Title: Because I Love You – Chapter 2
Author: Erudit
Warnings: Shonen ai (That means male/male content!), maybe Tea bashing
Erudit: I'm so happy, I've got reviews! .
Thank You!
glomps her reviewers
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Blablabla- Thoughts and memories
/blablabla/- Yami and Yugi talking through mind link
"blablabla"- normal talking
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Yami's Pov
"Why have you returned?" Yugi asked curiously, as they began to walk in the direction of the hotel. "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you've returned, really." He hurriedly added, as he looked at the ex-pharaoh. "But wouldn't it have been nice to stay with your old friends, and your father. You must have missed them." Yugi's head was tilted in a cute fashion as he observed the ancient king for any kind of reaction.
Yami chuckled kindly, as he turned to fully face Yugi. "Most of the time I didn't remember them, aibou."
"Yes, I know." Yugi sighed, annoyed. "That's not what I meant."
Yami nodded. "Indeed, it is not. I saw them right before I returned to you. They still look the same." He could still see their faces in front of him. When he had entered the afterlife, they had all been there, right next to his father, waiting for him. They had all been so happy to see him when he had been so angry and most of all sad. He hadn't wanted to lose the duel. He hadn't been able to understand why he had lost. So many things had depended on him winning the duel, and he had lost. Yugi had won, and he had had to leave Yugi forever, so it seemed at first.
"I'm sorry." Yugi interrupted his thoughts almost inaudibly. "I didn't mean to make you sad. It must have been a difficult decision to leave them. The gods didn't ask you to rescue the world again, did they?" Yugi looked at Atemu alarmed, his amethyst eyes wide with worry.
Yami shook his head. "No, of course not. I came here at my own free will." In fact, it had been him who had begged the gods to be allowed to return to his hikari, and not the other way around. It hadn't been a difficult decision, either. From the moment he had realized he had lost the duel, he hadn't been able to think about anything else than trying to return to his little light.
"You worry too much, little one." Yami put his hand around the shoulder of his hikari, and pulled him closer. "There is no catch to my returning."
"Really?" the hikari beamed up at the ex-pharaoh, his cheeks tinted faintly red. "I'm glad." He sighed relieved, as he let himself relax in Yami's embrace.
They walked in silence as Yami's thoughts returned to the few moments he had spent in the afterlife. He remembered leaving Yugi. He had wanted to say something, anything to his aibou, maybe even confess his entire feelings concerning Yugi, but he hadn't been able to. He had known he'd burst into tears as soon as he would have tried to say anything to Yugi, and he had desperately tried to be strong. They had promised themselves that they would not cry, after all. He wanted to keep this last promise to his precious little light.
His father and his former high priests had welcomed him at the gate to the after life. He had tried to smile, though he had probably failed miserably. He had passed them, still trying to be strong, and knowing he would turn around and run back to his light as soon as he stopped walking. They had followed immediately, without asking any questions as if they already knew what bothered him. They had kept walking for quite some time, Yami remembered. He had not stopped until his father had put his hand on Yami's shoulder, stopping the younger ex-pharaoh from continuing his futile wanderings. Yami had turned around, suddenly feeling angry for having to stop. Nobody was allowed to stop him! He had just wanted to yell at his father with some unknown rage, as a hand rose and softly wiped off some of his tears.
"Yami?" The ex-pharaoh was once again broken out of his reminiscent phase by a beautiful bell-like voice.
"Yes, little one?" Crimson eyes focused on the smaller hikari.
"We'll have to buy you some clothes." Yugi giggled adorably, as he tugged at Yami's garments. "You can't walk around dressed like this. Besides, you'll get a cold in no time if you are dressed like this back in Japan." Bright lilac eyes glittered in the setting sun, as Yugi examined the fabric. "It's winter now, remember? And my clothes won't fit you." A pout rose to Yugi's lips.
"We can go shopping tomorrow." The ex-pharaoh agreed, resisting the urge to kiss his little light. Why did Yugi have to be so beautiful?
Yugi nodded enthusiastically. Then, his face suddenly fell.
"What is it, little one?" Yami asked worriedly, as he bent closer to Yugi.
The younger one blinked at the sudden closeness, and then hastily turned away as another blush rose to his cheeks. "It's nothing." He said almost immediately.
Yami didn't believe him but decided not to say anything. Yugi would tell him, once he was ready. They walked in silence for a few minutes. Yami thought back to his talk with his father. He remembered that all his anger had vanished the second he had realized he had been crying. He had been quite surprised at the fact himself. He hardly ever cried. In fact, the last time he could clearly remember having cried was when Yugi had been taken by the Orichalchos-seal. His own hand had risen to his cheeks, having the sudden need to feel the wetness himself. He had been quite disappointed that he had broken his promise to Yugi.
"Why?" was all that his father had asked, and he hadn't needed to ask anything else, as Yami had been so keen on telling somebody about his misery. He had told them everything that had happened to him and Yugi; he had especially told them about his feelings concerning his aibou.
"I love him." Yami had stated, as his legs had given way and he had fallen to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. It was as if a dam had been opened. He hadn't seemed able to stop crying now that he had started. "I love him more than anything else."
"Yes, I thought so." His father had stated softly, as he had knelt down next to his son. "There is always hope, Atemu, don't forget that."
"Hope?" The younger ex-pharaoh had looked up. "You mean there is a way to return?" He had glanced at his former friends. They had been standing around the two of them, as if trying to shelter them from any harm. They had been smiling at him, nodding softly.
"Do you want to go shopping with the entire gang?" Yugi suddenly wanted to know, and Yami was quite sure that question had something to do with Yugi's sudden change of mood just a few minutes before.
"If you want them to accompany us, they can." Yami conceded, thinking his little light wanted to go together with his friends. If it were up to him, though, he'd rather go with Yugi alone. There was hardly a time when it was just the two of them.
Yugi nodded, lost in thought. "But you don't necessarily need them?" he added hopefully.
Yami frowned. "You don't want them to come along?" He was quite surprised. Yugi usually always wanted all of his friends around. His heart leaped at the thought that Yugi could want to spend his time solely with him.
"Not really. I would like to spend some time alone with you." Yugi admitted softly and turned away, as if being afraid of Yami's reaction. The ex-pharaoh's hand fell from Yugi's shoulder at the action.
Yami would have very much liked to put his hand around Yugi once again but refrained from doing so. He smiled at Yugi's admittance. The little one didn't know how happy that made him. He had always feared he was just one of Yugi's many friends, which was something he really didn't want to be. He wanted Yugi to feel the same for him as he felt for Yugi. "Fine. Then, we'll spend the day together, just the two of us. Alright, aibou?"
"Good." Yugi smiled one of his rare bright smiles, as he turned back to gaze at Yami, and grabbed the ex-pharaoh's hand softly. They continued walking hand in hand.
"We're almost there." Yugi told him. "Can you see that big building with the blue rooftop? That's the hotel we're staying in."
It only took them a few more minutes to reach their final destination. A broad, white street, surrounded by palm trees, led them right up to the golden front gate of the hotel. Together, they entered the gigantic building. Yugi began looking around for his friends immediately. They could faintly make out Tea's voice from one of the adjoined rooms. She seemed to be yelling about something. Yugi winced, fearing it was because of him. Yami automatically stepped closer to Yugi. He didn't like his aibou to be distressed.
"Let's go join them, aibou." Yami said, and put his hand once again on the now familiar spot on Yugi's shoulder. The little one giggled at how he sounded using modern words, as Yami had expected. He actually just said words like those to hear Yugi's beautiful laugh.
"Why don't you wait out here, Yami?" Yugi suggested, looking at Yami with mischief sparkling in his eyes. "I'd like to surprise them."
Yami nodded, and went to lean against the wall right next to the door. "Go ahead, aibou. Just come and get me once you're ready."
"Thank you, Yami-chan!" Yugi hugged the surprised ex-pharaoh, then hurriedly left the room to join his friends and tell them of the good news. Yami closed his eyes, and concentrated on the mind link, as a soft blush spread over his face. H-he hugged me.
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/You can come in now, Atemu-kun./ Yugi was peering around the corner, looking straight at the ex-pharaoh.
/You don't need to call me by my birth name, aibou. That's in the past now. I chose to become your yami again when I returned, little one./ Atemu stated softly. To tell the truth, his name sounded out-of-place when coming out of Yugi's mouth. He was used to Yugi calling him Yami, and he really wanted Yugi to keep doing so.
/Ok./ Yugi smiled at him, then motioned him over. /Are you coming now, mou hitori no boku/
A smile rose to Yami's face as the two of them entered the adjoined room. Immediately, they were flanked by a quite relieved looking Joey, and by a hysterically sobbing Tea. The latter embraced Yami tightly, as she continued to sob into his chest. He felt fairly uncomfortable, and turned to his aibou, wanting to ask his light for help, when he realized that Yugi and Joey had left him alone in the company of the girl. Helplessly, he tried to comfort Tea. He really couldn't cope with crying people.
Yugi, in the meantime, had joined Kaiba on the other side of the room, and the two of them began working on Kaiba's laptop. Yami supposed they were making up his personality and past. Yugi had been thinking about him needing a birth certificate, passport and various other things. He would have walked over to help, had Tea not succeeded in rooting him to the spot.
Then, Yami's eyes fell onto a different corner of the room. There, on a purple couch, sat Ryou Bakura and his own yami. The two of them talked vividly about something the ex-pharaoh couldn't make out. By watching the two of them, Yami got the suspicion that the tomb-robber had returned to his light out of the same reasons he himself had. The way the other yami towered over his hikari, all the while throwing possessive glances in various directions around them, and the way Yami Bakura's eyes shone when looking at Ryou. It was quite obvious to the ex-pharaoh. He wondered if the others had realized this as well.
"Yami-chan?" Tea was peering up at him with big blue eyes, trying to look cute as she flashed her eye-lashes. It might have worked, had Yami not yet met Yugi. In comparison to his little light, any attractiveness she might have possessed faded away.
"Yes, Tea." He answered, as his characteristic eyebrow rose. He was fond of the girl. She had always been a good friend to Yugi, and that's why he cared for her. She had been the only one who had been on his light's side from the very beginning.
"I was wondering…" She paused for a second, and looked around them. Yugi and Kaiba were still talking in front of the laptop. They had been joined by Ryou and his yami. Joey and Tristan were standing next to the buffet, piling food on their plates. "Could we talk alone for a second?"
"Is anything wrong, Tea?" Yami asked out of curiosity. He had sworn himself to help his aibou's friends as much as he could. He owed them a lot for always staying by his aibou's side. "Does something bother you?" He desperately hoped it didn't concern Tea's feelings for him. Yami knew that Yugi had had a soft spot for Tea once. There had been a time when Yugi had blushed every time he had seen the girl. He had stopped doing that quite a while a go, but Yami suspected that Yugi was still in love with Tea. There had been a time when Yugi had been really jealous of Tea's feelings for the ex-pharaoh. He had stopped showing it after some time, but Yami continued feeling the jealousy. This, in turn, provoked the ex-pharaoh's envy. He wanted Yugi to be jealous because of him. There had been a time when he had hoped Yugi was afraid of Yami returning Tea's feelings. He put it down to his imagination and wishful thinking after some time. Yugi probably just didn't want him and Tea to get together. His pure-hearted hikari would probably suffer a great deal, once his secret love had a boyfriend. Yami wouldn't stay in this realm long enough to really find out. If he didn't succeed in making Yugi fall in love with him in one month's time, he'd have to return to the afterlife. That had been the deal. Sadly, as long as Yugi was still in love with Tea, the little light wouldn't fall in love with him. Then, everything would have been in vain. No hope would be left for the ex-pharaoh.
"Well, there's something I've been meaning to tell you, Yami-chan." Tea said softly, and pulled him in the direction of the door. On their way outside, the two of them passed a table on which lay about ten keys, all of them leading to the different hotel-room Kaiba had booked them. Yami could see that they were double-bed-rooms. He really hoped he could spend the night in the same room as Yugi. He just had to make sure they took the keys with the same room-number.
- To be continued -
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Please review!
Istas: Maybe, you could tell me the Japanese names once more. I think I know most them but I'm never sure. That's why I use the English ones most of the time.
Sansi: Danke für den Willkommensgruß! Ich bin froh, dass ich nicht allzu viele Fehler mach, muss aber zugeben das Microsoft Word sehr praktisch ist, was Fehlerkorrektur angeht. Hoffentlich gefällt dir meine Geschichte weiterhin. Es ist schwierig auf Englisch zu schreiben, wenn alle um dich herum dauernd Deutsch sprechen, während du zu schreiben versuchst.