Game of seduction

Chapter 1

   My body restlessly tosses and turns on my couch, the textured fabric rubbing against any exposed skin my clothing has failed to cover. All attempts at comfort and peaceful sleep were hopeless and in vain. I have been lying here since sunset, watching as the fading light painted the sky like a collage in varying shades of orange and blue before fading into the deep, inky darkness of night. Now as I watch the sun rise, its golden beams rolling over the crest of my couch, I can't help but feel like it's mocking me.

   A restless sensation has held me prisoner from my sleep for the past week. No matter my efforts to ignore it, this feeling would persist and bar me from my slumber. A relentless tightness in my chest and churning of my stomach were enough to fuel the anxious ramblings of my mind. Even in the silence of the living room I can still hear the distant echo of my thoughts, reminding me of the truths I lack the strength to face.

   I can hear Grandpa opening the store beneath me. I can hear his slow, steady footsteps, the rattling of doors and the squeaking of certain floorboards as he dusts off the shelves. The game shop had been unbelievably busy due to the ever approaching holiday, Christmas. Flocks of people, young and old, storm the store in a surge as they search for rare and powerful cards. This time of year has always been utter chaos, but Grandpa always manages to find the joy buried beneath the madness. He believed many were there in the pursuit of personal advantage, but there is a fortunate few who came for the sake of a loved one. They were the ones Grandpa would always open his doors for, he had always been a romantic.

   A loved one. A deep sigh escapes me as I push myself up into a sitting position, stretching my arms and legs out, my back popping pleasurably at the motion as my blood rushes through my veins with a vigor I do not feel. Rising from the couch and walking the short distance to the kitchen feels like a marathon, my arms only vaguely following my commands as I make myself a bowl of cereal. Droplets of the milk splash out of the bowl and chill my skin as I use my sleeve as a makeshift napkin.

    I hear Grandpa slowly trodding up the stairs as I sink into my seat, his shadow preceding him into the living room as I mix my cereal into the milk with lazy strokes. 

   "Good morning grandpa." I call as I slip a spoonful of cereal into my mouth.

   "Oh Yugi," he says with a surprised expression as he walks into the kitchen, grey hair glowing in the painfully luminous light of sunrise. "What are you doing up so early?"

   "I couldn't sleep." I say with a shrug. He glances at me curiously as he pours himself a mug of coffee. I can feel him studying me as he pours his creamer, his coffee becoming more of a pale, sickly almond color in contrast to its original pigment. Focusing my attention on my cereal I hope that he will take the hint and let sleeping dogs lie, at least something will be given the opportunity to sleep.

   "Is everything alright?" He asks before taking a sip of his coffee. I look at him with a blank expression, offering a slight nod in response before consuming another mouthful of cereal. "You usually sleep so well." I shrug, suddenly finding the submergence of my cereal in milk incredibly fascinating. The weight of his gaze still rests on the left side of my face, seemingly burning a hole into my skin which is incredibly difficult to ignore. "I'm surprised Yami isn't with you."

   My eyes snap back towards his. "Why would you say that?" Amusement sparkles through grandpa's eyes as he takes another sip.

   "You two are always together. Sometimes it seems like you're joined at the hip." If only, I frown as I glance back down at my cereal, food has lost its appeal as I set my spoon down beside the bowl in defeat. "He seems to be sleeping just fine this morning." He chuckles absentmindedly.

   "Yeah." I muse. Grandpa frowns as he ruffles my hair gently, his hand lingering in my hair for a moment longer as if he thought he could pull whatever was troubling me out by the root if he could just maintain contact. Gently brushing his hand aside I meet his gaze, studying the faint creases around his eyes and basking in the familiar warmth of his presence. "The real question is what are you doing up so early?" I question playfully. "You opened the shop three hours earlier than normal, what's the occasion? Black Friday isn't having a second round this year, is it?"

   "I need to talk to the pair of you, so I'll need to wake him up soon." He chuckles, sipping from his coffee. "Black Friday isn't coming again until next year, so you're lucky on that front." His eyes drift towards the stairs leading to the attic where Yami and I share a room. It doesn't take a genius to predict my grandpa's intentions.

   "Don't get too close," I warn. "He will try to punch you. Yami is definitely not a morning person." Grandpa merely smiles at my words as he walks out of the kitchen, disregarding my warnings with boundless humor.

   "Wish me luck," he calls. "I am going to wake Yami." His feet pound on the stairs with humor and enthusiasm as he goes on his crusade to awaken Yami.

   Shaking my head I return to the once peaceful sanctuary of my thoughts, sinking into the abyss of the all-consuming topic that's been plaguing me for what feels like eons, Yami. The mere sound of his name sends shivers down my spine. Memories of his crimson eyes haunt my mind...and my sleep. He is the reason I have been unable to sleep. Thoughts of his baritone voice murmuring my name and his skin-tight clothes slipping away from his form...that is enough to keep anyone awake at night.

   My heart flutters in my chest at the thought of him. I've had several crushes in the past, but none had come even remotely close to this. This overwhelming feeling of perfection and unadulterated adoration as he stands beside me as if I have found my other half and the sweet emotion that overcomes me whenever I see his face. I have fallen completely in love with him. Fallen for the man that had been there for me when no else could have ever possibly understood me. My friend and ally who is always there for me. Yet everything wonderful has a dark side. 

   The worst part of falling in love with Yami is that he has no idea.

   He is completely oblivious to my desires and how just the sight of him drives me to the edge of insanity. I know I'm not the most open person about my feelings, but how do I just walk up to him tell the man that I have fallen for that I love him without sounding pathetic or lovesick? If I tell him and he rejects me, I'm not sure how I would react. If he rejects me and I react poorly that could be the end of our friendship, in every sense of the word. I'm not sure I'm ready to take such a gamble.

   Perhaps instead of telling him, I could show him. A small smile plays across my lips at the thought. I could seduce him, the King of Games. A light chuckle bubbles up to my throat, slipping past my lips at the thought. Knowing Yami, he was bound to view this as some sort of game. Ever since gaining the title of King of Games he has a tendency to view everything strategically, puzzling out my next movements and intentions through keen observation and the occasional direct confrontation.

Well, if this will inevitably become a game, let's begin. Yami may be undefeated in duel monsters or just about any game under the sun, but I will not easily accept defeat this time. He needs to know how I feel if I ever plan to sleep again, and I need to know how he feels about me as more than just the wimpy kid who completed his puzzle. I need to know, and the only way I'll get my answers is to play his game.