Carry On

A/N: I apologize for the inconsistencies in the formatting throughout this story.


Chapter Six – Reminisce


Sugoroku raised his eyes from the newspaper when the strange sound of humming entered the kitchen. His grandson was practically bouncing while he rummaged through the pantry for breakfast, humming a tune Sugoroku had never before heard. The young man was still in his pjs, including that awful pair of plaid pants that he insisted upon wearing. There was a sly grin on his face, satisfaction oozing out of every move he made. Sugoroku huffed when Yuugi removed a spatula from the drawer and flipped it in the air once before catching and applying it to the skillet on the stove.

“Morning,” Sugoroku said.

“Good morning!”

Sugoroku tilted his head at the enthusiastic greeting. It wasn’t that Yuugi wasn’t a morning person, but his cheerfulness never fully coalesced before eleven o’clock for reasons only known to the young man. The humming was beginning to make the grandfather uncomfortable with its airy melody. “You’re humming,” Sugoroku announced.

“Am I?” Yuugi asked, moving away from the stove to stick his head in the refrigerator. Ah, there was the cheese he’d forgotten. Sugoroku grunted in acknowledgment. “I hadn’t noticed.”

Folding his newspaper in half and laying it on the table, Sugoroku leaned forward, eyeing his grandson suspiciously. Yuugi continued to entertain himself as he made a sloppy attempt at an omelet, completely oblivious to the concern he was developing in his grandfather. Sugoroku eventually leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, deciding to take the chance of gaining Yuugi’s attention once he had sat down at the table with his breakfast.

“I’m starving,” Yuugi said to himself as he sat, plate and juice in hand. He leaned back on the chair, tipping it onto its hind legs and reached into the silverware drawer for a fork. He wasted no time in stuffing his mouth full of omelet. “Did you see Atemu leave this morning Ji-chan?” Yuugi asked after swallowing.

“No.” Sugoroku picked up his coffee mug and took a sip of his morning tea. “Think I heard the front door, though. Around five o’clock.”

“Hmm.” Yuugi chewed thoughtfully on his next mouthful. “Damn, that’s early. He’s quiet, I never heard him leave the room.” He stabbed at his eggs and took a drink of his apple juice. He twisted his mouth to the side, thinking how late he, ahem, kept Atemu up the night before. Of course, the man had made no indication that he had needed or wanted to stop, but still, he should have said something. If anything, Yuugi would have started the activities sooner.

Sugoroku wasn’t sure what to make of the smirk that slowly grew on his grandson’s face while he pierced the food on his plate. There was a private conversation going on in Yuugi’s head and he didn’t particularly want to know what was being said. Sighing lightly, he set down his mug and picked up his newspaper, returning to the financial section. “What are your plans for the day?” he asked idly.

“Oh, I dunno,” Yuugi said, shaking off his thoughts. He chuckled. “I should probably take a look at the screen door.” He looked at his grandfather’s expression and amended his statement, clearing his throat sheepishly. “I mean, I will look at the door. Right after I finish eating.”

“That’s what I thought you said.”

---

The décor of the building was about what he expected. Sleek, cut-lined furniture with minimal decorations in deep earth tones of brown, white, and rainforest green, with hints of clear-water blue accents interspersed between the bouquets of lilies, cherry blossoms, and white irises. The office equipment coordinated with the color scheme well, and the computers were as deep a black as he had seen on any electronic. The secretaries wore their hair up in buns and French braids, their business suits surprisingly bright and crisp in color. He hadn’t seen a single male employee that wasn’t wearing an expensive three piece suit.

Atemu opened the glass door and entered the front office of the reference department. He smiled at the woman behind the desk, who greeted him in turn, and asked for the safety reports dating from four years back. When she had left to gather the information Atemu exited the room and started walking back to his temporary office. He had had the foresight to keep one of his business suits before leaving Egypt, though it wasn’t his favorite one. The white dress shirt with silver threading matched with the navy blue slacks and jacket was too flashy for him, and also had the annoying detail of closely resembling Seto Kaiba’s choice color of uniform. It was bad enough being the new guy in the office – though he secretly enjoyed the power that came from being a mystery – but to look as though you were emulating the boss… it just didn’t produce a good image.

Reaching his office, a refreshingly small space with a floor-to-ceiling window that offered a twelfth-story view of the city, Atemu kept his door open as he sat at his desk. There wasn’t much he could do until he got the reports from Reference, he wasn’t hungry, and he didn’t feel like teaching himself the company’s main computer program. He had taken a quick look at it earlier and it appeared relatively simple, though he had noticed that some of the other employees were having difficulty with it. He’d have to organize a training session once he learned the program himself. You couldn’t expect a company to be efficient if the employees were not capable of using the tools provided for them.

Atemu removed his jacket and draped it over the back of his chair before swiveling towards the window. He’d kept himself effectively occupied the entire morning for the explicit purpose of not letting his mind drift to the events of the previous night. He didn’t want to think about it, especially during work.

The whole evening had been weird. It wasn’t a bad weird because he had come to accept the treatment his was going to receive from Sugoroku and Gina. Sarah had been a pleasant surprise, and Atemu hoped that he would have the chance to converse with her again. He missed the grandparent support he had lost in Egypt, and Sarah had been so unnecessarily kind towards him. There was no question in his mind why Sugoroku admired her, and he was certain that the woman would win over Gina with her charm despite what the young woman wanted to believe. And Yuugi appeared to like anyone who called him on being a smartass.

Damn. Yuugi had the irritating habit of popping into his head. He could not, for the life of him, come up with a reason for Yuugi’s actions. And his words. God, did the man know what to say to get him to submit to his will. Atemu was discouraged by his own lack of resistance to the seduction the younger one had pulled him through. He hadn’t realized until the events unfolded just how needy he was for affection. Granted, he had a crush on Yuugi, but that didn’t excuse succumbing to sweet talk and a well-timed brush against his cheek. It had been downright embarrassing.

Atemu sighed heavily, resting his head on his hand and tossing his right leg over his knee. Such pretty, pretty words. ‘You have a great smile.’ ‘You’re handsome.’ ‘You’re easy.’

He groaned. Oh, ‘easy’ didn’t even cover it in his opinion.

It was a little confusing, but Atemu couldn’t say that part of him hadn’t expected Yuugi to make a move on him. Not for any egotistical reasons, but anyone who brought home a stranger and insisted that they share a bed every night did not, in his mind, have many adversities to intimacy. Leaving out the whole kissing in front of his friends, of course. That was a pretty dead giveaway.

It would be nice if Atemu could believe what Yuugi had told him. He didn’t, but it would be nice if he could. He had no doubt that Yuugi felt some kind of fondness towards him, but he wasn’t going to deceive himself into thinking it was anything deep or fulfilling. This thought floated in his mind like a cork in water, bobbing along, never quite sinking below the surface of certainty. What was the whole in the cork that kept it afloat? The answer to that was obvious.

That first kiss, the one Yuugi had given him before he had responded and the kissing continued, had been sweet, and gentle, and completely detached in the manner of one exhibiting his skills. Yuugi was a master kisser, and Atemu had expected this. What he hadn’t expected was his own reaction to the other’s mouth on his. His mind had been overridden by his emotions, and he was going to believe the wine influenced him too until his dying day. It… it had been a long time since anyone had dinned to give him a pleasant kiss, and the hurt inside of him had jumped at the chance to feel special, if even for an illusionary moment. Yuugi’s response when Atemu had kissed him in an effort to not end the experience – well, that had been a surprise. Yuugi was no longer detached, and the forceful tenderness of his embrace had lasted well over an hour. Well over an hour of someone actually wanting to make him feel good. And then a nighttime of someone using his chest as a pillow and his stomach as a hand rest in order to provide comfort.

Atemu wasn’t sure how to cope with this.

A knock on his door jolted him out of his reminiscing. “Sir?” It was the woman from Reference with the requested files under her arm. Atemu coughed and waved her in, taking the files and thanking her for her time. On her way out she was blocked by a tall, slender man in the doorway. Keeping her eyes averted from her boss, she muttered a small “Excuse me, sir,” before leaving the office.

“Busy?”

Atemu shook his head and extended his hand, inviting Seto Kaiba to sit in the chair opposite him. The president of the company considered the invitation, unaccustomed to not being greeted on foot when he entered a room, but decided that he had been shown no disrespect and sat in the proffered chair.

“How can I help you?” Atemu asked, shuffling the reports to the side of his desk.

Seto was quiet, keeping a steady, emotionless expression as he examined Atemu. After several moments, during which Seto was impressed that Atemu didn’t squirm, or even appear nervous, he spoke. “I reviewed the figures we spoke about yesterday.”

“Yes?”

Seto narrowed his eyes. “They would have been discovered by the end of the week.”

“I have no doubt they would have,” Atemu said.

“You endeavored to make me believe otherwise.”

Atemu sat back in his chair, resting his hands in his lap. “I can’t make you believe anything, Mr. Kaiba. You draw your own conclusions.”

Seto’s mouth twitched. “Conclusions based upon the opinion and advice of others.”

“Then you should be careful who you listen to.”

There was a tense moment where neither man spoke nor moved. Atemu waited patiently for Seto to make his comment, unconcerned that whatever was coming wouldn’t be in his favor. Eventually, a smirk appeared on Seto’s face. “Indeed.” He stood and walked to the door, pausing to address Atemu. “Is there anything you need?”

Atemu thought for a moment. “A company car would be nice. I hate buses and taking cabs every day is expensive and unreliable.”

“Wouldn’t it be easier to buy a car?” Seto asked, the barest hint of amusement in his voice.

“Perhaps,” Atemu said, reaching for the file on his desk and referring to the first page, a smile on his face. “But I don’t know the first thing about cars.”

Smirking, Seto closed his eyes and nodded, leaving Atemu’s office. Once he was gone, Atemu let the irritation show on his features and huffed.

“If only I could be like that around Yuugi…” he muttered.

---

Yuugi was having a good day.

The screen door hadn’t been nearly as difficult to mend as he was afraid it was going to be, and this had allotted him an entire afternoon twiddling away the hours on his harmonica, replaying melodies he would have preferred to execute on the piano. He had moved Sugoroku’s beloved patio furniture to the far end of the yard, distancing himself from the house and the comments he was sure to receive if his grandfather heard his playing. Yuugi handled the instrument well, but his greatest pleasure came in sneaking up on his family and playing the shrillest note ever heard by human ears. It had earned him quite a few retaliatory bruises, and in his opinion each one was a proud souvenir of battle.

While he was playing Yuugi’s mind was swimming through the clouds. Ah, life was never so grand as when there was a new special someone in your life. Learning all the little nuances, the little quirks and behaviors that comprised a person and all their secrets was a joyful pursuit. He felt no confusion about the previous evening. Although he had been the one to initiate the make-out session, he had run across no surprises. No real surprises, anyway. He hadn’t taken the time to discover any of Atemu’s more sensitive areas, his focus being entirely on the kisses, the soft, deep-throated moans of pleasure, his luxurious hair, the texture of his lips and that devilishly cooperative tongue. Yuugi played an upscale on his harmonica. Yes, it had been quite enjoyable.

Yuugi inhaled the slightly fragrant air that circulated in the backyard from the alleyway, releasing it a touch more quickly than he had initially intended. Atemu had been more… not necessarily submissive, but, well, accepting than he had expected him to be? No, that wasn’t right. Yuugi shook his head lightly in thought. He didn’t know how to explain it accurately. Atemu had absorbed everything Yuugi had given him, and he never showed signs of being too full or overwhelmed by the emotional intensity they experienced. In fact, when Yuugi had pulled away from the final kiss as Atemu followed him up part-way, he had had the distinct impression that the other man’s reservoir was no where near being full and that he was capable of taking all that Yuugi had left to give.

He tilted his head to the side, propping his feet on the table. Strange, Yuugi thought, that even with the feeling of Atemu absorbing the emotion, Yuugi had never felt drained or used. Quite the opposite, for he had found his energy to bound to heights he didn’t know he possessed. The more Atemu took, the more Yuugi had to give, and he had been pleasantly surprised to feel the electricity sparking through his limbs as he laid quietly on Atemu’s chest and listened to the other man’s heartbeat while he fell asleep.

Yuugi was distracted by the sound of footsteps, and he looked up to see Anzu walking down the alley. Smiling broadly we waved to her. He chuckled when she casually hopped the fence and walked over to him, using her fingers to try and brush some obedience into her hair. Yuugi invited her to sit.

“Heard you playing from the sidewalk,” Anzu said by way of greeting. “Did your grandfather kick you out of the house again?”

Yuugi laughed, removing his feet from the table so Anzu would have a more pleasant view than the bottom of his shoes. “No. No, I figured I’d go for self-preservation today to throw him off pace.”

“You’re awful,” Anzu chuckled. Yuugi inclined his head in gratitude. “So how are things?”

Yuugi gave his friend a long side-glance, his lips twitching in amusement. “You mean, how’s Atemu, right?”

“Among other things.” Anzu took the harmonica from Yuugi and began twirling it in her hands. The sun reflected brilliantly off the rich birch wood. “You still mad at us?”

“Always!” Yuugi winked at his friend, leaning back in his chair and folding his hands behind his head. “But I’m over it now.” A smile graced his features, and his blue eyes glossed over. “There are far better things to think about.”

Anzu didn’t miss the smile, nor had she missed that Yuugi was still wearing the fingerless gloves from the other day. “You’re still hooked on him.”

“It was only yesterday that I kicked you out,” Yuugi said distractedly. “Feelings don’t change overnight.”

“Hmm.” Anzu wasn’t too sure about that. Yuugi wasn’t known for his emotional stability. And his romantic interests, though no doubt intense, never lasted for more than two weeks, at the end of which he began to lose interest and chauffeured the person into their new life without him. He wasn’t cruel about it, and actually went out of his way to insure the person had a steady job and a roof over their heads before they left. But it was still his pattern, and Anzu had assumed that by this point in the relationship Yuugi would either be boasting about his triumph or sighing out his boredom. But he wasn’t doing either. He just looked… happy.

Trying to shake off her concern, Anzu handed back Yuugi’s harmonica and folded her arms on the table. “Just make sure you don’t fall in the deep end, Yuugi,” she said lightly. “You wouldn’t want to go and find something serious.”

This didn’t get the reaction she had thought it would. Yuugi looked at her evenly, slowly lowering his arms and giving Anzu his full attention. “Why not?”

Surprised, Anzu furrowed her eyebrows and tilted her head. “Well, you don’t want to.” She paused before adding, “Do you? I mean, you’re not exactly suited to it.” She laughed. “None of us are, when you think about it.”

“Oh really?” Yuugi said lethargically. He folded his hands in his lap and looked away from the woman at the table. A twinge of anger rose from his gut and spread through his body like the branches of a willow tree. “This would have nothing to do with the fact that I broke up with you all those years ago?”

Anzu stopped laughing. Yuugi’s voice was rigid as frost and the comment made her bristle. Yuugi was well aware of her desire to have a family; a secret she had confided into her then-boyfriend was being used as a weapon for reasons she didn’t understand. Her fists clenched. “How can you say that to me, Yuugi?”

“You brought it up yesterday, remember? You specifically implied that I had not been involved in our relationship and that is the reason we didn’t work.” Yuugi was feeling really testy and defensive, the irritated feelings fueling his words. They weren’t emotions he was used to and it left him a little bewildered. But it also made him feel empowered, and that wasn’t something he was willing to let go of right now.

Anzu rolled her eyes and sat back roughly in the chair, waving her hand in front of her in exasperation. “Not every comment I make is about us. Don’t be so egotistical.”

“This one was,” Yuugi persisted. “I’m not stupid Anzu.”

No, you’re not, Anzu thought to herself. You just act like it sometimes. “Look,” she said, standing from her chair. “I didn’t come over here to fight with you. The gang’s meeting at the beach this Sunday. I’ll see you then.” After jumping over the fence and marching away from the backyard Anzu heard the agitated music of Yuugi’s harmonica.

---

Atemu took a sip from the mug he held in his left hand, his right hand holding onto the tenth page of the fiscal report from last quarter. The folder containing the report was balanced between his knees and the arm of the recliner, his legs folded beneath him in relaxation. When he had gotten home earlier that evening Atemu had immediately showered and changed into his loungewear – he had stopped off at the mall after work to build up his wardrobe with the advance on his paycheck – eager to change out of the suit he’d been wearing for fourteen hours. The loose, long-sleeved burgundy top overlapped the matching striped pants, and a small cream-colored bathroom hung unwrapped from his shoulders. To him, there was no outfit that could be more comfortable.

He was taking the opportunity of being home alone to further acquaint himself with Kaiba Corporations. Sugoroku was on a date with Sarah, Gina was out with friends, and lord only knew where Yuugi had scampered off to. Atemu was not disappointed. He hadn’t had a peaceful moment to himself since meeting Yuugi seeing as how the young man hung around him constantly… except when he was off annoying his family, of course. Atemu chuckled into his mug. He had never seen someone take so much pleasure in tormenting family members. And as much as Gina and Sugoroku bellowed at the treatment, he had the sneaking suspicion that they enjoyed the attention and recognized it as the affection it was. Besides, they took just as much effort at retribution that Yuugi applied towards them. He held up pretty well for one man against an experienced force of two.

Laying down the page he was holding and picking up the next one, Atemu took the moment to close his eyes and just let himself be. If the house was missing anything, it was the presence of a pet. He had grown up with animals and had always enjoyed the warmth they lent to a room. But it wasn’t his place to suggest such an addition, as nice as it would be to have a cat come and jump in his lap and rub against his chin to distract him from his work.

There was a loud bang from the downstairs door and the thundering knocks of someone running up the wooden stairs. Atemu didn’t need to look up from the report to know that it was Yuugi who had come home. No one else in the family held that kind of exuberance running up the stairs. He straightened his legs from beneath him and leaned forward to listen to Yuugi as he skipped into the kitchen, opened the ‘fridge, made a small sound of triumph at whatever he found, and bound down the hall into his bedroom. Atemu hid his smile behind his mug. Yuugi hadn’t even noticed he was home, and he had never seen anyone get so excited over stringed cheese.

Yuugi eventually emerged from his bedroom, cheese nowhere to be seen and presumably already eaten, wearing a blue version of his plaid pjs with a gray shirt. He walked into the living room intent on watching TV when he stopped in his tracks, a pair of reddish-brown eyes laughing at him from beneath a sheet of paper.

“Até!” Yuugi greeted happily. “When’d you get home?”

“About an hour ago,” Atemu said, resting his hand on top of the manila folder so he and Yuugi wouldn’t have to crane their heads around the paper in his hand. “How was your day?”

“Awesome.” Yuugi walked over to the chair and sat himself on the arm Atemu was not draped over, ignoring the incredulous look he received. “I was down at the pier, and there was this great band that was playing this techno music that had everyone dancing – well, attempting to dance anyway. It was funny! This one woman was trying to show this guy how to move and he just couldn’t get it. He looked like a flailing octopus.” Yuugi demonstrated a few of the humorous moves for Atemu’s enjoyment. “I was able to get the screen door fixed, too.”

“I noticed that. Thank you,” Atemu said. “I was planning on doing it this weekend.”

Yuugi waved him off. “I don’t think Ji-chan would’ve survived that long. He’s very protective over that screen door. It was the first thing he installed in the house.”

“I’ll remember that.”

“What do you know about that car parked in the driveway?” Yuugi abruptly asked. “It’s so cool. Looks brand new too. And a BMW! Man, someone’s rich.”

Atemu resumed looking at the fiscal report, a sly smile on his face. “It’s mine.”

There were several moments of surprised silence. “Yours?”

“Well, the company’s, actually. But I get to treat it like it’s mine.”

Yuugi jumped up from the chair and ran to the kitchen, leaning over the sink so he could look out the window and down at the newly obtained vehicle. His eyes glazed over and a grin split his face. “You are so letting me drive it.”

“Yeah well, we’ll see.”

Yuugi’s confidence was not shaken and he walked back to the living room, standing directly in front of Atemu. The man painted a homely picture, sitting in his chair with his mug and his bathrobe. The only thing missing were the slippers. Yuugi had effectively blocked his earlier argument with Anzu to deal with at another time. He didn’t want anything interrupting the fun he was having with Atemu, and he wasn’t about to allow who he considered to be a jealous friend to interfere. With the negative experience out of his mind that left only happiness in his heart, Yuugi couldn’t resist himself. Placing a hand on both arms of the chair for balance, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss into Atemu’s hair, above his ear. He inhaled sharply to capture the refreshing scent that was emulating from the soft strands, grinning at the small jump of surprise the kiss had caused.

“Don’t do that,” Atemu scolded. He was frowning down at his mug, which had nearly lost some of its contents all over the fiscal report.

Yuugi ignored him, rubbing the tip of his nose against Atemu’s hair. “You took a shower.” Atemu scoffed in offense. “And you dried your hair.”

“Your point?”

“You’re taking better care of yourself. It’s a good sign.” Yuugi pulled his head back and gave Atemu an Eskimo kiss, much to the other man’s chagrin. “I like the smell. Sandalwood, right?”

“It’s better than the lavender you use,” Atemu said.

Yuugi frowned playfully. “That’s mom’s fault. She won’t let anyone else choose the fragrance.”

“Afraid of your mother?” Atemu asked, his good humor returning.

“When she’s wielding a rolling pin? Absolutely.” Yuugi let his hands slide further back along the chair’s arms, his expression turning devilishly scheming. He’d been waiting all day for Atemu to come home and, knowing that the man got up early in the morning for work, was eager to begin the night’s festivities. He watched as Atemu leaned back into the chair, his eyes narrowed in suspicious nervousness, and then tilted his head so he could place a kiss in front of Atemu’s ear, letting his lips travel downward in continuous dry kisses.

Atemu stiffened instantly, tightening his grip on his mug. His hand moved quickly to keep the papers from falling on the floor, and the movement caused him to move forward enough that Yuugi was able to lean in closer to kiss behind his ear and downward from there. Atemu wasn’t ready for this again so soon. He still was confused about how best to deal with Yuugi and his own fluttering emotions, and Yuugi initiating another intimate moment was doing nothing for Atemu’s confidence that he would be able to walk away without a backwards glance. Yuugi’s ministrations felt good, of course, light and tender, with a touch of playfulness and an eagerness that Atemu could feel radiating from his body. It was almost too much to handle.

Yuugi noticed that Atemu was not relaxing into the moment and wasn’t enjoying himself. He stopped his kisses and leaned his head back, disappointment nibbling at him when he saw the tenseness of Atemu’s closed eyes. “What’s wrong?” he whispered, running the back of his fingers along Atemu’s cheek.

A head shake was the only response to his question. Yuugi frowned thoughtfully, trying to deduce the problem. He pushed his fingers back into Atemu’s hair, trailing them lightly over his temple, and then over the shell of his ear. He knew that his actions weren’t uncomfortable; the expression of an internal battle on Atemu’s face made that much clear. This was different from the hesitation from the previous night. That had been a lack of self-confidence that anyone would find him attractive enough to want to kiss him, let alone for any amount of time. It had not been unexpected, and Yuugi knew how to handle that self-doubt. But he wasn’t sure what this was, and he was irritated that Atemu wasn’t going to voice the problem.

Well, Yuugi decided, if he wants me to stop I will, but until he tells me to… Reaching down with his hand, Yuugi took the mug from Atemu’s unresisting grip and set it on the table beside the chair. He noticed Atemu’s mouth had opened slightly, a sign that his body was reacting to the signals Yuugi was sending. Yuugi bent his left knee and pushed it slowly along Atemu’s thigh, reaching back until it was against his hip and pushing into the back of the chair. He repeated the action with his right leg, ignoring the rustl of the papers that were shoved to the floor as his leg took their place. He sat back on Atemu’s knees and took hold of the other man’s hands, rubbing his thumb along the back of the skin.

Atemu leaned his head forward and pushed his forehead into Yuugi’s chest. His form shuddered with the force of the breath he released. How could he fight against what he longed for if Yuugi persisted in drowning him in affection? He was stronger than this. His will didn’t succumb to the insistence of another. Sure, he fell for those who showed him compassion, but he always kicked himself out of it. And right now, as Yuugi settled in on his lap and his cool fingers traveled from the back of his hands to his wrists, eventually reaching beyond the hem of his shirt and circling around his arms, he could not detect in himself any sense of the awakening that would pull him from this situation.

Yuugi felt the change occur in Atemu and smiled. He lowered his head and kissed the back of Atemu’s head, then the back of his neck, and then to his temple, adding to the pressure he applied to push Atemu’s head slightly to the side. The tactic worked, and Yuugi was rewarded with better access to the other’s cheek and neck. He took full advantage of the opportunity, kissing the skin exposed to him. He nipped softly underneath Atemu’s jaw, looking for that one sensitive spot that would make the man putty in his hands. Apparently that wasn’t the place, so Yuugi continued his search with open-mouthed kisses in an effort to get more of a response from Atemu.

Another popular spot of sensitivity was behind the ear, and Yuugi let his tongue come out to coax a moan from Atemu. Though the man’s breath hitched momentarily, it still wasn’t what Yuugi was looking for. He had one more spot to try, and he bypassed the neck to nip at the juncture between shoulder and throat. Failure again caused Yuugi to click his tongue in frustration, which was met by an unsuspected chuckle.

“You’ll find it,” Atemu mumbled into Yuugi’s shirt. “In fact, you already have.”

Yuugi kept his head bowed, pursing his lips in thought. That was rather cryptic, but an intriguing bit of information. He tapped his fingers against the wrists he held in his hands. Atemu shifted against him rather poignantly, and Yuugi’s eyebrow rose in suspicion. Instead of tapping his fingers again, he curled his thumbs to the underside of Atemu’s wrist and let them flutter over his pulse. Ah, now, that’s what he was looking for. That uncontrollable shiver that came from pleasure that was deep and complete. Yuugi had the feeling that his discovery was too easy, and so decided to test if it was both of Atemu’s wrists that were sensitive, or only one of them. After a moment of experimentation, Yuugi had his answer.

Keeping their folded forms together, Yuugi guided Atemu’s left hand out from between them and brought it to his lips, kissing each fingertip deliberately. Atemu made a quiet sound and raised his head, burying is face in Yuugi’s neck as the other man proceeded to kiss and lick down his fingers so suggestively that it had Atemu’s mind traveling to places he didn’t think he’d be visiting this soon. Yuugi was thoroughly enjoying himself and the keening noise Atemu made when he focused his attention on the center of his palm made his pulse quicken. It seemed the man had settled whatever battle he had waged with himself and was relaxing into the moment.

Yuugi really liked Atemu’s hand. It wasn’t completely smooth, but it wasn’t rough or calloused either, exhibiting a pleasant medium that felt textured against his tongue and lips. The extremity was extra warm due to the drink Atemu had been holding and Yuugi found himself rubbing his nose, cheeks, forehead and mouth into the inviting heat. He felt Atemu lift himself up into him, pressing harder into his neck and causing their hips to just brush into each other. That was enough to divert Yuugi’s attention to other activities. Using his face to guide Atemu off his neck he kissed him forcefully, driving him back into the chair and interlocking their hands together.

Atemu was more responsive than the night before, though Yuugi wouldn’t have classified his movements as active. Much of his apprehension was gone, and his free hand seemed to have no trouble tracing its way along Yuugi’s thigh and up his back to rest. Yuugi created a minimal rocking motion, pulling away from and pushing into Atemu with both his mouth and his body, one hand gripping Atemu’s hand spasmodically and the other twisting through his hair. The movements were still slow, but this only increased the heat and intensity as each man had time to fully feel what the other was doing with their body. Yuugi grinned into one of his many tongue-twirling kisses when he felt the muscles just below his stomach quiver in excitement, and he would have sworn that he felt Atemu smile before he was kissed again. There was no denying it: Yuugi was not going to tire of that soft and slick mouth any time soon.

----

to be continued...