It had been just a few days after they had gotten their own bodies. Despite the admittedly frightening experience (and the subsequent scramble for tangible identities and clothing), there had been one thought nagging him the entire time.
So one hectic afternoon, when the two of them were on break from the rush created by Kaiba's debut of yet another invention, he practically tore the magazine out of his yami's hands and sat himself on his lap.
As he was busy situating himself to become more comfortable, his other made a startled noise and grabbed his hands, yanking his attention away and back toward the person he was unabashedly sitting on.
"Aibou," Yami said firmly, the surprise having already faded out of his voice, "What are you doing?"
Ignoring the rather obvious remark he could have made, Yugi chose instead to bite into his bottom lip, frowning as he shrugged. "Ano… there's been something bothering me since you've got your own body."
At the expectant look he received, he pointedly shook off the hands gripping his. Once that was done, he set to work on getting the nigh-on perpetual leather collar his other was wearing. Yugi gave him a Look when he made to take a hold of his hands again.
There was a disgruntled rumble from him, so once he tossed the adornment onto an unoccupied seat cushion, he finally answered.
"I want to know what you smell like."
Yami made an amusing "urk" at that (though, maybe that was from the fact that he stuck his nose into the crook of his neck and took a big whiff).
He shook his head in a minute manner – smiling anyway when he felt Yami stiffen in shock – not satisfied with what he smelled. All he could sense was the cologne that it seemed everyone in the house used and a faint tinge of slightly sour sweat.
The smile turned to a frown as he worked his way around the other's neck, from back of ear to the hem of his collar. Nothing. No noticeable, unique scent of his other at all.
Well, there was only one thing to be done about that.
Just as he was about to tug off the rather clingy tank top that Yami was wearing, his grandfather walked in with a familiar frown on his face. The septuagenarian paused, calmly taking in the scene. Yami had a rather mortified look on his face, and Yugi looked annoyed at the interruption.
"Yugi, if you're going to molest Yami," he said patiently, "either hurry it up because your break is over, or wait until later. Those customers aren't going to wait forever, you know."
Said teenager just hummed in assent, already working on getting his other's shirt off. "I'll be right out, jii-chan. This won't take long."
His grandfather nodded in satisfaction and walked back out into the store.
Giving a triumphant cry as he managed to wrangle his dark's shirt off – much to the dismay and irritated confusion of the owner of the shirt – Yugi tossed the garment away in the same fashion as the leather collar and grinned.
Yami gave him a wary look, a question on his lips that died quite quickly when he scooted back on his lap and buried his face in his chest. He gave another amusingly choked sound, a shiver rippling through him as he gave a happy hum, nuzzling the spot where his heart was now fluttering in its quickened beat.
He smiled, his curiosity finally being sated after these two weeks.
His other had an undeniably masculine scent, one that rang pleasantly against his senses of his truly ancient age, like a finely cured piece of ceremonial incense. His pharaoh smelled like… well, a pharaoh. The warm flesh of his chest only strengthened the notion, and the smell of cologne and sweat only accentuated it further.
A contented sigh escaped him as a thought crossed his mind. Yami smelled strong, like the all-powerful king of an infamous land he once was. It had lost none of its potency in crossing over into this new life, and though his skin was slightly paler – probably a fluke of having the other half of his soul born in Japan, still evoked images of heat shimmering over golden sand and black, fertile banks bustling with humanity.
Absentmindedly, his hands came to rest at Yami's waist as he laid a gentle kiss over his heart. Silence had unexpectedly fallen over them whilst he was analyzing the sensations filtering into his brain, and he could feel his other's heartbeat slow once again into a soothing rhythm.
So lulled by the situation was he that Yugi started pressing chaste, open-mouthed kisses against the proud man he was sitting on, working his way back up to where he had originally started his abrupt investigation.
Yami gave a quiet moan at his ministrations, arms wrapping around his own waist to tug him closer. He stopped, then, and gave a drugging kiss as his dark weaved a hand into his hair. Lips brushed against each other in an innocent bid to simply feel, hands caressing and holding them close to hear subtle heartbeats.
When time finally deemed to start again, they broke apart, fingers trailing and breathing only slightly out of order.
"So, aibou," the shirtless of the two said, his voice deeper than usual, "what do I smell like?"
Yugi smiled happily, leaning his forehead on his. "Like… you, honestly," he said, crinkling his nose in amusement, "I didn't really know what to expect. You do remind me of Egypt-"
Yami gave an amused noise.
"But it was… I don't know, more than that," He gestured helplessly, "You smell like the king of Egypt."
"I didn't know kings had a particular scent."
Yugi frowned in mock irritation, slapping him on the arm. "Quit interrupting. Anyway," he paused, searching for the words needed to properly expound upon what he experienced, "You smell… old. Remember when I bought some frankincense and myrrh at the temple last Obon?"
Yami nodded, wondering where this was going.
"Like that. But in more of a, well, pharaoh-y kind of way." Yugi brought his arms up around his shoulders, shifting closer to hug him. "It… kind of reminds me of mummies, like you somehow reversed being mummified, but the smell soaked into your skin. Only, it's not scary.
"You smell strong," he said, "like a pharaoh. Like Egypt."
The arms around him tightened, and he felt the warm exhalation of a sigh trailing down his back. In return, he squeezed his dark tighter as well, a hand caressing the back of his neck.
"Thank you," Yami said quietly, the words whispered into his ear.
He shivered, skin prickling. "Why?"
"I have something to remember my home by."
And Yugi nodded in understanding.