DISCLAIMER! I do not own the Yugioh anime, characters, manga, or anything related! The Abridged series is done by LittleKuriboh (just in case)!
A/N: Um… so, what can I say besides sorry for the OOCness? Here, Lin won't be the only one referring to Ryou by his given name! Wow, I can't believe I actually finished this. Anyway, this is probably as close as I'm going to get in writing yaoi with two cannon characters for this universe. As much as I like to read yaoi, I always have issues writing it. So, onward! Hope you enjoyed it, please review!
~.~.~.
It had been three years since Yugi and Lin's first date, a year after the Ceremonial Duel had taken place. Both Yugi and Ryou were free of their Spirits. Yugi and Lin missed Atem, and Lin missed Bakura terribly, but it was a good thing they had their friends and that Ryou understood. They had all coped fairly well and as expected, Yugi had taken the biggest loss, like losing a part of himself, he had told Lin all about it. She had been surprisingly understanding, and she listened patiently and tried to console him telling him that Atem should be happy being in the afterlife and that if he had left it was because Yugi was ready to be on his own. She wasn't sure if that was what she was supposed to say, but she felt consoled by it, because it was kind of the same with Bakura. She missed him, but at the same time she didn't hold a grudge against anyone because she had understood he needed to be defeated.
Lin and Yugi had, surprisingly, lasted as long and there didn't seem to be indication that they would be ending their relationship any time soon. When their friends first found out they had been thoroughly shocked, and she had gotten into an argument with Bakura – he had stopped talking to her for a whole month. She had felt terrible about that, but he had eventually let it go, grudgingly. By no means had their relationship been easy, it had its ups and downs, but they had both managed. They indeed each kept their promise to try to make the relationship last. Now, after three years, their disagreements were rare, although not entirely non-existent. She had softened up to him and being with Yami had toughened him, so now they each had new qualities, which bode with them just fine.
At the moment, they were both at Lin and Ryou's shared apartment. They were in the living room and Ryou was presumably in the bathroom or his own bedroom getting ready. Lin was still amused at seeing him so flustered and had left him alone after having teased him about it. She was brought out of her thoughts when Yugi touched her face gently. When she looked at him she realized he was looking up at her and that she had been spacing out again. "Sorry, just thinking," she said and shrugged, placing her hands on his waist. He accommodated himself on her lap.
He smiled at her. "I know," was all he responded.
The side of her mouth lifted and she leaned down to kiss him. He smiled against her lips. He liked it when she kissed him and he liked the fact that she wasn't embarrassed about PDA, although, he was usually the one who had to initiate it. His thoughts scattered when her arms slipped around him as she continued to kiss him. His arms went around her neck and he couldn't help but press himself closer to her. She caressed his tongue with hers and he couldn't help but moan. She set him gently on the sofa as she braced her weight on her elbow. Her hand slid down his side slowly before reaching the hem of his shirt. Her fingers brushed his skin underneath his shirt. He gasped and she left his mouth to kiss his neck softly.
He moaned. "L-Lin… Bakura-kun will…" he trailed off and shuddered as her fingers brushed against his bare side.
"He won't be out in a while," she assured and now her hand slipped under his shirt, feeling his smooth skin. She liked doing this, and she relished in his reactions.
He was trying to catch his breath but was not being very successful. Her teeth grazed his pulse point and he gasped. "B-but… what if-" he moaned as she nipped at his neck and her hand slid up his chest.
"Let's go to my room then," she suggested and her breath was rather ragged as well. She returned to kissing him on the lips and now she straddled his hips.
"Y-yes…" he said. She kissed him thoroughly and deeply once before she sat up and pulled him up as well. He was breathing hard. "Wow," was all he said.
She raised an eyebrow at him. "You make it sound as if we've never done that before," she told him.
"Well, it always feels like the first time we…" he trailed off and blushed.
She chuckled. "You're so cute," she said and stood. She took his hand and after tugging on it he stood. She led him to her room and closed the door. They made their way toward the bed, though the moment had passed so now they were in the room and she laid back against the pillows, Yugi sitting cross-legged next to her. She smiled, though it was more of a smirk. Yugi was still hesitant about doing anything more than make out when Bakura was in the apartment. Maybe it was because she teased him a lot about how loud he was.
"Bakura-kun really likes him, doesn't he?" Yugi asked conversationally, taking Lin out of her amused thoughts.
Lin shrugged. "Sure, though I'm not entirely sure what he sees in him. He's tried explaining it to me, but I don't think I get it much. Then again, he's not my crush-almost-boyfriend," she answered.
Yugi shook his head. "Don't say it like that," he admonished softly.
"Hey, I just tell it how I see it," she said indifferently.
Yugi sighed. Sometimes his girlfriend was impossible. "But it's okay… if Bakura-kun is taken with him, then it's okay," he said and shrugged.
Lin grinned. "Well, yeah, it'd be kind of sad if he wasn't taken with him and dating him. But anyway, as reluctant as I am to admit it, they look cute together, and he won't hurt Ryou," she said and shrugged.
Yugi smiled. "You always pretend to not like him," he said. It was true. They argued often, but it was strange that they both seemed to enjoy it.
"They both know I'm just joking, they know I don't think that. I mean, he can be a pain but, when he cares about someone, he's a good person I guess. Plus, Ryou's sane enough to not be clingy. Besides, I already gave both of them the talk about what would happen if one hurts the other," she said.
"To both?" Yugi said a little confused and curious. He didn't expect her to give Ryou that kind of talk.
"As much as I care for Ryou, he's not perfect. Of course, I have to listen to both sides of the story to make sure I'm not being rash in taking someone's side. But… I warned Ryou not to be stupid and that if he is, not to come running to me because I won't help. Ryou and he were surprised I was even giving him a benefit of a doubt. But hey, fair is fair," she said and shrugged.
Yugi smiled. "So, you're not playing favorites?" he asked.
"No, of course not. I mean, Ryou I care about a lot, but I shouldn't let him be a brat. Of course, I won't interfere in his relationship like he doesn't mess with mine, but it's just in case they get into a fight. I know that Ryou will come to me if that happens… like I go to him when we fight," she said and the last part was said with a bit of embarrassment. She blushed slightly and looked away from him and out the window.
Yugi placed a hand on hers before he decided to lie down next to her. "I go to Anzu," he admitted kind of bashfully. She was great help, because she usually gave him insight of a girl's perspective. Even if Lin didn't say or do things, Anzu would tell him that it was probably because she was trying to be tough and that Yugi should have done something or other.
Lin was silent a moment before he hugged her around the waist. She looked at him surprised and he only smiled at her. She chuckled. "You know, I think that if it weren't for Ryou and Masaki-san, we wouldn't even be together. Ryou's always telling me why I shouldn't have said something to you, or if I should have done something or other… since, you know, I suck at having the heart-to-heart talks and stuff. I somehow manage to screw up and say something stupid," she said with a sigh before running her hand up and down his back.
He smiled reassuringly at her. "You've gotten a lot better at it though. Thank you for listening and trying to express yourself when I insist on talking," he said sincerely. He said 'trying to express yourself' because they both knew she hadn't completely mastered that ability.
She made a sound of acknowledgement before she said kind of awkwardly, "…Thanks for being patient with me."
When Yugi looked at her, she was looking up at the ceiling and blushed a little. She looked so cute when she was being all embarrassed. He shifted and kissed her. She looked at him surprised before she kissed back and let her eyes close like he had done. It wasn't extremely rare when he did this, but it wasn't common either, which is why he still managed to surprise her when he did this. He was still glad she allowed him to be dominant and sometimes she even encouraged him to be, because he knew he didn't have to be forceful.
He brushed his tongue on the seam of her lips and she immediately allowed him access. He ran his tongue along hers and she moaned, her hand tangling in his hair, her other hand fisting in his jacket and she tugged him closer to her. One of his hands ran up and down her side and she shuddered a little at it. He liked that he could make her feel like she made him feel when she did this, because she deserved it, because despite everything that happened, she was an amazing girlfriend and he wouldn't change her for anyone.
He shifted his position and she did so too, until he was on top of her. Now both of her hands were on his jacket, but she was tugging it off. When she had managed she threw it aside but neither of them bothered to look where it had landed. His hand went back to her side, sliding up and down. He moaned when she suckled on his tongue, her hand running down his back. He finally pulled away as they needed to breathe, and she immediately tilted her head to the side, her hand slipping under his shirt. He gasped at the contact, his hand momentarily fisting at the side of her shirt.
"L-Lin…" he breathed before he seemed to relax and his hand eased from her shirt. He kissed her neck and she gave a slight whine at this. His hand went to the top of her shirt as he allowed his tongue to dart out and taste her. She inhaled sharply, her fingers digging into his back. He sighed and resumed his activities, and he unbuttoned the top button of her shirt. Her hands tangled in his hair and she tugged on him and he pulled away then to kiss her on the lips again. His fingers brushed against her skin as he undid yet another button and she sighed at this.
"Gods… Yugi…" she trailed off as he returned his hand to her side. He once again pulled away so that he was able to kiss her collarbone. She vaguely wondered why she still had her shirt on… but then he was in control, so things tended to go slower. She rode his shirt up and she brushed her fingers against his back. He had been nipping on her collarbone when she did this, so he ended up nipping her a bit too hard. She felt something between pain and pleasure and she shuddered noticeably at this. "Y-yes…" she gasped out. His fingers teased the hem of her shirt before he was kissing her jaw. "Tease," was all she managed to breathe out, her hands going up and down his bare sides, unless she dug her fingers into his back when she moaned. He returned to her lips before his hand slipped under her shirt, his hand running up her side slowly. "Yugi…" she managed to trail off between kisses and drew in a shaky breath.
They were, unfortunately, interrupted when the doorbell rang. They continued kissing but Yugi, ever the considerate one, muttered, "Shouldn't… you get that?"
"Screw it," she mumbled and she tugged on his shirt. The doorbell rang again. "Ignore it," she said quickly before he could comment.
She was disappointed, however, when Yugi, with difficulty, pulled away and sat up. "You… should answer that… Bakura-kun might… still be getting ready," he managed to say as he tried to catch his breath.
The doorbell rang yet again. She gave an exasperated sigh and sat up before sliding off the bed. "I am going to kill whoever it is," she said with a growl before she went toward the door and opened it. "I'll get it," she hollered so Ryou wouldn't bother. She sprinted toward the door and opened it, out of breath.
He looked at her when she opened the door. Out of breath and looking rumpled. The top two buttons of her shirt were undone and her collarbone had what looked something like a love bite. Her hair was tousled and her clothes disarranged indicating that Yugi was visiting. He raised an eyebrow. Her eyes narrowed but she opened the door wider. "Come in, Cinderella is still getting ready…" she trailed off and she seemed to think better of this when he walked in. "No, not Cinderella, that would imply you're the Prince," she said and made a face as she closed the door.
"I'm not yours anyway, since you're not my type," he said with a smirk as she walked toward him.
"Of course you're not my type," she said with a smirk to match his. "I prefer my guys to like girls, thank you very much," she said and she sounded amused.
He rolled his eyes at that. "Like I said, not my type," he repeated.
She snorted. "Of course you're not. My type happens to be the one that was about to make love to me when we were so rudely interrupted by a certain someone," she said and sighed regretfully with a shake of her head. He only snorted at this.
"Lin!" she heard behind her and she turned to see Yugi, who was incredibly flushed. He'd tried to tidy himself, but hadn't done too great of a job.
She shrugged. "What? It's true," she said nonchalant and the boy behind her snorted amusedly again. She sighed and shook her head. "Well, I'll leave the two opposites in the room while I'll go see if Princess Buttercup is ready. Please, excuse me," she said and grinned at them before she darted in the direction of Ryou's room.
She knocked on the door softly. She heard the faint, "Come in," and so she did so. "He's here, right? How do I look?" he asked nervously.
She couldn't help it, she laughed. "Yeah, Westley's here. You look like always," she said and added, when he looked about to freak out, "You look great Ryou. You always look good, now you look great! He's going to have to keep you close, lest someone kidnaps you."
He giggled at Lin calling his date Westley. But then he was twisting his fingers nervously. "Are you sure?" she asked him.
She sighed. "Ryou, he likes you for who you are. It's okay, you look fine, and it'll go great, okay? Just be yourself, he likes you for it," she assured and hugged him.
He nodded with a tad more determination. "All right, you're right. Can you… entertain him a bit?" he asked her.
"Oh, with all the threats I could make… sure, I'd love to," she told him with a grin.
"Lin," he said a little pleadingly.
"Calm down, I'm just kidding," she said and headed toward the door. "Besides, it's not like Mr. Tall-Dark-And-Handsome can't take a joke," she told him and walked out the room, closing the door behind her. When she walked into the living room, everything went strangely silent. They seemed to relax, however, when they saw she was alone. "Princess Buttercup should be ready shortly. In the meantime, I was told to entertain Westley… I mean, Kaiba," she said grinning at him.
He rolled his eyes at her, but Yugi was the one who spoke. "Kaiba-kun was going to tell me where he's taking Bakura-kun today," he said with a smile.
"Really? Hey, I'll spare you the warnings and threats if you tell me where you're taking him today," she told him with a winning smile.
"You're not giving me much to choose from," he answered dully.
Her smile didn't falter. "But I am giving you some choices," she replied and raised an eyebrow.
He looked at her with a bored expression. Then he looked away from both Yugi and Lin. "I'm taking him to the aquarium," he said.
Her smile was a lot more genuine when he looked back at them. "He loves it there, good pick. I'm impressed," she said. Yugi smiled and went to her and took her hand. She smiled down at him.
"Oh, I feel so special to know you approve," he said sarcastically.
"As you should," she said agreeing in a similar tone. They were silent a moment. Lin sighed, more seriously she said, "But really Kaiba, I'm glad you're taking the time to take it slow with him." She looked away from him feeling a little embarrassed.
"And Lin is glad he's with you because she knows you care for him," Yugi added and looked up at Lin. She looked embarrassed and shrugged but she was also smiling a little.
Kaiba was silent a moment. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked away from them. After a moment he said, "Of course I care… but it's a good thing I'm not the only who does," he said sounding pretty reluctant.
"Yeah," was all she said. It was silent a moment. "Great, now it just got all awkward. Gosh, Ryou doesn't even need that much time to get ready. He's already cute without the make-up," she said and rolled her eyes.
"What?" Yugi asked looking at her with wide eyes.
Lin glanced at him and laughed. "Calm down, I'm just kidding," she said with a shake of her head. Finally, Ryou showed up in the living room. "May I present to you, Princess Buttercup," she said and grinned at Ryou when he blushed.
Ryou went to stand next to Lin. "Hello," he greeted with a little shy smile.
Lin smiled. Ryou really was cute. "Well, I believe our job here is done, since we were supposed to keep Kaiba busy until you decided to show. Well you two, have a good time, and Kaiba, bring him back at a reasonable time… no later than five in the morning please," she said in mock-seriousness before she grinned at the taller male.
Kaiba rolled his eyes. "I'll keep that in mind," was all he said before she and Yugi excused themselves again. Then, she took Yugi's hand and she led him to what he presumed was her bedroom, while speaking lowly. He and Lin argued often he supposed, but it was strange that whenever one of them wasn't in the mood to argue or just wanted some peace and quiet, the other would know and they would sit in comfortable silence or just talk about nothing in particular. He felt comfortable enough to do that with her, and it was a good thing they got along so well, since she was Ryou's best-friend-almost-sister and she was really protective of him. She liked him too, or else she would have protested to him dating Ryou. He hadn't exactly known how to go about it as he'd never in his life wanted (or had) to date anyone, so he decided that the one who would give him more hell would be her. So, he more or less asked her if it was okay if he could date her friend. She had said it was fine as long as Ryou agreed, and had warned him not to try to take advantage of Ryou. He had assured her that wasn't his intention at all.
It was around the third date when she had asked to speak to both of them. He hadn't really known what to expect, but was surprised when she was being all serious. She had started by saying that it would more likely than not be the case that if they pursued a relationship and had a fight, that Ryou would go to her. Kaiba, before she had mentioned it, had been aware of this, since they were so close (in fact, if he hadn't known about Yugi being her boyfriend, he would have assumed her and Ryou were a couple). She had also warned both that she wouldn't pick sides, and if it were serious, she would give Kaiba the benefit of doubt until she heard both sides of the story. He had been surprised at this, that she was actually willing to be fair. She had told him that she knew Ryou but that it wouldn't be fair to Kaiba if she didn't do this. She'd also warned him that if he hurt Ryou in any way, he would have to deal with her. And he knew she wasn't someone you messed with. She prioritized protecting Ryou (much like he with Mokuba) and she could care less about the amount of money and power he had, and he also had no intention to hurt Ryou, and he had told her as much. They seemed to get along a little better after that.
Kaiba shook his head and looked down at the teenage boy glancing at him bashfully. "You have really good friends," he commented.
Ryou smiled up at him, feeling a little better. As much as he really liked Kaiba, he was still a little intimidated by him. "Yes, I do. And I'm glad about that… but we both have good friends," he answered.
Kaiba smirked. "Sometimes I wonder about that," was all he said. He was aware of the fact Ryou knew this was a joke. He lived with Lin after all. "Is there anything else you needed or can we go?" he asked.
"No, nothing. We can go now," he replied a little meekly. They walked to the door and Ryou put on his shoes. Then, they both walked out.
Ryou stopped walking and looked at Kaiba a little confused once in front of the vehicle. The taller male shrugged. "I've noticed how uncomfortable you get when we take the limo, so I thought you'd prefer this," he said gesturing toward a normal sports car.
"You… you didn't have to," the quiet boy answered but he was smiling and it seemed to light up his eyes.
Kaiba shrugged feeling something between uncomfortable and proud of himself that he had managed to make Ryou happy. "I'd prefer it if my boyfriend felt comfortable while with me," he rejoined, the word 'boyfriend' feeling foreign on his lips.
Ryou's eyes widened and he looked up at Kaiba but he couldn't decipher the expression. "Y-your… boyfriend? Really?" he asked and there was such noticeable hope in his voice.
Kaiba shrugged again. "Well, if you want to be. I mean, we've only been dating for six months," he answered something between sarcastic and kind of awkward.
Ryou couldn't help it. He gave a short, light laugh. When he thought about it, Kaiba was a lot like Lin. "Of course I want to be," he said with a smile and tentatively reached for Kaiba's hand but then he stopped before returning his hand to his side. He knew Kaiba wasn't really into physical displays of affection and anything he did was always initiated by Kaiba himself, since Ryou didn't want to pressure him into anything.
Kaiba took his hand and tugged until they were facing each other. "It seems like I still can't manage to make you comfortable around me," he said while raising an eyebrow.
Ryou blushed but said, "I just… I don't want to pressure you into any physical display because I don't want to make you uncomfortable."
Kaiba wanted to sigh; maybe Ryou was a little too considerate. "Look, just because I don't do it doesn't mean I mind if you do it. If you're that kind of person, I don't mind you doing it because that's who you are. I'm not opposed to it because…" he trailed off and shrugged; though he tried to play it cool (as he tried to do everything) he was blushing a little. "Well, because it'd be you, I suppose."
Ryou watched him a moment before breaking into a breathtaking smile that had Kaiba staring. He wouldn't be very intimidated of Kaiba then if he really was willing to do this… for him. "Really? You wouldn't mind?" he queried.
"No," was the simple response.
Ryou's smile widened and his hand slipped from Kaiba's before hesitantly hugging him and resting his head on his chest. His body relaxed. So this is how it felt to hug Kaiba. It felt rather nice. Ryou felt safe and warm, especially when he felt Kaiba's arms around his waist. "Thank you," he said quietly.
"Sure," was the answer and again Ryou smiled. Yeah, he really was a lot like Lin. After a moment he pulled away and looked up at Kaiba with bright, curious eyes. Kaiba merely looked at him and raised an eyebrow.
"Where are we going today?" he asked and blinked those pretty brown eyes at him.
"Can't tell you, it's a surprise," was the reply.
Ryou sighed. "Okay," he said but then he pouted.
Kaiba's lips quirked. Ryou looked thoroughly attractive, more so when he did that. "You'll see when we get there," was what Kaiba said before he leaned down and brushed his lips against Ryou's pouting mouth.
It was almost comical how his expression changed and he looked stunned. He blinked at him. Ryou touched his own lips still looking surprised but there was a trace of thoughtfulness in his expression as well. "I… liked that," he said quietly, his hand dropping to his side and he tilted his head up slightly, looking at his boyfriend. Ryou liked how that sounded.
Kaiba chuckled at his boyfriend's antics. Sometimes he wondered if he was as innocent as he looked. Without a word the taller male leaned down and captured Ryou's lips in a short, light kiss. He was surprised at Ryou's eagerness to respond, but Kaiba concluded he'd wanted this as much as him for a long time now. He pulled away and he gave a small smile at his white-haired teen. He seemed a little dazed but then he smiled and hugged him again. After a moment Kaiba said, "If we plan to get there some time today, we might as well leave now." He was reluctant, but they had to get going. Plus, he felt relieved at knowing Ryou did like the aquarium.
Ryou gave a short laugh. "Yes, okay," was all he said. They let go of each other and Kaiba opened the door for Ryou, who smiled his thanks and slipped into the car, watching as Kaiba closed his door and then went around to his own side. Ryou was happy, very much so. Just before his date they were now officially a couple, and Kaiba had said it was all right if Ryou decided to initiate PDA. He felt a lot better and a lot less intimidated. Finally, after years, he was happy because he had the best of friends, and a boyfriend who cared for him.
Lin and Yugi watched them through the window in Lin's room. They watched as Kaiba drove away. Lin laughed. "Geez, finally, I thought I'd never see the day. Kaiba must have asked him to be his boyfriend, if Ry's expression was anything to go by. I'm happy for them, I hope they have a good time at the aquarium," she said now with a smile.
Yugi looked at his girlfriend and smiled. He was happy because she looked ecstatic. And he was happy for Bakura and Kaiba as well. "If that's the case, then I'm happy for them, they deserve it. And I'm happy, because it makes you happy," he told her.
She smiled at him and she placed her arms around his waist and pulled him close. "And I'm happy… because I have you," she said and though it sounded kind of awkward her body was relaxed.
"I'm happy because I have you too," he answered.
"Well, it's a good thing there are still some happy endings lying around. I mean, if Princess Buttercup and Westley could have a happy ending, I'm sure Mister Darcy and Elizabeth could be happy too," she said with an assertive nod.
Yugi blinked at her. "I'm like Mister Darcy?" he asked.
"No, actually, that's me," she said and laughed at his expression. She leaned down and kissed him. "Don't worry love, you'd look lovely in one of those pretty dresses," she said.
He pouted and crossed his arms over his chest. He really was a lot like Ryou. "That's more you," he replied.
She kissed the pout away. "Hm, dresses are not my thing. But, maybe you should pick the analogy next time," she said.
He bit his lip to keep from smiling. "That's better," he said with an assertive nod. Then he smiled.
She chuckled. "Well, let's hope everything goes well for them. In the meantime, care to join me in watching anime?" she asked as if this were a serious question.
He seemed to think about it a moment. "Well, okay. But next time, we have to play a video game… or go to the arcade," he suggested.
She bit her lip as if thinking. "Well, I don't seem to have much choice. I agree," she said and stuck out her hand.
He placed his hands behind his back, assuming an innocent expression. "I heard somewhere that an agreement carries more weight when it's sealed with a kiss," he said.
She grinned. "If you insist," she said with a dramatic sigh before she leaned down and gave him a thorough kiss. "Was that… well-sealed for you?" she managed through ragged breaths.
"Most definitely," was the response as he too was trying to catch his breath. They shared a laugh and then went toward the direction of her laptop. Somehow, they both knew that at least for today, everything was going to turn out well… just as the past three years had gone for them.
=Finis=
**Gods! I'M SORRY FOR THE OOCness AND THE CRAP ENDING! I can't believe I screwed up this epilogue! This is the worst one I've written. *sigh* Damn, I didn't know writing Kaiba's character when paired with a cannon character would be so hard! Please… review? All I can do is ask right now.
