Juu56: Wheeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!! I finally did it!!!!!!!!! *evil cackles* Now you will feel my wrath, you stupid…dub….people. Yeah.

Okay, in case you haven't gotten it, this isn't mine. If it was, this would probably be an episode. I am evil, and it's fun, so this fic might get a little weird later ^_^*

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Chapter 1

Yugi threw his bag halfway across the room and flopped on the bed with a whumph. First day of college. It had been exhausting.

Time had matured the young boy's soft features (though, much to chagrin, he had grown very little taller). His eyes were slightly less wide, though still a gorgeous lavender. He'd grown thinner with the lessening of baby fat, making him small and slender, half the girls' dreams come true.

He still wore the Millennium Puzzle; still spoke with Yami, but it was becoming painful. He had not feelings for giggling girls, but Yami…Yami was his, Yami was special.

Yugi sighed sadly, placing his hands behind his head. He could never have Yami. He wasn't really his. He was Yami, and Yami didn't - couldn't possibly - love Yugi that way; not even the slightest chance.

There was a brilliant flash. Quickly, Yugi pasted on a plastic smile, just before Yami appeared, looking worried.

"Hi, Yami!" Inwardly, Yugi winced, for two reasons. The greeting sounded fake, even to his ears; and seeing that wonderfully beautiful face made him ache all over - an ache centered in his chest, that throbbed in time with his heartbeat.

Yami noticed - he couldn't not have noticed - but he didn't say anything for a long moment. Finally, after such a long time that Yugi thought Yami might be angry, he asked softly, "Is something wrong, Yugi?"

The still-smaller boy tried to laugh, but it sounded more like a pained cough. "I'm fine, Yami! Why do you ask?"

Yami frowned skeptically, staring like he couldn't believe Yugi had actually asked that question. Yugi forced a brighter smile.

"Really, Yami, I'm fine. A hard day at school, that's all."

The return comment Yami sent directly to his mind. //You know you can't lie to me, little one. And this isn't about your grandfather, either, so don't even try. Now, what is wrong?//

Hesitantly, /I don't know it I should tell you./

Yami walked over to the bed. //You are upset. You know you can tell me anything.//

A self-deprecating laugh almost turned into a hysterical sob. /Not this. You'll hate me./

Yami looked shocked, unable to speak for a moment. //How could you think that?//

/I'm almost sure of it./ The phone rang. Yugi jumped, then ran to answer it. It was the household phone, so he doubted it would be overly important, but at this point he would do anything to get out of this conversation.

"Hello?" If he sounded out of breath, well, he had fairly good reason.

"Hey, Yug!" No forced cheer there; Yugi envied that.

"Jou! How's your new job?" Jounouchi had skipped college in favor of making money to afford it.

"Good! How's college? My buddy, the smart guy!"

Yugi forced another laugh. "Good. Exhausting. I'm a little busy right now; can I call you back in a while?" He was far to cheerful; maybe if Yugi was fast, he could make it to the bathroom before Yami caught him, and lock himself in.

"'Kay! See ya 'round, Yug!"

"Yeah…" He set the phone down and dashed to the bathroom.

Just before he reached it, Yami pulled the door shut and braced himself firmly against it. Yugi had always been weaker; reluctantly, he slowed to a stop. Yami looked at him expectantly.

"Yugi, something is wrong." An obvious statement, and one Yugi couldn't possibly stand against. That, and those sincere eyes…

"I love you!" he blurted, then hung his head. Yami stood there, staring dumbly, shocked.

Silence then; silence before the storm.

*

Yami stood there staring long after Yugi had run crying out of the house. The link had been closed, but the pain still leaked through; pain so intense Yami wanted to cry himself. But he still couldn't move, couldn't do anything.

Yugi was his other half, but somehow he didn't think that was exactly the kind of love his light meant. Yami had always known that he was more for guys, but Yugi…he'd never guessed. Nor had he guessed the lovely child would grow to be a lovelier man. Nor had he guessed that lovely man could possibly love him. Dare he hope now? Could he bear the thought of it all being a mistake?

No, but he also couldn't let a chance get away, not when he was this close…

Turning, he ran after Yugi.

*

To his great relief, Yugi was fine. He found the boy curled in a small corner straight down the street, in an alley, still crying. The ache, this close, was almost tangible. Gently, he lifted the boy and carried him to the place both of them called home.

There, he found himself in the same predicament he'd been in before: he had no idea what to say. Or rather, he could think of a hundred things to say, but not a single way to put them into words.

Searching frantically for the words that eluded him, he missed when Yugi's crying stopped. The silence, at least to Yugi, seemed to go on forever. At last, his rapidly fraying nerves shattered.

"Say something!" he cried hopelessly. "Anything! I don't care what! I know that you probably think I'm disgusting, and…and you probably hate me…but I don't care! Just…just don't sit there…" His voice faded off, and he hung his head again, ashamed of his outburst.

Yami jumped, startled, and stared with astonished eyes. Yugi thought Yami hated him? Impossible! This was what he'd been hoping for, dreaming of, since…since before time, it seemed! And…and if he didn't say something now, he'd lose the boy forever.

"Yugi…" It was a start, but what now?

At last, abandoning thought and words, he grabbed his small aibou and kissed him, hard.

There was a soft gasp, and as the little one's lips parted, Yami plunged his tongue into the waiting mouth. After a moment, he felt Yugi's hands tangle in his hair; felt Yugi's tongue respond, and begin to tease his mouth. Yami moaned and pressed into Yugi, and growled as the clothing each of them wore got in the way.

He fumbled with the buckle on his shirt, then abandoned it to work on Yugi's. Yugi chuckled as Yami cursed, and gently disentangled himself, quickly removing his clothing and tossing it aside. His deft fingers moved on to Yami's buckles, undoing them with a teasing grin, taunting Yami, challenging him. Yami growled again and attacked him the moment his clothing was removed. Yugi laughed delightedly as his dark half tackled him onto the bed. After that, everything was a flurry of flying limbs and pleasure, and then the void of an exhausted sleep.

*

Yami woke strangely disoriented. This wasn't his soul room, and h e rarely went outside it anymore…

He smiled blissfully when memory caught up. Of course. Now that he was completely awake, he could feel the soft shape curled peacefully at his side.

He felt Yugi stir at his side, and heard the murmured whisper, "I'm missing school, Yami."

Indeed, as Yami checked the clock, it was past noon. Not releasing him, he whispered back, "I'll write you a note."

Yugi groaned a token protest, then offered, "I'll just call; tell them I'm sick." When Yami's arm only tightened, he sighed. "Hand me the phone, then, Yami." A couple grunts and a curse later, he felt the hard plastic of the cordless phone. He dialed the number he'd forced himself to memorize, and waited for them to pick up.

"Hi, this is Yugi Motou, I'm a student…Yes, I know I'm late, I'm calling in sick…Yes, yes…Thank you…No, I'll get it tomorrow…All right, good bye." He turned the phone off and handed it back to Yami, then settled back against the taller man. Yami smiled again and held him protectively.

"You're going to have a little trouble walking, koi," Yami warned, then grinned evilly. "Providing I actually let you walk." Easily, he lifted Yugi and carried him into the bathroom, where he set him on the toilet seat and ran the water for a warm bath. He looked up to see a very naked Yugi glaring at him unconvincingly. He snorted.

"That is the worst glare I have ever seen, koi," he said, somehow making the comment tender and teasing at the same time.

Yugi's eyes misted slightly at the confirmation that Yami really did love him, but he managed to pout slightly. "Well, it's a little hard to glare at you when you have absolutely nothing on!" He captured Yami's finger in his mouth as the taller one tried to tap his nose, and began sucking lightly, teasing. He was rewarded as Yami visibly bit back a moan. He snatched his finger back and gazed at Yugi reluctantly.

"If you don't stop that," he warned, "I'm not responsible for what happens. Your body needs to rest, aibou. We put it through a lot of things it's not used to last night." The wicked grin was back. Yugi blushed hotly, and suddenly his feet seemed to become incredibly interesting. Yami chuckled and turned the water off, then grabbed Yugi and lowered them both into the bath. He smiled as Yugi sighed and snuggled between his legs; placed one arm around the innocent boy, and rested against the back of the tub. They fell asleep simultaneously.

*

Yami woke when the water started getting cold; Yugi was still comfortably in his arms, and showed no signs of waking any time soon. Carefully, Yami sat up, pulled the plug, and stood, walking to the bedroom with Yugi still in his arms. He dressed Yugi in a pair of boxers and tucked him tenderly back into bed, leaving the Millennium Puzzle on the bed table where they'd put it so it wouldn't get in the way (Yugi had blushed furiously at that comment). He gathered his own clothing and dressed himself - it was easier getting the buckles done than undone- then gathered Yugi's clothes and placed them neatly by the bed. That done, he went downstairs to prepare a late breakfast.

Yugi's favorite was pancakes; Yami's been working for weeks to get his aibou's grandpa's recipe right, and he thought he might finally have gotten it. He hoped he had; he shuddered to think of the last time Yugi'd tasted his pancakes. The poor thing had been sick for a week. Well, how was he supposed to know the difference between flour and sugar? At that point he hadn't known how to read English. Yugi'd taught him, once he'd gotten better. Now he could make the pancakes as a breakfast for a lover, not just a friends, and he wanted it to taste good.

Carefully, he cooked the pancakes, stacked them on a plate, placed them on a tray with the proper condiments and utensils, poured a glass of orange juice, and carried it all in to Yugi.

Yugi had woken, and he was trying to prop himself up without letting the blanket slip. He was shivering slightly. Setting the tray on top of the dresser, Yami grabbed the robe from the bedpost and hurried over, draping it over Yugi's shoulders as he helped prop him up with pillows. Yugi laughed, embarrassed.

"I'm not a baby, Yami; I'm fine!" He sounded exasperated.

"I told you, koi, I have no intention of letting you walk any more than necessary. I made you breakfast."

Yugi went a little pale at the least statement. Yami couldn't really blame him.

"If you don't like it, you don't have to eat it," he said gently. He retrieved the tray and placed it gently on Yugi's lap. Never one to disappoint, he smothered the food in butter and syrup, cut it up, and took a bite. There was a tense moment; then Yugi's face lit up, and he shoved another bite into his mouth.

"This is good!" he said happily, once his mouth was empty, then took a drink of orange juice.

Yami sighed, slightly in relief, slightly in joy, and settle at the edge of the bed, watching with a contented smile as Yugi polished off the meal.

When he was finished, he beamed at Yami, and briefly the darker boy basked in the glow. For a moment, they were the only people in the world.

Then the phone rang, and another day of not-quite-monotony began.

*************TBC****************

YAY!!!! All done. More later. Sleeeeeeeep……………………………ZZZZZZZZZZZZ