AU: AU prompt about getting the Pharaoh drunk and remembering shit! Hope you enjoy!

"Okay Pharaoh! You can thank me later. And remember – no hickeys!"

…

…

Yami blinked, his vision swirling. He had no idea why he couldn't see straight or why standing suddenly felt so difficult. As he struggled to take a step, Yami realized that he had taken over Yugi's body.

When did that happen?

Yami tried to ignore the booming music blaring from the living room as he made his way into the kitchen. He tried to remember what happened before taking over. He remembered talking to his partner prior to the party. Yes, there was a party. To celebrate the tournament that they had just won. And for surviving Kaiba's blowing up the island in spite.

It was the little things in life worth celebrating.

Yami had hung close to Yugi's consciousness at the beginning of the party. He eventually went into his soul room after awhile, letting Yugi enjoy the company of his friends and the evening out. How Yugi managed to yank his soul out and put him in charge was beyond him. Though he suspected it was related with his struggle to walk in a straight line.

He entered the threshold of the kitchen, blinking as he saw Tea do a line of shots. Yami a sneaking suspicion as to how he ended up in this situation.

"When did you guys buy alcohol?" Yami asked, stumbling forward to the table where his friends were gathered. He tried to reach out to his partner, but his mind was a swirling mess. He couldn't think or see straight.

"What are you talking about? Honda brought it with him when he arrived!" Jounouchi answered, a blushing smile on his face. Apparently, all of Yugi's friends were getting plastered.

"Pharaoh? What are you doing here?" Anzu asked, wiping her lips as she finished her train of liquor. Yami just shrugged reaching out to see what exactly Yugi had been drinking.

"Beats me. I can't get a word from Yugi. What was he drinking?" Yami hiccupped, raising a hand to cover his mouth. He didn't hiccup. Why the hell was he hiccupping? How much alcohol did Yugi consume?

"Same thing all of us have been drinking. Beer, Smirnoff mixed drinks, and whatever the hell Ryou is drinking." Honda glanced over to the albino also in the kitchen, the brunette looking less drunk than the rest of their friends. Yami stumbled into a chair, glancing over Honda's shoulder. He saw Ryou sitting on the counter, eating a bag of cookies and rummaging through the cabinet.

Yami narrowed his eyes, fairly certain this was not Ryou's apartment, but didn't feel like trying to figure things out.

He sighed, glancing at the beer bottle in front of him. He raised it to his lips, taking a quick sip before scowling. He shoved the bottle away from him. "Damn that tastes like shit. Why on earth would Yugi drink this?"

Anzu giggled, sitting down next to Yami as she bumped him with her shoulder. "Because it's alcohol silly. You don't drink it because it tastes good."

Yami snorted, reading the label of the Smirnoff sitting on the table. "Still doesn't excuse drinking beer that tastes like piss."

"What, are you suddenly an aficionado on alcohol?"

Yami leaned back, a smirk on his face as he met Jounouchi's daring gaze. "Of course. Back in Egypt, Siamun and Priest Set only had the finest wines served at banquets."

"… Who's Siamun?" Ryou asked, carrying over a bag of pretzels and a box of pocky before sitting down next to Joey.

"He's… I think, my advisor? I don't know. He was someone important to my dad and he helped me a lot." Yami flipped to the back of the bottle before pausing. His eyes went up to meet his friends who stared at him in shock.

"Did you just remember something?" Tea asked, his face tinged a light pink color.

Yami was about to deny such a claim, but it appeared that he had. He had no idea how he remembered Siamun and Priest Set all of sudden, but it appeared he had. Why could he remember now? His heart started pounding, a rush of excitement of finally remembering something of his muddled past. He wasn't sure why, but perhaps he finally had the answers he had been looking for!

"Quick! Ask him something else!" Jounouchi shouted out, as if trying to seize the opportunity.

"Did you have any siblings?" Honda asked, sitting down next to Yami, a serious look on his face.

Yami blinked, struggling to focus on his friend's face. Did he have siblings? Yami initially thought yes, but he wasn't sure. He raised a hand to rub at his eye, trying to clear the foggy mess that was his brain.

"Maybe? I don't know. Shit! I feel like it's all right there!"

Yami felt frustrated for not knowing. He felt confused as he always did, but he felt annoyed that he remembered something suddenly but couldn't remember anything else. Why was that? Before Yami could figure out why, Anzu stood up, running to grab more shot glasses. She grinned as she came back, grabbing the Smirnoff in Yami's hands. She poured a little orange juice in each glass before tossing in the hard vodka. "I have an idea!"

Honda snorted, a grin on his face. "How is drinking more liquor going to get us more answers?"

Anzu stood back, sliding the shot glasses to each person around the table. "Don't you get it? It's because he's drunk that he suddenly remembers stuff! So let's make a drinking game of it! Every time Yami can't remember something from his past, he take a drink. Every time he's able to answer one of our questions, we have to take a drink!"

Jounouchi opened his mouth as if to reject such a proposition before pausing. Everybody looked around the table. Yami struggled to understand the simple rules of the games, quickly realizing that this game would likely end up with him consuming more alcohol than anyone else. But the possibility of learning more of his past was too intriguing. He wanted answers. Perhaps alcohol could get him answers.

Ryou dragged his shot glass closer. "Sounds good to me! It can't hurt unless we try!"

Everyone nodded, Yami glaring at the small white shot glass in front of him. He sighed as he drew it closer to him. Yugi could deal with the hangover tomorrow over their dumb decisions.

Anzu nodded, sitting down as she turned to Yami. "I can start – Do you remember your name?"

Yami just stared at Anzu blankly. He sighed as he turned away, quickly downing the shot. The orange juice did little to ease the burn of the hard liquor as it traveled down his throat. It certainly was better than the light beer that Yugi managed to get drunk off of.

This was going to be a quick game at this rate.

Jounouchi raised a hand to scratch at his chin, as if thinking. "Well, if you don't remember your name, how about your parents' name?"

Yami furrowed his brow. Did he remember his parents? He could remember Siamun, but he wasn't a relative. At least, he was pretty sure they weren't related.

"… I don't remember my mother. But I do remember my dad a little. Mostly as a kid. No idea his name."

He glanced over at Anzu. "Does that count as an answer?"

Anzu shrugged looking over the table. Honda leaned back, taking a shot. "Let's all take a shot to that. I just want to drink at this point."

No one argued with that point.

It was Ryou's turn as to ask a question. Before he could ask, Otogi entered the room. "Has anybody seen my cards?"

"No! Now be quiet, we're playing a game!" Honda snapped. Yami raised an eyebrow. He supposed Honda was the angry drunk if he had to guess. Strange. He would have pinned Jounouchi as that.

"A drinking game? I want in!" Otogi asked, popping down between Anzu and Jounouchi. He grinned at Honda before elbowing Jounouchi. "It's a shame Shizuka couldn't join us. She would have had a blast!"

Jounouchi laughed at that, shaking his head. "My mom would have killed me if she learned I took my baby sister out to get wasted!"

"Can I ask my question?" Ryou asked, mumbling as he chewed on some chips. Yami didn't remember seeing Ryou get the chips, but gave up trying to figure out stuff.

Ryou swallowed before turning to face Yami. "Do you remember any friends?"

Yami was about to shake his head know before blinking. He had friends. He knew he had friends. But who were they. He struggled in his mind to recall the details, but his mind seemed preoccupied with figuring out what Pot of Greed did.

Truly, he was the King of Games.

As Yami tried to force thoughts of Duel Monsters out of his mind, his mind started to race. He tried to put game out of his mind to focus on their current game, desperate to make it through one round with getting at least one question. In a sudden flash of games, Yami snapped his head up.

"Mana! Mahado! They were my best friends!"

Everyone stopped conversation, shocked at the answer. Yami worried they thought he was lying. Suddenly, everyone started cheering, raising up their shot glasses as they downed. Yami smiled, triumphant to have gotten one answer.

Perhaps alcohol really was the answer to the mystery of his past.

It was Honda's turn next, a goofy smile on his face. "Now, we're getting somewhere. Okay, Pharaoh. Do you remember anything about Seto in your past life?"

Yami furrowed his brow leaning back. Tea took his glass to refill the shot glass. That was an excellent question. Ishizu had shown him the stone tablet, showing the duel between him and Seto in their past lives. And he knew the Priest Set was an earlier incarnation of Kaiba. He had no idea how he knew that, but the memory stuck.

Was there anything else he could glean from that?

"I don't remember too much. I do remember him being a dick even back then." Yami confessed, Jounouchi laughing at the remark.

"That doesn't count! We know Kaiba's a jackass!"

"Anything else?" Anzu asked, raising a shot glass with a raised eyebrow.

Yami furrowed his brows, a fuzzy memory just out reach eluding him. "I'm… not certain, but there's someone else that was important to him. I don't know who or how, but it's just a feeling. Someone with pale hair."

Yami snapped his head up, suddenly realizing the implication as everyone turned to stare at Ryou. The albino just shrugged, finishing off his box of pocky. "I've always known Kaiba wants me. The ladies can't resist me."

Everyone busted out laughing at that. Jounouchi leaned forward, struggling to pull out his wallet. "I know who it is! It's the Blue Eyes White Dragon! You know he wants to bang that card!"

Otogi snorted at that, raising a hand to mess with his friend's blond hair. "I think Yami was referring to a person."

"You don't know that! I'm willing to bet money on it!"

Honda leaned forward, reaching into his pocket. "Oh yeah? How much?"

"Twenty bucks!" Jounouchi smiled as he slapped the green bill on the table. Yami blinked in confusion.

"Jounouchi, why do you have American currency? We live in Japan."

Yami didn't get an answer as Ryou reached forward throwing a ten-pound mark into the stash. "Ten quid that Seto wanted to get into the pants of past me!"

Yami realized that it was pointless trying to make sense of any of it. They were drunk and everyone wanted in on the betting pool. Otogi threw in a yo-yo and a bag of dice while Honda tossed in his pocketknife. Anzu was the only one with actually Japanese currency on her. None of them addressed the fact that they probably wouldn't find on the answer tonight so nobody would win the stash, but the pile stayed in the center of the table regardless.

Anzu furrowed her brows thinking, an unfocused look in her eyes. She looked back at Yami. "Do you know why the Spirit of the Ring hates your guts?"

Yami froze, his eyes focused on the pile of cash and junk at the center of the table. He resisted the urge to flick his eyes up at the albino directly across from him. As easy as it would be to visualize the demonic spirit kept on the Millennium Ring, he knew Ryou was a victim of the dark presence inhabiting the cursed artifact.

As for the Spirit of the Ring, who he was and why he had it in for Yami was a mystery to all.

Perhaps Anzu's question would have been better directed to the one who had more direct contact with the evil spirit. However, Yami suspected Ryou didn't have any sense or knowledge to glean from the malignant being. If anything, Yami had more knowledge through his interactions into the motives of this angry spirit.

If anything, Yami felt like he should understand why Ring Spirit was set on defeating him. He had to figure out what happened between them to cause such intense animosity. And even though his mind felt blurry and he didn't know, he wanted to know. There were many mysteries as to his past life and the kind of man he was. But he always wanted to remember those in his life, good and evil, that shaped him and the world around him.

He owed that much to them.

"I don't know. I can't really remember. I do have vague feelings of anger and rage, but I think there was something else." Yami closed his eyes, trying to remember.

Otogi asked the unasked question hanging in the air. "Something else?"

Yami blinked his eyes open, the word eluding him. His breath caught as he glanced up at Ryou. The albino sighed, a sad smile on his face.

"Sorrow."

Ryou spoke for both of them, but Yami found the word the same time his friend did. The Ring Spirit was angry and cruel, but there was an immense sorrow that he couldn't fathom. That he didn't understand. But Yami felt like he needed to understand. Perhaps it wouldn't change anything, but Yami knew it was important to figure out this mystery.

The mood felt heavy, which Yami suspected was the opposite goal of this drinking game. Jounouchi broke the long silence, his eyes bright. "Yo Pharaoh – got any sexual escapades for us?"

The question did the trick, everyone cracking up as Anzu reached over to smack Jounouchi over the head while Otogi jabbed him with his elbow. Yami took a shot, feeling a rush of dizziness as he tried to recall. He found every drink made it a little easier to remember. Surely another shot would help him remember his life as the Pharaoh, god among man and lover of beautiful women.

Questions and bets increased as time went on, the night blurring away. He remembered taking off his choker and bracelets, tossing his jacket over the chair as he continued to drink his way to answers. Somewhere between the vodka, Honda singing, Anzu desperately trying to keep the game going, Ryou going back for even more snacks, and Otogi trying to stack the dice up but struggling, Yami remembered everything becoming fuzzy and fading away, like a Shadow Game he didn't remember taking part in.

Everything hurt. Yami had suffered the pain of darkness suffocating his soul and straining his body. He had watched his partner be torn asunder by shadows and felt the heat of flames so hot that he thought he couldn't breathe. Duel Monsters was serious shit, and Yami had experienced true pain and trial in his life.

But damn did a hangover hurt.

Yami didn't want to open his eyes, but the stiff pain in his neck and throbbing temple demanded Yami's attention. He blearily lifted his head, deciding that between him and Yugi, they probably gave Yugi's tiny body alcohol poisoning. He wasn't sure if he was still drunk because he couldn't see under the harsh kitchen light.

Yami looked around, realizing he fell asleep at the table, shot glasses strewn about. He noticed Honda had also conked out next to him. Yami noticed all of the pantry doors open, a noticeable amount of food missing. He slowly stood up and wandered to the living room, where Anzu was asleep on the couch, Ryou and Jounouchi cuddled on the floor.

Yami blinked, trying to process the sight.

"Believe it or not, that's not the wildest thing that happened last night." Yami turned to see Otogi sitting in a recliner, glass of water and aspirin on the table next to him. He smirked before nodding his head to his cure. Yami grunted his thanks as he quickly took two pills before dry swallowing, knowing the sooner he took it, the faster he would feel better.

"I'm so hungover. I can't remember anything from last night." Yami grimaced, sitting down on the edge of the couch as to not disturb Anzu.

Otogi chuckled, raising a hand to rub his temple. "Yeah, me too. We had too much alcohol. And Ryou ate all my goddamn food. So much for eating away the pain."

Yami snorted. He looked over his sleeping friends on the floor spooning each other. "What happened last night?"

Otogi squinted as he tried to recall. "I remember we did some sort of drinking game. I think we were betting on something, but I have no clue what."

Yami shrugged. That sounded like something they would do. It was reassuring to know that even drunk them would enjoy games. "I can't remember anything at all. I wonder what sort of dumb as hell game were we doing?"

"Probably some truth or dare. At least by the evidence on your neck, that's what I would assume."

Yami frowned, not following. Otogi rolled his eyes, a smirk on his face. He reached into his pocket to pull out a small pocket mirror, which seemed like a very Otogi-like thing to do. Yami took the mirror, checking himself before blushing madly, noticing the small array of bruises on his neck.

"When did that happen? How did this happen?" Yami blurted out, his face growing red. He ran back into the kitchen, ignoring how his vision spun and his head screamed in pain. He grabbed his black leather choker and bracelets, quickly slipping them on to hide the evidence. Otogi followed him into the kitchen, laughing.

"I think near the end of the game. Anzu was pretty affection and you were quite the confident drunk. You were making out with Jounouchi when Anzu wanted your attention, so-"

"Wait – I was making out with Jounouchi?" Yami blinked. Why didn't he remember that? Or anything of what happened last night? Why the hell did he allow himself to get so drunk? Even he should know it wasn't worth getting so drunk despite whatever game they were playing.

Otogi shrugged. "Yeah. I don't know what read of that. But I'm pretty sure me and Ryou snogged last night, so we were just a few shots away from an orgy as it was. I think it was only by the mercy of the gods that we all fell asleep before we could do something terribly stupid."

"Speak for yourself." Yami blushed, running a hand through his hangs as another headache started to form. He understood why he would have welcomed Anzu's advances – he was well aware of his own and Yugi's feelings towards the beautiful dancer. But Jounouchi… he thought they were just friends.

Yami had no idea what all of this meant. And his head hurt too much to try figuring out.

He noticed Otogi watching him, holding out a glass of water for him. Yami sighed before grabbing it the glass, taking a large gulp. "Would you mind not saying anything to anyone about this?"

Otogi just shrugged, a small smile on his face. "As far as I'm concerned, if no one remembers it, it never happened."

Yami chuckled, thankful for Otogi's silence as he tried to piece together what the hell he was thinking last night. He decided trying to figure out his drunken memories was a pointless endeavor. Perhaps he would remember for himself one day. Given time, he would probably enjoy this story in years to come.

But until he could remember.

"My head still hurts. I'm going to go take a nap."

Otogi nodded, flicking his head towards the stairs. "You beat everybody else, so the spare bedroom is all yours. I can't fall back to sleep, so I'm thinking I might restock my pantry so I can make us breakfast in a couple of hours."

"You are a kind soul, Otogi."

"Someone's got to take care of you drunken idiots." Otogi smiled, brushing the hair out in front of his face. He grabbed his keys as he headed into the living room. Yami chuckled, heading up the stairs to get some more rest. Perhaps he could spare Yugi of both of their stupid decisions a bit longer with a quick nap.