Blackwater is Red

by koobre

It's hard to have a crush on someone. It's even harder to have a crush on someone of the same gender as you; however, this is Yuugi's problem. Yami, who is his crush, is unique in many mysterious ways. As Yuugi gets closer to him, he learns just how different Yami is and learns just how dangerous curiosity is. What has he gotten himself into?

1. Chapter 1

(I'm going to say this here, so I don't have to say it later: I DO NOT OWN YUGIOH! The story is mine, but the character belong to Takahashi.)

Ch 1 I Hate Waking Up Because I Love My Dreams

Early morning walks were typically fine; The cool air was nice and refreshing and it helped to wake up his sleepy mind before being held up in school once more. Waking up at six in the morning never settled right with Yuugi. No matter what he did - cold shower, alarm clock half way across the room, snooze- there was nothing that he could do to shake the early morning grogginess.

Due to this lack of motivation, Yuugi's mood was never pretty as soon as he woke up. The main cause for his morning aggravation, aside from now getting his sleep cut short, was the fact that he never got to finish his dreams. Good, bad, or weird, there were few things that he hated more than a dream being cut short. Dreams were unique, and were only shown once: even repeat dreams were different in some way each time. This made dreams a treasure, and made Yuugi unsatisfied when the dream was forced to an end.

Lately, his dreams were especially pleasant, which made him all he more displeased when he was ripped away from that fantasy. Thinking back on the dreams always made him feel warm, and caused his cheeks to blush but they made him happy. They were simple and gentle -nothing to be embarrassed about, really- but it was who he shared the dream with that made these seemingly innocent dreams turn desirable. His crush for the past year now had always occuped his mind, but it was recently that those thoughts have traveled into his sleep as well.

Lost in the warm embrace of the dreams had made Yuugi even more eager for night time, so much so that he went to bed extra early for the chance to extend the dream for that much longer. Alas it was always in vain, as he would be stripped of his fantasy and thrown back into cold reality. It did nothing to improve his hate for the mornings.

Despite that, there was one thing that he had to look forward to every day, which helped improve his mood just slightly before going to school. Because he lived so close to the school, Yuugi was able to walk from his family's game shop, where they lived, to the school every day. Along the route, he would always meet up with his friend since he was 8, Anzu Mazaki, who also lived nearby. They would talk about trivial things mostly, both of them too tired to get into anything deep, but it made both of them happy.

However, there were morning walks that didn't make him happy. Anzu, since middle school, had gone through five boyfriends, but none of them were happy. They seemed fine at first, but as time drew on, they got bad, some even turned abusive. Luckily Anzu was able to leave them, but she always found somebody new; for example, her new sixth boyfriend, Valon.

He was alright, to say the least, but he had a bold attitude and a short fuse. To back up any threats he made, he had a bad boy reputation, with some victims still in the hospital. He never got along with Yuugi, nor did Yuugi really want to, but he respected Anzu's relationship with him. Sill, that didn't mean he appreciated when Valon joined their morning walks together.

Anzu, dressed in her pink school uniform swung her and Valon's intertwined hands as the three walked, "It looks like it's going to be a nice day out. No rain in sight! Maybe we should gather all our friends and head to the park?"

Valon who stood just a few inches taller than her with wild, brown hair, and light brown eyes, wearing the navy blue school uniform nodded, "Maybe."

Yuugi hung back just a little in order to give the couple some space; although, he more did it to stay away from Valon. The other never seemed to understand him, and Yuugi was done trying to get to know him anyway. It was a cruel thought, but he didn't like the man, and he knew the two wouldn't last. Yuugi refused to know someone who would inevitably break his friends heart.

The rest of the walk to school was silent aside from Anzu's attempts to create conversation. She was tenacious and valiant in her efforts, but nothing could spark the other two to talk. Considering how much Anzu loved to talk and how much Valon didn't, it confused him how the two even managed to work out. Granted Yuugi was sad not to joined in with his friend, but he feared the cold remarks and annoyed glares that he would get from Valon. Had he not been their, Yuugi would gladly join in the conversation, but when he was, Yuugi just assumed stay quiet.

When they finally reached the school yard, Yuugi let out a sigh of relief when he spotted his best friend Jounouchi running over. Valon growled and excused himself from Anzu, most likely to hang out with his other friends. The man never could stand any one of Anzu's friends it seemed.

Jonouchi, with his shaggy blonde hair and honey eyes, stopped in front of the other two and flashed them a goofy smile, "I see your boy-toy joined the walk this morning."

Yuugi cringed at the title, knowing that it would set Anzu off. Jonouchi was never too fond of any of the boys that Anzu got with, but that just came from mistrust. His blonde friend had only had one relationship before, and it ended in disaster. Yuugi had once tried to pry for details, as his curiosity got the better of him, but that made his friend angry. Luckily with an apology and a day of space, the two were on good terms again, and Yuugi knew better than to bring it up ever again; however, Jonouchi had always seemed detached ever since then and refused to get that close to someone ever again.

Still, that pain hung with his friend who disapproved of Anzu's willingness to seemiling go out with anyone; of course, Yuugi knew that wasn't the case. Anzu herself, was not one to get with a fling, but she had an open heart and an open mind. This led her to fall fast, but sadly, she also seemed to attract the wrong boys. Jonouchi, knowing of her past relationships, always tried to protect her, but he can never stop her.

Anzu glared at her friend as red tinted her cheeks, "He is not a boy-toy, and nor would he ever act as one. Valon is a gentleman, more so than you." She crossed her arms and puffed out her chest.

Jonouchi snorted, "I'm sure that bad boy rep he's got is proof that he knows how to treat a lady right."

"At least he doesn't view other girls like an object to gawk at." Anzu scoffed.

Jonouchi shrugged his shoulders, "It's the girls fault if they want to wear skirts that are way too short, and shirts cut way to low. I like a good chest and butt view like the next man, right Yuugi?"

A furious blushed crossed Yuugi's face as he stuttered, "J-Jonouchi! T-that's not nice!"

His friend laughed, "That's right, I forgot. You prefer the male body, right?"

Anzu slapped Jonouchi upside the head, to which the other yelped, "Oh, leave him alone."

The blonde rubbed his head, "I was kidding! About both things!" At Anzu's skeptical eyebrow, he caved, "Ok, mostly about the last thing, but it's the truth!"

The warning bell rang, letting everyone know that class was ten minutes away. With a breath of relief, Yuugi ran past both friends, his blush still very present, "C-come on. We need to get to class."

Yuugi entered the brick building without looking back at his friends. As much as he loved them, he didn't always appreciate it when they talked about his preference. He was bi, meaning he liked girls and boys, but not everyone in the school was accepting of that. He was fortunate not to have been targeted for an bullying; however, those who chanced spending time with their loved one in school were always targeted for harassment. Yuugi remembered a particular time when a lesbian had been caught with her girlfriend who went to another school. After they had been found out, the girl had been made fun of for weeks. The worst of it came when she tried to stand up against them; after that, there were some people, girls and boys, would try and force themselves upon her. It was horrific to watch as she would be held up against the wall with people kissing her and making fun of her. In the end, she left the school system, and the teasing quieted, but the message was clear for everyone, and the legend runs through the halls for the freshman to learn from for years to come.

When Yuugi got to his locker, he put in the combination and opened it. As he worked on putting his backpack inside, then taking out the books he needed for the first half of the day, he caught a couple in the hall holding hands. He smiled at seeing the two so happy, but it was bittersweet. It was unfair that not all love was accepted, and that people had to hide it from the world.

"At least no one has been picked on lately." Yuugi whispered to himself.

He closed his locker and made off towards his first period. As he passed a closed door, he stopped when he heard something coming from inside. Hesitantly, he crept closer, trying to distinguish the sounds. Even as he pressed his ear against the door, the noise in the hall made it hard to tell what was coming from inside. With a piqued curiosity, Yuugi put his hand on the door. His stomach twisted and churned at the excitement of solving a mystery and the uncertainty of whether or not he should just leave it alone.

Carefully Yuugi turned the door knob and cracked it open ever slightly. As the noise became clear, his face became beet red as he figured out what it was. Moans. And kisses. There was a couple making out in there! Having his curiosity staved, Yuugi went to close the door, but at the same time, another kid in the hall tripped and ran into him. They both fell into the door which swung open, exposing the pair inside.

Yuugi scrambled to his feet, stuttering all kinds of apologizes. When he looked up to the couple inside the closet, he squeaked and looked to the ground, his face going even redder. The girl student had her blouse unbuttoned, clearly showing her larger chest and designer bra. The male had his coat and shirt off, exposing his well toned chest. The position they were in stated clearly that even more clothes were going to dissapear. And of all places, in the janitor's closet!

The girl student screeched, "Get out!"

Yuugi and the boy who fell in as well both rushed to their feet and tried to leave, but the male student grabbed them both by the collar, "You two perverts were spying on us, trying to get a look at my girl. If I even see you glance once at her or ever speak of this, I'll beat the living shit out of you."

Yuugi nodded furiously, "Yes. Understood."

As soon as his feet touched the floor, Yuugi grabbed his fallen books and ran. As he dodged bodies in the hall, his breath heavy with effort, he ignored the strange looks and the snickers from the passing students. No doubt that by lunch, everyone in the school will have heard about what happened. The red in his face was never going to go away, he just knew it!

As the door to his homeroom came into site, a happy exclamation escaped his lips. Yuugi jumped into the room and slammed into his desk, letting all of his books fall to the ground. His desk slid out of the uniform row from the force he applied to it. He didn't care, though, that the few students who were sitting in there stared at him. He was safe for now.

"Were students having sex in the janitor's closet again?"

Yuugi froze and his heart skipped a beat. The heat in his cheeks lessened to an adorable pink hue while his eyes widened as hope and adoration flooded within the amethyst pools. He straightened so he no longer was leaning on the top, and quickly turned to face the reason for his wonderful dreams.

Before him stood Yami, a foreign student who came into the school system a year ago. He was similar to Yuugi in looks, but Yuugi knew the other looked much better than he ever could. Both had star-shaped hair with blonde bangs and ebony hair, but while Yuugi's was tipped with violet ends with a tiny blonde forelock, Yami's were tipped with rich crimson with blonde streaks running through ebony locks. While both were short in height, Yuugi's body was soft, and Yami's body was lean with silent muscles slightly showing even through the school jacket. Finally, Yuugi's face was soft and round with large, round amethyst eyes, but Yami's face was sharp and masculine with brilliant crimson eyes.

Yami was a quiet student who kept to himself a lot, but when he came here a year ago, he was the most popular student in the school. Although, it wasn't as if he wanted to be. Everybody loved this enigmatic stranger, and nearly every girl who could work up the courage tried to ask him out; Yuugi was happy each time the other turned a girl down. He never dated and never allowed any of the girls or guys to touch him; sadly, this caused him to be a target for bullying all because they couldn't face the facts. Still, when people tried to push him, hit him, or throw things at him, he would dodge with such grace that nothing ever hit him. Yami had never laid a hand on the other students unless he had to, and that had only happened once.

It was a scary day already, and many of the popular guys in the school were fed up with Yami besting them, so they devised a plan. Yuugi was on the rooftop that day, trying to get away from all the noisy students when he saw Yami walk through the doors. He sat stunned as the other walked to the fence that lined the rooftop and fiddled with one of the metal pipes. Yuugi hid from the other, not sure what to do in this situation, but just as he was about to leave the roof, the door burst open again, slamming against the cement wall that held it. Five guys ran at Yami and circled him; Yuugi recognised them as some of the more well-known guys in the school, all of whom got shown up by Yami many times before.

They trapped Yami, although the other didn't seem to care all that much. They shouted at him, they mocked him, they tried to provoke him. They wanted him to make the first move, but Yami just glared at them. Even if the look wasn't aimed at him, Yuugi could feel the intensity that Yami was burning, and it sent scared shivers down his spine. Yami wasn't mad at the words they were yelling at him, he was getting mad that he was trapped.

Getting tired at waiting, one of the guys decided to attack, but quicker than a blink, Yami grabbed the pole he had loosened from the fence and deflected the attacker. That was what the other males had been waiting for. All through the fight, Yuugi's eyes were glued to Yami was he fought with a grace and precision that other's only dreamed of having. He never attacked the other, but simply deflected them, using their own weight against them. In seemingly no time at all, Yami stood tall while the other guys ran from the roof with bloody noses and bruises.

A smirk of victory graced Yami's face, and Yuugi couldn't help but think of him as some kind of prince, winning his first battle. He looked absolutely regal even after the last of the bullies ran off. Yuugi felt his cheeks turn red and his heart thud in his chest. He looked so handsome…

Yuugi would have been content to watch the other all day, but reality came crashing fast as crimson eyes caught astonished amethyst. The two stared at each other, neither one moving. Yami's eyes widened in surprise before he dropped the pipe and ran off of the roof and into the school.

Ever since that day, no one physically picked on Yami, but there was plenty of verbal abuse. For as charming as Yami was, there were some things that weren't normal: three things in particular. The first thing was the scarf that Yami always had tied around his arms. It was a peculiar piece of fashion that was a dark grey scarf with fuzzy orbs strung along one of the sides. He wore it over the school jacket, just letting it hang at his elbows, but Yuugi swore that at times it looked like someone was hugging Yami. The other weird thing was the necklace that he always wore. It was on a thin, silver string, with a long, blue vial attatched that almost glowed. The inside was filled with water, that Yuugi knew, but the weird thing was that before every meal than Yami had, he would pour some of the water into his palms, let his lips soak in it, and then drink it. He never explained to anyone who asked why he did it, not even when the teachers asked. It was weird, but he refused t give anyone answers. The last thing were the markings that he had on his face everyday. Through one incident were, as a prank, some student poured water on Yami's head to make fun of his necklace, Yuugi realized the the markings were just some sort of paint that he guessed Yami put on new every day. The markings ranged from being on one cheek to both, to his nose, but always on his forehead, and they were always beautiful. Once again, Yami never explained what they meant, but Yuugi didn't mind. There was something beautiful, yet strange about all of those quirks.

As much as Yuugi loved them, those quirks made it easy for people to mock and bully Yami further.

Yami tilted his head and gave Yuugi a worried look, "Yuugi?"

Amethyst eyes blinked as he was brought out of his thoughts, "Y-yeah… Yeah, they were hiding in the janitor's closet."

Yami chuckled before he glared at the door to the classroom, "So similar, and yet so different." He mumbled more to himself than to Yuugi.

Yuugi looked at him, waiting for the other to respond. When Yami caught him staring, he looked back to Yuugi and smiled, "How did you stumble upon them this time?"

"I was pushed." Yuugi blushed as he thought back to the embarrassing moment.

Yami let out a rich chuckle that sent pleasant shivers through Yuugi's body. All he could do was smile at the other, wanting to do more, but afraid of the consequences if he did. Yamii looked about to say something when the finale bell rang and a rush of last minute students flooded in.

Yami sighed, "Bye, Yuugi."

The teen only nodded dumbly, absolutely ecstatic that Yami said his name. God has crush was embarrassing. Once Yami sat in his own seat by the window, across the room, Yuugi was able to sit in his own. He kept his head down as he tried to keep his mind on other things, lest people figure out he has a crush. If there was one thing that this school loved, it was meddling in relationships.

Yuugi heard a few students snicker behind him before whispering amongst themselves. Curious, Yuugi looked at them only to glare at what he saw. They were a group of three girls and one boy; the girls kept snickering and looking between their guy friend and Yami. Meanwhile, the guy tied his jacket around his chest, similar to Yami's scarf and he had a sticky note with vulgar imagery on it attached to his forehead. It was clear to see what they were doing: they were mocking Yami. When Yuugi glanced back to Yami, he was happy to see that the other wasn't acknowledging the petty efforts, but he knew that Yami knew what they were doing.

The students only quieted down and stopped their antics once the teacher came in.

()

Yuugi sighed as he grabbed his bento box out of his backpack. A small smile crossed his lips as he stared at the box and leaned his back against his locker. It was a cute box in the shape of a lucky cat. Even though he had been made fun of countless times for the box, with students laughing at him and telling him to grow up, he couldn't help but keep it around. Even when they would grab it from him and throw it on the ground, he enjoyed the cute look of it. It was better that the drab boxes everyone else had.

"Yuugi come on!" Said person jumped as he heard Jonouchi shouting across the hall.

Ignoring the stares from the other students, Yuugi nodded to his friend and jogged over. He kept his lunch to his chest, keeping both hands on it to keep it secure. Once he passed the crowd, he saw Anzu standing behind Jonouchi with Valon beside her. No, with Valon kissing her. Passionately.

Yuugi looked away, a little unnerved by the very public display of affection. Out of all the boyfriends that Anzu's had, Valon definitely was not afraid of showing his love around other people. Although, Yuugi wasn't fully convinced if Valon did love his friend.

Jonouchi must have seen his discomfort because he spoke up, "Hey, lovebirds! Can't you stop your snogging for a minute?"

Yuugi glanced up to see Valon glaring at him, "Why does it bother the shrimp?"

Anzu rolled her eyes and whisper to Valon, although Yuugi could still hear, "It's okay. I'll see you after school right?"

Valon nodded his head and walked away from the group. When he was out of sight, Aznu turned back to them and she looked displeased, "Really, you two? You could have just gone on without us."

Jonouchi shrugged before giving her a smirk, "Nah, besides if we let you guys keep going, we all know you two would be in the janitor's closet in no time."

Both Yuugi and Anzu's faces went bright red at the comment, "Shut up!" They both screamed, causing the other boy to laugh.

"Alright, alright." He took a breath to calm his laughter. Jonouchi smiled at his friends and nodded towards the outdoors, "Want to eat outside today?"

The other two nodded and they set off in their walk. They tried to eat outside as much as they could because it was the only place away from the hustle and bustle of school. Most of the students ate in the cafeteria, making it a busy environment; too busy, in fact. Yuugi never understood the appeal of that room anyways.

It was too small and barley held half of their grade. It was drab in design and the paint was in desperate need of a refresh that it would never get. Students were a ruckus in that room, causing so many food fights and other… messes that the janitors gave up on cleaning it. That room was lucky if it got a sweep at the end of the day. A mop was a miracle.

On their way outside, they passed the open cafeteria doors, and Yuugi shivered as he looked inside. There were so many students all talking, laughing, eating, fighting, running, and some were even stealing food. It was the grossest place to go in the entire school. Heck it made the boys bathroom look pristine sometimes.

Right before the cafeteria was out of sight, Yuugi caught something out of the corner of his eye that caused him to stop walking. He glared at ground his teeth as he watched the center table with disgust. The long table was full of students that were laughing at another student who was sitting on the top of the table. He held a blue water bottle in his hand and dramatically displayed it to the other students who faked dazzlement before breaking out into laughter. The student who held the water bottle then poured some of it in his mouth and gargled it, earning him more laughter. He swallowed it dramatically before putting the bottle on the table and began to bow to it dramatically. Some of the other students joined in with the motions while others just laughed at the antics.

Yuugi couldn't stand to look at them anymore. He whipped his head away from the scene and turned sharply before continuing to walk down the hall. It was rude and stupid of those students to do such a thing. Just because someone was just a little different, they had to make fun of it.

The halls were getting quieter the closer they got to the outdoors. All the students who would have interpreted this silence were cooped up in the lunch room, shoveling down their food. At least he didn't have to deal with their rude comments.

"Yuugi, hurry up!" Amethyst eyes moved from the floor to his friends who waited patiently beside the door for him.

"I'm coming. I'll meet you out there." Yuugi called back. He knew that Jonouchi was hungry and he didn't want his friend to wait for him before eating. The blonde always did seem to have an appetite that was never satisfied.

Yuugi's eyes softened as he thought of his friends. They were both such great friends to him. They never bullied him for his height, they never picked on him because of his appearance, but best of all, they didn't judge him for his sexuality. In this school, that was so rare and he was so blessed to have them for friends.

It was hard for Yuugi to make friends due to his shy nature. He was nice, but that made it easy for people to take advantage of. He was smart, but that made him an easy target for people to bully into doing their work. Even his small stature made it easy for people to overpower him. Yuugi wanted friends, and he wanted to be around people, he just didn't like the people within the school. Well, there were some exceptions.

Yuugi sighed and look out a nearby window, only to do a double take at what he saw. There, underneath one of the only frees on camposs was Yami, sat by himself, with his own lunch. Yuugi knew that the male always ate outside, heck, during the winter he was made fun of for trying to eat outside in the two-foot snow, but he had never personally seen him eat outside.

He must have just sat down because Yuugi saw him take the blue vial off his neck and uncap it. Careful and precise, Yami poured the water that seemed to glow with some sort of energy, into his other hand. He rose the tiny pool of water to his lips and let the soft flesh touch the water's surface. Ruby eyes closed in content as he kept his lips in place, allowing the water to soak in. After a few seconds, Yami slowly opened his eyes and tilted his head back, allowing the rest of the water to flow into his mouth. Yuugi had never seen a swallow be so… purposeful and gentle. Once the water was gone, Yami capped the vial and hung it back around his neck.

That was the first time that he had ever seen the ritual with his own eyes. Rumors and speculations he got lentiful of, but it was a whole nother thing to actually witness it. The whole procedure was beautiful in a strange way. It was so simple, and yet it held so much meaning that Yuugi didn't understand. It made him curious. Was it some sort of religion? Who was he honoring? Was it a habit? Why water? Did the vial mean anything? What made the water so special? Why before a meal?

While Yuugi didn't know any of those answers -nor did he think he would ever get to know- there was one thing that he knew for certain.

That was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen in his life.

()

The end of the school day was finally here. Yuugi loved school, he loved learning about new things, he just didn't love being stuck in the same building as a majority of the students. Sometimes he thought he was weird to love school; after all, most would leave if they could. There were days that he felt like just leaving school and enjoying the outdoors, but he had a curious mind. Yuugi loved to learn new things and loved to solve things, all of which the school could provide.

Yuugi stretched in his seat and watched the students walk out of class and flood the halls. He didn't want to risk entering that raging river until some of the students had gone. Once school let out, those halls were a danger zone for anyone small or quiet because compared to the stampede of students who wanted out, they were the dirt for them to walk on. There was only one time that Yuugi chanced the halls after school, and that ended in a black eye and a broken wrist.

Before school, when students were just coming in was fine, but only because everyone was too tired to move fast. Yuugi was thankful for that because it ensured that he was never late to a class.

Closing his eyes, Yuugi let out a sad sigh. Neither of his friends were going to be able to walk home with him today. Jonouchi had to go straight to work while Anzu was going out on a date with Valon. He understood that Jonouchi needed the money in order to pay off his father's debts, and that Anzu wanted to spend time with her boyfriend, but he just hated the thought of being alone.

As the noise in the halls begand to quiet down, the petit teen took his chance to go out of the classroom. True to the sound, when he walked past the door, the crowd had thinned down to a moderate size. He walked to his locker in silence.

He really wished that he had someone to talk to, but Jounouchi and Anzu were his only friends. Everyone else in the school just thought he was quiet and short, not friend-worthy material. Yuugi chuckled darkly to himself; if they figured out that he was bi, then he wouldn't even be worthy to breath air in their eyes.

Once Yuugi got to his locker, he opened it up and began to gather the things he needed to take home. He was happy not to have a lot of homework that night. That meant he and his mother could play a board game tonight, so long as she didn't have her boyfriend over. Games aways became weird when he played.

Yuugi was about to close his locker and begin the sad walk home when something caught his attention. It was a conversation that two students were having just a few lockers away. They were whispering amongst themselves, almost as if they didn't want any outside ears to catch on, but they had a hard time keeping their snickers quiet. They were looking over their shoulders constantly, making sure that no one was watching them before they whispered to one another again and caused them to giggle. This behavior would have been normal and he would have passed it off, but Yuugi was sure that he heard Yami's name being said a few times.

They were talking about him, and if his curiosity wasn't peaked already, knowing that they were talking about his crush made it impossible for him to stop listening; however, he knew they would get suspicious of him if he stayed.

Slightly frustrated, Yuugi closed his locker and began to walk down the hall. He passed the secretive students hoping to catch more of their conversation, but they both stopped talking and eyed him as he walked. They were waiting for him to get out of earshot. Yuugi sighed as he turned around the corner, disappointed that he would never know what they were talking about.

He tried to convince himself that they were just talking about how attractive Yami was. Even though no one pursued him any more, there were still those few who fawned over him. Heck, some even found his cold demeanor attractive, not that Yuugi could blame them. Yuugi thought the man was cool, but he didn't like the cold demeanor that the other always showed that same way that others did. Other girls thought that it made Yami mysterious and a bad boy, someone who could dominate anyone. Yuugi didn't think so. Sure it did make Yami mysterious, but he liked it because it showed that Yami was humble, in a way. The other wasn't going to brag about his skill, and he never did. He wasn't going to fight just to show off to anyone, and he sure as heck wasn't keeping quiet in order to scare off weaker people. No, Yuugi just thought he was a quiet guy in general, although, he always seemed chatty when he was with Yuugi.

As he passed the threshold of the school and into the outdoors, Yuugi took a second to breath in the fresh air. The air was clean and crisp on his skin, very much so a contract from the stuffy air he had been tuck in for the last few hours. He almost skipped across the courtyard as his happiness at being outside filled him, but it all dimmed when he reached the gate. He suddenly felt cold as the fact that he would have to walk alone hit him. He had done it before, but he hated it so much. He liked having someone beside him to talk to and just exist with. It was calming, but he would have to do without it today.

"Jonouchi and Anzu left without you?"

Yuugi jumped as he whipped around to see Yami with his hands in his pockets and a concerned look on his face, "No, they had other stuff to do after school today."

"Were you just going to head home?"

Yuugi nodded and smiled, "Yeah, my mom will be worried if I don't get home on time. If I don't, she'll think someone abducted me."

Yami quirked an eyebrow, "That seems a bit overdramatic."

"Oh, but she's serious. One time when I was little, I stayed too long at Anzu's house and she legit called the police."

Yami shook his head in disbelief, "You're kidding."

Yuugi laughed, "I wish. The police showed up at Anzu's house only to find me there. It gave Anzu's mother such a scare that she forbid me from coming over for a month. It was one of the worst months of my life and the mess we had to deal with afterwards was horrendous."

Yami chuckled, "Your mother must be crazy."

Yuugi shrugged and look at the gorud, "She can be at times, but now that I'm older, I think she was just scared that I left her like father did." Yuugi realized what he said and panicked. What was he doing saying something like that?!

"That's tough. I know what it's like to lose a parent."

Yuugi snapped his head up to see Yami looking off to a place that didn't exist, "Did your father leave you too?"

Yami snorted and his voice turned bitter, "I wish, but no." His voice softened and he looked towards the ground, "My mother died when I was seven."

The two stood in silence, almost as if they were giving eachother a second to remember their passed loved ones. Yuugi felt sorry for Yami. For him, he just had a father who walked away, but at least he was still living. Yuugi wouldn't know what he would do if he lost his mother. He couldn't imagine…

Yuugi took in a breath, prepared to say something about Yami's mother. Anything to show the other that he was sorry for his loss, but Yami beat him to it, "Let's not worry your mother then, eh?"

Yami walked past Yuugi who stood, shocked. Not knowing what to say, he stammered, "W-what?"

Yami stopped and glanced at him over his shoulder, "You said that your mother would anic if you didn't get home soon, so come on. I'll walk with you today, and if she complains that our are late, I'll explain that it was my fault."

Yuugi's heart began to hammer in his chest as his cheeks began to turned pink, "Y-you going to walk home with me?"

Yami smirked, "You don't mind, right?"

Yuugi shook his head furiously, "No! Not at all."

Yami inclined his head down the sidewalk, "Then let's get going."

For a few seconds, Yuugi stood rooted in place. Yami was going to walk him home! Yami was going to walk him home! This was both a good idea and a bad one; if Yami was with him, then Yuugi got to spend some time with his crush, but if Yami found out about it… he might run away from him. Maybe he should have told the other that he didn't have to walk with him.

"You coming, Yuugi?"

Yuugi allowed himself a second to appreciate the sound of his name through Yami's voice before responding, "Yeah, I'm coming." He jogged in order to catch up to the other who smiled when he was at his side.

They stayed silent as they walked. Not that it was awkward; in fact, Yuugi was content to just stay in the other's presence, but he was a bit saddened that they weren't talking. There always seemed to be so many questions buzzing around his head, and yet, right now he couldn't think of one to even ask. At least, there were no questions that he feared wouldn't offend Yami.

As they were walking, Yuugi's eyes kept slipping to the vial around the crimson eyed teen's neck. The scene he witnessed at lunch was still fresh in his mind, and now that Yami was alone with him, he wanted nothing more than to ease some of those questions. Was the water religious? If so, then what god was it for? Where did he learn it? Was it really just water in that?

Yuugi nibbled the bottom of his lip as he tried to keep his questions in his head. He didn't want to be rude to Yami by asking him about the vial. One would think it a harmless question, but with how things are at school, Yuugi didn't know if it was a sensitive question. Heck, if it was him, then he wouldn't want people to ask him about it.

He heard Yami sigh, "You're staring at it again."

Yuugi stiffened at being caught. He hoped Yami wasn't angry at him, "Sorry. I wasn't trying to be rude."

"You're just curious about it, right? I would be surprised if you weren't." Yuugi glanced over to see Yami holding the vial in his hand and giving it a fond look.

"I saw you at lunch." The words were out of his mouth before he realized it. Yuugi was about to apologize when Yami's chuckle stopped him.

"I thought I saw you in the window."

That's even worse; now Yami probably thought he stalked him, "I wasn't spying or anything, I was just passing by when I saw-"

"You know you don't have to explain yourself to me." Yami stopped walking, causing Yuugi to stop and look back at him. The other had a serious look on his face as he stared right at the shorter teen, "You're one of the only people that I don't hate. You can ask me anything because I know that you don't judge me for it; just like I don't judge you for staring at me across the classroom."

With a fully red face, Yuugi decided he would try to ignore the last comment. Maybe Yami would forget it if he didn't acknowledge it, "S-so you won't be mad if I ask?" When the other shook his head in confirmation, Yuugi took a breath to steady himself, "Why do you do that at lunch?"

Yami started to walk again before answering, "I do it to honor my goddess."

Yuugi followed Yami, "What goddess?"

"Mira, the goddess of Water."

Yuugi tried to rack his brain for any knowledge of Mira. He knew all the greek, hindu, and egyptian gods and goddess as well as most of native american spirits, and even the catholic god, but he couldn't recall a Mira, the Goddess of Water, "I've never heard of her before."

Yami chuckled, "I wouldn't expect you to. It's not a very popular religion. Even so, I still honor her name, even if I'm not home."

"Does everyone where you come from worship her, then?" Amethyst eyes slid over to crimson, hoping that he wasn't passing over a line.

Yami shrugged, "You could say that. Some are more devoted to her than others, but I don't complain."

Yuugi nodded in understanding, "So what does that…" He moved his hands around, trying to find the proper word to call it, "ritual, mean? It seems like some very specific procedure, but what does it mean?"

Yami held up the vial, "The water is special and has been purified in her name. You can do it with any water, but if you truly want to honor her, you use this." He lifted his other hand and tilted the vial as if to pour water into it, "You pour it into your hands so you keep a close connection with her. To use any other cup would be an insult to her because you are disconnecting yourself from her." He rose his hand to his lips, "You allow your lips to kiss the water because you are then kissing her. You show your intimacy with her before drinking the liquid. This symbolizes you letting her into your heart and soul." Yami put both hands down and looked into awed amethyst.

Yuugi was so fascinated. He had never heard of something so beautiful in his life. Such a ritual, it seemed like it was more than just motions: it held meaning. It was about more than just praising a goddess, but more getting closer to them. To be able to connect with someone on such a level, it was beautiful.

Yami smiled when Yuugi continued to stare at him, awe-struck, "You don't think that's weird, then?"

Yuugi shook his head and smiled brightly, "I think it's beautiful!"

"Glad to see you do." Yami chuckled before he stopped outside of Yuugi's house.

Amethyst eyes stared sadly at the building. He was glad to be home, but he was enjoying his time with Yami. After all, this was the first real conversation that he has ever had with the guy. In all honesty, he was afraid that this moment would never happen again, and when the next day came everything would go back to how it was. He bit his lip as he glanced back to Yami who has watching him.

"I liked getting to talk to you." He was just trying to stretch this moment out.

Yami nodded, "It's typically busy during school, so we never get any real moments to stop and talk."

"Yeah." With the conversation hitting a dead end. Yuugi looked between his house and Yami.

Yami nodded his head goodbye, "See you tomorrow."

Seeing the other's retreating back made the moment all the more real. He didn't want it to end on a goodbye; he didn't want to risk never talking to Yami again, "Can I join you at lunch tomorrow?"

The other stopped movie, and Yuugi felt the air turn cold and thick. There was apprehension in the air, and it made Yuugi worried. Did he saw something wrong? Was that too much to ask? He held his breath as he stared unblinking at the other's back who had yet to do anything.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Yami turned his head, but his eyes were still shadowed, "If you want to, go head." With that he kept walking forward.

Yuugi released his breath as the tense feeling lessened with Yami's departure. He didn't know why that was so sensitive, but he just hoped that he didn't offend the other. That wasn't his intention, Yuugi just didn't want to risk never really talking with the other again. It was a silly worry that probably never would have happened, but the fact that it could have unsettled him.

Putting on his best smile, Yuugi turned and opened the door. When he tried the handle, it didn't move. He tried to turn it once more only for it to stay stuck. Worry started to rise inside of him until he noticed that the lights inside the shop were off. He groaned and rolled his eyes as he released the handle and dug the key out of his pocket.

The game shop was their families only source of income, but his mother had a bad habit of not opening it for the day. It was only her to run the store, and at times, it could be taxing, but it hurt their business every time the shop wasn't open. In fact, because their hours were irregular, they had been losing customers during the week. Their real money came in during the weekends when Yuugi was the one to open and work the shop.

His mom had only gotten really bad at keeping the shop open because of her boyfriend. He came over regularly, and he seemed nice, but Yuugi knew that he wouldn't last. Ever since his father left, there had never been anyone able to replace him.

With one quick glance outside, Yuugi got confirmation that his mother's boyfriend was home when he saw his black mercedes He took a calming breath before unlocking the door and letting himself in. The delicate chime of the bell calmed the teen somewhat as he was reminded of earlier years when he would spend countless hours with his mother in the shop. Things had certainly changed since those simple days before the marriages and boyfriends.

His footsteps echoed softly on the game shop floor. With the lights of, the place really looked as void as it felt. The shop even seemed that it was never filled with the laughter and energy of customers. Being so empty, the game shop seemed to alienate itself from their family. Yuugi was sure that if he hadn't been watching over it on the weekends, then the government would have taken it away.

Walking behind the counter and towards the door that opened to the stairs, laughter floated down to him letting him know that his mother and her boyfriend were in the living room. As he walked up the steps, Yuugi made sure that his steps were slow in an effort to elongate time. Yuugi didn't hate the new boyfriend, perse, but the other had some habits that made Yuugi uncomfortable.

When he reached the top of the stairs, he could smell one of the habits that upset Yuugi.

"Ah, honey, you're home!" A short women with curly black hair stood off the couch and walked towards Yuugi.

Yuugi put on a smile, "Hi mom." The two embraced before she held her son out at arms length.

"I hope you don't mind, but I invited Tayoma over for dinner."

Yuugi turned a fake smile over to the lounging figure on the couch, "That's fine. It's nice to see you again, Mr. Kai."

Mr. Kai took in a drag of his cigarette before breathing the smoke through his nose in a sigh, "How many times have I told you, kid? You can call me Tayoma, I don't mind."

Yuugi only nodded his head to show that he understood. He used to call his mother's boyfriends by their names, but he gave up on it after the third marriage. He understood then that he would never really know those people after a while.

He turned away from the livingroom and towards the hall. He was content to stay in his room until dinner and do his homework; after all, there was no chance that he was going to get to play a game with his mother now. As he crossed the threshold from the hall into his room he stopped. He didn't like to sit in his empty room though. Maybe if he did his homework out there, then none of them would bother him.

A groan passed his lips as he turned around and walked back into the living room.

()

Yuugi's heart was beating so hard that his chest was actually starting to hurt. His palms were sweaty which caused his beto box to almost crash to the floor multiple times and his whole body was shaking with wild excitement. It was a miracle that he was able to walk from his locker to here without falling considering that he couldn't feel his legs. He had never felt this way before, but he didn't know why he was so anxious.

He was just going to eat lunch with Yami.

It had been surprisingly easy to leave his friends at lunch while not telling them where he was going. Anzu said that she was already planning on eating lunch with Valon and his friends, so she had no quarrels and Jonouchi was fine to eat with his other friends. None of them asked him any questions, which had hurt Yuugi a bit because he thought it meant that they didn't care for him. That had been quelled quickly as he told himself that they understood that he might have wanted to eat alone; after all, they had done it themselves a number of times.

He supposed that he could have told them the reason that he wouldn't be eating with them, but he wanted to keep it secret for some reason. Maybe that's why he was so nervous. It was already nerve racking to think that he and Yami will be eating lunch together, and now it's only heightened because it was a full-blown secret. So long as no other student sees them, then it should all be good.

Now he stood underneath the tree that he saw Yami sit under yesterday. In his nervousness, Yuugi somehow got here before Yami did. This was a bad move, because now he had to wait for the other to show up with nothing to distract him.

Amethyst eyes closed as their owner took a shuddering breath and ran a hand through his hair. He just needed to calm down, or else the whole thing would horrible. Maybe it was the fact that someone could catch them that made his so anxious? Maybe it was how he and Yami left off the other day? While the reason wasn't clear, underneath all this nervous energy, he was happy.

"Back off!"

That wasn't good.

Yuugi opened his eyes in order to look around toward where the shout came from. Over by the walls, some of the windows were open allowing whatever scuffle inside to seep outside. When another shout sounded from inside, Yuugi jogged very to try and see what the ruckus was. As he peered inside, his eyes widened.

"You're off to lunch again, right?"

"You're gonna do your water ritual, right, freak?"

"I said back off!" Yami glared at the other six students who surrounded him in the otherwise empty hall.

One of them sneered at the shorter teen, "Oh, are we keeping you from your water?"

"What are you going to do about it?" Another said as they came up and shoved Yami into a wall.

Yami refused to be cornered and pushed the other student back so that he could go back to standing in the center of the six, "I'm sure none of you want to hang around to see what can happen if you don't move."

A student who looked ever irritated growled, "You know what? I'm tired of you walking around like you're some big hot shot. You're a little freak. A nobody, and I refused to be bossed around by a nobody."

That seemed to hit a nerve for Yami because he ran up and punch the student in the nose, effectively breaking it, "Just try and test me." Yami snarled as he stood over the fallen student who tried to catch the falling blood.

"You bitch!" Two student ran at Yami and tried to grab him, but the other was quicker. Too bad it seemed that the other's were prepared. As Yami dodged the first two, the other three swarmed in and blocked off any exit. As Yami searched for a new escape, one of the students pulled out a rope and tossed it to the other students who rushed Yami. The red-eyed teen tried to dodge the rope, the the student with a broken nose grabbed his ankle, almost causing the other to trip.

Yuugi watched in horror as Yami was tied up and pushed to the ground.

"Now so tough are you?" One of the student laughed as the shoved Yami's head down. Yami growled as he shifted and swung his legs out, successfully tripping another one of the students.

Yami chuckled as the teen stood up and glowered the the other, "You think that's funny? Well, you're in no position to laugh." The students kneeled down and grabbed Yami's neck, but the other refused to show any emotion, "Since you think you're so smart," the student grabbed the vial, "I think I'll take this." With one good yank the vial was off.

This caused some panic to course through Yami because he stated struggling even more. It took the three other students to hold him done. Yuugi couldn't take anymore: he needed to do something. Dropping his bento box, Yuugi pushed the window open the rest of the way and braced himself to jump through.

"What's so special about this vial any way?" the student smirked down at Yami, "You wouldn't mind if we found out for ourselves, right?"

Yuugi kept his wide eyes on the vial as the other pooped the lid off, "NO!" Yuugi ran at the student as soon as he made it inside. Everyone in the hall looked surprised to see him, but he didn't pay them any mind. Luckily, they were too surprised to stop him as he ran full speed towards the vial and grabbing onto for dear life. He even slipped his thumb over the top in order to stop any of the liquid from spilling out.

"What the hell?!"

"Yuugi!" He heard Yami yell at him, but Yuugi's focus was completely on getting the vial out of the other's hand. He fought hard to pry the other's hand off, but it was hard to do with only one hand. Even as more students tried to pull him off, his grip was as sure as the grave.

"Fine, shrimp, if you want it so much you can have it!" Yuugi let out a yelp as he was shoved backwards. He was relieved when the other let go of the vial, but that was replaced with dread as he fell back towards the floor. As he hit the ground, his grip on the vial slipped and the contents poured onto the floor.

He stared at the small pool of water with sorrow knowing that Yami would hate this. He hated himself for not being able to stop the liquid from pouring out. Before he even realized it, tears were falling from his eyes and mixing with the liquid. With sadness and slight fascination, he watched as the water rippled and quivered at the mixture of water; it looked wrong, like his tears were a blemish on purities face.

A hand splashing into the water forced him out of his thoughts and brought him back to the present. His eyes followed up the arm towards Yami's furious face. His eyes glowed ominously like he spilt water, and Yuugi couldn't help but feel as though something was about to explode. Mesmerized, Yuugi moved over to Yami and untied him, and that triggered a furious outburst.

In a blur, Yami sprung to his feet and attacked every student surrounding them. His speed was fast and fluid and his attacks were quick jabs with his hands. None of the other students knew what to do, and even if they did, Yuugi knew that they wouldn't have been able to match Yami's movements. He was almost ethereal.

Yami never knocked them out, but they no longer felt as confident as before. In fact, it didn't take long before they started to run away, some were even crying. Only when the last idiot was gone did Yuugi dare to move.

Amethyst eyes stared at a heavy breathing Yami who continued to glare after the other students. Wanting to break the tension, Yuugi laid a hand on the other's shoulder, "Yami?"

The other whipped around, turning his glare to Yuugi who flinched at the fiery gaze, "The vial."

Deciding it would be best not to make the other wait, Yuugi handed the vial over to Yami, "I'm sorry. I tried to stop it from spilling, but I couldn't."

"Stop talking." Yami took the vial and let out a frustrated sigh when he confirmed for himself that it was empty, "Those idiots…"

"Is there anyway I can help?" Yuugi offered and fought down the flinch as Yami looked at him.

The other seemed to calm down a bit as he said, "No, you already did enough. Just… let me be alone."

Leaving no room for any more conversation, Yami turned and walked out the door leaving a very unsure Yuugi to stand alone in the hall. That was weird. He knew that the vial was important to Yami, bu he seemed to be irritated by more than just the empty water. It couldn't have been about the other students because stuff like that has happened before. Maybe it was because he was there? No, Yami wouldn't have really cared for Yuugi that much, so it must be something else.

Yuugi nibbled his lip as he felt his curiosity spike. It was still in the middle of the school day, so where was Yami going? He went out the front door, but he seemed dead set on the school gate? Was he leaving the campus? Where would he go? Did it have to do something with the water, or did he just need to calm down? It was probably about the water because now he had none. But, Yami did say that it didn't need to be the special water in order to work. Maybe he was just that religious? Should he follow? He knew Yami told him to leave him alone, but what if it was one of those times where the person real wanted someone to follow them?

Yuugi sighed as he walked to the front door and cracked it open just in time to see Yami turn the corner of the school's gate and out of site. He wanted to follow badly, but he didn't want to leave school. What should he do?

He looked behind him towards the area that they just had the run in. The spilt water glowed back at him, as if urging him to follow after the other teen. It was weird to think that water was influencing him, but he couldn't help but feel compelled to follow Yami.

Reluctantly, Yuugi opened the school door and ran outside. If he was going to go through with this, then he couldn't allow himself to look back. His heart was pumping with adrenaline as he passed the school gate and onto the sidewalk. Refusing to look behind him, he took off in the direction that he saw Yami go and kept up a fast pace. He was surprised when he saw Yami start to run himself, and he hoped that he hadn't been caught. If he was caught, then Yami didn't show any other indication.

The two ran for a few minutes before Yami ducked into the city park. The park was surprisingly empty save for the two running figures. Yami led them into the small woods that surrounded the park before finally slowing down. Yuugi stayed far enough away where he could see Yami, but he wouldn't get caught. His curiosity was definitely intrigued now. What was he doing in the forest? Why did he run? What was he going to do? Was he just trying to lose him?

He didn't have to wait long before some of his questions were answered. Yami look hesitant as he held out his arm, allowing the vial to hang off of its string. He started to swing the necklace in a circle, creating a blur of color. Sun light bounced off of the moving object, creating bursts of lights the flickered through the woods. The flashes intensified and Yuugi was sure that it wasn't just the sun anymore. The lights were too bright and too frequent to be simple flashes. They soon began to stay and meld together, creating a circle of light that took on a blue hue, similar to the vial. Once the light was steady, Yami stopped spinning his necklace and allowed his arm to drop.

Yuugi was awestruck when the light stayed and grew. The center began to darken to a black creating the illusion of a swirling vortex. He was even more surprised when Yami walked through it without any fear. He couldn't stand there anymore, Yuugi ran over to the portal that stood steady before starting to shrink. It was so beautiful, but it was scary. Where did it lead to? Was it safe? How did Yami make it?

Curiosity getting the better of him, he held out his hand to touch the receding light.

Everything went dark.