Boku wa natsukashimu desu
Title means 'I miss you' in Japanese. I may change it once I figure out what "Something missing" is in Japanese, though.
Song at the end is "Missing" by Evanescence.
Do I own either Evanescence or Yu-Gi-Oh!? Maybe in my dreams….
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Yugi walked slowly away from his home, tears trickling slowly down his cheeks. He stopped, looking back at the quaint Game Shop that had been his home for as long as he could remember.
He adjusted his book-bag and turned away sadly, continuing on his solitary journey down the sidewalk...and away from his life.
He'd put up with it for so long...the abuse, the taunts, the knowledge that there wasn't a soul in the world who knew or cared about him. Yami had made sure of that...to the point where he himself had forgotten about his little light.
A part of him hoped that Yami would notice his absence when he got home, but he mostly knew that it was futile to wish for things that would never happen. He'd pictured the scene he had prayed would happen so many times...
Yugi began to walk away from his house, head downcast, not looking back.
"Wait!" A voice stopped him in his tracks. He waited, not turning back until he heard the running footsteps behind him stop. He looked up into a worried Yami's face.
"Where are you going?"
Yugi remained silent.
"You're not running away, are you?"
Yugi just nodded, and began to go.
A hand on his shoulder stopped him. "Please don't go, aibou."
Yugi almost stopped breathing. Did Yami just say what he thought he'd said? Hardly daring to believe it, Yugi turned back to look up at Yami once more.
Yami looked close to tears. Abruptly, he hugged Yugi tightly. "Please don't go...I'm sorry, aibou, I'm so sorry..."
'Ha. Fat chance,' Yugi thought gloomily, continuing on his way. He wished that someone – anyone – would notice his absence and miss him. Though, since he hadn't had any human contact (with the exception of the occasional bully) in months, he doubted that he'd be missed at all.
The chilly evening wind whipped around him, and he found himself wishing he'd brought a heavier jacket. 'No sense in crying over spilled milk,' he told himself, 'you'll just have to make do.' He'd be able to buy a jacket once he was out of Domino. That was his goal: to get as far away from his hometown as possible.
He passed the arcade, and a pang in his gut caused him to stop and look longingly inside. How many times had he and his friends hung out there? How many memories did he have of playing games there with Jonouchi, laughing at him when he pretended to be mad at a move Yugi made? So many good times...
However, the last time Yugi had been to the arcade was a year ago. The good memories were growing harder to unearth.
Peering inside, Yugi was able to make out seven figures. Seven very familiar figures. Seven figures who used to hang out with him all the time.
Honda.
Anzu.
Otogi.
Mokuba.
Seto.
Jonouchi.
Yami.
He knew he'd miss them. Even his yami, who had given him no reason to miss him at all.
Jonouchi's rejection had hurt him the most.
After all they had gone through together, after Yugi had almost died to save him, after Jou (as Yugi used to call him) had almost died at the hands of Malik...his best friend, who he would have sacrificed anything for, shoved him away forcefully and replaced him with Yami.
Yugi continued on, not noticing that a pair of ice-blue eyes had seen him.
A minute later, that pair of blue eyes was focused on another arcade game, dismissing the small teen from his mind.
~*~*~
"We should be getting home," Honda commented. "It's getting late."
Jou checked his watch. "Holy crap! Is it nine already?"
"What, can't read your watch properly?"
"Shut it, Kaiba..."
Anzu interrupted them, laughing. "Stop bickering, you two, or else you'll get us kicked out."
Seto smirked, although merriment was evident in his eyes. "I can influence the owner if I have to..."
Laughing and chattering, the group walked out and went their separate ways.
~*~*~
How long had he been walking? Yugi couldn't read his watch in the dim light. He'd have to wait until he reached a streetlight.
Since he obviously was not going to make it out of Domino tonight, he had walked the streets of the city aimlessly, not caring where his feet took him.
'Finally, a streetlight,' he thought as he saw the light ahead. Stopping under it, he read the time.
"9:30," he said aloud, incredulously. He'd only been walking for 45 minutes? Looking up to see where he was, he was surprised to find himself in front of the Kaiba Mansion.
And, by the look of it, Seto and Mokuba had just gotten back from the arcade, for they were getting out of the car by the front door.
Hoping he wasn't seen, Yugi quickly scurried away.
~*~*~
Yami got home at 9:20, in a very good mood. He'd finally beaten Anzu at that dancing game, even though it was only because her shoe fell off. He had enjoyed the look on Seto's face when he'd seen him dancing. 'Yes, I can dance, Kaiba,' he thought to himself.
He walked into the kitchen and stopped, frowning. Usually, the kitchen light was on, and a plate of something rested at his place. Tonight, however, there was nothing there. No sign that anything had been touched at all.
Oh yes, hadn't Yugi tried to say something to him this morning? He hadn't listened, of course; he hadn't had time to. 'Maybe he tried to say that he had to go shopping and he needed money,' Yami mused, checking the refrigerator.
Nothing was out of place, and it looked well-stocked. Odd.
His good mood slightly dampened, he took out some leftover pizza and began warming it up.
~*~*~
"Who was that under the light, Seto?"
Seto hesitated a moment before answering, "I don't know, Mokuba." He knew perfectly well who it was; however, he didn't want his little brother worrying about anything. "Come on, kiddo, it's time for you to go to bed." He led the way up the stairs and to his brother's room.
After tucking his little brother into bed, Seto sat in his own room, thinking. It had been Yugi under the streetlight. 'What's he doing out at this time of the night, anyway?'
He frowned suddenly, realizing that he hadn't seen hide or hair of the petite youth in a very long time. That puzzled him. He hadn't particularly noticed his absence, and Yami had never said anything, so he assumed that he'd just overlooked him or something; Yugi was probably okay.
But the gaunt, skinny boy who'd stepped into the light, checking his watch, didn't seem to be okay. Yugi had looked up, the harsh light accentuating his haggard, haunted features for a short moment. He'd turned quickly and walked out of the light and down the sidewalk, Seto remembered. But his look seemed to be that of one in the lowest depths of despair. Had he eaten at all?
'You're worrying too much, Seto,' he thought sternly. 'It's probably nothing. Some homeless kid with unruly hair just stepped into the light, and you looked too quickly and thought it was Yugi. It's nothing more than that.'
Shrugging off his previous thoughts, the CEO of Kaiba Corp. readied himself for bed.
~*~*~
Yami finished his pizza and headed upstairs, a feeling of slight apprehension tugging at his mind. The house was way too quiet. And way too dark. Usually there was at least one light on.
Face set in a puzzled frown, he headed into his room, planning on relaxing with some of his music. He stopped when he saw a note on his boom box, with a sealed letter underneath it.
'Track five.'
Yami frowned. "Track five?" Obviously for a CD...he wondered why. Shrugging, he turned his attention to the letter. 'Yami' was all it said on the envelope. He opened it and read,
Yami:
Look around, and ask yourself if there's anything missing.
Yami looked up from the letter and thought about it. Certainly, his dinner was usually on the table when he walked in. Somehow, he didn't think that that was what this person was talking about. He went back to the letter.
I doubt you'll think of it at all. You've only ignored it for the past year or so.
Forgive me, Yami, but I have to leave. I can't keep going on like this. I've put up with it for so long; I'm afraid that I'll go insane if I keep going. At least when you'd hit me, you acknowledged my existence.
You won't miss me, I know. However, I hope that you at least noticed something odd when you walked in. You're usually observant like that.
I'm not coming back, Yami. I won't ever come back, if I have a choice. I've only been a burden; if not a burden, then a very incompetent servant.
I must have done something wrong. I know I must have, if I've been hurt and ignored all this time. I miss having someone to talk to. I haven't had anyone to talk to at all for so long, I've forgotten what my own voice sounds like.
I just have a question for you. Am I that burdensome and insignificant? After all we went through together...I guess none of it mattered.
I'll miss you, Yami, God knows why. I know you won't miss me. I merely wrote this informing you that I'm leaving. That way you don't have to get anyone else involved in looking for me (if you ever notice that I'm not there).
Knowing you, you probably didn't listen to the song. Listen to it. It's one of my favorites...I actually submitted the lyrics in a contest and I won. It describes me so well...fulfill my last request, Yami.
I hope you're happy. You should be. You don't have to worry about me anymore.
Good luck, Yami.
~Yugi
Yugi?! All Yami could do was stare at the signature. He hadn't even guessed it was him until he read the end.
Yugi was gone? He wasn't coming back?
He wouldn't be there to clean or make dinner like he had been for so long. That was the only thing Yami could think of, because Yami hadn't cared to even look at his hikari in God knew how long.
Yami growled, suddenly angry. This was all a joke. He'd go into Yugi's room and find him there –.
Oh yes. He slept in Yugi's room now.
Well, then, he'd go downstairs to the den and see Yugi sleeping, wake him up and punish him for pulling a stunt like that.
~*~*~
Jonouchi yawned, making his way to his room tiredly. He'd been so close to defeating Kaiba. So close! And he'd STILL lost! Life just wasn't fair.
He sighed, flopping down on his bed and turning over, looking at the framed pictures he'd arranged on the shelf just above his bed.
There was one of the whole group together. He noticed that he was giving Seto the bunny ears, and grinned. Seto had been very angry that he'd done that, but had laughed afterwards.
His little sister and Otogi. They made quite a cute couple, even though Jou was still a little sore at Otogi for the whole Dungeon Dice Monsters thing. Otogi had given him the dog suit for his birthday as a joke, he remembered. He laughed just thinking about it.
Yami and Seto, looking quite amusedly at the camera. Jou had popped up behind Honda (who was taking the picture) with a sign that said, "Hope that his hair doesn't hurt the camera," making it hard for the two usually-serious teens to keep straight faces.
Seto and Mokuba. Mokuba was so cute; Jou wished he had him for a little brother.
Honda, Anzu, Otogi and Yami. Jou had taken the picture, and Seto hadn't wanted to be in it.
His class picture, taken in June. Freshman class picture. It was hard to believe they were all sophomores.
He caught sight of a small frame hiding behind the class picture. 'What's in that picture,' he wondered, pulling the picture out and looking at it.
It was so dusty that he sneezed looking at it. He had to take a tissue and wipe it all off before he could even see the picture. His eyes widened.
It was a picture of him. He was standing next to a small, shy-looking boy with wild tri-color hair that was very similar to Yami's. They wore identical smiles and flashed peace signs to the camera.
'Yugi...' he thought in amazement. What had ever happened to him? Was he even at school anymore?
He took down the class picture, scrutinizing it closely. One shock of tri-colored hair...nope, that was Yami.
Ah, there it was. Second row, on the end, almost invisible. Yugi.
Jou squinted at the tiny head, wondering why there were dark spots on his face. It took him a second to realize that they were bruises.
He hadn't noticed that Yugi was getting hurt again.
Hell, he hadn't noticed that Yugi was there at all.
It puzzled him that both of them were there. He'd just assumed that Yugi had just let Yami take over. He had forgotten that they'd actually separated.
Tomorrow, he'd make an effort to find Yugi and ask what was up. Yeah. That sounded good.
Jonouchi put the pictures back on the shelf, unconsciously putting the one of him and Yugi behind the class picture again. Then he went to bed.
~*~*~
Yami flopped back onto his bed, glaring at the boom box in front of him.
Yugi was nowhere to be found.
So, it wasn't some weird joke.
I have to leave, Yami. I can't keep going on like this.
Why ever not? Yami had stopped hitting him months ago. He picked up the letter once more, looking for answers.
At least when you'd hit me, you acknowledged my existence.
I haven't had anyone to talk to at all for so long, I've forgotten what my own voice sounds like.
Am I that burdensome and insignificant?
Yami frowned. Yugi would have rather had Yami hurt him than ignore him? How did that make sense?
Knowing you, you probably didn't listen to the song. Listen to it.
Fulfill my last request.
'Hmph,' Yami thought, annoyed. 'Last request, indeed.' He sighed, looking at the boom box.
It couldn't hurt to try.
He flicked on the boom box. And skipped to track five.
A haunting melody filled the air that made Yami freeze and do nothing but listen.
Please, please forgive me,
But I won't be home again.
Maybe someday you'll look up,
Barely conscious you'll say to no one,
"Isn't something missing?"
You won't cry for my absence, I know
You forgot me long ago.
Am I that unimportant?
Am I so insignificant?
Isn't something missing?
Isn't someone missing me?
Even though I'm the sacrifice,
You won't try for me, not now.
Though I'd die to know you love me,
I'm all alone.
Isn't someone missing me?
Please, please forgive me,
But I won't be home again.
I know what you do to yourself,
I breathe deep and cry out,
Isn't something missing?
Isn't someone missing me?
Even though I'm the sacrifice,
You won't try for me, not now,
Though I'd die to know you love me,
I'm all alone...
Isn't someone missing me?
And if I bleed, I'll bleed,
Knowing you don't care.
And if I sleep just to dream of you
And wake without you there,
Isn't something missing?
Isn't something...
Even though I'm the sacrifice,
You won't try for me, not now.
Though I'd die to know you love me,
I'm all alone.
Isn't something missing?
Isn't someone missing me?
Yami was slack-jawed by the end of the song. The power behind the song, the raw emotion...if he was anyone else, he would have cried. The hopeless tone of the song, the beautiful singer, the sad lyrics...a wonderful masterpiece, to be sure.
And Yugi had submitted the lyrics for it?
He'd said it described his feelings very accurately.
Yami had, after all, barely even acknowledged his existence for a year...and had abused him a year before that.
And now, Yugi had fled.
Yami, honestly, didn't know what to do. He wasn't overly miserable because his hikari was gone.
He definitely wasn't happy about it, though.
He decided to think about it in the morning, when his mind was fresh. Maybe he'd ask Seto about it.
Yami slept restlessly that night, the haunting melody of the song floating all through his dreams.
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Okay...I might turn this into a fic. I had intended it to be a one-shot...but that's what happens when the story writes itself lol. I had intended it to be all in Yugi's and Yami's perspectives...yeah...
R/R please! Thanks!