We build and then we break

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

The final chapter.

Thanks for the reviews. I know I do not say it often but I really do appreciate them.

Chapter Twelve

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Yuugi stood there dumbfounded for seconds. However, the shock of his other was beginning to set in as he shot out of the apartment, running down the stairs. Tripping down the final three steps, Yuugi gritted his teeth as he cut his arm, a line of blood flowing freely from the small wound.

Yami stood by his Mercedes, holding the door open. He gazed at Yuugi with raised brows, tears trailing down his face. He merely stared at Yuugi for a moment, noticing the blood on his arm. He was worried about the injury Yuugi had just gotten. Yet, he felt the pain of being rejected take toll on his already depressed self.

Yuugi despite falling down the stairs stood, limping in his striding steps towards Yami. His amethyst eyes narrowed, tears threatening to fall down his pale face. He gritted his teeth as he stopped in front of his counterpart, gazing up at him with watery eyes.

"Yuugi, what the hell are you doing down here?"

"You didn't let me finish what I had to say, you idiot! Why the hell did you assume I was breaking up with you and moving back to California alone?"

Crimson eyes blinked in confusion, gears in his mind turning as the words were taken in.

"What the hell do you mean Yuugi? I know you want to run away from everything again."

Yuugi glared at Yami, shaking his head as he finally let the dam down. Tears flooded down his cheeks. The cloudy sky contrasted with his anger and depressed demeanor. He did something completely out of character for him. His actions fueled solely by anger.

SMACK!

Yuugi whacked his other half across the cheek, hand stinging as he pulled away. His small handprint made an imprint on the other's tan skin, red and swollen. He felt little remorse for it. After all, the former pharaoh would not listen. What else could he have done?

Yami ran a hand across his the swollen area of his face inflicted from the attack. He winced as pain shot through his cheek. He held back the remorse and pain from the hit. He turned his crimson eyes onto Yuugi's narrowed amethysts. Confusion and anger showed fully on his features.

"Why the fuck did you smack me like a girl, Yuugi?!"

"Because Yami, you wouldn't listen to me you pompous ass!" He paused, seething in annoyance as he continued, "Never compare my hits to that of a girl!"

Yami shook his head, completely thrown for the moment. Yuugi made little to no sense with his ways. He was tired of the man's antics. He simply wanted to know what the hell Yuugi wished to tell him.

"Will you just tell me what you wanted to say?"

Yuugi nodded briefly. He stepped forward, taking his dark's hand into his own. He intertwined their fingers together, grasping his lover's hand tightly.

"If you would have let me finish what I was saying in the apartment, you wouldn't be out here with a stinging cheek." He smiled weakly at his pompous ass of a boyfriend and continued onward.

"I did not intend to leave you in Domino. I want you to move to California with me. There we can start over and live with our friends near by. Besides I know that despite your anger and jealousy towards Akefia, I know deep down that you care about him."

Yuugi was taken back as a pair of lips collided with his, pulling him into a heated kiss. Hands wound around his small form, pulling him flush with the other's body. Yuugi found his small body responding to passion. He added his own tongue into the duel of dominance with his pharaoh. Pressure began to build in his lungs, signaling the need for air.

Moments passed as Yuugi and Yami were forced to pull away, panting heavily. They gazed at one another with heated stares, a blush instantly forming on Yuugi's face.

Yami smirked in infamous fashion, smiling at his lover as he closed the door to his Mercedes.

"There is one thing that hasn't changed about you."

Confused, Yuugi blinked gazing at the other.

"What?"

"You blush at the simplest acts of pleasure or love."

At this, Yuugi blushed again, holding his hand out for Yami.

Eagerly, the elder man took it, trudging back up the stairs with Yuugi.

"I'm going to fix up your arm while we're up here."

"Yami it's fine. Besides, I rather finish talking about what happened…"

Yami silenced him with a kiss, pulling away only to speak softly as they stood in front of the apartment door.

"We're moving to California. What more is there to say?"

Yuugi merely shrugged, a rare smile gracing his lips. It seemed that things were beginning to make sense again. He did not say anything else as Yami opened the apartment door, motioning for Yuugi to come in.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Yuugi typed away on his laptop, talking on is iPhone with a frown. His concentration was split between the two. Boxes were lined up around his small apartment, labeled in marker. Yuugi mumbled to whomever he was speaking with on the phone, hitting the return key on his laptop. He sighed and turned his attention away from the screen, realizing that his call needed more attention then he was giving it.

He hummed to himself, returning to the call. "Yes, that's fine. I've already sent you the edits and I'm happy with what you though, Ake'."

"Yeah, I have a title for it. I just would like to keep it under wraps in case prying ears are around. After all I'm dedicating this book to two very special people."

At that very moment, a pair of strong, warm arms wrapped around Yuugi's lithe waist, warm breath fanning against the shell of his ear. A chill ran down the man's back. Yuugi shuddered, ending the call with his editor/friend quickly.

Yuugi turned his attention upon the one holding him in his arms. His face was heated, flustered even. A baritone chuckle interrupted his thoughts.

"Who were you talking to, little one?"

"Don't call me that. I thought we agreed you weren't to call me that ever again."

Yami chuckled, kissing Yuugi's neck. He smiled to himself as goose bumps formed against the pale skin.

"No, you simply asked me not to. I never agreed to anything of the sort, little one."

Yuugi growled in annoyance, twisting out of the elder man's hold. Yet, he found it futile as Yami tightened his grasp, snickering at his light's attempts of freedom.

"I'm not so little anymore Yami. You're not that much taller than I am."

"Fine, little one, fine. I will not call you that again."

"You just did!"

"So I did. I think it's hard to stop something that has been accustomed to our relationship for a while now."

Yuugi nudged Yami in the ribs with his elbow earning a stifled gasp from the former pharaoh.

"Alright then, if that's how it suits you, Atemu." Yuugi smirked. Two could play at this game.

Yami growled under his breath, glaring at his light. It was not known by many other than their friends but Yami hated it when anyone especially Yuugi called him by his true name. He felt disconnected with the name as if it was meant for his past self, not his current, present day self.

"You win, Yuugi. I'll stop calling you that if you never and I mean never refer to me as Atemu again."

Yuugi smirked, wringing free from Yami's grasp as he nodded in acknowledgement.

"Alright then, it's a deal."

The conversation drifted after a moment of silence, which left Yuugi with his new iPhone, attention directed towards it as it beeped incessantly. Yami could only roll his eyes at his light's interest in the gadget. He had gotten it for Yuugi as a gift for his accomplishment of his novel being published. Yet he was beginning to regret it now. The man simply paid more attention it than his own lover.

"Yuugi, who were you speaking with a while ago?"

Yuugi did not move eyes still on the screen of his smart phone.

"Akefia. He was asking me the title for my novel and wanted to know who the dedications were going for and such amongst our plans of moving to California."

Yami nodded, taking in the new information. With their decision to move out of state, there were tons of preparations in store for them. As it was, Akefia had already moved, leaving the apartment he and Yami shared empty. This caused Yami to move in with Yuugi. The game shop sold easily to a small family with the desires of running their own game shop. Jou and Seto moved to New York and Yami quit his job at Tori's.

Everything was beginning to set up for a finale in this chapter of their lives. Things were ending as their true adventures were beginning. Yuugi and Yami both knew this as leaving Domino signaled the end of their days of soul stealing villains to crazy dueling tournaments.

Yami felt torn in two with the move. He wanted to go, he really did. He was fearful for losing his memories of his past with his friends and of course, Sugoroku. The man had become like a father to him. He hated leaving the game shop just as his partner did. Yet, he knew Yuugi wanted this, and he simply needed to do this for the both of them.

After all, this was the climb they needed…

Yuugi looked around at the empty apartment, frowning. It had been two months since they decided to move. He felt his heart tug at this. Barely returning for a while and then packing up and leaving again. He shook his head turning his eyes tight jeans encasing the sexy ass of his lover. He watched with a smirk as Yami lifted their suitcases.

He frowned when Yami turned around; raising a brow at his light's lustful gaze. He rolled his eyes at Yuugi's look and took the suitcases into his grasp, headed out the door with a small smile.

"Yuugi, you ready? Our flight leaves in two hours and we have to be there early for security checks."

Yuugi nodded, picking a small package off the counter of kitchen's bar. He turned to Yami with a small smile.

"I want to give you something beforehand."

Yami set the suitcases down, treading across the beige carpet. He gazed at Yuugi curiously before taking the proffered item.

"What is this?"

Yuugi rolled his amethyst eyes, crossing his arms. "Just open it, love."

"Alright."

Yami tore through plain brown packaged wrappings, finding a small book in his hands. He raised a brow, studying the book carefully. He turned it, reading the text across the front. A smile took over his usually stoic expression.

"It's the first copy of it."

"Your novel? Partner, why would you give me the first copy of your novel."

"Open it and read first page underneath the title."

Yami obeyed, opening the small hardcover book, he turned the pages finding the title page with the title and a small message beneath it.

"We build and then we break by Yuugi Mutou…" He paused as his eyes began to widen at the continuance of the script printed. "This never would have been written without the rekindling of hard times with friends, family and of course my lover, Yami. Things happen for a reason just as the title of this novel is stated. Our problems build and in the end they break leaving us to pick up the pieces and build them up once again to find peace."

Yuugi smiled, noticing a stray tear falling down his pharaoh's cheek. He sauntered over to his lover, wiping the tear from his other half's soft cheek.

"Partner, you dedicated this book to me? After all the problems and pain I caused you over the years?"

Yuugi wrapped his arms around his other, burying his face into the delicate neck of his former pharaoh. He remained silent, collecting his thoughts before continuing.

"I returned to Domino to see you and rekindle things despite what I have told you or the others. I wanted to see you and confront you. I found love along the way and you made me happy. The past does not matter… That is why things stay in the past, Yami."

Yuugi pulled away, kissing Yami softly in which he returned whole-heartedly. Once petal-soft lips descended from one another Yami ruffled Yuugi's hair and took the suitcases in hand along with the novel.

"Now, don't go off and make us sound like some bad romance, Yuugi. We've been through enough of a soap opera since we rekindled our friendship and such."

Yuugi chuckled, taking the book from Yami's hands, letting him carry the suitcases with ease.

"You live for the game and drama of capturing us in these situations of bad romance though. Don't deny it."

Yami simply laughed and walked out the door, followed by Yuugi. They locked the door to the apartment for the final time, descending the stairs towards an awaiting taxi.

Things were at ease with them. The duo easily fell into their friendship and their budding relationship with ease. Fights were possible as they were for any relationship. In the end, Yuugi knew that things were going to change but for the better.

In the end, he knew they would be okay.

- - - - - - - -

Finished.

I hope you all enjoyed this story. I couldn't let this one end on a bad note, no matter how often I enjoy a good angst written fiction. Thank you all for the support and the reviews. I hope you will enjoy the other works I write.

~YY.