Love Story

Disclaimer: I do not own this song for Taylor Swift does. Nor do I own Yu-Gi-Oh as Kazuki Takahashi does.

This is written in Anzu's POV, a few years after the Ceremonial Battle. Let's use our imaginations and pretend that Atemu managed, through some miracle, to gain a body of his own. Anzu and Atemu are on the precipice of their relationship; they're at the breaking point. It is here where we find Anzu reflecting on her thoughts, sifting through her memories to find truth.
I won't say anymore here, as this is her love story to tell.

--------------------------------------------
I stand at "our spot," a little inconspicuous cove by the ocean. The breeze tickles my face and caresses my hair, reminding me of how you did, so long ago.

We were both young when I first saw you

I can remember when I first met you, when you saved me from that escaped convict at Burger World. I only heard your voice but I was already entranced. I desperately wanted--no, needed--to place a face to your voice but little did I know that your voice was only the beginning.

I close my eyes
And the flashback starts

Memories of our adventures together, of saving the world, rapidly flash through my mind. Once we discovered that you were a 3,000 year old spirit of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh, I tried to shove my feelings aside. Yet, we grew closer, always closer, in the quest for your lost past, no matter how hard I tried to push you away.

I'm standing there
On a balcony in summer air

You were like my best friend, reliable, strong, confident. You saw right through my cores; I could never hide anything from you for too long. The barriers I'd held for so long were tumbling away, like sand castles being flooded by the raging sea. Every time I was with you, I was floating on air. These feelings grew stronger day by day.
And I couldn't understand why.
Until one day, Yuugi decided to set us up on a date, of sorts, though the purpose was for me to help you gain the motivation needed to find your memories. I was so glad because, for once, I got to be your rock in your tumultuous river of pain and confusion, like you are mine. This "date" would be imprinted upon my memories, for it was then that I knew I could no longer deny my feelings.

See the lights
See the party, the ball gowns

I smile as I recall that day. I never did tell you how I felt. I wish I did, then maybe… I shake my head. There is no point for those kinds of thoughts now. I have never regretted anything I have done and I'll be damned if I start now.
The temperature drops, as evening approaches. I take a look around and, after seeing that I am alone, retreat once again into my memories.
This time, I take myself to the Kaiba Corporation Grand Prix. Once again, you were my source of comfort, somehow tearing down the walls I tried to build to keep myself—and my heart—away from you. It was during the reception, where all the invited duelists were gathered. I remember how that Vivian Wong was shamelessly flirting with you. Oh, how I was jealous, not of her, but of all the duelists. I have always felt left out and helpless, knowing that I lack the skill to duel anyone. Who was I to preach about the strength of friendship when I, myself, was powerless? Turning away, I aimlessly wandered, lost in thought. I remember Jounouchi calling me, numerous times. I turned around, surprised.
Wouldn't you know that amidst everyone, all I saw was you, even as the others were calling for me? Then, you looked up at me and our eyes had met.

I see you make your way through the crowd
And say hello, little did I know

You had smiled at me. I smiled back. Your smile is so amazing, do you know that? Even back then, your smile had a mysterious pull on my heart. My heart soars when you smile at me like that.
I realized that I only wanted you to smile like that for me. I wanted to be the reason behind your smile, the fuel for your brightness.
You asked me what was wrong. I told you nothing, in a feeble attempt to, once again, keep you away. What a fool I was, as all it took was one look from your beautiful amethyst eyes, the look that told me you were worried and that you cared, and I was spilling my guts out.
It was a wonder I held out on confessing my love for you.
You put a hand on my shoulder and assured me that even though I lacked skill in duel monsters, I greatly made up for it with my courage and pureness of heart. I was strong, you had said, in more ways than I gave myself credit for.
I bring myself back to the present. I shake my head. You had always said I was the one who held the group together, that it was my strength that kept us going all along. But you know what? You were the one who gave that bit of confidence to go on. It was your words that penetrated my darkness and brought the light back to me. It all started with you. I look around once again, reminding myself of where I am. Still in solitude, I continue my trip down memory lane.

That you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles
And my daddy said stay away from Juliet

It was the day of the Ceremonial Duel, in which you and Yuugi were to duel. If Yuugi won, you would have to complete your destiny, parting from him—us—forever. If you won, then you would remain a spirit, bound by the Millennium Puzzle. I cried then, conflicted on whom I should be cheering for. It felt wrong to support only one of you. I was so used to you being together with Yuugi as one, that seeing them in separate bodies, even if only for the duel, was shocking.
The duel had ended in Yuugi's victory. I felt relieved, as you would finally be free to journey into the afterlife, gaining the rest you deserved. But I also felt remorse that I would no longer get to spend any time with you. I knew I should have been happy for you and I was… So why did it hurt?
The doors to the afterlife opened.
Tears of hurt, regret, remorse, streamed down my face.
You took a step, then another.
I couldn't take it anymore, so I called your name.

And I was crying on the staircase
Begging you please don't go, and I said

You paused before the doorway, not daring to look back.
"Is this what you want?" I asked.
"This is something I must do," you replied, devoid of emotion. No, not entirely without. I caught the slight quiver in your voice.
"No! Pharaoh…. For once, act of your own free will! You have a choice this time around," I pleaded. "Think of your own happiness."
"I do not belong here, Anzu," you said with anguish. "I belong at home, in the afterlife."
"Home is where the heart is, Pharaoh," I said. "Where does your heart lie? You were once the Pharaoh of Egypt. But that was then… This is now."

Romeo take me somewhere we can be alone
I'll be waiting all there's left to do is run

It had dawned on me then, the purpose of the duel. I remember looking at you, begging you to understand.
"Pharaoh, if you lost, it would mean that you would have to fulfill your destiny," I said to you.
"Yes," you replied, "that is why I must go!"
"If you were meant to go, then why are you still here?" I pointed out, as I placed my hand on your shoulder. "Why the need for you to walk through the door? If you were, truly, meant to depart, then wouldn't you have been taken?"
I knew I was being selfish but I didn't care. I had to make you see.
"We choose our destiny."

You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess
It's a love story baby just say yes

You had turned around to look at me and I saw realization seep into your eyes.
"You mean--"
"So you finally understand, my Pharaoh," Ishizu Ishtar had interrupted. "Anzu is right. Yuugi fought for your right to choose. As I have learned from Kaiba, the future is not set in stone. Things change, people change, and therefore, the future changes. It is those we meet that change us, Pharaoh."
And thus you had made your choice, without hesitation, to stay with us. You were even granted your own body. It was one of the happiest days of my life.

So I sneak out to the garden to see you
We keep quiet 'cause we're dead if they knew

So just like that, we had to return to Japan, back to normalcy. With the help of Kaiba, we were able to get you your own identity, with a bona fide birth certificate and everything. We even enrolled you in school for the next semester, in our same grade level.
It was after school, a few days later, when you pulled me aside, away from the rest of the gang. On this day, "our spot" was established, as well as our love story.
I chuckle softly to myself, as I remember this particular day. My love story, from my point of view, started when I first heard your voice.

So close your eyes
Escape this town for a little while

You approached me that day, do you remember? You took my hand and told me you had a surprise for me. You made me wear a blindfold the whole time! I was nervous at first, but I knew I could trust you with my life, if need be. When we got to the place, you lifted my blindfold. The ocean was so beautiful, a calm blue. I remember you gave me your jacket because I was shivering so much from the cold. You were always so sweet and considerate.
"Pharaoh," I began, but you put your finger to my lips.
"In this day, in this world, I am no longer Pharaoh. Plus, we have gone through too much together to bother with needless formalities. You helped me remember my name. It only seems right that you should use it, don't you agree?" You smiled that smile for me, the one where that twinkle reaches your eyes. The eyes that I always seem to get lost in.
"Atemu," I said, grinning at you, "where did you find this place?"
"Grandfather took me here this morning. We wandered for a bit and stumbled upon this secluded cove. Do you like it, Anzu?" You were standing so close to me, your hands on my shoulders. My heart was beating so loud it was a wonder you couldn't hear it.
"It's beautiful," I replied. "It would be a wonderful spot for bonfires with the gang, right?" I looked over to the ocean and took in the view. The sun was beginning to set so the sky was a wonderful mix of red and orange.
"Actually, Anzu…" you looked towards the ground and, nervously, shuffled your feet for a few seconds, then looked at me. "I want this to be our special place. I want you, and you only, to always share this with me. You've done so much for me, facing the dangers with me, even though no one would have blamed you for running away. And after the Ceremonial Duel, you taught me the beauty of choice. I had always scorned fate and destiny for taking my life away. But you brought it back. You made me realize that I do have a right to my own life. And indeed, now I have my own life, my own body, my own right to exist. I want to share that with you, Anzu."
I was very much taken aback. You have always been a man of few words and to hear you say this much, with so much passion and meaning… I couldn't help but start to cry.
"Oh, Atemu," I said, tears running down my face, "I would never run away from my friends, from you, no matter how hard things get. You mean so much to me, to all of us. You are our hero, always doing the right thing, no matter how life threatening the task, or how much we were against the odds. You relentlessly fought to protect a world you knew almost nothing about. You speak to me of bravery but you were the bravest of us all."
"And yet," you said, wistfully, as your hands cup my face, "this next battle is one that may be the hardest of all. My palms are sweaty, my knees are threatening to buckle, my heart feels like I'm running a marathon."
"Atemu? What battle?"
"The battle," you replied, as you bring your face closer to mine, "for your heart. I love you, Anzu. I always have."
And you brought those lips, those deliciously full lips, to my own and kissed me.
"Oh, Atemu," I whispered, my lips still against yours, "I love you, too."
We watched the sunset, wrapped in each other's arms. The view took my breath away. You, once again, took my heart.

'Cause you were Romeo, I was a scarlet letter
And my daddy said stay away from Juliet

We spent the remainder of our high school days together, our friends supporting us all the way. It was exhilarating, living our fantasy life, but reality soon caught up with us. It was almost time to graduate and we had to think about the future. I was accepted into Domino University as an intended psychology major. Honda also got accepted, as an intended education major. He wanted to be a teacher. Kaiba had invited you, Jounouchi, and Yuugi to work for him as spokespersons for his company. It made sense, I suppose, as you three are among the top duelists in the world. Unfortunately, this meant that all three of you would spend a lot of time away from home, promoting KaibaCorp's newest technology worldwide.
Especially you, Atemu, since you are the King of Games, Kaiba relied heavily on you. On almost all the tournaments Kaiba had launched, you had to be there.
I had always tried to see you off with a smile because I didn't want to be the needy, clingy girlfriend. But it was so hard and it got harder with every subsequent departure.

But you were everything to me
I was begging you please don't go and I said

My friends from university tried to get me to forget you, that you were a world famous celebrity and that you had probably forgotten me. In fact, they're still trying to set me up on dates. But I can't, Atemu, because anywhere I look, you're always there, in my mind's eye. Even though we've spent more time apart than together, you still have my heart.

Romeo take me somewhere we can be alone
I'll be waiting all there's left to do is run

I shiver as the temperature drops a few more degrees. Oh, Atemu, it hurts so much to be without you. We used to talk everyday and your voice had always been the lifeline I needed to go on. Now, I'm lucky if I can talk to you once a week. What has happened to us? Where is my love story now?

You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess
It's a love story baby just say yes

I remember the words you had said when we last spoke. I had told you that I was starting to doubt our relationship, that it was hurting too much to be away from you. Can you believe that I was ready to let you go, right then?
"Wait for me," you had pleaded. "Love will find a way. Believe in me. I will always be near you. We have our spot, remember?"

Romeo save me, they try to tell me how to feel

Your face is all over the news, they have billboards of you. Working for the number one company in technology didn't hurt, either. Everywhere I go, I am haunted by your face. Every time I see you in magazines, they always have a shot of you surrounded by so many people. And you always look so happy. Am I not enough anymore?
Everyone, my schoolmates, even the gang, thought it best that I just move on. That I shouldn't wait for you, that I shouldn't put my life on pause to wait for a guy who can spend so much time doing interviews but can't spare 5 minutes to talk to his old friends.
But I refused to be daunted.

This love is difficult, but it's real

I couldn't forget you, even if I wanted to. Even if you forgot me, I would always treasure our time together. But sometimes, I wish we were still saving the world, just so I can have you near me.
How did it come to this? Was love supposed to be this hard? You had told me to wait, to not be afraid because love will find our way. I stare out into the ocean and tried to recall what you had said...

Don't be afraid, we'll make it out of this mess
It's a love story baby just say yes
Oh oh

Diligently, I visited our spot everyday and pretended that you were next to me, wrapping your arms around me. This was the place where I felt closest to you. I always went alone, respecting your wish to have this place exclusively for us.
But "us" consisted of me and a shadow of what could have been, should have been. My friends were right; I couldn't continue this farce of a relationship any longer. My heart cannot take it anymore.

I got tired of waiting
Wondering if you were ever coming around

I gaze upon the ocean, watching the waves crash along the shore and wonder if you were really going to come today. You were back in town and had asked me to meet you here. I decided earlier on that this would be my last time coming here. I planned to end it all today. But I've been waiting for almost 3 hours already. I look around and there is still no sign of you. Maybe I didn't need to end this after all. Your actions have done that for me.
I sigh and start to walk out of the cove. I walk slowly, always turning my head to see if you had shown up. I continue like this for awhile, eventually reaching an old harbor. It had been put into disuse when the newer one was constructed. The wood is so old and rotten, the city had to put up a warning sign so people won't come here.
Which is just as well because I wasn't ready to face anyone just yet.

My faith in you is fading

I walk along the harbor, the rotting wood creaking under my weight. I think about those days when we used to sit together during lunch hour, when all we had to worry about was passing that final. Ah, life was simple then, wasn't it? Even when we had to save the world, it was simple. But I have to move on; I can't just live in the past for the rest of my life.

When I met you on the outskirts of town, and I said

Tears fall from my eyes. I don't want to say goodbye but my heart is breaking. I can't live off of false hopes. I keep walking. The wood is creaks loudly beneath me but I don't care. All I can think about is you.

Romeo save me I've been feeling so alone

I reach the end of the harbor, my heart in pieces. The wind is blowing harder now, whipping my hair around my face. The sun is beginning to set, just as my heart is. It's funny how the first time we started our relationship was during a sunset and now it ends with one.
Wiping my tears, I start to turn around and head back. Life, after all, must go on.

I keep waiting for you but you never come

With a loud crack, I can feel the wood beneath me break. I reach out my arm in vain, for there is nothing I can hold on to.
I grasp at air.
Oh, God, I'm going to die. I can't swim, after all. I call for help but there's no one around me for miles.
The sun continues to set, as if echoing my demise.
I close my eyes, recalling my memories of you. At least you'll be the last thought in my mind...

Is this in my head? I don't know what to think

"Anzu!"
I smile as I can hear your voice in my head. That deep baritone voice I had fallen in love with so long ago. Where it all started.

He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring, and said

"Anzu!"
I snap my eyes open and I see you running towards me arms outstretched. Your beautiful face is scrunched in worry as you make your way towards me.
"Y-you came," I quietly say to myself and I can feel the tears coming again. You call my name again as you continues to run, the wood creaking loudly, but I know you won't make it in time.
"Atemu, stay back!" I warn. "It's dangerous! You could fall!"
Why? Why are you here now? After all the other times I needed you, you weren't there… And now, when it's too late…
"Wait for me. Love will find a way." Your words echo in my head. Images of us flash through my mind and I realize that I have to keep trying, that I have to believe in you. In us. I stretch out my arm, as far as I can, crying out your name.
"Atemu!"

Marry me Juliet
You'll never have to be alone

Miraculously, your fingers find mine. But the momentum is too much as you fall into the freezing water with me. You never let go of my hand, however, and we resurface.

I love you and that's all I really know

"Hold onto me," you say. "I won't let you go. You forget that I can swim." You smirk at me. I hold tightly onto you and we—you—swim back to the beach. You give me your jacket, just as you did on that day. Upon remembering, I start crying again. You start to hold me but I push you away.
"You should have left me! Why do you do this? You stopped calling me, ignored me! You promised you would be here! I tried to understand, I know that Duel Monsters is your passion but I was so alone... I didn't know what to do... I waited so long... I thought you had forgotten me," I tremble as I speak, each word like a poison upon my tongue. I toss your jacket back to you and turn to walk away from you. I couldn't look at you, for if I did, I could never end this.
"I'm sorry," you say, grabbing my arm and turning me around to face you. "I know I had been paying more attention to my job. I was wrong. I took advantage of you, thinking you would always be here, waiting for me. Duel Monsters is my passion but you, Anzu, are my life. I know that now and a million apologies will never be enough. I wanted to meet you here tonight because I need to tell you something." You stroke my cheek and gaze into my eyes.
"You taught me so much about this world, Anzu," you continue. "Our adventures taught me to value the little things in life but somewhere along the way, I forgot that. Talking to you the other night made me realize that things, people, are not so firmly held. You taught me about the power of choice. You chose to wait all this time when you could have just moved on. Now, it is my turn to choose what I will do with my life, as I did so long ago."

You reach your hand into your pocket and pulled out a small box.

I talked to your dad, go pick out a white dress

"Earlier today," you continue, "I talked to the gang. I apologized for neglecting them and hurting you. I also told them what I had planned to do." You smile at me, that same smile I fell in love with. "We have their approval, even Kaiba's."
"Approval?" I asked, my heart beating faster. "I don't understand."
You got down on one knee. You open the box, revealing a diamond ring.
"Will you marry me?"

It's a love story baby just say yes

I stand there, gaping at you. I don't know what to say! I close my eyes as all of our memories flash in my mind. I remember the day we met, our times in class when we were together, when we cut school just to go to our spot, all our obstacles.... How could I let that all go? It may have been in the past but it was our past.
I open my eyes, tears streaming down my face but, this time, in complete happiness.

Oh, oh, oh, oh
'Cause we were both young when I first saw you

"Yes."

------------------------

First fic, guys. Be nice. I accept constructive criticism only.