Disclaimer: I don't own the YGO characters!

Summary: Yugi is an angel sent from heaven to watch over a human who bears a striking resemblance to him… AU (Alternate Universe)

Chapter 1

Yugi bowed in front of the archangel who had been sent with a message for him.

"I am at your service my lord." He said with respect. The archangel smiled down at him, Yugi was a particularly dedicated angel who threw himself into everything he was instructed to do with fervor. He was being promoted to me allowed to walk on earth and be with mortals on various assignments and he was about to deliver him his first one.

"Yugi, you are to be granted the privilege of traveling to earth and carrying out assignments for our lord." The angel told him.

"I am? Thank you." Yugi said bowing low again.

"You will of course be unable to fly however power will be granted when needed. Do you have any questions?"

"When will I be leaving?" Yugi asked thinking that he needed to say farewell to his best friend Ryou before he left.

"Immediately." The angel said and Yugi's happy smile faltered. He wouldn't be able to say goodbye but he knew the orders could not be disobeyed so he nodded.

"Follow me." The angel said spreading his beautiful white wings and taking off. Yugi spread his own wings and took off after him keeping up with him easily.

They arrived at a doorway set into one of the walls of the main meeting place for all the angels in heaven.

"This is the doorway to earth." His companion explained. "You will find your first assignment on the other side." Yugi nodded and prepared to walk through the door.

He turned the handle and opened it. There was a blinding flash of light and he shielded his eyes from it and stepped through. There was suddenly darkness surrounding him and he moved his hand to be met with a darkened street in a city on earth.

He turned to see a glow round the doorway before it vanished and he was alone in the street. His back felt lighter and he realised his wings were gone. He sighed knowing he would miss them as well as the feeling he got from flying but all the same he was pleased to be promoted like this. It was only the most dedicated of angels that made it to earth to do work like this and so he felt happy.

Looking round he wondered where his assignment was. The angel had said he would find him but the street was deserted. He began to walk until he came upon a small late night café. He looked through the window and spotted a lonely figure sitting at a table all on his own.

Feeling something weighing down his pocket, he put his hand in to feel some money there. He must need to go in the café and buy something. Was his assignment the lonely figure at the table? In answer to his silent question, Yugi felt a glow surround him. He realised that this must be in answer to his question and pushing the door, he entered.

"What can I get you?" The man behind the counter asked. Yugi wondered what would be best. He had been an angel for as long as he could remember and had never needed to do anything such as eat or drink but now in order to be on earth, he had to be part human and that meant sustaining his body with human food and drink.

What did humans drink? He looked at the menu and saw a list of drinks. Hot chocolate seemed to spring out of the page at him so he smiled at the man.

"I'll have a hot chocolate please." He said and paid with the money he had found in his pocket. Taking his hot chocolate, which smelled delicious to him, he made his way over to the lonely figure at the table.

"Excuse me, is anyone sitting here?" He asked politely.

The person started in surprise and looked up.

"Er no…no one is sitting here." He said and Yugi saw that he was nervous.

"Mind if I sit?" he asked noting that the person looked a lot like he did.

"Sure help yourself, I was waiting for someone but they never came."

Yugi sat and stirred his drink looking at the other and wondering why he had been assigned to this person in particular.

"You seem sad." He ventured when they had been sitting for a while in silence. The person across from him did indeed look very sad as though he had been promised great things but let down at the last minute.

"Oh I had arranged to meet a friend but they never showed. Seems to happen a lot these days." He said sadly.

Yugi's heart went out to him. Being stood up was awful he knew though it didn't happen in heaven, Yugi had heard stories about what happened on earth from other angels who had been here but had found it too traumatizing and had returned to heaven.

"I'm sorry to hear that." He said taking a sip of his drink and thinking that it was wonderful and wishing that hot chocolate was available in heaven!

"Wow you look like you have never tasted hot chocolate before." The other commented at the rapturous look on the other's face.

Yugi was about to say 'I haven't' when he stopped himself. He couldn't let the mortal know he was an angel – at least not yet. He had to complete his assignment first.

"It's…been a while." Yugi said and smiled his mouth now sporting a lovely hot chocolate moustache after taking a bigger drink.

The other smiled and indicated the moustache, which Yugi wiped off hastily and smiled.

"Where do you come from?" Yugi asked.

"Anywhere and nowhere." The other said. "My parents kicked me out of home when I was fourteen and I've been living rough ever since."

"What's your name?" Yugi asked noting the poor state of the other's clothes.

"Yami."

"I'm Yugi, pleased to meet you." He smiled and drank more of his drink. Wow this was good; he would make sure he drank plenty more while he was on earth!

"It's nice to meet you too." Yami said wondering why this smartly dressed young man was taking the time to talk to him after all he was dirty and smelly and slept in dirty alleyways. He was only in the café because someone had given him some yen earlier than day and told him to get a meal. He was supposed to be meeting that person here but he obviously didn't want to be associated with a homeless guy. Same as everyone else he thought glumly. This person didn't seem to be put off by his appearance at all and it gave him a little warmth to know that not everyone was selfish.

"Are you hungry Yami?" Yugi asked noting Yami's thin appearance and the fact that his clothes were hanging off him.

"A little, but don't worry I'll find something." Yami lied. There would be no food for him until the next day now. The yen had barely afforded him the coffee that he was using to warm his hands, which had been cold all day.

"I'll get you something." Yugi said gently and held up his hand to prevent a protest from the surprised Yami.

"Thanks." He mumbled sensing that this person genuinely cared. In this city money ruled all and if you didn't have it, you were worthless. That was exactly how Yami felt – totally worthless. His abusive mother had told him that just before she told him to get out and never bother her again. He never understood when she was so nasty to him and not to his brothers and sisters. It had been later when he had found out from his father that he wasn't really his mother's son. His father had had an affair and he had been the result. Yami's father had brought him home when he was born and his wife had raised him so he could save face among their friends. They had used an excuse of a 'surprise pregnancy' and people had believed it but the woman who he had always thought of as his mother had resented him and had taken out her anger over her husband's infidelity on Yami. She had beaten him and made him work hard for her until the day she decided she had had enough and told him to get out.

Yami had now lived on the streets for four years and had managed to survive living off scraps of food and the occasional yen a passer by would throw at him.

Yugi ordered food for them both though he intended to let Yami eat most of it. Yugi found he was granted the knowledge of how to eat with chopsticks and he was grateful. He didn't want his assignment to figure out that all were not as it seemed.

Yami didn't eat much as his stomach had shrunk and he couldn't manage a lot due to eating so little for so long and he was soon full up.

Yugi sampled the various dishes and decided that he liked this earthly living. He hoped his assignment would last for a while so he could enjoy it.

"Thank you." Yami said as he sat back satisfied. It was the first proper meal he had eaten in months.

"It was my pleasure." Yugi said happy that Yami had enjoyed the food. Now all he had to do was to work out where he was going to sleep tonight. Instantly he felt something else appear in his pocket. Putting his hand in, he discovered a set of keys and an address. Looking at it he immediately knew where it was.

"You are welcome to stay with me tonight." Yugi said and Yami's mouth fell open in shock. No one had ever offered him that before and with such warmth too! It radiated from Yugi surrounding Yami with a wonderful feeling of being cared about. The feeling was alien to him and he wasn't sure what to make of it.

"Oh I couldn't…" He said thinking this man opposite him must be mad to invite someone like him into his home.

"I insist, come on, I won't take 'no' for an answer."

"Well okay if you're sure." Yami said smiling slightly in hope. Even for one night, a real bed and roof over his head would be like heaven. "Thank you." He said again.

Yugi nodded and got up putting his coat on which he had taken off earlier.

Yami put his own threadbare coat on which looked as if it was about to fall apart and Yugi thought about getting him some better clothes.

He had been sent to earth to help this man and he was determined to do a good job.

They walked out and Yugi walked in the direction of his new apartment on earth. He knew they way as if he had been going there all is life instead of it being the first time he had been on earth let alone in a city.

They walked down the street that was dimly lit by the streetlights. Yugi wished he had his wings so he could fly them both to his apartment but he didn't so they walked.

Yugi was aware suddenly that they were being followed and he glanced behind him to see a group following them.

Yami started to walk faster next to him and so Yugi speeded up too. The men behind them also speeded up and as they had longer legs than the two in front, they caught them up easily.

"Now, now, where are you two going at this time of night?" Yugi looked puzzled for a moment. Why should it matter what time it was?

"We're just going home." He said and made to carry on but he found they were surrounded.

"Please let us pass." Yugi said but the men laughed.

"I don't think so, give us your money first."

Yugi could feel Yami shaking in fear next to him and then he realized why. One of the men had pulled out a knife and was holding it in front of him menacingly.

Yugi couldn't die, he was immortal but he didn't want to risk Yami, as it was his job to protect his assignment and he didn't wish for any harm to come to him.

"I'm sorry we don't have any money." He said knowing he had spent it all in the café and there would be no more until he needed it. He waited to see if any appeared in his pocket but none did and that meant he had to sort this out without needing it.

"I don't believe you." The man with the knife said and at his signal, Yami was grabbed. He cried out in fear but was silenced by the feel of cold steel against his throat.

"No! Please don't hurt him!" Yugi cried out scared that he would fail both his assignment and Yami himself if he died now.

"Then give us your money." The man hissed pressing the knife against Yami's throat and nicking the skin making him bleed slightly. Yugi began to panic slightly unsure what he could do.

He didn't want Yami to get hurt but he had no money for these men what could he do?

Yami looked at Yugi who was looking helpless. This was it, he was going to die he knew it for sure. There was no way these men would let either of them go without anything.

What can I do?

TBC…