All It Takes Is A Kiss!
By No1butjoe
A/N: This is dedicated to Violet Sand Dragon for being my 100th reviewer in my story 'On Angel's Wings'. I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer - I don't own YGO!
Summary - After the Ceremonial Duel, Atem chose to stay. So, trapped once again in the Millennium Puzzle, he stays in the present day world. But Yugi suddenly falls ill and it seems like nothing is helping. What could this mysterious illness be? AtemxYugi
/Yugi. Yugi, can you hear me? Yugi, wake up!/
The said person groaned and turned over on his side, trying desperately to ignore the voice in his head. Sweat dotted his brow and he suddenly coughed violently. A flash illuminated the room as a transparent Atem appeared, concern written across his features.
"Aibou?" he asked, hesitantly.
No answer came and he didn't expect one. Atem didn't have to feel Yugi Motou's forehead to know that the young duelist was running a high fever.
/Aibou, you have to get up./ he prodded through their mind link. /You have to get to a doctor./
Yugi practically fell off of the bed as he tried to make it to his bedroom door. Atem disappeared back into the puzzle, but kept a watchful eye on Yugi, just in case.
Yugi's progress was slow as he desperately tried to keep consciousness. Solomon was supposed to be working in the shop today.
/Just a little further, Yugi./ Atem encouraged him. /You have to open that door!/
Yugi nodded, not able to use his voice. He reached a shaking hand out to the doorknob and tried to turn it, but nothing happened. His strength depleted, Yugi eyes began to close. Just before they closed completely, the door opened and someone called his name in alarm. Yugi collapsed into the person, energy drained and finally slipped into unconsciousness.
YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO
(Atem's Soul Room)
They had had to remove the puzzle when they admitted Yugi into the hospital and the suspense was slowly eating away at Atem. Locked in his soul room, the former pharaoh could only wait and hope that Yugi would be okay.
Flashback . . .
"No!"
All eyes turned to the source of the shout in time to see Yugi rush past them and latch himself onto Atem, refusing to let go. Atem's eyes widened considerably.
"Yugi, what-" he began, but was cut off by his former host's explanation.
"I don't want you to go, Atem," he whispered into the older boy's jacket. "I don't want you to leave."
Atem closed his eyes to regain control over the emotions stirring inside of him. Yugi had no idea what he was asking of him.
"Yugi, I must go," he replied. "It's my destiny."
"Why can't you have a destiny with me?" came the other's question.
Shocked, Atem stiffened, clenching his fists, then, releasing them and giving a sigh of defeat.
"How can I say no to you, Yugi?" he whispered.
Yugi's grip around him loosened.
"Does-Does that mean you're going to stay?" he asked, hopefully.
Atem nodded in answer. As soon as that was done, the door to the afterlife closed and Atem's solid body turned transparent like before. Yugi closed his eyes as the former pharaoh's spirit reconnected with his own.
End Flashback . . .
Several weeks later, Yugi had begun feeling poorly. He tried to hide it, but Atem knew immediately that something was wrong. The spirit was snapped out of his thoughts when someone lifted the puzzle off the table. Surprised, Yami closed his eyes.
"Atem, can you hear me?" a voice called.
Confusion registered across Atem's face.
/Joey?/ he asked.
"Yeah, Pal, it's me. I just wanted to let you know how Yuge's doin'," came the reply. "The doctor's are trying everything they can, but he just doesn't seem to be getting better. They-They aren't sure he'll make it."
Joey's news struck a cord in Atem's spirit. Yugi not make it? His aibou was going to . . . die?
/Thank you for telling me, Joey./ Atem said, gratefully.
He felt the puzzle being lowered back onto the table and sighed deeply, tears welling up in his eyes.
YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO
(Domino City Hospital, Yugi's Room)
The heart monitor by the bed gave the visitors false hope that their family member/friend would survive his illness. Hours had passed and Yugi still showed no sign of improvement or regaining consciousness. The only sign that the teen was even still alive was the heart monitor and other various machines that kept a tight watch on his condition. Nurses and occasionally doctors came in and out, taking his vitals and changing his IV to keep him hydrated. Joey sat in a chair by the door, the table, on which the millennium puzzle lay, stood next to him. The blonde was thoughtful, glancing every once in a while at the puzzle. A few minutes later, Joey stood to his feet and picked up the puzzle, determination set on his face. No one else in the room questioned what he was going to do and no one moved to stop him. In the blink of an eye, the puzzle was gently placed around Yugi's neck.
Silence resounded throughout the room as Joey returned to his seat. All they could do now was wait.
YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO
(The Puzzle)
Atem's jerked his head up at the familiar presence he felt entering the puzzle. His surprise turned to hope, then fear.
/Yugi./
Immediately, the spirit rushed to his soul room door and flung it open. His eyes confirmed what he felt. Yugi's door was open wide, the toys scattered everywhere as usual. As Atem traveled further into the room, he spotted the bed. Yugi's form lay on it, unmoving and oblivious to everything going on around it. Atem hesitantly stood there, not sure what to do. Before he could stop himself, his right hand reached out and grasped Yugi's, his thumb softly rubbing the skin.
/Yugi?/ he asked, hopefully through the link.
But no reply came. Dejectedly, Atem sat on the bed, the tears he had been holding back falling freely down his cheeks. His hands clenched into fists and he pounded them on his knees before collapsing to the floor, his hands the only thing preventing him from hitting the floor face first. His tears slowly subsided and he wiped his eyes.
/I'll leave you to sleep, aibou. Please, wake up soon./
With that thought, Atem leaned over and kissed Yugi's pale lips. At that instant, a bright light filled the entire soul room, blinding Atem and causing him to break off the kiss and shield his eyes.
YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO
(Yugi's Hospital Room)
The heart monitor sped up slightly as all of Yugi's friends looked over at him lying on the bed. The Millennium Puzzle glowed briefly for a second before it's light spread throughout the room. As the light diminished, everyone hurried to Yugi's side in time to see his eyelids flutter. Happiness filled the room. Once Yugi was fully awake, he turned his attention to his friends and Grandpa.
"Hi, guys," he greeted them, smiling weakly.
Cheers rose up from the group at the fact that not only was Yugi awake, he was speaking to them! Solomon placed a hand on his grandson's shoulder.
"How do you feel, Yugi?" he asked, worriedly.
"A little weak," he admitted, closing his eyes briefly before they shot open again, fear radiating in them. "He's gone! Atem's gone!"
Surprised at his outburst, all his friends exchanged looks with one another. That was impossible. Before anyone could ask Yugi what he meant, a groan came from the floor on the other side of the bed. Curiously, Yugi propped himself up so he could peer over the side. His heart pounding, he caught a glimpse of someone kneeling there, staring in bewilderment up at him. No one moved as Yugi launched himself with a cry of delight into Atem's waiting arms.
"Atem!" he shouted, crying happily. "You have your own body! You have your own body!"
He kept repeating the last sentence over and over again before the former spirit finally cupped a hand over his mouth to silence him. Amazement and wonder danced in Atem's eyes as he finally realized what was going on.
"The illness," he whispered, subconsciously.
Confused, Yugi tilted his head to look at him.
"Huh?"
Atem snapped out of his daze and explained.
"That illness you had," he began. "It wasn't really an illness. Your body was reacting to being connected to my spirit again. Your will to live and my will for you to wake up must've somehow activated hidden powers of the Millennium Puzzle, giving me my own body."
Yugi's eyes widened in understanding and suddenly, he was embracing Atem again. The former pharaoh couldn't help but smile at the younger teen's reaction.
"Yugi, I'm so glad you're all right," he whispered, his arms encircling the other's waist.
Yugi didn't reply and, fearing something was wrong, Atem pulled out of the embrace slowly, never breaking contact.
"Yugi?"
"It wasn't all the Millennium Puzzle's doing," he replied, softly.
Atem frowned in confusion. What was Yugi talking about?
"I had a talk with Ishizu before we left Egypt," Yugi whispered, placing his hands in his lap. "She explained there was a way to help you gain your own body. I jumped at the chance."
Atem's eyes widened.
"You mean-"
"Yeah," Yugi cut him off. "I became sick because, in reality, it was the only way to form your body. Once it was done, it needed a sign from you. Some sort of contact."
Atem unnoticeably blushed as the memory of the kiss in Yugi's soul room came back to him. Yugi noticed his far off look.
"What-What was it?" he asked, curiously. "The contact, I mean?"
Atem lowered his head, hiding his eyes from Yugi as he replied, "A kiss."
Once that was said, he waited for the rejection, the disgust, but it never came. When he looked up, Yugi was staring at him with the biggest smile on his face.
"Well, that's not fair is it, Atem?" he asked. "I receive my first kiss and I wasn't even awake for it?"
Joy filled Atem at his aibou's words.
"You-You mean you?"
Yugi nodded and closed the gap between them to press his lips to Atem's, closing his eyes when they made contact. His yami blinked in surprise, but quickly recovered to return the action. Unbeknownst to them, everyone else quietly slipped out of the room, giving the two lovers some much needed time alone. When Yugi and Atem parted for breath, they smiled at one another.
"If I had known a kiss would be the key to this whole mess, I would've done it a whole lot earlier," Atem admitted, cuddling Yugi close to his chest.
Yugi giggled, bringing a smile to the former spirit's face.
"As much as I'd love to stay in this position, Atem, don't you think we should get off the floor?" Yugi asked.
Atem nodded, but froze suddenly. Yugi noticed immediately.
"Atem?" he asked, worriedly.
"Um, Aibou, we might have a problem there. You see, after being trapped in the puzzle for over 5,000 years, I kinda don't remember how to stand, let alone walk."
Yugi gave him a strange look.
"Even with all those years sharing a body with me, you don't remember how to walk?' he asked.
Atem grinned sheepishly.
"Well, that's different, Yugi," he explained. "These are MY legs now and, no matter how much I try, I can't seem to make them work of my own will. They feel like the flow of the Nile, never going in the direction I want them to."
Just to prove his point, Yugi helped Atem stand and, sure enough, he only got two steps before he almost fell, luckily being caught by Yugi. The Game of Kings sighed.
"What am I going to do with you, Atem?" he asked, helping him sit on the bed.
Yugi yipped in surprise when Atem pulled him onto his lap, nuzzling his face into Yugi's neck lovingly.
"I'm sure you'll think of something, Aibou," he replied, smirking.
A/N: And now you can all use your own imaginations! I hope you liked this, Violet Sand Dragon! Oh, and Atem's legs didn't work due to slight weakness. After all, he hadn't used them in thousands of years. Anyway, please review!