DISCLAIMER: Here's another joke- Two men walked into a bar, which is funny, because you'd think one of them would have ducked.

Yami's hands fumbled, the bowl almost dropping into the sink. "What was that?" he cried, spinning around.

Yugi blinked, his pale face turning back to him. "What?"

"What did you say?"

He shook his head, then returned to staring blankly at the opposite wall. /I am so going to kill her./

Yami stared, his mouth closing slowly. He bowed his head and closed his eyes, gently reaching out with his mind.

At first he couldn't feel anything. It was just as dark as it always had been. He reached further, searching for the tiny thread that still connected him to Yugi despite their problems. Mental fingers reached out, touching it tentatively. It was stronger… it was wider… he could hear him.

And Yugi was very annoyed at Anzu.

He looked up. /Yugi…/ he began, smirking.

Yugi blanched, his head jerking toward him. /Yami?/

/Who do you want to kill? And why?/

/You can hear me?/

/If you can hear me./

Yugi stared at him for a moment, eyes wide, before his lips twitched up. He let out a brief laugh, which turned into a nervous chuckle. Slowly that expanded into an inane giggle, and he clapped both hands over his mouth, laughing hysterically. /You can hear me… oh my god, it's back… the link is back… what a terrible moment for it to come back… oh, he can hear me… ohh…/ He bent forward, dissolving into giggles, his hands pressed against his face.

Yami smirked, fighting down his own grin, and walked forward. /So…/

Yugi looked up at him over his fingers, still giggling.

/Why is it, hikari, that after I said that… you suddenly decided you want to kill Anzu? Why, exactly, would that be?/

Yugi abruptly stopped giggling, his eyes going even wider as he stared. He didn't answer, just remained frozen, staring nervously. Yami put one hand on the table and leaned closer, but Yugi just scooted his chair back, enlarging the distance.

Yami's smirk deepened. /Whatever could be the matter… aibou?/

Yugi's mouth opened, but only a small squeak came out. Yami leaned over even further, resting all his weight on his elbow. Yugi's mouth worked soundlessly for a moment, which only made Yami chuckle triumphantly. See if Bakura could ever lord anything over him again.

He moved forward, and Yugi's chair hit the cupboard behind him. "Wh- You- Ya- Yam- Y-"

Yami just grinned evilly, one hand moving so he could brace himself against the bench cupboard. /You still think far too much./

"I um… you… you th- no, you don't think- I mean…" spluttered Yugi, leaning backward even further.

/Now would be a good time to stop that,/ he suggested, bending his elbow.

Yugi blinked several times, his mouth still moving as Yami stopped moving so slowly. Suddenly he held up a hand. "I'll just go get that!" he squeaked, then slipped out the side that Yami wasn't covering.

Yami's other hand shot up so he wouldn't fall face first into the chair. His eye twitched, and he jerked his head toward the kitchen door Yugi had just disappeared out of.

Then he heard the telephone, still ringing frantically. He groaned, sinking to his knees, the muscle under his eye still twitching.

That, he decided, was not fair.

"Yug'? You okay? You sound a little weird."

"I do?" he squeaked, then winced and coughed. "Sorry. Um… thing in my um… not feeling so… yeah. Hi, Jou."

"You said that," he pointed out. "Three times now."

"Oh, did I?" he laughed, scratching the back of his head. "Imagine that, sorry, I'll um… I'll stop that now… So um… uh… Hi. How are you? Everything okay? Do you need to come over? Somewhere to stay tonight? 'Cause that would be okay, you know, since Grandpa's not here, it's just me and Yami, it'd be fine if you came over and all that. Oh, unless you need me to come over there? Cause that's okay too, you know-"

"Yugi!" cried Jounouchi. "Shut up!"

"Sorry. I'll shut up now, yeah, okay, yeah…" He coughed again, brushing some of his hair behind his ear. "Sorry."

Jounouchi was quiet for a moment. "Yug'… you okay, man? Yes or no answer."

He nodded, then realised he probably couldn't see that. "Not really." He squeaked, then shook his head. "Yeah, fine."

"Yug'?"

"Fine. Very, very, fine, everything's fine." He nodded his head jerkily.

He was quiet again, then made a noise in his throat. "I'm gonna come over, okay?"

"Good idea. Actually, maybe not," he glanced back at the kitchen, feeling his jaw clench. "That'd take you a while, how about we meet somewhere?"

"Yugi, what's going on? Seriously, you're starting to scare me here, man."

"Give me a second." He held the cordless away from his ear and took a deep breath. "Okay. Okay, okay, okay. Okay. Calm down. That did not happen. It was a figment of your highly over active imagination. That was just another daydream, and you're being weird. It's all okay…" He took another breath and lifted the receiver again, calm. "Hi."

"You okay?"

"Fine. Just sleeping while I'm awake." He chuckled. "Sorry to be weird."

"You're sure?"

"Of course."

He paused, then made another noise. "Alright… Anyway… I was- You sure, man? You were talking really weird."

Yugi laughed. "Sorry. Interesting day dream, that's all."

"Uh huh… alright. So, I was talking to Mai, and she said they made this new movie, completely for guys, lotsa action, lotsa bikini-clad chicks, smooth talking guy with all these sorta gadgets and pretty much no story line. You interested?"

"You aren't taking Mai?" he asked, frowning.

"Did you listen to a word I just said? Completely for guys." He repeated, sounding out each word.

He blushed, laughing. "I dunno… I hate having to prove that I'm not a ten year old. What's the rating?"

Jounouchi just gave him an unintelligible grunt in reply. "Just flash them the ID like always."

"Yeah…" He scrunched up his nose, frowning at the wall. "I'm kinda broke these days, Jou…"

He didn't notice Yami appear in the doorway, scowling at his back.

"Who's the bikini-girl?" he asked, trying to weigh up his options.

Yami shook his head, staring up at the ceiling in search of patience. He walked forward, placing his feet so he would make as little noise as possible.

"What? She can't even act!" cried Yugi, he paused, then laughed. "I wouldn't know, you never gave it to me. Besides, that doesn't count as acting… Okay, how big are the special effects, do you think? Lots of explosions…?"

Yami licked his lips in amusement, stopping just short of Yugi's back.

He sighed. "I dunno, Jou… It doesn't seem like it's w- ee-yah!"

Yami raised an eyebrow, his hand now resting on Yugi's shoulder, rubbing his thumb over his collar. "Are you alright?"

"Mmhm!" he managed, closing his eyes. "Yeah, Jounouchi, I'm all good. Uh… when does the movie start, exactly?"

Yami tilted his head, watching Yugi's profile carefully. He seemed perfectly calm, though his breathing had harshened slightly, his eyes still closed.

"Um… yeah… uh… that's in forty minutes, so if we leave now… how about we see that screening?" He opened his eyes, smiling again. "We should be able to get you enough junk food to last you the movie then."

He swallowed a mouthful of air as Yami's middle finger started tracing patterns over his collar bone, and shook his head. "Okay. Okay, I'll meet you there… Yeah, I'm going now. See you." He pressed the end talk button and put it down on the table.

He turned toward Yami, clearing his throat when he refused to release his hold on his shoulder, which meant he had all but walked into a one armed hug. "I'm going out for a while. There's a movie on, and me and Jounouchi are going to see it together."

"Is Mai going?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow at Yugi's blank face.

He shook his head, keeping his eyes on his. "It's just me and Jou. No one else."

"I see." He tilted his head. "Are you alright?"

"I'm good." He smiled and spun out of Yami's hold, then walked around him. "I'm just gonna go get my wallet, then I'll be going, okay?"

Yami frowned, turning to watch him trot up the stairs. "Yugi. Can we…?"

"No." He chuckled, turning around on the steps. "We'll… later." He smiled and waved his hand, running upward again.

Yami's eyes narrowed and he folded his arms, but when Yugi walked back down, pulling on his gloves under a new shirt, he scowled. Yugi just smiled and dashed past him. "Later Yami!"

"Yugi!" he growled, following.

But Yugi was already at the door, hopping to pull on his sneakers as he spun around it. "I'm leaving!"

Yami sighed out a breath, bending forward from the waist in confusion. Well that hadn't gone as he'd expected at all.

Jounouchi grinned, waving his cup. "No way, man! The best bit was definitely when the train exploded, and he just missed getting blown to pieces! I mean, his jacket was on fire! Whoa, Yug', I mean, can you imagine being able to do that? How awesome was it?"

"You're crazy!" he cried, leaning over the table. "The train was nothing! When he was in the base, and he'd just about cracked the code, but Deshi tripped the alarm and the army came in. That was so much better."

"Nah, I've been in video games better than that scene!"

"No way! He fought his way out using only three weapons, Jou. Three, and only one of them was was an actual weapon! While the train scene… that scene was only there so he could have the big scene with Deshi about how important he was to him."

"Whatever. It was still cool."

"Yeah…" He looked away, fingering the base of his drink.

Jounouchi sat back and tossed his empty cup at the bin. It bounced on the rim, but fell in all the same, and he grinned, lacing his fingers behind his head. He gazed at Yugi for a minute, then smiled. "So. We've wasted four hours of our summer vacation."

"Huh?" He blinked and looked back at him. "Oh, right, yeah."

"Now I gotta ask you the life changing, important question that I've been meaning to for the last four and a half hours."

He frowned, leaning back. "Yeah…?"

"This could change the course of our lives for several, several minutes."

He narrowed his eyes and turned his head to the side. "Jounouchi?"

"What the hell was up with you on the 'phone this morning?"

Yugi had to stare at him for a few moments, completely nonplussed. Jounouchi was about to remind him when he blanched, a blush creeping up his neck. "Oh! Well, um… nothing… just… nothing…" he laughed nervously, fingering his drink again.

Jounouchi raised an eyebrow. "Nothing, huh?"

"Yup. Nothing at all…"

He leaned forward, folding his arms with a grin. "What happened, Yug'? Was it good? Was it something you'd tell your dearest and bestest friend in the whole world?"

He shook his head, grinning. "No… seriously, Jou, it was nothing. Just… me being weird. Forget it."

"No way, tell me!"

"It's stupid, Jounouchi."

"So why're you blushing, huh?"

"I am not blushing!" he cried, the red over his cheeks deepening.

Jounouchi snickered. "Nah, you've just got a fever…"

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Jounouchi, it's nothing!"

"How about this. You tell me, and I'll buy us another round of drinks, yeah?"

"You'll buy the drinks?" he repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"If you lend me the money, yeah!"

He laughed, then blushed even harder and looked up at him. "You laugh and I'll-"

"Not promising anything." He replied, grinning.

"Jerk," he groaned, looking away. "It's not funny or anything… it's just… kind of weird, you know?"

Jounouchi nodded, still grinning as he motioned him to continue.

"I spaced out this morning, over breakfast. Yami and I were just… not really talking, but yeah. I… I think I had this really weird kind of… kind of like a day dream…" He glanced up at Jounouchi's triumphant cry, and quickly added: "It was a really boring one, though, just like a conversation with me and Yami. But the thing is, in the dream, Yami said something really, really weird."

"Like, what kind of weird?" he asked, leaning further forward. Yugi frowned at the knowing smile on his face and he forced himself to sit back. "O Yami- Pharaoh of Death weird or the good kind of weird?"

"Well, I thought it was good weird, but most people would probably say it was just plain weird," said Yugi, shrugging. "Anyway. I was thinking about what he'd just said, and suddenly, the link came back. You know how I told you it was gone, right?"

He frowned, then nodded.

"And then he- Then something happened, and… But the phone rang, and I woke up, but when I did, Yami was leaning over me. Because I spaced out, and it was just…"

He shook his head, sighing. "But then you rang, and I didn't even think that it might have been a day dream until I was half way through our conversation."

Jounouchi smirked. "Exactly what was this really weird thing that happened, Yug'?"

"Or I could not tell you, that works too." He said, then slipped out of the booth.

He grinned, sliding out after him. "Come on, Yug'. Don't hold out on me like this!"

"I'm not holding out, I'm just not going to tell you!"

"Chicken…"

"I am not a chicken." He replied, glancing back over his shoulder.

Jounouchi snickered and followed, ready to irritate.

Yami sighed, poking at the model in front of him.

Yugi had managed to put together quite a few of them over the last month. He'd run out of space on his shelves, but didn't like them quite enough to put them in the place of older things, so Yami had taken several into the guest room, where he was currently lying on the bed, glaring at a particularly large, white one.

It was almost six. Yugi had left about ten that morning and still hadn't come back yet.

Yami groaned and rolled over, deciding to glare at the ceiling instead.

He didn't understand! Why had Yugi run away from him like that?

Maybe he'd read it wrong. Maybe Yugi had meant something different by his death threat. After all, the link was still recovering, it wasn't impossible that Yami may have misinterpreted Yugi's thoughts… Wouldn't be the first time he'd made a mistake about Yugi's emotions, would it?

He groaned again, hitting his head with his fist. Chalk up another brilliant strategy all done and failed… This seemed to be happening a lot lately.

His hand stopped mid-pummel and he scowled. But then, if he was wrong, and Yugi didn't want that, then why did he ask him about Anzu?

He ran through the conversation again, his brow furrowing. He shook his head. It just didn't make sense. Unless Yugi's head was completely somewhere else through the entire conversation, his more depressing conclusion didn't make sense at all. So why would he act like nothing had happened and run out?

Yami's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. There was always the possibility Yugi was still feeling guilty about when Yami had hung up on Jounouchi, and in order to make it up to him, dropped everything to see a movie, and to avoid feeling guilty about Yami, he had to pretend nothing had happened!

Yami groaned. He was clutching at straws and he knew it.

He looked to the side, a familiar presence making itself known against his senses. He stood up and walked to the doorway, listening to the Game shop door open and close, the soft sounds of Yugi moving around below.

What if he was wrong about it all? What if Anzu had been right, and everything he did was just making Yugi uncomfortable? After all, it wasn't like Yugi was the type of person to tell you he didn't like something. No matter what it was, Yugi would put up with almost anything. And with Yugi's self image, Yami didn't doubt that he would walk straight into any relationship, no matter how he felt on the subject.

He looked up again as Yugi started up the stairs and turned, leaning against the doorframe. "How was the movie?"

Yugi jumped, glancing at him before forcing his gaze down again. "Hi Yami, didn't see you there…" He paused on the top step, looking past him to his own door. "It was good…"

"You were out late."

"Yeah, Jou and I just hung around," he started walking quickly down the hall. "But we ran out of money, so…"

Yami frowned. After that first glance, Yugi hadn't even looked at him, intent on his socks, a soft blush covering his cheeks. He continued past him and Yami growled. Fine, if he wanted to do this the hard way-

/Don't look at me, don't look at me, don't look at me, don't-/

Yami's eyes widened and he stared at him for a moment. Yugi opened his door, completely ignoring the reaction. Yami scoffed. "That is it. I've had enough." He spun around and marched back into the guest room, slamming the door behind him.

Yugi turned and blinked, then hissed in a breath. Had he noticed? Had he realised? Oh no… Man, if he'd found out how he… He cringed, hitting his fists against his head. "No… He hates me now! Argh… Not again…!"

He took a deep breath, steeling himself. Well, he obviously knew about the stupid little fantasy and was obviously disgusted. Things couldn't get much worse, so there was no harm in going to see what Yami was planning on doing now.

He walked forward and opened the door. "Yami, I-"

"No." Yami spun around, holding out a finger. He was smiling, but that didn't make him look any less menacing. "No, no, don't spoil this for yourself, Yugi, you should be proud."

"Huh?" he stared.

"Yes, proud. You should be very proud, because you have done something no one has ever done before. You've beaten me, Yugi!" He clicked his fingers in a sick show of congratulations. "I concede defeat. I surrender. I give up. You win. Happy now?"

"Huh?" he repeated, blinking.

Yami scowled at him. "I've never given up before, Yugi. But this challenge I will not face, because I am sick of it. Do you hear me? I am sick of this!"

"I- I'm s- I'm sorry…"

"No!" He cried, stalking forward. "No, you aren't sorry! You will not apologise to me, understand that? I will not accept it! I will not accept you as anything but what you are, and you, this time around, are the victor. You are the winner, Yugi, I surrendered to you, and therefore you are not in the wrong."

Yugi flinched as Yami's finger stabbed into his shoulder, then blinked as he glared down at him. "H-"

"Don't talk!" He shouted, slamming his fist into the door. "Don't talk, and don't move! Stand there and take your victory quietly."

They gazed at each other for a moment, Yugi shivering slightly under Yami's furious glare, utterly bewildered. After a few moments, Yami realised he still didn't have a clue what he meant.

"I don't know what you want, Yugi." He growled, leaning down. "Every time I do something, it's wrong. Every time I think we're taking a step forward, you find some way to make it a step backward. I finally thought we'd gotten somewhere today, and it turns out that all I've done is scare you even more!"

He blinked. "Scare me?"

"I hate people that run away, but I tell you this, Yugi, I can't take it anymore. I can't be around you, because all I want to do is make things better, and I can't. I can't, alright? I don't-" He cut off, looking away as his hands rose, fingers curled into hooks. "I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do with you! I want to-"

He sighed out an angry breath and looked at him, eyes hard. "There are two things I want to do to you right now, and neither of them are right… I just… Dammit, I don't understand you! I can't do anything anymore, and it's all because of you!"

Yugi stared up at him, searching his eyes for something, but Yami just stared back at him, his jaw working angrily. "I need… I need…"

"What?" murmured Yugi, swallowing.

He shook his head silently, his teeth jarring together. He clenched his eyes closed, turning his head away. "Dammit…" he grated, "I don't… Ra, I don't…"

"Yami…"

/I'm scared./

Yugi gasped, staring at him. "You…?"

He slowly opened his eyes, glaring at him. /And it's all your fault./ he hissed. /All of it./

They just watched each other silently for a few seconds. Yugi licked his lips. "I'm- I'm sorry, Yami,"

"Don't apologise!" he yelled, his fists slamming into the door again. "Stop apologising!"

"I'm sorry," he repeated, closing his eyes.

"Yugi!"

"I'm sorry," he continued. "I'm sorry we aren't perfect…"

Yami's fists rammed into the door again, but Yugi just flinched, his shoulders rising. Yami leaned forward with a snarl. "If you say that word one more time…"

"I'm sorry, Yami…" he whispered.

"I said don't say that-!" He shouted, drawing back his fist again. He held it up, glaring down at him. "I said-! I s-! Don't you-!"

He stared down at him, his jaw working, breathing harsh. He took a shuddery breath, and Yugi could actually see the muscles in his arm working against each other.

He swallowed again. "I'm sorry I can't do anything." He murmured.

They just stared at each other for a few moments, Yami glaring down at him, teeth bared and fist raised, Yugi cowering slightly, one eye open and trembling. Yami rubbed his fingers into his fist as his arm rose and fell, threatening to come crashing down against Yugi's temple.

"Don't you dare apologise, Yugi." He managed, before his breath finally hitched and he coughed, his fist ramming into his chest instead.

Yugi opened both eyes wide and straightened, watching Yami thump his chest, trying to force himself to breathe properly. "Are you alright?"

"No." He snapped. "I told you that, don't make me repeat myself!"

"Guess it has to be a duel for you to have time for that, huh?"

He glared at him, cursing his ability to have a sense of humour with tears in his eyes. "Shut up." He started coughing again and whacked his stomach to stop it.

Yugi wrapped his arms around himself, gazing at him nervously. "You know, you're not the only one who's lost, Yami."

"I am not lost."

"I'm scared too. If I ever knew what I was supposed to do around you, it's been long since gone," he said carefully, shaking his head to get rid of his tears. He hadn't cried in months, he wasn't about to start now. "I keep getting confused, and I miss what we were… I- I can't help it, though. I know it's wrong, but I can't help how I feel, and it keeps coming back."

Yami glared up at him for a moment. "So you do want me to leave, is that it? Fine then, that was what I was going to do. But before I do, you should realise something, Yugi. You're the glutton for punishment. I scare you, yes, but you're the one that keeps coming back for more. I-"

"That's what I'm saying! I can't help it!" he cried. "I want to be around you! But every time I am, I want you, and I know you hate it-"

"Of course I hate it, you know how I feel about you-!"

"I thought that if you were with someone else, I would forget, but-"

"Gods alive, she was right, wasn't she? You've always been scared of me, haven't-"

"Not scared, Yami, terrified! I'm terrified of you!" he shouted, and they both froze, eyes wide. Yugi swallowed and folded his arms uncomfortably. "The last year and a half, I've tried to be more than that. I've tried to forget that I'm weak and stupid. You were- are everything I've always wanted to be, and to top it off, you make me better! So I've tried to be like you, I have! But I can't do that with you there, because I don't need to be better when you're around! When you're there, I can just be me, and that makes me think I never need to be perfect!

"I want you to be with somebody else! Because when you are, you aren't with me! You don't make me feel so much, and I don't have to have emotions, alright? I don't have to be Yugi Mutou, and I can be as strong as I need to be, and get hurt, but that doesn't matter because I just get back up again! But the problem is, I'm not like that! I'm not strong! I can pretend I am, it's just when I'm with you that I remember- I'm not! When I'm with you, I feel again, and that means I can't control everything! People aren't supposed to feel this way about someone that doesn't feel the same way, but I can't stop it!

"You aren't the only one who doesn't know how to act, Yami." He leaned back against the door, dropping down, heavily. "I still want you, and I can't stop myself. I have to apologise, Yami, because I know you hate me for it, but I'm not going to stop feeling like this."

Yami stared as the first tear trickled down Yugi's cheek, and he bent his knees, crouching in front of him silently.

"I'm not strong." He said, smiling through the tears. "And I have to tell you now, because otherwise you'll leave before you have something to really be disgusted about. I want what Ryou has. I want the darkness to love me and need me as much as I need it. It's just that I know I'll never get it, and I still feel this, and that's what scares me. You scare me."

He choked back a sob, punching the heels of his palms into his eyes. But the tears refused to stop, and just racked harder against him, months of loneliness and hurt coming out at once.

Yugi curled in on himself, hugging his knees and sobbing, while Yami leaned back on his hands, wide eyed. He slowly raised his eyes to the ceiling.

"If the lot of you don't stop screwing me over I swear I'll destroy the world…" he threatened quietly. In response, a wind ruffled the curtains slightly and he scowled. "That's not good enough."

Yugi took a shaky breath, raising his head again. "Wh- what are y- you talking about?" he choked, blinking away some of his tears.

Yami just gazed back at him, shrugging blandly. "I'm starting to wonder that, myself." He frowned, then leaned forward. "Yugi…"

He looked up at him wearily, sniffing softly.

"If that was all true… why did you go out this morning? Why didn't you stay with me?"

He laughed humourlessly, shrugging. "Because for a minute, I had this really weird dream that you felt the same, and the link came back, and…"

He raised an eyebrow. /Yugi, the link is back./

"What?" he blinked, staring up at him.

/See? Don't you feel it?/

He blinked again, a blush slowly working its way up his neck. "Yes…"

Yami smiled, leaning closer. "You thought it didn't really happen?"

"But…" he pushed back his hair, scrubbing at his eye in a futile attempt to stop the tears again. "But…"

/And the talk we had before that was real, too./ He added, tilting his head. "And I still mean what I said."

Yugi closed his eyes, blush out in full force. "I thought it was just some weird fantasy and you'd be creeped out if you found out about it."

Yami chuckled sadly, pushing to his feet. He grabbed Yugi's collar and hauled him up as well. Yugi sighed and wandered over to the bed, sitting down beside him as Yami collapsed against the pillows. "We seem to be going about this whole thing the wrong way, don't we?"

Yugi glanced over at him, still wiping away tears. "So are you still leaving?"

"Not unless you want me to," he said, leaning back to stare at the ceiling.

"No thanks."

They fell silent again, and Yami pulled Yugi down to lie beside him. He rolled onto his side, running gentle fingers through Yugi's hair. "You always do this to me, you know that?"

"Do what?"

"Make it all better… or worse… depending on the situation," he added with a smirk. He leaned over, pressing his lips against Yugi's forehead. "And in the end, it's all I want."

Yugi gazed up at him. "Really?"

"Not quite," he kissed his cheeks softly and leant his forehead against his. "But the rest will come."

"Rest…?" repeated Yugi, frowning. His eyes grew wide and he tilted his head back to look him in the eyes. "That's what you want? And… and from… Me?"

He nodded silently, even managing a pharaoh smirk.

Yugi stared at him for a moment, then shook his head, lying it back down against Yami's elbow. "You're insane. All the people and amazing things in the world and the thing you've been waiting for is the most worthless thing around. Forgive me if I think you're weird."

Yami snorted. "The day you be the most worthless thing around is the day I hand Kaiba my dueling deck."

"That's half mine, you know, I'm not giving it up without a fight." He shot back, poking him.

Yami scowled. "You shouldn't be able to do that."

"What?"

"Make jokes while you're crying." He thumbed away another tear track and tugged on a golden spike of hair. "How do you do it?"

"Practice," he murmured.

Yami frowned, cupping Yugi's jaw line firmly. He forced him to meet his gaze and they lay there silently for a few minutes, gazing at one another. Eventually Yami shook his head and leaned forward again, pressing his lips against Yugi's own in a soft kiss. Yugi's eyes slid shut, but he didn't kiss him back, just waited for him to pull away.

Yami's eyes narrowed at his blank face. What could it possibly be now?

"Are you sure about this, Yami?" he murmured. "I don't want you to-"

He smirked, giving him the most condescending look he could manage. "Not everything is about what you want, hikari."

Yugi's eyes widened slightly, but Yami just moved in again, kissing the sides of his mouth before covering it completely. Yugi's eyes slid shut again, but this time he leaned into the kiss, tilting his head carefully.

Yami pulled away again and they both smiled. Yugi pursed his lips, looking around. He frowned and shifted, only to reach down and pick up the unpainted model Yami had been glaring at from by his feet. He raised an eyebrow at it. "I was wondering where this went."

Yami looked at it, then smiled. "Ah. Yes, I borrowed a few."

"Just a few," he agreed, glancing around at the collection covering the shelves.

Yami smirked and wrapped his arms around Yugi's waist, pulling him closer.

"Yami! Give them back!"

"Not a chance, hikari," replied Yami, calmly walking down the stairs.

"Yami!" he growled, poking his head out of the bathroom. "Get back here!"

He turned and smirked back at him. "You want me to join you in there?"

Yugi turned an interesting shade of red before he started glaring again. "Bring the clothes back!"

"No, I don't think so…" he shook out the baggy pants, eyeing them critically, then tossed them over one arm to look at the gloves. "No, I definitely don't think so."

"Yami!"

He started humming as he jumped the last few steps and looked around. Where was that lighter Honda left yesterday?

/YAMI!/

The kitchen, of course. Did leather burn? He couldn't remember…

He rolled his eyes as the sound of Yugi running down the stairs hit his ears. Wait… Yugi had once told him about the washing machine. You used one bottle on leather that you didn't use on the others, and you definitely didn't use one liquid, because that destroyed it… He smirked and shot toward the laundry room, Yugi flat out behind him.

/Yami if you dare do what I think you're doing, you are-/

/Now would I do that?/

He threw all three items into the washing machine and grabbed up the bleach just as Yugi slid past the door, his pajamas slipping over his feet and finding no traction on the flooring. /Yami! Don't you dare!/

/Or what, hikari?/ He shot back, spinning the lid.

/I'll- I'll… I'll throw out the grapes and won't by any Popsicle's for a month!/ he cried, stumbling back into sight.

He smirked, giving him a look as he raised the bottle. Yugi's eyes widened even further and he held out a hand.

/Please?/

/I hate these things, you know that./ He said, lowering the bottle.

He cringed. /Yeah, but, I-/ He licked his lips. "I need them."

/No, you don't./ snapped Yami, narrowing his eyes.

"Yami…"

/No,/ he repeated, glaring. /You don't./

"Please, Yami… You don't understand, just please…" He took another step forward, his shoulders slumping slightly as he stared helplessly. "Give them back?"

He groaned, rolling his head around. He slammed the bottle down on the cupboard and fished out the pants, thrusting them at him with a growl. "I'm keeping the gloves."

"Yami…"

"You are not getting them back." He growled, taking the bleach down again. Then , much to Yugi's horror, he poured half the remaining liquid into the machine and slammed the lid shut. "No more gloves, aibou."

He sighed harshly. "Whatever."

Yami folded his arms as Yugi turned and trudged back upstairs. He glanced back at the machine, then left the room without a second glance.

"Later, Jounouchi! Have fun tonight!"

"I'm planning on it! Thanks for coming with."

"No problem!" He smiled and waved, pushing the door open. He slipped inside, locking it carefully. "Yami? You home yet?"

Silence greeted him and he sighed peacefully, walking through the shop. Yami and Anzu had gone out, just to 'clarify things' and make sure Yami wasn't still annoyed with her.

He wasn't sure how he should feel about Yami not being home yet. It could mean that Yami and Anzu had gotten along okay, with no bad break up, or it could mean they'd gotten along a little too well.

Oh well, he pulled off his shoes, tossing them in a corner. Either way, Yami should come back a much calmer person than he had been. The last two days had consisted of him either staring into space with a strange look on his face or trying to get Yugi to 'talk', which so far he hadn't managed, and Yugi wasn't entirely sure how he felt about that, either.

Maybe a day spent with Anzu would bring him back to normal, such that a normal Yami was.

He trotted up the stairs, pulling off his jacket as he went. He'd spent the entire day following Jounouchi around the city, trying to find a kimono Mai had wanted for a festival they were going to next week. He was dead tired, and was planning on an early night. Or at least a comfort-ignore-the-pain and lie-around-the-house type night.

After a very long bath, he trudged back downstairs, mentally checking for Yami while he called out verbally as well. "Are you in an empty house, if yes, please select silence… and it's a yes…"

He shook his head, piling together a sandwich that would have made Honda cringe. He slapped it on a plate and moved back upstairs, collapsing on his bed with the sandwich in front of him.

"It's just you and me, now, cowboy." He informed the stuffed Kuribo, wedged between his pillow and the wall. "Talkative little thing, aren't you?"

He chuckled and picked up his sandwich, bending over so the mayonnaise and sauce wouldn't drip everywhere. He was definitely losing his mind. Next thing you know, he'd wake up and the entire last month and a half had all been a dream. Oh, well, it was a fun ride.

He paused mid-chew when he heard a door close down below. /Hi, Yami./

He received a mental grunt in reply and winced. That didn't sound so good.

It took Yami a few minutes to get upstairs, by which point Yugi had swallowed and taken another bite too large to fit in his mouth. He raised his eyebrows at him in greeting, causing Yami to stare.

/What is that?/ he asked, and Yugi winced again. Yami sounded almost as tired as he was.

/A death trap. I think I'm going to choke./ he said conversationally. /But it's got mayonnaise and tomato sauce on it, so it tastes good./

Yami's eyes narrowed, his head tilting to the side. /Strange tastes./ He observed, before crossing to sit on the end of the bed, leaning back against the wall with one leg extended across the bed. /How was your day?/

/Long. Tiring. I think I might not move until Grandpa gets home./

/Two days?/ he asked, raising an eyebrow.

/I walked over half of Domino city looking for a white kimono with purple and blue flowers. And it had to have a white sash. Do you know how hard it is to find that exact outfit? Give me a break./ He finally swallowed and paused to breathe before taking another bite. /You?/

He rolled his eyes. /By the end of the conversation, Anzu had broken down everything I've ever done and brought it up to these last two weeks. She seems to think my entire life was leading to my breaking up with her. Oh, wait. No, sorry, her breaking up with me./

Yugi snorted, then clapped his chest, forcing a bit of the sandwich to move past his throat. /And the psychiatrist's conclusion?/

/I don't know. In the end she started talking about movie stars and TV shows, so I was concentrating more on the pizza. I know it has something to do with repressed emotion and you./

/Me?/

"Mmhm." He frowned as Yugi took another bite. /Exactly what have you got on that thing?/

/Stuff. It's all healthy, though. Just the combination that might not be./

Yami blinked slowly. /I won't have to avenge your death by any chance, will I?/

/No, I made it./

/I see./

/So how are you and Anzu in general?/

He continued to frown at the sandwich. /Fine. She was a little concerned about something when I told her about us, but I told her you'd call her at some point to talk and that seemed to smooth it over./

/Cool./

/I think I just saw it move…/

Yugi glared at him, pulling the plate closer to himself.

/But she said she'd done all her crying last week, and now she was happy to just… that sandwich is disturbing me, I'm sorry./ He leaned forward onto his elbows, staring at it. /How are you eating it?/

Yugi smiled blandly, swallowing his mouthful. "Easy. You pick it up, open your mouth, bite as much as you can, and chew. Then you try and swallow. It doesn't always work, but it's worth it."

He shook his head, and they fell silent as Yugi continued to attack his sandwich. After almost five minutes, he'd worked his way through three quarters of the concoction, and come to the realisation that Yami was staring at him, a tiny smile on his face.

He swallowed again and licked his lips, raising an eyebrow. "What?"

"Nothing," he murmured, smiling.

"What?" he repeated, straightening.

Yami just chuckled, shaking his head. "It's nothing, hikari."

He frowned, but went back to his sandwich, eyeing Yami warily. Another few moments passed before he threw it down again, folding his arms and chewing. /Alright, it has to be something. What are you staring at?/

/Just you, aibou…/ he murmured, smirking.

/What about me?/

/How can you eat something so disgusting and still look cute at the same time?/ he asked, still chuckling.

Yugi blinked a few times, then scowled, forcing the mouthful down. "I am not cute!"

He just laughed, nodding.

"I'm not!"

/Cute,/

"I am not!" he cried. He put his plate on the bedside table so he could go forward onto his knees and glare at him. "I am in no way cute."

He coughed, looking away.

"I'm- Alright, fine. If I'm cute, then you're… you're…"

Yami looked at him, smirking.

"Good looking! You're a pretty-boy! Hang on a second… That's not insulting…"

He snickered, shifting in his seat. "Sounds about right to me, though."

"What?"

He just grinned, shifting onto his knees. "I'm so glad you find me attractive, aibou."

"Hey, that- You are twisting the situation and- and-" he pulled back as Yami crawled closer. "That is… what are you… doing?"

Yami pushed down on Yugi's knees, keeping him effectively pinned in place as he continued to crawl forward.

"This… hello…" he managed, just as Yami stopped, their faces only an inch apart.

Yami grinned. "Cute."

"Am not…" he murmured, before he was pushed back into the mattress.

Yugi blinked up at his sandwich, still sitting on the plate where he'd left it. From this angle he could kind of see what Yami meant. It did look disgusting.

That didn't stop it tasting good, though.

But he wasn't in the mood to eat right now. He rolled his head around to look at Yami, sleeping spooned up against him, arms wrapped around his chest possessively. Yugi smiled at the peaceful look on his face. An ease that he never allowed himself when he was awake.

He frowned slightly. It didn't make sense to him. Perfect Yami… so happy with this. Kind of defied the accepted laws of nature in his opinion.

He paused, rolling over carefully so he wouldn't disturb him. Funnily enough… he didn't really care. He smiled and leaned up, softly kissing his ear. He didn't care what the laws said, or what he expected, or knew. He was happy enough as it was.

Something he did care about, however, was the mess all over his legs. He softly kissed Yami's nose, eased out of bed and grabbed some clothes from the dresser.

He hesitated, glancing in at the cupboard. His old, slimmer leather was hanging beside his baggy cargoes, undoubtedly brought forward by Yami's subtle 'hints'. He pulled the cargoes out, glancing over them quickly before dropping them on the floor.

He pulled down the leather and turned around, walking out of the room.

Aww, fanks Koishii no tenshi. Hope it was okay.

Um… thanks, Saiyan Jedi. I hope you liked it when you read it… Anywho. Thanks for the heads up, but I was looking for the actual series, not the manga. Though that was very cool in itself…

Here you are, zorra dude! You were the only person to figure it was the end, but I chose to prove you wrong. Yes, I am pathetic, and proud of it. But sorry, no sequel. But yes. I read your review and felt so cool for like, an hour afterward. Tell your friends they're cool, though you're better for introducing them. Cheers!

Indeed they did, Unclear-Destiny! And fluff is good. Bad, but so good.

Thunder mouse pikachu- I hope you appreciate that my sister was reading over my shoulder just now, and is now sitting beside me screaming 'pi…ka…CHU' ala first Pokemon movie. I'm so embarressed for her. Anyway. Thanks for the cute-ness. I tried. I'm not sure on the yaoi bit. I love shounen ai, but I don't know if I could write real yaoi. Hell, I can barely write het love scenes. =grimace= Ignore me… And ack! So much ack-ness. I would have been okay without subtitles if I didn't despise my Japanese teacher so! I'm just… argh! =sigh= Thanks for the effort though…

I tried, Yami Dragoness…

Ahh, kakay- don't you just hate people that make you enjoy life and talk and stuff…? So not fair. And Yay for non-bitch Anzu! I succeeded! Kinda!

Ah, a modest writer. Damn, Katya Motou, how am I supposed to praise people when they're modest? It's totally taking away from my fun. And Jou and Mai are fun. I just love them together, though I can see the relationship being a bit bumpy, to say the least, don't you? Thanks again.

No, it's cool, Suppis tenshi! One review is better than none! And so yay! You are the first person to ever realise I'm a girl straight off! I'm so happy… And I'm really glad you liked it. I tried to get a reason beyond Yami just doesn't see Yugi, but ughh… I salute thee!

Hope it worked for ya, Dagger5!

Innominate- your review had me grinning for ages. Dunno why, it just did.

Was a bit strange, wasn't it, YumeTakato? And at least you're consistant.

I kinda left it there, Mimiheart! Hope it didn't disapoint too much!