So, I'm back from the wedding and I've brought Italian wedding cookies for everyone! Eat up! Enjoy! They were homemade by my girlfriend's mother, sisters and brother… very yummy. Okay, so, here is ch. 9, hope you like!

Part 2: Sex, Lies and…Soccer?

Chapter 9

A few weeks later Yugi and I planned a Saturday alone. Mokuba was spending the day with a friend from school and I'd given the house staff the day off. We were on the rec room couch. Yugi's head was on my lap, as had become our 'usual' position in the few short weeks of our relationship.

"So…" Yugi began. "We have the whole day to ourselves…" We had already discussed that we would further…explore one another today. This was my reward for 'believing.' I did not allow myself to feel guilty. I was very excited, in fact, but was waiting for Yugi to bring it up. I wanted him to be sure; but it was also fun to watch him squirm.

"I was thinking," he continued, "we should talk it out first. I know it's not romantic or spontaneous…"

"We can light candles while we talk, if you want romance. Or we could talk dirty..." My eyes narrowed; my smirk deepened. Yugi's already pink cheeks turned three shades brighter. God, he was cute when he blushed. "This sounds like Life Skills class. 'If you can't say it, you aren't ready to do it" I stated, mimicking our third period teacher.

Yugi responded defensively. "Well, I think Michelle's right about that. We should be mature enough to talk about it."

I was delighted to have hit a little nerve. "Oh, does someone have a little crush on teacher? Maybe you should have this talk with her instead," I teased.

Yugi rolled his eyes. "Seto, quit it." He paused for a moment. "Besides, I think she's gay."

I blinked and looked down at him. "Yugi, you weren't supposed to actually think about leaving me for her."

Yugi sat up quickly, sputtering. "I didn't… I wasn't…" More blushing: yummy.

I pulled him back down in my lap. "I know, I'm just teasing. Besides, she is pretty cool, for a teacher. Oh, excuse me, a 'facilitator.'"

"Hmm," Yugi agreed, but he was no longer listening to me. He sat up again and tucked his feet under him, facing me. He was holding his bottom lip between his teeth. "About today, I was thinking, maybe, you could teach me something." His voice was suddenly very serious, and he looked into my eyes, waiting. His eyes were narrowed, an intense purple-red, betraying no emotion.

"What!" My mind was blank except for thoughts of escape. I knew this conversation would come but I was totally unprepared.

"It's okay," Yugi continued. "I know you are more experienced than me. I thought we might as well use it…" His nonchalance and pragmatism were clear signs to me that we had reached dangerous ground. But I was a Kaiba, and we don't tip-toe though mine fields.

I licked my lips and took his hands in mine. "I want to you know, first, that I was always safe, and I've been tested." Yugi's eyes widened slightly. I don't think he had actually thought about that. "Also, there has been no one else since we fist kissed. There will be no one else. Okay?"

Yugi let out a breath; he seemed relieved. It appeared I was right about that concern. "Okay," he stated, nodding, then waited for me to continue.

I stifled a sigh before resuming. "The other men… it was self-destructive, what I was doing. I pretended I knew what I was doing, and liked it. I became…" I looked for the right words in the air next to Yugi's head. It seemed to work for him… I faced him again. "I'm Seto Kaiba, always in charge. So, yeah, I have experience, but I don't want to base anything involving us on those experiences. I don't want to pretend with you that I am in charge and know what I am doing. This is all new to me. I want to explore it with you, not guide you through it. Is that alright with you?"

I had said something right; Yugi was smiling. He rocked backwards, then pulled himself upright again with my hands, like an excited little kid. Then he stilled suddenly. He seemed to have thought of something. "Um, how many… men?"

Oh, he had caught that. It was my turn to blush. "Um…I, ah… I don't really… know…" I looked away and waited for the worst. I saw Yugi nod out of the corner of my eye.

"So, why, um… why?" he asked.

I took a breath and looked back at him. "I guess to fill a void, but I only made it deeper. I'm working on healing it now, and you've helped with that. A lot." I squeezed his hands, still in mine. We were quiet for a few minutes. The relief of having confessed all that was almost intoxicating. I basked in it for a while. Yugi was still quiet, his face devoid of emotion. Maybe we weren't done. "Do you have any other questions about that?"

"Not right now," Yugi responded without his face taking on expression.

"We could catch a matinee if you want?" I offered, figuring our other plans were out.

"No…" Yugi said, still staring off. Great, he was going to leave. Why would he want to stay with me now? I was staring at the floor when I felt Yugi's eyes on me. He squeezed my hands and I looked up to see a wicked grin on the usually sweet mug. "We already have plans."

XXXXXXX

Later, we lay together in my bed. I held a dozing Yugi, whose head lay on my bare chest, his spiky hair a mess. He'd be upset about that later, but I liked it. I was my fault it was messed up, but if he asked, I would deny any knowledge of how it happened.

I had been so right to refuse to lead. Yugi was more… imaginative than I could have guessed. And patient… I doubt I would have considered our activities as 'sex' before today. Missing was the furtive quest for release, pursuing that goal with little thought about the journey. In its place was a slow, deliberate, thorough exploration of each other's bodies, so much alike and so very different. No part untouched, unkissed, unloved. The journey came to the usual end, more than once, unintended yet intentional. I learned that when Yugi blushed, he blushed… all over.

I was pleased to note that Yugi's eyes had remained a clear, pale purple nearly the whole day. I had noticed lately, the more time we spent together, the less Yugi seemed to need his imaginary guardian. I supposed that meant he felt safe around me, but I couldn't understand why he needed the tough, dark 'spirit' to be his strength, when he was plenty strong on his own. It had been Yugi's wide clear eyes that I had sneered into, all those times he had tried to befriend me. Not many could say that they'd stood up to me once. I could think of no one else who had done it dozens of times, without ever trembling or giving in.

The powerful voice and intense glare of the 'Pharaoh' was intoxicating, exciting. I could remember the way my blood would boil when faced with that powerful will during a duel. At those times he was like molten lava to my cold steel: burning, dizzying, all consuming. Most of the time Yugi was more like warm, living wood. Strong, but supple. Growing, blooming, bearing fruit. It was a calm strength I could hold onto; one that I could support, rather than challenge. I wondered if Yugi noticed the missing (pretense of) presence, but I dared not bring it up.

I thought of this as I looked at his peaceful face. I knew if I spoke he would answer, but I wasn't ready to break the spell yet. This was the first time I had held someone… after, or been held. In my past experience, any attempted touch after had been painful. And nauseating. But this, this was the best part of the day so far.

"Mmph." I felt Yugi's jaw working against my chest. "I could stay here forever…" He looked up at me through long lashes, his eyes pale violet even now.

"Are you okay?" My chest constricted: suddenly, baselessly afraid that he would regret this.

"Mmm. Better."

Review responses:

Yana5 – :D

Streea – This one is longer than the last… hopefully I gave your brain more work this time!

Dimitri – Thanks so much for implying that Kaiba is kinda in-character! And attractive. Yes, he is quite an idiot in a genius kind of way… I can see how that would be appealing. Maybe more so with Wally… hmm, super-powers or super-rich… Super-friendly or super-arrogant… Red hair or brown… What about both? Hmm, there's an interesting challenge…