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"blah, blah, blah": talking

'blah, blah, blah': thinking

Chapter 4: Meetings and Emotions, Part 1

Yugi stared up into the startling red eyes in surprise. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to take in the rest of the person before he was hauled roughly off his feet. The person's large, strong hand grabbed his small wrist tightly and dragged Yugi along, getting them lost in the crowd. Unfortunately, the person was dragging him in the opposite direction of the shop he needed to go to. When the person – who he assumed was male based on the firm grip around his hand – had grabbed him, he had been so surprised that his right hand loosened, making him drop his list.

'Well, so much for shopping,' Yugi thought sarcastically.

Shouts came from behind him, as well as a loud 'crack' noise that sounded like wood breaking. He looked over his shoulder to see a group of guards looking in his direction and a vegetable stand that seemed to have toppled over in the chaos, as well as a felled woman beside it. Yugi felt a slight hint of guilt when he realized that it was (albeit indirectly) his fault that the poor vegetable vendor had lost his stand and make the poor woman fall, but he was soon distracted by the guards.

Yugi could see the anger bubbling up in their eyes, as well as determination and hatred. What had this guy done to make the guards, who had always been very nice to him and his friends – if not a little flirtatious - hate him so much? The guards had been forced to stop to steady the woman that they had run into and help her gather the things that had dropped, as well as right the vegetable stand to please the red-faced vender off to the side, who looked ready to explode. This pause had given himself and his kidnapper a considerable distance between them and the guards.

"Stop, pirate!" one of the guards yells, not at Yugi, but at the man pulling him. The man looked over his shoulder and a smirk spread across his handsome face at the guard's cry. Fear immediately filled Yugi's heart, and he gulped slightly.

'Pirate?' he thought nervously. The fact that he was practically being held hostage by a pirate not only scared him, but also filled him with this weird thrilling sensation. Finally, he had some excitement in his life! Now, to be honest, probably was not the time be so happy, however.

The man pulled Yugi into and alleyway and stopped abruptly, spinning Yugi around so that his back was facing the man's chest. The man let go of Yugi's wrist, only to clamp his hand over Yugi's mouth and wrap his other arm around Yugi's slim waist. The strong arm pressed him back against the other man's chest and a small, muffled squeak escaped him. Yugi's cheeks turned bright red, and he was suddenly thankful for the darkness of the alleyway. He could actually feel the muscle of the man's chest mold perfectly against Yugi's back. Yugi, being the hopeless romantic that he was, couldn't help but marvel at how well he fit up under the man's chin and in his arms. His cheeks turned a shade darker, mentally scolding himself at the thought. He didn't even know what the guy looked like, let alone what he was like as a person. He had no reason to be thinking this way!

A few minutes later, the guards came bounding past the alley's opening, and he could feel the man's arms tighten around him. Thankfully, none of them noticed the two figures huddled inside. The man waited a few seconds to see if they were going to come back. The guard's clamor died away and Yugi felt the man behind him exhale slowly, his warm breath flowing over the hairs on the back of Yugi's neck. Yugi shivered slightly at the feeling. That was when he realized the man hadn't released him yet. He knew the man was a pirate, and they were both in a dark, secluded alleyway.

Alone.

With no one around to hear him if he screamed.

Yugi gulped at the thought, suddenly very scared.

"I am going to release your mouth and, for your own good, you had better not scream." A deep – admittedly sexy ('Shut up, hormones!' Yugi shouted to himself) – voice growled near Yugi's ear, warm breath washing over his exposed neck. Yugi shivered involuntarily again at the voice and the threat. The man lowered his hand and Yugi obeyed him, although every fiber of his being was telling him to scream and run for it. The other arms slipped from around Yugi's waist and both hands came up to rest on Yugi's slightly trembling shoulders. The man spun around suddenly, letting Yugi finally meet his kidnapper face to face. Yugi couldn't but admire the man.

As Yugi had previously noticed, the man's were a deep, calculating crimson, which seemed to cut into Yugi's very soul. Adorning his head was a mass of spikes, quite like Yugi's own, but with some differences. For one thing, his spikes were tipped with red instead of purple, like Yugi's. He also had lightning-bolt-like hair that shot up along with his spikes, which Yugi did not have. His skin was a dark caramel – as if he had lived under the sun for most of his life – which was a complete contrast to Yugi's pale skin. His body was toned and lean, which Yugi could tell even if he had clothes on. A creamy, billowy shirt covered his torso, with the front open to just above his abdomen, which showed just enough skin to make the imagination run rampant. Black pants covered his legs and were tucked into black boots at the ends. Two belts – filled with guns, daggers, and other weapons, Yugi noticed – crisscrossed over his hips, adding a slight flair to his look. All in all, this guy looked like a manlier, sexier version of Yugi. Something Anzu said flickered in the back of Yugi's mind, puzzling the young boy. Something about a resistant look-a-like of his…Yugi looked up at the man, noticing his eyes wandering over Yugi's body. Yugi blushed immediately and a smirk spread across the man's face.

Yami looked the boy over, immediately liking what he saw. The boy was at least five inches shorter than Yami, and innocence seemed to radiate from him. He had large, amethyst eyes set in a soft, cherub-like face with soft pink lips and a small, button-like nose that rests in the center of his face. Soft, spiky, blonde bangs hung in front of his eyes, much like his own bangs. Black spikes tipped with purple sprout from his scalp, which looked as smooth as silk. His body was slim and effeminate, with smooth, supple skin. A white shirt covered his torso, which was also covered by a black jacket that had little red buttons sewn into it. Black pants cover his shapely legs and tucked into black boots at the ends. Despite his little look-a-like's innocent demeanor, he had quite a dark style. Yami looked and noticed that the little one had noticed that he had been essentially checking him out. He saw the small boy's cheeks flush and smirked in amusement. He definitely wanted to get to know the innocent smaller male more.

"What's your name, little one?" Yami asked, startling the boy.

"Y-yugi. Yugi M-moto," The boy stammered in a soft, angelic voice.

"Well, Yugi, my name is Yami," Yami said, purring the boy's name on purpose. He couldn't help but feel triumphant when the boy blushed beautifully again.

"Y-yami? As in Yami Atemu?" the boy said fearfully, his eyes widening to a size Yami didn't know was possible.

"Ah, so you have heard of me," Yami murmured, frowning to himself before putting his amused expression back onto his face. Well, that changed things.

"Of course I have; everyone in Domino has heard of you!" Yugi exclaimed, seeming to gain some confidence. Yami smirked, though surprised inside; he hadn't known he was that famous.

"So that's why the guards were after you," Yugi murmured more to himself than to Yami. Yami sighed. He had hoped the little one hadn't noticed that tidbit.

"Yes and, now that you know where I am, you're gonna have to come with me," Yami said, more than a little happy at the new development. Yugi interested him greatly, and kidnapping him would allow him to get to know him better.

That is, if Yugi didn't hate him for it.

Yami shook his head, ending that train of thought. He would deal with that later.

"W-what?" Yugi gasped in alarm, hoping he had not heard Yami correctly. He took a step back, as if preparing to bolt. Yami shot his hand forward, grabbing Yugi's wrist and pulled their chests together. Yugi gasped in surprise, stumbling slightly.

"Forgive me for this," Yami sighed regretfully, pulling a dagger out of one of his belts.

"Forgive you for wha-" Yugi started, not noticing the menacing weapon, before Yami slammed the hilt of the dagger into the back of Yugi's head. Yugi cried out in pain, his eyes widening before fluttering closed. Yugi's body went limp and his head lolled forward, resting against Yami's chest. Yami gazed down at him, not being able to stop himself from admiring his sleeping form. Yugi really did look very cute when he was asleep.

He shifted Yugi in his arms and hoisted him up bridal style, marveling at how light the little male felt. He turned and walked cautiously out into the open street. When he realized that it was empty, Yami relaxes slightly. He felt Yugi shift slightly and snuggle against his chest (1). The edges of Yami's mouth twitched, trying to form a smile. Instead, Yami frowned, very confused. He hadn't smiled in years – since he was about eight, if he remembered correctly – and he had never met anyone who had made him want to smile before (except Mokuba, but he didn't count). This was an unusual development that he would definitely have to look into later. He shook his head, ridding himself of that thought and set off towards the other side of Domino and eventually, the Dark Millenium.

Jou cursed under his breath, crushing the list that Anzu had given him angrily in his hand. He sighed and smoothed it out, looking hopelessly around at the stores. None of them were the ones he needed. Anzu had given a list of hats to buy for her to give to her friends. All of the shops around had him something to do with food. That was horrible for him, especially; at that exact moment, his stomach rumbled loudly in answer (2). He had not had any food since breakfast, which was three hours ago. His stomach growled angrily again, and Jou decided that he couldn't handle it anymore. He stuffed the list in his pocket and stopped at a small, nearby restaurant. The sign over the door read "The Wicked Cauldron" and a delicious smell came from within. He followed the smell, opening the wooden door. Inside there were tables scattered around the shop. Some of the tables were filled, but most of them were empty. A good-looking brunette occupied one particular table in the back.

His hair (he was pretty sure it was a man, because of his obvious lack of breasts) was cut short and looked smooth, like melted chocolate. His body was slim and lanky, with some muscle that Jou could see from here. He had broad shoulders, even broader than Jou's, that are covered by a creamy, white shirt. Over his shirt was a black jacket that stretched all the way down to his knee (3). The cuffs of the jacket were rolled up, revealing his long arms. Black pants covered his long legs, which were crossed over each other, suggesting that this man was quite sophisticated. For some reason, it irked Jou that he couldn't see the man's face.

Suddenly, the waiter, and eight-armed octopus-man appeared at the brunette's table. The brunette looked at him and, from Jou's angle, revealing his face perfectly. His hair, which he realized was combed to perfection, fell into the most strikingly beautiful cobalt-blue eyes he had ever seen. They were piercing and ice cold, taking in and calculating everything around him, dissecting it with the precisest of movements.

His lips were full and turned down in what seemed like a permanent frown. The air of sophistication surrounding him was ruined by the condescending look in the man's eyes. There was also a harsh pride shining those beautiful eyes that Jou found very…appealing. He was kind of disappointed he was in a 'look-but-don't-touch' situation with this guy, but he had to deal with that.

Jou started in surprise when he feels a hand on his elbow. He turned to see a young woman who was only about two inches shorter than him. She had gentle brown eyes and a soft smile.

"Would you like to sit down, sir?" she asked politely.

"Yes, thank you," Jou answers, sending her a warm smile. To his surprise, a faint blush spread across her cheeks. Jou raised an eyebrow but shrugged it off. He apparently had that affect on women. He followed her to a table on the side. He glanced out of the corner of his eye and realized that he had a pretty good view of the lovely brunette in the corner.

"H-here's your menu, sir. Aetna (4) will be here in a moment," She motioned for him to sit down as she spoke, smiling shyly. She walked towards the waiter, who was still taking the brunette's order. He saw her point his way and his eyes widened. He had not wanted to be seen by the brunette, and the hostess had not helped. The waiter, Aetna, turned his way and their eyes connected. Well, that was great. The brunette would see him practically stalking him.

Just wonderful.

A few moments before...

Seto sighed, turning towards Aetna.

"Yes?" he said sharply.

"Wh-what would you like to have, sir?" Seto smirked slightly, realizing that he made the waiter nervous. He glanced down at the menu, seeing only one thing that he found interesting.

"The…Crimean Stew, please," He answered politely, albeit coldly. Suddenly, a young woman walked up to octopus man.

"Aetna, there's a new customer over there," She said, a blush on her pale cheeks. Apparently, the waiter had noticed this, too, for he raised a wispy eyebrow. He followed to where she was pointing and realization dawned on his face. He turned back to Seto.

"The Crimean Stew, right?" he said distractedly.

"Yes."

"Anything else?"

"No."

"Okay, then, you're food should be out soon." He gave the order to the girl, who walked it to the kitchen. Seto's eyes followed where he was headed and he was immediately interested in what he saw. The new customer was a boy with shaggy, dark-blonde hair. He was lanky and tall, only about an inch shorter than Seto. His eyes were a deep hazel, and filled with so much emotion. He could faintly detect a fiery pride hiding behind the depths.

He found he liked that very much.

He saw the blonde say something to Aetna (most likely ordering), which dragged his attention to the boy's lips. They were a light pink, and look absolutely perfect, as if just begging to be captured. Seto shakes himself out of his reverie, mentally scolding himself. He was here to map out the city, not fantasize about some blonde he didn't even know. He brought his glass – that he just noticed was on his table – to his lips, discreetly searching for another entrance to the shop, besides the front door. That would make his escape too conspicuous. He needed to leave, now. That beautiful blonde was distracting him from his mission. There were not many times when something – especially a person – distracted him, but he had learned at a young age to either completely ignore it or get as far away from it as he could. His eyes catch on a small backdoor to his right. It was the only alternate door he could see to leave the restaurant from.

Perfect. Now all he needed was to wait for the right moment….

At that exact moment, a soft sound came from his right. He looked over to see a boy of about twelve holding a violin. The melody he was playing was slow, as if for a love song. Couples began to stand, moving to the small area in front of the kitchen. They begin to sway in time with the beat, getting lost in the music and the dance with their loved ones. Seto smirked, mentally thanking the boy; he had just provided him with the perfect distraction. He slunk away towards the other door, slipping out silently.

Jou looked over at the boy in surprise. He was shocked a boy so young could play so well. He couldn't stop himself from looking over at the brunette's table. To his surprise, the brunette was gone, his glass half-full on the table (yes, half-full. Let it never be said that Jounichi Katsuya was not an optimist.). Suddenly, Aetna appeared and placed the sandwich he had ordered in front of him. Jou smiled gratefully up at him, remembering how hungry he was. He blinked in surprise when he saw the pissed off look on the waiter's face.

"Um, you okay, dude?" he asked uncertainly.

"Yes, sir. A brunette in the corner just left before we were able to bring him his food – which was very hard to make, mind you – and before paying for his drink."

"Really?" Jou said weakly, shocked that the brunette he had been fantasizing about had committed a crime. It wasn't a terrible one, but still.

"Yes," Aetna snapped, slinking away sulkily. Jou sighed softly, looking over to his food; he might as well enjoy it, even if the brunette wasn't going to.

He tucked into it with gusto, relishing the delicious taste. He definitely needed this; he smiled when his stomach quieted down in response. The food was gone quickly, succumbing to his heavy appetite. He stood up, feeling totally satisfied. He rummaged through his pocket, looking for some money. So what if he needed it to pay for Anzu's shopping; her father had enough money anyway. He found a few bills, enough to pay for the food, and some change, enough to give the gypped octopus man a generous tip. He felt bad about what had happened with the brunette, and he wanted to make up for it.

He placed the money on the table and left quietly, feeling slightly heavy. He couldn't get that brunette out of his head. When he left the restaurant he was met with a puzzling silence. Where was all the commotion that he had heard before he came in? He looked up at the sky, realizing that the sun was beginning to set. Crap! He needed to get back to the fort soon, or the others would be worried sick.

"Hey kid, watch out!" a voice called from the side. Jou's head snapped up to see a carriage coming straight towards him. His eyes widened in fear and he froze in his place.

'Oh no!' Jou thought fearfully. He squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for impact. Suddenly, a pair of strong arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him out from the path of the carriage and into a strong chest just as the carriage came rumbling past on the cobblestones where he had been standing. He stared at the spot in shock, realizing how close he had been to death. The arms released him and he spun around to thank who had saved him. To surprise (but not to ours! :D), it was the brunette from the restaurant. The brunette smirked at Jou, and he couldn't help but blush in response.

"It figures you'd be an idiot," The brunette said, his deep, sexy voice washing over Jou in cold amusement. Jou immediately bristled at the statement, his blush vanishing.

"Shut up, you jerk! I am not an idiot!" Jou yelled back, anger shining in his eyes.

"Oh, really?" The brunette said sarcastically.

"Yes," Jou growled, mentally daring the brunette to comment.

"Then why did you just stand there and almost let that carriage run over you?" Jou glared at the brunette. His tone was so condescending! Jou wanted to hit something.

Or someone.

"You know what? I don't have to explain myself to you, you jerk," He spun sharply on his heel, turning his back to the gorgeous jerk.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" the brunette called over amusingly from behind him. Jou turned back to him, his eyes filled with confusion.

"What are you talking about?" Jou said warily. The brunette smirked.

"Aren't you going to thank me?" He said back. Jou's eyes widened. Okay, this was the last straw! Who did he think he is? Jou decided he should voice his thoughts.

"Who do you think you are?" Jou exclaimed angrily.

"Seto Kaiba, actually," The brunette answered, relishing the look of shock on the blonde's face.

"Y-you're a pirate," Jou said in fear, backing up slightly.

"Yes and, now that you've spotted me here, I'm gonna have to take you with me."

"What? No!" Jou exclaimed, bracing himself for a struggle. The brunette didn't look that strong, but he had heard the rumors…Seto chuckled slightly, lashing out unexpectedly with inhuman speed at Jou. His hand, well, fist collided with Jou's stomach and the blonde doubled over in pain, his hands clutching at his sides. Before he could straighten up, Seto slammed his fist on the back of Jou's head, knocking him out. The blonde fell down to his knees, before falling completely onto the ground. Seto crouched down to gaze at him and the last thing Jou saw before passing out was a pair blue orbs looking into his.

A look of guilt flashed across Seto's face for a brief second, then vanished just as quickly. He knew the way he had knocked the blonde out was rather violent, but he wanted to make the kidnapping go as quickly as possible. He knew the blonde would be ready for a fight, and he didn't want to draw any more attention to himself. Okay, he really needed to find out the blonde's name; it was getting annoying calling him 'the blonde' all the time. He looked the blonde over, noticing a piece of paper poking out of his pocket. He picked it up, straightening out the edges a little more. On the top were the words 'Katsuya Jounouchi' written in a full, curvy script that looked like how a woman might write it; beneath it was a list of hats that were mainly for females. Why would a boy need this? He shook his head, getting that thought out of his mind. What he needed to worry about right now was how to get Katsuya (5) to the ship without anyone noticing.

He looked around him, checking to see if there were any witnesses. Thankfully, there weren't. Most of the shops had closed and most people had already gone home for the night. He bent down and scooped the unconscious blonde up effortlessly, arranging him so that he had an arm behind his back and underneath his knees.

Maybe this would be easier than he thought….

Footnotes:

No.1: I couldn't help but add that part. Yugi is such a kawaii character, and he would totally do that.

No.2: Ah, yes; Jou's ever-wonderful appetite. Can't have a Yu-Gi-Oh! yaoi fanfiction without it!

No.3: This coat is kinda like my version of Seto's infamous trench coat. This is also another crucial component to a Yu-Gi-Oh! yaoi fanfiction.

No.4: So I changed his name because not being able to find the right accent to go over the 'r' was bugging the crap out of me. So, it's Aetna now. Aetna is named after Mount Aetna in Greek mythology where the god of the forge, Hephaestus, was said to work (which caused the eruptions that the volcano is known for) with his cyclopes assistants making weapons and other things for the gods in Mount Olympus. Once again, nothing to do with the guy; it was just the only name that sounded cool as well.

No.5: Seto doesn't know that Jou wanted to be called Jou, so he just called him by his first name.