Chapter Three:

"It really said you were pregnant?" Joey asked.

Yugi nodded, sipping his tea. Joey grinned, taking a big bite of his banana pocky. Yami smiled, pouring more tea for himself.

"I don't think your suggestion was that helpful, Joey," he said teasingly.

"Nope, don't think so," Joey agreed.

Yugi pulled a banana pocky out of the carton and took a bite. He'd been feeling better the last couple of days, though better only meant not puking. He'd been keeping the journal of what made him sick for the doctor and the only correlation he could see was that whatever was wrong with him didn't like him eating. Almost nothing seemed to be okay for him, from beef to fish to onions to eggs, pretty much everything made him at least nauseous. The only thing that seemed to help was the old standby of ginger ale, though he had noticed he didn't seem to feel as sick when he ate dairy or fruits. So for the past few days he'd been sticking to mainly milk, yogurt, and fruit.

He was disconcerted with the fact that despite his near-daily nausea and sparse diet, he'd gained slightly over a pound since he'd first talked with Dr. Kuribayashi a week ago.

"So, what's the next step, Yugi?" Joey asked.

Yugi swallowed and said, "Dr. Kuribayashi is supposed to get back to me tomorrow with scheduling the latest battery of tests. The tests for blood disorders have all come up negative. If he can't find anything this time, I think he'll make an appointment for an X-ray or something."

"Nothing's gotten any better?"

"No. Still sick almost every morning and I can't find something in common for an allergy. It doesn't sound like an allergy anyway. Allergies make it hard to breathe, not make you throw up."

"No," Yami agreed somberly.

"It kinda sounds like morning sickness," Joey said off-handedly.

Yugi and Yami both stared at him. He realized and flushed.

"Well, it does," he said defensively.

Yugi chuckled. "I think you're stuck on the website's diagnosis, Joey."

"Look, whatever it is, they'll find out, Yug'."

Yugi nodded. He took another sip of tea, just glad for a snack that didn't make his stomach turn over, though he made sure not to eat too much. He changed the subject to movies and they spent the rest of the afternoon talking about the latest releases. When Yugi got home to the mansion later, Seto was already home, just sitting down to an early dinner. Yugi greeted him with a kiss and joined him at the table. Mokuba was not there, but the fifteen-year-old had been spending a lot more time out with friends than he used to.

"How do you feel?" Seto asked, looking at his plate.

Yugi smiled. Seto could be sweet if he didn't have to look you in the eye. "Better, today. I think I've at least figured out some foods that I can keep down, until Kuribyashi figures out what the problem is."

Seto frowned, cutting his steak. "I would have thought he would know by now."

"Don't blame him. There's nothing I can tell him to help. He's working blind, pretty much."

Seto's frown didn't ease, but he didn't say anything more. Yugi stayed with him at the table, but he avoided the steak. He knew the heavy red meat would only trigger another session with the toilet. Instead, he sparingly ate some salad and potatoes. Once dinner was over, his stomach still mercifully quiet, Yugi curled up on the sofa in the den and watched a movie while Seto did whatever he usually did on weekday nights. Mokuba came home around ten and joined Yugi in the den, watching the last fifteen minutes of the movie. After that, Yugi relinquished control of the t.v. for Mokuba's favorite show, some stupid American cartoon Yugi loathed, and trotted upstairs for a shower. Then, fresh from the hot water, content and sleepy, he crawled into bed.

When Yugi woke the next morning, Seto was in bed with him. Often during the week, when Yugi was staying over, Seto would not come to bed until Yugi was already asleep, as he'd done last night, but would also be gone by the Yugi woke up. To have him still sleeping beside him that morning a pleasant surprise. Taking the opportunity, he happily leaned over and kissed Seto's cheek. Seto, a light sleeper, stirred and opened his eyes.

"Morning," Yugi said.

Seto turned over onto his side to face him. Yugi smiled, inching closer again and pecking his lips. Seto smiled a little and reached over, cupping Yugi's uppermost cheek, leaning over. Yugi closed his eyes in bliss as Seto initiated a deeper kiss. He parted his lips and Seto's tongue delved inside. Yugi eagerly pushed closer. They had not been intimate in a couple weeks and he was ready for an early morning tumble.

His stomach soured. It was a minor thing, almost lost in the haze of lust, and he tried to ignore it, but as Seto pulled him on top of him, his hands wandering pleasurably along his back over his pajama shirt, the feeling intensified. Yugi broke the kiss, swallowing hard. Seto frowned up at him.

"Yugi?"

Yugi's stomach lurched. He rolled off of Seto and staggered off the bed, running for the bathroom. Having had nothing to eat since the sparse dinner the previous night, there was nothing to bring up, and he only dry-heaved. His stomach roiled with nausea, but at last he stopped heaving, the muscles of his abdomen and throat aching. When he finally slumped back against the tub, he began to cry.

This was so unfair! Whatever was wrong with him was interfering with his life so much that he couldn't have dinner with his friends or even be intimate with his lover.

"Don't do that," Seto said. He'd followed him into the bathroom.

"I can't help it!" Yugi snapped. "I know crying is for weak to you, Seto, but I guess I'm just weak!"

Seto looked surprised. Yugi glared at him through the shimmering tears, his stomach still twisting. Seto's surprise turned to coldness.

"Don't talk to me like that."

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Yugi snarled. "Sorry that my crying is annoying to you!"

He slammed the toilet seat lid down so hard it bounced up again. Yugi hit it again in mid-fall and smashed it down with more force than gravity. The twin thuds echoed within the bathroom. Yugi shoved himself to his feet, still shouting at Seto.

"You'll probably want to stay away from me for a while, then, because I'll bet I'll be crying all over the place since I can't keep a single damn thing down anymore! But don't let that bother you!"

"Yugi, stop it."

Yugi knew deep down he was being stupid, but he couldn't help it. All of his anger and frustration had turned on Seto and he couldn't contain it. He knew it was irrational, but it still felt good to unleash some of the feelings. He pushed past Seto, who didn't try to stop him, though he could have easily done so.

"Maybe I'd better just stay at home the next few days," Yugi said, with a softer tone but with no less anger.

"Maybe you should," Seto said coldly.

Yugi stomach roiled again and he stalked out of the room with an abnormal amount of cursing. He burned a path through the manor, making two maids hurry out of his way and the butler hesitate to get the door for him. He stomped down the stairs to his car still parked in the circular, wrenched the door open only to yank it shut, then froze. He let out a shaking breath, then burst into tears. Why had he shouted at Seto like that? It was his fault. He'd been horrible to him!

Yugi managed to calm down enough to put the key in the ignition and drive out of the gates, but he still felt miserable. He wanted to go back and apologize, but Seto would be too mad to see him, he was sure about that. Seto would be rightfully indignant at getting chewed out for something he hadn't been responsible for and Yugi didn't dare approach him right then.

Once he was back at the Moto family apartment, he parked before the shop, turned off the ignition, and hit the wheel with his hand. Why, why, why was this happening to him? What was it? Could it be cured? Why couldn't the doctor find out anything?

Yugi felt another burst of anger, this time directed at Dr. Kuribayashi, and he was horrified. His emotions seemed out of control. One minute he was raging, the next he was crying. Could it be part of whatever was wrong with him? But what brought about nausea, vomiting, weight gain, exhaustion, and irrational emotions all at the same time?

Yugi suddenly remembered the diagnosis the computer had given him. Joey had said it sounded like he was having morning sickness, and now he was having mood swings. The computer had told him all of his symptoms combined meant he was pregnant.

Yugi scoffed and scrubbed his face vigorously with his hands. 'Get a hold of yourself, Yugi,' he admonished himself. 'Listen to yourself, you sound incredibly stupid. You're a boy, damn it! That alone makes it impossible. Does this illness mean you become a complete moron?'

Suddenly somber, Yugi dropped his hands. Could whatever disease or illness or condition he'd suddenly been experiencing be affecting his mind? Maybe that explained his vomiting and his mood swings both. He'd heard of things like tumors pressing into the brain and making things like impulse control go haywire. It could probably bring about vomiting, too. But shouldn't he be getting headaches, maybe blurred vision? And why would a tumor explain weight gain? He'd put on nearly three pounds in the month since he'd started vomiting. Surely if he had a brain tumor that was three pounds in weight, he would have noticed!

But maybe not. That would be something to mention to Kuribayashi. Though surely the doctor would have thought of that himself.

'Think about it,' Yugi thought. 'Come on, help the doctor find a diagnosis. Ok, weight gain, vomiting, fatigue… weight gain, vomiting, fatigue… mood swings? Damn it, Joey's right, it sounds like morning sickness! No, stop it, that's stupid. You're a boy, you have a damn penis!'

Yugi began to giggle and found he couldn't stop. He sat in the car, both hands pressed over his mouth, giggling so long his already-sore abdominal muscles began to protest again. At last he managed to contain himself and straighten up, somber again.

Everything kept coming back to that. It was true that it made a sort of sense… except for the fact he was a man. He might be small and slender and delicate-featured, but he was a man.

Surely there had to be another explanation than a pregnancy. So all of the symptoms matched that way and not in any other idea that he could think of, but he didn't have a medical degree. Dr. Kuribayashi would find something, he just had to be patient.

'Nausea, mood swings, fatigue, weight gain… Come on, Yugi, think. It's not an allergy, it's not a blood disorder, it's not a thyroid problem… Just put all the symptoms together and you get…'

Pregnancy.

Yugi groaned and covered his face again. Within the darkness behind his closed eyelids, he tried to think more rationally. There was no way he could be pregnant, after all.

The picture of a statue suddenly came into his mind, of a fat hippopotamus/crocodile/lion. The statue of Tawret, the Egyptian goddess of fertility. She made pregnancy possible.

'In women,' Yugi reminded himself.

But the image would not go away. It was magic, after all. Women had prayed to the statue to allow them to get pregnant.

'That doesn't mean it works. People prayed to a lot of stuff. That's doesn't make them real."

But magic was real, especially Egyptian magic. Was it possible this one was real, that it worked?

'You're still a boy,' Yugi told himself; but he was aware that his arguments seemed to be feebler, less certain. "A boy.'

Would a magic statue know the difference? A spell was a spell, it wasn't a conscious entity. Maybe the statue ensured the handler was able to get pregnant, regardless of impossibilities. Magick made a lot of the impossible possible.

'So a magic statue can make a man pregnant, just like a woman? That's stupid.'

Maybe so, but the idea, once in his head, refused to go away. Yugi sincerely thought hew as being foolish, that whatever was wrong with him was causing these irrational thoughts, just the irrational mood swings. And yet, he could not shake the subconscious worry that the statue was real. He remembered the maddening feeling he'd had that night, the restless energy, that had so swiftly turned to an undeniable need for sex the minute he'd laid eyes on Seto. He'd never been so horny in his life, not even with a gorgeous and thoroughly satisfying lover like Seto Kaiba.

'Fine,' he thought angrily.

He grabbed the keys still in the ignition and twisted them, restarting his car. He pulled away from the curb with a screech and headed for the drug store a block over. Pulling into a space in the lot, he cut the engine and got out, heading into the drug store and down to the feminine health aisle. He felt his cheeks beginning to burn and he scanned the shelves of tampons and other such things with mortification. At last he found the pregnancy tests.

"You're crazy," he muttered as he grabbed one. He didn't know one from the others, but they all had to do the same thing.

At the checkout counter, his face burned even more as he set the item down. The clerk, a woman, didn't really seem to think odd a man was buying the test. Maybe some husbands did it for their wives.

"Are you hoping yes or no?" she asked with a friendly smile, overly curious, but with innocent intentions.

"No," Yugi squeaked, thinking of himself and realizing what she had actually meant too late.

Her smile faded. "Oh. Well, I hope it's no then. That's $12.96."

Yugi gave her a twenty, got his change and the bag, and fled the store. At least she hadn't recognized him. He'd rather not have been in the gossip papers for having bought a pregnancy test. Now that Duel Monsters was all but officially over, Yugi's popularity was dwindling, which suited him just fine. Especially in situations like this.

He was shaking by the time he got into the car. He left the lot, not looking at the bag in the passenger seat, wondering where to go. He didn't want to return to the game shop. His mother would be home and even if he got the test past her and into the bathroom, he didn't want to risk her seeing him attempting to dispose of it. At the same time, he didn't want to return to the mansion. He and Seto were on rocky ground right now and Yugi didn't want to compound the problem with Seto seeing the test. He'd think he was acting crazy. And the only other friendly place was Yami and Joey's apartment, and that was no refuge either.

He needed to do this before he lost his nerve. He'd get the test over, prove his stupid hunch wrong so he could move on, and then call Dr. Kuribayashi about a tumor.

The mansion, then. Seto probably would have gone to work and Mokuba was in school. The staff would ignore him until he asked for something and there was a lot less chance of someone seeing the bag.

Yugi drove back to the mansion, and once there, grabbed the bag and hurried inside. He walked briskly up to the third floor and to the private bathroom off the main suite. He shut the door, locked it, and then elaned against it, eyes closed. This was ludicrous. But the worry wouldn't go away. The memory of the strange, itchy feeling that had accompanied needing Seto so badly it had hurt kept cropping up in his mind.

'Just get it over with,' he told himself sternly. 'Prove yourself wrong.'

He pushed away from the door and walked to the counter, setting the bag down. He pulled out the pregnancy test, ripped open the box, and slid out the white stick with a test strip on one end and a little blank window on the other. He pulled out the instructions and read them, then turned to the door and made sure it was locked. The mansion had security cameras in the halls, foyer, and public rooms, but none in the bedrooms or bathrooms. No one could see him. But he felt watched. The typical guilty, paranoid feeling of doing something you wanted no one to know about.

He hesitated, then went to the toilet, pulled up the lid and seat, and then unzipped his fly. He grabbed the test in one hand and the instructions in the other. He reread them. Pee for a few seconds, then hold the stick in the stream test strip downward.

Yugi made a face, then looked at the door again. Taking a deep breath as if he was fortifying himself, he tossed the instructions down and pulled down his underwear.

A minute later, he was setting the stick down on the counter a top a wad of tissues and picking up the instructions again. He had to wait fifteen minutes and then read the symbols in the little window. He looked down at the test. Fifteen minutes.

His stomach rolled. Yugi winced, dropping the instructions on the floor, and grabbed the counter. He closed his eyes and bowed his head, taking deep breaths, willing the nausea away. There was nothing in his stomach, so he wasn't going to throw up, but the nauseous feeling was almost as bad. When this was over, he'd have to get something to eat and hope it stayed down.

The fifteen minutes seemed to pass three times as long as they should have. He refused to look at the test, though he read the instructions once more to make absolute sure he understood them.

At last the minute hand on the clock had moved fifteen marks. With another deep and fortifying breath, wondering again if he was crazy, Yugi turned to the test.

And couldn't pick it up. No, this was stupid, beyond stupid, it was scarily insane. He couldn't possibly be pregnant, statue or not. Even if the statue worked, even if he'd felt unbearably horny after touching it, it was impossible.

Yugi grabbed up the wastebasket and swept the lot--test, instructions, wrapping, box--into the trash, dumping the basket back on the floor beside the toilet. He grabbed some tissues and balled them up, smashing them down on top of the offending items to make sure they were hidden from view. Then, heart hammering, he unlocked the door and left the bathroom, walking across Seto's expansive bedroom to the phone on the side table. He picked up the handset and sat down on the edge of the bed, dialing Dr. Kuribayashi's number. He would tell him his theory about a tumor and see what he said.

Yugi shuddered. The idea of something inside his skull, pushing on his brain, causing him to act so strangely--well, strange from the norm--and which might later cause worse thoughts and behavior, was so frightening that he felt frozen, unable to think. Still, there was also some measure of relief. He had something to consider now. Dr. Kuribyashi could X-ray his head and if a tumor was found, at least there would be something concrete, an enemy they would at last know and be able to start fighting.

He dialed the number. The phone rang twice, before it was picked up by a receptionist. Dr. Kuribayashi, though a private doctor, did not service only the Kaiba family and he was out. Frustrated, Yugi managed to keep his calm and requested that the doctor call him as soon as possible. After assuring the receptionist that his symptoms had not worsened, nor had any others cropped up, Yugi hung up.

He glanced at the clock, shocked to see that it was only a little before noon. It felt like hours had passed.

Yugi got up and headed down to the kitchen. The daytime cook was happy to get him some food and she sent him off to the conservatory with a big plate laden with fresh sliced watermelon, a bunch of grapes, cottage cheese, celery, crackers, and Swiss cheese. Holding a big glass of tea in his other hand, he managed to maneuver the door open and enter the conservatory. It was a huge room stuffed with plants. Ficus trees, potted palms, ferns, hydrangeas, peonies, roses, and even a miniature dogwood tree flourished within the room solely by the unfailing attention of the gardener. At the end of a path between the lush vegetation, a white-metal garden table and matching chairs stood beneath the blossom-laden boughs of the miniature dogwood and Yugi unloaded his burden and sat down. Most unusual of all in the enormous room was a small, indoor koi pond. It sat recessed into the floor between the dogwood and the wall, inches to the side from the chair in which Yugi sat. And on the other side, just feet from the table opened a floor-to-ceiling three-panel glass window. From there Yugi had a good view of the outdoor gardens, including the hedge maze, the roses, the lilies, and the cherry trees. A fountain jutted above everything and spouted clear water into an enormous koi pond that was the big brother of the one in the conservatory hidden below.

Yugi nibbled at his selection of snacks, alternately watching the indoor and outdoor gardens. Outside, storm-grey clouds were covering the sky above the tops of the cherry trees, though there was no rain forecasted. Inside, the koi fish swam lazily in their artificially-oxygenated home. Seto had a rare silver koi, and the ghost-like fish occasionally swam into view, startling pale against his black-and-orange fellows.

To his delight, the crackers, cottage cheese, and fruit was accepted graciously by his flighty stomach, though one bite each of the harder cheese and the celery was enough for him to know neither was to be risked. But despite that, he soon had enough in his stomach to silence both the hunger pains and the ever-present nausea. Feeling better, sipping his tea, Yugi studied the koi in the pond beside him. A few crackers were left over and Yugi began breaking them into tiny pieces, tossing them into the pond, where they were quickly snatched up by teeming koi. The silver one seemed the most aggressive and easily got the lion's share of the treat.

At last Yugi got up and took his used dishes, the plate still baring uneaten celery and Swiss, back to the kitchens. He went upstairs and washed his face and brushed his teeth, not glancing at the brass wastebasket beside the counter.

By the time he had freshened up, it was only a little after noon. Dr. Kuribayashi had not called and time seemed to be crawling by. It seemed like days since his fight with Seto.

Speaking of whom, Yugi looked up in surprise as Seto walked into the room just as he was coming from the bathroom. He paused, looking at Seto uncertainly. His lover's face was a mask, something Seto was damn good at.

"H-Hi, Seto," Yugi said timidly.

Seto set down his briefcase beside the door. He shucked off his trench coat and tossed it without looking at a chair, loosening his tie.

"What have you--"

Yugi interrupted with a rush. "Seto, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. It was so stupid and I'm really sorry. I'm just--I guess--"

"I know."

Yugi bit his lip. "I'm sorry," he repeated lamely.

Seto smiled. It was just a little crook of his lips, but Yugi's heart soared. He ran across the room and threw his arms around Seto's middle, burying his face against his chest.

"I'm sorry," he repeated muffedly.

Seto's arms encircled him. "It was just a stupid fight," he said, voice unusually soft.

Yugi lifted his head, tilting his face up to look up at him. Seto was still smiling and Yugi grinned back, feeling tears well in his eyes. He blinked them back. High emotions in him seemed hard-wired to tears. Sadness, anger, sometimes--rarely--even great happiness. Usually Yugi didn't care; he didn't think crying made him weak or any less of a man, but this time he struggled to keep them back.

Seto bent down and Yugi stood on his toes. Their kiss was soft and Yugi sighed when it was over, settling back on his feet.

"Did you come home just for me?" he asked.

Seto nodded. "I figured you'd be back here."

Yugi smiled, heart alight. He sighed again and took Seto's hand, pulling him over to the edge of the bed. Seto went, and sat with him. Yugi let go, one leg tucked up under him so he could sit facing Seto, and took a deep breath.

"Seto, I called Dr. Kuribayashi again. I'm waiting on him to call me back. I think he's going to schedule some X-rays."

Seto's face returned to its hard mask. He didn't say anything.

"I don't know what's going on with me, but… well… I think I'm going to talk to him about the possibility of a tumor."

Seto's expression hardened. His jaw clenched.

"It might be a possibility," Yugi went on. "I don't have any headaches, but the nausea and the fatigue, and most of all the way I acted this morning…" He trailed off. "Anyway, I thought it was a good idea to bring it up."

Seto looked away, down at the carpet. His expression was so fierce that it was a wonder the plush blue carpet didn't explode into flames. Yugi hesitated, then reached out and gently touched Seto's closest hand. Seto's fingers gripped his, hard, but Yugi didn't pull away. At last Seto turned back to him. His voice was controlled.

"Maybe it is," was all he said.

Yugi sniffled, the tears suddenly over spilling. He pulled his hand from Seto's and opened his arms, leaning forward. Seto turned more toward him and enveloped him in a hug. Yugi hung onto him tightly, shaking as he cried. He felt Seto hug him more fiercely than he usually did, felt his chin rest against his shoulder. They sat like that for an indeterminable amount of time, Yugi's crying lasting only a few minutes but their hold on each other lasting much longer. At last Yugi began to draw back and Seo released him. Sniffling, but past hiccupping, Yugi wiped his cheeks. Seto didn't say anything. No one understood the futility of empty words better than Seto. Though they might have been a comfort, Yugi didn't begrudge him his stoic silence.

"Why does this have to happen?" he asked pointlessly.

Seto still didn't say anything, but his jaw clenched again and he looked down at the floor. Yugi looked out the window, his hands clenching into fists. He wanted to scream. Stuff liked this never seemed right.

He looked back at Seto. His lover looked up, meeting his gaze. Yugi leaned forward, cupping Seto's cheek, and kissed him. Seto kissed him back, and when they broke apart, his eyes were torrential. Yugi sighed, then reached down and took Seto's hand. He felt worn, drained, and exhausted.

"Lay down with me?"

Seto didn't protest. He shifted, crawling into bed until he and Yugi were lying face-to-face above the covers, heads on the pillows. Yugi held his hand, watching his face even as the sleepiness began to overwhelm him. He was not surprised at Seto's silence. The more upset Seto got, the quieter he got, and he was never verbose to begin with.

Yugi drifted off, still holding his hand.

When Yugi woke, he was alone. Seto had slipped away and probably had returned to work. Yugi understood; it was the same as when he had to get out of the house whenever he thought too hard about what might be happening with him.

Yugi lay, drenched in warm afternoon sunshine, and assessed himself. The clock read 3:29. He'd been asleep over three hours. He felt leaden and achy from having stayed in the same position for so long, but comfortably warm in the sun. His stomach was mildly nauseous, but that was now such a common thing that Yugi barely noticed it. There was no headache, no pressure feeling in his head. His vision, though at first a little foggy from having just woken, was as clear and sharp as ever. When he rolled slowly over in bed until he lay on his back with his head turned to the window, he felt no swirl of dizziness. Could it be a tumor?

Yugi sighed and got out of bed. He went into the bathroom and had a long shower. When he was out, dried and dressed, he went downstairs. There, one of the maids informed him that he'd received a call from Dr. Kuribayashi an hour ago. The phone upstairs, though it could make outside calls, did not receive them. It only made noise when a maid was paging an important call through.

Yugi returned the doctor's call. Thankfully, this time Kuribayashi was in.

"Hello, Yugi. How are you feeling today?"

"About the same."

"Good and bad. My receptionist said you called. Nothing has worsened?"

"No."

There was the slightest pause. "Yugi, I really recommend you not fret. You'll only stress yourself."

"I want to have an X-ray for a tumor," Yugi said in a rush.

Another pause. Then, sharply, "Have you been having any headaches, any dizziness--"

"No. Nothing. Nothing's changed since the last time I talked to you, but I was thinking, talking about it with my friends, and it's the only explanation I could come up with." Not true, but Yugi was not telling anyone the other.

"I suppose that's possible," Kuribayashi said musingly. "Not presenting headaches or loss of vision would be unusual, but sometimes symptoms and eventual diagnosis don't always seem to match up. I was thinking an X-ray would be a good step to take now. All right, let's take a look, Yugi. I'll schedule you at the Domino County Hospital for an MRI on Friday the second at two o'clock. Is that good for you?"

It was only Tuesday, but Yugi nodded into the phone. "That's fine. Whenever."

"All right. I'll see you then. And Yugi? Don't overstress yourself. Focus on getting as much food and liquid as you can keep down, don't overexert yourself, and take one day at a time. Ok?"

"Yes, doctor."

Yugi hung up the phone, feeling both jittery and weak. He'd given his theory and Kuribayashi hadn't shot it down. Maybe he was on to something, maybe they were, maybe they'd finally know, in just four days' time, what was going on.

Yugi wanted to immediately call and tell Seto, Joey, contact Yami, but he didn't do any of it. This was not anything, just another test. He knew nothing more now than he had this morning. But, maybe by this time Friday, he would be able to tell them something.

Seto got home early from work. It was barely past five when he walked in the door and Yugi was glad to see him. He greeted him with a kiss, and immediately asked him about his day. Seto took the hint and complied, giving Yugi a brief overview of work. Mokuba was out with friends again for the evening and Seto surprised Yugi by telling him to get ready to go out. Yugi went upstairs without protest, knowing that Seto was taking him out to get his mind off of his health.

Yugi had several items of clothing for different occasions at Seto's place, some bought solely for the purpose of having here, and he washed up and changed into a charcoal-grey tuxedo and a purple tie that exactly matched his eyes, colors that flattered him. As he stood knotting the tie in front of the mirror, his eyes drifted down to his midsection. He frowned, and put his hand over his stomach. Despite the gain in weight, his belly felt as flat as it ever had. In fact, he couldn't see any signs of the three extra pounds. If it weren't for the scale, he never would have known he'd gained anything at all.

Best not to think about it. After all, Seto was taking him out for that very purpose.

Seto looked almost unbearably handsome in his own snow-white tux with blue tie. Yugi smiled fondly at the familiar sight of the colors of the Blue Eyes White Dragon, and had to blink rapidly as his eyes misted. He distracted himself by fussily rearranging the purple square of cloth in his breast pocket and when he looked up, he'd managed to do so with dry eyes.

Seto took him out to the classiest restaurant in Domino. The bill probably equaled the rent on the Game Shop and Yugi was worried it would be wasted by his touchy stomach. He ate with caution, taking almost delicate bites of proscuitto-wrapped melon, goat-cheese medallions, crab bisque, buttered lobster tail, and almond meringue tart with a bottle of white wine. He had never eaten so expensively, and to his relief, despite the ever-present mild nauseous feeling, he did not feel the need to run to the bathroom, despite the presence of seafood and tomato. Feeling content for the first time in a while, sipping from a second glass of wine, he smiled at Seto across the table.

After dinner, they walked along the harbor. It was a peaceful night, mild, and though the stars couldn't be seen here in the middle of Domino, the moon played across the softly lapping waters. They walked in comfortable silence, Yugi marveling at the hardiness of his stomach that night and realizing how sad that was.

Once they'd walked up the harbor and back down to the waiting limo, Seto put his arm around Yugi's shoulders. Yugi leaned against him gratefully, so glad for the companionship.

"Tonight was great," he said when they were upstairs in the bedroom. "Thank you."

Seto grunted. Yugi smiled, unknotting his tie and shrugging out of his tuxedo jacket. Across the room, in the second of the two closets, Seto was hanging up his own. Yugi put away his clothes and padded back out into the bedroom in his boxers, undershirt, and socks. Seto was in a similar state of undress, though he was at the dresser, digging out a pair of pajamas.

Yugi walked over and wound his arms around him from behind. He pressed a kiss to his shoulder blade through the material of his undershirt. Seto dropped the pajamas back into the drawer and turned around without bothering to close it. He bent and kissed Yugi.

Yugi broke the kiss after a blissful moment and then stepped out of his arms, walking backwards to sit on the edge of the bed. His belly was pleasantly full and only mildly annoyed, and Seto was being very sweet in his way. Yugi felt very in the mood, more than ready to continue what they'd begun that morning. Thankfully Seto didn't bring up the reason they hadn't finished that morning. He just came to him and kissed him, easing down with him as Yugi tipped back. Legs hanging over the bed, Seto still more standing than lying down over him, Yugi wound his arms around Seto's neck, kissing him gently but with rising passion. Finally Seto settled himself down on top of him with care, as if afraid of upsetting his stomach with rougher movements. Yugi didn't complain about the caution, just going with the flow of their kisses.

Seto eventually drew away, then gathered Yugi up easily in his arms and crawled up onto his knees on the bed, shifting them around until he lay on his back with Yugi atop him like they had been that morning. Yugi chuckled and started kissing him again, moaning in appreciation as he felt the hard body beneath him, hands wandering over his chest and ribs and arms. He broke the kiss when Seto's hands went to divest him off his undershirt, shivering as the calloused pads of Seto's fingers rubbed against his skin. Seto's shirt came off as well and Yugi lowered himself down again, relishing the feel of skin against skin. They kissed again, Seto's hands sliding down his back. One hand slid down the waistband of his boxers and Yugi moaned as he cupped his ass. He ground against him, sending friction along both their bodies as their growing erections rubbed.

"Mm, Seto," Yugi sighed, breaking the kiss and nibbling at Seto's ear. "Make love to me."

Seto groaned, then rolled him off and reached for the bedside table drawer. Yugi shimmied out of his boxers, then shifted, sliding around Seto until he was leaning with his ribs against his stomach, head down to his crotch. Seto froze and moaned as Yugi pushed down his boxers and swallowed him. The sudden movement had Seto nearly coming, Yugi was sure of it, and it gave him a powerful feeling of sexiness to make him react that way. Cupping his balls in one hand, Yugi sucked him, bobbing his head in a slow, unhurried rhythm. Seto lay beneath him, trembling and occasionally moaning, merely enjoying the attentions. Yugi closed his eyes, working Seto slowly, pausing only long enough to suck in some air before going back to his task, letting the tension build up after that initial near-overwhelming.

Seto's body started to tense and shake. Yugi opened his eyes, not stopping his rhythm, and searched blindly for the tube of lubricant. He found it, tumbled out of Seto's grasp, and picked it up. He opened it, still bobbing his head, swirling his tongue, knowing Seto was so close. He slicked his fingers, then reached down, cupping Seto's balls again while simultaneously sliding his middle finger inside. Seto came immediately with a hoarse yell.

Yugi waited until all of the tremors had eased, then carefully withdrew, swallowing. He licked his lips and wiped his hand, starting anew with some more lube. He moved, sliding between Seto's thighs, and sat on his haunches, pouring a liberal amount into his hand and wrapping his fingers around Seto's limp cock, stroking slowly. Seto groaned softly, beginning to harden. Yugi worked him patiently until he was hard again, then handed over the lube in anticipation. He crawled up to lay by Seto's side, hooking his leg over his waist, and kissed him. Seto kissed him back, slicking his fingers before reaching for Yugi's backside. Yugi moaned, pressing tightly against him as Seto's fingers worked their way inside him, stretching him with care and skill. He shuddered as Seto brushed his prostate, then cried out, breaking the kiss to throw his head back as Seto nudged the sweet spot with more force.

"Seto, please. Enough."

Seto ignored him. His fingers started to withdraw only to push back inside with a firmer shove. Yugi cried out again, hips jerking in reaction, his erection jabbing Seto in the hip. He rubbed himself against the hot skin, but Seto abruptly, but gently, flattened Yugi onto his back and held him down, all while not removing his fingers. Yugi whined pitifully, hips pressed down by Seto's forearm, for once the danger of his stomach completely ignored by both of them. If the pressure hurt, Yugi didn't notice it, too caught up in the amazing pleasure of Seto's touch to pay attention. He'd been feeling so sick and tired the last few weeks that sex had been pretty much last on his mind, but now he wanted to get it back.

Seto continued to mercilessly stimulate his prostate. Yugi tugged at his arms and shoulders, but Seto wouldn't budge, making Yugi wonder if he was trying to make him cum just from the relentless teasing. He was well on his way.

"Seto, no, please, I want you inside."

Seto groaned, both with lust and with disappointment, but withdrew his fingers. Only to swiftly bend down and engulf him. Yugi shrieked, Seto accomplishing what he hadn't. The sudden movement was an overload and Yugi came, struggling weakly against Seto's brace, fingers sinking into his shoulders. Seto suckled lazily even as the pulses rippled through Yugi, heightening every one. When he was finally spent, he relaxed in a heap, panting so hard his lungs and throat ached, every nerve abuzz with afterglow.

He opened his eyes hazily as the bed shifted. Seto smirked down at him with that crazily sexy smile of pure wicked lust that made Yugi's heart somehow speed up and stop at the same time. He looked up at him, biting his lip in anticipation. Sure enough, Seto lifted his hips and pressed inside. Yugi's back arched to an almost impossible degree as he felt him slide in inch by inch. He held onto the sheets for dear life, the slow rub to his prostate sending a bolt of pleasure through his sated body so bright it was almost painful.

Seto paused once he was fully within, holding Yugi's legs hooked over his arms easily, balancing on his knees. Yugi twitched into a position better for his back, releasing the sheets to run his hands along Seto's thighs and stomach, just barely in reach. Seto began the rhythm, hips moving fluidly. They both moaned, Yugi closing his eyes and just feeling. He absently ran his hands along himself, the soft brushing of his fingers over his skin accentuating the deep thrusts of Seto. He reached down and toyed idly with his semi-erect cock, getting himself back to full hardness even as every thrust of Seto's made the pleasure skyrocket that much faster.

"Uhn, Seto, gods, that's good."

Seto grunted, fingers digging into the flesh of Yugi's thighs. Yugi opened his eyes, looking up at him, seeing his usually tidy hair sticking to his forehead, his teeth bared and eyes closed, pleasure written on his face. He squeezed his muscles deliberately just as Seto thrust forward and they both cried out from the intensified pleasure.

"Yugi… do that again--"

"Like this?"

Seto gasped, stilled, and opened his eyes to glare at him. Yugi grinned back, knowing full well he'd interrupted Seto rather than having fulfilled the request he'd been trying to make. Seto finished the sentence anyway.

"Do that again and I'll come, so don't."

Yugi bit his lip, still smiling, and tilted his head teasingly. "I did and you didn't."

Seto's hips jerked hard. Yugi howled, arching up again and clawing the sheets. He had only just relaxed again, panting in the wake of the sudden pleasure strike, when Seto started his rhythm again, harder, faster. Yugi twisted his head to the other side, reaching down feverishly to his cock. He stroked the now rock-hard erection, the end rushing up so fast he knew he couldn't stop it even if he wanted to.

They crashed over it simultaneously, Yugi squealing as the warm rush of Seto's seed within him accompanied the warm rush of his own against his stomach. They collapsed, gasping for breath and trembling. Seto wiped them off half-heartedly with a corner of the sheet, then lay down at Yugi's side. Yugi lay on his back, still struggling to breathe and calm down, the sweat cooling slowly on his body. He relaxed slowly. His stomach was more nauseous than before after the brisk activity, but he ignored it. He felt so good otherwise and did not want to spoil the moment. He opened his eyes and turned his head. Seto was almost asleep and Yugi smiled at his tranquil face, briefly pecking his lips before leaning over him to turn off the light.

But as he lay in the darkness, so content and feeling so good, he couldn't fall asleep. Moments like this were his favorite, when he was lying beside Seto, so peaceful, whether they'd just made love or not. He didn't want to lose them. Now he was afraid to go to his appointment on Friday, afraid of what he would find out.

Yugi had almost forgotten their fight that morning, but even that was something to be cherished. It was, unfortunately, a natural part of a relationship and he wanted to hang onto it all, good or bad.

He realized he was looking in the direction of the bathroom as he remembered the events of that day. He turned his head and looked over at Seto, though he couldn't see him in the darkness, even with his eyes adapted. Indecision tore at him, but finally he began to slide out of bed cautiously, trying not to disturb Seto. He succeeded and padded silently to the bathroom, shutting the door before he turned on the light. He grabbed his bathroom from the hook on the inside of the door and pulled it on, cinching it shut as he stared at the brass wastebasket.

At last, Yugi reached into the , peering in before reaching in, making quite sure he grabbed the right end of the stick. He pulled it out, then turned it over, at the same time grabbing the instructions with his other hand. He turned them around to the section about the symbols, then looked at the window.

He stared. Look at the instructions. Looked back.

No.

He looked back and forth again. Nothing had changed, but surely he had misread one or the other.

But, no. He had read both correctly. He just couldn't assimilate the information. He looked again, a fourth time, and fifth.

At last it clicked, and he knew he had read the information the right way the first time.

No.

Yugi backed up slowly into the wall, in a daze, then slowly slid to the floor, the test in one hand and the instructions in the other, both forgotten. The symbols in the window were clear. Unmistakable.

He was pregnant.

tbc…

A/N: Hoooooly craaaaap. 13 pages.

-dies-

X.X