Guys, I'm sooooo sorry for not updating the last few days! My Aibou (partner) and I are having relationship problems, so we've been going to counseling to get better. It's been going well so far, but we still haven't worked out all of our issues. :/ Anyways, I hope you like this chapter, there's probably one more chapter left in this story! Happy reading!
Yugi and his grandpa, after the scene in the kitchen, decided to make dinner early so it was ready when Yami and Atem came home from school. Oh no, Yugi thought. How am I going to tell them? Grandpa is one thing, but Atem can be very strict and Yami is a human firecracker. Yugi was starting to stress out again, but then he heard Grandpa's words: "There is nothing to be sorry for." Yugi remembered this, and pushed the worry from his mind.
What am I even worrying about? It's not a big deal. Yugi was pulled from his thoughts as hot steam traveled right into his eyes. "Ah!" the water on the stove was almost boiling over! He quickly turned the stove down. "That was a close one." Yugi mumbled, then produced a small smile. A small smile, but the first time he had smiled in weeks.
A few hours later, the food was all ready to go so Yugi climbed up the stairs and into his room. It feels like I haven't been in here for ages, but really, it was just a couple of days. He ran his hands over the sheets on his bed, still messy, the way he had left them when he woke up to hang out with Jounouchi. He sighed, but almost jumped out of his socks when he heard the door crash open below.
"Grandpa, are you here?" Yami's voice, desperate.
"Grandpa, is Yugi here?" Atem's voice followed, sounding equally distressed.
Yugi ran out of his bedroom and tumbled down the stairs, crashing head-on into Atem, both of them falling on the floor. "There you are!" Atem shouted, and grabbed Yugi around the middle, pulling him into a gigantic bear hug. Yugi could feel some of his ribs cracking but nevertheless hugged Atem back with the same amount of ferocity. "Well, look who's back to normal!" Atem said in surprise.
"I don't buy it." Yami looked down at Yugi and Atem, and crossed his arms.
Atem grinned. "There's room for one more, 'Ami." Atem held out his free arm and beckoned for Yami to join the group hug.
Yami growled. "I told you to never call me 'Ami again!" Yami jumped and tackled Atem, accidentally knocking Yugi off of Atem. Atem and Yami wrestled for a while Yugi looked on, giggling behind his hands. Yami finally ended up on top of Atem, pinning his arms above his head. "Say it! Say you'll never call me 'Ami again!" Yami yelled. "Okay, okay!" Atem said laughing, releasing his arms from Yami's grip easily. Atem was that nice. He pretended that Yami was stronger than him, but in reality Atem was a lot stronger than Yami could ever be.
"You know it's not that big of a deal, you have a nickname for Atem, how come he can't have a nickname for you?" Yugi asked jokingly, still giggling.
"Oh, I see that you're talking again?" Yami asked glaring at Yugi. Yugi's smile disappeared and he gulped. "Where were you? Atem and I got off of school, and headed to the hospital but you weren't there. Care to explain?"
Yugi twiddled his thumbs and avoided Yami's glare. "Well, I left on my own…"
"Yeah, I figured as much. We asked the nurses, doctors, and the secretary where you were, but they didn't know either. Apparently, you never checked out of the hospital. So all of us, meaning me, Atem, Jounouchi, Honda, Anzu, Marik, Ryou, Bakura, Mai, Ishizu, everybody; we were all looking for you. And they are probably still looking for you! What do you have to say for yourself?"
Yugi clenched his hands and looked at Yami. "I had to leave, Yami!" Yugi shouted, surprising Yami. "That place was suffocating me! I couldn't stand it any longer, no one knew what I was going through, and still no one knows!"
"Yugi, if this is about Ushio and the attack, then I'm sure-" Atem started.
Yugi whipped around to face Atem. "No! Don't pretend that you know what's being going on! Because you don't! You haven't gone through what I have! You've never been bullied! So don't pretend to understand!" Yugi had tears falling down his face, so he covered his eyes and ran back up the stairs and into his room. He locked the door behind him.
Yami looked at Atem with realization dawning in their eyes. "That's why…" …everything. That explains so much. Yami thought. The boys rushed up the stairs, and started pounding on Yugi's door.
"That won't help too much, boys." Grandpa said as he passed them in the hall. "Yugi needs some time to calm down, and you're making too much noise. I can't even hear the television." Grandpa winked at them.
"Wait you knew?" Atem asked.
"Of course, I am his grandfather after all." Grandpa left the hallway and walked down the stairs to the kitchen. "Yugi and I prepared dinner for you two, you better eat it before it goes cold." He called over his shoulder. Atem and Yami looked at each other. They had just learned about a huge secret that Yugi had been keeping from them. It didn't make much sense to confront Yugi about it now, when he was still shaken up, so they walked down to go eat dinner.
Meanwhile, in his bedroom, Yugi was sitting on his bed. Thanks Grandpa, Yugi thought, grateful to his grandfather for talking some sense into Yami and Atem. Now that was a talent that only a few people had. Yugi grinned, the tears on his face starting to dry a little now that there were no new tears to wet them. Now that there was no banging on his door, Yugi could think about the events that just happened.
He had just told Yami and Atem his biggest secret. And obviously, they didn't take it too well. Atem can hardly stand someone not telling him the time of day, much less this. And Yami was already mad at Yugi because they couldn't find him at the hospital. Put it together, and Yugi would be in major trouble with the both of them when they finished eating.
I've got to be strong. The only way to have good come out of this situation is to not act weak. That's what got me into this in the first place. I've got to be strong, and now's a good a time as ever to start. With his mind made up, Yugi crossed the bedroom and laid his hand on the doorknob. He suppressed a shiver. The last time I stood here was the morning of the attack. Yugi stood there frozen, reliving that moment of terror when Ushio pressed the knife to his throat. There was no doubt in his mind that Ushio intended to kill him, right then and there. Thank goodness for friends like Jounouchi, who will protect him no matter what. Now I know that my friends protect me, not because I'm weak, but because they love me. I'm their friend, and they are mine. Filled with strength and confidence, Yugi turned the doorknob and walked down the stairs to meet Yami and Atem.