What Remains (Yu Gi Oh, AnzuxYugi, theme 15)
Title : What Remains
Author/Artist:
Pairing: Yugi Mutou x Anzu Mazaki
Fandom: Yu Gi Oh
Theme: #15, Perfect Blue
Disclaimer: If I owned Yu Gi Oh "It's your move!" would've been a come on and not a catchphrase. It's for the best, really.
Author's Note: THIS MIGHT BE CHEESY. But I stand by it! I think.
Anzu had amazing eyes. They were large, long lashed, and perfectly blue. It was Anzu’s eyes that Yugi had first noticed, (huge and curious in the face of an eleven year old) and they were consequently his favorite feature of hers. Anything you needed to know was written in them clearer than even spoken word. When she was angry, they were electric, magnetic, lightening recklessly crashing into the earth. When she was laughing, they were cool distant mountains and summer skies, calming and joyful- you could look away, but why would you want to? When she was tired, they were a faded pair of jeans, morning mists, quiet, intimate, but always inviting.
Yugi found them most beautiful after she had been crying. Despite her blotchy face and runny nose, as soon as he would meet her gaze he’d forget simple things like inhaling, leaving him as breathless as if she’d kissed him. During those times, her eyes would be glowing like twilight, precious gemstones, exotic butterflies, the type of oceans you see on postcards for tropical islands. They were every blue he could think of, melting, mixing, holding so much feeling he thought the analogy of drowning would be a literal one.
He ran into her on the ship’s deck, on the way home from the Ceremonial Battle. Today he had become wholly himself. Today he had been ripped in two. There was too much bouncing around inside of him- grief, satisfaction, regret and pride. An emptiness that was both right and wrong. The juxtaposition of emotions more than confused him, and eventually drove him from his bed.
She had been standing at the railing as if she’d known he’d go there, and that had made sense to him. He thought that if anyone could understand his position, it would be her. At first he assumed her to be merely thinking. As she swung around to face his sudden intrusion, he realized he had been very wrong. The emotion in her eyes tore through him like a hurricane. The vulnerability in that unguarded moment made his throat close- made the threat of his own tears a substantial one. Was any of that anguish for him? How ugly for him to want that- and yet, how true.
‘I love you!’ he wanted to scream. ‘I love you so much, it’ll be enough. It’ll be enough to lift you up and make you happy again! It will be enough to compensate for him. It will be enough to make you love me back. I swear.’
Instead, he swallowed and looked away, unable to stand the accusation he saw there.
They stood at an awkward distance, suffering an awkward silence. ‘When did things become so complicated?’ Yugi wondered. ‘How did a relatively straightforward case of unrequited love become so convoluted?’
Anzu finally broke the stillness by moving to stand behind him. Her hands slid over his shoulders, looping him in a loose embrace. She cleared her throat, but when she spoke, her voice was still thick. “I’m sorry.”
Yugi feigned ignorance. “For what?”
She just squeezed his biceps, acknowledging his kind lie but not speaking against it.
Anzu sighed her next sentence. “You’re in the most pain, aren’t you?” Yugi jerked at this, not expecting her to be thinking of him in such a charged situation. After all, he knew how she felt about the Pharaoh.
Turning him within her arms, she bent down to his height. “And even so, you’ve been the strongest.” She considered his choker, his chin, his wayward bangs. “I’m so selfish sometimes, Yugi. It takes me so long to see the obvious.” She smiled ruefully, and finally met his gaze. He felt dizzy, overwhelmed with the bared emotion of her expression. “So, I’m sorry.”
She blinked, and a tear trickled down her cheek. Yugi hugged her to him to prevent her from seeing the tears that had gathered in his own eyes. They held each other, breathing, waiting for the hurt to pass.
He had felt...hope. There had been room for him, there in the tremble of her chin, in the moisture on her cheek. A space just for Yugi- not because he could win duels, or speak confidently, or any of the number of things the Pharaoh had lent him. Only because he was who he was. If everything completing the puzzle had earned him was taken back now that Atem had moved on, Yugi knew that at least one thing would remain- Anzu would stay.
When she had looked at him, he had finally felt like he was being seen.
Her eyes hadn’t been anything in that moment except for perfect.
Perfect blue.
Author/Artist:
Pairing: Yugi Mutou x Anzu Mazaki
Fandom: Yu Gi Oh
Theme: #15, Perfect Blue
Disclaimer: If I owned Yu Gi Oh "It's your move!" would've been a come on and not a catchphrase. It's for the best, really.
Author's Note: THIS MIGHT BE CHEESY. But I stand by it! I think.
Anzu had amazing eyes. They were large, long lashed, and perfectly blue. It was Anzu’s eyes that Yugi had first noticed, (huge and curious in the face of an eleven year old) and they were consequently his favorite feature of hers. Anything you needed to know was written in them clearer than even spoken word. When she was angry, they were electric, magnetic, lightening recklessly crashing into the earth. When she was laughing, they were cool distant mountains and summer skies, calming and joyful- you could look away, but why would you want to? When she was tired, they were a faded pair of jeans, morning mists, quiet, intimate, but always inviting.
Yugi found them most beautiful after she had been crying. Despite her blotchy face and runny nose, as soon as he would meet her gaze he’d forget simple things like inhaling, leaving him as breathless as if she’d kissed him. During those times, her eyes would be glowing like twilight, precious gemstones, exotic butterflies, the type of oceans you see on postcards for tropical islands. They were every blue he could think of, melting, mixing, holding so much feeling he thought the analogy of drowning would be a literal one.
He ran into her on the ship’s deck, on the way home from the Ceremonial Battle. Today he had become wholly himself. Today he had been ripped in two. There was too much bouncing around inside of him- grief, satisfaction, regret and pride. An emptiness that was both right and wrong. The juxtaposition of emotions more than confused him, and eventually drove him from his bed.
She had been standing at the railing as if she’d known he’d go there, and that had made sense to him. He thought that if anyone could understand his position, it would be her. At first he assumed her to be merely thinking. As she swung around to face his sudden intrusion, he realized he had been very wrong. The emotion in her eyes tore through him like a hurricane. The vulnerability in that unguarded moment made his throat close- made the threat of his own tears a substantial one. Was any of that anguish for him? How ugly for him to want that- and yet, how true.
‘I love you!’ he wanted to scream. ‘I love you so much, it’ll be enough. It’ll be enough to lift you up and make you happy again! It will be enough to compensate for him. It will be enough to make you love me back. I swear.’
Instead, he swallowed and looked away, unable to stand the accusation he saw there.
They stood at an awkward distance, suffering an awkward silence. ‘When did things become so complicated?’ Yugi wondered. ‘How did a relatively straightforward case of unrequited love become so convoluted?’
Anzu finally broke the stillness by moving to stand behind him. Her hands slid over his shoulders, looping him in a loose embrace. She cleared her throat, but when she spoke, her voice was still thick. “I’m sorry.”
Yugi feigned ignorance. “For what?”
She just squeezed his biceps, acknowledging his kind lie but not speaking against it.
Anzu sighed her next sentence. “You’re in the most pain, aren’t you?” Yugi jerked at this, not expecting her to be thinking of him in such a charged situation. After all, he knew how she felt about the Pharaoh.
Turning him within her arms, she bent down to his height. “And even so, you’ve been the strongest.” She considered his choker, his chin, his wayward bangs. “I’m so selfish sometimes, Yugi. It takes me so long to see the obvious.” She smiled ruefully, and finally met his gaze. He felt dizzy, overwhelmed with the bared emotion of her expression. “So, I’m sorry.”
She blinked, and a tear trickled down her cheek. Yugi hugged her to him to prevent her from seeing the tears that had gathered in his own eyes. They held each other, breathing, waiting for the hurt to pass.
He had felt...hope. There had been room for him, there in the tremble of her chin, in the moisture on her cheek. A space just for Yugi- not because he could win duels, or speak confidently, or any of the number of things the Pharaoh had lent him. Only because he was who he was. If everything completing the puzzle had earned him was taken back now that Atem had moved on, Yugi knew that at least one thing would remain- Anzu would stay.
When she had looked at him, he had finally felt like he was being seen.
Her eyes hadn’t been anything in that moment except for perfect.
Perfect blue.