AN: We're near the end guys! I have another one-shot lined up after I finished this before I start another longer fic. I haven't decided between a murder mystery or fantasy epic - feel free to let me know what you'd liked to see!
A week later, Yami stood at the train station, waiting for a certain arrival. After his students' recital, the time seemed to drag. He had given his students a week off (for all the students who were returning), but that had been a foolish idea. He had too much free time without teaching to eat up his time. He became sharply aware of how much time he spent with Tea and how hollow and empty his life felt without her there. She was due back (finally) on this late May evening, and Yami couldn't wait.
Tea had called him before leaving, mentioning that she wanted to talk to him when she got back to Domino. Though her tone indicated that it was nothing bad, Yami felt a slight trepidation. He realized he had his own thoughts to discuss with Tea – most of them career related.
Perhaps this was rash, but he felt that they should leave Domino as soon as possible. Preferably in the next month.
The fact that Yami thought this was a good idea clearly showed his skewed logic. Technically, they shouldn't move until Tea heard back regarding a job. But Yami knew that the best way to throw themselves into the art scene was to be there physically. They could send all of their applications from afar, but if they really wanted to make this move a reality, they would have to commit.
Yami was partially counting on Tea reprimanding such an idea and refusing such a stupid and rash decision. He was also counting on Tea to feel the same way and commit to his stupid idea. So he had no idea what to expect.
Yami glanced back at the clock above the station wall. It was just past 6:30, which meant Tea's train should have arrived and she should be coming through the station soon. He figured once she arrived, they would load her stuff back in Yami's car and go grab something to eat. Perhaps it would be best to discuss their thoughts over dinner. This hardly seemed like something one could discuss while loading up a car.
Yami's thoughts were cut short as he saw a crowd of people flooding through the gates. He glanced up at the panels, noticing that Tea's train was listed among the arrivals. He scoured the sea of travellers, looking for the familiar face of the one he cared about most.
He spotted Tea, the world seemingly ceasing to exist around her. Her sky blue eyes gazed around the rundown station. Yami felt his heart swell at the sight of her, stepping forward to meet his girlfriend. He raised a hand to catch her attention. Tea spotted him, her confusion disappearing as a bright smile took its place.
Her radiant beauty still stunned Yami. He couldn't keep his feet from rushing forward, running to meet Tea. She met him halfway, racing to meet him in the train station, emotions bursting through her elated expression. They crashed together, Yami holding her close as he wrapped his arms around her waist. The few inches she had on him didn't seem to matter – he just needed to be close to her again.
Tea let out a shaky breath, trembling slightly with relief. Yami understood this release. He hadn't realized how hard it would be separated from Tea. He hadn't realized how excited and thrilled he was to be with her again. It felt as if an emotional weight had been lifted off of them.
Yami gathered himself, smiling at his own sentimentality. He didn't pull away, opting to run his fingers along Tea's back. "How was your trip?"
Tea hummed lightly, leaning into his touch. "Good. I have a lot to fill you in on."
Yami chuckled. "Yeah. Me too. Want to grab a bite and talk?"
"Hell yeah. The only good thing Domino has is its burgers."
Yami chuckled, stepping back as he took Tea's bag. The two left the Amtrak station, setting off for Burger Palace. Yami had often frequented the place with his cousin, who had a certain affinity for the traditional American cuisine.
To Yami's surprise, Tea didn't talk about her trip immediately, insisting on hearing how Yami was doing. He had expected her to ramble on about her auditions, but he obliged and filled her in. If he had to guess, she wanted to save that discussion for when they had food. And based on the contemplative look he caught on her face, Yami suspected that she too had her own big news to discuss with him.
After they got their order and sat down to eat, Yami unwrapped his burger, turning back to a more serious topic. "How did your auditions go?"
Tea nodded as she finished chewing her bite. "I think pretty well. It's hard to say, but I feel like I hit all the marks I needed to." She paused as took a sip, her brows furrowed. "If anything, I think the one thing they were worried about was my age."
Yami blinked, somewhat confused by this. "Wait, why would this be an issue?"
Tea shrugged, pealing back the wrapper on her burger. "Well, dancers don't exactly have the longest career. We're only as good as our bodies will last. So I have to make the most of this opportunity while I still can."
Yami stopped chewing, forcing himself to swallow hard at the remark. He hadn't thought about it too much, but what Tea said made sense. He hadn't even thought about the limitations her own body placed on her future. Sure, musicians faced the same risk with arthritis and other ailments as the body grew older, but that would likely be many more years.
The idea that Tea's professional career could be over before she reached thirty was a stunning and terrifying thought.
Yami watched Tea, who continued to eat without any sign of distress. Perhaps he was overreacting. Tea had known this when she decided to become a dancer, just as Yami was aware that there might come a day where he could no longer play music. Worrying about those times wouldn't do them any good. They had to make the most of their situation at hand and make their future.
Still the same plan as always.
Yami leaned back in his seat, taking his milkshake with him as he took a sip. "So you said there something else you wanted to discuss with me?"
Tea nodded, her eyes shifting down to the table for a moment. Yami raised an eyebrow, watching as Tea fiddled with her bracelet for a moment, a nervous habit he had come to know. After a moment, she let go of the trinket and sat up, a determined look on her face. She took a deep breath as she almost glared at Yami.
"Okay. So hear me out. I know I haven't heard back on the job front and we need to wait to hear back before we can do anything. But I think we should leave Domino."
Yami froze, staring at Tea for a few long seconds. He felt confused as he tried to process his own thought process suddenly being verbalized by Tea. He… hadn't expected this suggestion from Tea, but at the same time, he wasn't surprised.
His apparent lack of response compelled Tea to keep talking. "I know this might seem preemptive, but I think it'll be easier to keep auditioning and get you started on the job front if we make the move. We can only do so much from afar. We don't have to move immediately, but I think we should start making plans. I mean- if you're comfortable that is. We can stay, or-"
Yami chuckled, reaching across the table to take Tea's hand. Her rambling tangent came to a halt, an embarrassed blush consuming her cheeks. Somehow, that made her look even more adorable. Looks like we're both hopelessly awkward together. It must be true love.
Yami smiled warmly, allowing his own relief to be shown. "Well, I don't know how you read my mind, but I'm glad we're on the same page."
Tea's surprised look faded as she started laugh, a large grin taking its place. Her laughter was contagious as Yami started to chuckle. They would have to figure out many details and many plans would need to be made. But Yami was glad that they somehow came to the same conclusion.
Their conversation dissipated into the usual fare, Tea filling Yami in on her week away across the northeast. Yet Yami felt a strange peace. Despite the chaos in their life, he knew that they were finally in the homestretch. Soon, they would leave Domino behind and find their new home.
With a goal in mind, Yami and Tea didn't have a lot of time to get ready. Time was of the essence. They gave themselves a deadline of mid-July to make the move, find a place to live and have jobs.
Needless to say, it was rather stress-inducing and a lot to do in such a short period of time. But they were artists – they were accustomed to such pressures.
Tea was over at Yami's place, the two waiting for a potential piano moving company to drop by. It had been awhile since they had to move into a new location, and Yami had forgotten how taxing the entire process was the last time he did this. The most headache-inducing part of the move was finding a piano moving company for his own baby grand. For such a fine instrument, making sure it was delivered safely to their new home was of the upmost importance.
Of course, they also had to find their new home as well. Just minor details.
Yami was boxing up things in the living room, the room nearly vacant as he made dents in the process over time. Tea came out from the kitchen, holding her laptop. Yami didn't pay much attention as he put away a few of his video games until Tea leaned in next to him. "Hey Yami, would this be a job you'd be interested?"
Before Yami could look, he felt a wry smile grow on his face. "I thought you were looking up apartments?"
"I am. But cookies happened and here I am now."
Yami chuckled, leaning over Tea's shoulder to take a quick look. It was a full-time accompanist position at a university. Perhaps not something he would want to do long-term, but it would be a nice paying gig and a foot in the door. "Maybe. Can you send me the link?"
Tea nodded, slowly starting to walk away as she continued to type, balancing her laptop on one arm. Yami returned to storing away his game collection. He knew Yugi would mourn the loss of his gaming partner now that Yami was leaving Domino. It looked like Yami would have to dust off his old Duel Monsters online account – he and Yugi used to play that all the time back when he was in school.
Yami smiled to himself, thinking of the ways he would keep in touch with friends in Domino. It was only as they were getting ready to leave that Yami started to notice all of the things he would miss about the city. He hadn't thought that would happen, yet he felt a strange bittersweet feeling about leaving this dreary city. Perhaps it wasn't the city itself, but the people he would miss most.
Still, Yami wouldn't consider changing course now. He felt certain about this course, and the fact that Tea was equally determined strengthened his resolve. There was no question in either of their minds that this was what they wanted. And what's stranger is that this decision to move forward together a joined unit was never a question. In the end, it was what felt right for them.
Yami was distracted by his thoughts as he heard Tea's phone ring. He watched as she put down her laptop on the couch, pulling the phone out of the front pocket on her skirt. "Hello?"
Yami started to tune out, not wanting to eavesdrop. He heard Tea stepping away from the living room into the kitchen. It could be a coincidence, but there was a chance that this was one of the touring companies she had auditioned for. Though Yami was dying to know, he knew better than to follow Tea around until he got an answer.
Unlike a certain cousin of mine.
Yami didn't mind the nosey attitude of his cousin too much. If anything, Tea herself enjoyed prying into matters as well, but always did so discreetly. Perhaps it was her discretion and tact that was most appreciated. Yugi is obvious in how nosey he is. Tea has a certain poise and discretion about her when it comes to life's twists and turns.
This thought was quickly interrupt by a loud squeal. The noise jolted Yami to his sense, startling him as he stood up abruptly. Any generous thoughts he had about Tea being composed were quickly scratched as he raced to the kitchen. He half expected to find a dead rodent or something in his kitchen based on the loud noise emitting from the room.
Instead, he found him caught in an ambush, Tea nearly tackling him to the ground.
"Christ! Tea! What's going on?" Yami blurted out, struggling to keep upright as Tea held him tight.
She pulled away, her face beaming. "I got the job!"
Yami felt his heart pause, the blood rushing through his ears. He felt a smile crack on his face, matching the radiant smile on Tea's face. "You- the job… You got it?"
Tea nodded her head vigorously, her face struggling to keep her composure. She finally broke again, an excited squeal escaping. Yami started to laugh, a large grin on his face as he reached his arms out to hug Tea. She came rushing forward, the two laughing and smiling. Yami couldn't help the stupid grin on his face. He felt happy – too happy.
Tea did it. She landed the position. She was incredible.
Yami pulled away enough so that he could kiss Tea. The kiss was forceful, shocking Tea before she met his advances. He wanted to express how much joy and pride he felt in her. He wanted to verbalize how incredible she was and tell her how much she deserved everything that she had worked for. He wanted to show how much he loved her, now and always.
But he couldn't think of the words to say it. So his lips found hers, breaking away to pull her in for another hug. Yami could only hope that he could continue to show her that she was worth everything and more to him every day.
Tea pulled away, raising her hands to brush her bangs aside. She rested her hands on her cheeks, flushed with excitement. She was still smiling brilliantly, like the dawn breaking through a cloudy morning. "I can't believe it. I actually did it! Oh my god! Okay – what do we do now? Should we focus on an apartment? Shit, I need to get back to that-"
Yami started laughing again, amused by her frazzled attempts at making plans. "We can plan later – let's go celebrate! I'll call Joey and the gang and we'll go out."
Tea blushed, an embarrassed look on her face. "Wait, really? I mean, shouldn't we be focusing on what happens next? And technically, I still have to do a drug test and not fail that."
Yami rolled his eyes, taking Tea's hands in his. He didn't look down at their hands, keeping his eyes focused on Tea's. He wouldn't be bashful anymore. No more hiding his thoughts and feelings to serve his pride. He would be honest and open and tell Tea what she needed to hear.
"We'll have time to figure things out, but we have today to celebrate the good news. You've worked so hard for this and you've earned it – why not allow one night to celebrate all you've done? You've put forth so much effort and hard work and you're finally seeing the fruits of your work. Be proud because I'm certainly proud of you."
Tea's glowing expression trembled, tears catching in the corner of her eyes. The sight caused a moment of panic in Yami before he realized they weren't tears of sadness but of happiness. He caught them before they fell, brushing them away as Tea gathered herself. As he did so, Tea leaned forward for a brief kiss, her lips dragging gently against his. Yami felt his breath catch, trembling at the soft wisp that pulled at his heart.
"I suppose you're right… for once." Tea sighed, a soft murmur in her voice.
Yami grinned back, leaning his forehead against hers. "And for what it's worth, I think you'll pass your drug test. Just don't eat any poppy seed bagels before going in and you're gold."
Tea laughed at that, her head snapping back. She pulled Yami in for another hug, resting her cheek against his forehead. Yami scowled, trying to shake away his golden bangs out of his eyes but failing to do so. Tea finally decided to be merciful, stepping back to brush them aside for him, smiling at the pout he gave her.
"So, shall I give the boys a ring? I believe you mentioned going out tonight to get drunk and celebrate."
Yami chuckled. "I said celebrate, not liquor up."
"Celebrate, liquor up – same difference."
Yami rolled his eyes, grabbing his phone as he started to dial Joey's number. He had a feeling tonight would truly test the limits of his liver and mental acuity.
