Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ City Lights ❯ Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!.

Authors Note: You're probably thinking, "What? Another one?". But sorry. I can't help it, Pegasus/Otogi is really fun to write. And yeah, I know that I wrote another fic kind of like this. Sorry about that too. Remember that this story contains shonen ai and death. Don't like, don't read.

My heart's beating. The clock says 11:08 PM, the white clock with the navy border that Jonouchi bought me as a birthday present last year. Even though it looks cheap, I'm glad I have this instead of that stupid digital thing that woke me up at three in the morning all the time.

I'm still on hold. The city streets look beautiful at night, especially in the summer like it is now. There's no hold music, even though the call is from a hospital. It must be from a cell phone. That Spanish guy next door is smoking again. The scent wafts through into my open window. I hear faint snatches of conversation in the background when I press the phone against my sweaty ear. It's a windy night, and something's beeping insistently, in the same cacophonous pitch as my microwave. I really need to get that thing fixed. If I haven't thrown it away, the repair guy's number is on the fridge door, with one of those cool dice magnets I bought last week.

I know this is about Pegasus. I know it. He was going to call me tonight. Ew, the smoke smells terrible. Doesn't secondhand smoke give you lung cancer, or something?

Breathing, at the other end of the phone.

"Hello?" I speak into the device, and close the window to shut out the cool breeze and the smoke. It's a lot quieter, now. Just the ticking of the clock.

"Ryuuji?" the voice asks in disbelief. Thin, frail, sick. But I recognize the timbre.

"Pegasus." His name is acknowledged. I'm staring out the window, still. A plane that is only a mere speck of light ambles on methodically in the distance. Pegasus coughs into the phone.

"Ryuuji, I..."

I know, then. I take my time in responding, instead staring at the blinking city lights receding into the horizon.

"It was Duelist Kingdom, wasn't it?" I say, after some time. I close the window shade and walk into my bedroom.

Some sort of a vocal noise, on the other end. I don't want to know what happened to him. The scent of smoke is still heavy in the air. I should buy one of those air freshener thins that you plug into outlets. What are they called? Airfresh?

"I still think you're the best duelist that there is, Pegasus."

I can't hide my emotion any longer, pretend that I don't care. He's Pegasus. Tears well up in my eyes and I shut them and lose myself in the memory of his arms encircling me, protecting me. His lips against mine, hands joined with mine. Warm.

"Thank you," Pegasus manages to say.

"I love you."

I can see his smile, now, and despite my tears I smile, too. A motorcycle zooms by outside. No. A lot of motorcycles. I sit back on my bed and wrap myself in my blankets. A slight shiver. As much as I don't want to ask, don't want to know, I have to. Slowly, the words form in my mouth.

"Pegasus, what exactly happened? You're in a hospital..."

The sound of breathing, again. "Bakura."

A mental image of Bakura Ryou. Long white hair, and smiling, innocent face. This is not what I was expecting to hear. Pegasus keeps going, as if it's hard for him to speak.

"Yuugi beat me, that much you should know." He speaks with the dull voice of one resigned to his fate. "But afterwards... afterwards, Bakura. Bakura came. He has an item, there are two of him, and two of Yuugi-"

Something that sounds like, "Shhh, don't get too worked up, now," faintly in the background. It's a nurse, I'm sure.

"- The other Bakura, he did a terrible thing, Ryuuji. He came in and took.. took my Eye out. Stole it."

Oh. Parts of some Spanish soap opera waft in through the walls. This can't be true.

"I have lost quite a lot of blood, Ryuuji. The doctors think I may not make it." His voice falters.

I knew it. I knew that was the case, ever since I picked up the phone, but it sounds so much more real coming from Pegasus himself.

A door slams, so close that I shake. Pegasus... he's really going to die. My eyes feel strange and itchy - I'm crying, now.

"Pegasus... what hospital are you at? Could I drive there?"

I don't have a car, but I could call Mai, use hers. Or get a taxi or something. I shake my hair out of it's ponytail and stare out the window by the bed as Pegasus responds.

"Ryuuji... It's possible that I won't live that long."

"Oh."

An argument, next door, or is that the TV? I don't know Spanish. No, that's glass breaking. It's an argument. I threw a vase at Pegasus, once. He caught it.

"Remember the time I got so angry with you because I thought you were using me?"

He chuckles. "Ah, yes. You threw the blue vase at me, if I am correct?" Pegasus sounds amused, now. Like he used to.

"Yeah." I reply, smiling.

"You know I love you, don't you, Ryuuji?" the same, amused, tone.

"Yes, I know. I love you, too," I say, idly fingering my dice earring. I can't remember where I got this thing. Some small store, probably.

"Do you remember when I first told you that I loved you, Ryuuji?"

Briefly I wonder why he put the emphasis on told.

... Here we go again with the "remember when's. It sounds like we're old geezers, or something.

"Yeah, I remember."

I remember. Pegasus's soft whisper, "I love you," a gentle kiss, and warmth again. With Pegasus, there is always warmth.

"I love you." I tell him, again. I really mean it, this time.

It's 11:43, according to the clock. Most of the lights in the city are out, but a few remain, small patches of light yellow against all the black. Everything is black, out there. It gives me a sense of peace, but also makes me a little afraid.

"Ryuuji?" His voice is weak again.

"What?"

"Like I said before, your game really has potential. Duel Monsters is over, Ryuuji. I've been defeated, no one's going to want to play anymore -"

"I'll play," I interrupt him, "If no one else does, I will."

"Don't play Duel Monsters, Ryuuji. It's over now. Play Dungeon Dice Monsters. I'm sure that it'll be the next big thing, as they say."

I nod, then remember that he can't see me. "I will."

"That's good. If you will excuse me, Ryuuji, I'm feeling very tired now. I think I should get off the phone." His voice is very soft.

"O..ok. I love you."

"And I love you. Goodbye, Ryuuji."

A click.

Damn it. He's gone. He's gone, and I barely had the chance to say anything to him.

Dial tone. I shut the phone off, set it on the table beside my bed. It's quiet. The neighbors aren't arguing anymore, and there are no more cars driving by on the streets. I get up and turn off the overhead light.

Now everything is dark. The brightest lights are coming from the street lights below me, and the few rare offices and skyscrapers that are still occupied. Slowly, I close the shade.