Title: A More Complicated Puzzle

Rating: PG-13 (K+) for now. Nothing scary.

Warnings: Slash and Puzzleshipping. If that squicks you, you're excused now. Also, beware convoluted sentences and my own bad sense of humor. Ye hath been warned, so no complaining (you no longer have an excuse).

AU: So labeled because it doesn't quite fit in with any of the story lines in the anime. It's set rather early on in Yami and Yugi's acquaintance, but it doesn't really relate to the pre-established story-lines in any direct way. (See the massively long forward below).

Foreword: This is my first expedition into un-charted Yu-Gi-Oh! waters. I'm relatively new to the fandom, and although I'm striving to maintain a healthy respect for canon, I don't have access to the manga, so this is based purely upon the series aired in the US and Canada. If you notice something decidedly un-canonical, bring it to my attention (I'm still learning, and suggestions are much appreciated). On a similar vein, I'm not a native speaker of Japanese, and my knowledge of said language is fairly limited. So, I shall try to restrict my use of language to the ones I understand (or at least the parts of languages I do understand), but if you notice an error with any of my Japanese usages, please point it out, I think that's everything of note. Reviews are appreciated. Apologies, this does start out a bit slow. I hope you enjoy it!

- - - - -

It was about a month before it finally sunk in. Sure, I'd wondered about Mou Hitori No Boku before that, as was to be expected when some unknown being takes up residence in your body. Not that there was any sort of past experience for me to base this on. It certainly wasn't something I could just walk up to my school councillor for advice on. Even the library wasn't really helpful when it came to the self-help books on possession. "Dealing With Your Darker Side for Dummies" and the "Idiots Guide to Possession by an Unknown Spirit" didn't seem to be in high demand. Still, it was a good month before the novelty of having a fierce protector residing in my Millennium Puzzle wore off, and the reality that despite being mou hitori no boku, he was most definitely a being unto himself, and that he was now sharing my mind-space finally hit home.

Immediately following this epiphany was the realization that I knew absolutely nothing about the spirit I'd named Mou Hitori No Boku.

I did the only thing any sensible person in my position would do: I panicked. I screamed, actually, if you want to know the entire (unmanly) truth. I screamed like a girl and started absolutely shaking in terror. This, in hindsight, turned out to be a stupid idea. Mou Hitori No Boku is in-tune with my emotions, and the high-levels of terror, panic and worry were more than sufficient to set off whatever alarm-bells he has going for him. So he took over. In my bedroom. With no apparent danger around.

"Aibou?" I heard his voice, though I knew he wasn't in the room.

"Yes?" I said, trying to sound nonchalant. Trying, and failing.

He said nothing, but I knew what it was that he wanted me to do. I wondered briefly if this was some form of mental coercion, but shoved that thought aside rapidly before I started panicking again. That would not solve any problems. Closing my eyes, and focusing on centering myself I withdrew deep into my own mind. Without literally seeing it, I felt my surroundings change. The ever-present sounds of Domino City faded out, and I was left with the peaceful silence of my soul room.

I felt the hairs on the back of my neck raise slightly, a gentle tingle alerting me that I was being watched. There was only one person that could be watching me here. I turned around to face Mou Hitori No Boku.

"Hello," I said as calmly as I could manage.

"What is bothering you Aibou?" Mou Hitori No Boku's face was completely un-readable, as usual. It was a rare sight to see him looking anything but calm, cool and collected. He was one of the few souls in the world who seem to appear unfazed by almost anything that is thrown their way. I definitely envied him.

"N-nothing," I stuttered. Yes, stuttered. I admit it. Am I pathetic? Without a doubt. But in the interests of accuracy, I did indeed stutter, even in my own mind. Though, in my own defense, Mou Hitori No Boku seemed to cause me to stutter far more than I usually do.

He didn't say anything. He didn't have to, not the way he was staring at me, with one eyebrow raised in clear disbelief, and a slight frown on his face.

I shifted nervously from foot to foot. I was blushing under his scrutiny, I could feel it. Honestly, how on Earth does he manage to unnerve me so? I'm not normally like this. Or, at least, I like to think I'm not.

Finally the silence became unbearable. "It's nothing, really. I panicked over something small. I'm sorry for disturbing you."

He walked slowly towards the bed in the corner of the room, sat down regally on it, and gestured for me to join him. "It clearly was no small thing to have upset you so Aibou. Perhaps you would like to talk about it?"

No. No, I wouldn't like to talk about it. But thanks for the offer. Instead of voicing my thoughts like a normal person with two brain-cells to rub together, I moved over to the bed and sagged down onto it. Why is it that when I'm nervous I always wind up doing the opposite of what's good for me?

"Who are you?" I blurted out.

He looked startled, wide crimson eyes staring at me in surprise. It only occurred to me then that my question may have been rude. And out of the blue. Great, in what was already managing to be the longest conversation I'd ever had with the man, I'd already managed to stick my foot in my mouth. I barely resisted the urge to smack my head against the wall. Naturally, I started apologizing immediately. And by apologizing I mean babbling.

"I'm sorry if I've offended you. I didn't mean to. It's just I realized that I don't really know all that much about you, and since you're living here now, I thought maybe I should get to know you. I didn't mean to be offensive in any way! I'm sorry, you don't need to answer if you don't want to."

"I am not offended, Aibou," his deep voice rolled over my own higher one, effectively silencing me. "I was merely unprepared for the question."

Err… Yes. Whatever that meant.

He was staring at a spot on the wall, apparently lost in deep thought. I wondered what on Earth could be so complicated about such a simple question, but couldn't bring myself to interrupt his thoughts. Instead I found myself studying Mou Hitori No Boku. He looked so like me, and yet so different. He looked like what I wanted to look like. He appeared to be taller than me, by a fair bit, and he also carried himself differently. I, being a child of the age of the computer, had a definite slouch to my posture, as did many of my peers. But not Mou Hitori No Boku, he carried himself with an air of grace and regality combined with a self-confidence that begged no argument. Physically, however, he and I were very alike. It was the differences in our personalities that made our appearance so seemingly different. And his eyes. They were a deep crimson, that on anyone else would have been horrifying, but for him seemed to be simply right.

I was startled out of my scrutinizing when he turned towards me, apparently having sufficiently collected his thoughts. He sighed, and began quietly.

"I apologize if my presence has frightened you."

I made to argue with him, but he held up a hand and stopped me from speaking.

"You cannot deny that my presence in your mind has caused you concern. I am able to sense your emotions through our link, and I felt your," he paused, as if considering the appropriate word to describe my emotion. "Apprehension." He paused again, and lowered his gaze to the floor, his whole body seeming to sag in shame. I reached out instinctively, and grasped his forearm in comfort. It was so unusual to see Mou Hitori No Boku looking so defeated. I decided immediately that I didn't like it.

Slowly his gaze moved to my hand on his arm, then back up to my face. "I cannot answer your question. I wish more than anything that I could, for I wish to please you, my hikari, my savior."

I blinked. "That's okay." I wasn't sure quite what else to say to that. "I, err, over-reacted earlier. I-I like having you here, Mou Hitori No Boku."

Good God, did I really just say that?

He nodded, somewhat startled. Apparently I did.

"Are you not allowed to tell me?" I asked hesitantly. I admit it, I was curious. He had never refused to answer a question before. Granted, we hadn't ever really talked, but still…

He shook his head and said calmly, "I cannot tell you what you wish to know because I do not remember anything of myself from before you released me from the Millennium Puzzle."

"Oh," I said quietly. "I'm sorry." This was definitely one of those moments when a simple 'I'm sorry' was more than insufficient. Still, what are you supposed to say to someone who has lost their entire identity? 'That's terrible, I hope you get well soon?' or 'well, maybe you were a jerk anyway…' When I pick up my self-help books on spirit-possession I'll be sure to grab one on dealing with your darker half's identity crisis.

He nodded again, this time in mute acceptance.

Suddenly his earlier words sunk in and I started in alarm. "You said earlier that you can sense my emotions. Did you mean all of my emotions?" There were definitely some emotions I wanted to keep to myself. It was bad enough that I was never sure just when he was paying attention to what was going on in the real world, a thought which was more than sufficient to make me feel very self-conscious when using the bathroom, but sensing my emotions all the time too?

"Not always. I pick up strong emotions. Fear, mostly. And sadness. Strong happiness too. I am, of course, able to receive anything you send, but it must be a very strong feeling for me to receive it without you willfully intending for me to pick up on it."

Okay. That was good. I think…

"How do I send something to you? And what can I send? Like thoughts? Are you telepathic?"

He looked at me with the barest hint of a smile. I took that to mean he was amused. I wondered briefly what he would look like while laughing. He certainly didn't seem like the laughing type, in fact, on the whole, he seemed rather sombre. I guess that's what happens when you have no personal identity of your own and are forced to inhabit the body of a shrimpy teenage boy. Mou Hitori No Boku definitely got the short end of the stick on this one. I was pulled out of my thoughts by his reply.

"Simply focus what you wish to send. Imagine it being sent to me, and me receiving it. You can send thoughts, even pictures, with enough practice."

I grinned. "That's it? Just focus?"

"The mind is a remarkable thing," he said enigmatically.

I just nodded and focused on sending my thoughts to him. I screwed my eyes closed and focused hard on him receiving my thoughts.Testing, testing. 1, 2, 3…

I felt, more than heard, a gentle chuckle in my mind. It tickled a bit, and I bit my lip to keep from giggling. You needn't focus quite so hard Aibou. We are connected, you and I, and thoughts travel easily between our two minds.

I blushed and sent back an apology.

No need to apologize Aibou. You are doing well for a first attempt at such a thing.

"Will I be able to do this outside of here?" I asked aloud, finding it a more comfortable medium.

"Yes," he replied, regarding me with an inscrutable air.

I shuffled nervously under his gaze. "Good," I mumbled. "I'm glad to know I can speak to you even when I'm not here in person."

He nodded again, and gave me another half-smile. Alright, so maybe half was a bit of an exaggeration. It was more of a quarter-smile. But a smile none-the-less. I inwardly lauded my own abilities. This was most definitely progress. Suddenly he stood, and turned to look at me. Casting me one more of his strange studying looks he said, "I must go now. I require rest. I am sorry Aibou."

"No, don't worry about it," I said, shuffling nervously under his gaze. "You should rest, if you need to."

He nodded yet again. Not very wordy, Mou Hitori No Boku. "You may reach me as we have just practiced if you require me," he said finally, as he turned to leave the room.

"Err… Mou Hitori No Boku?" I said tentatively. He stopped, and turned to face me. "It was nice talking to you." It was nice talking to you? What am I, some kind of girl? I could feel myself blushing horribly. Oh, good heavens, I'm pathetic.

A small smile flitted across his face, and he nodded kindly, giving a small kind of half-bow before leaving the room.

"Sweet dreams," I said quietly to the empty doorway. Sighing in relief I slumped down on the bed and buried my face in the pillow. Well, that was my first real conversation with Mou Hitori No Boku, and I'd managed to not completely make an ass of myself. Well, mostly. I could have done without the blushing and the stuttering. But, on the whole, things were looking up.

It was only then that I realized that I knew just as little about him now as I did before this whole fiasco began. Groaning I pulled the pillow out from under my head and covered my head with it, stuffing my face into the cool mattress beneath. It was not long after that I realized I didn't care how little I knew of Mou Hitori No Boku, I trusted him anyway.

- - - - -