Love eternal (book 5)

Chapter 16: never ever

   "You have to let him go." Those words echo through my mind like a painful mantra that I can't bring myself to escape from. I always knew that life was difficult but I never imagined that it would ever bring such pain to my doorstep. To give up the one person who taught me to continue living as if this day were my last. The thought seems entirely impossible and unacceptable to every fiber of my being. My crimson eyes glance over at Atem who is simply staring down at the ground beneath his sandaled feet. His eyes are hidden from view as we all remain in complete silence.  Ra had vanished from sight quite some time ago leaving us alone to our pain.
   "Yami." Yugi whispers as he tries to pry himself out of my arms. I say nothing's I tighten my grip on his slight form. He continues to struggle against me like a fish attempting to escape from a net. "You have to listen to me." He urges as he pushes against my chest forcing me back slightly.
   "I don't want to hear it Yugi!" I snap as I harshly pull him back into me making a startled noise escape him as I cradle him against me. "We have been through so many different challenges together." I sniffle as I speak. "And that's how we are going to face this, together."
   "But it's my fault!" He screams. "How can you simply ignore that fact?!"
   "It's because I love you!" I kiss him passionately, his eyes slide shut and we both fall into silence as we part. The world seems to slow and perhaps even pause as we remain completely frozen in place. "I love you Yugi, and I can't bare the thought of losing you, not now, not ever."
   "What do you suggest we do?" Atem asks quietly, his voice carrying like a gentle breeze across the smooth stone of the chamber. "We can't remain separate forever but we also can't give up Yugi. This whole situation seems to be rather pointless and impossible to fight against."
   "He's right." Yugi shakes his head slowly. "There is only one solution and we all just need to accept it."
   "We cannot give up hope! I refuse to lose you and I know that he feels the same way I do." I point back at Atem who is wearing an emotionless mask and his eyes have gone dull as he suppresses all of his emotions. No matter how closely I look at him I can't even see a single trace of pain in his eyes, which concerns me. "He's hiding it at the moment but we both feel the same way about this Yugi."
"Yami, no one is giving up hope." He says with a faint smile as he slides away from me. "Perhaps this is just the natural course for things. All good things must run their course and eventually end, we are no different from the rest of the world."
"Why are you so quick to give up on us?!" I ask taken aback by the calm manner in which Yugi is speaking of our parting ways. "If I didn't know any better I would have to assume that you were waiting for us to have some sort of excuse for you to leave!"
"Don't be ridiculous." Yugi says with a pained expression.
   "It would make sense, since you seem so eager to have me forget you."
   "I don't want you to forget me!"
   "Then let me fight for you!"
   "I remember when you and I first met." Atem says calmly. We both look over at him in surprise. A faint smile plays on his lips as he looks at us both. "You were much shorter back then. I never imagined that you would be anything more than just an intriguing slave, but I'm so happy that you proved me wrong."
   "Atem." Yugi sniffles as he wipes away his tears and smiles sadly down at him. "I remember that day too."
   "That day was important for several reasons." Atem says confidently. "Not only did you learn about my true nature, but you also found a way to tame me and build me into a better man. A man that you would later be willing to spend the rest of your life with." He meets my eyes briefly but in those few seconds I didn't detect a single shred of jealousy or envy. The only emotion that was present in his gaze was acceptance. "It is because of all these things that you have done to me and for me that I cannot allow for you to simply allow for me to forget about you."
   "Didn't you hear Ra though?" Yugi asks with a faint sniffle. "It was all my fault that you are in this situation, both of you." A few tears escape his eyes and streak down his cheeks as he glances between the two of us.
   "I don't care what he said." I say seriously.
   "Yugi, there are worse crimes that you could have committed. I don't believe that interacting with either version of ourselves would warrant in us condemning you to a life alone." Atem kneels down beside me and rests a hand underneath Yugi's chin. "So don't cry anymore."
   "I just want you both to be happy." Yugi whispers as he shadows Atem's hand with his own. "If forgetting me allows for you to find your happiness then I am willing to sacrifice my own."
   "Yugi." I growl warningly. Atem places a hand on my shoulder and I jump in surprise before meeting his identical eyes. Reassurance washes over me as he turns his gaze back to Yugi.
   "You are our happiness Yugi." He says gently. "If you feel the need to give up your happiness to give us a shred of happiness then you are the one condemning us to a life of misery." Yugi's eyes go wide in surprise. "We can't live without you and I, quite simply, refuse to." Atem places his forehead on Yugi's and pulls me forward until we are all touching. "We all don't want to lose one another so why force us to separate?"
   "Atem...Yami." He sniffles miserably as he tries to fight back his tears. "I'm so sorry."
   "No more of that." Atem says gently as he nuzzles Yugi. "No one is being forgotten or abandoned and nor will they ever be."
   "But-"
   "There is no longer the option to debate this topic." Atem smiles cheekily. "We will be together forever. And I will never allow for anything to come between us. Never ever."