The Art of Emotion
Author's Notes: This is all Lucidscreamer and SkyTV's fault. Like I really needed another voice in my headspace...
It was rare that Yami bothered to pay attention to what his Hikari was doing during an average school day - unless there was a Duel in the offering, of course. Most of the time, he found the subjects in class were either incomprehensible to him, or simply boring. It was an opinion his light occasionally shared - particularly when it came to subjects like Algebra.
Today, however, he had felt a rare excitement in the fast-flowing current of Yugi's bubbling emotions. He was always careful to keep track of how his aibou was feeling, even when he was in the depths of his soul room, effectively cut off from the real world, he could always feel the constant sparkle of his other half. So, intrigued by Yugi's excitement, Yami surfaced briefly, and after checking that this was neither a duel nor an indication of danger, his curiosity took over, and he sent a silent question over their bond.
/It's nothing to worry about, Yami./ Yugi had cheerfully replied//I'll show you when we get home/
Several hours later, they had arrived back in Yugi's room above the Kame Game Shop.
"What
is this, Aibou?" Yami asked curiously, peering through Yugi's
eyes at the thick, crackling paper Yugi had just mounted on the large
easel he had set up in his room. Yugi ducked his head slightly,
feeling colour mount up his pale cheeks,
"It's for art class,
Yami. The Art History assignment. We have to draw a picture in a
historical style..." He trailed off.
Taking a brief liberty,
Yami reached out with his partner's hands and touched the paper,
feeling the familiar texture under his fingers.
"Papyrus..."
He exclaimed softly, "You chose the Egyptian style, aibou?"
Yugi blushed even harder,
"Yeah," He said softly.
Yami smiled, "You honour me, my light. What is it you are
going to draw?"
Yugi shifted, his face flaming. He took a
deep breath.
"You." He said as he began to take the
books he was using for reference out of his bag, piling them on the
desk and bed, opening them to useful pictures. Some of them were art
books, some Grandpa's Egyptology books...and there was one
photocopied picture of the tablet from the Museum - the tablet of the
Nameless Pharaoh. Yugi didn't let his gaze linger on the image of
that tablet, though he could feel his other half's surprise - well,
it was the only picture of Yami that was available.
Carefully laying out his drawing materials, he looked carefully at the vivid pictures in his Grandfather's books, taking in the stylised way all the figures were represented;
The face was always in profile, both shoulders were in view, as were both feet, it should have looked awkward and wrong, but somehow it didn't. It looked graceful, elegant...beautiful - much like the person he was about to draw, in fact. Yugi reached for his pencil to begin sketching in an outline.
"It would be more accurate, aibou, if you were to use the charcoal for the outline." Yami interrupted his concentration. Yugi looked up, realising the spirit had detached himself and now hovered in front of the easel. Yugi looked quizzical, but picked up the charcoal anyway.
"Apprentice scribes used to use charred sticks to write with, that way it was easier to rub out their mistakes." Yami explained with a smile.
"That make's sense," Yugi nodded and hesitantly began putting charcoal to papyrus, "So, you do remember some of your life in Egypt?" He asked, stealing occasional glances at the semi-transparent form of his other half to try and get the picture right, and admiring how Yami didn't seem at all concerned to be a subject of a painting, in fact, he seemed to be almost enjoying it, even through he currently had a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Not much," Yami said at last, "It's like remembering a dream. All that remains are impressions, vague images, feelings...nothing more." He sighed.
Yugi looked at him, seeing the sadness in those glittering garnet eyes. He turned back to his picture and said softly,
"I understand." He began, "My...my memories of my Dad are like that." Yugi gripped the charcoal a little tighter, though careful not to break the delicate rod. He had never spoken of his father with anyone - not even Joey.
Yami felt the wave of sadness, regret and loss from his Hikari, feelings so much like the ones he had for his lost kingdom, sympathy flowed easily.
"I am sorry." Yami said simply, sincerely, his soft, deep voice almost caressing the words. Yugi straightened slightly,
"It's ok...it was a long time ago...but I wish I could remember more about him."
Yami considered that, and realised he wanted to know more, he wanted to know everything about his aibou, "What do you remember, Yugi?"
Yugi paused for a moment in his drawing and his eyes went slightly distant for a moment,
"I remember the smell of his aftershave, the sound of his voice singing me to sleep...and I remember him holding me when I couldn't sleep..."
A flash of memory came to him then, a sudden vivid image of himself curled up in the warmth of his father's arms, sobbing in terror after a terrible nightmare, his Dad's gentle voice singing a soothing lullaby, trying to lull him back towards sleep...sleep that held such terrible images of silent, unending blackness, violent, freezing loneliness that yearned towards a light that would never come...Yugi cried harder.
From out in the hallway, low voices exchanged an urgent conversation,
"This can't go on. He's barely sleeping at all, it isn't good for his development..." His mother whispered worriedly,
"I know," His Grandfather replied just as quietly, "But the doctor doesn't know what else to do. He's too young to be given drugs..."
"I know,
father…but there has to be something else we can do." His mother
said in quiet desperation.
"What are you suggesting?"
"Well…"
the words trailed away as Yugi fought against sleep that had again
come to claim him…
The stick of charcoal broke in Yugi's
sudden tight grip, his amethyst eyes wide and distant. Yami
frantically waved a semi-transparent hand in front of his partner's
face.
"Yugi! Aibou, answer me! Yugi!" There was no response,
Yugi seemed lost in a dream. Frantically, Yami tried calling him
through the soul-link.
/YUGI/
Finally, blessedly, Yugi
snapped out of his trance and turned his bewildered violet gaze on
Yami's concerned face.
"I saw him…" Yugi murmured, tears
threatening to spill over onto his pale cheeks, "I could never
remember…but I saw him." Yugi's eyes finally seemed to regain
some of their focus, "I was dreaming…dreaming of shadows."
Yami reached out to touch's Yugi's face, caressing it gently.
Yugi leaned into that phantom touch, seeking comfort from his
darkness.
But that tender touch was interrupted by Solomon's
voice calling out that dinner was ready.
Yami cupped Yugi's soft
face in one insubstantial hand.
"We will talk later, aibou."
He murmured, Yugi nodded his acknowledgement and Yami vanished back
into his soul room, leaving only a faint sense of a chill in the air.
Yugi took several deep breaths to calm himself before he wandered
down to the kitchen
End of Chapter One
