FIRST UPDATE OF THE NEW YEAR! WOOHOOO!

A little later than I hoped but technology...hat can you do?

This was another chapter i was ecstatic! to get up, mostly cause i had this scene in mind ages ago but couldn't think of any other place to place it, so i was so happy when I was bale to use this as a bonding experience for them both.

Special thanks to my beloved Grammar Knight, Araminthe Ispwitch for her wonderful editing and getting this back to me on top of her own busy schedule, and of course to my beta Val, for all her help with this one! I love you girls!

Disclaimer: You know the drill, I own nothing but the plot.

As always, read, review, critique, comment, ask questions and flame away but they MUST have a reason.

Chapter XXXVIII: Bath

When Yugi awoke again, arm hanging limply over the edge of the couch, dawn had already risen. He rolled over, one arm outstretched to cuddle closer to the warm body next to him, and was disappointed to feel only the rough, empty couch cushions. Startled awake, he propelled himself up and confirmed that he was alone on the furniture. How Timaeus had managed to slip away without stirring him was a mystery that left Yugi bewildered and utterly intrigued. His cloak had been left behind and it offered Yugi some comfort in the absence of his husband. He reached down and pulled it tighter around himself—the couch infinitely colder without its supposed second occupant. He tossed and rolled onto his back and side, but the extra space did nothing to ease his discomfort. Sleep would not come again and the terrible truth of the stiff cushions and broad, wooden frame never being comfortable without Timaeus' arms around him made itself known. Yugi flopped onto his stomach and surrendered.

Awake and irritated, awareness settled over him in alarming, discomforting clarity. His skin felt tight and itched where the rough fabric brushed it and smelled like salt. His hair felt stiff and stringy against his neck. His hands felt thick and sticky from dried vegetable juice, and his face was damp and dirty. Even the light silks against his dirty skin made him feel filthy.

"A bath," he decided, shivering with disgust. "I need a bath." He should've taken one last night, had he not been so tired. Hopping up and quickly stripping himself of the silks, he wrapped the mantle around himself and opened the doors to the washroom the way he did every morning after Timaeus assumed the Trierarch's role—

—just as Timaeus, naked and with his back to the door, upended a basin of water over his head.

Yugi's face suffused with so much color, he could feel the heat radiating off his cheeks. The cloth dropped from his hands. It landed with a soft sound Timaeus did not hear. Water glistened off his skin, illuminating each pale white or angry brown scar. Free of his armor, Yugi saw only corded muscles, broad shoulders, and a strong chest that tapered to firm hips and powerful thighs which made his insides quiver—nothing left to the imagination.

The elder threw back his wet hair like a veil, scattering raindrops in Yugi's direction, and brushed a few stray, wet locks from his face. Yugi held his breath, neck burning even redder.

"Tim—" he squeaked and covered his mouth.

His sharp ears catching the tremulous sound, Timaeus whirled over his shoulder. "Yugi?" He blinked in surprise. His eyes fell to the mantle pooled at Yugi's feet, the way his lithe frame enclosed over itself—legs trembling and thighs pressed closed, and arms strategically positioned over his chest. Perplexing as it was, the voluptuous sight of his little one's supple, buxom body—naked and flushed in all its curvaceous glory with its most promising parts teasingly hidden—made his mouth water and his skin burn with hunger. He moved to spin around but Yugi jumped, squeaking louder and shaking his head furiously. Timaeus stopped with a confused blink. All thoughts of wooing vanished in an instant. "Yugi?" he mellowed his voice, perplexed. Why was he still trembling?

Face burning redder, his hands slipped higher muffling Yugi's words. He tried to organize the babelism of his brain, but it was difficult to think, to form thoughts, to form words. Timaeus needed to step back, he needed—

"Shenti." Yugi squeaked out the only word his currently-limited vocabulary found appropriate.

Timaeus blinked, then reddened with realization. "Oh." He quickly grabbed a small towel and secured it around his waist. When he turned around, Yugi's hands were covering his face and the cloth was still pooled at his feet.

Timaeus chuckled and surveyed the beautiful body, naked all but for his small clothes. His gaze slid smoothly from that pink face—the round cheeks blushing cutely—down his slender pink neck, and slim, graceful shoulders. His raised arms hid the best parts of his chest, but Timaeus drank in the sight of his soft sculpted stomach, soft pink thighs, smooth honey-cream legs, and dainty feet. Then his eyes swept back up the beautiful frame—looking pale, small, and soft, yet curvaceous and supple. He licked his lips in approval.

"Beautiful," he breathed out the compliment huskily.

Yugi pulled his hands away and blushed for a different reason. His startled eyes morphed to a glare but he struggled to keep it when he caught Timaeus' hungry gaze on him. All blazing eyes and caramel skin and looking absolutely magnificent, dressed in only water and a small cloth.

Timaeus gave a light-hearted chuckle and a husky smile. "We are married, are we not?" he repeated Yugi's own words and Yugi's face turned redder. "We would've seen the other's natural flesh eventually." He took slow steps towards him, sounding soothing. "And it is not as if we haven't seen the other in a similar state before."

Yugi fought the urge not to breathe when Timaeus' hand rose to rub his cheek.

"Is it uncommon for couples to bathe together?" Timaeus asked, letting it linger.

Yugi shook his head.

Timaeus smiled and sat down on a small bathing stool next to an empty basin, a scuttlebutt of water, and a series of small brightly-colored bottles in a basket. He patted his thigh invitingly. "Come, let me wash your hair."

Yugi registered the gesture with a growl and remained firmly rooted in place. Arms crossed stubbornly over his chest.

"Come here, you stubborn boy," Timaeus said with a curled finger and an eyebrow elegantly arched in warning—the message clear.

Yugi huffed indignantly at the other's smoldering eyes, blazing not with anger or annoyance but desire. The cold shiver that ran down Yugi's spine was a cross of excitement and fear. It tempted him more than he dared to admit.

Timaeus' eyes softened to a warm smile and Yugi's resistance melted. With as much reluctance as he could manage, Yugi shuffled towards him and plopped down on the stool with his back to the seductive Trierarch, his proud nose arched high.

Then he shrieked when a basin of water was upended over his head. Drenched and wet, he braced himself for the incoming cold, but found it surprisingly lukewarm. It was not unpleasant. He watched Timaeus stand and refill the basin by dunking it into the scuttlebutt. He placed it on the floor and removed a washcloth and a purple glass bottle from the adjacent basket.

He submerged his hands in water, poured a generous amount of the bottle's contents onto his palms in a swift fluid motion, and rubbed his hands together, creating bubbles. The smell of alkyne and lavender assaulted Yugi's senses. He motioned his finger in a small circle. Yugi stared at the sudsy hands suspiciously but obeyed. He sat rigidly and waited.

Strong fingers wove through Yugi's hair, rubbing in slow, soothing circles. Used to having his hair washed by servants and handmaids' scratchy nails, Yugi hadn't expected Timaeus' fingers to be so gentle—massaging his locks into a rich lather. Yugi bit back a moan, but leaned back into the touches.

Timaeus smirked behind him. Stubborn little thing, his consort was, but Timaeus did not mind. He readjusted his position and flexed his fingers in repetitive, vertical lines.

Yugi shuddered under his fingers and found himself remembering the way Timaeus' fluttering kisses burned his lips, the way his gentle touches left a blistering heat on his skin, the way his hands roughly held his hips and teased his sides, and the brazen feel of his body pressed almost lovingly against his. Not for the first time, he wondered—what would it be like to make love to a man like this? A man who was as handsome as he was virile? Yugi imagined he would be passionate, if his fervent kisses were any indication, but would he be tender? Or would he be rough? Would Timaeus touch him gently and just enough to awaken Yugi's desire, or tease him mercilessly with kisses until he was wet and wanting? Or would he take him wildly and with so much passion Yugi lost himself in the throes of it? Would he kiss or would he bite? Which one did Yugi want him to do?

Yugi shivered again. Timaeus' fingers scratched intricate patterns across his scalp, followed by a gentle brushing back of his hair. Yugi responded with a shudder of ecstasy. Feeling those fingers on his scalp, Yugi decided that if Timaeus made love the way he washed hair and made it just as pleasurable, then he would take either.

"Close your eyes." The warning was a husky whisper in his ear. Yugi's eyes popped open. A chunk of froth flopped on his nose. Timaeus brushed it away gently. "Lean your head back," he instructed.

Arching his back and craning his neck, Yugi obeyed. Timaeus placed a gentle, wet hand over his eyes, and with the other, dumped a basin of warm water over his frothy hair. He continued the process, brushing the locks gently.

"My, my, you have so much hair," Timaeus teased. It was several buckets later until he finished. "Now hold still and let me wash the rest of you."

Timaeus smirked and pressed a palm to Yugi's back, motioning him to sit straight. Yugi jumped up and sat still. Timaeus grinned at the challenge and started spidering his fingers across Yugi's scalp, his touches varying: some were tender and soft, others were quick and fleeting, and some rough with want, but all of them carried the perfume of lavender and bubbles. At last, Yugi moaned loudly and relaxed into the touch.

Timaeus smirked. His skin prickled with pride. He removed his hands from Yugi's hair and rinsed them in the basin. Over his shoulder, Yugi watched him submerge the washcloth in water and rub his hands together, creating a lather. Timaeus' hands returned, this time washing the back of his neck, scrubbing gently along his shoulders and rubbing small, tantalizing circles down Yugi's shoulder blades and back. Yugi shuddered in delight, feeling the wet cloth and strong hands work down his back, around his hips, slip towards his thighs—Yugi exhaled a sigh and then inhaled sharply, nearly drunk on the gentle caresses, the perfume of bubbles, and the tingling sensation that came with the pride of being desired—only for those hands to pull away to scrub his legs.

Yugi's eyes popped open. He spun to protest and was met with another waterfall of water washing over his skin, stripping away the dirt and soap and leaving the skin soft and creamy.

Yugi shook his wet hair, scattering raindrops, and ran a hand through the midnight locks—surprisingly soft even when wet. "Thank you," he praised, and caught the triumphant smile pulling at Timaeus' lips and the desire burning in those bi-colored eyes of emerald and pearl.

Yugi's own face pulled into a proud smirk. Still, he wasn't ready to give up the game just yet.

He threw his wet hair back like a veil, sending a shower of water. Timaeus leaned back, barely missing the wet veil. A few stray strands smacked his cheek with a wet slap. Yugi arched his chest and rolled his chin seductively over his shoulder. "But don't start thinking I'm so easily won," he boasted proudly. "I'm not some docile maid you can swoon. It will take far more than that to seduce me."

Timaeus laughed, low and sultry. Then his face hardened—his smile wicked and his eyes blazing and wild. "Oh, Yugi." Timaeus leaned forward, the name rolling off his tongue—a deep, sonorous glib with all the ease of someone well-versed in such arts. His arms snaked up Yugi's legs and crept up his thighs. "Did I not tell you once?" One hand stayed there, the other wrapped tightly around Yugi's waist. "If I was trying to seduce you…" He wrapped his arms around Yugi tighter and pulled Yugi into his lap—their chests flushed against the other and excited amethyst blazing straight into burning emerald, wild with desire. His voice dropped dangerously low. "You would know it."

He slapped Yugi's thigh gently.

A shiver raced up Yugi's spine—his skin tingled when Timaeus pulled away. The new position gave Yugi a delicious view of Timaeus' chest: every angle, every curve, every hill and valley of aged, cut muscles and every terrifying and enticing scar. Yugi sat staring, taking in Timaeus' long, lean outline. Small faint scars decorated the strong muscles of his arms and were speckled all over his upper torso. They were almost as many on his back, but these were larger and much more cruelly delivered: long thin strips of pale white, thick gashes from swords and knives and stab wounds, and one large dent covered almost the entire junction between his collar and left shoulder. Yugi inhaled sharply, wondering where it had come from. What was its story? The pain it must have caused him… A hand rose subconsciously to touch it; it felt dry and rough under his fingers. His fingers then wandered to the other scars. Each one told a darker story than the one before. It made him wonder—why were there so many? What had he done to deserve them, if anything at all? Did he have the courage to ask?

Timaeus chuckled, breaking Yugi's concentration. The boyish smile on his face was playful and curious. "Tenacious, aren't you?"

Yugi did not smile. "How did you get this scar?" Yugi asked, gently rubbing the large blemish.

Timaeus' acts of wooing stopped immediately. His face turned blank.

"Why do you want to know?" he demanded, voice thick with reluctance.

Yugi was unfazed. "Why won't you tell me?" His hard eyes met Timaeus'. Neither flinched.

Then Timaeus looked away. "It's not something I tell most—"

"I'm not most," Yugi cut him off. He spun around in Timaeus' lap, facing the other completely. His smile softened and he lifted his hands to cup Timaeus' cheeks. "We promised to start over. No more secrets. I won't pry if you can't tell me yet, but can I know some?" His eyes lowered to a long thing sliced across his left pectoral. His long fingers traced the thick knife scar. "Were you stabbed?"

"No." Timaeus smiled, taking Yugi's hand and rubbing the back of it with his thumb. "I received this during a scuffle I had with a pirate during my days as a merchant."

"You fought pirates?" Yugi gasped with amazement then paused with realization. "You were on a merchant ship?"

" 'Twas my second home," Timaeus nodded, retrieving a wet cloth from the basin and continued to wash Yugi's chest and sides. "After my parents—" He paused, his voice trailing off.

"Died," Yugi finished. Timaeus neither confirmed nor denied the answer.

"I was… young… when I lost them," he replied, but said no more.

"And this one?" Yugi asked, changing the subject. He traced a small scar on his lower abdomen. It wasn't pale like the others, but dark and crisp like a stain with paler scrapes inside.

Timaeus smirked. "I got that one the day I met my first love."

Yugi pulled away, violet eyes glazed over with jealousy—the demand evident in the scowl of his lips.

Timaeus smirked. "No need to trouble yourself," he teased. "It only happened because some brazen fool wished to impress her by taking on an opponent twice his skill and twice his strength."

"Let me guess, you stopped the fight and saved him?" Yugi retorted.

Timaeus laughed. "Of course not! I was the brazen fool trying to impress her."

Despite himself, Yugi chuckled.

"At last, a smile," Timaeus teased, poking his stomach. Yugi tried to stifle his giggles and push his hands away, but Timaeus was quicker and crushed the boy to his chest instead. The silence that followed was short and calm, but Yugi's pout remained.

Sensing his disappointment, Timaeus brushed his wet hair gently from his face and added, "Rest well, little love. It was over long ago."

"No," Yugi said at once, cross and pouting.

Timaeus sighed. "It was not a true love I felt, though at the time, I thought I was—but you always do when you're young and foolish."

Yugi continued to pout.

Timaeus snorted. "Don't be such a martyr. You are neither so young nor so innocent that you have not had your own affairs, even if none were intimate."

Yugi shot up and blushed.

Timaeus smirked. "May I ask who?"

"They—" Yugi protested, face red and nose pointed high. "—are no longer important."

"I thought not," Timaeus chuckled.

He dropped the vials in the basket, the basin on the table, and the washcloth on a drying wrack, then handed Yugi a large dry towel before taking another one for himself. They dressed separately; Timaeus donned a clean under-armor complete with his gloves and boots but left the mantle where it laid. Yugi fished through the silks and clothes before finally settling on the under-armor he'd worn the previous day. It was slightly damp and smelled of salt, but he wore it anyway, and placed the silks in a pile on the bed.

"You know you are going to have to get used to those eventually?" Timaeus teased as Yugi struggled with the links.

"I never said I wouldn't," Yugi countered. "When we reach Locri and I'm officially your consort, I'll wear all the silks and lavishing clothes that befit a Magistrate, but for now, I don't have a lot to wear and your men still doesn't trust me. I'll do whatever little things I can do to earn their respect."

Timaeus looked stunned, then smiled proudly. "Well, you are certainly on the correct path in that regard." He swooped behind Yugi to help him with the ties in the back. Yugi surrendered and accepted the help.

"But perhaps," Timaeus added, tying the last knot. "We could hasten the efforts."

Yugi spun to him. "How so?"

Timaeus grinned. "Well, as you are my consort and this ship is as much yours now as it is mine and you will need to learn how best to govern it in my absence," he began, pausing. Yugi's eyes perked with an almost disbelieving hope. "I think from now on, I'd like it if you accompanied me in the running of this ship. 'Tis only fair we share the responsibilities, after all."

Yugi's entire frame brightened then, with a delighted shriek, he launched himself into Timaeus' arms and hugged him tightly around the middle. Timaeus almost stumbled as he caught him but returned the embrace. The bright face and joyous smile made his heart pound and flutter all at once and he resisted the urge to kiss Yugi right there and then. Time for such delights would come later.

"Of course," he added, brushing his fingers through Yugi's soft, damp hair. "There will be a few… conditions." He let the last word linger.

Yugi pulled away with a tilt of the head and a suspicious glint that rivaled an imp's.

"First of all," Timaeus began, his tone firm. "No more of this hiding—and don't deny that you do it," he said and rose a stern finger. "If we're going to know one another again, then we can't have you locking yourself away when you're angry. Fair?"

Yugi nodded. "That seems pretty standard."

"And as a reward…" Timaeus lips twitched into a small smile. "You'll be free to roam about as you wish—without my or Rhebekka's guidance."

A new emotion brightened Yugi's eyes. It took Timaeus a moment to recognize what it was: august approval. "About time." Yugi covered the words up with a quick quirk of the lips.

"Secondly," Timaeus ignored the commentary, "As we have already agreed, no more secrets, but I'd also like to add that we be more…" He paused to find the correct word. "Open with the other about things." Then he added sternly, "I mean it, no more hiding your thoughts and concerns because you think I might not care to listen. I do and always shall."

Yugi blinked, then looked up with a giggling smile. "Alright," he said, then lifted a finger and jabbed it pointedly into Timaeus' chest. "But I expect the same from you. No more hiding things from me because you believe it will keep me safe or you don't want to trouble me." He placed a hand on his hip. "If we are going to be Magister and Magistrate, as well as husband and consort, your responsibilities are mine as well."

The stern determination of his gaze fostered no room for negotiation.

Timaeus beamed with pride. "I can deny you nothing, but…" He lifted his own quick finger and his lips pulled into a smirk. "On one final condition." His smile had not faltered, but the tone held more gravity than all the words before them had.

Yugi stiffened and nodded.

Timaeus swooped forward and sealed their deal by stealing a long, passionate kiss from Yugi's surprised lips. His startled heart immediately melted into the fiery sweetness of it, then moaned with disapproval when Timaeus pulled away, licking his lips.

"I expect a kiss at least once at dawn," he counted on his fingers, "a second at dusk, and a third at night."

Yugi smirked and licked the fiery taste from his lips. "I can agree to those terms."

I love this chapter! my favorite part about it, is I was able to make it pleasantly salacious, but focusing on the bonding and trust building between them without it becoming too sexualized...and if you'll remember from their time in Kemet, this is not the first time they've seen the other naked, hell Yugi only eve wore a shenti most of the time, so its not too far of a stretch, but they DID JUST reconcile so i wanted it to be more of a chance for them to start over, build trust and of course learn more about Timaeus.

Another reason, is some people have complained about Timaeus calling Yugi "consort" instead of "wife". There is a reason for that: Consort, means literally, spouse or partner, either a wife or a husband, there is no gender-specific term. Since Yugi is a boy, Timaeus calls him Consort, as a replacement for wife because Yugi doesn't like be referred to as "womanly" so for him its a term of respect. It has nothing to do with power, yes, consort also refers to one married to one with power but who has no political power, but this is not the case. Whenever Yugi's position or status is referred to they use Magistrate. So I wanted to clarify that. Timaeus calls Yugi his consort as a means of affection.

One other thing I wanted to mention with a lot of the semi-lime situations between them-is it REALLY that surprising? Yugi's from kemet which was an incredibly open society, sexually, i know we haven't reached Atlantis yet, but given its advancements i imagine it would be quite similar. Also, sex in ancient times wasn't the same as it was today. its hard to explain but a good book i recommend for anyone interested in the history of royal marriages (or rather the REAL hardships of being a queen, i suggest Eleanor Herman's non-fiction Sex with the Queen. a GREAT book! But the gist of it is, regardless of how marriages occurred, whether either party was willing etc. Sex was part of it, like regardless of your feelings on the marriage, you had to have a wedding night, one because a consummated marriage can't be annulled, two, more obviously, you needed heirs and you weren't gonna get legal ones unless you "did your duty" and more importantly it was considered a right, not just for men but for woman as well. If a woman didn't sleep with her husband she "denied him his right" not just to her body, but also his right to his entitlement, aka her dowry and whatever lands she brought to the marriage (again goes back to consummating the marriage making it legal), but also if a man couldn't consummate the marriage then people would think he was impotent or unable to "do the deed" which was not only insulting to him, but also bad for business since it made him appear weak and feeble (and there were plenty of men throughout history who WERE impotent or too scared to sleep with their wives). More importantly, it was considered an insult to the woman if there was no wedding night: especially in 1000 BCE before Athens, woman's ability to create life was held in incredibly high regard: Egypt, the fertile Crescent, ancient Islam, the Greek colonies (accept Athens), especially the Spartans who considered woman's ability in such regard that death in childbirth was considered to be the highest and most honorable death for woman like dying in war was for men. The expression "Childbirth is to woman what war is to men" originated from this belief as well as the fact that woman risked their lives every time they gave birth to bring children into the world the same way men went to war to defend their homes and children. What does this have to do with the wedding night? Simple: because woman were held in such high regard if a men was not sexually attracted to his wife or didn't sleep with her, it was considered an insult to her, saying she wasn't worthy of having children, or was too ugly and unattractive. So basically it boded bad for both parties if a marriage went unconsummated.

In the case of Timaeus and Yugi, however, Timaeus, because he's honorable chose to wait until they arrive at Locri to consummate the marriage because the Locrian tradition is for the Bridegroom to spirit away the bride from her home and carry her to the new home they will share together, course, we ll know that's also an excuse because he knows Yugi's was upset with him and he wanted to earn his trust back, first, which alone is HUGE because woman did not have this right (if tyou have ever read the original beauty and the beast or the beast tales where the husband asks his young wife every night if he can share her bed this was to prove his love for her by giving her a right newlywed woman did not normally have.) same thing.

And most obvious, they're boys in love: Yugi is 19 and still a virgin and Timaeus is 27 and in his sexual prime, they're both hot, they KNOW they other is hot and they're attracted to each other: of course they're gonna be horny and wanting to experiment, but they're not ready for full-blown sex and they both know it-so this is a way to help thm get to that point. Its not about having sex its about forming a connection not just on an emotional one but a sexual one, that's love and real life, is always changing, keeps you guessing and drives you crazy but you wouldn't change it-that's how i see Timaeus and Yugi, and that's what I'm trying to show, so if anyone has any other suggestions on how I can do that...I am ALL ears.

Anyway, hop you guys enjoyed the chapter as much as i did!

NEXT UPDATE: January 16th

NEXT TIME: Yugi's Trierarch training begins with a few surprises. Timaeus learns something new about his beloved bride and a little secret of Yugi's makes itself known.

As always read, review, critique, comment, aske questions, voice concerns and go nuts! i can't wait for your feedback, and hopefully FanFic will stop glitching enough so i get the ACTUAL reviews not just the email notifications...THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND FEEDBACK!