A/N: Alright this chapter and the next chapter have a lot of reference to Season 0 specific events (finally!) so strap on your seatbelts, it's going to be a complicated ride. I strongly suggest you read the 'things you should know' section for the next two chapters.
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW: This is mostly explained (actually it is completely) in the chapter, but in case you haven't read the Season 0 manga, when Anzu, Yuugi/Yami, Jounouchi and Honda end up in Kaiba's evil death tournament they have to make it through each level if they want to survive. One of the levels is that they must ride this train thing through a creepy mansion with all sorts of nasty things touching them or trying to scare them and they can't make any sound or they're electrocuted. Honda also has a perverted cousin that randomly feels up Anzu's chest during the ordeals. It was messed up and when I read it all I could think was how scarring that would be!
Disclaimer: Not Mine!
"Ah, I'm beat," Jounouchi said with a contented grin sprawled across his face while the losing team took down the net.
"I thought you didn't like the teams?" Rebecca replied sharply, obviously still remembering the brat comment from a couple hours earlier. She had played with a vengeance but her anger was unrewarded as it turned out Miho happened to be an excellent volleyball player.
Jounouchi had kissed her feet, swearing never to disrespect a woman in a bikini again which got Honda on his case. Anzu just looked mildly embarrassed by his theatrics, hugging herself tighter inside her t-shirt.
"Do you think we could get some time alone around here?" Yami muttered to Yuugi. "Just me and Anzu that is," he corrected quickly. Yuugi made a big 'oh' noise, winking conspicuously at his cousin after thinking carefully.
"Hey Anzu, you said you wanted to go kayaking earlier, right?" he called to his friend cheerfully who smiled and nodded.
"Yuugi, there's only two kayaks," Rebecca whispered to him desperately and he smiled benignly. Yami had to give him credit for his perfect innocence act.
"I know Becky, that's why I thought it would be fun if me and Anzu went together, after all the sun is just starting to set and it's really pretty out," he said cheerfully. Pretending to notice Rebecca's darkening glare for the first time his violet eyes widened quickly.
"I-I mean, not me and Anzu, I'm um...too tired to kayak after all that volleyball," he assured her and she relaxed quickly, wrapped her arms around one of his happily.
"Want to go inside and help me make supper then?" she asked as Honda's stomach growled loudly and Jounouchi wondered aloud where the food was.
"Sure!" He agreed happily and Yami doubted that that was an act. "Oh, Anzu, I guess I can't go with you..." he said in an almost disappointed tone and she just shrugged.
"It's alright Yuugi, I can go some other" –
"No you should go now! I mean, the sun looks great. Hey Yami, why don't you take Anzu kayaking?" He asked and Yami winced.
So maybe his acting wasn't all that good.
Glancing Anzu's way she looked around nervously but everyone seemed rather distracted except for Marik whose eyes were focused on her as though waiting for her to mess up as usual.
"S-sure...if you want," she agreed shyly, glancing at Yami who smiled unconsciously. Want to? He'd do anything to have some alone time with her. It would be there first 'date' outside of school. At least Masahashi-sensei would get his money.
Dragging the kayaks out, Rebecca watched as her crush and his cousin struggled along with the weight of the boats, finding it challenging with the large height difference. A much stronger person tapped Yuugi on the shoulder once, and when he looked he saw Marik's tan skin gleaming slightly in the setting sunlight right before he lifted his end right out of his hands, and walked away.
Yuugi smiled after him and Ryou felt something like jealousy tremble within him.
"You sure are lucky," he whispered to his friend and Ryou couldn't doubt the sweetness of that smile.
"Yah, he's a good guy," Ryou responded with a happy sigh. Even if Marik was a bit on the harsh side and true, pretty antisocial at times, he was a sweetheart in his own way. Marik had confessed after Yuugi left that he was 'sorry', though he didn't use those words, to have walked out after Yuugi caught them making out in the kitchen.
Ryou got the feeling he didn't have a lot of experience apologizing and he took the words to heart, embracing his partner tenderly in silent thanks for his words. Marik's expression had glowed with appreciation.
It was why he liked Ryou so much, despite their differences and the hardships it presented. He understood that Marik was a physical person, shy, and not good with words. A simple hug was all he wanted, not a heartfelt drawn out speech.
Now he thanked the short one for giving them some privacy in his own way, carrying the boat for him with his cousin.
"Thank you," Was all the 'teacher' said, locking eyes with Marik and giving a small stiff nod. Marik didn't mind, he knew that Mutou-san would be grateful when he had to be, but that didn't change the fact that he wasn't overly fond of Marik.
It made sense; he spent almost as much time if not more with his love interest. Marik could respect jealousy, lord knows he felt it often enough with Ryou wandering around shirtless like a lost kitten all day on the beach, bumping into other people and smiling sweetly at everyone.
Settling into their boats, Ryou and Marik pushed them off, and they slowly got used to the paddles so that they could travel in roughly straight lines instead of circles, laughing as they splashed each other accidentally and occasionally on purpose.
Rebecca instructed them to follow the curve of the land at that eventually they'd get to a lagoon area after about ten minutes, an easy distance for beginners and a really nice place to watch the sunset. Funny, when she said nice it sounded like she meant to say romantic.
Yami felt a sense of gratitude for all these people subtly helping them nurture their fragile relationship that hung in a slim balance. They paddled quietly along, sometimes side by side or accidentally drifting but after a couple stalls and almost-flips on Anzu's part when a large dragon fly landed on her boat they managed to make it to the beautiful lagoon area Rebecca had described.
It was just a small inlet where the land curved in with no cottages around, only a small strip of sandy beach surrounded by rocks and then sparse trees leading to thicker forest areas. Pulling up onto the beach was a bit of a mission especially with the reed swamped waters, but he managed first then helped her up.
He lifted her carefully out of her boat then carried her up onto the beach where he set her down like a doll on the sand and dragged both their boats up. She eyed him flirtatiously as he worked silently, muscles rolling across his arms, chest, and back like it was nothing.
His hair was wild as ever despite water, wind and gravity but he looked softer somehow. Maybe it was just the smile on his face as he made his way back towards her, lowering himself onto the sand.
They shared a simple, private kiss, and a few murmured words about how beautiful it was then lapsed back into silence as she nudged shyly closer to him and he put an arm around her still damp shoulders peacefully.
She ended up snuggled against his side, head on his bare chest with her hair waving in the breeze. He was surprised to see it was a little wavy when it was wet. He switched his gaze methodically every couple of minutes between the setting sun and the girl beside him.
He was humbled by the amount of beauty in both.
"I like this," She finally said quietly with a contented sigh as he lifted a hand to push back her hair, trailing his hand against her soft cheek almost longingly. Pulling his hand back at her words she glanced at him quickly, sitting up slightly to slide her arms around his neck and face him.
"No, I meant, I like this," She explained, holding his hand to her cheek again. "I like it when you touch me...it feels good," She said shyly, looking up at him from under her lashes.
"That's good because I like touching you," He replied in an equally soft voice that he never had around the others. His words were heavily inappropriate but he banished the thoughts. They weren't in school anymore, and right now he wasn't her teacher.
Who gave a damn about being appropriate?
Slowly he dropped his supporting arm to her waist, the other still caressing her face as he leaned her down on the sand, propping himself up so that he could lean over her. Eyelids dropping he pressed his mouth hers, the kiss soft and sweet as he shifted his lips against hers, feeling her part them against his lower lip enticingly.
He nearly moaned aloud at the sensation, wanting so badly to deepen the kiss. They were alone in this lagoon, no one else was around, no one but them would know...his tongue played against her upper lip, flirting with the idea heavily.
His hand still at her waist touched her damp shirt which had sand sticking to it from their little dip in the lake. Sliding it underneath the hem of the tight t-shirt he felt the bare skin of her side just below her ribs, and the way her bare legs touched where his weren't covered by the cloth of his bathing suit.
The feeling was indescribable and he couldn't help raising his hand a couple inches further. He could almost feel the fabric of her bikini top, just a centimetre above where his hand lay now at her side under the material of her shirt but when he held his body away a bit to shift it around her front she flinched, breaking the kiss.
"What's wrong?" He asked quickly, pulling his hand out from under her clothing and realizing with some shame that he had likely gone too far too fast. He resisted making out with her but he had his hand up her shirt? In what twisted reality did that make sense?
"No, no, it's not you," She insisted in a frustrated tone, laying her head back again against his hand.
"Tell me," He pleaded, crimson eyes glowing down at her softly.
"It's fine," She assured him, and he was tempted to believe her, tempted to kiss her perfect lips again anyways, and ignore the nagging doubts...but he couldn't. Rolling off of her he sat up in one smooth motion, releasing her body in favour of just her hand and she sighed, still lying on the sand looking miserable.
"Anzu, I can't make it better if I don't know what's wrong," He said more seriously and she slowly sat up, releasing his hand.
"It's not you," She repeated in a quiet murmur, running her hands through her hair stressfully.
"Then who?" He asked patiently, wanting more than anything to take her in his arms and make everything better, what every 'everything' was.
"It's just..." She hesitated, eyes flickering to him and then looking back out to the horizon where the sun was slipping down in the sky, dimming everything to a hushed lighting, making everything seem more serious.
"Do you remember the Death-T?" She asked and he jerked back slightly automatically at the mention of the time where he had not been himself, he had been 'the other Yuugi'. She didn't look at him or wait for confirmation though, eyes still trained on the spot where the tinted water met the golden orange sky.
"There was this moment when we were in the house of horrors where Kaiba's butler made us travel through this creepy tunnel and we weren't allowed to make any noise or we'd get electrocuted. We were strapped into the cart and it was dark and there were creepy things everywhere. I had Honda's perverted little cousin on my lap and he'd been touching me and making comments all day," She said, the words coming out slowly like the memory itself was as painful to her as it was to him.
"That kid saved our life but after he got off my lap that man made the machines come out and start doing things to make us talk or make a sound. I remember they had these rubber gloves on long metal chords, and whoever was in control made them...touch me," That last said with a shiver he would have had to be blind to miss.
A sinking sensation filled him as he vaguely remembered Yuugi's thoughts during the time. He had been focusing so hard on not screaming himself that he hadn't even noticed what Anzu was going through.
"Th-they groped my ch-chest just like that stupid little twerp h-had been doing all day," She said through gritted teeth, closing her eyes as she curled her fists against her head, shoulders hunched towards her knees protectively.
"People act like because I'm a dancer...because I have a nice body...that it doesn't matter if they s-stare, or if they touch me and I try...I try to act like it doesn't bother me, but it does!" Tears started slide down her cheeks as she rubbed them away but more came and she started to sob.
Unable to take seeing her break down that way anymore, he moved closer on the sand, touching her shoulder carefully so that she wouldn't get the wrong idea but she threw herself into his chest, arms strangling his neck as she pulled herself closer, still sobbing.
"I-I-It is s-so humiliating!" She cried, burying her face in his chest and he made soft soothing noises, rocking her gently as he lifted her into his lap like a child.
"When people touch me...I feel like garbage," She said quietly as her tears slowed and he felt horrified, lifting her chin to look at him, her eyes red and puffy from crying. He simply watched her for a moment, ignoring the way tears still slid from her eyes and she clenched her teeth as though in pain.
"Ra, you are so beautiful," He whispered fervently, running his hand through her hair as he held her closer, still staring into her fierce amber eyes. Up until the last moment she had stood strong, not letting any of her own fear show. She only broke down when he forced her to. So beautiful, inside and out.
"Ra?" She questioned in a shaking voice and he smiled.
"That is one of my Gods. Being the spirit of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh, the religion tends to stick," He said and her eyes widened.
"W-what? You're a...a...what?" She demanded, looking confused. He sighed; feeling fear of his own bunch up inside but one look at her teary confused face reminded him why he needed to explain. He was crazy about her.
He might even be in love with her.
He wanted her to know everything that happened to get him here, even if neither of them liked it.
Standing up he lifted her and set her gently on her feet. She staggered a little but quickly caught her balance. He took her hand in his and walked over to the lake, letting his feet sink in the sand and water.
It reminded him of another time and another place.
It reminded him of years of isolation away from that place.
It reminded him of waking up inside of an entirely different person, merely a possessive spirit in that persons mind.
It reminded him of all the things he had done and people he had met inside that person –or more specifically inside the millennium puzzle.
It reminded him of how he had separated those two things entirely...
A/N: Be prepared for a long flashback explaining Yami's past in the next chapter...hm, this is so much more depressing and serious than the previous chapters, but it had to be done since the information is relevant. Hope it's making sense, review with questions if you have any! (Or just review nice stuff, I like that to!)
No preview from the next chapter, anything I put in will be either too confusing or too much of a giveaway! Sorry but you'll just have to wait ;)