Una: Okay, seriously, I never expected five reviews! I'm so tickled! I guess I still have a knack for this after all! As you may observe in this chapter, it takes place from Yami's POV. (Note: Yami speaks at a high school reading level, as opposed to everyone else who speaks at more of a middle school level!)

Call-Me-KrazyPerson: Yes, yours are very dark! But I am totally serious that your fic Imprisoned inspired me to get back into writing. Thank you! CutePiglet: I thrive on staying in-character. At least I do my best! Believe it or not, Yami is the easiest for me, next to Yugi. Probably b/c he had very little/basic personality in the actual series! (I'm half-joking...) Or it could be the introspective, stoic pride. I dunno.
xChaoticDawnx: Aw, so I popped your Dragonshipping cherry? I'm honored! ;) Check out RayeMoon or NoteEmmy for great ones! CutePiglet has a couple cute ones, and Call-Me-KrazyPerson inspired me!
Anime-Goth-Girl 13 & WaterSoceress: Thanks! Here's the next one!

PERSPECTIVE

Rating: PG (as of now)
Summary: Shizuka and Yami decide to meet one rainy Saturday to talk.
Pairings: Dragonshipping (YamiXJonouchi), Ardentshipping (HondaXShizuka), Peachshipping (YugiXAnzu)

Chapter 2 - Ruby Red

Yami gave the window another douse of cleaner before wiping it once again with the rag. He could have sworn that he had cleaned this pane three times now! But it still did not appear perfectly clean. And while Yami was aware perfection could not always be achieved, he aimed towards it even in the most menial of tasks.

A week's time had passed since he had traveled to Tokyo to seek Shizuka's council. The girl had called him now twice since their initial meeting, insisting on such nonsense as "confess your feelings," "ask him on a date," or at the very least "come out of the closet." Somehow he had converted this girl into becoming the head cheerleader of his improbable relationship with Jonouchi, were it even now remotely possible for there to be such a relationship!

Yami had not come face-to-face with Jonouchi until the Monday afternoon following the ill-fated talk with Shizuka. He had been nervous that Jonouchi would mention the encounter to the group at large, if anything to poke fun at his ridiculous attire! Instead, his friend had chosen to feign amnesia, not even bothering to mention the chance meeting that weekend. While this disturbed Yami at first, he supposed it fit into Jonouchi's character: He needed to come to terms with his own sexuality before he could possibly deal with Yami's. The problem was, as Yugi had pointed out, Jonouchi did not want to deal with it at all!

"Jonouchi-kun went through a major trauma years ago," Yugi had said when they talked about the situation several days ago. The two were helping Jiichan load the new stock onto the shelves of the Game Shop while the old man attended to a couple attractive female clientele. Yugi handed Yami role-playing minis as Yami placed them on their correct hooks.

"Jonouchi-kun hates other people getting involved in his past," Yugi continued. "He can't handle his new life clashing with his old, probably to protect us from it."

"So essentially, you believe that he associates any gay feelings with his old life." Yami stepped up the stool to hang the orc minis on the hook. "Any advancements I take towards him may very well damage our friendship."

"Pretty much."

Yami growled. "Aibou, I do not intend to sit idly by when I can help a friend in turmoil! Regardless of my desires, I am still his friend!"

Yugi gave a sigh before handing Yami the next stack. "Look, I'm not saying you shouldn't tell him how you feel. Just don't do anything dramatic to freak him out."

Yami raised an eyebrow. "Me? When am I dramatic?"

"What time is it?"

Yami smirked in spite of the jab at his character. Inspired by one of the female customers slapping Jiichan, he added, "I suppose that is like asking Jiichan to stop being a pervert!"

"Or Mokuba to stop getting kidnapped!"

"Or Kaiba to stop being an asshole!"

A harsh wind blew, and Yami shivered as he stared at his reflection in the window. The one issue that irked Yami most was the fact that he now felt awkward around Jonouchi. He had kept his secret from Jonouchi for this particular reason. Now that his secret was out - as was he, for that matter - he had yet to devise a game plan! He preferred to blame Shizuka, but he inevitably admonished his own ineptitude.

Jonouchi was coming over later to look over the latest shipment of Duel Monster cards. Anzu had dance class, Honda was babysitting his nephew, Yugi was running errands, and Jiichan would be busy with his latest edition of Victoria Secret Magazine. If he were to say anything to Jonouchi, tonight would be the ideal opportunity. But whose advice should he take? Shizuka insisted on directness, while Yugi erred on the side of caution.

He was out of his element. And Yami hated being out of his element! He used to be Pharaoh, dammit! Pharaohs were worshiped as gods and never questioned! Had Jonouchi lived in his time, there would be no question as to whether or not he could take Jonouchi as a lover!

'Except I do not wish him to simply be a lover,' his inner voice scolded.

"Oy! Yami-kun!" Yami turned to see Jiichan stepping out of the Shop and carrying a mug of hot chocolate. "You've been staring at that same window pane for five minutes!"

"Sorry, Jiichan," said Yami, wiping the pane one last time.

Jiichan handed the steaming mug to the former pharaoh and gave him an appraising look. "Thinkin' about a someone?"

Yami paused before taking a sip. "You could say that."

Jiichan nodded wisely. "I've seen that look on many a man before! Only one thing can drive a man to such distraction." He wiggled his eyebrows. "Who is she?"

Oh, the irony of that statement! "I would prefer to not discuss my love life, Jiichan. No offense."

Jiichan held up his hands in mock surrender and feigned an expression of pain. "Fine! Don't ask an old man's advice! I don't even know why you're having such trouble. All women are attracted to a confident man!"

True, but can one confident man attract another? Granted, he generally was a confident man, but in this case he was just as lost as any other teenage boy. And he was wise enough to accept help in areas he lacked confidence in. "Actually, Jiichan," he said, crouching down so that he could be eye-level with the old man, "I would appreciate a few tips."

Jiichan smirked in triumph. "I thought so! Now, is she hott?"

'Best not to deal with outting myself at this moment.' "Very!"

"Are you friends."

"Yes."

"How often do you see her?"

"All the time."

"Do you do a lot together?"

"Yes."

"Have you known her for a long time?"

"As long as I have been conscious in this world."

"Better not be Anzu-chan. You know Yugi has his eye on her!"

"No, not Anzu."

Jiichan frowned and stroked his beard, as though trying to determine the identity of the "girl" Yami described. Yami took the initiative to avoid a possible Pandora's Box. "That general advice you offered, Jiichan?"

Thankfully Jiichan relented instead of questioning him further. "While it is important to make her feel comfortable, you need to be yourself. Think of it like a game: You are not the only player. You work best when you make the first move, but you also need to allow the other player their chance to continue the game. Work your strategy from there."

Ideas began to form in Yami's mind. All of this time he had been focused on the degree in which he should be aggressive. He had lost sight of Jonouchi as his friend first, object-of-affection second. If he honestly wanted to enter a relationship with Jonouchi, he needed to allow both of them to be comfortable with each other. 'But I need to make the first move!' "Thank you, Jiichan."

"Can I give you one more piece of advice?"

"Certainly."

Jiichan indicated the window. "That window would get a lot cleaner if you washed both sides instead of daydreaming!"

~0~

"Yo!" Jonouchi greeted as he strode into the Shop.

Yami nearly jumped out of his skin. He had been sitting behind the counter for over an hour, pretending to read a G4 Magazine issue as he waited. "Y-yo, Jonouchi-kun!"

Jonouchi immediately bent down to look at the display. "Anything good this month?"

"Not necessarily. The latest series has no warrior cards, and very few of the magic or traps would benefit your deck." Yami cleared his throat, very aware of how close his friend was, with only a display counter between them. "I pulled a few, if you are interested."

"Great!" his friend exclaimed.

As Yami climbed off the stool, Jonouchi remarked, "Hey, why are you wearing a scarf indoors?"

"To keep warm!"

"But in the Shop?"

"My new body is acclimated to life closer to the Equator!" Yami reached behind the counter to pull out a small plastic box which normally held extra pencils and pens. He had indeed separated several Spell and Trap cards he knew Jonouchi would be interested in. "Here."

Jonouchi accepted the box of cards and began thumbing through. After a few seconds of focused reading, Jonouchi gave an audible sniff. "What's that? Smells like perfume!" He pulled away from Yami sightly. "Are you wearing something?"

"Sort of," Yami responded. "I dab on a bit of lotus oil after I wash. I used to wear it as Pharaoh, as did my father." He shrugged. "The scent reminds me of home."

"Ah. I see." Jonouchi looked more somber at the notion of Yami feeling homesick. "Sorry."

"No offense taken." 'Despite that I believe you reacted so strongly due to your discomfort of me being gay,' he finished in his head.

Jonouchi tried to distract himself by examining the cards. As he did so, Yami could not help but admire his friend: That mop of sandy blond hair, most likely cut at home so as to save on money, looked as though it would be soft to the touch. His honey-colored eyes darted back and forth as he read, so focused and scrutinizing! And those hands - Ra's blood, those hands! - were large, strong, and slightly calloused from work. Part of him wondered how those would feel against his skin...

"Want to play a game?" The words were out of his mouth before he could consider all of the possible outcomes.

Jonouchi looked up from the cards. "Eh? What do you mean?"

Yami took a deep breath before taking the plunge. "A duel, Jonouchi-kun. It has been a while."

"It has," the other agreed, giving a small smile of nostalgia. "After Battle City, when we played for Red Eyes."

"You defeated me in that match, winning back your card. I defeated you in Duelist Kingdom, earning the right to face Pegasus." Yami patted the deck holstered on his hip. "I say our tie-breaking match is long overdue!"

A familiar, passionate fire burned in Jonouchi's eyes. It was the fire of a warrior, a true champion duelist. Yami's throat went dry at the sight, not out of fear but admiration and camaraderie. Gods, how can the man be so irresistible? "Just give me five minutes to put some of these cards into my deck," said Jonouchi, "and I'll be happy to kick your ass!"

Yami smirked, looking up at the time. "Closing time is in ten minutes anyway." He crossed the room to lock the door. "Best not have an audience as I deal your ego a crushing blow!"

"Oh! Big talk from someone who hasn't dueled in months!" Jonouchi crossed his arms. "Ya sure the fallen King of Games can even hold the cards right?"

"I think I recall how," he stated, cutting the tame trash talk short in lieu of another strategy. "Tell you what? I'm feeling lucky tonight! Let's place a bet on the outcome!"

Jonouchi's eyebrows raised slightly. "Eh?"

"You know. If I win, you owe me a favor, such as you teach me how to drive."

Jonoushi shuddered. "No way! Last time you were behind the wheel, you almost ran over Honda and his dog!"

"So, no deal?"

"I didn't say that!" Jonouchi tapped his chin in thought, and then he grinned wickedly. "If I win, you gotta tell Kaiba that I defeated you!"

Yami could not suppress a grin at the mental image of Kaiba finding out that Jonouchi, whom he had always publicly berated, had defeated their greatest rival! To see that come to fruition offered almost enough incentive to throw the match. Almost. "Sounds like a good plan!"

~0~

The duelists spent the next hour in the Muto family room on opposite sides of the kotatsu, a low table with a heater under the center, their cards lined up in battle. They took turns chipping away at the other's life points, never achieving more than a 200 point difference in their scores. Jonouchi had adapted very well to his new cards, utilizing the unfamiliar spells with surprising ease. In the end, Yami managed to best him with his beloved Black Magician. "Now that Jinzo [6/2400/1500] is destroyed, I use Black Magic of Revival Coffin to Special Summon Black Magician [7/2500/2100]. I use Magic Book to increase his attack points to 2800, and he attacks your Gearfried the Swordmaster [7/2600/2200]." Yami smirked. "I win!"

Jonouchi stared at the game board. "Dammit!" he exclaimed. "Shoulda known you'd hold out on using Black Magician!" He held out his hand to shake Yami's in appreciation for the good game. "Can I at least get a crash helmet before we handle a driving lesson?"

Yami's smirk grew. "I had only used the driving lesson as an example, Jonouchi-kun. I never did state the full terms of my favor."

Jonouchi swore loudly, but threw his hands up in mock surrender. "Alright, Yami! Ya got me! What's the favor?"

"Allow me to kiss you for five minutes."

Whatever Jonouchi had been expecting, that was not it. He froze in place for a moment before staring up at Yami, an expression of shock mingled with terror grew on his features.

Quickly, Yami crawled out of the katostu to move towards Jonouchi. Jonouchi leaned his body away slightly on impulse. 'And yet he will not back away from his obligation,' Yami noted to himself. 'He has committed himself to follow through on the favor.' Part of him hated manipulating his best friend like that, but this was a gamble he had to take!

"Jonouchi-kun, I do not ask for a kiss merely out of casual interest. I have feelings for you that run deeper than friendship, and I have for a long while now." Jonouchi's face turned red, but he still looked scared. "Please understand: I am not obligating you to share these feelings. I am aware of your taste in women, and I doubt I fall into any type of romantic interest for you. All I wish is for a moment to delude myself, to experience a moment of our friendship growing into something more." He silently cursed the growing heat in his cheeks, but he did not fight it. Jonouchi was one of three people in the world he would allow to see his weaknesses (Yugi and Anzu being the other two).

Ruby red eyes locked onto golden honey; Yami needed to make the following absolutely clear: "As for what is to come of this, that is for you to decide. You do not have to consider my feelings beyond tonight. If you would prefer us to remain friends, I will abide by your decision. If you want us to pursue... anything at all, you will set the terms." Yami was hardly aware that his face was now only inches away from Jonouchi's. "After these few minutes, you are in complete control of what is to come. Do you understand me?"

Jonouchi took several seconds before answering. Yami could almost see the flashes of synapses in his brain processing the information. It made his eyes sparkle more. 'Please do not feel threatened,' Yami silently begged. And to his intense relief, Jonouchi nodded.

Yami let out a breath he had not realized he had been holding. Gently, he caressed the back of his fingers against Jonouchi's left cheek. "Do not be afraid."

"I... I'm not," Jonouchi lied softly.

Yami smiled. "Yes, you are." As he leaned forward, Jonouchi closed his eyes and tensed up. But Yami moved past his lips and made a soft, warm, "Shhh" sound, tickling his ear. "But I shall take care of you, my friend." He leaned back to find Jonouchi less tense, but still with his eyes closed. Non-pulsed, Yami softly brushed his lips against Jonouchi's. They were rougher and firmer than his, probably because his friend was so tense. He gave them a light, quick peck, before claiming his lips in full.

Yes, they were firmer than his, but still soft and inviting. Yami moved to kiss the corner of Jonouchi's mouth, then his cheek, down to the jaw line. Jonouchi tensed slightly as Yami moved lower, until Yami kissed and licked his neck. Jonouchi betrayed a small gasp as a jolt of pleasure shot through the haze of fear. Yami took advantage of this and moved back up to Jonouchi's mouth, claiming one of the lips that had parted in the gasp. He sucked it lightly, massaging it with his tongue. In doing so, Yami got a hint of the taste of Jonouchi's mouth, and gods he craved more of it!

Yami moved to straddle Jonouchi for better access. To his shock, Jonouchi did not protest. The blessed warmth the man radiated, both from the blush of his cheeks and natural heat of his body, made it damn near impossible for Yami to keep from snuggling against him. Instead, he brushed the back of Jonouchi's neck and tilted the face up, giving him better access to his neck and lips. Jonouchi's eyes were slightly open now, watching Yami, curious about his actions. Yami brushed back Jonouchi's bangs lovingly before pulling his face in for another kiss. This time, he pushed his tongue between Jonouchi's lips, gently forcing his way deep into his mouth.

Oh, how utterly exquisite! Yami felt intoxicated by the taste! It was subtle, unique, with no other sort of flavoring. It was all man, all Jonouchi, and Yami wanted more! He pressed his body harder against Jonouchi's as he moved is tongue to stroke his friend's, moving his hips in tandem with the kiss. Jonouchi moaned against him, pulling Yami even closer, his hands gripping Yami's back.

Overwhelmed with desire, Yami pulled away to just lay his forehead on Jonouchi's. "I love you," he whispered.

Those three words broke the spell over both of them. Jonouchi pulled back, eyes wide and confused. Yami heard his own words echo in his mind. He had not intended this to go so far. Damn him! He knew better than to push Jonouchi emotionally in such a way!

But the damage was done, and he could hardly take the words back. All he could do was validate them. To do that, he must give his friend time to sort out his feelings.

Slowly, painfully, he righted himself and stood up, wincing at the pain his confined erection gave him. "My apologies for going over the time limit." He straightened his shirt in an attempt to divert attention from his pants. "I just..." Dammit! Damn him to Amut's belly for this! For all of it!

Jonouchi's eyes were in shadow, his face expressionless. The atmosphere was almost as thick as it had been at Shizuka s house. "Thank you for the duel," Yami heard himself say in a widely transparent attempt to break the tension. But Jonouchi's silence continued, which frightened Yami most of all. His friend rarely went so long without speaking or reacting.

Yami was about to speak again, but they were interrupted by Yugi entering the living room with groceries. "Hey, guys," Yugi said cheerfully. "I wasn't sure if Jonouchi-kun would still be here, but I brought some pizza and extra toppings that can be heated, so we can maybe watch a movie and..." Yugi paused, finally sensing the heavy atmosphere. "And I'm interrupting, aren't I?"

"Appears to happen a lot with us," Yami stated morosely.

Without a word, Jonouchi stood up from the kotatsu, crossed the room, and walked out the door.

Yugi stared after his best friend, and then turned to face Yami. You told him, didn t you? Yami let out a deep sigh, trying to ignore his breaking heart. "I did far worse than merely telling him, Aibou." He sat down at the kotatsu, got underneath the warm blanket, and let his head fall face-first onto the table top. Next time I dare to confess my feelings, lock me up in the Millennium Puzzle for another 3,000 years!"

Una: Wanna know how Jonouchi will react? Will he reject Yami's feelings? Will he accept them? Find out next week!