Ishizu’s Gift Part 2
Tea closed the door to her room. Tears were burning behind her eyes threatening to fall down her cheek. She gasped occasionally trying to gather her breathing. She pushed from the door and fell upon the bed, her face buried in the pillow. The tears that burned began to run like endless streams. She doesn’t understand why he had to be standing there. The pain felt ten times worse now that she saw him one more time. One more time. The very thought constricted her. She tried hiding the truth when all she wanted was to run into his arms and allow him to hold her.
Tea heard the door open follow by the clicking sound of it being closed. She heard the treads of the boots upon the floor just before she felt the weight upon her bed. “Tea.” His voice was smooth and deep as he laid his hand upon her back.
Tea rolled, pushing her body against the wall of the room. “You shouldn’t have come,” she replied quietly.
“I couldn’t just leave this be especially when you are hurting so much,” he responded just as calmly.
Tears began to burn behind the young dancer’s eyes once more as she shook her head. “You should have let it go. It’s not going to change anything.”
Atem leaned back and crossed one leg over the other as he did the same with his arms upon his chest. “Maybe not, but I might have an understanding what that pain is.”
Anger quickly flashed through the sapphire eyes of the young woman. “How could you understand what I am feeling,” she demanded quickly.
“I know someone has been containing deep feelings for a certain person. Maybe that person didn’t realize it right away, but over time those feelings were hard to ignore,” he replied casually.
Was he talking about her? Tea mentally shook her head. No. No one is their party knew she had feelings for the once nameless pharaoh. She never really got a chance to express any of them. She tried enjoying her time with him as much as possible, but she never said the words out loud. No, he had to be talking about something else.
Tea quickly shot up from the bed. She wrapped her arms around her body and took a few steps away, keeping her back to the young pharaoh. “You must have been imagining it,” she softly said.
“I don’t believe so.” She heard him move from the bed and slowly approach her. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her body flushed against his.
“You shouldn’t be here,” she softly said, shaking her head, her hair dancing across her shoulder as she stared at the ground.
Atem dropped his head against the young dancer’s shoulder. His breath was warm against the bare skin of her shoulder. “I know, but it would be wrong if I left.”
Tea pulled his arms away and walked towards the door. She opened it and quickly walked out, but not before softly replying. “If you lose tomorrow…” She let the sentence carry away with the words left unspoken, her eyes glazed over with tears as she stared at him before finishing with one more sentence and disappearing, “Just forget it, okay.”
Tea walked around the front of the ship, stopping to lean over the front rails. The breeze blowing off the water was cool to her feverish face. It felt good to be held by him, but she knew it wouldn’t last. Once the sun rises and boat docks at the port, time will began ticking down when everyone would have to say their final goodbye and watch as he disappears from their lives forever.
“Can’t sleep?” Tea turned to her side and noticed Ishizu walking towards her. “You are worried about the outcome of the duel. Why does it bother you so much?”
Tea sighed as she dropped her head. “For our over four years, he has travelled with us. At first, no one knew who he was. I always thought it was Yugi, but I have memories from the first time I knew it wasn’t, that it was him.”
“He is a remarkable person. Saving everyone without wanting anything in return,” said Ishizu as she nodded her head. “However, that is not what is bothering you.”
Tea pushed from the rail and turned, putting her back towards the Egyptian woman. “I know I shouldn’t have, but once I knew who he was, I wanted to know more. I put myself in danger multiple times hoping to see him again. I never realized the truth even after spending time with him during Battle City.”
Ishizu walked up to the young dancer and placed her hand upon the young woman’s shoulder. She could feel her trembling as tears pooled themselves upon the floor. “You never realize how your feelings have developed over the course of time, and now it hurts to know he is leaving.”
Tea glanced over her shoulder, tears burning within her eyes. “If I knew I would feel like this, I would have distant myself from him.”
“You couldn’t, though,” smiled Ishizu. “Just as he couldn’t stop saving you or wanting to be near you.”
Tea gasped as sobs began racking her body. She dropped to the ground upon her folded knees as tears fell like pearls upon the ground. “It isn’t fair,” she cried. “I love him.”
The echoing sound from someone walking went unheard to the women as the he stopped behind them. Fists clenched and unclenched as he walked to the side of the Egyptian woman. Ishizu looked up into the blood red eyes of the once nameless pharaoh before glancing down at the shaking woman. He dropped down to one knee and reached out to place his hand where hers were once before. Before Ishizu turned to leave, she bent to whisper in the pharaoh’s ear. She left with a smile on her face as she disappeared back inside.
The young dancer didn’t notice the change in hands, the change in breathing, or the motions of said person moving closer. Her throat clutched tightly as another sob wrecked her body when she felt the hands trace down her arms and wrap around her waist. She felt the warm breath upon her shoulder as words were spoken into the night. “Tea, talk to me.” His voice was soft-spoken, thick, hypnotic.
“You heard… everything?” The words were broken into a choppy sentence followed by hiccups by her breathing.
Atem only responded with one word. “Yes.”
“It isn’t fair,” she cried as she fell back against him.
“No, it’s not,” he replied softly.