Atems pov
Yugi followed me after our shower to enjoy breakfast with me and I have to say I am pleasantly surprised. He's normally falling asleep after we make love and he stubbornly didn't sleep at all last night, insisting he was much too awake to try and on top of that he insisted he wanted to be awake so he could keep an eye on my fever… its sweet but I'd have felt better if he slept. In any case he seems quite awake at the moment but I expect he'll need to rest later so for now I'm going to enjoy his company. By now everyone else must be awake too. It'll be good to convene together. Afterall now that Marik has his soul back and Bakura is adequately pissed off Yugi's plan was a resounding success. Our next move is yet to be decided and we don't know how long we'll be comfortable here for. I haven't seen the state of the house yet but if the account the boys and Grandpa gave is true then there's not much to return to. There'd be a lot of work to do when we do return home and I dont think we're done with Bakura yet.
"Hear that?" Yugi asks me. We stop and listen and then I hear it. Talking from the dining area but I think that voice is …
"Marik!" We say together excitedly and race one another to everyone happily gathered together without us. Not that I'm too surprised but I am pleased to see Marik awake and somewhat lively. Ishizu sits beside him and Kaiba's maids are setting out a feast for us all. Kaiba isn't here which isn't surprising at all and nor is Mokuba but everyone else is here happily.
They seem to be chatting about non serious topics and the smile Marik wears is warm yet its clear to see he's still tired.
He sees us and everyone joyfully welcomes us over. Yugi and I share an excited laugh and race on over to greet them.
"Hey where have you guys been?" Joey asks us. My cheeks tingle with the heat that flares up and I notice Yugi scratching the back of his head nervously.
"Uhhh n-no where. But more importantly Marik, you're awake! Good morning!" Yugi says, quick to deflect. To my relief they buy it happily but I do notice the smug, know it all expression Ryou is giving us. A grin from ear to ear as he rests his chin on his hands knowingly. Why is it he always knows? I guess its unavoidable. I mean Yugi and I were missing during this reunion and the bathroom had been occupied for a while. It doesn't take much to put 2 and 2 together especially if Yugi and I are the 2.
"Good Morning Yugi… my Pharaoh. Forgive me, I'm still waking up." He says sheepishly.
"My brother woke up about 20 minutes ago." Ishizu says fondly.
"We looked for you but couldn't find either of you." Ryou says, cocking his brows flirtatiously.
"Eh it doesn't matter. Ya here now and now we can catch up. We were just catching Marik up on things since we saw him in Battle City." Tristan says happily.
Battle City… that was a long time ago now. Much has happened since then… notably me.
"Yes it seems a lot has happened. I remember of course being told the Pharaoh had his own body but to see him in the flesh. It is truly an honour to be in your presence." He says kindly, bowing to me in his seat. I should be used to this by now but its just really not the time for such formalities.
"Please it is unnecessary to be so formal. I am no more Pharaoh than anyone else here." I say sincerely. I hope he might treat me more casually than his siblings.
"True but there are some honours that cannot be forgotten. I once set out on a path to hurt you and your friends, and it seems my disappearance has caused you further stress. I am sorry for my part in recent events." He says so formally. It is clear to me I may not get further than this.
"There is no need to apologise. You did not cause any of this." I say politely.
"Atems right. You were taken against your will by someone who's wanted to see us hurt for a long time. The question is though, why? If he wanted someone's soul to take he went to a lot of effort." Yugi says thoughtfully. He's right. There are still many mysteries to uncover but surely this topic can wait until after we have all eaten. Marik, you must be tired still." I say. Eagerly Yugi takes up a seat as everyone else does as well. I'll admit I am very hungry. I didn't eat much last night and this mornings exercise has me famished.
"Alright! Let's eat!" Joey says loudly.
As finished up Marik seemed to have a lot more energy to him. He's actively taking part in a lot of everyone's conversations as they express what's been happening since Battle City. I'm impressed to learn Marik has been operating his own garage. At first they were hesitant to tell us but Marik explained that they were not sure how I would react given they were no longer guarding my tomb now that I had returned. Of course I don't mind. I'm perfectly aware that my tomb has more or less been raided by modern society to put on showcase for history exhibits and the most important thing in my tomb hangs around Yugi's neck. I'm not worried they're no longer guarding it, after all it was never part of my wishes to have a family sacrifice their freedom to protect it - that was Seto's doing… my friend.
"You okay?" Yugi asks me quietly as everyone else is chatting. He gives me a firm little squeeze on my arm which feels so comforting. Giving him a reassuring smile I squeeze his hand back.
"Yes, just reminiscing." I say and he smiles brightly.
"So that is the spirit of the Ring? The very same I … shamefully worked with… back in Battle City?"
That's pricked my ears. It seems they're talking about Bakura.
"Yes. He was born into his own body the same way our Pharaoh was here. Which means just like Atem he is no longer in the Ring." Ryou sighs tiredly.
"Why the long face?" Marik asks curiously, giving him a sympathetic smile.
"Its nothing to worry about. Its just all the trouble he's been giving us since then has been rather rampant. He's never been this difficult to manage before."
"Yeah but just like yesterday… or I guess the day before… we'll kick his ass. Now that we have Marik up and about and he's down two Items he's not as strong as he'd like to be." Yugi says brightly. I adore his enthusiasm but we can't get ahead of ourselves.
"Yes you are not wrong but we must remain vigilant. Afterall our last strike dealt a massive blow to him. Despite the anger that may influence his next move we cannot forget how cunning he is. He will seek to strike at the heart next with no room for mistake." I say, letting my voice carry the seriousness of the situation.
"What do you mean he'll strike at the heart?" He asks me. He looks at me with those big beautiful eyes of his and its now I realise everyone else looks just as concerned. Hmmm, perhaps I was a little dire there.
"I just mean he's not likely to make it easy. What is it you said to me on the roof? Don't underestimate your opponent?"
"Yeah…" He says, his voice thick with concern. I'm afraid I might have killed his buzz.
"Eh we got nothin to worry about." Joey says lazily, leaning back and rocking on his chair dangerously.
"Why is that Joey?" Marik asks him.
"Didn't we tell ya? It was Yug's planning that got us you, your soul and the two Items we nabbed right from under Bakura's nose. So long as we got him doin the strategisin we got nothin to worry about!"
Yugi laughs nervously and it's so cute how bashful he is.
"Oh wow, thank you Yugi. I knew whatever happened must have been remarkable but I didn't know it was your idea. Thank you." Marik says with sincere gratitude that makes my dear blush.
"It...wasn't that much." He says bashfully. I love how modest he can be. He truly did a remarkable job and still he's keeping his integrity intact. But if ever there was a time to be proud of himself now is that time.
"Yugi, you are allowed to take pride in your work. Joey is right. It was your perfect planning and your heart that earned us that victory." I say to him gently. He blinks wide at me and then nervously looks at his hands on his lap. He's blushing wildly but something tells me he's not ready to celebrate yet.
"Yeah I agree, to an extent. We all had our parts to play though and every one of us performed perfectly. It wasn't me alone that dealt that blow. We couldn't have won without each and every one of you. This victory isn't mine, its ours." He says shyly. Humble to the end. He is truly remarkable.
"Teheee yeah we were pretty amazing. I mean with all the decoying and then stealing his men right from under him." Joey brags loudly.
"Yeah we earned these bruises! They fell for it, hook line and sinker!" Tristan laughs heartily.
"Don't forget Kaiba's help too providing those watches for all of you and arranging for his inside man to release Yugi at the gate." Tea says happily.
"Yeah without him I'd have been taken straight to Bakura. I didn't even really know who would be freeing me until the last second but the moment that flashbang went off and he shoved the Millennium Piece into my hand I knew Kaiba had come through for us." Yugi says happily.
"Say how did you escape anyway?" Tristan asks.
"Uhhh, mind if I ask what exactly this plan is that you're talking about? I'm afraid I'm a little behind on what's been going on." Marik cuts in politely.
"Oh of course. So where do we start?" Yugi asks us all but Joey wastes no time getting straight into it with great enthusiasm. He smugly rocks back again, resting his feet on the table and hold his hands behind his head.
"So it all begins with phase 1! See Bakura had you snugly in his grasp but the mansion he was keeping you at was very well guarded. They had guns and everything. So we couldn't just waltz on in and challenge em to duels like we normally do. So we needed another way in. But we couldn't just sneak in and nab ya, cause he had your soul too."
"I think he's aware of that much, doofus." Tristan snickers and we laugh with him. Angrily though Joey tries to smack him, only to tip his chair over. He catches himself but it was a close call and makes us laugh more.
"So you see we needed a way to retrieve your soul too. So Yugi came up with the idea of using decoys to distract Bakura in order for us to get in and find you. But it didn't stop at one decoy." Ryou says proudly.
"Nah, this brave little idiot laid himself out as a trap. Joey, Yugi and myself returned to the gameshop and waited for Bakura's men to come by and kidnap him again. We knew they would considering they kidnapped him a few days ago but, well, that failed." Tristan continues.
"Thats another story though." Yugi cuts in quickly.
"Yeah so anyway. The three of us waited for them to strike. And they did. They broke in, pinned Tristan and I down and took Yugi right from under us. But they didn't know we planned this. So while they took Yugi right to their boss we returned here to prepare for the next phase." Joey says smugly.
"Yes and if I recall Yugi said something about you having a gun to your head and Tristan headlocked against the counter." I say in a matter of fact tone. I'm still annoyed they skipped on those details.
"What?!" Tea shrieks.
"Gahh, Yug you saw that?!" Joey whines loudly.
"I did and I had no idea for the next several hours if either of you were okay after that. I couldn't feel relieved at all until phase 4 when Atem and Ryou showed up and told me you were fine." He admits, his voice carrying how much concern he had for them well.
"Ahh, sorry Yug." They say together guiltily.
"Guys why didn't you say anything?" Tea asks them.
"We had the next 4 hours to wait worrying about Yug. We didn't want to make it worse by letting you know how serious these guys were. Thats also why we only took Gramps to the house afterwards and not the rest of ya." Joey says, his tone now serious.
"You took gramps to the shop?" Yugi asks.
"They did. After you slipped Joey the keys to the shop and returned them to me I knew you wanted me to return there and pick something up, so I followed your crumbs right to what you were worried about protecting." Grandpa says finally. I must admit this is news to me. I spent the 4 hours anxiously waiting here for news of the second phase starting. While Joey and Tristan took grandpa to the shop I quickly forgot they had. I'll admit when they returned I didn't think to ask what they found. Could it be Yugi had something else planned I missed? Was there something else he considered I failed to miss?
"So you got it?" Yugi asks, suddenly excited. He must have… but what could it be?
"I did. And I'm glad you found the album too. It is a shame the amount of repairs we will need to undertake but I am glad our most valuable possessions were not taken or damaged." Grandpa says pleasantly with that soft, sweet smile Yugi's adopted.
"May I ask what you were concerned about?" I ask them both. Yugi seems surprised but quickly gives me a bright, proud smile.
"Your royal attire. Gramps asked me to find our family album too and I checked what was in the safe as well but what I was concerned about is your outfit."
… my heart… he struck right at my heart. He… was worried about that? But… it is just linen and gold. Sure it would be worth something now but not worth risking anything else over. I'll likely never wear it again unless he asks me too … but still he thought to check on it and leave a clue for his grandfather to collect it and protect it from further harm…
Yugi… I feel so moved.
"Thank you, Yugi. Truly." I say warmly. It is no where near the gratitude I feel but I'll express how much that means to me later. His thoughtfulness is one of the greatest things I love about him. His kindness knows no bounds and it is truly remarkable.
"Naww, you're welcome. Its nothing really." He says shyly as he scratches his head. God this little dork adorable. So humble.
"Its not all I brought back. You left in such a hurry you left your duel disk and deck upstairs too. Thankfully they didn't touch those either." Grandpa continues. That I'm relieved for. Who knows if we're going to need our decks to fight our battles but if they're safe then we won't have any problems.
"Ah thanks Grandpa! You're the best!" Yugi cheers joyfully.
"Yeah… so anyway, that out of the way we came to Phase 2. This is a 2 parter." Joey says, eager to get us back on track.
"2 parter?" Marik asks curiously.
"Right. When Yugi was about to arrive that would be mine, Ishizu's and Odions time to act. Shortly before his arrival the three of us used the Key to infiltrate the mansion. We located you and and then by the time we had you secured with us Yugi would arrive. His arrival would distract Bakura from the diversion I was about to cause." I begin. He looks very interested and hangs on every word. I feel like Yugi should explain this given it is his plan but I suppose he will explain his role in this after. He has no intention of interrupting me.
"Sister, and you two Odion?" Marik asks them.
"Yes. How could we not aid the Pharaoh in your retrieval? We were not going to remain back and wait." Ishizu says kindly.
"While Bakura was momentarily distracted by Yugi's arrival, I then needed to pull his focus so Yugi could escape and find somewhere safe. I had Odion help me with this by pouring a potent Egyptian recipe for oil onto the lawn. Its an oil that is water resistant to an extent and we used to use this to cleanse water had it been infested. We also used this in war but this purpose was good too."
"So it was Odion that chose to write your name?" Yugi asks me cheekily and I have to chuckle. I wish I could have seen it myself but I'm glad Yugi got amusement from it.
"No that was me. I wanted to irritate him more so I'll admit I let a little of my rebellious side take the credit for that."
We all laugh, enjoying this moment for its purity. The look on Bakura's face as he read my name in the lawn must have been priceless.
"Anyway. While he was not thrown off guard and well and truly had forgotten Yugi, this would have given time for him to escape." I finish and look upon Yugi to fill us in on his side.
"It gave me time to escape. When we arrived I was still bagged and tied. I couldn't see or really move. But I know we had stopped and were waiting for me to be transferred to someone in charge. I heard them call Bakura, then they became nervous and faintly I heard a commotion. I was taken off the van and was standing somewhere. All I could see through the bag was darkness so I had no idea where I was but the ground felt like concrete. Then all of a sudden, as I was walked over to someone they grabbed my arm quickly and the next moment I know there's this really loud ringing in my ears. It was so bright I couldn't tell if I had my eyes closed or not. I couldn't hear anything but I was being pushed around. I felt my bonds being cut and my wrists were free, then the bag was removed and someone I couldn't really see through my temporary blindness shoved something in my hands and guided me inside. I could hear things slowly and I heard him tell me to run. So I did. I ran. I didn't know where. This was the first time I'd seen the manor or its property and I could still barely make out one thing from another. But I somehow found a tree and some bushes and just waited for it to pass. It took a while but when it did I made sure I was safe. All I had to do then was wait for Phase 3." He explains. I'm glad it was seamless. I didn't realise he was almost struggling though. Thank the gods it worked out alright. If he had been caught it would have been all over for us.
"Whats Phase 3?" Marik asks.
"We had you secured safely here. Atem used the Key on your mind to determine how it was you came to be without a soul. We learned that your soul was removed by the Millennium Eye, which meant somewhere Bakura had you soul in an object. All we needed to do was infiltrate again and find it." Ishizu said wisely.
"Phase 3 began when the Pharaoh led Ishizu, myself, Tristan and Joey back to manor. We did not know where Yugi was just that he was around. But our task was to alleviate Bakura of his forces outside so we split into teams." Odion explains.
"Yeah. But Kaiba provided us with a strong nerve thing and it put Bakura's boys to sleep for a few hours. Rather than leave em around though, Atem and Ryou came up with the idea of transporting them back here via the Key so the Police could arrest them. They might not have been committing a crime but they were all part of the Japanese Mafia and wanted for something or another so I guess we were doing the city a favor too." Tristan explains with pride.
"That was smart." Yugi praises us, throwing me an admiring smile.
"After we cleared the grounds, it was my idea to head inside and try to locate your soul while clearing as many guards as we can. This is where the plan deviates from the path though and became very dangerous. We were supposed to gain Bakura's attention outside and then contact Yugi via our watches but instead I'm afraid I became confident and lead us into danger." I say. I'm not proud of this but it is true and I have learned my lesson.
"Eh don't worry about it man. We got out fine." Joey waves me off.
"Hey, you got off easier by him than you did with Yugi." Ryou laughs but I'm not amused. I remember too well Yugi's verbal thrashing and I was hoping that might not be brought up to remind him he was angry with me. For the remainder of that night he was attacking me every chance he could.
"Yeah well, you guys are just lucky he took the blow for you all." Yugi said in a mock annoyed tone. I wonder if I'm safe enough to joke around with him.
"I think I deserve a thank you." I said boredly.
"I think you deserve a smack." He retorts in the same matter of fact tone I used. The others laugh but I sense I'm still in danger.
"Although, in Atem's defence, if they hadn't gone inside we wouldn't have found Marik's soul as easy as we did." Ryou says.
"Thank you, Ryou." I say smugly, throwing Yugi a little smirk he rolls his eyes at.
"Granted, but if they had all gotten shot and killed which is exactly what it sounded like …" Yugi began, trailing off to let us think about that outcome. Hmm… it seems I'm still in trouble then. I'd hoped because it hadn't been brought up again since our return and our fun this morning he might have moved passed it. I guess I was wrong. I dont want to think about this though so let's quickly get back on topic.
"Anyway, we went inside. We shouldn't have but we did. As Ryou said we found your soul but at the time we didn't know it was your soul. Bakura found us and that was when Yugi saved us by completing the Puzzle, forcing Bakura to switch his attention to the Puzzle and its whereabouts. While he was distracted I got us out with the Key and quickly found Yugi on the roof." I say quickly and Yugi is swift to continue for me.
"From there, it was Atem, Ryou and I who infiltrated the mansion from the roof. We made our way downstairs, found the box your soul was in and Bakura ended up finding us. Obviously we got out and now its now. More or less."
"Why do I feel like you sped up that last part?" Marik asks him with a sly little smirk.
"Because he did. He neglected to mention how cool it was when he used the Puzzle to protect us, and how he used the same magic to knock Bakura flat on his butt and steal both Rod and Necklace out from under him." Ryou says with the same amount of pride I felt for him. Yugi's blushing but we're all beaming.
"It seems Yugi's mastery of the Puzzle is coming along quickly." Ishizu chimes in happily.
"I mean… I'm still not sure how it happened… but I guess I at least remember what happened this time. More or less." He says bashfully, shyly tickling his rosy red cheek.
"I see. Well that certainly is quite the ordeal you all went through… and it sounded like your main goal wasn't even to attack Bakura or take back the Items he stole but rather to get me back… so… truly. With all my heart, thank you! There were any number of ways that something could have gone wrong, seriously injuring or even ending with one or more of your lives. Thank you so much, I am eternally grateful." Marik says kindly, standing to bow low to each and every one of us.
Everyone is bashful… including myself. We only did what was right after all. We could not allow Bakura to do as he pleases any longer, especially if it meant he was playing with our friends and their minds.
"As are we. Thank you so much for putting so much on the line for our brother. I knew I was right to turn to you for help." Ishizu says, following her brothers lead in a deep bow. Odion follows without a word.
"Oh you don't have to thank us. I mean it was my fault in the first place that the Rod and Necklace were stolen. If they hadn't been, perhaps Bakura wouldn't have been strong enough to kidnap you in the first place." Yugi says all embarrassed.
"Speaking of… do you have any idea why Bakura kidnapped you in the first place?" Tristan asks Marik.
"Oh." Marik seems surprised to be asked this but he sits back down ready to explain. "I'm unsure how much my sister has told you but Bakura appeared one night at my garage. I was alone at the time and I thought Odion had come back when I saw him. He appeared sickly and weak. I didn't recognise him but I knew he needed help. He was leaning heavily on the door frame. He looked as if he had been fighting. When I asked him if he was alright and if he needed help he attacked me. He brought out the Rod and was asking me why it would listen to him. He sounded like a mad man, raving about his people and his legacy. I was afraid and I tried to get him off but despite his unwell appearance he was very strong. He told me I would help him answer his questions but not there. Thats when he took us through a portal. We came out in some cellar. It wasn't made with the stone I'm familiar with in Egypt. I'm not sure where we were but all of a sudden these men grabbed me and kept me still. He didn't ask me questions traditionally. He used the Rod to probe my mind. He sought answers to the Items allegiance and my knowledge on them. I really only know how to wield the Rod but that was as good as any place to start for him. He didn't appear satisfied with his answer and told me he had learned all I know but that didn't mean my use had run out. The next thing I know I'm waking up here." He explains efficiently. I am curious about many things but it seems Bakura didn't leave any clues with Marik before his soul was removed.
"So what answers was he seeking?" I ask.
"It seemed to me the Items he had were not responding to him. The Ring of course he had no problems with but the Rod, necklace and scales in particular were not lending him their power. He couldn't predict the future. He couldn't mind control and he couldn't siphon the scales power to enhance his own. He wanted to know why. The answers he received though was what I know. The Millennium Items choose their masters. They're powerful artefacts and attune themselves to people of destiny or purity. The necklace has only ever attuned itself to those who are pure of heart, as have the scales. The Rod obeyed me when I was … not quite myself… because I was born to it. I was destined to protect it despite how dark my heart was. It would not however obey Bakura because he was never meant to wield it. To pretend otherwise is an insult. He objected of course. I don't quite understand why but he feels that they should all be his. He believes they're his birthright. That his people died for this. I'm aware that Bakura is the ancient spirit of the Millennium Ring but I was never privy to his past even when we were allied. But regardless, he wasn't happy and that was that." He finished explaining and it makes some sense now. I am still confused a little but these questions won't receive answers here I dont think. Only Bakura can answer those questions.
"Bakura is a 5000 year old spirit from Egypt. He's Atems ancient enemy from long ago. In his time his village was used to create the Millennium Items and he was the only survivor. He swore vengeance on the Pharaoh and his vendetta has carried on until this very day. Atem was never at fault for what happened, but rather it was his father that made the call, but Bakura doesn't really care about that. He wants Atem to suffer just as his people did and the same goes for everyone Atem loves. He's decided on stealing all of the Millennium Items to unleash an ultimate darkness on this world but so far has been unsuccessful in obtaining them all." Ryou explains clearly.
"Yeah and we just took him down 2 Items." Joey snickers.
"I see. So Bakura is the ancient enemy you sacrificed your life for to ensure he no longer harmed your people?" Marik asks me.
I give him a curt nod and he seems to absorb this.
"Seems we're all caught up now." Tea says, taking this opportunity to stretch. Thats actually a good idea and many of us follow her lead.
"Its a lot to take in. I still can't believe you went through all that trouble just to rescue me. I know it is not my fault but I am still sorry for the trouble. I will be happy to help in any way I can to bring Bakura down once and for all. If he is as dangerous as he seems then he cannot be allowed to be around any longer." Marik says firmly.
"It will be good to have you on board. Despite our past fued in Battle City your intelligence and council will be invaluable to putting a stop to Bakura's evil scheming." I say humbly to him, watching as the initial surprise turns to one of pride and determination.
"I will not let you down, my Pharaoh."
…
"Please, the formalities are not necessary. As I said to your siblings and almost everyone else as well I am no longer a King."
"This may be true but you still have the heart of a true leader. You instill hope and strength in all around you and I dare say all here are willing to follow you through thick and thin. You look after your own and are willing to put those you love ahead of anything, including yourself. If that is not the definition of a King, Atem, then I do not know what one is." He says… with a great deal of pride. Everyone else seems to agree, looking at me with reverence I haven't felt in a very long time. He called me by my name and yet still expressed how I am his King. Unlike his sister and his brother who revere me as such because of my past, Marik has expressed that he reveres me as such because of my present… and I am struggling to refute that. I honestly expected him to remain calling me his King but not for this reason. I'm speechless.
"Ha! Look at that, the Kings speechless!" Joey laughs loudly as he comes over to drape himself over me playfully. Its enough to bring back some of my wits but I am still honoured.
Beside me Yugi yawns and cutely leans on my shoulder. He must be getting tired now. Not that I'm surprised. All is quiet now and we have earned our respite. Perhaps we should take this day to rest. I doubt Bakura will allow us much more time than this.
"Yugi, why don't you go lie down a while? We've earned this respite and you are exhausted." I suggest softly. He takes a slow, deep breath and nuzzles further into me. I know he wants to but he's being stubborn. I know him well enough to know he doesn't like missing out on the fun, but we need him rested.
"But -"
"Yugi." Joey begins. His tone is unusually sincere that encourages Yugi to look up at him. "Go on man. You didn't sleep last night, right? We're gonna need ya rested buddy. Atem's right. For now it's all quiet, we might as well take as much time to rest as we can before Bakura launches his counter attack, right?" He asks, giving Yugi a cheerful thumbs up. I'm thankful he said it and he's absolutely right. Yugi's considering it now and after a reassuring smile from me he looks like he's agreed.
"Alright. I'll go take a nap then. But will you be okay?" That took me by surprise but it really shouldn't. Of course he'd be thinking of anyone else but himself.
"I'll be fine. We all will. If anything happens we'll wake you right away. I promise." I say warmly.
"Okay. Will you walk with me a bit first?"
"Of course. I'll be back guys." I say pleasantly to everyone as we stand.
"I'll be up in a bit guys. Marik, I'm glad you're feeling better." Yugi says happily.
"Rest well Yugi. Thank you again." He replies kindly.
"Sleep well Yugi. I'll keep these knuckleheads under control for you." Tea says cheekily, offering a thumbs up and a wink while Tristan and Joey start mock fighting with her. It is a shame we don't have a proper bedroom to use. Perhaps there's a different area of the house we can occupy so he can sleep well. With their noise it'll be hard to rest.
"Thanks Tea."
Leading the way, I slide my fingers between his and he leans his head on my shoulder.
My heart is racing though. I can't help but wonder if there is a reason he asked me to come with him. Come to think of it he's never actually gone down for a nap in all the weeks I've been here. Granted the events of recents days hasn't been exactly typical. I'm not surprised he's tired but I am worried for him. It will be good when all of this is over and we get find some sense of normality.
We go straight to our beds and he doesn't waste much time climbing in and getting comfortable. I sit with him, stroking hair and tucking him in. The whole time he doesn't speak but he closes his eyes and relaxes. Maybe I was thinking too hard. He doesn't look troubled. At least in particular. Still … I'm concerned for him. I should let him sleep but … I have this nagging feeling I can't ignore.
And I think I know what's unnerving me.
"Yugi?" I ask him softly.
"Hmm?"
… I know what I want to say and I know what I want to ask but I'm nervous. I'm afraid my fears will prove right. I've been avoiding this since we got back but if breakfast was anything to judge by then… I don't know how long I can avoid this for.
He searches for my hand and hold it weakly. Poor thing is tired. I shouldn't be bothering him with this. It stings a little that he's so forgiving but I need to know - what is underneath?
"I… I truly am sorry for what happened back at the manor. I want you to know that. I'm not proud of my decision. I hurt you. I strayed from the plan and the worst thing was that it endangered our friends. I didn't stop to think about the worst case scenario and I should have. You already did and I disregarded it."
"Temmy…" He sighs tiredly, looking up at me with half lidded, tired eyes. I scoot down to lay beside him and he smiles, lifting his hand to caress my cheek. I'm so torn though. I don't know if he's mad with me or not. He's smiling but his sass earlier, his mood that night … I just don't know what he feels about it all.
"It's okay. It all worked out in the end. Sure I could have lost you and anyone else that night but its not like I didn't do anything risky too. That night… I was scared, I was tired, I thought I lost you and the non-stop anxiety I had been feeling for the last 5 or so hours all alone didn't help. When I heard those shots and then it went quiet… that time between then and you showing up felt like an eternity. I didn't know if you had gotten out. I didn't know if you were coming. I didn't know if I would see you again. I was angry and I'm not sorry for that, but I am sorry for my immaturity after that. I attacked at every turn and I know you well enough to know you were already placing a lot of burden on those shoulders of yours; you didn't need me making it worse. I'm also sorry for my behaviour both that night and earlier. I never wanted this to haunt you and I never meant to hurt you. I should have known this would have played on your mind. Under that strong exterior is a sensitive guy who is very skilled at placing too much pressure on himself. I'm sorry for making you think I was still mad with you. I promise you I'm not and from now on I won't attack you for it, joke or not. I don't want you to feel bad for what happened. I'd like us to move on from this, if you are okay with … what did you call it? Forgiving yourself?" He asks me… cleverly turning my own words against me.
This man… this beautiful, sweet, kind man. It hurt before and it hurts even more now but I understand why. I snuggle into him to hide my face from him mostly. I can't let him see my tears or he will never sleep. But the reason why this hurts isn't because he forgives me, but because its hard to forgive myself. He's right. I do place too much pressure on myself but I don't know how not to. Yugi was alone for hours completely in the dark as to the safety of his friends. He didn't know if Tristan and Joey had made it out of his house let alone was with me on the field. Granted I didn't know how to tell him they were okay, and we didn't know what the last thing was he saw, but I still guided them into danger regardless. Still, despite his warranted anger he forgives me, and more than that he's telling me to forgive myself. But how can I? If they had been hurt? If his fears came true and I had been shot and unable to go to him. I can only imagine how much fear he must have been feeling. I saw his tears when he saw me, felt his desperation when he yelled at me… it was heartbreaking to bare but I can only imagine how he felt and it was all my fault.
"Hey. Its okay. Our friends are safe. Marik is back and in one piece again and I have you safe in my arms. A thousand things could have gone wrong at any point, some scenarios I don't even want to visit for a second. But it worked out and do you know why?" He asks me, petting my hair soothingly. I'm not sobbing but I am holding my breath for that reason. He must know because when I don't answer him he tickles my ribs, forcing the breath to come out as a half sob half laugh.
"Why?"
"Because we had faith in each other. You had faith in yourselves and that's what lead you inside, you had faith in me and thats what lead you back to me. I feared what happened but I never gave up on you. If I had you wouldn't have found me again. At the time I had forgotten that but that is no reason you should bare this burden alone. Please, Temmy… for me, forgive yourself. We can't live in what could have been, but we can live in what is. And what is, is our friends are safe and we can claim this victory as our own."
…
….
"Y-you're right." I say finally. As guilty as I feel I agree with him. Our friends are safe. He is safe. He's not angry with me. We're okay. "So… you're not mad with me?" I ask. I am so relieved we're alone. If anyone else heard me acting so weakly … I'm humble and have learned humility but even I have a certain amount of pride. Yugi is the only one I will allow to see this side of me and even then I feel so exposed I almost want to retreat and let him sleep so I can be by myself for a while. But his comfort is more to me than any cold isolation I could seek.
"No, I'm not. I'm sorry for making you feel that way. I'll admit I haven't done much to calm these nerves of yours, but I promise you I won't attack you anymore. I'm sorry."
"Mm… you shouldn't be apologising. I practically asked for it. It doesn't bother me so much I just … didn't know if there was a hidden bite in those words."
I feel a hand lift my chin up to face him and I think I see a certain twinkle in his eye but I'm just so lucky to have him I am lost in his love.
"If I wanted to bite you, I would have done this." He says cheekily before he swiftly latches onto my neck. The bite he gives me stings but it feels so good I let out an embarrassing squealing gasp that turns into a moan I can't control. He's latched on like some kind of cat, sinking his teeth into my skin with only enough pressure there's a slight amount of glorious pain. I should get him to stop… before I get too excited… but I also don't want him to stop. He's bitten me before but they're usually little nibbles… he's never actually bitten me like this before but I have to admit I like it.
He lets me go, tending to the small injury with light, wet kisses before he returns to nuzzle my nose as if he had done nothing wrong.
"See?" He asks cheekily and I giggle in response. I dont know how he's done it but I feel a lot better now. I didn't realise how much weight I was carrying.
"Yes. I will keep that in mind in future."
"Good. Don't forget it." He says happily.
"I love you." I say warmly, momentarily knocking him off guard.
"I love you. More than anything." He sings, almost dreamily. He's suddenly taken by a yawn and I've decided now its time I let him sleep, finally. Joey is right afterall. We don't know how much time we have been given. We should really make the best of it and for Yugi that means he needs to rest.
"I'll let you sleep now." I say, showering him in small little kisses. I need to go but I love him so much its hard to pull away. He giggles cutely, pushing me away playfully.
"Kay…but I do so under protest." He says cutely.
One last kiss to his lips, deep and meaningful and I pull myself away with a single caress of his cheek.
"Sleep well, Ife." I say adoringly. His smile is to die for. The way he snuggles down and relaxes warms my heart. He's so pure, so cute. I love him so much.
"Wake me if anything happens." He mumbles.
"I promise." I say softly and quietly leave, sparing him one last glance. He has his eyes closed, a gentle smile on those beautiful lips and an aura of relaxation over him. I hope we have enough time for him to rest.
Atem's Pov
I found everyone where I had left them. Breakfast was long cleared and I noticed Solomon was no longer around. It was easy to catch up on their conversation: they were discussing what to do with their time today. It seemed like a stressless situation but the reality of why it felt heavy was because of the limited time we have. We have no idea when Bakura will strike but it will not take long. So spending this time wisely is important. Do we wait and rest or do we plan and prepare? Unless we strike first it is difficult to plan efficiently… but that does not mean we cannot prepare.
Tea's opinion is to look to what else is happening outside of Bakura. The reality is life is moving on despite the danger. She's of course talking about their school exams but I don't know how they could possibly concentrate on that in such a time. The others are of the same opinion. Joey and Tristan however are interested in snooping around Kaiba's mansion. What for I don't know but I do not blame their curiosity. It is not often we get a chance like this to sate morbid fancy. However it seems rude to me to invade Kaiba's personal things after all he has offered us. Until Bakura is dealt with we cannot leave safely and that means Kaiba's mansion has become our home against his wishes. The Ishtars have suggested they either want to rest and catch up while we wait or prepare. I have a few questions I would personally like answered and I'd feel a lot better on Yugi's behalf if we had some kind of contingencies in place in case of a worse case scenario.
"What do you think, Atem?" Ryou asks me suddenly and everyone turns to wait for my input. It is just like in ancient times where my closest advisors would discuss plans and ideas, and then turn to me for the deciding voice. It is a fond memory but one I tire of. Soon, with Bakura's destruction I will no longer be subjected to this kind of responsibility.
"I would prefer to be even a little prepared. There's actually a few things I am curious about which may help us in the event that Bakura does strike us. I'd also like to discuss possible scenarios with Ryou that Bakura may take. For the most part, rest and relaxation is also a high priority so I do not believe I will take up too much of our time." I say.
"You wanted to talk to me?" Ryou asks innocently.
"You know Bakura as much as I do. I think together we surmise what he might be planning." I say and he gives me a firm, determined nod.
"Aight… well what do you wanna talk about?" Joey asks me.
"First, the Items. The Rod and the Necklace. Where are they?"
"Oh, they're here." Ishizu says as Odion slides them out from his coat.
"Good. Then I'd like to move somewhere further away from the living room. Yugi is trying to sleep and I'd prefer not to disturb him." I say. I'm not too familiar with where would be a good place to do this though.
"How is he?" Tristan asks, concerned.
"Fine. He's just tired. He's been awake all night after all." I say fondly.
"And you didn't help him this morning did you?" Ryou jabs at me. Cocking an unamused brow I turn to leave the room, confident they'll follow.