Hi Everyone!
I want to give a massive Thank You! to my reviewer Pharaohs Girl18. Reading the review really makes my day and I am so glad people are still enjoying this story. I also want to thank all the follows and favs as well! They too brighten a day at work as I see them.
My sincere apologies for the cliffhanger (no, not really), but that's why part 9 came a little earlier this week. It's a shorter chapter than the last few have been, but I hope everyone will forgive me for it. With this chapter, I do believe I have just beat the word-count for The Humanchild and maybe, just maybe even for Basking in the Sun. Though trust me, Blind Date is the biggest story I have ever written and it's still growin. Current word count for the whole fic, according to is at least 141,500. Without all my announcements.
So, the future holds more reading pleasure and therefore I hope you will really forgive me for this shorter chapter.
Please enjoy!
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Blind Date – Part 9
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"Ouch! Gramps, stop touching it!", Yami exclaimed, trying to get his arm away from elderly fingers examining the forming bruise. Not that it worked with his hand in a loose sling, but he could try. The bruise itself was red now, his skin aggravated and swollen, but it didn't hurt that much as long as curious people refrained from touching him.
"I can't believe they let you go like that!", the elder muttered, the same he had been saying on the way home from the hospital. Yugi bit his lip when crimson eyes turned dark as Sugoroku touched Yami's upper arm and shoulder again. The pale man quickly rose from the dining chair to get away from the elder, even though his sore body protested against his actions. Why wouldn't Sugoroku learn his lesson?
"Gramps, I'm fine. Probably bruised all over, but I'm fine. The paramedics asked if I experienced pain in my head, felt nauseous or had trouble moving anything, but I'm fine. The x-ray says I'm fine, so please... Stop touching me", Yami uttered and he heard the elder heave a long sigh.
"You could still have a concussion", Sugoroku replied, but Yami rolled his eyes, his anger growing while he tried to reign it in.
"I did not hit my head, but my shoulder into the seat before me. It hurts a little, yes, but I want you to stop touching it or else it will only hurt more! It's bruised, not broken which is exactly the same as with my wrist. It's sprained, not broken and I'm long glad it's not my right wrist as I need it tomorrow for an exam", Yami said and purple eyes looked at him in disbelieve.
"You're not going to school", was the immediate response and Yugi winced, before trying to hide beneath the kitchen table as he held his breath. Crimson eyes had grown stern and darker than moments ago, which he knew was not a very good sign. He knew his brother was trying to keep control of his emotions, but his eyes said it all.
"I'm going to school. It's an important exam and I'm fine", the pale man muttered darkly, hopeful he would get through his grandfather's thick skull at last. Purple eyes stared at him, before Sugoroku pursed his lips slightly. Yami counted to ten, as he stared at his grandfather. Not that any objection would be listened to, he just didn't want to hear them. As he stared, his grandfather caved.
"Fine, but you will call me when something comes up. The nurses said to keep a good eye on you just in case", the elder said and Yami nodded, sighing in relieve softly.
"I'll give Ryou a call. He has to get on the bus earlier than I, so he can watch over me, all right?", he asked and the elder nodded at the promise from his eldest grandson. Yami smiled as he decided to sit back down at the coffee table and heard Yugi sigh in relieve as well. A soft chuckle escaped his lips, knowing he had made the air tangible with his temperament, before he turned to his younger brother with an eyebrow raised in question.
"So... does either one of you know what happened? All I saw was the wreckage when I was forced to step away from the bus", Yami said, looking from Yugi to his grandfather. Sugoroku pursed his lips slightly as he made tea at the kitchen counter. He really didn't care what had caused the accident, he was long glad Yami was home and in one piece. He knew one of the drivers hadn't made it and two others were in critical condition, yet, that didn't surprise the elder to hear that as one car had been pushed against a tree by the bus while the other two had crashed into the larger vehicle. They hadn't had the time to stop as the bus had nearly toppled over to cover both sideways of the road.
Yugi gave a small shrug. "All I heard was that someone tried to pass the bus, nearly didn't make it so cut you guys off. The driver had to hit the breaks and lost control of the wheel. Many of the passengers were all right, some a little worse than others, but the passengers of the cars hitting the bus have been taken to the hospital in critical condition". Yami nodded slowly as Yugi voiced his side of the story. Truth be told, all he really remembered was someone yelling through the bus, before the sound of screeching brakes had taken over all other senses. He had fallen against the seats in front of him, bruising his arm and shoulder in the process, before he had tried to catch himself when the bus had nearly toppled over. The new movement had made him grab onto something, which had caused him to bruise and sprain his wrist to the point of ordered rest. He was glad he was still alive though, especially knowing what could have happened. After getting off the bus, he had seen the wreckage a mere moment as people panicked, alarms went off and all the passengers whom were able to walk had been taken to the curb. The street had been an absolute mess, shattered glass and metal bits spread out across the asphalt. Paramedics had been quick and he had been taken to the hospital with other passengers who had been sort-of fine to have x-rays taken and get his wrist in a bandage as well as a loose sling.
"I am long glad you're back home safe. Try to see if you can still phone Ryou at this hour, you'll have to contact Mai tomorrow. You can't serve coffee with that", Sugoroku said, pointing at Yami's wrist in the sling and Yami frowned slightly.
"I can still take orders", he muttered, but that received him a stern look from the elder and Yami knew he wouldn't win this one. Not that his mind was up to it. He knew he would burden his colleagues if he wouldn't come to work, yet it also meant he didn't have to see Marcus, which was a great plus in his current mood.
"Maybe next week. Now, off to bed with the both of you", Sugoroku said and patted Yugi on the shoulder gently. The smaller teen smiled, before he picked up Yami's bag and took it with him. Yami rose an eyebrow, but merely because he felt he had to. Considering his body really didn't want to get up from the chair, he was long glad Yugi was willing to carry the bag for him. The pain medication from the hospital worked wonders, but not against the soreness he felt as he tried to move and climb the stairs. It hurt and he hoped he could sleep properly, rest himself and his body so he'd feel better in the morning.
"Thanks Yugi", Yami whispered gratefully as Yugi placed his bag atop his desk and smiled.
"You're welcome. It's like gramps said, I'm glad you're still in one piece as well. Call me if you need something, all right?", the smaller teen asked, before pale arms wrapped around Yami carefully. Smiling, Yami gently embraced his brother in return and lay his head atop Yugi's head.
"I'll give you a call, I promise", he said and Yugi nodded slowly, before letting go.
"Goodnight", they both said at the same time, chuckling softly afterwards, before Yugi walked from Yami's room and closed the door behind himself. Yami sighed softly as he was left alone, sitting down at his desk to retrieve his phone from his bag. Somehow, he had managed to hang on to it during the whole accident, which was rather ridiculous, but also a relieve. Before he addressed Atemu's text, which he still hadn't replied to in all the commotion from earlier that evening, he tried to phone Ryou.
"Ryou speaking", was the soft reply from the other end of the line as soon as the call was answered.
"Hey Ryou, it's me, Yami. Gramps asked if I could give you a call regarding tomorrow", he said softly, before he went to explain the whole bus accident and his grandfather's request for Ryou to look after him. "I promised I'd give you a call and you know how he is". Ryou hummed softly in agreement. He had been silent, aside from gasping in horror when Yami had told him of the accident, but he completely agreed with Sugoroku. Unfortunately, he also knew Yami wouldn't skip tomorrow even if his life would depend on it.
"I'll keep an eye on you, Sugoroku doesn't need to worry. I'm long glad you made it out alive. It was on the news earlier tonight, what a mess", the white-haired man answered and Yami nodded even if Ryou couldn't see. "Go take a good rest, all right? The exam isn't until eleven and we'll only have a small class between two and four. You can always skip that one if you're not feeling well". Again, Yami nodded.
"I might do, depends on how I feel really. Goodnight Ryou, thanks for the heads up", the pale man replied, before Ryou bid him his own farewell and they hung up. Staring at his phone, Yami looked at Atemu's text again. He still wasn't sure what to answer... should he even tell of the accident?
I'm sorry for not responding sooner, Atemu, something got in the way. I wish you could bring your peace and tranquillity to Domino, the streets are too crowded. -Yami
He send the message before he could think twice, heading towards the still half-destroyed bathroom afterwards. After two-and-a-half weeks of constant building, it was getting back in shape. Quicker too, considering it had still been a mess when Yugi's friends had shown up, yet it was doable right now. Yet, the small family was long glad the roof was finished as were their new bedroom walls, even if they still needed painting. The floor had been next, though the bathroom had posed a few minor problems in the beginning. The sink worked perfectly fine, but the bath and shower had given the builders some troubles. Yami had little hope he'd be able to soak in hot water any time soon, though he wished the builders would be finished at the end of the week... Brushing his teeth, once again really glad his right hand still functioned properly, he returned to his bedroom shortly afterwards to hear his phone ring softly.
"Yami speaking", he said quickly, not looking at the screen as he had hurried to answer the device. It probably was Anzu or Jonouchi anyway, Yami knew his little brother had told them of the accident and they were kind enough to give him a call. Unless Yugi had told them he was trying to get some sleep.
"Hey", a baritone voice whispered through the speaker and Yami gasped softly in surprise.
"Atemu", he replied, nibbling his lip in joy as he was alowed to listen to Atemu's voice once again.
"I'm sorry if I woke you, but your text had me worried. Are you all right?" Yami pouted as he slowly sat down on his bed. Great... he had never intended to have Atemu worried. He had just wanted to apologize for not responding sooner, especially considering he felt he had been pressing Atemu in sending more messages. He would feel like some hypocrite as he wished for messages, but wouldn't send one in return. True, something had come in between, but that was not Atemu's fault.
"I'm okay", he answered softly, "there was a small accident with the bus as we drove home". Yami figured he might as well tell Atemu about the incident now he had him on the phone. He probably would have asked anyway, considering Yami might have been a little too cryptic with his message and the pale man simply couldn't lie.
"You... You're all right, aren't you? What happened?" Yami could feel his spirit lift ever so slightly at Atemu's worried tone of voice. If only he was here now, right here, next to him. That would make everything so much better. Just like the day he had fallen off the stepladder, Atemu could make it all better. The tanned man would wrap his arms around Yami and make all of the horrible feelings disappear.
"I'm fine, just a sprained wrist and bruised all over. I'll be sore tomorrow", the pale man answered in return, chuckling softly to try and ease his own sad thoughts. He hoped he could take Atemu's worries away as well, he was fine after all. Even if he missed the tanned man. "There was a driver who cut the bus off as we drove home. They don't know who did it, but they left quite a mess. One person has died... the bus hit his car and pressed him against a tree". As he spoke, he could feel a cold shiver run down his spine as he curled his knees against his chest gently. The movement was strained, but he managed while he used his bandaged hand to wipe small tears from his eyes as he realised he could have been dead too. The bus had nearly toppled over, only because two cars had hit them on the right side had the vehicle remained standing. The incident was a mess in his head, he could still hear people screaming in fear and panic, though nothing had happened to him. Nothing serious at least.
"Yami?", Atemu whispered softly as Yami pulled the kitten plush against him and bit his lip to try and keep the sobs inside, though he was sure the tanned man had already heard them. He missed Atemu, he missed him so much. It wasn't just the accident, it was everything. Was he dating Atemu? Could they be considered a couple? Why had he fallen for the tanned man? Why had he fallen for someone who was on the other side of the world most of the time?
"I miss you", he whispered, his voice cracking ever so slightly as he finally said something in return. "I wish you were here, just like you were there when I fell off the stepladder... I know I shouldn't, but I can't help it". He wiped at the tears again, his sore body hurting as he tried to reign in his sobs. He felt like a kid, he shouldn't be feeling this way, he was a grown up and perfectly capable of taking care of himself.
"I'm sorry for hurting you, Yami. That has never been my intention, I'm truly sorry", Atemu whispered and Yami shook his head, even though it was invisible to Atemu. It was not the other man's fault. "I miss you too". A small smile broke through Yami's soft sobs at those words. He was being an idiot again, wasn't he? But it felt good to admit it to Atemu, to let the other man know he was being missed.
"You're not hurting me, Atemu. I... I was just overwhelmed with all these feelings, I'm sorry for crying like that", Yami whispered, embarrassed now and he could feel the tips of his ears warming.
"Not at all, Yami, I'm glad you could confide in me. If I do ever hurt you or your feelings, I hope you will come to me. I miss you too, I wish I could come to you and hold you if that is what you want me to do. … I can't, however". The baritone voice was soft as he spoke and Yami was afraid he had hurt Atemu's feelings with his silly tears. Biting his lip, he sighed softly.
"It was silly, Atemu... I know you can't come, you're very busy with work, I shouldn't have said something like that. I don't want to hurt you either", he replied, hoping he could at least cheer Atemu up a little again. A soft sigh came from the other end of the line.
"On the contrary, Yami, it was not silly. Sometimes I, too, wish I could magically have you here with me as well. I know you can't, but I still wish for it. To have you wish for me, especially at this time... it hurts, because I can't come, but... it warms my heart just to know of your wish. Yami, your messages are like a light, especially since it's still raining in Paris. Your messages cheer me up and I wait for them to arrive. Even the ones that have me worried for you well-being". Yami sighed softly and smiled as Atemu spoke, the baritone voice lifting his spirits again with his simple but heart-felt words.
"I-", Yami started softly, "I don't know what to say, Atemu... Just that it feels the same to me. I look forward to your messages because that means you think of me. Because it means you're still alive, wherever you have flown off to. I want to hear of your stories, no matter what they are about. Do you understand?", Yami asked softly, because he sure as Hell didn't. He was more than a little confused to say the least. His mind was racing from left to right, wondering if what he did was even remotely acceptable.
"I think I do", Atemu answered softly, which confused Yami even more. How could Atemu even understand when he himself had trouble to arrange his thoughts to something comprehensible? "Truth be told, it's all very confusing". Yami nodded to himself at those words.
"It is", he admitted and he felt relieved when he heard Atemu chuckle ever so softly.
"Sorry... that had me laugh. But I feel better now. Do you?" Yami smiled at Atemu's worried question.
"I'm glad you feel better... I do too", he answered truthfully. Perhaps the tanned man hadn't been able to embrace him, but he had comforted Yami like no one else had been able to. The accident had left his feelings scattered in his being, but Atemu had managed to sooth him and make him smile a little once more.
"Good... I would not have hung up otherwise. I still don't want to", Atemu admitted softly and Yami shook his head. Neither did he, but he understood the implication. There was so much to discuss with Atemu, but he knew the other man had to work. He couldn't be selfish any longer. He would ask his questions another time... were they dating? Were they a couple? Could they be considered a couple at all with Atemu so far away from him? Would a long distance relationship even work? Yami shook his head slightly to clear his mind once more and he hugged the kitten plush against his chest. There was another time and place for those thoughts, he wanted to enjoy Atemu for as long as he could right now.
"I'm happy I could talk to you, Atemu. When you come back, will you go out with me again?", the pale man asked softly, the one question he wished to ask before finally saying goodbye.
"I would want nothing more than to see you again", was the soft reply and Yami continued to smile.
"I'll take you out this time though, I'll surprise you", Yami said, suddenly feeling excited and he was glad he could feel this way. Atemu chuckled softly.
"Very well", was the soft answer. "I already look forward to the day we meet again". Yami chuckled softly as well, his insides warming as the tanned man followed him in his mirth.
"Good luck at work Atemu", he said softly and Atemu hummed softly in slight sadness.
"Sleep well, Yami. I hope you will feel better soon", was the soft wish and Yami nodded as he finally said goodbye. He hoped so too, not just physically, but mentally as well. He didn't want to feel so confused anymore. Staring at his phone in his hand, Yami sighed softly as the questions kept tumbling around in his head, before he smiled sadly. He had been afraid to say it, he had been afraid to admit it... Hadn't had the time to even come up with the thought, but it probably was the reason all his questions even existed.
"I think I love you".
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Dear Yami,
My thoughts go out to you. I hope you are healing well, even if the accident has only been a few days ago. I admit, I am glad we could speak to each other on the phone and have shared our wishes. Even if our thoughts are confusing right now, please know that I was honest. I miss you dearly.
Ever since I met you, you smiled at me. Ever since I met you, you were so different from other people I meet every day and it's a relieve to my heart. When I see you, when I am near you, I feel I can be myself and I cherish that feeling. I cherish those moments, because I know you will not judge me. You allow for me to be the person I wish I could be every day. Kind, gentle... but most importantly, to be the one person at your side.
My sincere apologies for my melancholy thoughts. I do not wish to upset you, but I wanted you to know I share your feelings. I share your confusion, because I know I cannot be selfish. I know I should not wish you for myself alone, but I do. I do as I work, I do as I walk through a park and I do before I fall asleep.
I hope to return to New York soon and when I do, I will stay for a longer period of time, I promise. I will not leave you as quickly as I did since our last meeting, I can't. You sounded so sincerely hurt when we spoke, I do not want to hurt you again so soon. Selfishly, though, when I am in New York a little longer... I can soak in your warm kindness a little more and be with you as much as possibly allowed.
Perhaps... Perhaps a new ending is in order this time... Though I sincerely hope it does not offend you...
With love,
Atemu
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I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading his chapter. They are getting there, aren't they? Finally allowing themselves to admit they might be in love.
If you have the time, please leave a review, fav or follow and I'll see you all again in part 10!
