A/N:Over 200 reviews! I forever remain shocked at the response to this story, which I seriously debated about even posting in the first place. I'm so glad to hear that there are so many people who are enjoying my work. Just for that, I put something special in this chapter that a lot of people asked about... Yami's first introduction to puppy eyes a la Yuugi. I hope that it's satisfying because it was damned fun to write, let me tell you. Happy New Year, guys. Enjoy the last chapter of 2011!
Note: I've seen Shizuka with blue eyes, amber eyes, brown eyes, and grey eyes. I finally went with amber, like Jou, but if that's wrong, I'm sorry. Blame the many sites with conflicting information!
It would take a lot of convincing before Yami would agree to leave his hikari's side for even a moment. Fortunately, Jou was prepared for battle. Yuugi had been recovering well from the effects of the spell, but the news about his grandfather had clearly been a bit of a setback. He was prone to spending long periods of the day staring off into space with a worried look on his face, and a few times, he had given Yami the oddest of looks that always made the older boy's blood run cold. There was something not quite right with his little partner, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was, and Yuugi didn't seem to be willing to talk about it. All of that made him reluctant to leave Yuugi for even a minute unless someone completely trustworthy was sitting with him instead... which was why he'd turned the prospect of a meeting involving everyone except for his sleeping hikari down flat.
"Yami, come on. You know he's safe here," Jou said, completely exasperated. He kept his voice low, unwilling to wake Yuugi up, because then Yami really would refuse to leave the room. "I'm telling you, a letter has arrived that you really need to have a look at. You can leave him for five minutes. He won't even notice. I promise nothing will happen."
Yami scowled. "You know his fever spikes when I'm not around for extended periods of time, Jou, and I don't like leaving him alone."
"It won't be an extended period of time, and he won't be," the blonde said with a wink. He pushed the door open fully with a broad grin. "Ta-da!"
A petite, slender girl with a waterfall of auburn hair smiled at Yami. Her amber eyes sparkled happily as she bowed politely. "Good morning, Yami-san. It's nice to see you again. Nii-chan told me that your hikari is sick. I would be happy to sit with him while you and Nii-chan talk."
"Shizuka-chan!" Yami looked at her in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"Okaa-san had to travel for her work," Shizuka explained, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I begged her to let me stay with Nii-chan and Seto-onii-san and finally, she agreed. I'll be here for a month."
That explained the excited glitter in Jou's eyes. There was nothing he enjoyed more than a visit from his baby sister, and even though he was no longer living with his father and had no communication with the man, their mother still didn't allow Shizuka to visit very often. Yami suspected that it was because the woman was (rightfully) afraid that someday Shizuka would decide not to go back to her. She adored Seto and had a close relationship with Mokuba, and even Yami had come to treat her as something of a little sister. Her presence in the mansion was always a welcome relief, if only because Jou and Seto became marginally easier to be around whenever she was there. He couldn't say no to her offer, and Jou knew it.
"You really wouldn't mind sitting with him?" he asked, unable to keep the worried hint out of his voice.
Shizuka's expression softened and she stepped forward, pulling him into a firm hug. Yami didn't bother to resist, though he fought the temptation to lay his head on her shoulder. "I don't mind a tall," she said softly into his ear. "We've been waiting for you to find your hikari for so long. I would do anything to help you protect him, Yami-san."
Touched, Yami pulled back and found a smile. "Then I'll leave you to him."
He stepped past the younger girl and twisted, watching as she walked over to the bed and sat down in the chair that he had recently vacated. She swung her long, auburn hair over one slender shoulder and placed her hands in her lap, watching over Yuugi's slumbering body with a peaceful expression. Jou reached out and took Yami's arm, forcefully putting the shorter boy out the door before Yami could protest. The two of them went down the stairs and into the kitchen, where Seto, Bakura, Ryou, Malik, and Mariku were sitting around the table. There was a piece of white paper in the middle, and everyone was staring at it with some level of distrust. Yami held back a sigh, wondering what in Ra's name had gone wrong this time.
"How's Yuugi?" Malik asked immediately. Ryou's head shot up and he looked intently at Yami, waiting for the response with baited breath.
"He's doing well," Yami replied, sitting down beside Bakura. He accepted the plate of food shoved in front of him reluctantly, knowing that Jou would refuse to let him go back upstairs until he had polished it off. The blond could be a real mother hen sometimes, though he would deny that until he was blue in the face. "The spell is gone and he's almost back to normal, though he still has a low fever. You two can visit him later if you'd like."
Ryou nodded. "Please."
"Here." Without waiting for Yami to ask, Seto picked up the letter by the corner, wearing a faintly disgusted expression. His fingers burned with shadow magic, meaning that he didn't have to actually touch the paper; the magic provided a thin barrier that kept anything that might have been dangerous on the letter from getting onto his skin. Smoothly, he flipped it across the table, where it landed in such a position that Yami was able to read it without touching it.
'Pharaoh, I have information regarding Pegasus. Meet me at the marina at sundown. Bring all of your friends. I won't tell you anything unless all of you are here.'
The boy frowned, suspicion lighting his crimson eyes. He knew better than to touch the paper, but he was tempted to rip it into shreds. "We don't know who it's from?"
"I found it outside when Malik and I got home last night," said Mariku. "It must have had a spell on it, because as soon as it was on the table, I forgot about it, and no one else noticed it until Seto came downstairs." He sounded offended. "The rest of us couldn't even tell it existed until he opened it."
Yami considered this silently as he ate, barely tasting the food. That had to be powerful magic if it could affect two yamis, meaning that this could easily be a trap. Perhaps it had been sent by one of those duel monsters, or even Pegasus himself. And yet... if there was a chance that they could get informationabout Pegasus that would give them even the slightest bit of leverage, was it worth the risk? He could instantly see why the others had been having trouble making a decision, and not for the first time, he felt the burden of being the reincarnation of a Pharaoh. Everyone looked to him to solve their problems, and sometimes that was easier said than done.
"What do you think?" he said at last, speaking to the table at large.
No one said anything for a long moment. Seto was frowning deeply, his blue eyes icier than Yami had seen them in a long time. No doubt he was peeved by everything that Pegasus had done, and frustrated that there was nothing he could do to put a stop to it. Jou poked listlessly at the food he'd gotten for himself, and that in itself was a concern: Yami couldn't remember the last time Jou hadn't been interested in food. Bakura just scowled, a dangerous glint in his eyes: he was annoyed. So was Mariku. Their patience, never particularly high to begin with, was fast reaching the point of no return. Ryou and Malik exchanged measured glances, but neither one of them spoke, seemingly waiting for someone else to. And finally, someone did.
"I think we should go." Bakura's voice was cold, falling like cold raindrops through the silence of the table. "If there is a chance that we can get more information, then it's worth a shot. If not..." He smirked, and his brownish red eyes glittered, clearly relishing the idea of a fight. "Then we'll have the opportunity to get rid of at least one or two pests."
Ryou shivered a little. "But isn't it dangerous?" he asked, sounding terribly young. "What if it's a trap?"
"It probably is," said Mariku, casting another disdainful glance at the letter. His hands twined together, and Yami realized that he was playing with a knife. "But we'll never get anywhere if we don't take a risk or two."
"You do realize that the letter said for Yami to bring all of his friends?" Seto inquired, rubbing his head as though it was paining him. "That includes your hikaris."
Both of them froze. Yami watched with interest as Mariku scowled, his lower lip pushing out into what would have been called a pout on anyone else, and threw a possessive arm around Malik's shoulders. Surprisingly, Malik didn't push him away, though he did slap Mariku's hand when the yami tried to get a bit grabby. Bakura had gone still and cold, his eyes like two blazing infernos. Ryou leaned closer to him, seemingly without thinking about it, and Bakura actually allowed it. He caught Yami watching and shot him a dark look that didn't faze the other boy in the slightest. Clearly, some things had changed while he'd been preoccupied with Yuugi.
"We'll be alright," Jou piped up, finally shoving the plate of food away. He didn't protest when Yami did the same. "Bakura and Mariku and Yami will be there – that's all that matters. You guys can protect your hikaris."
"What makes you think that you or the hikaris will be coming? We haven't decided that yet," Seto snapped before anyone else had the chance to respond. He'd straightened up and was frowning intently at his lover. "It will be too dangerous, Jou. You four will be better off here in the mansion."
"It's not something you get to decide at all. The letter specifically said all of us," Jou retorted, amber eyes determined. "Look, if that's what it takes for us to have a way to take down that snake in the grass, then I think I speak for all of us when I say that it's worth the chance. Pegasus has been holding the cards for way too long, and it's time we had the advantage." His hands clenched into loose fists. He'd never quite forgotten what Pegasus had done to Shizuka and Mokuba by having the two of them kidnapped. It bothered him still, not having been able to take any sort of revenge. Sometimes he still dreamed about the terrified look in Shizuka's eyes when she'd finally been rescued. The experience had changed her in subtle ways, and although she still retained her polite and quiet exterior, she wasn't the naive, innocent, fun-loving girl she'd been before. "You can't make me stay here, Seto. None of you can. Don't even try."
Seto scowled, and it was clear from the look on his face that he would like to do just that, but Jou had a point. The letter had been quite specific in stating that all of them had to come. Yami didn't like the thought of putting his hikari in danger, either. What'd he said was true: Yuugi was recuperating well, but he was still weak, not even up to visiting his grandfather in the hospital. It didn't seem right to drag his little one out of bed for something like this. But if it meant having even the slightest chance to take Pegasus down... He sighed, and Jou sat back with a smug, satisfied smile on his face, knowing that Yami had given in. And when Yami gave in, that generally meant Seto wouldn't be long in doing the same. Sure enough, the brunette rolled his eyes and nodded in agreement.
"But there will be rules," he said sternly, his voice booking no arguments.
Jou waved a lazy hand. "Yeah, yeah," he said as one of Seto's maids entered the kitchen.
"Kaiba-sama, Tenno-sama has a visitor," the young woman said with a polite bow. "She says that she is one of his friends from school. A Mazaki Anzu-san?"
Yami fought the urge to groan as Bakura smirked at him, clearly taking a little too much pleasure out of his dismay. "Did she say what she wanted?" he asked wearily.
"No, Tenno-sama. Just that she wants to see you."
It would have been easy to send Anzu away without seeing her, and he might have done just that had he not caught both Ryou and Malik eyeing him curiously. Their presence reminded him of how sweet his own little hikari had been when dealing with Anzu's bento, and just like that, he found he couldn't risk sending Anzu away just in case it got Yuugi upset. By Ra, he was becoming whipped already! The realization was almost enough to make him knock his head against the table until he passed out, because at least then he wouldn't have to be the one to deal with her. Reluctantly, he pushed himself up, nearly stumbling from sheer weariness, and turned to face the maid.
"I will see her," he mumbled.
She nodded and led him out of the room. Yami straightened his shoulders and followed her down to the front hall. He paused a split second before entering to adjust his mask, making sure that nothing showed except the cocky, confident senior. Anzu had never been privy to the real him and he had no intention of showing her something so private anytime soon. Truly, he wished that she would forget about him, or at least let go of the idea that he would ever be interested in her. Even if it weren't for the fact that he had a hikari, he still didn't think that he would have liked her in that way. The two of them didn't click, and having experienced what heaven was like when he held Yuugi in his arms for even a brief period of time made him that much more certain that Anzu was not the one his heart cried out for.
"Yami-san!" Anzu straightened, her blue eyes lighting up at the sight of him. He blinked, surprised to see her out of her school uniform. She was clad in a simple green skirt that was paired with a white blouse. It made her look good, but wasn't overly revealing or tight, and in spite of him, his opinion of her went up a few notches. They might have become good friends if she could forget her crush.
"Anzu-san," he greeted, stopping a short distance away from her.
A soft blush rose in her cheeks, and she looked suddenly uncomfortable. "I... You haven't been in school for the past few days. None of you have. One of the teachers asked me to bring you your homework," she said shyly, reaching down for a large bag that was sitting at her feet. Yami took it from her silently, appreciating the gesture even though he knew that he likely wouldn't touch the work inside. Bakura would just scoff and ignore his until Yami tossed it away, and Mariku would likely set his work on fire, but it was nice of her all the same. That just made him feel worse.
"We've had an unexpected family matter to deal with," he told her, realizing that she had been waiting for an explanation.
"Oh? I didn't realize you, Takahashi, and Yamada were related," Anzu remarked.
"We're not," Yami said quickly. Thank Ra for that. It was difficult enough to put up with the two of them without being related to them. Sometimes it was bad enough that Seto was his cousin! "Just... you know. Moral support."
"I see." Her cheeks darkened, and it wasn't hard to tell that she was thinking that she wanted to be his source of support. Yami instinctively held the bag up between them, glad that it was there to act as a barrier. "Well, I'll go then. I'm glad that you're alright and not sick or anything like that."
"It was kind of you to stop by," he said hesitantly. "I... appreciate it. Thank you."
Her eyes lit up and she smiled. Yami stared at her in surprise, realizing for the first time that Anzu was actually a fairly attractive girl. She had pale skin that set off her chestnut hair and vivid blue eyes, and when she smiled, she was nothing short of beautiful. It was truly unfortunate that all of her beauty was wasted on him, and he was only reminded of that fact when both of them heard a low groan. Two heads snapped around and watched in surprise as Shizuka stepped into the room with an arm around Yuugi's shoulders, bracing the boy's weight. Shizuka was frowning, her face creased in concentration as she helped him to take another step.
"Yuugi-kun!" Anzu exclaimed, looking startled. "I didn't realize..." She glanced back at Yami, curiosity blooming in her face, and he fought back a groan. "You look ill."
"Anzu-chan?" Yuugi looked up dazedly, his violet eyes unfocused. "Yami..." His voice trailed off as he sagged against Shizuka. Yami snapped out of his shock and practically leapt to his hikari's side, taking the younger boy into his arms. Shizuka took the bag, allowing him to fully support Yuugi. The younger boy was dressed in a shirt that must have belonged to Seto, for it was way too long on him, and a pair of loose pants. In spite of that little clothing, his aibou was sweating and his skin was hot.
"Damn," he swore softly, realizing that he'd been separated from Yuugi longer than he'd intended. The boy's fever had risen again. Yuugi didn't have a high resistance to magic, and his body's depleted resources were depending on Yami's strength to keep him going as he recovered from the effort it had taken to expel the magic. Unfortunately, their bond wasn't developed enough yet to support him without the addition of physical touch. "Anzu-san, I'm going to have to go. Thank you again for bringing our work over."
"You're welcome," said Anzu, clearly puzzled. Shizuka set the bag down on the counter and walked over, intending to show Anzu to the door. As soon as he was certain that the two girls were distracted, Yami hefted his hikari's light weight and carried the boy back upstairs. He was relieved to note that one of the maids had already changed the sheets on his bed, and he was able to place Yuugi down on fresh, cool sheets. The younger boy moaned faintly and grabbed for Yami's shirt, clutching him close. Yami smiled, pleased, and sat down on the bed, allowing Yuugi to curl into his body.
"Yami?" Violet eyes fluttered, and Yami started.
"Yes, Aibou?" he replied, looking down at the younger boy with some surprise. He'd thought that Yuugi had fallen asleep, as the brief journey downstairs appeared to have sapped most of his strength, but apparently his hikari was still conscious after all.
"What's wrong?" Yuugi asked, sounding sleepy. He twisted just enough so that he could peer up at Yami through half-lidded eyes. "I can feel it... Something's not right. You're troubled. What happened?"
Yami softened as he cupped his partner's cheek, running his fingers over the smooth, pale skin. It was a puzzling sensation, to have someone be concerned about him just because they cared, and not because they wanted something from him. He couldn't remember the last time anyone had looked at him with such genuine, unguarded worry. Somehow, even though he and Yuugi hadn't known each other for very long, this boy had become terribly precious to him. How had he ever lived without his light at his side? How could he have ever doubted that life would be better with his hikari? The thought of losing him now was unthinkable, and he was tempted to lie, but he knew that however much he wanted to protect Yuugi, he couldn't do that. They were partners, and his little one deserved nothing but the truth.
"We received a letter from someone who wants us to meet with him. He says that he has information about Pegasus. It may be a trap," he answered finally.
Yuugi frowned slightly. "Do you know who it was from?"
"No. We're supposed to meet him tonight, and he wants all of us to come."
Understanding filled Yuugi's face and he sighed, dropping his head back down onto Yami's chest. Silently, the older boy began stroking his hair, gently running his fingers through it. Their bond hadn't remained as open as it had been in their soul rooms – it would take time and intimacy for that to happen on a permanent basis – but it was much stronger than it had been before. Even now, he could feel a faint, vague imprint of Yuugi's emotions if he really focused, and several times, stronger emotions – such as the fear he'd felt when he'd heard about Sugoroku – had slipped through and washed over him. Right now... Yami closed his eyes and concentrated on that warm, light spot in his soul. Yuugi was feeling content. He smiled slightly, pleased that the two of them were finally able to relax around each other.
"I want to go."
Damn. Yami tried not to scowl. He'd known that was coming. Yuugi was never one to turn away from a puzzle, and he seemed to be regarding the situation with Pegasus as a game they needed to win at. "It might be dangerous," he warned lamely. Even though he'd already given in to Jou, and he knew how important it was that Yuugi come along, every part of him still cried out against putting his hikari in danger.
One slender shoulder rose and fell in a shrug, and then Yuugi yawned, muffling it with his hand. "Maybe if we take down Pegasus, the spell will be removed from Jii-chan, and he'll get better," he said hesitantly.
"You don't know that for certain. It's possible that the spell has already done too much damage," Yami pointed out as gently as possible. He didn't want Yuugi to risk his life on the off chance that he might be able to save his grandfather. Ryou had already been lured into that trap.
"Yami, I have to go. We all do. You know that." Yuugi turned, and suddenly, Yami found himself staring into two enormous violet eyes that shimmered with the light. He stared, captivated, only just vaguely realizing that Yuugi was still talking. "Besides, you said that it's not safe for me to be away from you yet, so that means if you go, I need to go. It won't be dangerous if you're there to protect me, right?" Those eyes blinked, just once, and Yami couldn't imagine doing anything but agreeing to what the owner of those eyes wanted.
Still, it took him a minute to catch up with the fact that Yuugi was waiting for a response. "No," he managed.
"So I can go?"
"... Yes...?"
"Great!" With a giggle, Yuugi looked away, and Yami regained the ability to think. He blinked for a moment, replaying the last few seconds in his mind.
"Hey! You little! How did you...?"
Yuugi just laughed, looking extremely pleased with himself. "What? You thought that I've gone my whole life without knowing how to get my way?" he asked, deeply amused.
Yami scowled, knowing that he'd just been taken in. "I'll be more aware next time," he promised.
The hikari just smirked and lay back down, resting his head on the bed. He slipped off into sleep quickly, wanting to rest and conserve his energy for the meeting that would happen that night. Yami sighed and rubbed his forehead, realizing that he'd allowed himself to get conned into thinking that Yuugi was as innocent and sweet as his physical appearance would have indicated. Jou had used what he called the "puppy eyes" on Seto more than once. It had always been hilarious to watch, and he thanked Ra that Seto had not been around to watch him succumb to the same thing. Obviously, he would have to be more careful in the future. Briefly, he wondered if Ryou and Malik could do the same thing with their eyes, and contemplated warning Bakura and Mariku. Almost immediately, he decided not to. The thought of watching Bakura trying to say no to the puppy eyes was too priceless to resist.
GMA
As the door to the Kaiba mansion closed behind her, Mazaki Anzu took a deep breath and let it out in a slow, miserable sigh. "What's wrong with me?" she asked herself quietly, slinging her purse over one slender shoulder. Shaking her head, she started the short walk down the driveway, wondering why she turned into such a tongue-tied fool around Tenno Yami. From the instant that she'd met the guy, it was like her ability to speak or do anything relatively coherent disappeared, leaving her looking like a silly schoolgirl. To say that was not the impression she wanted to give to Yami was a vast understatement.
Anzu was not an idiot; she knew that Yami wasn't really interested in her in that way. He'd made that more clear. Even though she'd never gotten courage to ask him out on a date, he was uncomfortable and disinterested enough in her presence to tell her that much. But that didn't mean she was willing to give up without a fight. She just wanted to be close to him, even if it was merely as a friend. The problem was that he made her so nervous that all she could do was blush and stammer. Yami was cool, confident, and self-assured, and she figured that he respected those qualities in other people. Kaiba Seto, Takahashi Bakura, and Yamada Mariku were all like that, even if they were also crazy, and they were Yami's best friends.
"Mou, I don't know what to do anymore," she muttered, tucking a few strands of chestnut hair behind one ear. No guy had ever made her feel like this way before. Actually, Anzu had always been admired by her friends for never taking any crap and for being able to stand up to even the hottest of guys. Until Tenno Yami walked onto the scene. Her friendships were actually improving now that people saw she was actually human, but her reputation had plummeted.
The young girl sighed and nodded a thank you to the guard that opened the gate door for her. She stepped through and turned in the direction of her home, her thoughts turning to Yuugi. Now there was someone that she never would have expected to be with Yami. Anzu and Yuugi had been close friends in elementary school, but as friends sometimes do, they had ended up drifting apart, and she hadn't thought about him in years. Seeing him again, especially in the company of Yami, had been a shock. Yuugi was a total sweetheart, and she well remembered that the boy had a core of stubborn steel behind that cute appearance, but she hadn't expected him to be someone that would want to hang around Yami... or vice versa. How had he done it?
"Maybe I'm too late..." she whispered with a bitter smile, recalling the way that Yami had practically leapt to the younger boy's side. It hadn't been her imagination that Yuugi had reached out to Yami, either. She tilted her head to the side and sighed. "Maybe there's a reason that Yami's not interested in me!"
"Excuse me."
"Eh?" Jumping, Anzu spun around in surprise, saved from falling only by her natural grace. She stared at the man who had approached without her notice, silently taking in the white robes, white turban, and the pupil-less, flat blue eyes. A peculiar feeling shivered up her spine and she stiffened. "Ah... Yes?"
"You know Tenno Atemu, am I correct?" he asked.
"I... I go to the school with him," Anzu said, taking an unconscious step backwards. It was weird to hear someone referring to Yami as "Atemu". He'd made it clear from day one that he didn't like the name, and not even the teachers used it. She narrowed her eyes slightly. "Why?"
"I need you to come with me." A tanned hand rose, bearing with it a slender Key made of gold. Anzu jerked back seconds before it would have touched her skin and turned, intending to run. The man behind her surged forward, brushing the key against her thigh, and she froze, numbness creeping up her legs and blackness darkening her vision. Her last thought was of Yami.
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