Here is the next chapter of Haven. Sorry it took so long. I got back from Hong Kong barely a week ago, and the homework has been pilling up like crazy. And finals are the week after next. Enough said.
Well, Yami's here, as I promised. If you don't like Yami-angst, I don't know how much you'd like the story, but I invite you to try it first. If you've read my other stories, you might have already expected Yami-angst. Have I ever written a fic that doesn't toruture Yami? I don't think so...
Some of my formating got undone. The little marks around the dates are gone. Hopefully, no one'll get confused.
So. Enjoy this chapter!
I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!
November 2nd, 2045
"Do you think it'll hit today?" Ryou asked Yugi nervously. The two had become quick friends in the three days they had been living together. To the two boys, Joey, Téa and Tristan had proven to be likable. Marik was ok, but Malik and Bakura were always either fighting with each other, or alone some where. Seto was cold and distant. Mokuba was nice, though, almost completely opposite from his older brother. The child was also quite adorable.
"I dunno. You heard Kaiba-san. It may be months…" Yugi sighed. "I hate this suspense…"
"Me too." Ryou agreed. "I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here."
"Same to you." Yugi smiled, causing Ryou to grin back.
"LUNCH!" Marik poked his head out of the kitchen door. They had set up the Work and Duties Schedule. Surprising, Marik had volunteered for Cooking Duty.
"Alright!" Joey cheered, abandoning his foosball game with Tristan and speeding to the kitchen. "FOOD!"
Yugi giggled at the blonde's antics. He and Ryou headed off after Joey.
"Hey! This is actually good!" Tristan said, surprised, upon tasting the meal. The occupants of Haven had gathered around the dinner table.
"Of course it is! My sister taught me how to cook." Marik responded, looking pleased with himself.
"'s rowr 'f saim 'fa ee." Joey managed to say though a mouthful of food.
"Joey! Keep that mouth of yours closed when you're chewing!" Malik snapped. "It's disgusting!"
Joey swallowed. "Sorry. I said, 'it's all the same to me.'"
"Of course it is. You don't stop to taste." Seto sighed.
Ryou smiled, and Yugi hid a chuckle behind his hand.
"Anyway, take your share and no more, got it?" the CEO continued. "We need to make sure there's enough to last us throu-"
He was cut off as an unearthly BOOM rattled the place like an earthquake. The cups tumbled onto the floor, spilling juice all over. Several plates crashed. Yugi yelped, and threw himself sideways, grabbing Seto, who was already being squeezed by Mokuba on the other side. Ryou squeaked, and copied Yugi, turning to the person next to him – who just happened to be Bakura – and hugging him for comfort. Joey gulped, and launched himself under the table, curling up in the fetal position. Tristan gripped the table so hard his knuckles turned white. Téa grabbed Tristan's other hand and almost crushed it. And Marik unconsciously pressed up against Malik, staring around with wide eyes as the shelter shook and the ground trembled beneath their very feet.
How long they stayed like that, no one knew for sure. Gradually, the tremors slowed, and eventually stopped.
"Is it over?" Joey broke the silence that had settled, poking his head out form under the table.
"I think so." Though his calm voice didn't show it, Seto felt quite shaken up. "Yugi? It's over. Could you let go? I can't breathe."
"Ha…hai, Seto-san, I'm sorry…" the boy released the older teen, and adjusted himself on his seat nervously.
"Joey, come out, that's embarrassing." Tristan nudged the other with his foot. The blonde emerged reluctantly, as if expecting the trembling to start again any minute.
"Quit pressing against me, fool!" Malik snapped, shoving the shorter boy away.
"You pressed against me!" Marik growled back.
"Ryou?" Bakura said in a strangely calm voice.
"Yes?" the younger boy's voice was muffled.
"Get off. Now."
Ryou suddenly seemed to realize what he was doing, and sprang backwards, face red. "S-s-sorry!"
"Big brother, was that…Demon?"
"Yes." Seto rubbed his forehead. "It's done. Don't any of you even think about going outside! The radiation will be…unimaginable. And the destruction…" the teen trailed off, a faraway look coming into his eyes, before, snapping back to attention. "Let's clean up."
November 5th, 2045
"Where're Ryou and Yugi?!"
The people in the living room looked up as Seto burst in.
"What's wrong?" Joey asked.
"Those two are gone." Seto snapped. "Where the hell are they?!"
"I don't know!" the teen shook his head. "Why are you asking me?!"
"You're their best friend here." Seto growled. "There is no way – no way – they could have gone off without anyone's noticing. WHERE ARE THEY?!"
"Joey, just tell him." Bakura rolled his eyes. "It's not as if he won't figure it out sooner or later."
The blonde stared at the CEO defiantly. "They went outside."
"They what?" Seto hissed in a deadly voice.
"You heard him. The kids went outside. Wanted to check for survivors, or something like that. We tried to stop them." Bakura shrugged. "Seems they can be stubborn when they want to be."
"YOU SHOULD HAVE HELD THEM BACK PHYSICALLY, DAMMIT!" the CEO screamed. "THEY ARE TWO OF THE ONLY LIVING PEOPLE IN ALL OF DOMINO RIGHT NOW! IF THEY DIE-"
"Hey guys? Could one of you help us?"
"Ryou!" Joey cried happily, springing up and tearing off towards the stairs from where Ryou's voice had floated down. "Yugi! You're back!"
"Stay away from them!" Seto roared, stopping the shorter boy dead.
"Why?!?"
"They're radioactive! The radiation cannot possibly have even begun to settle down out there! RYOU! YUGI! GET OUT!"
"NO!" Yugi snapped back from the stairs. "Seto, the radiation will not settle for years. When we leave, it'll still be there. We can't escape it. We've been out there only for a short period of time. What damage can we possibly do?!"
"You disobeyed the law of Haven! You can't come back-"
"Shut up, Kaiba." Bakura stepped in. "Let the kids back. He's right, we'll all be affected by the radiation sooner of later. Small amounts can't hurt us that badly."
"You…you…"
"Joey, go help him with whatever he needs help with." Bakura commanded with a flick of the wrist. The boy hurried to obey.
However, the moment he reached the bottom of the stairs and looked up, he stumbled backwards with a squeak.
"What's the matter?" Tristan frowned.
"R-Ryou…w-what…?" the blonde stuttered.
"Come on, he's still alive. Help me, ok?"
"Excuse me?" Seto jumped in again. "Ohhh, no. We can't take another person, especially if he's injured!"
"Shut your trap!" The thief lashed out. "Before I shut it for you!" he stood up abruptly, and headed towards the steps leading up to the main door. Brushing past Joey, whose eyes were wide and staring, he stalked up the stairs. A moment later, he reappeared, with Ryou and Yugi right behind him.
"Oh my…" Téa gasped.
Bakura carried a teen in his arms. The boy looked to be around fifteen or so. He was bloody from head to toe; deep gashes ran across his flesh, and cuts were every where that could possibly be cut. His hair was mattered and stiff with dried blood. His clothes were torn, and he was a mess of broken bones. The teen was, not surprisingly, unconscious.
"We can't take him in!" Seto cried, waving his arms around emphatically.
"We can't turn him back out!" Ryou returned, glaring.
"Yes, we can!"
"No, we can't." Yugi backed Ryou up.
"We can't take care of him! We don't have enough food!"
"I'll take care of him, Seto Kaiba! He can share my food. He can share my bed, my clothes, whatever! I will not – and I repeat, I WILL NOT – leave a human being out there to die!" Yugi screamed.
"Yeah!" Ryou placed his hips, scowling at the CEO. "I can't just let you kill him!"
Bakura stood motionlessly, the bloody teen in his arms.
"This is crazy…unreasonable…" Seto was starting to falter.
"I'll help ya, Yug, Ryou." Joey smiled sadly. "You're right, I can't let someone die if there's a chance he'll survive."
"Count me in." Téa added. Tristan nodded in agreement.
"I couldn't care less, but you stay away from my stuff!" Malik folded his arms.
Marik snorted. "I can't say I'm ecstatic about his presence, but…I can't turn him out either. He can stay."
"But…" Seto looked around helplessly. He didn't like being overruled.
"Let it go, Big Brother." Mokuba placed a hand on the elder's arm. "I won't let you turn him out, either. This is Haven. Anyone who comes in won't be cast back outside."
The young CEO stood speechless for a moment, before opening his mouth: "All I can say is I will not spare any extra supplies for him, and that's final." Spinning around, he stormed back towards his room.
"He'll see straight soon." Mokuba shook his head. "He's just used to being in control. I'll grab a blanket. Tristan, get a fire started. We need to make this place as warm as possible."
Tristan nodded, and hurried to carry the order out.
November 7th, 2045
"Ryou?"
The teen looked up at the sound of his name. "Hello, Yugi."
"Ryou, you should sleep. I'll take over." The smaller boy looked worriedly at his friend.
The teen gave a tired smile. "Thanks. You'll be ok?"
"Yeah. Get to bed."
Yugi settled down next to the still figure laid out in front of the steadily blazing fire.
They had gotten him cleaned up. Interestingly, his hair had turned out to be quite like Yugi's: multicolored. Mainly black, tipped with crimson and streaked here and there with gold. His golden bangs flopped over his closed eyes.
Téa, who had taken First Aid in school, had been helpful in setting his broken bones straight. She hadn't been able to tell if he would survive, or make a full recovery. It was a great relief that he made it through these past two nights.
They had learned his name: "Yami." This was discovered when Bakura found a wallet in the pocket of the boy's torn jeans, which since then had, like his shirt, been disposed of. He now wore one of Ryou's spare tee-shirts and a pair of Yugi's pants. The clothes of the others had been too big. Mokuba's had been too small.
Yugi sighed, brushing away the golden bangs absentmindedly form the boy's face. "I wish you would wake up." He whispered softly. He had gotten attached, strange as it may sound, to an unconscious boy he had never spoken to.
It was two in the morning. Yugi had gone to bed at eleven. Yawning, he laid his head against the wall, watching Yami through half closed eyes.
He looks like an angel. The thought flitted briefly through his mind, and he giggled at the thought. He could see where it had come from. Even with all the cuts and bruises, Yami really was quite handsome…
He drifted off to sleep, unable to stay awake any longer.
Bakura watched as Ryou entered the room, unaware of the eyes upon him. He watched the smaller boy climb into bed, and heard his breathing slow almost immediately.
The thief shook his head. He couldn't understand why the boy was so involved with trying to save a stranger…
Or didn't he? Once, long before, he had exhausted himself trying to save the life of a stray dog he had found…was this the same?
Stranger still, he had found himself becoming concerned with the strange teen's – Yami's – well-being. And Ryou's, now that he thought about it. That wasn't normal. He was never concerned about anyone…
…at least, he didn't use to…
When the time the sun rose, Bakura was still pondering the unfamiliar feelings he now felt within him.
November 17th, 2045
It's been almost two weeks. Ryou thought despairingly, upon going to bed that night. Bakura had, in an uncharacteristic act of friendship, offered to relief Ryou of his watch that night.
What is he never wakes up? Ryou sighed, snuggling under his covers. What if he just lies there forever and ever?
What if he dies after all this?
What if…what if…what if……
Although he didn't know it, Yugi was having almost identical thoughts as his friend in the room down the hall. He was, however, a little more optimistic: If he doesn't die, there's till a chance. I just have to keep believing…
Just keep believing…
"Fool."
Bakura stared at the unconscious form with a mix of frustration and sadness.
"Can't you see you're eating them away? They tried so hard for you. And all you do is lie there. Wake up, won't you?!"
The figure didn't move.
Bakura sighed. "Won't you wake up?"
There was no response. He hadn't really expected any. After so long…
"Damn you…"
He paused, and thought it over.
"Alright, so I take that back. I don't damn you. I just wish you'd wake up. For their sake."
What happened next could have been pure coincidence. Or perhaps Fate really did play a hand…
There came a soft moan, and Yami shifted slightly. Which was not exactly a wise move. His wounds were not healed, and the movement sent jolts of pain shooting through his thin form, making him cry out, and snap his eyes open.
Bakura jumped. "What the…"
Yami trembled, instinctively trying to sit up. The result was a dizzying wave of agony that almost knock him out cold. Again.
Bakura quickly recovered from his shock. "Hey, hey! Calm down, kid, before you reopen your wounds!"
Yami snapped his head harshly towards the strange voice. That was just about all his body could take, and he sprawled back onto the blanket his had been lying on, panting. "Who…who are…?" his voice was strained and hoarse, and laced with pain.
"Calm down, ok? If I wanted to kill you, I'd have done so long ago. You've been out for two weeks."
"I…have? I don't…what happened?"
"Demon took the city out. You're in Haven, the nuclear fallout shelter built by KaibaCorp. Two occupants name Ryou and Yugi found you, after disobeying the top man here and leaving the shelter. You ought to be grateful to them for being alive at all."
Yami shivered, and tried to turn. He fell back with a muffled cry.
"Stay still. You'll just hurt yourself more." Bakura snapped. But despite his cold voice, his hands, when they touch Yami's skin, were gentle. He lifted the boy up, despite the brief and feeble protest, and settled the smaller teen in a more comfortable position, closer to the warmth of the fire.
"But…who…are you?" Yami whispered, not having the energy to talk any louder. Besides, talking hurt.
"The name's Bakura, kid. You're Yami, right? We found your wallet. How old are you?"
"Fifteen."
"Really? You look older. I'd ask you more, but you really should rest. Go to sleep."
"Why…is it…so warm?" Yami asked tiredly, already drifting off.
"Why? You're right next to a fire, fool. Can't you see it? It's red and bright as the sun."
"I…it's all…black…" the younger boy whispered, sounding scared. "There's no light…no…nothing. I can't see you…I can't see the fire…I can't…"
He suddenly seemed to realize what he was saying, and froze.
Bakura stared. There had been damage done to his face…was it close enough to the eyes? Could he be…blind?
"Hold still." The thief commanded. "I'm coming over." He knelt next to the shivering teen, and lifted his head up gently.
Yami's eyes were open, and Bakura saw with surprise that they were crimson. But he could see that they weren't functioning properly. They wouldn't focus on anything. Bakura didn't see any significant cuts…just light scratches here and there. Could that blind a person? Maybe there was still a chance. He knew, though, that Yami could've been blinded by some other means. A bright flash could've done it, right?
"Can you see me at all?" the white-haired teen asked softly.
"No." Yami whimpered. "I can't see anything. It's…black. All black…"
Bakura sighed, and laid him back down on the pillow. "Maybe it'll all work out tomorrow, when you've gotten your rest. Go back to sleep, kid."
"Ma…may I have some water?" the boy asked, sounding drained.
"Sure. Hold on." He padded from the room, and returned shortly. "Don't move, remember. I'll come to you."
Drinking was a bit of a problem. Half the water spilled down onto the blankets. In the end, through, Yami laid back down, his thirst satisfied.
Bakura wiped his hands. "Sleep. I'll be right here."
"Thanks, 'Kura-kun." Yami mumbled, quickly drifting off.
Bakura blinked when he realized the younger boy had just given him a new nickname. And added "–kun" at the end.
He tried not to show it, but inside, he felt pleased.
The next day was Sunday. That was when they all slept in until at least noon. Ryou, however, was a relatively early riser. When he entered the living room the next day, it was almost ten. To his surprise, he wasn't the first one up.
Bakura sat on the floor, Yami partly on his lap. He was trying to get some breakfast into the boy, who had woken up an hour ago. Yami wasn't being exactly cooperative. He had insisted that he wasn't hungry. Bakura had refused to let him go without food, citing health reasons. When Ryou walked in, he caught Bakura in the middle of a sentence, which ended with: "…not poisonous, for goodness sake!"
"You're awake!" the smaller white-haired teen cried in delighted surprise.
Yami jerked, and would've tumbled off had Bakura not grabbed him. "Calm yourself. That's Ryou. He won't hurt you."
Ryou grinned happily, almost bouncing over to them. "Wow, I thought you'd never wake up! How're you feeling? Will you be alright?"
"Ryou, lay off him." Bakura rolled his eyes. "You may just smother him."
Yami gave a tiny smile. "I've been better." His voice was still weary, but already sounding better than it had the night before. "This guy keeps insisting on force feeding me."
Ryou laughed, relief flooding him. If he could crack jokes, then surely, he would be ok. "You do need to eat, you know."
"Not you, too." Yami groaned, and shook his head. At least, he started to. He quickly stopped with a wince.
"Just eat, boy." Reluctantly, Yami opened his mouth and accepted a spoonful of soup.
"So, any major problems?" Ryou sat down on the floor, watching as Yami swallowed.
The two paused at this, and an uncomfortable silence fell.
"What's wrong?" Ryou asked, immediately concerned.
"Um…well…I…uh…" Yami fumbled, trying to find the right words.
"Ryou, he's blind." Bakura said bluntly, but quietly. "He's completely blind."
Yami clenched his hands, turning slightly away from where he knew Ryou to be.
The teen blinked. "What?" he asked unbelievingly.
"I don't know why. It's just…he can't see at all." Bakura shrugged slightly, unconsciously avoiding Ryou's shocked gaze.
"Oh…" Ryou winced. "Oh, Yami, I'm so sorry."
"'s not your fault." The shorter boy muttered.
"Damn right it's not. And don't you go thinking it's your own fault, either, though where you'd get such an idea is beyond me. If anyone's to be blamed for this, it's Demon." Bakura hissed savagely. "Now eat, before I shove it down your throat!"
Yami meekly obeyed, and opened his mouth, letting Bakura put the spoon in.
"It'll be ok, Yami. We're all here to help you. Heck, millions of people out there are blind. You'll be fine." Ryou said, trying for the younger teen's sake to sound cheerful.
All Yami offered was a small smile. Painful experience had already taught him not to move any more than was necessary.
"I dunno, Ryou." Bakura looked straight into his roommate's chocolate brown eyes. "And Yami, you might as well hear it now. Kaiba won't like this at all, and overall, he's got quite a bit of power among us, whether we like it or not. He already didn't like us bringing someone else in. How's he going to react when he finds out that Yami's seriously handicapped, on top of everything else?"
Ryou scowled. "We have Mokuba. I don't care; Yami's staying, no matter what that rich jerk says."
"If you say so." Bakura shrugged, having voiced his opinion. "Open wide, boy."
Yami scowled, but complied.
It took a while, but finally, the bowl of soup was gone. Yami laid wearily back down, and winced at the pain that the movement caused. Bakura went to put the bowl in the sink. It was Joey's turn for dishes.
"So, Yami, what's your story?" Ryou asked curiously.
"Well…I'm a runaway." The teen grinned sheepishly. "I ran away from the home the government shoved me in after they caught me on the streets. I hated it there. I've been leaving off what I can find since."
"Stealing, you mean."
"Basically, yes. I prefer the term 'borrowing'."
"You and Bakura would get along well."
"I don't call it borrowing." Bakura protested, coming back. "It's stealing, and I'm proud of it."
"Figures."
"Hey, why are you guys awake already?" Marik asked, padding in, rubbing his eyes. "Isn't it Sunday?"
"Well, yes. But…"
"Who is it?" Yami whispered to Bakura. Not softly enough, apparently, because Marik heard him.
"You're awake?" the blonde came over, a smile tugging at his lips. He scowled dawn at the boy on the floor. "Damn, took you sweet time, didn't you."
"Shut up, you." Bakura ordered. "Yami, this is Marik. If you hear a rude an annoying voice, that's him."
"Nice to meetcha." Marik gave a mock bow.
"Marik?" Ryou tugged on the other boy's sleeve.
"What?"
"You might as well know. Yami's blind. So you can stop mocking him."
There was a pause; Yami's face became a bit flushed. Marik just stared for a moment, while his brain processed this piece of information.
Then he cleared his throat. "Well, well, well. We all have our weaknesses, huh? I'm going for breakfast." And with that said, he left.
Look! I found another way to make Yami's life miserable!
How was it?
Review, and let me know! Thanks!