Original Yu-Gi-Oh Series
Parallel
Chapter 073
Originally Written: Friday, May 6, 2022 739PM to 850PM
. . . . .
Eventually Joey and Duke picked themselves up off the ground. As the sun set, they returned to their hideout. Duke moped, once more distraught over someone else losing their life. Joey pushed himself to work on his project. When he took a break, he made sure to make sure Duke and Kiba ate, and were well rested. He pushed Duke to continue communications, to keep abreast of any sign of Seto.
Many days later, Seto returned with the Millennium Scales, but without Ishizu. He only told Joey and Duke that she told him she wanted to see Egypt again before she died. The only other thing he confirmed was that he burned Ishizu's corpse. He also said that Ishizu did something to Zorc, but he wasn't sure what. However, it slowed down his regeneration abilities considerably. Seto dropped on the cot Ishizu slept on, and remained there.
No matter what Joey did, he couldn't get Seto to move. Seto had abandoned his white trench coat in his absence, and had no clear intentions to retrieve it. Kiba, in his smaller terrier form, pulled at Seto's clothes with its teeth. Seto stared at him with dull blue eyes. He wouldn't move. He wouldn't eat. He wouldn't speak.
Yami fell silent within the Puzzle. Joey's brain felt empty. Frustration filled his heart. With only one true Millennium Item holder left, Zorc's darkness spread more and more. The area felt cold, filled with a chill that Joey had a hard time warding off with his own fire. Joey picked up the scales, Seto's rod and key, and kept them on his person. He threw himself into working on his project. It was a crazy idea, but if it worked…
Sometimes Duke sat next to Seto, wanting to speak to him. However, Seto's dull eyes drove him off. A hum of lightning used to accompany Seto wherever he went. It annoyed Duke when he first arrived, but now he missed it. The silence was too heavy a burden to carry.
The silence and dreariness drove Joey nuts. He was almost done with his project. Whispers of people's concern, wondering where they all had gone, flittered through Duke's communication lines. One day, Joey had enough, he grabbed Seto's arms, and pulled. Yami scolded him, but Joey ignored him, just as Yami had ignored him over the days. He dropped Seto into a nearby pond Mokuba and Bakura had placed preservation seals on, and prayed that Seto's instincts kicked in.
They did, and Seto swam to the surface and then over to the shore. Seto looked at him, with that dull, blank expression on his face.
"Sometimes, I gotta hear Yami bitch all day about how he wished Yugi never found the puzzle. Like he done forgot Yugi ain't found the puzzle. Solomon did, and he gave it ta Yug'. Sometimes I gotta hear about the adventures of Duke's survivor's guilt lurin' 'im to a death the Gods won't grant 'im." He squatted in front of Kaiba, his forearms resting on his thighs. His voice was rough from disuse. "But I ain't doing that shit. And I let ya do it long e-fucking-nuff. Ishizu ain't die so you could lay down like a dog 'n die. Ya a Kaiba or a bitch boy?"
Seto blinked, "What…what did you call me?"
"Are ya a Kaiba or a bitch boy? I'm guessing bitch boy 'cause you lookin' a hell of a lot like one right now, bitch boy. Ya got less bark than Kiba." Joey leaned in forward, so close he could feel Seto's breath on his face. "Ishizu was dating a bitch boy huh? Didn't know she was inta dat. Thought she was into men who stood up for what they believed in."
Seto grabbed Joey by his hair and threw him over his head into the water. The act took a strength that had Seto staring at his hands in wonder.
Joey smirked as he fell under the surface. He swam away while Seto was distracted and climbed back up on the shore. He pulled off his shirt, and wrung the water out of it. "Break's ova. Get ya ass cleaned up. We got shit ta do."
Seto walked back into the hideout a few hours later. Duke had finally moved from sitting next to Ishizu's cot. He was pacing, talking to a group of rebels. He warned them as though pleading, begging them to stay hidden. An eye glowed on Seto's forehead. Duke was trying to con them, convincing them that Joey and the others were developing new strategies. Seto used his mental powers, soothing the fear in Duke's mind and heart. Duke slowly relaxed, and he spoke with a calm that spread to the rebel leaders he was speaking to.
The eye on Seto's forehead disappeared. He adjusted his all black suit, and went to find Joey. "Asshole took my Millennium Rod." He murmured.
To his confusion, he only got the Millennium Rod back by making an agreement with Joey. He spent many a day looking at the Millennium Puzzle sitting around his neck. He didn't do anything with it, and when Joey asked, he gave it back. The item didn't burn him, or reject him. It, combined with the Millennium Rod, only gave him memories of times long past. Sometimes Yami spoke to him, trying to figure out what Joey was up to. Seto wasn't much help because he didn't know either.
One day, Joey asked for the puzzle back. Seto returned it. He didn't put it back around his neck though, but he held onto it. Their day continued as normal, until Joey busted into their lounge room with a burst of speed. Seto and Duke looked at him. Then at Shadi, who had followed him into the room.
Joey grinned as he put it over his head and around his neck, "I think I got it."
"What did you get?" Duke asked. He held Kiba in his arms. The slowly growing dog twisted around in his grasp, switching from licking his face, and looking at Joey and Seto.
"Just a little something I think I figured out." Joey's grin widened. He held up his arms, and focused. "Might take a lil luck, but we'll see."
'Mage Wheeler is a conundrum.' Shadi hovered next to Joey, 'Priest Seto's strength is a conundrum, because it only grows in power with no signs of stopping. Mage Wheeler breaks the laws of all known magics on a whim, solely because he thinks it is possible, and so it should be. He cares not if he is defying any law or rule, nor is he concerned with the consequences of doing so.'
Magic swirled around the room. A soothing magic that reminded Seto of Egypt's golden sands, Ishizu's flirty smile, Bakura the thief's compassion locked deep within him, Mokuba's courage, and Noah's strength and tenacity. Magic that reminded Duke of all their friends they gained and lost along the way.
A bright light blinded everyone, but Joey looked right at it. 'Got it, Yami?'
'Y-Yes. I feel it.' Yami replied in Joey's head with a shaky voice.
Joey grinned, feeling giddy. 'Tell me when.'
It took a long time for the light to dim and Yami to give the okay. When it did, Duke nearly dropped Kiba. Kiba growled and barked in displeasure.
"You are insane, Joey." Seto replied. "I can't fathom how you did this."
Joey jumped up, swinging his fist in front of him in victory. "Hell ya I am! How's it feel?"
A head of spiky tri-colored hair fluttered in the waning gusts that the magic left in the room. Yami looked down at the tanned skin of his arms in awe. Gold arm bands glittered against his wrists. Yugi's old black tank top, his blue school jacket, and Joey's jeans from when he was a teenager covered his body like old fond memories. Tan toes wiggled in sandals better suited for the beach. Deep purple eyes looked up at Joey.
"Nice to meet you Pharaoh Yami." Duke said with a relatively low bow.
"Hello, my Pharaoh." Shadi and Seto dropped to their knees, as though praying, as they greeted him. Yami looked around the room, taking everything in from a true first person point of view. Yami's breath hitched in his throat.
"Looking good, handsome." Joey held a hand out. "Wanna stand?"
Unable to speak, Yami nodded. He reached a hand out. Joey took his hand and pulled him to his feet with care. Joey let go of his hand, and waited a moment to see if he was steady. When he was sure he was, Joey put the Millennium Puzzle around Yami's neck. He grinned.
Yami smiled a small quivering smile. His hands reached out, unsure.
"Go ahead." Joey nodded.
Yami's hands pressed against the skin of Joey's face. He took deep breaths as his hands roamed over Joey's face. Yami then turned away. He took a few slow steps around the room, before gaining his confidence. He touched everything in the room. The walls, the floor, the table, Duke's lunch of which he tried some just to taste it. He pet Kiba. He tried to hug Shadi and discovered he actually could, which made Shadi cry. He shared an unconventional high five with Seto. He stuck his head out the window, and laughed a choked up laugh at feeling both the chill of Zorc's darkness, and the warmth of the waning afternoon sun on his face.
He turned back around, nearly bouncing on his feet. Smiling, he stumbled as he raced to Joey.
Joey caught him, grinning. "You alright there?"
Yami nodded. He paused as if thinking. For the first time in many years, Joey couldn't tell what was on Yami's mind. Even when Yami was ignoring him, Joey could tell that's what he was doing, and he'd come back to speak when he was ready. After a long stretch of tense, hopeful silence, Yami leaned up on his tip toes, and pressed his lips to Joey's.
Joey ignored the fact that Yami sucked at kissing, and wrapped his arms around him. "You're welcome, my Pharaoh."
A/N: I am only partially sorry for this pairing. I am a fan of JoeyxYamiYugi and no one writes enough of it. Let me and them have this. -pouts-