Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.
Chapter 11
After Yami let that oh-so-innocent little phrase slip, I managed to subtly convince him to stay with me on a more permanent basis. Now, two weeks later, Yami had given his landlord notice and we were moving his things to my house in stages. (By the way, when Yami informed Yugi-tachi of this, the mutt nearly had a nervous breakdown, much to my amusement. Apparently, despite his recent tolerance of me, he still couldn't handle the idea of Yami "shacking up with Kaiba." This Christmas vacation would be interesting, to say the least.)
On Saturday afternoon Yami had to work, so he loaned me his house key so that I could collect some more of his things. When I parked on the curb in front of Yami's apartment, however, I found a leather-clad teen with flashing green eyes leaning against the building, apparently waiting for Yami.
"What are you doing here, Otogi?" I snarled.
He straightened and eyed me seriously, and I felt a little of my anger ebb away, replaced with curiosity. "Where's Yami?" he asked in a low voice.
"None of your business," I snapped, and brushed past him.
"Wait!" Otogi called softly before I reached the staircase. "I need to tell you something."
"Why should I listen to anything you have to say?" I replied scornfully. "Why don't you just go talk to your friend Bakura?"
At this, I glanced over my shoulder to give Otogi a rude smirk, but his face paled and his sharp green eyes widened in seeming fear. "Wh-why would you think we were friends?" Otogi stuttered.
"I saw you two talking the other day," I retorted shortly.
Otogi blanched, his face turning a sickly shade of puce, and bit his lip apprehensively. "Well…that's sort of what I wanted to talk to you about. Bakura came to my house a couple of weeks ago, and…well, I told him some things that I shouldn't have. I feel terrible about it; there's no telling what he did, or even why he wanted to know in the first place…" Otogi mumbled vaguely.
"What did you do?" I growled dangerously. A sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach told me that Otogi had found some way to hurt Yami even more.
I was right.
"Bakura told me…well, he told me that he would help me with Yami. I still like him; I can't help it," Otogi murmured, and I glared furiously. "He said that he could get Yami to be with me - if I told him what he wanted to know. I believed Bakura; since if there's one thing he knows how to do it's how to get what he wants…"
"What did you tell the thief?" I asked lowly.
Otogi sighed and bit his lip once more. "I told him…I told him who Yami loves; and that you were trying to figure it out, too."
Seething, white-hot rage roared over me and I swung back my arm and punched Otogi square in the jaw. His eyes rolled back in his head, and I didn't even wait to watch him hit the concrete before I whirled on my heel and stomped up the six flights of stairs to Yami's apartment.
Thirty minutes later, I frantically paced the living room floor of Yami's apartment. I hadn't started moving anything - my mind still whirled in turmoil over Otogi's words. Why would Bakura want to know who Yami loved? What possible reason could he have? Other than to torment Yami, maybe…
I gasped and froze in my tracks. Of course! That day when Bakura had returned Yami's books and Yami was so upset… I had wondered what had happened; Bakura must have said something to Yami about his lover. But what? Was he blackmailing Yami? What would Bakura think if he knew Yami and I were together? Would that ruin his plans?
I groaned. There were just too many questions.
"I have to have some answers! I can't take this any more!" I shouted to the empty room, tugging harshly on the ends of my hair in frustration.
Suddenly I paused, fingers still tangled in my thick locks. There was an answer in this very house, hidden in a box under Yami's bed. If I looked…well, it might help me figure out Bakura's plan…
Automatically my feet started moving toward the bedroom, and before my conscience could protest, I peered under Yami's bed and found a small, slightly dusty cardboard box. My hand stretched out to grab it, and I noticed that my fingers were shaking nervously. Gulping, I quickly slid the box from under the bed and held it thoughtfully in my quaking hands.
I couldn't open it.
I just stood there, staring at the thing that represented Yami's passion and devotion - and I couldn't violate it, not even to help him. It would hurt him so much if he ever found out… At the thought, my hands gave an extra-large shudder and I dropped the box. As it clattered to the floor and I stared dazedly, I heard a small sound in the doorway.
"Seto? You left the door unlocked…"
Yami stepped into the room; but when he saw me staring at the slightly dented cardboard box on the floor, all the color drained from his face in a rush. "W-what are you doing?" Yami squeaked. He dashed across the room and gathered the box into his arms; and glancing fearfully at my dazed expression, quickly spun and ran out of the room again. I could hear his footsteps thudding out of the apartment and down the stairs.
After what seemed like ages, I finally snapped out of my stupor and raced after him. I paused when I reached the sidewalk outside and glanced around for any sign of Yami. Nothing. And I had no idea where he would go, either. Groaning to myself, I ran a frustrated hand across my face and stumbled awkwardly to my car.
"Man, I've never seen you look that messed up," a voice commented behind me. Oh, great, the delinquent was back.
"Mind your own business," I snapped.
"Yami seemed pretty upset, too," he added.
I slowly turned to face him. He was once again clad in baggy jeans, and he had a bright yellow cap pulled low over his face. "Which way did Yami go?" I demanded.
The idiot merely shrugged. "Bus stop. He's probably on a bus somewhere by now."
I swore fluently, and he whistled appreciatively. "Wow, rude guy, you're really worked up today."
"Shut up! And my name is Kaiba," I snapped, and stomped to my car, not waiting for a reply.
"Bye, Kaiba! And good luck!" the delinquent called as I stomped away. I felt a tiny, sarcastic grin twitch at my lips, but I suppressed it and rapidly climbed into my car and sped away. My life had seemingly fallen to pieces in the last hour or so, and I knew just who to blame.
It was time to pay another visit to Bakura.
This time, I walked into the bank slowly and silently, and no one moved aside as I made my way through the crowd to Bakura's office at the back of the building. But, I knew that I was giving off a much more dangerous aura than I ever had before with my blustery shouting and glaring, especially when the two armed guards stepped aside fearfully as I swept past them to knock on the office door.
"What is it?" Bakura snapped.
"It's Kaiba," I replied shortly, still in a deadly calm.
Silence reigned for a long moment until Bakura finally said, "Come in, then."
I stepped into the room and shut the door behind me, eyeing the white-haired thief with the most serious expression I'd ever given anyone. "Why?" I asked simply.
"Why what? Don't tell me you're here to waste my time again," he sighed, and leaned casually back in his executive's chair, crossing his arms lazily behind his head. His narrow brown eyes flashed challengingly, and I straightened to my full height, accepting the unspoken dare.
"I want to know why you insist on making Yami's life a misery. What possible reason could you have to torment him; to keep him down? I know you paid him well before, though I'm actually starting to have my suspicions about that. I think you just want to know you have some kind of power over him - why else would you need to know who he…who he…?"
"Can't even say it, can you Kaiba?" Bakura smirked. "Well, let me ask you something. Why do you need to know so much? I know all about your little search for Yami's lover; told Yami about it myself, in fact."
The color drained from my cheeks. Was that why Yami was so upset that day? Was I the reason he felt so horrible? What must he have thought when he saw me looking at the box, then?
I was really starting to get tired of all these questions.
"Of course, Yami doesn't think that you actually 'care' about him, or however you put it before. He thinks that you're just in some kind of ridiculous competition with his 'mystery lover,'" Bakura scoffed. "I made sure of that." Seething fury poured over me and I clenched my fists as Bakura snickered vindictively. I knew he was only telling me this because he wanted to torment me, and that made me wonder just how much more Bakura longed to hurt Yami - after all, he'd held a grudge against Yami for years.
"I love him." At my sudden proclamation, Bakura's laughter abruptly paused and his narrow eyes widened in surprise. "I love Yami more than anything in the world, and if I have to compete for him, so be it. Now I think it's time that I explained that to him myself."
"Kaiba…" Bakura began, but I turned my back on him and yanked open the office door.
"Oh, and I'll find a way to make you regret what you've done to him; don't doubt that," I threatened levelly, without turning around, and swept out the door.
I had no idea where Yami might have gone, and I didn't think he'd go back to his apartment, so I eventually decided to just go home and pray that he would come by. Pathetic, I know; but I had no other choice. However, when I got home I found Yami in the living room - facing off against a steaming Mokuba. Yami held a suitcase in both hands as Mokuba tried with all his might to pull it away.
"You CAN'T leave, Yami! Can't you see how much you mean to him?!" my brother cried vehemently.
"NOTHING! I don't mean ANYTHING - and I never have! It's all just a stupid game to Kaiba; Bakura was right from the beginning. He told me two years ago what your brother said, and I was crazy to ever think he'd changed his mind," Yami argued. A fierce flush spread across his cheeks, and his thick blond bangs stuck in clumps to his wet face as tears poured from his eyes.
"WHAT?!!" I bellowed in surprise. What else had Bakura done to Yami?!
Yami gasped and dropped the suitcase, just as Mokuba gave an extra-violent tug, and my brother fell backwards onto the floor with a grunt. The suitcase flew out of his hands and bounced across the carpet, springing open as it rolled to my feet - and Yami's box landed right in front of me.
I stared at it for a long moment; then bent and lifted it gently and slowly crossed the room to where Yami stood frozen, staring at me in apprehension. Tenderly I grasped one of his soft, slender hands and placed the unopened box in his palm, then softly pushed it toward his chest so that he gripped it cautiously. Yami still watched me uncertainly as I smoothed his damp bangs back on his forehead. "Bakura is a liar," I said simply, cupping Yami's cheek in the palm of my hand.
He leaned into my touch and I smiled. "Yami, I don't know exactly what he said, but I promise it isn't true. I have been competing with that guy," I gestured to the box, "but…because I want…I want you to love me as much as I love you."
Yami gasped and his eyes widened; then he grinned shakily and pushed the box back into my hands. "I think there's something you need to see," he told me quietly.
"Really?"
Yami nodded and I hesitantly lifted the lid to the dented cardboard box. When I saw what lay inside I blinked, almost thinking I was hallucinating - but when I reopened my eyes nothing had changed. Newspaper clippings about KaibaCorp and… and about me littered the base of the box! Scattered among the clippings were a few photos of Yugi-tachi taken during the Battle City tournament. I could see my scowling face off to the side of them all. I stared at them in wonder until I noticed something else. To the side of the box, on top of the photos and newspaper articles, lay a well-worn Duel Monsters card- the Devil's Sanctuary. I lifted it curiously and glanced at Yami, who wore a sheepish grin.
"The card you gave me," he explained simply, shrugging.
I dropped the box and the papers scattered all across the carpet as I grabbed the back of Yami's neck and tugged him toward me, our lips meeting in a fervent kiss. Yami moaned happily and wrapped his arms around my neck as I deepened the kiss, slipping my tongue into his mouth and tasting the bittersweet tang of residual tears that had slid along his soft lips.
After a moment I pulled away for air and used the opportunity to examine his sweet face and the flashing scarlet eyes so close to mine. My heart leapt - Yami wore that smile, that funny twisting grin, and it was all for me. And… it always had been. What an incredible thought. "I love you, Seto," he whispered softly.
I grinned in triumph and attacked his lips once more, sliding my hands along his sides toward the waistband of his low-slung black pants - until Mokuba cleared his throat. "Ahem. I'm glad you two are together and all, but if you're going to do that, could you please go upstairs?"
Yami blushed cutely, but I just reached in my pocket and grabbed my wallet, tossing it at Mokuba. "Don't go crazy," I said dryly, and went back to kissing Yami.
Mokuba cheered, and I vaguely registered the thumping of his footsteps as he ran out of the room.
My credit card company was very happy that month.
Long hours later Yami lay curled up against me in his bed - though this time he stayed awake. Silently I stroked his wild hair as he rested his soft cheek against my chest; until he reached up and twined his fingers in mine, then sat up enough to give me a chaste kiss on the lips before settling against me once more. "Seto? Can I ask you something?" he murmured.
"Hmm?"
"Why didn't you look?"
"In that box?" When Yami nodded, I stared at our joined fingers thoughtfully for a moment before I thought of a reply. "Well… I knew - Otogi told me for sure – that you were keeping 'souvenirs' of your relationship with that guy… although I guess it was me; that's still hard for me to accept; I just can't believe it…"
"Seto," Yami chided meaningfully, and I realized I was rambling.
Great. I've started taking after the mutt's habits.
"Anyway, I was jealous - I was really jealous, because I wanted you to love me as much as you loved him," I growled, and Yami laughed cheerily, "but even though I wanted to know who it was, I couldn't violate you that way. It would just be wrong."
Yami gripped my hand tighter. "You're so unbelievable," he laughed. "You don't even realize how sweet you are."
I grumbled under my breath, embarrassed. "Well… if you loved me the whole time, why didn't you ever tell me?" I asked snidely, in retaliation. His breath hitched, and I suddenly felt very guilty. "Yami; no, I'm sorry," I murmured, remembering how depressed he had been…over me. "I'm really sorry."
"It's not your fault," he mumbled. "I didn't tell you because - well, I realized how I felt when Yugi and Anzu first started dating. They were so sweet together, and I suddenly wanted what they had; and that's when I thought of you. You were just…the only person who came to mind. I guess it was kind of like when you wanted to talk to someone, and I was the only person you could think of; I just couldn't get you out of my head. Everyone said I was acting strange, but I couldn't help it. I wanted to be with you; I wanted you so much.
"Strangely, Bakura figured it out, even though no one else did. He came to me one day and told me he knew how I felt about you; but he gently let me down, saying that he heard you telling Mokuba how you'd never forgive me for making you look like a fool in our duel…"
"I NEVER said that!" I cried, shocked.
Yami tilted his head up and kissed me softly once again. "I know. I know that, now; I don't know why I ever believed Bakura in the first place, except that he acted like a friend. He was so nice about it, and he promised not to tell anyone else. Then, he gave me a good, well-paying job when Yugi needed the money for school…"
"He just wanted you to work for him so he could see you suffering," I grumbled.
"Seto," Yami chided.
I just drew him closer into my arms, unrepentant. "I love you," I murmured.
Yami smiled that smile again and relaxed against me, drawing circles on my chest with his warm fingers. "I love you, too. I always have."
I closed my eyes, reveling in his touch; and for the first time I fell asleep first.
A/N: lol The Devil's Sanctuary was a little something extra for those of you who've read Spellbound. Anyway, only one more chapter to go - the epilogue should be out sometime around Thursday. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter; I love hearing from you all!
Okay, and the C2-special-sneak-peek thing is over. I sent the story preview to most of the ppl who told me they joined, but there were a couple of you who I couldn't reach by email; so if you joined the C2 last time but I didn't send you the preview, please leave your email address for me in your review (though be sure to put spaces between everything or ffnet will cut it off).
Thanks again, guys!