Naming the Flame

Naming the Flame

Trei

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh is not mine. I can prove
this easily. One, if you gave me an un-subbed episode, I’d sit there blankly
and smile, not because anything of worth was registering, but because the
bishies on that show are extremely pretty. ;) Two, if I did own
it, this story would probably be what I’d make the show to be. Ryou would be a lot
more prominent, Malik would get more air time and the flashbacks to Egypt would
be faithful to ancient Egyptian history (no miraculous Nile Hair Gel for
the Pharaoh). Oh, and most importantly…I would be doing those things right now
instead of crafting a story to represent what I only wishe> co> could be.
^_^ So there you have it. Not mine, never was mine, never will be mine. A real
shame, too…I had plans for Malik and Ryou. ;)

Chapter One

Most men write cars,
television sets and large boats at the top of their “most treasured” list. Ryou
Bakura’s father, however, was in love with a bathtub. A Jacuzzi, to be more
specific. But, as the middle-aged archaeologist would argue, it was a very manly
Jacuzzi. And one similar to the one he had met Ryou’s mother in. But, of
course, Ryou never pushed his father to elaborate on that specific detail.

The Jacuzzi even had a
name engraved on the side. Not its brand (which was Kohler), but a real
custom-engraved name. Ryou feared for his father’s life whenever he
brought back an ancient artifact from Egypt, always expecting a flair-haired
psycho to come out like some twisted genie in a lamp. He’d had quite enough of
that when he’d received his Sennen Ring (1), so graciously presented to him by
his Jacuzzi-obsessive parent. But when he’d discovered the Jacuzzi Room while
doing laundry, well, Ryou started worrying about his father’s rational
stability as well.

Not that any of this was
actually breaking through to Ryou’s psyche at the moment. To be truthful, not
even Italian opera sung by a dying rooster could have been strong enough to
penetrate the haze. To an outsider, one would think the boy himself was dying
he waoanioaning so loud. But in all fairness, that really wasn’t Ryou’s fault.

If one were to place
blame, one would look to the half-drenched blond tangled in his arms,
masterfully casting lips and tongue to work that was driving Ryou to the
precipice of his sanity. The only source of light was a feathery wisp of flame
from a vanilla-scented candle near the doorway. If another outsider were to
ask, the candle would have replied that never in its waxy life had it observed
something so decadent. Its former owner, Isis Ishtar, never had such
beautiful boys in her bathtub. In fact, the woman didn’t even have a
boyfriend, don’t you know. And she never put a scrap of mousse to that flat
hair, either….

In a futile and
halfhearted attempt to search out reality, Ryou snagged desperate hold of
Malik’s neck, dragging the already heated kiss to feverish temperatures. This,
however, only served to fuel the loss of reality rather than add to it. Not
that either was too concerned, mind. No, they were content to lie in that
frothing, tempestuous water while absentmindedly hurling logic and reality off
the precipice of Ryou’s sanity.

Malik was never one to go
halfway with anything and lost the freedom of his hands to Ryou’s ethereally
diamond-encrusted hair, moaning with content into the softened lips his were
crushed against. He felt Ryou’s ankle digging into his back, but in the long
run, he decided he could suffer a few bruises. Especially with bath times like
this one. World domination could screw off with the opinionated candle for all
he cared. This Jacuzzi was the only thing worth dominating right now.

Ryou wondered absently in
the tiny crumb-sized corner of his mind that still held conscious thought
ti
time it was. His father, by a horrible twist of fortune, was home for a bit of
the summer holidays. (“Egypt is hot enough without me burning what’s left of my
hair out under that sun…. I’d much rather spend the vacation with my son,”
was how he’d jokingly put it.) As far as Ryou cared to remember, his father had
left this morning around ten, promising to be home before dinner. Well, it was
past dinner…. Or rather, it was past Ryou’s dinner with Malik. Or rather
still…dinner of Malik.

A deceptively graceful
hand wove trembling fingers through Ryou’s, squeezing until their palms ached
from the strain. Again, neither was bothered too greatly at present, seeing as
how neither could feel anything but the other, see nothing but the other and
want nothing but the other. The candle would have a field day of gossip when it
got back to Isis’ bathroom. Cocky faucet had insisted that Isis’ younger
brother was as heterosexual as Bruce Willis, but ohhh no. Here was flat
evidence that that drooling faucet was lying through its tap.

The couple were connected
and flushed in every place imaginable. Yes - even there, you gutterdwellers.
Ryou’s breath came out in a gasp as Malik pulled up for air, soaking in
vanilla-saturated mist that merely helped along the red fire in both pairs of
eyes. And while Ryou struggled to breathe correctly, Malik leaned in and feathered
an affectionate kiss against the blazing plane of his koi’s forehead. Ryou
interrupted a gasp in order to smile dotingly before dropping his head back
onto the lip of the Jacuzzi, sucking air through passion-reddened lips.

Malik chuckled and nuzzled
the exposed ivory throat, catching the sensitive skin between the younger boy’s
neck and shoulder impishly. As expected, Ryou’s body shuddered and the boy
involuntarily squeezed his arms around Malik’s slick back with a sultry moan.
“You - couldn’t - let me…” Ryou’s breath sharpened as the torturous mouth
plagued his neck. “Catch my - breath?”

Dipping his head to the
side, Malik responded by biting down on the formerly visited vulnerable spot
with fervor. Ryou cried out and forgot how exactly coherent speech was
performed. His nails gripped for purchase at Malik’s shoulder blades, absently
sliding his supple fingertips over the taboo marks engraved there. If he’d
known of the short surge of panic that caused for Malik, he would have
apologized, but as it was, Ryou could barely string a rudimentary thought
together let alone a wholeken ken word.

“No,” said the Egyptian
teasingly, possessively reclaiming Ryou’s lips. The other boy was only too glad
to respond, his lids dropping listlessly over dreamy molten chocolate gems.
“And - I don’t think - you mind,” Malik added breathlessly, caressing Ryou’s
forehead with tenderness he usually reserved only for his motorcycle (which he
hadn’t been barking mad enough to name, thank you very much).

Annoyed wbantbanter, Ryou
impatiently put Malik back in his place, which was presently kissing the hell
out of his koi. The Egyptian countered Ryou’s haste with excruciatingly slow
motions that drove the very soul from Ryou’s poor worn throat. Malik distracted
the younger boy by slipping his tongue through Ryou’s badly defended lips and
ravished his koi’s lurid mouth, subtly taking a hand from the willowy locks.

A moment later, the
elegant wrists locked around Malik’s neck jerked the older teen into a roasting
kiss that very nearly blistered the Egyptian’s sun-gingered lips. Ryou’s groans
were no longer the sole source of noise coming from the torrid embrace. The
candle’s flame flickered pryingly at their gasps and ravenous moans.
Heterosexual indeed Sub Subsequent minutes
followed a similar pattern until both drenched teenagers came down from their
reckless high and nuzzled close in a warm, tender cuddle. Malik dunked his head
back into the calming water, glad that Ryou had turned down the idea of using
the Jacuzzi’s rather strong jets. His face freed of glistening, sopping wet
blond, Malik surfaced and drew in a voracious breath. Then he pulled Ryou’s
svelte figure to his chest and spent the next ten minutes bedeg thg the younger
teen’s throat with lazy open-mouthed kisses. Ryou replied with contentment,
holding their entangled hands against his lips while he leaned his head against
Malik’s shoulder and submitted himself entirely to the Egyptian’s will.

It touched Malik to sense
how genuinely Ryou trusted him. No one else would abandon their defenses so
easily in Malik’s arms. Ryou was the only one who had never in his life feared
the Egyptian (2). Perhaps that was the reason they had lasted so long as the
starry-eyed couple so many of Ryou’s family and friends would scorn if they knew.

But that was the beauty of
treachery. No one did know.

Ryou softened the tense
muscles in Malik’s hand with deliberate strokes of his thumb, absently
snuggling his face deeper into the crook of the Egyptian’s shoulder. Trust was
in the younger boy’s very breathing, gentle showers of cool air that had helped
bring Malik back from the deranged madman his tormented childhood had twisted
him into. His Ryou. His tenshi (3). His koi.

It was after one
particularly prolonged throat-kiss that Ryou said, “I think I’d better call my
father.”

Well, if there was any
other way to make Malik Ishtar yelp, it probably wasn’t as effective as Ryou’s.
“You mean leave me all alone?” he asked, marinating his voice in a reasonably
deep puddle of hurt.

Ryou turned his head and caught
Malik’s lips in a softened, promising kiss. Then, in a voice richer and
smoother than melted butter, he whispered, “You’d rather I stay here until I
freeze to death?”

A moment’s hesitation,
then, “You wouldn’t have to freeze.” And he emphasized this implication with a
kiss that stole not only Ryou’s breath but his memory as well.

What was it he was going
to do?

“Oh, Malik….”

Oh, well. It probably
wasn’t important anyway.

Moments of impassioned desire
passed like melted water streaking impetuously down the slope of an icicle. It
wasn’t until they were so close it hurt that the kiss became cause for worry.
Ryou knotted his hands in Malik’s hair and moaned loudly into Egyptian lips
with reckless abandon. His body, so heated by Malik’s, began to tremble under
the slightest touch, which included Malik’s nimble fingers ing ing his hips
steady.

One of them cried out,
though who was unclear through the blankets of passionate vapor.

Malik’s lips were fixed on
Ryou’s as he drove the slender body to a low platform, trapping the smaller boy
easily. Positioning a knee on either side of Ryou’s hips, Malik hovered over
his koi and with a heartfelt smile, descended on Ryou’s mouth again.

“Love you,” he gasped sharply.

Ryou smoothed a hand
through the sunkissed locks amorously in reply, telling Malik in actions what
he currently could not with words. Sometimes words were better expressed when
nothing was said at all.

Seconds later, Malik was
entirely and willingly enmeshed in Ryou’s arms, bewitching his sweeter koi’s
lips with sinful lust. Daunted by the emotion flowing between them, Ryou
reached up an urgent hand and clutched Malik’s slick arm weakly. Every string
of energy in him was being utilized by his lips, still thrashing against
Malik’s in a battle he was all too enthusiastic to lose. Still, the rate of
their actions was making him nervous and he knew he wouldn’t be able to stop if
it went on for much longer.

Malik felt the urgency of
Ryou’s kiss, but at the same time sensed his koi’s reluctance to take that next
step. So, lowering the passion of their exploits, the Egyptian slowly pulled
away from Ryou, still holding the smaller boy like a jeweled treasure. “Only -
when you’re - ready,” he gasped softly, kissing Ryou’s feverish forehead
gently. Then, winking cheekily, he said, “But - when that time comes…you’ll
have to - convince me it’s worth it.”

Blushing vividly and
panting as if wounded, Ryou smiled shyly and leaned the side of his face on
Malik’s collarbone, breathing in the Egyptian’s exotic scent. “Thank you,” he
whispered gratefully.

Malik softenes pas palm
over Ryou’s face tenderly. “Anything for you, tenshi.”

Then Malik loosened his
hold on Ryou and let the younger boy nestle comfortably against him. After the
formerly turbulent water surrounding them had pacified and contented itself
with gently lapping against the ful ful pair, Malik took to running a hand
through Ryou’s feathery hair, nuzzling his face close to the natural perfume of
jasmine and cherries.

Then there was a creak on
the stairs above the Jacuzzi Room.

Oh. That’s what
Ryou had wanted to do before.

Malik noticed the sudden
loss of color in Ryou’s face and struck an expression of inquiry. He hadn’t
heard anything. But he heard the next noise easily.

The door opened with an
audible “snap” and Mr. Gave-My-Son-a-Gold-Thing-With-Mental-Psyche-Issues
appeared in the door, looking slightly bemused. Then his eyes fell on the
Jacuzzi. His Jacuzzi. And then his son. And the startled Egyptian on top
of his son.

Ryou immediately withdrew
his arms from around Malik’s neck and tried to speak. “Father….” But what else
could he say? “Hey, Pops, this is Malik. A few months ago he was trying to take
over the world, but he’s relatively safe now. Er, just don’t give him sharp
objects and anything with caffeine and he won’t attack you right away.”

Unfortunately, Malik was
also fond of imagining humorous situations. And the problem with that
was he also liked to act them out as well. “So, this is your father, Ryou?” he
asked with a smirk. “I’ve been wondering…. Does he use this oversized bathtub
to its potential?”

Ryou’s father turned
white, then green, then red and then a rather amusing shade of purple. “You…”
he choked out. “Who are you!? What are you doing here!?”

Malik smiled sardonically
and before Ryou could reach out to cover his koi’s overactive mouth, said
lazily, “Why don’t you ask your son?”
u eyu eyed the water,
measuring it carefully. He wondered how long it would take for him to drown
under there. But no. His father wouldn’t let him get out of a more mortifying
death so easily.

“Ryou,” Malik whispered
into his koi’s ear amusedly, “your father looks ready to spear something.”

Or someone, Ryou thought with a twinge of
alarm as his father suddenly grabbed an idle plunger from beside the toilet and
swung it headlong at Malik’s head. Ryou could have sworn he saw the candle
laughing at them as Malik ducked the blow. A shame his father hadn’t decided to
throw that at them…

Well, it wasn’t the
traditional “Hey, Dad, I’m gay,” Christmas dinner fiasco he had imagined, but
hey, it was something at least.

To be Continued…

1. Sennen Ring: another
name for the Millennium Ring. Most frequently used in Egypt.

2. I’m of the opinion
Ryou’s braver than most give him credit for. And Isis and Rishid have probably
at one time or another been a little nervous at their brother’s lunatic
performances. Hell, even Yami has to get scared sometimes. Fortunately, Ryou’s
got the license to be perfect in this chapter.

3. Tenshi (angel)