by Taitofan
Rated PG-13 for yaoi, lime and implied lemon
Disclaimer- If I owned Yugioh, this would be an episode or two, not a measly fanfic. So no, it's not mine.
Author's note- Oh my, wouldn't you know that this is not only my second favorite YGO couple, but it's also my longest typed fic to date. And though I did it vaguely, I made a way around the fact that one character is supposed to be dead... Watch out for minor spoilers up to Battle City, OOCness, and a near lemon scene. Well, enjoy more minor character romance! And as an extra note, the consent age in Japan is thirteen, so everything that happens is legal. ^.^
Japanese lesson- Aniki means big brother, which is what Ghost-tachi call Keith, not boss like in the dub.
Flames don't bother me in the tiniest bit. In fact, they usually do nothing but make me giggle like a nut. CC is always appreciated though. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 01-03-04
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The nights on Pegasus's island got very dark and cold at night. That wasn't very surprising, as everything was outside. But as Ghost Kotsuzuka viewed it, it was summer time, so it should have been warmer and there shouldn't have been so many clouds blocking the thousands of twinkling stars and the moon. He just hoped the clouds didn't mean it was going to rain...
The young teenage boy tried to curl up into a tighter ball than he was already in, desperately trying to gain warmth from the cold night. His companions didn't seem to be having problems, but then again, Takaido and Sakate were probably getting each other's body heat, considering they were mere centimeters away from one another. And Keith...
Well, Keith had an actual sleeping bag, which was much warmer than Ghost's own rag of a blanket. It was so small; Ghost didn't even think it could be considered a blanket. But it had been all he'd been able to find before happily leaving the hellhole he lived in and hopping on the boat to the island with his only two friends and the man who'd offered him a chance to prove himself.
Ghost remembered how Keith, come all the way from America for a reason he hadn't known, had witnessed him dueling an older teenager near Domino's cemetery, with Takaido and Sakate watching on. Ghost was a decent duelist, but he couldn't fend well in a fight; Ghost was very happy his friends could. Ghost had ended up winning, and Keith approached him explaining that he was headed to a dueling tournament and needed some people to accompany him. And would such a promising duelist be interested in his offer?
Ghost hadn't even needed to think about his answer. He'd heard of the anticipated dueling tournament months before. And though he�d never told anyone, the blonde man standing in front of him was his idol! He'd gotten into Duel Monsters after watching a duel on TV from America with the famous Keith Howard kicking all of the competition. Even after his defeat to Pegasus, Ghost still considered Keith to be his favorite duelist that he'd ever watched.
And there he was, asking *him* to go to the island. Of all the people in Japan, he was asking little, creepy-looking (as he�d been told many times before) Ghost Kotsuzuka to go with him. Ghost almost pinched himself to make sure it wasn't all a dream. But instead he readily agreed and in a few days he and the other three men boarded a ship destined to an island where Keith could get his revenge on Pegasus.
And there he was, two feet away from his idol. He was nearly in heaven! ...Except for the fact that he was still cold...
As his teeth began to chatter, he thought about how unfair it was that he was the only one who was cold! It wasn't his fault that he didn't have the money to buy a big comfy sleeping bag, or that he didn't have someone that he was close enough to practically be cuddling with...
/Not that you would mind.../
Ghost ignored the little voice in his head. He refused to think about that. Yes, he liked someone. Loved them in fact. But the person he loved was good-looking unlike himself, from a different country, double his age, a *guy*, and-
*Still* laying two feet away from him.
Yes, not only had Keith been Ghost's idol, but he was also the boy's crush. And as soon as they'd met face-to-face, the crush had escalated to full-blown love. Unfortunately, Ghost knew that this was one dream that would never ever come true. That wasn't fair either...
"Hey kid,� Ghost heard through the darkness, snapping him out of little pity-party (which he indeed acknowledged as such), "are you cold or something? It sounds like your teeth. They're very loud I hope you know."
"Sorry aniki," Ghost quietly apologized, glad that it was dark so that Keith couldn't see his blush at the concern, even if it was just because Keith wanted it quiet so he could sleep. "I'm okay, I'll be quieter, I promise."
"Yeah, whatever."
Ghost mentally sighed. He'd been right, Keith didn't actually care if he was cold or not. He wanted to get back to sleep. That didn't shock him. How could he actually expect Keith to like him even close to the way he liked the older man?
His teeth began to chatter again, no matter how hard he tried to stop them. He was getting so frustrated! The guy he liked could never like him back, his teeth wouldn't keep quiet, and darn it all, he was flipping cold! Did some deity out there not like him or something?
"My God...� he heard Keith mutter after a few more minutes. "You are too cold. Who are you trying to fool? It doesn't surprise me, just look at that cheesecloth you try to pass off as a blanket! Anyways, get over here so I can get some sleep already.�
"E-excuse me?" Ghost stuttered, not believing his ears.
"You heard me," came the reply. "You're cold, so get your scrawny little butt over here. You know about body heat, you'll be warmer over here. And if you're warm, you're quiet and I fall back asleep. Got it?"
"Of course aniki,� Ghost confirmed, now heavily blushing. "I'm coming." At the sound of his own words, he figured that had there been light, he'd resemble a cherry tomato. This was no time for dirty thoughts, not when he'd be lying right next to Keith, not the usual few feet away. But he could do it; he could easily block out all of the delicious thoughts that were popping into his mind involving Keith, him, and various ice cream toppings...
Stupid teenage hormones.
He slowly stood up, grabbed his blanket, and crossed the short distance to where Keith's sleeping bag was. Determined not to show his trepidation, he laid down as closely as possible without actually touching Keith. He might be able to stay calm at such a close proximity, but if they were to actually touch each other... Well, Ghost wasn't sure what would happen then.
Of course, those aforementioned deities couldn't be that nice, could they?
"No, no,� Keith shook his head when he noticed where Ghost had stopped. "You're still gonna be cold over there. Get in the bag with me. And before you say anything, there's plenty of room. This is meant for up to three people; you're barely a whole person yourself."
Ghost was starting to wonder if so much blushing was healthy for a person, but got out from under his blanket and into the bag nonetheless. He put his back to Keith and sighed contently. Keith had been right; there was plenty of room for the both of them. So much that he could get warm and they could get through the whole night without once coming into contact.
...So why was Keith's body suddenly pressed against his?
"It's all right," Keith breathed into Ghost's ear. "Just want you to be as warm as possible."
And warm Ghost was. The heat was pinpointed between his legs, and quickly spreading. Keith's arm rubbing up and down his back and arm wasn't helping to cool him down any.
"Please aniki," Ghost near-whimpered, "stop. If you don't I'll, I'll..."
"You'll what?" Keith questioned with a snicker, not stopping his hand from trying to feel Ghost through his thin layer of clothing.
"This." That was all the warning Keith had before Ghost twisted around and attached his mouth to Keith's.
Keith didn't seem at all surprised at this turn of events. In fact, he rather seemed to have expected something like this to happen. 'Did he plan all of this?' Ghost wondered as Keith flipped him onto his back and took over the kiss. Ghost was thankful for this, as he'd never been kissed before, let alone made out with anyone. And by the way Keith was ravishing his mouth, Ghost knew that Keith was much more experienced than he was.
'Of course he is,' Ghost thought in between moaning at Keith's wandering hands. 'He's twenty-six and he�s drop dead sexy; he's probably slept with more people than I know. Besides, it's not like he really wants me. I must be so obvious that he figured he could get some and humor me at the same time. I know I might never get this chance again, but do I really want my first time to be a meaningless screw from a man who doesn't care about anything but getting laid?'
Finally gaining control of his body, he brought his hands up to push Keith away, not really expecting to accomplish anything. But to his amazement, Keith pulled away. He was met with a confused look, signs of lust still in his eyes. But the lust was mixed with something else, something Ghost couldn�t quite place�
"Hey kid, what's wrong now? Isn't this what you want? I mean, you're always staring at me; I thought you wanted this as much as I did."
"Of course I do!" Ghost exclaimed, trying to keep his voice down as to not wake up Takaido and Sakate. "But I actually care about you! I don't want a one night stand just to wake up in the morning and have everything go back to the way it was!"
"And who says I don't care about you too?"
"W-what?" �No, this must be some kind of a joke� Or is it�?�
"Who says that I don't like you too? Look, I know you think I only want to sleep with you, but you're wrong. You're not as ugly as you think. Actually, you're kinda cute. I'd go so far as to say... Adorable in a weird kind of way. And trust me, that's not a word I'm usually comfortable saying. You're just a different kind of cute. It's, I don't know, endearing or something. Besides, you're different from other people; you want more than just my body. And I want to be your first, if you'll let me. I really like you; I have since I saw you dueling that day in the graveyard. Everything I�ve done in the past doesn�t seem to matter when I look at you. And I don't care if it makes me a sick old man for saying it, but I want you. Ghost, I love you."
It was getting very hard to hold back the tears welled up in Ghost's eyes. Keith loved him! He could die happy at that moment. He pushed himself up, and wrapped his arms around Keith.
"Oh aniki, I love you too! Ever since I watched you duel on TV for the first time! ...And you're not that old."
Keith chuckled at the innocent boy in his arms, holding him close. Well, the mostly innocent boy. He at least had an already tainted mind. And soon enough, his body wouldn't be innocent either...
"Ghost, we can wait if you want, but-"
"Yes!" Ghost nearly shouted in an excited state, not even waiting for the end of the question. "Aniki, I need you so bad!" This caused Keith to chuckle again.
"As you desire. Oh, and call me Keith."
That was all that was said for a very long while.
***
The following morning was the complete opposite of the night, warm and sunny rather than cold and dark. The sun's rays eventually hit a sleeping couple, effectually waking them up.
The first figure rose into a sitting position and yawned, wiping at his tired eyes. Once his vision came into focus, he immediately gasped and poked his companion.
"Hey Sakate, get a load of that!"
Sakate wearily sat up and opened his eyes as well, looking in the direction that Takaido was pointing in.
"Wha- Whoa! Aniki and Ghost are together? I knew Ghost liked him but..."
"I know," Takaido agreed, looking at the clothes strewn around Keith's sleeping bag where the still sleeping couple lay. "Never thought they'd get together."
The two sat for a few moments, amazed at the sight of Keith and Ghost cuddled together, Ghost in his older lover's arms with a large smile on his face. Neither thought that they'd ever seen Ghost look that happy in all the time they'd known him.
"Think we should give them some privacy?"
"Yeah, we can go over to that little waterfall that's just a few minutes away and... Wash up." Takaido laughed at the statement.
"Yeah right, you're just horny."
"Aw, you got me."
The two got up and walked down a path that led to a small waterfall. Once they could no longer be heard, Keith cracked his eyes open and looked down at the boy in his arms. He really was adorable, even if his innocence was long gone. But last night had been unbelievable, in a very good way and had been worth the jail time he knew he could potentially receive, at least in his native country. Yet the thought no longer bothered him. Thirteen years age difference was nothing compared to some of the couples he'd seen right on TV...
Keith was so far in his musings that he didn't notice when Ghost woke up until he felt a pair of lips cover his own and a small tongue invaded his mouth. Keith smiled into the kiss; his lover was a quick learner. Ghost had only had his first kiss the day before and was now already kissing like a professional. Keith thanked any listening gods for his good luck.
Once they parted due to their need of oxygen, Ghost smiled at his lover and snuggled as close as possible.
"Hey Keith?"
"Yes love?"
"Where are Takaido and Sakate?"
"The perverts went to that waterfall we passed last night. After they finished staring at us of course."
Ghost, even after all that had happened, felt himself blush. 'At least we were in the sleeping bag. Which is more than I can say for our clothes...'
The new lovers lay in silence for a while, merely enjoying each other's company. Just as Ghost was about to fall back asleep to the sound of his lover's steady heartbeat, a question awakened him completely.
"Do you realize that there's a good chance I'm gonna hurt you one day?"
"What are you talking about?" Ghost asked, thoroughly confused.
"I won't mean to, but I'm probably going to end up hurting you somehow. I'm really good at screwing things up... Just promise me that no matter what happens, you'll give me a second chance, okay?"
"Alright," Ghost agreed, still confused as to exactly what Keith meant. "I promise."
"Thanks," Keith murmured, playing with a few strands of Ghost's hair. "That means more to me than you'll ever know."
***
It was a few days after that that Ghost lost a duel to Jounouchi Katsuya by following his lover's step-by-step instructions. Ghost finally understood what Keith had been talking about once he was beaten up and left without any star chips.
Keith felt terrible, but was too caught up in his revenge to find and apologize to Ghost until it was too late and he was already shipped back to Japan. He told himself he'd find Ghost after the tournament, but had a change of plans once his failed attempt to shoot Pegasus landed him in the ocean.
Unfortunately, the boat to save him ended up being Malik Ishtar and he was once again distracted by becoming a mind slave to the Egyptian. By the time he was freed and felt sane enough to go back out into public, the Battle City tournament had started. He was sure his lover must have been there somewhere, but Ghost was nowhere to be found.
Keith eventually heard of a supposed haunted cemetery. This had to be Ghost, he knew it! He found it fitting that he'd find his lover in the first place they'd met.
...But he wasn't there. He'd just disappeared it seemed. Keith went back to the cemetery everyday, never failing. One day Ghost would be there and he wasn't going to miss his chance to make everything right again.
***
A few weeks after Ghost had fought Yami Bakura and been killed, something miraculous happened...
Ghost found himself staring up at the sky.
This wasn't supposed to be happening. He was dead, right? Or at least, he *had* been dead. He stood up from his former spot in the dirt and brushed himself off. Whatever had happened, he was alive now. No point in questioning a good thing, right?
'Everything would be a lot better if Keith were here though. I wonder if he even realized that I was missing. Did he even come back to Japan to check?'
He turned at the sound of footsteps coming in his direction. When he saw who it was, he gasped. 'Keith? What's he doing here?'
At the sound of Ghost's gasp, Keith turned to the source of the noise. What he saw made his heart feel light for the first time since he'd beaten Ghost in his moment of rage, a moment he sincerely wished had never happened...
"Ghost... Oh God, is that really you?"
Ghost nodded; fighting an incredible urge to run straight to Keith and hold him like there was no tomorrow. But was it worth the possibility that the next time Keith got angry that all this might happen again? He suddenly remembered a night that seemed so long ago and knew his decision. He ran to where his lover was and felt himself be engulfed in his strong arms.
"Oh Keith, I missed you so much!"
"Me too," Keith assured. "And... I really hate doing this kind of stuff but you really deserve it, so... I'm sorry Ghost. I�m so, so sorry about hurting you. I wanted to apologize earlier, but things kept happening and-"
"It's okay Keith, I forgive you." He grabbed Keith's hand and placed gentle kisses on it. "I love you so much."
"I love you too," Keith affirmed, "but why are you forgiving me so easily? What I did was terrible!"
"That's simple," Ghost said with a smile, "because I promised."
Keith smiled back down at his lover, noting that nothing had changed, except that Ghost looked even sweeter than usual. He leaned down to place a chaste kiss on Ghost's lips, then asked with the slightest touch of nervousness-
"Ghost, love, I bought an apartment here in Japan and I thought that maybe... Maybe you'd move in with me?" All the nervousness went away as Ghost's eyes lit up.
"I'd love to!"
"Good, then let's go. I need to make all of this up to you and I know exactly what to do... Do you like caramel sauce?"
Ghost suppressed a giggle and nodded. Things were looking up already. And they both had a feeling that after this point, everything would continue to keep getting even better.