Okay, I know many of you are pissed right now 'cause I didn't write B/R
goodiness in ch 19... Well, I'm truly sorry but I really did need to get it
posted and adding it would have delayed the update with a couple more
days... Trust me, it was for the best. But now I'm worried, are you truly
expecting me to write about every couple in every single chapter? *sigh*
Many thanks to Jadej.j (Sorry, not yet! ^^ It's a bit too early...), Dark Lady Setsuna ('another lemon scene'? *blinks* I wasn't aware anything I've written thus far could be called lemon... Whatever), Renee the Rabid Squirrel (Really? Glad you like it that much!), Diamond (^.^), J. Katherine Wong (Mokuba gets some time in this story later, too... A pretty important part is reserved for him in the end... ^.~), jessica (I'm sorry, it seems I can't update quicker than in a week anymore...), Siobhan (*happy little smile* Good that I managed to write them so well), firedraygon97 (hey, I think you actually commented on every character that showed up in that chapter...), Difinity (Poor Yami... He'll have to go through hell to be alright again... I'm so evil! ^^), Seventh Sage (Well... I never actually analyzed how I write and come up with the ideas o.O Weird it is, to me too!), Phoenix (I never get tired of reviews that praise me! Although sometimes it's hard to come up with the answers, seeing how I write them to all... O.O), The Dark Star Goddess (I'll do my best!), Neko-chan (*evil grin* You liked it... Me too *giggle* Possibly my favorite line of the whole fic! ^^), Jack V. Briefs (my talent isn't so great O.O), Redrum (^^), Jadesaber (I hope you'll like the rest of this too...), Yana (Where did I take those tests...? Can't remember. Possibly quizilla.com), Chibizoo (I'm sorry for the short chapter... As I believe I mentioned before, I'm currently having a bit of a writer's block), ancient-saeki (...cute? I wouldn't call this that, but whatever you say...), Yami ChaosGem (I liked it, but I haven't had time to review... Gomen...), Yamis Girlfriend (You people flatter me ^^), VampssAmby10210 (I'll write more, but I'm not so sure about the 'soon' part...), Vera (S/J fluff isn't very visible in this chapter, but I have hopes of getting it going again in the next one.), MaidenoftheMoon (the someone they're trying to defeat in the near future is unknown/hunter/Shadi... I know how hard it is to keep up with the plots of all the different fics sometimes! ^.~) and Betrayal (I'm really starting to feel sorry for them myself... o.O)
Slaying the Dreamer, chapter 20: Intimacy
---Ryou POV---
He would come tonight, too, as he had come the other nights. At some point I would end up meeting him, so why should I bother leaving the house? He would come. So now I could rest, I did have a life outside of this, after all. As stale and boring as it seemed, it was a life, a normal one, with school and some friends and familyproblems.
So I could afford to rest, and wait silently for him. And exactly that I was doing right now. Laying on my bed, trying to get some sleep - I _had_ been awake for most of the last night after all. But it didn't work, no matter how much I tried I couldn't shake the image of that vampire out of my head. He kept coming back... And it didn't help that I was waiting for him, lying down, on the very same bed he had taken me three nights ago.
A shiver went through me at the thought. I should probably go somewhere else. But why should it bother me so? He wasn't here now, it needn't keep me from sleeping. It did't, truly. So why did I feel like he _should_ be here? I could feel heat rise to my cheeks. Why couldn't I have normal problems?
"..."
Something made me turn to look at the door. Yes, it was him. He was here now. He would take care of everything.
That is, if he would stop staring at me with those eyes that currently were unnaturally wide. Okay, so perhaps it really hadn't been a good idea to be here. He started walking closer, seeming somehow odd with his pale skin and crimson-tinted eyes, those glowing white strands of hair giving him an otherworldly look.
He sat on my bed, eyes locked on mine, silent and thoughtful, breath coming slightly quicker than normally. He wouldn't hurt me again, would he? No, of course he wouldn't. He had promised it, that not a single person would hurt me as long as he was around. And I knew he felt horrible of what he did to me. So he couldn't hurt me. Yeah, cling to that thought. That thought is safe.
He reached out with his hand and buried it in my hair. Stroking them gently, he opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it, shaking his head. He looked so confused now... Was there something I could do about it?
Then he shocked me out of my wits by suddenly laying down beside me, embracing me gently, pressing my face against his chest. I stiffened, already expecting the worst. But no, he laid there, still and quiet, breathing into my hair, squeezing me tightly.
Not so uncomfortable, I had to admit after realizing he wouldn't do anything. Slowly relaxing in his arms, I noticed how good it really felt just to be there, not worrying about anything. I couldn't worry anymore, it seemed that my mind wasn't working at all. I placed one hand on his chest and started idly to draw patterns on the firm muscles. Not so bad at all, to be frank.
"What are you doing to me...?"
I glanced up at him.
"Doing? Nothing in particular. Should I stop?"
"No, I meant to my mind. And don't stop, it's very... relaxing"
I could hear the contentment in his voice, how he was slowly letting go of everything that bothered him. He was a vampire, how often could he do that? Now that I thought on it, not often. I guess he really needed to relax...
With my face feeling hotter every second and my breathing becoming shallower, I tried to concentrate merely on comforting him. Who knows when he had last felt like he could let it all go? I really didn't need bothersome thoughts running around in my head right now...
The vampire sighed gently, I felt his hot breath stir my hair. I couldn't help it, I snuggled closer to him.
"So... Ummm... have you fed tonight?"
He murmured something that I presumed was admitting he had. But I wasn't about to ask again, it might jolt him out of this... snuggly mood, and that would be nearly unbearable to me right now. And I suspected this wasn't very characteristic of him, the big bad vampire... I smiled and rubbed my nose against his throat, which was so conveniently close by.
---Jounouchi POV---
I couldn't sit still, no matter how hard I tried. That vampire still hadn't showed up, but it felt like I was sitting on hot coals. Well, after last night, what did I expect from him?
Last night... Mokuba had dragged us into their house, and then left us in an awkward little moment in the hallway. The vampire hadn't much said anything, only apologized for his littlebrother, and wished me good night. I guess he had been as nervous as me, although it certainly seemed incredible. Nervous? Him? Allow me to laugh. He couldn't have been.
But there had been a small moment just before I left... No, cast it out of your mind, it was nothing. As that kiss under that tree was nothing.
...Okay, forbidden direction. Think of something else. Ummm... Sheesh, who decorated this house? Could it _be_ any more snobby? I glared at the curtains, and the thick carpet covering the floor.
"I take it the carpet offended you some way, or why are you glaring at it so...?"
I nearly jumped out of my skin at the vampire's voice. When had _he_ showed up? And calm as always... Correction, not always, just most of the time. I could very well remember how he had behaved last night when Mokuba had showed up, and that definitely wasn't calm behavior. I nearly laughed at that thought, but it wasn't so much amusement as being downright nervous.
"Don't get any ideas, Mokuba made me come"
"So he said. He is way too attached to the idea that we might be together"
"Tell me about it!"
I refused to look at him, no matter how tempting it might have been to lose myself in those blue eyes... I had too many problems as it was, no need to make a fool of myself to top it all.
A vampire's fool, none the less...
---Yami POV---
There. Now quietly... Don't scare the prey away. Walk forward, that's it, don't do any sudden moves and they might stay still long enough for you to catch. That's the problem with squirrels, they are entirely too scared all the time to stay still.
Oops. I think I just stepped on a twig. In any case, the squirrel is gone now. Damn. Now I need to find something else. Not an easy task around here, as I had come to notice these past few hours. I felt like giving up the hunt and going back to Yugi, no matter how hungry I was. What was the point in this, I wouldn't catch anything...
"Falling to depression, are you Pharaoh?"
I turned around, surprised to hear that particular voice. That one voice I hadn't heard for such a long time... He was here alright, grinning like a maniac and holding a mortal tightly to him. A mortal that looked pretty much like him. I sighed. He too? I shouldn't be so surprised.
"Not a warm welcome party? It's not like I wanted one anyway. Oh, and nowadays I go by the name Ishtar. Not so unlike the ancient days, or what do you think? It's also a pretty name that belonged to my human originally."
"_Your_ human?"
He looked down at the irritated Egyptian, smiling slightly.
"Of course you're mine. Don't even think of something else"
The human sighed. Looking snug, the vampire I had once known turned his attention back to me.
"I see you've kept to your promise... Don't you think it's time to let go of it? Besides, you need to be strong that we could have any chance of defeating the Soul Eater."
'Soul Eater'? He must mean the weird guy going by the name Shadi.
"I'm not about to drink from humans, Ishtar"
Had he had another name back when we were mortals? I couldn't bring myself to remember. To me he had always been Guardian.
The said vampire looked thoughtful now.
"I'm guessing here that you haven't gained much strength with feeding only on animals. And sleeping for such a long time sure hasn't helped. Am I right?"
I folded my arms and looked the other way. It's not like it was any of his business...
"On the other hand, I have always fed on mortals and I haven't slept at all..."
He didn't sleep? I wondered how he didn't sound crazier than that, surely he should be in his own little world by now. One thing that I _did_ remember was that vampires needed that long sleep, needed it very much indeed.
Suddenly he let go of the mortal - he hadn't provided me with a name yet - and strode towards me. What did he think he was doing? No matter that I wasn't as strong as him, I was still pretty damn powerful, and pissing me off would be a bad way to begin this. He absentmindedly tugged at his clothes, revealing his neck more.
"This leads us to a clear solution, you know. I need you to be strong, you won't feed on humans to get that strength, so you need to get it some other way. Go ahead, I'm plenty strong enough to bear a little blood loss. Drink from me"
To say that I was dumbstruck would be an understatement. I didn't have much time to think on it, as he grabbed me and dragged me closer to him. Okay... So this was the kind of madness he had? I couldn't drink his blood, it felt so... Weird. Just standing this close to him made me shiver, and only partially because I could smell the incredibly strong blood he had.
I looked up at him, only to see him frowning at me.
"What are you waiting for? We don't have the whole night!"
He forcefully, but surprisingly gently, brought his hand to the back of my head and pressed my face against his throat.
"Drink now. It'll make you feel better"
He smelled oddly enticing, this close up I noticed the confusing scent of madness laced with every other smell.
//Are you sure you want me to do this?//
//Oh shut up already, Pharaoh. If I wasn't sure I wouldn't be offering it!//
He brought me a little bit closer, and I got the impression he was impatient to move on with his things. Well... There was nothing to lose, was there? I sank my fangs on the side of his neck, unprepared for the shock his blood brought to my system.
It was incredibly strong, for one. It burned my tongue. I couldn't recall ever meeting someone with as strong blood as he had, and that was to say something. It was overwhelming, it immediately defeated any objection I had to this, as it removed all coherent thoughts from my mind.
To drink a vampire's blood... It tasted so much different than a human's blood. So... different. It couldn't be described any other way. Different, yet the same.
Immersed in the coppery liquid, I felt like I was floating in crimson-hazy darkness, life multiplied by dozen suddenly welling inside of me, and I could feel the other vampire's pain and loneliness. How he must have suffered to feel like this...
I clung to him, desperate to get more of this, never wanting to let go. I could feel how he suddenly scowled and tried to get me off, but I didn't care about that, he wouldn't get me off, this was too much, I needed this more than anything, I was suddenly sure I would die if I was denied access to this fount of pure blood, oh how it burned in me, this new blood. There was memories surfacing, memories from his point of view, how he had truly felt of it all, when I was too concentrated on myself to notice what others felt, and then...
Then his blood brought me memories of myself, my own memories, the missing pieces suddenly crashing in. I felt how he finally managed to push me away from him, but I didn't care anymore, the memories were too shocking, too much for me to handle.
I was supported in the other vampire's arms, and the memories ran uncontrolled, and I could only watch as they flew past my unseeing eyes.
---
AN: Pretty odd chapter, isn't it? Let me assure you, there's nothing but twisted friendship between Yami and Ishtar, despite the way they were acting there for a while... Please review!
Many thanks to Jadej.j (Sorry, not yet! ^^ It's a bit too early...), Dark Lady Setsuna ('another lemon scene'? *blinks* I wasn't aware anything I've written thus far could be called lemon... Whatever), Renee the Rabid Squirrel (Really? Glad you like it that much!), Diamond (^.^), J. Katherine Wong (Mokuba gets some time in this story later, too... A pretty important part is reserved for him in the end... ^.~), jessica (I'm sorry, it seems I can't update quicker than in a week anymore...), Siobhan (*happy little smile* Good that I managed to write them so well), firedraygon97 (hey, I think you actually commented on every character that showed up in that chapter...), Difinity (Poor Yami... He'll have to go through hell to be alright again... I'm so evil! ^^), Seventh Sage (Well... I never actually analyzed how I write and come up with the ideas o.O Weird it is, to me too!), Phoenix (I never get tired of reviews that praise me! Although sometimes it's hard to come up with the answers, seeing how I write them to all... O.O), The Dark Star Goddess (I'll do my best!), Neko-chan (*evil grin* You liked it... Me too *giggle* Possibly my favorite line of the whole fic! ^^), Jack V. Briefs (my talent isn't so great O.O), Redrum (^^), Jadesaber (I hope you'll like the rest of this too...), Yana (Where did I take those tests...? Can't remember. Possibly quizilla.com), Chibizoo (I'm sorry for the short chapter... As I believe I mentioned before, I'm currently having a bit of a writer's block), ancient-saeki (...cute? I wouldn't call this that, but whatever you say...), Yami ChaosGem (I liked it, but I haven't had time to review... Gomen...), Yamis Girlfriend (You people flatter me ^^), VampssAmby10210 (I'll write more, but I'm not so sure about the 'soon' part...), Vera (S/J fluff isn't very visible in this chapter, but I have hopes of getting it going again in the next one.), MaidenoftheMoon (the someone they're trying to defeat in the near future is unknown/hunter/Shadi... I know how hard it is to keep up with the plots of all the different fics sometimes! ^.~) and Betrayal (I'm really starting to feel sorry for them myself... o.O)
Slaying the Dreamer, chapter 20: Intimacy
---Ryou POV---
He would come tonight, too, as he had come the other nights. At some point I would end up meeting him, so why should I bother leaving the house? He would come. So now I could rest, I did have a life outside of this, after all. As stale and boring as it seemed, it was a life, a normal one, with school and some friends and familyproblems.
So I could afford to rest, and wait silently for him. And exactly that I was doing right now. Laying on my bed, trying to get some sleep - I _had_ been awake for most of the last night after all. But it didn't work, no matter how much I tried I couldn't shake the image of that vampire out of my head. He kept coming back... And it didn't help that I was waiting for him, lying down, on the very same bed he had taken me three nights ago.
A shiver went through me at the thought. I should probably go somewhere else. But why should it bother me so? He wasn't here now, it needn't keep me from sleeping. It did't, truly. So why did I feel like he _should_ be here? I could feel heat rise to my cheeks. Why couldn't I have normal problems?
"..."
Something made me turn to look at the door. Yes, it was him. He was here now. He would take care of everything.
That is, if he would stop staring at me with those eyes that currently were unnaturally wide. Okay, so perhaps it really hadn't been a good idea to be here. He started walking closer, seeming somehow odd with his pale skin and crimson-tinted eyes, those glowing white strands of hair giving him an otherworldly look.
He sat on my bed, eyes locked on mine, silent and thoughtful, breath coming slightly quicker than normally. He wouldn't hurt me again, would he? No, of course he wouldn't. He had promised it, that not a single person would hurt me as long as he was around. And I knew he felt horrible of what he did to me. So he couldn't hurt me. Yeah, cling to that thought. That thought is safe.
He reached out with his hand and buried it in my hair. Stroking them gently, he opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it, shaking his head. He looked so confused now... Was there something I could do about it?
Then he shocked me out of my wits by suddenly laying down beside me, embracing me gently, pressing my face against his chest. I stiffened, already expecting the worst. But no, he laid there, still and quiet, breathing into my hair, squeezing me tightly.
Not so uncomfortable, I had to admit after realizing he wouldn't do anything. Slowly relaxing in his arms, I noticed how good it really felt just to be there, not worrying about anything. I couldn't worry anymore, it seemed that my mind wasn't working at all. I placed one hand on his chest and started idly to draw patterns on the firm muscles. Not so bad at all, to be frank.
"What are you doing to me...?"
I glanced up at him.
"Doing? Nothing in particular. Should I stop?"
"No, I meant to my mind. And don't stop, it's very... relaxing"
I could hear the contentment in his voice, how he was slowly letting go of everything that bothered him. He was a vampire, how often could he do that? Now that I thought on it, not often. I guess he really needed to relax...
With my face feeling hotter every second and my breathing becoming shallower, I tried to concentrate merely on comforting him. Who knows when he had last felt like he could let it all go? I really didn't need bothersome thoughts running around in my head right now...
The vampire sighed gently, I felt his hot breath stir my hair. I couldn't help it, I snuggled closer to him.
"So... Ummm... have you fed tonight?"
He murmured something that I presumed was admitting he had. But I wasn't about to ask again, it might jolt him out of this... snuggly mood, and that would be nearly unbearable to me right now. And I suspected this wasn't very characteristic of him, the big bad vampire... I smiled and rubbed my nose against his throat, which was so conveniently close by.
---Jounouchi POV---
I couldn't sit still, no matter how hard I tried. That vampire still hadn't showed up, but it felt like I was sitting on hot coals. Well, after last night, what did I expect from him?
Last night... Mokuba had dragged us into their house, and then left us in an awkward little moment in the hallway. The vampire hadn't much said anything, only apologized for his littlebrother, and wished me good night. I guess he had been as nervous as me, although it certainly seemed incredible. Nervous? Him? Allow me to laugh. He couldn't have been.
But there had been a small moment just before I left... No, cast it out of your mind, it was nothing. As that kiss under that tree was nothing.
...Okay, forbidden direction. Think of something else. Ummm... Sheesh, who decorated this house? Could it _be_ any more snobby? I glared at the curtains, and the thick carpet covering the floor.
"I take it the carpet offended you some way, or why are you glaring at it so...?"
I nearly jumped out of my skin at the vampire's voice. When had _he_ showed up? And calm as always... Correction, not always, just most of the time. I could very well remember how he had behaved last night when Mokuba had showed up, and that definitely wasn't calm behavior. I nearly laughed at that thought, but it wasn't so much amusement as being downright nervous.
"Don't get any ideas, Mokuba made me come"
"So he said. He is way too attached to the idea that we might be together"
"Tell me about it!"
I refused to look at him, no matter how tempting it might have been to lose myself in those blue eyes... I had too many problems as it was, no need to make a fool of myself to top it all.
A vampire's fool, none the less...
---Yami POV---
There. Now quietly... Don't scare the prey away. Walk forward, that's it, don't do any sudden moves and they might stay still long enough for you to catch. That's the problem with squirrels, they are entirely too scared all the time to stay still.
Oops. I think I just stepped on a twig. In any case, the squirrel is gone now. Damn. Now I need to find something else. Not an easy task around here, as I had come to notice these past few hours. I felt like giving up the hunt and going back to Yugi, no matter how hungry I was. What was the point in this, I wouldn't catch anything...
"Falling to depression, are you Pharaoh?"
I turned around, surprised to hear that particular voice. That one voice I hadn't heard for such a long time... He was here alright, grinning like a maniac and holding a mortal tightly to him. A mortal that looked pretty much like him. I sighed. He too? I shouldn't be so surprised.
"Not a warm welcome party? It's not like I wanted one anyway. Oh, and nowadays I go by the name Ishtar. Not so unlike the ancient days, or what do you think? It's also a pretty name that belonged to my human originally."
"_Your_ human?"
He looked down at the irritated Egyptian, smiling slightly.
"Of course you're mine. Don't even think of something else"
The human sighed. Looking snug, the vampire I had once known turned his attention back to me.
"I see you've kept to your promise... Don't you think it's time to let go of it? Besides, you need to be strong that we could have any chance of defeating the Soul Eater."
'Soul Eater'? He must mean the weird guy going by the name Shadi.
"I'm not about to drink from humans, Ishtar"
Had he had another name back when we were mortals? I couldn't bring myself to remember. To me he had always been Guardian.
The said vampire looked thoughtful now.
"I'm guessing here that you haven't gained much strength with feeding only on animals. And sleeping for such a long time sure hasn't helped. Am I right?"
I folded my arms and looked the other way. It's not like it was any of his business...
"On the other hand, I have always fed on mortals and I haven't slept at all..."
He didn't sleep? I wondered how he didn't sound crazier than that, surely he should be in his own little world by now. One thing that I _did_ remember was that vampires needed that long sleep, needed it very much indeed.
Suddenly he let go of the mortal - he hadn't provided me with a name yet - and strode towards me. What did he think he was doing? No matter that I wasn't as strong as him, I was still pretty damn powerful, and pissing me off would be a bad way to begin this. He absentmindedly tugged at his clothes, revealing his neck more.
"This leads us to a clear solution, you know. I need you to be strong, you won't feed on humans to get that strength, so you need to get it some other way. Go ahead, I'm plenty strong enough to bear a little blood loss. Drink from me"
To say that I was dumbstruck would be an understatement. I didn't have much time to think on it, as he grabbed me and dragged me closer to him. Okay... So this was the kind of madness he had? I couldn't drink his blood, it felt so... Weird. Just standing this close to him made me shiver, and only partially because I could smell the incredibly strong blood he had.
I looked up at him, only to see him frowning at me.
"What are you waiting for? We don't have the whole night!"
He forcefully, but surprisingly gently, brought his hand to the back of my head and pressed my face against his throat.
"Drink now. It'll make you feel better"
He smelled oddly enticing, this close up I noticed the confusing scent of madness laced with every other smell.
//Are you sure you want me to do this?//
//Oh shut up already, Pharaoh. If I wasn't sure I wouldn't be offering it!//
He brought me a little bit closer, and I got the impression he was impatient to move on with his things. Well... There was nothing to lose, was there? I sank my fangs on the side of his neck, unprepared for the shock his blood brought to my system.
It was incredibly strong, for one. It burned my tongue. I couldn't recall ever meeting someone with as strong blood as he had, and that was to say something. It was overwhelming, it immediately defeated any objection I had to this, as it removed all coherent thoughts from my mind.
To drink a vampire's blood... It tasted so much different than a human's blood. So... different. It couldn't be described any other way. Different, yet the same.
Immersed in the coppery liquid, I felt like I was floating in crimson-hazy darkness, life multiplied by dozen suddenly welling inside of me, and I could feel the other vampire's pain and loneliness. How he must have suffered to feel like this...
I clung to him, desperate to get more of this, never wanting to let go. I could feel how he suddenly scowled and tried to get me off, but I didn't care about that, he wouldn't get me off, this was too much, I needed this more than anything, I was suddenly sure I would die if I was denied access to this fount of pure blood, oh how it burned in me, this new blood. There was memories surfacing, memories from his point of view, how he had truly felt of it all, when I was too concentrated on myself to notice what others felt, and then...
Then his blood brought me memories of myself, my own memories, the missing pieces suddenly crashing in. I felt how he finally managed to push me away from him, but I didn't care anymore, the memories were too shocking, too much for me to handle.
I was supported in the other vampire's arms, and the memories ran uncontrolled, and I could only watch as they flew past my unseeing eyes.
---
AN: Pretty odd chapter, isn't it? Let me assure you, there's nothing but twisted friendship between Yami and Ishtar, despite the way they were acting there for a while... Please review!