Chapter 23: Explination
"What do you mean everything?" Tristan asked looking at Yami with confusion. Yami let out a sad sigh and carefully rubbed Yugi's back trying to get him to relax a little.
"Just listen." Yami replied looking at all of them. "Yugi has been hiding something from all of you ever since we met him. His parents...his parents abuse him."
The group froze with shock. Serenity hugged Anzu while Joey held onto Seto's arm. Miho covered her mouth and Tristan pulled her close for comfort.
"He had been dealing with this ever since he can remember. His parents would abuse him almost every single day." Yami continued feeling Yugi tense as he remembered all of the pain his parents inflicted onto him. "His parents made it hard for him to trust anyone. And they had been gone the whole week last week since they found out he didn't have any school. They came back and found out he didn't have any school the next week and left saying that they would return on Wednesday, but they didn't trust him and they sent his sister over to watch him. His sister treated him like a slave and doesn't like people like us. So, we couldn't see each other."
Anzu hugged Serenity back. Serenity covered her mouth with one hand and hugged Anzu with the other. Miho looked guilty and Tristan continued to give her support. Joey looked sympathetic as he continued to hug Seto's arm. Seto looked emotionless.
"When his parents got back, they became bored of him. That was when they tried to kill him. They almost succeeded to." Yami said, his voice cracking at the end. "He...he cut his arms because it helps him to deal with all the stress and to prove he ins't invisible, isn't worthless, isn't weak."
"That's so sad..." Serenity said breathlessly as she hugged Anzu tighter. Anger was blazing in Anzu's brown eyes while Miho looked even more guilty. Tristan was rubbing her back now and Joey still looked sympathetic and guilty for not knowing. Seto narrowed his eyes and had the look of disgust on his face for Yugi's parents.
Tears formed in Yugi's eyes and he hugged Yami for more support. Yami hugged Yugi back and put his chin on top of
Yugi's head. Tears formed in Yami's eyes for how much pain his hikari had gone through. How much Yugi had to deal with all of that on his own for so long.
"So...his parents did this to him..." Serenity asked already knowing the answer. Anzu only nodded and her hands curled into fists. How could parents do this to their own child? Their own flesh and blood?
"Have you heard anything from them since?" Kaiba asked and Yami shook his head.
"No. Nothing. That's why Yugi has been so stressed." Yami replied quietly as Yugi buried his face in Yami's chest silently crying.
"Shh, it's okay hikari, everything's going to be okay. I promise to never leave your side. I won't let those bastards get to you anymore." Yami whispered softly rubbing Yugi's back.
"Yami, I don't 'tink 'dat's possible," Joey said apologetically. "I mean, 'dey're his parents and all. I don't 'tink dat you can keep him from em."
"I don't care." Yami replied. "I won't let them hurt Yugi anymore. Yugi can't take much more of this and he needs me. If he goes back to his house...he won't have me and there is a good chance that...that...that I won't be able to see him again." Yami avoided the word 'dead' or any word related to that one word. He couldn't think about Yugi to be dead. So Yami promised to protect Yugi. To keep his hikari away from those monsters.
"Well, whatever happens, just know that we will always be by your side Yugi." Anzu said softly and Yugi gave a tiny nod.
"Miho feels guilty..." Miho said sadly as she stared at the floor.
"Why? None of this is your fault," Tristan replied rubbing Miho's back again.
"Well, because Miho hung out with Tea. And tea was so mean." Miho replied quietly.
"But you weren't mean," Anzu pointed out giving Miho a tiny smile. "You are the opposite of Tea. You're kind, we don't blame any of this on you." Miho returned the smile.
"Thanks, Miho's glad that you aren't mad at her." Miho replied.
"Not that this isn't touching," Seto cut in, "but there is another matter to be discussed. When did Yugi start talking?"
"I was kinda curious myself," Joey said looking at Yami. Yugi hadn't said anything to the group and him yelling out earlier had shocked them.
"He...he started talking to me. I guess he fully trusted me," Yami replied not really knowing how to explain it. "You need to keep in mind though, it takes Yugi a while to trust people."
"I guess it makes sense," Anzu said looking up in thought. "I guess it's only natural he would put complete trust in you. You two are lovers so it's pretty obvious. And I get why it would take him a while to trust all of us, especially since there is a lot of us."
"It's okay Yugi, none of us blame you." Tristan said. "We understand that it will take you a while to fully trust us. And you can have as long as you want. We don't mind."
"Yeah," Anzu, Serenity, Joey, and Miho all said in unison. Seto only gave a grunt of agreement. He wasn't really the person to like soft mushy stuff like this.
"We should leave dem alone for a while," Joey said letting go of Seto's arm and walking over to the door. "I'm sure dat Yug' needs time to calm down from all dis." The others followed and the door closed leaving only Yami and Yugi laying there in silence.