Dueler Boi - by Maru-chan
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Disclaimer - Roses are red, violets are blue; I no own, you no sue.

This has been so done before, but I couldn't resist. Happens after Yami and Anzu go out in "Steppin' Out"; doesn't really fit with the whole "Battle City" scheme, but oh well. Please review.
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He was a boy, she was a girl
Can I make it anymore obvious?

He loved to duel, she did ballet
What more can I say?

He wanted her, she'd never tell
Secretly she wanted him as well.

It's strange how the way you look at some one can change. How a friend can suddenly become something more. I never really thought that I could be part of my aibou's world, or that his friends were really mine as well. But she changed all that.
Anzu . . . After that day, when she tried to help me discover my past, I started to see that there was someone who cared about me, besides Yugi. I'm sitting in Yugi's soul room, sifting through his memories of her. Understanding, kind, sacrificing. How could I help but fall in love?

But she just couldn't deal
With how the past made him feel

I'm starting to regret arranging my "surprise" for Yami. I thought it would be a good thing for him to talk to Anzu; she always helps out with my problems. But ever since, it's been "Anzu" this, "Anzu" that. Yami always wants to talk about her, or to her. Like tonight - he said he had something really important to talk to her about. So I'm stuck in my soul room, trying not to wonder -

He was a dueler boy, she said see ya l8r boy
He wasn't good enough for her
She had a pretty face, but her head was up in space
She needed to come back down to earth.

I blink - I'm standing out side, in the rain. /Yami? / Oh, god, what happened? I can barely feel him, except for - for sadness . . . It doesn't feel like him at all. I run up to my room, and lock the door. Concentrating on the Puzzle, I follow Yami's link into his soul room.
He's in the very heart of the maze - he's never been in this far before, he told me he couldn't get through the dark. And it is dark, all shadows and stone. If it weren't for the little glow of light around me, I wouldn't be able to see my hand in front of my face.
I see him now. My Yami, my brave, smart, fierce Yami is weeping inconsolably, huddled like a child in the darkest corner.
"Yami . . . what happened? Were you attacked?" I run to him, pull him into my arms. I'm scared, even more than when I almost lost myself in the Shadow Realms. Yami always feels solid, unshakeable when he reassures me, but now . . . he feels so small, so light in my arms, even though he's the taller of us.
"Yugi," Yami turns in my arms, burying his face into my neck and bringing his arms around my shoulders. I feel my face heat up, but not just from Yami's nearness. I'm angry, angry at whatever or whoever brought my Yami to this. Gently, gently I ease away from Yami, looking into those beautiful ruby eyes awash in tears.
My cheeks must be as red as those eyes, but I don't care anymore. All that matters to me is Yami. "Yami, look at me, please." His head tilts up slightly, so that our eyes meet. "What ever happen, why ever you're like this, I promise I'll make it better." His eyes are still dead, watery.
I bring my hand up to tangle in the wild red-black hair at the nape of Yami's neck, pushing him forward until our foreheads meet. Looking straight into his eyes, I repeat my self, my eyes burning fiercely. "Yami, I promise you, I will make it better."
From deep in their ruby depths, a spark of life flows out of my Yami's eyes. Around us, the room brightens, revealing a beautiful room walled with sheets of gold. I barely notice; all my attention is focused on the familiar fierce grin on my Yami's face.

One year from now, she sits at home
Dancing all pretty
she's all alone

She turns on TV
Guess who she sees
Dueler boy battlin' up on TV.

They say time heals all wounds. I suppose I'm just another testament to the fact. Still, looking back, I suppose I have only myself to blame. It's really rather funny, now. I'm sitting on the floor of our apartment, going through the latest card boosters. My aibou should be home any minute now.
I haven't seen him as much as we'd like lately - I've been in one duel after another, and he's been working on his new song. I never even knew my aibou could sing till he came home to the shop last year screaming about a "record deal". It's amazing how many things have happened in such a short amount of time.
A year ago I wouldn't even be here, separate from my aibou. One of the gifts bestowed by the God Cards. We are still connected by the Puzzle, but we no longer share one body. Interestingly, this has only made us grow even closer together.
I have to laugh as I remember how we discovered our new ability. There was a black out while Yugi was taking a shower - he panicked - I tried to come out - at the exact moment the lights came on - and there were two of us, without any clothes on. Yugi was more panicked than before and bolted from the bathroom stark naked. We didn't try it for weeks after, and then we couldn't look at each other without going red.
Since then we've mastered the ability, although sometimes we still merge accidentally. That's not so bad, except we're never sure who will be in control, me or my aibou. It happened twice during one of my duels, but Yugi pulled through okay. Less successful was my appearance at one of Yugi's recording sessions. He still taunts me by playing the recording every now and then.

She calls up her friends; they think he's so cool
And they've all got tickets to see his next duel

She tags along and stands in the crowd
Looks up at the man that she turned down.

He was a dueler boy,
She said see ya l8r boy
He wasn't good enough for her
Now he's super star
The best dueler by far
Does your pretty face see what he's worth?

This has been such a great year. Ever since that night, our lives changed for the better. Of course, there was the little matter of Anzu - but we haven't seen her since then. I can't believe she would be so hurtful to my Yami. I never really forgave her, especially after she told me the real reason she turned down Yami was because of me. That she'd only spent time with him because of me.
I don't understand how she could spend time with him and not become attracted - he's handsome, athletic, smart, and often un-wittingly sweet and kind, energetic, brave - if it had been me - I'm blushing again. It's time like these I'm especially thankful for the new ability we have; even so, Yami gets a little too close for comfort sometimes.
My Yami - funny, how I've always thought of him that way and still didn't realize what he really meant to me till after the fiasco with Anzu. I love my Yami. This is why I'm putting myself through torture here in this studio rather than spending time at home with him. Home - another torture chamber, but I've got only myself to blame for it.
I already came out to Jounouchi, mostly be cause I figured he'd understand; he is together with Ryou and Bakura after all. Then Ryou made me come out to Honda, Jounouchi told his sister Shizuka, and Bakura, cretin that he is, told Kaiba. Actually, the look on Kaiba's face was worth the smirk on Bakura's.
Still, I haven't been able to tell my Yami, and it's getting harder and harder to hide my feelings. Since we got our new ability, he loves for me to take him out and teach him about things like computers and stuff. He's taught me a lot about Egypt, too, like hashran*, a really, really hard fighting style that involves poles and twin curved knives.
We both still do stuff with our friends as well. Just a few months ago, we learned to drive from Kaiba, but then Honda got my Yami obsessed with motorcycles. He used to prize money from his last tournament to buy one - a real beauty, with ruby red paint the same color as his eyes.
I pull myself away from those thoughts, focusing on the song I'm recording. The album cut's done, but I still have to put together the "revised edition" for our party next week. Yami can't remember his birthday, so we've decided celebrate both of ours on the same day.
I just hope the "surprise" I have planned has better results than the last one.

Sorry girl but you missed out
Well tough luck that boy's mine now

We are more than just good friends
This is how the story ends

Too bad that you couldn't see
See that man that boi could be

There is more than meets the eye
I see the soul that is inside

The party has been going on for quite some time now. It's already close to midnight, but all our friends are still laughing and having a generally good time. Even Kaiba is managing a small grin as he dances with Mai. It's a fast song; they've all been fast songs ever since Bakura and Honda took control of our entertainment system.
Still, I'm sitting a little apart, a little annoyed by my aibou's avoidance. I don't know what he has planned, but if the looks he keeps exchanging with Jounouchi and Ryou are any indication, it must be something good - or should I be alarmed? Jounouchi is obviously involved.
At the clock on the mantle - a miniature Time Wizard, house-warming gift from Yugi's grandfather - strikes midnight, Yugi disappears, only to reappear in the small alcove off to the side of the entertainment center. As if on cue, Honda and Bakura turn off the music, but I barely notice, all my attention focused on my aibou, or, rather, the changes I've suddenly noticed in my aibou.
Instead of the matching loose dress pants and shirt we had both worn for the evening, my aibou was wearing one of his "concert outfits", but one I have never seen before. It's very . . . sexy, consisting of big black leather boots, formfitting black leather pants, and a back mesh top that shows off his chest and arms, which are adorned by gold armbands with the same design as the Puzzle, which hangs from his neck as always.
I'd never noticed how well muscled his body was becoming, not even when we did hashran; not bulky, just lithely built. He's beautiful . . . Like a little demigod; he perches atop the stool in the alcove, a crystal clear guitar in his hands. Suddenly my vision of him is cut off - by Ryou. I pout, rather like a child who has been denied a treat - which I have, actually.
"Come on, Yami, you get front row." He leads me to stand directly before the alcove. The lights in the apartment have been dimmed and my aibou is back lit by a golden light. This close I can see the faint blush on his cheeks and the nervous look in his eyes. /Yugi, just play, play for me. /
He looks up, having heard me through our link, meeting my eyes with a fierce gaze, causing a shiver to course through me as something shines out, some emotion I can't quite grasp. And then he began to play . . .
My aibou loves me? How could I not have noticed - why hadn't I realized before? Judging from the lack of reaction around me, all our friends already know. It hit's me hard suddenly, forcing all other thoughts from my mind - I love Yugi, too.
I hear the music stop, then silence. The last thing I see before I close my eyes and surrender to the feeling of Yugi's lips on mine are his beautiful amethyst eyes, shining with love and happiness. I doubt I could receive a better present.

He's just a boy, and I'm just his Light
Can I make it anymore obvious?

We are in love, haven't you heard?
How we rock each others world

I'm with the dueler boy, I said see ya l8r boy
I'll be back stage after the show
I'll be at a studio
Singing the song I wrote
About a girl we used to know

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(*) - I couldn't remember the proper name for it, but there was in fact such a fighting style in ancient Egypt.