1"Ankh Of Despair"

-

Ah yes, here it is, the second-to-last chapter. I already know how this is going to end, it's just a matter of getting to that point in a nice, flowing manner. It will be nice to finally finish this fic and not have to worry about typing up a new chapter. . . I want to work on a novel. . . already, I'm using a completely different style. The descriptions are much more capturing and paint a better image, just like in the first few chapters of this fic. Enjoy chapter 24.

DISCLAIMER: Still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

-

Finally calming the overly-excited Pharaoh, the albinos sat back in their seats. Bakura put a hand to his forehead, closing his eyes as though in relief, yet smiling playfully, "You sure are strange, Pharaoh." He removed his hand, using it to pick at the basket of fries that sat in front of him. "So tell us, what exactly happened back there?" Slender fingers lifted a particularly long fry and placed it at rose-colored lips, where it rested as though it had been denied entrance. Yami Bakura's eyes were glued to this small scene, currently oblivious to his surroundings.

Yami Yugi cupped his own chin in his hand and rubbed at his imaginary beard, "Well," He began, arching his left brow as though in deep thought, "You see, when he touched th- shit!"

Yami Bakura was snapped out of his little fantasy world as the fry slipped from his hikari's hands and onto the dusty, tile floor.

Bakura nearly choked on air, "He touched what?" It was now his turn to raise an eyebrow, but not in concentration.

"No, no, no!" Yami screamed, taking no notice of the people staring all around him, "He touched the rod! I must have left it over there!" Seeing that the puzzled look remained on the ring-bearers face, he added, "I must have left the rod laying in the yard when you brought me here. I suppose that I put it back on the grass after I retrieved it from Seto's grasp."

Bakura smiled brightly in reply, "Oh! That's no big deal! When we're through here, we'll just swing by Seto's place and pick it up!"

"No way, I'm not running errands with Pharaoh-baka." Yami Bakura folded his arms and slid down a bit in his seat, pouting like a child.

"Oh yami, you're such a whiney-ass."

"A what?" The thief's eyes popped open in shock. His hikari had been so bold lately.

The Pharaoh smiled generously, "Thank you Bakura, but I think I'll just go pick it up right now." He fished around in his right pocket for a moment before retrieving a few crumpled bills, "Here, for my meal."

Bakura pushed the hand away, shaking his head and smiling, "Nope! My treat! It's the least I can do to make up for some of the trouble that my yami has caused. Good luck on your quest!"

Yami wasted no time. He was out the door within a matter of seconds.

"'Good luck on your quest'? What the fuck are you? Some sort of game character?" Yami Bakura rolled his eyes, grabbing a fry and shoving it into Bakura's mouth, which was wide-open.

-

Seto watched the golden relic from across his bedroom. He had, though he hated to admit it, watched the Pharaoh disappear from his sight, but quickly realized the slightest glint of sunlight reflecting off of an all-too-familiar golden surface. Seto had gone outside quickly to bring the item inside, and as he carried it up to his room, his mind was filled with nothing but thoughts of Egypt. . . with thoughts of the Pharaoh.

"Why do you torture me like this?" For a moment, he wondered if he had actually expected an answer. . . then again, it wouldn't really have surprised him if he got one. Those creepy items with those creepy eyes on them. They were called Millennium Items. . . at least that was what he had always heard them called and therefore that is what he would call them. What was it that Isis had said? They were from Egypt?

He stood, moving steadily across the room and giving the mock-innocent staff a death glare that could wilt roses. . . yet that solitary golden eye stared right back at him, "Egyptian relic, huh?" His eyes narrowed even further, "Pfeh, you don't look all that special to me." Normally he would have felt ridiculous talking to an inanimate object like this, but this item was different. It wasn't quite so inanimate. He had always said that he didn't believe in magic, but will all of the recent occurrences in his life, he really wasn't sure what he believed.

At a lightening-quick pace, he wrapped his fingers around the slender pole of the Millennium Rod, "I won't let some stupid chuck of metal beat me!" He tried to fight at the visions that threatened to pass before his eyes, yet again, he was no match for the magic of Egypt. . .

-

"I will give you my heart for an eternity, Yami, in this life and the next, until the Gods shall see fit to set us apart." Seto lay under his lover, both bodies slick with a thin layer of sweat.

"Mmm Seto, even now you are so sweet to me. . . I must have done some great deed in the eyes of the Gods to receive such a beauty as yourself. . . not only are your looks simply divine, but your spirit is gorgeous as well. Don't you ever forget that, love." The Pharaoh leaned down, placing a kiss on each of his priest's shoulders, then each cheek, then his forehead, and finally, a long, loving kiss on his velvet lips, coloring his cheeks a light crimson. . .

-

Yami rang the doorbell, tapping his foot at a quick pace as if to visibly show his impatience.

"Hello?" It was Mokuba who answered, "Oh, hey Yami! You need something?"

Yami smiled a rather goofy smile and laughed nervously, "Uh, well, you see. . . I believe that I left the rod here. It isn't in the yard and I was wondering. . . hoping that perhaps one of you two brought it inside."

"Hmm. . . I didn't, but you can ask Seto if you want." The last bit was said with a bit of mischief in his voice. A sly, perverted smirk came to his face and he stepped aside, showing the way with a wave of his left hand, "Come on in, I'm sure you know exactly where my brother's bedroom is, hehehe. . ."

Yami blushed, but tried his best to hide it as he briskly marched passed Seto's raven-haired brother and climbed the seemingly never-ending staircase of the Kaiba Mansion.

Somehow the hallway seemed longer than he remembered. That set of french doors at the end of the hall taunted him and seemed to grow smaller and smaller with each step he took as though they were fading off into the distance. He shook his head, clearing it, and tried to ignore the fact that he was breaking out into a sweat. It was just Seto. . . just Seto. . . hell, it was Seto!

"Yami. . . Yami. . ."

"Huh?" He stopped, realizing that he was already there. . . but that is not was confused him. It was the faint voice coming from inside that sacred room. Could that lust-filled voice be from Seto? Gently, he shoved open the left door and poked his head in. . . not quite realizing that he had allowed for the rest of his body to follow it.

The site was just to tempting to ignore. Seto lay on the floor, rod clutched firmly within his fingers, his other hand tangled in a mass of chestnut hair. His body was sprawled in a most compromising position and his chest rose and fell as it's owner panted heavily. The sweat sparkled against his skin and occasionally a small whimper escaped his lips.

"Uhn, Yami. . ."

Again, his body had a mind of its own. He soon found himself kneeling beside the blue-eyed beauty, caressing his cheek. . . and all movement stopped as those gorgeous eyes snapped open in a wild manner, "Yami!"

"S-Seto, I-I." He reached for the rod, once again reclaiming it, "Thank you for bringing this inside! If it were stolen, I-I don't know what I'd d-"

He was silenced as his mouth was covered with the lips of another. . . yes, Seto's delicious, perfect lips had been brought to his own. Was this real? Just as quickly as they had come, they were gone. Yami opened his eyes (He didn't even remember closing them) to look into burning sapphires. . . but it wasn't a fire that was burning, it was a look that he hadn't seen for so long. . . it was passion. Hesitantly, he closed the gap between them, capturing the lips of the one that had been his lover all of those centuries ago. The other returned the kiss.

The Pharaoh mentally smiled, placing a hand at the back of Seto's head to guide him into it even more. This caused a small tremble to travel throughout the priest's body, and Yami had felt it. He wrapped his free arm around Seto's body, lifting him up with surprising ease and breaking the kiss, "Seto," He now held the brunette with both arms, carrying him to the bed, "There is no need to be afraid." It was just like all of those years ago. . . this wasn't the CEO Seto, it was his Seto, and he was the Pharaoh. . . Pharaoh and priest, just like back then. . . "I love you."

Seto blushed and turned away, "I. . . I'm not used to this. . . I don't understand why. . ."

"Why what?"

"Why I can't get you out of my head. . ." He looked up to his Pharaoh with the most tender of eyes. It were as though their icy barrier had melted and now the remaining water was threatening to spill out.

"Seto. . . I could say the same about you. . . but I know why I can't stop thinking about you. . . it's because I can now remember the relationship that we had. . . can't you feel it Seto? Doesn't this feel right?" He placed Seto on the bed and straddled the boys hips, placing a hand by either shoulder, "Don't you remember this, love?"

Seto closed his eyes, and the tears rolled silently down his cheeks, "I. . . I do. . ."

-

Ooh! Short chapter! Don't you just hate me? Hehehe, don't worry, the final chapter will be extra-long, I promise! Yeah, insert a passionate, loving, lemon at the very end there. Now, for those of you that haven't ever read my writing before, I work with the element of surprise. . . in other words, if you least expect it, I'm going to write it. . . that's just how I work, and my novel isn't any different, lol! Excited for the last chapter? I know I am! You'll have to excuse the oddness of this chapter, as it was written late at night. . . for example, it is currently 12:25AM on Sunday, lol! I started this chapter about thirty minutes ago. . .yeah. I'm sitting here, a pillow on my lap, and music from "Gravitation" and "Weiss Kreuz" playing, which greatly influenced a couple scenes in this chapter. . . okay! Enough pointless ranting! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and I can only play that you will like the finale!