Please Read and Review: Mainly because I'd really like to know what you're thinking.

NOTE ON NAMES: Well, first I nicknamed Seto, Koryuu, which means little dragon. But, I knew it wouldn't be long before Yami adopted it for the older Seto Kaiba as well, mainly because I think part of Kaiba remains in some ways child-like. I mean he feels things with an almost child-like intensity, and he really doesn't understand how people can care for and support each other, never having really experienced that. I think that lends him almost an innocence, that would make the word 'Koryuu' come to Yami's mind. But that's only one side of Kaiba, and the more hidden side. There's also the part of him that will never give up, that's unyielding in his determination, that is incredibly aggressive, that can face and, usually, prevail against all challenges. So I think the name that would spring to Yami,s mind, then would be Ryuujin, which means Dragon. So the following two names are both used for the 18 year old Seto Kaiba in this chapter.

Koryuu: Little Dragon

Ryuujin: Dragon

SUPPLIMENTAL AUTHOR'S NOTE: One of the perks of writing a story is that occasionally you get to embarrass your friends. Which leads me to announce: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KAGEMIHARI!

CHAPTER 20: THE MACARENA

SUGOROKU'S POV

Even the most indulgent grandparent can't be expected to be pleased to learn that their grandson is sharing his body with a 3,000 year-old spirit – ex-pharaoh or not.

I didn't blame Yami. He hadn't asked Yugi to assemble his puzzle; hadn't asked to be thrown 3,000 years into the future. And, although he didn't realize it, he had been so young when he died. I had been thrilled for Yugi – that he was finally free. But some of my pleasure had been reserved for Yami as well. He deserved a second chance at life, and I was curious to see what he would make of it.

Who would have expected it to provide so much entertainment?

I was glad that Yugi's taste ran to Anzu, but I admit, I was amused by Yami's choice. He had managed to find the only teenager in Domino who was even older than he. Of the two of them, Kaiba was the funnier… and the more poignant. If anything, he spoke even less than usual, now. But he couldn't resist coming to wherever Yami was, couldn't resist standing silently by his side, as if they were connected by an invisible string. If he had hung a sign over his head, he could not have made it more obvious that no one had ever cared about him before… and that he couldn't even recognize, much less handle his new emotions.

And I was seeing a side of Yami that probably no one but Yugi had seen before… the part of him capable of not just resolution and courage, but tenderness. And he was considerate enough to show that side when only Yugi and I were present… as if he instinctively recognized not just Kaiba's struggles, but his limitations.

"Come on, Kaiba – where have you hidden them? You were wearing them that first night. We all saw them." Yami whispered to Kaiba as they stood side by side as usual. The taller boy was in, what were for him, casual clothes: a black turtleneck, black slacks, a dark blue trench coat. The locket that we all knew hid Mokuba's picture was in its usual place around his neck.

"What the hell are you babbling about?" Kaiba asked impatiently.

"Sweatpants."

"If you want to get me out of my pants that badly – just say so," Kaiba smirked. It was a deflection that didn't work.

"I want to see you in something that makes it look like you're at home."

"Not when I have company."

"Are you always this formal with people who's lives you've saved?" Yami asked.

"I tried to kill them too. How's that for an introduction?"

"Think of them as…" Yami tried the expression out, "in-laws."

But I could see Kaiba translating that in his mind as, "an adoptive family", and so I was not surprised to see him stalk away, apparently thinking he had ended the conversation.

But when he returned, drawn irresistibly to Yami's side, I heard the spirit whisper, "A T-Shirt would look nice, too, Koryuu."

I smiled to hear Kaiba called by Seto's nickname. It was charming seeing a lighter side to the dark spirit. It was funny seeing him try to throw Kaiba off balance; even funnier to watch him succeed.

Of course none of that explained why Kaiba was still coming into my kitchen at 6:00 AM every morning…

"I'm surprised to see you," I said.

"What exactly do you mean by that?" he asked.

"Just that I would have thought that you'd prefer to stay in a warm bed."

He froze, his face becoming even more arrogant and less expressive than usual, if that was possible.

"I suppose," he said disdainfully, "That Yami told Yugi, and Yugi told you."

"Wrong again, terrible boy. You told me – just now. But it wasn't hard to guess. Your shoulders relax about a quarter of an inch whenever he comes into the room, and you pace at a slightly slower rate."

He left without coffee.

Everyone ends up in the kitchen eventually. Even disgruntled ex-pharaohs.

"I'm old and single," I said to Yami as he came downstairs an hour later. "It makes sense for me to be up this early. What's your excuse?"

"Do you approve?" he asked, staring out of the window.

I smiled. I guess, in a way, he still thought of me as his Jichan, as well as Yugi's. "It depends on why you're here instead of in bed."

"There's no point in staying in bed alone. Kaiba wakes up before I do. He's long gone."

"I can see him running as fast as he could. He's a difficult child."

"He's not a child." Yami snapped as he left without breakfast.

YAMI'S POV

An electronic version of "The Macarena" woke us up. It was 5:00 in the morning.

"What the hell is that?" Kaiba snapped, instantly awake.

"It's Mokuba's watch."

"He looked around for Mokuba, expecting to see him in the room with us.

"He lent it to me," I told him.

"You couldn't just leave it a tie, could you?" he snarled. "You fall asleep last. I wake up first. But that wasn't good enough for you, was it King of Games? You just had to…" He suddenly stopped in mid-tirade, looking puzzled. "Mokuba helped you?" he asked.

"Yes. And that should tell you that I didn't do this just to score a point off of you in some competition that exists solely inside of your own head," I answered.

"Why bother, then?"

"For this…" I said kissing him. "This is how I want to wake up in the morning. With you."

"I have work," he said slowly, when I let him talk. But he had tilted his head to allow me easier access to his sensitive neck, to his ears. I took the hint and slid my tongue in and out of his ear; drawing moans with each flicker. I whispered, "Yes, but you don't have to run off to the office. You could bring your laptop to bed and wait for me to wake up, couldn't you?"

"You want it that much?" he smirked, but there was a rare note of shyness in his voice. His eyes were clouded with desire, but I could still read the surprise in them.

I looked at Kaiba as he lay there… his hair tousled, his lips parted, his body still tangled in the sheets. I drew in a shuddering breath. The air hissed as I exhaled. I felt the twin stirrings of anger and desire. Kaiba could arouse one as easily as the other – or sometimes, both together, in an unsettling mix.

We had spent half the night making love. He had fallen asleep, exhausted, in my arms; clutching me as if he would never let me go; the tightness of his hold lending weight to my frame. But each morning, he buried his emotions in his graveyard, only to be surprised to find them at the top of his deck again by nightfall; in a cycle that I longed to break. For each new day brought the proof that he had opened his eyes convinced that he meant nothing to me. As if I would let just anyone take me. As if he was merely a warm body to be used and tossed aside. As if he was as insubstantial to me, as I had been to the world.

Really Sugoroku was right. He had taken on a man's responsibilities at an impossibly young age; he had fulfilled them all. Yet in some ways, he remained a difficult child.

'My Ryuujin,' I thought to myself, 'What have I ever done to make you think me so shallow?'

"I'll be happy to show you just how much I want you," I said aloud. Then, abandoning words, I trailed kisses down his body, stopping to taste each nipple, to trace the lines of his ribs with my tongue, to teasingly dip in and out of his navel, to feel him jump beneath my touch. I brushed my way up those long legs; felt their weight settle on my shoulders, as Kaiba wrapped them around my neck when I finally took him deep him in my mouth. I smiled. It was much easier dealing with Kaiba when he was incapable of speech.

"Do something useful with that mouth of yours," I said as I traced his lips with my fingers. I smiled as he kissed them obediently, as he explored their outline with his tongue.

There were times when Kaiba needed to be held, to be caressed, to be kissed softly. There were times when he needed to feel, for once in his life, what it was like to be cherished.

But this morning, he did not need gentleness, he needed proof. He needed me to take him long and hard. He needed me to show him how much I wanted him. To show him, though he would never accept the words, that I loved him, that he belonged to me. He needed me to claim him over and over, until exhaustion drove the message home.

And he needed to prove to the both of us that he trusted me in return – something he would never acknowledge beyond the borders of his bed. But I wanted to cross that boundary. I wanted him to feel me all through the rest of that day, to think of me every time he moved – or even thought about moving.

I ran into Sugoroku later, when I finally staggered downstairs.

"I can answer your question now," he said with a smile, "I approve."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, that was pretty fluffy. But I really thought the guys deserved a break. This update took a while, not so much because of this chapter, but because I wanted to take a look at the story as a whole, something I'm still doing. I've gotten so much really interesting feedback, both from reviews and e-mails – everything from whether Yami will have a flashback of his previous life with Seto, to the evolution of Yugi and Yami's friendship as they learn to be more independent of each other, to how Seto will feel about Yami and Kaiba being together, not to mention how the rest of the gang will feel about it. Laura m absolutely cracked me up by pointing out this is the one aspect of Kaiba's life that the gang hadn't bothered to speculate on/gossip about. Anyway, some things I wanted/needed to think through, and some things were things I had in my head and wanted to make sure that I remembered to put them on paper.

Kaiba Note: I can see Kaiba being pleased and surprised to see Yami every night. Like I don't think he ever really believes that he'll actually be there. And I can see him waking up and smirking every morning when Yami's still there – and asleep. But I can also see him sitting in that bed, having too much time to think – which in Kaiba's case means too much time to brood. And I can see him telling himself that the previous night meant nothing, and that he's got work to do, until the weight of his own thoughts pushes him out of bed – and out the door.

I think Yami gets this to a certain extent – at least he gets that Kaiba is pretty messed up, and probably doesn't mean to hurt him. But that doesn't mean that he wouldn't be hurt and angry. And I think he'd realize that if someone's going to break this impasse it has to be him. And Yami is the kind of duelist who's always been able to accept temporary setbacks as long as the final victory remains in sight.

Note on Kaiba and Yugi-tachi: Kaiba managed to arrange, without saying a word, for Mokuba to find out that Yami and him were sleeping together. But I can't see him making any announcements, mainly because that would mean revealing something about himself – and that's something Kaiba is allergic to doing. Also, when it comes to the Yugi-tachi, I doubt he cares what anyone is thinking or speculating, as long as they're not bothering him.

Sugoroku Note: Well, Sugoroku turned out to be a bit of a matchmaker in this episode. But he clearly comes to care for all the stray teenagers who have entered his life as Yugi grew up, and I think that would include Kaiba. I also think he's the only one who looks at Yami and Kaiba and doesn't see an all-powerful spirit, and an arrogant CEO, but a couple of kids, fumbling their way through their emotions. And I think he'd be quick to realize that they are as out-of-their-depth in this area, as they are coolly confident in all others. So I can see him being sympathetically amused in an 'I'm glad I'm not young anymore' kind of way.

Kitchen Note: Since they're still at the mansion, technically speaking, it's Kaiba's kitchen, but I think, as Sugoroku seems to have installed himself there, he's started to think of it as his.

RESPONSES TO REVIEWS

Kaiba and Yami: (Amarin Rose, AmunRa, Desidera, EcoGoth,Erickachan, inarae, Kekewey, Kurosaisei, MotherCHOWGoddess, psyche, samurai-ashes, Siiarrei, Sylvia Viridian) I think there are some parallels between Yami and Kaiba. They are both just discovering their emotions. Yami, because he's in his own body, and he's just starting to figure out his own needs and desires. And Kaiba has denied his for so long, he doesn't really believe they exist. And I agree – Kaiba would be terrified, in denial, and happier than he's ever been. But I don't think Kaiba would really recognize happiness – or know what to do with it – or believe in it. And I think that ignorance would show itself in a variety of ways. One thing that struck me, is that for someone who is as uncomfortable expressing his emotions verbally as Kaiba is, sex might be almost a method of communication for him. And then, of course Yami would have to correctly interpret his often mixed signals. It's a good thing he likes puzzles…And I think Yami would look on this as a duel he can't afford to lose. It a way this builds on the Alcatraz duel. I always loved it that the manga title for that episode was : "Becoming Friends".

Note to Nachzes-Black Rider: Upcoming chapters, do deal with how Seto feels, and why Mokuba and Kouma aren't scarred for life….

Akunadin's whereabouts: (A-verbis-ad-verbera) One of the things that's been the hardest about writing this story is that it's really three interwoven story threads. The first deals with Akunadin, the Sennen Items, and the reasons that Seto was brought forwards in the first place; the second deals with the repercussions of that journey as the two versions of the brothers meet and live with each other; the third deals with Yami and Kaiba's relationship. Events in one of the threads impacts on the others. For example, it too both Shadi's invasion of Kaiba's mind, and the shock of Mokuba deliberately throwing a game to Seto, to get Kaiba to lower his defenses long enough to let Yami get close. But right now the threads are pretty loosely interwoven. That changes in a few chapters. Once Yami and Kaiba come up for air, Akunadin reenters the picture, and the stoey threads starts to (hopefully) tie together.

Voices: (Katie Torango, laura m, Mistal: The Poisoned One, Mother CHOWGoddess) The other thing that's really challenging, is trying to figure out, not just what the characters are saying, but how they would say it. Often this involves me figuring the what out first, and then going back and trying to edit out my own voice, and replace it with theirs. (Ironically, the character that most resembles the way I actually sound – lame wisecracks, sloppy grammar and lousy vocabulary, and all – is Jounouchi.) Kaiba usually ends up using both absolutes, and speaking precisely – he's an engineer and systems designer by training and inclination. So where Yami is using metaphors to describe his emotions, Kaiba is ataloging what he felt, what he wanted Yami to feel – as if describing it exactly, quantifying it, will make what happened easier to understand. Since most of what Mokuba says is so wise, I try very hard to use simple sentences, and to sometimes have him at a loss for the right words, since he is, after all fairly young.

Mokuba (Desidera, EcoGoth, Katie Torango, Kekewey, Kurosaisei, laura m, Sylvia Viridian, Wintersslayer) One thing I love about Mokuba is how he just sort of takes everything in stride. And I love the way both brothers look at everything based on what would be best for the other one. Like in Duelist's Kingdom, as soon as he wakes up, Mokuba is ready to fight off the Yugi-tachi, when the want him to rest – because all he can think about is that his brother needs him. And I thinkif you want to look at what Kaiba really values – you have to look no further than Mokuba, Because if love and warmth and openness, and all the things Kaiba affects to scorn weren't important to Kaiba, he wouldn't have worked so hard to see that Mokuba kept them.

Mokuba and Anzu: (samurai-ashes) Thanks. It's funny to think that both Seto and Mokuba are 13, and that they're both going through their first crush. With totally opposite reactions. I think Anzu was always special to Mokuba. She might have been the first girl he ever spent any time with – I mean his mother dies when he was born, he was sent to what looks like (in the photograph) a boy's orphanage, and then to Gozaburo's mansion – where you never see any women. Also, she's the first person who shows a sincere interest in what he's thinking and feeling – and who gets him to talk. So I can see her becoming very special to Mokuba very quickly. Then I can see him waking up one day, looking at her and thinking, "Wow, she's got breasts!" I'm not sure that Mokuba quite knows what to do with this piece of information, though, I think it would make him feel a little shy and awkward – which lends him a kind of innocence. (A word that does not spring to mind when thinking of Seto's desire for Yami.)

Darkness/hope and Kaiba's tattoo: (inarae) It's funny – sometimes I write things unconsciously. They sound right, but I don't know why. Then every now and then someone reviews and tells me why. I really liked what you said about the dragon, not being destroyed by the blast, but instead being lifted up by the heat of the explosion. That fits the mood I'm trying for. Like the manga itself, Déjà Vu is a dark story – because of the darkness at the heart of Kaiba's past – but I find the way he struggles (sometimes in the wrong direction) to change and to grow, very hopeful.

DOOM Summaries: (Nachzes-Black Rider) You can find DOMA summaries at Janine's website. I don't have the address but you can get to it easily if you google Yugioh. Also I'm in a Yami/Seto group – or a Seto/Yami group, depending on your preference (again, I don't know how to do links, but it's at and any time a summary or a new anime episode came out, people posted stuff about it – admittedly, mainly looking for inferences of Yami/Seto action that might be useful in slash fiction. I've seen DOMA up to Jounouchi and Varon's duel in the sub, but the newer episodes hadn't shown up on the last time I checked. I know some people have found them on e-bay, though. I hope that helps.

To Clarity2199 and QueenOfGames2: Thanks for your continued encouragement. It's a long story. (Do I keep saying that?) I'm glad you're enjoying it.