My only sunshine
You make me ha-
BAM! Yuugi slammed the snooze button with his fist as hard as he could. After taking a deep breath, he stared blankly at the pale ceiling.
Today is the day… the day in which Yami will tell me everything. Yuugi contemplated to himself about how the day's events might play out. Whatever his answers are, I hope I'll be able to handle them. I'm so nervous and uncertain. But I need to know what he's been doing with Jou this whole time. He squinted as his stomach twisted into millions of knots at the thought of anything serious occurring between the two people that meant the most to him.
He slowly got himself out of bed, dressed in casual attire, and then went about his daily rituals. After he was done, he walked up to the shut door that led to Yami's room, took a deep breath, and prayed, "Oh Ra, give me strength." He slowly opened the door and peeked inside. Sure enough, the pharaoh was still fast asleep. He sighed in annoyance before walking over to the blinds. Normally, he wouldn't hesitate in pouncing on Yami in order to wake him… but today was different. He wasn't feeling the least bit playful. He was still upset and wanted answers.
In one quick motion, the blinds flew open; causing the sun rays to completely envelope the room. Yami groaned as he winced his eyes. He quickly covered his eyes with his arm before pulling the blanket completely over his head.
Yuugi stood in the sunlight staring blankly at his half-awake aibou. "It's time to get up, Yami. I want to get an early start on our conversation. I will be waiting in the living room. Come down when you're ready." That said, Yuugi casually exited the room without so much as second glance in the Egyptian's direction.
Yami yanked the blankets off of him and just stared into nothingness. This was the day he was looking forward to, but also dreaded. He was frightened beyond all measure. He didn't know what to expect and that was probably the scariest part. The only clear thing on his mind was his determination to clear the air with his aibou. He needed to come clear about his late nights with Katsuya. He was certain Yuugi had the wrong impressions about it. Who wouldn't?
He sat up, stretched, and then got ready for the day. Once finished, he cautiously made his way down the flight of stairs leading to the living room, where his lighter half was waiting patiently on the couch. The taller boy took one last deep breath before slowly walking over to make his presence known. As he sat down on the couch, he made sure to put a wide gap between himself and the angry little duelist. No sense in overstepping any boundaries at this point in time.
A few minutes of uncomfortable silence passed over them – a sign that Yami took as a signal to begin the anticipated confrontation. Softly, he inquired, "Hey… Yuugi…?
Still not willing to look at his dark half, Yuugi replied bluntly, "Hmm?"
Yami's fingers fumbled in his lap showing how nervous he really was. "Can we go somewhere else to talk? I mean… it's just that I want to discuss this with you in a comfortable atmosphere. And-"
"And my house isn't comfortable enough for you?" Yuugi bitterly completed Yami's sentence. "Would you rather be over at Jou's house?"
Ouch! Though he knew he half-deserved that remark, Yami still wasn't about to let these misunderstandings continue.
"Okay, that's it!" He quickly stood up, grabbed Yuugi's wrist, forcefully brought him to his feet and dragged him out the front door.
Shocked and upset with the pharaoh's actions, the younger boy tried to break free. "What the hell are you doing, Yami? Let me go! Where the fuck are you taking me?" Yami didn't respond immediately, which infuriated him even more. "Are you gonna ignore more of my questions? Why won't you answer me? You're hurting my wrist, dammit!"
With his free hand, Yuugi tried in vain to pry his captive wrist out of Yami's tight grip. This only caused the taller boy to tighten his grip, causing Yuugi to wince in pain.
"Yuugi, quit struggling." Yami's voice was stern and brash as his focus remained on the destination he had in mind. "I'm merely taking you to a place where we can talk in private. We need to clear up these misunderstandings. I know this might be a lot to ask of you right now, but… please, have a little faith in me."
Yuugi stopped struggling and stubbornly followed behind his dark half. He fixed his eyes on the cement sidewalk as they journeyed onward. He silently cursed at, not only his aibou, but himself, as well. Why did I agree to talk to him? I know I won't like what I'm gonna hear, so why am I willingly walking to a place where I'd inevitably feel more pain? I'm such an idiot… he sighed as he continued to mentally kick himself.
No more than five minutes later did Yami stop abruptly, causing Yuugi to bump slightly into his back. The little duelist looked puzzled as he stared up at a sign that read 'Lilly's Famous Burgers and Sandwiches.' "Um… what are we doing here of all places?"
The taller boys' expression didn't change as he stared blankly forward. "We're going to talk. I figured we could get breakfast out of the way while we're at it. Plus, an empty stomach can impair a person's rational. I want us both to be thinking clearly while we're discussing something so important. Now, what would you like to have?"
When he didn't get a response, he added, "Don't worry. It's my treat. You don't have to pay for anything."
Yuugi simply stared at Yami queerly. "That's not what I'm curious about. Why did you bring me to a place where we'd have to spend money on breakfast? We could have eaten at my house and it would have been a lot more private. Explain why you wanted to come here so badly."
Yami closed his eyes and sighed deeply. "Yuugi… if we were in the privacy of your home, there would be a much higher chance of our conversation turning into a yelling match. If we were in public, it would be less likely that we would raise our voices out of fear of drawing unwanted attention. Now, if all of that makes sense to you, then please tell me what you would like to eat."
Yuugi hated to admit it, but the pharaoh was making sense. He glanced up at the menu and made his decision, "I guess I'll have a fruit bowl."
"As you wish." Yami released Yuugi's wrist, then made his way to the line of people waiting to order a meal. Since this was an outdoor eating establishment, the few people who were actually there were shivering in the cold morning air. Since it was winter, mornings were brutal as harsh, nippy winds stung the faces of whoever stood in its path. It's a good thing both teen boys remembered to bundle up well.
Yuugi's breath looked like cigarette smoke as his little body shivered while he searched the area for a table they both could sit at. Snow hadn't blanketed the city of Domino yet, but forecasters predicted a white Christmas. Once a table was found, the little frozen duelist sat and rocked back and forth in his seat to keep his blood flowing. His shoulders made contact with his red ears as he hunched over, waiting patiently for his dark half to return with breakfast. Damn, maybe I should have asked for hot cocoa, too.
Their mind link was still as strong as it was before. Not a moment after Yuugi had mentally wished for a warm beverage did Yami return with cocoa and food in-hand. Yuugi couldn't help but smile a little as he accepted the small meal.
Yami carefully explained everything that had been going on over the past week, not forgetting to leave out the all-important plan. Yuugi listened intently and when the pharaoh was done, he took a moment to absorb it all before asking questions.
"So, let me get this straight. You've been staying out with Jounouchi till night fall because you two have been working with Seto on one of his newest inventions?"
"That's correct." Yami nodded.
Yuugi intertwined his fingers as he rested his arms on the table. "And you've also been working with Otogi and Honda on this project, as well?"
"Yes."
"Okay, two things still aren't clear to me." Yuugi held up one digit for every point he made. "One, how did you manage to get Otogi and Kaibe to work together without bloodshed? And, two, why didn't you guys ask for my help? It's pretty obvious you all didn't want me to know about this project and I'd like to know why."
Yami shrugged as he poked at a slice of watermelon. "Ask Seto. It's his project, so he decided on whom he wanted help from. I asked Jou if you could be involved, but he said a lot of heavy lifting would be involved and he didn't want you getting hurt."
Yuugi's face fumed as he couldn't help but feel a tad insulted. "What's that supposed to mean? I don't have to lift anything to be of some use. Seto could have told me to file documents or even hand out snacks, for pete's sake. I am so gonna give him a piece of my mind later."
Yami couldn't help but snicker at how cute the little duelist was acting. "Don't be so hard on him, aibou. Jou's intentions are always noble and heartfelt. You know that better than I do."
Yuugi sighed and shoved a semi-frozen grave into his mouth. "I know, I know. I just wish he had asked me first before jumping to conclusions. I hate being left out."
Yami smiled sweetly, "Yes, I know. Jou has been focusing entirely on this project, so he's had little time to think about anything else."
Violet eyes looked up inquiringly, "By the way, what is this new invention Kaiba's working on? Is it a new duel disk?"
Yami shook his head. "No. Actually, it's a new type of platform. The details Seto gave were hazy, but basically it's a sort of virtual reality simulator."
Yuugi's excitement could not be contained as he inquired further with a big smile on his face. "Really? The sounds so cool! When is it gonna be completed? I wanna see it."
Yami laughed at his aibou's enthusiasm. "He promised to have it done by Christmas. In fact, he has invited you to come see the final product on that very day."
Though he was still head-to-toe freezing, Yuugi managed to bounce up and down in his seat, excitement beaming from every pore in his tiny body. "Are you serious? Wow! That's so awesome! I can't wait! Is he gonna let us know when to come down?"
Yami took another bite of fruit. "That's already been arranged. He said he wanted us to come down first thing in the morning."
Yuugi's mood quickly changed as his body slouched into his chair. "First thing on Christmas morning? But… what about opening gifts with you and grandpa? I wouldn't miss that for all of Kaiba's inventions."
The Egyptian prince placed his hand on Yuugi's. "I never said we had to miss that. We can go after we finish opening gifts."
Yuugi blushed at Yami's tender touch, but smiled to try and hide it. "Really? Thank you, Yami." He flipped his hand over to hold Yami's. They both shared a few moments in each other's eyes before Yami realized what was happening. He pulled away rather abruptly and blushed deep crimson.
"Uh… well… I also need to tell you that Seto wants everyone in formal wear at the unveiling." The pharaoh muttered.
Yuugi's mouth fell agape, " Formal wear? But, I don't have anything like that. The last time I wore a tux was at my aunt's funeral five years ago. I doubt it would fit me now."
Yami giggled, "Do you really think you've grown that much in five years?"
The little teen's face flushed furiously in embarrassment. "Yami! Quit being such a bully. I get that from everyone else and I don't wanna hear it from you."
Yami laughed as he got up from his seat and made his way over to where the fuming little duel master was sitting. He stood behind him and wrapped his thin arms around Yuugi's little upper body. Yuugi felt as if his heart would burst from his chest.
Yami spoke softly, "I'm sorry, aibou. I couldn't help myself. I meant no harm." He positioned his mouth right next to Yuugi's ear and whispered, "Do you forgive me, Yuugi?" He made sure to blow ever so slightly into his little ear.
A chill went down Yuugi's small spine, causing him to shiver all over. He blushed madly, so he lowered his head as far down as he could to hide it.
"O-Of course, I… forgive you." He quickly shooed Yami away with his hands. "D-Dummy, get away from my ear. It tickles when your breath blows over it." Yami chuckled as he made his way back to his seat. He wanted to tease his little aibou more, but didn't want to push his luck. Things were going very well – more so than he expected – and he wanted the remainder of the day to continue in such a fashion. Once seated, he put his elbow on the table, supported his head in his hand, and smiled sweetly at his blushing lighter half.
"You know, you really are the cutest thing on this planet," Yami stated bluntly.
Yuugi felt as if his ears would spout smoke since his face glowed an even brighter shade of red. His shoulders reached his ears and he cowered his body as low as possible to hide his embarrassment. He spoke timidly while trying to act stern at the same time. "Stop it, Yami. You're embarrassing me…"
"That's what makes you so cute, aibou." The Egyptian's face radiated his immense joy. He lavished in teasing his beloved and always became exceedingly giddy whenever he got these kinds of reactions. His smile was so big; it almost looked painful to hold in place.
Yuugi's heart raced and butterflies fluttered in his stomach. He couldn't take anymore of Yami's teasing. He never knew how to react to it. He wanted to flee from the current situation, so he jolted into the first thing that came to mind.
"Ah, that's right!" He stood up in one swift movement and fidgeted in a panicked state. "G-Grandpa wanted me to help him run the shop today. It's Christmas Eve and we always get swamped with customers doing last minute gift shopping. It's almost…" he looked at his watch, "… eleven AM. Come on, Yami!" He turned around and sped off in the opposite direction towards the Kame Game Shop.
Yami stood up and extended a hand as he called out to the flustered boy. "Wait, Yuugi! I…" The young teen was already too far away to hear him. The distraught pharaoh lowered his arm and sighed deeply. "Oh well. As long as he has forgiven me, everything is fine." He started racing after his quick little partner; all the while reassuring himself of future events. "It's a good thing he's excited about Seto's "new invention." Now I know he'll definitely show up tomorrow. The gods must love me right now. Everything is going so well. I hope it stays that way."