Warning: absolute cheese from beginning to end, and only the barest hints of shounen-ai.

Life wasn't always easy for one Yugi Mutou - indeed, it often seemed like the world had a life of its own and was attempting to destroy Yugi's whenever possible.

The bullying at school was something he could not and would not ever forget. Could not because of what his young but true mind interpreted as the brutality of a side of human nature, and would not because it taught him valuable lessons. He remembered, for instance, the time his arm had been broken. He had been crying for a long time afterwards, not because of the pain itself but because he failed to understand how his own pain meant the pleasure of someone else. The cruel laughter of boys older and taller echoed in his mind for days, even in the hospital bed where Yugi curled up, hands over his ears and eyes tightly closed to block out the image that came with the sound.

He had wished then for a protector. Someone who would not find pleasure in his pain, but rather someone who would find pleasure in healing that pain. He imagined this person, became obsessed by him. It began only with a broken arm, but for weeks, months, years afterwards the image in his mind grew, became real. He would be glowing with light, Yugi decided, and his hair and eyes would be light as well, and speak only of power in compassion and nothing else. Above all, he knew, this person would be tall.

It was a long time later that this person appeared, but not in the guise that Yugi had imagined him.

Yugi shrank away, in fact, when the one known only as Yami appeared before him. Yami. Dark. It was not meant to be that way, not when Yugi had imagined a being so different. This being was not of great height. His hair was like his own, and his eyes were full of things that Yugi did not like to contemplate. It was obvious that Yami liked Yugi very much, and that he took it upon himself to be Yugi's protector. But every cell in Yugi's body shook and was repulsed by Yami's form - a being that knew pain through and through could never hope to protect Yugi. Not the way he wanted to be protected. Not the one he wanted to be loved by. Yugi flinched away whenever Yami tried to touch him, and his heart grew cold whenever he thought of letting Yami in. No, this soul of darkness would never know the pain that Yugi kept locked away in his Soul Room, because he knew with a dread that Yami would only bring it out and amplify the pain, make him vulnerable and bring back all the harsh memories that Yugi did not wish to recall. How could Darkness ever heal? As a person, Yugi liked Yami. He was confident, sure, and yet his voice was gentle and void of anger or cruelty. Yet as a spirit, Yugi feared him, and so nothing could convince Yugi to open his mind and let Yami in.

It was the day that Yugi did not come home from school however, that everything changed.

It was raining by the time Yami reached the school, but in spite of the noise and the thunder rumbling in the distance, Yugi was not hard to find. The quiet sobs stood out, the only human noise amongst otherwise natural sounds. And although Yugi and Yami's soul was not yet connected, there still existed a link, an invisible bond like a piece of string that tugged Yami insistently in the right direction.

Yugi lay under the trees for what little shelter they could offer, and his eyes were tightly shut, his hands over his ears.

"Yugi-"

Yami knew Yugi heard him, because his body gave a shudder and he curled in on himself more tightly, a small ball trying to scape from something unseen yet nonetheless tangible.

"Go away..."

His voice was small and had the thunder been louder Yami may not have heard him speak at all.

"I'm not going anywhere", he said gently enough, but his voice held a note that meant there was no arguing. Yugi did not reply, and Yami sat down beside him.

"Tell me what's wrong. Why did you not come home after school? Grandpa was worried. And I was too, he added silently, and knew that it didn't really need to be said out loud.

"My arm... it hurts. I don't want to move. I don't want..."

Yugi trailed off, and Yami knew that now was the time. Now, while Yugi curled up and cold and helpless.

Yami rested his cheek against the younger boy's.

"Let me in", he said. "I can't be who you want me to be until you let me in."

And Yugi, far too cold and in pain to protest, was weak against Yami's power. His defences already down, Yami made his way past all the barriers which had previously stopped him, and entered Yugi's Soul Room.

It was dark inside, and the only light came from Yugi himself, who was sleeping on the bed. Yami shook him gently. Wake up, he said. Wake up, Yugi, and help me to turn on the light.

Yugi stirred. I can hear you... he said wonderingly. You don't feel at all like I thought you would. Where are we?

Yami looked at him, seeing what he had known was already there. Pure light, locked away tightly in fear of being darkened. There is no time to explain now, he said. Right now you have to help me. For a long time you have been locked away in here, afraid of being seen and destroyed. But if you stay in here for too long your light will go out on its own. It will suffocate without the other light of day. So now you need to light up the room instead of sleeping here.

Yugi shrank away. No! If I turn on the light, I'll see all the things I don't want to remember! They'll take over and my own light will die! I don't want to die! I hate the dark, but if I turn on the light then the dark things can be seen!

No, Yugi. Darkness is only the absence of light, and light only the absence of darkness. You need both, or you cannot survive. Let me show you.

Before Yugi could say anything more, Yami put his hand on Yugi's forehead. This time, Yugi did not have time even to flinch away, and for a moment he stared straight into Yami's eyes, and saw there what he had never dared to look for.

Its... its warm.

The dark was not cold like it was outside, and it was not suffocating. It covered him instead like a blanket, and Yami saw with satisfaction that even as Yugi relaxed, the light radiating from him grew stronger. The room came into view a little more, illuminating the cards and toys strewn across the floor.

Is this... what is this?

This is what darkness does to light, when applied properly. This is the effect it has; by comparison, by the very nature of darkness, it makes the light stronger. It gives light its purpose, and helps it to become more than it otherwise would be.

Yugi gave a gasp and light flooded the room before he was suddenly aware of the cold again, the rain on his skin. Without thinking he sat up, and Yami watched him. His dark eyes had light in them, and the light sparkled.

"Can you move alright now, Yugi?"

"Of course, I... its fixed! Yami, my arm, I can move it! Its not broken!"

"That is because you yourself fixed it, with your light. When you looked darkness in the eye, your own light was able to function as it should." And so the darkness leant your light strength, he added.

"Yami! I can hear your voice, in my head!"

"You allowed me to enter your Soul Room. Now we are connected as light and dark should be. As long as your Soul Room stays open and light, we will be connected in this way." Do you understand? Will you allow me to stay with you, light and dark as one whole?

And Yugi gave his answer that day while the rain poured about them, soaking them to the skin.

Life was never quite easy for one Yugi Motou. It crept up on him often, never letting him quite forget that there was a reason he needed a protector. Saving the world was a trickier business than movies made it out to be. But with the comforting darkness warming him from within and shining as pure light from without, he knew he'd make it someday.