STORY SUMMERY: Nearly a year has passed since Ya-'Atem' passed on, and things are no easier for Yuugi. However, in Egypt, a truth emerges from the sand, and everyone discovers a mistake they made that night a year ago. YxYY
STORY WARNINGS: Shonen-ai, Romance, Fluff, a bit of angst
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!
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CRAVING
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))Day: 17((
"Anzu, one of your friends is waiting outside for you!"
The brunette looked up from the book she was reading when her grandmother's voice reached her ears. She placed a bookmark in the novel, and got to her feet. It wasn't anywhere near the time they had planned to go to Ryou's. Why were they here?
"Who is it?' she called back, and then mentally berated herself. Her grandmother, visiting from Hase, had no idea who her friends were.
"Well," her grandmother began, "he's got brown hair, and he's tall. Oh, what a good-looking man, Anzu! Are you dating him?"
Anzu flinched, placing her book on her bed. "No, obaachan, we're not!" 'Must be Honda. What's he here for?' She grabbed her purse and left the room. "Good bye, obaachan! I might be gone for a few hours!"
"Have fun, Anzu! And try humor your obaachan and ask him for a date!"
Anzu practically fled her house. However, she was more than a little startled when she found Kaiba Seto leaning against his limo instead of Honda leaning against his motorcycle. Kaiba smirked at her as she slowly walked towards him, confusion written on her face. "Here comes Yuugi's main cheerleader. I've been waiting for twenty minutes."
"Hello, Kaiba," Anzu said in a less-than-friendly tone, "glad to see you're still your lovely self." She planted a bangle-covered wrist onto her black-skirted hip, the other gesturing in the air beside her. "What are you doing here, anyway?"
Kaiba stepped aside, pulling open the limo's door. His face was stern. "You're going to want to hear this inside."
Anzu looked at him nervously before nodding. "Alright," she said, and stepped into the limo.
Kaiba raised an eyebrow at her before sliding in beside her. "That was easy," he said. Anzu shrugged, brushing her dark green tank top straight.
"It was your eyes," she offered. "It's something serious." Her blue eyes jumped up to Kaiba's. "Is it Mokuba?"
Kaiba shook his head. He leaned forward, calling to the driver, "Kame Game shop." He then pressed a button next to his chair, and a black screen rose up to separate them from the driver. Kaiba then turned to Anzu. "Isis Ishtar called me two days ago," he said without preamble.
Anzu blinked a few times. "Isis? Why would she call you? I thought you hated each other."
Kaiba rolled his eyes. "I don't hate anyone. It's too much effort," he grumbled. "Apparently she thought I had a higher shock threshold."
Anzu stared at him. "Kaiba, what did she tell you?"
Kaiba glowered. "Don't you dare faint," he told her. His eyes narrowed. "Apparently, a little over two weeks ago someone stumbled onto their dig site. Someone we all know."
Anzu's face drained of color, and she gripped the leather seat tightly, her eyes wide. "Wh-who?"
Kaiba smirked at her. "I think you've guessed."
She fell back against the seat, breathing deeply as she clenched her eyes shut. "Y-Yami?"
"Indeed."
Anzu bent forward, placing her head between her knees as she tried to focus on the world around her. Surprisingly, Kaiba placed a hand behind her head. Anzu, remembering faintly some first aid, pushed against it, forcing the blood to flow to her brain. After a moment, the rushing sound in her ears died away and the grey spots around her visions faded. She inhaled slowly, and exhaled.
"I'm fine. Thank you, Kaiba."
Kaiba grunted, sliding away from her. "I need you there when I tell Yuugi. You fainting would have been counterproductive."
Anzu shrugged. "Whatever." She looked over at Kaiba, frowning a little. "So, he's really back?"
"Yes."
Anzu stared out her window, shaking her head slightly. "It must have been a shock to you."
"I almost dropped the phone," Kaiba offered stiffly, looking out his own window. Anzu peaked over her shoulder at him.
"Coming from you," she said with a sickly smile, "that makes my almost-fainting look weak."
Kaiba snorted. "I don't know why I was surprised." He glanced at her. "With all the crap you dorks get into, coming back from the dead isn't anything new, really."
Anzu chuckled awkwardly. "I suppose you're right." Anzu suddenly looked ill again and she spun around, staring at Kaiba. "Kaiba, look, I have to tell you something."
Kaiba raised an eyebrow at her, and frowned. "What?"
Anzu exhaled swiftly. She turned her eyes up to the roof of the limo. "Forgive me, Yuugi," she murmured, which confused Kaiba, and stared at the CEO. "Yuugi's in love with Yami."
Kaiba stared at Anzu, obviously startled. He shook his head a little. "You're joking."
"No, I'm not," she responded. She sighed, resting her forehead on her palm. "I can't believe this… he's been miserable for so long and now Yami's back…" She looked up at Kaiba. "It's a good thing you got me," she said. "He might not have believed just you."
Kaiba stared at her, once again unable to believe her. "Why do you believe me? I'm an asshole- I don't do nice things to you. This could have been one sick joke just for my amusement."
Anzu smiled at him. "I more faith in you than that, Kaiba. Besides," she said with a small smirk, "you let me into your limo. That must have killed you a little on the inside."
Kaiba sneered at her. "It did. I'm having it cleaned when I take it back home."
They both quieted when the intercom crackled to life. "Sir, we are a minute away from your destination."
Anzu let out a quiet whimper, gnawing on her glossed lip. Kaiba pressed the intercom button. "Thank you, Dazai."
He turned back to Anzu, who was fiddling with her skirt. Kaiba leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms. "Will the mutt be there?"
Anzu shot him a glare, but let it pass. "No. He works the paper route and isn't done till about eleven. It'll just be Yuugi and Sugoroku."
Kaiba raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh, the man I put into the hospital?" he asked drearily. "Great."
"He's forgiven you," Anzu said, waving her hand at him. "Don't worry about it."
Kaiba rolled his eyes. "I'm not worried. I could put him back in the hospital without any fancy gadgets."
Anzu looked at her nails, unimpressed. "You could," she admitted, "but now that Yami has his own body, Yuugi won't be able to hold him back when he goes to kill you."
Kaiba smirked at her. "Touché."
The limo slowed, and Anzu readied herself, snatching her purse from the limo's floor. When it stopped, she shook her head slightly. "Let's do this."
Kaiba opened the door and slid out, watching as Yuugi peaked his head out the front door of the Kame Game Shop. "Kaiba!" he exclaimed. "It's good to see you! What are you doing here?"
The CEO stepped aside instead of answering, and Anzu slipped out of the door after him. "Hey Yuugi!" she called, smiling brightly.
Yuugi blinked at her a few times. "What are you doing in Kaiba's limo, Anzu?"
Anzu chuckled uneasily, eyeing Kaiba. He gestured for her to take the lead, and she exhaled, marching forward. "Let's go into the house and have Jiichan make us some tea, eh?"
Yuugi winced, but followed after. "I hate it when you open with that…" Kaiba could hear him mumble.
The brunet followed them inside, taking in the familiar sight of the game shop. It was oddly empty for this time of day, and with school being out, although Kaiba could be grateful for that. The idea of waiting there with Anzu for a moment to get both Mutous alone was daunting. He turned, flipping the 'open' sign to 'closed' and strode quickly to catch up. There would be no interruptions.
"Jiichan, Anzu and Kaiba are here! Can you get us some tea, please?"
Yuugi's sharp call rang through the house. A moment later, the grey-haired man poked his head through a doorway. "Oh, is it serious, Anzu?"
Anzu laughed weakly before nodding. "Yeah. We'd all better sit down."
A moment later, the group of four sat in Sugoroku's tiny kitchen at the small table there, while the man himself put water on for tea. When he rejoined them, the man looked at Anzu worriedly.
"What is it, Anzu? And why did you come with Kaiba?"
Kaiba stared at them. "Because the news she has came from me. I told her on the way over here."
Yuugi blinked at him. "What did you need to tell Anzu?" The teenaged girl gripped her purse tightly, and Yuugi stared at them. "Oh Gods, are you getting married?"
Anzu's eyes widened, horrified, and Kaiba's frown turned into a full-fledged snarl. Yuugi smiled at them. "I had to check. Why else would Kaiba be talking to you?"
"Because," Anzu said when she'd recovered, "what he has to say is a bit hard to grasp, and he knew you'd need support." She reached forward, grabbing Yuugi's wrists and smiling at him. "Do you trust me, Yuugi?"
Yuugi smiled at her, laughing softly. "Of course."
"Do you trust my judgment?"
"Yeah…"
"Would you trust me if I told you I believed what Kaiba had to say is the truth, no matter how hard it is?"
Yuugi felt nervous and nodded slightly. "Yes, Anzu. But you're kinda scaring me." Sugoroku touched his shoulder, and Yuugi smiled at him. Anzu exhaled, and entwined her fingers in Yuugi's.
"Isis called Kaiba two days ago. That was when we went to Burger World for the Ancient Egyptian special, remember?" Yuugi nodded, and Anzu continued. "She, Marik, and Rishid found something a little over two weeks ago during their dig in Egypt. Something very, very important to us." Yuugi's fingers tightened immediately in her grasp, and Anzu squeezed right back. "Something we lost a little under a year ago." Yuugi's eyes were wide with shock, and he began to shake his head. "Someone we all loved and missed and wanted to see again." Yuugi's breathing began to speed up, and his skin began to feel a bit cold and clammy. Sugoroku's eyes had widened a bit as the realization settled in. Anzu stared deep into Yuugi's wide eyes.
"He's back, Yuugi," she said softly, yet firmly, squeezing his fingers tighter. "Yami's come back."
Yuugi's face lost all color, and he leaned backward, eyes rolling back and sliding shut. Anzu let go of his fingers and latched onto the fainted teen's shoulders before he slid out of the chair. Kaiba was on his feet in an instant.
"Couch?" he asked stiffly. Anzu nodded, and lifted Yuugi's body up gently and walked through the doorway to the Mutou living room. She laid Yuugi down onto the dark brown couch and sat by his feet, placing two green throw pillows onto her lap and then Yuugi's feet on top of them.
Sugoroku walked into the room, holding out a cup of tea for Kaiba to take. The CEO looked at the old man for a moment before taking the cup. "Thanks," he said awkwardly before hazarding a sip.
Sugoroku shook his head. "Thank you, Kaiba, for having the foresight to bring Anzu with you. She probably is the only one who could have talked him through that."
Kaiba stared at him. "Yuugi still fainted though," was what he said. The grey-haired man smiled.
"But Anzu and Yuugi are very close. Only she would have known what to say, and how to say it." The old man smiled a bit. "It also helps that she took a first aid course last summer."
"Hmm," Kaiba hummed noncommittally. Anzu peaked behind the couch, jerking her head towards the chairs in front of it.
"He's coming around," she explained. The grandfather bustled around the edge and Kaiba followed after, both taking a seat. Yuugi blinked his unfocussed eyes slowly, and Anzu rubbed his legs.
"Hey Yuugi," she said softly. Yuugi's eyes looked down at her, and he inhaled slightly, blinking quickly. Anzu shook her head, understanding the look. "Not a dream, Yuugi. Yami's back. He's come back to us."
Yuugi closed his eyes, a small smile spreading on his face. "How?" he asked, looking over at Kaiba. The CEO shook his head slightly.
"Isis wouldn't say over the phone. Only that I was to bring you and your cheer- … friends to Cairo."
Yuugi made to sit up, but Anzu merely lifted his feet higher to keep him lying down. He glowered at her, but turned to Kaiba anyway. "When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow, noon, is the soonest I can get my jet ready," Kaiba said. He then went into lecture-mode. "The flight would take thirteen hours, but we'd arrive in Cairo when it is seven in the afternoon." He smirked slightly. "Time zones are both a blessing and a bane."
Yuugi's lips seemed glued into a permanent smile, and he looked over at Anzu. "So, what? Everyone?"
Anzu chuckled, her own eyes bright. "Just Jou, Honda, Ryou, Otogi, you, me, and Jiichan."
"That's nine passengers." Kaiba took a moment to think. He took out his cell phone, flipping it open and glancing quickly at the trio. "I'll be back."
Sugoroku watched him leave and rose also. "I'll fetch you two some tea." He slid from the room, and Yuugi's lips spread into a wider smile. "Yami's really back? And we're all going to see him?"
Anzu nodded, squeezing his feet, and laughed. "We are! It's been so long. I almost can't believe it!"
Yuugi shook his head a little. "I still can't. Not really. When I'm there, and I see him…"
Anzu nodded. "I know what you mean, Yuugi." She then looked at him, hard, and Yuugi glanced to the side. "Are you going to tell him, or are you going to let Jounouchi blurt it out at an awkward moment?"
Yuugi sighed, laying his forearm across his eyes. "I will. I have to. I need to. Even if he doesn't…"
He couldn't finish the sentence. He uncovered his eyes, and their violet depths betrayed how nervous he felt. "But he's back, Anzu," he murmured. He touched his chest, where his heart was. "I think my heart knew before we all did, because a little over two weeks ago was when it stopped hurting so much."
Anzu smiled at him, rubbing the soles of his feet softly. "You've never been led astray when you listened to your heart, Yuugi. Don't stop now."
Yuugi smiled at her and leaned his head back, exhaling. "You are telling the others, Anzu. I just don't think I'll be able to. I'm wiped."
Anzu laughed softly at him. "Well, take a nap then. We have a long day tomorrow."
Yuugi felt a coil of nervousness flare up within him once again, but he pushed it aside. With thoughts of the past rising up in his mind, the young teen fell into a soft slumber.
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Yami sat on the chair in Isis's parlor, head buried into his hands. Isis sat a few seats over, hands once more folded delicately in her lap. Yami shook his head, murmuring under his breath.
"I can't believe you did that. Isis, why did you do this? He didn't need to know."
Isis frowned at the ex-spirit, her blue eyes narrowing into a harsh glare. "You were never the cowardly type before death, Yami. Did they take your courage instead of your heart?"
Yami's crimson eyes snapped up, narrowing in anger. He leaned forward, and pressed a hand to his chest. "I wish they had taken my heart!" he snapped at her, narrowed eyes flashing. "Maybe I wouldn't hurt so much."
Yami turned away from her, closing his eyes and exhaling out his nose. Isis sat still, watching him. "How long, Yami?"
Yami glanced over at the woman with tired, pained eyes. He didn't even pretend not to know what she was talking about. "Very soon after Duelist Kingdom. Possibly… during that duel with Pegasus," he said softly, looking down at the floor again. "It wasn't as strong then, though. But it grew." Yami shook his head slowly. "It grew. But Yuugi never reciprocated," the crimson-eyed teen declared firmly. "He loves Anzu, Isis. I didn't want to risk our friendship for the sake of getting my feelings out."
Isis nodded slowly, her eyes cool, but empathetic. "So you took it with you to the grave," she observed. Yami nodded.
"So I took it with me to the grave."
Isis shook her head, frowning. "I hope you realize that three weeks after you left," she said, drawing Yami's attention, "Yuugi and Anzu declared each other off limits. They decided that they weren't interested in complicating their relationship with romance." Isis raised an eyebrow at him, while Yami's eyes widened in shock, pupils shrinking slightly. "Makes you wonder how strong his feelings for Anzu were, after all."
Yami leaned back in his chair, staring off into space. He closed his eyes after a moment, folding his hands into his lap and crossing a kaki-covered leg over his other knee. Isis smiled at him and stood.
"I shall leave you to your thoughts. They will be here tomorrow, just after dinner. Do you want to go with us to pick them up…?"
Yami shook his head, eyes still closed. "No, Isis. I will wait here for them. This is a… private moment. For us all. I don't want to submit them to the shock just yet."
Isis smiled at him, her eyes twinkling. "And you aren't ready for it yourself."
Yami opened one eye and looked at her, smirking a bit. "I will never say it out loud."
Isis bowed slightly, still smiling. "You will never have to. Rest, Yami. Tomorrow is a day to be prepared for."
Yami exhaled, closing his eyes and leaning against the chair once again. Isis watched him for several moments longer before slipping from the room, closing the door behind her. She stared straight ahead, her lips twitching into a smirk.
"Marik, the next time you spy on Yami or myself, I will slip an asp into your bed."
She then strode down the hallway, and Marik stepped around the corner where he'd hid, rubbing the back of his neck. Sure, he'd gotten a death threat for his effort, but now he at least knew what was going on with Yami. Marik shook his head, running a hand through his hair, glancing at the door behind which Yami sat. There were some things that you couldn't relate to, and this was one of them.
