Yami was furious. Honda dared to say something like that about Yugi? Couldn't he see for himself how precious and rare Yugi was, and how his innocence needed to be protected? His grip tightened, until Honda started turning blue.
"Honda? Safe?" Yugi asked, worry shining in his eyes. His voice broke through Yami's rage, and he realised with a sudden shock that he was almost killing one of his best friends. He let go hastily, and Honda fell to his hands and knees, wheezing.
"Man, Yami, you didn't need to take it so seriously," he choked out, massaging his throat where Yami's handprint was beginning to show in a vivid bruise. Yami looked away; his eyes met Yugi's, and he felt a rush of shame. 'I was so concerned about a joke tainting his innocence, but I almost killed someone in front of him? What was I thinking of?' He looked back at Honda, his eyes holding a silent apology.
Honda noticed the glance at Yugi, and realised why Yami was so ashamed. He nodded slightly, signalling his forgiveness.
'After all, being around Jou so long means that I'm used to people who turn psycho if you threaten their loved ones,' he thought. 'Though not to a joke being considered a threat…'
Yugi watched them both a few moments longer, then turned to Yami. "Share?" he asked curiously.
"Huh?"
"Beds. Share. Why?"
Honda stared at Yugi, feeling his eyes widen. 'Oh, so that's why he saw it as a threat. How can someone be that naïve?' When he'd seen Yami carrying Yugi, he'd assumed they were lovers, since Yami didn't have any family apart from his grandfather – well, and his mother, but she was hardly ever around. But if Yugi was so innocent, then they obviously weren't – intimate. Which left the question of why Yami cared so much for Yugi? It had taken him and Jou and Anzu the better part of a month before they could get the stubborn teenager to let them in, but Yugi just looked up with those big eyes of his and Yami melted. Honda smirked suddenly. He'd just had a wonderful idea…
"Hey, Yugi. Can you dance?" he asked, trying to sound as normal as possible. Both of his guests looked at him, Yugi questioningly, Yami with narrowed eyes that showed he knew Honda was up to something, and was waiting to find out what.
"Badly," Yugi said, a faint smile on his lips.
"You see, there's a dance at school on Friday, and I was wondering if Yami had asked you there," Honda explained, trying not to laugh at the look of shock on Yami's face.
"No," Yugi shook his head.
"Well then, would you care to come with me?" Honda asked, hoping that Yami would break in and ask Yugi himself. Not that he disliked Yugi, but he didn't really want to look as if he was babysitting or something…
"WHAT?!!" Yami screeched, and Honda sniggered. Perfect.
"Well, if you aren't going to ask him, then –"
"Yugiwillyougotothedancewithme?" Yami blurted out, then turned brilliant red. 'Great. Now I sound like a complete moron,' he thought dismally. 'Why would Yugi agree to go with someone who didn't even think of asking him until someone else did?'
"Really?" Yugi asked, eyes wide and hopeful.
"Yes, I really mean it," Yami said, meeting his eyes cautiously.
"YEAH!" Yugi cried, jumping up and throwing his arms around Yami. Honda blinked, then smiled openly as Yami wrapped his arms around the smaller boy. 'Good! Now Yami has a date, maybe he'll stop being so touchy about the dance! But – why is he so insistent on Yugi staying at my other apartment? He knows that I use it to impress the chicks – anno, maybe I don't want to know why he wants Yugi there.'
Yami turned to Honda, Yugi held in his arms. "Could you please give us the keys, Honda?"
"Sure." Honda opened a drawer, and fished out two keyrings. "It's the key with the loveheart on it," he told them, handing over both sets. "Don't lose them, huh? I don't have any others."
"We won't. And thanks," Yami said, still carrying Yugi.
"Thankyou," Yugi smiled, and Honda smiled back. 'Cute kid! I just hope he's old enough for a boyfriend, or Yami's gonna be really messed up.'
*
Outside. Door.
Keys.
Opened. Inside. Large…
"Okay, I think you should go to sleep. Uhm… The stuff you're wearing will do for pyjamas, right?"
Nod.
"Good." Relief. "This is the kitchen, and this is the living room, and this is – somewhere that you shouldn't go!" Embarrassed. "Here's the bedroom. Do you need anything?"
Need? No. Want?
"Stay?"
"Of course you can stay here. That's why I brought you."
"You?"
"Uh… That's not a good idea." Nervous. Why?
"Want."
"Yes, you just said that you want me to stay, Yugi."
"You. Want."
"Uh…" Embarrassed. Nervous. "It's really not a good idea."
"Why?"
"… It just isn't. But I'll be over tomorrow, to make sure that nothing's wrong. Okay?"
No. "… Okay."
Bed. Soft! Warm. Nice.
Covers. Soft.
Yami. "I'll just tuck you in. Goodnight!"
"Night. Yami."
Smile.
Sleep…
*
Arena.
"Now, you're both to duel each other." Him. "Remember, the one who loses shall be punished most severely." Chuckle. "Have fun!"
Opponent. Scared.
Punished?
Sad.
Win. Opponent. Punished. So…
Lose.
Yes.
'The Celtic Guardian is played in attack mode.'
Draw.
No!
'Dark Magician.'
Play. No!
Attack. No!
'The Dark Magician is played in attack mode.'
'Celtic Guardian is destroyed.'
'The winner is Yugi.'
NOOO!
Magician. Turning?
Angry?
Speaking?
"You have dishonoured your cards, and yourself. You shall be punished."
Attacking!…
"YAMI!"
*
"YAMI!"
Yami shot up. "I'm coming, Yugi!" he called, not thinking about how he could hear Yugi from halfway across town. He quickly got dressed, and rushed downstairs.
"Yami? What's going on?" asked Sugoroku, poking his head through the door.
"Later! I have to go help Yugi," Yami said over his shoulder, already out of the house. Sugoroku blinked, then sighed and went to the kitchen.
"It's going to be a long night," he muttered to himself, making a pot of coffee.
*
Yami growled as he unlocked the door. 'Stupid thing!' He slammed it shut, and ran through to the bedroom. "Yugi, Yugi, I'm here!"
Yugi stared up at him with tearfilled violet eyes, and then threw himself into Yami's arms.
"Yugi, it's okay, I'm here, no one's going to hurt you, nothing will touch you, I swear it, it's alright…" Yami murmured, cradling the young boy. Yugi had his head buried in Yami's shirt, and Yami could feel the damp spreading from his tears. Yugi sighed, and raised his head.
"Safe?" he asked tremulously.
"Safe. I promise," Yami assured him. Yugi settled back against his chest, and Yami asked cautiously, "What was wrong, Yugi?"
Yugi shuddered. "Images. Bad. Magician. Annoyed. Won. Attacked…" he trailed off, fresh tears on his cheeks. "Yami?"
"Yes?"
"What? Images. What?"
"It sounds like a nightmare."
"Nightmare?"
Yami stared at him. "Haven't you ever dreamed?"
Yugi shook his head.
"Well, a dream is – images, when you sleep. Sometimes the images are nasty, and then it's called a nightmare."
"Oh," sighed Yugi. Yami looked down at him, and smiled slightly.
"Maybe you shouldn't be here alone," he said thoughtfully. "I didn't want to take you back home because we don't have a spare room, but we could probably find a way around that. What do you think, Yugi? Want to come home with me?"
"Home…" Yugi sighed, half-asleep. Yami gathered him into his arms, and stood up.
"Home it is."