Unsweet Silence Chapter 4

Yugi's reaction to Yami and Seto's house was comical. As soon as the bus dropped the chatting and laughing teens at the end of their road Yami pointed to his house. Or mansion.
Yugi's jaw dropped and his eyes widened as he looked at the sheer size of it. He froze and nearly had Anzu walk into him. The girl laughed "Close that mouth, cutie, or you'll catch the flies"
Yugi shut his mouth and blushed, embarrassed at his dumb reactions. Joey snickered "Don't worry Yug', everyone has da same reaction"
Yami, Anzu and Tristan looked at Joey in pleasant surprise. It was a known fact in the group that once Joey gave you a nickname he considered you a part of the group. Anzu's eyes sparkled "Yug', eh Joey?"
Joey nodded and gave the overjoyed Yugi a thumbs up "Dat's right. Ya a part of us, ain't he T?"
Tristan nodded "Yeah, you're a pal Yugi. Lets get inside, I wanna hit the pool!"
Yugi suddenly froze and looked half scared and half nervous. Yami paused at the little one's reaction. "Yugi? What's wrong?"
Yugi shifted nervously under his gaze. My scars... I can't let them see my scars, they'll tease me! Yugi shook his head and smiled slightly. I'm fine.
Yami looked unconvinced "Can you swim?" Yugi nodded, looking reluctant. "You're not afraid of the water are you? It's not that deep at one end" Yugi shook his head slightly angrily, he wasn't afriad! Yami thought for a moment then put an arm behind Yugi and said "It's alright, whatever you're nervous about doesn't matter" Yami steered his little look alike into the house. Yugi acted like an amazed child, spinning around with wide eyes to take everything in at once. Yami smiled gently. What's he afraid of? "This way Yugi, up here" Yugi stopped looking at the ceiling and chased after the teens who already knew the mansion well enough not to be lead around like lost puppies.
Joey bounded into a room and jumped over the back a sofa. "Sweet! Schools out fa da weekend! And we get Yug all ta ourselves"
Anzu went over to a small fridge in the corner of the room and pulled out some cold cola while Tristan went to the stereo. Anzu threw Joey a look "You sound like a pedo when you say that Joey" she remarked as she tossed him a can.
"Cheers. Tristan don't you dare turn on da rap station if ya wanna look good fa Miho, I hate that rubbish. Well Anzu, you still gatta find a way ta make our little guy laugh, ain't ya?"
"True. Hey, Yami, has the movie screen been fixed yet?"
Yami took his can with a grin "Yeah, I'll get it out when we're ready to watch movies. Yugi, bags go over there" Yugi put his knapsack next to the others and continued to look around amazed.
Anzu giggled at him and tousled his spiky hair "You're so cute, Yugi, If I wasn't gay I'd be so afta ya" she told him honestly. Yugi jumped and blushed, batting her hand away playfully. Anzu grinned and grabbed him in a playful headlock "You ain't pushing that complement away so quickly, cutie, you're so candy cute!" she hugged him awkwardly while he half heartedly struggled, smiling the whole time.
Yami watched, slightly jealous, he wanted to hold the little one like that. Anzu saw his jealous gaze and said "Oh… Yami, why are you staring, you think he's cute too?" she winked evilly.
Yami backed off quickly "Hey-wha- Anzu! Shut up!" he stuttered while blushing a little. Anzu laughed and let the smaller teen go.
Joey looked up from his bag, Tristan rummaging his own for his trunks. "Wha's so funny? You okay Yami? Ya look a little red"
Anzu rolled her eyes at Joey's denseness and pulled out her costume "Chill out Yami, I was only teasing" she looked at Yugi and saw that he wasn't getting his swimming clothes out. "Come on, cutie, we're going swimming"
Yugi shook his head and pout his hands behind his back. No thanks, I don't want to.
Tristan threw a towel at him "Get ready, or Joey and I will throw you in dressed as you are" he threatened with a grin. "You don't have to dive or stuff if you don't want to"
Yugi looked at the door, planning to bolt if he had to, when Yami appeared behind him. "Come on, we're not going to drown you. What's wrong?"
Yugi thought of the scars but shook his head. Nothing.
Anzu suddenly pulled out Yugi's dark blue trunks. "Got 'em. Come here, cutie, if you don't get changed by yourself I'll do it for ya"
Yugi looked panicky and grabbed the trunks and followed the others to the changing rooms. Oh no! I'll be hated after this! Yugi pulled on his trunks and then sat down in the small bathroom with his back to the door, not looking in the mirror at the scars that littered his small body.

---

Yami smirked then shoved an oblivious Joey into the pool. Joey yelped then spluttered as he surfaced "What da hell was dat for!?" he shouted.
Yami smirked again, hands on hips "Sorry Joey, it was too good a chance to miss"
Tristan laughed as he came out in black trunks "You look like a drowned mutt, Joey" Joey was in light blue swim wear while Yami was in black with two res stripes on the right side.
Joey fumed "Say dat to my face ya spiky haired poof!" he barked, holding himself half out on one hand while waving a fist with the other.
Tristan smirked and was about to when Anzu wacked him on the back of the head with a magazine she was planning to read while tanning. "You can't tease him, that's Seto's job besides being an icicle… looking good boys, by the way" she added. Her hair was in a high pony tail and she wore a light forest green swimming costume.
Yami rolled his eyes "I'll tell Serenity you said that, Anzu. She's back tomorrow remember?"
Anzu giggled "I can give a friend a compliment if I want to, Yami… where's Yugi?" she looked behind her and frowned "I'll be back in a moment. Hold these Tristan" she handed her towel, shades and magazine to him as she went back to find Yugi.
Joey sat at the edge of the pool with a concerned look "Is it dat bad?"

---

Yugi jumped as Anzu knocked "Yugi! Come out, we're all waiting for you. Its okay if you don't want to get into the water, you can sunbathe with me. I'm not going to swim much, either. Please come out, you're our friend, we won't get going without you"
Yugi felt his chest hurt. How did she know what to say? Now he was going on a guilt trip.
When Mum gave me Dad's old puzzle… I wished for friends, ones that would never betray me. Some friends who I would never turn my back on…
Yugi stood up, looked at himself in the mirror and felt his resolve weaken slightly. The burns along his legs and arms showed up only slightly but you could see them, the burns on his torso were very noticeable, then there were the cuts from the crash. Nine along his arms, all jagged and ugly, one across his chest, almost like a sword wound. Then there was one on his knee.
I'm hideous! Yugi thought as the reflection stared back at him as mournfully as he looked at the reflection. Yugi's amethyst eyes sparkled with tears and he was about to hide himself away when Anzu spoke up again.
"For us Yugi? Please? Pretty please with custard creams and a cherry on top?" Yugi laughed reluctantly, without making a sound. He took one last look in the mirror and then grasped the door handle. If you are the friends who will never leave me, this is the first test.
Anzu nearly fell on top of Yugi when the door opened suddenly. She got her balance and looked at the small tri haired teen that was standing ready to bolt before her. Anzu's blue eyes looked him over and lingered on the scars she winced a little but then shook her head to clear her thoughts "This is why you were so shy?"
Yugi nodded sadly. Anzu patted his shoulder "I've got a nasty one too, here on my ass this rabid dog bit me when I was playing a twisted game of chicken" she chuckled at Yugi's expression, priceless. "It was nasty. I'm not gunna strip, but here's part of the bite"
Yugi winced at the teeth marks. Anzu agreed with a shrug of the shoulders "It's not that bad, I'll bet yours have a story or two behind them. You know Yami has a scar on his shoulder blade? He told me he got that by falling from the roof" Yugi squeaked in alarm.
Anzu grinned. "I don't believe that, the house is three stories tall for God's sake!" Yugi sighed in relief "I think he cut himself shaving… hairy back or something" Yugi blushed while Anzu assured him it was a joke. "Joke! Joke. To be honest I'm not entirely sure how he got that scar, he's told so many stories about it I don't know what to believe, I bet you could get him to squeal, eh cutie?" Yugi hesitated but Anzu had already grabbed his hands and was gently towing him towards the pool.

---

Yami heard Anzu's animated chatting and looked up to see her appear around the corner. "Hey, guys, try no to stare at him because he's soooooooooooo cute when he's only half dressed" she snickered at Yami's blush then gasped as Yugi's hand was suddenly wrenched away from hers. She looked behind her to see Yugi hiding from the others behind the corner, trying to hide his really showing scars with his hands and looking ashamed that he had such a body.
Anzu looked at him in sympathy and turned back to the boys who were waiting confused and concerned. "One moment please" she assured them before going up to Yugi and squeezing his shoulders. "I know I joke like an ass, but I'm serious when I say you look good you've got the cutest butt next to my Serenity" she assured him.
Yugi blushed and shook his head, almost crying. Anzu hugged him and whispered "If you don't get out there, I'll call your Grandpa and he can order you out. I'm over it, they'll only stare for a moment, if they act like asses Joey'll set the hounds on them" she touched his shoulder and guided him out into the light.
Yami saw Anzu bringing Yugi outside. He frowned as he saw him, the boy was trying to hide behind Anzu, she wasn't letting him but he was trying, then Yami saw that the white skin wasn't as flawless as he thought.
There were flames shaped scars all down Yugi's arms from elbow to wrist, his left leg had burns around the ankle while his right had nasty burns from knee upwards, reappearing over the top of his shorts. He also had some jagged scars and most had stitching marks on them.
Tristan and Joey stared for a moment but Joey snapped out of it first. "So dats why you didn't wanna swim. Ouch, dat's hurts, you t'ink we'd shove ya under just cause ya skin's a wonky colour?" Joey flashed a smile at the surprised face that turned up to look at him. Joey winked "Ya was right, A-Z. Yug here is cute"
Yugi blushed like crazy and hid behind his hands while everyone laughed. Anzu squeezed his shoulder "See, I told ya they'd be fine with it. Tristan! Get in the pool, I'm racing you to the deep end!" she shouted and ran off with the spike haired boy in hot pursuit.
Yami was still frozen, he wasn't looking at the scars, he was looking at Yugi. He was so beautiful. Not beautiful like a girl could ever pull off. He was cute but boyish, he was like a butterfly that needed to be helped along. Yami smiled and held a hand out to Yugi. "Lets go" Yugi turned the adorable amethyst eyes on him and Yami was lost.
If there was love at first sight, it was now. Seeing Yugi for who he really was, entirely. Yami felt a blush appearing at that but managed to hold the pale hand back as they raced to Joey and they both shoved him in at the same time.
Joey yelped again and then splashed them back in retaliation. "Ya traitors!" he whimpered with a pout.
Yami laughed, Anzu giggled crazily with Tristan's bellowing laugh that was hilarious by itself. Then a new voice.
Everyone shut up and looked at Yugi who had a hand over his mouth, looking as shocked as everyone else was. Yami laughed slightly and then turned fully around to see Yugi's face "Yugi… did you just laugh?"
Yugi glanced up at the taller teen then smiled evilly. And shoved.
Yami yelled as he fell back into the pool. Anzu was crying with laughter but even she shut up when the laugh like pure gold was heard again. Yugi was clutching his stomach and laughing like he was about to burst if he didn't let it out. His eyes were sparkling and his smile was so brilliant.
Yami stared for a moment before grinning "You'll pay for that!" he threatened and climbed out and started to chase the tri coloured teen. Yugi shrieked and legged it, running surprisingly fast for such a small boy, nimbly hoping over the deckchairs and climbing the ladder to the diving board when he ran out of room.
Yami climbed after him and cornered the panting young teen at the top, the board was wide and long and strong enough for two people, one at each end. Yugi had frozen in the middle of the board. Yami smirked dangerously at him when he saw he was trapped. "I'll be nice Yugi, I'm giving you a choice, jump or accept defeat and be my servant for the rest of the day"
Yugi blinked. What? The hell I'm going to surrender! He grinned and walked right to the edge of the diving board confidently. Then he faltered. Anzu, Tristan were shouting his name in encouragement. But Yugi was pale as a ghost, shaking like a leaf and staring wide eyed at a Déjà-vu.
Flames, fire, his Mother and Grandfather screaming his name while a fireman offered a hand through the wall of fire, his Father shoving him through to the other side, to air. Staying behind to be burned alive. The pain of the flames, the screaming of his Father, his own screaming… Yugi lunched away from the edge, falling on his butt and scooting back, shivering, a hand over his mouth and pure fear controlling him.
Yami saw the change and reached forwards "Yugi?" the star haired teen jumped and looked up at Yami who had joined him. Yami looked concerned at his face "It's alright, it is high up. I'll jump with you" he stood and pulled Yugi with him.
Yugi's imaginary flames were quenched as the firm hand held his own. He looked at their hands and sent a grateful smile to Yami who was walking them both to the edge. "Ready?"
Yugi breathed in slowly and then out all at once. He nodded I'm ready. Yami smiled triumphantly and they both jumped. Yugi and Yami held hands all the way down, straitening their legs and holding their hands above their heads while they fell to the surface.
Yugi felt the water hold him in its cool arms and soak him from spiky hair to scarred toe. Yugi opened his eyes under the water and swam deeper, releasing the firm hand that went to the surface instead. Yugi touched the bottom of the pool and looked up at the sun sparkled surface. It was beautiful.
Yugi smiled and jumped off the ground, shooting through the cool blanket of water to the surface. He inhaled in a rush and then felt a strong arm around him. "Nice dive" Yugi blinked the chlorine from his gaze to see Yami holding him afloat while Joey and Tristan cheered and Anzu raced for the diving board.
Yugi blushed at once and dived back under and kicked away to the edge of the pool and held onto the side, smiling over his shoulder at Yami who had swiftly followed him. Yami moved his sodden bangs from his face and laughed "You can really hold your breath, can't you?" he messed Yugi's hair slightly and Yugi giggled. Another sound he hadn't made in a while.
Anzu broke their moment when she shrieked and performed her really spaz styled fall off the board. Yugi laughed again and pulled himself up Yami swimming to dunk Joey while Tristan threw foam floats at Anzu in mock confetti. Yugi sighed, the scars and height fears were dulled… when Yami was near…
Blush.