Epilogue: All Objects More Lovely

Joey hesitated in his report, staring at something over her shoulder. Serenity frowned and turned around; smiling as Yugi cautiously entered the hospital room, waving at the both of them before making a beeline for Yami. She heard Joey chuckle at that before he went back to what he had been saying before. "We found a bunch of stuff in the attic, everything you can imagine to contact someone after they've died. We found a bunch of Ouija boards, so that must have been what worked for her. But we did find that knife and Vivian's body…I don't know how we're going to write the official report on this."

"Just say she went crazy and believed herself to be possessed." The two turned to stare at Yugi. Yugi just shrugged, leaning forward to pull the sheet further up on Yami's body. "Most people would believe it from what you guys know about her and it's not that far from the truth."

"And what is the truth?" Joey leaned forward, looking between the two. "I just know that Vivian went crazy and killed people. I don't know the whole story or why my best bud ended up in the hospital."

Yugi didn't look over at them, Serenity throwing a glare in his direction before sighing. "I'll tell it to you sometime, Joey, I promise. Just as long as it's after you write up the official report."

The police officer grumbled but stood up, bidding them all a good day before walking out of the room. Serenity sighed and slumped back in her chair, allowing herself a small smile. Everything had turned out alright in the end, surprising for what had felt like three days out of a horror movie. She shifted in her seat, turning to stare at Yugi and Yami, shivering as she remembered what Yugi had turned into just hours earlier. She cleared her throat, Yugi just tipping his head to show that he heard her. "What happened? When Yami died, what happened?"

Yugi glanced up at her before sitting back, his eyes closing as he thought something over. "You probably don't want to know and I probably can't tell you."

"But you're going to anyway."

Yugi opened one eye and gave her part of a smile. "That sounds like an order."

"It can be." Serenity straightened up in her chair. "Because I think I have a right to know. After all, my husband is dead, I've been attacked by the ghost of a murderer, I've seen my brother's best friend in this hospital twice and now I can see ghosts."

"Oh." Yugi stared at her for a long moment before leaning forward, resting his elbows against his knees. "Alright Serenity, but I warned you. This is going to sound like something out of a book."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair, staring at the ground. Serenity shifted forward, having to lean even further out to even hear him as Yugi began to speak. "I'm about two hundred forty-seven thousand years old, give or take a few years. Honestly, I lost count. I died when I went hunting with the rest of the men from my clan. A deer's antler went right through my stomach and I died about an hour later in my mother's arms."

Yugi shivered at that, reaching up to wipe tears from his eyes before continuing. "So, Seto found me and I agreed to help him and became a reaper."

"R-reaper?" Serenity shivered, leaning back in her chair. "Like with the scythe and everything?"

Yugi raised his eyebrow, giving her a half smile before nodding. "Yeah, you saw it earlier. But that's what I am…what I really look like. This is just me trying to fit in with the rest of the world. Unlike ghosts, unless I look like that, I'm visible to every one, and I don't want to stay like that. I prefer to pretend that I'm still alive, sad as it is. But that's what I've been since I've died."

"So…you take people's souls when they die."

"Not exactly. There too many people in the world for that. I just go to the ones whose souls get stuck; we get the lists from the higher ups in the afterlife. But that's as organized as it gets." Yugi shrugged and glanced back at Yami. "That's about it actually."

Serenity raised her eyebrow, watching as Yugi settled back, the reaper still holding Yami's hand. There were still some things that Yugi hadn't told her, but Serenity was sure that he would just dodge around the questions. He was obviously too distracted with Yami at the moment. She settled back, staring at the two before shaking her head. But there was still one thing that she wanted to know. "So…I can see ghosts now?"

"Traumatic experience." Yugi didn't even look up from Yami. "It tends to change your perceptions. You should be fine though, just try not to speak aloud in public."

She nodded slowly, staring at the two before smiling and standing up. "I have to help my brother with his report. I'll be back to check on you two later."

Yugi must have waved good-bye to her, but she didn't see it, rushing out of the room to find a quiet place to sit and digest all the information that had been given to her.

It was brilliantly white, the glow almost obscuring all the other colors. Yami turned in place, his mouth open in awe as he stared at the towers of clouds and the blue sky. He couldn't remember how he had gotten here; just that he hadn't been able to breathe before he had come here. Yami let out a low whistle, turning in place.

"It's quite a place, isn't it?" He jumped at the familiar voice, turning around and staring at Solomon as the old miner approached. The tattered and stained clothes that the miner had worn in his life were gone, replaced with a clean suit that Solomon didn't seem to like at all. He kept tugging at the collar as he approached, giving Yami a smile. "I always feel like the damn thing is trying to choke me, but it is a special occasion."

"Yeah…special…"

He was giving a solid smack on his shoulder, Solomon glaring at him before straightening up. "Don't go mumbling on me now, boy."

"Sorry." Yami yelped as Solomon gave him a friendly smack before turning him around to face the towers of clouds. "Solomon, is this Heaven?"

"Yes and no." At Yami's confused look, Solomon sighed and reached up to tap the side of Yami's head. "You make it up in here. If you've been good, you imagine clouds and perfection and if you're bad, you imagine torment and pain. Of course, we're split up so none of us go wandering around into other places, but it's basically all in your head…or what's left of your head now that you've joined us. And we've got some people very excited to meet you."

Yami allowed himself to be towed along, trying to look everywhere at once. To his surprise, paradise seemed to be sparsely populated, stopping when they had walked for a while and there was no one to be seen. "Where is everyone?"

"They're staying back for a bit, letting you have this little meet and greet before we toss you out."

"W-what?"

"You don't belong here with us." Yami spun around, Duke laughing at the look of surprise on his face. The man pushed away from the spire of clouds that he was leaning against, Tomoya rushing over to Yami. Duke reached out to pat Yami's shoulder. "It was a close call, man, but you made it. You're just here because you want to see us and what is death without the illusion of seeing into the world beyond."

"I…I died?"

"Yes, and you were saved." Duke laughed again, turning to shout to someone behind him. "Was he always this slow?"

"Not my Yami." His mouth dropped open as he watched Tèa walk towards him, the woman smoothing out her long blue evening gown. "He was the sharpest boy I knew."

"T- Tèa?"

She smiled and nodded, Duke and Tomoya stepped aside so she could stand in front of him. "Hello Yami." She hissed, noticing the cuts and bruises on his face, reaching up to brush her fingers over them. "What happened to you?"

"Tèa!" Yami pulled her into a hug, ignoring her squeak of surprise. He didn't care where he was or who was around him, he got to hug one of his best friends again. He didn't even realize that he was crying until he spoke, his knees giving out and the both of them sinking to the cloud that they were standing on. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Hush…"

"I didn't mean to… I should have done something before, and then you would be alive. Or I should have…I should have-" He was stopped by a finger resting on his lips, Tèa smiling as she tipped his chin up so she could look at him.

"Don't be. I'm the one who should be sorry." She reached back to push a strand of brown hair behind her ear. "I never got to thank you, Yami."

"Thank me?"

"Yes. You took care of me for all those years and you married me, even though you didn't have to. You just wanted the best for me and I never thanked you for it. I may have had cancer and was dying slowly but, damn it, those were the best years of my life. So thank you, and stop blaming yourself for what happened, it was a quicker way to go than to die slowly by cancer." She paused, brushing the bangs back from his face as she shook her head. "But you blamed yourself, didn't you? My poor boy."

He clung to her as he sobbed, barely noticing that the others around him were backing away, disappearing into the clouds around them. All he cared about was the feeling of Tèa in his arms, her hair brushing across his face as she leaned over him and held him close, rocking him until he had spent all of his tears. Only then did she tip his face back up again and give him a kiss on the forehead. "I can't call you mine anymore, can I?"

"You can…always…"

"I know, but I want you to be happy, Yami. You spent so much of your life caring for me when you should have been doing something to make you happy. So, for you, go and find someone. And, for once, just be happy." He started to stutter out an explanation, stopped as she kissed him on the lips, just a quick chaste kiss, the kind that they had shared their entire married lives together. "Shut up, and be happy, Yami. Find yourself a nice guy, you deserve it. It's not your fault that I fell in love with you." She made a playful swipe as his shoulder. "Darn you for being so handsome and nice and then deciding that you liked men."

Yami smiled, sighing and resting his head on her shoulder. "I love you, never as I should have, but I do."

"I know and I don't care." Tèa pressed a kiss to his forehead. "I love you too. Now go."

She let go of him, Yami feeling himself floating away as she stood up. He smiled and stood up, watching her as everything else faded around him, leaving only her and the glow surrounding her. Tèa smiled at him and raised a hand to wave, Yami returning the motion before everything went black.

He wasn't sure how long he remained unconscious, not sure that any time had even passed. Whether it was mere seconds or eternities, he found himself struggling towards consciousness, annoyed by the steady beep of something close to him. Yami groaned, immediately regretting making the sound, it had hurt. Blearily, he opened his eyes, staring at the machine that was beeping and watching the line that showed his heart rate without real understanding. It was only when he felt something tighten around his hand that he turned his head and smiled. "Yugi."

The reaper smiled back at him, leaning forward and nearly clambering up on the bed to get close. Yami raised his head slightly before letting it rest back against the pillow; Yugi taking the invitation to rest his forehead against Yami's the two of them smiling at each other. Yugi used his free hand to wipe the tears that were trailing down his cheeks, Yami watching him with worry. "I thought that we had lost you."

"No." Yami coughed, wincing as it hurt his throat. It would be easier to just not talk, but Yugi needed to hear his voice. Yugi had lost him twice within a short period of time; it was a wonder that the reaper was even sane. Yami swallowed and tried again. "I had a few people to visit with before I could come back, to make sure that they were safe."

Yugi stared at him for a moment before tipping his head to the side. "Tèa?"

"Yeah." Yami tried to sit up, Yugi pushing him back down. The reaper settled on the bed beside him, still holding his hand. Yami turned his head to rest against Yugi's thigh with a sigh. "She told me to stop moping around."

Yugi laughed. "Good advice. I wish I could have met her."

"I think she would have liked you. You two could have tormented me." Yugi laughed at that, Yami yawning and closing his eyes. "She was always teasing me…"

"You poor thing." Yugi muffled his laughter, shifting slightly but not getting up from the bed. "Rest now, it's all taken care of."

"Right." He felt Yugi tense, opening one eye to look up at the reaper, noticing that Yugi was thinking hard about something. Yami shifted so the back of his head knocked against Yugi's side, the move bringing the reaper's attention back to him. "What are you thinking about?"

"What happens after you get out of here?"

"Oh."

Yugi nodded slowly, glancing at him before staring at the doors. "Would you consider coming with me?"

"With you? Back to Japan?"

"You don't have to if you don't want to." Yugi looked back at him, smiling and trying to hide the disappointment in his eyes. "But I was just hoping…"

"What would a reaper be without his balance?" Yugi stared at him, Yami dragging himself up slightly so he was pressed more against Yugi. "Give me time to get better and sell my house. Then I'll come with you."

"Really?"

"Promise." Yami turned his head to kiss Yugi's arm, not sure that the reaper felt it through the long sleeved shirt that he wore. He settled back down onto the pillows, feeling Yugi bury a hand in his hair and gently rub his scalp. Yami hummed in thanks before slipping off to sleep, cuddling up against Yugi.

Two Years Later

Yugi turned at the familiar voice that shouted his name, standing on his tiptoes to see through the crowd of people in the airport before smiling and waving at the group of people that were walking towards him. By his side, Sugoroku twisted slightly before turning his attention back to the gate.

Ryou was the one to break into a jog to reach Yugi first, nearly jumping in place with his excitement. "Is he here yet?"

"Plane is just pulling in." Sugoroku glanced at the rest of the people that were coming up, shaking his head. "Between you and Yugi, I don't know who's worse."

"Probably Yugi."

Yugi glared at his friend before turning around to stare at the gate. It wasn't his fault that he was a bit eager. He had waited two years to see his balance again, their sporadic conversations on the phone not enough for him. He wanted to be able to hold his balance close and be sure that Yami was really there, and that he hadn't disappeared on him.

He yelped as Sugoroku grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to stand still. "Would you stop moving? I'm getting motion sick from just standing here with you."

"Respect your elders."

"Yeah, I will when you act it." Yugi stared at Sugoroku in shock, the elderly man winking at him before looking back at the gate, leaning over to one side before breaking into a smile. "Oh, I think I see him."

Yugi immediately stood up on his tiptoes, trying to see over the heads of the taller people, getting a glimpse of Yami as he slipped through the crowd. His balance navigated through the rush of people that were coming from the gate, spotting them easily and breaking into a run, dropping his bag on the floor by Ryou's feet before scooping up Yugi into a hug.

Yugi found that he couldn't stop laughing, clinging to Yami as the two spun in a circle before Yami let the reaper down, not relinquishing the hold that he had on Yugi's hand. "Sorry about the wait."

"It's fine." Yugi shot a glare at Sugoroku as the elderly man grumbled, reaching down to pick up Yami's carry-on. "I'm just glad that you're here."

Yami nodded, sticking his free hand into his pocket and looking at the ground behind Yugi. "Care to introduce me?"

"Ah, yes. This is Seto, Kisara, Ryou and Bakura. They're the…group that helps out around here."

"Only three?"

"Three of the best." Yugi beamed at Yami before turning to Sugoroku. "And this is my son. Technically, there a lot of greats in there, but I basically raised him."

"Pleased to meet you." Sugoroku took Yami's hand and shook it before beginning to walk away from the gate. "Come on, Yugi, I have a shop to run and dinner won't cook itself. And I'm sure that Seto has more jobs for you to do."

Yugi winced, glancing over at Seto to see his boss smirking. Seto just shrugged, offering Kisara his arm as they turned to walk out of the airport. "I didn't get a break when I found my balance."

"Seto…"

"No, Yugi."

He pouted as he followed them out of the airport, brightening up when Yami put an arm over his shoulders. "I'll just have to wait up for you then?"

"Probably."

"Ah, that'll give me time to find the pictures from the wedding."

"Wedding?"

Yami stared at him before nodding. "Yeah, I told you about it remember? Joey and Mai?"

Yugi nodded, blushing as he realized that he had forgotten about it in the rush of work that had been waiting for him when he had gotten back to Domino. To his relief, Yami just smiled and pulled him into a tight hug. "I thought as much. Have things over here really been as bad as all of that?"

"No." Yugi ducked his head, his blush deepening. "It was just hard because you were so far away." He scrubbed a hand over his face, hoping that his blush would disappear. "I had gotten so used to having you around for those few days that…"

"Ah." Yami tipped his head to the side, resting it against Yugi's. "Well, I'm here now, and you can relax."

Yugi found himself doing just that, leaning against Yami and not caring about the amount of affection they were displaying in public. "Alright."

"And, when you get back tonight, I'll show you the pictures from the wedding. You'll find them hilarious." Yami chuckled to himself, turning his head to kiss Yugi's temple. "After the reception, Mai basically handed her shoes to Joey and then carried him into the car. The look on his face was priceless."

Yugi made a face. "I wish I could have been there." He shot a glare at Seto's back. "But I had to keep working over here."

"I wish you could have been there too, you could have been my date." Yugi's mouth dropped open at the phrasing, but Yami didn't seem to notice it. Of course, it could have just been a slip of the tongue, or a hint at what they could be to each other, aside from good friends. Yugi snapped his mouth shut, forcing himself to calm down, he would just have to wait and see.

Sugoroku shouted to attract his attention, motioning towards the bags that he had pulled from the claim for them, Ryou already helping him carry them to the car as Bakura just watched. Yugi smiled as he saw that Ryou was muttering something under his breath, probably about how useless Bakura was and how much trouble the man would be in when they got home.

He squeezed Yami's hand, feeling his balance return the gesture, unable to wipe the smile off of his face as they walked out into the sunlight.

END

And there you have it. Thanks to Shamise for letting me adopt this plot bunny, I hope that you enjoyed it. And a big thanks to all of the readers.

Alright, there's technically one more part to Yami and Yugi's story, but it doesn't quite fit with the rest of Don't Fear the Reaper, so it's been posted separately from the rest of the fic. For those of you who want to see Yami and Yugi a while after this (and the two of them finally having sex), go to my writing livejournal and look for the extra epilogue for Don't Fear the Reaper.