Title: Because I Love You
Author: Erudit
Pairings: YY/Y; S/J, M/M and R/B mentioned
Genre: Romance
Warnings: Shonen ai (That means male/male content!), Tea bashing, Spoilers
I've never seen the last episodes myself. I've just read about it. They have not shown them yet in my country. So please excuse some OOCness. This is just a story, after all. If you find mistakes, feel free to tell me, so I can change it or at least know it for my next stories.
Rating: T (I might have to upgrade it, though)
Disclaimer: If I owned Yu-Gi-Oh, then the story surely wouldn't have ended with Atemu leaving.
Intro: Set directly after the Ceremonial battle. Atemu has left for the Afterlife.
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Blablabla- Thoughts
/blablabla/- Yami and Yugi talking through mind link
"blablabla"- normal talking
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Yugi's Pov
He couldn't believe that that was how it had ended. Atemu had left him to finally rest in peace.
He didn't even turn around. He didn't even say Good-bye. Was he that happy to leave me? Yugi was staring at the spot his yami had still been at just a few minutes ago. Nobody was there anymore. Atemu had just waved Good-bye, turned around, and vanished into nothingness. He hadn't said anything about him losing the duel. Yugi had always expected Atemu to say some final words to him, some kind of encouragement or praise. But he had said nothing at all.
Yugi's friends were standing right next to him, waiting for him to say or do something. He could hear Tea's strangled sobs. The girl probably hated him for winning that duel. She had been in love with his yami after all.
"Yug, let's go back to the hotel, man." Joey tried to lead him away but he couldn't leave yet. He had to understand that Atemu had really left, that the other half of his soul was forever lost to him. That the one person he had loved more than anything else was gone. He would have broken down and have cried himself if he hadn't promised his dark half to not do so. He wanted to be strong; he wanted to show Atemu that he really could be alone. Otherwise his other half might want to return, and Atemu deserved resting in peace. The spirit had had to do and see so many things. He needed to rest. Yugi didn't want to pull his yami from all that.
"I would like to be alone for a few minutes." He told his friends. He couldn't bare hearing Tea sob right next to him. He couldn't bare how Ryou kept glancing at him; how Joey tried to keep him from pain. This was something he had to deal with on his own. They needed to understand that nobody could suffer for him.
"Okay, buddy." Joey nodded, and he and Tristan dragged Tea away back to their hotel. The others followed.
Finally, he was alone. He sagged down to the ground, not caring if he got sand everywhere. Tears started to gather at his eyes, and he felt his silent promise to Atemu be broken. At least he was alone now and nobody would see him cry.
He continued to stare at the empty spot that had once been his yami. Of course, he hadn't wanted to always have to duel somebody. Of course, he always had been in mortal danger. But he would have accepted these terms immediately if it had meant that Atemu could come back to him. "Yami" Yugi whispered between sobs. He could barely make out his surroundings. His view was hazy because of his tears. Not that he cared. Nothing mattered anymore now that his most beloved person had left. Not that he had ever told Atemu about his feelings. The pharaoh surely wouldn't have left if he had known.
Yugi didn't know how long he had been sitting in the sand, looking like an embodiment of sadness. He just knew that his throat hurt, and that he couldn't cry anymore. All his tears were spilt. He was exhausted from all his crying, and just wanted to curl up and sleep. He really was an epitome of misery right at that moment.
It was then that he began to see strange mists swirling around him. Great. Now I'm going insane. Yugi blinked, hoping to clear his eyes but his entire surroundings seemed to be dipped in orange and purple. He could see the winds spin around him; they were roughly tugging at his clothes, efficiently getting sand into his underwear. He was aware that he should have ducked or shielded himself but he couldn't move a muscle. He was petrified. What's going on? Yugi kept looking around frantically. He had seen enough things to know that somebody had to be responsible for these strange happenings.
Yugi had just given up looking around for the one doing these things, when he could suddenly make out a person standing just a few feet from him, exactly on the same spot his yami had been in just a few hours ago. The winds were still tugging at his clothes but they seemed to die down. The person had commanded these happenings to stop. But who was it? He could make out spiky hair, similar to his own. Could it be? His heart started beating faster. He wanted it to be true. Could Atemu really have wanted to come back to him? The winds died down completely, leaving an almost eerie calm. He slowly rose to his feet; his eyes squinted in an effort to identify the person in front of him.
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I originally wanted to end it here. Those of you who have read my stories know of my liking for evil cliffies. But I'll keep going for those who have read and reviewed my other stories, in hopes that they read this as well.
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The person seemed to be standing still, waiting for something. Yugi, too, didn't dare to move. He was afraid that the person would vanish as soon as he stepped forward. Can it really be that Yami came back? The smaller of the two figures hesitantly stepped closer. The sand was still flying through the air on its way to the ground, making it impossible to see clearly. He waved his hands in front of his face annoyed, hoping to clear the sight. He could make out more and more of the person standing just a few feet away from him. It was a he; that Yugi could be sure of though he didn't really know why. Then, he could recognize white linen clothes. They were in the style the old Egyptians wore. Yami had worn an outfit just like that when he had left.
Yugi had been looking at the clothes so intense that he had failed to notice that the sight had become clear again. So, when he looked up, there was nothing to hide the person from him anymore. His eyes widened. "A-atemu?"
The ex-pharaoh smiled, and nodded softly. "Aibou."
It's really him! It's really him! It's really him! Yugi's mind yelled, though Yugi himself didn't say anything. He stared at his other half, disbelievingly. Atemu really wore the same clothes he had worn when he had left. We'll have to go shopping. They won't let him come back to Japan wearing those, he subconsciously noted, though Yugi wasn't even sure if Yami wanted to come back to Japan. Why had he returned?
"You, you came back." He stuttered finally. The past few hours he had hoped for the seemingly impossible to happen, and now that it had happened it seamed like a dream to him. Yami had no reasons to return to him.
"Yes, indeed." The pharaoh stated, his voice soft and full of laughter. Yugi hadn't seen the pharaoh this happy in a long time. "Would you rather have me leave again?" Crimson eyes looked at Yugi intensely, anxious of the little one's answer.
"Don't be silly, of course not!" Yugi yelled, filled with a happiness that he wasn't able to explain. He didn't know if he had run to Yami, or his dark half to him, but suddenly they were standing in front of each other, and Yugi hugged his pharaoh. Or maybe Yami had hugged him. He couldn't be exactly sure. All he knew was that he was laughing like silly, tears of relief running down his face. He felt Yami sigh.
"I can see that you don't mind me having returned." A rich chuckle resounded in Yugi's ears. His dark's voice was beautiful. Well, actually his Yami was gorgeous from hair to toes, but the voice alone had the power to do Yugi in. He couldn't believe that he almost had lost any chance to ever hear Yami's beautiful voice again.
"What made you think I wouldn't want you to come back?" Yugi wondered softly. Yami usually was quite self-assured. He never hesitated because of or feared anything. The ex-pharaoh ignored the question, not wanting to answer. They were quiet for several minutes, enjoying each other's company.
"So, you'll stay?" Yugi finally wanted to know.
"I would like to." Again, his Yami was unusually hesitating.
"You'll really stay?" Yugi asked again, wanting to be sure he had not misunderstood his dark half. He could already feel Yami chuckle again. The ex-pharaoh had seemingly forgotten his own uncertainty. "Yes. I will."
Yugi looked up, and his eyes met those of his Yami. Beautiful crimson, he thought. Then he nodded. "I'm glad." He stated.
The ex-pharaoh smiled one of his rare smiles. "Good." Then, he looked around for something. "Where are your friends?"
"Hmm?" Yugi looked around again, for a moment not understanding the question in his elation of having his Yami close by. "Oh! They already went back to the hotel. I told them I wanted to be alone." He explained.
"They already went back? Surely I haven't been gone that long. It can only have been a few minutes, ten the most." Yami looked confused.
"Ten minutes!" Yugi laughed. "You've been gone for at least two hours!"
"Oh." The pharaoh seemed surprised. "Time must be going slower in the After-Life."
"So, you've been to the After Life? Yugi asked interested.
"Of course." Yami nodded. "I didn't like it though. I rather spend my time here with you."
"And they let you go just like that?" Yugi was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected things to go that easily in the After Life. Yami hasn't had to do a trial or anything? They must respect him a lot.
"Of course." The ex-pharaoh stated, though Yugi got the feeling Yami wasn't quite telling him everything. So, there is a reason to him having come back. Another mission to safe the world? Well, he had said he would accept being in mortal danger just to have his Yami back. He would help his dark half as well as he was able to. But on the other hand…if he didn't help Yami, the pharaoh would have to stay longer.
"We should go back to the hotel then, too. It is going to get dark soon if it is as late as you have assumed. And then it will get cold as well. I do not want you to freeze." Yami's rich voice toyed with his ears again, sending shivers down the spine.
The ex-pharaoh looked at the little one worriedly. "You are not cold already, are you, aibou?"
Yugi blushed and shook his head, hurriedly looking away from his yami. "No, no. Of course not."
"Good. Then, let's go!"
Yugi grinned at Yami's use of modern words. "Great! I can't wait to tell the others about your return. They'll be delighted!" Especially Tea, his mind dryly supplied.
- To be continued -
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Please review. I'll continue (as always) as soon as I see that some of you are interested.
Tell me if you would rather have me continue this story from this point on (they'll meet Tea, Seto, and the others) or if you want to know how Yami was able to return.