Lady Deadly Nightshade: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. I only wish I did. All original characters, original concepts (for example, my term of endearment for my vampires 'dark child' and other stuff that I can't remember at the moment), and original vampire lore belong to moi! ^_^ (Don't break my wishes or I'll send my muses after you. They're so bored lately, because I haven't been writing anymore.)
Lady Deadly Nightshade: Well here I am with chapter 19, and there is one left to go before the story is over. I hope you guys have enjoyed this story! So anyway please read and review! Enjoy! ^_^
Chapter 19- Letting Go
Yami set the unconscious Yugi on the bed. He had placed him in one of the guest bedrooms of his newly acquired house. "Ryou, call me as soon as he moves." Yami told him.
"All right." Ryou said absently as he placed a blanket over Yugi.
Téa smoothed out the blanket and folded it back on Yugi's chest. "Wha-where are you going, Yami?" Téa asked shocked.
Yami turned to look at her, his face stern, but then it softened with sorrow. "I need to be alone for a few minutes." He told her. He glanced at Ryou who sat by Yugi's bedside, he looked at Yugi's motionless body on the bed, and then he glanced back at her. "You can stay here if you want." He told her. He turned around and headed out of the bedroom.
Téa and Ryou both turned to look at each other with quizzing looks on their faces.
Ryou ran his hand across Yugi's forehead. "Go to him. He shouldn't be alone." Ryou told her. "I'll stay here watching over Yugi."
"Thanks Ryou." Téa said and she headed out of the room. She gently closed the door behind her.
She walked down the hall toward Yami's room. She stood in front of the closed door and immediately realized he wasn't in there. She simply didn't sense him in there. She walked downstairs and headed toward the den. She sensed him in there even before she stepped foot into it.
Yami sat in front of a roaring fire with his back toward the doors. Silent tears fell down his face as he stared at the flames.
"Yami." Téa called out gently as she walked toward him. "Yami." She said standing at his back.
He turned his face away from her as he felt her stand in front of him.
Téa ran a hand through his golden bang; she caressed his face and cupped his chin. "Yami what's wrong?" She knelt down in front of him turning his face to look at her.
Yami didn't say a word, but he clasped her wrist. He gently pushed it away from his face and held her hand in his. His face was still away from her.
"Yami speak to me." Téa urged him. She placed her other hand in his and squeezed them firmly. Yami still stayed silent, causing Téa to frown slightly. Just as she was about to speak again something hot and wet fell on her hand.
Yami finally lifted his head and Téa saw that he was crying. "Oh Yami." She said sadly and she embraced him.
"Téa, I've been such a fool." He said clutching Téa to him. "I've hated him, hated him because of my stubbornness and pride. I was horrible to him and through all that he never hated me." Yami told her. His tears falling on her shoulder. "How did I let it get this far!" Yami muttered.
"Yami you have to understand that no matter what happens between you two, he will always love you." She told him. "You are brothers, twins, and that is a bond between you two that can never be broken."
"I know." Yami replied his tear filled eyes bore into hers. "I'm so sorry for what I put him through. That I hurt him!"
Téa caressed his cheek. "You can tell him this when he wakes up." She told him.
"What if he doesn't? What if he-" Yami cut himself off. He couldn't bring himself to say that word.
"Don't think like that!" She scolded him. "He will be fine." Téa added reassuringly. Yami gave her a skeptic look. "He'll be fine." She repeated. She placed a kiss on his lips and stayed kneeling in front of him.
"You really do care for me." Yami realized.
"Of course I do." Téa replied sincerely. "I'll be by your side as long as you want me too. I love you!"
"I want you to be with me forever." Yami told her. He looked sincerely into her blue eyes.
"I don't plan on going anywhere." Téa replied. She squeezed his hands gently. Téa and Yami both froze as something passed through them. They looked into each other's eyes and then they said in unison, "He's awake."
Téa smiled at Yami. "Go to him. I'll be waiting here for you." She told him.
Yami leaned over and kissed her. "Thank you." He said and then he vanished.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Yami appeared by the door inside of the guest bedroom. The first thing he saw was Yugi, who was wide awake on the bed. "Could you excuse s for a moment, Ryou?" Yugi addressed Ryou.
Ryou who still sat by Yugi's bedside rose from the chair. "Of course." He said. "I'll be near by." Ryou added and he walked out of the room.
Yugi sat up and groaned in pain. "Ow." He muttered under his breath. He looked up at his brother who still stood by the closed door. "Yami, what's wrong?" He asked through a grimace.
"If it hurts you shouldn't be moving." Yami scolded him.
"I know but I want to be comfortable." Yugi explained. "Besides I want to see you clearly."
Yami didn't say a word but he moved closer to Yugi. He sat down in the chair where Ryou had sat in earlier. "All you had to do was ask." He said simply.
"Why the solemn face, Yami? Is Téa hurt?" Yugi asked him.
"No, she's fine." He replied.
"Well then what is it?" Yugi pressed.
Yami released a deep breath and looked away from Yugi. He focused his eyes on the nightstand by the bed. "For a minute there I thought I had lost you." Yami said softly. "I was so scared."
Yugi's eyes opened wide. "What did you say?" Yugi asked astonished. Was his sharpened vampiric hearing playing tricks on him?
Yami stayed silent, still avoiding eye contact with Yugi. "Yugi." Yami said firmly in warning.
"Yami, really! I didn't hear what you said. I heard you mention me and something about being scared, but that's all." Yugi told him.
Yami turned to Yugi and glared at him. Unshed tears in his eyes. "I said I was scared of losing you!" Yami replied angrily.
"No need to yell, Yami. I heard you the first time. I just wanted to make sure." Yugi said and he collapsed back onto the bed.
"Yugi, are you all right?" Yami asked, his anger gone.
"Yeah, still weak though." Yugi replied. "I'm sorry, Yami, for everything."
Yami looked at him. "No, Yugi, I'm the one that is sorry! I'm the one that brought this on us." He told him. "I've been such an insensitive bastard."
"That's not your fault." Yugi told him. "Sensitivity was never one of your strong traits." Yugi added lightly.
"Yeah, I know. Instead I was cursed to be the more attractive twin." Yami added flippantly.
Yugi couldn't help it and laughed. "Yami, we're identical." He said the laugher still in his voice.
"Yeah I know." Yami replied and a few laughs escaped from his lips. "Yugi, I know that these feelings of hatred between us won't change quickly, but I hope that one day we can get past it and truly behave like brothers." Yami added seriously.
Yugi reached out his hand to Yami and Yami took it. Yugi held Yami's hand firmly and squeezed it. "You're my brother Yami. That's all that matters!" Yugi told him voice thick with emotion. "Do you think if I really hated you that I would have done what I did? I would die to protect you. To protect everyone that I love and that you love." Yugi told him.
"Ryou really is your fledgling. He has your morals." Yami commented.
Yugi nodded. "I heard what Ryou said when you were fighting Pegasus."
At that instant the door to the room burst open and Téa stepped into the room. When she saw Yugi awake and smiling at her, she ran to his bedside. "Yugi, I'm so glad you are awake!" She said happily.
"Téa, I'm glad to see you okay." Yugi told her. "Thank you."
Téa looked confused. "For what?" She asked.
"For taking care of me back there." He replied.
She blushed slightly and took Yami's hand. "It was no problem. Besides I owed you one remember." She told him taking his hand. "Did you guys talk?" She asked them both.
"Yes we did." Yami replied. "By the way weren't you going to wait for me downstairs?"
"Oh I couldn't wait." Téa told him. "I needed to see Yugi was okay with my own eyes." Téa smiled at Yugi and he smiled back.
"Well things are straightened out." Yugi told her. "Well almost." He added.
"What's left?" Téa asked.
"I distinctly remember Anzu being there." Yugi told them.
"That's cause she was." Yami replied.
"What?" Yugi exclaimed.
"She was there. She saved your life." Yami told him.
Yugi's memories were foggy, but he was getting glimpses that were conforming Yami's words. "She was there." Yugi finally concluded. "Is she here?"
Yami shook his head. "She's not." Téa frowned slightly.
"Is she all right?" Yugi asked panicked seeing the look on Téa's face.
"Anzu's fine. She just left on her own." Yami told him.
"Oh, okay." Yugi said relieved. "Did she say where she was going?"
"No, she said you would know where to find her." Yami told him.
"I have to go too her." Yugi said getting up from the bed. He groaned out in pain and Téa reached out to steady him. "Thank you Téa." He told her gratefully.
"Yugi, you need to rest. You're still hurt." Téa said worried.
"I'll be fine." He told her. "Look after my brother." He told her.
"I will." She replied.
"She really does love you Yami. I can see it in her eyes." He looked at Yami. "Don't mess this up." He advised him.
Yami looked slightly affronted. "I won't mess this up. I love her too." Yami told him. "What about Ryou?"
"I'll contact him after I speak with Anzu." Yugi told him. "Is it all right if I leave him here with you?"
"Of course." Yami replied.
"Thank you brother." Yugi said and with a grateful smile on his face he vanished.
Lady Deadly Nightshade: There you go another chapter complete and gone. Don't forget to review! Thanks! See ya everyone! Please try to stay out of trouble guys! ^_~
Next Update: October something. No sure date but that will be the month! So keep those eyes open for the final chapter!! ^_^