Tem threw his stupid headdress across the room and fell back onto his bed with a groan. As it turned out, being the ruler of a country was exhausting . He'd spent the whole day tied up in religious ceremonies and meetings, his only break the short periods allotted for eating and bathing. Now, with the setting of the sun, he was finally free to rest until just before dawn, at which point he'd have to rise and do it all again.

Yuugi is never allowed to complain about having too much school work ever again. How in the world did I do this every day? Tem thought as he stared up at his ceiling.

Soft fur brushed against his legs, drawing his attention downward to the cheetah watching him from the edge of the bed. He smiled at her and patted the spot beside him. In response, Nedjemet released a small chirp and jumped up to lay beside her master. Tem turned towards her, propping his head on his right hand and using his left to carefully pet her. "How was your day, dearheart? Did you laze about in any particularly nice sun spots?"

The cheetah purred and Tem laughed. "Good. I am glad of it. It means that at least one of us enjoyed themself."

He stroked her in silence for a moment, then asked, "Shall I tell you about my day? It was an interesting one, I promise."

Nedjemet looked up at him with her soft amber eyes and Tem nodded. "Very well then. Let me think, where shall we start?

"Oh, I know. We shall start with the point of highest interest. Apparently, I have committed the truly idiotic act of falling in love," he confessed with a sigh. Then he quickly added, "Do not worry, he will not replace you. You are still the queen of my heart, it has simply gained the addition of a king. A kind, beautiful king who deserves far better than a mostly-dead pharaoh. I cannot even hold him properly, let alone shower him with the passions he deserves."

Tem fell silent once more, losing himself in his own thoughts as he ran his hand over his pet's soft fur. Eventually, he murmured, "I do not think that I have ever been in love before. There was that brief period when I pined for Mahado, but it pales in comparison to this. Never before have I felt this longing desire to give someone all that I have and am. Would that my light had lived in my time, perhaps we could have found a way. I would still have had to take wives, but they would have known that I was not beholden to them alone. There would have been no guilt in stolen moments and nights of pleasure..."

Tem trailed off, allowing his gaze to drift over his fine sheets and soft pillows, imagining what could have been. He had no memories of sharing his bed. No memories of ever wanting to, either. He had thought about it, though, if only in the context of his duty to produce an heir. Now, for the first time, he considered what it would be like to share it as an act of desire instead of duty. He could recall having a body of his own now, along with memories of time spent alone with it. Surely there could not be that great a difference between what he enjoyed and that which would bring another man ecstasy.

He let out a groan and flopped onto his back, bringing his hands up to cover his eyes as he growled, "I am allowing fantasies to get in the way of reason! I can command men's actions, but not their hearts. I would only want him if he came willingly and I am hardly his type! He would-"

Tem's rant was cut short by a sudden pressure on his chest. He lowered his hands to find Nedjemet lying there, looking at him. He smiled sheepishly at her and ran a hand over the fur on the top of her head. "Of course, my apologies, it was quite rude of me to stop petting you when you were enjoying it so."

He continued to pet her as he admitted, "I think I shall be glad to be rid of this form. I sense that feelings alone will prove distracting, contending with both them and all of these physical reactions is enough to drive a man mad! I do not think that I could hide my desires for long if our bond functioned while I was like this and... and I do not wish him to know the truth.

"What would be my purpose in telling him? Even if I was to somehow gain him, what kind of lover would I be? A shadow he can never touch? Perhaps, if I could share him, there would be some hope, but I would be selfish. Jealously demanding all of his affections, leaving him to a cold bed and endless nights alone. Passion would soon fade to misery and he would doubtless come to hate me in the end."

Tem closed his eyes, allowing the pressure on his chest to distract him from his own dark thoughts. Then he heaved a deep sigh and said, "I must leave you briefly, for Marik and Yuugi will surely arrive before long, if they are not already waiting. We have much to discuss and I must know what they have discovered. My mission here is to finish the task that I started 3000 years ago. That must be my focus, not my own self-serving wants."

With that, Tem gently coaxed Nedjemet off of his chest. Then he rose to his feet and pulled a hooded cloak from one of the room's many chests. He fastened this around his neck and pulled it tight around himself, doing his best to disguise his appearance. Once he was done, he exited his room. His guards tried to follow, but he ordered them to wait here and only search for him if he had not returned by the next hour.

Yuugi and Marik followed along behind Tem as he guided them through the dimly-lit palace. At any sign of movement, he'd have them stop and wait, doing their best to stay unseen. According to Tem, the only people he could trust to keep a secret were certain family members and his own personal guards. Any servant or courtier would doubtless spread the word of strangers visiting with the pharaoh in the night. Gods only knew what the consequences of that would be. It could mean nothing or it could lead to Isis barging in on their meeting.

Eventually, they arrived at a guarded doorway. Tem nodded to the men standing there and they nodded back, a wordless promise of discretion. Then he led his guest into the room beyond.

It was an ornate chamber, lit by an ethereal mixture of pale moonlight and the dim, golden glow of oil lamps. Yuugi got to appreciate it for all of five seconds before his eyes caught sight of the massive cat lying on the bed. In an instant, he was clinging to his partner's arm and hissing, "Tem, there, on the bed!"

Tem looked down, surprised by the contact, then his gaze followed along to where Yuugi was pointing. When he realized the cause of his partner's fear, he laughed. "Do not be frightened, she will not harm you."

Yuugi's terrified stare turned to one of utter confusion, making it clear that he thought his partner had lost his mind.

Marik, on the other hand, grinned and cried, "A cheetah! I knew they were pets in these days, but I never expected to meet one! Can I pet her? Him? I don't actually know how to tell the difference."

Tem smiled and nodded. "Nedjemet is female and you may pet her if she allows it, but you must be gentle in your approach. They are shy creatures. In fact, here, let us seat ourselves and then I shall call her over."

Once they were all seated in Tem's small sitting area, he clicked his tongue and called, "Nedjemet! Come!"

The cheetah studied him for a moment and then hopped off the bed, trotting to his side. When she arrived, he gestured to the couch Marik was sitting on. The cheetah slowly stalked forward, scenting the air, considering this new arrival to her lair. After a few moments, she jumped up to sit by Marik, though she did not lay down.

"You have been granted a chance to gain her favor," Tem teased. "Move slowly and allow her to see all of your motions, otherwise she will leave you."

Marik gave the smallest of nods and did as instructed.

Once his guest had successfully rested his hand on Nedjemet's back, Tem began to speak again, "Now that the first order of business has been addressed, I would like to move on to more pressing matters. Shall we start with what I have learned or do you two have good news that you wish to share?"

"We have news, but none of it's 'good'," Yuugi replied sadly. "We had no luck finding your ren and have a potential task that might take the rest of the night, so let's start with your side of things."

Tem nodded. "Very well. I went about my day performing the tasks expected of me. During that time, I made two discoveries, though they only raised more questions and provided no answers. The first, hopefully minor, discovery is that, in this time, the millennium eye is held by my uncle. A man that I have only vague memories of. This concerns me, but not to an extreme. My uncle is a high priest, second only to the pharaoh in the order of the item keepers. He would have been a busy man. Seeing as I have mostly gained knowledge of those that I was close to, my lack of memories may simply reflect that."

"Or it could be something darker," Marik pointed out. "Our knowledge of the eye has always been that it's dangerous. That there was something wrong with it. We have to assume that was true even now."

"Indeed, though you will permit me the foolish hope that you are wrong," Tem replied with a half-hearted smile. Then he continued, "The more pressing discovery came this afternoon. I now have some memory of the so-called 'god's monsters'. I have seen their shrine and remember that they were bound to me, but the details of that ceremony elude me. I cannot recall their names. Your family knew the name of the great dragon dedicated to the Lord of the West, how did this come to be and do you know the others?"

Marik's face twisted into a grimace as he shook his head and admitted, "We only know about the sky dragon because of past memory worlds. Apparently someone was able to relive a time when either you or your father summoned the creature. They had its name recorded and handed down through the generations in the hopes that we would one day learn how to summon it ourselves, but that never happened. Anyone foolish enough to try was struck dead. You don't remember anything about the binding ceremony?"

"I remember my father and I cleansing ourselves in preparation, but after that? Nothing. It is lost to me."

"Damn it," Marik swore. "I was really hoping you'd at least remember their names. Our best guess is that we'll need all three to win."

"It is a wise guess," Tem agreed. "They were our greatest weapons by far. None could surpass their combined strength."

"Well, I suppose we'll just have to keep moving along and hope you learn their names somehow. Maybe we could even create a memory world to send you back to the ceremony," Marik mused. Then he shrugged and said, "I guess it's our turn to disappoint you, huh?"

"Any disappointment I may experience is due to the situation at hand, not the ones bringing me knowledge," Tem replied regally, earning smiles from his companions.

"Spoken like a king," Marik quipped before motioning for Yuugi to take over.

The smaller teen nodded and began his narrative, filling Tem in on both the existence of Ryou's duplicate and the broken cartouche. The more he spoke, the darker Tem's face grew. By the end of the tale, the once-ruler had closed his eyes and began to massage his forehead.

"I am uncertain as to which piece of news should worry me more: the clear sign of broken protection or the unknown invader."

"Well, there's nothing we can do about the cartouche, but we were hoping that you might remember a spell to track Ryou. A way to follow him and learn who or what he is," Yuugi explained.

Tem opened his eyes and studied his love, taking in the hopeful expression and worried eyes. Then he smiled. "I know of no such spell, but there is a way. It will mean bringing another into our number, though."

Marik and Yuugi exchanged looks, then spoke in unison, asking, "Who?"

Mahado strode into the room with a curious look on his face. When he caught sight of Tem's guests, his eyebrows rose, but his voice was calm as he bowed and said, "Good evening, my pharaoh, life, prosperity, and health be ever with you. Might I know why your guard woke me from my slumber?"

"There is no need for formality here, old friend. These are trusted allies and I summoned you here because we are in need of your item's tracking magic," Tem explained. As he spoke, Nedjement left her spot by Marik's side and came to greet Mahado.

When she rubbed against his leg, he smiled softly and gave a small bow, saying, "My lady."

This short greeting made Tem's face morph into a deeply unimpressed look, prompting Yuugi to ask, "What's wrong?"

"A humorless joke," Tem replied, glaring at his friend.

Mahado gazed back with a look of serene calm, though his eyes were shining as he said, "I was merely paying her the respect due one of her position."

Tem continued to glare as Mahado moved across the room and joined them in the sitting area. Once his friend had taken a spot on one of the open couches, Tem crossed his arms and threatened, "If you continue in this manner, I shall give your sister the honor."

"I hardly see how that would punish me ," Mahado replied.

"The first of my wives will deserve the greatest of protectors," Tem explained with a pointed look. Real fear flashed in Mahado's eyes, making Tem smirk in triumph.

"Must you turn even a harmless joke into a competition to be won?" Mahado asked, a hint of exasperation leaking into his voice.

Before Tem could fire back, the sound of giggles drew both of their gazes to Yuugi. The teen was sitting with his mouth covered, trying to stifle his mirth.

Tem gave his partner a confused once-over. "Are you alright?"

Yuugi nodded. "I'm fine. It's just nice to know that you were always a terrible loser."

As Tem frowned, Mahado gave Yuugi a curious look. "Have you had the chance to face him in a game?"

The amethyst-eyed teen nodded. "On several occasions. I quickly learned that anything less than total victory meant immediate demands for a rematch."

"You have played against him!" Mahado cried, smiling.

"Let us focus our attention on the matter at hand," Tem interrupted, sensing danger in this discussion.

In an instant, Mahado's smile faded, replaced with a serious look as he gave Tem his full attention.

"These two are trusted allies who have discovered a potential plot against Kemet. We need to track down a certain individual. Can you assist us?"

Mahado nodded and replied, "Of course, but I must know more about this person first. Something unique. Perhaps their appearance?"

"Do you have ink and blank papyrus?" Marik asked, finally joining the conversation.

Tem nodded, rising to his feet and going to a nearby chest of drawers. He returned with the requested items, handing them over. Marik moved to sit on the floor, creating a work station for himself. Then he began to draw. As he did, he asked, "Do you need a full figure or can I stick to the face?"

"The face should be enough, unless it is unusually plain," Mahado replied, coming to stand behind Marik. "It would help if you also told me any distinct characteristics you know about this man."

"Well, for starters, his hair is white," Marik replied. Mahado nodded and the two began working together to create a strong enough impression for Mahado to use his item.

Sensing that this would take a while, Tem stood up and walked out onto his room's balcony, leaving the duo to their work. After a moment's hesitation, Yuugi rose and followed close behind.

Tem wasn't surprised when Yuugi came to stand by his side, joining him in staring pensively out at the slumbering city. Nor was he surprised when his partner broke the silence between them.

"I'm glad to see that you had friends."

"As was I," Tem admitted. "Though I do not think that I saw them often in my final days. The position of pharaoh was one of immense responsibility. My time was rarely my own."

"Couldn't you have just taken a day off? Decreed a national holiday or something?"

"The greatest responsibility that comes with the throne is knowing that the power you wield is given by the gods, not man. Abuse their gift and all of Kemet will suffer their wrath," Tem intoned. Then he glanced over at Yuugi and found his love staring at him with a baffled expression.

At the sight of that dear face warped by concern, Tem began to laugh. Deep, shoulder-shaking chuckles that left him unable to speak for several long moments. When he regained his breath, he grinned and said, "Apologies, partner, I had forgotten how little you knew of my time. Had I said that to anyone here, they would have just nodded in solemn agreement. It is good to be reminded that all this is but a memory."

Yuugi returned the grin, but there was worry in his eyes and voice when he asked, "How are you handling all of these memories? It can't be easy to know that this will all come to an end in the near future."

Tem sighed, turning his gaze back to the night, thinking. Eventually, he replied, "There is a part of me that wants this to be my reality. To stay here in comfortable familiarity. It is a small part, though. The rest of me knows that this is not my home. That the people here are mere shadows of what they once were. There are times when I cannot tell if their actions are true to themselves or if they are merely the result of my own rose-tinted memory. It is like an intensely realistic dream. I can lose myself in it for hours at a time, but then some small action occurs or some tiny detail catches my eye and I find myself remembering that none of this is real.

"It is easiest when you are here," Tem admitted, turning his gaze back to Yuugi. "I cannot lose myself with you by my side, reminding me of truth."

Yuugi flushed at the praise, ducking his head and fiddling with the hair on the back of his neck. "I'm glad to help in any way I can."

"I know. It is one of your most admirable qualities," Tem praised, enjoying the darkening flush on his love's cheeks. Then he turned back to face the view and asked, "And what of you? What do you think of this world?"

"It's... incredible," Yuugi whispered, looking out on the slumbering city. "I think I prefer my modern conveniences too much to ever want to live here, but there's something to be said for the grandeur of the past. I don't think I'll ever forget this, barring any world-saving spells, of course."

Tem grinned, chuckling lightly. "Yes, we cannot forget those, can we?"

"I think the problem is that you did," Yuugi teased. Then he glanced back towards the room they'd come from and asked, "Say, what was up with the wife banter from before. D-did you have one?"

There was an odd note in Yuugi's voice, earning a considering look from Tem, but he quickly decided to let it be and just answer the question. "Not that I can recall, but I was certainly expected to choose at least one in the near future. It was not a duty that I was particularly looking forward to and my hesitance led to many comments and jokes among my inner circle. I had only managed to delay the process first by virtue of my father's mourning period and then by virtue of the stress caused by my impending coronation. Once that had passed, I would have had to choose soon or risk upsetting Ma'at."

"Ma'at?" Yuugi echoed. "I don't think I understand that one. It's like 'ren'. I have a vague idea, but I can tell it's incomplete."

"What do you think it means?"

"Order? Truth? Some combination of the two?"

"You are not wrong, but there is far more to it than that. Ma'at is both a goddess and the concept of divine order itself. The rules by which one must live in order to please the gods. As pharaoh, it was my job to preserve that divine order and ensure that Kemet did not fall into the hands of chaos. All that I did was in service to Ma'at," Tem explained, turning his gaze towards the star-filled heavens.

"Getting married was part of divine order?" Yuugi asked, sounding incredulous.

"Married? No. Producing an heir, though? That was an act of divine obedience. A way to ensure that the blood of the gods continued for another generation."

"But you died before you could," Yuugi murmured, thinking through the implications. "What does that mean for Ma'at?"

"To die without a clear heir is to invite chaos," Tem admitted. "There would have doubtless been a period of unrest far longer than is tradition. Normally, there is only a single night between the death of a pharaoh and the formal recognition of his successor. When no obvious heir exists, that time of uncertainty can go on for many days. However, it is not as if I was the last of my line. Though I had no brother who lived to maturity, I had sisters. Women of royal blood whose heirs would continue the family line."

"Sisters? As in, more than one?"

Tem glanced at Yuugi out of the corner of his eye, a smirk tugging at his lips. "My father ruled for 20 years and had three wives. I can recall at least eight sisters who grew up with me in the harem, not to mention his children through the concubines who also resided there. They would have had little right to claim the throne, though."

By the time Tem finished, Yuugi's eyes were wide as dinner plates. "Eight?"

"Yes, though only Isis and I shared a mother. The others were all what you would call half-sisters, children of my father through lesser wives. It makes sense that the duty of continuing the family line would fall to Isis and, as she was already married to a suitable man, it makes equal sense that Seti would take the crown. It is doubtless part of why father encouraged the match. He always did his best to ensure Ma'at."

Yuugi stared at his partner in stunned silence. Then he shook his head and resumed gazing out into the night. "I take it love wasn't part of the equation in these days?"

"It could be, but it was hardly the driving force it seems to be in your time. There was great affection between my parents, but father's advice on the matter never related to the heart. He always cautioned me to choose someone whose company I would enjoy and who would be well-received by my advisors. A woman who would be as great a mother as my own. Though my memories of this topic are vague at best, I believe that I was considering asking a dear friend of mine. Someone I loved with all my heart, if only as a friend. I could have happily spent my days with her."

"That seems... sad. To marry for duty instead of love," Yuugi whispered. Then he glanced over at Tem and asked, "Did it mean giving up on someone you really wanted?"

Tem turned to stare at Yuugi, taking in the way that his love seemed to glow in the moonlight. A wry smile spread across his face. "I left no great love behind when I died. Of that I am certain."

Yuugi smiled back, oblivious to his partner's amusement. "That's something, at least!"

"I suppose it is," Tem agreed, allowing a pleasant silence to fall between them.

Eventually, Yuugi interrupted it again to ask, "Do you think we'll have time to swing by the safe house once Mahado and Marik are finished?"

Tem shook his head. "I am afraid that we can ill afford the time, given that the memory world could unravel at any moment. You and Marik will have to find your own way back."

Yuugi stiffened and then spun to stare at Tem. "Wait, what?"

"I can provide a guard if you are worried, though I do not know what harm could befall you while you are in the city," Tem confusedly suggested, turning so that they were standing face to face.

"No, it's not- I- You're not taking us along?" Yuugi demanded, tone frantic.

"Taking you-" Tem began with a puzzled frown. Then, suddenly, he understood. His voice was gentle as he explained, "Yuugi, we have no idea what waits for us in the desert. This could lead to a full out confrontation and you are no fighter or trained mage. You do not even have access to our item in this place."

Yuugi opened and shut his mouth several times, clearly struggling to find the right words. Finally, he said, "I know that, but like you said, we don't know what's waiting. There could be some way that I could help?"

"Perhaps, but the more likely scenario is that you would wind up injured or worse. I will not have you taking needless risk on my account."

"I wouldn't," Yuugi pleaded. "If a fight broke out, I'd run and hide. I know that I'd only be in the way."

Tem reached out, taking his partner's pale hands in his own sun-kissed ones. "Then stay here. Stay safe. Please."

Yuugi stared down at their hands, breath coming in shaky gasps. It was clear that his mind was racing and so Tem waited, hoping that his love would see reason. He could not go on knowing that Yuugi had perished out of misguided obligation.

After several long moments, Yuugi bit his lip and adjusted their hands, moving so that his fingers were entwined with Tem's. "Why do you think that I want to go with you?"

"Because you promised to stay by my side until the end," Tem replied instantly. "A noble promise, but not one that need be taken quite so literally."

Yuugi nodded, as if that had been what he expected to hear. Then he took a deep breath and admitted, "I know why you'd think that, but you're wrong. I'm not doing this because of a promise or out of some misguided sense of obligation to the world. Yes, those things matter, but at the end of the day, my main motivation is simply that I want to be there. I want to know that, if something happens to you, it happened in a way that I couldn't have stopped. If I'm there, then I can have that. If I'm not, then I'll spend the rest of my life wondering if I could have changed things.

"I meant what I said. I know that I'm not a fighter or a mage. All I'm good for is solving puzzles and playing games. I know that the most likely scenario involves me standing by and watching as you save the world. I know that me going along means a risk I probably don't have to take. That's it though. I'm not doing it because I have to."

As Yuugi spoke, his grip on Tem's hands tightened, though not to an uncomfortable level. Just enough to convey the seriousness of his words.

Tem stared at Yuugi, taking in his partner's determined face and pleading eyes. He found himself speaking, almost without thought. "Yuugi, if something happens to me, it is merely the final act of one who is already dead. The same cannot be said of you. You have a whole life left to live. Why would you-"

"Stop it!" Yuugi cried, interrupting Tem mid-sentence. Angry tears pooled in amethyst eyes as he continued, "Stop acting like your existence has no meaning! Every time we face some unknown threat, you turn into this self-sacrificing idiot who thinks he's got nothing left to give! 'Smash the puzzle, Yuugi.' 'Throw me in the nearest river, Yuugi.' Do you know what that does to me? Hearing you act as if you're some worthless ghost when you're so much more than that? You might not have a body, but you've got everything that really matters! I'm not in love with some vague memory of a person! I can feel your emotions, remember? They're as real as mine! You care about the world, about our friends, about me! You're brimming with personality and passion, just like anyone else! You're alive in every way that matters as far as I'm concerned!"

When Yuugi finished, he just stood there, chest heaving, gaze fierce. Tem stared back, eyes wide, replaying the words over and over, trying to puzzle out some meaning beyond the obvious. When he realized he couldn't, he whispered, "You are in love with me?"

Yuugi frowned, gaze turning to the ground in thought. Then his eyes widened and his head snapped back up. Heat rushed to his cheeks and he brought his hands up to cover his mouth, removing them from Tem's weakened grasp in the process.

Eventually, Yuugi closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh, lowering his hands and wrapping them around himself as he whispered, "I didn't mean to... it doesn't matter what I meant, does it? I said it and it's not like it was a lie."

He opened his eyes, staring up at Tem as he continued, "Yes, I- I love you. How could I not? You're incredible and I hate that you can't seem to see that. I don't consider your existence worth anything less than mine."

Confession complete, Yuugi turned towards the balcony's railing, staring up into the heavens as he added, "I don't have any expectation of you feeling the same way or even responding. I don't want this to be some burden for you to carry. Once I'm done, I'll head back inside and we can act as if this never happened. Hopefully, though, it helps you understand why I can't stay behind. If something happens to you out there while I'm hiding away, I'll feel like the biggest failure on the planet. If I go with you and die, though? Well, then I'll know that I did everything I could to free the- the man I love. Please don't deny me that. Let me come and know that, whatever happens, it was absolutely, 100% my choice."

Silence hung between them, then Yuugi nodded at the night and turned towards the doorway, clearly planning to walk away. He'd barely taken a single step when Tem realized that he couldn't let his partner leave. He reached out, grabbing Yuugi's hand, stopping the smaller teen in his tracks.

Yuugi turned back towards Tem, face confused. Then he took in his partner's wide eyes and lost expression. A soft smile quirked at his lips. "It's fine, Tem. I meant what I said. I have no expectations of you. You saw what I was like with Anzu. I can handle myself around someone I have feelings for. This doesn't need to change anything."

Tem didn't say a word. He just stared at Yuugi, mind racing. All of his fears and doubts from earlier in the evening coming back in full force. There were so many ways that this could go wrong. Why couldn't he just take the out that Yuugi was offering? It would be so easy to nod and promise to stay friends. Yuugi would smile, walk away, and they'd never speak of this again. It was the simple path. The path that avoided all the risks of heartbreak and pain.

It was also the path Tem knew he'd regret for the rest of his strange existence.

I have never been one to take the easy road, he thought. Then he smiled and did his best to keep his voice steady as he said, "I would give you the world if I could."

Yuugi's only response was a confused look, so Tem tried again, taking the direct approach this time. "When I regained my memories, I was so pleased with myself. I had managed to navigate the world without fully knowing what it was to be human. Then I saw you and all that unearned confidence disappeared in an instant. It turns out that my lack of knowledge had made me oblivious to the glaringly obvious. I am desperately in love with you and likely have been so for months."

"What?" Yuugi asked, sounding dazed.

"I can repeat it in Japanese if you like," Tem offered, trying not to grin and failing utterly.

"You're serious," Yuugi whispered, taking a step closer, studying his partner's face.

"I am," Tem agreed, reaching out and brushing the back of his hand against Yuugi's cheek. The smaller teen reached up, taking that hand in his own almost instinctively. By now, he was smiling, too, eyes bright and full of so much love that Tem felt like an idiot. How could he have missed the fact that his feelings were so unmistakably returned?

He leaned forward, pressing their foreheads together, closing his eyes and just breathing in the moment. He could feel his heart racing, the warmth of Yuugi's hand in his own, the pressure where their bodies touched. It was all so much better than their soul rooms.

"I would quite like to kiss you now," Tem whispered and Yuugi nodded, seemingly unable to speak.

Tem reached out, gently cupping his love's cheek as he leaned in and pressed their lips together. He could feel a subtle pressure, but it was nothing like he'd imagined. After a moment, he pulled back, resting his forehead on Yuugi's once more, trying to figure out what was off.

It was Yuugi who pointed out the obvious explanation. "Don't think for a second that I'm complaining, but that seemed almost like we were back in our soul rooms."

Tem groaned and worry grew in Yuugi's eyes. "What? What is it?"

"Perception," the dark-skinned teen growled, letting his eyes fall shut. "Everything here is based on my memories and I have no memories of kissing. Could the gods have not granted me this one boon?"

"I was your first kiss?" Yuugi asked.

Tem opened his eyes to find his love practically glowing. Eyes bright, pale lips smiling. "You are not disappointed?"

Yuugi shook his head lightly, just enough to convey the motion without having to move away. "Never. This is perfect! I like that it's ours and no one else's. But if you're not enjoying it-"

Before Yuugi could finish his teasing comment, Tem growled and pulled his love in for another kiss. He could feel Yuugi laughing and looping his arms around Tem's neck, pulling him closer. His love was right. It might not be the sort of kiss he had expected, but it was theirs and so much more than would have ever been possible in the real world. The feel of Yuugi in his arms, knowing that his feelings were returned? That was more than enough to make this moment precious.

Come what may, I can never regret this, Tem thought as he let himself forget about what lay ahead. Allowed them both one brief moment to be exactly what they were: two teenage boys, madly in love with each other.