Title: A Hikari's Goodnight

Rated: T

Disclaimer: Do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh characters or concepts. All I own is the plot.

Pairing: Seto/Yugi

Warning: Character Death

Author: RuRuLaLa

Yugi sat in the king sized bed he and Seto shared, propped up by several extra soft pillows and covered up to his waist by the thick warm blanket. Balanced on his pulled up knees was a nearly finished painting, one that portrayed all of his friends sitting around in the Game Lounge Seto had in his mansion. On the table beside him there were several other paintings depicting single portraits of each of his friends. His favorite one was the one he did of Seto with Mokuba sleeping in his lap. He'd had an uncharacteristically gentle smile on his face and his cobalt blue eyes had shined with a kind of love that only a parent with a child could express. Yugi had never forgotten that moment, and was glad he was he was able to immortalize it.

His small hand trembled as he made a few more strokes with his paint brush. At this point his entire body ached unbearably and there was a piercing pain behind his eyes. Each breath was short and labored, the air being brought into his lungs was like being stabbed with a knife, but still he painted. Nearly two months ago his doctor had explained to Yugi and his makeshift family that after years of suffering from an unknown illness his body was finally shutting down and there was nothing they could do about it. The others didn't know, but before he solved the Millennium Puzzle Yugi had been very sickly, most likely because he was born three months premature. With his parents neglect, and then the bullying once he had been moved out of his abusive house only worsened his condition. He had never expected to live long, and had wished on the Puzzle for a friend before he died. That wish had come true, and then some! During the time Atem possessed his body he had never felt healthier. The little one could only assume it was something to do with the power of the Millennium Items; what use was a host if it keeled over not long after you possessed it? The moment Yugi won the Ceremonial Duel and Atem was granted his own body, Yugi's condition returned to how it was before the puzzle, only ten times worse. He planned to take this knowledge to his grave. No matter that Atem had only prolonged the inevitable, his friends may still blame him for Yugi's death, and it would crush Atem if he thought he had even a tiny hand in it.

Despite the pain, the years following were some of the happiest Yugi could remember. He competed in several Dueling Tournaments, just for the sake of competing without the threat of evil masterminds trying to kill him hanging over his head. The little one was also able to explore his talent for drawing and painting, hobbies that had gotten pushed to the side in the face saving the world and helping Atem regain his memories. It was then that Seto Kaiba, not one to let money making prospects slip away, hired him as an artist in Kaiba Corp's Games and Development Department. Yugi loved his job, and shockingly started to fall in love with his boss. He danced around the issue for awhile, fearing the repercussions on Seto if he started an illicit office relationship. Seto didn't allow him to do that for long though. When Seto Kaiba wanted something he got it and damn social taboos and all that got in his way. Yugi had never thought he could love anyone so fiercely as the taciturn genius. None of his friends thought they would last, especially Atem, but they didn't understand Kaiba like Yugi did, and to an extent Kaiba knew him more than his friends ever would. When Yugi could no longer hide his deteriorating health his friends were shocked to see such a soft and caring side of Kaiba. When Yugi struggled to eat Seto was there to spoon the food in his mouth. He always had a hand on the small of Yugi's back just in case he needed to rest or if he fell, and when he had a seizure in the middle of a presentation Seto was there to gently hold him until the fit was over. Yugi had even thrown up on his trench coat and the genius didn't say a word about it! Yugi tried to explain to his friends that this was not some secret side of Kaiba, but who he was all along, to no avail. He was just glad that they were all finally getting along now.

His most recent batch of doctors' prognosis was pretty much hopeless. They estimated that he could die at any moment, but as the days turned into weeks and Yugi still lived, albeit in agony, his loved ones felt hope that they could find a cure.

Yugi however knew that his life was ending; he felt it every time he forced himself to awaken each day, forced himself to breath lungfuls of searing pain, and forced his fluttering heart – each pulse sending fire throughout his chest – to beat. The heart monitor connected to him reflected this with every long pause between beeps. The reason he still lived was because he refused to die without insuring he had taken care of his friends and his beloved. The money he'd made from various Duel Tournaments and working with his lover Seto was split between his friends; he hoped it helped them live comfortably and achieve their dreams. He also planned to give them all the artwork, some from the paintings he had refused to sell to the many art curios, the rest he'd created during his dying days. Thankfully everyone had someone to turn to during their grief, though Yugi hoped they did not mourn for long. He didn't think he was worth so much stress and it broke his heart to see his friends sad.

As he dabbed at one last spot of the painting his hand dropped to his side. The small, amethyst eyed young man smiled gently at his finished product before setting it on the bedside table. He was so glad that he finished in time, now he just had to wait till Seto returned. He was on his last limb now, but if Seto wanted him to stay he would try his damnedest to hang on to his mortal coils. Out of everyone Yugi worried for Seto's ability to cope with his death the most. Yes he had Mokuba, but it was always the young CEO that had to be the strong and supportive one. Other than Yugi, Seto had no one to depend upon and he feared the stubborn genius would refuse to try and find another love, at least not for a very long time.

His train of thought quickly derailed as a wave of pain swept through his little form. He clutched the blankets at his chest and arched off the bed involuntarily. 'Oh, please come home soon Seto.'

Hours passed in a blur of pain. Yugi was only vaguely aware of the nurses Seto hired trying to attend to him. None of the meds or remedies ever worked but normally he would try to be cooperative, if only for Seto's sake. He couldn't bring himself to do so now when he was trying to conserve all of his energy on just staying alive.

His limbs flailed weakly as he attempted to keep them from injecting him with something that was undoubtedly a sedative. Couldn't they see that if he went to sleep he would never wake up? The little one whimpered as one of the nurses grabbed his thin arms in a bruising grasp and pinned them to his sides. His breathing accelerated and his chest tightened even further in panic. "P-please no…" he whispered.

Suddenly the hands were gone and Yugi felt like he could breathe a little better. There was some kind of commotion going on; yelling and banging about. Yugi had used most of his strength to fight the nurses. He couldn't turn his head towards the disturbance or even see very well. At this point, unless an object was close to his face, everything was blurred shadows.

Hands that were always slightly cold caressed his cheeks. Yugi smiled, as he could recognize those strong calloused hands even if he were completely blind. One hand gently turned his head until the stern face of Seto Kaiba filled his vision.

"Did they hurt you?" He asked softly, his gruff voice laced with concern if you knew how to listen for it.

"N-no, I'm fine…Seto…" Seto ignored him as he traced his arm delicately in a few areas, no doubt over the finger shaped bruises that the nurses left.

Seto's face morphed into scowl. "Their all fired. They'll be lucky to work again after I'm through with them."

His eyes were a sharp cobalt and Yugi knew there would be no convincing him. Instead he raised his shaky little hand and smoothed it along his furrowed brow until the lines of tension disappeared. "I finished my pictures…did you see?"

Seto glanced over at the bedside table and moved to grab them. He became blurry to Yugi's eyes again as he carefully looked at the paintings. There would probably be a look of wonder on his face, as there always was when Seto gazed at his paintings, which brought another warm smile to the little one's face. Seto was never one to sugar coat the truth for anyone, not for him, not even for Mokuba, so to receive any king of positive response on his work by Seto was true praise indeed.

"You really a master of your craft Yugi." He paused at one of the paints and snorted, "You certainly got the mutt down pat."

Ah, he must have been looking at one of the portraits of Joey. Most likely the one where they were all at the beach, where Joey was attempting to be gallant by putting sun block on Mai's back, and thus too preoccupied to notice a seal steadily nibbling his shorts off.

Yugi chuckled at the memory, but the happy moment was short lived as he descended into a violent coughing fit. Seto was next to him immediately, holding his hand and caressing his cheek. There was no helping these fits when they started, all Seto could do was wait it out and comfort Yugi in the meantime.

The little one breathed in short gasps when the fit finally passed. His whole body trembled from pain and sudden chills. Gods, he didn't know how much more he could take of this. But when he opened amethyst eyes that he hadn't realized he closed and saw the concerned and slightly frightened look on his Seto's face he knew he could take as much as his body dished out, if that was Seto's wish.

"I've been doing some research and I'm getting close to a cure you just…need to hang on until then, Yugi. It won't be much longer now, I know it." His blue eyes were desperate and his voice shook even as his hand was steady, always aware that the slightest pressure could hurt Yugi. "Just hang in there, baby."

His poor, poor Seto. Yugi's eyes shown with sadness for his love. Oh how he hated seeing him work into the ground for something so pointless. And yet he couldn't bring himself to just fall into the ever enclosing darkness, not when Seto was trying so hard for him.

"Here, you need to take your meds. It will help with the pain."

"No Seto," Yugi said as his love reached into the drawer for one of many pill bottles.

He sighed. "I know you hate them but they'll help –"

"N-no Seto, they never help. They never have." All those damn pills do was make his vision and hearing worse. If anything they amplified the pain. If he was going to stay then he wanted to be in his right mind as much as possible.

Seto stayed in that position for what felt like an eternity. His hand clutching the handle of the drawer and stared at it so hard that he could feel the hole burning through it.

"You're…" Seto's voice cracked. He cleared his throat. "You're in a lot of pain, aren't you Yugi?"

Yugi didn't know what to say to that. Seto didn't usually ask rhetorical questions. He was always one to get to the point. It seemed Seto didn't expect an answer, as he turned to the little one and seemed to take in his whole features with a different eye. He leaned forward and gently kissed his lips, his forehead, his tiny nose, his cheeks, all over his face. The CEO rested his forehead against his, eyes shut tight.

"I…" he whispered tightly, swallowing against the large lump in his throat. "I don't know if I can let you go."

Yugi's amethyst eyes darkened as tears gathered in their corners, making them shimmer. "No matter what, now matter what you choose, I'll always love you Seto."

"I love you. I love you too." There tears mingled as they fell down their cheeks. Neither of them had the strength to wipe them away.

"But Seto, I'm-I'm so close to death, and I don't think…" The little one didn't want to say that there was nothing Seto could do about it. He knew how much the young entrepreneur hated feeling helpless.

Seto choked back a sob. "I…I know. I know." He nodded lightly to himself and gritted his teeth as if to stave off more tears. "What will I do without you?"

Yugi's heart broke at the helplessness in his voice. "Live. Live for Mokuba, live for yourself. If-if you don't have a hot piece of ass by the end of a year I'll-I'll rain thunder bolts on all your duel disks!"

Seto snorted even as he sobbed freely. "What, do you think you'll be Zeus in the afterlife? I don't think…I don't think they allow pipsqueaks to be gods."

"I dunno, they might make an exception for me what with my spikey hair."

"Why? Because it looks like someone rubbed a balloon on your head?"

"Exactly! See, god of thunder."

"Tch. More like god of harmless static."

They smiled lovingly at each other, trying to forever imprint their images in their memories.

Yugi gasped suddenly as waves of pain cascaded over his delicate form. "Oh Seto, please hold me."

Seto sat on the bed with his back against the headboard and easily gathered the small young man into his arms. Yugi whimpered as the movement sent jolts of pain through his body. Seto tried to sooth him as best he could by whispering encouraging words and peppering his pretty face with kisses.

Yugi's eyes were wide and his body shook violently. His breath came out in fast small gasps and he couldn't seem to catch it no matter what. He clutched the collar of Seto's shirt, trying to stay close as the pain hit a crescendo and he arched into Seto's chest with a small scream.

Seto rocked him gently back and forth, nuzzling his soft cheek lovingly.

"I-I'm so sorry…I couldn't…stay Seto…" Yugi said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"What have I told you about apologizing to things that aren't your fault? It's ok Yugi, just…you can let go now, alright."

"Love you Seto…love you so much. You…you promise to find someone else…later?"

"Y-yugi, I…I can't –"

Yugi used the remainder of his strength to place his hand on Seto's cheek, guiding him to look him in the eye. "Please…please Seto…I'll be so sad if you don't…so sad…"

"O-okay Yugi," Seto said through his tears. "I'll try. That's-that's all I can do."

Yugi smiled briefly but it quickly faded as his gasps came out faster and faster until it seemed his heart would burst out of his little chest. "S-Seto…kiss…please…"

Seto pressed his lips against Yugi's soft, plump ones. His tongue slowly explored the familiar cavern, deepening the kiss into a searing one. He wrapped his arms tighter around Yugi's back and brought him closer until their chests were pressed so close together that Seto could feel Yugi's erratic heartbeat. He caressed every crevice of his little ones mouth, trying to make his last moments as pleasurable as possible. When Seto felt Yugi's breaths start to slow down he slowly parted their mouths, giving him one final peck on the lips.

Yugi's eyes started glaze over into a dark lilac as he started to fade. His breathing slowed into sharp, painful jerks, every mouthful of air a tiring effort. "'Love you Seto…I love you…I love you…" he repeated until he was too weak to speak, then he mouthed the words.

Yugi's final breath was a shuddering inhale which slowly escaped his silky lips, as his beautiful eyes rolled back slightly. His little hand dropped from Seto's cheek and his head rolled gently to the side. Finally, Seto felt his heart beat once more before it stopped completely, the monitor flat lining in the background.

Seto gave his little angel one last kiss before closing his eyes for him. Whatever would happen next, Seto did not want to think about. For now at least, Yugi could finally have his eternal rest.

And he knew without a doubt that his kind soul would find peace.