I swear this started out light hearted and short. But things went their own way and dragged me along despite complaints.
Valentines Day. The day all single males fear.
Yugi hadn't even made it to school before fangirls mobbed him. Atem had to slap a few to get them to give back the poor kid's jacket... And shirt. Yugi still looked traumatized.
"[You ok?]" Maybe it was in an ancient language, spoken only by the royalty and high ranking priests of ancient Egypt, but Yugi understood it just fine. Their mind-link had been repaired enough for that.
He nodded, staring wide-eyed at the females milling around the schoolyard.
"Even Rebecca's not that bad..."
Atem was already planning escape routes and possibly skipping school if he got desperate enough.
"Hi guys! You ok?" A female behind them. The two whirled around.
It was only Anzu. She had pulled out one earbud to hear them. She had recently discovered a few american artists she liked and listened to voraciously.
"Yeah. Yugi had a problem with some fangirls on the way here, but other than that..."
"Thought so. His shirt's on backwards. You ok?" She dug in her schoolbag. "Lollipop?" She held out the candy. It was blue and round and in no way "day of hearts" associated, so he took it.
"Thanks."
Anzu kept lollipops in her backpack. Interesting. Atem was probably going to need one before the day was out.
Slowly, single males who got female attention began to creep in, knowing that if they wished to get to their lockers on time, they would be dodging around a lot, avoiding mobs of chocolate-givers. As Yugi was the Duel King and Atem his 'hot foreign cousin', they had lots of problems with this already.
Atem managed to get to his locker weighted down with only three heart-shaped boxes of chocolate. There were some others who were not so lucky.
When he opened his locker however, he let loose some pretty hefty language... Thankfully in ancient Egyptian, as a teacher walked by. A small flood of boxes, flowers and cards were let loose. They'd been in his locker? A quick check showed no one close by. He shifted his math and history textbook.
There it was. A picture of Anzu. She was doing a peace sign to the camera, sticking out her tongue, winking. A heart was drawn around her.
So he was in love with her. This wasn't a day he could admit it, despite it supposedly being a day for lovers. Today he was going to have to dodge mobs of girls sure he must be in love with them because it was cupid day.
There was a reason he was in track, and it wasn't just because of Anzu in a sports bra. To be a single male celebrity, you had to learn to run fast. VERY fast.
He balanced and packed everything, throwing in the stuff he wouldn't need this morning and slamming it shut, just as Kaiba ran past, looking rather panicked. It was strange to see the guy in a school uniform. It made him seem normal.
"Fangirls?"
He gave a tense nod.
"Science teacher, second floor. Said he would give shelter to anybody asking today."
"Thanks." He ran off. Must've been scared to thank Atem.
When he heard the squeal of feet on tile trying to brake, Atem wasn't sure how, but he managed to jump up on top of the lockers. Good thing too, as a mob of girls came up and noticed him.
"Atem!"
"You love me, right?"
"No! Me!"
"Go out with me!"
"Sign my arm!"
"Go out with me!"
Anzu walked down the hall. There were many glares in her direction.
"Like a cornered animal." She muttered, just loud enough to be heard.
"What? How dare-"
"Insulting my-"
"Little jealous bitch! Just because he won't go out with you! It's because he-"
A flood of insults. Anzu was used to this, taking it in stride as Atem snuck down. He took off down the hall. Science room, here he came!
The teacher of this particular class was new, awesome and only worked afternoons. And was in a wheelchair. But he came in today just for the poor stalked people like him.
He knocked.
"Need entrance?"
"Y-Yes."
"Why are you panting? Aren't you in track?"
"Length of gro-gound floor, flight of stairs. Stairs... Are killers."
"Come on in. Cousin's already here."
Atem slunk in just a bare minute before the fangirls ran past.
Inside were already Yugi, Jounochi, Kaiba (staying as far away from Jou as possible), and five or six others Atem didn't know. He was going to be stuck he for half an hour. He pulled out his deck and started shuffling it. Now. What to do about Anzu...
He examined the other people, as the shuffling movement didn't give him something to do. It was automatic.
Kaiba looked a bit nervous, though it was well disguised, only a few glances betraying it. Yugi was huddled under a desk. Jounochi was sitting back, relaxed. Almost. He was stuck in a room with his worst enemy, Kaiba, so there was a slight tenseness to him. The others were in various stages of panic, nervous actions or sleeping.
Atem let him eyes faze, thinking about Anzu. The way she looked when she danced, her body and the music melding. The power of her spirit, it's passion fueling her every move and word. How she was strong, and yet could still be gentle.
Love was annoying and didn't make a bit of sense. He couldn't even think straight sometimes. But love doesn't have to make sense. It just had to mess up everything, and if some people hooked up because of it, all for the better.
The bell rang, and they all ran off towards classes.
At lunch, him and Yugi planned a bonfire. Hey, they had to do SOMETHING with all those cards, and trashing them seemed like a waste.
On the way to his next class, he ran into Anzu. Picking themselves up, Atem had a moment of tongue freeze.
"Here." She gave him his backpack.
He nodded. She had another lollipop, this in her mouth.
"Uh... Run..." She whispered.
He didn't need to be told twice. He made it to his next class with five minutes to spare.
Pulling out his stuff, he found something that didn't belong.
It was a lollipop, shaped like a heart. There was a label tied to it. 'Sorry it's heart-shaped. It was the only ones they had. -Anzu'
He just stared at it. It was heart-shaped, but only because it was what they had. Or was that a lie. Did she love him? Or not? Was there someone else?
Love hurt and confused without mercy.
He stared at it and shoved it it his pocket. Pulling out his history textbook, he opened to the page and fazed out. They were studying the first kingdom of ancient Egypt. Not like he needed to study. Therefore he devoted the entire class to Anzu, who was sitting nearby, taking notes. He stared at her, wondering and imagining what it would it be like, to run his fingers through her hair, run his hands along her clean, light skin, to steal one kiss. Just one...
The teacher glanced his way and he snapped back to the page. An article, about the queens and something about how they would never know the true number, because of destroyed bodies.
He remembered that. He also remembered have more than fifty half siblings. His father had fifteen wives, his mother being the main one, and several consorts. Not all of his father's children, however, were accounted for. He had taken married women to his bedchamber. Married to other people. Nobody commented, but it was known.
He also remembered the arranged marriage between him and someone of somewhere else. She had been about his age, amazingly. He hadn't been particularly attracted to her, and it was the same for her. Agreeing that at most they could only be friends and there was no love between them, she said: "Besides. We're probably going to fall for someone we can't have when we get older. Well, I can't have. You're going to be pharaoh, so you won't have boundaries. I will. Perfect place for love to be born."
"When you do, feel free to do what you like. I won't stop you." And was surprised to find this true.
"Really."
"I don't care now, won't later."
She nodded.
At this point, one of his half sisters chose to wander up. Only three and barely getting the hang of walking steadily, but insistent on following him everywhere she could.
"Dun look in wuve."
"Good." He snapped.
"I dun tink you gunna be. You dun seem wigh."
"Speak correctly."
"But my teef sill growing in."
He stared straight over her head. Maybe Mana would appear. Sure, she followed him around too, but she was less annoying. In a way.
The girl talked about different things and then left, back to her home.
After she did, he found himself questioning. His society, with the arranged marriages and many wives and harems; his religion, not knowing if they existed, and which ones that might be, and if this was really how they wanted Egypt to turn out; so many things, that he struggled with for three years. By that point he had taken the throne, at sixteen, with ever failing faith in the gods.
The year before, she had visited, lamented about how she had fallen in love-with a woman, and had it returned- and found reassurance from him that it would be ok, that they could have a relationship and he wouldn't mind. Then things had regressed to random conversations.
As he would find out later, at some point that year she was injured, and in that frail state became ill. And died just hours before he sat on the throne for the first time. His first true friend (Mana he figured had a crush on him, and was also most probably a half sister) and he no longer remembered her name.
But soon after she left, back came Little Annoyance, with: "Cee-Cee says we're going to have to marry you one day."
"When the Nile freezes over."
"But she said that that's the rules."
"Screw the rules."
"Good, because I don't wanna marry you either. You're my brother."
"Keep that in mind. One day, things'll be different."
"I hope so." She hugged him. "Charm?" It was a piece of wood, a chunk, carved into something that looked kinda like a leaf.
"Sure."
Another name he couldn't remember, a sister he cared for more than many others. A small, innocent child, full of faith, and magic potential.
The good die young.
It had been during the fight with Zorc. Who knows why she was out, how she got out there in the first place. But she died bravely, taking a sword that would have killed him. He sat next to her. The scene was burned into his returned memories.
"My stomach hurts..."
"You'll be ok."
"Everything looks so weird... I can see forever..."
"I bet you can."
She gave a shuddering breath. "You're not gonna marry us, are you?"
"I intend to die here, for my people."
"You're gonna meet someone, one day."
"Really? What will they do?"
"You gonna love her. You'll get married. And you know what?"
He bent closer, crying ever so slightly.
"She's gonna be your only wife. Ever. And you'll be happy ever after."
He didn't have the heart to tell her.
"Give her this, so I know her." A shaky child hand held out a amber stone, shaped like a teardrop, almost perfectly round.
"I will." He slipped her into a sitting position. Maybe the battle was still going on, but he couldn't tell. All that mattered was this tiny life slipping away.
"Am I gonna see mama soon?"
He glanced behind him, to where Isis was shaking her head over a woman, now dead.
"Yes."
"Good. I wanna tell her..." A rasp, and she was gone.
To his left was Mana, dead as well. No tears here, just burning vengeance as he placed one innocent body next to another.
"Watch her for me, Mana. I have no faith in the gods."
And he'd fought, and died. How strange his last words. "I'll find her, sister..."
Atem realized that he'd bit through his tongue and his pen nearly to the snapping point. Blood coated his mouth.
Reaching up to his neck, he ran a finger over the engravings on that slim piece of metal, then over a piece of wood, worn so that now it did look like a leaf, and and an amber teardrop.
Magician and 'Faith' ran around his head. And someone was staring at him.
It was Anzu. She was staring at his hand. A stain of purple-black ink was on it.
Maybe not 'nearly'...
*.*.*.*
Atem was silent on the walk home, a hand in his pocket feeling the lollipop and tag, his mind on his memories. And Anzu, but his mind was always on her.
"You ok?" Yugi startled him. "Fangirls get to you?" He said knowingly.
"No... It's something else."
"Like what?"
He inhaled, adjusting his grip on the bag of cards and chocolate. "The gods. Stuff." He used a general term, trying to deter him.
"What about the gods?"
"Do they exist? Are they really like what we think, if they do?"
Yugi nodded, swinging his bag to his other hand. "I think a lot of us wonder that, especially us five, after what we've been through."
Atem nodded, staring off.
"That's not all, is it?"
"What makes you so sure?"
"The look. The heart around Anzu's name you drew on your creative writing paper."
Atem blanched then blushed in a matter of seconds.
"Hah! I knew it!"
"Yugi. Please..."
"What? You know you like her! Just tell her!"
"What if she doesn't like me?"
"The mighty pharaoh, savior of Egypt. Scared of rejection."
"More than you know, Yugi."
He went instantly quiet. "You are."
"From everybody."
Yugi suddenly hugged him. "We're never going to leave you. Ever."
"Thanks Yugi."
They continue walking, entering the Kame Game Shop.
"Hey Gramps!"
"Yugi! Atem! Are you guys ok? Anybody strip you down?" He ribbed. Gramps was a pervert.
"They tried on Yugi. Had to wrestle back his shirt and uniform."
"Oh. You ok?" But Gramps didn't look so concerned.
"Oh, and the gang's coming over. We're having a card burning tonight."
Gramps looked shocked, then his mind probably clicked, because he relaxed.
"Box of chocolates? I have dozens." Atem held out a box.
"No. Save them for Anzu."
Was everybody in on this? Was he wearing a sign that said "I have a crush on Anzu"? Did Anzu know? Did she care? What if she was just waiting for the time and place to say she didn't like him?
It was one of those times. He had a problem, and he didn't think he could or didn't want to bother others with it. There was nothing to do. He wanted-no, needed companionship, but there was none. This was led to his meltdown just a month and a half ago, but he just couldn't bring himself to bother others about these things.
About six weeks ago, on a day when nobody was home, everything that had built up in Atem, about everything from his memories, to what he was dealing with. The swinging emotions of a teen were not what he was used to, and learning to deal with them had not been favorable. He spent nearly two hours just crying by himself and then ended up sleeping away the rest of the day. And nobody had noticed, other than the fact he was sleeping at a weird time of day.
Atem sat on his bed. He spent a lot of time in his room. He'd been so used to the puzzle, where he had been used to being alone for days at a time. High school was a pain, and the gang had realized he usually needed about an hour or so to himself to de-stress, collect himself, relax. Otherwise he turned into a rather tense creature, jumping at everything.
He stretched out on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
Breath in, two, three, four, five, six. Hold, two, three. Release, two, three, four, five, six.
On this went. It cleared his mind, released stress, allowed him to think better.
And as always, he thought of her. Anzu was always somewhere in his thoughts, followed by that mysterious younger sister. The rest of his friend occupied third position and the rest of the positions changed daily.
He wanted her. He so desperately did. He wanted to hold her, feel her heart beat with his, kiss her softly on nights when the world seemed to have abandoned them. But if she didn't love him, it would never happen, and he would be consigned to a broken heart, watching from afar as she met and fell for someone else. Atem rolled over. That would probably be the case. After all, what was he to claim her heart? He had no qualities she could love. He was prideful, and had a habit of staring others down, he was good at a card game she only knew the rules to, he was scared of rejection and being alone, yet be spent hours doing so. His friends could spend entire weekends without seeing him. What was there to love about him?
"Atem?" Yugi's voice echoed into the room.
"Yugi, go away."
"There's something wrong with you. I can tell."
"Yugi." He realized he was crying. Damn it! He was getting weak! Crying over something he couldn't change.
"Atem."
He snatched up the glass on the bedside table, throwing it. It smashed into a thousand glittering fragments against the door.
'Like me.'
"Atem?"
"Go away Yugi."
Retreating footsteps. He'd just scared off Yugi.
'Note to self: Get checked for some sort of imbalance.'
He curled up and promptly fell asleep, waking to the sounds of footsteps.
"Geez. You were right Yug. Makes you wonder what's wrong..." Jounochi.
"He's... Had a few problems come up." Yugi.
"He could have told us." Honda.
"I wish he had. We could have helped him!" Anzu. He jumped slightly at her voice, eyes opening slightly.
"See that? He responds to your voice!"
"Jou!"
"You're blushing!"
'She's not the only one.'
'~You're awake.'
'Oh. Yugi. Um...'
'~Save it. I know you were upset. It's ok.'
'No, it isn't.'
'~Stop arguing. Mr. Duct tape is lonely.'
Yugi had a roll of duct tape, with he used to repair things and make such things as duct tape wallets. Atem discovered it and in some miraculous way, managed to duct tape his own wrists together.
Atem tried not to cower.
"Hey! Atem! Wake up!" Jou shouted in his ear.
Atem was not a heavy sleeper, but was determined to not get up.
"Honda?" Jounochi said. His shoulders were shaken heavily.
"I wouldn-" Honda hit the wall, thrown by a magical shield. "Natural defenses. He does that to people. He gets all apologetic after too."
Atem mumbled something about "Damn siblings" and rolled over.
"Ok..." Jounochi said. "He has siblings?"
"Had."
"Oh... Umm... See you downstairs." Honda and Jou retreated.
"Poor guy..." Anzu whispered. His heart sped up.
'~I noticed that.'
Someone walked forward, touching his arm. Electricity tingled along him. He shot up. Anzu... His stomach churned. So close...
"Hey! Jounochi was right!"
Yugi was recording the whole thing on his phone.
"Yugi!" They both exclaimed.
He stuck out his tongue then ran for it.
Atem glanced at Anzu. She was still fuming. And still so close... NO! Bad Atem!
"Come on. You're awake now. There's lace to burn."
He grabbed the bag as he pulled himself up, shoving a box into her hands. "Here. I don't need em, and some of this stuff looks expensive."
She popped it open, then burst out laughing. "It's got a monogrammed note! And it's glued to a paper doily!"
"Really?"
Really. It was. And heart-shaped.
"Can't wait to see this burn."
Anzu was staring at the box. "Wow... Look at this..."
"Hmm?"
"I think that's rum truffles."
Atem looked at her.
"What? Ooh! Cherry!"
Were girls always so easily distracted by chocolate?
"Want one?"
"No thanks... Not hungry."
"So?"
It was true. He wasn't really hungry anymore. He and Anzu probably ate the same amount at lunch. Almost nothing.
"What?"
"It's chocolate!"
"...So?"
She looked ready to kill. Then she bit into one and calmed instantly. "You should try this!"
He sighed. Only for her. "Ok."
He ate one. Wow... Coffee... In this?
"Expresso chocolate. Good stuff. I use it to cram for tests."
He nodded.
"Come on." She dragged him off. He looted another expresso.
"Atem!" He pulled on his jacket.
"What? I just woke up, remember?"
The lollipop was still in his pocket.
A short time later, the gang was sitting in front of a fire. Apparently, when lace goes up, the fire is only on the actual paper, making it seem to be made of it.
Atem pulled out the lollipop, putting it in his mouth.
Anzu threw a few cards in. Those were the ones she got. He'd read them. Most commented on how thin she was or her chest. One said "You would be beautiful truly... If you lost weight." He memorized the name. Creepy phone-call, coming up.
"Yugi!"
Something flew out of the shadows.
"Hi Rebecca. You're late though." Said Atem.
"Sorry! The plane was late! But now I'm here and Yugi can be happy!"
Anzu was taking photos.
"He's been thinking of you."
Yugi looked at him.
'Pay-back, Yugi. That was pay-back.'
He watched them for a while. They looked so happy together... He stood and left.
He sat in front of the house, staring into the shadows. His father was in there. Atem wondered if he knew what he was going through. Probably not.
"You ok?" Anzu stepped out, sitting next to him.
"Eh." He shrugged.
"Atem... What's wrong? You've been all strange and down today. It's not like you... To be this quiet or throw things... Or cry yourself to sleep."
He looked at her, shocked.
"I know what people look like when they do that. I've done it myself."
He stared straight ahead.
"Atem..."
"Life, Anzu."
"What about it?"
"Some of my memories. The gods."
She nodded. "So what about the gods?"
"Do they exist? Are they like what we think?"
"Are they?" She whispered. "Or maybe, that's only part of the gods."
He looked at her. Part of rolled in his head. His eyes narrowed.
"What if..." He began, "All the gods in the world are really only parts of the personalities of a few gods? Only small fragments, each fragment with a different name?"
"A few gods with many names..."
Atem waited for her to say something. Bout how stupid that was or something. It was crazy. A crazy theory.
"Atem... You're a genius."
He looked at her. She was staring at him. "It could be. After all, there are so many gods that are so similar. It could just be someone seeing just that part of a god's personality, and believing that to be them."
Atem felt a sudden rush in his stomach as a pack of butterflies decided to join the lollipop remains. Maybe it was just the caffeine rush. But earlier thoughts came back to haunt him. Just once...
It was so hard to pull away after just a few seconds. Her lips were so soft, inviting.
He looked away. Three, two...
"At-Atem?"
"I'm sorry." He whispered. "I shouldn't have."
"Then why?"
Gently, he placed her hand against his beating heart. He couldn't say it. The words had abandoned him.
"Atem... Please look at me."
Now came rejection.
Her eyes bored into him. They were so desperate...
"Say it."
He closed his eyes, swallowing. When he opened them, things didn't look any better. "I-I love... Love you."
He stood up, turning to go inside.
"Wait." She sounded choked. "I... Love you too..."
He froze. "You... You do?" He looked back. She was just looking at him, hands clasped. Gilded by firelight and shadows, she didn't look quite real.
She stood. Placing her hands on his chest, she leaned up.
Unexpected, but welcome. Their lips locked, things gaining a little heat.
They broke apart, panting.
"Ok. I-I th-think I believe you."
"You'd... better. Or no more kisses, got that?"
He grinned. She just seemed to have dissolved all his problems. "That's what you think." He captured her in a rough, strong kiss. The ground seemed to dissolve under his feet, and he settled to the ground, dragging Anzu down onto his lap. The passion just burned in the air, warming the cool night air.
"O-Ok. Y-You win. I-woooo." She collapsed backwards, staring at the sky. "Did you practice the tongue bit with your pillow... or something?"
He smirked. "No."
"I know you're smirking. St-Stop it."
He pulled back into a sitting position. "Why?"
"Hey! You! What do you think you're doing with Anzu? She's mine!" Someone was standing at the gate.
"She belongs to no one but herself."
"Yeah yeah yeah! Just-What are you mumbling?"
"Nothing. By the way, Silver Fang's behind you."
The greatly oversized wolf grabbed the offender and dragged him away.
"Can you teach me to do that?"
"Sure luv."
She blushed lightly.
He suddenly remembered. Carefully, he unhooked the necklace. The cartouche swung on it's chain. Anzu looked shocked. He had promised to never take it off. Carefully, he removed the amber teardrop.
"Here." He held it out.
"Atem... Why?"
"A promise I made."
She smiled, and took it.
A hard wind blew, a child's laugh dancing on it.
'Like I promised.'
As suddenly as it began, it stopped. You could hear the surprise from the gang. Then a yelp. They stampeded their way, Anzu and Atem jumping up in hopes of not being caught.
"You hear that? Something in the bushes! Yugi!" Rebecca hugged his arm.
Atem heard a rustle, as something dodged around, and a shadow as they crossed the street.
"Now what?"
"According to the cliché, we split up." Atem said.
"You're a bit too calm about this." Yugi said.
Atem rolled his eyes. The gang split up. Atem stood on the sidewalk. "I know you're there." He whispered.
The shadow dodged around again. Then something flew out of the air.
"[BROTHER!]" It was a little girl, with tan skin and black hair, with purple eyes. She landed on him.
A name came to mind, out of precious memories.
"Esi."
"[Yep!]"
"[Why are you here?]"
"[Lady dropped me off.]"
"[What lady?]"
"[Goddess.]"
"[Of who?]"
She shrugged. Atem picked himself up, heading back towards the fire.
"[Come on.]"
"Hey guys. Found our monster."
They looked at him. He dragged the girl out from behind him.
"You were scared of a six year old."
"[Six and a half!]"
"Six and a half. Sorry."
She then dodged back behind him. He sat down. His hair insured she was still hidden.
"She kinda cute." Said Jounochi.
"[He scares me.]" Esi dug her free hand into his hair and clung tight to a likeness of a jackal with the other.
"[Watch it sis! I want that hair to stay attached!]" The gang jumped. The language already sounded harsh to their ears, and saying it when he got ticked didn't help.
"She's your sister?"
She peeked out and joined Atem in a well-duh look. directed at Yugi.
"[He looks like you but friendlier! Can I hug him?]"
Yugi gave a shrug before Atem said a thing.
"[Yay!]" She scampered over, hugging him.
"Energetic little thing." Mumbled Honda.
"I know. She used to follow me around." Atem tossed a card, once dripping with sequins and lace, into the flames. The sequins were removed because plastic+fire=bad.
Anzu was back into the chocolate. All the boxes the gang got were hoisted on her and Rebecca, so she had plenty.
Esi snuck closer.
"[Wassat!]"
"Want one?" Anzu offered.
She nodded. Anzu gave one of the heavenly articles to the child. Who munched it down.
"[More?]"
"[Hey...]" Atem warned.
"By the way, that one had coffee mixed in."
The gang looked at her. If one listened closely, they could hear the sound of Yugi and Atem whimpering under their breath.
But other than that, the evening passed well. Somehow, Atem and Anzu migrated closer, till they were pressed together.
"[She has my rock!]" Esi whispered, excited.
Atem nodded, then tapped a finger to his lips.
She nodded, then yawned. Leaning against Atem, she fell asleep.
"So now I'm a pillow."
"Comfy." Muttered Anzu.
The gangs hidden bets were about to be cashed, as Atem leaned over and kissed her neck.
"I believe you all owe Yugi $50 and Rebecca $30.52."
Atem smiled to himself. No matter what Fate tossed his way, he knew he could make it now.
Not that he would know it, but Fate had had enough of tossing him all these things. Even she needed a rest from constant happenings.
He would be happy.
The End
You know, I don't blame you guys for not reviewing this. It's...Kinda weird... I don't even know if they're in character...