Adult-FanFiction.org : Yu-Gi-OH

Memories of the Past	By : Raiethstar Category: Yu-Gi-Oh > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 3502 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or Yu-Gi-Oh GX and don't make money from this story

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
- 3
It took Seto less than 30 seconds to learn to love Yugi’s laugh, as he dragged the smaller man through his mansion. It was a little too loud, a little too long and a little too crazy, very different from the laugh he remembered, but he loved it anyway, as Yugi’s emotions unfolded in the back of his mind and his thoughts brushed whisper quiet against his own.

“How do you not get lost?” Yugi laughed, head whipping around to try and see everything at once.

Seto smirked, “I never get lost.”

Yugi laughed again, high and wild and breathless, overwhelmed with everything. “Liar.” He was panting with the short burst of exertion.

He looked over his shoulder, Yugi was red faced and grinning from ear to ear, his chest heaving with effort as he was pulled along. The shadows that trailed behind seemed a little more real, a little more solid then he had ever seen them before.

He had so many questions, and even more theories, his analytical mind never idle. But instead of asking he just listened to Yugi’s breathless laughter, the stumbling thump of his heavy boots, the jangle of his belts, and the stunned confused wonder in his mind, curling like a living thing, warm and heavy.

Yugi’s face scrunched up, “How do you keep track of your thoughts?” His head tilted, “You think too fast.” He laughed again.

Seto stopped fighting the laughter bubbling up in his own chest, the sound strange even to his own ears, “You think too slow.” He swept them into the mansions’ kitchen. It was empty like he was expecting, and he made Yugi sit down at the small table set off to one side. The smaller man swallowed thickly and rubbed at his side, still watching everything with wide eyes.

Today was a holiday for the majority of his staff as well and his cooks usually made a big pot of soup for everyone that lived in the mansion. He checked the fridge for confirmation before digging bowls and spoons out of the cupboards.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you actually knew your way around the kitchen.” Yugi was leaning on his hands, bright violet eyes watching his every move, breathless and glowing with light.

Seto snorted, “A clever ruse I assure you.” He ladled the soup, chicken noodle he determined, and shoved the bowls into the small, rarely used microwave. “I, of course, never cook for myself.” He waved a hand like the thought was beneath him, but his amusement coloured his voice as he filled a large glass with water for Yugi and set it in front of him.

“Liar.” Was all he said before gratefully draining the water. Seto watched the buckle on his collar bob up and down as he swallowed. Thoughts wandering as he realized he had never seen Yugi without the band of studded leather around his neck. It wouldn’t surprise him if there was a tan line there. The thought was strangely arousing, a strip of flesh that not even the sun saw.

Yugi jerked and coughed as he choked on his water, and shot the other man an incredulous look trying to cough the water out of his lungs and laugh at the same time.

Seto blinked, thoughts all sliding together in the now, “What?” That look had caught him off guard.

Yugi shook his head, “You think of the weirdest things.” He tilted his head, just enough to get the buckle to catch the light. “But then, I already knew you were weird.”

He shrugged nonchalantly even though the allusion to the fact that he wasn’t normal cut deeper than he thought it would. He shoved the cold sharp feeling away and thought very clearly about what he wanted to do to the skin under the black band of studded leather as a distraction.

He traced his fingers around the metal studs on the warm leather, pressing just hard enough that the skin underneath would feel it. The buckle itself was nearly rusted shut, and he savagely jerked the metal to the side, pulling the leather chokingly tight, rougher and tighter than strictly necessary, before it gave with a squeal. Slowly and with infinite care he pulled the worn leather through the old buckle. The leather clung to the bare skin underneath, unwilling to give up it’s hold as he slowly peeled the collar away. He breathed coolly on the now bare, sweat slicked flesh, relishing the goosebumps that prickled visibly as a shiver ran down the prominent spine mere millimetres from his lips. He waited, lips hovering over the bare neck before him, letting his breath ghost over the sensitive skin. Waited until needy moans filled the air, begging and pleading for contact. The pale skin tasted of leather and salt and musk, unique and familiar all at once. The only point of contact between them, tongue and teeth and pale flesh.

As one portion of his mind spun the fantasy, the rest watched as Yugi’s eyes unfocused in a way that was immediately recognizable. Even the pale blush spreading across his cheeks was the same, any who had known Yugi during the events five years ago would recognize that expression. This connection was fascinating, but also troubling, to have his thoughts laid bare to another was in a way terrifying. To be completely exposed, to have nothing of his own, not even Gozaburo had taken that from him. His current thought experiment seemed to be working however. Yugi’s thoughts were completely focused on the sexual scenario he was conjuring and that Seto could only ‘read’ his surface thoughts, that he couldn’t probe deeper, was reassuring. However, Yugi did have far more practice at this type of connection and Seto would have to probe how to make sure that only the thoughts he wanted shown would be, or…well he wasn’t sure what would happen.

“Beeeeeeeep.”

In any case, it was a very entertaining way to spend two minutes. He let the fantasy trail off as he retrieved the hot bowls. He had time to set them down on the small table and sit back down before Yugi regained his sense of the here and now.

Violet eyes regarded the gently steaming bowl in confusion, seemingly at a loss for what to do.

“Eat.” He ordered. Yugi was far too thin, and far too used to the gnawing ache of hunger. Treatment regimes for malnutrition flowed in an orderly fashion across his mind, an exercise regime to build muscles and strengthen bones, a clinical check-up to be sure that no permanent damage had been done. He also wanted to test Yugi’s physical responses to stimulation, temperature, pressure, pain and sense deprivation. This mental bond they shared would need further testing and several lines of research unfolded. Seto glanced at the soup he was eating, he would have to talk to the cook about using so much salt as well.

His thoughts were interrupted by the caress of Yugi’s amusement, warm and bubbling. His entire thought processes ground to a halt, like his brain had hit a wall, he blinked.

Yugi was idly stirring his soup, he had eaten very little of it, mouth curled in the beginnings of what could either be a smile or a smirk. “Are you always multi-tasking?”

He blinked again as he processed the question. “How much do you hear?”

Long fingers wiggled in the air between them, “Not much, you think too fast and across too many different lines.” He shrugged, the smooth motion dismissive in nature. “It’s just different than what I’m used to.”

He smirked, the opening was just too delicious to pass up. “I’m sure having any thoughts in your head at all is different from what you are used to.” The sarcasm was familiar ground, stable and sure.

Yugi laughed and slurped his soup. He had made the opening on purpose, as bait. Seto focused on the thoughts in the duelist in front of him, straining the connection he could almost see between them. Yugi thought along several lines, short idle thoughts with no purpose. There was far more emotion, hunger, lust, fear, wonder and an ever present amusement. Seto let them all wash against his mind in an attempt to get used to the sensation.

They sat in companionable silence for longer than Seto cared to keep track of. It was unusual, having someone sit with him like this. It reminded him of the way Mokuba used to sit with him, and he felt his chest constrict. His only family, always in danger and too far away to protect. No, no Mokuba was safe, was strong enough to stand on his own now.

Yugi’s concern brushed against him like a tangible thing. Seto shook his head, “It’s okay.” He tucked the lonely feeling away, willing his heart to relax. “I talk to him every week, it’s not like he’s gone.” Seto was well practiced at hiding his emotions and making his voice sound like what ever he wanted. The small understanding smile that Yugi flashed him twisted his thoughts around.

Pity was something Seto could not stand, it was offered by people that had no idea of what was really going on. Yugi did not pity him, Yugi sympathized with him, understood down to his very core, and that was somehow worse. Having a brother in another country was nothing compared to what his light had been through, his loneliness did not hold a candle to the deep void of loss that sat across from him.

Seto watched the deep violet eyes soften and look away to the nearly tangible shadows that crowded close around them. “Just because they didn’t die, didn’t mean I could keep them.” His long fingers tangled in the almost fur of a smaller round shadow that hovered near. “I don’t have any friends.” There was an echo of a crooning noise and lips twitched in a ghost of a smile, “Well, no human ones anyway.

His trailing thoughts told the story that words did not say. Atem’s power had granted one wish: Friends. In order to release the pharaoh the wish had been rescinded. They had drifted away, and Yugi had been left alone. Alone and hollow, the memories of life and love driving him to any sensation to fill the void. Tumbling, falling and empty.

Seto could taste salt on rough lips as he crushed them together. The table pressed painfully into his thighs, a sharp counterpoint to the soft fabric his long fingers were fisted in. He swallowed the helpless noise Yugi made. Never again, he would kill everyone in the world before his light, his hikari, ever felt something like that again.

The table shifted, the squeal of wood on tile almost drowning out the strangled noise that squeezed out of Yugi’s lungs. His fingers were almost frantic, dull nails digging, clawing at his torso. The smaller duelist was trying to climb inside of him. To curl up in his darkness and just sleep. Gods he was so tired. Tired of the pain, tired of the loneliness, tired to his very core, and unable to really sleep alone.

With effort, the normally composed CEO separated their thoughts out of the mess they had become. His light had not slept in days. His light needed sleep, restful sleep, safe sleep. He slid around the table, never quite letting go, and swept his only concern into his arms. Yugi was almost weightless, dangerously underweight, all lean sinew and sharp bones and warm coiling heat. Hot breath ghosted against his neck and studded leather belts dug painfully into his skin as he let his long legs cover the distance to his sleeping chambers.

Yugi’s fingers dug painfully into his chest and neck as the trembling man clung to him, his thoughts swirling with fear and exhaustion and need. A need that swirled in his thoughts and coiled deep in his belly, to be safe and cared for and wanted.

He ordered the shadows to open the door to his bedroom, and crossed the warmly painted room to his enormous bed. Yugi’s fingers scraped uselessly down metal bracers as he resisted being separated from the darkness. Seto carefully pried surprisingly strong hands off of him and placed them on the soft mattress. Yugi whimpered, violet eyes wide in panic, don’t leave me alone, not alone again, not again, he reached up fingers trembling.

Seto placed his hand on Yugi’s chest and pushed him down. “You are not sleeping in your boots. Lie down, I’m not going anywhere.”

The order soothed the blind panic and Seto moved farther down the bed to pull the heavy leather boots off. The sound of them hitting the floor was loud in the silence. Yugi’s toes curled into the mattress, and his eyes drooped despite the tense line of his body. Seto debated briefly on removing his pants before deciding that the leather was fitted well enough that it wouldn’t do any harm. Violet eyes opened to regard him once more when he undid the buckles on his belts, deep black amethysts glinting with something too weary to be labelled amusement.

Smirking the belts slithered to the floor and he crawled up the bed, gathering the heavy comforter with him. “Sleep, Hikari.” He whispered against a slender shoulder as he gathered Yugi’s back to his chest. They fit together like two pieces of a puzzle, or perhaps two sides of a coin was a better metaphor. Yugi’s hair was thick and ran like silk through his fingers, he nuzzled the soft gravity defying spikes and listened as his breathing slowed and evened out. The warmth in his arms wasn’t quite asleep however, he seemed to be fighting it, fingers clutched desperately to the arm wrapped around his waist.

“Shh, sleep Hikari of mine. I’m not going anywhere.” He firmly kissed the back of Yugi’s head, “Sleep.”

The exhausted duelist wriggled a little, finding the perfect spot, before finally, fully relaxing. Sleep was slow to come however, it had been so long, it seemed the man had forgotten how. Seto kept stroking his hair and murmuring things with soft syllables and soothing any troubling thoughts, until finally Yugi drifted away. Seto sighed into the soft spikes of hair that smelled of baked desert sand and exotic spices, he was not tired but he was not about to move. His light needed this, and if he left now it could undo all the progress he had made in the long hours they had spent together.

He shifted to carry Yugi’s weight across his chest rather than his arm, Yugi whimpered in his sleep but quieted as he snuggled closer. Seto sighed once again, how the hell was he going to keep this out of the presses? The last thing his light needed was media attention, he knew he could buy time by keeping Yugi out of sight, but the smaller man needed something to distract him, that meant work.

Well, he could always offer the position of personal assistant. It was inconvenient not having one after he fired the last one. Longest any of them lasted was eight months. He sighed, it would be nice having an assistant he could trust. Hmm, he would have to drag Yugi down to his office for the paperwork, that might be awkward. His secretary would tease him endlessly, his lips twitched in a smirk, that’s what made her so good at her job, absolutely fearless she was. Getting him security clearance would probably test his patience, no telling how his heads of security or Yugi would react to seeing each other. He sighed and relaxed against the pillows, curling an arm around the warm body beside him, it would all work out. He would make it work.

~~~

Yugi shivered as a breeze blew over him, dusty and stale. Full of the smell of decay and abandonment.

“Tch, another one?”

Yugi perked his ears up, who was that? That wasn’t Kaiba was it? He kept his eyes closed and listened to soft sounds he couldn’t identify. He shifted, the bed he was on was too small for him, hard and uncomfortable, not the bed he fell asleep in.

“Your mind is a mess Hikari.” Kaiba sounded annoyed and worried, yet the comment seemed to be directed to the air rather than himself. There was a soft scraping noise before Kaiba sighed heavily, “There, that should do it.” A soft rustle of fabric and a thump. Yugi could smell the darkness rolling off Kaiba now, thick and cool, he must have sat next to the bed. “If I could just…” He trailed of into a sigh. There was a moment of silence before he heard a rhythmic sound that was suspiciously familiar.

Yugi let his eyes drift open, his Yami was indeed sitting next to the bed and was solving a Rubix Cube. He watched long fingers smoothly turn the segments, never hesitating, never pausing and always getting closer to his goal. He didn’t solve it the same way the Yugi would have, he seemed more willing to sacrifice progress for compilation’s sake. With no way to keep track of time he just watched as the puzzle cube twisted and rotated, the nearly silent sound filling the spaces between their breaths. Finally he twisted one more time and held the completed cube in his fingertips.

A long sigh filled the silence, “Has your soul room always been this small?” His Yami leaned onto his crossed knees, looking around, “And messy?” Yugi could hear the smirk in his voice. He let his eyes wander around the small room, it was much as he remembered it. Except there were patches of black so deep the light disappeared into them; as the walls were a part of him he immediately realized that the black shadows filled in the cracks of his heart, easing the constant pain somewhat. He let his eyes wander over to Seto’s bare back, following the pale lines of old scars. Many were stretched and distorted, old scars nearly faded. The newest scars looked like bullet wounds, circular and raised. How many times had he been shot? How many times had he almost died?

He would be left alone again, his chest squeezed painfully at the thought and he dove for the scarred Yami. He couldn’t stop trembling, as he buried his face in the other’s neck.

Long cool arms snaked protectively around him, “Hey it’s okay. Nightmare?”

He shook his head, unable to form words, struggling just to gain control of his breathing. Slowly he relaxed as the coolness of his Yami eased into him, dulling the burning heat that constantly boiled under his skin, a cool breeze on a hot summer day. The hand that rubbed his back was jerky and unsure, and somehow even more calming in it’s awkwardness. It was obvious now that the powerful man was running on pure instinct, his childhood so devoid of compassion that he was now floundering with very little experience to guide him. Yugi felt a small flicker of mischief overwhelm him and his mouth opened before he could stop.

“What are you doing in my head Kaiba?” Thankfully his tone was more teasing than sarcastic, but Yugi felt the other man stiffen.

Silence flooded the room, heavy and thick, his chest constricted. Why was he so stupid? Was he trying to push his only hope away? Make him leave like all the others?

Kaiba wet his lips, a smirk in his tone. “Just trying to patch the holes, Mutou.” He chuckled, low and quiet. “The holes in your tiny little mind.”

A flush of embarrassment snapped his head up, and he glared hotly into surprisingly warm sapphire eyes. “Oh like yours is any bigger.”

Something deep and knowing crossed Seto’s eyes, and his mouth twitched, trying not to smile. “Would you like me to show you?”

Yugi sensed the nervousness, the magnitude, of that question burrow into his skin. “Show me?” Was it possible? But if Kaiba was here in the small room filled with scattered games, then it must be. He wavered, to grow so close to another soul. To risk having it torn away again. He couldn’t quite stop the shudder that wracked his thin frame.

Seto’s lips on his were cool and soft against his own. Dark and sweet and more than a little greedy. “Please?” His whisper was full of need and fear. “Let me show you.”

Yugi let the shudders pass through him, let the fear run it’s course. It was hard, so hard, and yet so easy to just smile and say, “Yes.”

Seeing his Yami’s face light up in surprised joy was almost worth the fear coiling low in his belly. His head rocked back as Seto pulled him to his feet, he shivered when the door was opened, the blackness outside was familiar and terrifying all at once. The absence of the ancient stone wall cut him deep, his guts twisted with a far too familiar agony. The void of his soul called to him, promising sweet oblivion, all he had to do was let go. He tried to follow the siren song, and frowned when something held him back, trapped his wrist and pulled him away.

“No, let go.” He tried to twist away, “It’s calling me.” The void was just beyond his outstretched fingers, the end of his pain, the end of everything.

Strong arms wrapped around his torso and he was pulled back against a cool body. Concern and love washed over him, and the tightness in his chest eased with a gasp. “It’s calling.” His knees gave out and he fell into cool arms. Darkness so thick it was tangible formed a corridor around them, silencing the void.

“Shh, it’s okay.” Long fingers brushed through his spikes. He was pulled to his feet, “Come on, it’s not far.”

Yugi swivelled his head towards a gilded gate he hadn’t noticed before, or had it not been there before? Feeling numb he trailed behind his Yami. The gate looked like it was put together from pieces of two different worlds, glass and chrome joined to stone and gold with mortar so black it sucked the light into itself.

Seto’s hand hesitated, hovering just over the disjointed surface. Sapphire eyes glanced down, something vulnerable passing across them before his lips firmed in determination. He pushed open the door and Yugi was blinded by a bright flash of darkness.

“Welcome to my soul.”

Yugi blinked the spots out of his eyes, and gasped, his jaw dropping open. They were standing on a sand dune over looking a city bathed in moonlight. The city was a strange blend of modern and ancient, huge joining seams of darkness holding the wildly different segments together. It was strangely beautiful, a mosaic of glass and sandstone, chrome and gold, the dark seams running like marble as far as the eye could see. Even the dome of stars above was pieced together the same way, black on black playing tricks on the eye.

He sank to the soft sand in shock, unable to stop starring at the soft lights of the fragmented city. Shifting fire next to blue halogen, sparkling under a full moon, the sounds of desert life masking the silence in a gentle blanket.

Seto sat next to him. “I’m still repairing it.” He breathed quietly, “I may never be done.”

Yugi swallowed, his tongue thick, “It’s beautiful.” He turned to look at his Yami, “Can we go closer?”

Seto smiled, “Sure.” He rose and offered a hand up.

Laughing Yugi let himself be pulled to his feet. Together they half-ran, half-tumbled down the sand dune. He felt a sense of wonder fill him, it was something he hadn’t felt in years. Everywhere he looked he saw bits of two different worlds, somehow forming a whole.

“Modern and ancient…Domino and Kismet?” He looked to Seto for confirmation.

A nod. “Gozaburo’s taint ran too deep.” His attention was focused on some point far in the distance.

“What?” Vague memories of Seto in a coma rose to the surface.

Seto’s smirk was self-depreciating, “I was insane Yugi. Atem…” He shook his head, sapphire eyes looking up to the tops of the skyscrapers. “There wasn’t much left.”

Memories flooded Yugi’s senses. Seto had been the only person to survive two penalty games relatively unscathed. Yugi’s hand rose on it’s own, he closed his fist, “Mind crush.”

Seto visibly flinched at the whispered words. “Yeah, that’s the one. Honestly, I think he was trying to kill me in his own twisted loving sort of way.” He started walking, needing to burn off the anxiety building in his chest.

Stumbling to catch up Yugi stared at the disjointed, yet whole, city. “But that doesn’t explain why your soul looks like this.”

A dark eyebrow arched, “Doesn’t it?” He snorted and smirked, “I lost more than half of myself that day. I needed to fill in the gaps so I, improvised.” He gestured grandly around them, “What you see is the merging of two broken souls.” His voice dropped, “Seth’s soul did not weather reincarnation very well. Even then that wasn’t enough, if Mokuba, Kisara and-“ He hesitated. “If they hadn’t given me a piece of their souls…” He shrugged.

“Wait, so you mean you knew you were a reincarnation the whole time?”

Seto suppressed his smirk, “Once I woke up, yeah I did.” He stopped walking once they reached a plaza, the strange towering buildings forming a circle around a metal statue of a Blue-eyes White Dragon.

Yugi stared up at the massive statue, the shifting lights flowing and flickering over the smooth metal giving it the illusion of life. “It’s beautiful.”

“Yes she is.”

Yugi looked over at Seto’s wistful tone. His face was completely unguarded and his expression was a cross between worship and regret. He came back to himself with a shake, and turned to look at the smaller duellist. “So, Mutou…” He trailed off, his mouth dropping open in shock.

Yugi looked down at himself, “What? What is it?” Seto didn’t respond still staring mutely. Following the sapphire gaze he looked back the way they had come. He felt his own mouth drop open. Tiny delicate plants were growing in the cracks of the pavement. A long line all the way back to the sand dune they had started on.

As they stared the tiny buds opened, a cascade of pale pinks and delicate blues flowing all the way to his feet. Curious he lifted his foot, immediately a new shoot sprung up. He felt panic overwhelm him, messing with someone’s soul room was never a good thing.

“Yugi…” Seto’s voice held a note of wonder.

Panicking he stumbled back a few steps, the delicate flowers outlining every step. “Kaiba, I’m sorry, I- I didn’t-“

Seto pulled him into a fierce embrace, his whispered words lost in red and black spikes. “Kaiba?” He didn’t dare move, although his Yami didn’t seem angry he wasn’t sure what the other was thinking, their connection wasn’t that good yet.

After a few heart-stopping moments of just being held Yugi felt himself relax. It was hard to stay on his guard when surrounded by Kaiba’s subtle scent, like a cold, clear autumn day with a hint of woodsmoke. He felt more than heard the sigh against his trapped body and large hands firmly stroked down his sides, seeming to feel every rib, before resting firmly on his narrow hips.

Released from the tight hold Yugi leaned back to look up into deep oceans of the clearest blue he had ever seen. Almost warm in their intensity, reflecting the small smile that softened a face far more used to glaring. His lips may have been thin but they were soft and smooth, and surprisingly expressive. The gentle curl at the corners conveying just as much emotion as a grin that stretched from ear to ear.

Those expressive lips stretched and moved, just revealing straight white teeth before becoming still once more. Then they twisted into a very familiar smirk.

“-ugi.”

He blinked. “What?”

Seto chuckled, the deep sound vibrating both their chests. “You didn’t hear that at all did you?”

“Umm…no?” His face grew warm with embarrassment.

The taller man sighed, “What am I going to do with you?” He lifted his hands to cup gaunt cheeks, forcing Yugi to pay attention. “Thank you, Yugi. I don’t know how you did it but thank you. Nothing has grown here no matter what I tried. Thank you my hikari.”

Yugi’s blush intensified. “Uh, you’re welcome?” It was turning out to be difficult to concentrate this close to Seto’s mouth.

Seto chuckled, having noticed where Yugi’s attention was. “Demanding aren’t you my light?”

Those cool lips claimed his own with a fierce intensity, sucking the breath from his lungs. All too quickly those wonderful lips pulled away. “Of course.” An unfamiliar chuckle floated between them, “It’s so simple.”

Yugi tilted his head to the side, pulling his eyes off the soft curve of dusky lips to stare into deep sapphires. “What is?”

“Plants don’t grow in the dark.” Without warning Seto tightened his hold and spun the smaller duellist around, his chuckle becoming a laugh. “What have you done to me?” Yugi found he couldn’t support his own weight when given the opportunity again. “You do realize you are never going to be rid of me now, right?”

Unable to form words around the sudden upwelling of painful emotion in his chest Yugi could do nothing but nod numbly. Forever, a broken promise he had heard before, but the promise was as sweet as always. He let himself be swept up and held close as they watched the tiny flowers spread through the previously lifeless fractured cityscape. Maybe…maybe this time it really would be.
- 1
- 2
- 3
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Memories of the Past