XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Chapter 4: Should I have Known

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They were dripping wet as they arrived at Yugi's house. Both of them were shivering when they entered his home.

Anzu pulled out some towels and blankets and led them both to the living room. She told him to sit down and get comfortable while she went to get something for them to drink. It could give her some time to think of what to say. She boiled up some water and went to look for the Cocoa Mix.

'Oh jeez what am I doing?' she thought to herself. 'What do I do? How should I tell him?' Anzu muttered her thoughts while mixing the Cocoa mix into the hot water for some heart warming hot chocolate. She knew this was their favorite. 'They aren't so different.' Anzu smiled and poured the hot liquid into two coffee cups. For the finishing touch, she added marshmallows that she knew Yami could not resist. Anzu grabbed the cups in her hands and walked out of the kitchen.

'Maybe I should start with the weather?' Anzu blew at her hot chocolate. She shook her head. 'I'm an idiot,'

"Nasty weather huh?" Yami spoke up, while looking out the windows and tightening the blanket around him.

'Or maybe not,' Anzu looked at his wet hair and had to hold in a giggle. It didn't matter, it seemed Yami sensed her laughing and lifted an eyebrow. "It's nothing," Anzu told him.

Anzu took a sip. The hot chocolate traveled down her throat and if felt like it went to her very core, warming it up immediately. She opened an eye and looked at Yami who sat next to her. He probably felt the same thing as her. He always likes hot chocolate in the cold days.

"Hey why don't I turn on the heater? That way we might have a chance of not freezing to death," she laughed and Yami found himself smiling at her.

"Sounds very appealing," he went along with her and she gave him a bright smile. He had no idea he could do that to her, make her smile like that.

She came back and sat next to him. Closer then before, Yami noticed but he didn't mind when her warmth went through his cold, wet clothes to his very skin. It made him feel even more alive, more real that he could feel such warmth like this. It made him forget that he was borrowing Yugi's body.

There was an awkward silence that gave the two sometime to think and to drink the rest of their warm cocoa. Yami set down the cup, his whole insides felt warm. He turned to thank Anzu again but saw that her shoulders were shaking and her head bowed. Yami figured she was still cold since the heater hadn't turned on yet and wrapped his blanket around her. It wasn't then he notice that she wasn't shivering but crying. So softly that it could compare to the flutters of a butterfly's wing.

"Anzu?" Yami whispered, not wanting to scare her off. She seems so vulnerable all of a sudden. Yami laid down his mug on the coffee counter; he rested a hand on her shoulder, feeling her tremble beneath his touch. 'Something is really wrong,'

"I'm sorry," Anzu spoke. She looked up and wiped her tears away making sure Yami wouldn't see them. "That was weird," she joked but she could feel Yami still looking at her.

"You don't have to pretend anymore," Yami's words made Anzu turned to have a look at him. "I know there is something bothering you. I want to help," he had that determined look in his eyes. Anzu could see it plain as day. "Please,"

Anzu almost chocked on air. She didn't mean for this to go so far as to have him beg to help her. She didn't want him worrying over her. That was Yami though. Her very own knight in shining armor even to this moment. Anzu could feel the tears slipping again but this time instead of her hands wiping them away, it was Yami's. She closed her eyes feeling his touch so close and so warm she would think she was dreaming.

"There was always this feeling," she whispered so lowly Yami strained to hear her. "I thought it was coming from Yugi at first. We never noticed you by our side. I was so confused. I wish I knew you were in that puzzle. I would've seen it coming,"

"Anzu?" he spoke to her. He couldn't exactly understand what she was trying to tell him. What were the feelings she referred to?

"I didn't even know you but I felt as though I could never forget you. I felt so clueless that I couldn't even see that Yugi wasn't Yugi during the duels. It was you all along,"

The look she gave Yami, made him feel a bit smaller then usual. As if, she's trying to look into his very core to read him. He didn't know what to say. He wasn't aware of his surrounding during his duels. He figure he was drawn out and awaken to win the duels no matter what. He sensed what Yugi sensed at the time and act on those feelings when they got too strong. He didn't see someone was confused like him.

"I was so sure it was Yugi because every time Yugi would begin a duel, I would get this flutter in my stomach. When he dueled I felt like I could reach my heart out to him. Then we met you and I saw you instead of Yugi. You were so confident so unlike Yugi that it made me realize I was wrong all along," She sighed. "It was you then Yugi then back to you. It was never clear. Yugi was my childhood friend someone I bonded over the years and you were a spirit of the Millennium Puzzle and became the man of my fantasies,"

Yami blinked. Did he hear her right?

Anzu looked at his expression and laughed softly. "You both mattered to me so much, I don't think I can ever pick between you two."

"Then don't," Yami spoke in Yugi's behalf. He sensed that was what Yugi wanted to say.

"But it wouldn't be fair to you two,"

"You call us both Yugi,"

"I…everyone else did," She replied lamely.

"We are different sometimes," Anzu looked at Yami. "There are things I would do that Yugi wouldn't approve off," he admitted.

Immediately Anzu thought of Yami's dark powers to send someone's mind to the Shadow Realm. She agreed with Yugi on that one.

"But there is something that we don't differ from. Our friends, this deep need to protect everyone no matter what happen to us. In truth it was Yugi who taught me this," Yami's hand rolled into a fist. "And it was you who I wanted to protect the most,"

As always she was so mesmerized by him. His deep voice and his alluring words were so smooth, like silk. Her heart was pounding, she was so sure that it could be heard by Yami. Summoning her courage, she laid a hand on his rolled fist.

He stared at their hands until he laid his hand flat against her, his hand bigger then hers. They seem so comfortable there so they stood like that, Anzu laying her head on his firm strong shoulder. No wonder he seemed fine carrying the weight of the whole world on his shoulders, somehow he is able to still it hold up fine without difficulty.

It was getting late now, they both felt it and Anzu stoop up to leave. Her mother was probably worrying herself right now. Yami smiled and stoop up also to walk her to the door. She looked at him questioning.

"I'll walk you home," he said and Anzu knew she wouldn't have any protest to that. He slipped his finger through hers and she gripped his hand. It was only a soft drizzle by now.

Already at Anzu's front porch for more than 10 minutes he told her he had to get back. He left but not without giving her a kiss to the cheek. She blushed. He had his hands to her face for a while longer then needed and whispered to her.

"You really didn't have to shut yourself from us," Yami told her with a sad smile. In his head he could sense Yugi agreeing with him. Then he gave her that look that Anzu was so hell bent on seeing. "I will make sure that you never feel those emotions as long as I exist,"

What a bittersweet promise, Anzu had to think but she was so grateful. She gave him a teary smile and wrapped her arms around his neck. She wanted to pour all her love, until she felt she could die in his arms.

Yami can feel her trembling in his arms. It seemed so like her to brush away her own feelings for the sake of her friends. They had so much in common, Yami didn't know where to start. 'But,' he looked down at her petite form. 'if we weren't so preoccupied in trying to please others we wouldn't have been here,'

Who knew being selfless had its downs?

Yami blew at Anzu's flawless hair and sighed. She was done sobbing, sniffing now and then but not loosening her hold on Yami. She was afraid that he would disappear or Yugi would take his place. Her body grew ridged. Like hell was she ready to let him go.

All thoughts left her mind when she felt his chest heaving while he chuckled. She closed her eyes and gave out a low moan. This man can seriously be addicted at times, she wouldn't lie, he had the deepest chuckle that gave her the most joy out of anything else. He could leave her smiling for days without even knowing.

"You appeared to be okay now," Yami said to her, lowering his head to talk next to her ear.

"Mhmm," Anzu gave a short nod but Yami could feel her smiling. She wished she have done this sooner. Hugging him felt so good.

"The rain has stopped," Yami pointed out. Anzu opened her eyes, sure enough he was right. "There's the sun,"

"Look, it's a rainbow," Anzu pointed her finger at the sky. This radiant rainbow was the brightest one Anzu have ever seen. She looked at Yami to see him staring at it. His usual deep expression on. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he replied a second later and he looked at her again. "I just thought that they have amazing timing,"

She tilt her head, puzzled. Yami shook his head. "It's nothing," he said and kissed her nose. "Everything is going to get better, I promised,"

"Even a rainbow has to go away sometimes," she spoke softly. Yami nodded understanding what she meant.

"Well then, how about I promise you this? I will always be here for you so you can come to me whenever you want,"

"You could just tell me that if something is wrong with me, you will never me alone until I tell you," Anzu grinned.

Yami chuckled again. "Fair enough," This time when he leaned in, Anzu made sure she met him halfway.

XXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: So that's the end of that. Finally huh? Haha. I have to say this is my first time finishing a story. I'll give myself a pat on the back later.

Thanks for reading this story to the end. What do you think of the ending?