A/N: I swear, it's like trying to make up for lost time with these two! Another lemon in this chapter, with bonus hints of a secondary one going on at the same time. Oh, and there's an important update announcement at the end of the chapter!

Chapter 37: Powerplay

Although Kaiba had reassured him, Yami still felt a great sense of trepidation as they approached a foreboding wooden door that affected him in ways he couldn't even begin to understand. He logically knew that it was impossible for Gozaburo to be waiting for them on the other side, but as the door opened, Yami expected to see the man turn in the oversized leather chair to face them with a vicious smile. It was a relief to see an empty room, but Yami still didn't let his guard down in the least.

"Will you relax?" Kaiba growled, annoyed with himself for picking up on Yami's anxiety. He was unaware that his own fears paralleled Yami's own, but the tension radiating off of his rival was enough to trigger the reaction within himself.

"Sorry," Yami apologized, feeling somewhat sheepish. If anyone should have been struggling, it should have been Kaiba, but he appeared to be fine.

"See, the right response would have been, 'Make me,' don't you agree?" Kaiba pointed out as he sat down in the leather chair that seemed so much larger without Gozaburo's broad frame filling it. It still smelled of his cologne and cigars, no matter how much leather treatment was used on the chair. Although it was somewhat distracting, Kaiba tried not to think about it; the scent of leather and Gozaburo tended to bring bad associations.

Walking over to Kaiba almost shyly, Yami stood beside him and shifted almost awkwardly on his feet. He didn't understand why he had been brought to the room and it was hard to shake the feeling of being in trouble; there was just something about the imposing, lingering impression of a former atmosphere of the room. Yami knew he was probably being ridiculous, but he still couldn't shake the suspicion that a lot of terrible things had happened in that room with the former owner.

Sensing Yami's distraction, Kaiba took hold of his hand and guided him to sit on the edge of the desk. "You never answered my question," Kaiba reminded him, causing Yami's eyes to return to focus on him, rather than surveying the room.

"Uhm, sure?" Yami hesitantly agreed, having somewhat forgotten the question already. He was distracted by the room and by thoughts of what was happening to Jounouchi in a room below them. "What's going to happen to Jounouchi-kun?"

"Far better than he deserves," Kaiba replied with a vicious grin that made Yami scowl.

"What does that even mean?" Yami demanded, sounding somewhat petulant.

"You'll see," Kaiba commented mysteriously, further infuriating Yami.

"How?"

Reaching under the desk and pushing a hidden button, the wall behind Kaiba separated to reveal a panel of surveillance footage of everything that was happening in the brothel at that very moment. It took a moment for Yami to process what he was seeing, but when he realized what he was witnessing, he gasped in horror before looking back down at Kaiba in shock. "What…?"

"It's for our protection," Kaiba explained, realizing his slip in referring to himself as one of them too late to take it back. He could only hope that Yami interpreted it as referring to the entire company, rather than one of the prostitutes. "And blackmail, should the need arise."

"That's how they knew about Jounouchi-kun that night," Yami realized, hating the thought that there was always somebody watching, but understanding the need for security all the same.

"Hn, not that I couldn't handle him myself," Kaiba arrogantly scoffed, knowing that he hadn't needed the interference of the bodyguards to deal with the mutt's pathetic excuse for an attack.

The sight of so much sex before his eyes made Yami blush and he could only be grateful that there was no sound to accompany it. Looking away, Yami said, "I've seen enough." It was overwhelming in a lot of ways—especially when he started to wonder if Gozaburo had ever spied on them through that very same method—but Yami forced himself not to dwell on the matter for the sake of his own sanity.

"I thought you were concerned about your friend," Kaiba sarcastically replied, as he manipulated the images to reveal Jounouchi's room just in time for him to enter.

Even though the image was black and white made grainy by the larger size as it grew into the center screen, it still made Yami intensely uncomfortable to witness what was about to happen from such a voyeuristic perspective. "I'm not watching him with someone else," Yami stated, creeped out by the concept. The picture quality wasn't good enough to make out specific details, but it was already more than he would ever be comfortable with seeing.

"Does it make you jealous?" Kaiba asked, standing up and taking advantage of Yami's splayed legs to press closer to him. "To think of him with someone else?"

"No," Yami defensively denied, trying to ignore the way Kaiba's voice so low to his ear made him feel, "I just don't think it's right to—"

Glancing over his shoulder at the screen to see what had caused Yami to interrupt himself, Kaiba smirked when he saw his two employees entering the room. "I even let him have his trainer," Kaiba teased, knowing that Mai was probably looking forward to it almost as much as the mutt.

Ignoring the crude terminology that Kaiba insisted on using, Yami found himself wondering out loud, "Why are there two of them?"

"To make sure he doesn't bolt," Kaiba answered with a laugh that sounded sexy to Yami, despite the cruel undertone hidden within it.

"And why would he run?" Yami asked, feeling a coil of dread forming in the pit of his stomach.

"Because only one of them is actually a woman," Kaiba whispered into Yami's ear before nipping playfully at it.

Inhaling sharply, Yami started to protest, but he was interrupted by Kaiba's insistent tongue that was eager to stop the running commentary. Although it took a small amount of effort, Yami pulled back in order to assess whether or not his friend was still okay. "I'm not sure I'm okay with this," Yami muttered as he watched the surveillance footage of Jounouchi being approached by a man with long hair in a skirt and tunic that sauntered up to him with a cocky air that was conveyed even at such a digital distance. Kaiba's vaguely sadistic smirk wasn't doing anything to ally his concerns and Yami swatted his wandering hand away to focus on his friend.

"Trust me, he'll enjoy it," Kaiba promised, having brought the man back with him despite him being one of Gozaburo's finds. Even though Kaiba was loathe to admit it, Gozaburo had good business sense and a talent for finding new employees even in the strangest of places; it would be a waste to let one such as that get away. "And look at it this way, now he'll quit being such an ass when it comes to us…"

The question of how Kaiba would know was right on the tip of Yami's tongue, but he knew better than to say it out loud; he doubted that he would like the answer anyway. Some things were just better left unsaid, after all. "When he finds out that's a man," Yami commented as he saw the man drop to his knees in front of Jounouchi while Mai kissed him in greeting, "you know he'll want to kill you, right?"

"Not if he does his job properly," Kaiba pointed out, kissing his way along Yami's neck as he worked his hands under his shirt to find tan skin.

"I can't believe I'm actually letting you do this to him," Yami groaned as he tilted his head back out of habit to give Kaiba better access.

"Like you have any say in the matter?" Kaiba pointed out with a dark chuckle. "Besides, I let him have his preferred woman to balance it out, so what's his complaint?"

"That he's getting sucked off by a guy?" Yami retorted, his cheeks flushing in embarrassment as he accidentally caught sight of Mai stripping Jounouchi out of his shirt while the man took care of his pants. He didn't want to watch, but he was afraid of not knowing what was happening when the monitor was turned off finally.

"Who better than a man who knows what feels best?" Kaiba countered, running his hand over Yami's member that was still trapped in his pants. "Who else knows exactly what to do to make you come undone?"

The deep timber of that sensual tone of voice so close to his ear had Yami shivering as he instinctively grasped onto Kaiba's bicep as if to ground himself. "Stop," Yami whimpered, feeling himself start to get hot and feeling horrible about it while knowing his friend was in such a situation.

"Shall I show you?" Kaiba offered as he slipped his free hand under the desk and killed the screens. Ignoring Yami's sound of protest, Kaiba kissed him deeply before stripping him out of his shirt.

"Seto," Yami breathlessly protested, but it was becoming increasingly hard to focus on the complaints when Kaiba stopped just long enough to remove his own shirt before resuming his kisses.

"Did he look like he was complaining?" Kaiba pointed out as he started to remove the rest of Yami's clothes.

"No," Yami growled, although whether it was an answer to Kaiba's question or a protest to his actions was somewhat unclear. He was getting distracted by the sight of the small hickey he had left the day before and it stirred Yami's desire; he suddenly understood Kaiba's reaction and he could only shake his head over it.

Assuming it to be the former, Kaiba coaxed the pants off of his rival, taking a moment to appreciate the view of Yami on his desk. It sent a dark thrill through him to know he was about to fuck his lover on Gozaburo's old desk, made that twisted part of his soul purr in victory over his dead guardian. "Trust me, that boy was protesting far too much for someone who is supposedly not interested," Kaiba commented, having no doubt that Jounouchi wasn't as opposed as he claimed to be. There was a little too much protesting, a little too much blushing, a little too much shuddering whenever he came too close for Kaiba to think otherwise.

"Still," Yami continued to protest, knowing that there were other ways for Jounouchi to come to terms with that.

Taking off his own pants and kicking off his socks and shoes as he reached into the drawer for some lube and a condom, Kaiba laid Yami back with a wandering touch that guided him down to the desk. As he began prepping Yami with the lube, slowly spreading him with his fingers, Kaiba murmured, "I don't want to talk about the mutt when I have you like this."

Yami's sole consolation was knowing that if Jounouchi figured it out, he could defend himself pretty well, even though he might get in trouble for becoming physically aggressive. "If he punches the guy, you can't blame Jounouchi-kun," Yami finally said as way of consent, wondering if that made him a terrible friend.

"Fine," Kaiba agreed, anything to get Yami to stop saying the mutt's name while they were in such a position. Deciding it meant Yami still had too much awareness, Kaiba set out to demolish his composure, kissing him deeply as his fingers stroked him with purpose.

It was a sufficient distraction and Yami started writhing slightly, his body arching under the attention even as it craved more. The plea for, "More," escaped him in a needy groan that he could scarcely believe came from him, but it still wasn't enough. He should have hated how it obliterated his worries over his friend, his anxiety over the room itself, the world in general, but Yami still craved more, still wanted to drown deeper in Kaiba.

Kaiba wasted no time in burying himself inside of Yami, surprised by how he missed the warmth of intimacy, of what it felt like to be denied by such a flimsy barrier between them. It was more a consideration for ease of clean up rather than habit of house rules, but practicality won out over desire and he started to move, wanting to slide even deeper into Yami.

Pulling him forward slightly, Kaiba began an easy rhythm, feeling powerful at the sight of Yami sprawled on the very symbol of Gozaburo's authority. It was all his now and it was a victory worthy of him, Kaiba decided as he began to pick up the pace. He wanted to make Yami moan louder, make him gasp harder, make him unravel completely beneath him until the only word he remembered was, "Seto." It burned within him, almost painful as it forced him to chase the sensation.

Yami's hands scrambled for purchase on the desk's edge, anything to ground him as he continued moving under Kaiba's intense pleasure. Everything became motion and sound, pleasure and sensation, nothing into everything as he existed in the moment. His hands knocked over something solid that thudded heavily onto the floor, but his apology was interrupted by a punishing kiss and a whispered, "Turn over."

Although he wanted to protest and actually did so when Kaiba pulled out, Yami didn't have it in him to resist as hands guided him onto his stomach, painfully aware of being so fully exposed. He flinched when Kaiba's hands caressed his ass and moved down to tease his perineum and balls, skillfully manipulating them before the hand disappeared and all was lost once more.

Yami cried out as Kaiba hit deeper inside of him than before, his knees threatening to buckle when the angle changed and made him shudder with a gasp. He clawed at the edge of the desk once again, needing to ground himself as Kaiba growled his name next to his ear, making him whimper as the hand that wasn't holding him in place began stroking his cock. Everything was just a blur of desire, thrusting forward, thrusting back, everything revolving around the sensations that only Kaiba could give him. He was too far gone to be aware of just how much control Kaiba had over him in the situation, but Yami didn't care as long as it never stopped. He was so close, clutching the edge of the desk as he neared his own peak, a muffled warning groaned against the leather desk pad that was between him and the cold surface of the wooden desk.

That quickly turned into a loud swear when he felt Kaiba pull out of him once again, making him snap, "Make up your damn mind!"

Chuckling darkly and sending a shudder through Yami that made Kaiba miss feeling the aftereffect rippling through to him, he purred, "There's so many different ways to have you, though…"

"Pick one," Yami growled as he turned around, his red eyes blazing with disapproval.

The defiance that shown so brightly in those scarlet eyes made Kaiba's member twitch even as his breath hitched while he sat down in the chair once more. His hands were reaching out to pull Yami onto his lap, holding him closer as he murmured, "As if I could ever pick just one."

Yami gasped, "Seto," as he was penetrated once more, the angle forcing him forward to hide his face against Kaiba's shoulder as he struggled to gain control over himself. It would be so easy to read a deeper meaning into Kaiba's words, but Yami restrained his foolish heart from doing so. "You shouldn't say things like that…"

"Why not?" Kaiba questioned, the words formed on Yami's neck as a verbal kiss that made him shudder.

"Because it makes me think things that you don't mean," Yami groaned as he tested the new position and resituated himself as best he could in the limited space, wrapping his arms around Kaiba's neck for balance.

Cupping Yami's face and caressing the warm flush, Kaiba asked, "Who says I don't mean them?"

Before Yami could fully comprehend the implication of what had been said, Kaiba was once again kissing him harshly and thrusting up with equal force, his tongue mimicking the actions of his member. It made Yami cry out as he tilted his head back, riding Kaiba hard as he neared his climax. He wanted to ask what Kaiba had really meant, but the experience was making it impossible to think, let alone form a coherent sentence out loud.

Yami almost came undone when Kaiba started stroking his cock in time with their movements, his pace becoming erratic as the passion made him falter. Kaiba was still relentless, working every angle of Yami until he came with a gasp, marking that pale expanse with his release. He had missed the hickey he had left, but the sight would have made him cum again if he had been capable.

Kaiba came shortly afterward with a few more thrusts to bring him over the edge, feeling deeply satisfied with their coupling and the location that amplified it for him. Even though the scent of Gozaburo lingered heavily in the air for him, Kaiba just had to lean forward a little and Yami was there to help take it all away.

They remained as they were, Yami resting bonelessly against Kaiba and murmuring softly in the aftermath of his release. He was completely spent and wanted nothing more than to curl up in a comfortable bed and sleep away the rest of the afternoon until they had energy for another round. "Don't suppose there's a button you hit and a bed pops out?" Yami mumbled against Kaiba's shoulder, causing the brunette to laugh.

"There's one in the back," Kaiba accidentally commented, but he had no intention of ever entering that room again unless it was to burn everything inside of it and replace it. "Downstairs is better, though."

Yami started to comment on the matter until he thought better of it; he had felt the tremble of tension in Kaiba and he didn't want to push an unimportant issue that seemed to be tied to a larger problem. "Mm," was Yami's only comment as he burrowed deeper into Kaiba's hold.

Kissing Yami's temple and holding him tighter, he took a deep steadying breath and immersed himself in the calmness of everything that was Yami. Even without Gozaburo around, it was still a dangerous situation to be in, but Kaiba wasn't going to leave for anything; he had come too far to give it all up now.

"Are you ever going to answer my question?" Yami mumbled in his exhaustion, opening his eyes even though he couldn't see anything beyond damp wisps of brunette locks.

"I don't really think I need to," Kaiba replied as he rested his head against Yami's and closed his eyes, the answer betraying more than he expected, but not necessarily more than he meant.

A/N: This was surprisingly romantic, even if it was a bit creepy in the process…

NEXT CHAPTER:

Yami's initial apology disappeared into a startled noise as he instinctively took a step back, his eyes wide in disbelief and a little bit of fear. His mind was racing almost as fast as his heart, but nothing could have prepared him for the shock of seeing the smirking man in front of him.

Whoever could it be? *wicked grin*

Okay, so on to the important news! As some of you may or may not know, this July 14th marks the three year anniversary of my being a member on this site and writing fanfics. Yeah, that number shocks me, too. I'm just really grateful for all of your support over these past three years, because without your reviews and well wishes, I would not be able to keep up the weekly posting schedule and high enthusiasm amongst my insane schedule otherwise. It's weird to realize that when I first started out, I was amazed if I got a more than six reviews on a chapter and here I am, marveling at the fact this story alone is just shy of the 600 mark! How much has changed in three years~.

So as a sort of thank you to my lovely and loyal readers, I thought it would be appropriate to post an Entangled oneshot, the series that started it all, to mark the occasion. As some of you saw, I actually posted an update this past week on my drabble collection, Glimpses, to get me back into the Entangled mindset. So I will be posting Entangled Series, Story 10 on Wednesday, July 14th. It's not quite finished yet, nor does it have a title, but I'm determined to get something posted on that day! Let's make it a celebration of how far we have come and our boys as well!

And proving just how ambitious I'm being, I will still be posting the next chapter of Forbidden on Sunday, July 18th. Four updates in two weeks? What's this world coming to?

It's the best thank you I can give you, my lovely readers, who have supported me through all of these years. Here's to many more years and lots of fantastic stories! I look forward to sharing it all and more with you. Much love and adoration, as always.