Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Confessions Of The Heart ❯ Chapter 1

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

It has been 10 years since the last time I saw him. His eyes were worn now, the kohl gone. He had gotten a bit chunkier but that was fine by me.

I watched as he stood on the bridge, contemplating his death as far as I knew. But I didn't want him to die. Not yet.

He was my rival.

And he was my heart.

In a moment, he turned his head and smiled weakly at me, a look he never would have allowed on his face in our dueling years. What had changed him?

That was a stupid question for I already knew the answer.

Life.

No longer he was Yami Motou, the bane of my dueling existence. He was Atemu Naraku, father of four, three of which were all grown up and moved on and the littlest one on her way to junior high.

He was also Savira's ex-husband.

That title alone sagged his shoulders and the mere fact that he knew that I knew made the smile drop from his lips.

“Seto”

I resist the urge to cringe. His voice was so soft. Not one that had been softened by love but by pain.

I, like the rest of the world, read and saw the paparazzo's coverage of his and Savira's divorce and before I could offer my assistance, he had gathered his daughter and the remnants of his sanity and fled to only gods know where.

And now he's back.

And he's looking at me.

“Hello Atemu.”

Without warning, his name had flowed from my lips and that brings a smile to his lips again. Only so that I might keep in character, I resist the urge to smile back.

“Forgive me for being away for so long, I-“

I hold up a hand to stop him. “No need to explain. You just owe me a duel.”

He smiles sadly and shakes his head sadly. “I'm sorry. I no longer have it.”

As a hand squeezes my heart, I manage to choke out: “what happened to it?”

“I divided it between the triplets. All three of them are pretty powerful duelists but I knew that they have coveted some of the cards in my deck for a while…it was quite a fight actually.” He pauses to chuckle at the memory. Knowing his kids, it must have been a sight to see. “The rest I gave to Yugi since most of them were his cards originally anyway.” He finished with a shrug.

“I…I see.”

He smiles a bit and steps away from the bridge ledge toward me. Now that he is closer, I can see the permanent stress lines on his face, the beginning of crow's feet at the corner of his eyes and frown lines at the ends of his mouth. I know that he is, supposedly, 3 years older than I am but he looks a lot older that 41.

“I'm sorry Seto. I know I should have gave you my dark magician like I promised but I just had to keep it, for sentimental value.” He whispers, his voice barely heard above the winter wind.

“That's alright. Say, let's go back to my place to talk.”

He smiles at me and I know that I had said the right thing.

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We reach my penthouse apartment. I have officially embedded in my memory the look of awe on his face.

“What happened to the mansion?”

“Mokuba has it now. Him and Rebecca are planning on raising a big family so they need all the space they can get. Besides, that place has too many memories I wish to forget.”

“I agree. I sold my place as well, but Yugi is still running the game shop.”

“Yeah. Hey, do you want something to drink?”

“Uhm… some Green Tea would be nice.” He suggests, sitting down on the couch, which he immediately sinks into. “Oh…. this is so nice. It kinds of reminds me of one of those Sharper Image chairs”

“Yeah, it was a gift from one of the designers for that company so watch out if it starts massaging you or something.” I say from the kitchen.

“Tooooo laaattteee.” Came his slurred reply. I grin. I knew he would act like that. It was so a good idea to keep that chair. When I walk back in, his eyes are closed, the wrinkles on his face softened.

“So, what brings you back to Domino?” I asked, setting my tray down on the coffee table.

“There are times and places for events and I just found that it was best that I return,” he answers, his eyes still closed.

“Besides that, Yugi probably nagged you to come back, right?”

“That too.” He smiles his eyes opening. Those pools of Violet almost drowned me as they did when we first met. He reaches up to brush back his bangs and I notice his hands.

When we used to duel, his hands sometimes drew my attention more than necessary. They were always perfectly manicured, smooth as if he polished them daily. At the time, when I had called him on it, he only glanced at them momentarily with a quizzical look on his face and urged me to continue the duel.

But now they have withered away to that of an old man, the joints awkwardly protruding and, as he picked up his cup, trembling slightly as if it could no longer hold up the weight of the cup.

“Atemu…”

“Please, Seto, let me enjoy my beverage before you attack me.” He admonished quietly, his lips forming a soft `o' to gently blow at the Tea.

“But I must know…what has happened in those years that you were away. What had befell on you to cause you to weaken so greatly, for me to no longer to see my prideful rival turned friend but a old man who trembles to hold a teacup.”

His lips twist into a small smile.

“You have turned into quite the articulate poet while I was gone, Seto. Maybe it would have been best that I had left sooner.” He said with a sigh, setting the ceramic down to interlace his fingers. True, his fingers do not look the same but the grace behind them still remains.

“So…”

“What happened to me, my dear rival, was life.”

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He went on to tell me of his life in America. At first, he dueled to pay the rent but before long, when America slipped into a recession, he soon gave that up. He went to find a job but was dismayed to find that no one would hire him due to his appearance so he cut his hair and dyed it a respectable black even doing as far as wearing dark brown contacts so as to mask his individuality. Not that he minded too much, he assured me, because he was trying to hide from the paparazzi anyway.

A year of constant worry later, he found a job at a school that even offered to take care of Umeta's, his daughter, schooling expenses. Unfortunately, the school was very low class and the students unruly. More than once, both he and Umeta came home with either a cut or a black eye. Even now, he couldn't see completely out of his left eye. But what could he do about it? He had no other job offers and with the rising price of living expenses, he had no choice but to work there.

Those were the most hellish 9 years of his life.

But with a stroke of fortune and misfortune, a student attacked him so viciously; he was in a coma for a week. When he awoke, not only was the boy sentenced to juvenile, but also the courts awarded him 50,000 dollars and the boy's parents, in apology raised another 5,000 from friends and family. Of course, he didn't take the money the parents offered, he just gave it to charity, but the court awarded money was another matter entirely. He bought two one way tickets to Japan and hasn't looked back.

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Needless to say, I was stunned once he finished. Never had I felt so many emotions at once well up in me as it then.

“And that…is my story.” He said, rising to go to the kitchen. I numbly stood and followed him and found him methodically washing out the teacups and putting them away.

“Did you not think of calling either Yugi or me for help?”

The look he gave me said it all. Yes, he thought of it but being the person he is, he wouldn't have stooped to that level. Of all of the things he let go of over the years, his pride was the only thing he clung so desperately to. No way in hell was he going to give it up so easily.

“I'm sorry to have disturbed you with my tale Kaiba, -”

I cut him off then and there.

“Don't give me all of this Kaiba nonsense. You called me Seto earlier and have done so since we graduated from college. It would be rude for you to say anything otherwise.”

I didn't tell him how much I enjoyed the way he seemed to breathe my name, a soft sigh on his lips.

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A week passed by, a steady stream of visitors stopping by to say hi to Atemu. Yugi and Yami admonished him for being out of contact for so long and Tea was totally in tears, hugging him and stuff. I watched the theatrics from the kitchen window.

“Uncle Seto?”

I looked down and Umeta was standing next to me looking up.

“Yeah, runt?”

She smiled at the old nickname, the look on her face reminding me of the few times I saw Atemu smile back in high school.

“Is papa going to be okay?” she asked, jumping up to sit on the counter.

“I don't know. I honestly don't know.”

“But uncle Seto, you know everything!”

I look away, embarrassed. You never know how cocky you sound until a 12-year-old parrots it back to you…

“Well, there are some things I don't know. But I can assure you…I will get Atemu happy again.” I promise, hoping that my words aren't in vain. Umeta smiles that Atemu smile of hers once again, hopping down from the counter.

“I know you will uncle Seto because papa likes you.”

“Umeta…” I look at her in shock but she had already scurried off to sit on Atemu's lap who was chatting with Yami. Atemu gives her a small hug, smiling at what was his only lifeline during those dark years before continuing his conversation. Out of the mouths of babes…

But in all seriousness…Atemu likes…me?

Can I even try to believe that is true?

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OMAKE CLUB

This is a side story for to love loveless and it takes place 30 years later if you haven't guessed by now. This was supposed to be the end for that series but seeing as that I had to do this part alone; I've decided to indulge myself. I don't care if no one likes this, for once this is for my joy not that of my biased and terribly closed-minded readers. If you review, awesome, if you don't, your loss.

Signed,

Mitzumi Kare