“Yami, you tell me what is wrong RIGHT NOW!!!!!!” Yugi yelled. To anyone but Yugi and his friends, it would appear the boy was yelling at his invisible friend. In actuality, he was yelling at the soul of a 5,000 year old pharaoh. And the pharaoh was not liking it.

            “Yugi,” Yami replied as calmly as he could. “You are still a boy—“

            “Don’t tell I wouldn’t understand! Even /if/ I don’t, make me! Whatever’s bugging you is starting to affect our duels! Even Joey’s noticed!”

            Yami flinched at the name.

            “Does it have something to do with Joey?”

            Yami only looked at the ground.

            “Please Yami, you can trust me. I promise.”

            The pharaoh sighed and gave in to the boy’s pleas. “No doubt you’ve noticed I only stay in your body as long as necessary.” 

            Yugi nodded. That’s what Joey noticed too.”

            Yami again flinched, but continued. “You see, little Yugi, grown adults have desires children have the luxury of not having.”

            The boy blinked. “Ohh, you mean..."

            The pharaoh sighed once more. “I’ve done my best not to let that desire interfere with our duels, but every time I’m in your body, it’s almost all that’s in my mind.”

            “I see.”

            “Even now that you know, there’s nothing that can be done about it.”

            “Couldn’t you just, er, masterbate?”

            “While I realize that is a popular thing to do today, that’s something that’s not in our culture. We find another or go without. And I won’t ask you to let me use your body for that, especially at such a young age.”

            “Technically it wouldn’t be me, right? It’d be you.”

            “In your body.”

            “True enough.” There was a long pause. “Well, ah, was there anyone you had in mind?” Yugi finally asked.

            The mighty pharaoh took a deep breath. “Joey.”

            “Joey? You’re gay?”

            “Yes.” He smiled a little. “Annoyed many of the noblewomen."

            Yugi smiled with him. “What’s the problem? Joey is too. He told us last month. You didn’t even seem surprised.”

            “I have my reasons for that. And that as it is-“

            “It wouldn’t be me, Yami. My body, yes, but if there’s on thing you’ve showed me, it’s there’s a difference between body and soul.”

            Yami paused. “You’re absolutely sure about this?”

            “Yugi smiled. “Positive. You should’ve said something sooner.”  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Later that day, around evening time, Yami stood at Joey’s door.

            “Knock,” Yugi’s voice urged from in his head.

            “Are you planning on being here the entire time?” Yami growled.

            “No! I just wanna make sure you don’t chicken out.”

            The great pharaoh made a very undignified face and tentatively knocked. He had never felt so vulnerable in his life. And he did not like it.

            Joey answered the door. “Hiya Yami! Come on in!”

Yami could feel his desire for him rising with every word. “Thank you,” he calmly replied.

“So, is something up?” Joey continued, oblivious to the pharaoh’s nervousness. “Or you just out looking for something to do?”

 “More like someone,” Yugi snickered.

Yami silently thanked the gods Joey couldn’t hear the boy. ‘Will you go away?!?’ he thought fiercely. “There /is/ something I would like to ask you,” he continued out loud.

“You can ask me anything,” Joey remarked happily. “You should know /that/ by now, really!”

Yami laughed along nervously. “Yes, I supposed you’re right,” he replied. “There’s really only one way to ask this.”

“Well, ask already!”

Yami crossed the room to the teen and kissed him. He could feel Joey’s surprise at first, but then his lips softened as he kissed back.

“Is Yugi ok with this?” Joey asked breathlessly when their lips parted.

“Yes,” Yami confirmed. “You can ask him yourself if you would like,” he continued, even thought he’d already felt his alter ego leave him. But he could be called back, if necessary.

“No, I believe you,” the New Yorker replied, and leaned in for another kiss. The pharaoh felt Joey’s tongue pressing against his lips and gladly gave it entrance, sucking on it softly. A low moan escaped Joey’s mouth, encouraging him. He reached under the teen’s green shirt and gently thumbed his nipples. He was rewarded with another, louder moan. Yami pulled Joey’s shirt up over his head and leaned in for another kiss.

“Just how far were you planning to go?” Joey whispered.

Yami blinked at the question. “All the way.”

Joey bit his lip.

“I’m pushing you, aren’t I?” the pharaoh concluded. “You aren’t ready for this.”

“Just not to be on the receiving end, if ya know whad I mean,” Joey replied.

“I believe I do. That’s alright.”

“It is?”

“Yes. I’ll be on the, ah, ‘receiving end,’ as you put it.”

“Follow me.” Joey brought Yami up to his room.

~~~~~~~~

“Gods, Joey,” Yami whispered. “It’s just like I remembered.”

“Huh?” the teen asked.

“You don’t remember. I can help you, if you want. Do you want to remember?”

Joey looked straight into Yami’s eyes. “Yes.”

“Close your eyes.” The pharaoh closed his own eyes and gently pushed two fingers into Joey’s forehead. Joey began seeing scenes from another time play out in his head. He saw Yami, in full pharaohic greatness and himself by his side, holding Yami close, loving him nearly every night, glares from noblewomen, and many other memories from a life long since past. Then he saw one face and his eyes snapped open.

“Serenity,” he whispered.

Yami’s eyes also opened, but were sad. “Yes. Not your sister then, but just as close.”

“She was going to mother your successor. Until…”

“Until she died.”

“She meant a lot to you, didn’t she?”

“As much as she meant and means to you.”

“That explains why you were so weird around us at first.”

“Seeing you both together /and/ as brother and sister, was quite the shock.”

“But now you have us back.”

“I have /you/ back, praise the gods. Serenity has no recollection of her previous life, does she?”

“Not ta my knowledge.”

“I think it should stay that way. Her past should not be remembered unless deemed necessary.”

Joey nodded in agreement. “I’m not sure how she would take that.” He nuzzled his partner. “And now that I remember everything, I’m not afraid anymore. I’m ready.”

“You’re sure?”

“Positive.”

“A man can live a /thousand/ lives without hearing words that good.”

Part 2

“Yami, do you still worship any of the gods?”

The pharaoh looked at his lover with amusement. “What makes you ask, Joey?”

“I was jus’ wondering.”

“I do still pray to them and ask for strength in tough duels, and offer my gratitude if the duel is won.”

“Oh.”

“Were you wondering about your own faith?”

“A little. I've never really been very religious in this life, but I can remember being very devoted as an Egyptian.”

“Many were, Joey. The gods did everything to us, either out of joy or anger.”

“Do you still believe that?”

Yami paused. “I never really thought about it, but yes, I suppose I do. Today it would probably be refeered to as 'karma.'”

The telephone rang, interrupting the discussion. Joey reached for it. “Hello?” Pause. “Hiya Sis!” Pause. “Really? Right now?” Pause. “Sure, Sis, we’ll be right there!” He hung up. “Hey Yami. Is Yug aroung?”

“He can be. What’s going on?”

“Mai’s having her baby. Everyone’s going to the hospital now.”

“Yugi heard you. He’s yelling for us to start moving.”

“Well, let’s go then!”

The two (or three?) arrived via taxi before Mai finished giving birth, so they were forced to stay in the waiting room with their friends. Only Serenity wasn’t there, she was in the delivery room acting as Mai’s coach. No one said much for the next hour, just waited in near silence. The only time the silence broke was when Yami and Yugi were amusing a small girl by switching back and forth between them. She’d accidentally seen them do it once, so Joey could talk to Yugi, and she’d kept asking to see them keep doing it. Yugi had talked Yami into it, just to pass time. Finally, Serenity came out and said that they could visit with Mai and her new little girl, but only for a short while and two at a time, doctor’s orders. When it was Joey and Yugi’s turn, they jumped up to follow her to Mai’s room.

“Hi boys,” Mai greeted them wearily.

“Hi Mai!” they replied with twice the energy.

“Who wants to meet Kira?”

“I do!” they both replied.

“Well, only one of you can hold her at a time.”

The two young men looked at each other. “How about me first,” Yugi suggested. “Then you, then Yami.”

“Sounds good, Yug,” Joey replied.

Yugi took the child into his arms. “She’s so little!” he exclaimed. “Like a baby doll, but more delicate.” Suddenly, despite the happiness he was feeling, there was a sadness radiating from within himself. It had to be Yami. “Uh, Joey, why don’t you take her for awhile?”

“With pleasure, Yug,” he replied. He took the child from his friend’s arms. After Joey had held the girl awhile he asked, “Hey Yug, doesn’t Yami want to hold her?”

“I don’t think so,” Yugi replied. “He seems set on staying in the puzzle for now.”

Joey gave Kira back to Mai. “Yami,” he called in a warning tone.

Yugi swore he heard the spirit growl.

“Yami,” Joey called again. Reluctantly, Yami took control of Yugi’s body.

“Is there something I can do for you, Joey?” he asked.

“I know you heard us. It’s your turn to hold Kira.”

Yami looked at the child nervously. “It- It’s really quite alright. I know you’re just tying to include me.”

Mai smiled. “Go ahead, Yami. Hold her. I don’t think she’ll bite.”

Yami managed a weak return smile. “Good to know.” Cautiously and carefully, he allowed the child to be placed in his arms. “Like this?” he asked Mai if he was holding her right. She nodded. He looked down at the child in his arms. He smiled at her. “May Bes look kindly upon you, little one,” he whispered.

Since Yami was now captured by the infant, Mai turn toward Joey. “Bes?”

Joey chuckled. “Protector of newborns,” he answered.

“Ah,” she replied.

Serenity, who had been quiet until now, spoke. “Alright you guys, time’s up. Move it on out.” Both men opened their mouths to protest, but she beat them to it. “I don’t wanna hear it. Mai and Kira need to rest.” Reluctantly, Kira was put back into her mother’s arms and they left.    

~~~~~~~~~~~~     

“How closely did you look at that baby?” Yami asked his lover when they were alone again.

“I know,” he replied. “It was her. The baby Serenity had stillborn in her past life. Yami?”

“Yes?”

“Do ya think all these reincarnations poppin up is a good or bad sign?”

“I don’t know. At this point, it could really go either way.”

FIN (for now)