DIMENSION: MANGA (The One That Saves the Day)
Game Shop
Yuugi grabbed a beer. He popped off the top with a bottle opener, trashed the bottle top and started to drink. "Damn," Yuugi muttered as he took another swig. He moved around the room, seemingly trying to find something. "Don't look for it." Yuugi could feel his grip start to shake. ///Yuugi: It's her decision./// But, in most cases. Jounouchi had called, and the source for the ones after them had been located. Once the enemy was located, Yuugi knew from experience. It wouldn't be long before the enemy threat was taken care of.
And then? Anzu would probably go back to America. Yuugi pressed the beer bottle against his head. ///Yuugi: I shouldn't. I promised not to./// Yet? Yuugi wanted to go back to her room. ///Yuugi: Her dreams verses your dreams, they aren't the same. No, I can't say that! She got mad about that because she doesn't know her own dreams. She's lost.///
Noticing her cat, Yuugi went over by it. Usually he could bring it to her at night when it got loud. It ducked and ran. Damn. "Will you just get over here?" Yuugi was trying too aggressively, but he wasn't in the mood to deal with the cat, he wanted an excuse to crack that door to Anzu tonight. "Come on, Kitty-Kitty? Just get over here."
Then, he realized what he was doing. "I'm using a cat as an ice breaker. To a conversation she isn't even ready for." Yuugi backed away. "No, just stay away. Be quiet." He went back to his drink. ///Yuugi: A string of bad luck for her. I know I could give her another chance but she won't accept it.///
This time, he started to move over to the cat food. When Destiny came, Yuugi grabbed her. He took her over to Anzu's door and opened it. "Your cat."
Anzu was there, lying in bed, but not sleeping yet. "Thanks." Yuugi went over and handed her back. "Boy, she can get loud sometimes if she's not constantly spoiled," she teased. She looked back at Yuugi. "Is something wrong?"
"Jounouchi found the real enemy. So." Yuugi took the chance to kiss her. She kissed back for a few seconds, before pulling away. "Anzu."
"I thought we were moving back to friends," Anzu said. "Yuugi, you can't-"
"Once the enemy is located it's just a matter of time before the situation is solved, no matter how bad it may seem," Yuugi blurted out. "I know that, I've spent enough time seeing those things in the past! From experience, it's usually just days. So? I can't ignore these overwhelming feelings, Anzu. I know I'm running out of time with you."
"The enemy is revealed?" Anzu asked confused. "Then, it's almost over."
"The apartment stayed covered, and were all giving you a light spread to make do while you find a new job." Light spread. ///Yuugi: I'd give you the absolute world if you just stayed./// "If you go."
"If? If."
"I want you to make the right decision," Yuugi said. "Even after it's all over, you can stay as long as you need to. I want you to."
Anzu turned away a moment. "Holding out like that is just going to hurt you."
"I want you to take however much time you need, to figure out what you want," Yuugi encouraged her again. "In the meantime, you can stay here." He took her hand in his. "But. All we really have in life is our memories, and I don't care if your stay is short or long. I just."
Anzu squeezed her hands over his. "My mind says . . ."
"Don't follow your mind," Yuugi reminded her. "Follow this." He took her other hand and laid it across her chest where her heart had been beating. Rapidly.
"Last time I followed that, it was pretty scary," Anzu reminded him.
"It won't be scary this time, I'm prepared." Yuugi opened his wallet for the protection. ///Yuugi: Remind yourself to thank Jounouchi./// "No more scare. No more expectations. Just something nice?" He stole a second, more passionate kiss. "Yes. Please?" Maybe she was caving. "Yes for Yuugi?"
She propped herself up on the bed by her knees, leaning against his hands on her chest with a bright smile. He got her. "Yes for Yuugi."
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Game Shop
Anzu curled up next to Yuugi in her bed. "Me and my heart. I probably should have followed it last time I came to Japan. Remember that?"
"Oh, do I," Yuugi grumped. "Jounouchi! I still haven't forgiven him for that."
Anzu just smiled at him, big and bright. "It would have helped if you spoke up."
"Not really because you were going to be leaving anyhow." Yuugi went quieter. "I won't lie, it hurt. Jounouchi was teasing, but the thought of you bringing a husband with you? But. I wanted you to be happy too."
"Yeah, I know, Yuugi. Maybe if things turn around, I could start visiting Japan more often?"
"They don't have to. I'd pay for the plane tickets, as often as you wanted to come." Stay, stay, stay, stay, stay! "You don't have to save anything. Whatever it is, I'd pay it."
"I don't need your money, Yuugi." She smirked. "Are you sure you never planned on this kind of thing happening between us?" She gestured to her double bed. "Small space but a double bed?"
"Nah, just a hope I guess," Yuugi said. "I hope your happy. I mean? I'm not. I don't command. I'm. I'm just Yuugi."
"Which is just perfect," she admitted. "Just Anzu just wants just Yuugi."
But was just Yuugi enough for just Anzu to stay?
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Several hours later in the Game Shop
Seto Kaiba came in as Anzu and Yuugi were getting things ready for the day. He had a small box with him. "Hi, Kaiba. What can we do for you?"
"Really?" Kaiba moved over toward the both of them, looking at each of them. "No new visitor at all, Yuugi Mutoh?"
New visitor? "No, you're the first customer of the day," Yuugi said.
"We don't hold cards anywhere on the premises," Anzu said, chiming her rehearsed part. "The cards you see are just copy cards."
"Did you just really shell out some standard customer phrasing at me?" Kaiba scolded her.
"Yep," Yuugi told him. "It's required of her." He shoulder bumped her. "She's very good at her job."
"Yeah, two sentences memorized, employee of the month." Kaiba shook his head and put the box on the counter. "Here, these are for you, if he doesn't make it." He smirked. "Even if he does, I still win. Speaking of which? Looking pretty confident in yourself, Yuugi. Where's that happiness coming from?"
Confidence? "I don't know." Yugi opened the box. Inside were baby shirts and matching bibs with duel monster characters. Duel monster merchandise was everywhere those days. There was the Dark Magician Girl, a silly onesie Kuriboh, and a Dark Magician. There was even oddly a custom made design of the old millennium puzzle he used to have as a onesie too. "That's nice? But, Jounouchi and Mai are having the baby, not us." Oh! "Not me."
"I don't know if you should have opened your shop today," Kaiba warned them, not even mentioning his tease. It was a tease too, he wouldn't get those baby shirts for Jounouchi. "Not only is your customer reception abysmal, people are still after you."
"We can't live our lives in fear," Anzu said boldly. "Bad or good, we can't just lock ourselves away all of our lives."
"Crap," Kaiba said, pointing at her. "Your acting more like your old self again. See what happens when you hang out with idiots for too long?"
Idiot? "Do you remember what I've done for Kaiba Corporations' game unit? It's been anything but what an 'idiot' can do." Jerk. Yuugi loved the fact Anzu had been coming back out of her shell. Kaiba didn't say much else. Did he go there just to bother them? "Did you want a game or are you just on downtime? Because I'm sure Mokuba would be awfully excited to see his brother for once."
"I'm getting closer." Kaiba looked between them once more. "The Dark Magician Girl outfit is for Jounouchi," he said before heading out.
///Yuugi: Any lengths to make a joke./// Yugi looked at the baby clothes. ///Yuugi: They are cute though./// He set the box to the side. Maybe Jounouchi or Mai would like one of them.
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As time went by through the day, Yuugi brought out a different game for them to play. Anzu was learning the rules to it, while at the same time, having a little fun as they waited for any customer to come in. Any time he could spend with her was worth it.
"Hello, Yuugi. Anzu." Bakura showed up at the door. "Anything new in?"
"Two," Anzu said, moving below the counter where the new games always came in. "Neither of them are role playing games."
"Oh. Alright then." Bakura looked toward Yuugi, then at Anzu. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, fine," Yuugi answered.
"Great. I'll check with you again another day."
Yuugi watched as Honda came in as Bakura left. ///Yuugi: Let's see what he decided.///
"Okay. So? Okay." Honda looked at his list. "I need these cards, Yuugi."
Yuugi looked at the cards. Hm. "I can order about five of these easy." He was going to have to cough up some money for the others. "Some of these are going to be expensive, Honda."
"I know. I'm ready to do this though," Honda said. "I'm ready to settle down and be with someone and have some kids. It's high time."
Yeah. Words like that? Honda cared, and he was a wonderful guy, but? "My stomach's growling," Anzu said. "I'll go fix us some lunch." She shouldered him. "Sandwiches?"
"What was that?" Honda asked as Anzu started to leave up the stairs. "That little shoulder move against you? Aw, are you two doing it?" Honda asked, almost like he sounded disgusted. "Yuugi, she's going to break your heart. She's going back to America soon. What are you doing?"
"Following my own feelings," Yuugi said, not caring about his reasoning. "No matter what she decides, I already have too many regrets."
"I don't know, I think it's stupid," Honda warned him. "You're just asking for heartbreak getting with someone you love, when you know they are going to leave."
Yuugi wasn't backing down this time. "I can take care of my own life. Now, let's look at these duel cards, and the prices for the others. Even with your job, some of these are out of your level. You might have to think harder still."
"Hey, as long as it's not the price of a small house," he joked.
"Okay." Yuugi marked off two of the cards. "You can't have those then." Honda looked at him confused. "That's not a joke." Yuugi tried to help him figure out cards he could purchase. As he finished up and sent Honda out, he figured it was almost sandwich time.
It wasn't.
///Atem: Yuugi.///
That. Voice. ///Yuugi: Atem?///
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