I'm so freaking sorry please don't kill me.
This is the last chapter. That's like, all emotional and stuff.
So yeah. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in your review and I'll answer them. Also, you're getting this and then the epilogue both tonight.
Over the next little while, Yuugi and Yami cherished what little time they had together between planning and taking care of themselves. They held each other, loved each other, and most importantly, acted normally. They continued along with the normal pattern that they had set for life so far, being together and hanging out, and a whole lot of kissing. Yami flinched when Yuugi wasn't looking, but he tried his hardest to act normal. This was what little time they had left together, and he wasn't about to waste it upset.
Finally, the morning of the press release rolled around, and Yami woke up with Yuugi snuggled firmly against his chest, his tail wrapped around Yami's waist like an extra belt. Yami gave a small smile at the sleeping form above him.
"I love you." He whispered, wrapping his arms around Yuugi. Yuugi groggily looked up into his eyes, pausing only for a moment before seeing what Yami needed and leaning forward for a passionate kiss. They broke apart after only a few minutes, and Yami had to resist the urge to groan. He wanted to kiss Yuugi again. He didn't want to have to get out of bed this morning. He wanted to be able to stay with Yuugi and run away from this whole mess, to just continue living life happily.
Yami practically dragged himself out from under Yuugi, placing his feet softly on the shaggy carpet. He gave a deep sigh and decided that procrastinating wouldn't help anyone. He quickly reached for his clothes, tossing Yuugi his before going into the bathroom to change. He heard some ruffling and clothes hitting the floor. After he himself was changed, he walked out to find Yuugi sitting on the bed, still shirtless and looking at the button up suit like it was an alien technology. Yami gave a soft chuckle before walking over and helping him with the buttons, the warm skin of his hands just barely brushing against Yuugi's smooth chest.
Seto had decided that it would be best if Yuugi looked as professional as possible. As much as the leather offered amazing sex appeal, he had to be taken seriously, and that just wouldn't happen in a leather collar and pants. (Plus, the suit offered a good amount of sex appeal, too). After that, Yami helped Yuugi slip on the overcoat, adjusting it to look like his own. When he was done, he finally put on the final touch, tying a bowtie around Yuugi's neck and fastening it.
"Bowties are cool." Yuugi said, fiddling with it. Yami smiled and offered him a hand. Yuugi took the outstretched hand and did a small curtsey to Yami in response, lightly giggling. Yami smiled broadly, leaning down to give Yuugi's hand a light kiss before he stood all the way up, Yuugi's hand still loosely cradled in his own.
They walked down to the kitchen together, their hands swinging in time with their steps as they went. Yuugi had a huge smile on his face, and Yami was sporting a light, worried frown. They walked into the room, and Yuugi released Yami's hand to skip over to the table and sit down. Yami grabbed a bowl of cereal for himself, and a can of fancy fest for Yuugi, as per usual now.
Yami walked over to the table and set the fancy feast in front of Yuugi. Yuugi reached for it and began to eagerly chow down, shoveling it into his mouth eagerly. He knew that they didn't have much time; Seto would be there in ten minutes to pick both of them up and take them there.
"So, are you ready?" Yami asked casually, still secretly hoping that Yuugi would back out. Nobody would blame him for it; all of them had acknowledged that it was risky and how much bravery Yuugi would have to have to do it. He knew it was selfish, but he wanted Yuugi safe.
"As ready as I'll ever be." Yuugi said bravely, standing up. He was now finished with his breakfast and ready to go. "Come on, I think I hear Kaiba's car idling in the driveway."
Yami paused, listening as well. Sure enough, he could hear the distinctive hum of Seto's nice car sitting outside, and he rose, too. Yuugi started to walk towards the door, but Yami's hand on his wrist stopped him.
Their eyes met and stayed connected, the silence between them thick as the clock behind them ticked. Yuugi backed up and Yami walked forward, silently communicating with each other what was going to happen before it ever did. Somehow, they ended up against the wall, Yuugi's back touching the surface and their fingers intertwined above his head. Their eyes were locked, saying much more than words ever could. Yami's body pressed into Yuugi's and held him against the wall, not trapping him but rather seeming to shelter him from everything that was happening. Almost as if he was trying to say, 'I'll be your shelter; I'll protect you, aibou.'
"I'm not going to let you die." Yami said, his eyes searing themselves right into Yuugi's very soul. Yuugi was sure that he could tell these particular eyes from a thousand that looked just like them. Yami leaned down and Yuugi stretched up, bringing their lips together heatedly as passion flowed through both of them. Yami broke the kiss early, moving to kiss along Yuugi's jaw and neck, pressing hot, open-mouthed kisses to Yuugi's skin. Yuugi squirmed, melting entirely and becoming putty in Yami's hands. A long purr seemed to tear itself out of his throat as his lips parted slightly. He was more than eager when Yami's lips met his again, slightly moist and oh-so kissable.
"Yami." He whispered against Yami's lips, taking the arm that wasn't pinned to the wall and wrapping it around Yami's neck, curling his body closer to his lover's. Their passionate embrace was abruptly ended when Seto cleared his throat loudly from the doorway.
Yami pulled away and glared at Seto, using all of the hatred that he could muster into his glare after a kiss like that. Which, of course, wasn't much. Anything he did would look like a lovesick puppy right now.
"I'd love to get the hell out of here and let you continue, but we need to be to City Hall in thirty minutes. Yuugi, do you know what you're going to say?" Kaiba asked, Yuugi shook his head yes, pushing Yami away reluctantly to walk over to Kaiba and begin to follow him silently.
The ride to the town hall was all too short. It felt so surreal to Yami, almost like he was watching everything happen from a distance. He was numb, but he knew that if he could force himself to feel right now, he would be afraid. No, he would be terrified, petrefied, he'd grab Yuugi's hand and whisper run as The Doctor had, leading him out of harm's way and to a place where Yami could somehow keep him safe and sheltered, to a place where he wouldn't have to worry about Yuugi's safety. But he wasn't The Doctor, and Yuugi had made this decision on his own. Yami knew that no matter what he tried to try and talk Yuugi out of it, he wasn't going to budge. So he closed his eyes and breathed, reaching out to grab Yuugi's hand.
"Listen." He said brokenly. Yuugi squeezed his hand reassuringly, and his eyes snapped open to see the sincere amethyst ones of the man that he loved, and always would love.
"I know." Yuugi breathed. That was it; Yami could feel himself coming unraveled. Yuugi was beautiful and wonderful and everything he could ever want, but he couldn't stop him from doing this. He couldn't even delay it; things were going to take their course of action, and he was going to have to pray that things didn't all turn sour unexpectedly. He was going to have to be strong for Yuugi as Yuugi was for him.
They pulled up in front of the hall, and Yami felt a need go through him, as deep as the ocean and just as insistent as the pull of its waves. He grabbed Yuugi's face and stared deeply into his eyes for a moment. No words were needed; he leaned forward and they kissed. There was no movement; there was no violent passionate want. There was only connection, like wires connecting to a computer, like glue connecting two pieces together, like the fitting of puzzle-pieces that had sat waiting for years in an unopened box before they got to experience the light of day, and then they found each other.
They kissed like two lovers who knew there was a chance that they'd never get the chance to kiss like this again. It was all emotion and silent communication, entirely love. They didn't even really need to physically touch; but it was a bonus. Yami knew right then that even if Yuugi died that day, Yami would love him until he himself died. Yami would still think about him every day and night, he would still love him. He would write letters to Yuugi and visit his grave, kneel beside it and pretend like Yuugi was there with him. The boy had somehow managed to capture his heart in just that little time, and he wasn't letting it go. Not even the veil of death could stop him from loving Yuugi.
Kaiba knocked on the door and they broke apart, Yuugi maintaining eye contact only a moment longer before he looked away, slowly climbing out of the car. Yami followed suit, staying close to Yuugi as he walked. They were fairly close to the back door, and Yami held it open for both Yuugi and Kaiba as they all marched in, one after another. Kaiba leaned against a wall once they were inside, checking his watch.
"You two have a total of three minutes before you go out." He said, gesturing towards Yuugi. "I'm going to go address the crowd and tell them a little bit. I'd suggest that you listen in. When I mention you Yuugi, you'd better walk out. Yami can come too, if he wants to. Remember to play the romance angle; we're trying to earn sympathy."
"Okay." Yuugi breathed out, shaking his head to clear it. Kaiba went ahead and turned around, marching out the door. Yuugi heard the chattering of a large group of people before it suddenly stopped, all of them seeming to come to attention at a time.
"You're probably wondering why I've called you here today. It's to inform you of something that I personally consider to be an act of government prejudiced against beneficial programs that are nonprofit." He started. Yuugi gulped, feeling his nerves suddenly flare up. "And also an act of entirely inhumane animal slaughter."
Yami's hand was soon gripping tightly onto Yuugi's, and he held him close as they both listened. Yuugi's eyes were tightly shut and Yami was shaking.
"The government has shut down a program which funded research on animals, to help give them adaptations through genetic experimentation." He said, pausing for a moment. "This wouldn't be a problem, if it weren't for what they planned on doing to the animals afterwards. They were going to kill all of the experiments." He announced.
Yuugi took a shaky breath and turned around, kissing Yami's cheek and burying his face in Yami's warm chest, inhaling his scent. He wished that he could just stay in those arms forever.
"They were splicing animal genes with human genes, which means that some of our animals, which are scheduled for slaughter tomorrow, are fully aware of the fact that they are going to die. They have human intelligence. They have accused the program of doing experiments on humans. We have proof that they've not done that, as well as stamps of approval from all the projects they have done." He said seriously. Yuugi took a shaky breath again; his time was coming up soon, he could feel it in his bones.
"One of those projects was to actually grow a boy-cat hybrid by designing all of the genes themselves. A government project that was trying to create a person through designing the personality helped this body come to life, by giving it personality. This boy, because he is NOT an animal, his name is Yuugi." Kaiba announced. Yuugi could hear him step away from the microphone. He took a shaky breath before he stepped forward and opened the door.
"Hello, everyone! It's so nice to see all of you here today! I just wanted to confirm that, while I do have some cat parts, I'm human on the inside." Yuugi said, taking a shaky breath. His voice had started out cheery before it slowly faded down to a more serious tone. "I… I love, breathe, eat, sleep, I'm just like one of you. How would you feel if somebody was going to kill you for something you couldn't control? The cat parts aren't my fault. Would you really let them kill me without even getting the chance to live?" He asked. His voice was cracking at this point, emotion overflowing as he considered the worst possibilities.
"I want to grow old, I want to see the world. I want to spend my life with the love of it, Yami." He announced bravely. He felt Yami's fingers weave between his own and he looked over to see Yami's love-filled eyes shining down into his own. He heard a resounding 'Awwwww!' sound from the audience, and he figured that it was a good sign. He turned back towards the mob, and he now had tears shining in his eyes. "I just don't want put down like I'm an animal. Not even animals themselves deserve that treatment." He said. "Not to mention what Cecilia has to say to you." He said, stepping away from the microphone. His legs were shaking and he kept his eyes tightly shut, avoiding crying with all of his might. He knew that it would be okay to cry, but he didn't want to show any weakness.
"Okay, now the stage is mine." Cecilia announced, sending a reassuring smile to the audience. "Now, we have proof that we didn't even do anything illegal." She announced. She held up the large and thick stack of papers that were organized in order, and you could see the interest of the audience peak.
Then, a door on the side of the stage slammed open. Three men in suits as black as midnight came in, guns pointed towards various people. Yuugi felt a panic rise within him as a shot was heard through the air, the sound cracking through Cecilia's voice to become the most ominous.
A scream, a scream of pure torture and pain and fear rang through the air, and suddenly Yuugi could smell blood. Cecilia's form dropped to the stage, and he realized then what had happened. One of the men had shot Cecilia. Another one took aim, and Yuugi felt the world slow down as he realized where he was aiming.
The man's gun was pointed right at Yami, standing just a couple of steps away from him. Yuugi barely had time to think, but even if he did, he would have made the same choice five hundred times over. He jumped for his life, jumped in front of Yami's chest.
The sound of another shot was met by the feeling that he'd just gotten hit by a bus in the arm. He screamed, clutching at it, only to feel the pain flare up. He could feel his every nerve as if it were on fire, being torn apart and pieced back together, and he had no clue what was going on. His world was entirely black and pain and the sickening, sickening smell of his own blood in his nostrils drowning out everything else. The edges of his vision began to go black, and the last thing he remembered seeing was Yami's face hovering over his own, sheer panic on his lover's features.
He came in and out of consciousness, and it felt like he was being pushed and pulled into and out of a wave pool; everything was like he was looking through muddy water, sounds seemed distant and faded. He faintly recognized a moving sensation, and a flare of pain as something was placed against his wound. Half the time would be black and half would be blurry white, sometimes speckled by shapes or colors. He couldn't be sure, but he thought he could hear Yami's voice through the haze and confusion. He chose that to focus on, trying to pull himself back to full reality, or even to remember what had happened. He wasn't sure how long this actually went on, but it felt like hours and hours and days and days.
He heard distant yells of chaos and some commanding voice close to him, but he felt less than safe. Something was placed over his face, some sort of a mask, and he felt the sickening black weight return with a vengeance. He couldn't hold on anymore. He faded off into the blackness, leaving behind a disturbing sense that everything would be different when he next woke.
Yami stared at Yuugi's form crumpled on the stage, not believing what he had just witnessed. He had almost been shot… he had almost been shot, but then Yuugi… Yuugi…
Yuugi. He dropped to his knees, grabbing the face of the one he loved. He felt panic claw at his soul, hot and searing, and he screamed. The government goons didn't seem to be taking any more shots, but fear was still there in the back of his mind. He wrapped his arms around Yuugi, clutching him to his chest and turning away from them, placing his hand sloppily over the shot wound to make sure that he didn't bleed out. His head was pounding, and he couldn't quite grasp that his boyfriend had just been shot.
Yuugi moaned in pain, and he felt panic rise up in him.
"AMBULANCE!" Yami screamed, cradling Yuugi's body close to him. Yuugi moaned in pain, and Yami placed small kisses to his face. "Yuugi, stay with me, stay with me, Yuugi…" He began to repeat over and over again, like some sort of a chant. He closed his eyes tightly, trying to breathe through the panic.
"What did you do?!" He heard one of the guards shout. "That wasn't what we were ordered!" He hissed, "Now this is going to be all over the news!"
"Our orders were crap! You know they were going to resist!" One of them shouted back. The other one groaned.
"You're going to get us fired! Now we have to call the ambulance!" One returned. Yami stopped paying attention after that, feverently hoping that it would be done then. He heard shouts and cries from Pegasus, and somebody had actually taken out their phones and called for help. Yami closed his eyes and breathed through his nose, trying to get a grip on reality.
"Yuugi, Yuugi, Yuugi, Yuugi," He chanted, clutching him closer. It felt like an eternity passed until he heard sirens in the distance, and he could have fainted from relief when he finally did. The sound grew ever closer and closer, and he concentrated on it until it finally stopped, and he heard feet pounding against cement outside, along with the squeak of wheels.
The door swung open again then, and they were greeted by one man and two women, the man and one of the women rolling in two stretchers. Yami felt relief surge through him, and he shouted out for help.
He saw out of the corner of his eye as Cecilia was lifted up onto a stretcher, and he heard the roll of wheels coming closer. He forced himself to let go of Yuugi, watching numbly as the woman came around and picked Yuugi up off the ground. He watched as Yuugi was placed on the stretcher, and his hand latched onto the side of the stretcher. The woman looked at him for a second before nodding her head the tiniest bit, showing that she would let him come along.
They began to move as fast as possible towards the doors, but one of the goons stepped in front of them.
"I don't think so, we have orders to keep you here. You're a hospital too, not an animal clinic." He snarled, smirking down at Yuugi. Yami recognized it as the voice of the one who shot his Yuugi, and tried to shoot him. He felt anger burn up hot and fresh like bile, and he knew that he couldn't swallow it down. The man was several inches taller than him, but that didn't stop him from marching right up.
There was a loud crack as Yami's fist connected with the man's jaw, and Yami felt a flare of pain in his hand. He didn't care about it; he returned to Yuugi's side as the man landed on the floor, helping to direct the stretcher around the body. The dull throb in his knuckles was the most satisfying thing he had ever felt.
They climbed into the back of the ambulance, and the rest was a blur from there. He stayed by Yuugi's side, held his hand and whispered comforting words the entire time, his eyes going between fixed on Yuugi and closed, praying for him to get better. He didn't think he could do this without him.
Finally, the vehicle stopped and they were let out, the smell of hospital filling his nostrils as they entered. A firm hand was placed on his chest, stopping him. He decided not to argue, feeling too spent to and knowing that Yuugi needed treatment now rather than later and arguing would only delay things. He watched as Yuugi was rolled down the hallway, and he felt absolutely numb. His hearing didn't quite seem right as he heard the command to take Yuugi into surgery, but he knew in his heart that it was true.
He sat down in the waiting room, knowing that it was going to be the longest night of his life.
When Yuugi finally came to, he had a pounding headache and his entire body felt sore. He gave a feeble groan, trying to sit up in the small bed. The room spun around him as he did, and he gave a huff as he fell back down onto the mattress. He shifted in the bed frame, a hazy memory of what happened slowly beginning to cloud his thought. He needed to make sure that Yami was okay…
"Yuugi!" He heard a shout from beside him. There was the warm brush of somebody else's skin on his own and Yami gripped Yuugi's hand, concern flowing through him. "Yuugi, are you awake?" He demanded.
Yuugi heard some far-off wails, sounds of anguish and torment. He opened his eyes again, looking up into Yami's red ones. The voice crying out seemed oddly familiar, and something was a little sad in the way Yami was standing. He wondered what had happened. "Yes, I'm awake." He croaked out. Yami's body slumped as if somebody had just removed a great weight.
"Thank god. The doctors said you'd be okay, but after what happened to Cecilia, I just didn't know…" He mumbled, looking down. Yuugi's ears twitched and he leaned up just a little bit, gritting his teeth through the dizziness to prop himself up on his elbows.
"What happened to her?" He asked, his eyebrows knitting together in a mixture of concern and curiosity. Yami's eyes filled with pain and sadness, and Yuugi got the feeling that he wouldn't like the answer he received.
Yami let go of his hand slowly, his eyes turning serious. Yuugi could tell that he was steeling himself for the news. "Yuugi…" He said, taking a shaky breath. He re-steeled himself, though Yuugi could tell that there were tears glistening in his eyes. "Cecilia took a bullet, too. She… She didn't make it." He said, the last part coming out in a whisper.
Yuugi nodded his head slowly, looking down. He felt sadness well up inside of him. The woman who had been doing nothing but trying to help, the woman who had been so kind to him and possibly even saved his life, was dead. He felt a hot tear trail down his face and he sniffed. In fact, it might have not even mattered. Who knew? Maybe they were still going to kill him and all the other animals.
"So, what's happened other than that? Are the animals already euthanized?" He whispered, looking up again. Yami shrugged his shoulders, looking discouraged.
"I don't know, I've honestly not checked yet." He admitted sheepishly. Yuugi nodded his head, and there was a brief moment of silence.
He shifted uncomfortably, the position that he was in cutting off his circulation in his arms. He moved his elbows quickly before firmly placing his hands on either side of his sore and uncomfortable form. There was a sharp pain in his arm as he tried to use it, and he realized that the only reason he hadn't felt it before was because he had been coming off of the drugs and pain killers. He hissed, but he managed to push himself up all the way up into a sitting position.
"So, I was shot and then they called the hospital. I'm guessing the bullet is gone?" He questioned, looking down at his arm briefly. Yami nodded his head, and Yuugi noticed the way he was looking at him. Yami was looking at him like he was a walking miracle, like he was the most precious gem in the world. He blushed a little, clearing his throat.
"Yes." Yami said. He moved forward again and took Yuugi's hand in his own, running his thumb over Yuugi's soft skin. Yuugi erupted into purring, his eyes closing in content for a moment as Yami Moved a little bit closer and used his other hand to start rubbing Yuugi's ears affectionately. He felt his tail twitch from under the covers. "Yuugi, you saved my life. You endangered your own for the sake of me"
"You would do it for me." Yuugi said automatically. Yami thought for a moment before he nodded his head in agreement.
"Thank you." He whispered. Yuugi opened his eyes again and they met Yami's. Both of their eyes were glazed over in affection and both of them were relieved that the other was okay. Yami slowly leaned down to tenderly press his lips against Yuugi's slightly parted ones, humming in appreciation as Yuugi's uninjured hand came up to tangle in his hair. They kissed like they would never kiss again; and they might now. This encounter had taught both of them to treasure every moment they had.
Yami pulled away for a few moments and they both caught their breath before diving back in, their lips moving together beautifully as they both enjoyed the connection.
"Do you two ever stop doing that?" Seto's voice cut through the moment. Yami pulled away abruptly, turning around with a light growl.
"Do you ever have good timing?" Yami asked. Yuugi laughed a little.
Seto put up his hands as if to defend himself, shrugging a little. "It wasn't my fault this time, there's somebody else here to see you two." He announced. Yami's face lit up with wary curiosity and his eyes shifted to behind Seto, as if expecting the person to be hiding there. Seto stepped into the room, leaning casually against the wall inside the door.
Two large men in black suits rounded the corner. Yami's eyes widened and his body tensed up as he took a step protectively in front of Yuugi, a growl leaving his lips. They moved no farther than a couple of inches into the door way though, but Yami didn't relax any at all. Yuugi could feel his tail puff up as fear washed over him.
"Don't worry, we're not here to hurt you or your… mate." Came a shrill female voice. Yami's eyes shifted to the doorway as a short woman with red hair and brown-green eyes walked through the doorway. She had a smile on her face, and Yami was wary.
"Why are they here then?" He snarled, gesturing towards the goons. She gave a dramatic sigh and shook her head, frowning a bit.
"I don't know, I told headquarters that they were unnecessary." She sighed, shaking her head. She quickly recovered though, returning to her chipper smile. "I actually have good news for you two."
"What would that be?" Yami questioned, his eyes narrowing dangerously. She laughed a little and her eyes lit up with happiness as she reached into the large purse hanging from her side and pulled out a large clip board. She almost dropped it but quickly recovered, laughing a little as she held it out for Yami to take. He eyed it warily for a moment before stepping forward and grabbing hold of it, bringing it back for his eyes to scan. Yuugi felt his fur return to normal as he relaxed.
"It says that the government is sorry for the actions of its employees. The man who fired the bullets was arrested and is awaiting trial for manslaughter. I'm a representative of the president, and I'm here to inform you that you'll be entirely safe." She said. Yami's eyes drifted up from the paper, and he stayed silent, waiting for her to continue. "The audience reacted badly to the aggressive way the situation was handled. The news cast went viral, now over a million people have called in to the government and demanded that all the animals be set free and you be given a citizenship." She explained, gesturing towards Yuugi. "More than that, though, the President wants you to oversee the project of starting up new labs for further research in both animal behaviors and artificial intelligence, like Yuugi here." She finished.
Yami and Yuugi both sat there in shock, digesting everything that was just said. Slowly, a grin spread across Yami's face. This was it! Yuugi was safe! He felt dizzy and shaky with relief.
"Really?! Yami and I aren't going to be bothered anymore?" Yuugi asked hopefully, smiling broadly. She nodded her head.
"So, we're going to be traveling across the country setting up more laboratories?" Yami asked, slowly beginning to process what she had said.
"Not quite." She informed them, flinching a bit as if she were afraid something would make them angry. "You see, this is something that will be shared with other countries. You'll have to live out of a suitcase and probably medium-quality hotels, but they want you to travel the world, for at least a few years." She informed him. Yami couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was going to get to travel the world with Yuugi, and it was going to be his job?! A smile stretched across his face as he thought of it. "That won't be a problem, will it?" She asked worriedly. Yami snapped out of his fantasy.
"Of course not. I'm excited for it, actually." He said, nodding his head. He glanced over to see a large smile on Yuugi's face too. At the very least, Cecilia's death wasn't for nothing; all of the animals she loved so much were saved.
"Great! Just sign those papers right there and you two will be on the road as soon as he's all healed up. Hold on, I've got a pen in my purse." She said, lifting her purse and rummaging through it for a few moments. She had a look of concentration on her face as she searched for the pen in the black hole, before she finally emerged triumphant with a pen in her hand. She passed it to Yami and smiled. "You two have really caused quite the scene; You're both celebrities now. I hope you're willing to deal with a little bit of news coverage from this point on in your lives." She teased, smiling.
Yami turned to Yuugi, his pen hovering just centimeters above the paper.
"This is what you want, right? To see the world with me?" He asked. A large smile stretched across his partner's face at the reality of those words, at just how sweet that they sounded.
"I would get shot a hundred more times if this would be the outcome." He agreed. Yami smiled and signed the papers, handing her back the contract.
It sounded like his life with Yuugi was about to get a lot more fun.