A shadow paced around the living room. Back and forth, left then right. Often along the back of the couch, void hand running over the upholstery.

He was anxious. They were going to a waterpark in the morning.

He wasn't sure why that inspired anxiety within him. Was it because of Death-T?

Yami bristled. That could not be it. He was not frightened of Kaiba, and they had crushed Death-T with ease. He could handle anything the brothers threw at them. Not that they were antagonizing Yugi anymore.

His form wavered, if he could have sighed he probably would have.

He stopped next to the side table, hand still resting on the back of the couch. Shadow fingers drummed restlessly.

I need a distraction. Something that challenged him. Required the utmost focus.

Yami held up his right hand twisting it this way and that. Considering how flat and undefined his silhouette was. He hopped up to sit on the back of the couch, one leg crossed over the other, and focused on his hand, eyes narrowing as he tightened his concentration. He willed the shadows to recede, willed his form to take what he saw in his mind's eye.

Slowly, but not as excruciatingly slow as it used to be for him, the shadows pulled back along his fingers, dissolving away to expose transparent skin and finger nails.

He focused harder, revealing a palm, then a wrist followed by the cuff of one of Yugi's ridiculous patterned night shirts. Castlevania themed this time. At the very least it suited their daytime aesthetic.

He could see the carpeted floor through his own arm.

Yami pushed his concentration further, the third eye on his forehead snapping open to glow so intensely that it illuminated the room. Slowly the shadows kept receding, farther and farther. Soon his other hand, the one resting on the back of the couch, formed as well. Every inch he fought the shadows, dissolving them to reveal more of a human form.

Closer. So close.

Exhausting his own energy, he drew on the magic stored within the millennium puzzle. Feeding, gorging, expending that magic.

It wasn't as difficult or as costly as it used to be. But it still drained him dearly.

He couldn't even think of a use for this form. Yugi wasn't frightened of him anymore.

Still, this was something to do to pass the long hours of the night. And why shouldn't he exercise control over his abilities?

A bicep. A shoulder. Less shadows, more human. Further.

Flecks of little ashy shadows dissolved to reveal the transparent brown flesh of a neck and jaw…


The sun shone brightly when they arrived at Kaiba Land. A near perfect day, blue skies with only a dappling of fluffy clouds. However, the air was hot and humid, enough to make everyone sweat without the comfort of evaporating any of it. Clothing stuck uncomfortably to their skin, and hair already damp with sweat clung to their foreheads.

Yugi and his friends were eager to enjoy the attractions of the water park as they waited for Mokuba in the entry pavilion. Their anticipation for the relief of refreshing cool water was almost palpable. Around them the park buzzed with patrons, families, couples and groups passing through to go into the main park or into the water park.

Mokuba's presence was a blazing pyre amidst a sea of humans. A gaggle of sharply dressed body guards kept a not-so-discreet perimeter around him. Their shades obscured who among the crowd was being scrutinized, but there presence deterred most people anyway. Mokuba and his muscled entourage eased through the crowd—parting it like a biblical sea—and approached Yugi and friends.

The shadow at Yugi's feet watched with absent eyes.

Seto was not taking any chances with his little brother. Mokuba's work for the company was without a doubt very important right now. Either that or Seto had pissed off the wrong kinds of people again, and painted a target on his brother's back by proxy.

As Mokuba drew near, the body guards spread themselves so as not to get in the way of the conversation. The young assistant CEO beamed with an unadulterated enthusiasm that was robbed from most working class adults. Yugi returned the infectious smile, and so did his friend, Honda. Jonouchi, on the other hand, glanced about warily; a toothpick jutting from the corner of his mouth.

Mokuba's sandaled foot came down upon Yugi's shadow, and the darkness shifted. Completely incongruent with the position of the sun, his shadow settled itself between the humans where no feet trod upon it.

Much to Yugi's surprise Mokuba acknowledged this and gave the shadow an apologetic smile. "Hi, other face," he mouthed at the ground. He wasn't at all deterred when the shadow refused to acknowledge him back. Mokuba leaned in, closer to Yugi's level and held a hand near his mouth, "we're allowed to talk about it now right? Everyone here is in the know?" He gave the other friends an appraising look.

"Ehhh," Yugi glanced back at Jou and Honda. "They sort of suspect…?"

"Right," Mokuba gave him a wink and tapped the side of his mouth. He straightened back up and with a much louder voice greeted the other friends, welcoming them to KaibaLand.

"Yeahhh," Jonouchi gnawed on a toothpick he'd gotten from only gods knows where, "We've been 'ere before, Squirt." He cocked his head to the main media tower. An imposing building; having recently been renovated to sport a mighty Blue-Eyes White Dragon sculpture perched atop it. "You and yer Bro tried to give us the VIP special." Jou made a gesture with his fingers across his neck, and stuck out his tongue.

Mokuba looked mortified.

Yugi was Mortified.

Yami, awash in smug delight, resisted the urge to fist-bump Jou's shadow.

"Jou!" Yugi hissed and elbowed him in the ribs.

"Oof!" The assault sent the toothpick flying to the ground.

Honda, having Yugi's back, knocked Jonouchi over the head with the butt of his fist.

"Eyy! Assault! I didn't say noth'n that wasn't true!"

Jou studied Mokuba's expression. He shifted his gaze to Honda, whose eyes were glued to the ground. Honda rubbed his own arm in discomfort. Jou cast his look to Yugi next, who had a pained expression, eyes closed and nose scrunched.

He looked back at the red-faced young Kaiba.

Jou scrunched his mouth, making a face before he raked his fingers through his bleached hair and said, "whatever man. It's in the da past. Yuug loves ya, and honestly that's good enough for me."

The relief running off of Yugi was almost palpable. But it was quickly doused.

"I don't forgive you," Honda suddenly stated. "Yugi has, and you earned that. But you haven't earned nothing from us. Not me, and not Jonouchi. But, second chances man…" he paused picking his words carefully, "today is a new day and all that shit."

The other men stared at Honda with mixed emotions, some pain, some regret, but also respect.

Yami on the other hand, If endless void was the color of impressed, then color me…

"You don't get that closure," Honda expanded, "just because you made nice with Yugi. But we wouldn't be here if we weren't open to second impressions."

Mokuba cracked an nervous smile. "I-I…"

"You screw with us though," Honda fixed him with a piercing glare, "repeat any of that murder fun-house bullshit, and fancy body guards be damned, Jou and I will mess you up."

A beat of silence, Mokuba looked between Yugi's best friends, perhaps assessing the depths of their sincerity. He opened his mouth to respond but Jou cut in, "what he said, blah blah blah, betrayal and we fuck you up, but enuffa dis old wounds crap. It's abajillion degrees today and if I don't get in da water fast you'll be peeling me off da pavement."

"Right," Mokuba took in a breath through his nose, "You're right. Let's go cut the ribbon on the new water slide."

Yugi attempted to catch Mokuba's eye as he turned, but the Assistant CEO either missed it or ignored him.

Jou let out a restrained whoop and pushed past the others to follow Mokuba and the entourage of suits into the Waterpark section of Kaiba Land.

Honda glanced down at Yugi. When the shorter man met his gaze he gave a half smile as if to say, "sorry, not sorry." Then he too followed after the young up-and-coming assistant CEO and their blonde friend.

Yugi watched them for a second before looking down at his shadow. In the bustling daylight of the theme park it looked completely ordinary.

-Help?-

Yami sent a wave of reassurance to fill him. Yugi touched the puzzle at his chest, thumb stroking the eye pattern on it's front. He let out a breath he hadn't even realized he'd held this whole time and jogged to catch up with the others.


In the water park's locker room Yugi witnessed Jou snap a towel at Honda's ass. This resulted in a towel fight that spanned the entirety of the room. The men tried to go after Mokuba, but the younger man—looking right terrified—escaped to a changing room blocked by body guards.

Jonouchi made faces at the imposing men in black suits and shades; while Honda retreated to a locker to store their belongings for the day.

Yugi sank onto a bench in his own private changing room to peel off his shirt and pants.

A shadow figure coalesced on the bench next to him.

They sat in silence for several minutes, listening to their friends goof about. Yugi stripped out of his regular clothes, and pulled a pair of black swim trunks sporting a fun pattern of sharks from the duffel bag he'd brought. He tried not to be self conscious about his nudity with Yami sitting beside him. But the way he rushed to pull the shorts on probably didn't go unnoticed. He didn't dare meet the spirit's eyes, if they were even visible right now.

It's not like he hasn't seen me naked. The self chastising did little to quell the self consciousness; heat still burned his cheeks. How did Yami see him? Did he look like the awkward scrawny boy he felt like right now? How many times had he gone to a waterpark as a teen only for the ticket attendant to mistake him for a child and give him a discounted pass?

The little demon of self-doubt in his head whispered that it probably would have happened again if Seto hadn't given him special VIP passes. Nevermind that he was Twenty-five now, Nevermind that he wasn't really mistaken for a child anymore.

But he knew he was tiny. He knew he was shorter and scrawnier than even Mokuba, who was six years younger than him. His two best friends towered over him. Practically monuments of muscle in comparison.

He fought the embarrassment burning from his cheeks, down the back of his neck and over his shoulders. He'd never felt this self conscious around Yami, and he wasn't sure if it was due to his massive crush on the spirit, or the setting of a very public waterpark.

Soon the rowdy noises faded as the others exited the humid locker room to go wait outside. Not that the air quality was any better out there. But perhaps it didn't reek of man sweat and chlorine.

A swallow. He was alone with his spirit. Well… mostly alone. If anyone else was in the locker room they were being very quiet.

Yugi teetered a bit, still waffling with his nerves. They weren't going to have much time alone today. Did he really want to squander it like this?

Something reached out and touched his hand, a worried curiosity probing the edges of his thoughts. Yugi finally relented, and allowed himself to melt into the spirit beside him. His head rested on Yami's shoulder, which was neither warm nor cold, but felt good in the oppressive heat of the locker room.

"I wasn't expecting that scene with my friends," Yugi told the spirit. "I don't know how I'm supposed to feel. Is it bad that I'm proud of them? Because I am. But I'm also so embarrassed and feel awful for putting Mokuba in that position. They practically ambushed him and he's my friend too. It was pretty naive of me to assume they'd all get along just because I'm friends with the Kaibas now, huh?"

Yami didn't have to say anything. Not that he could. They both knew the question was rhetorical.

But he reached out a hand regardless and placed it over Yugi's on the bench, void fingers curling over the back of a sweaty palm.

"You… you don't like the Kaibas either… do you?"

Yugi felt Yami turn rigid beside him. A void hand reached out, palm parallel with the floor, it tilted from side to side making a noncommittal gesture in the air.

"I see…" Yugi looked down at their overlapped hands, and fought the temptation to pull away.

It was stupid to feel ashamed that only he seemed to like Mokuba and Seto. The irrational part of him was frustrated that no one else seemed to see the good in the Kaiba brothers, how much they'd changed. But he had to acknowledge that Honda had a point. What had Mokuba and Kaiba done to make amends with anyone else? But surely Yami saw their potential, he lived inside Yugi. He saw and experienced almost everything Yugi did. So why then?

He's his own person. Yugi tried to remind himself. He recalled the wrestling match that happened in his spare bedroom when Kaiba tried to put the puzzle on if the spirit didn't allow him to win. Given the circumstances, he supposed it made sense if Yami was only lukewarm to the Kaibas, and not as enthusiastic about them.

Yugi reached a free hand up and touched the Puzzle. It felt cool against his skin, a comforting relief in the humid atmosphere.

"I…I want to propose a venture today," he began, his voice taking on a nervous quality, "no! crap, I'm making this sound like a business thing. It's not like that, I just, we're sharing my body today. Alright?"

Yami leant forward and turned his head to look at Yugi. Or at least Yugi thought that's what he was doing, the golden eyes were not visible right now.

"You'll be in control today and I want to be conscious too. We'll practice being present in our body together."

Yami filled him with an impression of apprehension and danger.

"Nope, no danger. This'll be a day of fun in the sun. Water slides, lazy rivers, ice cream, snacks and street food. Things I know you never get to do, because I never seem to have blackouts when I'm having a good time."

The wave of emotions that washed over Yugi through their link was indecipherable.

"Do you want to?" he finished in a quieter voice.

There was intense hesitation. Uncertainty almost choking the link. Yami raised his right hand as if to cup the side of Yugi's face… Yugi almost melted into it.

"Yo! Yuug! What da heck is taking you so long?"

Yugi gave Yami one last meaningful look. He pulled his hand from under Yami's left and held up the puzzle between them.

Yami's hand dropped away from Yugi's face to rest on the golden artifact.

The next moment he was gone, shadows melting into the puzzle.

Yugi felt a dark presence fill his mind, slipping in beside him, snaking through his veins and down his limbs. It robbed him of the finer feeling. He lost command of their body. His consciousness becoming a mere spectator. He thought it must be like going under for surgery, except he was awake the entire procedure.

"Yugi! C'mon Man!" Jou called again, louder this time. "Did someone stuff ya in a locker again?! Do I need to kick some ass?!"

"I am fine, Jonouchi," Yugi's voice called in a lower slightly more baleful intonation. "I will be out soon."

Yugi felt their body stand and stretch. Yami's presence slipping deeper and more comfortably into their skin.

"Are you certain about this?" The spirit asked with their voice, the question no more than a low whisper.

-OF COURSE- Yugi projected the thought through their link.

He felt Yami wince and stagger.

-Sorry- He tried a little gentler.

"I continue to be in awe of your ability to form words through our link."

Yugi flushed at the praise, a mix of flattered and embarrassed, and wondered if Yami could feel that too.

"I hope I prove worthy of your trust today."

You already have, Yugi thought to himself and settled in to observe the world through Yami's experience.


-Waterslide-

Yami stood at the top of the newly unveiled attraction to Kaiba Land's waterpark. Both feet planted firmly on the wooden floor of the massive tower, looking down at a powerful rush of water. The torrential surge of water raced through the top of the slide, following it down and out the side of the tower, through loops and turns, into a vortex, through an underwater section through an aquarium full of sharks, before dumping the person into a separate exit pool back on ground level.

"I know what it is." Yami told Yugi, whose presence was thrumming with excitement and anticipation.

He glared at the rushing water at their feet, but he could not make them move. Their hands sat at his sides balled into fists.

"You okay?" the ride attendant asked them gently. He looked like he was about to touch their shoulder, but reconsidered, withdrawing his hand.

"Fine," Yami growled out.

"Move yer ass Yuug!" Jou barked from the front of the waiting line at the top of the stares. I wanna take a go, my feet are kill'n me from da climb!"

Yami felt a prickle of irritation from Yugi, although he wasn't certain if it was directed at himself or Jou.

Regardless he cringed from embarrassment.

Why can't I move?

He wasn't scared. That would be ridiculous. How many shadow games had they played that were so much more dangerous than this? How often had he run head first into that danger without a concern for life or limb?

Yami glanced down over the edge at the exit pool. Mokuba, who had gone first, was waiting at the edge of it with some of his body guards.

-Yami, what's wrong?-

"Nothing is wrong," he hissed back under their breath. Yugi's projection, loud as always, did nothing to quell the rising anxiety in their mind. "I told you, I am fine," he said the last part a little louder than intended over the rushing sound of the water.

Yami shut his eyes and tried to tamp down the blaze of irrational anxiety that deafened him. He willed his foot to move forward.

There was a commotion on the stairs, some belligerent yelling. He tried to ignore them.

Then someone pushed him.

Yami stumbled into the powerful stream of water in the slide. His feet were swept right out from under him by the current. His eyes flew open just in time to catch a glimpse of Jou's impish grin, and Honda's alarmed gape.

Yami clawed desperately at the slick plastic surface of the slide, painted nails gouging useless grooves. His mind screamed an incoherent white noise as he disappeared down the half tube and into a claustrophobic tunnel.

Memories flooded him then.

It was Yugi, only sixteen, still small and childlike. He hadn't hit his growth spurt yet. They were at a waterpark with Anzu. She was drowning. Screaming for help. Or atleast, that's what Yugi was led to believe.

He jumped into the deep end of the pool without a second thought, determined to save the girl of his dreams. Yugi hit the water and his head submerged below the surface. That water closed in around them. Why did he inhale? He was choking. Kicking and flailing to surface. But Yugi wasn't a good swimmer then. And why would he be? Bullies thrived at pools where they could drag smaller kids under the water and hold them there.

Yugi couldn't breathe.

Why did it hurt so much?

Vision blackening around the edges.

He can't breath.

The sting of water in his nose and throat.

It hurt.

He's scared.

We're scared.

I...am…scaredand powerless.

Yami couldn't manifest the shadows into a physical form back then.

Anzu came out fine from that incident. She'd never been drowning in the first place. But Yugi had swallowed too much water, choked on chlorine. Yami felt his fear, lived his fear. The spirit wasn't much more experienced in swimming than he. They'd both felt the darkness encroaching on their vision, the panic, the desperation. The absolute fear of drowning.

Yugi may have outgrown that experience. Even learned to appreciate water.

But that memory remained seared into Yami's subconscious.

In the present darkness and panic overtook them, consuming them.

A couple minutes later Yami was dumped into the the exit pool, thrown head over feet into the deeper water. His arms and legs lashed out desperately seeking the surface. He couldn't discern up from down as he tumbled in the deep. The chlorinated water ran up his noise and into his mouth, stinging his throat and burning his lungs.

He needed to breath. His lungs screamed for breath but he didn't dare inhale.

Yami kicked harder, until their muscles screamed.

A hand reached out and grabbed hold of his wrist. Then another hand, even bigger and stronger.

He was hauled out of the water and into the shallows, pulled against someone's chest while they yelled something indistinct at him.

Yami coughed and sputtered, pool water spilling from his nose.

He tried to open stinging eyes to look up at the others, but had to shut them against the bright sunlight that backlit the the figures above him.

-What happened? What freaked you out?-

He felt Yugi's presence again, warm and familiar, it curled around his mind like the warmest embrace.

Yami took a shuddering breath. The air never tasted so beautiful.

There was a piercing "Whoop" and a splash somewhere nearby, Yami immediately recognized the yell and a dark indignation flared within him.

"Where is Jou?" Yami rasped out.

-Yami…- Yugi's thought came as a warning.

"He has trespassed on my soul."

-no-

"Guys, I got Yugi," Mokuba suddenly said brightly. "You can step back. He seems just fine now."

Yami felt some of the figures around him move away, their bodies disturbing the water, sloshing as heard them leave the pool. The much ganglier arms supporting him dragged him to his feat. Without the sun glaring down on him full in the face he managed to open his eyes. Mokuba was supporting him, and span him around, away from the waterslide towards the steps leading out of the pool.

"Hey!" Jou called from behind them and Yami could hear splashing as he approached. "Is Yuug alright?! He tooka tumble!"

"A tumble?!" Yami barked hoarsely. He made to pull out of Mokuba's grip but the young Kaiba had a death grip on him.

"Yugi, just swallowed a bunch of pool water," Mokuba called back in a cheery voice. "I'm gonna get him something to wash the taste out. He'll be okay! We'll catch up with you and Honda in a minute."

"Ya sure? Maybe I should go with ya!"

Yami opened his mouth with the intent to say, "shadow game," but Yugi's presence ripped brief control and they said instead, "I'm fine, Jou! I need to talk about a work thing with Mokie anyway!"

Yami was too disoriented to wrest himself from Mokuba, although his fingers itched to deck their traitorous "best friend" across his stupid face. He allowed himself to be hauled out of the pool and onto solid ground. Upon touching the warm dry concrete the darkness in his mood eased. But he could still feel Yugi swimming around his thoughts, a mess of nervous worry. Concern for him or concern for Jou?

Mokuba didn't release the tight grip he had on Yami's wrist as he led them past a couple of body guards with soaked slacks. Had those been the figures in the pool with them?

Before his thoughts could catch up with him Mokuba dumped him into a lounge under some giant umbrellas right next to a juice stand of some sort.

Yami had barely enough time to sit up and get his bearings before an iced drink was shoved into his hand. It was lovely, a layered fruit-scented drink with colors akin to a sunrise.

"Drink. If you're out and about then you clearly need it."


Important: This is the last chapter of this fic I will be posting on FFn. Due to an individual on this website who has taken up stalking and harassing me. They know I cannot shut off the anon comment feature on FFn, so they leave thousand upon thousand words harassment comments for me here. They've been stalking and harassing me for three years because of some Anzu related grudge. They even stalked my tumblr and sent me anon hate asks. I had to turn off anon asks on tumblr to get them to leave me alone. So congrats. I won't post anymore fanfic here, because they made it incredibly unsafe here. The last comment they sent me was a five page comment with a slew of harassment, which I had my husband delete. I didn't even read their comments. I don't read their comments, I have friends and family delete them. I haven't even spoken to or engaged with this Anzu-fan sicko in three years, but they won't leave me alone. ignoring them and having the comments deleted doesn't stop their obsession and harassment from being terrifying. If you want to continue to read this story you can do so on Archive of Our Own. I'll be turning off anon comments of archive too though, so the sicko stalker can't get me there without revealing their name.

If you love this story, please go support me on Archive of our Own. You'll find the fic has art and illustrations in it on that platform. in a couple months, I'll delete this story from FFn, so the sicko stalker can't get at me anymore.