14: The Fairy and the Devil Monarchy
"You're a regular Harry Houdini," Marik remarked in amusement, his eyes flashing with each passing streetlight as Seto's limo carried the four of them in the direction of his apartment.
In an uncharacteristic display of generosity - or stupefying euphoria from some dangerously good sex, Yuugi concluded - Seto had volunteered his penthouse for their gathering. Yuugi had immediately accepted, seizing the never-frequent-enough chance to enjoy his wealthy friend's pad.
As they rode, Seto had demanded an explanation for how they had managed to escape the police station, and though Yami obliged them with an improvised story devoid of supernatural phenomena, neither one looked satisfied. It didn't help that Seto continued to stare disapprovingly at Yuugi in hopes of wiping off the permanent smug grin plastered across his face. Meanwhile, Marik gazed at Yami across the limo with an indulgent smile, his expression communicating that he also thought otherwise.
"Indeed," Yami agreed, looking down at the other half of his alleged arsonist duo. Yuugi winked at the vampire in response, struggling to keep his grin from breaking into nervous laughter. His let his eyes trace over Yami's features, perfectly framed as they were against the city's glittering backdrop through the window.
"Why am I not surprised," Seto broke Yuugi's concentration, his expression darkening, "that you are the source of all this trouble?"
"What can I say?" Yuugi shrugged casually in response, "I'm the troublemaker your mother always warned you about. I want what I want, and if I want to leave the damn po-po in the dust-"
He broke off mid-sentence as he realized the glittering lights dancing across the buildings they passed, growing brighter and more distinct, were not in fact the pretty reflection he had at first assumed. They were actually the flames of quite a large fire.
Recognizing the surroundings outside their vehicle, Yuugi's jaw dropped in shock. And though the vampire beside him also turned to glance out the window, both Marik and Seto continued to stare at the other couple, unsurprised.
"Yami..." Yuugi started, his voice rising in apprehension as he realized what the response was probably going to be. "Just how large exactly was the fire that Malik started?"
"Evidently," Yami answered with a subtle hint of awe, "very damn large."
"Now that we're all on the same page," Seto interrupted, his impatience getting the better of him. "Let's start off with some simple questions, shall we?"
As Yuugi turned back, Seto crossed his arms and fixed a dark look at the smaller man, who was at this moment looking anywhere else but the impending doom sitting across from him. Watching the inevitable explosion build and build, Marik swallowed the chuckle that was threatening to escape, simultaneously amused and turned on as he was by his infuriated lover.
"Question number one: Who the hell is this MALIK?" Seto's voice rose as he spoke. "Number two: WHY is he suddenly HELPING you ESCAPE?"
Yuugi's eyes focused on a small piece of white lint on the floor of their limo as he internally panicked.
"AND THREE," Seto continued. "WHY THE FUCK DID HE START A FUCKING FIRE RIGHT NEXT TO MY FUCKING BUILDING?"
"Some very good questions," Yuugi told the lint as sincerely as he could.
If he himself wasn't supposed to know about Yami's vampire status, what was he supposed to do about Seto and Marik knowing? Oh shit, Yami wasn't going to have to kill them like those gangsters do in the movies, right? Goddamnit, there was way too much conflict of interest in this scenario. What the hell was he supposed to do?
Yuugi didn't know much but he definitely knew he didn't want to go into the witness protection program or move to another city where the nightlife wasn't as good and the boss wasn't as lenient-
"MY BUILDING IS NOT FUCKING FIRE-PROOF, YOU IMBECILE!" Seto exploded, pointing out the window as they passed the usually pristine Kaiba Corp. headquarters, now quite a hellish sight of orange and yellow. The first floor was almost completely engulfed in flames; so much so that Yuugi could barely see the actual building beyond them. Before the limo turned the corner, they saw firemen repel down the side of the building and smash through the windows, dragging long grey, heavy-duty hoses in after them.
"Shit," Yuugi swore and shot a look at Yami, whose features struggled to remain blank as his own internal exasperation grew. Honestly, the trouble that foreign vampire had given him.
"YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE IS SHIT? THE STATE OF MY BEAUTIFUL HEADQUARTERS!" Seto rejoined. Though he was more than a little peeved with the man, he'd long ago come to terms with the disasters that seemed to trail Yuugi.
In fact, Seto had purchased fire insurance many years ago for this very reason. Already, he was beginning to mentally fill out the scathing report he was going to be filing with his insurance. Those expensive fuckers were going to pay out the ass to refurbish the property or so help him-
"I didn't do it MYSELF, Seto!" Yuugi argued helplessly, throwing his hands in the air. "What do you want me to do about it now, piss the fire out?"
When Seto just angrily raised a fist in response, Marik moved to envelope the surprised man in an embrace and pinned his arms to his sides. Sensing his death was near, Yuugi grabbed Yami's jacket and tried to shake the immovable vampire.
"Yami, defend me here!" he pleaded, suddenly feeling unfairly put-upon. "I am NOT taking the heat for your vampire friend! It was YOUR brilliant plan!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Yuugi realized what he'd said and bit his tongue belatedly. But Yami's stoic expression never left his face and following his lead, Yuugi quickly adopted a matching one. Seto glared at the both of them.
"Vampire? Plan?" Seto questioned suspiciously. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Silence fell in the limo as no one immediately responded, all eyes shifting from one face to another as they unexpected found themselves playing poker. Seto glared expectantly at Yuugi before switching to Yami and then back again; Marik continued to hold his patient gaze on the vampire's blank face; and Yuugi focused like never before on that little piece of floor lint.
"Ah, seems like Bakura was right after all."
Marik chuckled a minute later as Seto turned to look at him in question and Yuugi frowned in confusion. Marik cleared his throat and bowed his head in Yami's direction, "...Your Majesty."
"Please, no titles," Yami finally cracked an appreciative smirk, reaching over to remove Yuugi's still-clenched fist from his jacket before curling his arm around the confused human and bringing him closer. "Seems that my knight was aware of my situation this entire time."
"Though judging by his silence, he's somewhat upset with me," Yami frowned absentmindedly. Sighing, he ruffled Yuugi's hair, "Understandably so. How shall I make it up to Bakura, Yuugi?"
"Buy him some goddamn flowers and tell him to stop being a pussy," Yuugi pouted as his bangs fell into his eyes but made no effort to fix it, comfortably nestled as he was.
"You mean Yuugi's friend Bakura?" Seto questioned the cryptic passengers in his limo, growing more irritated when no one answered him. "What the hell is going on?"
It was obviously that the young CEO did not enjoy being ignored, and tolerated being ignorant even less.
"I'll ask again one more time: What. Is. Going. On?" Seto bit out slowly, feeling an unpleasant distance between him and the other men. Somehow he was being taken for a fool, he observed. How foolish he had been to trust so quickly and easily, considering the bad company Yuugi had been known to keep!
"Come now, love," Marik answered, returning his warm gaze to Seto's carefully guarded features and reaching out to snag the other man's hand before Seto could pull away. Before Seto could form a protest, Marik pulled him forward into his lap and used his free hand to pull Seto's mouth in for a quick kiss. "Not gonna hold my hobby against me before I even have a chance to explain, are ya?"
Seto's only response was a snort to accompany the glare he directed at Marik, seeing as his lips were still tingling from the kiss and were therefore, considerably untrustworthy. What kind of aphrodisiac did this man have in his saliva anyway? Seto could already feel a slow desire for the other man stirring again, despite his self control.
"Hmm?" Marik seemed to sense this effect and smiled at Seto, dragging him in for another kiss. However, this one was slow, and commanding, and so deep that Seto felt even his toes tingle this time. And though it took an eternity for the sensations of that kiss to fade away, Seto knew it had only been a moment.
"Well." Eyes still closed in fear that he would give away the strength of his yearning, Seto sighed. "I suppose it wouldn't be fair."
Yuugi whistled in appreciation from the other side of the limo. Yami had been unable to resist the adorably perplexed look the human had given him, and lowering his lips to Yuugi's ear, he had whispered the truth about Marik's past activities.
"Couldn't be bothered to ever mention that you were into all this supernatural shit too, Marik?" Yuugi asked, feeling a little indignant. "Something short and to the point, like 'Hey Yuugi, I dabble with the monsters under your bed when I'm bored', would've been nice."
"Can't say there was ever a reason to," Marik replied, his eyes twinkling with mirth as he felt Seto's eyes bore into him in curiosity. Marik nodded toward Yami, "Besides, our prince here prefers we keep a low profile."
"Fair," Yuugi sighed as he accepted Yami's half-amused, half-apologetic expression. Then he snorted. "I guess here's why I felt so comfortable with you lot to begin with; I've been conditioned to it after all these years- Hey!
"Goddamnit, you guys," he suddenly huffed in realization. "You'd think one of you could've mentioned something to me before, seeing as I was around you lot ALL THE TIME. I mean, come on! Really?"
When neither man responded except to smirk knowingly at him, Yuugi opened his mouth to respond, but then saw Seto looking from one face to another and decided to be generous. "So I know how you guys love your secrecy and all that, but can you fill in the blanks for us humans? The dark is not a place I enjoy being unless I'm naked and in sexy company."
"Then you'll be happy to know that our destination is a clothes-free zone," Marik replied happily while Seto flashed a smirk, pleased that the other man had remembered the quip from before- though it still didn't make up for the things he didn't know.
"Tell me about this 'supernatural' business," Seto ordered, not yet willing to let Marik off the hook for lying to him, even if it was by omission. But despite his best intentions, he could already feel his desire for the other man returning, a heavy heat unfurling in his groin.
"Give us a minute to get settled at your place, darlin'," Marik promised him, "and I'll tell you everything."
In short order, the four of them had taken up space in Seto's dining room where Seto and Yuugi sat at a stunningly polished oak table with their tea, while Marik and Yami leaned against two corners of the opposite wall, arms crossed.
The relatively large room was rather simply decorated, with one wall sporting a floor-to-ceiling china cabinet while the opposite composed a massive window that opened up into a beautiful rooftop terrace. Above the table in the center of the room hung an impressive chandelier with faux candles, dimmed for their late night meeting. Their glow reflected off the inlayed dark wood floor, which was swept immaculately clean.
"So let me get this straight," Seto interrupted irritably. "Yami is the vampire prince of vampires, Bakura is his vampire muscle, Malik is a foreign vampire, Marik likes to trade with vampires, and the reason that all of this vampire nonsense started in the first place is because Yuugi didn't want to go quietly in the night when you vampires tried to kill him. Do I have it right so far?"
"Say 'vampire' again," Yuugi replied sarcastically, slowly stirring the spoon in his teacup. "How are you so calm about all this anyway?"
"Bite me," Seto retorted dismissively. "I've had crazier days at work."
"Oh really?" Yuugi fished, hoping for a story. He found himself disappointed however when the CEO chose to take a swig of his own tea instead before continuing.
"Due to a melodramatic misunderstanding on several levels, Yuugi and Yami mistakenly parted ways, Malik was mistakenly thrust into undignified servitude, Bakura was mistakenly left uninformed, and as a result, half of the city is now mistakenly ablaze, including my innocent building. Correct?"
"Say 'mistakenly' again," Yuugi taunted, sticking his tongue out in response to Seto's glare.
"Well?" Seto prompted the men until Marik, amused, nodded. "And coming off one of the most ridiculous stories of drama, doubt, and destruction I've ever heard, your plan is to...what, keep us as love pets and just live happily ever after?"
"Why not?" Yuugi protested, dropping his spoon into the cup with a rattle as he pointed a finger at Seto. "You can judge all you like, but I'm rather enjoying my new vampire fetish, thank you very much."
"Because, you idiot," Seto sighed in exasperation, massaging his temple with one hand, "the number of unanswered questions in this mess is too large to just ignore forever."
He turned to the other men and leaned back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other. "Considering the extensive tabs I keep on my own city, I'm not all that surprised that vampires actually exist. I would actually venture to say, Yami, that you and I have even worked together before."
"This just gets better," Yuugi said to himself, glancing at Marik, who looked happily entertained in his corner of the room. "First vampires, now The Shady Adventures of Kaiba Corp. What's next?"
"Of course," Seto chose to ignore Yuugi's petulance, "I was led to believe that my dealings at the time were with our city's enigmatic mob boss, who was strangely most cooperative in ridding us of some criminal nuisance. That was you, I presume?"
"Correct." In his corner, Yami raised one side of his mouth in a smile and inclined his head. "Yours truly."
"Well how about that, I have a mobster boyfriend," Yuugi murmured into his tea with a low chuckle. "To think, my grandfather would be so proud."
Yami's smile twitched into a frown at that but before he could say something, Seto continued.
"Furthermore, I'm more than happy to acknowledge that your problem with Malik is none of my business, as long as I have reassurance that no more killings will happen in this city." When he saw Yuugi's questioning look, Seto added, "I may not be politically involved here, but I'm still rather attached to the well-being of my city. Call it part of my possessive streak."
"Cute," Yuugi commented casually, taking a sip. "Anything else you wanna ask, future mayor?"
"Yes," Seto answered and looked at Yami. "There's something I'm unclear about. If your social etiquette here forbids from killing humans, why is it that you attacked Yuugi in the first place?"
A witty quip about vampire social faux-pas half-formed on his tongue, Yuugi's mind dragged to a halt. He also turned to look at the vampire. "Good fucking question."
While Yuugi waited for Yami to formulate a response, Seto chose that moment to look at the other standing man. His eyes caught Marik's as the other widened his smile. "Such a brilliant thing you are."
"How do you think I became CEO of my father's company so young?" Seto raised an eyebrow in challenge before something else came to him. "You've certainly been enjoying watching me and my reactions all night; you knew I'd figure it out."
"Sooner or later, love," Marik replied. "S'why I'm so drawn to you, after all."
A faint smile on his lips, Seto vowed to make Marik divulge a lengthy explanation about his trading business before turning his attention back to Yami.
"All you need to know is that I was performing what is required of me as prince," the vampire replied calmly. When Yuugi continued to look at him suspiciously, he added, "I apologize, but there are some things that are not for humans."
"Oh yes, us lowly humans," Yuugi rolled his eyes, reaching for the teapot next to Seto. "Just remember that this lowly human managed to escape your deadly grasp once upon a time."
"Speaking of which, is that even normal?" He looked back at Yami, who frowned as he searched for a way to phrase his answer without revealing anything. Yuugi glanced down as he poured his tea. "Not the falling off a skyscraper part; that was my bad. I mean, has anyone else ever escaped that nasty paralysis of yours?"
"Well," Yami struggled, and then settled for, "No. They haven't."
"Oh," Yuugi looked up and blinked in surprise. For a minute, he hid behind his teacup, realizing that everyone else was waiting for him to break the silence. "I guess I always knew I was fucking special."
"Indeed you are," Marik was the next to speak, an amused twinkle in his eye. "Bet that certainly busted Yami's balls. I'm surprised his pride even allowed you to live."
"You mean other people usually die? ...After they get all their blood sucked out?" Yuugi asked outright, feeling a small thrill of fear race through his body. Stubbornly, he resisted reacting to it. "Well, dying definitely wasn't the ending to the night I pictured."
"You're still nice and juicy, aren't ya?" Marik pointed out. "Relax, love. I'm sure our prince here derives much more pleasure out of your body than your blood. Though apparently you pose some difficulties for the poor man."
"Screw that, now I know you've been lying to me, Yami," Yuugi countered, crossing his arms. He looked at the vampire's motionless form against the wall with a frown. "And here I thought falling off that skyscraper was me just being clumsy. You're not just waiting to get me alone to finish me off, are you?"
"Don't be melodramatic," Seto scolded with a yawn, feeling his energy falling rapidly. How late was it at this point? He predicted himself sleeping far too long into the day already. "I assume Marik is here to share some wisdom with Yami about how to not eat you; Bakura wouldn't have broken the holy secrecy to tell him otherwise. Though for your own good, I think he probably should."
"Very funny."
With that, Seto pushed back from the table and stood, Marik's arm snaking around his waist. "However, I'm making an executive decision and pushing this heart-to-heart to tomorrow. I'm exhausted."
"Unfortunately, this vamp might disappear before morning," Yuugi drawled, remembering his earlier experience. Behind him, Yami cleared his throat.
"If I have to leave, I will be back," he told Yuugi, who pouted in response. "You only have to wait until the darkness returns."
Behind them, the other two men left the room, Seto's intent to sleep all but believable if it wasn't for Marik's hand resting possessively on his ass.
"You knew where the spare rooms are," Seto called back to them before they heard the sound of his bedroom door closing.
Yuugi then turned to Yami, seeing his expectant expression, hope flaring in the vampire's eyes that this wasn't the end of their budding relationship. So what if they had leveled a good chunk of the city trying to figure out how to understand one another, his eyes said to the human, surely that wasn't a reason to stop trying now, was it?
The human swallowed and then cleared his throat, pushing back his chair to stand up and face the motionless vampire only a few paces aware.
Or was it?
"Promise me you won't suck me dry tonight," Yuugi finally said, mind made up. He put one hand on his hip. "And I'll blow you so hard, you'll swear I was a vamp too."
Both eyebrows shooting straight up, the vampire spread his arms invitingly and the human ran eagerly into them.
"Tell me about them," murmured Seto sleepily, his nose pressed to Marik's naked chest as it rose and fell with his breathing. Both of them sprawled across the bed, only partially covered in black satin sheets as the first morning light peeked through the crack in Seto's heavy dark curtains. "Tell me what you trade."
"The vampires, you mean?" Marik replied, his voice like a purr that would have otherwise stroked Seto into a sexual frenzy if they hadn't just finished bringing each other to incredible orgasm. But even as he thought that, Seto felt a faint thrill go through him again and groaned very softly. "There isn't that much to tell, love."
"Try," Seto prompted quietly. He shivered as he felt Marik's warm hand on his back, massaging gentle circles.
"I like old things," Marik finally replied, tucking his other arm under his head. He couldn't deny that he felt completely at peace at that moment. "Luckily for me, the vampires like my collection."
"Where do you get them from?" Seto wondered, his sleep-addled mind picturing the doorman ridiculously brandishing a sword at dragons guarding an antique shop. He exhaled loudly as Marik's fingers found a particularly large knot.
"All sorts of places," Marik responded with a smile. "Contrary to popular belief, I don't spend all day as your doorman."
"Blasphemy," Seto yawned. "You're always there when I come in and when I go home. There's a good twelve hours between those times."
"That says more about your work dependency than anything else," Marik tsked. "But more to the point, who says I stay at the door anytime other than when you're there?"
"Where else would you go? Physically impossible to get too far," Seto scoffed half-heartedly. "Why appear when I'm there at all then?"
"I should think it's obvious," Marik countered, tracing one finger down the other man's spine until he shivered endearingly. "I've had my eye on you for quite a while."
Seto's breath caught as those words sank in, though he didn't dare lift his head to look at Marik. How was he supposed to react to such a declaration? After all, Seto had just barely begun to understand his own inescapable attraction to the man. He cleared his throat softly, unable to make his tired brain come up with a better response. "Oh."
Marik chuckled quietly, "And physics flies right out the window with some of the artifacts I've found. You'd be surprised how far I can go when time and space are not an issue."
Seto silently thanked Marik for not pushing him further. He just needed time, he thought. Maybe he could borrow that time-bending artifact, he wondered sleepily. And making plans to ask for it later, Seto drifted off to sleep.
Above him, Marik stroked his head for a while before he too dozed off, a smile on his lips.
Many, many miles away on the opposite edge of the city, a well-fed but worn Malik stood in front of Bakura, slightly uncomfortable but silent as the native vampire circled him slowly in examination. The both of them stood in a wide wood-paneled hallway, empty except for a vampire on guard duty at the other end of a long, dark red carpet next to the front door.
"Well, well," Bakura clapped his hands together in appreciation, visibly impressed. "I wonder how he figured out how to get you back to your old self."
Malik had found his way to what seemed like the vampire nest by smell alone. Upon arriving at the gates of a well-kept, imposing mansion on the outskirts of the city, he'd been uncertain of how to proceed until the iron gates opened of their own accord. An entire expanse of pastel stone and french architecture before him, Malik had been taken aback by the elaborate and decidedly human handiwork and froze until the front door opened as well.
Recognizing Bakura, he'd eagerly darted inside to escape the oncoming dawn pressing in around him and obligingly explained all that he could about the events up to that point.
"Like I said, I have no idea," Malik responded apologetically before remembering the instructions he'd been given. "The prince commanded me to come here once I was finished feeding. I assume we are to resolve the problem I petitioned you about?"
"You assume correctly," Bakura agreed with a nod. "Though I wish he had told you how to find a closer entrance. But I suppose it couldn't be helped."
"Closer entrance to what, may I ask?" Malik asked, confused. Around him, he detected the faint presence of other vampires, but it was muffled somehow, as if from a distance.
"'Fraid this is the only topside entrance to our nest. In fact, it's probably why you sniffed us out at all," Bakura replied, seeing the other's puzzled expression only deepen. "You see, my blood brother, our prince is very ambitious. He works us to the bone when he has a vision, though we all do benefit from its fruition."
As he spoke, Bakura shepherded Malik into a service elevator the size of a small truck; it closed behind them with a snap. Being vampires with exceptional nocturnal vision, they rode down in pitch darkness.
"One such ambitious vision," Bakura continued, pressing the only button on the wall while Malik looked on in rapt attention, "was the construction of a sub-city to what you see up top."
"In other words, an underground city in which us dark folk could live in peace," Bakura then touched his hand to a panel on the wall, a pale white light flashing as it scanned his palm. "Think of it as a sanctuary from all our conflicts with those up there in the light."
"You mean it actually exists?" Malik breathed, his wide-eyed expression giving away his awe. He'd heard whispers from traveling vampires in his own city, but the real thing? "It's actually possible?"
"You bet your ass, it is," Bakura smirked, pleased with the other's reaction. Yami's plan may have been ambitious, but if anyone could create such a thing, it would've been him. And so many years ago, he had- and with style.
The elevator pinged as they reached their destination and the doors opened with a gust of wind.
"After you, Malik. Welcome to Second Haven."
Note: Well, I'm back from the dead, as usual. :D I'm determined to see this fic through until the end damnit! As always, I invite you, dear readers, to guess about the meaning behind the chapter name in a review. Send some love my way and I'll send you some back :3 And maybe a new chapter.