Okay guys, I'm giving you the same lecture I gave my other story. I have a LOT of stuff going on right now, I'm not going to talk about it until we know more for sure, but I'll tell you then. The point is, I'll try not to let it mess with my update schedule, but it might. If it does, I trust that you guys will understand.

I've started typing out the winner to the poll of what's next! The winner was Barrier, though it was pretty close~

I do NOT own YuGiOh!

"Yuugi, we won't be coming back here." He said softly, ruffling Yuugi's hair. "Now, I need you to duck down your head while we drive out, can you do that?" He asked in a hushed voice. Yuugi's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Why would I do that? What is it, Yami?" Yuugi asked. Yami's eyes focused on the door behind Yuugi, and he saw some men in black suits begin to come out of the door. He slowly reached up and looked Yuugi in the eyes.

"Do you trust me?" He asked tentatively. Yuugi shook his head yes and Yami slowly began to pull his head down until Yuugi's cheek was pressed into his lap, sufficiently hiding his presence from the government officials.

"What are you d-doing?" Yuugi asked.

"Yuugi, you need to be quiet for now. Like I said, you have to trust me." Yami said, his baritone voice soothing Yuugi. "Try to keep your tail from twitching."

Yami used the hand that wasn't gripping Yuugi's hair (KEEPING HIM SAFE) to grip the wheel, thanking Ra that he didn't have a stick shift. He pulled out of the parking lot at a fast pace, trying to keep his heartbeat under control. He felt nervous moving so fast, but he knew that if he didn't act exactly how he normally did, it would look suspicious.

It was only a few minutes before he was sitting at a red light, the one across his street, actually. He had to restrain himself from just running through it, but he was as patient as one could be in that situation. As soon as the light was back to green, he sped across the street and to the house, pulling in the driveway and pausing.

How was he supposed to get Yuugi inside from here?

Yami, thinking quickly, grabbed his coat from the back and quickly draped it over Yuugi, ignoring his small squeak of surprise as Yami scooped him up into his arms, fully covered by the coat.

Every step towards the house seemed to take forever, and he could feel his own heartbeat thumping wildly against his chest. His knees felt like they were about to buckle, but he somehow managed to hold himself up, opening the door with a shaky hand before he entered the house and shut the door tightly behind him, dropping Yuugi on the ground.

"Yuugi." He said brokenly. Yuugi crawled out of the pile of blankets Yami had dropped him in and came over to where he sat, looking concerned. Yami had leaned up against the door and slunk down slowly, letting out a long huff as he buried his head in his hands.

This wasn't supposed to happen like this. He was supposed to fall in love with Yuugi, and then Yuugi would become a revolution for a new species, and then his services would no longer be needed and they'd have a big happy wedding on top of a hill, and everybody would be happy and bright and all that fluffy crap.

The government wasn't supposed to get involved. He'd thought his entire life was coming together right in front of his very eyes, but it had all been a vicious and cruel lie. One that left him gasping for air as if somebody had punched him in the stomach.

"What's wrong?" Yuugi asked gently, reaching his hands up to move Yami's hands away from his face. Yami blinked a couple of times, trying to clear the tears from his eyes, but it was futile.

"They want to take you away from me." Yami said brokenly, putting a hand on Yuugi's arm. "Just because of your cat ears, they want to…to-" He tried to say it, but he couldn't bring himself to. He just clenched his teeth as another tear rolled down his face, the slight warmth being anything but comforting in this situation. He hugged his knees to his chest and let out a small whimper.

"What? W-Why do they want to do that? My cat ears aren't bad. I like them." Yuugi said. Leaning forward in an act that he learned partially from Yami, he stuck out his tongue and licked away some of the tears, not being able to enjoy the salty taste. He hated that Yami was crying like that—he wanted Yami to be happy forever, and with him. Yami shouldn't cry.

"I know, aibou. They just—it's because the department did some things they didn't like, and … you're a part of that department." Yami said, barely being able to hold back the sob that threatened to break from him. His throat hurt from restraining himself, and he couldn't quite swallow the lump that was there.

"Then don't let them." Yuugi said, sounding determined. Yami's eyes widened and he looked up, surprised by this sudden change in character. Yuugi had never been determined about anything before, but now Yami could see the passion burning in his eyes, and he couldn't help but feel a shot of pride. This little, beautiful, loving boy was his, and his alone.

"I wish it were that easy." Yami said flatly. Yuugi's ears pinned back, and Yami saw fire and passion in the young boy's eyes as Yami felt a hand press against his chest, over his heart.

"I'm not going anywhere. I love you." Yuugi said, emphasizing every word. Yami felt his heart melt a little as Yuugi's fingernails raked across his chest ever so slightly. "We'll do whatever it takes. We'll make it through this together, because that's what mates do."

"Okay." Yami breathed. Yuugi leaned forward slowly, his lips slightly parted, to capture Yami's own lips. Yami could taste his own tears as Yuugi pulled away, and he closed his eyes, knowing that the words were true.

How could they just let each other go? How could he have let himself become so discouraged so quickly? He loved Yuugi, and if nothing else, that made all the difference.

"I hope you know that this will be difficult, Yuugi." Yami whispered, wrapping his arms around his young 'mate'. As cheesy as it sounded, he knew that that was the most accurate description of their relationship as a whole. They loved each other more than life itself; they fought for each other tooth and nail. Their love would last until both of them were six feet under, and possibly beyond that. There was no end to how much Yami wanted to just hold Yuugi in his arms eternally, or how Yuugi just wanted to be in those arms eternally.

"I never thought any differently. Social conditions are tricky, are they not?" Yuugi proposed, giving a small smile. "As long as I'm considered… what's the word… ah, unethical, for being a genetic mutant, I'll have to be in hiding." He said, reaching up to run a finger through his wild locks. "But I'm used to being put up. I have you now; I can deal with it so much easier than I was capable of before." He said, giving an oddly cheery smile, especially for the concept he was trying to emphasize.

Yami gave a small frown. Yuugi didn't deserve to be locked up again; he was a free spirit in every sense of the word, and Yami knew that being caged would only serve to sadden his heart, which seemed to be made of pure gold. But Yami also knew that if he went outside, if he were to so much as step out the door with Yuugi, he'd be putting both of their lives at risk.

And as selfish as it was, he knew that he couldn't live without Yuugi. So, he didn't think about anything other than here and now. He just wrapped his arms around Yuugi and held him close, whispering sweet nothings into his ear as he gently rubbed his partner's back.

Neither of them knew how long they sat there, just feeling each other's body warmth and generally being lovey. All that they knew was that the only reason they stopped was because of Yuugi's stomach growling, interrupting Yami's soft voice speaking in his ear. Yuugi, for the first time since he'd gotten out of the virtual nightmare, cursed his body. It really did have the worst timing he'd ever experienced in that moment.

"I have to go make dinner." Yami said with a reluctant sigh. He slowly moved Yuugi off of his lap and onto the floor, earning a whimper of protest from the boy. "Sorry, but I have to. I don't want to leave you either." He added with a small chuckle.

Yami arose and quickly walked around the living room, shutting all the curtains and such so that anybody who tried to get nosy wouldn't be able to see inside of his home. He gave a small smile, comforted by the thought. Nobody would be able to see him or Yuugi.

He walked to the kitchen and looked around, trying to find something that would be acceptable to feed Yuugi. He found some fancy feast in the cabinet and shrugged, figuring that it would due, because he didn't want Yuugi to have to eat microwave food.

He threw his own plate into the small box and pressed the 'start' button, taking out a plate and emptying Yuugi's fancy feast onto it. Yuugi's ears perked up all the way from the living room, smelling the delicious scent of his dinner. Fancy feast even tasted good to some humans, and with Yuugi's cat parts, it honestly smelled like heaven was being poured out of a can especially for him.

He had to fight the temptation to run into the kitchen and get some. Yami wanted him to stay here, and that's what he'd do. Even if he was having to physically restrain himself from running into the kitchen and taking a big bite out of whatever it was he was going to be served.

Yami dimmed the lights in the kitchen, glancing over to his small, four-person table. Yuugi and him might as well eat together, since they were already… together. So, he decided to make the mood a little more romantic, knowing that it was something both of them would enjoy immensely.

"Yuugi, come here!" Yami called as he retrieved his steaming hot plate from the microwave. Yuugi came running into the kitchen, barely being able to stop his excited rush before barreling straight into Yami. He gave a sheepish smile at Yami's slightly scared and amused look, looking around him to lock eyes with his plate.

"Hi, Yami." He said. Yami looked to where his eyes were locked and chuckled.

"Go get your food and sit down at the table." He said, shaking his head. Yuugi promptly obeyed, but had the courtesy to wait until Yami had his plate and walked over too before he picked up his fork.

"So, what is this? It smells amazing." Yuugi said, inhaling the fragrant scent. Yami couldn't help but smile as he looked at Yuugi's face. He looked like he was in the seventh circle of heaven, and it was adorable in every single sense of the word.

"It's called Fancy Feast. Humans give it to their cats, they love the stuff. I figured with you being part cat, you might like it, too." Yami said. Yuugi picked up his fork and tentatively cut off a bit, scooping it into his mouth and giving a couple of chews before his ears flattened and he relaxed, his eyes glazing over in love and appreciation of the flavor.

"I think this is the best thing I've tasted so far!" He exclaimed, smiling from ear to ear. Yami couldn't help but have his spirits lifted by Yuugi's optimism, feeling a wave of affection for his partner crash over him. Yuugi had some of the best personality traits that a person, or cat, could have. He was smart, funny, nice, and genuinely happy. He could make the best out of any situation, change anyone's opinion. He was intelligent, beautiful, and most of all, he was good. In every sense of the word, Yuugi was good.

In some ways, he was Yami's polar opposite. Yami tended to scowl, he could be all work and no play, and he could get easily discouraged at times. However, Yuugi could bring out the best in him, pick him up when he'd fallen flat on his bum and he felt like the whole world was against him, support him in everything he did. He knew that Yuugi would be there for him no matter what. Hell, if he died, he knew that Yuugi would continue his memory.

Yuugi was the light that had come and pulled him out of the darkness. He wouldn't, couldn't feel completed without him.

"Yuugi, do you ever play games?" He asked curiously. Yuugi perked up, his eyes lighting up like those of a child on the morning of Christmas.

"I adore games! I used to play them by myself when I was just a program. Do you like games?" He questioned. Yami scoffed.

"Well I didn't earn the nickname 'King Of Games' for no reason." Yami said. Yuugi dropped his fork, looking surprised.

"That's so cool! What games do you play?" Yuugi asked excitedly.

"Duel Monsters, card games, logic puzzles…" Yami said, giving a light shrug. "Anything really. What about you?"

"Well, it doesn't really have a name…" Yuugi said with a shrug. "It's where you take these two random words and find some way to connect them. For example; Red and purple are connected because-"

"They're the color of two people's eyes who are meant to be together?" Yami suggested helpfully, which caused Yuugi to blush. God, he loved hearing Yami say stuff like that. They really were meant to be together, and Yuugi loved every second of time that Yami spent with him.

"Something like that." He said slyly, something he picked up from watching Seto and Joey interact. He'd learned that apparently, people were attracted to it when you acted sly and alert; he'd seen Kaiba bait Joey into giving him longing stares that way several times.

"Well then, I guess I'll just have to convince you of that then, won't I?" Yami asked, giving a smirk. Yuugi's eyes widened in shock as Yami got up and sauntered over towards him, placing a hand on his chin and tilting it up. Yuugi's lips parted slightly as Yami's lips came towards his, and he let out a small sound of pleasure as they were pressed together firmly. Yami let out a chuckle, and he wrapped his arms around Yuugi, picking him up out of his own chair. Sure Yuugi tasted like fancy feast, but hey, it was out of love.

"I'm convinced now." Yuugi said happily. Yami's smile increased in size. "So, do you want to play that game now?"

"Yes, of course." Yami said, nodding his head in appreciation. Yuugi smiled widely as Yami slowly set him back down on his own two feet so they could go back to eating dinner. Yami walked back around the table and plopped himself back down, taking a bite out of his food.

"Okay, I'll start. Ummm…" Yuugi glanced around the room for something to start their game with. Yami followed his gaze, curious as to what he was going to choose. "Beach."

Yami cocked his head to the side in curiosity. There was nothing remotely associated with the beach in this room. Yuugi had the oddest way of thinking sometimes… It was odd and intriguing at the same time. He supposed he should be responding about then and cut off his train of thought.

"North Pole." Yami said, nodding his head lightly. Yuugi raised his eyebrow.

"South Pole." He retaliated immediately, keeping the perplexed look on his face.

"Looks like we're polar opposites, aibou." Yami said lightly. Yuugi smiled, he could always enjoy a good pun. "Ice."

"Water." Yuugi said immediately. He wasn't really a big fan of the water, but ice was okay by him. Still, water was the first thing that popped into his head, so he'd spit it out without really thinking about it. Water could be good sometimes, though, he supposed.

"Cats."

"Me."

"Sexy." Yami said, giving a small wink. Yuugi blushed madly and turned his head to the side, hoping to hide it. He couldn't, of course. Why did Yami always have this effect on him? He could never control his emotions around this man.

The game continued for quite some time, both of them randomly shooting words back at each other over and over again. They stayed at the table long after the food was finished, playfully going back and forth and stopping occasionally to tease one another. While it wasn't necessarily a romantic setup, Yami and Yuugi both thought that they wouldn't have it any other way. They were with who they loved, and at that point, that was all that mattered.

Yami had tried out being with other people before, but nobody had ever caught his fancy before. It wasn't that none of them were pretty enough, it wasn't that none of them were interesting enough, no. Yuugi just had something that none of the others did. No, not the cat ears…. Something else… Maybe it was his kindness? The way he always put Yami in front of himself, even before they really knew each other? Maybe it was the way that he never treated anyone else like they were beneath him, no matter how insignificant they may seem to others? Maybe it was just the way he looked at Yami, with pure adoration and unconditional love?

Whatever it was, Yami knew that he could find it no other place but Yuugi. Yuugi was special in that way; he was a one of a kind lover, friend, enemy. He was absolutely unforgettable.

"We should go to bed now, Macaroni." Yami said.

"Cheese, I think I second that notion." Yuugi said, giving a large yawn. "We'll just pause the game until the morning."

With that, Yami got up and stretched. He walked over and grabbed Yuugi's hand, pulling him along with him. He had to give Yuugi some pajamas.

He walked up the stairs quickly enough, dragging Yuugi behind him as he went. Yuugi came willingly enough, trailing behind him up the stairs. He did wish that Yami would let go of his arm though; it made him feel like he was on a very restrictive leash and he didn't like the feeling. Yami quickly arrived in his bedroom, pulling open his drawer one-handedly to search through it.

"Where is it?" He mumbled to himself, pushing his way through the pile of clothes. Yuugi wasn't necessarily uncomfortable sleeping in his regular clothes, but it couldn't be fun either to sleep in leather. Finally, his hand came across something fuzzy and he grabbed it triumphantly.

"What's that for?" Yuugi asked, eyeing the fabric. It looked nice and soft, but he wasn't going to judge a book by its cover, so to speak.

"It's some of my old sleep pants. They're for you." Yami said, handing them to Yuugi. He released Yuugi's arm and gestured towards the bathroom, where he would have Yuugi change. "You go in there and change out of your old clothes and into these, while I change in here."

"Okay." Yuugi agreed with a nod. He walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind him, looking at the pants as if they were a foreign object. He really didn't know what to do, but he'd seen the nurses change into their lab coats enough that he thought he could handle a pair of pants. He stripped the leather off of himself, laying his old clothes in a pile by the door. He slipped the pants on easily enough, (despite putting them on backwards at first) and gave a smile at his accomplishment. It was stupid, but hey, he'd done something.

Yuugi slowly came out of the bathroom, glancing around first to make sure that Yami was there. Yami was actually nowhere to be found.

"Yami?" Yuugi called out tentatively, stepping out of the room. It was slightly colder now, especially since Yami had forgotten to give him a shirt to sleep in. Oh well, sleeping shirtless was probably more comfortable anyways. Still, the cold air tickled his skin.

"I'll be right up." Yami shouted up, and Yuugi breathed out a sigh of relief. He had been afraid that Yami had gone. He heard footsteps coming up the stairs, and he smiled slightly. The door opened to reveal Yami, and he was carrying a large, fluffy, red bed.

"What's that for?" Yuugi asked, eyeing the thing. It was nice, yeah, but he didn't really want to sleep in it. He'd much rather share the bed with Yami again.

"It's so we can sleep in the same room." Yami said, placing it down next to the bed. He didn't want Yuugi to have top sleep downstairs.

"Okay." Yuugi said, walking over and climbing in Yami's bed instead. He gave no explanation, just slid between the covers and shut his eyes as if he were already asleep. Yami cocked his head to the side lightly, wondering what had gotten into him.

"Yuugi, your bed is over here." Yami said, gesturing towards it.

"Really? That's nice. I think I'm comfortable here, though." He said. Yami smiled a bit. He had been hoping that Yuugi would want to sleep in the same bed again tonight, but he hadn't wanted to pressure him, so he'd decided to bring up the cat bed just in case.

"Okay, but you're going to share." Yami said, climbing into bed himself. Yuugi sighed contentedly as he felt Yami's arms wrap around him and pull him close. He could get used to this.

"I was planning on it." Yuugi informed him dryly, snuggling up himself.

Both of them slowly faded off to sleep, content in each other's arms.

The sunlight filtering in through the blinds is what woke Yami up, and he gave a small groan. He had to get up and go to work-

Oh, right. He didn't have work right now. That reminded him that Yuugi was here! He quickly glanced around, trying to find his little companion. Yesterday, he had woken up with Yuugi sprawled across his chest, now he wasn't even there. What the heck had happened?

"Yuugi?" He asked worriedly, getting up and looking around. "Yuugi, where are you?"

"Just a second!" Was shouted back in reply. Yami flopped back down onto his bed, happy that his panic was unnecessary. Yuugi would be fine; he needed to calm down and stop stressing over every little time he was gone. It's not like the government was going to sneak into his house and kidnap him without Yami knowing. Right?

Yami heard a flushing sound and soon after Yuugi stumbled out of the bathroom, his hands still wet from washing them. "Sorry Yami, I had to pee."

"Don't apologize, you're human, too." Yami said playfully, then waved Yuugi over to him. Yuugi came without hesitating, jumping into bed and bouncing Yami slightly. Yami smiled at the slightly childlike behavior; how enthusiastic he was about everything was so adorable!

Yuugi cuddled up immediately, pressing their bare chests together and biting his lip to stop from purring. Of course, he couldn't stop when Yami began to gently rub his ears, enticing the rich sound from his throat. Dear lord, Yami was good at that…

"What do you want to do today?" Yami asked, smiling just a little bit.

"Go outside." Yuugi said immediately. He didn't realize it, but his tail had curled over Yami's hip and was currently tracing slow, smooth patterns on his back. Yami had to admit that it was a nice feeling.

"We can't do that, Yuugi." Yami said sternly. Yuugi's eyes fell and his purring stopped, which made Yami's heart ache for him. He wanted to be able to give Yuugi the outside world, he just couldn't risk that something would happen to him. It would break Yami's heart to have to lose him, especially if he knew that Yuugi would soon be in death's arms instead of his own. No, he wasn't about to risk that.

"Why not? Why does the government hate me?" He asked, looking up through slightly watery eyes. He wanted to explore the world! He didn't come out of a virtual cage only to be thrust into a real life one; he was going to explore, he was going to see, he would no longer be locked up to never feel the sunlight on his skin! He wouldn't do it!

"I don't know, Yuugi. I really wish I had some answers, but I don't. There's nothing that I can do to make this any better." Yami said, sighing. He loved Yuugi, but why did he have to ask all of these questions? It was frustrating sometimes, having someone so curious to be with, because they always went to you for answers. Sometimes, you didn't have the answers.

"Okay. But one day, no matter what, I'm going outside. I didn't come out of the computer to just sit around on my bum in one house, Yami. As much as I enjoy your company, there's more to life than a lover." Yuugi said quietly. Yami's eyes widened; this was probably the most defiant act that Yuugi had ever pulled. Had they put defiance in his programming? He didn't think so… So… This was really something of Yuugi's?

"I agree, and I'm glad that you're mature enough to realize that. I'll make sure that, no matter what happens, we'll go somewhere else when this all blows over. Okay?" Yami said. The problem was, he wasn't really sure he could keep his promise. He didn't know what kind of things the government could do to prevent them from leaving.

"Okay. I love you." Yuugi said quietly. Yami nodded his head absentmindedly, trying to decide what to do today. Well, he still had that checklist to cross things off of… that seemed like the most appealing option for now. Or, at least a way to pass the time.

"Yuugi, do you think you can entertain yourself for the time being while I run to the store?" Yami asked, scooting out of bed. He picked up his shirt from off of the floor and rummaged around in his drawers for clean pants and underwear. He found them without too much trouble (thank god he'd done laundry yesterday) and walked over to the bathroom, pausing to hear Yuugi's reply before closing the door.

"I guess. I'll probably just go to sleep again. Cats need more sleep than humans, you know." Yuugi said, yawning a bit. Yami chuckled before shutting the bathroom door. He would have to talk a little louder, but he supposed that Yuugi and him could still talk through the door.

"How much more sleep do you guys need?"

"Well, I'm not full cat, obviously, but cats on average need about sixteen hours a day. Humans need seven as full grown adults, so… I'm going to assume that I'll need about eleven?" Yuugi estimated, giving a small frown. Eleven hours sleeping was a lot of time. In fact, he heard a whistle from the bathroom.

"Well, that's a lot of sleep time, aibou. I can see why people invented the term 'cat nap'. By the way, do you know what breed they mixed you with?" Yami asked. Yuugi tilted his head in confusion.

"No, I thought I was just mixed with a mutt cat. Do you think I'm some specific breed?" Yuugi asked, intrigued by the prospect. It would be nice to know exactly what his genetics were, even if it was just for curiosity's sake. Speaking of which, why was Yami going to the store? "Hey Yami, why are you headed out?" Yuugi asked.

"Well, I'm still going to try and check off that checklist that Pegasus gave me. Remember? The one for the research?" He said. Yuugi nodded his head absentmindedly, and Yami opened the door, fully changed. He was wearing an outfit that actually closely resembled Yuugi's leather one, and Yuugi's eyes widened.

"You look sexy in that." He said, without thinking. Yami blushed just a little before he cleared his throat and shook his head.

"Thank you. I'll be back in about half an hour. Keep all the blinds closed, answer the door for no one, if somebody knocks don't respond, try to stay out of trouble." He begged, walking over and leaning down to give Yuugi a light kiss on the cheek. Yuugi had to resist the urge to pull Yami in for something deeper, but he knew that Yami had to go now, as much as he hated it.

"Okay Yami, I'm not a child." He said playfully. Yami rolled his eyes and decided that it was time to go. He went down the stairs and grabbed his car keys off the hook, walking out the door and making sure that he locked it behind him. He wouldn't want anybody shady getting in to check around, so he set the alarm too. He trusted that Yuugi had gone to sleep again.

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