Yugi watched the demon sleeping on the bed with a cautious eye. He knew that he --Atem-- was not dangerous, he was just hurt and afraid. He probably was still wondering where he was, but for some reason Yugi didn't really think that that was going to be a problem.

What was concerning him more was the feeling that he had.

Yugi had never felt this way about anyone before. And he knew that the butterflies in his stomach weren't supposed to be there. He knew that he had just met this person, and had just figured out his name, but for some reason that he knew he'd never find out, he was somehow in love with this demon who was known as Atem.

How absurd!

Yugi found himself blushing at the very thought. He just did that because the demon was attractive. His eyes, even in their blank state, where soft yet piercing; deep and wise…beautiful. His body was slim and hard. Beautiful. And his lips…they were soft and smooth.

Beautiful.

Yugi wanted to tell himself that his attraction to the man was lust. He really did, and that was obvious. But it wasn't; for some reason, Yugi was caught by love at first sight.

He had never believed in anything like that before, though. In fact, up until just then, Yugi had never even believed in that thing called love. He had never believed that anyone could feel that way about a person, not after all of those years kept in a prison. That's what happens when someone has no one to love for so long.

Of course, Yugi did love Ryou. Just not in that way.

"Yugi? Are you here?"

Yugi twitched, surprised at the sudden noise in the quiet apartment, and pulled his hand away from Atem's as he realized that they were linked. The demon didn't move, though, and stayed completely still. Yugi wondered if he'd ever slept on a real mattress before.

After all, when Yugi slept on one for the first time, he thought that he'd never get up again.

"Yeah, I'm right here," Yugi said, standing up and walking outside of the open door to the living room. Ryou was at the table towards the small kitchen, taking things out of plastic bags and placing them nearby.

There was an awkward silence after Yugi spoke. Both of them had to have found it odd. After all, they've never been awkward with each other before. There was really no place for it. Or want.

Ryou broke the silence first by looking over at Yugi and frowning a little, "Are you alright Yugi? You look a little flushed."

The Halfling blinked and raised a slightly shaking hand to his face. The other was right: he did feel a little hot.

He wondered why.

However, Yugi only tried to shrug it off by laughing a little and shaking his head, "It's nothing. I guess that I'm just in a little shock. Today was kind of weird."

Ryou nodded, then went to take another item out of the bag. At the retrieval, he looked up, the frown still in place on his features, "Is he alright?"

No one had to ask who the 'he' was.

Yugi frowned deeper, not liking where this conversation was going. After all, he really didn't know. "He fell asleep a little while ago. Ryou…" He paused, realizing that if he didn't say this now, then he was going to somehow upset someone later, "He's…blind."

Ryou was smart enough to understand what that meant. He blinked and looked into Yugi's eyes. "Oh." He blinked again; there was nothing to say.

The silence turned awkward again.

Yugi tried to break the quiet, and looked at the packages that Ryou had taken out of the bags. He crossed the small distance between them and started to pick up the purchases, "Did you know that they have a chili flavored Ramen?"

That must have done it, because Ryou laughed happily and started to grab the other stack of brick-noodles and salt, "Yeah, I got some today. But there's nothing wrong with good old chicken and beef, is there?"

Yugi smiled, banishing any bad thoughts from his head. That must have just been a fluke, a weird thing because of the fact that both Yugi and Ryou were so worried. Of course the presence of someone else would bother them a little.

They've only had themselves to worry about for so long, after all.

I stand up gingerly on the plush rug underneath me. The fabric seeps inbetween my toes, and I shiver a little. I've never felt anything like this before, but its not terrible. I like the sensation: its nice.

I just wish that I know what the colors of the cloth are; I wish that I know what the patterns are, if there's one at all. But I can't.

I sigh heavily, and brush a few stray tears off of my face. I'm sad, but there's another emotion that has taken hold of my control: curiosity.

I know that if I could see then I might know, but I know that I can't see, and I don't know how I'm going to get my eyes back. I do know that I want to find Yugi, though.

Yugi. The name still feels new in my mind.

I think that I am in a house. I can smell air, but its not fresh. And I can hear vibrations; maybe those electronic things that humans seem to like, but never get close enough to touch. Maybe Yugi would let me touch one. Maybe I could feel those vibrations when I touch the plastic or metal or wood.

I take a step forward, and when my foot lands again I can feel fabric dart up between my toes for the second time. I shiver again, and realize that it almost tickles. I reach out my arms, curious for the other surfaces and objects in the room, and let my fingers rest on something wooden. I run my fingers across it, and come into contact with different things. Some of them are cold and hard, while others are soft and room temperature. Others I could break with just a push of my fingers. Still other things I could rip.

I sigh a little, realizing that I'm grateful. I can't see, but I still have all of those other ways of learning my surroundings. Even though my sight was my favorite, I didn't do anything to make it better than the others. Even though I don't like not having my sight, I can still live with just my other senses.

I'm happy that I still have these options, because I'm the only one left.

The gravity of the situation hits me again, and I feel like something has stabbed me through my heart. I'm still devastated, but I don't know why. I can't figure out why I am so upset that these people that hated me died. I don't understand, but I want to.

I feel tears gather in my eyes again. I'm frustrated, and confused and in pain. My wing, though feeling a little better, is still prickling uncomfortably. I don't even know what I'm going to do when the time comes that I have to leave. I can't rest here for long, as I have most-likely already outstayed my welcome.

Yugi probably wants me to leave.

And why wouldn't he? I invaded his space, and kissed him when he only wanted to help me. Even though he had tried to help me even after I had disrespected him, how was I supposed to know that he wasn't only doing it out of pity or characteristic kindness? Maybe I was feeling something from Yugi…maybe he wanted it, but I cast the thought from my mind.

Embarrassment floods through my stomach.

I take a another step, not feeling the tickle of the fabric under me, and am instead hit by pain as my toes collide with a hard substance that refuses to give under my force. The cold feeling rushes through my muscle and skin, and I cry out.

I hate my voice; I can't remember the last time that I sounded like that. It's…pathetic.

The feeling shocks through my entire leg, and my other gives out, trying to copy the tingling nerves of its opposite. My hand swipes across whatever it came to a rest on, and everything on the wooden box is swept off onto the carpet where I sit. My wing throbs painfully at the sudden and uncomfortable movement.

I don't get up again; I don't trust myself. I feel shaky, and I know that if I try to get up again, I'll fall. But not from the pain.

I think that I'm scared.

A cry shot through the air and pierced the ears of the ones that were there to hear it.

Yugi dropped the package of Ramen that he was about to place in the boiling water, "Ryou, did you hear that?" It was a foolish question. Yugi knew the answer, but he was almost afraid to listen for the answer. The voice was Atem's, and at the cry, Yugi's reflexes acted as if the noise was a gunshot.

Without even waiting for Ryou, Yugi took off at a run towards his room. The few furnishings and decorations that the two bothered to have bounced around in their places. The door was still open, but Yugi, in his haste, crashed it into the wall when he entered.

"Atem?"

I can't see, but I can hear and feel the sound of someone's footsteps bounding around on a nearby surface. I hear a crash and flinch heavily as the sound hurts my ears. I don't remember being hurt or frightened by so many things at once. I think that maybe I need my sight more than I think.

"Atem?"

I hear my name being called, and I now know that the person in the room in Yugi. Not so much because of his voice, but because of his clean scent. It reminds me of the forest, and even though I know that I can never go back there, it makes me want to all the same.

If I could have stayed in the mountains with all of the other demons, maybe I would have. Maybe I should have. Because if it wasn't for Yugi, then I wouldn't want to be here at all right now.

I don't know what to say back. I don't know how to speak Yugi's language, and he doesn't know how to speak mine. Maybe I can learn. But for now, all I have is that one word that might give him some type of clue: "Yugi."

I'm in love with Yugi.

I miss my home.

"Yugi."

As Atem said Yugi's name, his brief pause was thrown into the past and the smaller rushed to the demon's side before placing his hand on the other's face to show him that he was there. He wasn't sure what to say; after all, what could he say that the demon would understand?

Atem didn't seem to need words though, and placed his own palm over Yugi's own before wincing in pain. His blank eyes flashed with fire and he twitched his injured wing. The demon closed his eyes, apparently trying to block it out. It didn't seem to work.

Yugi moved closer to him and took his palm to place his arm across his own shoulder's. Speaking would have been useless to the two of them, so Yugi tried to be gentle and not force the demon to do anything that he might not have wanted to. The only way to commute was through actions; it was obvious.

"Yugi, what happened?"

Yugi paused and blinked a few times. In his worry for Atem, he had forgotten that the other was there, "I don't know. I think that he must have tripped. He probably couldn't see where he was going."

Suddenly Atem stood up on his own, and Yugi was momentarily thrown off balance. The shock of tripping and falling must have worn off, because the demon was now standing again, his posture giving off an aura of confidence. Yugi was surprised by this; he wasn't sure what had sparked the sudden aggressiveness.

"Yugi?" Ryou asked, moving back a little. He too looked alarmed at the sudden behavior of the demon. It was so much different than what he looked like, face down in the dirt. "What just happened?"

Yugi shook his head, "I don't know." He looked at Atem again for a minute before turning back to Ryou, "Maybe he's just alert because he's never…uh, seen you before."

Ryou took a couple of steps forward, and Yugi watched as Atem's ears seemed to perk at the sound. Even though it was impossible for his eyes to focus anymore, they appeared to as they concentrated on the noise.

"Umm," Ryou hummed cautiously, still taking little steps towards the suddenly confident person in front of him, "Atem? I'm…Ryou."

"Ryou," He repeated, cocking his head a little to the side and listening. Then he nodded.

I hear Yugi's heartbeat in my head. I can tell that he's trying to be calm, but that he doesn't feel that way at all. For some reason, I think that he's trying to be strong for me, but I don't understand that. Shouldn't I be strong for myself? Isn't that the only way that I'd accomplish anything?

I hear something else, too. Someone else's heartbeat. Someone else is in the room, and I wonder who it is. "Yugi?" He says, and I stand up as I realize that this could be some sort of enemy to Yugi.

I feel protective, and it spreads. Right now, I feel like I could kill to save Yugi, and even though I know that I'd regret it, I don't care. I want to protect Yugi. At all costs.

My emotions overpower me, and I am prisoner. Always.

"Atem." He speaks again, and I listen. He doesn't sound mean or harmful. His voice is soft, yet somewhat familiar to me. I can't remember where I've heard it, or under what circumstances, but I don't mind. I like his voice. "Ryou."

His name is Ryou. I think about it, and let his voice play in my mind. It bounces around in the dark cavern that is my sight, and I find that I trust it. I trust Ryou. I nod.

I hear a hiss, like a snake, but different. I wonder what it is, and I hear footsteps again, along with more of that language that I don't understand.

I can still hear Yugi's heartbeat, though, and I turn towards the noise. I raise my palm and rest it on his chest, where I can feel the small vibrations that carry life-blood through his small thin body. I feel like I want that body.

The muscle quickens at my touch. I think that Yugi is scared…or excited. Maybe both. I think that I am.

And those are both emotions that can grow together. They don't have to fight for my attention. Not now, anyways.

It makes me glad. That can grow, too.

"The water's still boiling!"

Ryou left the room rather quickly, and even though Yugi thought that he saw a small frown on the albino's face, he didn't pay much attention to it. Ryou did that sometimes; he got lost inside of his head, and didn't talk to anyone for a long while. Yugi knew by now that he just had to let it go. He'd come back. He always did.

Atem turned towards Yugi, and the smaller looked up into his face. It looked more relaxed, like he had just accomplished something inside of his head and was proud of it. Then his expression changed, and he smiled a little.

The demon raised his hand and placed it over Yugi's heart. Yugi blushed, even though he knew that the demon couldn't see it. He didn't know why Atem felt this way about him, and he didn't know why the feeling was mutual. He couldn't understand it.

He could feel his heart rate start to pick up; he wasn't sure what Atem was going to do next, and he wasn't sure if he would mind. That scared him.

Yugi was never one to jump right into something unless it was a trail in the woods. This was different, though. Someone else was going to be impacted by this decision, and he knew that if he wanted to back out later down the road, that someone else would also be affected. Yugi wasn't sure if he could handle that.

No one's ever really depended on him before…he wasn't sure if he liked that feeling.

Yet at the same time, it excited him. He raised his own palm and rested it on the other's. His skin was soft and smooth.

Atem leaned closer and managed to direct a kiss onto the smaller's forehead. Yugi pushed him away slightly, but only because he knew that he was somehow supposed to. "No." He said softly, almost sorry that he was setting these kind of guidelines, and almost embarrassed that he was talking to the man as if he were some type of animal.

But they had to communicate. Their ways of speaking could not continue to be physical. Not yet, anyways, Yugi thought, then found himself blushing again at the thought. He wasn't used to these kind of images, not at all.

"No." Atem repeated in the same tone of voice, then backed off slightly. He stood there, apparently not knowing what to do next. Yugi couldn't tell if he was embarrassed or patient. Or both.

Yugi smiled a little, then stepped forward and grabbed the demon's hand. He tugged a little, then started to walk forwards. Atem followed.

"Food."

To Be Continued

Author's Notes: This chapter was revised on 7-8-06.

Thanks to all reviewers!

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