Named to Nothing

by Mahayana

Notes: I really don't know where this came from. It's not even so much Christmas-themed as it just so happened that the snow outside of my window inspired me.

Pairings: foggy Yami x Yugi later on with possible showers of Jounouchi x Yugi

Disclaimer! Watch me disclaim! Look, look, I'm disclaiming! Why the heck would I need a disclaimer if I owned Yu-Gi-Oh!...?!

Criticism makes the author write better. ^_~

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Chapter 1

The Boy who wasn't really There

The world around him lay blanketed in white. Snowflakes whispered from grey wool heavens onto the frozen ground. It was noisy, the deep throated rumble of cars and the sharp clicking of women's heels echoing through the cold air.

Red wool mittens burrowed deeper into the blanket of snow before him, further disturbing the perfectly even surface. Maybe he should build a snowman. Candy cane red eyes shadowed in thought.

Everybody built snowmen.

A gust of wind shook the branches of snow laden trees above, raining down a flurry of white to melt into the red and black spikes of his hair.

Maybe he should build…

"Mou…Aren't you cold?"

The words melted through the quiet of his mind like hot chocolate and Yugi looked up at something that wasn't really there. 

"Yep. But it's alright; I don't feel it anymore anyways." A smile curled gently around his mouth, cold winter air lapping mercilessly at his cracked lips. "My name is Yugi, by the way. What's yours?"
Equally candy cane red eyes flashed with mirth and amusement as the boy who wasn't really there bent conspiratorially close to Yugi, laying warm, plush lips against his ear, and whispered.

Yugi giggled.

"That's a funny name." he said, gathering more snow onto his pile and packing it down until he had something vaguely cone shaped.

The boy straightened back up, the snow remaining undisturbed where he had knelt. "Maybe you should go home now. You might get a cold."

Yugi's lips bowed down into a pout, his eyes still trained on the pile of snow between his knees. "I'm waiting for Grandpa. I'm not leaving without him."

The taller boy's breath puffed out, crystallizing in the air as he exhaled in frustration.

A thought flashed behind the red of Yugi's eyes, and he lifted his head to look up questioningly at the boy in front of him. "You want to help me build a Dark Magician snowman?"

The taller boy smiled like dark almond chocolate, kind and bittersweet as he answered, "What part would you like me to make?"

"You can make the hat." Yugi grinned.

The boy who wasn't really there gingerly knelt back down into the snow, his knees sinking through the fluffy, white matter without breaking its surface.

A shadow fell over the two kneeling boys, and the taller one looked up, his hands hovering precautiously over a yet undisturbed patch of snow.

"Who is that?" Red eyes narrowed in suspicion as he eyed the woman standing hesitantly to Yugi's right. Yugi looked up at her, surprise and curiosity threading his face.

"Hello lady. Who are you?"

The woman gave him a polite smile as she carefully bent closer to him. Yugi had to wrinkle his nose at the overpowering scent of perfume coming from her.

"Tell me boy, where is your mother? Is she out shopping in one of the stores?" She looked around the small park for emphasis, and at the stores lining the streets beyond. Yugi followed her gaze, then turned back to her and shook his head. "She's at home."

His answer must have taken her by surprise because her eyes widened slightly and she backed off a little, her clunky red pumps creaking from the movement. Yugi frowned down at her feet; her shoes weren't suited for snow at all.

"Maybe you're here with somebody else then? Your grandparents perhaps? Or maybe an aunt or uncle?" Her voice was hopeful.

Red eyes looked up at her innocently. "Grandpa will come to pick me up."

She gave him a patient look, her rounded body bending forward as she spoke to him again. "When will he come to pick you up?"

"I dunno." The boy bent back to his handiwork, ignoring the big red blob hovering at the edge of his vision. He didn't like the lady's questions and he really didn't like her perfume, it stung his nose.

"Humm…" The woman frowned thoughtfully to herself. "And there's really no one else here with you to watch you?"

Yugi brightened at that question, flashing the woman a sunny smile as he pointed a mitten covered hand at the empty space in front of him.

"There's Darkness." he chirped, not the least bit concerned about the strange look the woman was giving him.

The boy who wasn't really there said nothing.

"…'Darkness'…?" She repeated, a little thrown off by the child's answer.

"Yep! He said he'd help me build a Dark Magician snowman." Yugi's earnest smile didn't waver, and the woman had to grudgily admit to herself that he didn't look like he was lying to her. Even though, she reflected, there was nobody in the park except for the two of them. He was probably mentally ill, she thought to herself .

"Well honey." She smiled at him, but even though her heavily painted, red lips were tilted upwards Yugi could see a trace of sadness in the expression. "Do you know your phone number? I can call your mommy and tell her where you are."

Yugi looked down at his snow matted red mittens and muttered something the woman couldn't quite hear. She made him repeat it.

"I dunno…" He murmured again, shoulders slumped and hands fiddling.

There was a sigh from above him, but he didn't look up.

"And you said you don't know when your grandfather will be coming to pick you up?"

Hesitantly, "…no…"

"Well," She sighed again. "I don't suppose you know your address either?" Yugi shook his head, and she plunged one of her big, glove covered hands into her black leather purse, taking out a small, silver cell phone.

"What's your name boy?" She asked, chunky fingers pressing the small, see-through buttons with difficulty.

"Mutou Yugi."

"…Mutou Yugi…" she repeated absently, her attention trained on the small piece of plastic pressed to her ear. "Hello? Police? Yes, I am calling to report a lost child…"

Yugi tuned the lady out as he went back to building his Dark Magician snowman. Looking around he found that the boy who wasn't really there was gone. Yugi eyed the pile of snow in front of him with a look of distaste. He wondered where the boy had gone.

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Ending Notes: I know vaguely where I'm going with this. Got some plot twists in mind, a few curveballs here and there. But we'll see where the story would like to go. ^_^;; The things have a weird tendency to run away on me.