Mornings are Better

Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters

Genre: Romance, Drama

Description: Ever since Yami Yugi began living with Seto Kaiba, the CEO's mornings have become a lot better. Yami also teaches Kaiba that life is worth enjoying, among other things.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Pairing: Seto Kaiba x Yami Yugi (Prideshipping)

Mornings are Better
by: scarlet wax petal

A typical day in my life starts at least one hour before sunrise, when I’d be up and about in seconds; yet this morning, I have woken late at six, and spent many idle minutes on my bed just staring at the white expanse that was my bedroom ceiling.

Things have become different ever since Yami became a more integral part of my life. That we would be living under the same roof was hardly expected. I had become acquainted with him in a regrettable incident involving his adoptive grandfather; and even now, years later, I couldn’t shake the thought that he still holds grudges against me for that. Well, he has assured me often that it isn’t so, that many things have changed between us, that we are in a more understanding relationship now… and that he loves me for everything that I am. Sometimes, I find his words so hard to believe. If I often couldn’t understand, much less like, myself, then how could he understand me… and, even less, love me? It doesn’t make much sense.

And yet, here we are, living together. It’s been months since he first came to my home, and to my bed. I had never thought that I would be spending mornings like this, with a stiff and sore body, yet satisfied in my exhaustion. Before, I would have been annoyed, knowing that an exhausted body would lead to less productivity. But now… it was different. I was actually content.

That very first time (it was a Sunday like this, I could remember), I had woken much later, at seven. When I opened my eyes, I was alone in my bed. My heart had raced in anxiety. Immediately, I threw on a robe and began to search for Yami. I soon found him in the kitchen, preparing breakfast. He was wearing one of my belted robes, similar to what I had donned a while back. It hadn’t been a long time, I know; but somehow, it felt as if an eternity had passed.

He immediately greeted me. "Good morning, Seto," he said with a smile. "How do you like your eggs?"

I was gasping. My heart was thudding rapidly in my chest, and I was feeling faint. I looked at him, and felt a surge of relief flow through my body. Instantly, I grew calmer. Then suddenly, I was furious.

"Damn you, you bastard…" I grumbled, enough for Yami to hear. I was rushing for him, my feet pounding angrily on the floor, my sight trained on his crimson eyes. The smile had faded from his face, and for a moment, he was pale.

"Seto? What’s the matte…mmph!"

In my anger, I had swept him closer, held him tightly and lunged furiously at his lips. It wasn’t like the soft tender kisses that he had given me the previous night; it was an angry and greedy assault. Terribly raw and messy and brutal… and all through the kiss, my eyes had been open because I wanted to be one hundred percent sure that it was really him I was holding and kissing, and that he wouldn’t escape me again. I was afraid -- yes, I admit, I had been afraid -- that if I close my eyes and open them again, he would be gone, forever.

His eyes had been open as well, staring back at me with an expression that I couldn’t decipher. Knowing him, I had expected that he wouldn’t close his eyes… though perhaps not for the same reason I had then. It could have been more due to pride, or defiance. He was kissing me back, trying to match the intensity of my actions, sparring lips against lips and tongue against tongue. For many minutes, we fought this way, hardly stopping to breathe. I felt the blood rush in my body.

My mouth went from his lips to his neck, not once lifting from his skin. I had maintained the same fury, sucking and licking at his skin. When I brushed near his Adam’s apple, I felt his quickening pulse, and I became more at ease, knowing that he was alive in my arms. He was moaning and gasping loudly, feverishly, letting go of himself so easily. I had found it unusual at first, that a man of his strength and caliber would allow himself to be this uncalculating, this bare with the workings of his emotions. A part of it he must have brushed off on me the previous night… for here I was, as uncontrolled with my actions.

We stumbled on the kitchen floor, with him beneath me. Things had once again taken a 180-degree turn. In most aspects, he was above me: skill, versatility, wisdom, honor, chance. He had won in every battle we had fought, save perhaps the one in Duelist Kingdom, where he had almost killed me and I had cheated him of his rightful victory. I was above him only in terms of attack power; and even then, I had come to learn that sheer power could not win all battles. He was the one who had taught me that lesson. It wasn’t just his strength that had won me over; it was… something else.

Now I was above him, and him beneath me. It was atypical, and, uncertain about how to proceed from here, I paused. I stared down at Yami for a long while. He was supine, and heaving in breath. His eyes were half-closed, and sweat glazed on his neck.

"Seto…" he finally gasped.

"What is it?" I had whispered.

"I’m sorry…" He had murmured. It was almost inaudible, but I heard. "It’s nothing," he said afterwards, smiling. He reached for my face and caressed my cheek. His other hand reached for mine. I raised an eyebrow in puzzlement.

"Here," he exhaled softly, as he guided my hand to his chest, to the hem of his robe. "Let me show you…" With my hand in his, he slowly traced the hemline of the robe down to its belt, his breath steaming as he went, as my fingertips brushed against his heated skin.

-o-o-o-

Whether the servants had seen or heard what Yami and I had done in the kitchen, I don’t know and, frankly, I don’t care. Yami had been a skilled and energetic lover (no other term would aptly describe him, and partner was too shallow). Once spent, and covered in butter and semen, we quickly cleaned up, donned our robes and sat down for breakfast. It had been an hour since I found Yami in the kitchen. The toast and eggs that he had made had grown cold and bland; and, regardless, it became apparent that cooking wasn’t one of his abilities.

I didn’t stifle a laugh. Yami glared at me, obviously pissed.

"Just let the chefs do the cooking, okay?" I said with a smirk. It would be the practical thing to do. "Or, better yet, I should do the cooking," I added. It had been a long time since I last cooked, back when I was much younger, but I was confident that I could still remember how. I mused on the fact that Yami doesn’t know how to cook, while I can prepare meals almost as excellently as I deal with computers. It was amusing and, even more, startling.

He continued to glare at me, but immediately obliged. He clapped the wooden spoon into my hand and trudged his way to a dinner chair, while I worked on the stove. In minutes, I had prepared a scrumptious breakfast of toast, waffles and eggs. I even made the coffee. It pleased me so much to watch Yami eat, as he couldn’t hide how much he loved my cooking. He was even humming in evident pleasure as he ate, his eyes closed while he sucked on a spoon. As I looked at him, I licked my lips absently, feeling the heat in my body; but remembering myself, I stopped and continued to eat breakfast. We were silent as we ate. And then…

"Hey, Seto," he said, in his usual tone, "why don’t you put maple syrup on your waffles?"

I looked at his plate. His waffles were soaked in syrup. Mine were quite dry.

"I don’t like sweet things," I said in reply. I took a sip of my sugarless black coffee. It was smooth and very bitter -- just the way I liked it.

Yami eyed me curiously, as though he wanted to comment, but just shrugged instead. "Suit yourself." And he went on to finish his breakfast.

Since that incident, he has not left my side until I had awakened. It was as though he has read from my actions, as he has always done so easily with the other people in his life. Pretty soon, we didn’t have to bother with this rule. Oftentimes, I was awake before he was, and I would be fully dressed for work by the time he opened his eyes.

One very early morning, I stirred to something sticky brushing upon my lip. I groaned as I forced myself awake; my body was still feeling heavy after the last night. I opened my eyes to Yami peering down at me. His finger was upon my lip.

"Open wide," he murmured.

Sleepily, I opened my mouth slightly, and he slipped his finger in. My tongue swirled over his finger. His skin was delicate, and it tasted fine. I could hear Yami’s soft moans as I gently sucked on his finger. When he tried to pull out, I had followed, trying to keep the finger in my mouth for as long as I could. Immediately, he replaced his finger with his tongue, and I recognized the same beautiful taste as he took me in a dizzying kiss.

-o-o-o-

For many nights (and days), Yami has shown me how it is like to explore a man’s body. He has taught me where are the best places to stimulate a man, and how -- whether using the fingers or the lips or the tongue, among other things and other ways. I was astounded by how much he knew, and how patient he was with me; and he… well, he often teased me about it, saying that I was such an eager, insatiably curious student in every one of our "sessions." And perhaps he was right. I wanted so much to learn, how a man’s body responds to sight, to sound, to touch… and as Yami and I explored together, I found myself becoming more and more inquisitive. It was fascinating, how deeply Yami groaned whenever I stroked him in one manner or caressed him in another, how loudly he cried out my name as I used my mouth on certain parts of his body. Even my own reactions whenever he fondled me surprised me immensely.

Soon, I was the one surprising him. My natural learning prowess and creativity have caught up with his knowledge. Once, as we lay in the bathtub after executing one of my ideas, he said to me, gasping, "If you keep up with this, Seto, you’re going to wear me out, and you’ll be so sorry." I sneered; I knew he was just joking.

Each lovemaking encounter was different, and always better, than the past. Every moment was a new discovery. I had thought that I had known all there is to know about Yami, and I had thought I had known all there is to know about me. But every time, something fresh, something startling comes up; and Yami and I would just look into each other’s eyes, trying to guess what would happen next.

We are a versatile pair, Yami and I. There are unlimited exciting possibilities between us. I guess that was one of the reasons why I had let him into my home in the first place… though I had never expected that pleasuring any person, much less the one I had thought hated me the most, would be this satisfying.

-o-o-o-

A week ago, I was already bathed and dressed for work at five in the morning. Yami was still asleep, murmuring indiscernible sounds as he tightly hugged a pillow. I couldn’t help but smile at the sight. He actually looked most endearing when he was asleep, with his eyes shut tightly and his face seemingly radiating innocence. Innocence? I shook my head in disbelief.

I approached him slowly, swept his hair from his face and planted a light kiss on his cheek. He’s deeply asleep, he wouldn’t know… and I’d be off by the time he awakens.

He stirred, and opened his half-sleepy eyes. "Mmm… Seto?" He groaned lazily in protest. "Why are you dressed for work? It’s Sunday."

Oh shoot… "My idiotic engineers have made another mess," I replied. "I’m going."

"When are you coming back?" he asked. I shrugged in uncertainty. The phone call had come so suddenly, when I was intending to spend the entire day with Yami. It was disappointing; but I had my obligations to attend to. I decided that I would solve the problem fast so that I can be home sooner.

I looked at Yami; he seemed to be thinking. I couldn’t make out at that time what had been going on in his head. Knowing him, he would find a way to stop me: a word, a phrase, a brush of his hand on my body…

"Go ahead then," he finally said, much to my surprise. "I’ll be waiting for you," he added, smiling.

I nodded, and turned to leave. I ran down the stairs, past the guards and straight to the garage. My cars are all tight-security machines that don’t require keys to operate. Instead, the doors open and the engines work only when I’m the one doing the driving. I had never had chauffeurs since the day one of them had tried to steal my state-of-the-art cars, prompting me to conceptualize the security system I have right now. I had even created it on my own, making sure that no one else knows its design.

I took the newest, fastest one. I boarded the driver seat. No sooner had I begun the engine when--

"I’ve been waiting, Seto. What took you so long?"

What the-- I tensed in shock. I looked at the passenger seat behind me, and found myself face-to-face with… "Yami! How the hell did you get in here?"

He smirked triumphantly. "There are ways to break in, you know, even through the toughest defenses." He leaned over. I felt his warm breath on my cheek. His words were barely a whisper, sultry and suggestive. "You may be surprised. It’s not always the violent nor the scheming means that are most effective. Sometimes, you just have to be subtle, gentle, yet just as intense, just as passionate," his voice husky, his exhale tantalizingly hot, "and always with a lot of care… a lot of love." My pulse quickened, and I faced him, our lips agonizingly close, almost touching. His eyes were half-closed, and hungry.

"And was it worth it?" I whispered into his mouth.

"Mm-hm," he murmured. "It has been very, very worth it." He brushed his lips against mine, and I wasn’t able hold back. I grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him to me for a long torrid kiss.

My cell-phone suddenly rang, much to my annoyance. I pulled away and read the message.

"What is it?" Yami asked.

"Nothing important," I told him. Work be damned. I’ve got more important things to do. I immediately switched off the device and turned my attention back to Yami. "Now where were we again?"

"In your car, Seto," he said in reply, fiddling with the top button of my shirt. "In your new, immaculately clean car." He cocked an eyebrow suggestively.

I immediately took the hint and once again brought my lips to his.

-o-o-o-

It was already six-thirty, and I should’ve been in the office by this time. Instead, I had just left my home, after a round of lovemaking with Yami in my car. I couldn’t remember if my "new, immaculately clean" car had become stained with sweat and semen; but then again, I didn’t care. As usual, sex had been pleasurable. When we were done, he related, without my asking, how exactly he had broken into the car, given its tight security. I had listened eagerly, taking quick mental notes of everything that he had said. Apparently, my security system had a few weak points that I, obviously, hadn’t noticed. That evening, I would work out the solutions to those flaws.

Well, he had done it again, won over me and broken into what I had believed was my most secure creation, I thought in admiration. I would realize, later on, that he hadn’t been referring to my car.

-o-o-o-

Today, Yami has risen from bed even before I had awakened. But, unlike before, I didn’t fear. I knew, and I trusted him, that he wouldn’t leave, and that I wouldn’t lose him. He would just be in the kitchen, or in the library, or in the garden. Always somewhere near. Always where I could easily find him.

The door opens. Yami enters with a breakfast tray. I sit up and watch him as he saunters to the bed. He rests the tray before me.

Mm, looks delicious. "Who made this?" I ask.

"I did," he says proudly. I squint at him in disbelief.

"You’re not intending to kill me, are you?" I remark. He glares, obviously peeved.

"I’ve seen you cook, and so I’ve learned," he says in a serious tone. "Why don’t you taste it?"

I shrug. I examine the items: eggs, toast, coffee, pancakes. A swirl of maple syrup. I heave a sigh.

"I don’t like sweet things," I remind him.

At my remark, he dips his finger in some maple syrup and, before I could react, places it upon my lips. Absently, I lick, savoring the delicately sweet taste of the syrup on his finger. He smiles slightly, and bites his lip, apparently suppressing a moan.

"Familiar?" he asks breathily.

I nod.

"How about this?" He dips his fingers onto the tray for more syrup. I gaze in open-mouthed fascination as he applies the syrup on his lips. And then, suddenly, he cups my cheeks in his syrup-coated hands and claims my lips in his. I willfully return the kiss, eagerly exploring him with my tongue while relishing the taste of the maple syrup in his mouth. The sticky sweetness is intoxicating, even more overpowering when upon Yami’s lips. My vision whirls, and I begin to feel lightheaded.

He pulls away. "Well?"

I nod weakly.

"Then you do like sweet things," he says brightly. "It’s about time you remember." He caresses my face and, more warmly, he adds, "Are you afraid to enjoy life, Seto? There are plenty of reasons why you shouldn’t be."

"Like what?" I ask.

"Well, for me, like you, Seto," he replies, smiling lightly.

"Aren’t you afraid that, one day, I might leave you, and that you would just end up getting hurt?" I inquire in a bitter tone. Quickly, the memories flash before my eyes: the death of my parents, the treachery of my relatives, the loss of my childhood. I had lost everything that I had ever held dear. Only my brother had stayed, but it was understandable. After all, he was my brother, and we are bound by blood. With Yami, it is different. Though now living under the same roof, in many ways, we are worlds apart. And so, I wonder: now that I regard him in a special way, would I ever lose him, too?

"I am very, very afraid of that possibility," Yami states in response. "But I would never allow that fear to dominate my life and prevent me from living fully. If that sad day ever comes, that I do lose you, then at least I would be consoled in remembering the days we’ve been together. And, for me, that is more than enough to take the risk." He takes me in his arms, forgetting the tray and scattering food noisily on the bed. He embraces me, tightly, burying his face in my hair. "I love you, Seto," he murmurs in my ear. "And I would never fear enjoying life because I know, today, you are here in my arms. Let tomorrow take its course. What matters to me is today, right now…" I feel some wetness and pull away. Teardrops now slide down his face.

"Forever," I add breathily. I wipe off his tears with my thumb.

"Yeah…" he utters softly. "I am thankful that we had met, Seto."

"I would never leave you, I promise."

He shakes his head. "You’re too quick to make promises. Don’t you want us to live and love as freely as we could?"

"If this is how it’s like to be bound, then I’d rather lose my freedom," I say plainly with a shrug.

He smiles. "Have it your way then." And gently, he reattaches his lips to mine.

owari (The End)

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