Jou looked at Yugi in surprise. Yami shot him a startled glance as well, but when the doorbell rang he turned and glared at it, crushing Yugi to him.
"Yami? What's wrong with Yugi?" asked Anzu, looking concerned.
"He says there's a stranger outside the door," Yami answered quietly. He bent over Yugi defensively, the look in his eyes warning them that if whoever it was had come to take Yugi, they would have a fight on their hands.
The doorbell rang again, and Jou and Honda moved to help Yami protect Yugi. Anzu got up, and said shakily, "Well, they obviously aren't leaving. I'll go answer the door, and maybe I can get whoever it is to go away."
The boys all watched her tensely, and listened to the sound of the door opening. Then a voice none of them had expected to hear said irritably, "It's about time, Anzu. What were you doing, washing your hair in Yami's bathroom?"
"Seto!" cried Jou, and Honda burst out laughing.
"Of course, the kiddo hasn't met Seto yet, has he, Yami?" he asked, relieved. A tiny smile quirked Yami's lips.
"No, he hasn't. I forgot that Seto was coming over," Yami admitted. He bent his head to Yugi. //It's alright, little one. It's another friend, one you haven't met yet.//
Yugi looked up cautiously. /Friend?/ he asked.
//Yes.//
Yugi smiled in relief, and sat up on Yami's lap, looking for the new arrival. Jou had run out to see his boyfriend, and they could hear him telling Seto, "Man, you had us worried there!"
"Down, puppy!" Seto ordered, walking through the door. He stopped, and stared in disbelief.
"Hello," Yugi said cheerfully. He patted his chest. "Yugi."
Yami smirked at the bewildered expression on Seto's face. They were no longer as competitive with each other, but it was still nice for Yami to see the other teenager lose his legendary control.
"Yugi, this is Seto," he introduced them. Seto raised an eyebrow, staring coldly at the angelic boy in Yami's lap. Yugi tilted his head to one side, then grinned. /Silly,/ he told Yami.
//What's silly?// asked Yami in surprise.
/Seto. Competitive. Startled-interested-pleased-mischevious,/ Yugi sent to Yami a burst of emotions. Yami blinked, then realised that Yugi was telling him how Seto felt.
//Seto? Mischevious?// he asked. Yugi nodded, his eyes sparkling.
/Teasing./
Seto stared at the two spike-haired boys silently. He had outgrown that pathetic need to compete with Yami all of the time, he told himself. He wanted to find out what the boy could stand, and his attempt to psych out the boy had nothing to do with how much like Yami he looked… But this was something he had never expected to happen. The boy had taken one look at him – and promptly grinned! And now Yami was starting to as well. He began to find it quite hard to keep his own face straight, but there was no way he would lose his control now. He would keep a straight face…
Jou leapt on him. Yugi blinked, and watched them with interest as Seto tried to wriggle out from underneath his boyfriend, who was pinning him down and trying to kiss him.
"Jou! Not in front of Yugi!" Yami ordered him. He would have quite enjoyed seeing Seto humiliated like this at any other time, but protecting Yugi was far more important.
Jou sat up sulkily, then blushed as he met Yugi's innocent gaze. "Sorry, Yams – I mean, Yami!" he corrected himself hastily. "I forgot the shrimp was here."
Yami glared, his amusement of a few moments ago forgotten. "He has a name, Jou. I suggest you use it."
Seto raised an eyebrow again, his blue eyes suddenly as cold as Yami's crimson.
"Don't talk to my puppy like that," he said in a deadly quiet tone of voice.
Yugi looked from one to the other, his violet eyes worried. Then he stood up – and was promptly pulled down again by Yami.
"You're not to walk until your feet are healed," Yami scolded Yugi, hugging him. Yugi looked at him, then nodded. He pressed his hands against his stomach.
"Hungry," he explained.
"Now you're talking!" Jou said enthusiastically. Seto and Yami looked at each other, nodding in realisation that their complaints with each other should be forgotten. 'But it's only a temporary truce,' they both thought. 'And if he gives me any reason to break it…'
Jou led the way into the kitchen, followed by Yami carrying Yugi. Seto came in after them and stood with his arms folded, watching as Jou searched for a ready-made meal so that he wouldn't have to work too hard.
"There's cereal in the cupboard," Yami told him, setting Yugi down on a chair by the table. Jou grinned, pulling out a box of sugar-coated wheat, and began looking for a bowl.
Yami sighed impatiently, and fetched three bowls and spoons – then paused as he met Yugi's eyes. He turned to Seto and asked, "Do you want something to eat, as well?"
Seto blinked, surprised that Yami had thought to offer. "I'm fine," he said.
Yugi looked up at him, tilting his head back. "Hungry."
"You just said you were hungry," pointed out Seto.
"He means that you're hungry," Yami told him, setting out another bowl and spoon. "Unless what we eat isn't good enough for you?" he asked mockingly, while Seto stared at Yugi in disbelief. How had the child known? It must have been a lucky guess, he told himself. 'Sure…'
*
Hungry.
Seto. Hungry. Disturbed. Angry-amused-happy.
Strange. Seto.
Yami? Happy-protective-hungry-amused-possessive.
Jou? Hungry-hungry-happy-mischevious-excited.
Livingroom. Anzu. Nervous-worried-anxious-caring. Nice.
Honda. Restless-uncertain-concerned-patient.
/Sugoroku? Where?/
//He's working in the game shop, Yugi.It's just downstairs.//
Shop. Sugoroku. Busy-happy-patient-caring-gentle. Nice.
/Others. Shop. Strangers./
//They're the customers, Yugi. They buy the games and cards in the shop.//
/Buy?/
//With money. Then we use the money to buy food and clothing and whatever else we need.//
/Oh./
//… You don't understand, do you?//
/No./
Blink.
//Forget it for now. Just eat up, okay?//
/Yay!/
Laughter. Silent.
Smile.
*
Seto looked from Yami to Yugi. "Puppy, what is wrong with those two? They haven't been paying attention to anything since they started eating – and that includes the food. Why not?"
Jou looked over at them. "Aw, they're prob'ly just talkin'," he said dismissively through his mouthful of cereal. It was hard to believe that he had insisted that Yugi couldn't be psychic a few minutes ago, he'd adjusted so fast.
Seto gave him a sideways glance. "Talking involves noise, puppy. And they aren't making any, unless you're claiming that I have suddenly gone deaf."
"Not that sort of talkin', Seto. Mind-to-mind." Seeing the glare on Seto's face, Jou swallowed, and repeated what he had just said. "They talk mind-to-mind."
"I have been around you long enough to understand even when you talk with your mouth so full, puppy, but what you are saying is impossible," Seto said calmly.
Jou frowned in irritation. "Geez, would'ja just watch them, Seto?"
Seto folded his arms. "Why?"
"Because then you'll see what I'm talkin' about, ya dumb freak!" Jou exploded.
Yugi gasped and drew closer to Yami.
//What is it, aibou?// Yami asked urgently, shocked by how scared Yugi was.
/Freak. Monster. Useless. Stupid. Worthless./ Yugi babbled, his eyes darkening as he remembered how often he'd heard those words. /"If you don't do what you're told, you useless piece of ****, I'll make sure you can't move for a week!"/ he remembered. Yami stiffened at the memory of a man with dirty blond hair yelling, his face twisted in fury, brandishing a leather belt as if he was going to strike Yugi with it.
//Who was that?// he demanded, his eyes colder then ice.
/Trainer,/ Yugi whimpered, clinging to Yami. /Coming. Hunting! Find! Take!/
//They will never take you away from me,// Yami promised his innocent twin. His eyes glittered dangerously. //Never.// He tightened his grip on Yugi as if someone was about to tear him from his arms.
Seto and Jou had turned in surprise at Yugi's scared reaction to Jou's comment, and even Seto was unable to deny that the two boys were – somehow – talking without speech. Jou looked worried for his two friends.
"Yam-i, what's up wid him?" he asked.
"What you said to Seto reminded him of something," Yami answered, his eyes losing some of their fierceness as he looked at his best friend. "Someone used to yell that he was a freak. Don't remind him of it again."
Jou looked horrified. "Man, I'm sorry, Yug – eh, Yugi. I had no idea."
Seto looked at them all. "I think," he said calmly, "that you had all better explain to me just what is going on."
Jou nodded. "He's right."
Yami sighed. "I know." He turned to Seto. "I found Yugi yesterday…"