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Into the Desolate Night	By : Athena Category: Yu-Gi-Oh > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 5700 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: This is a non-profit Yugioh fanfiction. I will leave warnings at the start of each chapter as necessary as not all tags will apply to every chapter. This story will be heavily laden with plot and mature themes. PG13 version available

Chapter List
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Chapter 1: Why the Look?
(Yugi)
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Raining again. Was it seriously too much to ask for one day free of rain? After an entire morning of classes and a full eight hours at work, all Yugi wanted to do was go home and sleep. Navigating torrential rains and flooded streets had not been included in the plan. But here he was, wading through puddles with his runners gushing under the pressure of every step. He was positively drenched. He was so exhausted and he even had an early start tomorrow.

Just his luck.

The worst of the storm was aimed directly at him, making it difficult to see where he was going. More important than himself though was keeping the backpack dry which held all of his classnotes and textbooks. He could only imagine the scolding he would receive if his USB got water logged or if he lost his notes for a second time this semester – not that university professors particularly cared – it was the classmates Yugi relied on to copy notes from who would distribute the lectures about not walking in bad weather. Too few were empathetic to his problems. Haiyama would probably tell him ‘too bad’ and to go buy a car… not exactly helpful advice for someone living on a part-time salary.

And it was times like these that he really did get to questioning his own logic for not owning one. The last bus from the mall ran about 30 minutes before he got off work and the one that took him to the school in the morning came an hour earlier than he needed. With a car he could sleep in and be dry but it would mean taking a loan, then paying for fuel and insurance every month, all on top of his current expenses – yea, not a likely scenario.

But in two more months all this rain would become snow which was much easier to deal with since it could be brushed off instead of leaving him soaked through all day. Then the cars would be envious of him and his easy commute. No need for plows or shovels. Oh, how the tables would turn!

But right now there was little humour to be found in his situation. For the second time his umbrella caught in the wind, inverting, and blasting him in the face with water. He sputtered and flailed, water stinging his eyes and clogging up his nose as he swore and swung the umbrella like a sword, combating the wind until his coordination finally kicked in and he managed to reign the beast back under his control - tugging the broke spokes into place to shield himself. He would need to double up on the tape next time. All he could do now was hold it in place with his spare hand...

Maybe after the next pay cheque he would splurge and buy a new one. After getting groceries of course. And shampoo. Maybe some new socks… On second thought, tape was fine. Umbrellas were actually quite useless at keeping him dry even when they did work. New rain gear would be nicer but that was a fantasy. The umbrella acted as a barrier to protect his face and some of the back pack. He had the contents wrapped in a plastic shopping bag but even that wasn’t always guaranteed to keep the water out. A small gap in the knot or a tiny hole and everything was ruined because his notes would lap it up like a sponge. Its why he had spent most of the money he made during the summer on a waterproof phone. Learning that lesson the hard way…

At the very least he could be thankful that he didn’t have much farther to go. His apartment was less than an hour walk from work and if he cut through the park it might only take him another 15 minutes. He’d had an opportunity a couple blocks back to wait for a bus at a different station but that one wouldn’t get him home for another hour since it would circle the entire district before heading to his street. It was much faster to walk even if that meant getting drenched. After all, he was already soaked so there was little more the storm could do to him.

Feeling a chill, he buttoned the top snap of his jacket, regretting the decision to go with the fashionable choice over a practical one. The stupid wind kept funnelling through and cooling the wet clothing underneath; he should have worn his scarf to barricade the wind and retain what heat he had but he’d left it in the bottom of his bag. A silly mistake but it was choice he continually made time and time again. He’d never learn. He also refused to stop and get it. Maybe if he could find cover somewhere he would but for now he was determined to keep moving and get home faster. The quicker he moved, the drier he’d be. Or so he told himself.

His phone vibrated against his hip… He considered excavating it.

He’d have to let go of the umbrella’s broken spoke though. And, out of habit, he always stored it in the inner pocket – just in case the water proofing didn’t hold up to its name. He couldn’t afford a replacement. With a groan he let go and unbuttoned his jacket, fishing for it as he exchanged the umbrella into his other hand. Once free he wiped off what excess water he could and tapped in the code to unlock the screen.

It was a message from Anzu, a photo of her and the dorm girls having drinks. He only recognised one of them but either way it wasn’t worth responding to at the moment. Carefully he powered it down and tucked it back into his coat, knowing there would be plenty more photos and messages coming his way once the girls let their drinking get out of hand. As it would, since it always did.

At least someone was having fun.

Hearing the sound of displaced water Yugi immediately side stepped from the path as a speeding car approached, jetting water over the side walk in a continuous wave. He had learned the hard way to move and now he no longer hesitated.

What he didn’t expect though, was for the car to stop…

With no indicators flashing it had pulled over and sat idling on the side of the highway. It was fortunate that there were no other cars coming but unnerving that someone would choose here, of all places, on busy road, to stop. People had often warned him about walking alone at night, getting mugged or abducted, but time had worn most of those fears away. Or at least he thought it had. Apparently the paranoia was very much alive and well nursed, because he almost couldn’t bring himself to move.

Out of practice, because there was always time on these walks for discussing worse case scenarios with oneself, he looked for the closest building with lights on. He had always thought that if he was in trouble he would smash the nearest window in order to make his problem someone else’s. No way would he be murdered without having someone witness. If they wanted their window fixed, they would help him.

With trepidation he moved forward, giving the car a wide berth and committing the licences plate to memory along with the make and model…just in case. Doing his best to feign disinterest while inwardly suffering a small panic attack, he was nearly up to the passenger door when the window began to slide down.

To his relief, a familiar face.

“Yugi! I thought that was you, would you like a ride?” It was his biology partner, Ryou Bakura, and Yugi couldn’t hide his joy in seeing him.

“Yes- yes, please. Thank you” Oh sweet angel of mercy. Deliverance.
He sounded absolutely exhausted, his heart having just experienced a marathon in his chest. He couldn’t tell if his body was trembling from cold or fear but it was probably a mix of both. Still, he smiled, warm and utterly sincere before acting upon the offer and opening the door to the back seat.

Backpack in first, he shook as much rain from the umbrella as he could before ducking in and closing the door behind him. Inside the heat instantly set him on a course to sleepy time junction, his brain barely able to function as the overwhelming need to sleep took over. He was so comfortable… He hardly noticed the tense atmosphere until he sat up and squeezed his eyes open, catching sight of a distrustful set of steely-blues watching him from the review mirror.

He was suddenly very awake and fastened his seat belt.

The figure seated next to Ryou looked to be roughly five years his senior with granite hair, cut just above his shoulders in jagged, uncontrolled layers. To some degree they resembled one another, the shape of the face, angle of the nose - it was enough to lead Yugi to believe that this was possibly Ryou’s brother or cousin, but oh man – was he ever wrong.

“Thanks, Ryou, I really appreciate this.” His voice sounded weird in the silence, the sound of rain on the roof a mere static compared to the volume of his words.

“Of course, Yugi.” Ryou turned to the man beside him who had yet to blink or break from his frigid stare, “As I was saying this is my lab partner, you likely remember me talking about him - and Yugi, this is my husband Akefia Bakura. I don’t think you two have met before,” Ryou introduced, ever the hospitable host as he gestured as best he could from the passenger seat.

Yugi tried not to look shocked but he had a poor poker face. Ryou must have noticed because his snowy skin lit up red.

“Uh, no, we haven’t, its – um, nice to meet you Akefia,” Yugi replied, drying his hand before offering it forward for Ryou’s husband to shake. Seeing the icy stare dip to absolute zero territory, Yugi retracted the gesture and placed both hands between his knees to warm them, pretending like he had just moved to stretch or twist before looking innocently out the window.

“Oh stop it ‘Kura.” Ryou warned, giving his husband a playful swat on the shoulder. “Sorry Yugi he’s in a mood today. He likes to be called Bakura by people he doesn’t know rather than on a first name basis if you don’t mind. Any ways, where do you live?”

“Oh right,” Yugi laughed, feeling dumb for having forgotten such a necessary detail. “It’s just a few blocks ahead. Normally I cut through the park but you’ll have to drive around to get to the front of the building. So just up to the next lighted intersection, take a right then turn right again, onto the next street, and it’ll be the second apartment building on the left.”

“Not a problem. Do you usually walk home alone at night?” Ryou asked, looking to his husband who heaved a reluctant sigh before putting the car in gear and pulling back into traffic. Not that there were many people out driving this late.

“Yeah I had a closing shift tonight. It’s only a bad walk when the weather doesn’t cooperate.”

Which was all the time.

Ryou nodded, the action only noticeable by how his hair lifted from the head rest, “Well if you ever need a ride home after class, I can give you one. It’s on my way and it wouldn’t be a problem at all.”

If the husband wasn’t such a stone-cold nightmare Yugi might have risked the awkwardness of a backseat hug. But Bakura was a mind reader and those steely-blues snapped to him with such force that Yugi flinched and guiltily diverted his gaze to the floorboards.

“Uh, that’s kind of you… Thanks for the offer, really, I appreciate it, but I’ll be fine. I don’t mind walking, just the rain,” he argued, hoping that by rejecting Ryou’s offer it might dispel some of that fierce cold present in the car.

“Well it’s supposed to rain Monday, why don’t I pick you up and drive you to class? Our presentations are due and there is a twenty-minute set up for the lab later that day. We could get there early and start, that way we are not stuck staying late again.”

Yugi let out a bitter laugh, “Yeah she sure knows how to screw people over with those long prep-labs. I don’t know how some of the class manages to have courses after given how much they must miss.”

“I know! I mean she is a wonderful person, very knowledgeable and passionate, but she gets a little too ambitious with the projects. Have you looked at the course outline and seen what’s coming up this Wednesday?”

As much as Yugi hated to admit his failings as a student, he was not the kind of person with the spare time to get ahead, let alone look ahead. He was on more of a day-to-day schedule and squeaked all assignments in just before they were due. Ryou was the perfect student, not him.

“I haven’t but it should be the… musculatory system if I recall right.”

He had no idea.

“No that’s at the end of the semester, next week is DNA sequencing. She wants us to take spit swabs and centrifuge them, add various catalysts, then prep them for cold storage. The lab manual has over twenty steps so that the material will still be useable for subsequent labs.”

Yugi groaned, “I’ll bring an over night bag in order to get acquainted with my new home. Dibs on the window counter by the way” – Ryou snickered – “We are an hour late leaving when there are only ten and we are usually the first ones out. I can’t see people actually staying to finish this but the DNA would probably break down if we don-”

“Is this it?” Akefia’s gruff tone cut through Yugi’s words as the car came to a halt.

He hadn’t been paying attention to anything beyond the conversation but this was indeed the right place. Shame though, he always liked talking to Ryou and they had never met up outside of school before.

“Yes, this is it,” Yugi confirmed, feeling a little cheated that the time had passed so quickly.

They had only met this semester but had immediately bonded on the first day to become an inseparable bio-lab duo. They worked well together, studied for tests together, and sometimes met for lunch - but that was really only one time and more of a coincidence so it probably shouldn’t count…

He’d often thought of asking Ryou to join him though or to come over to his apartment to play games. Maybe get a coffee, anything really. He genuinely enjoyed their time together. He had never done so because Ryou always seemed so busy. Yet one of his favourite memories was during their first lab when they were dissecting a sheep’s eye and Yugi accidently said ‘occult’ instead of ‘ocular’, derailing the rest of their lab into a discussion about Duel Monsters. That day had set the trend for every lab since, making tedious work fun.

But after meeting his husband, Yugi wasn’t so certain that asking Ryou out was a wise decision. He didn’t need Akefia to start thinking that he was moving in on his man - not that that would ever happen! Yugi wasn’t exactly that into guys, not that he had ever given it much thought – he’d been in love with Anzu since he could walk. So in that regard he was taken. Maybe he should mention that, or would it be weird? Blurting something like that out?

It was probably weird. And might make things worse since it would show that Yugi had thought about it… in fact he should just stop this train of thought altogether. Just, get out of the car. Go.

“Um, yeah, so, thank you both for the ride. I can’t stress enough how much I appreciate it.”

He slid his bag over one shoulder and readied to exit the vehicle quickly so that the least amount of rain would get in, although his soggy clothes may or may not have already moistened the seats.

“It was nice to meet you Bakura and I hope you guys have a good night. Um, see you Monday, Ryou.”

“Anytime Yugi, have a good night yourself!” Ryou called after him as Yugi closed the door and set himself up with the right key for the lobby.

Waving back at the car, he hurried across the street to the front door, sliding the key home with masterful precision though he still failed to turn it the right way on the first attempt. With the door now propped open, he waved one last time, watching as the vehicle pulled away from the curb and drove up the road.

Stepping in he checked the mailbox which, surprise, surprise, was empty - like always – before heading to the stairwell and making the six-storey climb to his apartment. Indeed there was an elevator, but it was old and he only took if he had to since it frequently broke down and would shake violently on the way up. He’d had enough life-threatening experiences with it in the past to prefer the exhausting climb, even if it put him out of breath and heaving like a dying man. He was so out of shape!

Still, this was home and the knowledge that he could soon rest summoned what little energy remained for him to make the final push. Only when he was at the top did he allow the backpack to fall to his side and get dragged the rest of the way. He had a cozy corner apartment with a splendid view of the parking lot and other people’s backyards.

Kicking off his shoes he stepped inside, finding everything as he left it which included dirty dishes in the sink, pages of homework spread out on the coffee table, and his pajama pants still on the bathroom floor. Anzu would be furious with him and call it a squalor, urging him to clean it up which he had no intention of doing right now.

His wet clothes hit the floor as he peeled them off and left a trail to his bedroom which had been left in equal disarray. He didn’t care about finding new pajamas, fixing his hair, or brushing his teeth as he crawled into bed naked and rolled himself into the blankets like a croissant. The alarms were already set on his phone to wake him up in the morning with enough time to do some cleaning. If Ryou drove him home Monday, maybe he would finally ask him to come over and play games. That was reason enough to clean.

In less than two minutes his breathing evened out and sleep took hold.

A/N: I hope you guys like this first introduction to Yugi's life because it only gets messier from here on out
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“Stop and Stare” OneRepublic
This town is colder now, I think it's sick of us
It's time to make our move, I'm shakin' off the rust
I've got my heart set on anywhere but here
I'm staring down myself, counting up the years
Steady hands just take the wheel
Every glance is killing me
Time to make one last appeal
For the life I live
Stop and stare
I think I'm moving but I go nowhere
Yeah, I know that everyone gets scared
But I've become what I can't be, oh
Stop and stare
You start to wonder why you're here not there
And you'd give anything to get what's fair
But fair ain't what you really need
Oh, can you see what I see'
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Into the Desolate Night