Warning: No hentai contents in this chappy due to the lack of Marik—sorry for any disappointment suffered!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

O-o-O-o-O

Yami woke up the next day on the floor of his living room. His joints were stiff and he ached all over. Glancing at his watch, his groggy mind registered the time, it was: 1:23 PM. With a sigh, he got up from the hard floor and he stretched his limbs; the sound of his joints popping gave some relief to the rigidness in his body. Peering down, he saw he was still wearing his jacket; it seemed he hadn't bothered to remove his outer garment when he crashed out. In a way, he was relieved; without it, he could easily have caught a chill and that would be disastrous for him.

As a voice actor, his voice was his livelihood; ailments like the common cold, a sore throat or anything that would affect his asset could mean no work. He wasn't popular enough for a recording to be put on hold whilst he took time off to recover. He was certain for actors like Kaiba-san and Marik-san such privileged treatment were normal, but sadly, not for him. He learnt his lesson when he was careless to fall ill. Not only was he sick for three days; he was replaced. Of course, the fact that it wasn't a big role enabled a substitution to be found in no time at all, but it taught him to be more cautious where his voice was concerned. It was why he was always wrapped up to the eyeballs whenever it was cold; his throat would never without his faithful red scarf wound several times over it.

Yami smiled fondly as he recalled how he attained the item. The scarf along with a severe scolding was a gift from Yuugi when he discovered he had been dropped from the job; he was made to promise he would always keep his neck warm and dry. Yami treasured the piece of clothing with all his heart.

Pacing over to the kitchen, Yami retrieved a glass from the tray and poured himself a glass of water. His throat felt parched. Consuming it with quick greedy gulps, he drained it in a matter of seconds. With his thirst quenched, he placed the glass in the sink and leant his butt against it, his mind trying to retrace the vague events between the audition and him passing out on the floor of his apartment.

In all honesty, yesterday's event felt surreal. The audition and acting alongside Kaiba-san, not once but twice, was dreamlike!

Did it really happen, he asked himself for the umpteenth time? Perhaps, it was just a dream, an experience his desires fabricated from his recent encounters with the two actors.

Yami shook his head to clear his thoughts from the residue of sleep, which still clung to him. No, he was sure it did happen…somehow, he remembered saying a lot of things to Kaiba-san—things that he shouldn't have said. Words began to form and with it, a voice, which spoke them. "I hate you…" and "Kaiba…sa…ma…" whispered gleefully in the deepest recess of his mind, prodding him with its brashness…

OH SHIT!

Yami blanched as the events came flooding back to him and he palmed his face with both hands. He winced from the pain that throbbed from his forehead and from the realisation of what he had done. He could no longer deny or pray that it hadn't happened.

It did and he was screwed!

His mind reluctantly recollected the chain of events that led to his revelation of horror. He remembered being glomped by Marik, beaten by Rebecca, saved by Kaiba, partnered with Kaiba, mocked by Kaiba, partnered with Kaiba again and then mocked by Kaiba again! That man was undoubtedly talented when it came to provoking him and he enjoyed it. Somehow, Kaiba-san always managed to draw out the worse side of him, which was not good for his health or for his career.

Yami wondered what would become of him after that little stunt he pulled at the end. He flushed furiously at the memory of his brazen display in front of so many people, how he shamelessly went and showed his appreciation to the big jerk by giving him a seductive, sexy "Thank you," homo-style! If Kaiba was petty enough to report him for inappropriate and unprofessional behaviour, he might as well kiss his career goodbye.

Yami grimaced at the depressing possibility. No doubt, such actions are very bad for his health because Mai-san would KILL HIM! He could already imagine her reproach, her "You're-gonna-be-stuck-with-yaoi-for-the-rest-of-your-life!" speech would no doubt be dredged up, reheated and served to him with a side order of, "You-are-hopeless-what-am-I-gonna-do-with-you?" rebuke. Yami shuddered at the thought of the lecture he was in for. Her blistering scolding and that murderous aura she emitted when she was angry was enough to make him cringe! Yami was no coward, by all means, but even he would cower from her fury. He prayed that it was not morning or the time of month when she received word of it. He didn't want to be bombarded with small wads of padding again as it hurt his pride and insulted his manliness!

In attempt to distract himself from Mai-san's possible wrath and his death wish, Yami tried to the focus his thoughts on what happened after he insulted Kaiba. He remembered leaving the studio and making his way back home. As usual the movement of the train on the journey home, lured his weary form into a snooze and before he knew it, he was fast asleep. By the time, Yami awoke he discovered had missed his stop by a fair distance and had to prolong his journey by going back the other way. He was certainly not impressed! When he finally arrived at his destination, it was almost time to go to work at the convenience store.

Exhausted, woozy and hungry, he was sorely tempted to call in sick had it not been his desire to see Anzu.

A small smile crept on his face as he remembered Anzu's reaction to his state. Of course, she scolded him for coming in when he was in no shape to be working, but she fretted and fussed over him nonetheless. It filled him with happiness that she cared enough for his welfare, but was disappointed that she wouldn't have minded not seeing him for a shift. Considering he went to work just so he could see her, the revelation about her not missing him dampened his spirits somewhat.

Nevertheless, it was nice to be looked after and pampered, and for that, Yami was grateful. Being the eldest child, Yami had to be the carer for Yuugi throughout his younger years and for their grandfather in his older ones. Having lost their parents at a very young age, it was jii-chan who took care of them until Yami was old enough to fend for himself. Leaving school at the earliest opportunity, he proceeded to work, job-hopping if required, but all he could do were menial jobs, which were lowly paid and seasonal. Much of his employment was determined by what he qualifications had, so leaving school with the bare minimum restricted his earning potential. It meant skilled jobs that paid well and regularly were out of his reach. He had forced himself into a vicious circle.

Ideally, he could have been a host, his eyes were unusual enough to be a selling point but his short stature was an immense disadvantage; it discounted him from being a host for women. On the contrary, he was scouted for work in male host clubs, they said his effeminate features and his petit form would successfully draw clients to him; Yami was smart enough to know what that meant. It never ceased to amaze him how he was so popular and well sought after with one gender and deemed unsuitable with the other. He supposed the saying that one man's junk was another man's treasure was very appropriate in his case.

Even with the offers and his desperation, Yami couldn't capitalise on his "selling points". His pride and prim outlook prevented him from seeking out a job at a host club for men, which led back to the irony of it all.

He still ended up making a living doing homosexual stuff!

With rueful smile, Yami gently pushed himself off the counter. A job was a job and he cannot afford to be fickle about what came his way. He wondered when he would hear from the yesterday's audition, it would be ideal to learn from them soon and be over Mai's fury than to have to the death threat looming over him indefinitely.

Taking a deep breath, Yami exhaled slowly, his resignation apparent in the long drawn sound it released. Taking off his jacket and hanging it on the peg by the front door, he proceeded to remove his outer garments; folding item neatly on to the small armchair he had in the corner. It was the only luxurious item in the room and it had been a gift from Mai-san for his last birthday.

His apartment wasn't very big. It was a 1K apartment, about the size of 13 tatami mats*. There was a large built-in closet to one side of the room where he kept his futon folded, along with his bedding, valuables and clothes. The room was sparsely decorated, a small low table in the centre and a few large scatter cushions around it with a small electric heater in one corner. There was a smaller futon on the other side of the room facing the television where he would crash out on when he was too tired to prepare his bed; it also served as an extra bed when Yuugi came over to visit. All in all, it was cosy and easy to maintain and heat, the fact that it was twenty minutes walk to the station and badly run-down at the beginning, meant it was dirt-cheap rent. With a lick of paint, a good scrub and the replacement of the flooring with new mats, it transformed the place into somewhere he appreciated as his "home". It was where he could just chill after a long difficult day, just like today.

Clothed in his briefs, Yami switched on the water heater before heading for the bathroom. He needed a shower and then a bite to eat, his stomach was severely complaining from the lack of food. When was the last time he eaten, he wondered? It might have been during his break at work or when he came home, he wasn't too sure and his stomach growled again.

With a small chuckle, he went for his shower.

O-o-O-o-O

Shortly, exiting the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his lower body, Yami heard the ringing of his cell. Making a dash for his jacket, he retrieved the phone from his pocket and answered it, blanching at the voice of the caller.

It was Mai-san.

"You got it! You got that part!" his manager gushed without waiting for him to speak.

Yami's heartbeat sped up considerably on hearing the news and his body suddenly felt hot and clammy.

"Er…'the part'?" he asked, dumbfounded. Surely, the news hadn't come in that fast?

"Yes, the part that you auditioned for last week for the CD drama! You got it!"

Disappointment assailed Yami and an "Oh…" was all he could muster at Mai's happy tidings.

"Oh…?" Mai repeated, picking up the gloom in her charge's timbre. "I would have thought you'd be happy to hear the news. It would have provided you with a few days' worth of work, at least!"

Yami smiled apologetically. "Yes, I am sorry, Mai-san, you are right and I am grateful for your hard work," he answered, shamefaced at his rudeness. He hadn't meant to sound unappreciative.

"It's fine, Yami," Mai replied. "I know you had a gruelling day yesterday… So, tell me, how did it go?"

Colour drained from Yami's face and he broke out into a cold sweat. How was he going to tell her? Taking a deep breath, he worded his answer as carefully as he could. "Well, I got to voice a different character than the one I was supposed to audition for," he said slowly, evading the meaning of her query.

"Really?" Mai replied, her interest suddenly piquing considerably. "Whom, did you play as?"

"Osiris," Yami offered quietly.

"Osiris… Osiris…" Mai mumbled thoughtfully.

Yami sweat-dropped.

"NO!" she exclaimed when realisation finally dawned on her. "You didn't! Don't tell me you did a trial on one of the leads?"

Yami flinched on hearing the last word. 'Y-yes, I did," he confirmed as he began anxiously picking at the loose threads on his worn towel.

"And how did you do then?"

"Well enough, I think," Yami admitted. "I got a round of applause from the audience…"

"That's excellent news, Yami. Well done, I am so proud of you." Mai praised heartily. "Then I shall look forward to hearing from them."

"Erm…there's something else as well…"

"Yes?"

Yami caught the wariness in her tone and it made him edgy. "I think I might have pissed off Kaiba-san," he said hurriedly.

"You think?"

"I teased him at the end," came the sheepish admission. "By going 'uke' on him

"…"

As the silence stretched on indefinitely, Yami's anxiety increased. The "thou-shall-be-stuck-with-yaoi!" speech never came; it would have been even appreciated as opposed to this prolonged hush. This scared him more.

"Mai-san?" he inquired timidly, at this point, he was willing to incite her wrath.

"Yami, you know if you were here right now, you'd be so dead, right?" the words were curt; the tone was lethal.

"Y-yes," stammered the victim.

"Good, I am glad we've established how mad I am with you," she gritted. "Because of this, you will take on whatever comes along, yaoi and shotacon, the lot! Since you've managed to ruin a perfectly good opportunity, there will be no whining and no protesting, is that understood?"

"Yes, Mai-san,"

"Good. Then ensure you turn up on time at your new assignment, I will send you the details shortly," Mai finished off.

"Thank you, Mai-san."

"Don't disappoint me and stay out of trouble!" she warned.

"Yes, Mai-san."

"And Yami?" the curious woman added.

"Yes, Mai-san?"

"How 'uke' did you go on Kaiba-san?"

Yami thought for a moment before replying, "Well, you know the BL CD drama: 'The Disobedient Cat.'"

"Oh, yes. The one where you made the co-star suffer a severe nosebleed during the recording ses—" Mai stopped. "Tell me, you didn't?"

"…"

"Oh Yami, what am I going to do with you? If you had to go 'uke' on a man like Kaiba-san, at least act submissive! I don't think he'd appreciate the blatant 'I-am-topping-you-from-the bottom' thing! Marik-san might, but I doubt Kaiba-san would."

"I kind of figured that…which was why I did it. He kept mocking me on how I should stick to BL work because that was what I did best—so I thought I'd give him a taste of my talents. I didn't mean any harm by it."

A snort was her answer followed by, "Sure you didn't!" the sarcasm colouring the statement. "Just stay out of trouble for your next job and keep that pride of yours under control, got that?"

"Yes, Mai-san," the scolded answered meekly.

She hung up after that and Yami heaved a sigh of relief. He was lucky he wasn't within her reach or he would not have got off so lightly.

Trembling at the thought of what could have happened, Yami shuddered and...sneezed!

Oh shit, he thought fearfully as he made a dash for his clothes.

O-o-O-o-O

"Thank you for your custom, please come again." Anzu chirped cheerfully. The sound of the sliding doors opening and then closing indicated the customer had gone.

Yami glanced at the clock. It was only 23.45PM. With a weary huff, he made his way to the magazine shelf and began straightening the magazines; placing them back on the shelf in a neat order. The comic section was usually the untidiest with children and teenagers sifting and handling them in a rough and careless manner. He didn't mind people reading them; he just wished they would put it back properly after they had finished.

The week had gone quite quickly, the voicing job he recently got had been completed without a hitch and once again, he was in-between jobs where his voice acting was concerned. For a change he didn't mind. After the fiasco of the last audition he was happy to take it easy for the time being, the fact that there was no news regarding the incident meant it was good news.

Pulling out a bundle of magazines, he began slotting them back into their rightful place, not paying much attention to the contents or illustrations displayed on the covers until the words: "Broken Bonds" caught his eye. Inspecting the cover, it was a picture of two bishounens*. Both were wearing military uniforms and posed back-to-back against one another. The taller one was striking. Dark with bright blue eyes, his lips curved slightly at the corners giving him an arch look whilst his attractive shorter companion, wore a pensive look; his fiery eyes belied the calmness of his expression. The drawings were breath-taking beautiful and Yami was mesmerised by them.

A loud squeal could be heard behind the counter and Yami looked up to see a frenetic Anzu rushing towards him.

"Broken Bonds!" she screeched ecstatically, the pitch of her voice was so high it hurt his ears. "I can't believe it's out already!"

Yami grimaced. Where had he heard that title before, he wondered? His brow drew together in a deep frown, his mind lost in thought…

"OH MY GOD!" Anzu exclaimed in the same rapid and squeaky way as she leant closer to the magazine. "I swear Obelisk is so SEXY!"

Yami's head shot up, revealing a startled gaze. She didn't say "Obelisk" right? It wasn't that Obelisk, right?

Searched as he might for a reason to dismiss the name and the connection with him, he was in for a rude awakening with Anzu's next words…

"I can't wait for the animation to get under way!' she gushed enthusiastically. "I am dying to see Obelisk on television! Finally, fans can see him move and hear him talk!"

Yami gaped wordlessly at his companion. At last it made sense, "Broken Bonds" was the name of the manga, the reason why it didn't register was because Mai-san had casually skimmed over the details and he was too tired to pay it much heed. Trust it to come back and haunt him again, he cursed bitterly. To add to his misery, the cover seemed to mock him too.

"Which one is Obelisk?" Yami asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

"The really good-looking one!" Anzu squealed, pointing at the taller male.

"And this one is—" Yami enquired, pointing at the other male.

"Osiris!"

Yami paled at the name. So this was Osiris. Now he could put a face to the character he had voiced not so long ago and he felt more depressed. For a brief moment he gave it life—it was wonderful as well as it was sad.

"Is this popular?" he asked, steering his thoughts away from the painful subject of the audition.

"Popular?" Anzu gasped in disbelief. "It's all the rage at the moment, the weekly publications are selling like mad! This must have come in late this afternoon for it to have a copy left. Keep that on the side for me. I'm going to buy it after work."

Not wanting to stop Anzu from imparting her wisdom about the manga, Yami nodded silently, hoping the fan girl would continue. Fortunately, for him, she did.

"It became so popular that Animaxx Studio is going to make it into an animated series. It's been the talk of the industry. Fans are speculating as to who will be voicing the leads. News on that has been very hush-hush." Anzu nodded her head knowingly. "You don't happen to have inside info about that, do you?" Her voice dropped to a whisper.

Yami shook is head frantically. That information was classified and he wasn't in a position to disclose it. He didn't want to get into deeper trouble than he already was.

A disappointed grunt was heard from his deflated companion and Yami returned it with an apologetic smile. "Tell me what the story is about," the latter requested.

Azure coloured eyes lit up with excitement, the opportunity to rave about her favourite subject perked her up immediately. "Okay," she replied promptly. "But first, lets get ourselves over there so it looks as though we are working!" With a cheeky wink, Anzu straightened up and grabbed Yami by the hand, pulling him along as she made her way behind the counter. Yami blushed furiously at the contact, his other hand still clutching the magazine.

When they were situated behind it, she let go of her captive and leant comfortably against the work-top.

"Well, the gist of the story goes like this," she began. "Long ago, it was prophesied in the Ancient Times that a girl, harbouring an incredible power will be born to the Royal Family. She is known as the 'Gift Bearer'. Once the girl reaches sixteen, the power will be ready for her to bestow on a person of her choosing. Nobody knows what that power is nor do they know what it does, it is rumoured to be so great that it attracts immense interest.

After Millennia have passed, a girl, Kisara was born to the current Royal Family exhibiting an extraordinary beauty and an amazing aura. It turns out she was the prophesied 'Gift Bearer' and it draws unwanted attention from other countries and people in forms of proposals and declarations of war. Her parents, being kind and considerate, do not push her into a forced marriage or the like. They want her to be able to choose her partner from her own free will. So they appoint three youths to watch over her, they are known as the 'Protectors'. Incidentally, they are also influential 'Overseers', members of the Council, which advises the King on political and military affairs.

Two of the Protectors, Obelisk and Ra, are her childhood friends—they all grew up together. They both wield incredible powers and are in love with Kisara. The third Protector is her younger brother, Osiris. Though two years younger than the other three, he is a prodigy in State affairs and commands great power. However, it is his genius mind he is renowned for. Where Obelisk and Ra are famed for their brute strength and power; Osiris is a brilliant tactician—a gifted strategist. Together, the three make a great team.

Anyway, as I was saying, Obelisk and Ra are in love with Kisara and they are possessive and protective towards her. This causes rivalry between the two, which intensifies when it is obvious Kisara likes Obelisk, who is popular, considerate and kind, more than Ra; who despite being superior in power and intelligence, is more domineering and assertive. As you can see, fierce competition and jealousy tears them apart, and Ra leaves the Protector trio and goes evil on them.

The story focuses a lot on his betrayal and how he tries to kill Obelisk and steal Kisara away, as well as centring on Obelisk and Kisara's relationship. It is a beautiful and powerful story hence its popularity. The girls adore the love aspect of the story and the boys love the fighting and battles. Osiris's mastermind brilliance adds colour to the plot, the fact he also bickers a lot with Obelisk and Ra, makes it funny.

So, there you have it, 'Broken Bonds' in a nutshell."

After completing her narration, Anzu clapped her hands together with glee, she was grinning from ear to ear.

Yami nodded his head in response. "Thanks for that, Anzu," he said gratefully, a slender finger tracing the outline of Obelisk on the magazine. "It sounds so intriguing…" he added wistfully.

He felt a pang of regret. He had a brief glimpse of Osiris and Obelisk, and it was beautiful. He loved how they interacted together, the intensity and the emotions; it was so vehement. The two being the only ones left in the trio would explain their closeness and the uninhibited way they expressed their views to one another suggested they were friends and teammates. They had a common goal, a common enemy and a strong bond with one another. It was so captivating and he blew it all!

Moved by sadness, he became quiet, his eyes never leaving the glossy cover.

Anzu peered anxiously at Yami. "Yami?" she ventured hesitantly. "Are you alright?"

Yami sighed and turned to face his concerned friend, a taut smile adorning his face. "Yeah, I am fine," he replied. "Erm… do you mind if I borrow this, Anzu? I promise I'll return it tomorrow."

Anzu chuckled, the bubbly sound dispersing the awkwardness. "Of course, you may borrow it! Mind you, you better take good care of it. I don't want Obelisk damaged in any way!" A mock glare and an extended pout ended the sentence and Yami laughed.

"Yeah, I promise not to disfigure your precious Obelisk!" he joked back.

As the night wore on, the two otaku* teased, ranted and gushed about anime and manga characters even go so far as to mimicking them. Needless to say, Yami did better impersonations and made Anzu laugh hysterically. By the time, the shift ended at seven in the morning, the friends' jaws and sides hurt from excessive laughing.

Yami smiled happily as he made his way home, the magazine safely stowed in his bag. It had been a very entertaining shift.

O-o-O-o-O

Half an hour later saw Yami back at his apartment, reclined in his armchair and staring intently at the magazine. He was enthralled by the images on the pages, they were so well drawn. The expressions on the character's faces were finely detailed and wonderfully depicted, it drew him further and further into the plot. Gazing at the image of Obelisk, Yami tried to imagine Kaiba voicing the lines displayed in the text boxes, what he wouldn't give to hear them again. He wondered eagerly how the finished product of the anime would be like; it could take months before it is aired, would he be able to wait until then?

The sound of his cell aroused him from his hankering. Carefully closing the magazine, he picked up the phone, looking at the display as he did so. "Mama-san" was calling.

"Good morning, Mai-san," he greeted politely.

"YAMI!" Mai-san screamed down the phone, causing the listener to wince painfully and retract the phone away from his ear. "You did it, Yami! You did it!"

"I did?" Yami offered unintelligently, uncertain as what he did that made her scream at him like that. Yami gulped, his eyes strayed to the picture of Obelisk smirking at him. Could it be about the trouble with Kaiba?

"I did what, precisely?" he asked nervously, praying it wasn't what he was thinking.

"Yami, you idiot!' Mai laughed excitedly. "You got the part! YOU GOT THE PART FOR OSIRIS!"

Stunned and speechless, Yami's gaze was drawn from the grinning figure to the somber one with the fervent gaze, the one whom he had lost all hope for. It looked back at him boldly.

Bring me to life; it challenged him, daring him with his vibrant stare.

A smile tugged on Yami's lips as he looked on earnestly.

I will, he promised. Wait and see...

~TBC~

O-o-O-o-O

A/N: I know all you readers saw that coming, but tell me you were happy for Yami nonetheless…tell me you jumped up, pumped your fist in the air and shouted "YES!" with elation! I shall look forward to your thoughts on this.

Oh, and for those who were wondering if it was Marik's cell that was prodding into Yami's butt in the previous chapter—let me ask you this: how many of you carry your cell in your front pocket? Lol…

Also, I plan to update "Misgivings" next weekend, so those interested, keep your eyes peeled.

Thanks for reading.

O-o-O-o-O

*1K Apartment – Open living space (approx. 20 square metres) with kitchen.

*Bishounen – Pretty boy/youth/male—or in other words, HOT GUY!

*Otaku – A fan with anime, manga, Internet or video games obsessions…sounds pretty much like me~!