Hey, guys! So I know it's been a while since I updated this story. I've been a little busy with some stuff and I just couldn't find the inspiration to write but hopefully I'll be able to write more and give you guys more updates.
I'll be introducing a new character to this story, who I have some plans for. ;) But that will be revealed in a later time.
Hope you guys enjoy and please leave a review! THANK YOU!
Atem slammed the door to his apartment and threw his motorcycle helmet across the room in frustration. He combed his fingers through his hair as he growled and kicked the wall. His blood was boiling and his hands ached to strangle something, namely Pegasus; the little shit that fucked everything up. The man that put Little Yugi through all this suffering and for that, the man was going to pay, dearly.
He plopped himself down on the couch and buried his face in his hands, releasing a heavy sigh. The sound of doors closing caught his attention but he didn't stir, instead listened to the footsteps as they approached him. "So, what's got your knickers in a twist, 'Temy?" A low, raspy voice sounded from behind him.
"Not in the mood for your shit tonight, Akefia."
A snort was his response, "What the hell is up with you tonight, King? What's got you so on edge? You look like you just got back from a scrap after getting your ass beat."
Atem rolled his eyes and lifted his head to glare at his friends and bandmates, "Akefia, Melvin, as much as I enjoy your company would you two be so kind as to, I don't know? Fuck off!"
Akefia and Melvin straightened up and glanced at each other before taking a seat on either side of Atem, Melvin nudging the irritable singer with his shoulder, "Seriously, man. What the hell is bugging you? Anyone we gotta take out? Kick some ass?"
"I'd be glad to make a house visit." Akefia smirked deviously as he took a switchblade knife out of his pocket and, flicked it open, the metal glinting dangerously.
"As much as I'd love to take your offer on that, I can't. Besides, you can't touch this guy. Not without there being some serious Hell to pay." Atem sighed and stood from the couch and walked over to the window, leaning against the glass.
"Who is the bastard?"
"Pegasus. Maximillion Pegasus."
He closed his eyes as he heard sharp gasps behind him. The room went dead silent, tension filling air. Atem knew he stood no chance against Pegasus. No one did. Not when the man had so much firepower behind him. Not to mention that Yugi's life could very well be at stake, should he make the wrong move.
"Did...you say Pegasus? The CEO of Illusion Entertainment? That Pegasus? How in Ra's name did you manage to get caught up with him?" Melvin exclaimed.
"You...you guys remember Yugi, right? Yugi Mutou?"
"Yugi? The little runt you used to oogle over back in high school?" Akefia arched a brow, "That Yugi? What about him? How does he play into this?"
"Well, you know how he was dating that Pretty Boy, Yami? Apparently, Pegasus didn't approve their 'relationship'. Pegasus saw me with Yugi today and he thought it wise to bring me into this little fucked up game of his. He wants me to keep Yugi away from Yami, even threatened me to do it, the little bastard." Atem clenched his jaw, glaring out into the late night.
"Just tell us what you want us to do, we'll back you up." Melvin spoke up, surprising both Atem and Akefia. The man was never one to act this mature, nor was he to offer help this way before. "What? I'm serious, man. They mess with one of us, they mess with all of us."
"Thanks, but I'd hate to drag you-
"No, no, no, don't be spewing that bullshit, Atem. Don't give those stupid heroic speeches about taking the fall on your own and dealing with this on your own in order to keep us safe. None of that shit, King. We're stronger than that."
"But-"
"He's right. "Akefia chimed in, "Look, man, this Pegasus guy, he's the real shit and he's not to be messed with and I highly doubt you can handle that bastard on your own. You need us, and you know it. So, whatever you need us to do, we got your back."
Atem sighed and nodded slowly, "Alright. First things first, I have to meet with the Pretty Boy tomorrow. He's supposed to give me details on Yugi. Not saying this is going to go well either, but it's worth a shot. I need to know everything before I can go on protecting Yugi."
"Yugi...you're not still hung up over that kid, are you?" Akefia arched a brow, "I mean, it's been like what? Six, seven years? Don't tell me you still have feelings for him after all this time."
Atem looked away and gave a small smile, "What I feel towards Yugi is irrelevant right now. All I want is for him to be safe. To me, that's the most important thing. As long as he's safe, nothing else matters." He then sighed and turned away before walking into his bedroom, closing the door behind him.
Akefia and Melvin gave each knowing looks and sighed simultaneously, "Definitely still hung up. Poor guy."
Yami stared out the window into the gray, rainy sky of Domino. His fingers drummed impatiently on the wooden countertop of the table as he rested his chin in his other palm. Glancing at his watch, he gave a small huff before his eyes fell away from the window, dark crimson eyes hidden behind thick, black shades in order to hide his identity from the world. He had dressed incredibly casual today, wearing simple black jeans and large black hoodie, hood pulled over his head to cover his spikes which would no doubt give him away.
He was supposed to meet Atem at this cafe around noon and it was already fifteen minutes past the set meeting time, and Yami, being a man of punctuality was beginning to grow annoyed. If Atem didn't show up in the next five seconds, he was leaving and-just as the thought left his mind, the Devil himself walked through the doors of the cafe and walked over to the table.
Atem snorted and rolled his eyes before taking his seat across from Yami, dark maroon eyes scanning the other head to toe. "Is this your idea of a disguise?"
"Why? Does it not please you, King?" Yami glared, though Atem couldn't see it behind the dark shades.
"Oh, no this is very nice compared to those eyesore outfits you usually wear. Not sure how Yugi can stand-"
Yami slammed his palms against the table and stood up abruptly, ready to pummel the shit out of the man sitting in front of him, who wore the same casual expression, unaffected by Yami's sudden outburst. Atem merely scoffed and leaned back into his chair, crossing his arms, "You're still the same tightass as usual. Look, I didn't want to meet to start a fight, I wanted to meet with you to talk about Yugi. What the hell happened?"
Yami sighed and sat back down, ignoring the stares he got from a few people in the cafe, "A lot happened, King. Though, I guess you could say that Yugi got it worse than I did. He's lost so much because of me. He lost his grandfather, his father is fighting for his life, and their family lost their business... and I had no idea this was all happening. When Yugi left me, I assumed it was something I did. I thought I screwed up somewhere...but I had no idea Pegasus was the one behind this."
Atem's eyes narrowed at that and darkened considerably, "The bastard really knows how to work people doesn't he? I can't believe he'd have the nerve to hunt me down, show up at my apartment and fucking negotiate Yugi's life with me. If he wasn't surrounded by those goons of his, I would've strangled that son of a bitch."
"Your thoughts are the same as mine," Yami smirked bitterly, "But the difference between me and you, is that he has me bound by contract. He 'owns me' as he so elegantly put it. And that will remain a fact for the next couple of years. But I don't trust him enough to assume he'll just let me and Yugi walk off free after the contract does expire. No, I know he's planning something else. And that is why we need to take him down."
"Ah, finally something we can agree on. I would be more than happy to help with that."
"Right now, all I need from you is the keep Yugi safe and watch over him. I can't get close enough to do it myself, so...I'm trusting you to do it while I try to devise a plan to take down Pegasus."
"That's fine with me."
Yami studied Atem for a long moment, a single question burning in the back of his mind. He knew the answer to the question, it was so blatantly obvious from the look in Atem's eyes but he wanted a verbal confirmation. His fingers curled tightly around the empty coffee mug in front of him, his knuckles turning white from the pressure. Atem seemed to notice this and raised a brow, "If you have something to say, Sennen, then say it."
Yami took a deep breath and shut his eyes tightly, "Tell me honestly, King. What is it you feel for Yugi? And don't you dare give me some bullshit answer."
"What do I...feel...for Yugi?" Atem leaned forward and placed his elbows on the table, lacing his fingers together. "I don't think you want an honest answer to that question, Sennen. What I think, is you want me to tell you the lie so that maybe you'll feel better about letting me watch over Yugi. What you want is reassurance that I won't move in on Yugi…"
"And will you? Will you try to make a move on Yugi?"
Atem chuckled and settled back in his seat, casually crossing his arms over his chest, "What I do or don't do with Yugi is none of your business. All you need to know is that I'll protect him because that's the only thing that I can do now. It's the only thing you can't do for him."
"I can protect him. I can."
"Can you? Be honest with yourself, Sennen. With your current position, how can you protect him? If you're constantly watched by Pegasus and every move is monitored, how can you protect him?"
"What the hell do you think I'm doing right now? The fact I'm seeking out help from even the likes of you, should indicate how I can protect him. By giving Yugi away to you, by allowing you to even get close to Yugi, should be proof enough that I will do anything and everything I can to protect him, even if it means that I can't be the one to protect him myself. I may not like you, King, but I know you can protect him."
Atem's gaze hardened and his eyes travelled to the window, "I can protect him all I want, all you want, Sennen. But it doesn't change the fact that Yugi will still be hurt. After last night, it's clear that no matter what I do, his heart will always belong to you, Sennen. And as long as it does, he'll always be broken but I can't change that. He doesn't want to change that. He loves you too much."
"And I, him… and what about you, King? Where does your heart lie?"
Atem sighed and stood up slowly, "My heart? It's been with him, he's just never known it nor cared because he had something better, yours."
Without another word, Atem left the cafe leaving Yami to his thoughts. The young actor buried his face in his hands as stress and anxiety started to gnaw at him. After all this time, Atem still had a thing for Yugi… Yami had always known it, Hell, he'd known it from the first time he met Atem. He saw the way Atem looked at Yugi, it was the same way he, himself looked at Yugi. They loved him. And it was that common denominator that pushed them together, despite their differences. They loved Yugi and so they were going to fight and they were going to do whatever it took to keep the boy they loved safe.
Yugi scribbled on his notepad aimlessly as he sat in the boardroom of the Kaiba Corp. building, barely tuning in to what one of his co-workers were saying. His mind was much too occupied on things that happened since his return to Domino; from his forceful promotion to the main Kaiba Corp office, to meeting Yami again, meeting Atem, to his current situation.
Lately things haven't been going well for anyone. Pegasus seemed determined to get to every single person Yugi had ever come in contact with, every single friend he'd ever made and that struck a chord in Yugi. Above all else, he cherished his friends and his family, he could care less about what happened to him, so long as everyone else was safe and well. The fact that Pegasus was starting to close in on everything else he loved frustrated him and scared him. He couldn't afford to lose anymore than he already had. If he lost anymore he'd-
SNAP!
The room turned deafeningly silent as his pen snapped in two, him not being aware of the pressure he'd put on the writing utensil. He blinked...and blinked before realizing what he'd done, his mind first processing the black stains on his hand and notepad and then the broken pen in his firm grasp.
"Yugi? Are you alright?" His new supervisor asked, concern on his face.
"Y-yes, I'm fine. S-sorry. I need to get some fresh air." Yugi quickly wiped himself off with a handkerchief and gathered his things together before making a brisk exit, ignoring the questioning glances of his co-workers.
He ran out of the Kaiba Corp building, nearly knocking someone over in his hasty retreat. His eyes scanned the crowd frantically, sweat beading down his forehead and his heart racing at an abnormal pace. Yugi clutched his chest, suddenly finding it hard to breathe and so he reached up to loosen the tie around his neck in hopes of relieving some of the tension he was feeling.
An anxiety attack. This was common for him since becoming involved with Pegasus. Out of no where he'd suddenly feel like the whole world is collapsing in on him and he'd nearly have a nervous breakdown. There wasn't a specific trigger, it was just something happened out of the blue and Yugi hated it. He hated feeling this way, feeling scared, unsure, upset. His emotions would run haywire and sometimes all he wanted to do was shout and scream and curse at the world.
"Yugi," A firm but gently hand came to grip onto his shoulder causing him to stiffen slightly at the sudden contact.
"Seto...I-I'm sorry. I don't know what happened in there. I-I just...I can't…"
Seto sighed, "It's alright. I already talked to the team and I told them I was giving you the rest of the day off. Please, go home and get some rest. You need it."
"You don't need to do that. I can-"
"It wasn't a request, Yugi. I'm telling you to go home and get some rest. You're unravelling, I can see it. For the past week you've been here, I've noticed your behavior. You're on edge, anxious. That's not healthy for you. So, please, go home and relax. We can manage without you for the rest of the day. If you want, I'll call up Jou and I'll tell him to keep you company."
Yugi sighed but nodded anyway, "Sure. I'm sorry about my...behavior, Seto. I-I don't mean to-"
"Think nothing of it, Yugi. I understand. You're going through tough times right now. You wouldn't be human if you didn't feel as you do now. And believe me, we're all on edge when it comes to Pegasus."
"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to get you guys involved, I-"
"Yugi, Yugi, you need to stop apologizing. It's okay. We are your friends. We are here to help you. You're not in this alone and you never will be. Don't think you have to fight this battle on your own."
"I'm so afraid to lose you all, Seto. I already lost Grandpa and I'm afraid I'm going to lose my father as well. I'd hate to lose anymore. I won't be able to take it…"
"You won't lose us, Yugi. We'll be right here, fighting beside you. We'll figure this all out and we'll stop Pegasus. Have a little faith. For now, go home and rest. Please. You need it. I have to get back to a meeting but I'll check in with you later. Here, this is yours." Seto handed him his bag.
Yugi watched as Seto turned to go back into the building, leaving him standing alone on the sidewalk. He hitched his bag on his shoulder and began his trek to his apartment a few blocks away. Just as he was walking, he caught a glance of something in a store window across the street. His heart stopped and then broke into a sprint as he saw Yami.
He wore a bored expression on his face as various staff came up to him with different suits. He shrugged off each and every one of them. Yugi gulped and took a couple steps forward and as if the other could sense his presence, Yami turned his head and locked eyes with Yugi.
The two stared at each other for a long moment, mixed emotions flashing through their eyes, the eyes always being an open book to the other.
Sadness. Pain. Longing.
These are the things they saw in those eyes. A single tear rolled down Yugi's cheek before followed by another, and then another. The longer he stood rooted in his spot, the more tears that spilled from his eyes. He wanted nothing more than to run across the street, yank open those glass doors and fling his arms around Yami. That had always been his comfort, being in Yami's arms but now it seemed that had become his pain as well.
Yami reached out with his hand and pressed it against the glass, as if trying to reach out to Yugi. Yugi quickly wiped his tears and began to walk away, his steps quickening as he did. He kept his gaze away from the window, knowing if he took another glanced at Yami, he'd break and that was something he couldn't afford to let happen now. He'd done enough of that over the years.
As he was walking, he accidentally bumped into someone. He fell onto his ass with a loud umph! and looked up in time to see a hand outstretched towards him. He took it, muttering a quiet apology.
"I'm so sorry for bumping into you. I was reading a map and wasn't paying much attention to my surroundings."
"No, no, it's okay. It was my fault, I-" Yugi stopped short as he stared at the stranger before him. He blinked. Whoa….he looks just like me!
In front of Yugi stood what he deemed as a perfect mirror image of himself, only this boy was a little learner, a couple inches taller, and had gorgeous sun-kissed skin. His eyes were a couple shades darker than Yugi's lighter violet but other than that, they were practically twins.
"Whoa...Hello, long lost twin." The stranger chuckled. "I'm sort of new to this city, any idea where I can find a good sushi place? I'm starving!"
"Umm...yeah, there's one across the street from here actually, a block down. It's a small little restaurant near the tux rental shop, big store and kind of hard to miss."
"Thanks! Well, it was nice meeting a doppelgänger."
"Same."
The boy smiled and went on his merry way, leaving Yugi in his mild state of shock. However, the boy only took a couple steps before turning back, "By the way, what's your name?"
"Y-Yugi. And yours?"
"Heba. It was nice meeting you, Yugi. I hope we see each other again soon." Heba waved and walked on.
Heba... huh. And I thought Yami and Atem were the only doppelgängers in this city. Yugi shrugged and continued his journey home.
