Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! does not belong to me. This story is shounen ai. If you don't like that, please leave now. This story takes place just after Duelist Kingdom, but before Yugi's duel with Rebecca. Now, on with the story.
Yugi sighed and rolled over on his bed. It had been a few weeks since the Duelist Kingdom tournament, yet Yugi kept re-living the entire event. Particularly his duels with Mai and Pegasus. It was his duel with Mai that helped patch things up between him and Yami. Things kind of blew up during the rematch with Kaiba. Yami had only wanted to help Yugi win. He hadn't, at first, realized how dangerous it was to attack with Kaiba on the ledge.
Yugi glanced at the Millennium Puzzle which laid on his night stand. He remembered how concerned and caring Yami acted when Pegasus pulled them into the Shadow Realm. His concern and caring almost seemed to indicate that...Yami had feelings for him? Feelings that seemed to go beyond the mortal/spirit relationship. Closing his eyes, Yugi sighed softly. He'd think about that another time. He needed some sleep or else he'd fall asleep in school tomorrow. With another sigh, Yugi slipped into sweet, blissful slumber.
Inside his soul room, Yami laid on his bed, also re-living the Duelist Kingdom tournament. The one part that especially haunted him was Yugi's courageous act that ended up "killing" him. Also, his angry remark to Pegasus when he believed he'd lost Yugi.
Yugi was like a brother to him. Yet, he seemed to feel something more toward his light. Was it possible? Did he love Yugi? Yami's questions bounced in his head until sleep stole into his head and overtook him.
&&&&
Yugi strolled down the street toward the high school, his feelings in high spirits. It was a miracle that his teachers excused his absence as well as his friends'. He wondered if Pegasus was responsible for that. But, he wouldn't get a chance to ask. The last he heard, the industrialist had fallen ill.
"Hey, Yug!" a voice called from behind him.
Yugi turned to see Joey running towards him. He smiled as his blond friend jogged to a stop. "Hi, Joey. What's up?"
"Not much. Except that Serenity's operation is gonna happen in a few weeks."
"That's great, Joey! You must be proud that you could help her," Yugi exclaimed as the two of them continued to walk.
"Yeah. She means the world to me." Joey paused. "Yug, you wanna duel at lunch today?"
"Sure. But, don't expect me to go easy on you."
"I don't want you to."
"I thought as much."
&&&&
Joey placed a card on the field. "Flame Swordsman, in attack mode! Say goodbye to your Celtic Guardian."
Yugi discarded his card to the graveyard. He felt so alive. He always felt like this when he played Duel Monsters. He felt a stir from the puzzle. He knew then that Yami was awake and watching with great interest. He drew his attention back to the duel. Drawing a card, he looked at it. Curse of Dragon, perfect. "I attack with Curse of Dragon."
Flame Swordsman was eliminated and Joey discarded it. He drew a card, looked at it, and grinned. "I play Geruises in attack mode and I'll play this card face-down. Your move, Yug."
Drawing a card, Yugi added it to his hand and declared, "Curse of Dragon destroys Geruises."
"Not so fast. I play the Trap card, Kunai with Chain. And I destroy Curse of Dragon."
Yugi discarded it as Joey drew a new card. "Okay. I'll play this card face-down and I play Red-Eyes Black Dragon in attack mode. Plus, Dragon Nails powers it up by 600 points."
'Whoa. 3000 attack points!' Yugi glanced at his field. He had a card face-down and no monsters. That face-down card was Mirror Force. A useful card that would destroy Joey's Red-Eyes. Drawing a card Yugi saw it was Polymerization. Yes! "I play Gaia the Fierce Knight plus Monster Reborn to bring Curse of Dragon back. Finally, I fuse them together to form Gaia the Dragon Champion."
Yugi was thrilled. His best monster was on the field and this would clinch the match for him, even thought he had 400 life points as opposed to Joey's 900. Yet, he felt that defeating Joey didn't feel the way it used to. Maybe he should let Joey win.
'Yugi, use Mirror Force when Joey attacks. He doesn't want to win so easily,' Yami told him.
'I know, but Joey would like it if he defeated me for once. I'll just come back stronger next time.'
'Yugi, just-'
'No.'
"My Red-Eyes destroys your Dragon Champion" Joey did a double take at Yugi's life points. His mouth dropped open. "I-I won?" He looked at Yugi's smiling face.
"Good game, Joey. You did great." Inside the puzzle, Yugi felt Yami sulking. He let it go. He was enjoying Joey's shock of winning. It was a &&&&
Yami couldn't believe it. Yugi let Joey win. Why did he do it? It didn't make sense. Yugi never lets anyone win. Or at least when he was in control. He was going to have a talk with Yugi when they got home.
The rest of the day seemed as long as the time Yami had been trapped in the puzzle. History was a bore, English was a drag and Math had no concept to Yami. At long last the school day ended. Yugi met up with his friends and they talked as they left the school grounds and headed for their homes.
'Aibou, can we talk?' Yami asked once they were inside Yugi's house.
'Sure, Yami.' Yugi was still flying high from his surprise to Joey.
Yami materialized next to Yugi and as he looked at his light half, he was struck by how cute Yugi looked. So gentle, so innocent. His violet eyes were round and wide, reflecting the innocence in his face. A lump formed in Yami's throat, which he forced down as he forced his mind to remember why he asked to talk.
"Yami?" Yugi prompted. Yami's silence was unnerving. He seemed lost in his head. While he waited for Yami's response, he couldn't help but be drawn to his other half's looks. True, they were his own, but it looked more serious, more sterner, more darker. It was the eyes, he was really attracted to. Just looking at those crimson orbs made his heart beat faster. The way Yami spoke sent chills down Yugi's spine. He knew that his dark half was actually a 5,000 year old pharaoh but that didn't detract from the fact that Yugi found Yami very attractive.
"Yugi," Yami's deep voice brought Yugi back to the front hall of the house. Focusing on his yami, he nodded, indicating Yami should continue.
"You know you could have won that duel."
"You mean because of the Mirror Force card?"
"Yes."
"I only had 400 life points. Joey had 900. Besides, Joey also had a card face-down. It might have been the Chasm of Spikes card or even Copycat to copy my Reborn the Monster card."
"You should have used it."
"Weren't you listening? Joey would have been able to destroy my monster through a magic or trap card and he would have won anyway."
"Then, you should have let me take over."
"I let you take over in almost every duel at Duelist Kingdom. I wanted to play a duel by myself. I sometimes feel like I'm in your shadow. You're such a great duelist and all I feel like I'm doing is providing you with a body to duel in!"
Yami's face darkened at Yugi's words. He turned and started to stalk off. Yugi wanted to take back what he said. He didn't mean it. Somehow, if he tried to apologize, Yami would just brush him off. He wanted to say something, so he said the first thing that his heart told him.
"Yami, I...I love you!" Yugi blurted out.
Yami paused in mid-step before spinning around, mouth agape. "What...what did you say?"
Yugi's face flushed. God, why did he confess his love like that? What if Yami laughed at him for his amorous confession? Looking at the floor, he repeated, "I love you. With all my heart and soul, I love you."
Yami stared at Yugi. Yugi loved him. It was great to hear those words, "Yami, I love you." He felt the same way toward Yugi, but had been worried that Yugi did not return those sentiments. Now, his worries were laid to rest. He was loved and he had to let Yugi know his feelings.
Yugi stared at the floor, still afraid to face his dark half. Yami's heart melted at this sight. Walking up to his light, Yami cupped Yugi's chin and tilted his head up. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked softly.
"I was afraid of what you would say," Yugi answered just as softly.
"What I am going to say is...I love you too, aibou."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Relief flooded through Yugi as he smiled. "I'm so relieved that you feel the same way."
"Aibou." Yami drew Yugi to him and held him tightly. He felt Yugi holding him and it felt right. He felt whole and complete with his light up against him. Feeling as if nothing in the world could separate them.
Yugi hugged Yami, pleased that he had confessed after all. If he hadn't, he wouldn't be in this warm and loving embrace. All felt right in the world. It was almost perfect.
'I can think of one thing that would make it perfect.' Pulling back slightly from Yami, the short boy stood on his tiptoes and planted a firm, but loving kiss on Yami's lips. The kiss surprised the pharaoh. His eyes widened as his breath was taken away.
When Yugi pulled back, he was breathing hard from his daring stunt. He couldn't believe he actually went and kissed Yami. After all, they had just confessed and he had to go and kiss his love. How would he react to such a bold act? What sort of nerve-racking, gut-wrenching...?
Yami pulled Yugi toward him, leaned down, and locked lips with him. They stayed that way for several minutes enjoying the taste of one another's lips, the scent of their hair and the feeling of their bodies pressed together.
When they pulled apart, Yugi realized that he had just gotten his answer. With Yami's kiss had come a rush of emotions that can only be associated with love. Pure, unconditional love. That was what Yami and Yugi had. A kind of love that has existed for thousands of years.
