Title: For Granted (Epilogue)

Author: Kun II Kya

Rating: R

Summary: Katsuya learns to never take things for granted.

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh is copyright 1996 Kazuki Takahashi and Konami. No infringement or disrespect is intended by discussion on these pages of characters created by the copyright holder.

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Katsuya awoke to the strange, tingly sensation of being watched. He kept his eyes shut, however, and carefully catalogued the obvious details. He was lying in a bed considerably larger than the one he had at his small apartment; even larger than the one he'd slept in over in America. The silk sheets felt heavenly against his skin and if he strained his ears particularly hard, he could hear them rustling to his side.

He cracked open one eye, then hastily opened the other. The sight that met his eyes was too precious to regard with only one eye. Seto was to his right, propped on one elbow. His shirt was off—Katsuya recalled undressing the very weary brunet and redressing him again in his pajamas before promptly falling asleep by his side—and the pristine bandage around his side looked strangely dark against his pale skin. He was staring at the blonde with an inscrutable—faintly uncomfortable, maybe?—expression in his eyes.

Katsuya smiled sleepily. "Good morning."

Seto nodded in acknowledgement of the greeting, but returned none of his own.

"What are you doing?" Katsuya asked.

The other looked faintly uncomfortable. "I was watching," he answered quietly.

"Watching?" he repeated. "Whatever for?"

The loveliest smile spread across Seto's face and his eyes darkened with embarrassment, along with those pale, pale cheeks that suddenly suffused with color. He was immediately unbelievably shy, replying with, "You're exquisite."

Katsuya flushed with pleasure. Seto never ceased to amaze him. He suddenly discovered that he preferred Seto's simple choice of words—exquisite—infinitely more than the multitudes he'd heard before. He didn't want to be "hot", or "fine", or "sexy", because to him, they spoke of the physical attributes that were certain to diminish with time. No, exquisiteness lasted forever.

"You're delusional," he replied, as if his heartstrings hadn't twanged in pleasure at the simple compliment.

Seto's lips quirked. "I doubt it."

He slid closer to Katsuya, sliding under the covers with a feline grace that the other found to be breathlessly beautiful, and wrapped his arms around the blonde. His head found its way to the crook of Katsuya's neck and he inhaled deeply.

"Let me guess—I smell nice, too?" Katsuya joked cheekily.

"Don't push your luck."

Katsuya grinned at that, burying his face in the top of Seto's head. Those cinnamon strands ticked his face and he, following the other's example, inhaled deeply also.

"You do, though," he commented. "You smell like white cherry blossoms and basil."

"Oh, that's so cliché," Seto jested, but was smiling nonetheless. He buried his face back in the crook of Katsuya's neck. "This isn't a dream, is it?"

He smiled lovingly. "No, you're not dreaming."

"I hope not." Seto offered a blissful smile and those lovely blue eyes slipped closed. He inhaled again, as if he couldn't get enough of Katsuya's scent. "Even if it is, though, I think I'll enjoy it while it lasts."

He chuckled. "That's a very optimistic view you have."

"I just learned to never take things for granted," the brunet replied simply.

Katsuya's grip tightened around Seto's shoulders. "Hmm. I think I did, too."

He fell asleep to the scent of white cherry blossoms and basil.

the end