The waters burned under the blazing sun, almost as molten gold, yet still cool to the touch. Royal eyes studied the river from a dazed mind, watching the glittering surface ripple poetically. The young prince had much to think about after his last encounter with the mage Seto, the mage he could never beat, nor lose too. Duel after duel, draw after draw, his mind could never settle on what drove him to fight. What had started as a trivial rivalry had become something more, an obsession, almost, that dominated his life. Staring down at the water, as he did every day, he couldn't help but remember the endless bickering between them. An insult, a defiant stance, a cold blue gaze. A cold, blue, enrapturing gaze. From eyes so deep they lost you before you could question their pain, hidden somewhere beneath glazed memories and blue pools of defiance and pride...
A stone splashed heavily in the water.
"Not again, Yami...you'll never get any better dwelling on a failure."
"Jounouchi..." Yami said, looking up at his friend.
The blond boy launched a stone across the river with surprising force. "You've gotta focus on the anger! Obsessing isn't gonna help you! You lose all passion just sitting here and staring."
Yami bit his lip. 'Passion?" He thought, revelations threatening. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm not really thinking about that though."
Jounouchi blinked. "You're not? Since when did you not think about duelling?"
"Since forever. You're the obsessed one."
The blond laughed. "Yeah, you're right. So what are you thinking about? If it's not too rude to ask, that is."
Yami thought for a moment before replying. "Have you ever been in love?"
"Huh?" Jounouchi replied intelligently.
The prince sighed. "You know, like, in love."
"With a person?" His friend blinked.
Yami sweatdropped. What else did he think he meant?
"Well..." the blond started. "I love my sister...my family...but..." He scratched his head. "...that's not what you mean, is it?"
"Mm, no, not really." He said, leaning back onto the warm stone.
"I guess not then." Jounouchi stated. "I mean, I'd know if I had been in love...why? You think you're in love with someone?"
"Something like that."
"Isn't love a bit of a...you know, strong word?"
Yami closed his eyes. Was there a better word? Was he just curious about Seto's cold demeanor? Or was he simply...lusting...after an intelligent and mysterious mage? A tall, blue eyed, dark haired mage.
A mage whose image plagued his mind night and day, who filled his heart with some unparalleled adrenaline, and whose voice echoed, plain and cold, to set his heart racing.
A mage he wanted to know, to know his secrets and memories, to drown in his eyes never to return.
To take his heart in his hands and make it his own...
Yami opened his eyes back onto the burning sky. "No. I'm sure it's the right word."
"If you insist." His friend said.
A few silent moments passed.
"I don't supposed you'll tell me who you're in love with?" Jounouchi said, bluntly.
"Sorry." Yami said, closing his eyes again.
"Thought not."
Silence returned, and the warm sun coaxed the prince into sleep, and where the revelations once loomed, now formed the simple dream of what could be.
Silently, the watching shadows vanished into the sun.
"Love." Seto repeated.
"Yes...sir..." The shrine attendant stuttered, fearing the mage's cold stare.
"They were talking about...love." Seto said again, tone rising ever so slightly.
"Yes. The prince said he was in love with someone, though he did not say who."
Seto simply stared. The shrine attendant trembled.
"Alright, go. Get out." The mage shook his head, gritting his teeth. The attendant stumbled out of the room.
Seto stood up, chair falling over as he did so.
'How can Yami be in love?' He thought furiously, cloak sweeping around him as he crashed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Mages and servants alike scrambled out of the way as he stormed down the echoing corridors.
'Who could Yami be in love with? Why…how?' He stalked into the evening air, sobering his thoughts. He gazed up at the stars, glittering perfectly, reflecting perfectly in the perfect waters. The night was ideal, the air was alive, and magic flowed freely on the wind.
"Why...?" He whispered. "How can this night take him away from me?"
There were no answers. Blue eyes as cold as the silence itself remained unchanged, the mage made his way home, ignoring the magic of the night, tailing his feet playfully.
Yami stared up at the stars. The night was so perfect, yet his heart was heavy. After so long, a perfect day like this had brought about the surface of his deepest desire. It would be so wonderful to share a night like this with someone you loved. The deep, dark sky, filled with stars, bore down like the mages cool eyes, tugging at his emotions.
And so, it was of little surprise when the young prince found himself at the mage's door, already defiant of his emotions, and the intentions that accompanied them.
Blue eyes widened in a split second of surprise as they took in the late night visitor. Seto opened his mouth to speak, but Yami spoke first.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, but I have to talk to you."
Seto's emotionless mask returned almost immediately. He remained silent, but opened the door wide enough to let his the visitor inside.
"What do you want?" He asked, bluntly.
Yami steadied himself.
"Seto, do you believe in love?"
He looked at the boy questioningly, his face innocent despite his intentions.
Seto didn't react at the bluntness of the words, simply staring back at the prince from cold blue eyes. He shrugged at the impending silence.
"There is no such thing." He said.
Yami smiled. "You mean you've never been in love?"
"Hn. The real emotion is lust. Love is nothing but an obsession for personal gratification."
Yami laughed at the mage's stubborn comments. Pushing himself away from the table, he stood to face his defiant rival "So you mean to tell me you lust after someone?" He watched the taller boy's lips tighten. "Let's see then...if this person whom you so deeply wanted, was to offer themselves to you, what would you do?" Inside he laughed nervously as a blush crept onto Seto's face. "If this person..." He said, voice lowering ever so slightly "...was to do...this..." He continued, running his hand across the mages' blushing cheek. "...what would you do?" Seto opened his mouth to respond, his defences wavering at the boy's touch, but Yami cut him off, placing a finger on his lips.
"I'm not done yet." He whispered, heart racing. "If they were to do this..." He pulled Seto into a soft but firm embrace, smiling into the virgin eyes of realisation, before kissing him softly, all the while trying to will away his quickening pulse. Seto made no attempt to return the favour as Yami pulled him closer, hands running through his dark hair, eyes closed in one sided passion. After a few moments, Yami found the will to pull away, leaving Seto to stare at him once more from cold eyes.
"What would you do?" Yami said, softly, before turning to walk away, watering eyes focused on the door, heart racing, regret forming.
"I'd find them." Seto said, determination already lacing his words.
Yami sighed mentally, then smiled. 'I'm sure they'll find you, if they have anything left to prove' He thought, dragging the door shut, and making his way into the night air.
Yami leaned back onto the sun warmed stone, and stared into the sky. Sure, he should have been in class, but the tutor could come find him. What a waste of such a serene day it would be to be stuck in a tutorial.
"So, how's your little crush going?" Jounouchi asked, skimming a stone over the calm waters.
"It's not a crush." Yami pouted childishly. "And it's going fine, thank you." Thinking back to the previous night, he wasn't sure that was actually true, but at least he'd got a reaction from Seto.
"Heheh. I only hope that wasn't your idea of sarcasm."
"Never."
"So, you wanna talk about it some more?"
Yami yawned loudly. "Oh, maybe later today. I'm not really in the mood right now..."
Jounouchi made a face at the comment, before turning back to the waters.
Closing his eyes on a cloudless sky, Yami gave into the sun and drifted into sleep. However, it wasn't long before a dark, imposing shadow interrupted his silent bliss.
Expecting an angry tutor, Yami was little prepared to see the mage towering over him, arms folded, looking down on him with an expression of utmost disdain.
Yami looked up with wide eyes, blushing uncontrollably. He opened his mouth a few times, but no words came. Sitting bolt upright, he stood unsteadily to face Seto. Jounouchi took a stand, pushing the panic stricken boy backwards - and promptly into the water.
"What do you want?" He spat.
Seto sighed. "What does it have to do with you? I merely want to talk with that drowning rat there." He glanced at Yami, struggling back onto land, clothes dripping.
Jounouchi looked outraged. "Rat?! I'll have you know that's the prince of the Am.."
"I know very well who he is." Seto snapped, walking over to the sodden boy.
"He..Hey!" The blond boy called, enraged at being ignored. "You're here to duel Yami, right?"
Seto smiled, dragging Yami up by the collar. "Something like that."
Yami panicked.
"Wha...what are you...?"
"Don't play dumb. You know why I'm here."
Jounouchi persevered. "Well why don't you duel me first?"
Seto didn't turn away from Yami as he replied, instead pulling Yami closer. "I don't think you'd be able to live with yourself if you lost to me this time. Right Yami?" Faces inches apart, Yami was swamped in the mage's sweet breath.
"Eee." He managed, heart threatening to explode any second.
"Hn. Well, do you want to find out? I said I would find them, Yami. Don't think you can hide after your little stunt last night." He hissed.
"I..I didn't intend to..." He stuttered, defeated.
Seto released his collar, letting the smaller boy fall to the ground with a thud, before walking away, head held high.
Jounouchi made a sound of built up frustration. "Who does he think he is?! You'd better win that duel, Yami! Walk all over him!"
Yami looked through floppy wet hair at his friend. "Yes...yes...I mean, of course! Right, yes, duel, yes, win, duel, win, yes..."
The prince trailed off. This was one thing even he couldn't handle.
Yami shivered as he walked the dark streets to Seto's home. The prince had no idea of the extent of the mages emotions, but the ache in his heart demanded to know the truth.
His legs became stiff as he approached the door, his heart pounding. A shaking hand reached out to knock on the door, but his attempt was in vain as the door opened, and strong arms dragged him inside.
"I knew you'd come." Seto said, regarding the boy coldly.
Yami swallowed. "I...I...I..." He stuttered, fighting with the words. Seto simply walked into his room, seemingly ignoring the princes mumbles.
Despite the mage's disinterest, Yami remained defiant of his emotions, if not his actions.
"Will you hear me out, Seto?" He said, desperately.
"Of course." The mage replied. "I'm simply waiting for you to give me a proper sentence."
Yami pushed the mage forcefully against the wall at the comment.
"Can't you see I'm trying?" He cried. "I can't get over what I feel, and it's your problem too. I don't know why you let me get away with what I did last night, but I do know why I did it."
Seto remained silent.
"I want to prove to you how I feel, Seto. But you don't believe in the feelings I have. I don't know how else I can show you... What I did yesterday was to prove to myself that what I felt was real." Yami swept the mages cloak back, and placed suddenly shaking hands on the mages bare shoulders.
Seto smiled sadly. "I'm a mage, Yami. You're a prince. We're natural enemies. Our union is is it that you hope to achieve from all this?" Seto almost whispered, as Yami let his hands ran over Seto's exposed arms.
"I just want to prove that I love you." The prince said, arms encircling the mage's neck.
"By seducing me?" He asked softy, as Yami brought his face closer, gazing indulgently into Seto's blue eyes.
The prince let his lips touch Seto's cheek as he replied. "You said it yourself, Seto. How can I prove something that you don't believe in?"
The mage shuddered a little as Yami's hand dropped, resting on his pounding heart. Yami smiled. "So I think I need to prove it to you." Seto bit his lip hard as Yami let his hand drop, the touch sending his senses wild. Seto shivered as Yami's hand came to a rest.
"You know, Yami." He managed to whisper "I would just believe you if you told me."
Yami moved his hand ever so slightly, causing the mage to jerk a little at the touch.
"But...how am I to know if you love me?" He said, softly, moving his hand a little more.
Seto smiled at the invitation. Pushing the boy away easily, he took the princes' face in his hands.
"Through the act of personal gratification, of course, Yami." He said, pushing the boy onto the bed, kissing him forcefully. The prince made a muffled sound of surprise before kissing back, pulling the mage close to him. Yami moaned as the mage moved against him, the touch of skin against skin, the forbidden passion between a mage and a prince driving his thoughts into a blur of nothing. Seto let his hands and lips work on the younger boy's skin, sending shivers through them both as they touched again and again. Yami squirmed beneath him, mumbling something indeterminable, eyes closed in disbelief that anything was real any more. Seto closed his eyes and kissed the prince passionately, the bitten lips of the past few days forgotten in a moment.
Finally, Seto opened his eyes to look down at the prince, his face flushed. Yami looked up at the mage, emotions forming in waking eyes.
"Do you love me?" Seto whispered.
Yami tried to think of the words, tried to find a way to express them. But he didn't need to prove himself any more. Here he was, in Seto's room, on Seto's bed, underneath the mage himself. Any moment now Seto would relieve him of his royal virginity. There was nothing left to say in the matter.
Staring up into blue, smiling eyes, Yami replied with the truth he had kept for so long.
"I love you, Seto."
The sun crept through the gaps in the dark, hastily drawn curtains as Yami awoke. The surroundings seemed somehow familiar, as did the sweet breath threatening to engulf his thoughts. Turning his head on the pillow, he became aware of the bare embrace of Seto Kaiba, sleeping peacefully amid the twisted sheets. The older boy subconsciously pulled Yami closer. It was Kaiba's room, Kaiba's bed... Clothes were scattered everywhere. And there, hanging innocently from the bed, was the Millennium Puzzle, glittering in the morning light.
Resting his head on Kaiba's chest, Yami found the memories in the duellist's heartbeat, and the rise and fall of his chest.
The memory of love, so strong it could not be forgotten, even in the heat of battle and rivalry.
His reason to live. His reason to be reborn. His memories.