Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Life is so cruel...
Thoughts
"Speech"
Chapter 8
Two weeks went by and Isis deemed Yugi healthy enough to finally get out of bed. It was a hot summer, so the children didn't do anything except rest in the shade and play Senet. Everyone watched as Yugi and Atem played.
Yugi moved a piece and smirked at Atem. "I think I win…Again."
Atem glared at him, but quickly smiled. "You always were better at things that required thinking," he said. A small laugh emitted from the group. "I didn't mean it like that!" Yugi smiled at his "twin" then abruptly looked at the sky.
"I'm going to see how my mom is doing," he said as he stood up. Everyone nodded and watched as he walked away.
"So, what are we gonna do for tomorrow," Isis asked. Mana looked up at her.
"What's tomorrow? Is it a festival?" Even at thirteen, Mana was still a child.
Mahad laughed, which caused his student to whirl around. "No silly. It's Yugi's birthday." Mana's mouth shaped the word "Ohh" before she was smacked on the head.
"OW! What was that for," she cried angrily at Atem.
He glared back, and Mahad had to hold back his student lest she kill the heir to the throne. Mana growled at them both. Kisara looked worriedly up at Seto, who was trying very hard not to laugh.
"You forgot Yugi's birthday? How could you? You know his birthday is a week after mine. Then yours is three days after his. How could you forget?" Atem shook his head. "We need to think of something awesome for him. But what?" The group pondered on this for a while and Atem noticed it was taking Yugi longer than usual to get back. Excusing himself, he went off to search for his friend. He found him quite quickly, but he wished he hadn't.
"Yugi?"
Yugi got back from his mother's room, where she was bathing. He had almost reached the courtyard corridor when blonde hair skipped into view. "Hello Dalila," Yugi greeted brightly. Dalila stopped in her chores and bowed.
"My Lord," she said.
Yugi gave her a weird look. "Uhh…My name's Yugi, remember?" Dalila nodded uncertainly. "So call me by my name, not all this formality." Dalila nodded once more.
"Sorry," she said.
Yugi looked at the clothes in her arms. "You went to the river to wash clothes?" Dalila nodded. "You know, I think they gave the servants the day off because of the heat…"
"I know, it's just I'm running behind on my chores as it is, so I decided to catch up," she replied.
"Oh," Yugi said. Then he thought for a moment. "Would you like me to help you," he asked. Dalila smiled.
"No, but that's very kind of you…" Silence took over the space and Yugi could hear laughter coming from the courtyard.
"Well, if you finish before the day's end, you could hang out with us," he offered. He looked back at her to see her face directly in front of his. Her lips touched his and pressed lightly. Yugi noticed she closed her eyes, obviously enjoying it. His eyes closed too, almost opening immediately when…
"Yugi?" Atem was in shock. He saw his best friend kissing that girl, um, Dalila. He shouldn't care that much really but his blood boiled. He was angry and he didn't truly understand why.
"Atem," he heard Yugi say, but he didn't hear much else. He ran into the hall next to him and kept running. Yugi looked at Dalila, only to find that she'd run off too.
Dalila stopped a few corridors away. What just happened? She shrugged and continued on her way. Damn. Yugi's a good kisser, even when surprised.
"ATEM!" The prince knew Yugi was following, but he didn't know why he even had to. Why am I running? Does it really matter whether Yugi kissed someone? No, so why am I angry with them, more so him? It doesn't make sense… Atem ran into his room and slammed the door shut. He launched himself on his bed and cried. Why am I crying?
A few seconds later the door opened again and Yugi stepped in. "Atem," he called hesitantly. The prince sat up on his bed. "Atem, I'm sorry."
"Why're you apologizing," Atem asked.
Yugi shrugged. "You took off, so I thought I made you upset."
Atem growled. "No, you didn't, just the scene did, for some reason," Atem muttered.
"Why? Did you want to be the one kissing her?"
Atem stared at his friend, bewildered. "No, why would you think that?" Then his eyes widened as he realized what he just said. Atem blushed. Yugi giggled.
"So why," Yugi asked. "Was it because I was with her instead of with all of you?" Atem looked at him again and growled.
"NO," the prince ground out. He stood up quickly and paced the room, which made Yugi worry. Atem never paced.
"So why," he asked again, stepping in front of Atem, forcing him to stop.
Atem looked at him with unsure crimson. "Because I-I-" He couldn't finish his sentence, so he did the one thing he knew could summarize the reason better than any words he could think of.
Yugi gasped as Atem's lips crashed against his. His eyes closed immediately and his hands snaked up Atem's arms and rested on his shoulders. Atem placed his hands on Yugi's lower back to push him closer. But all too soon, Atem realized what he was doing and he broke the kiss.
"S-sorry," he breathed before running out the door. Yugi watched him go with shocked and confused eyes. Why did people kiss him then run? First Mana when they were five, a servant girl when he was nine, then Dalila, and now Atem. What was going on? Yugi groaned and trudged out of the room. His fingers made their way to his lips and he reflected on what just happened. Atem kissed me…He kissed me then ran. Yet the anger I feel is not for him kissing me, but for running away... Yugi sighed as he walked back to the courtyard. What kind of thoughts were these to be having about his best friend who also happens to be the prince? Yugi didn't know. All he knew was that he wanted to find Atem and kiss him.
He found him sitting with the group and everyone fell silent when he walked up. "What's up," he asked.
"Oh, nothing important," Mahad said with a grin.
Yugi stared at them and smiled. "Idiots. You do realize who knows who best here right?" Everyone nodded. "So, then I should tell you…I hate surprise parties." He knew he hit the target when they tried not to flinch or show any emotion at the moment.
Atem looked at them. "Told you," he said which caused Yugi to laugh. The rest joined in after a few seconds of sulking. They stayed up late into the night talking before Mahad noticed Mana fell asleep in his lap.
"We should all take her example," he advised.
Yugi nodded. "But preferably with beds," he suggested. A few more laughs rang out in the night before all became silent. Isis went to her chambers, Mahad to his after taking Mana to bed. Seto escorted Kisara to her bed, and settled down himself. Atem bid Yugi a goodnight before the latter turned and headed for his bed that he shared with his mother.
To think that tomorrow he would be fourteen. A happy joyous day.
It would have been too, if the unimaginable didn't happen.
Yugi woke up to the waking sun and stretched. His mother lay sleeping beside and he decided he should wake her up for work. He kissed her cheek. "Wake up mother," he said. She didn't stir one bit. Yugi giggled. "Mother," he breathed in her ear. His hand came to a rest on her arm and he noticed she was cold. Come to think of it, her cheek was cold too. "Mother," Yugi asked, a little worried. He shook her but she didn't move. Tears started rolling. He laid his ear on her chest. Nothing.
Yugi let the tears fall as he raced through the corridors screaming at the top of his lungs. "ISIIIIIIIIIIIS! HELP! ISIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS!" Doors and walls melded together, faces became a blur.
"Yugi! What's wrong," Isis asked as the tri-coloured boy raced into her room.
"My mother- She's- Something's wrong. Help Isis, please," Yugi panted, tears on the verge of breaking his voice.
Isis sat back up after checking over Tsarina. She looked at Yugi, trying to ignore the onlookers outside. "I'm sorry Yugi," she said, trying not to burst into tears. "She's dead."
Then Yugi collapsed.
