Hmmm...seems like people didn't like last chapter too much...I wonder why.
Sage: Because you are terrible at writing romance...and at writing anything in general.
Why don't you ever believe in me? *dramatic crying*
Sage: Those four years of theatre class haven't helped you.
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-2 Days After Moving In—
Yugi walked to the restaurant, holding his head down. He let his bangs slide over his left eye and he stared at his feet as he made the way to the diner. He wasn't working today; today he was supposed to meet Joey for lunch. Although Yugi wasn't sure if he wanted to keep the plans, especially after what happened after last night.
Yugi entered the diner and made his way to a seat. One of the other waiters knew he would be here today for lunch, so Yugi didn't need to wait to be seated. He anxiously waited for Joey, rehearsing stories in his head that he would tell Joey.
'Maybe I can tell him I fell.' Yugi thought, drumming his fingers on the table. 'Or I could tell him I got hit with a door, or—'
"Hey, Yuge!" Came Joey's cheerful voice. Surprised, Yugi's head shot up and his bangs fell behind his ears, revealing his big black eye. Joey let out a small gasp.
Yugi's left eye was swollen and almost completely closed. Joey could see a few small tears trying to push out past the lid. Concerned, Joey sat down at the table and looked at Yugi.
"What happened?" Joey asked, his voice raising an octave with anger.
"Uh…" Yugi paused. He hadn't expected Joey for another few minutes! He thought he had some more time to come up with a story to explain his injury. "I-I ran into a door." He lied quickly.
Joey stared at Yugi with scrutiny. "You want to tell me the truth? Yugi, you're a terrible liar."
"That is what happened. I'm not used to Jack's house yet. I got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, and I ran into a door."
"Yugi…" Joey's voice trailed. It held a stern warning, like a parent scolding their child. But, after a moment, Joey was able to piece together what had happened to Yugi. His face showed it all. His eyes widened and his mouth opened slightly. He slammed his hands down on the table. "That son of a bitch hit you, didn't he?" Joey didn't give Yugi time to answer before he stood up and stared exiting the booth. "I'll kill him."
"Wait, Joey!" Yugi screamed, chasing after his friend. "You don't understand!"
"There's nothing to understand!"
Biting his lip, Yugi grabbed onto Joey's wrist. "Please, listen to me. Sit down and I'll explain."
Joey was not happy, but he complied with Yugi's request, mostly because people were beginning to stare at the shouting duo. Once the two slid into the booth, Joey crossed his arms and leaned back.
"Okay." He snapped. "Explain."
"Look," Yugi whispered, "Jack came home last night, had a few beers, and he got mad."
"Why?"
"I don't know. He just started screaming at me for no reason. It got physical. He punched me, but he apologized right away! I swear Joey, Jack would never hurt me on purpose. He was just drunk. He told me he loved me and that he was so sorry. He swore that it would never happen again! It was just an accident."
"Yugi, I'm not just going to sit back and do nothing."
"Please, Joey. It was just a drunk mistake."
"Take it from me. It's dangerous to be hanging around with an alcoholic. What if he gets drunk again?"
"He won't." Yugi said adamantly. "Jack told me he wouldn't touch booze again."
Joey stared at Yugi with strong disbelief in his eyes.
"Please," Yugi practically begged, "just stay out of it."
Joey mentally growled. There was no way in hell he was going to stand by and let his best buddy get beat! He needed to find Jack and kill him. Joey knew it was too soon for Yugi to be living with that man. Then it struck Joey. Yugi needed this apartment with Jack. Otherwise, he would be back out on the streets. Yugi would be homeless again. And, maybe, Joey thought. Yugi was right. Maybe the fight was just a drunk mistake. He had only met Jack a few times, but he seemed like a decent guy. He didn't seem like the kind of guy to hit anybody.
Joey couldn't take Jack away from Yugi. In all the time that Yugi had known Jack, he was happier than Joey had seen him in a long time. It would be wrong to get involved over one stupid mistake.
"Fine." Joey finally said, admitting defeat. "I'll let it slide. But if he ever touches you again, I'm going to kill him and nothing you say will convince me otherwise." This was only going to be a one time thing. For now, Joey would let this go. But if it ever happened again, then to hell with everything he just thought. Jack would pay. But for now, he could get away with it.
Deep down in his mind, Joey wondered if he was making a mistake.
-Present Day—
Yami waited anxiously outside the diner where Yugi worked. He had left the boy's apartment last night after his fight with Joey, but was unable to take his mind off his small doppelganger. Yami went back to his own apartment and tried to wind down and get his mind onto other topics, but it was futile. Yami had to see Yugi. He had to make sure he was alright.
Of course, with Joey telling him specifically to stay away, Yami was beginning to doubt his intentions. There was a reason Joey wanted him to stay away from Yugi. And there was more to his 'accident' than Joey let on last night. Yami knew it. Yugi's memory loss would be a problem they could get through. Yami loved him, he really did. Yami loved a boy he barely knew. So much that he was willing to face the wrath of the blonde friend who could easily knock him out with one punch.
Sucking in a deep breath, Yami walked into the diner and began searching for Yugi. It wasn't hard because he almost instantly saw the teenager waiting a nearby booth. He was scribbling down the orders for the table and then left to take them to the kitchen. Yami ran after him, ignoring the cry of the hostess telling him he couldn't go back there.
"Yugi!" Yami called.
The boy turned around at the sound of his name. His face reddened and he began to chew on his lip.
"Yugi," Yami said as he came to the waiter's side. Yugi refused to look him in the eye, instead focusing his attention on the floor. "I'm sorry to bother you at work, but I had to make sure you were okay."
"I'm not supposed to talk to you." He mumbled.
"Why? Because your stupid roommate doesn't like you having a life of your own?" Yami said angrily. It wasn't fair that Yugi was letting his life be controlled. Yugi had a right to who he saw, what he did. He wasn't a child who needed mommy's permission before going outside.
"Look," Yugi said, his voice growing tense, "you just don't understand. Joey's just trying to protect me."
"From what? Joey said you had an accident, that's why you have memory problems. What happened Yugi?"
"It's nothing I'm willing to tell a stranger."
"I don't have to be a stranger." Yami began to plead. "You still owe me a date."
"I have work to do." Yugi said, beginning to step away from Yami. "And if Joey ever figured out I disobeyed him, he'd chew my ass."
"Yugi, please." Yami reached out and grabbed Yugi's wrist. He felt the boy tense in his grasp and saw his pupils dilated in fear. "I haven't been able to get you out of my head since I saw you. I want to get to know you. I want to be your friend, if not something more. Just one date. That's all I ask. And if after that you don't ever want to see me again, I'll understand."
Yugi bit his lip and tried to pull his hand out of Yami's grasp. "Let me go, Yami. Please."
"Not until you agree."
"I think he told you to let him go." A new voice chimmed in. Yami turned around and saw a woman with brown hair and green eyes. She was tapping his foot impatiently and had her arms crossed against her chest. She approached Yami angrily and even though she was shorter than him, she showed no fear as she stared into his crimson eyes. "Let him go now." She demanded.
"Anzu, please—" Yugi began, but he was cut off as the girl, Anzu, spoke once again.
"Or do I need to call the police and have them arrest you for harassment?"
Hearing her threat, Yami let go of Yugi's wrist. Anzu continued to stare him in the eye and Yami began to feel intimidated by her deathly glare. "Yugi," she said, not taking her eyes off Yami, "please continue with your work."
"Yes, Anzu." Yugi complied and nearly ran away from the scene.
"You," she said, pointing at Yami's chest, "come with me." She turned around and began to walk to one of the doors in the back corner. Yami closely followed her. Once they entered the back room, Yami regretted following her. They were in the storage room for the kitchen, by themselves, near a shelf full of cutlery.
Anzu reached for a knife and a metal rod and began to sharpen the knife. She said nothing as she scrapped the blade of the knife against the steel of the sharpener. Yami cringed at the sound of metal on metal and he could only picture her inserting the blade into his flesh.
"So," she said at last, pushing the blade slowly across the sharpener, "you're Yami I assume?"
"Y-yes." Yami stuttered, keeping his eyes on the weapon in Anzu's hands.
"Joey called me and told me all about you. He told me how you brought Yugi home last night. He told me how you saved Yugi from Ushio. He told me how you and Yugi were supposed to go on a date."
Yami growled. Why was their date overshadowing the more important issue? Like the fact that Yugi was possibly suicidal? Why were they so concerned over one lousy date? "Let me guess. You're just another person trying to control Yugi."
The sharpener fell from her hand, making a clanging sound on the tile floor. For a moment, all was silent. Then, Anzu growled and approached Yami, swinging the knife in her hand. Yami instinctively back up until he hit the door. Anzu walked up and put the tip of the knife underneath his chin.
"Listen here, buster." Anzu growled softly. "Don't talk shit about stuff you know nothing about. Joey and I are only trying to protect Yugi."
"By treating him like a five year old?"
Anzu bit her lip and Yami could see her hand trembling as she resisted the urge to stab him in the neck.
Maybe it wasn't a good idea to anger her.
"We have our reasons for what we do." She whispered, and for a moment Yami thought it sounded like she was about to cry. "Yugi was hurt, very, very badly. Joey and I are just trying to make sure that doesn't happen again."
"You think I'm going to hurt Yugi? I would never dream of it!"
"That's not what it looked like out there!" She screamed, pointing her knife behind Yami, towards the door. "Did you not see the look in his eyes when you grabbed his wrist? Did you not hear him asking to be let go?"
Yami blinked. Had he really scared Yugi? It didn't make sense for such a simple gesture to cause such panic. But, he didn't know that much about Yugi. Maybe it had something to do with the accident Joey spoke of. "I guess I didn't." Yami admitted, feeling sick. He had hurt Yugi.
"I just want to make sure Yugi is safe. And if that means keeping you from him, then so be it."
"He promised me a date."
Anzu cocked her head and looked deeply into Yami's eyes. Her voice sounded tired and strained and her eyes were red as they tried to hold back tears. "Then that's a promise he's going to have to break." She backed up from Yami and put back the knife she held in her hand. Yami instantly felt relief watching her release her weapon. He was afraid that she would really use it to hurt him.
"Now get out." She said, keeping her back turned to Yami. "And stay away from Yugi."
Yami felt behind him for the door handle. He turned it slowly, not taking his eyes off of Anzu's back. When she didn't move, Yami backed out of the storage room and closed the door in front of him. He turned around and spotted Yugi once more. Yami felt bile rise in his throat at the thought that he had hurt Yugi. He needed to apologize, even if Anzu wanted him to stay away.
"Yugi, wait."
The small teen turned around and a look of annoyance flashed in his eyes. He rubbed his face with his hands and walked over to Yami.
"Yugi," Yami began, "I just wanted to say…I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to grab you."
"It's nothing." Yugi mumbled. "But, you should go."
The words pierced Yami's heart like a knife. It was one thing to hear the words from Yugi's friends. It was something totally different to hear them from Yugi himself.
"It's nothing personal." Yugi continued. "But if you hang around with me, you're going to get hurt. Anzu's skilled with cutlery, as I'm sure you just noticed. And Joey's had to fight to live since the day he was born."
"Why do you let them do that?"
"Do what?"
"Why do they get to boss you around like a three year old? Why do you let them?"
Yugi looked down and for a moment it looked like he was crying. "It's nothing you would understand."
"Then let me try!" Yami shouted, gaining the attention of the customers in the restaurant. "Tell me what I can do to understand. I want to get to know you. I want to spend time with you." Unconsciously, Yami reached out and grabbed Yugi's wrist again.
Yugi let out a small gasp as he tried to rip his arm from Yami's grasp. "Let me go." He whispered so quietly, it couldn't be heard.
"Screw them all." Yami said, oblivious of the fear and panic in Yugi's eyes. "Just do this one thing for me."
"Yami, please…"
Yami still ignored Yugi's pleas as he looked into the eyes of the boy. "Please Yugi. I can't seem to get you out of my head. I don't know what it is about you, but I think I might love you."
"Let go.."
"Just one date. That's all I ask. Please Yugi."
The two boys had become the center of attention of the entire diner. People were staring at the duo, but none would intervene. It wasn't their business. And besides, they sort of enjoyed the entertainment. It put a spin on what would have been a normal, boring lunch hour. Who didn't enjoy seeing people fight?
Suddenly, sirens could be heard approaching the diner. The red and blue lights shone through the windows, blinding Yami momentarily. He watched as the police car pulled into the parking lot of the diner and two uniformed police officers ran out and entered the restaurant.
"Let the kid go!" One of them shouted, holding his baton.
Yami raised an eyebrow. Was he talking to him?
"Let the kid go!" He repeated. Yami felt Yugi struggling to get out of his grasp. The police were talking to him. He released Yugi's wrist and could hear the smaller boy running away.
Yami raised his hands as the two officers ran over to Yami and tackled him to the ground.
Yami let out a grunt of pain as his head collided with the ground. What the hell? Why'd they'd push him? He wasn't resisting arrest.
Yami was forcefully shoved onto his stomach and his arms were pinned behind his back as the handcuffs were applied.
"You're under arrest for the harassment of a minor." The one officer said, tightening the cuffs. Yami grimaced in pain as the metal began to cut into his skin.
"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law."
The officer continued to mirandize him, but Yami tuned him out. He looked up at all the pairs of eyes that were staring at him, lying on the tile floor, being arrested. He looked around, seeing the look of fear and panic in their eyes. They had just come for lunch; they hadn't expected to get a show too.
Near one of the corners, Yami spotted Yugi. It looked as though he were crying. Beside him stood Anzu, glaring at him. If looks could kill, Yami would've been dead ten times over. In her hand she held a small silver cell phone.
'She called the police.' Yami thought, surprised. The a conversation he had with her not just ten minutes ago began to play in his head.
"Or do I need to call the police and have them arrest you for harassment?"
She'd done it. She called the police on him. Yami was grabbed by his bound wrists and pulled up onto his feet roughly. With one officer in front of him and the other shoving his baton into Yami's back, he was lead out of the diner and possibly out of Yugi's life.
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Poor Yami...he just can't seem to catch a break. Sorry to all you Anzu haters, but she ain't going nowhere. She plays an important role in the story, and she will fulfill that role.
Please review?