Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ A Different Kind of You ❯ Here and There ( Chapter 18 )

The identical pair walked down the quiet hall, Yugi's chest constricting with guilt each step that he took. A blanket was wrapped around his shoulders to block out the chills of the whorehouse and even with his hands holding tightly onto Yami's arm as they walked in silence he still couldn't get over his nervous.

He had asked Yami to help him to Marik's office first, thinking it would be the best place to go to first. Upon arriving, however, he wasn't sure if it was the best idea or not to come out of his room. His voice choked in his throat as he though I'm not sure I can do this.

Yami, sensing his crush's anxiety and hesitance, bent down and asked if Yugi would like him to knock. Yugi unknowingly nodded his head and at the sound of the door knob clicking out of its spot he recoiled behind the taller boy and clenched his eyes shut in hopes that when he opened them again he would still be locked in his room, or maybe curled up in Yami's arms again. At the last though a small blush covered his cheeks and he lowered his head more.

"Yami," Marik's voiced in surprise, "Is there something you need?"

Yami shook his head and gestured behind him before mouthing that Yugi was a bit on the nervous side. Marik wasn't sure whether to believe that Yugi had come out or not, but after seeing the seriousness in the crimson eyes of Yugi's look-a-like, he knew he was telling the truth. Kneeling down quietly he smiled lovingly at Yugi. He had always loved the boy like a brother more than a best friend. He was lucky to have ever met him, even if it was under…such circumstances as meeting him at the whorehouse while he asked for a job. Cautiously raising a hand he slid his fingers easily against Yugi's soft, pale cheek and watched as his clenched eyes slowly relaxed to confused and then they opened to reveal the violet treasures beneath the lids.

"I've missed you, Yugi. I'm glad you're feeling better," he whispered. He was expecting tears. Yugi was a cry kind of person and whether he was happy, upset, sad, angry, whatever, he would always cry. So when his young friend's ears started misting up it didn't worry him. What the owner of the whorehouse wasn't expecting was the armful of Yugi he got as soon as the first tears slid tear tracks down his cheeks as the teen sobbed into his shoulder. After getting over the initial shock he returned the embrace and petted Yugi's back tenderly and comfortingly, whispering words of comfort to him so he wouldn't make himself sick.

After a few short minutes, Yugi finally pulled away from Marik and offered him a watery smile. "I thought you would be mad at me," he rasped out in a quiet voice, feeling ashamed for having admitted it so easily.

Marik shook his head, careful about his expression so Yugi wouldn't think he really was mad at him. "I could never do that, Yugi; you're much too cute for someone to be upset with you."

A blush covered Yugi's cheeks and he quickly looked away. However, having moved to fast the room started to spin and he latched onto Yami's arm to steady himself. He knew he would have to eat something soon if he was going to be wandering the halls like this. Maybe it would've been better to ask Yami just to ask everyone to come to my room like they wanted to initially instead of me going to them Yugi thought as the room came to a stop.

"We should be going, Marik. Yugi still wants to go to Joey and Ryou's rooms and I think it would be better if Yugi wasn't up for very long. He's still pretty weak from not eating anything and I want to try to get something else into his stomach before he goes to sleep tonight," Yami explained.

"That's understandable," Marik reasoned. He looked back at Yugi and gave him one last hug before pulling away. "Thank you for coming to see me, Yugi. You're definitely one of the strongest people I know."

Yugi blushed again and turned away slowly, motioning to Yami that he wanted to get moving again. The pair waved goodbye to the violet-eyed, messy-haired owner and turned the corner.

Malik came up beside his lover with a wide smile on his face. "Isn't this great, Marik? Yugi's going to be okay now, I can feel it."

Marik nodded and led his younger half into his office and closing the door behind him. "Yes, but he still has quite a ways to go before he's fully healed. I'm not sure what caused Yugi to behave the way he did, but his eyes definitely give way to something that traumatized him more than we might be able to understand. It could very well be just having come back here even after such a short time away that caused it to something as large as watching a best friend being killed. We won't know unless he decides to tell us."

Malik nodded and curled up on his lover's seat and closed his eyes in contentment. "He'll tell us, I know he will. Maybe not soon, but he will."

~~

Should I tell him how I feel or is it too soon? I don't want him to feel like I'm pressuring him into anything or something like that. And what about Duke? Would he leave him for me? Yami thought as he watched his young look-a-like walk silently down the hall, his hands still latched onto his one arm. No, definitely not! Duke and Yugi were happy when I saw them together. Why would Yugi leave something like that for someone like me?

They stopped in front of Joey's door next and Yami rapped on the door like he had with Marik's. The door squeaked open not a minute later and Seto stood there with out baggy, grey sweatpants on and his hair wet and disheveled, as though he had just gotten out of the shower. The towel clenched in his hand not holding the door proved that thought.

"Yugi," was the first thing he said when he registered who was at the door. Faster than lighting a blonde raced to the door and held Yugi in his hands, holding him so tightly against him that his arms were shivering.

"I don't believe it, Yugi, you're out. I knew you opened the door, but you came out. You don't know how relieved I am. You're going to be okay now, right, you won't scare me like that anymore," he begged, pushing his friend out to arms' length and stared into violet eyes with his own honey-colored ones.

"He was pretty shaken up when he found out Yugi hadn't come out of his room for anything a couple weeks ago. He'd been the first one to try getting him to come out, but nothing worked," Seto explained to Yami, letting his lover and his best friend have their privacy. "How'd you manage to do it?"

Yami shrugged, trying to ignore the fact that Joey could hold Yugi so freely and he couldn't. I won't tell him. I don't deserve him. "I don't know. I just told him it was me and he opened up. I'm not sure why Yugi picked me of all people when it's obvious he's got so many caring friends here."

Joey stood up at that point, his eyes misted over with unborn tears and a watery smile that matched Yugi's own stared down at the shorter teen. "You look pretty exhausted, Yug. Why don't you go get some rest?"

Yugi's eyes widened and he quickly shook his head, grasping back onto Yami's arm, missing the pain that flashed across his crimson orbs. Seto didn't though, but he held his tongue.

"He still needs to see Ryou before he goes back to his room. Then he'll rest and eat a little more before going to sleep, hopefully," Yami told him, leading Yugi down the hall once more.

Joey nodded and waved after Yugi, glad that he was going to be okay now. "It's great that Yugi's going to be fine now," the blonde exclaimed cheerfully, stretching his arms above his head as he collapsed on his bed. Seto closed the door behind him and sat beside his lover, lost in thought. The blonde sensed that and stayed quiet, curling around his lover with his arms wound around his waist.

"I wonder," the CEO started, "will Yami be okay though?"

"What do you mean," Joey asked curiously.

"You didn't see, you couldn't tell," Seto asked incredulously.

After a short second the honey-eyed colored teen shook his head.

The brunette's shoulders slumped in defeat and he shook his head in mock disappointment before running his hands through Joey's thick strands of blonde hair. "I think," he paused, mostly for effect, "I think that Yami feels more for Yugi than he's letting on." At Joey's adorable cock of the head for him to continue he smirked and closed his eyes as if remembering something from long ago. "When Yugi grabbed onto his arm something on his face showed that it hurt him that Yugi only touched him as though for protection, like some kind of guardian like a young child."

"You think that Yami likes Yugi and he's too afraid to tell him," Joey asked simply.

Seto nodded and looked at his lap in thought.

"You might be right, Seto, but what are you going to do about it. It's up to Yami to say something. I don't think we should be involved in those guys' personal affairs. Besides, it's not a very good time for Yugi right now. He's got Duke and he's trying to heal from whatever it is that caused him to lock himself up for two weeks."

"If he as Duke, than why hasn't that game creator wannabe come to see Yugi? Surely, somebody's told him about Yugi's entrapment."

That comment froze Joey and he looked thoughtfully at the floor before nodding. "Yeah, I wonder why Duke has been around here at all."

~~

Like the previous two doors, Yami knocked on the albino couple's door and waited. Not as quickly as Seto or Marik's had, the door opened to reveal Ryou cautiously peaking out the crack of the door. At seeing Yami, and then Yugi standing somewhat behind the taller teen he opened it more, a wide smile on his face.

"I was going to come by later to see if you'd like a visitor, Yugi. You must be feeling awful after not getting anything inside your stomach. You do look terribly pale," Ryou commented.

Yugi smiled slightly and nodded. He stepped forward and silently embraced the albino, feeling more tears come to him as he hid is face in his friend's neck.

Bakura came out a minute later and watched the quiet exchange from where he stood. "Well, Yami, what do you think?"

"About what?"

"Those two; it's pretty bad, isn't it? Both seem too innocent for their own good and, yet, look at where they're working. Seeing them like this makes it seem only worse," the older albino joked.

Yami forced out a chuckle and nodded, "Yeah, it does seem kind of strange, but you can't admit that you don't like it."

"That's true," Bakura agreed.

The two friends pulled away and smiled at each other, Yugi whispering something into Ryou's ear before going back to Yami.

"It was nice of you to drop by, squirt," Bakura smirked. "We'll come visit you later when you're feeling up to more time outside that room of yours. Though, that'll probably turn into tomorrow knowing how Ryou is." His comment earned him a smack on the arm from his young lover.

The short scene caused a smile to break on Yugi's face and Yami felt something bubble in his chest at such a small reaction. He then led Yugi down the hall once more after exchanging goodbyes to the two albinos.

"What did he whisper to you," Bakura demanded after the two went back inside the small room again.

"Nothing," Ryou jumped on his bed and curled up underneath his blankets. "He just said that he was sorry for ignoring us when we tried to help him and that he would do his best to make it up. I told him there was no reason for it and that it was worth it just to seem him around again."

"That better be all. No secrets, remember?"

"Yes, oh great one, I would never dream of it," Ryou teased.

"You better believe it."

~~

Yami tucked Yugi under his covers and motioned Malik to come in when he appeared in the doorway. "Please, try to eat it, Yugi. I know you don't feel hungry, but your stomach needs it and your body needs the nutrition.

Yugi nodded and allowed himself to be fed at least half the bowl of warm soup before he couldn't take in another bite. He then slid further down underneath the covers and gestured for Yami to stay with him, which the other boy couldn't disagree to. Snuggled up together, the two silently and quickly fell asleep in each other's arms.

~~

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!! HOPE YOU LIKED YOUR PRESENT!!