A/N

Note: My imagination exploded. Yes, you heard me right. It exploded, so I couldn't write, or update or even (gasp) think. No, actually I could think, they were just very, very unimaginative thoughts. XD Anyway, I'm going to be rewriting the first chapters of this fic entirely, because now I think I know where I'm going with it, and I want to remove all the plot holes I made for myself. This chapter's not beta-ed. My beta's sick (Feel better JK!).

Please don't hate me; I do love my reviewers so. XD If none of you've died off yet, do me a favor and review, would you?

DARK PASSIONS

Chapter 13: Pranayama

"He's a WHAT?" Yuugi's voice echoed around the room. Beside him, Yami tensed as Yuugi unconsciously closed off the Broadcast and it bounced back at the vampire full-force. He absorbed it back with an effort as Yuugi pushed himself back and stood up.

"What IS it with you people and secrets? Is it really so hard to just tell me things up front?" Yuugi pointed at Zed, who had been stealthily trying to edge away from the table. "YOU. Does it kill you to just tell people that you are no Spell Witch at all, but a wizard? How does that even possibly improve the dispositions of those that have no other option save come to you for help?

"Vampire, I thought I could handle. It was strange, it was unbelievable, and it made my brain hurt, but I thought I could manage it. But him being a Pharaoh is too much to digest. How can you expect me to believe that he --apparently, over three thousand years old-- is royalty dating back to Ancient Egypt?"

Yuugi finished with a stamp of his foot and rounded on Yami, who'd also stood up and was calmly brushing himself off. "Hey you! Pharaoh-wannabe! When were you planning on tell me that? Actually, when were you planning on telling me anything? You've just been dragging me along behind you since the first moment I met you. Do you think I WANTED to be stuck in the middle of all this?"

Yami cleared his throat. "I thought you said we were going to talk about this later."

Yuugi laughed incredulously. "This IS later! I've finally said my mind after putting up with you the past couple of days and just because you can't save face now is not my problem." He stepped closer. "Stop lying to me. Stop keeping things from me. I'm stuck with you, and the least courtesy you could do me would be to tell me what the hell's going on."

It was then that Yuugi noticed Yami's glowing red eyes and trembling frame. Yami hadn't even replied to Yuugi yet, and he visibly faltered, unsure of what to do. He reached out a hand towards Yami, unconsciously choosing the one that had been Marked, and Yami turned it palm upward as his sleeve slid back to reveal the Mark in all its red glory.

Yami hissed, and one of his own hands shot out to circle around Yuugi's wrist, bringing him closer. The vampire brought his lips to the human's ear and let him hear the deep humming, almost purring, coming from his throat. "You see what this does to me?" His voice rumbled. Neither noticed as Zed slipped out of the room silently. "Your emotions feed my soul. I am your amplifier; whatever you feel, I'll have to magnify it whether I want to or not. That...is the power of our new bond."

Silence. Yuugi's heavy breathing. A clock ticked patiently in another room. Something knocked against a wall and clattered. Both human and vampire stayed frozen like that, scant inches apart, until Yuugi swallowed with an effort. "I get it."

"Do you?" Yami pulled him back and regarded him with glittering eyes, still red but they continued dimming as Yugi watched.

Yuugi nodded, his gaze fixed upon Yami. "If I don't control my emotions, you're the one who pays for it. And you'll take me down with you, if you can." He added the last bit with a trace of bitterness that Yami caught but didn't comment on. He didn't say anything else to Yuugi as he let him go and turned on his heel to walk out of the room.

"Zed," He called, his voice somehow carrying through the hall and into dark rooms. Something clattered again in a room ahead, and Yami made his way toward it. A minute later, Zed appeared in a doorway and grinned with his usual good humor.

"Found me, have you?" he replied, his grin widened at seeing both human and vampire still together. "So, what was it you needed of me?"

Yami smiled back, a touch challengingly. "You tell me, old man. You seem to know everything."

"That, I do," Zed chuckled. "And it just so happens I do know what you need. Lucky day, eh?"

"Very," Yami made a show of eyeing Zed's neck. "Care to share that information with me?"

"Of course-- for a price," The old wizard took a step forward at Yami's acknowledging nod. There was a tense moment, and then...Zed grinned sheepishly. "You see...there's this lass I've had my eye on."

Yuugi burst out laughing at this as Yami turned to regard him coolly. "By all means, Zed, do go on. Don't pay me any mind." Yuugi prompted even as his eyes danced with mirth and didn't fool anyone.

The old wizard pouted, but continued. "I've had my eye on her for months, but sadly,"-- he threw himself against the wall dramatically-- "I've had yet to make a move. Woe is me!"

At this, Yuugi burst into another round of laughter while Yami rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "And how does this help us? I will not go dilly-dallying across the city for your love interest."

"Ah," Zed abruptly stopped mock-crying and smiled at the vampire. "But that is where you are mistaken. She is of value to you. Of great value, Pharaoh."

Yami started at the use of the title but before he could say anything, Yuugi spoke. "Why, Zed?"

"The only way I can see you both surviving the multitudes of folk that are converging on your very location as we speak-- scary thought, if they get in here, they better not ruin my best china-- is by you, Yuugi, learning what your power means. In other words, for the vampire rolling his eyes so much that they're going to be stuck that way, that means that you've got to make the Power of Eclipse work for you, instead of the other way around. Magic does have its own mind, you know."

"Well, that doesn't sound very safe," Yuugi grimaced. "You mean to say that this Eclipse magic thing could just go off any minute whether it's convenient for me or not?"

"That's why we're going to see Zed's eye candy," Yami said sardonically, finally realizing what Zed was telling them. "For control. We're going to that you can learn control and not have your magic, as you put it, 'go off'."

"...Oh," Yuugi blinked. "That's not a bad idea, actually."

"'Course, it's not!" Zed exclaimed and clapped his hands together. "I'm a genius. My brilliant mind outshines everyone else. My knowledge is vast, my wisdom vaster. My intellect has no limits! ...I'm a wizard!"

Yuugi lost control of his legs and collapsed to the ground, laughing the entire way down, as Yami looked on shocked at the both of them. "You," Yuugi wheezed in between his snorts, "need to get out more often. Loosen up, you Pharaoh-vampire-whatever else you are."

"Yuugi's got a point there," Zed grinned, pleased at the human's reaction. "You vampires and your control on your emotions makes you look like there's a permanent stick up your ass."

"There is no stick up my ass!" Yami replied, outraged. Nevertheless, both wizard and human caught him trying to glance discreetly at his backside.

"Ah hah!" Yuugi exclaimed, and in a uncharacteristic display towards the vampire, stood up and grabbed Yami's much taller shoulders. "You've been caught red-handed vampire! ...Checking out your own stick, were you?"

"I was most certainly not!" Yami denied again, but the link he and Yuugi had chose to restart at that moment, and Yuugi got the vampire's thoughts loud and clear.

"Are. Too." Yuugi grinned like the cat that'd swallowed the canary. "You know what this means?"

"Time for happy hour?" Zed asked hopefully.

Yuugi turned his head to look at the wizard. "Right again, Zed-o! You're on a roll! Screw control, magic, and all the crap. We're going clubbing, Yami!"

"...Again?" Yami asked, dazed, even as he knew his control of the situation was all but gone. When had that happened?

"Don't forget about my lass, now!" Zed admonished, a filled tea cup floating to his hand as he spoke.

"How do we find her?" Yuugi asked with a tilt of his head.

Zed skipped in place. "She's the most beautiful, intelligent, bedazzling, amazing, lovely, brilliant, shining, admirable, alluring, angelic, appealing, beauteous, bewitching, charming, classy, comely, cute, dazzling, delicate, delightful, divine, elegant, enticing, excellent, exquisite, fair, fascinating, fine--"

"We're going to be here all night if you don't do something, Yami." Yuugi spoke out of the corner of this mouth.

"And who's fault is that?" Yami replied, raising an eyebrow.

"--foxy, good-looking, gorgeous, graceful, grand, handsome, ideal, lovely, magnificent, marvelous, nice, pleasing, radiant, ravishing, refined, resplendent, shapely, sightly, splendid, statuesque, stunning, sublime, superb, symmetrical, taking, well-formed, wonderful specimen of witch you've ever laid eyes on."

"And her name would be...?" Yami prompted.

"Meredith," Zed breathed, and promptly fell over in a faint. Both Yuugi and Yami stared at him then turned to each other.

"What now, genius?" Yuugi finally asked.

"I say," Yami smirked, "We go looked for this Meredith."

"And I say," Yuugi replied. "We're going clubbing."

"Can't we do both?" Yami asked.

Yuugi paused, then nodded eagerly. "I imagine so. Bye Zed!" He tossed over his shoulder as they stepped over his prone body and left.

Seto drummed his fingers in time with the beat while his eyes scanned the dance floor for Bakura and Ryou-- who still had no idea that Bakura was a vampire. He felt his own lips curve into an amused smirk as he stifled a snicker. What the vampire was in for when the human discovered what had been kept from him, Seto could only imagine. He silently toasted karma, or whatever it was that made the world go round the way it did.

The three of them had come tonight for the grand opening of the newest club in Domino. Where's Your Head, he thought it was called. A strange name for a dance club as far as he was concerned, but then again, he rarely went to these things. It always took someone to bribe or blackmail him to come, anyway. He turned in his chair to see the other side of the room.

Ah, there they were, in the far corner and dancing like there was no one else in the room. Seto rolled his eyes. Figures, he thought, Bakura's god complex has a way of rubbing off on those around him. But quickly turning his eyes away from what was quickly becoming a personal dance between the two, Seto fixed his attention resolutely on the singer crooning up on stage.

'Hmmm, not bad', he thought. Angled the way Seto was at the bar, he couldn't see the singer's face, but he gave an appraising eye over what he did. This one would do nicely for feeding, he thought as the distance stirrings of Hunger in his blood awoke. Maybe after the show was over? Plenty of time to enjoy himself then, Seto grinned.

Still bored, Seto remarked to himself. 'What to do to stave off that Hunger?' He shifted in his seat, turning half-way with his drink and tilted his head to the side, letting the lyrics wash over him.

When my blood is not my own and my body is yours to wield
Why did you smile and give it all back?

Out of sheer boredom, Seto found himself listening to what the singer was singing. Just to entertain himself, Seto justified himself, ignoring the slight prick of something in the back of his mind. Unbeknownst to him, Bakura was watching him out of the corner of his eye while he whispered to Ryou.

Backed into a corner, you protect me the only way you know how
Yet it's not enough for even this strong one; I fall

Something jiggled loose in the back of his mind but Seto ignored it, his ears straining to hear the lyrics over the pounding bass. It sounded slightly familiar, although he couldn't place it. Had he been here before? But no, this club had just opened and Bakura had invited him to come tonight. Maybe he'd fed of this singer before, he fancied for a minute, before dismissing the thought.

Because of an unfinished line, our bond is giving way
I can feel my body failing; why do you seem sadder than me?

Now there was something worth looking into, Seto decided, but the itch in his head was becoming quite irritating. 'Maybe I do know this singer, after all.' He questioned himself again, shuffling his recent memories around as the music dimmed and the young man stood alone, no music backing him up, and sang.

When I was the sun to your moon, we sang
I can still see the you from long ago, deep in my memories

Seto felt his heart beat faster even as his own memories stirred. They played in his mind, swirling around something but not getting there. No, he denied them. Not quite.

And when I couldn't shine anymore, you were my eclipse, shielding me from the world
All these other stars and yet I still see you as clearly as if you shone right back

He felt his heart jump into his throat, his breathing becoming forced as the lyrics brought on painful memories that he thought he'd managed to forget.

I feel reborn in that which is me, yet one part is still gone
My body misses yours, the heart which I gave to you is not there
Why can't I find that which is missing from me?

Seto growled, his fingers tightening on the glass in his hand dangerously. The effect of the singer's singing was unforgivable, Seto decided. He'd have to teach him a lesson, no doubt about that.

But first, Seto had to see his face, to mark him in his memories as someone who was going to leave this world. In one fluid motion, he stood up and set his glass down with an audible thunk. As he pushed passed the excited audience, he didn't have any time to notice Bakura's knowing look.

Seto growled under his breath again as a particularly drunk listener- whether male or female, he couldn't tell in this lighting- took a moment to grope him from behind. Not sparing another glance, he swung out with his right arm and felt it collide with solid skull; a smirk returned to tug at his lips.

And yet he still hadn't seen the singer's face. As if from far away, he heard someone thanking the audience for such a wonderful evening as the last note rang throughout the seemingly cramped club.

'No'. Seto's heart lurched again as he caught a final glimpse of the singer's sandy blonde hair passing through a doorway. And then he was gone; Seto's plans put out of action.

'Relax', he told himself. 'I know enough of what he was wearing tonight to find him. And I will. Oh yes, I will.'

"But Bakura, some things still don't make sense." Ryou complained. "Why doesn't Seto do anything?"

"Well, uh, there's a reason for that," Bakura stalled, his eyes staring a hole through the opposite wall while he thought fast.

" Bakura?" Ryou nudged him after a while when no response was forthcoming. They were jostled a bit as a couple of enthusiastic dancers in a conga line acknowledged them on their way passed. The deep, thrumming beat of the next song started up and a new singer walked out onto the club stage across the room. Something fell and the sound of tinkling glass could be heard from the bar. And still, Bakura kept silent. Ryou nudged him again. "Bakura? Hello? You home?"

Bakura started, his arms tightening unconsciously on Ryou's form in front of him and said boy let out a squeak. "Sorry," The vampire said absently as Ryou's hands found his and tightened.

"Hey, are you feeling okay?" Ryou turned his head to look up at him, the worry plain in his voice. "We should really take a break anyway. I think we've shown enough of these amateurs what true dancing is all about. We can do the big finale later. Come on, let's go sit down."

Bakura muttered something, but followed Ryou when he pulled the vampire towards a booth under the black lights. His mind was entirely on the matter of how he was going to go about this. Yes, it was the moment of truth, and like always, Bakura was left to think on his feet. Vaguely, he registered Ryou pushing him down into a neon green booth that made his eyes hurt and leaving for drinks. He just started blankly across the seat, not noticing the couple going at each other like there was no tomorrow in the next one.

"This is stupid," Bakura groaned to himself. "Where the hell is the Pharaoh with his articulate speeches when you need him?"

"You know, I never did understand why you guys have those nicknames," Ryou began, a bottle in either hand as he appeared from seemingly nowhere, one of which he placed in front of Bakura. He furrowed his brow. "Tomb Robber, Pharaoh, and High Priest...Where do they come from?"

"Ryou," Bakura began, that choked himself off and took a swig from the bottle.

"Bakura," Ryou replied amiably, a lilt in his voice. He closed one eye as something else crashed at the bar behind him, and winced slightly.

"No, Ryou," Bakura tried again; Ryou paused. "I can't keep this from you anymore. I should have told you at the beginning, anyway. I guess I thought you'd just see me as the standard myth look-alike." He grasped Ryou's hand across the table and pulled closer. "I'm not. I've never been what you make us out to be...Well, maybe I was, at one point. But I didn't know any better! Eh, maybe I did, at that. But don't judge me, Ryou."

Ryou stared at him dumbly. He blinked. "What?"

Bakura ran one hand through his hair, and gave a gruff sigh. Then, he mumbled something under his breath. Ryou scratched his own head. "Sorry?"

Bakura said it again, a bit louder, but the increasingly loud sounds of glass crashing behind Ryou drowned Bakura out. Ryou wrinkled his brow and rubbed his ear. "Pardon?" He prompted again.

Now Bakura huffed and crossed his arms over the table. Ryou sighed in exasperation. "Come on," He said, grabbing both bottles and standing up. "Let's get out of here." He winked.

"But, I--" Bakura cut himself off and stood, once again letting Ryou lead him where he willed. Briefly, he smiled as he indulged his boyfriend, and pulled his thoughts together enough to catch up and wrap a possessive hand around Ryou's waist, sending a glare in the direction of those watching hungrily nearby.

Five minutes later, they were both leaning against the brick wall of the alley and breathing in the fresh, and slightly humid, air. "Remind me to never spend so much time looking for a back door again. Next time, I'll just ask someone straight off." Ryou wiped his forehead and sent a puzzled glance Bakura's way. "Now can you tell me, Bakura?"

"You won't like it.," Bakura said reluctantly. He shifted uncomfortably against their wall, which was vibrating with the beat of the music inside, and turned to look back at the other.

"Nonsense, Bakura. Like it or not, I'm going to hear it anyway," Ryou answered him. "You know you're going to tell me. Now, do it."

"Ryou..." Bakura shrugged helplessly. "I'm a vampire."

Ryou burst out laughing. "I don't think I caught that," He managed between gasps for breath. "Say again?"

Bakura pouted. Then, he turned serious as a thought suddenly hit him. "I'm a vampire, Ryou. A vampire...You know what those are, right?"

Ryou was about to reply when another fit overtook him and he could only nod. Then, his legs gave out, and he slid down the wall, landing on the ground with a thump and a hiccup. At length, when he didn't say anything else, Bakura turned towards the wall and began pounding his head against it methodically. It took a moment for Ryou to realize what was happening to his boyfriend.

"Bakura," He grabbed onto the vampire's belt and dragged himself up. "Stop."

Bakura paused long enough to give him a dirty look. "No." He resumed his self destruction, ignoring the human hanging off him like another article of clothing. He was doing such a good job, actually, that he didn't notice when said human managed to undo and slip off his belt. Bakura got in one more pound before he was suddenly spun around and the belt was whipped around his arms and shoulders and tied behind his back, effectively pinning them before and slightly above his head. "What the hell, Ryou? I know you think I'm insane; let me at least prove you right."

"Why would I think you're insane?" Ryou asked, amused.

"Well, as you've just shown me wonderfully, the words 'Bakura' and 'vampire' don't mix in your mind. I may as well have said I was the queen of England." He gave a half-hearted attempt at pulling his bonds apart even as he cursed himself for wearing such strong belts.

"Bakura," Ryou dropped his head into the vampire's chest for a moment, exasperated. Then, he lifted it back up. "I know."

There was silence, a silence that stretched agonizingly long as Bakura processed this information. Then, an even longer pause as he gaped and tried to formulate a response. Finally, it came to him. "WHAT?"

Another bout of laughter tried to escape passed Ryou's lips but he clamped down on the urge. "I knew, Bakura, from the moment I saw you. It's in my blood, you see. I- I'm afraid I haven't been frank with you, either. In reality, I come from a long line of ones with the Sight-- back to the Dawn of Zeus, in fact." Bakura was still gaping at him, and Ryou began to shift from foot to foot, suddenly overcome with doubt.

The Sight. Inherited by blood, and passed on century to century, the Sight affected a person on various levels; the most obvious of them was, of course, altered eyesight. To have it meant the aura which surrounded vampires, the Da'kana, and all under their rule-- shape shifters, werewolves, spell healers, normal witches, and the like--or the Da'k, was visible. Most described the aura as a flame which flared around the head, growing and diminishing by the intensity of emotions felt.

At length, Bakura seemed to regain his composure. "Sight, did you say?" He spoke quietly, his words controlled and precise. Ryou felt a chill run down his back; that was the tone Bakura reserved for only the most serious of times, and Ryou had only ever heard him use it twice: on the night they had met as strangers, and when Ryou had been threatened by one of the hot-shot gangs of the city.

Ryou flinched; there could only be one thing Bakura was thinking. Having the Sight had both good and bad to it. While Ryou could not be surprised by a creature of the night because of how his eyes and mind had been wired to react faster to the speed and power of the Da'k, he was also stuck with being able to read their emotions whether he wanted to or not. If cornered by a Da'k who wished him harm, Ryou could very likely be hypnotized by an aura as is grows and diminishes with emotion; such was the power of the Sight.

And there was one more thing that made Ryou's skin tingle. Thinking back on all he had been told of his relatives, Ryou could not think of even one time when one of his line had had a relationship with a creature of the night, much less their rulers, in any way but business. Why was this? He had no clue, nor had any of his forays into his family's past brought up any answers. All that he'd accomplished was frustrate himself to the point where Bakura'd had to work hard to loosen him up again.

But back to the moment at hand. Ryou shook off the pleasant memories of time spent with his boyfriend, and risked nudging Bakura into glancing up at him from his contemplation of the ground. He didn't know how to proceed from here. What do you do after confessing what you'd thought you'd be able to keep secret for a long while yet? And more importantly, what would your boyfriend think after finding out that his supposedly well-kept secret was in fact common knowledge to you?

"Ryou," Bakura began. Ryou was so startled by his dark tone that he missed the corners of the vampire's mouth curving upwards. Ryou suddenly realized where he was and tried to disengage himself from Bakura's hold, but he held tight. "Why you clever, little fox, I had no idea!" --He broke into amused and incredulous laughter-- "Here I thought you were going to hate me forever for keeping something from you for so long, or run screaming from fright and you start laughing. I don't know what that says for my taste" --and suddenly, Bakura's voice didn't sound so light anymore, but laced with something much more demanding-- "But that turns me on...You and me will go far, Love. Farther than you can possibly imagine."

And with that he swooped down on Ryou's lips, and all questions and worries were forgotten in the heat of passion. Ryou would wonder later how it was only Bakura's kiss that could make him feel weak and empowered at the same time.

The touch of moist air on skin was like an aphrodisiac, and pretty soon, neither could stop the need to touch the other but nor could they continue where they were. They came up for air, panting. Then Bakura hummed. "I seem to remember a certain someone saying something about a 'big finale'. Or was I wrong?"

Ryou gave him a wicked grin. "Bakura, you only had to ask."