Title: Fear, the Irony

Author: Sorceress Fantasia

Pairings: YY/Y

Warnings: Angst

Disclaimer: I tried to lure Yugi over to me with some really good cards, but Yami came and snatched him back. He took the cards too. So no, I don't own the YGO anime or characters in any way.

Challenge theme: Fear

Summary: Yugi will always be afraid.

Word count: 500

-----

I was always afraid.

And everyone used to always tease me about it. Timid little Yugi, jumping at every sound and crying at every shadow. Bet you that he'll scare himself to death one day.

Perhaps they're right. But I can't help but be afraid.

When I was younger, I was afraid of being left alone. My parents used to always hug me and tell me stories and epics of dragon-slaying heroes and kind-hearted commoners who won the heart of a princess. But when they died, so did those touches and fantastical tales. Jii-chan was too busy working and trying to raise me to pay attention to these small details.

Then when the bullies in school started to pick on me, I grew afraid of people getting too close to me. Whenever they did, whoever it was, I'd feel trapped, suffocated and small. The people would look at me like I were a cornered animal, and they had the weapons to kill me. And they wouldn't leave me alone.

But at the same time, I wanted people close to my heart. I was afraid that I would have to live life alone, never to taste love and the sweetness of marriage my parents had always told me about. They would have wanted me to marry.

Yami came along then, with his unfathomable powers and extraordinary patience. He never let me be alone, and neither did he let the bullies get close to me again. More than that, he also learned to love me and perhaps even worship me. But I was still afraid.

And this time, I was afraid of Yami.

Strange, isn't it? Why would I be afraid of the one person who protected me with his own life, loved me unconditionally, and took me to be the light of his life?

But I do. I just do.

Perhaps it is precisely because he loves me so much, adores me so much that I grow afraid. Afraid that he'd one day, see me as the pathetic little child that I am, and leave me in disgust. Afraid that he'd one day, find someone, anyone, more worthy of his affections and toss me away like yesterday's garbage.

Yami knows of my doubts, and he always tries his best to alleviate them. If I'm depressed, he'd hug me more than usual, kiss me more than usual. He tries to reassure me that I am more than worthy of his love, or anyone else's, for that matter.

But it's not enough. It will never be enough. Not when I know just how useless I am, and how unworthy I am. And not when I know he can have so much better, deserves so much better.

So... yes, I fear him because I love him. So much. If I could, I would laugh at the irony, but the irony has chained me down so much, dragged me down so much that I can't smile at it anymore.

And I will never be fearless.

-owari-