Tarnished Innocence

Chapter 3

Chapter 3 is here. I haven't finished Chapter 4 yet but it's in the works. Hopefully I should be able to get it done pretty soon. I won't say any specific days. Enjoy!
It was kind of surreal to Yugi as he and Yami left the bar in Yamis car. It was quiet for the most part. Yugi couldn't blame Yami, said man had to stop a bar fight last minute before being let off his shift. He had gotten in a good punch to the cheek before throwing the drunk bastard out of the bar. He had assured Yugi that he was fine but from the look of that bruise, Yugi new that he wasn't.

"Putting ice on it will help with the swelling, then just put a little mayonnaise on it for a little bit." Yugi said, breaking the silence.

"How do you know that?" Yami asked skeptically.

Yugi looked down with a small smile, "Whenever I'd get hurt, my mom would do it to make the bruises go away."

"I see. So, does your mom know about your whole... situation?" Yami asked.

The teen shook his head, "No she died a few months ago, she along with my dad and grandfather were murdered."

Yami went slack-jawed as he pulled into a driveway, "Shit, Yugi, I'm sorry."

"I-It's okay."

They sat in the driveway in silence for just a few more minutes before agreeing to go inside. Yami's house was pretty big for just one person but Yugi thought that it fit the mans personality well. It had all black furniture and pristine white walls. A few pictures of family members and friends were scattered around here and there. Yugi noted that he never wanted to meet the people he saw in one of the pictures because they looked psychotic, except for one who seemed to be a buisness type man.

"That's Marik Ishtar, Bakura Akinadin, and Seto Kaiba" Yami spoke as if reading his thoughts. "Three of the most craziest people you will ever meet and a huge pain in my ass."

Yugi laughed, "Yeah, they don't seem like your average joe's."

He looked at him with a 'you have no idea' look before walking into what looked like a kitchen. "I'm gonna make dinner, if you want to go check out the guest room you can. It's upstairs, first on the right."

"M'kay."

Yugi got a glimpse of how Yami lived. He seemed to be a pretty clean guy. The house was very orderly and smelled like flowers, something that striked the teen as odd considering the bartender was kind of exotic. He had thought that Yami would be more...manly.

The teen found the room he was supposed to stay in. It was decently sized with few furniture. The only things in the room was a bed, a closet, and a window that looked into the street below. To Yugi, it was homey here. Warm, comforting, and a constant sense of secureness. A little smile made its way to his lips as he sat on the edge of the bed. He felt at home here. The smile turned down in an instant, Yugi could not get attached to this place...he was only supposed to be here for a few weeks and then he'd be able to move around again. Yugi dreaded going back, but what other choice did he have?

He heaved a sigh and got up and left the room. As soon as he did, the smell of food hit his nose and his stomach grumbled. Now that Yugi thought about it, he hadn't eaten in a really long time. He'd been too busy with business and being in the hospital to notice. Yugi walked downstairs and into the kitchen where Yami was just getting dinner finished.

"Hey Yami?"

"Hm?"

"Do you need help with anything?" Yugi asked.

"Nah, everything's done, just take a seat wherever." He said gesturing to the dining table.

The teen sat down and twiddled his thumbs until Yami placed a plate of food in front of him. A plate of steamed vegetables and roasted chicken seemed to gleam before him. "Wow, thanks Yami."

"No problem, enjoy."

They ate in silence, which was to be expected. The two barely knew each other and found themselves suddenly living together because of Yugis awful circumstances. The teen couldn't help but feel like he was imposing on the man sitting in front of him.

"I-I'm sorry." Yugi stuttered out.

Yami looked taken aback at the sudden apology, "For what, might I ask? Is the food no good?"

He shook his head, "No, it's not that. I feel like I'm taking advantage of you by staying with you. I don't have anything to give you in return."

"It's fine, Yugi. I bring in some pretty good cash, so there's no need for you to give me something back in return. Hell, I'd even buy you a new wardrobe if you wanted."

"T-that's not necessary, but I appreciate the offer. Still, I need to do something in return. I feel that it's only fair."

The man across the table put his hands together in thought. What could he make the teen do that wouldn't be to harsh on his already weakened body? He snapped his fingers as an idea came forward.

"Tell ya what," he began. "You can pay me back by cleaning around the house, I'll assign you specific places to clean. In helping with cleaning the house I'll also allow you to help with dinner, sound like a fair trade?"

"In return for my staying here, you want me to help clean and cook...that's it?"

Yami nodded.

Back when Yugi lived with his parents he was always told to keep his room and bathroom spotless. It wouldn't really be a hassle to clean for the man giving him a place to stay. Cooking on the other hand, that'd be something he'd have to pick up on for he wasn't the best at it. After thinking it through he nodded. "Sure, but I'm also going to find a job. I think I'm going to quit this whole prostitute thing."

Yami hummed in agreement, "Yeah, I wouldn't want anything bad happening to my new friend."

Friend? That sounded kind of foreign to Yugi, but he didn't mind the sound of it. The teen held out his hand, "I'm looking forward to this, Yami Sennen."

A warm hand encompassed his in a firm shake, "Me too, Yugi Mouto."