A/N: So I overshot my last estimate by a bit (shower scenes get bonus points in my world, apparently), so I just wanted to warn that this is about 35 percent lemon, and the rest is…well, you'll see. XD This takes place immediately after the last chapter ended.

Chapter 14: Again?

It felt good to let the hot water wash over him, despite a very annoyed looking Yami standing in front of him. "What?" Kaiba asked, running his fingers through his hair to slick his bangs back and out of his eyes.

Yami thought it was strange that even though the shower was far larger than the one he normally used, it still felt like there was no room. "You're too damn tall," Yami finally decided, realizing that it was the disproportions of their respective heights that was causing the water flow problems.

"Maybe you're just too damn short," Kaiba retorted with a smirk, watching as Yami fumed at the comment.

"Kaiba—" Yami started to respond, only to get a face full of water when Kaiba moved his body out of the way of the showerhead. Laughing as Yami sputtered and wiped the water from his eyes, Kaiba was thoroughly amused by the sight and completely unperturbed by the swears that Yami was uttering against him. Switching places with Yami, he was curious to see what Yami's gravity defying hair did when it became wet. Kaiba watched with interest once Yami closed his eyes, fascinated by the way the other's hair gradually began to fall around his shoulders, the colors blending together as they darkened in the water, save for the blonde bangs that were now tucked behind his ears. He was distracted by the way that Yami's hands were traversing along his own body, along with the way the sound of Yami's quiet contented sigh was amplified in the shower. Even as the proof of their earlier activities disappeared down the drain, Kaiba could already feel a stirring within himself, the image of the other sensuously enjoying the shower proving to be a bit much at the moment.

Opening his eyes, Yami caught Kaiba looking at him and smirked as he allowed his hand to drift lower along his body. Using the momentary distraction to his advantage, Yami bent his head forward slightly, letting his hair continue to absorb water as it began to hang in front of his eyes like a curtain. Kaiba's thought of, So that's how he does it? It seems a little—was interrupted when Yami suddenly snapped his head back, an arc of water partially hitting Kaiba in the face. Laughing as he brushed his hair back, enjoying the sight of a pissed off Kaiba running his hand over his eyes to get rid of the water, Yami pointed at him as he triumphantly said, "Ha! How do you—" only to be interrupted himself.

Kaiba's initial embarrassment at being caught staring was completely forgotten when he was struck by the water. Grabbing a hold of Yami's outstretched arm, Kaiba pulled him closer, pivoting them both around and slamming Yami up against the marble wall, pinning the captured hand against it as well. The instant that Yami's back came into contact with the wall, he cried out at the sudden contrast between the warmth of the water and the cold surface he was currently pressed against. Arching his back to get away from the sensation, Kaiba pressed closer and forced him back against it, wedging his knee between Yami's legs in the process. It was enough to cause Yami to gasp loudly, his free hand finding Kaiba's chest as he tried to push the other away. Yami's only thought was to get away from the conflicting sensations that were positively dizzying, but Kaiba had other ideas.

It hadn't been his original intent, but between their slick bodies rubbing against each other and Yami's vocal reactions, it awoke an almost feral desire in Kaiba and he started kissing Yami fiercely. He was quickly forgetting himself, especially as he felt Yami's hand slowly sliding down the front of his body, heading lower and lower, causing him to become fully aroused again as those slim fingers wrapped around him. When the teasing touch became a firm grip that was vaguely painful, Kaiba stopped what he was doing with a growl of displeasure, pulling away just enough to look Yami in the eyes. "What?" he demanded, debating whether or not to reciprocate in a bid for release.

"Off of the wall. Now," Yami commanded, his eyes conveying the authority that his breathy voice lacked as he released Kaiba.

Complying his way, Kaiba stepped back and used Yami's wrist that he still held in his hand to pull the shorter man toward him as he turned them both to face the door. Pressing closer, Kaiba's eyes went wide as he felt the shock of icy flesh against his heated skin and they both were gasping at the feeling. "Fucking cold," Kaiba muttered as a chill ran through him, and yet it was not entirely unpleasant. However, it also served to clear his head a little and part of him began arguing against the fact that he was fondling his rival in the shower. But even as that thought registered in Kaiba's mind, he found himself inadvertently wrapping his free arm around the front of Yami's body, his fingers seeking out the firm peak of one of Yami's nipples only to tease it. His body once again seemed to be overruling his mind as his lips began to kiss Yami's neck, enjoying the way it caused Yami to lean against him with soft sighs. Despite that, Kaiba didn't want a pliant body melting under his touch so he nipped at the side of Yami's neck, causing the other to hiss a little.

Reaching up to rub the spot, Yami warned him, "If you don't want me wearing my choker, don't give me a reason to need it." He didn't think it would bruise, but he couldn't help but be a little concerned.

Narrowing his eyes at those words, Kaiba retaliated by biting down hard on Yami's left shoulder, thoroughly enjoying the sound of Yami's surprise and the way that the other's body responded. Yami tried to wrench himself free from Kaiba's grasp, but all he managed to do was press his ass against the other's erection even more, encouraging Kaiba further. When Kaiba laughed at his predicament, Yami finally managed to turn his body at such an angle as to allow for eye contact. "Kaiba! Wha—"

Kaiba wasn't interested in words at the moment, so he silenced Yami with a kiss, hoping that it would not only shut up the other, but his own annoying thoughts as well. He knew that he needed to return to his sense, that he needed to regain control of his errant desires, but he couldn't stop his natural instincts that were taking over his actions. Everything just pushed him forward, the way that Yami bit and lightly sucked on Kaiba's bottom lip, the defiant crimson eyes that looked up at him when they parted, that smirk that promised the game had begun again as Kaiba finally released his grip. Turning and facing Kaiba properly, Yami used the opportunity to surprise the other by yanking his head down and engaging him in another ferocious kiss, shuddering as Kaiba's warm fingers traced along his spine, a hint of the chill on his skin still lingering.

As things began to escalate, the last of Kaiba's common sense deserted him for the second time that night as he completely gave himself over to the sensations. It was practically overwhelming as their every breath, every moan, every action echoed off of the walls, surrounding them along with the steam that continued to rise from the running water. Everything was so warm and wet, every touch made him want more as they continued on at an almost frantic rate, their hands never stopping their explorations. Kaiba found himself backing Yami up against the glass panel, which made Yami less than happy as he was once again confronted by a cold surface that did not agree with his heated skin. It wasn't as bad as the marble had been, but he pushed himself off of it before Kaiba had the chance to pin him again, swearing, "Damn it, Kaiba!"

Instead of answering verbally, Kaiba simply pulled Yami toward him, making him face the door, allowing Kaiba to embrace him from behind once more. Logic told him that they should vacate the shower for a more practical location, but he couldn't be bothered to do so at the moment. Kaiba couldn't understand his want, his need to be inside of Yami again, so he didn't even try to figure it out as he murmured Yami's name in a low tone next to his ear before sucking gently on it, sending a shiver through the other.

Yami wasn't the least bit surprised to feel one of Kaiba's fingers work its way inside of him, sighing as he wrapped one of his arms behind Kaiba's neck for balance, entangling his fingers in still damp hair. It was a slightly awkward position, but Kaiba continued as he slipped in a second finger, trying not to think too much about the fact that he could still feel some of his cum from earlier inside; he hadn't exactly given Yami much time to wash off, after all. Impatient, he added a third finger, but Yami inhaled sharply, his grip tightening in Kaiba's hair at the pain. Wincing at the sudden sharp tug on his hair, Kaiba stilled his movements, softly saying, "Sorry," trying not to feel the unexpected twinge of guilt that rose up within him.

"It's fine," Yami reassured him, forcing himself to relax and release his hold on Kaiba's hair. "Just a little—aah!"

He hadn't meant to move just yet, but he was trying to get his wrist into a slightly less painful position when Yami pushed back against him with a moan. Curling his fingers slightly inside of Yami, he ran them over the spot that had Yami tilting his head back with another sigh that definitely sounded as if he enjoyed whatever Kaiba had just done. Doing it a third time, Kaiba's impatience was quickly returning, albeit it tempered by his awareness of the other's tolerance threshold. It's why he wasted no time when Yami gave the okay, quickly removing his fingers in order to stroke himself as the final preparation.

Taking his hand from around Kaiba's neck and placing it against the glass wall to brace himself as he leaned forward, he groaned when he felt Kaiba push into him slowly, taking a moment to adjust to the intrusion again. Yami finally nodded as way of permission and Kaiba slid in further with a moan of his own, forcing himself to hold back for the other's sake. But once Yami demanded, "Seto, more," in a breathless manner, Kaiba entered him completely, once again resisting the temptation to start moving immediately. He could feel Yami's body trembling beneath him and he found himself sincerely hoping that Yami didn't suddenly change his mind, even though he knew that Yami wasn't the type to stop anything halfway. Having gotten accustomed to the feeling of having Kaiba filling him deeply again, he finally told Kaiba to move and it was all the encouragement that was needed.

Starting off with shallow movements, Kaiba gradually increased his pace as Yami's body began to accommodate him and match his rhythms. It wasn't long before they were both expressing their pleasure in wordless moans, gasping out each other's names occasionally. Yami had both hands against the wall now, the faster pace making it harder to find a purchase on the smooth surface. His fingers caused the condensation to fall in rivulets down the panel, but his breath instantly fogged over the glass, making it impossible to see in the mirror what expressions they both were making. Kaiba also was resting his left hand on the glass in order to help him maintain his balance as he continued thrusting upwards, but his right hand was stroking Yami's member in tandem with his movements. When he switched hands, Yami once again was subjected to cold fingers rubbing against his heated flesh and when he tried to escape the feeling, all it did was drive Kaiba deeper. Using one of his own hands to stop Kaiba's from making him feel any stranger than he already did, Kaiba shrugged and allowed his hand to drift upwards as Yami resumed the actions himself, shivering as Kaiba's cool fingers continued to lightly move across his torso.

Kaiba resumed kissing Yami's neck, gaining better access when Yami tipped his head back, but he was forced to stop when Yami leaned forward because of a particularly hard thrust. Abandoning it, he rested both of his hands on Yami's hips and continued his harsh pace, the sound of their slick skin connecting becoming even louder as their breath became more ragged because of their efforts. He wasn't sure how much longer he would last, especially once Yami started crying out, "Fuck, right there, Seto! Right th—aaah! Seto!"

Maintaining the pace a little longer, Kaiba finally couldn't hold back anymore and he came, continuing to thrust as he finished, moaning as he felt the way Yami's muscles reacted against it, biting on Yami's shoulder again to try and muffle the sound, kissing it softly in apology afterwards before he recognized what he was doing. Once Kaiba stopped moving, it was enough of a reprieve for Yami to focus on his own ending, although he was mildly startled when Kaiba did it for him with efficient, strong pumps that had Yami finishing not long there after. Leaning against Kaiba and breathing heavily, Yami shivered as he felt Kaiba pull out of him, starting to feel just how shaky his legs had become. Realizing that Yami had no intention of moving, Kaiba reached his hand back to rinse it, some part of his barely functioning mind pleased that none had gotten on the glass.

Once Yami was sure that his legs weren't going to give out on him, he made his way back under the showerhead, shaking his hair and sending the spray everywhere. Grateful that it didn't hit him in the face, Kaiba realized that although he always knew the other was short in stature, because of the extra height afforded to him by his hair and his attitude, he had never realized just how short the other truly was. Joining him, Kaiba couldn't help but loom over him with a smirk, but Yami paid him no mind. Running his fingers through his hair, Yami muttered, "Shit, at this rate, you really are going to send me back to the Millennium Puzzle."

"Is that so?"

"Not permanently, of course," Yami told him, earning him a snort of amusement from Kaiba. In the beginning he didn't have the strength to maintain a physical form and he would return to his soul room to recuperate. It sounded somewhat tempting at the moment, or at least he thought so until he watched as Kaiba close his eyes as he ran his hands along his body while the water washed over him. All Yami could think of was the fact that three thousand years was a very long time to be locked away and wonder if maybe there was something wrong with the body he had reconstructed; his urges had never been quite this strong when he was in control of his aibou's body. Satisfied that Kaiba was clean, Yami stared expectantly at him when the other finally opened his eyes.

"What?"

"Leave?"

Although he was assuming from the look on Yami's face what the real reason was for the attempted dismissal, Kaiba narrowed his eyes as he asked, "Why?"

"Please?" Yami asked, remembering something his aibou had said about manners.

Testing his theory, he stepped closer to Yami and smirked when he a flash of something pass through those scarlet eyes. "That's not an answer," Kaiba told him evenly as he approached as close as possible without coming into contact, droplets of water falling from his hair and onto Yami's face.

Trying to create some sort of barrier between himself and Kaiba, Yami placed his hand on Kaiba's firm stomach, his fingers spreading out and causing Kaiba to quirk an eyebrow at his own small reaction to that. "Kaiba!"

"Hm?"

"Will you just—"

"You're seriously going to try and kick me out of my own shower?" Kaiba questioned with a laugh, looking down at Yami whose cheeks were still flushed red from earlier.

"Not kick you out so much as…" Yami started but trailed off mid-sentence, his fingers absentmindedly moving.

Shrugging, Kaiba figured he was done anyway and he may as well use the time to his advantage, not to mention getting away from those fingers before something else inside of his brain broke. "Suit yourself," he said with a shrug as he exited, secretly amused by the whole thing. Grabbing a towel and drying his hair instead of wrapping it around his waist as he did normally, he walked over to the counter for his hairbrush and was keenly aware of Yami's eyes following his every movement. He laughed at that and he could vaguely hear Yami's muttering coming from the shower, but it was of no consequence to him.

Finished, he left the bathroom and entered his room, shutting the door behind him. Finally wrapping the towel around his waist, he found his discarded pants on the floor and retrieved his phone from them, placing it on the nightstand for when Mokuba called in the morning. Making his way over to his computer, he decided that he would use the time to check his e-mail since he didn't know just how long Yami planned on staying in there, nor did he know what the other intended to do afterwards. Putting the thought aside, he was grateful to be distracted by his work once again, finding that it had a calming effect on him as he began sorting through the things he had missed since the afternoon.

Some time later, Kaiba heard the bathroom door opening, but he didn't glance up, choosing instead to finish composing a response to some questions his secretary had asked about schedule rearrangements. He was aware of the sound of Yami flopping onto his bed, but Kaiba didn't give it much thought. Instead, he moved on to the next item on his mental checklist, figuring that he'd keep working until Yami decided to become an interrupting nuisance again.

It's why it came as such a surprise to him when he started hearing quiet groans coming from the direction of his bed some time later. A quick glance at the clock on his computer told him that it was 4.13AM and that alone was shocking enough to him since it meant he had been working for over two hours. At least it explained why his neck felt a little stiff and why he felt like he had accomplished so much. What it didn't explain was why Yami was becoming increasingly noisy and Kaiba got up to investigate after saving his progress and shutting down his computer. Remembering that they hadn't locked the door and figuring he didn't want interrupted in the morning by his staff, he activated the lock before finally approaching his bed.

Yami's brow was furrowed deeply as he continued forming half words in his sleep, the sheets having become twisted during his struggle with whatever he was seeing as he lay flat on his back. Straightening the covers and ridding himself of his towel before sitting on the bed, Kaiba continued to watch in the greying darkness, still unable to piece together whatever was troubling Yami. Moving more out of habit than actual concern, Kaiba found himself gently brushing aside the blonde bangs that had fallen over Yami's face, an action which used to quiet Mokuba's whimpers whenever he had a nightmare. It seemed to be having the same effect on Yami and Kaiba continued running his fingers through the still damp hair, careful not to snag them on any knots, finding himself relaxing at the simple motions.

Debating about whether or not he was actually tired enough to try sleeping, Kaiba's thoughts were interrupted when he was kneed in his thigh by Yami who had rolled onto his side while Kaiba had stopped paying careful attention. Removing his fingers from the other's hair, he was considering relocating when he was startled by Yami suddenly bolting up and grabbing Kaiba's wrist as he shouted, "No, Seto, don't!"

Yami stared into the darkness, his eyes looking at his surroundings without seeing as he panted, his mind trying to provide him answers. "Don't what?" Kaiba asked, surprised at the strength of the other's hold on him. He knew he could easily free himself, but given the disoriented look on the other's face, he made no attempt at doing so just yet.

"Kaiba?" he questioned, focusing on him with wide eyes, tightening his grip unconsciously around the wrist still in his hand, his fingernails digging into Kaiba's skin a little.

So he was dreaming of that one, Kaiba thought somewhat venomously toward his supposed ancient counterpart. He wasn't sure why it bothered him, but he pushed it aside for the time being. "Yes," he replied in a neutral tone, flexing his fingers as he tried to maintain feeling in them.

The movement was enough to cause Yami to realize that he was holding onto Kaiba and he let him go with a, "Sorry," unsure of how that had happened in the first place.

"It's fine," Kaiba said with a shrug, refusing to rub it or show any indication that he had been mildly discomforted by it.

Dropping back onto the bed, Yami slung his arm over his eyes with a heavy sigh. "I fell asleep, then," he muttered, more to himself than the other. Kaiba for his part, continued watching as the other gradually resumed his normal breathing patterns, seeing no need to comment on such a statement. "What time is it, anyway?"

"It's 4.21 in the morning," Kaiba informed him after glancing over at his Blue Eyes clock to confirm. When Yami started chuckling softly at that, Kaiba asked, "What could possibly be funny about that?"

Letting his arm fall back against the pillow and away from his eyes, Yami turned his head to look up at Kaiba, even though he could just barely make him out in the darkness. "Don't people normally say that it's almost four thirty?"

Having lived most of his life with set times and dates for everything, Kaiba didn't believe in approximations. He had always felt that such expressions were for idiots who were under the impression that they had the luxury of wasting those minutes in between. "You asked for the time, I gave you the time," Kaiba defended himself, sounding slightly miffed.

"Thanks," Yami replied with a yawn, ignoring the tone of Kaiba's voice as he let his eyes drift shut once more.

"If you're going to go to sleep again, move over," Kaiba commanded, finding it ridiculous to argue over space in his king sized bed.

"I'm not going to fall asleep again," Yami told him, but it was entirely unconvincing since it was punctuated with another yawn.

"Move."

"Don't want to," Yami said as he rolled onto his side and held the covers close to him.

Kaiba laughed derisively, equal parts amused and annoyed by the fact that his rival was acting so childish. "I don't care," Kaiba replied, "now move the fuck over."

"You move."

"It's my goddamn bed!"

"But it's cold over there," Yami protested, having had quite enough of the hot and cold switches for one day.

Kaiba left no room for argument as he gave the ultimatum, "I'm telling you to move or get the fuck out."

"Hn," Yami replied, imitating Kaiba with a grin as he opened one of his eyes to see the other's reaction.

"Oh, that is it," Kaiba told him, moving forward and throwing the covers off of them both.

"Wait, what are you—wah!"

Even though it was somewhat awkward while on his knees, he still managed to get a good enough grip on Yami to pick him up, as he said, "Don't want to hear it," dumping him unceremoniously over onto the other side of the bed.

"Shit!" Yami swore as he shivered, making a grab for the sheets and pulling them back up to cover himself.

Taking precautions against Yami grabbing all of the blankets for himself, Kaiba finally made himself comfortable as he lay down on his side, facing Yami as he sarcastically said, "Thanks for warming it for me."

With the sheets still wrapped around him, Yami threw himself back down muttering, "Bastard," as he glared at Kaiba, not pleased with this sudden change.

"Stop being so dramatic, brat," Kaiba retorted with a laugh, guarding as one of Yami's hands darted over to try and retaliate.

"I'm the dramatic one? What's more dramatic than picking someone up and forcibly moving them to get what they wanted?"

"Hn," Kaiba haughtily replied, "I warned you, but you chose to disregard it and willfully failed to comply. I just took the necessary measures to ensure what was rightfully mine. Hardly dramatic, I feel."

Smirking, Yami shot back, "Keep telling yourself that, Seto-chan," laughing as the other became indignant.

He knew that the more he reacted to it, the more Yami would be inclined to do it, so he did his best to ignore it and watched as Yami yawned again, prompting him to irritably say, "Just shut up and go to sleep."

"No."

Sighing, Kaiba ran his fingers through his hair before resting his arm on top of the covers. "Are you just trying to be difficult?"

"No," Yami repeated with a laugh that turned into another yawn. Now that the excitement was over, he was beginning to feel tired once again, but he didn't want to give in yet. "I just don't want to sleep."

Against his better judgment, Kaiba finally asked, "Why?"

Shifting positions slightly, Yami propped his head up on his hand and tried to find a way to explain it. He knew that he had slept when he was originally alive, but it just seemed like such a strange concept to him after so many centuries. Even though his aibou slept regularly, it usually allowed Yami to take over his body, so he knew that it wasn't quite the same as normal people's concept of rest. Finally, he settled for saying, "It's weird. I know that the body requires it, but it just seems so…strange."

He found it to be an odd assertion so he asked, "Explain?"

"You're not going to like the answer," Yami told him, knowing full well that Kaiba hated anything relating to such matters.

"When has that ever stopped you from saying something?" Kaiba questioned with a laugh. "You may as well just say it since I'm feeling so generous." Although it wasn't so much a charitable act as it was one of curiosity, even though he was loath to admit it.

Raising his eyebrows, Yami wanted to know, "Generous how?"

"You're still here, aren't you?"

Now that it had been brought up, Yami was slightly surprised by the fact. After all, Kaiba's two choices had been move or leave, not move or be moved. Letting it go in favor of taking advantage of Kaiba's unusual willingness to listen, Yami said, "After more than three thousand years of not sleeping, I can't help but—"

Interrupting, Kaiba asked incredulously, "You mean to say that you were conscious the entire time?"

"Yes and no," Yami answered, "because I knew that time was passing, but I didn't know how much. There was no need to eat, no need to sleep in that form, and without a sun to mark the days…"

Despite the cruel demands Kaiba placed on his body, he couldn't imagine what staying awake for centuries would be like, although he imagined that his output would be nothing short of incredible. Somehow he didn't think it would be worth the fact that he would also be left alone with nothing but his thoughts, though. Having nothing to add, he waited in silence for Yami to continue speaking.

"After aibou freed me," Yami continued, "I understood how time passed, but it didn't change much. It was his body, so when he slept, he was the one resting unless I took over. But for the most part, I continued wandering through the rooms trying to find the answers to the questions I finally understood."

Kaiba didn't quite get what Yami meant about wandering through the rooms, but he didn't think he really wanted to, either. "So that means that even after Yuugi…?"

"Whenever his body wanted rest while I was in control, I could always just return my presence in place of his. What reason did I have to sleep? But now, when this body gets tired, it sleeps and I only realize that it's happened after I wake up," Yami said with a frown. He found it disconcerting, but so far there was nothing he could do about it except hope that it got better the longer he maintained his form. Yami had a slight hope that progress would eventually be made since in the beginning he would fall asleep frequently, but now he had managed to confine it to once a day.

"What about returning to the puzzle?" Kaiba asked, still not believing that he said such a ridiculous thing out loud.

"I'd rather not," he said with a sigh, laying his head back down and resting it on his forearm. Even though it helped him recover his strength, it had taken him so many years to be released from it and some part of him couldn't help but worry that if he returned, he might never be able to leave it again.

"Then what's your problem with sleeping?"

Hiding a yawn behind his hand, Yami told him, "You would know."

"Dreams," Kaiba stated simply, everything finally starting to come together for him.

"They're not that much different than visions, but I still dislike them, the dreams, nightmares, whatever name they're given. And yet…"

Fully understanding the sentiment, Kaiba couldn't quite smother the level of sympathy he had over the matter, even if he was still annoyed that most of his recent problems were a result of the person laying beside him. "And yet?" Kaiba prompted.

"And yet…everything I've seen look like memories of my past, but so far they've been rather…unpleasant," Yami finally said. "I can't even be sure if they're true or not."

It suddenly made sense to Kaiba and he asked in a slightly bitter tone, "So in order to avoid your dreams, you invaded mine?"

Yami didn't like the way Kaiba phrased it, but he couldn't exactly deny it, either. "At least those were pleasant," he muttered, his pride not wanting to admit to something so close to running away. "Besides, it stopped your normal nightmares, too."

"Hn," was all Kaiba said, finding it pointless to argue against it at the moment. "So if you wanted to avoid a dream tonight, why didn't you go harass someone else?"

"Didn't want to," Yami mumbled, shutting his eyes. "Besides, I thought this one would be okay."

"Oh?"

"But he wouldn't listen," Yami said with a sigh, his voice growing fainter. He could already feel himself starting to drift off again, but he kept talking in an attempt to stave it off, even if he wasn't entirely aware of what he was saying. "Said that he wouldn't hide behind me, but it wasn't about that."

Kaiba couldn't deny that he was curious about the dream, as much as he resisted it. At least it sounded like the supposed other version of him wasn't a coward. "Then…?"

"I just didn't want him to get hurt again."

"Again?"

"Too dangerous, but he wouldn't listen," Yami continued, yawning and shifting closer to Kaiba, seeking out the warmth the other provided. "Said he had promised to protect me."

Knowing that any command of the pharaoh had to be followed, Kaiba questioned, "Why didn't you order him to stay?"

"Because he would."

"And the problem with that was…?" Kaiba asked, even as he knew the answer himself.

"Because he would," Yami repeated without elaborating. He ceased speaking and Kaiba wondered if the other had finally fallen asleep, but he finally heard a soft, "Because it wasn't him."

The latter part made no sense, but he could tell by the way Yami's breathing was starting to even out that he probably wasn't going to get an answer. Once again brushing the blonde bangs back, he couldn't help but mutter, "Cryptic bastard," as he rolled over onto his back with a sigh.

After a delay, Yami weakly protested, "Am not," catching Kaiba off guard and causing him to snort in amusement. But he quickly lapsed into silence again and Kaiba tried to process the conversation, figuring that when Yami woke up earlier, he was most likely yelling after the priest in a final attempt to sway him to stay.

Surrounded by the silence and the slow dawn coming through his blinds, Kaiba considered resting. He was too warm and comfortable to even think about getting up and going back over to his computer, so he stared up at his ceiling, trying to clear his mind in order to have a chance at successfully falling asleep. It was why he thought he imagined Yami murmuring, "The balcony became the wall," and he turned his head to look at the seemingly unconscious figure next to him.

"What nonsense are you muttering about now?"

"It wasn't him."

"We've established that already," Kaiba replied, feeling slightly less ridiculous for doing so since he had actually seen the other's lips move in the dim morning. He watched as Yami edged even closer to his side, but it still appeared that the other wasn't fully awake.

"It was you," Yami finally said, his fingertips brushing against Kaiba's side.

"I'm not—"

Yami continued on in a disjointed manner that was frustrating the hell out of Kaiba. "Didn't want to see you hurt again, standing on the wall, but you wouldn't listen…I wouldn't listen."

Kaiba wasn't quite sure how they had gone from Egypt to what he was assuming was Pegasus' castle, but he was more confused by the fact that it was part of the dream at all. Did that mean when Yami had reached out to grab him, he actually hadn't been referring to the other at all? Had he been trying to pull Kaiba back from his suicidal stand off from back then? Or at least, that's what he thought until Yami added, "But it wasn't you."

If Yami ended that sentence with another, "It was him," Kaiba wasn't quite sure what he would do, but he would find a way to make it stop. Instead of answering, Yami had managed to completely nestle himself against Kaiba's side, his arm and leg draping themselves over Kaiba in an almost possessive manner. Unsure of what to do, Kaiba made no move to free himself from the weight that was now on his chest, the head that was now using him as a pillow.

"You were here," Yami practically whispered, his fingers gently curling against Kaiba's right shoulder as he fell silent, lightly brushing against the bruise he had left in the dream before stilling completely.

Kaiba was glad that nothing more was said, having enough to think about with those words. But as he felt the deep rise and fall of Yami's relaxed breathing, he found himself wanting to sleep instead of trying to analyze it further. It was still early, but it had been a long day and he could forgive turning in at such an hour, given the circumstances. Hesitantly, he gently wrapped his left arm around Yami's smaller form, his hand coming to rest on the other's hip, finding the position to be strangely comforting. Yami stirred slightly without waking and Kaiba turned his head slightly in order to get a better look at the other. With his free hand, Kaiba brushed away the hair that had once again fallen over Yami's face and was surprised when it revealed a small smile on the other's face. It was weird knowing that he was responsible for the contented expression, weirder still that it made him want to smile back because of it.

He just didn't understand, but for the moment, it didn't matter. For what felt like the first time in his life, his thoughts were quiet and his mind was at ease; even though he knew it wouldn't last, for the moment, it was an unexpected and most welcomed reprieve. There would be time for thinking later, but for now, he just concentrated on the feeling and drifted off, ignoring the fact that he might have softly kissed Yami on his forehead before finally falling asleep.

A/N: Ehee. I hope every enjoyed the range of fun as much as I did. XD

I do so love shower scenes and even though it was never my intention to add one here, I found it highly appropriate at this point. As for any random points, I don't know if anyone else has ever had the pleasurable misfortune of coming into contact with a marble shower wall after standing in the warm water for any length of time, but it is one weird sensation, completely incomparable to ceramic tiles, that's for sure.

I enjoyed playing with all of the mood changes between the two, because whenever it comes to dueling—hell, even when they're just observing one—they run the whole gamut in short little bipolar bursts, especially Kaiba. The one on the roof at Battle City where he has to cooperate is some of the best proof of that. "I don't need your help!" becomes, "Don't help me, bastard!" which becomes, "I'm saving you only to pay you back for earlier," which starts Kaiba thinking, "Is this the power of cooperation?" which makes him compensate and start taunting the other team, but when it comes to his Blue Eyes it's back to the anger, and whenever they're getting ready to win, in between the attack he starts having a philosophical debate about what the true meaning of strength is, only to become an ass as soon as it's over. XD

The little, "Has the strength that I've always relied on been wrong? Could this replace it?" speech in between the burst stream attack just makes me crack up, even though it shouldn't. But they both tend to have similar thought patterns at different times in the show, so the repetition in some of their thoughts here isn't laziness or bad editing, it's circling back to that. Plus, I love the idea of Kaiba taunting the other when he got out of the shower. Because he really is an ass like that and we love him for it.

And yes, Kaiba was referring to Jounouchi whenever he was referring to Yami invading someone else's dream. It also perhaps shows a slightly sadistic side in me to play with Yami's memories through dreams. He's so desperate for genuine memories and to have them start overlapping with his current life and calling their accuracy into question, it is cruel, but interesting I think. The line about him not knowing how time passed when he was in the puzzle was the one that inspired the next story, so that was a surprise for me, but hopefully one that everyone will enjoy whenever I post it.

I've also stated in the past that I tend to think of Kaiba as a person who is capable of caring deeply for others, but guards it for the obvious reasons. So whenever he lets his barriers down, I think the softer side of him would emerge a bit, especially if he can relate. Plus, after everything that boy has been through in a week (god, what a long ass week this story has been!), in addition to the staying up for three nights straight, combined with all of their physical interactions, he would be exhausted enough that a few things might slip through the walls. Kaiba Seto doesn't do cute, but he can be subtly adorable in his dorkiness when he thinks no one is looking.

Other than that, not much to add, I think. I like making little details show up in later chapters, though. It's just fun and it gives everything a more completed feel, I think. But you probably already figured out that I like the minor details that help flesh things out, so I should just shut up now. XD I really can't thank everyone enough for staying with the story this long and for all of your continued comments! Every time I look forward to seeing what your thoughts and opinions are, so it's been quite a pleasure. So I just wanted to say thanks!

NEXT CHAPTER: Nymphomaniacal

It's the morning after, but how will they react? Kaiba soon learns what happens when Yami becomes bored and how turnabout is fair play. The question is, how persuasive is Yami's argument?

Or something like that. XD And the title isn't a real word, but it should be. Shall we call it a hint? :grins: The next chapter has all sorts of fun and excitement and I've been dying to post it ever since I wrote it a few weeks back. I wrote the entire thing in a sitting and I've been tweaking it ever since, so I'm quite eager for everyone to see it. It's highly comical, but at the same time some random elements of relationship developing emotions manage to manifest themselves despite of it—shock! There's a little something for everyone in it, so that's always a good thing. It's a little on the long side, but I don't want to break up the flow—so hopefully you guys won't mind the extra smut. XD Seriously, chattiest sex ever. But since I couldn't write dueling banter, this will have to suffice.

So if that doesn't tempt you to check in next Sunday, I don't know what else to add. I can guarantee this one will go up on time (hell, I might throw it up on Saturday, but I don't want to be held to that in the event something comes up), so please check back then! And as always, feel free to comment and question. Until next time!