Title: Comfort
Summary: Comfort can sometimes be found in the most unlikely places. (DMxBEWD)
Author: Dragonwrangler
Rating: T
Warning: Shonen-ai (sorry- I put the wrong warning the first time (I had it listed as Yaoi which isn't quite right for this story- thanks Miko for pointing that out!)
Author's notes- Because of the way this story is set up the BEWD has the ability to transform into a human form. Since Kaiba (in the translated versions I've read so far) always refers to his dragon as 'it' I decided for this story the dragon could transform into whichever gender it wished.
Disclaimer: Yugioh is the property of Kazuki Takahashi and this story is written for entertainment purposes only.
For Crimson Eyed Dragon cause it's all her fault. (lol- thank you)
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The Dark Magician shook his head, trying to shake off the attack that had sent him to the graveyard. He was now unarmed, dressed only in the simple robes that lay beneath his armor, but he had no fear of the Blue Eyes White Dragon standing a few feet away shaking off the same effect the Magician was. Neither of them could harm the other here in the graveyard. Both a curse and a blessing- a curse because they could not directly defend their respective Masters, and a blessing for they had no choice but to heal as they waited- either to be called back into battle or simply to return to their Master's deck once the duel was done.
The Magician watched the Dragon begin to pace out its annoyance at being trapped, watched it weave its powerful body around the tombstones scattered throughout the graveyard and listened to the occasional muttered comment that issued from the great beast.
Sitting down and settling back against a tombstone, the Magician suddenly said, "Stomping around isn't going to get you back any faster you know." He surprised himself by that. Why would he want to say anything to his mortal enemy?
The Dragon stopped, snapping its head around to glare at the Magician. "This is your fault."
Shrugging the Magician answered reasonably, "We cancelled one another out. We're both at fault." When the Dragon growled angrily and began stomping again, spreading its wings in agitation and digging its claws into the soft ground, the Magician asked curiously, "Why are you so upset?"
"My Master is unprotected. Why wouldn't I be upset?" The Dragon shouted, turning back to the Magician. Walking up to the magic user it loomed over him and growled, "And how can you be so calm!"
"I trust my Master. He will find a way to win."
The Dragon snorted and swung around. It walked a few steps then suddenly sat down, the long tail wrapping around its forelegs as it slumped slightly, looking back at the Magician. The Dark Magician felt a pang at the expression on the Dragon's face though he did not know why.
The Dragon was the enemy, breaking its strength was what he wanted in a battle. Why did seeing that now suddenly hurt?
"Yes, your Master always does, doesn't he?" the Dragon said softly. It sighed before looking up in longing.
The pang in the Magician's chest clenched tight, the pain of the emotion drawing him to his feet. He found himself walking up to his enemy, and reached out to rest a hand against the gleaming silver hide. He was surprised by the warmth and the softness of the Dragon's skin. He sensed the great beast shifting its head to look down but found himself fascinated by the muscles rippling under his hand.
"What are you doing Magician?" the Dragon rumbled in annoyance.
The Dark Magician looked up at the Dragon, up into brillant blue eyes as he began to frown slightly. He actually did not know what he was doing. The need to make the Dragon act like he believed it should, to not see the doubt or concern for one's master that the Magician himself often felt reflected on the proud features of his enemy made no sense at all.
Before he could answer though, a wrenching feeling ran though him, causing him to drop the hand touching the Dragon to wrap it around his waist. He turned his attention inward, drawing the pain his Master felt at the attack that had obviously broken through his defense into himself. It was a frighteningly strong hit but not one that would cause him to lose the duel. Still, the pain made the Magician reel on his feet and he knew he was about to fall- until he felt someone catch him and slowly guide him down to a kneeling position. Distantly he could here the Dragon call to him but he was unable to answer, his focus turned fully on his Master.
Feeling his Master pull on the magic that was undeniably his, the Magician added his own, hoping to help even from here in the graveyard. When he felt the abrupt surge of magic- so similar to his own- he knew they had succeeded in bringing forth that which his Master needed most.
The Dark Magician's apprentice was now in play.
The pain eased somewhat, replaced by the comfortable shift of magic from himself to his apprentice, and the Dark Magician took a deep steadying breath before opening his eyes.
"He has survived." the Dragon stated flatly into the Magician's ear.
"Yes." The Magician turned and was startled when he realized it was the Dragon who was supporting him as he kneeled on the ground.
The Dragon gave a grunt and frowned- looking away a moment to stare out at the graveyard. The Magician found himself watching the proud features and silver hair of the Dragon's human form in almost breathless awe. The Dragon appeared unaware of the Magician's scrutiny and closed his eyes somewhat, cocking his head as if listening to a distant whisper.
Knowing what the Dragon was doing, the Magician waited until he opened his eyes and gave a slight huff before asking, "Your Master?"
The Dragon faced him, scowling slightly. "He has survived the attack but is much weaker than before." His eyes turned inward, a shadow of sorrow swirling in their cerulean depth.
"I'm sorry." the Magician said without thinking. He could feel his apprentice casing a spell and felt a shudder run through the Dragon and reached out, giving support back to the Dragon. For a moment the Dragon's head dropped to rest against the Magician, his breathing rough as he rode out the attack against his Master.
The Magician was unable to stop the hand that gently reached up to run through the soft sliver hair, could not stop from drawing the Dragon close as the effects of a second attack shook his enemy's powerful frame. The figure in his arms curled, the Dragon's head shifting to rest against the Magician's chest. The Magician closed his eyes and rested his cheek against the top of the Dragon's head, his thumb tenderly caressing the Dragon's high cheekbone. The Dragon's breathing slowed, the human body he now held slowly relaxing under the Magician's touch.
For a time they rested, finding a strange comfort in one another, the Dragon listening to the steady heartbeat within the Magician's slight but strong form; and the Magician, marveling in the feel of the powerful body resting in his arms.
Finally the Dragon moved, leaning back against the Magician to look up, a bewildered expression crossing over his face. The Magician opened his hand, softly brushing his palm against the Dragon's cheek and up to tangle into the silver hair. The Dragon slowly blinked, sighing slightly as the Magician bent down to brush his lips against the Dragon's. The Dragon's eyes closed once again, letting the Magician guide the kiss. He could feel the Magician's hand trace the line of his jaw, felt it follow the line of his throat to the hollow at the base, felt the fingertips slip under the open collar of his shirt to brush over the skin of his chest.
The Dragon had not expected this- finding comfort in his enemy when he had shifted to a human form. And yet, even as the kiss deepened and his own hand raised up to tangle in the Magician's long black hair, he felt satisfied- almost as if he had always been waiting for this one thing to happen.
He had know for some time the Magician felt the same fear he did and protected his Master without any hesitation and had been surprised at that realization. The Magician served the Game King; against which the Dragon's Master had never been able to win. And still the powerful magic user worried just as much as the Dragon did over his Master.
Still, the Dragon could not deny the joy he sensed from his own Master when he battled the Game King. It had been a gradual thing but, even in defeat, the Master felt a freedom in the duels that never came to him in daily life.
The Dragon was more than willing to feel his Master's pain just for that.
Reluctantly the kiss was broken as they felt the last turn of the game play out. Looking into the Magician's eyes, finding them soft with compassion as the power of the Game King's final move raced through them, the Dragon said, "We will meet here again soon."
A mix of amusement and understanding flickered in the Magician's eyes as he answered, "Yes." The Dragon leaned into the Dark Magician's embrace then let himself go to be drawn back into his Master's deck.
And as he drifted home, the Blue Eyes White Dragon briefly wondered if it truly was the Game King's victory as he felt his Master's frustration at being beaten mingle with the exhilaration at being pushed to his limits.
And felt his own happiness at the memory of the Dark Magician's touch as he slipped into his familiar, watchful sleep within his Master's deck.