Chapter 44

Flowers Blooming

Author's note: just to not get in trouble, I should remind everyone that I don't own anything YuGiOh. I just own my characters and Dark Mage of the Sea owns hers.

When a sentence is **like this**, it's sign language. When a sentence is ~like this~, it's phoenix speech.

Thank you, Dark Mage of the Sea, my coauthor and best friend.

As the second year started, Tiki and Merina got excited, knowing they were now eligible for lead roles now. They eventually got two leads in the semester's last musical, centered on the lives of eight friends during a year in their lives. When they got the news, they started to wish that Yugi could watch their performance. Merina asked Yugi to come for a weekend to do so; Yugi agreed but wondered about the money. Tiki begged Kaiba to buy Yugi's plane ticket to New York; after a lot of begging, Kaiba relented.

That Friday, Kaiba and Tiki were at the airport, waiting for Yugi. Kaiba looked at the clock. "What time is his flight?"

Tiki looked at the flight's information. "Looks like he just landed. I guess he's looking for his bags."

From inside the limo, Itami looked at them. ~Why didn't Merina come with us?~

Tiki smirked. "One of her costume shirts got a rip so she needs to be refit for a new shirt."

Minutes later, Yugi exited the terminal. Giggling happily, Tiki ran up to him and hugged him tightly. Pulling back a little, she noticed something and grumbled, "Why are you taller than me?"

Yugi chuckled nervously. "Nice to see you too, Tiki." He looked up as Kaiba came up to them. "Hey, Kaiba. Thanks for taking care of Tiki while she's been here."

Kaiba nodded. "Of course. You look well, Yugi."

Tiki pouted. "It's not fair! I thought I was finally going to be taller than you or at least the same height! Why am I cursed to be so short?"

Kaiba looked between the two siblings. Yugi did grow a few inches taller, making Kaiba smirk. "I don't see it as a curse; I like your height." He teasingly put his hand on his girlfriend's head. "It keeps you cute."

Tiki's pout disappeared. With hearts in her eyes, she hugged Kaiba's arm, making an adorable squeal. Both men chuckled. But Yugi looked around, looking for Merina. He felt jealous that his sister had her beloved in that moment, especially since he had not seen his since the girls moved to New York. Before he could ask where she was, Tarra from her cage made a cry of displeasure. ~Can I get out of this prison please?~

Yugi chuckled and let his phoenix out. She immediately flew out to stretch her wings. ~Say, where's Itami?~

Tiki explained, "Hiding in the limo."

Kaiba smirked. "Last time we were at an airport, a kid pulled her tail feathers."

Tarra made a laugh-like chirp but kept an eye out for any kids. Landing to Yugi's shoulder, they started to head towards the limo. Yugi asked, "So where's Merina?" Tiki explained the situation about her costume. "Oh, okay. What's the costume?"

Tiki grinned. "You'll see tonight."

Yugi looked at Kaiba, who shook his head as he did not know. Yugi looked at his sister and got a little suspicious. 'That grin always means she has something up her sleeve. What's she up to?'

Seeing his look, Tiki pinched his arm. "It's nothing bad! Don't give me that suspicious look!"

Yugi gave her a look. "That doesn't ease my worries, Tiki."

Tiki pouted. "Meanie!"

Kaiba smirked in amusement. "Are you two children done bickering?" Tiki stuck her tongue out at him, making his smirk widen. "Careful, my star. That can become mine in an instant."

Blushing deeply at the implication, Tiki's tongue retreated back into her mouth. Yugi understood the implication as well and shook his head in amusement.

Having dropped off Kaiba and Itami at the KaibaCorp NY branch, the Mutou siblings and Tarra were taken to the NYU campus. When the limo pulled up and stopped, Tiki stepped out with a grin on her face. "I got something for you, Merina."

She playfully dragged Yugi out. The first thing he saw was Torru fly to the limo's roof with Tarra. As they head-butted, Yugi looked up and blushed with wide eyes. With a small purse-bag over her shoulder, Merina was standing there wearing a short, white spaghetti-strap shirt (showing off her tattoo and navel), skinny jeans, and black boots. Yugi was taken aback by her outfit. "M-Meri-Merina…"

Merina smiled. "Hi, Yugi. It's been a while." Noticing his height, she smirked. "Well, well, well…someone has grown."

Yugi blushed. "Yeah…I have." He peeked up at him. "You…you look great."

Merina smiled and pushed some hair behind her ear. "Thanks."

Tiki looked between the couple. Assuming neither would make a move, the brunette asked, "How are you and Cindy getting along?"

Merina chuckled. "Cindy's cool." She looked at Yugi. "I told her all about you."

Yugi paused. "Really?"

As Tiki went to check on the phoenixes, the blonde nodded. "She says I'm lucky to have you."

Yugi looked up. "R-Really?"

Merina nodded. "She's called me the luckiest girl in the world to be dating the King of Games."

Yugi blushed deeper. 'I'm the lucky one…to have you. But…she said dating. Yes, we have a relationship…but it's been nothing but long distance. We haven't even had gone on an official date.' Out loud, he muttered, "I'm luckier to have you…"

While it was a mutter, Merina still heard him. "Why do you say that, Yugi?"

Yugi got really flustered. "Ah! Um…what I'm trying to say…I…um…!"

Merina giggled. "You're just as I remember."

Yugi looked up. "I hope that's good."

Merina took his hand. "It is."

The couple looked at each other. Having been watching them, Tiki muttered to the phoenixes, "You think this is going well?"

Tarra ruffled her feathers as if shrugging. ~It is slow, I'll admit. But I do know that Yugi's been looking forward to this trip as soon as he got the ticket.~

Torru looked at his yellow friend. ~Really? How excited are we talking?~

Tarra's eyes sparkled. ~He spent all last night debating on what to wear.~

Tiki giggled. "That sounds like my brother!"

The three looked at the couple. Tiki looked at her watch. 'I hate to interrupt the moment but…' She went up to them and grinned. "You two are so cute together!"

Both blushed.

About an hour later, the three were eating pizza at a restaurant not far from NYU, standing at the counter that had an open window to the street. The humans enjoyed the pizza and catching up on each other's lives; they even let the two phoenixes eat their crusts. Just as they were finishing up their food, Yugi smiled. "This was a good suggestion, Tiki."

"Yugi?"

The three froze and the phoenixes ruffled their feathers. They looked up to see Tea standing there. Her hair was a little longer than last time they saw her but was dressed in the same style as before. She smiled softly. "I thought I recognized that voice."

Yugi said nothing. He still remembered how she broke up with him and her slip that night. Merina noticed the look at his face and put her arm around him. Tea was still smiling at him. "I never thought we'd see each other again."

Yugi stayed quiet, which made Tea a little uncomfortable. Tiki sensed the same thing and decided to be polite to Tea. "It's been a while, Tea."

Tea blinked at Tiki. "Oh, Tiki! I'm so sorry; I didn't really see you there. How are you?"

Tiki was not insulted because she was slightly hidden by Tarra. "I've been doing well. Just enjoying lunch with Merina and Yugi."

Tea looked over and saw Merina. "Merina."

The blonde nodded with an unemotional look on her face. "Gardener…"

The air got a little tense and awkward. Tiki kept an eye on Merina, knowing the blonde had not forgiven Tea for what happened between her and Yugi. Scratching her arm, she asked, "Are you okay? With all due respect, you're acting a bit weird at seeing an old friend."

Yugi felt a little stab at the word "friend." It reminded him of the last text she ever sent him, saying that she wanted to stay friends. Sensing his feelings, Tarra stood in front of Yugi, blocking him from Tea, and let out a cry. Yugi was startled. "Tarra!"

Tarra hissed at Tea. ~Away with you! Fly away, you black swan! You hurt my Guardian and I shall not let you hurt him again! Go away; fly away!~

Tea's eyes slightly widened. While she did not hear Tarra's words, she did know Tarra's attitude was very aggressive. Merina, Tiki, and Torru secretly seemed to approve of her outburst. While Yugi understood what Tarra was doing, he did not want to risk them getting kicked out so he shoved a piece of crust in the phoenix's beak. Tarra looked at him, a little surprised, as a red-head came up to Tea. "Tea, we gotta go."

Tea nodded. "One second, Kate." The red-head moved away and Tea looked at Yugi. "Can you and I hang out? How long are you here?"

Yugi hesitated. On one hand, he wanted to tell her how hurt he was by what happened; on the other hand, he still did not like hurting anyone. Swallowing the crust, Tarra nuzzled Yugi. He finally answered, "I'm just here for the weekend…to watch my sister and girlfriend's musical."

Tea looked at Merina, who seemed to smirk, before looking back. "Oh, okay. Maybe some other time?"

Yugi hesitated again but felt better when he felt Merina nuzzling his neck. Smiling, he politely said, "I'd like that, Tea, but I don't think that'll happen."

Tea looked hurt. "But…we're still friends…right?"

Before he could answer, he noticed the glint in Tiki's eyes. He looked at her and smiled, silently telling her he would handle this. Tiki smiled and stayed quiet. Yugi turned back to Tea. "Of course we are, Tea. But I'm starting university with a double major in archaeology and business and will be extremely busy. Besides, I don't know if and when I'll come back to New York. In fact, I only came this weekend because Tiki had Kaiba pay for my plane ticket."

Tea looked disappointed but accepted the answer. "I see."

Wanting to make her feel better, Yugi suggested, "You can join us later once you're done with your friends. I might have a couple of hours to spare before the show tonight."

Tea looked at her watch and grimaced. "Thanks but Kate and I are on our way to an audition for a dancing show. I don't know how long it'll be."

Yugi nodded. "Maybe before I leave? You have the same number, right?"

Tea nodded. "Yes, it's the same. And maybe: it depends on if we qualify for the show."

Yugi smiled. "You'll make it. Remember your dream and you'll make it."

Tea smiled, already looking like she felt better about this interaction. "Well, I gotta go. It was nice seeing you, Yugi."

Yugi nodded. "Nice seeing you too."

Tea rejoined her friend Kate and started to leave. She did take another look at Yugi before going back to the conversation with her friend. Yugi let out a huge sigh of relief. 'That was difficult…but that weight is finally off my shoulders.'

He got distracted by a tap on his shoulder. He looked over and got a kiss from Merina. Tiki and the phoenixes squealed with delight. When she pulled back, Merina giggled at seeing him frozen in happy shock. She waved her hand in front of his face. "Are you in there, Yugi?"

Yugi nodded but was still blushing. "Yep…yep, I am."

Tiki giggled. "We got a couple hours before show time. Let's go around the city."

Merina agreed and the two young women took Yugi to all their favorite haunts near NYU.

About an hour before show time, Yugi and Tarra were in the theater's hall, waiting to go inside. Tarra looked around. ~You looking forward to seeing the show?~

Yugi nodded and talked quietly so no one could hear him. "Definitely. I've never seen this show so it'll be cool." He looked at the program and found Tiki and Merina's roles. "So I have no idea who they'll be."

"You and me, both."

Yugi looked behind him and saw the Kaiba brothers and Itami. Mokuba was grinning. "I can't wait to see what the girls have in store! I occasionally found Tiki practicing her solo in the living room."

Kaiba looked at Mokuba and raised his eyebrow. "Is that the few times you told me to stay out of the living room?"

Mokuba grinned. "That was Tiki's request. She wanted you to go in knowing nothing."

Kaiba looked annoyed, making Itami's eyes sparkled. ~That makes it fun, though.~

Kaiba asked, "Do you even know what she's wearing? I know she's been grumbling about it."

Mokuba shrugged. "She won't even tell me that."

Just then, the audience was sent inside. Itami and Tarra flew up to the lights, finding Torru in the process. To Mokuba's delight, they had front row seats. "Nice! These seats are awesome!"

Taking his seat, Kaiba firmly told him, "Mokuba, behave."

Mokuba gave his brother a look, making Yugi laugh. "Still a kid, huh, Mokuba?"

Mokuba grinned. "Always."

Kaiba rolled his eyes and looked at the program. But he was smirking. Minutes later, the show began. While the show was fun, Kaiba and Yugi kept an eye out for their beloveds. Tiki came out when her character introduced herself and flirted with another character. Yugi peeked at Kaiba, wondering how he felt about Tiki flirting with someone else. To his slight surprise, Kaiba continued to watch, not reacting negatively. Catching Yugi's eye, Mokuba whispered in his ear when the song was done, "Nii-sama doesn't mind: Michael's gay."

Yugi nodded and kept watching. The show went on and soon Tiki's character had a solo. When she took off her kimono-like robe, the Kaiba brothers and Yugi were shocked. While her tight shirt was more like a sports bra and her leather sleeves made her look intense, it was what she was wearing on her lower half that shocked them. She was wearing electric-blue leather pants; to their knowledge, this was the first time she had ever worn pants. Yugi was too shocked by seeing his sister in pants instead of skirts or dresses to really pay attention to the song. Kaiba, however, was almost squirming in his seat: not only did he like how she looked in pants, her moves were very sensual. When her solo was done, Kaiba whispered, "Wow…"

Merina's character finally came out towards the end of the first act. Before her song started, Yugi got a close look at her costume and blushed. Dressed in leather pants, heel boots, and tiger-striped shirt and accessorized with a studded belt and multiple leather bracelets, she looked like she oozed confidence and she showed that in her bizarre but catchy song. When the show's first act came to an end, the three and their phoenixes went out for some air. Mokuba looked at Kaiba, a little annoyed. "Did you really have to cover my eyes during certain times? I am not a child, Nii-sama." To his surprise, Kaiba said nothing. "Nii-sama?"

Kaiba looked at his program. Mokuba smirked, seeing that Kaiba was not reading. He then looked at Yugi, who was drinking some water. Having rejoined them, the phoenixes were also looking at their guardians and had glints in their eyes. Tarra "spoke" first. ~My, my, my! Itami, have you ever seen our Guardians like this before?~

Itami shook her head. ~One could say that their girlfriends' performances made them…hot under the collar, as they say.~

Yugi went bright red; Kaiba's cheeks had a slight pink to it. Yugi pinched Tarra's beak and Kaiba said through gritted teeth, "You two are asking for it…"

Having been listening, Mokuba smirked. "Well, you guys are giving them ammo."

Yugi looked away. Kaiba looked at his little brother. "At least you're smart enough to not tease me."

Mokuba grinned. "I don't go for easy teases."

Kaiba blushed slightly more but continued to give his brother a hard look. "You better watch it or I'll make sure to get back at you tonight."

Mokuba crossed his arms behind his head. "Nothing you do can bother me. After all, you and Tiki torture me every night with your noises."

Kaiba's glare narrowed. Having not paid attention to the brothers' conversation, Yugi looked over and saw Kaiba's look. Assuming, Yugi asked, "What's going on?"

Grinning, Mokuba went to open his mouth. Kaiba quickly covered his brother's mouth. "Nothing you need to concern yourself with, Yugi."

Looking between the brothers, Yugi figured it out and grimaced. "Kaiba…that's too much information. I don't need to know that about my sister."

Kaiba's eyebrow twitched as he hissed, "It's not like you would do the same to Merina."

Yugi went so red, steam came out of his ear. Mokuba laughed against Kaiba's hand; the phoenixes started chirp-laughing; and Kaiba smirked, satisfied with winning that round. Before Yugi could think of a comeback, they and the audience were called back for act two. Both Tiki's and Merina's characters went through dark times during this act. While Kaiba was not thrilled at the stuff Tiki's went through, both him and Yugi were impressed by her acting.

After the show, the performers came out to talk to the audience. Sitting on the stage, Tiki was fidgeting. Before act two started, Kaiba sent her a quick text, asking her to wear the outfit she wore during her solo. Merina watched and playfully rolled her eyes. "I don't care what you say: you look good in pants."

Tiki blushed and kept fidgeting. "Shut up. I feel so confined."

Before Merina could tease her some more, the three males made their way to them. Mokuba looked excited to talk to them; Kaiba and Yugi, however, kept trying to not think about a particular steamy song the main cast performed in the middle of the second act. Unaware of their thoughts, Mokuba smiled at Tiki and Merina. "You girls were amazing!" He then gave Kaiba a deadpan look. "Though Nii-sama kept covering my eyes."

Merina giggled. "He's just looking out for you, Mokuba."

Tarra's eyes sparkled. ~Still, you two were amazing.~

Itami looked at Kaiba with a glint in her eyes. ~Oh, you were more than that.~

Kaiba glared at Itami, who ignored him. Yugi looked at the girls. "But it's true: you two were great." He then grinned at Tiki. "And it's so nice to see you wearing pants, Tiki!"

Tiki whined. "I feel like I can't breathe in this!"

Kaiba looked at Tiki and smirked. "Regardless, you still look amazing."

Tiki stopped wiggling and peeked up at him, her eyes shining. Reaching out, he took her hand. "May I speak to you…alone?"

Itami flew to Mokuba to give them privacy. Kaiba and Tiki went off to a private corner and Mokuba and Itami started talking. Yugi watched them before turning back to Merina. At the moment, Torru flew down and landed on Merina's shoulder. Watching them, the steamy song kept playing in his head. 'Relax, Yugi, relax. It's just a song…just a song…'

Merina looked over and saw his look. "You okay, Yugi?"

Yugi blushed. Before he could answer, Merina's roommate Cindy, who also played Merina's character's lover, suddenly appeared behind Merina and hugged her tight. Merina and Torru squawked, startled by her sudden appearance. "Cindy!"

Cindy grinned broadly. "Hey sugar!" She then saw Yugi. "Oh! Is this Yugi? It must be! Oh, he's such a cutie and a true keeper!"

Yugi blinked in surprise. He was not expecting her to be so loud and intense, especially since her character was more of a calm business woman. Used to Cindy, Merina smiled at Yugi's reaction. "Yugi, this is my roommate Cindy. Cindy, Yugi."

Cindy looked at Yugi and uttered, "Coo-nee-chi-wah."

Merina covered her mouth to stifle her laughs. While amused as well, Yugi could tell that Cindy was genuinely trying. Luckily, Tarra laughed in his head, allowing him to relax. Cindy continued, "Ooh-ken…no, that's not it. Um…ooh-ken-kee…shit, what was that word again?"

While appreciative, Yugi spoke up. "I can speak English."

Cindy sighed dramatically, relieved. "Oh, thank God! Japanese is just too damn hard!"

Yugi continued to stare at Cindy, still not sure how to process her. Merina looked at Yugi and shrugged a little. 'That's Cindy.'

Cindy put her arm around Merina. "Now listen here, mister. You better not hurt her or I'm taking her as my own."

Yugi blushed but smiled. "I assure you, I would never hurt her."

Cindy smirked and shrugged. "That's too bad, especially since I know what she wears."

Her eyes went to Merina's chest. Tarra looked at Torru. ~Is she always like this?~

Torru nodded as the couple blushed deeply. Merina hugged herself. "C-Cindy!"

Cindy's smirk became a grin. "What? I'm sure he would like to know what you wear! Oh, speaking of…" her voice lowered but she still made sure Yugi could hear her, "…I'm spending the night with my girlfriend Kara tonight so the room is all yours."

Merina's eyes widened. Once again, Yugi went so red, steam came out of his ears. The phoenixes started to shake, trying to keep their laughter in. Tarra's eyes sparkled with a grin. ~I like her.~

Torru nodded in agreement. ~She's a lot of fun to be around.~

Merina, however, had gone red. "C-Cindy!"

Cindy grinned and nudged her arm. This time, she did not try to lower her voice. "You know how it is, girl! He ain't going to stay pure forever, especially with me giving you tips!"

The girls did not notice Yugi's eyes lower. His mind flashed back to the night of his and Tea's anniversary. To his relief, however, Tiki and Kaiba came back as Merina playfully pushed Cindy away. "For now, I'm starving. Let's get dinner!"

Mokuba nodded. "Yes!"

Merina looked at Cindy. "You want to join us?"

Cindy shook her head. "No, thanks. Kara's cooking my favorite meal for me."

Waving at everyone, Cindy left. Mokuba asked, "She'd rather have homemade than a restaurant meal?"

Tiki gave Mokuba a look. "We have a lot of homemade meals."

Kaiba reminded her, "Our chef is a professional."

Tiki could not argue with that. Merina smirked. "Just like Kara: she's training to become a chef."

Mokuba accepted that.

Minutes later, Merina and Tiki came back in their regular clothes and everyone was in the limo, heading out to find some place to eat. The Kaiba brothers and two girls were discussing ideas for restaurants. Yugi, however, kept looking out the window, feeling guilty about the anniversary night. Looking over, Merina noticed and poked Tiki. Talking low, she said, "Yugi seems pretty down about something."

Tiki looked over. Getting an idea, she suggested, "Why don't you take care of him, Merina?"

Merina blushed. "What?!"

Tiki nodded. "I'm sure Cindy won't mind."

Merina muttered to herself, "Cindy's spending the night with Kara…"

Tiki heard her and grinned wider. "That's perfect!"

Merina blushed deeper. "Tiki! You're his sister; he needs you."

Tiki went serious and motioned for Merina to come closer. Once she was close enough, Tiki whispered, "You're his girlfriend. He needs you more than me…now, I think, more than ever."

Merina looked at Yugi. She did note that his attitude changed seemingly all of a sudden. She nodded. "Okay…I'll invite him after dinner."

Tiki nodded. Just then, Mokuba pressed his face against the window. "Ooh, cool! Let's go to that diner!"

Everyone looked out the windows and saw a corner diner that looked like it belonged in the 1950s. Kaiba's eyebrow twitched. "That place?"

Merina nodded with a smiled. "Yeah, that looks cool."

Tiki noticed that Kaiba did not look thrilled but smirked. "I believe that you are out-voted here, Seto."

Kaiba gave her a dirty look but could not argue. He did, though, teasingly put his hand on Mokuba's face to stop the preteen from laughing.

Mokuba insisted on getting a corner booth, both to be between the two couples and to see everything. Kaiba crossed his arms and grumbled, "I feel so stupid here…"

Tiki heard him and got close enough to whisper in his ear, "It's all right, Seto. Later tonight, we'll have a little fun to give you a reward for this."

Kaiba first peeked out the window, grateful that Itami and the other phoenixes were outside. He then whispered back, "I am a patient man, my star. I can wait."

Tiki giggled before turning to the menu. Once the orders for food and drinks were in, the four started to talk about the musical while Kaiba listened to them. Yugi, however, still seemed distracted by something. Merina did notice but decided to wait until the food came. Once their foods came and everyone went quiet with eating, Merina looked at Yugi. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

Yugi looked up from his burger. "Sure. What is it?"

"Would you and Tarra like to come over to my dorm? You know, hang out a little, let Torru and Tarra spend time together, and maybe we can watch a movie together."

Remembering that Cindy would not be there, Yugi blushed. But he felt a little conflicted. 'I do want to spend time with Merina. But…Cindy thinks I'm pure…and I keep thinking about that night…am I ready for something like this?'

Hearing the silence, Merina urged, "Come on, we'll have a good time. Plus…I could use a little company."

Yugi looked at her and smiled. "Okay, I'll come over."

Merina smiled back. 'I hope this time together will help him get his mind off whatever's weighing on him.'

They turned back to the main group when they heard Mokuba teasing his brother. "Nii-sama, this is a place with great burgers. Why did you have to get a salad?"

Kaiba did not look up from his plate. "You are very lucky you are my brother and I can handle your teases."

Mokuba grinned wide. "Riiight…sure you can."

Kaiba looked at Mokuba and smirked a devious smirk. "Besides…I know when and how to take the perfect opportunity for revenge."

Mokuba froze, knowing what Kaiba was implying. He quickly stuffed his mouth with his burger, as if trying to end the conversation. Kaiba smirked with triumph and the rest of the group laughed. Though laughing, Tiki told her boyfriend, "Seto, you're mean."

Kaiba continued to smirk. "It's not being mean; it's called taking payback."

Merina smirked back. "You're one to talk with your history."

Kaiba shot Merina a glare. She was not fazed by the look and went back to her meal. Yugi could not help but chuckle at this, starting to feel better.

After dinner, the limo went back to NYU to drop off Merina and Torru. When they pulled up, Yugi gathered his things, catching Tiki's attention. "You going with Merina?"

Yugi nodded, slightly blushing. His sister grinned but said nothing. Merina got out first with Torru. "Thanks, Kaiba."

Kaiba nodded to her. "You did well tonight."

Merina smirked. "Glad you noticed me instead of just Tiki tonight."

Kaiba smirked in amusement. As Yugi got out, Mokuba blurted out with a grin, "Have fun and don't do anything Nii-sama hasn't."

Yugi and Merina blushed deeply. Glaring, Kaiba covered his brother's mouth. "Now you're really going to get it."

Mokuba could not fight back as Tiki closed the limo's door and the limo drove off. Left alone with the phoenixes, Yugi and Merina were still bright red. Torru and Tarra, on their shoulders, noticed and their eyes glinted mischievously. Torru looked at Tarra. ~What do you think, Tarra? Do you think these two need supervisors?~

Tarra ruffled her feathers, as if shrugging. ~We can try. But I'm sure they'll kick us out the window when they can't keep their hands off each other.~

The couple blushed even redder, making the phoenixes chirp-laugh. Torru flew towards the dorm; Tarra followed. Merina looked at Yugi and took his hand. "Let's get going. I can make some hot chocolate for us."

Yugi smiled and nodded. "Okay."

Sitting on Cindy's colorful bed, Yugi looked around the room. Tarra and Torru were hanging out on top of one of the closets. When Merina came back from the community kitchen with two steaming cups of milk, Yugi commented, "This is a nice room."

Setting down the cups on the microwave, Merina opened the mini fridge in the corner. "Thanks. It's the best Cindy and I could do since all others are too expensive. So what flavor would you like?"

Yugi was too busy looking at the microwave to answer. Seeing him look, she blushed slightly. "We can't use that right now. One of Cindy's friends came over when it was raining two days ago and thought it was a great idea to microwave her wet term paper to get them dry. No one was hurt but our microwave still smells of smoke."

Yugi blinked in surprise. "Why did her friend think that was a good idea?"

"I don't know but, to be fair, she was hungover. Now what flavor do you want? We have peppermint, caramel, snickerdoodle, and classic."

Turning away from the microwave, Yugi answered, "I'll have a classic."

Nodding, Merina got out two Popsicle sticks with chocolate squares on the end. One had mini marshmallows on it; the other was covered in caramel. Yugi blinked in surprise, making Merina chuckle. "Cindy's girlfriend likes to spoil her. She also likes to experiment with food."

She gave her boyfriend a cup of hot milk and the stick with mini marshmallows. Unsure what to do, he watched as Merina dipped her caramel square into her milk and stirred. Within seconds, the milk became hot chocolate. Impressed, Yugi did the same with his before tasting. "This is good."

Merina nodded and looked at their movie collection. As she did, Yugi watched her and thought back to the day. 'Inviting me across the world for her performance…showing me around town…holding my hand and sneaking kisses…inviting me here for hot chocolate…why didn't I choose her from the beginning?'

His mind went back to the anniversary night and his head lowered. Standing up, Merina turned to suggest a couple of movies and saw how he was. Concerned, she sat next to him. "Yugi? What's wrong?"

Yugi looked up before looking back at his hot chocolate. "Nothing."

Still concerned, Merina scooted closer and put her arm around him. "Come on. You can tell me."

Yugi took a sip. "I just…me with Tea…I feel a little guilty about it."

While a little confused about this, Merina told him, "There's no need. Everyone makes mistakes. All we can do is learn from them."

Yugi murmured, "But I gave it away…when it belonged to you…"

Hearing him, Merina's eyes widened. Tarra looked down at her guardian but turned back when she caught Torru's eye. Merina asked, "Yugi…you mean…?"

Yugi froze. He did not mean to slip that out. Seeing Merina's look, he lowered his head. He almost took it back. 'No…I can't run away from this. I need to face this.'

Setting the mug on Cindy's nightstand, he faced his girlfriend. "I need to tell you…the real reason why I was dumped."

Hearing this, Merina put her mug next to his and took him to her bed. "I'm all ears."

Yugi sighed. "It's…a little embarrassing…"

Merina smiled softly. "Yugi, I'm your girlfriend. Feel free to tell me anything."

Yugi thought about Tea's slip and knew he could not bring that up. Instead, he said, "Tea and I…had our first time that night and…it left a bad mark on our relationship."

Merina sighed and shook her head. "I can't believe her…"

Yugi lowered his head. "I wish I could take it back."

Seeing this, Merina hugged him gently. His head snapped up in surprise. "Merina…what are you—?"

Merina gently hushed him. "It's okay."

Yugi's eyes lowered. "Merina…I'm sorry…"

Merina shook her head. "No need to apologize, Yugi. What's done is done; all you can do is move into the future."

Yugi lifted his head to look at her. Seeing the gentle smile on her face made his heart melt. She said gently, "You and I are together now. That's all that matters."

Yugi smiled and nodded. "Yes…and for the rest of our lives."

Merina blushed slightly "Yep…and it starts right here."

Yugi looked at her. Feeling bold, he leaned forward and kissed her. She blushed deeply and so did he. "Was that too much?"

Merina shook her head slowly. "Not at all…"

Hearing that, Yugi kissed her again. Peeking at them, the phoenixes' eyes sparkled. Torru commented, ~All is right in the world: they are together.~

Tarra nodded. ~I'm so happy for them.~ She noticed that the window was unlocked. ~Why don't we give them a moment?~

Torru agreed and they flew off. Tarra did make sure to turn off the lights before she left, setting the atmosphere. The couple did not notice as the kiss got more passionate…

The next morning, Merina woke up to sirens racing across the street. She glared at the window but got distracted by an arm wrapped around her waist. Turning, she smiled to find Yugi still asleep. She then remembered the events of the last night. 'Last night…was the perfect night…'

One part in particular stuck out: Yugi hinted that Tea's slip during a part of their foreplay. With her words and actions, Merina told him he had nothing to worry about. She did blush but knew he appreciated it. As Yugi started to stir, she got an idea. She fixed her hair so that one lock was over one of her eyes. She then laid on her side and propped her head up with her hand. When Yugi woke up, she gave him a sexy look. "Good morning, handsome."

Yugi blushed deeply at how she was looking at him. "Um…good morning…"

She reached over and stroked his hair. "Did you have a good sleep?"

Yugi nodded. "Yes…"

He then looked her over and felt an urge. He kissed her deeply. He wanted to start again but his stomach growled, making him pause. Merina giggled. "Maybe we should get some breakfast."

Yugi nodded, disappointed that his hunger stopped them from doing it again. "Yeah…maybe Tiki and Kaiba can join us."

Merina agreed. "I'll give Tiki a call."

As she reached over to get her phone, Yugi looked around. "Where are the phoenixes?"

Just then, there was a tapping at the window. The couple looked up to see the phoenixes. Merina opened the window and said, "We're going to the coffee shop below."

Torru nodded. Tarra, however, looked at Yugi with a mischievous glint in her eyes. ~Looks like you two had a great night. Can't wait to hear all the details.~

Yugi blushed deeply, making the phoenixes chirp-laugh and fly to a nearby tree. Yugi glared. "Quite a pair…"

Once dressed, the couple started to head down to the coffee shop at the bottom of Goddard Hall. As they went, Merina remembered. "Tiki said she wanted to talk to you about something."

Yugi was surprised. "Really? About what?"

Merina shrugged. "Beats me. I tried to get her to give me a hint but she said it was a sibling thing."

Yugi nodded. He looked at her jean short-shorts and pink tank top. He remembered last night, especially Merina's reaction to him telling her about the slip, and knew, 'A perfect night…'

Seeing him looking, Merina smiled and took his hand. They headed to the coffee shop and found Tiki and Kaiba waiting at an outdoor table. The couple ordered drinks and breakfast sandwiches and then joined Kaiba and Tiki. Kaiba nodded his good morning as he drank his coffee. Merina's eyebrow twitched. "Is that coffee or a latte?"

Kaiba said nothing. Tiki giggled and hugged Kaiba's arm. She then looked at Yugi. "Come here."

As she pulled him aside, he got a little nervous. "What is it?"

Tiki grinned. "Since I have more experience, do you want me to give Merina some tips?"

Yugi blushed bright red; he was almost glowing. "T-Tiki!"

Tiki giggled. "I'm sorry but I couldn't help it." Her eyes then lowered to his neck and grinned. "But it seems Merina did very well."

Yugi got confused. She pointed to his neck and he touched it. His eyes widened: he had forgotten to wear his collar and he knew what was showing. "Crap, I left it upstairs!"

Tiki continued to grin. "What else did you leave behind?"

Yugi glared, still blushing, as they went back to the table. Kaiba smirked his trademark smirk. "Have a good talk?"

Yugi looked away, still embarrassed, as Tiki nodded. "I think so. Just know the offer's on the table, Yugi."

Yugi said nothing and went to get his and Merina's foods. When he came back, Kaiba looked at him and smirked. "Leaving a mark, Merina?"

Yugi blushed and covered his neck but not before Merina noticed the mark. Tiki smiled as she sipped her blended drink. "Indeed."

Kaiba looked at Tiki and spoke quietly but loud enough for Yugi and Merina to hear him: "They need to learn to leave marks where they can't be seen."

Tiki giggled and gleefully sipped her drink. The couple blushed, blushes that worsened when the phoenixes joined in. Tarra's eyes sparkled. ~You're just like your past self.~

Torru nodded. ~As I recall, Atem was much worse with his teases.~

Tarra agreed. Itami's eyes gave Kaiba a glint. ~Seto, maybe you should mention to Atem Yugi's greatest accomplishment.~

Kaiba smirked some more. "Maybe I should…"

Hearing that, Yugi and Merina yelled, "No!"

Yugi pleaded. "Not Atem! Never Atem! He's the worse! I should know: we shared a body for three years!"

Merina pressed her hands together in pleading. "Please, Kaiba! Please don't! Please!"

Tiki giggled. "Come on, you two. He's just joking. Seto, you're just joking, right?"

Kaiba smirked and sipped his coffee. Yugi blushed and cleared his throat. "So…do you have any more performances of the show?"

Merina shook her head. "We showed you the final one."

Tiki grinned. "You know, save the best for last."

Yugi thought for a second. "That also means that I'm leaving tomorrow morning."

Merina looked at him. "At least we have the day."

Tiki grinned. "And you two have one more night."

The couple glared at her. Merina hissed, "You're evil, Tiki."

Setting down her drink, Tiki put her hands together as if praying. "But I'm an angel!"

Yugi sneered, "Though I wonder about those horns that are holding up your halo."

Tiki stuck her tongue out at Yugi, who rolled his eyes but still laughed.

Merina and Tiki took Yugi around New York the rest of the day (Kaiba had to work). They took him to all the tourist spots like the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island. Yugi enjoyed the day but especially enjoyed the company of Merina, as he was not sure when he would see her physically again.

That night, the two couples went to the Rainbow Room to celebrate the end of a successful show and the end of Yugi's trip. The phoenixes stayed outside as the Rainbow Room did not allow animals of any kind. While waiting for their food, Yugi and Merina watched Kaiba and Tiki dancing in the center revolving floor. Yugi was a little hesitant to join them with Merina because he was hesitant about his own dancing skills. But he could tell that Merina was a little jealous of his sister and her beloved. She noted, "I gotta say, I never thought of Kaiba as a dancer."

Yugi had to agree. "Me either. But he has changed a lot over the years."

Merina nodded and continued to watch the dances. Yugi's eyes lowered to her navy blue, flowery cocktail dress. As a new song started, Yugi took a deep breath and stood up. Offering his hand to her, he asked, "Care to dance?"

Her eyes sparkling, Merina smiled and took his hand. "Thought you'd never ask."

Smiling, he took her to the dancing floor. Once in the middle, they got in position to waltz and Yugi blushed. "Bear with me. I'm not a good danger."

Merina smiled in amusement. "It's okay. Just follow the music and go with it."

Yugi took a second to listen. Once he got the flow, he started to move with it. As they danced, Merina beamed. "I don't know why you were worried. For the first time, you're pretty good."

Yugi did feel silly about his worries and suggested, "Maybe it's natural when I'm with you."

Merina smiled some more as they continued to dance, unaware that Tiki and Kaiba were watching them from the table. Tiki smiled widely. "They look so happy together."

Kaiba had a waiter pour four glasses of wine and commented, "They had better be. They had enough speed-bumps."

Tiki agreed but pointed out, "Every relationship has that. Ours is the same."

Kaiba said nothing, knowing most of the speed bumps came from him. Sensing what he was thinking, Tiki giggled and reached over to take his hand. "Well, I'm happy for them. While it is long distance, it is strong."

Kaiba nodded as Yugi and Merina came back to the table. Tiki grinned. "You two looks so cute together."

Yugi pulled out Merina's chair and she sat down. "Thanks, Tiki."

Taking his own seat, Yugi smiled. "We're just trying to enjoy every moment of it."

Tiki nodded. "We don't blame you for that."

Kaiba added, "You two are in a rough time, with being long distance."

Tiki gave him a look. Yugi and Merina, however, just looked at each other and smiled. Merina pointed, "But it'll be worth it."

Yugi nodded, still smiling.