Mutou Yugi got beaten up for the last time one day at school, when some of the largest students forced him into a corner after the final bell. And then, after leaving their marks on Yugi and leaving him with the red still staining his face, they ran away and avoided eye contact for the rest of the entire year.

By the time Yugi had cleaned himself up as best as he was able and had made his way home, Yami had already contacted him through the special link they had - Are you alright, aibou? Yugi had replied in the affirmative, saying only that he had something to take care of and would be home soon enough. So when Yami saw that the 'something to take care of' meant that Yugi was already coming up in welts and bruises, he naturally became enraged that someone had dared to touch his precious aibou.

"Who did this?! Why did you not ask for my help?! You know I would have protected you - I'm supposed to protect you!"

Yugi was more than a little embarrassed (the crush he had been nursing for weeks now didn't help), but he held his ground and refused to reply until Yami had calmed down. The spirit, still fuming but attempting to control it for Yugi's sake, set to cleaning Yugi up properly, insisting that he could at least do that much for his aibou even if he was no longer useful as a protector. A guilt trip, of sorts (and it worked), but still Yugi kept his silence.

Yami bade Yugi sit on a chair he had moved to the bathroom and, extremely gently despite his rage, proceeded to tend to his aibou's wounds. The four bullies - this much he had managed to get out of Yugi - had certainly not given up on their job lightly. Yugi would have plenty of bruises the next day, and numerous scratches from where they had clawed at him. There was blood on Yugi's uniform too, and a kick to the side which meant that Yugi would be in some pain for a few days. There was also a very small puncture wound on Yugi's neck, where the knife had cut into the skin there. That had been the hardest of all to bear, thought Yugi privately, but it was not something he regretted in the least.

It was hard, too, to bear Yami's hands very carefully wiping away the traces of blood and dirt from Yugi's face. Not because of the pain (and every time Yugi winced, Yami looked like he wanted to apologise for it), but because having Yami in such close proximity meant that Yugi was having a difficult time staying still. Having avoided being in such close company with the spirit - recognising the crush and feeling ashamed of what he thought was something which would be frowned on and could never be returned - Yugi felt completely overwhelmed by Yami's presence, and desperately didn't want to show it.

Nonetheless, if Yami knew something of what was going on in Yugi's head, he didn't show it. The spirit had calmed a little now, and was finishing off the last of his work. As cautiously as possible, he dressed the injuries about Yugi's arms and side, and then unexpectedly leaned forward to hug his charge. Yugi heard the voice in his mind: If only I had been there. If only you had called for me. Why didn't you call for me, aibou? And with the voice came a great sadness. I have failed in my responsibilities.

"No! You haven't, Yami - please don't feel that I don't need you. I do! I can't- I mean, I want you by my side."

Yami's voice, usually so supremely confident, was now torn. "Then why did you not call for me? You know I would do whatever is in my power to help you. Yet you did not call - you allowed for... this to happen. And you... " He clenched his fists, anger again building at those who had caused Yugi pain. "They will pay for what they have done!"

Yugi smiled. "Somehow, I think they already will. If they haven't already, anyway." And so it was Yami's turn to sit, while Yugi finally explained.

The four boys - for boys they still were, in spite of their size and swagger - slowly backed Yugi into the corner. The smaller boy felt the cold stone against his back and closed his eyes, praying to whoever might listen that he keep the courage to see this through. He heard the bullies as if from far away: "Look, he's closed his eyes! Too much of a coward to even look at us!"

"I'll make you look, little Yugi."

"Hurry up - make him see what we can do!"

Yugi opened his eyes then, if only so that he would be ready for the first blow when it came. It wasn't so bad at first; they took their time, not worried about being caught. The school was empty - Yugi had only stayed behind to help clean up, and they had been waiting for him to come out. So they began slowly, and only started to use more force when their confidence had built as they saw that Yugi would not even attempt to defend himself.

"Look boys - I think he's actually shaking!" Their laughter hurt the most, but it made him more determined. As the blood ran down his chin, and as their hands grew rougher and their taunts louder and more obscene, he stood still and simply let them hurt him. It will end soon, he told himself. It will end soon, and then they'll know for sure. And certainly as time passed by, the bullies began to lose some of their confidence, although their attacks grew in force to make up for this loss. Yugi thought he knew what was running through their minds now: "a victim should surely not just stand there and take it, even one as small as this? He does not even try to run, or call for help. He just stands there and takes it, looking at us like we've done nothing but talk. He's bleeding and his clothing is torn, but still he doesn't move, still he stands there quite calmly like he doesn't hurt at all."

The bullies had finally had enough. The oldest and biggest one waved the other three back, now completely thrown off due to Yugi's demeanor and seething at the audacity of it. "Stand back, guys. I'm gonna show little Yugi here what pain really means. That'll teach him to look at us like he's better!" Without further warning, he lunged forwards and lashed out with his foot. Yugi doubled over, biting his tongue in his effort to remain silent. He didn't make a sound, although his face contorted with the pain. Unnerved, three of the bullies unconsciously began to back away. The fourth, face reddened in undisguised rage, drew out a knife from his pocket.

"Hey man, are you sure you wanna-"

"Shut the hell up! I'll do what I damn well like, and no tiny punk like this is gonna stop me!" The knife was placed against Yugi's throat, and he was dragged up by the hair so that he was forced to look up at the bully. The knife pressed against the delicate area of skin, held so that the pressure cut very gradually inwards until red liquid pooled around the tip of the steel point. Now, Yugi thought. This is the moment.

Their eyes met. Yugi didn't know it at the time, but his height and the way the blood trickled down his face did not lessen the fact that his eyes seemed to stare straight through his captor's. The bully paled at whatever he saw there, and abruptly let go of Yugi's hair. Yugi, however, continued to stare upwards.

"W-what... what the hell are you?"

"Me?" Yugi smiled a crimson smile and the bully backed away. "I'm just Yugi. But you will never lay a hand on me again. Do you understand? You'll never hurt me again. Ever." His voice was utterly unrecognisable now, even to Yugi - it came from somewhere deep within his chest, and emerged as something quiet but all the more powerful for that.

The bully blinked foolishly as the words sunk in and realised, someplace deep down where he was afraid to look, that he had lost. "Guys. C'mon, lets go. He's poor sport, a wimp like him."

"But-"

"I said lets go! Or maybe it's you who wants a taste of my knife!"

They left Yugi where he was. When they had disappeared from his view, Yugi allowed himself to fall, wincing and wanting to sob but laughing at the same time. He had actually done it - he had defeated the bullies, and without raising a hand against anyone in doing so. Neither had he cried out for help. He had done it, and he had done it on his own. His body hurt more than anything he could remember, but that didn't really matter now.

Dimly, he registered Yami calling out for him, enquiring about where he was. Yugi answered quickly, careful not to give anything away. He then washed off hastily in the fountain and began the slow walk home, trying not to think about how Yami would react when he saw him - for there was no way that Yugi would be able to hide what had been done, no matter how carefully he washed off the blood.

Yugi finished his story and looked across at Yami. The spirit was staring off into space and Yugi could not tell what he was thinking. Yami had always been mysterious; impenetrable, a closed book. Now Yugi wished he knew what Yami felt. Was he perhaps still angry, not at the bullies but at Yugi, for handling things on his own? Or perhaps he felt disgusted, that Yugi would let the bullies do as they wanted to him without so much as a token struggle. Or maybe-

"Aibou? You truly are a better person than people give you credit for. Even your friends... they do not know how lucky they are." Yami's voice was low and slightly husky. He did not sound angry, but Yugi needed to be sure. He did not ask Yami directly, but instead sent his mind wandering, gently probing Yami's thoughts in a method that he had only just discovered. Yami stiffened for a moment, before visibly making himself relax to allow Yugi access to his mind.

It was not an easy trick to master, he knew. The mind was not so simple a place that one could simply dive in and get direct answers. It was a confusing place, where thoughts were rapid and unsubstantial, and were tangled around complex feelings and sensations which often seemed to make no sense at all because of their fractured nature. The fact that Yugi now had the strength to use his own mind in such a way showed Yami just how much his aibou had grown over the time they had met.

//Yes, you've grown so much. Almost too much, if it means I can no longer...//

/Yami, don't ever think I don't need you.../

//I wish I could protect you. I wish I could take away your hurt...//

/Not angry, then, not going to leave.../

//Never, never never never leave, one so strong...//

/No anger, no contempt? Not even because I was afraid.../

//Afraid. Of what? So brave, so small but so brave...//

/Of them. Pain, tried not to show it. Of you- no, I mean...!/

Yami pulled away abruptly and Yugi found himself in his own mind again. He was not aware that he was swaying until Yami held him still and spoke quietly into his ear. "It takes much practice and much power to maintain such a state. You have used up too much of your energy-" But a rushing sound filled Yugi's ears and head, then, and when he opened his eyes again he was lying down on the bed with Yami looking down at him concernedly, one hand against Yugi's cheek. "Stay still", said Yami. His voice was calm but it took an effort to keep it that way. The problem with delving into somebody's mind, he knew, was that it left the person initiating the link as equally vulnerable as the other person. Yugi had gotten glimpses of Yami's thoughts and feelings - but Yami had also heard and felt something that Yugi had not meant for him to hear or feel. One look at Yugi's face, now too pale for Yami's comfort, and he knew that Yugi was aware of what had happened, and knew also that Yami was going to question him about it.

"I'm sorry", he whispered. "I didn't mean for you to see-"

"Ah, but I did; it is too late now. Are you frightened of me, aibou? Do I truly make you afraid?"

"I... yes. And no. Please, it's not what you think!" Yugi's eyes were wide and panicked.

"No? Perhaps I should see for myself-"

"No!"

Yami paused at the reaction his words had caused. There was no doubt that Yugi was indeed frightened - but of what? What did Yugi not want him to see? He spoke slowly, choosing his words with care. "Aibou. If you do not want me to look into your mind, then I will not. It is an evil to enter someone's mind without their consent, and I would never harm you that way - or in any way. But you must know - if there is something I should know that you will not say out loud for whatever reason... then I wish to find the answer on my own. If you choose not to tell me, I can never know what it is you are afraid of."

Yugi was silent for a while. "Will it hurt?" he asked. "It hurt just now, when I looked into your mind - more than any physical pain."

Yami nodded. "You are as yet unpracticed in this, and it is a difficult skill to accomplish. But I give you my word: I will not hurt you."

"And... when you find the answer, what will you do? Will you hurt me then?"

"I don't know what I will find. But I swear it again: I will not harm you." He leaned forward so that their foreheads touched, and closed his eyes as Yugi closed his. I would never harm you, Yugi heard again as Yami entered his mind.

It was much easier for Yami to do, not only because of his ancient powers but because Yugi's energy had been exhausted, making the mind easier to penetrate and Yugi's natural instincts to force out this other invading mind much weaker. Yami slipped in like gently sinking water and listened.

/Afraid? Yes, I am afraid.../

//Afraid of what? What is it you hide from me? What is it you fear?//

/...Him. Afraid of him. He'll find out, find out and leave and never.../

//I wouldn't. I wouldn't leave. You can tell me and I'd stay...//

/No, no! He can't know, he must never know, nobody must ever.../

//It is not so bad, this feeling, nothing to be ashamed of. What do you hide, what do you keep so close?//

/Nothing, nothing! And everything. He's everything.../

//Everything? No, you can't mean...//

/Yes. Everything. Now you know, now you're finding out, now you'll leave.../

//I promised I wouldn't, I won't. Everything? Do you fear me so much because of...//

/No! But yes, yes yes yes, don't leave! Everything, everything.../

//It's alright! Aibou, I know now what you were hiding. I feel it now, so well hidden from me, so strong...//

/...Love? It can't be so, you can't love me back so I hid it. Hiding, afraid.../

//Love. Don't doubt that it will be returned...//

Yami pulled away and opened his eyes, allowing the room to waver in front of him before his normal sight returned. Yugi's eyes remained closed, but Yami could tell he was still conscious. One single, lone tear built up under Yugi's eyelashes and slid down the side of his face.

"Aibou? Please, open your eyes. You must never be afraid to look at me."

Yugi did as he was asked, and found that the look he was given was not one of anger, or of contempt. This look was warm, comforting, scary, beautiful, unnerving, gentle. Everything.

Are you going to kiss me? asked Yugi, not even realising he had asked through the mind-link until Yami's laugh filled his head.

No, aibou. But -you- are going to kiss -me-.

I can't! replied Yugi, aghast and blushing.

You must. It is you who is afraid. Overcome that fear now - just like you've already overcome another fear today.

Oh, but-

Yami waited, watching his aibou struggle within his mind and feeling only a little cruel for what he was making Yugi do.

Fine then! Yami wasn't quite as ready as he would have liked to be at that moment, but Yugi had already sat up defiantly and placed his lips against Yami's fairly chastely, and almost before Yami was aware of it. He looked almost afraid again by the time he had pulled away, but Yami's slow smile reassured him.

"About time", he commented quite firmly, making Yugi flush again.

"Then... you mean you knew all along?!"

"I did not. But I would be lying if I said I hadn't already loved you before this. I was only waiting for you, although I also knew I might always be waiting."

"Yami!"

Mortified, Yugi buried his head in Yami's chest, shy again of looking at him. This time Yami let Yugi hide, however. Time enough later, he knew, to work on these things. For now, he was perfectly content.