Chapter 12

Yugi awoke from what a quick glance at the bedside clock assured him was a short nap to find Atem still asleep beside him. His genie lay half on top of him, face buried in the curve of Yugi's neck and shoulder, one long arm draped over Yugi's torso. For a slender guy, Atem was surprisingly heavy, but Yugi felt content with that warm weight pressing him into the mattress. Overcome by a sudden possessiveness, he wrapped his arms around Atem and thought how wonderful it would be to never let go.

Too bad he knew that was just a dream that could never come true. Once Yugi made his three wishes, Atem would leave. Maybe... Maybe if Yugi did not make any official wishes, Atem could stay? Was it possible? Atem had said he didn't want to go, and Yugi believed him. No one would want to return to that sensory-deprivation hell. But would the curse allow Atem to escape it?

Yugi heaved a sigh. The movement disturbed his genie, who groaned and rubbed his cheek against Yugi's shoulder. Yugi felt the faint rasp of stubble on his bare skin.

"Go back to sleep, Yugi."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

Atem cracked open one eye and Looked at him. "You're thinking so hard I can hear the synapses firing in your brain." He pressed a sleepy kiss to Yugi's neck, nuzzling a bit as he settled more comfortably against Yugi's body. "What are you worrying about now?"

"...Nothing."

Another Look, this one featuring both eyes and the raised Eyebrow of Ultimate Skepticism.

"Okay, fine. I was wondering what would happen if I didn't make any wishes at all. Would you still have to go back to... that place?"

"I don't know." Atem yawned and buried his face against Yugi's neck, muffling his next words. "And, right now, I don't care. Go back to sleep."

Yugi tried, he really did, but his brain was too full of questions - about genies and wishes and what the heck was up with Seto, anyway? - and he didn't have answers for any of them. In an absent gesture, he stroked his hand up and down the length of Atem's back, enjoying the smooth, supple texture of the genie's skin beneath his palm. Atem went practically boneless under Yugi's ministrations, all but purring in pleasure at the attention.

Eventually, Yugi sat up, displacing Atem, who groaned into the pillow before rolling over to blink at him in frustration. Yugi blinked back. "What?"

"Humans are supposed to be lazy, indolent creatures. You are not acting according to the script... Not that you ever do." Atem gazed at him for another long moment, then his frown morphed into a wicked smirk that made Yugi's toes tingle. The tingling spread when Atem reached over and trailed a languid hand up Yugi's naked thigh. "Perhaps I can convince you not to get out of bed just yet?"

Atem, Yugi was almost certain, could convince him to do just about anything - up to and including attempting to fly without benefit of wings. He forced himself to scoot away from that tempting touch. Casting about for something to distract the genie, Yugi hit upon, "You need a shave."

Atem froze. "I do?" He ran his fingers over his cheeks, expression revealing his surprise at the stubble he found there. "I do! How... odd."

"You don't usually shave?"

"No more than I usually sleep or eat. I haven't needed to shave since... well, since I was a prince in Egypt." One hand still touching his cheek, Atem stared at nothing, his mind obviously thousands of miles - and years - away.

"What does it all mean?" Yugi wondered aloud. Atem either didn't hear him or chose to ignore the question. Shaking his head, Yugi leaned over and poked the genie to gain his attention. "Come on. You can shave after your shower."

"With you?" That familiar, wicked smirk made a reappearance.

Yugi matched it. "Yes."

One good thing about sex in the shower - clean up was easy. The thought put a smug little grin on Yugi's face as he finished dressing. He could hear Atem lingering under the spray, enjoying the patter of warm water on his skin. The man was such a hedonist!

Unbidden, Yugi's mind supplied him with the memory of using his tongue to chase water droplets down Atem's chest. His breath hitched and his cock twitched. Yugi's hands faltered on his buttons. Dammit, he was in so much trouble. What was he going to do when Atem was gone? Yugi wasn't sure he could go back to life without the genie.

As if summoned by the thought, arms closed gently around Yugi and tugged him back against a warm body. Despite the unhappy direction of his thoughts, he relaxed into Atem's embrace, reveling in the feel of strong arms holding him close. "You can't imagine what you've done for me."

"I haven't done anything yet." Atem nuzzled Yugi's nape. "You have to make your wish for that."

Yugi huffed out a little laugh. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." Straightening, Atem turned Yugi gently in his grasp until they were face to face, and then gave him a questioning look. "Are you ready to make your first wish?"

Unable to think of a reason to postpone it any longer, Yugi nodded. "Yeah, I think so." He gazed up into Atem's warm mahogany eyes and felt his heart skip a beat. He swallowed hard and tried to force his pulse to steady. "Do we have to do anything special?"

"No." Atem leaned down and brushed his lips against Yugi's, the soft kiss destroying all of Yugi's careful efforts at calming himself. "Just state your wish. Remember - you need to be precise."

"Okay." Yugi took a deep breath and held it while he composed the wish in his head. "Okay. I think I've got it."

Holding Atem's gaze with his own, Yugi whispered, "I wish..."

Author's Note: This story has NOT been abandoned. I ran into some real life difficulties and have decided to complete the fic before posting new chapters to this site. You may find some snippets on my livejournal (you must request to be friended in order to read most entries) at some point, but nothing more will be posted here until the fic is finished and edited. For updates on the fic status or to get answers to questions you may have about this (or any of my other) fic, please visit my Lucidfic forum on this site. Thank you for your patience. If you're looking for a finished Yami/Yugi (humorous) romance novel, check out my completed fic, Shadows on the Nile (and its prequels).

Edited to add (8-7-2010): I am grieving the loss of my beloved cat on July 6. Rascal was more than "just a pet". He was my baby, a faithful companion for more than a decade, and a huge part of my life. I miss him so much... Writing fluffy romance fic is not exactly at the top of my priorities right now. I don't know when it will be again, if ever. Right now, it's all I can do to make it through the day. Thanks for understanding.