Going On

Disclaimer - Again I say, I don't own them . . . I'm not making any money off of this.

Author's Notes - Another chapter, and this one should be most satisfactory for those who wanted to beat Yami over the head, and who hurt for Yugi and Yami. Hope you all enjoy : )
On a side note, I'm working on building a Bakura Shrine for my website . . . and if you REALLY want to read my stuff in it's original versions, you'll have to swing by the site. www.geocities.com/draconyx1/Index.html. That's my play area.-

Chapter 9 – Sanctuary of Dreams


Yugi sat on his bed listlessly, staring down at the single golden puzzle piece in his hands, toying with it absently as he listened to the silence in his mind. If only he and Yami had their link again . . . this would never have happened. He could have shown Yami how he felt, rather than stumbling over words that would not come and allowing his love to continue to think he was afraid of him.

He glanced at the desk in the corner, where a glittering pile of gold sat under the dim moonlight filtering in from through the window. The Puzzle . . . why had Seto given it back to him? It didn’t matter anymore . . . Yami was free of it. Putting it back together would merely be an amusement . . . or would it? Amethyst eyes narrowed as he thought about that. He and Yami had been bound together through the Puzzle . . . was that why their link was so obviously absent? Because they were no longer truly yami and hikari, no longer connected through the item?

He wished Marik was here to ask, but the former Tomb Keeper had still not returned from whatever errand he had gone to take care of. He was slightly worried, but not by much . . . if anyone could avoid Kage, it would be Marik. He was probably still at the apartment.

Sighing, he lay down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling for a moment before forcing himself to close his eyes. He needed to sleep . . . he was so tired, after everything that had happened. He was weary in mind, body, and soul . . . and the ache of loss still pulsed within him.

“Yami . . .” he whispered as sleep wrapped him in her gentle arms. “I’m sorry . . .”


*-------*-------*-------*-------*


Yami sank onto the bench in the middle of the hedge maze wearily, staring up at the night sky. It was a nice night . . . not too cold, but neither was it too warm. The stars were so clear and bright up there . . . much like what he remembered Yugi had been like, before Kage.

Yugi . . . the Pharaoh sighed as once again his thoughts circled back around to center on his aibou. What was he supposed to do now?

Although Kaiba’s words had given him some small measure of comfort, they hadn’t completely allayed his fears. There was no denying that Kage had been a part of him once . . . which meant that evil had been within him. Didn’t it? He just wasn’t sure anymore . . . but rather than risk hurting Yugi, he would keep his distance until he got it straightened out in his mind. He could certainly protect his aibou without getting too close to him . . . couldn’t he?

Lying down on the stone bench, staring up into the night sky absently as he tried to relax after the hellish day he’d had, he let his mind wander as he slowly drifted off to sleep.


*-------*-------*-------*-------*


The room was familiar . . . but it didn’t exist anymore. Yugi looked around in astonishment, wondering why in all the world his dreams had brought him here, to Yami’s soul room. Or what looked like Yami’s soul room . . . with the Puzzle in pieces, he couldn’t possibly be there for real.

The twisting maze of corridors, stairs, and doors spread out around him and above him, a tangled web of hidden traps and forgotten memories. It had been so long since he’d really been in the mysterious conundrum of his dark’s mind and soul . . . he’d almost forgotten what it was like. But why had his dreams brought him here?

“Yugi?” a voice behind him asked softly. “Little one, why are you here?” Yugi turned around slowly, afraid that the dream Yami he had conjured would disappear, just like the true Yami had earlier.

“I needed to see you,” Yugi whispered. He knew he was talking to a dream, but he didn’t care. He needed to say it . . . needed for Yami, whether he was real or not, to hear it. Maybe, if he could say it here, he would be able to tell his other when he did see him again. “You didn’t give me the chance to explain . . .”

“No explanation was necessary, aibou,” Yami murmured. He gazed into the amethyst eyes, and wondered why his dreams had brought him here. This room didn’t exist anymore, as far as he knew, other than in his own head, and he hadn’t visited it since before Kage had harmed Yugi. And why was Yugi here? What were his dreams trying to tell him? He shrugged mentally . . . it didn’t matter. At least here he could pretend that things were different, and that their relationship, ended before it had even begun, could be salvaged. “I understood.” He was surprised when Yugi shook his head.

“No, you didn’t,” Yugi said. He stepped forward, laying his hand on his dark’s chest gently, feeling the steady beat of his other’s heart beneath his palm. “I wasn’t afraid of you . . . it was a memory of that night that forced me to push you away. I could never be afraid of you.” He stepped closer, leaving his arm between them as he came within an inch of being pressed against the lithe frame of his dark. “I wish you had let me explain . . . I hate to see you in pain, and I know that I hurt you. I could see it in your eyes.” He reached up, cupping one tanned cheek in his hand and smoothing his thumb over the angular arch under his other’s eye. “Your eyes have always been open to me . . . even when your mind was closed.”

Yami enjoyed the feel of his aibou’s caress against his skin, turning his head to lay a soft kiss against the palm and delighting in the pleasant shiver that he felt tremble through his aibou’s frame. At least here, he could pretend that he wasn’t afraid of himself and what he could be capable of doing to his aibou . . . here, he was safe from his doubts and fears. He let his tongue trail lovingly across the pale skin, pausing to lay a feather light kiss at the pulse fluttering at his aibou’s wrist before raising crimson eyes dark with passion to meet the slightly glazed amethyst gaze of his other.

“Yami . . .” Yugi whispered, his heart in his throat at the fire burning deep within the garnet orbs of his dark. If only this were real . . .

“I love you, Yugi,” Yami murmured. “With all my heart and soul. I know that I have never loved anyone in either of my lives as much as I love you. I cannot bear to see you hurt . . . which is what makes this so hard. There is no way out that does not cause you pain . . .”

“I trust you, love,” Yugi replied softly. “I know you would never hurt me if you could help it . . . but I can bear any pain, as long as you are beside me.” He reached up gently, drawing his other down into a gentle, unassuming kiss. “Please . . . come back to me . . . be with me . . .” he whispered against Yami’s lips.

“Yugi,” he groaned, as light fingers trailed over his back before pulling the white cotton shirt out of the black jeans, smooth hands running over his back and making his nerves fire endlessly. “I do not want to live without you . . .” He lay a gentle kiss on the upturned lips. “You are my reason for existing . . . without you I am nothing. But I do not want to push you too hard.” Even as he said this, he found himself threading his fingers through the tri-colored locks, tugging gently until he could lick at the pulse fluttering at his aibou’s throat. “Ra . . . gods, Yugi, tell me to stop . . .” he whispered. “I have no control when I am with you . . .”

Yugi listened to his plea, warmth suffusing his body as his yami admitted something that would never occur in real life. Yami, not having control? ‘Oh, I wish this was real . . .’ he thought hazily, as tan hands drifted over him, pulling him tightly into the lithe frame of his other, feeling the hardness of the body pressing against him, the warm flicks of tongue as Yami tasted his skin. It all felt so right . . . if only it could be real.

“I don’t want your control, Yami,” he murmured, his hand trailing over the tense back muscles, loving the feel of his dark’s flesh underneath his hands. “I want your love.” He moaned softly as Yami undid the buttons of his shirt before gasping as the warm mouth found one of his nipples, teasing it to hardness beneath light nips and warm, wet tongue licks. “Oh gods, Yami . . . don’t stop . . .” he groaned, his hands clutching at his dark’s shoulders for balance as the feather light kisses continued to trace a wandering trail down his exposed chest and stomach, Yami’s lips ghosting over his skin teasingly. “Oh please, don’t stop . . .”

“Are you sure this is what you want, aibou?” Yami murmured. He had long ago forgotten that this was merely a dream . . . if this was the only way he could ever have Yugi, than so be it. He would enjoy it, and pretend that it truly was his aibou in his arms, unafraid of him. “You have only to tell me what you want . . .”

“I want you,” Yugi replied quietly, before moaning loudly, his legs threatening to give out beneath him as he felt his dark caress him through the tightening confines of his pants. “Oh Ra . . . Yami, I’ve waited so long for this . . . gods, help me forget what happened . . .” His nightmares of Kage had never seemed farther away than they were at this moment, and he hoped desperately that they would remain that way, here and in real life. He was tired of being afraid.

Feeling the tremors wracking his aibou’s body, Yami stood again, pulling the shivering form into him before lifting, nearly moaning out loud as Yugi instinctively wrapped his legs around his waist, bringing twin erections into sharp, delightful friction.

“Aibou . . .” he moaned, barely able to concentrate on summoning a bed on which to continue these activities in a more comfortable environment. He staggered to the bed, laying his precious burden down upon the silken sheets gently, pulling back so that he could merely look and memorize this moment. Yugi stared up at him through half-lidded eyes, the amethyst darkened to an almost violet color, burning with passion and longing. The black shirt he wore pooled open around him, exposing the delectable, pale flesh to his dark’s hungry gaze, the legs sprawled haphazardly to either side of him as he stood between them. “You are beautiful,” he murmured. He smiled slightly as Yugi flushed.

“Not fair that I can’t see as much of you as you can of me,” Yugi replied, slightly embarrassed. He was shocked when Yami stepped away, a smirk crossing his dark’s features as he stopped just out of reach. Amethyst eyes widened, his mouth opening in shock as Yami slowly peeled the cotton shirt off, drawing it over his head and showing every inch of tantalizing golden skin to perfection. Yugi stared, the tightening in his groin only getting worse as Yami’s hands drifted lightly over his own skin, the defined chest and abdomen, the nipples that were barely a shade darker than the rest, before they stopped at the waist of his jeans. He caught his breath, oxygen suddenly no longer a necessity as his dark slowly unbuttoned the black cloth before sliding them down his legs so slowly that it was torture.

He’d never seen Yami like this . . . never seen his dark as he had been in his life. The golden skin shone with a light cover of sweat, making it appear as if his love had been dusted lightly with glitter in the mellow lighting. He devoured that form with his eyes, throat constricting as his heart raced, desire coursing through his veins. He’d never thought Yami could be so . . . god-like.

“Are you all right, aibou?” Yami murmured, a slight grin tilting his lips upwards as he stepped out of the discarded clothing, standing before Yugi for inspection. He was surprised at himself for being so straightforward and uninhibited . . . but then, Yugi had shared his heart and soul. After that kind of intimacy, physical issues just didn’t seem to be all that big a deal.

Yugi nodded shakily, unable to get the words past the pounding heart that had risen into his throat. Yami was too beautiful, like a perfect artwork come to life. This was his yami, his other . . . his love. This was no longer just a dream to him . . . this was his one chance to get his wish, even if it wasn’t real.

He sighed, a shudder passing through him as Yami approached him again, prowling across the short space between before leaning over Yugi to take his lips in a passionate kiss. Yugi whimpered, falling back to lie completely on the bed as his dark tasted him, drinking him as if he were water and Yami had come in from the desert after all day in the sun. He felt his other’s fingers on the button of his jeans, and struggled to help Yami get him out of his own clothing, desperately needing to feel that golden flesh against his own pale skin. He sighed happily as the rough cloth came free, the taller man sliding the jeans slowly down his long legs, gentle hands running lightly over his skin as he divested Yugi of the last of his clothing.

“So beautiful, my aibou,” Yami whispered, his hands ghosting over the slim, muscular legs and thighs of his light. He was almost afraid to touch that perfection . . . what right did he have to this beauty, even if it was merely a dream? He trailed his fingers lightly through the soft patch of crimson curls at his hikari’s groin, delighting in the gasp of pleasure it drew from his beautiful light as the youth arched into his touch.

A glisten of dew on the tip of his light drew his attention, and he hesitated for only a moment before his tongue darted out to collect the pearlescent drop. If this were reality, he never would have done so, afraid of moving too quickly . . . but this was his dream, and here he would do what he could never do to Yugi in real life.

Yugi moaned as Yami’s tongue caressed him, struggling not to arch upwards in an effort to gain more of that wet warmth. This dream, at least, was one that he wanted . . . no nightmares, no Kage, only his yami and their love. He wished it would never end – so far, it was all he’d ever wanted and so much more. He hissed as he was engulfed in warmth, bliss rolling through him in waves as he felt Yami suckle at him, drawing more of his essence out of him.

“Yami . . .” he moaned, burying his hands in the soft locks of his other as Yami grazed the over sensitive flesh with his teeth before soothing it with his tongue. “Oh Ra . . .” He bucked upwards unconsciously as Yami deep throated him, one tan hand kneading at his thigh to hold him still and comfort him. The fire in his groin was growing into a bonfire, racing through his veins in whirlwind heat as Yami swallowed around his member, causing him to convulse in pleasure. “I . . . oh god, I can’t take . . . much more . . .” he groaned, his head tossing from side to side as sparks began to go off behind his closed eyes.

“Let me taste you, aibou,” Yami whispered, pulling back for a second to admire the flushed skin of his light. His hands drifted over the glistening, soft flesh of his aibou’s thighs, caressing and soothing lightly. “Come for me, love.” His head dipped back down, taking Yugi into his mouth hungrily, running his tongue along the sensitive underside before using his teeth to rake lightly over the sensitive flesh, feeling Yugi tense further beneath his hands. He hummed in pleasure as his aibou’s hands caressed his scalp, feeling the smaller man’s muscles begin to shiver violently.

Yugi’s world exploded in white light as Yami hummed around him, the vibrations sending a violent shudder through him as he came. He jerked as his release hit him, his back arching off the bed as he screamed soundlessly before collapsing back, staring at his other through hazy eyes as his dark smiled, wiping his mouth absently with the back of his hand. Yami, noticing his sudden attention, smirked before cleaning the back of his hand with his tongue, refusing to miss a drop of his other’s essence.

“You are ambrosia, little light,” he whispered. “This must be heaven.” Yugi giggled slightly . . . who knew his yami could be so poetic? The smiled faded when Yami shifted uncomfortably, amethyst eyes growing concerned before he realized what was wrong. “Yami . . .” His dark smiled slightly.

“It is nothing, aibou . . . I will handle my discomfort myself.” He rose slowly, Yugi’s eyes widening as he spied his dark in all his naked glory. He rose as well, rising to his knees on the bed and reaching for Yami gently. This was his dream after all . . . and there was no way he was going to allow this opportunity to slip away, dream or not.

“No,” he murmured, drawing his other down onto the bed beside him. “You will not.” Yami looked up at him from the flat of his back, crimson eyes wide as one eyebrow rose in curiosity with the strange statement. “Because I’m going to do it for you.” Yami watched, frozen in shock, as Yugi knelt between his parted legs, taking his member in his fist and pumping it gently before leaning down to flick his tongue across the slit, drawing the tiny pearl of pre-cum into his mouth.

“Little one . . .” he moaned, trying to fight for some semblance of sanity as Yugi’s touch threatened to send him spinning out of control. “You do not . . . if you are not ready . . .” He paused as Yugi lay a finger against his lips, caressing them absently before shaking his head.

“I’m ready for this, at least,” Yugi murmured. “But I wouldn’t mind watching you pleasure yourself . . . later.” He moaned when Yami drew his finger into his mouth, sucking on it gently, mimicking what he had just finished doing to his flesh, which was once again growing hard. “Oh gods,” Yugi whispered, his eyes closing as what his dark was doing to his finger sent sparks straight for his groin. “Yami, stop that . . . or this isn’t going to get anywhere . . .”

Yami gave the tip of his finger one last, lingering caress with his tongue before releasing the captured flesh with a gasp as Yugi wrapped his hand around his member again, causing electricity to shoot up his spine in a divine wave. He fell back, his hands fisting in the sheets as he tried to maintain some semblance of control over the situation. Dream or no dream, he could not force things faster, even though his aibou was a figment of his rather over active imagination at the moment. His breath was coming even more rapidly with each stroke of his light’s hand, and his back arched off the sheets when Yugi ceased his hand movements, only to replace them with his mouth.

Yugi smiled around his dark as he felt the muscles beneath his hands jerk wildly, a choked shout from his other sending a wave of pleasure through him. That he could do this to his dark . . . that he had the power to make his beloved lose control, a power no one else had . . . warmed his heart and soul in a way he couldn’t have begun to describe. Using his tongue to caress the velvety flesh, he mimicked what Yami had done to him earlier, delighting in the moans that he dragged from his love’s throat with each stroke.

Yami’s muscles tensed suddenly, giving Yugi barely a moment to prepare before his other’s essence shot out of the hardened flesh and into his waiting mouth. He swallowed it greedily, unwilling to allow so much as a drop to spill, delighting in the salty-sweet taste as he drank it in, taking his other into himself as Yami screamed his name.

Yami lay spent, gasping for air as he stared up at the twisting corridors of his soul room. Suffused with what he could only describe as complete bliss, it was several moments before he became aware of Yugi still kneeling between his legs, grinning up at him. Crimson met amethyst hazily, unable to truly focus as he tried to get himself back under control after such a mind blowing experience. This was one dream he was likely to never forget.

“Yami?” Yugi whispered finally, surprised at the silence from his other, both mentally and physically. His dark was practically boneless beneath him, and he was afraid he might have done something wrong. Dream Yami should have said something by now, in his mind. “Are you alright?” He shivered slightly as Yami gave him a lazy grin, the look sending even more sparks straight to his groin, just as he was getting calmed down. That look was positively beautiful to him.

“I am fine, aibou,” Yami whispered, one hand rising off the bed limply to caress him before falling back to the sheets, unable to complete the movement. “Merely . . . content.” Yugi sighed in relief before squeaking slightly as Yami managed to move finally, tugging him down to lay beside the prone tan body, cuddled up into his side lovingly. “I love you, Yugi,” he said softly, running his fingers through the tri-colored strands of his little light gently. “I only wish . . .”

“Wish what, Yami?” he asked, sensing something important. He rose up on his elbow to stare down into the garnet eyes seriously. His dark smiled sadly, reaching up to caress his cheek.

“I only wish this were not simply a dream,” Yami replied.


*-------*-------*-------*-------*


Yugi bolted upright in bed, his breath coming in harsh pants as he stared at the wall across from the bed in shock. What the hell . . . what had just happened? He remembered the dream vividly . . . was still covered in a fine sheet of sweat from it, to be exact . . . and Yami’s last words echoed in his head like a bell. His hands rose to his face, scrubbing at his eyes as he tried to think past the numbing shock. Had it . . . it couldn’t have been more than a dream? Could it?

He rose from the bed shakily, making his way into the bathroom to scrub his face with cold water, trying desperately to wake up so he could think clearly. He could still feel Yami against him . . . and as he licked his lips to wet them, he tasted the salty-sweet essence of his dark still upon them. One hand rose shakily to press against them, amethyst eyes widening in wonder. It hadn’t been just a dream! He scrambled back into the bedroom, throwing on his clothes hurriedly, intent on finding his dark. If it really hadn’t been a dream, then maybe they had finally broken through the fears they harbored!

He dashed out the doorway, already trying to think of where Yami could be.


*-------*-------*-------*-------*


Yami grunted as he hit the cold ground, awaking him abruptly from his all too pleasant dream. The lingering feeling of completion threw him off slightly, as did his last memory of Yugi’s eyes at his words. His aibou had looked . . . well, stunned was the only word he could think of. Why would a dream conjuration of his aibou look stunned when he said he wished it had been more than a dream?

He rose shakily to his feet, running a hand through his already disheveled hair in consternation. Shadow magic was a strange thing, and although his link with Yugi was no longer as strong as it had once been, it was still there. Was it possible that he and Yugi truly had been in his soul room? But if that was true, then how did his soul room still exist? Wasn’t it within the still shattered Puzzle?

Suddenly, the strange silence of night around him dawned on him. There should have been crickets, and other sounds of nighttime creatures . . . but there were none. Crimson eyes narrowed as Yami examined his surroundings more closely, trying to find whatever disturbance could possibly have driven the night creatures into silence. There was nothing that he could see.

/Danger, Pharaoh,/ a voice murmured in his head. He started abruptly. That voice . . . but it wasn’t possible! How could Malik possibly contact him, locked within his soul room? In his stunned state, it took a moment before the actual warning became clear to him.

“Yugi!” he whispered, and bolted for the house.


*holds up her hands to ward off over-ripe vegetables and fruit* I know, I know! Evil cliff-hanger! Don't blame me, talk to Bakura . . . he's the one that decided the Pharaoh hadn't been tortured nearly enough in this story. Anyway . . . *points at review button* please review and let me know what you think. Right now I'm sort of stuck in a chapter of this, and your review will fuel my ability to break my writer's block and keep getting this story to you guys. So please REVIEW!