Intertwined fates (book 3)

Chapter 11: new life

   Hundreds of boxes filled with memories and special messages litter the floor. Yugi silently seals the boxes shut with an impassive expression. I can't help but frown as I watch him seal away his connections with his former life for me. His amethyst eyes are glowing with multiple emotions that I am struggling to differentiate between. We are so close yet I feel that all of his thoughts are lost to me.
   "Aibou?"
   Yugi continues working, his mind oblivious to my presence. Quick fingers sealing the packages and pushing it aside to fill the next box and repeating the process. The sheer blankness of his expression frightens me.
   "Aibou?" I call out again. Again there is silence. "Aibou..." I say pleadingly as I sit beside him on the floor. He doesn't even look up as our legs brush against one another. "Yugi..." I say concernedly. My fingers gently caress his cheek ever so slightly. Yugi blinks in surprise and looks at me in confusion. His eyes wide in surprise and fear before realizing it is only me and closing in relief.
   "Gods," he murmurs. "You scared me."
   "I should be saying that to you." Yugi looks at me in confusion. "What were you thinking about?"
   "Nothing actually," he says with such a blunt tone that it's obvious he's telling the truth. "My mind was completely blank." I stare into his eyes for a moment, something about this situation isn't sitting right with me. The bright light that usually glows in his eyes has dimmed to a dull glow that is just barely visible. "I just feel so numb."
   "Yugi," I cradle his face in my palms. "We don't need to leave."
   "Yes we do." He murmurs.
   "No," I say sternly. "We don't. This is obviously bothering you, so why not stay?"
   "Why would I stay here Yami?" He asks with an emotionless voice. "There is nothing but bitter memories here."
   "Your grandpa loves you very much." Yugi flinches at my words but doesn't say a word. "I know that he doesn't want to lose you. You want to leave because of what happened to me. Trust me love, I will be alright if you decide to stay." Amethyst eyes flash into my crimson eyes making me flinch in surprise at the sudden harsh anger that is behind their purple depths.
   "There is more to me wanting to leave this place than you know." He whispers, freeing his face from my grip. "I love grandpa a lot...but he can't keep me locked away for the rest of my life."
   "If this is about the homeschooling-"
   "Yami I have spent my entire childhood locked away in here!" He cries out, his eyes scrunched tightly shut. "I have been a prisoner in this house ever since my parents died. He never let me go to the park with my friends, go to the movies, go to the class festival, nothing. I was forced to watch everyone who I ever befriended live their lives and grow up as I was trapped inside my room watching from the window as they began to slip away from me!"
   "Yugi..."
   "I want to experience things Yami! I can't keep living like this, just waiting for the day that he passes away so then I can experience the world." Tears slide down his cheeks and drip from his chin onto his worn jeans. "I don't want to live like that." He rests his head on my shoulder as he silently cries. My hands gently rest on his shoulders as he continues to weep. I had never known what Yugi's life had been like before my sudden appearance in his life.
   I had assumed that he had a rather active and free life considering all of the pictures around the room , but then I suppose that the reason he has every single picture adorning the walls is because they are his trophies. His reminders that there is more to life than this house.
   "I want to see the world Yami." He whispers into my shoulder. " I want to get married, have kids, get a job, be happy...I can't have that while I'm trapped in this house." I wrap my arm around his back pulling him close, his body collapsing into mine. "Please understand." He pleads.
   "I understand Yugi." I murmur as my fingers draw small soothing circles on his back. "We will escape this place together."

   Solomon places the final box in the back of the truck silently. He doesn't meet either of our eyes as he simply hands Yugi a slip of paper and walks back into the house. Yugi clings onto my hand as we jump into the back of the truck as we head on towards our next home. The car roars to life and Yugi tightens his grip on my hand as the house fades away in the distance as we leave the street that had been Yugi's prison for so many years.
   "We're actually leaving." Yugi whispers as he looks out the window. I simply squeeze his hand in response. He looks over at me in surprise. "I can't believe we did this."
   /"You're free now Aibou."/ Yugi smiles brightly as looks back out the window. The glow fully restored in his eyes. I can't help but smile at the sight. My eyes closing in contentment as the truck continues to rumble down the road. 

   "Yami!" my eyes fly open as I wake to the sudden shaking of my arm. Yugi looks at me with blatant excitement as the truck pulls to a halt. "We're here! We're here!"
   "We're where?"
   "We're home." he replies before rushing out of the now open passenger door. I blink in confusion as I sit alone in the back of the truck. My eyes slowly drift over to the window immediately behind me and see the object of Yugi's intense excitement and fascination.
The truck has parked in the driveway of a large two story house with a wide assortment of windows and a large, spacious front yard.
   Yugi rushes around the yard gleefully a broad smile glowing on his youthful face. I grin at his happiness as I open the car door with a click and join him in the yard. The warm noon air warms my skin as Yugi runs over to me with a wide smile and open arms. He leaps into my arms and brings us both crashing down onto the ground, tall strands of the emerald grass tickling our skin.
   "Welcome home love." he purrs, wrapping his arms tightly around my neck. I simply smile and hold him close. There is a deep, uncomfortable cough that alerts us to the truck driver's presence and his gaze on our interactions. The tenseness of his shoulders warns me that he isn't amused by our glee and is more than ready to simply be done with us.
   "Are you ready to move your belongings into the house?" he asks gruffly. I sigh as I rise to my feet, positioning Yugi into a standing position beside me. I nod briefly before walking over to the truck and shouldering open the gate that conceals all of Yugi's belongings. A deep sense of aggravation grips me as I catch sight of the towers of boxes that litter the cargo hold of the truck...No wonder he was so eager to be done with us. He probably just wanted his truck to be three tons lighter.
   An aggravated sigh escapes my lips as I grab the first box, one of the thousands. Yugi smiles happily by my side as he grabs another box. We walk towards the door contently as the man follows behind us carrying twice the number of boxes we are. Yugi shoulders open the front door and rushes in gleefully. He drops the box by the front door and begins to run around the house like a hyperactive child.
   "Yugi!" I call after him half heartedly. I already know that it is hopeless to try and convince him to help now. He is already so enthralled with the house that I doubt he can even hear me. I sigh as the driver and I set our boxes down in the corner of the wide open space that I would assume to be the living room. White wall shine in the golden sunlight refracting into the pristine white carpet making it look like the top of a floating cloud. There was no time to appreciate it as the driver grunts for me to follow to empty out the rest of the truck and I was forced to follow.

   The truck has long since vanished from my sight as I watch from the living room window. I sigh in exhaustion as I collapse in the middle of the floor, breathing heavily. Towers of boxes shield me from view like a protective wall from the world. My heart pounds in my chest as my blood rushes through my veins. I never expected carrying boxes to be so exhausting. My eyes slowly drift shut as I concentrate on slowing my breathing.
   Scarlet beams of light glow through the windows from the sunset. The light bathes my skin in its glow. Warming my already feverish skin.
   "Yami?" I peek through my eyelashes to see the concerned expression of Yugi peering down at me. His face hovering mere inches away from mine.
   "Yes Yugi?" I murmur thickly, my lips refusing to move due to exhaustion.
   "Are you alright?"
   "Yeah..." I groan. "Exhausted."
   "Sorry love." He whispers, planting a gentle kiss on my forehead cooling my warm skin.
   "Yugi." I whisper with a smile. My arms reaching for him but he easily evades my feeble attempts as he bounds towards one of the boxes. The sound of duct tape ripping apart fills my ears as I remain motionless on the ground, my arms outstretched across the white expanse of floor.
   "Lift your head Yami." Yugi requests gently. I make no protest as I follow his command and feel the cool caress of silk on my skin. I moan in pleasure at the cool feeling. Yugi chuckles quietly at my reaction as he positions another pillow next to mine and lies his head on it. He pulls a blanket over our forms and snuggles into my side. His fingers curling into the loose folds of my shirt.
   "Yugi..." I whisper as my eyes begin to drift shut.
   "Goodnight love." He whispers as he kisses my cheek gently before shutting his eyes. My heart slows to a steady rhythm as my breathing begins to slow. My eyes close and my mind wanders as the world begins to slip away. Sleep overcomes me as I fall into oblivion with Yugi in my arms.