worked," Yugi whispered in awe, impressed. "Wow, that's so cool, Kaiba-kun! I think I remember now - Yami-san's sennen eye activated and he was aware of your calling out to him."
Seto straightened. "His... sennen... eye?"
Yugi shrugged sheepishly. "Yeah, well, that's what I call it - I mean I've only felt its power, of course, but I've seen it on others - Bandit Keith when he was possessed by someone bearing a Millennium Item... Bakura when his evil spirit had taken over. When the power in the Puzzle activates, it shows up on my, er, our forehead. It's this glowing Egyptian eye symbol. You know, 'sennen', 'millennium', like Pegasus's Millennium Eye."
"I've seen that... once," Seto whispered. During their first duel together. It was just as Yugi, no *Yami* had done SOMETHING that cast the darkness from him, some dark spirit within his mind, banishing it to the Shadow Realm... whatever that was. "So you think the Puzzle somehow senses when I call and activates? You think there really could be some sort of link between us?"
Yugi blinked, stunned at the implication. [No, the spirit is MINE,] was his first thought, then he shook off that selfish notion. [Yami is part of me! Why should I be jealous if he can somehow communicate with another under extreme conditions? Yami keeps yammering about destiny. How can I even think of interfering with *that*?] "I... I don't know, Kaiba-kun."
Then he remembered what Yami had just told him: "I think I am falling in love with Seto." [Oh, man, this is getting so deep...] "I just know that he thinks you're, ah, pretty important to him."
Seto stared at him. "He said that to you?"
Yugi nodded, a bit embarrassed. "Yeah, words to that effect." He relaxed a little, feeling gradually more comfortable talking about it. "He said you and he were meant to be together."
"Yami said that?" Seto breathed, wild hope and disbelief warring within him.
"Yeah..." Yugi smiled and cocked his head at him. "I can tell he really likes you! And I want you to know that I'm cool with it, really."
Seto blinked. "You are?" Then he, too, smiled, though it was rather closer to a smirk. "You've got to admit this is kind of weird. I mean, here I am, Seto Kaiba, dating your ancient Egyptian spirit. AND you don't mind." He chuckled, scratching his head. "I don't know what to make of you sometimes, Yugi Mutou!"
"And isn't this weird that we're even talking about this?" Yugi asked, also chuckling. "Ten for ten for a former worst nightmare..."
"I suppose I *was* your worst nightmare there for a while," Seto put in, sighing. "Well, I like to think that I've... improved."
"Oh, you have, Kaiba-kun, a lot!" Yugi laughed, then sobered a little. "You know, I think you're kinda nice now. I like it."
"Don't spread it around," Seto murmured, glancing toward the doorway; still no one from their class had arrived yet, but could at any moment. "I don't exactly plan to abandon my reputation entirely."
Yugi winked at him. "Your secret's safe with me!"
Seto blinked again. [He *is* totally adorable... hmm. But Yami really said we were meant to be together?] "So, you really don't mind me dating your... other half?"
"No..." Yugi looked thoughtful for a moment. "Because I know you two would be good for each other, and I think..." Embarrassed again for a moment, he ducked his gaze from the other boy. "I think you could make him happy."
"Yugi..." Seto breathed, awed. "No one has ever said they though I could make someone happy before. I know many who would vehemently disagree that I would have any hope of doing something like that. Thank you... Yugi."
Yugi favored him with a sunny smile that seemed to light up his entire being, then did something odd. He bowed his head, still smiling, and placed a hand on the Puzzle.
When he looked back up, it was Yami gazing at Seto Kaiba out of those intensely violet eyes.
"Yami!" Seto gasped, then leaned forward as if to steal a kiss, but Yami immediately had his hand out to void the advance.
"Seto, we mustn't, not here," Yami whispered tightly. "Someone could come in any moment as it's getting near to the time for school to start. But I had to see you, if only for a moment."
"I treasure every moment I get to see you," Seto murmured fervently. "Since they're going to be rare."
Yami nodded, understanding, but he looked thoughtful. "This is hard on both of us, I know, Seto, but we must endure it. Perhaps, at the end of the school day, we could meet for a few minutes?"
Seto nodded. "Come to the west door; my limo picks me up there. Usually it takes me home, then goes to pick up Mokuba. So if you meet me at the limo... we can be alone for a short while." He felt an interior tingling as he spoke. [I'm going to get a few minutes alone with Yami!] he thought with excitement. It was something to help him get through the boring school day, that was for sure!
Yami briefly squeezed his hand. "I'll be there." As they both abruptly heard voices at the classroom door, Yami stood up immediately, turning around as he effected the change back to Yugi.
"Yo, Yug," Jounouchi was already calling to him as he strode into the classroom, followed by Honda, Anzu, and Bakura. "Oh, and hey there, Kaiba. Getting in a nap before school?"
Yugi glanced over to see Seto stand up in order to tower over the audacious blond boy. "Hey, Jounouchi-kun," he greeted his friend, wondering what Kaiba's response was going to be. [I know he's changed, but...]
"Chatting with Yugi isn't about to put me to sleep, never fear," Seto returned, looking down at Jounouchi with a rather bland expression.
Jounouchi, who wasn't short by any means, nevertheless cleared his throat nervously as he gaped up at his very tall classmate. "So, what's the topic of conversation, eh? Dueling, I suppose? Or your little *project*?"
"Just passing conversation," Seto murmured, glancing over at Yugi.
"Eh, I suppose that's better than passing gas! Nyah, nyah, nyah!" Jounouchi crowed, slapping his knee as he laughed at his own pun.
Yugi took the glance as a cue. "Yeah, we're just chatting, nothing to get excited about," he explained with a shrug. "And remember I'm not working on his project until he's gotten the contract back from his lawyers, right, Kaiba-kun?"
"Mmmm? Oh, yeah. By the way, Yugi," Seto went on, grateful for the opening the other boy had left for him. "My driver will have some papers for you to sign after school if you could meet me for a few minutes at my limo?"
"Sure thing, Kaiba-kun," Yugi replied casually, but turned away, catching Seto's glance with a wink that the others wouldn't be able to catch.
"Guys, the teacher's here," Anzu said abruptly, nudging at Jounouchi with her elbow.
"Yeah..." Jounouchi's suspicious comment died in his throat as he was distracted. "Well, Yug, don't take no rubber nickels," he muttered as he went to his own seat.
"Huh?" Yugi asked, bewildered by the strange expression.
"American euphemism for 'be careful what you sign', I believe," Seto murmured, then gave Yugi a little smile.
Honda was passing them and missed the little exchange, but Anzu saw the whole thing - Seto Kaiba giving her friend Yugi a secretive little smile, and Yugi giving the tall, severe Seto Kaiba a wink back. [Holy shit,] she noted, bewildered. [What the heck was THAT?]
Summary: Yugi asks Yami about the date finally; Yugi encounters Seto at school the next morning.
Once returned home, Yugi raced up to his bedroom, barely pausing to greet his grandfather. He immediately settled on his bed and closed his eyes, wasting no time to retreat to his soul room in order to talk with his other self in person. /Yami! Hey, Yami, I'm home!/
Yami, curious, opened the door of his soul room to see his light bouncing on his heels outside, evidently eager to see him. "Aibou," he greeted him slowly. "Welcome home."
Yugi looked abashed, and therefore terribly cute, all at the same time. "Yami, I was such a shit to you this morning, and I'm so sorry I didn't even talk to you much today. Can I make it up to you?"
The ancient spirit rested his weight back on one heel, one hand to his hip nonchalantly. "What do you have in mind?" he murmured, amused.
The boy blushed bright red, realizing belatedly how his offer could be taken. "Er, nothing, really! Maybe I should ask first what I should have asked this morning - how was your date, Yami?"
[At last.] "It was... enjoyable," Yami murmured, smiling somewhat secretively. "We had a good time."
"Yeah?" Yugi widened his eyes at his tall partner, wondering what exactly constituted a "good time" to an ancient Egyptian spirit and a billionaire genius. He wasn't sure he wanted to know... but at the same time, he was burning to find out. "So, did you, ah... you know?"
"I beg your pardon?" [I'm going to make him say it,] Yami thought a bit wickedly, not minding if he teased his little light.
Yugi blushed again, glancing away. "You know... you and he. Did you two... you know! Did you?"
Yami blinked, holding back a smile with effort. "Did we what, aibou?"
Yugi's hands folded into fists. "Kiss! Did you guys kiss?! Geez, what else did you think I meant?"
[You definitely don't want to know, little one,] Yami mused, his composure perfect. "Yes, we kissed, aibou."
"Yeah?!" Yugi's eyes popped out, his delight showing despite his fierce blushing. "Is he any good?"
Yami smirked finally. "Oh, yes. It was..." He closed his eyes, remembering his lover's luscious, firm mouth. "It was amazing," he finished.
"Wow," Yugi breathed. Then he touched his own lips, wondering. [It's as if *I* kissed him, but of course I wasn't there... just my body, my... mouth... Whoa...]
"Aibou?" Yami inquired.
"Is he better than me?" Yugi asked abruptly, then clapped a hand over his mouth. "Damn, I didn't mean to ask THAT," he added quickly, ducking his head.
Yami put a finger to the boy's chin, tipping the sweet face up toward his. "No comparing, little one," he murmured gently, then leaned down to lightly brush a kiss across Yugi's lips.
Yugi sighed heavily. "I'm sorry... I really do want you to date him, Yami. It's just... strange. A lot to get used to."
[He's insecure...] Yami folded his arms around the boy, drawing him close. "Yugi, no matter what my relationship with Seto Kaiba, you're the most important person to me, always."
Yugi looked up into the intent gaze of his dark half, then shyly put his arms around the other's waist. "Oh, I know that, but he's pretty important to you, too, isn't he?"
For a long moment, Yami looked deep into the honest, open gaze of his partner. "Yes," he admitted finally. "Yugi... I think I am falling in love with Seto."
Something deep within Yugi wanted to protest against that, wanted to cry that Yami belonged only to him, but something else in him saw something very important before him - the other half of his soul. He remembered that Yami already said that he loved him... and meant it... and furthermore, indicated firmly that perhaps Yugi would one day share... intimacies... with him. [With him and Kaiba... he means for the three of us to be together,] Yugi considered seriously with new insight. [Kaiba... ]
"Aibou?" Yami whispered softly in inquiry.
"I'm... glad," Yugi responded finally, managing a smile. "I meant what I said about you two being good for each other. I know that this does not mean you'll think any less of me..." Despite his brave words, he had to duck his eyes at that. [Please...]
"Yugi, never," Yami breathed fervently. "Listen, I don't know if this will make sense, but both Seto and I are beginning to feel strongly that we were meant to be together... and I believe equally as strongly that you'll be an intrinsic part of that. My destiny - why I was locked in your Puzzle for millennia - is coming to fruition and you and Seto are both critical aspects of that. I don't know exactly how yet, but I sense we will find out soon. Meanwhile..." He bowed his head, closing his eyes. "I must love you both."
[There's the destiny thing again,] Yugi mused, chastened. [He believes so strongly in that... and it does seem that everything has been leading to something big.] "But," he whispered, tightening his arms a little, "Kaiba-kun is our biggest rival. Isn't that important, too, somehow?"
"Yes, but not like we think," Yami murmured. "Yugi, I can only follow my heart, and that's to draw close to Seto and allow our fates to be intermingled as it seems they must be. But I also meant something that I said earlier, Yugi... and that's that if you're uncomfortable with anything regarding my relationship to Seto Kaiba, then I will not continue with it."
"Yami..."
"I mean that, aibou," Yami repeated, his tone firm and final.
[I can't do that to him,] Yugi thought. He felt like they'd been tossed into a river and had no recourse but to allow it to drag them along. [So there it is - he's in love with Seto Kaiba and they're dating... and he loves me, too. I think Kaiba and I might actually be friends now... So... I won't lose either of them...]
Taking a deep breath, Yugi managed a bright smile at his dark half. "Thanks. But I've made a decision. I want you to pursue this relationship with Seto Kaiba... I'm cool with it. I..." He glanced away, blushing, but it was merely from embarrassment, not because the subject bothered him. "I trust you with... with my body, Yami."
"Aibou," Yami breathed, his relief immense. He bent to kiss Yugi for real, understanding all too well what a tremendous gift his little host had just given him. //I will always honor your trust, aibou,// he added mentally as Yugi responded joyfully. //This I swear...//
The next morning at school, well before the start of first period, Yugi found himself standing beside a certain classmate's desk, his heart beating rather fast. "Um... ohayo, Kaiba-kun!"
Seto had been lost in his own thoughts and hadn't seen the other boy approach. Therefore it was with a bit of a shock that he glanced up to see Yugi Mutou standing in front of his desk, looking a bit expectantly at him.
At least there was no one else in the classroom; it was Seto's habit to arrive early to simply read, as Mokuba's school operated on a different schedule than his and their limo left him off first. But Seto couldn't recall Yugi ever here at this hour.
"Yugi..." he breathed, then blinked as if he'd half expected it to be Yami. But of course it was Yugi, his classmate. "Ohayo," Seto added belatedly, scrambling for his own composure. [Now the challenge,] he thought, willing himself to calm. [Yami said I was up to this... I must be!]
Yugi blinked a couple times, finding himself suddenly fascinated with the fact that his very tall and very brilliant classmate's eyes were a rather intense shade of cerulean blue, the same blue, in fact, as the eyes of his rival's favorite monster, the Blue Eyes White Dragon. [Yami only calls him Seto now,] he considered, amazed. [He's so... so...]
It occurred to Seto Kaiba finally that the bright-eyed teenager in front of him was equally as unsettled at seeing him as he was. [What DID Yami tell him?] he had to wonder, then swallowed carefully and cleared his throat. "How was your weekend?" he asked, then almost winced at the lame question he'd asked.
Another blink. "Oh, ah... pretty good, I guess," Yugi replied, shifting nervously from foot to foot. "I went with the guys to the mall yesterday."
[Ah, so that's where he was,] Seto considered, unwillingly reminded of Yugi's grandfather's implication that he wasn't really a friend of Yugi's after all. [Just as well I wasn't invited. Me, Seto Kaiba, at a... mall? I just have to snap my fingers and any vendor would bring their merchandise to *me*...] Then he remembered his "experiment". "Yugi, you heard me calling to Yami, didn't you?" he asked quietly, glancing aside.
"HUH?" Yugi gaped at him, not understanding, then he remembered when Yami abruptly wanted to call Kaiba on the phone yesterday. "Oh, is that what happened? I heard something from Yami-san, so I went as if to make a phone call and that's when he asked to call you." Then he frowned, staring at his classmate in astonishment. "You can... call him? Like a psychic thing?" As he talked, Yugi turned a chair around before Kaiba, sitting on it backwards, leaning on the back to regard the other boy more closely.
"If you remember that duel you had on the island against the dark copy of me that Pegasus had made... I called to you and my Blue Eyes White Dragon's attack was called back. I thought then that it was your Heart of the Cards thing working... that my own cards somehow would obey only me. But I had to test that idea." Tentatively he glanced back.
"And it worked," Yugi whispered in awe, impressed. "Wow, that's so cool, Kaiba-kun! I think I remember now - Yami-san's sennen eye activated and he was aware of your calling out to him."
Seto straightened. "His... sennen... eye?"
Yugi shrugged sheepishly. "Yeah, well, that's what I call it - I mean I've only felt its power, of course, but I've seen it on others - Bandit Keith when he was possessed by someone bearing a Millennium Item... Bakura when his evil spirit had taken over. When the power in the Puzzle activates, it shows up on my, er, our forehead. It's this glowing Egyptian eye symbol. You know, 'sennen', 'millennium', like Pegasus's Millennium Eye."
"I've seen that... once," Seto whispered. During their first duel together. It was just as Yugi, no *Yami* had done SOMETHING that cast the darkness from him, some dark spirit within his mind, banishing it to the Shadow Realm... whatever that was. "So you think the Puzzle somehow senses when I call and activates? You think there really could be some sort of link between us?"
Yugi blinked, stunned at the implication. [No, the spirit is MINE,] was his first thought, then he shook off that selfish notion. [Yami is part of me! Why should I be jealous if he can somehow communicate with another under extreme conditions? Yami keeps yammering about destiny. How can I even think of interfering with *that*?] "I... I don't know, Kaiba-kun."
Then he remembered what Yami had just told him: "I think I am falling in love with Seto." [Oh, man, this is getting so deep...] "I just know that he thinks you're, ah, pretty important to him."
Seto stared at him. "He said that to you?"
Yugi nodded, a bit embarrassed. "Yeah, words to that effect." He relaxed a little, feeling gradually more comfortable talking about it. "He said you and he were meant to be together."
"Yami said that?" Seto breathed, wild hope and disbelief warring within him.
"Yeah..." Yugi smiled and cocked his head at him. "I can tell he really likes you! And I want you to know that I'm cool with it, really."
Seto blinked. "You are?" Then he, too, smiled, though it was rather closer to a smirk. "You've got to admit this is kind of weird. I mean, here I am, Seto Kaiba, dating your ancient Egyptian spirit. AND you don't mind." He chuckled, scratching his head. "I don't know what to make of you sometimes, Yugi Mutou!"
"And isn't this weird that we're even talking about this?" Yugi asked, also chuckling. "Ten for ten for a former worst nightmare..."
"I suppose I *was* your worst nightmare there for a while," Seto put in, sighing. "Well, I like to think that I've... improved."
"Oh, you have, Kaiba-kun, a lot!" Yugi laughed, then sobered a little. "You know, I think you're kinda nice now. I like it."
"Don't spread it around," Seto murmured, glancing toward the doorway; still no one from their class had arrived yet, but could at any moment. "I don't exactly plan to abandon my reputation entirely."
Yugi winked at him. "Your secret's safe with me!"
Seto blinked again. [He *is* totally adorable... hmm. But Yami really said we were meant to be together?] "So, you really don't mind me dating your... other half?"
"No..." Yugi looked thoughtful for a moment. "Because I know you two would be good for each other, and I think..." Embarrassed again for a moment, he ducked his gaze from the other boy. "I think you could make him happy."
"Yugi..." Seto breathed, awed. "No one has ever said they though I could make someone happy before. I know many who would vehemently disagree that I would have any hope of doing something like that. Thank you... Yugi."
Yugi favored him with a sunny smile that seemed to light up his entire being, then did something odd. He bowed his head, still smiling, and placed a hand on the Puzzle.
When he looked back up, it was Yami gazing at Seto Kaiba out of those intensely violet eyes.
"Yami!" Seto gasped, then leaned forward as if to steal a kiss, but Yami immediately had his hand out to void the advance.
"Seto, we mustn't, not here," Yami whispered tightly. "Someone could come in any moment as it's getting near to the time for school to start. But I had to see you, if only for a moment."
"I treasure every moment I get to see you," Seto murmured fervently. "Since they're going to be rare."
Yami nodded, understanding, but he looked thoughtful. "This is hard on both of us, I know, Seto, but we must endure it. Perhaps, at the end of the school day, we could meet for a few minutes?"
Seto nodded. "Come to the west door; my limo picks me up there. Usually it takes me home, then goes to pick up Mokuba. So if you meet me at the limo... we can be alone for a short while." He felt an interior tingling as he spoke. [I'm going to get a few minutes alone with Yami!] he thought with excitement. It was something to help him get through the boring school day, that was for sure!
Yami briefly squeezed his hand. "I'll be there." As they both abruptly heard voices at the classroom door, Yami stood up immediately, turning around as he effected the change back to Yugi.
"Yo, Yug," Jounouchi was already calling to him as he strode into the classroom, followed by Honda, Anzu, and Bakura. "Oh, and hey there, Kaiba. Getting in a nap before school?"
Yugi glanced over to see Seto stand up in order to tower over the audacious blond boy. "Hey, Jounouchi-kun," he greeted his friend, wondering what Kaiba's response was going to be. [I know he's changed, but...]
"Chatting with Yugi isn't about to put me to sleep, never fear," Seto returned, looking down at Jounouchi with a rather bland expression.
Jounouchi, who wasn't short by any means, nevertheless cleared his throat nervously as he gaped up at his very tall classmate. "So, what's the topic of conversation, eh? Dueling, I suppose? Or your little *project*?"
"Just passing conversation," Seto murmured, glancing over at Yugi.
"Eh, I suppose that's better than passing gas! Nyah, nyah, nyah!" Jounouchi crowed, slapping his knee as he laughed at his own pun.
Yugi took the glance as a cue. "Yeah, we're just chatting, nothing to get excited about," he explained with a shrug. "And remember I'm not working on his project until he's gotten the contract back from his lawyers, right, Kaiba-kun?"
"Mmmm? Oh, yeah. By the way, Yugi," Seto went on, grateful for the opening the other boy had left for him. "My driver will have some papers for you to sign after school if you could meet me for a few minutes at my limo?"
"Sure thing, Kaiba-kun," Yugi replied casually, but turned away, catching Seto's glance with a wink that the others wouldn't be able to catch.
"Guys, the teacher's here," Anzu said abruptly, nudging at Jounouchi with her elbow.
"Yeah..." Jounouchi's suspicious comment died in his throat as he was distracted. "Well, Yug, don't take no rubber nickels," he muttered as he went to his own seat.
"Huh?" Yugi asked, bewildered by the strange expression.
"American euphemism for 'be careful what you sign', I believe," Seto murmured, then gave Yugi a little smile.
Honda was passing them and missed the little exchange, but Anzu saw the whole thing - Seto Kaiba giving her friend Yugi a secretive little smile, and Yugi giving the tall, severe Seto Kaiba a wink back. [Holy shit,] she noted, bewildered. [What the heck was THAT?]