A/N: I swear, the more I write this story, the more I love it. I had to write an extra chapter (of all four of my stories) this week as I'm going on vacation next week, and it was a lot easier than I anticipated. Thank you so much for the reviews, I cherish every single one of them! Last week was extra special because I got my first ever piece of fanart that was inspired by a story I wrote. Super exciting! Enjoy the chapter, everyone.

Although the other patrons of the coffee shop continued to move and chat and shop around them, Yuugi felt frozen to the spot as Tenno's words continued to play through his mind. He continued to stare into those captivating crimson eyes, searching for a sign that Tenno was lying or joking. All he saw was complete sincerity, and it occurred to him that Tenno really believed in what he had just said, despite the fact that it was impossible. "You... really do believe that, don't you?" he asked in wonder, just to be sure.

Uncertainty and surprise flashed in Tenno's eyes, and his grip on Yuugi's chin relaxed, though he didn't let go. He'd clearly been expecting Yuugi to call him crazy and perhaps try to run away. "I have to. It's the only thing that makes sense. I've been told that for as long as I can remember. Besides, sometimes, when I sleep at night, I can recall bits and pieces of that life. It's nothing concrete, but from what I've seen..." He fell silent, his voice trailing off, as his touch grew even gentler. His thumb gently stroked the soft skin of Yuugi's cheek as he added, "I've never told anyone that before. You're easy to talk to."

"Have you any proof?" Yuugi asked, blushing slightly. Part of him was alarmed at just how completely crazy the mere notion of this was, and yet... another part of him refused to discount the way he felt when Tenno touched him. It was like finding something vital that he'd never even realized that he was missing. The heat from the man's hand felt good against his cheek, causing a shiver that he felt all the way down to his toes, and his words had provoked a reaction from some hidden part of him that he hadn't known existed.

In response, Tenno held out his free hand, using the shadows of their bodies to hide what he was doing from the other people in the cafe. Wispy black vapours rose from the pads of his fingers to form a ball of greyish black clouds that floated about an inch above the palm of his hand. Yuugi stared in awe and reached out to touch it, curious to see what it would feel like. As his fingers neared, he felt a quiver of warmth shoot through his arm, and a flash of white light leapt from his outstretched hand to surround the ball of clouds, compressing against them until it disappeared, beam and all. Shocked, Yuugi pulled back and studied his unblemished skin, wondering where the beam had come from and how he had done that.

"What was that?" he asked, glancing at Tenno.

"I don't know," said Tenno, sounding bewildered. He released Yuugi and flexed the fingers of the hand that had summoned the shadows. "I've... never seen anything affect the shadows like that before." Crimson eyes were full of wonder as he glanced at Yuugi. "Maybe... you are the one."

Now that Tenno was no longer touching him, Yuugi felt reality returning. He shook his head and pushed his chair back to stand up, completely disregarding the part of him that commanded he sit down again. "Look, thank you for telling me the history behind the Puzzle. I really do appreciate it. But... I have to be honest and say that I really think that your family has this part of the legend wrong. I'm not the Pharaoh's hikari. I just... I'm really good at Puzzles, that's all." He hesitated. "I'm sorry, but you're going to have to keep looking. The other half of your soul has got to be out there somewhere."

Tenno studied him silently. "Would you give me the Puzzle, then?"

"What?" His hands flew to cradle the Puzzle protectively, as though he thought Tenno might jump over the table and try to take it from him. Even though he'd only been wearing it for a short time, he'd already grown attached to it, and the thought of not wearing it felt nearly unbearable. "Why?"

"It belongs to me and my hikari. If you're not him, then you won't have any problem giving it to me." There was a small smile playing around Tenno's lips, and Yuugi had the feeling that he was being played. A pout unconsciously formed on his face as he lifted his hands to his neck and hesitated. He wavered for so long that Tenno's expression softened and he leaned forward again. "I'll make you a deal. You can keep wearing it for the time being as long as you help me to find my hikari. Okay?"

"Alright," Yuugi agreed quickly, willing to help as long as he could keep wearing his Puzzle. He eyed Tenno, realizing that he really and truly thought that he was the reincarnation of a three thousand year old Pharaoh. The very thought was crazy, and he was insane for not walking out of here and writing Tenno off completely the instant the man started getting into weirder territory. For some reason he didn't want to examine too closely, he couldn't bring himself to do just that. "Where do you want to start looking?"

"I have the feeling that the Puzzle will lead me to him," said Tenno calmly. "Really, I could stand to wait. My parents have been driving me nuts as it is, and I'm not particularly anxious to have them know someone has solved the Puzzle."

"Then what do I have to do?" he asked suspiciously. Tenno didn't seem like the kind of person who would let someone have something for nothing, and since he was allowing Yuugi to keep the puzzle for now, there had to be some sort of catch. He muffled a yawn with his hand and frowned at Tenno. "How can I help you find him if you're just going to wait and see what the Puzzle does?"

"It's simple. I have to be around the Puzzle. You're wearing the Puzzle. Ergo, we have to spend time together," he answered, a glint of satisfaction in his eyes.

Yuugi blinked at him, torn between outright shock that someone like Tenno Yami would want to spend time with him, and anxiety about being alone with the man. Tenno constantly left him feeling off balance, like he didn't know where he sat with him, and that was a feeling Yuugi wasn't used to. But how could he protest? Giving up the Puzzle wasn't even an option, and technically, if Tenno was telling the truth – and reluctantly, Yuugi did believe him – the Puzzle belonged to him. He had no right to say no.

"Alright," he agreed uncertainly, wishing that there was more tea left in his cup. He'd drunk two cups, and although it had helped at first, he could feel the exhaustion sneaking back up on him. "Right now?"

"No, you look like you're about to fall over." Tenno studied him. "I don't think you'd be conscious long enough for it to count. Maybe you should go home and sleep for a while."

Going home would mean worrying his grandfather, who thought that he'd made it to school, but he had to admit that Tenno had a point. He stood up and said a polite good-bye to Tenno, then turned and made his way towards the door, cradling the Puzzle in his hands. If he hadn't been so tired, he would have realized that the further he got from Tenno, the more exhausted he felt, but it was going to take all of his strength to get home, and he had no energy for realizations. That was probably the reason that, although he took notice the smirk that Tenno wore as Yuugi stumbled through the door of the cafe, he didn't understand the full ramifications of it as he disappeared into the crowd outside.

GMA

Yami raised a hand and beckoned for the bill without ever taking his eyes off of the window. Even though Yuugi had left about fifteen minutes earlier, he had remained in the same spot, his expression thoughtful as he contemplated how their meeting had gone. To be honest, Yuugi had taken the revelation far better than he had dared to hope, with a measure of calm that had been unexpected. Of course, he could tell that in spite of the proof he'd been shown, his little one didn't entirely believe everything that Yami had said. That wasn't overly surprising; he would have been more than a little shocked if Yuugi had gone along with him willingly. As it was, the fact that Yuugi had actually agreed to spend time with him was a welcome surprise. Sooner or later, the boy would have no choice but to accept that he truly was the Pharaoh's other half... Yami's other half.

When he realized the waitress was ignoring him in favour of flirting with a group of high school boys, he slipped some money onto the table and stood up, heading out of the cafe. It was too late to go to school, but he wasn't concerned about missing the day. Even if the school called, the message would likely be given to his mother, who was far more concerned with her own life than in making sure her son actually showed up to school. For that reason, he was in no hurry as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket and ambled down the sidewalk. The forging of the bond had left him tired as well, but not to the point that Yuugi was. One more good night of rest and he would feel good as new, whereas Yuugi - who wasn't used to the power of the shadows - might take a little while longer to recuperate. No matter. If he stayed home from school the next day, it would make an excellent excuse for Yami to drop by.

"All I need is time," he muttered to himself, confident that after a few days, Yuugi would realize the truth of the matter and come around to the idea. He was positive of that. In the meantime, he saw no problems with monitoring the safety of his hikari from a distance. After all, Yami couldn't deny the spark he felt every time he touched Yuugi. Touch seemed to magnify their bond, allowing him to send the impressions of feelings into his partner and vice versa. They were definitely partners in soul, and that was a fact that he could not bring himself to ignore.

His cell phone rang, jolting him out of his thoughts. Blinking, Yami reached for the phone and squinted at the screen. With a sigh, he held it to his ear. "What do you want, Bakura? Aren't you supposed to be at school?"

"Interesting question for the boy who is also cutting," Bakura replied. "I'll have you know that I'm hiding in a tree, watching over my hikari."

"... Ow, shit!"

"What happened?"

"I tripped over a trash can, that's what happened," Yami snapped, ignoring the woman who was shaking her fist at him. "What do you mean, you're with your hikari? You don't know who that is."

"Sure I do," Bakura answered lightly, snickering. "Come on, Pharaoh, don't start being even more stupid now than you usually are. It's so obvious. If your hikari is the shrimp who looks just like you, then mine is going to be the one who looks like me. I'm not going to waste time until he gets his hands on the Ring. Fuck knows when that could be."

"Bakura," Yami warned, feeling the beginning of a headache. "You know that it's dangerous to try and forge a bond until you've got your Millennium Item. There's a reason why the power of the shadows doesn't really work for us. We're different from Seto and Jou. If you hurt your hikari..." He let his voice trail off, knowing that Bakura would understand the implications of what he was saying. It was a dangerous road that Bakura was following, but then, when had that ever stopped him before?

"Yeah, yeah," grumbled Bakura. "I didn't actually say anything to him. Besides, I told you before. I can sense that the Ring is close. He's been around it at some point, I can tell. It won't be long until he has it, and at that point, it won't matter anymore because the Ring will forge that stupid bond. I can't fucking wait to have full access to my powers again..." His voice sounded dreamy.

Yami fought back a grimace as he turned in the direction of his cousin's house. Unlike him, Bakura remembered every detail of his past life, and he'd often spoken of the day that he would be able to use his hikari to have full access to the power of the Millennium Ring. It worried Yami in some ways, the thought that Bakura might make life hell for his hikari just because he could be so power-hungry. "Until then, just be careful of what you say," he said tiredly, because what else could be said to a thief who didn't listen to anyone? Bakura was so used to going his own way that his hikari was going to have a difficult time trying to keep Bakura in line, Yami was sure of that.

"I didn't call you for a lecture, Pharaoh," Bakura said mockingly.

"Well you got one anyway, thief," Yami shot back. "Have you heard from Mariku? He hadn't made contact, has he?"

"Not as far as I know, but I suspect Mariku has come to the same conclusion that I have. He might be crazy, but he's not stupid," Bakura answered. Mariku was almost as desperate to find his hikari as Yami and Bakura were. Both of them were hoping that the other half of his soul would have some luck in keeping Mariku more grounded, because Ra knew it was nearly impossible trying to control him on their own. "However, if it makes you feel better, I doubt Mariku had approached that kid Malik yet."

"I'm not so sure about that," muttered Yami. "Look, I'll let you go. If you see Mariku, tell him to behave."

Bakura snorted. "Whatever."

The dial tone sounded in his ear and Yami sighed, tucking his phone back into the pocket of his jacket. He zipped it up and stepped off the curb, heading for Seto's house; his cousin could be awfully annoying when Yami didn't keep him up to date on everything that was going on. Bakura would do what he wanted, that's the way he always was, and Yami didn't have time to spend on him. Here he was worrying about Bakura's relationship with his hikari when his own didn't even believe him! Yuugi would come around, Yami was sure of that, but he didn't know how long it would take or what he would have to do to make sure that happened. Perhaps Seto would have some ideas...

GMA

There had been a time in his life when Katsuya Jounouchi wouldn't have considered himself to be a very lucky person. Back when he'd been living with his father, there were mornings when he went to school in a lot of pain, days where he'd been unsure of when he would eat again, and nights that he'd spent out on the street. Now, as he reclined on the plush couch in his boyfriend's enormous, air conditioned office, snacked on sandwiches and soda and cookies, and watched said boyfriend bicker with one of his best friends like a five-year-old, he realized not for the first time that he was very lucky indeed. Meeting Kaiba Seto had changed his life forever in a way that he had never dared to dream of.

At first, he'd hated being sent to Mori High, because it meant he was being separated from the friends who had supported him all through middle school. It was just bad luck that he lived so far away from them. But it had meant meeting Seto on his way home one day, after the driver of Seto's car nearly struck him. Seto's shadow magic had allowed him to recognize Jou immediately, and he'd begun pursuing Jou with the same stubborn determination that he gave to all areas of his life in spite of Jou's protests. Slowly but surely, he'd stopped protesting and learned to appreciate Seto, allowing them to develop a tentative friendship.

Then Seto had discovered the kind of home life that Jou possessed, and he'd immediately taken measures to end that. Currently, Jou resided in the Kaiba Mansion with Seto and his little brother, Kaiba Mokuba, who idolized Jou and loved the fact that his "big brother" actually had someone else who cared about him. He was able to keep in much closer contact with his little sister, and Seto had even been able to afford the eye surgery that had ultimately saved Shizuka's eyes before she went blind forever. It hadn't been long before their relationship progressed to the next level.

Jou knew that he owed a lot to Seto, but he never felt like he was in debt to the man that he loved. He knew that there were many smaller ways in which he had changed both Seto's and Mokuba's lives for the better forever. Just waking up every morning beside Seto and seeing the deep love in those unfathomable blue eyes told him that he'd already paid Seto back a million times over, just by staying at the man's side, where he belonged.

Of course, there were also the times like this, when he was able to watch with no small amount of amusement as Seto tried, for the fifth time, to ignore Yami and return to his work. It wasn't working. Yami could be every bit as stubborn as Seto when he wanted to be, and in a battle of wills, it was impossible to say just who would come out on top, especially when Yami had been worked into such a tizzy by something... or someone. He grinned to himself, enjoying the sight of seeing Yami so flustered, until the shorter teen spoke a name that made him sit up and take attention.

"Hang on, did you just say Mutou Yuugi?" he asked sharply.

Yami had just pushed Seto's laptop back and perched on the desk right in front of Seto so that he couldn't be ignored, but he glanced up at the question. "Yes. He solved the Millennium Puzzle last night and is therefore my hikari. Do you know him?"

"Yeah," Jou said, sinking back again the couch in surprise. Mutou Yuugi. He hadn't thought about Yuugi in some time. They'd been best friends in elementary school, ever since chibi Jou had torn apart chibi Yuugi's puzzle on the first day of school. He vividly remembered feeling guilty when chibi Yuugi's eyes welled up with tears, to the point where he'd stolen a puzzle from someone else in an attempt to make up for it. Not too long after that, Bakura Ryou had joined their group, and then Ishtar Malik. Yuugi and Ryou had always been extremely close, with a connection that neither Malik nor Jou could attempt to match, but Jou and Malik shared their own bond: one born of the knowledge of what it was like to live with an abusive parent and a sister that you would do anything to protect.

In high school, zoning laws had forced Jou to part from them, and then he'd been so caught up with Seto and leaving home that he'd drifted away from the three of them. Not for the first time, he felt guilty about that, even though he knew that all of his friends would have understood - and, indeed, even been happy for him. Yuugi, with his perpetually cheerful demeanour, and quiet Ryou, who'd always offered support without words, and Malik, who understood and could smile through the pain... He looked at Yami and frowned.

"He was my best friend when I was a kid. I can't believe he's your hikari," he said slowly. It was a lie, really, because it made sense - so much so that he couldn't believe it hadn't occurred to him before. Seto disliked magic even though as the reincarnation of a Priest, he was skilled in the art, so it wasn't really something they spoke about often. Even though Jou had known that Yami, Bakura, and Malik were searching for the Millennium Items and their hikaris, he hadn't really put much thought into it.

Still, he could see how Yuugi and Yami would balance each other out perfectly. Yuugi was sweet, energetic, and kind, with a strong desire to believe the best of everyone and everything, but he attracted trouble like no one else. Yami was more powerful and wise, with a keen sense of paranoia, a will to protect, and the courage to see it through. Yes, they would do well together. Yuugi would even be able to help keep Yami in line. He snickered to himself at the thought of seeing those puppy eyes being used on Yami and hoped that he would be around for it. Yami wouldn't know what hit him.

"Have you met him?" he asked, trying to hide his amusement.

"Yes. He didn't believe me," Yami said. On anyone else, his expression would have been called a pout. "He thinks that the legend is wrong, and anyone could solve the Puzzle, not just the other half of my soul." He landed gracefully on his feet as Seto shoved him off of the desk. "But I've gotten him to agree to help me find my hikari in return for being able to keep the Puzzle. I think that if we spend a bit more time together, he'll come around. I didn't realize you knew him, but you can help me. What does he like to do?"

"Oh no. I'm not helping you cheat," said Jou, shaking his head. "You're on your own, Pharaoh."

"Stop calling me that! It's bad enough I have to hear it from Bakura and Mariku all the time," Yami ordered, already annoyed by the fact that Seto had flat out refused to do a background search on Yuugi, no matter how much he pleaded, and he didn't have the technological understanding to just do it himself.

"Yami, if you want to learn about the kid, go spend time with him," snapped Seto, pulling his laptop back across his desk. "Stop badgering my pup."

Jou blushed at the nickname and cleared his throat when he saw Yami smirking. "He loves games, okay? That's all you're getting out of me. I won't tell you anything else."

"Fine. But out of curiosity, do you know Yuugi's friends?" Yami asked. There was a familiar glint in his crimson eyes, which really should have tipped Jou off, but like an idiot, he responded anyway.

"Yeah, why?"

"Just curious. I'm going now, but I'll be sure to let Bakura and Mariku know that you can tell them all about their hikaris," came the reply as Yami slipped out of the office.

"What? No, Yami, wait!" He made it to the door just in time to see the elevator doors closing, cutting off Yami's laughter. Groaning, Jou turned back to Seto. "Fuck, now those two are going to drive me insane."

"You should know better than to antagonize my cousin," Seto replied, looking at his laptop.

Scowling, Jou walked back across the room, threw himself down on his couch, crossed his arms, and pouted. After about five minutes, he had to force himself to keep from breaking into a victory smile as Seto sighed loudly, pushed his chair back from the desk, and headed over to him. The taller man sat down on the couch and pulled Jou back against him, moulding their bodies together. Jou tried to resist, pointedly staring at the wall, but couldn't help melting as Seto began placing kisses up and down his neck, feathering them over his sensitive skin. He shivered, biting back a low moan.

"If you keep that up, you won't be getting any more work done," he rasped.

Seto chuckled, causing the sound to reverberate through the Jou's body. "I'll make you a deal. If you pick up Mokuba and wear him out at the park, I'll leave here at six and treat you both to dinner. And..." His voice dropped seductively as he purposely ran his fingers across Jou's thigh. "Tonight, I'll make sure you won't even have the energy to worry about Bakura and Mariku."

Jou gulped and nodded quickly. "Deal," he said, pulling out of his lover's grasp before Seto could continue his ministrations. Any further and they wouldn't be waiting until that night. He headed to the door, well aware of Seto's possessive gaze on his ass, and quickly closed it behind him, leaning against the wall to give his heart a chance to slow down. If Yami was anything like Seto, he suddenly felt a little sorry for Mutou Yuugi.

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