Amor Vincit Omnia

Notes: Yay! Welcome to chapter 4! And wow, there were actually answers to the riddle...not that I'm complaining, mind you. Getting the prizes done was fuuun!!



Review Responses



Yaminisu: Yeah...there are a lot of things Atem could do, but that would be all sane and logical and stuff...

and who is sane and logical and stuff when they're in love? Atem has his reasons, convoluted as they are, but that's what needs to be resolved. Thanks for reviewing and do keep reading!



right_read_time: Thanks! I hope you enjoy this one as well!



Cody_Thomas: At the risk of sounding like an egoistic maniac...-wasn't- that a great idea?! I was very proud of myself and am so glad you liked it! I love Cupid and Psyche, too and Yami/Yugi just fit the ticket. Thanks for reviewing!



Yami Bakura Itemri: True, Yugi must stay with Atem, but the solution is to figure out how exactly. I didn't think about it, but I really love the Slifer idea! XD Why waste time figuring out puzzles and stuff when you can summon an immortal fucking god dragon?! Sure, there is a lesson about sharpening your mind and using your greatest resource as a last resort, but...it's an immortal fucking god dragon!



The Reeness: Of course, there is more between Atem and Seth than meets the eye...but you'll just have to wait and see what. I mean, if I don't give the whole thing away at some point in my all too revealing author notes. ;p. Thanks for the comment and hope you continue to enjoy the story!



-II-



Amor Vincit Omnia



Chapter 4: Discord



Seth stared back in what looked like slight shock. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it and carefully considered before speaking.



“I,” he began. “will not dignify that with a response.”



Atem only smiled sardonically. “You sure about that? I won’t ask again.”



“I’d rather you didn’t ask at all!” Seth’s composure broke at last, and his normally stoic expression twisted into frustrated anger. “Where the fuck do you get off assuming that I would resort to blackmail?”



Atem shrugged infuriatingly and walked to the large windows to bask in the streaming sunlight. Bare branches swayed stiffly in the frigid breeze, disturbing the few rodents that hadn’t gone into hibernation. “Because it’s a game and it’s been a long time since we’ve played together.”



Behind him, Seth bristled. From the corner of his eyes, he could see his taller cousin’s muscles tense and quiver in an effort to stay calm. But the low snarl in his voice betrayed him, just like the darkness in his iolite eyes. “This…my life…is not a game!”



“You’re right, it’s not a game; it’s a charade!” Atem finally whirled around. The sunlight pressed up against his back, the bright, sharp rays flaring out behind him like an impressive halo. Somewhere, his mind warned him to hold his tongue, to consider whom he was talking to. “It’s a charade, where you play the part of a willing pawn and allow some greedy and selfish bastard to use you as he likes!”



Two quick steps put Seth directly before him. “You will not say such things about Kaiba.” His voice dripped cold venom, crossing the line into hatred.



But Atem wasn’t so easily fazed, he never had been. Sometimes, he wondered whether such nerves of steel were a gift or a curse. On one hand, he could shake off threats and intimidating gestures like a duck did water; on the other hand, however, he didn’t often know when to stop. “Kaiba? What, no Seto-koi? Or doesn’t he allow you to say that in public, either?”



In all honesty, he expected to be slapped for the comment, but Seth just smirked nastily. “So, I should be more like you?” The taller man sneered. “Forget making an effort to love someone despite their faults, for who they are; I’ll simply force myself upon some innocent and take what I need for the moment.”



Atem narrowed his eyes. For all his implications, Seth might as well have slapped him. “Don’t you dare compare this to yourself. –Yugi- is a human being, not an unapologetic beast!”



“No. Seto, for all his faults, is a human being.” Seth countered without missing a beat. He didn’t even sound angry anymore, rather he gazed back casually. As if he was making a perfectly obvious point. “Yugi is too perfect for that—too beautiful, innocent, willing...that is not human.”



“Shut up!” Atem snapped, jealousy now contesting with anger. How unfair it was that Seth was free to be seen and wander around with Yugi when the little nymph was –his- lover? “What would you know about any of that?”



If it took a lot to faze Atem, it took more than that to faze his cousin. Seth leaned back against a desk and folded his arms, a cold draconic smirk on his lips. “I know that’s why you didn’t come out of that office when you heard him and why you had to forge Mai’s signature to reassign him.”



The blue-eyed man sighed dramatically and grinned up at the ceiling only to aggravate his already distraught cousin. “He completely owns you in the light, doesn’t he? But in the dark, you can be in control, make him beg to be yours instead of the other way around.”



“Seth…”



“Oh come now, Temi, I’ve known you since you could barely walk. If this was about Mai, you wouldn’t go through all this trouble; you just don’t want to surrender.”



“It’s not my nature…and I don’t ever plan for it to be.” Atem ground out through clenched teeth.



Seth nodded. “Hmm, pity.” He replied tersely and shrugged as if in regret. “Because you and I both know that if you don’t lose sometimes, you’ll be lost.”



“Nice try,” Atem sneered back after a pause. “But my affairs are my own business, just as yours should be your own. Go away, Seth, and leave me be.”



“No.” Seth used his height to his advantage and blocked his cousin from storming out the door. With one palm on Atem’s chest, he pushed the shorter man back and leaned down to whisper. “I will keep the kid out of Mai’s way and in the meantime, you –will- think about this; what you’re doing, what you’ll put everyone through if you don’t open your eyes—”



“Fuck you. I don’t need your help!”



Seth turned his head when Atem tried to backhand him. The anger was starting to return. “Enough, Atem!” He hissed, taking the other man’s wrist in a nearly bruising grip. “You’re not a child, behave as such!”



Seth pushed and Atem stumbled back, cradling his wrist. He looked up to spit another well-deserved insult at him, but Seth was already on his way out. He walked confidently, with the cool satisfaction of one who knew he was right. Atem dropped his hands to his side and glared at the vast lawns outside the huge windows. What did Seth know about him, about Yugi? Unlike his elder cousin, Atem was not one to shove bitter weeds down others’ throats and force them to accept it. His relationship with Yugi was perfectly fine as a secret until tensions calmed down and Mai was ready to listen.



Meanwhile, he had an apartment to prepare. Yugi would be moving in soon and ‘Yami’ couldn’t wait to see him again.



-II-

Saturday…



Holy Hell and Heaven, the place was huge.



The Millennium Complex took up almost as much space as the campus and it was a neighborhood in itself. It had its own park, pond, recreation center, restaurants and shops all surrounding nice and important looking academic buildings where graduate students, who were light years ahead of him, conducted groundbreaking research. The only consolation that kept him from having a panic attack right there was the fact that the President’s suite was in an expensive glass and steel building in the center of the Complex while his own apartment was in a near non-descript corner. His oh-so-fantastic view consisted of the side of the fine arts complex, and he was close enough to the rest of campus that he could make it to class on time.



Yugi stood in the entrance of his new apartment and scanned the inside with wide, disbelieving eyes. It was waiting for him with tasteful furnishing, lots of room, plenty of sunlight unlike his old, cramped dorm room. He silently marveled at the layout of the place; there was an actual living room, a separate place to sleep and study, a small kitchenette and a nice private bathroom. All this for him, who only days ago was used to sleeping, studying, playing and even eating on a twin bed…



“Get in sometime today, will you?”



Yugi whirled around to the source of the disgruntled voice and identified it as Malik’s on and off partner in crime. “Bakura?”



“At your service,” came the sarcastic retort. “Forgive me if I don’t bow; bad back and all.”



“Oh!” Yugi immediately scampered inside the room to let the white-haired man pass by with a large carton of household stuff. Despite his sudden rise to grandeur, he was still uncomfortable with having other people, especially upperclassmen, do things for him. But when he tried to help Bakura with the box, he all he earned was a condescending look.



Bakura set the box down carefully, to his surprise, and rose to stretch his muscles. “Jeez, you sure have a ton of junk for such a little shrimp.”



“Umm, sorry.” Yugi muttered, while a tiny frown creased his forehead. “Er, but why are you moving my things in?”



Brown eyes narrowed mischievously. “Maybe I want a reward…come ‘ere, pretty!” Bakura grinned scarily and leered. That soon dissolved into a snort of not-so-nice laughter as Yugi shrieked and tried to bolt.



But the slip of fluff didn’t get far before he smacked right into someone else. Seeing Yugi recoil dramatically on impact would have sent the upperclassman into more giggles if it weren’t for a sharp, exasperated voice commanding him to shut up. Instead, Bakura contented himself with an evil smirk.



“Gah! Seth-san, help me!” Yugi scuttled behind the man’s taller frame and peeked out nervously. Seth sighed and tried to disentangle himself from his boy, noticing that Yugi looked a little strung out, the way his eyes darted around and his fingers shook. Obviously, this was a little too much for him.



“Get out, Bakura.” Seth pointed toward the door and Bakura obeyed, but only because he was overcome with mirth again. Once the insane laughter faded away, Seth gently turned Yugi to a couple standing at his apartment door. One was a tall and demure looking woman and the other was an equally tall man with a dark tan and straight shoulder-length black hair.



“Let me introduce Ishizu and Karim.” Seth explained. “We are part of the same research-group, colleagues, if you will. They will take care of you until you get settled.”



Yugi nodded, instantly calming down when Ishizu smiled at him. She was beautiful and practically radiated the serenity he so desperately needed. Karim nodded his head, but didn’t seem inclined to do anything else.



“Now then,” Seth patted his back. “You have a few visitors who wish to see you.”



“B-but I’m not really…” Yugi gestured to the mess of boxes and half unpacked belongings.



“They’re waiting in the lobby downstairs.” Seth ushered him to the door. “They can’t access the elevator without a key-card.”



“Oh!” Yugi fished in his pocket and extracted a white card with Domino University’s seal on one side and a magnetic strip on the other. He remembered swiping the thing at least three times at various gates and doors before he even got into the elevator—there was no way to access anything in the Complex without the key-card. Seth nudged him into the elevator and gave him advice to relax while he took care for everything.



Yugi leaned his head against the side of the brightly polished walls as he whooshed downwards, from the fifth floor to the lobby. He was stressed, really stressed. Given a choice, no matter how much he liked Seth and Ishizu and even Karim, he didn’t want this. He really wanted to go back to his old dorm, his old cramped quarters and eat mystery meat pizza and old popcorn with his friends while they crammed for an eight am test the next day. He wanted to help guard food from Jou when Anzu cooked; he wanted help Honda replace Duke’s hair gel with lube; hell, he even wanted to awkwardly flail around with Malik on the DDR mat, causing them to end up in a heap of confused limbs, then Anzu would comment on shameful-orgylike-behavior and Jou would retaliate with an indecent, but hilarious comment…



His friends…he felt a small stab in his heart at the thought. They hadn’t called him; he figured they were busy helping Jou move into his new room, but it really disturbed him not to hear their voices for so long.



“Yugi!”



Anzu’s bright tones floated over to him as the elevator doors whizzed open. The girl stood in the lobby with a spray of white roses and wildflowers in her arms, surrounded by her boyfriend and the rest of the guys.



“Anzu!” Yugi heard her squeak in surprise when he wrapped his arms around her waist in a crushing hug. He breathed deeply in the scent of the bouquet she handed to him, but he wasn’t interested in the flowers, he was interested that they smelled like Anzu. Like normalcy.



“Wow, Yugi, this is such a cool place!” the female gushed. “You even have a pool in the back!”



“Yeah, it’s nice…” Yugi let her go and looked behind her at Jou, Honda and Duke sitting rather stiffly on the elaborate armchairs. “Hey, guys!”



They didn’t seem to hear him and after a little fidgeting, they all decided to stand instead. Anzu cleared her throat loudly and pointedly. “Boys, you heard Yugi.”



Jou finally looked up. “Hey, Yugi. Settled in, yet?”



Something niggled at the back of his mind, but Yugi smiled through it. “Yeah! There are people setting things up right now.”



Duke frowned. “People? You have people?”



Yugi hesitated. He didn’t like the look on the other boy’s face. “I—no, they’re just grad students…”



Apparently that was the wrong thing to say because Jou put his hands to his heart in mock relief. “Oh, it’s just grad students? You mean the Dean and his department heads didn’t come down to help you unpack your underwear?”



Yugi’s heart skipped a beat in its horror and Anzu snapped at her boyfriend. “Katsuya!”



“I dunno, Jou.” Honda pretended not to listen and now that Yugi looked, he had the same sardonic expression Bakura got when he was feeling petty. “They’re probably coming later to help him unpack something else.” Here, the brunet wagged his eyebrows suggestively, causing both Jou and Duke to snicker.



“I…” Yugi took a shuddering breath, but his chest constricted. Tears of hurt welled up, glazing his eyes. Only Anzu put a gentle hand on his shoulder, giving the others a pleading look.



Jou hesitated for a second, but didn’t try to defend him like usual. “Look, Yug’, you’re…well, you’re in a better place. You don’t want anything to do with us now…I mean, we couldn’t even come see you without the frikkin’ National Guard searching us and…”



“But, Jou, we’re friends!” The tears overflowed and slipped down his cheeks. Yugi sniffled pitifully. “It doesn’t matter where I live!”

The coldness was returning again, the same coldness he felt all his life before coming to the University. They were treating him like a marble statue again, with few emotions and fewer feelings. Had they ever really cared about him or did they just revel in his weakness? Did Jou only defend him from rabid fans and various perverts just to feel needed? Did the smirk on the blond’s lips testify to a dark satisfaction in knowing that Yugi, the personification of love and light, depended on him?



It had to. Why else would he suddenly turn after months of affection and friendship, just because Yugi lived in a bigger place?



Duke snorted and flipped his hair over his shoulder and looked around as if he were waiting for someone. “…there are very large men outside who say it matters, Yugi.”



“But…”



“Look,” Jou stood up before there could be anymore drama. He had a short temper and didn’t need a reason or occasion to blow up at someone, but he couldn’t stand teary scenes. “…you guys just find Ryou so we can leave. And Yug’…I’m sorry—“



“No, you’re not!” Yugi snapped and bitterly saw Jou’s eyes widen in surprise. The bastard actually had the nerve to be –surprised- at retaliation. “You guys are so pathetic! I thought you actually…I thought…”

The shorter boy straightened and looked them all in the eye, including Anzu. “Just get out.”



“Yugi, don’t…” Anzu began, but closed her mouth sadly and bent to pick up the flowers her friend threw back at her feet. She wanted to defend the boy, but she loved Jou as well, and she wasn’t one to make hasty decisions. At least one side had to calm down before anything productive could be said.



Just then, the elevator dinged and a delicate white-haired boy stepped out and looked around inquisitively. “Umm…is everything alright?”



There was a small pause and Jou shrugged. “Fine enough, Ryou. Come on, we’re late for dinner and we still gotta unpack my laptop and stuff.”



“Right, I’ll clear out some space for you…” Ryou nodded and bit his lip. “Oh dear, it’s been so long since I’ve roomed with anyone other than my brother…” He tried to smile at Yugi and maybe introduce himself, but the look on the smaller boy’s face stopped him. Ryou wasn’t stupid; considering what Bakura told him, he had a pretty good idea what happened here. But, this was not his fight and he wished Yugi luck.



“Right, let’s go.” Honda grabbed Duke’s waist and dragged the slighter man out. Jou and Ryou followed, making light awkward conversation about desk space and internet routers. Anzu looked after the boys and then back at Yugi. He still looked furious, but the fragile ice in his eyes melted a little more with each step Jou and his former friends took. Anzu’s heart went out to him, but she didn’t try to hug him. Instead, she patted his head.



“I’ll talk to them, Yugi.” She promised. “This is just really weird for all of us, but I’ll talk to them. Don’t give up, ok?”



“Hm.” Yugi shrugged, as if he were silently telling her to take her time and that he didn’t really care if she succeeded or not.

Anzu nodded and left.



Yugi sniffled again and once he was alone, the dam finally burst. He was vaguely aware of the force of his sobs shaking his lithe body and said body curling up into the couch to muffle the cries. This was messed up, it really was; and worse, he had no one to run to. Not his Grandpa, not his friends, and certainly not Seth. Because if he was a demigod, Seth and his colleagues were figures in the Pantheon itself—too far away and too important to be bothered. He tried to stop, tried to tell himself that loneliness was nothing new, but the sobs continued to wrack his body.



Evening progressed and hours later when Seth found him, he had run out of tears and resorted to heavy sighs as his body began to recover all the oxygen it lost. Without a word, the brunet gathered him into his arms, took him back to his new apartment and put him to bed.



-II-



It seemed as if someone turned up the heat in the apartment to a ridiculous high and left it there. Yugi squirmed in the uncomfortable warmth created by his denim day clothes and the thick comforter. He desperately wanted relief, but he was too disoriented in a room that didn’t look, smell or feel remotely familiar and was way too dark to see in. As far as he remembered, Seth helped him into the bed and pulled the covers over him, so he was probably the one pulling them off too.



The shorter boy relaxed as cooler air circulated along him and sighed. “Mm, thanks…”



There was a distant hint of a response and Yugi’s eyes shot open when he felt teeth scrape along his jaw. Seth didn’t do that…Seth –shouldn’t- do that. But somehow, he had the feeling that the eyes watching him weren’t impassive and dark blue. He turned on to his back and reached up with every fiber of his body. “Yamiiimmph!”



Yugi moaned softly at the soft lips touching his and the insistent tongue tapping against them. He wound his hands through familiar spiky hair and opened his mouth to deepen the kiss and gods, he’d missed it! He felt Yami caress each corner of his mouth as if he were re-memorizing old territory and he felt the slender body press against his with desire that obviously only increased since they last met.



“Yami…” Yugi exhaled when the man let him go to catch his breath.



“I missed you, little light.” Came the equally breathless reply. Yami nipped at his ear, causing him to squeak indignantly.



Yugi cringed away from the ticklish contact. “Hmph, don’t lie.” His voice was sharp, accusing.



“Believe me,” Yami all but pleaded. His hands and lips searched for Yugi in the darkness again, but the boy twisted and turned before finally burying his head under the pillow.



“Why should I?” the reply was muffled.



“Because I came back…” Yami moved down to slide his hands under Yugi’s shirt and trace a slick path along his spine. He was pleased to feel the young one’s body shake and shiver and respond to him so deliciously. “…I had to…”



“Oooh!” Yugi growled, but in the midst of arousal, it sounded more adorable than angry. “You jerk! If only you knew what I went through!”



Slipping his hand under Yugi’s stomach, Yami flipped him over. It wasn’t terribly hard considering the boy’s light frame, but Yugi still didn’t care to spare him some acknowledgement. Yami tensed. “What? What happened, my light?”



There was a long pause and when Yugi finally answered, it was almost inaudible. “…everybody hates me.”



Yami brushed the younger one’s cheek and his fingers came away wet with unseen tears. He leaned down to softly lick them away, whispering. “No, Yugi, everyone loves you. They always have.”



“No, they don’t!” Yugi retorted. He was sick of being told the same thing over and over again, especially now by ghosts in the dark. True, they said love was agony, but this was not agony or even a small ache—this was emptiness.



“-I- love you.” Yami murmured and kissed him. “I’ll make sure you’ll never want for anything, I’ll make you perfectly happy. Don’t worry about everyone else.”



“Easy for you to say.” Yugi tipped his head to receive more kisses nevertheless. He could feel Yami’s hands skate down to tease his hips and inner thighs and suddenly, he wasn’t feeling so miserable anymore. “You probably have lots of friends; that’s why you don’t want me to see you…in case they get jealous too.”



Yami stopped in his ministrations and listened closely. Yugi didn’t sound all that upset, but that could just be his own teasing. Then, the little one pressed up against him with a small whine of encouragement. Yami chuckled. “Well played, love. But I’m not hiding from you; I’m hiding –you-. Trust me, I’ll take care of everything. Besides, you have new friends now, don’t you?”



Yami was obviously referring to his newest acquaintances. Yugi purred contentedly and nuzzled at him. “Yeah…Seth told me they’d get jealous…” His voice became slightly strained. “Ah!...Isn’t it weird, how he’s so nice and kind, but he thinks of all these horrible things?”



“Hmph!” Yami snorted and proceeded to flatten his light on the bed. He touched his forehead to Yugi’s. “Don’t worry about that, Yugi and stay away from Seth. You’re better off with Ishizu and Karim.”



“Are you sure about that?” Yugi laughed lightly, liltingly. “I’ve been meeting him a lot and you know what they say about fate.”



Yami growled, nipped at his collarbone and proceed to further distract him by slipping a hand down his pants to explore between his legs. “Yugiiii, you’re killing me, little light!”



Yugi laughter trailed off into an arousing moan of delight. “Oooh, I see you’ve decided to go kicking and screaming.”



“You’ll be the one screaming…”



-tbc-



Notes: Sigh...how twisted. Before you talk to me about OOC-ness, do think about human nature. I know Yugi's friends were completely loyal to him, but really, is jealousy so beneath them? Not that Yugi helps, either, by being so flippant about what he now has and then being such a whiny twit. Remember...Psyche was just as bad as Cupid in the start...her journey is a lesson to both of them.

And yes, Anzu is the only nice one because she is a girl and girls are insightful like that. Also, I hate Anzu bashing. Nyeh!;p



OK! Now, on to the riddle! This problem was actaully given as an interview question at some Fortune 500 company or whatever. In the middle of calamity, you have a resource which can help a family member, a wounded person and your soulmate...and only 2 at a time. In this case, Seth would get the horse because material possessions go to family. Mahaad goes with Seth because the wounded are priority and you owe them all resources you can spare. And finally, Yugi gets Atemu, because your soulmate gets -you-.



So yeah, it was a bit unnecessarily complicated, but the winner is...Cody_Thomas, because answer 2 was right. Here's the prize! Cut links and paste in browser.



1. http://chayaasi.livejournal.com/4234.html#cutid1 -- As fun as it was make this, I'm afraid I can't guarantee you'll like it. People have tastes and standards and stuff...;p So, here's another.



2. http://www.archipelago.org/vol4-4/woodward.htm -- You said you loved the myth of Eros and Psyche, so I thought I'd share this with you. It's a very nice and erotic short story based on the myth. You'll definitely like this. Enjoy!!



Sweet, now that that's settled, here's another. A silly one this time...think silly-ly.



In modern day, Priest Seth truthfully informs his light that Seto is his first and only romantic interest. However, infallible records show that he married close to thirty women and even a few men in his lifetime in Egypt. How can be telling the truth?



Difficulty: There is not another priest Seth and marriage means romance. Basically, the answer is not that he married them, but didn’t love them…

Yeah, this is really silly...as in if you don't get the answer and I give it to you, i'm getting beaten over the head.