"Sorry I'm late!" Yugi panted as he stumbled in the door, kicking his snow-caked boots off on the mat. "The bus got stuck in the snow on that damn hill on near the game shop. Did I miss too much?"

"Nope," Ryou replied from the living room. "She just agreed to her brother's dare to go into the old abandoned mansion to spend the night. This can only end in tears."

Yugi flopped onto the couch, settling in beside his friend. He glanced over and smiled. "Still knitting away, huh?"

Ryou looked over at him. "I'm not stopping until it's done," he said, needles clicking against each other as he turned back to the tv. "Besides, I don't tease you for sorting your deck when we watch things at your house, do I?"

Yugi blushed. "I wasn't teasing you," he murmured, leaning his head against his shoulder. "I was just making an observation."

He sniffed, holding the long rows of yarn up to his eyes for the briefest moment. "Here's another," he said, grabbing the bowl of popcorn, consisting of nothing but kernels. "Would you mind, please?" He flashed a half-hearted smile at Yugi, who rolled his eyes.

"Only because you're so cute," he replied, kissing his cheek as he retreated to the kitchen, poking through the cupboards for the box. "So how has the rest of your break been so far?"

Ryou shrugged. "It's been okay…it's only been two days."

Click, click, click.

"Really quiet…"

Click, click, click.

Yugi frowned as the popcorn covered Ryou's fading mumble. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Click, click, click. Pop, pop, pop.

"…Not really."

Click, click. Pop pop.

Pop, pop, pop.

Click.

"Darling—"

Ryou cringed. "Don't darling me," he muttered, pushing back into the corner of the couch. "I don't need it right now."

Click. Click.

BEEEEEP.

Yugi sighed. The popcorn slid into the bowl, kernels clinking against the plastic as he mixed in a dash of salt and returned to the couch. Ryou's bad days were rarely visible from the outside. But up close, Yugi wondered how he managed to hide them at all.

He took his hand in his own, kissing his cheek and nestling into his shoulder. Ryou curled in towards him, needles still clicking away over the fuzzy, haunting music coming through his speakers. His hair was tangled and frizzy, like he hadn't brushed it in days. Yugi ran his fingers through it gently, allowing himself a tiny smile as Ryou leaned back into his hands, his shoulders slowly relaxing.

He mumbled something under the overacted dialogue.

"Hm?"

The needles stopped. "You're too kind to me, Yugi…no one else will come over to visit me like you do, not even during the break."

Yugi's heart stuttered, his hand faltering as he brushed the silver hair around Ryou's shoulders. "I'm your boyfriend, silly—"

"Even before that though," Ryou stared down at their hands, holding it tightly. "Since…that time…after Egypt. You've never left my side. Even though I don't deserve it—"

"Don't be stu—"

Ryou glared up at him. "Let me finish, please." He turned to him, staring into his eyes. "Even though I don't think I deserve it….I love you…and I don't know how, but I'll make it up to you. I know you don't think I have to," he interrupted, putting a finger to his lips. "But I want to." He leaned up and kissed him on the lips.

Yugi returned it, pushing his worries into the back of his mind. "I love you too." His arms slid around his waist as he buried his face in the taller boy's chest. "But….if you really do want to make it up to me, let me prove to you that you deserve it, okay?"

He didn't answer right away, instead picking up the knitting and resuming his work. He finished off the last few stitches and cast off, gathering the scarf in his hands.

"It's a deal," he said at last, draping the gold and pink yarn over the both of their shoulders. With the popcorn nestled between them, they settled in for a quiet evening.