Disclaimer: Throughout the course of this whole fic, I have not received the rights to own YGO.
A/N: So this is it my lovely readers and reviewers; the last chapter of 'Under the Sea'. I would like to take this time to thank all of you who have bothered to review this story. I really didn't expect it to be this popular when I first started writing. I really enjoyed reading your comments on this story and I'm really glad that you were all positive and encouraging.
I really feel the need to thank you all for sticking with this story and not giving up on me even when I took forever to update.
Thank you all for your wonderful comments and I really hope to hear from you in my future stories!
Apology for lateness at the end of the chapter
oooooooEpilogueooooo
"Let's see if I got this straight," Yuugi was saying staring at the phone. "First I pick up the receiver, dial jii-chan's number and put the phone to my ear, right?"
Yami nodded eagerly, happy that his boyfriend was getting the hang of modern technology. "He will be surprised when he hears it's you. Just don't forget to introduce yourself to him when he picks up."
Yuugi tilted his head cutely. "Why would I need to do that; jii-chan knows who I am."
"Firstly, jii-chan can't recognise your voice over the phone and even if he could he wouldn't believe that it's you. Secondly, I don't want to be known as the guy who's boyfriend doesn't have good manners."
The ex-merboy slapped his boyfriend's arm lightly before picking up the receiver and pressing the correctly numbered buttons.
Beep, beep…
Yuugi jumped as he heard the beeping from the phone. Panic-struck he looked at Yami. "What do I do now? He's not picking up and there's a beeping noise."
"Relax; he'll pick up soon." No sooner had Yami said this then Yuugi heard a 'hello' from the other end.
"Jii-chan, is that you? This is Yuugi."
"Yuugi, is that really you my boy?" Came the bewildered reply from the receiver.
"Hai, jii-chan, it's me. Yami and I were wondering if you could come over because we really need to talk to you in person."
"Of course I'll come, Yuugi! I'll be over as soon as I can."
The next thing the former merboy heard was the dial tone being in his ear. Yami heard it too and hung up for his Yuugi.
"Now we just have to wait for your jii-chan to show up."
ooo
"Jii-chan!" Yuugi rushed to the door once the bell rang and jumped into his grandfather's embrace.
Sugoroku gave an amused chuckle as he and the former merboy walked into the living room to greet Yami.
"I missed you, my boy." Jii-chan commented as he slumped down into an unoccupied armchair as Yuugi went to sit next to his boyfriend on the couch.
The older of the two boys slipped his arm around Yuugi's slim waist and pulled him closer.
"I'm sure that you have a lot of questions for us, Sugoroku, so ask away."
"I'm actually ready to listen to your story before I clear up anything that you didn't cover."
Yami laughed a bit and then he turned to the small figure in his arms. "Would you like to start with your side of the story, koi? I can fill in my half once you're done."
The next half an hour was spent with Yuugi and Yami telling the old man how Yuugi had ended up back on land and how Malik had found him at the beach.
Then Yuugi went on to talk about how Yami had taught him a bunch of things and how he was almost completely educated in the ways of the ground-life.
"Well, I'm glad that you've adjusted to this place, Yuugi."
"So am I, but there's one thing that's still bugging me…" Yuugi looked from his grandfather to his boyfriend. "What happened at the Aquarium after you took me away?"
Yami gave Sugoroku an amused look before plunging into his story. "Well since the other aquarium in America hadn't paid for you and you went missing the two guys here thought that the Americans had kidnapped you.
"They all kept blaming each other for your disappearance and finally the Americans sued Domino Aquarium. The case is still actually going on, but people have forgotten it by now since no one really saw you."
Yuugi gave Yami a bright smile. "Finally being shy pays off." The ex-merboy's face fell as he realised something. "What about your jobs?"
Sugoroku chose to answer this, for Yami was busy kissing Yuugi's hair. "Yami was no longer needed so he got fired and I just left with him since I'm well over my retiring age already." He gave an amused laugh, but went on with his explanation as soon as he saw Yuugi's worried face. "You really don't have to worry, my boy; Yami still has his old job and I really don't need one since I've officially retired."
Yuugi leaned further into Yami and gave him a breathtaking smile. "I'm really glad things worked out."
Yami started stroking Yuugi's bangs softly, pushing them out of the beautiful pools of light amethyst. "So am I, little koi, so am I."
The lone man in the armchair looked at the kawaii scene with gentle eyes, grateful that his two adoptive grandsons had found happiness.
ooo
The three spent the whole day together talking about this and that and sometimes just enjoying each others company in silence. Soon it was time for Sugoroku to leave.
"Bye jii-chan, good night."
The old man waved to the couple standing on their doorstep. "Good night Yuugi, Yami."
"We'll see you soon." Yami said as he dragged a waving Yuugi inside.
Once the door closed the small boy ran to the living room, jumped on the couch and pressed his face against the window to wave at his grandfather's retreating back.
"You really missed him, didn't you, Little One?"
After nodding and watching the bandana-headed man disappear around a corner, Yuugi turned to look at the handsome figure standing in front of him. "Why do you keep calling me 'Little One'? I'm not that small."
The other teen raised a delicate eyebrow at this, while crossing his arms. "Would you prefer that I called you 'Chibi Ichi', then?"
Amethyst eyes lit up in laughter. "Yami! It's the same thing!" Somehow a pillow fight started from that little comment. It lasted until the two could no longer keep their eyes open and they fell asleep on the couch in each other's arms.
ooo
The next day was one of the hottest in Domino's history. It was well past 30°C and most people took a day off from work to go to the beach.
Yami, Yuugi, Jou, Malik and Marik were part of these people; even Kaiba had taken a day off and travelled to the beach with his friends.
"Ah," Jou leaned back onto his beach towel and took in the sun's rays. "Nothin' like a day offa work and some relaxation with good friends."
Yami gave a chuckle from under the sunshade where he was currently sitting while softly stroking a reading Yuugi's back. "Are you sure about the 'good friends' part?"
Jou opened a confused eye, but it was a millisecond too late: Malik and Marik had come over with a bucket of sea water and dumped it all over the unsuspecting male.
"Gah!" Jou jumped up while everyone else enjoyed a good laugh. "You two are such bakas! And you," he rounded on a still laughing Yami. "Ya could've stopped 'em or warned me a bit earlier!"
"G-Gomen, Jou-kun, but that was ju-ust t-too funny of a-a chance to pass u-up." The starfish-haired teen was having a hard time speaking properly.
Jou tried getting back at Malik and Marik, but his tries came up short as no one, not even his boyfriend, was moving a finger to help him.
"Yuugi," Bright amethyst eyes turned to regard fiery crimson ones. "Would you like to go for a swim?"
The former merboy's eyes lit up and he and his boyfriend raced to the water's edge.
Playfully, Yami picked up his cuter copy and carried him until the salty water was above his hips. With an evil smirk he dumped Yuugi into the cool water.
The shorter teen gave an 'eep' before the water swallowed him up. He was sure that Yami was laughing and he himself was chuckling in his head. Soon, however, the silent chuckling turned into a sharp intake of breath.
Yuugi quickly rose out of the water chocking on the salty taste in his mouth while trying to figure out why he was in pain.
The older of the two, sensing the little one's distress, picked him up again and took him back to their friends. Yami gently laid his boyfriend on his beach towel and gasped at what he saw; Yuugi was covered in cuts and bruises.
"Did the water scare you, Yami?" Yami chose to ignore Bakura as he had more pressing matters to deal with.
"What's—Oh my God! What's wrong with Yuugi?" Ryou's call alerted the two remaining couples and they all rushed over to the squirming boy.
"My God," Malik whispered. "He looks just like he did back when I found him."
Seto told everyone to gather their stuff and get back to the limo; they were going to Yami's place.
As Yami held his boyfriend in his lap he though back to Malik's reaction to seeing Yuugi. The light-blond had been right; his little merboy did look like the first time he had seen him in his human form.
oooFlashbackooo
There, lying naked on Ryou's beach towel, was his, Yami's, very own merboy. Though Yuugi had changed from the last time Yami had seen him; his porcelain skin was now cut and bruised all the way from his beautiful face to his legs.
oooEnd Flashbackooo
The group finally arrived at Yami's house and said boy rushed to his and Yuugi's shared bedroom to lay the injured boy down.
"Yami how—" Ryou hesitated for a moment, not quite sure how to phrase the question.
"What he means to ask is: what happened?" Bakura cut in and Ryou nodded, indicating that this was, in fact, his very question. It was at times like these that Yami swore that the two either shared a very special bond or could read each other's minds.
"I'm not really sure…" He trailed off, thinking back to what had happened. "I just dumped him into the waster and the next second he came up gasping for breath like he was in pain. The bruises and cuts just formed." He looked down at the sleeping teen on the bed. "Minna, could you please wait in the living room; I need to speak with Yuugi for a while."
Everyone left without a word, knowing that the two needed to figure this out.
Once everyone had settled down somewhere on one of the couches, Marik broke the silence. "There's something that Yami's not telling us and I want to know what it is."
Seto gave an exasperated sigh, "Hai, I know, but we can't force it out of him; he has to come to us when he's ready."
ooo
Back in the bedroom, Yami gently shook Yuugi awake.
"Y-Yami?" The injured boy looked up at his boyfriend with confusion. "What happened?"
"I was sort of hoping that we could figure it out between us. I have a theory, but I'm not putting any money on it."
The ex-merboy sat up. "What do you think it is koi?"
Ruby eyes refused to look at the boy on the bed; instead they lowered to the ground. "What would you think if I told you that I thought the Ocean was hurting you?"
There was a long pause during which Yami dared to look up. Yuugi looked like he was mulling it over in his head.
"That could make some sense" He looked right into his boyfriend's eyes. "From what you've told me, I had cuts and bruises like these earlier and that time I was in touch with the Ocean. I might seem a little farfetched, but it could be possible." He blushed as he realised what he had said. "Gomen, that didn't really make any sense…"
The older teen smiled at his adorable lover; he was just so cute sometimes.
"Another thing," Yuugi frowned as his koi's smile faded. "Should we tell the others about your past…um…form?"
"They deserve to know." Nothing else was said between them as Yami got up to fetch his friends.
Then, for the second time in two days, Yami and Yuugi told the story of how the merboy that Yami met at the Aquarium turned into a human.
By the end of the story everyone was gapping at the two look-a-likes.
"So," Even Seto's mouth was dry. "You" He pointed at Yuugi. "Used to be a merboy?"
"Hai."
"And Yami kidnapped you, set you free and you turned into a human?"
"Hai."
"And now there's a big court case going on about you?"
"Hai."
"And you're living here?"
"Hai."
"And everyone's ok with this?"
"H—" Yuugi stopped mid-word as he realised that the question was not really directed at him.
"I was a bit shocked at first, but seeing is believing." After a pause Yami added. "At least with me it is…"
Jou ran a hand nervously through his blond locks. "I guess we'll haveta take your word for it, Yams. There were never any pictures of the merboy, but if that's the only explanation that you have for Yuugi's injuries then I'll have to believe it."
"I don't think that nay of us has a better explanation for Yuugi's sudden injuries, but I'm not willing to accept this immediately." Bakura said, crossing his arms over his chest.
Jou quickly butted in to clear up his argument. "Now, Yami, I'm not sayin' that I'll accept this immediately, but I am willing to believe you unless someone comes up with a better explanation."
Everyone nodded in agreement, though they all knew that none of them would ever fully believe the story, but to Yami and Yuugi it was enough that they tried or pretended to accept the explanation they were offered.
ooo
The court case was solved during the next week and Domino Aquarium had lost. They had to pay a huge fine and had to give up their best performing dolphins to make up for the lost business that resulted from pre-advertising.
MacKenney and Takahari were both labelled as liars and they left the town going to find a new business and new identities.
ooo
Half a year later found Yami and Yuugi at a fancy restaurant for their anniversary.
"Arigatou for tonight, Yami-koi, so far it has been nothing but magical and unforgettable." Yuugi told his boyfriend over the table.
"Yami leaned in and in a slightly seductive tone he said, "It's about to get just a bit more magical, my little merprince." The 'prince' blushed at the nickname. Throughout the past six months their friends had been insisting that Yami was pampering Yuugi like a prince, thus earning him the nickname.
"I really don't see how you could make this night any more perfect, my Pharaoh." The 'prince' needed a counter partner and who better than an Egyptian Pharaoh?
"You're right, aibou, I can't make this night any better, but perhaps you can." As a reply, Yami received the cutest tilt of the head.
"How could I make this night even more special?"
Having gotten the timing perfect, a waitress arrived at the table and placed their dessert in-between them.
Yuugi, still confused, stared at Yami who remained quiet. Then the shorter adolescent looked at their cake slice and gasped.
Yami had asked the chef to write a message on their cake for his little love and it read:
Yuugi,
Will you marry me?
Tears welled up in the little one's eyes and he put a hand to his mouth, muffling the "Oh Kami-sama…"
"So?" Yami asked a little anxious to get the answer.
Yuugi looked up at him. "Of course I will! How could you ever think that I wouldn't, baka?"
Relieved, Yami got a playful smirk on his lips. "'Baka'? Is that my new pet name?"
The younger male was too busy chuckling and crying to reply. The taller version got up and went over to his aibou's side of the table. He pulled out a small velvet box from his coat pocket and slipped out a silver ring.
Before putting it on, Yami kissed Yuugi's left ring finger and wished him a happy anniversary.
oooooooEpilogueooooooo
I am so sorry for the lateness, but I was really busy and I really don't want this story to be over!
As a proper apology, I will post a lemon for those of you out there who want one! Please review and I promise that I will not take as much time with the lemon as I did with this chapter.
Important: for those of you who want the lemon, should I:
A) Post it on this site;
B) Post it on or
C) E-mail it to everyone who wants to read it?
Please tell me in a review!
For those of you not reading the lemon:
Thank you so much for reading this story! I really enjoyed writing it and I'm glad that you all liked it!
Thank you all so so so so so SO much!
OWARI—THE END