Missing Pieces Pt.2 (Yami Yugi x reader)

Clear skies, fragrant plant life, and just the right level of humidity. Another day in paradise.

Or so it should have been.

The tri-coloured haired teen sighed as he ran his fingers across the dew-slickened grass, his fingernails tracing circles around the small patches of daises and clovers. His mind clouded with memories associated with today’s date. It’d been three years since he’d left his friends to ascend to the afterlife. At the time he was sure he was doing the right thing in fulfilling the agreement, so sure of his fate that he’d barely flinched when Yugi had beaten him in that final duel. He’d known he would from the start, it was destined to happen after all, and to be honest he had felt comfortable in the decision presented before him at the time.

Now, he wasn’t so sure. And the feeling had been eating away at him for months.

He leant backwards under the afterlife’s evening sky, his thoughts flickering to his friends back on earth; did the sky look the same there? Perhaps it was raining instead- spring was infamous for its frequent showers and chilly spells after all. The teen sighed. The afterlife itself didn’t have any real concept of time aside from the cycle of night and day, it was through habit that he’d kept track of the time passage on earth in order to apply it to his own existence. But it’d been a while since he’d been able to bring himself to check up on everyone, there was a chance he’d slipped up and they were in the middle of autumn already.

He furrowed his brow at the thought.

Although he wouldn’t outwardly admit it, a large part of him refused to move on from his time sharing a body with his best friend. He knew that he’d never forget his friends and the memories they shared, but within him burned the desire to be there with them again. But was it too late? Yami rubbed at his temples irritably, even in the afterlife headaches found him quite frequently.

He’d be eighteen now, along with everyone else, he’d be graduating, perhaps he’d have found someone by now... he shook his head at the thought, heart dropping as he realised that even if he’d won the right to share Yugi’s body, he’d be just that. A disembodied spirit still clinging to a host. Never a real person with his own flesh and blood.

Ugh.

A deep chuckle travelled on the wind, making the teen glance over his shoulder, shooting an absentminded glare fuelled by frustration and the throbbing at the back of his skull.

“Honestly Atem, what kind of prince sneers at his father in such a way?”

The older man chuckled warmly, strolling over to where his son was slumped upon the grassy banking. Yami’s gaze rested at his feet, lips still pursed in frustration.

“...sorry.”

The older pharaoh laughed heartily, placing a tanned hand on his son’s shoulder affectionately

“What’s gotten you into such a foul mood, young prince?” Aknamkanon could tell by looking at his son’s face that a verbal answer wasn’t really needed, his smile faltered as realisation washed over him, “I see... it’s the anniversary date again.”

The younger man grunted in reply, his arms coming up to rest upon his knees, chin soon following atop of them. The two were silent for a few passing moments, both watching the blades of grass dance with each kiss of wind. It was Aknamkanon that spoke first, a new air of seriousness in his voice,

“Atem,” his stern tone drew the violet eyed teen’s attention to his face, curiosity glazing over wide mulberry orbs, “You’re old enough.”

Yami tiredly raised an eyebrow at his father’s cryptic words,

“What do you mean, father?”

The taller man chuckled, his gaze never leaving the dying sunset,

“Do you really want to stay here, or would you truly rather be down there with them for a little longer?”
The spiky haired teen’s pulse jumped as the words reached his ears, was his father offering him a choice or simply questioning his loyalty? It was truly wonderful to be reunited with his father and royal court but... he just wasn’t ready to fully commit himself to the afterlife even now.
“Father... I...” the words dried up in his throat as the bearded man laughed again, pivoting to face his bewildered son with a warm expression.

“Atem, if this is what you want, we’ll arrange something for you, just be sure this is absolutely what you desire, my son,” a hint of sadness crossed Aknamkanon’s smile “we’re sure to meet again in the future anyway, but this time you’ll be together with everyone”

Yami clenched his clammy palms as the realisation sunk in. This was it. He could finally see everyone again. But... what if things had changed completely? He had no clear idea of what everyone was like at the moment (catching up with the real world happenings hurt too much on an average day) at the time he’d felt it was his time to leave them, what if they felt the same way? Perhaps he was simply being selfish, wanting to see you all again despite living in a constant state of paradise in the afterlife...

What if someone had died while he hadn’t been paying attention?

He brushed the thoughts away with a shake of his head. He was being presented with another chance at life on Earth.

He’d be foolish not to take the plunge.