AN: I'm using Yami's real name to suit my purposes; sorry that it doesn't work with the real storyline.
Six Weeks
Chapter Five – Lying to Yourself
---Day 29---
Yami and Yuugi avoided each other for three days. Yami took to staying in his room, letting Yuugi having full roam of the house. His aibou had long since taken off the puzzle, leaving Yami completely in the dark. It wasn't often he heard Yuugi's door open and when it did, it was followed by the bathroom door closing.
He felt utterly helpless. He always had a purpose and now, it seemed he'd be better off just leaving. In three short days, Yuugi had relapsed into his condition before Yami decided to help.
He had wanted to talk to Yuugi about what he saw, but was afraid of the confrontation, not wanting to disrupt the already tipped balance. This situation was killing him almost as much as it was killing Yuugi.
Disrupting his thoughts, a small knock sounded on his door. Confused, knowing it was Yuugi, he opened it and, as expected, saw his partner standing there, looking small as ever. "Yami..." His voice was low and raw.
Yami blinked and felt his eyes soften. "Aibou?"
"I'm so... tired... of all this..." The saddened purple eyes looked up directly at his red ones. "Help me end it."
He felt his eyes cloud and he shook his head, wrapping his arms around his love. "I can't help you with that, aibou. I don't want to lose you."
"Please, Yami? It... hurts..."
"It hurts because you don't share your pain with your friends. Tell me, please. I am here for you and always will be." He hugged him tighter and closed his eyes. "Let me help you heal."
The small boy in his arms shook, crying his heart out. He finally nodded and moved a hand to his face to wipe the trails of tears away. "Help me?"
Yami nodded. "I can't help you when I do not know anything, aibou. I need you to talk to me. If you can do that, I can share your pain; you won't have the burden alone."
"After... everything... you still would...?"
The reborn spirit nodded. "You are the one I love. I would do anything to keep you safe, no matter what."
Yuugi looked up at him, slight disbelief playing in his eyes. "I... don't know..."
Yami tilts his head slightly, pressing his lips against the one's belonging to the boy he held. After a moment, Yuugi didn't respond and Yami lifted his head, hurt in his eyes. He looked away, obviously knowing he hoped for too much. "Sorry... aibou..."
Yuugi, confused, just started to cry and buried his face into Yami's chest.
"Perhaps, it wasn't meant to be me to help you... I've failed." He pulled Yuugi away from him and smiled sadly. "I just cause you more pain. You don't deserve that. Fate has cursed me to fall in love with you just to have my heart break."
"Yami..."
He shook his head and closed his eyes. "Can you deny it? I brought you happiness just to cause you to feel pain again. Just do me a favor?"
Yuugi blinked, his emotions falling everywhere, never settling on one. "I don't understand..."
"I'm going to set you free from me, aibou." Yami smiled slightly. "And when I do, I want you to let your friends help you like I want to. Promise me that?"
"I don't... want you to leave me..."
"In order for you to heal, I must." He sighs, knowing this would not be easy. "Promise me, aibou, and I will tell you the word to set yourself free from me."
Yuugi looked back up at his other, tears running softly. "Yami..."
"There are some wounds that love cannot heal. Sometimes love stunts growth. I will not let that to happen to you anymore. Let your friends help you."
"B-But... I love you... please don't leave me."
"If you love me, you'll do me this favor."
Yuugi blinked and nodded slowly. "I... will get better. And then you'll return, right?"
Yami looked away and nodded. "I will return," he said, lying through his teeth.
"I'll get well quickly and then we can be together again." Yuugi smiled cheerfully, wiping his tears away.
He smiled back and leaned forward, kissing his forehead. He paused before pulling away. "My real name is Atemu. Should you say that name, I will vanish," he whispered and pulled back, still smiling.
Yuugi nodded and smiled softly. "I will always love you... Atemu."
Yami closed his eyes and laughed slightly. "Thank you, aibou. I love you so much."
The puzzle around his neck, fell to the ground as it passed through his disappearing body. On the floor, it began to disintegrate, as did the one in Yuugi's room. As the puzzle crumbled, Yami grew fainter and fainter.
"Yami! Tell me how to bring you back! Quickly before you're gone!"
Yami bent his head, not being able to look at his aibou. "You can't bring me back. This... is it. Do your best, aibou. I'll be watching over you. Remember... that..."
Soon, he was gone. The only proof of his existence was in the pile of gold sand on the floor.
Yuugi was left, staring at the pile in disbelief. "You... lied... You lied!" He fell to his knees and cried.
---Day 30---
Yuugi slept by the remainder of the puzzle, not wanting to move from where he was, nor having the energy. He blinked his eyes open as the sun came through the blinds and he sat up. They previous night still deep in his mind, he stood on his wobbly feet and made his way downstairs.
His mind was set, despite how unstable his body seemed at the moment. He understood what Yami had done and why. And a voice in the back of his mind told him this was the right thing. He remembered the past 29 days as if he were a third person looking in. He saw everything without being biased.
That was when he realized how right Yami was to leave.
That conclusion stabbed his already broken heart, but he refused to give in to it. He would continue and live as Yami would have wanted him to. Finally getting downstairs, he rummaged the kitchen for cereal, milk and bowl, fixing his breakfast. He will live.
He sat at the table, eating his breakfast in silence. He would go get dressed and go outside, hopeful to run across his friends at the video arcade. He finished eating and walked up the stairs towards his room. He stopped as he passed by Yami's room, seeing the gold sand sparkling as the sun the grains. He walked into the room and kneeled next to the pile, for a moment, doubting his decision.
He shook his head and looked around for something to keep the destroyed puzzle in. He stands, walking into his room and taking the golden box that once contained the pieces to the puzzle. He decided it would be fitting to put the gold sand in there. Hurrying back to his other's room, he scooped up as much as he could of the sand and closed the box, setting it on the floor where the puzzle once was. He closed the door behind him, leaving that part of his life behind.
He got dressed in his room and stared at his reflection for a bit. He noticed how thin his body had become and how red his eyes were from crying. He made his way to the bathroom and washed his face. He looked into this mirror and tried to smile. His lips twitched a bit, but that was all. He sighed and left the bathroom.
---Day 35---
'It's been three days since he's left,' Yuugi thought to himself. Jounouchi and the group had come over to hang out. Kaiba, even as cold-hearted as he was, came by unannounced and stood at the back room while Mokuba joined the group.
More than once did Yuugi catch Kaiba watching him. As horrible friends as they were, they both knew life has changed now and it wasn't a time for petty rivalry. Yuugi smiled gratefully the one time he caught Kaiba's eye. The taller just nodded and stood his ground away from the others.
At the moment, Jounouchi was having fun poking at Kaiba's 'casual wear,' which consisted of a buttoned up blue dress shirt and black slacks, and the whole room could almost feel Kaiba's wanting to clobber the blond. Yuugi silently laughed with them, not wanting to hurt Kaiba's feelings.
By the time it was late afternoon, only Mokuba and Kaiba remained. Yuugi and Mokuba had been locked in a game, one never out doing the other. Kaiba sat back, enthralled in the game as well. It was odd to see Yuugi being the one locked in a fear competition.
Usually, it was Yami.
Yuugi as well noticed the odd role he was playing. Perhaps it was because he felt he had a place to fill.
Soon, the sun had set and Mokuba was told to wait in the car, while Kaiba stayed behind. Yuugi looked up at him confused. "Kaiba-kun?"
"You seem to be doing fine. But are you really?"
Yuugi smiled softly. "I may wish for different things to have happened, but I'm not going to let that ruin my life. He wouldn't want me to."
Kaiba nods. "You miss him still?"
"How could I not? I loved him. I still do even when I know he's never returning. I know he would not want me to and he thinks he has done nothing for me, but he has. And I'm not going to forget or love another."
The brunette looked away a bit. "You know he would not have wanted that."
Yuugi laughs and shakes his head. "Within the past five weeks, I've done many things he wouldn't want me to do. He showed me real love, Kaiba... He showed me what it meant to love someone so much that they would even die for the sake of their love." He closes his eyes, remembering his face again. "And he showed me how to live again."
Kaiba smirks and turns around halfway. "I know we were never friends, Yuugi, but I would like to think that we could be eventually. He would have wanted it and all I did was turn his comments into insults towards him. I wish I would have been able to apologize for that." He finished turning and heads down to the car.
"Kaiba!" He paused and waits for Yuugi to continue. "We've known that it wasn't true. Don't feel guilty for not telling us." And Kaiba resumed walking to his car.
---Tsudzuku
Y-n-Y: One chapter left =) ::ducks from people pelted with rotten vegetables and fruit::
SoulDreamer: Gah-- Sorry it took so long n.n;;
Kitty Neko: www. physics. ucla. edu/ grosenth/ c download. Html (remember no spaces... before "grosenth" there should be a swiggly mark and between "c" and "download" should be an underscore.)
Tadashi: x.x Love you too -.- You prolly didn't like this chapter very much, didja? n.n;;
metallicbubbles: lol... yes I thought that chapter was stupid -.-; it was just one of those things that I knew I'd been planning and was dreading to write it. So freaking lame -.-
Faith: It wasn't because I was in a rush to write it, but because I hated writing it. I thought it would've turned out better than it seemed to be at first, but it just bombed. And I honestly believe (despite how bad that chapter was) it was the best I could pull off. It was meant to be a happy chapter at the beginning where Yuugi's healing was supposed to start and it was supposed to address Yami's concern on Yuugi's dependency, which as I've seen a friend or two go through the "I'm too dependant on my boy/girlfriend that if they left me, I'd have nothing to live for" which is very scary to see. And the game that was played was an attempt to build more trust and understanding between the two, kind of like Yami's last hope to fully understand what happened and to help share the pain. I really do thank you for your review, definitely lifted my spirits due to the last chapter. Maybe I'll get some bright idea later on how to make it seem more with the story and go back to it later. But like I said, it was really the best I'm capable to do for that chapter.
Digimagic: Lol... I knew people might not read that story cuz of spoilers shrugs And thanks for you very flattering review n.n
Elsalhir Erestar: Heh... nuu... ;-; that's why Yuugi was laughing when he first said it. He dun hate him... maybe is upset with him... but... yeah n.n;;
Dagger Maxwell: Hehe... Yuugi-angst rocks... so does Yami-angst =)
Sherry-chan: XD I would NEVER turn this in as a college essay X.X;;
Six Weeks
Chapter Five – Lying to Yourself
---Day 29---
Yami and Yuugi avoided each other for three days. Yami took to staying in his room, letting Yuugi having full roam of the house. His aibou had long since taken off the puzzle, leaving Yami completely in the dark. It wasn't often he heard Yuugi's door open and when it did, it was followed by the bathroom door closing.
He felt utterly helpless. He always had a purpose and now, it seemed he'd be better off just leaving. In three short days, Yuugi had relapsed into his condition before Yami decided to help.
He had wanted to talk to Yuugi about what he saw, but was afraid of the confrontation, not wanting to disrupt the already tipped balance. This situation was killing him almost as much as it was killing Yuugi.
Disrupting his thoughts, a small knock sounded on his door. Confused, knowing it was Yuugi, he opened it and, as expected, saw his partner standing there, looking small as ever. "Yami..." His voice was low and raw.
Yami blinked and felt his eyes soften. "Aibou?"
"I'm so... tired... of all this..." The saddened purple eyes looked up directly at his red ones. "Help me end it."
He felt his eyes cloud and he shook his head, wrapping his arms around his love. "I can't help you with that, aibou. I don't want to lose you."
"Please, Yami? It... hurts..."
"It hurts because you don't share your pain with your friends. Tell me, please. I am here for you and always will be." He hugged him tighter and closed his eyes. "Let me help you heal."
The small boy in his arms shook, crying his heart out. He finally nodded and moved a hand to his face to wipe the trails of tears away. "Help me?"
Yami nodded. "I can't help you when I do not know anything, aibou. I need you to talk to me. If you can do that, I can share your pain; you won't have the burden alone."
"After... everything... you still would...?"
The reborn spirit nodded. "You are the one I love. I would do anything to keep you safe, no matter what."
Yuugi looked up at him, slight disbelief playing in his eyes. "I... don't know..."
Yami tilts his head slightly, pressing his lips against the one's belonging to the boy he held. After a moment, Yuugi didn't respond and Yami lifted his head, hurt in his eyes. He looked away, obviously knowing he hoped for too much. "Sorry... aibou..."
Yuugi, confused, just started to cry and buried his face into Yami's chest.
"Perhaps, it wasn't meant to be me to help you... I've failed." He pulled Yuugi away from him and smiled sadly. "I just cause you more pain. You don't deserve that. Fate has cursed me to fall in love with you just to have my heart break."
"Yami..."
He shook his head and closed his eyes. "Can you deny it? I brought you happiness just to cause you to feel pain again. Just do me a favor?"
Yuugi blinked, his emotions falling everywhere, never settling on one. "I don't understand..."
"I'm going to set you free from me, aibou." Yami smiled slightly. "And when I do, I want you to let your friends help you like I want to. Promise me that?"
"I don't... want you to leave me..."
"In order for you to heal, I must." He sighs, knowing this would not be easy. "Promise me, aibou, and I will tell you the word to set yourself free from me."
Yuugi looked back up at his other, tears running softly. "Yami..."
"There are some wounds that love cannot heal. Sometimes love stunts growth. I will not let that to happen to you anymore. Let your friends help you."
"B-But... I love you... please don't leave me."
"If you love me, you'll do me this favor."
Yuugi blinked and nodded slowly. "I... will get better. And then you'll return, right?"
Yami looked away and nodded. "I will return," he said, lying through his teeth.
"I'll get well quickly and then we can be together again." Yuugi smiled cheerfully, wiping his tears away.
He smiled back and leaned forward, kissing his forehead. He paused before pulling away. "My real name is Atemu. Should you say that name, I will vanish," he whispered and pulled back, still smiling.
Yuugi nodded and smiled softly. "I will always love you... Atemu."
Yami closed his eyes and laughed slightly. "Thank you, aibou. I love you so much."
The puzzle around his neck, fell to the ground as it passed through his disappearing body. On the floor, it began to disintegrate, as did the one in Yuugi's room. As the puzzle crumbled, Yami grew fainter and fainter.
"Yami! Tell me how to bring you back! Quickly before you're gone!"
Yami bent his head, not being able to look at his aibou. "You can't bring me back. This... is it. Do your best, aibou. I'll be watching over you. Remember... that..."
Soon, he was gone. The only proof of his existence was in the pile of gold sand on the floor.
Yuugi was left, staring at the pile in disbelief. "You... lied... You lied!" He fell to his knees and cried.
---Day 30---
Yuugi slept by the remainder of the puzzle, not wanting to move from where he was, nor having the energy. He blinked his eyes open as the sun came through the blinds and he sat up. They previous night still deep in his mind, he stood on his wobbly feet and made his way downstairs.
His mind was set, despite how unstable his body seemed at the moment. He understood what Yami had done and why. And a voice in the back of his mind told him this was the right thing. He remembered the past 29 days as if he were a third person looking in. He saw everything without being biased.
That was when he realized how right Yami was to leave.
That conclusion stabbed his already broken heart, but he refused to give in to it. He would continue and live as Yami would have wanted him to. Finally getting downstairs, he rummaged the kitchen for cereal, milk and bowl, fixing his breakfast. He will live.
He sat at the table, eating his breakfast in silence. He would go get dressed and go outside, hopeful to run across his friends at the video arcade. He finished eating and walked up the stairs towards his room. He stopped as he passed by Yami's room, seeing the gold sand sparkling as the sun the grains. He walked into the room and kneeled next to the pile, for a moment, doubting his decision.
He shook his head and looked around for something to keep the destroyed puzzle in. He stands, walking into his room and taking the golden box that once contained the pieces to the puzzle. He decided it would be fitting to put the gold sand in there. Hurrying back to his other's room, he scooped up as much as he could of the sand and closed the box, setting it on the floor where the puzzle once was. He closed the door behind him, leaving that part of his life behind.
He got dressed in his room and stared at his reflection for a bit. He noticed how thin his body had become and how red his eyes were from crying. He made his way to the bathroom and washed his face. He looked into this mirror and tried to smile. His lips twitched a bit, but that was all. He sighed and left the bathroom.
---Day 35---
'It's been three days since he's left,' Yuugi thought to himself. Jounouchi and the group had come over to hang out. Kaiba, even as cold-hearted as he was, came by unannounced and stood at the back room while Mokuba joined the group.
More than once did Yuugi catch Kaiba watching him. As horrible friends as they were, they both knew life has changed now and it wasn't a time for petty rivalry. Yuugi smiled gratefully the one time he caught Kaiba's eye. The taller just nodded and stood his ground away from the others.
At the moment, Jounouchi was having fun poking at Kaiba's 'casual wear,' which consisted of a buttoned up blue dress shirt and black slacks, and the whole room could almost feel Kaiba's wanting to clobber the blond. Yuugi silently laughed with them, not wanting to hurt Kaiba's feelings.
By the time it was late afternoon, only Mokuba and Kaiba remained. Yuugi and Mokuba had been locked in a game, one never out doing the other. Kaiba sat back, enthralled in the game as well. It was odd to see Yuugi being the one locked in a fear competition.
Usually, it was Yami.
Yuugi as well noticed the odd role he was playing. Perhaps it was because he felt he had a place to fill.
Soon, the sun had set and Mokuba was told to wait in the car, while Kaiba stayed behind. Yuugi looked up at him confused. "Kaiba-kun?"
"You seem to be doing fine. But are you really?"
Yuugi smiled softly. "I may wish for different things to have happened, but I'm not going to let that ruin my life. He wouldn't want me to."
Kaiba nods. "You miss him still?"
"How could I not? I loved him. I still do even when I know he's never returning. I know he would not want me to and he thinks he has done nothing for me, but he has. And I'm not going to forget or love another."
The brunette looked away a bit. "You know he would not have wanted that."
Yuugi laughs and shakes his head. "Within the past five weeks, I've done many things he wouldn't want me to do. He showed me real love, Kaiba... He showed me what it meant to love someone so much that they would even die for the sake of their love." He closes his eyes, remembering his face again. "And he showed me how to live again."
Kaiba smirks and turns around halfway. "I know we were never friends, Yuugi, but I would like to think that we could be eventually. He would have wanted it and all I did was turn his comments into insults towards him. I wish I would have been able to apologize for that." He finished turning and heads down to the car.
"Kaiba!" He paused and waits for Yuugi to continue. "We've known that it wasn't true. Don't feel guilty for not telling us." And Kaiba resumed walking to his car.
---Tsudzuku
Y-n-Y: One chapter left =) ::ducks from people pelted with rotten vegetables and fruit::
SoulDreamer: Gah-- Sorry it took so long n.n;;
Kitty Neko: www. physics. ucla. edu/ grosenth/ c download. Html (remember no spaces... before "grosenth" there should be a swiggly mark and between "c" and "download" should be an underscore.)
Tadashi: x.x Love you too -.- You prolly didn't like this chapter very much, didja? n.n;;
metallicbubbles: lol... yes I thought that chapter was stupid -.-; it was just one of those things that I knew I'd been planning and was dreading to write it. So freaking lame -.-
Faith: It wasn't because I was in a rush to write it, but because I hated writing it. I thought it would've turned out better than it seemed to be at first, but it just bombed. And I honestly believe (despite how bad that chapter was) it was the best I could pull off. It was meant to be a happy chapter at the beginning where Yuugi's healing was supposed to start and it was supposed to address Yami's concern on Yuugi's dependency, which as I've seen a friend or two go through the "I'm too dependant on my boy/girlfriend that if they left me, I'd have nothing to live for" which is very scary to see. And the game that was played was an attempt to build more trust and understanding between the two, kind of like Yami's last hope to fully understand what happened and to help share the pain. I really do thank you for your review, definitely lifted my spirits due to the last chapter. Maybe I'll get some bright idea later on how to make it seem more with the story and go back to it later. But like I said, it was really the best I'm capable to do for that chapter.
Digimagic: Lol... I knew people might not read that story cuz of spoilers shrugs And thanks for you very flattering review n.n
Elsalhir Erestar: Heh... nuu... ;-; that's why Yuugi was laughing when he first said it. He dun hate him... maybe is upset with him... but... yeah n.n;;
Dagger Maxwell: Hehe... Yuugi-angst rocks... so does Yami-angst =)
Sherry-chan: XD I would NEVER turn this in as a college essay X.X;;