The Masks We Wear
02. Morning Tranquility
Birds chirped faintly in the not too far off distance. Traces of sunlight flittered through the window. Yugi's eyes didn't want to open, he felt for once in a long while relaxed and content. He couldn't remember the last time he slept this well. His eyes were heavy and refused to open. No, he wanted to stay snuggled up against the soft slow rise and fall of... 'Wait... Who..?' Yugi's amethyst orbs opened up in surprise as he finally realized he was sleeping with someone.
His cheeks reddened instantly as he peered up to see the sleeping CEO of Kaiba Corporation. The events of the night previous played in his mind in a torturously slow pace. "K-Kaiba..." It had been real. His rival had really come in the middle of the night to comfort him, to help him in his struggle with the loss of a dear friend. A rush of gratitude overcame Yugi, it was so powerful he felt he could cry all over again.
The brunet wasn't the type to be kind to anyone without reason. Yet last night he had appeared when Yugi felt particularly depressed and comforted him... Yugi felt lightheaded with all the blood rushing to his face. 'What am I supposed to say to him. Thank you just doesn't seem like its enough. He- he said all those wonderful things to me. He...' How would he be able to repay the other? His face grew even redder as he realized he was still snuggled against the normally grumpy CEO. Slowly, he sat up not wanting to disturb the brunet. 'Oh gosh what is Grandpa gonna say? He had to be the one that let him in to begin with but if I tell him I slept with...' Yugi was sure he was near to fainting and the more he thought about him and Kaiba, the closer he got to doing just that!
He took a deep breath and decided he needed to get up. Slowly and gently he climbed over the deep asleep CEO and stood on his hardwood floor. He caught himself watching the brunet who seemed so peaceful as he slumbered. Yugi felt a lot of different emotions begin to develop towards his unpredictable rival. He stretched and smiled as an idea popped into his head. 'I should at the very least make him breakfast. He did come out all this way just to cheer me up so late at night too.' He rushed out of the room - doing so quietly of course.
In the kitchen he went through the cabinets and pulled out some pots, pans and a large bowl. He set them on a counter top and then rummaged through the pantry and refrigerator for flour, eggs and milk. He grabbed a few other things and set them down as well. He went to cracking eggs in the large bowl when his grandfather entered the kitchen.
"My, Yugi. I thought we had an intruder in the house." Suguroku started. Yugi turned to him and offered a meek good morning. "Good morning, Yugi. You are up really early. How are you feeling?" He asked with a smile crawling on his face as he took in all the ingredients laid about. He had gone up earlier to check on Yugi but was stunned when he saw his grandson and his rival curled up together. Now here was Yugi making breakfast. "You seem quite cheery. Does it have to do with Kaiba? I see he stayed the night. I didn't realize you two had grown so close." He stated innocently.
"Oh well..." Yugi turned to face his grandpa with a warm and bashful smile. "Kaiba came by last night and well... We spoke about some things and I feel a bit better. Grampa I know I haven't been a good grandson lately, and I've been sorta lying to my friends telling them I am fine, but I guess I wasn't that good at it if they went and told Kaiba about how I wasn't like myself. And they wanted his help in getting me to snap outta this funk I've been in. But he came in and just... He just really made me see how silly I was being about everything." He rambled sheepishly.
Suguroku chuckled, "So that is what they were going on about a few days ago. I see. Yugi, we all care about you. So when you are hurting, we are too. We know it's been really hard for you but you have to let us in."
"I know Grampa." He relaxed his shoulders and shook his head. "I just... I know how I'm supposed to be, you know... Happy that Atem is back home where he should be and that's why I wanted to just -"
The older put a gentle hand on his grandson's shoulder, "Nothing good comes from hiding your emotions. Hopefully that Kaiba kid can continue to erase the sadness you have tried to conceal from us. He seems to already have helped you a lot. This is the first you've opened up to me about how you really feel." He enlightened.
"He's really amazing..." Yugi's eyes went distant as he went over the night's events once again. It made him excited and yet more than that, he felt safe, secure. When Kaiba held him and he cried out all of his innermost feelings he didn't feel embarrassed, vulnerable, humiliated... No, Kaiba made him feel so...
"Well I am headed out to run errands before it's time to open the shop. I will be back in a couple of hours."
Yugi snapped out of his daze, "You sure you don't want to stay for breakfast, Grampa?"
The older shook his head, "No I ate earlier. Besides I think it would be much better if it were just the two of you. You must have a lot to talk about and somehow I don't think Kaiba would want other people around. Have fun Yugi. It's really good to see you smile genuinely again." Yugi nodded softly and walked his grandfather out. He locked the door made his way to the kitchen and went back to preparing a meal for him and his guest.
Yugi set the plates down on the table in the small dining area. He stepped into the kitchen to start the coffee maker and picked up a small tray of condiments; syrup, butter, sugar and the like and put them down on the center of the table in the dining area. Once everything was set, he made for the stairs.
Back in his room, he noted the brunet was as he left him, on his back, right leg bent up and his left hand lazily resting on his forehead. Hesitantly, he leaned forward and shook the other gently. For some reason this sent a surge of heat to his face, it was definitely a strange occurrence for him. He never thought the day would come when he was waking Seto Kaiba, his rival and reluctant friend, from a peaceful slumber in his bed. 'Gah, why do I keep emphasizing that?' he chastised mentally.
Kaiba stirred and let out a tired groan. Yugi watched as those brows furrowed in a familiar fashion and lips deepen their frown, surprisingly Kaiba grumbled a bit and turned away from him. He was now on his side, facing the wall. The Duelist Champion gulped. "Uhm, K-Kaiba..." He started and shook the other's shoulder a bit firmer than before. "I made breakfast for us. We should eat before it gets cold."
"Mnn. Mokuba just a little longer... I don't have work today." Yugi jumped up and had to fight bursting out in laughter at what he just heard. He had held the assumption that Kaiba was an early riser and a light sleeper. 'But then he did mention something about not getting much sleep last night.' Still, Yugi found it to be kinda cute in a way.
It took a few seconds to collect his thoughts and get his snickers under control. "No, Kaiba... It isn't Mokuba. You should really wake up." Yugi's eyes softened as he leaned over and for the third time shook his rival awake. "It's Yugi. Remember you came over and well we fell asleep." He informed lightly.
Blue eyes opened slowly behind a layer of brown bangs. 'Y-Yugi..?' The words took their time registering in his mind as he was wakened from the grip of precious sleep. He hadn't had a decent night's sleep in about a week. His right hand went to his face as he tried to wipe the sleepiness away. Yugi stood back and smiled sheepishly. The brunet sat up with a heavy sigh and let his hand rest on his now arched knee. Tired blues met Yugi's bright purples with strained glower. "Oh right. I remember. I came by to snap you out of your stupidity." He rolled his head in a circular motion to get the kinks out of his neck. 'Ironically I just wanted to get him back to normal so I could stop being bothered by his problems and get back to my life. But now...' He didn't know what to think of from last night. He felt like he just admitted to the other a part of him he never even admitted to himself... But.
"Uhm well, I suppose that is one way to sum it up." He mumbled with a soft pout. "That's a bit harsh but you are right." He took a seat by the brunet's legs and gave the other a smile, "I was really stupid to hide all this pain from my friends. I'm relieved though, that you came for me Kaiba. I always wanted to be friends with you but I didn't think we'd ever be as close as I am with the others. But then, I doubt i'd be able to confide in you if we were like how I am with Jounouchi and the others. Thank you Kaiba. Really, you've done so much for me. Your encouragement is-"
Kaiba broke their eye contact, a bit overwhelmed with the shorter's fuzziness. "Listen, Yugi. I only did so because your friends as incompetent as ever, were failing miserably to help you. And if you aren't at your best than it isn't worthwhile... You lost someone you were particularly close to, even I get that."
"Yes. It'll be some time before I can truly open up to the rest but thanks to you I see that I will be able to with time. Atem was my savior, my first real friend. He meant so much to me..." His eyes clouded with a bit of melancholy.
Kaiba frowned. His curiosity wanted him to press Yugi on how close the teen's relationship was with his former 'yami' or whatever they called him. He never understood that part exactly. How did it feel to share a body twenty-four seven with another being? He shuddered at the thought as he didn't entertain the idea of having someone control your movements. It reminded him of Pegasus sealing his along with his little brother's soul into cards and using their bodies as puppets. But at least it was like a black-out, he couldn't imagine still able to see and hear everything around you but having someone else move in your place. Because of Atem, Yugi was put into some distressing situations as well as himself. 'If Atem would've done his job back then, my life would have been free of all the crazy loons we endured.'
He didn't really want to accept the nonsense but after being sucked into the damn Egyptian Past and witnessing the evil Zorc and Thief King wreck havoc, he supposed he had no choice but to come to terms with the headache that was magic, evil, Millennium Items and his past life as a damned Priest. The only satisfaction he gained from all of it was Yugi's duel against Atem. Though he would've defeated Atem in half the time, it was still a good fight. "Yugi."
The tri-colored teen shook his head and raised up his arms. "I know, I know. I don't think I'm quite over it yet but I will rely on my friends instead of keeping them away. Kaiba, we were both spouting a lot of things last night but I... do you.." His gaze fell to his fidgeting hands in his lap, "Can we still talk from time to time? I know you're really busy and have your own things going on but it made me happy when you said... you cared about me and you were here for me..."
The taller felt a twinge in his chest as one of the soul-shattering things he foolishly said last night reared its fluffy vomit-inducing head. "Oh... Right." He felt a headache forming as part of him wanted to say it was a mistake but Kaiba wasn't the sort to go back on his word. Besides he supposed this would only make Yugi feel worse. A heavy mental groan resounded within as he collected his thoughts. He really had been tired last night, hell, he still felt like catching zzz's. A smirk carried on his lips, "Yugi as long as you don't bring any of your annoying cheer squad, you can stop by any time. If I'm not there Mokuba will be overjoyed to visit with you."
"R-really, Kaiba?" He didn't like the way the brunet spoke of his friends but he knew at the point there wasn't much he could do to get him to stop. Maybe if they strengthened their own friendship he could convince the harsh CEO to drop the cold lingo. Hey, maybe it was possible.
The brunet leaned forward onto his knees. "Well I did promise. What kind of person would I be if I went against my word?"
A comfortable silence settled between the two. Minutes past but Yugi's stomach growled breaking their serene moment. The Duelist Champion remembered what was waiting for them downstairs. "Oh, Kaiba! I forgot, I made us breakfast. Come on, I'm starving!" He smiled jumping to his feet.
Kaiba wanted to simply leave but the other seemed so chipper he decided against it. 'What have I gotten myself into?' He felt an uneasy feeling begin to surface, especially when Yugi looked at him with those vivid purple eyes. 'Why do I feel like things are about to get complicated?' Just what he needed. 'How lovely.' He rolled his eyes and followed after the more relaxed other.
