Sixteen reviews for the last chapter! Woot! does happy dance You are all so cool! Thanks to everyone who reviewed - replies are at the bottom!
Title: A Game of Masques
Chapter: 5/?
Author: Silvershadowfire
Rating: This chapter – PG-13. Rfor later lemons and violence.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own YuGiOh, - the story is mine.
Note: This is partially inspired by Usagi's plotbunny and by a picture I have on my computer of a rather spooky looking Yugi. If you want to see it, go to the Yugi fanart section of www .janime. net .
Chapter 5 – Yami no Tenshi
Yami's jaw dropped as he stared at the massive, leathery wings. "What…what are you?"
"A demon." Yugi answered softly. "An incubus, to be precise."
Yami wiggled back into the couch as far as he could. Terror fought a war with fascination in his heart. "Demon? I…is this Hell?"
Yugi burst out laughing. "No…" he managed. "No, it's not hell – though according to some anime I've seen it's not far from it. We're in my apartment in Tokyo."
"I…" Yami blinked, not knowing what to do – his head was starting to hurt from stress and adrenaline. "What do you intend to do with me?" he asked at last. "You magicked me to get me here, right?"
"No." Yugi shook his head, folding his wings – this time they didn't vanish, just tucked onto his back. "It's a form of hypnosis – and like all hypnosis, it doesn't work if you aren't willing." He leaned forward. "Yami…don't think about what I did, or what I am…I promise I will never hurt you. Don't think about what your father might do to you. I want you to think about what you want to do." He shifted his posture just slightly to give Yami more space, make him comfortable. "Do you want to go home? Or would you rather stay here…with me?"
"I…" Yami shook his head. He wanted to be afraid, but…part of him still loved this… creature. It would be so tempting to just stay here, but Father… "Why did you tell me?"
Yugi cocked his head, seeming surprised at the question. "Tell you that I was a demon? Well, I figured that the best thing would be to be honest with you – after all, if you'll be living here, you'd figure it out soon enough."
Terror was losing the battle. "Can…I see them again?"
Spreading his wings, the demon took a step closer, shifting them so that they didn't hit anything. Yami gasped as light hit the seemingly pitch-black membranes, bringing forth glorious shades of blue and purple. "They are so beautiful." He breathed, almost reaching out to touch them.
"Yami." Yugi voice brought the teenager's attention back to the demon's face – those amethyst eyes glittered seriously. "I don't want to fascinate you – I want you to think!"
The teenager shrunk back reflexively, fear rising again in his stomach. He's going to punish me now.
"Easy." Yugi soothed, flipping his wings into place on his back. "I'm sorry I snapped." He leaned forward, pausing as though waiting for something before leaning over and hugging him. Yami stiffened at the unaccustomed touch before relaxing the tiniest bit. When Yugi leaned back he stiffened again, closing his eyes and waiting for the harsh words and the blows. Instead he felt a soft touch on his face – Yugi was gently stroking his cheek. He wanted so much to believe – but did he dare? This…this demon, a supposed creature of evil, had already treated him with so much kindness…
"I swear, Yami. No matter what you do, no matter what you say, there is nothing on this Earth, in Heaven or in Hell that will touch you without going through me first."
Flashback
Yami cried nearly silently in his room, trying to understand why Father hated him. Why he had to be punished so much – he hadn't been so bad with Jii-chan, had he?
A click told him someone had opened his bedroom door. He glanced up to see Mother walking quietly into the room. He smiled, rushing over and hugging her with all his nine-year-old strength.
Warm arms wrapped around him in a hug; then his mother pulled back. "Why are you crying, little Yami?" she asked.
"Father…Father hates me. He's mean to me."
Thwack! The sound of flesh hitting flesh resounded in the room, echoing in Yami's ears. It took him a moment – and the stinging, flashing pain in his cheek- to figure out that Mother had hit him.
"You will not speak of your father that way, young man." She snapped, stalking over to him and grabbing him by the arm. She threw him on the bed, roughly pulled down his pants and whipped his bare bottom with his own leather belt, ignoring his cries and pleas. "You will obey your father and me, and you will be grateful for it. I never want to hear such words pass your lips again, is that understood?"
"Yes, Mother! I'm sorry, Mother!"
She stopped, turning him over to face her. "I will have to get your father to teach you how to ask forgiveness properly. In the meantime…shut up!" With a final smack across the face, she left him there.
End flashback
Yami collapsed in Yugi's arms as the buried memory suddenly surfaced, tears pouring as the emotions he had locked away rose up within him; all the pain, the humiliation and hopelessness, leaking out of him with the salt water that flowed down his cheeks… unlike before, these tears seemed to cleanse some deep wound in his heart; it hurt, but with the poison gone, it might begin to heal. The demon held him gently, so gently – so soft and warm, and murmured comforting nothing words in his ear, and he actually felt something…good.
He felt…safe.
"I'll stay."
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When Yami had cried himself hoarse and exhausted, Yugi tucked the mortal under a blanket on the couch, leaving him to drift into sleep if he wished. Those beautiful crimson eyes flickered open. "Yugi…" the boy whispered, reaching a hand towards him. "Where…please…I don't want to be alone."
It's a good thing I have total control over all parts of my anatomy. Yugi thought with an inward grin as he took the outstretched limb, settling back down on the soft cushions. Yami smiled gently, a look of pure happiness that took Yugi's breath away. He ran his fingers through Yami's hair and over his shoulder and face, down into his chest. He wasn't trying to seduce the teen – over the last couple centuries he had become something of an expert at acupressure. One by one he hit the spots on Yami's body that relaxed him, delicately unknotting the muscles and soothing them with gentle rubs. The teen fought the drowsiness stealing over him, but it was a losing battle. When Yami had drifted into true sleep, Yugi stood and stretched all six limbs. Now that this battle was over, he had another one to face, this one even more personal. He looked at the sleeping teenager and felt a small smile form on his lips. Something bubbled in his chest, making him giggle. Just the thought that Yami had agreed to stay with him…he couldn't ever remember feeling such happiness. He wanted to cuddle and hug and hold the teenager forever, to take him and teach him pleasure beyond his wildest dreams, ecstasy to forever dim the horror his life had been – but at the same time he knew he couldn't.
Incubi drew their power from the mortals and demons they had sex with – the greater the pleasure, the greater the power. But from Yami… he wanted something more…but what in Hell's name could it be? What more could he want or need from any mortal, no matter how absolutely wonderful he was?
Fighting his confusion, he picked up the phone and hit a certain speedial button. After three rings, a quiet voice answered. "Moshi-moshi?"
"I don't get it…what's wrong with me?"
"That's not the best way to start a conversation, Yugi." Ryou yawned on the other end. "And how should I know what's wrong with you?"
"It's just…" It should be easier over the phone, but Yugi still had trouble getting the words out. "I've had Yami in my house for three whole days; he was in my arms and cuddled up close; I haven't even tried to seduce him. Granted, he was asleep most of the time, but still… I've been sleeping on the couch just to remove temptation."
"Oh." Ryou paused for a moment – probably speaking with his mate – before returning to the phone. "Do you still want to sleep with him?"
Yugi sighed. "Ryou, I want him so bad that he's all I can think about, all I can dream of. But…I don't want him until he's ready. Why the hell am I caring about what he thinks? I know he'll enjoy it…but damnit, I want him willing. I want him to come to me…I want him…
"You want him to love you." Yugi almost dropped the phone at Ryou's words. Impossible. Incubi just didn't fall in love, and certainly not with mortals.
"But…"
"If you just wanted to fuck him, you could and get it out of your system, right?" That was Bakura – the other demon must have picked up an extension. "Hell, if you're horny just go and seduce some other mortal."
"But I don't want any other mortal…I want him."
"You want some cheese with that whine? Either do what you want to and get it over with – or admit that your feelings might be stronger than lust and deal with it." The gaki snapped before hanging up. Yugi knew he was blushing like wildfire as Ryou laughed softly.
"I'm sorry Bakura is so blunt, but he's right, Yugi. I think you and Yami need to have a talk – and you need to really think about what you're doing. Why did you take him from his home and family? It is because you wanted him for yourself?"
"No." Yugi answered softly. "I took him because he needed to get out of that hole called a home. His father…" He swallowed. "His father was abusing him. I couldn't…Ryou, I'm confused. Why should I care? I'm just in this for his body, to teach him the wonders of pleasuring…and to get what I need from him. That's all."
"Yugi – you've never been less than honest in all the time I've known you, with others and with yourself. Now ask yourself – is that really what you have in mind?
"Love isn't going to kill you, you know. You can admit you affection for a mortal – and if you want to remain honest, you should tell him."
"And what if he doesn't feel the same about me?" Yugi asked. "What if…I know he's lusting after me, but…" He gave up.
"You're right." The words spilled out in a flood. "I am in love with him – I want to stay with him forever and ever, until the heavens and the earth are no more. His smile…." He choked on a sob. "He smiled at me; I would do anything he asked of me just to see that smile again. But Ryou…what if he doesn't return my feelings? What if it's just lust and loneliness, not love, in his heart?"
"Then he doesn't, and you will either have to stick to just being friends or leave him behind. But, Yugi…if you never tell him how you feel, then you'll never know if he returns those feelings."
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No, Father, please… Yami thought silently as he knelt in the shadows of the basement, his hands and feet shackled in place, a heavy weight on his back. I don't want to disappoint you, but it hurts… He hissed as his bladder complained. He had no idea how long he had been down here, but it had been long enough that his knees were numb, his hands had cramped from the cold concrete and his body was beginning to shake from sheer fatigue.
"Do you know what your name means, Yami?" Father's voice drifted out of the darkness around him.
"My name means Darkness, Father." He answered, voice rusty from disuse.
"Yes, darkness. Do you know what darkness actually is?"
Yami blinked. "It's the opposite of light, Father."
"Foolish boy." Father leaned down beside him. "Darkness is the absence of light. Light is a thing – it has substance, waves and particles that can be weighed and measured. Darkness is nothingness – it is really nonsensical for humans to give it a name, because it really doesn't exist.
"You are nothingness, boy. An absence of anything meaningful…and only I can give a piece of darkness like you some meaning."
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Yugi jerked as his preternatural senses picked up whimpering from the couch; Yami was having another nightmare. "I have to go!" he said by way of goodbye before hanging up the phone and rushing to his Yami's side.
He stroked the teen's hair and face, trying to soothe him from the bad dream. Yami lay perfectly still – almost too still, his body tensed and strained, curled into an unnatural position. Tears poured down his cheeks from his flickering, restless eyes – his jaw clenched so that only incoherent moans and the occasional whimper escaped his throat.
"Yami." Yugi shook the boy's shoulder. "Yami, wake up. It's just a dream."
The teenager moaned louder, his eyes stilling for a moment before they opened.
"Yugi." He choked and shuddered again, obviously trying to get himself back under control.
"What happened?" Yugi asked, rubbing his hands gently over Yami's shoulders and back to relax him. The teenager sighed as Yugi managed to find his pressure points again, unknotting the muscles.
"Just a…bad dream." Yami closed his eyes again and melted into Yugi's grasp; it was the incubus' turn to stiffen as he fought with his urges.
Must not jump him…must not seduce him…he is so charming like this, but I'll have to settle for…Yugi tightened his arms around the teen, who sighed again, features going relaxed and sleepy like a cat's. Yugi let Yami relax like that for a few minutes, fighting his own desire to turn the hug into caresses and more.
Finally, as much to distract himself as anything, he spoke gently in Yami's ear. "Want to tell me about it?"
That brought Yami back out his sleepy daze. He turned to look up at the incubus seriously. "No…but it might help, right?"
Yugi chuckled. "Yes, it might help. After all, the only way to banish night fears is to face the cause of them."
"Alright…" Taking a deep breath and – unconsciously? Or not? – cuddling closer to Yugi, the teenager began.
"I'm in Father's basement – that's where he used to take me to train me in proper behaviour." Yugi bit his lip and forced his arms not to tighten protectively. "He told me – a few times - that I am the darkness, like my name says. Nothingness, a lack of anything, especially light."
"How old were you?"
"Ten…maybe eleven. It's hard to remember, sometimes. I hated the basement. He would make me kneel and chain me in place for hours at a time, teaching me my place and how to ask forgiveness…" Yami broke off; Yugi made soothing nothing noises and ran his fingers through the teen's streaked hair, loving the silky feel of it.
"He told you that the dark was nothing? Just an absence of light?" the demon inquired. Yami nodded, shoulders shaking as he fought back his sobs. "Well, I can tell you he's wrong."
"What?" Yami looked up at him, loss and hope warring in those exotic crimson-violet depths. With difficulty, Yugi pulled himself out of contemplating their beauty to answer.
"Darkness…is a complex thing. It is true that according to the laws of physics, as humans call them, darkness is just what you get when there is no light." Yugi grinned. "But I have seen other darkness, Yami…living darkness. I think some human scientists call it 'dark matter'. It is the beginning of all things, the primordial depths from which the Creator forged this and all other worlds.
"Darkness cannot be captured or measured, held or touched – but neither can spirit, courage, wisdom, hate or love. It is potential – that which has not been shaped. Darkness is powerful, Yami – for it can become anything. If you can imagine it, Darkness can shape it, can encompass it within it's endless, formless depths. There is no end, no limit to it's power. It is mystery, for it cannot be truly seen, and hides all."
"But…" Yami swallowed. "It's not bad?"
"No." A gentler smile now. "It is the opposite and complementary of Light – for Light cannot create – it illuminates that which the darkness hides, adds depth and colour and life."
"So…I'm not nothing?"
"No. Like the darkness you are named for, you can be whatever you wish to be. All humans can – it is their greatest gift." Yugi's eyes suddenly danced, his expression going crafty as though he were about to share a deep, dark secret.
"The only useless nothing in the place where you used to live is the man who thinks that child abuse is acceptable."
Yami smiled at him again.
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Review Replies:
Eternal SailorM: Thanks for the compliments, and I hope the Retail Hell takes it easy on you this season!
Dogmatix: Cool! Another Astrix fan! Thanks for the thought, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Rima: Thanks! I hope eight days is soon enough...
Misoka: Glad to hear you'll be reading...as long as people keep reading, I'll keep writing!
Yami SSF: Trite, hikari. Very trite.
Black Scarab: Yes, I'm afraid I really did have to cut it off there...because I'm evil. (grin) I hope this is soon enough to avoid those unspeakably evil things...
Dreamcatcher: I love Yami too...and Yugi, for that matter. Glad you like the twist! Anyway, Malik and Marik should be showing their evil little faces next chapter.
Soul Dreamer: Thanks (blushing)
Zephyr-Sombra: Good to hear...I was so shocked when so many people reviewed...Thanks!
Classical-Storyteller: Sorry about the evil cliffhanger.
Yami SSF: No, you're not.
Pillywiggin: Yami and Yugi forever! Yeah, they are my fave yaoi couple.
Geminidragon: Hope this is soon enough for you! Glad you love it!
Towairaito Zoon:Love the username. Thanks!
Chibi-Ichii: Thanks!
Shadow-loverOB1: Here's the next chapter!
Sansi: TOMODACHI! Huggles! Thanks for the review!
ladywolf(Terri: I'm glad you like, and here's Yami's reaction!
Thanks again to all who read this and virual Incubus Yugi plushies to all who reviewed!
Let me know what you think of this one! Until then, ja ne!