Hello Readers! Welcome to chyaputa four! I got 14 more reviews for a total of 24! HELL YEAH! That's twice as much as last chapter! To continue this trend, all of you have to review again and suggest this story to a friend.
But of course as long as people are reading my story I don't actually care how many reviews I get. YAY! I love you all!
I won't lie to you; I originally named this chapter "It Needs to Happen" because it really does need to happen, the chapter does I mean. But I called it something else in the end.
I was also thinking of "Return of the Drunken Ryou" but you know Bakura would have beat the living shit out of me, and he's not really drunk in this chapter. I mean (cough, cough) not that Ryou is coming back in this chapter or anything.
That's enough talking… You want to read this chapter, don't you?
For reminder this is NOT AN ANZU/YUGI FIC! IT IS A YUGI/YAMI FIC, GOT IT! With some R/M and R/B on the side, yum.
THIS IS SHOUNEN AI, YAOI OTHER WISE KNOWN AS SLASH, GUY ON GUY, HOMOSEXUAL LOVE, OKAY? If you have a problem with that then DON'T READ!
This fic is rated for language, slight gruesome/blood/un-pretty-things-ness (other wise known as the thoughts in Anzu's head which are scary and we won't go there), some sexual stuff but no lemons.
Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh, if I did the show would be a lot different, and there would a lot more of Ryou and Bakura because they're the best freaking awesome people EVER!
I also do not own Our Lady Peace lyrics, which you will find scattered randomly throughout this fic because they're freaking awesome.
This chapter was brought to you by: Orange Juice, the nectar of the gods! ORANGE JUICE OWNS YOUR SOUL!
NOW READ!
And enjoy.
Chyaputa 4: Starving for Solitude
A practically loud and low growl echoed from the insides of Yugi's gut. He placed a hand over the spot, his face crumpling with the pain. Yugi was hungry, really, really hungry. He hadn't eaten since the breakfast the day before, the same morning he and Anzu had fought.
But he wasn't coming out. He'd starve before he'd come out or let her in. He really hadn't cared where Anzu had slept the previous night, on the cold hard floor he hoped. Although Atemu might have given her the couch, he the sort of person who would do that. As long as she hadn't slept with him...
Yugi's stomach groaned again at this horrible sick image. Yugi leaned up against the window fame inside the window seat.
'No, I'm not coming out,' he ordered himself. 'No matter how hungry I get.' Another growl. Yugi fell over onto his stomach with a small, frustrated wail.
There was a knock at the door. Yugi sprung back up into a sitting position.
"Go away! I said, I'm not coming out and I won't!" Yugi cried. His stomach groaned loudly.
"Yugi, its your other half," Atemu called through the door. Yugi's spirits lightened and then fell again. Was this a trick of Anzu's? What if she had asked him to persuade Yugi to open the door? No, Atemu wouldn't do that to him. "Anzu went to get groceries. Let me in, I have food." Yugi's ears twitched. Without a second thought, he jumped up and rushed to the door, eager fingers fumbling with the lock.
The door opened and, just as Atemu had said, Anzu was not there. Yugi snatched the bread from his hands and stuffed the whole thing into his mouth greedily. His darker side tried and failed to hide his chuckle of amusement. After a few seconds Yugi forced the dry bread down his throat.
"Did you have anything to drink?" Yugi asked, voice raspy with lack of liquids. Atemu pulled a can of orange juice out of his pocket. Yugi's eyes lit up in appreciation. "You're a god,' he gasped between gulps of juice. Atemu waved the complement aside.
"Aibou… when are you going to come out?" Atemu asked sitting down on the bed. Yugi sat next to him.
"When she apologizes," he said firmly.
"Apologizes for what?" Atemu asked. Yugi thought back to the day before.
"She said I didn't care about you, and that I didn't care that you were back and that I was insensitive and completely unsupportive to your feelings and-"
"Ok, ok, I get it," Atemu said. To Yugi's surprise, Atemu looked almost as depressed as Yugi had felt yesterday.
"Atemu, what's wrong?" Yugi asked, tossing aside the empty can and grabbing and opening a bag of potato chips Atemu had also brought in. Atemu looked at him side ways uncertainly, his fingers curling and uncurling around his hands.
"…Do you wish that I had never come back…?" he asked hesitantly.
"No!" Yugi cried, with so much enthusiasm Atemu almost jumped back in surprise. "I would never think that! What's happening between me and Anzu has nothing to do with you!"
"But…it sounds like you two were fighting about me… sort of." Yugi hesitated.
"Anzu and I had… problems before you came around, believe me," Yugi insisted putting his hand on Atemu's shoulder. "We- I would never think that of you! Never!" Atemu stared at the hand resting on his shoulder, eyes wide and slightly dazed.
"Then… what were you two fighting about?" Atemu asked, his tense fame finally relaxing. Yugi frowned in thought.
"Its… hard to explain…" Yugi said awkwardly. Atemu blinked then saw Yugi wasn't going to go any further and dropped the subject, remaining silent. "Have you ever felt like your being replaced?" Yugi asked curiously after a few moments. "Like people are pretending that you're someone else?" Atemu looked puzzled, scratching his head.
"No, not really," Atemu admitted. He turned to face Yugi, eyes concerned. "Why do you asked?" Yugi shrugged.
"There are just sometimes when I'm with Anzu that I don't feel…" he paused searching for a word. "… whole. Like every second I'm with her she expects me to do something or act like someone I'm not. Like when she's talking to me, she'll look over me as if she were talking to someone else…" Yugi hesitated again, looking up to see a reaction in Atemu expression, but the darker side's face hadn't changed from its thoughtful blankness. "I know this sounds weird, I don't know why I'm even telling you…" Yugi stammered regretfully.
"No, its okay," Atemu reassured him. "I don't mind." Yugi shifted his weight on the bed. The mattress underneath him creaked uncomfortably.
Yugi found his back up against Atemu's side. The solid support felt comforting. There was a short intake of breath behind him and a sudden wary stillness to the room but Atemu didn't say anything so Yugi hoped it was okay.
"It seems so stupid every time I think of it. Like when I put an arm around her shoulder, am I just an arm to her? Or am I just something to hold, like a… a stuffed animal or something…" Atemu snorted at this sudden break of seriousness, vibrations of his action crawling up Yugi's cold spine. Yugi turned up to glare at him. "I told you it's hard to explain," he muttered self-consciously. Atemu grinned apologetically, patting Yugi on the back.
"And I understand that," he answered, red eyes glowing. Yugi looked away. Atemu's soothing hand went still and lay across Yugi's back, holding him in place.
"I guess what I'm trying to say is that argument was just a result of that… feeling. I don't know maybe I'm imagining things…"
Yugi's voice died away, silence replaced sound in the small room. It had seemed like such a simple gesture at the time, resting his back against Atemu, but now the weight of Atemu's arm seemed to be the only thing that was important. Yugi couldn't help but think about how he would really like to put aching head on Atemu's shoulder. Would that be too weird? Yugi thought it would be, he ignored that craving.
More silence followed. Atemu shifted position, Yugi felt his motion underneath his clothes. Yugi's chest felt all fuzzy.
The apartment doorbell rang. Yugi and Atemu both jumped apart at the sound. Yugi fell onto the floor disgracefully. Atemu chuckled and helped him up, Yugi wincing in embarrassment. The doorbell rang again.
"Shouldn't you be getting that?" Atemu asked, thumb jerking toward the door.
"What if its Anzu? I can't leave this room, remember?" Yugi said logically. Atemu frowned and crossed his arms.
"You want me to answer it?" he asked. Yugi smiled sweetly.
"I would be in your debt," Yugi suggested, already closing the door behind him.
"As if you're not already for the food…" Atemu grumbled but walked to the door anyway.
"Thank you!" Yugi called and locked the bedroom door behind him. Atemu sighed and then reluctantly opened the door.
"SURPRIIIIIIISSE!" a voice screeched. Atemu jumped back just in time as a large dark object pounced. The object missed, smacking on the cold floor of the apartment at his feet.
"I told you not to tackle him," a mild voice spoke. Atemu looked up from the person sprawled on the ground to see the white haired Ryou standing in the doorway.
"B-Bakura?" Atemu asked pointing at him suspiciously. Ryou smiled pleasantly.
"He always tries that too," Ryou said gesturing down to the person on the floor. The dark figure on the floor suddenly jumped up, its energy restored. Atemu could see its face now, that pale blond hair and dark copper skin were unmistakable.
"Malik?" he questioned. The Egyptian grinned cat-like at him and then pounced once again, this time Atemu had no time to move.
"Its sooooooooo GREAT to see you!" Malik greeted enthusiastically arms around Atemu's ribcage squeezing the air out of him. "You've grown taller and sexier!" Atemu made a choked gasp in reply.
"Malik, I think he's losing oxygen," Ryou advised. He grabbed Malik's left ear and pulled Malik off him. Malik yelped in pain.
"Ow, ow, ow, Ryou-kun is no abusive," Malik squeaked as Ryou released him.
"It really is great to see you though," Ryou said. His brown eyes fell on Atemu, suddenly concentrating much more closely, as though he noticed something different.
"So, you're getting married!" Malik said wrapping an arm around Atemu's shoulders.
"Actually…" Atemu began but Malik cut him off again.
"Great to see you finally settle down! But in my opinion, if you're going to get married you should move to Canada," Malik advised wisely. Atemu blinked.
"But I'm not…"
"Malik," this time it was Ryou who interrupted. "That's not Yugi." Malik blinked in confusion.
"What are you talking about Ryou?" Malik questioned. He poked Atemu in the face. "Doesn't this look like Yugi?"
"Bakura's right, I'm not Yugi," Atemu admitted, waving the finger away from his face. Malik jumped off him like he was diseased or something.
"Then who are you?" Malik questioned, eyes narrowing. "You can't be… the other Yugi. He died," Malik said firmly looking from Ryou to Atemu for approval but not finding one. "He died, right?"
"Well, I did die…" Atemu said mildly, scratching the side of his head. Malik jumped back, eyes narrowing, suddenly serious.
"But the dead don't come back to life!" Malik accused, his Egyptian background showing. "You must be some demon disguised as him!"
"Why don't we all go inside and then we can all discuss this calmly?" Ryou suggested, unmoved that Atemu might be a vengeful ghost. "Besides, this bag is really heavy." Atemu stepped aside and let them inside, Malik keeping a safe distance away from him. Atemu, figuring he might need Yugi's help, walked over to the bedroom door and knocked on it.
"Aibou," he called through the door. "I think you're going to want to come out. It's important."
"He locked the real Yugi in the closet!" Malik hissed to Ryou darkly. Ryou smacked him in the back of the head to shut him up.
"Is Anzu there?" Yugi asked, his voice slightly muffled.
"No." The door opened cautiously, Yugi peering through secretively until he spotted Ryou and Malik standing behind Atemu. There was a squeal as Yugi jumped out and hugged Ryou almost as enthusiastically as Malik had done to Atemu.
"I can't believe it! I didn't think the invitation would even reach you!" Yugi said, backing off and grinning broadly. "It's so great to see you! Wow, how long has it been?"
"Three or four years?" Ryou guessed. Malik jumped in between Ryou and Yugi, squinting at the shorter man.
"So, are you Yugi?" he said poking Yugi's forehead.
"Yeah, and its great to see you too, Malik. Sorry I didn't send you an invitation but I had no idea where you were. Ishizu said you had left home and she didn't know where you were," Yugi explained apologetically.
"Its okay, Yugi. I get it, I get it," Malik insisted straightening up, still eyeing Atemu suspiciously. "But will someone please explain what he's doing here? In case you forgot, he's supposed to be dead!"
"He actually came back three days ago. I'm not even quite sure how it happened…" Yugi explained sitting down on the couch, Atemu sitting next to him and Ryou on his other side. Malik tried to stay a little further away and sat on the cushioned armchair. "One minute I was unpacking some dishes and then I got this really bad head ache and then it got really bad and then the next I know, this lump was coming out of my arm…"
"A what?" Ryou and Malik exclaimed, both looking slightly sick.
"This lump of flesh thing, and then I don't know…" Yugi pondered glancing at Atemu. "I guess you just, popped out of my arm."
"Popped out of his arm?" Malik gaped, thoroughly disgusted.
"It was kinda painful actually…" Yugi recalled mildly.
"Sorry," Atemu apologized. "I didn't even know what was going myself. I felt all squished then, I just appeared on your floor," he finished lamely. "I guess the gods gave me a second chance for living." Malik scoffed, crossing his arms stubbornly.
"The gods usually aren't that merciful," he spat unbelievingly.
"Well, he was trapped in a golden item for three thousand years, and he is the pharaoh and he buried the shadow games away forever," Ryou said counting off his fingers. "I think he deserves something."
"Okay, okay," Malik grumbled. "I just hope he's the only one…" The impact of that statement made Yugi and Atemu both look at Ryou who looked perfectly oblivious.
"What?" Ryou questioned.
"Did anything happen to you on that day?" Atemu asked seriously. Ryou blinked then looked back into his memory, frowning slightly in thought.
"Three days ago…" Ryou wondered, tapping his head. "I don't really remember what happened that day." His eyes lit up. "Oh, that must have been the day that I got your letter… So, I don't think anything happened… I believe I was indisposed at the time." Ryou coughed slightly trying to cover up the fact that he had been too drunk at the time to remember anything.
"You sure?" Atemu questioned firmly, unsatisfied with his vague answer.
"Hey, I was with him the whole night, believe me, nothing happened!" Malik insisted enthusiastically. Yugi's and Atemu's heads snapped toward Malik in surprise.
"The whole night?" Atemu asked, a small smirk twitching at the corner of his mouth. Ryou slapped his forehead at Malik's stupidity.
"Are you guys… living together?" Yugi asked.
"Well, I do come over a lot," Malik said slyly, gazing at Ryou dreamily. Ryou turned slightly green.
"I bet you do," Atemu muttered casually, a full smirk playing on his lips.
"I-it's not what think!" Ryou insisted, his voice squeaking in panic.
"Oh come now, Ryou, don't be embarrassed," Malik cooed.
"Say another word and you can walk home!" Ryou snarled, fire burning in his normally soft brown eyes. Malik cringed at his painful look.
"Fine, fine, there's nothing going on between us," Malik grumbled moodily, waving away everything he had just insinuated. "Sadly…" he added dejectedly.
"So," Ryou said almost painfully, turning away from Malik and changing the subject. "You and Anzu, how's that going." Yugi bent his head.
"Um… not too good at the moment," Yugi answered solemnly, the light dying in his eyes.
At that exact moment, the front door opened, Atemu had forgotten to lock it after he let Ryou and Malik in, and Anzu entered, bags of groceries in her hands.
"Oh…" Yugi gulped as she spotted him. But before Anzu could say anything Yugi had jumped up and over the couch and locked himself in the bedroom again.
"YUGI!" Anzu shrieked dropping the food at the doorway and rushing to the door Yugi just hid himself behind. "GET OUT HERE RIGHT NOW!" she cried rattling the doorknob violently and beating the door with her fists.
Malik, Ryou and even Atemu looked quite unnerved. They backed slowly away from the mad fiancée, trying not to get in her way.
"No wonder Yugi hides in there," Ryou muttered.
"Straight people are so weird…" Malik said knowledgeably, shaking his head pitifully. Ryou and Atemu nodded in agreement. Ryou and Malik both took a double take at Atemu and then glared at him suspiciously. Atemu saw they were both watching him.
"What?" he cried. "They- uh, we are!" he insisted.
Malik's eyebrows rose.
"Hey, Ryou nodded too!" Atemu exclaimed pointing at the white haired man.
"I'm gay," Ryou said mildly, eyes still fixed upon him. Atemu blinked.
"You are," he gasped.
"Duh," Malik groaned obviously.
"And you two aren't sleeping together?" Atemu asked curiously. Ryou turned red.
"NO!" he shouted. Malik sighed in disappointment.
"Well, while you're all here, in my house," Anzu snapped, her temper on the edge. "You can bring the rest of the groceries up." Malik was about to object but he caught Anzu's furious blue eyes and decided against it. All three rushed out the apartment and down to bottom level to get Anzu's stuff.
"Damn, now I'm being put to work…" Malik groaned.
"I've never seen Anzu so scary," Ryou muttered. Atemu remained silent. Both Yugi and Anzu had acted pretty scary in their fight the other day.
'Yugi said it wasn't about me but…' he sighed, face falling into depression. Ryou noticed Atemu's downcast look out of the corner of his eye.
'Just what has been going on here since Atemu came back?' he wondered thoughtfully. 'I hope Yugi-kun's alright.'
But there was something else nagging at the back of his mind. If Atemu came back to the world of the living, did that mean that the other dark sides would too?
'This is all too confusing…' Ryou thought.
Response to Reviewers:
redconvoy: I love the guy and all but, Yugi is as dull as a brick in this story, it takes him a long time to grasp certain details.
Sansi: Yugi is so confused, it's cute.
Sarah Costa: You need a couch drop? You sound a little sick there? (cough) Anzu's a bitch (cough)
MydridFox09: UPDATING NOW!
Jazhira: Talking, yes. Communication is the key, yet another hard detail to grasp. Well, lots of talking in this chapter, anyway.
LonelyTombRobber: Eeek! I like my flesh, please don't eat me! I'm updating, I really am!
EgYpTsFiRe: HAIL PLOT! FEEL ITS POWER! If you want to skin Anzu, you might have to get in line; there's a waiting list.
Shinigami: Patience, all good things will come in time.
Ding Day Partay: That… was… the… best… compliment… I've ever gotten! (sniffs) YOU ROCK! Well, Anzu doesn't believe she's doing anything bad. She's just trying to help (and failing); you'll see next chapter.
Kuroi Kitty: And the award for the shortest review goes to… KUROI KITTY! Because every review counts no matter how small.
LPGurl: No, no ending in site yet. I got the Japanese DVD's over ebay, they're easy to find and not illegal, I think…
oerosarecool: Again, Lily, Atemu, get in line.
Hell's Sorrow: You think I'm funny? YAY! Poor you and your crappy computer. Way to review twice! YOU ROCK! But I'm not updating more the once a week, suspense is good for the soul, you know.
You know, if I get 28 reviews next time, I might not be able to respond to all of you, but I'll try, I promise.
I won't tell you anything about the next chapter you can't make me… Certainly not that IT'S THE BEST FREAKING CHAPTER YET! Well, and I won't tell you that something you've been waiting for is about to happen, after much pain and toils.
Now, you can all celebrate by reviewing! Right? Right?
REVIEW NOW! Or I'll keep Anzu around for ever and ever and ever, no I'm kidding I wouldn't do that to you… maybe…
REVIEWING IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL!