So...I am updating this just shy of seven months after the last one...not my longest haitus but...definitely close...

so...long story short i had the next three chapters prewritten but some fantastic advice from a friend of mine inspired me to go back and rewrite them all-and after six months of haitus, debates, block and working on other projects I FINALLY got my mojo back and I am SO happy with the turn around with these chapters! Pay close attention cause there are TONS of hints in these chapters for what will be happening in PART III ;)

As always special thanks to my reviews for their patience.

DEDICATION: For Val, who inspired me to rewrite these chaps and make them the best they can be an never giving up when life gets hard, and for Pineapple487 for her wonderful editing!

Disclaimer: i own only the plot.

Chapter LXI: Glow

Yugi awoke to the rosy hue of dawn kissing his cheeks. Or was it the golden haze of noon teasing him through the window? Or perhaps it was the soothing crimson and purple of twilight brushing across his eyes. He could no longer tell: time seemed so meniscal here—wrapped in Timaeus' arms.

A soft, slow smile curled his lips as he slowly blinked himself awake. A lazy warmth settled over him like he'd fallen asleep in the shade of a pomegranate tree on a late afternoon. He breathed deeply and inhaled the cool, crisp, refreshing scent of salt and sea water, rugged earth and fresh rain.

With a pleased grunt—and a titanic effort of his will—Yugi managed to roll over, his smile curling as he admired Timaeus' sweet, sleeping face. His blaze of black hair fell in loose, lazy tussles about his face, and his soft expression was unlike any Yugi had ever seen on him before: so warm and open, content, relaxed, happy—truly, genuinely happy. It was visible in every line: the curve of his cheek; the smile tugging minutely at his lips; the smooth worriless crease of his brow; even the jagged red lines of his scar seemed less angry. Yugi couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Timaeus look so happy—and his heart hammered with a giddy sort of pride as he realized why.

With feather-like softness, he traced the soft, fading lines of his scar. Timaeus shook away with a pleased grunt, but did not awaken. Eyes brightening at the challenge, Yugi's lips curled with impish sweetness as a wicked idea filled his mins. With teasing slowness, he feathered his fingers across Timaeus' scar, down his cheek, around his lips and chin, down his neck to his collar, peppering kisses as he went. He traced the map of scars across his chest softly, sweetly kissing each one and suppressing a smile every time Timaeus hummed or moaned or shifted in his sleep. Giggling like an imp, Yugi tapped his fingers over rivets of hot, muscled flesh, massaging gently as he proceeded to slowly, sweetly wake Timaeus up.

The chest beneath him rumbled, and the low chuckle that followed was as relaxed as thunder. Feeling mischievous, Yugi pushed himself up and started to pull away—and was tugged back down by the strong arms curled tightly around his waist.

Mismatched eyes opened with a lazy smile and settled upon him with a wicked, gleaming intent that made Yugi shiver.

"And just where do you think you're going?" Timaeus' face was a casual, relaxed smile, but his eyes were burning and his hands, sliding towards Yugi's thighs.

"Good morning," Yugi said, smiling shamelessly: the picture of dainty, doe-eyed innocence. "Sleep well?"

"I did," he said lazily, but something like hunger tugged at his smile. "Until someone woke me up, and I was having such a nice dream." He sighed flamboyantly.

With an amused chuckle, he hugged his little consort tighter, breathing in the sweet smell of rain and lotus and pomegranates, and something that was wholly, distinctively Yugi.

Yugi giggled warm-heartedly as Timaeus curled around him. "Oh? And what were you dreaming about that was so pleasant?"

Timaeus' eyes flashed, and a smile that was absolutely wicked slit his face. He didn't mistake the brightness in Yugi's eyes for anything other than pure mischief. "How about I show you."

His warm breath rippled like molten heat across Yugi's neck. His heart galloped in his chest. Those strong, hard hands slid to his thighs with salacious intent and those eyes blazed with an ardent desire to take and claim and touch. Yugi blushed.

His eyes alight with the challenge, Timaeus swallowed Yugi's gasp of surprise and proceeded to kiss the insolence out of him. Slowly, wickedly, he rolled Yugi onto his stomach and kissed his way down his spine. Yugi melted into his touch, all thoughts of rebellion banishing with the press of Timaeus' lips against his skin. He moaned, feeling those strong hands spread his thighs, grabbing his hips, and lifting them up, up, up until Yugi was on his knees before him. His kisses dipped lower…lower…until Timaeus was feasting on him and Yugi was squirming under the wet, liquid warmth of his tongue—until Yugi's thighs were quaking in his hands and he was muffling his moans into his pillow, begging, "Please."

Timaeus rose up behind him and kissed Yugi over his shoulder. His warm, muscled chest pressed against the curve of Yugi's spine, and his hot, heavy flesh slid skillfully between those quivering thighs. With a triumphant smirk, he said, "As you wish," and thrust deeply and unhurriedly inside of him.

Arms warm and tight around Yugi's waist, he started to move with slow, languid thrusts. Yugi melted into his embrace with a moan of sheer delight. It was…it was… He had no words for it. The way Timaeus made love to him in the morning: so slow and lazy, sensual and sweet—so very wickedly sweet. The way his green eyes beamed with that lazy sort of satisfaction, the other reflecting a sort of secret, virile triumph. The way his soft kisses and slow, steady movements had him quaking and quivering and biting his pillow to keep from waking the whole house with his moans. The way those strong hands held his thighs and that hot, heavy flesh pumped and pulsated with that same, slow, steady wickedness.

"T-Tim," Yugi moaned in warning when he felt his insides tighten.

Timaeus swallowed his moans with a kiss and pushed deeper, deeper, deeper inside him until Yugi could bear it no longer and he came with a loud, low scream swallowed by Timaeus' kiss. He liquefied in Timaeus' embrace, held up only by the arms around his middle and calves am fire and flame no more, Timaeus. I am the lotus seeking your sun.

The boy melted under him and Timaeus beamed. The warmth of his flesh, his mouth, his insides—it was more than Timaeus could bear, and he found completion not long after , just before collapsing with Yugi, still tight and warm in his embrace. A smile curled across his face as Yugi snuggled closer to him, flooding him with warmth.

I am no longer a dragon, my sweet Yugi. I am the mountain, my snow melted by your warmth.

They didn't know how long they laid there, lazily touching the other and gazing lovingly into the other's eyes—Timaeus rubbing his cheek in Yugi's soft hair, breathing in the scent of lotus and pomegranates, kissing his way to Yugi's bright pink cheeks, and Yugi giggling happily under each kiss, wrapping his hands around the other's arms, enjoying how safe and warm and vulnerable he was. It was as if they did indeed have all the time in the world.

A grin spread across Yugi's face. "How long have we been here?" he asked, gaze wandering towards the window in search of the sun or the stars.

He gasped when Timaeus rolled him over and kissed him.

"Does it matter?"

"We should get up," Yugi said with a lackluster sigh.

Timaeus laughed with a coy wink. "Now why would we do that?"

His kisses dipped lower, to Yugi's cheek, his collar, to all the places he knew Yugi loved to be kissed.

"Timaeus," Yugi whined, only half-heartedly trying to shove him away. "We can't stay here all day."

"Why not?" Timaeus teased, cocking his head innocently. It was an odd look on him that could not hide the mischievous twinkle in his eye.

Yugi tried not to smile, but failed. "Everyone is going to wonder where we are sooner or later."

With a boisterous laugh, Timaeus pulled Yugi into his arms. "My love, you are a new bride, and we are newlyweds enjoying our Redamancy. I sincerely doubt anyone will be wondering or expecting us up any time soon."

Yugi blushed and shook his head, gently pushing his arms away as he moved to sit up, but only succeeding in laying across Timaeus' chest—his grip was so firm. "You know what I meant. We can't stay in bed all day—mmmf!"

Timaeus swallowed his protests with another kiss. Yugi responded with a low grumble and tried to push him away, but his protests were weak and his body and thighs already trembled with anticipation as Timaeus pulled him into his lap. Yugi giggled when the kisses dipped lower. A moan he could not suppress slipped free from his lips.

Timaeus felt him growing more and more pliant in his embrace, the dutiful concerns growing less and less important as he peppered the younger with kiss after kiss before Yugi broke at last with a moan. He put up no resistance as Timaeus lied him against the bed and proceeded to pleasure him with his tongue, his hands, his cock. When they were finished, Yugi was exhausted and far too weak and happy to protest.

Timaeus smiled lovingly and placed an apologetic kiss on Yugi's cheek. Yugi looked so beautiful sprawled out beneath him, he could not resist. He scooped Yugi into his lap and kissed him full on the mouth. Lost, Yugi moaned and slid his arms around Timaeus' neck. A dazed look upon his face when it ended, he pressed his cheek to Timaeus' chest and allowed the man to stroke his back and play with his hair, so very content to stay that way forever.

Eventually, they were forced to move, their skin hot and sticky with sweat—and other things. Yugi looked down at the bed, only now noticing how tight his skin felt and how crinkled the sheets were. His tasseled hair was a mess of tangles, and he still felt the salt of the sea crusting the sift locks. Timaeus looked no better.

Following Yugi's eyes, he smirked and fished around for something on the floor. "I'll tell Mai to have the maids come and make up the bed," he said, handing Yugi the wool shift he'd donned earlier.

Yugi blinked and slipped it on. Timaeus pulled on a long robe and cocked his head towards one of the doors on the other side of the room that Yugi had never noticed before. "Come, let's have a bath."

The word was like a trigger, and Yugi hopped off the bed and sprinted. A bath—his first real bath after almost two months at sea, he could've wept at just the thought. Grabbing the handle of the first door he found, he thrust it open and ran inside.

The room beyond it was...simple. The walls were bare stone with little decorations, and a copper tub sat beneath an open window. There was an ottoman on one side with a stone bowl, several baskets of linen, and different colored glass bottles, and changing wall was off in the corner. It was simple, practical, and altogether unremarkable.

Yugi couldn't mask his disappointment.

Timaeus saw his face and burst into laughter. Yugi spun to him, grimacing, a retort sharp on his tongue, but Timaeus kissed him quiet with; that soul-stealing taste of salt and sea and fresh rain, and Yugi was lost.

He grumbled when Timaeus pulled away, a smile still bright on his face.

"I hate it when you do that," Yugi snorted. "Like, all you have to do is kiss me and I'll agree to any—" He never got to finish, as Timaeus lifted him into his arms and carried him to a corner of the wall. He gasped when Timaeus pushed it open, revealing a set of spiraling stone stairs. Stunned mystification bulged Yugi's eyes.

"Wha—" he gasped. "What is this?"

Timaeus winked. "It's a secret passage." He said holding a secretive finger to his lips. "The house is full of them. Would you like to see where this one goes?" he asked, with a coy sort of grin.

Brightening with curiosity, Yugi nodded. Marriage, it seemed, was indeed turning into quite the learning experience.

X X X

It was like…a dream. Yugi could fathom no other words to describe it.

Embedded in the stone-gray cliff side beneath the palazzo, the bath was a small spring surrounded by a ring of smooth boulders clustered together and hung right off the mountain. A small waterfall from deep inside the mountain pooled into the sunken spring, filling the room with cool, gray steam and the hissing sound of crashing water. The surrounding stone was wet and warm beneath Yugi's bare feet, and the mouth of the cave opened to a beautiful view of the sky, the city, and the sea below. Baskets of large linen sheets were pressed against the far corner, and a long, narrow slab of stone that acted as a sledge was lined with fat, guttering candles, molted together like an eroded sand castle that appeared to float above the surface of the water.

Yugi sprang for the edge and leaned carefully over the banister, watching the flowing water silently slide off the edge and down below. His eyes widened with a gasp of amazement.

The mountain below was a series of jagged and uneven layers, clustered with arched rocks that surrounded similar pools and caves. Each layer on the mountain's side and base was a plethora of steamy, cerulean springs sectioned by a chain of waterfalls—including this one—and fed into one another from higher to lower levels. Staircases and tunnels chiseled from the stone had their own paths leading into the city; some were hidden in shallow caves while others were opened and exposed to the massive stones, providing an air of both privacy and freedom. All fed into the largest spring at the base of the mountain where Yugi saw the outline of woman washing clothes against the rocks. The enormous book spilled out over the rocks formed its own river that flowed outwards into the city proper.

"This is incredible!" he breathed in wonderment, leaning further forwards, the wool slip rising as he did so, teasing Timaeus with the soft, creamy thighs and just the barest glimpse of what lay beneath. "Are these hot springs?"

Timaeus could not stop smiling at the way Yugi's wide eyes and his whole face brightened with curiosity at each new discovery. Oh, how he wondered what great deed he had done in his past life to be rewarded such a treasure.

"Yes," Timaeus nodded, and gestured to their own spring. Small compared to the others—but big enough for two—it was a pool for soaking or relaxing: open, airy, plush, calm. "Though this one is reserved for the magister and his family. The ones below are often used by the staff, or the common folk when they serve here. The lower ones are used to wash clothes or to collect water for cleaning. The heat boils away anything unpleasant and the waterfalls remove anything that remains."

"What about that one!" He pointed to the river flowing outside the city.

Timaeus laughed. "That one, I believe, flows into the bath house."

"Bathhouse?" Yugi gasped in bewilderment.

Timaeus nodded. "Indeed. Did you not wonder why Rhebekka and I were so strict with cleanliness on The Eye? Bathing is an important ritual in Atlantis: it promotes both the cleanliness of the body as well as the spirit. For those who cannot reach the springs here, there is a bathing district where bathhouses are provided. There, they may also meet and socialize."

Yugi blushed at the implication. "And…they are…open?" He blushed deeper.

A wicked smile curled across Timaeus' face, enjoying the rosy hue of embarrassment that dyed his lover's golden skin. "As a matter of fact, yes, they are," he teased as Yugi blushed deeper.

With a hearty laugh.. "'Tis the custom here, little one—you'd best get used to it. But fear not, love. You may only venture there if you wish it." The shy blush on the childishly round face tamed the dragon and Timaeus came up behind him and hugged his shoulders. "Am I to understand that they did not have hot springs in Kemet? Or bathhouses?"

There was a slight humor in his voice that made Yugi playful. "The only water in the desert either fell from the sky or came from the river, and it was only warm if it was boiled." A teasing smile slit Yugi's face. "Are you going to boil me up?"

Timaeus laughed. "I'm not that kind of dragon." He ran a hand down Yugi's side. Yugi shrieked with delight and jumped, but Timaeus caught him around the waist and tugged the strings of his shift.

"Jokes aside," his voice droned as he quirked a smile. "I believe I promised you a bath." He pulled the strings taunt, and the top of Yugi's shift slipped from his shoulders and Yugi blushed.

"I know it's been nay a month since you've had a proper bath. I thought you'd enjoy it," he purred and pulled his hands away. Blazing eyes followed the exposed curve of Yugi's neck, his collar and his chest, barely visible beneath Yugi's crossed arms.

Yugi followed his eyes and grinned. He pulled his hands away and let the slip puddle at his feet.

"Beautiful," Timaeus whispered, leaning to draw him closer.

Yugi kissed him, unabashed. Timaeus moved closer to deepen it, but soon found himself gasping air. He blinked, bewildered, then spun to the sound of giggling. He found the brat hiding behind one of the rocks, and impish smile cracking across his lips.

"Little imp," Timaeus croaked, his voice rough. His teasing look smoothed into one of hunger and he maneuvered between the stones with predatory determination. Yugi waded away, disappearing among the rocks until his footing disappeared; he clung to the rock to keep himself from sinking. Timaeus pounced, snatching him around the middle and hoisting the shrieking boy over his shoulders.

Yugi barely had time to gasp before his support vanished. He screamed, plummeting and crashing against and through the hot water of the warm spring, the soft, squishy moss cushioning his abused bottom. Yugi shot up, exposing his drenched skin to the cold air, and whirled on Timaeus, whose face was pinched in a tight grin and eyes bright with laugher.

Dripping from head to toe, Yugi exploded, "You bastard!"

Timaeus burst into laughter so hard, he shook from it.

Yugi huffed angrily and, in an act of petty vengeance, swiped his arm across the water, sending a wave of hot water cascading over Timaeus' side and soaking his robe. He snapped in response, but it was marred with laugher. With a victorious huff, Yugi sank back into the warm, silty water. Only now did he feel the scalding, wet warmth press against his skin. After weeks of using buckets to bathe, he could've wept from the warmth of it: weightless and wonderful like falling asleep wrapped in a warm blanket.

Through the wafts of steam and his lazy vision, he watched Timaeus strip his robe and descend the steps with a small splash and a hiss of pleasure; pure, manly satisfaction blazed in those mismatched eyes. Graceful as any predator, he waded through the waters, coming closer.

Yugi splashed him again, before retreating to the smooth ledge of another rock. The smooth, hot surface was a warm press against his back. Timaeus settled for folding his arms across Yugi's knees instead.

"What's the matter, dear one?" Timaeus soothed, feigning kittenish innocence with his Cheshire Cat grin.

Yugi swallowed a moan and forced himself to pout. "D-don't try to tease me. I'm still mad at you." He crossed his arms stubbornly.

Chuckling, Timaeus fished a linen cloth and a vial from a basket of soaps and oils embedded in the rim. Yugi felt the absence of his weight and shivered. Steam wafted between them, tickling Yugi's nose and teasing him with the sweet spice of fruits and flowers. He hummed in delight, relaxing further into the water, just as a strong hand gently ran over the curve of his thigh to his hip. He jumped, but Timaeus caught him and proceeded to wash him, up, down, and between his thighs. Even Yugi's pride and tight lips couldn't suppress a mewl.

"What was that, love?" Timaeus teased slightly. His words were a warm caress, cutting through the water and steam. "I am not quite sure I heard you."

Yugi tightened his lips, his thighs quaking, aching to part.

Grinning wider, Timaeus lathered the cloth again and ran it up and down his sides and in smooth circles over his back and tense shoulders. His hands came up to catch him as Yugi's grip loosened. He mumbled something incoherent.

"Pardon?" Timaeus teased, adoring the way Yugi quivered against his chest.

"More," Yugi forced out. "I want more."

A victorious smirk was all he saw before Timaeus captured his lips in a single, swooping kiss. His hands slid to Yugi's thighs, sliding him off the rock and into his lap. Yugi melted into the kiss, wrapping his arms about Timaeus' lap and letting him pull them deeper into the water. His hips were splayed on either side of his thighs, and those strong arms wrapped around him, rubbing soothing circles on his back.

They didn't know how long they stayed like that: Yugi wrapped in Timaeus' arms and relaxing against his touch. Yugi smiled contently, admiring the adoring look in Timaeus' eyes, the way the candlelight danced over his countless, faint scars, and the way the steam billowed ethereally around him.

"I think the moment I realized I was falling in love with you," Timaeus murmured, drawing soothing circles down Yugi's back, "was when I realized you were wearing that damned infirmary slip because you were helping to care for the patients. Or perhaps it was the way you glared at me for teasing you, and the way you completely and utterly refused to be chided or coddled or protected, even by me. It reminded me so much of Rhebekka and of my younger self that, for the first time in so long, I wanted to laugh. I did laugh after that conversation, so much so that my whole crew must've thought I'd gone mad."

He paused for a brief moment, but Yugi did no interrupt him. "I realized again when you were fixing Otogi's arm, because in that moment, you commanded the whole crew you like a lioness commanding her pride, and because you ended that spectacular evening by inspiring my entire crew to call you their quartermaster." His smile was a bright, beaming thing full of pride and love. "I never wanted to kiss you more in my life than I did in that moment. I could hear the spirit of my younger-self and even King Dartz beside me, and I swear I heard them both saying: 'If you do not succeed in making that lad your true wife, then there is no hope for you.'"

Yugi couldn't help but laugh, remembering that night. "So, you married me because I reminded you of your friend," he said flatly, arching a brow. "Or was it because I was a good caretaker?"

"I fell in love with you, imp, because you were one of us—because you weren't afraid of me, because you cared so deeply for others, because you were bold, fierce, strong, and humble, and because you walk, think, and make love just like a queen."

Yugi blushed and huffed a laugh. He spun in Timaeus' lap, and this time, when Timaeus smiled at him, cupping his cheek, and fixed him with a look of such adoration, Yugi melted.

"I once asked my father how I would know which woman I wanted to marry; I asked my mother the same. Both told me that, when the time came, I'd have no doubt, and I didn't when I walked into that infirmary. I couldn't help but notice how dazzling your skin looked in white, and I thought to myself, as you were glaring and cursing at me like a wildcat: 'He's a wildling and stubborn as a mule. This is the one. He's not just bold, but brave and strong too, and he's got a kind heart.'"

Yugi snorted through his glare, though his cheeks reddened. His fists clenched, but Timaeus was ready and gently rubbed his thumb along his wrists.

"And when you brought food to the priests and kissed me for the first time, I thought to myself, 'Tim, lad, he's as clever as a fox, that one—a little trickster. Don't you need someone like that to keep you on your toes? So what if he's reckless as a storm, and his tongue is as sharp as an adder if his lips are that soft? Imagine what it would feel like lower down…'"

He pinned Yugi's wrists to his sides with great difficulty, the boy's eyes narrowing sharper and sharper as Timaeus fought hard not to laugh.

"And while we were in Djanet, I thought, 'Damn. If anyone else is going to be his protector—if anyone else is going to see that smile but me…' That was when I realized for the first time that I liked you more than just a companion or a friend or—and promise not to hit me—a bedmate."

Yugi kneed him in the hip and he hissed through his laugher.

"Of course," he continued, struggling to keep Yugi from hitting him, "I thought mayhaps that it was because I was devoted to ruling Locri and the sea for the better part of three years, and hadn't taken much fancy to pleasurable company… Stop glaring at me like that. You said you wanted honesty."

Yugi's glare only sharpened, but he stopped squirming. "But then I saw you with your siblings, in your city and how you were with your people; and, for the first time in years, I felt my chest flutter. I could not explain it, but I thought to myself then, 'He's a sprite, that one—a sweetling, even if a little mischievous—and he has the most disgustingly sweet of tastes—" he grimaced. "Can you not see him that way with your people? Singing and dancing and laughing, and making everything a little bit brighter?' And when you brought me to the lotus pond…"

He stopped, his voice distant with recollection but his eyes soft with love. "I knew… I knew that day, when my men invaded, there was a reason I was drawn to your world-mother's temple. Why she wanted me there. Damn, I even felt Sekhmet's wind nipping at my heels, as if demanding that I run faster. I knew that day I was meant to meet you, that I was meant to save you, and that I was meant to protect you. And I thought, 'Yes…this one—this boy, who held me twice and never asked for anything in return—for all I've yet to learn about him… He is the one."

Then, he frowned. "I thought of asking you right then, but you were so young, you had only just returned home, your country was still divided, and your brother and sister had only just gotten you back and loved you so dearly that it seemed…selfish of me to ask."

Yugi felt his arms tighten around him, the annoyance leaving him in a single wave.

"I thought it best to wait, and I did so enjoy teasing you."

An indignant snort from Yugi made him laugh, but then frown lines creased his brow.

"But then…" a deliberate pause, and he held Yugi tighter to him, "I'd never known such fear as I had when my king revealed the priest's deception—their lies that you were the architect of their scheme."

Yugi shivered in his arms, despite the steam.

"I had never known such anger in all my life, and I knew it was because that I cared for you. You were so young and breakable, and you begged me, pleaded with me not to send you back there, and I knew… I knew there was but one way to save you: to free you… And I knew it was not duty, nor protection, nor our alliance or any other reason…when I said I wanted to make you my consort.

"I had to watch the horror and the anger on your face; I had to endure your terror and your disgust on our wedding day; I had to listen to your tears and your fears that night. And as I held you, all I could think was that I'd ruined this: that this beautiful, wonderful, spriteful thing that had come into my life—this gift from Leviathan—was lost to me."

He stopped just enough for Yugi to meet his eyes, curious and awaiting an answer.

"It killed me, Yugi, to see you like that: not only because I hated what had happened between us, but because I knew, I knew I was in love with you, and I promised myself that whatever I had to do to earn your forgiveness, I would, but I—I couldn't stop being around you, and loving you, and wanting you, and arguing with you when you snapped at me with that sharp little tongue of yours. And after that first storm, when I could no longer bear the separation, you forgave me—we forgave each other—and for the first time in so long, I felt hope… I watched you grow strong aboard my ship, win the trust and the hearts of my crew with your strength and your kindness, and I was so proud of you. The night you became Quartermaster, I do not think I ever loved you more…

"But I knew, I knew the night of the storm when I saw you dancing…" His voice was hoarse and husky. "…dancing and spinning wildly like you were the wind and rain itself, and without a single drop of fear despite the thunder and lightning clashing all around you…"

His eyes darkened with lustful shadows, his voice low and husky. "…I had never loved you more than I did in that moment, and I knew, then and there… I knew I could not live without that wildness, that spirit, that glow in my life."

His hand rose to cup Yugi's cheek.

The boy pushed against Timaeus' chest and climbed to sit half on his chest and half on his lap. Looking down at him, he demanded, bright-eyed, "You love me?"

"Have I not been saying that for the past…season?" His brow arched.

Yugi snorted and plopped in his lap. Steam wafted between them. His eyes found the forgotten basket of soap and cloth. He grabbed one and proceeded to gently scrub the man's chest and shoulders. Timaeus responded with a guttural moan.

"I think I was falling in love with you for a while," Yugi said, barely audible over the trickling jangle of water. "That day at the lotus pond, I already knew then that I was falling in love with you; I even thought of marrying you. I was so young and smitten that I'd have said yes if you asked me. But then, when everything happened, I felt that dream shatter… I felt so betrayed and angry."

"You had a reason to be—"

"No, I didn't," Yugi cut him off flatly. "I mean, perhaps given the circumstances, I did, but it wasn't you I was angry at… I was angry at myself. I hated myself for falling for your charm, for being so wet with love that I allowed it to blind me, and I acted like a spoiled child. The worst part was that, despite all that—despite me thinking you didn't feel the same way—I still loved you, still wanted you…and that made me even angrier with myself.

"I think that was why I held onto that rage for so long—why I was so reluctant to talk to you… In case I really was just a charge to you."

His hands found Timaeus' shoulders, and he held them tightly, but he couldn't meet his eyes.

"That night, you took the first step because I was too ashamed to, and I… I hated seeing you like that, so guilt-ridden. It was so much easier to blame you for the whole thing, but at that moment, I knew what I'd always known: that it wasn't your fault, that I was just as much to blame for what happened to us, and that you did what you did because you truly did care for me and not for anything else. I came close to knowing then, but I was afraid, and I didn't want to look deeper." His hands trembled. "I was such a coward."

"You are no such thing," Timaeus said, ceasing his arms and forcing Yugi to look at him. "There is no shame in being afraid—absolutely none."

Yugi shook his head, his face a small frown but his eyes deep with love. "I wasn't because of you Timaeus; it had nothing to do with you. I was never afraid of being with you, not even on our wedding night, because I knew you wouldn't hurt me. The truth was that we'd spent so much time together, and I'd seen so many sides of you, that I was afraid that the person you were when you were with me was just another mask…"

He reached a hand to cup his cheek, all else forgotten. "Then, I realized that it wasn't a mask—none of them were. They were all just a part of who you were—who you are with your men and your people. You're not just their lord: you're their ruler, their leader, and their friend, and when I saw you with them today… I didn't think I could've ever loved you more."

Moisture prickled Yugi's eyes but he couldn't stop smiling.

Timaeus dipped his head a bit, then said hoarsely, "Thank you."

Something shined in those mismatched eyes—something buried so deep that it made his emerald eye burst with a color so bright, it cast a soft green glow over its pale, sightless twin.

Hope. That something…was hope.

Yugi's heart broke. How long had he had to wear those masks? To pretend? How long had he waited, hoping, begging for someone to look closer and see through to the real him?

As long as I have, Yugi thought. He leaned closer and captured the man's lips with his own.

Timaeus wrapped his arms around the slim waist and pulled Yugi closer. It was not a long kiss, but the message was clear.

"I love you," Yugi said unashamed, his eyes glowing.

"I love you more,' Timaeus replied, just as breathless.

"What happens now?"

Wordlessly, Timaeus took the soap and cloth and turned Yugi in his lap, rubbing down his back and shoulders.

"That's up to you," he said. "We could return to our rooms and spend the rest of our Redamancy there, or we could explore the house, or pay a visit to town—in disguise, if you don't wish to bother the masses, though I'm sure they'd be eager to celebrate. Or, we could head downstairs and celebrate with our cohorts, and tell the king of your decision to stay." He kneaded the muscles that were tight in Yugi's back, who groaned in satisfaction

"Or, we can do nothing. You do have six months to decide whether or not you wish to remain with me. There's no rush to decide."

Yugi turned over his shoulder, giggling. "I was talking about my magistrate duties, actually, but I'm glad to know I have so many choices as far as our relationship is concerned."

Timaeus chuckled as he rinsed the cloth and washed the soap from Yugi's back. "That is up to you as well," he explained, grabbing another vial and pouring some sweet-smelling oil into Yugi's hair. His strong fingers curled gently across the scalp, and Yugi leaned back into the touch.

"You can begin your duties at any time, or, if you wish to train and learn first, you can leave Mai to act in your stead and authorize decisions. You can take as long as you need with Tristan and Tomoya, as well as her and Serenity, or you can spread them out as you wish. Or, if you'd rather work directly with the people and not in the magistrate's suit, you can do that as well. I think the people would be more than eager to meet you personally before asking for any decisions. You can begin your lessons as early as tomorrow if you'd like."

His fingers pulled away and he motioned for Yugi to dunk himself into the water.

Inhaling a large breath, Yugi did so and swiftly bobbed back up, shaking out his wet locks before crawling back into Timaeus' lap. "I think…" he began, leaning into that warm embrace. "I think I can wait. I like having you all to myself."

"Alright," Timaeus said. Yugi could hear the smile he boasted, proudly.

"But I think I'd like to explore our rooms too and see where I'll be working, and I'd love to see more of the city. I want to see everything!" Yugi spun in his lap, eyes bright with excitement.

"Then I'll take you," Timaeus promised. "After our Redamancy, and after I escort the king and the princess back to the capital, we'll spend the whole day exploring our city," he said, eyes twinkling.

The light in those eyes and its quiet joy made all the breath in Yugi's body vanish.

A future—he would have a future with this man, in this city. He did not know what kind of future it would be, nor what awaited him in it, but he would have one.

They would have one.

Happiness curled his cheeks into a smile, and suddenly, Yugi was laughing, joyful and ariose. Timaeus' own smile curled into something awed and wonderful.

Cupping his cheek, Yugi whispered, "You know, when we sailed away from Kemet, Maat told me something."

"What's that, sweetling?"

"She said that, when she was like me, my mother told her that 'love is like the lotus'. She told her that an untested love is not a true love, and it is not in our happiest moments that we find the one who holds our hearts, but the darkest. If it is the wrong person, we retreat back into the darkness, but with the right person, then together we find our way back to the light."

Sunlight spilled through the opening behind them, and in the soft glow of the candle light, Yugi's honey-gold skin shimmered with a warm, white light. Those wonder-filled eyes met his twinkling ones like stars or some hybrid jewel between bright amethyst and deep sapphire.

Like a lotus, Timaeus thought, when they open their eyes to the sun.

Then he kissed him.

I think this is my favorite chapter so far. It was just a dream to write..once i figured out how to order it all. I love writing scenes like this where they can tease and laugh and still be serious like this :) casue as we all know relationships and love are about compromise and building, and i was so happy to bring the lotus imagery back int the story :) i actually totally forgot about that until i started re-reading my favrite chapters ansboom!

plus i LOVED Tmaeus being ble to share his thoughts while all that was going on :)

So again thank you all for being so incredibly patient with me an this story and never giving up on it :) still working on finalizing the next ones but hopefully this will tide you guys over. Also i'm woking on ATKP and my original writing at the moment so sadly i can only do one at a ime but rest assured i'll get them all up as soon as i can. I will never give up on this story!

NEXT TIME: The Redemancy continues with Yugi exploring his new home and coming to terms with his new role-with a little help from his favorite dragon.