Disclaimer: Somehow, I think they would be far too much upkeep to own. I'd rather just borrow them from time to time and give my mind a break from other things.

Full Summary: Eight words. Eight Drabbles. Eight stories. You could probably say this is about love.

Pairing List: Multiple and Various; read to ~discover, but know that no het awaits you inside!

Beta: Unavailable at the moment.

A/N + Dedication: I might just have to make a special spot for xoxheart alone since sometimes I feel like I'd never get fanfic up and out without her prodding me and those unintentional guilt trips. You're lucky I love you so much, hehe. Enjoy, hun! I hope this sends you to the moon like you promised me some stories would )

Oh, and thank you random word generator websites. I now have eight inspirational nuggets to work from. Olay!

Also, Happy Valentine's Day to all, however you may take this, and wherever you may be :)

What Kind of Love

Ferry

"This is horrible."

Yugi slumped down further against the railing to punctuate his statement, barely holding in a frustrated frown as his wet bangs dangled over his nose. He was going to sneeze any minute, he could feel it.

"Surely it is not that bad, abidou?"

Yugi shot his darker half a venomous glare. He was sure he looked as deadly as a mouse at the moment - and a wet one at that - but it was the attempt that counted.

"I don't know why Ryou likes London so much. It's cold and wet and it never stops raining."

"You haven't disliked it all week, Yugi. What has made you change your mind?"

Yugi slumped a little further, his chin resting on the railing as he looked at the water flow past them. He was silent for a long moment, before he admitted, "I don't like boats."

Despite the Millennium Puzzle no longer connecting them, Yugi could feel his dark's surprise. Yugi still didn't know a lot about the Pharaoh's past in Egypt, but he did know that Atem's love for The Nile had meant many years spent riding riverboats on her.

"I would not have suggested this ferry ride-"

"No," Yugi hastened to cut in, "you love this. I wouldn't have stopped you from coming. I actually did want to come… I just…" holding his hand over the railing and spreading his fingers, Yugi admitted, sadness creeping into the edges of his voice as raindrops dotted his skin, "I always miss Exodia when I'm here…"

He could always see the cards, falling from his reach and he flexed his hand, almost unconsciously trying to catch them. Suddenly, the warmth of Atem's palm fell over his. He felt the Pharaoh link their fingers and Yugi glanced up at the other with surprise, but Atem was looking steadily at the water.

"I did not know this still affected you."

"It doesn't, not really," Yugi forced a smile for the other. "Sometimes I just start thinking about it." The rain start to fall a little heavier on their hands at his words, and a more truthful if not rueful smile appeared. "I'm sure if the sun poked out, I'd feel a lot more cheerful!"

Atem let out a small chuckle before he pulled their hands away from the edge. "I think what you need is a distraction, abidou, not the sun. Shall we see what this ferry has for their desserts?"

Yugi brightened despite himself, and began to take the lead, instead of being guided forward by Atem, "I do hope they have some of those puddings we had yesterday!"

Walking along the deck, Yugi hardly noticed the sun begin to shine on the path in front of them.

Never

"It's never going to happen."

"Oh yeah, why not?" Honda asked with a smug grin. "You scared of him or something?"

Jou scoffed. "Him? No. His rabid fangirls and S.W.A.T-like security forces? Yeah, I'll admit I have a mild, and, you know, legitimate concern over them."

"I really don't think he would hurt you over it," Yugi spoke up, his eyes wide with concern as he glanced between Kaiba and Jou, as if imagining possible outcomes.

Now, Jou wasn't in the habit of breaking innocent and hopeful hearts, and since Yugi practically embodied the description, he decided not to detail all the ways Kaiba so totally would rip him to pieces over this. Honda, after sharing a knowing glance with Jou - and the asshole was still trying to make him do it regardless, and why was Honda his friend again? - also kept his mouth shut about it.

Although, not about him doing it in general. Bastard.

"It's just five seconds out of your life. Go up to him, do it, come back. Piece of cake."

"I would rather cut off my own hand." He really wasn't joking. What did he need one hand for? His life was at stake here - and vastly more important than any such appendage, he might add.

"I don't see what the big deal is; we both know you've embarrassed yourself far worse in the past."

"Oi!" Jou glared at him but it was mostly on principle. Yugi and Honda were his best friends it made it kind of hard to deny the truth to witnesses of his own varying levels of stupidity.

"Well, okay, look at it this way. If you tell him what you said now, at least than you know that Otogi can't beat you to it and make it worse."

Jou shut his eyes and groaned, before placing his forehead on the table for added effect. A comforting hand patted his shoulder and he knew it was Yugi. "It will be alright, Jou. I'm sure he won't mind."

Luckily, his mumbled 'yes he will' was so closely pressed into the table that no one could hear and inevitably respond to it.

"Well, I'd be deciding real quick about what you are going to do, because Dice-Boy doesn't seem to be having that kind of a problem."

Jou looked up sharply at Honda's words and felt his eyes widen. He instantly spotted the gliding form of Otogi as he headed into the doors of the cafeteria and directly for Kaiba's table. His determined green eyes slid off the CEO momentarily and found Jou's, sending him a cocky wink for added effect.

God damn it. The words were out before he could think. "Oi, Kaiba!"

Kaiba lifted his head and turned it minutely. He looked utterly pissed off at the disturbance, but located Jou instantly. He seemed even less likely to be receptive of his exclamation now, and no where near ready to shout anything back regardless.

His cheeks flaming quickly and nothing keeping him going but Otogi's smirk behind Kaiba's back and his own sense of pride, Jou continued to call across the now mostly silent room. "You're hotter than Otogi, okay."

Jou didn't even attempt to watch Kaiba's face for a reaction, just ducked his head to look at Yugi and pretend to talk with him as Honda and most of the cafeteria laughed and threw various mortifying comments in his direction.

He was never going to live this done. Fuck.

Daring to flick his eyes up to Kaiba, he felt the cold, piercing gaze of the other teenager lock on his. Eyes widening, he forcefully broke the stare and swallowed tightly, trying to focus back on Yugi.

He felt burned, internally and externally and he quickly scratched out his previous thought.

He could only be so lucky. No, he was never going to survive this.

Bribe

The scolding had lasted for a solid twenty minutes and Isis had left them with strict instructions to clean up the kitchen; their attempt at pancakes that morning having ended up slightly more splattering than intended.

Honestly, Malik still thought it has been a prosperous event; the batter had tasted excellent… the fact that it now covered and was drying over most of the room was hardly an issue.

Too bad his sister felt otherwise; he really didn't want to get off the couch. He was sprawled quite comfortably; he could feel the couch indenting around him. All he really needed was for someone else do it.

Hmm. Without lifting his head, Malik asked, "Think you could clean up the kitchen?"

Malik translated the derogative snort that followed from Mariku as a 'no'.

"It shouldn't take too long," he added.

"Busy." The almost hiss that Mariku had made the word would previously have worried Malik, as would the foreign laughter that Malik could feel rolling around inside his own head.

Now however, without any millennium magic to back up Mariku's current fascination with Voodoo, Malik felt relatively safe and unconcerned. Mariku was him and unlike Yugi and Ryou, he still knew what was going on in Mariku's head.

He supposed it was a perk of having a sliver of yourself manifest into a separate being, rather than simply sharing your head with another person. He took his silver linings where he found them these days.

"You know," he continued after a few moments, contemplating the hand on his stomach. "I could make it worth your while."

Mariku paused, and the air held thick with consideration and eventual question.

Malik rolled his wrist, staring up at the fan as it slowly completed its circle around the room. "I could bend over for you in there?" The edge of a smile caught at his lips. "Or I could get on my knees? I could even let you choose."

He didn't have to wait long before he heard the pin get laid on the table. "How clean?"

"You heard Isis." Malik shrugged and waved his hand. "Just do what she said."

The smirk was more of a feeling than anything he could see, as was the way he knew but couldn't hear Mariku move into the kitchen. Malik felt that he had always carried more darkness to a room than Bakura or Atem had ever managed.

When he heard water start to run, Malik let his attention drift away and his mind slide back into the pleasant haze he'd had before. Malik didn't know why people always worried so much.

It was easy to control Mariku, now that he knew how.

Conditional

Atem was always surprised at how many rules the modern world had. In Egypt he had always known that as a Pharaoh he had not been faced with many of the restrictions his subjects were bound to, but to stand as a shadow to Yugi's life had taught him many things.

This had made things easier when he took his own body and needed to adapt to these new changes and accept them as, if not accurate to his own mind, than socially unquestionable to everyone else.

His life became much like the others around him, and his relationship with Yugi changed in the eyes of everyone to that of brothers. Atem knew their friends knew the truth, about who he was, and about what their bond truly meant but to the people new to their life, they saw something completely different.

They saw identical twin brothers. They saw brothers who were sometimes closer than brothers tended to be.

Atem knew where their minds were hesitating to venture towards; it was a relationship that Yugi had never considered. Atem had lived inside the teenager's mind and for many years he had known it better than his own. Yugi did not think that way, and if this world's upbringing was any indication, he like the others, would shy away from it.

He believed the people around him sometimes forgot that in his lifetime, in his family, it had been a normal, if not expected situation. You rarely loved the person you married in his position; you rarely had much to do with them. Lineage and bloodlines were your top priority in a union; they had not known the effects it could create in children until long after he'd been trapped in the puzzle.

Of course, that did not truly affect them as they were not truly brothers, and they could not give birth. It was simply a line of enquiry Atem sometimes found his mind walking down.

He had no interest in the woman of this time - the men were slightly more appealing, but that had always been the case, and he had never found much pleasure derived from simple physical gratification.

No, Atem knew that Yugi was the only person he felt for and was possibly the only person he would connect to in this world. This was not his place, his home. Yugi was the only one who could encompass those words, because Yugi was a piece of himself.

A mirror image; Yugi was his opposite and they were separated by the very things that bound them together. It was the price he payed for being here and having this life for himself. There were conditions this world attached to him, because they were brothers here - now.

And even in privacy, even when they weren't, there was only so far that Yugi could and would ever conceive about loving himself.

[1]

Accommodation

Shizuka laid out her suitcase on the double bed, flashing a slightly bashful smile at Mai as she began unpacking. Mai just leant against the frame of the open window; she didn't show that she had noticed the look. She just kept blowing out breaths of smoke, looking at the cars passing far below their hotel room.

"I didn't know this was a smoking floor."

Mai's smirk inched across her face.

A year ago and Shizuka would never have been so bold. Six months ago and she would never have convinced Shizuka to come on a trip with her. An hour ago, she hadn't been able to convince her where they'd be staying.

"Never said it was. I could be breaking the law right now."

Glancing over at the other, she saw the other's frown as petite hands landed on perfect hips. "Mai."

Mai let out a chuckle, and instead of flicking the butt out the window like she usually would, she reached back for her handbag. Pulling out the small rubbish bin shaped container Shizuka had given her, she stubbed the butt out and placed it inside.

"Relax, sweetie." She made her way over to the other woman, slipping her arms between the gaps in Shizuka's and wrapping them around her girlfriend's waist. "That's why we have windows."

Shizuka didn't look impressed.

"That's my last one for the weekend, I promise."

Mai watched her expression waver. "Your last one?"

"Yeah," Mai breathed moving closer. "I won't even bring out my deck. I'll be all yours, all weekend."

She felt her girlfriend smile as she pressed their lips together. Just a brush, because she knew Shizuka hated the smell and especially the taste of nicotine.

Pulling back, Mai memorised the other's smile even as she spoke, "I hope you like it."

Shizuka laughed, it was a joyful and melodic sound. "When you said you were whisking me away, Mai, I didn't know you really meant it." She got softer, leaning into the other woman's embrace. "I love it. I love you. Thank you, Mai."

"Always."

They stayed like that for a long time and when Shizuka went to place her things in the bathroom, Mai threw her whole pack of cigarettes out the window. Shizuka didn't say a word.

Deputy

Otogi liked a lot of things, and loved very few.

The most commonly know though were his dice, his car and John Wayne movies. What could he say, he liked his men willing to do a couple of daring deeds or two. He did prefer them without a limp though, and a much more glorified body and face.

He himself was beautiful; surely he deserved someone equally as attractive? If only luck would appoint him a cowboy and he'd be willing to ride for hours.

But life was cruel, and Otogi had to take his pleasures where he could get them, and riding his car down a deserted highway was always a favourite pastime. His stereo was blaring and the wind was whipping around his hair as he pushed at least fifty over the speed limit.

He was so lost in the feel of the wind and the thrum of bass going through him that it took until a track change to realise some of the sounds weren't just from his CD.

Looking in his rear-view mirror while he turned down the music, Otogi noticed a motorbike cop flagging him down, sirens flashing and speed nearly matching his own.

Awh, shit, he thought, beginning to slow the car down, giving his appearance a quick assessment in the mirror as he did so. There was a one in six chance the man was gay, a one in three chance he could charm himself out of a ticket anyway and no chance at all that he didn't look anything but absolutely fabulous.

Stopping the car on the side of the road, he watched the man get off his bike and remove his helmet, running a hand through already tousled brown hair. Otogi sat a little straighter; it seemed his cop wasn't half bad under that uniform. He was no cowboy, no sheriff or deputy, but a lawman anything wouldn't be too far from the mark for his tastes.

The man walked up to his car, helmet under his arm, and eyebrows rising further with every step closer he got to Otogi.

Planting his best smile on his face, Otogi was about to recited the usual cliché spiel of, 'is there a problem officer?' when the man stopped in front of him and blew all his preconceptions aside.

"That was one hell of a ride you took there. Wasn't sure I'd be able to catch you by the end of it."

Otogi blinked in surprise at the joyful and almost laughing tone of his voice.

"Uh. I suppose I was going a tad faster than required."

The cop grinned, showing white teeth and making his face look younger, Otogi's age in fact, and far more roguish than Otogi thought a cop should ever look. "Yeah, whole lot more, but a car like that, on a quiet road like this…" his eyes glided the length of his car, and Otogi suddenly, felt insanely jealous at not receiving an equal once over. "Well, it deserves it."

Otogi was happy to allow his inner bitch to take over, instead of other, less becoming emotions. He'd always thought he looked hot when he got a good rant going. "So why am I being stopped, huh?"

The cop - Officer Hiroto, as his badge supplied - just shrugged. "Wanted to at least do my job and warn you against going so fast." A pause. "Oh, and this too." He reached into his jacket and pulled out a worn notebook, his notebook. The one he'd put the designs for his latest game in. "You lost it about two miles back."

Otogi felt his stomach bottom out and his hand was snatching for it before he could consider manners. He had too many enemies that would kill for a chance to upstage and ruin him. He gave it a cursory glance to assure himself everything was accounted for before turning back to the cop - to Officer Hiroto.

The man looked… looked nothing like a cowboy, but Otogi found himself feeling remarkably like a maiden who'd just been helped against her will.

Otogi smiled slowly, flirtation rife in his tone and in his eyes. "How can I ever repay you, officer?"

The blush that worked into the Officer's cheeks, made Otogi feel a little less bitter towards his car. It seems the odds were going to be with him today after all.

One in six indeed; he always was a lucky roll at the dice.

Help

The shriek had been what sent Bakura outside. It had been panicked, and although rather short-lived, no sound had followed it.

Ryou had been taking down Christmas lights from the railings of their house; and why everyone in this time insisted on going out in disgustingly cold weather to light their house up like a giant beacon, Bakura had never understood. Why his hikari decided to also cover the backyard in the glowing lights had only further proven Ryou's stupidity to him.

Yet despite his continual complaints and sneered remarks, every year Ryou climbed up ladders and made their house glow like a lamppost. He had been out in the middle of falling snow finally pulling the things down in fucking January when the yell had broken Bakura from his TV program.

He'd debated going outside for a long moment, but it was a re-run and despite not needing a host to survive anymore, preserving the twerp's existence had grown into something of a habit. Grabbing one of his thicker jackets, Bakura pulled it on with a grumble and made his way outside.

It didn't take long for him to spot Ryou.

Lying on his back in the snow, Ryou had a pile of mostly broken Christmas lights surrounding him, one hand was clenched tightly on a cord - for all the good it had done him - having never let it go even after tipping off the now equally fallen ladder.

Bakura huffed out a breath, scowling and walking closer to his light. He ignored the wedge of concern that tried to make itself known when Ryou still hadn't moved.

"Are you dead?" He questioned callously.

Slowly, after a long moment, Ryou opened his mouth, but nothing more than a scarcely audible 'ow' escaped.

Bakura stopped just before Ryou's hair, the strands almost blending in with the white powder beneath him. "You didn't fall that fucking far, Ryou. Get up already and get the rest of these things down, would you?"

A grimace made its way across Ryou's face. "Ow," he said louder, a small hiss breaking through the line of his lips. "I… I'll do it, Yami. Just, j-just give me a few… seconds."

His words were punctuated with little hisses and whimpers as he stretched his fingers and toes. Bakura was glad to see the small movements; at least he hadn't fucked up his spine. He could still feel the worry growing though, much to his disgust.

Despite his continual disagreements and dismissals of the notion, Ryou was a lot tougher than he looked and it took a fair bit to knock him down.

"It's… it's okay, you can go back inside." Ryou told him, aiming for a smile and failing miserably.

Bakura hesitated for a long moment before, with a grumble, he moved a few paces forward so he could bend down beside Ryou.

"B-Bakura?" Ryou asked him with confusion and a healthy dose of concern.

"Fuck, I'm not going to kick you while you're down, now shut up. Don't expect me to do this all the time you do something stupid."

Slipping one hand carefully under Ryou's shoulder blades and the other under his knees, Bakura slowly lifted Ryou into his arms. Ryou let out a small cry, but Bakura had done this more than a few times back in Egypt when a robbery had gone badly. This time he hoped there wouldn't be a hasty burial or mercy killing afterwards.

He felt the cord slip out of Ryou's hand before he tentatively grasped onto Bakura's jacket. He only started slightly when he realised that he'd just become Ryou's new lifeline.

He gave the other a quick look, but Ryou looked too pained to truly comprehend it. Bakura himself wasn't sure how he felt about it, and decided to just let it go without comment.

They had almost made their way to the door, when Ryou quietly spoke, breaking the quiet of the yard, "Thanks, Bakura."

Bakura let out a grunt. "Yeah, whatever," he replied gruffly. "Just don't expect it to happen again."

Ryou mumbled an agreement under his breath, and Bakura did his best to manoeuvre them inside without hurting Ryou further. And if anyone had seen them or ever grown enough courage to ask him, Bakura couldn't have told you why that was.

Mattress

Yugi sat on the edge of the bed, the Millennium Puzzle was in his hands and his thumbs lightly brushed over the lines that connected each piece to one another. He wasn't sure how long he'd sat, lost in a tumble of his thoughts when he felt Yami's presence form beside him.

Yugi turned to find the other's ethereal form gain increasing concern. "Are you alright, Yugi?"

"It was just a long day," Yugi told him softly.

Technically it was true; only it hadn't been the day that was long, but the journey his emotions had dragged him through for the past week. He felt a formless hand tentatively touch his shoulder and he let loose a small shiver. Yami's face tightened and the attempt at touch fell away. "If you don't wish for company, I will adjourn to my soulroom."

"No!" Yugi reached out frantically, feeling his frustration rise when his hand went through the other. He let out a pained sound and Yami's hand was on his shoulder, comforting and just not real enough. Yugi's eyes were desolate when he looked at his dark. "I hate this, Yami! I'm sorry I kept going away - I… I want to hug you for real now, I do. I miss it!"

Yami smiled, pleased and greatly relieved, his free hand covering Yugi's that still rested on the puzzle. "Then come with me to your soulroom."

Yugi bit his lower lip, only feeling a little nervous, remembering what he'd learnt last time, what he now needed - wanted - to do. Yugi just hoped this was the right way to show it.

He quickly agreed with a nod before he could change his mind or second guess. The next thing he knew, he was sitting on the bed in his soulroom. Yami was no where to be seen, and the puzzle was back around Yugi's neck.

Yugi started to sit up, feeling a little panicked Yami might be lost in his mental labyrinth when a hesitant knock came on the door. It opened, and Yami stood on the threshold looking in at him.

He was solid, and present and smiling softly, if not a little uncertainly. "May I come in, abidou?"

A bright grin broke across Yugi's face, and before he could stand and reach for his dark, Yami was coming across the room to him. He wrapped his arms around Yami's waist and let out a long, content sigh as Yami held him back. It had been a long time since they'd stood like this. It had taken that long for Yugi to understand, and now he wanted to catch up on what he'd missed.

They stayed that way for a long time before Yugi pulled together enough of his courage to tilt his head up. Yami was smiling down at him, looking completely happy. Yugi felt his breath catch in his chest, and standing on tiptoes, Yugi pressed his mouth chastely to his dark's, his heart beating rapidly.

Yami stiffened all over.

Yugi felt nervousness creep up his spine, and he slowly began to pull back, but when he was barely an inch away, Yami's hand found his cheek and held him in place, searching his eyes with an intensity that Yugi usually only saw during a duel.

Suddenly, he saw it click in Yami's head and the tightness to his limbs only intensified. "You saw that," he deduced, his voice guarded. "You saw me thinking this last week."

Yugi kept a firm hold of the other's waist, holding himself defiantly. "I did. I know what you want, and I know what I want and I'm agreeing to it; to you, and to us."

"Abidou… this is not-"

Yugi shook his head, not wanting to hear it. "No! I don't care what you're going to say, Yami, I don't. It won't stop what we're feeling," he held a hand to his heart, "it won't stop this." He pressed his palm to Yami's chest. "Or this. I would rather spend minutes loving you, than years without letting it exist." Yugi swallowed. "I know I haven't always known, always seen this, but I do now. I always will now, and I…" He looked up at Yami, eyes sincere. "I want to be with you."

There was a long moment of silence before Yami let out a soft, resigned breath but a smile was catching at his mouth. His hand reached up and lightly stroked and cupped Yugi's cheek. "I never could deny you anything, Yugi."

Yugi let out a soft laugh. "I guess it's a good thing I only insist when it's important!"

"And when you know what's best for us."

Yugi turned bashful. "Well, apart from when-"

This time it was Yami's turn to cut him off, but instead of with words, a soft kiss was used instead. Yugi couldn't say he minded, it wasn't like it was anything that important anyway.

~fin~

A/N: And there you are! Eight drabbles with eight romances (or hinted at). It's amazing how much I've missed playing with these guys and my favourite pairings :3 Atem(Yami)/Yugi was of course highlighted for the lovely .. but man do I want to do some more Seto/Jou now, haha. We'll see what happens.

Reviews are candy for the soul, or the muse, or just for me in general who likes being told whether I'm crap or awesome. Thanks in advance to all who hit that little key and type me anything! You rock :D

Number Notes:

[1] I have actually wanted to touch on this point/theme for a while now, because I can't help looking at the realism and logistics of this since, let's face it; to everyone else on the planet these guys would be brothers.

I always wondered how they'd actually deal with that, what the reactions from society would be combined with the historical indications of incest and it's affect on Atem (and/or Bakura for that matter) who would find it acceptable. Now, obviously this is just a drabble and only very lightly touches on it (and I probably won't ever truly explore this) but I thought I'd just expand on that briefly.

I suppose you could call it a philosophical exploration (not to mention my hints that any relationship between them would be a study in narrcicism) but I just wanted to play in it.

I do want to state though that this holds no bearing to my own personal agreements or disagreements in regards to incestuous relationships. Fictional or otherwise.