A/N: Thank you for reading and for your support. I hope you are enjoying the story so far. :) Please comment and vote! Both are wonderful!
/Yugi's thoughts/
The next morning, while Yugi was pulling his pants on to get ready for school, Dominick came barging in the room looking panicked.
"Dom! What's wrong?" Yugi asked; his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.
Dominik rushed over to Yugi grabbing his forearms and pulling him close, "Yugi, the cops are here! Did you call them for some reason?"
Yugi shook his head, "No. I didn't. How many are here? And why are they here?"
"Two. They are in the living room waiting. Get your shirt on and come out," Dominick rushed out of the room leaving a confused Yugi staring at the door that had just closed. He took a deep breath in before he put his shirt on and joined the three in the living room.
"Hello officers," Yugi said sweetly when he entered the room.
Both officers were tall men with short black hair. One had brown eyes and the other green. Each of them shook Yugi's hand individually.
"Hello young man," the green eyed cop spoke first. "I am Officer Daniels and this is Officer Sanderson." The brown eyed cop nodded his greeting to Yugi before Officer Daniels continued, "We would like to speak to each of you separately." Dominick and Yugi looked at each other and then at the two officers.
"Okay," Yugi responded friendly.
"Yea sure." Dominick frowned.
"Yugi, please follow me." Officer Sanderson motioned for Yugi to follow him outside and Daniels motioned for Dominick to sit at the table. Yugi glanced one last time at Dominick. If looks could kill, Yugi would have drawn his last breath that moment. A pain shot through his heart and he turned to follow the officer outside.
Once the door was shut behind them, the officer led him down the path away from the apartment and earshot. He turned to face Yugi; his eyes scanning Yugi's small body, taking mental notes of his appearance. The underweight sickly form, the dark circles under his eyes, and the frailty of the body. Yugi looked like he would snap in half if anyone so much as hugged him too tightly.
"Yugi, do you know why we are here?" the officer asked not removing his gaze from the youth.
"No, sir, I am sorry. I do not know," Yugi shook his head.
"We have received a few calls this morning from various people informing us that you may be in danger and that Dominick is abusing you," Officer Sanderson noticed the subtle change in Yugi's behavior. His frail body was rigid and fear danced his his amethyst irises.
Yugi glanced down momentarily, /I wonder who all called and reported such a thing./ He thought before glancing back to the officer, "I am sorry that you wasted your time, sir. Dominick is not abusing me. He is good to me. He loves me. And I love him. He would never hurt me."
"Listen Yugi, I don't know why you think I was born yesterday but I do not believe a damn thing you just said. Unfortunately, we are not able to step in at this pint without your confirmation of the abuse. I am not blind. I can see how unwell you look, but there is not enough evidence with that alone to prove he is abusing you. We need your help. Yugi, we can protect you and make this bastard pay for domestic violence," Officer Sanderson grit his teeth awaiting the youth's response.
Yugi narrowed his eyes at the officer, "I appreciate you trying to help, Sir, but I do not need your help. Dominick is very good to me," Yugi repeated.
"I will ask you one more time, is Dominick abusing you in any way? Physically, mentally, emotionally, sexually?" Officer Sanderson pushed.
Yugi shook his head, "No."
The officer sighed; his shoulders slumped. His eyes traveled over Yugi once more, "Okay little one. Here is my card. Please be sure to contact us if you need help. I assure you we can and will protect you. Please allow me to check with my partner before you go back inside." Yugi nodded.
The two walked back to the apartment, the officer shook his head sadly, disappearing through the door. Yugi paced back and forth as he waited for the officers to let him in.
After a few minutes Officer Daniels emerged from the apartment and nodded to Yugi, "You may go in now. Thank you young man." The youth nodded as he passed the officer and entered the apartment. Dominick was still sitting at the table; the look on his face was pure rage. Yugi could see the veins in his neck pulsing with each heartbeat. Officer Sanderson was jotting down a few more notes before he turned to Yugi. He held his hand out for the boy to take. Yugi gripped it and shook the hand smiling at the officer towering over him.
"Thank you. Have a great day you two." Officer Sanderson said and took his leave. The room was shrouded in silence so deep, it was deafening. Yugi took a step towards Dominick which caused the blue eyed youth to turn his gaze on him.
"What have you done?" Dominick's harsh whispered broke the silence.
Yugi tilted his head confused, "What do you mean, Dom? I didn't do anything."
"WHAT have you been telling everyone about us?" Dominick was on his feet.
"I haven't said anything bad about you, Dom." Yugi shifted uneasily from one foot to the other.
"I don't believe you," Dominick's voice rose. He stomped over to Yugi, "If you haven't been telling people that I abuse you, then why were they," he pointed his finger in the direction the officers had just taken, "just here?!"
Yugi gulped, "I'm not sure, Dom. I haven't said anything negative about you. I only tell people how much you care about me and.." Yugi never got the chance to finish his sentence. Dominick pinned Yugi to the wall with a crushing grip on his biceps.
"Ow!" Dom, you're hurting me." He squeaked and squirmed trying to free himself without success.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, YUGI?!" Dominick yelled at the youth. The blue eyed boy slid his hands up Yugi's biceps to his throat, pinning Yugi to the wall by the throat. Yugi made sickening choking noises clawing desperately at Dominick's hands.
The hands suddenly loosened up and Dominick removed them from Yugi's throat. He placed them on the wall behind Yugi and leaned forward closing the gap between the two boys. His lips close to the tri-colored teen's ear he whispered, "If you ever tell someone I abuse you again, I will make you pay."
Yugi was gasping and coughing trying to fill his deprived lungs with delicious oxygen. He managed to choke out in a raspy voice, "How would you make me pay, Dom? Would you kill me? Huh?"
Dominick growled low in his throat, "Don't push me you pathetic twerp. I'm the best you're ever going to have. No one else will ever love you." With that, Dominick grabbed his backpack and took his leave, slamming the apartment door behind him.
Yugi fell to his knees in tears, /How did my life end up like this? How did I get here?/ He wiped the blinding tears away. He placed one hand on the wall to lean up against to help him get to his feet. He wearily made his way to the medicine cabinet in Dominick's bathroom. /I need an exit strategy/. He picked up each pill bottle searching for the Aspirin. Once found, Yugi dumped five pills into his hand and downed them with a gulp of tap water. He stood before the mirror staring at himself. /I look like shit/ He scowled and popped five more Asprin into his mouth chasing it with the tap water.
He wandered around Dominick's room aimlessly not sure what he should do before turning to go back into the bathroom. He popped a few more Aspirin into his mouth and swallowed. Yugi repeated this process for thirty minutes.
50 pills later, Yugi leaned up against the shower door the pill bottle next to him open; the pills scattered all around him. His vision blurred around the edges. His body trembled, unable to processes the ingestion of so many pills. He heard a ringing in his ears and his hearing dimmed. Everything sounded like it was at the end of a long tunnel to him. He rested his head on the shower door behind and closed his eyes.
\/\/\/
The library door opened as Yami walked in and approached the circulation desk. He smiled at the woman behind the counter, "Hello."
"Hello, Yami! How can I help you?" Mrs. Whittmore smiled at the young professor.
Yami smiled, "I know that Yugi is a big fan of Ancient Egypt and I wanted to bring this book by to loan him. It's one of my favorites. Is he working today?"
A worried look crossed Mrs. Whittmore's face.
"What is it?" Yami's smile fell.
"I am just a little worried about him. He was supposed to work for a few hours this morning before his afternoon classes and he never showed up."
"Oh?" Yami asked, prompting her to continue.
"He never called either," she frowned, "He usually would at least call to tell me he is going to be late."
"Do you possible have his address?" Yami asked.
"I'm sorry. I am not able to provide his address to you. Also, I don't think he has been there lately. You may try asking one of his friends," she pointed to a table across the large room where a blonde, brunet, and raven haired boy sat with their books open.
Yami smiled, "Thank you." He turned and walked over to the table.
"Excuse me gentlemen. I am sorry to bother you," Yami began.
"Woah! Guys, look at that! He looks just like a taller and older Yugi!" Duke pointed at Yami who smiled at him.
Joey and Tristen turned to look, "Wow that's pretty neat," Joey said as he stood and circled Yami.
"I apologize to bother you. Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Yami, I am Yugi's History of Ancient Egypt professor. I wanted to bring him this book," he raised the book to show the three, "but the librarian said he never showed up for work this morning. Do you possibly know where he has been staying?"
"Huh..that's not like, Yugi." Tristen commented.
"He's been staying with his no good boyfriend at the guy's apartment down the street." Duke said jotting down the address on a piece of paper, "here."
Yami's crimson eyes moved back and forth as he read the address, "I know right where this is. Thank you. I will just take it to him."
"Tell him we say hello," Joey smiled up at the man.
Yami smiled and nodded, "Thank you again."