Disclaimer: Smoochily not mine.

A/N: Written for Challenge #037 – 'kiss' – over on the ygodrabble community on LiveJournal.

Kiss of Life

© Scribbler, April 2011

In fairytales, the prince kisses the princess to wake her. Generally there's a white steed involved, possibly killer thorns, a castle and someone wielding a magic implement. But there's always a kiss. Otherwise there's no 'happily ever after'.

Real life isn't like fairytales.

Yuugi floated. Sometimes he wondered how long he'd been here. It was hard to tell passage of time. No clocks. No bell signalling the end of each school-day. No Mickey Mouse watch on his grandfather's wrist – the one he'd worn since Yuugi won it in a kindergarten raffle. No church-tower striking the hour. Not even a window to show sunrise or sunset.

He remembered once hearing how torturers used windowless, unlit rooms. Impenetrable darkness, alone in a sealed room, robbed victims of any sense of time, location, spatial awareness and, eventually, sense of self. It negated tools, or even effort. Humans need light. When victims were promised it, they gave up secrets willingly. A few days and the strongest mind crumbled.

Sometimes Yuugi heard snatches of conversation that seemed way above him. He floated as if deep in the ocean, listening on a crackly headset to voices onshore.

"…congenital heart condition…"

"…reason for…small body…matter of time…"

"…stress…invariably…state of collap…"

"…what can…do?"

"…othing…"

The words were meaningless. Disconnected. Unreal. Imaginary. All that really existed was darkness. He couldn't touch it, but still felt it. It smothered and hugged. It drowned and nurtured. It obscured and revealed. It was permanent while the voices remained fleeting.

"…uugi…lease…com…ack!"

"…waiting game…"

"…screw tha…"

He knew he'd forgotten things. Maybe the darkness ate them. Maybe only part of him was down here, the rest nearer the surface. He should find out, but that was so much effort. It was easier to just float. Something scratched his thoughts, saying he'd hurt if he went near the surface. There was pain before. His ribcage closing like a steel trap; the hallway carpet rushing towards him – those he did remember. The darkness was a cushion between them and him.

"…please!"

Gradually, even those memories leeched away. He floated lower, skimming the bottom of…what? Did it matter? Not really. You didn't have to know a place's name to be in it. He barely remembered his own name, but he was still…

"…losing hi…"

He was numb. Was he numb before?

"…think you're doing?"

"Stop tha…"

The darkness held him like a mother holding a precious child. Here was safe. Here was all he needed. Here was –

"Don't!"

Sudden warmth. He remembered warmth – Spring days, radiators, airshafts in the street, sweaters covered in horrible dancing penguins. Memories swarmed from the sensation that unexpectedly pierced the darkness. He turned towards it.

He turned? How could he without a… body?

He had a body. It was up there, waiting. It had sent an emergency line for him to grab in that warmth and… pressure… and the taste of salt…

Sensations came faster as he rose to the dreaded surface. He expected pain. There was some, but not as much as expected and nowhere near as compulsive as that warm pressure on his… mouth?

He had a mouth. He had a nose. He had eyes. He breathed through his nose and opened his eyes. All he saw was brightness. He winced.

"He moved!"

The brightness pulled away. Not a light source after all, but a wet face reflecting the overhead lights. He stared at a face that became familiar as memories returned. Likewise the faces at the foot of his bed.

Jounouchi gaped. "It worked?"

"It worked!" yelled Honda.

"Welcome back," Anzu whispered, stroking Yuugi's face. He could still taste her tears. And her.

Real life isn't like fairytales. In real life, the princess kisses the prince to get to the happily ever after.

Fin.

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