And so begins Week Four: Mind, which is apparently where all the angst and hurt/comfort decided to migrate!

Warnings: Mild Cursing, Stress Overload/Breakdown, Referenced Death/Violence

Prompt XXII: School

"How'd you do?"

Yami looked up hesitantly, glancing in his peripheral toward where Yugi was standing in the doorway. His mouth went dry and his stomach lurched. How'd he do? The test had kicked his ass from Honshu and back. But for the last two weeks everyone had been trying their hardest to play at having good grades and staying late at school and working on forming somewhat tentative bonds with the humans. They were supposed to be fitting in and doing well and—

He's flunked. He already knew that. He'd blanked during the test and he'd almost cried because Yugi would be so disappointed in him and he didn't want to see that on his face again. He'd done that a lot lately. He'd seen that look and he'd flinched at the sight each time. And now they were alone and he didn't have any room to run and—

"It was…"

It was what? The hardest test of his life? It hadn't been. It was basic science, with questions about volcanoes and tectonic plates. It was the simple stuff, the easy crap, the shit they made fucking rhymes about.

He blinked and looked quickly away again. He'd flunked one of the easiest tests the school had to offer. And Yugi had probably passed everything they'd handed him. He was going to be so mad at him.

"Yami?"

He didn't realize he was shaking until he caught movement in his peripheral. His hands were trembling so much he couldn't tell one finger from another. He felt his lungs tighten and his head spin. He could hear Yugi running over to him, but he couldn't tell what he was saying. A sharp, excruciating pain clawed its way up his spine. Something popped. Heat made his entire body sway.

He was shaking again.

A more rapid popping began and Yami found himself on the floor, writhing for a moment before rolling over. Yugi was inches away, watching him with a dismayed expression. His eyes were half-hooded and his pupils seemed almost dilated with fear. Then he blinked and shifted backwards slightly, bracing himself on his palms. Yami blinked, then raised his eyes.

Yugi sighed softly. "I didn't do well on mine, either."

Yami flattened his ears against his head. You're just saying that.

"I wish I was. No, Yami, I probably made the worst score in my class. I couldn't concentrate, so everything got jumbled and I think I even misspelled my name."

He huffed. Now I know you're joking.

He snickered and looked over. "I'm teasing about my name, yeah. But I'm pretty sure I flunked, too." He hesitated, then offered him an awkward smile. "Not badly enough to have an apparent panic attack and change, but pretty bad either way."

Yami didn't have the words to explain the sheer amount of pressure he felt all the time now. Half of the pack shot him dirty looks because of his association with Atem and Sugoroku's death. They weren't brave enough to say anything but it was clear all the same. Yugi's presence was the one thing that kept them quiet. He had no help from anyone else, as he'd always known would happen.

Bakura eyed him like a toy. The other wolves bore their teeth at him when he got too close. On the rare, brave occasion, someone would steal his food even after he waited for the rest of the pack to finish. He got nipped at occasionally during play—nothing too serious but enough to make his skin sting. His grades were plummeting again. His mind wouldn't sort itself from the chaos of what had happened. He couldn't shake the idea he was to blame for the majority of it.

Atem wouldn't have had to kill that dog if it hadn't gotten to him on his way home from school. The hunters wouldn't have come after them if Atem hadn't been spotted. Atem wouldn't have gotten caught trying to get back to him and then he wouldn't have declared war like this. Sugoroku wouldn't have gotten caught in the middle when Atem attacked the hunter in front of the shop and the bullets missed him and went through the glass.

All of it circled back and pressed down on him.

It was his fault.

And Yami didn't know how to tell him that.

He'd found out from a girl in his class that it had been a dog attacking a man in the streets that had cost Sugoroku's life. Her dad was a police officer and she'd heard him talking to her mom about the entire thing. She'd been bragging about knowing details and haughtily telling them all.

It hadn't been hard to put it all together.

A large black dog had seemingly come out of nowhere and attacked this man, unprovoked. The dog had been thrown off initially and was quickly shot at soon after. But the dog hadn't been slowed and he turned on a dime when they shot a second time. It had torn the man's arm off as the bullet was firing. The speed and ferocity had made the bullet go through the glass and straight through Sugoroku's left lung. From what she had said of it, the cops had told the family Sugoroku hadn't felt any pain and had died instantly but it was more likely he'd bled out the entire time Yugi had been there with him.

Yami didn't know what he'd said to him, or even if he'd been able to speak.

He didn't know if he'd tried to tell him it was Atem.

He didn't know if Sugoroku was the reason Yugi was so adamant Atem was alive.

He had no idea anymore.

Yugi probably hated him, even if he didn't say it. He'd apologized when he'd said he shouldn't have brought him back with him that day they'd first met, but that didn't make it untrue. He shouldn't have. Yami understood that now. He'd caused so many problems it was a miracle they weren't all dead by now. He should have chased him out. He should have told him off, cast blame, and chased him away.

Yugi didn't act out against him, but Yami was sure that had more to do with the way the pack might react than anything else. They'd kill him. Everyone knew that. It was why Sugoroku had made him pledge to stay around Yugi at all times when within the pack. It wasn't as if they'd go seeking blood, but it was always a possibility that if he did not obey they'd turn on him.

It'd been a gamble to say he'd led Bakura further into the territory, but Yugi had stood by him then. He'd stood by him and he'd helped him to keep his head above water when Sugoroku gave him odd looks or his parents occasionally scowled at him.

When Yugi finally lost patience and the bond between them faded some with distance and ignorance, it'd be open season for him. The pack would kill him and Yugi would likely head the entire thing. He wanted Atem dead, so why not the wolf actually responsible for it all?

Yami curled his paws towards his chest and lay his chin on the carpet, wanting desperately to sob. He almost wished he was still human, if only so he could release some of the pressure building in his chest.

"Aibou?"

He wished he wouldn't call him that. The name made a knot form in his throat.

"Yami?" Yugi reached out and he almost flinched away, but he was too tired. He was overwhelmed and everything was sore and he could barely breathe and his ears felt as if they were ringing and his tongue was glued to the roof of his mouth and—

"Hey, hey, shush. It's okay. I don't know why you're so upset, but it's okay." Yugi stroked at his face and along his scruff, scratching behind his ears. He pulled him slightly closer and dragged his forelimbs into his lap. Yami let him do so, and had he the energy, he didn't know if he'd have flinched away or crawled into his lap instead. He settled for Yugi putting him halfway across his lap and cradling his head in his arms, settling his chin between his ears and sighing quietly. "You know you're okay, right?"

Yami didn't trust his voice not to crack, so he thumped his tail once in what felt like the boldest lie he'd ever told.