-Precious Illusions-
Yugi Glanced over Yami's leg carefully and bit his bottom lip not finding a bruise or a mark of any kind. "You sure you hurt your ankle, I can't tell." Yugi looked up at Yami in the hopes that he would indicate where the pain was. I'm going to try something you tell me where it hurts okay. Yami nodded and tensed when Yugi's hand ran down over his calf his soft fingers trickling over his skin. Yami's mouth opened just a bit as he watched. Yugi held Yami's leg down with one hand while the other grabbed the top of his foot. "I'm gonna push, I'm sorry if it hurts but I have to know." Yami nodded and Yugi pushed.
"Th-there," he lied, his voice strained to emphasize his pain. He ran his hand over his ankle and looked at him. "I think it will be okay, I can try to walk." Yami gritted his teeth and pushed up from the ground and stood up tall on his good leg and moved to step on the other and stumbled forward where Yugi caught him. Yami couldn't help but notice how strong Yugi's arms were in spite of his small form. Yugi pulled Yami's pants down to cover his ankle.
"Maybe you shouldn't walk on it." Yugi swung Yami's arm over his shoulder and held him tightly to him. "We just have to get down this hill without falling." Yugi said his voice a bit husky with Yami's added weight. Yami looked at him a moment a feeling of protection washed over him. He had never felt anything so bazaar and so right.
"Here they are!" Yugi heard Jou call to the others, his voice echoed through the cold caverns and clear icy paths of the mountain. "Is he dead?" Yugi gave Jou a look at the sound of hopefulness in his voice.
"I'm just fine," Yami glared at the blonde and smiled dumbly as Serenity and Tristan slipped through the trees. "Hey." He said casually.
"Hey? That's all you can say? What are you, stupid?" Tristan walked over to Yugi and scooped Yami up in his arms. "I'll take over from here." He smiled at Yugi as he held Yami bridal style. Yugi laughed softly and Yami suddenly felt like hiding so that Yugi wouldn't see him this way.
"Put me down!" Yami struggled. "What the fuck are you doing?" Tristan held him tighter.
"Yeah, well this is what you get for being a dumb ass." Tristan held Yami closer. "Don't worry; you are in safe hands, baby." Tristan girled up his voice and winked at Yami.
"Okay, that's not funny." Yami made a face. "Put me down!"
"It's fine you are really light."
Jou laughed and nodded. "What do you expect from someone so scrawny?"
"Scrawny! I'll show you scrawny…" Yami reached out with two hands in an attempt to grab hold of the blonde and strangle him. Tristan held him tight and shook his head. "Tristan, Put me down. This is embarrassing."
"Uh-huh. It's only until we get back to the car." Tristan smiled and started walking back through the trees with Yami in his arms. Yugi blinked and let a small smile touch his lips.
"Best friends." Serenity said.
"How are they that close, I am willing to bet Yami's not the easiest guy to get along with."
"It's a very long story." She said.
"Think you'll be able to tell me later?" he asked as they started walking, Jou up ahead taunting Yami.
"Sure." She gave him a sincere smile and took his hand. "It's just too bad its kiddy hour. Every kid in town will be here to see Yami." Yugi froze.
"Do we really have to humiliate him this way?" Yugi bit his lip.
"I suppose not but Tristan will just love this. I don't think you'll be able to talk him out of carrying him."
Serenity smiled at him. "Don't worry about it, they are always like this. Ever since they met it's been a trip." She smiled. "There was a time when his life was dark. He… oh well maybe I shouldn't tell you any of this. He is your boss."
"I see. It's alright." Yugi looked toward Yami who had stopped struggling to hide his face from the laughing children. "Poor Yami."
"Hey, though, I've noticed a change in him since he came here with you." She said
"What? No, he's only being nice because you told him to. Once we get back there, I just know it's back to work." Yugi sighed. "It's hard to write under all this pressure."
Tristan honked at them a few times for them to join him in the car, everything was packed up and Yami was pouting in the passenger's seat next to him. "Come on Guys. Yami's crying."
"I am not! Bastard." Yami glared and paused when Yugi glanced at him and his expression melted. Yugi's cheeks were red and his eyes were glazed over from the cold. Yugi paused when he caught Yami's stare and waved slowly causing Yami to look away. Yugi shrugged and got into the car with Serenity. "Okay, can we go now? Yugi has some work to do." Yugi melted back against his seat and pouted to himself. How could Yami be so mean… but that was the plan, Yugi could come here with Yami if he promised to do work. And he did have a deadline.
As Tristan drove through the dark forest that outlined the snow covered dirt road it began to snow lightly, a sheet of white crystals draped over the sky like sheer curtains. His driving slowed a bit and he eased the Truck through the cold silk and back toward the cabin. Jou's car slowly followed and Yugi knew he was having a hard time with the thought of snow messing up his car. "Poor Jounouchi."
"He'll be fine." Serenity assured him and smiled back at her brother and waved.
"Shh." Tristan turned up the radio.
"… heavy snow fall is expected for these three counties, we strongly advise people to stay inside do to chanced of avalanches in some parts of the mountain." The forecaster warned in a calming tone before switching to a new topic and Yugi glanced out the window, how is something as soft as snow strong enough to bring down mountains?
"Well I guess we won't be going anywhere for the rest of the day." Tristan said. "Just as well, Yami will need to rest that ankle." Yami glared at himself in the passenger's side mirror, he hadn't really thought this trough. Now he would have to lie around and not move for the day because of his fake injury. Then again, he wouldn't have to go to a doctor. He could pretend to feel much better before morning and no one would be the wiser.
The Truck came to a stop and everyone piled out of the car, Tristan scooped Yami back up and walked in into the house and placed him comfortably on the bed. "If there is a blizzard tonight the cable will go out, just to warn you." He said and handed him the remote. "You know this is just like that day a met you."
"Do we have to bring this up every time I come up here?" Yami sighed. "I'm not in the mood for a flashback, I know what happened."
"You are so cranky." Tristan ruffled his hair. "Sit tight. I'm getting us a few drinks, then it's story time." He smiled and left the room.
Meanwhile Yugi plopped himself down in front of his computer and began typing the story of the stubborn Pharaoh and the innocent stable boy. Taking a lot of the feelings he got from this trip and incorporating them into his story. Yugi smiled to be able to see this side of Yami. Or maybe it was an act he put on. Yugi sighed and looked out the window, the snowfall had gotten thicker.
"How's it going Yug'?" Jou stuck his head into his room and let himself in. "don't let him work you too hard, no matter how much you idealize him."
"I do not idealize him."
"Oh, is that why you have every book he's ever edited?" Jou walked around the room playing with knickknacks and meaningless decorations that adorned the small guest room. "Man Serenity
decorates like she lives at a hotel." He looked over at Yugi. "Anyway, he is just a man, like you and me."
"You and I." Yugi hit save and looked back at his friend. "So I have a little crush on him. Leave me alone. You had the biggest crush on Seto when you first saw him."
"That's different." He crossed his arms and looked away.
"How is it different?" Yugi gave him a look "Seto isn't anything like Yami." Jou defended his boyfriend.
"Yes he is. They are so alike I'm surprised they aren't related."
"Well just be careful. Sometimes your crushes can turn out to be someone else. If anything ever happens between you two just… be careful. You are my best friend and I don't want you to get hurt again."
"That won't happen again. I know better now. Trust me." Yugi smiled up at him, "Look I have a lot of work to do."
"Alright." He walked out and closed the door lightly behind him.
"Everything alright?" Tristan asked carefully.
"Yeah, don't worry about it. Where is Serenity?"
"She's in the kitchen." He said "She's making Pizza. It's the best." He smiled. "She's so good in the kitchen and in the bedroom."
Jou threw his hands up and covered his ears, "Dude, that's my sister you are talking about." He groaned. "I never should have given you my blessing."
"I'm sorry. It's just so fun to freak you out like that." He teased. "You bothering Yugi in there? Yami won't like that."
"I don't give a damn!"
"Whoa, what's wrong with you?"
"I just don't like him. He's too hard on Yugi. I'm not trying to be mean but Yugi is soft, he uses his heart instead of his brain." He lied and stormed off into the kitchen.
Tristan shrugged and walked into Yami's room and handed him the ice pack, "There you are. I made a doctor's appointment for tomorrow."
"You didn't have to do that." Yami placed the ice on his ankle.
"Why not, you wouldn't be faking, would you? That's deceitful you know?"
"Why the hell would I be faking it?"
"I don't know, to get out of sledding. Don't worry I won't tell Serenity." Yami looked at him a moment. Was he giving him an out?
"Thank you. I didn't want to hurt her feelings." He smiled at him but Tristan just frowned. "You could at least try to have fun with us. The more the throw yourself into your job and worry about Seto the worse you become."
"What are you talking about?"
"I just don't want you to go back to your old self. I don't think I can help you again. You almost didn't make it." Tristan said.
"Do you think I'm stupid enough to fall into that again? I think you better go now, Tristan." He warned and gripped the icepack tight in his fist and whips it at him.
"Mmhm." Tristan grabbed the ice and stood up and turned away from him. "Be careful." He said and left the room. Yami sat in silence until the room grew dark.
That night Yugi finished a few chapters and looked at the clock. "I should get to bed." He yawned. "Maybe I should check on Yami." He stood up and crossed the hall and knocked softly. No answer but the door creaked open. Yami's soft breathing made Yugi smile and he walked in carefully and cocked his head to the side and stopped at Yami's bedside and looked down at his ankle. He ran a smooth hand over it and his eyes ran up Yami's sleeping body and he blushed. He was beautiful. So captivating and dangerous.
The clouds cleared and the crisp glow of the moon blanked Yami's features making him look heavenly. Yugi wanted him to open his eyes; he wanted to see those dark crimson eyes in the moonlight. He took a slow breath and brushed a few stray hairs from his forehead and licked his lips.
Yami shifted his weight causing Yugi to flinch away as it burnt. When Yami settled down again Yugi continued his search. "Pharaoh…" Yugi whispered unknowingly and closed his eyes.
Suddenly he could smell sweet oils and spice fire; he felt the hot dry air of Egypt. And he looked down to see he was wearing light linen which only covered his small form. Yami on the other hand wore a crown and was decorated like a pharaoh. Yugi leaned down slowly and brushed his lips over Yami's. He closed his eyes and pressed his lips to Yami's harder in a complete kiss and the room was back to normal. Yugi pulled away and scampered out of the room.
A dark smirk found its way to Yami's mouth and his eyes opened slowly and let out a small laugh. "This is too easy." He laughed again and looked out at the moon. "Good timing my friend." Just a few more days and Yugi would be in his bed learning a few things he would never forget