A/N: I'm so sorry this update has taken forever! I hope I haven't lost anyone! Please enjoy the chapter!
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!
Yugi stared wide eyed as Yami was slammed on the ground and against the hard frame of his bed repeatedly, his ears picking up on the sounds of pain and discomfort. Breathing harshly through his nose, the small teen felt his heart pounding in his chest as he watched the onslaught.
He knew it would hurt…ripping the duct tape off again. But something inside Yugi told him to, and without a second thought, the tape was torn off his mouth with a sickening sound, and Yugi suppressed a cry of pain. Balling the tape up, he threw it to the ground, a familiar feeling rapidly flooding his system.
His hands became sweaty, and his thoughts became erratic. Images of childhood books that he read at his Grandpa's flashed through his mind, specifically focusing on when the awesome characters would fight other characters over a precious prize.
Yami was a precious prize, wasn't he?
His breath became ragged as he now breathed out through his mouth, and his fists balled up. Amethyst eyes shut tightly, and Yugi bit his lip.
He would not let Ushio hurt Yami.
"Damnit, get off of me, Ushio," Yami commanded after a while, coughing, regretting staying up yet again. "Get off of me so I can beat the shit outta you!"
Ushio laughed, sliding Yami across the floor and back again, his body crashing against the wall and bed frame. "Not a chance."
The stronger bully was so absorbed in what he was doing; it suddenly came to a surprise to him when he felt a tap on his shoulder.
Looking back with some confusion, Ushio's eyes widened.
"Hello, mate. Prepare to go to Davy Jones' Locker!"
The next thing that Ushio registered was a sharp jabbing pain in his shoulder, causing his grip on Yami to loosen and pull back. He grunted for a split-second, gathering his wits before launching up to his feet so that he towered over the smaller male.
As he looked down at the boy, Ushio had to laugh at the long red rectangle around his mouth from where he pulled the tape off. He had a small broom that had been in the corner of the room in his hands, gripped like a sword, a determined look in his purple eyes.
The bully couldn't contain his laughter, and the noise burst through the room.
"What do you expect to do to me, you twerp?" he hollered with a chuckle, tears coming to his eyes. "Stab me in the gut with your wimpy strength, you're so pathetic!"
Yugi took a stance, like he was winding up to strike. "Ye shouldn't make such assumptions, you scoundrel! I'll blow ye down!" Ushio expected it, and when the boy struck out at him, he was able to snatch the broom, yanking it away from the self-appointed pirate.
"Ye are a tricky foe, ye are," Yugi spat at him, backing up when Ushio gave him sinister smirk, and started advancing towards him.
Backing up, Yugi gave the taller male a stern look, one that was just begging for a fight. On the ground, Yami pulled himself up to his elbows, unconsciously nursing his face as he tried to get up so that he could help Yugi.
He knew that there would be no way that Yugi would be able to beat Ushio. The possibility wasn't even there.
He felt his back hit the wall, and Yugi watched bravely as Ushio loomed over him, his smirk never fading.
"Some fake-ass pirate you are," he sneered, cracking his knuckles. "How about when I beat you into the wall, you give me a hearty 'yo-ho-ho'." He didn't hesitate a moment longer and sprung forward, his arms reaching out to grab the smaller boy.
However, despite the fact that he had lost his broom, Yugi was more than capable to duck down and dodge the large hands after him. He swung himself to the side, letting his right leg swoop around to kick at Ushio's boot covered ankles before scrambling away.
His kick didn't even faze Ushio, who merely took a step back, chuckling as he watched the boy slide across the linoleum floor so that he was by the bed. Yugi stood up, giving Ushio a surprised look.
"It didn't work! The sea's fair winds be against me!" he exclaimed wide-eyed.
"You bet your ass they aren't," the bully remarked, starting to advance again. The boy backed up until he was against the bedframe and the wooden nightstand, no way for easy escape available. Again, Ushio lunged at him.
"Ushio, don't hurt him!" he heard Yami cry, but he ignored it.
This time, Yugi was caught, his wrists held in one of Ushio's large hands as he was pinned underneath the bully's heavy body against the bed. He was rendered motionless, and despite the situation, Yugi did what he could, spitting into the other's face, trying to wriggle free when Ushio reacted as expected.
"Why you little-!" Ushio wiped his face, then pulled his hand back into a fist. With a swift motion, his fist connected with Yugi's face, the pirate crying out in pain almost instantly.
Face red, Ushio huffed and puffed, pissed off to the extreme. Yet, the maniac smile was on his face once more, and he drew back his fist again and again and again…
Yugi gasped, fruitlessly trying to suck air back into his lungs. His face hurt like he had been stung by a thousand bees a thousand times over, and he was sure that his face was going to swell up with bruises.
After a couple punches, Yugi feeling that he couldn't open his eyes, Ushio stopped, laughing at him, making the small part that was still the survivalist in Yugi lash out. With the remaining strength he had left, Yugi struck his foot out quickly, a yelp escaping Ushio's mouth as his groin was unexpectedly kicked.
With the bully distracted, Yugi took the opportunity to roll away, gulping in mouthfuls of precious air, squinting to see where he was rolling. Standing up when he found his footing, he looked at Ushio. The bully was cupping his crotch as if to soothe it, his face all red with anger, pain and humiliation.
"Why you little-!" He let out a sudden grunt, and instantly fell to the floor on the beat, a low moan escaping his lips.
Yugi's spirit lifted at the sight of Yami. He stood there behind the fallen brute, the closed switchblade from before grasped in his hand.
"Great job, matey!" Yugi exclaimed enthusiastically, all previous pain that was in the forefront of his mind gone like magic as he bounded over the other teen, letting out a small hearty laugh as he embraced the other.
From a quick examination, Yugi was satisfied that Ushio was out cold from the blow Yami delivered to the back of his head.
As Yami let the closed blade thump to the floor, he felt exhaustion taking over his body. However, he remained standing for Yugi's sake, looking worriedly at the small gashes and rapidly purpling and swelling flesh.
"Are you al-"
"Do ye suppose we have some rope around here, first mate? To tie 'im up?" Yugi suddenly asked, gesturing to the unconscious bully on the floor before them.
Yami let a weak smile grace his tired expression.
"I'll go look for some."
Kazuo ushered more people down the hall, shaking his head. Adjusting his white-framed glasses, he politely repeated himself again, wishing the onlookers a good evening.
After a while when the crowds of curious patients and the last stream of visitors had seemed to have given up and gone away, Kazuo walked back down to Yugi's room, hoping that there had been some improvement from the last time he had checked in.
His superior was still answering questions to the police officer present, assuring the man that better security surveillance would be installed as soon as possible so that nothing like what happened would never occur again.
Yugi had been given a heavy sedative, and he was currently sleeping in his bed. When Yami had come found him, he had Yugi with him by the hand, and Yugi had been very hyper. He kept on talking about this and that about what had happened in his pirate lingo, so enthusiastic that he had seemed to not give even the slightest notice that his face was an utter black and blue mess.
Yami had come and found him around one, one-thirty, give or take. Now it was nearing six o'clock.
The hospital director sighed, wondering how much questioning and debating it would take until everything was mostly smoothed out.
"Iro, Kazuo," his superior addressed him suddenly, getting his attention without hesitancy.
"Yes, sir?"
"This fine gentleman and I will be going downstairs to my office to make sure all the legal documents are in order." He nodded towards Yami. "Mr. Hayata here will be awaiting the arrival of his father for safety reasons. Mrs. Motou will be coming in tomorrow morning. When she checks in, please notify me."
Kazuo bowed respectively. "Understood, Mr. Fugioshi."
His superior and the office left silently, leaving Kazuo to plop down next to the quiet teen in one of the plastic visitor chairs. He had a couple bandages on his arms and one or two on his face, but there wasn't as much injury to him as there was to Yugi.
"How are you doing?" he asked tiredly, letting himself slouch into the semi-comfortable chair.
"Fine," the teen replied emotionlessly, letting his fingers twist in one another, his eyes drooping a little. "He's gonna feel like shit tomorrow, isn't he?"
The man smiled, chuckling a little when he saw Yami smile a little too. "Unfortunately."
Neither said anything for a while, merely listening to Yugi's heartbeat on the monitor. Every time Yugi acted up, the heart monitor along with many others would be attached to the small teen for different tests. Most times it was unnecessary, but doctors just wanted to be sure he was okay.
Kazuo 'hmmed' to break the silence. He closed his eyes, smiled a little again and leaned back leisurely. "You know, I have to admit seeing that kid tied up in the bed sheets was pretty funny."
Yami nodded, briefly remembering how he had to explain to his 'captain' that the bed sheets wouldn't be proper rope. But Yugi was persistent…and surprisingly, it had worked.
"I'm glad they're gonna put his ass in jail, though. Even if it's ju-ve. Bastard deserved it big time."
"Yeah, assaulting a hospital patient can do that to a person," the director agreed. "What did he want anyway? I know he used to be your friend but…"
Yami stared straight ahead. "It's…complicated. Part of me doesn't even understand why he did what he did."
"Ah." Kazuo fiddled his thumbs, glancing up every now and then to look at Yugi. Then he glanced down at his white wrist-watch. Looking back at the conscious teen next to him, he said, "Your father should be around shortly. Why don't you go downstairs to wait in the lobby?"
Yami sighed and stood up with him. Before the director could even start to lead the way out, the teen asked quietly, "I know there aren't visiting hours on Sunday, but, do you think I could come in for a while?"
Kazuo looked at him, briefly going through how much the young adult had changed. When he first started, he was reluctant, angry, uncaring. But now…
Yami had obviously become fond of Yugi. It was a nice transformation that happened right before his eyes, and Kazuo smiled.
"Of course."
Yugi yawned carefully, feeling his muscles pull uncomfortably, making his face ache even more. He pulled himself more upright so that he sat against the headboard of his bed, wishing his mother goodbye.
He was so tired when he had first woken up. But to exhaust him even further was the fact that his mother had been present when he hadn't expected it, ready to care for his every whim. It had been like most visits his mother made, but since he had nasty injuries, she seemed to have gone overboard, and Yugi quite frankly, felt like he was being treated like a five year old rather than the twelve year old his mother for the most part thought he was.
The woman had informed him on what exactly happened according to Kazuo, who learned from Yami. Yugi couldn't help but listen on in disbelief when his mother described to him that he had gone all pirate when Yami was taken advantage of, bravely risking his own health to save the other. In the end, Yugi couldn't help but blush when his mother told him that Yami was the one to knock out Ushio, saving him from a worse fate that could have been.
Afterward, his mother encouraged him to talk about what he was feeling and thinking, something Yugi really didn't like to do, but did anyway to please his parent. His mother was quiet while he spoke, adding her thoughts in here and there every now and then.
However, even though he appreciated the attention and patient ear, Yugi couldn't help but feel saddened that his father wasn't present. He didn't ask about him, not wanting his mother to get even more upset than she already was.
Yugi thought to himself for a while since his mother left. He knew that he and his father didn't have the closest relationship in the world, but to Yugi, he was the only father he knew. Sure, he had been harsh at times, but most of Yugi's memories were happy ones, and ever since the finality of the divorce, Yugi wondered when and if he'd ever see his father again.
There was a knock on his door and Yugi was jolted out of his thoughts. 'It's Sunday, there aren't supposed to be visitors…it's probably mom,' he thought to himself. "Come in."
The door opened and closed, and when the person walked in, Yugi immediately covered his head with the bed sheets, hiding his bruised face. "Why are you here?"
He felt the bed dip. A hand clutched the sheet, but Yugi held on. "Do you want me to leave?"
"No!"
Yami chuckled, grabbing the sheet more firmly, pleased when Yugi relented and revealed his face. The taller teen smirked, his eyebrows furrowing up and together. "It isn't that bad, you know."
Yugi pouted, letting his fingers lightly trail along the side of his face. "Quit lying. I look like a grape."
"Are you a delicious grape?" Yami teased, causing Yugi to blush.
"I-I meant…" Yugi tried, his blush only deepening. He avoided eye contact when Yami's smirk only widened, crossing his arms over his chest in a huff.
"You're so childish," Yami countered easily.
"Don't remind me." Yugi pouted even further, still avoiding looking at Yami.
Leaning forward, Yami lightly grabbed Yugi's wrist, pulling his hand away from his face, effectively making Yugi lift his head up to see what he was up to. Though, Yami simply held onto his hand, becoming a little more serious.
"Are you alright?" he asked sincerely, a genuine look of concern on his face, making Yugi a little speechless. It was an odd look to see on Yami, since he was usually so stoic and uncaring.
Yugi sighed, letting his fingers go limp in Yami's. "Yeah. How about you?"
Yami shrugged. "I've had worse."
A small smile eased its way on his face, fading ever so slowly. He licked his lips, staring down at their joined hands.
"What exactly makes you act like a pirate?"
Blinking, Yugi looked up at Yami, seeing a serious expression on the other's face. Biting his lip for a moment, he answered, "I'm not sure. I just don't like seeing people get hurt."
Yami nodded, also looking at their hands where they were touching at the finger tips lazily. He let his head loll to the side in thought. "But what about all those other times?"
His hospital gown crinkled as he shrugged. "I don't know. Though, I think it might have to do with the whole concept of fighting. It's just never really been confirmed."
"Does it have to do with your parents' divorce?"
His heart ached a little at the question, but Yugi didn't blame Yami; he was just innocently asking questions. Looking up, Yugi let himself move forward, wrapping his arms around the other in a tight hug. Yami's arms, too, wrapped around his small body, embracing him back.
Resting his head on Yami's shoulder as he searched for comfort, Yugi whispered, "I'm not sure."
A/N: So, this kinda ties up the loose ends with Ushio. I know there are a few strands left, but they'll be taken care of. But now the story will take a turn to Yugi's dilemma, along with some smoochy Yami and Yugi things. Thanks for reading, and please review!