Smile
Part Two
by Lethe
Chapter Twenty-one: Yet I Shall Still Hold You
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Whoo! Subplot twistage! ^_^ Don't worry, Jou and Seto will definitely be in the next chapter.
Jou: But I'm the star! I have to be in this chapter too!
Seto: Quit whining…
Jou: I'm not whining.
Seto: Yes, you are.
Jou: Am not!
Seto: Are t- oh, I'm not getting into this… Yugi's made me too tired…
Jou: (suspiciously) What did you two do last night?
Seto: (blushes) Wh-wha?!
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Mokuba tossed and turned. He couldn't sleep.
Maybe I should have listened to my big brother and not had so much sugar…
But it was so yummy…
Yugi was sleeping already. At least he didn't snore, although every now and then he began mumbling. Mokuba had even heard some of the words, but they didn't go together – dark, cards, safe. Kaiba, eye, stop. Sometimes he looked like he was having a normal dream, sometimes like he was talking to somebody, and then once – this had really scared him – Yugi had started moaning and crying quietly. Mokuba had gotten out of bed to shake him awake, and Yugi hadn't wanted to talk about it.
"You're too young."
As if! Mokuba grinned in the dark. He had heard Seto dreaming a ton of times, and every time he had known exactly what Seto was dreaming about. 'Oh, Jou! Not there! Mm! Oh!' If Mokuba was too young, then Yugi's grandpa was a college kid.
Mokuba himself wasn't like that, though – nowhere close. As a matter of fact, he had a small crush on someone, but it didn't matter. Right now, his brother and friends were all the companionship he needed and he intended to keep it that way for a while, even if he thought some questionable things – who could blame him? – occasionally. Mokuba wondered if Honda or maybe Shizuka were like Jou and Seto in that regard, but then decided not to even ponder the subject.
College was coming soon for Seto's new friends. He and Mokuba would be able to spend more time together when Jou was gone, but Mokuba wasn't about to jump for joy – Seto would be sad. Mokuba was never happy when Seto was sad, but Seto would get over it! He didn't have his own helicopter for nothing, right?
Yugi stirred, and Mokuba was snapped out of his reverie. He was mumbling again. "Yami?"
Hey! That means darkness! thought Mokuba proudly. I'm good.
"Yes, Aibou? Why are… here?"
Ooh, this is getting interesting. Mokuba could almost hear both sides of the conversation for once, even though Yugi was speaking really quietly.
"You've been… blocking… mind from… lately…"
"…Yugi…"
--
Fog swirled in undercurrents past Yugi's ankles as his footsteps resounded off of the cracked stone path. He turned to knock on the large metal door. "Yami?" said Yugi tiredly.
A translucent image formed next to Yugi. "Yes, Aibou? Why are you here?"
"I, uh, had a question."
"Shoot," said Yami lightly.
"You've been blocking parts of your mind from me, lately," he said. "Why?"
"…Yugi…" said Yami. He looked away. "I don't think I can tell you that."
"You mean… you are?" said Yugi. He couldn't stop some of the hurt from filtering into his voice.
Yami swept Yugi into a tight, platonic embrace, and Yugi could feel Yami's chest heaving, as though he were sobbing. But, no, he had no reason to… did he? "I'm sorry, Yugi…" said Yami. "You wouldn't want to know."
"I asked, didn't I?" said Yugi confusedly.
Yami pulled away, holding Yugi's shoulders, and examined the boy's face. "The answer would hurt you. There's nothing you can do about it anyway, and I wouldn't want to burden you with the knowledge…"
"I swear I won't do anything stupid," said Yugi solemnly. "I'll try to help if I can, though."
Yami smiled. "You can't."
Yugi's eyes showed his pain. "Why not? Can't you at least hint to me? Try?"
Yami took Yugi's right hand and placed it to his chest. "It has to do with my feelings. The one I love, though, is already taken. And so…"
Yugi was shocked. "You like Anzu, don't you! And all this time, I…!" Tears spilled over his cheeks. He hated being so sensitive – and yet, insensitive. How could he not have noticed…
"No-" Yami began to protest, but Yugi had awoken.
--
Yugi blinked his eyes open. "Wha…?"
"Are you all right?" said Mokuba worriedly. "You were crying in your sleep!"
"I'm… fine," said Yugi. His eyebrows drew into a frown. "Fine. Why aren't you asleep?"
Mokuba grinned sheepishly and sat on Yugi's bed. "I, uh, can't sleep. I had too much sugar after dinner."
Yugi laughed. "Well, you have to try, all right?"
"I did!"
"Well, then, what do you say we do? It's not like I'll be able to get to sleep now." Not after that dream… poor Yami… What could he possibly do?
Mokuba beamed, his childish smile able to make even the depressed Yugi cheer up slightly. "Let's play ping-pong!"
"All right!"