Chapter 1: Acquaintances (3,661 Words)

Yuugi yawned and stretched his arms above his head as he walked home from the library. He had stayed later than he usually did because Joey needed help with a project that was due tomorrow. He's hopeless, Yuugi thought tiredly with another yawn.

A few cars passed, and the streetlight were beginning to flicker on. The pale yellow light did little to illuminate the sidewalk, and the alleyways he passed were covered in haunting shadows. A shot of fear went through him as he thought of what could be lurking in those alleys, but he quickly pushed the thought to the back of his mind. Yet, he couldn't help but walk a little faster. Next time I'll take up Joey's offer to drive me home, he thought as he fought the urge to run.

He felt as if something was wrong. A foreboding feeling crept into his consciousness, and it sent a shiver down his spine. He stopped in front of a familiar alley. Staring into the darkness, the streetlights on the other side sent little light into the alleyway. Yuugi took a quick glance at his phone and grimaced.

It was nearly ten-o'clock, and he was supposed to be home at eight! Grandpa is going to kill me! He looked down the street he was currently on. It would be a few more blocks before he could turn onto the street he lived on. He returned to looking down the alley. It would be faster to go this way.

Yuugi threw caution to the wind and ignored the tightening in his stomach as he stepped into the alley. His bookbag bounced on his back as he jogged. He didn't want to be in this dark place any longer than he had to, and he fought the urge to flat-out sprint to the other side. The hair on the back of his neck suddenly stood, and he stopped dead in his tracks at the feeling. It was the same feeling he would get when he was about to be jumped by the bullies at school.

He gulped before yelling out into the darkness, "Who's there?" A few silently tense seconds dragged by before something flashed in Yuugi's peripheral vision. "I know you're there, so show yourself!" His voice shook as he spoke, and he cursed himself for showing such weakness.

Something, or rather someone, chuckled cruelly from the dark depths. "Look at this, Gilfred. Our little snack is scared of the dark," said a voice. It was gravelly and deep. The words were dragged out as if whoever had spoken had a lisp.

"Yes, yes, dear Griffin," a second voice entered. It sounded the same except that this voice dragged out the S's and F's. It reminded Yuugi of a snake. "Poor little child won't feel fear for much longer."

Yuugi gulped at that and realized that staring into the darkness was not going to help him see where, much less who, they were. I knew this was a bad idea! Yuugi thought frantically as he took a step backward. I have to get out of here! With that thought backed by his fear-induced adrenaline-pumping state, he bolted towards the exit he had originally been jogging towards.

The twinkling stars were temporarily blocked as a shadow jumped over his short stature. He heard that shadow land in front of him. He skidded to a halt and wheeled around to sprint back the way he had come only to run into something hard. He quickly figured that it wasn't a wall for it was covered in some sort of fabric. He then knew what, or rather who, he had run into. A pair of gleaming blood red eyes shone down at him. He attempted to push the figure away.

"Stay away from me!" Yuugi cried in vain only to have the two red-eyed figures move closer. He suddenly remembered the pepper spray his Grandpa always had him carry, and the small pocket knife that Tristan had given him for his birthday earlier that year. His self-defense lessons from Duke kicked in, and Yuugi lashed out with his foot to kick the person in front of him in the crotch.

He heard him grunt in pain and grabbed the pepper spray. He turned to the other before unleashing the burning solution into his eyes, and his yelp of pain echoed off the walls. With a twirl, Yuugi's foot collided with the first guy's face. Or at least he thought it was his face, but he figured whatever he kicked, it would still hurt. He took the opportunity to then rush back down the way he had previously come. He wanted nothing more than to escape that dark alley and those weird eyed freaks.

He heard the two laugh behind him, and before he could blink, he was pinned up to one of the alley's wall. "Now, now, where do you think you're going?" the one who held Yuugi captive hissed.

"Gilfred, let's just suck this child dry before someone notices. The brat's parents have probably already called the Police," the one called Griffin said to the one holding Yuugi, who must have been Gilfred.

"Yes, yes dear Griffin," Gilfred replied harshly. Yuugi saw the sharp canines in Gilfred's mouth, and it dawned on him as to what these guys were. Suddenly it all seemed clear. The blood red eyes, the quick-as-lightning movements, the sharp fangs.

"Y-You're v-vampires!" Yuugi stuttered suddenly. He attempted again to push the creature back, but he failed miserably.

Griffin laughed. "Indeed we are, little human. I'm surprised it took you this long to figure it out." Yuugi could hear the grin as the vampire spoke. "But you realized too late. You should've thought twice before attacking us like that!"

Yuugi could feel their undead breath ghost across his neck as they edged even closer. He squeezed his violet eyes shut as he prayed to whatever Gods that were listening. Please! Someone help me! Anyone! Tears formed behind his closed eyes before running down his pale cheeks to drip from his chin.

A whooshing sound came from over head, and he heard Gilfred and Griffin gasp and grunt as they fell away from him. Yuugi's legs buckled beneath him when the vampire holding him dropped him. His back slid down the wall till he sat hunched on the concrete ground. Vicious snaps echoed through the chilly air, and the sound was quickly followed by what sounded like sand being dumped onto the ground.

He dared to open his eyes to see another figure standing above what looked like two piles of dirt. Dark light seemed to radiate off of the newcomer, and as the figure turned, Yuugi's fearful thoughts were brought to life. Two blood red eyes stared at him.

"P-Please," Yuugi begged as he hugged his nonfunctioning legs closer to his chest. "Just d-don't h-hurt me…" The last few words came off as a whisper because Yuugi had hidden his head between his knees. His entire body shook, and his brain was beginning to shut down from fatigue despite the still impending danger. Yuugi's thoughts became muddled and blurred. He sniffed and cringed pathetically when the newly arrived vampire stepped closer.

Much to Yuugi's surprize, the vampire stopped moving upon seeing him flinch and simply squatted instead. The dark light that surrounded him allowed Yuugi to see small features of his body. He kind of looks like an older version of me, Yuugi thought. He stiffened when the Other Him held out his hand towards him. Yuugi could see the sharp nails protruding from his fingertips.

The red eyes narrowed slightly in what Yuugi could only label as confused frustration. The vampire retracted his hand, and Yuugi could see the fangs in the Other Him's mouth when he spoke. "I will not hurt you, little one," the Other Him said in a soothing and oddly calming voice. The words flowed together like water over a smooth stone, and it reminded Yuugi's tired mind of a waterfall. Beautiful yet strong enough to demand attention and respect. "Why don't I take you home to your family before these numskulls reawaken from the dead?" He motioned slowly to the two piles of dirt behind him.

Yuugi sniffled again. His light violet eyes bore into the red ones that starred at him unblinking. "How can I trust that you won't kill me?" he asked and mentally applauded himself that he didn't stutter that time.

The Other Him chuckled deeply and smirked. "How do I know that you won't attempt to attack me with that knife of yours? Or spray that foul-smelling liquid into my eyes?"

"How did you know that I have a knife?" Yuugi asked with surprize. He hadn't even pulled it out to attack Gilfred or Griffin, so how did this vampire know? To be honest, Yuugi had forgotten that he had it for a while during the attack.

The Other Him chuckled again. His red eyes quickly flashed with amusement. "I can smell it. The lubrication they put on the knife's hinges has a distinct smell."

Yuugi sent him a tired glare before attempting to stand. He braced his small, shaking body with his arm and leaned heavily on the wall. "If you promise not to attack me, I promise not to attack you," he said finally. He decided that if this vampire had wanted to bite him or worse, he would have done so already seeing as Yuugi could barely stand at the moment.

The Other Him nodded before standing. "These lowlifes didn't bite you did they?"

Yuugi shook his head. "No, you… got to them before they had a chance." His eyes drifted towards the piles of dirt cautiously as if they would just back to life with one look.

With another nod, the Other Him offered Yuugi his arm for support. Yuugi glanced warily at it before deciding that it would take him all night and possibly well into the morning to get home if he were to walk on his own. He latched onto the limb gratefully, for his legs still didn't want to work. He was surprised to find that the vampire's skin wasn't ice cold as he thought it would be. It was pleasantly warm like a dying fire.

The dark light that surrounded the Other Him slowly wrapped itself around Yuugi's small frame. "W-What's it doing?" Yuugi asked. He was alarmed by the coolingly warm feeling that washed over him. It made his skin tingle as if he were cold, yet his blood seemed to boil as if he had just run a marathon.

"Don't worry, little one," the Other Him said softly. "I'm only checking to see if you've sustained any injuries that you're not aware of. Nothing more, I promise." Yuugi seemed to relax at that, but he still had his suspicions. The vampire chuckled at Yuugi's expression of slightly-hidden suspicion. "Nothing has been broken, but your foot will be sore from kicking Gilfred. Expect some scratches on your back from the wall as well."

Yuugi nodded in understanding, for he was using all of his strength to stand and couldn't speak. They moved, the Other Him walked while Yuugi stumbled, back out to the street, and Yuugi felt a change in the being beside him. He saw the red color fade from the vampire's eyes to reveal a dark violet; his fangs and claws retracted to become what was considered normal length; the dark light that surrounded them both faded away. Yuugi decided that that was the vampire's way of blending into a human crowd and decided not to question it. Not that he could at the moment.

They kept moving down the street. Yuugi guided the Other Him towards where he knew the Kame Game Shop would be. The Other Him supported nearly all of Yuugi's weight. Although, there wasn't much to carry with him being so small. It also helped that the Other Him had increased strength from being a vampire.

Yuugi whimpered upon feeling a sudden jolt of pain race up his leg. The painkilling endorphins his brain had been producing before were beginning to wear off along with the adrenaline, and he felt as if he had kicked a brick wall instead of a vampire's face. He squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the pain to pass.

His eyes snapped open when he felt himself being lifted off of the ground. He looked around frantically only to realize that the Other Him had picked him up and was now carrying him bridal style down the sidewalk. A look of amusement was resting on the vampire's face. "W-What are you doing?" Yuugi asked nervously.

The Other Him chuckled again, and Yuugi felt the vibrations rubble gently in the Other Him's chest. A smirk was planted on the vampire's lips. "It's faster this way," was the only reply Yuugi got.

After a couple of minutes, Yuugi began to feel the bait of sleep lure him in. His head rested against the Other Him's shoulder, and Yuugi's hand gripped his dark t-shirt. The vampire's gait was so smooth that it felt like they were floating rather than walking, and it made sleep come even easier. It didn't help that the Other Him's body was warm against Yuugi's cold body.

Yuugi woke to the sound of the Other Him's voice, and he vaguely wondered if he was dreaming. "Little one, it's time to wake up." Yuugi reached up to his eyes and rubbed them tiredly. He had to be. His dream had consisted of him being attacked by vampires, and vampires didn't exist.

"What?" Yuugi asked with a confused expression on his cherubic face.

The Other Him chuckled, and the vibrations threatened to send Yuugi back to sleep. "I believe we've arrived at your home, Little One."

Yuugi blinked and briefly wondered what the man was talking about before realization dawned on him. He hadn't been dreaming. He had been attacked by vampires. He had been rescued by a third vampire, and that vampire was currently holding him as if he were something precious. He yelped before pushing himself away from the Other Him. His light violet eyes were wide with alarm as he collided roughly with the concrete ground.

He frantically looked around, expecting to see other vampires or at least Griffin and Gilfred, but he saw no one. He only saw the Other Him and the Kame Game Shop sign. He brought me home, Yuugi thought. He was bewildered that the vampire had actually brought him home when he could've eaten him or something worse while he slept helplessly in his arms.

His gaze returned to the Other Him who stood before him with a concerned look on his face. Yuugi realized then what he had just done. "S-Sorry," he apologized quickly before standing. He stumbled, but the Other Him caught him and helped him stand upright. Their eyes met. "I didn't mean to push you away like that. I was just startled is all."

The concern was quickly replaced by amusement and a smirk. "I understand. Now, let's get you inside. I'm sure your parents are worried about you."

Yuugi nodded and allowed the Other Him to help him to the door. As soon as they stepped onto the porch, the front door of the shop swung open to reveal a tired looking Grandpa. "Yuugi!" the old man huffed in surprize before bringing the boy into a bone-crushing hug. "Oh, m'boy! Where have you been? You are going to be grounded for the next year if I have anything to say about it! What have I told you about staying out this late! I thought something happened to you for sure!"

Yuugi laughed gratefully as he returned his Grandfather's hug. "I'm fine, Grandpa," he lied. "I only tripped down some stairs and hurt my ankle, but I'll be fine," he half-lied. He felt something slide into the back pocket of his pants before remembering about the Other Him. He turned only to find the vampire gone. His eyebrows narrowed as he searched the dark street for any sign of him, but his attention was soon grabbed by his Grandfather who was trying to drag him into the shop.

The Other Him stood hiding behind a nearby corner of a building as he watched Yuugi's exchange with what appeared to be his Grandfather. His hearing picked up everything they were saying, and he smirked at the small lies Yuugi fed to the old man. His eyes widened slightly when he saw Yuugi turn only to find him gone. The sad look that crossed over the boy's face was not lost to the vampire. He stood watching the pair until his Little Yuugi was dragged into the shop by his Grandfather. The Other Him left soon after as turbulent thoughts raced through his usually calm mind.

Yuugi allowed his Grandpa to look at his foot before being ordered to shower. His Grandpa had complained that he smelled as if he had just been through a fire. The words puzzled him, but he obeyed nevertheless.

He went up to his room, his foot having been braced by numerous bandages, and began to undress. When he went to pull down his pants, a piece of cloth fell from his back pocket and landed lightly on the carpeted floor. Yuugi curiously reached down to pick it up. It was a black handkerchief that was edged in finely woven gold thread. It felt like silk, but Yuugi couldn't be sure. He flipped it over to find that a name was embedded in the corner with silver thread.

"Yami?" he read aloud. He then remembered feeling something being pressed into his back pocket when he was hugging his Grandpa at the front door. Is this the name of that vampire? The Other Me? Yuugi lifted it to his nose and gave the cloth an experimental sniff. It smelled like it had just been through a fire. It smelled like smoke and ash and… cinnamon? Is that was he smells like? He mentally slapped himself and placed the hankie on his nightstand. Stop thinking about how he smells, Yuugi. It's not like you're going to see him again. He'd be lying if he said that he wasn't saddened by the thought. Well, at least you know why Grandpa said you smelt like fire.

He sighed, continued to undress, and hopped into the shower that was in the bathroom that was joined to his room. The hot water did wonders to relax his muscles, but when he turned to get his back wet, he yelped at the stinging sensation. The Other Him's, Yami's, he mentally corrected himself, words rang through his head.

"Expect some scratches on your back from the wall as well."

He took a deep breath before continuing with his now short shower. So much for a nice, relaxing shower, Yuugi mused as he pulled on his favorite pair of pajamas. They were sky blue and had clouds floating on them. He crawled into bed, making sure to avoid laying on his back as he liked to, and pulled the handkerchief to his chest. He briefly wondered why Yami would give him this, but his thoughts were interrupted when his Grandpa opened the door. The light from the hallway made Yuugi's eyes burn since his room was mostly dark.

"Goodnight, Yuugi," Grandpa said softly. His worn eyes watched the boy gently. "I love you, m'boy."

Yuugi smiled. "G'night, Grandpa. I love you too." With that, his Grandpa closed the door, and Yuugi reached to turn off the lamp that was on his nightstand. The waning moon cast long shadows into his room from the branches of the tree that was outside his window. He thought back to the night he had and could help but whimper when the branches scraped against his window from the wind or when the shadows would dance when the branches moved.

He unconsciously clutched the hankie tighter as fear gripped his heart again. He accidently breathed in the cinnamon-smoke scent that lingered on the handkerchief, and it brought peace to his mind. Yuugi did this every time something frightened him for the rest of the night, and he soon fell into a dreamless sleep brought on by his fatigue.

Well, this was a bitch to write. I'm just glad I got this first chapter over with. I originally got this idea earlier this morning after I had woken up, and I've spent the better half of the day working on this thing. I'd have to say editing was the easiest part. Unlike the other stories I have where I'm following the anime's plotline or pulling it right out of my ass, I actually have a decent plot for this one (or I at least hope so lol). Yep, I'll probably write more either tonight, tomorrow, or during study block on Tuesday. I feel like this is about to be like… I don't know. Awesome? So I know I haven't asked before, but it would be really nice to get some reviews on my works (especially this one). Thanks for reading this long-ass footnote~!