Title: Between The Lines
Pairing(s): Puzzleshipping (other ships may follow).
Summary: Yami is an American writer and novelist; Yugi is a Japanese manga artist. When circumstances require the two to meet and inevitably live together, they at first find each other's company and different lifestyles to be a bother. Can their hobbies eventually pull them closer and possibly broaden their careers?
Content Warning: Yeah you should expect this fic to get nasty, er, extremely mature later on.
Car horns honked, the flapping of wings from pigeons flew overhead, and a cool breeze blew on the wind as Yami tightened the monochrome checkered scarf around his neck. His eyes were sullen, and posture a bit slanted as he carried a messenger bag over his shoulder, filled with books, writing materials, and his cell phone that he ignored each time it went off with a new notification. He sipped the lukewarm coffee in his hand that he had gotten from Starbucks and sighed. It had already been a long day, but the morning he had at the editorial office last week made it even more degrading. He clenched his fist and furrowed his brows as he looked back on the memory.
He was sitting next to his main editor, Mai, while they were surrounded by people from his publishing company that were reading his newest novel and all but tearing it apart. First they felt like the story wasn't innovative enough. Then said he had too many euphemisms, that the writing and overall concept felt dull, and that he should include more diversity in his writing. Well, it was true that when he wrote he stuck to one or two race of characters, but then they went on to say that the world wasn't just made of "black" and "white". Pretty much the only thing that got praise was the homosexual couple he included in the story, but they were only side characters and not important. He'd honestly forgotten how popular things like that had become and now the publishers wanted him to change the main focus of his story to the couple instead. All he could do was smile and nod as usual. But when all was said and done, Yami had to prevent himself from kicking a dent in his rental car. The whole ordeal made Yami so aggravated that he seriously debated taking a hiatus, or even quit writing!
He had been working on this project for nearly a year and there was never a problem with any of his previous works, so why now? The honest truth was that people just weren't interested in reading the same things over and over again. And with how sensitive the current generation became to everything, people wanted to read something that they could relate to now. It wasn't about the mystery, or the suspense, or even the story anymore! Everything focused on the characters and what they were now. With a huff, Yami came to a halt in his walking and stomped the ground with his foot. He thought taking a quick walk and getting coffee would help clear his mind, but it was only irritating him more.
Yami looked up at the sky, seeing that it was getting duller as the sun disappeared behind afternoon clouds. Deciding to just go home, he hailed a taxi and stared out the window, watching as the busy streets of New York City continued to bustle with activity all around him. Along the way, they stopped across from a bookstore. Yami stared at it; they were having a sale and advertising comics, books, manga and the like. He could vaguely see a few copies of his previous works included in the sale and sighed. Eventually the scenery changed to a small and slightly quieter neighborhood. Yami grabbed his bag and started pulling money out of his wallet as the taxi stopped in front of his apartment. Once he paid, he went up a flight of stairs and took out his keys, opened the lock to a paint chipped door and headed inside.
With a soft exhale, he turned on the lights and took a quick look around, content to be back home again. His apartment was nothing fancy or out there, but it sufficed. It offered two bedrooms, one which he turned into his personal office, a bathroom, kitchen, and small living space. The windows were large but not very plentiful, offering little light in the dim spaces but it was enough. It wasn't as if he enjoyed looking out onto the cracked sidewalks and dead grass of the main road anyway. After taking off his coat and setting down his bag, he took out his cellphone and went to his office. He pressed the power button on his computer and waited for it to turn on while leaning back in an old, worn rolling chair. Books and papers littered the floor, all of which he couldn't be bothered to organize at the moment.
When his computer finally loaded, he grabbed a pair of reading glasses on his desktop and leaned forward. He opened up a new word document and for a good minute or two just stared blankly at the screen. 'What the hell...' Yami thought to himself. 'Why am I even attempting to try? They're just going to be dissatisfied anyway.' Yami was starting to believe that things such as creative freedom no longer existed unless it was being controlled by other people. And with how things were, it was hard to write something good or original. After sulking for a bit, Yami adjusted his glasses and began to type. The room was filled with endless tacking sounds and the soft hum of an air conditioner.
About an hour or so later, Yami had devised a new synopsis for his novel. It looked like it would work and get the admins off his back but after looking it over and seeing how vastly different from the initial point of the original story it was, he found it to be greatly dissatisfying. He'd never really put any real thought or initial focus on homosexuality; it was just a whatever thing to him so naturally trying to write it proved to be more than just a challenge. But hey, he was giving the publishers what they wanted, right? He saved the document and turned off the monitor. He took off his glasses and tiredly rubbed his eyes. Maybe he really should just take a break.
Just as he was about to make something to eat and shower, his cellphone rang. He debated whether or not he wanted to answer it. When it continued to ring, he could see that he didn't have much of a choice. Picking up the mobile device, he pressed it to his ear and answered with a not so eager, "...Hello?"
"Yami! What are you doing?! I've been messaging you all day!" A woman screamed on the other end of the line.
Yami winced at her crackling, loud voice. He rubbed his temples; he didn't need to guess who this was. "I'm at home, Mai. Making my story better." Yami responded. "Why? Are you calling to tell me they suddenly changed their mind?"
"No, but I've got some other news you probably don't want to hear."
"Try me."
The woman sighed before continuing to speak. "The company's being bought out."
"What!?" Yami stood out of his chair. "I didn't hear any of this at the editorial office."
"Well you would have if you had bothered to read any of the messages I sent you! I tried calling you, but your phone went straight to voicemail. And every time I tried contacting you at your apartment, you weren't there!"
"Shit..." Yami bit the tips of his nails. 'Why is this happening now?'
Mai was silent on the phone before she started to speak again. "...Look, we haven't been able to get anything published for more than a year. Our sales are dwindling, we owe money to the copyright department, and some of our writers and artists are already considering going on an extended hiatus. And thats not counting the ones who have failed to meet their deadlines. In other words, we're fucked. We've got no other choice but to negotiate with the company thats buying us."
"So what are you saying? That I should give up my writing career? Quit and go back to journalism?" Yami cringed at the very thought of that. He didn't have many fond memories of being a journalist.
"No. I'm saying that if you want to CONTINUE your writing career, then you'll get your act together and collaborate with the company. This is your ONLY chance to get your book and any other future writings published. Take it or leave, Yami."
Yami sighed. He looked around his office in thought. He could go back to journalism, but that was barely enough to even supply enough money for food, let alone basic living needs. He could be a self-publishing writer, but he wouldn't get much advertisement or revenue. And he wasn't about to sell something he worked too damn hard on for $2 a copy on Amazon. He really didn't have a choice. "Fine... I'll take it. Who are they and what do I need to do?"
"Well here's the interesting part. They're a company located in Shinjuku, Japan called Millennium Corp. They've been interested in a lot of our works, including our comic book series. As a matter of fact, people have already been put in a position to work with some of the writers there. If you're lucky, you'll get the same thing by being assigned to a department and helping with editing, while getting support for your writing."
"Wait you mean... I'm going to have another editor?"
"Well, obviously. I can't be your editor anymore; I'm already being positioned as a translator. Knowing Japanese helps out a lot, you know?~ Also, I'd brush up on that if you haven't already. Rosetta Stone is pretty cheap now!" She joked with a giggle.
"Thanks, Mai..." Yami replied with a very unamused tone in his voice. "So basically, we're moving to Japan. And I've got to find a way to communicate with the people I'm working with or kiss my career goodbye?"
"Thats it. You've got two months to get everything sorted. So pack up what you need and be ready. In the meantime, I'll fax you all the important paperwork. Fill some things out, make sure you read everything carefully, pray, and sit tight. I'll update you if anything changes." With that, the woman ended the call with a goodbye and left Yami back in the silence of his office.
'...I can't believe this.' Yami sighed. He kicked some books around on his floor and ran a hand through his hair. He didn't know how to feel right now. Not only was there an even smaller chance of him getting his next novel done, but he had little hope of even trying to expand his career now that he was being forced into another company AND country. Needless to say, he didn't think things would ever turn out this way. And because he had been too caught up in his own feelings, the chances of him being picked and assigned a position in the new company was slim. He might as well pack up a cardboard box because that was probably where he would be living next. He turned off the light and left the office. Not feeling up to cooking anything, he heated up a frozen dinner, ran bath water, and waited for the papers to be faxed in. In his bedroom, he held one of his novels in hand and stared at the illustrated picture of himself on the inside of the cover. He listened to the sounds of the environment outside; dogs barking, tires screeching on asphalt, sirens, and the neighbors bickering downstairs. These would probably be the last sounds he would hear like this in a few weeks from now.
~::: Two Months Later :::~
Clouds drifted slowly in the morning sky above the busy and rambunctious city of Shinjuku. Icicles melted and snow dripped off trees as buds started to cover their branches, indicating the first signs of spring. The scenery seemed calm and mellow, but at the airport everything was the exact opposite. As Yami stepped off his ten hour flight from America to Tokyo, he couldn't help but to look around and stare in both confusion and awe. People were rushing quickly off of their flights, grabbing their things, and immediately scrambling out the door where those same amounts of people were coming in. Nothing but cellphones, chatter, and other various sound effects could be heard; there was never a moment of silence. 'So this is where I'll be working from now on...' It looked every bit like the pictures and videos he had seen of the city online. Tall buildings and busy streets... it felt just like New York but just a little more organized somehow. After being bumped into by someone, Yami snapped out of his daydreaming and reached inside his pocket. He had a bus ticket that he was supposed to use that would take him to Millennium Corp. He was neither eager or resistant to go, but Mai's words echoed in the back of his mind. 'This is your only chance.' Using that as motivation, Yami finally walked away from the front of the airport building and looked around for a bus stop. Unfortunately, due to his height of only five feet plus a few more inches, finding it while trying to simultaneously look over the heads of crowds of people was not an easy task.
He started to become frustrated the more he got bumped around. And he even got a dirty stare from someone wearing a mask over their mouth as if Yami were the scum of the earth. Yep. He was going to love it here. Ten minutes of no luck later, he finally gave in and walked into a nearby gift shop. He quickly spotted the register and walked up to the female cashier behind it.
"Chekkuauto?"
"What?" Yami tried to process the word the cashier asked. "Oh! Um no. I'm looking for the bus stop. The one here on this ticket..." He showed her the bus ticket. After looking it over the cashier then started speaking again and pointed Yami the right direction to go. It was two blocks down, across from an intersection next to a waiting bench. He thanked her and followed the directions as instructed. He was relieved to see that the bus hadn't come yet.
He sat down on the bench and waited, nervously tapping his foot on the ground. Unlike everyone else, Yami was one of the last batch of employees to transfer over from his company. He had started to feel like all hope for him was lost when the two month time frame had gone by without a single call or email. Just when he was about to rethink his career, his cell phone finally rang and he was given the information of where to go and faxed a plane and bus ticket. He barely had a day to grab everything he packed and get on the plane before it flew away with the last of his hopes and dreams. Of course he was happy that he could continue doing the thing he loved, but he still wasn't looking forward to having to adjust to this new lifestyle. And there was only so much Japanese that Google Translate could teach him.
About ten minutes later, the bus had finally arrived. As he got onboard, the driver asked to show him his ticket, which he did before promptly finding a seat. Looking at all the people on the bus, he could tell that they were all business oriented by the way they were dressed. Clad in suits and formal wear, a good few of them couldn't help but to glance at Yami's unique appearance; especially his hair. Yami was starting to feel self-conscious as he slinked down slightly in his seat. He took out his phone and put it on selfie mode to give himself a once-over. His shirt was buttoned, his coat fit snugly, his tie was straight, his hair was gelled and styled, and his complexion was clear. As far as he could tell, there was nothing wrong with him and he was interview and job ready. Or he hoped so anyway. With a sigh, he put his phone away and waited impatiently for the ride to be over. The sooner he got hired and could continue writing, the better.
Once the bus pulled up to his supposed stop, he asked the driver where the company was just to be sure he was going in the right direction. It was just down the street and Yami was easily able to spot the large building up ahead. There were several floors; the building itself stood a good two or so stories high. 'Doesn't look too... intimidating.' He thought to himself. Too busy staring and not paying attention to where he was going, he tripped over something on the sidewalk, falling face down and scuffing his shirt.
"Tch..." Yami sat up and looked at the stain with a frown. "Just great. Thats all I need..." He started dusting himself off and stood back up. Although before he could continue walking, he heard a groan come from behind him. He looked over his shoulder, but saw nothing. 'Strange. I'm sure I heard-' Something suddenly grabbed the bottom of his pants leg and instinctively he jumped back in surprise. "What the hell?!"
Lying on the ground was... a person? Yami regained his composure and then quickly looked the person over. They almost appeared to be a kid, wearing a blue beanie with straight blonde side-swept bangs going to the left of their forehead and the rest of their hair pulled back into a messy ponytail with purple streaks. You could say the hairstyle almost seemed familiar. Yami couldn't make out any facial features due to their eyes being closed and a thick purple scarf covering their mouth, but there were huge black bags under their eyes as if they hadn't slept in weeks. In one of their arms they held a large manila envelope and seemed to be muttering something unconsciously. If Yami didn't know any better, he would think that the person had been left for dead in the middle of the sidewalk.
Looking around, Yami could see people walking by them as if there was nothing to see. They just continued to strut with suitcases in hand and cell phones pressed to their ears as if a person lying unconscious on the ground were the most normal thing in the world. 'What the hell is wrong with these people?!' Not knowing what to do, and it being obvious that no one was going to help him, he leaned down and gently nudged the person. "Hey... hey! Are you ok? Do you need help?"
"..."
There wasn't a response. Starting to panic a bit, Yami pulled out his cell phone. "Shit, whats the number for 911 in Japan again?!" He bit his tongue as he tried to think.
"...script."
Hearing a frail voice, Yami looked down. "What?"
"...fice.. need... to get... to the office..."
"To the office?" Yami asked, raising a brow. 'Sounds more like you need a hospital.'
The person slowly opened their eyes, stopping halfway to glance up at Yami. Yami could very faintly see a sliver of royal violet peeking through those eyelids. If he weren't in between freaking out and wondering what the fuck was going on right now, he'd actually take a moment to admire them. Instead he waited for them to speak again.
"I need... to get.. to the office... before the.. deadline." Very weakly, the person turned over and while still holding tightly onto the envelope, started dragging himself along the sidewalk. "Can't.. be late..."
Needless to say, Yami was now ten times more confused. "Uh... do you need help?"
The boy shook their head.
"Are you sure?"
"..." They stopped moving. Yami thought they were going to say something else only to hear a snore come from the boy.
"Alright. I'm taking that as a no then." Without a second thought, Yami picked the boy up into his arms. His nose wrinkled as he smelled an odor come off of them as if they hadn't bathed in weeks. And now that he was able to get a better look up close, he noticed the boy's skin was almost as pale as snow. "What on earth..." Yami was starting to feel like he had discovered a creature from another planet.
"Office... Millennium Corp..."
That was all Yami needed to hear to confirm where they both needed to go. But he still needed to figure out just what to do with the boy once they were inside. He was grateful that the doors were automatic when he walked in. He looked around and spotted a reception desk. He walked up to the lady tending it. "Um, excuse me..."
"Name and department?" She asked.
"What?"
"Name. And department." The woman's tone made it clear that she wasn't going to repeat herself again.
"Uh.. Y-Yami Atem. I just transferred over from America. I am to work in the Literature and Novelization department as an assistant editor."
The woman looked down and flickered through paperwork before lifting her head up with a smile. "Oh I see! You're the new assistant editor for the Hentai Manga department! And you've already got the client with you~ Please take the elevator to the third floor. The staff are waiting for you."
"Hentai...?" Yami muttered to himself. It must be Japanese for literature or something. 'And... client?' Yami looked down at the boy in his arms. Was she talking about him? Deciding it'd be in his best interest not to hound the woman with questions, he nodded and did as he was told. The elevator ride felt like it lasted forever and Yami found himself getting increasingly more and more nervous. His heartbeat was hysterical and he took a few breaths to calm himself down. All he needed to do was introduce himself at the interview. And it would be done. 'Yeah. Thats all I need to...'
Ding! The elevator door opened and when Yami looked onward, he suddenly froze in place. There were fax machines and printers going off, papers flying everywhere, and people scrambling left and right yelling at one another and even having books tossed at their heads.
"WE NEED THOSE MANUSCRIPTS!" A woman with burgundy hair yelled. "This is ridiculous! How are we so far behind?! We need this done, people! We've still got editing, proofreading, and then applying the shading! Your hands should be falling off by now!" However, only one person bothered to acknowledge her before running past to catch a large stack of books that were about to topple over. People at the desks never even lifted up their heads as they scribbled writings and notes on the paper beneath them. "AND WHERE THE HELL IS MUTOU?!"
"More like where the hell are our new transfers and execs." A tall man with dark blue eyes and brown hair said as he appeared on the scene. "Its been two months; they're supposed to be here helping us by now! Everyone just stop what you're doing! We might as well just cancel this whole damn project!"
Everyone froze in place and looked at the man. The woman standing next to him had a look of disbelief and shock in her eyes. "B-but... boss... We can't just cancel! Consider all the work we've put in and how close we are to-"
"I said its done! We'll just have to publish what we have on hand already. If the mangaka can't get their work turned in on time, then they need to suffer the consequences and accept responsibility." With that, the man said nothing else and disappeared behind an office door with a loud slam. All anyone could do at that point was look at each other silently and then continue working.
"We're doomed... all the management... everything we had planned... all down the drain!" The woman said as she dropped to her knees and put her face in her hands. It was if all hope had ceased to exist in the room at that point.
Yami so desperately wanted to believe he got off on the wrong floor. And he was also starting to regret working here. Maybe the receptionist gave him the wrong information. Just as he started thinking that leaving and coming back another time would be better, he heard a moan come from the boy in his arms.
"Uuuuugh..."
Suddenly, everyone in the office went completely silent. All of their heads turned to look at Yami. The novelist suddenly felt like he was standing on the edge of a pointed cliff with nothing to support him and that he would fall at any moment. He swallowed nervously and then began to speak. "H-hello. I am Yami. The new... assistant editor of the... novelization department..."
A full minute ticked by before someone finally said something. "You're... the new... assistant?" The woman who was crying turned to look at him. "Heh... thats... GREAT!" She shouted. She ran up to Yami and immediately started praising him. "Good job, newbie! And you got Yugi!" She swiped Yugi out his arms like a rag doll and held him up in the air shaking him violently. "YUGI! THE MANUSCRIPTS! WHERE ARE THEY! TALK DAMN IT!"
With a groan, the boy called Yugi held out his hand with the envelope. Suddenly, it was as if a new light entered the office. Everyone's expressions changed and they started cheering. The woman snatched the envelope from Yugi's hand and then ran over to a door with a dragon emblem on it. "BOSS! BOSS ITS HERE! WE'VE GOT THE REST OF THE MANUSCRIPTS!" She started excitedly banging on the door. "HEEEEY! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME DAMN IT! YOU'D BETTER NOT BE ASLE-"
The door suddenly opened and the man who had disappeared earlier stared down at the woman. "I heard you the first fucking time!" He griped, his voice sounding dry and irritated. Upon giving the man a closer look, Yami determined that his deathly appearance hardly looked any different from the boy he picked up. As a matter of fact, every person he glanced at in the office all looked similar.
'Is this hell? Please don't let this be hell...' Yami thought to himself.
The "boss" opened the envelope and looked through the contents within. "...alright. Take these and all of you get back to work. We've got less than seven hours before the deadline and we need this turned into the press office before morning." With that, everyone followed suit to the man's words as if it were law.
Yami, still confused as hell just stood there unsure of what to do or say. The woman then ran back over to him. "Thank you so much, uh... Yami was it?"
"Er, y-yeah. Yami Atem. Pleased to meet you." Yami gave a curt bow to the woman.
"My name is Akiza Izinski." She bowed her head. "But you can just call me Aki~"
"Oh.. ok!" Yami smiled.
"And the man over there who always looks like the very air around him is pissing him off is our head editor and boss, Seto Kaiba." She quickly ducked when a book was chucked at her head. "HEY WATCH IT! OR YOU WONT SEE THE EDITING DELIVERED TOMORROW!"
"Tch." The man known as Kaiba went back to working on his project. "Instead of slacking off with the newbie, why don't you help us instead? And someone get a broom and sweep Mutou off the floor. He's making it look like more of a mess than it already is in here."
'Wow. What an ass.' Yami immediately thought. The poor kid was practically dead when he discovered him.
"Anyway, you'll get used to him." Akiza continued to speak. "And you'll get to know everyone here as well~ So, what kind of manga do you like? Have any favorites? You're from America, right? Whats the manga like over there?"
"Um... its.. I don't know. I don't read manga." He stated clearly.
"What? Then... what are you doing here?" She laughed.
"What do you mean what am I doing here? Isn't this the Novel department?"
"Uh.. no. This is the Hentai Manga department."
"Ok, so I've been hearing that word thrown around everywhere. Whats hentai?" He finally asked.
"...You don't know what hentai is?" Akiza rose a brow and gave Yami a look of disbelief. "Well, how should I put this... I guess its what you Americans would call pornography."
Yami's eyes widened. "E-excuse me?"
"Porn." She repeated. "You know, the stuff where-"
"I know what porn is!" He quickly interrupted. "But.. why the hell am I here?! I'm supposed to be in the literature department for novelization! Ok, I knew it! I got off on the wrong floor. If you can just tell me where-"
"Hey, Marik! Is a guy named Yami Atem on our roster?"
"Let me check... yep!~"
"Nope, you're in the right place~" She chimed.
"But.. no. There must be some kind of mistake! I need to talk with the boss!" Just as soon as he said that, Kaiba gave Yami a death glade and the novelist froze in place.
"If you're going to talk, then you might as well be fired. We need people who can work and get the job done, not stand around looking like an idiot with their head chopped off. You may have lucked out by bringing our mangaka here on time, but I'm warning you: don't fuck up. And DON'T piss me off."
Yami swallowed at the stoic man's icy words. Yami didn't dare question anything else after that. Instead he just turned around and sighed. "So... what do I do?" He would have to figure all of this out later.
"Well... you were supposed to bring us the manuscripts and you've done that. We've already got everything else covered so you can just go home if you want." She shrugged.
"Uh..." Yami leaned sideways a bit, looking at Yugi who was still laid out on the floor. "What about him?"
"Hmm? Oh right! Thats the mangaka you're in charge of: Yugi Mutou. Your job is to make sure he turns everything in before the deadline. He's also the person assigned to help you with your graphic novel."
"Graphic novel? But I-"
"You can take him back home if you want. Actually you'd be doing us all a big favor. Like I said, we've all got our hands full. Anyway, good job, newbie~" Akiza gave Yami a rough pat on the shoulder before walking off, leaving the male dumbfounded.
Not only did he get reassigned, his career changed, and now worked in a place he was sure was hell, but he had been placed in charge of managing someone who was supposed to be helping him with his writing that also happened to be lying half conscious on the floor. AND did pornography. 'Well just fuck me then.' Yami mentally groaned. He was done. He decided to take up Akiza's advice and just retire for the day. But retire to where? He was only provided with a plane and bus ticket and nothing else, not to mention he still had the majority of his luggage in a locker at the airport; he didn't need to take the risk of someone breaking in and stealing it. Was he supposed to find his own housing, too? Yami brought a hand to his face and shook his head. This day could not get any worse.
"Nnn... food..."
Yami lifted his head up to see someone leaning on his shoulder; it was Yugi. 'You mean to tell me he can actually walk?'
"Please... get me food... starving."
"What? You want me to get you food?" Yami frowned at the request. Couldn't he get that himself?
The boy looked up at Yami and uncovered his mouth. Large, circular purple irises stared at him with a desperate charm. "...Please?" He said, his pitiful expression daring the man to say no. "Aren't you supposed to take care of your sempais? Get me some food... nnng..." After that, Yugi proceeded to pass out again.
'Oh now you have GOT to be kidding me!' Yami caught the boy in his arms. He was here to be a writer, not a fucking babysitter! But he also didn't need to make a bad impression in front of everyone on his first day. Seeing that he had no choice in the matter, he picked Yugi up and got back on the elevator. His face was now locked in a permanent look of dissatisfaction and irritation. As he stood in the elevator griping, out of all the million and one questions Yami had in his mind, only one made him pause for thought. 'Wait... did he just say he was my sempai?!' He looked at Yugi. 'Is he OLDER than me?!'
Author note: Thank you for reading. If you have the time, I would really appreciate a review or feedback on what you think so far! I'd love to know if this is a story people are interested in. Thank you~ (Also I feel like I should note for anyone not familiar of the spinoffs that Akiza is not an OC; she is the female protagonist from Yugioh 5D's that I have chosen to use as a cameo/main character for this fic. I may or may not have other characters from the spinoffs make appearances, but I want to focus my possible ships on DM only.)