Chapter 28: Intensions

When Kaiba woke up and discovered that Yami was still there, he was too groggy to censor the feeling of relief that flooded him. Whether or not the feeling was a result of confirming that he wasn't going insane or over the fact that Yami was actually there didn't matter at the moment. He knew that his mind would eventually catch up with him, but for now he simply enjoyed the way Yami's body felt next to his and closed his eyes to everything else. For once, it could all just wait.

It was only after he realized that he was in danger of drifting back to sleep that Kaiba forced himself to stir. The quiet noise of displeasure the action earned him from Yami caused Kaiba to chuckle quietly as he propped himself up in order to see the clock over the mass of hair blocking his view. When he saw that the clock was insisting that it was 4.26PM, Kaiba rubbed his eyes in order to clear the sleep from them. There was no way that could be correct, but no matter how many times he rubbed his eyes, the time stubbornly remained the same until it turned 4.27PM.

Getting out of bed took more effort than necessary as Kaiba completely detangled himself from Yami before heading toward the bathroom. After finishing his morning routine, Kaiba returned to his room and surprised himself by approaching his bed. There were things that needed to be done, people that needed to be seen, e-mails that needed to be sent, and yet all Kaiba wanted to do was crawl under the covers next to Yami again. Since when had Kaiba Seto been so weak that he got back in bed during the middle of the day? The only answer his mind could supply him was that apparently since someone was waiting there for him, but he found little amusement in the thought.

But what would be the harm at this point? Classes were long since over and the normal workday was almost at an end as well. His body obviously needed it since he had been depriving it of sleep for so long and Mokuba probably wouldn't be home for a few more hours. Even as his mind continued debating both sides of the case, Kaiba was already pulling the covers back in order to get in again. As tempting as it was to curl up next to Yami and get a little more rest, Kaiba couldn't quite bring himself to do so. It was bad enough that he had returned to bed at all, but he considered staying awake his compromise. The thought of waking Yami up briefly crossed his mind, but Kaiba couldn't bring himself to for some unknown reason.

As he continued to sit there, his fingers eventually gravitated to the warmth of Yami's back that Kaiba was denying himself. Watching with curiosity as Yami shivered at the touch, Kaiba noticed a mark that had previously escaped his attention. The long, thin blemish on otherwise flawless skin almost looked like a scar that had silvered over time, but that was impossible. Yami hadn't possessed a body long enough to scar it so severely, and he certainly hadn't possessed it long enough for a cut to heal to such an extent. Ignoring the fact that he felt ridiculous for even questioning it, Kaiba wondered if it was a remnant of an injury Yami sustained in his original body. Then again, if Yami's body bore all the imperfections of his previous life, why was this the only one that he had seen? Hesitantly tracing the smooth line with one finger, Kaiba was overcome by a vision.

Even though Yami had traded the accouchements of pharaoh for linen bandages over a serious wound, his bearing was still regal as he defiantly stood against the pain to face off with Seto. His scarlet eyes were blazing with a strong conviction as he held onto a table tightly, swaying with the effort to remain standing. "And what would you have done differently had you been there?" Yami harshly demanded.

"I would have protected you!"

Although Yami's tone softened slightly, it was still firm as he insisted, "That's what they did, Seto. Four of my men are dead because of that bastard."

"You were still hurt!"

"I'm alive because of them."

"But—"

Holding up one hand to silence Seto's protest, Yami quietly said, "That's enough." He refused to allow the situation to escalate anymore than it already had, nor would he allow the honor of his servants' sacrifice to be questioned.

"I should have been there," Seto finally said after a long pause, his voice filled with bitter regret as he stared at his wounded pharaoh. Normally radiant skin was almost ashen from the loss of blood and the rush of shame and anger dueled for dominance within the priest. Even though the pharaoh would recover, it was still an unacceptable and unforgivable offense in Seto's opinion and there would be severe consequences if they ever caught the man responsible.

"You were fulfilling your duties elsewhere."

"My duty is to protect you!" Seto exclaimed vehemently, his voice echoing loudly off of the cavernous walls of Yami's private chambers.

"You are my priest, not my palace guard!" Yami snapped, his voice rising out of pain and frustration. Realizing that he had perhaps gone too far as the uncomfortable silence filled the space between them, Yami held out his hand and gestured for Seto to approach him.

Seto reluctantly obeyed, holding back a retort that it was the priests' responsibility to serve and protect the gods and since Yami was a living god, he more than anyone else fell within that duty. When he had come within reach, Yami wrapped his arms around Seto's waist and buried his face against his chest, letting the taller man support the weight of his exhaustion. Trying to be conscientious of Yami's injury, Seto lightly embraced the smaller body that seemed so frail to him at that moment. Yami's words came out slightly muffled as he stumbled his way through his thought, "Seto, if you—if you had been one of the four that…I just—I can't—"

Listening to the way his pharaoh was faltering, Seto felt that he had to do something to distract the path the conversation seemed to be turning. "Like that bastard thief could kill the likes of this High Priest Seto?" he boasted with a smug laugh, his grip tightening as much as Yami's injured body would allow. Despite the confidence in his words, they still rang hollow in light of the present situation.

"There have been rumors that he's trying to amass a dark army and if that were to happen, then—" Yami started to explain before cutting himself off, not wanting to voice such terrible things into existence.

Whether Yami's body was trembling from his tumultuous emotions or physical exhaustion was inconsequential to Seto; regardless of the cause, it needed to be handled. When he tried to pull away, Yami refused to relinquish his hold and Seto raised his hand to tip the other's head back in order for their eyes to meet. It pained him to see such a miserable expression in his pharaoh's eyes and he questioned how it was possible for such tiny shoulders to bear the burden of the country alone. "You should rest," Seto told him softly, finally managing to extract himself from Yami's grasp.

"How can I rest when I know that he's out there?"

"And what can you do in your present condition?" Seto countered before he swiftly picked up Yami in his arms.

"Plenty," Yami answered, struggling against being carried in such a manner. "Now put me down!"

"No," Seto refused, wishing not for the first time that the bed was closer to their present location, "and stop moving around so much. You're going to reopen the wound again."

Crossing his arms and glaring up at Seto defiantly, Yami continued trying to maintain his authority. "My injury has not impaired my legs, Seto. I'm more than capable of walking without any assistance, so put me down this instant!"

When they were children, he would have dropped Yami the moment those words were spoken, consequences be damned. Even then, he took his duty of helping his eventual pharaoh seriously; if it took a harsh lesson to prove to Yami the power the words of the pharaoh could hold, it was worth the punishment he would receive later. And yet, here he was blatantly disobeying in favor of his own selfishness. Stopping, he avoided looking Yami in the eye as he quietly said, "At least let me do this much."

Sighing heavily, Yami finally consented, "Fine," as he wrapped his arms around Seto's neck, allowing himself to be carried the remaining distance to the bed.

Kaiba quickly pulled his hand back as if he had been burned, his eyes wide with confusion as he stared at Yami's motionless body. His mind was racing as he tried to process what had just happened, but there was still the inherent desire to refuse to acknowledge anything that had just occurred. And yet, Kaiba's heart was pounding from emotions that were not his own and that was more than just a little disconcerting. There was no reason for him to feel as if he had failed to protect Yami, but it was still echoing inside of him as if it had anything to do with him at all.

Oblivious to what had just happened, Yami finally woke up, rolling over and staring up at Kaiba as he blinked slowly. "Morning," Yami murmured, finding it hard to keep his eyes open in the bright room.

"Afternoon," Kaiba replied, although he wasn't sure if it served as a greeting or a correction.

"Hm?" Yami asked after a prolonged yawn.

Doing his best to mask any of the issues he had almost been forced to confront, Kaiba reassured him, "Nothing." Yami was fine and he was being ridiculous. Again.

Turning onto his side in order to curl up next to Kaiba, Yami was pleased when he wasn't rejected outright. He still wasn't clear as to what had caused Kaiba to finally accept that he had really come over to the house, but if it meant that he wasn't getting kicked out of bed any time soon, then it was fine by him. "Really?"

"Yeah," Kaiba said faintly, trying to convince himself that it was true. After all, it was only a problem if he let it become one, right? Kaiba wasn't accustomed to just letting things go so easily, though. He hated that his fingers knew precisely where and how long the scar was and that he couldn't stop tracing the thin line. "When did you get this?"

Unsure about what Kaiba was referring to, Yami questioned, "Get what?"

"This scar," Kaiba clarified, reversing the direction of his tracing to illustrate for Yami.

Craning his neck to look over his shoulder in the hopes of seeing what Kaiba was talking about, Yami asked, "I have a scar?" Unable to see it, he returned his attention to Kaiba as he looked at him questioningly. "I don't recall getting scratched, unless maybe you made one the other week?"

"Ha," Kaiba said without humor, forcing his hand to a different place a little lower on Yami's back.

"I honestly have no idea," Yami said after thinking through any events that could possibly have resulted in a cut. "Why do you ask?"

Shrugging, Kaiba refused to admit that he had seen anything and settled for a vague, "I just noticed it earlier."

"Is that so?"

Stretching with another yawn, Yami began shifting his position to try and make himself a little more comfortable as he lay sprawled across Kaiba's chest. He ignored the slight dig in his side as Kaiba asked, "How long do you intend on staying there?"

"Where?" Yami questioned in a teasing tone. "In bed or by your side?" When Kaiba failed to take the bait, Yami pulled himself up into a sitting position in order to look at the other properly.

"Just shut up and go brush your teeth," Kaiba told Yami sharply after dodging a kiss.

Laughing at Kaiba's fastidious nature, Yami successfully managed to kiss the other's neck, earning him a growl. Shying away from the sensation of the lips that were slowly working their way up his neck, Kaiba commanded, "Go," only to be promptly ignored.

Accommodating his position to get a better angle, Yami murmured, "Don't want to," before moving on to Kaiba's earlobe.

"Don't care," Kaiba replied as he tried to shove Yami off of him. How had Yami managed to get on top of him in the first place? The issue was quickly losing its importance as Yami continued suckling on his ear, his tongue occasionally toying with it. "Stop."

Yami was sure that Kaiba had originally intended for that to sound like an order, but the breathy sound of it negated the effect. Refusing to comply, Yami switched his attentions to the other side of Kaiba's neck. Sighing, Kaiba decided that he might as well use his time to try and get some answers; even if it didn't deter Yami as he hoped, at least he would have obtained some information. "How did you get into my office?"

"Through the door," Yami told him with a smirk that Kaiba could feel.

"That's not what I meant."

"One of your guards thought that I was Yuugi," Yami said, sincerely hoping that the guard wasn't fired as a result of his actions.

Kaiba didn't understand how people could mistake the two, but that was beside the point. "You can't just show up my office."

Straightening up in order to look at Kaiba properly, Yami told him with gentle reproach, "It's not like you left me with many options."

There was little that Kaiba could say back to that so he remained silent instead. When Yami said nothing further, Kaiba grew increasingly uncomfortable under his unwavering gaze. "Why did you follow me here?"

"Did you really expect me to just leave it at that?"

"No," Kaiba answered honestly, knowing that Yami's tenacious nature wouldn't allow him to stop halfway.

"Look," Yami started to explain as he brushed some hair away from Kaiba's eyes, "I'm not trying to corner you, but I'm not going to let you run away, either."

Kaiba didn't know whether to laugh at such a statement or get pissed, so he settled for a displeased, "Hn." It caused Yami to chuckle and rest his head on Kaiba's shoulder, a response he hadn't been expecting. As he felt Yami's fingers start entwining in his hair, Kaiba sighed heavily. "What do you want from me?" he asked, surprised at how tired he sounded.

"Why do I have to want anything?"

Kaiba's voice took on a sarcastic edge as he retorted, "Everyone wants something."

Pullback in order to meet Kaiba's gaze once more, Yami asked seriously, "Then what do you want?"

What Kaiba really wanted was for everything to stop being so complicated and to start making sense, but he had a feeling that wasn't going to be happening any time soon. "I don't know," he finally admitted with a frown. "I just…things can't stay like this."

"No, they can't," Yami agreed, although he doubted that they would agree on what changes needed to be made. "So now what?"

Hating that he didn't have any answers, Kaiba simply shrugged and repeated his earlier order, "Go."

"Fine, fine," Yami consented as he forced his body to move toward the edge of the bed. Deciding to take action before he did anything to the enticing ass that was in front of him, Kaiba got out of bed as well. "Where are you going?"

"To get dressed," Kaiba replied as he started going over toward his closet, "or did you expect me to walk around naked for the rest of the day?"

With a particularly predatory smirk, Yami told Kaiba, "I wouldn't have any complaints about that."

"I'm sure," Kaiba retorted as he left Yami to his own devices while he readied himself for what was left of the day. Deciding on a pair of black pants and a comfortable button down shirt, Kaiba quickly got dressed. He wondered if he should offer Yami a change of clothes, but he dismissed the idea; Yami's slender figure would look downright absurd in one of his outfits. Although Kaiba was curious to see what Yami looked like all dressed up, he didn't particularly feel like creating the occasion for it.

Once he finished, Kaiba returned to his room and was hardly surprised to learn that Yami was still in the bathroom. The door was open and Kaiba leaned against the doorframe as he studied Yami. Although he had put on his jeans, Yami remained shirtless as he stood with his back to the mirror, his head turned at an odd angle. "What exactly are you trying to do?" Kaiba asked, his voice laced with an unexpected amusement.

"I wanted to see what scar you were talking about," Yami replied, meeting Kaiba's gaze in the mirror. "I never noticed it before."

"Why would you?" Kaiba asked with a derisive snort. It's not like he had noticed it until now and he had an unobstructed view of the mark.

Frowning slightly as he tried to touch it and failed, Yami confessed, "I don't know how I got it or when. Do you?"

"Why would I know?" Kaiba asked defensively, crossing his arms over his chest.

"True," Yami consented with a sigh. Turning around and walking toward Kaiba, Yami paused in front of him with a slight smile. Going up on tiptoe in order to kiss Kaiba, Yami was pleased when he felt the other's arms encircle his waist. When he felt himself being drawn closer, he became bold enough to let his tongue tease the entrance of Kaiba's mouth. Instead of being granted permission to enter, he found his own mouth being invaded by Kaiba's tongue and he eagerly joined the battled for dominance.

Bracing himself against the doorframe for extra support, Kaiba actually found himself enjoying the moment without complaint. His hands idly roamed up Yami's spine, resulting in a very pleasing moan as he arched into Kaiba's touch. It was only when Yami started to unbutton Kaiba's shirt that he remembered now wasn't the best time for that sort of behavior; his brother could come home at any minute. There wasn't anywhere for him to back up, so he gently tried to push Yami away without success. His protests were swallowed by Yami's enthusiastic pursuit of a win and Kaiba was quickly running out of ideas. "Stop," Kaiba tried to order in between bouts, "we need to—"

"—get back in bed," Yami finished the sentence in the only way he saw fit. Attempting to lead the way and strip Kaiba at the same time was proving to be difficult and it allowed the taller man to slip from his grasp.

"I was going to say, 'get something to eat,' but if you're not interested…" Kaiba told him as he began rebuttoning his shirt, taking care not to do them out of order.

Torn between which would better satiate his body, Yami pouted. It deepened when Kaiba laughed at him and he was almost ready to comment when he got a face full of shirt. "Hey!"

"It's your choice," Kaiba told him with a shrug as he left his bedroom to go downstairs.

Grumbling as he put on his shirt, Yami followed Kaiba into the kitchen. It was the second time he had been left wanting and he couldn't imagine that Kaiba was exactly thrilled about it either. Pushing it aside in favor of getting fed, Yami asked, "Is there anything I can do?"

"Stay out of my way," Kaiba answered as he continued getting everything in order. He hated having people underfoot when he cooked and he was grateful when Yami took a seat at the counter.

Yami chose to say nothing as he watched Kaiba move efficiently around the kitchen, captivated by the sight. He found it unnecessary to try and make mindless conversation, so he remained silent as Kaiba worked. Eventually he was given a bowl of something that made Yami realize just how hungry he actually was. Sipping at it cautiously so he didn't burn his tongue, Yami found himself enjoying the simple flavor immensely. "This is really good," Yami complimented him with genuine appreciation as he let the bowl warm his hands. "What is it?"

When Kaiba realized that Yami was asking seriously, he found it hard to believe. "You've never had miso soup before?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yes, but it's never tasted like this before. Aibou always makes—what does he call it…? Instant?"

Kaiba rolled his eyes at that, but he supposed it was to be expected. "That is not miso."

Yami was amused by the fact that Kaiba managed to sound elitist even over something as simple as soup. "So I'm discovering. But is there a reason that you're eating it standing up?"

Seeing no harm since Yami appeared to be happily enjoying his food, Kaiba brought his bowl with him as he took a seat next to the other at the counter. "Better?" Kaiba asked sarcastically.

"Much," Yami answered with a smirk as he used one hand to brace himself on Kaiba's thigh. Using his other hand to turn Kaiba's face toward his, Yami kissed him sensuously, pleased when he got a favorable response. Sucking lightly on Kaiba's lower lip before finishing, Yami murmured, "Thanks for the meal."

Any reprimand escaped Kaiba at that moment as he struggled to get his mind to resume normal functionality. "Uh, you're welcome?" Kaiba finally managed to reply, blaming his inarticulateness on the fact that he had never been thanked for a meal in such a manner.

The response made Yami chuckle softly and steal one more languid kiss. After he pulled back and reclaimed his seat, Yami continued eating his soup as if he hadn't just done something out of the ordinary. Kaiba was considering saying something when he heard Mokuba exclaiming from the other room, "Nii-sama! Are you home?"

Clearing his throat, Kaiba gave Yami a warning look, not liking how bemused he appeared. "In the kitchen," Kaiba finally called out, trying to look normal as his brother's footsteps drew closer.

When Mokuba ran into the room, his smile broadened at the sight of his brother and Yami eating at the counter. "Hey, Yami!" Mokuba said happily, earning him a nod of acknowledgement from the older boy. "Nii-sama! Guess what!"

Kaiba found it hard to understand how his younger brother could address Yami so casually. Didn't he think it was strange for him to be there? And why the hell did Yami look so amused? "What?"

"One of my classes might get to go on a field trip to Kaiba Land!" Mokuba exclaimed, eyeing the leftover soup. He was startled when he realized what kind it was; his brother only made that kind for breakfast! Did that mean the pair had just woken up or had Yami requested it? Even if Yami had asked for it, Mokuba doubted that his brother would have made it for that reason, though. Trying his best to keep the grin off of his face, Mokuba edged closer to the pot on the stove. "Can I have some?"

"Sure," Kaiba consented, setting his younger brother into motion as he got a bowl out of the overhead cabinet. "What class could possibly justify going to Kaiba Land?"

"My math class," Mokuba explained, blowing on his soup more out of habit than necessity. "My teacher is a big Duel Monsters fan and he thought that a trip to Kaiba Land might set some of the students more interested in math."

Kaiba raised an eyebrow skeptically at that as he commented, "That logic seems flawed."

"Well, the way he explained it was that math would help you become a better duelist. It's not just about adding and subtracting life points; probability and chance are also important," Mokuba said after jumping up on the counter next to the stove to sit.

Frowning at his brother sitting on the kitchen counter, Kaiba decided to let it slide this once. "Only loser dogs rely on things like chance and luck during a duel," Kaiba muttered, earning him a jab in the thigh by Yami that Mokuba couldn't see. Swatting the offending hand away from him, Kaiba glared at Yami before scowling down at his soup.

"Kaiba," Yami said lowly in warning, tired of having his friend constantly insulted. With Mokuba around he knew that he couldn't press the issue, but that didn't mean he would let it continue, either.

"Hn," was the only reply Kaiba bothered with, although there was plenty more that could be said about the worthless mutt.

Mokuba's eyes shifted between the two and he tried to hide his laugh behind a poorly disguised cough. His older brother frowned at him, but Mokuba decided it was in his best interests to continue in an attempt to shift attention away from what he perceived to be insults toward Jounouchi. "He's thinking about having an unofficial tournament at the park and the winner will get extra points on a test or something, although I don't think that's really fair to the people who don't play," Mokuba continued as if he had never been interrupted. "But I'm sure he'll come up with something for them as well."

"I doubt that the school will let him do it," Kaiba pointed out, ever the realistic one.

"Probably not," Mokuba agreed, "but it would still be pretty cool if they did." When silence descended on the group, Mokuba decided to turn his attention to Yami. "What do you think of the soup?"

"It's really good," Yami told him, still enjoying the residual warmth the small bowl had to offer his hands.

Grinning broadly, Mokuba proudly said, "Not many people know that Nii-sama is a really good cook!"

"Your brother is good at a lot of things," Yami commented with a hint of a smirk tugging at his lips. "He's very…talented."

It was hard for Kaiba to ignore the way Yami's tongue darted out to lick the rim of his bowl as his look turned perverse, but it was through sheer willpower that he refused to react to the innuendo. "Hn, that goes without saying," Kaiba muttered, finishing the remains of his miso in lieu of saying anything further.

The reaction drew an unrestrained laugh from Yami and Mokuba didn't miss the slight upturn of his brother's lips. He found himself relaxing since it was looking more and more like he wasn't going to face any negative consequences for his actions. "Oh yeah!" Mokuba suddenly exclaimed as he remembered something, drawing all attention to him. "I still have the movie I borrowed last weekend. Would it be okay if I gave it to you?"

Yami vaguely recalled that the movie belonged to Jounouchi and not his aibou, but he would probably see his friend before Mokuba. "Sure," Yami told him after finishing his soup.

Hopping off of the kitchen counter, Mokuba said, "I'll go get it," and proceeded to the entertainment room, leaving the pair alone once more.

Kaiba's body immediately tensed for whatever Yami could be planning, but the other did nothing more than rotate the small bowl in his hands. Instead of instigating anything, Kaiba chose to remain silent, grateful when his brother returned with movie in hand.

Accepting the proffered item, Yami looked at it curiously, flipping it over to read the plot synopsis. He looked up when he heard Kaiba snort and sarcastically say, "Don't waste your time with it."

"That bad?" Yami asked, trying to remember what Jounouchi had said about it in the past.

"It wasn't exactly bad," Mokuba said thoughtfully, "it was just kinda boring."

Yami could do without boring; he suffered enough from the condition when he was alone at the house while his aibou was at school. "I'll have aibou give it back to him tomorrow."

"Thanks!"

"You're welcome," Yami said with a small smile as he set it on the counter.

Mokuba was about to say something else when he realized that his brother was watching the exchange with an odd look on his face. "Nii-sama?"

Snapping back to attention, Kaiba was quick to dismiss his brother's concerns with a somewhat convincing, "It's nothing, Mokuba." It was mostly true, too; he had just been puzzled by how seemingly natural the interactions between his brother and Yami were.

Mokuba was thinking about excusing himself when he remembered that his brother probably hadn't been informed of the latest development on the Dueling Dragon Coaster. "Oh, Katashii wanted me to tell you that the parts are due to arrive tomorrow, so we're still ahead of schedule," Mokuba informed his brother.

Realizing that they were talking about work, Yami focused his attention inward on the recent feelings of anxiety that had been leaking through his connection with Yuugi for some time. Figuring it was as good a time as any, Yami reached out to him and asked, "Aibou, what's wrong?"

He had prepared himself to feel the anxiety increase when he properly opened himself up to the other, but he hadn't been expecting the intense wave of excitement that hit him as Yuugi happily exclaimed, "Yami! I need to talk to you!" It was impossible for Yami not to flinch at the sheer volume of the interior voice and the way the anxiety began wrapping itself around the previous jubilance. "I know that you're with Kaiba-kun, but—"

"Yami."

The voice had been stern, pulling Yami back from the brunt of whatever had his aibou so emotional. "Yes?" Yami asked as casually as possible, surprised to see a hint of concern in Kaiba's eyes.

"Are you okay?" Mokuba asked as he looked up worriedly at Yami. He had been in the middle of answering his brother's question when Yami had suddenly jumped with a small noise that caused them both to try and figure out what had happened.

"I'm fine," Yami reassured them, although it was obvious that neither of the brothers were convinced. In the past he had sometimes had problems with Yuugi's volume, but he was starting to wonder if the other was under the impression that he had to be loud because of the separation of bodies and the distance in between them.

Reaching out to Yuugi without opening himself up too much to the onslaught of emotions, Yami quickly told him, "Aibou, I think it'll have to wait until I get home." He was somewhat thankful that he wasn't feeling the full brunt of the guilt that started to override everything else. Trying to send Yuugi his assurance that it was fine, Yami shut down the connection and shook his head as if to clear it.

"Bullshit," Kaiba declared when he saw Yami flinch again. "What the hell happened?"

"I'm not really sure," Yami answered honestly with a shrug. "Aibou wanted to tell me something, but he wouldn't say what."

The words confused Mokuba, but he didn't feel that it was his place to press the issue. If anything, he was starting to get concerned about the way his brother narrowed his eyes in displeasure at the information. He couldn't help but wonder if it was because his brother didn't like the answer or if he didn't like the fact that Yami was probably going to leave. Even though he really didn't want to, Mokuba awkwardly excused himself, "Uhm, I think I'm going to go take care of some homework, then. I'll see you next time?"

"Thank you," Yami told Mokuba with a small smile, hoping that the younger boy would pick up on the other implied meaning. "Sorry to have troubled you."

Nodding once before turning to hurry up the stairs, Mokuba resisted the temptation to linger within listening distance. Even though he was curious to find out more about how Yami was able to hear from Yuugi without a phone, Mokuba didn't want to risk finding out anything else.

It was only after Kaiba heard the sound of Mokuba's bedroom door shutting that he allowed himself to say anything. "Explain."

Leaning back in the chair with a sigh, Yami was regretting that he didn't have more control over his reactions. "I already did," Yami told him as he stretched. "Aibou was just being a little louder than normal, that's all."

Scowling at the answer, Kaiba asked, "I suppose this means you need to go?"

Unable to keep the teasing out of his voice, Yami playfully said, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say it almost sounds like you don't want me to."

Kaiba's initial shock was quickly replaced with a sneer that made Yami chuckle. "Don't flatter yourself."

"It's not flattering if it's a fact," Yami pointed out with a grin as he gracefully rose from his seat, but it didn't earn him anything more than another scowl. "But yes, I suppose I should." As much as he would have liked to stay, he was certain that Kaiba had other things to attend to from missing a day at work. Besides, he was more than a little curious about what had his aibou so worked up; if it had anything to do with what he suspected, then he would be hard pressed to contain his own excitement at the prospect.

Gesturing for Yami to follow him, Kaiba said, "I'll drive," not giving Yami any choice in the matter. He also wasn't allowing any part of his mind to protest the fact that Yami was leaving; he had stayed long enough as it was.

Making sure to take the movie with him, Yami quickly caught up with Kaiba as they headed to the garage. It was only a matter of moments before they were in the car and on their way back to the Kame Game Shop. Nothing was said and Yami was fine with the companionable silence as he watched the passing scenery.

Kaiba for his part was maintaining his silence simply because he didn't know what to say. He kept expecting Yami to start up with some inane chattering, but it never happened. It almost felt like it was too soon before he was approaching the Game Shop and Kaiba wasn't any closer to having a clue about what to say. Only after he parked in front of the house did he allow himself to look over at Yami. He refused to say something as redundant as, "We're here," but Yami wasn't showing any signs of noticing their arrival.

Unbuckling his seatbelt, Yami turned to get a better look at Kaiba. The other seemed to be slightly uneasy and Yami couldn't help but remember his aibou telling him about how awkward he felt when saying goodbye to Anzu after their first date. It made him want to laugh, but he refrained from doing so as he leaned over and lightly kissed Kaiba's lips. "Thank you," Yami said softly before he started kissing Kaiba with a little more passion, becoming frustrated when it wasn't allowed to escalate.

"For what?"

"For not pushing me away this time," Yami answered before resuming from where he left off earlier. He was pleased when he was finally granted permission to continue and it took an effort of willpower to not climb over the console and onto Kaiba's lap.

The words made Kaiba want to growl in irritation, but he took his aggressions out on the kiss instead. It was only after he realized that any passerby could look through the windows and see what they were doing that he pulled back, forcing Yami to stop. Scrambling to find something to say, Kaiba gruffly told him, "Don't come to my office again."

"Don't put me in a situation where that's my only option, then," Yami countered, although there was no anger in his voice. When he saw that Kaiba still looked somewhat miffed, Yami's expression softened a little. "I just wanted to see you, Seto."

The unguarded honesty in the other's gaze was hard to accept. He wanted to make a snide remark about how Yami wanted to see him just so they could fuck, but the accusation was obviously false. All Yami had tried to do was make him understand and that was unnerving to him. It was almost like Kaiba was looking for a way out of the situation, but Yami's sincerity and seriousness regarding the whole matter made it difficult to make excuses. "Damn you," Kaiba sighed as he tightened the grip on the steering wheel with one hand.

"What?"

It was becoming glaringly obvious to Kaiba that he had been thoroughly defeated by Yami, but he would never admit it to him. Then again, if it wasn't a game, was it even possible to win or to lose? Roughly pulling Yami in for a deep kiss, Kaiba ended it by saying, "I'll see you next time. Now get the fuck out of my car."

Kaiba tried to ignore the way Yami's laugh and pleased expression made him feel, but he allowed himself to enjoy one last kiss that was initiated in the other's excitement. "See you soon," Yami promised with a grin before getting out of the car and heading toward his house.

It was only after watching Yami go inside that Kaiba allowed himself to start the drive home, unable to hide his small smile. Nothing had really been resolved, but for the time being, things were okay the way they were.

A/N: You have no idea how glad I am that I could finally post this bastard chapter. This is actually the fourth version and I'm still not one hundred percent pleased with it; I don't know why it was so difficult, but it has fought against completion for the last two weeks. Argh.

I'm just so done with this bloody chapter that I actually don't have anything else to add to it. It's times like this that I'm grateful for all of the wonderful reviews that remind me to keep going. It would be so easy to distract myself from this with another project, but I just couldn't do that when I knew how many of you have taken the time to encourage me all along the way. Working multiple twelve hour days on three hours of sleep a night is not conducive to writing, but I've been trying to make do. Thankfully my boss hasn't run out of post it notes yet. Between last chapter and part of this one, I've gone through twenty nine of them, front and back with the tiniest handwriting imaginable. And they're larger than normal post it notes to boot. XD

I've been so focused on getting this thing out that I have once again been remiss in my replies to your wonderfully kind words. I shall remedy that tomorrow, but until then hopefully you can enjoy this chapter.

NEXT CHAPTER: Confrontations

Bakura's still trapped within Ryou's body and he has a thing or two he intends to say to Kaiba about it.

Yeah, I've been looking forward to that chapter. XD It better not fight me as much as this one did, ugh. We'll aim for next Sunday and hopefully I won't miss my deadline this time…