(A/N: The Sorcerer's Apprentice is a poem that belongs to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and this one-shot is based on it. There's a slight plot-twist, but the main storyline belongs to the author of the poem.

I know I shouldn't be doing this, but after watching the trailer of the upcoming Disney movie with the same title, I remembered the animated short in Fantasia where Mickey is the apprentice and things get out of control for him, and I had the idea of writing this, which took me about a week to complete although it's not really long... I hope you enjoy, and Merry Christmas to you all!!)

Yugi watched as his master summoned spirits from his book of spells. The Great Sorcerer Yami Atemu was by far the most powerful sorcerer in the whole world, and his apprentice, his protégé,was terribly in love with him.

"Yugi, would you be as kind as to bring me the elf powder?"

"Yes, my master," answered Yugi with a smile. He stopped once he'd finished sweeping the floor and turned to the nearest shelf, taking a small bottle filled with powder. The young man moved to his master and gave him the bottle, which Yami emptied into his potion using his magic.

"Thank you, my protégé," said the sorcerer, looking at his apprentice with only kindness in his eyes.

Oh, how Yugi admired, respected, and loved Yami. If only he could find a way to tell him… Yet every time he tried to do so, he would cower back and tell his master he'd "start the chores now."

Ten years ago, Yugi was just a boy that had nothing left. A great storm in the sea had taken away his parents, and he had been the sole survivor of the terrible catastrophe. Wandering around through the world, he'd been alone until a young sorcerer came into his life.

When Yami Atemu was no more than that, he took Yugi under his wing as his apprentice. The workshop he took as his own was a very ugly-looking disaster, and he'd told the boy to do the chores around: mopping, sweeping, washing the dishes, cooking, etc. When the boy was older, Yami had taught him the little magic he'd known back then. With the years, Yami became the sorcerer he was today, and he sometimes taught and trained Yugi a little more.

With the years, Yugi had fallen in love with his master.

"Oh, damn," cursed the sorcerer under his breath. "Yugi, I'm afraid I have to leave the workshop for a few hours."

The apprentice's heart sank. A few hours? Without his master to keep him company? Although it was he who kept his master company. "Master?"

"I'm very sorry, my protégé. I completely forgot I had an important meeting with The Elders and some wizards from the East Coast," said Yami, closing his book of spells. "As soon as it's finished, I'll come back, all right?"

"Yes, my master."

Well, it was work. There was nothing Yami could do about it, Yugi realized as the sorcerer put on his cloak.

"Oh, and Yugi?"

"Y-Yes?"

"Would you please mop the floors? Leave the dishes for tomorrow," he said gently. Yami waved goodbye to his protégé and exited the workshop, walking up the stairs to the main door.

Yugi sighed sadly. He knew it took a lot of time to mop the floors of the workshop, and he wanted to be free when his master came back to help him in whatever the sorcerer might need.

Now that he thought about it, there was probably a spell to control an object and order it to do whatever one wanted to. Yami had left the book of spells on his wood stand, next to the cauldron where he usually made his potions. But he was prohibited to use a spell if Yami wasn't around, especially one he didn't even know.

Should I? Yugi thought doubtfully. Master doesn't like me to use magic without his permission…

Another thought came to the young apprentice. Yami didn't have to know he'd used a spell, did he? If he cast out the spell before his master came back home, there would be nothing to worry about! Okay. That's what he'd do.

It couldn't be that hard, could it? Look for the spell, use it, put it out, and he'd be free! Piece of cake!

Wasn't it?

Yugi carefully strode towards the wood stand and just as carefully opened the book of spells. A feeling of greatness and power ran through his veins; so this was what it felt like to be a sorcerer—to be such a strong and powerful sorcerer? Was this what Yami felt? He slowly flipped through the pages, searching for a spell that could help him to possess an object, preferably a broom. Finally, he found just the spell he needed.

It luckily took nothing more than a few words. Yugi read the words as he directed his hands at a nearby broom, enchanting it in the process. Soon, the cleaning object glowed brightly, and the boy knew the spell had worked.

"How do you order a broom?" he couldn't help but wonder. "Erm… broom, fetch water from the well in the basement to mop the floors!" Instantly, arms grew from each side of the broom and it began to move towards the basement. Yugi almost leapt with delight. He'd successfully cast his first spell! When the broom came back with two buckets full of water, it spilled the liquid onto the floors; the apprentice began to do his work.

But then the broom came back with more water, spilling it just like before.

"Wait, I don't need more water for now," said Yugi, turning to the cleaning object. However, it didn't seem to listen as it vanished into the basement again. "Wait! No more water!" he cried when the broom came back with the two full pails.

Oh, damn! Yami had taught him how to cast out some spells, but that hadn't worked! His master had also taught him that not every spell was cast out the same way; he should've known this would be one of the many he still didn't know how to control!

"Okay, that's more than enough!" Yugi went into the weapons room and took a nearby axe. He then held it tightly on his hands, and when the broom approached him, he ran the axe right through it, cutting the wooden object in half. The young apprentice sighed with relief. Well, at least there was no more danger now.

Or at least that's what he thought until the two parts of the broom became single brooms! In a fit of desperation and rage, Yugi split both objects in half, now making four brooms. The four cleaners took a pail in each hand and vanished into the basement, only to come back with eight buckets full of water, spilling them into the floor.

If this continued, the workshop would be sunk underwater! Yugi began to fill the water reaching his neck, and the first thought that came to his head was that he'd soon drown.

"Yugi, I'm back!"

Oh, no, no! thought the apprentice, his head under the liquid. If Master sees this, he'll never trust me again!

"Yugi? Are you here?"

Master! Master, please help! Yugi tried to raise his head from underwater, but he found he wasn't even able to move. In a last effort before losing consciousness, he did his best to raise his arm and show his master where he was…

Yet he felt himself sinking… sinking…

And then a pair of strong arms lifted his body up.

"Yugi! Yugi, say something!" Yami took his protégé's shoulders and wildly shook them. "Yugi!"

The boy coughed up some water and glanced around; finally looked at the sorcerer. "M-Master?"

"What on earth happened?!" Yugi took a deep breath. If he was going to tell what had happened, he might as well say the whole truth.

"I… I wanted to be free of work for the time you came back b-because I wanted to help you," he began, tears welling up at his eyes. "S-So I used a spell t-to control the broom to fetch water…" The apprentice then began to speak between sobs. "But it got out of control, and when I cut it, the two parts became new brooms, and then the workshop was filled with water!" He buried his face into his hands. "I'm very sorry, my master!"

Yami cursed under his breath. "Well, you certainly caused some good damage."

Yugi's eyes widened with shock. His master's words hurt—hurt him deeply. It hadn't been his fault! Yes, he'd used a spell without permission, but he'd tried to stop it, hadn't he? Didn't that count?

"I've told you thousands of times not to use any spell when I'm not here!" cried the sorcerer. "Is that so hard to understand, Yugi? Am I not clear enough in what I say?"

"Y-Yes, you are, my master," hiccupped the boy, wiping his eyes. His master turned to give him his back, letting out a frustrated and exasperated sigh.

"You've done enough for today," growled Yami. "Now get out of my sight!"

"Yes, my master." Yugi, since Yami was not staring at him, let the tears fall down his cheeks as he left to the only place where he knew he could be alone with no one but himself.

-

Maybe I was a little too harsh with him, thought Yami, moving his hand as a magic wand to finish evaporating the water from his workshop. After all, he just wanted to help me. Maybe… I think I should tell him how I feel…

Thinking about his young protégé, the sorcerer couldn't help but remember the day when he'd met the boy.

"Get outta here, kid!" Yami was kicked out of the workshop where he'd been working the past few weeks. The old man that had been his master had gotten tired of him. "And never again show your face around this neighborhood!"

The young man stood up and shook the dust off his trousers. "You'll pay for this, old man!" he threatened. "Someday, I'll be the most powerful sorcerer in the world! I'll be the Great Sorcerer Yami Atemu, and you will pay for treating me like this!"

The old wizard had just laughed and closed the door right before Yami's nose. The young sorcerer-in-training sighed woefully and began to walk around town.

The best thing he could do was making potions, but he didn't know how to make the chores or anything. He'd need help with that if he was ever going to become to most powerful sorcerer in the world. Maybe an apprentice would come in handy!

Just as he walked through an alley, Yami saw a small silhouette leaning against the wall. He felt intrigued by it and swiftly moved towards it.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked the silhouette, which made a small movement before turning to stare at him. The sorcerer-in-training almost gasped; it was a boy, probably some years younger than himself. "What are you doing here?"

"I… I'm alone," was the boy's sole response. "My parents died in a storm at the seas."

"I'm sorry to hear that." An idea popped into the sorcerer-in-training's head. "Well, then, you'll be my apprentice!" The boy's eyes widened.

"W-What?"

"Do you know how to make the chores?" The boy nodded. "Then it's all settled! You shall be my apprentice—my protégé—from now on!"

"Why?" asked the boy.

"Well, I'm a sorcerer-in-training and I need an apprentice to teach and to help me!" The mysterious individual raised an eyebrow.

"Why me?" he questioned.

"You said you're alone," said Yami, pointing a finger at him. "And I need help. When you're ready, I'll start teaching you the magic I know. We both end winning!" The boy stared at the ground, and after what seemed like an eternity, nodded in approval. "Yes!" cried the young man in victory. "By the way, my protégé, what's your name?"

"Y-Yugi. And you?" Yami smiled cheerfully.

"Yami, Yami Atemu! But I will soon be known as the Great Sorcerer Yami Atemu, the greatest and most powerful sorcerer in the whole world! Now come on, I know an abandoned workshop where we could settle in! It needs some little arrangements, though…"

Yugi laughed quietly. "Well, my master, that's my cue, I guess."

Yami blushed slightly, thanking that it was a dark night so Yugi wouldn't see the pink flush across his cheeks. He'd felt his heartbeats quickening as the boy called him with such formality.

It'd been love at first sight.

Yami smiled to himself while he lied down on a couch and put up his legs on the armrest so that they rested above the ground. "I guess I better go and apologize," he said decisively. The sorcerer stood up and walked out of the main room and towards Yugi's room.

Yet when he got there, his apprentice was nowhere to be seen.

Yami panicked. He searched everywhere, and Yugi was still not to be found.

"Yugi! My protégé, where are you?!" he yelled desperately, running from door to door. No, no, no… where could the boy be?

A horrifying thought came into Yami's mind.

"You've done enough for today. Now get out of my sight!"

Those painful words he'd spoken—had they hurt Yugi so much that… that the boy had left? No, it couldn't be! Yugi couldn't have left! What would Yami do without his apprentice, his protégé… without the person he loved?

And then it hit him. He hadn't searched everywhere. There was one room where he hadn't looked for Yugi.

The water well.

-

Yami ran down the stairs to the basement. "Yugi! YUGI!" He stopped short on his tracks once he reached the bottom of the stairs.

Yugi leaned against the water well, his back to the entrance of the basement, staring at his own reflection. Yami heard him sniffling, and he saw one of his hands moving up to his face. Oh, God, he'd made Yugi cry.

"Yugi?" The apprentice immediately turned around and frantically wiped his eyes.

"M-M-Master!" he stuttered nervously, his amethyst orbs red and puffy.

"What are you doing here?" Yami asked tenderly as he made his way towards the boy. Yugi looked down in shame.

"I come to the water well every time I feel like I've failed you, my master," he murmured sadly. "Usually, though, I come here at night… but… since you told me to get out of your sight… I thought—"

Before he could realize or do anything about it, Yami had pulled him into his arms and pressed his lips to the boy's.

The sorcerer's hands cupped Yugi's face, bringing it even closer. He lovingly moved his mouth over his apprentice's, feeling Yugi's hands gripping his shirt and eventually kissing him back. The boy moaned as they finally pulled back from each other, both breathing harshly.

"Master?"

Yami shut his eyes for a moment to stop his tears from raining down. "Don't ever scare me like that again!" he yelled, tightening his embrace until Yugi's chin rested on his shoulder. "God, Yugi, I love you! I thought you were gone!"

Yugi blushed furiously. "Y-You love me, M-Master?" he stammered. When the sorcerer nodded, the boy felt like his heart would leap out of his chest and he suddenly felt like crying again. "Oh, I'm so happy!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms around his master's neck, which caught the sorcerer by surprise.

"W-What?" he asked, confused.

"Oh, Master, my dear master, I love you too!" he cried joyfully, tears spilling down his cheeks. "How I've longed to tell you, my master, but I couldn't find any strength to do it! I'm so happy…!" His words were interrupted by another kiss from his master.

"I'm so sorry, my protégé," Yami apologized, covering Yugi's face with small butterfly kisses. "I'm sorry that I yelled at you, I know I shouldn't have, and I'm glad that you're still here after how bad I treated you! Will you ever forgive me?" He looked at his apprentice with pleading eyes, his eyebrows knitted in sadness.

"I could never leave you," smiled Yugi. "And of course I forgive you, my master."

"Just call me Yami," said the sorcerer, wrapping his arms around his protégé and pressing their lips together again.