Chapter 3

Sorry for the wait, I've been on tumblr… had examsss… and busy school days- so yeah.

Hope you guys doing good °w°

Amu wanted to go out on walks more.

While he was supposed to do homework. Amu insisted on going on a quick walk though, and otherwise, Yugi reasoned, he would be kept up in the aquarium too much, which wasn't good for Amu either, because he would get bored, and if he got bored he would escape the aquarium and bother Yugi.

The stack of shells kept growing. Yugi guessed that the hybrid just brought back about every shell he passed. Amu found a firestone once, with white quartz in it. It was actually kind of pretty, so Yugi had laid it in the aquarium. He did that with the rest of algae covered shells, since the Kurasu ate away the algae in only a matter of days.

"AAAAAmuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" He called over the sound of the howling sea. The wind was picking up, and Yugi did not like the clouds that were coming their way. The wind blew with mighty tugs into his face, sending his blonde bangs skyward. "Amu we've got to go back! I have a paper due to tomorrow!"

His calls went unanswered, and he waded himself through knee-high water to find the creature.

"Amu? Amu where are you?" He shouted again, getting desperate and wading himself even deeper.

Yugi suddenly felt no ground beneath his feet-

Sweep-!

-slipped away-

Splounsch!

-and went under.

Yugi never entered the deep, dark water after what happened when he was four. And the sea here was so strong and violent, that it could pull you under and drag you down even more. And that's exactly what was happening to Yugi.

He was being pulled under. He was losing his breath. He was drowning. Just like in his dream. He wasn't... He saw the daylight filtering through the water.

'Damn...' He thought, as the air escaped his lungs, 'That is beautiful...'

His body was getting so cold...

The water pressured so hard against his eardrums, they felt like they were about to explode...

Liquid filled up his nose and beyond, reaching his mouth and making him eventually open it, only to lose more air.

Then… he saw a smudge…

"Yugi!"

A voice? But... He was under water... A voice couldn't be that pure, or it should've been a special kind of voice…

He... ...

...

...

...

...

"-gi!"

"Yugi! Yugi look me at! Open eyes!"

Water bolted out of his lungs. His vocal chords and throat hurt as he coughed it up. They hurt so... So badly... What happened to him? Where was he?

"Yugi?" He averted his eyes to the figure leaning over him, but he could only see a silhouette.

"Yugi?" He gagged and turned to the ground, coughing up the rest of the water in his lungs. A sudden force knocked the air out of him as he was pulled into a crushing hug.

"Sorry, I am sorry! Amu should have come when you called!"

His head hurt. Who ...? Right, Amu... He laid his head down and winced. His breathing was ragged and he was cold, so thus the reason he was shivering frantically.

He felt Amu trying to share his body-heat with him though…

"... Yugi?"

He looked again at the Cecaelia who was with him, and whimpered, curling into himself. The other embraced him again, more softly this time. No words were spoken as Yugi fell into a state of unconsciousness, exhausted.

Amu frowned. This wasn't the place nor the time to take a nap, but he guessed if Yugi wanted to rest here, he'd keep watch.

Oh... If only he had legs like Yugi, he'd be able to carry Yugi home! He sighed. He hoped Yugi would wake up soon... It was getting rather late, and with the night, the cold would come…

Something skimmed beneath the water's surface. He looked longingly at the water, thinking about taking a quick snack, but shook his head and placed that line of thought out of his own mind. He couldn't leave Yugi here, like this...

Amu laid down on the sand and laid Yugi's limp body upon him. No use letting the other sleep on the cold sand, he needed to stay warm. He remembered sharing heat was the best thing to do in situations like this, so he slipped seven of his tentacles under Yugi's clothes, as those were wet, and not very useful. Amu himself didn't mind the cold sand. He was accustomed to it. The sea creature closed his eyes as well, settling himself into a subconscious state for just a few minutes.

000

"... Hmmh..." Yugi frowned and his eyes fluttered open. His breath hitched at seeing the dark night sky and he panicked because he couldn't see anything!

When Yugi began to stir, Amu tightened his grasp before opening his eyes, meeting Yugi's deep blue -almost violet- ones.

"Yugi!"

"EEk!"

The teen yelped and began flinging his arms around, only for them to be stopped by two tentacles.

"Amu is here," Amu cupped Yugi's face, trying to calm the smaller.

"Wh-Y-You saved me!" Yugi gasped.

"It was Amu's fault you almost died in the first place..." Amu scolded himself. Yugi just hugged him.

"I wanna go home..."

"Amu found the way back home!" Amu grinned, wetting himself a bit as he took a quick dip in the water. He'd dragged Yugi all the way home, which resulted in Amu being covered with sand everywhere! He could even taste it in his mouth! Yuck!

"What do you…" Yugi peered in the dark and looked up surprised to see his house. Amu had indeed been successful to find the way back to the shore where the house stood. "Oh…" Yugi smiled.

"Shit, it's cold... " Yugi twitched as he got Amu out the water and who shrunk, wrapping his tentacles around Yugi's fingers.

They quickly got inside, Yugi jumping into his starry pyjamas, before diving under the covers. It wasn't until a minute later, that he felt a mass settle onto his sheets.

Yugi looked up from under the covers to see Amu resting with his head on Yugi's feet.

"... Uh... Amu, what are you doing?"

"Wanna stay here," Amu patted the bed a few times.

The teen smiled and patted Amu's head. He slowly got up to fetch a wet towel and laid it over Amu, before getting back into bed. Amu never chose to sleep literally with Yugi before. Mainly there were 2 reasons:

-One, it was weird

and

-Two, he could dehydrate.

But, Yugi guessed, it was only for one night. What could be the harm?

Smiling softly, he patted Amu's head once more, laughing when the latter purred softly. He kept on patting until he eventually began falling asleep.

".. Hmm... Don't... hurt them..."

Yugi's eyes fluttered open like morning butterflies. He didn't remember laying with his head on the other side of his bed, where his feet were supposed to be... He looked around to find two arms wrapped around him. A soft breathing caressed his neck, and he tried turning around, but his captor wouldn't let him. The teen felt that his legs were strapped with a few tentacles and he frowned. This should probably not become a habit…

"Amu," He tried looking over his shoulder. "Amu wake up!"

"Hmmrrr... nh... They... didn't do any wrong..."

A frowned. "Amu?"

"Why... you do that...?"

"A-Amu?"

Said sea creature shot awake in an instant, screaming loudl-

"UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

"EEEEEEEEK!"

Yugi screamed at the same time. Amu looked down at him with those alien eyes and blinked. They were rather creepy, those eyes, looking like they could see straight into your soul, unreadable and foreign.

"S-Sorry..." The Cecaelia apologized, panting, as Yugi was rubbing his eyes and the bridge of his nose with one hand, sighing deeply. " ... Had...a... a nightmare..."

Looking up, Yugi tilted his head. "What was it about?"

Amu immediately turned away, nervously fiddling around with his hands. His eyes kept blinking and shifting, indicating he was thinking, or even reliving the dream. Yugi watched as the arms let go of his legs, and eventually, Amu sighed.

"My old home..."

"Something... Bad happened?" Yugi guessed.

"Amu… went away from there, knows where to find it... But... That's all to remember... don't know why... Who... I was..."

Yugi swallowed thickly. He grabbed Amu's hand and then asked, "You... have amnesia?"

"I don't remember my own name."

"... I... I'm so sorry..." The teen uttered as he clenched his hand around Amu's. The other responded with a squeeze and suddenly smiled.

"I'm happy here."

"I'm happy you're here."

"Thank you Yugi."

They sat there for a while, enjoying the peaceful moment. Amu even snuggled into the corner of Yugi's neck, making the smaller giggle. His hot breath made Yugi shiver, and deciding to lay down again, something came to Yugi's mind all of a sudden.

"Hey... Octopi are nocturnal, aren't they?"

"Amu doesn't know," Amu shrugged, completely dumbfounded and thrown off by the random question.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Yugi blinked as the taller wiped away his forelock from his eyes.

"Never met one before," The other laughed. Yugi smiled. He didn't care if he skipped school today ... Or that he was going to get a lecture from the teacher the following day. He just enjoyed this moment, and he wasn't going to let anything ruin it.

But all of a sudden…

His head spun...

"Hiii-hiii-"

"Yugi?"

"Ha-CchUU!" The teen sneezed forcefully. "Uh... Yeah.. I think I'm going to sleep agai-"

"I'll keep you warm Yugi!"

"Thanks," Yugi laughed at Amu's eagerness.

000

Yugi woke abruptly. He was feeling cold, and sweaty. He had… TOTALLY FORGOTTEN ABOUT HIS PAPER! Looking around, he noticed Amu had crept into the pot on the nightstand, guessing the creature must've been drying up eventually. It was one in the afternoon if he had to believe his clock, and Yugi got up, planning in showering. Screw the paper.

"'Queaky!"

Or bathing then. Yes, bathing sounded very nice.

He turned around and let Amu suck himself stuck to his finger, rubbing the minuscule Cecaelia's head with his thumb and receiving purring sounds of gratitude. He opened the door to the bathroom, about to enter, when his phone buzzed. The small youth sighed and went over to his desk where the device laid and picked up his phone.

"Hello?"

"Yug'! Where are ye at?"

"Home...?"

"So you skippin' class?"

"Well, not really- I'm kinda sick..."

"The gang an' me wanna check up on ya Yug'!"

"You- aha-ahnd the gang?" He looked at Amu who was chirping and tilting his head.

Yugi was surprised his friends wanted to make sure he was ok! None of his other relatives, his own family, was that eager to do so. He imagined he was always the fifth wheel on the wagon or something, but this… It really meant a lot.

"Yeah! We's worried about ya pall!"

"Joey, I'm perfectly fihine- ahn-don't you worry, I -I mean, there's no need to check up on mehe-"

Yugi sobbed a little. Maybe because of his cold, maybe because he was touched. They didn't even know each other that much!

"You absolutely sure Yug'? I'm asking you this man to man, but you didn't have an accident this morning did y-"

"Joey!"

"Just sayin'! It can happen to anyone!"

"It didn't ok? I swear to God, so help me, next time you see me and ask me that again you're gonna eat my socks!"

"Yayayah- Look, the rest says that if you're too tired to have us all, they understand, but at least have me over? That way, Tea'll stop her whining of, 'Where's Yugi?', 'Is he ok?' - 'God I wish I could date hi-AAAWW! WHAT? IT'S TRUE!"

Yugi pulled away from the phone as he could imagine the girl scolding Joey right there at school. Laughing, he listened to the screaming gibberish, Amu looking confused, before he decided to break into the fight.

"Hey, around five would be nice."

"Sounds good to me Yug'! I'ma be there!"

"See ya Joey..."

"Later pall!"

"Please don't splash the water all around the bathroom again, Amu…" Yugi requested as he put Amu in the bathtub. Amu squeaked before disappearing beneath the water's surface and reappearing when he'd grown. His head came up until his nose out of the water, his gills opening and closing gently.

He watched as Yugi got out of his clothes and as he observed the human, he laid his arms on the edge of the bathtub with his head on top.

He shrugged about something as he made room for Yugi to join. The smaller sighed and got into the bath as well. Amu really didn't care about nudity, since he didn't even wear clothes at all! In fact, Yugi noticed Amu tended to keep his third right arm tucked closest to him at all times. The limb only has about 75% of suction cups too, the other 25% a smooth, wet muscle. Yugi shuddered, not wanting to think about it, thankful Amu was cautious.

"Amu, what am I to you?" Yugi asked as he fussed around, catching the other off guard. The Cecaelia blinked as he had been taken aback. What was Yugi to him? Yugi was his friend, his best friend! Maybe even a brother! But… Brothers could never like each other like Amu did Yugi… Amu loved Yugi…

"Yugi… Yugi is mine," He answered. Yugi grimaced lightly, "So I'm something you own…"

"Mine to protect," Amu clarified.

"O-Oh…"

"And I?" Amu asked, but Yugi frowned, as he wasn't sure what Amu was asking. "What to you? A pet?"

"A friend. My best friend… If…" He trailed off and turned away. Amu sat in anticipation to hear what else Yugi was going to say, but the shorter didn't say anything.

"What?" Amu eventually asked.

"Nothing, it's stupid-" Yugi sighed and changed the subject. "Look, there's a friend from school coming over, and I don't really want him to see you, so…"

"Why not?" Amu asks. Yugi hesitates. "Well, I just don't want a rumour spreading around town about a magical creature living in my aquarium, and I certainly don't want anyone to come steal you." Amu laughed before turning dead serious. "I'd eat them."

Yugi looked at him surprised. "E-Eat?" He gasped. The Cecaelia tilted his head curiously. "Amu- You should never, ever try to eat anyone!"

"But…?" He blinked confused.

"I'm sure a Cecaelia doesn't eat another Cecaelia," Yugi explains.
"No…. but Cecaelia do eat fishtails," Amu throws back as if this is common knowledge.

"Fishtails?" Yugi blinks, now in his turn confused.

"Yes!" Amu cheered, "Like me but fishy tails!" There were merpeople. There were more merpeople. And Amu literally just said he'd eat them. But what if they were just as smart as Amu? Did this mean… Amu had… Yugi shivered.
"O-Oh… W-well you can eat normal fish too right? I mean… uhm…"
"Yugi, are you afraid I would eat you?"
"Well, no, I know you won't," Yugi says, "But I don't want you to eat anyone else either. Especially not people or merpeople ok? Just fish and…. Whatever it is you eat... besides that," Yugi seemed a little scared.

"I promise I won't," Amu says, smiling.

"You have a lobster named after me?"

"Technically I didn't name him after you," Yugi countered, "But you have to admit, it is a pretty common name." He was anxious as Joe was looking into the fishtank. Amu had to stay hidden, and Yugi couldn't leave him in the bath; he didn't want Amu to disappear down the drain accidentally.

Thus the result was that Amu was inside the fishtank. This resulted in Yugi being anxious. Of course Joey had noticed this.

"Actually my full name is Jounouchi-"

"It is?" Yugi's eyebrows rose. Well that's something he'd never guessed.

"Yeah, but it's quite a mouthful so I have people call me Joey instead." Yugi nodded understandably. "So how are you feeling?"

"Sick," Yugi laughed, "Wanna share pizza with me?"

"I can't see why not," Joey grinned, sitting down in Yugi's couch. Yugi nodded again and ran to the kitchen, getting the pizza into the oven and-

"Nyaaah!"

Of course. Of course! Sure! It HAD to happen! Yugi turned back around to see Amu- … No, it was Joey's finger tightly clasped in between the pincers of his lobster.

"Hold still, if you don't move he'll let go," Yugi laughed. "What were you trying to do anyway?"

"There's a fish stuck in the filter tube," Joey groaned when the lobster let go of him. A shrieking squeak pierced through the water and Yugi looked to see Amu being sucked into the filter, his upper body stuck in the tube. Yugi gasped and turned off the filter at once, getting Amu out of the tube and out the water. "Is it ok?" He heard Joey ask.

"Squeak…"

Yugi rubbed Amu's head and sighed. What was he going to do with Amu…

"Thank you Joey… You saved him," Yugi murmured. He watched as Amu grew in size, and how Joey's face turned into a scowl of fear as Amu did, the Cecaelia coughing a little to get his gills working again.

"Yug' what is that!?"

"I don't know," Yugi casually shrugged as Amu hugged him. "He's chill."

"Yugi you're freaking me out man!"

And so, Yugi was forced to explain to Joey how he had found Amu on the beach. They ended up perched onto the couch, Amu leaning against Yugi.

"Oh god- Gulls trying to eat you must suck!"

"It does!" Amu spoke in a whine, showing his upper arm that seemed to still have a bruise.

"It can talk…" Joey stated.

"Yeah, but his grammar's not always very good," Yugi shrugged. He turned on the television to keep Amu occupied.

"Watch movie?" Amu tilted his head. "Ttitianic?"

"Titianic? Titanic? Seriously?"

"Let him be, he likes the movie," Yugi laughed.

"Or or ororororrrrrr mm… The little mermaid!" Amu bounced in excitement. Joey's look kept changing, not sure he had to laugh or be horrified. "Amu, why don't you watch finding Nemo instead? I'm sure you'll like it," He then suggested, to Yugi's surprise. "Nemo?" Amu seemed interested.

"Yeah, it's a good movie!"

"The sequel was released some time ago wasn't it?" Yugi questioned, getting a nod from his friend.

He was happy that the other took Amu rather well but… "Don't tell the others, ok?" He suddenly asked as they were eating pizza and watching finding Nemo. Amu had diverted his attention from the tv when he smelled the food.

"Can't he have some?" Joey asked when Amu began to pull this… odd look on him. Yugi frowned and decided to ask Amu about it later.

"You don't know what that'll do to him, he's a fish-eater…" Yugi frowned.

"I want! I want!" Amu demanded and stole a piece. Yugi was able to stop him from swallowing it whole, saying, "Chew on it first!" for lack of being unable from keeping Amu from eating it.

"…" Amu's face frowned.

"How does it taste?"

"… … mm… No."

Amu spit it back out onto the top of the pizza box, much to the two humans' disgust.

"Amu!" Yugi scolded. But he guessed he should have expected as much. Amu wasn't human, he didn't belong on a couch, in a pot, or an aquarium… He belonged in the sea…

Yugi's jaw fell open when he saw the sea near his house the next day.

"Amu… I … I don't think you'll be able to swim anymore…" He murmured. "Why not?" Amu asked. He looked up at the sea and gasped. The sea was frozen.

"Wait here," Yugi said, clearly excited, and got back inside. Amu looked at the ice and frowned. How strange… it hadn't frozen last night… Not even snowed! The sea creature helped himself over the beach, growling at the seagulls and sliding onto the frozen water. He swiped away some of the frost that laid upon it, and looked at the water beneath it… He squinted and slammed on it when he thought he'd seen something move beneath the ice.

"Oh! Amu! You're already there! Is it safe?" Yugi poked the ice with his feet. He should weigh Amu when he had the chance. Yugi was actually curious about his weight. Oh! And he kept forgetting about the shrink and grow ability! But that was for later...

Yugi slid over, next to Amu, on his skates. Wobbly.

"It's perfect for ice skating!" Yugi stared at the ice and sighed. It's been ever since the accident that he's dared to skate again. How old was he back then? He didn't remember clearly… But Amu's enthusiasm and the fact that he'd saved Yugi before gave him hope.

"...You'll catch me if I sink through the ice, right? Yugi gulped. Amu laughed and nodded. Yugi smiled and began skating, Amu sliding next to him as best as he could. Yugi showed of a few tricks, like a pirouette, which Amu copied, and skating on one blade. Amu watched Yugi, copying him as best as he could. He was starting to want to have legs for his own… He was also starting to get a little cold, so did Yugi and he called it to a stop.

Yugi smiled and scooted over, skating at a quick pace, he barely noticed the blade of his skate cutting through something, till he fell over, face-first on the frozen floor.

"Aww…" he groaned… What was…"

His face paled when he saw what was wiggling beside him. He was absolutely horrified as Amu looked at him, his eyes squinted as if doing an effort not to say anything. "Yu… Yugi…"

"Oh my god- OH MY GOD OHGODOHGODAMUIDIDNTMEANTO-" Yugi was crying, terrified about this mishap, and it was all his fault! No-no-no!

He'd skated over one of the other's lower arms- it had been completely cut off, nice and clean, by the blade of Yugi's skates. He screamed, panicking all over the other and the separated limb. Amu looked as it still wriggled around, laid his hand on Yugi's shoulder, and patted him on the head. "Please Yugi don't cry, I'm ok." Yugi had been sitting on his knees, so he was almost at Amu's eye-height.

"It's ok."

"How could this be ok- This is not ok- I'm so sorry-Inevermeanttodoitpleasetellmeyou'llbeok!"

Amu looked at the arm and grabbed it before giving it to Yugi, who only got more horrified as it still moved around at its own will.

"It can happen," Amu seemed amused. "Waste not, want not," He shrugged, gnawing at it. Yugi jerked away at it. "Don't eat that!" He scolded. He'd read octopi would sometimes eat one of their own arms if they were too hungry, but he'd never thought Amu'd do it too…

The Cecaelia didn't seem bother by it however as his teeth continued their gnawing. Yugi let him. Not much he could do about it now…

"Don't worry. It grows back."

"Eh…? It … It does?" Yugi gasped. Amu just shrugged. He insisted on finishing his 'meal' before being taken inside. Yugi couldn't watch, so he skated around a little more. Hmm…. weird, did something just… Tremble… ?

Bunk.

Bunk!

BUNK!

That did not sound good.

I was actually gonna not end it here, but i felt like doing it anyway, so you can sit on the end of your seats to what's happening next XD
I'd need to put this on AO3 really since you can put in images with the story there 3w3 haaa so many drawings of

Tell me if I made any gramar mistakes? 3w3 I'll try fixing them! Except when they're amu's English... his is on purpose of course XD Amu's english...Amunglish! yes we'll call it Amunglish XD