Author's Notes: Okay… so it's only been, what, three months since I updated this last?

Oh, and this chapter has bad language in it. Sorta.

Land Ho

x.x.x

Seto lay very still after he'd woken up, listening very carefully to determine if the fiend laying beside him was awake as well. Bakura's breathing was deep and even; Seto relaxed a little at a time, deciding Bakura must still be sleeping. It was pretty early, after all. Barely dawn, if one was to judge by the hazy blue light shining through the window.

Bakura's command had been to "stay here tonight." Well, the night was over, and technically Seto was free to leave. But instead of bolting for the door, Seto lay there quietly and considered whether he wanted to or not. Yes, Bakura's bed was soft and cozy from their shared body warmth. And yes, Bakura had been, dare he even think it, nice to him the night before. Could Bakura, just possibly, be trusted?

No chance in hell.

Scowling at himself for even momentarily thinking of staying, Seto very slowly eased himself out of the bed, trying not to wake his captor. Bakura seemed to be sleeping pretty deeply, hardly even twitching as Seto moved away from him. He looked pretty peaceful like that, curled up onto one side, his white hair spilled across the pillow.

Seto frowned, shaking his head and forcibly willing away any second thoughts. Satisfied that he was going to make a clean escape, Seto grabbed his shirt from where he'd discarded it and quickly hurried out of the room. The door closed behind him with an air of finality, and he let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He took a last look back toward the door, then took off at a run down the hallway back to his own room.

x.x.x

Bakura opened his eyes when he heard the door close. Seeing the room was indeed empty, he couldn't quite suppress the surge of disappointment. For a moment there, he was sure Seto had changed his mind, that he would return to the warmth of the bed and worry about running away later, at a more decent hour of the day. But it seemed Bakura hadn't made quite as much progress as he had hoped.

Oh well. Better luck next time, perhaps. Seto could only run as long as Bakura allowed him to.

x.x.x

Seto opened the door to his room and looked over its emptiness with disappointment. Mokuba had left a note explaining how he was staying in Yugi's room for the night. Seto crumpled up the little paper in one hand, tossing it into the wastebasket and climbing into the nest of blankets he'd set up as his bed. The sheets were cold around him, and the floor was hard beneath him. Nothing like the warm companion and soft bed he had just left.

It seemed like forever before he found sleep again.

x.x.x

Morning.

Yami dimly registered that night had ended as he drifted awake, still half dreaming. He had slept particularly well that night. Long, long ago, Yami had thought that being dead would be a restful existence. Instead, he found it to be a near constant state of insomnia. Perhaps it was just due to his 5,000-year-long nap within the Millennium Puzzle.

But last night he had slept, an easy contented sleep untroubled by dreams or visions (or the occasional need to go to the bathroom, somehow acquired due to his sharing a body with Yugi.) So how was it that last night it had been so easy for him to sleep?

It must have something to do with the warm body curled around him, Yami decided as he slowly came to full wakefulness. Mokuba was still cuddled up against him, his black hair sleep-tousled and strewn in a casual disarray. Yami shifted carefully into a somewhat more sitting-position, running his fingers through Mokuba's hair to feel its surprising softness against his skin. It had been a long time since Yami had allowed anyone so close to him.

It was a pity Mokuba was just a child. Long ago, in Yami's time, a boy Mokuba's age would be considered adult, but times had to be different now. It surprised Yami to identify what he was feeling as disappointment. But 5,000 years was a very long time to be alone.

"Yami?" Mokuba stirred slowly, blinking at him with wide blue eyes still a little hazy from sleep. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I was only thinking…" Yami shook his head, smiling at him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

Mokuba shrugged it off, snuggling closer against Yami. "You're really nice to sleep with," he commented. He smiled up at Yami, almost shyly. "Warm and comfortable."

Yami blinked. Was he really so lonely that he was imagining the subtle suggestive undertones in Mokuba's voice? "Er… thanks?" He blinked, realizing how very silly that sounded.

"Do you think… maybe I could stay here tomorrow night too? I… want to be with you." Mokuba's simple question, the look he gave Yami, was filled with an innocent attraction that confirmed Yami's initial fear. He hadn't been imagining it.

"Mokuba…" Yami said, gently easing himself away from the boy. "You know, it's really best if you don't… get too attached to me. You're very young."

Mokuba was silent a moment, then frowned. "And you're thousands of years old, not to mention that you're dead. Isn't it a little too late to worry about age differences?" He sat up, shaking his hair back and smoothing it down to some semblance of normality. "I really like to be with you. You let me stay here last night. You said you liked me." He gave Yami a dark look. "What, did you change your mind or something?"

"Mokuba, I do like you," Yami said. "I don't think you fully understand just what you're asking for. You're-"

"Too young," Mokuba finished for him, glaring. "You think maybe when I'm dead too I'll be old enough for you?" He scooted away from Yami, climbing out of bed and heading for the door.

"Mokuba, I didn't mean it like that."

Mokuba paused in the doorway, his glare full of more anger and hurt than Yami believed him capable of. "Yes, you did."

He slammed the door shut behind him on his way out.

Yami flopped back on the bed, glaring at the ceiling as if it had been the cause of his current problem. His insides twisted in agony from the effort of staying out for so long, and something else inside ached for having to chase that sweet little boy away from him. In his mind, he could feel Yugi waking.

"Yami?"- Yugi asked him quietly. –"You're up early. Is everything alright? You seem agitated."-

Grateful that his host had woken, Yami retreated back into his soul room, allowing Yugi to regain control of the body they shared. –"No,"- Yami replied softly. –"Nothing's wrong. I just need some sleep."-

"Alright then,"- Yugi replied gently. –"You get some rest, I'll take care of things today."-

In his soul room, Yami found a comfortable place to relax, but he knew that sleep would not be coming for him any time soon.

x.x.x

"You're not psychic, you just used some cheap trick to pull off that stunt!"

"You keep saying that, Joey. It's been a day. Give it a rest already, will you? I beat you, get over it."

"You cheated somehow!"

"You wish. I'd hardly have to resort to cheating to beat someone who clearly as little skill as you."

"Bitch!"

"Juvenile delinquent!"

"Hussy!"

"Punk!"

"Tramp!"

"Dog."

"Bitch!"

Mai Valentine flipped a lock of her blonde hair over her shoulder, smirking at him. "You said that one already."

"Did I?" Joey blinked, looking out over the ocean thoughtfully. "Well, it still applies."

"Uh-huh, I'm so sure. Hey, look!" She pointed out over the ocean. "See that on the horizon?"

Joey shielded his eyes from the sun, squinting. There was kind of a fuzzy spot of green in the distance, but it didn't really look like much. "Not really. What is it?"

"The island. That's it." Mai folded her arms, smirking in satisfaction. "That's Duelist Kingdom."