Full Summary: Someone Anzu hasn't seen for two years becomes the new teacher's assistant in the science class she's struggling in. Is he who she thinks he is? Between tutoring and partnering for dance with Ishtar Marik, the best male dancer in the school, things get complicated, and not just for her. Some yaoi, mostly revloutionshipping!

A/N: Welcome to my new story! This one is called "Beside You" and was inspired by the song of the same title by Mariana's Trench. The main shipping in this one is revolutionshipping because Yami and Anzu are so perfect together! There will eventually be some angstshipping which is Marik and Ryou and therefore yaoi, so you have been warned. All you need to know about this story is that it is canon to what is commonly known as "Season 0" but I assure you that you DO NOT I repeat DO NOT have to have read or watched that part of Yu-Gi-Oh to understand this story. I will explain before every chapter anything that you might not understand if you haven't read/watched that part of the series.

For this chapter just keep in mind, during "Season 0" or the first seven chapters of the manga, no one knew who Yami was; they thought he was simply a more mature personality of Yuugi's. Now, on with the story!

Disclaimer: Not Mine!

*Flashback One*

"I am Masahashi-sensei and I will be your teacher for the year. As many of you are aware I wasn't present for the first week of classes because of my wife's health problems concerning the birth of our first child. I apologize and also apologize in advance if there are periods of time when I cannot be present in the future. To remedy the problem the school has given me a teaching assistant. Mutou-san has been studying for two years at the Domino University to become a teacher and is more than capable of helping you. I know you will welcome him warmly to our school."

Anzu watched the front of the room with interest as the middle aged teacher introduced the much younger man. She had heard a lot about Masahashi-sensei last year during the hype about his wife's pregnancy and when she found out he was her teacher this year for grade twelve science she had looked forward to it until she caught wind of the rumours.

Evidently they were true as he had just explained.

She hadn't heard anything about this new TA though. He stood beside and just a little behind Masahashi-sensei respectfully, a serious but calm look on his face. He must have been an excellent student because she'd never seen anyone hire a TA who looked like that before.

His stoic expression was almost completely negated by the crazily spiked hairdo he sported with jagged golden blond bangs framing his face, jutting up into six spikes. The voluminous spikes themselves were black with a magenta rim that was a strange cross between satanic and your typical punk style.

Around his neck was a black choker that contrasted once again with his neat dress shirt and pants. His entire outlook was full of opposites but the one thing that tied it together defying the punk look his hair and choker gave him was his intense gaze that swept across the classroom.

From the third row back Anzu narrowed her eyes, trying to block out the serious look and his height which couldn't be over six feet...with those gone there was only one guy she knew who looked like that. She turned to her right just in time to see Yuugi Mutou grinning cheekily as he met his almost absolute twin's eyes at the front of the room.

*Flashback Two*

"This is getting ridiculous! It's hard enough to figure out which element goes with the other without having to listen to all that giggling," Anzu complained heartily to Miho who sighed leaning her cheek on her hand, purple ponytail draped over one shoulder.

"I know what you mean; they always swarm him after class with useless questions. He's kind of cute in a scary way but I actually need help with my homework and they're always in the way!" Honda's gaze snapped up, glaring daggers at the TA who was leaning against the desk at the front of the room looking aloof.

Turning back to the girls he said, "Ribbon-chan, I could help you with your science homework better then that guy. He's too busy with his fan club." The eager to please expression on his face turned a little bitter at the mention of a fan club though a couple girls who squealed over how cute he was during group work like this didn't really count in Anzu's opinion.

"It's alright Honda, I already set up a time with him after school once a week. I'm a little nervous though he seems sort of...harsh," This last said in an almost whisper for fear of him overhearing though there wasn't much to overhear in the loud chatter that filled the room.

"I think people should just leave the poor guy alone. He's two years outta high school and he barely even looks like a teacher so people are judging him left right and centre. Come on, the guys only human, give him a break," Jounouchi said, leaning back in his chair as he waved his hand in the air casually.

The words could almost have been taken as serious except that his chair tipped a little too far tilting him backward crazily. He would have fallen but Honda caught the back of the chair, holding him firmly in place.

"I don't care what anyone says; as far as I'm concerned the guys got brains and looks but no personality. You can dress however you want but all he does is stand there and glare a lot," Jounouchi's saviour said stubbornly, still clearly jealous.

"I suppose you think you got it all then, eh? And I didn't need your help," Jounouchi growled in his usual way of talking to the dark haired boy who, despite constantly hitting on Jounouchi's cherished younger sister, was also one of his best friends.

"Damn right I do," He replied with a self satisfying grin as he released the chair, sending the blond toppling to the floor with an indignant cry.

"I wouldn't worry Miho," Yuugi said kindly, smiling innocently at the girl across the table. "My cousin can be blunt but he's a good guy," He assured her and Anzu blinked in surprise. Sneaking a glance to the front of the room she looked at Mutou-san uncertainly.

Though they had similar hair which Yuugi claimed was natural since their fathers were twins, there was still something that didn't sit quite right with her. Yuugi had a childish charm about him, sweet and innocent which got him lots of girls cooing over how cute he was but that man at the front of the room was just that –a man.

There was nothing childish about him despite the similar features he shared with his cousin.

It wasn't just that he was taller; it was something about that gaze...it was a familiar gaze. Not familiar because it reminded her of Yuugi but familiar because she had looked into those eyes once before. It had been two years ago but she still remembered...

"Well it's not like he's done anything wrong yet has he? Jounouchi's right, we shouldn't judge him unless we have something to judge and so far...we don't," Bakura said, obviously trying to smooth over the situation while snapping Anzu out of her thoughts.

"I didn't know Jounouchi was capable of being right," Honda teased as the guy in question dragged himself up off the floor, glaring at him.

"More like you didn't want to believe you could be wrong ya over stuffed peacock," He retorted, lunging with both hands for Honda's carefully formed brown hair. He sat back calmly allowing Jounouchi to realize the folly in his plan to late as he crashed back to the floor.

"Are you alright Katsuya-san?" Asked a cool polite voice from behind Anzu and all of the people at the table seemed to freeze.

"Fine," Jounouchi grunted, hoisting himself back up onto his chair again.

"Y –um, Mutou...san...I wouldn't worry about him, he's used to it," Yuugi said cheerfully and the TA tossed him an amused look at the small stumble on his name. So his name started with a 'Y'? Somehow it didn't surprise her, though she had never known his real name, if he had even had one when they first met.

"So it would appear, Mutou-san," He replied with a tiny lilt of sarcasm to his voice though it was almost lost in the chilling depth of his tone. She had heard that tone many times before. He turned to go with a small nod to the rest of the group who were hurriedly scribbling on their papers as though deep in thought.

Anzu watched out of the corner of her eye as a small smile curled his lips before his gaze flickered to her paper. She flinched and lowered her gaze in embarrassment but he barely hesitated before moving on without saying a word.

She looked up again to watch him go, wondering at why he hadn't called her out. It was one of many 'whys' she was containing about his current behaviour. When she looked back at her friends only Yuugi's eyes were on her and he just shrugged slightly and said, "I told you he's a good guy."

*Flashback 3*

"Do you understand everything?" The woman asked in a kind voice as Anzu stared at the paper in front of her blankly, amber eyes clouded with doubts.

"So...I have something called EFD?" She asked in a miserable voice.

"It's an Executive Functions Disorder and its nothing to be ashamed of," The psychologist told her soothingly. Her tone just made Anzu want to scream even more then she already did.

She had always known she was bad at math and logic puzzles and accepting changes but this was taking it too far! Her brain was messed up? Great, nothing to be ashamed of, not at all.

"Thank you its...it's better to know then to be left in the dark," Her mother said, squeezing her daughters hand lightly as though knowing her words would be of little condolence. It doesn't matter; Anzu thought stubbornly, I won't let this change anything.

"You may want to seek extra help for your daughter if she's not already involved in any. This last year is going to be very tough for her to succeed in both math and science."

Well so much for not changing anything...

*Flashback 4*

Yami swung the door closed, shifting the keys in his mouth with a small wince as the metal bit into his cheek before crossing to the small table in his kitchenette where he placed his groceries then hastily removed the keys from his mouth.

Next time he'd just put the bags down he determined, staring hopelessly at the mess of papers and files scattered about the table and on the floor. The only relatively clean area in the tiny dining room was where his laptop sat, screen glowing and ready for work.

The phone rang, breaking him out of his short moment of uncertainty. Crossing the room to the landline he picked it up curiously, knowing only a few people who had this number.

"Moshi-moshi?" He said in more of a questioning way then a real greeting.

"Hey, it's me," A familiar voice chirped and sighed slightly in relief.

"Yuugi," He said in a warmer tone. "Haven't seen enough of me lately?" He teased, cradling the phone between his shoulder and ear and stretching the cord to its limit as he moved to start putting the groceries away. With a small salary and little to go off of, rotten food was unacceptable.

"Well it's not like I can walk up to and start talking in the middle of class. Half the people already think we're brothers," There was a small pause on his end then, "How are you?"

"Still alive," The older replied in a slightly bitter tone.

"Yami" –

"Its fine, nobody seems to recognize or remember me...which is also fine," Yami sighed, switching the phone to his other ear as he leaned back on the counter top. "Has anyone said anything to you about me?" He asked, dreading the answer.

"Nobody's said anything to me explicitly..." Yuugi replied hesitantly but there was doubt in his voice. Longing panged inside Yami's heart, wishing the answer was different.

"Good," Was all he said in a dark tone, even knowing they both knew it was a lie. Yuugi was one of his few soft spots, along with several of the other students in the classroom he was assisting in this semester.

It was ironic how the past seemed to come back to haunt him so beautifully...and despite it all he found himself wanting to walk over and talk to them even though it was unlikely that they remembered him as more than a vague memory.

"So if that's not why you called, then what's your reasoning?" He finally asked, wondering if Yuugi would call him if someone brought up the past. Seeing them all for the first time in two years on that day had made him wonder if any of them would buy the story about Yuugi's near twin cousin but it seemed that they had accepted it without doubt.

"Um...well...it's about her..."

"Anzu?" Yami replied in surprise and Yugi made a sound of agreement. "Do you need dating advice?" His older 'cousin' asked semi-seriously though he couldn't help a small smirk at the idea of Yugi calling him for dating advice with that person. His life would be so ironic.

"N-Nani? No! You know I don't have those feelings for her...at least not anymore! I wouldn't do that to you! And she's one of my best friends!" Yami chuckled, enjoying the flustered sound of his voice.

"Fine, fine, what then?" He asked, cutting him a break. Besides, the idea of Yuugi dating Anzu was just too painful when she didn't even seem to remember him.

"Well...she's been having these assessments done lately because of her low math marks and she called me to tell me about the results...she says it's something called Executive Functions Disorder and that her parents want her to come in for tutoring in science to raise her average. Since you're the tutor right now I wanted to tell you...she's very upset about this and she seems...nervous about you. I think she might suspect...I don't want to raise any false hopes but she's been acting strangely even before she got the results. If anyone could remember you, it's her," Yuugi said in an uncertain but also honest tone as he relayed the information.

Yami felt hot and cold at the same time, not sure what to say. Yuugi knew him better than anyone else in the world, he knew or at least suspected how he felt about no one recognizing him after only two years. Especially her. It was wounded him in more than just his ego.

"Do you want me to talk to her?"

"Well you're not supposed to know yet..." Yugi trailed off doubtfully.

"Well I did see some of her work before and I know a little about the disorder. I could approach her about it," Yami said with a small sigh. How he got himself caught up in these dramas he had no clue but it was part of why he was so interested in teaching.

Unlike an office job it held a little excitement and change with each new class. Yugi thanked him profusely then hung up claiming that he had to go for dinner. Also returning his phone to the hook, he thought about the girl in question.

True he had seen her work sheet once, briefly, noting how she only half completed her formulas, ending them with huge question marks or SOS signs. She had looked away, hiding her eyes from him with a shamed look on her face.

As a teacher it was his job to help her. As a human being he hadn't called her out in front of her friends, knowing she was already embarrassed to have him see it. As someone from her past who she may or may not remember he was uncertain about whether it would even be considered appropriate to approach her.

There was so much he was still figuring out, as a teacher assistant and further more in his own life with his own confusing emotions. He had been dormant for three thousand years before he awoke within Yuugi...at that time they had met briefly and he had adopted Yuugi's feelings as his own.

Why was it that after they separated those feelings had stayed? How was it that when he returned after two years of trying to figure out his own life in this new world that he was just as confused while they all seemed to move on? And where did that leave him now except in an emotional swamp?

*Flashback 5*

"Anzu are you feeling alright? You've been very quiet today," Ryou asked sweetly and she offered him a bleak smile in return that didn't reach her dark sombre eyes.

"I guess I've just been a little distracted by dance," She replied, a viable excuse since she was often exhausted from her training. He nodded, accepting her words whether he knew it was a lie or not and left, allowing her to finish packing up her books alone.

She was exhausted, not from dance but because she hadn't been able to sleep last night, brain churning with the idea of having a learning disorder. She hadn't told anyone but Yuugi, knowing Jounouchi and Honda would be completely insensitive about it and Ryou would feel awkward if he knew, unsure of how to treat her. Miho would try to be nice but probably end up making her feel worse. In the end she could only trust Yugi not to embarrass her.

"Mazaki-san," A sighing voice reached her ears, light yet with so much depth it made you wonder if each word contained its own story. Anyone who didn't know him, as many of the students had discovered upon talking him, found it unnerving if not downright frightening to hear such a voice come out of a teacher.

It certainly was unnerving but not necessarily unpleasant in her opinion. Either way, she knew exactly who it was as she looked up hastily, almost dropping her books in surprise when she saw Mutou-san standing on just the other side of her desk, hands tucked casually in his pockets.

"M-Mutou-san," She stammered in reply, bowing respectfully. She moaned to herself, knowing he would think she had some silly crush on him now just because he was the only teacher or TA with a sense of style.

Normally she was never nervous about talking to people, but just knowing that this was her optimum opportunity to ask him for help...she felt so uncertain about it. After all, she barely knew this man! What right did he have to her personal information?

"I've noticed you struggling with your work," He said and she was startled all over again by his straightforwardness. Yugi had said he could be blunt but that almost seemed rude. His serious expression softened a little so that those strangely shaped crimson eyes that made him seem almost foreign didn't seem to glare down on her quite so much.

"I apologize for being so abrupt. I should have approached you earlier when I noticed but I didn't want to make you uncomfortable in front of your friends." She nodded slightly, a grateful smile finding her lips for a brief moment.

It was a surprisingly kind gesture, especially from a teacher. Despite her uncertainty over seeing the spitting image of that person reappear in her life again, she knew it was silly to be so worked up over it. He looked like him and talked like him but how would she ever know?

They had barely had time to meet before he disappeared. Yuugi didn't like to talk about 'the other Yuugi' so she tried to not to bring him up, especially because no one else seemed to hold any specific memories of him. Sure such events were hard to forget but they just referred to it as Yuugi having done those things...almost as though he never existed. Whoever he really was.

"I did want to offer though, that I stay after school most days. If it makes you more comfortable you could come in with your friend Nosaka-san." She blinked wide amber eyes up at him in surprise, brushing back her shoulder length chocolate coloured hair self-consciously.

"Thank you...Mutou-san. I will consider it," She gave another small bow and he nodded in approval.

"It is up to you of course, but just remember, it's an open offer for the semester," He replied in a once again reserved voice before leaving her just as suddenly as he came.

A/N: So...what do people think? I'm going to say right now, this story is going to be a long one but I'm totally in love with the plot and the characters so I'm hoping people enjoy it. I would appreciate all constructive criticism and compliments; they help so much in the writing process! Thanks to any or all readers ;)