Yay, chapter 8. This story isn't moving along as fast a I thought it would be, but at least it's moving. I do not own Yugioh, enjoy!

Chapter 8

Yugi tossed and turned for the fifth time that night. He sighed in agitation. It was too quiet in the bedroom that he and Yami were sharing. He was used to soft snoring and gentle sleep talking, without it, he found himself unable to sleep.

"Yugi, what's wrong?" Yami asked tiredly from the right side of the bed.

"I can't sleep," Yugi said agitatedly.

"Yeah, I got that, but why can't you sleep?" Yami said sitting up from the bed.

"It's too quiet in here," Yugi complained.

"Well quiet is what most people sleep to," Yami said like it was obvious.

"But I've never slept in a room where it was quiet," Yugi said back.

"Really?" Yami asked, after a slight pause, in disbelief.

"Yeah, my room has never been quiet for as long as I can remember," Yugi said, looking up at Yami's shadowed figure in the dark of the room. "It's always been filled with Mira's gentle sleeping talking, and then later Malik's soft snoring. Without it, I can't sleep."

"Would you be able to sleep if I talked about random nonsense?" Yami suggested. He just wanted to get to sleep himself, but it was hard to sleep when your bed partner kept tossing and turning and sighing.

"It's worth a try," Yugi said back.

"Okay, what do you want me to talk about?" Yami asked flopping back down on the bed.

"Yourself," Yugi said.

"Huh?" Yami asked thinking he misheard him.

"We're engaged Yami, I want to know more about the person I'm engaged to," Yugi explained further.

"Okay, what do you want to know?" Yami asked wearily.

"Everything," Yugi said.

"Everything it is then," Yami said smiling.

There was a pause as Yami thought about where to start. He decided to start simple, with his likes and dislikes. That seemed safe to talk about.

"Let's see, I don't like Lady Rebecca, I don't like the cold, but I do like the figurines you had lining the palace walkway," Yami started earning few giggles out of the boy.

"My favorite food is a Pomegranate, oh you've got to try one when you get to Egypt. They are the best fruit around, right behind our grapes of course. I really dislike leeks though, disgusting little vegetables. I mean I know that they are supposed to be good for your health, but I just don't like them. Yugi?" Yami continued on not even realizing that Yugi had fallen asleep when he had started to talk about not liking leeks.

"Are you asleep? Well, that didn't take long," Yami asked propping himself up on his elbow and waving a hand in front of his face. Looking down at his younger fiancé, Yami couldn't help but feel like every night he would have to talk about himself just to get him to go to sleep. This was going to be an interesting month.

Yam smiled as he slipped his arms around Yugi's sleeping form and dragged him close to his body. Yugi barely moved in Yami's arms, but he did snuggle closer to Yami's own warmth. Yami knew he was going to be in a lot of trouble for this in the morning. Though, he could make up an excuse that he was used to grabbing the pillow next to him, but since it was taken he had grabbed Yugi instead. That would probably work, Yami thought as he rested his chin atop Yugi's head, and fell asleep himself.

;p;p;p;p

Yugi woke to feeling warmer than he usually did when sleeping. The answer to his discomfort was answered quickly, as he tried to get up but found himself wrapped up by two constricting arms around his waist. Looking over his shoulder Yugi found Yami sleeping peacefully behind him, his arms being the constricting force not allowing him to get up. Yami wasn't sleeping for long though as he jammed his elbow back into the elder's chest. The reaction was instant as those arms released him to grab the injured part of the body. Yugi sat up and glared down at Yami, who was looking at him in hurt disbelief.

"Do you usually sleep with something clasped to your chest in your sleep?" Yugi asked.

"Yes," Yami rasped out.

"Then I suppose I will just have to get used to it," Yugi said turning away.

"That hurt! What did you use?" Yami complained as he sat up from bed and inspected his bare chest.

"My elbow," Yugi responded patting the part with his hand.

"Well, we're both up now, so we might as well get ready for the day," Yami suggested.

"Okay," Yugi agreed as he grabbed some clothes out of his trunk and went behind the dressing screen to put them on.

"Aren't you going to have one of your servants dress you?" Yami asked confused. He could have sworn he heard them helping Yugi yesterday.

"No, they usually just catch the clothes as I take them off," Yugi replied laughing.

"You get dressed by yourself?" Yami asked surprised.

"Of course, I'm 15; I don't need help to get dressed anymore. Why, do you need help?" Yugi answered back confusedly, before peering around the corner of the screen with a sly smile on his face.

"No!" Yami replied back as he blushed as red as a tomato at the suggestion.

Yugi ducked back behind the screen grinning and laughing at Yami's response. That was the first time he had seen Yami blush, and to be quite truthful it kind of felt nice. It looked as if the shoe was on the other foot now. He couldn't wait to tell Mira and Malik about it.

Bundling up his night clothes Yugi came out from behind the dressing screen to see Yami turned away from him. It almost looked as if the older male was pouting. Smirking Yugi placed his clothes back in his trunk and walked up behind the man. Peering around at Yami's face he saw that he was indeed pouting.

"Aww, come on, Yami. You've been teasing me since you've arrived, shouldn't I be able to tease you in return?" Yugi asked looking up at him with his hands clasped behind his back. Yami looked down at him.

"I guess," Yami said looking away again.

"Then go get dressed already," Yugi said motioning towards the dressing screen.

"Alright," Yami said making his way towards the dressing screen

"If you know how," he added.

"You cheeky little-!" Yami started to say turning to him before Yugi interrupted him.

"See you up top koi!" Yugi said before he was out of the room, the door shutting behind him.

"I wonder what that word means." Yami said tilting his head before moving to get dressed.

;p;p;p;p

"He blushed?" Mira asked just to clarify that she heard it correctly.

"Like a tomato," Yugi said grinning.

"Oh, that's priceless," Malik commented laughing. "Why are we talking in Khemet?"

"Because some people need to practice it. So how was your night?" Yugi asked.

"Malik kept snoring," Mira complained.

"Well you were talking in your sleep," Malik retorted.

Yugi started laughing at their antics. Apparently neither had a clue that the other made noise while sleeping. He supposed he shouldn't really be surprised, they always fell asleep around the same time, and he was the last one to fall asleep.

"What's so funny, Yugi?" Malik asked frowning.

"Nothing it's just that I've been so used to falling asleep to both of your night time noises, that when they weren't there, I couldn't sleep. Yami ended up telling me about some of his likes and dislikes just to get me to fall asleep. This morning I woke up in his arms," Yugi said smiling, before frowning at the last sentence.

"What? How did that happen, YuGI?" Mira asked and as she got to Yugi's name she was lifted off the ground by an overlarge hand.

"You filthy Servant, how dare you address your Prince so?" a tall and bulky Egyptian guard asked as he dangled Mira a few inches off the ground. Yugi shot to his feet, and spoke to the guard in a cold manner. One that left no room for argument, as any Royal knew how to speak in such a tone.

"Put her down," Yugi enunciated every syllable and vowel as he spoke up to the guard that was at least a good three feet taller than him. Out of the corner of his eye, Yugi saw Yami stop his two friends from interfering. At least he understood the pride of a Royal.

"But your Highness, she disrespected you. She deserves to be punished," He said dropping her to the ground and pulling out a whip. Mira shrunk back as she looked at the long piece of material.

"I will deal with her punishment myself, as she is my Personal Servant. What is your name Guard?" Yugi said moving in front of Mira and making a motion with his hand towards Yami.

Mira and Malik looked over to the direction and noticed Prince Yami over there. Malik helped Mira up as they both scrambled to get over to the Prince. Both cowered behind him and his friends, Yami had never seen them shake in fear before. They must have had bad experiences with Guards in the past.

"It is Ushio Zankokuna," he responded proudly.

"Well, Guard Zankokuna, make yourself scarce, I never want to see you within my eye sight ever again. Nor do I want to see you around my Personal Servants. They are mine; you've no right to touch them. Good day," Yugi said briskly with a look in his eye that promised worlds of pain if he was disobeyed.

Rushing over to Yami, Yugi immediately began to check Mira over. To make sure she hadn't gotten hurt when the Ushio had dropped her. Yami and his friends along with Malik created a barricade with their bodies so no one could see Yugi paying so much attention to his servant. It was frowned upon to be so concerned about one's servants or to talk freely with them, and allow them to talk freely with you. In Yugi's defense though, no one had been on the deck before when Yugi had started to talk with them. So it was only fitting of him not to have noticed when the Guards had come out from below deck to start their duties. If he had, Yami was sure he would have been more secretive when talking with his servants.

"Is she alright?" Marik asked as Yugi held Mira who was crying.

"Yeah, she'll be fine. She's just scared," Yugi said back rocking Mira.

"We should probably move somewhere more private," Bakura suggested looking at the crowd they were drawing.

"Yeah, okay, Malik help me?" Yugi asked.

"Of course," he said as he scooped Mira up and out of Yugi's arms.

"Yugi, why is she so scared?" Yami asked as he fell into step beside him. They were going to Marik's room, as his was the closest one to their current location. Yugi sighed, before he started to talk.

"When Mira was two years old, a Guard got drunk and whipped her Mother to death. Mira witnessed it along with two other slaves. My Mother had whipping outlawed and all whips burned that same week. Even despite their different status in power and placement Mira's Mother and my own were really good friends. My Mother looked out for her, whenever she could. That day Momma was out on the town with Father, and there was no one to protect Lucy in the slaves' quarters. When the child and two other slaves who had witnessed the event were brought forward for testimony, it is said that I, as a five months year old, took an immediate interest in Mira. Apparently I followed her around for an entire day, before Momma just made her a Personal Servant of mine. It worked too, because Mira didn't have anyone else, and by becoming a Personal Servant she was protected by the Royal Family. If she was to be punished, it had to go through or be done by me. You try explaining to five months year old that the two year old deserved to be punished for stealing from the cookie pot." Yugi explained solemnly before he took on a lighter tone when he explained how Mira became his Personal Servant.

"Poor thing, and I imagine it would be pretty difficult," Yami said looking at Mira with pity upon the bed, before smiling at Yugi.

"Especially when according to the cooks, the five months year old was the instigator," Yugi said smiling back.

"Really, how so?" Yami asked curious.

"Apparently I kept telling her 'get, get, get,' while pointing to the counter. So she made a pile of cookbooks, and stood up on her tippy toes and got the entire cookie pot down. Then holding the pot in one hand and scooping me up in the other, she bolted from the kitchens. The cooks were amazed at her resourcefulness, and were going to let it go unmentioned, but a maid had seen, and reported it. Still, Mira went unpunished, because I didn't understand what she had done wrong," Yugi explained laughing. Yami laughed along with him.

"You're going to be quite the trouble maker aren't you?" Yami asked coming down from his laughter a bit.

"I love trouble. It makes the Palace life more entertaining," Yugi said back smirking.

"Is she alright? I'm so sorry Prince Yugi, I should have explained to my Guards and Staff that you act differently with your Servants than we do," Pharaoh Akunumkanon said bursting into the room.

"She's fine Pharaoh, she just got scared. It's not your fault. I should have been more careful in choosing my place to speak openly with them," Yugi rebutted.

"Well, regardless we have put Ushio Zankokuna on cleaning duties in the Galley. You shan't see hide or hair of him for the rest of the journey." Pharaoh Akunumkanon said.

"Thank you, for both your concern and help. But if you don't mind me asking, how do you know that I treat my Servants differently than you treat yours?" Yugi said bowing lowly at the waist to Akunumkanon before rising up to look him directly in the eye and phrasing his question.

"Emperor Solomon told me. He told me you might forget where you are when you become comfortable with Egypt as your new home, and treat them there as you already do here. Like friends or family, rather than that of servants. He also warned me to not let any harm come to them, and to try to prevent it from happening at all costs. Apparently they have been hurt before, and your wrath on the one who hurt them wasn't pleasant?" Akunumkanon explained forming his last sentence more like a question.

"I do not wish to speak of it at this time. I do not know my new family that well," Yugi said looking away a hard and distant look in his eyes.

"That's quite alright. Emperor Solomon said it wasn't for him to talk about when I attempted to question him further on it," Akunumkanon said nodding his head in understanding.

It had Yami wondering though, what had happened to Malik and Mira that would make Yugi so unwilling to talk about it. It had to be worse than what had happened to Mira's Mother, Lucy, because Yugi had just told him about that. So what was so bad that it made Yugi's eyes harden in the way they had?

"Mira, Malik, come on, let's take a walk around the ship. Excuse me," Yugi said gently as he walked out the door.

Malik and Mira got up and followed him out. They bowed to the Pharaoh and then to Yami and hurried after their Master. Yami doubted he had gone far, probably just outside the door. Yugi probably wasn't going to let them out of his sight anymore, except to see them off to bed. His thoughts were interrupted though, when Marik spoke up.

"So I guess this means dating that cute little Servant of his is out of the question?" Marik asked out loud. Yami burst out laughing, along with Bakura.

"You have to talk to Yugi on that one, but yes, it's probably out of the question," Yami said still laughing.

"Which one has caught your eye?" Bakura asked.

"Malik, such a pretty name for a boy," Marik said with a dreamy look on his face. This had Yami and Bakura laughing all over again. Even Pharaoh Akunumkanon joined in.

"I think it's safe to say that you won't be able to court him until Yugi gets to know you first Marik," Yami said walking forward and clapping a hand on the other's shoulder.

"Then I suppose I shall just have to get to know your fiancé better," Marik said grinning over his shoulder at him.

"Good luck, I'm still getting to know him," Yami said removing his hand.

"Is breakfast soon, I'm getting hungry," Bakura complained.

"It should be ready by another sun movement," Akunumkanon said heading out of the room.

"What am I supposed to do until then?" Bakura asked his retreating back.

"Try waiting, I know it's not one of your strong points, but just try," Akunumkanon said turning to him before making his way out the door and closing it behind him.

"I hate waiting," Bakura grumbled.

"Well, you're going to have to get used to it eventually, why not start now?" Marik suggested.

"Because I don't like it," Bakura retorted.

"Well, waiting is a part of life," Marik said back.

"I still don't like it," Bakura said back.

Yami watched the two bicker for a while before leaving the room. This could go on for many sun movements, and he wanted to find his fiancé. So that's what Yami set off to do, find his fiancé somewhere on this ship. Good luck to him, he thought as he started to make his way through the hallways as he started his search.

I've come to the sad conclusion that this story will never get as many reviews as it did for the first chapter, but at least it's getting reviews so I'm okay with that.

Yugi: [glare]

I would like to thank everyone who are/have following/favorited this story.

Yugi: [glare intensifies]

I would also like to thank everyone who reviewed Guest and User alike!

Yugi: [still glaring]

What?!

Yugi: giggles?

Fine no more giggling...

Yugi: thank you! [walks off]

Characters these days are so demanding. Oh, and Ushio's last name means cruel in Japanese. Please review! Midnight ;p