Joey glanced over his shoulder and caught a glimpse of his friends face as the two of them entered the hospital. He mused that less than a year ago, Yugi was carefree, almost innocent in the way he acted and spoke, but now something had changed. The boy's attitudes had changed from the moment he'd been forced into that duel with Kaiba. The need to rescue his grandfather had driven him on then, and although he'd escaped Pegasus' Kingdom, he still saw life as a fight. A fight to know the story of the Egyptian Pharaoh residing within him.
The sliding doors glided open as Joey and Yugi entered the surgically white building (appropriate for a hospital), and presented the weary-looking receptionist with their ID, whereupon they were instructed to head up to the third floor "without any card games this time!". Suffice to say Joey and Yugi had grown bored the last time they visited and conducted an impromptu tournament played by several patients.
The door to Serenity's room was left ajar as they approached, leading to Joey's acute sense that something was amiss. Only a few feet from the door, Joey casually called out "Serenity! It's your best brother and the King Of Games here to see y-" before being asphyxiated by Tristan's arm as he raced out of the door, followed closely by an over-zealous porter yelling rapidly into a walkie-talkie. "Individual does NOT have ID, intercept on stairwell B in 15 seconds!". "How low the military have fallen", remarked Yugi to Joey, who responded with a nervous laugh. "Y'know I hate it when you use them big words! And jeez, will he ever just ask my sister out if he's that into her?". It was now Yugi's turn to give an awkward smile, as the thought of Tristan and Serenity gave him an uncomfortable feeling down in his stomach. Serenity was a lovely girl, although inconvenienced by her blindness, and it pained Yugi to think of her falling for Tristan.
"Only a blind girl would ever want me" thought Yugi as the pair crossed the boundary separating Serenity from the outside world. Yugi had long ago denounced his belief in God, but he found himself resenting the idea now, knowing what had been done to the beautiful Serenity and hating that anyone might have to endure the inability to see the beauty around them.
No. He had to stop thinking like this and focus his efforts on discovering the Pharaoh's secrets. The strange man known as Shadi had shown a little of his mind to Yugi only a few weeks ago, yet huge gaps remained in the story and left more confusion than ever in their wake. The man inhabiting Yugi's Millennium Puzzle was known only as Yami had only a small amount of knowledge remaining of his past, including his being an Egyptian Pharaoh.
"Hello Joey and Yugi, I've missed you so much!" exclaimed Serenity with apparent glee as the pair approached the bed. She sat up and received a long hug from Joey, grinning the whole time. The two hadn't spent this much time together since before their parents split up, and it was a heart-warming sight, if in bad circumstances, to see their affection for one another. Yugi shoved his hands into his pockets due to a sudden feeling of not having a clue where to put them, and stared at the floor. Maybe it was hospitals? He'd certainly felt alright when he'd arrived, but now his guts were doing back-flips.
The friends sat down near Serenity's feet, recounting to her tales of their adventures (if you called that nightmare an adventure) in Duellist Kingdom. Exchanging jokes about Weevil Underwood's voice seemed particularly amusing to Joey, a distraction that abruptly ended when an irate nurse threatened to eject them from the premises if they wouldn't stop laughing so loudly. Yugi told the true story of his final duel with Pegasus, figuring he could entrust the secrets of his Millennium Eye to his best friend and Serenity, a girl he felt he could trust with anything.
Serenity sat up between the pair, placing one hand on Yugi's shoulder to steady herself. Yugi felt a jolt of electricity run down his spine, rendering him paralysed for a moment- a feeling he hadn't experienced as far back as he could remember. The thought struck him like a thunderclap. What if... these feelings he was experiencing... were caused by Serenity? Joey would never forgive him. Of course, Joey wouldn't know yet, but it was bound to come out eventually. It hit him again. He loved Serenity. He loved Serenity. He had to repeat it in his head to overcome the dizziness he was enduring. This was unlike any of the tests he'd experienced, even while trying to rescue his friends and Grandpa. This was different, an empty longing, and all for a girl who had never seen his face.
"I...I need the bathroom." stammered Yugi, before hurrying off for some air. "What do you think is wrong with him? He's never usually pale like that?" muttered Joey to Serenity, in a way that suggested something was amiss. "Last time I saw him behaving like this his grandpa had been kidnapped!"
Out in the hallway, Yugi attempted to get a hold of himself for a moment, before taking a deep breath and deciding to suppress his feelings. He could never have anything with Serenity, and he knew that. Both the strain on Joey's emotions and (bad though it sounded) her disability prevented Yugi from taking any action. The moment she removed her bandages and saw him for who he was she'd panic and never talk to him again. Tristan liked Serenity and everyone knew it. What if she rejected Yugi and told Tristan? All sense of civility would be lost between them. He was a stupid boy- but no. Not just a boy. A duellist. And a damn good one, he thought, grinning as for a moment he held his Millennium Puzzle. He would get over this, and he and Serenity would be friends. Just friends, like everyone expected them to be. Like they SHOULD be. He cleared his throat to steady his voice and re-entered the ward.
"Heya Yugi, welcome back! What was up with you a moment ago, you were all pale?" inquired Joey. "Oh nothing, I just don't like hospitals, I guess" came the response. "Well I've just been told we gotta leave, so say your goodbyes and we're outta here! I'll wait downstairs, don't be late!". Joey was his usual energetic self, and though Yugi desperately wanted to join in, he found his thoughts drifting back towards the Serenity-zone.
"W-well I guess I'd better be going in a minute, Serenity, wouldn't want to keep your brother waiting..." Yugi stepped over his things to hug her goodbye, stumbling slightly as he did so, and managed an awkward hug- a hug nevertheless- sending another jolt down his back. This time he wasn't going to run, or be scared. He had to make this moment alone count. Sitting down on the bed cover he moved a hand down to grip hers, then leaned in. She smiled softly as their lips brushed, then met in the middle. By now Yugi's hands were shaking with nerves, but Serenity offered no resistance as their embrace continued, undisturbed except for the sound of their breathing.
They finally broke apart after seconds that had seemed like minutes, and Yugi gasped for breath. "That... that shouldn't have happened, Serenity. I'm sorry."
"Yugi, wait-" started Serenity, as he bolted out of the door, skidding on the wet floor as he went, before the entrance shut and Yugi headed home, the thoughts of the nights events still swirling around in his mind.
"Well well, Yugi, looks like somebody's got a little secret..." came a voice. Yugi panicked for a split second, before coming to the sudden realisation that the voice was his own- or at least, in his possession. The Pharaoh must have been quietly observing the whole scene. Feeling uncomfortable, he made a point of removing the Puzzle whenever he visited Serenity again. IF he visited Serenity again.
Never mind that now. It could wait. For now, ecstasy took Yugi by the hand and led him in a near skip to the foyer, where Joey waited for his arrival- it was late, and down town Domino City was reputably dangerous at night. None of that mattered to Yugi, for in this state he felt he could take on a whole biker gang and win. All that remained was to keep his "little secret" safe from those who could exploit it. Pegasus had used Yugi's loved ones in the past, and nothing was to say anyone wouldn't do it again. Joey would be fairly murderous, and Tristan might flip. Yugi took one last glance up at Serenity's window three floors above, and wondered if that poor girl knew of the significance of that night.