A/N: Part one of a two-shot. Enjoy! AU – hikaris/yamis apply.
Fever
Yugi burrowed further under the covers, the blankets cocooned around him as he tried to ward off the chills that had started a few hours earlier. He tensed as another wave hit him, clenching the blankets, teeth rattling as he waited for the trembling to end. The morning sun was slanted over his comforter, warming the fabric, a silent reminder that it was well passed time to be out of bed and headed to work.
It took another few moments for the shakes to subside, and by the time he'd stopped shivering, the exhaustion laid heavy on top of him, urging him to close his eyes and surrender back into unconsciousness. He let out a long breath. He was supposed to be sitting in on a sales meeting in an hour, and he owed Yami a stack of unapproved program files still sitting on his desk.
He forced the blankets from over his head, working up into a seated position as he reached for his phone, fingers shaking as he dialed.
The call clicked on the second ring. "Kaiba Corporation, this is Mana speaking."
"Hi," he said. "It's Yugi."
"Yugi! Good morning!" Mana said. He could hear the smile in her voice. At twenty-seven and the receptionist for the entire operations department, Mana was all energy, all the time. "How are you?"
"Hi," Yugi said. "I think I have the flu. I can't make it in today. Do you mind connecting me with Atemu-san?"
"What a bummer!" Mana said. "Hold on one sec. I'll transfer you."
The hold tone played for a moment before the new line clicked.
"Are you alright?" Yami said. He'd only been working with Yami Atemu for a little over a month, but from the moment he'd walked into his office, Yami had taken an immediate, albeit confusing, interest in his welfare.
He'd been all questions on their first meeting, peppering him about his life before making the transfer from the New York office back to Japan. And even after a month of working together, he still caught Yami staring at him every so often, the most peculiar look on his face, as if trying to figure out where in the world he'd come from.
"Hi," Yugi said. "I'm sorry, but I can't make it in today. I have the flu. Can you ask Haga to sit in on the sales meeting for me this morning? I'll be a little late with those program files until I can get back to the office."
"Have you seen a doctor?" Yami said.
"Not yet," Yugi said. Though the idea of forcing himself out of bed, into his coat and boots, and ten blocks to the nearest medical clinic did not seem in the realm of possibility at that particular moment. "I will this afternoon."
"I will send someone," Yami said.
"That's really okay," Yugi said, but he could already hear Yami's fingers flying over the keyboard of his laptop, probably looking for a number. "I'll just get a cab to take me in a little while."
"I would consider it a favor to me," Yami said.
Yugi pulled the blankets up higher. "I appreciate the offer," he said, "but I think I'll be alright."
There was a beat of silence on the other end.
"I would like to stop over to check in on you," Yami said.
"Here?" Yugi said, sitting up, blankets pooling around his waist. "At my apartment?" He glanced around his bedroom, a tiny, white-walled room that he'd yet to outfit with his belongings, moving boxes still stacked in the corner, untouched, despite edging in on his sixth week of residency. "That's really okay! I just – "
"I will check on you after noon," Yami said. "I will bring a physician with me."
"Hold on – " Yugi sputtered, but the call had already disconnected. Staring down at the screen, he shook his head, setting his phone back on the nightstand as he sank back below the comforter, too tired to call back and argue.
In the few short weeks they'd worked together, he'd already learned that when Yami Atemu had his mind set on something, he got it. At twenty-eight, he'd climbed the corporate ladder of his cousin's business, taking on an executive role in product development a year earlier, thrusting him towards the top of the gaming industry elite. He was stubborn, smart, evasive when it came to the press, but well-respected among his staff.
Muscles seizing as another wave of chills passed through him, Yugi drew the blankets back up over his head, taking a few deep breaths as he tried to relax back against the mattress. By the time the shakes had subsided, the exhaustion had returned full-force, and he closed his eyes, drifting.
He jerked up as a knock sounded on his front door, bleary eyed as he glanced at his alarm clock – 12:48 pm. He'd fallen asleep. The morning sun had long disappeared from his window, a clear blue sky stretched overhead as he pushed back the blankets, forcing one leg and the other over the side of the bed. He could feel the slump in his shoulders as he shuffled to the front door, his limbs like dead weights beneath him as he passed through the living room.
His apartment was a one-bedroom on the west side, one of the newer remodels in the neighborhood, with new carpeting and appliances, the smell of fresh paint lingering in the hallways and units. Rent was costing him an arm and leg, inflation rampant as young professionals continued to flood Domino, yet another reminder of how much things had changed in the three years he'd been gone.
Leaning up, he glanced through the peephole, finding Yami standing there, head turned to a white haired man beside him as they discussed something. Yugi sighed, glancing down at the grey t-shirt and plaid pajama bottoms he was wearing – not exactly his usual business attire. He undid the locks, opening the door.
The minute the hinges squealed, Yami turned to him, eyes finding his before giving him a quick onceover as if he'd half expected to find him missing a limb or unable to stand. He was dressed in slacks and a heavy wool coat, still unadjusted to the intensity of Japan's winters, despite having moved from Egypt a decade earlier.
"Hi," Yugi said, voice rough from sleep. He bowed his head, not trusting himself to stay upright by extending into a full customary bow. Then again, considering he was wearing wrinkled pajamas with his hair still mussed from sleep, whatever formalities he'd tried to maintain between himself and Yami seemed to have flown right out the window.
"Hello," Yami said. He stepped forward, and Yugi cleared the way as he and the medic stepped inside his apartment.
Yugi closed the door, pressing a hand against the wood, steadying himself. His head had started to pound, the fatigue settling heavy onto his shoulders even from the brief walk to the front door. "Would you like some tea or…?"
"You are ill," Yami said. "You do not need to extend any courtesies. I only wish to check on your health." He hadn't stepped further into the apartment, leaving only an arm's length between them as he met his eyes. He was just a few inches taller, just enough to clear him into average height and give him the proper amount of space to gloom over him.
Yugi nodded, shuffling towards the sofa as he sank down onto the cushions, the medic and Yami trailing close behind. It didn't take long for the man, a recently licensed practitioner named Ryou, to run through his tests, concluding fifteen minutes later with a diagnosis of influenza and a prescription for bedrest, plenty of liquids, and fever tabs to stave off the worse of the chills.
It was only a few moments after thanking him that Ryou excused himself, headed off to another appointment, leaving him and Yami alone. After walking Ryou to the door, Yami returned to the sofa, offering him a hand as he helped him up, fingers sliding from his palm to link around his wrist.
"Atemu-san?" Yugi said. Yami had yet to free him as he led him back down the hall towards his bedroom.
"Yami," Yami corrected, slowing as he reached the bedroom, offering him a glance over his shoulder. "There is no need for formalities outside of work."
"As much as I appreciate you bringing Ryou-san over here," Yugi said, "I'm really alright. You should go back to work. I know that it's been busy this week and with me out…"
"My priority is here with you," Yami said, turning back to look in front of him as they crossed the threshold into the bedroom. Other than the furniture, the room looked even emptier in the light of day, belongings still packed up in boxes other than a picture of him, Jou, Anzu, and Honda from high school, which Anzu had dug out of one of the boxes and sat on his dresser a few days earlier.
Yami stopped, turning to face him. "Where are all of your things?"
Pointing to the stack of boxes in the corner, Yugi rubbed the back of his neck. "I haven't really gotten around to unpacking."
Yami frowned but nodded, ushering him over towards the bed, where he grabbed the empty glass off the nightstand, footsteps fading back towards the kitchen as Yugi slid under the blankets, propping himself up against the headboard. He drew the comforter up, drained from the sheer effort of remaining upright for the past twenty minutes, waiting as Yami returned with a full glass of water.
"Do you have any fever tablets?" Yami said, placing the glass on the nightstand.
Yugi shifted under the covers, feeling the flush spread across the back of his neck as he realized how bizarre it was having Yami standing in his bedroom, fussing over him. He'd long gotten used to Yami at work – confident, smart, reserved – but they'd never seen each other outside of professional territory.
"I have tablets somewhere," Yugi said. He hadn't even attempted searching through the boxes for his medicines before collapsing into bed the night before, and working up the effort to find the right box had seemed a momentous effort once the fever had started to sink in.
Yami frowned. "You've yet to unpack the majority of your things."
"I'm not very organized at home," Yugi admitted, the flush spreading higher, heating the skin of his cheeks. "And my friends have been so excited that I'm back that I've been out most nights and weekends, so I haven't had much of a chance to unpack."
"Ah," Yami said. "I will be back then."
"Back?" Yugi said, confused. "I thought that you were just stopping over with the doctor."
"You have no accessible medicine," Yami said. "I will purchase some and return shortly."
Yugi sat forward, shaking his head. "That's really alright," he said. "I'm sure I have some tablets. They are just in one of these boxes somewhere. I'll go through them in a little while, I just need to – "
But Yami had already turned on his heel, disappearing back down the hallway. Yugi heard the clink of keys sliding across the counter as Yami called that he would be back soon, the front door closing and locking behind him.
Letting out a breath, Yugi sank down, turning over onto his side and closing his eyes. He didn't have the energy to try and decipher what Yami was up to, though his immediate investment in him had remained a mystery since day one. Even Anzu, who he told everything, hadn't been able to offer a viable option other than the idea that Yami was into him. It was a theory that could have worked but didn't quite fit being as the only thing sexual between them was the heavy eye contact that Yami seemed to favor whenever they were in the same room.
Yugi shimmied further under the sheets, letting the fatigue creep over him, and it wasn't until several hours later that he startled back into consciousness. His head was pounding as he pulled the covers from over his head, confused for a moment as he blinked in the darkness. It was nighttime. Pressing his hand to his forehead, he took a breath, trying to ease the pain radiating between his temples. God, he felt terrible.
It took another few moments before he realized his bedroom door was closed, silhouetted by the light of the hallway. He slid out of bed, and the effort to cross the room seemed even more momentous than it had a few hours earlier as he opened the door, eyes dilating to the brightness, intensifying his headache.
He spotted the head of spiked tri-color hair sitting at his kitchen table a beat later. Yami was scanning one of the many program files stacked on the table's surface, still in his work clothes, coat draped over the chair beside him, as he turned the page.
Yugi rubbed his eyes, suddenly aware of how awful he must look. "Yami."
Yami turned to face him, setting down the file. "Hello."
"You're still here…" Yugi said. He looked at the folders, recognizing them as the ones he'd left on his desk the night before. "And you're working on my files?"
"You were asleep when I returned, so I had Haga bring them to complete," Yami said. "How are you feeling?"
"Not that great," Yugi said. He dropped his eyes from the papers, meeting Yami's gaze. "It's been a long time since I've felt this bad."
Yami stood from the chair, closing the distance between them. "Then you should return to bed."
"As much as I appreciate you being here," Yugi said, "you really don't have to feel obligated to..." He trailed off, folding his arms across his chest, willing himself to stand straight. "I'm sorry for causing so much trouble."
"I would not be here if it I did not want to be," Yami said.
Yugi frowned, pressing his fingers to his temple as his head began to throb. "I think I need to sit." He sank down into Yami's chair, listening to the rattle of pills as Yami grabbed a bottle from the kitchen, the faucet running as he filled a glass.
"Take these," Yami said. He shook two fever tablets into the cap, turning them over into Yugi's hand before taking a seat next to him.
Swallowing the pills, Yugi drained half the glass, setting it on the table and resting his elbows on the surface, propping himself up as he studied the file set in front of him. It was one of many folders dedicated to Kaiba's new project, a portable duel disk that, when released, would blow all existing holographic technology out of the water.
"Yugi?" Yami said.
"Hm?" Yugi looked up from the note Yami had scrawled in the margin of one of the papers, meeting his eyes.
"I'll take care of those," Yami said, looking at him as if he half expected him to dig out his own pen from his pajamas and start his own markup.
"I was just looking at your note," Yugi said. He was way too out of it to try and decipher whatever was in the rest of the file. "I think I should probably go back to bed."
Yami stood from his chair, helping him up and, much to his chagrin, back to his bedroom. The room was still dark as he resumed his spot in bed, the light of the hallway spilling inside and casting them in the runoff. Yami waited until he was situated before turning back to the door.
"Yami?" Yugi said, waiting as he stopped, looking over his shoulder. He took a breath, fiddling with the edge of his comforter. "Why are you here?"
"You're ill," Yami said. "I am concerned for your wellbeing."
Yugi fisted the blanket in his hands. "I just meant…why?" he said. "I mean, I know we're coworkers but…we've only known each other a few weeks."
Turning back to the bed, Yami leaned against the edge of the mattress, looking down, catching his eyes in the darkness. "I care for you," he said, as if it were the most obvious answer in the world. "I felt a connection with you the first moment I met you."
Yugi was quiet, turning the words over in his head.
"However, I did not think the timing appropriate to reveal my sentiments," Yami said. "You are still adjusting to your new role at the company as well as resuming your life here."
"So…" Yugi said. He tightened his grip around his sheets.
"It would be of great relief to me if you would allow me to look after you until you are well again," Yami said.
Yugi didn't know what to say, so he just nodded, watching as Yami straightened, wishing him goodnight before closing the door behind him. He forced his fingers off the comforter, drawing it back up over himself, a long breath whistling out between his lips. Head aching, he closed his eyes once more, trying to relax as his mind continued to whirl.
Of course he'd considered the idea that Yami was into him – heck, he and Anzu had spent hours over drinks discussing the possibility after he'd first confessed Yami's interest in him – but he'd written it off from the get go. Yami had never seemed to be one to be around the bush, and the idea of him quietly pining over someone just didn't seem to fit. Unless, of course, he'd really meant what he'd said – that he'd been waiting for him to settle in before making his feelings known.
Yugi curled forward, drawing the blankets closer, even more confused than he'd been a few hours earlier. He'd been so busy the past few weeks between work and settling back into his old life in the city that he'd circumvented any thought of him and Yami as anything more than just colleagues. After all, even though Yami didn't have direct responsibility over him, dating might get a little tricky with as much as their projects overlapped, and what if they broke up? Transferring from New York had been tricky enough the first time, and he wasn't thrilled by the idea of having to move offices or jobs thanks to a rocky relationship.
Taking a deep breath, he shoved the thoughts to the side, trying to empty his head. There would be plenty of time to think through all of it once his brain wasn't addled by the fever currently cooking through his system, and when sleep claimed him a few moments later, he surrendered, welcoming the silence.
A/N: Part two will be out in a few days.