Disclaimer: Legal stuff in previous chapters. I'm too lazy to rewrite it.
Warnings: Language, early hours, copious amounts of Yuugi-tachi. Implied Seto/Yami.
Seto woke up to the peculiar sensation of being the only one in the bed. A warm hollow next to him told him Yami had probably just gotten up. Why was another matter entirely. If his internal clock was correct, it was maybe 5:30 in the morning. On a Saturday.
A shape appeared beside his side of the bed. Seto glared. "How long have you been up?" he asked, blinking a few times. Yami was fully dressed and looking entirely too awake for the time of day. "More to the point – why the hell are you up?" the CEO inquired, biting back a yawn.
"Yuugi comes home today," his lover answered him, a faint smile tingeing his lips.
Seto rolled over so he was facedown in pillows. He woke up at five thirty in the morning on a Saturday because Yuugi's coming home today? He must have missed him more than I thought.
"Do I have to wake up now too?" he asked, not bothering to turn over, so his words were slightly muffled by the press of pillows.
"You don't have to," Yami replied, a touch of reproach in his voice, "but it would be nice if you did."
The young CEO sighed and rolled over again, throwing an arm across his eyes to block out any light. "What time will he be here?"
"Around one."
"Forget it, then. I'm going back to sleep. It doesn't take me that long to get dressed."
Yami chuckled somewhere in the background.
I'm going to figure out some way to get him back for this, Seto decided, slipping back across the border of reality and dreams.
Moments later – or hours, depending if one went by the feeling or the clock – Seto woke up again, yawning. The bed space next to him was still empty.
Hn. Guess he really did stay awake then. The CEO levered himself out of bed. Clothing. What was he going to wear? Casting his eyes towards the closet, Seto was slightly shocked to find a suit already laid out for him with a note lying on top.
Frowning, he picked up the pale blue paper to read Yami's slightly choppy handwriting.
Seto, I went with Yuugi-tachi to pick him up from the airport. I'll be home around noon, hopefully, maybe as late as one, if we get held up. I took the liberty of pulling this suit out for you. It looks delicious on you. No, don't scowl at me. (Seto was scowling.) Just put it on, make nice for about an hour and then you can escape. By the way, there's muffins downstairs, assuming Mokuba hasn't devoured them all yet. I made a batch this morning. Sorry about waking you up so early.
--Yami
Seto considered the suit. It wasn't quite eight yet, so he didn't need to wear the thing until later. And muffins…
He hurried down the stares in a robe, hoping to beat out Mokuba for a chance at the chocolate chip ones. Yami's muffins were deadly sinful…
"How ya makin' out wit Kaiba?" Jou asked. Currently, he, Yami, Honda and Anzu were all stuffed into Mai's car. The blonde woman was driving taking directions from Anzu, who'd been lucky enough to get the other front seat. The young men were all smooshed together in the back.
Yami's eyes narrowed. "Depends on you definition of 'making out'," he answered lightly.
Jou coughed violently, turning beet red. "That wasn't what I meant!" he exclaimed when his choking spasm had run its course.
His protest was met by a smirking set of violet eyes. Then Yami took pity on his blond friend and began to tell him about the past few non-adventurous months. Except for the question of adoption, really not much had been going on.
"Wait a minute –" Honda interrupted. "Mokuba asked Kaiba for a brother?'
"That's what I said," Yami confirmed, half-amused by the stunned look sitting on Honda's face, half-mellowed by his own stipulations and concerns regarding the request.
"Kaiba said no, right?" Jou asked, his accent heavier than ever.
Yami shook his head. Anzu, who had just 'dropped in' on the conversation, looked rather horrified. "He's getting Mokuba a new brother?"
The ex-spirit sighed. All concerns aside, this was becoming annoying. He opened his mouth to confirm when Mai made a tight turn off the freeway. Yami, Honda and Jou all squished into half the space they'd previously occupied.
"What was that for?" Jou gasped, pushing Yami off him.
"Sorry boys," Mai said, in a voice that implied she wasn't very sorry at all. "I almost missed the exit." She paused, her big blue eyes looking at the tangled trio in the rearview mirror. "Don't be getting too comfortable back there."
Honda snorted, Yami smirked and Jou looked like he was trying to fold in on himself. Anzu seemed to be smothering a chuckle on the blond's behalf, but Mai was outright laughing. Slowly Jou's disgruntled look melted off his face.
"Would you stop fidgeting already?" Honda asked, sounding annoyed. "I'm sure he's fine."
For the past ten minutes or so, Yami had been all but plastered against the window of the airport, watching for Yuugi's flight to finally come in. He'd tried to link with his other half, but so far had been unsuccessful. That could mean one of three things – Yuugi was unconscious, out of range or had deliberately closed the link. Out of range seemed rather unlikely, especially considering the cross-continental reach Yuugi had displayed the last time they'd spoken. And his hikari had only purposely shut him out a handful of times… He continued to fret, oblivious to the attempts from the rest to calm him.
Finally the plane landed and came up to the terminal walkway. Yami watched, trying to link with his hikari. Still no connection. He began to panic until a crazy spiked mop of hair in three colors emerged from the terminal door.
Yuugi had grown since he'd last seen him. The two of them were at least matched in height – maybe his light even had a little height over him. His wild hair was just as Yami remembered it, as were the punk-style clothes the younger duelist wore.
His hikari saw them all and sprinted over, nearly toppling a couple of people in the process. His arms wrapped around Yami's neck as he flung himself forward. Yami only barely managed to keep from flying backward, but inside he was just as enthusiastic.
Then the rest of Yuugi-tachi crowded around, making an awful fuss over Yuugi and asking how he'd been, what college was like – all that nonsense.
The ex-spirit drifted back slightly from them, watching in half-depressed amusement as the friends he had come to love devoured his aibou, peppering him alternately with affection and demands.
Suddenly, Yami's attention snapped away from the group and his violet eyes narrowed. A pale, well-dressed stranger was cautiously headed toward the group. His silky, well-groomed self reminded Yami forcefully of Seto, but the hesitant movements stank of Ryou Bakura.
The young man paused, catching Yami's dark look. Yuugi also apparently caught the direction of Yami's gaze because he managed to disentangle himself from Anzu – no mean feat – and work his way out of the general cluster. Once out he strode over to the young man and amiably wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
The mind link clicked open.
Immediately Yami made use of it. /Aibou, who is that?/ he questioned, trying and failing to keep his mind voice neutral.
Yuugi's mental voice as he replied had something of a forced laugh to it. /This? This is Andre. He's part French./
/Why is he with you?/ Yami inquired, and the rest of the gang's rather stunned expressions led him to believe they were all wondering the same thing.
His hikari's mind voice felt a little shy. /Well, we, uh – that is to say we… How do I put this?/
"Who's this, Yuug?" Jou asked, breaking the silence and interrupting the mental dialogue.
"Uh, this is Andre," Yuugi introduced. "He's – " His entire demeanor seemed to become a little more meek. "He's my boyfriend," the young man managed to get out.
Andre settled a little closer to Yuugi, one arm straying protectively around the other's waist. They were of a height, if one counted the very tips of Yuugi's hair, which was level with the top of Andre's head.
/He's a little short, Aibou/ Yami commented dryly, still appraising the newcomer.
/For what?/ Yuugi shot back defensively. /We don't all want to be the same height as our lover's crotch, Yami!/ A brief pause in which Yami's eyebrows decided to nest in his hair, then softly, /I didn't mean it that way./
Yami shook off the surprise. /I always knew someday you'd begin to talk back/ he teased. /So, how's it feel?/
/Rather odd/ the younger duelist admitted. /I still feel like a little kid when you're around. It was easy to get used to you protecting me./
Yami worked his way back into the enthusiastic knot of his light's friends, all of whom were now greeting Andre. The poor young man seemed rather overwhelmed. Then his eyes locked with Yami's again, just as the ex-spirit reached the middle of the throng. He paled a trifle and shot a glance towards Yuugi.
/Aibou, is he really afraid of me, or is it just because we look so much alike?/ Patient confusion.
/Um, I'm not sure. I don't think he'd be afraid./ A pause. /Come say hello./
"Welcome," Yami intoned in his deep voice.
Andre's pale skin threatened to go transparent if he took a single step closer. Yami stopped, regarding the young man with unveiled curiosity. Yuugi finally broke the tension.
"Andre, this is Yami," he said formally. "Yami's – oh, gods… I don't know how to explain it," he confessed, running a hand through his hair. "He's as close to being my soul mate as anyone wants to get."
"I'm also dating Seto," Yami put in when the fear was replaced by an insane jealousy. The jealousy eased slightly, but did not vanish. Yuugi didn't seem to notice.
"It's great to be home," the young man commented, looking Yami full in the face for the first time.
His blood ran cold when their eyes met. Yuugi's once-violet purple eyes now shone with the same vicious crimson as newborn flames.
Or freshly spilled blood.
Author's Note: Well this is my first Yami-centric chapter that doesn't do much with Seto at all. I'm not all that comfortable writing as Yami, but I hope it worked out here. Thankies LightningSage for beta.
--Yami's handwriting I imagined to be a little choppy because of the way cunieform (a simplified, everyday version of hieroglyphics) was written. So, there's some random trivia for you.
--Muffins seem to take a big hold of my story at times. I'll admit, the Yami Muffin idea actually came from an artist on DeviantArt by the name of -Bayleef. There's a bunch of pictures of a Yami chibi she named Crack!Chibi (now Chyami) who hangs out with muffins, plants muffin trees... That sort of thing. I couldn't resist. And if it seems that Yami's a brilliant cook at everything, just don't ask for French toast.
--I know I asked before for any college in Japan for Yuugi to attend, but then I figured if I wanted an airport scene, it'd be more fun to have him coming from a LONG ways away. So, I stuck Yuugi in America and found him a French (half-French) boyfriend.
--Andre's physical description in my head seems to closely match Ziegfried, though I'm not sure why. Just take the pink-haired, rose-obsessed game freak and shorten him up. Voila! Instant Andre.