Happy Halloween, Aibou

A/N: Hi, folks, and Happy Halloween! In honor of this joyous occasion, I’ve written a fanfic to celebrate. Oh, and a note about thermal underwear---I used to have a set. It looks like a set of PJs. Why it’s called ‘underwear’ is beyond me.

Disclaimer: If I owned it, I wouldn’t be spending all my free time writing fanfiction. Nor do I own Inu-Yasha, Pikachu, or Rainbow Brite. Don’t own Revenge of the Sith, either. Haven’t even seen it yet. I haven’t seen ‘The Exorcism of Emily Rose’ or Steven King’s ‘The Shining’, either. Definitely don’t own ‘em.

Warnings: Well, it’s a Halloween fic, so of course I had to throw in some fun at the characters’ expense. There’s sex, too. Why else would it be rated X/NC-17? Also, Yuugi might be somewhat OOC. I’m not sure. I’ll leave it up to my readers to decide.

Terms

Mou hitori no boku: Japanese for ‘the other me’ (Supposedly. In my manga, Yuugi addresses the spirit as ‘other me’). What Yuugi calls the spirit of the Puzzle in the Japanese version of the anime.

Aibou: Japanese word meaning ‘partner’. What the spirit of the Puzzle calls Yuugi in the Japanese version of the anime.

Kame: Japanese word for ‘turtle’.


((I am a thought.))

/I am Yuugi to his other half./

//I am Yuugi’s other half to Yuugi.//


Thrills, Chills, Tricks, and Treats

A petite boy stuck his hands in his pockets as he left the school building. The chilly air bitch-slapped him across the face and whipped at his clothes, piercing him with countless tiny needles of ice anywhere it could. He shivered, even though he had a thick coat on.

He wished his friends were here with him to distract him, but due to fate conspiring against him, he had to make the journey back to the Kame Game Shop without his gang. Jou had gotten into a fight with another student (over what, Jou had refused to disclose) and been sentenced to detention for the next few days. Honda had to go straight home on the grounds that he was grounded (or so he claimed. Yuugi suspected that Honda was going Shizuka-chasing). Anzu had dance lessons to attend, and Bakura had mysteriously vanished within five seconds after leaving the classroom (most likely, the blame rested with the spirit that resided in Bakura’s Millennium Ring). That left Yuugi alone to face the cold as best he could.

//Not alone, Aibou.// breathed a voice inside the teen’s head. //Did you forget about me?//

/How could I, you’re living inside my head!/ Yuugi replied.

//I’m feeling loved.// was the sarcastic reply, laced with good humor.

/Deal with it./ Yuugi shot back, throwing in the telepathic equivalent of sticking out his tongue.

//You’re rather…testy today, Aibou.// the other replied, still telepathically grinning. //Perhaps when you arrive home I should remedy that.// The tones of the spirit’s voice dropped in pitch, taking on a certain suggestiveness. //Something involving…chocolate syrup, whipped cream, and you bound to a bedpost. What do you think?//

Although the sort of activity mentioned wasn’t new to Yuugi (he’d been in that position before, and done it to his dark lover as well), he couldn’t help a small flash of heat in his face and knew his cheeks had flushed, though from arousal or embarrassment or both wasn’t clear to him.

/Would you get your mind out of the…oh, wait. I almost forgot. Your mind is the gutter. I’ve turned you into a sex freak, I swear./ Yuugi groaned.

//…‘sex freak’?//

Yuugi could practically see his lover lifting an eyebrow.

/Yes, ‘sex freak’! I can’t believe this is the same guy who used to stutter and hesitate and blush every time I came up with a new idea to try in our bedroom games. Now you not only jump at every opportunity to have sex, it’s always on your mind!/

//You’re the one that made me this way, Aibou.// the other boy purred.

/So you’re saying it’s my fault?/

//Yes!//

/…I see a number of slave and master games in your future. With a heavy emphasis on bondage./

Even this did not deter the spirit’s currently perverted train of thought. A soft, velvet chuckle rumbled through Yuugi’s soul, almost stroking it.

//Come, then, Aibou, prove it to me. Make your vision a reality, if you can.//

Yuugi smirked, the expression strongly reminiscent of the one his lover had become rather infamous for. /You do realize you’ve just challenged me, don’t you?/

//I’ve done more than that, Aibou of mine. I’ve invited you to play. So, do you accept the challenge? Will you play, Aibou?// the other intoned huskily.

Yuugi shivered, an involuntary shudder that had nothing to do with the chill of the day. /You bet. I’ll answer your challenge, koibito. I’ll play the game. Prepare to lose./

//We’ll see who wins and who loses.// the other breathed.

Yuugi had a retort all set and ready to go, but it fled his mind as a difference in the scenery caught his eye. /Hey! The Halloween store’s open! It’s about time!/

//It’s…but Aibou, it’s only the beginning of September!// the spirit exclaimed, clearly confused.

/Yeah, I know. But some people like to prepare their costumes in advance. Which reminds me…I haven’t decided what we’re going to be./

//‘We’?// the Puzzle’s inhabitant repeated.

/Yes, ‘we’./ Yuugi replied firmly. /We’re going to go trick or treating together, and then there’s that party. I’m not about to let you miss out on anything!/ The tone the petite teen used to deliver this message made it clear the topic was not up for debate.

//Aibou, you know how I feel about showing myself to the world outside.// the spirit protested.

/Oh, come on, you big baby. It’ll be fun./ the mortal boy coaxed as he entered the store.

Sighing at the rush of heated air that washed over his face, Yuugi didn’t give his dark lover a chance to reply, already caught up in searching for costumes.

Upon feeling a slight tug at his soul, he turned and smiled at the translucent form that only he could see.

“Let’s see,” Yuugi mused aloud, moving among the mannequins displaying various outfits.

“If you attempt to stick me in a Pikachu costume, Aibou, you can banish the idea of me going anywhere entirely,” the spirit stated.

Yuugi hastily turned his laugh onto a hacking cough. Laughing when there was apparently nothing to laugh at when you were supposedly alone tended to result in people looking at you in a way that didn’t exactly qualify as ‘comfortable’. Like they thought you should be examined by a shrink or checked in to a mental hospital.

/Tempting as the idea is, mou hitori no boku, that’s a children’s costume you’re looking at. I don’t think they make them in your size./

“Good.”

“Let’s see…pirates, vampires, werewolves…nah, too boring. Jedi costumes, maybe?” /You’d make a stunning Dark Jedi./

“I suppose I would, and the color of the Jedi outfit goes well with your skin tone, Aibou. But wouldn’t it be a commonplace costume this year, since Revenge of the Sith was released into theaters less than two months ago?”

/Damn. You’re right./ Yuugi sounded disappointed. /Too bad. We’d’ve looked good in them. Ah, well, back to browsing. Pass on the Duel Monster costumes? Those are bound to be popular./

“Aibou, if you want something original, I doubt a store is the place to be looking.”

/True, but I’m not exactly looking to buy anything. I’m kind of hoping I’ll get an idea./

Yami peered curiously at his counterpart, but made no argument.

Yuugi continued to sort wander about the store with a ghostly form gliding along beside him, checking out various costumes. Some he dismissed at a glance. He spared a few a second-over before moving on. Other times, he’d stand and contemplate a costume for several minutes, arms folded as his proceeded with his mental workings.

As for the spirit, all he knew was that Halloween had been adopted from the Americans, famous for the one night in the year when children dressed up in costumes and painted themselves up like clowns, then knocked on doors asking for candy with the phrase ‘Trick or treat’. For the elders, it was a time for costume parties. Teenagers fell somewhere in the middle. Some stayed at home, some partied, and some went trick-or-treating.

Yuugi’s gang planned on trick-or-treating, with escorting Mokuba as their cover, and then when trick-or-treating time ended, they planned to head back to the Kaiba mansion for a party. Mokuba had come up with the idea for having the party at his house. His brother wouldn’t know; the elder Kaiba would be at a business conference in England and wouldn’t return until a few days later.

The spirit hadn’t known until just a few minutes ago that he’d been involved in the plans; he sincerely hoped the same didn’t apply to the spirit that inhabited the Millennium Ring. He didn’t trust the thief one whit.

Halloween found its roots in pagan beliefs, Aibou had said. Wearing costumes had originated in an attempt to hide from evil spirits who would do harm to the living. The tomb robber would surely seize the opportunity to take over Bakura’s body and run amok causing mayhem. Then again, he did that no matter what time of the year it was.

A thrill of excitement wisped through the spirit’s mind, cutting into his mental review of his knowledge of All Hallow’s Eve and the tomb robber. He turned to stare at a widely grinning Yuugi. It seemed Aibou had found inspiration while staring at a…Rainbow Brite costume?

Yuugi might have been thrilled at his idea, but the spirit wondered if he would share his partner’s enthusiasm.

**********

Over the next month, Yuugi became a whirlwind of activity, making lists, running shopping trips, and printing out pictures in preparation of the big night.

He helped his grandfather decorate the Game Shop with fake cobwebs, skulls, witches that cackled with flashing eyes when you walked by them, artificial fat hairy spiders, tombstones, and other paraphernalia associated with the holiday as it drew nearer.

Plans were finalized, excitement ran ever higher.

Students at school chattered about what they were doing, whose party to go to, what their costumes were.

The highly anticipated day inched closer.

The day before Halloween, Yuugi and Jii-chan left the Game Shop, returning with a pair of big, fat, orange pumpkins.

The spirit of the Puzzle watched with amusement as the two mortals scooped out the goopy innards, separating the seeds from the rest.

Then Yuugi and Jii-chan drew faces on the pumpkins, outlining them in black marker. Carving followed, resulting in two jack-o-lanterns, smiling creepily.

And Yami no Yuugi still didn’t know what his Aibou had planned for their costumes. Aibou had kept that a well-guarded secret.

**********

Halloween dawned bright and clear. The warm gold of the sky contrasted sharply with the actual temperature. A thin layer of frost covered the ground, coloring it white, and Jack Frost had not ended his work there, painting pretty designs on windows.

Yuugi’s school had decided to throw a carnival after school in honor of the spooky holiday. The different student organizations had set up their booths and games, proceeds going to their group. Most of their games were simple---ring toss, guess the number of pocky sticks in the jar, etcetera. A few groups had forgone the games in favor of setting up tables with cookies, cupcakes, and other various sweets.

Jounouchi managed to win the pocky jar, and Honda became the proud owner of a bag of sweets after hitting a bullseye on the red and white target with a small red rubber ball. Anzu actually won at the ring toss, much to her surprise and pleasure (she insisted that it was pure luck. Jounouchi commented that she had great aim from whacking him and Honda on the head all the time, earning him a head whap from Anzu). She chose a small stuffed puppy dog as her prize.

Yuugi preferred the games that required skill to win, checkmating the chess club’s best player in under ten minutes. He went home with a number of prizes, little things, plus a number of sweets that had looked too good to pass up.

He and his friends parted ways after the mini carnival, going home for chores and maybe a bit of homework.

**********

A translucent spirit watched as his Aibou almost literally bounced around the bedroom, humming happily and for all purposes acting…well, like a little kid.

“Aibou, are we going to get dressed, or are you planning on simply throwing a white sheet over me at the last minute?” he finally asked.

Yuugi paused just long enough to throw a mischievous glance over his shoulder.

“We’ll start getting ready in a few minutes. I just like watching you fidget.”

Yami no Yuugi frowned, silently hoping that whatever Yuugi had planned wouldn’t turn out to be too embarrassing.

True to his word, Yuugi pulled assorted packages and bags from his closet five minutes later, sorting through them and placing them in piles while his other half watched silently.

“Mou hitori no boku? If you’d…”

Heaving a mental sigh, and bracing himself to face the worst, Yami no Yuugi closed his eyes and concentrated, calling on the energy that dwelled within his soul as well as the power that the Puzzle contained. Delicately, he wove the spell that provided him with a corporeal body. Reaching out with his mind, he grasped Yuugi’s life force and gently worked it into the energy strands.

He opened his eyes upon feeling the mattress sink under his weight, inhaling deeply. The spell was not especially complicated, but it did leave him feeling rather lightheaded and drained for a short while upon its completion.

Yuugi waited patiently for the other boy to recover, eager to proceed with getting their costumes on.

The instant he felt his other half recover sufficiently, he started rooting through his closet, pulling out a long-sleeved black top, leather pants of the same color, and a silver-studded ebony belt, along with his silver-studded boots and a clean pair of black socks. He scooped these articles up, then dumped them on the bed beside his startled other half.

“Get dressed,” he instructed, tossing a thermal undergarment top and bottom pair onto the bed to join the pile. “And put those on first. It’s going to be cold outside tonight.”

“Aibou, I don’t understand…”

Yuugi smiled. “You will. Strip.”

“Ai---”

“Mou hitori no boku. Do I have to do it myself?”

Yami no Yuugi sighed. Obviously, he couldn’t get out of this one.

Sensing that his other half needed a little…persuasion, Yuugi strode over to the form rising from the bed. Gently pushing Yami no Yuugi into a sitting position, the high schooler straddled his lover’s lap, balanced on the bed’s edge by his knees, meeting the former Pharaoh’s ruby eyes with his own amethyst ones.

“Mou hitori no boku…” he breathed in a voice barely above a whisper. “Just do what I say, and I promise that when we get home…” He paused to run his hand teasingly down his lover’s chest. “We’ll have our own Halloween celebration.” Blushing slightly, he leaned forward, so that his breath tickled his koibito’s neck. “A role-playing game, I think…” he murmured, lips quirking up momentarily at hearing his partner’s breath hitch. Raising his head, he concealed another smile at the subtle flush tingeing his lover’s face. “Sound good?”

Yami no Yuugi nodded, obviously not trusting his voice.

Yuugi smiled, pressing a hasty kiss to his other half’s lips, sealing his promise, then slid off the bed and moved away.

Somewhat shakily, the spirit stood, pulling off Yuugi’s school uniform and reaching for the thermal underwear set. He tested the feel of the material, decided it wouldn’t be unpleasant against his bare skin, and slipped it on. The shirt and pants came next, then the belt, followed by the socks and shoes. Yuugi tossed him the silver studded neckbelt, which he buckled around his throat without a second thought.

Yuugi nodded in approval, picking up a package and a shopping bag and bringing them over.

“…Aibou? I still don’t understand exactly what it is I’m supposed to be.”

Yuugi merely smiled and gestured for his other half to sit on the bed.

Yami no Yuugi complied, still mystified.

The mortal boy pulled a set of sharp-looking white claws from the bag. A finger at a time, he carefully attached the claws to Yami no Yuugi’s nails, nodding in satisfaction at the finished product. He pressed down at the base of each claw to ensure sticking before proceeding with the next part of his plan.

He withdrew a pair of black gloves from the brown paper bag, gingerly pulling them over his counterpart’s hands, careful to mind the claws. A few days ago, he’d artfully ripped holes in the tips so the claws would extend out of the gloves. The fit was snug enough that Yami no Yuugi wouldn’t need to worry about his hands getting cold, but not so snug that it ruined the authentic look.

Reaching into the bag again, Yuugi extracted a small container. He twisted off the top, revealing a red liquid that looked suspiciously like---

“Aibou? What is that?”

“It’s fake blood,” Yuugi replied nonchalantly, dipping the tip of each claw into the contents. He held each digit above the container for the few seconds it took for the substance to dry before moving onto the next claw.

That task finished, he pulled yet another prize out of the bag---a pair of fake fangs. He’d dipped the tips in the fake blood this morning. All that remained was to fit them over his other half’s teeth.

“Open your mouth, mou hitori no boku,” he commanded gently.

Yami no Yuugi eyed the accessory suspiciously but obediently did as Yuugi wanted.

Next, Yuugi attached a pair of black horns, also dipped in the fake blood, to his other half’s head. A pair of pointy ear tips followed, fitted onto his ears and pressed at the edges to make them stick. Yami no Yuugi had to stand while his Aibou affixed a long, flexible black tail with a triangular point to just above his rear and strapped a pair of bat wings to his shoulder blades.

Finally, the boy lined crimson eyes with a black substance, coated long black lashes with a different substance of the same color, colored lips red with the fake blood, and used a tiny brush to trail the fake blood in thin lines down to his chin from the corners of his lips.

Stepping back, Yuugi admired the effect. Oh, yeah. Nice. Very nice.

“Do you know what you are, mou hitori no boku?” he asked.

“…An imp. A bloodthirsty one.”

Yuugi smiled and nodded. “Like it?”

Blinking, Yami no Yuugi looked in a mirror. He grinned fiendishly, showing off the blood-tipped fangs. “I love it,” he hissed, growling playfully and swiping at Yuugi with (fake) blood-tipped claws, as though he meant to catch Yuugi and eat him.

The mortal only laughed and dodged out of the way. “Now you get to see what I am,” Yuugi declared.

He’d changed into a thermal underwear set while his other half had donned the clothing, and now he began to pull articles of clothing out of another shopping bag.

Yami no Yuugi recognized the style of clothing as the type worn in feudal Japan---it rather reminded him of the anime Inu-Yasha.

He watched as Yuugi donned the loose, flowing clothing with some difficulty, noting the fox tail that his Aibou had attached just above the seat.

Silently, he looked on as Yuugi attached a pair of pointy ear tips to his rounded ones, donned a set of claws that were more delicate than the ones he’d attached to Yami’s nails, fitted a set of fangs over his teeth, and pulled on two pairs of thick black toe socks, fitting his pants over them, before stepping into a pair of sandals. He outlined his eyes, as he had done with his dark lover’s, using a mirror so he could see what he was doing. Finished, he turned and looked at his koi expectantly.

Yami no Yuugi smiled. “You’re a kitsune, a fox demon,” he said without hesitation, and received a beaming smile as his reward.

Yuugi then snatched two pillowcases from his desk, tossing one to his lover.

“Aibou, I am not going to say that ridiculous ‘Trick or treat’ phrase,” Yami no Yuugi cautioned.

“It’s okay. I wasn’t expecting you to. Jou’s and Honda’s voices would just drown yours out, anyway,” Yuugi replied, looking in the mirror to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything. “Come on. Let’s go downstairs. Everyone will be here in a few minutes.”

Yami no Yuugi hoped Anzu would control herself. She tended to be a little more…invasive of his personal space than he preferred.

He and Yuugi had kept the fact that they were lovers hidden from their friends. Which meant that Anzu believed that, since he now had a body, she actually had a chance to make him hers.

She was a nice girl. Smart, pretty, loyal, unafraid to stand up for what she believed in, and more than willing to kick ass for the sake of those she cared for.

But Yami no Yuugi didn’t desire her the way she desired him, and her feelings for him blinded her.

For example, the last time Yami no Yuugi had ventured out into the world, Anzu had all but latched onto his arm. He’d blushed and gently extricated himself from her grasp. Anzu had later mentioned the incident to Yuugi, giggling and saying how cute it was---his other half acted like such a tough guy, but was so shy when it came to romance. Yuugi had laughed uncomfortably.

It couldn’t go on much longer. Thankfully, Anzu’s mistaken belief that the former Pharaoh was shy kept her from being overly pushy, but sooner or later, Anzu would ask Yami no Yuugi out on a date. And whether the former Pharaoh accepted or declined, Anzu would end up hearing the words that would shatter her heart, and possibly her friendship with Yuugi.

Unwilling to cause Yuugi pain by cutting loose his oldest friend, the spirit kept putting off his inevitable conversation with Anzu.

“You know, mou hitori no boku,” Yuugi started, picking up on his counterpart’s anxiety and guessing at the cause, “you’re just making it worse by not telling her. Every day you keep your mouth shut, the deeper she falls into her fantasy dreamland. She thinks you like her, but you’re too shy to admit it.”

“But, Aibou, you’ve known her for so long. If I tell her that my heart lies elsewhere, she may become jealous and bitter towards you, and sever her ties of friendship with you.”

“Mou hitori no boku.”

Uh oh. The scolding tone. What had he done?

“I am not the weak child I was when I solved the Puzzle.” The boy held up a hand, effectively halting his counterpart’s denial before it started. “I know you don’t mean to shelter me like I am one, and I know that all you want is for me to be happy and safe. But remember what I told you about the emperor butterfly?”

The spirit nodded.

“Tell me what I told you.”

“When it emerges from its cocoon, it must struggle to enter the world. Its struggles strengthen its wings. If the threads of the cocoon are snipped, if its passage is eased, then the butterfly’s wings will never carry it in flight.”

“Exactly. People are like that, too, mou hitori no boku. Without trials, without struggles, a person cannot grow strong. A life with troubles eased by others makes for a weakling.”

Yami no Yuugi nodded. They’d had this discussion before. Countless times.

“Besides, if Anzu chooses to end her friendship with me because she can’t accept that you never belonged to her, and never will, then that’s her choice. I’m not saying it won’t hurt…a lot…but I’ll get through it. I have your love and devotion, and my own strength, and that’s all I need. That’s all I’ll ever need. As long as you’re by my side, I can be strong.”

“Aibou…” Yami no Yuugi had heard these words before, more times than he could count, but they still never failed to touch his heart. Even though he’d been connected to Yuugi for years, it always moved him whenever Aibou, his Aibou, acknowledged that the spirit played such a meaningful role in the teenager’s life. His Aibou needed and wanted him. Him. A millennia-old spirit that resided inside an inverted pyramid of gold, a soul that had lost its memories, a nameless pharaoh whose poor judgment and selfishness had on more than one occasion cost them both dearly.

Tears welled up, glistening, inside ruby eyes, threatening to spill down his cheeks. It never ceased to amaze him that he could hold such value in the eyes of his own personal god, the one who had given him freedom and life, the one who had made him into who he was.

Before he could do or say anything, however, the bell on the shop door downstairs jangled, spoiling the moment.

Surprised into blinking back his tears, Yami no Yuugi stood stiffly for a moment, then glared. ((Die, gods-be-damned jingling bell!))

He followed his Aibou downstairs, into the Game Shop, still wishing death upon the doorbell.

The first thing he saw was Death.

Black cloak, long, deadly sharp scythe, face hidden by a hood, hands hidden by long, flowing sleeves…it looked at them…Death had a skull for a face, bleached white, teeth set in a ghastly grin, staring at them with empty eye sockets…Death raised its scythe, revealing its hands…bones…

Yami no Yuugi acted on instinct. He attacked. As he collided with Death, it occurred to him that Death felt surprisingly soft…

“Ooof!” grunted Death, as the two figures smacked the floor. Wait, ‘ooof’? And were those locks of white hair spilling out from under the hood?

Oops.

Behind him, Yuugi muffled laughter.

Yami no Yuugi curiously touched the skull.

Rubber? A mask?

He lifted it to reveal a pair of amused cocoa eyes and pale features.

…

Awkward.

He scrambled off the white-haired teen in a hurry, backing away.

Ryou picked himself up, smiling wryly at Yami no Yuugi.

“Trick or treat? Trick.”

Yuugi outright laughed now.

//Aibou?//

/No, I didn’t plan this with him…but I knew he was going to do it./

Yami no Yuugi frowned at his Aibou, both physically and otherwise.

/Sorry! I just couldn’t resist./

Mild irritation.

/I’ll make it up to you when we get home./ Mischief, and a few mental images, tinged with a bit of heat.

Yami no Yuugi forgave him. After all, it had been a harmless prank. Granted, at his expense, but Aibou had promised something more than worth it.

All right, he still felt rather annoyed, but…

/He’s pulling it on the others, too./

That felt good to know. The last of his irritation melted away. //I wonder how many blocks Jounouchi will run before we can catch him…?//

Yuugi snickered.

Bakura fixed up his costume, tucking his hair out of view and adjusting his mask, awaiting his next victim, while Yuugi took his other half by the wrist and led him to crouch out of sight behind the counter.

//Aibou, is it a good idea for Bakura to be carrying that scythe…? The thief…//

/It’s only plastic. And Bakura said the spirit’s been quiet lately./

//That’s never a good sign.// Yami no Yuugi replied dryly.

The bell jingled then, followed by a high-pitched ‘YEEEEEK!’

Whack.

A low groan.

Thud.

Yuugi and Yami no Yuugi looked at each other, then peeped over the counter.

Anzu stood over a floored Bakura, holding a wand defensively and looking shocked.

“Congratulations, Anzu. You’ve killed Death,” Yami no Yuugi said with a smirk as Yuugi knelt beside Bakura to see if he was all right.

Anzu did look stunningly beautiful. It seemed she’d gone for a ‘fairy princess’ look. She wore a sparkly, brightly colored, flowing gown that showed off the curves of her body, yet modestly hid most of her skin from view. A hooded cloak graced her shoulders, cascading nearly to the ground. White gloves covered her hands, extending upward to disappear beneath her long sleeves. Four colorful wings, shaped like a butterfly’s, seemed to sprout from her back. She’d used just enough makeup to enhance her features, and glitter adorned her skin and hair. A hint of subtle perfume polished off the effect.

“I didn’t mean…Is he---?”

“He’ll be all right,” Yuugi replied, helping the masked teen sit up. “He’ll probably have a good-sized lump on his head, though.”

As if on cue, Bakura groaned, one of his hands tenderly touching his hood. “I think I need some ice…”

“I’m so sorry, Bakura-kun, I just---”

The teen cut her off with a wave of his hand. “No, it was my fault. Serves me right for scaring you like that.” He laughed ruefully. “I pity anyone who tries to mug you. You’ve got one nasty swing.”

**********

As predicted, Jounouchi did not react well to seeing a cloaked, hooded skeleton wielding a scythe menacingly. He shrieked, turned to run, crashed into Honda, who had frozen in fear…and fainted.

And attempted to strangle Honda when explanations came and Honda made a smart-ass comment.

Honda had come dressed as a swashbuckling pirate, with a red and white striped shirt, black pants, knee-high boots, a red sash about his waist that sported a sheathed plastic sword, a black patch over his eye, and a stuffed toy parrot on his shoulder that randomly croaked phrases such as ‘Pieces of eight! Pieces of eight!’ or ‘Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!’

Jounouchi had come as a hobo, in a coat several sizes too big for him, his clothes ripped and torn, his face dirtied, his hair even more unkempt than usual.

Mokuba showed up shortly afterward. He’d chosen to become a chibi Blue Eyes White Dragon. Most likely, his costume had been custom made and had cost a bundle.

The gang set off to gather candy, stopping only at dwelling places where porch lights were on---a signal that the dwellers within were dishing out candy.

Yami no Yuugi found it fairly simple---walk up to the house, ring the doorbell, Jou, Honda, and Mokuba cheerfully saying the magic phrase, ‘Trick or Treat!’, receive a few pieces of candy, walk away, find the next stop and repeat.

They trick or treated around Yuugi’s neighborhood first, then hitched a limo ride (courtesy of Mokuba) to the wealthier neighborhoods, where they received considerably more loot.

And yet, there was an air of warmth about the group. They laughed and joked and teased each other, sharing the latest news and talking about everything and nothing. Well, almost everyone. Yami no Yuugi wasn’t exactly inclined to chatter, so for the most part he stuck close to Yuugi and kept a wary eye out for danger. Bakura contributed to the conversation every so often, but for the most part kept to himself as well. Yami no Yuugi watched him carefully.

Eventually, it grew late, and porch lights extinguished, their owners hitting the hay for the night. The gang’s sacks were bulging at the seams anyway (they’d all brought pillowcases, because Mokuba had warned them to expect huge amounts of treats), so Mokuba used his cell to call for the limo to take them back to the Kaiba mansion.

Mokuba had already set up a room for their party, decked out in cobwebs, big hairy spiders, artificial dust, and other such pleasantries. Spooky music boomed out from the speakers. A TV and DVD player sat surrounded by futons in one corner, a table loaded with snacks and punch lined the back wall, accompanied by a popcorn popper and a soda machine, and bean bags sat circled in the room’s center.

“First things first---unload the loot!” Mokuba announced, racing to the circle of beanbags and dumping his load out onto the floor. Everyone quickly followed suit, and the sorting and trading began.

“Hey, Jounouchi, give me that mint!”

“Fuck you, Honda, you got enough of ‘em! You can have the orange pocky!”

“Sweeet!”

“Hey, Mokuba, you want this bubble gum?”

Wide eyes. “You don’t like it?!”

Head shake. “Not really.”

“Yuugi, you’re nuts! Here, take these grape Pixie Stix, I hate grape.”

“Awesome!”

“I’ll trade you these chocolate peanut butter cups for those raspberry fruit chews, Honda.”

“Done! Thanks, Anzu!”

Yami no Yuugi felt pleasantly surprised at the amount of strawberry pocky he’d gotten. He had a weakness for sweets, although quite a bit of the candy wasn’t familiar to him, and he had to sample it to see what he did and didn’t want. He had to take out his fangs for this, setting them carefully aside.

He sucked in his cheeks and grimaced upon sampling his first lemon fruit chew. Okay. Definitely not keeping those. Resisting the urge to spit it out, he quickly swallowed it, herding the others into a pile.

At that moment, something poked his ribs. He turned, finding himself face to face with a maskless Bakura. “You want those?” he asked, indicating the pile of lemon fruit chews. Yami no Yuugi shook his head.

Bakura gently shoved a tiny mountain of chocolate mints towards the former Pharaoh. “In exchange?” he asked.

Yami no Yuugi made the trade after regarding the boy suspiciously for a moment. Ryou had to be wearing the Ring under his costume, and the thief might have poisoned----wait. He spoke quietly as Bakura reached for the lemon treats. “You don’t like lemon.”

Bakura froze, turned to look at him. “It’s an acquired taste.”

Narrowed eyes. “They’re not for you, are they.” Not a question.

“Does it matter? Lemon’s not a popular flavor, anyway.”

“What did he do to the mints?”

“Nothing!”

“…”

“He didn’t do anything! For your information, he fell asleep half an hour ago!”

“…”

“You don’t have to take the mints if you don’t want to. Throw them out for all I care,” Ryou huffed, snatching the lemon candy and shifting as far away from the ex-Pharaoh as his beanbag would allow. Yami no Yuugi saw tears glittering at the corners of the soft brown eyes, and for a moment, he felt something resembling regret. But though Ryou claimed to hate the soul that dwelled in the Ring, he still continued to wear the Item around his neck.

Yami no Yuugi eyed the chocolate mints. Should he take them…? Or toss them?

The Ring Spirit might have poisoned them. It only took an instant to accomplish.

He finally pulled the sweets towards him, placing them in a small plastic bag.

Ryou did not ask to trade with him again.

**********

After the trading, the gang took off their costumes and removed makeup. Tonight, it had gotten nearly to freezing temperatures, so protection was a must---layer up under your costume or wear a coat over it. Inside a warm house, however, these layers could cause overheating. It turned out that nearly everyone wore a set of thermal undergarments under their costume---the garments were lightweight, but they managed to keep heat in, and costume effects weren’t spoiled. Jounouchi was the sole exception---under his costume was a simple sweat suit. Not as efficient, but he’d made up for it by layering up.

Mokuba turned on a flashlight and turned off the lights. Time for scary stories.

Jounouchi started with the old ‘escaped convict’ story---a boy and girl in a remote location for some alone time when they hear over the radio that a convict with a hook for a hand escaped from the nearby prison. The girl becomes nervous, begging to be taken home, especially when she hears a scratching on her side of the car. Finally, the boy gives in and takes her home. When they arrive, he gets out and goes to her side to let her out---and finds a hook on the door handle.

“That’s the oldest story ever, Jounouchi,” Anzu declared, rolling her eyes.

“It’s a good one, though,” Jounouchi shrugged.

Anzu took it up then---she told a classic, too. A hunter shoots the tail off a strange animal, takes the tail home, and eats it. Later, after he goes to bed, he hears a strange voice, calling for its tail. It gets closer, closer, louder, louder, until it’s on his bed, where it jumps on him with a “You’ve got it!” Then it rips him open and reclaims its tail.

Honda told an old tale, as well. A man comes to town, choosing to stay at a house. He lights a fire and settles down to read. After a while he looks up, and there’s a cat sitting by the fire. He looks up again a little later, and there’s a bigger cat there, too. The new arrival asks if they should do it now, and the smaller tells him to wait until Martin comes. This happens two more times, with a bigger cat arriving and asking the question, and the others telling him to wait until Martin comes. The man jumps up and races out of the house, calling to the cats to tell Martin that he couldn’t wait.

Then Mokuba told the story about the babysitter who keeps getting phone calls while babysitting. She calls the operator, who tells her that the next call will be tracked. Turns out the calls are coming from upstairs. The babysitter gathers the kids to get them out of the house, but it’s too late. They are all found brutally murdered when the parents come home.

“I know a story a little bit like that,” Bakura spoke up.

The others encouraged him to tell it.

It started out the same way as the previous one: A babysitter and kids. The sitter receives several phone calls, always the same message---‘Have you checked the children?’

The babysitter has the children with her, and thinks it’s just a prank.

After she puts the children to bed, she settles down to do some homework, when the phone rings. ‘Have you checked the children?’ the caller asks, then hangs up.

Slightly worried now, she checks on the kids, and they’re all okay, so she goes back downstairs.

A few minutes later, the phone rings again. Same person, same question. She ignores it.

An hour passes before the phone rings again. Same person, same question, but this time, he asks the question twice before hanging up.

She checks on the children, and finds them dead, brutally murdered, and one of the children has a lollipop stuck to their covers. She, of course, freaks and flees, calling the police from a neighbor’s house.

The police, for all their efforts, do not find the murderer.

Years pass.

The babysitter grows up and has a family of her own. One night, she goes out with her husband, leaving the children in the care of a sitter.

Halfway through dinner at a restaurant, the waiter comes up to the former babysitter and tells her she has a call. She takes it, and hears a voice whisper, ‘Have you checked the children?’

Fearing the worst, she tells her husband that they have to go home now. They speed-drive home to find the babysitter alive and well, and their children sound asleep.

The parents go to bed a little while later, but just as they do, the woman thinks she hears one of her children calling for her, so she checks on the kids. They’re all sound asleep, but one of the children has a lollipop stuck to the covers. She doesn’t think anything of it, and goes back to bed.

As she’s lying in bed next to her husband, she looks at the closet. The door is open just a crack, even though she remembers closing it. She mentions this to her husband, who turns to look at her…and it’s not her husband, it’s a man she’s never seen before.

She screams and runs, the intruder running after her with a knife.

A passing squad car hears the commotion and checks it out.

The officers break the door down and find the intruder chasing a woman with a knife. They shoot at him, hitting him in the leg, and he dives out the window. The officers call for backup and leave the house to give chase. The blood trail leads them to the woods, but there, the trail vanishes. Dogs are called in, but they loose the scent at the entrance to the woods.

“That’s it?!” Jounouchi exclaimed incredulously.

“That’s the whole story,” Bakura replied mildly.

“But…but…”

“I know. Evil, isn’t it?”

“Who made up that story, ‘cuz the ending sucks!”

“I don’t know.”

“It was a great story!” Mokuba declared, spawning a debate.

No one really felt like telling stories after they’d argued until they were blue in the face and still hadn’t reached a unanimous decision about how good the story had been, so Mokuba turned off the lights for a couple of movies, both from America---Steven King’s ‘The Shining’ and ‘The Exorcism of Emily Rose’, both of which were incredibly scary movies, even if they didn’t involve pissed off dead chicks who moved in ways no human should move because it was just damn creepy.

**********

“That’s wrap, folks!” Mokuba announced as the credits rolled, getting up to turn on the lights.

Pause.

“Uh…guys? The lights aren’t turning on.”

“Hey, where’s the flashlight?” Jounouchi called. “I coulda sworn it was right behind me.”

“Feel around for it, Jounouchi. Maybe it got knocked away when you freaked.”

“I wasn’t freaking!” Jounouchi protested, ready to kick Honda’s butt.

At that moment, a hand rested on his shoulder. Jounouchi looked. A dim light shone behind him, revealing that the hand on his shoulder was skeletal. Slowly, fear etched on his features, he turned to look behind him. A glowing skull hung in midair, grinning at him with evil intent.

Silence for one spilt second.

“YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” Jounouchi shrieked in abject terror.

The lights came back on at that moment, revealing that the skull was not floating in midair, nor glowing. A figure stood with the skull mask covering its face, and a hood hiding its hair, the robe’s long sleeves covering the hand that held a tiny flashlight.

The figure whipped off the hood and mask, revealing a mane of white hair topped by a pair of ‘demon wings’ and a pair of harsh russet eyes sparkling with evil humor, set in a face of sharp angles.

“Ku Ku Ku Ku Ku Ku Ku Ku!” the spirit cackled.

“It’s you!” Honda exclaimed, stating the obvious. “What are you doing here?”

“Trick,” the thief replied. The Ring flashed, and suddenly, the ‘wings’ had vanished, the features became softer, the expression reverting to a somewhat confused and dazed one.

Anzu blinked. “Did he…just pull a Halloween prank?”

“I think he did,” Yuugi stated, sounding shocked.

“Hey, Jounouchi…you can come out now,” Honda called.

Jounouchi sat under the snacks table, curled up in a ball, whimpering.

**********

“That was mean,” Yuugi commented later, after Mokuba had dropped him and his other half off at the Game Shop.

They were in Yuugi’s bedroom now, clothed only in their thermal undergarments. Their costumes lay in a pile in a corner, to be cleaned up later. The fruits of their labor had been sorted and put into different containers---candy kept mixed together tended to develop an unpleasant taste.

“That, Aibou,” Yami no Yuugi began, “is an understatement.”

“It was kind of funny, though,” Yuugi reflected.

“It---Aibou, he nearly terrified Jounouchi to death!”

“Well, yeah…but you have to admit that it was sort of funny.”

“Never,” the ex-Pharaoh sniffed.

“Oh, come on. It was more or less a harmless prank. I know you don’t like him, but---”

“Aibou, nothing that thief does can be trusted.”

“So he wasn’t just having a little bit of Halloween fun, in his own weird way?”

“I doubt his definition of ‘Halloween fun’ is merely scaring someone. He probably snuck out while we were watching those movies, gutted someone, and then strung them up in a tree with their own innards.”

Yuugi wrinkled his nose. “Eeeeew.”

“And, just for fun, initiated a few Yami no Games and sealed the souls of the losers into trees scheduled to be turned into firewood.”

“I think I’ve heard enough…” Yuugi groaned, deciding to change the subject. “All right, so sans the Ring Spirit showing up, how did you enjoy Halloween?”

The former ruler of Kemet paused, tilting his head in consideration.

“Not as much fun as gaming, but it wasn’t horrible,” he finally replied.

“So you liked it?”

A nod.

Yuugi grinned. “Good.”

Silence for a few moments.

“Tired, mou hitori no boku?”

“Tired? I don’t think my adrenaline’s stopped rushing yet.” Pause. “Or yours, for that matter.”

Yuugi smiled.

“Mou hitori no boku?”

“Aibou?”

“Close your eyes.” Mischief.

“What for?” Suspicion.

“It’s a surprise.”

An ebony eyebrow lifted, but the spirit did as he was told.

“No peeking,” Yuugi warned, moving to change out of his thermal underwear, reaching for a pair of deep red leather pants. He accessorized it with a belt, adorning his wrists with studded bracelets, and nodded.

Perfect.

“You can open your eyes now.” ((Game Start.))

Yami no Yuugi opened his eyes, inhaling sharply at what he saw. His precious Aibou, half nude, the lower part of his body hidden from view by a deep, blood red garment that clung to him like a second skin…unconsciously, he licked his lips.

His Aibou’s face took on a slight flush, but his amethyst eyes sparkled, and he managed to direct a coy look towards his lover.

The spirit padded towards the young boy, uncertainty causing his steps to falter slightly. Who was playing which role? How was he to act? Aibou had not told him. He paused, looked to his mortal host for guidance. He received none, but Yuugi dipped his head, a mockery of shyness. Was he supposed to dominate Aibou this time, then?

Sharp teeth caught on soft lips in indecision. Aibou was just standing there…cautiously, like a mouse approaching a sleeping cat, the once Pharaoh approached until he stood directly in front of his savior. Nothing happened.

He reached out, cupping the youngling’s chin in his hand, turned the boy’s face towards him.

Ah, that was more like it. Smiling, he brushed sunlight away from moonpale skin, running a finger along petal soft flesh.

Beautiful Aibou. His Aibou.

Yuugi stood quietly, unresisting.

Yami no Yuugi looked and looked and looked, unable to get enough of the sight in front of him.

Desire humming its opening notes in his veins, directing blood towards the juncture of his legs, and he wanted…wanted…

Closing the distance between them, sharing breath for a moment, and soft supple lips against his, and, gods, how had he gone so long without this?

Pressing firmly, felt his Aibou pressing up against him as well, two forms, not an inch of breathing space between them, but who needed to breathe when they had this…?

Wrapping his toned arms about the slender form, lips brushing against each other teasingly, they both wanted, but this wasn’t about heat and passion, not this time, love and devotion and possession…

Pressing his lips to his Aibou’s again, his tongue making its way out to sweep across the soft flesh before it, and Aibou whimpered and pressed against him, granting entrance, and he took it, tasting Light and spring rain, tasting summer sun and autumn’s glamour and winter’s beauty, the taste of love and hope and all things good, because Aibou was good, and Aibou was his god, his everything, and he tasted so wonderful, so addicting…

Tracing soft curves now, sweeping over smooth white teeth, touching his Aibou’s tongue, coaxing it. //Come play with me, come dance with me, please?//

He wanted, and the precious one gave, he rose to the invitation, slick muscle pressing and curling and mating and sweeping in all directions, slow at first, but faster, faster, growing frenzied as passion blossomed, and gods, he wanted, they needed…

Pulling their joined orifices away, gasping for air, replenishing oxygen-starved lungs, and then his lips were on that silky soft skin again, lips sliding down his Aibou’s throat, and Aibou mewled and rubbed so enticingly against him, and heat and lust and love and those pants were coming off!

He reached down grasped the pants at the hips, hands snaking towards the belt buckle.

Yuugi moved then, buckling a studded dog collar into place, with a leash attached.

Yami no Yuugi blinked, looked at him, bewildered. A dusky hand reached up to touch the collar, then drifted to touch the leash.

Yuugi slapped that hand gently away, tugging lightly on the leash in reprimand.

Kneeling now, and consequently bringing his other half with him, Yuugi reached for a smaller leash, which he had wound and tied about the bedpost near the floor, until only the clip was free. He clipped the loop, so that now he didn’t need to hold on to the end of the leash.

“Mou hitori no boku…” Yuugi breathed, taking his other half’s chin in his hand, looking into dazzling ruby.

His other half looked quietly at him.

“You love me, right?”

“Yours…” His other half murmured. “Always, forever…yours.”

“Do you love me?”

“Yes.”

Yuugi smiled, kissing his other half’s nose.

Yuugi took the leash into his hand, running his thumb on the surface contemplatively. Now that he literally had his other half on a leash…

He coiled the leash around his finger while he decided.

Then smiled at his other half. “Sit.”

Ruby eyes widened considerably. “Aibou?!”

Yuugi tugged at the leash. “You heard me. Sit.”

Oh. Now he got it.

He narrowed his ruby eyes, attempted to stand.

Yuugi glared at him, tugged on the leash in a silent attempt to get his other half to obey him.

Yami no Yuugi returned the glare, baring sharp canines.

The mortal teen tugged on the leash once more, only to have the other boy grasp the leash and tug at it rebelliously.

The Puzzle solver coiled the leash around his hand, putting his face within kissing distance of the other’s. He resisted the temptation to claim those lips, choosing instead to duck his head and lick at the underside of the ex-Pharaoh’s jaw.

A small hitch of breath fell on his ears; he felt the other boy trying to maneuver his head so that he could give Yuugi pleasure, too.

Grinning to himself, he pulled his arm up, not only stopping his other half’s attempts to gain the upper hand, but forcing the darkling to expose his throat.

Yuugi brought himself up to stare into crimson eyes as the leashed boy struggled to attain a less vulnerable position.

Smiling like a fallen angel, Yuugi used his free hand to undo the buttons on his other half’s top, one by one, keeping his eyes firmly trained onto his lover’s. Once he’d opened the garment, he pushed it off the dusky shoulders, exposing the upper half of the former Pharaoh’s body.

Flushing slightly, the youngster nonetheless went for the kill, latching his mouth onto the juncture of neck and shoulder---one of the most sensitive spots on his lover’s body---and sucking at it.

The reaction came instantly. His lover arched, eyes flying wide open, fingers curling into the carpet, clapping a hand over his mouth to muffle his scream as his blood turned to a rushing river of molten lava. The dark boy collapsed onto his back, unable to support himself under the assault.

Yuugi nibbled at the skin, gently so as not to hurt the other boy.

Yami no Yuugi arched, desperately wanting more and yet trying to escape the sweet torture.

“Ai—Aibou!”

“Mm-mm,” Yuugi reprimanded. He had the upper hand and he knew it.

“Aa..aah!” the other boy gasped, slowly going mad under his lover’s administrations. Thought had deserted his mind. Instinctually, he reached between his legs to ease the ache there.

Yuugi deserted his post in favor of pushing those hands away, smiling sweetly at his flushed lover. “Do I have to bind your wrists?”

Sharp ruby eyes glared. The former Pharaoh lunged, tackling Yuugi to the floor. The leash fell from Yuugi’s hand. Blindly, he groped for it, only to have the spirit shove it away, out of reach. Desperate to regain his control, he made a grab for the part of it that hung from his other half’s neck.

One of the other boy’s hands intercepted Yuugi’s, bringing the pale hand to the Egyptian’s mouth. Ruby eyes looked directly into amethyst as a warm, wet tongue lapped at the tips of the petite teenager’s fingers.

Yuugi struggled, trying to pull away. Three of his fingers slipped into the scorching heat of the other boy’s mouth, and the fingers’ owner could not suppress a small moan as suction pulled and tugged at them while a skilled tongue bathed each digit individually.

The adolescent struggled to maintain something of a clear mind, curling the captured fingers and trying to use them to pull the other boy’s mouth towards his own.

Yami no Yuugi smirked, releasing his prisoners, transferring his grip to Yuugi’s wrist. His free hand surrounded Yuugi’s other wrist. Gazing down at the boy beneath him, he slowly lowered his body onto that of his Aibou.

Yuugi groaned as the weight of the other boy settled on top of him, pinning him down in a way that he found both comfortable and incredibly sultry.

The darkling bowed his head, bangs dragging over the almost-chibi’s face in a whisper-soft touch, then back again.

“Tease,” Yuugi growled, gasping when his lover’s breath washed over his ear.

((Evil.)) That was all the amethyst-eyed teen had time to think before the ex-Pharaoh’s mouth engulfed the lobe of his ear, pulling gently at it. Yuugi arched, turning his scream into a muffled moan as his other half began to torture him as Yuugi himself had tortured the other boy a short time ago. Sharp teeth grazed and nibbled at the tender flesh; supple lips applied a not-quite-forceful suction; tongue lapping, licking, and stroking.

Just enough to make the boy want to scream. He could feel himself growing hard under the ministrations. He wanted to arch, to move, but his other half’s weight pinned him down. He muffled his cries, tears glistening in his eyes, a deep arousal flush painting his cheeks and spreading across his face. His hands, needing something to do, curled into the carpet.

As he exploited his Aibou’s weak point, Yami no Yuugi eased his chest off the other boy’s, releasing his lover’s wrists, taking a pebbled nubbin between his fingers and squeezing gently.

“Mmmmmph!” Yuugi arched his back, eyes wide, hands flying up to grasp his lover’s shoulders, slim fingers digging into his other half’s flesh.

Yami no Yuugi smirked, leaving his captive, intent on attacking his newly captured prisoner with his mouth.

Almost instantly, he found himself on his back again, with the still half-clothed Yuugi on top of him, grinning at him with mischievous eyes and a flushed face.

“You lose,” was all Yuugi said before he bent his head and proceeded to do to his other half what said other half had planned to do a moment ago.

Yami no Yuugi threw an arm across his mouth to muffle his cries of passion as his nipple underwent a sweet torture of licks, nibbles, and suckles, sweat beading on his flesh, his Aibou’s attentions feeding the fires deep in the pit of his groin.

The Puzzle’s host moved downward, hooking his fingers in the waistband of his other half’s pants, tugging them down and pulling them off, leaving his other half completely naked. His other half arched in anticipation, but Yuugi shook his head, placing his hands on his lover’s hips, pushing them to the ground.

Instead, he took up the leash again, sitting beside his collared soul mate and lightly trailing his fingers over the dusky torso.

“Aibou…” Yami no Yuugi arched his body pleadingly, needing that touch elsewhere.

Yuugi’s hand slid downward, veering away from the proof of his lover’s need at the last moment and caressing a lightly tanned thigh instead.

“Nngh…Aibou! Ai…Aibou!” The spirit shifted his body, trying to get that hand when he needed it---in vain. “Aibou!”

Yuugi only smiled, transferring his touch to the phantom’s inner thigh, keeping his touch light, teasing.

Tears of frustration built up in darkened ruby eyes, but the prideful young boy did his best to keep them from falling. A low whine escaped his throat as his Aibou’s touches drove him to the brink of insanity, his body arching vainly in hopes of finding the relief he so desperately needed.

When Yuugi’s fingers shyly brushed his arousal, however, it was the last straw. He threw himself at the other boy, pinning his lover with his body and grinding into the boy for all he was worth, rubbing his hardness against Yuugi’s leather-clad one. The darkling threw back his head with primal moan, intent on finishing it then and there, frame trembling with his approaching climax.

Again, he found himself on his back. Yami no Yuugi blinked in surprise. One moment he’d been on top of Yuugi, the next, sprawled on his back.

Said teenager stripped out of his pants, tossing his wristbands aside. Without further comment, he pulled a few towels out from under the bed and set them out, used the leash to direct his other half into a hands and knees position, kneeling behind his other half and coating his fingers with lubricant.

Yami no Yuugi waited impatiently as his Aibou prepared him a finger at a time; the position felt a little awkward, but at the moment, he didn’t care, just wanted to be finished, wanted the heat gone before it turned him to ashes, wanted the throbbing pain between his legs to stop.

He almost wept in relief when his Aibou finally sheathed his length inside him, hissing softly at the pain. His body stiffened as he tried to adjust. He waited until the pain faded to a tolerable ache, relaxed, and pushed back against his Aibou.

Their rhythm built quickly; Yami no Yuugi making soft, breathy sounds as his Aibou filled him again and again, Yuugi moaning quietly at the heat surrounding him, driving into the other boy for all he was worth. Yami no Yuugi’s arms simply refused to support him any longer, collapsing under him.

“Aa-aaah!” Crimson eyes flew open, sparks flying across his vision, raw pleasure sweeping through his veins. “Aibou!”

“Mou…hitori…no boku!” Yuugi responded, his own self-control shattering. He slammed into his other half once, twice, thrice, hitting the sweet spot each time. Blindly, he reached down and grasped the other’s manhood.

The darkling’s body spasmed, and with a cry, his end of their shared bond tore wide open, filling Yuugi with his euphoria as milky white fluid splashed onto the towels beneath him. Yuugi bit back a scream, turning it into a soft cry as his fluids filled the other boy’s channel, sharing in his lover’s passion and sending his own. They collapsed together when it was over, gasping and panting, recovering from their experience.

Long minutes passed before Yuugi disengaged himself from his lover, standing and crawling onto his bed. Yami no Yuugi folded the soiled towels and stashed them beneath the bed before following his lover onto the bed.

Yuugi smiled wearily and, with shaking hands, undid the collar, tossing it to the floor. He crawled beneath the covers. His other half joined him, cuddling close to him under the blankets and nuzzling him lovingly.

Exhausted, the two sent their love and devotion across their bond, falling asleep within moments.


End

A/N: That’s it for this fic. If it’s ever updated, that just means I found something I wasn’t happy with and changed it. This fic is a one-shot, and it’s going to stay a one-shot! Now that this plotbunny has successfully been turned into a story, it’s moving on to other things for me. Review, please! I love constructive criticism, but flames will be used to heat my bedroom because the weather’s gotten cold and my bedroom is the coldest room in the house. How cold? Right now, I’m wearing two sweatsuits and I’m still shivering.