Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Chapter Five:

Children and Their Challenges

Atem sat in a small room, donated by the police headquarters. He had been here for months, alone, forgotten, isolated. He only left the room to use the restroom and to shower, which summed it up for the most part. Most of the time, he was found locked up in the small, prison resembling room, struggling to occupy himself. The police wouldn’t allow him go to school, afraid that he would run away from them, and screw himself up even more. He was often found, reading something.

To Atem, reading was essential. He didn’t care what he read, as long as it would keep his mind off of his life. Anzu never called, he never received visitors, except from the occasional officer, checking if he was still there, if he needed any food, etc.

It was the eight month, summer vacation was starting tomorrow, and he wouldn’t be able to enjoy himself, visit Anzu, or anything. If only his family hadn’t gotten themselves noticed when they started creating a party of sick minded people.

Confined in this cell, as he put it, he continued in the novel he was reading. It was a fantasy, talking about an evil god, who wanted to take over the world, along with his minions, whom hated one another. The goddess that opposed him had an army of six as well, and taught the main character magic. The more Atem read, the main character resembled him so well, it was frightening. The main character didn’t know his family, and fell in love with the goddess. When Atem reached the last page, he slammed the large book shut, and struggled to hold back tears, which proved to be useless.

According to the ending, the main character and the goddess had married, and were now expecting a child. The ending hit too close to home, and he shoved the large book away from him, withering into a tight ball, trying to recover. Why couldn’t he have a happy ending in his messed up life? Why couldn’t find that goddess, and heal his life, the way the main character had?

No, he was wrong, he did meet a goddess. A goddess named Anzu. But, this goddess didn’t want him. He had been left alone to drown into the black waters of pain and rejection.

What was wrong with him? Why did he have to be left alone to wander in the valley of darkness and despair? There was no light now. He stumbled and fell in the darkness of his life.

Why couldn’t he learn to love? He promised Anzu that he would never cheat on her. He gave her a vow of everlasting devotion, and what did she do? She didn’t want to see him anymore. This wasn’t his fault, and she wouldn’t allow him to explain himself. If only she knew what had happened to him, then maybe she would accept him, hold him close, and listen to his desperate cries for life.

Trying to take his mind off of the increasing pain, he snatched another unread book off of the shelf, and started to read it. This one was different. It was about love, where a human and a vampire loved each other. Atem easily related to the vampire, always the cast away for being so different. But, when he got to the second book, he slammed it into the wall, enraged. He left her. The vampire left the main character. This was too much to bear.

Atem curled himself up into a ball, and buried his face under his arm, breathing heavily. Tears forced their way down Atem’s cheeks, engraving them with his isolation and loneliness. He quickly fell asleep, his stressed mind not being able to take much more pain. He was in darkness, resting, feeling calm. He had to take in the facts, Anzu never wanted to see him anymore. He would just have to move on, and that was it.

A light shake on his arm startled Atem, causing him to jump up in surprise. His vision was blurred, and he had a massive headache. He had been sleep deprived for months now, but he really needed to sleep.

“Atem,” whispered a vaguely familiar voice. “Atem, you have to wake up.”

“Whazzup?” questioned Atem, slurring his words together. He wasn’t in the mood to be up.

“We have to go now,” whispered the voice back. “It’s important.”

“What time is it?” inquired Atem groggily, as he rubbed his eyes.

“It’s one in the morning, hurry up now.”

“What do you want at one in the morning?” asked Atem, growing irritated. “Is there a fire?”

“No, it’s your child,” replied the voice, trailing off.

Atem’s eyes shot open. “What?”

“You’re mother’s in labor. Tonight’s the big night,” replied the male voice, throwing a leather jacket over Atem’s slender, hunched shoulders. “But we have to hurry, she doesn’t like the idea of being strapped down very well.”

Obeying, Atem got up and followed the man towards the exit. “Am I allowed to leave? I need permission…”

The man chuckled. “You’re all set. Let’s just hurry, okay?”

Atem nodded, and tried to keep up with the taller male. If only he was a bit more awake, then he would be more alert, and would know just who he was following.

Upon reaching the car, Atem was freezing. He trembled in his seat, and rubbed his hands together, trying to keep warm. He was relieved when the heater was blasted on, and he relaxed in his seat.

“You look horrible. Did you sleep well lately?”

Atem shook his head. “Can’t,” was all he mumbled, as he started to sink into the growing exhaustion.

“Want something to eat? Perhaps that would keep you up…” suggested the voice warmly.

Nodding, Atem yawned. Something warm was placed on his lap, forcing him to open his drooping eyes. It was a hamburger and some fries. All he ate at the station were tuna sandwiches and bottled water. It was a nice change, as he eyed a cup of soda in the cup holder. He hadn’t eaten all day, and he was famished. Devouring the food, his alertness started to kick in. The warm food eased the tension in his muscles, and relaxed his headache. After finishing, he glanced at the driver, and nearly fainted.

It was Anzu’s father…

“Wh-What are you doing here?” gasped Atem, finally realizing what was going on. “I thought…”

“I thought you would want to see your child being born,” replied the man, sighing.

Atem was speechless for a while. “How’s Anzu?”

The man smiled. “She’s fine. She can’t wait to see you. When we were told that your mother was under labor, she wouldn’t stop ranting about seeing you again…”

“You mean, she’s gonna be there?” asked Atem, eyes growing wide.

Anzu’s father nodded. “She wouldn’t miss it for the world. She’s been so busy, dancing and schoolwork, that we never found time to drop her off to see you. She’s been so anxious, it began driving me insane.”

“And… you’re okay with her seeing me?” questioned Atem, remembering how this man never accepted him all that fast. What was with the sudden change of heart?

The male sighed. “I heard when Anzu told me that you saved her on her first day of school. She then told me how you were kind enough to invite her to the dance, and how you two…” he stopped talking, holding back on the last word.

“Kissed?” inquired Atem quietly.

Anzu’s father nodded. “I guess you shouldn’t ever judge a book by it’s cover, huh?” he asked, trying to lighten up the mood.

Atem nodded. They eventually reached the prison, where his family was being held… for life. According to Anzu’s father, the wardens strapped Atem’s mother to an operation table, so that she couldn’t find a way to harm the developing, and now emerging, child.

Silently, Atem didn’t want Anzu to be there. He didn’t want her to see a deformed, or mentally distorted child coming from him. He mentally prayed that his new child wouldn’t have any major problems, but there was a low possibility of that ever happening. But, no matter the case, he was going to care for this child, caring for it’s every need, not like his mother or uncles ever did to him.

Upon entering the waiting room, a pair of warm, bare arms wrapped themselves around Atem’s neck.

“Oh, Atem, I’ve missed you so much…” sobbed Anzu into Atem’s chest.

Embracing her tightly, Atem kissed her hair. “I’ve missed you too…” His face was still expressionless, but the tears running down his cheeks told her everything.

They hugged each other for what seemed forever, absorbing the problems that one another bore separately. Atem was certain that he would never see her again.

“What are you doing here?” asked Atem suddenly, caressing her cheeks with his hand.

Anzu blushed, and looked away. “I wanted to see how you’re child turned out. I’m so certain that it will look just as good looking as you,” she said quietly.

Atem ran his fingers along the ridges of Anzu’s lips, then over her large, loving eyes. He then pressed his lips against her neck, and began to lick it affectionately. He trailed it up, to her chin, and allowed her the decision if he should proceed with the behavior.

Opening her mouth, Atem dove inside, and held Anzu’s head firmly. He pressed her body against his, as he trailed his delicate fingers over her hips, then along her back. When Anzu began doing the same, Atem’s body shifted uncomfortably.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“I’m sorry, it’s just that…” he couldn’t force the words out.

Anzu’s eyes saddened. “You’re family?” she questioned silently.

Atem nodded. “I just have to learn to enjoy it again…” he sighed, licking the top of her lip. His hands stopped, as Anzu placed hers in his. She then licked his cheek, and rested her head against his chest, sighing.

Atem was surprised to see that Anzu’s family didn’t mind his actions. They almost seemed to approve of them. He had never experienced such a feeling before. Did they accept him enough to be loyal to Anzu. He hoped so, since that was his intention. He never wanted to leave Anzu. He always wanted to hear her beating heart, feel her lips as they kissed, listen to her whisper how great he was in his ear. It was all a luxury to him.

The door opened, and a nurse walked into the room. “Mr. Motou?”

The teenager perked up, and advanced on the nurse. “Yes, ma’am?”

The nurse smiled at the adolescent. It was a pitiful, hurting smile, meaning trouble on so many lines. “You’re child has been born, but it will take a while until we get any further news.. It looks like it’s lungs were blocked, and we aren’t sure if it’s going to survive any longer…”

Anzu gasped, covering her mouth with her two hands, surpassing a scream. Anzu’s parents hung their heads, eyebrows growing close together. Atem grew pale.

“Then, why aren’t you doing anything?” barked Atem to the nurse. “Get in there, and save it!” he ordered, snarling.

The nurse nodded, and ran into the operation room.

Atem fell into one of the seats, covering his face with his hands. Tears forced their way into his eyes, not showing any signs of stopping. His first child was just born, and now it could be possibly dying.

Half an hour passed, making Atem horribly anxious. There was no news, no updates on his child’s health. He was left in the dark. When the doors opened, and the same nurse walked into the room, Atem jumped to his feet, eyes heavy, but shot wide open. “How is it?”

The nurse hung her head. “It didn’t make it…” she sighed.

Atem’s heart sank. “What?” he asked, voice cracking.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Motou. There were too many toxins in the child’s developmental stages, and it killed it.”

The teenager fell to his knees, tears racing. His only family member that he cared about had died. It wasn’t fair. It didn’t do anything to deserve such a short life span. He slammed his fist into the linoleum floor, screaming. He couldn’t handle the stress any longer.

Hours later, he was in the same position, eyes vacant. He went beyond the state of shock, and was now struggling to let the fact settle in. His child would never see the sun, never feel as he kissed his cheeks, never understand what love felt like.

The double doors opened, as cooing was heard. A light laugh came from the nurses’ lips, as she gently placed her small hand on Atem’s stiff shoulders. “Don’t you want to meet your son?” she asked quietly.

Atem brought his face up, tear stained. Staring back at him, were the most beautiful pair of large, amethyst orbs scanning his eyes. The infant had multi-colored hair, much like his father, and began kicking in his bright blue blanket.

Hesitantly, Atem reached out, and took the infant into his arms. It giggled, and reached out, grabbing one of his dangling, blonde bangs. He then waved his hand, laughing as the bang moved with his hand.

“I thought you said-”

The nurse cut him off. “He stopped breathing, and we thought we lost him. But, turns out that he was adjusting to breathing. He’s just fine.”

“Are there any… problems?” Atem asked quietly.

The nurse shook her head. “It’s a miracle. Nothing’s wrong with him, besides that he might be a bit shorter than average…”

Happy tears ran, as Atem pressed the small being against his chest. “Thank you, Ra,” whispered the teenager, as he cradled the small male in his arms. The child giggled, and grabbed Atem’s nose.

“What’s his name going to be?” asked the nurse.

Atem thought for a moment. “How’s Yugi sound?” he asked, voice sounding distorted due to the baby pinching it closed. Yugi laughed at the change of voice, and ran his fingers over Atem’s tear, observing it with his large, shimmering eyes.

Anzu laughed at Yugi’s reaction. “I think Yugi’s a fine name, Atem,” she replied, placing her hand on the teen’s shoulder. “Let’s get him out of here, though. This place isn’t fit for a good looking boy like him.”

Atem flushed at the comment, and turned his gaze back to his young child. He looked so innocent, pure, angelic, it was shocking. He just couldn’t believe that this little angel was part of him. Was this what he looked like when he was just a baby? If it was, he couldn’t picture it at all. How could he have ever looked so sweet?

“Am I going back the police station?” asked Atem, sounding upset. He didn’t want his son to live in isolation. He wanted Yugi to have a chance at life, to make friends, to express his talents.

But, much to his surprise, Anzu’s mother and father began to laugh. Anzu seemed to be in on it too, as she surpassed a strong urge to laugh.

“What’s so funny?” inquired Atem, raising an eyebrow.

“Atem,” began Anzu, smiling broadly, her face red. “You’re going to be staying with us…”

The teenager’s eyes widened. “You mean that?” he asked, stroking Yugi’s soft hair gently.

“Every word of it,” said Anzu, hugging Atem’s neck tightly. “Now, let’s get going, it looks like you’re going to fall asleep on the floor any second now…”

Chuckling, Atem got off of his knees, pressing the warm bundle firmly against his chest. He didn’t want his only son to get hurt in any way. Yugi was his treasure, a treasure that he was determined to keep, now and forever.

Once the group got outside, Yugi let out a whimper. It was cold for him, and he was growing uncomfortable.

Atem fastened his coat, allowing it to warm up Yugi, as well as Atem’s body heat. He wasn’t going to let anything horrible happen to his little angel. Yugi seemed to fill him with an unknown feeling. Something beyond just love and affection. He seemed to patch up the gaping hole in his torn and broken heart, lighting it with purity and serenity.

Settling themselves in the car, Atem rested his head against the back of the seat, and subconsciously stroked Yugi’s soft, velvety hair. Yugi fell asleep in the car, a peaceful look printed across his delicate features.

Upon reaching the house, Anzu helped Atem out of the car, and lead him to his and Yugi’s new room, since they were going to share it with each other. A small crib was in the corner, beside the window, and a bed was placed beside the crib, a foot or two separated from each other. Soft blue curtains were at the window, and the room was painted a light blue. The carpet was white, and soft, soothing to the touch.

Gently placing the newborn into the cradle, Atem collapsed onto the bed, and instantly fell asleep, exhaustion taking it’s toll on his aching body. His eyes slammed shut before his head even hit the pillow. He was relieved to finally get some rest, for once.

He was awakened, however, to the sound of whimpering. He groggily got up, and found that Yugi was throwing a fit. He felt Yugi’s rump, and found it warm. Groaning, he crept towards Anzu’s mother’s room. Tapping lightly on the door, he was surprised to see her wake up so fast.

“Atem, what’s wrong?” asked the mother, rubbing her eyes.

“Yugi needs a change. Can you show me how to change him?” he asked, rather timidly. He didn’t want to wake her up, just to help him. He felt so useless, and waking her up made him feel even worse. He always seemed to depend on somebody else to help him, never the other way around.

“Okay, hun. Wait for me, alright?” asked the female, stretching under the covers.

Atem nodded, and wandered back into his room. Yugi was waiting patiently, and cried out joyfully when he saw Atem walk inside. He swung his arms in the air, an angelic aura floating around his young body. The cooing of a dove escaped from his young, joyful lips, as slobber dribbled down his chin.

Smiling, Atem stroked the infant’s cheek, watching as Yugi took his pointer finger, and stuck it in his mouth. He felt as the child’s gums squished his finger, observing it carefully.

Anzu’s mother came in shortly afterwards, and gave Atem his lesson on how to change an infant. Atem apologized and thanked her constantly after she showed him how to care for his son. He then went to sleep, and did not wake up until later that day. When he woke, he realized that he didn’t feed Yugi, and that the baby wasn’t in his crib, like he was supposed to.

Rushing down the stairs, he spotted Anzu feeding Yugi from a bottle in her arms. She smiled at the new father, finishing the lullaby she was singing to the boy. “Well, good morning, sleepy head,” she greeted, giving Yugi a chance to breathe.

Rubbing his head, Atem looked at Anzu, puzzled. “Why are you feeding Yugi? That’s my job.”

Anzu laughed her silvery laugh, and kissed Yugi’s forehead. “It’s the mother’s job to feed the child, you know.”

Atem’s eyes went wide. “Do you mean-?”

“Yes,” interrupted Anzu, smiling proudly. “I’m gong to be Yugi’s mother, and your future wife, Atem.”

For the first time in forever, Atem was overjoyed. “You mean that?”

“Of course,” said Anzu, placing her hands on her hips. “Now get Yugi a new diaper, it’s the father’s job you know.”

Atem smiled, and shook his head. He then lifted his son in his arms, and sighed. “Alright, you win Anzu…” he said, defeated. He then carried Yugi to his crib.

Forget the fear, it’s just a crutch
That tries to hold you back until your dreams are dust
All you need to do is just try
(Try, try, try)

--

Here’s a new chapter. It’s got a nice ending this time. X3 Be excited for the next chapter, okay?

Oh, here’s something to look at. It’s a picture that I drew a while back, but ties into the story in it’s own way. Here’s the link. -

kiku-okassu./art/In-the-Dark-82817219