Authors Note: Hello everyone! Here is a new story I started. I know I should be focusing on my other story but I just couldn't help myself from writing this chapter!
The inspiration for this opening chapter came from listening to 'Rewrite the Stars' from 'The Greatest Showman'. I tried my best to incorporate the song without using exact wording. Whenever I hear this song all I can picture is these two. Warning this is a sad chapter but I have big plans for this story! It may seem like a one-shot right now but big things are going to happen in their future!
Please enjoy! I would love feedback on what you think so please don't forget to review! Let me know you want me to continue!
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its character. Trust me. If I did Atem never would have been forced to leave (My heart still hurts). I also do not own the lyrics or plot to ' The Greatest Showman'.
Prologue:
It seemed like their story was coming to an end. No one expected it to come so soon. These two had been through so much and created a bond that never deserved the strain of this situation.
It was never supposed to end this way. Or was it?
The young man sat on the edge of his bed holding onto the single most important thing in his life. The Millennium Puzzle. Four years ago this item changed his life forever. This golden, pyramid pendant was the cause of years of aggravating nights. He had spent so many lonely years trying to put it together, but it was all worth it in the end. When he finally solved the mystery of the puzzle he made his wish and it had come true. Not only did it bring him lifelong friends but it also brought a man that would prove to hold a special place in his heart.
"You can't leave me like this."
It had been a rough journey. Lives were risked for the greater good, but in the end they always prevailed. It didn't matter how many times he almost lost his life or his soul. The only thing that ever mattered was that they were always at each others side. They never gave up on one another. No matter how dangerous it would get. They were partners, and they always would be.
"Please."
The high schooler sat on the bed holding the item responsible for their connection. This item created a bond between mortal and spirit that was stronger than anything possible. It brought these two souls together to complete each other; one was lost without the other.
"I need you."
The item in his hand seemed to pulsate. The power within it was incredible. No one truly knew how much power this item really contained. This small item held unbelievable power that many fought over. But this young man didn't want that power. He didn't want any of the powerful things that the puzzle could do. He only wanted the spirit that was trapped in it.
"You know how much I want you."
He wasn't sure when the feelings started, only that it felt natural. The more the two went through together, the closer they became. He ran a hand through his spiky, tri-colored hair of black, magenta, and blonde while he reflected on all the moments that tested their bond. He decided that the most significant moment that brought them together was actually the moment that separated them. The spirit of the puzzle had lost his partners soul but he had stopped at nothing to get him back. It had been the first time they weren't together since the younger one solved the puzzle and thus releasing the Nameless Pharaoh.
The separation had been unbearable. The crushing emptiness in their minds and souls showed them how incomplete they were without the other. When they were finally reunited they just knew. That separation showed them just how much they were meant to be together. It was never said out loud. It didn't need to be. The looks they gave and the feelings they felt through their link were enough to satisfy the relationship they had. Both men knew exactly how the other felt. The overwhelming love and happiness of being together again flowed freely through the link in their minds.
"It's not like I've hid this from you."
It seemed so much simpler back then. They had promised to always be by each other's sides. Now it was all about saving the world and fulfilling destinies. He wanted desperately to go back to how it was before. Back when there was nothing threatening to separate them. Back when they could just be together, play games, and talk. Before they knew the spirit was a Pharaoh and before he had the responsibility of the world on his shoulders, literally.
"Please... Talk to me."
The young duelist had been trying for hours to get the spirit to talk to him. Was he being selfish? It was possible. But he knew the older one didn't want to go either. There was unspoken sadness that was growing through their link. The young man couldn't let his love go without a fight at the very least. He needed to show him that he wanted the spirit, regardless of the form he was in. So what if it wasn't a conventional relationship? At least they would be together.
"I know you want me too... So stop pushing me away!"
He sat in the darkening room pleading with his partner. The older man had shut him out. He refused to exit his sanctuary and shut off his side of their link. He thought if they could avoid talking about it maybe the issue would go away. He always tried so hard to keep his emotions inside, but his younger companion could see through that regal mask he wore.
The Nameless Pharaoh knew that their time together was coming to an end. He sat in the dark corridors of his soul room and listened to the painful words his partner was saying. He could hear everything. He could feel everything the other was sending him through their link, and it only made his decision that much harder.
"Other Me. We need to talk about this."
The young man saw a glimmer come from the corner of the Eye of Horus in the center of the puzzle. Almost like a tear drop, reflecting the sadness in the air. He stroked his thumb over the eye and smiled sadly. He had to get his love to talk to him. This silence was becoming unbearable.
He gently placed the puzzle down on the bed beside him and walked across the room to his desk. He looked down at all the playing cards. These cards and their love for this game strengthen their bond. He gathered a few of the well-worn cards and flipped through them. Each card contained a memory of a time it was used. "You say it's not in the cards, that your destiny will eventually take you away from me. I know I won't be able to go where you keep saying is where you belong but," He paused trying to say his next words carefully. He didn't want his voice to break. Once he let his emotions get the best of him there was no going back. "You don't have to go if you don't want to. You can stay here with me. You can still have my memories. Just like we used to talk about."
Yugi placed the cards back on the desk and froze as he turned around. He was there. The spirit had emerged from the puzzle. His translucent figure was sitting on the bed with his arms crossed; guarding the emotions he tried so hard to keep at bay. Neither moved a muscle. Their almost identical appearances made it seem like they were looking in a mirror. The younger man looked into the face of the one he loved. Those sharp features were always softer when looking at him. It was his eyes that always gave him away though. His face was neutral but his sharp eyes showed the pain he was feeling. Over the years Yugi prided himself on being able to read these mysterious eyes.
What was that look on his eyes now? Sadness? Hurt? Longing? Maybe it was a mixture of all three? "Yami."
The translucent figure looked away, unable to keep their eye contact. Yami wasn't sure if he could face his younger companion. Not with the decision he had made.
Yugi could feel through their connection that Yami was about to recede again. He needed to take his chance while he still had it. He needed to make the Pharaoh see that he didn't have to go. "Please don't go!" The spirit glanced back at him for a moment with those piercing eyes. Good. This was good. He was listening. Now what was he going to say? "I-I can't lose you. I won't let it happen. You've become such an important part of my life." His voice was beginning to betray him. It cracked slightly. He took a deep breath to regained his composure. "I don't care what they say. They keep telling you what your destiny is and its only driving a wedge between us. Well, do you know what my destiny is?" Now the spirit looked at him fully, curious over what the younger one had to say. "It's you," Yugi spoke in a whispered tone. "I want you... Forever. I believe we were meant to be together."
For a moment there was nothing. Silence. The only sound was Yugi's harsh breathing and the rain that fell against the skylight in the room. Yugi could see the internal battle Yami was having as his eyes shifted from the puzzle to him. Finally the spirit looked down and shook his head. Dear Ra, why did he have to be so stubborn? Then all at once, he was gone again.
Yugi ran back to the bed and snatched up the puzzle. The chain it was connected to rattled harshly as he shook it in anger. "You can't just hide from me! We need to talk about this!" Yugi yelled at the puzzle. "Fine! If you won't talk to me out here then I'm coming in there!"
Yugi focused hard and felt a heat come over his entire body. When he opened his eyes he was in his own soul room. The ground was littered with long forgotten childhood toys. He made his way through the mess and across the hall. He stood in front of the eerie door that lead to the Pharaohs soul room. It was a dull steel with intricate carvings and the same unsettling eye that was on the puzzle. He reached out with a shaky hand and grabbed the cold handle. The handle turned with surprising ease. He had expected it to be locked.
Yugi walked into the vast, stone labrynth. There were so many corridors, doors, and staircases in this place he often found himself lost trying to navigate it. He took a few more steps into the room and looked around. There was no sight of Yami. Shocking. He knew Yami was here though. He also knew that Yami could hear him.
Yami was trying his best to hide from the intruder. He was hoping Yugi would give up and leave. But Yugi was always a persistent one.
Yugi felt himself being pulled toward one of the halls to his right. This must have been where the spirit was hiding. He began his search while he continued to try to get through to the Pharaoh. Yami was listening, he just knew it. "It doesn't have to be like this! We don't have to let all of this get between us!" He rounded a corner and- Yes! At the end he could see Yami walking away from him. "Wait up!" The young duelist yelled out with no luck. The spirit kept walking. Yugi couldn't keep up as he watched Yami turn a corner. Yugi finally turned the same corner to enter another vast hall but it was empty.
The spirit knew how to navigate this place much better than his younger counter part. "You can't hide from me forever you know! Whether you want to admit it or not we have a connection that you just can't ignore." He stepped around another corner and caught a glimpse of blue from the outfit the spirit wore amongst the clay-colored walls. "Gotcha!"
But the spirit was too fast again and he was left standing alone in another hall. "Damnit. Yami please!" He ran down the hall. This was driving him crazy. The labyrinth never ended. Why wouldn't he just listen? "No one gets to tell us what we get in this world! If we want this we can have it!"
Hall after hall he ran. He climbed stair cases and often found himself stairing at a dead end. All the halls looked the same. He began to slow down, trying to catch his breath. He leaned his back on one of the cool, rough walls. He didn't know what else to say. Nothing was getting through to his partner. He leaned his head back against the cool stone, slid down until he was sitting and hugged his knees up to his chest. He was beginning to feel defeated. "Other me... Just listen to me. Tomorrow we leave for Cairo. Once we leave we might not get the chance to talk like this again." Yugi pleaded, "We might only have tonight."
"Do you think this is easy for me?"
Yugi jumped up at the sound of the familiar, baritone voice. He looked around but couldn't see where it was coming form. He knew he heard it, but from where? "Do you think I don't want us to have what we want?" He looked up. There he was, standing on the ledge of a hall one floor above his own looking down at him. "It's taking all I have in me not to run to you right now."
He was talking! This was good. Now he just had to keep him going. Yugi stood and looked up. "Then why are you holding back?" He was trying to think of a way to get up to Yami. The wall was too tall for the short man and there was no way he would be able to reach the ledge. Both of their halls ran parallel to each other but he couldn't find stairs to lead up there.
The older look alike shook his head again. "You don't understand, Partner." He began walking down the hall above. Yugi followed from below. "This is bigger than both of us." Yami began walking up staircase, further distancing himself from Yugi and ignoring his pleas. He stopped in front of a door and reached out for a handle. Without looking back he spoke softly, "Sometimes we can't have what we want the most."
"Yami wait!" But he was gone. He disappeared through one of the hundreds of mysterious doors. Yugi couldn't figure out how to get up there to follow him. Suddenly there was a chilling pressure on his shoulder, making him jump again. Yugi glanced to the side to see Yami's hand on his shoulder. He could feel it and not feel it at the same time. This was the ghostly pressure that he came to know as the Spirits.
Then there was a familiar voice was in his ear. "I know you think that we can be together." Yami's saddened voice floated into Yugi's ear. He was standing very close behind him and a shiver ran up Yugi's spine. He wasn't sure if it was because Yami was so close or if it was his cool, whispy breath in his ear.
Yugi turned so could look up at his face. Normally it showed confident and stern features. Now it was only pain. Yugi knew it was killing him to say these things.
"When we are in here we are able to be together. We can have whatever we want. We can even almost touch each other here." Yami brought his hand up and caressed the smaller ones cheek. Yugi leaned his face into the cold touch. The muted pressure on his face sent another welcomed chill through his body.
Yami wished it could always be like this. Just the two of them. "One day you are going to realize this was a hopeless dream. You don't deserve this kind of relationship. You deserve someone better." It almost broke him to say these words. He wanted nothing more then to give Yugi everything he deserved. But as long as he was trapped inside this puzzle, he couldn't do that. He was nothing more then a spirit of a long dead Pharaoh.
Yugi grabbed his wrists before he could walk away again. "It's not hopeless though! We can be together." The tears were beginning to cloud his sight.
"How?" Yami begged. "How can you possibly think that we can be together and be happy?" What was that in his voice? If the Pharaoh wasn't so good at controlling his emotions he might have sounded like he was about to cry. "You don't understand what you're asking for..."
"I do understand! I understand that this is all I want!" In this moment nothing else mattered. "I don't want anyone else!" Yugi couldn't think of anything else in the world he would or even could want. Nothing was more important to him then this man. He had to make Yami see that!
Yami nudged out of Yugi's grip and took a step back. "Sometimes we don't get what we want," he replied sadly.
Yugi closed the distance between them and threw his arms around Yami's waist. Yami was startled by the younger ones boldness and hesitantly returned the embrace. He knew that Yugi was only this bold when he was truly passionate about something.
Yugi burried his face in the cold, ghostly fabric of Yami's shirt. When he spoke it was slightly muffled. "We can have anything if we fight hard enough for it! And I'm willing to fight for us! You are the one I am meant to be with!" Yugi's grip tightened and he whispered, "You used to say that I was the one you wanted to be with."
"That was before." Yami broke away from Yugi's embrace, unable to stand being so close to the man he wanted but couldn't have. "It was before I knew about my destiny."
"That's a load of crap and you know it," Yugi yelled back angrily. Why couldn't he get through Yami's thick skull! "We get a say is what happens to us. You can't just give up." Was Yami giving up on them? No. Yami never gave up on anything. But what if- "You used to promise me how we would always be together... and how you wanted nothing more then to stay with me. Lately you refuse to confide in me. You've been so wrapped up in this 'pharaoh destiny stuff' we barely get to talk anymore."
The Pharaoh refused to respond. He didn't trust his own voice anymore. This was killing him. Nothing prepared him for Yugi's next words though.
Yugi's small voice seemed to echo loudly through the quiet halls. "Sometimes I wonder if you actually care about me at all anymore."
Yami whipped his head toward Yugi, shocked at his confession. How could Yugi think he didn't care? Yami grabbed the younger man's arm, terrified that he might walk away after saying those words. He spoke and the pain was clear in his voice. "You know exactly how I feel about you."
There it was. The unspoken feelings they had for one another. The feelings they sent between their link weren't enough anymore. Theses feelings needed to be exchanged in the open before their bond was broken for good.
Yugi needed to hear it. He needed the Pharaoh to acknowledge his true feelings and maybe if he got the Pharaoh to say it, he would realize he couldn't leave. "Say it then."
"What?"
"Say it!" Yugi urged him, "You have these cryptic ways of telling me what I mean to you and you send me all these emotions through the link but you need to say it! I know you want to tell me but you end up finding some way to spout that stupid destiny crap! You used to tell me exactly how you really felt. Ever since this Pharaoh stuff you refuse to confide in me. Just say it! Tell me how you really feel." Yugi was shouting now, unable to control his frustration. He was reaching his limit. Instead of hearing what he wanted, there was nothing. A deafening silence. Yami just stood there with his eyes closed. His grip on Yugi's arm tightened slightly before letting go completely. Yugi gasped at the loss. "Yeah... that's what I thought." Yugi couldn't believe it. Yami was just going to let it end this way.
Yugi let out a sob and couldn't hold back the tears now. He turned to run and only made it a few steps before he heard Yami's voice again.
It was almost a whisper. If it hadn't have been so silent inside the puzzle he might not have even heard it at all.
"I don't want to leave you."
Yugi stopped but refused to turn around. He didn't want Yami to see his tears.
"You mean more to me then anything. I love you."
Yugi sucked in his breath. He replayed the words in head just to make sure he heard him right. He actually said it. Maybe there was still a chance.
He turned slowly. When he spoke he tried hard to keep his voice from cracking. "Then why do you think it would be better if you left? And stop giving me that stupid line of 'it's my destiny'. We get to control what happens in our lives. We can write our destinies the way we want them to end."
Yami closed the distance between them. It killed him to see Yugi cry. He reached up with both hands and wiped away the stray tears with his thumbs. Yugi shivered again. Yami knew it was because of his touch. The younger one was always so sensitive to his touch. "How?" His voice cracked. He looked lost. He was trapped in his emotions now and he couldn't find his way out. He was drowning and he didn't know what to do.
Yugi pressed himself against Yami. Yugi's wrapped his arms around Yami's waist and he was relieved when he felt the pressure returned agian. "I don't know but we will find a way. We will I promise."
Yami buried his faced in his light's hair. He smiled at his partner's words. "Always so positive."
Yugi laughed lightly through the tears. "Well, one of has to be."
One only wanted the other.
One only wanted the best for the other.
They talked for what felt like hours. The two men went back and forth on what to do. They couldn't agree. Right now they were seated at the bottom of a stair case, both looking at the ground.
"We don't need all that stuff. The only thing I want from a relationship is you."
"Partner we have to be realistic." Yami looked to the side. "You shouldn't have to live a life like this if I stay. You should be free to have a real relationship. You should be able to go out and have a real life."
Yugi shook his head quickly, sure of what he wanted. "You're all I've ever wanted. All I want for the future. I told you I don't care about any of that."
The pharaoh gave a small smile before frowning yet again. "And you are all I want. But I just don't see this ending well for us."
"I don't see this ending well if you leave."
Another moment of silence enveloped them as they tried helplessly to find a solution.
Yami was the first to speak this time. "You have no idea what it would be like if I stayed." He couldn't condemn Yugi to a life inside the puzzle. This was his burden, not Yugi's.
"Of course I do!" Yugi stood and faced Yami. He reached out for Yami's hands tugged him to his feet. Yugi hugged him again, wrapping his arms around Yami's neck this time. "If you stayed we could be together," His voice was dying down into a whisper, "always."
Yugi was looking up into the Pharaohs eyes. They were so similar to his own yet they were so much stronger. He looked up and put all his effort into showing how much he loved the other man in his gaze.
Yami was getting lost in the eyes of the man in his arms. These amethyst-colored eyes were all he wanted. He wanted to be able to stare into them forever. The kindness and love they always showed him was a beacon of light and hope in his otherwise hectic, dark life. "I want nothing more than this Partner."
Yugi's smiled. He was finally making progress. "Please say you'll stay Other Me. Please say you will be with me always."
Yami smiled at the sound of his nickname. He tighten his grip on the man that held his heart. The Pharaoh loved this feeling of closeness. It sent a feeling of radiating warmth into his cold soul. His light and his warmth. He suddenly felt the need to be closer. Yami brought up a hand and cupped Yugi's round cheek.
Yugi hummed happily at the loving touch of his other half. This was the first time they had embraced like this and he loved it. This is all he ever wanted. Just to be held in the arms of the man that protected him and made him feel safe. His eyes ran over the sharp feature on Yami's face and they stopped at the sight of his lips that were curved into a genuine smile.
This was the first time in so long that Yugi saw a real smile from the Pharaoh and it sent a new feeling of tingling heat into his chest. Normally his presence brought a chill, but now there was a strange new warmth in his chest that spread straight up to the blush that was forming on his cheeks.
Yami was loving the way Yugi was looking at him. "I want to." Yes, Yami wanted to stay here, forgotten were all the worries about having to protect Yugi from himself. He never wanted to abandon his light. He wanted to hold him and love him. His hand gently caressed Yugi's blushing cheek and his thumb gently ran across his silky, soft lips.
Yugi's breath hitched at the contact. Yami had never held him like this before but he wished he would never stop.
They were so close and that Yugi was sure he would feel Yami's breath on his face if the spirit could breathe. His chest heaved against the spirits. Their stare became so intense that Yugi had to close his eyes. A tingling sensation went through his stomach and he tried hard to steady his increasing breathing. "So… Just stay…"
Yugi gasped at the unexpected contact. A spark spread from his lips to his chest. Yami had leaned forward to place a soft, cool kiss on Yugi's lips. They both let out a barely audible gasp. He only meant it to be quick but Yugi wanted more. The contact was so brief and strange to the younger one. He had expected it to have more pressure but he suspected this is what ghostly lips would only ever feel like. That strange touch the Pharaoh had of being and not being was still there but that spark drowned out that missing physical contact. Yugi's arms instinctively tightened around Yami's neck. With their faces so close, Yugi only hand to reach up slightly to capture the Pharoah in his own, deeper kiss.
Yami couldn't help but moan into the kiss. He couldn't get enough of this warmth. Their lips brushed against one another over and over as they became lost in these new and welcomed feelings. Never had either felt so connected to another. They were only forced apart by Yugi's need for air.
They needed more. They wanted more, more of each other. Yami was completely lost in it now. All rational thought was out the window.
When the kiss broke, both were out of breath. Yami rested his forehead against Yugi's, not wanting to break their contact. That was amazing. More connection than he had ever felt before but it was also like it didn't happen at all. It was so ghostly. He could feel their souls touching but physically nothing was there. He was just a spirit after all. He was technically dead. His spirit was only in this world because it was trapped inside the puzzle.
Suddenly he was torn from the happiness that engulfed him and it was replaced with the pain of guilt. He could never be enough for his love. He could never give him a full life or a full relationship. He couldn't do this to Yugi. He couldn't keep him from a full life. It broke him to decide that he needed to let Yugi move on. He was only seventeen. He had his whole life ahead of him. One day he would realize what a huge mistake this was and Yami couldn't bare to think of that kind of rejection. Yugi would realize that he wanted more and Yami would be forced to reside in the lonely confines of the puzzle as it collected dust, forgotten.
If he had to be the bad guy, then so be it. Yugi would understand one day.
Yami had made his decision. He had to let Yugi go, even if it broke both their hearts. "Yugi... You know exactly how much I want you. I will tell you as much as you want but the reality is," Yami paused, almost unable say it. It pained him to even think it. "We can't be together. We've let it come to far already. We need to stop this before we get hurt even more." Yami knew if he opened his eyes he would be able to see the shattered eyes of the one he loved most.
"Yami no-" But his plea was cut short. Yami simply couldn't hear his love hurt like this anymore. He couldn't argue about this anymore. He needed to stick to his decision. He couldn't be put through the torture of hurting his partner for a moment longer.
Yami released Yugi from their hug but held onto his hands instead. He forced his eyes shut. "Please Yugi. There is no getting around this. We are going to end up hurting each other even more." Yami squeezed Yugi's hands a little tighter. He could feel his tears coming down his own cheeks. He had tried so hard not to give in but he just couldn't hold back anymore. "My mind is made up. My hands are tied and there is no way around this." He let go and Yugi felt his body warm up again as he was transported out of the puzzle.
When Yugi opened his eyes he was looking up at his ceiling. He was laying on his bed now. Tears started flowing freely at the rejection he received. All he could do was curl up into a ball and accept the pain coursing through his body. He tried so hard to convince Yami they were meant to stay together but it was all for nothing. Why did it have to be like this? Why weren't they able to have the life they deserved? Why were the Gods being so cruel? They sent him his perfect match but in the worst possible way. Someone he could never truly be able to be with. He wished Yami would come and hold him.
But that was the problem, wasn't it? Yami could never truly hold him. This wasn't fair. It wasn't fair to either of them. But he didn't care about that. Just hearing his voice was enough to comfort him.
With the link in their minds open again, Yami could feel the pain Yugi was experiencing. He materialized in an almost translucent form and sat carefully next to Yugi. "Please don't cry, Partner." Yami hadn't planned coming out of the puzzle but he refused to let his Partner suffer like this alone. "I know it hurts now but... It's for the best." Yami couldn't help but feel like it was a lie.
Yugi body racked as he sobbed. He wasn't even trying to hold it back now. "It's j-just n-not fair."
Yami sat on the bed next to his heartbroken partner. "I know but…" He wasn't sure what he could say to fix this. What he did know was that he didn't want to waste what time they had left together. "Hey, I'm not gone yet. I don't know when it'll happen. Please," Yami pleaded, tears threatening in his own eyes again, "Let's enjoy the time we have left together."
Yugi took a moment to think about it. Yugi could only nod in response, his tears slowing but refusing to stop all together. He may not have Yami forever, but he didn't want to waste the time he had left arguing about it. He would enjoy every minute left he had with this man.
Yami gave a soft smile and lay down next to him. Yami lifted a transparent arm and Yugi scooter closer to him, careful not to put too much pressure so he wouldn't go right through Yami. As Yami rested his arm against Yugi's skin, Yugi shivered.
Yugi could feel the chill of his spirit and but welcomed it now. This chill meant he was close to the one he loved.
Their tear-stained faces were only inches apart. Yami gave Yugi a ghostly kiss on the forehead, "Thank you."
Yugi sniffed as he rubbed more tears from his eyes. "I love you."
"I know."
And just like that, this was just the way it had to end.
Please don't be mad! It hurt me to write this sadness. Like I said I have big plans for this story! If you want to know what they are leave me feedback on this chapter so I know if you liked it!
