~*~*~
Bow: *grins* Yay! Chapter two!
Dragon: Shut up and type up the chapter!
Bow: Meanie!
Dragon: Oh leave me alone and type up the chapter!
Bow: *sobs* Is that all you care about, the fanfic?
Dragon: Yes.
Bow: Oh. Alright then. I'll get to writing ....
Bow: AIEEE!!! Reviews!!! I feel so loved! *melts*
Black-Magic-Spellbinder: Don't worry, it gets less sad as it goes on!
Amy: Yup! Yami and Yugi! ^____^
KaTyA: ^^ Don't worry, I will!
Princess Strawberry: Yes, it is. Those two make such a cute couple!
Shoshana VH Vared: ^^ I'm writing!
Prince Rowen of Strata: Can't tell! Read!
Silver Dragon: Yes, very convinced .....
Kawaiiyami: I'm updating, I'm updating! *^^*
~*~*~
Yugi looked down at Yami, tears welling up in his eyes. The older boy looked so worried about him. Why was it that he trusted him so completely? Something about him just felt... right. Secure. This was the protector he had wished for, and Yami had already promised Hyoui, his loyal Dark Magician, that he would take care of Yugi. Yami reached up to him, brushing his golden bangs out of his face.
"Please, tell me Yugi," Yami coaxed, his voice soft and comforting.
Yugi swallowed, nodding slowly. "My back," he murmured quietly.
Yami's eyes widened slightly. So, the reason Yugi had cried out in pain was because he had hugged him, thereby applying pressure to his back. "What happened to your back, Yugi?"
Yugi whimpered quietly, more tears collecting in his eyes.
"Yugi, will you let me see your back?" Yami asked him slowly.
Yugi closed his eyes, nodding again. Yami removed the blue jacket that Yugi was wearing gingerly, making sure not to cause him any more pain. Yami took in a sharp breath as he saw the number of large, dark purple bruises that covered his arms and wrists. Yami looked up to Yugi's face, seeing the tears that now fell from his closed eyes.
"Yugi..." Yami whispered.
Yugi whimpered quietly, his eyes still closed tightly. His arms went limp, and he allowed Yami to remove his white shirt that he wore under the jacket. Yami gasped in horror. Yugi's entire torso, front and back, were covered in horrid bruises, ranging from a faint red to a purplish black. Yami's face was twisted with rage, an his eyes flashed dangerously.
"Who did this to you, Yugi?" Yami spat angrily, looking up at the trembling boy.
Yugi whimpered again, taking a step back from the enraged spirit. Yami's face softened. "I'm not mad with you, Yugi. Please, don't be scared. I will never allow anyone to hurt you ever again," he murmured, wiping the tears from Yugi's face. "Please, who did this to you? Tell me Yugi, and I can make sure that this never happens again."
Yugi shook his head vigorously, "I-I can't, Yami-san. Please, don't make me tell you. He...he said that if I told anyone, that I would be taken away from my mother. I can't lose her like I lost my Grandpa, Yami-san," he sniffed, tears glittering in the corners of his large, innocence-filled eyes.
"I won't make you do anything that you don't want to, Yugi," Yami told him, though rather reluctant to stop himself from finding out the man who had done this to the small child. He was so innocent, and his soft skin had been defiled by the bruises upon bruises that had been inflicted upon him. Why is it that the cruel people in the world found such pleasure in harming the weak?
Yami slipped Yugi's shirt and jacket back over him, again wiping the tears from his face. "Come, I do not like the feeling of this place. We should leave," Yami told him, standing and reaching down for Yugi's small hand.
Yugi fit his hand inside the older boy's, looking up at him. "But, school hasn't ended, Yami-san."
"I don't care. I will not allow you to get hurt. And I think you've been through enough today. Just tell your teacher that there was an emergency when you come back tomorrow," Yami told him, smiling comfortingly down at the astonished boy.
"But tomorrow is Saturday. I don't have school tomorrow," Yugi replied.
"Really? Well, then you can tell her when you get back," he said.
Yugi nodded, smiling cutely. "'Kay."
~*~*~
Yugi chewed on the straw in his mouth as he sat at a table next to the window of a fast food place. Yami sat across from him, looking out the window at the new age of technology that he knew nothing of. Yugi took a sip of his soda between chewing once more on the white straw, watching Yami. His backpack rested next to the spirit, who had carried it as they left the school.
"You don't know anything 'bout this world, do you Yami-san?" Yugi asked, the straw still in his mouth as he spoke around it.
He looked back over to the younger boy, crimson eyes meeting violet. "No, but, I do not remember my time either."
Yugi cocked his head to the side. "How come?"
Yami smiled at the innocent expression on Yugi's face. "I have been inside that puzzle for a number of millennia. My memories have long since faded. So, my purpose now is to protect you, Yugi."
Yugi lifted the Millennium Puzzle in his cupped hands. The puzzle was hanging from a leather chord, which was around his neck. Yami had explained that the puzzle was what linked them together, and if he ever lost the puzzle, then he would also lose Yami. He would NEVER allow that to happen!
"What was it like, in the puzzle, Yami-san?" Yugi asked curiously.
Yami's smile turned into a frown. "Dark. Quiet. I was alone, and I couldn't remember, and still don't, know why. And I was in there as Ages passed without my knowing. It's hard, coming from a silent prison to a bustling world that you know nothing about."
Yami noticed the sad look on Yugi's face, and forced himself into a smile. "But, I'm here now, and that's all that matters."
Yami blinked, then felt a feeling that he hadn't felt in a LONG time. He turned crimson, looking around. "Yugi, where's the bathroom?"
Yugi burst into a broad grin, laughing as he took the straw out of his mouth. He pointed in the direction of a hallway that led to both the men's and women's bathrooms. "Over there, Yami-san."
Yami turned an even deeper red. "Thanks," he murmured, getting out of his seat hurriedly and walking as fast as he could in the direction of the bathrooms.
Yugi watched Yami as he looked at two doors in the hallway, his gaze going from one door to the other. He shrugged, and then entered one. Yugi's eyes left the spirit as someone approached the table where he sat.
~*~*~
Yami frowned as his crimson gaze focused on one of the two doors in front of him, and then moved to the other. Which one was the bathroom?! They were both marked with almost the same sign, but he didn't know what they meant.
"What's the difference?!" Yami growled as he stared at the doors.
Giving up, he shrugged, pushing one open and stepping inside. Heads turned as he entered, and screams bounced off the tile walls. Yami jumped three feet into the air, blushed a deep crimson, and hurriedly stepped out of the woman's bathroom. He shook his head, trying to get the echoing screams to stop bouncing around inside his skull. He then stepped into the next door, hoping he wouldn't receive the same treatment as when he had entered the other door. He looked around, noticing that the occupants, all men, paid him no heed. He looked up to the symbol on the door and stored it away in his memory for further use.
But, now what? This world had such a weird method for relieving themselves. White things lined the walls, along with sectioned off areas. Why couldn't they have just kept the chamber pots?! They were simple, and using them was no hard task. But, he needed to use the bathroom NOW, so he had to find out how to do this fast!
~*~*~
Yugi let a whimper pass his lips as he stared up at the figure that had approached him. Tsykui, the biggest bully at his school. Unfortunately, Yugi was his favorite target. He was even larger then the bully that Yami had taken care of, and was three times more menacing.
"You weren't at school, Yugi? What were you doing, skipping?" Tsykui growled, resting his hands on the table and leaning forward towards Yugi.
Yugi whimpered again, sinking down in his seat. His eyes darted to where Yami had disappeared. He still hadn't come back from the restroom.
"Yami-san." he sobbed quietly, his eyes looking back up at the large form above him.
"You would have been better off coming to school, Yugi. Now you're in for even more pain," Tsykui hissed.
Yugi looked helplessly at the others around him, who looked away guiltily, not wanting to get hurt by the huge teenager. The same thought passed through each of their minds: better him then me. All except two boys, who stood up from their seats angrily and walked over to Tsykui, wedging their way in between him and Yugi.
Yugi gasped. He recognized them from school! One was dressed in green, and had golden-blonde hair; Jounouchi! The second had on a brown jacket, and brown hair that has cut in one large spike; Honda! But, why were they helping him? They had never talked to him before, and if they had, it was only to make fun of him.
The blonde turned, giving Yugi a wink. "You okay, Yug?"
Yugi nodded, his heart pounding inside his chest.
"Why don't you get lost and leave Yugi alone, Tsykui?" Honda asked him, eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Do you two have a death wish? Get lost, unless you want to get pounded into the ground!" Tsykui growled at the two boys in front of his target.
"Leave him alone," Jou warned.
Yugi watched in horror as the two boys protected him from a boy about twice their size. Annoyed, Tsykui swung at the pair, but they ducked expertly below his swinging fist. But, they didn't see his second fist as it connected with Honda's jaw, which sent him right into Jou. They both fell to the ground in a heap and Tsykui looked back over to Yugi, who whimpered piteously. Jou slammed into his large side, sending him wavering to the side a few steps. He growled deep in his throat, catching Jou in the stomach with a hard blow. All air escaped from Jou's lungs, and his knees buckled, making him land on the floor with an astonished look on his face as he fought to catch his breath. Honda rose to his feet, his jaw already beginning to swell up. He pulled his fist back, landing an amazingly hard blow to the side of Tsykui's skull. Tsykui stumbled, looking over at Honda with astonishment.
"Screw this, that little shit isn't worth it," Tsykui cursed, ducking out of the fast food restaurant.
Honda shook his hand to return the feeling to the limb, and then offered it to Jou to help him up. He pulled the blonde to his feet, holding his jaw with his other hand. They turned to Yugi, who was gaping in wonder.
Jou smiled weakly. "Hey, you o-"
"YUGI!!!"
Yugi turned his head to see Yami running up to him, having relieved himself after much trouble figuring out how to do so. He had resorted to asking one of the men in the bathroom, which left him feeling extremely foolish. Thankfully, he had easily convinced the man that he was suffering from amnesia.
"Yami-saaaaan!" Yugi cried out, getting up from his seat and rushing over to the spirit.
Yami gathered the small boy up in his arms, trying his hardest not to crush Yugi to him, as that would only cause him pain from the numerous bruises all over his body. Yugi rested his head on Yami's shoulder, trying to hide his face in his neck as he cried tears of relief. He had been so close to being hurt even more by the huge boy, and was still scared out of his mind. Yami pressed his cheek against Yugi's, closing his eyes and breathing a sigh of relief before he opened them again and looked at the two boys who had saved the small boy in his arms.
"Thank you so much for helping Yugi," he told them, Yugi's sobs quieting as he snuggled up closer to Yami's body.
Jou rubbed his nose with his thumb, his cheeks coloring slightly as he looked away from Yugi and Yami with a smile. "It's alright. We just didn't want to see him get hurt, ya know?"
Yugi didn't know why, but he felt safe in Yami's secure embrace. It felt right, resting there in his arms. He was so relieved to see Yami; happier to see him then he had ever been before.
Yami was having a slight problem breathing. Yugi was so close to him, and his body was aflame with senses. He couldn't get enough of the boy; his eyes, his smell, his entire being. All were addictive.
"Jou, there you a-"
Jou turned his head, gaze meeting that of Seto Kaiba, another student at their school. Jou looked over to Honda worriedly, whose eyes had already begun to narrow.
"Honda." Seto growled.
"Kaiba." Honda growled in return.
"What are you doing here?" Seto demanded.
"I'm here with Jou, if you must know," Honda smirked.
Seto flushed with jealousy. Jou stepped up to Seto worriedly. "We just came for something to eat, Seto. You know that Honda and I are just friends. We've been friends since we were little."
Seto glared at Honda, then returning his gaze to Jou. "I just came to get you so we could go back to my place."
Jou flushed and Honda growled deep in his throat. "I have to go, Honda. I did promise him that I'd see him after school. See you at school, Yug?" Jou asked the small boy in Yami's arms.
Yugi nodded slowly, his face still buried in Yami's neck.
"Right! Seya!" He called out to him.
Seto put his arm around Jou's waist protectively, glaring back at Honda before walking outside with the blonde.
Honda frowned sulkily, glancing back over to Yugi and Yami. "Maybe I'll see you guys later," he mumbled, stalking out of the door moodily.
Yami looked down at Yugi, who had fallen asleep in his secure hold. He smiled to himself. Perhaps he needed to take Yugi home now. He slipped Yugi's backpack over one shoulder as he stepped outside and began walking down the street. Then he realized something.
"I don't know where he lives," Yami muttered to himself.
"Perhaps I can be of some assistance?"
Yami's head jerked over to the side, seeing the form of the Dark Magician before he shifted his clothes to look more normal. Yami's eyes grew wide.
"Hyoui!" Yami blurted out.
He nodded. "Yes, it's me."
"You know where Yugi lives?"
"Of course I do! I've been with that boy for almost eight years now."
"Right. Can you take me there?"
"Yes, though I do not know if that would be the safest thing to do."
"But, that's his home, is it not?" Yami asked confusedly, the Dark Magician directing him to Yugi's home.
"Homes are not always safe in this day and age. I know Yugi-sama has not told you, but it is his father that hurts him, other then the boys that you have seen at his school. Wherever he goes, he is beaten and tormented; the price you pay for being to innocent and pure for your own good," Hyoui explained mournfully.
"His father?!" Yami asked, horrified.
Hyoui nodded. "Yes. But, you cannot tell anyone. Yugi-sama knows that if anyone found out, he would be taken from his parents and placed with another family. He would love to leave his father, but he cannot bear to part with his mother."
"Why doesn't Yugi's mother just leave her husband?" Yami asked, looking down at the sleeping form with newfound sadness.
"Money. If she left, they would be living on the streets, for she has no money of her own."
"Why hasn't Yugi's father been killed?"
"This world doesn't work like that, Yami. Nowadays, that would be considered immoral or murder. So, Yugi-sama is trapped in his home. Perhaps you can find out a way to bring Yugi-sama happiness without him losing his mother?" Hyoui murmured hopefully, his eyes gazing down at the frail form in Yami's arms.
Yami nodded resolutely. "I will try. No matter how long it takes, I will see Yugi truly happy."
"Then you will have done what none of us could not." Hyoui paused, looking over to the small run-down home that he had stopped in front of. "Here. This is where he lives. I would suggest sneaking in through the window. I do not know what Byono would do if he saw you."
"Byono?" Yami asked.
"Yugi-sama's father," Hyoui responded, vanishing back into his card after pointing to Yugi's bedroom window.
Yami looked up at the home in disgust. All plants around it were dead or dying, and the paint was peeling off the exterior. He crept towards the house reluctantly, finding the window that Hyoui had pointed out unlocked. He opened it, slipping inside with Yugi still cradled in his arms. He landed on the stained carpet, closing the window behind him. It was getting dark outside, no wonder Yugi had drifted off into sleep. He gaped in horror when he saw the conditions in which Yugi lived. A mattress was resting on the floor, a worn blanket and a flat pillow resting on the dilapidated bed. Those were the only things in the white-walled room, and even those few things were of very poor quality. Yami slipped Yugi's backpack onto the floor beside the mattress, holding back his rage as thoughts of different ways of tormenting Byono came to mind.
Yugi's eyes opened as Yami laid him gently on the bed after removing his shoes and jacket, resting his head on the pillow. "Yami-san?"
Yami smiled, brushing Yugi's golden bangs from his eyes. "I'm right here, Yugi."
"I'm-I'm home. How did you find it?" Yugi asked sleepily.
"Hyoui showed me the way," Yami explained.
"Oh. Okay." Yugi murmured softly.
"Yugi, promise me something," Yami said.
"Anything, Yami-san," Yugi whispered.
"If you ever get in trouble or need my help, just call out to me in your mind. I'll be able to hear you, and I'll come and help you, even if I'm within the Millennium Puzzle," Yami told him, stroking Yugi's face gently. "I don't ever want to see you almost get hurt like that. I felt so ashamed, knowing that I wasn't there for you while you were afraid and needed me."
"I promise, Yami-san. And it wasn't your fault that you weren't with me," Yugi murmured.
"But I still feel guilty," Yami sighed. He reached down to the blanket at Yugi's feet, pulling it up so that it covered his small form. "If you need me, Yugi, I'll be inside the Puzzle."
"No! Please, don't go," Yugi whimpered, clutching the puzzle tightly in his hands, as though hoping he could prevent Yami from going inside.
Yami smiled. "Alright, I won't go. But, I warn you, I may have to go into the puzzle sometimes so that no one can see me that shouldn't."
"Okay," Yugi sniffed. "But don't go unless you have to."
"Deal," Yami laughed quietly.
"Yami-san?" Yugi whispered quietly, shivering.
"Yes, Yugi?"
"I'm cold," he mumbled, clutching the thin blanket about his shoulders.
Yami looked down and noticed that he WAS cold. He was trembling, and his muscles had tensed. Yami pulled off his own shoes and jacket, slipping under the blanket beside the Yugi, resting his head on the other half of the pillow.
"Come here, Yugi," Yami murmured to the boy, opening his arms to him.
Without hesitation, Yugi scooted into Yami's arms, snuggling closer to his warmth. Yami put his arms around Yugi, holding him to his body. He sighed, his chin resting against the top of Yugi's head as the younger boy nestled his face against his neck.
"I will never allow anything to hurt you Yugi. I live for YOU now," Yami whispered, but the boy had slipped back into sleep, comforted by Yami's warmth and secure hold.
~*~*~
Bow: *Melts* Awwww!!! Kawaii!!! *^^*
Dragon: *blinks* No!!! I wanna lemon!
Bow: *Hits her between the eyes with a lemon*
Dragon: *Glares at Bow as the lemon bounces off of her* Wrong kind of lemon.
Bow: *Laughs uneasily* Well, R/R!!! I have to go before Dragon eats me like she did that poor Dragonslayer. *Flees*
Bow: *grins* Yay! Chapter two!
Dragon: Shut up and type up the chapter!
Bow: Meanie!
Dragon: Oh leave me alone and type up the chapter!
Bow: *sobs* Is that all you care about, the fanfic?
Dragon: Yes.
Bow: Oh. Alright then. I'll get to writing ....
Bow: AIEEE!!! Reviews!!! I feel so loved! *melts*
Black-Magic-Spellbinder: Don't worry, it gets less sad as it goes on!
Amy: Yup! Yami and Yugi! ^____^
KaTyA: ^^ Don't worry, I will!
Princess Strawberry: Yes, it is. Those two make such a cute couple!
Shoshana VH Vared: ^^ I'm writing!
Prince Rowen of Strata: Can't tell! Read!
Silver Dragon: Yes, very convinced .....
Kawaiiyami: I'm updating, I'm updating! *^^*
~*~*~
Yugi looked down at Yami, tears welling up in his eyes. The older boy looked so worried about him. Why was it that he trusted him so completely? Something about him just felt... right. Secure. This was the protector he had wished for, and Yami had already promised Hyoui, his loyal Dark Magician, that he would take care of Yugi. Yami reached up to him, brushing his golden bangs out of his face.
"Please, tell me Yugi," Yami coaxed, his voice soft and comforting.
Yugi swallowed, nodding slowly. "My back," he murmured quietly.
Yami's eyes widened slightly. So, the reason Yugi had cried out in pain was because he had hugged him, thereby applying pressure to his back. "What happened to your back, Yugi?"
Yugi whimpered quietly, more tears collecting in his eyes.
"Yugi, will you let me see your back?" Yami asked him slowly.
Yugi closed his eyes, nodding again. Yami removed the blue jacket that Yugi was wearing gingerly, making sure not to cause him any more pain. Yami took in a sharp breath as he saw the number of large, dark purple bruises that covered his arms and wrists. Yami looked up to Yugi's face, seeing the tears that now fell from his closed eyes.
"Yugi..." Yami whispered.
Yugi whimpered quietly, his eyes still closed tightly. His arms went limp, and he allowed Yami to remove his white shirt that he wore under the jacket. Yami gasped in horror. Yugi's entire torso, front and back, were covered in horrid bruises, ranging from a faint red to a purplish black. Yami's face was twisted with rage, an his eyes flashed dangerously.
"Who did this to you, Yugi?" Yami spat angrily, looking up at the trembling boy.
Yugi whimpered again, taking a step back from the enraged spirit. Yami's face softened. "I'm not mad with you, Yugi. Please, don't be scared. I will never allow anyone to hurt you ever again," he murmured, wiping the tears from Yugi's face. "Please, who did this to you? Tell me Yugi, and I can make sure that this never happens again."
Yugi shook his head vigorously, "I-I can't, Yami-san. Please, don't make me tell you. He...he said that if I told anyone, that I would be taken away from my mother. I can't lose her like I lost my Grandpa, Yami-san," he sniffed, tears glittering in the corners of his large, innocence-filled eyes.
"I won't make you do anything that you don't want to, Yugi," Yami told him, though rather reluctant to stop himself from finding out the man who had done this to the small child. He was so innocent, and his soft skin had been defiled by the bruises upon bruises that had been inflicted upon him. Why is it that the cruel people in the world found such pleasure in harming the weak?
Yami slipped Yugi's shirt and jacket back over him, again wiping the tears from his face. "Come, I do not like the feeling of this place. We should leave," Yami told him, standing and reaching down for Yugi's small hand.
Yugi fit his hand inside the older boy's, looking up at him. "But, school hasn't ended, Yami-san."
"I don't care. I will not allow you to get hurt. And I think you've been through enough today. Just tell your teacher that there was an emergency when you come back tomorrow," Yami told him, smiling comfortingly down at the astonished boy.
"But tomorrow is Saturday. I don't have school tomorrow," Yugi replied.
"Really? Well, then you can tell her when you get back," he said.
Yugi nodded, smiling cutely. "'Kay."
~*~*~
Yugi chewed on the straw in his mouth as he sat at a table next to the window of a fast food place. Yami sat across from him, looking out the window at the new age of technology that he knew nothing of. Yugi took a sip of his soda between chewing once more on the white straw, watching Yami. His backpack rested next to the spirit, who had carried it as they left the school.
"You don't know anything 'bout this world, do you Yami-san?" Yugi asked, the straw still in his mouth as he spoke around it.
He looked back over to the younger boy, crimson eyes meeting violet. "No, but, I do not remember my time either."
Yugi cocked his head to the side. "How come?"
Yami smiled at the innocent expression on Yugi's face. "I have been inside that puzzle for a number of millennia. My memories have long since faded. So, my purpose now is to protect you, Yugi."
Yugi lifted the Millennium Puzzle in his cupped hands. The puzzle was hanging from a leather chord, which was around his neck. Yami had explained that the puzzle was what linked them together, and if he ever lost the puzzle, then he would also lose Yami. He would NEVER allow that to happen!
"What was it like, in the puzzle, Yami-san?" Yugi asked curiously.
Yami's smile turned into a frown. "Dark. Quiet. I was alone, and I couldn't remember, and still don't, know why. And I was in there as Ages passed without my knowing. It's hard, coming from a silent prison to a bustling world that you know nothing about."
Yami noticed the sad look on Yugi's face, and forced himself into a smile. "But, I'm here now, and that's all that matters."
Yami blinked, then felt a feeling that he hadn't felt in a LONG time. He turned crimson, looking around. "Yugi, where's the bathroom?"
Yugi burst into a broad grin, laughing as he took the straw out of his mouth. He pointed in the direction of a hallway that led to both the men's and women's bathrooms. "Over there, Yami-san."
Yami turned an even deeper red. "Thanks," he murmured, getting out of his seat hurriedly and walking as fast as he could in the direction of the bathrooms.
Yugi watched Yami as he looked at two doors in the hallway, his gaze going from one door to the other. He shrugged, and then entered one. Yugi's eyes left the spirit as someone approached the table where he sat.
~*~*~
Yami frowned as his crimson gaze focused on one of the two doors in front of him, and then moved to the other. Which one was the bathroom?! They were both marked with almost the same sign, but he didn't know what they meant.
"What's the difference?!" Yami growled as he stared at the doors.
Giving up, he shrugged, pushing one open and stepping inside. Heads turned as he entered, and screams bounced off the tile walls. Yami jumped three feet into the air, blushed a deep crimson, and hurriedly stepped out of the woman's bathroom. He shook his head, trying to get the echoing screams to stop bouncing around inside his skull. He then stepped into the next door, hoping he wouldn't receive the same treatment as when he had entered the other door. He looked around, noticing that the occupants, all men, paid him no heed. He looked up to the symbol on the door and stored it away in his memory for further use.
But, now what? This world had such a weird method for relieving themselves. White things lined the walls, along with sectioned off areas. Why couldn't they have just kept the chamber pots?! They were simple, and using them was no hard task. But, he needed to use the bathroom NOW, so he had to find out how to do this fast!
~*~*~
Yugi let a whimper pass his lips as he stared up at the figure that had approached him. Tsykui, the biggest bully at his school. Unfortunately, Yugi was his favorite target. He was even larger then the bully that Yami had taken care of, and was three times more menacing.
"You weren't at school, Yugi? What were you doing, skipping?" Tsykui growled, resting his hands on the table and leaning forward towards Yugi.
Yugi whimpered again, sinking down in his seat. His eyes darted to where Yami had disappeared. He still hadn't come back from the restroom.
"Yami-san." he sobbed quietly, his eyes looking back up at the large form above him.
"You would have been better off coming to school, Yugi. Now you're in for even more pain," Tsykui hissed.
Yugi looked helplessly at the others around him, who looked away guiltily, not wanting to get hurt by the huge teenager. The same thought passed through each of their minds: better him then me. All except two boys, who stood up from their seats angrily and walked over to Tsykui, wedging their way in between him and Yugi.
Yugi gasped. He recognized them from school! One was dressed in green, and had golden-blonde hair; Jounouchi! The second had on a brown jacket, and brown hair that has cut in one large spike; Honda! But, why were they helping him? They had never talked to him before, and if they had, it was only to make fun of him.
The blonde turned, giving Yugi a wink. "You okay, Yug?"
Yugi nodded, his heart pounding inside his chest.
"Why don't you get lost and leave Yugi alone, Tsykui?" Honda asked him, eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Do you two have a death wish? Get lost, unless you want to get pounded into the ground!" Tsykui growled at the two boys in front of his target.
"Leave him alone," Jou warned.
Yugi watched in horror as the two boys protected him from a boy about twice their size. Annoyed, Tsykui swung at the pair, but they ducked expertly below his swinging fist. But, they didn't see his second fist as it connected with Honda's jaw, which sent him right into Jou. They both fell to the ground in a heap and Tsykui looked back over to Yugi, who whimpered piteously. Jou slammed into his large side, sending him wavering to the side a few steps. He growled deep in his throat, catching Jou in the stomach with a hard blow. All air escaped from Jou's lungs, and his knees buckled, making him land on the floor with an astonished look on his face as he fought to catch his breath. Honda rose to his feet, his jaw already beginning to swell up. He pulled his fist back, landing an amazingly hard blow to the side of Tsykui's skull. Tsykui stumbled, looking over at Honda with astonishment.
"Screw this, that little shit isn't worth it," Tsykui cursed, ducking out of the fast food restaurant.
Honda shook his hand to return the feeling to the limb, and then offered it to Jou to help him up. He pulled the blonde to his feet, holding his jaw with his other hand. They turned to Yugi, who was gaping in wonder.
Jou smiled weakly. "Hey, you o-"
"YUGI!!!"
Yugi turned his head to see Yami running up to him, having relieved himself after much trouble figuring out how to do so. He had resorted to asking one of the men in the bathroom, which left him feeling extremely foolish. Thankfully, he had easily convinced the man that he was suffering from amnesia.
"Yami-saaaaan!" Yugi cried out, getting up from his seat and rushing over to the spirit.
Yami gathered the small boy up in his arms, trying his hardest not to crush Yugi to him, as that would only cause him pain from the numerous bruises all over his body. Yugi rested his head on Yami's shoulder, trying to hide his face in his neck as he cried tears of relief. He had been so close to being hurt even more by the huge boy, and was still scared out of his mind. Yami pressed his cheek against Yugi's, closing his eyes and breathing a sigh of relief before he opened them again and looked at the two boys who had saved the small boy in his arms.
"Thank you so much for helping Yugi," he told them, Yugi's sobs quieting as he snuggled up closer to Yami's body.
Jou rubbed his nose with his thumb, his cheeks coloring slightly as he looked away from Yugi and Yami with a smile. "It's alright. We just didn't want to see him get hurt, ya know?"
Yugi didn't know why, but he felt safe in Yami's secure embrace. It felt right, resting there in his arms. He was so relieved to see Yami; happier to see him then he had ever been before.
Yami was having a slight problem breathing. Yugi was so close to him, and his body was aflame with senses. He couldn't get enough of the boy; his eyes, his smell, his entire being. All were addictive.
"Jou, there you a-"
Jou turned his head, gaze meeting that of Seto Kaiba, another student at their school. Jou looked over to Honda worriedly, whose eyes had already begun to narrow.
"Honda." Seto growled.
"Kaiba." Honda growled in return.
"What are you doing here?" Seto demanded.
"I'm here with Jou, if you must know," Honda smirked.
Seto flushed with jealousy. Jou stepped up to Seto worriedly. "We just came for something to eat, Seto. You know that Honda and I are just friends. We've been friends since we were little."
Seto glared at Honda, then returning his gaze to Jou. "I just came to get you so we could go back to my place."
Jou flushed and Honda growled deep in his throat. "I have to go, Honda. I did promise him that I'd see him after school. See you at school, Yug?" Jou asked the small boy in Yami's arms.
Yugi nodded slowly, his face still buried in Yami's neck.
"Right! Seya!" He called out to him.
Seto put his arm around Jou's waist protectively, glaring back at Honda before walking outside with the blonde.
Honda frowned sulkily, glancing back over to Yugi and Yami. "Maybe I'll see you guys later," he mumbled, stalking out of the door moodily.
Yami looked down at Yugi, who had fallen asleep in his secure hold. He smiled to himself. Perhaps he needed to take Yugi home now. He slipped Yugi's backpack over one shoulder as he stepped outside and began walking down the street. Then he realized something.
"I don't know where he lives," Yami muttered to himself.
"Perhaps I can be of some assistance?"
Yami's head jerked over to the side, seeing the form of the Dark Magician before he shifted his clothes to look more normal. Yami's eyes grew wide.
"Hyoui!" Yami blurted out.
He nodded. "Yes, it's me."
"You know where Yugi lives?"
"Of course I do! I've been with that boy for almost eight years now."
"Right. Can you take me there?"
"Yes, though I do not know if that would be the safest thing to do."
"But, that's his home, is it not?" Yami asked confusedly, the Dark Magician directing him to Yugi's home.
"Homes are not always safe in this day and age. I know Yugi-sama has not told you, but it is his father that hurts him, other then the boys that you have seen at his school. Wherever he goes, he is beaten and tormented; the price you pay for being to innocent and pure for your own good," Hyoui explained mournfully.
"His father?!" Yami asked, horrified.
Hyoui nodded. "Yes. But, you cannot tell anyone. Yugi-sama knows that if anyone found out, he would be taken from his parents and placed with another family. He would love to leave his father, but he cannot bear to part with his mother."
"Why doesn't Yugi's mother just leave her husband?" Yami asked, looking down at the sleeping form with newfound sadness.
"Money. If she left, they would be living on the streets, for she has no money of her own."
"Why hasn't Yugi's father been killed?"
"This world doesn't work like that, Yami. Nowadays, that would be considered immoral or murder. So, Yugi-sama is trapped in his home. Perhaps you can find out a way to bring Yugi-sama happiness without him losing his mother?" Hyoui murmured hopefully, his eyes gazing down at the frail form in Yami's arms.
Yami nodded resolutely. "I will try. No matter how long it takes, I will see Yugi truly happy."
"Then you will have done what none of us could not." Hyoui paused, looking over to the small run-down home that he had stopped in front of. "Here. This is where he lives. I would suggest sneaking in through the window. I do not know what Byono would do if he saw you."
"Byono?" Yami asked.
"Yugi-sama's father," Hyoui responded, vanishing back into his card after pointing to Yugi's bedroom window.
Yami looked up at the home in disgust. All plants around it were dead or dying, and the paint was peeling off the exterior. He crept towards the house reluctantly, finding the window that Hyoui had pointed out unlocked. He opened it, slipping inside with Yugi still cradled in his arms. He landed on the stained carpet, closing the window behind him. It was getting dark outside, no wonder Yugi had drifted off into sleep. He gaped in horror when he saw the conditions in which Yugi lived. A mattress was resting on the floor, a worn blanket and a flat pillow resting on the dilapidated bed. Those were the only things in the white-walled room, and even those few things were of very poor quality. Yami slipped Yugi's backpack onto the floor beside the mattress, holding back his rage as thoughts of different ways of tormenting Byono came to mind.
Yugi's eyes opened as Yami laid him gently on the bed after removing his shoes and jacket, resting his head on the pillow. "Yami-san?"
Yami smiled, brushing Yugi's golden bangs from his eyes. "I'm right here, Yugi."
"I'm-I'm home. How did you find it?" Yugi asked sleepily.
"Hyoui showed me the way," Yami explained.
"Oh. Okay." Yugi murmured softly.
"Yugi, promise me something," Yami said.
"Anything, Yami-san," Yugi whispered.
"If you ever get in trouble or need my help, just call out to me in your mind. I'll be able to hear you, and I'll come and help you, even if I'm within the Millennium Puzzle," Yami told him, stroking Yugi's face gently. "I don't ever want to see you almost get hurt like that. I felt so ashamed, knowing that I wasn't there for you while you were afraid and needed me."
"I promise, Yami-san. And it wasn't your fault that you weren't with me," Yugi murmured.
"But I still feel guilty," Yami sighed. He reached down to the blanket at Yugi's feet, pulling it up so that it covered his small form. "If you need me, Yugi, I'll be inside the Puzzle."
"No! Please, don't go," Yugi whimpered, clutching the puzzle tightly in his hands, as though hoping he could prevent Yami from going inside.
Yami smiled. "Alright, I won't go. But, I warn you, I may have to go into the puzzle sometimes so that no one can see me that shouldn't."
"Okay," Yugi sniffed. "But don't go unless you have to."
"Deal," Yami laughed quietly.
"Yami-san?" Yugi whispered quietly, shivering.
"Yes, Yugi?"
"I'm cold," he mumbled, clutching the thin blanket about his shoulders.
Yami looked down and noticed that he WAS cold. He was trembling, and his muscles had tensed. Yami pulled off his own shoes and jacket, slipping under the blanket beside the Yugi, resting his head on the other half of the pillow.
"Come here, Yugi," Yami murmured to the boy, opening his arms to him.
Without hesitation, Yugi scooted into Yami's arms, snuggling closer to his warmth. Yami put his arms around Yugi, holding him to his body. He sighed, his chin resting against the top of Yugi's head as the younger boy nestled his face against his neck.
"I will never allow anything to hurt you Yugi. I live for YOU now," Yami whispered, but the boy had slipped back into sleep, comforted by Yami's warmth and secure hold.
~*~*~
Bow: *Melts* Awwww!!! Kawaii!!! *^^*
Dragon: *blinks* No!!! I wanna lemon!
Bow: *Hits her between the eyes with a lemon*
Dragon: *Glares at Bow as the lemon bounces off of her* Wrong kind of lemon.
Bow: *Laughs uneasily* Well, R/R!!! I have to go before Dragon eats me like she did that poor Dragonslayer. *Flees*