Ch 10 Christmas Day Part 2

Necro jumped up onto the window sill of the small window, a soft growl rumbling in his throat when he saw the glass was covered in ice and snow. Swiftly he pawed some of the snow off so that he had a clear place to sit before doing so on his new perch. His tail twitched over the side of the sill, brushing the snow that clung to the side of the way as he tried to listen in on the voices inside the game shop.

They were muffled and quiet but he could hear four voices echoing from inside. He wanted to see them. His golden eyes stared at the coated glass, wide and unblinking while a black aura molded against him. In a quick flash the aura vanished along his outline starting from his right paw then around to his left with a soft whoosh as the rest of the snow rushed off into the open air. The ice that once coated the glass cracked under his intense gaze before falling to the black cat's feet only to shutter into dust.

Content with his new, clear view, he purred and relaxed his eyes as he watched Solomon, Author, Rebecca, Jonouchi, and Bakura gather inside the kitchen. He watched them for a second when he spotted Yugi standing near the entrance talking to the demon. Another purred rumbled from the cat as Yugi moved away from the demon and into the kitchen, winding up a music box as he did so; the boy kept a solemn gaze locked in on the box even as his friends and family looped him into the conversation.

Nerco's ears twitched at the twinkling sound of the box. His tail flicked vigorously in time with the notes and his fur stood on its end causing a shiver of pleasure to rack his body. The air around him grew colder and darker the longer the sound played.

He purred one last time as he reveled in the familiar presence.

()

With a slight scowl on his face, Yami leaned against the door frame, watching the group in the kitchen. His human's grandfather and his friend were hovering around the oven and stove while the rest of the bunch laughed at the table. All except Bakura of course.

The girl sat in one of the chairs next to Yugi which she had moved so it was as close to his own as she could get it. While the sight of her hanging off his human's arm made him glare, he never moved to stop her. So long as it stayed this petty flirting, then Yami wouldn't do anything; on the other hand, if she did anything more… his lips twitched as his mind raced with new ideas of punishment.

He was pulled from his thoughts when the persistent sound of the music box rang out once more. The demon had to bite back a groan as the sound filled his ears and his muscled tensed from their relaxed state. Every time he heard that song his mind would freeze and his body would prepare for the worst as he could sense something lingering in the shadows, reveling in the sound.

"Hey, Bakura, if ya keep playing that thing, you'll break it. Give it a rest." The blonde complained from his perch on top of the table.

Bakura merely shrugged as the last few notes flittered away into air, leaving their conversations to fill in its absence. Yami let ot a sigh of relief when no one moved to restart the music box; if it played one more time he was sure that he would break something. Or at least try to. The group continued talking, never staying on one topic for too long, but Yami didn't care. Instead, he tuned out the noises as his head rung with the ever persistent headache.

Even after the shopping, his head had not let up on any of the pain it was inflecting. While it may not have increased that doesn't make it any less annoying. He needed silence but this house would not shut up. He needed to be alone but these humans never allowed him peace. He needed darkness and shadows but this house never let it creep in. Even in the night that used to embrace him so warmly was now tainted with the blue hue of the human's nightlight.

It was a petty thing really. His friends seemed not to mind the pestering light whenever they slept in the same room and that was something Yami could not agree with. If the petit human was younger than maybe he would understand why he kept the light a bit more but for his age? No, he could not understand. It was stupid for him to even have the thing.

Yami smirked as he remembered some of the rumors that would pass through the halls of the castle. While it wasn't unheard of for demons to torment little kids when they were younger he could still recall some bragging that they were scaring kids enough to scar them for life. It became the biggest goal in the kingdom for a long while; however, it seemed to die down after a few years. Still, there was never anyway to tell if someone was bragging or lying when it came to that topic.

'Until now.' Yami thought to himself.

"‒guys, I just need to get something real quick." Yami opened his eyes to see Bakura missing from the kitchen and his human standing from his chair.

"Alright, but don't take too long. You know Bakura isn't patient with this stuff." The blonde girl pouted as she watched him back out of the kitchen.

Yami watched Yugi walk pass him and head over to the stairs. He was contemplating staying where he was, not feeling in the mood to follow the human right then. It was only when he heard the male stop at the top, walk back down, and motion for the demon to follow that Yami pushed off the wall he was leaning on. Once the human saw this, he smiled and walked back up the stairs trusting the other to follow; instead, Yami waited where he was.

He glared after the human with suspicion shining in his eyes. What right did this human have to think that he could command him? He had no power over a demon. In fact, Yami had power over him. He didn't have to follow, he could just stay right where he was and the human would be powerless to move him.

Yami just about had his mind made up and moved to lean against the doorway once more when he felt a cold stare on him. Crimson eyes chanced a look into the kitchen to see Bakura glaring at him with a large box in his arms. On second thought, maybe Yugi wasn't the worst option to choose.

With a growl of disapproval, Yami turned to the stairs and walked towards them. He hated that brown eyed albino. Yami didn't like the way he looked at him or the way the human seemed to have the feeling of power over the demon; it reminded him too much of Earl.

Just thinking of the demon made Yami's hand twitch and his glare to darken while a snarl twisted his lips. All his life that one demon had terrorized his whole second and did everything in his power to make Yami's life a living hell. Yami never seemed to get out of his damn sight either. Earl was always watching him like a hawk watches its prey and no matter what Yami tried, he never seemed to be able to hide from it. It drove Yami mad and any poor demon who was there when he lost his temper got to feel his wrath, for Earl was the one demon he could never beat.

"I was just about to come down to see if you were still coming."

Yami stepped into the hallway where he spotted his human standing outside his door a relieved look on his face. Yami's muscles relaxed as he watched Yugi smile, motion for him to follow and duck back into his room. While his time here on Earth has been less than enjoyable, there was one thing good about it: Earl wasn't there to watch him. Being out from under those all-knowing eyes lifted a weight off his shoulders that he knew he had carried for too long.

'I guess that's one thing I can thank Yugi for.' Yami shook his head and growled as he thought over that statement. No, he had nothing to thank this human for, nor would he ever. After settling an indifferent look on his face, Yami walked into the human's room.

Yugi was sitting on his bed with his pillow in his lap when Yami walked in. The human's hand was shoved into the pillowcase as he searched for something inside; a large smile lit up his face when he found what he was looking for. After placing the pillow back at the head of the bed, he stood up and walked over to Yami with a small black, velvet box in his hand.

The human opened his mouth to say something when Yami cut him off, "If you dare say that I try to open that, I will walk right out that door." Yami crossed his arms and shifted his weight onto one leg.

A soft sigh left Yugi's lips but his smile didn't falter, "That doesn't mean it still isn't your gift."

"Why would you even get me something? I'm a demon. It was just a waste of time. In fact, this whole holiday is waste of time, why bother going through all this trouble?" Yami glared down at the human, waiting for him to answer.

Yugi matched his glare with a soft look and smiled wider, "To show that you care." When the demon didn't lessen his glare, he continued. "You know, even though you act really mean and indifferent and say that this is the worst experience of your life, I can tell somehow you enjoy this."

Yami was about to object to that statement, his eyes seeing red when Yugi stopped him with a stern look of his own, "I know you won't admit it to yourself, but I can see it. Being here is not as bad as you make yourself think it is and I can only hope that you learn to see it like that too." His eyes softened as he kept Yami's glare on his own eyes.

Yami stared into those large amethyst eyes looking for any doubt in them. They just stared back at him like any open book holding nothing but the truth for him to see. He didn't want to believe him and his mind shouted at him that the human was wrong but his heart… his heart…... he should never listen to his heart. Trusting his mind has been what kept him alive this far and it was only when because he listened to his heart that he got messed up in all this.

With more effort than Yami thought it would take, he tore his eyes away from the human's and looked out the window. "What's in the box?"

He heard the human shuffle his feet before speaking up. "When I was little, my parents took me out to the park and we started to play hide and seek, only I was really good at hiding. After a few rounds I decided to hide in the woods that surrounded the park and watched as my parents failed to find me. It was fine at first, but after a few minutes, my parents still couldn't find me and I failed to hear how worried they were becoming.

"I was getting bored of just sitting there so I wandered off into the woods more until I found some deer tracks and followed those further into the woods. When I lost the tracks I realised that I was lost and it was getting dark, fast. I was terrified of the dark when I was younger for fear of monsters, ghosts, and…"

"Demons." Yami glanced back at Yugi in time to see the younger nod and rub his wrist nervously. Yami didn't understand why the human was telling him this, but he didn't mind it so he didn't bother to stop him. His gaze returned to the window as Yugi spoke up once more.

"I tried calling out for my parents, but I heard nothing back. I wanted to sit down but I knew that I had to get back before it got too dark. I thought for a long time as to how to get back but when I realised that I could follow the tracks back, night had already fallen and took away nearly all my sight."

Yami heard the human take in a shuddering breath before continuing. "I s-started to hear things in the shadows. Whispers, calls, even the birds chirping s-seemed to turn twisted. I didn't know what to do and I was so scared that I didn't want to move. I thought," Yugi laughed but Yami could tell it was bittersweet, "I thought that whatever was watching me would see me more, find me easier, attack me or whatever as soon as I moved and that my best shot at living would be s-stand still. Gosh, I was terrified."

This time, Yugi needed to take a few breaths to calm himself, causing Yami to look down at him while he continued. "I-I heard something walking towards me. It was slow and deliberate, almost too quiet to hear but I felt it. The closer it came, the-the louder it moved and the faster it closed in. I-I ran. I ran and ran going nowhere in particular so long as I got away from whatever was following me. I remember crying but I was-s too scared to call out for help unless I wanted more monster after me.

"But then... I-I was out of the forest. I wasn't at the park but I at least wasn't encased in shadows. Whatever was chasing me stopped at the edge of the forest and growled in my direction. I didn't d-dare look back at the creature so I just ran forward. I only stopped when I tripped and landed in water. It was a stream a few feet wide and only about a foot deep but I still managed to get my whole being soaked. Still, I knew that I was safe somehow, like the water was an old friend.

"As I sat there in the stream, I could still hear the monster growling, snarling, anything to get me to move, yet I knew not to leave the stream. I remember burying my feet into the rocky bottom while gripping the sediment in my hands as though I were hiding myself in the cool stream. It wasn't long before a group of men with flashlights found me sitting there and the tried to get me to move but I refused. Turns out they were a search team that my parents called when they still couldn't find me after dark fell. It was only when my parent's group met up with the one that found me did I allow myself to move. It's funny really; for a stream that had loose sediment and rocks to keep a six-year old grounded, you would've thought those five men would've been able to get me out of the water.

"All the way home, my parents fused over me and warned me never to go into the woods again and I only nodded, still too scared to do anything else. Once we finally got home I noticed that I still had something in my hand that I refused to let go of, even when my parents tried to pry my hand open. It was only after they put me to bed that I looked to see what I got from the stream."

Yami watched as Yugi stared longingly at the box in his hand and gently pet the velvet cover. "I have always kept it with me no matter where I go and it's always protected me. As I grew up, the monsters still hunted me, but none dared to get too close when I had this by my side. Funny enough, the one day I forgot it at home was the day I met you." Yugi raised his head, finally, to look at Yami and the power behind those saddened eyes hit Yami like a ton of bricks.

Purple eyes shone with unshed tears as a pool gathered at the bottom of those childlike eyes. Pain and sorrow reflected back at Yami, but what perplexed him the most was the shimmer of hope and trust that mixed within those depths as well. Hope and trust towards him. The longer they stared, the more tears that gathered on Yugi's eyes until one finally pooled over and rolled down his rosy cheek.

Yami didn't know what to do. He felt as though he needed to do something, but hadn't the slightest as to what that would be. He never comforted people, he was the one who made people upset. This also wasn't like the other times that Yami had seen Yugi this distraught. The other times weren't this full hearted or seemed to go as deep as this one did and it scared Yami.

Scared. Yes, he was scared but not how he normally knew fear to be. It was less that he feared for his life and more feared that he would do something wrong and make things worse. He hated this feeling. Still, as another tear joined the first, Yami knew he couldn't stand there any longer.

Hesitantly, Yami unfolded his arms and reached out his hand to touch the human's cheek. When his fingers barely grazed the soft, pale skin, he froze once again at a loss for what to do. When Yugi leaned into his touch ever so slightly, Yami almost pulled his hand back (as his mind was screaming at him to do) but he forced it to stay where it was. As a third teared rolled, Yami moved his hand to stop its path, brushing away the original trail.

When Yugi smiled up at him, Yami allowed his palm to cup the younger's cheek, his mind screaming at him to stop as he did so. More tears fell only to land on Yami's hand and disappear somewhere within his touch. It was… haunting, the feeling that rose inside Yami's chest. With his mind telling him to stop, his heart convincing him to stay, Yugi's eyes asking for comfort, the touch he felt begging him to do more, it was becoming too much. After a few seconds of internal debate, Yami retracted his hand and watched carefully. "What's in the box?"

Yugi blinked his eyes and wiped what tears remained on his sleeve before opening the box. Inside, attached to a long leather cord sat a ruby about the size of Yugi's thumb with its smooth, deep red surface reflecting the sun's rays up at him.

"I know that rubies aren't found in streams and this could have been lost by someone else, but I know that I got this from the stream and that I am the only owner that it has ever had." He lifted the necklace out and let the box fall to the floor, "I thought that if it's protected me all this time, I'm sure that it can help you in some way as well."

Yami watched, unmoving, as the male looped the necklace over his head and stay on his neck as if he had a real body. He didn't question it as Yugi removed his hands and the necklace was no longer in his grasp or fallen to the floor. He didn't question it when Yugi smiled at the ruby sitting on his chest. He didn't question it when Yugi left the room to join the others. He didn't question it because he knew he wouldn't get an answer.

()

"So what do we have this time?"

Bakura pulled out one large, blue bottle before placing two smaller, see-through bottles beside it. He pointed to the tallest, "This is a new wine for you guys to try made from kyoho grapes and these," He moved the smaller bottles closer to the two elders, "is sake with less water and double the koji."

Yami quirked an eyebrow at the descripsion thinking of how imbalanced the taste would end up being. Still, the elders looked excitedly at the drinks before Yugi's grandfather moved to grab four glasses for the younger humans. He set them all on the table while Bakura uncorked the wine and sake.

The smell that entered the air was not only pungent but it was addictive. The sweet and bitter scent that it held floated on the air as though it was light as a feather even though the effect that it held was heavy. Yami closed his eyes as he focused in on the scent; it filled his sense and clouded his mind, numbing it to where the headache that had plagued him lessened. It was as though those drinks where the only cure to his cursed pain.

He heard his human cough. "Are you sure we can drink this? You made it kind of strong."

The sound of the wine being poured into glasses was like a calming waterfall to the demons ears. "Nah, it'll be okay. One sip should be all you have to do." Yami could barely register that it was the honey-eyed teens voice.

The demon's mouth turned dry the longer the smell lingered and his throat was suddenly parched as though he had been denied drink his whole life. His hands curled and uncurled, sweat seeping into each crevasse. Memories of his number one indulgent back in the underworld rose to the forefront of his mind and he growled with repressed want. Gosh, how long had it been since he had a glass of Morrow's Blood? There used to be nary a day that he would go without it and now it seems as though the consequences were finally catching up with him.

He opened his eyes in time to see the group clink the bottles and glasses together; the high pitched clink rung painfully in his ears, but he was too focused in on the liquid to care. The way that it sloshed around in the cups and bottles teased him to no end. The satisfying sound of the burning liquid flowing down throats was tantalizing. The satisfied sigh that passed many of the lips was tortuous in knowing that he couldn't have any of it. Why? Why did they get to have some when he deserved it more than them?

As a familiar fogged rolled into his mind, the demon almost missed the fit of coughs erupting from his human.

"Yugi, you only took one sip." The female's voice was faint as though it was said on the other side of a glass wall.

He wanted to taste the liquid…

"Sorry Bakura. It's really good, I just don't think I can handle a lot of alcohol."

He wanted to numb his pain…

"Doesn't matter. You're just tasting samples."

Why did they get some and he none...?

"The sake is pretty good though. Interesting, for sure, but it's something you can work with."

They didn't deserve any of it…

"Oh grandpa! We forgot to bring the thing in from the car!" The female's voice now was nothing but a distant blur.

He needed it…

"Oh! Rebecca, Jonouchi, can you help me bring it up? I won't be able to myself."

He craved it…

"Sure."

He would get it…

"While you guys do that, I'll be upstairs for a minute."

They couldn't keep it from him…

Yami's vision started to slow as the figures of the humans disappeared down the stairs, up the stairs and into a nearby bathroom. All that was left was his own human. His human who was grabbing a glass of water to clean off his throat. The demon felt light headed and surreal as he watched the human near with the sharpness of a dagger.

When the human looked up at him, Yami felt something click in his mind, but the fog blocked him from knowing what clicked. How could his head feel so light while being clouded as much as it was? Barely registering the human move closer to him, he remembered the concerned look on the others face before his vision turned black around the edges.

He needed it…

His body became heavy and all he knew was that he could only feel. His mind was locked away and his limbs moved as though he were a puppet on a string. Something cooled burned down his throat and warmed his stomach. His tongue coated itself in the fresh alcohol and savored the overly sweet taste of kyoho as it mixed with the bitterness of alcohol.

His muscles tensed and relaxed at the same time as though they were fighting for control and his throat turned itchy with the desire to hack up its intake. When the liquid stopped he could feel something pounding at his brain. Panic. Fear. Pain. Those were the only things he could gather before the fogged smothered it into oblivion. His headache was gone but he could feel it threaten to return if he didn't find more of the delicious, addicting, wonderful, marvelous, tempting, seductive, sweet, perfect, soothing, warm, glorious drink.

His darkened vision searched for anything, yet they didn't feel as though they were his own eyes; he was merely using them to find what he was looking for and they had no choice but to obey. As his eyes landed on what looked like a clear bottle, the demon took note that the hands used to bring the object to his lips didn't look like his own. He didn't have time to dwell on it, however, as a new liquid burned its way down his throat like lava.

His mind surged with the bold taste it carried and revealed as the fog in his mind fed of it, thickening. His heart raced, his body numbed, his mind clouded, his entire being lost itself in the taste of alcohol. The once prominent headache that became the bane of his existence was nowhere in sight and he had every intention of keeping it as such; all he had to do was drink this liquid. Forever.

"STOP!"

At first the demon thought the voice to be imaginary, but when the bottle was forced from his hand he could just make out Bakura's figure hovering over him through the dark veil. Why did the human seem taller?

Bakura glared down at him and shoved him against the wall, his body bouncing off from the force of the push. The demon was about to attack, red seeping into his darkened vision, when the human grabbed his arms and banged him against the wall once more.

"LEAVE HIM! NOW! LET GO OF HIM, YOU DEMON!"

The demon growled as his head continuously was hit against the wall. Rage coursed through his veins as voices screamed out at him to cause pain, to torture, to kill the one defying him now. The power boiled under his skin, waiting to explode when he found he couldn't. Something was holding it back, forcing it into a cage where it could not be free.

"LEAVE HIS BODY NOW, DEMON!"

"Yami please!"

Yami clenched his eyes as the fog in his head fought to hide the voices acousting his ears and mind. His vision flickered from black to normal to black to red to normal to red to black and finally to normal once more. He felt his body get slammed against the wall once more, yet this time he didn't feel the impact.

His body fell through the wall and into the living room where he laid as his mind worked on keeping the world straight. Back in the kitchen, rugged coughs echoed off its walls as phlegm and spit dripped onto the tile. Yami slowly sat up, his head feeling as though it could fall off and listened into the multitude of curses that strung from Bakura's mouth.

"Stupid, bitch, selfish, cruel, demonic, fucking, bastard…"

The list drew on while the chorus of hacks continued non-stop. Yami slowly stood so his head didn't rush, yet his vision still blurred from the new position. Cautiously, he walked into the living room to see a sight that caused his head to spin.

Yugi was on the floor, hunched over, while his back arched and his body shook with each new cough that ran through his body. A pool of spit and alcohol gathered at the small human's hands that was tinted red with blood. Just from the sight of the poor human one could tell that each breath was agonizing, yet he needed to get the fluids out of his system; consequently, he never found the time to stop and gather a proper breath. Kneeling next to him was Bakura who hovered his hand over the younger's back in case he needed help or comfort.

Yami felt torn between cheering at his pain, going over to help, running in the other direction, or laughing because he was getting what he deserved.

Bakura cast a nasty glare at the demon. "You did this you demon."

Yami growled and leveled his glare with one of his own, his arms wrapping defensively in front of his chest. "So?" Honestly, Yami couldn't recall if he had or not.

"So? Are you fucking with me?" Bakura rolled his eyes and stood, leaving his friend on the ground, "Why would I even think that you would care. You selfish prick, you possessed him! You took control of his body for your own damn pleasures!"

Yami cast a quick glance at the table where the empty bottles laid and he recalled what he thought in his haze. 'Did I really possess him?'

The demon smirked. So he could posses the human and touch things in the real world; this was perfect! He had a way to interact finally, to cause damage, to cause pain! He could finally go back to being seen even if not directly; all he had to do was take control of that weak human's body.

Just as his insides filled with glee, his body itching to jump into the human's skin, the fog starting to creep back into his mind, he looked down at said human and his smirk faltered. He would just have to… take control of this human. Simple. Easy. He had heard other demons do it back at home, but never got the chance to do so himself; the experience was exhilarating!

In a brief lapse of time, Yugi was able to catch a moment of clarity and looked straight at Yami. That single, pain filled, broken, sorry look was enough to extinguish all excitement he once had.

"You don't belong here! Go back to hell, you demon and don't even think about coming back! Don't you even think about touching Yugi again or you will regret it for the rest of your miserable life!"

Yami growled as his attention was brought back to the fuming albino, rage clouding his mind. "Who are you to tell me what to do? You better damn well know your place or you'll be the one regretting ever opening his mouth."

Bakura laughed and stood in front of the demon. "You can't hurt me, you can't even move a feather. I could tell from the second I laid eyes on you that you would be trouble, but I let it pass thinking that Yugi could keep control of you, but this," he gestured to said human who had continued his coughing fit, "this is too far. You better leave this place now or I will force you out."

"I can't leave!" Yami yelled as he directed all his rage at the albino, "I can't leave this damn place and I sure as hell can't leave this stupid human! Do you think I want to be here?! I don't! I want to leave and go back to what my life was but this- that human," Yami pointed down at Yugi, "has ruined it all! Ever since I found him in hell, I haven't been able to leave his side and I can't explain why! Now unless you have any idea of how to break this cursed bond that is trapping us together, I suggest that you get used to me because I have nowhere else to go!"

Bakura clenched his fists. "I know how to break that bond. Ready to know what oblivion feels like?"

Yami felt his aura flare out and he could tell the room warped and darkened at the challenge; however, all stopped when Yugi spoke up. "Stop… both of you."

The voice was weak and gruff, yet it was strong enough to cut through both of the clashing rages and grab their attention. When they looked down at the smaller human, he was sitting up with a trail of spit and blood dripping out of the corners of his mouth, however his eyes were filled with steeled determination. "Don't... either of you... harm the… the other." He made to stand but settled for sitting when he realised he wouldn't be able to do so by himself. "Bakura please... stay out of this; I know you... mean well but this... is my own challenge to… to work with. I will... welcome your help… but... not if it makes any important... decisions. Also, if I ever see... you hurt Yami, I will count you a stranger for the rest of my... life."

Bakura scoffed and looked away. Yami nearly flinched when that powerful gaze locked on with his eyes. "Yami, I know you hate... it here, I know you want to go back, but... you need to understand that I'm trying to help you. I want... to send you back to your home, but I also know that that... might not be the best for you. Please understand, though, that while you are here, none of my friends are to be... harmed. If even a hair is out of line for anyone that I love, what you used to do for fun will look like child's play. Also, you need to respect my space... as I respect yours as much as I can, got it?"

Yami merely stood there, letting the younger stare at him. The air in the room became thick and heavy, making it hard to breath. No one moved or said a word, all too caught up in their own thoughts to even think of breaking the tense silence; no one even moved as the girl, the blonde male, and the girl's grandfather walked in with a large box in their hands.

Seeing their friend on the floor and Bakura seething with rage, they all stopped their task in favor of helping Yugi and calming the albino; they gave up on the latter as he left the room to head outside. They hustled and bustled to clean up the mess and take care of their wounded friend, none ever noticing the seething demon in the same room. Even Yugi looked away from in in order to calm his friends.

As he watched the scene in front of him, Yami never noticed the chains that appeared on his body: one one his stomach, right legs, both of his hands and across his heart. The chain across his stomach broke and crumbled, turning into thin air as they fell to the ground while the remaining chains disappeared, still wrapped around his person.

The faint remains of his headache vanished, and Yami could tell, never to be felt again.

()

Night had fallen once again and the house was put to sleep; although, only few remained inside. The girl and her grandfather left as well as the blonde male and Bakura leaving Yugi and his grandfather.

After the big fight in the kitchen, not a word passed between Yami and the human. Both were respecting the other's space while they took the time to think over all that was said and done. The mere thought of what Yami could do still intrigued him, but it was a desire put on the back burner.

Now he stood in the corner of the room, beside the blue nightlight, watching Yugi sleep. So many thoughts lingered in his mind, thoughts of the past, thoughts of the human, thoughts of his curse yet he didn't want to think: he wanted to calm his mind. Every attempt at blocking out any and every thought was in vain as they would only come creeping back like the moon as the sun set.

He closed his eyes and breathed a deep sigh. He didn't know what to do. At this point he was just living his life on a day to day basis just waiting for something interesting to happen. Back home, something was always happening be it a fight, a death, a challenge or a trail, all of which he always attended. It was fun. This… this was all just confusing.

The image of Yugi popped up in his mind as he recalled today's earlier events. The way that he was able to stand up to Bakura and him‒ Yami never thought he had it in him. He truly looked like he could command any crowd and everyone would listen. What was most amazing about it all was the fact that he didn't sound angry or forceful; he was there to say his piece and he was damn well going to get his point across.

Yami growled when his body heated up, reacting to the thoughts. Damn, if he thought the human was sexy in revealing clothes, nothing could compare to that determined look he had. Sure, Yami loved having submissives in his bed, but knowing that the male could be dominante was a major turn on.

He shook his head to try and rid them of its thoughts. Now was not the time for them, nor would the human allow him to do such. A smirk worked its way to his lips. Although, a little forceful persuasion wouldn't hurt.

"Thank you for what you did today, I think it really helped him."

Yami snapped his eyes open to notice that he was in a familiar, narrow hall. Shadows waited behind him, shifting and tempting yet threatening all the same while a faded white door stood before him. He reached out to grab the handle and push the door open.

"I just didn't want him to get hurt. Either of them."

The golden walls were still torn and the carpet was still a wreck and the shadows item still refused to show themselves when he turned to look at them; however, his younger self had only four chains tying him down now: one on his right leg, both of his wrists and across his heart. Dirt and grime still mucked up his appearance, yet the tears stains weren't as prominent as they once were.

Yugi sat behind his younger self, running his fingers through the knotted hair in an attempt to smooth it out.

"You still need to be careful." His younger self said.

"I know. Sometimes I don't know if I'm pushing him too far, but I trust him enough to feel safe around him." The comment made Yami bristle.

The younger Yami giggled and cast a quick glance to the demon in the doorway. "I'm sure that even if he doesn't like that idea, he still understands it. Although, that wasn't what I meant by being careful."

"Oh?"

"There's these… things called Sorrows and they are nasty little creatures. You really don't want to get mixed up with them."

Yugi hugged his small frame to his chest, "I'll be careful."

The three of them stayed in silence before the young demon spoke. "I think he likes you."

The blushed that crossed Yugi's cheeks made Yami smirk. "O-oh?"

"You like him too don't you? That's why you trust him so much." The demon's smirk fell.

Yugi let the boy go and went back to combing through his hair, the blush staying on his face. "Aren't you a little young to be talking about that kind of stuff?"

"Well, I'm technically 5,736 years old, same as him."

Yugi laughed. "Guess I have a crush on an old guy, huh?"

"Try ancient." Both shared a laugh before a comfortable silence fell over of them. The happy moment was soon ruined as the boy spoke up. "You won't give up on us right?"

Yugi leaned down to plant a chaste kiss on the younger Yami's cheek, but Yami could feel it on his own as well. "Never."

Yami turned to leave, a storm of emotions twisting inside of him. Trust. Fear. Confusion. Clarity. Hope. Sadness. Hate. Love. He didn't know which one to choose. He just knew that he had to leave that sight.

That human was helping him and Yami had the feeling that it wasn't for getting him home. The human thought that there was something wrong with him when there was nothing wrong! He didn't need his help, he didn't need anyone's help. He stood alone for no one ever offered him any help when he needed it, no matter how he would hope for it. He was alone out in this world and no one would ever think him more than a menace.

His body tensed as an image flashed through his mind, too fast for him to get a clear picture. People, demons, him, fear, screaming that's all he could catch.

The demon growled as he rethought what was said. The human trusted him, he didn't fear him. The human was a fool if he thought Yami a friend of his, not something that he should always be wary of. He was a fool for just fearing to push him too far when he should fear pushing him in the first place. Something inside of him burned with rage as though it had been disrespected on the highest offense. Everyone should fear him, no one should trust him, no one… no one!

The shadows rejoiced and thrashed about at the end of the hall, turning into waves on a stormy ocean. As the light fluctuated, a red glimmer caught his eye and rage bubbled up inside him. He would show the human just how he felt about his "trust" and "safety". His hand grabbed the ruby and ripped the necklace off his neck. This was the human's proof of trust. This was the human's way of saying 'I trust you to keep me safe, and I will help you'. Safe? Help?

Yami let out a bought of bitter laughter as he stared at the anxious shadows. "Your trust is lost in the dark, idiot." With that said he tossed the ruby into the shadows who greedily ate it and hid it from sight the moment that it entered their domain.