Disclaimer/Notes: Don't own Yu-gi-oh! Also, this story is written for the YGO Fanfiction Contest Season Seven, Round One. The challenge pairing is "Dragonshipping," Yami Yugi x Katsuya Jounouchi. Inspired by Valentine's Day coming up, and there are small hints of notreally!Puzzle in here too.

"The Wish"

By: Doubleplusgoodduckspeaker

Three words.

Three simple words.

"This homework sucks."

Not exactly what he was hoping for, but Yami supposed he'd take it.

It was a bright and sunny day, and Yugi and Jounouchi were eating their lunch outside, enjoying the spring weather while they were able to. The rest of the gang would follow soon enough, and it was moments like these that each of them treasured—being able to joke and laugh, and for once act their age.

Moments like these all three of them treasured. Yugi remained blissfully unaware, but Yami could plainly see every detail of the outside world from his puzzle, just like he was looking outside of a window. He could delineate the swaying blades of grass and the occasional ladybug, he could hear the crinkle of potato chips as Jounouchi pulled apart the ends of the bag, and he could even feel the warmth that traveled down from the tips of his hair to his toes at his laugh.

"Vocab? What about math, I figured that would take even longer?" Yugi said between mouthfuls of his own lunch, looking at Jounouchi's open workbook.

"Math is easy. All those duel monsters games help me with the calculations, I guess…. Just think of math like you've defeated a monster and have to subtract life points! Vocabulary is completely different, I just can't remember what the words mean, let alone how to spell them."

"I've never really thought about it that way." The corners of Yugi's mouth lifted into a smile. "Imagine telling the teachers that, though. 'I'll be missing class because I've got to go to a Duel Monsters tournament, but don't worry, I'll be sure to get my math in during duels. Can that count as homework?'"

They shared a laugh, and Yami watched on. He was so happy for his aibou in moments like this. These friendships had strengthened him, and he could be himself around them. It reminded him of Yugi's wish. Yugi's wish… his wish on the puzzle, and on the spirit housed within… it had been for friends. And Yami could see that his wish was coming true, thanks to Jounouchi. It made him happy, yet…

What the others didn't know, and would never know if he had anything to say about it, was that another wish had been made. Yami himself had made a wish, to go along with his aibou's. But where Yugi's wish had been for friends, Yami's wish had been for someone infinitely more special.

He wanted someone to love, to be loved, and the instant that both Yami and Yugi had met Jounouchi, they had each known, separately, that he was the one. He would be the one to fulfill Yugi's wish. And in time, Yami knew his wish would also come true.

Yami said that this friendship had made Yugi stronger when in reality it had made himself weaker. He encouraged their friendship when really he wanted to just throw it all away and lose all coherent thought in his actions like he allowed his thoughts to do so in Jounouchi's presence, yet he…he didn't. Because he loved Yugi, in a different way than he loved Jounouchi. And he did love Jounouchi, for everything that he had done for Yugi, for just being there, and being himself, and smiling and laughing just like he was doing now. The three of them shared a deep bond, one that Yami knew they all recognized even though they never voiced it aloud. He knew they wouldn't, because that would change things. They were happy now. He didn't want either of them hurt, so he contented himself to endure in the silence of the puzzle.

It was moments like these that made it all worthwhile. For now, he was happy just by seeing them happy. With his limited store of memories, he treasured each new one, and this one too, he would treasure.

"Thanks for helping me with that vocab, Yugi." The workbook flopped closed, the assignment complete. Jounouchi stretched his limbs, once again at peace with the world.

"No problem. It's what friends do, right?"

"We're friends. Right." Jounouchi grinned, just as the shouts of Honda and Anzu broke through their reveries. As they all continued talking about the day, Yami turned from his window-like viewpoint, wanting nothing but a short nap. As he walked, he kept Jounouchi's words turning in his head.

"We're friends. Right."

Three simple words.

Not exactly what he was hoping for, but Yami supposed he'd take it.

Really short, but that can't be helped. Also not subtle at all (I feel like I just sideswiped the reader with the Iloveyou freight train), but that can't be helped either. Thank you for reading, and please review!