'I can't keep doing this. We can't.' Yami sat on his bed, chin in his hands, as he contemplated his problem. His room was dark, the only light coming from the moon shining through his window. The clock read 2:36 yet Yami couldn't even think about sleeping.
'Now that I have a child I can't participate in this war. It's too dangerous… They've already kidnapped him once and I know that they'll try it again.' Yami thought, desperately trying to figure something out. 'If anything happened to Yugi… I could never forgive myself. But what can I do? I can't leave the resistance to fight on their own without guidance and I certainly can't just leave the Shihai to their world domination… Maybe… No, that wouldn't work either.' Yami growled, angry with himself for his inability to solve the problem. Then it dawned on him…
"I have to end this, for good. This means war." Yami said aloud, a determined expression on his face.
Yugi stood frozen outside Yami's room. Did he hear right? Was Yami really gonna start a war? Yugi had simply come seeking comfort from a nightmare, but now he had much bigger problems. He knew the Shihai had to be stopped… and deep down he knew it would eventually lead to this, but it didn't stop the terror he felt.
Endless 'what ifs' raced through Yugi's mind such as 'What if Yami gets hurt?' or even 'What if Yami dies?' In the fairly short time he had known Yami, Yugi had come to think of him as a father. A good father, not the kind he was used to. One who would love him, take care of him, and comfort him when he felt bad. And now that he had one… he didn't want to give him up. Yugi loved Yami with all his heart and he couldn't even fathom what life would be like without him.
Besides, there was always the terrifying thought of what would become of him if he didn't have Yami to take care of him. Would he have to go back to his 'family'? Yugi started to hyperventilate at the mere thought.
"Yugi?" Yami's gentle voice broke through his thoughts and Yugi looked up at Yami with teary eyes. Yami bent down next to him, concern filling his face. "Are you alright? What's wrong?" Not being able to talk, Yugi just threw himself into Yami's arms. "Little one…" Yami mumbled sadly. It was heartbreaking seeing him so upset.
Finally able to find his voice, Yugi said, "Are you really going to war?" His voice was weak and slightly hoarse. Yami sighed.
"I'm afraid so. It's the only way. I can't risk you getting hurt again so I have to end this now." Yami explained gently, holding the crying boy close.
"But… But I don't want you to get hurt either! What if something happens to you?" Yugi managed to say through his tears. He pulled back slightly to see Yami's face.
"I know, I know… I don't want that either, trust me, but there's no other way."
"Can't you just leave?"
"No, Little One. You know I can't just leave the resistance without anyone to guide them. It wouldn't be fair and could potentially be devastating. Besides… even if I left they'd probably still track me down." Yami was trying his best not to cry.
"But…"
"Please understand, Yugi. This whole fight has gone on long enough. It needs to end. I want to be able to be there for you without having to worry about someone stabbing me in the back. Or worse… going after you." Yami ran a hand through Yugi's hair, attempting to calm him down. Yugi's sobs turned into sniffles as he watched him. Yugi understood, he just didn't like it.
"Okay… But you have to promise to be careful! Promise?" Yugi said with a stern face. Yami chuckled slightly.
"Promise." Yugi hugged him again tightly. They stayed like that for a few minutes before Yami finally spoke up. "Now what is it you came over here for?" Yami pulled away slightly to look at Yugi.
"Um… Well… I… I had a nightmare…" Yugi blushed in embarrassment. He was also slightly scared… If he had dared come to his 'father' for something as silly as a nightmare, he would have been beaten to a pulp… But Yami was different, wasn't he?
Yami looked at him sadly. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked quietly.
"I was… Father had… He was mad and…" Yugi couldn't seem to get a proper sentence out as the tears started again, memories flashing through his mind.
"Shhh…" Yami hushed him, pulling him into another hug and rubbing his back soothingly. "It's okay. He won't hurt you ever again. I'll make sure of that." Yami just whispered comforting words to him until Yugi's crying slowed down. "Tell you what, how about you come sleep with me for the night, hm?"
Yugi pulled back, rubbing his eyes. "You wouldn't mind?" He asked cautiously.
"Of course not. Whenever you're scared you can always come to me, okay?" Yugi nodded. Yami picked him up and carried him into his room, laying him down on the bed. Yami climbed in on the other side and held his arms open invitingly. Yugi gratefully snuggled into Yami's warm and safe arms, falling asleep almost instantly. Yami smiled down at him and kissed his forehead softly. "Good night, Yugi." He said before joining him in sleep.
Aw! Father/son fluff! Yeah, this was kinda a filler chapter... And it's short... And it's way overdue... I don't even know when the last time I updated was. Hopefully it'll get better though cause I've made a goal to write fifteen minutes every day. If that doesn't work... Sorry... Anyways, if you guys are even still reading this, I hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a review on your way out!