Nazo no Kisu (Mysterious Kiss)

Nazo no Kisu (Mysterious Kiss)

Hey all, welcome to another chapter of this thrilling fic! Thanks for reading and reviewing! I really hope
that's a great indication of how everyone is liking the story to date. As we left off...in the previous,
tear-swelling-eyes chapter, Atemu told Yugi the real reason he hasn't been able to return to Domino for
good, then he collapsed...or did he die?

Chapter 24: Depressing Times

"Atemu?! Wake up!" I near yell, trying to wake my love. But he's not moving.

He's still breathing which is a very good sign....or is it?! Has the virus spread more than he thought?! Is
he going to leave me?!

"Atemu!!" I yell, then hear a hoard of people run to my room and nearly rip my door from its hinges.

I open the door and Atemu's parents run in.

"It's happening..." his father says.

"What's happening?! Akunumkanon-sama?! What's happening to Atemu?!" I yell as my eyes are now
swollen and red from all the crying.

"His immune system is starting to shut down. Different germs and other harmful bacteria are starting to
take its toll." He says as he picks up Atemu's limp body. "Even a cold can kill him."

I watch as Atemu's father, mother, and Seth run out, followed by everyone but Kaiba and Jou. Who even
cares about them right now. I bury my face into my pillow and cry.

"Yugi..." I hear Jou say as he rubs my back. "I hate to hear that's happened to Atemu."

"Yarou."

"You're calling us bastards when we're here trying to console your ungrateful ass!" scolds Kaiba...

It's your fault...

"You did it. You and Jounouchi! It's your fault!" I yell as loud as my hoarse voice would allow.

"If you and Kaiba wouldn't have beat him...and left him for dead, he would still be ok! He would still be
here with me!"

"Come on Katsuya. Let's go." Kaiba says walking out the door.

I still feel Jou's hand on my back...why isn't he leaving?

"You go on without me Kaiba. I'll catch up with you later ok."

Kaiba huffs and leaves me and Jou.

"Don't feel guilty." I scold.

"I don't care how much you yell at me Yugi. I deserve it."

"Damn right you do!"

"We shouldn't have left him there. We shouldn't have done that to him."

"Why?! Why did you and Kaiba do that to him?!"

"Spur of the moment. Adrenaline. We were so fired up about what Anzu had saw, the anger blinded
us..."

"Dashi!" (AN: Excuses)

"Yugi! I don't care what you say, I just want to be here for you now."

"Get out."

I feel his hand lift from my back.

"Get the hell out of my sight Katsuya!"

"Is that how it's going to be between us Yugi?"

"You should have thought about that before you, Kaiba, and Honda teased me during registration! You
should have thought about that before you and Kaiba beat up Atemu and left him in that condition! Do
you know that he may die soon?"

"Iya..."

"Death's Toll, the virus is attacking his immune system! Attacking his vital organs! Ra, he'd be lucky
to even see tomorrow!"

"Is that what being in love is like Yugi?"

"What?"

What the hell kind of question that is?!

"I see how much you actually love him Yugi. From the way you used to swoon over Anzu, I never
thought that anyone else, yet alone another male would sweep you off your feet. But now I see that
spark in you that you never had for Anzu, nor ever will."

Is he serious...

I stop crying for a minute to look at him walk to the door, then stop.

"I send him my blessings for a cure to be found soon." I hear him say then leave my room.

...

It's been about 14 hours since I last saw Atemu...is he ok? I haven't heard a thing from him or his family.
I've been calling, but I haven't been getting an answer at his home.

...

Love makes you do crazy things like stare into the mirror all day and imagine you and your loved one
happy, together. It's been about 20 hours and I still haven't had a wink of sleep. Okaa-san and Otou-san
have been coming in and out, trying to get me to move from the same spot I had been a day ago, but I
don't want to move. Not until I hear from Atemu.

...

30 hours...I'm still staring into the mirror. Jii-chan came in earlier, asked me if I wanted to eat, or sleep,
or talk. No, I don't want any of those petty things. I want Atemu.

...

Sleep is for the weak who think their bodies need rest. I've seen the sun rise and set about 7 times. I
don't know. Time is another one of those petty problems.

Yea. Insanity is very close.

"Ashita, we should do something about him. He's been in his room, rocking back and forth, staring into
his mirror." I hear dad say. "It's been a week and he hasn't moved. I'm very worried about him. We have
to do something!"

"Masanori, I feel your hurt and pain, but if he doesn't want any help, then there's no way we can force it
upon him!"

"Have you got in touch with the Ikhras?"

"Iya. But I will keep trying."

...

I don't know how long I've been like this nor do I care.

I drunk a little bit of water...I even ate a piece of sandwich okaa-san left for me about 3 days ago. The
mayo tastes spoiled...but I don't care. Food poisioning is the least of my problems right now. My only
concern is for Atemu."

...

"Is Yugi here Mrs. Mutou?"

Jounouchi.

"He's here."

"Has he..."

"No, there hasn't been any difference in him. He did eat a piece of ham sandwich I left for him about a
week ago, and he did drink the water."

"I'm going up to see him if you don't mind."

"Go ahead, please help him if you can Katsuya-kun."

I don't need any help. I need Atemu.

'knock knock'

"Yugi? May I come in?"

The door is wide open baka.

"Yugi, I know you're depressed about Atemu..."

So, that's what they call this. So, it isn't love anymore? Hours...no days of waiting for my other self isn't
love? It's depression. What next, am I going to be called insaine.

"...but you have to live on."

He is my life.

"He's not dead. I know that for a fact."

What did you do? Use one of Kaiba's jets to go to Alexandria?

"I know in my heart that he is not dead."

I feel an arm wrap around me...

"Come on. I bet a bath would benefit you." he sniffs. "And everyone else in this house."

Who cares about a bath? Being clean is the least of my problems. I would not bathe for a year...no for
an eternity if it meant that Atemu was going to return to me.

I hear water running....then shutting off. The door closes, then locks. Oh what are you going to do
Jounouchi, rape me?

I suddenly see the ceiling and darkness then ceiling again. A chill passes across my legs and chest.

"Kami...you're skin and bones..."

I hear him empty his stomach into my toilet. Do I look that bad? Who cares, I bet Atemu wouldn't be
disgusted by the way I look.

I feel my body being lifted and being carried. Ha, if you haven't noticed, I don't see the outside world. I'm
not blind, I just care not to see anything but Atemu. Let him be the first thing my eyes see.

Wet...water. Bubbles. Reminds me when I was younger and okaa-san used to bathe me.

"Yugi. I have never seen you this way. You have really let yourself go."

I feel the scrub brush across my arm.

"I know you're not listening to me."

Not true. I've heard everything you said, but it's just going in one ear and out the other.

"But, if you don't hear anything else from me Yugi, hear this..."

What could you possibly want to say to me?

"Would Atemu want you to be this way?"

For some reason, I blink. The burning...the pain...my eyes! I rub them, trying to get the moisture back
into them. How long did I keep them open. I could have made a killing off staring games.

My vision focuses, and I see Jou, sitting on the side of the tub, looking at me.

"Yugi? Are you back now?"

I don't know whether or not I should be thankful or just kick him out again.

For some reason or another, I nod.

"Yugi!" he says then hugs me. "If you ever get in this shape again, I'll be sure to kill you!"

I couldn't help but to smile a little and hug him back.

"Arigatou gozaimasu, Jounouchi-kun."

"I know I was mean to you, jealousy I guess, but like I said, you will always be my best friend and there's
nothing that I wouldn't do for you."

"I felt alone." I say taking the brush and scrubbing my legs. Where'd they go?! They were WAY bigger
than that!!

"What do you mean?"

"The day of the party, when Atemu passed out, it was like the world turned its back against me. I shut
myself out from the world, from my family...from you."

"Nah, you been shut yourself out from me." Jou says laughing.

I guess that's true. I can't stay mad at him for some reason...

"Now, when you finish your bath, we will get something to eat, because the way you looked when I took
your shirt off made me sick. The uncleaninless, the stickiness of the cloth to your skin, the stench... The
next time you decide to get into a 3-week depression, remind me not to come around."

Three weeks...

"It's been that long?!"

Jou looks at me oddly.

"You really DID shut yourself off from the outside world!"

I finish bathing and Jou helps me into some fresh clothes. Being clean does feel good! I pull my damp
hair into a wrap, only letting my blond bangs hang freely.

"Now, what do you want to eat?" Jou asks opening my door.

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Now that ended on a positive note!! Would any of you literally shut yourself from the world for three
weeks just because you were depressed about your love? How is Atemu doing? Did he survive or did he
die? Find out in Chapter 25!