Tittle: Dark Eyes
Author: Andro
Rating: R
Pairings: Y/Y
Type: AU, Yaoi
Disclaimer: Noooooot mine. Uhm. Do you really think I have any claim to YGO? _O I mean, honestly, I don't even own a deck..
A/N:
1.Sorry about the mess up with the layout of chapter five guys, I forgot that FF.net scrunched up my sentences and paragraphs together unless I separate them individually before hand. Er. If that makes sense. =) Anyway.
2.Dedicated to Mel. ^^ I never thought this fic would get out of hand like this, but in any case, it's still destined to someday end up in your YGO site. =D
3.Thanks to Kimmie-Sempai. She rules. *^-^* Everyone give her some credit for catching the Andro's mistakes, ne?
4. Thanks to minna for reviewing. =) I wish I could name you all off so thank you personally, but I think that would just bother you guys more in the end. ^^;
5.Sorry this took so long, I was distracted by a brief excursion into YnM Fic-dom and discovering my love of Seishirou/Subaru(TB/X). ^.~ Any SxS fans out there? And-oh, yea, if any of you guys read Arashi-san's fics, you might recognize that the style of writing I'm using right now is sort of similar to hers. =) Sorry, I couldn't help it, I just finished reading some of her S/S fics and have fallen completely in love with her writing. What do you guys think? Is it too weird?
*~*~*~
Chapter 6: A Different Reality
*~*~*~
How you see things affects how you act.
How you see things physically or mentally differs from what other people feel and see.
When your point of view changes, you cling to whatever has remained the same, and feel at a loss when that is taken away from you.
Having something that you have claimed as your own withdrawn often leads to fits of anger.
*~*~*~
The end was drawing near, and Yugi dreaded it. Even though it was uncomfortable, being with Yami and not knowing what to say, where to look, how to act, he did not want his time at the dojo to end. He missed his friends greatly, but he did not want to go back to Domino City. Yugi had been in the Nagasaki household for less than a week, but he had fallen completely in love with the gentle aura of the land. He'd miss sitting on top of the Watching Rock, and would feel odd when Sayeka wouldn't be there to nudge him into having lunch with her. He'd even miss Mr.Nagasaki; though during the stay they had talked very little, he seemed like a kind man, if a bit on the absolutely no nonsense side.
And he didn't want to leave Yami. Not like this. He had to fix things- somehow. Sayeka seemed compliant enough to help him, but he wasn't sure that he wanted the older girl's help. No, this way something that he had to repair himself, so that Yami would see that he really cared. He needed to do this. He just had to figure out how.
Yugi was rapidly running out of time.
*~*~*~
Whack!
Whack!
"...It's going to cr-"
The sound of splintering wood filled the room, and Yami froze his movements; however no real expression crossed his face.
He just stood, arms stretched, tightly grasping the broken bokken in his hands. The sword had snapped at the middle, leaving a jagged stump at the opposite side of the handle.
To her credit, the Japanese girl only flinched slightly at hearing the sound, and composed herself with slow, calculated movements, smoothing out markings on her deep dark azure dress-which would have revealed her legs up to her knees; but now it whispered softly against the floor since she was kneeling, hands returning to a clasped position on her stomach.
"That is not going to give you any more time with Yugi." She uttered quietly, knowing that her friend was angry at himself.
"This is your fault." Came the icy reply, and Sayeka blanched, turned pale, then her skin rose in color, though despite that, she kept her cool.
"Perhaps. You still do not believe me when I say that Yugi does not hate you?"
"He doesn't hate me, maybe, but he sure as hell has been avoiding me." Yami growled, throwing the broken practice sword off to the side with an uncharacteristic display of carelessness. The object skid across the floor and only stopped when it hit the wall.
Disturbed by the way he was acting, he ran a brute hand through his drooping spikes, pushing them out of his face. That was another matter; he really shouldn't have cared that much over what Yugi thought. He should have just moved on, and forgotten it by now...
Wisely, Sayeka decided to stay taciturn, cobalt gaze unwavering from Yami.
Her options were limited, and she did not have much time to find some way to make things better. Her fingers twisted the silken cloth of her dress and she brooded wordlessly over what she knew. Both of the two males were drifting out of her grasp, one planning something, the other frustrated and hurt. Neither would tell her anything of what had happened, but Sayeka took a wild guess that her best friend had made some sort of pass at the young boy, and that it had not gone well. Now Yami believed that Yugi was repulsed by him, but that wasn't true. Or at least that's what she thought.
Mulling over that, Sayeka flickered her gaze outside, the doors having been slid open to allow the cool night wind to brush inside.
Past the outer walkway, a traditional scene greeted her eyes, a lake reflecting back the moonlight with cherry blossoms gracefully twirling down. It was like something out of a magical fairy tale, and Sayeka loved it. This was one of the reasons why she believed that she could never live in a city-she couldn't give up the pure beauty of the country.
A slicing sound whistling through the air made her flinch, and she turned, frowning at Yami in annoyance. He knew she hated the sound of cold metal slashing through space, but he didn't look like he would have appreciated a comment at that point, so she just gave an undignified snort and looked away once more, ignoring Yami, who began a thrust and par routine.
How quickly both had effected each other had made her concerned over the situation. Perhaps it really had been too fast, and these two felt nothing for each other but lust, but if that had been the case, Yami would not be as irritated and emotionally injured as he was right now. Oh, she knew him well enough; despite the chilly shield he erected, Yugi's reaction had hurt him in a place way down inside his heart-or rather, soul.
As for Yugi-well, to be truthful, Sayeka had not known him for long, but having spent many hours in his company, she didn't judge him to be that shallow. It wasn't lust, it was desire to be together. In the dictionary, lust was defined as an intense or unrestrained sexual craving. Perhaps lust had a hand in it, but it did not suitably describe Yami and Yugi. Desire was explained as a wish, or longing.
If two people had ever desired to be together as those two in real life, she hadn't met them yet. Obviously, the feelings were deep and true, despite being very sudden. She suspected that neither even had an inkling as to how honestly they really did feel. Most probably they didn't. Males tended to ignore their emotions, especially when they seemed irrational and baseless.
She sighed.
//Idiots.\\
*~*~*~
The dawn on Saturday morning was a myriad of warm colors with a hint of dark blue at the very end, hinting at the receding night. A broad expanse of lovely light spread across the land, showering the world with bright colors. Birds were beginning to chirp cheerfully from tree branches, and a lonely Yugi was up, sleep deprived eyes taking in the image of perfection.
This was going to be his last day. Most of his belongings were all ready packed, and the dizzy knowledge that he in fact had been in the dojo for less than a week, not years, hit him straight on. He would miss the place more than he thought he would. Ahel, school and Domino City had seemed like eons ago, not important, worthless to him.
But now the dream-like state he'd been in was going to disappear, like the vanishing fog in the face of the incoming day. By tomorrow night, he would be in his room, unpacking, then the morning after he would face school, and inevitably, Ahel. No fear surged through his veins however; he was resigned.
Maybe he would get hurt, maybe not. At they very least he was not physically defenseless anymore.
That wasn't what kept him from getting worried about the bully either. Yugi had another problem, and his name was Yami. He could simply go home and forget about him. Or try to, since he wasn't sure how well he could forget Yami. If at all. Perhaps it would be best if he allowed himself to pretend that nothing ever happened. What good could come from it? He was only going to be at the Nagasaki home for another twenty four hours, then the long drive back home, and out of reach. Probably never to see Yami or Ms.Sayeka ever again.
"Wallowing in misery isn't like you Yugi." Sugoroku, his grandfather commented, coming up behind him. The voice startled him, but Yugi managed to supress jumping, instead turning and giving his grampa a sheepish, tiny grin.
"Sorry, I guess I just have a lot on my mind."
Nodding, the old man stepped out fully into the engawa(1), the pathway being open to the outside world since it was not the storm season-and very rarely was any one foolish enough to try to sneak into a dojo of trained fighters. He breathed in deeply the morning air, cool with a tinge of moisture.
Glancing at his elder quizzically, waiting for him to say something in reply, the tenth grader blinked when nothing was said and then shrugged, using the wooden amado(2) to support his body weight.
"It is very different here from our home."
Yugi nodded mutely.
"I have been talking to Sawayuki...about you and Yami."
Yugi paled.
"M-me-"
"And we agreed that there is much that you two can learn from each other."
Now thoroughly confused, and partly worried, the sophomore turned completely and stared at his grandfather, mind trying to guess where this was going to end up.
"So, Yami will be staying with us until Christmas vacation."
"Yosh!(3)" Yugi squealed in delight, then turned bright red, covering his mouth. He really hadn't meant to say that. Maybe his subconscious liked Yami more than he had realized.
Turning an ever darker crimson color, his mind rapidly figured that it meant
Yami would live with him for roughly a month.
Looking pleased, Sugoroku grinned.
"I had a feeling you'd be happy about it."
Flushed, his grandson nodded rapidly, then scuttled away suddenly.
"I have to go talk to someone! Sorry!"
Dashing out into the fields, Yugi ran across the ripping waves of wheat, hair tumbling messily into his eyes, but he ignored it, heading towards the great house that he could see off into the distance.
He had never even been to Sayeka's house, because Sayeka always made the trip to the Nagasaki home early in the morning for her classes with Yami, then she didn't leave until some point in the afternoon. Today was Saturday; he was sure that she would have visited that day in any case, but he had to talk to her right at that moment, or he'd burst from excitement.
A month. With Yami. Dread and anticipation mixed in his stomach and gave him reason to run even faster, so that when he finally came within twenty meters of the Onori home, he had to stop to draw in a much needed breath, laying his hands on his knees.
Closing his violet eyes, Yugi drew in long breaths, calming his quickly palpitating heart. He tucked a stray bang beyond on ear and straightened up, for the first time getting a good look at Sayeka's home.
It was a sprawling building that seemed too large to be true, a hundred meters all around, since the house was shaped like a square. Dark tinted rooftops slopped down, high and imposing. His eyes were drawn to the gargoyles that perched on the top of the roof, one for every four feet. He had to crane his neck and take several steps back to be able to look at them, and he shivered.
They were all at least as big as he was, and each one uniquely grotesque. He decided he didn't really like Sayeka's home and it was hard to believe that she lived there. No wonder she was always at the Nagasaki residence.
Risking a look behind him, Yugi worried his lower lip. He'd run an awfully far way just to go back without talking to the older Japanese girl, not to mention he still really wanted to talk to her. Now he felt slightly awkward. It was very early in the morning, it might be taken as impolite if he knocked at this time.
Trying to make his decision, Yugi walked around the structure, still wary of the statues-he almost felt like they were watching him, but of course, he was just being paranoid. Finally, he stopped at the entrance and debated once more whether he should try to knock or just give up and go back.
The sound of something heavy sliding against wood alerted him that he wasn't the only one awake before drowsy azure eyes peered at him from the opening between the heavy amado. Sayeka's head poked out and she blinked at him.
Somewhere near her waist level, another pair of eyes greeted him, but they were definitely not human, and Yugi suddenly found himself on the ground, out of breath, as something large with long soft fur had slammed into him. He panicked for a second, before realizing that it was a dog, and it wasn't doing anything to him besides giving him a very wet, friendly hello.
"Oh, for the love of-Toki, get off him!" A second later, the heavy animal was pulled off him, and Sayeka gave him a concerned glance, one of her hands wrapped around the dog's collar to keep it from pouncing on the younger man again.
"I'm really sorry Yugi, she's really old, I guess she must have thought you were Yami, that's how she greets him, but he's used to it so he doesn't fall when she does it..." Trailing off, the girl offered her free hand to him, which he accepted and used to pull himself up. Using the hem of his shirt, he tried to wipe away the canine drool from his face.
"It's okay Ms.Sayeka, she just scared me for a little bit."
Patting the peach-colored canine, Sayeka nodded in acceptance, studying his face.
"Is something wrong?"
"N-no! I mean, it's not -bad-."
She blinked, nonplused.
"I see. Come on, let's go inside so you can wash your face and we can talk. I haven't had my morning tea anyway." Her tone of voice said that were this wasn't a suggestion, but an order that Yugi was all too glad to follow as she lead him into the house. Upon entering, the warmth surprised him. He cocked his head in confusion and looked around for a heater of some sort to explain the source of heat.
Off to the side was the tell tale opening in the wall with bars, but it was closed, and not faint smelt of bubbling water reached his nose. That was how Yami's home was kept warm when it was cold, but the window was closed, and seemed like it hadn't been used in a while.
Sayeka didn't seem to notice his puzzled looks, for she kept walking across the room. It was simple, a small living room with a low table and somber emerald zabuton(4) surrounding it. Besides a few kakemono, or hanging scrolls with kanji written on the soft surface, there was nothing else in the room. It was very dark, so when Sayeka slid a door panel and brilliant light poured inside, he had to cover his eyes, wincing. //But we're inside, where is it coming from...?\\
"Yugi?" Sayeka's questioning voice drifted to him from outside and Yugi blinked quickly, eyes adjusting again to the light as he curiously took a few steps and found himself in an indoor engawa. He looked startled. He didn't know much about how old Japanese-styled houses were built, but he hadn't heard of one that had a garden built in the middle of it.
//So that's why it seems so huge from the outside. The middle is a private little Eden.\\ Yugi realized, looking around. Now from the inside, he could see that all the house had veranda both outside, and on the inside of the house, and the roof was so high to hide the fact that there wasn't a covering over the middle of the house.
"It's sort of odd, but I like it." Sayeka murmured from next to him, quietly waiting for his surprise to subside. He nodded slowly, so she kept talking.
"The house is basically the part that forms the square shape, the training room is a smaller building that's partly covered by the trees behind this house. The outside is an illusion to grandeur, but the living compartments themselves are of moderate size. I guess my ancestors thought that having an elite garden that only the family knew about was more important than a large home. I think they were right."
"Do you...really use all of this space? Who lives here?"
"My parents, grandparents and I, with a few servants. We don't actually use it all, just about half of it, but we like to keep everything neat and working. It's sort of a matter of you see; the rest of the family has moved to the suburbs, we are the only ones left that are keeping up the tradition, so to say.
Sometimes we give tours, and that brings in enough money that this place can maintain itself with no outside financial help." She explained, gazing at the small waterfall that had been built out of rocks by human hands.
"Everything still works, and if anything breaks, we try to make it as similar to the original as we can." Reaching up, she rubbed her eyes tiredly.
"You can come back and spend some time here later, but can we go? I need some tea to wake myself up. I just got up since Toki smelled you coming and was desperate to get out." To back this up, she yawned. She was wearing rumpled white pants and a gray shirt that was a little too big on her frame, and Yugi felt a prick of surprise. This was the first time that he'd seen the older teen in anything else but gorgeous Japanese ethnic dresses. His respect for her grew.
"You really love this, don't you? I mean, the heritage and the land...." He trailed behind her.
"Yes, of course." She said blankly, as if any other way of living was unimaginable, then slipped into another room, Yugi following her. Now he was in a kitchen, and Sayeka gestured for him towards the sink.
"Better clean up, Toki gave you a rather thorough tongue bath."
The dog in question barked at hearing her name, lying down on the kitchen floor, soulful brown eyes following her owner's actions while occasionally studying Yugi with wary curiosity.
"Oh, right!" Having forgotten about the sticky state he was in, Yugi turned on the mild water and scrubbed his face,
"Ne, Ms.Sayeka?"
"Hmn?" Again, she gestured for him to take a seat on a zabuton, which he did, wiping his face with the hem of his shirt again.
"What would you do if Yami wasn't around?"
Neatly, the dark haired girl set water to boil. She didn't glance up.
"I would probably still keep on studying and find something else to do with my time I suppose. Why?"
"I think...Yami might be coming to live with me for a while." Anxiously, he watched her from behind, wishing he could see her face, but from the angle he was, he was lucky if he got a glimpse of her profile.
"Oh. I see." Turning away from the stove, Sayeka sat down on a pillow herself, a curious expression adorning her face.
"I think I'm a bit confused. Mind explaining this a bit more?"
So he told her the story-not only from that morning, but from what had happened with Yami days ago, though he supposed that she had guessed it all ready, he felt like she should know, since she was in the middle of the two. He finished with telling her how creepy he found the gargoyles.
Sayeka laughed, despite herself.
"I guess they are, but they're the Onori family guardians; I'm used to them, so I suppose that I don't even notice them anymore." A whistle announced that the water was boiling, and she stood up, grabbing two chawan(5) bowls on her way to the stove and gingerly picked up the pot, pouring the steaming liquid into the porcelain containers.
"Well, I have to say this was sort of unexpected-I was sort of wondering what you were going to do, but this is good. Really." Setting down the pot, she took a hold of a maroon tinted box with the word "Cha" written on it, and sprinkled something green that smelled strongly-almost sweet, but not quite-over the water.
"Do you really think so?"
"Yes. Yami is hurt, he believes that you don't care for him, but that isn't true. Your task is to make sure that he realizes that. Besides that, it's up to you." She said kindly, returning with the two bowls, one in each hand, before she set them down on the table and she sat down, blowing over the hot water and watching absently the steam that floated away.
Yugi smiled softly.
"Thank you Ms.Sayeka, you've been very nice to me."
She looked vaguely surprised.
"I have?" She chuckled. "I guess I just want to see Yami-and you-happy. And I know that you're what makes his eyes light up, and you light up like a Christmas tree when he's in the room-even when you're nervous of him." She accused him cheerfully before taking a sip of her tea.
"Iiiiteeeei! Hot! Hot!"
*~*~*~
Yami stared.
Then he stared some more.
Then he finally released his breath.
"I see. Is this what you want from me Grandfather?"
His grandfather nodded.
"Yes."
He lowered his head in agreement.
"Very well." Inside him, one part was grinning like a maniac. Another was wondering if it was a good idea. Yet another was -sure- that this was a horrible, terrible idea that he would regret it.
His lips turned in a slight smile, fondness for Yugi despite the mess, shinning through.
It didn't matter. He was going.
*~*~*~
Sunday morning found Yugi giving Sayeka a good-bye hug, his smile wavering with sorrow. She returned the hug simply and then stepped back, a bright grin illuminating her face.
"Ne, stop looking so sad!" Her voice dropped to a low level. "You've got Yami for a month, cheer up!" Sayeka rumpled his hair playfully.
"Now go!"
Following her orders, Yugi brightened despite having to leave and laughed.
"Yes mam'!" Bowing quickly to in the direction of Yami's grandfather, the teen scrambled back to the car, slipping into the backseat.
Crimson eyes glanced at him with some surprise, for which Yami received a tiny grin before Yugi settled down next to him.
Everything was ready, items were packed, and farewell had been said. Now was the time for the two hour trip back to Domino City, and Yami had naturally assumed that Yugi would want to sit in the front, away from him; thus he had settled for sitting in the back. It was unexpected when the younger man did the opposite of that, but it wasn't like he minded.
Nodding politely, Yami turned his gaze away to look out the window as the car pulled out and began the ride. Sayeka and his grandfather were still standing in front of the house, the young girl waving her hand up high in the air energetically, mouthing the words "Good luck!" over and over. He wasn't sure if she was talking to Yugi, or himself.
Shaking his head amusedly, Yami leaned back against the seat, relaxing. Something soft and silky brushed against his hand and he tensed again momentarily before relaxing. Probably Yugi's shirt sleeve had just brushed against him. No big deal. Except the warm brush turned into a consistent touch, laying on top of his hand. It was too heavy and warm to be clothing, too light and soft to be anything but-
Yami glanced down, brow creased. A slim, cream-tinted hand was resting comfortably on top of his larger, calloused one. His eyebrows rising up, the martial artist gave the boy sitting innocently next to him a sharp, questioning look. A furious rush of color invaded Yugi's face, but he met Yami's eyes head on for a second, stubbornly. They said "I haven't forgotten, and this isn't over yet." quite clearly, before they flickered away in the direction of the driver's seat, signaling that this was all they could do at the moment, then lowered his gaze, embarrased.
Releasing his breath, Yami chuckled softly and removed his hand, only to switch places so that he could squeeze back gently in understanding. Now wasn't the time, or the place. He didn't mind. After all, they had time.
*~*~*~
1. Engawa: The engawa is a broad veranda that extends along the perimeter of a traditional Japanese house, often facing the garden. It can be enclosed by amado during the winter or bad weather. There is generally no railing, and there is usually a low step up from ground level. The engawa is place to entertain visitors, to do chores, or to drink a cup of tea while enjoying the view.
Ex: Much of the action Ranma 1/2 takes place on or near the engawa at the Tendo home; in the winter, this engawa is closed with glazed amado.
2.Amado: Sliding coverings for windows, glass doors or engawa, user during storms and to secure a home at night. Traditionally, amado were made of wood, but today metal ones are common. When used on engawa the doors are often slid along tracks one after the other to completely enclose the area. Such protection for a building is very useful against no only regular storms, but the taifu that hit Japan every year. In anime and manga, the amado are usually not seen, but the tokuburo that they are stored in is often visible.
Ex: Tenchi is securing the amado along the engawa as a defense against the "space pirate" in Tenchi Universe(Tape 1, episode 1) and we get an excellent view of the father sliding the amado in My Neighbor Totoro. -From The Anime Companion
3. Yosh: =) Pretty simple, it's just an exclamation of like "Yea!" or "Right!" -Random Japanese dictionary
4. Zabuton: Floor cushions
5.Chawan(Small Bowl): A small bowl, usually ceramic used for eating rice or for drinking tea.
See? I -do- research stuff. =)
Oh. Uhm. This really didn't go the way I planned it to. o_O Seriously. XP That last scene was impromptu, since not even Kimmie-sempai knows about it. ^^; I decided to throw in a cute Y/Y scene to make up for having Sayeka around so much. Mn, you have -no- idea how tempted I am to end the fic right now, but don't worry, I think it'll be two or three more chapters before it's done. =) Thanks to you guys for putting up with Sayeka, she really wasn't suppoced to have this big of a role at all. ^^; Oh, well. Next chapter: A brief mix up of identities, meeting Jou and Anzu, sleeping arrangements, and Yami gets possessive. =)
Andro
Author: Andro
Rating: R
Pairings: Y/Y
Type: AU, Yaoi
Disclaimer: Noooooot mine. Uhm. Do you really think I have any claim to YGO? _O I mean, honestly, I don't even own a deck..
A/N:
1.Sorry about the mess up with the layout of chapter five guys, I forgot that FF.net scrunched up my sentences and paragraphs together unless I separate them individually before hand. Er. If that makes sense. =) Anyway.
2.Dedicated to Mel. ^^ I never thought this fic would get out of hand like this, but in any case, it's still destined to someday end up in your YGO site. =D
3.Thanks to Kimmie-Sempai. She rules. *^-^* Everyone give her some credit for catching the Andro's mistakes, ne?
4. Thanks to minna for reviewing. =) I wish I could name you all off so thank you personally, but I think that would just bother you guys more in the end. ^^;
5.Sorry this took so long, I was distracted by a brief excursion into YnM Fic-dom and discovering my love of Seishirou/Subaru(TB/X). ^.~ Any SxS fans out there? And-oh, yea, if any of you guys read Arashi-san's fics, you might recognize that the style of writing I'm using right now is sort of similar to hers. =) Sorry, I couldn't help it, I just finished reading some of her S/S fics and have fallen completely in love with her writing. What do you guys think? Is it too weird?
*~*~*~
Chapter 6: A Different Reality
*~*~*~
How you see things affects how you act.
How you see things physically or mentally differs from what other people feel and see.
When your point of view changes, you cling to whatever has remained the same, and feel at a loss when that is taken away from you.
Having something that you have claimed as your own withdrawn often leads to fits of anger.
*~*~*~
The end was drawing near, and Yugi dreaded it. Even though it was uncomfortable, being with Yami and not knowing what to say, where to look, how to act, he did not want his time at the dojo to end. He missed his friends greatly, but he did not want to go back to Domino City. Yugi had been in the Nagasaki household for less than a week, but he had fallen completely in love with the gentle aura of the land. He'd miss sitting on top of the Watching Rock, and would feel odd when Sayeka wouldn't be there to nudge him into having lunch with her. He'd even miss Mr.Nagasaki; though during the stay they had talked very little, he seemed like a kind man, if a bit on the absolutely no nonsense side.
And he didn't want to leave Yami. Not like this. He had to fix things- somehow. Sayeka seemed compliant enough to help him, but he wasn't sure that he wanted the older girl's help. No, this way something that he had to repair himself, so that Yami would see that he really cared. He needed to do this. He just had to figure out how.
Yugi was rapidly running out of time.
*~*~*~
Whack!
Whack!
"...It's going to cr-"
The sound of splintering wood filled the room, and Yami froze his movements; however no real expression crossed his face.
He just stood, arms stretched, tightly grasping the broken bokken in his hands. The sword had snapped at the middle, leaving a jagged stump at the opposite side of the handle.
To her credit, the Japanese girl only flinched slightly at hearing the sound, and composed herself with slow, calculated movements, smoothing out markings on her deep dark azure dress-which would have revealed her legs up to her knees; but now it whispered softly against the floor since she was kneeling, hands returning to a clasped position on her stomach.
"That is not going to give you any more time with Yugi." She uttered quietly, knowing that her friend was angry at himself.
"This is your fault." Came the icy reply, and Sayeka blanched, turned pale, then her skin rose in color, though despite that, she kept her cool.
"Perhaps. You still do not believe me when I say that Yugi does not hate you?"
"He doesn't hate me, maybe, but he sure as hell has been avoiding me." Yami growled, throwing the broken practice sword off to the side with an uncharacteristic display of carelessness. The object skid across the floor and only stopped when it hit the wall.
Disturbed by the way he was acting, he ran a brute hand through his drooping spikes, pushing them out of his face. That was another matter; he really shouldn't have cared that much over what Yugi thought. He should have just moved on, and forgotten it by now...
Wisely, Sayeka decided to stay taciturn, cobalt gaze unwavering from Yami.
Her options were limited, and she did not have much time to find some way to make things better. Her fingers twisted the silken cloth of her dress and she brooded wordlessly over what she knew. Both of the two males were drifting out of her grasp, one planning something, the other frustrated and hurt. Neither would tell her anything of what had happened, but Sayeka took a wild guess that her best friend had made some sort of pass at the young boy, and that it had not gone well. Now Yami believed that Yugi was repulsed by him, but that wasn't true. Or at least that's what she thought.
Mulling over that, Sayeka flickered her gaze outside, the doors having been slid open to allow the cool night wind to brush inside.
Past the outer walkway, a traditional scene greeted her eyes, a lake reflecting back the moonlight with cherry blossoms gracefully twirling down. It was like something out of a magical fairy tale, and Sayeka loved it. This was one of the reasons why she believed that she could never live in a city-she couldn't give up the pure beauty of the country.
A slicing sound whistling through the air made her flinch, and she turned, frowning at Yami in annoyance. He knew she hated the sound of cold metal slashing through space, but he didn't look like he would have appreciated a comment at that point, so she just gave an undignified snort and looked away once more, ignoring Yami, who began a thrust and par routine.
How quickly both had effected each other had made her concerned over the situation. Perhaps it really had been too fast, and these two felt nothing for each other but lust, but if that had been the case, Yami would not be as irritated and emotionally injured as he was right now. Oh, she knew him well enough; despite the chilly shield he erected, Yugi's reaction had hurt him in a place way down inside his heart-or rather, soul.
As for Yugi-well, to be truthful, Sayeka had not known him for long, but having spent many hours in his company, she didn't judge him to be that shallow. It wasn't lust, it was desire to be together. In the dictionary, lust was defined as an intense or unrestrained sexual craving. Perhaps lust had a hand in it, but it did not suitably describe Yami and Yugi. Desire was explained as a wish, or longing.
If two people had ever desired to be together as those two in real life, she hadn't met them yet. Obviously, the feelings were deep and true, despite being very sudden. She suspected that neither even had an inkling as to how honestly they really did feel. Most probably they didn't. Males tended to ignore their emotions, especially when they seemed irrational and baseless.
She sighed.
//Idiots.\\
*~*~*~
The dawn on Saturday morning was a myriad of warm colors with a hint of dark blue at the very end, hinting at the receding night. A broad expanse of lovely light spread across the land, showering the world with bright colors. Birds were beginning to chirp cheerfully from tree branches, and a lonely Yugi was up, sleep deprived eyes taking in the image of perfection.
This was going to be his last day. Most of his belongings were all ready packed, and the dizzy knowledge that he in fact had been in the dojo for less than a week, not years, hit him straight on. He would miss the place more than he thought he would. Ahel, school and Domino City had seemed like eons ago, not important, worthless to him.
But now the dream-like state he'd been in was going to disappear, like the vanishing fog in the face of the incoming day. By tomorrow night, he would be in his room, unpacking, then the morning after he would face school, and inevitably, Ahel. No fear surged through his veins however; he was resigned.
Maybe he would get hurt, maybe not. At they very least he was not physically defenseless anymore.
That wasn't what kept him from getting worried about the bully either. Yugi had another problem, and his name was Yami. He could simply go home and forget about him. Or try to, since he wasn't sure how well he could forget Yami. If at all. Perhaps it would be best if he allowed himself to pretend that nothing ever happened. What good could come from it? He was only going to be at the Nagasaki home for another twenty four hours, then the long drive back home, and out of reach. Probably never to see Yami or Ms.Sayeka ever again.
"Wallowing in misery isn't like you Yugi." Sugoroku, his grandfather commented, coming up behind him. The voice startled him, but Yugi managed to supress jumping, instead turning and giving his grampa a sheepish, tiny grin.
"Sorry, I guess I just have a lot on my mind."
Nodding, the old man stepped out fully into the engawa(1), the pathway being open to the outside world since it was not the storm season-and very rarely was any one foolish enough to try to sneak into a dojo of trained fighters. He breathed in deeply the morning air, cool with a tinge of moisture.
Glancing at his elder quizzically, waiting for him to say something in reply, the tenth grader blinked when nothing was said and then shrugged, using the wooden amado(2) to support his body weight.
"It is very different here from our home."
Yugi nodded mutely.
"I have been talking to Sawayuki...about you and Yami."
Yugi paled.
"M-me-"
"And we agreed that there is much that you two can learn from each other."
Now thoroughly confused, and partly worried, the sophomore turned completely and stared at his grandfather, mind trying to guess where this was going to end up.
"So, Yami will be staying with us until Christmas vacation."
"Yosh!(3)" Yugi squealed in delight, then turned bright red, covering his mouth. He really hadn't meant to say that. Maybe his subconscious liked Yami more than he had realized.
Turning an ever darker crimson color, his mind rapidly figured that it meant
Yami would live with him for roughly a month.
Looking pleased, Sugoroku grinned.
"I had a feeling you'd be happy about it."
Flushed, his grandson nodded rapidly, then scuttled away suddenly.
"I have to go talk to someone! Sorry!"
Dashing out into the fields, Yugi ran across the ripping waves of wheat, hair tumbling messily into his eyes, but he ignored it, heading towards the great house that he could see off into the distance.
He had never even been to Sayeka's house, because Sayeka always made the trip to the Nagasaki home early in the morning for her classes with Yami, then she didn't leave until some point in the afternoon. Today was Saturday; he was sure that she would have visited that day in any case, but he had to talk to her right at that moment, or he'd burst from excitement.
A month. With Yami. Dread and anticipation mixed in his stomach and gave him reason to run even faster, so that when he finally came within twenty meters of the Onori home, he had to stop to draw in a much needed breath, laying his hands on his knees.
Closing his violet eyes, Yugi drew in long breaths, calming his quickly palpitating heart. He tucked a stray bang beyond on ear and straightened up, for the first time getting a good look at Sayeka's home.
It was a sprawling building that seemed too large to be true, a hundred meters all around, since the house was shaped like a square. Dark tinted rooftops slopped down, high and imposing. His eyes were drawn to the gargoyles that perched on the top of the roof, one for every four feet. He had to crane his neck and take several steps back to be able to look at them, and he shivered.
They were all at least as big as he was, and each one uniquely grotesque. He decided he didn't really like Sayeka's home and it was hard to believe that she lived there. No wonder she was always at the Nagasaki residence.
Risking a look behind him, Yugi worried his lower lip. He'd run an awfully far way just to go back without talking to the older Japanese girl, not to mention he still really wanted to talk to her. Now he felt slightly awkward. It was very early in the morning, it might be taken as impolite if he knocked at this time.
Trying to make his decision, Yugi walked around the structure, still wary of the statues-he almost felt like they were watching him, but of course, he was just being paranoid. Finally, he stopped at the entrance and debated once more whether he should try to knock or just give up and go back.
The sound of something heavy sliding against wood alerted him that he wasn't the only one awake before drowsy azure eyes peered at him from the opening between the heavy amado. Sayeka's head poked out and she blinked at him.
Somewhere near her waist level, another pair of eyes greeted him, but they were definitely not human, and Yugi suddenly found himself on the ground, out of breath, as something large with long soft fur had slammed into him. He panicked for a second, before realizing that it was a dog, and it wasn't doing anything to him besides giving him a very wet, friendly hello.
"Oh, for the love of-Toki, get off him!" A second later, the heavy animal was pulled off him, and Sayeka gave him a concerned glance, one of her hands wrapped around the dog's collar to keep it from pouncing on the younger man again.
"I'm really sorry Yugi, she's really old, I guess she must have thought you were Yami, that's how she greets him, but he's used to it so he doesn't fall when she does it..." Trailing off, the girl offered her free hand to him, which he accepted and used to pull himself up. Using the hem of his shirt, he tried to wipe away the canine drool from his face.
"It's okay Ms.Sayeka, she just scared me for a little bit."
Patting the peach-colored canine, Sayeka nodded in acceptance, studying his face.
"Is something wrong?"
"N-no! I mean, it's not -bad-."
She blinked, nonplused.
"I see. Come on, let's go inside so you can wash your face and we can talk. I haven't had my morning tea anyway." Her tone of voice said that were this wasn't a suggestion, but an order that Yugi was all too glad to follow as she lead him into the house. Upon entering, the warmth surprised him. He cocked his head in confusion and looked around for a heater of some sort to explain the source of heat.
Off to the side was the tell tale opening in the wall with bars, but it was closed, and not faint smelt of bubbling water reached his nose. That was how Yami's home was kept warm when it was cold, but the window was closed, and seemed like it hadn't been used in a while.
Sayeka didn't seem to notice his puzzled looks, for she kept walking across the room. It was simple, a small living room with a low table and somber emerald zabuton(4) surrounding it. Besides a few kakemono, or hanging scrolls with kanji written on the soft surface, there was nothing else in the room. It was very dark, so when Sayeka slid a door panel and brilliant light poured inside, he had to cover his eyes, wincing. //But we're inside, where is it coming from...?\\
"Yugi?" Sayeka's questioning voice drifted to him from outside and Yugi blinked quickly, eyes adjusting again to the light as he curiously took a few steps and found himself in an indoor engawa. He looked startled. He didn't know much about how old Japanese-styled houses were built, but he hadn't heard of one that had a garden built in the middle of it.
//So that's why it seems so huge from the outside. The middle is a private little Eden.\\ Yugi realized, looking around. Now from the inside, he could see that all the house had veranda both outside, and on the inside of the house, and the roof was so high to hide the fact that there wasn't a covering over the middle of the house.
"It's sort of odd, but I like it." Sayeka murmured from next to him, quietly waiting for his surprise to subside. He nodded slowly, so she kept talking.
"The house is basically the part that forms the square shape, the training room is a smaller building that's partly covered by the trees behind this house. The outside is an illusion to grandeur, but the living compartments themselves are of moderate size. I guess my ancestors thought that having an elite garden that only the family knew about was more important than a large home. I think they were right."
"Do you...really use all of this space? Who lives here?"
"My parents, grandparents and I, with a few servants. We don't actually use it all, just about half of it, but we like to keep everything neat and working. It's sort of a matter of you see; the rest of the family has moved to the suburbs, we are the only ones left that are keeping up the tradition, so to say.
Sometimes we give tours, and that brings in enough money that this place can maintain itself with no outside financial help." She explained, gazing at the small waterfall that had been built out of rocks by human hands.
"Everything still works, and if anything breaks, we try to make it as similar to the original as we can." Reaching up, she rubbed her eyes tiredly.
"You can come back and spend some time here later, but can we go? I need some tea to wake myself up. I just got up since Toki smelled you coming and was desperate to get out." To back this up, she yawned. She was wearing rumpled white pants and a gray shirt that was a little too big on her frame, and Yugi felt a prick of surprise. This was the first time that he'd seen the older teen in anything else but gorgeous Japanese ethnic dresses. His respect for her grew.
"You really love this, don't you? I mean, the heritage and the land...." He trailed behind her.
"Yes, of course." She said blankly, as if any other way of living was unimaginable, then slipped into another room, Yugi following her. Now he was in a kitchen, and Sayeka gestured for him towards the sink.
"Better clean up, Toki gave you a rather thorough tongue bath."
The dog in question barked at hearing her name, lying down on the kitchen floor, soulful brown eyes following her owner's actions while occasionally studying Yugi with wary curiosity.
"Oh, right!" Having forgotten about the sticky state he was in, Yugi turned on the mild water and scrubbed his face,
"Ne, Ms.Sayeka?"
"Hmn?" Again, she gestured for him to take a seat on a zabuton, which he did, wiping his face with the hem of his shirt again.
"What would you do if Yami wasn't around?"
Neatly, the dark haired girl set water to boil. She didn't glance up.
"I would probably still keep on studying and find something else to do with my time I suppose. Why?"
"I think...Yami might be coming to live with me for a while." Anxiously, he watched her from behind, wishing he could see her face, but from the angle he was, he was lucky if he got a glimpse of her profile.
"Oh. I see." Turning away from the stove, Sayeka sat down on a pillow herself, a curious expression adorning her face.
"I think I'm a bit confused. Mind explaining this a bit more?"
So he told her the story-not only from that morning, but from what had happened with Yami days ago, though he supposed that she had guessed it all ready, he felt like she should know, since she was in the middle of the two. He finished with telling her how creepy he found the gargoyles.
Sayeka laughed, despite herself.
"I guess they are, but they're the Onori family guardians; I'm used to them, so I suppose that I don't even notice them anymore." A whistle announced that the water was boiling, and she stood up, grabbing two chawan(5) bowls on her way to the stove and gingerly picked up the pot, pouring the steaming liquid into the porcelain containers.
"Well, I have to say this was sort of unexpected-I was sort of wondering what you were going to do, but this is good. Really." Setting down the pot, she took a hold of a maroon tinted box with the word "Cha" written on it, and sprinkled something green that smelled strongly-almost sweet, but not quite-over the water.
"Do you really think so?"
"Yes. Yami is hurt, he believes that you don't care for him, but that isn't true. Your task is to make sure that he realizes that. Besides that, it's up to you." She said kindly, returning with the two bowls, one in each hand, before she set them down on the table and she sat down, blowing over the hot water and watching absently the steam that floated away.
Yugi smiled softly.
"Thank you Ms.Sayeka, you've been very nice to me."
She looked vaguely surprised.
"I have?" She chuckled. "I guess I just want to see Yami-and you-happy. And I know that you're what makes his eyes light up, and you light up like a Christmas tree when he's in the room-even when you're nervous of him." She accused him cheerfully before taking a sip of her tea.
"Iiiiteeeei! Hot! Hot!"
*~*~*~
Yami stared.
Then he stared some more.
Then he finally released his breath.
"I see. Is this what you want from me Grandfather?"
His grandfather nodded.
"Yes."
He lowered his head in agreement.
"Very well." Inside him, one part was grinning like a maniac. Another was wondering if it was a good idea. Yet another was -sure- that this was a horrible, terrible idea that he would regret it.
His lips turned in a slight smile, fondness for Yugi despite the mess, shinning through.
It didn't matter. He was going.
*~*~*~
Sunday morning found Yugi giving Sayeka a good-bye hug, his smile wavering with sorrow. She returned the hug simply and then stepped back, a bright grin illuminating her face.
"Ne, stop looking so sad!" Her voice dropped to a low level. "You've got Yami for a month, cheer up!" Sayeka rumpled his hair playfully.
"Now go!"
Following her orders, Yugi brightened despite having to leave and laughed.
"Yes mam'!" Bowing quickly to in the direction of Yami's grandfather, the teen scrambled back to the car, slipping into the backseat.
Crimson eyes glanced at him with some surprise, for which Yami received a tiny grin before Yugi settled down next to him.
Everything was ready, items were packed, and farewell had been said. Now was the time for the two hour trip back to Domino City, and Yami had naturally assumed that Yugi would want to sit in the front, away from him; thus he had settled for sitting in the back. It was unexpected when the younger man did the opposite of that, but it wasn't like he minded.
Nodding politely, Yami turned his gaze away to look out the window as the car pulled out and began the ride. Sayeka and his grandfather were still standing in front of the house, the young girl waving her hand up high in the air energetically, mouthing the words "Good luck!" over and over. He wasn't sure if she was talking to Yugi, or himself.
Shaking his head amusedly, Yami leaned back against the seat, relaxing. Something soft and silky brushed against his hand and he tensed again momentarily before relaxing. Probably Yugi's shirt sleeve had just brushed against him. No big deal. Except the warm brush turned into a consistent touch, laying on top of his hand. It was too heavy and warm to be clothing, too light and soft to be anything but-
Yami glanced down, brow creased. A slim, cream-tinted hand was resting comfortably on top of his larger, calloused one. His eyebrows rising up, the martial artist gave the boy sitting innocently next to him a sharp, questioning look. A furious rush of color invaded Yugi's face, but he met Yami's eyes head on for a second, stubbornly. They said "I haven't forgotten, and this isn't over yet." quite clearly, before they flickered away in the direction of the driver's seat, signaling that this was all they could do at the moment, then lowered his gaze, embarrased.
Releasing his breath, Yami chuckled softly and removed his hand, only to switch places so that he could squeeze back gently in understanding. Now wasn't the time, or the place. He didn't mind. After all, they had time.
*~*~*~
1. Engawa: The engawa is a broad veranda that extends along the perimeter of a traditional Japanese house, often facing the garden. It can be enclosed by amado during the winter or bad weather. There is generally no railing, and there is usually a low step up from ground level. The engawa is place to entertain visitors, to do chores, or to drink a cup of tea while enjoying the view.
Ex: Much of the action Ranma 1/2 takes place on or near the engawa at the Tendo home; in the winter, this engawa is closed with glazed amado.
2.Amado: Sliding coverings for windows, glass doors or engawa, user during storms and to secure a home at night. Traditionally, amado were made of wood, but today metal ones are common. When used on engawa the doors are often slid along tracks one after the other to completely enclose the area. Such protection for a building is very useful against no only regular storms, but the taifu that hit Japan every year. In anime and manga, the amado are usually not seen, but the tokuburo that they are stored in is often visible.
Ex: Tenchi is securing the amado along the engawa as a defense against the "space pirate" in Tenchi Universe(Tape 1, episode 1) and we get an excellent view of the father sliding the amado in My Neighbor Totoro. -From The Anime Companion
3. Yosh: =) Pretty simple, it's just an exclamation of like "Yea!" or "Right!" -Random Japanese dictionary
4. Zabuton: Floor cushions
5.Chawan(Small Bowl): A small bowl, usually ceramic used for eating rice or for drinking tea.
See? I -do- research stuff. =)
Oh. Uhm. This really didn't go the way I planned it to. o_O Seriously. XP That last scene was impromptu, since not even Kimmie-sempai knows about it. ^^; I decided to throw in a cute Y/Y scene to make up for having Sayeka around so much. Mn, you have -no- idea how tempted I am to end the fic right now, but don't worry, I think it'll be two or three more chapters before it's done. =) Thanks to you guys for putting up with Sayeka, she really wasn't suppoced to have this big of a role at all. ^^; Oh, well. Next chapter: A brief mix up of identities, meeting Jou and Anzu, sleeping arrangements, and Yami gets possessive. =)
Andro