Author's Rant: Good grief, it's been too way too long. So sorry guys. If you're still here, I sincerely hope you enjoy it! Again, my truest apologies my loves! I'll proofread this later.
Chaos
The front door is nearly snatched off its hinges, but Neo has zero time to concentrate on fixing Heba's door. It's the only thing barricading him from the village as it lays beneath the howling monsoon.
The soles of his feel sink into the muddy earth, boots filling to his ankles with rainwater. Mere seconds after coming out and his clothes are soaked through. Tendrils of his braids unraveled, loosened from the downpour running through his scalp, beans falling into the sodden earth.
Every fiber in his shivering body demanded a solution to the screams and shouts of horror echoing across the village. People were everywhere, crying, terrified, carrying buckets of water to the huts on fire and salvaging what little isn't damaged by the weather or fire.
Neo made it to the center's edge, chest heaving massive breathes and gulping in oxygen and water. He spun around, mind whirling on what needed his help the most. There were three huts engulfed in fires so wild, not even the slamming sheets of rain could tame the blazes.
Thunder pulsed robustly, lightning stabbed into the earth mere yards away and all Neo could think about was trying to figure out how this could happen. And so close to the Great Harvest. The crops, the children, the animals, all the most vital aspects of this village were in danger of being wiped out. It wasn't something worth fathoming a second longer. He had to do something. Heart hammering fiercely in his chest, Neo hurriedly pushed his sodden hair out of his face and simply runs forward toward the closest disaster zone.
The huts. Dampening out the flames would prevent the escaping sparks from whipping away toward the other surrounding huts. Many were already at work tossing water toward the highest flames, others using their feet to stamp out the smaller ciders threatening to develop into larger fires.
Two of the third burning huts were beyond recovery, being torn down and stomped out. The residents of those homes were forced to bear witness as all their belongings and valuables dissolved into burning ashes. The second hut met the same violent fate, the frames knocked out of their rooted purchases and slammed into the muddy ground. Plumes of black smoke erupted into the air from the third as it swayed to the commanding force of the monsoon.
Orders are shouted for more water and able arms to remove any surrounding items. Neo's mind processes dozens of orders being called from all around. He sucks in hard and harshly coughed from inhaling the hot smog mixed with the scent of scorched earth and acidic rain. Neo rubs at his eyes, squinting through a watery gaze.
He sees an elderly villager struggling to tow several wood pails over filled with water. At the rate he's moving, he won't make it before the weight gives way. Neo scrubs vigorously at his eyes before staggering toward the older man to catch him under his armpit before he topples over.
The villager weakly clutches to Neo's arm for support. He mumbles incoherently, voice too dull to make out over the chaos. But Neo feels something's off. He hoists the man against his side and edges him safe distance. Once there, Neo dislodges the buckets from the man's grasp and quickly carries them to the burning hut. He'll focus on whatever's nagging inside his gut later because it could be any number of things.
He falls in the carrying trail, passing bucket after bucket down the train. Back and forth he goes, settling into the tiring routine until his fingers blister from gripping the metal clasp on the buckets. During it all, the rain pelts the villager mercilessly. Neo can't make hide nor hair of who's been speaking to or who he carries to safety whenever the time calls for it. It's nothing short of a miracle that the villagers are able to gain some level of control over the fires.
It's only when Neo's laying his fifth victim on the ground, this one suffering from third degree burns to her upper bicep, that Neo catches rapid movement out of his peripheral. He slowly rises from his crouch, scanning his surroundings for whatever darted out of view. The dark figure was there, then it vanished.
Then he hears a bloodcurdling scream, a sound that leaves him cold with dread, heart paralyzed in his throat. Fear grips at his innards even as his feet shakily break into a fast sprint towards the source. It's a path he's taken so many times during his stay in the village. He knows every route there is to the main house, but only takes one and it's where he races, feet catching in the deep sludge.
Neo breaks into the open yard and even in the pitch dark, he can make out the hulking figure pacing in front of a terrified Desta and immobilized Aknamkanon. Between her and the lion is nothing but a machete she holds out threateningly, swinging viciously whenever the beast creeps too close. It's unlike any lion Neo's ever encountered up close. The sheer size and dark colored mane haloed by the dying flames, reveal him as the man eater the villagers always spoke about.
The killer man eater Makunga. And if he's here, Neo can't be sure if the rest of his pride is, but he dwells on that fact for only so long before he sees the animal crouching low, muscular shoulders rolling beneath thick fur.
He's going to strike. Neo glances around, spotting a sizeable rock. He grabs him and hurls it fast, clucking the beast on his hindquarters.
"Hey!" Neo shouts, frantically waving his arms and rising his voice. "Hey! Hey you stupid beast, over here!"
Desta shudders as she casts a horrified look at her young savior. "Neo—"
Neo throws another rock, hitting his mark: the beast's head.
The lion whips around, yellow eyes a demonically glow. Neo's ensnared by the predatory glare, weakness gripping him in a tightening noose. He backs up and that small show of fear easily sways the lion's interest. He turns and heads in Neo's direction. A flick of his tail, the flex of his paws gives away his next move, but Neo's quick to respond and dashes away.
Desta screams his name. Neo continues running, knowing the animal isn't far behind him for he could easily make out its thunderous bounding behind him. Makunga will kill the children. He'll prey on the weak. He'll take out anyone who believes to be worthy prey. Neo knows this. The beast is far from stupid. He's been stalking the village for weeks, seeking an open opportunity to strike. The only way to deter him from this is to lead him as far away from the village as Neo can manage.
He prays for strength in his legs, for the endurance in his body and speed in his feet to carry him as fast he can go and hopes the beast doesn't become distracted with anyone else as he leads it out. It's with great fortune that Neo doesn't run into anyone as he arrives near the edge of the property, slamming into the wired fence. He starts climbing, hoarsely breathing through his burning lungs. He glances over his shoulder just once to catch the telltale sign of Makunga's body lopping towards him.
The beast's persistent. That works just fine for Neo. But good God what the hell was he thinking? It suddenly hits him like a ton of bricks how idiotic this plan—or lack thereof—this move is. Once he gets the lion away from the property, then what?
The fence gives a violent rattle below. Neo shouts, clinging to the gaps in the fence as he dangles for dear life. A rough swat smacks the bottom of his boot, which he quickly retracts to avoid a second powerful blow. The first one leaves a sharp pain in his foot. Again and again the beast swings it paw at Neo's lower half. Neo heaves a tired sigh, before trying to haul his weight towards the top of the fence.
He just needs to reach the top. Anything to be out of reach, but he should be able to distract the beast long enough for Ms. Desta to get help for the chief and hopefully Neo. He has no plans of dying heroically. The foolishness of this endeavor is just catching up to him and so long as he lives, he vows never to do anything this reckless again.
Neo heaves one leg over the side and the other, hanging off the top for a brief instant, before falling on the other side. He lands hard on the ground, ignoring the shooting pain up his right leg. The lion locks gazes with Neo as soon as he sits up to stare through the fence. He's safe, but for how long is hard to determine.
Back and forth, the lion paces, snarling low and dark. The hauntingly predatory gleam in his yellow eyes flicker per flash of lightning. Neo gulps, backpedaling on his hands until he loses balance, palm cutting into a sharp stick. The pain's immense, the blood a sticky flow quickly collecting in his hand.
There's a sound like a can of rocks shattering loud in his ears and to his horror, it's from the fence. Neo barely has time to register that Makunga has figured a way through, burrowing his hulking body beneath the metal barrier until he's pushed most of himself to the other side. Neo scrambles on his feet and tears off into the grasslands.
Flee. Hide. Run. Survive. Scared. All wildly flood Neo's mind so rapidly, he can't focus on merely one. He clutches his palm tight to his chest, eyes dimly able to make out the silhouettes in the dark. He stumbles, falls, but even then crawls on his hands and knees until getting back on his feet to keep running. He's scared, afraid to die. Looking back isn't optional. If Makunga's close, Neo doesn't want to know. Whether it's the roaring blood thundering in his ears or the weighty paws ambling behind that keep him going, he hasn't a clue, but he knows he must live.
The further he escapes into the brush, the less light he has from the distancing village. Shadows crowd him from all sides, some moving, some not. Neo prays inside, prays hard as his feet tangle in the long wet grass. He pants, exhaustion burning the ache in his chest. But he keeps going and going, never stopping, refusing to stop.
His feet trample where the grasses suddenly turn course and brittle; a clearing. It's too open. Nowhere to hide. Neo panics, rushing forward. Hefty pants are followed by a fast rustles. Neo looks over his shoulder . . . and by the slowest degrees, he watches as Makunga bounds toward him. Long strides devour the rest of the space keeping them apart. The beasty lion sweeps his paw under Neo's feet and he falls on his side. His instincts scream to struggle and he covers his head as the big lion covers his small body with his, fangs testing parts of his shoulder, arms for a soft puncture.
Neo yells, screams, and kicks at the large beast even as its claws drag over his body. A strong swipe slaps across his crown hard, jogging Neo's senses into loose tangle of colors. Darkness dizzily swallows, an agonizing burn drowning him in its clutches. His conscious subsides, bodily functions losing mobility—
A stream of auburn fires across his dying vision. The weight on his body becomes much heavier, not moving. Neo scarily hardly knows what to make of it. Long fingers suddenly coiled around his upper arm, yanking with purpose. With one powerful pull, he's limply freed from beneath the lion's dead body and lifted.
Neo's head lollies to the side, purple eyes scanning, losing focus. He sees something, someone perhaps in the darkness, outlined by the lightning's fierce velocity. For a brief moment, dark burgundy eyes are seen and with his final breath, Neo smiles his relief and tears well up in his eyes. He nuzzles his face into Atem's chest falling unconscious and never being so happy to see the man as he did this very moment.
Yami back pressed into the side of a flat surface of one of the few huts still standing. There was so much work to get done, trying to quell a lot of the fires. Between the gradual flooding, roaring fires and helping those in danger, he couldn't figure out where he was needed more.
Yami hunkers over, and holds a hand over his mouth, coughing, fingers clutched into his heavily sodden shirt. His eyes burned, as did his lungs. This is the first time he's managed to catch his breath, sucking in greedy gulps of the smoke soiled air. The world was thick with heat, merciless winds, rain and mass hysteria.
He leans back, wiping a hand over his face and gazes over the village's condition. People were racing from one end of the village's core, to the other, carrying buckets of water, the injured or salvaging some of what they could. He'd helped a couple of the villagers evacuate their homes and put out some of the fires, but it never seemed to be enough.
Gods, he'd never wanted to see Atem so much as he wanted now. The only blessing he could be relieved over was that Atem wasn't herE to witness this, but once he returns home. . .
Yami sucks in heavily and shoves off the wall. If hedidn't get back in and do what he could, there won't be a home for Atem to return to.
His tired eyes search for the closest danger, seeing so many no matter where he looked. He spies a swaying hut and a woman stubbornly trying to rescue her personal belongings. Yami hurries towards her right as he comes out with clay pots and clothing in her arms.
"Is there anyone else in the house?" He demands, ushering her away.
The woman's eyes widen, and frantically looks around herself, then looks behind Yami's shoulder. Everything she holds is dropped to the floor before crazily makes a frightened dash towards the house. Yami catches her around the waist and drags her back.
"Are you stupid in the head woman?" He shouts in English.
"No, Yami, please!" She returns in the same battered language. "He's still inside. He must've gone back in!"
"Who?"
"Malik, Malik! He go back inside!"
"Damn it!" Yami hisses. Between struggling to keep her fool self from running back in and going inside himself, Yami is left with little options. "Easy woman, easy," he calms her, squeezing her hands. He offers an encouraging smile and nods towards the hut. "I go," he pats at his chest, then points at her and gestures towards the distance. "You go there. I bring him to you."
She beams at him, takes his hands and kisses them, rubbing her brow against his wrist. "Bless you, Yami. Bless you, bless you, bless you!"
After she's well enough away, Yami turns towards the house with steeled resolved. He doesn't consider his own life or the risks. There's no such thing to worry over when a child is in danger. Taking a deep breath, Yami pulls his arms over his face and rushes inside. The heavy smoke immediately engulfs his senses. The stony clay walls buckle under loosening weight. Yami spares the falling debris little mind, busily searching the small hut. He pushes away furniture, kicks aside tables while calling out the boy's name. He hears nothing, fearing the worst before he spots the child huddled inside the bathroom in the tub.
Yami shoulders away the door, wildly smacking away the cinders falling on his shirt. The little boy turns bright watery eyes to his savior, holding out his arms. The roof gives a long, drawling groan. Yami makes haste in scooping up the child and makes his way the way he came. He leaps through the doorway right as the roof does a final warning and the hut collapses into itself. Yami clutches Malik's face into his neck to shield his face away from the dust and sparks billowing towards them.
Snatching hands pull at Yami's arms and he loosens his grip to allow the woman to have her son. Yami sighs, relieved and pats the boy's head and his mother's shoulder. One of the men will be lucky to know their family is OK. But there's no time to dwell on this one joy. Yami braces himself to do more and goes to find what else needs to be done.
He files in line where a water trail is being made towards one of the storage huts used to stockpile this year's crops. A pair of wooden pails filled with water are passed to him, which he passes to the next man in line, keeping the steady work flowing. It's as the line of men are forced to resort to grabbing what they can of the crops before a violent scream is heard over the commotion.
Yami tears himself away from the line to find the source, heart clogged in his throat from what he might find. He weaves between people, ducking beneath balance poles carrying water buckets and comes around corner to find Desta crumbled around a large body. Yami races over, eyes growing enormous when the outline of the immobile person morphs into being their beloved chief.
Yami barely lands by herself before his arms are filled with Desta incoherently screaming and trying to talk. Yami makes out bits of her hysteria, before the pieces fall into place. Makunga. Attack. Neo. Save. Run off.
"Where!" Yami shouts, breaking through to her. "He's gone where?"
"There, in the field!" She manages between screams. "He led Makunga out there. I called for Neo, but he didn't listen. Dear God Yami Makunga may have him!"
Yami didn't hear more, couldn't bear to listen. "Tend to him, tend to him!" He says, gesturing to the chief and runs off.
Speed he never knew he possessed surged through his body, sending him through the burning smog and past the blistering rain drops. He stumbled, falling on his hands and knees, but kept going until he climbed up and shot towards the field. Neo that damned fool. What the devil was he thinking? How could he do something so stupid? If Makunga had him, he will skin that lion's hide and wear it himself.
But Yami didn't get far. Through the darkness, a scene briefly halos beneath the flashing lightning and it makes his heart thick and cold. Through a gust of swirling rain and winds, Atem emerged on the back of his stallion, with limp Neo cradled in his arms.
Yami's hands flew to his mouth, petrified in place. He couldn't speak past the sour lump thickening in his throat and as Atem neared, the tears swam in Yami's vision. He swallows hard, shaking.
Atem rides up to him, face shrouded in shadow. He stalls, reaches down and lets the nimble tips of his fingers trail over the curvature of his jawline. Yami croaks and rubs his face deep into Atem's palm. "Atem . . . will he die?" he whispers brokenly.
"He won't. Not before I say so," Atem grumbles darkly, his eyes determinedly falling on Neo's still face with steely promise. "I won't allow otherwise."
And that was that for Yami. He gives a watery smile, kisses Atem's wrist and wipes his eyes.
Atem's smile is momentary for Yami before he sets his sights on the mayhem happening in his village. "Be off with you, we've much to do. So much to recover."
"Yes," Yami leaves without argument, hope blossoming in his chest. No matter what now, he knew that everything will work out fine. Atem won't allow Neo to die. They may lose huts, perhaps even some villagers, but they will thrive. Atem will make it happen.
And Yami will be sure to help him ensure it does.
When the sun rose at long last, everyone was given a view to the horrors of last night. Not only had they suffered destruction to a fourth of their crops, but nearly a third of their huts were unrepairable. Many were left with little choice, but to collect what they could and begin building their homes from the ground up.
News of Makunga having snuck his way inside without notice, immediately put the farmers on alert and it wasn't long before they discovered two calves killed by the fence, a missing cow and an old bull on the verge of bleeding to death from puncture wounds to the neck. The old lion hadn't come alone. His lionesses had been on the prowl, but left soon after nabbing the cow. Timaeus chose to lead a team of men out to hunt the rest of the pride down. They'd be vulnerable without Makunga and it'll do good to rid of those beasts once and for all.
For for days the village was divided evenly; one half serving the injured and the rest repairing the damages to the village. There was much to do and many eager hands willing to bright back their home's prosperity. With their chief incapacitated and his brother refusing to leave his side, the village's management was left in the hands of Atem and Seth. All medical attention fell to Seth and repairs to Atem.
Seth worked alongside his mother, Charlize tenaciously feeding, changing bandages, and cleaning wounds. A couple became ill without warning and were isolated in different rooms to figure out what they had and to minimize passing it around. His attentions were also focused loyally on his uncle and Neo's health. While Seth had no doubt his uncle would recover, he was secretly concerned for Neo.
For someone like him to sustain injuries of this caliber on such a frail body, was surprising. The young man is truly has a warrior's spirit for having done what he did. Desta checked on his condition daily to learn of his progress, but he hasn't waken. But it wasn't just Desta to come visiting.
To Seth's surprise, villagers came often to leave gifts and well wishes after learning of Neo's bravery. It would seem a newfound respect has been made for him, thankfully. It'll be a welcome once he awakens. Yami often came as well, peeking inside and saddened each time to find Neo has not opened his eyes. And then there was Heba . . . Good God, Seth has kicked his young cousin out so many times, he'd even threatened to castrate the brat if he tried to come in again.
One night, on the verge of the fifth evening, Seth was rewrapping the last gauze around Neo's shoulder when a knock disturbed his concentration. He'd warned the villagers to give Neo space so that he may properly recover, but he still got the occasional few who refused to listen. He secured the tie, wiped his hands, and then went to open the door.
The scolding dies on his tongue upon seeing Atem, dirty and sweaty from a full day of repairs, standing there with shifty eyes.
"Cousin," Seth greeted unsurely. "What can I do for you?"
Atem nodded towards Neo's bed. "How is he?"
"Stable. He neither weakens nor strengthens. He takes his daily nutrition, but I've yet to find signs of consciousness. We may need to seek outside aid."
"No," Atem firmly says and walks inside, going to stand tall above Neo's bed. "Keep him here. You and Aunt Charlize are more than capable of bringing him back." His dark hand reaches out, hovering above Neo's wrist, before it's retracted back to Atem's side.
"He'll need stronger medicines to treat his infections, Atem. I dare not use the few we have here, we're in very short supply."
Atem growls, "Fine," then quietly continues to study Neo once more.
Seth watches quietly, monitoring the interaction and if he didn't know any better, he would believe his dear, stern, ill-tempered cousin was actually worried for Neo. Who'd thought such a thing were possible?
Atem abruptly straightens his back and spins on his heel, fists clutched at his side. "See to it he's well soon," he snaps before slamming the door shut behind him.
Seth smirks knowingly, having seen the faith blush lines on his cousin's face. "Of course."
Swimming, floating, airless.
That's how it felt now, so at peace and at ease with no pain. Neo can't recall the last time he's felt this—this magical before. The world around him reminded him buckled and changed all the time, sometimes colorful and lush with brilliant forests, other times he'd be surrounded by people. So many wonderful loving people.
People to see him, praise him, love him. Inside it swelled his heart with fondness. He hears them, but they're so far away. They suddenly vanish without warning. Then a new set of people around and they're different from the first few who came. Neo feels an immediate connection with them . . . as if he'd known them before.
How he wished to hear their words, but every time he reached out, they drew away from his touch. And so, he remained inside his tranquil bubble, content to stay put and forever rest. Or so he would if he didn't long to be near the voices calling out to him.
Calling for Neo . . . Neo . . . Neo—am I Neo? No . . . What's my name . . .
Someone. Someone else. Neo trembles within his quiet bubble, feeling the edges threaten to burst and the voices become louder. It's a struggle, desiring to stay inside with this peace, but wishing to be near the voices.
A flash of light pales his vision. Thunderous sounds crackle in his ears as vicious as the howling winds deafening his hearing. He feels a violent disturbance, instability in his peace. Images flash wildly before his eyes. Thunder, lightning, screams, fire and then a light, airy descent that he's too helpless to prevent.
The darkness below is catching up to him fast. Neo struggles to keep afloat, but he cannot deny it. Fire devours his veins. There's a rich, torturous agony in his body and a shattered hope. A final, image drops before his eyes. . .
Yugi shoots upright, giving an outcry from the loudness and the pull of pain coming from all angles. His eyes wildly trace over his surroundings, his breathing labored. Where was he? The plane, the storm, the people, there'd been an explosion.
"Hello!? Someone!" Yugi clutched painfully at his chest and flopped back on the bed. He didn't understand. What's going on? He licks his lips, trying to will his heart's rapid trepidations. OK, OK, OK, he can figure this out. He can do this.
More noises from outside echoes by his head and the sound startles him into nearly ripping the bandages.
Wait, bandages?
"What on earth?" Who'd done this? Someone from the program? Yugi shook his head and closed his eyes. His head ached something fierce, his thoughts were all over the place. He needed to think, to piece together all of the fragments buoyed in his brain. He tried to remember. . .
The plane. It'd been hit with lightning. The rest happened so fast. He'd been thrown out and then darkness. No, not only darkness. He'd awaken again . . . before now. There'd been a woman he thinks. And a man, no two men. And a child?—
Yugi's eyes shoot open at the sound of the door opening. He immediately tried to sit up, on guard when a light switch is flipped on. A tall, slender, dark skinned man entered the room, surprise expressed on his face after seeing Yugi. He walked over, and started touching over Yugi's wounds with a medical expertise that set Yugi at ease. He allows it.
"Well, imagine my surprise to find you awake at last, Neo," the man says in foreign tongue, Swahili.
Yugi's brain clicks in place and he clears his throat to speak it back. "Thank you very much. Did you help me?"
The man looks at Yugi strangely, narrowing his eyes. Something about it unsettled Yugi a little, but he couldn't understand why.
"Yes, me and my mother," the man says slowly, suspicion clear and open on his face. "How are you feeling?"
"In a good deal of pain." Yugi lightly palms over his wounds to analyze the extent of his injuries. These certainly didn't feel right. Why would there be skinny slashes and puncture holes where there should have been wide cuts and open holes?
He slowly turns to stare hard at the man standing by his bedside and gradually his brain works. Minutely pictures float to the surface, just to sink down and join the rest of the mangled thoughts.
But a name comes up out of thin air and Yugi whispers, "Seth."
"Yes?"
"You're Seth."
"I am."
Yugi frowns confusedly. How had he known that? He presses a palm to his forehead, feeling woozy. He considers suggesting he rest more when the door opens a second time, emitting more people.
His purple eyes gaze between the surprise, happiness and relief sweeping across their dark and light faces and the contagious cheer absorbs into him. An elderly woman limps to him, bright eyes shining with tears as she wraps her arms around his neck and gently squeezes.
"Oh my sweet, sweet Neo. I'd been so worried. We thought you were lost to us forever."
This woman. He knew her. "Ms. Desta," he murmurs and eases away to look at her face. She's striking and he remembers that she cared for him. "Ms. Desta," he says and lets himself be held.
"Ah, you damn fool, be glad you're already on your back!" Shouted a long haired man coming to stand by her. His angry eyes almost put Yugi on alert until he saw the red rims around his dark violet eyes and the humorous tilt of his lips.
"Heba." Yugi smiles softly. This is a good friend. He feels it. "I'm sorry."
Heba sniffles, rubbing roughly under his nose. "You can apologize by fixing my door when you're back on your feet."
"I will," Yugi chuckles, wishing he could remember how exactly he broke the door to begin with.
Another person lingers in the background and in an instinctive need, Yugi lifts his head and tries to find him. He spots the fellow hanging back, a glowing emotion so raw and beautiful in his red eyes, it shakes a quiet gasp from Yugi's throat. He feels his heart tremble and a harsh sob bubbles from his lips.
He felt so much happiness at seeing this man that he opened his arms and sobbed, "Yami!" before the man swept into the room and enveloped Yugi into his arms, uncaring of the people seeing it happen.
And it didn't matter how the grip pulled at Yugi's bandages or how the awkward embrace put a ache in the base of Yugi's back. All that mattered was being able to let himself be held by this man. Someone he's found to be a truly, truly wonderful friend and someone his heart screamed to be near.
"Neo, I worried so much for you."
Yugi buried his face into Yami's neck, inhaling his scent, stroking his hair and his back. A kiss is pressed just inside his collarbone and Yugi snuggles deeper just to feel him. He's never felt so powerfully for someone like this. As if he'd nearly been dragged away, never to see his face again.
Yami lifts his head away and brushes his brow again Yugi's, and Yugi can feel, smell and taste the broken English words being said, "I miss you so much. Never be foolish again."
"Never, never again," Yugi vowed and returned to being held in Yami's arms. "I swear."
Seth then gives the loudest throat clearing in the universe. "Everyone I need you out. Neo needs his rest. You'll have free reign to nag him senseless once I cut him loose."
"Aunt Charlize doesn't tend to the boy?" Heba snaps. "Who says you're the one to tell us to go?"
"You either get out or I drag you by the hair. And I don't mean by the head."
Heba protectively cups at his crotch, sending a heated glare at his older cousin, before casting a wink at Yugi. "See ya tomorrow, Neo. Good to have you back, Bright Eyes."
Desta hugs him again, kissing his cheeks, his brow and lightly on the lips, stroking his jaw. "Get well soon child."
"Yes ma'am."
Seth holds the door open for them all to leave. Yami is the last to follow, holding tight to Yugi's hands as if he'll evaporate if he lets go. A reassuring squeeze and sweet smile is all that's needed. Yami sighs heavily, leans forward and kisses Yugi's forward, wishes him well, and leaves as well.
Seth stalls by the door, staring calculatedly at Yugi for some time and it put Yugi in the sense of being examined in a petri dish. His grip on the knob tightens noticeably.
"Get some rest. You have an examination in the morning and I'm more visitors to deal with."
With that said, the door shuts, leaving Yugi to his own devices and a good deal of thinking to do. Now that he remembered the names, he needed to figure out why he knew the names and how emotionally invested he is with these people. And a good place to start he supposes is the day he woke up. . .
TBC: So, so, so very sorry for this late update. Forgive me? I think I got my groove back.