Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh, and I'm sure that makes everyone breathe a little easier.
Author's Note: This is a request fic for Daimeryan Rei. I personally feel it is a little weak, but honestly, fluff just is not my strong point. Regardless, read and review!
Just a few years earlier, had anyone asked Mazaki Anzu what she would be doing after graduating high school, working in the Kame Game Shop would not have been her first response, or even her third or fourth. Instead, she would have gotten a wistful look in her eyes and begun talking about her dancing.
She dreamed of going to New York City, you see, to take dance classes and pursue her life-long desire to be a world-renowned dancer. She'd been working all throughout high school, barely managing to maintain her position with her constant disappearances – and keep her grades up at the same time – saving every single penny to put towards her trip. Even when she'd visited America with her friends in pursuit of an organization bent on destroying the world – what else was new? – she still took the time to practice every single day, away from prying eyes.
But that had been before her parents were killed, victims of a drunk driver hurtling into their vehicle fast enough to close down the entire street. They hadn't had a chance. The doctors all insisted they had died on impact, but it didn't leave Anzu feeling any better about the situation. Within the space of nine hours – exactly how long it had been since she'd said goodbye to them that morning until she'd received that awful telephone call – her entire life had changed.
Suddenly, she found herself shouldering responsibilities she never wanted. Her inheritance, though rather meager, helped, but she'd inevitably had to sell their house and move into a much smaller apartment. Many of her possessions had been sold, though she had retained things that held too much sentimental value to give up.
Then she'd lost her position at the diner she worked at, and her life seemed to plummet even further into the abyss. She proceeded through interview after fruitless interview, never receiving a call back even to inform her that the position had already been filled.
Yuugi had cancelled his trip to Egypt, choosing instead to stand beside his friend for however long she needed him. His darker personality more than approved of the decision, and both did all they could to keep Anzu's emotions relatively stable. Pep talks here and there, interview preps, hugs and lunches at her favorite restaurant; Yuugi and his Other utilized every shred of comfort they could think of.
Through it all, she managed to keep up a sunny exterior, and in a way, it helped her to keep going. She'd always known she had inner strength, and now, she was able to tap into it, as well as knowing she could depend on her friends to always be there when she needed them. She felt lucky, to an extent.
Which didn't stop her from feeling jealous when hearing about Honda's family, or seeing the way Yuugi and his grandfather interacted. The only one who seemed to almost understand and articulate it was Jounouchi, and neither of his parents were dead, though he likely wished his father was. Anzu hadn't been expecting the blonde to be the one she connected with so strongly, especially considering Yuugi had barely left her side, but she felt grateful nonetheless. It offered her the opportunity to see a side of Jounouchi she doubted anyone but his sister had ever seen.
If she had nothing else, Anzu had her friends.
But she'd been out of a job, interviews were going nowhere, and she was finally beginning to give in to the despair constantly lurking in the corner, just waiting to leap on her. She bitterly lashed out at everyone and everything around her, certain that had her parents gotten on the road just five minutes later, they would still be alive right now, and she would be in America, living her dream and knowing that her parents were just a phone call away.
But that was unfair. The drunk driver likely would have simply hit somebody else, ruined someone else's life and family, and Anzu's anger turned to ash in her mouth, forming into the guilt that seemed so out of place.
Despite her lousy attitude, her friends silently supported her, and finally, Yuugi stepped up and made her the offer that saved her apartment and likely her sanity.
And thus she found herself working at the Game Shop, faking a smile the same she'd done in the diner and selling cards to young kids with bad skin and crooked teeth.
It had been three years since her parents had died, less than a year since she'd began working with Yuugi and his grandfather, and Anzu felt a shadow of herself. The only time she felt truly alive was her yearly visit to the gravesite on the date of her parents' death, flowers in hand and stories spilling past her lips, while her friends stood in a clump several feet away, allowing her the privacy she required. Only occasionally did she break her routine and visit by herself on another important anniversary or two – a parent's birthday, her own, a national holiday – and she found that every visit was more therapeutic than the last.
She poured her heart out to the cold, dark stones, though she tried to keep her reports as cheery as possible, as if convincing herself that her parents were really listening to her. This year, however, was the hardest, offering up all of her combined failures in an openness that she didn't even show to her therapist. Having come close to being evicted, her savings depleted and her dream as far out of reach as it could possibly be, Anzu wasn't sure what positive aspects she could talk about. So instead, she found herself crying, begging whatever deity would listen to bring her parents back to her.
Silence was the only response, and eventually, warm hugs from her friends.
This time, the third trip on the anniversary of their death, the third year, while Yuugi alone had accompanied her, he had soon retreated. The Puzzle let off its golden glow, and the Pharaoh emerged, openly watching Anzu's grief for the first time since the incident occurred what felt like a lifetime ago. He had observed before, but had never had the opportunity to study it so intimately, with no one else around to distract his attention.
He recognized the broken heart, the aimless soul wandering desperately in search for an anchor, and he felt pain in a way he'd thought he'd never feel again. Certainly, he felt physical pain whenever it afflicted Yuugi's body, but considering he was nothing but a detached spirit, he had forgotten what such a deep, emotional pain felt like. The helplessness hurt worse; there was very little he could do for Anzu, though he tried to make that little stretch as far as possible, and he wanted nothing more than to wipe all of her tears away and press a magic button and make her life perfect again.
Instead, he offered his silent company, assuming that if she wished to speak, she would. He did not spend as much time around the dancer as Yuugi did, but he still felt as if he knew her well, and that she felt as comfortable in his presence as he did in hers. It was tough to tell sometimes, given how easily her smile slid into place, but he hoped…
What? That she was always honest and open with him? That behind those blue eyes, there was something more than that persistent ache and a dull hopelessness that even he couldn't brush away?
Such thoughts awakened more emotions he'd though long gone and buried, and he was careful to keep them hidden.
Now, however, they were both together in the stock room, passing one another merchandise and boxes and making light-hearted conversation. At first glance, one would never have known how much Anzu was hurting, or how much the Pharaoh wanted to make that hurt go away. He kept his actions conservative, his eyes did not stray, and he kept the conversation to topics that were well within his comfort zone.
He didn't wish to push her when she was so close to breaking. If she chose comfort in his arms, then he would not deny her, but he would never dream of forcing her to make a decision she wasn't ready to make.
Thus the stock room eventually fell into silence, though neither found it particularly cloying. Anzu was the first to break it as she paused, leaning against the back of a discarded chair that had been in the stock room since the Pharaoh could remember.
However, when the question left her mouth, she began to wish she'd remained quiet.
"Have you ever had brie?"
The Pharaoh blinked, trying not to show his surprise. "Brie?"
Anzu flushed, lowering her gaze. She couldn't explain the sudden shyness she felt, or why she suddenly felt the need to fill the room with conversation, seeking an excuse to get closer to him. "It's a French cheese. My mother…she used to have it imported for dad once, maybe twice a year."
The Pharaoh watched her solemnly, putting down the box he'd been sorting through and giving her his full attention. Since it was after hours and the front door was already locked, they didn't have to worry about any interruptions from customers, which might have been part of the reason she was suddenly babbling.
However, they'd been in a similar situation many times before. No, scratch that; those other times had been with Yuugi.
The Pharaoh felt the boy smirk in his mind, and then his presence was blocked off. It made him grow rather irritable; he never had figured out how Yuugi was able to close himself off like that, as if he weren't even there, and he had a feeling he did it to offer the two of them some privacy.
Typical Yuugi, and one of the reasons the Pharaoh cared for him so much.
"I tried it once and hated it, so it became a game. Every time the brie was delivered, they would try to corner me and get me to try it, just one more time." Tears filled her eyes, spilling over, but she continued as if they weren't there. "I used to hate it and told them to stop. Now, I'd give anything to even hold a chunk of brie in my hands. I'd try it again, I swear I would, and I'll bet I'd even like it…"
Without being prompted, the Pharaoh approached, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her close. No one had seen her cry in too long, and it was good to see that she was still capable of releasing all of that tension. It wasn't healthy, bottling it all up, something which Yuugi always gently reminded her up. In the beginning, it had served to give her a release, an excuse to cry on someone's shoulder and let out all of her feelings.
As time passed, she grew more withdrawn.
Because of the length of time, her explosion was rather violent. Anzu cried, screamed, flung accusations, and finally broke down and just rested against the Pharaoh, face buried in his damp shirt. Through it all, he said nothing, simply stroking her back and her hair, trying to lend her comfort through his presence alone.
After all, what could he say that wouldn't sound contrived? He couldn't remember his past, let alone his parents, so he didn't know whether he'd lost them or not. He still didn't even know his name.
"I'm sorry," Anzu mumbled suddenly, moving to draw away from him, hands flying to her face to wipe at her reddened cheeks.
The Pharaoh tightened his hold on her. "Don't apologize. Do you feel better?"
At first, Anzu stiffened, but she relaxed after a moment, melding against him. She couldn't pinpoint exactly what had reminded her of the pungent cheese, or why it had set her off so badly, and she wasn't about to go pawing through merchandise in search of the instigator. And besides, she did indeed feel better, and said as such, even going so far as to offer him a smile.
Silence fell again, and this time, she made no move to break it. Instead, her eyes flickered downwards, and she attempted to fight off the attraction that had been building far before her parents had died. She knew she felt vulnerable, and thus likely wasn't in the frame of mind to be making rational decisions, but she still wanted comfort.
It didn't surprise either of them when she leaned in, shyly at first, and then with a boldness that spoke of the Anzu he'd known when he'd first encountered her before Duelist Kingdom. The certainty behind her movements, the surety of the arm that slid around his waist, led him to lower his head and meet her lips.
Had either of them been thinking clearly, they'd have realized that it was foolish to get involved. Anzu had already lost both of her parents, and eventually, she would lose the Pharaoh, too. He didn't honestly know what would happen once he discovered his name and retrieved his memories. If he returned to the afterlife, ceased to exist…
It would hurt Anzu, and that was the last thing he wanted to do. But he couldn't seem to stop himself as he gently backed her against the wall, letting his body settle against hers, his hand trailing along her side and hip, thumb teasing. She tensed again, but this time for a completely different reason, and the twist of her hips made him moan.
No clothes were shed that night; that step wouldn't be taken for another few months. Neither pressed the other, perhaps because they knew, in the back of their minds, that whatever they shared wouldn't last. It was a reality they refused to face, instead drawing on each other as if their moments would last forever, turning their actions fevered and desperate. Their time was limited, and they were both determined to make the most of it.
Life slowly settled, and Yuugi was unable to put off the Egypt trip any longer. After calling upon the assistance of some distant relatives, Anzu was able to tag along, as well as Honda and Jounouchi. The story came to its inevitable conclusion, and as they'd both feared, Anzu turned the last page and found herself alone.
"Hey, Mazaki! Heads up!"
Anzu reacted just in time to keep a small box from smacking her in the face. Dodging and letting it fall to the floor, she spun and confronted Jounouchi, her hands balled into fists.
"Watch where you're throwing things, Jounouchi!"
The blonde laughed, backing away with his hands up. "Hey, hey, you should be paying attention, not off in your own little dream world. Whatcha thinking about?"
"None of your business."
"Is it that kid you went out with the other night?" There was more than a teasing quality to Jounouchi's tone; there was also a possessiveness that he showed towards all of his friends, and especially towards Anzu, considering everything she had been through. In the years after the Pharaoh's return to the afterlife, she'd subsequently broken down and built herself back up, and the blonde was that much quicker to defend her.
As well as tease her. It kept her spirits up, in his opinion; kept her barbs sharp.
"I said it's none of your business."
"Did he give you a big ol' kiss at the end of the night?" He began making a terribly absurd kissy face at her, then burst into laughter and ducked to the other side of the room, narrowly missing a flung pamphlet holder.
After a moment, Anzu couldn't help but laugh too, as she always did. Jounouchi's light-hearted teasing was nothing new to her, and she had far thicker skin than she let on with her miniature tantrums.
"Actually, if you must know." Anzu tossed her hair, unable to keep back a smile. "I landed a part-time teaching position at a dance school downtown."
"In addition to working here? That's great, but do you have the time for two jobs?"
"Considering it lands me free dance lessons, yes!"
Trademark grin appearing, Jounouchi bullied his way over and gave her a rough hug. "That's great," he said, lips briefly slobbering over her forehead before he wisely retreated again. "So long as you don't leave us short-handed over here. Yuugi's been going nuts with this new addition to the shop. We have so much more merchandise it's running us all into the ground!"
"Yes, I know. I do work here."
"Then stop daydreaming about Kaiba and go put those cards out."
"What cards?" Anzu wisely decided to steer clear of the Kaiba comment. There was still some sort of rivalry between Jounouchi and the CEO, one which the others had never been able to understand, but it had eventually resulted in a mutual respect that astounded everyone.
Not that they were friends, mind, but Jounouchi had been able to carry his own weight in insults more and more lately, and Kaiba had lowered himself to admitting that the blonde had become a stronger duelist, despite the general wane in interest in the game. They all managed to keep in touch with Kaiba to a certain extent – he'd never been the social type – but Anzu had always found the man physically attractive and was hyper paranoid about anyone finding out.
If they did, she'd never hear the end of it, despite the fact that she wasn't interested in dating the man, and she was certain he felt the same. Well, about the disinterest in dating; she didn't know or care if he found her pretty. At least, she didn't care all that much. Though considering Jounouchi's comment, he had to more than suspect her feelings.
"The ones you didn't catch, in that box over there." Knowing he was on the verge of a beating, Jounouchi wisely turned and began sorting through some more boxes, whistling to himself in a tune that could have broken glass.
Snorting, Anzu knelt and picked up the box, carefully slicing it open and setting the blade aside as she trudged back to the front. She far preferred stocking to selling, and was always glad to leave the smiling and persuasion to the cute brunette behind the counter. The girl was sweet, if a little vacant-headed, and reliable to a fault. She'd even showed up in the middle of a blizzard, somehow surprised to find the store closed, though Yuugi had made her some cocoa before sending her back home.
Yuugi was there, too, standing high on a ladder and putting up a poster for one of the newest collectable card games that had been rising in popularity in their country. He offered her a brief wave, and she couldn't help but notice how pale he looked; Yuugi had never enjoyed heights.
Anzu focused on placing the cards out and ensuring everything was properly priced, barely hearing the bells on the door chiming, indicating a new customer had arrived. Jingling the keys that she kept with her, she locked the cabinet, then knuckled her back as she stood, turning around.
And froze, her jaw dropping.
Yuugi turned at the same time, too, and nearly fell off his ladder. "M-mou hitori no boku?"
Anzu's mouth opened, and then closed again, not a word escaping. Somehow, the Pharaoh stood in front of them, looking as if he'd stepped right out of Ancient Egypt and only taken the time to change his clothes before coming to see them. He sported his deep tan and the additional height that set him apart from Yuugi, and somehow, he didn't look out of place in modern clothes.
When it finally sunk in who stood there, watching them with bemusement, Anzu couldn't help but ask, "How?"
"I have friends in all the right places," he replied, grinning as Yuugi scrambled down the ladder and launched himself at the Pharaoh, nearly knocking him over with the force of the hug.
"I always knew you'd come back to us, mou hitori no boku!" So stunned was he that he fell back into the habit of referring to the Pharaoh the only way he'd known how for so many years.
Anzu had no such problem. "Atemu…"
After returning Yuugi's hug, the Pharaoh turned his eyes on Anzu, raising an eyebrow. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
The brunette behind the counter, not knowing what was going on, decided it would be prudent to retreat to the stock room.
"I feel like I have." Strength finally returned to her limbs, and Anzu headed over to the Pharaoh, seeking a hug as well. She didn't feel the least bit surprised when Yuugi's arms slid around the both of them; the boy seemed happy as a clam.
"I came back for you guys." The solemn tone was so familiar it made Anzu's heart ache. "I couldn't bear being away from everyone."
"A friendship that transcends time," Yuugi whispered, pulling away and patting Anzu on the back surreptitiously. Offering her a wink that he wasn't quite able to hide, he addressed Atemu, "I'll go tell Jounouchi the good news. I presume this is…a permanent thing?"
The Pharaoh nodded, and Yuugi smiled again.
"Good. I'll be right back."
Once the boy was gone, Atemu allowed himself to stare down at Anzu, a familiar warmth tingling across his skin. He reached out, his thumb tracing over her lower lip, and she unconsciously leaned into him, still too shell-shocked to respond.
"I missed you," he said softly, leaning down to replace his finger with his lips. She kissed him back eagerly, a part of her still not believing that he was here, remembering that final look he'd given her before stepping through to the afterlife, leaving them all behind. None of them had ever expected to see him again, especially with the Items buried.
"I missed you too," Anzu whispered when he finally pulled away, both of them flushed. Feeling suddenly shy, she said, "I never stopped thinking of you."
"I will never leave you again, Anzu. I didn't want to leave you at all, after everything…you experienced, after everything we shared."
"I love you."
Atemu was about to respond when Jounouchi burst out from the stock room, boisterously bounding over and slapping the Pharaoh on the back. Moment ruined, Anzu took a step back, watching the reunion with barely concealed tears in her eyes.
For the first time in nearly a decade, Anzu smiled, and laughed, and was able to cry out of something other than despair.
And that was when she noticed the bag in Atemu's hand, though how she'd missed it pressed against her back was beyond her. He offered it to her silently, and when she opened it up, she didn't know whether to laugh or cry harder.
Inside was a large chunk of brie.
"We'll taste it together," he mouthed to her and, throwing all caution and modesty to the wind, Anzu pushed her way back over to him and gave him a deep, passionate kiss.