Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Can I Sleep With You? ❯ Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep ( Chapter 1 )

~00~: Yeah, it's finally back again. ^_^;; You'll probably notice that this chapter's relatively unchanged, except maybe some formatting. You'll find the same thing with chapter two; I pretty much left it alone (I actually liked the way I originally wrote those two: I couldn't bear changing them too much! ^_^;;).

But starting a little into chapter three (which I'm not finished overhauling yet) there's gonna be some MAJOR changes from the way the story used to be, so hopefully it won't end up as cheesy as last time, ne? Still not sure if I'm gonna keep the epilogue or not, I like it though, so maybe I will...then again, if it doesn't fit with the way the rewrite turns out, I might not put it in.

But if it does seem to be getting TOO cheesy, lemme know, okay? Seriously. -_- I like the idea I got for this, but getting it down right is proving to be hard. So let me know if the changes are for the better or not! ^_^ And if they aren't better, I'll just have to try re-writing again.

DISCLAIMER:

-_- I don't claim any possession of Yugioh. ...Dammit, this stuff always depresses me. I'm seriously thinking of putting the disclaimer in my bio like other people just so I don't have to write it over and over....

* * * * =scene change

Thoughts are in italics.

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Can I Sleep With You?

Chapter One- Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

by ChibiBoko

Rain...it's always raining at times like this.. Yugi smiled quietly at the thought.

He trudged through the downpour, letting it soak through his clothes. He loved how it felt that his insides were being bathed clean; everything washed away.

He hadn't told Yami where he was going.

His mind drifted towards his darker half, and the smile turned wistful as he re-adjusted his grip on the bouquet. His heart felt surprisingly light. Yami wouldn't need to worry about anything happening to him through Yugi; the ancient pharaoh had long ago found a way to take form for himself on the material plane. He no longer had to rely on Yugi.

Yugi smiled. "I don't burden him any more." He whispered.

Passing by a store window, he caught a glimpse of his soggy appearance. He was always surprised by mirrors lately; always, he expected to change, even a little. But he never did. Even a few years after that craziness with Malik, his body hadn't gone forward, hadn't grown at all. Sometimes he thought his body just did that to keep in sync with his pysche.

It's definite that nothing of me has moved past anything... His eyes clouded somewhat at that, but shook it off and smiled as he picked up his pace a little.

He needed to hurry after all.

Looking up, he saw he was nearing the iron entryway, so he quickly cut across the street, clumsily huddling his fragile package close to his chest so as not to jostle it too much.

He was mostly successful; pale petals flew up in a breeze in his wake despite his care, coming to a landing on the pavement.

Taking a dirt pathway to his left, he strode comfortably through the aisles of stonework, coming to a stop before three distinctive pieces.

Yugi's smile widened as he spread his armful of gardenias before the trio of headstones. Kneeling before the center marker, he whispered, "Hello mother," He nodded to the marker on his left. "Father.....Grandpa." He nodded to the right. "It's good to see you again. Well," he corrected himself. "As much as I can see you like this. I imagine how you see me is from quite a different perspective now."

He looked up at the rain wistfully, letting it bathe his face. "I've worked hard, just like you told me to father. And I looked out for grandpa and my friends, like you said mother." He smiled at the memory of that conversation.

"Where are you going mama?" Round violet eyes pouted as they stared up into depthless brown ones. "Why can't I come too?"

"Grandfather is old, Yugi; he needs someone to care for him, someone to love him." The pale woman whispered.

"You want me to do that?" Innocent eyes smiled now. "I can do that!"

Tired brown ones softened. "Yes, you're very good at that, sweetie." She shifted against the soft bedsheets. "And you'll do the same, I'm sure, with your friends. I know you will. You'll be good for them."

Blink. "But...I don't have any friends, mama."

She smiled. "You will..."

Solid footsteps reverberated in the hall. Turning, Yugi smiled up at the tall dark man who entered. "Daddy!" He jumped up and hugged him tightly around his waist. "You came! See mama?" He turned back toward the bed. "Daddy came! I told you so!" He smiled triumphantly.

* * * * *

"...Daddy?" Yugi whispered. "Why are you crying? Why did mama leave without you? She never goes on trips without you."

When the tall man spoke, it was hoarsely. "Yugi...I need you to do something for me...."

Violet eyes looked up at him. "What?"

The tall man gazed down at his son softly. "Work hard. Get strong, so you won't get hurt. Your mother wouldn't like it if you got hurt."

Yugi smiled. "I know. She doesn't like me crying...."

He played absently with a handful of gardenia petals that had fallen loose somehow. "And grandpa, don't worry; the Turtle Shop is in good hands." He chuckled. "You should see Joey and Ryou run it. I'd never have pegged those two for businessmen." He grinned.

He sighed. "I kept my promises. I always tried to, no matter what. I could never disappoint you. But..." he looked down at his hands.

"No one needs me any more, I've made sure of that," he whispered, "and I'm so tired. I've worked really hard..."

He trailed off as he lay down across the three graves. "Remember when I was little, I'd get so scared of the monsters I saw on those duel monster cards, and I'd get nightmares?" He laughed. "And then I'd run into your bedroom, dive under the covers, and pull them over my head. I was convinced that a demon was right behind me, wanting my skin."

He traced little circles in the ground. "Things're different when you get older, aren't they? I know demons aren't lurking around the corner waiting to skin me now, but...." He closed his eyes tiredly.

"...But, all the same..."

He curled up into a ball. "...can i sleep here...with..you..?....."

* * * * *

".....And in other news, caretakers of the Domino city cemetery found the body of a young boy early this morning, lying in one of the more secluded areas of the grounds. The coroner has identified the boy to have been Yugi Motou, a well-known prodigy of Duel Monsters. The coroner has ruled out foul play, stating that after a search of Mr. Motou's residence, it was found that he had overdosed severely on prescription sleeping pills, then wandered, probably deliriously, into the cemetery. The exact time of death unfortunately couldn't be estimated..."

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