Queer As Tachi – Chapter 40
Yugi’s Christmas party lasted well into the evening, as the skies outside became thick and gray, and then dark as the sun set behind snow-laden clouds. When they got tired of board games, talk turned to the world tournament and left Serenity sitting on the outside listening while the others compared their chances against who else might be entered, who they saw at the regionals, and so on. Yugi was in a more somber mood now that Téa had gone, but he still had enough smiles for everyone and eagerly leaped at the chance to duel Joey so the two of them could test out the new cards they had gotten. Naturally, Yugi won, but it was just for fun and there were no hard feelings as they laughed it off and challenged others. Tristan didn’t really duel and Duke hadn’t brought his deck, but Mai was willing to face off against Yami if he were allowed to duel. Though surprised, the pharaoh gladly took Yugi’s deck and smacked her around with it for a round. “What about that deck we built you back on your first day out of the Puzzle?” Mai pouted after her loss. “How come you’re not dueling with that?”
“Oh, I still have it,” Yami admitted. “And I use it now and then when Yugi and I duel each other. But that would require getting up and going into Yugi’s room to get it.”
“Yeah, and we’ve had too much dessert to be doing anything strenuous like that,” Joey laughed. “Man, that cake was good.”
“Uh huh!” Yugi agreed, having finally made room to finish off a piece (with a little help from his partner). “We’ll have to get that again. Maybe for your birthday, Joey?”
“Oh, dude, we’ll be in Hong Kong on my birthday,” Joey reminded him excitedly. “Hopefully kicking butt and taking names on our way to the second round.”
“You think you’ll find out anything more about the tournament after nationals?” Duke asked Yugi.
“I don’t know,” Yugi shrugged. “Pegasus apparently wanted his people to pay me in full for the endorsement deal because they’re not sure they even need more publicity photos of me. I kind of hope they don’t.” He glanced at Yami. “That whole thing was just weird.”
“It’s a whole other world that neither of us live in,” the pharaoh said wisely.
“You couldn’t enter because you were hosting the regional tournament, right?” Joey wondered of Duke.
“Yeah, but I wouldn’t have entered anyway,” Duke said airily, waving a dismissive hand. “I’m nowhere near you guys. Seeing how hardcore Bakura got in the final round at my shop, I know I probably couldn’t even hold my own against him if he got serious.” He flashed a charming smile. “I just duel for kicks now and then. I didn’t even bother to get a wireless duel disk thingy.”
“Oh yeah…” Tristan looked across at Yugi. “You got one, right?”
“Yup.” Yugi beamed happily at the reminder of it. “And I signed on early enough that no one had taken the name I wanted yet.”
“Oh?” several prompted him.
Another grin. “I’m ‘KingofGames.’”
“Figures,” Joey snorted.
Tristan glanced at him. “Did you get one from Santa?”
“Eh, I don’t need one,” Joey scoffed. “It’s just a fancy trinket to make Kaiba more money. I can’t think of anyone I’d want to duel online that I can’t duel in person anytime I want.”
“You never know,” Yugi said. “Maybe you’ll meet some cool people from overseas at the tournament and want to stay in touch. And what about Marik?”
“You can duel Marik,” Joey assured. “I’ll watch.”
“He’s got one?” Tristan wondered.
“Odeon promised me before they left that he would make sure Marik got one for his birthday. Which was two days ago,” Yugi grinned. “I sent him a card, but maybe I should email or something to find out if he got it.”
“At least that whole thing is over,” Joey sighed. “No offense, I didn’t mind having Marik hangin’ around at all, but once you told me why he was here, I was seriously worried every single day. And with good reason! One of these days, Yug. Why can’t all your problems be solved with a long talk and an ice cream sundae?”
“Because all his problems stem from my involvement in his life,” Yami interrupted wryly, “and I’m pretty sure we didn’t have ice cream sundaes in Egypt in my time.”
They sat around and laughed and dueled for a while, but as the gray skies turned dark and a long day of too much food and fun began to catch up with them, some talked about heading out. Joey wanted to get Serenity home at a decent hour, so they could make the most of the next day before she would have to head back home. Duke stretched as he got up from his seat on the floor. “I guess, if I want to make it home myself, I’d better get a move on. It’s a long, cold walk.”
“You walked here?” Yugi exclaimed.
“Partway. Took a bus – my car’s in the shop,” Duke sighed. “But the buses were on holiday schedule so I don’t think they’re running now.”
“I can give you a ride,” Tristan offered. “I’ve got my bike, but I have two helmets.”
“We got room in the car, too,” Joey said, though with less encouragement due to the thoughts floating in the back of his mind about Duke and Serenity being side-by-side in the back seat.
“Well…okay.” Duke shrugged. “Thanks Tristan, I’ll take you up on that.”
Yugi and Yami accompanied their friends to the door, though there wasn’t much room in the small foyer immediately between the door and the stairs for all of them to gather and put their coats on, so the partners sat on the steps and watched, sharing a few last laughs and thanking everyone for such a wonderful time. Yugi rose long enough to accept Serenity’s hug, and waved goodbye to her, Joey, and Mai as they ducked out the door first, calling “Merry Christmas” after them as they blustered out into the cold. Tristan and Duke were next, as the former had to take the time to zip up his motorcycle jacket snugly and take his helmet down from the coat shelf. Yugi promised to keep them updated on tournament stuff as much as Joey and Mai were, and wished them well as they departed. At last, he and Yami were alone – mostly. Grandpa had seen everyone off upstairs, and was still pottering around the house straightening up, but the boys were pretty sure that he had no intention of monopolizing a minute of the rest of their day. Yugi reached down to help Yami to his feet, at which the pharaoh put an arm around his shoulders and hugged him to his side as they climbed back up the stairs. “So, did Téa say something to you when she left that upset you?” he asked out of the blue.
Yugi stopped at the top of the stairs and stared at him. “How did you…?”
“You were gone a long time,” Yami noted. “I guessed you two might have gotten caught up talking at the door, but when you came upstairs, you were more quiet than before.”
“You know me too well.” Yugi sighed softly and continued on his journey through the house. “I do kind of want to talk to you about it, but…let’s go in my room, first. I just want to sprawl out and relax for a bit. It’s been such a crazy day.”
Outside on the sidewalk, Tristan fished a second helmet out of his motorcycle’s saddlebag and handed it over, taking a moment to rub his gloved hands together for warmth while Duke put it on. Or almost did; he turned it in his hands, but before donning it, gave a short sigh. “Man, I’m so not ready to go home and crash yet,” he complained. “I’m just getting my second wind.”
“Yeah, but Yugi was looking pretty tired, we couldn’t stay and party without him,” Tristan pointed out as he swung astride his bike. “Too bad. I got nothing to go home to myself.”
“You interested in going out?” Duke wondered, snapping his jacket up tightly.
“Out? What…you and me?” Tristan gave him a boggled look. “Are you feeling all right, dude?”
“What? Just because you and I have had our quarrels in the past…” Duke shrugged it off. “Forget it. It was just a thought. I don’t want to go home yet, but I’ve got no one to hang out with.” He tossed back his long ponytail and wedged the helmet onto his head.
Tristan glanced over his shoulder as the wiry young man plopped onto the back of the bike. “Like, what did you have in mind?” he asked as casually as he could.
“I don’t know. Go out for a drink, maybe. Hit a club. There’s all kinds of things we can do. Just nothing that involves food…” He could be seen through the open face of the helmet scrunching up his nose. “I’m still so full.”
“Are clubs even open tonight?”
“Oh yeah! Lots of them are. Hey, you remember the guy I had spinning at Mai’s party? He’s even working tonight.”
“Really.” Tristan flexed one gloved hand on his bike’s handlebar. “I haven’t been to a club like that before.”
“My friend can get us in for free…” Duke hinted.
“You just said the magic word.” Tristan slapped down the visor of his helmet and started the bike. “Just point me where to go!” he shouted over the roar of the engine, giving it a little extra gunning before peeling away from the curb.
It seemed Duke was right. Not only were the clubs open on Christmas night, they were packed. Lots of young people apparently wanted to get out and have a good time, celebrating the holiday their own modern way. Duke’s friend was fortunately on a break between sets and met them at the door to let them in, giving them a few suggestions about upcoming sets of music and which girls on the dance floor were loosened up enough to be hit on before winking and disappearing to do his thing. Once free of their coats, Duke offered to buy the first round – of sodas, since neither were of age and Tristan was driving – and left Tristan to hang on the railing overlooking the dance floor while he went to the bar. He came back with a couple of glasses and leaned up beside his companion to hand him one. “See anything interesting?” he asked over the pounding music.
“Some,” Tristan answered with a casual shrug, sipping at his soda. “Thanks.” He glanced aside at Duke. “You gonna dance?”
“In a bit.” Duke also sipped his drink, his eyes on the dance floor below. “Gotta get in the mood first.”
“Oh, is that how it works?” They leaned on the railing for a while, drinking and observing, while the current DJ wound down his portion of the night and Duke’s friend came up to take over for the next set. After a long silence, Tristan glanced aside at Duke. “So, you’re not going out with Serenity anymore?”
“What?” Duke looked sharply at him. “Who told you that?”
“You did.” Tristan returned his gaze to the dance floor, looking as aloof and untroubled as he could. “Not in so many words. Just that I noticed you weren’t taking advantage of your chance to snuggle up and charm her at Yugi’s.”
“Yeah, well…” Duke clasped his glass in both hands and stared down at the dance floor. “She’s not my type.”
“I thought cute and bubbly was your type. Hell, I thought female was your type.”
“Maybe when I was in high school.” Duke shook his head. “Not so much, now.” He shot Tristan a sidelong look. “I didn’t see you falling over yourself to get next to her either.”
“Nah…” Tristan smiled. “I think you might be onto something. I think I’ve grown up too much to think about dating high school girls.”
“Until you’re wearing bifocals and adult diapers, you haven’t grown up too much,” Duke chided. “I’ll prove it to you. Come on.” He grabbed Tristan’s arm and dragged him away from the railing, setting both their glasses down on the nearest unoccupied table and pulling him out onto the dance floor.
The fresh DJ had started out with some moderately well-known club hits, but was rapidly segueing into something nice and trancy that Duke could really get into. Tristan had no idea what to do with himself, but the floor was so packed with bouncing girls and boys, only half of whom knew how to dance properly, he could slip into their midst and blend in. It was extremely warm there on the floor, and he had dressed nicely for Yugi’s party in a button-down shirt, so he tried to keep it low-key lest he end up sweating like a pig within five minutes of being out there. Duke noticed nothing of Tristan’s awkwardness, he closed his eyes and was lost in the music almost immediately, his lithe, sinewy body writhing to the beat. For a while Tristan just did his best to not look stupid, trying to smile casually whenever a girl would glance his way even though he couldn’t be sure they were smiling at him instead of Duke, but in time, Duke glanced at him and started laughing. “What?” Tristan complained, shrugging in a huge gesture that could be understood even if the music was too loud to hear.
“You,” Duke shot back with a grin. “Loosen up, man!”
“I am loose!” Tristan declared.
“Not enough.” Duke hooked his arm and swung him around, getting him further away from the wall and his comfort zone as he was thrust into the middle of the dancing throng. To make matters worse, Duke snatched at the front of his shirt and tugged, undoing one button. Tristan stared at his audacity. Duke smirked back. “Let’s see more of that,” he shouted over the music. “I bet there’s lots of people you can impress if you just show off a little.”
Though completely nonplussed by the action, Tristan would not live down a challenge like that. Mustering a smirk of his own, he decided to prove he could keep up with Duke and unbuttoned his shirt most of the way, and then rolled up his sleeves. Laughing at what he had provoked, Duke lunged at him and pulled his shirt the rest of the way out of his waistband, letting it hang freely open. Tristan blushed furiously, but shouted at his friend, “There, is that loose enough for you?”
“Perfect!” Duke grinned before throwing himself back into the music.
Thoroughly annoyed with himself, Tristan tried to forget about how self-conscious he felt and just let go, like Duke, and enjoy the music. After a minute or two, he realized girls were smiling at him – definitely him, this time. It wasn’t in his nature to show off the strong build his job gave him, but for once, he decided to flaunt it. At least as much as leaving his shirt flapping open constituted flaunting. He was getting into it now, and even though he only had one friend there to hang out with instead of a group like at Mai’s party, he was having a good time. Duke seemed to sincerely appreciate his company, for the longer they stayed out and danced, the less sarcastic and flippant he became. A sultry little smile glowed on his lips, and his green eyes sparkled now that they weren’t being hidden by the shadow of a headband like usual. It became less about showing themselves off to other dancing youths around them and more about concentrating solely on keeping up with each other, grinning and dancing and having more fun than they should have been having so late on Christmas night after spending all day partying with the gang. The music kept getting faster, more sensual, more aggressive, until they finally tired enough to take a break. The remnants of their drinks had been dutifully cleared away by now, so Tristan offered to buy the replacements while they took a minute to catch their breath. Very shortly, they were back at their spot against the railing, joining countless others hanging over to watch the action below and savor their drinks. Duke lounged with his back against the rail, quick to smile and even laugh at something Tristan said. Tristan glanced aside at him, wondering how they managed to be there having fun and not on each other’s nerves for once. “So how much longer do you want to stay?” he asked above the music.
“Dunno,” Duke replied casually, checking his watch. “What time is it? Holy crap!” He laughed. “We’ve been dancing for an hour and a half!”
“Really?” Tristan laughed back. “I guess they’re right. Time does fly when you’re having fun.”
“Yeah?” Duke lifted a curious look to him. “Are you? Having fun, I mean.”
“Yeah, actually.” Tristan gulped down half his drink. “I’m tired, though. The spirit is willing, but I think the flesh is starting to slow down.”
“We can go anytime,” Duke shrugged. “I’m my own boss and I’ll get up in the morning when I feel like it, but I’m sure you probably have to work.”
“Eventually.” Tristan shrugged as well. “I can be late once in a while. If it snows tonight, it’ll push things back anyway till we can clear it off.”
“Ah.” Duke gave the club a look around to be sure he wasn’t missing anything. “Yeah, if it’s going to snow, maybe we should think about bailing.”
“All right. When we finish our drinks.” Tristan set his glass down and began to button his shirt back up, though he left it untucked. “You don’t mind if I do this, though? It’ll be kind of cold outside.” Duke laughed and assured him it was fine.
Yugi laid on his bed in a lazy sprawl, watching Yami try on the clothing Grandpa Muto had gotten him for Christmas and giving him his honest critique. “Beautiful,” he murmured, half-smiling. “Sexy. Everything fits you perfectly.”
Yami smirked at him and stripped his new sweater off, leaving him bare-chested but for the silver ankh pendant resting on his collarbone. “I’m sure you prefer me this way, though?”
“That’s nice, too,” Yugi agreed, curling up on his side, his eyes beginning to close. “But I think you’ll be cold.”
“Right now, yes.” The pharaoh picked up the shirt he had been wearing for the day and put it back on, coming over to sit on the bed next to his lover. “So, are you going to talk to me, now? Or do I have to wait until I’m back in the Puzzle and can pick through your thoughts at will?”
Yugi pushed himself reluctantly up and shook his head. “No, it’s okay,” he sighed. “I’m not trying to keep anything from you, Yami, I just wanted to have a clear head before I talk about it. To make sure I don’t jump to conclusions about it.”
“Very well.” Yami rested a hand on his back and rubbed gently in comfort. “What happened when you went to see Téa out?”
Yugi told him every last detail of their unpleasant conversation, down to the negative choice of words Téa had used and his own knee-jerk reactions of anger. Yami listened patiently, reserving judgement as usual, though his eyes began to burn with empathy. At the end of it, Yugi gave a sigh and lifted his head to fix his partner with a plaintive look. “I really want to hope that this is just her gut reaction out of some old jealousy that hasn’t totally gone away. Because if it’s more than that…I don’t want to think Téa capable of thinking those things about me.”
Yami continued to caress his back, even while a thought made him frown. “Ever since you and I began to fall in love with each other…has she ever said anything to you to indicate that she intended to go back on her claim of merely wanting to be friends? I don’t recall anything like that, but I confess I haven’t always paid attention to the dramatics of adolescent relationships. Not when people were after the Puzzle at the time.”
“No, you’re right,” Yugi assured him. “She never said anything directly, but I remember once or twice she freaked out when Rebecca Hawkins tried to flirt with me. I wasn’t even interested,” he added with exasperation, “that was when you and I were starting to get together. But she still went weird on me.”
“Is that what that was?” Yami wondered with some concern. “I had no idea.”
“You didn’t realize that was flirting?” Yugi stared at him and then giggled. “Seriously!”
“I’m serious, Yugi,” Yami said with the correct tone to back up his statement. “I’m not accustomed to these things, I don’t know anything about the intricacies of flirting and…chasing boys.”
“You seem to be pretty good at it,” Yugi said wryly. A look from his partner made him hold up his hands in caution. “Sorry! I don’t mean to change the subject. It doesn’t matter. Like I told Téa, what’s past is past. I can’t go through life clinging to the way things used to be, I have to just go forward, and be who I am. And who I am,” he concluded, slipping a hand into Yami’s, “is in love with my partner.”
“I love you, too,” Yami smiled. “I’m sorry, Yugi, I can’t say as I understand where Téa is coming from any more than you do. But I feel I owe her an explanation, to at least try to assure her that I have nothing but your best interests at heart. I’m not pursuing this relationship for any ulterior motive, I simply love you and cannot stop myself from loving you.”
“I know,” Yugi said softly, clutching both his partner’s hands now. “I know that, you know that, Joey and Mai and Tristan know that…everybody does. And none of them have ever told me that I should be careful or that this is some kind of wrong relationship. If they thought that, they would tell me…” He looked worried. “Right?”
“I believe so,” the pharaoh said strongly. “Joey is your best friend, and he is not the type of man to hold anything back from the people he cares about. If he had doubts about your dependence upon me, he would have said something long ago. He was the first to approve of our relationship. If he’s behind you, I don’t know how anyone else could deny us the reality of our bond.”
“Then…I can only conclude that she said those things out of jealousy,” Yugi said sadly. “Which is a horrible thought, but…”
“Even the people closest to you, whom you love and cherish, are not always perfect,” Yami said gently. “Human beings as a rule are flawed. Téa may indeed care greatly for you and want the best for you, but she is as prone to a random, irrational fit of jealousy as anybody. It doesn’t make her any less of a person.”
Yugi remembered something Duke had said to him a couple of months prior. “What about you?” He lifted his head to give his partner a curious look. “Do you get jealous? I would guess not,” he answered for himself with a little chuckle, “since you know my thoughts and don’t have a reason to suspect me of being unfaithful.”
“Well…” Yami lifted a hand and stroked Yugi’s cheek tenderly. “I don’t know about jealous, but I have felt a little twinge of possessiveness now and again. Since many of your friends are good-looking boys who like to be close to you.” He gave his lover an amused smile. “But it’s difficult to be jealous when our hearts are bonded the way they are. I trust you completely, Yugi, and if I am jealous of anything, it is of other people’s ability to walk beside you any day of the year.”
Smiling, Yugi leaned closer to him and lifted his head in order to press a tiny kiss to his cheek. “As long as you know I’d never try to provoke you just to see if you’ll act jealous or possessive or something. You’d see it coming a mile away anyway.”
“Perhaps.” Yami smiled back. “But I trust you, Yugi.” He wrapped his arms around Yugi and kissed his forehead in comfort, delighted to feel his lover sinking into him and cuddling close. “Even if I couldn’t share your thoughts, I still trust you with my heart. I know you’re not that kind of person.”
“And I wouldn’t be,” Yugi promised him. “No head games. We don’t need to stir up trouble between us, trouble finds us easily enough. I need you as my partner, my bond, so we can stand up to those threats together.”
“I agree.” Yami stroked his cheek and kissed him tenderly. “As for Téa…if we have the chance to speak with her again before she goes back to school, we should. It’s too much to ask for a day when I might be out of the Puzzle, to speak directly to her, but…I will do what I can.”
“I don’t know how much good talking is going to do,” Yugi worried, laying his head on his partner’s shoulder. “We may just have to give her time to see that this isn’t a phase, that what we have is real. We can’t make her accept us, we have to let her do it on her own.”
“We’ve given her a year and a half,” the pharaoh pointed out.
“Yeah.” Yugi closed his eyes with a sigh. “At least we know. We always said, even if nobody else in the world understands, we know. No one on the outside can truly understand the bond between us. I really hope she can let it go, though. I don’t want to lose her friendship over this.”
“Neither do I.” Yami put his arms around his young love and held him close, letting a peaceful silence fall between them. Yugi had found the comfort and advice he sought, so now they could relax and put it behind them. They still had the night ahead of them, free and without distraction or interruption to spend any way they wished. The closeness and warmth felt divine, a perfect scene in which Yami could hold Yugi for a long time, one hand gently running up and down his arm in a slow, comforting way. He lifted his eyes to the skylight above them, the black square of night where clouds hid the moon from them, and noticed that tiny white flakes were drifting down onto the glass pane and collecting in the corners. “Look,” he breathed, nudging Yugi slightly. “It’s snowing.”
Yugi looked up, and a little smile began to cross his lips. “So it is,” he whispered. “It’s beautiful.” He leaned his head against Yami’s as they both watched the flakes tumble straight down at them from the depths of the black sky, and then added, “It’s kind of romantic.”
“It is.” They sat for a minute like that, and then Yami turned Yugi’s face to him with the slightest brush of his fingertips to Yugi’s cheek and kissed him deeply. “It’s just right. The quiet night, the snow. Being here at your side.”
“Then…” Yugi slid his hand down the center of Yami’s chest, feeling every curve and plane of his lean muscles beneath his shirt. “…we should make the most of it.”
A lone motorcycle sped through the empty streets, the two men on it hunched tightly to each other to ward off the bitter sting of the wind screaming past them. Fortunately, it didn’t take long to cross the city to Duke’s game shop, and Tristan slowed his bike to safely navigate the streets becoming lightly coated in a thin sheen of snow. He pulled up in the alley behind the shop and parked against the curb next to the stairs that led up to the apartment above the shop that Duke called home. The bike shifted as Duke’s weight came off it, and both took off their helmets. “Well,” Tristan said with some finality, “here we are. And not a minute too soon.” He looked up at the white flakes falling silently down onto him. “The roads are going to get worse from here.”
Duke set the spare helmet on the seat and took a step back, shoving his hands into the pockets of his leather coat. “You want to come up for a little bit?” he asked casually. “At least until the snow lightens up?”
“I don’t know.” Tristan glanced up into the sky again. “I don’t think it’s going to. Might be all night.”
“At least come in and warm up for a bit. You’ve got a long drive home,” Duke pointed out. “You’ll freeze your ass off.”
Tristan sat still on his bike, lowering his gaze to the helmet on his lap, which he idly turned around so the visor wouldn’t get snowflakes stuck to it. “Duke,” he said heavily, “are you hitting on me?”
Duke gave a start, his green eyes going wide. “Uh…”
“Because I kind of got the feeling you were, at the club,” Tristan went on without waiting for an answer. “Maybe I’m wrong, but…it kind of feels like you might be. If you’re not, I’m sorry.”
Duke closed his mouth and grew quiet and serious. “And what if I am?” he murmured. “Does it bother you?”
Tristan glanced at him over his shoulder. “I don’t know. I just don’t understand why. What makes you think I’d be interested?”
“Never mind,” Duke said sharply with a shake of his head, turning to leave. “Just forget I said anything. Thanks for the ride…g’night.”
“Wait…Duke.” Tristan twisted his body in his seat to face him more directly. “Don’t go rushing off in a huff like that. Come on…” Duke halted in place, but kept his back to Tristan, hands still in his coat pockets. Tristan tried to soften his tone. “I didn’t say I wasn’t. I didn’t say anything.”
Duke turned with a light of curiosity awakening in his eyes. “No, I guess you didn’t. Look, I’m sorry if I offended you, Tristan,” he said a little more firmly. “I just thought…maybe, since you supported Yugi so easily, you might be a little more…receptive. I’ve overstepped my boundaries, I’m sorry…”
Tristan held his gaze for a moment. “I thought you liked girls.”
“I do.” Duke averted his eyes shyly. “I like guys, too. I don’t really care either way.”
“Ah. No wonder you were flirting with Yugi at Mai’s party.”
Duke managed a small laugh. “That was just for fun,” he assured with a shrug. “I wouldn’t do anything with Yugi, especially not in front of his boyfriend.” He suddenly looked directly at Tristan. “Wait, you noticed that?”
It was Tristan’s turn to shrug, as he sat back normally on the seat of his bike. “Well, it’s kind of hard not to. You call so much attention to yourself.” He glanced aside at Duke, who stood beside him but a few feet away from the curb. “So, what, that makes you bi? You didn’t want to tell any of your friends that?”
“I didn’t think it was anyone’s business.” Duke studiously looked away. “Rumors of my luck with women are greatly exaggerated. I’m not the ladies’ man I make myself out to be.”
“Well, that’s not news,” Tristan snorted. “I always figured you were mostly talk. But…Serenity…”
“Let’s just put the whole thing with Serenity aside for a minute, okay?” Duke faced him with a hard look in his emerald eyes. “You and I have known each other for a while. Maybe not as long as you’ve been friends with Joey and Yugi, but still, it’s been a pretty long time. We’ve been through a lot, and not just the whole cheerleading-sidekick to Yugi thing. We’ve gone through some pretty rough times just for being his friends, and through it all I always considered you a good friend.” A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “I kinda figured that underneath that dorky exterior, you were a really cool guy.”
“Thanks,” Tristan chuckled. “I think.”
“Well, think about it. When it really mattered, and we had to rely on each other, we had each other’s backs, no problem. We’ve spent a lot of time on the sidelines together, and I guess…” Duke looked away again in embarrassment. “…maybe, I’ve been starting to see some things to like about you.”
Tristan stared at the helmet in his lap, though his attention was turned inward to the confused tangle of thoughts careening through his head. Among them, he could remember being forced to confess something in a game of truth or dare. “So,” he said quietly, watching snowflakes fall onto the helmet and melt into tiny droplets, “you really are hitting on me.”
“Yeah. I am.” Duke still looked away, as if hunting for some sight far down the street. Falling snow dusted his shoulders, leaving little stars speckling his black jacket. “But if you’re not into guys, then it doesn’t really matter. I can’t force you to do something you don’t want to do.”
“I don’t know, Duke,” Tristan murmured. “It’s hard. I don’t think I’m ready for such a big step.”
Hearing that, Duke’s head whipped sharply around to stare at him. “What…step?”
Tristan refused to look at him, though his head turned slightly so Duke could see his brown eyes cast down toward the sidewalk. “That’s why you wanted me to come up, isn’t it?”
“I wasn’t really thinking that far ahead,” Duke admitted. “I just didn’t want to send you off and go upstairs alone. I saw my chance, and I took it.” He lowered his voice to a timid murmur. “You’re not freaked out?”
“I guess I’m not.” Tristan moved the helmet aside so he could swing a leg over the motorcycle and turn to face Duke completely. “But I’m not promising you anything. I don’t mind if we…get out of this snow.” He glanced up at the sky once more. “For now.”
Duke gazed at him for a moment, and then stepped down to the curb and up to Tristan. Tristan looked up at him from where he sat on his bike, and blinked as Duke suddenly leaned in and kissed him, quickly but warmly, on the lips. “It’s snowing pretty bad,” he noted as he pulled away, his voice lowered to a husky purr. “Come on up. I’ll make some tea. We’ll talk.”
He turned and started for the stairs, leaving Tristan to show by his reaction what he really wanted. Tristan sat for a moment’s pause, and then got up, stowing both helmets away and taking the keys to the bike with him. “Oh well,” he sighed as he came up behind Duke. “I wasn’t having any luck with girls anyway. I may as well give it a try.”
The warm glow of the desk lamp across the room combined with the faint light from the skylight being tickled by snowflakes made the right romantic mood as Yugi lay back in his bed, already stripped of his shirt and well on his way to arousal. They had plenty of time before midnight, so Yami worked patiently, tenderly, kissing Yugi thoroughly before moving to trace his lips over his lover’s chest and stomach. He settled down on one elbow beside Yugi and passed a considerable amount of time lavishing one nipple with skillful strokes of his tongue, until Yugi was crying softly with every breath, moaning in delight. They didn’t need to talk or tease, everything they wanted to share with each other could be done wordlessly through touch, taste, and the hazy look of love in their eyes. Before Yami could move lower on Yugi’s body and find all new ways to keep him moaning, Yugi shifted to lean against him and push him onto his back, kissing his mouth with renewed energy and splaying his hands along the pharaoh’s lean, muscled arms to encourage him to just let him do this. Yami eagerly complied, nestling back into the pile of warm blankets and pillows crowding their bed and purring happily as Yugi curled up on top of him and kissed him from his throat to his chest and back up to his neck. They wrapped their arms around each other and held tightly to each other as Yugi repaid his partner with the same treatment as he had gloriously received, pressing their bodies together as he tilted his head downward to find the nearest nipple and affix his lips to it. Yami’s head rolled back as he let out a huge groan, closing his eyes to savor the splendid feeling of Yugi’s lips and hot breath on his sensitive skin. When Yugi’s actions had gotten him worked up enough, Yami wrestled him back onto his back, chuckling and giving him a hot, wet kiss before sliding his hands down the young one’s body to his hips, working his pants open and tugging them down. Yugi laid back willingly with his arms stretched over his head, arching languidly as his partner slowly drew his pants off and cast them aside, taking a moment to caress along his slender legs and dart a little kiss to one thigh as he crawled back up and stretched out beside him to hold and kiss him.
Purring contentedly, Yugi elbowed the Millennium Puzzle out of his way and rolled onto his side as Yami laid down with him, positioning himself halfway down Yugi’s body so he could wrap his arms around his lover’s hips and hold him in place for even more of his kiss. Yugi crooked one leg up and back so he could be fully reached, and laid there softly moaning as lips roamed his stomach and downward, and strong arms held him, a hand firmly cupping his ass and eventually sliding into the cleft. He combed his hands into Yami’s hair and gently kneaded at the back of the pharaoh’s neck while he worked, encouraging with a caress that matched the pace of the lips and tongue on his heated body. Yami hummed deep in his throat in happiness while he suckled at Yugi, both of them lying on their sides with their arms and legs and bodies entangled. For every lap of his tongue around the head of the erection, Yami brushed his fingers along the outside of Yugi’s opening, driving him wild with sensation from both sides. Before too long Yugi’s body trembled, warranting a pause in order to keep him from losing control just yet. Yami wanted this to last, to take all night and completely satisfy his beautiful lover. He pulled his lips back and just laid for a moment still caressing a hand through Yugi’s cleft, before pushing himself up on one elbow and stretching to reach Yugi’s lips again. They kissed more softly and tenderly than before, losing themselves in each other, until the pharaoh needed to break for breath. Yugi nuzzled him in gratitude, cupping his hands around his face, and leaned down to kiss him once more. Wet lips eagerly kissed back, tasting of sweat and his own essence. At last, Yugi had to lay back with the sheer dizzying effects of exhilaration, and watched Yami push himself up to remove his pants at last. He did so slowly, teasingly, his eyes locked on his lover’s the whole time, for which Yugi thought that he had to be the luckiest guy in the whole world. No one but Yami knew how to please him, and fill him with such heat and desire while at the same time being so in love that he thought his heart would burst. This, Yugi thought, had to be what love truly was.
Tristan stood at the one window overlooking the street behind the game shop, idly watching the snow drift down, when Duke came up behind him and handed him a hot mug of tea. “If that’s not good enough,” he said with a wry smile, “I might have a beer in the fridge.”
“You rebel, you,” Tristan chided him. “What, don’t they card shop owners?”
“I have my ways,” Duke said airily, taking a sip of his tea. “Besides, I’ll be twenty in two months, it’s close enough.”
“Oh yeah? When?”
“February.”
“Ah, cool.”
They stood together for a short time, sipping at their tea and mustering no further conversation than that scintillating exchange. Then Duke gave a snort. “You’re being all nervous. You sure you don’t want that beer? To loosen up or something?”
Tristan pretended to find his tea very interesting. “No,” he sighed after a moment. “I don’t want to be able to have any excuses.”
“We don’t have to do anything,” Duke offered, his voice growing quiet. “We can just talk.”
Tristan stared down into his cup, his eyes growing distant with thought. When he spoke again, he had also gentled his tone considerably. “Where’d you learn to kiss like that?”
Duke smiled faintly. “I’ve had practice. That was nothing,” he added smartly. “I can do a lot better.”
“Yeah?” Tristan glanced shyly toward him, lifting his mug again but never taking a drink.
Duke set his cup down and then gingerly took Tristan’s from him, setting it aside. Tristan shifted toward him, anticipating, and was rewarded generously as Duke cupped his cheek and tilted his face down for a long, lingering kiss. He was only slightly shorter than Tristan, the difference between them just right for their comfort. Duke kissed expertly, nibbling softly at his companion’s lips until Tristan eagerly parted them and let their tongues brush together. With that, they folded into each other, throwing arms around each other and falling into a long sequence of delicious kisses that left them both breathless. They didn’t even stop when Duke pushed Tristan against the couch and sat him down, so they could continue without worrying about knees getting weak. Gradually, their kisses slowed and became more gentle, until Tristan stilled and surrendered, allowing Duke to do whatever he wanted with his lips. One last kiss caressed his mouth, and then Duke pulled back, kissing him firmly and fully on the cheek in conclusion. A long sigh escaped Tristan, his eyes barely opening to see what his companion would do next. Duke’s arms still hung loosely around his neck, one hand teasing the shortest hairs on the nape, as he nuzzled and gave Tristan’s lips and cheek small, testing kisses. “So?” he whispered into the close space between them.
“I didn’t quite get that,” Tristan whispered back, closing his eyes. “Can you show me again?”
Duke just chuckled and leaned in to rest his forehead against Tristan’s. “You’re not running away.”
“No.”
“Do you want to try to brave the snow?” Duke lifted his head and met Tristan’s soft brown eyes as they were turned towards him. “Or stay…and see where this goes…?”
“I guess I can stay.” Though feeling very shy and awkward about it, Tristan found himself unable to look away from Duke’s earnest green eyes. It was as though the cool, aloof façade the young shop owner usually put up to protect himself had fallen away to reveal his true self, and Tristan kind of liked it. “You know…to be safe.”
“Yeah, right.” Duke smiled faintly. “You’ll be safe here.” His hand traveled around to Tristan’s neck, and his fingertips glided down along strong muscular lines to his throat and the peek of collarbone revealed by the open collar of his shirt. Though he trembled at the feeling, Tristan didn’t jump up or back away. Duke leaned in to kiss him again, and from the way his partner responded, he knew they weren’t going to stop this time.
The pharaoh knew exactly what his young lover wanted without a word having to pass between them. The quiet mood, the long, slow climb to ecstasy, the hazy smile in his violet eyes as he looked up and beheld his soulmate, Yami knew it meant Yugi wanted to face him as they made love, to meet his partner’s eyes as he was taken. Neither had to dance shyly around each other as they got into position, and before too long, the bed creaked with the steady rhythm of Yami’s deep, patient thrusts. With both of Yugi’s feet over his shoulders, the pharaoh had all the leverage and power he needed, but he held back, stroking slowly so as to keep that dreamy half-smile on Yugi’s face as long as possible. They had stretched this encounter out impossibly long, both were nearing a breaking point, but so long as the pace was slow and patient, they could hold out just a bit longer. Yami leaned in and pressed forward, his back flexing gracefully, his lips parting just enough for a small gasp at the apex of each thrust. Yugi held onto him, gazing purposefully into his eyes as they rocked closer to the edge. He took his partner’s hand and was thrilled to feel Yami’s fingers intruding between his, lacing their hands together as he pressed them down into the bed. Reading Yugi’s intent look, Yami smiled faintly and shifted his weight, pushing even further forward and in, and then quickened the pace.
Almost immediately, Yugi went from gently smiling to keening uncontrollably, biting his lip to restrain his cries. His hand clenched around Yami’s, his nails digging into the back of the pharaoh’s hand. Yami trapped his other arm, clamping down on his wrist, and thrust hard into him, bending as low as he could for the best angle. Yugi gave huge gasps for breath in between his cries, feeling his whole body being tilted back to receive his partner’s punishing thrust. It wasn’t long before he let out the cry of anticipation that he was about to come, at which Yami let go of his wrist and curled his hand around his erection instead, stroking and closing his fist around the head to encourage him the rest of the way. Yugi pushed back against him as he came, clenching his teeth to hold back his scream even as his body erupted all over them both. Yami broke a heartbeat later, stiffening and pushing a few last times to be sure as he spilled into Yugi. His weight came down on his arms, propping him desperately up, as his body tensed and shook. His eyes squeezed closed, the exertion catching up to him and leaving him dizzy and breathless. Yugi’s legs slid off his shoulders, but they were still coupled, Yugi’s hips tilted up into Yami’s lap. Blinking his eyes open, the pharaoh found his lover gazing back with a blissful smile, his arms thrown back into the pillows above his head that they had somehow completely missed resting upon. Pulling out, Yami fell down beside Yugi, laying his head immediately on the young one’s chest as they both laid there panting for breath. A minute or two passed, giving them time to recover, and then their arms were around each other, squeezing tight, pulling themselves into each other as though seeking refuge in each other’s bodies. Yugi’s face fell into the crevice between Yami’s cheek and shoulder, his breath hot on the pharaoh’s flushed skin. Yami nuzzled him contentedly and then rested his chin on Yugi’s shoulder, hugging him tightly with his hands splayed comfortingly out across Yugi’s bare back. The Puzzle chain jingled as Yugi was rolled over onto his side in Yami’s arms, both falling into position wrapped up together like they wanted. Neither had to say a word about how good it was, how hot, how sweet, how beautiful. They just knew.
Clicking off the bathroom light behind him, Tristan paused in the doorway to look at the scene before him and relive the evening in his memory. Duke lay curled up on his side in his bed, his eyes half-closed and a lazy smile on his lips, his naked body tangled in the disheveled sheets in such a way as to leave almost everything exposed. Hearing Tristan come back into the room, he glanced his way and smiled even more strongly, rolling onto his back and stretching his arms over his head. For a long time neither moved nor spoke, as Tristan gazed at the friend he had just fucked, puzzling out his feelings about it. Duke tucked his hands under his head, watching Tristan intently. “You okay?” he murmured after a while.
Tristan gave a little shake of his head to snap himself out of his thoughts. “Yeah,” he answered, coming back to the bed and sitting down on the side of it.
Duke rolled completely onto his other side to look at him, one arm still curled underneath his head. “You’re welcome to stay,” he said softly, gazing intently at his companion’s half-turned back in the hopes he could figure out the right things to say. “I’ll make sure you get up for work. Unless…you feel weird about it…”
“Oh…no…” Tristan managed a half-hearted smile and roused himself to crawl under the sheets. “It’s okay. That…actually sounds nice. I don’t think I could just…leave, after that,” he added more quietly as he laid down beside Duke.
Duke propped his head up on his hand, looking rumpled and exhausted but in no mood to go to bed himself. “You’re really good, you know,” he said at last, his tone quiet but casual. “How in the world is a guy like you still single?”
“I don’t know.” Tristan glanced toward him, finally giving him a more honest smile. “Guess nobody else sees what you do. I don’t even know what you see…what you want out of me.”
Duke tilted his head in a shrug. “You’re a nice guy. You really care about people. I wasn’t out for just a roll in the sheets for fun,” he added more seriously. “I always saw you as the kind of guy who’d put his heart into everything he did, and who’d be a total gentleman about it.” His eyes softened as Tristan looked his way in interest. “I wasn’t disappointed.”
Tristan held his gaze for a moment before murmuring, “So what do we do now?”
Duke snorted. “Go to sleep.”
“I mean…us. This.” He pulled the blankets a little closer around him, feeling the night’s chill now that his body had cooled down. “Is this the start of something, or the end of it?”
“I don’t know.” Duke rolled onto his stomach, resting his elbows on the bed. His long, silky black hair, now released from its ubiquitous ponytail, cascaded sexily around his shoulders. “It was just tonight. If you don’t want it to be anything, it doesn’t have to be. But I don’t think that’s the sort of thing we should be sitting here trying to plan out.” He smiled weakly at Tristan. “We’ll just see what happens. Take it as it comes. Maybe it’s just a little fling, maybe it’ll be more serious. Who can say?”
“I guess I can agree with that.” Tristan lifted a hand from the bed and used one finger to comb back a stray lock of Duke’s hair from his eyes, a tiny, gentle gesture that made his friend smile. “But, until we know what we want…maybe we should keep it to ourselves. Just in case it doesn’t pan out. You know?”
“No, I’m with you there,” Duke agreed. “Our friends don’t have to know. Not yet.”
“Tell you what, though.” Tristan’s brawny chest heaved with a chuckle. “Joey might be awfully relieved to hear that neither of us are gonna chase his sister now.”
Duke bowed his head, his shoulders shaking with giggles. “Nice thought,” he said sarcastically when he could collect himself.
“Yeah, well…”
Duke watched Tristan stretch and then settle down as if to sleep, turning a little towards him. He took a chance and crawled closer, nestling himself in the curve of Tristan’s bigger body and putting his head down right by Tristan’s shoulder. Brown eyes blinked at him, but Tristan said nothing. Duke sighed softly and tugged the blankets up around them both. “You’re okay, though?” he whispered. “With…everything?”
Tristan nodded and closed his eyes to sleep. “I’m not gonna freak out on you,” he promised. “It’s not something I’m used to, but…it wasn’t bad.”
Smiling to himself, Duke finally snuggled down to sleep and closed his eyes. He knew it was too early to try to worm some kind of compliment out of Tristan, not after his first time with another man. Some guys never got past the first one, he should be glad that Tristan hadn’t up and run out the door the minute it was over. It was compliment enough for Duke not only that he stayed, but that he had consented in the first place. Silent darkness fell around them as they both drifted off to sleep.
Yugi lay wrapped in warm blankets and his lover’s arms, his head pillowed on Yami’s shoulder, absently stroking the smooth metal surface of the ankh pendant resting on Yami’s collarbone. “Maybe you should take it off,” he whispered, hating to break the comfortable silence between them. “So you don’t lose it in the sheets when your body disappears.”
“Mm. You think so?” Yami shifted his head, but made no other move to take off his new necklace. He was too exhausted and happy to think about serious motion. Yugi chuckled at him, seeing as he wasn’t going to do it, and reached up behind his lover’s neck to find the clasp and release it. The silver ankh tumbled into his hand, and he gathered up the chain and stretched to set it on the shelf above the head of his bed. Yami chuckled softly. “Thank you.”
“You like it?” Yugi asked for perhaps the fifth time that day.
“I love it, Yugi.” The pharaoh kissed his forehead tenderly. “It was very thoughtful of you. I may not remember my past, but I can’t deny the sentimental pull of something that represents it.”
“I already knew it was a symbol of life, even before Grandpa said anything,” Yugi whispered cutely. “I kind of figured it would be meaningful to you, more than just an Egyptian trinket.”
“It is. It’s wonderful.” Yami kissed him again. “Hold it for me, and I will wear it each month when I’m outside the Puzzle.”
“Okay,” Yugi agreed, settling back down and closing his eyes. He knew midnight was dangerously near, but he didn’t want to let go just yet. “I’m lucky I got to spend this Christmas with you,” he murmured after a bit. “I bet the full moon won’t fall on the same day again for a long time.”
“It’s just a day,” Yami said with gentle humor. “Whether I can be embodied just before, or just after, or not even remotely near that day doesn’t matter. I’m with you always.”
“True.” Yugi smiled to himself as he snuggled into his lover’s body. “But nothing beats this, right here. Being with you.” He traced a few light kisses along Yami’s collarbone and then laid his head back down. Yami purred his delight in response, and hugged Yugi to him again, wanting to spend these last few minutes as close as their bodies could be. The warmth, the scent, the sensations of velvety skin and soft, tickling hair, of wet and sticky places and smooth and heated places, would stay within his memory so long as he took the time to savor them. Above them, the snowflakes on the windowpane made no sound to disturb them as time ticked away.