Meeting Face to Face

By Cat

Copyright © 2004 Cat

AN: Hi everyone! I'm sure you thought that this story was never going to be updated again. But it is. And it will be finished even if it takes me the rest of my life to do it. 6_6;; Actually my muses just basically deserted me. They were very unhappy about something else that was happening in my life as a fanfic writer and felt as betrayed as all of you have probably felt. I've rectified that problem just recently and damn the consequences that may follow. Since making that decision my muses have returned full force. Updates will be a little slow because I have about 10 stories that I'm writing on all at the same time. But I will do my best to make sure they are all updated with new chapters in an orderly rotation so that no one is left hanging too long. For those of you who have found this and are reading... Thank you for sticking with me. Cat

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Chapter Three: Devils, Dragons and Angels, Oh My!

Joey yawned and stretched, trying to ignore the fact that he was awake and that he could see sunlight through his barely cracked eyelids. The bed was too comfortable to leave and the company...

...That's when he realized that the bed was empty. He sat up and looked around quickly. Ryou's borrowed pajamas lay neatly folded over a chair. His look a like's clothes were gone from the chair where the other teen had put them last night. He felt his spirits droop thinking that Ryou had been right, that his Yami had only been trying to humiliate them both and had taken over and made the other boy leave sometime during the night.

At that moment he heard the sound of flesh meeting flesh and a pained cry from Ryou. With a soft growl of rage he fought his way out of the clinging covers and stalked towards the bathroom where the sound had originated. He could hear the deeper, spiteful voice of the white haired teen's darker half, berating Ryou as he got close to the door.

"Don't you ever cross me again," Yami Bakura hissed. "I would have had the Puzzle if you had obeyed me. And if you think that hurt, just wait until we get home. It will make my time in that blasted graveyard seem like a picnic in the park, compared to what I have planned for you."

"Yami please..."

Joey stepped into the other room just in time to catch Bakura's wrist before he could land another open handed slap to Ryou's already reddened cheek. The Yami had a tight grip on his other by the front of his shirt, but he let go as he felt a strong hand close on his arm. The blonde wrapped his other arm across Yami B's throat lightly, but firmly and pulled back forcing him to step back away from the other teen.

"Joey don't..."

"Sh, it's okay Ryou. I know what I'm doin," the blonde reassured him calmly. A sad smile touched his lips, but couldn't lighten the sadness in his eyes.

"Oh, you do, do you?" Bakura cut in snidely, twisting and turning trying to break the strong hold on him.

Joey felt a tingling sensation begin to run through his body and saw the pulsating glow of energy building around the boy he held. The same kind of glow he'd seen around Yugi numerous times and around Yami B last night when he'd somehow attacked Kaiba.

"Yami, don't," Ryou cried softly reaching forward, but knowing better than to touch his Yami at a moment like this. He shifted frightened eyes to Joey surprised by the quiet determination he saw there.

"Go ahead and do it," the tall blonde growled through gritted teeth, as the tingle turned to pain as if someone was slowly scraping off the top layer of his flesh with a knife. "But just remember what big Yugi said last night. And you know darn well that they'll miss me if you send me off to that Shadow Realm or what ever. And I been beat up by guys bigger than you too many times to be scared a one more."

Yami B's face paled, then he cried out in frustration, angered by the feeling of impotency at not being able to exact his revenge. Yugioh's threat from the night before hung over his head like a guillotine blade and he knew the other Yami would keep that promise if he stepped out of line. But that wasn't the only reason he couldn't continue, he didn't want to hurt Joey. He'd been trying to force him into submission with his powers, but the blond had showed that he was too strong. The glow around him faded and he sagged slightly in defeat. Anger turned to shock as he was suddenly flipped around and kissed hard. The change was so abrupt that he didn't even have time to react before the kiss ended and he was looking up into his blonde lover's face.

"I'm glad yer okay this mornin. I was worried. But I'm gonna get real tired of fightin with ya just ta keep ya safe," Joey told him, his eyes serious. "And one more thing - if I ever catch ya beaten up on Ryou again or find him with bruises and a lame excuse. I won't hesitate to have a long talk with big Yugi. I don't like usin blackmail against ya, but this ain't happenin any more. Got it?"

Yami Bakura stared at Joey's narrowed threatening eyes and saw the truth in every word. There was an enraged growl and a bright light and suddenly the blonde found himself alone in the bathroom with Ryou, his arms empty. He blinked and looked around for a moment, then back at Ryou.

"He's in the Ring," Ryou said softly and grimaced. He could hear his Yami ranting and raving in the background of his mind, though none of the words were actually directed at him.

"He's where?" the larger teen asked in surprise.

"He's gone into the Millenium Ring, or what ever dimension of space it opens on to," the white haired teen clarified tapping the large ring on his chest.

Joey shook his head. This was getting more and more confusing. And he was beginning to think that he'd never understand it all. Not wanting to start the day with a headache he changed the subject.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you anywhere else?" he asked Ryou as he reached out and touched the red mark on his cheek. It was slowly fading away but the white haired teen was going to have a slight bruise around the edge of his eye and a deeper one on the point of his cheekbone.

"No, I'm fine," the other teen told him, shaking his head. "He gets like this when he's mad."

"Not no more he don't," the blonde replied, his brown eyes grim. "I care about you both and I won't sit back and watch one of you beat up on the other."

"I would never..."

Joey smiled and placed his fingers over Ryou's mouth. "I know ya wouldn't, I'm just sayin I'd take care of ya both. Not one over the other." Then he leaned down and brushed his lips lightly over the bruise on Ryou's cheek.

"I... I should go so you can shower and get dressed," the white haired teen murmured breathlessly.

"No way," the taller boy answered sharply. "You just stay right here and keep me company."

/Where he can keep an eye on you,/ Yami B snorted from his soul room.

//Maybe,// Ryou replied calmly, sounding braver than he actually felt. //Can you blame him, our track record hasn't been the best so far.//

/You mean mine,/ Bakura snarled.

//Yami, please.// Ryou begged afraid that threat or no if he pushed him too far they might still end up facing his wrath.

/.../

"Ryou?"

The smaller boy sighed and turned his attention away from his angry other half. "I'm sorry Joey. I was talking to Yami."

"Yami?" the blonde questioned. He led Ryou out into the other room where he grabbed his clothes.

"Yami Bakura, my other half," the other boy explained. "I call him Yami. But if Yugi's Yami is ready to start interacting with us also it could get confusing after a while."

"I'll say," Joey stated, nodding in understanding. He dropped his clothes on the counter in the bathroom as they walked back in and started the water in the shower. He sat the white haired teen on the closed toilet lid. "Now close yer eyes till I tell ya to open 'em."

"Okay," Ryou agreed and grinned, knowing that the other boy was being overly shy again as he had last night. He couldn't resist peeking and barely suppressed a sigh of delight and satisfaction as he got his first good look at the blonde.

He knew that most people considered the other teen to be skinny. What they didn't realize was that he was all tight muscle. Joey had a swimmer's body. Lean arms, legs and hips with broad shoulders that would just get better as he got older.

Ryou was just about to settle back now that the blonde was in the shower when his Ring glowed. Bakura smirked at him and walked over to the shower sticking his head around the curtain.

"Dah!" Joey exclaimed in surprise, then stared at the face in front of him. "Yami?" he questioned unsure for a moment before the brown eyes flashed at him.

"He peeked," Yami B informed Joey smugly as his softer half blushed bright red and wished he could melt through the floor. Then Ryou's mouth dropped open as his dark half suddenly disappeared into the shower with a yelp.

"Well so are you," Joey grinned down at Ryou's darker half. He kissed him again and this time Bakura was ready for him. They dueled for dominance until Joey finally gave over. Then the white haired Yami backed back out of the shower with a self-satisfied grin.

"Oh like I didn't see it all the other night and yesterday morning," he called as he walked over and hopped up on the marble counter. Joey had been careful to keep him out of the spray of water so he'd stayed relatively dry.

Joey just laughed from inside the shower and refused to say any more on the subject. Ryou simply stared in astonishment between the shower and Bakura. He couldn't believe how easily his other half was accepting all this. If Ryou had pulled the stunt that Joey just had.... He shook his head. It wouldn't have been pleasant. Then he realized what it was. Joey refused to be cowed, even knowing what Yami Bakura could do to him. And his Yami was responding to it with a grudging respect. And if the slight flush of his cheeks and the light in his eyes was anything to go by he was actually enjoying it.

The white haired boy began to wonder if he'd ever totally understand his Yami, even after all the years they had been together. He also began to wonder what this would mean for the future. A small smile touched his face as he actually began to hope that things would be brighter from now on.

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Yugioh blinked in the light coming through the partly open sheer curtains and smiled at the warm weight nestled against his side and shoulder. His light was curled up against him like a kitten. Relaxed with sleep, as he was, Yugi looked even younger than normal.

"Good morning," he murmured as the smaller boy began to stir against him.

Yugi yawned and tensed his muscles in a reverse of the normal stretch feeling his body shiver from his shoulders to his toes. That was when he realized that he was lying half on, half off another slightly larger body. He peeked up through his eyelashes and saw his darker half smiling down at him.

"Good... morning. I'm sorry I didn't mean to fall asleep on you. It just felt so...," he babbled as his cheeks blushed a rosy pink and he hid his face in the Pharaoh's shoulder.

"Don't be sorry." Yami said softly. He ran a gentle hand through the soft tri-colored locks soothingly. "It does feel nice. It feels right to be close to you this way. We have been apart for so many millennia."

Yugi nodded, understanding what his darker half was saying, down in the deepest part of his heart and soul where there had always been a gaping emptiness. It was an emptiness he tried to fill with friends, the cards, but nothing had truly helped until the day he'd put the puzzle together and he'd felt something there. Now he realized that it wasn't as large as it had been. Finding Yami had filled quite a bit of it. But there was still something missing. A part that felt empty and needed to be filled.

"We should get ready to go," Yugi murmured flustered by the feelings flowing through him. Happiness and peace, but with a undercurrent of longing that he didn't understand.

"Yes," Yami answered, sitting up and helping his light to sit. "The sooner we're home the sooner we can restore your Grandfather.

"Our Grandpa," the smaller teen stated firmly.

Yugioh looked slightly startled for a moment, then a slow smile curved his lips as he realized that in a way his light was correct. His feelings for Sugoroku remained the same even though he was separated from Yugi.

"Yes, our Grandfather," he corrected. He slipped off the bed and tugged his light with him.

Yugi followed along his hand feeling comfortable and good in the larger hand until they reached the bathroom. As the Pharaoh began to shed his clothes the smaller teen blushed bright red. "Uhm, I'll wait outside till you're done," he murmured starting to back out the door.

Yami stopped, his hands settled loosely at the fastenings of his leather pants. "Yugi?" he asked looking at the other teen questioningly. Then he realized what was wrong and stepped over to the other boy. "I'm sorry, in my own time it was common for people to share the baths. I myself would have slaves to bath me and often advisors would join me to discuss issues. It's not as if we are that different from each other. But if it makes you uncomfortable then I shall wait until you are done."

That feeling of longing inside of Yugi seemed to swell suddenly and on impulse he shook his head. "No, you're right. It's not like one of us has something the other doesn't or anything." He reached for the buttons of his borrowed pajama top and began to release the buttons.

Yami went back to unfastening his pants as he watched his light undress. He could feel the tightening in his groin and pushed the feelings down. Once he was under control again he chuckled softly. "Those were just a bit too big I see."

Yugi laughed. "Yes, but it was better than sleeping in my clothes again," he answered as he slipped the shirt off. The sleeves had been rolled and rolled and rolled until they barely half their normal length. The bottoms hadn't even been used because the top fell to the smaller teen's knees anyway.

Yugi flushed again as Yami shimmied out of the tight leather pants and he saw that he was nude underneath. His own hands went to his briefs and he quickly slid them off laying them with the discarded pajama top. He watched as the Pharaoh's slim form moved to start the water of the shower running. He suddenly had the urge to touch, to run his fingers over the taller teen's smooth flesh.

Yami held his hand under the spray of water waiting for it to warm sufficiently. Though he had learned it's use and workings from Yugi's mind over the months they had been together, this was the first time he would actually use the shower. It still amazed him to see the man-made waterfall whose temperature could be adjusted to suit each person's desire. When the water finally reached the warmth that Yugi preferred the Pharaoh stepped in and held out his hand to his light.

Yugi took the outstretched hand and stepped into the shower smiling at the larger teen. He sighed as the warm water trailed over his back, stretching to release the morning stiffness from his muscles. He looked up into the amber eyes of his other half to find them dark and hooded. The look in them caused tingling inside of him and he felt a curl of tension in his belly. He dropped his eyes and his cheeks flamed as he found himself getting erect just from being close to the other teen.

Yugioh saw the flush to his light's face and the telltale arousal and smiled softly. Slowly he knelt down thankful that the bath mat was thick making the hard surface of the shower floor easier to endure. He looked up into his light's eyes and lifted a hand to touch the anxious face.

"It's alright aibou, don't be embarrassed," he murmured. "This is also something that was natural in my day, that two men might find each other attractive and they would share those feelings together. Pharaohs and nobles kept harems of both sexes for their pleasures."

"I've never..." Yugi broke off looking down into the amber eyes.

Yami smiled reassuringly. "That is also no shame. And though I would love to be the one to show you the pleasures of the body, I will understand if that isn't what you wish."

The small teen looked into his dark half's eyes and could see the truth and the underlying passion. He felt a shudder pass through him and the tightening in his belly increased. Slowly he nodded feeling more of that space inside of him filling as his excitement grew.

Seeing the nod Yami placed a soft kiss over his light's heart. "Don't be afraid. I will not do anything you do not wish and there are other things that we will wait upon."

"I trust you," Yugi murmured, excitement causing his breathing to increase to soft deep panting.

The young Pharaoh smiled pulled the other teen's head down to his own kissing him gently. "Turn around aibou," he murmured pulling back from the kiss.

When the smaller teen complied, Yugioh picked up the soap from it's holder and lathered his hands heavily with it. He placed the soap back in it's dish and began to run his hands over the smooth back gently massaging the neck and shoulders. He searched his memory, remembering every trick that had ever been used on him when he was Pharaoh. He smiled feeling the quiet shudders that ran through the slender form as his hands worked their magic.

Yugi sighed with pleasure even as tiny tremors ran up and down his body from the sensual touch. His head dropped forward as his body relaxed, even as the tension in his groin grew. His erection was growing with every passing moment.

Yami continued to soap the other boy slowly from his shoulders to his feet. His fingers finding and massaging out small knots they found in this spot or that. Then running teasingly, seductively over others, he smiled hearing the soft moans above him. Only over the smaller boy's ass did he keep his touch totally neutral and non-invasive, not wanting to cause the smaller boy any distress.

When his light's backside was completely soaped he stood up pressing his front against Yugi's back so that the other boy could feel how aroused simply touching him could make the Pharaoh. He soaped his hands again and reaching around began to caress the smaller boy's chest. His slippery fingers slid easily over and around the small pink nipples that darkened to a soft rosy blush as they tightened under the skilled touch.

Yugi moaned as the strong hands began to move over his chest. The slick fingers pinching and teasing his nipples. He arched into the hands, his head falling back against the larger teen's shoulder. He turned his head to suck on the skin of Yugioh's neck, whimpering as the hands began to move lower.

Yami turned them both so that the water from the showerhead ran over them both rinsing away the soap between their bodies before it could irritate his light's skin. He sighed and tilted his head as his aibou's lips touched his throat, sucking at the skin. He moved his hands lower over the small boy's chest and stomach tracing small circles on the soft skin.

He bit his lip to keep from laughing when his fingers touched Yugi's erection for the first time. The smaller boy shouted in reaction, his hips bucking wildly for a moment. His light turned bright red with embarrassment as he buried his face deeper in the Pharaoh's neck. When Yami knew he was under control he wrapped one hand around the boy's cock and used the other to tilt the small face up to him dropping a kiss on the pert little nose.

"Don't be embarrassed, Aibou," he murmured. "It's good for my ego to know that I can arouse you so much with only my hands." He lowered his head the rest of the way so that their lips met.

Yugi's lips opened in a gasp as the larger boy's hand began to pump his erection slowly as the warm water ran in rivulets over their bodies. A warm tongue touched his lips and slipped inside ever so slightly before stopping. Yugi opened his mouth wider signaling that he was willing to go further moaning into the other teen's mouth as a hundred emotions ran riot through him.

Yami rocked his hips against the small of his light's back, rubbing his own erection in time with the movement of his hand. When Yugi opened to him, he deepened their kiss his tongue dipping into the warm mouth. He teased the inside of Yugi's mouth, licking gently at the lower lip. Their tongues danced and teased, sliding along each other. The Pharaoh added his own moans to the groans and whimpers of the smaller teen feeling his body quickly running toward climax. It had been so long.

Yugi sobbed against the mouth claiming him as his body began to shudder continuously. His hips were thrusting forward into the strong warm hand then back to rub against the firm thighs and the throbbing member in the small of his back. He screamed, his body arching as liquid fire filled his belly and poured from his erection.

Feeling his small light come sent Yugioh over the edge also, his own seed shooting between their bodies. He collapsed to his knees bringing Yugi down with him to sit nestled in his lap as they both recovered. Yami wrapped his arms tight around his gentler half for several minutes before picking up the soap and lathering his hands. Yugi giggled tiredly remembering where that had already led them.

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Thirty minutes later Yugi and Yami stepped through the doors of the dining room where breakfast was being served. Téa was the first to notice them and ran forward to hug Yugi and smiled at Yami, enjoying the fact that she was in on their secret before the others. Mai just stared in surprise as did Mokuba who was sitting in a chair beside his brother whom simply smirked at the two and told them good morning.

"Big Yugi!" Tristan cried suddenly, looking around just to make sure that they were still in the fast becoming familiar dining room and not the shadow realm. "Uh, you're not so big," the tall teen finished, looking down at the Pharaoh who had come to stop in front of him.

Yami sighed at the unintentional slight and glared halfheartedly at his light, who was snickering behind his hand. "Yes, it was only the situation in the Shadow Realm that made me as large as you remember me."

Tristan started to open his mouth to ask another question when his eyes widened for a second time. His mouth opened and closed as Joey walked in with two Bakuras. Each one holding one of his hands. "J... Joey, uh Bakura?"

"It's a long story Tristan and I'm not even sure about all of it. Let's sit down and eat and hopefully we'll get the whole thing sorted," the big blonde told him as he led his lovers to the table. He had to tug hard at Yami Bakura, as they passed Yami Yugioh, as the angry Bakura growled and tried to indulge in a glaring match with Yugi's other half. "Be good," Joey hissed as he dragged the growling Yami with him to the table.

"I'm always good," Yami B smirked though his eyes were still snapping with anger.

"Then behave," the blonde said as he released Ryou's hand and wrapped the now free arm around the angry Yami and turned them from the prying eyes of the others. "Because I don't wanna lose ya."

"Fine," Bakura snarled and in a flash of light he was gone.

Joey clenched his fists and turned back to the others. "Sorry everyone." Ryou took one of his clenched fists in his hands and Joey sighed looking down at him. He let his hand relax and walked over to take a seat at the table with the smaller pale blonde beside him.

"So uh, Yug you wanna explain to everybody? I don't think I'd do such a hot job of it," the blond asked as Pegasus's kitchen staff finished laying out the morning fare.

TBC

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AN (cont.): Okay in this next chapter the others will finally learn about the Yami's. That is all I'm going to promise for now seeing as how long winded I tend to be and how much I hate to jump time just to move on. I know I'm anal retentive when it comes to detail. I just tend to think that at times it's the detail and development that makes a story the best it can be. I will try to get them as far as on the ship heading home though. ^____^

Also since we have all now seen exactly what happened at the end of Duelist kingdom and all the hullabaloo that followed, please keep in mind that this is an AU and basically veered away from the canon information from the opening page. Hopefully everyone will still be okay with that after everything we've seen including the new Yu Gi Oh movie. I loved that though I darn well wish it had been longer.