Chapter 16 - Consciousness

Yami woke that morning to Seto's gentle breathing. He felt so happy to be in his arms. He closed his crimson eyes and shifted slightly to make himself comfortable. Unfortunately, he woke his lover as well. The brunette opened his deep cerulean eyes to stare at the tired male, mumbling something that Yami couldn't quite catch. He nudged the brunette gently.

"Good morning, sunshine," Seto muttered to him as Yami opened his eyes halfway. "Morning, Seto." The brunette kissed his forehead. "Come on, Yami. Time to get up."

Yami covered himself up with the blanket. "No," he whined. The blue-eyed male got up and opened the curtains, which practically fluttered open, allowing the sunlight to light up the room. "Now, Yami." Yami turned towards the darkness. He said, "Five minutes." Seto couldn't stop the smile forming on his lips and started snickering.

Yami then mumbled, "I'll be up in five minutes." Seto shook his head, returning to Yami's side and kissing his soft lips. Oddly enough, his lips tasted like strawberries.

Pulling back with a smirk, he whispers warmly, "Up for a midnight snack, I assume?" Yami widens his eyes, a faint blush coloring his cheeks. "I couldn't help it. It was too tempting and I haven't eaten much in the last few days."

Seto looked at him questioningly. "Why not?" Yami propped himself on his arms and sighed, "A lot's been happening for the last week or two." Seto embraced him. "That doesn't mean you should starve yourself to death."

Yami looked at him with sad eyes. "Why is it that you are the only one who understands his pain?" The brunette's eyes flashed with bewilderment, puzzled on why the male is referring to himself in the third person.

He crossed his arms and sighed, "Who are you pretending to be now? Aedrian? Riley? Phoenix, maybe?"

"My name is Loki," the male answered. "I'm his conscience in a way. I don't expect this to make any sense to you in any way, but I'll explain as much as I can."

"Wait, wait, wait," Seto quickly stopped him. "His conscience? His conscience?" Loki rolled his eyes at him. "Yes, I'm his conscience. Deal with it." Taking a deep breath to calm his temper, he smiled and inquired, "So, what would you like to know?"

The CEO began to think about it as this "Loki" persona tried to make himself comfortable. "How can you possibly be his conscience?" Yami has to be completely insane if this is actually some other makeshift personality talking to him!

…Or it's just a prank set up by Yami. If that's the case, Seto wouldn't be too happy about that. It sounds serious enough that Yami appeared to be so damaged. If this was a joke, Seto would make sure Yami learns not to do it again!

"I just am, now would you stop asking me questions like that and ask me something that you actually want to know?" Yami, or rather "Loki," demanded rather impatiently. Seto thought carefully about what he wanted to know. Yami had been acting really weird since Isabelle had mentioned "her."

The brunette had discovered one night that this mystery woman happened to be a woman named Valencia Suarez. Someone who happened to be a serial killer who always slept with her victims before slitting their throats in their sleep.

"Why is Yami so worried about Valencia?" inquired the blue-eyed male. "What is the connection between him and her?" The other drew in a sharp breath, wondering if he should disclose the information as if it were sensitive.

"They had dated three years ago," he started. Loki then guessed, "I assume you've met her? There is no other logical explanation for you noticing that there was some form of familiarity between them."

Receiving a nod of confirmation, the deranged male continued, "Then I'll assumed she told you herself what happened. I figure that this is not really-"

"Why is Yami still alive, though?" Seto interrupted, the confusion clear on his face. Loki tilted his head and asked, "What do you mean?" The brunette shook his head and began saying, "That worthless bitch would sleep with her intended target for about a month before killing them. If she had dated Yami, how is he still alive? Why did she kill his parents instead of him?"

Loki appeared to be thinking about it. "Perhaps she had actually fallen in love with him," he said. "It happens to the best of any trade, they say."

"Not with murderers, they don't," scoffed the brunette. "They can't afford to!"

"Then how did your lover escape with his life?" countered Loki. Seto didn't have an answer to that. "I thought so." The male began to lie on his side, those crimson eyes sliding shut with sleep. But he had a point; if Valencia kills all the victims she sleeps with, then how come Yami was still alive to tell the tale of her betrayal?

"Seto?" The quiet moan that drew his attention made the CEO think briefly that perhaps the personalities had once again switched. Is he dealing with Yami again or is it some other figment of his overactive imagination? Sighing in defeat, he decided to ignore the question in his mind and began walking towards the bedroom door. He walked down the large staircase that lead to the floor below and began making his way to the kitchen. Breakfast sounded like a good idea right now.

Seto heard the footsteps of his insane friend behind him. Friend? Boyfriend? Lover? The brunette was no longer sure of their relationship. He decided that he would think about that later, when they didn't have someone trying to get their hands on Yami.

"One seven." Both males turned to the sound of Mokuba's voice, the boy himself lying against the couch with nine cards in one hand with determined eyes focused on Isabelle's cards. She placed three cards face down in a rather messy card pile with an innocent seven. "Three eights."

"What are you two doing?"

The elder's voice earned him their immediate attention. "It looks to me like they're playing Bullshit," said Yami in slight surprise. "Who's winning?"

"I am," sighed Isabelle as the raven-haired child across from her placed two cards into the pile. "Two nines. You're up, 'belle."

Seto turned to him, his rare smile surfacing. "Why don't you wait upstairs? I'll bring you something to eat." The other nodded and slowly returned to the bedroom. The blue-eyed male opened the cabinet and took out the sugar and a small bowl, hearing Isabelle place down her next cards. "Three tens." Next came the sound of cards being slammed against the floor as he poured the sugar into the small bowl.

"No! I know you're lying! There's no way you have three tens! I've been counting!" The amused giggle of the young girl echoed in his ears. "Check for yourself. Not once have I lied this entire game." Seto turned to see Mokuba flipping over three cards, seeing the tens in question lying face up in the pile.

"Aw, come on!" whined the boy, distressed. "It's okay, Mokie. You'll get better at this, I promise!" She smiled at him. "Until then, the pile is yours." Chuckling as his brother finished his short rant, he removed a box of strawberries from the fridge. He picked up the sugar bowl and carried both items up the stairs while the children continued their game.

He used his shoulder to push open the door, noticing that the other was lying comfortably on the bed. "Yami?"

"Yes, Seto?" the crimson-eyed male answered, rolling over to see him. His eyes sparkled as soon as he laid eyes on the strawberries. The brunette smiled at his delight in the fruit.

"Thought you might want some," he chuckled, approaching him to take a seat. "We have plenty of food around the house that Mokuba rarely eats." Yami sat up, resting against the backboard of the bed as his boyfriend sets down the bowls beside him. Seto sat down beside him and kissed his cheek. "You know, you're crazy, right?"

"That depends," said Yami before he returns the gesture. "Is this in a good way?"

Seto smiled and said, "It depends."

"Stop stealing my answers," he laughed. "It's not fair that I answer your questions and you don't answer mine!" The male stole a strawberry and rolled it around in the sugar bowl, still giggling.

Seto smirked. "Maybe if you would stop avoiding my questions, maybe I'll answer yours." Plucking a strawberry from the bowl, the elder Kaiba heard someone knock on his door. "Come in," he called as the light from outside flooded into the room.

"Hey, Seto!" Mokuba greeted with Isabelle in tow. "How are you guys doing?" Yami smiled at him as he bit off a rather large chunk of the sugar-coated strawberry he had in his hand.

"We're fine, Mokuba," sighed the brunette, looking at the strawberry in his hand. "Is there something you want?"

"Not really," responded the child. "We just wondered if you guys wanted to play cards with us." Seto was going to decline, but the look at Yami insisted that the family played with him.

"I guess I'll play," he accepted, making room for the children to hop onto the bed. Isabelle giggled, "Are you playing as well, Yami?"

"Of course I'm playing!" he laughed. "When have I ever backed down from a challenge?"

*Figures,* Seto mentally sighed, watching as the blond twelve-year-old handed his lover the cards. Watching the teen shuffle the deck with such ease and speed seemed to have almost a calming property to it.

"Alright," said the teen as he dealt the cards between them. "Let's play!"

As expected, Mokuba lost yet again to them. The children cleaned up the cards, then left the room at Seto's request. Yami was tired and had wanted some sleep.

"Those two would be a cute couple," his lover yawned, curling up on the bed. The brunette merely stared at him. "He's a little young to have a relationship just yet."

Yami snatched yet another strawberry from the bowl that Seto had brought up earlier. The sugar bowl was completely empty though. "Damn it."

"What?"

Yami sighed, "We're out of sugar." Seto couldn't help smiling. "If you want more, you're going to have to get it yourself."

"But I don't want to get up right now," he yawns before munching away on the fruit. "I'll get some later, maybe…"

It was only a matter of time before the finished off the entire bowl (which was actually pretty big) and that Yami had drifted off into a blissful slumber. Seto placed a kiss on his forehead before falling asleep as well.

He had Yami. Right now, that was all that really mattered.

~A/N: I'm so sorry! I was really busy with finals and all, then I misplaced all my stuff; everything's just a mess with me right now! Please forgive me!

Next Chapter:Everyone Has Secrets

"We have to go back," said the thief. "I want to know what the hell is going on with our 'beloved pharaoh' myself."