Carry On

A/N: This took so long to get out! I had an interesting two weeks at a new job that did not turn out well, so I’ve been very distracted. Also, this is a chapter I’ve been looking forward to writing, and it proved to be one of *the* most difficult for reasons that elude me. Because of this the response to reviews for chapter ten are going to come within the next couple of days instead of preceding the chapter, as usual. I really hope you like this chapter!

Enjoy!

~ Ocean


Carry On
By Ocean

Chapter Eleven – Simple Love, Complex Touch


It was early Friday morning; not too early for the sun to be present over the horizon, but early enough for those people who were not at the airport for business flights to be cranky over being awake and alert at such an inappropriate hour. The parking lot was moderately full with cars. Taxis of both bright yellow and hideous green circled anxiously, looking for either passengers or a clear section of road where they could stop and unload their patrons. The skycaps looked bored and attempted to ease this state by pacing in front of their airlines, nodding politely to those who passed through the automatic doors that led to the airport interior.

The oblong shape of the baggage claim carousels dotted the basement of the airport, making it appear more like a factory than a proper room for reunions between passengers and luggage. Flight information scrolled monotonously on miniature marquees, aiding little in the search for the proper carousel, forcing people to recognize fellow passengers in the hopes of congregating around the correct machine for the customary vigil.

Honda sighed impatiently, his arms crossed over his chest while he leaned his back against a large, white column that helped to support the ceiling. Yuugi’s flight number had been flashing on the nearest terminal for the past twenty minutes, and the machine had not yet begun to hum in preparation for circling luggage nor had he seen anyone that appeared to have been on the flight. Lowering his arms he shoved his hands in his pockets and looked over at his friends who had taken refuge on one of the few metal benches in the area.

“Have you got any of that muffin left?” he asked Anzu, nodding his head in her direction.

Anzu nodded, shifting her purse off her shoulder so she could rummage through it for the baked good. Eventually she found it at the bottom of her bag and tossed it to Honda before settling back on the bench. “I guess we should have called to see if his flight was late before we came.”

Jounouchi, who was leaning with his neck bent over the back of the bench with his eyes closed and arms crossed over his chest, shrugged at the practical comment. “Eh, it doesn’t really matter. We would’ve just gotten stuck in traffic if we’d left later. Besides,” he stretched his arms above his head and leaned forward, “we’re here to surprise Yuugi. Doesn’t matter how long that takes.”

Honda hummed in agreement, licking the remaining crumbs of the muffin off his fingers and stuffing the plastic bag it had been in into his pocket. Looking around as a group of people walked noisily passed him, he noticed that the carousel had started turning. He alerted his friends to this fact and the three began the careful watch of the escalator from which all passengers descended the main level.

“I wonder if Atemu’s going to be able to make it?” Anzu wondered out loud, not really considering that her curiosity might not be readily accepted. She felt Jounouchi stiffen next to her, but was surprised when he relaxed, commenting that he didn’t know of the man’s plans. Watching him from the corner of her eye Anzu resisted the urge to question Jounouchi about his sudden change in attitude. He wasn’t friendly towards Atemu, in thought or in action, but he was no longer actively seeking to make his life miserable and that was a giant leap for the blond. She smiled warmly. There was a heart beneath all that brawn after all.

“Who cares?” Honda kicked himself away from the column and came to stand by the bench. “It’s not like he cared enough to see him off.” He ignored Anzu rolling her eyes and Jounouchi pointedly not making a comment. “He’ll be happy to see us. We’re his best friends, after all.”

Anzu propped her arms on her knees, hiding her face in her hands. Honda was determined not to like Atemu or even give him a chance. Jounouchi had changed his opinion of the man after spending all that time spying on him – which Anzu had not been happy to hear about and had spent the better part of twenty minutes letting Jounouchi know what a jerk he’d been. She would have thought that Honda would have gained at least a little insight during his brief stint at espionage.

“It’s too early in the morning for this,” she muttered.

Jounouchi made sure to keep out of the conversation, busying himself with examining every person on the escalator in the hope of being the first one to spot Yuugi. He didn’t know what to think about Atemu anymore. He simply could not understand why the man hadn’t exposed him to Yuugi or, come to think of it, why he had never been rude or gruff when he’d made every effort to be. Jounouchi had spent the past few days replaying all that he knew about the Egyptian, which was admittedly little, focusing specifically on the way the man had not reacted to his taunts.

Before meeting Yuugi he would have considered Atemu’s unwillingness to engage in a verbal fight as a sign of arrogance or weakness, though considering Jounouchi saw the two as one in the same both would have been an equal insult. But he couldn’t stop the nagging feeling that if Yuugi had seen some good in him all those years ago when he was a depressed college drop-out, then maybe his best friend had seen something in Atemu that he hadn’t yet had time to cultivate. It was a possibility, and it would explain why Yuugi was so damn protective over him. Yuugi had proclaimed himself Jounouchi’s guardian the first two months of their plutonic relationship. Maybe he simply hadn’t given Yuugi and Atemu enough time? Well, even so, and even if Atemu was a great guy that deserved Yuugi’s help, the fact that he was here meant that he, Honda and Anzu were going to be put on the backburner for a long while. Yuugi was extremely narrow-minded when he had a ‘project.’ They all dearly missed their friend and didn’t wish to miss him any more than necessary.

Making to stand from the bench Jounouchi hesitated with his hands gripping the metal when he saw the angered disbelief on Honda’s face. He followed the gaze, which resulted in his own sense of skepticism, but he found his to be a milder form of seeing someone who was unexpected but not necessarily unwelcome. At that exact moment, Jounouchi and Honda represented two sides of the same coin. It was not a welcoming sight for anyone to be greeted with.

“What the hell is he doing here?” Honda growled from between gritted teeth. He was stiff in posture, his arms flexed at his sides. The glare in his eyes was ugly, and Jounouchi knew from experience that physical action always followed that gaze.

Jumping to his feet as Anzu stood and made her way over to Atemu who was standing near the carousel, having not yet noticed the trio, Jounouchi put his hands on his friend’s shoulders and squeezed meaningfully. “Easy now buddy,” he warned softly. “He isn’t doing anything wrong.” He simply matched the irritated look Honda shot over his shoulder. Jounouchi didn’t release his grip until he felt Honda’s muscles relax after the deep breath the man released, though he remained by his friend’s side to ensure he didn’t do anything stupid.

Anzu ignored Honda’s posturing and approached Atemu cheerfully, giggling when he jumped in surprise and then laughed in recognition. “Morning Atemu,” she greeted. “We didn’t expect to see you here.” She noted that he wasn’t dressed in his business attire and that… yes, he was wearing what she thought looked remarkably like the puka shell necklace Yuugi brought back with him the last time he went to Hawaii. Of course, all puka shell necklaces looked the same to her, but her curiosity rose nonetheless and a smile crept onto her face. “Don’t you work today?”

Atemu returned the greeting, running a hand through his hair and pulling on the sport jacket he wore. “Mm, Yuugi asked me if I would pick him up today, and seeing as how I couldn’t see him off…” His voice trailed off and he shrugged sheepishly. “I deserve a day off anyway.”

“Does Kaiba see it that way?” Anzu asked with a sly grin.

Atemu smirked before averting his eyes towards the employee entrance to the baggage area, which was next to the escalator. “His idea, actually. Eventually,” he added.

There wasn’t much Anzu could say to that, so she shook her head in amusement. It was easy for her to see why Yuugi was so intrigued with Atemu; his intelligence and sense of humor were very similar to her friend’s and, as an added bonus, Anzu was certain that his self-confidence matched - if not succeeded - Yuugi’s own. Oh sure, Atemu didn’t broadcast his self-worth as loudly as Yuugi, but the evening that she and Atemu had spent at the pizza parlor she had seen who she knew him to truly be and what had drawn Yuugi to him in the first place. She was happy to see him at the airport, at ease and playing with her. Yuugi was going to be thrilled to see him.

A large group of people suddenly appeared on the escalator, crowding the narrow space and talking animatedly amongst themselves as they passed by the numerous carousels to gather around the one that displayed Yuugi’s flight number. Noticing this, Honda gave Atemu a final glare before marching towards the escalator, making it quite clear that he was going to be the first one to greet Yuugi. Jounouchi trailed after him, and Anzu patted Atemu’s arm reassuringly when she saw his confused face in response to Honda’s hostility.

“He’ll get over it,” she said and walked to join her friends. Anzu didn’t blame Atemu for the incredulous look he gave her, so she let it pass when she saw his attention diverted by one of the airline employees. “Do you see him yet?” she asked Jounouchi and Honda when she made it to their sides.

“Nope, not ye- there he is!” Jounouchi waved his hand at Yuugi, who was just stepping onto the escalator. Honda and Anzu followed suit.

Yuugi, for his part, was able to manage a returning wave in spite of his shock at seeing his friends and not Atemu welcoming him. As he rode the escalator he took the opportunity to scan the baggage claim area for Atemu, who was not immediately visible in the crowd. He furrowed his brows in puzzlement.

“Welcome back man!” Honda greeted jovially, his bad mood hidden behind his need to show off in front of Atemu. “How was the flight?”

“You’re here?” It just jumped out of his mouth, but Yuugi couldn’t find it within himself to regret the question. “I mean, yeah, the flight was good but,” he looked at each of his friends in turn, “what are you guys doing here?”

“We came to surprise you!” Jounouchi stepped back and struck a pose, arms spread wide and head tilted back, nose in the air. “Seriously, what better surprise could you want?”

Yuugi chose not to answer that question. It wouldn’t have been polite in public. “Where’s Atemu?” He craned his neck to look behind Honda. He did not miss the sour expression on his friend’s face.

“He just got here,” Honda sneered, pushing his hands into his pockets casually. “We’ve been here for over an hour.”

Yuugi blinked in surprise. “Why? My flight was delayed due to engine trouble. You didn’t know?”

Honda scowled in embarrassment while Jounouchi had the decency to look guilty. “We kinda forgot to check before we left,” he said.

“Oh.”

The lack of response and attention from Yuugi made Jounouchi uncomfortable and Honda tetchy. Anzu made the wise decision to stay out of the line of fire. She stepped forward and gave Yuugi a gentle hug and took his carry-on bag from his shoulder before standing to the side to see how events would unfold. Honda took the opportunity of not having a lady quite so visibly present to voice some of his thoughts.

“Why the fuck are you asking about the prick anyway?” Honda demanded. “It’s not like we invited him to come. We’re here to pick you up and take you out to eat.”

“Well, that’s great and all,” Yuugi began, returning his focus onto his tense friend. “But I called Atemu a couple of days ago to ask him to pick me up when my flight got in. I can’t just tell him to go away because you decided to come.” He let the comment about Atemu not being invited slide, but only in an attempt to save face. His disapproval of the remark was clearly evident in his eyes.

Honda took a heated breath and released it, his eyes steadily challenging Yuugi even though he knew he was incapable of intimidating his shorter friend. “I don’t get why you called him instead of us in the first place. He wouldn’t even drop you off when you left! Why take the risk of him not showing up to bring you home?”

Jounouchi had been prepared for this outburst and did his best to sidetrack Honda’s resentment. “Hey come on, Honda, there’s no need for that. We’re all here so why don’t we all just grab something to eat and leave it at that?”

Honda wasn’t listening. “And how could you not tell us that you asked him to pick you up? You owed us that much! We’ve wasted the whole morning for you!”

“Excuse me?!” Yuugi nearly shouted. He was not in the mood for a fight, especially not with Honda, who could be so pig-headed that he would argue the color of the sky for half an hour if it meant proving himself right. He was tired, he was annoyed from the baby that had cried the entire last half of the flight, he hadn’t eaten since lunch the previous day, and he was suffering from a massive case of missing the one person who wasn’t standing in front of him. There was no patience left in him.

“Who the hell do you think you are Honda? Getting off on me like this and demanding - demanding explanations? Look, you aren’t my mother, I won’t run every decision by you for approval or permission.” He shook his head and raised his hands in defiance, taking a step back from his friends. “I’m tired and I’m not doing this and I’m going home.” He turned, the harshness of his words stunning Honda into silence, and reached out a hand towards Anzu to collect his bag. “Thanks Anzu,” he said, checking his tone so he wasn’t snapping at her. “I’m just going to get my bags and see you later, okay?”

“Yuugi?” Anzu waited for him to acknowledge her, “He’s here. Over by the carousel.”

It took Yuugi a full ten seconds to understand who Anzu was talking about and, once his brain caught up, he smiled and nodded his thanks before walking away from his friends and over to Atemu. He didn’t bother to say goodbye to Honda and Jounouchi. Honda didn’t deserve it, and Jounouchi would understand. He was surprised when he saw Atemu talking to an employee from the airline, who was handing over Yuugi’s luggage personally. He gave Atemu a curious look once the employee had left, his friends pushed to the furthest reaches of his mind. Yuugi kept his face as blank as stone when he noticed that Atemu was wearing his necklace. It spoke volumes to Yuugi and made his insides flutter in righteous excitement.

He knew Atemu would finally get it through his head that someone cared about him!

“You’re important enough to get the airline to hand deliver my luggage to you?” Yuugi asked, the tease prominent in his voice.

“One of the perks of working for Seto,” Atemu said around a smirk.

Yuugi hid his smile behind his hand and a false cough.

“Take what’s offered,” Atemu chuckled. “Besides, I’ve always hated fighting the crowd to get my bags off that stupid carousel. This is so much easier.” Atemu lowered his eyes, an emotion flitting through them that Yuugi didn’t have time to recognize, and bent down to remove the tags from the luggage at his feet. He was so happy to have Yuugi home that he didn’t want to make a fool of himself in front of everyone by grinning like an idiot. At least while he was bending over his hair hid his face, allowing him a moment to tone down the smile that refused to leave.

As sentimentally nauseating as it was, Yuugi thought as he watched Atemu fiddle nervously with his bags, it really was amazing how a brief moment of absence could make the heart grow so much fonder. Though he wasn’t gone nearly long enough to forget what Atemu looked like, and though the man was no stunning model that would make people swoon as he walked down the catwalk, Yuugi was caught yet again by how neighborly handsome the Egyptian was. Allen had been right: Yuugi could be so incredibly dumb and slow sometimes.

Yuugi lowered the carry-on bag he had swung over his shoulder to the ground, freeing his arms so that when Atemu stood he was able to walk forward and embrace him, solidly and securely. Arms around Atemu’s neck and shoulders Yuugi hugged him, content with the resulting tenderness encircling his waist as Atemu placed his arms around him and lowered his head to his neck. He was mildly surprised by Atemu. Yuugi had half expected him to be a little uneasy or reluctant to show affection in public considering his actions in the privacy of their home. As it was, Atemu showed no hesitation; in fact he leaned into Yuugi discreetly, but enough so as to imply the genuine fondness behind the action.

Yuugi let the stress and fatigue fade away with the warmth that was slowly enveloping him from Atemu’s embrace. He walked his fingers up the back of Atemu’s neck and rubbed them along the fine strands of his hairline, smiling as he both heard and felt the other man sigh in relaxation. He tightened his hold and rocked his weight forward and then back, making both of them sway playfully. He heard Atemu chuckle and absorbed the rich vibrations happily. Such a sweet reunion only strengthened his resolve to act on the revelation that Allen had helped him reach. From here on out, he was going to be in love with Atemu, and he wasn’t going to be afraid of being so.

“Hey, Até,” Yuugi whispered, drawing back so his lips were pressed against the shell of Atemu’s ear. He knew his breath tickled when the man involuntarily shivered away from the sensation before leaning back in to resume the contact. “Wanna grab some breakfast? I’m starving.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Atemu murmured against his neck, unable to repress his grin.

“And then can we talk tonight?”

Atemu didn’t answer immediately, unwilling to pull himself away from Yuugi’s affection. What Yuugi wanted to talk about he had no idea, but he knew he certainly had something he needed to say to the man. Eventually looking Yuugi in the eye, feeling his stomach tighten excitedly when the arms did not leave his shoulders, he smiled and shook his head.

“Can’t tonight,” Atemu said softly. “Your grandfather and that girlfriend of his insist that I go out with them to some poker tournament.”

Yuugi raised his eyebrow, his hands trailing down Atemu’s biceps until they were resting on his forearms. “Really? How’d you get suckered into that?”

Atemu coughed and looked away, but gave Yuugi a crafty look from the corner of his eye. “Let’s just say that Sarah can be quite persuasive.”

Yuugi thought for a minute before he broke into a knowing grin. “Blackmail?”

Instead of answering Atemu bent down and gathered Yuugi’s luggage, reaching into his pocket when the smaller man leaned forward and tactfully rubbed the tips of their noses together.

“I missed you Atemu,” Yuugi said tenderly, reaching up and trailing his fingers along the necklace Atemu wore, his fingertips rubbing gently over the shells and briefly against the skin of his neck. He was intrigued when Atemu returned his gaze confidently, all hints of shyness gone for this brief moment. The beam he was given, in addition to the wearing of the necklace, told him that he had been missed too; that smile was ten times better than if Atemu had repeated the words of endearment. Yuugi felt content in a way that he couldn’t describe and he was unable to remember the last time he’d felt this comfortable. It was a refreshing experience.

“Here,” Atemu said, tossing the set of keys he’d had in his pocket to Yuugi and walking towards the exit. “I assume you won’t be happy unless you’re the one driving the Beamer.”

Oh yeah, Yuugi thought to himself. I definitely love being in the driver’s seat. He looked over his shoulder and watched Atemu for a moment before following him out the door.

And I have the distinct impression that you like to drive, too.

---------------

Atemu found himself in front of the bathroom mirror again, only this time he was looking at a reflection that he didn’t quite recognize and didn’t instantly hate.

Yuugi still wasn’t speaking to him which provided ample time for quiet inquiry regarding his likeness. It wasn’t the exact result he had envisioned when he’d made the apple crisp for Yuugi and presented him with it before going to the poker tournament last night. Yuugi’s eyes had gone wide and, with a possessiveness that was borderline sinister, he had grabbed a fork, pushed his family away from the dessert, and began shoveling intensely. When he’d returned home Atemu had been met with a half-hour lecture regarding his insincerity in making such a mediocre dessert, which was gone now by the way, ruining Yuugi’s diet, not caring about Yuugi’s appearance or vulnerabilities, the audacity to presume his affections could be bought with delicious apples, and why the hell Atemu had made so little??

The Egyptian couldn’t help but laugh at Yuugi’s unique manner of expressing affection - … when he wasn’t pressing for sex, of course. Jabs and quips punctuated with sparkling mischievous eyes and grins that belied the enjoyment the man received in pushing the buttons of those that he loved.

Hmm. Interesting how easily Atemu was able to include himself in that statement now, when just a sparse few days ago he would have rather believed that the sky was falling than admit that anyone could love him. He didn’t believe that Yuugi was in love with him but, as he fingered the shell necklace that rested coolly against his throat, the idea that the other man genuinely cared for him was no longer such a horrifying concept. The need to bolt was dissipating at a snail’s pace, but it was going away, and the relief it left in its wake made Atemu content enough to allow it to leave at its own leisure. There was really only one more hurdle that he needed to jump before he allowed himself to fall completely for Yuugi, and that wasn’t going to happen until he finished his critical examination of his features.

It was one of those oddities of human nature; the feelings towards one’s self directly affected the opinion of one’s outward appearance. The fact that he wasn’t Japanese didn’t bother him as much as it used to for reasons he couldn’t fathom. The darkness of his skin was just different, no longer hideously discolored. The angle of his eyes was, in reality, alluring when he didn’t look at them too long. He found himself able to bypass the width of his nose completely, and the view of his high cheekbones may, if he squinted, add to his masculinity in a pleasing fashion rather than detract from it. It was a step in the right direction. Further than he’d been able to get himself after several years of work.

Shaking his head at his thoughts in mild chastisement Atemu pulled his back straight and yanked on his white t-shirt, steeling his nerves for the task ahead. Messing his hair with his fingers in the nervous habit that had followed him since childhood he poked his head around the bathroom door and called for Yuugi. After a little cajoling, which was nothing more than Yuugi pouting over the lack of apple crisp that now inhabited the house, Atemu was able to get the younger man to join him in their shared bedroom. Motioning for Yuugi to sit on the bed he turned his back and closed the door, keeping his hand on the knob as the reality of what he was about to do suddenly enveloped him.

Yuugi folded his legs beneath him on the bed and sat back on his heels, tilting his head to the side as he watched Atemu carefully. His whole silent treatment had only been playful jest and, unfortunately, an unsuccessful attempt to get Atemu to make more of the mouth-watering dessert. He knew Atemu knew this, so why the man appeared to be suddenly trapped when he was the one to call the meeting between them was baffling to Yuugi. He hadn’t had the opportunity to really talk to Atemu since the two of them went to breakfast once they’d left the airport yesterday and he was more than ready to catch up on the ten days he’d missed out on getting closer to the older man. He didn’t really like the hesitation in the room, but he was reluctant to push Atemu when the man was making such a great effort to break down his walls and let Yuugi in. Growing impatient Yuugi bit his lip and forced himself to sit still until Atemu was ready to talk.

Atemu lightly banged his head against the door a couple of times to motivate himself into action. “I’m going to screw this up,” he stated matter-of-factly.

“What?”

Jumping at Yuugi’s voice, Atemu scowled at himself and turned to face the man sitting on the bed. “I’ll have to ask you to be patient with me. I have no idea how this is going to sound.” He looked away, unable to think clearly when those blue eyes watched him with such visible amusement at his plight. Folding his hands in front of his face Atemu lowered his head and let his mouth take over.

“My family doesn’t approve of me.” Disappointed with this statement Atemu sighed irritably and tried again. “There haven’t been many people… I’ve never been popular. I’m sure there are scores of reasons as to why, but we’ll just leave it at that. And when people do pay attention to me it’s usually to comment on something they don’t like. Hair, dress, attitude, the like.”

Yuugi pursed his lips, not liking the sound of this… this almost confession. He wanted to prompt Atemu to get to the point of whatever it was he wanted to stay and not stall by telling his depressing back-story. It wasn’t so much that he didn’t care to hear it, but simply that reliving the past wasn’t going to help anything in the present. He decided against mentioning this when he saw the distant look in those beautiful russet eyes, instead patting the bed beside him to invite Atemu to sit and relax. Somehow Atemu noticed and accepted the invitation, sitting gingerly next to Yuugi, but his attention never truly diverted from his task.

“I haven’t had a lot of luck with relationships,” Atemu continued, his hands still clasped in front of his face and his back hunched over his knees. “I fall too hard, too fast, and nearly always for the wrong people. I’m a horrible judge of character in these things.” He sighed, covering his face with the palms of his hands. “I’m not interesting enough to keep anyone around for long anyway. I know that. Don’t,” he scolded, not needing to look to see that Yuugi had opened his mouth to protest that statement. “I know it’s true. And I don’t feel bad about it, so don’t worry.” He shrugged humbly, lowering his arms to rest on his knees and turning his eyes so he could watch Yuugi without facing him.

Yuugi held Atemu’s gaze until the man continued to speak. “You’re weird,” Atemu finally said, ignoring Yuugi’s ‘duh’ expression. “I think I get you pretty well, but you’re weird.”

“You’re such a romantic.” Yuugi was unable to hold back the drawled comment.

“Can I ask you something?”

Yuugi was a bit perturbed that Atemu kept ignoring his responses, but he was willing to play along until he knew where this was going. “What do you want to know?”

There was an uncomfortable pause as Atemu simply studied Yuugi for several moments. Yuugi kept himself from squirming in annoyance as the time passed by biting his cheek, his desire to know the question increasing beyond his liking. This was such unusual behavior for Atemu; claiming the power in the moment but not doing anything with it, almost like he was testing the waters to see if Yuugi would let him be in control even when he didn’t know what was going to happen. Actually, when he looked at it this way, Yuugi was a little excited. At least, he was, until Atemu nodded and stood from the bed without asking his question and began to pace.

Yuugi snorted lightly. He took it all back. Atemu was just acting bizarre.

The pacing didn’t last long and Yuugi fond himself looking down at Atemu, who had come and kneeled before him.

“Heba?”

Yuugi relaxed. God did he love it when Atemu called him that. It was a good thing the Egyptian didn’t know that by using that one word he’d be able to win any argument with Yuugi.

“I love you,” Atemu said quietly. He smiled softly at the surprised look on Yuugi’s face. “Yeah, I know. But I do. Not in that fucked-up way I usually fall either. I just… love you. Ah!” he said, raising a finger and placing it over Yuugi’s lips to stop him from speaking. “Just listen to me now, please?” He removed his finger when there was a nodded agreement and placed his hands on Yuugi’s knees.

“I know I’m a difficult person to have around, and I’m thankful you’ve put up with me this long.” Atemu had to pause to give Yuugi a warning glance when he felt the younger man tense in preparation to talk. “I’m not asking for anything in return. I just wanted to let you know what was going on in my head. I’ve been giving you some real shitty signals the past couple of weeks. It’s not on purpose.”

“Why is it hard?” Yuugi was able to whisper before being reprimanded.

Atemu thought about the question, lowering his eyes to the floor. “Because I’m tired of hurting,” he eventually said. “Everything I care about hurts me in the long run. It never changes.”

“But that happens to everyone,” Yuugi argued, keeping his voice solemn. Atemu not looking at him was unnerving. He could sense the older man pulling away again, despite their close proximity. “Love hurts. It’s just how it works. It sucks, but it makes the times in-between fun, doesn’t it?”

Atemu didn’t answer, and Yuugi was afraid he’d lost him until the man pulled himself straight and stood, reaching for Yuugi’s hands and pulling him to a standing position beside him. Only then did he look the younger man in the eye, and the emotion Yuugi saw made him forget to take in his next breath.

Without hesitation Atemu trailed his fingers up along Yuugi’s arms, tickling his neck until he was able to cup his palms beneath Yuugi’s jaw, his thumbs resting on the younger man’s cheekbones. “One night is all I ask Heba,” he whispered, leaning forward, pausing just above Yuugi’s lips, heated breath caressing both mouths. “May I have one night with you?”

Even if he’d wanted to, Yuugi couldn’t have said no. “I’d give you more than that if you’d just accept it,” he mumbled. He tried to lean closer and get the kiss Atemu was dangling in front of him but was unsuccessful when that tempting mouth pulled away, adding insult to injury by opening further in anticipation but not letting Yuugi taste it. His body shuddered as he watched Atemu unconsciously lick the inside of his lower lip and he wanted nothing more than to dive in with reckless abandon and take that mouth for his own.

Yuugi had never been aroused like this before; he’d been excited, he’d been teased, but this embrace was nothing like those moments for the simple fact that Atemu was not trying to tease or excite. He wasn’t trying to convince Yuugi or gain an objective or prove a point and that wasn’t something the young man was used to experiencing. Yuugi’s eyes slipped close as Atemu’s hands traced themselves down his neck and across his shoulders, and down his arms where he clasped their hands together, fingers intertwined. He wanted to laugh, wanted to smile, wanted to shout and whisper and run and jump. The pure love that was pouring into him with such simple touches was enough for Yuugi to forsake every notion he’d ever had about the futility of loving someone. Atemu put them to shame.

“You give me too much,” Atemu whispered, his eyes halfway closed and unfocused. He brought their clasped hands up between them, holding onto Yuugi tightly and causing him to open his eyes with the movement.

Yuugi smiled, barely, the expression able to remain on his face for but a moment. He tilted his head to the side, just enough to get his nose out of the way for the kiss he could hardly wait for to come. A car’s engine revved outside somewhere but he barely noticed it, so great was his attention on the other man. He loosened his thumbs and lowered them to rub erotically on the underside of Atemu’s wrist, the resulting sigh floating over his parted lips and gliding over his tongue with their close proximity, torturing him with the memory of the Egyptian’s flavor.

“You take too little,” Yuugi said. He was surprised by the unintentional husky tone in his voice but was pleased with the flash of desire that shot through Atemu’s eyes. “Gonna have to work on that…”

“In due time.” Atemu released Yuugi’s hands and reached for his face again, placing his fingers back on Yuugi’s cheeks and pulling his head forward. “In due time.”

The resulting kiss was so damnably simple that it instantly became Yuugi’s favorite kiss of his life. A sharp intake of breath through their noses was the immediate response from both men when Atemu pushed his parted lips onto Yuugi’s, effectively capturing Yuugi’s top lip while simultaneously entrapping his bottom lip for Yuugi to hold. They pressed against each other meaningfully, feeling both the smooth skin of the outer lip and the slick, velvety texture of the inner lip. Yuugi’s hands pressed into Atemu’s chest, moving in random patterns as he sought out the other man’s heartbeat. Atemu’s long fingers pushed back into Yuugi’s hair and pulled on the strands, not painfully, but with enough force to encourage the direction that Yuugi moved his head. No nibbling, no suckling, no excess movement of any kind. Press together and pull back, press together and move over each other as heads were repositioned, pull apart, press together.

The pace was unrushed, the sentiments genuine. Minutes passed and, as the kisses remained open-mouthed and unobtrusive, bodies relaxed into each other and hands rested freely on shoulders, backs and chests and minds melded into the calm state of mutual arousal. Yuugi found his legs to be extremely heavy, weighting him in place, keeping him steady so he could indulge himself in the beautiful kisses that were being placed upon his lips. He loved the feeling of Atemu being completely content against him, tracing the muscles in his limbs and the strands of his hair with calm and confident strokes, seemingly independent of the potent attention he was lavishing on Yuugi’s mouth. There was an element of control that he wouldn’t say was missing, more that it was floating freely in the air around them, patiently waiting for one of the men to call for its aid when it was time to progress to the next level of intimacy. It was Atemu who eventually reached for it and it willingly came as he took hold of Yuugi’s sides and guided him back towards the bed, releasing his hold so he could watch Yuugi sit and scoot back to make room for Atemu to follow. Now both on the bed, Yuugi leaning back on his elbows with one leg bent and one leg stretched out, Atemu on his knees and crawling over Yuugi, pausing when they were again nose to nose with neither of them taking the next step, enjoying these small moments where anticipation could build.

Yuugi’s hand started on Atemu’s stomach, reaching in a finger to assure the position of the navel before moving upwards until it was able to take hold of the shirt’s collar and, with this grip, pull Atemu forward and downward into a kiss that he was not going to be easily released from. As soon as Atemu’s tongue found itself tasting the inside of Yuugi’s lips, and Yuugi’s hands boldly declared war on Atemu’s shirt and ripped it off his back, carelessly tossing the pieces to the side, both men laughed into one of the endless kisses to follow.

This particular journey was going to blow away the destination, if they ever decided that the journey should end.

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to be continued…