If you're diabetic I suggest you stay away from this fic. It's that sweet. More a mood/scene piece than anything . . .
Winter Treasures
"Walk with me?" Yugi had asked. He looked out the window at the steel-gray skies, then back at the living violet shine of his hikari's eyes.
No debate over which would win. He nodded.
Yugi smiled. And proffered a scarf.
=====
So they walked. Past various buildings and through streets mired down with slush. A warm glow played over them as they passed through alternating patches of light and shadow—the city was well wrapped in evening, and from nearly every window radiated humanity's attempts to drive the darkness back.
Not that he himself needed any such material lamp. He was the master of the dark, and illuminating his way walked his own hikari.
Under streetlight and back out again, light dancing around Yugi as if hesitant to leave him, but eventually forced to as they passed from its embrace. Then it would be back, clinging to the smaller form in joyous reunion. A slight breeze ruffled Yugi's yellow scarf, momentarily gracing him with a brilliant tail like a comet . . . or was that trail?
No matter. For his purposes, they were the same.
The same breeze turned his focus to his own garb as it touched his coat with curious fingers. Long and pale, it curved coquettishly under the attention and billowed about his legs. Then the breeze moved on and the coat settled down again.
For once he wore his own clothing, not a heavily modified copy of what Yugi had on at that moment. Ma'at only knew what would happen to them if he returned to his Soul Room in a hurry, but for now he duly appreciated their protection; it was blasted cold outside. Again he thanked Yugi's insistence in the matter of outerwear.
He'd taken the scarf and raised a silent eyebrow, in both inquiry and skepticism. Yugi giggled.
"It's not going to bite you."
He turned the blood-red length over and over. It was thick, and soft, and luxurious, and it piled up eagerly in his hands. "I am well aware of that, aibou. And what would you have me do with it?"
Yugi huffed at him. "You're not going outside dressed like that." Slender hands indicated the habitual school uniform and black leather that he instinctively reverted to whenever he chose to manifest into this plane of reality. "Not like that, you'll freeze."
He considered this, the chilly state of affairs beyond the window, then chuckled lowly. "True enough."
So here they walked, both halves' usual leather collars left lying at home for the sake of the scarves they wore. Yugi's woolen jacket bordered between slate-blue and sky-blue, depending on how the light hit him. Soft green mittens shielded his hands, currently stuffed into the pockets of his red pants. And for once Yugi was not traversing the world in those sneakers of his; the snow and slush made anything but boots impractical, not to mention dripping wet.
As for himself . . . well . . .
He'd never worn anything like this before, he was certain. Yugi tended toward leather. And black, lots of black. And metal accessories. He heartily approved. Most of the time the only changes he made to Yugi's clothing when he emerged were size modifications, maybe a little flare with the jacket. Oh, and the matter of footwear, of course.
It was with some amusement that he found himself in an ensemble not heavily decked out with buckles and straps. The thick midnight blue sweater and black denim slacks were a far cry from what he generally wore.
Also easier to get into, certainly.
With the muted tones of his clothing, he would have blended easily into the shadows . . . save for the beige greatcoat he wore over it all. He had no idea where Yugi procured the garment from. Certainly it was longer than anything he or his grandfather wore. At the moment it curled and twisted with his movements like an excited puppy.
Yes, the clothes were very unusual for him. But he liked them. They were warm, and comfortable. Even the scarf. Especially the scarf.
Leather dyed a rich chocolate brown sheathed his hands. The gloves fit perfectly, leading to more speculation on Yugi's perception. Heh. Maybe he'd gone up to the counter and laced fingers with pairs of gloves until he'd found one that felt like his own grasp . . .
Maybe. Who knew, with his hikari?
The thought pleased some inner part of him, though, and he allowed a small smile to brush his face. As if in response, Yugi looked up at him. Unbidden, their minds touched:
/I like it when you're like this./
He tilted his head, looking a question. Yugi smiled, eyes sparkling. /You look happy./
Ah. //That's because I am, aibou.//
/I know./
They lapsed into silence after that, immersed in the sense of isolation the snow gave them, the accompanying companionship. Like last kisses, a few further snowflakes fell, alighting on his shoulders and eyelashes and swirling past his face. The blizzard ravaging Domino earlier had all but stopped, but save for the occasional car or solitary pedestrian, the lateness of the hour ensured that they were virtually the only ones out on the streets.
They continued to walk, through the oh-so-foreign snow. Reared under Egypt's sun, he'd never get used to the white powder, nor its chill. For that he was somewhat glad; it meant that another thing in his life would always be a marvel. And here he'd thought all innocence had been stamped out of him by the neverending void of a golden curse and a breaking of souls . . .
With a firm hand he guided his thoughts out of the rapidly darkening course they were beginning to spiral into. They had no place here. He was far away from his past, and at the moment he was content to leave it so.
Eventually they veered off into Domino Park. Here the paths were untouched and pristine still. The height of the drifts was somewhat lower thanks to the trees that arched overhead—instead the snow weighed down their branches into stately majesty. Occasionally a clump would slip, hit the ground with a soft plouff, momentarily muffling the squeak of boots on snow.
This was a quiet beyond what he found in his Soul Room, what was there in the night. The silence in his chambers lingered because there was no one to speak with. Here, it came because two people chose for that moment not to speak. They did not need to in order to communicate.
Just the winter around them, and a light by your side. Why spoil it with words?
All too soon even he could hardly make out the way before his feet. Reaching the decision at exactly the same time, knowing that the other shared it, they turned to another path and began returning to the comfort of home and blankets and a warm heater. The curve of their new trail allowed him to view what they had left behind.
Two sets of footprints in the snow. Not the solitary one that normally touched the earth. For once.
Another smile. There were always two, even if he left no record in the mere dust.
Steps took them over the border, back into the world of others though one would hardly know it. There was nobody else in sight, where they were. Behind panes of glass like eyes into other worlds, phantoms moved, inconsequential. Nobody was where they were. Nobody could be.
And then they were approaching the Game Shop. Though the front entrance was lit, they trekked around the corner to the kitchen door, where light of a warmer sort spilled out onto the snow.
And then Yugi broke away, running forward into the house. He watched him go, wondering at the inexplicable surge of delight that welled up in his other. Also felt just as clearly, Yugi wished for him to wait outside. So he did, coming up to lean against the wall of the house, legs and arms crossed and eyes slipping closed.
He was not kept waiting long. He raised his eyelids to half-mast as the door opened again. Eyes bright, cheeks flushed with cold, Yugi burst once more outside. In his hands were two glossy porcelain mugs. Grinning, he stopped in front of him and held one out.
"Here. It's best to have it outside, I think . . . it makes you feel warmer that way."
Blinking, he reached out a hand and took the mug carefully. Something sweet and fragrant met his nose, and wisps of warmth caressed his face as he glanced inside. The liquid was unfamiliar, brown with creamy foam whorls. Two white puffs bobbed indolently on the surface.
Another unspoken question.
"It's hot chocolate," Yugi explained patiently. "'Jii-chan makes it from scratch."
"And the white things?"
"Marshmallows. They melt and make it sweeter." Yugi smiled. "Try it . . . it's good."
He studied his light. Yugi's eyes danced with twilight-colored excitement as he urged his darker half into tasting the concoction. Always one to share the positive things in life with others was Yugi, though he might try to keep the flip side of the coin all to himself. Not for nothing was he termed the hikari of the pair.
Affection suffused his returning gaze as he nodded. " . . . all right."
=====
The frostiness nipping his extremities had long been banished, through a combination of the hot chocolate and a warm bed. The strange clothing was hung up to dry, the mugs washed and gleaming on the counter. And now he curled with his hikari under a down quilt, almost a snowdrift in itself but warm and soothing.
Sometimes Yugi preferred having a warm body to press against before falling asleep. Sometimes not. He always offered and Yugi never asked. Yugi never had to ask.
Sleepy contentment resonated between the two of them. Yugi fairly purred as the blend of night and satisfaction worked its magic on him. For his part he gently stroked his hikari's back, feeling the ridge of his shoulder blades through the thin cotton pajamas.
/Hrmm./
A low sound in the halls of his mind, half noise and half word. He stilled, a question sent ghosting through their souls. Yugi shifted slightly, tucking his head into the space below his chin like an affectionate kitten. /No, nothing's wrong./ He could feel the curve of his hikari's smile against his skin. /You shouldn't worry so. It's bad for you./
His hand resumed its steady movement, up and down. Yugi yawned, frame trembling softly as he inhaled. /Thank you for worrying, but you don't have to./ His mental voice became fuzzy around the edges. /Not when nothing's wrong . . . and everything's right . . ./
Yugi trailed off, and for a moment he thought he'd fallen asleep. Then he laughed, almost inaudibly—it was more a silver shiver to the air than an actual sound.
More confusion-question sent through their bond, woolly and gray like a snow cloud itself, but free of the spiky edges of lightning that indicated consternation. He tilted his head to gaze down into the violet eyes. Yugi smiled up at him.
/You're like my hot chocolate, d'you know that?/
He blinked, mulled over this curious statement. //???//
/You can easily burn somebody who's unprepared for you but beyond that you're so . . . good,/ his hikari finished a bit sheepishly. For a moment he thought that was all. He revised that thought when Yugi leaned up to place a chaste kiss on his lips, a faint blush on his cheeks. He tasted very faintly of a lingering sweetness, a memory of something shared.
/You keep me warm./
Quiet filled the room then, introspective and pervasive. He thought of dual trails stretching out behind them, of the shock of heat and melting flavor on his tongue, of white serenity in a resting city, of heaven in a porcelain mug and two smiling violet eyes.
Soft inquisition, colored like light. /You're so quiet. What are you thinking?/
He considered his answers, smiled with deep wine eyes and a thrill through their souls. //That I like winter.//
Gold-rose joy blossomed between them, and Yugi drew yet closer. A low laugh escaped him then, rich and dark and loving. It filtered through his touch as he returned the kiss. //Goodnight, my aibou.//
/Goodnight, Yami. I love you./
=====
Outside the window, the clouds shredded apart into mere memories, allowing the moon to gaze over the world once more. Beneath a blanket of snow and starlight Domino City slumbered.
And on the other side of the window, two halves slept, wrapped in a bond of magic and something else, sharing dreams of chocolate in the snow.
~owari~
Notes: Mwee. Nothing like a cup of hot chocolate outside in the snow. I'm such a Northeastern girl . . . but what with the place I'm in now, I'm lucky that we even had a White Christmas. . I miss my snow on pine trees, I really do.
For awhile this seemed to be on track to becoming the prequel to To Seal a Promise but eventually I decided the mood between the two pieces was too different for them to mesh. So I got a standalone out of it. Never fear, though, Yami's part in Promise is coming. *mutter* It's only been in the works for about a YEAR now . . .
I think I spent an inordinate amount of time on their clothing, but I did have a reason: this was actually inspired by something I drew and colored. Hot Chocolate: (http://home.att.net/~torsui/pics/chocolatec.gif.) I actually like this pic, it just gives you that comfortable feeling, ne? Unfortunately my scanner decided to be a bitch and ruin all of the colors. *sigh* And I was so proud of their hair too . . .
Yami is a lot more . . . I don't know. He was acting differently in this fic and it's puzzling me to no end. I usually don't write him this quietly affectionate. He's a lot surer of himself, more immersed into his role as guardian. I'm also getting the sense that he's more concerned with Yugi; everybody else can go to hell. The darkness is purer . . .
So . . . review option is down there. I'm working on Promise—really, I am—and until next fic, ja ne minna-sama! ^_^