Queer As Tachi – Chapter 19

                Yugi knelt in the middle of his room to perform the ritual at midnight of the full moon, though the evidence of it was hidden behind storm clouds.  Thunder rumbled dramatically in the distance, but for now the storms were passing around Domino and he feared nothing.  The rising wind hissed in the trees and rattled the open pane of the skylight above him, but it was warm out, so he left the window ajar until such a time as it actually rained.  The incantation had become so familiar to him after performing it this many times that he didn’t even need his hint sheet, and he had a big, sharp safety pin that he saved expressly for the purpose of drawing blood every month.  With eyes reverently closed, he swiped his finger over the Eye of the Puzzle to offer his blood and began the incantation, chanting smoothly in an ancient Egyptian dialect that flowed as naturally from him as his native tongue.  His heart began to race, and he took great breaths to continue his recitation, until the shadow power clapped around him like the thunder outside and threw him back.  It seemed to him that Yami’s body was materializing much faster these days than the first few times they performed the ritual, although Yugi fell back stunned for a moment or two, so he couldn’t be sure.  He rested on his elbows, gasping for breath, as he waited for Yami to awaken, smiling hazily at the sight of his graceful lover appearing before him.  Yami smiled back, though a flicker of concern crossed his brow as he noticed Yugi struggling to sit up.  He knelt down to help him, offering a hand, which Yugi used not only to sit up but to lunge into his partner’s arms and tilt his head up for a kiss.  “There you are,” he purred cutely.

                “At last,” Yami agreed, grinning and giving him another kiss.  “Awake and eager as always, I see.”

                Yugi giggled a little and averted his eyes shyly, though it only enabled him to ogle Yami’s lean, naked body all he wanted.  His hand slid down the pharaoh’s chest and stomach, dangerously near more sensitive parts.  “Well,” he offered, “you have been teasing me for weeks with the promise of some kind of surprise…”

                “Weeks?” Yami scoffed, catching up the wandering hand and holding it at bay.  “I have not.   You’re exaggerating.”

                Yugi only giggled even more and leaned in, content to let himself be restrained.  “So where is this present?” he wondered.

                Yami lowered his head and met him, nose to nose.  “I haven’t gotten it yet,” he claimed.

                “Aw, you’re no fun.”  Yugi grinned up at him, eyes wide.  “What is it?”

                “Ah…”  Yami sat back and waggled a warning finger.  “It’s not that easy.  You can bat those beautiful eyes at me all you want, my secret is safe now that our minds are separate.”

                “Aww!”  Yugi fell back onto his seat as his lover got up and went to the bed where a set of pajamas lay folded.   “Not even a hint?”

                “No,” Yami replied, slipping on just the pants.  “You’ll have to be patient.”

                Yugi raised himself onto his knees and crawled up behind him, smoothing his hands over Yami’s lower back and threatening to tug down the elastic waist of the pants.  “Why?  You’re already here, and I know you’re not going to make me wait until my actual birthday.  Come on, just tell me…”

                Yami turned quickly and sat down on the bed before he could be divested of his pants.  “And what if I said I didn’t know, yet, what I was getting you?”

                Yugi knelt on the floor in front of him, eyeing him suspiciously.   “That doesn’t make any sense,” he complained.  “You went out and did something that one night, I know you did.  If you didn’t already get me something…what in the world did you do?”

                The pharaoh smirked knowingly.  “You’ll find out in the morning.”

                Groaning, Yugi gave up and just pushed himself to his feet, taking a moment to put his sacred safety pin in its protected place before prowling slowly to the bed and seating himself astride Yami’s lap.  Yami settled him comfortably and smiled in greeting.  “Hi,” Yugi said softly.

                “Hi,” Yami returned.

                “Are you up for a late night?”

                “Anything you want.”  The pharaoh lifted his head and pressed a gentle kiss to his young love’s waiting lips.  “You know I’m wide awake.  It all depends on you.”

                “Mmm…”  Yugi savored the kiss with his eyes half-closed.  “I am a little sleepy,” he admitted, “but right now I’m so happy to see you that it doesn’t matter.”

                Yami kissed him again, a little more deeply, and chuckled in his throat.  “Perhaps if I wear you out,” he suggested, “you won’t have the energy to pester me about your gift.”

                Yugi gasped and leaned in, hugging his arms tightly around his lover’s shoulders.  “You’re so mean,” he accused.  “I wasn’t even going to say anything about it…”

                “Our minds may not be bonded,” Yami said, “but I know you, Yugi.”

                That made Yugi giggle again.  “Oh, fine.”

                Yami’s hands slid further around his waist, tugging his shirt free from his waistband and slipping up under it to rest against the small of his back.   “Would you be mad if I did everything my power to distract you?” the pharaoh purred, caressing light fingertips across Yugi’s skin.

                Yugi purred right back at him, lowing his head so their foreheads pressed together for a fleeting moment.  “Not at all.”

                Smiling indulgently, Yami concentrated on touching and kissing his sweet young lover for a while, not deliberately pushing him just yet as both were content with the quiet seduction.  Above and beyond them, the occasional peals of thunder grew louder and closer, until the wind suddenly roared in the trees outside and a prolonged crash rumbled across the sky and rattled the window in its pane.  The sound made Yami tear his lips away with an astonished gasp.  “Incredible,” he breathed.

                “What?” Yugi whispered back.  “Haven’t you heard thunder before?”

                “Heard, yes,” the pharaoh murmured, “but I’ve never felt it before.”   He resumed trailing his lips across Yugi’s cheek.  “I could feel that in my chest.”

                Yugi clutched at him in his delight, but then gave an annoyed sigh.  “Just a minute.   I have to close the window before it rains.”

                He pried himself out of Yami’s lap and padded across to where he could stretch up and reach the latch of the skylight, tugging it closed and locking it.  Yami just sat where he was, waiting, smiling.  Yugi paused to smile back, pleased to see him sitting there.  He took the Millennium Puzzle and draped it down his back so it would be out of their way, and then returned to his lover and sat down beside him, finding himself immediately caught up in warm, safe arms and cuddled.  Most of their night together would be spent this way, valuing the closeness and tender touch, first sitting together and then lying wrapped in each other’s arms while the thunderstorm passed noisily over them, drumming on the skylight with a brief heavy rain.   Eventually, both forgot completely about any notion of birthday presents and just fell into each other, gradually ramping themselves up to a quick but wonderful lovemaking session that finally tired Yugi out enough to sleep.  Yami held him for a while longer, combing fingers through his hair, until he likewise fell asleep next to him.

                The pharaoh awoke naturally well after the sun had risen, taking a while to lie there with Yugi in his embrace just to feel him breathe, not wanting to wake him as well.  He had things to do, and this might be his only chance to do them if he wanted his plan to work perfectly.   When he assured himself that Yugi was fast asleep still and wouldn’t stir, he slowly, carefully extracted his arm from beneath his young lover’s head and worked his way out of the blankets.  He managed to get out of bed without disturbing Yugi’s sleep, and smiled to himself as he wandered around the room looking for clothes.  He got so far as to put on jeans and a sleeveless shirt before he heard the rustle of sheets and a soft sigh under Yugi’s breath.  Turning to the bed with a start, Yami found Yugi curling up on his side, not quite awake yet but clearly aware that he was alone in bed, perhaps missing the warmth of a companion’s body.  Yami stole quietly over to the bed and crouched down beside it as Yugi’s eyes blinked hazily open.  “Yami?” he whispered tiredly.

                “Shh…”  Yami brushed back Yugi’s bangs with his fingers and kissed him on the forehead.  “Just go back to sleep.  It’s your day off, you can sleep in.”

                Yugi purred softly at the touch and the concept of sleeping in.   “But…you…”

                “I’ll be right back,” Yami assured.  “I’m not going far.”

                Fortunately for him, Yugi hadn’t noticed that he was dressed.   He just closed his eyes and purred again, rolling back over and wrapping his arms around his pillow.  Yami drew the blanket back up around his bare shoulders and smoothed a hand over his hair, waiting a moment or two until it appeared Yugi had gone back to sleep after all.   Only then did Yami snatch a pair of boots to put on outside and retrieve the sock containing his precious winnings.

                Grandpa Muto stood in the kitchen leafing through the morning paper while waiting for his tea to heat, a perfect vantage point from which to see Yami creep noiselessly into the living room.  By now Grandpa was used to seeing him, and could easily tell him apart from Yugi with a glance.   Seeing he was not alone, Yami relaxed and set the spare pair of boots that fit him over by the door so he could go in and say good morning.  “My, you’re up early,” Mr. Muto noted.  “Where’s Yugi?”

                “He’s still in bed,” Yami replied placidly.  “May I ask you a favor…Grandpa?”

                Grandpa Muto smiled at being addressed familiarly by the pharaoh.   “Of course, my boy.  What is it?”

                Yami smiled shyly.  “I don’t know how much time I have – I’m trying to sneak out to get Yugi an early birthday present, before he gets up and tries to follow me.  I want it to be a surprise.”  He glanced over his shoulder, across the living room to the hall.   “If he wakes up while I’m out, could you assure him that I’ll be right back and he shouldn’t hunt me down?”

                Grandpa laughed.  “Sure, sure, I’ll do what I can.  He’s going to be worried when he wakes up if you’re not here.”

                “I know, that’s why I need someone to tell him I haven’t disappeared.”  Yami stuck his hands in his pants pockets, fingering the wad of bills in one.  “I shouldn’t be long.  I’ve noticed in our wanderings that there’s a flower shop up the street from here.”

                “Oh…why yes, there is,” Grandpa realized.  “You’re going to get him flowers?”  He smiled knowingly.  “That’s very sweet.”

                Yami blushed faintly and looked away.  “Maybe.  I want to look there first, before resorting to letting Yugi pick something out for himself.”

                Grandpa Muto reached out and heartily patted him on the arm.  “No worries, go on ahead.  I’ll keep Yugi distracted long enough for you to get back.”  Yami nodded his thanks and went to slip his boots on.  As he was about to leave, Grandpa thought of something that made him stick his head out the kitchen door.  “Wait a minute.  How are you going to buy him a present?  Do you know what you’re doing?”

                Yami smiled over his shoulder.  “It’s all right.  I have what I need.”

                He took the stairs two at a time in his excitement and breezed out the side door onto the street, taking a moment for a deep, luxurious breath before starting away down the sidewalk.  The storms had passed in the night, leaving Domino fresh and bright with sunshine and a pleasant morning breeze.  Hands in his pockets, Yami walked briskly up the sidewalk in the direction of the nearby flower shop, his head held high and a firm smile on his lips.  He had not gone out in public without Yugi before, at least not while embodied on his own.   It felt rather liberating.  He paused at a light to wait for traffic, not noticing until he was halfway across the street that existing and interacting in this modern world had become completely natural for him.  What information he could glean from Yugi’s mind, combined with the instincts raised in him by observing his partner and their friends living their lives, equipped him to easily handle the wider world by himself.  He could read, he could count money, and he knew enough traffic laws to know he was supposed to wait for the green light to cross the street.  Ahead of him on the corner of the block lay the flower shop, he could see it from here with a sign board already staked out on the sidewalk announcing specials and a few people milling about the outdoor displays.  Yami paused for a moment to look at the bunches of flowers pre-packaged for wayward husbands and grateful bosses to quickly grab and purchase, but knew what he wanted was probably deeper inside.  The girl behind the counter, her hair tied back with a kerchief, was busy with another customer at the moment, so Yami slipped in unnoticed and wandered around to look.

                Flowers, Yami thought to himself, I should get him some flowers.  But what kind?   He passed over big vases and special-event bouquets, wondering inwardly which kinds were best to tell someone you loved them.   The shop didn’t only sell flowers, though.  There was a rack of greeting cards, and a few shelves along the wall held small gifts, from furry animals to keepsake boxes and other trinkets.  It was a veritable one-stop shop for the desperate gift-giver.  The pharaoh had just begun to take stock of the stuffed animals when a sweet, feminine voice interrupted him.  “Good morning, sir.  May I help you with something?”

                Yami turned with a start to find himself face-to-face with the shop girl.  “Oh…uh,” he stammered, “I don’t know.  Perhaps.   I’m…trying to find a gift.”

                “Well, you’re in the right place,” the girl said with a beaming smile.  “What kind of a gift?  Who is it for?”

                He couldn’t help the fleeting moment of hesitation that robbed him of words, even though he was not at all ashamed of his relationship.  “My…boyfriend,” he managed to say at last, in a quiet tone.  “It’s for his birthday.”

                “Oh, how sweet!” the girl encouraged.  “Well, we have all kinds of flowers appropriate for birthdays, but if it’s your boyfriend?  You probably want some roses.”

                Yami blushed but followed her nonetheless as she crossed to a specially-lit case.  “Roses,” he repeated.  “Yes, I think that’s what I want.”

                The shop girl showed him to a bucket containing individual roses, red and white and pink for the most part, but a couple of yellow ones tucked in with them.  “We have bouquets, or you can purchase them individually if you wanted a specific number.  Sometimes people get the number to match their age – how old is he?”

                “He’ll be nineteen,” Yami answered timidly.  “His birthday isn’t for a couple of weeks, but…this is my only chance to celebrate with him.”

                “Oh?”  The shop girl looked at him sympathetically.  “Are you from out of town, then?”

                “Something like that.”  Yami plucked one rose from the bucket to admire its tightly-closed bloom.  “I can only be here to see him in person once a month, so…we have to celebrate now.”

                “Ah, long-distance relationship.  Those can be tough.”  The girl just smiled even more brightly.  “Then you had better make it a good one, to make up for it.  Roses will definitely do the trick.  But if you’re looking for something a little more substantial than just flowers…”  She led him back to where he had been before, looking at the gift shelves.  “…we have a small selection.  Hm, I know girls love to get stuffed animals for presents, but I don’t know about boys.”  She glanced at him with a thoughtful look.  “What’s his type?  Is he a real manly sort, or…?”

                Yami smiled wistfully.  “He’s the innocent and sweet type,” he answered without hesitation.   “Pure and fragile.”

                The shop girl grinned.  “Definitely a stuffed animal, then.”

                “He has one,” Yami remembered as she took down a large, squishy bear and hugged it.  “I won it for him at a carnival.  A tiny bear.”

                The girl looked at him over the bear in her arms.  “If you’re out of town so much, maybe he’d like something bigger that he can cuddle when you’re not there.”

                Yami’s eyes widened.  It was as if the girl had read his mind, or knew the conversations he and Yugi had had privately across their bond.  “Yes,” he breathed.  “Something like that would be perfect.”

                “Well, then, this is the place.”  She set the bear back and gave the shelf a sweeping gesture of display.   “I’ll let you look around, but if you need me to wrap up some roses for you, just let me know.”

                Yami glanced back at her, smiling to himself, as she left him to go and ring up a businessman waiting at the counter.  She knew just what he needed, and didn’t flinch at all at the thought of him having a boyfriend.  He poked around the selection of fuzzy animals for a bit, rejecting most of them as being just a bit too cute or girly for Yugi, until he pushed aside another sappy bear and found something perched on the shelf behind it.  He drew out an adorable puppy with floppy ears, which unlike most of the other gift animals, was neither bizarrely colored nor carrying a lovey-dovey heart or message of any kind.  It was just a plain white dog with black-button eyes, cute in its own way.  Yami held it in both hands for a moment, picturing Yugi with it, and smiled brilliantly.  This was it.  He hugged it to his chest as he turned and went back to the case of roses, picking selectively through them and glancing at the sign posting the prices.  He didn’t have enough for an entire bouquet, in addition to the dog, but after doing some quick math in his head, considered that he could get three roses – two red, one white – and still have a tiny bit of money left over to treat Yugi to something later in the day.  The shop girl was watching him, and came to his side the minute he lifted his head to look for her and ask for her help again.  “I think three will do,” he said decisively.  “Two red ones, for each of us, and a white one to represent our bond.”

                “Oh, that’s so beautiful,” the shop girl gushed.   “Right away, sir, I’ll be happy to wrap these up for you.”

                Nodding, Yami went to meet her at the register, setting down the stuffed dog and pulling out his money.  She quickly rang him up and counted out the change, just a couple hundred yen out of the complete amount he had won from Mai in their bet.  As the girl handed him the money, she cocked a curious look at him.  “If you don’t mind me saying,” she began, “you seem familiar.  Have I maybe seen you before?”

                Yami smiled politely.  “Not likely,” he replied, “but you may have seen my boyfriend.  He and his grandfather own Kame game shop, a couple of blocks from here.”

                “Ahh…you know, maybe that’s it.”  She smiled as she handed him the carefully-wrapped roses.  “I know where that is.  Maybe I’ve just seen you passing by on the street.”  She added a wink.  “That hairstyle would be pretty hard to miss.”

                Laughing richly, Yami took his purchases and wished her a good day, sincerely pleased with how smoothly his errand had gone.  Now that it was in his arms, the puppy dog appeared even more perfect for Yugi, as if it had been waiting there in a dusty corner of the shelf just for him all this time.  The shop girl had even tied a bow around its neck to show that it had been purchased as a gift.  Yami smiled tenderly at it and just squeezed it, thinking how would be the best way to present it to his young lover.

                Leaving his boots at the door, Yami stole quietly upstairs and glanced first to make sure Yugi wasn’t up and waiting for him, and then made another sock-footed dash down the hall to his bedroom.  The door was still closed, so it was likely Yugi was still in bed.  Perfect, the pharaoh purred to himself, and hid the flowers behind his back as he pushed the door open.  He found Yugi right away, as he was sitting on the side of the bed rubbing his eyes.  “There you are,” he murmured as he looked up to see that it was Yami coming in.  “I thought I heard you telling me to go back to sleep, but I don’t remember you getting up.  What…?”  He blinked, noticing that his lover was dressed.  “What’s going on?  Did you go out?”

                “For a little bit.”  Yami shouldered the door open enough to let himself in and brought the bouquet from behind him, cradling it delicately.  “Happy birthday…early.”

                Yugi sat up with a little gasp of wonder, and reached out to take the flowers into his hands.  He pulled back the top fold of the paper and smiled adorably at what was inside.  “You got me roses,” he noted.  “They smell so nice…”

                “I know it isn’t much,” Yami said hesitantly, “I could only afford three.  But I figured, they could stand as a symbol.  One red rose for you, one for me, and white for…”

                “…our bond,” Yugi finished for him, catching on immediately.   “Oh, Yami, it’s beautiful.  Thank you!”  He leaped up from the bed and threw an arm around the pharaoh, hugging him in delight with his head resting on his chest.  “No wonder you wanted to keep it all a secret from me.  This is a really nice surprise.”

                “There’s more,” Yami added.

                Yugi blinked at him, and let him go so he could retrieve the other part of the gift.  “More?  Wait a minute, how did you afford all of this?”  He smiled wryly at his partner leaning out the door to fetch the toy he had left just outside the room.  “Did Grandpa give you money?”

                “No,” Yami answered patiently, “I earned the money myself.   Not very much, but enough.”  He turned, holding the stuffed dog in his arms with a plaintive look in his elegant, violet eyes.  “For you.  So you have something to hold when my body isn’t there in the bed with you.”

                “Oh!”  Yugi laid the flowers on his bed and raced over to Yami, laying his hands over the pharaoh’s for a moment before plucking the dog from his arms and holding it up.  “It’s so cute!” he exclaimed.  “For me to…”  His eyes lifted, and Yami could see happy tears swimming in them.  “Oh, Yami.  This is exactly what I needed.  You thought of everything.”  He hugged the dog fiercely, burying his face in its floppy ears.  “Mm,” he murmured, “it even smells like you.”

                Yami glanced away in embarrassment.  “Well, I have been snuggling it quite a bit since I got it…”

                “You’ll have to snuggle it some more, later.”  Yugi reached to him with one arm and cuddled up beside him, hugging both the puppy and his lover at the same time.  “That way, after you’re gone, it’ll feel like you’re still there with me.”

                The pharaoh’s arms came around his shoulders and hugged him powerfully.  “I love you, Yugi,” he murmured gently.  “I know it isn’t anything grand, but…”

                “Are you kidding?  It’s wonderful.”  Yugi nuzzled his neck affectionately, still holding tightly to him.  “I told you I didn’t need anything from you except for you, but you still managed to find something so perfect for us.  Thank you.  I’m so happy.”  He hugged even more strongly, pinning the stuffed dog between their bodies.  “I love you.”

                They stood together for a while, savoring the moment, and then Yami brushed his young love’s cheek with soft fingertips.  “Come, let’s put your roses in water,” he suggested.  “We should have more than enough vases around here, after all of Grandpa’s flowers.”

                “True,” Yugi laughed.  “They’re so beautiful, Yami.  How did you ever think of something like that?”

                The pharaoh shrugged.  “It just came to me.”

                Yugi went and set his new puppy dog on his bed, leaning it against the pillow, and then took the wrapped roses as he followed Yami out of the bedroom and through to the kitchen.  They picked out one of the vases left over from a flower setting someone had sent Grandpa Muto in the hospital, and Yami stood aside watching in interest as Yugi filled it with water and trimmed the stems so the roses fit perfectly.  He took a moment to sniff them again, sighing happily, and then turned to leap into his lover’s arms once more.  “It’s perfect, I love it,” he enthused.  “I love everything.  But now…”   He looked up with a smirk.  “…you have to tell me how you did it.  What did you do that night you took over, and how did it lead to this?”

                Smirking back, Yami willingly told him everything, about making a bet with Mai and winning thanks to the rare Rite of Transference, putting a small but useful amount of money in his pocket.  Yugi couldn’t believe he managed to keep all of this hidden for all that time, though he agreed that Yami had picked the perfect hiding place for his savings.  “There isn’t much left,” the pharaoh explained.  “If I had more, perhaps I could have taken you out for dinner for a change, but I don’t have enough.  Maybe…”  He pondered it.   “…I could treat you to ice cream, later?”

                Yugi squealed.  “Yeah!  That sounds just right!”  He snuggled Yami again and finally let him go so they could hunt out some breakfast.  “So, what else are we going to do today?  Or hadn’t you planned that far?”

                He poked through the cabinets, while Yami slinked up behind him and wrapped his arms around his young love’s waist, sneaking past the Puzzle to do so.  “Well,” he began, “I was thinking, perhaps we could spend today together, just us.  No one else.  Since this is the first day you’ve had free in so long, excused from work, no classes, just you and me.”

                Yugi sighed thoughtfully.  “That’s very true.  It’s been a rough couple of months.  We haven’t just shut out the world and spent a day only worrying about each other in a long time.”

                Yami kissed the back of his neck.  “We’ll go anywhere you want, do anything, it’s up to you.   We’ll go and get ice cream…”

                “Since it’s going to be a nice, hot day…”

                “…we’ll take a walk, or maybe we’ll just stay in.  Who knows?”

                “I like the sound of that,” Yugi breathed dreamily.

                Together, the pair of them made breakfast and then Yugi finally saw to getting dressed, as much fun as it was running around in pajamas so late in the morning.   They intended to get out of the house at least for a little while, so he had to.  Yugi set the vase of roses on the table in the living room so everyone could see it before leading Yami downstairs to tell Grandpa all about the cute surprise he had just gotten.  Grandpa Muto smiled kindly, noting the pharaoh’s shy embarrassment at Yugi’s enthusiasm.  “Well, aren’t you sweet?” he said encouragingly.  “If I had known that was all it would take to make him happy, I wouldn’t have bothered with all those big presents I got…”

                Yugi’s eyes widened.  “What presents?  Grandpa!  I told you, I don’t need anything this year!”

                Grandpa Muto laughed.  “I’m just messing with you,” he assured.  “You know how much of a procrastinator I am.  I still have two weeks.”

                “I’m sure the gifts from your grandpa and your friends will be much better than mine,” Yami added.  “It’s really too small and simple to truly convey my feelings…”

                “Don’t you dare!”  Yugi turned to him with an upraised finger.  “It’s not how expensive or extravagant the gift is, it’s the meaning.   You gave me something that means more than anyone else could ever dream up.  I love it, so stop worrying about it.”

                Yami stared at him, taken aback, and then chuckled.  “All right, all right.  Well.  Shall we?”

                “Sure.  We’re going out for a walk, Grandpa,” Yugi informed his guardian.  “Do you need me to pick up anything?”

                Grandpa made a show of thinking about it.  “Hmm, nope, I think I’m good.  You two go have some fun.  It’s a nice day, too nice to spend cooped up inside.”

                “I know,” Yugi said with an implicit tone, smiling and taking Yami’s hand as they headed for the door.

                Warm summer sun beat down on them as they walked up the street, sticking to the dappled shade of the small trees lining the sidewalk.  Yami glanced down at his lover, growing thoughtful even though Yugi retained his usual blissful glow of a smile over being right where he was.  “You told your grandpa not to get you anything for your birthday?” the pharaoh queried.

                “I tried to.”  Some of the glow faded, though Yugi kept his eyes forward as they walked.  “I know he’s going to get me something anyway, even if we can’t afford it right now.  It’s okay.”  He mustered his smile again just for Yami.  “As long as he knows I understand if he doesn’t go overboard.  Some things are just more important.  Besides, next year is the big one.”

                “You come of age next year, correct?”

                “Uh huh.”  Yugi swung their hands playfully.  “So I have one more year of being a kid.  Then it’s all over.”

                Yami chuckled kindly.  “It seems to me you’ve already grown up plenty.”

                “Yeah,” Yugi sighed.  “We’re a long way from Duelist Kingdom, aren’t we?”

                The pharaoh came to a stop there on the sidewalk, pulling Yugi back around to face him, so he could wrap his arms around the young one and look into his eyes.  “It doesn’t matter how old you are, or what responsibilities the world heaps on your shoulders,” he said seriously, but with a note of warmth.  “As long as you never lose your innocence.  Even after all we’ve been through, your soul is still pure and void of darkness.   I don’t want you to ever change that about yourself.”

                Yugi smiled up at him.  “I won’t,” he said softly.  “I have you to protect me.”

                “And I shall do so with my very soul.”  Yami bent to kiss him and then took his hand again, intending to lead him away.  “What does ‘coming of age’ mean for you, anyway?  What should I expect?”

                “It just means I’m legally responsible, an adult,” Yugi shrugged.  “I can drink.   That’s the big one…since I’m already old enough for sex,” he added with a wink.

                The pharaoh turned to him with wide eyes.  “There is an age limit on sex?”

                His lover laughed.  “You can’t consent until you’re sixteen.”

                “Oh.”  The surprise turned to sly sensuality.  “Then I didn’t do anything wrong.”

                “No,” Yugi breathed, sensing some of the electricity behind his lover’s smile.  “I was already sixteen when we met.”

                “Barely.”  Yami chuckled under his breath.  “But we didn’t become lovers right away.”

                Yugi chuckled as well, and let a brief silence pass between them before murmuring, “You had better be careful how much you talk about this, or I’m going to have to turn right around and drag you home to my bed right now.”

                Yami shot him a brief look over his shoulder.  “Later.  I’m counting on it.”

                They took a casual walk down to the pedestrian mall and then around the area, ending up outside the small arcade which Yami remembered from more than a year before, where they had met Tristan on the pharaoh’s first day of freedom.  It didn’t have a huge selection of games, since Kaiba’s arcade across town was much bigger and boasted the best experience, but it was within walking distance of home.  If nothing else, they could embarrass themselves with a few rounds of DDR before having their fill and deciding to move on.  “It’s kind of sad,” Yugi remarked as they stood waiting in line for their chance to stomp on the dance stage.  “You remember Spider, the cool arcade where Téa beat that guy at the dance game?”

                “And we dueled him into submission,” Yami recalled.  “Of course.”

                “It closed down sometime in the past year.  I guess it couldn’t compete, between Kaiba’s arcade and Duke’s shop getting games and arenas.”  Yugi shrugged.  “It was a nice place, bigger than this and closer than KC.  I miss it.”

                “Well,” Yami tried to reason, “now that you and Joey are older, you don’t seem to like going to the arcade as often.”

                “For a while we just didn’t have the time,” Yugi pointed out.  “But Joey’s classes will be over soon, for the summer, so we’re going to have more free time to hang out.”  Just then, the people currently playing failed out, meaning it was the couple’s turn, so Yugi nudged his partner to step up.  They played a full three rounds, enjoying themselves very much while not entirely impressing the pros who could clear Heavy levels with their eyes closed.  But fun was all they were looking for, and after leaving themselves out of breath, Yugi and Yami cooled down with a few plain old video games and then decided it was enough.  Yami didn’t want his lover to have to spend too much of his own money, since this was meant to be his excuse for taking him out for his upcoming birthday, but he only had enough cash left for a treat later.  Yugi didn’t seem to mind in the least.  He chattered idly of fun things to do, of his friends and the things he wanted to experience with Yami, as they walked around and poked into shops but didn’t really linger at any.  After a while they neared the park, at the perfect point in the hot afternoon to go and get some ice cream and sit down to eat it.  The pharaoh eagerly splurged on Yugi, wasting every last yen on the biggest sundaes money could buy, which they took over to a shady spot under the trees to sit and eat.  The park benches and lawns were filled with happy people sunning themselves and indulging in ice cream and sodas and other treats, as it was just that kind of day.  Yugi and Yami sat together in the grass, occasionally feeding each other spoonfuls of their own sundaes to trade flavors, giggling to themselves and doing their best to behave in public, as much as Yami felt like pouncing on his youthful lover and licking the sweetness from his lips and chin.  They stopped short of starting a food fight, though Yugi dabbed a finger-ful of whipped cream on the pharaoh’s nose and squealed in laughter as he was caught up and wrestled for a minute, trying his hardest to keep from accidentally upending his dish of half-melted ice cream.  They settled down after that, though, and Yugi leaned up against Yami, who leaned up against the tree’s trunk as they finished off their ice cream and sat for a while feeling the breeze on their faces.  It was so nice, neither wanted to break the comfortable silence, but after one too many lunges to keep their empty cups from blowing away, Yugi got up and reached a hand down to his partner.   “Come on,” he encouraged.  “Let’s get out of here.”

                Yami pouted a little as he let himself be dragged to his feet.   “But it’s nice to just sit here…”

                “I know.”  Yugi towed him along as he went to throw away their trash, and then gave him a sunny smile.   “I want to find someplace a little more private.”

                A twitch of surprise lifted his eyebrows, but Yami smiled his agreement and just settled his hand more deeply into Yugi’s.  They traveled some of the more obscure paths in the park, passing under the same trees they had kissed beneath in the spring, though now they were full and green and cast cool shadows on the walk below.  Turning down a side path he thought he had never used before, Yugi gave a little cry of delight to see a sunny slope freckled with tiny white flowers ahead of them.  There was no one else around at all, most patrons of the park were clustered by the fountains and the pond and the concessions vendors today.  Yugi left the sidewalk and climbed up the slope to where the sun fell fully on his face, where no one could bother them if they happened to walk by, and flopped onto his back in the grass.  Yami sat down more elegantly beside him, and turned his face up into the sunshine for a few minutes.  Then, he felt a hand brushing softly up and down his forearm, and smiled down at the hazy grin being directed up at him from the flower-strewn lawn.  “Is this better?” he asked Yugi.

                “Much,” Yugi purred.  “It’s so quiet here.  Mm, and you can smell the flowers…”

                Yami breathed deeply and smiled peacefully.  “It’s lovely.  It always amazes me that such a place can lie hidden within a big, noisy city like this.”

                Yugi murmured his agreement, tucking his arms underneath his head and gazing up at the clusters of clouds racing across the blue sky.  They looked so wild for such a tame day.  He shifted his eyes to wonder at Yami’s thoughtful gaze.  “Come down here, by me?” he begged.

                Yami glanced at him, and with a sultry smile turned and reclined in the grass beside Yugi, stretching himself out alongside him.  Yugi turned slightly towards him, his head pillowed on one arm as he smiled up in the most innocently tempting way.  The pharaoh brushed his cheek with a fingertip, and then let it travel down his neck to his unbuttoned shirt collar.  “You are so beautiful to me,” he murmured.  “I could lie here and behold you like this forever.”

                Yugi smiled cutely, closing his eyes.  “Whenever you say things like that,” he said quietly, “I get this warm feeling all through my body.  It’s like fire all the way into the tips of my toes.”

                “Really?”  Yami smiled even more softly.  “Funny, because I’m never sure if my words are adequate enough.  They seem so pale, when I’m face to face with you and can’t just rely on our bond to communicate my innermost thoughts and feelings.”

                “You don’t have to worry.”  Yugi reached to touch his hand, and they both raised their hands palms-together, fingers entwined, and smiled at each other.  “You’re doing just fine.  All you have to do is say my name and I melt.”

                Yami chuckled deeply, taking a long, lingering moment just to gaze at their grasping hands and the way their fingers lazily curled around each other’s, before pulling Yugi’s hand to his chest and bending his head to kiss his knuckles.   Yugi just giggled and let him do as he liked, too content to want to hasten the inevitable by pouncing on him.  He felt like he would burst from happiness, having a day like this where Yami was treating him to every indulgence of a sweetheart.  Lying in the grass together with the hot sun overhead and a cool breeze in their hair just made it that much better, turning it into one of those afternoons where it seemed time had stopped so as to let them have eternity to be together.  Their hands entwined and caressed for a while, and then the pharaoh let go so he could pluck one of the tiny white flowers out of the grass and tuck it behind his lover’s ear.  Amused, Yugi sprawled back in the grass with an enticing smile, which never left his lips as he looked up to find Yami leaning over him, leaning in to kiss him at last.  He reached up and cupped the pharaoh’s elegant face, catching him and guiding him in for a soft, teasing kiss that tasted of chocolate and sweetness.  Hazy eyes opened just enough to regard each other, to smile and decide that this was the best way to spend their afternoon, and then Yami placed an arm on Yugi’s far side, to catch him up and hold him as they laid together and kissed for a long while.

                No one bothered the lovers in their quiet place, as they fell into each other and forgot the rest of the world existed no matter how much the wind tossed their hair.  The pharaoh found his young love willing and eager, though in his current calm and dreamy state, he never pushed for anything beyond the deepest, longest kisses.  Though not connected, it was as if they could still read each other’s minds, knowing exactly how long to linger, when to breathe, how best to tease and taste each other.  Yugi stroked his partner’s cheek with gentle fingertips while they kissed, their tongues just barely darting from between their lips to meet and play against each other.  In time, cloud shadows began to rob them of the hot blush of sun that had been beating down on them, but they barely noticed, except perhaps to be glad that they had nice, cool moments now with the wind hissing in the grass around them.  Their lips nibbled playfully at one another, their hands entangled in each other’s blond bangs as they reached to cup cheeks and stroke earlobes with teasing fingertips.  At last, when Yugi felt like he could die from sheer pleasure and rocket straight to heaven, they mutually parted and just gazed at one another, smiling.  Yami added one more kiss, as if to bless the wet lips smiling up at him, and then Yugi tilted his head back to regard the sky.  A flicker of concern passed through his eyes.  “Uh oh…”

                “What is it?”  Yami looked around and realized the same thing – the sky had gone suddenly dark.   Storm clouds were racing in from the direction of the sea, plunging the landscape into an eerie half-light significantly different from the bright sun earlier.  The pharaoh rolled off his young love to let him sit up.  “What do you think?”

                “We were so busy I never noticed it getting cloudy,” Yugi said sheepishly.  “We should probably get going.  More storms are coming in, it could rain at any minute.”

                Nodding, Yami got to his feet and pulled Yugi up after him, taking a brief moment to clasp both his hands and kiss him fiercely one more time before heading down the hill to the sidewalk.  The darkened skies didn’t worry Yugi at all, he just cuddled up to Yami’s side, taking his arm and walking with him to the nearest park exit.  The pharaoh’s deep murmur sent a shiver of thrill up his spine and awakened that warm flush he had mentioned.  “That was nice.”

                “That was so nice,” Yugi agreed in a hushed murmur.  “You’ve been so sweet to me today, I don’t think it could get any more perfect.”

                Yami chuckled throatily.  “If we don’t hurry, it may get considerably less perfect,” he mused with a glance upward.

                “Nah, we’ll be fine,” Yugi assured him.  “It takes a while after you hear the first thunder before the rain comes in.”

                There had been a few low, distant growls of thunder as they were leaving the park, but nothing terribly threatening yet.  The wind hadn’t even picked up.  Yami shrugged and just followed along, trusting his partner’s guidance.   They had a bit of a walk ahead of them to get home, but took it at an unhurried pace since no one else on the streets of the city showed any greater urgency as they passed.  But then, with half their journey still ahead of them, the skies suddenly opened up and rain came pouring down.  With a yelp Yugi began to run, pulling Yami along with him, but the more the two pelted down the sidewalk in the drenching rain, the wetter they got.  After a block or two both tired, and with a laugh they resigned themselves to getting soaked and slowed to a walk.  They were too far from home to make it still dry, and too wet to duck into any old store without raising eyebrows and ire.  Then, Yugi spotted ahead of them an awning over an abandoned store’s inset door, and tugged his lover along quickly to reach it, a perfect respite for waiting out the storm.  A flash of lightning far too close made them both jump and throw themselves into the dark doorway, giggling collectively at their behavior as the thunder rolled.  For a moment both peered out and up at the skies, wondering how they could have been so foolish to get caught in the rain, but then Yugi felt Yami’s hands, wet but warm, curling around his neck and shoulder.  He turned his head just in time, as the pharaoh leaned in and kissed him, more hotly than before.  A soft moan escaped Yugi as he kissed hungrily back, tasting the raindrops on his lover’s lips.  Yami pushed him back against the wall, clutching firmly to Yugi’s shoulder and tilting his head up with the other hand.  Yugi’s hands clenched on Yami’s wet t-shirt, but he didn’t once break the ferocious kiss even as he felt himself being pinned to the wall by the pharaoh’s lean body.  Their senses were filled with the sound of pouring rain drumming on the awning and splashing on the sidewalk, the thunder echoing across the city and the heat and taste of each other in their mouths.  Yami’s hands groped downward across the soaking wet shirt clinging to Yugi’s chest, over his nipples hard from the chill, and as he broke for breath he glanced down to observe the paths his hands traveled and the view of wet fabric pasted to Yugi’s skin.  Yugi still nipped at his partner’s lips, desperate for their heat and unable to deny how very much he was turned on by the surprise rain and the clandestine shelter and those firm, insistent hands on his body.  The Puzzle jingled on its chain as if to protest being swept aside so Yami could begin fumbling with the buttons keeping Yugi’s shirt closed.  Only then did Yugi lift his head and place his hands steadily on his lover’s chest.  “No, wait,” he breathed into the space between them.  “Not here.”

                Yami gave a small start, and then smiled sheepishly.  “I’m sorry,” he murmured.  “I was a little too eager.”  He let go of Yugi’s shirt and wrapped his arms around him instead, trapping him in a safe but very wet embrace.  “We should get home and out of these wet clothes, though,” he added seductively.

                “Mm, yes…”  Yugi kissed him in such a way as to savor his lips and then looked out past their temporary shelter.  “I don’t think the rain is going to let up anytime soon.”

                “It doesn’t matter.  We’re wet enough already, a little more rain isn’t going to change that.”  Yami grinned slyly and reached to take his partner’s hand.  “Shall we?”

                Together the two of them made their way home in the pouring rain, walking briskly for the most part but dashing across open spaces where no trees or buildings could shelter them even partially, giggling the whole way.  Passersby smart enough to have brought umbrellas just watched them dash past with curious looks.  Grandpa heard them noisily enter the house and called up to them from the shop, but Yugi called back that they had gotten caught in the storm and were soaked, so they received a “never mind, then,” and were allowed to go and take care of themselves.  At last, with the patter of rain on the skylight finally tapering off and light breaking through the windswept storm clouds above, Yami patiently undid Yugi’s buttons one by one, peeling the shirt open like the unwrapping of a present.   Yugi wrestled out of it and sighed happily at the feel of warm, dry hands caressing his clammy skin, though the Puzzle was still sharply cold where it rested on his stomach.  Yami slid his hands down his young love’s flanks and rested them on his hips as he leaned in to kiss him, returning to the soft, gentle manner he had employed while lying tangled in the grass.  At the same time, Yugi groped for his lover’s belt and blindly unbuckled it to help him out of uncomfortably wet jeans.  Rainwater still dripped from the tips of their bangs as they stripped each other, trying not to lose the contact of their lips, and without even considering warmer, drier clothes, fell into bed and wrapped each other up in the blankets.  Giggling, Yugi curled himself around the pharaoh’s body and nuzzled his neck playfully, trailing his lips hotly along his skin to warm him with his breath.  Yami groaned in response and fell back into the bedding, pulling Yugi on top of him as their lips met again.  The stuffed puppy dog that had been sitting on the pillow was graciously and reverently moved to a much safer place, and then they were all over each other, concentrated solely on releasing the erotic energy that had been building within them for what seemed like hours now.

                The storms had passed and the sky completely cleared by sunset, sending a rosy glow through the upstairs windows as Yugi and Yami wove in and out of each other’s way in the kitchen to prepare dinner, though truth be told most of the actual work was Yugi’s responsibility.  Yami knew enough to be able to slice vegetables and stir pots, but that was about it.   He wanted to help, though, as part of his duty that day to treat Yugi to everything special that he could possibly want, and made a valiant effort.  Instead of going out, they were staying in, and having dinner with Grandpa like a family should.  He came up from closing the shop to find them laying everything out on the table, with the vase of three long-stemmed roses standing in the center.   “Oh my,” he commented, impressed.   “Did you two do all of this?”
                “Of course!”  Yugi clasped his hands behind his back and beamed happily.  “What do you think?”

                “Fantastic.”  Grandpa Muto lowered himself to his usual seat, letting the other two follow suit and start passing dishes around.  Dinner was a cozy, friendly family affair, as talk turned to Yugi’s birthday after requisite shop information had been shared.  He once again insisted that he didn’t need any sort of big fuss, but admitted that if Grandpa wanted to do something special, he wouldn’t turn it down.  Grandpa Muto sat pondering the roses for a moment, smiling kindly.  “These are beautiful flowers, Yami,” he complimented.  “Did you go to that shop up the street?”

                The pharaoh nodded between bites.  “It’s a nice place.  The shop girl was very helpful.”

                “But you picked out the flowers all by yourself,” Yugi said admiringly.

                Yami grinned at him.  “I did, yes.”

                Grandpa chuckled at them both.  “Looks like you’ve had a nice day.  What did you do with yourselves?”

                Yugi tried not to blush as he gave the ceiling a thoughtful look.   “Well, not much, really.  We went for a walk, we went to the park…got caught in the rain…”

                “And we had ice cream,” Yami put in.

                Yugi rolled his eyes.  “You would remember just that part.”

                Grandpa laughed.  “Well, at least you had fun and stayed out of trouble.  Certain other activities not included.”

                Yugi lost his battle against the blush as he turned wide eyes to his grandfather.  “Grandpa!”   He suddenly gasped.  “You couldn’t…hear us downstairs, could you?” he asked in terror.

                “Hear you?  Goodness, no,” Grandpa replied.  “I was just making assumptions, after you went upstairs to change and didn’t come down for a long time.  I’m sorry, you probably don’t want me discussing your bedroom habits so openly,” he added with a laugh, noticing that Yami was staring studiously at his plate so that no one could see his eyes beneath his hair – though his ears were beet red.  “I mean no disrespect.  But just so you know…I’m not ignorant, Yugi.  You can do as you like, I have no problems.  There’s only two rules I want you to follow.”

                Yugi lifted his eyes timidly.  “Yes, Grandpa?”

                “One…keep it discreet if you must during business hours.  Two…”  He smiled knowingly.   “Try not to put off anything important you should be doing instead.  Though, I suppose now that you’re not in school, I don’t really have to worry about that one.”  He then narrowed his eyes in Yugi’s direction.  “No quickies in the back of the shop, either.”

                Yugi just about fell over backwards in a faint, as his emotions reached critical mass and left him sitting there, flushed red and stammering with no idea what to say.  For once, he wasn’t sure he preferred his grandfather’s usual frankness.  “O-okay,” he managed to mumble after a bit.  “I don’t think that’ll be a problem, Grandpa.”

                “I’m sure it isn’t,” Grandpa said good-naturedly.   “I just thought I’d make sure.   After all, I am still your grandpa and it’s still my job to raise you right.  Why, I remember back when I first sat you down for the facts-of-life talk – I wanted to be sure to get to it before someone at school did.”  He made a grumpy face in an unspecified direction.  “I can’t even begin to think what kind of wrong information you might have gotten from the likes of Joey, if you’d met him back then.”

                “Grandpa…”  Yugi shot Yami a look out of the corner of his eye, and was distressed to see the pharaoh actually laughing under his breath – or trying not to.  “Um…can we talk about something else?”

                Grandpa laughed even harder.  “Which is worse, trying to hide from me that you’re having sex, or talking about it openly with me?” he teased.

                Yugi rested an elbow on the table so he could cover his eyes with a hand.  “At this point, I’m really starting to wonder,” he grumbled.

                Grandpa Muto’s humor quieted, and when Yugi looked up again, he noticed his grandfather was merely smiling, and at both partners instead of just him.   “You take it very seriously,” he noted.  “That’s good.  I think if there was anything that would disappoint me, Yugi, it would be if you had somehow come to believe that sex is a meaningless activity, something to do for fun with anyone who’s willing.  But it looks to me like you cherish it, as something personal and private and part of your relationship.”  He reached out and delicately fingered the soft petals of one of the roses between his callused fingertips.   “People your age may like to tell you that all the fairy tale notions of being romantic and special are for losers, that it’s not like that in real life.  Don’t you listen to that for a second.  Love is its own reward.  And as long as Yami keeps bringing you roses,” he added with a surreptitious smile toward the pharaoh, “I don’t think I have to worry about you ever forgetting.”

                Yugi smiled, able to feel the hot blush finally draining from his cheeks.  “You’re right, Grandpa,” he assured.  “I held onto my dream, and it came true.  No one can ever tell me it’s wrong.”

                Grandpa gave him one last sneaky smile.  “Why do you think I give you two all the privacy you could possibly need?”  He waggled his eyebrows, and everyone at the table burst into relieved laughter.

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