I pull Yami closer to me, letting myself take in his scent. Fresh Egyptian lilies and the pages of old books.
I inhale deeply.
"Oh, Yugi." He mumbles sadly, wrapping his long arms around me. All I feel is the warmth of his body on mine. "You deserve only the best." What I try to tell him is he is the best. But my mouth is pressed tightly to his shirt, so all that comes out is,
"Mm mmhh mmpphh mmm." Yami gently pushes me away to examine my face.
"Pardon?" He asks, smiling widely. I bite my bottom lip nervously. He sighs loudly and stretches out his hand to my chin. He lifts up my chin to look deeply into my eyes. "Aibou, don't bite your lip."
My whole body is numb as he leans closer and closer to me. His breath dances across my face and I can feel his other hand rising up my spine, finally resting on the base of my neck.
Then the phone rings and we freeze. It rings again.
A deafening ring.
Yami lets out an exasperated groan as we break apart. He then smiles weakly.
"I - I should answer that. Excuse me." Yami strips off the apron and walks past the kitchen phone into the hallway.
A few more rings, then silence.
Is this fate telling us we're not meant to be?
.
.
.
((Flashback))
Yugi and Tea walked together through the crowded mall. She let out gasps of joy whenever they passed a gift shop. The red, pink, and white decorations, that littered the windows of most of the stores, almost blended together.
One long, hypnotic, 3-colour rainbow.
"Can you believe it? Valentine's Day is tomorrow." Yugi rolled his eyes at her over-excitement.
"Tea, it happens every year, it's always the same." Despite the certainty in Yugi's words, he knew it wasn't the same. This was the first holiday where Yami was no longer a spirit, but now had his own body. He wasn't carrying Yami's spirit around his neck like he did before.
"What did you guys do with the puzzle?" Tea asked as if she had read his mind. Yugi's hands instinctively travelled up to his neck. His fingers lingered there for a moment before they dropped back down to his sides.
"It's in Yami's room, hanging above his bed. Sometimes he goes to visit his soul room." He explained.
"Wow, he can do that?" Yugi nodded in reply.
"Ishizu showed us how."
"Do you ever visit it?" He almost tripped over his own feet.
"Oh, uh, no. He's never invited me in..." Yugi trailed off, lost in his own thoughts. It's Yami's personal space, it's not meant for him.
"Hey, let's look in here!" Tea exclaimed excitingly. She put her arm out to stop Yugi in his tracks.
"Who are you shopping for?" Yugi inquired. Tea grinned widely, causing Yugi to step back a few feet.
"You are shopping for Yami." She stated simply, grasping Yugi's wrist lightly and leading him into the store. Without thinking, Yugi wrenched his arm free and said,
"But I'm making my own card for - " He stopped suddenly, realizing he had said far too much. Tea couldn't help but smile.
"This is perfect." She whispered.
((End Flashback))
.
.
.
I ignore the mess on the stove and move swiftly through the hallway. Yami's voice is muffled and distant. Curiosity eats at my mind, but I manage to ignore it.
I slip into my room and gently close the door behind me. Isolation sinks in again and I mentally slap myself for being so scared.
For not taking a chance.
For letting him walk away.
I grasp the pillow from the floor and pull my card out. I fold it neatly and place it in my pocket. Suddenly, realization strikes me hard and I reach into my other pocket, pulling out the envelope. His envelope. I rip open the envelope, a small silver key falls onto my palm. Could this be to his room?
I glance at Yami's bedroom door before rushing into the living room to find Yami sitting quietly on the couch, phone hanging limply in his hands. He looks up when I enter and places the phone on the end table.
"Who was that?" I ask him, sounding more irritated than I had hoped. Yami seems taken aback, unsure of what to say next. Do I even care about who was on the phone? Was he talking to his lover and I just got in the way?
Did I get in the way of his plan?
What just happened in the kitchen?
Did I imagine being that close? Despite my negative thoughts, I know what I have to do, but before I have the chance to show him the key, he finally speaks up.
"Ryou. He was warning me that Bakura is coming over."
"What does he want?" Yami just shakes his head wordlessly. He doesn't move. He doesn't lock the door. He's stuck and I can see it. I rush to the door, locking it tightly and come back to the living room.
I'm not letting Bakura ruin this.
I hold out my hand and open it, revealing the key. Yami's face lights up instantly and he runs over to my side. He places his hand under mine and with the other, runs his fingers over the curves of my palm, before picking up the key.
I ache at even the slightest touch.
"I planned it a lot differently... " Yami starts to mumble, taking his hand away from mine. I miss the warmth. Yami walks towards his room and I follow closely behind. He unlocks the door. It slowly swings open to soft creaking sounds.
My heart hammers loudly in my head as I step into the room. My eyes take in every inch to notice that... nothing's changed. His room is still the same. I must have a dumbfounded look on my face because Yami lets out a deep chuckle.
"Surprised?"
"Uh... no." I lie. Yami just smiles and crawls over his bed to unhook the puzzle from the wall. I watch the movements of his body carefully, comparing them to that of a panther. I let the thought drift from my mind as my cheeks begin burning. He's back by my side, cradling the puzzle in his hands.
"I'm not good with words, but I wanted to show you something. Something that would let you know how much I care about you." I feel faint. He holds out the puzzle to me and says, "escape with me?"
I shakily hold out my hands, but pause when they're halfway to the puzzle. He's smiling down at me.
That stunning smile. Those mesmerizing eyes. This is his way of telling me it's all okay. I reach out and place my hands directly on top of his. Together we hold the puzzle and already it seems as light as a feather.
The room fills with a bright light and white mist. In seconds we're transported to a dark and cold hallway. The walls are stones piled so high that the ceiling disappears into darkness.
My hands are still on Yami's. We're still holding the puzzle. I awkwardly remove my hands and Yami slips the puzzle around his neck.
The door to his soul room is just an arms length away.
"Yami..." I whisper. Yami reaches out for my hand. Our fingers intertwine perfectly. He flashes me a quick smile before stretching out his hand towards the door. With a quick jerk he pulls the door open. An orange light pours out of the room, filling in the dark spaces of the hallway.
My eyes dance across the features of the room and my jaw seems to unhinge itself.
"Yami, it's... it's beautiful."
A/N: First of all, thanks again for all the great reviews. Yami's special surprise is next chapter and I promise I won't drag it on any longer.
Now you know how hot things might get ;) and that Tea's a mastermind... Hope you enjoyed it!
P.S: I'll try to stop Bakura from doing anything bad. :O