Chapter Text
It was a surreal type of normal when they all returned to Domino. After so long dealing with the strange world outside of their own, returning to high school seemed like something strange. The mundane was no longer truly the mundane.
Even something as simple as sitting down in class didn’t seem to connect correctly. Not when only a week ago, you wondered if you would make it through the day without someone trying to turn your body into a husk.
They were a group teenagers who went to the same school and went through something no one there would understand. And how were they expected to come back from it?
Would any of them really?
Anzu knew she wasn’t the only one who worried about Ryo and Yugi. They all watched the two of them with smiles a little more restrained than before. They both were similar in many ways.
But Ryo never opened up about it at all. Yugi made it easy to talk.
Anzu took a few days before she approached Yugi about a date. He blinked at her in surprise before agreeing to go with her that weekend. When he did, she felt a few moments of deja vu. But when the date was coming to an end, she decided it was time.
“Yugi.” She bit her lip and moved closer. “Can I try something?”
“Of course.” Yugi turned his head to look at her only to find her almost immediately on his lips.
The kiss was long and soft, but there was nothing to it. There was no coaxing and no playful nips. There were no soft giggles. There was no magic.
When Anzu pulled back, she studied him. “Anything?”
For a moment, Yugi looked pensive. His eyes became glassy as he smiled apologetically and shook his head.
She smiled back. “Me neither.”
He shrugged, suddenly relieved. “I guess it’s for the best. We both have different goals and all…”
Anzu stared at him for a moment before smiling softly. “How long were you in love with him?”
His head snapped around. “What?”
She chuckled softly. “You don’t have to hide it. I understand. When I saw you two look at each other…” She trailed off.
Yugi laughed softly which ended as quickly as it began. “I can’t tell you for certain. It’s just,” he sighed, “I started out so afraid of him. Then we got to know each other and I guess everything progressed from there. One day I looked over and… and that was it.” He kicked a rock then smiled back up at her. “Love was never really my forte.”
Looking at Yugi then made Anzu want to cry. She was suddenly very angry at Atem’s departure even though she knew it was necessary for him.
But he left behind someone who spent their life up to that point being alone with only his games. Sure, Yugi had his close group now, but they knew there was something missing.
If she ever sees Atem again, she will be walking away from him and leaving nothing more than a giant red handprint across his face.