Puzzle Pieces

I

The idea for this story came from I dream I had while listening to the Japanese song 'iNSaNiTY'. I love the stuff my subconscious draws up! :)

WARNING(S): Dark themes, character death, OOC in character(s), AU. Semi-Dark Puzzleshipping/Blindshipping.

Contains friendship between Anzu Mazaki, Katsuya Jounouchi, Hiroto Honda, and Ryou Bakura. Also, lyrics from the song iNSaNiTY.

Enjoy!

o.o.o.o.o

Anzu quietly organized stacks of playing cards and small, plastic figurines inside the glass display counter of her workplace. On the other side of the room, her friends and coworkers Ryou and Jounouchi arranged several rows of board games. Honda was helping their friend and boss Sugoroku Mutou in the storage room within the house/hobby shop.

Business had been slow that day, but, for some reason, the elderly man had requested the services of all four of his teenaged employees that day. Anzu brushed her brunette hair behind an ear, before straightening out. Her back kinked from its earlier position, and she stretched her arms upwards to relieve the tension. The girl felt her joints crack back into their rightful positions, and her muscles stretch luxuriously. Jounouchi-kun had finished his organization, and was now leaning against a shelf calmly. Bakura-kun was standing there, albeit a bit awkwardly, in the silence. They all broke from their daze as a door opened, and someone stepped from inside the store's conjoined housing area.

Anzu looked over to find someone- or, rather, three someones- standing in the doorway to her side. Sugoroku, a grayed old man of seventy-two, who was affectionately nicknamed 'Gramps' by his younger customers, her classmate and companion Honda, and Mutou-san's grandson, Yuugi.

Yuugi was sixteen, the same age of Anzu and her friends, but, strangely enough, he didn't attend school. Anzu could only assume the boy recieved home or online schooling. He was a bit short, only about 158cm, and had a fragile build about him. He was slender, with very little muscle build. His skin was almost unnaturally pale, covered by a simple white T-shirt and blue jeans. Yuugi's hair naturally grew in a very unnatural way: Spiked like a star in black, rimmed with maroon, and complimented by ridged, canary-yellow bangs that framed around his softly-defined face. His eyes were a stunning amethyst shade, but they seemed hazed and dull... As if the boy wasn't really there, but trapped, off in some dream-world somewhere. In his hands was a small box, rectangular in shape and moderate in size.

Anzu gave him a kind smile. "Konnichiwa, Yuugi-kun," she greeted. Yuugi looked up, blinking slowly, before giving a timid smile. Anzu giggled. "Having a good day?"

A tiny nod.

"Good."

Yuugi didn't talk much. In the rough five years since she'd first met him, therefore the time since he had moved in with his grandfather, Anzu had only heard him speak a handful of times. He looked like an interesting kid, with interesting ideas and a deep love for games, so it was a little sad for him to be so quiet. He was shy, and reserved, and didn't do too well around new people. He had only started replying (in his own way) to Anzu and the others' questions and comments a couple of years ago- a large milestone for the small teen.

Jounouchi read the label of the box Yuugi was holding, and beamed when Yuugi gave another bashful smile, and held it out towards him. "'Né, is dis dat new Monster Fighter thing we had last week? I thought we were outta' stock!" Yuugi nodded enthusiastically, and handed it to the blonde.

A gift.

Anzu couldn't help but to giggle as Jounouchi-kun accepted it. Yuugi looked like he'd just emerged victorious on the gameshow Win a Million Yen.