No idea what inspired this. Just started writing. I'm not a particularly big fan of Tea/Anzu, but I wasn't intentionally bashing her in this. My apologies if that was how it turned out.
WARNINGS: AU, yaoi – Blindshipping (Atemu(Yami)xYuugi), Atemu is slightly insane
Competition
Mizaki Anzu had come to the Kame Game Shop in the hopes of asking Atemu to the movies. She'd tried many times before to get him to do something with her alone, but he always told Yuugi before she'd even finished asking, and Jounouchi's amazingly good hearing picked up on whatever plans she had from half way across the city – or so it seemed – and wherever Jou was Honda Hiroto was not far behind, so she'd yet to succeed even once.
In the five years since Atemu had moved to Japan from Egypt as an awkward, gangly yet boyishly cute twelve year old, he'd settled into their group of friends snugly. He joked with Jou and Honda but kept them in line when they went too far. He had a good head on his shoulders and she could keep up solid conversation with him for hours. Well, it happened once. A few years ago. He was just as game-obsessed as the littlest of the group, Yuugi, and got along with him better than even Jou, the self-proclaimed 'bestest friend ever!'
It didn't take any more than a year for Atemu's father's business in Egypt to crumble without him on site, though, and just as he was about to pack up his son and ship back to the desert land Atemu had broken down and yelled and screamed and cried and carried on for days. He eventually locked himself in his room and barricaded the door. Akunumkanon, Atemu's father, at a complete loss for what to do, phoned the four friends his son had made and begged them to talk to his son, try to reason him into a compromise.
In the end, he'd only responded to Yuugi. Anzu had been a bit sore about that, sure that her female intuition and logic would have won him over. But the two near-identical boys crept from the room an hour or so later, Atemu clinging to Yuugi's hand like a lifeline. He said that there was nothing for him in Egypt, nothing he enjoyed, nothing he even remotely liked. In fact, he was scared of going back. He continued to list why he thought staying in Japan would be beneficial for him, which she later found out was Yuugi's idea, and despite it taking a week or so to settle, Yuugi's grandfather agreed to board Atemu until he finished high school.
Sugoroku was a kind man, and Atemu was calling him Jii-chan along with Yuugi in no time at all. They had set up a room for him, but half the time they snuck into each other's rooms to talk and play games until the wee hours of the morning. In the end, baffled and exhausted at finding them sore from one or the other sleeping on the floor or neither sleeping at all, he'd used some of the shop's ample savings to buy two double beds and put one in each room. It worked wonders for sleepovers that were had almost every weekend; the group all slept quite comfortably dog piled across either matrass. Anzu had always taken the opportunity this gave her to sleep next to Atemu, who almost always used Yuugi's stomach as his pillow or Yuugi using the tanned shoulder as his.
She nearly swooned at the thought of the red-eyed seventeen year old. He was not tall, but he had a large personality that more than made up for it. Admittedly, his hair added almost a foot to his height, being crazy and multi-coloured as it was. She'd developed a puppy crush as soon as he smiled and said hello to her, and she'd clung to it. It had grown and swelled in her heart to become what she was sure was love. Sure, she'd gone on a few dates, but they were mostly to see if he'd have any reaction to her going out with someone else. So far she'd had been no luck.
But that wasn't going to get her down! At the end of their second year of high school and with just one more year to go, she'd decided to step up her game. Their last year had to be devoted to what they desired as a career, or so she believed, and as a mature young adult, she knew she wanted Atemu in her future as more than he was now.
She decided that if he didn't have the guts to ask her out, she would do it instead. She'd observed him for years, she was almost certain he returned her feelings. For example, whenever she did manage to corner him alone for a few precious minutes, he'd be nervous and almost skittish until the others arrived, when he'd calm down and speak with confidence again.
There was something disturbing she'd noticed as well, though. He'd adopted the habit of using Yuugi as some sort of security blanket. More so after they'd discovered he was going to mental therapy sessions at the local hospital and was on a regular dose of what Jou dubbed 'anti-crazy' pills.
He never spoke openly about it, but they'd managed to deduce that he'd had some traumatic experience as a child involving his estranged mother. He had a good handle on it usually, but the calculated control of his mild insanity always scrolled over his eyes like a matrix code. Yuugi seemed to be the only one able to talk him out of anything he decided was a good idea in his less-than-sane moments and keep him calm if he didn't have his pills and something set him off.
None of that put any of them off, though. Well, Honda had been tense for a while, but he'd settled down when he remembered that Atemu had a sensible disposition and logical opinions when he was calm. Angry and all that went out the window, but that was rare. He spent more time reigning in Jou and Honda than the other way round.
Bouncing up to the glass door of the game shop that two Mutous and one Sennen called home, Anzu grinned at the cheery little bell above her. Tossing a quick greeting over the counter to Sugoroku – who was probably reading some sort of inappropriate magazine – she entered the house part of the shop. On the ground floor behind the shop were a living room, bathroom and kitchen that played around the wall that separated them from the impressively large storage room. At the end of the hall that separated them was a set of stairs that led up to the much larger second level. Spanning over the top of the shop as well, there was room for another bathroom as well as three middle-sized bedrooms and a study.
She always found it endearing that none of the doors in the house matched. The study was white, Sugoroku's room was a merry yellow, Atemu's was plain wood and Yuugi's was baby blue. She glanced around the open study space the stairs lead to quickly to make sure the boys weren't there before stepping into the hall. An odd sound met her ears, almost like the thump of Honda's earphones when they were turned up too loud and the others could hear the bass.
But that couldn't be it. There was no one close enough, and the picture frames rattled against the walls. The smiling faces of Yuugi's deceased parents, younger versions of the boys she was looking for, photos of archaeological excavations Sugoroku had been on and even some of her, Jou and Honda vibrated each time, making her feel like she was in some sort of horror movie.
Maybe Yuugi was out and Atemu had turned up his music to entertain himself until the smaller returned? The rhythmic thump seemed like something he'd listen to. He preferred repetitive beats to ground himself rather than the chaotic, all over the place stuff that Jou listened to. If that was the case, this could work out more for her favour. It was rare to find one of the boys without the other attached to his hip.
A quick peek into Atemu's room as she passed the wood door made her suspicious. Perhaps Atemu was waiting for Yuugi in the purple-eyed boy's room? The thumping was growing louder and stronger, more pronounced. It was also becoming less reliable. Speeding up and slowing dramatically for a beat or two before picking up pace again.
Anzu hoped Atemu wasn't in a fit of rage or some other uncontrolled emotion. It had happened once before, when Yuugi left for a week to compete in national Duel Monsters competition. He'd been alright for the first two days, but he'd descended into a raging tantrum before the end of the third had passed. Something small that Yuugi would have been able to distract him from set him off. She didn't really remember, but she knew that Jou had turned off the lights as part of a prank. But Atemu exploded into fear and fury before it had been conducted.
His eyes... she never wanted to see them that wild and blazing ever again. He spent almost three hours straight driving his fists into the cupboard door. It didn't close properly, so every time it slammed it sent a shockwave through the walls. He'd been snarling through his teeth, something about being alone in the dark again.
Quite worried now, she twisted the knob on Yuugi's door and swung it open, prepared to scream for Sugoroku if he needed to get the therapist on the phone, but was stopped in her tracks at the scene she faced.
She couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Her clammy grasp slipped from the brass door handle, arm falling limply to her side. In her mind she took several steps back before sprinting down the hall, slamming the light blue wooden door behind her. But her body refused to obey her plead to escape the horrible scene before her. She remained completely stationary, barely breathing.
The tanned, broad back of the Egyptian teen was slick and shining with sweat, muscles flexed and quivering. His sides heaved and his breath huffed out in hot gasps, toes digging into the blankets as he drove his slender hips forward again and again.
Writhing on the mussed sheets below him was Yuugi, his pale skin almost shining silver in the late afternoon sun that streamed in through the skylight. His blunt nails dug into Atemu's shoulders and his thighs trembled as those big hands kept them spread wide. He whined, back arching oddly as Atemu moved one hand from his leg to grasp a hip, angling it upward.
The golden glow on Atemu's skin almost drew all attention away from the scattered look in his eyes. Hunching over the small body below him, Atemu mumbled quietly, repeating a broken phrase over and over. "Mine... hikari-mine, all mine. No one else... mine."
"Yours," Yuugi too willingly, in Anzu's opinion, agreed. He puffed and was jolted with every snap of those hips thrusting into him. Atemu groaned low in his throat and his eyes almost shut, moving both hands to desperately rearrange Yuugi in such a way so he could reach fully within the little beauty. All his. No other could touch him. Hikari-mine...
Anzu managed a single step back and her eyes widened in shock as Atemu continued to bend Yuugi to his will. No one's spine should bend like that and be healthy! She felt a pang of regret for being jealous at the beginning. Now she was nothing but sorry for Yuugi. She now realised that what she thought was sweat around his eyes were actually dried tears, but she could discern no more about his pleasurably pained face as Atemu's hungry mouth descended into the crook of Yuugi's neck and shoulder. One strong arm snaked under Yuugi's back and lifted him even more off the matrass, closer to the crazed teen. Spots of blood dotted the blankets, and the brunette girl felt herself jolt as if to throw up. Yuugi whimpered and squeaked, more blood dripping to the pillows from Atemu's pearly teeth sinking into his neck with enough force to break the skin.
"Atemu," he moaned, trying to breathe through all the sensations – good and bad. "A-Ate... Ohhh... Atemu, you're hu-hurting m-me..."
But Atemu didn't seem to notice. He drew Yuugi's hips into the air, anchoring himself to them as he ploughed into Yuugi's responsive body, sawing in and out quick and rough. From her poor vantage point, Anzu couldn't really see what happened, but Yuugi arced high off the bed before pressing back into it, Atemu howling – howling! – and tossing his head back as he clutched Yuugi's lower half to him, his movements slowing until he lowered himself onto Yuugi in exhaustion, covering the smaller body almost completely beneath him, probably crushing him a bit. Hazy eyes blinked as he recovered, breath catching in his throat as he saw the blood trailing down Yuugi's shoulder as if for the first time.
"Oh no..." he whispered, face paling and drawing into a look of absolute horror. He pulled himself onto his elbows and caught Yuugi's glazed eyes pleadingly. "Yuugi? Please tell me I didn't—"
"I wish I could..." Yuugi's tired, raspy voice interrupted. He'd learned long ago that lying got him nowhere, even if he was trying to protect Atemu from himself when he did. He was better off just telling the truth from the start. It saved them both a lot of pain in the long run.
"I'm so sorry!" Atemu nearly sobbed, pressing his nose to Yuugi's in some strange gesture of honesty. He picked himself up on his knees, cutting all body contact with the limp form apart from their noses. "I-I didn't mean– I thought I– I didn't– I couldn't– I'm so, so sorry, my hikari, my habbibi..."
One shaking arm rose and gently looped around those shuddering shoulders, kissing Atemu's offered nose in acceptance. That seemed to be the appropriate response, as the Egyptian collapsed and sobbed quietly against Yuugi, peppering the bloodied shoulder in tender kisses. Stroking one small hand up and down Atemu's back, Yuugi used the other hand to run his fingers reassuringly through the mess of hair atop the other's head.
Atemu continued to blubber apologies in a broken mix of Japanese, Arabic and a few endearments of Ancient Egyptian. Yuugi soothed him quietly, despite his obvious discomfort, holding the larger teen softly. Atemu lifted his head to press his forehead against Yuugi's, chanting quietly. "I love you, I love you so much, don't leave me, don't hate me, I love you, I didn't mean to hurt you, I'm sorry..."
"I know, Atemu, I know." Yuugi assured him gently, "I forgive you, it's alright."
"But it's not!" Atemu protested, holding yuugi's face to look into his eyes seriously. "Yuugi, I keep hurting you! You should have kicked me out and left me by now, you deserve so much better than some violent, insane–"
Yuugi stopped him yet again, but what he said was enough to shock Anzu's feet out of their frozen state. Keeping steady eye contact, Yuugi said seriously, "Maybe I do. But I don't want anyone else, Atemu. It's just something that makes you, you, and I wouldn't change anything you are for the world. You wouldn't be the one I love if I did."
Atemu's miserable eyes brightened, if only a little, like a starved puppy's ears pricking up at the scent of food. He snuggled close to Yuugi, holding him carefully, cradling him like the most precious thing in the world. Yuugi smiled at being handled so gently, eyes slipping closed as sleep slowly claimed him, but not before he whispered that he loved Atemu and hearing the statement returned with so much care it would have made a dove cry.
Anzu backed up slowly and silently as she could, letting the door close but not daring to turn the handle to properly shut it. That would make too much noise, and she couldn't be discovered. Making her way quickly down the stairs and through the shop, she was stopped only once by Sugoroku, who had a wise yet stern look on his face. "They take good care of each other, you know. But you need to decide what you will do now on your own."
She left the shop with her head spinning. Atemu was more unstable than she thought. Could she deal with that? Could she still be so close to him knowing he could snap any moment? Could she tell the others of her discovery?
No, she decided. It wasn't her secret to tell. She'd step back for a while, sort her head out and decide what she really wanted.
As a frightened young teenager, she knew that no matter how much she wanted Atemu, Yuugi had already won him before the competition started. There was no way she could compete, not now that she knew the responsibilities that came with the prize.