Naming the Flame

Trei

Chapter Six

---I'm so sorry this took so long to write! I was a bit stuck with writer's block and a monster of a term paper (plus my laptop's back light burnt out), but fear not, it was easily vanquished with Mercedes Lackey rereading. ^_^ Really, shounen-ai fans must read the Last Mage trilogy she wrote. Tylendel is just…*sigh* Anyway, off my reading list and onto the yaoi!---

DEDICATION: Chapter dedicated to Set-chan, for the invaluable help offered on this chapter and the trials suffered due to lack of able-willed communication. Even so (hehe), it wouldn't have been written (or written well) without you, sweetie. =) Thank you.

--Note: One biiig lemon ahead with Ryou/Malik as our l'amour de garçon du jour. And yes, I ordered that pairing right. Hehe. Anyway, we have a lemon and a lime between one Jounouchi Katsuya and Otogi Ryuuji (you have Pepper Breath to thank for the lime - she pushed for it ^_^). Bishie plushies of their choice to Pepper Breath and x20Deepx for catching the Yami no Yugi/Yami no Bakura hints. ;) However, thanks to an astute observation by Sailor Comet, the actual lemon between Ryou and Malik is located on adultfanfiction.net. To save you the search, however, I included a link to the AFF chapter when the lemoniness begins to get…em…illegal. I'd rather keep my story online. ;) Enjoy!--

Following a herd of bizarrely-shaped urchins and an Egyptian spirit with a slain sense of direction was really not the way Ryuuji had planned to spend one of the last days of his vacation. His koibito, however, didn't seem to hear him when he pointed this out. Instead, Jounouchi crept from one alleyway to the next, unnecessarily hiding behind dumpsters and trash cans and humming some action movie's theme under his breath. Ryuuji walked after him like a weary mother, his arms folded as he lazily strode a straight path through the grimy back streets.

At one point, Jounouchi paused mid-crouch in his secret agent rehearsal to pout at his drab koi. "You're ruining my fun," he accused, glaring childishly.

Ryuuji cast a shock of emerald to the sky, his eyes' motion giving away the exasperation he couldn't put entirely into words. "I'm not going to jabber around a grubby alleyway like some skulking, freshly escaped psychopath. It's bad enough I'm wasting my vacation time sweating in some back alley miles away from the nearest air conditioner, let alone the fact that the reason I'm sweating is the damn weather and not something you're doing."

This time 'round, Jounouchi actually paused to consider his koibito's previously ignored words. Slowly, a coy grin replaced the sullen pout that threw his countenance back ten years. "Are you saying you'd rather be spending your vacation with me?" he asked, rubbing a finger pad on a bent knee while he trained his eyes downward.

Ryuuji rolled his eyes in a full turn, kneeling before the blond and pulling the older boy's hands into his own. "Yes, you baka," he said, leaning in and kissing Jounouchi's forehead tenderly. "I'd rather you than this pointless chase. It's obvious where the maniac is going - everything he probably wants he can get in Domino. And while it would be amusing to watch you try and take him down with paper cuts from your Duel Monsters' deck, I'd much rather you put your energy to a more…gratifying use."

Jounouchi smiled and squeezed Ryuuji's hands. "Like what?" he whispered.

Grinning, Ryuuji pried a hand from Jounouchi's and captured the back of the blond's neck, drawing the older boy into a piquant lip combat. Jounouchi returned the grin and pushed against the raven-haired teen, his hands skating from toned abdomen to the curved small of his back. Ignoring the filth most likely covering the alley wall, Ryuuji allowed his koibito to smash his back into the bricks, only truly conscious of the blond before him.

Jounouchi skimmed a hand beneath the close-fitting shirt Ryuuji wore, his fingertips massaging the rippled muscles that shivered under his touch. Ryuuji sighed shakily into the kiss, his arms winding around Jounouchi's neck and holding on tightly. This was more like it. No psycho asshole was more foremost than lime time with your kichou koibito.

His body flush against Ryuuji's, Jounouchi slid his arms under the younger boy's arms and lifted him slightly, a fairly obvious hint to stand. Unsteadily Ryuuji observed the unspoken urging, pulling on Jounouchi's shoulders to rise to his feet. Instantly, though, he was once more smothered against the wall, moaning as Jounouchi crushed their hips dangerously closer.

The older boy concentrated on the kiss, his tongue brushing Ryuuji's as he tilted his head to gain better angle. From there he closed his eyes and relied on touch and sense to assist him. Ryuuji writhed under the several points of assault, trembling against the kiss and shuddering under the pressure on his groin. He groaned again as Jounouchi ground his hips down on his, Ryuuji holding his arms tighter around the blond's neck. Fighting a low cry, the younger boy delved one hand into golden strands while the other stole beneath Jounouchi's shirt and clawed at the damp shoulder blades.

Detaching from the kiss, Jounouchi attacked Ryuuji's neck, his teeth nipping at an exposed angle where neck met shoulder. Ryuuji's nails dug painfully into his back, the younger boy grating out a harsh gasp at the contact. "J-Jou…" Ryuuji groaned. "Mmm, Katsuya…." The teeth came down again, eliciting a startled cry and a fist clenching in Jounouchi's blond hair.

"Say it," whispered Jounouchi, his molten amber eyes drinking in the ebony lashes trembling against high cheekbones. "Ryuuji-koi, say it."

"Aishiteru, Katsuya," the other boy groaned, "aishiteru."

Satisfied, Jounouchi smiled and returned the sentiment by kissing the younger boy's forehead.

Ryuuji snapped his eyes open, panting like a wounded animal. "Y-you're going to finish that or I'll fucking take you right here."

Eyes widening at the promise, Jounouchi said innocently, "I thought you said the alley was too grubby?"

Ryuuji whacked Jounouchi emphatically with passion-emblazed force. After hearing the yelp that passed Jounouchi's lips, Ryuuji growled, "It's hot, now I'm sweating because of you and that maniac is long gone by now. Now kiss me or I'll leash you to a fire hydrant!"

Jounouchi twirled a strand of midnight silk around one finger, smiling dotingly at Ryuuji. "I think you make a better dog in heat than I do, koi."

Ryuuji smothered further teasing with a soul-shattering kiss, his wandering hands more than enough to draw an even headier moan from his formerly smug koibito.

**

As of late, nobody dead or alive could claim to have spoken rationally with the former tomb robber that now inhabited Ryou Bakura's body. This was not to say it could not be done, which was presently Yami no Yugi's goal to prove. The pharaoh knew the spirit of the Ring better than one would believe in more ways than one.

He knew, for example, that Yami no Bakura was dangerously unstable in his airs and auras. Though he had never and would never lay a harmful finger on his fragilely innocent host, Yami no Bakura wouldn't flinch to beat a total stranger - just because the stranger's eyes were green and colored eyes outside of brown unnerved the tomb robber. Yet on that point, Yami no Yugi could understand his fellow spirit's confusion and nerves - every soul in ancient Egypt had had darkest black hair and russet irises (1). However, this was no reason to initiate senseless violence. But he'd been unsuccessful in explaining this to Yami no Bakura. Some things will never change, and Yami no Bakura's paranoia was inarguably one of them. Schizophrenic, deluded and paranoid.

Yami no Yugi wondered if he could find the soul of his past life's advisor and crush it for letting him fall in love with such a rampaging lunatic.

That…emotion had been the one thing that saved Yami no Bakura's afterlife when the pharaoh discovered what the tomb robber had done to ensure his safe passage into the Sennen Puzzle. Not only was he now shredding off pieces of his soul to play house in a shiny golden triangle - he was spying on him and Yugi! Rampaging lunatic….

Said lunatic was currently leaning against a brick pillar in the shadows of Yami no Yugi's soul room, tilting his head forward just enough to let his bangs fall forward and shield his eyes. It would have looked menacing - if he hadn't been grinning like an idiot and hysterical with demonic little giggles.

For his part, the pharaoh merely narrowed his eyes and gauged the countdown to his exploding temper's next appearance. "I take it from your hilarity that world destruction is now amusing to you?" he growled. He may have loved the psycho, but that by no means he was disallowed from taking his anger out on him.

In reply, Yami no Bakura shucked his hair back and smiled capriciously with a riddle in his eyes. "I take it from your reaction that you have yet to discover the plans of the Rod's former guardian," he said, tilting his head sideways.

The pharaoh's lips blanched under the strain of their owner. If Yami no Bakura sensed a looming pharaoh bitchfit, he made no acknowledgement. Instead, he curled his arms around his waist and continued to leer at the former monarch.

"What aren't you telling me, tomb robber?"

"Everything. And nothing. For example…."

The pharaoh arched an eyebrow.

"Did you know that the dice fanatic and the inu cheerleader are…you would say…an item?"

Yami no Bakura's grin doubled in maniacal degree and the Pharaoh felt his chances of semi-sane conversation slipping with the intensity of that grin. Baka rampaging lunatic tomb robber!

"Tomb robber - "

"Though I severely doubt its lengthy duration."

" - Tomb robber - "

"There doesn't seem to be a great deal of physical attraction. Every affiliation like theirs craves physical attraction. Nobody cares for conversation when they can have - "

"Athari!" (2)

Yami no Bakura grinned broadly, the deranged light in his eyes fading vaguely. Clearing his throat delicately to contrast the fuming pharaoh and the glowing Eye of Horus now evident on the former monarch's forehead, the thief moved off of the wall and approached Yami no Yugi.

The pharaoh, still furious, held his ground, his fists ready to pummel.

Yami no Bakura paused only centimeters from the pharaoh's nose, whispering, "You said my name."

The Pharaoh's expression failed to change, though the Eye of Horus began to fade a little with his rage. "So I did," he said stiffly. "You had forgotten it?"

"No, and I knew you hadn't. Re knows you've screamed it enough." A mischievous spark returned to Yami no Bakura's eyes.

The pharaoh rolled his eyes and folded his arms regally before his chest. "In anger only, tomb robber."

Yami no Bakura placed a hand on the pharaoh's crossed arms, pulling them down and apart without once leaving the locked stare. "You lie, Khetire." (3) The younger Egyptian tilted his head again, studying the older's eyes meticulously. "It isn't prudent for pharaohs to lie."

"Nor is it prudent for children to play with explosives," reminded Yami no Yugi with a skeptical eyebrow lifted.

Yami no Bakura erupted into fresh giggles, almost squealing with glee. "No, it isn't!" he agreed in a cackle.

Yami no Yugi at last had his fill of the tomb robber's bizarre behavior and silenced the fiendish giggling with an impetuous kiss. Lunatics talk too much.

Arms still crossed, the pharaoh pulled away, leaning his head back imperially to stare the tomb robber head on. "You enjoy the sound of your own voice far too voraciously," he pointed out coolly.

Yami no Bakura was grinning vaguely, his eyes still shut. "I could think of other things I enjoy more…" he hummed.

The pharaoh rolled his eyes. "Perhaps solitary confinement wasn't the most clever of my ideas."

"No arguments from this corner."

Yami no Yugi glared flatly at an innocently smiling tomb robber. "Silence, Athari," he growled.

Yami no Bakura ignored the command and leaned forward, his arms twining around the pharaoh's neck impishly. Startled by the impulsive move, Yami no Yugi caught the tomb robber's slim waist. The tomb robber smiled with an edge of mischief. "How old were you when you died, ore no Myoujou (4)?" he asked.

The pharaoh, sadly for his sanity, was used to the tomb robber's abrupt changes of conversation and replied composedly, "I've been told I was eighteen."

Pleased with the answer, Yami no Bakura leaned more of his weight on Yami no Yugi's chest. "Do you know how old I was?"

"…No."

"Sixteen."

Yami no Yugi's eyes widened. "Truly?"

"Yes."

"Athari - "

Yami no Bakura kissed the pharaoh sternly, mocking, "You enjoy the sound of your own voice far too voraciously."

Yami no Yugi frowned and scoured the other's eyes. The tomb robber was an enigma, all right. One could never tell how deeply his riddling veins ran. Surely, he couldn't have been this weird in Egypt.

"You're staring," pointed out Yami no Bakura with a smirk.

"I'm studying."

"You're boring."

The pharaoh smirked and shoved the startled tomb robber against a conveniently placed wall, leering perilously close. Nearly purring, Yami no Yugi entrapped the younger Egyptian's mouth deep in a searing kiss that spoke volumes more than words ever could attempt to accomplish.

"Boring, ne?" asked the Puzzle's spirit as he pulled back and took to toying with the fragile, pure locks of his thief.

Yami no Bakura stared, his mouth ajar. Insanity seemed to flee his eyes, replaced by unadulterated shock.

Chuckling, Yami no Yugi nuzzled an intimate kiss into the softened lips, murmuring, "Silence suits you."

The thief continued to stare. Then, "Khetire?"

The older Egyptian was occupied with cuddling against the other spirit, his eyes closed as he left kisses on the other's ivory throat. "Hmm?"

"Aishiteru."

As if struck by a ten-pound mallet, the Pharaoh jerked back, gaping at the younger Egyptian with unrestrained shock. "Wh-what?"

Yami no Bakura grinned, the flash of madness returning to glisten in the tip of his left eye.

"Athari?"

"Hmm?" the younger Egyptian mocked.

"What did you just say?" prompted Yami no Yugi with a hint of urgency. That word…that underlying message…. After thousands of years separated…. Having been told already that they had once meant more to each other than appearances would allow…. Could the tomb robber still love the pharaoh?

"Say?" asked Yami no Bakura with a frown. "When?" He would have convinced, too, had his eyes not sparkled so.

Yami no Yugi scowled. "Don't be stupid."

"I haven't the barest trace of an idea what you're talking about, mou Myoujou," the tomb robber said innocently.

"Why do I find that difficult to believe?"

"Because I was a thief, a liar, a murderer and a devastatingly charming tomb robber in my other life?"

A slender eyebrow lifted. "Murderer?"

Yami no Bakura made a noise of affirmation in the hollow of his throat. His eyes were beginning to reclaim their perpetually crazed glint. "Egypt taught me the true meaning of 'bleeding hearts'."

"What do you mean?"

"Bleeding a heart. Making it bleed."

The former pharaoh's other eyebrow joined its twin near the golden hairline. "I'm not following you." Naturally. "You bled a heart?" Without confusing himself further by demanding an explanation to that, he instead asked, "Intentionally, then, I assume?"

"It was never my intention."

"To make a heart bleed?"

"To make yours bleed."

And before Yami no Yugi could even sputter his shock properly, the tomb robber was gone. Wide-eyed at the words Yami no Bakura had just unleashed, the former pharaoh leaned against a pillar of his soul room and mused over that. Riddles were the tomb robber's way of life in this era. Why did it seem to Yami no Yugi that his way of life was quickly plummeting to King of Games to unpaid, overworked code breaker?

Anyone speak screwball?

**

Malik initially regarded the theatre with a skeptical look, half listening to Ryou's explanation of it and what was inside while his own thoughts tried to dredge up his own representation. All he could come up with, though, was a memory of seeing a small television set in a market near his old home in Egypt. He remembered being entranced by the moving pictures, the window of people moving around as though it were a portal looking into another corner of the world. According to Ryou, this was like a very large television set with rows of seats to accommodate other patrons.

Malik frowned and interrupted, "Why are there other people?" He didn't like the idea of a darkened room surrounded by total strangers - possibly armed total strangers. In the past few days, he had been enthusiastically reminded that his popularity in Domino was spectacularly low.

Ryou smiled gently at Malik's forcibly hidden anxiety and laced an arm through the Egyptian's, leading him toward the ticket booth. "Trust me, koi, it's fine. If you want to live in Japan or any country with metropolises, you have to learn these kinds of things."

"You're lucky I love you."

Ryou cast a smile over his shoulder. "I know."

Malik carefully avoided the other customers in the lobby of the theatre as he and Ryou headed toward the theatre number printed on their tickets. Some Egyptian god must have taken pity on Malik, for he or she had assigned them to a nearby theatre. Malik disappeared through the door quickly, Ryou following him with a poorly masked grin of amusement.

Malik, apparently having no idea of the implications he was giving off, climbed the stairs leading to the topmost row of the theatre. Ryou muffled a blush and ascended the stairs, rubbing his cheek with his sleeve. The theatre was fairly empty save for a few who cluttered at the bottom of the theatre. A girl and her boyfriend caught sight of the infamous terrorist of Battle City and exchanged a panicked look before quickly relocating their seats from the back to one of the middle rows. Malik looked pleased that a girl his age had actually run in the opposite direction for once.

Ryou slumped into a seat beside Malik, unconsciously reaching over and twining his fingers with the older boy's. Malik jumped and redirected his attention from scanning the place suspiciously to their bound hands. He smiled at Ryou and unexpectedly brushed a kiss to his ivory-haired koibito's lips. "You're sweet," he said, squeezing Ryou's hand.

The younger boy flushed adorably and pillowed his head between the tanned jaw line and Malik's warm shoulder.

"Ry?"

"Mm?"

"How long is this movie?"

"Two hours, I'd say. Why?"

"Mm. No reason."

Ryou frowned, but before he could question further, the overhead lights began to fade into oblivion.

Malik stiffened. "What's going on?" he hissed.

Ryou blinked and surveyed the theatre, searching for an unorthodox peril or even a strange ad on the movie screen. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he asked, "What?"

"The lights," explained Malik sharply, his head craned back to flit his gaze from one darkening orb to the next.

Ryou masked a smile and said, "They're just dimming the lights, saiai."

"Why?"

"So you can see the screen better. Just watch."

Malik angled his head slightly, ignoring the abrupt brilliance of the screen to gaze stoically at his koi. Aware thanks the peripheral sense of his gaze, Ryou turned his glimpsing eyes on Malik's and smiled amusedly. "I meant watch the screen, kichou," he teased lightly. Malik only grinned and reached out with a crooked wrist, gently guiding Ryou's head to his shoulder. Inwardly, Ryou initiated giggles fit for the vocal capacity of a ten-year-old, outwardly smiling enough to split his face in half.

"IN THEATERS OCTOBER 14th!"

Malik yelped and tumbled straight out of his seat, his hand unconsciously swiping his belt for his absent Sennen Rod. "What the hell?!" he demanded of the ceiling.

Ryou fumbled with his hand to conceal off-timed giggles. "It's just the coming attractions, kichou!"

"SHHH!"

Grumbling a few foreign vulgarities, Malik sought out his seat and took to scowling at the screen. "Fucking theatre."

Ryou lowered his hand experimentally. Pleased when no remnants of entertained glee bubbled from his throat, he asked quietly, "Haven't you heard of movie theatres before, koibito?"

The look he received was acidic. "Of course I have," Malik snapped. "I'm more experienced in this world than any twenty teenagers my age put together."

Ryou smiled mischievously.

The coming attractions continued in an avidly expressive array of colors, splashing the pair with the odd splotch of white or green, blue or yellow. It so happened that in the moment that Ryou grinned, the crimson of an actor's shirt burned into the young boy's profile. Malik recoiled a bit. How Change of Heart…. Creepy card. Creepy theatre. …Creepy color-switching koibito….

"What's that?" growled Malik, eyeing the expression with supreme suspicion. "What're you smiling at?"

Shaking his head, Ryou continued to smile and returned his silken head to the tense shoulder. Once his slender fingers were once more securely woven in Malik's, he answered cryptically, "Just something your sister and I realized."

Malik looked severely threatened by this observation. "What?" he asked, not entirely certain he wanted a reply to that.

"Oh, it's nothing. We were discussing the same subject, actually. We both agreed that you had a much broader scope of the world than most your age."

"So why the leer? My sister gives me that look when she knows something I don't."

"She does, in this case. And I do not 'leer', thank you."

Malik's eyes narrowed, platinum eyebrows kneeling close to irritated lavender spheres.

Ryou veiled another smile and began stroking the back of his Egyptian's hand gently, gazing at the ivory contrast on tan before stating, "You had a fairly suggestive Sennen Item for years, love. And you must have known every centimeter of it like any part of your jewelry…ensemble. Yet - that never stopped you from proclaiming, 'Behold the power of my Millennium Rod!' at the top of your voice."

Malik looked stupefied for a moment before the implications of his former mayhem-inflicting self thundered true in his ears. Which were now red. "Oh…oh, hell…" he muttered weakly. His face was quickly becoming an aggressive competitor for any three layers of neon red wrapping paper.

Ryou continued to grin, his attention and melted chocolate gaze fixed on the exploits of his thumb on Malik's hand. Struggling to squash a grin, Ryou whispered, "Don't evil villains get 'the talk' too, love?"

The squeal that pierced the moviegoers' theatrical experience curled a satisfied smirk on Malik's lips while Ryou clutched at his lower abdomen, blushing frantically.

"That's a yes," Malik clarified.

**

Malik observed aloud that the back door was minutely ajar and refused to allow Ryou out of his sight (or out from under his arm – which triggered a spurt of prideful reluctance from Ryou until he realized this new position was actually quite comfortable) while they searched the darkened floors. Following a fruitless search, Ryou shrugged and notched a finger underneath the living room's light switch. Brilliant rays from above the coffee table stained the room luridly, exposing two yelps of incredulity and two enormously shocked islanders trying to look innocuous while shirtless in the middle of the room.

Riku recovered first, apparently at the very most grateful that it was his cousin and not his uncle that had discovered his and Sora's rather poorly disguised relationship. Smoothing hands through his awry hair, he said calmly, "Hey, guys. Your sister called, Malik."

Nodding emphatically, Sora added sheepishly, "She said someone named Yugi called for Ryou."

Malik staggered, his jaw slack. "Why was he calling me to get to Ryou?" he asked skeptically. His relationship with Ryou wasn't exactly a topic of discussion amongst the chibi Pharaoh's band of misfits and goonies.

"Obviously, he knows Ryou's probably there if he's not at home." Sora giggled impishly, looking from Ryou to Malik after a crafty grin shot at his own koibito. …Okay, islanders are officially bizarre, Ryou decided internally. …Wait, Japan is an island…. Well, I suppose that's right then. Schizophrenic, dates a schizophrenic, hangs out with a schizophrenic with triangular hair, attends school with a teenager richer than half of the planet…. Uh, maybe I should consider medication before this gets too long….

Swiveling his attention back towards the conversation at hand, Ryou caught the end of Riku's taunt of, "And my cousin's probably at Malik's a lot."

Ryou cleared his throat of the embarrassment striving to kick his tone up an octave and said surprisingly evenly, "Are we interrupting something?" He eyed the drained glass bottle resting stationary a breath from Riku's curled legs.

Riku glanced at Sora and quickly drew up his injured arm, regarding it with mostly acted out concern. An angry burgundy stain was blotching the bandages wrapped around his upper arm; Ryou wincingly looked away. Too many deplorable memories like that and he'd be fully prepared to lose the dinner he hadn't yet eaten.

Sensing Ryou's discomfort, Riku replaced the cloth and said, "I have to change this, Sora'll explain." Thus excusing himself, Riku stole upstairs, smirking.

Glaring at his traitor koi's retreating back, Sora grumbled, "We were watching the news a few minutes ago and we got…uhm…distracted." At Malik's arched eyebrow, Sora rushed on, "And about that…I'm not sure how much you know…the news had coverage of it all day…. Uh. Well, the night we met you, me and Riku - "

"Riku and I," called Riku lazily from upstairs.

Sora scowled childishly at the ceiling. "Riku and I were sent here when our world received news of the Heartless reborn in yours. To make a long story short, when we dropped by Taki Hi, Riku was attacked by a creature we used to fight - well, creatures. They're called - "

"Heartless," said Ryou, nodding.

"How'd you know?"

"Uhm. I…overheard?"

Sora grinned. "Sure. Anyway, we'll explain details later, but the main brunt of the thing is, these things didn't used to be such a problem for us, let alone Riku," elaborated Sora. A small fleck of tinsel shone proudly in the core of his eyes as he spoke of his koi. "On the island, we used to think no one could defeat Riku." Smiling slightly, he confessed, "I still do, to be honest." Shaking his head with a rueful grin, he continued, "Heartless are almost docile - incredibly easy to defeat. Four sword swipes and they fall at your feet. Basically, the fact that Riku couldn't even hit one was a major concern to both of us. So we investigated today."

"What did you find out?" Ryou asked calmly.

Sora adapted a skeptical countenance, the question obvious in his eyes. How can Ryou be so composed about this? Wondering over this, Sora also noticed that Malik hadn't shown much horror or nervousness, either. Though one may speculate that had Sora added a description of the new and improved Heartless' leader, the Egyptian and his koibito might have been a stitch more responsive.

"Nothing useful," Sora admitted finally, albeit grudgingly. "They've vanished. And we haven't heard a news report on them since six o'clock. The news casters just…stopped."

Malik looked interested.

Before they'd lost his attention again, Sora swiftly explained, "The news casters just stopped their coverage on the 'undisclosed location of this bizarre race of dog' right in the middle and started talking about some freak snowstorm somewhere up north."

Ryou soaked this in slowly, his usual pensive silence habitually smothering the room. Unused to being a major contributor to conversation, Ryou took a few moments to realize both Malik's and Sora's gazes resting on him. Twining his arms over his chest, he prompted, "So, that doesn't explain why you were playing spin the bottle in my living room."

Riku reentered the room silently and gracefully threw himself onto the couch, flinging his legs across the cushions. Unbidden, Sora climbed onto the cushions and nestled behind the lithe body, supporting Riku's back with his chest.

"So…?" Ryou prompted. "Heavy making out in my living room because…?"

Sora tilted his head in an adorably confused manner. "What's 'spin the bottle'?" he asked, deliberately avoiding Ryou's tactfully configured question.

Malik grinned, a mask of intense smugness capturing his features. He smirked down on Ryou with "I told you so" dripping from his lilac irises. "See? I'm not the only one who missed out on prepubescent rituals."

Grinning, Ryou teased back, "Well, I figured you may have picked up on some teenaged culture during your travels, oh experienced one."

Malik kept up the lighthearted banter, quipping, "You know…if my sister knew I made out in a movie theatre…."

"Oh, wait!" said Sora suddenly. "Isn't that that game where you have to kiss whoever the bottle lands on?"

Malik scowled, his smugness at having allies in the "brutally naïve" department vanquished. "Yeah," he grumbled, pointedly ignoring the knowing grin Ryou was directing at him.

"This isn't that," said Riku helpfully, lifting the bottle from the floor. "See, it's a game Sora and I made up when we were kids - "

" - Pretty hentai island you two grew up on - "

" - And it was basically to determine who got to do what first. We usually used sticks or something, but bottles work, too. Better, actually. See, we each point out something and chuck the stick - or spin the bottle. Whichever is closest to the marked end wins. See, we spun and Sora chose the stereo and I chose the bookshelf. The end landed on the weird…mask…thing on the wall, so technically Sora won because it was closer to the stereo than to the bookshelf."

The roles switched and Ryou took over the confused position, ambiguity marring his forehead. "What were you…eh…spinning for?"

Riku smirked turned over, leaning perilously close to his koibito and nipping Sora's ear slowly. "Dominance," he purred.

Sora allowed the mischievous glint back to his eyes and flipped Riku onto his back pointedly. "Hai, so you gotta do what I want for once…uke (5)."

"Mmm…yes, my seme one (6)," mocked Riku, folding his arms around Sora's neck indolently.

Seemingly unaware of their hosts' continued presence, the couple drew nearer to one another and sealed the room into a blanket of hazed warmth. Warmth that quickly escalated to heat and passion. Malik lifted his gaping innocent into his arms and left the pair to enjoy each other appropriately. Only Ryou missed the grins pulling at the corners of both islanders' mouths, Riku cracking an azure eye open to follow the couple's ascent up the stairs.

**

Malik only let his koibito's feet touch the floor after Ryou promised to keep his eyes shut and his mind focused on the first thing he saw upon relinquishing that hold on his snow-lashed eyelids. Giggling slightly at the oddity of the request, Ryou agreed and felt Malik's arms slowly ebbing from his body. As soon as his sneakers touched the carpet, Ryou steadied himself and allowed the remainder of Malik's body heat to escape him. Pouting slightly but unwilling to disobey Malik's softly uttered command, Ryou put his hands over his eyes and hosted a vague smile of excitement.

Moments later Ryou felt the warmth of Malik's hands on his wrists, gently detaching the extra shields from his vision. In a hushed voice, Malik whispered, "Look at me."

Ryou's smile grew before he raised his eyelids to meet the candlelit (yes, that candle) angles of the room, his lavender-eyed koibito only feet away, smiling and with a buttermilk-hued rose delicately perched between mocha fingertips. Shocked by the abruptness of this romantic scene, Ryou gazed around the room, drinking in all of the simple things that Malik had done somehow, sometime when Ryou wasn't around - just…because?

"M-Malik," breathed the ivory-tressed boy, using hushed tones for fear of fracturing this delicate balance. "What is this? Why?"

Chuckling at Ryou's disbelief and awe, the Egyptian threaded smooth fingers through the diamond-kissed hair, pressing his mouth chastely to the warm plane of Ryou's forehead. "Because I got bored and felt like busting my ass trying to impress you by being clever and celebrating our anniversary a week beforehand," he explained with a grin. "Oh, Riku helped, too. He and I went to the florist the morning Isis came back and got you a bunch of these." He twirled the stem of the rose indicatively.

Ryou's open-mouthed shock eventually lifted into a toothy smile, an ecstatic cry ripping from the younger boy's throat as he dove straight into that familiar desert-perfumed embrace. Arms alighted around his back and squeezed until Ryou squeaked gently as a request for lung salvation. Malik held his koibito at elbow's length, picking up an arm to loosely cover Ryou's shoulder. The hand near Ryou's ear traced the fragile skin with baby soft rose petals while lavender pooled the younger boy into blissful oblivion.

"Mm, I wanted to take you out for dinner or something," Malik said regretfully, "but we did that last year."

Ryou, an undeviating smile perching on the curve of his lips, pilfered the rose nimbly with fingers adept at the usage of chopsticks and studied the texture lovingly. The same expression graced Malik just before Ryou kissed the Egyptian mouth softly. "This is just as nice," he reassured his exotic koibito affectionately.

"Two years," added the younger boy quietly, laying the rose on his desk with a fond smile. "Amazing."

Malik smiled and curled his arms tighter around his treasure, not daring to let him go for any span of time. "I know," he sighed, returning his lips to the soft skin below him, dusting the high cheekbones with flushes of red and tinges of pink. "Amazing," he murmured, though this time it seemed directed more closely toward Ryou than the event.

"You know…" Ryou started slowly.

"Mm?"

"Two years is…absurdly long for teenagers our age, ne?"

Malik nodded, withdrawing his kisses momentarily in favor of staring affectionately into those chocolate amber jeweled eyes. He waited for Ryou to continue, seeing the anxious glint in the other's eyes as he toyed with Malik's sweatshirt idly.

"…I love you, Malik."

A smile broke the solemn caring on Malik's face, drenching the juvenile face with delight. "I love you, too, kojika," he assured softly.

"Then forgive me for this." And Ryou had the older boy's lips crushed with a bruising kiss, clinging so tightly to Malik that one would have assumed on first sight that he couldn't breathe with his ribs intact.

Malik stumbled at the assault, but quickly responded and closed his arms hastily around Ryou's waist, his mouth already parting to invite a new kind of attack. To keep some level of the previous affection, Malik slowly nestled his fingertips in Ryou's hair, massaging the back of his neck with agile fingers. Ryou hissed against his mouth and sunk against Malik's chest, his wrists locking around each other at the back of the Egyptian's neck.

The heat ambushed them both, catching them by the ears and hauling them together into a torrent of humid surrender. Ryou gasped against Malik's lips, but couldn't find the strength nor the will to break away, even for a moment. The desperation to be like this always with this one person was overpowering and the melody in his soul was pounding out the frantic rhythm of his heart. Choose him. Choose him. Choose him.

At last the pressure for air drove them apart, but their lips remained close in contact as they found and scraped in harsh half-breaths. Ryou kept his eyes closed, his damp forehead pressing on Malik's. "G-gomen," he whispered.

"Why-why the apology?" Malik gasped. "The only thing you should be sorry for is not doing that sooner…or longer. Gills to me are suddenly attractive."

"Well, you know koi can also be carp…." Winking, Ryou burrowed his face deep into the recess of his koibito's shoulder, soaking in the wraithlike perfume of Malik's sun-drenched hair. "It's different this time," he murmured, smiling.

Malik stroked Ryou's hair absently, pacifying the locks askew while smoothing out his own jagged breathing. "How?"

"I want you."

Malik choked on air, withdrawing fast enough to dizzy his vision slightly. Ryou's chocolate eyes melted warmth through him, the heat of his gaze setting his very pulse to breakneck. Drawing his hands to Ryou's neck, the Egyptian boy managed to gasp out, "Next time you say that - and I know you lowered your voice on purpose you spiteful cat - make sure I'm not close enough to do this - "

Ryou's terse gasp shuttered through his body like suffocating wind, his chest pulling in tightly to better accommodate the closer position. Malik scooped an arm at the curve of Ryou's back, tugging the younger boy that much closer to him. Ryou knelt his head back, the fire at his neck sporadically rising and dropping with every kiss Malik's lips delivered to his hypersensitive skin. From somewhere in his mind where thought still meant something, Ryou acknowledged the stiff heat in his groin and the sharp jolts of heaven whenever Malik pushed against him.

Malik finally drew his lips away, only to rest another kiss on Ryou's forehead. Grinning, he commented with teasing innocence, "So does this mean you get to 'behold the power of my Millennium Rod' now?"

At the pure inane absurdity of the inquiry, Ryou doubled into laughter, taking advantage of the situation to cling tighter to Malik's warmth. Sheer glee tickled the walls of the room until Malik had in the flash of a pan pinned Ryou to the mattress, flecking the giggling face with grin-soaked kisses.

Ryou gained enough of his mind at last to return the playful battle, his arms flying up and pummeling Malik's shoulders. In the next flash, Malik was securely trapped to the bed, a still giggling Ryou straddling his hips. The jagged quavering of Ryou's laughter-possessed body began to thrum rhythmically against Malik's lower abdomen, the younger boy unknowingly driving his koibito to the point where no hot-blooded male could turn back.

Finally, the tormenting kneading on his groin proved to be too torturous and Malik abstained his koi's waist by wrapping his hands around the narrow hips. The younger boy jolted at the sudden contact and stumbled, his hips rocking unexpectedly against Malik's harshly. Choking on a gasp, the Egyptian's eyelids clamped shut, his hands shaking from the frantic hold on Ryou's waist.

"You - you're doing this on purpose," he accused hoarsely, threading his thumbs up and into the curve of Ryou's jeans, drawing them down until the coarse material brushed the small arc of Ryou's back. From there, bronzed fingers made quick work of the zipper, Malik surprised at his adroitness - even at something he had never done before. Well - not in this life anyway.

Mere moments trickled by until the heat of silken, fiery skin made that first contact in this novel way. Ryou maneuvered slightly until his body rested atop Malik's, his arms flanking tanned shoulders while Malik slowly brought his hands from Ryou's waist to his shoulders. All the while he dragged his palms over shivering sinews, taut muscles hidden under that deceptively slender body. Suddenly, Ryou gave a particularly vicious shudder, whimpering into the arch of Malik's neck as his body betrayed him and responded in time to the ragged gasp he let free.

Malik chuckled sparsely at his koibito's attempted stay in naivety and removed the desire easily enough with ministrations of his own. Slowly he slipped his hands from angled shoulder blades and tied one arm around the narrow waist, the other rubbing gently at Ryou's lower abdomen.

A shuttering sigh fled Ryou's lips before he could stifle it and the pretty blush that followed melted Malik's heart. "You're absolutely sure about this?" he asked tightly, reminding his breathing to remain constant when Ryou turned that ember-hot gaze on him, answering through his eyes what he could never say aloud. Malik tilted his head and grinned, returning his blistering mouth to its previous vocation on Ryou's neck.

Ryou groaned and brutally snapped his head back, a feral gleam capturing his eyes before the ivory lashes dotted his high-placed cheekbones. "God, Malik," he choked out, "stop stalling!"

Chuckling, Malik pressed an open-mouthed kiss to his tenshi's shoulder and promised quietly, "I'd never leave you hanging, love."

Ryou grinned and lifted his chest, leaning on bent arms as he nuzzled his hips variably into Malik's. The sharp torrent of sublime bliss returned full force as the delicious length rubbed mercilessly against his own. Malik buried blunt fingernails into Ryou's shoulders, his body arching into Ryou's by its own accord.

Ryou realized too late that Malik had surrendered seme to him. Oh, God. Now what?

Taking tips from stories he had read online (fan fantasy or some such…fantasy…forged…fiction…one of them), Ryou sunk low and began a slow, sensual indulgence on Malik's entirely relinquished body. His silken lips were soft in contrast to the firm muscles he encountered in the Egyptian's toned chest. Before he could reflect too long on the sizzling energy connecting their wants and needs, Ryou plunged predatorily and fixed his hot mouth on a raw nub, his tongue smoothing over the hard gem with calculated sluggishness. Malik's hands somehow found his hair, gripping tightly as a result of the deeper stroking Ryou had begun with his other hand.

Unable to cast the quip building in the back of his mind, Malik settled for a low groan, his hands straining in the silken ivory locks. Capable thought followed capable speech into oblivion as Ryou grazed him with his teeth. Clenching his eyes and jaw shut, Malik managed to grate out, "Now - who's - stalling?"

Ryou giggled, warm breath expelling against his koibito's chest as he lifted his gaze to the accusing lilac glare. Grinning, he delivered a defiant lick to the other bud, retorting, "I'm not stalling. I'm procrastinating."

"Ryou Bakura, you damn tease, if you don't handle this seriously, I'm going to - "

Ryou hovered over Malik's lips, his eyes half-lidded in a countenance of pure lust. "You're going to what, love?" he purred, one hand slowly making its descent from tanned shoulder to abdomen.

Malik shuddered, his eyes wide. "What's gotten into you?" he squeaked, yelping when the torturous hand made a swift pass over his thighs.

Ryou grinned again, feral and seductive. This was not the gentle, sweet-spoken tenshi embarrassed by the mere implications of…sex. Decidedly entertained by the shock in Malik's eyes, Ryou broke down into giggles, cheerfully commenting, "Jou told me that would probably 'scare the psychosis out of' you."

Malik growled and hooked a hand behind Ryou's neck, dragging the smiling lips back onto his. "I told you to handle this seriously," he said, straining to remain severe under the innocent smile reflecting on him.

Ryou kissed him repentantly, tongue sweeping gentle strokes over Malik's bottom lip. Using actions in favor of words, he twined a hand with Malik's, squeezing apologetically. Both were using banter to divert from the significance of this next step and they both knew it, but the need scorching between them wouldn't ebb or fade. The flame needed to be doused or it would drive them crazy…or in Malik's case, crazier.

If Malik had retained any doubt of Ryou's intentions, they were blinded and obliterated when the kiss broke only to resume only breaths away from his navel. Stifling a gasp, Malik delved his hands into Ryou's hair again, ignoring the chuckle that emitted from his playful koibito. Lightheartedly cursing him in some odd combination between Arabic and ancient Egyptian, Malik shut his eyes and buried his head in Ryou's pillow.

Ryou glanced up and smiled at the image, his koibito nearly wincing from holding back the sounds garbled in the hollow of his throat. That could be fixed, thought Ryou devilishly, grinning. Something in the back of his mind berated him for picking up such mischievous habits from the Ring's spirit, but Ryou passed the allegation off as trivial (and shamefully true) and returned to his ministrations.

Malik's face was a puzzle of concentration as his mind grappled to repress short moans as Ryou's lips coursed over his abdomen, leaving the Egyptian's sharp breathing to jolt his chest's motions. The endeavor was promptly lost, however, when the kisses once only scarcely bearably excruciating turned demonic, a sharp cry escaping from his throat as Ryou dipped his tongue into his navel unremorsefully.

Ryou thanked whatever deity looking out for him that Malik eradicated his hands from clutching his hair to wringing the sheets instead. Listening to the harsh breathing with satisfaction, Ryou closed his eyes and began trailing the increasingly sinful kisses lower. All the while growing nearer to the one thing that would cement his love for Malik, Ryou's heart rapidly knocked against his ribcage, his own discordant breathing deafening in his ears.

Malik liked to think of himself as averagely composed, keeping spare emotion restrained if it wasn't needed. This was all nice and good, but it was shot straight to hell when the next step of his pleasurably unbearable torment began. Insufferable heat swathed him, throwing up blinding white where the black of his eyelids had once been. Crying out raggedly, Malik's hands gripped the sheets until his knuckles were shaking and stained colorless at the knuckles.

Too far into his deed to feel the blush spreading across his face, Ryou draped an arm over Malik's hips, firmly keeping the Egyptian from gagging him. Ryou teased the hardening flesh between his teeth mercilessly, grazing with the gentlest of touches. Violent shuddering unfolded over Malik's body, soft cries fleeing his lips before their maker realized the desperate note he was belting out. Ryou kept his misleadingly slender arm on Malik's hips, his mouth working sinful pleasure on the older boy.

The white behind his eyes began to pulsate with the rhythm of his swiftly pounding heart, Malik's cries becoming less and less controlled. The desire inundating his body was nearly strong enough now to drown out the current pleasure nearly blinding him. It wasn't enough, not by half. He needed that sweet release – the vent for the haze clouding his senses. Groaning slowly, Malik felt the edge being reached, the crest of absolute contentment just beyond his reach.

Ryou pulled away.

Cringing visibly, Malik couldn't even find enough of his bearings to pry his eyes open, the true pain augmenting to soul-ripping degrees. "Ry," he choked out, "e-e-even I wou-wouldn't have…."

Ryou panted sharply, his lips somehow searching out and melding solace into the gasping Egyptian mouth. "Shh," he whispered shakily. "I think – think I know…what I'm doing," he gasped.

"You *think*?" cried Malik, his eyes only hardly opening enough to glimpse the flushed angel so close, so sweet in the candlelight emanating from the windowsill. Overcome by the emotion, Malik seized hold of Ryou's neck and pulled a fiery kiss together, his lips attacking his tenshi's with every intention to bruise or at least mark them as his. "I'm only – only forgiving you," gasped Malik when they broke away, "if you finish what you were fucking doing."

Ryou tilted his head down apologetically and grinned, whispering, "If your sister could hear her baby brother now…."

Malik groaned, far past the endurance to deal with coherent banter. "Way to kill the mood, angel," he snapped.

Ryou made up for it tenfold, however, by stealing part of Malik's soul in another heart-baring kiss, his hands steeling on the bronzed shoulders while he held his Egyptian to the mattress. Keeping one hand on the rise of Malik's high-set cheekbone, the ivory-haired tenshi slipped the other down, down….

Malik severed the kiss abruptly, hissing sharply with haze spelled over his eyes. Ryou shied away from his koibito's mouth, his lips making steady contours of indelibly embossed promises on the Egyptian's collarbone. "Aishiteru," he whispered, driving another finger into the taut ring.

Malik strived not to cry out, instead focusing on the almost contrite kisses Ryou rained on his chest. Negotiating with his lungs, the older boy finally managed to rasp out, "Aishiteru, kichou."

The steady rising of the progress he was making began to intimidate Ryou, worries building up inside of him while he wondered whether or not he was truly doing this right. He would never in his life have hurt Malik intentionally, but the deep closed-eyed grimace on his beloved's face couldn't have been representative of anything else but pain. Ryou ceased all movement, his chin reclined hesitantly on Malik's chest.

"Koi?" he inquired softly. "Are…are you all right?"

Malik gave up every fiber of his strength to the action as he reached out to brush Ryou's damp bangs from his forehead. His eyes still shut against the contesting pain and pleasure, Malik whispered, "J-just finish it, kojika. Please."

Ryou smiled and in efforts to lighten the mood smacked a wet kiss onto a bronzed nipple, his teeth skimming the sensitive gem mischievously. Ignoring the simultaneous spell of pain caused by Ryou's other hand, Malik moaned, snapping weakly, "Y-you're not get-getting a-away with – with this, d-damn you."

Ryou didn't answer in words, instead nudging Malik's knees gently with his nose. Through a communicative glance, Malik understood what Ryou wanted him to do and hooked his legs over Ryou's shoulders. This...was going to hurt.

In the windowsill, the candle giggled with flame jumps of glee, fiery eyes scooping in the entire scene shamelessly. Oooh, but that faucet was going to have to eat its tap after this!

Ryou nearly jumped as he remembered something crucial to the whole experience. Snapping free of the kiss, he managed to choke out, "We…it…um…." A furious blush conquered his face, all of the heady passion in his body nothing compared to the embarrassment of the sentence he now had to deliver.

Rolling his eyes with some effort, Malik shifted slightly and seized something Ryou's peripheral vision didn't catch. Instead focusing on Malik's face, Ryou slipped into awe that he had had the Egyptian all to himself for two undivided years. Smiling again in a dopey kind of fashion, Ryou pushed Malik's legs off of him and nuzzled a sweet kiss into the tensely-lipped mouth. Almost immediately Malik's lips parted, the tension vanished instinctively under Ryou's warm caress.

Malik suddenly smirked into the kiss and Ryou had only nanoseconds to wonder why before euphoria dominated all remaining scraps and twinges of sense that might have survived so long into the sinfully blissful exploits. As a delicious revenge, Malik cast deliberate strokes over the hypersensitive length, the oil on his hands bringing near blindness to his poor, unprepared koibito. Suddenly the formerly simple task of keeping upright proved too difficult and Ryou all but collapsed onto Malik's chest. Soothingly, Malik hooked his free arm around Ryou's back, his other hand caressing utopia into the younger boy's bloodstream.

Unable to handle the pressing elation alone, Ryou struggled against Malik's arm and attacked the older boy's mouth keenly. Malik's strokes became tighter and faster, the bliss and waves of scalding heat emanating from the actions driving Ryou to the edge. In the last moments, Ryou broke from Malik's kiss, instead delving his face into the hollow of the Egyptian's sweat-slicked throat and sobbed out Malik's name, his body ferociously shuddering under the looming release. Malik turned his eyes to the angel's face, the expression represented by absolute ecstasy more than enough to push him over the edge.

The time he was allowed for rest was less than brief, however, as his koibito remained torn between heaven and hellish restraint. Following his actions from before, Malik slid his calves on Ryou's shoulders again. Trust was openly written across his face as he brought the source of Ryou's utter discomfort to his entrance. Not in so many words, Ryou asked silently for permission with a half-lidded smile. Malik nodded minutely, enough to approve the next level.

Smiling tensely, Ryou buried his mouth into Malik's, following his koibito's urging to the unwritten letter. At the first incursion, fiery pain flooded Malik's body where sheer bliss had once stood. Reluctant to alarm Ryou more than he already was, Malik bit back the cry he felt tearing through his throat. Instead he waited the pain out, praying to every god he could muster up in his memory that the rumors he'd overheard of this "temporary pain" were true. Otherwise he would impale whomever he had heard it from. Or the first person he saw on the street. Either way worked well enough.

Ryou struggled to keep his actions consistently gradual, seeing easily the pain scribbled across his koibito's face. But the torrents of pleasure, such as the kind he had never in his life experienced, threatened to conquer his self control. Determinedly, Ryou tautly set his jaw, ignoring the feverish need to move.

After what seemed like an age to both, Malik pried his eyes open halfway and the clouded, desperate beaming in his gaze nearly shoved Ryou to release. Now struggling with that dilemma, Ryou waited faithfully, his entire body trembling under the effort of remaining still. Finally, Malik nodded minutely, gathering Ryou deeper into him. The jolt of pleasure raked through both of their spines, initiating a sharp rocking from both sides.

Ryou allowed Malik to set the rhythm, following his established pace with thrusts of his own. The fire raging in the Egyptian eyes beckoned to Ryou's molten chocolate gaze until the younger boy nearly toppled into the prepared kiss. Thoroughly aroused now, Malik groaned against Ryou's mouth, his tongue twining nearly hostilely with his koibito's. The delicious friction of Ryou's lean stomach against his length was driving spikes of pleasure through his body, unbearably brusque and blissful. Malik was nearly drawn to fixing the problem himself when Ryou's hand intercepted his own as he thrust again into the Egyptian heat.

Assaulting Malik's neck with open-mouthed kisses, Ryou nipped possessively at the skin there, his eyes hooded with thickly snow-lashed eyelids. Keeping one arm unsteadily holding his chest a few inches above Malik's, Ryou dropped his free hand to his stomach, capturing the cause of Malik's suffering with a deliberate tug. Malik cried out hoarsely, desperately bucking against Ryou's hand. The younger of the two captured his lips again, his hips driving in deeper to seize that final wave of utter heaven for both.

Caught between paradise and hell, Malik clawed at Ryou's shoulders, his cries joining Ryou's harsh pants as that climaxing force prowled closer and closer. Pounding into Malik with frantic need, Ryou was suddenly drawn in deeper as Malik arched his hips to meet the descending pressure. The crash between them triggered some hidden patch of personal euphoria in Malik, the Egyptian crying out with total rapture. Another clash delivered the same result, a cascade of bliss beating in Malik's ears as he gave out a final sob of Ryou's name and relinquished to his climax.

Ryou smothered a bruising kiss against Malik's lips as the blissful wave crashed down over his head, crying out Malik's name deafeningly as a surf of his own ecstasy filled the sated Egyptian. Then, once more blinded by the sudden brilliance behind his eyelids, Ryou groaned and caved onto Malik's chest. The softness of Malik's kiss to his forehead and the softly whispered, "Aishiteru," were the last things Ryou registered before curling into the protective embrace and succumbing to a desperately needed sleep.

**

Breaking away from the company of his minions waiting in the Bakura household's backyard, Yami no Malik scaled the drainpipe, his intentions unclear to even the most senior of the Heartless. They were to wait until their master returned, kill anything in the yard that moved and gnaw pointlessly on the fence posts. Well, the gnawing part was an added bonus thought up by one of the more addlebrained recruits, but no one saw anything amiss with the idea.

Yami no Malik crept over the slanted roof, catching sight of Ryou's window below. The lack of artificial lamplight emanating from the windowpane was encouraging, but the spirit knew better than to prematurely open champagne bottles of celebration. Dropping down soundlessly onto the windowsill, Yami no Malik discovered the curtains shut haphazardly - only a ribbon of space between the two burgundy cloths.

Smirking with satisfaction, Yami no Malik tightened his grip on the window's top frame and leaned closer to the pane. The door to the hallway was partially open, permitting the barest traces of light into the otherwise darkened room. Frowning, the spirit leaned back precariously and glanced at the first floor's windows. Surely enough, the living room's lamps were glowing, their rays carelessly seeping up the stairs. Upon closer examination of Ryou's room, Yami no Malik caught a shock of white that seemed to be breathing. Knowing it was neither the pillow nor the sheets, he realized instantaneously that he was gazing at Ryou Bakura's unnaturally fair head of hair. …Cushioned on his hikari's very unclothed chest….

**

Malik's soft breath threaded gentle wisps across his koibito's ivory skin, Egyptian mouth pressing indolent brushstrokes on a sinewy shoulder. The older boy drew one arm from Ryou's waist to recline around his damp shoulder blades, fingers prodding the silken skin gently. Memorizing every inch and texture of the almost textile skin, eyes soaking in the purely sated sleeping form of his saiai tenshi. Ryou couldn't have been more precious in this moment…more addictive, more loveable.

Still reeling from the idea of being uke - on his first time, to boot - he found even more to his shock that he didn't mind. Either way, he had shared in something without the accompaniment of bloodshed, sadistic vengeance or bad hair held up by aid from poorly aimed lightning. He had given Ryou something to hold forever in his heart, allowing him the knowledge that there was no dominant half of their relationship. Only equivalence. Plus, now that he'd been uke once, he could be seme for the next ten or so times until Ryou realized he was being duped.

Malik strayed his line of vision from Ryou's smiling lips to the shadows of branches dancing on the wall beside them. Though the curtains were shut, the line that remained dividing them revealed a strong wind outside, emphasized by the tossing and turning of impetuous tree limbs. After watching the wall for several moments, softly stroking his hand through Ryou's hair and nuzzling the angel closer to his chest, he began to drift into slumber.

Until someone landed on the windowsill and barricaded all light from the outside world.

Keeping entirely still, Malik watched as the shadow moved fluidly to examine the room. Following a handful of overwrought minutes, the shadow moved its head to glimpse the bottom floor. Malik shifted Ryou's head from his shoulder to his chest, straining to move his clingy koibito far enough so he could at least lean up on his elbows without disturbing Ryou's sleep.

Slowly rising and putting most of his weight back on his arms, Malik narrowed his eyes at the window. Whoever dared spy on Ryou this late would endure severe disembowelment. No one got away with scrutinizing his koibito anytime. As if responding to this viciously protective mental remark, Ryou snuggled against his Egyptian koneko, his silken white hair covering his profile as he burrowed his face in Malik's shoulder again.

Abruptly, Malik wondered anxiously if the reason behind his immunity to Ryou's saccharine syrupiness was the sugary attitude spreading into his own personality…. The thought was more disturbing than the former Pharaoh with pigtails hosting a tea party with fluffy stuffed animals as guests. …Scratch that, the tea party was worse.

The shadow in the window revealed an anxiously pointed dagger and pressed it to the glass. Too slowly, Malik realized the shadow's intent. Similarly too late to stop the action, Malik shouted an Egyptian curse and flung Ryou to the other half of the mattress, shielding his rudely wakened koibito from the shrapnel. The shadow had marked the dagger's point in the centre of the glass and pummeled a fist into the handle. Instantaneously, the window shattered, sending glass in every direction.

Ryou heard the window shatter and yelped, winded by the sudden impact of Malik unexpectedly crushing his ribs. Entirely disoriented, the ivory-haired boy latched onto Malik's shoulder, the only realistic thing he could get a hold of.

"What's going on!?"

Malik didn't answer, instead lurching off of Ryou and whirling to face the window. The shadow was placing a leg through the open space, the cackling of a maniac twisting around the room like a tempest. What stopped the intruder, however, was neither Malik nor a staggeringly bewildered Ryou, but a stray candle sitting on the inside of the windowsill. The shadow gave a holler of shock as its foot came down on the vanilla-scented candle, its frame jolting before plummeting from the second story.

Exchanging a befuddled look, Ryou and Malik scrambled from the bed and stood side by side at the window. Apart from the remains of the pane, the front lawn was bejeweled with not a corpse, but a cloak and a broken candle.

Ryou blinked as reality began to trickle to life in his mind. "I'm beginning to think someone up there doesn't appreciate yaoi," he said absentmindedly.

Malik nodded vaguely, still bemusedly staring at the front lawn below. "Think whoever it is prefers yuri?"

The door to Ryou's room burst open, Sora and Riku clambering in wild-eyed and panicked. "What happened?!" Sora demanded.

Riku's eyes scanned the room, taking in the macerated glass, the rumpled state the bed was in and the pair of brazenly clothing-less bishounen at the window. Leaning against the doorjamb with a smirk, the ivory-haired teen commented, "You mainlanders have weird kinks," with a shake of his head.

To be Continued…

Gemini-2006 - Aww, thank you, but don't castigate yourself. You could very easily be better than I. ;) And no, Kairi won't be appearing in the story. Sorry. She's not necessary for the plot. Malik'sgurl - *Blush* Your reviews are always making me giggle! I'm so flattered, I don't know where to start…thankful, grateful, appreciative, obliged, indebted…. ;) See, thesauruses are awesome tools, ne? Thank you! I had an awesome birthday, just in case you wondered. The demon Rain - Yugi and Yami no Yugi? Eep…. I would, I truly would, but I'm not a tremendous fan of the pairing. It's semi-cute, I suppose, but for this story, our fern-headed Pharaoh will be lusting after the tomb robber. ;) Hope you're not disappointed! I'm so glad you like it! *Hugs!* And yes, the chapter five mishap was driving me up the wall as well. Baka formatting. Pepper Breath - Hey Sammy-chan! ^_^ Who'da thought I'd make friends through this story, ne? *Waves* Hi Set-chan! Hehe, anyway! Mac 'n Cheese is the epitome of human survival. At least on my end. Hehe. I don't have it all that much, but when I do…. Oh heck, I might as well be five again. ;) Yami no Malik is drugged all right. Hehe. Yeah, you're right. Malik's high on life, his yami is just…high. ^_^ HEHE! Nice idea, I'll have to see if I can fit that in at some point…. Poor Yugi and Ryou though. Ee. Hehe. "…You're not Malik…." "You're not my pillow…." *Giggle* I loved the fanart - it was adorable, as I said before! Hehe, I have fanart…! *Starry eyed* Oooh. Hehe. Don't worry, I love long reviews. X20Deepx - Hehe, that you did. My hidden pairing is now open to the public. Yami no Yugi and his tomb robber lover. *Grin* I had to do it. They're one of my topmost pairings on my list of shounen-ai couples. ExBobble06 - Aww, thanks. ^_^ Don't they, though? I love Ryou…the boy is such a sweetheart. I'm not seeing a pairing for Yugi in the near future, but you're welcome to suggest pairing ideas if you like. ^_^ Sailor Comet - Hehe, thank you! And thank you again for the NC-17 warning. I was originally going to post it here, but your logic kicked in. Last thing I want is to lose all this just because of a little yellow fruit. ;) And Yami no Bakura "got some" all right. He may even get description next time! Buaha! Hehehe. ^_^ Kiirar - Hai, Sora had better watch the pastries he lands an eye on. Ooh, Tabibito will return. Mark that one on your calendar! ^_^ Tokemi - Awww, thank you. *Blush* I saw your little tidbit of my story on your profile and…*turns vivid red* I'm touched beyond words! *Hug!* Domo! I actually commiserate with Sora, though. I'm that cheerful always. Friends of mine try to kill me in the morning because I'm smiling at eight AM. Hehe. It's fun to torture them so, though. ;) Hai, the candle fumes will be the death of Ryou's innocence yet…. ;) And yes, Ryou's hatred of elitists is spreading. Yes, I based the cat place on a kennel I often take my cat to when we're leaving town. It's like a kitty hotel - they get their own luxurious pen and food, water, baths…. I swear, they get pampered more than I do! You know…the tomb robber is so much like a cat that sometimes it really does amuse me to the point of laughter. If you've ever seen Yu Yu Hakusho…I half expect Yami no Bakura to sprout a tail and ears. *Giggle* And Malik's midriff is definitely the appealing factor of Battle City for me. *Grin* Chicago's soundtrack is absolutely one of my favorite CDs. For weeks after I saw the movie, I hummed Cell Block Tango in my head, just praying for it to go away…so when it didn't, I bought the CD. ^_^ Skyler K. Daemon - Aww, I know, isn't it sad? I so love Malik/Ryou…. Why doesn't anyone else?! Hehe, I know. I was wondering if anyone would catch the irony of an Egyptian hating on a cat. You did! ^_^ Shadow of Death - Aw, thank you! Yami no Bakura's insanity is endearing to me for some reason…then again, I did just make Ryou seme, so there's not much to be said for my own sanity right now, either. ^_^;; Jess - Hehe, it's all right. You're not bad at them at all, actually. Aww, you like it? *Grin* Yay! Again, glad you like my little concoction of fluffy and comedy. Hehe. I know, before this story I was a hardcore Seto/Jou fan. While I still see them as my favorite involving either of those two characters, I can live with them dating others…especially if it's Ryuuji or even Ryou in Seto's case. Hehe. Ooh, you have a Tabibito kitty? Do tell! Random Author Person - Rachel-chan! ^_^ Hehe, it's fun to talk to reviewers off-story. *Poke* I shall convert you to Yu-Gi-Oh-ism, I shall. ;) And I'll even throw in a Ryou plushie to start. Hehehe. Curunir Elentare Taranimgul - Hehehe, konnichiwa Set-chan! ^_^ Vampyre Set-kun. Fear him. ;) Ooh, 19 exclamation marks? *Grin* I'm getting fond of these excessive marks! Hehe. *Hands over Sora/Riku kissing plushies* See, like with Ryou/Malik plushies, the magnets make 'em kiss! ^_^ Hehe. Bishie Kissie Plushies © Set-chan. ^_^ Évaru - Don't worry about it, hehe. Better late than never, ne? And yes, the pairing should be focused on more. *Sniff* But I'll survive…*lip trembles* Hehe. Kacie - Hehe, writing to you! Yami no Bakura is a little off the wall, but he's a loveable (and gorgeous) bishounen, so we can give him slack, ne? anime AndrAIa - Aww, you're sweet. ^_^ I have a kitty too, but he's a sweetheart. Shy and adorable…you can assume I didn't base Tabibito on him. Rather Tabi is more like a pet of my friend's. *Shakes head, cringing* That cat should be locked away. Evil thing that it is. It tried to macerate my face because I picked it up wrong. When I was seven. Thank God mine isn't loco like that. Hehe, Ryou's vindictive when he's crossed…and with projectiles in his grasp, you can bet he'll teach you a lesson. Malik should have kept his eyes on imminent danger rather than imminent calves. ;) ShannonL - Yay! 'Tis Shannon! I thought you abandoned me. *Sniff* Hehe, just kidding. I'm busy, too. I really should review more, you know? Sometimes it's a little difficult to phrase what you wanna say though without it sounding forced, ne? Hehe. That's me making excuses for myself. *Clears throat* Anyway! Hehehe, Tabibito's not entirely evil, but let's just say that he has a soft spot for Ryou because Ryou resembles a feline a lot more than Malik. The fluffy white hair makes him look Persian-ish, doesn't it? …And welcome to the randomness that is Trei's mind. *Shakes head* Really? I've never seen a story like that…then again, I don't surf around much either. *Sheepish look* Candle x Faucet, hm? …;) I hadn't considered that…. But that definitely has possibilities…. Aw, great, now I'm pairing up inanimate objects as well. *Rolls eyes* Picture of mental health I am not. malik'sgurl - Aww, I know that feeling. I had to work on my term paper all this week (part of the reason I didn't have a chance to finish this - yes, more excuses…but it's true!), so I more than understand. It was more than enough just to get a review from you though. ^_^ I love reviews short or long. Though long is preferable. ;) Hehehe. Naw, just messin' with ya. Anything works with me. Hehe. I updated! And gomen nasai…I didn't expect it to take so long. I've got half of the next chapter already written in my head, though, so that should work nicely. ^_^ Joey's_girl - Hehe, I had to add that line in. Glad you liked it! So many new people are reviewing, it's surprising. O.O hehehe! elipse - Yes, the candle *is* quite popular. ^_^;; It's surprising…I wasn't even going to put it in another chapter. *Shrug* I guess inanimate characters gain the sympathy vote, ne? Hehehe. Kurayami Ryuu - Aww, thanks! And yep, now ya got two plushies! ^_^ Hehe, you're welcome. I love cats, personally…Tabibito just doesn't like Malik. Hehe. Hope you liked the lemon. *Grin* My aunt has nine cats, too. *Shudder* I'd hate to be in charge of feeding. One's hard enough. Hehe.

1 - I'm of the opinion that there are several plot holes in Yu-Gi-Oh and the flashbacks of Egypt provide the majority of them. I won't go into detail right now, but this is one of them. All born in Egypt were dark-skinned, black hair and brown-eyed. Now, Yami no Bakura may have been from another country, but I doubt it. So he was black-haired and brown-eyed just like everyone else. Though I made an exception for Yami no Yugi. He'd look strange any other way. ;)

2 - Athari {ah'thah ree) (actual Egyptian for "scar" - works well with the manga, ne?)

3 - Khetire {kett'eer ay} (more actual Egyptian; roughly translated, it's Egyptian for "haven of Re")

4 - Ore no Myoujou (my Morning Star)

5 - Uke (submissive)

6 - Seme (dominant)

_ 101 reviews! @_@ Aie! I…eep. I…I literally have no idea what to say. Except…*GLOMP!* Squeee! ^_^ I never expected so many! Hehe. Arigatou!

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If you want, you can provide matches for the dice game. ^_^ It was fun the last time we got voting involved, ne? Hehe. Anyway, this part comes at the end of the chapter, so I have plenty of space to take up. Put as many pairings as you like, as unlikely as you like. In fact, unlikely may be more fun. I haven't decided who else should be there, so if you have a character you want included, tell me! 'Till next time, sayonara!