Chapter 4:
A New Path
Atemu shifted nervously in his seat. A bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolate, her favorite, were lying beside him in the taxi seat. In his hand was small piece of paper, her address. Atemu looked out at New York City's twinkling lights. The sounds of a vibrant city emphasized on this day. The sounds of rambunctious, drunken fools wandered the streets.
"We're here," the gruff taxi driver stated.
Atemu felt his breath hitch. He glanced out at the building the cab had pulled in front of. It was strange building built from bricks. The sides seemed to be flaking. There was a small fountain in the entrance. Some of the windows had lights blinking on and off. He never imagined her to live in such a place. Atemu stuffed a handful of American dollars in the driver's hands. The man simply tipped his hat.
"Happy New Year!"
Atemu simply nodded. He slammed the door just a little too hard. He fidgeted in his leather jacket. He drew a deep breath before walking into the building. A lobby lit with Christmas lights appeared before him.
"Hello sir," an energetic American spoke. Atemu glanced over at her. It was a young, pretty little thing although she seemed thoroughly bored. Looking out at the streets of New York City, Atemu couldn't blame her. He merely let out a small smile. He glanced down at the paper with her apartment number. "Can I help you sir?"
Atemu discovering that the flimsy piece of paper would do him no good walked over to the girl. "Yeah," Atemu began in his broken English. "I am looking for Mazaki Anzu?"
"Anzu Mazaki?" the girl switched the order of the name.
"Yes."
"What relationship do you have with her?" the girl asked. She looked down at her nails, a little disappointed that he wasn't single.
"I am her brother, Mazaki Atemu."
Immediately the girl looked up. A smile glazed her lips. "Oh! She's not here right now, but if you want … we could go out for… coffee?"
Atemu blinked, a little taken back. American girls seemed more desperate than the fan girls at his school. "I'm sorry, but I have decline."
The girl pouted. She inched followed. Atemu immediately stepped back. "Really ma'am, no. I'm already engaged," Atemu stated, a little too spitefully. He looked down at his bouquet of flowers and the box of chocolate slashed in his bag.
"I really don't mind," the girl muttered.
Atemu sighed before walking away. So much for help. "Bitch," he muttered under his breath. It took him a while to locate an elevator and even longer to figure out which floor Anzu's apartment was. He wondered what she would think seeing him there. He had decided to surprise her. It had been a while since they had last talked on the phone. She said she was busy with her school work and her dancing. She tried out for a small part at the local theatre and got the part.
Only as Atemu reached Anzu's door did he remember what that annoying girl at the front desk had said to him. She wasn't there, and there was no way Atemu could get into Anzu's room. He sighed. A little annoyed at the sound of the cracking of fireworks in Time's Square. It wasn't even midnight, and the Americans were already getting rallied up.
Atemu dropped his large cargo bag on the nearby bench. He placed his now near wilted flowers by his bag before falling onto the bench. He closed his eyes suddenly realizing how tired he was. The long trip to America had taken longer than he expected. He flexed his arms. They still felt sore, and slowly sleep overcame him.
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The sounds of giggling jerked Atemu awake. It was a familiar voice. He blinked, reaching for his bag. His hands quickly slip away.
"Mmm," a girl feebly whined. She reached for her pouch which is hanging freely from her arm.
"Shh," the boy muttered. He blocked her movements before quickly captured the girl in a full on kiss. She melted in his arms.
She giggled, pushing him away. "Otogi, please. Not in the hallway," she muttered. She blinked shyly. Her cheeks were flushed plink.
"Why Love?"
"You really are a tease," she muttered. She placed a hand over the boy's lips. He grinned, watching her unlock the door. A sly smile overcame his face; he picked up his girlfriend swinging her into the room.
The door swung close.
Unbeknownst to the girl and the boy, they had a spectator that night.
Atemu stood stunned. His mouth widened… mixed emotions ran through his body. He had never expected she would cheat on him. Weren't they engaged? Weren't they supposed to get married soon?
The celebrations and cheers outside seemed like a mockery as Atemu ran out the hotel.
His only evidence left behind was a broken, wilted bouquet of roses, Anzu's favorite.
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"Atemu-kun!"
Kaiba blinked confused. His hands fell from his door knob. A beaten young man stood before him. He was soaking wet. A small tremor crossed his body. His eyes looked red from crying. "Aren't you supposed to be in New York?"
"She's been cheating on me."
Kaiba's eyes widened before quickly narrowed. He took Atemu's bag from him and gently pulled his friend into the mansion. It was a silent walk to the living room. The servants had long gone to bed. Mokuba was asleep. The mansion was quiet. It gave off a strange, holy glow. Kaiba lit a few candles instead of turning on the lights. He watched Atemu collapse like a mold of jelly on his couch. He sighed before brushing back a piece of his bangs.
He watched Atemu stare into oblivion before walking into the living room. Minutes later he returned with a tray filled with dessert and tea. Atemu looked as if he hadn't moved. He was still staring at the far wall as Kaiba laid down the tray. He poured two cups his tea. "Here." He nudged the young duel king. The boy made no movement. Kaiba sighed. He was more stubborn and lost than Jounouchi was.
A small smile escaped Kaiba's lips. It was calm, collected smile… not one mixed with arrogance. It was genuine. He stuffed the steaming cup into Atemu's hand. The other seemed to have registered the heat. He looked at Kaiba… even that looked fall away as he took a deep sip of the tea. Normally sweet, it suddenly tasted very bitter to Atemu.
It was hours later, just before dawn broke, after trays of dessert and pots of tea, Atemu seemed to have calmed down.
"She cheated on me, Seto."
"Shouldn't you feel happy?"
"Happy?" Atemu looked up horrified. "She's my fiancée!"
Kaiba grunted. He nearly choked into his tea. "Uh huh."
"She's my sister."
"Uh huh," Kaiba sat the cup down. He crossed his legs watching Atemu fall back into silence.
And slowly, for reasons unknown to either Kaiba or Atemu, they began to spend more time together. Sometimes at odd hours of the night, Atemu would come knocking at Kaiba's door. The young man would always let him in. He would bring out a tray of tea and desserts, and the two would sit together in Kaiba's living room. Sometimes they would talk about the day's happenings, their lives or sometimes… nothing.
And slowly those meetings became more and more frequent… as winter turned to spring and with it the final year of high school. Finally it was time for Anzu to return from her year long trip to America.
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Atemu watched anxiously from his bedroom window for signs of the family car pulling in. He fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat. A half-finished tomb on Egyptian mythology was lying beside him. He wasn't sure what to say. He wondered if Anzu even knew he had seen her with that man that night. He wondered if their parents knew. He shuddered just thinking about their father's wrath. What he would say if he knew… the reputation of the company, their engagement, the upcoming wedding…
Atemu couldn't divulge any longer as the limo pulled to the mansion. He watched from his window as Anzu emerged. She was dressed elegantly… a white coat and a small pouch dangled from her slim arms.
Atemu felt his breath hitch. She looked stunning.
"That which we do…"
He left his room and slowly walked into the morning room where he knew Anzu would be to catch up with their parents. He lingered in the corridor. The sounds of laughter filled the room. He suddenly never felt more alone.
"Young master come say hello to the young mistress."
Atemu cringed. It was a servant.
"Atemu," Masaki-sama called. Atemu gulped. He tugged at his shirt collar before walking into the room.
"Otousan, Okaasan, Anzu, was your trip pleasant?" Atemu questioned… a hint of stoic present in his words. He eyed Anzu. The girl immediately fidgeted. She dropped her pouch.
"Gomen," Anzu muttered. She felt her cheeks flush red. She looked up at her brother. He was dressed in a white shirt with a blue cotton vest. A pair of brown khakis, it was an outfit she had never imagined him in. "I'm little tired." She fumbled.
"Yes dear, do sleep. We're have one of the servants wake you up for dinner."
"Thank you, Okaasan." Anzu stood up. She glanced over at Atemu. The boy stepped back as she crossed the room and left the morning room. Their eyes never met. Both felt too guilty and too awkward to speak.
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For the rest of the week Anzu and Atemu continued avoiding each other. After living together for so long, both knew the other's sleeping and eating habits and simply avoided any confrontation. Even in class, they both had separate friends, so they didn't have to speak.
Yet, as the wedding neared, Atemu knew they couldn't go through life avoiding each other.
That night, after a long visit with Yuugi, he waited for her in the kitchen.
"Anzu."
"Oh, Niisama," Anzu stated curtly.
"Can we talk?"
Anzu nodded. She dropped her keys and walked over to her brother. "You won your tournament?"
"Yeah… still Duel King," Atemu commented. He forced out a chuckle. "How was… New York?"
"Fine."
"Seto and Jounouchi-kun are together."
"Oh. Good for them."
"Yeah."
"Niisama."
"Anzu."
An embarrassed chuckle.
"You do want to marry me?"
Another laugh.
Anzu looked away. Atemu followed suit. "I… I got a lot of homework to do."
"Yeah."
"Could we…"
"Talk about this later?"
"Yes."
"Yeah."
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"Atemu-kun!"
A smile appeared on Atemu's lips as Yuugi ran over to him. "Guess what Atemu-kun?"
"What?" Atemu smiled. He loved Yuugi's innocence and energy.
"Jii-chan gave me a new game! He wants me to try it out!"
"Oh."
"Uh huh. He says it's an ancient game from Egypt."
"Egypt?"
"Yep! From Ancient Egypt, it's called Senet."
"Senet… huh?" Atemu nodded as Yuugi dragged him into his room.
"Yep, see!" Yuugi pointed to a game board on the floor. He watched Atemu sit down and fondled with the dice.
"How do we play?"
"Err… I don't know." Yuugi admitted sheepishly. "Jii-chan wants me to figure it out, but the instructions are written in a really weird language."
"Hieroglyphics?" Atemu questioned.
"Yeah, those?" Yuugi blinked. "How do you know?"
"Here, let me try." Atemu took the game's top from Yuugi. He felt his heart flicker as their fingers touched. Despite being under a suit, he suddenly felt very hot. He quickly engrossed himself in reading the box. Minutes later Atemu smiled. "It's an easy game to play."
"You… you understood it?"
"Yeah, I've read hieroglyphics all my life. It's like a second language to me. I love Ancient Egypt."
Yuugi bit his lips. He looked down shyly. "Then you should be an Egyptologist or an archeologist!"
Atemu chuckled. He ruffled Yuugi's bangs before dropping the box. "You're funny Yuugi."
"Why?"
"Because I can't be those things."
"Why?"
"One, I have to run Mazaki Corp. when I graduate. Two, no college in Egypt would want me."
Yuugi bit his lips. "Well, Jii-chan always told me if you try hard enough, you'll get it!" Atemu laughed. Yuugi looked so cute when he tried to sound serious.
"You're amusing Yuugi."
"Well…" Suddenly seeing Atemu gaze down at him and his red eyes boring deep into his soul, Yuugi felt a warm twinge in his heart. He felt as if a sea of butterflies suddenly morphed from their cocoon forms. He bent his head down and blushed. "I'd want you!" Yuugi suddenly shouted. His face turned red. Immediately he ran out the room and locked himself in the bathroom.
Leaving a very stunned Atemu.
Yuugi didn't emerge from the bathroom for the rest of the meeting. Seeing that his oxygen level was running low, Atemu left Yuugi's suite. Hearing Atemu leave, Yuugi slowly emerged. His face was still red. He felt his heart beating profusely. He clinched his shirt. The strange feeling of Atemu's bearing down at him, his tender smile. It took Yuugi's breath away.
The strange mixture of feelings stayed with Yuugi as he fell into an uneventful sleep.
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A thoroughly confused Atemu walked into his bedroom. Yuugi's strange words had left a small ounce of fleeting hope in his heart.
He reached of his cup of tea as he turned on his laptop. He surfed the net… his mind still elsewhere.
You should be an Egyptologist or an Archeologist.
I'd want you.
The night passed on.
At midnight, a tired Atemu realized he had just set out an application to Cairo UV.
He stared at his screen. An overly cheerful Black Magician Girl was waving a 'message sent' flag as she paraded around his screen. "Damn," Atemu muttered. His only consolation was that he knew he would never be accepted.
Yet deep down, strangely enough…
He almost wished he would get an acceptance letter just to prove he had the capability to form his own future.
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"You did what?" Jounouchi's mouth was wide open. A half empty cup of tapioca was held in mid-air. He was currently sitting on Kaiba's lap. The young man seemed just as intrigued, yet unlike his boyfriend he hid his surprise better.
"I sent an application to Cairo UV." Atemu stated simply.
"Why?" Jounouchi, who didn't have an established future like as his best friend and boyfriend, couldn't apprehend Atemu's dislike about someday running Mazaki Corp.
"I don't know."
Kaiba scoffed.
"What about Mazaki Corp? Aren't you the heir? Someday you're going to be Seto's rival?"
"I'm already Kaiba-kun's rival Jounouchi-kun."
Jounouchi rolled his eyes. He playfully flicked Kaiba's arms away. "So why man?"
"I guess I just want to prove something to myself."
Kaiba scoffed again, for unlike his dense boyfriend. Kaiba had a small inkling what might have prompted Atemu to apply.
And slowly the weeks went by. The first sign of spring disappearing became apparent when the cherry trees stopped blossoming. The weather was getting warmer.
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Yet, Yuugi didn't know that. He sighed. His face still flushed from his time with Atemu. He hugged his Silent Swordman doll, his real Christmas present from Atemu, tightly. He tugged at the collar of his shirt.
"Yuugi."
The boy looked up startled. He blinked. The blinding lights turned on. An elder man, Sugoroku, walked into the room. "Jii-chan!" Yuugi grinned. He immediately climbed out of his bed and wrapped his arms around his grandfather. Feeling his grandfather's warmth, Yuugi trembled… it wasn't the same. To the astonishment of the elder man, Yuugi began to sob.
"Yuugi, what's wrong?" Sugoroku questioned. The boy continued sobbing. It took a while for Sugoroku to calm his hysterical grandson down. "Are you hurt? Did the medication go down wrong? Should I call for the doctor?"
Yuugi shook his head, now more placid. He hugged his doll tightly. His face was red; his actions suddenly flooded back. "No… I…" Yuugi hiccupped. "Jii-chan… I'm scared?"
"Yuugi," Sugoroku muttered. He lightly rubbed the boy's back. "Did the doctors say something?"
"What…" Yuugi's eyes widened. He glanced back. "No, Jii-chan it's not that. It's… it's…" Yuugi looked down quickly.
"What's wrong?"
"I… I have a strange feeling in my heart…"
Sugoroku's eyes widened. "Should I tell the doctors?"
Yuugi feebly shook his head. He clinched his shirt, muttering under his breath. "Jii-chan…"
The old man blinked. He watched his grandson fall back onto his bed. His face seemed flushed. A small, coy smile slowly formed upon his lips. "Yuugi." The boy looked up tentatively. His face still half buried in his pillow. "I think it's time we have that man-to-man talk."
Yuugi blinked. "Why?"
The old man smiled, and for once in a long time the wrinkles surrounding his eyelids seemed to have decreased. "There will be a day, a very ordinary day, when you look into the eyes of someone, and suddenly you realize. You want to spend the rest of your life with. Your hearts starts pounding. You think you're sick. You feel like something has morphed in your stomach..." The old man stopped, tentatively watching Yuugi's expression.
Hesitantly Yuugi nods. "It's not sickness Yuugi. It's something very special. It's called…love."
Love?
A forbidden… love.
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And slowly and tragically, summer dissolved into mid autumn and finally winter. The streets of Domino were covered in masses of white. The stores and lamp posts were decked with holly and reefs for the upcoming holiday.
Atemu sighed. He rubbed his hands together. He sighs. He dares not look back at the hospital. Like always, his body took him to Seto's mansion. "Damn," Atemu hissed. The day's events were still playing backwards and backwards in his mind.
The fleeting touch of his hands on his own, the small, tentative smile, and those amethyst eyes, Atemu felt mesmerized. His heart pounded twice as hard when he was with Yuugi, yet Yuugi was so young… so innocent… and so sickly … ill.
"Atemu-kun."
"Seto." Atemu acknowledged as the young CEO stuffed a cup of bitter coffee in his trembling hands. Seto merely grunted as he took a seat across from Atemu.
"You're wedding coming up.
"Yeah."
"Parents' excited?"
Atemu snorted.
"Anzu will make a pretty wife."
"Beauty cannot substitute love."
This time it was Seto's time to snort. "I see the shrimp hasn't left your mind."
"Yuugi."
"Yeah, yeah Yuu- gi." Seto sounded out the boy's name particularly sarcastically. "Isn't he… sick? Never left the hospital?"
"So the doctors say. Who knows, doctors know stuff like that."
Kaiba choked. "I see you doubt the medical community as much as I do, saying Duel Monsters aren't harmless. HA!"
Atemu merely rolled his eyes. Battle City's gruesome and unappealing dueling challenges still left a mark in his mind… one that he doubt would ever go away. "Well Atemu-kun. I have a proposition for you. I know a guy who just came here from Kyoto. His father's on my archeology team. The boy's into the occult and magic… stuff out of the norm…" Atemu immediately opened his mouth to protest. "He's also a skilled scientist. He can do and understands medical tests. If you don't trust those half-brains at Domino Hospital, get a sample of the shrimp's blood and give it to him, Bakura Ryou."
"Kai…"
The young CEO merely smirked. He slid a small piece paper into Atemu's hands.
The rest of the visit concluded in silence.
Bakura Ryou…
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"Atemu-kun."
Yuugi's smile…
Atemu sighed as he left Yuugi's suite once again. Only this time, instead of heading straight for the elevator, he headed for what he remembered as the lab, the only one on this floor that according to some of the doctors held Yuugi's medicine. Atemu prayed that they had taken a blood sample, and much to his luck. Sitting on top of the counter, was a roll of blood vials all marked with the words 'Mutou Yuugi'.
Days soon turned to weeks. Atemu grew more and more anxious as the weeks started winding down to his wedding. Bakura still hadn't called him back with the test results.
While his house was full of wedding planners, flowers, caterers, and decorations, Atemu grew more and more bitter. He and Anzu still hadn't had a civil conversation since her homecoming. They only got as far as having dinner together.
Slowly, he began to wonder if Anzu truly loved him or if her heart with still with that man she was with that night.
Only with Yuugi was Atemu truly happy. He noticed how he started staying longer. Sometimes he even got a second or third oxygen tank.
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"Yuugi." Atemu muttered. The other looked up. His eyes fogged with tears. "Why are you crying?"
"A… Atemu-kun…" Yuugi clenched back his tears. Stunned, Atemu felt Yuugi's body collapse onto his own. The boy grabbed Atemu's suit. His body began to tremble.
"What's wrong?"
"Y… you're getting married soon. Then… then it's… good-bye."
Only then did Atemu realize the implications of Yuugi's words. He suddenly realized. He would be graduating soon and after the wedding he would be running Masaki Corp and that would mean no more visits with Yuugi.
"I!" Yuugi looked up his amethyst eyes livid. "I want to see to your world! Please Atemu… let me see your world once. A day in your world … I would gladly die to see."
Yuugi…
"I…"
"Please Atemu-kun."
Atemu felt his voice cracking. He couldn't say no despite knowing the implications. As he answered Yuugi, he felt his soul cracking. "O…okay. I'll take you outside."
He was so … selfish.
TBC
A/N: Feedback please?