The Artist - Desert Tales (Yu-Gi-Oh! Puzzleshipping)

Chapter 1: the Awakening

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! and/or its characters!

"Hello? Are you up yet?"

Joey's voice sounds far away when he calls for me behind my door.

"Yugi, you'll be late for class!"

I look at the digital clock that stands on the pile of history books next to my bed. I sighed. Those dreams always made me oversleep.

They weren't unfamiliar, on the contrary, I have them all the time. And right now I just can't figure out whether I am gay, just very narcistic for making out with a guy that looks like me or just extremely insane. But then again, the dreams started for a reason. The romantic dreams about Yami — as he is called in my dreams — started after a very deep and long dream in which there were a magical puzzle, enchanted paintbrushes and mystical beasts, and it was by far the best dream I ever had.

"Seriously, I won't give you a ride if you don't come out of your room right now," Joey said.

Fun fact: before the deep and long dream I always wanted to become an artist. After it, well, I had a little career change, and that made me end up sharing an apartment with Joey.

Joey was still the same person, nothing about him had changed much since I decided to be an archaeologist instead of a painter. He always had been the cool guy with the car, and now he was just a cool business student-guy with a car.

What had changed about me in those four years? Well, against all the odds I grew. That was the biggest change, if you count the career change out. I wasn't as tall as Joey, but I definetely came to his nose now. And the good thing was they saw me no longer as the sad short kid, but they saw me as a part of the big crowd of people.

"Five minutes," I said.

"You better be done by then, I will leave without you, I am being serious," Joey tried to say without laughing. I can tell, four years with him in one apartment and I know whether he is joking or not.

"Yes sir," I replied.

I didn't need to do much, my hair just bounced back into its normal state after a night of sleep and my suit was already lying on my chair, the place where I left it last evening. No time to shower, but that was my own fault. With a suit on, shoes on, a toothbrush in my mouth and while grabbing some breakfast for underway, I followed Joey towards the car.

"How does it come, Yug', you oversleep way more often than you have ever done before. Don't become lazy now. Your final year, Yugi!" Joey said.

And I knew, my final year at the university was about to start, I was about to do the real field work, no time to sleep anymore.

"I don't know," I said.

Joey got in on the left side of the car, I got in on the right side, like we always do.

"I'm just worried. I hope you're not becoming ill or something."

He closes his door.

"No, that's not it, really, I just have weird dreams sometimes. But it doesn't matter."

I close my door. I shouldn't have said what I just said.

"Well, it does seem to matter, because you sleep though your alarm."

"I am very aware of it."

There was a silence, and then Joey sighs and starts the car.

"What do you dream of?"

See. I shouldn't have said it.

"I don't know, I forget as soon as I wake up."

Another silence. Then: "Aha."

Joey knew when I was lying, just as I knew when he was joking. He knew I never forgot what I had dreamed about,  but he wouldn't ask again. Not now, at least.

The rest of the car ride, we spent in silence. I really wanted to tell him though, but then I had to tell everything. I had to tell him that I was in love with a fictional man that only existed in my dreams, what of course implied that I was homosexual, and although Joey was my dearest friend, I still didn't want to say anything about it since I hadn't even figured things out myself. I have never been in love with anyone but this Yami, never even fell attracted to anyone but him, does that make me gay? I mean, I know the answer to it, but I'm still frightened as hell for the reactions.

Dreams are so easy. Why does reality suck so much?

And then I looked at Joey, who had his eyes focussed on the road, one hand on the steering wheel, the other one resting against his face, his index finger half in between his lips.

"For real, you'll tell me about your dreams, huh?" he mumbled. His finger didn't move while he spoke.

"Was it that unbelievable?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yes."

I sighed. "My dreams are kind of weird," I said.

"Everyone's dreams are," Joey said, moving his other hand to the wheel too again.

"Mine are embarassing, Joey."

He raised an eyebrow. "For me to hear or for you to dream?"

"Maybe both. I don't know."

"Well, it clearly upsets you. We'll talk about it when we get back home alright, maybe then you will feel better. Come on, Yug', I have lived with you for the past four years, I don't find anything embarassing anymore, especially not after that one time you —"

"I got the point."

Joey laughed. "So it's a date tonight! How very wonderful! Talking about your feelings and stuff!"

I snickered.

"We're on?" he asked.

"Only if you dare..." I said.