Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ A Different Kind of You ❯ The Way Things Should Be? ( Chapter 15 )

Malik woke to the sound of someone wandering around the room. He cracked open his eyes and saw his sister packing up a small briefcase. He sat up slightly and waited for her to notice him. When she did she smiled at him and stopped gathering things, straightening up. "How are you feeling today," she asked him.

"Much better," he replied. "It's the best I've slept for a couple of weeks now."

"That's good," she smiled again. "Well, I have to get to work early this morning and I won't be back until late tonight. Are you alright with that?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine no problems," Malik shook it off. "I'll probably just hang out here, hang out by the window; the usual stuff I do." A sad expression overtook the teen's face, but it seemed to have gone unnoticed by his older sister.

She nodded and finished putting things in her small briefcase before picking it up and headed for the door. Isis turned around a second later and added, "A friend of mine spent the night here in case you happen to run into him. He can be a bit on the shy side so be nice to him."

Malik nodded and watched her go. He didn't feel like meeting anybody new right now. He just wanted to find Yugi and go home to be with his lover again with everything the way it should be. He would just stay in the room, staring out the bedroom window and praying that his best friend would turn up.

~~

Yugi woke up to the sound of the front door closing. A note on the table caught on his eyes and picked it up. He sighed and put it down after reading it. I guess there's no point staying here with just a stranger in the house if Isis isn't going to be here all day. Yugi thought. He stood up made his way to the front door. With his hand on the knob his stomach growled terribly, so much that he had to hold it in hopes that it would stop hurting.

"When was the last time that I ate," Yugi asked himself. A decent meal anyway he added silently. The note did say something about getting something to eat if I wanted. I'll just have something small and get home before I get into even more trouble than I already am.

The teen headed into the kitchen and looked through the cupboards for food. He was rewarded when he found some cereal and milk. He sat down at the table after fixing himself a bowl of cheerios and ate…slowly. The shorter time I have to spend at that hell hole the better Yugi thought; especially if I'm eating.

~~

Malik's stomach rumbled and he muttered curses under his breath when he realized there was no going around the fact that he was hungry. He quietly opened the door and hoped that he wouldn't run into his sister's guest.

Looking down the hall, at the bathroom door, and then at the couch Malik breathed a sigh of relief. I guess they went home already. He stepped into the bathroom and closed the door.

~~

Yugi jumped slightly when he heard one of the doors in the house close. It must be Isis' brother he thought after calming down a second later. I just hope he's not a big jerk like most of the people in this neighborhood are. He turned back to his cereal and tried not to think about the other person in the house.

~~

Malik came out of the bathroom a second later, feeling refreshed. He headed down the hall and into the kitchen before freezing in his steps as he stared at the back of his sister's guest. His hands were shaking and his throat constricted tightly, making it nearly impossible to breathe.

It's another trick, it has to be Malik tried to convince himself. That couldn't be him. It's probably Yami…

~~

Yugi paused with the spoon almost in his mouth and his eyes wide. He heard somebody stop behind him and it was all he could do not to just turn around and look at the person.

~~

Malik shook off his momentary surprise, deciding that his want to see Yugi again was making his eyes see every new person at him. He tried to ignore it and stepped further into the kitchen, deciding to focus on getting something to eat.

Halfway to the refrigerator though, the teen spun on his heel and threw the chair the guest was sitting in so fast that it was a miracle the boy didn't go flying. Amethyst met violet and mouths gaped wide open. Heart beats sped up to a near impossible speed and hands shook from mere excitement.

Tears formed in the older's eyes and he buried his face in his friend's hair, holding him as though there were no tomorrow. It took but a short while for Malik to feel small, unsure arms wrap around his shoulders and small tears to drip across the bare skin on his neck.

When the two friends finally pulled away from each other after what seemed like hours to them both were surprised at the first thing said between either of them.

"What are you doing here?" It was Yugi. He wouldn't look at Malik and he forced himself not to cry again. He wasn't ungrateful that his best friend was there, but if it was on his account that Malik was in such a horrible place then he would just have to force him to go back by any means even if it meant having to be painstakingly rude to him.

"I-I came to see you again, Yugi, I came to get you. All of us miss you; we didn't want you to go. Please, please, Yugi, tell me, tell me why you left us…why you left me?" Tears leaked out from Malik's eyes as he stared at his friend. His friend who always seemed so innocent even when he clearly wasn't so with the terrible life he'd been through. What happened to my Yugi?

"This is my life now, Malik, why don't you go back to yours?" The teen stood and brought his dishes to the sink, cleaning them out before went over to the front door. "This place isn't safe for people like you, go home."

Malik was frozen, he didn't understand. Yugi was never so cold and dismissing before. What happened to him? "Yugi, I don't know why you're acting like this, but if being in this hell zone has done this to you than I won't have it. I came here because I was looking for you so I could bring you back to where your friends are. We all miss you and want you back. I'm not leaving unless you're on that train with me."

Yugi was heartbroken. One hand on the knob and resolve set to make sure Malik left with no intention of coming back for him and now all that. This isn't fair. So many things were going through Yugi in this small moment, just in the short five minutes he'd been with Malik again and he was already confused why he had left in the first place. An image of Yami then flashed across his mind and he sighed. That's right; I left because Yami and I got in a fight and I didn't know where I belong anymore. Gods, I'm so stupid.

"How could you want me back? I'm a very good friend to have around at all," Yugi asked, knowing Malik wouldn't back down and would probably just chase after him if he tried running out the door.

"You're my best friend, Yugi. I love having you around and I always want you with me. You're could never be a bad friend…in my eyes."

Tears sprung into Yugi's eyes in that instant and he collapsed in front of the door, unable to hold himself up any longer. I do want to go home. I want to see everyone again. I don't want to be here anymore. Arms wrapped tightly around him and whispers of comfort were said in his ear.

"Don't worry, Yugi," Malik comforted, "I'll take you home now." A slight nod caused a large grin to spread out on his face and he held Yugi even tighter, hoping to whoever watching that he wouldn't change his mind once he calmed down and could think reasonably again. "Where's all your stuff? I'll get it for you."

"I-it's at m-my parents' place," Yugi whimpered, "I'll have t-to get it."

Malik nodded and looked around for something to write on He found a wrinkled up piece of paper in the garbage can and a small pen in one of the kitchen drawers. He wrote out a small note telling his sister the situation and, with a second thought and much debate, wrote out the whorehouse's phone number. "Let's go home."

Yugi nodded and let himself be led out of the house.

Surprisingly, it didn't take much to get Yugi's stuff out of the basement. With his parents still asleep all it took was extreme silence to get the job done. Then they hightailed it to the train station and bought two tickets for the next train heading home.

After boarding the train a few minutes later Malik immediately noticed a sudden change in Yugi. His eyes dulled as he stared out the window and he was closed in on himself.

"Yugi, what's wrong," Malik asked, the train's whistle blowing loudly.

"Nothing," he muttered.

"That's not the case or you wouldn't be like this. Please, tell me what's bothering you?"

There was a tense pause before Yugi sighed in defeat. "Just nervous I guess. Everyone must think I'm some nut case because I left how I did."

"Actually, they're all just worried about you. We've all wanted you back, but we never really knew how to start. Yesterday I got fed up with it and left and tried to get the ticket booth person to try and remember you. It was by luck that I even got the name of the city to go to."

That elicited a small giggle before Yugi turned back to the window. "I guess I have a few things to do before anything can be considered normal again." He didn't see Malik's small nod as his friend stared at him worriedly.

After arriving the two friends slowly made their way to the whorehouse, talking over things like what had happened in the past few days or anything else that would help get Yugi's mind off what could happen when they reached home. The one thing he wasn't expecting was Marik racing down the steps and pulling Malik and himself into a giant, suffocating hug.

"Don't you ever do that to me again," Marik ground out demandingly, though Yugi wasn't sure if he was talking to his lover or himself.

"Yugi," a hesitant voice questioned.

The youngest pulled away from the hug, ignoring the fact that his best friend was kissing Marik passionately behind him now, and instead focused on the racing of his heart as he stared at the only person who managed to make him feel like he was dreaming even when he knew he was awake.

"Is that really you," Duke asked, stepping forward cautiously.

Yugi nodded slowly, only able to stare at the game creator.

Duke rushed forward and Yugi was clad in another bone-crushing hug. "I'm so glad you're back. I'm so sorry I ever hurt you, Yugi, I never wanted to do that to you."

"Don't worry about it," Yugi finally managed to cough out, tears streaming down his cheeks once more.

"I can't believe I never realized it before," Duke whispered desperately to him, "How much I always want to be near you." Yugi's eyes widened, did he dare believe what he thought Duke was trying to tell him?

~~

Yami wandered over to the whorehouse. Since Marik had called him he'd had an uneasy feeling all night, completely unable to shake it. When he woke up this morning though the feeling was completely gone and he just had to go see the owner to see if anything had changed.

~~

"Duke, I don't understand what you're saying," Yugi told his crush, staring into his eyes and only able to hope that he wouldn't be hurt again.

"I want to be with you, Yugi. I want to be able to call you mine and me as yours."

Yugi's eyes widened and he collapsed in Duke's arms, not knowing what to say.

"Please, Yugi, please tell me that you'll be mine," Duke pleaded.

What else can I do? I've always wanted this but…what am I saying? This is what I've always wanted! From the very second I realized that I loved Duke I've wanted him to say those words to me and now that he is I'm doubting him? He nodded against Duke, feeling like he'd been born renew. "I do want to be with you, I do," he cried happily.

Duke smiled in his new love's hair and held him tightly, never wanting to let go. He pulled back just slightly and pressed his lips to Yugi's, gently, lovingly, endearingly.

~~

Yami stared, wide eyes and in disbelief. His whole world came crashing down in a matter of minutes and he stared on like an old doll on a shelf, completely lifeless as his smaller look-a-like kissed the person he claimed broke his heart. He never knew he was crying until he was running home, intent on never going outside again.