Author's rant: Guys! New poll on my profile with brand new, much better stories. Vote please if you don't mind. Fear of Falling and Unspoken Attraction will be done within the next two weeks or so. I'm gonna need something to write, right? lol, so go ahead and pick your favorite! :-)
Why did Yami let Yugi walk off alone? He felt so much better with him here where no one could harm him. Now he was a nervous wreck because it had been more than two minutes since Yugi announced that he was making a phone call. He should've known better, especially with that pervert Atemu walking around the premises.
He decided to get a drink at the bar to calm his nerves. The music and spunky atmosphere did lift his spirits up every now and then but Yami's mind was way too preoccupied with Yugi's whereabouts to fully enjoy it. As a matter of fact, Atemu's as well. Sure everyone knew Yugi was a good catch, that's why Yami couldn't pass up the chance to take him. But if Atemu thought he could come in between something so beautiful he had another thing coming.
Atemu wasn't even invited to Yugi's party, so how did he even get access to the private beach? Was it just a coincidence that he was here? Yami had questions and he needed answers now.
He took a small sip of his Jack Daniels while when he felt the warmth of another body sit next to him. Yami turned his head and his face went ghostly white. It was Atemu! Yami could hardly believe it when the jerk had the balls to take a seat beside the person whom he was trying to rob his boyfriend from. Yami shot him an incredulous stare but then decided not to say anything, because he had much bigger things to worry about.
Atemu faced him not wanting to stir any trouble. He just wanted to apologize to Yami about what happened earlier. Truth be told, he thought Yami was quite sexy when he was mad. Only the situation at hand wouldn't allow Atemu to say that.
"What do you want?" Yami asked with harsh timbre. He felt his muscles compact just in case of a brawl.
"Take it easy," said Atemu rather calmly. "I just came over to apologize."
Why, he didn't know. It wasn't as though he knew Yugi was taken. And when he found out, Atemu was way past caring. What was the big deal? All he wanted was a small sample of what the little one tasted like. It wasn't as though Atemu was trying to get in Yugi's pants. That would probably come later.
"You're full of shit," Yami protested, taking a longer sip of his drink. He was beginning to feel buzzed and now with Atemu around, he was going to need lots of it. "You came here to crash Yugi's party and take him away from me."
"First of all I didn't even know you existed until you came and interrupted me and Yugi's—"
"There is no you and Yugi," Yami spat. "Listen, I've known him for months. How long have you? Half a day? And you think you're gonna take my Yugi away from me? Not without a fight." He slammed his drink down on the ground, glass shattering everywhere. It garnered the attention of Marik, Bakura and Mahad, and not to mention Joey, Tristan and Jaden who stopped whatever they were doing to surround Yami and Atemu.
"You're stupid if you think I'm actually gonna fight you. I have better things to do," Atemu said rolling his eyes. "Like enjoy this party. I came over here to apologize but I can see with all that extra hair on your head, there's rarely room for any brains."
"What the fuck did you just say to me?—"
"Okay, okay! Break it up, break it up," Joey interjected, placing himself in between the two brawlers. He tried to push them as far apart as he could but Atemu thought it would be funny to poke at Yami some more.
"Yugi sure does taste delicious though. I didn't get to kiss him all the way like I wanted but damn, I got a licking of those lips, mmm. You're a lucky man, sir."
Yami felt his entire being go into autopilot. "Fucker, I'll kill you!" he screamed.
Yami made a grab for Atemu's hair, but Joey pushed his own body against his to create enough distance and to hinder a potential squabble. Marik and Bakura both held Atemu on either side of his shoulders but he wasn't really trying to throw punches towards Yami. Instead he just stood there and laughed while Yami was seething, face as red as a tomato, snorting like a bull.
"Who are these people Joey?" Yami shouted. "Why are they at Yugi's party, the party that was my idea?
"Oh your idea?" Atemu echoed. "Well I for one want to thank you then mister. You brought such a beautiful specimen into my life. He could use someone with a much better temper."
"For the last time asshole, Yugi is mine, and I'm not sharing him. Get your own boyfriend."
Yami was too angry for words. He wished Joey would let him go so that he can get at least one little punch in to make himself feel better. And the fact that Atemu was laughing at him made things worse.
"Joey, I'll ask you again, who are these people and where did they come from?"
Joey grinned stupidly. "Uhhh…well see what had happened Yami—"
"We all booked this party on the same day," said Mahad without fail.
"Why would you do that?" Yami drawled with a glare.
"Someone didn't want to reschedule." Mahad cleared his throat and stared directly at Joey. So did everyone else.
"Hey don't look at me," he grumbled, averting his eyes elsewhere. "I wanted to have Yugi's party directly on his birthday. It was this guy's idea to combine the two!" he pointed at Atemu and soon everyone's attention was on him now.
He shrugged indifferently. "Yeah, so? I did. It doesn't make sense to have two parties on the same day."
"You know what you were doing," Yami mumbled. "You said that so you could be closer to Yugi. I'm not stupid."
"It doesn't even matter right? Yugi is yours, so what are you so worried about me for? Yami is it?"
"Umm speaking of Yugi," Jaden suddenly pitched in. "Has anyone seen him? He's been gone for a hella long time."
It was then that a sickening omen overtook Yami, and he realized that while he and Atemu were arguing and spatting, Yugi still hadn't returned.
"Shit!" he hissed and broke out of Joey's grasp, running towards the exit of the beach. Everyone gave each other one glance before they went running after Yami, all except Atemu, Marik, and Bakura who just stood there exchanging dumbfounded glances in between them.
"What the hell just happened?" said Marik. "Does that mean this party is over?"
"I guess so," Atemu muttered. His once cocky and playful spirit had vanished and he started to feel a bit bad for how he treated Yami. He was only having a little fun but he'd guessed Yami wasn't in the mood. Now they had a possible missing person on their hands at least in Yami's eyes. Or maybe he was just overreacting a little. Yugi couldn't have gone too far. It had only been about ten minutes since their run in together.
"Ahh good riddance to bad rubbish. I'm going to bed," said Bakura with a snort. He hadn't had a good time the entire night and he was tired and cranky. He headed towards the exit when Marik grabbed his hand.
"I think we better go help those guys find Yugi," he suggested. "The quicker we find them, the sooner you get to sleep."
"Puh! I don't think so," Bakura spat, shoving Marik's hand away. "That little tyke isn't my problem. You guys can go but I'm taking my ass to bed."
"Don't you wanna stay up with your little doppelganger? He seems kinda shy, maybe you can loosen him up," Marik teased.
"In case you forgot, it was Joey's idea to bring that kid here, not mine," said Bakura, snorting. "Now Marik, maybe your pansy ass has forgotten why we're here, but I haven't. You, me, Seth and Mahad were hired by your cousin, Atemu Ishtar, to be his bodyguards. Why? Because he's one of the most famous mother fuckers in Egypt. Meaning? He cannot go out in public without us because his personal safety will be at risk. That is our objective. Now, somewhere along the way, your cousin went soft on you Marik, and you went soft right back, and now you treat him more like your buddy than someone you're supposed to be protecting. Keep that in mind."
And with that, Bakura stalked off.
"Idiot." Marik huffed under his breath, and without saying a word or looking at his cousin, he followed suit behind Bakura.
"Well?" Mahad muttered, crossing his arms and standing beside Atemu. "What's the next move boss? Do we help those guys find Yugi, or do we take Bakura's advice and not worry about it?"
That was an easy question. Atemu already decided that he was going to help look for the little one. Not for Yami's benefit but maybe for his own. And whatever happens, happens. Hopefully in his favor.
Yugi inserted the key to Yami's door suite. He got no answer on his phone but he wasn't really expecting one. He needed an excuse to come up to the suite on the off chance that Yami might actually chase him up here because he didn't want to be at the party anymore. The selfish part of Yugi wanted Yami all to himself up here, playing with each other and making love again. Though he did appreciate Yami and the others booking the party, Yugi would've done without. He didn't need a silly party to enjoy his friends' and his boyfriend's company.
He would've called Yami, but that would've been too obvious if he just disappeared and ran back up to his suite. Everyone would've known they were in the room having sex. So Yugi had to be a little more discreet.
Part of him also wondered what the deal with Atemu was. Why did he try to kiss Yugi? He didn't even know Yugi before that day. But yet he made moves on him faster than Yami ever did. The attraction was so magnetic from both sides, drawn to each other like flies to a horse. Yugi wanted to pretend that he didn't feel anything for Atemu at all, but that would be a lie in itself. He found the man attractive, but that didn't mean that he was prepared to sabotage his relationship with Yami over it.
Ugh. Yugi's emotions were all over the place.
Once he got inside the suite, he decided to call Yami, despite previous thoughts against it. Two rings went by before he heard his lover's husky voice again. It sounded even sexier over the phone.
"Yugi where are you?"
"In your room," he replied. "It's all nice and clean now but I'm kinda in the mood to dirty it up again."
"Oh?" Yami immediately felt his pants get tight at Yugi's proposition. He was still in the lobby with Joey, Jaden and Tristan in tow so he couldn't talk too dirty. But he'd hope that Yugi would get the message anyway.
"Yeah," Yugi giggled playfully, leaning on the wall next to the bed. "I'm really lonely up here. Why don't you come and keep me company and—"
. . . Yami didn't hear anything after that, except a loud thwack and then a deafening silence shortly after. Naturally he began to panic.
"Yugi? Yugi? Yugi answer me!" he cried. But there was nothing on the other line. Yami approached the elevators and pressed the number nineteen button repeatedly.
"Hey, what's going on?" asked Joey when he noticed Yami sprint towards the compartment. Tristan and Jaden soon caught up after.
"I was talking to Yugi and the line went dead."
Yami swallowed hard and tried to redial Yugi's number, but he never picked up. He hung up and dialed again and got the same result. The door of the elevator opened and Yami practically fell inside from the weak feeling in his knees. Joey and Jaden grabbed both sides of his shoulder before he hit the ground. Yami sat on the floor clutching the phone, now sweaty inside his palms.
"What do you mean the line went dead? Maybe his connection got bad, bro. Don't overreact," said Jaden, rubbing his shoulder.
"No, no," Yami whimpered. "I heard this loud thud, like Yugi dropping the phone to the floor or something. And then I heard nothing else after that. Something happened."
"Will you chill?" Joey chided. "I'm sure Yugi's fine. You'll see."
Yami's gut feeling was telling him that that wasn't the case. Yugi would never just abruptly end a phone call like that while he was talking. First of all it was rude and secondly, he was talking to Yami of all people. No way he wanted to disconnect such an important call.
Just calm down Yami, Joey's probably right.
As soon as the door opened on the nineteenth floor, Yami erupted from the elevator and sprinted down the corridor to his room. Joey, Jaden and Tristan could barely keep up. When they reached the suite, Yami was already inside frantically searching every room and bathroom for Yugi but there was no sign of him. The three stared in disbelief as Yami tossed and threw everything around, breaking glasses from the dinette sets, flinging clothes from out of the closets, searching all three balconies and even under the bed, but Yugi was nowhere in site. Yami could feel his heartbeat in his ears the longer that Yugi went missing and he sensed the fear eat away at his heart and swallow it whole. He sat on his own bed when his knees rendered him too weak to stand up and tried to dial Yugi's number one more time.
As soon as Yami heard a ringing on his end, there was another ringing inside of the room. Everyone froze.
"Where is that coming from?" Joey demanded. Everyone else heard it too. Yami knew that ringtone from anywhere. Yugi's phone was inside of the suite and he wasn't attached to it. No wonder he wasn't answering.
Tristan finally found the phone under Jaden's bed and the screen read Yami's phone number on the caller ID. This was getting scary now. Yugi was talking on the phone with Yami when something bad happened, only nobody knew what it was but it caused Yugi to leave his phone behind, something that he would never do.
"I knew something was wrong," Yami mewled, pressing the end button on his phone. He looked at his other three comrades and he could tell the panic was starting to sink in, but he tried to remain calm for them. It was hard however.
"Don't beat yourself up Yami. We need to go find Yugi first. He couldn't have gotten too far, right?"
"Right…" but Yami didn't even know if he believed his own words.
They checked the suite that Yugi originally shared with Joey and Tristan when they first arrived but there was no trace of Yugi. And without his phone, Yami had no way of contacting him. This was beginning to get really scary.
After looking for Yugi failed on their floor they went up to Kaiba's suite to see if the two brothers just so happened to see Yugi passing by or hopefully noticed any suspicious activity going on that Kaiba might've picked up on in the past few days. Yami knew that his boss was good at that.
Mokuba answered the door when Joey knocked. Kaiba was sitting on the bed on his laptop as usual. It was as though the guy never stopped working like a damn robot or something. He didn't acknowledge Joey and the others when they entered the room. The only sign of life from the CEO was a perked eyebrow once Joey came into view, but he didn't take his eyes off the screen.
Everyone took refuge on either a couch or chair. Joey, being the flirtatious bastard that he was, sat right next to Kaiba on the bed. The CEO only offered him a side eye and from what Joey understood, a very very slight smirk that he would've missed if he blinked. But just as soon as he saw the smirk, it disappeared and Kaiba maintained his poker face before anyone else noticed. Joey leaned back on the headboard with his hands behind his head, grinning from ear to ear. At least Kaiba hadn't kicked him off the bed. Yet.
Mokuba noticed this weird interaction between his brother and Joey. Something had really come over Kaiba if he wasn't hurling insults at people like he usually was. He didn't even seem all that angry anymore. Joey must have really put a hurtin on him if he of all people wasn't in his usual glum moods, but Mokuba was happy about it.
Yami sat on the far end of the suite, somewhat away from everyone to gather his thoughts and collect his fleeting emotions so that he didn't have a nervous breakdown in front of everyone. He especially didn't want Jaden to see him so broken. All he could think about was Yugi and where he was and if he were safe or not. That was Yami's biggest concern. If something had happened to Yugi again, he wouldn't know what to do. And he really didn't want a repeat of what happened in Domino City.
Speaking of which, Yami was beginning to wonder if they would ever return there again. They couldn't stay in Egypt and run away from their problems forever.
"Have you guys seen Yugi? He disappeared," Tristan finally said to break up the awkward silence. Everyone looked as though they were swimming in their own thoughts, absent minded to the world.
"No, wasn't he with you guys at the party?" said Mokuba.
"He was, but he was gonna come up here for Ra knows what reason, and he just vanished. It sounds really suspicious if you ask me."
Kaiba snorted. Joey glanced over at him, but didn't say anything.
"You haven't seen anything suspicious Mokuba? You didn't walk out of your suite and notice any type of funny looking activity anywhere? Such as Yugi going somewhere he had no business going? Or maybe he was with someone else?"
Yami's blood ran cold when he heard Tristan's words. No way he would've been kidnapped so fast. He was just here.
"Seto and I have been in our room the whole time Tristan. I'm sorry," the younger Kaiba said apologetically.
Joey, Tristan and Jaden all sighed in unison in a dejected tone. Yami groaned lightly and covered his eyes with a forearm as he lay on his back on the plus red wine loveseat. So nobody has seen Yugi within the last twenty minutes. Yami blamed himself for getting caught up in that fight with Atemu. Maybe if he weren't, Yugi wouldn't have gotten lost or in trouble. He would never forgive himself if something happened to his little one because of his negligence.
"What happened at the party? Did Yugi just up and leave or what?" Mokuba asked.
Yami sighed, and everyone turned their attention towards him. "He said that he wanted to make a phone call and that it would only take him two minutes. I should've just stayed with him, but I trusted Yugi not to wander off. I should've known better but I didn't think he was in any danger. Aside from being molested by that damn peeping Tom, everything was alright."
"You mean Atemu?"
"Who cares what his name was?" Yami sneered. "That's the last thing I'm worried about. We need to find Yugi."
"Well sitting around here isn't going to help," Joey mumbled. He stole a glance at Kaiba again. Even though his side of the room was dark, in the far distance a light was on, probably in the bathroom, and Joey could still see how handsome Kaiba was, even more so now that he wasn't scowling or frowning all the time. The guy actually looked content.
"I don't even know where to begin," Yami repented. He brushed his hair back with both hands and rubbed his temples as he felt a stress headache on the horizon. He sensed his sanity slowly slipping away with each passing second. He couldn't stand being away from Yugi for so long, it was eating away at him like a cancer. He couldn't think logically or sit still to save his life. Yami didn't realize how emotionally attached he was to the little one up until this moment.
Jaden noticed his brother's fidgety behavior and kneeled in front of him. "Bro, please, you gotta calm down," he pleaded. "You're gonna drive yourself crazy if you keep freaking out over it."
"I'm fine," Yami said sternly. He really didn't want to express what he was really feeling because it was too heavy to talk about. But he needed Yugi so bad, he felt his muscles begin to convulse.
Mokuba sat next to Yami and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Jaden's right, don't freak out. We'll help you find him."
Yami inhaled deeply and let the breath out slowly. "Thanks guys," he muttered, offering a weak smile.
There was a stunned silence afterwards as no one really knew what else to say to make the situation better. Mokuba and Jaden continued to comfort Yami, Tristan sat on the arm of a chair contemplating and Joey and Kaiba were sitting on the same bed. Kaiba was doing Ra knows what on his laptop and Joey was just watching contently.
"So where do we start?" Tristan muttered. "This place is huge and Yugi could be anywhere."
"We could go back to the scene of the crime. That always helps," Mokuba suggested.
"Well we're wasting time here and Yugi could be long gone by now, so let's go," said Joey, climbing out of the bed waving his hand forward ushering everyone else to stand.
Just as they were about to leave, Kaiba cleared his throat. "Quick question, dweebs. Has anyone seen Mai lately?"
Everyone stared back at him in unison. That was probably the most off handed question anyone has asked all night.
"I saw her once," Yami answered. "The whole entire time we've been here. That was it."
"The last time I did was when we first arrived here to check in a week ago. That's pretty much it," said Joey.
Tristan, Jaden and Mokuba pretty much said the same thing. None of them had seen Mai at all since they've been here.
"Hmmm," Kaiba uttered a low hum before returning back to his laptop. "Interesting."
"What the hell is so interesting about that?" Joey demanded. But Kaiba offered him no type of explanation for the obscure statement that he just left up in the air.
He obviously didn't get it.
Yami however spiked an eyebrow when he realized just what Kaiba was insinuating. "You don't think…."
"Think what?" Mokuba asked.
No one answered him. Yami was too busy collecting theories in his head about what could've possibly happened. Joey, Jaden, Mokuba and Tristan were all confused as hell, trading puzzled glances between each other. Kaiba sat there staring at all of them with narrowed cobalt eyes, darting his glimpses from one to the other.
They couldn't possibly be that stupid could they?
"What does it matter where she was? We need to find Yugi," Joey protested breaking the silence, and he opened the door and left but not before grabbing Yami's wrist and dragging him out with him. The rest followed suit except for Kaiba of course who stayed his ass right on the bed. Mokuba looked back at his brother before arching an eyebrow.
"You're not coming bro?"
"No, and I didn't give you permission to leave either," Kaiba said wagging his index finger up and down. "Get back in here."
"But Yugi—"
"—will be fine, just relax," Kaiba said when Mokuba sat down next to him. "They're all pains in the ass, but once they put their minds together at something, a lot can get accomplished."
"Wow Seto," Mokuba beamed. "What's gotten into you? You've never said a nice thing about Yugi and his friends ever before. It's Joey isn't it?"
Kaiba shot his brother a hard glare before Mokuba burst out laughing. "It has nothing to do with that—that punk. Your brother's capable of being nice, you know."
"Not this nice," Mokuba refuted, giggling again once his brother rolled his eyes and returned back to his laptop. He'd hope that Kaiba was right though. Especially after what happened in Domino City, Mokuba would hate to be forced to flee to another country again.
Down in the lobby, Yami and the others power walked through the front entrance and out into the streets of Alexandria. It was damn near pitch dark, and the only illuminating lights came from either the headlights of passing cars or traffic lights. There were hardly any street lights, at least any that were close to each other and Yami felt the uncomfortable heat make its way to his body. Joey, Tristan, and Jaden passed Yami anxious looks, waiting for his next command.
"What are you guys looking at me for?" he asked warily.
"Waiting on your cue captain," said Joey with a smirk.
"Who put me in charge? This is a group effort here."
Jaden rolled his eyes. "But you're the smartest out of all four of us—hey!" he cried out when Tristan jabbed him in the side with his elbow.
"Listen, we're all concerned about Yugi, alright? Like Yami said, this is a group effort," said Tristan with a stern glare to Jaden who then snorted at his friend's glare.
Everyone just kind of stood around staring off in the distance, but none more than Yami. Even through looking down every hallway of each floor, tiring as it was, they still couldn't find Yugi. He wasn't in the lobby or the spa or any of the restaurants. Nor was he back at the beach like Yami would've hoped as maybe Yugi went back down there to join the party, but all the found were drunken half naked girls rummaging the place. But Yami wasn't giving up. He didn't count on Yugi running away unless someone was forcing him. That was the scary part. He didn't know what he would do then.
"Hey! You!"
Everyone spun around to the direction of the unknown voice behind them—at least it was unknown until they laid eyes on Atemu, Marik, Mahad and Seth. Yami's teeth clench when he locked eyes with the movie star and felt his entire body tense up getting ready for another confrontation.
What did this clown want with him now?
"Well, well, well if it isn't Mr. Show-Up-When-He's-Not-Invited," Yami jeered. "What's your plan now huh? To ruin my fucking night some more?"
"Settle down, we just came to help you find Yugi," Marik replied before his cousin did. "Is that alright with you guys?"
"Hell no it isn't. Who asked for your damn help?" said Yami with a defiant smirk, wrapping both arms around Joey and Jaden. "We got it covered."
"Yeah, I can tell you guys are making progress," Atemu drawled sarcastically. "So where is Yugi now?"
"I know where my foot will be if you don't shut—"
"Guys, guys please, not this again." Joey groaned, face palming. "The time we sit here arguing could be the time we can use to look for Yugi. I don't care who helps and who doesn't. This is some serious shit and I'm not gonna waste time trying to break you two children up all night."
Yami crossed his arms and snorted. "Whatever. I'm calling a cab, whoever's joining me can join. If not, then see you the fuck later."
"That won't be necessary," Seth interrupted. "Atemu has already called his limo and it should be arriving here shortly. We can all ride inside when it gets here."
"A limo?" Yami droned rolling his eyes. "What, is Mr. Big Shot too good to sit inside of a regular car?"
"Will you put a sock in it already?" Jaden screamed at his brother, making Yami and everyone else jump up in surprise. "Quit acting like you're in high school bro. Yugi needs us. Please, come up, cease this fighting. They were nice enough to help us, now let them help! Stop being so stubborn."
After Jaden's tirade, everyone looked at Yami one by one, first starting with Seth, and ending with Atemu. Yami glared back with a fiery blaze, waiting for someone to say something else, or perhaps make a sudden move so that he could have an excuse to kick their ass.
"Listen, I know you're upset about losing Yugi but you can't take it out on us Yami. It's not right. We're your friends. We love Yugi too. Not just you. Just try to keep a level head until we find him. Relax okay?" Joey pleaded, trying to reason with the man. He put his arm around him for support.
Yami didn't reply at first. He was too angry, annoyed, frustrated, crushed, confused and scared all in one and it left him with not much to say about anything. He felt as though no one understood his sentiment. Sure they cared about Yugi but their relationship was on another level. They could never uncover how much he truly loved him. Yugi was his light, his angel, his reason for feeling so alive again. When they were together it was them against the world. Yugi brought a shimmer of happiness into Yami's dull and monotone existence. Sure, they had gotten close pretty damn quick, but Yami felt like it was fate. It would've happened regardless.
Everyone had their eyes peeled on him, waiting for a response. Joey especially did with his damned grinning and Yami made a face at him and sighed. "Fine," he muttered, bringing slight grins and smiles to everyone else when he conceded.
"Now we're cookin with gas," Atemu exclaimed, rubbing his hands together. "First things first. Does Yugi have a cell phone?"
"Yeah," Yami drawled. "It's right here." He pulled out the device from his pocket and Atemu looked at his quizzically.
"Umm, so why do you have it?" he asked.
Yami narrowed his eyes. "He dropped it in the hotel room."
"Dropped it?"
"Yes."
"Why would he drop it?" Atemu queried.
"I. don't. know," Yami droned. "Obviously something happened."
"Do you mind if I take a look at the phone?"
"Actually I do."
"Yami, stop it," Jaden chided, poking him with his elbow.
"It's not what you think, Romeo," Atemu confuted. "Just hand it to me." When Yami glared at him, he emitted a deep sigh. "Please."
Yami rolled his eyes and handed the phone to Atemu, harshly dropping it into his hands. The movie star winced and searched through Yugi's call log, pictures, or anywhere else trying to find clues. In the entertainment world, he always learned that sometimes the most obvious clue wasn't always in your face, and the answer would have to be searched a little more thoroughly.
"Ah," he beamed when he turned the phone around to the back. "Yami and gentlemen I found a clue. Recognize this lipstick?"
"Lipstick?" Yami repeated, snatching the phone from Atemu. It was barely there but Yami took note of a faint red smudge on the top right hand corner of the phone. How could he have missed it? It looked as though half of someone's lips had made their way to Yugi's phone—or maybe to Yugi himself and he was using the phone to block any unwanted kisses. "Who the hell?—"
"Lipstick huh? That means some kissing took place yes?" Seth said.
"I don't know, but Yugi wasn't involved. I'm not even gonna wrap my head around that," Yami replied.
"Or maybe you don't want to. Listen man, we gotta call a spade a spade here. How do you know Yugi was even kidnapped?" Mahad chipped in.
"Or maybe he ran off to meet someone else here if that's the case," Marik added.
"Don't be stupid!" Yami yelled, feeling his face grow hot. "Yugi would never…"
"Okay, okay man, don't blow a gasket. I was just saying…" Marik trailed off. "Maybe I shouldn't say anything anymore then."
"I agree. You shouldn't if you're gonna come up with asinine ideas such as the one you just came up with," grumbled Yami.
"It's a pretty damn plausible argument if you ask me," said Marik raising his voice a little. "It's his birthday, maybe he wanted to live it up a little. It's the twenty first century. Shit like that is bound to happen."
"Fuck off with your stupid ass theories." Yami couldn't take hearing such bullshit anymore. "Yugi wouldn't do something so dumb."
"Or maybe you don't know Yugi as well as you think!"
Before Yami could speak any further, Mahad interrupted. "He does have a point. Who's to say that Yugi just didn't run off with someone that he met here?"
"Because he was with me for an entire week before this stupid party—"
"—your stupid party," Atemu interjected.
"Took place," Yami growled with clenched teeth. "Which means!" he clamored trying to speak over Atemu. "That there was no fucking way that he met up with someone else if he was in my suite with me the entire week. So therefore, you sir are a fucking idiot."
"And you're an emotionally disturbed twat who needs to get his head out of his ass long enough to realize that we're trying to fucking help you," Marik growled, feeling his temperature rise. "But if you're gonna be a cunt, then fuck it. I'll go back inside with Bakura."
"Good! Then go! And take your artificial highlights with you. Like I said I never asked for your help. I don't need anyone's fucking help, I'll find Yugi on my own."
Joey looked at Yami incredulously. "But dude—"
"But nothing, Joey. You guys go back inside. I'm done with this shit."
And with that, Yami stormed off down the dark streets of Alexandria, leaving everyone, especially Atemu, with stupid looks on their faces. Yami had completely lost all reserve, all couth within him, the more he thought about Yugi being away from him. His heart was skipping beats and his stomach was doing cartwheels inside his core. His face felt hot and his eyes stung, and it didn't take Yami very long to realize that he had been crying. He let the tears cascade down his face and his throat tightened with the invisible rope around his neck, the more he thought about it. He felt confused and alone, like a ship without a rudder. His emotions surged through him like the swelling of the Mediterranean Sea and no matter how many times Yami wiped the tears away, more came falling down with no relief in sight. He felt like he was losing his mind with each passing second. Yami needed Yugi. He needed him so bad and if he couldn't get him back, he felt as though he wouldn't be able to survive this world without him.
It seemed like every time that things were good between them, something would come along and interrupt their otherwise peaceful relationship. Jealousy reared its ugly head and refused to let Yugi and Yami be happy together. It happened back at the Kaiba mansion during that party when Yami caught Yugi in that room with Rebecca—
Yami stopped in his tracks. Wait a fucking minute. Was it likely that maybe . . . ?
He didn't have time to think about the possibility when red, white and blue flashing lights infected the area, drowning the soundless streets with deafening sirens and screeching tires. Yami jerked against the brick wall of an office building with both hands up on either side of his head when the plethora of identical uniforms exited the stationary vehicles, guns cocked and loaded in his direction. It was an intimidating, impregnable wall of police officers all standing at attention, making Yami incapable of a possible escape route if the notion passed his mind. His breath hitched, followed by the remote beads of sweat that descended his forehead and cheek as he swallowed sandpaper down his throat, his voice getting lost in the abyss of his gullet.
"Alexandria Police Department! You are under arrest!"
Yami's eyes dilated at the revelation. "What?!—"
Before he had a chance to react, he was overthrown by a sea of bodies tackling him to the ground, reaching for his arms and roughly pulling them behind his back. Yami cried out and screamed for mercy, his mind forming a million questions a minute when he felt the cold, unrelenting snap of metal handcuffs being fastened behind his back. He could no longer maneuver his arms, so he had to be hoisted up on his legs by the officer's ministrations. Yami could barely stand let alone walk, but he was forced onto the streets, with the entire world seemingly coming to a stop to watch him being escorted into the police car. Joey, Tristan, Jaden, Atemu, Marik, Mahad and Seth scurried to the scene and were ignominiously shoved away from the melee for their efforts, being threatened with arrest and charges of obstruction of justice themselves if they didn't vacate the vicinity. Yami was ushered into the backseat of the car, hearing the cries, pleads and screams of his friends in the background, but it all became a blur, a fog of unclear reverberations as he leaned his head against the window in a defeated fashion and closed his misty eyes, begging for this to all be a dream.
But once he heard the voices of his friends decreasing in volume as the squad car left the scene, Yami knew it wasn't.