Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ With You ❯ A Red Rose means Beauty and a White Rose means Forgiveness ( Chapter 13 )

Yugi awoke the next morning feeling oddly giddy and he couldn't pinpoint a reason why he should be. He was in a…fight, you could say, with Yami and he treated him terribly the day before. He could think of one reason though, even though that was highly strange how he though it up as well, but for some reason he knew that that day was going to be a good day.

He looked over to Ryou and Bakura to find they were still deep asleep and curled up against each other. He thanked all the gods he knew that he slept above the covers though so that way he could leave the room and he wouldn't have to have bothered the sleeping couple with trying to untangle himself from them. Carefully, so the bed wouldn't bounce, he got of the bed and quietly opened the door. Once in the safety of the hall he gave out a loud sigh of relief that he hadn't disturbed the couple from their sleep. Walking a couple doors down, Yugi peeked inside Malik and Marik's room to see if they were up and he smiled slightly at the way they were a tangle of arms and legs around each other. How they could sleep like that comfortably, Yugi may never know.

The violet-eyed teen walked around the palace wondering how he could've awoken so early before everyone else. He knew one thing he had to do though, he had to find Yami and talk to him, apologize for the way he acted yesterday and somehow make it up to him. He would've slept in their room the night before, but he just had a weird feeling that Yami would just end up kissing him and then they'd end doing some other, rather enjoyable, things that would've just defeated the whole purpose of being mad at the Pharaoh.

Finding one of the servants he went to go ask if they knew where Yami would be or if he was even up.

"Yes, he woke up much earlier than usual this morning." The girl explained to him. "He was rather impatient actually, but also very excited about something too. I'm afraid he's not here though. He left about an hour ago to do something important."

"Oh, I see."

"Kira!"

Yugi and the girl looked around the corner just in time to see another of the servants, a blonde girl, prevent from becoming one with wall before coming to a stop in front of them.

"Miko, are you okay? You know you shouldn't be running the halls even if Pharaoh isn't here."

"I know," the girl jumped up and down, "but…"

Yugi interrupted to excuse himself, not wanting to become part of girls' daily gossips. `Some things never change.' He told himself. He looked back just in time to see the second girl, Miko, pull away from whispering something in the other girl, Kira's, ear. They took one look back at Yugi before a blush covered both their faces and they started giggling together silently and pointing after him.

Yugi found himself irritated at their behavior and started to walk faster and didn't stop until he rounded another corner. He found he didn't escape the giggling though. The second he opened his eyes from resting against the wall he lent himself against more giggling girls and even some boys were pointing at them with flushes on their faces. He growled silently to himself and walked by them, trying his best to ignoring their pointing and hushed whispers before giggling reached his ears.

Reaching the kitchens, where the people obviously knew what the rest of the servants knew, but at least didn't do anything embarrassing about it, Yugi sat down on one of the stools and sighed into his hands.

"Yugi," one of the younger girls asked. Yugi looked up to acknowledge her. "Are you feeling okay? You look a bit flustered."

"I was barely up for half an hour before girls' giggling and gossiping started following me everywhere. I seem to be the top thing to talk about today."

The girl's eyes widened. "They didn't say anything to you, did they?"

Yugi eyed her suspiciously. "No," he said slowly. "Why?"

"I must be getting back to work now, Yugi. Please, excuse me." She bowed slightly and then turned around and quickly walked away.

The teen knew that she knew something important now and he wanted to know what. It was only noon and he was cursing himself out for ever thinking that it could be a good day. He was about to stand and start demanding answers from the girl when he heard a gruff voice from the entrance call his name. He looked around and all the kitchen servants were bowing to whoever was behind him. He turned also and found that one of Yami's most trusted advisor was standing there with a smirk on his face.

"Yes?" Yugi asked cautiously, not sure why Yami's advisor would want anything with him.

"Follow me, please."

Curious, Yugi did decide to follow him and they didn't go too far before they stopped in front of a few girls Yugi hadn't seen before.

"Yugi, these are our Pharaoh's special servants that help him clean up most exceptionally elegantly whenever a special event is to occur. It has been requested that they help you for tonight."

Yugi raised a suspicious eyebrow. "What's happening tonight?"

"Our Pharaoh has made it clear that nobody is to tell you and please forgive us if we confuse you, but it is orders. Just go with the girls and we promise you will find out what's going on soon enough."

Yugi hesitated long enough for the three girls and the advisor to get nervous into thinking he wasn't going to let this happen, but he nodded and turned to the girls.

The advisor clapped his hands together excitedly. "Excellent. Don't worry, Yugi, you are in the best of hands."

The girls smiled at him and gestured for him to follow them, which he did.

Yugi was led into a part of the palace he never bothered to go into before, now he wished he had. The hall leading to it looked boring enough but once you passed the simple doors it was decorated beautifully with flowers covering nearly the entirety of the floor making it smell elegant no matter where you were.

"Is this part of the palace decorated for a special reason?" Yugi asked, looking around at the flower ropes that stringed across the walls like banners.

"This part of the palace is always looking like this," one of the girls told him.

"Why?"

"Our Pharaoh Yami believes that wherever beauty is made it should look beautiful there too. That's why none of the older men work here, because they'd only make things look manly." The second girl giggled. "There are a few younger boys here that help us and the other women that work back here."

"Oh." Yugi looked around before glancing back at the three girls. "I never got your names."

The girls smiled back at him before slowing down so he could walk next to them rather than behind.

The girl who hadn't spoken up since Yugi had seen her introduced herself first. "I'm Alicia." She had short blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

"I'm Miaki." The straight, longhaired brunette on the left of Yugi smiled and him and rubbed his spiky hair playfully, her brown eyes glittering happily.

"And last, but not least, I'm Kido." The longhaired, curly-haired redhead on the right side of Yugi smiled down at him, her jade colored eyes sparkled joyously.

Yugi nodded and repeated their names to himself so he wouldn't forget them.

It wasn't long before the three girls paused in front of a large oak door and pushed it open for Yugi.

"Why don't he undress behind that curtain over there while we got get the water ready." Kido told him.

Yugi blushed and nodded, backing away slowly towards the curtain. Looking at the curtain he found it was really nothing more than a white sheet pinned against the wall and then pinned to a pillar to make it look like a curtain. Walking behind it he found a towel sitting on a chair and he guessed that was what he had to wrap around himself when he was undressed.

Walking out a couple minutes later his nose was assaulted with an elegant scent of flowers and he followed it all the way to a built in bathtub with rose petals floating on the surface of the steaming hot water.

"Ah, Yugi, just in time." The brunette giggled and led him to the water.

Yugi blushed as he asked the girls if they would mind looking away while he was getting in. The girls only laughed at him, but turned around much to Yugi's gratefulness. He removed the towel and placed it at the edge of the tub and settled in the steaming water.

"Comfortable?" The blonde asked.

Yugi nodded and squirmed slightly as Miaki slid a finger down his cheek, causing it to tickle.

"Good. Just relax." Alicia told him.

Yugi did so and found it very easy to stay that way even with the three girls in the room with and he closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

The girls dropped a few oils into the water and rubbed them against Yugi's skin almost like his skin were made of the most fragile of glass.

When they were finished Yugi felt a million times more relaxed than he'd ever felt before after taking a relaxing, warm bath. They helped him out of the water and wrapped the towel around his waist. Instead of leading him back to where his clothes were left they led him out the door and around the corner.

Yugi finally realized what was going on when the girls started measuring him and calling out for a few items of clothing that Yugi noticed young boys and girls were bringing in as they were called for.

It seemed like hours of standing on the pedestal and having the girls bringing clothes up to him to see what they would look like before they finally told him to go try one particular outfit on. He held it tightly in his hands as the girls ushered him behind another curtain.

Yugi dropped the towel and carefully put on the expensive looking clothing. He walked back out to show the girls what it looked like and he found the girls gaping at him.

"What's wrong?" He asked quietly.

"Wow Yugi! I think this is our best work yet!" Miaki shouted excitedly and scrambled over to hug him tightly.

"Except for this." Kido stepped forward and undid some of the buttons on his shirt before backing up and nodding with a large smile on her face. "We've outdone ourselves."

"Follow us, Yugi. You can see what it looks like." Alicia gestured and he followed her and the two other girls to an adjoining room and in front of a large mirror.

He gasped and couldn't believe what he was seeing. He never would have thought he'd see him wearing something like this, but even he had to admit that he looked good - no; definitely something else. He couldn't even find words for it.

He wasn't wearing any shoes, but it didn't seem to bother him like it mostly would've other times, not overly bagging pants that were an off white colored tied up with a dark blue cord, A slightly loose long-sleeved off white shirt that was buttoned up minus three of the buttons at the top, a dark blue vest with white trimming that was pulled over the shirt.

"Well, what do you think, Yugi?"

Yugi turned back to the girls. "I - I don't know what to say." He admitted.

The three girls' smiles could only widen before they took his hands and led him out of the room and into another where all types of jewelry in all different colors covered the walls.

Yugi sat down in the chair Miaki indicated before the three girls disappeared. They returned a minute later with a dark blue, thin choker and wrapped it around his neck.

"No, I don't think so." Alicia took it away as Miaki held up a pair of earrings to his ears before a frown covered her face and she gasped, a look of horror crossed her face.

"What's wrong?"

Miaki looked back the two girls with a frown. "One earring would be perfect, but he doesn't have any holes."

Yugi paled and raised a hand to his ear and rubbed it with his forefinger and thumb. `Me? With a pierced ear? What would grandpa say?' He tried to imagine it and ended up taking one of the earrings in Miaki's hand and held it up to his ear. He was surprised to see that he actually liked the way it looked. He turned in his chair with a shy smile. "You could make a piercing if you really want me to have the earring."

The girls' frowns were quickly erased with excited smiles and all three asking if he was really sure. Yugi only closed his eyes tightly and nodded.

"This is much too perfect for words!" Kido exclaimed happily. She hugged Yugi tightly. "Oh thank you, Yugi! You won't regret this!" She turned back to the other two girls. "Okay, Alicia you go get the needle and Miaki go get some cold water and a washrag."

The two girls nodded and hurried away. Yugi didn't think they took long enough to go retrieve the wanted items and he started shaking nervously.

Kido seemed to understand and pulled him out of the chair and she took the seat instead, pulling him into her lap and wrapping her arms lovingly around him. "Don't worry, Yugi. We'll make this as painless as possible."

Yugi could only nod his head and hold onto her tighter.

Alicia brought over a candle and placed it in a closer holder. She held the long, thin needle up to the heart of flame and kept it there.

Miaki brought over the water bowl and placed it on a table nearby. After soaking the rag in it for a few minutes she brought it over and waited for Kido to finish wrapping a rag around Yugi so he wouldn't get his clothes wet. Kido nodded and Miaki held the soft skin in the rag, causing Yugi to shiver slightly from how cold it was.

After a few minutes of having the cold rag held to his ear he found it felt slightly numb. The rag was pulled away and the earring was handed to Kido, who continued to hold him tightly.

"Just hold to me, Yugi. As tightly as you want, okay sweetie." Kido told him and only signaled Alicia over once Yugi nodded.

Yugi clenched his eyes shut tight when he felt Alicia come closer and then suddenly something hot and sharp made a hole in his ear and he couldn't help the loud shriek and a followed sob after his ear started to pulse with a painful sting continuing to throb. The needle was quickly taken out and the earring placed with a click in it.

"Shh. Don't worry Yugi. It's all over now." Kido rocked the teen back and forth in her lap before he finally started to calm down.

Yugi looked up with reddened eyes before he smiled at the three girls. Miaki was holding the cold rag back over his ear and it helped immensely.

"Want to see?" Alicia asked him.

Yugi nodded and he followed the blonde over to a small mirror and he looked and found it looked even better than he thought.

"It'll be red still for a few minutes so just be careful until then. By tonight I'll doubt you'll even remember it's there it'll feel so natural. Just don't take it out before then."

Yugi nodded and followed the three girls out of the room and into another room where he had to sit out. He was surprised to see that the sky was slightly darkened and he couldn't believe how long he'd been with the girls.

This time it didn't take very long at all for them to finish since all they did were getting rid of the few tangles that were in his hair and dried it up a bit from the water that still wanted to cling to his strands.

"I'll be right back." Kido told them before she disappeared.

A few minutes she returned with Yami's advisor and even he looked completely surprised at how gorgeous Yugi looked.

"I must say girls this is most definitely your best work. Kido, you weren't kidding when you said he nearly looked like he could be Pharaoh himself."

Yugi blushed but stood when he was motioned to follow the advisor.

"See you later, Yugi." The three girls called after him as he was led back out the doors he first entered through hours again. "Have fun!"

Yugi didn't know what they meant, but he had a fleeting idea that it had something to do with whatever was going on tonight that everybody except him seemed to know about. He followed the advisor towards Yami's rooms and he blushed in embarrassed that he hadn't figured out this had something to do with Yami. He was surprised though when the advisor passed Yami's chambers all together and he felt a bit down that maybe it wasn't Yami's idea after all and somebody else's. `Maybe Bakura and the others in an attempt to cheer me up. They must've done something major to the staff to get them to follow their orders though.'

Yugi was so deep in his thoughts that he barely registered that the advisor had stopped and almost bumped into him.

"You've been awaited quite anxiously all day, Yugi. Do do what the girls say and have fun." That was all the advisor said before leaving him back the way they came.

Taking a deep breath to calm whatever nerves that seemed to have risen in him Yugi knocked on the door and was surprised when it seemed to open of its own accord. He took a step in and immediately gasped.

Candles were lit up on the walls causing ethical glows to form on the walls and other candles were also placed randomly over the floor. Looking up he was even more taken away by the thousands of fireflies that were flying around the room completing the look. It also didn't pass Yugi that an elegant scent was wafting through the room from the corners of the room.

Yugi jumped slightly when a deep voice from directly behind him. "Do you like it, Yugi?"

"It's beautiful." The teen whispered. He wasn't surprised when two arms wrapped around his waist and the voice replied directly next to his newly pierced ear.

"Almost as much as you, love." The person dipped down and picked Yugi up bridal style and carried him over to a circle of candles that was more noticeable now that he looked more closely at them.

He was surprised when he placed down that he wasn't met with the hard floor but instead soft, cushioned pillows. The person behind finally moved in front of him and Yugi gasped when he got a better look under the dim light of the candle flame.

"Yami, you look - wow."

Yami smiled lightly and nodded. "You look much to beautiful for words, Yugi. I think I recall a line from your literature book a few years ago that drew my attention that would be perfect for you. `If words were made of breath, and breath of life, then I have no life to breathe.' (1)."

Yugi blushed and nodded a thank you.

"Yugi?"

The teen looked up and was surprised to find that somehow the lights seemed to have somehow lightened and he could seem Yami clearly. He was even more surprised when he noticed Yami was holding to roses, a red and white one, in his hand and was holding them up to him. Yugi took them hesitantly and brought them up to his nose to smell them.

"The red for your unmatchable beauty. I love you, Yugi, and, even though I have no idea how somebody as perfect as you would ever end up with me and stay with me when I've already you in more ways than I ever would've liked and never wanted to anyway, I always want to be able to be with you. The yellow is for forgiveness. I never meant to make it sound like I didn't want you here, Yugi. I would never ever want that, especially when you came back to me. That only proves your love to me and I've only been, as Bakura and Marik plain and clearly put it, a complete and utter bastard. I may have wanted what was best for you, but I still shouldn't have made it seem like I was ordering you to go back to your time. You may leave whenever you wish and I promise, with all my heart, Yugi, that I will never treat you like a child again. Will you please forgive me, love of my life?" (2)

Tears had started in Yugi's eyes as soon as he started to explain about the red rose, but now they were streaming down his face and he tried to find it in himself to nod, but he just somehow couldn't. Instead he stood and placed the roses on his pillow.

Yami thought he was refusing him though and he looked down at the floor so he wouldn't see Yugi leave. He was surprised out of his mind though when Yugi crawled into his lap though and nuzzled his cheek into his mahogany vest and sighed in contentment. "Does - does this mean you forgive me, Yugi?"

"Yami," Yugi started without looking up at him, "just by saying what you did I think I've fallen in love with you all over again."

The ruby-eyed Pharaoh wasn't expecting such a response and in reply he wrapped his arms around Yugi and held him tightly, kissing him on the forehead before resting his own cheek in his lover's soft hair.

"And Yami?"

"Yes, love?"

"I will sleep with you tonight."

Yami chuckled lightly as it seemed like Yugi had read his mind to his next request.

~~

Okay I thought this would be the perfect line and I found it in an email I got. It's from Shakespeare's: Hamlet.

And I know that the red and white roses don't mean that, but it's my story and I wanted them to mean that since the red and white roses are my favorite colored roses. Don't even ask how they had roses in Egypt because, like I said, it's my story and if I want roses in Egypt I will have roses in Egypt.