Yay for my first update of March~! Enjoy~.
Warnings: Mild perverseness from Marik (need I say more), Jou and Honda, and shitty grammar that will be amended in due course.
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!
O-o-O-o-O
Kaiba walked to his car in an unhurried fashion. As foolish as it may sound, the desire to remain in Yami's vicinity for as long as possible had prolonged his walk. He took his time. When he reached his car, he glanced up at Yami's apartment one last time before getting in. Placing the key into the ignition, he was about to turn it on when his phone rang. Checking the display, he saw a number he did not recognise. Frowning at the anonymity, he decided to take the call; pushing the 'accept call' key, he pressed the phone to his ear.
"Kaiba."
A tinkle of laughter preceded a honeyed voice that floated through the handset.
"So, you've finally found your Osiris, Seto. Congratulations…"
"What the fuck do you want, Amelda?" Kaiba growled into his phone; willing the tension in his body to ease as he pushed into his seat, his free hand automatically reaching for his temple and rubbing it.
"Ah, is that the way to greet a friend, Seto?" teased Amelda.
"Friend? Don't make me laugh? Who said we're friends?" Kaiba's cool indifference belied the aversion he felt for the man though it was difficult to maintain that façade. The tight rein he had on his ire was barely enough to restrain him from snapping ferally at the man and the bullshit he was hearing was not helping matters. "And don't call me 'Seto'. You've lost the privilege to that some time ago."
Amelda gave an indignant gasp that sounded exaggerated and artificial to Kaiba's ears. "Not friends then lovers? Perhaps we could rekindle—"
The tenuous tether that kept Kaiba anger in check snapped. "Lovers? NO! Never! Not now, not before, not ever!"
"Oh? Then the times we were making love—"
"We were fucking, Amelda!" Kaiba countered savagely. "I was nothing more to you than a fuck-buddy who had influence and very fucking deep pockets! Actually, that could be said of your relationship with Marik too!"
"Ah yes, Marik. I saw him today," Amelda drawled lazily, it sounded dreamy to the untrained ear, almost like a passing comment that wasn't worth mentioning, but Kaiba knew better. He knew Amelda was baiting for a reaction, he knew the latter wanted to surprise him.
"I know."
"Then you should thank Marik for his noble sacrifice," Amelda crooned. If he was disappointed with Kaiba's response, his voice did not betray it. "Despite his abhorrence of me, he was willing to fuck me into the mattress so I couldn't gate-crash that little party of yours."
Upon hearing this, Kaiba's eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't dare show your face even if you could," he challenged, his words suffused with disgust as he stared unseeingly ahead of him.
"Oh I did plan to, I was eager to meet this person whom you've taken an interest to. I knew you set him up with the audition so he could be heard, there were plenty of willingly mouths to spill secrets if given the right incentive, you know. Marik might tight-lipped because he's protective of his little kitten, but others do not bear the same sentiments." A note of amusement accented the sentence.
"Stay away from him," Kaiba cautioned. The warning sounded loud as it ricocheted off the interior of the car and thundered menacingly around its confinement. One hand clutched the steering wheel, whilst the other held the phone in a death-grip.
Amelda laughed. "You know what? Marik said exactly the same thing; only his threat was a little more… forceful shall we say. This only piques my interest and who's to stop me from meeting or getting acquainted with my kouhai, right? What kind of senpai would I be if I did not assist nurturing him?"
"Don't make me laugh, you are not fit to nurture anyone—at least, anyone who could be beneficial for this industry, Amelda."
"Some may beg to differ, Seto."
Kaiba did not dignify that remark with a worthy answer. A derisive snort would suffice.
"You are wrong about us, you know," the melodic voice continued.
"There are a lot of things I was wrong about. In fact, if memory serves me right, there wasn't anything I was right about you. I was wrong about your talent, I was wrong about your dedication and ethics, I was wrong about your integrity... Fuck it, you were right, I was wrong about us!"
"No! You know I didn't mean it that way—"
"Tell it to someone who cares…and I don't mean those fools you call 'fans'. Stop feeding them with bullshit about us because there is no 'us'! Your so-called declaration of love is nothing but a cheap publicity stunt to gain popularity, sympathy or whatever fucked-up thrills you're into. Do not abuse the word or my patience, and do not involve me in your schemes. I will not tolerate it."
"But I loved you, Seto… I still love you." The plea replaced the cocky assuredness and it hardened the listener's resolve.
It was Kaiba's turn to laugh. The sound was brittle and bitter. "No, Amelda, you don't—you can't love me because you are not capable of loving anyone other than yourself. And given you can love, your promiscuousness defeats the meaning of it. If your love is given so freely then it is not worth having. I want nothing to do with it."
An ugly silence hung over the conversation, the caller struggling to find words to counter the pitiless statement. Wounded by Kaiba's attitude, Amelda abandoned his earnest attempts to reconcile in favour of cruelty—a tactic he would use to cover his vulnerability. His attempts to bare his heart had failed so he struck out—violently lashed out with intentions to hurt.
"So your newest protégé is chaste, is he?" he scoffed. "You haven't fucked him yet? I find that surprising considering what he's accomplished."
"Not everyone whores themselves out for gains, Amelda! Just because you have low standards, doesn't mean others are the same."
"And just because he plays hard to get doesn't mean he's virtuous!" Amelda bit out, his voice dripping with malicious intent. "So, he's a little picky about who he's willing to spread his legs for. That means fuck-all in the end. I have a keen sense of survival and I do what must be done to survive—to be the best. If he is smart enough, if he wants to survive in this world, he will have to succumb to the corruptions it entails."
Kaiba laughed at Amelda's logic. "No, Amelda. Survival does not necessarily mean trampling and demeaning others, it does not mean sullying yourself and others…and it does not mean betraying others."
A snicker answered Kaiba's declaration, mocking the wisdom of his words. "It's rich coming from a person who's never had the need to 'survive'. Born wealthy and scouted by no other than the Pegasus, the Voice Scouter, you have no idea of the hardship that nameless newbies have to endure. Competition and rejection are a few of the things we have to face, so don't tell me that it is wrong to use whatever means to advance myself. I did what I did so I could be on equal with you—so I could be someone who was on a par with you in this industry. I wished nothing more than to make a name for myself just so you'd be proud of me! I did it for you!"
For Kaiba, the argument echoed a similar one from a pissed-off Mutou Yami.
"You are born into a wealthy family, you are established and well paid in this occupation; you can afford to be all high and mighty because you do not have worries about money...
What do you know about me and how I live? You have no idea why I struggle so, why I do Boy Love stuff? It's not because I enjoy it—it's because I have no choice! But even those jobs are few and far between, it doesn't provide me with a steady income, hence my other job—the one that pays for the roof over my head, food in my stomach and allows my little brother to attend university!"
It was strange how this man, Mutou Yami, plods on—shouldering a heavy burden and shackled to a life that has him battling with the hardship, yet, he continues to survive without losing himself—without tarnishing that pride he so vehemently clings onto. For less, he braves fatigue, uncertainty and the sneers; his struggles done selflessly out of love for the one person who means the world to him. If only Amelda had been stronger, if only he had resisted a little harder. The outcome would have been so different.
"It is not wrong to want to advance yourself, and yes, you have to sell yourself to advance. However, I do not agree with your methods of self-promoting and I resent you using me as an excuse to justify it. I never asked you reach higher because I never felt ashamed of your status—you were the one who minded! You were always so ambitiously greedy, so impatient. One can achieve the same result through talent, hard work and a little luck. It can be done, Amelda. It is not impossible."
"Like your protégé? Are you comparing me with that amateur, Seto?"
"Don't flatter yourself, Amelda! Your reputation is over-rated! At least, his talents are recognised for the right reasons. Your talents, however, are renowned for the bedroom than the recording studio!"
"Oh, one would say the work he's been doing in the recording studio are of the same thing. Have you heard his work? Does he moan and pant prettily?" A husky laugh gave pause to his words. "Maybe I can learn something from this Mutou Yami, right Seto? Or better still, maybe I can teach him a thing or two so he could improve…"
"Touch him and you'll regret it, I promise. He is part of the cast from my production and I will not allow anything or anyone to jeopardise it." The malevolence in the threat was irrefutably clear.
"Your concern is duly noted though you cannot protect him forever. Others will soon notice and be interested in him, then what? Already he has caused an uproar in this business—an anonymous actor taking on a major role? You have stirred up a hornet's nest so be prepared to face the consequences."
Cerulean eyes shifted to the second floor of building in front of him and locked onto the third door, his thoughts on its occupant. "I have faith in Mutou Yami and nothing can shake me from that belief until he has proven otherwise."
"Big words, Seto. I hope you'll not regret it."
"The only thing I regret is believing in you, Amelda. Now fuck off and leave us alone! I have found my Osiris and he is everything you are not!" With that said, he hung up, subsequently blocking the number and throwing the phone on the empty seat beside him.
Heaving a tired sigh, Kaiba leant his head on the headrest and closed his eyes. He had unintentionally said "us" when he told Amelda to back off. Knowing the devious man, he would have picked up on it and was probably mulling over it. Nothing abode well when Amelda gnawed on something; it was like Marik and his pursuits for a fuck buddy…both would not stop until they achieve what they set out to do. In both cases Marik and Amelda were out to screw Yami, only one planned to do it physically and the other, figuratively.
Kaiba huffed in annoyance.
It was true Yami caused large ripples of chaos in the already turbulent waters of the voice acting business. It was amusing that he, Kaiba Seto, was the one to cast the pebble that prompted it.
Will Yami live up to his expectations?
He dearly hoped so. Only time will tell if he'd done the right thing or not by backing another nameless voice, for now, he will need to be content with assisting him; anything else that develops from it: a word, a look, a touch...or a kiss was a bonus.
Shaking his head, Kaiba's mouth twisted into a grimace. Judging from Yami's skittish reaction outside his apartment, he may not be appreciative of the attention. He would have to tread warily around his Osiris if he did not want to scare him away. Moreover, judging from his familiarity and adoration around that girl, one could assume he had a romantic attachment to her. Frowning, Kaiba drummed his fingers agitatedly on the steering wheel. Contending for Yami was not going to be easy, which was the precise reason why he fascinated him. The man was sending him mixed signals; the kiss and his confession had revealed his interest, but the panic he shown thereafter had clearly shown his fear.
What was it that made Yami distance himself? What was he was afraid of that made him made him flee like the Demons of Hell were after him?
Glancing at the shabby building, Kaiba sought out Yami's apartment again and found it unlit. After lingering on the uninviting sight for a few heartbeats more, he leaned forward and turned on the ignition. He knew he wasn't going to get the answers anytime soon, he knew he could not allay the other's fears. The only thing he could do is to wait for Yami to approach him when he's ready and be guided.
Strapping on his seat belt and shifting his car into gear, Kaiba pushed his foot down on the accelerator and sped off into the night. Only then, unbeknownst to the driver, did a pair of crimson eyes peek out from behind the window and watched until the rear lights of his employer's car was no longer visible.
Kaiba wasn't the only one with lingering thoughts of the day's events.
O-o-O-o-O
"Hey Yami."
Yami looked up from the coffee he was making, the brew smelled as unappetising as it looked, but he needed it. Having woken up a few hours earlier with a pounding headache that was akin to having an elephant bouncing on a trampoline in his head, he thought he possibly couldn't do worse by downing some bad coffee. His stomach growled with irritation at what he was going to ingest, but Yami was far from caring. Having spent a good ten minutes of his waking hour retching miserably down the toilet and having to endure the rancid smell and sour taste, he needed something to line his stomach with. Everything he consumed the night before had been surrendered to the Porcelain God! Hell, he was never going to drink again!
"Yoo-hoo, Earth to Yami? Come in, Yami!"
Yami smiled at his spirited co-worker, his mood improving greatly. "Yes, Earth? What is thy wish? How may I indulge thee?"
Anzu giggled at Yami's ridiculous response, a hand swatted Yami's arm causing a little of his coffee to spill. Muttering an apology, she grabbed a paper napkin and mopped up the spillage. Yami noticed she was a little distracted, as if there was something on her mind. It wasn't like her to be so hesitant. He waited patiently for her to voice whatever it was and she did moments later. "Tell me—"
"Yeeees?"
Sapphire blues sparkled with mirth despite the interruption and the lips, stifling another giggle, tugged in an exaggerated mock pout. Yami raised a raven brow and waited for Anzu to continue. "I was wondering…" she said, feigning casualness as she clenched and unclenched her hands, "what's the cast of Broken Bonds like?"
Yami dropped his eyes back onto the cup and sighed. There was no escaping this question. He was sure Yuugi was going to interrogate him with the same question since he would never be satisfied with the little information he was given. His sibling was every bit a 'voice nut' as he was, his curiosity would never be so easily sated. Yami should record this so he'd need not repeat it again.
"Whom do you want to know about?" he asked cautiously, his mind screaming: Please not Kaiba, please not Kaiba, please not Kai—
"Kaiba-sensei!"
Urgh, Fuck My Life!
"Well," he began, "Kaiba-sensei is very dedicated to his work. He is very professional in what he does, guides us newbies with a firm, but stern hand and has an amazing range of voices. Oh, and he's my boss and mentors Kawai Shizuka!" he added hurriedly.
Anzu folded her arms across her chest and looked at him crossly. Yami gulped and looked away. "I already know that," she said and unfolded her arm to prod him in the chest. It uncannily reminded him of Rebecca and he shivered at the thought. "I want to know what he's really like, not the usual stuff that we read in the magazines, but things like: his favourite colour, his favourite food, his likes and dislikes, things that make him tick, and any love interest…you know, all the delicious, juicy inside gossip! Now spill it, Yami!"
As if in a trance, Yami picked up the plastic swizzle stick and started to stir his coffee. "He has this aura that one cannot imitate," he said absently, watching the black coffee swirl hypnotically around like an eddy in the white styrofoam cup. "It's powerful and intimidating, yet, alluring at the same time. I can't quite decide if I am afraid or drawn to it."
Anzu hummed for him to go on.
"He can be horribly rude and outspoken, but has this caring side that emerges when one least expect it. It takes one by surprise. He was the one who got me through the conference. I was nervous and scared, but he was able to calm my fears and was supportive throughout the questioning."
Yami looked up and saw Anzu looking at him sympathetically, listening with her head tilted to one side. She gave him a warm smile.
"I don't know any of his favourite things, but I know he dislikes slackers, those with no talent trying to pass of with and people who mooches off his fame."
The brunette nodded in agreement.
"Those who are allowed into his circle—whom he accepts are treated well. He treats those close to him generously, he's even taken the girls out for lunch during a recording session and the after conference party was paid by his company. Actually, he saved me from having to down six cups of sake at the party, by discreetly telling me what cup not to choose during a drinking game," a wide grin accompanied the words as Yami fondly recalled the incident. "His staff at KCC are terrified of him, but at the same time, they idolise him. It's hard not to when he looks the way he does." Yami swallowed.
"As for love interest…" Yami clenched his hands together to prevent it from touching his lips.
Did it really happen or did he imagine it?
Just thinking about it made his lips tingle. He could almost feel the bruising pressure of the other's lips against his and the tongue curling possessively around his own. It was so frustrating to feel it, but not know for sure if it truly happened. Even now, he wondered if his alcohol-induced mind had fabricated the whole incident.
"Yami?" Anzu laid a hand gently on his arm, as she peered at him with concern. "You okay?"
Yami shook himself and gave Anzu a broad smile. "Yeah," he sighed, "I'm fine. As I was saying, love interest…" He looked thoughtful for a moment then shrugged his shoulders. "I don't think he has any. Kaiba-sensei is a very private person and he's not one to openly disclose his personal life so I have no idea what is his type or if he's seeing anyone. Sorry."
Anzu nodded and seemed content with what her companion told her. "It's a pity that so little is known about Kaiba-sensei's love-life, past or present," she said forlornly. "I would kill to find out what type of person he likes."
A startled Yami gagged on his mouthful of coffee and sprayed it all over Anzu!
O-o-O-o-O
Crimson eyes blinked wearily as the staff began to make their appearance at the studio. He was sitting on the chair with his script tucked inside his bag and resting on his lap, the weight served to anchor him to the Land of Living as he was in danger of drifting to the World of Dreams!
Yami had been the earliest to arrive since he came straight from his shift, stopping home only for a quick shower and a change of clothes—something Millennium—he vaguely recalled, and left for work. He got to the studio an hour later and made his way to the recording room. Truth be told, had he been able to nap on the train it would have been enough to refresh him, unfortunately, it was rush hour so finding a place to stand was near impossible, let alone get a place to sit down and nap. Nevertheless, there were benefits of the train being packed. Being crushed to the point of not being able to move, he was able to sneakily rest his head on a salaryman's back and happily dozed off for a good part of his journey. By the time, the man got off the train; he couldn't help but feel guilty for the wet patch of drool he left on the back of the man's suit.
Rubbing his face tiredly with his hand, he hoped no one would notice how shitty he looked.
"Man, you look like shit!"
Yami groaned aloud. So much for optimism, he thought dryly. And trust Jou to open his big mouth!
"Hey Yami," this time the voice was Honda's. Yami wondered if the two were joined at the hips or something. They went everywhere together. "Still suffering from a hangover?"
"Hey Jou... Honda," Yami pulled a smile that looked more grimace than cheerful, and managed to drag out an answer. "I'm just a little tired that's all."
The boys nodded their understanding, but did not pursue the matter. Jounouchi opened his mouth and was about to say something when Yami's phone vibrated in his pocket. Fishing the phone out of his cargo pants, Yami glanced down and unlock it. He had a new message. Opening the message, he was surprised to see it was from 'Honey'. It read:
-'My sweet Yami-chan, I can't come to work today cuz I lost my voice. I hope to be back tomorrow. If you're worried about me, come around and nurse me back to health again. Miss you and hope you miss me too. Kisses, Marik.'-
Yami looked amused after reading the message. A small part of him was relieved that Marik wasn't around, which meant he didn't have to put up with his antics, but another part of him was sorry he'd lost his voice. After all, it was the most precious asset to every voice actor.
"Poor Marik's lost his voice and can't come in today," he provided his curious companions, his fingers working diligently over his keypad to form a reply.
-'Sorry to hear about your voice. Drinks lots of honey mixed with warm water and hope you'll get better soon. Yami.'-
Jounouchi laughed. "I think it has something to do with that ravenette he picked up after the party." To illustrate his point, the blond wiggled his brows and proceeded to thrust his hips obscenely.
Yami watched the crude movements with mild curiosity. "I thought you guys went drinking after the party?" he asked.
The blond stopped humping the air and snorted. "Yeah, we were. The bastard ditched us the moment some chick comes along. I bet he lost his voice due to their making out!" Jounouchi's annoyance suddenly turned into a leer. "Mind you, it was hard to say 'no' considering she had racks this big!" Jounouchi stretched out his arms about a foot away from his chest, the cupped hands groping the air.
Yami rolled his eyes at Jounouchi's exaggeration when Honda said, "Dude, you're wrong! It was THIS big!" Honda extended his arm out an extra half a foot more than his friend's.
Jounouchi stared longing at those imaginary tits and looked, Yami thought, like a kicked puppy. "Man, the guy's got all the luck in world! He pulls partners like women pulls toilet paper! It's ain't fair, I tell ya!"
Both the men sighed simultaneously and then launched themselves into a debate on what the Egyptian possessed that they didn't. Yami tried hard not to laugh at their ever-growing list and suppressed the desire to add "homo-vibes" to it. Did the two not realise their companionship screamed "GAY" and "BROMANCE" in capital letters and flashing neons? Even the inexperienced Yami could see it as a babe repellent if there ever was one!
Yami's phone vibrated again offering the distraction he needed from the others' sad, sad plight. It was Marik again! It seems he wasn't any better off. Never laugh at your neighbour, a wise voice chided. Yes, sad, sad plight indeed. Marik had that effect on people.
-'No offers of TLC from my Yami-chan? I am devastated. Love, lonely Marik.'-
Yami blew a raspberry and replied with:
-'Ask the girl you picked up the day before to comfort you!'-
The reply came almost instantaneously.
-'Jealous?'-
Yami angrily blew at the bang that fell over his face and typed:
-'NO! Gotta work now. Bye.'-
Technically, he lied but Marik didn't know that. The phone vibrated once more and Yami's common sense told him to ignore it, but he could not resist a peek. To Yami's surprise, Marik sent him his home address along with a list of things that were deemed "comforting". Examining the list, a scowl soon developed and deepened the further he perused. He could understand honey and rice porridge being on the list of things he required, but a nurse's outfit? Marik even sent the address where Yami could hire one!
Yami was tempted to go Marik's place just to smack him!
Or maybe he could send Rebecca instead…
So preoccupied was he with fuming and plotting his revenge, Yami had not noticed the room slowly filling until he felt the weight of someone's stare on him.
Scanning the room, his eyes soon rested on the tall figure of Kaiba, leaning against the wall near the door with his arms crossed. Dressed in a tight, dark, purple shirt that was topped with a navy scarf draped loosely around his neck and finished off with low, slim, indigo coloured jeans, the man's appearance made Yami's mouth dry. Kaiba looked amazing. Nervously, Yami licked his dry lips and swallowed. He was keenly aware of blue eyes following the movement of his tongue as he swept it across his lip—just as he was aware of the arched brow and the smirk that followed.
Like he was hinting at a shared secret?
Yami's eyes widened.
The kiss…?
A faint movement to Kaiba's side drew Yami's attention to it. Noa was scowling fiercely at Yami who dropped his eyes to his phone and pretended to be immersed with the message on it. He got irritated when it fell upon "nurse uniform" again. He turned off his phone and placed it back into his pocket. It was a given rule that all cell phones was to be switched off during recording sessions. Nobody took kindly to the disturbances it causes.
Looking up and sweeping his gaze around the room, he noticed some of technical staff had arrived and was making preparations for the day's recording inside their small soundproof room. Casting a quick eye over the voicing crew, Yami could discern a few unfamiliar and familiar faces amongst the usual familiar ones. For example, Kogoro Daimon was a well-know actor, but was not part of the main casting. Yami wondered whose role he was portraying.
Shortly after Ota-san marched in, his face thunderous as he clutched his satchel in one hand and a bunch of papers in the other. Terrified, the group of people parted a path for him. It was awe-inspiring and frightening at the same time.
The reason for the amicable man's sudden change in behaviour struck Yami at once: it seems Ota-san learnt of Marik's absence and was reacting badly to it.
The irate man stormed into the enclosed room and through the glass Yami could see him throwing his bag onto the floor and the papers onto the counter where the equipment was embedded. A heated conversation followed where Ota-san was waving his arms, pointing at the papers, tearing out his hair and stomping about the room in some kind of hissy fit. The man obviously disliked having his carefully organised schedule disrupted. Not that Yami could blame him either.
The techies dealt with their superior's tantrum rather well, Yami thought; enduring the director's rage with practised patient and answering him calmly, offering what seem to be certain alternatives to the snag they met. Before long, Kaiba joined them and the gathering simmered down to shrugs, pouts and room pacing…or at least, on Ota-san's part! Kaiba, wearing a look of concentration, was looking over the shoulder of a techie who was tapping on a computer whilst Ota-san started scribbling something on paper and giving orders. About half an hour later, the director exited the room to address the cast with Kaiba in tow.
Surveying the room once more, Yami was surprised to see the main cast were present, seated and watching the drama unfold. Shizuka and Rebecca were frowning delicately; it appears they have not heard the news about Marik.
"Thank you all for being here today," Yami returned his eyes to Ota-san, trying hard not to stare at the tall man beside him. "It is an honour to officially kick-start the Broken Bonds experience with such gifted talents on board." The director made eye contact with all of the actors in front of him, his oratory held them captivated as they hung onto his every word.
"All of you have been handpicked for this journey however long or brief it may be. Expect to be pushed to your limits, expect to be bullied and terrorised, expect to give me the best you've got because I want nothing less. I demand dedication and understanding from my actors, I demand each of you to trust me just as I trust in each and every one to deliver what is expected of you. If you can do that, I promise this journey will be a memorable and rewarding one. Remember," he said with a smile, "I never forget an appealing voice or a dedicated actor. The date of the anime's release has been set for four weeks from now, so what do you say? Shall we get this show on the road?"
A loud cheer flooded the room.
"Now, with that said," Ota-san went on, looking a little put out, "I regret to inform you that Marik-sensei is unable to attend today's session."
The news caused a ripple of murmur from his audience.
"This, of course, means we will have to compensate for his absence, but…" he dramatically swiped a hand across the air in front of him, as if brushing away the mishap, "I am confident by working together, we can overcome this little setback. I will persuade Marik-sensei to treat us to a well-deserved tea break upon his return for inconveniencing us and I intend to burn a very large hole in his wallet."
Yami grinned at the enthusiastic response Ota-san's words inspired, especially the last part. Images of crispy and fluffy taiyaki floated into his mind, making his mouth water and his eyes glazed over with want. The ones Marik bought him were heavenly and Yami fervently hoped that purchasing a few of those would be part of the punishment.
The sound of chairs shifting around and people settling pulled Yami out of his stupor. He sheepishly shook himself and opened his bag to grab his script and a large bottle of water from it. Placing the bag under his chair, he rested the script on his lap and opened the bottle of water to take a swig of it. It was important to keep his throat from drying out, as it will put undue strain on his vocal chords and affect his voice's performance.
"Keep it moist and well lubricated," Mai-san once said with a dirty grin.
It was one of those ambiguous pieces of advice his manager gave that sounded…well, sound, but left you with a feeling that it had some double-edged meaning to it. It didn't help it was said during a BL recording session where the intercourse went on forever. The seme's stamina, much to his dismay, was impressive! Yami was quite hoarse when he finished.
"Right, let us begin." Ota-san's voice blared through the speaker.
Yami took another gulp of water, re-capped the bottle and placed it under his chair beside his bag. Yes, he thought with fearful excitement, his tiredness temporarily forgotten. Let's begin…
~TBC~
O-o-O-o-O
Author's Note: Initially, this chapter was a very, very long one—yep, over thirty-one pages and over 12,000 words long—but after some serious contemplation, I decided to chop it down so it's more proof and reader friendly. Hopefully, the next part will be up by the end of the month…or faster if you peeps can pry it out of me. It just needs proofing. Still, I hope I didn't disappoint too much after the dynamics of the last chapter. I promise the next one will pick up a bit.
Since I have most of it done, here's the sneak preview (JBubbles, muhahahahahahah…) of the next chappy:
Steering his attention away from the large actor, Yami turned his eyes to the leaner man shadowing him. Most of the man's hair was hidden under a floppy baker's boy hat with the exception of a few russet strands escaping its confinement and his eyes were shielded behind wide sunglasses. All Yami could see was a pointed chin and lips that tilted upwards at the corners. He was dressed in a similar fashion to his companion; only his pants rode lower over his narrow hips. Where the larger man exuded strength, this one oozed sexiness. Could this be the reason for Kaiba's staring?
Confused, Yami looked back at Kaiba and saw the tightness in his jaw. No, Kaiba was angry—that much was certain—but with what or who, remained a mystery. Yami turned his attention back to the three in time to see the smaller male remove his sunglasses…
Yep, and this is the reason why JBubbles, no matter how much I tease and provoke her, refuses to read previews. Any guesses to whom this person may be? *Evil laugh*
My thanks to those who left me their thoughts on the previous chapter: Mom!Princess, sweet Mel, XLightningX, adorable Chibi, Arlownay1991, cute Ma-chan, Ariana, Yami E, awesome JBubbles (did you read, huh?), amazing AyaSeth, lovely Candyworld, Plume Sombre, fiery CrimsonSrawberry17, Ruby of Raven and Shiroi no Yami.
It's always a pleasure to meet new readers as well as seeing my wonderful, super-smashing awesome regular ones. I am truly grateful for all your lovely feedback, they are truly inspiring so keep 'em coming.
Once again, Thank You so very much~! *hugs all*
Replies to my anonymous reviewers:
~Ariana: It's great to hear from you again. I am thrilled you enjoyed the previous chapter. I was a little 'iffy' of the outcome, but the response had quelled my initial misgivings. I wish I could post the entirety of this chapter, but given the length, it would mean I have to delay the update and give me an excuse to procrastinate more. I have a horrible habit of doing that, lol~!
The gang will definitely get to meet Yuugi and yes, Yami will go Mother Hen on his little bro, just as lil' bro will kick the arse on anyone caught being mean and pervy to his nii-chan…so Marik and Kaiba should watch out…I might even throw Amelda in the fray for my amusement! *Grin* Thanks for your support~!
~Yami E: Hahahahaha, I am glad you enjoyed the little Prideshipping in chapter 13. The first kiss between the couple one ships is always the squee-worthiest! The fact that it's take 13 chapters to get there makes the kiss that much sweeter.
Awwwwww, I like Jou very much, he's the comic relief along with Marik. The dastardly pair can get into all sorts of mischief, as you will see in the later chapters. They are partners-in-crime—that is when Marik's not picking on Jou—but Jou can give a good as he gets.
Broken Bonds is set in the future though there are a lot of retro influences thrown in the mix. Think Star Wars, the first three episodes and you might have an idea of what I am trying to illustrate.
I try to incorporate canon details as much as I can in the fic. The characters in the fic as well as in Broken Bonds are from the YGO! manga/anime or, in case of the latter, are actual names of Duel Monsters. The same rules apply to the use of Japanese words, even though I am butchering the language with my ignorance. Domino City is in Japan, right?
Many thanks for your continuous support, it means a lot to me.
~Shiroi no Yami: Yay! A new face! I am chuffed you like this story, it's a joy to write because of the humour and it being AU—anything goes! I am lovin' the readers' response. Nothing beats the feeling I get when I see a happy reader. It makes the experience so worthwhile…it's my reward. Thank you for your encouraging words and welcome abroad this crazy ride! I hope to hear more from you~.