Angelus Fletus Est

Me: *drops dead* Okay. Okay. Seriously...you all shouldn't have to wait this long! Once again, I apologize for not updating in five million years.

And...and I just want to say...how thankful and proud I am that I've reached the milestone. 500 REVIEWS! 525, to be exact...honestly, guys…I don't deserve you...*cries in happiness and glomps reviewers*

Okay! I have a proposition for you guys! The 550th reviewer will get to cuddle my Yugi for a whole chapter! And in the (very) unlikely event that I reach 575 or even 600…the respective reviewers will get a reward too but I haven't thought of one yet *grins*

Yugi: What if I get kidnapped again?

Yami: I put a spell on you, remember? No kidnapping

Yugi: *looks relieved*

Me: but the 550th reviewer gets to cuddle you, Yugi

Yugi: *looks surprised* *smiles cutely* Okay!

Me: no answering reviews today...I bet you all want me to stop chatting and get on with the chapter, ne?

/Yugi to Yami/ //Yami to Yugi// 'Private thoughts'

Seto walked into the classroom, whistling slightly, which was very uncharacteristic of him. In truth, he'd been in a much better mood since Yugi had come to stay with him. Perhaps it was the petite youth's teasing remarks when Seto came home growling because of some insubordinate employee or a bad meeting.

He stopped when his eyes fell on Yugi. Yugi, obviously in another world, was reading a piece of paper, looking very serious and sad. 'I wonder what's bugging him,' Seto thought.

Yugi put the paper down and stared into a small box that, Seto saw, contained the Puzzle. 'Baka pharaoh just won't give up, will he?' thought Seto savagely. Yugi seemed to be staring intently at the Puzzle, as if it could solve a difficult problem. For several minutes, neither one of them moved.

Then, Yugi, surprisingly, took the Puzzle out of the box and slowly placed it over his head, letting the weight settle on his chest. Seto blinked. 'Odd…' he thought, stepping forward absently.

His movement startled the spiky-haired teen, who jumped, turning. "Seto," he exclaimed, "don't SCARE me like that!"

Seto had to smile. "Gomen." Seeing that Yugi had relaxed, he took a seat and faced his smaller friend. "What's with the Puzzle?"

"Oh…" Yugi frowned, "Yami sent me a letter...he couldn't talk properly in the hall, so he wrote it down...told me he was sorry and to take the Puzzle."

"Hmm," Seto pursed his lips, "doesn't that mean that your connection with him is restored?"

"Yeah…" Yugi trailed off, looking uncertain.

"So you've forgiven him then, hmm?" Seto was a little dubious that Yugi would do that so quickly.

"Accepting an apology and forgiving that person are two different things, Seto," came the quiet reply.

'Now that makes sense,' thought Seto, 'much more sense than giving that pharaoh a clear path.' Aloud, he said, "I see. Hopefully that pharaoh will get that concept."

Yugi's lips tugged upward in a small smile. "Be nice, Seto. Give Yami a chance, will you?"

Seto grinned, "Not on your life."

Yami was very happy to see the Puzzle around Yugi's neck when he entered the classroom. 'Can this mean...does this mean...' He tried the link but found that it was still closed. His spirits didn't fall, and he excitedly watched Yugi chat with his rival, hoping to get a word in.

The bell rang, however, putting an end to his hope for now.

After lunch, Yami looked around frantically for his aibou. It was now or never, he thought. Catching sight of a spiky head, he ran to catch up with the two as they left the cafeteria.

"Yugi! Yugi!"

Yugi turned. Yami ran up to him, smiling. "Hello, aibou." Yugi merely nodded in reply. Not to be deterred, Yami continued, "You're wearing the Puzzle again, I see."

Yugi nodded again. "Yes," he answered coolly, "I am."

Yami's smile faltered. "Yugi?"

Yugi met his gaze squarely. "I'm wearing the Puzzle, Yami, because it's mine. And because I've accepted your apology," he said gravely.

Yami beamed. His hikari had forgiven him sooner than he thought! "Really," he asked. "Yugi, I'm amazed that you—" he was cut off.

"I said I accepted your apology. Not that I'd forgiven you."

Yami blinked. "N-nani?"

"Accepting your apology and forgiving you are two very different things, Yami," Yugi repeated coldly.

Yami could only stare, his hopes crushed. "A-aibou..." he whispered softly.

A hand grabbed his shoulder and he looked up into the cold face of Seto Kaiba. "Get it through your head, Yami. Yugi hasn't forgiven you yet, so could you please stop bugging him constantly? Give him some space, dammit."

Yami was at a loss for words. He didn't really know what to say. He found himself nodding and saying, "Sure, aibou. I understand. See you." He walked to his next class, numbly processing all that had occurred.

Yami sat in his room after school, watching the rain fall down his window, thinking.

"Accepting an apology and forgiving you are two very different things, Yami."

So, Yugi had accepted his apology. That was good, he supposed.

That thought didn't ease the ache of guilt eating away at him.

"Why are you feeling so down, Yami," he asked himself softly, "Yugi did accept your apology, after all."

He knew, though, that it wasn't enough. He needed to know that he was absolved, needed to hear Yugi say, "It's okay, Yami. I forgive you." If he just kept trying, then surely...

Fat chance. If anything, his attempts on getting back on good terms with Yugi seemed to be backfiring.

But, why?

"Give him some space, dammit."

Like he'd ever listen to what Seto had to say. His rival loved getting him on the edge.

But...but hadn't Joey told him the very same thing?

"Aw, give him some time, Yami. Ya can't expect him to come running back to ya immediately. He just needs some down time, that's all."

'But, what classifies as "down time",' thought Yami. 'I can't just ignore him again; that would make things worse...' He didn't know what to do.

Yugi obviously wanted some time apart from him. But that only made things more confusing. Wasn't he upset that Yami had been ignoring him for so long? Wasn't that the reason that Yami felt so guilty?

Why, then, did Yugi not want to spend time with him?

'Maybe...maybe he's afraid that I'll hurt him again,' Yami thought. 'I really haven't given him too much of a reason to trust me, after all.'

He'd written Yugi a letter telling him exactly how he felt, though.

Yugi had read it, at least.

"I've accepted your apology, Yami." That's what he'd said, right?

But then he'd said that accepting an apology and forgiving someone were different.

Yami thought awhile. Then it came to him; surprisingly, his grandfather's message from yesterday brought on the inspiration.

"Hope you didn't miss me too much, boys."

Yugi said he'd missed him terribly.

He missed Yugi; that was for sure.

Yugi had accepted his apology.

But the fact still remained that he was still hurting over Yami's treatment.

"Accepting an apology and forgiving you are two very different things, Yami."

Yami had ignored his hikari every time he had tried to speak to him, every time he'd tried to get his attention. He'd left him behind time after time, not giving a thought to Yugi at all.

Of course it would take awhile for Yugi to forgive him.

That didn't solve the problem of what he should do. He had no idea how to act around Yugi; whether he should keep away from him for awhile or keep approaching him was a mystery. Either choice could be disastrous.

"Do you know how much I missed you, Yami?"

"I ceased being your aibou two months ago."

His aibou...the one he had sworn to guard and protect.

He'd certainly failed in that area. He'd failed miserably. Yugi had said it himself a few days ago.

"You never noticed, Yami, you never did! You never cared!"

'Well, I sure as hell care now, Yugi,' he thought sadly.

If Yugi didn't want to spend time with him, then Yami wouldn't make him. He would watch, from a distance, always keeping an eye out, like he had done when Yugi had first solved the Puzzle.

Yes, he'd watch Yugi; make sure no one laid a finger on him.

It was the least he could do.

Me: Well, since most of you wanted me to "torture Yami", as many put it, I wrote the whole introspective thing. I minimized the hostility between them for those of you (the vast minority) who didn't want Yami to suffer.

Sorry...I guess I kind of made him suffer anyways...

Yugi: *smiles cutely* Please read and review!

Well, ladies and gentlemen, that is the end. I hope you all enjoyed this 12-chapter journey.

I apologize for the weird editing. I figured you wouldn't care about that and you'd like to have the chapters more.

Well, guys, it's been fun. I may post any tail-end chapters of other fics that I forgot about, but other than that, this is the last you'll see of me (refer to A/N in chapter 6). Have fun, and good luck to you all. :)

Sincerely,

Katya