UPDATE 03/19/2021
Dear Anon 1,
Please stop. I have been receiving criticism like crazy on this fanfic about everything you could imagine. Hate, whiny complaints, petty scathing comments. I'm simply tired of it, and you were the proverbial cherry on top. The last straw. I used the term "mansplaining" because I did not know your gender, nor does it matter in this case, since you opt to remain anonymous and harass me.
I have read the manga. I own the manga. In your spam of comments you arrogantly assume I haven't read it. And in your initial review you tried to explain things to me as if I wasn't completely familiar with the material I was writing about. You, an Anon, assumed I was mistaken or less familiar with the material than you, and proceeded to explain stuff to me like I was wrong. Like my interpretation of the material was flawed. Whether or not you are a man, you mansplained. The inclusion of how much you like Peachshipping only furthered your comment to sound like I was being corrected on something. Since Peachshipping is entirely irrelevant here in context.
Rather than apologize and move on, or frankly just ignore me and move on, (because I did not expect an apology, I was harsh and snappy with you) you have opted to harass me nearly every single day since. And any shred of remorse I felt for responding too harshly to you is frankly gone.
You have screamed at me how terrible and awful of a person I am, and proceeded to try and guilt me, shame me, and harass me constantly.
And now you accuse me of "ruining" Puzzleshipping for you. That you can no longer ship Yugi and Yami together at all because I told you not to mansplain. Once.
Wow. just wow.
Please leave me alone.
Dear Anonymous Guest Reviewers:
Anon number 1, You clearly ignored me when I said Anzu's shitty behavior was in Season Zero. NOT in the manga, and not in the Duel Monsters anime. In Season Zero (the Toei animated season of YGO that came before the DM anime) Anzu did do all the terrible things I said she did. And since this fic is mostly based on Season Zero, I wanted to address those things.
I should not have to reiterate that I do not hate Anzu in DM. I am allowed to hate what she did in s0. I did not need you leaving a big preachy review telling me how wrong you think I am. I do not need you to mansplain the series to me. And I really do not care how much you ship Anzu and Yugi.
As for Anon number 2, if you are going to ask a bunch of questions, mayhaps ask them while logged in? So I can provide an answer? Yugi was distant to Anzu in the previous chapter because it wasn't Yugi. I tried to make it clear that Yami was in control when Anzu came to visit. His awkward way of talking was in reference to the manga, where Yami has a difficult time holding a casual conversation and will respond in clipped and abrupt responses to his friends.
No he did not date Anzu. Yami is simply a socially awkward bean.
That is all, enjoy the new chapter.
Twenty minutes had barely passed since the incident and Yugi was astonished to see Seto Kaiba at his doorstep. Seto, who should have been at work. Seto, who no doubt had a long day of meetings, appointments, and paperwork, not to mention a corporation to run. Seto, who normally sent his younger brother to check in on Yugi because... because he was Seto Kaiba.
Seto strode into the apartment, as if he owned the place. Mokuba Kaiba trailed in after him, appearing behind a billow of Seto's long black trench coat.
"Bro, your shoes. Yugi doesn't like shoes on in his house."
Seto's entire expression turned dark, and he tilted his head until his long brown bangs covered his eyes. With a huff he bent to start unlatching all the buckles on his extremely elaborate boots. It was a sight indeed to see the two imposing Kaiba brother's struggle to take their shoes off in Yugi's entryway.
Realization dawned on Yugi. "You tattled on me," he accused, snapping his eyes to his assistant.
Ryuji flinched under the weight of his look. "You didn't want me to call a doctor."
"So you called Seto Kaiba?!"
Ryuji flinched again, harder, and nervously twisted a curly black lock of hair around one of his fingers. "I texted him that you fell off the couch, but that you declined any medical attention. I don't know why he's here now."
"Mokuba, call my private physician," Seto instructed as he finally straightened up, depositing his knee high boots next to the shoe shelf. There was no way on god's green earth they were going to fit on the shelf itself.
Mokuba deposited his own, much humbler shoes, on the shelf and whipped out a cell phone.
"Mokuba, do not call that physician," Yugi countered. He switched his glare to Seto.
Seto folded his arms over his chest, but did not step further into the apartment.
"I fell off the couch and jarred my butt," Yugi explained tensely. "Are you going to call your private physician every time I stub my toe? Unless they are taking x-rays to see if I made my fracture worse, which I probably didn't, I really doubt they're going to do more than prod me a bit and ask me to take it easy. And I promise you I don't intend to roll off the couch again. Once was perfect."
Seto's mouth drew into a hard line and the shadow over his eyes, cast by his bangs, seemed darker than ever. "Fine. Mokuba, cancel that call."
Mokuba, who had already put away his phone when Yugi told him not to call, looked sheepish. He made a point of pretending to put his phone away again for Seto's benefit.
Ryuji and Ryou were standing by the kitchen, they seemed to feel the tension in the air, because they fidgeted nervously. Ryuji twisting his hair, and Ryou stroking his chest oddly.
"We'll go set up the Monster World stuff on the table," Ryou said, he took a handful of Ryuji's sleeve and dragged him into the kitchen as well. Ryuji didn't so much as protest. He followed along willingly, seeming to share Ryou's eagerness to escape the Kaiba's. The muffled sounds of boxes being unpacked in the kitchen were the only noises for several long moments.
Mokuba took this as his cue to break the tension. "Yugi! I haven't seen you since I drove you home from the hospital." He pushed past Seto who was taking up most of the entryway still, and hurried to the couch where Yugi was sitting. Mokuba bent over the back of it to give him a hug and Yugi accepted enthusiastically, returning the gesture. "Are you sure you're ok? Bro, freaked out when he got the text. Stormed out of his meeting with the other execs and everything."
"Mokuba," Seto's tone was ice. He stalked into the room, swatting his brother on the side of the head, before moving to stand behind the recliner. Rather than sit, he leaned and crossed his arms over the back rest.
Mokuba leaned closer to Yugi's ear and whispered, "he drove here himself. Sped the whole way. Probably would have arrived in the helicopter if your apartment building had a landing pad."
"Mokuba!"
The younger Kaiba finally heeded the warning in his brother's tone and backed off with a cheeky grin. "Work isn't the same without you. Nobody plays Capsule Monsters with me on my break, and Seto's a grouch all the time."
"That's nothing new," Yugi shot a grin at Seto who was still glowering at them. "I was wondering when you guys would come to visit. Everyone else has. I didn't know hurting myself was the Kaiba Corp bat signal."
"I don't have time for this," Seto huffed. He turned his face away but not before Yugi caught the color in his cheeks. He pushed off the back of the recliner and walked around the couch, snagging the back of Mokuba's collar as he passed. "Let's go."
"Wait!" Yugi caught Seto's bracer and held onto it. The metal was cool to the touch, but the texture of the bands made it easy enough to grip. "I'm sorry for teasing. I'm glad you're here."
"Hmph."
Mokuba was released, but Yugi didn't let go. Seto stared at the slender hand with the black painted fingernails with an unreadable expression.
Mokuba glanced between them curiously. Awkwardness squirmed in his stomach and Yugi let go of Seto's wrist. Seto's arm dropped back to his side. Both men avoided eye contact.
The younger Kaiba exhaled loudly through his nose. "Can I get you a pillow, Yugi?" Mokuba offered brightly. "Do you have a heated blanket? I can order you one if you don't. You're supposed to be keeping your hips warm. I looked it up. But I'm sure the doctors already told you, huh?"
"I have a blanket, it's in the bedroom."
Before Yugi could say anymore, Mokuba took off down the hall towards the bedroom. It was just like a Kaiba to act as if they owned the place. Yugi chanced a look at Seto, who was still glowering at everything and looking extremely uncomfortable.
"Seto," Yugi began, getting the CEO's attention. He had something on his mind that had gnawed away at him ever since his encounter with Mr. Mashima. "Is what you pay me normal for my position?"
"You're an asset to me and I pay you accordingly," Seto replied cryptically.
"But you pay me more than the other expense managers."
Seto was silent. It was all the confirmation he needed.
"That's why Mr. Mashima hit me with a car..." Yugi continued in a broken whisper.
Seto smashed his hands against the back of the couch and about startled Yugi into rolling off of it again. "Stop trying to find sympathy for everyone! That man hit you with a car because he was an unstable idiot with a vendetta against me. Your paycheck is irrelevant. Money isn't an excuse to attempt murder."
"But petty rivalry over losing in a children's card game totally is," Mokuba chimed. He reentered the living room carrying an electric heating blanket.
"Shut up, Mokuba."
His brother merely grinned cheekily as he moved around the couch and plugged the blanket into a power strip. Mokuba motioned for Yugi to recline back, and spread the blanket over his lap. Then he arranged some pillows around, piling them behind Yugi's back.
"How's that?"
"Great." Yugi gave him a sincere smile. The younger Kaiba really didn't have to make this effort. And they could just as easily have ordered Ryuji to do all this. But they didn't.
The mention of Yugi and Seto's history always sent Seto into a brooding mood. Yugi had forgiven him years ago, opting to move past it, and forge a friendship through rivalry and respect. But Seto seemed to ice over at the mention of Death-T and all the incidents preceding it. While he never openly apologized for it, Yugi felt the remorse in every gesture Seto made since they became friends. A verbal apology would have been nice, but actions spoke louder than words.
Seto was here now, and so was his brother. Both of them fussing over Yugi when they had much more important business back at Kaiba Corp. Seto had also covered all of Yugi's hospital bills, and not once did he mention a word about it or lord it over Yugi's head.
Yugi couldn't help the bubble of warmth he felt at their presence. Just like Jonouchi, Honda and Anzu, Seto and Mokuba had become some of his best friends.
"Yugi?" Ryou's inquiring voice captured the attention of everyone in the living room. He stood in the doorway to the kitchen holding a tea kettle. "What exactly were you doing with this kettle that resulted in a fire?"
Yugi shrank back against the arm of the couch, and his face flushed with embarrassment. "Making tea?"
"And you put all the tea bags in beforehand?"
"Yes? I figured I'd make all the tea ahead of time so there was plenty for everyone."
Ryou's face screwed up with several expressions before he opened his mouth and said, "and you fell asleep while it was still on the stove?"
Mortification threatened to eat him alive. Yugi's eyes dropped to the floor. "My medication makes me sleepy..."
Kaiba snorted, but didn't say anything. Mokuba had the decency to be sympathetic and pat Yugi on the shoulder.
Ryou looked as if he was going to say something else, but he quickly changed the subject back to tea, "you do realize you don't steep tea like this, right? Steeping tea too long releases tannins from the leaves that make it go bitter."
"Oh..." He wanted to curl up and die. Seto was in the room listening to this and everything. Probably judging him so hard.
"But I appreciate the thought," Ryou quickly added when he saw how Yugi withdrew in shame.
Seto cleared his throat, commanding everyone's attention. "So let me get this straight. You made tea and put all the tea bags in the kettle, left the stove on while you fell asleep on the couch, and your kitchen caught on fire? Otogi texted that you fell off the couch and hurt yourself, but never mentioned anything about a fire."
"The kitchen is fine," assured Ryou, stepping in for his friend's defense. "Aside from a burnt towel that Yami threw at me, and a brown ring on the countertop, everything is great. Seems like your spooky roommate was looking out for you, Yugi."
Seto whipped his head around to stare incredulously at Ryou. "Who the hell is Yami?"
"Oh... he-uh, he's uh..." Ryou looked to Yugi for help, who simply raised his brows, then back at Seto. "He tried to steal my backpack?"
Steel blue eyes narrowed into slits under Seto's bangs.
"My apartment is haunted," Yugi explained with an awkward half-smile. "Yami is my ghost roommate."
Those steel eyes turned their glare on him. "No. No way. I do not believe in this ghost bullshit. You," Seto jabbed a finger at Ryou, "are an enabler and will look for a haunting in the dregs at the bottom of your tea cup. And you," he jabbed his finger at Yugi next, "stop being so gullible. Just because Jonouchi and Honda make up bad horror stories doesn't mean they're true."
"Yugi," Ryou started, his tone indignant, "ask Yami to move something in the room. Prove it to Kaiba."
"I don't know..." Yugi began hesitantly. "It seems kinda rude to ask him to do that. He's really shy... and what if he doesn't want to?"
"No," waved Kaiba with a sneer, "its's fine. He can prove it to me. Right now. What's it's name? Darkness? Well Darkness, do something spooky, I dare you."
The four occupants of the room looked about expectantly.
Nothing happened.
The only sound was Ryuji diligently setting up Monster World dioramas in the kitchen, and the only movement was the shifting of the men in the living room.
Seto graciously let a couple minutes elapse. Then he let out a huff of superior amusement. "See? bullshit. There isn't anything supernatural. Yugi is living alone and on medication, and you're just delusional." He said the last part looking pointedly at Ryou.
Ryou opened his mouth a few times to protest, but never got a word out.
"Bro, Yugi said it was shy. Maybe it's too scared to show itself?" Mokuba spoke up as a voice of reason, trying to give the other two the benefit of the doubt.
Seto rolled his eyes.
"This is ridiculous. You're going about this all wrong," Ryou suddenly interjected, his voice coming out odd, lower and sharper. He shot a nasty sneer at Seto, adjusted his black-framed glasses, and started around the furniture towards the coffee table. "If you want to draw him out you have to do this!"
Ryou swept his arm across the table, sending all the games to the floor. Colorful game pieces from Checkers and Connect Four bounced along the carpet. A flurry of little papers, with Tic Tac Toe games drawn on them, fluttered to the floor as well.
Yugi was the one to react though. He shot up into a sitting position wincing as he did so.
"Ryou! Why?! What in the world is wrong with you?!" Despite the pain, Yugi bent forward and attempted to collect the game pieces off the floor. Even though they were just games, it stung like Ryou had smashed something precious.
Mokuba rushed to assist him, picking up pieces from the opposite side of the table, as well as the Checker's game board. Yugi picked up the Connect Four structure, and righted it on the table.
Ryou suddenly stumbled back and clapped a hand over his mouth. He clutched at the sweater material on his chest. "Y-Yugi, I'm so sorry. I don't—I don't know what came over me!"
Seto looked down at a red Checker's piece that had landed near his socked foot. He stooped down and scooped it off the floor, then placed it carefully on the table with the other collected pieces.
"This has all been very enlightening, but I really must be going. Mokuba, c'mon, we're going to be late."
"For what?" The younger Kaiba inquired. "You bailed on your last meeting and told me and your secretary to cancel the next one. We're free for another hour at least."
Seto narrowed his eyes so hard they might have shot lasers intended to melt his little brother into the floor.
"Oh right~" Mokuba corrected himself. He made a show of smacking his palm into his forehead. "We had an appointment to get you a full body wax!" He shot an impish grin at Yugi as he scrambled up from the floor. "Brother is real serious about manscaping these days."
Seto's lips pressed together in a hard line, and his jaw clenched so tight you could hear the creak of his teeth grinding.
Without another word, Seto stormed out of the apartment. He didn't even bother to slip his boots back on. Just snatched them from beside the shoe shelf, threw open the front door and stomped out into the hall on socked feet. Only Seto Kaiba could stomp in socked feet and still manage to look intimidating.
Mokuba raced after him, slipping his own sneakers on quickly, without even bothering to lace them up. "Goodbye Yugi! We'll be back to visit soon."
In the wake of the Kaiba's abrupt departure, Yugi was left recovering from the emotional whiplash. He glanced at the other male in the room with him.
Ryou was looking miserable as he picked up game pieces from the floor.
Yugi bent a picked up a black piece. He winced and placed it in a stack with other black Connect Four chips. Ryou didn't talk and so neither did he, but the question of "why?" still hung heavily in the air.
He swept his hand under the couch to find any stray chips and felt strange fingers brush his. It was everything Yugi had not to scream and yank his hand back. In his hesitation, three game pieces were pressed into his palm, and the phantom hand closed Yugi's fingers over them. Then it withdrew.
A violent shudder swept his body. Yugi sat up and stared at the three checkers pieces in his hand. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing up, his skin prickled with goosebumps from the brief encounter.
Yami was very good at startling him.
"Yugi, I'm really sorry."
He snapped his head away from the the pieces to look at Ryou.
"I-I blacked out again... and this happened." Ryou gestured to the mess on the coffee table and the floor. "I know that's not an excuse."
"They're just games. Don't worry about it. Besides, you know I have black outs too, and you never judge me for it." Yugi gave his friend a reassuring smile and placed the pieces Yami had given him on the table. "It's nice to have a friend that understands."
Ryou sat on his knees, fiddling with a red chip and studying at the logo stamped into the plastic with more interest than it deserved. "Yeah..." he sighed, sounding both resigned and relieved. "Thank you. Most people get really angry at me when it happens."
"Most people think I have dissociative identity disorder," Yugi commiserated.
Ryou barked half a laugh, "yeah, same here."
"You ever think they're right?"
Ryou's pale fingers turned the plastic chip over in his hand again. "I've never gotten diagnosed. It's possible I suppose." He placed the chip with its brethren, then picked up another one. "But, if I'm to be honest... really, I think I might be possessed."
"Like a demon possession?" Yugi looked about for anymore pieces within his reach. There didn't seem to be anymore.
"Demon or ghost. I'm not sure. Whatever he is... I don't think he's very nice." Ryou didn't look up as he confessed this.
"Well you are super duper nice," Yugi chirped. "The nicest guy I've ever known, so I guess you'd balance each other out, huh? Besides, making a mess of my board games is pretty harmless, and you're helping me pick them up anyway."
"I guess." Ryou finished picking up the last few pieces and the Tic Tac Toe papers. He met Yugi's gaze, a blush on his cheeks and his left eye twitching in a usual spasm. He cocked his head a few times to make it stop. Upon standing up, he adjusted his glassed and swept his long white hair over his shoulder. "Thank you... for not freaking out, or calling me insane."
Yugi shut off the heated blanket, and set it aside. He grabbed his crutches from where they were leaning against the couch and, with a little effort, pushed to his feet. His teeth grit upon straightening up, but managed to steady himself without any help.
"We're friends," he assured.
No further explanation was needed.
The sense of understanding and relief that passed silently between them was one forged through shared circumstances. A solidarity that only they shared. This was a subject they never spoke of to their other friends.
Ryuji poked his head out of the kitchen just then, his vivid green eyes scanning the living room. Whatever he'd been looking for he appeared relieved a moment later when his eyes fell on Ryou and Yugi.
"I finished setting everything up. We're still playing Monster World, right?"
Yugi broke into a smile. "I'm game."
Ryou smiled too, albeit a little more reserved. "Me too."
0000
It was late in the evening when Yugi was finally alone.
Ryuji and Ryou had left, but the Monster World dioramas and figures were still on his table awaiting the next time they would come over to continue the campaign. The apartment was quiet, peaceful, and despite the rough start things had turned out good. Yugi was in a good mood when he hopped across the living room to the couch and gently lowered himself onto the cushions.
He looked at the mess of game pieces on the coffee table and his heart sank. Yami and him would have to start all over.
Please don't be mad.
It suddenly occurred to him that he hadn't seen the white board all day. Yugi cast about trying to find it. It wasn't on the coffee table where he normally left it. Nor was it on the side table. He didn't spot it near or around the entertainment center.
He bent forward to search the ground when suddenly it popped out from under the couch, sliding over the carpet until it bumped the side of his foot.
'Sorry' was written across the surface in red ink. All the other questions from before had been erased.
"Sorry? For what?" Yugi reached down to grab the board and almost touched it, but a pitch black hand darted out from under the couch and dragged the little white board back under.
The squeak of a dry erase marker could be heard. Then, a moment later the white board slid back out.
'I'm sorry for throwing a tea kettle at Ryou.'
Yugi didn't know what to say. The board disappeared again. More squeaking. Then it popped out again.
'And for setting the towel on fire.'
"You set my towel on fire?"
Once more the board was snatched by a shadow hand, only to return with another answer.
'It was an accident. I was trying to shut the stove off.'
Yugi's mind swam. He propped his elbows on his knees and held his head. Shivers were coursing down his spine, sparking his nerves like icy fingers. He wasn't so concerned about his towel, or even the kitchen. That had turned out fine. It was this. Right here. Right now.
Yami was talking to him. An actual conversation.
"It's alright. I'm not mad." He had the distinct impression he'd been saying the equivalent to that to a lot of people today. Anzu always scolded him for being so easy going, so ready to forgive everyone. But he found it too hard to be upset for any length of time, especially when things turned out alright in the end. "Why did you throw a tea kettle at Ryou, anyway?"
This time it took significantly longer for the board to reappear. The squeaking of the marker stopped and started several times before Yami slid his answer out for Yugi to read.
'I heard you scream... I thought he was hurting you.'
The concern was incredibly sweet, and a stupid smile curled Yugi's mouth despite himself. "Ryou wouldn't ever hurt me, so you don't have to worry. He's a really good friend."
There was a long handful of minutes that passed. When Yami finally responded, it was with a change of subject.
'Why did you tell Kaiba about me?'
Yugi kicked the foot on his good side idly, and picked up one of the checkers pieces from the coffee table. He rolled it around in his hand, tracing his thumb around the textured edge. "I didn't want too. Ryou let it slip, and I couldn't think of a better explanation than the truth. It's not like he believed us anyway." He tilted his head, staring down at the space beneath the couch. "Why didn't you prove it to him?"
'I am not some magic parlor trick. I will not perform simply because you ask me to.'
"That's fair, I spose," Yugi sighed. "I'm sorry for putting you on the spot. I hope we can still be friends."
'Friends.' This time when the board appeared, there was a red checkers piece included under the response.
"Did you want to play again?" Yugi straightened up, hands reaching out to rearrange the pillows. There might have been an edge of excitement in his voice. The idea that Yami might play a game with him in real time for once had him more thrilled than any visit from his family or friends the past few days. "I'm sorry they got messed up. I hope you don't mind starting over."
'You need not keep apologizing to me, Little One. We can start again. I would love to play.'
His whole face turned down in a frown. Little One!? Righteous indignation flared within him. "What sort of nickname is that?" he asked, "You couldn't think of a better one?"
'I don't think you would be any more receptive to my other names for you.'
"Why? Do you also call me a hobgoblin?" That might have come out a bit sassier than intended, but he'd spent his whole life being the butt end of short jokes, and now his anger was traveling down familiar paths. "Or am I a midget? Half-pint? ...Junior Cheeseburger," he grumbled the last name because it was something Jonouchi had coined for him recently at a burger joint.
Yami tugged on Yugi's sock to recapture his attention, and a shadow finger poked the white board sporting the new response.
'Because my other names for you are more affectionate.'
The fire of irritation doused only to feel a different sort of flame under his skin. Heat burned Yugi's cheeks and ears. He reread the message three more times before responding with a soft, "oh..." When he swallowed it was like the muscles in his throat had gone stiff. It took longer than he would have liked to form a proper response. "M-maybe you should try them anyway. I might l-like them."
'Perhaps.'
"Ya know I'm pretty jealous Ryou got to see you before I did," he gave a mock pout, leaning his cheek on one fist. "I was too busy writhing in agony to steal a glimpse."
And aura of guilt so acute and all-consuming washed over Yugi. It was as if someone pushed him under the surface of a pond. The feeling choked the breath from his lungs, and swamped his mind like dark murky waters. It was like nothing he had ever felt before.
'I could... right now.'
Yugi gasped for an unsatisfying breath. He'd barely read the words when all of the shadows beneath the couch seemed to ooze. An inky blackness shot along the floor to the corner of the room among the shelves, to a place where the shadows were thickest. There it stretched and rose, crawling up the uneven surface, formless at first but pulling together into something more human in shape.
A void black foot stepped out, separating itself from the natural shadows, and Yugi clapped both hands over his eyes.
"Don't!" He yelled, voice high and cracking, but he'd finally found his words amidst the choking guilt.
He didn't dare uncover his eyes.
"I-I don't want to see you like this!"
The sudden onslaught of emotion receded. Yugi sucked in a gasp of air on impulse, even though he'd always been able to breathe. Only now did it feel like the air filled his lungs instead of suffocating them.
On his second breath he noticed that in the absence of guilt, something else overwhelmed him. Something sharper and raw. It settled hard in his chest and bit at his heart like teeth.
Pain... and rejection.
"I want you to show yourself on your own terms. Not because you feel bad, but because you trust me. Do it because you want me to see you..." he sucked in a shuddering breath and felt the pain around his heart fall away. Like the guilt before, it receded, running out of his body akin to water through a sieve. Until finally he felt like himself again.
Just Yugi.
He still kept his hands over his eyes. Determined to give the ghost as much time as it needed to retreat back into hiding.
"Let's not do this today," he continued more calmly now that there weren't any phantom emotions choking him. "Maybe not even tomorrow. But when you are ready, I'd love to see you. And so long as you don't jump out and scare me... I promise I won't scream."
He felt something brush his foot; it sent an involuntary shudder up his leg muscles. Very carefully he peeked through his fingers. His heart hammered in his chest as he did so.
The room was empty. A quick peek at the corner confirmed that the shadows were back to normal. Only natural shadows. Yugi glanced down at his foot and saw the white board resting next to his socked toes.
'Thank you.'
His chest tightened at those words. "Do you want to play Checkers now?" Yugi was already laying out the board, and placing the pieces in the proper spots.
'Yes' The response had barely been visible for a second before it was snatched back, a squeak of marker, then the board pushed out again with the addition of, 'just so long as you close your eyes when it's my turn.'