I was listening to the song "30 Minutes" by Tatu and got inspired to create this oneshot. I do not own anything. Enjoy!
"Welcome! Welcome one and all, to Domino Circus!" The crowd's roar of cheers and applause following the announcer's booming, echoing voice drove Yami and Yugi to near deafness. Nonetheless, they joined in this rejoicing for yet another return of the Domino Circus with a small round of claps. The circus consisted of everything magical coming to life, of humans moving in ways once deemed impossible. Dreams rested here, it was like a Disneyworld of it's own accord. The tag line might as well have been "where dreams come true!"
The special group of acrobats took frequent trips all over the world, so their performances in the hometown were only once every year as a result. Yugi often took these opportunities to bond with his grandfather in this more unique way, irrelevant to card games, but still fun and enjoyable. However, since Yami's gift from the Gods of a new, physical body of his own to cope in this world alongside Yugi, it was no longer Yugi's grandfather that accompanied him. Yugi made a pledge that he would show Yami everything fun that Domino had to offer. Up to now, Yami loved all this new knowledge of certain events or places that his Aibou was providing. And this circus was bound to become another thing in his mental list of things he'd come to love.
The two near-identical teens watched with the audience in awed, stunned silence as the numerous performers began to disperse and reveal a man and a woman in the middle. Both were garbed in dazzling outfits that reflected and sparkled against the lights. The acrobatic couple was lifted into the air by means of silk wrappings around their waists. Twisting, twirling, dancing in flight together. They were often apart and rotating around the stage in circular motions, like Yin and Yang. Then they would come back to one another and move in sync. An eerily beautiful song sounded through the whole tent as the couple moved with the gentle, yet haunting lyrics; the delicate rhythm.
Out of sight, out of mind
Out of time to decide
Do we run? Should I hide,
For the rest of my life?
Can we fly? Do we stay?
We could lose, we could fail
And the more minutes take
To make plans, or mistakes
Yami's crimson orbs swayed with the movement of the couple. It was… entrancing, strange, exhilarating, incredible, all at once. He looked to Yugi at his left through his peripheral vision, finding he held an expression quite similar to his own in this moment. The colors from the lights beaming down at the stage switched from an earthy green to a mix of violet and soft blue.
And when this change of lighting happened, Yami finally recognized a mix of feelings that had been hollering for acknowledgement the past few minutes. It hit him like a ton of bricks: he blinked once, twice, startled out of the hypnotic trance he was in just moments ago, his gaze tearing away from the dance ahead. As beautiful as it all appeared, something was off that he couldn't quite explain. Something that made his gut churn in discomfort, distress, anxiety. Nauseous. He felt nauseous. Why?
Thirty minutes, the blink of the night
Thirty minutes to alter our lives
Thirty minutes to make up my mind
Thirty minutes to finally decide
Thirty minutes to whisper your name
Thirty minutes to shelter the blame
Thirty minutes of bliss, thirty lies
Thirty minutes to finally decide
Yami searched the tent frantically for a reason to feel this way, an explanation. But the scene was too perfect, nothing seemed out of order. He glanced at Yugi again, who's lips were still slightly parted, staring and hardly blinking in that trance-like state. Why did the smaller teen not feel his unease as Yami did? He sighed quietly, hearing his breath come out hoarse and ragged. He then noticed his hands trembling under his legs while he sat, and a small bead of sweat trickled down his temple. What was happening to him? A voice was screaming in his ear it seemed, and it was telling him to grab Yugi and haul them both out of this suddenly hot, closed-in tent. Run. Run as far as possible, fast. Should he trust these urging instincts?
Yami's sight rolled back to the dancing couple in the faint blue and violet glow. He realized just how long this act was trailing on. It had to be well past five minutes since it began. Yami clenched his shaking hands into fists, and felt hot sweat form around his fingertips from the small action. The voice continued yelling in the drums of his ears, where he also distinctly heard the rapid beating of his heart.
Carousels in the sky
That we shape with our eyes
Under shade silhouettes
Casting shapes, crying rain
Yami scanned the crowd, almost feeling like perhaps shadow magic was being involved here. Why did everyone look droned out, like zombies? Why was this act so long? And why did he seem like the only person out of hundreds here that seemed to be noticing and asking these questions?
"Yami?" He tensed upon hearing Yugi's whispering voice beside him.
"Yes, Aibou?"
"This dance has inspired me… inspired me to… bring something to your attention." Well at least Yugi didn't sound like a robot. But he never did turn his head to look fully at him. His eyes were glued to the scene, to the rippling of the silk wrapping as the couple continued to move in glorious motions.
"And what is that?"
And just like that, as though on cue, Yugi's gaze tore away from the dance (much to Yami's utmost relief) and into his crimsons. "I think… you deserve to know. That… ever since you got your own body… well, before that even… I've always… always…"
Yami was now enticed by Yugi alone. His hushed voice, his soft and delighted yet nervous smile, his words. It wasn't difficult to guess what would be coming next. Yami felt like him, too, all the same. All the previous feelings of anxiety were shoved aside for just this moment.
Could we fly? Do we stay?
We could lose, we could fail
Either way, options change
Chances fail; trains derail.
"I've always…" Yugi trailed off, biting his lip, his smile suddenly turned into an apologetic frown. Yami understood then, for whatever reasons, he couldn't say it. Inside the seemingly calm exterior was most likely a nervous wreck as to how Yami would react. The taller teen gave the smaller an adoring smile, moving in and closing some of the gap of emptiness between them. Their faces froze inches apart.
"I understand. And I feel the same, my Aibou," Yami murmured, the volume of his voice just enough for his little one to hear, and only him. His warm breath tickled Yugi's soft, pink cheeks. These words were meant for only his ears. "I love you…"
Relief washed Yugi's features, and Yami grinned with lazy eyes as the smaller closed his, permitting Yami to continue. Given this, Yami took the boy's cheek with one slender hand. He leaned in more, little by little, slowly.
And that was when he saw it.
A shadow passed over his vision, and he looked up. He immediately closed in on a red, blinking light, too small for just anyone to notice, being in the tiniest crevice of the tent—but it was there, and it didn't escape him, nor did the skinny shadow that loomed over it for just a moment, then abruptly moved away like a ghost. It was a bomb. And just how much time was left on it before it would blow?
Yami scrambled away from the moment, practically flinging himself out of the chair and taking Yugi's wrist, bringing them to their feet, practically dragging the teen through the aisle of chairs and now agitated people to one of the tent exits.
"Yami, what—?"
"Yugi, bomb—!"
Nearing the entrance, Yami heard it more clearly, faintly, yet distinct.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
The act in the circus was forced to conclude abruptly due to Yami's loud holler of warning regarding the bomb. The audience didn't waste any time to think on it—everyone was hauling themselves and others up from their seats, herding their way to all the nearest exits, screaming. Chaos. Some people fell hard from the impact of the pushing of hundreds of people behind them, and soon were brutally trampled on by just as many feet. Yami and Yugi continued pushing themselves through. Almost there. Almost—
Ticktickticktick—
The loudest sound of destruction to ever fill everyone's ears ensued. The tent exploded into flames and the world shook. Yugi and Yami jumped their way out, with Yami's arms wrapped and clinging to Yugi's body protectively, willingly taking the heat wave instead that brushed over his backside. Their heads buried into the other's shoulder deeply, urgently. They fell to the ground with a hard thud of both their bodies combined. The bomb violently continued its fire assault on the tent and the people who didn't end up as lucky. Yami felt a dampness cover his right shoulder, and intuitively held the boy in his arms closer when a loud cry ripped from his throat. It sounded shocked, frightened, painful, and sad. Yami felt tears at the rims of his eyes, but didn't dare to let them fall. He had to be strong. He had to be strong for his little one—and his little one needed all the attention he could receive in this moment. The screams of terror and burns from the people filled both their ears, causing more sobs and wails to form from Yugi.
Yami didn't speak, deciding it best to keep Yugi under some form of distraction, away from all the noises of destruction. He held Yugi against him more, raising his head from his shoulder, only to quickly lean down and press their lips together. It started simple, then grew passionate. He was very aware of the man caught on flames nearby, who was screaming a blood-curdling one as he fell to the ground and his agonizingly slow death transpired. This was happening to a handful of people, and their bodies were becoming nothing more than charcoal black, mangled things. No. These sights were too much for Yugi. He didn't want his Aibou scarred with nightmares for the rest of his life, however inevitable that probably was at this point. But at least Yami could grant him this, give him a sense of feeling like everything was okay; at the very least, they were alive. Yami's lips pressed harder against Yugi's, his blond bangs falling forward and shielding them from the sight of this hell. He allowed a single tear to streak down his own cheek. I'm sorry, he thought. To whom, he couldn't say. Yugi. Everyone. I'm so sorry…
Thirty minutes, the blink of the night
Thirty minutes to alter our lives
Thirty minutes to make up my mind
Thirty minutes finally decide
Yugi trembled softly under Yami, his tears leaving tracks over his dirt-coated cheeks, but more than accepting of this kiss. He clung to Yami, keeping him as close as physically possible, and vice-versa. The screams still filled his ears, and he visibly cringed with each one. The crackling of the flames danced in the distant with a show of their own as they consumed more and more of the tent and its inhabitants as easy as burning regular paper. Despite all this, he felt protection, and considered himself lucky. For many others, including the original holder of the bomb, hadn't been. In just thirty minutes, dreams had dissipated into thin air with the smoke.
Thirty minutes to whisper your name
Thirty minutes to shelter the blame
Thirty minutes of bliss, thirty lies
Thirty minutes to finally decide.