Reflections of You

By K-chan

AN: Oh yeah!  I'm on a role baby!  Just one more fic before I write the 'Scribbles in the Rain' sequel *cackles*  This is the first songfic in a series I'm calling Love, which features the Yugi/Tea/Yami pairing.. this one is mostly Yugi/Tea.  So if you don't like the pairing DON'T read it!  Thank you and come again.

My quest to flood the YGO fandom with het fics has begun!

The strands in your eyes

That color them wonderful

Stop me and steal my breath

Have you ever looked at someone and had your heart completely stop?

That's how I feel every time I look at her.

It's one of the greatest feelings in the world, knowing you love someone so much it physically hurts, I wouldn't trade it for anything.  Yami bugs me about it all the time, he's never felt anything so strong, and it puzzles him… especially when my/our heart aches at the mere sight of her. 

My Tea.  Our Tea.

She's so beautiful, wonderful and kind.  It never ceases to amaze me how I can see no flaw or imperfection about her… even though I know they exist.  Joey says he understands completely, that he feels the same about Mai.  I merely laugh, I suppose we both have it bad.  It gets to the point where we have to point out each other's love's flaws so we can keep grounded and don't lose touch with reality.

It often ends in arguments.

People laugh when they hear 'little' Yugi got mad at something, it's just so out of character.  But I can't stand when people bring Tea down because of a few unimportant flows, its one of the only two things that truly angers me.  The other being called 'little' Yugi.

I'm not little, at least not anymore.  During junior year I grew almost a foot, true I'm still not as tall as Tristan or Joey, but at least I'm average height, and no longer have to look up at Tea.  Speaking of Tea, it's her turn now, to give her speech that is.  I guess I forgot to mention that I'm graduating now, it feels good to be finally done, but it also is a bit sad to be leaving behind a building that had been my second home for the last four years.

Anyway, back to Tea.  She's starting her speech now –her and Seto were voted our class valedictorians.  I can tell she's nervous, her cheeks are flushed and from my position near the back I can see her hands shaking.  I smile to myself, so much like my Tea.  She'll be perfectly fine, of course we spent the last three weeks perfecting her speech so that it would be perfect.  Perfect… just like her.

My mind starts to drift off, as I stare at her not really listening –I have heard it many times before.  Memories rush over me, memories of her.

Emeralds from mountains

Thrust toward the sky

Never revealing their depth

I remember the first time I met her like it was yesterday.  We were six years old, and she was the new kid in our grade one class.  She had just moved to Domino from Tokyo and knew no one.  You have to understand, Tea wasn't always the outgoing, cheerleading type.  As a six year old she was shy, quiet and very meek natured… sort of like me at that age.  I guess that's why we were drawn together.  I was too shy to make many or any friends.  And while Tea was quieter when she was young, she still had the same big heart.  She warmed to me instantly, and I to her.  We became best friends almost immediately.

Tell me that we belong together

Dress it up with the trappings of love

We made a vow when we were nine to stay together no matter what happens.  Neither of us knew, however, that that vow would grow into something deeper than everlasting friendship.  When you're nine the word 'love' isn't even in your vocabulary beyond what you say to your parents.  You don't even know the true meaning or significance, but you know its special.  I told her I loved her then, not really knowing what I was saying, but it proved to be a prophecy of sorts.  Well not really a prophecy because even then I was in love with her, an innocent love, but love nonetheless.  We were inseparable she followed me around, I followed her around, we did everything and anything together.  We were each other's best and only friends.  We were each others' best friend, sibling and 'spouse' –kids used to tease us about being married.  She was everything I needed, everything I still need.

I'll be captivated

I'll hang from your lips

Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above

We started dating shortly after Battle City.  I don't really know why it took us so long to get together, it just did.  I guess we both just needed to mature a bit and realize that the feelings we had felt for so long weren't as scary as we thought they were.  It also took me a very long time to actually get the courage to risk our friendship and actually tell her that what I felt was deeper.  I was so afraid that she didn't feel the same (in hindsight this is actually a very funny thought) and that it would make things awkward after.  Imagine my surprise that when Yami finally orders me to tell her that she starts crying and says "What took you so long??"

Yami laughed hard about that one.  Smart-ass.

Our first kiss was amazing.  I'll admit that was the day that I became truly captivated by her.  Her full pouting lips seem to draw my attention as she spoke and I found it hard to concentrate on anything in her presence.  It was a constant source of amusement for Joey and Tristan, who were not much better themselves when it came to Mai and Serenity.

I'll be your crying shoulder

I'll be love suicide

I'll be better when I'm older

I'll be the greatest fan of your life

Junior prom was a special night for us.  It was ironic that it was held on our two year anniversary, but that made it all that more special.  It was also a bonus for me that I didn't have to planning some big elaborate night that it was planned for me. 

Not that I minded planning things like that, especially for Tea, in fact I did things like that every so often.  It made my heart swell to see her cerulean eyes shine with gratitude and love when I gave her something special, or took her someplace she's never been.  It reminded me of how much I loved her, and how much she loved me.

Coming back to junior prom, she was wearing a brilliant gown of sky blue.  It was a princess style cut so the skirt poofed out from her waist.  It sparkled as she walked, making her look like some sort of goddess.  It was also the first time I ever saw her hair in that style.  It was pulled back into a bun, with curled tendrils hanging down framing her face – a face that shone with shimmer power and just a touch of eye make up.  Did I say angel?  I meant to say fairy, she looked like a beautiful fairy queen, and I was her king.  She made me wear a white tux, which I was more than happy to comply with (Yami whined for hours about not wearing black) and by that time I was tall her than her.  I hate to brag, but I think we were handsomest couple there.  And certainly no one outshined Tea.  She was, and still is the most beautiful woman on the planet.

Junior prom was special for another reason as well.  It was the night that we took our relationship to the next step.  After two years of dating we decided to go all the way.  It was not an easy decision to make, and we thought long and hard about it.  Truth be told I wanted her very badly by then, but I respected her needs, and loved her enough to wait.  I think that true reason she agreed was because she knew it was getting harder for me to stop after a heavy make-out session, and that I was starting to strain.  Kaiba mockingly told me to seek help elsewhere, but even the thought made me sick.  I didn't want anyone else.  I wanted Tea.

Tea was my first everything.  My first girlfriend, my first kiss and my first… time.  I don't regret not experiencing any other girls.

Rain falls angry on the tin roof

As we lie awake in my bed

The feeling of her naked form pressed against me is a feeling I will never get tired of.  Its in those moment of post climax glow that I am the happiest.  Everything in the world seems bright and cheerful and nothing could possibly go wrong.  Tea compared it to seeing the world through rose tinted glasses.  I couldn't agree more.

I wanted more than anything to rent her a fancy hotel suite after prom and sweep her off her feet and carry her across the threshold all fancy like, but it just didn't work out that way, I just couldn't afford it.  No matter how much I saved it was not enough.  Working for your grandpa in a game shop had its downfalls.  However, when I apologized to Tea about it she just laughed, hugged me and said that it was ok, and that she would rather be with me in my own bed rather than some foreign place.  "That way," she said, "We can always look at your bed and know how special it is."  Have I mentioned how much I love her?

You're my survival

You're my living proof

My love is alive not dead

Last summer –the summer after junior year- Tea left to America on a holiday with her parents.  They were taking her to New York to look at dance schools.  I had never been so terrified in my life.  The very thought of her going off to another country half way across the world and leaving me behind froze the blood in my veins.  It was the worst two months of my life.  I was petrified that she was not going to come home, that she would choose the flashy New York lifestyle over the quiet simple life of Domino City Japan.  It never once occurred to me that she could find someone else so far away, it wasn't someone else I feared, but something.  Tea is my life, and if I lost her…I… don't know what I would do.  I was really scared that she would choose her dream over me.  I told myself I wanted her dream of dancing to come true, but selfishly I really wanted her dream to be me.  I wanted nothing more than to settle down, marry Tea and run the game shop together.

My worst fears were abated, however, when she returned in late August, smothering me with kisses.  She said that she had been accepted to a school there (she tried out while she was there) but by the end of the two months missed me so badly that she couldn't see staying in America for the four years needed to get her diploma.  Her parents weren't thrilled, (they always thought we were too young to really be in love) but it was her choice.  And she chose to come back to me.  For which I was ever grateful for.

I've been dropped out, burned up, fought my way back from the dead

Tuned in, turned on, Remembered the things that you said

Moving further back in time, I think Battle City was where Tea and I truly discovered our feelings.  This memory seems a bit out of place since I have been remembering in mostly chronological order, but somehow my mind drifted back to it.

She was so frightened for me when Malik and his rare hunters came after me and my Millenium Puzzle.  Even more frightened then when Ryou's yami tried to take it.  I think she realized that the stakes were much bigger this time.  Instead of just my friend's and family's souls being online, it was the whole world.  Defeat was not an option.  If I lost the whole world would be destroyed, or taken over.  Malik not only wanted to beat me in duel monsters, he wanted me dead.  His misguided hate for Yami drove him insane.  I felt bad for him after we discovered that it was not Yami that killed his father… but his own yami.

Extreme hardship and danger often brings people closer, or so my grandpa always said.  And maybe it was that danger, the thought of losing me that made Tea realize her true feelings, I don't really know.  I know for myself it was seeing her strapped to a metal chair, her eyes lifeless as she 'watched' me duel a possessed Joey that finally made me realize that the love I felt for her wasn't friendship, but was actually true love.

I'll be your crying shoulder

I'll be love suicide

I'll be better when I'm older

I'll be the greatest fan of your life

She's done her speech now, her face now glowing with pride and I can't help but feel the same pride.  That's my girl, my love.  She is brilliant, like a star shining in the dark of night.  My star, my light.  Ok now I'm just getting sappy, something Joey constantly accuses me of.  I don't mind though.  I am what I am and I can't help being totally head over heels in love with my child hood best friend.  It's just the way things turned out.  And personally, I like how they turned out.

Tea doesn't know it, but I have a big surprise lined up for directly after the hat toss, when we're officially graduated.  It's waiting in the pocket of the dress pants I'm wearing under my blue grad robe.  I'm extremely nervous, however.  Today I take the biggest step and biggest risk of our relationship.

I'm going to ask her to marry me.

I already have her parents' permission, on the condition that we wait until we're at least nineteen, which is fine with me.  Just knowing that she's agreed to spend her life with me, and being able to call her my fiancé, is enough for now.  We are, after all, only seventeen.  I hope she'll say yes, I'd be crushed if she didn't. 

Yami's telling me not to think like that, that he's sure she'll agree to marry us.  He said we should think about the positive side instead.  The positive side eh?  Well here's a positive side for you:

Mrs. Yugi Motou.

Yep, I like the sound of that.