A/N: Hello Loves! I'm back with a one-shot. Had a plot bunny jumping around in my head that would not leave me alone. Bugger just kept poking my brain until I said, "Fine! Let me just sit down and write it." So here it is. I hope you like it. Thank you for your support, for reading, for favoriting and following me. Please leave comments on your way out to let me know what you think about this one-shot. I appreciate you!
Warning: Minor language and a dash of yaoi
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! I only own the plot!
The door slammed so hard the windows raddled, picture frames were knocked off center, and a residual wave of energy crashed through the room. A young male in his late 20's stood in the center of living room, seething. His normally pale porcelain cheeks were red and splotchy. His ebony, amethyst, and blonde tri-colored hair unkempt and frizzy. Large amethyst eyes glassed over with the fury that burned within. His raging headache only served to make matters worse. Yugi had had one of the most stressful and infuriating days of his life. If it could go wrong, it not only went wrong... it went horribly and horrifically wrong.
The day started out with spilling a cup of freshly brewed coffee on his white button-up shirt. Yugi wasn't sure if he was more upset about having to change his shirt or wasting a perfectly good and much needed cup of coffee. After changing his shirt and running out towards his car, he noticed a scribbled note left on his windshield bitching about something or other. He was tired of his neighbors constantly complaining about every little thing such as: "Don't park in front of my house!" "Your trash barrels are one centimeter over the line. They are on my property!" "Keep your bees in your own yard!" Yugi sighed and crumpled up the note, not even bothering to read it. The petite male climbed into his car and turned the ignition, waiting only a few seconds for his smart phone to sync to his car and begin blasting his favorite playlist. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he put his car into gear and started his journey to work.
Yugi let the music flood his senses and calm him. His voice rung out, joining the musicians in singing the chorus albeit off-key. He didn't care. It was his car. He would sing as loudly and as off-key as he wanted. His smile fell and his hands tightened on the steering wheel. He slammed on the break to avoid rear-ending the asshole who had cut him off. So much for his improved mood.
He was welcomed at work by an email informing him that an order he had placed for a customer was incorrect. Yugi scoffed. He knew the situation. The order was correct and he didn't need anyone else telling him how to do his job. The moment the order issue was figured out, several other huge projects were placed on his desk courtesy of his supervisor. Two well defined ebony eyebrows furrowed in frustration. Large amethyst glared over his shoulder in his 'supervisor's' direction. He didn't know what the man did, but it wasn't work. Hell, he even had a co-worker mention to him that if they didn't know any better, they would have placed Yugi as the supervisor over his team. Which told him a detail he already knew. His boss was lazy and Yugi was taking on most of the supervisor's duties in addition to being expected to do his own. As of late, Yugi had felt overworked, underappreciated, and well underpaid.
The moment the petite male plopped down in his chair, the shrill ring of his phone demanded his attention. Yugi sighed and answered the phone only to find himself the punching bag for this customer. Yugi's black pen doodled deep angry designs into his notepad while he listed to the customer go on and on and on. It took him over 20 minutes to calm the customer down and to even make any kind of progress with the individual.
The rest of the day prattled on much in the same manner. Last minute projects that were due five minutes ago found their way onto his desk, his team members asking him to review their work or answer a complex question for them, an hour long conversation with a specific customer that loved to play the 'eternal victim.' Even with all of that, what really set him off was when a specific task was delegated to his supervisor wound up as his responsibility without any further communication from said supervisor. The amount of work they expected of him was impossible.
Yugi grit his teeth and paced the length of his living room, fighting the urge to throw things and punch holes in the drywall as his thoughts returned to his stressful day at work. His vision faded in and out of focus. He had to get out. He had to let off some steam or he would end up destroying his home... his sanctuary. The petite male pulled his long tri-colored hair back into a pony tale and discarded his business casual work attire in favor of a black t-shirt and black jogging pants. Yugi pulled on his tennis shoes, grabbed his phone and earbuds, and headed out into the waning sunlight.
The petite male performed a few short stretches before cranking up the volume of a fast paced playlist on his phone and started on his way. Dr. Feelgood by the Motley Crue blasted in his ears. Yugi sighed, already feeling the stress of the day subside. He ran down the driveway and turned left, heading towards the dog park down the street. There was an entrance to a trail that he loved to jog located at the dog park. The cool spring twilight beckoned Yugi onward, encouraging him to forget his troubles and escape into nature.
Yugi jogged onto the trail entrance and headed up the hill into the wooded area. It wasn't far before the path split into two directions, he could either go straight into the next neighborhood or he could go further up onto the mountain and run near the ledge, overlooking the valley bellow. With the darkness surrounding him, he wanted a better view of the night sky and the stars. He just had to go up. Yugi turned and continued his jog up the trail, following it up and around until he found himself at another dog park with a bench located near the top of the hill. The petite man didn't bother stopping, he tossed his head up and watched the stars awaken from their daytime rest. They twinkles and shined down on him, welcoming him like an old friend.
Yugi stumbled and chuckled, regaining his balance. A light pink painted his cheeks as he recalled he was jogging and should be paying attention to his footing. There were countless potholes along the trail. They may not be very big, but they could easily sprain an ankle. Yugi took a deep breath in and let it out, feeling his heart rate climb with his increased speed. He arrived at the end of the trail and turned right, making his way down the street and down into the valley. The street lights were few and far between in his neighborhood. One thing Yugi did love about his neighborhood was the darkness. It made the night sky that much easier to see.
An occasional passing car would drive by. Yugi paid little attention to them. He was lost in his own endorphin induced euphoric world. Sweat trickled down his back and down the sides of his face. He removed his shirt and used it to wipe his face. He flung the fabric over his shoulder and continued his jog.
He turned down another street that ran through the valley and headed back in the direction of his own street. There weren't any houses along this street. It was really only used to get from the surrounding neighborhoods to the primary street further down in the valley.
Amethyst flickered to a set of headlights driving down the street towards him. They passed him just like the other handful of cars had. Only, this one came to a screeching stop. The sound of the tires squealing against the asphalt loud enough to pierce through Yugi's loud music. He arched an eyebrow and glanced curiously over his shoulder. The car was stopped in the center of the street. It just sat there. Yugi shook his head, confused. The petite man returned his attention to the direction he was jogging.
A few minutes trickled by and a car slowly drove up next to Yugi. Confused and cautious amethyst darted to the car, eyeing it suspiciously. It drove next to him for over a minute before the window rolled down. Yugi's heart pounded in his chest as he approached the open window.
"Can I help you?" Yugi glanced in and was met with a striking pair of sharp crimson soul piercing eyes that belonged to a sun-kissed muscular man with tri-colored hair much like Yugi's. This man's tri-colored hair consisted of primarily black strands tipped in crimson and framed with blonde bangs; some of the blonde bangs stood up with the rest of his spiked hair.
"There is someone following you," a deep serious baritone voice spoke quietly.
"Yeah, you are," Yugi motioned to the stranger.
"No, not me. There is someone behind you," the man tilted his head back towards where Yugi had just come from.
Amethyst surveyed the dimly lit street. He shook his head, "I don't see anyone."
"That doesn't change the fact that there is someone there. You need to get in the car right now," the baritone suggested firmly.
"Why should I? I don't know you and for all I know, you could be the one following me," Yugi folded his arms defiantly across his chest.
"I don't mean you any harm. I noticed someone watching you and following you. I got a bad feeling and stopped to help. Please get in the car," the man requested.
Yugi bit his lip and shifted from one foot to the other, "How do I know I can trust you?"
The man reached into his glove box, causing Yugi to jump back; unsure of what the man was reaching for. The crimson eyed male withdrew a black leather wallet looking item and flipped the cover open with a jerk of his wrist. A large golden badge caught the dim light of the nearest streetlamp, "My name is Atem Sennen. I am a cop and I'm telling you, someone is following you."
Yugi scanned the direction he came from. It was dark and eerily quiet. Too quiet. A chill raced down his spine and caused his whole body to shiver. The petite male opened the car door and slid into the passenger seat. Atem's eyes flickered to his review mirror and back down to the road, hitting the gas pedal. "Where do you live?"
Yugi gulped, "Two blocks down the street, take a right."
Atem nodded and drove in the direction Yugi instructed, "I'm sorry to have scared you."
"Thank you for your help," Yugi commented quietly, shivers wrecking havoc on his petite form.
"You're welcome," Atem nodded and sent a reassuring smile at Yugi. Crimson eyed each of the houses, "Which one is yours?"
Yugi pointed, "That one." The cop nodded and pulled up to Yugi's domicile.
"Make sure to lock your doors," Atem instructed, worry still visible in his deep crimson pools.
"Thank you again," Yugi shut the door and headed towards the front door.
"Wait," Atem called. Yugi turned to face him, leaning up against the car window. Atem dug in his wallet and withdrew a small white card, "this is my business card. It has my cell phone on it. Call me if you have any other troubles with someone harassing you." Yugi accepted the card and nodded slowly, reading the details on the card. "By the way, what is your name?"
"Yugi," the petite male responded.
"It was nice to meet you, Yugi," Atem held out his hand.
"Likewise," Yugi accepted his hand and blinked in surprise at the strength behind his grip. "Well, thank you again," Yugi blushed holding up the card, stealing one last look and committing to memory the sexy crimson eyed man with the divine voice.
"Goodnight, Yugi," Atem smiled.
"Goodnight," Yugi turned and made his way to the door. A fleeting look over his shoulder informed him that Atem had stayed in front of his house and watched him until he was safe inside. While he wanted to see Atem again, he wasn't a huge fan of the idea that someone had been following him for who knows how long. The amethyst eyed man double and triple checked the locks on his windows and doors before settling in for the night.
\/\/\/
Yugi stared up into the darkness of his room, unsure of what had drawn him out of sleep. Now that he was awake, he couldn't get back to sleep. The petite male stretched his stiff limbs; his sigh drifting past his lips only to be swallowed by the silent darkness surrounding him.
He tossed the comforter and sheet off, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. He picked up his phone and pushed a button to illuminate the device. 2:07 am flashed on the screen. Yugi grunted and returned his phone to the night stand. He made his way through the house, not bothering to turn on the lights. He didn't need to. He knew the layout by heart. His fingers traced the walls until the smooth wooden banister met his fingertips. He silently descended the stairs and headed for the kitchen for a glass of water. The carpet underfoot changed to cool tile upon his entry into the kitchen. Yugi's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Had he forgotten to close the back door last night?
Yugi cocked his head to the side and looked around him. Nothing had been disturbed. He shrugged, pulling the sliding glass door shut and flipping the small lever to lock it. He had to have forgotten to close and lock the back door the previous night. The petite man withdrew a glass from the cupboards and filled it with water. He emptied the glass in only a few gulps. Yugi smiled in content and slid the empty glass over to the sink. He would wash it in the morning. Or after work. One or the other. He wasn't going to worry about it now. He had to try to get back to sleep. He had a very busy day the next day... the whole acting as a supervisor and performing his boss's tasks.
Yugi started is ascension up the stars and paused at the base of the stairs; one foot on the ground and one hovering over the first step. The strangest feeling started in the pit of his stomach and slowly coursed through his body. The air around him felt strange, as if he wasn't alone. Ebony brows knitted into his forehead; his eyes scanned every detail of the first floor. Nothing was out of place. Yugi's eyes eventually fell on the laundry basket of dirty clothes waiting by the washer and dryer.
"Damn it," he cursed, running a hand through his tri-colored tresses, "I meant to do those earlier." The petite male turned towards the laundry before deciding it wasn't worth it. He would do his laundry after work. Yugi climbed the stairs towards his room, the soft carpet caressing his toes with each step. He lifted his leg to climb into bed and froze. A noise drifted through the silence of the house from downstairs. It had sounded like the scraping noise made when a chair or a table is bumped and the object slides across the tile.
Yugi's face paled and his heart thumped loudly in his ears. He tiptoed to the top of the stairs and tried to see anything moving in the black abyss below. Shadows darted across his vision, playing tricks on his eyes and his mind. Yugi lowered his body near the ground and slowly crawled down the first few steps. A tall dark shadow hovered over his laundry. Yugi squinted in the darkness, trying to figure out if his eyes were still messing with him or if there was someone actually there. The shadow moved, lifting an article of clothing to what seemed to be its head and holding it there for several long seconds until it finally replaced the fabric back into the hamper. Yugi's breath caught in his throat and his mouth went dry. There was someone is his house.
Panic flooded his petite body and he scampered the rest of the way back upstairs. Yugi quietly closed his bedroom door and turned the lock. He backed into a corner, his amethyst darting around his room. What was he supposed to do? There was someone in his house!
Each movement proved to be a struggle. His body, weight down by panic, battled Yugi's will to move. The petite male darted to his night stand, his fingers wrapping tightly around his phone. Tremors of fear rolled over his petite form. He stared at his phone blankly; his brain refusing to function properly. One of the steps near the base of the stairs creaked, informing Yugi his intruder was on the move. If he was going to do something, he had to do it now. The petite man searched desperately through his wallet for the card the cop had given him. Yugi fumbled, dropping the wallet.
"Shit," Yugi whispered. He picked up the wallet and flipped through it until he located the small rectangular item. "Atem Sennen," the male read the card under his breath.
The door knob jiggled drawing large amethyst onto them. The intruder was just outside the door. One door. A single wooden object stood between him and the intruder. Yugi swallowed hard and silently crept into his walk-in closet. He knew it was cliche, but he needed to buy time. Yugi climbed up onto the shelf that hung over his clothes. He pulled the sheets and blankets over him and pulled out his phone. His mind suddenly kicked into overdrive, allowing him to punch in the number.
An exhausted sounding baritone responded, "Atem Sennen. How can I help you?"
"Atem," Yugi's voice hitched, trying to whisper but attempting to speak loud enough into the phone for the cop to hear him. "It's Yugi."
"Yugi? What's wrong? Are you okay?" Atem's voice shifted; he was wide awake and his undivided attention was given to Yugi.
"There's someone in my house," Yugi informed him, fighting the urge to cry.
"I'm on my way," Atem stated, "Where are you? Are you safe?"
"I'm in the closet. I'm safe for now. I locked the bedroom door, but I don't think it will take them long to get through it," Yugi's voice was strained.
"Hang on, Yugi. I'm not too far from you. Stay on the phone with me," the soothing baritone instructed. Yugi nodded. The bedroom door creaked open and the floorboards groaned under the weight of the individual. Terror clawed at Yugi at a dizzying rate. The petite male turned the volume down on his phone so only he could hear Atem.
"They are in my room," Yugi whispered, "Oh my God. Atem, please hurry."
"Do you have anything to protect yourself?" Atem asked.
"No," was Yugi's simple and terrified response.
The closet door swung open and the footsteps on the hardwood floor echoed loudly in the deafening silence. Yugi clasped a hand over his mouth and held his breath. A tear slid down his cheek. The light switch was flipped, flooding the closet in its blinding yellow glow.
"I know you are here, Yugi," a gruff male voice Yugi didn't recognize announced, breaking the silence. The petite male bit his lip painfully, stifling his cry and forcing it to remain behind his lips.
"Stay hidden," Atem's voice caressed his ear. "If he finds you, fight back until you can get free and then run."
"I've been watching you every day for a few months now," the man stated, pacing back and forth in his closet. Yugi felt queasy and violated. Who was this asshole? "You've never noticed me, but I noticed you. I love the way you stumble downstairs every morning and wait until the coffee brews, your eyes looking so exotic yet glassy and tired until the coffee hits your system. Then you just come alive. You are so vibrant and full of life. Oh and I love watching you run. You just glow when you are out running the trails."
Yugi closed his eyes. His mouth was unbearably dry and his stomach threatened to empty at any moment. This man had been watching him for months. Not only had he been watching him run, but he had watched him through his windows. Yugi's petite body curled in on itself, attempting to reclaim the dignity he felt he had lost at the hands of this man.
A rough hand gripped his ankle and tugged Yugi down from the shelf. Yugi yelped as he fell into the stranger's arms, blankets and all. The man held him still under the blankets until he was able to rid Yugi of his protective layers of cloth. Yugi's eyes widened, catching his first real gimps of the man. The man was tall with a strong build, beady black eyes, and greasy blonde hair.
"No! Let me go!" The petite man screamed and squirmed in his grasp.
"Yugi!" Atem's voice called from his cell phone as the digital device fell from his fingers, cracking when it hit the hardwood floor. The phone went black and Atem's voice was lost. Yugi's lifeline to Atem had been severed.
Yugi furiously swung his petite legs about, kicking his intruder everywhere he could reach. The man grunted with each blow, but his grip on Yugi did not falter. Yugi clawed at the man's arms and shifted until he was able to sink his teeth deeply into the bulging muscle of the man's arm. The male howled and dropped Yugi. The petite man fled his room, making his way towards the stairs. The man caught Yugi's leg just as he reached the edge of the stairs and the petite male lost his balance, tumbling head-first down the stairs. Yugi could feel each point of his body that made contact with the stairs on his way down. Dappled spots on his arms, shoulders, legs, knees, and one of his ankles throbbed by the time he reached the bottom. Yugi wince in pain. His hand glided up to press against his temple as an intense splitting pain shot through his head. Large amethyst drifted over his shoulder to check on the location of the intruder. The man was already barrelling down the stairs after Yugi. The petite man scrambled to his feet and cried out the moment weight was put on his right ankle. The amethyst eyed man bit back the pain and ran for the door.
"Where do you think you are going?" the man grunted, grabbing Yugi's shirt and pulling him backwards. Yugi fell on his rear and was pinned by the man in an instant, "You are mine!"
"Domino Police! Put your hands up!" a commanding, authoritative, voice boomed.
"This doesn't concern you. This is just between me and Yugi," the intruder hissed.
"I'm warning you. Put your hands up and back away or I will shoot you!" The baritone ordered. The intruder smirked at Yugi, not budging from his position.
"Last warning! Back the fuck off!" Atem snapped.
"Never. Yugi is mine," the man grunted.
Yugi shook his head, watching the man in astonishment, "You're insane."
What sounded like a firework erupting in Yugi's domicile had the petite man clasping his hands over his ears and the intruder clutching at his side. Crimson pooled just under the man's shirt. Atem used his full body strength to knock the man off of Yugi and pin him to the ground. The crimson eyed cop cuffed the man and dragged him outside.
"Officer Sennen, is this the culprit?" A gritty British accent drifted on the evening breeze.
"Yes," Atem reported with a fatigued sigh.
"I'll take him away," the rough British voice stated.
"Thank you, Bakura. I'm going to check on Yugi," Atem stated and returned to living room to find Yugi curled up on the ground rocking.
The crimson eyed man removed his jacket and placed it over Yugi's shivering shoulders, "Yugi." Large frightened amethyst stared catatonically into space. "We got him. You are safe now." Atem tilted his head, "Yugi?" The police officer lowered himself to the ground next to Yugi. He gently guided Yugi's quaking form to rest against his chest, "It's okay, Yugi. I got you. You are safe now. I promise. You are safe."