Better Late Then Never

Chapter 2: Spiky blonde hair and amethyst eyes (Yami)

With your thoughts turned inward on yourself and your crush you failed to notice the large patch of ice on the sidewalk that everyone else avoided. That is before you felt your feet slide across it and lost your both footing and balance, pitching forward as you threw your hands out in front of you to take the harsh surface of the side walk.

But your fall was brought to an abrupt halt as two muscular arms snapped around your waist from behind and managed to keep you upright.

*Who …?* You asked yourself, wondering who could possess such quick reflexes as you looked over your shoulder to see …

Spiky blonde hair and amethyst eyes, Atemu (or Yami as you and his friends called him) Moto.

You felt the blush swarming up on your face as you looked up into the eyes of the very said former spirit that you had fallen for quite some time ago. *Speak of the devil and he shall appear.*

“Are you alright Name?”

You blinked at the lack of a suffix attached to your name, wondering slightly as you nodded. “Uh, yea … I’m ok. Thanks.” You said as Yami pulled you back off the ice before he released you to stand on your own two feet. “Well … I … I got to go. See you Yami.” You said as you tried to flee.

That is before he snagged your right wrist, a loose bracelet of fingers but you knew from experience there was no way you were breaking his grip. “Wait, Name. We need to talk.”

You gulped, trying to force your racing heart back down as you stared ahead. “Talk?” You echoed.

“Yes.” There was a small tug on your wrist before you finally faced the former Pharaoh and he nodded to a direction across the street. “Come with me, I think we need to take this somewhere more private.”

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Not ten minutes later you found yourself entering the Kame Game Shop, the livelihood and home of the Moto family. Inside you spotted the lighter half of the two partners, Yugi, who just smiled his hello at you when he saw you and Yami come inside.

“Lets go upstairs.” Yami said but you suddenly halted.

“Um, Yami is that yours and Yugi’s bedrooms upstairs?”

“Yea so?” Yami asked arching an eyebrow at you.

“Well, um, Yami most girls don’t go into a boy’s bedroom alone and …” You stammered, sure your face was a red as a cherry. It wasn’t like you were a prude or anything but you did have both your reputations to protect. And you didn’t want to be tempted when it wasn’t meant.

Yami pressed his lips tightly together to suppress the laugh that was fighting it’s way up. “I’ll keep my hands to myself I promise. Beside, Grandfather would kill me.” He answered as he started up the stairs and with a sigh (*What am I thinking?* You wondered) you followed.

Once upstairs Yami motioned for you to find a place to sit as he left the door open a crack before pulling up a chair to sit in front. “You know why I asked you to come here.”

It wasn’t a question as much as it was a statement but you still answered. “The gift I gave you for Christmas.” You answered as you looked down sheepishly.

“Yugi passed it on to me, I’m surprised you were able to make something like that, I know your brother is good at working with metals but I didn’t think you knew as well. But I guess that is the reason for your pains.”

As he spoke Yami turned over your right hand to trace alongside a healing gash that cut through your lower palm, it was a gash you received in putting the final touches on Yami’s gift.

Having not being able to find a gift for him that you really liked you had your brother to help you make a small plague of copper with thin gold layering as a cover that that the images of him dueling victoriously both in his normal outfit style and in ancient Egyptian style clothing; sure it cost you every dime you had as well as a promise to do the house chores for the next five months but you were proud with the end result.

“It is nothing, just a little cut.” You said forcing up a cocky grin though your heart was pounding like a bird trying to escape a cage.

“Hn, it does not look so to me.” Yami said, his thumb feathering over the gash gently so not to cause any more pain to the healing wound before he glanced up at your face. “It looks like it was more then ‘nothing’ to me, otherwise you won’t have gone through so much trouble.”

You had a feeling he wasn’t just talking about the gash on your hand as you gently pulled away, you couldn’t rightly think straight with him doing that and he knew it, everyone knew you seemed to possessed a heighten sense of touch. (one reason why you would make a good thief as Bakura once said much to Yami’s annoyance) “If you have something to say Yami then say it.” You said, finally summoning up the courage to look him straight in the face as you challenged him.

Yami didn’t give an inch though, not in action or expression, as if he had been anticipating your move like he would in a duel. “No, I believe it is you that have something to say to me Name.” Yami came to sit on the edge of his chair, leaning forward so to be eye level with you. “So then say it, I want to hear the words from you. Tell me, little one.” The command that he normally spoke with was buried in a wealth of compulsion, more coaxing then demanding.

*He knows?* You wondered as amethyst eyes watched you with seeming infinite tranquility as you swallowed down your heart. *Ok then Name, now or never.* You thought. You had to be sure. No more games.

“I … well, I love you.” Was that your voice?! It didn’t sound like the normal ‘Yea I am Ms. Independent and proud of it’ voice, it sounded scared. Just like how you felt. Scared of rejection. Scared he was going to laugh or worse.

You swore you saw something flash in the former pharaoh’s eyes (relief?) before he swept aside a strand of free fallen hair, and before you realized it, his lips were inches from yours. Shock and hope froze you as he quickly closed the distance and exciting sensation of his lips on yours sent shuddered down your spine. It was careful, more like he was testing the water, seeking consent before claiming the kiss fully.

It was more restrained then your near-kiss back in the alley in Battle City but you found it was easily addicting when Yami finally broke away you felt like you were in heaven, especially with the words he whispered next right along the lobe of your ear. “Aishiteru.” It was a promise and demand that had your stomach do tricks.

“I love you too Yami.” You smiled back as he pushed away from the chair only to sit on the bed beside, one arm pulling you into his frame as you kissed him which he returned willingly. “So I guess that is my Christmas present?” You teased.

“You can take it as you wish.” Yami replied stoically though the twitch of his lip, a smile that was fighting to show itself ruined the effect as his arms held possessively around you.

You smiled against his shoulder. “Well I guess it is better late then never koi.”