I read Bleeding Hearts a while back, and I wanted to cry because of it. It was the perfect angst story, and I just had to write an epilogue. So thanks, AlwaysYourAibou.

And just to throw it out there, read Bleeding Hearts on Valentine's Day. I went to Raley's after I read the story, and it was painfully awesomely moving. Wow.

So here's the best I could do. It pales in comparison of course, but I tried.

Review please!

Raw Stitches

A Continuation of Bleeding Hearts, by AlwaysYourAibou

Yugi lay on the hospital bed. Suddenly, he wanted to die. The machine that watched his heartbeats became Yugi's biggest enemy.

'Stop beeping, stop beeping. Make me dead. Say I've died. Please.'

'God, why won't you listen to me?'

Tea and the others walked in, including a now very uncomfortable Seto Kaiba.

Yugi, I'm glad you're alright. Tea said. She had tear tracks on her face.

Yugi said "My king found me a heart."

"What?" Tea cried. Kaiba shifted.

"It's not good enough for him to just sacrifice himself for the whole of Egypt and spend three thousand years in a box, no, he...he has to go off to save me too." Yugi cried, breaking down.

Seto looked very uncomfortable now.

"What are you talking about Yugi?" Joey asked. Tea's eyes were large, and she had covered her mouth. Yugi handed over the note.

Seconds passed, the minutes...like hours...

"Seto, did you see him? Did it look painful? Did he tell you why he did it? Where he got the idea?" Yugi spat.

Seto slowly shook his head. Yugi lost it.

"It's because I told him that the best gift to give someone on valentine's day was their heart, and the baka believed me. He took me literally, and believed me. "

Yugi covered his face with his arms, and tears soaked his sleeves with bitterness. They could literally see Yugi breaking.

"Why the hell did you believe me, Atem? It was just a metaphor..." Yugi sobbed.

"Seto...did you help him?" Yugi asked, after a few moments of crying.

Seto nodded, his eyes never leaving Yugi's face.

"I hate you." Yugi said darkly.

The room was suddenly impacted with silence, and the only sounds left were Yugi's heartbreaking sobs, and the terrible machine.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

'Was that all that was left of Atem? The heart inside of me?' Yugi thought bitterly. 'Are you sending me a message, Atem? A Morse Code of grief?'

Yugi suddenly stood up and pulled out the IV needle. The nurses ran in, completely scared.

I'm fine.' Yugi almost yelled. 'My body is fine...and my heart...'

This heart won't let me down.

Yugi turned to Seto. "Take me there. Take me there to see him." Yugi ordered.

"Yugi, you shouldn't..." Seto protested anxiously.

"Oh, so all of a sudden you know what's best for me?" Yugi yelled. Seto stopped, shocked at Yugi's anger. "No, you don't okay? If you did, you wouldn't have let Atem do something so stupid."

"Now, take me here to see him."

Without another word, Kaiba shut his mouth and led Yugi and his shocked friends into the limo.

asdlfkjalskdfj

The basement was cold. There were a few people bustling about, janitors with cleaning rags and buckets full of red liquid. Yugi wanted to cry again.

"I was going to bury him later..." Seto started, and the door opened. There, on a dusty, rusted operating table, lay a bloody body, his face covered by a thick plastic sheet. His hair was tipped with red, the only bright color in a room of cold metal and death.

"Yugi don't." But Yugi had already walked over to the body and pulled off the sheet.

Atem looked perfect there. There was a huge gaping hole through his head, and blood was thickly pouring out. On his chest was another, similar hole. The rest of his body was flecked with blood.

Yugi stroked Atem's cold face. "Baka" he whispered. He leaned down and kissed Atem on the lips. Yugi straightened again and wiped the blood from his own lips. There was no point in wiping Atem's.

"Bury him, Kaiba." Seto nodded, and some burly men wrapped Atem's body as Yugi faced the wall. After the men left, Yugi gestured to his friends.

They went home.

Asdklfja;lsdjkfasldjf;akjsdf

I hate Valentine's day. All that cute love stuff about true love and being together forever? It's a lie.

It's not fair. Atem and I save the word, what, three hundred times, and we can't even be allowed to be together properly. Instead, Atem's with me via vital organ and shitloads of painful memories.

Why? Why me? Just two words...instead of heart I say undying love, maybe...then this wouldn't have happened. The idiot whom I love with all my, sorry, HIS heart, wouldn't have gotten this stupid idea. Best gift to give me...what a dumb thing to say.

Anything, ANYTHING would be better than this. I caused his death. How could anyone be anymore heartbroken?

Atem's POV

I sighed. It was Valentine's Day again, and of course, Yugi mourns my death alone in his house. He doesn't go outside. He doesn't do anything. Just sits there and mourns me.

I didn't want this. Don't you see, Aibou, I want you happy. But he won't do it. I want you to live your life to the fullest! Let me live through you! But he won't do it.

I went to see him in a dream once. It was so heartbreaking.

"I love you Atem." His voice whispered to me. He had sensed me.

"Please do." I said as tenderly as I could. I don't think anyone besides Yugi has heard me this way.

"I love you too, Yugi." I continued. In his dream, his head was in my lap, and I was blood-free. It was dark, but okay.

"Please don't." Yugi said bitterly. Suddenly, he was still in my lap, but we were in the cold metal room again, where Kaiba had watched me die and give up my life for Yugi.

"I hate you for loving me." He said. I could tell he was staring at the body on the bloody table.

I didn't say anything.

"I did what I wanted to do." I finally answered.

"And you didn't consider anyone else when you did, did you? You even made a selfish decision for me. You can't ever think of someone else, can you?" Yugi spat bitterly. I couldn't understand his words, and yet I could.

"I could tell you a million lines of bullshit Aibou, and it would all sound the same." I finally decided to stop trying to baby him. "I just wanted you to live, so that I didn't fail in protecting you like last time. Don't waste the life I've given you mourning. Go live it to the fullest. Let me live through you." I had gotten up, and left.

The dream ended.

Yugi's POV

I still remember the dream when Atem came to visit me. It was painful, to say the least. I wanted him to hold me, yet my own self-pity would not allow me to seek comfort in his arms. I regret that.

It's been years now, and each year, especially on Valentine's Day, I stay at home to think over that dream. I can think of better things and better memories then, instead of plague myself with nightmares and sights of heart balloons, and heart candy, and...and...

See why I hate Valentine's Day?

The doorbell rang. It was obviously Joey, who had called to say he was coming over to watch comedy movies with me. For the first time in years, I had agreed.

Maybe...maybe I will go live my life. I'll go to Egypt and help Ishizu with her artifacts, follow Joey and Tea and Tristan when they travel the world, and spend time with my precious family members. Life is so fleeting...

And on Valentine's Day...I'll think of you Atem, as I watch comedy movies filled with stupid and inappropriate jokes, play games with Joey until our eyes blur over, and...

And I'll think about how much you would have enjoyed all this, and I'll do the enjoying part for you.

You get some rest. I'm sure losing all that blood and worrying about me has really taken its toll on you.

I'll be okay. Happy Valentine's Day, Mou Hitori No Boku.

There is

no one in the world who loves you more

than I do.

There is no one who will ever love you more

than I do

I would trade the whole world

just for you

because you wouldn't let me...

And because the world is worthless without you

Let the world sink straight into the darkness.

your light alone will shine through

and pierce through the shadows

to show us all

the right path again

Forevermore...

Forevermore...

Forever...

And if I destroy your trust

let me die

there is no other reason why

I would even breathe

I would even live

if not for you

I would not lift a finger

Don't let me fade

away

I know you'll always hold onto me

when I'm losing myself

when I forget what I'm doing

you'll be there for me

it's a wonderful thing

but I love you for your

heart and soul

that sings out to the heavens

your words of truth

and your mind of purity

the life that shines

For me...