Er....so sorry it took a ridiculously long time for me to update.....I got back from vacation a while back, but lo and behold, I came home to a sad deceased computer monitor. This little setback put me behind for..oh, another week or so. So sorry! But hopefully the length and quality of this next chapter will make up for it. Personally, I like the following chapter a good deal....but whether or not you will remains to be seen. I'd like to give long detailed praise to everyone who has given me a review for that last chapter....but I'm tired, so I'll just comment on anything outstanding that I noticed...
--- And by the way, I am way impressed with the number of feedbacks I got last chapter. If I keep doing that well, or even nearly that well, I might start doing bi-weekly updates instead of weekly updates ^-^ ---
Squidman: Actually, I have seen some Pegasus/Seto art. Because this root loves her reviewers: The address is immoral.kiy.jp/ It ain't half-bad, but Pegasus' hair is blond instead of silver... *ALSO*, I looked at your art site and was very impressed, and I would love it if you could email me the pics you mentioned? My email is rheldsfairln@netscape.net
SweetCandie: Keep reading her fic, I think you'll get what you want pretty soon ^_~
Vyctori: SW does have a huge aptitude when it comes to romance, drama, and angst. But although I consider humour my natural environment, I do believe I can pull off a little sweetness myself sometimes. Read below and see if you agree with me ^-^
Eos: Yes, yes, we all need a little candy...and I think Pegasus is a positive influence..^-^
Leland: I checked your profile, and hey, I'm from GA too! ^-^ Gainesville.
Jantra: Wow, you even gave them attributes! I'm impressed! ^-^
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~also~: I know not everyone reading this fic has an appetite for yaoi *glance at Eos, Vyctori...*, so I give slight warning--this chapter has a ~LITTLE~ touchy-feely kissie-kissie type shtick. I personally don't think it will scar anyone for life or anything, but this is just a head's up!~~
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~Seto's POV~ [come to think of it...most of the honeymoon may be Seto's POV...]
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Below, everything was a rush of blue and green. Purest marine colours as the ocean blazed by beneath a whirl of frothy white waves....
....yeah, that's what a poet would have said. A poet I ain't. So I say...yeah, ocean....real special....damn, not like it doesn't cover over 70% of the world or anything.......
Much to my surprise, the sky already seemed to be getting dark. No, not stormy "oh-crap-the-gods-hate-us" type dark....but night was falling, and the sky was painted in a hazy blush of red and orange. The subtle nuances and the slight progression of hues was almost hypnotizing.
Truth be told, I haven't watched a sunset in years. Not since............well...I've looked throughout the years, but I haven't truly *watched* since the foggy days of early childhood, when the sky was still something to look up to....before the only things in my vision became power, prestige, money. The things I always thought were important beyond all others. For so many years, I had felt so exalted, always thinking that I was above the world and looking down over the clouds.
But now, as I sat there in silent somberness....I had this nasty sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. For the first time, I was beginning to see that I'd been belly-down on the lowest stretch of earth, never farer from the peaks of true happiness, but deceiving myself all the same.
I had filled myself up on emptiness.
As gloomy as my current pattern of thought seemed to be, there was a sliver of a somewhat more reassuring thought, a glimmer of hope: Looking back now, I recognized the errors of my past situation. The brief unfulfilling successes, and the lies I told myself. And I was going to put it all behind me as best I could. This was the first day of my new life.
At the moment, I stood in one of the far corners of what passed as the jet's living room, pensively staring out the window at all the nondescript ocean passing by.
Pegasus wasn't with me; no, he was in the bathroom "freshening up"......whatever the hell that means.... (just as long as he doesn't emerge in something from Victoria's Secret, I'll be fine...)
I swear, Pegasus is the biggest damned tease in the entire world.
When he had encountered that unfortunate whip cream accident, in which the substance somehow got smeared all over his face, I was there for him. Like a good spouse, I helped him clean up. Sure, I used my tongue instead of a towel, but all rough textures are basically the same, right?
Sloppy details aside, you can probably guess what we were doing. The thing that makes me ill at Pegasus is....well, he stopped. We were kissing pretty passionately, and all of a sudden he just pushed me back. No explanation, no apparent reason. I was caught there, feeling ridiculous, breathless, wondering what the hell was my husband's issue. ...But then again, why didn't I guess? He's Pegasus, the great game player, always up for fun and jokes, and .....teasing. And here I was, stern businessman Seto Kaiba, the ideal victim.
He wanted me to protest, I'm sure. I could see that little smirk already starting to form on the corner of his lip. My desire was about to explode, my chest pounding...
....Agh! But no, I would not start something. That'd be playing right into his hands, much as the urge to complain may have been there. Instead, I chose to use another powerful tool at my disposal: My extraordinary ~glare~. I'll let you in on a little secret, too: Pegasus is the most difficult person ever to glare at. I mean, there he is, grinning and looking all doll-like and cute, and I'm sitting here trying to maintain some kind of damn Harrison Ford stone face, and twitching awkwardly taboot.....
He ran a slender finger across my chin, and leaning close to my ear, breathed words in a voice that made my goose-bumps rise (among...other things..): "Save it for tonight, Kaiba~boi. Let's make it special, put all that pent-up lust to good use. Or maybe...I'll surprise you. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm..........."
He pulled away, nonchalantly walking out of the room. I exhaled in a deep sigh. I was so hyped up, and now I didn't know how in the hell to feel. Happy? Sad? Insane? About to kill this damn author? All of those, I think. Maybe more.
But I will say this: I did go back to the kitchen and chow on some candy. (Hey, it was my honeymoon night after all, a little extra energy boost never hurt anyone...)
Then, as quickly as things had gotten hot, the excitement just died away. (Gods, this never happens in the movies...!)
So Pegasus is in the bathroom, and I'm pacing. And there you have it friends, yet another hot sex life that somehow died after marriage...
As you might expect, I was ansy. Beside the love-seat in the living room, there was a stack of magazines and newspapers. Hn....noticing this, it occured to me that I hadn't checked the papers in.......obviously too long. My hands itched; already I could imagine the feel and texture of cards flipping through my fingers....had it been that long since I'd dueled? I suppose that over the past few months, I had been so preoccupied over my relationship with Pegasus that I hadn't even thought much of the dueling scene I once dominated.
I began to flip through the magazines and papers, hoping to find some report on who's doing what and who's on top in the dueling world. There better be an article on me.....wait, what am I saying? *OF COURSE* there's an article on me... I mean, I'm Seto Kaiba after all. It was essential the masses of peons still realized that I was Dueling God of the Universe. Well...I was. And they better realize it.
I like it when everyone else understands that I'm better than them. It makes their inferiority easier to tolerate. Instead of beating my chest and growling like my ancestors of long ago, now I can just give mean glares and beat other people with cards, and that's all it takes for people to bow down at my feet. And quite frankly, I prefer the modern method of respect-earning, because I sure as hell wouldn't want to have to drag home a dead cheetah every time I wanted to make someone feel like crap.
Since I was lost in thought about all forms of stupidity (see above), I actually didn't even notice what magazine I was currently sorting through....
...didn't notice, that is, until I heard a sweet chime behind me
"Ah, Kaiba~boi, didn't know you read Modern Bride magazine..? Awwwwwww, I always knew you had a sensitive side!"
Immediately, my eyes shot downwards. Oh Ra....just shoot me now. I could already feel my face burning. Yes, yes, no big deal, I know, but that didn't change the general feelings of stupidity that a mistake like that can elicit...
Apparently sensing that I wasn't going to turn around, Pegasus impatiently strode around to stand in front of me.
My eyes scanned his lean toned form.....a form now draped in none other than silken choo-choo train pyjamas. (I kid ye not...)
I stared up at him blankly, awaiting an explanation, and again received that bemused wry little smirk that I'd become so familiar with.
"Don't look at me so awkwardly, Kaiba~boi...." He smiled and took a seat beside me on the love-seat. "...it could've been worse. Suppose I came out in a towel, with rollers in my hair and cucumbers on my eyes...?"
(....ack, visual image!)
"Eye." I corrected moronically.
Well, I still had no fricken idea how my standing in the world of Duel Monsters was, or, frankly, how my company's stock was holding up. But strangely enough, for this brief instance in time at least...it really didn't seem so important...
Nevertheless, I couldn't help but stare at the unbelievably childish choice of sleep-ware. Choo-choo train pyjamas. Seriously, what the hell?
I guess I should've expected something like that.....but I didn't. Not from Pegasus at least. Yugi, on the other hand........oh Ra, now I'm pondering Yugi in sleep-ware! Kill me now. Just kill me. I have lost it.
Pegasus was still beside me, propped up on his elbow and staring over me wistfully. Light blue pyjamas. Orange trains. Disturbed much. But then, I had to admit......the choice of colour, light sky blue, really did accentuate his flowing silver mane, and the orange did seem to bring out his honey eye.......but damn, choo-choo trains?
Before I knew what I was doing, I reached a fingertip out and lightly brushed it through the silken strands. Such a simple gesture, but it felt surprisingly wonderful......to have once been such a supposedly harsh and hardened villain, Pegasus feels so soft. It's almost as though my fingers just melt into that mass of hair, and his skin seems to hold the same texture.
For long seconds, he just sat there and smiled at me in that doting manner. I had always known Pegasus to be a comical person, sometimes silly to the point of being downright annoying (especially to someone like myself. I have no patience for crap), however, I had never seen him look so genuinely happy, so loving and affectionate. I could actually see the way he felt: it was written all within his sparkling caramel eye, and I silently marveled that Pegasus could show so much more feeling with one eye than most people could with two.
Apparently, he must've been enjoying the attention, for he surprised me by tilting his face to better position it against my stroking fingers. I pressed my palm harder against the supple flesh. Feeling all the curves and contours, the contrast of hard bone beneath soft skin, the perfectly flowing lines. It all reminded me of when people sculpt faces, how they got their skill by mastering the structure of human visages. Even some blind people could do it, in fact, blind people may have been the best experts since they relied more heavily on touch.
I would love to sculpt Pegasus.
The thought shocked me. Where did ~that~ come from? I was no artist, he was! That was the exact difference between us......I was a man of business, calculated, and I saw the world in black and white. He was an artist, relying on creativity, and he saw the world in colour.
But maybe some of his colour was beginning to spread to me....
I'm not sure how long we had been sitting there. Time gets screwy whenever I'm with him. I used to be an organized methodical person....I used to check clocks and keep papers in order. Pegasus, though..? Hell, he only checks clocks to see if Funny Bunny is about to come on. Despite the sudden lack of organization in my life, I somehow did not feel like I was worse off. In fact, I felt really fulfilled for some strange reason. As long as I was here with Pegasus, everything else seemed to take a step back on the importance scale.
I really wanted to say something. In all those Hollywood idealism flicks, this is the part where I would have the most kick-ass heart-melting line ever, and Pegasus would fall over into my arms. That Rhett guy never left Scarlett hanging.....well, okay, at the end he basically told her to go to hell, but he would surely have taken advantage of this opportunity. And Romeo may have been a fourteen-year-old kid, but he always came up with fancy-pants speeches in hopes of shtooking Juliet. Sure, most of that play made absolutely no sense to me and I felt like the two got what they deserved for being such morons, but still, the guy was a total player.......
Already, I could feel a tiny sweat droplet on the back of my neck. Pegasus was still gazing at me. This was my big opportunity. I had to. Even if it would kill the mood of silence and ruin the general mushy ambience of the moment, I had to try to bring a final touch to this scene. A cherry for the ice cream, so to speak. It was a compulsion, I think.
I inhaled, braced myself, and then spoke my big line....
"Your hair....is...................durable."
.....what in the many hells of Ra did I just say? ..oh shit. ...Ra, how and why did I say that? Am I completely brain-dead?
......DURABLE? DURABLE!?!?!?! Ughhhhhhhh......it sounded like some cheap carpet commercial or something. Damn. Damn! I oughtta kick myself.
....DURABLE??!?!?!?!?!??!
The sweat droplet on the back of my neck was now a full-fledged bursting bead. Note to nearest rock: One to crawl under, please. My cheeks blazed. I knew even Pegasus would take offense over something that stupid......
But totally shocking me, as always, Pegasus didn't seem upset in the least. In fact, he actually started giggling. Giggling a little first....then bursting into full-fledged laughter.
I sat watching, dumbfounded. How could he be laughing? I had just botched up a perfect Hollywood moment. A romantic like himself should've been thoroughly upset by such blatant foolishness....
While I was still in a state of paralyzation-by-mortification, Pegasus slung himself over and assaulted me with nuzzling and light butterfly kisses, nibbling my neck and ear, and totally messing up my hair, all the while laughing intermittently.
"Oh, Kaiba~boi, you're such a jewel!" He said between bursts of chuckles. "And I do believe I am teaching you something of the fine art of ~unpredictability~. Yes, whilst most people would have simply thrown me a cliche compliment, you flatter me with adjectives that I've certainly never before heard about myself! But I certainly think your choice of description is ......better suited to Yugi's hair, really, forgive me!"
As he brushed his hands over the back of my neck, I pulled him back so that we could make full eye contact. I think he was a little surprised that I put a sudden halt on the touching, but he didn't look disappointed. I think he was reading my mind.....
I stared at him in wonder. "You're......insane, you know that?"
He just grinned.
"And you know something else...?" I pulled him down close so, for a change, I was the one whispering in ~his~ ear. "...I love it."
Thriving on the spontaneity of the situation, I gripped the small of his back firmly and pressed our lips together fiercely. I thought I may have been a little too rough, but Pegasus seemed to love it, and I was sure I felt him press back.
Once again, we seemed to have created a perfect mood...though ~how~ we did it is something I could never quite fathom, scientific genius or no...
But once again, the mood was destroyed. Isn't the mood ~always~ destroyed with us? Good grief...
Anyway, at least this time it was not my fault. In the middle of the passionate kissing I had heretofore described, a sudden jarring noise broke the sweet quiet.
So startled was I that a tremor shot up in me, I actually jumped so hard that I almost fell right off the love-seat and onto the floor...damn, with my luck tonight I'm surprised I didn't do just that.
I guess all this mushy stuff had put me into a breathless, dazed, dizzy sort of state. My capacity for rational thinking had waned so heavily that I was currently unable to even so much as ascertain what in the hell had just screamed at me.
Needless to say, I felt a bit silly when Pegasus pointed in indication....not like I wouldn't have realized once I recuperated from the severe loss of breath that he'd given me.
The cell phone in my coat pocket. I'd almost forgotten about that stupid thing.
As another numb moment passed by, it blared for attention once more.
Raising the damnable device to my ear, I blurted a gruff "Hello...?!" at the speaker on the other end.
For response, I got a very hushed...
".....big brother...?"
Mokuba. Obviously. But what was the matter? He sounded like he was just on the verge of whispering. Already, I felt brooding feelings of anxiety and worry....
"...Seto..?" He said again.
"Mokuba...? What the hell? What's wrong?"
"...I...it's bad here. I have to whisper. They're after me...."
"....what?! Who?!!"
As you could probably assume, I was getting more than a little upset by now.
"You know...." Began he once more. "....them....I think they're in the room. Oh, oh no! I hear one!"
Suddenly, he began to whimper with the grief of a frightened animal.
"Help me, Seto! It's horrible! They're.............they're trying to braid my hair!!! I....no, no, wait...stop...agggggghhhhh help!!"
The connection abruptly died, but not before Mokuba was overcome with a timid scream, and the sound of females giggling filled the air.
I solemnly put away the phone. Did I feel bad for the kid? Of course. There are few horrors worse than being babysitted by a house full of rabid maids. But this time, there wasn't anything I could do to save him. And besides, it's time Mokuba learned to stand on his own two feet. Anything he ever wants to know about dueling, I can teach him in a pinch. But the opposite sex.....well, he'll just have to learn to handle them on his own.....
.....or if he doesn't, he could end up being entirely void of all masculinity. Like Pegasus.
A sudden "THWOP!" on the back of my head immediately followed. Damn, I keep forgetting about that Ra-forsaken Eye!
But for some inexplicable reason, Pegasus was suddenly very annoying. VERY. Scant seconds ago, he had been loving and tender. Now, he all-at-once took to trying to pester the living hell out of me. Grabbing, pinching, jabbing, tickling, poking, kicking. And I have to say, I was thrown for yet another loop over his peculiar behavior change. With Pegasus, expect the unexpected is the most base of all rules, but nonetheless, he's the only person I know who can alter their whole mood in a heartbeat.
Well, I know he was just wanting to be silly again.....but that didn't change the fact that I was getting perturbed. His full lips curved upwards in a playful mischevious smile.......it was a look I had seen before: on kittens pouncing squeak toys.
I put my arms up as a shield, and told him outright to knock it off. He knew I wasn't the sort of person who would put up with this kind of BS for very long. Did my complaint daunt him? Hell no, of course it didn't! In fact, if anything, it seemed to provoke him further. In one childlike fluid lunge, Pegasus drove his hands into my belly and tickled roughly. Well....tickle may have been a poor choice of word. Assault, maim, and jab half-to-death would be more or less my description of the action. I recoiled on instinct, throwing up a weak protest, but ultimately, I was stunned. I had always hated, and I do mean HATED with a burning passion, the action of being tickled. It was annoying, downright uncomfortable, and sometimes even painful. But then, I've never particularly welcomed human touch of any form.....
I winced in agony, and tried to push my insane husband off of me. Ye gods, did he realize how much this bothered me? If so, he must not have cared, but my suspicion is, everything equals fun and games to him. I writhed miserably, but after struggling for a bit, I finally squirmed enough to get something of an edge.
Finally, I broke free and cast Pegasus off of me.
Unfortunately....in the effort, I had wiggled considerably. Too much.
Before I knew it, I was lying face down on the floor, practically foaming....
That's it. That clinched it. He was going to pay. OH, was he ~ever~ going to pay!
I gave a sideways look to see if he had any remorse, any hint of pity for his recent murder attempt. Well, no, of course not. Pegasus was still sitting comfortably on the couch, curled up and hugging his knees like a little child. And snickering. Snickering and covering his mouth over my sheer utter humiliation.
Well, two could play this game....and it was time he learned a lesson.....
(Why, oh why? Why did I not just stick with robots and computers? Why did I have to marry such a nut?)
I pushed myself up on my hands, attempting to reclaim some shard of the dignity I once held to be so precious. I arose and struck my most intimidating, most menacing stiff pose. And I glared with all the natural born power instilled in a man with ice blue eyes and little tolerance for crap.
Unfazed, Pegasus just kept catching himself on tumbling bursts of snickers. Yeah, just laugh now, psycho. Your day is about to come...
I think Pegasus may have seen some dark intent in my eyes, but he didn't flinch. That brave..annoying..annoying..cute bastard...
"Have you made your peace with the gods yet, Pegasus?"
...okay, that sounded cool and threatening in my mind, so why did it sound lame and foolish out loud? Oh well. Forget it.
As he began a fresh round of laughter, I made my move. And boy, was it a nice dive! Every football team in America would have been proud of me for this one. Man, I wished we had some kind of tape so we could watch the whole thing in slow motion....yeah, it was ~that~ gratifying....
Closing in, I saw Pegasus' face change, and despite my speed, I saw many emotions. Euphoria, of course, then confusion, followed by a helping of apprehension, and finally, followed by my absolute favourite...............a look that can be called by no other name than: "..oh shit.."
I was smiling inside, believe it or not! How often had Pegasus been the cause of ~me~ making such a face? Ha. Revenge was the sweetest treat indeed....
Caught him. Caught him ~GOOD~. I wish I had a picture of my stunning crowned success, but alas, twas not to be! (Aye matey, we be Pegasus huntin' today, and I gots me a big 'un here. .........oops, too much Steve Irwin...)
But it didn't matter. All that mattered was that it was my turn now. If this were a duel, this is the moment where I would offer one of my trademark bellowing evil laughes.......but Pegasus was squirming too much to really make that a thoroughly satisfying triumph....
In one fell swoop, I had jumped the entire length from the coffee table to the love-seat, a pretty nice little distance to bound across. And in perfect grace, with the shining praise of luck which surprised even ~me~, I hadn't crashed on the table, or flopped like a fish on the seat, or drove my head into Pegasus' waiting arms. No, for once, things had actually ~worked out~, and I'd be damned if I was going to question this minor miracle.
I actually figured that Pegasus would probably escape before I caught him, after all, like his favourite lagomorpha cartoon character, he's a pretty swift sprinter when confronted. But I suppose he hadn't really ~expected~ me to truly make a move, and I had the advantage of a hasty surprise jump. Bam. Gotcha!
That pretty silver head was firmly locked in my grip now, as I tightly pressed one elbow against the back of his neck, and the opposite forearm against his face. Not too hard--didn't want to crush any vital parts, but hard enough to hold the bloody bloke still. (...hn, did I just say something British/Australian?)
I really expected him to give some vociferous complaints about this restraint, but he didn't ~at first~. He tried to free himself by pushing my arms feebly, and also by bucking his entire body in the hopes of shaking me over enough to dislodge himself. But I saw it all coming and was more than ready. (Plus, his ill-thought method seemed to be wearing himself out more than me, ha!)
Finally, I think he gave up trying physical means towards freedom, and resorted to his very best weapon of all: sweet pleading.
"....Seto...?" He murmured in a voice as soft as a rustling waterfall. "...Seto...heh, what are you doing here...? Release me, please."
It was not a whiney tone, thank Ra. Not really. It was, however, a very plaintive gentle coaxing voice. Very well acted, I had to give him that, and aimed with sharp clarity in the hopes of getting me to drop my guard if only by a slight margin. But I wasn't buying it!
"Oh, I'm 'Seto' now, am I? Whatever happened to 'Kaiba~boi'?"
He didn't answer, choosing instead to continue stroking baby breath soft fingertips across the side of my belly and ribcage, rippling the fabric soothingly.
We really must have looked the sight had we had any witnesses: me standing aright, a rounded silver clump of effeminate hair clenched against my waistline.
(.....Oh shit...now that I visualize it clearly, I just realized what any ~outsiders~ would have thought we were doing if they saw us! Aghhhhhhhh...........well, maybe later, snck.....what, you doubt me? hey, fuck you, a man can hope.......)
"Seto...?" Said he again, same tone of voice, but this time, there was a little seductive lining dripping from his sweet pink tongue.
I smirked. This was going to be fun.
Before Pegasus had the slightest notion of the havoc I was about to wreak, I drove a hand down into his hair. Soft soft tresses engulfing my digits, begging me to caress and play, which may have been what he thought I intended. I rubbed in a crude circling motion, receiving a welcome groan from the struggling body clutched beneath me. Don't enjoy this, Pegasus? Well, damn, I didn't particularly enjoy being tickled in the ribs, either!
I continued carelessly digging my fingers amidst the ocean of silver, rubbing the scalp, tossing the strands, and generally making a mess. I was no better than Mokuba had been when he was four years old and slinging food everywhere. Childish? Yes? Immature? Yes? Pegasus-esque? Hell yes. Satisfying? Ah, yes.
"SETO!!" He shouted as a quickened my pace.
[....above sentence could be misinterpreted, couldn't it? *author snickers immaturely*]
Yes, people, I was not merely trying to give Pegasus a noogie----for those who don't know what that is, it's one of those childhood tortures much akin to tickling, in which some poor guy/gal gets their hair mercilessly rummaged through------no, I meant to give Pegasus *the* ~ULTIMATE~ noogie to end all noogies! It was the perfect cruelty to place upon any fellow with a mop head as nice as his own.
After seconds, maybe even minutes, of sheer brutality-against-hair, I finally began to wane. I had exhausted my throbbing fingers in my quest for revenge against that evil tickler, but it was certainly worth a little ache. And Pegasus had squealed like...well, Pegasus.
I yanked and pulled and tore as hard as I dared, and all the while he begged for mercy. You know, I never thought I'd say this about anything.......but really, this was better than dueling.... ah, I am still Seto Kaiba, and at least in some ways, I haven't lost my edge. Makes me feel damn good to know it, too!
At long last, I stopped, hoping for a chance to examine my juvenile progress.
When I released my death-grip on Pegasus' head, he popped upright immediately. I thought he just might take a swing at me for manhandling him thusly, but it quickly became apparent that all that spinning his head had endured had made him far too dizzy for such a recourse.
Instead, he swaggered two steps backwards, a glazed absent look replacing the emotion from his deep brown eye. I knew that when he regained his composure, boy would I be in for it....but that hardly seemed of import at the moment. At the moment, all I could think was "Damn...this is priceless!"
I wish someone else could have seen what I saw, because I guarantee that they would have burst into a raucous fit of heart-killing laughter.
There stood the great Maximillion Pegasus J Crawford-Kaiba (his last name is changing to mine, not the other way around, damnit....), with his hair sticking out in all directions like some dumb kid who'd been rubbing all over a giant static globule. I swear, no kidding! It was a scene right out of a horror flick for sure. Night of the Living Dead had ~nothing~ on Pegasus at that moment!
He reminded me very much of Frankenstein's bride, but I couldn't taunt him with such insults outloud, because whaddya figure that makes me? (Yeah, Pegasus is pretty good with comebacks.)
But I had nothing to say. I just laughed. And laughed. And laughed. And then......laughed more.
Hell with image! This felt great, and I'm not afraid to admit it!
I was so busy being amused with my success that I hardly paid any mind to Pegasus. For all I knew, he was still in a state of mental disarray, and who knew how long it would take before he snapped out of that.
Intelligent and stupid people were easy for me to gauge, but flat-out insane? That was a whole 'nother animal.....
My brilliant victory had to be the shortest lived triumph ever. One moment, I'm cackling in ill-disguised joy, the next I'm sprawled on the floor being smacked in the chest. Smacked. Seriously! Holy Ra, who knew Pegasus had such agility? If he has that sort of flexibility to match, then things could be really fun later on...
Okay, so it's true that Pegasus has a very slight weight and height advantage over me, and he is also a few years older. Nevertheless.....he sure as hell ain't Rambo...
I managed to throw him off and kick him away with relative ease, but I was still fairly humiliated that he had gotten a sneak move in on me to begin with. How dare he retaliate so swiftly?
Chancing a glance upwards, I happened to see his face. Whoa.
Normally, Pegasus' exterior is a mask of well-bred civilization, reflecting eloquence, tranquility, and an all-around feeling of utter complacency. But now? Well, remember earlier when I was likening him in comparison to a horror move figure? Okay, it just so happened that at this precise instance, the look on his face reminded me of similar scenes. Like when the bad guy comes stalking in, and he has the expression all over his face which just screams "KILL! KILL! KILL!"? Now you probably have a pretty decent idea of the glare I was receiving from my spouse in that moment.
(scary? Hell yeah, but not half as scary as being called the "cuddly wuddly Seto bun bun.."!)
"Thank you very much, Kaiba~boi.." He muttered bitterly, giving a useless almost-silly looking toss of his messy mane. "Now look how tangled and sweaty my hair is, thanks to you...."
Immediately, I felt an evil little smirk tugging the corner of my lip.
"What's wrong, Pegasus? It's not like it's the ~first~ time I've gotten your hair tangled and sweaty---and you never complained before...."
I think in that moment I must have had a very feral grin on my face....but I'm not certain.
Can you believe it? I actually saw a little hint of rose colour spreading across his cheeks, the final completion of porcelain doll-like appearance. I swear, Pegasus can pick and choose his moments of heavy modesty--I suppose having one parent who's a decadent casino owner, and another who's a hoity-toity British aristocrat, can just tend to screw you up like that. One moment he's throwing some gutteral joke with innuendo as bad as any I've ever conceived, and the next he's blushing like a young girl with a crush. Pegasus is a paradox, a contradiction of sophistication and wanton fecklessness.
"Jeez, Pegasus.." I muttered, just asking for another attack.... "...you know, your hair kind of looks like a big silver kuriboh.."
Not surprisingly, he pounced on me again.
By this point, it should be known that we were more or less all-out wrestling, and if anything, I was the one on the defensive. Not sure what sort of maneuver he was attempting on me--I'm not even sure if he knew, frankly, but he clung onto me with stubborn determination all the same.
And try though I might, I couldn't quite pin the squirming bastard. Hell, for that matter, I couldn't even see anything. I was blinded by clumps of that hot sticky cascading waterfall of silver. The cool silk of the pyjamas, and the wild inferno of the body beneath, a maddening intolerable contradiction.
Centering everything on one specific area of my body, pulling all my strength to my chest, I heaved him off of me.
Unfortunately....I flung my husband right into the coffee table. A sickened feeling gnawed my gut the minute I had a rather resounding "BANG" and looked up only to see the table greatly dislodged and turned at a newfound awkward angle.
Oh no. We were just fooling around. Had I accidentally hurt him? He hadn't made a sound, but that only worried me all the more.
"Pegasus...?"
Suddenly concerned, I tried in vain to garner a verbal response from him. He was lying face-down, and I had to wonder if the force of the blow had actually knocked him unconscious.
In a good show of careful attentiveness, I rolled the limp body over and carefully tried to look. Oh Ra. I was not good with this shit. I had no way of discerning what was wrong or how bad, or anything like that. I didn't see blood, or a bump, but did that mean anything? Damn! I'd never been any use in emergency situations.....well, usually because I don't give a damn whether or not someone is hurt, but in the one instance that I actually did care, here I was totally helpless.
His good eye was closed, so maybe he actually was unconscious. Had I really thrown him ~that~ hard? Guess I didn't know my own strength.
I peered over, leaning very close to his face, my warm breath brushing against the delicate skin.
"....are you alright..?" I asked in a hushed borderline-timid tone of worry. "Peg--?"
Suddenly, his liquid brown eye popped open and focused right on me. I didn't even have time to voice or feel a response before I saw that little fox grin replace the docile expression of slumber.
This all happened so quickly, and was so unexpected, that I was still sitting there with my mind lagging about five minutes behind the situation and taking a damn long time to catch up.
A matching finger and thumb closed upon my nose, jerking in a quick motion that was simultaneously both pinching and tweaking.
"Goooooooottttchhhaaaa, Kaiiiibbaaaa~boi....!"
Sigh. Ah, I was so relieved that Pegasus was alive..........
.....and now I had to kill the lousy bastard........
As so often is the case with Pegasus, the look on his face remained one of a little child, even as I wordlessly pinned his arms down and flashed him over with most mercilessly, most intimidating glare. I was trying to look threatening--trying to make him think he was really in for it for his misleading act and his following attack on my person...
..but I also think I was failing pretty horribly.
I suppose I had yet to resign myself to the fact that in terms of sneak attack, Pegasus is just too cunning to anticipate. Ever.
My crudely-handled nose was actually throbbing from that scarab beetle of a pinch! Damn, sharp little snap he had there....
This was by far the most insulting, humiliating, painful relationship I've ever been in.
....But then again...I've never recalled ever having such fun before......
Beneath me, Pegasus was still all undaunted smiles and chuckles, despite my very best attempt to frighten him with my most menacing, very iciest glare. And although I had him pinned down so hard that it certainly couldn't have felt very comfortable, he made no move to struggle against me.
There were a lot of instances in the past where, if a man had disregarded me with such a look as the one currently on Pegasus' face--especially when I had the look currently on my face--then I probably would have thought little of simply reaching out and smashing their nose in. If anything, I guess I felt like doing just that.
But in keeping with the times, I surprised myself again---strange how I'm always doing that these days. Before this relationship, things were always so moderated and predictable....
I leaned over--way over--searching for a deep penetrating eye contact. The form beneath me was rigid, a combination of intense bodily warmth and coiled unyielding muscle hidden not far beneath the skin. A steady churning heartbeat that was now actually palpable to me, and the rising and falling of firm breathes. It was a very silent, very unusual moment, if not for him then at least for me.
Before I knew it, I was kissing him. Damn weird how we could be kicking each other's asses one minute and making out the next, but....that was just a new reality of this seriously screwed up marriage. And for the time being, I certainly wasn't one to complain.....
I pressed down gently, enjoying the sweetness that was to be found on my partner's lips. Yes--as you probably suspect--Pegasus' lips have a residual taste upon them, all flavours of candy..... Hn, wine? (Or "fruit juice"?)
He sighed gently and responded in turn by pushing his own fingernails into my hair. This seemed like a role reversal of sorts, but I didn't mind. Trailing downwards, I felt the grace of trimmed flukes brushing against my shoulder blades and upper back in wide circular motions. He seemed to be a working a smooth relaxing pattern, an intoxicating rhythm which very nearly drew me to the edge of sleep.
"Thank you, Seto." I heard him murmur, his voice sounding very remote and forelorn.
I was taken aback.
"Thank you..?" --My bewildered response-- "..For what?"
He smiled a very deep, very genuine smile.
"For saving my life, of course."
I was puzzled as to the meaning of this, but the deep sincerity of his voice made for such a pleasant feeling that I didn't bother to further inquire.
Instead, I rubbed my nose against the neck, a tight well-woven flow of eloquent muscles. Silently admiring the perfect sculpture of nature that was to be found here (something I'd never say aloud, mind you), I dug my face into his hair and bit at the neck and collarbone like a predatory animal. I may have nipped a little too hard, actually, because I thought I felt him undergo a tiny jolt beneath me. Or was it a shudder of joy? Hard to tell, with Pegasus.
Of course I did feel a little silly. Here I was behaving like some idealized moron out of a dime-store novel.
There were no words here. I guess we were both too exhausted from beating the hell out of each other to have much of a conversation. And I had to admit--there was something kind of refreshing about the silence. Pegasus could blabber too much, he was an attention hog no doubt about it--and he loved to hear himself talk. I only talk when I was bragging about a conquest of some sort, otherwise, I mostly prefer scarce communication other than the occasional "Fuck off", "No" and "Die"---I've found that simple phrases like those cover an extensive number of situations, and seem readily applicable to use when speaking to any person at any moment. I'm only verbose when I have to be. Oh yes, and when necessary, I can add seasoning to anything I say by offering a series of well-timed grunts and groans.
I may not be as effective at manipulation as Pegasus is, but I usually can scare people into getting me whatever I currently desire.
At the moment, I just desired Pegasus....
He hugged his arms around me like a clingy child grabbing their mother for dear life. I was seriously not used to this awkward closeness, and my instinctive reaction was more or less a profound need to withdraw. Sensitive touching made me feel uncomfortable. Sex--now sex was fine, because it didn't necessarily have to be about the mushy stuff. I could do what I needed to and then be gone, no connection, no hitch. But cuddling....ugh, I've never cared for it in the slightest, and frankly, I'm surprised I've been as receptive as I had been tonight. I had no original plans to touch or kiss Pegasus, and I could still hardly believe I had chosen to do so without him pressuring me for it. It was just.... a surprise out-of-the-blue occurrence, something that didn't actually seem to require thought.
I suppose being with Pegasus just brought out a different side of me, a dormant facet of myself. For so many years, I had tried to bury my humanity beneath a wall of apathy, of stoicism, and I had been very successful at crushing all feelings that had dared to rear their heads. Honestly, I had a hard time believing that anything of emotional substance could still exist inside of me, for I hadn't seen it in myself. But maybe...maybe Pegasus had. Maybe that's why he hadn't lost faith in me, even when I yelled at him, or grumbled, or told him to just leave me alone already.
I swear, sometimes I think he knows me better than I know me...
Pegasus, as I've learned over the course of our past few months together, can be a very doting person. Despite how cold and aloof he may have appeared at Duelist's Kingdom, he is still a human being---not only that, but moreover a human being who had once had a burning passion for life. For some years, that passion had ebbed considerably, but I saw the spark being rekindled now. It was still there--in his smile, his laugh, his eyes and voice.
In a way, I guess he reminded me of a sea urchin--- (yes, f-ed up comparison I know, but bear with me)--- a wall of spikes and defensiveness on the exterior, but with a soft tender underbelly. The bitter cold that had once emanated from his persona was a facade, a protective mechanism designed to keep people away. He had been hurt before, and he could be hurt again, easily. And he also had a certain talent for melodrama, because for Pegasus, everything was to the extreme and beyond. I mean, he was obsessive enough over a girl to spend seven good years of his life pining away over ways to revive the dead woman....really extreme desperate ways, nonetheless.
Yet another sign of his doting nature. I personally found this an annoying personality trait--ugh, clingy, clingy, clingy... But though I would never ~ever~ admit it out loud, a part of me was very fond of his devout capacity for obsessive love. I liked to think that he could obsess over me in a similar fashion--maybe he already does, actually.
At the moment, we were still laying in the floor exchanging kisses. Pegasus, as far as I could tell, thoroughly enjoyed my rare show of affection--but I was getting impatient. This was my honeymoon after all, and I wanted the situation to progress to it's rightful conclusion. Sure sure, tenderness is fine and good....to a point. But a little raw savage back-breaking sex needs to be in there too, right? I mean, that's romantic isn't it? But no.....no, Pegasus couldn't just settle on that. He wanted caressing, and whispering, and a lot of other shit I can openly admit to not being very talented with. I don't mean to sound like a selfish bastard here (though I probably do), Ra knows that I understand the mutual needs of our relationship and am ready to attempt my end of the bargain when push comes to shove, but all I'm saying is that I know beforehand that whenever I try to be romantic, I shall surely make an ass of myself. It's unfortunate, but a natural unavoidable truth all the same.
Still, I could make an effort.
As usual, I couldn't resist ruffling the silver glory. By now, I am sure that the small action of running fingers through his hair seems redundant and trite--well, be that as it may, I never tired of doing so. What was hair like that for if not to stroke? Pegasus' responded with shocking enthusiasm. As I mentioned before, earlier this night he had broken off my heartfelt attempts at eventually consummating the relationship--telling me to "wait till later" as I recall. Well....maybe this counted as "later"
His arms were still wrapped around my back, and I felt the fingers drive deeper against me. Even through my coat and shirt, I could feel the pressing digits, the gentle tugging as he sought to relax me and coax my upper body down fully against his own.
I made eye contact, scanning for some subtle alteration within his placid face. Nothing. Same killer smile, same honey-drenched eye...
Barely conscious of it doing so, I felt my breathing beginning to deepen....
As those candy sweetened lips brushed against my ear-lobe, I heard him murmur playfully:
"...Alright Blue Eyes. You won me. Next time you want me to submit to you, try besting me with lips instead of fists...ne?"
It didn't take much reasoning to figure that this was his way of giving me permission to move things along on the intimacy scale....something I was all-too-eager to do...
But because fate has been a total mood-killing jackass this whole honeymoon, things once again went wrong........horribly, horribly wrong.....
Just as I was about to figure out how long it takes to strip choo-choo train pyjamas off of a Pegasus------(seriously, this question is right up there with the "How many licks to the center of a Tootie Pop?" ..Mmm, Pegsy Pop....)------then a minor disaster which proved to be a major heartache occurred.....
Turbulence. That's all it took. A rough pocket of turbulence somewhere amidst the heights of the clouds...
If Pegasus and I weren't lying down already, we would have surely been tossed onto the floor. The whole room seemed to vibrate, as the knick-knacks upon the coffee table threatened to slide off and onto the rug beneath. But I wasn't concerned with anything else in the room right at that moment---just Pegasus.
Instantaneously, his breathing had gotten sharp and desperate, his once-gentle hands now piercing fiercely into my skin as he grabbed onto my being with all the force of a cornered, desperate, frightened beast. Some degree of pain accompanied his fearsome reaction, but I had no time to concern myself over it. I could only think of him---how I knew of his primal fear for planes, how he had loathed the idea of flying but would attempt it for my sake, how claustrophobic he had once told me air travel made him, and how, ultimately, it had killed his parents and left an undying imprint on his fragile psyche.
As the plane continued to shake--mere seconds though it felt like hours-- I hugged him close and tried to soothe his panic as much as possible. But it was useless. Once set off, the reactions could not be slowed. He only made one sound, a frantic whine that lasted for only a fraction of a second, and then he fell into total, terrifying, silence.
It stopped. Just like that. Only a few seconds, but that had been more than enough to screw up a guy who hated flying in the first place...
"Sorry about that." Over the intercom, a calm, nearly mechanical, voice spoke out. "Mild turbulence, sir. We're through it now. Hope it didn't make you too uncomfortable?"
Of course it made him uncomfortable, you smug prick! I hate people.
Pegasus was now desperately latched onto me, and I was sure that if he tightened his grip he may very well draw blood. He was shivering and panting, his good eye gone wild with fright. And here I was without a Ra-damned clue as to how I was supposed to be reacting to this. He was clearly having a panic attack, and while I could hold him and attempt to reassure him, I really did not know what to say or do. Damn, I've never been good at making people feel better..in fact, I always considered making them feel ~bad~ to be my natural talent!
"Pegasus? Pegasus? Calm down...it's over now. Hey...hear me?"
I'm not entirely sure that he did. He appeared to be stricken, dazed, probably lost in a slew of painful memories from years ago.
As I watched numbly, I saw that his eye was now glazed and bleary, a thin film of salty tears on the verge of spilling over. One crystalline drop welled tightly into the corner and glistened there.
Shit. He was going to cry, and that would be my cue to be utterly useless...
If there is anyone who's had worse luck with planes than me, it would most certainly have to be Pegasus. After all, little known fact: he lost both of his parents in a plane crash some years back. I only vaguely knew of the circumstances surrounding the situation, but I could readily assume he would have been paranoid when it came to plane travel...
As I watched the turmoil and misery on his face, I began to realize that he was haunted by more than just childhood trauma.
I bit my lip. Damn it, I had been naive enough to fool myself into believing that he had put all that Cecilia crap behind him now that we were together. I was always a little jealous of her, always afraid that if I made any little mistake with Pegasus that he would say "Oh, well ~Cecilia~ never complained/messed up like that....." Of course. Of course she was sweet and perfect and daisies probably sprouted up wherever she walked. Shit, how could I compete with that? If anything, I would be probably be the cause of Pegasus having an early death due to massive stress! But so far, had never tried to compare us, and when I showed a faint hint of jealousy, he liked to respond with something screwy and ambiguous like "She was. You are." I mean, what the hell?
Well, Pegasus had a seen a lot of death throughout his lifetimes and every once in awhile, something like a bit of air turbulence triggered up a culmination of horror and dread. Mom, dad, Cecilia, everyone who he had been close to, and who had died under tragic circumstances.
I really hadn't seen this coming though. Just hours ago he'd been laughing and making merry with the best of 'em, and now he was verging a nervous breakdown. Was he being genuine, or just a really good actor? Had he just been pretending to be happy for my benefit? I hated to think so. I respect sheer honesty much more than a fake demeanor....
I almost felt guilty. Almost like I was in some way responsible for this. I hadn't been very nice to him, well, except earlier when I was trying to rip his clothes off, but I'm not sure if that counts. But...still, it's not like I was trying to be a cocky jerk because I was upset with Pegasus...it's just that "cocky jerk" is who I am, it's how I make my bread and butter. It'd be plain weird if I got all sweet and gooey. And yeah, considering that Pegasus is a total "sweet and gooey" freak, I cannot explain why he choose me or what he sees in me. If he's wanting pampering and constant attention, he picked the wrong guy!
Once, I had asked him what he liked about me, what attracted him. Do you know what he said? My dark and brooding nature. As an artist who had gone through a gloomy period of life, he had a natural taste for anything somber and melancholy. I thought it sounded pretty feasible, considering that many painters suffered from depression and painted a lot of dreary scenes...look at Van Gogh, for instance. He committed suicide, after all. So I really didn't know whether or not to be flattered that Pegasus liked me for my shadowy nature...
And he liked my eyes. He said he had a thing for blue eyes. ("And because you're a little hottie.." he had added with a casual poke in my chest)
I'm not sure which one of those factors is the primary reason for his devotion to me, and for that matter, I'm not sure if I want to know.
As a transparent salty stream to began to wash down one side of Pegasus' face, I reached out and brushed the falling drop away before it could leave his chin. Such a simple gesture, but for doing so, I received the tiniest hint of a ghost smile at the corner of his soft lips.
And then I felt it.
I can't explain this, maybe some part of him just rubbed onto me, or maybe the Eye triggered the empathic nature to become doubled.....I honestly don't know. All I know is, suddenly, I could see it.
Like in those stories where someone leaves their body and is suddenly somewhere else? Well, it was kind of like that. I saw his memories....his enduring pain. And the visuals were most disturbing....
Duelist's Kingdom, the uppermost tower. A shroud of darkness filling the air of the night, a cosmic curtain pockmarked with stars and a waning crescent of a moon....
This was Pegasus' room. His Prison. His Tomb.
In the perfect enveloping silence, he lay in his bed and shuddered in restless tumult. He would not sleep this night, nor for many nights past or to come. He was adorned by the best fabrics money could buy, the most lavish decorations, the finest tapestries and golden relics......and he was alone.
I actually saw it all, felt it all, as though I were standing in some unseen corner...
Pegasus suffered eternally in a hell of his own creation. The phantoms of the past walked beside him, the painting on the far wall. Ghastly shadows caressed the artwork now. I'd seen these shadows before, I knew their faces all too well...for hadn't I spent my entire life trying to seal the light outside of my soul?
"Peg..Pegasus! ....stop this..."
I groaned. It was agonizing! I couldn't bear to feel this...not again. I had worked hard to desensitize myself, and that couldn't be undone, not now!
The loneliness, the fear...it was too painful to endure again. No! This was wrong! I swore I wouldn't ever feel this way again, I swore I'd find a way to block the anguish!
Pegasus ignored my pleas for the visions to end....but then, I honestly don't think he was in control of this. He's an empath, you know? A damn empath! Maybe the wounds endured by this most recent mental stress was causing sporadic projections of past sorrow in his life.
Well, I didn't want to see it, any of it! It struck some long-buried vein within me, something I really did not want to face....
He was alone. The breeze blew the curtains, and the moon looked down. And he was alone. The satin sheets did nothing to warm him....and the tears would freeze to his cheek before they ever hit the ground. But the Millenium Eye could shed no tears, could it? And no one knew, except the moon...and the stars. But they scarcely cared....
Oh, gods....! Why did this remind me of something so profoundly...?
The orphanage......hadn't I shivered too? But I didn't want companionship, I hate people!
Pegasus did. He was slowly growing more cynical day by day, but still, he yearned for the things he once held. His desires were the same fundamental desires that most humans have, but that I'm sure I don't have: a need to be held, touched, to know that to someone somewhere out there, he was worth something. To know that someone cared.
But he wouldn't let them. He was still hung up on a false hope. He had slept alone for many nights before, and would for many nights after. Love's absence made him bitter. He wouldn't dream, because in dreams he saw their faces again, and he couldn't bear to leave them in the waking hours....to wake up in the shrouded embrace of darkness....
I knew this reality. It was my life.
However, I was beyond caring anymore. Pegasus...apparently, was not. He had gone over the edge in terms of sanity before, but he still craved the warmth of another human being....
Loneliness was a feeling I could no longer fathom, but it had been all he had left to hold onto. And misery....
It was tragic that someone who loved and cherished life so much had lost all semblance of the "living" from his own life. He was a recluse who lived on an island and no longer desired to see the sun. He couldn't enjoy the present...because he couldn't let the past go.
I thought I had understood this. In terms of fact, I had. It terms of emotion...I was just beginning to grasp the whole picture.
Well, that was the past. Maybe as recent as last year. So what now? Pegasus had seemed so happy lately, but had he really been? Could I really be sure that he wouldn't fall into depression once more?
All I knew was, I'd do every damn thing in my power to prevent it. I'd have to learn to bite my tongue. I wasn't perfect, I knew as much, but I could make an effort.
Since my real parents died, I've never really cried. I always firmly maintained that I wouldn't cry because I wasn't a pathetic weakling. But...maybe it was just the opposite. Maybe I wasn't strong enough to cry. Not even with Pegasus. I can't weep for you yet, Pegasus. But someday I promise that I will have grown enough to do so....
Whatever weird magic that had taken hold of the place was loosing it's grip. The visions grew dim, and slowly ebbed away to end altogether.
I felt strange. As though one weight had been lifted, and a new weight put upon me.
I had finally been put into such a position where I could no longer deny myself, but now I found myself worrying immensely over Pegasus and his own personal struggles. I think somehow we had achieved a newfound bond, a higher level of intimacy that was one rung higher on the stepping ladder of our relationship....
Even though we hadn't actually moved from our awkward position on the rug, Pegasus looked as exhausted as if he'd been running for miles. Sweat droplets fell down his face and neck, and his breath had slowed to a heavy pant. I could feel the tension in his body, but fortunately, he was starting to relax a little.
His death grip on my shoulder loosened, and his eye slowly regained something of a rational look. I don't suppose I was helping matters much, but I held his head with one hand and stroked the other against his tight collarbone. I tried as best I could to create a soothing rhythm, kissing his forehead every few seconds.
Although I wasn't nearly as exhausted as Pegasus appeared to be, I did feel a slight case of fatigue. My mind was blurred, hazy. I think I felt something of him....
"Gods....how you must have suffered..."
I just mumbled, and I didn't expect myself to say as much. Came out of nowhere.
His golden brown eye turned to me, and I saw a look of recognition register within the dark pool of colours within.
Without speaking, Pegasus shuffled his position to sit in front of me, laying gently within my open arms, his head resting against my chest.
I felt myself sigh. The worst was over.....for now.
"I promise, I'll never let anyone hurt you again."
He turned his head to partially gaze up at me. There was a curious, almost puzzled expression there.
"And if anyone tries to......well, I'll slit their stomach open, strangle the fucker with their own guts, and then feed their liver to our kitten. I'm also sure I can come up with interesting ways of desecrating the body, as well."
I was really surprised when I heard Pegasus make a noise. He began to tremble against me in a near-violent spasming fit, and when at last I spun him round to see what was the matter, I saw that............he was laughing.
Although I really couldn't understand what in the hell I had just said that was so funny, I didn't care. It was great to see Pegasus laughing, smiling, being the man I'd come to know...and love.
"Oh, Kaiba~boi!" He said, wiping a finger against his leaky eye. "I do believe that is the sweetest, most romantic thing that anyone has ever said to me! Awww..."
He snuggled closer.
"Yeah....look what you've done to me. Now I'm all corrupted....and...mushy. You ass."
I felt one of those elegant fingers brushing the underside of my chin.
"Alas, Kaiba~boi, whenever they make a movie to depict our life..... I suppose we'll have to have Meg Ryan play your role."
He snickered. I was too tired to ask who exactly ought to play ~his~ role...
Although I had previously held the impression that Pegasus was feeling better, the events of the day and his past woes had apparently taken quite a toll on him nonetheless.
He raised a hand to his temple, wincing as though in severe pain.
Immediately, I was hunched over close and about to start a round of inquiries, but Pegasus shook off my concern with a wave of his other hand.
"It's....no big deal."
That didn't sound whole-hearted at all, but I decided to hear him out.
"Just a headache." He sighed heavily. "It's just been a long day, Seto. I think I'm going to go rest for awhile, alright? Maybe I'll get back up later..." There was a deep sense of guilt in his voice. He felt bad for leaving me alone here, I knew it.
I nodded, offering my best attempt to show that I was understanding and sympathetic of his condition.
With one final dew kiss, Pegasus arose and slowly strode over to the door of our private personal cabin. He only gave one final look at me before departing, a sort of tired but caring look.
No, I am not pure stone through and through. Seeing Pegasus this way did upset me greatly, of course, I wanted to comfort him somehow, make him feel better. But I didn't know how! When I was in a bad mood, tinkering with machines would always make me feel significantly improved, but somehow, I didn't think that would do much for Pegasus.
Then again, I've never had much of a talent when it comes to comforting people.
To further this point, you should know about an incident which happened some years back....
Now Mokuba, as you may or may not suspect, kept a good deal of pets when he was a little kid. Every time he passed a pet store he felt compelled to get something.
As you also may or may not suspect, I am not a "pet person". (Yes I know one of those morons at out wedding gave us a kitten, and oh, that will be a whole new hell. I know how they get around dangling objects...)
In one of these instances, Mokuba came home with a pet which isn't even really a pet in my mind. An animal which serves no purpose and does very nothing to speak of. Yes, I am referring to a goldfish.
A goldfish named---no shit--Floppy.
I didn't think much of it, of course. I had a lot of other things to think about.
Mokuba could really dote on that stupid fish sometimes, though. He'd poke it's aquarium, talk to it, you know, inane stuff like that. Again, I never payed much attention.
One day when Mokuba was staying with a neighbour, I happened to chance passing by Floppy's aquarium. Normally, I never give it a second look, but this time, something caught my eye.
Floppy was always a weird bastard, of course, but I'd never known the guy to have much of an interest in swimming upside-down. I thought maybe the fish was developing some character depth.....well, until I gave it a closer glance and saw that Floppy was not so much swimming as floating, and was not so much moving as ....well, not moving.
Sensing that Floppy had probably flopped his last, I thought little of casually scooping the carcass up and chucking it into the nearest wastebasket. I then cut up the aquarium and used the glass for some of my current projects. No big deal, I thought.
Well, needless to say, Mokuba eventually came home and had some questions. I wrote him off by saying that Floppy had gotten so excited that he'd jumped right out of his aquarium, gone down the drain, and was now loving his new life in the ocean with all the other fishes. Mokuba had seemed okay with this---I swear, you can BS little kids with ~any~ lame story.
Things of course fell apart a few days later when Mokuba found Floppy's corpse in the trash can. It was one of the first pet deaths that he'd had to endure, and it practically sent him into a state of shock.
I must not have been very comforting either, because when he turned on me, all I could offer in defense was, "Well, at least I didn't flush him down the toilet..."
...but now that I think about it, why in the hell was Mokuba in the trash can to begin with? You know, I never actually thought to question this point of reason during the actual event, seeing as how I was too busy defending my arse. Hindsight is 20/20, as they say...
Okay, so I didn't exactly make the kid feel much better with any explanation. And I think he was a little distrustful after that, a little more cynical about death and life.
....Not ~that~ much more cynical. He got a new gold fish the next week...
But anyway, the kid wanted me to bury the fish. Believe me, I did ~not~ want to construct a tombstone for a stupid fish, so at first I outright refused. However....as with so many other times, Mokuba used the puppy eye glare on me, and before I knew what was happening, I was outside with my new super-powered shovel......
The tombstone: RIP ~Floppy Kaiba~ We Hardly Knew Ye
I guess Mokuba did forgive me a little. He still never let me touch any of his future pets, though.....
Damn. If I can't even deal with a goldfish properly, then how can I ever hope to deal with Pegasus....?
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Everything below this line was written by my c/a, SW---yeah, y'know, that chick who wrote the prologue and has a really really really good Pegasus fic called "Lost to Love"?
However, all the ideas came from me. So while the ideas are mine (MINE MINE!!!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!) she was kind enough to bring them to life for me *three cheers for SW!*, since I am such a lazy bum who enjoys being a lazy bum. Some sexual innuendo--nothing graphic. All pansies have been warned.
*Amber falls over panting*
Aghhhh, I TIRED, I TIRED!! WRITING SCENE LONG MUCH!!!
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At the rate I'm going I'll never get my Pegasus to de-stress for any love making. This honey moon is a disaster! And now more guilt for thinking about sex at a post apocalyptic time like this when I should simply be glad we both survived.
My poor Maxie is probably lying there in severe pain and or mental anguish while I sit here and think about goldfish. I am just so understanding.
I hope the headache is only a headache. If it gets worse, if it turns into a fever, Oh gods I can't loose him now!! It was Yugi and those snot nosed little brats that are always tagging along with him! I know it! They were sending Pegasus their worse most evil emotions all day! They came because they knew, wait, they don't know, do they? I'm a genius and it took me a few months of living with him before I figured it out. They don't know that emotions can damage him, but that doesn't mean that they didn't hurt him all the same.
When I get back I am so gonna kick their collective asses for this! Ruin my wedding and my honey moon and make my husband sick will ya!
But Pegasus would never let me do that. I hit a pillow next to me on the couch dejectedly. He had a real soft spot for kids. We both do actually but I'll die before I admit it to anyone else.
He's always so strong and energetic on the outside. He hates it when I worry. I have to stop worrying. I'm getting as bad as Croquet! How or when it happened exactly I don't know but now Pegasus is permanently filed in the 'people to protect and worry about' file in my brain right next to Mokuba.
He said he was fine. But he'd say that even if he were cut in half. But he knows I'm worried which will only make him feel worse. I have to stop worrying. He doesn't need me to take care of him. He's a grown man, an incredibly hot sexy gorgeous man...
Thoughts of Pegasus doing the classic Marilyn Monroe pose in his white silk robe danced through my head at that moment. It was a ridiculous fantasy but so was the moment it was taken from. The mad escape down the aisle from the news helicopter.
No, this won't help me either. I looked towards the closed door and fought down my rising urges to disturb my darling. He needs to rest I told myself sternly. And I, I need to check my stock portfolio!
I grabbed desperately for my ever present laptop. It was less a compulsive habit and had become more of a fifth limb to me. A little business and technology is just what I need to put the horrors of the day behind me and get back to normal. Nothing settles my nerves like...
I popped the screen up, typed in my access code.
'Argh!!! What the bloody fuck!!!'
I am certain the entire Western hemisphere could hear my screams.
A figure in a swaying hula skirt with Croquet's head pasted on shimmied across my screen playing a ukulele and singing,
'Aloha Kaiba~boi! Aloha Kaiba~boi!! It's a pleasure to waste all your files!!'
Behind the annoying cartoon I recognized an even more annoying cartoon. My wall paper had been changed to a giant picture of funny bunny who was holding an hour glass with pink sand running steadily through it. He waved a white gloved finger at me and scolded in a high pitched cartooney voice,
'Uh, uh, uh! No work when you're on vacation! No work when you're on vacation! No work...'
My files were being deleted!
I madly pounded the keys trying everything and anything to delete the virus but nothing worked! My system refused to acknowledge that there even was a virus! And yet all my files were disappearing before my eyes! As the last scrap of data in my lap top left the on screen list I had pulled up, my vision turned to red.
All thoughts of 'My poor Maxie' went right out the window, replaced instantly with boiling hot blood rage.
How dare he even think of touching my lap top? THE most precious, delicate, sensitive, vital piece of equipment I own!! (*authors snicker* Kaibas 'equipment' hehe ) With a guttural growl I leapt from my seat.
Without any consideration for how badly my volcanic anger could damage Pegasus gentle empathic heart I stormed through the cabin and ripped open the door to his private chamber. The possibility of a brutal argument if not an all out physical assault that surely would have led to divorce proceedings or worse legal charges, completely vanished from my course.
In fact, as I beheld the sight on the other side of that door my entire mind went utterly blank. I am completely certain if anyone had asked me my name at that precise moment I would barely have been able to produce an inarticulate gurgle.
Now some explanation as to the way our relationship had generally functioned up until this particular instance is certainly required here. I'm the one who pounces on him and flattens Pegasus to the mattress. Yes he is taller and marginally heavier and older than I so natural physics dictates that I be the one on top whenever things get horizontal. Pegasus is the one who gives in, leading me subtly without ever taking control away from me.
My gentle relenting angel who always laughs and calls out my name in that encouraging sing song way of his. He loves the attention I give him. If I didn't press him every once in a while I'm sure he'd never ask to take me. He was happy if I was happy and wow was I ever!
Yet always in the back of my passion hazed mind I realized he had his needs too. I knew there were times when he looked at me with a disturbingly hungry gaze. He never allowed himself to give in. He never needed physical control or dominance to feel good. The man had an ego the size of Alaska, conquering me was not necessary to maintaining his self worth. Every line of him, every movement dripped with sensuality. He couldn't help it. It was surely unintentional but he was not naive about his naturally perfect attributes.
Pegasus knew he was hot. He had nothing to prove. So what did I have to prove? Why did I have to be in control? I didn't. It's just part of who I am and every day I thank my lucky stars that I found someone confident enough to love me despite it. He accepts it, laughs at it, loves me all the more when I dominate him.
Something about that aspect of our relationship should have sent up warning flares for me long before this. I should have seen it coming, but noone who knows Pegasus would ever see this coming! Granted he is known for insanity and the occasional evil soul stealing binge, and he does own his own dungeon, but generally he's a lovable British cream puff who would give a complete stranger the shirt off his back.
Now, as I was saying, I was...he was...it was...
'Oh my fucking Ra!'
I don't know if I actually said that out loud or only though it, but either way Pegasus heard it. I also thought, what did I get myself into?, as I twisted the plain gold of my wedding band with uncomprehending apprehension.
The back cabin of the jet was no longer the back cabin of the jet. Through some sort of illusionary shadow magic it had been transformed into a dark stone walled dungeon lit with burning torches. Sprays of black roses hung down from ivory vases made from hollowed out human skulls. The perfume mixed heavily with the smoke and the scent of rusting iron and blood were added to the air. On a crimson velvet couch that sported a twisting black rod iron back already decorated with ropes and hand cuffs, my new husband was reclining.
There was no headache! He completely set me up! I was worrying and he was in here redecorating! And oh what a sight...
He was wearing skin tight black leather pants and a pair of lace up gauntlets on each fore arm, and nothing else! The stark icy contrast of his diamond pale flesh against the midnight space held my attention like nothing ever had. I was frozen in shock as I watched him move with liquid grace from his panther like pose. That damask ruffled suit he usually wears hides a hell of a lot of masculine perfection.
Pegasus stalked towards me stealthily with his silver hair shimmering like the tail of a comet in the darkness. Every finely chiseled muscle of his physique was visible to me. I think I may have been drooling a little despite feeling like a trapped antelope standing in front of a white lion.
A pink tongue darted out to lick those plump lotus petal lips of his and I swear his luminous golden gaze had never looked more predatory. Suddenly I seemed to possess all the modesty of a chaste school girl in comparison. I still couldn't remember my name or that my feet could move.
'Ah, at last! My love slave has arrived!'
He purred at me in a low smokey voice that did nothing to break my motionless stance. Pegasus held up a leather harness with a lot of metal rings and buckles on it and a leather loin cloth attached somehow. I believe at that point both my eye brows shot right up off my head. I was obviously supposed to participate in the theme of the room somehow...
'Come on in Kaiba~boi! ' He continued with sultry enthusiasm. 'And you had better find a way to make me very comfortable!'
I stood there and gaped at him some more. I was having trouble wrapping my mind around what I was expected to do. Love making was always a straight forward progression to me. Making out led to stripping down which led to rolling onto the bed, which led to a whole lot of pleasure. Pegasus walked over to the wall and took down a very nasty looking leather flail with a studded handle. It was such a casual motion I nearly didn't notice until I heard it crack in the air in front of me.
'Step lively slave! Your new Master is becoming impatient!'
That sure as hell woke me up. My anger flared a new. If this was the way he thought things were going to be...
Pegasus came close enough that I could feel his warm breath on my cheek and he smiled his familiar mischievous little smile and winked his good eye at me. Then he proceeded to lace his fingers through my hair and smother me with a rough kiss. And I let him. Because this was Pegasus and he had just let me know that he was only playing. Because I trust him with everything and I trusted that this would be good.
(Needless to say I was very, very right! )
'Now you've been a terribly naughty slave today, haven't you my Blue Eyes?'
'Yes Master!' I answered, perhaps more enthusiastically than a real slave would.
The rest as they say is amore!
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{{{{Yes, as you probably suspected, there is a hidden lemon scene following, however, it won't be posted here. In part, for you guys who don't like that stuff, and in part because I just don't want to get banned. However, if you do like yaoi lemons, don't be shy, email SW at moondark@mail.com and request the scene from her. She should have written it or be writing it. *DO NOT EMAIL ME!*, I don't have it. (But I will be requesting some lemon myself soon, hehe, shhhhh I know I'm a 16 year old hikari but hikaris can surprise you sometimes =)) So anyway, yeah, email her if you want. Actually, I implore you, bug her about it until she gets the thing written.......you hear me, SW?! I WANTS ME LEMON!!!!!! ^-^ LEMON LEMON LEMON LEMON LEMON!!!!!!!!!! *falls over*}}}}
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If you loved, hated, or wish to comment, please, drop a review. And also, the email addresses of the authors are posted below...
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Amber // SW
rheldsfairln@netscape.net // moondark@mail.com
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