Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ The Golden Dance ❯ 6: Tangled in the Light ( Chapter 6 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: tsutsuji 
Lemon at last! While the search for Thief Bakura continues, Seth and Jou get distracted by other things.
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Hentai / Drama / Adventure / Romance | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 02.11.2005 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.0K | Visits: 677 | Status: Completed
Lemon at last! While the search for Thief Bakura continues, Seth and Jou get distracted by other things.
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Hentai / Drama / Adventure / Romance | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 02.11.2005 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.0K | Visits: 677 | Status: Completed
Title: The Golden Dance Chapter 6: Tangled in the Light
Author: Tsutsuji
Fandom: Yugioh!
Type: Slash/yaoi romance, adventure
Pairings: Seth/Jou. Implied Seto/Jou, Thief Bakura/Ryou.
Warnings: WIP. AU version of Ancient Egypt story.
Spoilers: Spoilers for Ancient Egypt Arc, even though this will be contain an AU version of it.
AN. Lemon. As promised. Enjoy.
***
Chapter 6: Tangled in the Light
And lovers try
'Til they get the best of the night
And come morning
They are tangled up in the light
-Steve Winwood, "The Finer Things"
---
Ryou stood with Honda and Anzu on the sidewalk in front of the Kame Game Shop.
"Now, let's see if we've got this straight," Honda said. "We're searching for a man who looks a lot like our Bakura, except his hair's shorter and he's got blue eyes, and he's wearing a red bathrobe, a white skirt, and a lot of gold jewelry. Plus, he might be a dangerous murderer. Right?"
"That's about it," Ryou agreed, although he chafed at the "dangerous murderer" part.
"Should be no problem, then," Honda said cheerfully.
"He'll probably steal some different clothes," Ryou added.
They stared at him blankly.
"What did you say?" they both asked at the same time.
Ryou clapped his hand to his mouth as he suddenly realized that he'd had spoken in Ancient Egyptian. He hadn't even realized he'd been doing it, too. With an embarrassed grin, he translated.
Honda turned to Anzu. "If I start talking like that, hit me," he said.
"You got it," she replied with a shudder.
"Well, where would a thief from the deserts of ancient Egypt try to hide in a city like Domino?" Honda wondered, looking up and down the nearly empty street.
Ryou thought about all he knew of ancient Egypt, and of his visits to Cairo and Luxor.
"The Pier," he said decisively.
Honda looked skeptical, but Anzu nodded. The Pier was Domino's waterfront marketplace and park, filled with market stalls selling everything from fresh maki to electronics. From Yugi's doorstep they could see the tall banners over the waterside park, rippling on a slight breeze.
"It's not far, and he could probably steal clothes and food there," Anzu said.
"And in a city, the best place to hide is in a crowd," Ryou reasoned.
Honda shrugged. "Good point. Let's go!"
On the hot afternoon, The Pier was already crowded with shoppers, teenagers, and families searching for a cool spot by the water. Ryou's eye darted to every glimpse of red that he could see, even though he knew the thief had probably shed his telltale robe for something that blended in.
They split up to search among the crowds, planning to meet back at the park in an hour. Near the end of that time, Ryou began to grow discouraged. He had a strong feeling that Bakura was nearby, but he couldn't find any sign of him. He touched his hand to the Ring hidden under his shirt, but it didn't give him any answers. Just as he started to head back to the park with his shoulders drooping, a loudly complaining woman's voice caught his ear.
"Frickkin' shoplifters! It's hardly worth setting up, the way you get ripped off around here," she was saying. He caught sight of the woman and discovered she was the owner of an open-air stall selling imported clothing. She was berating a hassled-looking security guard.
Ryou looked with interest at the leather goods that were for sale in the stall: caps and belts, pants and jackets. The woman gestured to a rack of stylish, expensive-looking black leather coats. The guard glanced over at them and nodded.
The thought of Bakura wearing one of those long, black leather coats - and little else - made Ryou's brain go fuzzy for a minute. Finally he shook himself and looked around. Bakura had been here, he was certain - but that probably meant he wasn't here anymore. At least now Ryou knew what he was wearing.
He nudged his way through the crowd to go meet Honda and Anzu, trying not to think too much about Bakura in black leather.
***
Jou couldn't get the picture of Kaiba lying there as pale as death out of his mind. It was just so wrong, like the sun turning blue or something. Or like ancient Egyptians falling out of the sky, for that matter.
He'd never really realized how full of life Kaiba was, how forceful and vigorous. Well, he'd realized, but he'd never thought of it as something he'd miss the way he did now. The possibility of never again seeing those blue eyes flashing, even in cold anger, made his chest feel tight in a very uncomfortable way.
Damn, he thought... when had he come to care about that arrogant bastard so much? But he knew the answer perfectly well. He'd cared for a very long time. Something about Kaiba had always drawn him, even if every approach had resulted in a kick in the head. His pride had been hurt over and over, and he'd sworn to everyone within hearing how much he hated Kaiba, but all he really hated was the rejection. And that only bothered him so much because he cared, damn it.
Jou found he'd wandered into a library or study of some kind. He paced in aimless circles, staring down at the intricate design of the expensive carpet without really seeing it.
He had an urge to go back and stay by Kaiba's side, for whatever good that would do, but as soon as he thought of it, he gave up that idea. Two reasons: he couldn't do anything to help by being there, and that would make him feel crazy; plus, given the way Kaiba usually acted towards him, his presence would probably just make things worse. And then there was the real reason: it was freaking him out too much to see Kaiba all helpless and weak like that.
He wasn't going to waste time wondering why Kaiba had actually called out to him before he'd passed out. Probably just fever. Mokuba had looked at him funny, though, and something he said made it sound like Kaiba had actually mentioned him more than once in his less lucid moments.
But then, there was that weird bit where Seth actually sat on the edge of Kaiba's bed and listened to him ramble. Jou couldn't make out what Kaiba was saying, his voice was so soft and quiet, but it sounded like more ancient Egyptian. When Mokuba asked Seth what it meant, the priest gave him a sad, eerie smile.
"He speaks of my memories," he said. "He dreams the moments of my life. Surely, our souls are connected in some way." He shook his head and refused to say any more about it. Mokuba looked as if he wished he hadn't asked.
But if Kaiba had only been muttering about Seth's own memories, it was probably Jumoke he was talking about anyway. Poor Jumoke... everything seemed to revolve around him, and there he was, stuck in the past and dead besides. He didn't even know he was the center of so much attention.
Jou suddenly wished Jumoke was here instead of him. Maybe he was better at dealing with arrogant, attractive High Priests and CEO's than Jou was.
He paced back and forth in the study, trying to think of something worth doing. He could join the search for the missing thief, he supposed. Seth had agreed to stay at the mansion at Mokuba's insistence. Now that the priest had seen Kaiba for himself, he might insist on staying right near Jou, so he was free to go off on his own and get away from this place.
He glanced out the window. Beyond the trees he could see a glimpse of the city through a haze. Dark clouds had started to roll in over the bay, a sharp contrast to the gleaming city skyline.
He turned around, half-decided to go and ask Mokuba to have the driver take him back into town. Seth was standing in the doorway.
"What?" he asked, trying to hide his dread. "What happened?"
Seth shook his head as he came into the room, closing the door behind him.
"Nothing has changed. He slips in and out of the dreams. Each time he awakens he grows weaker."
"Damn," Jou muttered under his breath. He rubbed the back of his neck and turned toward the window, away from Seth. He didn't want the Priest to see whatever might be showing on his face.
"J'nuchi." Seth was standing right in back of him. He didn't turn around.
"What?" he asked wearily. "Listen, I'm sorry I got so angry with you. I know you were just trying to help. This whole day has just freaked me out."
While Kaiba lay there muttering in his sleep, Seth had started saying a prayer to the gods of healing, and for some reason, Jou had lost it.
"Cut that out! He hates all that magic crap!" he found himself yelling. He'd grabbed Seth's raised arms and yanked him away from Kaiba's bed. For a second Seth looked like he'd been slapped, and Jou thought he was going to get a priestly fist in his face. He would have welcomed that, something solid and painful that he could hit back at.
But Seth only laid a hand on his arm and gently pushed him away. Yugi grabbed his other arm and led him out of the room.
"Maybe you should go take a walk or something, Jonouchi," Yugi had said sympathetically. He patted Jou's shoulder. "We'll figure something out, I promise. Go relax a little."
He'd stalked off and wandered the corridors of the mansion for a while, until he'd ended up here. Now Seth was here too. Just who he wanted to see.
"Freaked?" Seth said questioningly, as if to himself. Jou realized he'd spoken in a mishmash of Japanese and Egyptian, mixing words randomly. "Freaked" didn't translate well into the ancient language. His brain was too tired to come up with a variation the Priest would understand.
"Never mind," he said. He dropped his arm to his side, with a sigh that was half a stretch. He leaned forward, one arm against the frame of the window, and looked out at the day. The sun still beat down on the yard outside, although the storm clouds were moving closer. He could see heat waves ripple over the city in the distance.
Seth was standing right behind him. He could smell the priest's exotic scent, which was starting to become familiar. Names of oils and herbs that made up that scent came into his mind like the words in the other language. He ignored the invading thoughts and tried to clear his head of everything.
Seth's hand touched his hair. It took him a few seconds to realize that's what it was. Shock battled with a strange sense of familiarity as the fingers lifted his locks to trail through them.
"Golden honey of the sun," Seth said quietly. "How I've missed the feel of it against my hand..."
Jou got his wish for an end to his swirling thoughts as his mind froze. His body responded differently. A warm tingle spread down from his head right to his feet, pooling in a few places along the way.
"Jou," Seth said.
"Whoa," Jou told himself as Seth came closer, pressing lightly against his back. In a second, he knew, those arms were going to come around him from behind, and hands just like Seto Kaiba's were going to clasp in front of his chest, pressed against his heart to feel it beating. It was like a dream he'd had and never remembered until now. And like in a dream, he couldn't move away. But then, he found that he didn't really want to.
Seth embraced him. When he pressed his face against Jou's neck, Jou realized he'd removed his headgear and heavy gold neckpiece, as well as the elaborate bracelet that functioned like a duel disc. His body was warm and solid against Jou's back, all the way down.
"I want to feel your touch on my skin again, Jou," Seth whispered. The words were Egyptian, but the voice was Kaiba's, soft but commanding. "How I've longed for you."
"You ... you want me?" Jou managed to say. It struck him like a bolt of lightning, that those words were all he'd ever wanted to hear Kaiba's voice say to him.
Seth answered by opening his clasped hands and laying them flat against Jou's chest, one over his heart, and the other sliding down lower. Seth's fingers found their way inside his shirt. When they touched his skin, Jou hissed and pressed his body back against Seth's. It felt like the most natural thing in the world.
They didn't say much more after that. Seth's hands demanded access to Jou's body, and Jou found himself giving it without a second thought. Before he knew it he was shirtless and his pants were down around his knees, while Seth's hands claimed him, touching places no one else had ever touched. And yet it was all familiar, as if it had happened every day for years.
Seth finally turned him around and stood before him. He stepped back, giving Jou space to step out of his pants and remove the last of his clothing to stand naked before his lover, his priest and teacher. Seto Kaiba's blue eyes looked him up and down, but with the priest's longing, hungry gaze.
"I don't know how to do this," Jou whispered.
Seth's body, draped in the thin blue tunic-like robe with more white fabric underneath, seemed tantalizing close, yet out of reach. He'd stepped back, away from the broad daylight of the window, into the shadows of the room. He opened his arms at his sides, beckoning welcome, and Jou stepped closer.
The Priest smiled indulgently. Suddenly Jou did seem to know what to do. He dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around Seth's waist. Somehow his hands found the way to the openings of Seth's tunic, pulled it out of the way, and then reached inside the sheer linen fabric underneath it.
Soon he was pressing his cheek against Seth's firm-muscled stomach, his hands running up the back of Seth's strong legs. Seth purred low in his throat as he twined his fingers in Jou's hair and pulled his head down.
Jou wanted this. He didn't know how much he'd wanted it until he breathed in the musky scent of Seth's body and felt a velvety hardness against his lips. With something like a sense of worship, he did what he'd never done before, but he did it with practiced ease and eagerness. Seth's purring became soft growls and moans, and the moans became his name whispered over and over, "Jou, Jou, Jou..."
He could have continued like that, but he knew there was something else that needed to be done. He paused, and Seth pulled away at the same moment. He looked up. Seth's Nile-blue eyes gleamed with lust, with wanting him. He could have stayed on his knees drinking in that look of desire for hours, if it was allowed.
But Seth knelt down in front of him. He paused to study Jou's face. For a moment he looked troubled, as if he saw something there that disturbed him. But then he lifted Jou's chin with his hand, and brought his face up for a deep, lingering kiss.
Jou's body quivered. He didn't remember ever feeling so aroused, unless it was in those moments of waking from some half-remembered dream. But now it seemed like he remembered every dream that had awakened him in this state, and they were all filled with Kaiba's eyes and Kaiba's voice.
Seth ended the kiss, leaving Jou gasping. For a brief second he wondered what was happening to him, why he was doing this. Something about it wasn't right. But it felt right just the same.
Seth's hands slid down his back and pressed against him. Jou felt something inside himself open up to the touch, something in his heart and body.
"Will you let me have you?" Seth asked. "Will you give your body to me?"
Jou knew what he was asking. He didn't believe it, but he felt himself nod. His body wouldn't accept any other answer now anyway.
Seth directed him to kneel up on his knees, and went around behind him. Jou stared down at the carpet, the same pattern he'd been staring at without seeing it earlier while he paced. For a moment, his eyes were caught by the design, following tendrils of red and gold and blue that intertwined around each other in endless knots. You could follow those twisting colors forever and never find where they ended or began, he thought.
He realized that Seth was searching through his discarded robes for something. When he found it, he knelt behind Jou, but he reached beside him so Jou could see the small, carved ivory jar in his hands.
"Do you remember this? It was my gift for you, dear love," he said as he opened the jar.
The scent wafted over Jou and into his brain. It hit him like a drug, bringing sharp memories that he couldn't quite catch with his mind's eye. It was the scent of warmth, of bodies slick with oil and sweat gliding together, of soft furs and linen tangled underneath them as they writhed together bathed in firelight. It was like nothing he'd ever felt before.
Seth's hands were warm with the scented ointment as he pushed Jou down onto his hands and knees, and then reached between his legs. Seth coated him with the slick substance, and Jou shivered with the intimate, familiar touch. He felt as if was making him melt like wax in the midday sun.
When Seth fell forward against him at last and pressed into him, he sighed. He didn't know why he'd been expecting something to hurt. It didn't hurt much at first, and then not at all, not compared to the pleasure that melted his spine. It felt so good he had no words for it in any language.
Seth was pressed against his back, his face at Jou's neck, his breath hot and harsh. Jou found the rhythm he seemed to remember; a slow, deep undulation of his body that made Seth groan.
Before long, almost too soon, Seth's movement quickened to urgency, and Jou felt it too, a fire building inside him. Seth's hand closed on him and Jou bucked and cried out. A second later, Seth's shout was muffled against his hair. Jou lowered his head almost to the floor and groaned through gritted teeth. Then he felt the sweet fire burst within him. The pleasure was so intense that, for a moment, he thought he was the one who had died after all.
The rushing sound in his ears continued, as he lay there on the soft carpet, feeling the warmth of the body behind him, the heavy arms around him. The light had grown dim and strange shadows moved on the walls. He raised his eyes to the window, which had become a waterfall. The sound in his ears was rain beating on the mansion's roof. Jou closed his eyes and drifted away on the sound of falling water.
***
Ryou found Anzu and Honda at the coffee stand where they'd agreed to meet. The weather was changing. The breeze off the water came in gusts, blowing dust and food wrappers off the ground into their faces. The heat felt even more oppressive, humid and heavy, even though the bright sun had now been overtaken by dark towers of clouds. Ryou told them about the theft at the clothing stall.
"So, now he looks sort of like you wearing leather?" Honda smirked. Anzu dug her elbow into his ribs while Ryou blushed crimson.
They decided to spread the search out into the areas around The Pier. Honda took the docks to the south, while Anzu and Ryou prowled the shopping and residential area to the north. Neither of them mentioned needles in haystacks, but Ryou knew that's what both of them were thinking.
After less than an hour of trudging and searching, rain started to pelt down in large, heavy drops. The streets emptied as the storm rolled in over the city.
Ryou stood huddled under the edge of an awning, his wet hair dripping into his eyes.
"This is pointless," Anzu said, hugging herself and shivering. "We'll never find him in this. We'll have to get the rest of the gang to help and try again later, after this rain lets up."
Ryou touched the Ring through his shirt. He thought he felt a slight vibration in it, but it could have been his imagination, or the way the rain was starting to pound on the ground. It didn't look like stopping any time soon.
He sighed. Reluctantly, he agreed to Anzu's suggestion that they head home. She would call Yugi and find out what happened with Kaiba, and then call him with a report.
A few minutes later, Ryou arrived at his apartment complex. He was drenched to the bone and starting to shiver. Even so, he couldn't help craning his neck to look around every corner, hoping to see a glimpse of white hair and tan skin and shadowy blue eyes, or hear a Voice coming out of the shadows. There was nothing but the rain.
He opened the door to his place and stepped inside. Before he could close the door, his wrist was grabbed in a strong grip, and before he could shout, a large warm hand covered his mouth. The scent of exotic oils and fresh leather enveloped him. He was shoved inside and the door slammed shut behind him.
His heart flipped over once again as he realized the thief he'd been searching for had found him.
***
Author: Tsutsuji
Fandom: Yugioh!
Type: Slash/yaoi romance, adventure
Pairings: Seth/Jou. Implied Seto/Jou, Thief Bakura/Ryou.
Warnings: WIP. AU version of Ancient Egypt story.
Spoilers: Spoilers for Ancient Egypt Arc, even though this will be contain an AU version of it.
AN. Lemon. As promised. Enjoy.
***
Chapter 6: Tangled in the Light
And lovers try
'Til they get the best of the night
And come morning
They are tangled up in the light
-Steve Winwood, "The Finer Things"
---
Ryou stood with Honda and Anzu on the sidewalk in front of the Kame Game Shop.
"Now, let's see if we've got this straight," Honda said. "We're searching for a man who looks a lot like our Bakura, except his hair's shorter and he's got blue eyes, and he's wearing a red bathrobe, a white skirt, and a lot of gold jewelry. Plus, he might be a dangerous murderer. Right?"
"That's about it," Ryou agreed, although he chafed at the "dangerous murderer" part.
"Should be no problem, then," Honda said cheerfully.
"He'll probably steal some different clothes," Ryou added.
They stared at him blankly.
"What did you say?" they both asked at the same time.
Ryou clapped his hand to his mouth as he suddenly realized that he'd had spoken in Ancient Egyptian. He hadn't even realized he'd been doing it, too. With an embarrassed grin, he translated.
Honda turned to Anzu. "If I start talking like that, hit me," he said.
"You got it," she replied with a shudder.
"Well, where would a thief from the deserts of ancient Egypt try to hide in a city like Domino?" Honda wondered, looking up and down the nearly empty street.
Ryou thought about all he knew of ancient Egypt, and of his visits to Cairo and Luxor.
"The Pier," he said decisively.
Honda looked skeptical, but Anzu nodded. The Pier was Domino's waterfront marketplace and park, filled with market stalls selling everything from fresh maki to electronics. From Yugi's doorstep they could see the tall banners over the waterside park, rippling on a slight breeze.
"It's not far, and he could probably steal clothes and food there," Anzu said.
"And in a city, the best place to hide is in a crowd," Ryou reasoned.
Honda shrugged. "Good point. Let's go!"
On the hot afternoon, The Pier was already crowded with shoppers, teenagers, and families searching for a cool spot by the water. Ryou's eye darted to every glimpse of red that he could see, even though he knew the thief had probably shed his telltale robe for something that blended in.
They split up to search among the crowds, planning to meet back at the park in an hour. Near the end of that time, Ryou began to grow discouraged. He had a strong feeling that Bakura was nearby, but he couldn't find any sign of him. He touched his hand to the Ring hidden under his shirt, but it didn't give him any answers. Just as he started to head back to the park with his shoulders drooping, a loudly complaining woman's voice caught his ear.
"Frickkin' shoplifters! It's hardly worth setting up, the way you get ripped off around here," she was saying. He caught sight of the woman and discovered she was the owner of an open-air stall selling imported clothing. She was berating a hassled-looking security guard.
Ryou looked with interest at the leather goods that were for sale in the stall: caps and belts, pants and jackets. The woman gestured to a rack of stylish, expensive-looking black leather coats. The guard glanced over at them and nodded.
The thought of Bakura wearing one of those long, black leather coats - and little else - made Ryou's brain go fuzzy for a minute. Finally he shook himself and looked around. Bakura had been here, he was certain - but that probably meant he wasn't here anymore. At least now Ryou knew what he was wearing.
He nudged his way through the crowd to go meet Honda and Anzu, trying not to think too much about Bakura in black leather.
***
Jou couldn't get the picture of Kaiba lying there as pale as death out of his mind. It was just so wrong, like the sun turning blue or something. Or like ancient Egyptians falling out of the sky, for that matter.
He'd never really realized how full of life Kaiba was, how forceful and vigorous. Well, he'd realized, but he'd never thought of it as something he'd miss the way he did now. The possibility of never again seeing those blue eyes flashing, even in cold anger, made his chest feel tight in a very uncomfortable way.
Damn, he thought... when had he come to care about that arrogant bastard so much? But he knew the answer perfectly well. He'd cared for a very long time. Something about Kaiba had always drawn him, even if every approach had resulted in a kick in the head. His pride had been hurt over and over, and he'd sworn to everyone within hearing how much he hated Kaiba, but all he really hated was the rejection. And that only bothered him so much because he cared, damn it.
Jou found he'd wandered into a library or study of some kind. He paced in aimless circles, staring down at the intricate design of the expensive carpet without really seeing it.
He had an urge to go back and stay by Kaiba's side, for whatever good that would do, but as soon as he thought of it, he gave up that idea. Two reasons: he couldn't do anything to help by being there, and that would make him feel crazy; plus, given the way Kaiba usually acted towards him, his presence would probably just make things worse. And then there was the real reason: it was freaking him out too much to see Kaiba all helpless and weak like that.
He wasn't going to waste time wondering why Kaiba had actually called out to him before he'd passed out. Probably just fever. Mokuba had looked at him funny, though, and something he said made it sound like Kaiba had actually mentioned him more than once in his less lucid moments.
But then, there was that weird bit where Seth actually sat on the edge of Kaiba's bed and listened to him ramble. Jou couldn't make out what Kaiba was saying, his voice was so soft and quiet, but it sounded like more ancient Egyptian. When Mokuba asked Seth what it meant, the priest gave him a sad, eerie smile.
"He speaks of my memories," he said. "He dreams the moments of my life. Surely, our souls are connected in some way." He shook his head and refused to say any more about it. Mokuba looked as if he wished he hadn't asked.
But if Kaiba had only been muttering about Seth's own memories, it was probably Jumoke he was talking about anyway. Poor Jumoke... everything seemed to revolve around him, and there he was, stuck in the past and dead besides. He didn't even know he was the center of so much attention.
Jou suddenly wished Jumoke was here instead of him. Maybe he was better at dealing with arrogant, attractive High Priests and CEO's than Jou was.
He paced back and forth in the study, trying to think of something worth doing. He could join the search for the missing thief, he supposed. Seth had agreed to stay at the mansion at Mokuba's insistence. Now that the priest had seen Kaiba for himself, he might insist on staying right near Jou, so he was free to go off on his own and get away from this place.
He glanced out the window. Beyond the trees he could see a glimpse of the city through a haze. Dark clouds had started to roll in over the bay, a sharp contrast to the gleaming city skyline.
He turned around, half-decided to go and ask Mokuba to have the driver take him back into town. Seth was standing in the doorway.
"What?" he asked, trying to hide his dread. "What happened?"
Seth shook his head as he came into the room, closing the door behind him.
"Nothing has changed. He slips in and out of the dreams. Each time he awakens he grows weaker."
"Damn," Jou muttered under his breath. He rubbed the back of his neck and turned toward the window, away from Seth. He didn't want the Priest to see whatever might be showing on his face.
"J'nuchi." Seth was standing right in back of him. He didn't turn around.
"What?" he asked wearily. "Listen, I'm sorry I got so angry with you. I know you were just trying to help. This whole day has just freaked me out."
While Kaiba lay there muttering in his sleep, Seth had started saying a prayer to the gods of healing, and for some reason, Jou had lost it.
"Cut that out! He hates all that magic crap!" he found himself yelling. He'd grabbed Seth's raised arms and yanked him away from Kaiba's bed. For a second Seth looked like he'd been slapped, and Jou thought he was going to get a priestly fist in his face. He would have welcomed that, something solid and painful that he could hit back at.
But Seth only laid a hand on his arm and gently pushed him away. Yugi grabbed his other arm and led him out of the room.
"Maybe you should go take a walk or something, Jonouchi," Yugi had said sympathetically. He patted Jou's shoulder. "We'll figure something out, I promise. Go relax a little."
He'd stalked off and wandered the corridors of the mansion for a while, until he'd ended up here. Now Seth was here too. Just who he wanted to see.
"Freaked?" Seth said questioningly, as if to himself. Jou realized he'd spoken in a mishmash of Japanese and Egyptian, mixing words randomly. "Freaked" didn't translate well into the ancient language. His brain was too tired to come up with a variation the Priest would understand.
"Never mind," he said. He dropped his arm to his side, with a sigh that was half a stretch. He leaned forward, one arm against the frame of the window, and looked out at the day. The sun still beat down on the yard outside, although the storm clouds were moving closer. He could see heat waves ripple over the city in the distance.
Seth was standing right behind him. He could smell the priest's exotic scent, which was starting to become familiar. Names of oils and herbs that made up that scent came into his mind like the words in the other language. He ignored the invading thoughts and tried to clear his head of everything.
Seth's hand touched his hair. It took him a few seconds to realize that's what it was. Shock battled with a strange sense of familiarity as the fingers lifted his locks to trail through them.
"Golden honey of the sun," Seth said quietly. "How I've missed the feel of it against my hand..."
Jou got his wish for an end to his swirling thoughts as his mind froze. His body responded differently. A warm tingle spread down from his head right to his feet, pooling in a few places along the way.
"Jou," Seth said.
"Whoa," Jou told himself as Seth came closer, pressing lightly against his back. In a second, he knew, those arms were going to come around him from behind, and hands just like Seto Kaiba's were going to clasp in front of his chest, pressed against his heart to feel it beating. It was like a dream he'd had and never remembered until now. And like in a dream, he couldn't move away. But then, he found that he didn't really want to.
Seth embraced him. When he pressed his face against Jou's neck, Jou realized he'd removed his headgear and heavy gold neckpiece, as well as the elaborate bracelet that functioned like a duel disc. His body was warm and solid against Jou's back, all the way down.
"I want to feel your touch on my skin again, Jou," Seth whispered. The words were Egyptian, but the voice was Kaiba's, soft but commanding. "How I've longed for you."
"You ... you want me?" Jou managed to say. It struck him like a bolt of lightning, that those words were all he'd ever wanted to hear Kaiba's voice say to him.
Seth answered by opening his clasped hands and laying them flat against Jou's chest, one over his heart, and the other sliding down lower. Seth's fingers found their way inside his shirt. When they touched his skin, Jou hissed and pressed his body back against Seth's. It felt like the most natural thing in the world.
They didn't say much more after that. Seth's hands demanded access to Jou's body, and Jou found himself giving it without a second thought. Before he knew it he was shirtless and his pants were down around his knees, while Seth's hands claimed him, touching places no one else had ever touched. And yet it was all familiar, as if it had happened every day for years.
Seth finally turned him around and stood before him. He stepped back, giving Jou space to step out of his pants and remove the last of his clothing to stand naked before his lover, his priest and teacher. Seto Kaiba's blue eyes looked him up and down, but with the priest's longing, hungry gaze.
"I don't know how to do this," Jou whispered.
Seth's body, draped in the thin blue tunic-like robe with more white fabric underneath, seemed tantalizing close, yet out of reach. He'd stepped back, away from the broad daylight of the window, into the shadows of the room. He opened his arms at his sides, beckoning welcome, and Jou stepped closer.
The Priest smiled indulgently. Suddenly Jou did seem to know what to do. He dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around Seth's waist. Somehow his hands found the way to the openings of Seth's tunic, pulled it out of the way, and then reached inside the sheer linen fabric underneath it.
Soon he was pressing his cheek against Seth's firm-muscled stomach, his hands running up the back of Seth's strong legs. Seth purred low in his throat as he twined his fingers in Jou's hair and pulled his head down.
Jou wanted this. He didn't know how much he'd wanted it until he breathed in the musky scent of Seth's body and felt a velvety hardness against his lips. With something like a sense of worship, he did what he'd never done before, but he did it with practiced ease and eagerness. Seth's purring became soft growls and moans, and the moans became his name whispered over and over, "Jou, Jou, Jou..."
He could have continued like that, but he knew there was something else that needed to be done. He paused, and Seth pulled away at the same moment. He looked up. Seth's Nile-blue eyes gleamed with lust, with wanting him. He could have stayed on his knees drinking in that look of desire for hours, if it was allowed.
But Seth knelt down in front of him. He paused to study Jou's face. For a moment he looked troubled, as if he saw something there that disturbed him. But then he lifted Jou's chin with his hand, and brought his face up for a deep, lingering kiss.
Jou's body quivered. He didn't remember ever feeling so aroused, unless it was in those moments of waking from some half-remembered dream. But now it seemed like he remembered every dream that had awakened him in this state, and they were all filled with Kaiba's eyes and Kaiba's voice.
Seth ended the kiss, leaving Jou gasping. For a brief second he wondered what was happening to him, why he was doing this. Something about it wasn't right. But it felt right just the same.
Seth's hands slid down his back and pressed against him. Jou felt something inside himself open up to the touch, something in his heart and body.
"Will you let me have you?" Seth asked. "Will you give your body to me?"
Jou knew what he was asking. He didn't believe it, but he felt himself nod. His body wouldn't accept any other answer now anyway.
Seth directed him to kneel up on his knees, and went around behind him. Jou stared down at the carpet, the same pattern he'd been staring at without seeing it earlier while he paced. For a moment, his eyes were caught by the design, following tendrils of red and gold and blue that intertwined around each other in endless knots. You could follow those twisting colors forever and never find where they ended or began, he thought.
He realized that Seth was searching through his discarded robes for something. When he found it, he knelt behind Jou, but he reached beside him so Jou could see the small, carved ivory jar in his hands.
"Do you remember this? It was my gift for you, dear love," he said as he opened the jar.
The scent wafted over Jou and into his brain. It hit him like a drug, bringing sharp memories that he couldn't quite catch with his mind's eye. It was the scent of warmth, of bodies slick with oil and sweat gliding together, of soft furs and linen tangled underneath them as they writhed together bathed in firelight. It was like nothing he'd ever felt before.
Seth's hands were warm with the scented ointment as he pushed Jou down onto his hands and knees, and then reached between his legs. Seth coated him with the slick substance, and Jou shivered with the intimate, familiar touch. He felt as if was making him melt like wax in the midday sun.
When Seth fell forward against him at last and pressed into him, he sighed. He didn't know why he'd been expecting something to hurt. It didn't hurt much at first, and then not at all, not compared to the pleasure that melted his spine. It felt so good he had no words for it in any language.
Seth was pressed against his back, his face at Jou's neck, his breath hot and harsh. Jou found the rhythm he seemed to remember; a slow, deep undulation of his body that made Seth groan.
Before long, almost too soon, Seth's movement quickened to urgency, and Jou felt it too, a fire building inside him. Seth's hand closed on him and Jou bucked and cried out. A second later, Seth's shout was muffled against his hair. Jou lowered his head almost to the floor and groaned through gritted teeth. Then he felt the sweet fire burst within him. The pleasure was so intense that, for a moment, he thought he was the one who had died after all.
The rushing sound in his ears continued, as he lay there on the soft carpet, feeling the warmth of the body behind him, the heavy arms around him. The light had grown dim and strange shadows moved on the walls. He raised his eyes to the window, which had become a waterfall. The sound in his ears was rain beating on the mansion's roof. Jou closed his eyes and drifted away on the sound of falling water.
***
Ryou found Anzu and Honda at the coffee stand where they'd agreed to meet. The weather was changing. The breeze off the water came in gusts, blowing dust and food wrappers off the ground into their faces. The heat felt even more oppressive, humid and heavy, even though the bright sun had now been overtaken by dark towers of clouds. Ryou told them about the theft at the clothing stall.
"So, now he looks sort of like you wearing leather?" Honda smirked. Anzu dug her elbow into his ribs while Ryou blushed crimson.
They decided to spread the search out into the areas around The Pier. Honda took the docks to the south, while Anzu and Ryou prowled the shopping and residential area to the north. Neither of them mentioned needles in haystacks, but Ryou knew that's what both of them were thinking.
After less than an hour of trudging and searching, rain started to pelt down in large, heavy drops. The streets emptied as the storm rolled in over the city.
Ryou stood huddled under the edge of an awning, his wet hair dripping into his eyes.
"This is pointless," Anzu said, hugging herself and shivering. "We'll never find him in this. We'll have to get the rest of the gang to help and try again later, after this rain lets up."
Ryou touched the Ring through his shirt. He thought he felt a slight vibration in it, but it could have been his imagination, or the way the rain was starting to pound on the ground. It didn't look like stopping any time soon.
He sighed. Reluctantly, he agreed to Anzu's suggestion that they head home. She would call Yugi and find out what happened with Kaiba, and then call him with a report.
A few minutes later, Ryou arrived at his apartment complex. He was drenched to the bone and starting to shiver. Even so, he couldn't help craning his neck to look around every corner, hoping to see a glimpse of white hair and tan skin and shadowy blue eyes, or hear a Voice coming out of the shadows. There was nothing but the rain.
He opened the door to his place and stepped inside. Before he could close the door, his wrist was grabbed in a strong grip, and before he could shout, a large warm hand covered his mouth. The scent of exotic oils and fresh leather enveloped him. He was shoved inside and the door slammed shut behind him.
His heart flipped over once again as he realized the thief he'd been searching for had found him.
***