Chapter Sixteen:

Joey poked his head into the kitchen to find Yami sitting at the dining room table, a bunch of books scattered around him. He was reading something intently and didn't look up when Joey padded into the room.

"Whatcha readin'?"

Yami picked up one of the other books and held it out to Joey without lifting his head from the book open in front of him. Joey took it and turned the cover around. It was a guide to child birth and babies, insisting it was a comprehensive step-by-step from conception to kindergarten on the having and rearing of young children.

"Oh." Joey set the book down and dropped into a chair. He looked at all the books, eight in total, and saw they were all of the same subject. Yami had clearly raided one of Domino's two libraries. "Any help?"

Yami didn't answer for a couple of minutes. He was focused on the book, eyes running back and forth and a frown on his face. Joey drummed his fingers while he waited. At last he pushed the book away and sighed. Joey snagged it and turned it so he could read the heading. He saw that it was a chapter called Pregnancy Complications.

"Hey, come on," Joey said. "We don't know any of this stuff is going to happen."

"It is best to be prepared, Joey."

"Well, yeah, but don't get stressed out. Yugi's five months along already. I mean, I heard the doc. Yug' ain't gonna carry this kid all the way, but we can't get all worked up about what hasn't happened yet. Kuribayashi doesn't seem-"

"Dr. Kuribayashi isn't an obstetrician," Yami said sourly.

Yami seemed to be determined to be upset. Joey knew he was worried, which for Yami came in the form of sullen silences and sarcastic comments. Since they'd been to the doctor to see the ultrasound a few days ago, Yami had really gotten quiet. Like Joey, he'd believed Yugi from the outset, but the saying that seeing was believing wasn't a saying for no reason.

"No, but he is a doc and he's gettin' his info from an obsa-obstra-one of them. Yug' told us that. Read your books if you want, but quit skulking around here all moody. Yug's the one who should be all hormone-y."

Joey saw the temper burning in Yami's eyes and he got mad back.

"Don't look at me like that. You're a damn doomsayer, Yami. You've always been like that."

"I become prepared for the worst, Joey, because it's the smart thing to do. 'Winging it' worked for your Duel Monsters deck, but this is the real world."

"So, I'm dumb, am I?" As Yami opened his mouth, whether to retort or take it back, Joey didn't wait to find out. He raised his voice. "No, shut up! You look at the world like it's just laying in wait to stab you in the back, and I get it, Babe. You didn't end up in the Puzzle on a dare. But just 'cause shit went bad for you doesn't mean it's going to all the time. Don't you think I'm worried? I am! But you're taking this out on me, like you did when you were sick. Quit being such a fucking pessimist!"

Yami stood up with a jerk and stormed out of the kitchen. Joey growled and slammed his fist on the table.

"Yeah, that's real helpful!" he yelled.

The bedroom door slammed shut.

******

Joey, of course, was entirely a hypocrite about childish behavior when angry. It was almost seven and he was as hungry for dinner as he was mad. He slammed through the refrigerator and cabinets, heating up some microwavable greasy whatever and boiling some noodles. In his jerky, angry movements, he slopped water on the stove top, spilled seasoning powder and soda on the counter, dropped a couple napkins on the floor, and didn't bother to clean any of it up. Out in the living room, he plopped down on the couch, turned on some mindless action movie, then cranked the volume up and ate his dinner.

After almost an hour, Yami hadn't come out of the bedroom. Joey's anger had burned out enough that he had lowered the volume on the TV, but he was in no mood to try and roust a grumpy Pharaoh out.

It was dark and chilly and he wasn't much in the mood to go out either, but the movie was over and he couldn't even remember what it had been, and now a news program was on. Joey shut off the TV, then went into the bathroom. Sometimes he liked to draw a hot bath and then just soak, sometimes playing games on his phone and oftentimes just vegging out. Especially on nights when he and Yami got into a fight, which happened a bit. They both had habits that irritated the hell out of the other and neither was shy about speaking their mind.

Joey filled the tub, then disrobed and climbed in. As the heat started seeping into his bones, he sighed and leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes.

The truth was, Joey, too, was stressing about it no matter what he told Yami. He found himself thinking of it randomly, twice in as many days forgetting he was supposed to be spinning for his listener base and allowing dead air on the radio. That was a huge taboo for the DJRB Station, and Joey had gotten the rough side of his manager's tongue just before leaving that day. Which was not something he was interested in telling Yami about.

He knew they were all troubled. There was Yugi's health to worry about, and the baby's, the future with a kid around that might have defects from its less than universal beginning, and Kaiba's reaction. Five months in and Kaiba was still in the dark. He was going to be furious at best.

Well, there was nothing to do but take it one day at a time. That had always been Joey's outlook on life. He had gotten dealt a bad hand as a kid, and so had the Kaibas, and so had Yami. But they had survived, more or less in some cases, and had made due with what they had. This wouldn't be any different, no matter what happened.

Joey opened his eyes as he heard a noise above his head. He looked up to see Yami standing in the bathroom, eyes stormy. Before Joey could even say anything, Yami grabbed his chin, yanked his head up, and kissed him hard on the mouth. Joey wound his fingers in a spike-lock and kissed him back, his free hand taking one of Yami's and enfolding it. Yami shifted to sit on the edge of the tub and forced his tongue into Joey's mouth. Joey imagined he could almost taste the muted terror Yami was feeling. He broke the kiss.

"It's going to be okay," he said.

Yami looked back at him, silent, but his eyes still burning. He kissed Joey again, shifting on the edge of the tub to scoot closer to him. And then he slid off and into the water. It was like a switch was thrown. Yami pushed him back against the tile, shifting around somehow and straddling his legs without really relinquishing his plundering of Joey's mouth. Joey grabbed his waist and pulled him closer against him, then yanked his shirt out of his pants and dragged it up over Yami's head, throwing the half-wet garment onto the floor. They kissed again, both of them fumbling at the belts, button, and zipper of Yami's pants. Yami surged up onto his knees and the back of Joey's head hit the tile a little, their lips mashing against their teeth. Joey tasted a little blood and he growled, shoving Yami up with one hand as he grabbed the edge of the tub with the other and heaved himself up enough for them both to get their feet under them. He half-crouched for a moment, yanking Yami's sopping pants and underwear down his hips. He balanced Yami while he stood on one foot so Joey could yank his pants and underwear off first one ankle and then the other. The clothes were left forgotten floating in the remainder of the water while Joey straightened, looking Yami in the face.

A thin trickle of blood ran down Yami's chin from his bottom lip. He carelessly swiped it off with one hand and pulled Joey toward him with the other. Their mouths met again and Joey pushed Yami back against tile wall at the other end under the shower head. Hanging from it was a shower caddy full of their shampoos, an old wash rag, body wash, and a container of lubricant, since shower sex wasn't new to them. Joey reached over Yami's head into the caddy for it.

Using the hand still holding Yami's arm, Joey twisted him around and then slicked his fingers. He pushed two into Yami at the same time he kissed the soft spot below his ear. Yami's hands were splayed against the tile wall and he pushed his hips back with a groan. It was the first real sound he'd made and Joey reached around him with his other hand to grasp his erection and stroke it. He stretched him with three fingers, then poured lube over his cock before tossing the container back into the shower caddy still open. He smoothed the lube all along his length, then lined up and pushed in, nuzzling his face into Yami's hair while he listened to him whine.

The rhythm was unsurprisingly almost immediately fast and hard. Yami's forehead was resting against the tile between his hands. Joey hitched his hips up until he was on his toes and Yami's voice echoed through the room. Joey's own growls were muted by spiky hair, the slap of their skin a counterpoint. He squeezed Yami's erection in his other hand and felt him shudder.

It didn't last long. Joey felt and heard the sounds of Yami getting close and he let go of his hip to reach up and grab his chin, forcing his head around and claiming his mouth. One of Yami's hands gripped his wrist and then he was coming. Joey followed right after, gentling the kiss for a moment before finally breaking it. He rested his forehead against the side of Yami's, the both of them catching their breaths.

At last Joey drew back, then turned Yami around again. He wasn't sure if any of the thunderheads had cleared out of his eyes, but his heavy-lidded gaze showed he was at least worn out enough to sleep.

Joey looked out over the bathroom. About half of the tub's contents was now flooded all over the floor and Yami's clothes were sodden heaps. If they didn't end up with ruined linoleum, he'd be surprised, and he didn't care.

They got out, Joey slipping and landing on one knee. Without a word from either of them, they got out the entire linen closet's supply of towels and mopped up, draining the rest of the water, and then throwing the whole dripping mess of fabric into the tub.

Back in the bedroom, Joey looked down at Yami laying naked on the sheets. His lip was clotting and bruises in the shape of Joey's hands were blossoming on his right arm and both hips. There was a scrape Joey could just see on his left calf and he thought it came from the faucet.

"I'm sorry," he said as he lay down next to him and gingerly traced his fingers over his lip.

"Don't," Yami murmured. He kissed Joey's fingers, then pushed him down onto his back and shifted to rest his head on his chest. "I'm sorry, too."

Joey wrapped his arms around him and rubbed his back. "I'm worried about Yugi, too. But you can't let it get in your head so much. You always do, and look what happens. It works out. It always works out for Yug'. You and me won't let nothin' happen. Kaiba won't either. No matter how much of an ass that dick is, he loves Yug' and he won't let anything happen to Yug' either."

tbc...

A/N: I'm back. I'll try to finish these stories, but it's (obviously) slow-going. Don't get your hopes up.