Light Amongst Shadows

Author’s Note – Well, I thought I was on a roll and then got sprung another surprise. Damn muses of mine, lol. With them, it’s one drama after another and I can never seem to catch my breath between them. And it seems that my nights are pretty much taken over by two tiny fur balls. Apparently, a mother cat gave birth in our garage and something happened to her. We found her later but was too late to reintroduce the two back into the litter. So my step-mother and I are taking shifts and hand feeding these two little guys/gals. They’re adorable, but I’m so tired! Anyway, I want to thank everyone for reading and hanging with me throughout these adventures. Hopefully, we’ll have a lot more fun in the future with me writing and you guys reading. I know I’m enjoying myself so far. In answer to a few questions, yes, the collar has significance which will come into play soon enough. Some of you might know but for those who aren’t too sure, just hang on and you’ll see what’s going on soon. Hugs and love to my two best friends. They know who they are! I couldn’t do this without their support.

Disclaimer – Alas, I still don’t own them. Maybe he’d trade my husband’s cat for the rights?

Chapter Two – Sweet Night Out

Ryou looked at his reflection in the mirror for the fifth time in thirty seconds. Anxiety was written all over his face as he adjusted his hair for the twentieth time in the past ten minutes.

-“You look fine, hikari. Stop worrying so much.”-

At the familiar mental voice of his yami, Ryou almost relaxed. He responded in kind, still staring at his reflection.

-“I’m trying, Kura, but I want this to go as perfect as possible.”-

-“I know you do but if you keep worrying about this, it’ll definitely mess up on you. You’ve seriously got to relax, Ryou. Otherwise, you won’t be able to focus on the midget tonight.”-

Exasperated, Ryou turned from the mirror to face the bed where his soul partner was lounging. Unbeknownst to him, this was exactly what the thief had wanted. Getting his hikari miffed at him was the only way he knew of to keep him calm.

“He’s not a midget, Kura!”

“Oh yeah? Says who?”

“I do. He may be small, but he’s not a midget.”

“Yeah, well, if you don’t hurry, you’re going to be late picking up the midget.”

Chocolate colored eyes widened as he noticed the time, and the white haired hikari quickly grabbed his keys and wallet before running down the stairs.

“Bye, Kura! See you later!”

Bakura leaned against the wall near the bedroom window, watching his hikari get into the small car they shared and drive away. He smiled, shaking his head.

“Have fun tonight, Ryou. I hope things go well for you. If the midget hurts you, I’m going to rip his fucking heart out and make the pharaoh eat it.”

Ryou anxiously dashed up the few steps that led to the door of Yugi’s house, bypassing the game shop for once. He paused, taking a deep breath, and then knocked on the door. A few moments later, Yami opened the door and smiled warmly at him.

“Nice to see you, Ryou. Come on in.”

Yami’s crimson eyes took in the gentle smile he received in a response to his greeting, and the pharaoh silently approved of the outfit that Ryou had chosen for tonight. The slender hikari was garbed in dark gray dress slacks and a silvery gray dress shirt that made the white hair gleam in the light. The top two buttons had been left undone to give it a more casual look. His hair had been partially pulled away from his face, allowing several locks to frame his face.

“You look very nice tonight, Ryou.”

Ryou smiled nervously at the compliment. He realized that Yugi wasn’t downstairs yet and wondered where his friend was.

“Thank you, Yami.”

“Yugi’s putting his shoes on. He’ll be down in a second. Take a seat.”

Still feeling fidgety, Ryou complied with Yami’s request, quietly answering the former pharaoh in a soft voice. The two talked for a few moments before footsteps on the stairs drew their attention to the hallway.

Ryou rose to his feet to greet his fellow hikari and then froze, words forgotten as he stared at the vision standing in the doorway.

Yugi was dressed in a pair of black dress slacks and black cloth belt that had a bit of gold wound through the material. A burgundy silk dress shirt was tucked into the slacks. In an effort to lighten the formality of the outfit, the sleeves had been rolled up to his elbows and the top two buttons left undone. Ryou could barely see the usual collar that his friend was never without. There was also a gold chain bracelet adorning a slender wrist.

However, what stunned Ryou was how the small hikari had chosen to wear his hair. For once, the spikes everyone was used to were gone. The tri-colored hair had been subdued and straightened, flowing freely to cover the burgundy clad shoulders. The blond bangs framed his face without the usual waves, some of it having been brushed back to mingle with the black and violet tresses to give it an unusual streaked appearance.

Looking at him, Ryou couldn’t believe that this was Yugi. He’d never seen his friend look so sexy before. It was a look the white haired hikari definitely approved of, and he had to struggle to calm himself down before he could greet his friend.

Watching Ryou, Yami knew that the hours of work that he and Yugi had put into the outfit and hairstyle had paid off. His hikari looked fantastic and despite the nervousness that he could feel through their bond, Yugi presented himself as a teenager ready to wow the person he cared about.

“You look wonderful, Ryou.”

Yugi’s words pulled Ryou from his daze, and the British teenager quickly pulled his thoughts together so he could answer.

“Thank you, Yugi. You look amazing.”

Yami bit back a snicker before leaving the room to rejoin Yugi’s grandfather in the shop. Putting the outfit together hadn’t been the difficult part. No, the challenge had been dealing with his hikari’s hair. The coloring wasn’t the only thing the soul partners shared in common. The fact that their hair spiked naturally was something that had often been the bane of their existence. It had taken Yami and Yugi both a couple of hours and several bottles of expensive hair products to get the wild mane under control. Even then, Yami had used a little shadow magic to make sure that his hikari’s hair would remain that way. Otherwise, the spikes would probably have returned before the date ended.

With the yami gone, chocolate eyes met amethyst and held for a long moment. With some effort, Ryou managed to end the silence.

“Ready to go?”

Yugi smiled widely, nodding as he answered the softly spoken question.

“Yeah, I am. Shall we?”

The two friends left the house and made their way to the car, talking a little bit about various subjects. The drive was filled with quiet chatter, both seemingly taking advantage of the opportunity to be alone and learn more about each other.

Over a wonderful meal, Ryou and Yugi discussed more serious things, both somehow avoiding blushing as one certain topic came up. They’d been talking about a few of the couples in their group when the thief’s hikari had mentioned it.

“That’s one thing about Tristan and Duke. Given the way those two keep groping each other, it’s obvious they seriously enjoy each other in the bedroom.”

Yugi snickered, taking a sip from his drink. Those two had been a constant source of amusement for the unattached members of their group. The other couples were also pretty affectionate with each other and had been known to initiate make out sessions in the oddest places. However, Tristan and Duke had to be worst of them so far, nearly getting the gang thrown out of some of their familiar haunts.

“Or any other room they just happen to be in when the mood strikes.”

At that comment, Ryou chuckled, knowing his friend was right. Yugi put down his glass and continued, sharing something he’d heard not too long ago.

“The other night when we were watching movies at Seto’s house, you’d left to go to the bathroom and Joey made a comment you missed.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, he scolded Tristan pretty good about their behavior, not that he and Seto are any better. He told Tristan that they needed to be careful because there were still virgins in the group and no one wanted to offend them.”

Ryou nearly choked at that, staring at Yugi with a wide eyed expression.

“You must be joking.”

“Nope and he was looking right at me when he said it.”

“And knowing Joey, everyone knew who he was talking about. He’d be in for a surprise if he really knew the truth.”

Yugi knew what his companion was talking about and as he cut a portion of his steak, he questioned him.

“Bakura?”

Ryou nodded, laying aside his knife and scooping up some of his baked potato. He wasn’t surprised Yugi had figured it out.

“Yes. He wanted to make sure I was prepared for any situation. My yami’s idea was that you would never know what type of lover I would find and considering anything is possible these days, he researched just about everything and taught me what he knew. Honestly, it helped our bond considerably.”

Knowing how rough a start the two had gotten, Yugi understood. Not all of the hikaris had started out as well as he had with his yami. While the thief hadn’t been horrid to his hikari, the relationship between them hadn’t been strong until the past year or so. It was good seeing the two of them act like a normal yami and hikari, soothing some of Yugi’s worries about his friend.

“So, when you say everything, what exactly do you mean?”

Ryou’s eyes gleamed mischievously as he answered his dinner companion.

“I learned what to do in both positions for a starter.”

Not expecting that answer, Yugi nearly choked on his drink and stared up at his friend in wide eyed amazement.

“You mean to tell me that Bakura let you top him?”

“We swapped out until I learned both roles well enough to suit his demands. He was a thorough teacher. I have to admit, it was odd at first. What about you and Yami?”

Yugi played with his salad before answering Ryou’s question, phrasing it as carefully as he could. There were some aspects he didn’t want to share yet, not knowing how his friend would take the answer.

“I ran into some trouble nearly two years ago. A new bully at school decided I’d make a good fuck buddy, if you’ll excuse the term, and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Yami took care of him, and we had a long talk later about it. He offered to show me, wanting my first time to be something special. We kept up the physical aspect of our relationship for a while until I noticed someone and found myself really liking him. That’s when Yami backed off and keeps things more affectionate than sexual now.”

“So you’re not in love with Yami?”

“No, I’m not. I love him, don’t get me wrong, but there’s someone else that holds a stronger position in my heart. Yami cares about me as well, but I can tell that I’m not the one he needs.”

Dinner eventually ended and both decided to take a stroll in the new rose garden that had been opened in Domino, not yet ready to end the evening. There was a companionable silence between them as they wandered through the various stone pathways, enjoying how the moonlight bathed the gardens in such a beautiful silvery glow.

When the two hikaris reached the center of the large garden, they came to a stop to view the fountain that bubbled quietly. That’s when Ryou turned to face his friend, admiring how the moonlight made the amethyst eyes sparkle.

“Yugi?”

Turning slightly to face his friend, Yugi’s eyes could fully be seen, nearly making it impossible for Ryou to think clearly.

“Yes, Ryou?”

Fighting past his nerves, the taller hikari pushed on, needing to know if what his yami had said earlier was the truth.

“You said that you’d noticed someone and that person has a strong position in your heart.”

“Yes, I did.”

“Do I know who this person is?”

Yugi smiled shyly, his voice almost too quiet to hear over the sound of the nearby fountain.

“You know him quite well.”

“I do?”

“Yes. He’s been a good and loyal friend for years, understanding and supporting the group with his quiet strength. He was there for me when the others couldn’t be simply because they didn’t understand the stresses placed upon those who have soul partners. Of the three of us, he’s the strongest simply because he hasn’t complained, only given as much of himself as he could for his friends.”

Ryou’s heart nearly came to a stop as he met his friend’s eyes and when he saw the look in Yugi’s eyes, he finally understood. The gem colored gaze reflected admiration, respect, devotion, and love. What he had seen there prompted him to act, determined to reach for his happiness.

With gentle fingers, Ryou traced the contours of Yugi’s face, memorizing the feel of the soft skin. He could feel his fellow hikari tremble beneath his touch, and that’s when he broke the stillness that lay between them.

“You were the first person to try and stop the loneliness that surrounded me for so long, fighting past whatever defenses I had built in the past in order to reach me. After getting the Ring, I never thought I’d find anyone who would understand and try to be my friend. The longer I spent around you, the more I found myself becoming stronger. Your light chased away the shadows that had been surrounding me for so long. You had my loyalty and friendship from the first day, but it wasn’t until some time ago that you stole my heart. I love you, Yugi.”

Tears filled Yugi’s eyes when heard the confession, making them sparkle even brighter in the moonlight. Despite the tears, he smiled and gently took the fingers that had been moving so slowly over his face during Ryou’s confession. The diminutive teenager placed a kiss on the palm of the hand he was now holding, looking up into the chocolate gaze that was watching him.

“There’s been a part of me that has been drawn to you since the day we met. I never understood why or what was going on until much later. You’ve been my strength, support, best friend, competitor, and so much more. You challenge me to do better without saying a word. It’s because of you that I want to be so much more than I have been. I love you, Ryou, and have for so long now.”

With his free hand, Ryou tipped Yugi’s face up slightly and leaned down. Both were stunned and breathless when their lips met in their first kiss. Heat and electricity flooded both of their bodies, filling them with a passionate sense of rightness that shattered any and all concepts of what had taken place in the past. All they could focus on was the person in front of them, and the emotions generated by that simple contact destroyed any and all barriers that had kept them from reaching out to each other.

There was a soft whimper when the kiss finally ended, but neither of them could tell who had emitted the sound. Maybe it had been both of them, who knew? All either of them could say was that the separation had been nearly unbearable and needing to touch him, Ryou wrapped his hand around Yugi’s and held on as the two of them continued walking, finding no need to break the sweet silence that had fallen between them.

Much later that night, Ryou stood with his love on the small porch that led to the house. Yugi reached up as the white haired teenager leaned down, capturing the soft lips in another potent kiss. Slender fingers entwined themselves in silky hair, gently tangling as the kiss intensified.

Ryou reluctantly ended the kiss, knowing that Yugi’s curfew was rapidly approaching and he didn’t want to get him into trouble. He smiled and pressed a gentle kiss near Yugi’s ear, whispering softly.

“Good night, Yugi-chan, and have sweet dreams. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

Yugi smiled lovingly at him, answering in a soft voice.

“Good night, Ryou-chan, and I’ll be waiting to hear from you.”

Bakura had stayed home that night, wanting to remain close by in case something hadn’t gone well and Ryou would need him. He’d passed the time with a book his hikari had picked up for him, unaware of time passing by slowly.

Mahogany colored eyes were drawn from the page as the sound of the door opening and shutting disturbed the peace that had filled the house for so long. The yami found his soul partner leaning against the door. There was a sweet smile curving slightly swollen lips, telling Bakura that things had gone extremely well with the pharaoh’s hikari. The joy surging down their bond only confirmed it, and he was happy for Ryou. The teenager had been lonely too long, and Yugi had brightened his life since the day the two of them had met at school.

“Have a good time?”

Ryou’s smile became impossibly brighter as he answered his yami’s question.

“I had the best time.”

“Obviously, you haven’t fucked him yet as you’re home this early.”

The teasing note in the thief’s voice only made the happy teenager blush and there was a note of joy in the soft tones.

“No, it’s too soon for that. But he does love me, Kura.”

Bakura’s voice was soft and gentle as he responded to Ryou’s announcement. He was happy that his hikari’s heart had not been broken tonight.

“I’m glad, Ryou. Now go and get some sleep, okay?”

Ryou nearly floated out of the living room, turning at the last minute to look at his seated yami.

“Kura, you going out?”

“Thought about it. It’s still early. Marik might want to get together and do something.”

“Have fun and thank you for being here.”

Bakura waved his hikari’s gratitude away, and Ryou continued on his way to his bedroom. There was really no need for words as the hikari knew his yami would always be there for him.

The thief smiled and turned to the telephone, dialing a number he’d memorized a long time ago. Now that the stress of waiting was over, it was time to have some fun and do a little private celebrating.

Author’s End Note – I think that’s one of the longest chapters I’ve ever done. I can’t wait to see what’ll happen next chapter. The muses seem to agree that they like the chapter, but two of them are saying it can produce cavities. However, considering the pairing, sweet is perfect for them. Please review and let me know what you think. I’m hoping to have another chapter done before too long. Thanks and see you guys later!