Bows of Promise

Chapter Fourteen

Yami woke up the next day the same way he did the day before it. To cold, crisp winter light filtering through semi-open curtains and to an empty coolness beside him. He blinked in confusion for a second, reaching for the cold spot beside him and even though it was a familiar action, a familiar sensation, in the post-sleep grogginess, he knew that something was missing.

A few milliseconds later and he realized all the ways today morning was different from yesterday.

He could hear someone moving outside, tinkering around with his coffee machine. There was a brief moment of panic until all of yesterday's memories came tumbling to the forefront of his mind. He blinked a few times, turning from where he was lying half on his back so he could lie on his side and stare at the spot beside him for a few more seconds, flushing furiously when he saw the condom wrappers scattered around. They had gotten rid of the used condoms but forgot all about their wrappers. There was one that was still balanced precariously on the edge of the bed next to the pillow, glinting lightly in the weak glow and he knew that there were more on the floor next to the bed.

He closed his eyes, curling up in bed tighter around himself, pulling his knees up slightly and pulling the covers closer to him. There was a satisfying ache in his nether regions and he could feel the strained adductors on the insides of his thighs burning lightly and he knew he was going to feel the twinge for a while when he walked. It had been years since he last felt this sated and he smiled just a little.

He opened his eyes when he felt Seto walking into the room. He stayed silent, watching as the brunet set the tray he was carrying, with two cups of coffee as well as a plate with two apples and two tangerines on it.

Yami feasted his eyes on the sight Seto presented. Apparently, he had dug out the scrubs' bottoms, putting them on and wandering around Yami's house wearing them, his perfect chest, abs, back and arms all on display. He did not even try to hide the way he was openly staring appreciatively eyeing the smooth, fluent moves of muscles under planes over planes of alabaster-like skin, tinged with a delightful rosy-pink at the joints. It made him want to place his lips on each and every spot of it and worship it for all eternity.

"Well…hello there…" Seto spoke when he turned and saw his eyes open and fixed upon him. Yami lazily dragged his eyes up, appreciatively eyeing the marks he left on the gloriously beautiful neck, to meet blue ones, their owner greeting, "Good morning."

"It's not just good… great from where I am looking," Yami replied. He was aware of the cheesiness of the line and was about to giggle and apologize for it when he noticed with a rush of pleasure in the pit of his stomach and some vague area behind his sternum that Seto's cheeks flushed lightly and his hair fell into his eyes when he dropped his head slightly at the compliment that turned out to be not so tacky after all.

"C'mon…I brought you fruit for breakfast…" Seto tried evading the embarrassment by changing the subject.

Yami pushed himself upright. "You make a very good housewife, Kaiba. I might be tempted to keep you after all."

"Hardly… I don't know how to use a knife…"

"And you call yourself a surgeon?" Yami admonished, leaning back against the pillows, turning sideways slightly to continue watching Seto as he sipped at his coffee and dragged the tray closer. Yami could see that he brought a knife with the fruits and realization dawned on him. "You really couldn't cut the fruit?" he asked incredulously.

Seto shrugged.

"You aristocratic little brat," Yami said, chuckling lightly while reaching for an apple and the knife. He crossed his legs, letting the covers pool down to his hips while he propped his elbows on his bent knees, expertly cutting up the fruit into quarters. Seto leaned back on his free arm, the other one raising the cup to his lips as he sat on the edge of the bed. Yami could feel his eyes on him watching his every move. He smiled and looked up, pushing two of the pieces of apple at him, asking, "What?"

"What made you think I wouldn't be interested in you physically?"

He paused for a second.

It was his turn to shrug. He tried to be smooth, unfazed. He shouldn't be fazed, theoretically. They were adults, they were having a conversation. There was no need to feel uneasy. But he knew that it wasn't really unease that made his stomach flutter and his heart race. It was the fact that Seto so easily asked the question. Fearlessly, not tiptoeing around him with useless small-talk. The part of him that puzzled over why Seto was so different from the others came to another realization. Seto didn't coddle him. Didn't treat him like a delicate little flower. If he wanted to ask something, he did. If he needed answers, he sought them out. He wanted to kiss him, he did it regardless of the time and place.

He was the type Yami best loved to deal with. Straightforward. No beating around the bushes.

He owed him to be straightforward as well.

"In case you haven't noticed or looked into a mirror recently, you look like you've just been photoshopped; touched up, airbrushed and ready to be slapped in the face of commoners like me on the cover of a fashion magazine," he explained, placing the tip of the fruit into his mouth and nibbling on it. He chewed while holding Seto's appreciative gaze –which he didn't understand, to be very honest with himself—then added once he swallowed, looking down at his sheets for a while, "And here I am. Plain old me, with bags under my weird-colored eyes and tired, boring skin with scars all over it and looking years older than my actual age. Not to mention that I might grow a second head before trying to have abs like yours…"

He dissolved into nervous giggles, once again raising the apple to his lips while looking up to see Seto's reaction to his words.

He froze.

The look in the blue eyes couldn't be described as anything other than predator-like. He kept the fruit at his lips while trying not to move much; perhaps as a protective mechanism, trying not to attract more attention from the feral-looking creature suddenly seated across him, especially with the blood he felt rushing down towards his nether areas. The heat of the blue eyes was physical. It made his skin tingle and frankly turned him on. He didn't think he had it in him anymore at this age to get hard at a single glance.

Seto was stretching, placing the mug on the nightstand. But instead of sitting back where he was, he leaned over, closer to him. Yami blinked, unable to move suddenly for entirely different reasons as Seto's hand covered his which held his fruit-breakfast and lowered it slightly.

And with the rays of the morning drifting in through the curtains, Seto kissed him, the sun shining off his brown hair, giving it a halo-like appearance. Yami smiled into the soft lips, his other hand rising to touch the soft feather-like, shining brown hair gently. He tasted coffee on Seto's lips. Bitter, strong…addictive.

His eyes closed and he forgot whatever he had been saying, even forgot the slice of apple in his hand and let himself surrender to the now-familiar lips massaging his own. There was no duel for dominance between their tongues, there was no push or probe to open their mouths…no, it was just the soft movement of their mouths together in this most intimate of acts. Comforting, soothing…

Yami couldn't get enough.

It seemed like an eternity, until Seto moved back slightly, breaking their contact. Yami could feel the pink lips spreading in a smile as he placed a little kiss on their corner.

He opened his eyes, feasting on the beautiful sight Seto made with his form breaking the sun's rays. He smiled back as the brunet moved to his previous position after picking up his coffee once more.

"What a load of nonsense, Yami…" he remarked. Yami took a few seconds to comprehend what he had been talking about. As realization dawned on him, Seto was speaking once again, "Comparing us is hardly a logical thing to do. And do not call yourself plain. You are very interesting."

He wasn't trying to use more words than necessary. He wasn't trying to impress or force an idea. He didn't feel the need, obviously.

"Perhaps…" Yami shrugged, remembering his breakfast and raising it to nibble on it once again, this time taking a proper bite and trying to diffuse the subject. He didn't like apples when they turned yellow.

"No… not perhaps," Seto shook his head. Yami sighed. He was sure Seto was about to launch into a tirade of how inner beauty was important or something of that sort since his attempt to convince him with simple statements wouldn't work. He didn't get time to say anything, however when Seto spoke again. "I know what you're thinking. You think I will make some stupid comment about beauty lying on the inside or whatever shit underdeveloped, sick people use to subtly insult others."

Once again, the fact that Seto could read him as easily as an open book made Yami forget about the apple again. He gaped open mouthed at Seto.

"I find you exciting. There's nothing about you that is plain. Not your so-called boring skin, not your scars. Every detail, every wrinkle or dark spot that you might think somehow should be used as a reason to make you think so badly of yourself actually makes you very, very interesting," Seto told him. "Is this what was going to ruin last night for us?"

There was a hint of exasperation in the blue eyes.

Yami couldn't deny it. He flushed lightly, cursing the fact that he was topless at the moment, the ease with which Seto detected his blush patterns increasing even more with more of his skin exposed to the blue eyes. He busied himself with placing the rest of his apple in his mouth especially as he heard the groan Seto let out at his non-verbal yes he provided for his question.

"You're an idiot, do you know that?"

Yami rolled his eyes.

"You can roll your pretty red eyes all day at me, Motou," Seto admonished. Yami made a face at him, reaching for the second slice of apple and keeping silent about the way Seto sounded like Yugi all of a sudden. He wondered if the two had been in contact at all. It was difficult to think that they weren't. "Stop being an ass to yourself, Yami."

"Do you realize that you've started using my expressions lately?" Yami grinned up at him. He hoped Seto took the bait and changed the subject. Or even if he didn't take the bait… he just hoped they stopped discussing this topic. It made him uncomfortable and he just didn't know how to respond.

To his relief, Seto was enough of a gentleman to stare hard at him for a few moments, then looking away towards his coffee. there was a few seconds of silence, then he said, "Yes… Jou's made sure to giggle like an idiot about it for a while."

"You two are close friends," Yami observed, popping the rest of his second slice of apple into his mouth and reaching for a tangerine, easily digging into the skin and starting to peel it. He was amused to see Seto watching him with admiration, as if he was performing a delicate procedure not something basic like peeling a citrus fruit.

"We haven't always been friends," Seto told him.

He raised an eyebrow in surprise, quickly removing the fuzzy white pith surrounding the red-orange-colored tangerine.

Seto's admiration at his citrus-peeling skills was rising by the second. Yami wanted to laugh at him, but tried hard not to. Especially as he was more interested in what the brunet was saying next.

"I used to make fun of him. Called him a mutt whenever I saw him…" Seto shrugged, finally taking his eyes off Yami's fingers peeling the rest of their breakfast.

"Why?"

"Because I felt like it," Seto explained simply and Yami laughed, handing him half of the tangerine.

"Kaiba, that's not an excuse," Yami pointed out.

"Of course it is…" Seto told him, taking one of the segments of the fruit and eating it. "It was funny, too. Until of course, I graduated and he became my boss. That was a bit problematic, to be very honest with you." Yami chuckled. "I was lucky, though…he wasn't planning on giving me hell for it."

"He's a really nice guy, Jou…" Yami agreed. He didn't think their blond superior was the type to harass people just because he felt like it.

"It's Mai…" Seto commented. Yami looked at him questioningly so he explained, "He wasn't always nice, Jou. Mai is why he is so nice now. He was actually somewhat of a bully in high school, from what I've heard of him. I don't know if that is one of Domino's rumors but there is a general consensus that he wasn't this pleasant before. She came along and he changed. They've been together for over ten years now. They are Domino's power couple, so to speak."

Yami smiled slightly, picking up his coffee and having a sip from it. His smile widened at the perfectly smooth, almost cream-like foam and the sugar added exactly as he liked. Either Yugi had betrayed how many sugars he liked with his latte to Seto and Rafael day before yesterday, or Seto really was very attentive. It was a perfect cup of coffee.

"He's been complaining about heading the department… he said he didn't know it would make him so busy," Seto continued, trying to be subtle about the fact that he had been waiting to make sure Yami liked the coffee. Yami courteously let it go without commenting. "He wanted to quit. Said he needed to be there for Mai more, but she insisted he took the position and I told him I'd cover his shifts if he needed to take days off. I am glad he the intra-department elections are coming up soon. He will have considerably less duties then and he can be there more for Mai's appointments and such."

Yami stared questioningly at him. "I wanted to ask about that…" he hesitantly said. Seto looked up at him so he added, "He keeps taking days off for Mai's physical therapy…you said she was at the hospital for a while. I don't want to pry if it's private, but I want to know. Is she alright?"

Seto remained silent for a few moments.

"She's alright…now," he said. He took another sip from his coffee. "Right before she and Jou got married about five or six years ago…just a month before the wedding, she got into a car accident," Yami raised an eyebrow again. Seto clucked his tongue softly, cringing slightly, "A very serious accident. She was run over while crossing the street by a speeding car. She broke her ribs, cracked three of her lumbar vertebrae and fractured her pelvis and the neck of her femur. Not to mention the internal damage. She lost one of her kidneys and the broken femur ruined her uterus beyond repair."

Yami's hand had risen to cover his mouth, which fell open in shock at what Seto was saying.

"Yes… yes, it was a really huge thing. Not the 'she broke her leg' kind of accident. No, she arrested several times in the ER, on the table and in the ICU which she spent…a week or something in. It was a mess… a complete mess. If she had died…" he shook his head, pausing for a moment and sighing, "If she had died, Jou would have followed. I am not being sentimental or cheesy. I mean it. He was heartbroken, worried; he never slept and when he did it was outside the ICU, on the floor or outside her OR. He didn't eat, he didn't speak to anyone. We thought he was going to die before her."

"Shit, I didn't think it was something that serious," Yami said.

"It was very serious," Seto told him, draining the rest of his coffee and placing his mug on the nightstand. "Thankfully, she started getting better. She is a fighter, Mai. She loves challenges and when everyone doubted she would make it, I think she did it just to prove us wrong."

"What happened then?"

"As I said…she got better. Slowly…but she got better. Needless to say, the wedding was postponed."

"Naturally," Yami dryly commented.

He leaned back against the pillows, propping his back against the headboard and waiting for Seto to continue talking. The brunet shifted, grabbing the tray and placing it on the nightstand as well.

"It took her two weeks to wake up completely and have a proper conversation," he was saying as he lay down, placing his head in Yami's lap. Immediately, Yami's hand snaked into his hair, savoring the sensation of the soft locks slipping through his fingers. "First thing she told him when she was able to form proper sentences and hold a coherent conversation was that she wanted to break up with him."

"What?" Yami blankly asked.

"Yes. She was very rude and horrible about it also. Jou left her room looking his worst since the whole thing started. I told him to go shower and sleep. Eat something…and eventually he would figure out what to do. I think he was too tired to do anything else. He did just that and came back the next day with her favorite flowers and flat out refused to leave her."

"What did she have to say about it?"

Seto shrugged. "I am not aware of the exact conversation they had. It seemed that Jou knew that she was pushing him away because she thought she would bring him down or something equally idiotic. He was having none of it. He stuck beside her until she got better. In a way, Jou was proving everyone wrong as well. The issue with the internal damage she received would have driven anyone away. Jou wanted kids. So did she. But after that accident, it was impossible. Not to mention that the therapy months that followed, the frustration of everything related to it would have been enough to tear any two people apart. But they pulled through. They got married a year and a half after the original date they set for the wedding. They didn't earn the title of Domino's power couple out of nothing."

Yami leaned his head back against the headboard, staring out at the cold light coming in from the window. He had a thoughtful look in his eyes. "I didn't think it was something like that at all. I thought it was something more recent, less serious."

"She still has physical therapy sessions. Biweekly. For the total-hip replacement she had and her weak vertebrae. Not to mention all the other regular checkups that Jou religiously takes her to." Seto was saying.

Yami looked back down at him, watching attentively the tiny details on the handsome features. The sharp nose, the defined jaw line and cheekbones, the way his lashes and eyebrows were just a few shades darker than the soft chocolate-like brown hair. He allowed his hand to subtly slide over Seto's forehead, pushing back the bangs that usually covered it and enjoying the new, unfamiliar sight that he had seen yesterday after being in the rain and now couldn't get enough of.

"I'm glad he is getting more time off soon," Seto was saying and Yami's eyes were drawn to his lips.

"When are these 'elections' being held?" he asked.

"After the annual trauma surgery conference in Tokyo a month from now," Seto told him, looking up and meeting his eyes. Yami blinked, then smiled. "We'll go together."

"You assume too much, Dr. Kaiba," Yami teased. He leaned down, dropping a quick peck onto Seto's soft lips. "Perhaps I don't want to go with you."

"We'll go together," Seto repeated with a smile. "Maybe share a room?"

"Nah…I'd rather take a hotel room by myself. See if I can pick up some pretty face from the hotel or a nearby club… have a bit of fun," he teased.

At his words, Seto got up. Yami watched the way he easily lifted himself, his abdominals contracting powerfully, easily…smoothly pulling his upper body off the bed where he was lying down. He looked delectable and Yami wanted nothing more than to latch his mouth onto the skin-covered hills and planes of muscles, worshipping each rise and fall of it thoroughly. He was distracted from watching the splendid sight by Seto's fingers hooking beneath his mouth, tilting his head up. He allowed the brunet to then take the cup of coffee, still half-finished, and place it next to his empty one on the nightstand. He kept his head tilted up and smiled mischievously at the fire burning in the blue orbs.

"You can forget all about that now, Yami… I am not letting anyone else have you," Seto told him in low tones, his hand rising to rest on the headboard beside Yami's head, holding his weight up.

Yami gave it a fleeting glance, noting with mild surprise how the little details of the nooks and crannies of it pleased him to no end, before looking up again at Seto, his smile widening and betraying nothing of the thrilled racing of his heart at the way he was trapped deliciously the way he was. He raised the hand on the other side of Seto's, tracing his finger up the length of his arm lightly. He could see the blue in Seto's eyes turning into thin rims as his pupils widened with pleasure. The smirk was still on his face as his finger traveled up the beloved neck, lingering on the hickey he left there yesterday, before settling beneath Seto's chin much like he did with him just seconds ago.

"Don't worry," he whispered. He leaned closer, letting out a small breath, enjoying the way it hit Seto's soft lips and the rush of air returned back to his own. "I don't really want anyone else. Now enough talk. We have two more days off and I plan to spend them well."

It came as no surprise when Seto simply fell back into the pattern of annoying him at work. Yami didn't know if he was disappointed or relieved. He didn't think work could ever be the same if Seto stopped flirting at the most inappropriate times, or bickering with Rafael with him as the main subject of conflict. Most of the time he ignored him. Sometimes, he could retaliate with a cheeky reply. Other times, he would respond with admonishment. Rarely, though, he needed to repeat the scolding he gave the brunet and Rafael in the OR like before. He couldn't find it within him to be mad at Seto no matter how ridiculous he got.

They had returned to work, fell into a pattern. When Seto found out he was shouldering Honda's shifts until Ryuji recovered, he told him he would help him. between both of them and the rest of the residents, each had only an extra eight hours every three days. They took their shifts, finished the surgery lists in record time, clinic hours were bravely faced. Within a week after the fiasco with Anzu's attacker, Honda returned to work and their hours were back to normal.

Ryuji returned another week after that. He was all smiles and cheeky cheer. Normal, in every sense, Yami was grateful to see. He complimented his and Seto's work, thanking them for a nearly invisible scar that would require just a few months' use of a gold-containing anti-scarring cream or one or two dermabrasion sessions if he wanted to get rid of it. Honda had muttered something under his breath while Ryuji spoke, to which the dark-haired ER resident blushed, stammered a little and hurried away to continue his shift. Yami and Seto had both politely not commented on it, each continuing their work as if nothing happened.

Yugi had brought Anzu with him when he and Yami went out for lunch on one of his days off. Yami had been watching from the inside of the restaurant when the two arrived holding hands. Before entering, they let go of each other and Yami pretended to be looking at his phone. If his brother wasn't going to tell him about his and Anzu's relationship, then he wouldn't ask. Yugi was smitten, Yami noted, not missing the way his brother looked at the young woman beside him. for good reason, too. Anzu was smart, courteous. She looked better, happier with a glimmer in her blue eyes and a rosy tint to her cheeks. She was intriguing in her own way. Maybe it was the ballerina in her, but she had a certain warmth around her that Yami wasn't about to miss. It was all covered with a strength in a combination that it wasn't such a surprise that Yugi was so infatuated by her.

He had smiled at the pair, asking politely after Anzu's health, noting happily that the bruising had all but faded, the stitches were out. After a quick, non-intrusive inquiry about the proceedings of the case against her attacker, he closed the subject, taking it to non-triggering topics.

He knew too well how awful it felt when people wanted to talk about something he'd rather forget all about.

It was karma, he supposed, that Seto didn't probe the subject of his disastrous relationship with Bakura again. The subject was never brought up again. Yami was alright with that. In fact, he preferred it that way. In a way, he was grateful for Seto asking him about it. He was grateful that he forced himself to trust the brunet enough to answer. The weight of it seemed…lighter, somehow. Easier to deal with. They were past the delicate stage of keeping secrets, now.

Everything fell into such…ease. Yami was breathless with it all.

The easy conversations, the smooth way they fit into one another's schedules. The simplicity that came with years of being together was present from the very beginning with them. There was no need for the tiptoeing that came with new relationships. No awkwardness. It was a rush of fresh air after years of stagnation and Yami couldn't get enough of it.

Another thing he couldn't get enough of was the sex.

He had many lovers. Men and women. No one matched Seto, no one even came close. Sex was always something he enjoyed but with Seto…? It went far, far beyond that.

There was something about the brunet that made turning him into a shivering, moaning, incoherent mess a goal that Yami strove with all his might to achieve. There was something intoxicating about the way the milk-colored skin turned red, the flush spreading all over the bridge of the sharp nose, all over the well-defined cheeks. The way the blue eyes got heavy-lidded, the brown hair falling into them and getting plastered with sweat onto his temples… it was a drug that Yami didn't think he could ever get enough of.

He was endlessly amused to see the frustration with which Seto pointed out the fact that his caramel-colored skin was too resilient, no matter how hard he tried to mark it. Yami took even more pleasure leaving his mark on his neck. Just to tick him off a little. It was an added bonus that he had a strange fixation on Seto's neck…and the fact that with enough attention to it, Seto was left a moaning mess, hard and dripping under his ministrations.

It was apparent that Seto, too, took it as a personal challenge to get him to lose control as many times during sex as he could. It wasn't that he had faked sensations during sex before, no. He was just more in control of himself. Regardless of his position, on top, on the bottom, giving or receiving… it didn't matter. Usually he was very composed. He had reduced lovers to tears from onslaught of sensation, ripped screams from a couple of throats. But he could honestly admit that he had never had it done to him before. He flushed a dark rosy-brown whenever he recalled that one time they had been in bed and Seto had teased him so thoroughly that when he finally reached his climax, he had lost awareness of everything around him and came to with Seto kissing him awake. He had passed out from the intensity of the sensations and Seto wouldn't stop being smug about it.

Yes…going to bed with Seto was an entirely new experience to him that he never wanted to end.

It made preparing for that 'conference' in Tokyo all the more exciting for him.

He usually liked conferences. He liked updating his information. He enjoyed the general atmosphere, the workshops done and trying his hand at new skills and bringing the knowledge back to his patients. He enjoyed speaking with older professors to ask their opinions on management options of different cases. It was a nice break from the stress of work. The rest his eyes got from all the red they saw and his mind got from the routine of staring into the insides of other people was a reprieve he enjoyed. It wasn't that he grew bored of it, but he was honest with himself that, as surgeons, it took its toll on them. The fact that they cut up people for a living, staring for hours into someone else's abdomen or chest cavity, it was bound to have its effect on them no matter how noble their objective was.

He treated conferences as the perfect mix of business and pleasure, where he got to do his job without getting his hands dirty, as well as visiting a new place, meeting new people.

The fact that he and Seto were going together made everything more exciting.

He was never going to admit it, though. Seto couldn't shut up about how this was like some kind of doctor-version of a honeymoon. It didn't make it any easier for Yami to control his temper especially since the brunet was sharing his opinion on the matter with anyone and everyone who would listen. He made sure to make it sound exactly like that; some kind of honeymoon.

Yami was using all of his self control not to flip out on him.

He had just finished admonishing him for the millionth time for starting up the topic with Rafael during an exploration surgery by saying, "Yami and I are going on a trip together," and making it all sound like some kind of outing instead of an actual conference—which he kept swearing on everything he held dear that it really was just that. Needless to say, the entirety of the very long, very difficult surgery was spent denying lecherous assumptions made by the blond anesthesiologist –who turned out to be even more horrible than Seto, if that was possible—and telling the brunet in question to kindly shut up and stop being an inappropriate little ass. All in all, it was a nightmare.

It was why Jou shifted his hazel eyes between both of them questioningly as they walked into his office together and sat down, Yami with an irate look on his features and Seto with a smug little grin on his.

"What have you done, Kaiba?" he asked with a scowl.

"Nothing," Seto innocently said crossing his legs elegantly in the seat.

Yami rolled his eyes.

"I am not above ruining your much awaited 'trip with Yami' to Tokyo and sending Honda with him instead," Jou said with a pleasant little smile, hazel eyes narrowing mischievously.

A smile spread rapidly on Yami's previously angry face while Seto opened his mouth in shock, "You wouldn't dare!"

"Try me, Kaiba," the blond said cheekily, reaching for a few papers from the edge of his desk.

"Don't even think about it," Seto growled at him.

"Stop annoying Yami and we'll see," Jou said with an evil little grin and half a wink at Yami, who started giggling triumphantly. He shot a pleased little grin with a winning, teasing narrowing of his crimson eyes towards Seto who glared back at him. They turned back to the blond who cleared his throat to get their attention. "I've covered your schedules for the next week. Go and have a good time."

"We will don't worry," Seto replied with an evil little smile.

Jou glared at him so he shrugged and wiped it off his face half-heartedly.

"I've wanted to talk to you both about the coming intradepartmental elections," Jou spoke again. Yami raised an eyebrow questioningly, noting from the edge of his vision the way Seto looked at the edge of the desk, avoidance emanating from his body language. "Yami, I don't know how familiar you are with the process but we have elections for the heads of the departments every two years."

"Yes I heard…I don't know who is running for the position though or if I am allowed to cast a vote," Yami nodded.

"You are; you're now part of the department and you get to be part of the ballot," Jou explained. Yami nodded to show that he was following, "The ones running for the post are those who spent more than five years in the hospital and have acquired a PhD… a Professor and did not take the post before."

"Oh…" Yami said. He paused. "And who are those, currently?"

"It's Professor Crawford and this idiot right here," Jou told him, waving a hand towards Seto.

Yami blinked, oh-ed slightly in surprise and realization. Then, his features broke out into a huge smile as he turned to his lover. "Congrats," he said, genuine happiness on his features. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Seto shrugged, "We were discussing more important matters." He paused, a lecherous smile spreading on his features, "Doing more important things."

Yami shook his head, his genuine happiness for his lover not overridden by his irritation at Seto's subtle hints. "This must be such an honor!"

"It is," Jou said and Seto nodded in agreement. "It's why I wanted to talk to you, with Seto present. I understand that both of you are dating now. I also understand that you have had problems with Dr. Crawford."

Yami blinked.

"I am just going to advise you to think very carefully while choosing the head of the department," Jou told him.

There was silence for a few moments. Realization then dawned on Yami.

"I am aware that politics exist everywhere. I am just speaking to you to make sure you understand the repercussions of not thinking very wisely of your vote," Jou was saying.

"You want me to vote for Crawford?" Yami asked with a disbelieving smirk, raising an eyebrow.

Jou raised his hand, "I don't want you to do anything, Yami. I am irrelevant in this entire equation. I am just here to warn you, because surely, everyone will assume you will be voting for Seto, even if you don't vote for him and regardless of who deserves the position more."

Yami stayed silent, a thoughtful look on his features. The silence stretched for a while as he thought of the situation at hand.

"Look," Jou said, breaking the silence. Yami looked up at him. "I am not starting this conversation to stress you out or push you into one decision instead of another. You can do whatever you want. I am just telling you as a friend what the situation will look like. This is just a friendly discussion and I wanted it to be with both of you present. Seto is already suffering from rumors that have no true basis for years now. Domino is like any other tiny city in the world. People talk. I don't want you to be a victim of such rumors. And let me be honest. Seto deserves this more than Pegasus. But his position will always be tainted with the fact that you're both dating no matter how much he deserves it."

Yami nodded, "I understand."

He took a glance at Seto to find him watching him intently. He blinked and turned his gaze back to Jou.

"Usually, these things were given to the person who is older back in Egypt, because they've obtained their degree first," he said. "Dr. Crawford looks older. But who is it who got their PhD first?"

Silence hung over them for a few seconds.

"In that case, it's still Seto who would get your vote," Jou told him. Yami raised an eyebrow. "Professor Crawford's degree was…delayed. Seto obtained his degree two years before him."

"Look… I can just disqualify my vote, can't I?" Yami groaned out.

"That is an option, of course," Jou told him. "The better option, in my opinion, is to not show up at all on that day, Yami. If you want to avoid problems and wagging tongues altogether."

Yami sat back in his chair. "Look… when are these elections taking place?"

"Three weeks from now," Jou told him.

"I will think about it until then," Yami told him with a determined look on his features.

"Please do," Jou said. He then smiled with a glint of mischief, "Until then, enjoy your 'honeymoon' with Seto."

Yami groaned as Seto chuckled evilly from beside him.

"Not you too!"

tbc…