Next chapter up! I am aiming to get two chapters up today because I won't be writing much this weekend. I have to work all day tomorrow and we're also celebrating my birthday this weekend. So I know I won't have a huge amount of time to write. Doesn't mean I won't try though!

Also, I have to apologize. For one, the villains in this story are two that I know most people actually like. At least in the fanfictions. In canon, they are enemies of Yami and Yugi to a point, but I know most still like them. It occurred to me to use them as villains a few days ago and I thought why not? Also, shout outs to whoever figures it out before the reveal!

Lastly, the reason why I haven't uploaded chapters to any of my other stories is because I wanted to work on this one and finish it before I try to work on another. I think I may do that for all of my stories. Work on one and finish it before moving onto the next one. That way I won't get overwhelmed.

So for now, enjoy this chapter and here's hoping I get another finished today!

Love of the Dark

Chapter 6

"In the mean, mean time I'm just dreaming of tearing you apart…" My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark – Fall Out Boy

Not everyone was oh so happy to know Yugi and Yami were communicating. Or that Yami even existed. Ishizu's killer stalked forward into the large glass high rise. He shook his hair and sand fell to the floor in little sprinkles. He frowned and brushed the particles off of his suit. It was an expensive suit and sand dust ruined the effect he was going for. Stalking forward, he bypassed the receptionist. She would have stopped him, but she learned from the last time how bad of an idea that was. It wasn't that he was a bad person, per say… if anything, he was very nice. But her boss…

She shuddered and went back to working. It was better if she just focused on her work and pretend she didn't even see him. For his part, he simply ignored the startled look she gave and continued toward the private elevator that led to the top floor. He stepped in and pressed the button, staring out as the elevator closed. A yell and a slam of a fist greeted him as the doors opened back up and he didn't even blink his eyes as he stepped out and asked, "What is it this time?"

"I've found where it is, but I can't bloody get it to open," the man in the room growled as he stared down at a set of maps and pictures scattered across the desk in front of him. The map had a small red circle around an area and he pointed at this as he continued, "The workers found the entrance and finished digging it out today. It's still in complete shape, despite the tomb collapsing. But the doors…"

"Let me guess," the other man spoke up as he sat down in a nearby chair. Slowly he unbuttoned the first few buttons of his suit and sighed softly in relief. It was much hotter in Egypt than in Japan. His tone was even as he remarked, "They refuse to budge even for the strongest of tools and any powered equipment simply ceases to work?"

Angry eyes flicked over to him as the other asked, "How did you know that?"

"She mentioned only he can open it," he said as he folded his hands in front of him. He wore a patient look as he explained all he knew, "It seems she was aware of the problem and knew this might happen. If you hadn't told me to kill her…"

"It doesn't matter now. It's not going to fix any of it. Was there anything else that she mentioned?" the other interrupted as he sat down and picked up one of the photos. It showed a large set of tomb doors with a stylized Eye of Horus on it. In the middle of the eye sat a large ruby. Sunlight glittered off the ruby in the picture and he murmured a bit quieter, almost thoughtfully, "There has to be a way to get them back…"

A pale hand reached over and gently pulled the picture out of his hands. Determined eyes met his as the other said, "There is. The texts speak of it. But we will need them. Either one or the other to open the door. Then everything we need to bring them back will be within our grasp."

"I guess that means another trip back to Japan. Do you think you can handle that too?"

A feral grin crossed the man in the suit's face, providing the only answer he needed to give. Oh, yes. He would take care of it quite easily. It wouldn't take much to get the one they needed, complication or not. They would get into that tomb, no matter what. Even if it meant killing hundreds to do it.

Meanwhile in Japan…

Yami sat on the edge of the windowsill looking up at the sky. He had a bad a feeling in the pit of his stomach and the shadows responded restlessly. All around him they shifted, wanting some kind of distraction to get rid of the feeling he was projecting out to them. He sighed for the umpteenth time in the span of five minutes.

The door opened and Yugi paused in the doorway. By now he was use to the shifting shadows. The sight of them had become almost normal since they had met again. Although… it said a lot about the state their master was in to be shifting this much. He set the plate of fruit down on the desk next to his finished school work and slowly padded over to Yami, settling down on the edge of the windowsill. He simply gazed at his other half, waiting patiently for him to acknowledge him. It was only a few scant heartbeats later that Yami shifted. He slid his arms from their crossed position and Yugi took the opportunity to curl up in them. Yami gently rested his chin on top of Yugi's head, inhaling the scent of his body wash. A soft, slow sigh was released and he murmured quietly into his hair, "I have a bad feeling that something's going to happen soon."

"Is that why the shadows are so restless?" Yugi asked as he leaned back into Yami's arms. He felt the tension from the entire day just melt off of him and he relaxed slowly. He couldn't say what it was about being closed to Yami that simply made everything seem okay. Perhaps it was because they were opposites or because he reminded him so much of Atem… not that he would tell the other that. Yami would definitely get upset if he knew.

Yami finally looked around, noting the way the shadows moved in agitation. So far they hadn't knocked anything over, but if he kept feeding his own annoyance into them, it would only be a matter of time. Waving his hand, he calmed the shadows as he said, "I didn't realize. I apologize. It's not something I consciously do."

"I don't mind," Yugi murmured as a single tendril of shadows brought the plate of snacks over to them. It hovered at just the right height and he lightly stroked it in thanks. It trilled and he grinned before reaching for a snack, "They're cute."

"Only you…" Yami muttered as he shook his head.

"What?" he asked after popping a grape into his mouth. He shrugged a little as he turned his head to look out the window. He chewed slowly before responding in a much quieter voice, "It's something I'll have to get use to anyway. I mean, you're going to always have them. And I doubt you plan on leaving me alone for the rest of my life."

Arms tightened around him and he looked up into shuttered crimson. Yami gazed down at him, eyebrows furrowed as he murmured just as quietly, "I couldn't leave you alone… not unless you told me you no longer wanted me near. That's the only way I will willingly leave you, Yugi. If you no longer want anything to do with me."

Yugi stared up at Yami in surprise, not expecting such a declaration of loyalty such as that. Part of him did wonder if that was a little bit more obsessive than maybe intended, but he wasn't completely bothered by it. After all, he did say he would leave him alone if he said so. He trusted Yami to keep his word if that were to ever happen… Slowly, he slid his hand up and cupped Yami's cheek as he said, "I don't want you to leave. Stay with me?"

"You have my word," Yami promised. Slowly, he dropped his head and slanted his lips over Yugi's. It was only their second kiss, but it felt as if they had been doing it for their entire lives. It was just a soft brush of lips at first, almost as if he were testing. When Yugi responded just as softly, he took that as an encouraging sign.

Without realizing it, Yugi squirmed and turned in Yami's arms so he could wrap his arms around his neck. The new angle allowed them to kiss better and slowly the kiss deepened. Yami's arms slipped around his waist and tightened, drawing him up and closer. Teeth nipped at his bottom lip and he giggled in response. A gasp left him when Yami's tongue came out to lick his lip, the action feeling a bit weird, but not unpleasant. He flushed red and whimpered just a little when said tongue darted into his mouth and pulled his own tongue into a game of dominance. He froze for a moment, never having felt anything like that before. Yami noticed his hesitation and started to pull back when Yugi tightened his grip in his hair, preventing him from moving too far away.

Deciding he liked that kind of kissing, he pulled Yami back down and playfully flicked his tongue against his. The effect was almost instant. Yami's grip tightened almost painfully and the kiss became harder, more insistent. Yugi's head started to spin. Whether it was from lack of air, or from Yami, he wasn't quite sure. All he knew was the kiss was unlike anything he had experienced before and his fingers dug into Yami's hair painfully.

Not that the other really paid any attention. Yami's hands started to slide slower, trailing soft patterns over his back. As his hands slipped lower, Yugi stiffened. It wasn't that it didn't feel good, because it felt amazing. So very amazing. But he still was new to this. After all, this was only their second kiss. His second kiss period. It was a little too soon…

Yami pulled back when he felt Yugi stiffen. Wine colored eyes stared down into velvet purple in concern. His voice was rough as he asked, "Yugi?"

"I… I'm sorry. It's not that I wasn't enjoying it..." Yugi muttered as he rested his hands on the other's chest. He panted softly as he blushed and looked away, "I've never…"

"Never done this before?" Yami whispered as he moved his hands back up, realizing that that was what caused the smaller one to freeze up. He blinked in awe, not quite believing that Yugi would be that innocent. The awe was evident in his voice as he asked, "But surely you've…? What about Tea?"

Yugi made a face and looked away. He sighed and turned, resting his head against Yami's chest. His voice was thoughtful as he responded, "Maybe at one point in time I would've thought about it. I did have a crush on her. That was before I met you and him. Once I met you, any thoughts of what I might have with her went out of my head. How could I try to date another when I felt the deep kind of bond we had thanks to the millennium puzzle?"

"So I'm your first," Yami said, wonder in his voice. He was the first to such a beautiful and amazing creature like Yugi? His light truly was a gift then. He buried his face into Yugi's hair and held him closer.

"What about you? Am I your first?" Yugi asked, feeling jealousy creep into his heart at the thought of Yami having been with anyone else… The very thought made him squirm, whether out of disgust or anger, he couldn't quite pinpoint. Jealousy wasn't something he was entirely unfamiliar with, but… this kind of jealousy was entirely new. He wasn't sure what to do with it.

Yami grinned into Yugi's hair. Really, it was entirely cute… his little one's jealousy. He chuckled softly and kissed the section of silk fine hair in front of him as he said, "Given all of the stress and problems I had even before getting trapped in the millennium puzzle… I don't really think I had time to do anything like this. And then we met, of course, and I couldn't even think of anyone else."

Yugi tilted his head up as he asked, "Really?"

"Really," he replied with a nod.

"You kiss really good for someone who's never done it before," Yugi replied with narrowed eyes. It wasn't that he didn't believe Yami, but well… the man did kiss really really good and how could anyone be that good naturally?

Yami blushed a little and held up both hands as he said, "I swear, Yugi. That kiss the other day was just as much my first as it was yours. I don't know how I can kiss so well. I didn't even know I could kiss that well, to be honest. I don't exactly go around kissing myself."

Yugi laughed at that and wrapped his arms around Yami's waist. He actually found the blush to be incredibly endearing. That alone told him all he needed to know. But Yami's words helped too. He nuzzled his chest a little as he whispered, "Okay… I believe you."

"I'm glad," Yami murmured as he resumed holding the smaller one in his arms.

The moment of peace didn't last very long, however. Moments later, they heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Figuring it was only his grandfather, they both were surprised when the door burst open and Joey bounded in through the door, "Yami, Yugi!"

Yami merely turned his head, his face expressionless as he stared at the blond. Yugi sat up as much as the other would let him as he exclaimed, "Joey! What are you doing here?"

Joey flopped down onto Yugi's bed, ignoring both the look and the question aimed his way. He turned his head and caught sight of the floating tendril of shadows holding the tray of food and yelped. His voice was a high pitched shriek as he yelled, "What the hell is that?"

Yami grabbed the tray and recalled the shadow with a sharp his, the language nor the action of the shadow disappearing into him not being missed by Joey. Yugi slid out of Yami's arms and moved over to the bed as he explained, "Calm down, Joey. It's okay. That was just a… a…"

"Tell him the truth, Yugi. He's going to find out sooner or later," Yami murmured quietly from his spot. He set the tray down and smiled. The feral smile would have frightened the strongest of people and Joey was no exception to this. The blond almost fell off of the bed in his effort to move away from Yami.

"Joey. Joey. Joey!" Yugi shouted. His own power leaked out, the light casting a calming glow around Joey. The blond froze and instantly relaxed as Yugi spoke softly, "It's okay, Joey. That was a shadow. Yami can control them. Just like I can do the opposite. He's not going to hurt you, I promise."

"Okay…" Joey said hesitantly. The light did fill him with a sense of calm and soothing quiet, but it didn't rob him of his senses. He slowly climbed back up towards the top of the bed. Sitting with his back to the wall, he continued to give Yami a weary look.

With a sigh, Yugi let his power fade and sat back down on the bed. He shot Yami a glare, causing the feral smirk on his face to transform into a look of innocence. Both Joey and he snorted at that before he turned to the blond and asked, "Anyway. Why are you here, Joey?"

Joey turned red and he fidgeted with the blanket on Yugi's bed. He didn't respond for several moments before muttering, "Ah, well, you see… about that… Kaiba may or may not have asked me out on a date."

"What?!"

This time it was Yami's turn to shriek. He stood up and looked at Joey in shock. Disbelief colored his tone as he asked, "Mr. Moneybags-I'm-the-epitome-of-rich-and-I-hate-you asked you out on a date? Has the world stopped turning?"

"A lot of things have changed since Atem went to the afterlife, Yami," Yugi spoke up. He was surprisingly being rather calm about it all, or so Yami thought. If anything, he didn't seem remotely surprised by this development. His voice was gentle as he turned back to Joey, "Tell us what happened?"

Joey nodded his head and continued to fiddle with the blanket. He was acting rather shy for being someone who liked to boast about things he loved to do. Looking down at his hands, he started to explain, "I gave my number to Kaiba a long time ago. It was a joke at first. I didn't think he would ever contact me, but I wanted him to know we were there for him if anything happened. Well, not too long after I gave my number, he texted me. First it was insults, like normal. We do that a lot. But then it started becoming little conversations. Discussions about how our day went, the problems we were having. Before I knew it, it transformed into staying up late and talking about everything and anything…"

He trailed off there as if remembering the countless nights he stayed up talking to Seto. The brunet actually had wicked sense of humor once he let his guard down. And Joey found out so many little things about the CEO that he never imagined he would. Yugi's voice brought him out of his memories when he asked, "Joey?"

"Sorry. I was remembering. Anyway, we became friends. Or at least, I like to think we did. I found myself enjoying the conversations we had. Earlier we were talking about stuff like normal and he asked me if I would willing to meet him for dinner," Joey finished. He paled a little as the realization set in. Dinner with Seto…

"Do you want to have dinner with him?" Yami asked as he leaned against the window with his arms crossed. It didn't seem possible, but it looked like Seto liked Joey… part of him hoped that was the case and not him playing with the blond. He would beat him to a pulp if that were the case.

"I… I'm not opposed to it," Joey answered, but couldn't stop his hands from shaking. He turned to Yugi with a pathetic look on his face as he all but begged, "Yugi, you have to help me. I don't know how to act or what to wear. What do I do? I don't want to mess this up… I… I like him."

"You like like him?" Yugi specified. He had a feeling this was something that was bound to happen. There were times he would catch Joey looking at his phone while grinning like a fool. He wondered who it was that the blond was texting. It wasn't hard to guess that Joey was falling in love… That being said, it was still a bit of a surprise that it was Kaiba.

"I think so?" Joey replied with a small frown on his face. He sighed as he dropped his arms over his face and muttered, "I know I like him as a friend… but I don't know if I like him like that. I know I don't want to hurt him, and well... he is charming…"

Yami moved over to Yugi and slipped an arm around his waist. The smile on his face was surprisingly gentle and calm as he stated, "That sounds like a crush, Joey. You like him, don't want to hurt him, and find him charming?"

Joey moved his arms and stared at the two of them for several long moments. It was easy to tell that he was trying to decide if they were right. With a small sigh, he finally turned away and murmured, "So what do I do now?"

Yugi stood up, causing Yami to do the same. The darker of the two moved back over to the window and sat down on the edge. Yugi grabbed Joey's hands and tugged him up. With a grin, he said, "Now we go and get you some sexy clothes for you to wear so Kaiba won't be able to resist you. Then you go on that date and charm him."

"And please, don't call us with details. We don't want to know what he's like in bed," Yami spoke up with a teasing tilt to his voice. He laughed loudly when Joey turned a dark shade of red, earning himself a glare. He raised his hands as he snickered, "I'm just saying…"

"Shut up, Yami," Yugi warned, the look on his face coming off as more of a pout than a glare. But it was enough to get his point across. Yami continued to chuckle to himself as Yugi turned back to Joey and said, "Don't listen to him. Anyway, let's go get you some clothes. My treat."

"I can't do that, Yugi…" Joey attempted to protest, but Yugi waved his protests away. The smaller duelist completely ignored him as he started to get his shoes on.

"He won't listen, Joey," Yami spoke up from where he was also getting his shoes on. He tapped his toe of his shoe against the floor, "He's going to treat you no matter what. You know how Yugi is. He loves to do things to help others."

"He very much can hear you and would appreciate it if you stopped talking about him as if he weren't in the room," Yugi responded as he straightened up with a grin on his face. He clapped his hands, "Yami's right, so just go along with it. Let's get going, shall we?"

"I'll pay you back," Joey said as they started to walk out of his room. He felt guilty for Yugi buying him clothes. He wasn't exactly planning on this happening when he came over. He just wanted Yugi's advice and to know it was okay. Not that he needed the smaller duelist's permission to date Seto, but he did want to make sure his best friend knew.

"No you won't," Yugi replied. He was practically skipping in excitement. He himself had found someone to love, and knowing his best friend was falling in love too… He grinned in happiness. He couldn't help but feel joy from it all.

Yami trailed behind the two of them, watching them argue about paying back. He wore a small smile, but even then he couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling that something was wrong. Lagging behind a little, he called up the shadows with a small command. Whispering words to them, he watched as two tiny rings detached from the main set and followed after Joey and Yugi. It blended in with their own personal shadows and he felt a measure of relief come over him. He couldn't stop what was to come, but this at least, made him feel a tad more secure. He hoped, deep inside, that he was wrong and nothing would go wrong...

Yes, I'm throwing in some puppyshipping in here. It's my second favorite pairing. So I couldn't help myself.

The action will be picking up a bit more after this; starting with the next chapter. See you there!

Jaa!