Coalescence

30) Yugi Tells Seto

Summary: Jounouchi finds new acceptance; Yugi tells Seto of his decisions over lunch; Ryou is approached by an interested party. Heh.

The only part that Seto did not share with Jounouchi was the consequence of the Bonds - that likely Yugi would be drawn to love whom Yami loved... and in the second Bond, Seto would be drawn to love whom Yami loved as well. As Yugi wasn't interested in dating now anyway, there was really no need to get into any of that with their friends. Hopefully as time went on, they'd see that Yugi naturally wanted to be with the two of them.

Jounouchi, to their relief, enthusiastically embraced the concept of the new cards from the future and the fact that the cards held a great deal of real magical power. "Yeah, I'm cool with this," he replied to Yugi's inquiry after the explanation. "It's awesome, really, when you think of it! You and Yami get to be soulmates forever... and I already knew you wanted that, Yug... and then Yami gets to be something similar with Kaiba..."

Internally, Seto gave a start. Although they'd told Jounouchi about the Bond cards and the possibilities of the rituals, neither had stated that they were going to actually follow through with it. [Has Yugi made a decision? The puppy's just assuming... Yugi does seem very relaxed right now... maybe...]

Jounouchi was winking daringly at Seto. "And I'm guessing that you guys are more than just dating, ne?"

Seto managed to drag his composure back into place and afford them a genuine smile, relaxing a bit. "You're correct. We do love each other."

"Knew it!" Jounouchi laughed, both at the irony and at himself, seeing how he had been able to embrace all this crazy stuff... and Kaiba's relationship with the ancient spirit. But then every time he looked at Yugi's earnest expression that just begged him to cave in... he couldn't help but go along with it. The little guy just had that effect on people. "Well, it's super that Yami gets his own body." He winked again. "Makes things a LOT easier, ne? Ne?"

"Moving right along," Yugi broke in firmly, as Jounouchi laughed when Seto blushed, "We don't understand what the other cards are for, but that should be revealed in time. It's huge, that's all we know."

He looked over at Seto. "I want to tell Anzu-chan and Honda-kun as well... but no one else, I don't think. I know Bakura-kun is a friend, too, but I'm wary that his dark spirit isn't completely gone, and I don't want him to know about the cards. And Otogi-kun... well, I just don't know him that well. I'd rather keep things to our group of four - five now with Kaiba-kun."

"Mokuba knows some of this as well, and he'll be involved with running the tournament," Seto put in. "I'll tell him about the cards, too."

"Then it's a plan," Yugi sighed. "Jounouchi, are you okay? With all of this, I mean? For real?"

Jounouchi, who was sitting down again, leaning on the chair back, sighed and nodded. "I'm cool. You're obviously cool with everything, Yug, so why shouldn't I be? That's what a best friend does, ne? As usual, I've got your back, man. And I'll be there at your side in the tournament, too, ready to bust some Rare Hunter butt!"

Seto opened his mouth, about to protest that only duelists above a certain rating would be allowed to participate in the tournament, but the protest died as he glanced at Yugi. [If he fails, he fails... and I know Yugi wants him there, even to duel. I'll have to make an exception in Jounouchi's case. Despite Duelist Kingdom, his international rating is only a Level 2.] His and Yugi's ratings were at the highest level, 8; player of Level 5 and above were only otherwise being allowed into the tournament.**

"Yay!" Yugi cheered... just as Honda and Anzu came into the classroom, trailed by about six other students, two of whom were Ryou and Otogi.

"Ohayo, Yugi-kun! What're you so excited about?" Anzu inquired, smiling at her friend. She was startled to see Yugi and Jounouchi apparently having a civil conversation with Seto Kaiba... okay, she was surprised to see *Jounouchi* there.

"Oh, we'll tell you all about it later," Yugi declared brightly, smiling. "Ohayo!"

Since there were others now in the classroom not of their group, Anzu and Honda didn't press to find out what was going on... but they did look inquiringly at Jounouchi, who merely grinned foolishly and shrugged.

//Aibou...//

/Yami, hey, everything's worked out!/ Yugi sent back happily to his dark half.

//I'm relieved as well,// Yami replied, sending a wave of fondness to his hikari. //I knew Jounouchi would accept it all. While he can be overprotective, he doesn't want to cross you and if he knows that you're happy with things, he's eager to embrace that, too. He's got a very open heart that way. You're lucky to have such a friend.//

/Our friend,/ Yugi corrected him. He smiled briefly to Seto as he went to his own desk, then remembered. /Oh, shit, I didn't tell Seto-kun about my decisions! We just told Jounouchi about the cards, but I didn't say we were for sure going to do the rituals. Damn.../

//We'll manage to find time soon to tell him,// Yami returned soothingly. //He'll be very happy, I know.//

/Yeah.../ Distracted as other people started talking to him, Yugi let his awareness of his partner fade.

===
(** - Author's Note: The English dub changed the original rating system. This is how the ratings were explained in the Japanese version. Eight Levels, with Yugi and Seto being the highest, and only Level 5 and above allowed in the tournament. Seto had set Jounouchi at Level 2, much to Jou's consternation. The card shop owner where they were getting their Duel Disks recognized that Jou's Red Eyes Black Dragon was a desirable Rare card, and hence manually changed his rating to Level 5 so he could get a Duel Disk. His Rare Hunter cronies relieved Jou of his REBD by playing him while he was on his way to the hospital to see his sister... and beating him by cheating with fake Exodia parts. Yugi-Yami subsequently got Jou's Red Eyes back by beating the Rare Hunter, but Jou wouldn't take it back, saying he needed to earn it first, to become a 'Shin no Duelist' - a True Duelist who battles with honor, always challenging themselves to achieving greater skill. The English dub also omitted that whole concept from the Battle City arc, sad to say, though in the Japanese it's a running idea that Jounouchi and Kaiba in particular are constantly talking about.)
===

At lunchtime, to both their surprise, Yugi and Seto sought each other out to find a quiet place to have lunch together. Yugi had already told his friends that he had stuff to talk to the executive about. Again they went to the remote corner of the lunchroom, leaving Yugi's friends looking after them in wonder.

"Jounouchi-kun," Anzu started, rounding on the blond, "so WHs gos going on?"

Jounouchi shrugged. Although he could be a blabbermouth, he knew Yugi well enough to know that he didn't dare say anything even about Yami and Kaiba. The little guy would punch his lights out and as for Kaiba... Mr. Moneybags would have his heart on a platter for dinner.

"Eh, Yugi will tell you, I'm sure! They're going to talk about the virtual reality project, that's all. I think Yugi's going to accept the offer."

"Oh, is that all it is?" Anzu replied, relaxing. "Sure, I guess they would have a lot to talk about. Yugi probably has questions."

"Maybe I should sit in," Otogi offered, taking a step toward them. "I know about contracts..."

Jounouchi quickly grabbed the black-haired boy by the arm, hauling him back. "I don't think so... Yugi knows what he's doing. He'll be all right." He released Otogi quickly, then whipped out his card deck. "Anyone up for a duel?"

This time Yugi and Seto ate first, though Yugi was nearly busting at the seams, eager to tell his tall classmate of his decisions. He'd brought the packet of papers Seto had given him, but more as a show to the others, making this look like another business meeting.

Halfway through, Yugi pushed his lunch aside. "Seto-kun, I did want to talk to you. Man, we've got a lot to talk about..."

Seto finished chewing and set his lunch aside as well, granting the other a small smile. "Yugi, I want to thank you for your precipitous entrance this morning. You really... you really saved me in there."

"Oh, that!" Yugi chuckled. "Eh, I could tell you were uncomfortable telling Jounouchi-kun about you and Yami..."

"I know how important your friends are to you," Seto interrupted, needing to get this out. "Especially... that one."

Yugi smiled and sat back. "And I know it was very hard for you to tell *that* one, Seto-kun." His voice went softer. "Arigato..."

Seto smiled briefly, relaxing. "I'm glad it's over, though!"

"Me, too! Man, when he leaped on that desk, I thought we'd have to pull him off the ceiling!" Yugi laughed, then subsided, looking more intently at his companion. "Seto-kun," he began, his voice soft again, "I've made a couple decisions. That's why I needed to talk to you alone."

Seto felt his heart leap. [I want to hope... oh, please...] "Go on," he murmured.

Yugi felt like touching Seto's hand or arm but this was still quite a public place. He reached his hand out, bringing it to within inches anyway. "Seto-kun, I told Yami last night that I want to do the Bond of the Gods ritual with him."

"Yugi..." Seto breathed, then reached to the other. He gave Yugi's hand a brief squeeze before releasing it quickly. His heart pounding, he bowed his head a little, his emotions surging. "Arigato..."

"I'm not doing this because I know it would make you guys happy," Yugi assured him, sitting back, though he was blushing a little at the impromptu gesture from the other. "I've decided it's what I want, too. And I realized that I can trust that you two believe the Bond isn't going to make me want to do anything I'm not ready for. That's why I can accept it now."

Seto bit his tongue, suppressing the rush of emotion that threatened his outward composure. "So... you accept the consequences? You accept it all?" His voice was hushed.

Yugi's heart was pounding as well, for this was a rare moment in which he felt his dark half's powerful emotions along with his own. He knew that his admission meant that he accepted that he would be involved with Yami and Seto someday... and maybe sooner than he thought. He was at peace with it, and knew that he genuinely liked Seto now. It would be okay... it would be good. "Yeah, I do," he replied, smiling a little more confidently. "I guess I had something of a breakthrough last night when I was in my soul room... when you were with Yami."

Seto couldn't hold back a gasp. "Did you sense..."

"No, of course, not," Yugi responded quickly, then chuckled. "As if Yami would let me sense... that. You should have seen the array of monsters in defense position he had posted outside my door!" His gaze softened as he regarded the other, smiling as he watched Seto calm himself. "I'm very happy that you two are so in love... and are, um, enjoying each other. Not that I want now now about it!"

Blushing, Seto glanced aside. "I'm glad you were able to make this decision, Yugi... and be at peace with it. So... what now?"

//I'd like to do the ritual Friday night, if that's not too soon,// Yami spoke up.

Yugi blinked. "Er, Yami just told me that he wants us to do the ritual tomorrow night. At your place, I presume."

//It has to be in my soul room, as all three of us need to be there,// Yami added.

"In Yami's soul room," Yugi added aloud.

Seto's eyes widened. "Tomorrow night is fine with me... but why there?"

/You want to switch for a moment?/

//...// Yami, in his soul room, was pacing. He stopped, biting his lip in frustration. //I don't dare...//

Yugi gulped. /I think I understand.../ Obviously it would be hard for Yami to see Seto right now... and not be able to be demonstrative with him in the very public lunchroom. Not even holding hands. "Yami says that all three of us need to be there."

"I see... and activating Dark Manifestation?" Seto asked. He wanted badly to ask Yugi to switch, but at the same time, he didn't know if he could resist touching Yami... like he'd like to. They had some serious celebrating to do after this news, but...

//Saturday night,// Yami replied to the question. //In one of his dueling arenas, I think. A private one, of course. And I think your friends need to be there for that. You may need the support.//

Yugi's eyes widened. /Honto ni?? You want them to witness our split?/

//Only if you want it, too...//

/Of course I do! Thank you!!/

Yugi looked up at Seto, who'd been patiently waiting, knowing he was talking to Yami. "Yami would like us to do that the next night, Saturday... and he says we'll need one of your private dueling arenas... and if you don't mind, we'd like Jounouchi, Anzu, and Honda to be there, too."

"A dueling arena!" Seto exclaimed, surprised. Then he thought about it. "Oh, Yami did mention something to me about needing monsters from *my* deck. I suppose since Blue Eyes White Dragon has such a high defense, it may be needed for protection. I suppose he wants the monsters to be activated by my holographic system because this has to take place in real life. That's as real as they're going to get, outside of my virtual reality game... and we don't have time to program it for that."

"This is... kinda exciting," Yugi admitted shyly, then chuckled. "Okay, it's more than exciting!"

"For me, too, Yugi," Seto murmured, smiling back.

"OH! And I have more news! I've decided to accept your job offer!" Yugi exclaimed.

He almost gasped when he saw the look of happiness that passed through the usually stern boy's face. "Yugi, that's great!" Seto declared, relaxing into a grin, which previously had only been a very scary thing. Yugi thought he should grin like that more often... out of plain enjoyment and necauecause someone else was suffering from being beaten up by him in a duel.

"In that case," Seto was adding, "I want you invite you and your friends to a demonstration I'm having this evening of the new Duel Disk system. It's already been put into production, but I guess I want to show it off to you. And I have a surprise planned."

"Yeah?" Yugi brightened up. "Oh, I'd love to see it!"

[What he doesn't know yet,] Seto mused as Yugi happily returned to finishing his lunch, [is that it's not a test of the Duel Disk... that's finished or else we wouldn't have started production. It's a test of Obelisk... Power of the God Set. If this card works like I think it will, it won't matter if they're potentially my competitors. It won't matter if they see it beforehand...]

They finished their lunch companionably, occasionally chatting about the upcoming tournament.

Across the lunchroom, Ryou Bakura turned away from where he'd been quietly observing the pair in the corner. //Something IS going on,// Bakura said yet again to his hikari. //And you're going to find out what it is...//

/Bakura-kun, I don't know... it's just about Yugi's new job, that's all,/ Ryou sighed. /I'd much rather chase Otogi-kun. Wouldn't you?/

//Eh, he's just a toy to us... though a pretty one...//

/Oh, you! Well, I don't think there's anything going on that you need to fuss over. Really./ Ryou glanced at them again, then turned completely away, taking a couple steps.

Only to run right into Ryuuji Otogi. "Um, Otogi-kun!" he exclaimed wsurpsurprise as the boy with the long black ponytail looked down at him with a decided smirk. "Sumimasen!" (Excuse me!)

"Not a problem," Otogi murmured smoothly, a hand lifted to brush the tendrils out of his eyes.

For a change, Otogi was neither with Jounouchi and the others nor his usual swooning battalion of fangirls. As the white-haired boy bowed and turned to retreat, Otogi caught a wisp of long white hair on the boy's shoulders. "Oi, Bakura-kun, don't go yet..."

Ryou nearly squeaked at his hair being touched. Internally, Bakura sniggled nastily at his hikari's innocent demeanor. //If he only knew...//

/Shut up!/ "Gomen ne?" Ryou turned his large, deep brown eyes up to the vivid green of the other's. "Otogi-kun?"

"You're gay, aren't you, Bakura-kun?" Otogi asked coyly, giving him a little bit of a seductive smile.

"Aa..." Ryou gasped, then squeaked again as the taller boy actually started petting the long white hair falling over his shoulders.

"You're very pretty..." Otogi commented, edging nearer.

//Okay, he's officially coming on to you,// Bakura muttered, though he meant it as coaching. //Don't mess this up...//

/I KNOW. I can do this. Why are you so interested, anyway?/

//Heh. Vicarious pleasure...//

/Lech.../ "Um, thank you," Ryou said aloud, giving the other boy a coy little smile.

"I think you and I should go out, don't you?" Otogi offered, a finger to the other's chin.

"Otogi-kun!" Ryou tried to look shocked. "I thought the girls were all over you..."

Otogi winked at him. "Oh, they are. I'm just not into them. At all. But they're fun to tease. When they find out I'm dating you, it'll break their little hearts... though I think secretly girls like seeing guys get together. Heh."

"Oh..." Ryou straightened, which effectively edged him a little closer as well. "Really?"

"You'd be surprised."

Ryou smiled more easily. "Otogi-kun, I'd love to date you!"

Across the lunchroom, Seto and Yugi had thrown away their lunch trash and were about to move toward the exit when they caught sight of the boys with black and white hair. "Finally!" Yugi declared, chuckling. "It's about time Otogi-kun put a move on him!"

Seto chuckled as well. "So, you'd seen it coming, too, eh?"

From another side of the large, L-shaped lunchroom, Jounouchi was tugging at Honda's sleeve. "Did you see? Lookie!"

Anzu, beside them, looked over, then did a second take. "That's Otogi-kun..."

"Putting the moves on Bakura, pretty cool," Honda finished, grinning. "Yeah, I thought Otogi was that way! Don't they look cute together?"

"Hmmm..." Anzu made a noise, then glanced across the way in another direction to see Seto Kaiba and Yugi exiting the lunchroom together. [I need ANSWERS and if I don't get some soon, I may have to go postal!] she fumed to herself.


Tbc