'A stalker," Yugi thought miserably as he lay limply on his bed. 'How, of
all things, could Yami think of me as a stalker?'
The amethyst-eyed teen had been there on his bed with the same thoughts repeating in his mind silently ever since he forced himself to climb up the stairs after Yami and his friends had left.
'Why'd they leave me like that? Ryou? Malik? Why did you go when you said you were my friends? You took that picture of me when our yamis were still with us so how could you agree with them. I bet they're laughing at me right now." He thought with despair, closing his eyes.
~~
Yami sat around the table laughing with the rest of his friends. He looked at Ryou and Malik and smirked. "You two were just feigning dumb right? When Bakura asked you if you knew Yugi was a stalker?"
Ryou and Malik nodded with smirks of their own adorning their own faces. "Of course we were," Ryou laughed.
"Did you really expect us to be so naïve? We only acted like that so Yugi would trust us. You were also right, Yami. He never had a lover; he made up that story so people would feel sorry for him." Malik explained.
"We've heard so many times before it was starting to get unbearable for us. Thank the gods you said something first though before we exploded on him. I might've actually felt a little guilty for telling the guy we lied to him all this time about being his friends." Ryou told them before the group erupted into laughter once more.
~~
Yugi sat up in bed rubbing his eyes frantically, trying to force himself not to remember what he saw.
"Calm down, Yugi, it was only a dream." He told himself, panting for air. "It doesn't mean anything at all." He rubbed his once more before swinging his legs over the side of the bed and going downstairs. "All I need is food and something cold to drink, maybe a movie and I'll be as good as new."
Passing his dresser he glanced at the picture that lay on it. It was another of the pictures his friends had taken and Ryou, Bakura, and their yamis were in it too. Feeling tears come to his eyes he picked up the frame and carried it with him downstairs as he stared at it.
'I wish Yami were here right now. At least then I might know what I could do to make things right."
~~
Ryou and Malik followed close behind Yami as they walked beside Bakura and Marik silently. They glanced at each other for a second before Malik sighed deeply and sped up until he was standing in front of Yami with his arms outstretched.
"This is wrong, Yami and you know. Yugi's too innocent to be a stalker and he wasn't lying about having a lover. We all had one, Yugi, Ryou and I, but we lost them. Besides, Ryou and me didn't come with you because we believed you. We came with you to try to convince you he wasn't a stalker. It's a long story and we doubt you'd even believe us if we told you."
Yami glanced back at Ryou and sighed when he saw the white-haired teen nod back him, confirming what Malik was saying.
"Very well then," Yami said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Tell us your story and we'll decide whether we believe you or not."
Malik sighed in relief and motioned for them to follow him. He led them to the park where they could sit down and be comfortable, glad that nobody was around to overhear. He started by telling the three of the Millennium Items and that each one had a special power. "The three of us had items that were destined to be ours. Mine was the Rod, Ryou's the Ring, and Yugi's the Puzzle." He went on to explain about the spirits that were resided in their items and what had happened to them after they'd had the strange dreams that told them the yamis had to leave for their own lives' sakes. At the end it was so silent you would be able to hear a pin drop.
Finally, Bakura was the first to say something. "I see now how you found it hard for us to believe you. The story was a bit farfetched for some people, but I believe you. I trust my friends and even though I've known you just short of a couple months I can tell you're telling the truth."
Ryou smiled and looked at Marik and Yami.
Marik smirked. "It does explain a few things though. Like how Yugi knew about Yami and wasn't exactly very surprised to see we looked alike in so many ways. Also how Yugi seemed so comfortable when he jumped into Yami's lap earlier too."
Malik smiled at him and the four of them waited for Yami to say something.
The crimson-eyed teen stood from his spot on the bench and glared at the four of them. "You're all ridiculous beyond imagining!" He spat. "That is the most ludicrous excuse for a stalker I've ever heard. I wouldn't be surprised that you two are stalkers as well. I don't know about you two," he snarled at Marik and Bakura, "but I'm leaving. You two can hang around these weirdos all you like, but don't expect me to join you at any time!" He turned on his heel and all but marched away from them in his anger.
Malik sighed in irritation and headed back the way they first came. "I'm going back to Yugi's house. I'm sure he'll like an explanation about why we ditched him at such a time."
Ryou nodded and quickly followed after him, hooking his arm around Malik's and holding on tightly. "Malik," he whispered so Bakura and Marik, who were following them, wouldn't hear. "Now that they know the story, what'll happen now? They know who they represent to us so won't they be uncomfortable or something around us now knowing that we used to be lovers with people who looked exactly like them and have many if not all of the same traits they do?"
Malik shook his head. "I honestly don't know, Ryou. It's really up to them to decide what to do now."
Ryou nodded and released Malik's arm.
~~
Yugi glanced up when he heard the doorbell. He stood from the couch and put his coke on the table to answer it. Opening the door he gasped. "Ryou, Malik? You left though.you left and I thought you'd never come back." Yugi told them, tears coming to eyes.
"Oh, Yugi, you're our best friend. We know you'd never do something as terrible as stalking somebody." Malik laughed, opening his arms to give the smaller teen a hug.
Yugi threw himself into Malik's arm and held on tightly. He felt somebody take his hand from behind Malik and he looked up to see Ryou smiling at him warmly, holding his smaller hand in his; he smiled back. "Thanks, you guys." He pulled back and gestured for his fellow hikaris to come in, but he stopped when he saw who was right behind them. "Marik? Bakura?"
"Hey, Yugi." Marik smirked.
"Sorry about what we said before, about you being a stalker and all. Malik and Ryou explained everything to us." Bakura added
Yugi paled and his eyes widened. "You know? Everything?"
Marik and Bakura both nodded.
"Sorry, Yugi. We know it was important to you that they didn't know because you didn't want them to think we were crazy and all, but it was the only way to show them we believed you and trusted you."
Yami's eyes suddenly glittered to life. "Yami came back with you, didn't he? He believed you just like Marik and Bakura did, didn't he?" He asked, hope flaring in his eyes.
Malik and Ryou shared a small look at each other before their gazes turned to the ground; Ryou shook his head. "He thought the whole thing was a complete phony, Yugi. He didn't believe a single word we said and he left before he practically shouted out that Bakura and Marik weren't his friends if they believed such nonsense."
Yugi's eager smile immediately vanished with all traces of it ever being there. "Oh, I see." He said, a little too calmly for everyone else's liking. "Come on in, then. There's some pizza left over from last night if you want some and there's some drinks in the fridge too. I was just about to watch a movie if you wanted to stay." He told them before he turned and went back to the living room, not caring about whether his friends followed him or left or even if the door stayed open for the cold evening breeze to blow in.
The four entered the house and closed the door behind them. They walked into the living room and felt terrible for their small friend when they saw him, curled up on the couch with his knees up to his chest and his face hiding in a small pillow.
Bakura walked over to him and sat beside him, Marik followed. He wrapped his arms around the small teen and held him tightly. "Don't worry about him, Yugi. Yami is just being stubborn because he doesn't want to believe something so out there is really true. He's always been like that. Ever since his dad left him and his mother all because he had a big imagination years ago. Now he won't let anything as colorful as that invade his mind."
"Sometimes I bet he tries to convince himself that if he continues to act how his father wanted him to that he'll come back someday, even though in his heart he knows his father is never going to come back."
Yugi removed his tearstained face from the pillow and nodded. "I know. I've seen it happen. He was doodling on his homework once in history and I saw it; it was really good. When I asked him about why he wasn't in art he got all defensive and ripped the picture off and tore it into small pieces before throwing it away."
"That's him alright. He really does want to use his imagination, but he won't let himself."
Ryou frowned before a sudden thought hit him. He grabbed Malik's arm and whispered something in his ear before Malik pulled abruptly away from him.
"You don't really think that, do you?"
Ryou frowned, but nodded. "He could've, Malik. The two aren't that different. It's just like I told you last night about what I was feeling for Bakura lately and you admitted you were feeling something for Marik too." He whispered.
"Yugi, let's go get you cleaned up in the bathroom. Then we'll all sit down and watch a movie together." Malik called.
Yugi nodded and slowly got up from the couch and away from the arm embrace of Bakura and Marik's arms. He followed his two friends into the bathroom and sat on the counter in silence.
As Malik was wetting a washrag that he found hanging on one of the walls beside the showed Ryou was hugging Yugi, helping the younger teen to calm down.
"Yugi," Malik said as he gently wiped Yugi's face clean with the rag, "you're in love with him, aren't you?"
Yugi gasped and pulled away from Malik's reach. "I-I.No, of course I'm not. My heart will always be for my Yami, not some cheat incarnation of him." Yugi lied miserably.
Malik was about to argue back, but Ryou stopped him and started speaking instead. "Yugi, Malik and I had a little talk early, very early this morning. I just had a nightmare about my Bakura and got shaken up so I called Malik since he's usually up still at two in the morning. We both ended up admitting that we were feeling something for this time's Bakura and Marik. You don't need to feel bad or anything if you feel the same or more towards this time's Yami. We are soul mates with them after all."
Tears shone in Yugi's eyes once more and he launched himself into Ryou's chest. "I do, Ryou. I am in love with him. And I've ruined everything!"
"Shh." Ryou hushed. "Nothing's been ruined, Yugi. You heard Marik and Bakura back in the other room. Yami's just going to take a little time. How bout tomorrow at school you go look for him, we'll all help. You can sit down with him and talk all you want him and we'll join you if you want. We'll make him see that's it's okay to think outside the box sometimes and nothing bad will come of it."
"What if it's not just that though? What if it's me?" Yugi asked, his voice shaking with slight fear.
"Yugi, don't you ever think that!" Malik scolded.
Yugi whimpered and his face in Ryou's shirt. "What else am I supposed to think?" He muttered.
"You're supposed to think about how your Yami would feel if he ever heard you say such a terrible thing and then what he would say to make you feel better. So, Yugi, what would he do?"
"H-he would hold me and k-kiss me h-here," he pointed to his cheek.
As he way saying this, Bakura and Marik slowly walked in and listened to the exchange, amazed at such a reaction from somebody who only knew Yami for a short while.
Ryou and Malik both shared smiled before they leaned down and kissed Yugi softly on his cheek,
"Hmm, go on, Yugi. Anything else he would do to make you feel better?" Malik prompted.
A small smile appeared on Yugi's face and he nodded. He pointed to his, "Then he would kiss me here."
Ryou leant down and kissed his nose.
"Then he would hold me really tight in his arms."
Malik moved closer and took Yugi from Ryou's arms and held him closely to his chest.
Yugi's eyes closed in content and he let out a small sigh. "Then he would tell me he loved me and he would rock me to sleep in front of the fire or while we watched a movie." He whispered quietly.
Ryou turned and was about to head out to start the movie Yugi was going to watch, but stopped when he saw Bakura and Marik standing in the doorway watching Yugi. He relaxed though when he saw small smiles as they watched the teen cuddled in Malik's arms. "Would you two go start the movie for us. We'll be out in a minute."
They nodded and turned to do as they were asked.
When Ryou returned to Malik's side, his best friend was just finishing telling Yugi how much Yami must've loved him. Malik turned to Ryou and the white-haired hikari nodded.
The two walked slowly out into the living room where Bakura was fast- forwarding through the advertisements. Malik sat down slowly on the couch and smirked lightly when he felt Yugi cuddled closer to him and sighed in his contentment.
"Go to sleep, Yugi," Ryou whispered to him, brushing his bangs back from his face. "Go visit your Yami in your dreams." He whispered to his tri- colored hair friend.
"Yami." Yugi sighed lovingly.
The four smiled happily at him as they got comfortable on the couch and watched the movie while their fifth member went into dream land.
The amethyst-eyed teen had been there on his bed with the same thoughts repeating in his mind silently ever since he forced himself to climb up the stairs after Yami and his friends had left.
'Why'd they leave me like that? Ryou? Malik? Why did you go when you said you were my friends? You took that picture of me when our yamis were still with us so how could you agree with them. I bet they're laughing at me right now." He thought with despair, closing his eyes.
~~
Yami sat around the table laughing with the rest of his friends. He looked at Ryou and Malik and smirked. "You two were just feigning dumb right? When Bakura asked you if you knew Yugi was a stalker?"
Ryou and Malik nodded with smirks of their own adorning their own faces. "Of course we were," Ryou laughed.
"Did you really expect us to be so naïve? We only acted like that so Yugi would trust us. You were also right, Yami. He never had a lover; he made up that story so people would feel sorry for him." Malik explained.
"We've heard so many times before it was starting to get unbearable for us. Thank the gods you said something first though before we exploded on him. I might've actually felt a little guilty for telling the guy we lied to him all this time about being his friends." Ryou told them before the group erupted into laughter once more.
~~
Yugi sat up in bed rubbing his eyes frantically, trying to force himself not to remember what he saw.
"Calm down, Yugi, it was only a dream." He told himself, panting for air. "It doesn't mean anything at all." He rubbed his once more before swinging his legs over the side of the bed and going downstairs. "All I need is food and something cold to drink, maybe a movie and I'll be as good as new."
Passing his dresser he glanced at the picture that lay on it. It was another of the pictures his friends had taken and Ryou, Bakura, and their yamis were in it too. Feeling tears come to his eyes he picked up the frame and carried it with him downstairs as he stared at it.
'I wish Yami were here right now. At least then I might know what I could do to make things right."
~~
Ryou and Malik followed close behind Yami as they walked beside Bakura and Marik silently. They glanced at each other for a second before Malik sighed deeply and sped up until he was standing in front of Yami with his arms outstretched.
"This is wrong, Yami and you know. Yugi's too innocent to be a stalker and he wasn't lying about having a lover. We all had one, Yugi, Ryou and I, but we lost them. Besides, Ryou and me didn't come with you because we believed you. We came with you to try to convince you he wasn't a stalker. It's a long story and we doubt you'd even believe us if we told you."
Yami glanced back at Ryou and sighed when he saw the white-haired teen nod back him, confirming what Malik was saying.
"Very well then," Yami said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Tell us your story and we'll decide whether we believe you or not."
Malik sighed in relief and motioned for them to follow him. He led them to the park where they could sit down and be comfortable, glad that nobody was around to overhear. He started by telling the three of the Millennium Items and that each one had a special power. "The three of us had items that were destined to be ours. Mine was the Rod, Ryou's the Ring, and Yugi's the Puzzle." He went on to explain about the spirits that were resided in their items and what had happened to them after they'd had the strange dreams that told them the yamis had to leave for their own lives' sakes. At the end it was so silent you would be able to hear a pin drop.
Finally, Bakura was the first to say something. "I see now how you found it hard for us to believe you. The story was a bit farfetched for some people, but I believe you. I trust my friends and even though I've known you just short of a couple months I can tell you're telling the truth."
Ryou smiled and looked at Marik and Yami.
Marik smirked. "It does explain a few things though. Like how Yugi knew about Yami and wasn't exactly very surprised to see we looked alike in so many ways. Also how Yugi seemed so comfortable when he jumped into Yami's lap earlier too."
Malik smiled at him and the four of them waited for Yami to say something.
The crimson-eyed teen stood from his spot on the bench and glared at the four of them. "You're all ridiculous beyond imagining!" He spat. "That is the most ludicrous excuse for a stalker I've ever heard. I wouldn't be surprised that you two are stalkers as well. I don't know about you two," he snarled at Marik and Bakura, "but I'm leaving. You two can hang around these weirdos all you like, but don't expect me to join you at any time!" He turned on his heel and all but marched away from them in his anger.
Malik sighed in irritation and headed back the way they first came. "I'm going back to Yugi's house. I'm sure he'll like an explanation about why we ditched him at such a time."
Ryou nodded and quickly followed after him, hooking his arm around Malik's and holding on tightly. "Malik," he whispered so Bakura and Marik, who were following them, wouldn't hear. "Now that they know the story, what'll happen now? They know who they represent to us so won't they be uncomfortable or something around us now knowing that we used to be lovers with people who looked exactly like them and have many if not all of the same traits they do?"
Malik shook his head. "I honestly don't know, Ryou. It's really up to them to decide what to do now."
Ryou nodded and released Malik's arm.
~~
Yugi glanced up when he heard the doorbell. He stood from the couch and put his coke on the table to answer it. Opening the door he gasped. "Ryou, Malik? You left though.you left and I thought you'd never come back." Yugi told them, tears coming to eyes.
"Oh, Yugi, you're our best friend. We know you'd never do something as terrible as stalking somebody." Malik laughed, opening his arms to give the smaller teen a hug.
Yugi threw himself into Malik's arm and held on tightly. He felt somebody take his hand from behind Malik and he looked up to see Ryou smiling at him warmly, holding his smaller hand in his; he smiled back. "Thanks, you guys." He pulled back and gestured for his fellow hikaris to come in, but he stopped when he saw who was right behind them. "Marik? Bakura?"
"Hey, Yugi." Marik smirked.
"Sorry about what we said before, about you being a stalker and all. Malik and Ryou explained everything to us." Bakura added
Yugi paled and his eyes widened. "You know? Everything?"
Marik and Bakura both nodded.
"Sorry, Yugi. We know it was important to you that they didn't know because you didn't want them to think we were crazy and all, but it was the only way to show them we believed you and trusted you."
Yami's eyes suddenly glittered to life. "Yami came back with you, didn't he? He believed you just like Marik and Bakura did, didn't he?" He asked, hope flaring in his eyes.
Malik and Ryou shared a small look at each other before their gazes turned to the ground; Ryou shook his head. "He thought the whole thing was a complete phony, Yugi. He didn't believe a single word we said and he left before he practically shouted out that Bakura and Marik weren't his friends if they believed such nonsense."
Yugi's eager smile immediately vanished with all traces of it ever being there. "Oh, I see." He said, a little too calmly for everyone else's liking. "Come on in, then. There's some pizza left over from last night if you want some and there's some drinks in the fridge too. I was just about to watch a movie if you wanted to stay." He told them before he turned and went back to the living room, not caring about whether his friends followed him or left or even if the door stayed open for the cold evening breeze to blow in.
The four entered the house and closed the door behind them. They walked into the living room and felt terrible for their small friend when they saw him, curled up on the couch with his knees up to his chest and his face hiding in a small pillow.
Bakura walked over to him and sat beside him, Marik followed. He wrapped his arms around the small teen and held him tightly. "Don't worry about him, Yugi. Yami is just being stubborn because he doesn't want to believe something so out there is really true. He's always been like that. Ever since his dad left him and his mother all because he had a big imagination years ago. Now he won't let anything as colorful as that invade his mind."
"Sometimes I bet he tries to convince himself that if he continues to act how his father wanted him to that he'll come back someday, even though in his heart he knows his father is never going to come back."
Yugi removed his tearstained face from the pillow and nodded. "I know. I've seen it happen. He was doodling on his homework once in history and I saw it; it was really good. When I asked him about why he wasn't in art he got all defensive and ripped the picture off and tore it into small pieces before throwing it away."
"That's him alright. He really does want to use his imagination, but he won't let himself."
Ryou frowned before a sudden thought hit him. He grabbed Malik's arm and whispered something in his ear before Malik pulled abruptly away from him.
"You don't really think that, do you?"
Ryou frowned, but nodded. "He could've, Malik. The two aren't that different. It's just like I told you last night about what I was feeling for Bakura lately and you admitted you were feeling something for Marik too." He whispered.
"Yugi, let's go get you cleaned up in the bathroom. Then we'll all sit down and watch a movie together." Malik called.
Yugi nodded and slowly got up from the couch and away from the arm embrace of Bakura and Marik's arms. He followed his two friends into the bathroom and sat on the counter in silence.
As Malik was wetting a washrag that he found hanging on one of the walls beside the showed Ryou was hugging Yugi, helping the younger teen to calm down.
"Yugi," Malik said as he gently wiped Yugi's face clean with the rag, "you're in love with him, aren't you?"
Yugi gasped and pulled away from Malik's reach. "I-I.No, of course I'm not. My heart will always be for my Yami, not some cheat incarnation of him." Yugi lied miserably.
Malik was about to argue back, but Ryou stopped him and started speaking instead. "Yugi, Malik and I had a little talk early, very early this morning. I just had a nightmare about my Bakura and got shaken up so I called Malik since he's usually up still at two in the morning. We both ended up admitting that we were feeling something for this time's Bakura and Marik. You don't need to feel bad or anything if you feel the same or more towards this time's Yami. We are soul mates with them after all."
Tears shone in Yugi's eyes once more and he launched himself into Ryou's chest. "I do, Ryou. I am in love with him. And I've ruined everything!"
"Shh." Ryou hushed. "Nothing's been ruined, Yugi. You heard Marik and Bakura back in the other room. Yami's just going to take a little time. How bout tomorrow at school you go look for him, we'll all help. You can sit down with him and talk all you want him and we'll join you if you want. We'll make him see that's it's okay to think outside the box sometimes and nothing bad will come of it."
"What if it's not just that though? What if it's me?" Yugi asked, his voice shaking with slight fear.
"Yugi, don't you ever think that!" Malik scolded.
Yugi whimpered and his face in Ryou's shirt. "What else am I supposed to think?" He muttered.
"You're supposed to think about how your Yami would feel if he ever heard you say such a terrible thing and then what he would say to make you feel better. So, Yugi, what would he do?"
"H-he would hold me and k-kiss me h-here," he pointed to his cheek.
As he way saying this, Bakura and Marik slowly walked in and listened to the exchange, amazed at such a reaction from somebody who only knew Yami for a short while.
Ryou and Malik both shared smiled before they leaned down and kissed Yugi softly on his cheek,
"Hmm, go on, Yugi. Anything else he would do to make you feel better?" Malik prompted.
A small smile appeared on Yugi's face and he nodded. He pointed to his, "Then he would kiss me here."
Ryou leant down and kissed his nose.
"Then he would hold me really tight in his arms."
Malik moved closer and took Yugi from Ryou's arms and held him closely to his chest.
Yugi's eyes closed in content and he let out a small sigh. "Then he would tell me he loved me and he would rock me to sleep in front of the fire or while we watched a movie." He whispered quietly.
Ryou turned and was about to head out to start the movie Yugi was going to watch, but stopped when he saw Bakura and Marik standing in the doorway watching Yugi. He relaxed though when he saw small smiles as they watched the teen cuddled in Malik's arms. "Would you two go start the movie for us. We'll be out in a minute."
They nodded and turned to do as they were asked.
When Ryou returned to Malik's side, his best friend was just finishing telling Yugi how much Yami must've loved him. Malik turned to Ryou and the white-haired hikari nodded.
The two walked slowly out into the living room where Bakura was fast- forwarding through the advertisements. Malik sat down slowly on the couch and smirked lightly when he felt Yugi cuddled closer to him and sighed in his contentment.
"Go to sleep, Yugi," Ryou whispered to him, brushing his bangs back from his face. "Go visit your Yami in your dreams." He whispered to his tri- colored hair friend.
"Yami." Yugi sighed lovingly.
The four smiled happily at him as they got comfortable on the couch and watched the movie while their fifth member went into dream land.