"Are you going to just lie there all day?" Yami asked me, irritated.
I picked up his pillow and hugged it close to me. "I need to just relax," I whispered.
"Relax? The great Seto Kaiba is TAKING A DAY OFF? My god, it's like his brother died! Wait, he DID! So unlike a normal person, he's pouting in bed instead of arranging the godamn funeral!"
"SHUT UP!" I screamed. "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!" I jumped out of the bed. "What would you know? It's not like the pharaoh of Egypt would know how to care about someone! Here you are, taking over someone's room because something 'didn't work out.'"
"You have no idea what you're talking about," Yami warned.
"Don't I? Do you CARE about Yugi?"
"Of course I do!"
"As much as I loved Mokuba?"
"Yes!"
"I doubt it. Loving someone like that takes complete selflessness. It doesn't MATTER how you feel as long as they're safe and HAPPY! Well now, he's DEAD. My life is dead! There's no fucking reason to live now, Yami. He's gone. All fucking gone and you expect what from me? To be the damn prick I was forced to desensitize myself to be a 16-year-old CEO?! It's a ruthless world, Yami. I was SIXTEEN! Don't you tell me that I'm not normal. How would you like to pick out the damn casket and flowers and gravestone for your only living relative and friend in the whole world now that he's gone?! Don't tell me what to do, Yami."
Yami backed away from me. "I'm so sorry, Kaiba, I--"
Yugi peeked in. "Is everything okay?" he whispered.
I fell to my knees and buried my face in my hands, sobbing.
Yugi looked from Yami to me several times. "Yami, what did you do?"
"*Nothing,*" he said witheringly. "Not my fault he's so damn sensitive."
"Of course he is, Yami! His brother just died."
"It's been a day," he said lamely, kicking at the carpet. "Get over it all ready."
Yugi gapped at him. "I never knew you were so cruel, Yami."
I looked up at them. Yami stared at Yugi like he was about to Mind Crush him. Yugi's normally wide, innocent eyes were clouded over. Yami shook his head and pushed past him. Yugi sighed and came over to comfort me. "I'm sorry, Kaiba. He's been different since...since..."
"Since what?" I whispered, curiously. I needed distraction.
Yugi stopped looking at me. "Since some things happened. It's not a big deal."
I didn't believe him. Yami and Yugi used to be (annoyingly and literally) inseparable. Speaking of which... "How did you two separate anyway?"
"A riff in between the Millennium Items. Something split us and gave him a semi-body. He's kinda a ghost/spirit still."
"He's not very nice anymore. He was nice even to me before. Now he's being so rude to you--"
"Please stop, Kaiba-kun," he whispered.
"Please tell me what happened."
"No."
I gently began stroking his cheek. "Why not?"
"It's none of your business!" He stood up, knocking my hand away. "Who do you think you are? Prying into my business. That's what it is: My Business."
I looked down. "I didn't mean to make you angry. I think I should leave, Yugi-kun."
"No, please don't, Kaiba-chan," he whispered.
"'Chan?'" I whispered. I stood up on one knee, even to his height, studying him. "Why did you call me that?"
"Because you're my friend. Even if the feeling isn't mutual, I--"
I cut him off by hugging him close. "It is," I whispered into his hair. I leaned back a bit and cupped his face into my hands and gently pressed my lips against his. They seemed to fit perfect with each other. I expected Yugi to knock me away so I was surprised when Yugi wrapped his arms around my neck, pulling me closer. I suddenly broke from him, turning away. "I shouldn't... We need to stop."
Yugi blinked at me, his eyes full of hurt.
"Yugi...look...I'm sorry. Don't get offended, please. I just... Now's not a good time."
"When is?" he whispered.
Sometimes I forget he's my age. It's easy to think of him as old as Mokuba is. Was. Whatever. He's not just a little kid, no matter how innocent he looks. "Look, Yugi, I'm..." My voice soften, "I have a headache. Can we...after the funeral...we'll talk then...okay?"
Yugi blinked, and nodded. "Do you have to... Do you want me to..." He sighed. "Do you need any help with the funeral arrangements?"
I chewed on my lower lip. "Yes, thank you." I took Yugi into my arms again and held him close. "Arigoto, thank you. You've been more than nice, Yugi-ch-chan." I stumbled on the syllable. It felt weird saying. "Chan..." I murmured. "Yes. Yes, thank you."
~~~
We kept the funeral small. I didn't need more reporters than who were already following me. We kept it simple and had him cremated. It was very matter-of-fact, though I wasn't cold. When people offered their condolence, I took it and thanked it, even Jounochi's.
When I was handed the urn, I nearly dropped it, so Yugi took it. I was a bit surprised and hurried from the room. Later, he found me, huddled up on his--excuse me, *Yami's*--bed, rocking back and forth, murmuring to myself. He climbed up on the bed and leaned his head against my arm. His hand went over mine gently, softly stroking it. "It's okay, Kaiba-chan," he murmured.
"Yugi?" I whispered, turning my hand over, taking his in mine.
"Hai?"
"Th-thank you." I pulled him gently into a kiss. He didn't protest as my other hand slowly trailed down his back. I wrapped my arm around the small of his back, pulling him closer.
He suddenly pulled away and bolted from the room. I stared at where he had been only second earlier and sighed. Was I really that appalling? I thought. I must have been. Maybe he was only trying to be nice, I thought. I couldn't believe it. How stupid I had been.
~~~
I picked up his pillow and hugged it close to me. "I need to just relax," I whispered.
"Relax? The great Seto Kaiba is TAKING A DAY OFF? My god, it's like his brother died! Wait, he DID! So unlike a normal person, he's pouting in bed instead of arranging the godamn funeral!"
"SHUT UP!" I screamed. "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!" I jumped out of the bed. "What would you know? It's not like the pharaoh of Egypt would know how to care about someone! Here you are, taking over someone's room because something 'didn't work out.'"
"You have no idea what you're talking about," Yami warned.
"Don't I? Do you CARE about Yugi?"
"Of course I do!"
"As much as I loved Mokuba?"
"Yes!"
"I doubt it. Loving someone like that takes complete selflessness. It doesn't MATTER how you feel as long as they're safe and HAPPY! Well now, he's DEAD. My life is dead! There's no fucking reason to live now, Yami. He's gone. All fucking gone and you expect what from me? To be the damn prick I was forced to desensitize myself to be a 16-year-old CEO?! It's a ruthless world, Yami. I was SIXTEEN! Don't you tell me that I'm not normal. How would you like to pick out the damn casket and flowers and gravestone for your only living relative and friend in the whole world now that he's gone?! Don't tell me what to do, Yami."
Yami backed away from me. "I'm so sorry, Kaiba, I--"
Yugi peeked in. "Is everything okay?" he whispered.
I fell to my knees and buried my face in my hands, sobbing.
Yugi looked from Yami to me several times. "Yami, what did you do?"
"*Nothing,*" he said witheringly. "Not my fault he's so damn sensitive."
"Of course he is, Yami! His brother just died."
"It's been a day," he said lamely, kicking at the carpet. "Get over it all ready."
Yugi gapped at him. "I never knew you were so cruel, Yami."
I looked up at them. Yami stared at Yugi like he was about to Mind Crush him. Yugi's normally wide, innocent eyes were clouded over. Yami shook his head and pushed past him. Yugi sighed and came over to comfort me. "I'm sorry, Kaiba. He's been different since...since..."
"Since what?" I whispered, curiously. I needed distraction.
Yugi stopped looking at me. "Since some things happened. It's not a big deal."
I didn't believe him. Yami and Yugi used to be (annoyingly and literally) inseparable. Speaking of which... "How did you two separate anyway?"
"A riff in between the Millennium Items. Something split us and gave him a semi-body. He's kinda a ghost/spirit still."
"He's not very nice anymore. He was nice even to me before. Now he's being so rude to you--"
"Please stop, Kaiba-kun," he whispered.
"Please tell me what happened."
"No."
I gently began stroking his cheek. "Why not?"
"It's none of your business!" He stood up, knocking my hand away. "Who do you think you are? Prying into my business. That's what it is: My Business."
I looked down. "I didn't mean to make you angry. I think I should leave, Yugi-kun."
"No, please don't, Kaiba-chan," he whispered.
"'Chan?'" I whispered. I stood up on one knee, even to his height, studying him. "Why did you call me that?"
"Because you're my friend. Even if the feeling isn't mutual, I--"
I cut him off by hugging him close. "It is," I whispered into his hair. I leaned back a bit and cupped his face into my hands and gently pressed my lips against his. They seemed to fit perfect with each other. I expected Yugi to knock me away so I was surprised when Yugi wrapped his arms around my neck, pulling me closer. I suddenly broke from him, turning away. "I shouldn't... We need to stop."
Yugi blinked at me, his eyes full of hurt.
"Yugi...look...I'm sorry. Don't get offended, please. I just... Now's not a good time."
"When is?" he whispered.
Sometimes I forget he's my age. It's easy to think of him as old as Mokuba is. Was. Whatever. He's not just a little kid, no matter how innocent he looks. "Look, Yugi, I'm..." My voice soften, "I have a headache. Can we...after the funeral...we'll talk then...okay?"
Yugi blinked, and nodded. "Do you have to... Do you want me to..." He sighed. "Do you need any help with the funeral arrangements?"
I chewed on my lower lip. "Yes, thank you." I took Yugi into my arms again and held him close. "Arigoto, thank you. You've been more than nice, Yugi-ch-chan." I stumbled on the syllable. It felt weird saying. "Chan..." I murmured. "Yes. Yes, thank you."
~~~
We kept the funeral small. I didn't need more reporters than who were already following me. We kept it simple and had him cremated. It was very matter-of-fact, though I wasn't cold. When people offered their condolence, I took it and thanked it, even Jounochi's.
When I was handed the urn, I nearly dropped it, so Yugi took it. I was a bit surprised and hurried from the room. Later, he found me, huddled up on his--excuse me, *Yami's*--bed, rocking back and forth, murmuring to myself. He climbed up on the bed and leaned his head against my arm. His hand went over mine gently, softly stroking it. "It's okay, Kaiba-chan," he murmured.
"Yugi?" I whispered, turning my hand over, taking his in mine.
"Hai?"
"Th-thank you." I pulled him gently into a kiss. He didn't protest as my other hand slowly trailed down his back. I wrapped my arm around the small of his back, pulling him closer.
He suddenly pulled away and bolted from the room. I stared at where he had been only second earlier and sighed. Was I really that appalling? I thought. I must have been. Maybe he was only trying to be nice, I thought. I couldn't believe it. How stupid I had been.
~~~