Red Petals

Chapter Nine

Amet stared.

Out of all the tasteless rooms he'd ever seen, this was far the worst. The room was at least an acre long all around and held the vibrant color of green. Everything held some kind of green shade to it: the curtains, the bed, the carpets, and even the walls!

Staring at the same color every which way was causing a slight irritating pulse in between his eyes and turned them away to fall on Gabriel. The "Lord" Prince was hunched over a-

"Holy Satan," Amet gasped sarcastically out loud and he almost felt the guards behind him jump at his sudden outburst. "The desk is made of silver wood! God forbid that it's not green!"

The scrapping of a quill paused. A half lidded eye briefly glanced at Amet's face before turning back to the document he was writing upon.

Amet's mouth twisted into a sneer. This angel had taken him prisoner, kissed him, made him a slave, and now ignored him. Taking a step towards the arrogant bastard, Amet had every intention to, at least, kick the chair from under the Prince but huge hands clamped onto his arms. A warning look was given to him by both soldiers.

"I'm sure your both tired of being ignored too," Amet said with a "humph".

The quill stopped and it was slammed on the table top. Gabriel stood and Amet raised an eyebrow as he saw that the young Prince was wearing a light green robe with golden leaves embroidered along the collar. A twisted golden rope was twined loosely around slim hips that were outlined by the thin fabric. The robe was not closed all the way and revealed the angel's long torso. The chest was sculpted finely and Amet stared at it with envy.

His brother had it and the fucking bastard had it…why the hell did Mother Earth not give him a finely sculpted body like them? Didn't he work just as hard as both of them? Didn't he exercise everyday? Spar with brutes twice as big and weight twice as much as him? And yet he did not have a massive body with defined muscles to show for it?

The Prince pulled his robe closed, which did nothing to hide it as the thin cloth still stretched over the body.

"Look at my face," Gabriel snapped and Amet slowly did so and was startled to meet blue eyes.

Since he had been so preoccupied, he never had a chance to notice the change of eye color. During the battle, he could have sworn he had stared into green eyes before he was impaled…

"You are dismissed," Gabriel said, not taking his eyes from Amet's, and the little demon heard the heavy loud footfalls as the guards retreated.

The doors rang ominously as they closed, leaving him alone. Immediately, the angel stepped closer towards him and cocked his head to one side. To Amet's irritation, he knew the bastard angel was inspecting him like some kind of animal that would be sold in markets. A hand lifted his chin, tipping his head up slightly.

Instantly, Amet flinched back and snapped his teeth at those long slim fingers, causing a hiss from his royal pain in the ass. Holding his hand like a treasure to his chest, Gabriel backed up slightly but continued the inspection as his eyes fell down. Once they hit Amet's thighs, a dark flush spread over the angel's cheeks.

"What is that you are wearing?" he demanded, gesturing with one hand towards his missing bottoms. Apparently, the shock made the angel forget how easy it would be to bite those waving fingers. It was tempting too.

"That is not only indecent but inappropriate!"

Amet smirked and glanced down as he placed his hands on his hips.

"I don't now, I thought it was quite stylish," the demon drawled and turned, twisting around to check out his legs from the back. "Shows off my legs quite nicely…don't you think?"

The angel was spluttering and turned sharply. With hurried steps, the angel reached his green dresser and ripped open the drawer. There was a moment of silence as he rummaged through his clothing and Amet folded his arms as he turned back to inspect the room with boredom. Frankly, he hoped he wouldn't be required to reside in the Prince's room. The slave corridors were much more pleasant to look at, not to mention less irritating on the eyes.

Suddenly, something was thrown in his face.

"Wha!" he shouted in panic and pulled the cloth off of his face to find that it was only a pair of soft looking pants. Holding them up, Amet raised an eyebrow in amusement as he found that the color was white; an ironic color for a demon.

"Put those on for now," Gabriel ordered and folded his arms. "I will not have people thinking I have perverse taste."

Amet snorted.

"Too late for that you fruit," Amet murmured under his breath before pulling on the pants.

They were too big.

Taking the ends, he folded them down until they fit smugly just right over his hips and then opened his arms for Gabriel to see.

"Have I satisfied the Prince?"

"It's better," Gabriel said with a curt nod.

There was a moment of hesitation before the angel slowly came back towards the demon, keeping his hands behind his back. Amet watched this with a satisfaction and wondered how far the Prince would move from him if he tried to bite his head. With surprising courage, or stupidity, the angel came up close to Amet. The warmth that radiated from the other body made Amet uncomfortable and he forced his body not to shift around too much or clench his jaw to show any sign of agitation. But it seemed the young Prince was too busy looking into his face instead of his body.

There was a frown as the angel leaned in closer and sniffed.

"You still smell," he commented arrogantly and Amet felt annoyance replace his discomfort. "I thought I asked for you to be washed."

"It's a little hard with only a facet and a towel," Amet snarled. "Let's see you do a better job, peacock."

Gabriel's lips thinned at the name.

"Then we'll have to fix that, won't we?" Gabriel asked, as his lips upturned into a predatory smirk.

Before Amet could comment, a hand grabbed his arm and with a great amount of strength he was thrown towards a doorway. Stumbling to keep his balance, Amet grabbed the doorframe to prevent himself from falling over.

"What the fuck is your pro-Hells fire," Amet whispered as his eyes widened in amazement.

Inside the room was one of the biggest and most beautiful baths he'd ever seen in his life. The room was half the size of the bedroom and the air was already white with steam from the already drawn bath. The water overlapped the tiles and reached from the front of the room all the way to the back. It looked like it could fit about fifty people in it!

Taking a step into the bathroom, Amet couldn't help but notice how smooth and cool the tiles were underneath his bare feet. However, the only thought that crossed Amet's mind was the puzzlement in how the maids filled the monstrous thing every day!

"Take your clothes off," Gabriel ordered and Amet made a face.

"You'd like that wouldn't you?"

"Shall I do it for you?" the angel threatened and Amet immediately pulled off the pants.

Dismissively tossing them into a corner, Amet added the shirt into the crumpled pile before slipping into the large bath. Pleasantly, his feet could easily touch the ground with the water gently lapping against his chest.

Sighing, he dunked into the warm water.

Water was either cold or colder in Hell. Since there were no materials to produce artificial warmth in Hell, baths were taken chilled. Because of this, demons never bathed often nor lingered when it was time to cleanse themselves. But this…the water was so warm on Amet's skin. A demon could lounge hours within this kind of temperature.

Resurfacing, Amet let in a large gasp of air and let it out slowly.

"You're like a fish," came a voice behind him and Amet coolly glanced over his shoulder as Gabriel stood behind him with a yellow bar in one hand and a cloth in another.

"I can wash myself, mother," Amet said bitterly.

"And you did a fine job the first time," Gabriel shot back and Amet turned his face away. "Be grateful you son of a bitch. Not many slaves get this kind of treatment from their masters."

"You are no master of mine," Amet bristled.

"Keep telling yourself that."

The demon's shoulders tensed as a hand brushed his hair to one side and held back a shudder as the smooth touch of a towel rubbed against his skin. It was done quickly and Amet let his arm be lifted so the soft towel could be rubbed upon it. With each motion, Amet couldn't help but feel a bit cleaner as he knew that now the blood was finally being scraped from his skin.

"Mmm, this is fine treatment master," Amet sighed and moaned as water was cupped and poured onto his skin to wash away the soap.

The last time he was able to take a warm bath like this was when he was twelve. Yami had woken him up before dawn and Amet was forced out of his bed confused and half asleep. With the prodding of his older brother, Amet had been dragged out of their tent and shoved into the forest. Half confused, Amet had persistently asked what the hell Yami was doing but his older brother had only grinned saying that it was a surprise. It had been a good distance away, but when Yami had pulled away a thick willow covering, it revealed the treasure inside. A small lake was placed in the middle of the clearing but what made the lake peculiar was that steam was curling from the top.

"What is it?" Amet had asked his brother, wide awake now with a bit of fear and interest.

"I don't know but when I touched it the water felt warm against my skin," Yami had explained, staring at the lake with awe. "Let's take a bath in it!"

"But what if it's…you know; a trick set up by the Sky people."

Amet should have known Yami wouldn't have let that bother him.

Scoffing silently to himself as Gabriel started to shampoo his hair, Amet remembered how his brother stripped himself and jumped into the steaming lake with a loud "whoop". Amet had been slower to follow, and had slid into the lake gingerly as if he were afraid the lake would turn into fire and swallow him and his brother up. After several minutes of nothing happening, Amet had relaxed and both brothers enjoyed themselves in the warm water. That had been their secret spot for months until the Sky people found it and took over it. Both his brother and he had watched as five sky people stood in their secret spot. Three had been lounging in the sun, disgustingly naked, while two leaned back in their lake. Amet had been outraged and nearly ran into the clearing to shoo the stupid sky people away but his brother stopped him. With a serious face, his brother had told him that it was useless and had left.

Amet had been bitter at his brother for weeks after that incident as questions roamed through his head over and over again that left him bitter. Why had his brother backed down so easily? Yami knew as well as he that the Sky people were spoiled and always had gotten their way. So, why did he further give them what they wanted by not chasing them away from what rightly belonged to Yami and him. They, the Earth people, had found it first!

A thumb swept across Amet's cheek, startling him out of his bitter memory. As his eyes opened, he realized he was shedding tears. In shame, he wiped them away furiously before hunching his shoulders.

"Don't touch me you fucking bastard," Amet snarled.

"Dunk your head."

"Don't tell me what to-what the fuck did you put in my hair?" Amet shouted and sniffed the long soapy strands. "They smell awful!"

Gabriel glared and crossed his arms tightly.

"Stop being ungrateful, little brat. That just so happens to be a rare shampoo that was once created my humans before they lost their minds. There are only five hundred bottles left," Gabriel lectured. "You should be honored that I sacrificed some of the precious formula to wash your hair."

Rage slowly rose. Why was it the Sky people got what ever they wanted? The Sky and Earth people were both born at the same time and yet no matter how the Sky people advanced they still became richer and richer. Rare formulas, luxurious rooms and bath tubs…they even had heated baths everyday! It wasn't fair; none of it was.

Baring his teeth, Amet whipped around and slammed his hands into Gabriel's chest. Breathing hard, Amet looked into the angel's eyes.

"We've always been considered second best to your kind. The Sky and Earth were born the same time, yet somehow we are seen as insignificant enough to become your slaves," Amet said in a tight voice and glared up at Gabriel. "Don't act as if I should be fawning over you with grace just because you let me take one simple fucking bath and you let me use the "rare" formula! Since your kind convinced Mother to banish us to Hell we've all done just fine taking our chilled baths! Fuck your luxury!"

He threw water in Gabriel's face.

Gabriel didn't say anything, as water dripped down his cheeks and fell in droplets from his chin. The arrogance in the angel's posture and face were gone. This made Amet angrier and smacked the angel across the face.

"Don't you dare look at me like that. You understand nothing, so don't pretend you do," Amet spat as he turned away from the startling emotion of sadness that was reflected in Gabriel's eyes. "What the hell made you all special? What did my people do to be treated like this? Both alive and immortal we are treated second best to your kind. We were once hated by Mother, now we're hated by everybody; even each other."

Arms swept Amet up and he was hugged tightly, the side of his face pressed to a firm chest. Lips kissed the top of his head gently.

"You are not hated, Amet."

"Don't mock me."

"I mean it," Gabriel said firmly and cupped Amet's face. "I love you."

"…Are you psychotically disturbed? I remember once hearing about mortals who suffered from split personalities."

"It is hard to stay cynical and arrogant towards you when you make a face like this," Gabriel said. "And when you look at me with such pain, I can't help but…"

Amet's eyes went wide as Gabriel captured his lips. He struggled but the angel only backed him up until he felt the edge of the tub press against the middle of his back. A hand held his wrist back while the other arm wrapped around his waist tightly pressing their bodies together. Parting to gasp for breath, Amet felt his face and body become uncomfortably warm as he became painfully aware how tightly he was pressed against another body.

And, he hated to admit it, the kiss…felt good.

Avoiding the angel's eyes, Amet slowly covered his lips with his fingers as if in disbelief.

"I…have a question," Amet finally said to change the subject of the embarrassing moment that had happened. "Why did you claim I was my brother and take me here?"

Gabriel pulled away slightly.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You fucking liar! You knew all along that I wasn't Yami and pretended stupidity," Amet hissed. "Why?"

Gabriel swept a piece of wet hair away from Amet's face and kissed the side of his jaw.

"Isn't it obvious?"

"You wanted my ass."

"No, I wanted your heart."

Amet snorted.

"Doesn't explain anything."

"And I'll likely not tell you ever," Gabriel countered and took Amet's arm to pull him to the middle of the bath, "Stay still while I clean up the rest of you and wash the soup out of your hair."

"I'm cleaning the bottom half if you don't mind," Amet scowled as he crossed his arms. "Like hell I'm letting you anywhere near those areas."

Gabriel rolled his eyes in response but agreed. However, Amet didn't feel like he won anything at all.

:I:

Yugi stared down at Yami's sleeping face and couldn't help but wonder if this was the face he would have owned if he was able to grow older. To have the baby fat on his cheeks melt away to expose high cheek bones, the large eyes recede slightly, the small body growing tall, and the soft body turning hard from muscle. But it wouldn't really be possible to know now that he had died.

There was a murmur and Yami's amethyst eyes flickered open and immediately softened as they gazed up into Yugi's face. The boy couldn't help but flush slightly and became shy.

"So…what now?" Yugi asked.

"We get the fuck out of here," Yami said simply and sat up. "Unfortunately, we need to retrieve a certain parasite before we can plan our escape."

Yugi frowned.

"Wouldn't that be difficult? Amet's in one of the Prince's rooms."

"And it's awfully easy to imagine the perverse actions that will take place there," Yami growled as his frown deepened. "God, he's always been an idiot."

Yugi's frown deepened. Although he hadn't talked with Amet for very long, he liked the demon despite his acidic sarcasm. And from the way he back talked most of the angel Princes, Yugi thought him far from stupid.

"What's with that face?" Yami demanded.

"Nothing," Yugi said but changed his mind as Yami's eyes bored into him. "It's just…give your brother more credit. He's smarter then you think."

There was a dark look in Yami's eyes as he leaned into Yugi.

"Is that admiration I hear?" he asked in a low growl. "Do you admire my little brother, Yugi?"

"Well…there are some attributes that he has that I wish I could have," Yugi admitted and grinned teasingly. "I would love to be able to drive people who think they are better then me crazy."

"He learned that from me," Yami murmured, and Yugi stared at the slight pout of the demon's lips.

Wondering if he was seeing right, Yugi decided to push a little further.

"And he does have a handsome face-."

There was a creak from the bed as the demon surged up and hands painfully squeezed Yugi's arms. In panic, the boy squirmed to escape but the fingers only tightened causing tears to form in the boy's eyes. The small back was thrust to the bed and Yami loomed over him with dangerous bright red eyes. There was a snarl on his lips, showing teeth on the right side.

Yugi gasped as his heart pounded wildly within his chest, not knowing whether to feel fear or…joy. It was such an extreme reaction.

"Y…Yami," he whispered, wincing slightly. "You're hurting me."

Yami didn't move but the grip slightly eased. Staring up into the demon's eyes, Yugi couldn't help feel his heart speed up as he could see the obvious possession and jealousy within the demon's eyes. But…did Yami even realize what he was feeling? The demon still stood very still as if his body did not know what else to do with the emotion that was raging within him.

Slowly, Yugi leaned forward starting to close his eyes as he reached to press his lips against Yami's. Instead, Yami immediately let him go causing him go and turned to sit upon the edge of the bed which left Yugi staring up at the ceiling with puckered lips. A pain spread through his chest as he stared at Yami's back.

Why? Why did he…pull away from him?

"Yami?" Yugi called as he scrambled up.

He was glad that Yami refused to look at him. He didn't want the demon to see the tears that were starting to from within his eyes. All it seemed he did around Yami, was cry.

"Yami, why…why?"

"You don't know what it really means to kiss a demon," Yami said.

"Yes, yes I do!" Yugi protested and Yami finally turned to stare at him. "I…I don't mind."

"How would an innocent angel know the way of demons?" Yami asked as he ran a hand through Yugi's hair. The voice was gently curious not harshly demanding.

Looking up at Yami, Yugi scooted closer to Yami and wrapped his arms around the demon's chest. It was firm and surprisingly warm on Yugi's cheek. The only thing missing, which made him a little sad, was that there was no heart beat to feel. There was only the rise and fall of Yami's breathing. It seemed that although demon's lost their hearts, they did not forget to breath.

"Amet told me," Yugi said and the stroking stopped. "He made me understand how special a kiss can be for demons. I know that I'm not a fantastic person but if you'd be willing…"

"Yugi," Yami said. "It's not that I think ill of you. This is not…the best time to bond. Not in this kind of situation. We're in dangerous territory and it is highly unlikely that Amet or I will survive trying to escape here. Please, don't look at me like that."

Yugi buried his face into Yami's chest, trying not to cry but the traitors fell from his overfilling eyes and spilled onto his cheeks. He covered his mouth to muffle the soft sobs that were erupting from his throat.

"Yugi…Yugi," Yami said softly; something Yugi did not hear often from the demon.

Arms hugged him tightly and he could feel Yami's cheek press against the top of his head.

"The situation is unpredictable and I will not have you pining helplessly if you lost me. Losing someone you are married too can cause very traumatic effects, understand?"

Yugi nodded silently and felt lips press against his forehead.

"It would kill me if I knew I'd leave you behind in pain."

"Don't talk like that," Yugi said, his voice cracking from trying not to cry. "I might die, I may not make it out alive…I don't want to think about that!"

"I'm just preparing you for the future. It's useless trying to sugarcoat everything," Yami said firmly. "I found from experience that it is less painful that way then to be white lied too."

Yugi nodded but the truth was he did want Yami to lie. He wanted to hear Yami say that everything was going to be fine from now on…but it was too much to hope for. Sniffing, Yugi pressed close to Yami's warm body.

"Yugi," Yami suddenly said and Yugi felt the demon start to pull away. "You shouldn't get so close to me."

Yugi looked up at him with hurt eyes. What was going on? Why was Yami starting to become so distant from him?

Yami's fingers cupped his face, his thumb wiping a stray tear from his eyes.

"You shouldn't look so vulnerable," Yami whispered and suddenly his tongue licked a falling tear all the way up to his eye.

Yami's teeth gently nipped Yugi's ear before whispering, almost breathlessly.

"You shouldn't look so cute…I might eat you up."

It was happening again! Yami's eyes became dark and his tongue was touching his neck in ways that made Yugi flush hard. Fear and excitement gripped the boy as he didn't know whether to appreciate or be scared in the sudden mood swing. First Yami tried pushing him away and now was becoming aggressive.

'Does…does Heaven make demon's go crazy?' Yugi half wondered as he felt the demon's tongue reach his collar, licking it softly.

"Yami-," Yugi gasped as there was a sucking sensation on his shoulder. "Yami!"

"OH MY GOD!"

The mood shattered as Yugi and Yami whipped their heads up to see Ryou and Jounouchi. Ryou's brown eyes were wide while Jounouchi's mouth had fallen open as he pointed with a wavering finger. All four were at a loss for words before Jounouchi broke it.

"I thought you two were cousins!"

"Uh…we are," Yugi said loudly in his panic, and pushed Yami away from him.

A low growl cut through the room and Yugi yelped as the demon pulled him possessively to his side. Dark purple eyes glared upon the two angels.

"What do you want," he snarled.

Both angels stepped back from what ever look was upon Yami's face. It must have been dangerous looking if the two looked nervous.

"Eh…I just wanted to pop in to see if Yug and you wanted to…be shown around?" Jounouchi said slowly as he edged behind Ryou. "Didn't mean to barge in on anything…really."

Yami suddenly stood up, keeping his hand on Yugi's shoulder as if he didn't want the contact severed. It made Yugi smile.

"You will show us around Heaven?" Yami asked, his irritated mood starting to fade.

"Sure, sure!" Jounouchi said loudly with a big grin, obviously trying to get himself on Yami's good side. "I'll show you the whole place if you want."

"That would be a bit impossible since there are more rooms here than can be counted," Ryou countered and Jounouchi scowled at him.

"I don't need to see them all," Yami said. "I just want to know if there are a couple of places…here. I mean, after reading such stories about Heaven when I was younger…"

Yugi glanced at Yami. If he was going to ask them to show him the Prince's rooms or anywhere important, it would probably be a waste of time. Ryou and Jounouchi were no where near a high rank and would probably not even know what to picture in their minds to bring themselves there. But Yami would know that already, he wasn't ignorant nor stupid. Then…what few places did Yami have in mind?

Ryou stared at Yami with unreadable eyes before nodding.

"Which ones did you have in mind?"

"The Gates of Heaven, a quiet garden, and anywhere with a lot of trees," Yami named without hesitation. "I would like to see all three now, if you don't mind."

"Yeah, we can do that," Jounouchi said more joyously as he stepped out of his "hiding place". "The only problem is the quiet garden, thing. All the gardens I know are really crowded and noisy. Except for the meditative one but that one's just creepy. You can't make a sound without feeling guilty."

"There is one," Ryou said, "but it was created for…special guests."

"The Higher?" Yami asked with a raised eyebrow.

Ryou shifted his eyes slightly, licking his lips nervously.

"The Lower."

"What? Heaven has a caste system?" Jounouchi suddenly asked. "I didn't know that."

"Because it wasn't already obvious when you compared the angels with the Princes," Yami growled, rolling his eyes.

"Hey," Jounouchi said defensively. "I'm new here. I've only been here for a month, okay."

"Impressive."

"You looking for a fight?" Jounouchi bristled before Ryou held up a hand.

"If you don't mind the garden having a couple of the Helpers wandering around, then it would suit your tastes. Helpers rarely go there and most of the time it's isolated. Angel's never go there…almost never," Ryou said.

Yugi perked up and slid to the side of the bed.

"Does it have trees there?" Yami asked, almost demanded and Ryou nodded while spreading out his arms.

"A couple of big trees but most of them are small."

"How do you know that, Ryou?" Jounouchi asked curiously and frowned suspiciously as he leaned towards Ryou, causing the angel to lean back. "It sounds like you have been to the gardens before."

"Whhaaaaa! I just said "almost never"!" Ryou shouted as he pushed Jounouchi away. "I sometimes go there because it's the best reading spot. But I don't see any angels when I go there so I'm assuming I'm one of the few that go there."

"Take me there, now," Yami said, this time it was a demand.

"Sure," Ryou said and held out a hand to Yami. "Take my hand and I'll show you the image."

Yugi watched, as Yami's hand slid from his shoulder in order to walk up to Ryou and take his hand. Although it was only to mind link each other, Yugi stared with envy.

"Do you see it?" Ryou asked.

"Yes."

"Yugi, your turn," Ryou said as he held out his hand.

The envy washed away as Yugi took Ryou's hand and closed his eyes as a picture was drawn in his mind. The garden was small and held a thin layer of grass with two or three tall trees that barely provided shade. The rest was shrubs that gathered at random places. It looked sad and almost pathetic. When his eyes opened he stared into Ryou's eyes as the angel smiled at him sadly.

"You see it too?"

"Yes," Yugi whispered and let his hand slide from Ryou's. "It looked lonely instead of peaceful."

Ryou nodded in agreement before turning to Jounouchi. Once they linked hands, the rambunctious angel's eyes immediately started to tear.

"Jounouchi," Yugi said gently as he reached for his new friend. "It…it's alright."

"The garden," Jounouchi said, "Was so pathetic looking! It was the plainest garden I've ever seen! It makes me cry to see such a pitiful looking place in Heaven!"

Yugi stared at Jounouchi before sighing. It seemed the deep emotions that were so obvious was indifferent to Jounouchi.

'Aw well. It's not really his style to be poetic,' Yugi thought as he started for the door.

The picture of the sad garden came vividly into his mind as he stepped through the door and sadly found it to become real. It was even sadder looking than the mental picture as Ryou had forgotten to add in the dead flowers and the yellowing of the grass.

"Whoa! It looks worse than the image," Jounouchi said behind him. "It makes you wonder why God or any angel hadn't fixed it up by now."

"It's probably because they don't think them worthy enough," Yami spat and Yugi had to silently agree.

"It's not that," Ryou said defensively. "This garden was given to the Helper's to have them take care of it. It is not our fault that they have been neglecting the plants. Though…it tears at me to see how they have ruined, yet, another beautiful place."

Yugi glanced back to see Yami bristling and immediately changed the subject.

"Yami, why did you want to come here?"

"I needed to make a call," Yami said, turning his eyes away from Ryou and walking past all of them towards the biggest tree in the small garden.

"A call?" Yugi asked, wondering if he heard him right. "How?"

Yami didn't answer as he placed his hand upon the tree's dry bark. With a gentle sigh, he closed his eyes and became still. Yugi watched curiously, wondering what kind of calling this was.

"Hey, Yug. What's your cousin doing?" Jounouchi asked.

"I'm…not sure," Yugi answered honestly.

Suddenly, there was a loud scream. Whipping his head around, Yugi heard footsteps striding towards the small group before the demon appeared. The demon looked irritated with his hair dripping wet and a pair of loose white pants snug around his hips. Water still stained the slim torso.

"Amet," Yugi whispered.

"It's that demon!" Jounouchi shouted.

"Oh, my," Ryou breathed nervously. "Yugi its him."

Amet ignored everyone except for Yami whose eyes did not waver from his little brothers. Yugi held his breath. From how Yami spoke about him, it seemed the demon was really, really irritated with his younger brother.

"What the fuck do you want?" Amet demanded, finally tearing his eyes away from Yami to the rest of the group before they fell on Yugi. "Oh, it's you. The little shorty."

"I'm not that short," Yugi said defensively. "Uh…I thought…you were in servitude."

Amet snorted.

"Don't worry, I am," he spat and folded his arms. "What do you want?"

"What do you mean?"

"One of you sum-," Amet was about to say when there was a slight cough and his eyes turned to face Yami's again.

Something must have passed between them as Amet immediately changed what he was about to say.

"…I though I heard one of you call me," Amet said, and Yugi noticed that his eyes avoided straying towards his brother again. "I guess I was wrong."

"Well, how about we go see the Gates of Heaven," Ryou said suddenly, glancing at Amet with fear.

"Yes, I would like to see it," Yami agreed, giving Amet one last glance before passing by him to join Ryou and Jounouchi at the door. "Yugi."

"Uh…I'm going to stay here a little longer," Yugi said and Yami's mouth tightened slightly.

"Come on, Yug. Why do you want to stay here?" Jounouchi asked, wrinkling his nose. "Nothing here."

"I know, but…it's nice and quiet."

"I'll stay with you," Jounouchi volunteered but Yami grabbed his shoulder.

"You come with us," he said quietly and gestured towards the door. "Ryou."

Ryou looked at Yugi with worry as his eyes as they flickered towards Amet.

"I hate to leave you alone with him, Yugi, but they aren't harmful when converted to a Helper," Ryou started and Yugi smiled.

"I'll be fine. Go guide Yami to the Gates of Heaven," Yugi said and Ryou reluctantly nodded.

After a brief moment, all three went through the door and were gone.

Now that he was alone, Yugi turned towards Amet…who was already walking away.

"Wait!" Yugi shouted.

"I don't want to play ask-the-demon's-twenty-questions game with you," Amet said but paused as he glanced around. "Where's the damn door I used to get here?"

"Amet, please. I wanted to…"

"My brother is here with you so what do you need me for, angel?" Amet asked harshly, glancing behind his back.

"I was hoping you could answer a curiosity of mine," Yugi murmured with embarrassment. "Have you been feeling…odd since you came here?"

"Ha! I've been feeling "odd" since I came to this hell hole," Amet snorted.

"I mean, reacting oddly."

Amet raised an eyebrow before turning, a look of interest on his face.

"Did my brother attack you?"

Yugi blushed brightly.

"Well, it's not only that…I mean sometimes he'd push me away and then he's suddenly become…uh…aggressive or something…and then," Yugi babbled.

"That's normal."

"Normal!" Yugi shouted.

"For a demon," Amet added with a smirk and turned his body to face Yugi. "You remember what I told you about kisses?"

"Demon's only kiss once for marriage."

"A kiss to a demon is like sex to a human or angel. It's sacred and not to be flaunted. However, sex to a demon is like kisses to a human or an angel."

"What?"

Yugi was in disbelief.

"You mean...you flaunt it everywhere?"

Amet shrugged.

"It's quite simple. You see someone attractive and let the "urge" take over us. It can be public, private, a short fuck, or long."

"But you said kisses-."

"Who says you have to kiss to have sex? Sure there's sucking on certain body parts but that doesn't mean you have to kiss on the lips for it," Amet explained.

"What is the "urge"?" Yugi asked curiously.

Amet rolled his eyes.

"I can't believe I'm having a sex talk with an angel," he grumbled. "God, why don't you ask Yami?"

"It's too embarrassing!" Yugi shouted, a flush creeping onto his cheeks and neck. "I can't ask him…besides, he probably won't explain it to me anyway."

"I really hate you right now," Amet sighed and sat down on the grass. "But I guess its better giving a sex lesson then spending time with the psycho Prince. I think he's suffering from that human mental illness…what was it called for the split personality thing…?"

"How did you escape him?"

"I didn't. After he forced me into a bath, he told me to stay put in the garden until he needed me. Once I stepped into the place I hear a fucking annoying voice calling my name loudly in my ears. Stupid brother."

"How was he able to call you?"

Amet became quiet and his eyes fell upon the big tree that Yami had touched briefly. For a moment, his eyes softened as they stared upon it.

"You know that there are four elements in the world."

Yugi nodded.

"Every person is born with one of them. A sort of connection to that one element," Amet said quietly and his eyes misted slightly. "When I was born, it was under a maple tree with its leaves still bright green and yellow from spring. The tree shaded me and whispered lullaby's that would always lull me to sleep. The forest was more of a home to me then the tents that my people lived in."

With a shuddering sigh, Amet pulled himself out of his dream and his face grew hard again as he turned to look at Yugi.

"My brother can call me through any tree that he can find. It doesn't require magic, just a voice and a tree."

"Can you call Yami with an element?"

"Yes, but I'm not sticking my hands in a fire pit for him."

Yugi couldn't help but smile. Fire seemed the perfect element for Yami.

"Right, what was it you were asking again?"

"Huh? Oh, what's the "urge" you were talking about?"

"The "urge" is just a name. What it is, is when a demon falls into lust. It's quite easy to fall into and once it takes hold of a demon, it's hard to come out until their sexual pleasure is exercised," Amet said, and glanced at Yugi who was flushed from all the crude talk of the demon. "That's probably why Yami's trying to push you away right now. Since you're not a demon, he knows that sex is not something you'd be willing to do easily and so tries to refrain from the "urge"."

"…You said that demon's have…uh…sex frequently."

"Pretty much," Amet said.

"Have you?"

"Slept with anyone?" Amet finished. "Of course, I am a young demon after all."

"Has Yami?"

The question formed a deep pit in Yugi's stomach at the thought of Yami sleeping with anybody.

"No."

Yugi looked up in surprise.

"But you said demons-."

"Yami's weird. He was too busy honing his fighting skills when we were alive and in Hell he was too busy being a General to think about sex. I've never seen him or heard of him getting an "urge" before."

"Oh," Yugi said and shyly looked up at Amet.

"What now?"

"Does it hurt?"

"Satan's Hell," Amet hissed. "I'm not going to end up giving you a whole lesson in how to have sex am I?"

"No…no…it's just that…I want to please Yami but I've never done it before. I'm scared."

"Of course, because sex is considered sacred to you races."

"Weren't you scared when you first did it?"

For the first time, Yugi saw Amet's face grow red. A deep red flush ran down his face and down his neck all the way to his upper chest.

"That…that is none of your business!" Amet shouted. "How did the focus come on to me? I don't want to fuck my brother, you do."

Amet was always so crude.

"Does it, Amet?" Yugi asked again.

"For Satan's sake," Amet muttered and his flush brightened. "Yes, it does but that's not the point!"

Yugi nodded slowly and he could hear Amet taking in a deep breath.

"Look, shorty. Angels and demons are different. They have been different since the dawn of time. But…don't feel pressured to do something you don't want to do."

"Okay…thank you."

Amet's hard features softened until he didn't look as old but much younger; maybe the face of a sixteen or fifteen year old.

"At first I thought you corrupted my brother, but maybe that innocent demeanor of yours will be good for him. Although you're annoying as hell with your insistent questions," Amet said. "When does my brother plan to leave with you?"

"You're coming with us too."

Amet's face had a hopeful look. It was the look of a younger brother who just heard that his older brother cared about him. But it disappeared quickly as he shook his head.

"No, I'm…going to stay here."

"There is nothing for you here, Amet," Yugi protested.

"There is even less for me on Earth and in Hell. I can not come in contact with a single demon when outside of Heaven's Gates if I am to live. And…how I am loath to say this…but I am also bonded here."

"I remember," Yugi said quietly. "Is he horrible to you?"

"No, he's confusing," Amet said with a frown. "One moment he is a ruthless Prince and the next he's affectionate. Personally, I prefer the ruthless Prince. I could annoy him more easily. When he's affectionate it catches me off guard."

"…Are demons not used to affection?"

Amet's features hardened slightly as he stared at nothing.

"Not the kind the bastard gives me."

Yugi stared up at Amet and noticed his eyes were softening. It was a look Yugi had never seen on his face and it oddly suited him more then the demon's usual scowl.

"You shouldn't get to comfortable around me," Amet suddenly said. "Yami will get jealous."

"Amet, can we be friends?"

"What?"

"Can we be friends?"

Amet snorted.

"It seems I don't have a choice do I? Whether we become "friends" or not, you're still going to seek me out asking these questions of yours," Amet said but there was no malice or sarcasm in his voice. Only humor.

Yugi smiled and slowly Amet smiled back. Not a sarcastic or half smile but a real one.

:I:

Yami stared up at the golden gate that looked to rise about one hundred and fifty feet. From the look of it, the frail bars that made up the gate looked like they could easily be broken with just a tape of a finger.

"How does it open?" Yami asked, trying to make it sound like a curious question of a mortal.

"The Gate Keeper regulates it," Ryou explained. "She is also the one who places the barrier to neutralize demonic power."

"…How can I meet this Gate Keeper of yours?" Yami asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You can't. She only comes in contact with the Seven Princes."

"Not anybody else?" Yami asked with a snort.

"Well, why would angels want to leave here in the first place?" Jounouchi asked as he stared up where the gate ended. "Nobody who isn't part of the warriors has ever wanted to leave. It's a cool luxury here."

"Oh, I'll bet," Yami hissed darkly under his breath and touched the bars.

They were cool and surprisingly safe to touch. Or it could be because he was now human that the magic didn't affect him.

"Is there a way I can meet her without having to ask the Seven Princes?" Yami asked.

"Not that I am aware of," Ryou said with a slight frown. "Usually the request is made to Prince Delios."

'Like hell I'm "requesting" anything from the twit,' Yami thought and turned to face the two angels. "Thank you, I've seen enough."

"That's it?" Jounouchi asked. "Don't you want to at least hear the history of how the gate was made?"

"No."

"Alright then," Jounouchi said quickly as he cringed slightly from Yami's cold, irritated stare. "Uh…let's go back and grab Yug. Then we can all go catch-."

"I need both of you to stay here for a moment," Yami said, cutting the angel off. "There is something I need to discuss with my cousin privately. Once I'm done I'll return here."

"Do we have to stay here?" Jounouchi asked and glanced around. "This place is pretty drab and there isn't much to do while we wait-."

"Stay!"

"Jeez, you don't have to shout."

"I'll keep us occupied with a history lesson, Jounouchi," Ryou said with a smile.

"You call that entertaining?" Jounouchi asked.

"Have you heard the story of the Sky and Earth people?"

"What's that?"

"In the beginning of time-."

Yami passed the two angels. He didn't need to hear the story; he'd already heard it many times as a child and he would not be able to restrain himself from snapping if he heard the angels twisted version of it.

The demon went through the doorway and stepped back into the garden. He'd been lucky that there was a spot in Heaven that was not only isolated from the angels but held trees. To his greater luck, there had been a adequately large one, which made the connection to his brother stronger and brought pleasant results when his idiot brother appeared immediately.

Yugi and Amet were sitting on the grass where he had last left them and Amet glanced behind his shoulder.

"That was quick," he commented.

"Little brother, this is where you redeem yourself," Yami said as he came towards them.

Amet raised an eyebrow as he slowly stood up.

"What?"

"Little brother," Yami purred and slipped an arm around Amet's shoulders. "You are going to seduce Gabriel."

"What!?" Amet shouted and Yami felt a bit of pleasure of the horror in his brother's face. "Are you fucking crazy?"

"It shouldn't be hard for you. Just flaunt yourself a little and then ask him for a favor. If you have him twined around your fingers tightly enough, we can all be free in three days."

"…Why do I have to seduce him?" Amet demanded.

"Look, the only way to open that gate is to have the Gate lady open it. Unfortunately, only the Seven Princes are able to keep in contact with her."

"So you want me to seduce the psycho Prince to talk to the lady and open up the gate."

"Yes."

"What do I get out of it?"

"Were you not listening?" Yami scowled. "We'll be free in three days."

"I'm not going with you."

An unexpected feeling overcame Yami and he stared at Amet.

"What do you mean you're not coming with us?"

"I'm not going with you," Amet said more slowly with a defiant look on his face.

Anger swelled within Yami and he grabbed his brother by the shoulders.

"What the fuck do you mean by that? I am not going to let you stay here and be treated like a slave by those fucking beasts!" Yami shouted before his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Or do you secretly like servitude with the Prince?"

"Yami, stop," came a voice and a gentle touch brushed against his wrist.

Immediately, his grip relaxed and his brother wiggled from his grasp.

"Amet…has his reasons for staying," Yugi said quietly and glanced at Amet sympathetically.

Yami didn't like how there was a secret between the two and it frustrated him that he was out of the loop. Turning on his little brother again, this time planning to shake the confession out of the little squeaker, Yami reached out to grab him but Amet's look stopped him. For the longest time, Amet had always had a scowl plastered on his face. Now, it was gone and replaced with a soft, pleading look.

"Brother, please, just understand and respect my decision," Amet said quietly and turned his back on him. "Look, I'll do you the favor and get the gate open for you guys, but in return tell father that I died. Don't let him know that I'm alive in this place."

"Amet," Yugi called out but Amet already disappeared behind the bushes.

"That little…," Yami spluttered and strode forward to follow but Yugi grabbed his sleeve to stop him. "What?"

"Yami, understand-."

"How can I understand anything if nothing is being told to me?" Yami snapped.

Yugi's eyes dropped and his fingers played with Yami's sleeve. Falling to one knee, Yami took Yugi's hands in his own and squeezed the gently.

"I'm sorry, I'm not angry with you," he said and Yugi kissed his forehead.

"Yami, please, just trust your brother. He has his reasons for staying," Yugi said.

Yami nodded but deep inside he refused to believe this was what his brother really wanted. He had a deep suspicion that Gabriel had something to do with it but he let it go for now.

Looking deep in Yugi's eyes, Yami's couldn't help but stray down the young angel's smooth cheeks. The tips of black hair brushed a fine thin neck, and skin was exposed where the collar of the shirt failed to hide. Leaning forward, Yami enveloped the skin with his mouth and sucked gently, kneading the flesh with his tongue. Yugi gasped and there was a low moan as Yami's hands traveled up the boy's shirt. The skin was smooth and he let his hands rise up to the boy's shoulders before sliding down to the boy's hips.

The "urge" was starting to overwhelm his senses. He tried to stop but the skin felt so good under his fingers and the boys moans urged him on.

"Yami, that feels good."

The angel's words snapped the rest of Yami's restraint as his sex-drunk made one simple connection. If the boy wanted it, he'd get it.

He scooped the boy into his arms and felt desire rise from Yugi's flushed face. The boy panted as his arms were tightly wrapped around Yami's neck and he twisted slightly so that his small body was pressed tightly against the demons.

"Let's find somewhere more comfortable," Yami purred as his hand slipped under the boy's waist band to feel the warmth of a thigh.

"What…what about Ryou and Jounouchi? Where are they by the way?" Yugi asked before Yami cut him off as he started to nuzzle his neck while the demons hand moved to the boy's rear. "Yipe!"

"Truly, I really don't give a damn," Yami whispered in the boy's ear.