Chapter 6: An Angel Gets Its Wings: Rhythm

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh, nor do I claim rights to any of the affiliated characters.

Warnings/Notes: Somewhat OOC as always with my writing style. Thanks to all of you who reviewed and even to those who just bothered to stick with me thus far. I'm glad you're enjoying the story, however, I regret to inform you that Crownshipping has officially become impossible for this story. It'd just be awkward and out of place, that said the promised oneshot is still very much on.

Morning light bled through the curtain pulled across the sliding glass door, which allowed him freedom to the outside world. The breech of his thoughts by reality was not one that Yugi took well. He nestled himself closer to Yami, while keeping a respectable boundary, and fought away the edge of the sadness he was feeling. He longed to hold onto the only thing he was finding familiar, everything outside of this despair seemed to be quickly falling out of place.

It's morning Aibou. Yami informed him as he stroked the locks identical to his own. Are you going to have something to eat with the others? Yugi shrugged, choke down more food he hadn't the heart to even taste, he thought not.

I don't feel like dressing. It wasn't directly related to the topic at hand but he didn't particularly care.

Then don't, no one here will judge you for it, Joey and Tristan will just come out to eat anyway, they won't bother to change. He reminded him, and slowly Yugi let the thought sink in. It was true; there was no reason to be embarrassed about lounging around in his pajamas…in someone else's extravagant home…. The thought troubled him but for no longer than a few moments, it was nothing trivial and he dismissed all cares regarding the matter as he blinked his eyes opened. Slowly they adjusted to the harsh but ironically enough non-existent pigments of the light.

He sat up in bed and swung his legs over the side, the world felt like it was spinning around him and he put a hand on the edge of the bed to steady himself as he stood. His feet felt inadequate and feeble. Yawning he began to move towards the door, glancing at the digital clock on his bedside table, which read 6:21am. He didn't guess anyone else would even be up this early.

He stumbled down the hall, clutching the flat surface of the walls in order to help support himself, never had he felt this mentally and physically weak. Even in the shadow realm when dueling Pegasus he had not been able to sense himself lingering in a subconscious state between life and death. It had been numbness, a blissful oblivion that ended in a hazy mess of mumbled words and cheers.

"Well good morning Yugi-boy!" Pegasus greeted him in sing-song tones; the sound of his voice only increased the soundless pounding in the boy's head.

"Morning Pegasus." It was a clearly failed attempt to be cheery, and even Yugi noticed the monotone creeping into his voice. He raised his eyes to meet the older man's and was met with a sympathetic frown.

"How about something to eat?" The man in front of him suggested as Yugi took to walking alongside him: he wondered then what it was like to have a father.

"I wasn't planning on it." The blonde replied as he weakly yawned again and began to work feeling back into his tired, aching muscles.

"Is your stomach bothering you?" All people experienced different symptoms when experiencing and coping with depression, Pegasus tried to properly recall the falling feeling in his own stomach when Cyndia had first died, but could not. It was something he'd grown accustomed to with time.

"No, I just don't feel much like eating." He replied, then mumbled quietly, "Not hungry…."

Pegasus only nodded and continued on towards the living room where he and Yugi sat for a while, neither of them felt uncomfortable, though each was waiting on the other to speak first. Yugi battled with the weight of his eye lids as sleep threatened to overcome him once again, this morning that was all he felt he wanted to do: sleep.

"Couldn't sleep?" Pegasus observed as he took a cup of tea from his servant and motioned for him to offer Yugi the same. The boy's trembling fingers clasped the glass and brought it to his dry lips, the warmth seemed to move him somehow.

"It could've been worse honestly." He replied after he'd had a few sips, enough to push back the haze in his mind. His eyes adjusted to the changed expression of the face in front of him, he struggled to remember the name that matched it, all too quickly he felt himself losing touch again.

"Your eyes are dilated, you didn't take any medication aside from the aspirin last night did you?" Pegasus asked, Yugi knew those tones, ones laced with concern and inquiry, never had he expected that they'd be coming from Pegasus.

He shook his head no; "I'm just fine-"

"I know its hard, Yugi…" He bit his lip to avoid adding –boy as it had become a force of habit. "Being the friend that can be there for another, the one that's the listening ear and the shoulder to cry on, it all comes so naturally doesn't it?" Yugi's eyes absorbed the motions of Pegasus's lips as the words left them, such understanding from someone that did not, had not ever seen him live out his daily life was absolutely empowering…mortifying…but empowering all the same. "You break down to someone who openly admits they don't know how to help you, you appreciate that honesty, then comes the only comfort they can offer, all I know how to do is be here for you."

Yugi felt his eyes tremble with the moisture that lay behind them, "I…"

"It's some consolation but it feels wrong, you feel cheated by the fact that day in and day out you listen to others problems and life experiences at will and yet this is all that they can think of to say to you in return. Have you been through all of this situations they have when seeking out advice from you, I'd be willing to bet not, but you think of something to soothe them anyway, is that beneath the people in your own life? Or is it that they use you just as a go-to-guy, is it that, that's all you are to them?"

"Yes!" He exclaimed, the overwhelming empathy pouring from the mouth across from him was so warm and foreign that it lifted him in spirit and in body. He stood to full height in front of the couch and took a step towards the man; he too was still in his pajamas. "And its like you're so tired of knowing that only people that really, truly know you can see when something's wrong and they still can't offer you what you seem to need so badly. It's like, they ask what's wrong, you say nothing and it's just dropped, they only see what I chose to let them see physically. I'm tired of feeling like I have to hide it, part of me wishes I wasn't so good at covering it up!" He could feel the emotion coming to him before it hit and the tears came, the next motions came naturally to him as he wiped at his eyes and attempted to hide his tear-stained face away from even the only person who had offered him real emotional understanding.

"Come here." Pegasus softly instructed him as Yugi cried into his sleeves. "No, Yugi-boy, come here." He instructed as he set his teacup down and reached out to grab and pull the boy closer. "It's okay to let your guard down." He informed him as he ran his fingers through the boy's hair.

"I'm so sorry…I feel like I'm using you and you're my friend so I-"

"What!" Pegasus exclaimed as he pulled the boy into a hug, "You're not using me, you needed someone to talk to and we talked." He informed him, "It's what friends do." He laughed a bit.

"Ya know…sometimes I feel like…you're a father to me more so than anyone else." He rubbed the tears from his eyes. "It's hard for me to be this emotional with people but…." He closed his eyes so he wouldn't have to think about how much this would hurt Yami. "But I feel like you understand me better than anyone else…and you don't care that I'm not as strong as your normal "hero" or as smart as Kaiba or any of that. Even with my grandpa every talk we have just turns out to be a life lesson, but the thing is I don't need that kind of advice." He swallowed hard and cleared his throat, "I don't know." His eyes opened slowly and uncertainly.

Pegasus merely smiled, "What doesn't kill us only makes us stronger." He reminded him, "Everything feels a little out of place right now."

"That doesn't exactly help me know how to feel." He informed him as he wiped at his eyes and moved out of the man's hold to collect himself in a more self-deemed dignified manor.

The man in front of him smiled and moved to get up, "I'm flattered that you think of me that way." He replied honestly as he stretched a bit, "And I'm glad that you're able to be so open with me, hopefully that helps your art come more naturally." He continued.

Yugi could only hope so. "Is it alright if I go outside for a little while?" He asked without really knowing why. Pegasus only nodded and smiled all the wider.

"Fresh air ought to do you some good." He offered, and with that Yugi nodded in response and moved to the door that would lead him to the grounds.

The wind blew strong and the sky shone brightly under the light of the sun, though it was overcast it was magnificent. He ran. Without knowing or having any destination he ran, the feel of the green blades warm under his feet was the only incentive not to stop. The air underneath of him seemed to make his once tired feet seem weightless, they moved beneath him with unmatched speed and he smiled to the breeze as it whipped his sweaty hair away from his face.

The air was thick but cool and he needed such a comfort. His breaths came shorter as he found himself reaching the area of the ground that was forested. He turned to go back, fields behind him as far as the eye could see the castle out of sight. Breaths quick and eyelids heavy he spread his arms out and fell back against the soft pillow of warm, lush grass. Against his pale and sticky skin it felt relaxing. He laid there for a few minutes, maybe even a few hours; all comprehension of time had eluded him.

Soon though, no longer tired or weary he stood yet again and raced off. His throat quickly burned and his lungs begged for oxygen but he didn't intake more than absolutely necessary, for he knew if he did it would mean the end of the peace he felt. This utopia, this means of escape was all he had now. He soldiered on nimbly; too much of the precious gas and his thoughts would cease to be impaired by the beating of his accelerated heart and the clouding of his tired mind. He didn't want that; he wanted to stay this exhilaratingly unaware forever.

When at last he reached the castle, his sweaty, panting form collapsing in the face of the stone staircase he sensed the high beginning to leave him and his senses grow more acute. The pain however, was strangely enough gone from the front of his mind and the only intoxicating thoughts that were left were those of running. Running until he reached the ocean, the cold, frigid waters immersing around him as he entered it as far as he could touch and let it overcome him, washing away the painful memories of nights passed.

When those left him and he realized that he still had school to attend to and friends to be concerned with his spirits fell. However, he knew then that he would make time to run, to forget the problems for a little while and just remember how to live a normal, carefree life. Words couldn't describe how good that felt. He moved up the stairs, the sun high in the sky now, and swallowed his bitter disappointment.

Facing the oak doors, though they held he who was a comfort to him much like a father would be, he felt like a caged rat, his reflection trapped in the shimmering gold handle in front of him.

He threw it opened angrily, their faces confronting him in a frenzy as they flocked to and hugged him, at least Pegasus knew to give him his space. He gazed back out the door longingly one last time and shut it…symbolically he wondered what that meant for him.

How he loathed to be the angel with the clipped wings.

Where are you?
And I'm so sorry,

I cannot sleep, I cannot dream tonight,

I need somebody and always-

This sick, strange darkness comes creeping in

So haunting every time.

And as I stared I counted

The webs from all the spiders…

Catching things and eating their insides.

-Blink182

Rhythm: regular repetition of lines, shapes, colors, or patterns in a work of art used in sequence in order to create the illusion of movement.

AN: I'm sorry for the abrupt closing to the chapter but it was important to leave off this way, next update you'll see why.