Queer As Tachi – Chapter 21
For the hundredth time that day, and the millionth time since first donning it, Yugi found himself staring longingly at his silver ring, twirling it idly around his finger with his thumb as he leaned on the counter in the empty game shop. He had never worn a ring before at all, so having one that he refused to take off for any reason was a novelty, a new toy to play with in those idle periods when in the shop or sitting on the couch or lying in bed listening to the disembodied pharaoh crooning sweet nothings inside his mind. It had only been a couple of days, but Yugi already felt like they had turned a corner, like life was somehow different now that they had a tangible reminder of the promises they had always assumed lay between them. As he expected, Joey had gone completely wild over seeing the ring, insisting on dragging the pair out to celebrate the right way afterward, with Mai and Tristan. The gang had been seeing a lot of each other lately, which was good because they had been forced apart too often by circumstance and busy schedules and needed to hang out more. As he stood around minding the store, Yugi was actually waiting for Joey to come by. He had called earlier, and said that when he got off work, he was coming to hang out with Yugi and suggested he had some kind of story to tell. They couldn’t go out until later, until the shop closed, because Yugi was scheduled to work afternoon and evening and close up, but it was fine. He was nineteen now, and there was no such thing as a curfew anymore. At least Joey showing up would break the monotony, Yugi thought. Here it was, a perfectly average summer evening, and the shop was completely deserted. They couldn’t have too many more nights like this, or money would start to get even more tight than it already was.
The door flew open unexpectedly, startling Yugi out of his daydreams about Yami, to reveal Joey standing there with a huge grin on his face. Dressed way down in just a white tank top and jeans, with his favorite silver necklace swaying around his neck, Joey looked to be showing off the fruits of a part-time job that required a lot of heavy lifting. His stockboy employment was giving him an upper-body workout that made Yugi do a double-take for just a moment before focusing on the big smile his best friend wore. “Hi Joey!” he called out in welcome.
“Yug…” Joey stuck his hands in the pockets of his jeans and swaggered over, letting the door close naturally behind him. “What’s up? Looks kinda boring in here.”
“It is,” Yugi sighed. “It’s been so slow lately, I don’t know what it is.” He propped his elbows on the counter and smiled. “You look pretty happy about something.”
“Oh, you noticed?” Joey grinned, not at all shamefully. “Well, yeah, I guess you could say I’m happy…”
Yugi grinned back, finding his excitement contagious. “And are you going to tell me why?”
Joey snickered under his breath, and then leaned on the counter just like Yugi, in order to bring himself close enough to share a whisper. “Well,” he began, “let me just say, it has a lot to do with Mai.”
“You guys are hanging in there,” Yugi noticed. “Living together hasn’t scared her off like you thought, I think you’re in good shape.” He then took a closer look at the shade of Joey’s grin, at the slightest hint of a blush in his cheeks, and stood up straight. “You didn’t!”
Joey tried to look modest and failed. “I did. We did.”
“When?”
“Last night.” Something of a wistful look came into Joey’s sparkling brown eyes. “I think all that talk between you and Yami the other day about commitment and your ring and stuff really got to her. She’s been in his meaningful kind of mood since then…and last night, a romantic dinner finally went somewhere.”
Squealing with laughter, Yugi came around the end of the counter and pounced on his friend, hugging him enthusiastically. Joey hugged back, then wrestled and put Yugi in a headlock. “That’s so great, Joey!” Yugi cried. “How was it? Was it good?”
“What, you expect me to kiss and tell?”
“Of course I do!”
Joey looked furtively around before snickering again and gesturing for Yugi to lean in close. “Unbelievable,” he reported. “I gotta say…she finally made a man out of me.”
Yugi snickered just as naughtily. “Then what are you doing here hanging out with me tonight? You should be with her! Show her it wasn’t just one night.”
“Oh, it isn’t,” Joey assured. “Believe me, I was totally gonna, but she came home from work saying she had some kind of dinner appointment so I should go on and amuse myself elsewhere.”
“Dinner appointment?”
“Yeah.” Joey grew slightly more serious, or at least less suggestive. “I know she’s been lookin’ around for a real job, and not just a secretary thing, so I think she might have finally made a contact who can help her get into something better. She was getting dressed up really smart, not the usual thing she wears when we go out.” He grinned again, and this time the blush was more pronounced. “So I came up behind her and hugged her and told her to totally wow ‘em, whoever they are, and I’d see her when she got back. And here I am…amusing myself.”
Yugi nodded his understanding, breaking out into a grin all over again. “I can’t believe it. Way to go, Joey! Already taking the next step in your relationship. I told you it would happen when you were ready.”
“I know, I know.” Joey had calmed down enough by now, he hopped up onto the counter and sat there next to Yugi as he leaned against it. “I can’t believe, after all we’ve been through, growing up together, that you’d be the one I could count on for relationship advice. You were as pathetically dateless as the rest of us.”
“Gee, thanks Joey,” his friend sighed.
“Aw, I didn’t mean it like that, Yug. Really, though. You were the most naïve, clueless kid I knew when Tristan and I met you, we had to open your eyes about a lot of stuff. And here you are, flashing that promise ring around, while I’ve only just lost my virginity finally.” Joey’s hand came down on Yugi’s head, messing up his spiky hair. “I tell ya, though. It really is best just to let it happen.”
Yugi pushed away his hand, combing his fingers through his bangs to rearrange them properly. “Well, you and Mai have been kind of dancing around the whole issue of even being together for years,” he offered. “You may not have been dating, but you still liked each other. It isn’t about the time you spend leading up to it, it’s how ready you are. And your time,” he added with a grin up at Joey, “is now.”
Joey grinned back. “Sure is, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.” He twisted around to look at the clock standing on the wall by the stairs. “How much longer you got?”
Yugi checked. “About an hour. Can you behave yourself that long?”
“I think so.” He promptly picked up a card packet from the display next to him and started reading it in disinterest. “Wanna go get some food?”
“Yeah, totally.” Yugi smiled sidelong at him, and then poked him in the ass to get him off the counter. Joey yelped and leaped cleanly off the counter, whirling around sharply with wide eyes while Yugi just laughed himself breathless. Content that it wasn’t a sign of being hit on, Joey relaxed and laughed along.
After Kame game shop closed and Yugi had counted out the money, he and Joey were free to go out and find a cheap, friendly yakitori place that was open late, where they could grab food quickly and hang out for a good while before wondering what else there was to do. Both were actually quite curious about Mai’s meeting and what might come of it, so they decided to go back to Joey’s flat and play video games until she got home and could tell them all about it. It was a great way to waste an evening, and prove to themselves that despite relationships and rings, they could still have fun as best friends doing the same old stupid things they always had. Mai was only moderately surprised when she let herself in to find a pair of young men in tank tops shouting at each other and the TV as they battled through a fighting game. “Hi Mai!” Yugi called over his shoulder before going back to exhorting his on-screen character to “kill him, kill him!”
Joey slumped back with a groan, tossing down the controller as his player died a grisly death at the hands of Yugi’s. “I think my block button is worn out,” he complained. “Hey, Mai. How’d it go?”
“Sure, Joey, always blame the controller,” Yugi muttered under his breath with a grin.
Mai stalked into the living room to greet them, and that was when Yugi noticed her trim, stately manner of dress. Far from her usual wardrobe, she wore a crisp skirt and jacket that made her look very businesslike. “Hey, boys,” she said sweetly. “Having fun?”
Joey drew his knees up and rested his arms on them. “Come on, tell us. What happened?”
A smirk slowly spread across Mai’s full lips. “Let me put it this way: I’m not going to work tomorrow.”
The boys started. “What are you going to do, then?” Yugi wondered.
“Give myself until Monday and then start my new job.” Mai made a show of aloofly examining her painted nails. “Downtown. At a magazine.”
Joey jumped to his feet. “New job? Mai, what the hell kind of meeting was this?”
Mai couldn’t contain herself any longer and flopped enthusiastically to a seat on the couch, letting Joey sit beside her and Yugi crouch at her feet to listen. “Okay, well…you remember when we were in Duke’s a couple weeks ago? I was talking to one of his clerks, a cute girl named Aiko, about boys and how stupid they are and all that…”
“Hey,” both of them complained.
Mai went on without acknowledging them. “…and somehow in the course of conversation, she mentioned her older brother is a photographer at this fashion magazine that has its offices here in Domino. Well, I mentioned that I always thought it would be fun to work in the fashion industry, and next thing I know someone from the magazine is contacting me at the office to find out more about me. I was asked to meet with them over dinner tonight, and they’re looking for an editor.”
Joey blinked at her. “You? A magazine editor?”
“I know,” Mai smirked. “Never thought I was interested, did you? Well, I happen to be more than proficient in knowing good writing from bad, and having some small interest in contemporary fashion doesn’t hurt.” She sat back and tossed her hair casually. “It’s not a major position, but it still pays more than being a secretary and will be a whole lot more fun. Who knows? Maybe down the road I’ll move up to a managing editor and get to go on photoshoots and stuff. It’ll be great!”
“Congratulations, Mai!” Yugi cheered. “That’s awesome!”
“Mai!” Joey smiled, and then leaned over and kissed her. “I’m happy for you. Because now, you’ll be happy, and that’s all I want.”
Mai smiled back. “But the more money part doesn’t hurt either.”
“Well, now that you mention it…”
Mai patted him firmly on the cheek and then pushed him back. “All right, out of my way – I can’t wait to get out of this damn skirt. First thing I’m going to change in the fashion world, when I get there, is the concept of a professional skirt. I can’t walk in this thing.” She waved idly at the two boys. “Don’t mind me, I’ll be back in a bit. Keep playing your little game.”
They couldn’t help but watch her sashay out, and then Yugi gestured toward the door. “You want me to leave?” he asked with a grin.
“Nah, I’m not chasing you out,” Joey assured, sliding back onto the floor. “There’s no rush. If I do give you the hint, though…”
“I’ll gracefully excuse myself whenever you want,” Yugi promised.
They played for a little while longer, as Mai eventually came back in wearing something much more comfortable for lounging around the house – shorts and a blouse – and watched them, having way too much fun teasing Joey every time he lost. Soon, they tired of video games and just sat around and talked, mostly about very small things. Yugi noticed that despite the common thread in their relationships, they refrained from going anywhere near the topic of sex, even though Mai had to have expected that Joey had already given Yugi the big news. Their conversation remained mostly light and carefree, until Joey excused himself for a few minutes and Mai turned to Yugi with a light smile. “So, how’d your grandpa take the news?”
Yugi’s brow twitched. “News?”
Mai pointed to his hands clasped in his lap. “The ring?”
“Oh…he thought it was great,” Yugi replied. “He likes Yami, he’s been really encouraging about our relationship.” He giggled a little. “He practically gushed over it. I told him about it before we went out to get the ring, and he was so excited, but then when we came home after showing you guys and let him see, he got all emotional. I haven’t seen Grandpa like that in ages, it was kind of sweet.”
“Well, of course he would,” Mai said with a chuckle. “His little boy is all grown up, now.” She took a sip of the drink she had been nursing all night. “You and Yami went back and celebrated, I hope?”
Yugi grinned broadly. “Um…yeah, just a bit.”
Mai leaned forward, resting an arm on her knee. “So, how do you like it, anyway?” she wondered sincerely. “Ever since you told me about the relationship I’ve been curious, but it’s not the kind of thing you can just bring up in conversation with everyone around. Though…” She glanced over her shoulder. “…I’m sure you talk to Joey about it.”
“A little.” Yugi also glanced down the hallway, but Joey was taking his time. “But I don’t give him details, he doesn’t seem to want to hear them. Well…I don’t dislike it, that’s for sure,” he admitted, scratching absently at an imaginary itch underneath his leather collar. “Yami’s the only one I’ve ever been with, so it’s not like I have anything to compare it to, but I have no problem saying…” He glanced furtively around again, giggled, and hushed his voice. “…there are times I wish I could be in bed with Yami all day, every day, and never stop.”
“At least until you start to get sore,” Mai snorted.
Yugi covered his eyes with a hand. “I can’t believe I’m talking about this with you.”
“No, it’s okay, Yugi,” she encouraged. “You shouldn’t have to keep it all to yourself. It’s part of your life and your relationship, it’s perfectly natural. Especially if you’re having a good time.”
Yugi grinned cutely. “Oh, I am. Trust me.” He then grew serious for a fleeting moment. “You’re not like most girls, Mai. You’re very open and honest, and you know things.”
Mai smiled warmly. “That’s because I’ve been around, Yugi. I know too many things, really. But there’s no sense in being all shy and demure, I’m not like that. What you see is what you get.”
Yugi nodded agreeably. “Then…can I ask you something…really personal?”
A bit of a blush colored Mai’s cheeks as she sat up with an interested look. “Personal?”
“Well, not so much personal as…” Yugi glanced away. “…kind of embarrassing.”
“Well…sure, Yugi. What is it?”
“Do you know anything about…where somebody would go…if they wanted to get something…”
Mai listened curiously to his stammering before figuring out what he was trying to say, and then grinned. “Like a sex shop?”
“Well…” Yugi heard Joey coming back down the hallway and clammed up. “I’ve just never done anything like that before.”
Mai leaned down to whisper to him. “Call me tomorrow while Joey’s at work, we’ll talk about it.”
Nodding furiously, Yugi sat back and grinned up at Joey like nothing happened as he came back in and sat down next to Mai. They hung out and talked for a little while longer, keeping things light and silly, until they all realized it was late and decided to go their separate ways. After all, Mai had a job to quit in the morning. After seeing Yugi out, Joey turned to find her setting her empty glass aside and slinking up to him. “You’re working late tomorrow, aren’t you?” she asked him.
“Yeah…” Though a little surprised, Joey had no argument with her sliding into his arms and resting her hands on his shoulders. “But that means I don’t start till later.”
“So you can sleep in.” Mai reached to clasp her hands behind his neck, threading her fingers through his blond hair. “If you don’t mind being up late, that is.”
Joey rested his hands comfortably in the small of her back, just holding her sweetly for now. “Really?” he queried. “You want to…”
“Last night was great,” she whispered throatily. “But I’m not content with just one big moment. There’s more to discover about each other. And you, my dear, have a lot to learn,” she added with a grin.
Joey began to scowl, but thought better of it and just grinned back. “Well, I can’t say as I’ve ever had the right teacher,” he teased. “Or a teacher, for that matter.”
Mai kissed him and then took his hand. “Come on. You’re not going to learn anything just standing here by the door.”
Beaming, Joey let himself be dragged to his bedroom. “Yes ma’am!”
Yugi worked the morning shift the next day, so he couldn’t get around to calling Mai until after lunch, but it worked out because that was when Joey was finally out of the house too. Even though Yugi figured nothing would be more fun than going with his best friend to explore an adult store, he had a particular reason this time and guessed after their fleeting conversation that Mai would be more sensitive to it than Joey. She was more worldly-wise, anyway, and wouldn’t be the least bit squicked by the idea of helping Yugi and Yami improve their sex life. As much as he said he supported his best buddies, being actually in the store seeing Yugi seriously contemplating certain items would probably send Joey fleeing in terror. After his part of the work day was over, Yugi went upstairs to fix himself some lunch and then flopped down on the couch with the phone. “Hey, Yugi,” Mai greeted him when she answered. “What’s up?”
“Nothing much,” Yugi sighed. “Just got done working, thought I’d take you up on your offer.”
“You have good timing,” she said. “Joey left for work about half an hour ago, and I’m just sitting around here feeling pretty smug.”
“How’d it go with your old job this morning?”
“Oh, I just called in sick for today,” Mai replied with a laugh. “I’ll actually go in and tell them I’m leaving tomorrow. It’s not that I hate it there, but this new job at the magazine is open right now and I have to start immediately Monday. I can’t really get away with two weeks’ notice.”
“Yeah, that makes sense.”
“So…” Mai’s voice became extra-sultry for a moment. “What’s this you want to know about going to a sex store?”
“Well…” Yugi took a deep breath to muster his courage, and as he did he felt the pharaoh’s spirit hovering next to him, not saying anything this time, just smiling knowingly. “It’s not that I’m lacking anything. Yami is…incredible. He’s so good to me, I’m completely satisfied. I just thought…well…” He cleared his throat nervously. “…since he was so sweet to me for my birthday, and got me such romantic gifts, and then with the ring, I…I just thought maybe I could get him something in return. He doesn’t have a birthday, or at least, we don’t know it. So he kind of misses out on the opportunity for me to blatantly get him a present.”
“Ah,” Mai said understandingly. “Now I get you. And because he’s your boyfriend and so romantic toward you, your mind just jumped on the idea of a sex toy.”
“Well, not a toy exactly…” Yugi rubbed his temple in annoyance, wishing he didn’t always blush so easily about this kind of topic. “I’ve never been to a store like that, I don’t even know where to find one in Domino. Except the seedy side of town, and I don’t really want to go there. I just want to look around, and see what kinds of things there are, before I think about what I can get for Yami.” He glanced up at the translucent spirit watching him and briefly stuck out his tongue at it. “And it’s not like I can keep it a secret from him anyway.”
“I don’t know,” Mai said airily, “he did a pretty good job of keeping a secret from you.”
“Well…I guess…” Yugi sighed. “Can you help me out at all, Mai? Do you know of any places in town like that? Maybe someplace…safe?”
“You came to the right place, kiddo.” Mai’s voice became soft and gentle. “I haven’t been in town all that long but yes, believe it or not, I do know where the good sex shops are. Don’t ask me why.”
“That’s okay,” Yugi laughed, “I don’t need to know.”
“You want me to take you to one?”
Yugi sat up sharply. “What? Would you really do that, Mai?”
“Of course I would,” Mai answered patiently. “Anything for a friend in need. I can understand you being nervous, Yugi. I was once young and innocent myself – not so much, anymore. It’s scary going into a sex shop for the first time, it’s always better if you have someone along who can be your guide into the wild and crazy world of…better sex.” She giggled. “Actually, there’s a really cool place I went into a few months ago, to see if they had a job open. It’s a pretty upscale kind of place, you wouldn’t know from looking at it what they sell.”
Yugi laughed. “You would have worked at a sex store?”
“I would have worked at this one.” Mai laughed in return. “What are you doing the rest of the afternoon?”
Yugi’s eyes widened, and he almost dropped the phone. “You want to go now?”
“Well, I’m not doing anything,” Mai pointed out. “Are you?”
“Well…no…”
“Then come on over here, and we’ll go there together. I’ll make sure you’re not hit on or taken advantage of, or otherwise made uncomfortable,” she promised. “Deal?”
Yugi blinked nervously. “Uh…”
“Come on. It’s for Yami…”
“Oh, all right,” Yugi gave in with an exasperated sigh. “I’ll be over there after I finish my lunch.”
“Cool!” Mai squealed. “It’ll be so much fun!”
About an hour later, Yugi found himself walking up the street next to Mai, his hands stuffed in his pants pockets and his shoulders hunched in an expression of sheepish resignation. Dressed in a miniskirt and cleavage-baring camisole, Mai strode briskly with a pleased smile on her lips, swinging her purse by her side. She had driven them downtown but had to park some distance away, thanks to midday traffic, but Yugi didn’t mind the walk terribly. He considered that it might have been even more mortifying to pull right up to the shop. Mai suddenly paused at a storefront and pulled open the door. “Here we are,” she said brightly. “You ready, Yugi?”
“This is it?” Yugi stopped and looked up at the cleanly-lettered sign. Mai was right, there was nothing about the façade or windows that suggested this might have been any illicit sort of shop. Shrugging, he reached to hold the door for his friend, letting her go inside first. “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” he muttered for the hundredth time.
Within his mind, he heard a good-natured chuckle. “I believe this was your idea,” Yami chided.
“I know, I know…” Yugi closed his eyes briefly in order to converse mentally. “Yami? Would you mind terribly if I asked you to…not pay attention for a while?”
“Whatever for?” Inside Yugi’s mind’s eye, he envisioned the two of them meeting to face each other, matching silhouettes in a shadow world. The pharaoh frowned curiously. “After all we’ve been through, you’re suddenly embarrassed for me to catch you thinking sexual thoughts?”
“Oh, it’s not embarrassment,” Yugi sighed, looking earnestly up to his mystical partner. He always looked a lot sexier in that red shirt than Yugi himself. “I just don’t know how else to keep a surprise gift from you. I don’t want to be walking through here looking at stuff and suddenly think, ‘oh, this is perfect’ without warning you to be elsewhere first.”
“I see.” Yami smiled broadly. “It’s all right, Yugi. I trust you. You know us both well enough to know what I might like.”
“If it’s not a bad place, we’ll come back again sometime, when you can join me,” Yugi promised. Yami nodded his agreement, and the internal vision vanished. Yugi opened his eyes to see that Mai had already gone in and was glancing around curiously. He followed her, discovering that unlike the stories he had heard about sex shops, or his own preconceived notions, it was quite nice. Warm, eye-catching interior design made it a comfortable and appealing place, and the only openly-displayed products close by were mannequins clad in cute, girlish outfits and lacy lingerie. Glancing back at him, Mai smirked and gestured him closer, so they could talk. “What?” he wondered.
“Don’t look so nervous,” Mai giggled. “If I didn’t know you any better, I’d swear you had ‘virgin’ written all over your face.”
“Mai,” Yugi complained in a hush. “So, come on now. What is there to look at? I don’t need…” He glanced at a mannequin with his nose turned up. “…frilly underthings. Is this a store for girls?”
“Not at all,” Mai assured, not keeping her voice down. “Just look around for a bit, you’ll see all kinds of things. Here, just get past the clothes and we’re already starting to find some ideas. Scented massage oils…ooo…”
His curiosity roused, Yugi sidled up to her to look, but then heard a movement behind him and whirled to find a tall man – presumably the shop owner – gliding towards them from a curtain that separated the main floor from the back room. His was a singular presence, willowy and lithe with delicate features and long, silvery hair. Despite the floor-length coat bordering on a gown, Yugi didn’t mistake him for a woman for a second. “Good afternoon,” he greeted them in a velvet tone. “Looking for a cool respite on such a hot day?”
Mai turned and smiled gracefully. “If we wanted to be cooled down, we sure wouldn’t be in here.”
“Excellent point.” The man flicked a wise glance between the two of them. “Shopping together?”
Yugi looked startled. “Oh…no…I…”
“He’s not mine,” Mai answered blithely. “We’re friends. I’m taking him out on his first shopping trip of this kind.”
“Ah! A newcomer.” The man bowed to them with a flourish. “Welcome to Aya’s…I am Aya, your relationship guide and purveyor of pleasure. Anything you need to ask, or are afraid to ask, I’m here to listen.” He straightened and clasped his hands, gazing solely at Yugi now. “Don’t worry. You’re not the only young man to come in here not knowing what to think. I get dozens of them, every day. Tell me, what can I do for you?”
The rich, friendly tone of the shopkeeper reminded Yugi only fleetingly of Pegasus, as if Aya were perhaps a personification of the CEO’s good side. Aya, however, showed no deception in his golden eyes, only happiness and a deep desire to please. And he was much prettier. “Um, well,” Yugi stammered shyly, “I…was kind of thinking of getting a present…for my boyfriend…”
“I see,” Aya nodded. “I suspected as much, you didn’t seem to be coupled with this fine young lady but…one never knows. Don’t be afraid, this is not a place for judgement or harsh words.” An even warmer smile glowed on his face. “Love is not bound by such rules, and it’s my purpose in life to give all couples of all kinds exactly what they need to explore the wonders of their love. You are quite welcome here…” He ended his sentence almost as a question, with an uplifted eyebrow, prompting.
“Yugi.”
“Welcome, Yugi. You’ve never been here before? I would be delighted to show you around, and answer any of your questions. Even the most embarrassing, believe me – I’ve heard it all.”
Mai nudged Yugi’s shoulder, getting him to laugh. “Okay,” he relented. “I just…don’t know what I’m looking for. It’s kind of a… ‘I’ll know it when I see it’ kind of problem, I guess.”
Aya pursed his lips and nodded astutely. “Perhaps, then, if I can show you the hidden secrets of my store, you’ll see what you need,” he offered. “And if your friend doesn’t mind, we’ll let her do her own looking, so we can talk man to man. How is that?”
“Fine by me,” Mai chuckled. “Anything to get this kid to stop blushing every time he talks about sex.” As if on cue, Yugi blushed and clapped a hand over his face. Mai burst out laughing. “See?”
Aya chuckled as well, but not in derision, and swept in to put an arm around Yugi’s shoulders and guide him away. “Come, now, I know just the thing. Walk with me, Yugi.”
Mai gave him a little wave and returned to perusing the shelves, looking over the selection of romantic gifts and appearing to be heading for the for-women-only section. Yugi swallowed hard and allowed himself to be ushered gracefully away by Aya. “I know it doesn’t look like much,” the shopkeeper said humbly, “but in fact, my store does carry a wide array of items for every couple. I just keep the sweet, romantic stuff that most people come in here looking for up front. Though, for all I know, that’s what you want, too.” He took Yugi down a different aisle, near to a wall where luridly-colored pillows looked about to burst out of their shelves, and then turned to face him. “If I may?” he asked kindly. “I pride myself on being an excellent judge of character. Allow me to ask you just a few simple questions, and I’m sure I can point you right to something that would pique your interest.”
Yugi tried not to glance at the displays on either side of him, as many contained very obvious, embarrassing words or pictures. “Um…okay. Sure.”
Aya’s eyes traced his figure, head to toe, and he smiled more coolly. “I love your hair,” he said before beginning. “It’s so interesting.”
“Uh…thanks.”
“So, your boyfriend.” Aya folded his arms loosely around his middle. “How long have you two been seeing each other?”
“A couple years,” Yugi tried to answer, already finding it difficult. “Though, I guess you could say we’ve been really serious for at least the past year and a half.” He took his hand out of his pocket and showed off the silver ring. “He and I just got this last week.”
Aya’s eyes widened in interest, and he reached to take Yugi’s hand delicately and examine the ring. “Oh, very lovely,” he complimented. “’Eternity.’ Oh, that’s so sweet.” He let go and let Yugi shrink back into his shyness. “What does he do?”
Yugi tried not to twitch uncomfortably. “I…can’t really say.”
“Oh?” Rather than suspicious, Aya looked sympathetic. “It wouldn’t be good to out him, then?”
“Oh, no, it’s not that,” Yugi said quickly. “It’s just…really hard to explain.”
“Ah. Well then.” The shopkeeper smiled again. “Is he much older than you?”
“Not really all that much,” Yugi replied. Had Yami been paying attention, he would have expected a huge laugh at that, but there was no sign that the pharaoh was disobeying his wishes. “Just a little.”
“Hm.” Aya stroked his chin thoughtfully. “That necklace. Does it mean something to you?”
Yugi glanced down at the Puzzle on its thick chain. It always looked obvious no matter what he was wearing, but today, in his tight-fitting red shirt and his favorite slinky black pants, it stuck out like a beacon. “Well, yes,” he said with no hesitation. “It’s the most important thing to me…and it has the same meaning for my boyfriend.”
More nodding and deep looks. “One last question,” Aya offered, “and forgive me if it seems too personal, but it will help me very much. The first time he made love to you…” He smiled sweetly as Yugi clearly blushed no matter how hard he tried to stifle it. “Did it last minutes, or hours, would you say?”
Yugi closed his eyes, a million memories flashing through his mind, and sighed deeply. “Hours,” he breathed.
“Ahh…” Aya lowered his hands and clasped them together, smiling down at a very curious Yugi. “You were a puzzle at first, but I think I have it now. You dress rough and sexy and have a wild hairstyle, but everything in your mannerisms, your voice, your eyes, tells me you’re a romantic and have a very loving, warm relationship. You have a sense of adventure, but deep down, everything has meaning, even your sexual play. So,” he concluded, as Yugi gaped at him in awe, “if it were up to me to guess, I’d say the gift you’re looking for isn’t something to revive a sex life stuck in the doldrums, or a cute but meaningless gesture for the sake of some gift-giving obligation…you just want something fun. Not too outrageous, but fun.”
Yugi laughed a little under his breath. “Do you have anything that fits that description?”
“Of course I do!” Aya crowed. “I told you, I have everything! Come with me.” He leaped in and seized Yugi’s hand, towing him even further back into the shop to an open doorway covered by another curtain. “Now, there may be a few things in here that will really open your eyes, but they’re not meant for you. The more exciting toys and games are back here. You just have to trust me.”
Though startled, Yugi was starting to find this whole visit fun and allowed himself to be dragged through the curtain to the back room. At first glance, there were indeed quite a few eye-popping items hanging on the walls, mostly in the leather and/or chain department, but Aya did not lead him to those. Instead, he came around to the wall where all kinds of curiosities hung from pegs or sat on shelves. “What in the world…?” he found himself whispering.
“You and your partner are very close, yes?” Aya said wisely. “You love each other deeply, and when it comes to romance, you have no problems thinking up things to do. Am I right?”
“Yeah,” Yugi said with some amazement. “He bought me roses for my birthday…”
“Oh, definitely a romantic, then,” Aya said, almost jealously. “In the front of the store are the things I think most regular couples need, small trinkets to rekindle romance and nice, fluffy gifts to placate each other but not necessarily challenge themselves. It’s the sort of things a businessman comes in looking to get his wife when she’s tired and overworked and sex just isn’t what it used to be when they were dating. You don’t need that,” he said plainly with a wave of his hand. “You and your boyfriend are happy. You just want to play.”
“Wow,” Yugi breathed. “You really could tell all that just from talking to me?”
“Of course.” Aya gave him a sultry look over his shoulder. “You have very expressive eyes. Everything you think and feel shows so clearly in them. And wearing a ring on your wedding finger that says ‘eternity’ tells me everything.” He gave Yugi another thoughtful once-over with his eyes. “And yet you’re wearing that collar. I don’t think you would if you were merely the innocent schoolboy your answers make you out to be.”
Yugi reached up and fingered the black leather collar he wore nearly every day. “Well…I do think it’s cool…”
“That’s it, then.” Aya came to his decision and plucked something off the wall, examining it himself before presenting it with yet another graceful flourish to his customer. “What do you think?”
Yugi cautiously took the package from his hands. Looped together and hanging from the display card was a length of silky red rope. Yugi fingered it curiously, finding it positively wonderful to touch and feel. “What is it? ‘Bonds of Love?’” he read from the package.
“If I may…” Aya teased a finger at one trailing end of the rope. “You strike me as the kind of young man who is into exploring, and trying new things, but only so long as you’ve got the security of someone exploring with you, guiding you. You’d like to try something wild, but not too wild. You still have your limits, you haven’t set yourself boundaries yet.”
“Scary,” Yugi murmured. “It’s like you can read my mind.”
Aya smiled knowingly. “I created ‘Bonds of Love’ for people like you, who might like to try something a little more exciting, like being tied up, that sort of thing, but aren’t seriously into it and don’t like pain. Bondage isn’t always about leather and whips and crying ‘Yes, Master!’ all night long…in fact, I like to consider the act of letting your lover tie you up and tease you a supreme act of trust between you.” He took Yugi’s hand and laid the coils of rope in his palm. “If you’ll notice, the ropes are made of a silken fiber that I chose because it’s pleasing to the touch, and won’t leave marks or burns if you get a little carried away. They’re easy to tie, and easy to release.”
“I do like the way they feel,” Yugi admitted, running them between his thumb and fingers.
“And they’re much more secure than a scarf, or using any old thing you have around the house,” Aya pointed out. “They’re guaranteed not to break. There are two ropes in every package, the same length. And they come in all kinds of colors, too,” he grinned. “Pink, red, green…black…”
Fully interested now, Yugi pressed forward to see the other colors, lingering for a moment on black until something else caught his eye. He put the red ones back and took a different one off the peg. “Purple,” he noted.
“Oo, very nice,” Aya cooed. “The color of royalty.”
That made Yugi perk up in curious interest. “Really? Well, then.” He darted a quick look to the package. “Oh, but how much are they?”
The price listed almost broke his heart, but then Aya suggested, “Here at Aya’s, we have a ten percent discount for first-time buyers.”
“Really?” He looked at the ropes again and began to grin. “You know what? I think I’ll do it. Something tells me, Yami will like them just as much as I do.”
“Splendid!” Aya whirled in such a way as to make his long coat flare out as he headed back for the door. “Come with me, I’ll be delighted to wrap them up for you so your boyfriend has a special gift waiting the next time you see him.”
Mai looked up from across the shop where she had been looking at sizes on stockings when she heard Aya come back in, and noticed that Yugi was carrying something and grinning pretty widely. She headed over to find out what he had discovered while he was being rung up. He glanced at her as she came to his side. “Don’t tell anyone, okay?” he requested with a sheepish smile.
“Honey, what you do in your bedroom is your business, not mine,” Mai promised. “Looks like fun, though.”
He nodded and then glanced back at Aya, who was ceremoniously wrapping the ropes in flowery paper. “Thanks for the discount, too. I couldn’t have gotten them otherwise. Money’s kind of tight, I have to be careful what I splurge on.”
“I wouldn’t be so good at what I do if I didn’t make it possible for anyone who needs a touch of romance to afford it,” Aya said modestly. “You must come back again with your boyfriend, he sounds like a dream. I’d love to meet him.”
“I think we will,” Yugi giggled. “Sometime. When we need some more excitement.”
Aya matched his giggle, and then turned his sensitive gaze to Mai. “Is there anything I can help you find?” he wondered.
“No, not today,” she replied. “I don’t think Joey and I are at the stage where we need help just yet. We’ve only just gotten serious,” she added with a furtive glance at Yugi.
Yugi smiled cutely. “He told me.”
“Ah, a lucky young man,” Aya said. “He didn’t want to come with you?”
“He doesn’t know we’re here,” Yugi explained. “He’s my best friend, but…I don’t think he’d help me buy sex toys.”
“What can I say?” Mai shrugged. “I’m older and wiser. Nothing fazes me.”
Aya cocked her a curious eyebrow. “A bit of an age difference?”
Mai sighed. “Yeah. Like, about seven years.”
Aya’s eyes widened dramatically. “I hope he’s legal!”
Mai looked hard at him, and then threw her head back laughing. “Buddy,” she said when she had caught her breath, “that was the best compliment you could have paid me, ever. That does it, when I do need anything, I’m coming straight here. You’ve just made yourself my new favorite shop.”
Aya laughed back. “And I was being serious! But thank you. I shall look forward to seeing you again sometime.” He made the most comical face and lowered his voice. “Just how old is he, then?”
“Nineteen.”
“Ah.” The shopkeeper shook his silver-haired head. “No, you won’t be needing my help for a long time, then.”
They all laughed at that, and Aya slipped Yugi’s present into a discreet brown bag that said “Aya’s” and nothing more in fancy, curling letters. “Have a lovely day,” he wished them as he saw them out the door, “and Yugi…I do hope your boyfriend likes his gift.”
“Oh…” Yugi grinned over his shoulder. “I’m sure he will.”
Three weeks was a very long time for Yugi to try not to think about something, particularly not something that would hopefully add a little spice to his relationship. Yami assured him that he wasn’t doing the mental equivalent of peeking, though, he understood Yugi’s desire for a surprise and dutifully allowed him to have that one thought to himself. Neither of them really understood the mechanics or the complexity of their bond, but it seemed that as long as one needed to keep a specific detail from the other, simply by wanting to, he could. They did it so rarely, most of the time their minds were completely open to share with each other, so being successful at keeping his secret took Yugi a little by surprise. The only time he nearly slipped was during one of a handful of internal Puzzle-encounters, when the mere thought of what sorts of things the pharaoh could do to him made the ropes briefly spring to mind, but Yami never noticed. Fortunately, most days Yugi had things like work and house chores and hanging out with friends to occupy his attention for long spans. Even so, as the second full moon of the month drew near – the blue moon – he couldn’t help but get more and more excited. He couldn’t wait to show Yami what he had gotten, and find out what sorts of things their collective imaginations could devise.
As he recited the ritual incantation, Yugi could feel his energy draining more rapidly from him than ever before. He gasped for breath in between each line, desperate to form each word properly and deliver them in correct order, not about to let a little breathlessness stop him. Upon the final word and the explosion of power, he fell completely onto his back and laid there with his eyes closed, panting. He stayed there trying to recover until he felt hands come around his shoulders and the pharaoh’s body leaning over him. “Yugi…Yugi!” he urgently called.
Yugi opened his eyes. “I’m okay,” he breathed, looking up to find Yami bent over him, an expression of fear in his eyes. “It’s okay, just give me a second, I’ll be fine.”
Yami cautiously helped him up to a seat, combing a hand through Yugi’s hair to keep it back from his face while he sat for a few minutes catching his breath. “Are you sure?” he pressed. “What happened? Did you do anything differently…?”
“No, no, everything went fine,” Yugi assured, a little annoyed despite knowing that Yami was merely looking out for him. “I’ve never messed up the spell, it’s not that.”
Yami still just sat there beside him, one arm around his shoulders, stroking his hair, though he was relieved to see that Yugi was quickly able to settle down and breathe more normally. “It seemed to take a little more out of you than usual,” he said in a low voice.
“I’m sure it’s nothing,” Yugi said, shaking his head. “Maybe I just didn’t give it enough blood this time or something.”
“This is the second time in a row that it’s knocked you almost across the room,” Yami worried. “I was afraid something might happen eventually, if we were to continue using the ritual every month.”
Yugi frowned at him. “I still think you’re getting upset over nothing. It’s okay, it’s not like I’m hurt. I’m fine, now that I’ve caught my breath. And you’re fine,” he added, trying to smile as he rubbed the back of Yami’s hand on his shoulder. “A little jolt of energy is nothing.”
The pharaoh leaned in and kissed his forehead. “All the same,” he said quietly, “I would rather forego any strenuous activity tonight and just go to bed. I want to be sure you’re all right.”
Yugi lifted pouting eyes to him. “Even though you have a present waiting for you?”
Yami finally smiled. “Unlike you,” he said with a hint of teasing, “I can be patient. You can give it to me in the morning, when we’re both rested and have the whole day to look ahead to.”
“I suppose I can’t argue with that,” Yugi sighed. He lifted his head to press a little kiss to his partner’s cheek and then got up to fetch his pajamas. Once he was clothed, Yami wrapped his arms fully around Yugi and cuddled him gratefully, letting him know as much as he could without words that he was cared for and protected. It was a warm night, and the breeze barely filtering in through the open skylight did nothing to cool them, so they sprawled out together on top of the blankets and laid in each other’s arms, not falling asleep for a long while. In the light of the full moon that spilled down on them they could gaze at each other, brush fingertips along cheeks and lips, caress and lightly kiss and indulge in tender exploration until Yugi was finally unable to keep his eyes open any longer. He tucked his head comfortably in the crook of Yami’s neck and soon was fast asleep, the warm puff of his breath tickling the pharaoh’s throat. Closing his eyes, Yami held him in silence while his mind kept replaying the scene he had found upon awakening, searching for some clue that would help him understand why Yugi had been so affected by the ritual all of a sudden. True, there had always been a burst of energy, or so he had reported. And he had always been breathing a little heavily when Yami first beheld him with corporeal eyes. But he had never been knocked flat before, Yami knew, and that was what concerned him. In the end, though, he came to no conclusions, and the perfect quiet surrounding him eventually lulled him to sleep.
By the unpleasant tingling in his hand and arm, Yami knew that whatever had been pressing on it all night – Yugi’s shoulder, his head, something like that – had now gone away, leaving him with the hot needles pricking from his fingertips all the way up to his elbow as circulation returned. He appreciated the ability to feel such a sensation, but he still hated it, and awoke with a flinch as the needles seared his arm. He opened his eyes to find Yugi at the foot of the bed poking around in his closet, though he heard his partner stir and glanced back with a smile. Yami groaned and stretched, but found himself smiling as well. “Good morning,” he mumbled.
“Morning,” Yugi said in return. “You look so cute lying there.”
Yami flexed his hand to try to make the tingle go away faster. “Do I?” he murmured lazily.
“Uh huh.” Yugi gave up on what he was doing and turned back to the bed, crawling up from the foot of it all the way along the length of Yami’s body. “All sprawled out and sexy like that, on your back, with nothing but a pair of pajama pants on?”
Yami chuckled and reached to catch him as he flopped down on top of him, moving the Millennium Puzzle at the last second so it wouldn’t injure either of them. “I can’t help it,” the pharaoh purred. “You fell asleep on my arm, I couldn’t move.”
“You can move now,” Yugi purred back, glancing with a smirk at the arms slinking up around his shoulders.
“Now, I don’t want to.” Yami grinned at his lover’s amused look. “Unless you want me to go with you somewhere,” he added, smoothing his hands along Yugi’s bare back.
“Well, I do have a present for you,” Yugi began, pretending to look all contemplative, “but…maybe I should wait to give it to you. Till you wake up a little.”
“Ah.” Yami stretched to kiss Yugi, only able to reach the tip of his nose for now. “You’ll be requiring my complete strength and stamina, then? This must be some present.”
Yugi giggled, now that he was able to think about it all he wanted. “Come on,” he encouraged, “let’s go have breakfast and see if Grandpa needs us to run errands before we consider getting dressed. Or…not getting dressed,” he added as he pushed himself up on his hands.
Yami watched him get up and pad cutely across his room, the Puzzle swaying against his bare chest, observing that a good night’s sleep had done wonders to erase Yugi’s temporary fatigue. He looked perfectly healthy and normal now, easing the pharaoh’s mind considerably. He pried himself up and tousled his hair before stalking after Yugi, catching him up from behind in the doorway and making him giggle even more by nipping at the back of his neck.
The boys sat in the kitchen for a while over breakfast, not so much eating as lounging, dawdling, taking their time and just talking, mostly about the warm weather. It had finally gotten so bad that they had chanced the air conditioning, since the small rooms like Yugi’s bedroom trapped the heat far too well. Still, it was warm enough upstairs in the house that the two of them were content to wander around shirtless and barefoot for a while, until Yugi briefly threw on a shirt and slippers to show his face in the game shop and verify that Grandpa didn’t need his assistance. “Unless you can think of anything we need, then no,” Grandpa told him, eyeing his blue pajama pants with the little stars on them. “Does that mean you don’t intend to get dressed at all today?”
“I don’t know,” Yugi said with a humble laugh. “Maybe. No, after I take a shower I’ll get dressed, and I’m sure Yami doesn’t want to stay in pajamas all day.”
Grandpa huffed a short laugh under his breath. “Well, then. Don’t let me keep you.”
Grinning, Yugi raced back upstairs, kicking off his slippers on the way and bouncing a little too enthusiastically up to his waiting partner. Yami eyed him with a raised eyebrow. “Let me guess,” he said coolly. “No tasks, errands, or chores.”
“It’s time for you to see your present,” Yugi told him, taking him by the hand and pulling him to the bedroom. Amused, Yami permitted himself to be led, eager to see just what Yugi had been studiously keeping secret all these weeks. He was made to sit down on the bed while Yugi went to his dresser and pulled something out of the back of the top drawer, a hand-sized something wrapped in the brown bag from the store. “And you’re sure you didn’t peek into my mind?” he asked warily one last time as he turned around.
“Not at all,” Yami insisted with a bit of a surprised look. “I will admit that I did sneak a peek once while you were in the store, when you met the owner, but…after that I went back into my dormancy.” He began to smirk. “He’s a very interesting man.”
“Yeah, Aya was cool,” Yugi grinned. “He really helped me out, I didn’t feel uncomfortable at all. He asked me a little bit about myself, and about you, and then pointed me right to something cool.” He laughed as he came across the room, clutching the package in both hands. “Although, you’ll have to forgive me for outright lying about one thing.”
Yami cocked his head. “Oh?”
“He asked how much older you were than me…I said ‘not much,’” Yugi informed him with a silly grin.
Yami grinned back. “Not much plus five thousand years.” He shook his head. “Don’t worry, Yugi, I don’t hold that against you.”
He sat back casually as Yugi thrust his arms out, offering the package. “Here. Open it.”
Author’s note: credit goes to Ayame Sohma from Fruits Basket for the cameo appearance!