Post Season Zero (Toei Animation Yugioh). Also post the first seven or so books of the manga. There may also be some references to YGO Duel Monsters.
Summary: Most of the events from season Zero happened, except Yugi never found out about Yami. Now he's an adult, living on his own, and he starts to notice strange and spooky things happening around his apartment. Yugi begins to suspect his new place is haunted. But is this shadow spirit malicious or... kinda sweet?
The opening of the doorway was proving to be quite the obstacle.
"Maybe if you tip it to the left, Yuug?" Jonouchi suggested over the top of a couch, he was grappling with the side of the very awkward sofa.
"I'll try." Yugi was holding the half of it that was inside the apartment, trying to follow his best friend's instructions. He gave the couch a wrench to the left and felt the whole piece give.
Jonouchi staggered forward, and Yugi staggered back. He felt his balance give out, felt the weight of the couch smash into his chest, driving the sharp corners of his millennium puzzle into flesh. Ouch. The wind rushed out of his lungs. He closed his eyes. Barely a half second to prepare himself to meet the floor.
This is gonna hurt.
But he never did. Yugi felt something firm brace against his back. It gave him a chance to restore his footing and correct his balance.
"You alright?" Jonouchi called over the furniture, he too was able to right himself and pull some of the weight off his friend.
When Yugi was sure his footing was good again, he shot a look over his shoulder to see what had caught him. To his surprise there was nothing behind him but open space. Nothing but the wood flooring and carpet farther in.
"I-I'm fine," he reassured, "I...just lost my balance for a moment." He took a step back, guiding the couch into the living room.
"I thought for sure this thing was gonna crush you," Jonouchi laughed from the threshold, stepping into the apartment.
"I did too..." Yugi said, giving the vacant interior of the apartment another quizzical look.
His thoughts were interrupted when Honda stepped into the apartment after them, his whole body obscured by a well loved recliner. "Don't worry guys, I got the chair from your Grandpa!"
00
They'd finished moving Yugi's things into the apartment in record time. The sun had just started to set, its rays painting the walls with dazzling golds and pinks. It was peaceful. The furniture was in its place, but it would take Yugi a few days to unpack the boxes and really make this feel like home.
Jonouchi was sitting on the couch, Honda in the recliner, basking in a job well done. They were each drinking a beer, courtesy of Yugi, who also came to join them with his own beer—err, hard cider. Yugi preferred fruity drinks. Much to his surprise, Jonouchi and Honda didn't even make fun of him for it. That's why he loved them.
Jonouchi was a blonde man, with longer wild hair, angular features and a lanky body. Despite his lithe appearance he'd been quite the thug in his younger years.
Honda on the other hand, was a little broader and taller. He had brown hair, with the sides shaved thin. The hair on the top was longer and often styled. Honda was bit of a romantic, and had always been more straight-laced than Jonouchi. He'd even been head of a "Beautification" club in high school. Fancy wording aside Yugi and Jonouchi knew it had just been a glorified janitorial club.
"So, Yuug," Jonouchi started tipping his drink in Yugi's direction. "What kinda job you land that you were able to afford such a snazzy place?"
The apartment in question was not that fancy. The question prompted Yugi to look around the interior. Two bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen, living room, and a laundry room.
"Honda and me still room together because we can't afford something this nice on our own." Jonouchi added, sounding just a bit envious.
Ok, I guess this is pretty nice for one person.
"I work as Kaiba's expense manager," Yugi explained, he took a sip from his cider.
Jonouchi sat up at that. He leveled Yugi with a piercing stare. "You, tell Kaiba how much money he can spend?" Even Honda was sitting to attention and looking at Yugi with astonishment.
Yugi would have laughed but choked a bit on his drink. "No one tells Kaiba how much he can spend." He wiped cider form his chin with his sleeve. "...But I try."
"I can't believe Kaiba hired you," mused Honda from his seat on the recliner. "He hated us in high school, kidnapped your grandpa and even tried to have us killed during his Death-T event. Actually," he interrupted himself, "I can't believe you'd want to work for him."
Yugi rubbed the back of his neck and tried to swallow back his embarrassment. "Well... he was pretty awful to us."
"He hired armed mercenaries to assassinate us in laser tag," Jonouchi reminded.
"That's true," Yugi stared pathetically at his own lap.
"And he kidnapped your grandpa; scared him so bad it nearly gave him a heart attack," Honda added.
Yugi shrank back and prayed the couch would up and swallow him. The setting sun was making long shadows in the apartment, and his own shadow—thanks to his wild hair—was starting to look like something out of a horror movie.
"Kaiba is better now though," Yugi defended. "After Death-T he had a change of heart, and now he's much nicer to Mokuba."
"Ha!" Jonouchi knocked Yugi's socked foot with his own foot. "Mokuba was a snot too."
"Maybe..." Yugi stared at his lap again where his hands were clutching the bottle of hard cider. He didn't like arguing and it was starting to feel like he was being dog-piled.
"Besides, Mokuba tried to poison you with food," said Honda.
"I know but-"
"What if Kaiba pulls some stunt at the office and tries to off ya again?" asked Jonouchi.
"I've been working for him for almost six months," replied Yugi, he was nervously peeling at the label on his drink now. "Kaiba hasn't tried anything, and he's been nothing but professional when we've been at work. People change."
"Not enough-AAAH!" Suddenly, the recliner Honda had been sitting in knocked back. The foot rest popping out and the back falling; Honda falling right along with it, threatening to tip over in the process. He dug his fingers into the chair like a startled feline.
There was a sudden movement along the floor, and Yugi almost swore he saw his shadow's hand retract from the side of the recliner. But it all happened so quickly it was over in a blink.
"Hahahaha!" Jonouchi started roaring with laughter. "You alright there? Yuug's chair took ya for a ride."
"The damn thing is haunted," swore Honda, pushing the lever on the side to right the chair again.
"So about Kaiba," Jonouchi returned to the topic at hand taking a drink of his beer.
Yugi had had enough of this. He was an adult dammit and he could make his own decisions. He sat up straight and leveled his friend with the most intense glare he could muster. "I believe everyone deserves a second chance. Even Seto Kaiba."
"Woah." Jonouchi backed off and held up his hands. "Alright alright. I trust you." He sat back into the couch and gave Yugi an almost paternal grin. "Looks like ya turned into a man after all."
Yugi relaxed, sneering back at his friend, "didn't want your lessons to go to waste."
The friends fell into easy conversation after that, laughing and joking into the evening until it was time for Jonouchi and Honda to go home. Yugi saw them off with a wave and many thanks for helping him move. When the door closed he let out a sigh and took in the messy interior of his new home.
It was full dark now and the place looked a bit spooky lit only by the light of the kitchen.
Yugi yawned, long and exaggerated, really feeling the soreness in his muscles after the long day and heavy boxes. Through the squint of his eyes it almost looked like his shadow was stretching, as if it too shared his weary thoughts.
He did a double take, and stared at the black him-shaped mass. It was back to normal mimicking only his own movements. He watched if for a good long minute, but the shadow remained as unassuming as it always had been.
"It's a new place," Yugi told himself firmly. "You're just being jumpy and superstitious."
But he marched to a box with a lamp on it in the middle of the room, and turned it on anyway.
As the weeks went by Yugi began to notice peculiar things happening in his apartment. Sometimes he would find a book laying out, or his video games would be moved about. Alarms would go off on his phone that he'd never set. Sometimes he'd wake up in bed when he was sure he'd fallen asleep at his desk the night before.
This wasn't as disturbing as it should have been though. Yugi frequently suffered from memory lapses. He had since he'd been in high school and had never told anyone about it. He'd always been afraid if Jonouchi, Honda or Anzu found out they wouldn't want to be his friends anymore.
His often debilitating lack of self esteem kept him silent.
Besides, as he'd gotten older the memory lapses started to become less and less frequent. And the things he didn't remember doing becoming more and more minor. Now it only seemed to occur around his apartment, and he supposed it really wasn't all that bad if he didn't remember getting dressed for work, spiking his hair, or applying his eye-liner.
Today had been one such day.
He'd all but forgotten about it when he arrived home that evening. And he probably would have if it hadn't been for the fur-lined leather jacket he'd unconsciously put on that morning. The day was chilly, exceptionally chilly, and Yugi clutched the material around him as he marched up the stairs to his apartment. He'd gotten a few compliments about the jacket today, and even one from Seto that had made him beam.
He liked leather, but it had a been a long while since he'd last worn any. He felt it was a bit much at work, and tended to wear more professional but subdued clothing. Apparently today his subconscious had decided leather was work appropriate, and he was thankful because it meant a warm jacket on the walk home instead of his usual knit cardigan.
Yugi pushed open the apartment door and a smile lit his features. Home. He'd lived with his Mom and Grandpa for so long, there was just something so relaxing about having his own place. Living on his own meant no one to cook dinner for him though, and long days meant sometimes he was simply too tired to eat.
But tonight I have some leftover curry, he reminded himself. His stomach growled in anticipation.
He dropped his briefcase and laptop bag on the couch and made for the fridge in kitchen. Along the way he noticed a few dirty dishes in the sink, making a mental note to wash them tonight.
Opening the fridge, Yugi looked inside, and looked... and looked. There wasn't any curry. There wasn't curry, or milk, or even the rice balls Anzu had brought over for him a few days ago.
What the hell? He straightened up and smacked his head on the door to the freezer. "Shit!" he cursed, rubbing his head. He ended up shutting the door a little rougher than intended. I swear I had food in there.
Yugi pulled out his cell and checked the time. It was just after seven. He could order something to be delivered.
"Well, I can order a hamburger and fries from Burger World." He loved burgers after all, and with all the meals he'd been missing lately he felt justified to indulge in his all time favorite food.
Seto had given him a personal assistant to run errands. "For at work or at home," Seto had said. But Yugi didn't like to bug them when he was off the clock. He chose instead to call a meal delivery company, and have them pick up his order from Burger World. It would be more expensive but his conscience would feel better.
Yugi left the kitchen already on his cell and placing an order with the delivery company.
When he got off the phone he moved to the couch to rifle through his briefcase. He had a few expense reports he needed to check over before tomorrow morning. Retrieving the right files he carried them to the desk where he flicked on the lamp.
The light in the kitchen shut off just then.
Yugi span on his heel and nearly dumped his files onto the floor. He juggled the papers even while his heart jack-hammered within his own chest.
"Is someone there?" His voice cracked as fear gripped his throat.
There wasn't so much as a whisper from the kitchen.
Yugi scooped up the the nearest object that could do considerable damage. It just so happened to be an oversized novelty coffee mug with the text "I beat Kaiba's ass," printed around the side. Jonouchi had given it to him for his birthday a few years back.
Now I'm going to use it beat an intruder's ass.
Silence continued to hang over the apartment. It gave Yugi the courage to creep towards the kitchen. One step, two steps... when he reached the threshold to the kitchen he called again, "I'm armed! And I know how to use... THIS!"
He raised the mug, reached in with his free hand, and flipped on the light. Once more the kitchen was illuminated.
Nobody was there.
The window was closed, and there was no exit except for the one Yugi had come through.
Yugi gave the room a quick search, checking cabinets and under the table. Any place an intruder might be able to hide. Given how vertically challenged he was, and how easily he himself could fit into small spaces, he had quite the imagination for hiding spots. Even checking the cupboard beneath the sink. There were only cleaning supplies down there.
Once he was sure the kitchen was secure he checked the locks on the window.
They were locked tight. And since they were interior locks, if someone had exited through the window there would have been no way for them to secure it on the way out.
Yugi heaved a shuddering breath and leaned against the counter. He clutched the mug between his hands, grateful that it was sturdy enough to endure his death grip. With every breath his adrenaline rush faded, leaving him feeling more exhausted than he had before.
Jonouchi and Honda kept joking that Yugi's apartment was haunted. Maybe there was some merit to their paranoia.
When he was alone Yugi could chalk up the moving objects to his own memory lapses. But the strange occurrences had happened even while his friends were visiting. Times when he'd been fully aware of himself, just like now.
Not to mention all the times Yugi had been jumping at shadows in the past few weeks. Shadows that had looked like another person, shadows that had shifted on their own.
"Is there a ghost in here?" Yugi called.
A minute passed. There wasn't any response.
"You don't seem to be very malicious."
Once again he was met with silence.
Finally Yugi relented, and placed the mug in the sink with the rest of the dirty dishes. He walked out of the kitchen, this time shutting the light off himself.
*Brrrriiiiinnng!*
The sudden chime of the doorbell about gave him a heart attack.
And Yugi was mortified to admit that he had screamed. Loud... and womanly.
The delivery man at his door, waiting with his dinner, was more than a little concerned.
Yugi wasn't in the mood to work on the expense reports anymore. Instead he grabbed his iPad from the laptop bag and the food, then retreated to his bedroom to eat and play some Nonograms.
The next morning he awoke to find all the dishes in the sink had been cleaned. His Kaiba mug sitting innocuously in the strainer with the rest.
The resulting violent shiver left his skin feeling chilled and his heart crashing in his chest.
That afternoon Yugi came home with a miniature whiteboard and four colorful markers he'd picked up from a nearby office supplies shop.
'Hi!' He scrawled on the board, feeling only a tiny bit foolish. 'Is there a ghost here?' For a minute he stared thoughtfully at his childish handwriting. Then he added, 'Do you want to be friends?'
Anzu always said he tried to make friends with everyone. And maybe that was true. But Yugi didn't think that was a bad thing.
Anzu was another friend from high school. Early on he'd had a crush on her. But that had faded over time when he realized they didn't have all that much in common. Anzu went abroad often to study dancing in the United States. But they would always hang out when she came back to Japan to visit family and friends.
He felt pretty satisfied laying the whiteboard on his coffee table, but it was eventually replaced by niggling doubt. Was there even really a ghost? His Grandpa had always been incredibly superstitious, spouting about spirits and ancient magicks. He'd even once told Yugi he thought there might be a curse upon his puzzle.
Once upon a time Yugi had believed that his puzzle was magical. It had granted his deepest most desperate wish after all. The puzzle had given him friends. True friends that had stayed by his side through thick and thin. If he were honest with himself a part of him still believed there was magic within the puzzle. It was like it emanated a sense of comfort and courage whenever things got difficult.
Yugi considered the Millennium puzzle he always wore to be akin to his own Ring of Power. Like Bilbo or Frodo from Lord of the Rings. There was just something about it that called to him, comforted him, and he felt naked whenever it wasn't near.
If there was a ghost in his apartment maybe the puzzle was keeping him safe from it.
He rose from the couch giving the little whiteboard another glance. It was a silly way to communicate with a spirit, but he wasn't about to buy a Ouija board. Yugi had seen enough horror movies to know that never ended well.
"If you want to talk you can use the white board," he explained to his empty apartment.
Silence was his answer. Just as suspected.
Days passed and the usual odd occurrences continued. But nothing ever answered his questions on the white board. Yugi changed them up every few days. Still nothing.
As time passed he got bored with the attempts.
Eventually he erased everything except for a simple:
'Hi!'
This is my first Puzzleshipping fic in a long time. Please let me know what you think of it. Reviews are much appreciated.
