Anzu stepped to the side as to let Honda pass. He was carrying one of the boxes for the master bedroom, so she helpfully directed him to the stairs. "Second one to the right!"
A moment later, Jounouchi dribbled past her with two boxes in his arms, clearly marked with "cleaning supplies and dish towels".
"Show-off," she teased him. "Bring those to the kitchen for me, please?"
"Sure," he grinned. Otogi and Bakura hauled a heavy, but extremely comfy loveseat inside and she hurried to give more directions. The living room was starting to take shape; after weeks of removing the old layers of paint, wallpaper and carpeting, she and her friends had put in a lot of work to redecorate it according it to her wishes. Anzu was very grateful for their help; she couldn't have done it all alone.
"Bakura-kun, over there, in the corner," she said. She always wanted to create a small nook for herself; a comfortable seat in the corner of the living room with a small table next to it, for magazines or her tablet, so she could sit and relax with a cup of tea. Otogi and Bakura put the heavy seat down. "Perfect!"
"It's a really nice place you got here, Anzu-chan," Bakura said.
"I'm very happy with it," Anzu admitted. "And I'm so glad you could help! You're sticking around for dinner, right, Bakura-kun? My treat!"
"But of course," he said. "What should we bring in next?"
"The coffee table, please," she said and thanked him and Otogi once again. Next to the furniture, the boxes started to pile up; books, trinkets, doilies... she needed to unpack everything, but she would do so at her own pace. The big furniture first, the rest would come later. Jounouchi carried more boxes with silverware and dinner plates into the kitchen, panting dramatically.
"Typical for a woman to hoard so much stuff! What did you put in all these boxes??"
"Everything a woman needs," Anzu said sternly. "We're not uncivilized cavemen like you, who only need one chair and one plate. We want our house to be a real home; cozy, welcoming, warm!"
"Yeah, yeah," Jounouchi said and he put the last box on the sturdy kitchen table. "I think it's just an excuse for you to buy a lot of stuff!"
"Don't let Mai-san hear it," she said and looked outside the window, at the large moving truck in front of the house. Otogi was carrying a large lamp and now someone else was climbing out of the back of the truck, pulling a large box towards him. Anzu's heart always softened when she saw him. He was her best friend, her bestest friend, he was so close to her yet so far apart. It was so weird to see him without the big hunk of gold resting against his chest, without the large chain around his neck. The Sennen Puzzle was gone, along with the spirit of a former Pharaoh, who resided in it. Atemu.
Anzu quickly left the kitchen to meet him half-way. "Yuugi! Yuugi, isn't that one too heavy for you?"
"No, not at all. I tried the weight first!" He wasn't strong in a physical sense, but he had no trouble balancing the large box. She read her own handwriting on the side and blushed slightly. Stuffed animals didn't weigh much, no.
"Where to?" he asked.
"Oh, just put it in the bedroom." She followed him upstairs. Honda was waiting at the top of the stairs and he eyed the box in Yuugi's arms.
"Isn't that one too heavy for you?" he asked.
"No, I'm fine, Honda-kun," Yuugi smiled brightly at him, but before he could finish his sentence, Honda had already taken the box from him.
"Indeed, this one's pretty light! I thought you had put your gun collection into this one," Honda grinned. He had chosen for a career in the military and he was making great progress. At Anzu's request, he had taught her a couple of shooting techniques and ever since then, the running gag in the group was that Anzu had a secret gun collection. She elbowed him lightly.
"Honda! Stop it!"
"Stuffed animals," he read from the description, "you're such a girl!"
"Get lost," she huffed at him and he laughed as he thundered down the stairs. He had put the box on the bed, already made. The master bedroom wasn't that large, providing only enough space for a queen-size bed, a nightstand and a surprisingly voluminous walk-in closet.
"I always knew you'd be the first one to buy a house," Yuugi said, smiling at her.
"Well, I've always been the most responsible one," Anzu deadpanned. "With you constantly running off to play tournaments all over the world and the others running after you without a second thought..."
Yuugi's cheeks colored. It hadn't been her intention to embarrass him, as she'd run after him just as much as the others. She cleared her throat. "You're quite lucky, Yuugi. You live in an absolutely adorable house."
"I guess so," he said, but his voice lacked the youthful exuberance he used to have. He had lost that innocence from his youngest days, ever since she got to know him. Come to think of it, ever since Atemu had left, Yuugi's voice had significantly deepened, sometimes his intonation and pitch were hard to discern from the former Pharaoh's. The circle of friends had teased him at first, joking that he had finally hit puberty; but the joking and teasing stopped quickly as his previously wide, beaming smile narrowed into a mere tug at his lips and his general upbeat, cheerful personality had dwindled down to a more serious, almost grave character. Was it the responsibility of his adult years already shining through, or was it because the one he cared for was gone? Anzu tilted her head a little. She had never known if Yuugi had loved Atemu more than just a friend and if so, she couldn't imagine the horror he had to live through ever since the Pharaoh had left. Yuugi had never mentioned anything about his feelings, he was still his kind and gentle self, but... something obviously had taken the shine out of his life.
She reached for him. "Yuugi..."
"So, stuffed animals, right?" He continued to smile at her. "You've got so much unpacking to do!"
Anzu didn't answer, but pulled the box towards her.
"Anzu?"
He watched as she, almost mesmerized, opened the box, unfolding the flaps. Somehow she had known that Yuugi would pick this box to carry, even if he didn't realize the reason why. She picked out the object that first came into sight. A teddy bear. Small but cute, with a red bow and glimmering eyes. She put it on the bed and picked out the second object. Another teddy bear. Round, a little larger, with a goofy expression on its face and a big, black nose. The third one was slender, wearing gardening pants, and even held a small plastic bucket in its arms.
"I didn't know you had a teddy bear collection..." Yuugi held the fourth one, another round, voluptuous bear with a hat and the most adorable smile.
"Do you remember that day when you... switched places with the Pharaoh, allowing me to spend some time with him?" Her voice was soft. Yuugi didn't look her in the eyes.
"Yes, I do," he said, voice also soft. "He really enjoyed that day together, Anzu. He spoke very often of it, with much fondness."
"I really enjoyed that day as well," Anzu said. "We did a lot of stuff, and we had so much fun. Did he tell you everything about it?"
"Well, he told me all about how you mopped the floor with that guy, by demonstrating your dance moves," Yuugi laughed.
"Yes, Steps Johnny." She giggled briefly. "Ah, you should've seen the look on Atemu's face. He was pouting, because it was doubtful he would've won anything with DDR."
Yuugi grinned. "With my body, he would've ended up face first on the floor."
"Exactly." She took the bear from Yuugi and fondled its little hat. "There was a lot to do at the game arcade, including a couple of... well, very childish games like ring toss, and those games where you try to fish a plushie out of a pile of toys? You know the ones..."
He simply nodded, encouraging her to go on. He wasn't really sure if she was talking to him or the teddy bear.
"In the corner was an arcade shooting gallery," Anzu said. "Shoot three targets and win a silly bear."
"You mean that... mou hitori... I mean, Atemu, actually took a shot and won a bear for you?"
"He did," she said. "He claimed it wasn't that difficult. He remembered how to use a bow an arrow, and that dinky toy rifle wasn't that much different: patience, concentration, aim. He won this one for me." Anzu held out the bear she had just taken from him. "You picked out the one he won, Yuugi. You felt it, that he had held it before giving it to me."
Yuugi took the bear from her, that funny round stuffed animal, and he pressed it to his face.
"The shooting lessons I took from Honda," she admitted, "was just to learn how to handle a toy rifle. I go back to that shooting gallery every year, Yuugi. I win a teddy bear every year, for myself, and for him."
He didn't laugh at her, he didn't mock her or the teddy bears. Yuugi put the bear with the others, a wistful smile on his face. Of course his scent hadn't lingered; it had been years.
"Where are you going to put them?" he asked.
"I want to ask Jounouchi if he can put up a shelf," she said. "Here in the bedroom. I want to keep them close."
He was silent for a moment. "I think I should check up on the others," he said.
"Yuugi," she called out his name before he left the bedroom. He halted in the door opening and looked over his shoulder.
"Yes, Anzu?"
"You know you're always welcome here, don't you?" she asked. "I have a spare bedroom and an extra futon. Whenever... you want to... you never need to ask."
"Thank you, Anzu." He dawdled. "You know... every year, I..."
"Anzu! Yuugi! Are you done? We're done! We're hungry!" Jounouchi bellowed from down below, startling them both.
"Jounouchi-kun is hungry," Yuugi said.
Anzu forced down her tears and managed to keep her voice calm and even. "I promised to take you all out for dinner as to thank you for your help."
"Hibachi?"
"I was thinking more of an 'all you-can-eat' restaurant," she said. "After all, we have Jounouchi with us." She looked around the bedroom. "I must've left my purse downstairs."
"Let's go, then." Yuugi held the door open for her. "Congratulations on your new home, Anzu."
"Thank you." She waited for the briefest of moments, wondering if he would pick up on the topic before they had been interrupted. He just looked at her. He wasn't a Pharaoh. He wasn't Atemu. He was Yuugi, and he was her best friend. She would expand her teddy bear collection, in both their honor. She took him by the hand.
"Let's go."