Lots of reviews so I dredged a Chapter 3 together. I promised that this wouldn't be a series too, but I have an essay that I'm putting off. The longest chapter to date so far so I downright *deserve* some reviews. A virus also wiped this out the first time round so I had to re-type it from scratch. Credit is due people!
Secrets
Well, my life sure is changing for the better. That is, I *think* it's for the better because at the moment everything is good, but when everyone else finds out, and I *do* mean *when*, I can tell that Hell is going to descend upon my life. And Yami's. He's kinda an important aspect of what's going on now.
This little affair of ours has been going on for a month now and shows no signs of crashing and burning. After a few nights of staring at the ceiling and, a lot more productively, swearing at the Heavens, I got used to the idea of having someone important in my life like this and am more comfortable with it than before.
Oh come on! Did you really think that I could just 'get close' to someone after spending years wrapped in a cloak of deceit and deception, pretty much killing anyone who crossed my path? And that all-new sissy-boy poetic streak is still around. This is *his* fault, but he does things to make me forgive him on a minutely basis so I have no real problems with our, um, 'relationship'.
Yami has a few problems though that I can be a little sympathetic about. He and his Hikari are phenomenally close, actually to the degree that if I didn't know him better I'd believe he was cheating on me with him. This is making keeping this thing we have going a secret very difficult for him, almost painful actually. He hates lying to Yugi, which is what he has to do for us to get a few minutes alone with each other at all.
He isn't stupid though. He's going to keep his mouth shut. I don't think that they as a group would accept us as an 'item'. Well, Yugi would eventually because I'm making Yami happy and Ryou would be too scared of me to object. The others, well, they would make his life Hell and would definitely be a little more difficult around me.
Keeping this a secret though *has* kept things rather exciting. It's actually fun playing deceit, when the whole 'Yami and Yugi soul-link-guilt' stuff is swiftly shoved aside of course. Sneaking off in the night has made things more than a little intense but there have been more than a few close calls that have made us be a little more careful.
Take last week for example.
I was dozing after our little 'activities', which always wear out even my stamina and Yami was playing lookout. We were in the park somewhere in the woods having snuck off from the idiots a while ago. They were swimming I think, I don't know or care, so they were occupied with by the fascinating substance that we higher beings acknowledge as *water*.
Anyway, I'm drifting when I suddenly hear Yami move, the warm presence against my side disappearing. Snapping my eyes awake, I find him glaring down at my furiously and straddling my stomach, one hand in a bruising grip on my shoulder and the other one wrapped protectively about the Puzzle hanging just above my nose, keeping the Item close to his chest.
I squirmed a little beneath his weight, which was pressing down on a very bad place to pull this off successfully, before bringing my hands to his throat. Mouthing an apology to him, I saw him smile softly and blink in understanding before I tightened my grin a little. It had to be convincing or we couldn't keep getting away with this. It didn't mean that I hadn't hate doing it though.
Thrusting the shoulder that he had in his hand forward sharply, I started shouting at him inarticulately as he starts doing pretty much the same, although his words come out as little more than grunts with my grip around his throat. I loosened my hold as much as I dared to get the colour of his face a little less pale, removing one of my hands to make a swipe at the Puzzle.
I was oddly relieved when Joey punched me, flipping Yami off of my body as a result and giving chase to the Chihuahua whilst Yugi sat with Yami on the floor to check if he was okay. Giving up on the blond teen who is so bad at hiding that it is actually embarrassing to *me*, I take to the trees and move back towards where I left Yami.
He had obviously sensed me on some level because he looked back over his shoulder, Yugi's arm looped through his as he was led back to the others. Smiling a little at me, he nodded sharply before casting his eyes to his Light and saying something to him. I made a point to nod back, to let him know that I was fine too.
We both learned a few things that day though. First, going deeper into the woods next time is highly advisable and secondly, Joey can punch quite well when he really tries. I had a black eye for a day before my magic could sort it out.
Today we're being careful.
Ryou slept over Yugi's house last night and so I got to tag along. I swear something is going on between those two but I don't give a damn about my Hikari's love life or Yugi's so they can do what they like without telling me. Coming to think of it though, it wouldn't be such a bad idea if they were indeed together.
Ryou'd be here, Yugi'd be distracted. Yes, I think I'm going to have to take a bit more interest in this. But, with Sod's law and me being me it'll probably be nothing and I'll have got my hopes up for nothing.
Anyway, Yugi said that I could stay in the spare room as Ryou so nicely pointed out that I hate being in the Ring at night. That isn't entirely true but I let it pass. It does afford other interesting opportunities after all.
Anyway, the little twerps were in Yugi's room and I'm in the spare scowling at the wall. No reason, just brooding. Then, Yami suddenly slips in and shuts the door before sticking a chair beneath the handle. He said that he'd told Yugi some half-arsed story about wanting to 'discus a few things with me' and that they didn't expect him back anytime soon.
Everything rapidly moved away from anything resembling speech and civility a few seconds later and afterwards Yami decided that he couldn't be asked to leave and would spend the entire night with me for once. It was, dare I say it? Sweet. Right, I'm *never* using *that* word again because it shouldn't even be in my vocabulary but it applied at that moment.
I was awake the entire night watching him sleep not wanting to miss a second of the experience and started having this musings somewhere near dawn.
And the door handle just moved.
Yami, awake and alert instantly, gathers up my clothing from around the room and shoves it under the bed as I struggle under to join it, cursing softly the entire time.
Yes, I am now hiding under a bed. But I know that swallowing a whole lot of pride and hiding is far better than standing there in my birthday suit and asking Yami's hikari if we woke him up last night.
So, I'm under the friggin bed and Yami's lying on the mattress between us trying to act normal as the door opens and Yugi walks in. I think the chair moved at some point during our 'activities' so it wasn't exactly secure anymore.
I hold perfectly still against the wall in the shadows, breathing only enough to keep me conscious and watching Yugi's feet traverse the floor before stopping inches from my nose. I cannot sneeze. If I sneeze, I'll die. All this dust is not helping though.
"Yami? What are you doing in here? Where's Bakura?"
"He didn't like what I had to say and left. I didn't want to disturb you or Ryou so I slept here for the night."
Oh, that was smooth. I really do respect him for being able to lie that eloquently to the other half of his soul. Particularly as he is much closer to the other kid than I am to my own twerp.
There is a long, extremely nerve-wracking silence above me before Yugi mumbles an affirmative noise and leaves. The sound of air being expelled in an extremely relieved tone comes from above me and I remove myself from under the bed, gathering the tattered remains of my dignity. As much as I hate to admit it Yami has me pretty much wrapped around his little finger.
The strange and rather uncomfortable thing though is that I don't actually care. Right, if I had said *that* last month I would have killed *myself*.
Rubbing the grime and dust that I had collected from my little excursion off of my skin as I stand fully, I regard him for a few moments before slipping back under the covers and sitting at his feet against the wall. There's a long silence that I really want to break by throwing something big and heavy just to make a noise before he speaks up, crimson eyes finally rising from the covers that he seemed to think looked more important than me.
"Joey's coming over later with everyone."
I love that he knows to warn me about these things. I know him well enough to know what to say most of the time too, although neither one of us would insult the other by saying just what the other person wants to hear. I'd hit him if he did that to me and he'd definitely do the same.
What I know is going to follow now is somewhat of a game between us so I'll play my part. Bantering usually leads to other stuff so I'm always eager to participate. Have to be careful now though because bloody Ryou will be around soon, asking Yami where I am when Yugi has reported back to him.
Standing and dragging my trousers out from under the bed, I untangle the material with a groan of exasperation. "Do they have to? Tea I hate and I *know* that she annoys you too, but Joey is just a frigging laxative."
Silence as he turns that most interesting idea over in his head and tries very hard not to smile, but it's quirking the corners of his mouth now as I finally get my damn pants on. After all, smiling properly would break the rules. "I take it by that you mean he irritates the-"
"-right out of me, yeah," I finish for him, getting on my knees again to hunt for my shirt. Oh fantastic; it's inhabited by mothballs. Might have to punish someone for this. "I might have to kill him you know. Or stick him in a card in a dress again," I continue as I shove the offensive thing over my head. Oh gross, there's a film on my skin now. And I just said 'gross'. I have turned into a Valley-Girl. This is *not* my morning…. Like.
I peek over the collar just as my head pops through to check if he is scowling at me. Yeah, there it is. Looks cute when he does that. Right, must stop thinking *cute*. Cute is right up there with 'sweet' on my list of words that will never ever pass my lips unless by the hand of someone who is better at torturing than me. Not likely so my reputation should be safe for all eternity.
"I'll stop you if you try to harm one of my friends," he replies levelly, the scowl still darkening his eyes and the barest flicker of the Eye of Horus flashing on his forehead.
"And how would you do that Little Pharaoh? You are weak," I growl back. Oh, shit. Bad word to say to him. Shit. That's worse than 'cute'. Game over. Going to crash and burn in a spectacular display of colour now. I was just starting to really enjoy what we had going too.
Something flickers in his eyes as I watch him with trepidation, a whisper of pain that I sincerely didn't want to cause in their depths. I told you my poetic streak has yet to die. Then something snaps inside him and he lunges at me with a growl. Damn, that lithe body can move a helluvalot faster than you'd think.
Landing with my back against the door with a loud thud that Yugi and Ryou *must've* heard, I find the handle digging into a ridge between two vertebrae and my arms held above my head with one of his hands around my wrists.
Staring at him levelly I don't let any emotion reach my face, allowing it to remain a stony mask. Inside my head is a totally different matter though. I feel concern, admiration and the tiniest most miniscule twinge of fear as I stare into those fires.
A muscle in his cheek twitches as he jaws tightens. I'm not sure if I offended him or if he's trying to prove something to me. Perhaps a mixture of both. I'm usually good at figuring out what's going through his head and heart but right now I'm more concerned with the feeling of the nearing presence of Ryou. I don't need the Ring on to tell that he is approaching and if Yami wasn't so worked up I think that he would feel Yugi nearing too.
They cannot get in whilst we're like this. Literally and, well, not literally. For one I'm being pushing into the door and secondly Yami's got me pinned in a rather compromising position wearing nothing, not even the Puzzle. If they get in before I can diffuse this or Yami cools himself down there will be an awful lot of questions.
And probably more than a few bitch-slaps that I will either be dishing out or on the receiving end of. Come to think of it I'll probably just be on the receiving end of them.
Yami's eyes open a little from where they were slits and he presses my wrists back against the wood a little harder, my shoulders screaming at me from the abuse. Then he surprises me by crushing his mouth onto my own, passionate and demanding if a little brief. Pulling back and closing his eyes as he leans his forehead lightly against my chin, his words are more breathed than spoken, a gentle feeling against my throat that I can't help but shiver at.
"I'm not weak."
My throat clicking too loudly for my liking as I swallow, I growl out a response. "You're not."
Snapping his fingers back from around my wrists, he seems to look over my shoulder and through the wood behind me before his eyes returned to mine with a smirk. Confusing little critter. Keeps me on my toes though.
"Damn you Baka!" he suddenly shouts a little louder than necessary. I have to bite my lip hard not to laugh out loud. Still leaning against the door, a little more force going into it now that I was making sure that no-one could come in if they tried, I grab the chair that Yami hands to me.
We both make a point not to scuff it on the floor lest our hikari's hear, propping the back of the piece of furniture beneath the handle just as I reply in an equally loud voice.
"Give me the Puzzle now or I start slashing up hikari's!"
He quirks a brow at me with a grin as he works his way back into his pants. He should be impressed with that one; I came up with it last week and I've been saving it. It's fun surprising each other like this. I'm still watching him of course as he dresses, moving away from the door to the opposite side of the room.
Now, what would make a loud noise without making too much mess? Not that I care, I just don't want to walk around barefoot on glass. Ah, a lamp. Perfect.
Swearing loudly and convincingly, which it should have been because it was a genuine curse as the bulb was bloody hot, I lob the ugly little thing across the room into the far wall, hitting the skirting board surrounding the door. I felt Ryou jump in surprise at that through our bond, grinning broadly at the sensation.
Putting the bulb on the table carefully to prevent it rolling off and making a glass-field on the floor, I start hunting around for my boots whilst Yami tugs on his shirt. I think we're going to have to find him something else to wear on occasions like this; those buckles are always a problem.
"I'll send you back to the Shadow Realm before you can step a foot towards my Hikari!" he yells back, cursing under his breath immediately afterwards as he starts on the multiple buckles.
My boots firmly on my feet I stand and move over to him, my hands working on the buckles that his nimble fingers haven't yet gotten to. He finishes his shirt whilst I loop the last buckle around his throat, stroking the soft skin with my fingers before covering it with the leather.
"You'll be dead and cold before you could even try," I reply, speaking a little quieter than I had intended.
Yami turns his head towards the door as I finish locking the buckle in place, kindly making a point *not* to yell in my ear. "I'd have your throat for a chalice first."
I look down at him pointedly, watching him smirk at me expectantly. "You got that off Buffy. And you are *not* a vampire," I say quietly so that only he can hear me, looking back at him smugly as I burst his bubble.
He looks at me in mock outrage before thumping my shoulder lightly, fighting to get that grin back in check. Putting on the Puzzle as I drop the Ring about my neck, he gives me one final kiss before stepping back from me.
Running my eyes first over his form before I check my own, I glance a final time around the room to ensure that there is no evidence around that anything untoward happened before tipping my head towards the door.
At his nod, I grab a fistful of his shirt and pull him towards the door, kicking the chair barring the entrance hard and sending it sideways. Giving something akin to a battle-cry, I wrench open the door before charging out and driving Yami into the far wall, Hikari's scattering in my wake.
The Game King against the wall now, I fall back with the boot he puts into my chest and swear colourfully when I impact the corner of the doorway we just came out of. Ryou stares at me obviously at a loss as to what to do and Yugi is yelling at me as he clutches Yami protectively.
I feel a swell of jealously when the smaller teen's arms wrap around his waist, a steady look from Yami assuring my silently of my place. I step forward glaring at him before snapping out a hand and grabbing Ryou's sleeve and pushing him in the direction of Yugi's room. Its an unspoken instruction for him to get his stuff to leave.
Yugi looks truly upset by that motion, staring after my hikari before looking up at Yami. He thinks that I'm going to take this out on him when we get home. That wouldn't happen. I haven't laid a truly threatening finger on Ryou since I got entangled with Yami.
My frustration at life in general is being taken out far more productively and I have no urge to thump the soft-spoken boy anymore. I still shout at him of course; it's the only way he's going to toughen up enough to survive in this world. The day he stands up to me is the day that I will leave him alone entirely. Still, Ryou's walking on tenterhooks around me obviously fearing that by not attacking him I am 'saving up' for a truly spectacular display of violence. But I have no intention of doing any such thing.
"Ryou," I say after a moment of consideration, making a point not to glance at Yami whilst I speak. He turns slowly in the hallway, looking at me with a pitiful amount of fear in his large eyes. "Don't come for a while or you *will* regret it."
He nods slightly whilst swallowing heavily, all but running back into Yugi's room and I swear I saw a smile on his face just before he ducks out of my line of sight. I really wish he would just stand up to me.
Yugi, ever the polite one, looked up at me after a few seconds, speaking firmly and with confidence in his voice. That probably has something to do with the fact that Yami is stood at his shoulder. Said spirit is watching me again, smirking openly now that it is unseen.
"Thank you for letting Ryou stay, but I think you should leave now."
I let my lip curl at him and take a menacing step towards him, making the disastrous mistake of glancing up at Yami's face. He smiles at me slowly and proceeds to run his tongue slowly over his teeth, eyes falling into a hooded gaze as he teases me.
He'll be joining me later then. Goody.
"Fine. Get him home before dark or I'll test just how good a guardian your yami is," I growl out whilst I bite the inside of my cheek hard against the anticipating smile threatening to break over my features.
Nodding curtly, Yugi takes another look up at Yami and I can sense some telepathic communication passing between them before he moves down the hall to where Ryou is. He's probably told Yami to be good and not hit me whilst I escort myself out.
Tipping my head to him as he returns the gesture, I turn on my heel and make my way downstairs, pausing at the doorway when I hear voices.
"Yami? How did Bakura get in?"
"Through the window Aibou."
"But the lock's broken."
Oh bugger. Maybe it'll be less conspicuous if Yami and I *don't* meet up again later. I'm a bit tired too. Yeah.
Oh, Joey the Laxative will be here soon. Better make my exit now before I can push my boundaries any more.
*****
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