"Can I draw you?"

"Hm?" Ryou slightly lifted his face from its place buried in the pillow, his messy hair prettily framing his flushed face. He rubbed at his tired eyes and looked at Duke curiously. "You want to draw me?"

"Yes, just the way you are right now. May I?" Duke had been tempted to start drawing without asking Ryou, not wanting him to move an inch from his spot, but he'd thought better of it. If he was going to draw a nude portrait of his lover, then it would be best to at least ask permission.

"Hm..." Ryou dropped his face back into the pillow and closed his eyes again. "You're not aloud to show it to anyone."

"Thank you, love." Duke leaned down and kissed Ryou's forehead before sitting on an overturned laundry basket with his sketchbook and pencil, opening to a blank page. "You really are beautiful."

"Thank you, but I believe you've mentioned that before." Ryou's lips curved into a sleepy smile, but he was otherwise still.

"It doesn't stop being true just because I've said it before."

"And you never stop being poetic no matter how long we're together. Don't worry, though, I'll never tire of it."

"Good. I would hate for you to get tired of me."

"Oh my god."

"What?"

Ryou lifted his head, propped it on one arm, and said, "Duke, you're drawing me like one of you're French girls."

"You have no idea how hot you are when you say that." Duke wasn't joking, not in the slightest. Ryou was a multifaceted diamond, and the more facets of him Duke saw, the more beautiful he was.

"Flattery suits you too well." Ryou grinned languidly. "I like to see you on your knees speaking that way to me."

Duke felt his face starting to heat up. Ryou post-coitus was more than confident; he was a bit kinky too. Duke didn't know if he could finish this drawing in one sitting; he might become… preoccupied along the way.

"That could easily be arranged." The whisper fell from Duke's lips in a smooth, sultry tone—the very essence of melted chocolate.

"If you're my knight in shining armor, am I your lady fair?" Ryou's eyes sparkled with amusement."

Duke set aside his notebook, and dropped to one knee, reaching out to hold Ryou's hand with one of his own, placing his other hand over his heart.

"Anything for you, my love. I would walk to the ends of the earth for you, slay a dragon for you—"

"Would you train a dragon for me?" Ryou interrupted excitedly.

"Even if it meant that suffered a hundred burns, I would train that dragon for you until he's tame enough to eat from the palm of your hand." Duke brought Ryou's hand to his lips, kissing the back of it, then kissing the palm. He lifted his eyes to Ryou's as he kissed the end of his index finger, tongue flicking out to lap across the soft skin before sucking the tip between his lips.

"You're a hopeless rascal." Ryou's eyes sparkled with happiness as he removed his finger from Duke's mouth and reached up to tousle his hair. "Get back to your drawing, silly. I'm going to take a nap." Ryou tucked his arm in against his body and closed his eyes, smiling angelically as Duke chuckled to himself.

"As you wish."

Kaiba had been restless lately, more short-tempered than usual, and Mokuba was telling him (again) that he needed a vacation. He wasn't prepared for such drastic measures as that, though. It was probably a good time to call Duke again. It had been a while since he'd last seen the dice-master, and their encounters always put him in a better mood. Reducing his stress like that allowed him to think more clearly and be more productive. He was short on time at the moment, so he sent his peer a text.

Can you come over tonight?

After sending the message, he tucked his phone away and went into a long meeting. It wasn't until it was over that he was able to check his phone again. He was surprised by Duke's response.

I'm sorry. I can't.

When are you next available?

I'm in a relationship now, so I can't come over anymore.

Kaiba sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. The news wasn't really surprising, just a bit unexpected. He put his phone away and returned to working without responding, only texting him back when Duke texted him again a couple hours later.

I can hook you up with a friend, if you want.

No

His rejection was curt and cold. Seto didn't want to get his rocks off with a stranger. He'd picked Duke because he respected his intelligence and was attracted by his magnetic charm. And besides that, there was a bit of trust that he placed in him too, the trust that was inherently shared between people who'd slept together. Duke wasn't a stranger; he'd known him for a couple years. If he was going to have a light-o-love on the side, it couldn't be just anyone.

If he couldn't have Duke... he'd have to find a replacement. Someone with similar discretion and trustworthiness, someone else that he knew, someone else who was at least amiable with him.

Ryou came to mind, but he quickly attempted to shove that thought aside. Ryou was someone he found to be intellectually stimulating. Their occasional coffee-shop conversations were a different kind of stress-relief, and he didn't want to change their friendship.

The college student was truly the first actual friend Seto Kaiba had ever made. He didn't want to lose that friendship by asking for a sexual component to be added to their relationship. That would be an unfair and untoward thing to ask.

That didn't leave him with any other options, though, and now that the idea of intimacy with Ryou had entered his mind, he couldn't entirely shake the thought. It would suddenly return to the forefront of his mind in a moment of peace when he was alone, and he wasn't sure how he felt about that.

Yes, the student was lovely and kind, and more understanding that Kaiba'd had any right to expect. He was candid, honest with his thoughts and intentions, so he could trust that the boy wouldn't try to take advantage of him. His heart was pure, even if he didn't see himself that way.

What would it be like to make that sweet, studious youth blush with pleasure? What would it feel like to kiss him? Would those lips be soft? What did his hair feel like? Were those locks as silky as Duke's? He wanted to feel the silvery white strands slipping through his fingers, wanted to grip it firmly as he held Ryou against him, kissing him fully, learning how warm that body would feel against his own.

These fantasies were distracting, to say the least, but he remained determined not to act on them. He cared too much about preserving their friendship and not upsetting Ryou.

He did care about Ryou, at least as a friend. It mattered to him if Ryou was happy or upset, though he wasn't sure he knew what he'd do if he encountered Ryou in an unhappy state. Reassurance and comfort were not part of his skill-set. That was for the best, though, since he hardly needed those skills. He had Mokuba, and that was enough for him.

He'd have to learn to live without Duke.