…
…
The walk home was silent.
Yugi seemed quite distracted after running into Jou and Kaiba or whatever their names were so it was up to Yami to mutely direct Yugi in the right direction so that they didn't run into anyone on the way to their room.
Despite his help Yugi seemed to have forgotten about Yami, as he had to quickly hold up an arm as Yugi pushed the door closed behind him nearly hitting him in the head. Yami walked into the room rubbing his sore elbow about to yell at the squirt until he saw how he was stood, by the window resting his head against the cool glass.
"You going to tell me what that was all about?"
Yugi raised his head, meeting the eyes of Yamis reflection in the window, but quickly lowered it again muttering "No"
"Brat-"
"Just don't"
Yami watched as Yugi peeled himself away from the window and made his way to his bed, but Yami moved forward quickly cutting him off "I don't want to deal with you moping all night so, talk to me"
Yugi sighed and walked around Yami, purposely avoiding eye contact "If you don't want to deal with me then just leave, you're normally good at that-"
Yugi felt a harsh yank at his arm as he was spun around and he uttered a groan as his body slammed into the solid one that was Yamis. He somehow managed to hold back the urge to shiver as his gaze was forced to meet Yamis dark glare.
"I'm also good at getting people to tell me what I want to hear"
"Ya-"
Yugi cursed his slight weight as Yami easily grabbed him around the waist and non too lightly dropped him onto the bed. He was expecting a fight but was surprised to see Yami settle down next to him clasping his hands awkwardly "Brat I know we don't exactly get along..."
Yugi raised an eyebrow wondering where the hell this was going.
"But if you piss me off then it's just going to get worse"
Yugi laughed darkly "I'll take that as Yami language for 'we're room-mates lets share our problems, tell each other secrets and cuddle'"
Yami unsuccessfully tried to hide his smile "Brat there is no word for 'cuddle' in my language"
"You're just going to think it's stupid" Yugi smiled somewhat sadly as he watched Yami lie down next to where he was sitting
"Probably but go ahead"
"It was...well it's just...he has ridiculous expectations of me"
Yami turned his head, about to scoff but saw how troubled his room-mate looked "Okay...and?"
"It was stifling...he was head of the student council so he was one of those students whose grades were perfect, uniform was perfect, students and parents loved him he was great at all the clubs but didn't belong to any in particular"
"Sounds like Marik...except that he's evil"
Yugi laughed and lay down next to Yami "Don't let him hear you say that"
"Oh I've said it to him before, plenty of times...carry on..."
"It was just...hard to always be compared to that"
"How were you two friends? You told me you always got into fights and were kicked out of most of your schools"
"I managed to hide that from him. If he knew he'd hate me and...be disappointed in me"
Yami couldn't hold back his scoff "Why would that matter? Everyone I know is disappointed in me"
"I've already disappointed by grandpa, I couldn't do that to Jou as well...then there would be no one else who'd bother with me"
Yami shifted his gaze back to Yugis face and saw it glazed over, like he was lost in his own world. He really wanted to ask about Yugis parents but he felt like now wasn't the time to question that deeply...he wouldn't have a clue what to do if the brat started crying.
"He'd always tell me...to keep at it...and I hated it. Whenever I managed to please him even slightly he'd just smile and tell me to keep at it, nothing was good enough I could always be doing more and every time he said it I just wanted to scream. The worst part is that he's not a bad person. I can't hate him"
Annoyingly, Yami was finding it hard to resist the urge to touch the brat, to do anything that would stop him from sounding so hopeless, but he held back and said "So you didn't tell him you were moving schools so you could leave without causing a scene"
Yugi nodded "Exactly. I asked my grandpa to beg the school to keep quiet about the fight so that he'd never have to know and that I could just, leave and get on with it" Yugi rolled over to his side so he was looking at Yami "Stupid right?"
Yami sighed as he couldn't control himself any longer and reached out to stroke Yugis hair gently, he was slightly shocked by the softness of it but he managed to cough out a reassuring "No kid. It's not stupid"
Yugi was shocked by the action, and by the fact he didn't want Yamis hand to leave his head when he knew he should be pulling away. Both teens remained in that position for a moment, both terrified at drawing attention to the awkwardness both were now feeling. Quickly Yugi rolled over so he was facing Yami and grinned sarcastically "Is this the part where we cuddle?"
Yami just laughed, grateful for the joke, and walked to his own bed before things got even more awkward.
…
…
He doesn't know how, but Yugi and Yami had somehow managed to make it to the classroom without running into Marik. Unfortunately the teacher that walked in was the one they'd skipped out on yesterday, Yugi hung his head and let the lecture wash over him whilst Yami glared at the laughing Bakura. Yugi let out a sigh as he and Yami walked towards the dorm after the teacher finally released them from their scolding, Yami chuckled lightly "Well that was fun"
Yugi glared up at him "I am never listening to you again"
"When have you ever listened to me brat?"
"Well this proves why I shouldn't doesn't it!" Yugi looked up when Yami didn't quickly reply with another smart ass comment and looked over to where the teen was staring and locked gazes with Jou who was walking towards them.
"What are you doing here?"
Jou gave a smile "I wanted to see you of course. Get your number and stuff so we can meet and whatever?"
Yugi moved to reply but Yami got there first "Wow you'd think that him leaving school without telling you anything would be a big enough hint"
"Yami?!"
"Excuse me?"
Yami ignored the smaller version of himself gaping up at him and let Jou witness one of his more sinister smiles "The brat doesn't need you trying to turn him into a little goody two shoes any more"
"Yami shut up-"
Jou calmly raises a hand to cut Yugi off and stared at Yami standing up straight "I'm not trying to turn him into anything"
Yami glared as he realised Jou was staring down at him and carried on ignoring any kind of protest Yugi was trying to contribute "That's not what he was telling me. He was going on about how he couldn't live up to your expectations. It was kind of sad really but whatever the brat's emotional like that"
Jou tilted his head "Expectations?"
"Always telling him to 'keep at it'."
A look of understanding flitted across Jous expression, he looked at Yugi as if to offer an explanation but Yami firmly stood in his way and hooked an arm around Yugis shoulders. "He's a delinquent, he's as bad as me. You think skipping class was bad? He's been kicked out of most schools he's been too, he gets into fights all the time. His first week here he beat up half a class. He's always screaming at me and breaking stuff, so I don't know who you were seeing, but it wasn't Yugi"
"Yug..."
Yami wasn't going to let him get a word in edgeways "I suggest you live him alone and you both carry on living your very different lives. Or you could get to know the real Yugi" Yami looked Jou up and down "But I don't think he's the kind of person you'd interact with so how about-"
"How about you shut UP!"
Both Yami and Jou finally turned and looked at Yugi who was red, shaking and not looking at either of them. Silently he grabbed Yamis arm off of his shoulders and began to drag him away, neither turned as Jou called after them "I'll wait here for you Yug"
…
...
Yugi pulled Yami into their room and slammed the door behind them "What the fuck was that?"
Yami ran a hand through his hair with an annoyed sigh "Calm down brat-"
"Calm down? You just...you-"
"I said what needed to be said"
Yugi shook his head "No, he never needed to know any of that-"
Yugi glared as Yami scoffed at him "If you'd kept running he would've just kept looking for you okay you're over-reacting about this"
Yugi looked up at Yami in disbelief "You just told the only real friend I've ever had everything I've been protecting from him...and you think I'm over-reacting?"
"Yes"
There was a moment of silence as Yugi just stared at Yami, but in the blink of an eye he was swinging a fist that Yami was unable to avoid. The blow knocked him backwards causing him to hit his head against the wall. He rubbed at it with a wince and he looked back at Yugi fully intending to smack some sense into the silly shit but the intense expression on his face left him speechless.
"You...had no right to tell him any of that. I didn't want to tell you but you, you made me-"
"I didn't make you do anything brat" Shit he was better off being speechless "You didn't have to share your stupid girly crap with me"
Yugi just kept staring, and when he eventually did speak Yami had to hide a wince at the barely hidden sob in his voice "You said it wasn't stupid"
"I say a lot of things" Really better off speechless he thought as Yugi ran away.
…
…
Jou was determined to wait around until he had a chance to speak to Yugi. He didn't have to wait long before he saw him approaching him from the Dorms, as he got closer he saw that his eyes were red and he was holding back tears. Silently he wrapped and arm around his shoulders as the boy flung himself at him and sobbed into his chest "Don't you hate me?"
Jou laughed lightly "Of course not"
Yugi pulled back from the embrace and looked up at his friend "Why?"
"Yugi I'm in the student council...I have access to student records do you really think that I didn't know about you?"
Yugi felt his mouth literally drop open in shock "You...knew"
"Yeah. I knew, and none of it mattered. I know that you only fight to defend yourself, I mean lets face it you're adorable you have to act tough or you'd be attacked left right and centre"
"m'not adorable" Yugi mumbled making Jou laugh "And as for 'keep at it' I thought it was encouraging...I never wanted you to be someone you're not, I just thought it would help knowing someone is on your side"
Yugi let out a breath "I really am an idiot"
"We both are. We should have talked about this a long time ago. I would thank your room-mate but I think he's an ass so-"
Yugi waved a hand "Thank him? Why?"
Jou shrugged "He told me what I needed to hear, and said what you needed to say" Yugi blinked at him clearly not getting what he was saying "He did you a favour Yug, he was trying to help...in a messed up way but still..." He trailed off as he watched Yugi begin to understand and bite his lip nervously "Let me guess, you have an apology to make"
Yugi laughed and pulled out a phone "You wanted my number right?"
"Friends then?" Jou asked tilting his head with a smirk, Yugi smiled and held out a hand "My name's Yugi...I'm not excellent at studying and I get into fights a lot but I'm nice to my friends...nice to meet you"
…
…
Yami didn't look up as he heard the door to their room open, he just continued clutching an ice pack to his face and ignored the soft footsteps crossing the floor. Well he ignored them until they stopped right behind him and he felt two thin arms encircle his waist. Yugi knelt down with a sigh and leant his head against Yamis back muttering a small "Sorry" squeezing slightly. Yami was glad Yugi couldn't see his smile and just placed his spare hand on top of one of his.
Turns out Yami did cuddle. Even if somewhat awkwardly.
…
...
