EDITED ON: September 26th, 2014


~ Chapter IV ~

Walls


Bzzzt. Bzzzt.

"Nng..."

Yuugi's eyes opened slowly, face contorted in groggy annoyance as they peered through dim lighting to his cellphone. The little device was obnoxiously bright and loud, as it vibrated on his bedside table. He reached out blindly, giving a cute little moan of his exhaustion while he did so. He briefly saw the time of 8:43am light up on the phone's screen, next to a 10-digit contact number. He blinked, lifting his head from the pillow in recognition.

Ryou...?

The two had been in close contact since their Yamis departed for the afterlife, now nearly three months ago. In fact, he had been up late texting the albino teen, just last night. Is something wrong? he couldn't help but wonder.

He quickly flipped the little device open, and pressed it to the side of his face. "R... Ryou? Whas' up?" he slurred sleepily.

There was a tiny pause, before the other's voice responded. "Yuugi? Are you... drunk, or something?" the other question, voice laced in amusement.

Yuugi scoffed, making a 'tch' sound, leaning up on an elbow. "Of course not," he snorted with mild amusement, shifting into a more comfortable position. "Just tired. What's up?" he asked, becoming more alert through the stimulation of conversation.

"Oh, uhm... nothing much..." The other's voice grew hesitant. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

"Nah," the tri-color-haired teen quickly fibbed, hearing a twinge of guilt lacing his friend's voice. "Is something wrong?"

There was a sound of Ryou clearing his throat, "Ah, no – I, uh... Just wanted to know if you felt like hanging out today?"

Yuugi mused for a second. It was Sunday, so the shop was closed, therefore his grandfather wouldn't need help. As far as he knew, Jounouchi and the others hadn't scheduled anything with him that day – not that they had really spent much time together these past few months, anyways, so... But... it... would be nice to hang out with Ryou... The most personal contact the two spent together would usually involve Yuugi running to Ryou's apartment in the middle of the night, either to console his friend or to escape the realities of his grief to find his own sense of comfort. It was also very common that they would spend more than half the night texting or calling one another through insomnia-ridden evenings, just... talking. About anything, really. It reminded Yuugi a lot of what he and Atem-

The adolescent flinched visibly, sucking in a quiet breath. The memory of his other self still sent pain like a flaming knife into his chest. He bit his lip to stifle the surge of emotions, and tuck them away, back into that empty little corner of his mind yet again.

He was broken from his musings by a concerned voice. "Yuugi? You still there?"

"Y-Yeah," he stumbled sheepishly, "Uh, yeah. I'd love to hang out. What time?"

"Could I stop by around nine-fifteen? We could go to that little café downtown for breakfast, or something."

"Sure! See you then?"

"Yup! Bye."

"Bye."

Yuugi glanced at his phone as the conversation ended, to check the time. His amethyst eyes widened. comically.

9:00am

He had fifteen minutes.

"Crap!"

He rolled haphazardly from his bed, only to forget of the approximate two-foot drop to the ground. There was a loud, slightly painful thunk as he collided with the carpet floor beneath him, giving a loud grunt as the air was forced from his lungs. He flailed slightly, bedding wrapped firmly over his legs. "Oh for the love of Ra! Get off!" he growled, finally managing to kick the clingy fabric from his body.

"Yuugi, what in Heaven's name are you doing up here?" his grandfather's partly amused, partly concerned voice spoke up suddenly as the young man dashed over to his dresser for a set of clothing. He glanced up, to see Sugoroku leaning almost cautiously in the doorway, peeking into his grandchild's room with eyes full of mirth and confusion.

Yuugi grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, Jii-chan!" he mumbled, fishing a pair of black, leather pants from a drawer, "I'm going out with a friend, and he's going to be here in, like, ten minutes!" The reply was slightly winded, with the faintest hints of a whine, but happy and equally amused at his own predicament, either way.

"Oh-ho, a boy, is he?" The old man raised a suggestive brow, a smirk on his face. "Which 'friend' are we speaking about, then? Surely you two aren't... going out in any way that will give your poor old grandfather a heart attack, are you?"

The young Mutou flushed heavily, a scandalized expression falling over his face. "J-Jii-chan!" he whined. Of course, with the elder being his only family, he was well aware of the boy's sexual orientation. It was kind of nice, knowing someone other than himself or... Atemu... Well, kind of were the keywords there.

In short, he couldn't escape the teasing nor suspicions that the surprisingly perverted, aged man had, be it man or woman.

The old man held up his hands in surrender, chuckling heartily. "Only playing, my boy. But, who are you going to be with, exactly?"

Yuugi swallowed. Why did he suddenly feel so... hesitant? He shrugged lamely, slipping into his pants in one quick, fluid movement. "Just Ryou..." he mumbled, pointedly distracting himself by fishing a set of studded belts and a black T-shirt from his wardrobe.

He heard the aged man behind him shift, most likely taking a seat on the edge of his bed. "You and that boy... seem to have gotten... quite close, as of late, have you not?" Yuugi could hear the hesitance lacing Sugoroku's careful words.

He stopped, a shirt now protecting his torso from the bare space of his bedroom, belts strapped comfortably over his hips. His back was facing his elder, head slightly downcast as he stared into nothingness. His arms fell limp by his sides, heart clenching with an all-too-familiar pain. There was a small sigh from behind him.

"Yuugi, my boy..." Sugoroku exhaled slowly, "You are going to have to move on at some point... I know the Pharaoh held a special place in your heart, but he is gone now."

Yuugi inhaled sharply, eyes squeezing shut as the threat of tears loomed.

"You can't stay like this forever, Yuugi. One day, you are going to have to move on, and find a way to open your heart again."

"Do not close off your heart, my Light. Do not spend the remainder of your mortal life alone. One day, seek out a way to find your happiness again, aibou. You deserve the chance to love another as you have loved me, and to have it returned to you, fully."

Yuugi's fist clenched, and he exhaled shakily. His reply was sharp, angry, and bitter. Completely unlike himself. "How about you all get off my damn back and leave me to grieve a little first?!" he snapped, before turning and storming from his room without another word, not pausing despite the flash of guilt he felt when seeing the shock in his grandfather's eyes. His studded shoes were shoved quickly onto his feet, and a gray vest snagged from the coat rack by the doorway that conjoined the Kamé Game Shop and the Mutou Family home. He yanked it over his arms, and quickly escaped the confines of his home, which seemed more suffocating than anything at the moment. A voice interrupted him.

"Yuugi?"

He saw none other than Ryou Bakura, mere feet away, phone out – undoubtedly to warn the frustrated teen of his arrival. He glanced back to the house-shop complex, a sudden distaste in his leering gaze. "Let... Let's go, Ryou..." he mumbled, pace slowing as he passed his friend, headed in the direction of Downtown Domino City. Ryou fell into a silent, yet concerned, step next to his friend.

He was quiet for a moment, patient. Waiting, for the stiffness of the tri-color-haired adolescent's posture to drop, his set shoulders to slump, and the strained expression of his face to fall. Cold indigo eyes softened slowly over the minutes, to a guardedly troubled heliotrope.

They were now traveling down the mildly abandoned concrete walks of the outskirts of Domino City's 'business district', so to speak, where buildings began to grow in height and size, to rise a story or two above the boys' heads.

The little breakfast nook of Kaedé Café was simple, both interior and exterior. The inside was decorated mostly in pastel or pale, light brown shades, giving it a warm and homey atmosphere. Open, window-lined booths and loosely-packed tables were set about in an organized, spacey pattern. Close enough to not feel exposed or singled out, but far enough away from each other to allow easy movement and personal space. The pair seated themselves in a booth towards the back of the restaurant, and Yuugi found his gaze drawn to the views of daily, inner-city life passing by. Pedestrians walked by without a second glance to the world as it circulated around them. Cars passed down asphalt roads, oblivious to the people that weaved between them in rare opportunities to escape the wait and bustle of scattered, stoplight crosswalks.

Yuugi looked up as a kind-looking waitress approached them. She had bizarre bluish hair (a thought which was hypocritical, considering Yuugi's own looked like a radiant starfish), and an excited look to her eyes as she took in the faces of her two customers. Ah, but of course... Who wouldn't be thrilled to be attending to the King of Games? It was a surprisingly bitter thought, in Yuugi's mind. But, he offered a kind, rather trademark smile to the young woman as she introduced herself.

"Good morning," her quiet, high-pitched voice murmured with a mixture of shyness and excitement, "My name is Nosaka Miho, and I'll be your waitress this morning. Can I interest either of you in one of our famous maple-cinnamon muffins?"

The two gave a polite rejection. "I'll just have some peach tea?" Ryou piped up, though his statement ended sounding more like a question. Yuugi nodded lightly, and mirrored the order. Miho-san nodded, and scurried away.

A slightly awkward silence fell over the two young men. Yuugi began picking at his napkin, as a result. He knew what Ryou as going to ask before the words had even formed on his delicate (where did that come from?) lips.

"So..." the albino murmured, "What happened?"

"What do you mean?" Yuugi muttered, though they both knew exactly what the white-haired teen had meant.

He heard a soft sigh of dissatisfaction leave Ryou's form. "Don't play dumb with me, Yuugi," he breathed, "It doesn't suit you."

"...Sorry."

"It's fine."

They lapsed into another bought of quiet, only stirred when Nosaka-san brought them their ordered beverages, all kind smiles and flutter-y... girlish-ness.

Ryou stirred his drink absently with the straw, ice clinking against its glass confines. Yuugi's napkin had since been drained of its purpose, and scooted to the side. "It..." His amethyst eyes looked up quickly at Ryou's hesitant voice. Chocolate brown pools were studying the tabletop. "It's fine, if you don't want to talk about it with me..." he finished after a pregnant pause. There was something about his voice's tone... Almost as if he was... hurt? Rejected?

Both?

"N-No, Ryou," Yuugi sighed quietly, making his friend glance up almost shyly. "It... It's not you... I just feel Grandfather and the others, they're being a bit..." He trailed, searching briefly for the right word.

There was an understanding glint in the albino child's eyes. "Insensitive?" he finished, voice nary a whisper.

Why was it, that when someone else was quiet, one also felt inclined to be just as hushed?

Yuugi nodded, eyesight falling to his hands resting on the table. "I just... They act like... they don't even care. Like Yam- er... Atem... wasn't some huge part of our lives. Like the past year or two never even happened." One hand knitted up into his hairline, forehead resting in the palm – an obvious sign of distress. "I've found myself wondering if I've just gone mad, and it was all just a sick dream... That he was just a... a dream..."

A singular tear traced down Yuugi's cheek, and he was eternally grateful to have chosen a seat so isolated from other patrons and staff, alike. It offered a small sense of sanctuary, of sorts. The pale youth was broken from his absent musings by the feeling of warmth over the back of his free hand. He looked up, arm folding next to his chest. Ryou was looking to him, almost bashful, a pale hand now folded comfortingly over Yuugi's own. He was smiling in a reassuring sort of way – as if everything was going to be alright.

Perhaps, over time... things would be...?

"I guess that means we're both absolutely bonkers then, doesn't it?" he joked, as a way to break the growing tension in the atmosphere.

Yuugi allowed a small smile to lift his lips ever-so-slightly at the comment. He released a long, relaxing breath, shoulders falling into a relaxed posture. "Thanks, Ryou." The albino's only reply was to smile wider, hand lingering for a moment, before withdrawing, and distracting himself with the promise the of iced peach tea set before him. Yuugi brought his own glass a little closer, and sipped the sweet beverage through a cheap, plastic straw.

The quiet they had lapsed into this time wasn't awkward. It was positively serene, and content. Just two friends... comfortable within one another's presence. After a moment, Yuugi smiled again, a gesture which easily caught his companion's interest.

"So, what do you want to do next?"

"-so I left him there with Anzu. Didn't even tell him about the whole.. date-thing."

"You didn't!" Ryou gasped with laughter edging his voice. "Yuugi Mutou, you can be just plain evil sometimes!"

Yuugi nodded, feeling a tad guilty, but overall amused. "If there were a couch anywhere in the Puzzle, I'm pretty sure I'd be stuck on it for a month, at least," he snickered. "Of course, this was before I had told him how I felt, so he didn't have a very good excuse on why he couldn't stick around for more than a few minutes."

Ryou laughed along with the smaller, before launching into a tale of one of his own Yami mishaps, which involved a steamed Bakura, and a microwave being sent to the Shadow Realm. Well... he supposed even Realms of Darkness needed their basic appliances. Yuugi smiled, carefree. It was... rather blissful, to be able talk about their spiritual others so openly to someone, even if it was to one person, alone. It sent a sort of burden from Yuugi's heart, taking just a little bit of the strain of once holding the world's fate on his shoulders away. And Yuugi could tell, just by the way his friend was carrying himself – light in his step, and bright in his eyes – that Ryou was feeling a similar relief. After years of unfortunate events, rivalries, darkness, and suffering...

They could relax, and be themselves.

Yuugi smiled absently, laughter fading into a faraway smile.

For the first time, Yuugi felt normal.

"Thanks for inviting me out, Ryou," he murmured, glancing to his friend in his peripheral vision. "I didn't realize how much I needed this."

The white-haired boy only beamed. "Thank you for joining me, Yuugi," he returned cheerily, "It feels nice, just to get out for a while, doesn't it? No dueling, no school..."

"No ancient spirits," Yuugi added quietly, grinning. Ryou giggled, though it was tinged with sorrow and longing. Yuugi placed a hand over his friend's jacket-clad shoulder, mirroring the comforting action he had used on him that very morning in Kaedé.

The pair had spent the entire day, doing nothing but walking around Domino and talking, with a pause to stop at one of the local arcades earlier in the afternoon, as well as a quick refuel at Burger World after that. Yuugi could officially say that his wallet was much lighter now, than it had been at the start of the day.

He stopped as he noticed Ryou's sudden silence. "Yuugi," the albino murmured, staring across the surprisingly vacant streets, to a small swarm of people, obviously tracking the two friends. "Who are they?"

Yuugi paled. "Shit..." he hissed the curse quietly, retrieving a rather surprised look from the other. Dread and revelation filled brown orbs.

"Our sign to leave, I'd wager?"

Nod. "Veryquickly."

He could see their devilish grins from over a block away. The tell-tale glint of a camera and quickening paces sent Yuugi's adrenaline thrumming.

"Run!"

He grabbed Ryou's arm on reflex, before darting down the street like a madman, ignoring the yelp of protest from his friend.

Effectively having drawn his companion into movement, Yuugi released the other, the two easily matching pace. "Gods above, can't a guy get some privacy?!" he snapped breathlessly, panting with the exertion to his muscles, "I swear, you'd think I had a damn tracking device planted in my ass!"

Ryou's loud but winded laugh sent a wild grin over Yuugi's lips as they began to gain ground. He grabbed Ryou's hand, and tugged him to round a corner, before practically tossing both of their bodies into an alleyway on pure momentum. They scrambled quietly, and ducked down behind an old, green dumpster for shelter. The scent rising from within it made Yuugi's throat burn and his stomach clench unpleasantly. They scooted as far back as possible, leaving Yuugi's back pressed firmly to Ryou's chest, the taller's slight arms having to hold him close for balance in their crouched positions. Yuugi could feel the heaving of the other male's chest against his spine, and the heat radiating off of his body. Warm breaths puffed at his neck as they struggled to get their heart rates back down to a regular pulse. It sent a strange shiver down the young duelist's body.

The pounding of feet rushed by, and Ryou held back the points of Yuugi's wild hair as he dared to peek out from their little hiding place. After a moment of scoping the area, Yuugi deemed it safe, and stood. He offered a hand to aid the other to his feet, hauling him forward and into an upright position, as well, before raising his arms over his head in a luxurious stretch. He felt his limbs crack and pop slightly, a sigh of content escaping his full lips. Ryou smirked after doing the same. "Just another day?" he questioned teasingly.

"Just another day," the Gaming King confirmed, cracking a grin of his own.

Upon the logic that the mob would most likely travel to Yuugi's home in their fruitless search for the teenaged celebrity, they agreed on going to Ryou's apartment for rest and refuge. Also, they had no idea where the taller teen lived, so that was a nice bonus. Not to mention that Yuugi wasn't exactly eager on returning home just yet, considering the way he had left this morning...

Guilt gnawed at his chest as they scurried up the flight of stairs to Ryou's home, the door being re-locked upon entering. What he had said to his grandfather had been rude and disrespectful. Yet, Yuugi felt it had been justified, all the same.

Only two months had gone by since Atemu's passing, and they already expected him to have made a solid bounce back from his depressive state? His friends, having not known how strong the boy's bond to his darker side had truly been, he could somewhat understand. But.. his grandfather, too? The old man had known exactly what was going on between the pair, maybe before even they, themselves, had even understood their own emotions towards one another! It just... it wasn't fair...

The world wanted him to be strong, when he felt on the verge of collapse. Having to turn up a stiff upper lip and indifferent gaze over every last bump and crack in his path through life. Building walls around himself. Walls he didn't even know how to acquire the bricks to, nor how to break down, now that they were in place. After all... if life was full of such pain... even worse than what he had already experienced...

Wouldn't it just be better for him to keep those walls up, in the first place?

"Earth to Yuugi! Come in, Yuugi!"

A hand waving in front of his face broke Yuugi from his spiraling thoughts. "Wh-huh? Wh-What?"

Ryou had an expression that was confused, concerned, and amused, all at once. "You spaced out," he informed, albeit a bit unnecessarily. Obviously, that much was already known. The smile fell into a frown of worry. "Everything alright, mate?"

Yuugi rubbed his neck, grinning sheepishly. "Y... Yeah. Sorry, Ry', I tend to get lost in thought a lot, don't I?"

Ryou giggled, only giving a slightly-hesitant nod in return. "Just a bit," he teased, before offering to fetch them both a glass of water. Yuugi gladly agreed, throat rather parched after all of that running earlier. As he watched Ryou practically skip off to the home's small kitchenette, a fond smile crossed his face.

Maybe... some day... the albino could help break down these walls he had built around his heart? Yuugi had to admit – he kind of liked the sound of that.

"Do you promise?"

His Yami's voice broke into his musings. Yuugi, though saddened, let the tiny smile stay, thanking Ryou as a glass, dew-dropped in condensation, was offered to his hands. Yuugi found his touch lingering next to his friend's a millisecond longer than necessary, before pulling back, cup now firmly in his grasp..

Yes, Atemu, he replied timidly into his empty, echoing thoughts, I promise...