Jou: Uh, hi. Midnight is...well to be honest we can't find her, and because most of the characters are currently indisposed, it was decided that I would do the talking today. So, Midnight does not own Holding out for a hero by Ella Mae Bowen or Yugioh, we'd be screwed if she did, enjoy!
Chapter 17
"YUGIIIIIIIIIIII! I made you smiley face pancakes! Your favorite!" Sakura's loud sing-song voice said waking him up.
"Uh, what time is it?" Yugi asked rubbing his eyes, and why was his pillow and bed moving?
"7:30 am, the perfect time for getting up!" Sakura said all smiles and cheers.
"Seven-oh Kami! Guys! We gotta get up! We should have been up an hour ago! Why didn't my alarm clock-oh yeah, it's not here. That's why it didn't…" Yugi rushed around the room stuffing their things in his backpack as his mates watched in amusement.
"Yugi! Calm down, you need to go downstairs and eat!" Sakura complained as Yugi stopped having his panic attack.
"Save it Sakura, this is routine." Yami said smiling.
"Him rushing around like a maniac is routine?" Sakura asked in disbelief.
"Yeah, he's used to fighting with us in the morning to get ready. So this is routine." Atem said waving it off.
"Oh that reminds me!" Yugi shouted turning on his mates and pointing at them.
My sister is in no way a harlot! Call her one again and there will be some serious consequences!
He heard that?
It would appear so. Yami hopped off the bed, and threw an arm around Sakura's shoulders.
"So, Sakura! Show me the way to the pancakes." Yami said holding up a syringe.
"No! You're not ruining my creation with your drugs!" Sakura yelled running out of the room.
"I'm sorry I called your sister that, I was upset." Atem said wrapping his arms around Yugi.
"But I have to! If I don't he'll get sick!" Yami called out walking after her out the door.
"That's no excuse for your foul words." Yugi responded turning his head away.
"No he won't! He hasn't had that drug yet today! So therefore, it's not possibly possible for him to get sick! That's right I've read up on your druggy thing!" Sakura's voice carried back up to them.
"I know, I'm sorry, forgive me?" Atem asked trying to pout, again.
"Your face wasn't made for pouting, give it up." Yugi said rolling his eyes and pushing him away.
"Uh, about that hasn't had the drug yet today…" Yami's voice trailed back up to them.
"It was in the cream wasn't it?" Yugi asked.
"Yeah, pre-made and packaged." Atem said rubbing the back of his head. Yugi shook his head a small grin forming on his face as he made his way downstairs to do damage control.
"YOU WHAT!?" Sakura screamed at the top of her lungs as Yugi skidded into the kitchen.
"Hey! He doesn't have to run every little aspect of his life by you, and neither do we! If we want to plan a middle of the night date with our mate, by all means we will!" Yami shouted back getting as much in her face as she was in his.
"Okay." Yugi said grabbing Yami and pushing him out of the kitchen.
"Hey! She needs to hear this! Yugi!" Yami complained.
"Let me handle this, kay?" Yugi said patting his hand as Atem howled with laughter in the hallway.
"No, Yugi I need-mm!" Yami started to protest before Atem cut him off using his lips.
"Okay, Sakura, I think what we need is a slumber party." Yugi suggested tackling the bigger problem.
"Yugi, I'm 24, I'm a little old for slumber parties." Sakura sighed in exasperation.
"Nonsense! We're having one this Friday, and guess what? We're not giving my mates any option to object about it! Plus, I solemnly swear that I won't take my drug that day." Yugi said placing his hand over his heart.
"You what?" Atem asked from behind him.
"So, what do you say we get the gang together and do this thing?" Yugi asked ignoring them.
"That's all fine and dandy, but where are we going to be holding it?" Sakura asked crossing her arms.
"Oh, don't worry I've got the perfect place picked out." Yugi said grinning.
[Friday]
"I can't believe we agreed to this." Yami said shaking his head.
"No, there was no we in this. You agreed to it." Atem said sternly.
"Are you sure you weren't in the room with me? Us?" Yami asked looking at him.
"Quite positive. I went to get food for the human, when I came back you said we were helping to host a sleepover." Atem said smirking while crossing his arms.
"Well, you can't stand up to his P.D.E.O.D either! So there!" Yami said turning his head away.
"His what?" Atem asked.
"His puppy dog eyes of doom." Yami said.
"No, but I can last longer than you apparently." Atem said grinning back.
"Wanna time that?" Yami asked his eye narrowing.
"Alright that's enough fighting over my beautiful eyes." Yugi said walking between them.
"Technically, this is the human's fault." Yami said.
"Yeah, we should punish him." Atem said his eyes drilling into the back of his head.
"No, we shouldn't. We have guests, and my sister will be arriving any moment with Mira. They already walked in on us once; let's not go for two times yeah?" Yugi reprimanded spinning around.
"Why not? She needs to learn that we're not going anywhere." Atem said pressing him up against the doorframe leading out onto the terrace.
"Did you know, that for humans punishment means something that's not enjoyable?" Yugi asked.
"Really?" Yami asked as Yugi saw Jou, Malik, and Ryou heading over to either rescue him or watch.
"Yes, and since I've grown up human I think we should exercise that practice right now." Yugi said.
"So what you're saying is that we shouldn't throw you on the floor and have our way with you, making you scream in euphoria when you reach your climax?" Yami asked trailing his hand lightly down his throat.
"Y-yes." Yugi responded with a little difficulty. His friends snickered into their hands behind them.
"Okay, but you're sleeping by yourself tonight." Atem whispered in his ear.
"Which is something I won't enjoy, good punishment." Yugi said nodding his head as he noticed Sakura and Mira trying to stealthily make their way towards them. Well, Yugi planned to ruin that. Pushing Atem and Yami away he took a deep breath.
"ONEE-CHAN! OVER HERE!" Yugi yelled out to her waving both of his arms as the guys shined their flashlights in their direction. They looked like deer caught in the headlights of a car, literally.
"Yugi, was that really necessary?" Sakura asked drudging up to them.
"Absolutely, onee-chan." Yugi said hugging her.
"Only your brother." Mira muttered as she walked past them and into the ballroom.
"Okay, that's a long enough hug." Atem said separating them by pushing them apart.
"Who are you to dictate what is long enough?" Sakura asked dropping her stuff and placing her hands on her hips.
"I'm his mate!" Atem said.
"And I'm his sister! I call first dibs on him mister vampire!" Sakura said back. Yugi sighed and looked away from the start of the fight.
"I'm going to go check on the food, you guys want to come?" Yugi asked looking at his friends.
"Sure." Ryou said.
"Better than staying here." Malik said.
"It's food, why did you even ask?" Jou asked back.
"Come on." Yugi said laughing.
"TELL HER, YUGI!" Atem yelled as the door to the ballroom shut behind them.
"I wonder what he wants you to tell Sakura?" Ryou asked.
"I've not a clue as I didn't stick around for the conversation." Yugi said as he led them through the hallways towards the kitchens.
"Do you even know where you're going?" Malik asked.
"Yep!" Yugi answered as he pushed the doors to the kitchen open.
Yugi, where'd you go?
Kitchen.
Why?
For food of course, we're going to have to feed people eventually.
Well, you were supposed to back us up.
On what?
"Yugi!"
"Huh? What?" Yugi asked as he was pulled from the conversation going on in his head.
"Can we help you with something, Prince?" a cook asked him sounding slightly annoyed.
"Oh, yeah, when will the-where's Eliza?" he cut off his own question with another one.
"She went into labor this morning." They said.
"Oh, and how is the Mother and child?" Yugi asked grinning.
"We don't know, the Mother is still in labor." They responded.
"Oh, right, well will the food be ready by 7:00 pm just like planned?" Yugi asked getting back on topic.
Yugi, are you even listening to me?
Not really.
"…so that's why it'll be ready by 8:00 pm instead." The cook in front of him said.
"I'm sorry, why will the food be ready by 8:00 pm instead?" Yugi asked as he had been distracted during the explanation.
"Because an amateur chef burnt the turkey and we had to get a new one and it's still cooking." The chef responded through nearly gritted teeth and a forced smile.
"Okay, then I completely understand, and so will my guests even though they aren't yet aware of it." Yugi said brightly.
Yugi!
What?!
You're not listening.
No, because too many people are talking at one time. I'm finding it difficult to focus.
"HUMAN!"
"Huh?" Yugi asked jumping.
"Is there anything else you'll be needing?" the cook asked in pure annoyance.
"Yeah, puppy chow for Jou here." Yugi said pointing to him. Jou smacked him upside the head.
"Don't worry about it, I'm fine." Jou said glaring at him as he, Ryou, and Malik laughed at the joke.
Ugh, Yugi, you're still not listening. That's the third time we've explained and you haven't answered.
"Come on, we better get back before my vampires have a heart attack." Yugi said rolling his eyes.
"Do vampires even have hearts?" Ryou asked.
"Of course, if they didn't we'd be their slaves and they'd be ruling us. If you haven't noticed, they merged in with us, didn't try to control us." Yugi said.
"Try telling that to Potus." Ryou said raising his eyebrows.
"Yeah, well Americans are just stupid. I mean, they don't learn from their mistakes, they butt in where they're unwanted, they give their opinions whether they're wanted or not, not being the more likely, they're trying to create a world peace that will never exist. Plus, everyone knows they started the Vampires Hunter Organization, and the only reason they don't hunt Werewolves too is because they also hunt vampires. In my opinion they like starting unnecessary wars." Yugi said shaking his head.
"Well, that's America for you, the only Country that feels the need to get involved in the affairs of others." Malik said as they opened the door to the ballroom. They slid down the banister, landing gracefully on the floor. Yugi skipped over to his mates.
"So what am I supposed to back you up on again?" Yugi asked grinning with his hands clasped behind his back. He was attempting to look as cute as possible, he failed as Atem grabbed him in a head lock and started to give him a noogie.
"You were supposed to tell your sister that it didn't matter that you were siblings, you don't have to listen to her anymore. You're under our care, so you only have to listen to us." He said grinding his knuckles into his head as Yugi struggled to get out of the hold.
"Ack! Ateeeeem, let gooooo. Yamiiiiii, heeeelp." Yugi whined at the other vampire who was watching with a satisfied look.
"Oh no, you deserve this." Yami said looking away.
"Jou!" Yugi called out to the room in general.
"I'm coming buddy!" Jou said as he tackled Atem to the ground taking Yugi with them.
"Hey, get off my mate!"
"Let go of my boyfriend!"
During the small tussle, Yugi managed to slip out of Atem's hold, and crawl away to safety. He hid behind Sakura and Mira, who were standing on the opposite side of an empty table. From here he had a good view of the four way fight, which turned into five way when Seth joined the group. Yugi sighed, happy to see that Jou was holding his own against Atem and Yami both, at least until Seth and Kaiba pulled him away, so they could protect him from harm. He huffed and joined Yugi on the other side of the table.
"Did Mana say she was coming?" Jou asked looking around for the girl.
"No, she's not coming, but she said she'd meet us at the exotic food faire tomorrow." Rebecca said from behind them. Otogi had his arms wrapped around her.
"Oh, when did you guys get here?" Yugi asked.
"While you were off who knows where." Rebecca responded.
"Oh, hey Jou, it looks like Kaiba and Seth are working together." Yugi pointed out as they worked together to pin his vampires to the ground and then proceeded to sit on them.
"Yeah, but I doubt it will last long." Jou muttered shaking his head.
"So enjoy it while it does." Yugi whispered back to him as Atem and Yami shoved them off of them.
"Yugi, it's ready, and all set up." Penny whispered.
"Excellent." Yugi said back running back over to his mates.
"Dance with me Atem!" Yugi said pulling on his hand.
"Oh no, you'd enjoy that too much." Atem responded pulling his hand out of his grip. Yugi pouted and turned to Yami who merely turned his head away.
You're still be being punished remember?
"Fine, be that way." Yugi said walking past Otogi and grabbing his partner from him.
"Yugi!" Otogi exclaimed.
"I'm borrowing this vampire." Yugi simply stated as he placed a hand on her waist and the other in her hand. She placed her free hand on his shoulder, and Yugi nodded at Penny who turned on the music. Holding out for a hero by Ella Mae Brown started to play.
He began to lead her around the ballroom in a Foxtrot. Rebecca was a good partner as she followed his lead without fail and flawlessly performed the dance with him. As they passed by his mates and Sakura he heard the beginning of a conversation.
"I'd forgotten that he could dance like this." Sakura said quietly.
"Beg your pardon?" Atem asked.
"Our parents forced us to take dance lessons for the ballroom, they said you never know when you'll need to use these skills in real life. We were both quite talented dancing as ballroom dancers, but Yugi was always better. The teacher always said I had the grace of a professional dancer, but my brother had the makings of one. He had the passion for making any dance work. His usual dancing partner had just as much as he did too, Anzu Mazaki. That's how they met, and they became instant friends. People change as they grow up though, and Anzu changed to a point that they couldn't stand it anymore, and they kicked her out of their friend group. Anyway, he kept up with it after our parents died, up until 7th grade, then he quit. It wasn't cool anymore." Sakura explained.
"You can dance?" Yami asked her.
"Yes." She responded nodding.
"Prove it." Yami said.
"Sorry?" Sakura asked.
"Prove it." Yami repeated holding out his hand.
"Fine." Sakura said taking his hand and allowing herself to be lead out onto the dance floor.
"Maria!" Mira said in a reprimanding tone.
"It's just one dance, Therese. I'm certain I can survive it." Sakura said smiling back at her.
Yugi spun Rebecca out before spinning her back in and lifting her off her feet spinning her around as the part about Superman played. He placed her back on her feet, and whispered perfect in her hear making her giggle. He looked up over her shoulder to see Yami and Sakura dancing together. He felt his jaw drop slightly in surprise as he continued to dance with Rebecca. Though he was slightly distracted by what he was seeing, his feet knew the dance he was dancing by heart and they did not fail in the steps that they were stepping. Rebecca glanced over her shoulder, her eyebrows rising in surprise at what she was seeing.
"Amazing, she let down her guard." She whispered.
"Yeah, briefly it appears." Yugi whispered back.
"Mira doesn't look too happy." Rebecca said glancing over at her.
"She'll get over it." Yugi said following her eye sight before looking back at his partner.
"Yes, but how long will that take?" Rebecca asked looking back at him.
"Long enough for my sister to tell her to get over it, I imagine." Yugi said grinning as he swept past Atem again. Yugi saw Atem offer his hand to the girl, but she turned away from him, her nose stuck slightly in the air. Atem shrugged it off, as a red head appeared at his elbow. The song ended, and Yugi bowed to Rebecca while she curtsied back holding out a fake dress. He whipped around to welcome their new guest, whom he didn't even know was coming.
"Serenity!" Yugi shouted running over to the girl giving her a hug.
"Yugi, my brother told me about this, I hope you don't mind me crashing?" she asked biting her bottom lip.
"Not at all, crash away!" Yugi said overjoyed as Jou pushed him out of the way so he could hug his own sister.
"Akeifa! You came!" Ryou shouted in surprise.
"Yeah, Bakura threatened me…things, if I didn't come watch you." Akeifa said moodily.
"What kind of things?" Ryou asked grinning.
"None of your concern, little human." Akeifa said rubbing noses with him.
"Never pegged you for the lovey dovey type." Atem commented.
"Look who's talking." Akeifa said nodding at Yugi.
"Oh no, our relationship is based mostly on and around sex." Atem responded wrapping his arms around his shoulders. Yugi leaned back into him enjoying the touch, at least until Atem realized this and pushed him away.
"That is not something I wanted to know!" Sakura said clapping her hands over her ears.
Ra, this punishing thing is harder than I originally thought it was going to be.
Not my problem.
I can make it your problem…
Yeah? And just how will you manage that?
"Simply, actually." Atem said gently slamming him against a wall.
"Any touch delivered on me I'll enjoy." Yugi said in a breathy voice back.
"Whoever said I was going to touch you?" Atem asked back before he was pulled off of him. Yugi pouted as Sakura unsheathed her sword and pointed it Atem, her back to Yugi. Atem frowned, looking down at it.
"Look, I walked in on you guys molesting my brother once. I'd very much appreciate it if I didn't have to witness anymore stuff similar to what was engraved into my mind that night." Sakura said putting her weapon away.
"Oh come on Sakura, I wanted to see how long he could go before he actually did touch me." Yugi said.
"It's the places he's touching you that I'm concerned about. You're still a child Yugi, and they should be treating you like one." Sakura said turning around to pat his shoulder.
"Whatever." Yugi said shoving it off and walking to sit over by Malik and Marik, slouching in his seat.
"She's just looking out for your best interests, Yugi." Malik whispered in his ear.
"Don't remind me." Yugi said running a hand though his hair and bending over in his chair.
"Though I don't think hers are the same as yours." Malik continued grinning. Yugi elbowed him I the ribs with a barely concealed grin gracing his lips.
"Well, you did before!" Jou's voice carried over all the small conversations silencing them. Everyone turned to look at the two werewolves and vampire secluded in a dark corner of the ballroom.
"I do love you, Seto! But I like Seth too! Why can't you try to get along with him! That's all I'm asking for, that you try." Jou responded to whatever it was that had been said. Seto said something quietly back, and Seth added his own two cents to it.
"Fine! Then until you two can get along, I'm not sleeping with you, and you can drink from only him from now on!" Jou shouted before running out of the ballroom through the terrace doors. Yugi, Ryou, and Malik were hot on his heels. They told Serenity to stay put, that they'd take care of it. They found him not too far away, leaning against a tree, tears pouring down his face.
"Jou?" Ryou questioned cautiously. His honey colored eyes looked over at them, his eyes already red and puffy.
"I did the right thing, I know I did, but then why do I feel like crap?" Jou asked slinking to the ground.
"Because sometimes the hardest things to do are the ones that we know are the right ones to do." Yugi said crouching next to him.
"Like with Sakura?" Jou asked.
"Jou, wanna know a secret?" Yugi asked him.
"Sure." He said sniffing.
"I had so many chances to tell them, but it wasn't my fear that stopped me from saying anything. It was my own unwillingness to risk my happiness. I won't say I wasn't scared, because I was, but I was more unwilling to tell them the truth than I was scared of their reactions. I didn't tell them, because I didn't want to. And then Sakura came, and there was no hiding it anymore, it was there, out in the open, and I chose the worst possible moment to reveal it. Now every vampire in the world knows that I have a sister for a Vampire Hunter, instead of just my mates knowing it, every vampire does. I could have avoided it, if I had just been open with them and Sakura too, but I wasn't, and now I pay the price for it every day. Sakura hates them, and though they try to get along with her, I can see the strain and struggle it takes them to be nice to her when she's so rude in return to them. They so don't want to be nice to her, but they are for my sake more than anything else, they are." Yugi explained sitting down next to him.
"I don't understand." Jou said shaking his head.
"If Seto loves you as much as he says he does, he will try to get along with Seth, if only to keep you happy." Yugi summed up from his explanation.
"Yeah right." Jou said looking away.
"Jou, did you know that Marik loves me? He's told me so many times. I can tell that every time he drinks from me, kisses me, or holds me, he'd like nothing more than to throw me on his bed and take me. He doesn't though; he told me when we first got together that he wants me to make the first move. He told me when I'm ready to have sex with him, all I have to do is say so and he's mine for the taking. I thought, after I was attacked by some vampires the day before the Gala, that I was ready for that, but after talking to Yugi, I realized that I felt more obligated too. I talked about it with Marik, and he said he didn't want to have sex with me either if I felt it was my obligation to give him my virginity, just because he saved me. He told me that as his vampire, he considered it his job to protect me, my virginity included. Do you get where I'm going with this, Jou?" Malik explained before asking.
"Not really." Jou said shaking his head.
"People do impossible things when they're in love." Malik explained simply.
"Yeah right." Jou scoffed.
"They've had all this time to make the impossible work and they haven't yet. They're not going to start now just because I'm threatening them." Jou continued. Yugi and Malik looked at Ryou, and he nodded kneeling down in front of Jou.
"Jou, you know that Bakura's pregnant with Akeifa's young, right?" Ryou asked.
"Yeah." Jou nodded.
"Well, Bakura shouldn't even be allowing me near him right now. He tolerated my presence when he was first pregnant, but he wouldn't let me close to the nest that he was making in the back of their cave for when his young arrived. The nest is basically made up of animal furs that both Akeifa and Bakura caught together. One day, after the nest was built, I was alone with Bakura in the cave. Akeifa had gone out to get food. I was busy, not paying attention to my surroundings, because even though I shouldn't have even been able to enter the cave with a pregnant werewolf, like I said before, Bakura was tolerating my presence. Bakura snuck up on me from behind, grabbing the back of my school jacket with his mouth and dragged me into the back of the cave, and straight into his nest. Akeifa had already told me that if Bakura should ever approach me, I should remain still and limp. Any movements could possibly be seen as a threat and Bakura wouldn't hesitate to kill me, since I wasn't the one to knock him up. Bakura curled around me and fell asleep. I tried to get back out of the nest, but Bakura growled at me opening his eyes. I stopped moving and he fell back asleep. I tried again, and came up with the same results. When I tried the third time, Akeifa had come back. He grinned at the sight of us and told me to stay put, saying that Bakura was trying to re-accustom himself with my scent. It took two months of sleeping in that nest of Bakura's for him to get used to my scent enough to even transform back into his human form around me. It took another month after that for him to fall asleep around me in that same form. He's five months pregnant and it took him four of those months to trust me again." Ryou told his story.
"What's your point?" Jou asked shrugging.
"It takes time to trust, it doesn't happen overnight. It's going to take some time before Seth and Kaiba trust each other enough to stand being around each other, or even so you can leave them alone together in the same room. Can you trust that they won't attempt to rip each other into shreds if you leave them alone?" Ryou explained and asked.
"Pfft, no." Jou said.
"So, if you follow our simple helpful tips; that come with long back stories, you should be able to get through this." Yugi said.
"What were they again?" Jou asked.
"If Seto truly loves you he will do anything to keep you happy." Yugi said.
"People attempt to do the impossible for the ones they love." Malik reminded.
"And trust takes time." Ryou added.
"Any more tips?" Jou asked.
"We're always here to help." Ryou said as they all hugged him.
"Kami, I'm lucky to have friends like you." Jou said returning their group hug. A branch snapped behind them, making them jump apart. Yami stood there.
"Sorry, didn't mean to disturb you but dinner is served." Yami said.
"Ah, right, thanks Yami." Yugi said nervously. He nodded, turned and left.
"You don't think he heard any of that, do you?" Malik asked what they were all thinking.
"Oh Kami, I hope not." Ryou said shaking his head.
"Come on let's go, I'm hungry." Jou said leading them back.
"When aren't you hungry?" Yugi asked.
"When's he's sleeping I imagine." Malik muttered just loud enough for Jou to hear.
"Oh ha ha, very funny." Jou said as they laughed.
"Come on, let's stuff this wolf." Yugi said running ahead.
"Hey, I don't want to be stuffed, I just want be filled!" Jou exclaimed running after him.
They burst back into the ballroom laughing. They glanced around the room to see Seth on one side and Kaiba on the opposite. The food was set up in the middle like a buffet table. Malik joked that this was probably one buffet that Jou wouldn't be kicked out of. Jou retaliated by smacking him upside the head as the others laughed.
They separated into groups as they sat down to eat. Yugi sat by his mates who were unusually quiet. Yugi attempted to strike up conversation with them, but he may as well have been talking to a brick wall for all the responses he received. Jou sat by Akeifa, Ryou, and Penny who included him easily in their conversation. Malik and Marik sat by Seth. Well, Marik was already sitting by Seth, and Malik just went to sit by them. Serenity sat with Mira, Sakura, Otogi, Rebecca, and Kaiba. Though, she was talking mostly to Kaiba than she was any of the others. From the look on his face, he wasn't enjoying the conversation.
"Come on speak, what's going on?" Yugi asked his mates more directly.
"Don't worry about it, Yugi." Atem said brushing him off again.
"Well, I'm going to worry about it! You're not talking to me." Yugi said poking his knee with his fork.
"It doesn't concern you." Yami said. Yugi's eyes narrowed at the pair of them as he placed his fork down on his plate.
"You're doing it again." Yugi accused.
"Doing what?" Atem asked.
"'Protecting me' by not telling me things." Yugi said using air quotes on the words protecting me.
"And that's a problem because…?" Atem asked trailing off on the end.
"It's a problem because I don't like it." Yugi said crossing his arms.
"Well, that's hardly our problem." Yami said off handedly.
"Stop treating me like a child." Yugi ground out.
"You are a child." Atem said.
"You want to treat me like a child, fine, then I'll act like a child." Yugi said picking up his plate and moving away from them.
Well that can't be good.
Yugi come on, we didn't mean it like that.
Could have fooled me.
Yugi sat in a corner of the room away from everyone else and finished his food. When he was done he set his plate down in the bin for dirty dishes that had been provided for them. After that he walked straight past his mates and outside into the cool night air. He took a moment to observe the full moon, before following its light onto the left pathway leading off the terrace. It curved into the garden, and Yugi continued to follow the path until he was at the fountain. He sat down next to it, resting his head on the edge as he watched the moon's reflection in the rippling water.
It wasn't long before his mates' reflections joined that of the moon. He stared into their reflective eyes, unwilling to look into the real things. Yugi dipped his fingers into the cold water stirring it and distorting their images. He heard one of them shift slightly.
"You were right you know." Yami said suddenly breaking the silence with his low baritone voice.
"Sorry?" Yugi asked as he continued to play with the water.
"You had plenty of times to tell us about your sister." Yami explained further.
"We'd ask why you didn't, but you've already explained yourself pretty fully on that subject." Atem added. Yugi drew his fingers out of the water and placed them on the edge of the fountain. Pushing against it, he sprung to his feet and attempted to run, but a hand caught his wrist, pulling him back.
"You…heard?" Yugi asked in a choked whisper.
"Every word." Yami said. Yugi collapsed to his knees at those words, his one hand above his head as it was still being held by one of them.
"I bet you thought I used you." Yugi whispered back up to them as the one that was holding his wrist let go. It fell lifelessly to his lap.
"Yugi-" Atem started to say.
"To save my own neck. I was going to, but then things changed on that first date we had. After you told me about my lost memories something shifted in me. I started to get the impression that you cared more for me than you let on. And that I was starting to like you in return as more than just friends. As the weeks wore on, I found myself wanting to be with you, and wanting to be your mate. You made me feel happier than I had in years. I knew what I was feeling couldn't be considered love, it wasn't strong enough, but something was growing within me and still is. I understand if you don't want to be with me anymore, I just wanted to let you know that." Yugi continued before explaining further. He slowly got to his feet, and tried to walk away this time. An arm snaked around his waist before he could even take a full step and pulled him back.
"Do you ever wait for anyone to answer you?" Atem asked in his ear.
"I thought I made it clear before, Yugi. You can't get rid of us. It doesn't matter how many times you push us away, we will always come back stronger than before. You're our mate now, and we're not letting you go over something as stupid as you not telling us that your sister was a Vampire Hunter. Yes, it was a big shock. Yes, we did have our doubts about your faithfulness. Yes, we wished you had told us sooner. And yes, we did wonder why you hadn't. None of that matters anymore though; the only thing that matters is that we work through it together." Yami explained sounding slightly angry at first before his tone turned to exasperation.
"But I deceived you." Yugi said frowning.
"Yeah, and we've deceived you too. Oh look, we're both guilty, anything else?" Atem said brushing it off. Yugi went limp in Atem's arms.
"What weren't you telling me before?" Yugi asked.
"Vampire politics is nothing that you need to concern yourself over." Atem said.
"I can help." Yugi said slightly hopeful.
"No, not this time." Yami said.
"Okay, we've fought and things are pretty patched up now, so all we need is a kiss to make it all better." Atem said lifting Yugi's head up.
"Oh no, I'm still being punished remember?" Yugi asked squirming out of the hold. Unfortunately he misjudged just how close the fountain was and ended up tripping into it, sending a wave of water out to cascade over his mates.
"Well, this will be fun to explain." Yugi said laughing slightly as he looked up at his soaked mates as he sat in the fountain.
"Come on, we need to get you out of those clothes before you catch cold." Atem said pulling him from the water.
"Besides, it's almost your bed time." Yami said slinging an arm around his shoulders.
"I do not have a bedtime on the weekends." Yugi protested.
"Sure you don't." Atem said rolling his eyes.
[Time skip]
After a few party games, it was time for bed, as everyone was getting pretty tired. They probably would have been able to stay up longer if some of the vampires hadn't hidden all the sweets. It got a little noisy as Jou put his sleeping bag between Yugi's and Malik's. Serenity pushed Malik over further so she could lie next to her brother. As Yugi had been told he couldn't sleep next to his mates as his punishment, and since Marik hadn't done anything about it, not that he could, Malik told him he could go sleep by Yugi's mates, alone. Jou told Kaiba that he could sleep next to the vampire if he wanted extra warmth in his bag, because he wasn't getting any from him. Ryou feeling a little left out came over and laid down on Malik's other side, ditching Akeifa, who came over and forced himself into his sleeping bag. Sakura laid down on Yugi's other side and Mira beside her. Seth, Atem, Yami, and Marik lay together on the side of the ballroom by the terrace. Yugi and his group were in the middle. Otogi, Rebecca, Penny, and Kaiba were lying before the ballroom doors. So basically, if you wanted to get to the easy sleeping targets in the middle you had to go through a lot of supernatural's to get there. Not that anybody would be trying, but still it was better to be safe than sorry, right?
Jou: Hi again! Let's see, the only notes I could find for this chapter was that she thinks some of you have already seen the whole story, as she has written it so far, on her computer. Impossible I know, but that's Midnight for you.
Yugi: Wow, so many big words, I'm impressed.
Jou: Just because my character is usually portrayed as the idiot, doesn't mean I actually am one, Yugi. Are you done cowering in the corner?
Yugi: Well, like you said earlier, we can't find her, so there's no reason for me to be cowering, now is there?
Jou: Great! Wrap it up!
Yugi: Should have seen that coming. Midnight would like to thank everyone for reviewing Guest and User alike. She would also like to thank everyone who have/are favorited/following this story. Please review! Yugi, Jou, and the missing Midnight ;p