Chapter 20: Progressive Interruptions

Kaiba wasn't exactly sure when Yami had fallen asleep, but he found himself annoyed by it all the same. It was the last period of the day and they were watching a video on some historical event or another, but it was dull and of little interest to Kaiba. For lack of anything else to do, his eyes had finally wandered over to see that Yami had taken the opportunity to curl up on his desk and sleep.

If anyone should be unconscious, Kaiba thought that it should be himself. It had felt like an unusually long and drawn out day and he was thoroughly exhausted by all of the bullshit that had managed to happen in the span of a few hours. He had been fortunate to not have any classes with Yami until now, but that didn't change the fact that everyone was talking about the new foreign exchange student. The only benefit to that was since everyone was talking about him, no one was discussing the incident that had happened in homeroom with Bakura; that was not to say that it had been completely ignored, though.

It was bad enough hearing people calling him, "Yami-sama," which was simply laughable, but listening to the girls in class giggling vapidly over, "Pharaoh-sama," was almost more than Kaiba could stand. Those feelings intensified once he started hearing a group of them trying to come up with an appropriate fanclub name like, "Pharaoh's Harem," which disgusted him as much as it irritated him. Did they even know what that word meant? Or was that the reason they chose it? The latter annoyed him at the presumptuous and whorish nature that led them to believe that they even remotely had a chance. Kaiba didn't know why he was so bothered by the fact that these people were constantly surrounding Yami, but they were all being overly friendly and he disliked it immensely.

So far no one had dared to call him, "priest," as a result of Bakura's raving, because the first person that did would be made an example of why it should never be said again. He realized that part of his irritation was a result of the term compounding on the dream he had the previous night, but he still thought that it was ridiculous. At least Yami had enough sense to not address him as such, although he refused to feel grateful about it.

When he thought of all of this commotion continuing for another two weeks, it was enough to make Kaiba want to fabricate a business trip to escape from the drama. If it didn't have the appearance of running away, he would have seriously considered it, but he knew that he would do no such thing. The only bright point to his day was that he received news during his lunch break that the lawyers had finally relented about the prototypes with a few concessions that Kaiba agreed to. It meant that he only had the meeting with the development team later in the afternoon, so he could get some work done once he got away from the insanity he had been subjected to all day. At least at the office he wouldn't have to listen to everyone reminding him about Yami. Of course, that wouldn't stop his own mind from being a nuisance about it, but he would rather deal with that than with so many outside forces.

Although with all of the commotion, he hadn't had time to reflect much about the troubling dream from last night. Part of him wanted to confront Yami about it, but a small part of him realized that he would be revealing something that he wouldn't want to if Yami really did have nothing to do with it. He wanted to denounce it as ridiculous nonsense, but it had a similar resonance to the vision he saw during his battle with Isis. The emotions attached had been different, but it had felt undeniably real and that left him deeply disturbed. He didn't need that additional layer further complicating things for him.

As Kaiba continued to mull over the issue, Yami eventually woke up, smiling slightly when he saw that he was being watched. Kaiba wanted to look away quickly, but that would make him seem like he was feeling guilty, which he wasn't. It made no sense to him how such a languid smile could be so enticing, nor did he understand why his heart rate had sped up when Yami stretched, revealing a hint of the tanned body underneath the uniform before his shirt settled back into place. Kaiba did not need to remember what had happened in the bathroom earlier or anything that had happened over the weekend, so under the guise of having become bored, Kaiba returned his attentions to the video that was still droning on about a war in the past. At least it was about an older battle instead of a modern one; he wasn't in the mood right now to be confronted with the weapons he had unwittingly designed for Gozaburo.

Kaiba could feel Yami watching him and he did his best to ignore it, difficult as it was. He tried to distract himself by sketching out some ideas, but he didn't get very far before the teacher finally turned on the lights after the video had ended. There was little reason for him to participate in the review afterwards, although he was surprised to hear Yami answer something correctly; apparently he hadn't slept through the whole thing.

The remaining minutes of class passed quickly and upon dismissal, Kaiba witnessed what Yami had been dealing with all day as people began congregating around his desk and introducing themselves. He had no desire to watch blushing girls shamelessly trying to get Yami's attention, so he stood up and started to leave, stopping when he heard Yami call out to him, "Kaiba!"

Turning around in order to look at Yami, Kaiba said nothing as he stood there and examined the blank expression on the other's face. "Wait?" Yami asked, rather than commanded, which was the only reason Kaiba didn't immediately reject his request.

"Why?"

"I want to ask you something."

Frowning, Kaiba was sorely tempted to just deny him and leave, but he realized that this would probably be his only chance to have some semblance of a conversation without the Yuugi-tachi interfering. Plus, his first meeting had already been cancelled, so it wasn't like he was in a rush to get to the office at the moment. "Fine," he consented with a heavy sigh, "but I don't have a lot of time."

"Ehh? Kaiba-san, you speak Arabic?" one of the girls asked in astonishment, confusing him. When he didn't respond, she looked back at Yami and asked, "That was Arabic, right?"

"A form of it, yes," Yami confirmed with a small smirk that had Kaiba tightening his grip on the handle of his briefcase. The memory of his brother asking him what language he was speaking on the phone yesterday afternoon suddenly came to mind and he was wondering if he had done the same thing at that time. How was such a thing possible?

The girl continued on, "That's so awesome! Kaiba-san, how long have you known Arabic?"

To deny the knowledge would make him look foolish since it was obvious he hadn't spoken in Japanese, even if he didn't realize it. He finally settled on tersely saying, "Awhile," feeling awkward as the girl and her friends started excitedly talking amongst each other about it while Yami continued to watch him with an amused look.

The girl returned her attention to Yami and asked, "Can you teach me?" It immediately set off a chorus of the other girls chiming in their desire as well, causing Kaiba to become increasingly irritated by the scene in front of him. When he heard one of them offer, "You can come over to my place," Kaiba not-so-subtly set his metal briefcase on the desk, producing a noise that was loud enough to cause a few of the girls to jump.

The history teacher took advantage of the momentary distraction and announced, "If you ladies wouldn't mind, I have a few things that I need to discuss with Yami-san," as he walked over to the small group.

With much protesting, the girls finally left after saying their goodbyes, causing Yami to visibly relax with a sigh once the three of them were alone. "Has it been like that all day?" the teacher asked with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Sometimes worse," Yami confessed, looking a bit bewildered as he shook his head. His aibou had his fair share of fans that would surround him at tournaments, but Yami had never seen him ambushed in the same manner before and definitely not at school.

"Plus you're still dealing with jetlag, right? What's the time difference between here and there?" the teacher asked out of curiosity.

Judging by the way Yami was acting, Kaiba assumed that he was asking Yuugi about the time conversion, but he had his doubts that Yuugi would know. Kaiba didn't know why he was helping Yami out, but he casually said, "It's seven hours, right?"

"That sounds about right," Yami confirmed, shooting Kaiba a grateful look before returning his attention to the teacher.

"Kaiba-san, you've been to Egypt before?" the teacher asked, turning back to look at him.

Picking up his briefcase again, Kaiba returned to his desk and set it on the floor, choosing to remain standing. "No," he told them, although he realized that sounded slightly suspicious, so he expounded, "but I sent a few of my employees there to do some research once."

"What kind of research?" Yami wanted to know, perking up considerably at those words.

He'd be damned if he was going to tell Yami that he sent a few of his most trusted employees to Egypt to try and find out more about the claims that Duel Monsters had its origins in the ancient culture and he certainly wasn't going to admit that they also had strict instructions to report any findings about nameless rulers and priests from that same time period. "Nothing of particular interest," he said dismissively with a shrug.

"Is that so?" Yami asked in a manner that let Kaiba know the other wasn't going to let it go so easily.

"I've got a faculty meeting soon, so I need to get going or else I'm going to be late," the teacher said after looking at his watch, "but if you need anything or have any questions during your time here, please let me know."

"Thanks," Yami replied with a gracious smile.

"Is there anything you need from me, Kaiba-san?" he asked so as not to be rude.

"No."

"Okay then, I'll see you both tomorrow," the teacher said brightly with a small bow before leaving.

Kaiba suddenly found himself in an empty room with Yami for the first time that day and he was a little surprised that it didn't make him feel uncomfortable. Despite that, Kaiba wasted no time asking, "Is there a reason you made me wait?"

"Was there a reason you stopped Bakura this morning?" Yami countered, watching Kaiba's face carefully for a reaction.

"What difference does it make?" he questioned irritably.

Keeping his tone neutral, Yami told him, "I want to know."

"You didn't seem that interested when I was attempting to explain it earlier," Kaiba said sarcastically as he sat on top his desk and looked over at Yami.

"I was a little…distracted," Yami admitted in an attempt to justify his actions. "Besides, your only complaint seemed to be the location."

Scowling, Kaiba knew that there was very little defense he could offer against that, so he settled for saying, "And I was correct, was I not?"

"I'll remember it for next time."

"Next time?" Kaiba repeated in disbelief. Yami's perverse smirk was all the answer Kaiba needed and he didn't like it. If he thought last week felt long, these next two weeks were going to be next to impossible to make it through unscathed. "Although I shouldn't be too concerned, given that you've already managed to gain quite a rabid following. Not to mention that obnoxious guard dog of yours."

"Jealous?" Yami asked with a coy smile that made something inside of Kaiba feel strange again.

Denying it, Kaiba scoffed, "Of course not." The fact that Yami didn't look like he believed him was irksome, but he knew there was little he could do to convince him otherwise.

"Then why did you stop Bakura?"

Pivoting the question in an attempt to dodge answering, Kaiba demanded, "Why did you stop me from hitting him?"

"He may be a bastard, but Ryou's body would have sustained the damage," Yami started to explain, pausing when Kaiba snorted in disgust at the reasoning. "And your eyes were serious."

"What the hell kind of comment is that?"

Frowning, Yami tried to find a better way to express himself without setting Kaiba off on an angry tangent. "You looked like you seriously intended to hurt him," Yami finally told him, although it wasn't what he actually meant. For such a minor altercation, the intense fierceness didn't make sense to him, unless his reasoning behind Kaiba's motivation was correct.

"Of course I did," Kaiba said arrogantly, "because the bastard pissed me off."

"How?"

"He just did," Kaiba told him stubbornly, not wanting to have to explain himself any further than that; he wasn't even sure if he could.

"It wasn't just because he addressed you as, 'priest,'" Yami stated, noticing the way Kaiba suddenly tensed.

The mere mention of the word had Kaiba clenching his jaw, but he forced himself to answer, "Correct," but when Yami failed to respond, Kaiba continued, "and unless you have anything else to say, I'm leaving."

"Why? Going to be late for a meeting?"

"Bastard!" Kaiba swore loudly, surprising Yami at the sudden shift in emotions. "I fucking knew it!"

"Wait, what are you—"

Kaiba was outraged by the confused looked that Yami was trying to convince him was real. "That cheerleader may buy into the naïve act, but I know better," Kaiba snapped, trying to reign in his temper and failing. "Shit, I fucking knewyou had something to do with it!" When he attempted to leave, Yami got up quickly and successfully stopped him from doing so, angering him further. "Move."

"Not until you explain yourself," Yami told him, refusing to back down until he got an idea about what had just happened. When Kaiba continued to try and free himself, Yami somehow managed to prevent it, despite the fact he was at a disadvantage due to the awkward position. "I was referring to the fact that our teacher also had a meeting that he was going to be late for—that's all."

"Like I'm really going to believe that?" Kaiba shot back at him with a glare, although the sincerity of Yami's steady gaze did have him momentarily puzzled. Yami was many infuriating things, but he wasn't a liar, and yet that somehow made it even worse in this instance.

"What reason would you have to doubt me? Unless—" Yami interrupted his own thoughts, his eyes going wide at a sudden realization, before he continued somewhat enthusiastically, "unless you saw it, too?"

"'Unless you saw it, too?'" Kaiba repeated in a mocking tone of voice. "Don't give me that shit. Now get the fuck out of my way before I—"

"He heard you, didn't he?"

Those words made Kaiba stop trying to escape from the strange hold that Yami had managed to get him in and his voice became icy as he asked, "So now you're going to pretend to know what I'm talking about? If you think that I'm just going to—"

"The reason Seto stopped was because he heard you speak, right?"

That was a sentence Kaiba didn't want to hear and he did his best to keep that from reflecting in his expression. He knew that he should have just kept his damn mouth shut, but it was too late for that now. "It was your fucking dream, so you would know."

Yami knew that Kaiba wasn't going to like what he was about to say, but he told him, "That wasn't my dream. Not entirely, anyway."

"Oh, don't even start," Kaiba warned him, not wanting to continue the conversation any further. He was cursing himself for allowing his repressed emotions to boil over at such simple words, but all he could do now was get away or do damage control.

"By the time I got back to sleep after aibou woke me up, you were already too deep inside of a dream for me to follow," Yami explained, "and I was too tired to fight off my own."

"So we both ended up in the same dream at different times?" Kaiba asked skeptically. "Nonsense!"

"It's not!" Yami protested, having a hard time keeping his frustration in check as he quickly tried to think of a way to convince Kaiba otherwise.

"Whatever," he said dismissively, "I don't have time for this shit."

Yami's temper was starting to get the better of him and he forcefully demanded, "If not now, then when, Seto?"

"Don't fucking call me that when you're talking about him!" Kaiba practically yelled, startling himself at the vehemence of his own words. When he saw Yami's initial shock softening into a look that resembled understanding, it further incensed him. "I'm not going to be a fucking substitute for some dead bastard that you still—"

Things were starting to make sense to Yami and instead of using words, he wrapped his arms around Kaiba's neck, embracing him and refusing to let go as Kaiba struggled against it. It was only after Kaiba started verbally protesting that Yami softly said, "I know."

"What the hell could you possibly understand?" Kaiba demanded, since he hadn't even realized that it was one of the issues that was upsetting him until now. It had angered him when he learned that he had been adopted with the intention of being used as a vessel for the soul of Gozaburo's real son, but knowing that he was being seen as a replacement for Yami's dead former lover affected him more than he would have thought possible and he couldn't comprehend the reason for it.

"You're not his substitute," Yami tried to reassure him, but he had a feeling he wasn't getting through to Kaiba. He could feel Kaiba shaking slightly, but Yami didn't know if it was from anger or something else.

"Then why…?" Kaiba started, but trailed off when he realized he didn't know how to end his sentence.

"I told you before that it was because it was you," Yami said quietly, pleased that Kaiba had at least stopped trying to pull away from him.

"How do you expect me to believe that it has nothing to do with him?" Kaiba asked, his voice finally lowering to a normal tone.

Smiling faintly as he continued resting his head on Kaiba's shoulder, Yami explained, "For the same reason I think that he has no effect on your feelings now. We're not them, Kaiba."

Ignoring the comment about his feelings, Kaiba instead questioned, "Then why the hell are you trying so hard to remember if it isn't for that reason?"

"There's a difference between recalling and reliving, right?" Yami asked, but the only answer he received was a nod from Kaiba. "I just want to know more about who I used to be."

"Why?"

"Because I need to know," Yami told him with a quiet conviction, "but that doesn't mean that I'm going to stop living this life because of it."

Kaiba didn't know what else to say to that, so he remained silent as he sat awkwardly and waited for something else to happen, because he sure as hell wasn't going to do anything else to embarrass himself further. The position was vaguely painful and when he realized that Yami had no intention of letting him go or saying anything new, Kaiba finally said, "Move," although it was less forceful than before. When Yami failed to acknowledge him, Kaiba asked with a sigh, "Doesn't it hurt to stand like that?"

It wasn't exactly the most comfortable position Yami had ever been in, but it hadn't really been a concern of his at the time. "A bit," he admitted with a small laugh, but he remained as he was.

Realizing that nothing was going to change until he took action, Kaiba slid forward on the desk in an attempt to relieve some of the strain, begrudgingly coming closer to Yami as a result. Once Yami accommodated himself to the new position, he pulled back slightly in order to finally look at Kaiba properly for the first time since the outburst, no longer restraining him. The blue eyes still seemed to be guarded, but Yami took it as a sign of positive progress that they lacked the combative fierceness from earlier. Kaiba felt uncomfortable under the appraising gaze, so he distracted himself by asking, "Now what?"

"May I kiss you?"

"What?" That was not the follow up question Kaiba had been expecting and he stared blankly at Yami before questioning incredulously, "You're asking that now?"

"Is that a, 'no,' then?" Yami asked with a sly smile that had Kaiba regret posing the initial question in addition to making him feel highly embarrassed.

"You're going to do whatever you want to anyway," Kaiba muttered, once again becoming tense as he waited for Yami to act.

"Then is that a 'yes?'"

"What do you think?" Kaiba replied sarcastically, unsure of what else to say.

Even though he knew it was a flippant question, Yami answered, "That you think too much."

"And you talk too much. What's your point?" Kaiba retorted, sounding somewhat miffed.

Smirking, Yami leaned forward, bringing his lips within a breath's distance of Kaiba's; when the other failed to pull away, Yami lightly pressed his lips against Kaiba's, waiting for a reaction. It felt like a test to Kaiba and he hesitated before continuing, encircling one of his arms around Yami's slim waist to pull him a little closer, allowing him to deepen the exploring kiss. Yami responded by wrapping his left arm behind Kaiba's neck to brace himself as his right hand slowly began making its way up the inside of Kaiba's thigh. The simple action was causing the gentle kiss to become more heated and eventually Kaiba's free hand made its way down to grope Yami's ass, causing him to smirk when the other moaned as a result.

When they parted, Yami immediately proceeded to softly kiss Kaiba's neck, sending a shiver through him that had him cursing his newfound sensitivity. For lack of anything else to do, Kaiba returned the favor by slipping his hands under Yami's shirt and letting his fingers lightly run along random paths, rewarding him with an odd moaning laugh that amused him. Once Yami reached Kaiba's ear, he softly told him, "It was not my intention to upset you earlier," before sucking on his earlobe.

Ignoring the strange sensation, Kaiba asked sarcastically, "Was that supposed to be an apology?"

"Possibly," Yami replied cryptically, changing his focus to the other side of Kaiba's neck.

After a small pause, Kaiba finally muttered, "It's not necessary," knowing full well that the brunt of what had just happened was entirely his doing; Yami had simply exacerbated the situation.

It was enough to cause Yami to stop his exploration and he straightened once more to look at Kaiba properly. "Is that so?"

Sliding his hands out from underneath Yami's shirt, Kaiba said, "So stop trying to make up for it."

Yami knew better than to laugh at Kaiba's leap in logic, so he restrained himself to a look of smug amusement as he asked, "Is that what you think I'm doing?"

"What other reason would you have?"

"Because I want to," Yami told him firmly, initiating a kiss that was filled with a fierce desire to prove something.

It had been said with such confidence that Kaiba could only go along with it, pausing just long enough to say, "Selfish bastard."

"Oh, like you're not enjoying it," Yami retorted before continuing, smirking as Kaiba finally began responding in a satisfying manner.

Knowing it was pointless to deny it at the moment, he decided that anything would be better than continuing the awkward conversation, so he allowed Yami to do as he wished; besides, their current position eliminated the height differences and made things a little easier. Kaiba found that his mind was once again starting to shut off as both of his hands made their way down to Yami's ass, pulling him forward as he slid to the edge of the desk, allowing their bodies to press firmly against each other. A small noise escaped from him when Yami ran both of his hands along his thighs, kneading and massaging them in a way that was causing him to become in danger of having a hard on that would demand to be satiated, something that their current location wouldn't allow. "Yami, wai—"

"And you say I talk to much?" Yami commented with a laugh, refusing to stop.

Kaiba's initial idea of using the same technique against Yami in an attempt to convince him to relocate backfired since it just made him respond more enthusiastically; he half expected Yami to try and join him on the desk any minute.

He never got the chance since the sound of the door opening and Jounouchi's voice interrupted them as he asked, "Oi, Yami are you still in—what the hell?!"

Reluctantly stopping his ministrations, Yami looked irritated and a more than a little angry at the intrusion; Kaiba was pleasantly surprised that the other made no attempt at jumping back guiltily and instead remained where he was.

Jounouchi continued to stand there in utter disbelief, his brain trying to process the image of Yami standing between Kaiba's legs while making out and getting groped, but it was impossible. He finally recovered from his initial shock once Kaiba growled, "Get the fuck out and shut the door."

"No! Wait, what the—I mean, Yami," Jounouchi started but his words were lagging behind his racing thoughts that were still distracted by the sight of Kaiba's hands on Yami's ass.

Sighing, Yami said, "Jounouchi-kun, please shut the door," sounding resigned to the fact that the other wouldn't leave in such a passive manner.

"You forgot the, 'Get the fuck out,' part," Kaiba muttered, earning him a warning look that was weakened by Yami's small smirk.

Unable to hear Kaiba's comment, Jounouchi said, "Fine," slamming the door closed with more force than necessary, before demanding, "now let him go, you perverted bastard!"

While Kaiba's initial desire was to verbally rip into Jounouchi, the embarrassed blush and refusal to properly look at them brought out the desire to exploit that. After his snide remarks in class this morning, Kaiba wasn't sure if Jounouchi was bothered because it was them or because he was interested in Yami, but he'd be damned if he'd let the mutt infringe on his territory. Figuring it didn't matter since they had already been caught, his aggression outweighed his common sense and his tone was smooth as he asked, "Does it look like I'm holding him captive?" Catching Yami off guard by firmly squeezing his ass, it caused the color to increase in Jounouchi's cheeks when Yami let out a small noise of surprise. Oh, this could be fun, Kaiba thought to himself with an almost sadistic grin that made Yami wonder what was going on inside of the other's mind.

Unaware that he was being toyed with, Jounouchi exclaimed, "Damn it, Kaiba! What are you doing?"

"Isn't the better question, 'What were you going to do?'" Kaiba retorted with a perverse laugh that had Yami raising an eyebrow over the behavior he was witnessing. When Jounouchi could only stutter partial words, Kaiba continued, "In which case—"

"I don't want to know!" Jounouchi protested angrily, confused as to why Yami had yet to move. He attributed it to embarrassment, but he would still feel better if Yami tried to remove himself from Kaiba's grasp.

"Then leave," Kaiba told him as he started kissing Yami's neck sensuously while staring straight into Jounouchi's eyes, laughing at the other's discomfort.

Asking softly so as not to be heard by his friend, Yami wanted to know, "What exactly are you doing?"

"Making sure he never interrupts us again," Kaiba murmured as he continued working his way up Yami's neck.

Jounouchi was once again stunned into silence as he watched Kaiba kissing along Yami's neck, shocked when he saw Yami tilting his head to accommodate the reactions rather than to escape them. When he noticed Kaiba running his tongue along part of it and heard another small sigh from Yami, he started to ask, "Yami, why…" but stopped when he was pinned under Kaiba's challenging gaze once again. Watching in horror as Kaiba lightly bit Yami's earlobe, Jounouchi made the instant connection between that action and the bruise he had noticed earlier. "You bastard! You put that there?"

Laughing in a vaguely sinister way, Kaiba released the earlobe with one final lick. "I'm surprised you figured that out, mutt."

Clenching his fist in anger, Jounouchi demanded, "Did you ever…with Yuugi's…?"

Snorting at the absurdity of such a notion, Kaiba arrogantly replied, "Why would I do anything to him?"

Ignoring Kaiba's comment, Yami reassured Jounouchi, "Nothing ever happened while I shared a body with aibou."

"How long has this been going on?!"

"Breathe a word about three thousand years and you'll regret it," Kaiba warned him as Yami turned around to face Jounouchi properly.

"Technically that's three words," he pointed out with a quiet chuckle that earned him a disapproving look he couldn't see. Instead, he focused on Jounouchi and tried to figure out a more diplomatic way of handling the situation. "Jounouchi-kun, I—"

Even though he had originally wanted to hear what Yami's defense was, his emotions were getting the better of him and he was indignant as he exclaimed, "You can't really like that! Right?"

"Shall I show you how he enjoys it?" Kaiba taunted as he wrapped one of his arms around Yami's waist in order to slip his hand under the other's shirt, kissing the nape of Yami's neck when he heard him gasp sharply at the unexpected touch.

Yami had a few ideas on how he would like to retaliate, but none of them could be done while Jounouchi was still present. Instead Yami asked in an exasperated tone, "Will you stop?"

"Did you stop when I was on the phone?" Kaiba reminded him with another low laugh as he ran his hand further up Yami's torso in order to raise the shirt slightly to expose some of his tanned skin, smirking as Jounouchi's color turned from pink to red.

"He told you to stop, asshole!" Jounouchi shouted at Kaiba, having misinterpreted Yami's reasons for saying it.

Glaring at Jounouchi, Kaiba shot back, "And I told you to fucking leave."

Jounouchi didn't have a response for that so he tried appealing to Yami again. "I mean you two…you can't be…"

"It's complicated," Yami said as way of explanation, causing Kaiba to laugh again as he finally lowered his hand and allowed it to rest on Yami's hip, still refusing to acquiesce completely.

Having ceased his torture of Yami, Kaiba's mind slowly began returning to full functionality; he suddenly remembered his meeting and swore as he checked the time on his watch. More time had passed than he had realized and he was going to be late if he lingered much longer. "Meeting?" Yami asked, as he turned slightly to look back at Kaiba.

"Ah," was all he said, before experimentally trying to repeat what he had done earlier in order to prevent Jounouchi from understanding. "Stay out of my dream tonight. I want to get some actual sleep for once."

Surprised that Kaiba had intentionally spoken in Egyptian, Yami replied in the language, "I promise," although he was unable to keep the pleased look off of his face.

"Running away?" Jounouchi challenged, figuring that Kaiba was intending to leave, even if he couldn't understand what they were saying.

Kaiba had originally intended to leave without doing anything, but when he heard Jounouchi say that, it brought out his vindictive side again. "Not a chance," he replied haughtily before he stood in front of Yami with a smirk that let him know exactly what Kaiba was intending to do.

Before Yami could protest, Kaiba had roughly pulled him closer and engaged him in a kiss that was so powerful that Yami had no choice but to support himself by wrapping one of his arms around Kaiba's waist. What neither had expected was the sound of the classroom door opening again and hearing Honda start to ask, "Hey Jounouchi, did you find Ya—" only to be interrupted by Anzu's startled cry at the sight, which Yuugi paid more attention to than what his other self was currently doing.

Aware of their increasing audience, Kaiba stopped prematurely and Yami couldn't tell if the slight flush on Kaiba's face was a result of embarrassment or something else, but he was surprised by it all the same. "I'll see you tomorrow," Yami said casually, conscious of everyone still staring in disbelief.

After Kaiba grabbed his briefcase, he paused before leaving, knowing that all hell was going to break loose the instant he left. He knew that he wasn't running away, but he still felt some level of frustration at knowing the situation Yami was going to have to handle alone. "Sorry," he apologized softly with a frown. Getting back at Jounouchi was one thing, but having the entire Yuugi-tachi suddenly being informed in such a manner had not been his intention.

"Don't be," Yami told him gently, "there's nothing that can be done, right?" When he saw that Kaiba was still scowling, he leaned up and kissed Kaiba softly on the lips, causing another round of startled noises to occur. At least now they wouldn't try and place all of the blame on Kaiba, although he knew he still had a lot of explaining to do. "You're going to miss your meeting at this rate."

"Too bad the same excuse won't work," Kaiba said sarcastically, impulsively stealing one more quick kiss before he started heading toward the door. Brushing past the stunned group that was staring at him in shock, they could hear the echo of his laughter in the hall as he walked away.

"Yami, did he just…?" Yuugi started to ask through their link.

"I think so."

Not knowing what else to say, Yuugi simply swore, "Holy shit."

"No kidding."

A/N: Beware of the long author's note…

The man knows how to put on a show, that's for damn sure. XD Routine appearances via helicopters, anyone? Not to mention that ridiculous jetpack contraption.

This chapter is another one that drew on a lot of things from previous ones, but everyone's probably used to that by now. I know some of you were wondering where a few of the threads were leading, so hopefully it's resolved a few things for the time being. Although where I left off will probably negate that satisfaction. XD But at least it's been revealed why Jounouchi is so going to need therapy afterwards, ohohoho…

I already talked about jealousy and Kaiba, so I'll skip that since it's just more of the same. But the issue of Kaiba being a vessel was something that my brain originally went, "Hm," and just recently it all pulled together. I've mentioned the Noa Arc a few times throughout this piece, but for those of you who aren't familiar with it, Gozaburo makes an appearance in the virtual world. Seto confronts his adoptive father and explains how he realized that he had been adopted as competition for Noa. Gozaburo then (in front of Yuugi-tachi, Mokuba, and Noa) tells Seto that he was wrong. It is then revealed that he had intended to use Seto's body as a container/vessel for Noa's soul, so that his real son could continue to live. The animated reaction always kind of stuck in the back of my mind, and thus brought me to the point in the story. (Season Three, Episode 119, around the eight minute mark for those who want to see—and yes, Yami has input as he gains a new understanding)

It's why I always tend to waver on the idea that Seto's body is scarred. I can see where people would imagine that and get their evidence from, so it isn't impossible to believe. But if you're using anime canon—Seto was meant to be the host body for Gozaburo's beloved dead son, so he wouldn't want Seto's body marred by scars, since that would mean Noa would be covered in scars once he took control of the body. That's not to say that Seto didn't get beat as a child, but I think it wouldn't have been the kind to leave lasting marks; psychological damage would have been a far, far more effective method. Holding Mokuba hostage and threatening him would cause more pain to Seto than any physical abuse and Gozaburo had to have known that. That's why you haven't heard me mention any scars up until now, in case any of you were wondering. XD

Anyway, Kaiba's a proud little bastard who believes that he is the master of his own fate, if not destiny. He chose Gozaburo to be the one to adopt them, he chose to cooperate in order to gain the power he needed for his brother, he continually chose his own path. So for him to get told that he was merely a container for the soul of another, that would have to fuck with his head. It means replacement, lack of worth, and more importantly: lack of choice. In hearing that, it shows that even if he chose all of those things, Gozaburo ultimately had control over Seto because he allowed for that choice to be made by Seto.

That then raises the issue of reincarnation for Kaiba. Since I sincerely doubt any of what happened in the virtual world actually got dealt with emotionally, it was probably just buried and he moved right along. It wouldn't be an active thought of his, but when confronted with the dream, and getting called "Seto," in the middle of talking about the priest, I think it would be one of those times where you say something that you didn't even know you were concerned about. In basic terms (and proof that I've watched Mirage of Blaze waaaaay too many times…), the soul continues to find new bodies/vessels to reside in as they continue their eternal existence. Thus, ancient Seto in Kaiba's body would become an issue for him, especially if he thought that Yami was pursing him for the Seto within; it would just play up on the issues raised by Gozaburo and Noa.

Part of my thinking on this stems from the fact that Kaiba seems to have no problem during Battle City Finals spouting off, "I'll wait ahead for you on the road to our fated duel!" to Yami all the damn time. Seriously, it doesn't matter when or why, he's always saying it; consequently, Yami does it right back to him. The strangest thing to me about that was Kaiba being completely okay with it and he never really protested about that aspect. Is that not being controlled/manipulated by your past (albeit it a distant one)? In light of that, I think in context of the anime, it makes sense that Kaiba continually denied his link to the past, not so much because he thought it was bullshit, but because it stemmed from the subconscious fear of becoming Priest Seto instead of being the Kaiba Seto…or something like that.

I also think that it's a subconscious reaction to getting too close to Yami. Without realizing it, he's let Yami get close enough to hurt him. There's bound to be a few blowouts in an attempt to create distance, but Yami's a little bit too stubborn to go along with that. I just think after Kaiba realized what he had said, he would have been so stunned at his own revelation that it would deflate the situation very quickly. A sudden burst of emotion from someone who is so tightly wound, it's as surprising as it is exhausting, and I think everything would just stop in that, "Wait, what the fuck just happened?" sort of a way. XD

I know that I tend to talk about eyes a lot in this piece, but I finally figured out the best way to verbalize it (sure took me long enough, right?). Kaiba Seto is supposed to be the intimidating, powerful, C.E.O. of a major company; he can be vicious at times and will do anything to get what he wants. I'd imagine he's the type that can silence and intimidate a person with a single glare. I can imagine a lot of the employees and people in general not wanting to look him in the eyes, always adverting them, looking just past them, or maintaining eye contact for the briefest amount of time possible. Yami would be the most notable exception: he would always evenly meet Kaiba's gaze with his own, and would never back down, which would be a rare, if not entirely new experience for Kaiba, I think. I could see him being uncomfortable at times simply because he hasn't had to confront anyone else's gaze so honestly and consistently before; plus there's the possibility of being read/discovered by them, so it's a risk with someone as astute and perceptive as Yami.

As for Yami's behavior afterwards, and furthering the proof that I think about shit way too much, it's not because he's becoming a nymphomaniac as he continues asserting his corporeal form or something like that. There is something to be said for that point, though: after being trapped for 3,000+ years inside of a puzzle, only to be freed into another's body, and finally getting to have his own body and experience things for himself, I believe that does play some part in it. The sensations are a continued reassurance that he's still present and alive. The latter ties into my thoughts of Yami's decision, though. What better way to prove that they both were alive and experiencing that moment as themselves than that? But he's also smart enough to ask first, because there's always the risk of aftershocks. XD However, the other part of his intensity would be the fact that he would have his own set of emotions he would be working through as a result of what happened with Kaiba.

As for Jounouchi, poor, poor Jounouchi-kun…I don't really dislike him, but his reactions are always guaranteed to be explosive since he overreacts to everything. That's why I like the idea of his ultimate reaction being no reaction. I think seeing Yami and Kaiba in such a way, it's just so far outside of Jounouchi's realm of comprehension, that he just wouldn't be able to do anything. It's not completely unfeasible for Jounouchi's reaction to be a volatile one, but if he started trying to physically remove Yami in order to "protect" his friend, Kaiba's reaction would have been very, very different. It would have given him an outlet to release all of the emotions he had just been hit with, and I don't think Jounouchi would have fared very well, not to mention that Yami would be wicked pissed at Kaiba if he had started trying to beat the shit out of Jounouchi. And since I'd rather go with the much more amusing route…

I've said before that Kaiba isn't the kind to view Yami as a possession, but there is a level of, "Mine," to his behavior. Why else would he have KC on everything, including his own clothes? In a highly agitated state of mind, I could see Kaiba wanting to assert Yami's standing with him, and as we all know, Kaiba Seto does not do subtle. If it had been any other situation, I don't think Yami would have allowed Kaiba to get away with what he did. However, Jounouchi interrupted what was essentially a sort of breakthrough for the pair, so I could see Yami being irritated over that aspect of it; that whole mentality of, "What would have happened if he hadn't arrived?" As for not turning around immediately…let's just say he was taking things into consideration so he didn't damage his friend's fragile mental state any further. XD

I think it would bother Kaiba that he was leaving Yami in a situation like that; it would also make him conscious of the fact that it really did look like he was running away. Despite that, you just know that he would walk down the hallway doing one of his infamous, "Bwahahahahaha!"

Finishing up with the Egyptian thing, and then I'll shut the hell up, I swear. XD It's one of the things that I wish that the creator had explored more. Kaiba could read the text, and he understood Egyptian (researched it: there actually is a difference between Egyptian and Arabic) when Isis spoke it to him. The time on the phone, and the time with the girls, I could see Yami speaking it to him, causing Kaiba to respond back in the same manner without realizing it. I can't see him doing that often, mostly because it means admitting to a lot of things, but I could see him using it to his advantage to piss off Jounouchi and keep something private. Throughout the series Kaiba is pretty inconsistent with the ancient Egyptian stuff, wavering between believing it and actively denying it depending on the situation, so I took a little leeway with it here. XD

Finally, I just wanted to thank everyone again for their wonderful comments. It makes me so happy that everyone is still supporting me after all of this time; I really can't thank you enough for all of your kind and encouraging words. I've also noticed that there are quite a few new readers, so welcome and please enjoy! Even though I ramble on for insane lengths after a chapter…

NEXT CHAPTER: Night Blindness

Kaiba finds out what happened after he left, but what will he do about it? Afterwards, Mokuba discovers the hard way that it's a bad idea to spy on his older brother. As for Yami…

Hm, this week is going to be tricky. I have two tests and a final this week, plus I'm leaving on Sunday to return to America. It feels like I was just explaining how I was leaving to go to Japan. How did that happen?! The good news is that I'll have plenty of time to work on the story, but it doesn't do you guys much good until I post it, sadly. Knowing my procrastinating tendencies regarding packing, I'll probably put the next chapter up on Saturday since I'll be in transit on Sunday. Failing that, I'll do it shortly after arriving home, but I'll do my best to get it up Saturday, so please enjoy this until then!